The Modernized Ruy Lopez - Volume 1: A Complete Repertoire for White [1, 1 ed.] 9464201037, 9789464201031

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Table of Contents Title page Key to Symbols Foreword by Le Quang Liem Introduction

PART I – Alternatives to the modern major lines Chapter 1 – Questionable setups for Black Chapter 2 – Bird’s Defense Chapter 3 – Schliemann Defense Chapter 4 – Cozio Defense Chapter 5 – Smyslov Defense Chapter 6 – Classical Defense Chapter 7 – Steinitz Defense Chapter 8 – Norwegian Variation Chapter 9 – Averbakh Variation PART II – Berlin Defense Chapter 10 – 4.0-0: Sidelines on move 4 Chapter 11 – 4.0-0: Sidelines on move 5 and 6 Chapter 12 – 4.0-0: Black plays 7...Nf5 Chapter 13 – 4.0-0: Black plays 7...Nxe5 Chapter 14 – 4.d3: Sidelines on move 4 Chapter 15 – 4.d3: Black plays 4...d6 Chapter 16 – 4.d3: Black plays 4...Bc5 PART III – Ruy Lopez Open Defense Chapter 17 – Sidelines on move 6 and 7 Chapter 18 – White plays 8.Nxe5 Chapter 19 – White plays 8.dxe5 (9...Bc5 and 9...Nc5)

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Chapter 20 – White plays 8.dxe5 (9...Be7)

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The Modernized Ruy Lopez Volume 1 A Complete Repertoire for White by Dariusz Świercz Thinkers Publishing 2021

www.thinkerspublishing.com First edition 2021 by Thinkers Publishing Copyright © 2021 Dariusz Świercz All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher. All sales or enquiries should be directed to Thinkers Publishing, 9850 Landegem, Belgium. Email: [email protected] Website: www.thinkerspublishing.com

Managing Editor: Romain Edouard Assistant Editor: Daniël Vanheirzeele Typesetting: Mark Haast Proofreading: Daniel Fernandez Software: Hub van de Laar Cover Design: Iwan Kerkhof Graphic Artist: Philippe Tonnard Production: BESTinGraphics 4

ISBN: 9789464201031 D/2020/13730/32 I dedicate this book to my lovely wife Keyla, with whom I share my life and who loves me and supports me every day, my parents, Mamuś Ela and Tati Jurek, without whom I would have never achieved anything, my sister Ola, BIL Wit, Otylia and Marek, who root for me in every game I play, my grandma Irena (R.I.P), who always believed in me, my grandpa Rysiek (R.I.P), who taught me the game of chess. I wanted to say thank you and I love you!

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Key to Symbols !

a good move

?

a weak move

!! an excellent move ?? a blunder !? an interesting move ?! a dubious move ™ only move N novelty ‰ lead in development ʘ zugzwang = equality ∞ unclear position © with compensation for the sacrificed material ²

White stands slightly better

³

Black stands slightly better

± White has a serious advantage µ Black has a serious advantage +– White has a decisive advantage –+ Black has a decisive advantage ‚ with an attack ƒ

with initiative

„ with counterplay … with the idea of ¹ better is ≤ worse is + check #

mate

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Foreword “If you want to become a better chess player, learn the Ruy Lopez opening.” Those words of wisdom were given to me by one of my first coaches when I was a seven-year-old kid in Vietnam. As I made my way into the world’s top forty, I have realized that my coach’s statement could not be more accurate. Throughout my professional career of more than 20 years competing in strong tournaments all over the world, the Ruy Lopez has appeared countless times in my practice with both colors. The main challenge in studying this fascinating opening, in my humble opinion, is to dissect the vast amount of options and absorb the most relevant information for your game. In the absence of an experienced coach who can guide you through those steps, a chess player may spend weeks studying the Ruy Lopez, yet he or she may not fully understand the strategic ideas behind long variations. That challenge is now solved by Grand Master Dariusz Swiercz with the book you have just opened. I have known Dariusz for several years since we both immigrated to the United States. As colleagues and friends, I have become acquainted with his high-quality chess preparation. His opening ideas, always backed up by thorough analysis with trusted engines, are original and sound. Dariusz has used that principled approach to cover all variations of the Ruy Lopez. His dedication to providing you a quality guidance has been very impressive in this book. He does not shy away from complications or from sharing his own novelties. In critical positions, he explains very well the ideas and plans for both sides, which should help you gain a deeper understanding of the system beyond memorization of the moves. The Ruy Lopez is such a classic opening that never gets old. Regardless of what you already knew about this opening, there are always new ideas to be found and tested over the board. That is why this book is beneficial to chess players and enthusiasts at all levels, including top Grand Masters like myself. Reading the first volume of this book has been inspiring, as I feel that I have broadened my chess knowledge in certain variations. I am eagerly waiting to try Dariusz’s solid recommendations in my future games, and I look forward to the second volume of his series. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Ruy Lopez.

Le Quang Liem Grand Master, former World Blitz Champion Saint Louis, August 2020

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Introduction Dear Reader, I appreciate that you are reading my book and I wanted to thank you for doing so. It is the first book that I have ever written, and it really means a lot to me. When I decided to write a book on the Ruy Lopez, covering a entire repertoire for White, I initially did not realize the volume of work that lay ahead of me. I have played the Ruy Lopez for many years with both colors and believed that I have good knowledge about this opening. I thought that armed with my knowledge I could easily write a book about it. Nothing could be further from the truth! While writing this book, I discovered that the number of resources and lines that Black has here is astonishing. To provide very good material that would satisfy not only the Reader, but also myself, I decided to cover the entire opening in two volumes. The first volume includes three parts. The first part is about Black’s alternatives to the modern major lines. Even though they are not as frequent as lines that I cover in subsequent chapters or volumes, I believe that it is good to know what to do in less popular variations too. After all, why would we study only (say) the Berlin Defense, leaving our opponents able to surprise us with the sharp Schliemann Variation? From a practical point of view, such a line would be very hard to face over the board from both chess and psychological perspectives. Basic knowledge of sidelines is therefore important. The second part I devote to the extremely solid Berlin Defense. The amount of theory in this opening has grown exponentially in recent years, as basically all the top players go for it with at least one color. I will try to shed some light on this complex line and try to show different ways in which White can try to get an advantage out of the opening. Finally, in the third part I discuss the Open Ruy Lopez. Similarly to the Berlin, the theory has developed immensely here in recent years. I will try to show some interesting lines and ideas that challenge this opening. I would like to note one thing. Chess is a game where, with perfect play, Black should be always able to equalize. However, equal positions do not mean that the game should end in a draw. In many lines (especially in the Berlin), the positions are simply equal if Black does everything correctly. There is no way to prevent that. However, I aim to show lines that can possibly create practical problems for your opponents. Very often the objective evaluation does not really matter if a player knows what he or she is doing while his or her opponent does not. Having a clear idea about the plans and where to put one’s pieces, as well as a general “feeling” for the position, is way better than knowing that 0.23 is shown by an engine and not having any idea what to do next. And this is the primary goal of this book – to provide to the Reader various ideas in the Ruy Lopez that could be used to the Reader’s advantage in practical games. This would increase the chances of opponents making mistakes (by driving them out of their comfort zone) and therefore also your winning chances. I hope that this book will be a great journey for the Reader in exploring the intricacies of the Ruy Lopez, and that reading it will bring success in terms of won games. 8

Thank you, Dariusz Świercz

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Part I Alternatives to the modern major lines Chapter 1 Questionable setups for Black 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5

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Position after: 3.Bb5 3...Bb4?! A very rare move and, to be honest, it does not look good for Black. However, it has been employed by Magnus Carlsen (mostly rapid, blitz or online games), so I think it deserves attention! A) 3...Qf6? 4.c3! followed by d4 gives White a big advantage immediately:

Position after: 4.c3!

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A1) 4...Bc5 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 Qg6 7.cxd4 White has a strong center. The ...Qf6-...Qg6 manoeuvre does not lead to anything special for Black. 7...Bb4+ [7...Nxd4? 8.Nxd4 Qb6 is possible but after 9.Be3 Bxd4 10.Qxd4 Qxb5 11.Nc3+– White’s development advantage is overwhelming.] 8.Nc3 Nge7 9.0-0 d5 10.Ne2!?± White’s idea is Nf4 and he is simply much better. A2) 4...g5 5.d4 g4 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.dxe5 Qxe5 8.Bd3± is definitely an overly ambitious approach by Black. B) 3...f6? 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4± is just awful for Black. C) 3...Qe7? 4.0-0± and d4 next. D) 3...Na5? – honestly, nearly everything is great for White! 4.c3± [4.d4±] E) 3...g5? 4.d4+– is just crushing in the center. F) 3...Bd6?! 4.0-0 Nge7

Position after: 4...Nge7 This is a really awkward setup and White can just build a strong center with great prospects: 5.c3 00 6.d4 Ng6 7.Be3±. G) 3...d5? 4.Nxe5 just loses immediately: 4...Qg5 5.Nf3!

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Position after: 5.Nf3! 5...Qe7 [5...Qxg2 6.Rg1 Qh3 7.exd5+–] 6.e5+– H) 3...b6? A hard move to fathom. 4.0-0 Bb7 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nxe5+– I) 3...a5? 4.0-0± is also just much better for White. 4.c3 Ba5

Position after: 4...Ba5 13

Here, White can play Bxc6 and Nxe5 with a clear edge, but I found something even stronger: 5.Qa4! I believe that this is an attempt to simply put the line out of business. The idea is to chase the bishop away from a5 and play d4 as soon as possible. 5...Bb6 5...Nge7 allows 6.Nxe5 just grabbing the pawn. 6...Nxe5 7.Qxa5± 6.d4

Position after: 6.d4 6...Nf6 6...exd4 7.cxd4 and White will get to play d5 next: for instance, 7...Nge7 8.d5± simply looks terrible for Black. 7.0-0! I believe that this is the simplest. 7...Nxe4 8.Re1! Forcing Black to play ...f5.

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Position after: 8.Re1! 8...f5 A) 8...d5 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Qxc6++– B) 8...Nd6 9.Bxc6 dxc6 10.Rxe5+ Kf8 11.c4+– 9.Bxc6 dxc6 9...bxc6 leaves the queen on d8... trapped! 10.Rxe4 fxe4 11.Bg5+– 10.Nxe5 0-0 11.Qb3+ Qd5 12.f3 Nf6 13.Be3±

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Position after: 13.Be3± White has a huge advantage. The bishop on b6 is actually completely out of the game, meaning that White is in some sense “a piece up”! Personally, such bishops always remind me of the classic game Winter– Capablanca, 1919.

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Chapter 2 Bird’s Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4

Chapter Guide Chapter 2 – Bird’s Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 a) 5...Bc5 b) 5...c6 a) 5...Bc5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4!?

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Position after: 3...Nd4!? Bird’s Defense is considered as a slightly suspicious line, but it is nonetheless essential to know how to react with White in order to get an advantage. In 2013, I played a game against Richard Rapport (who is a specialist in this line!) and I did not react well and quickly got myself into trouble. Later, I managed to escape with a draw, but ever since then I’ve been aware of the importance of knowing some plans even in relatively unpopular variations. 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 Bc5 Lately, this has become a trend. The alternative is 5...c6, which is discussed separately. In my opinion there are two paths for White now.

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Position after: 5...Bc5 6.Bc4!? This would be my choice, as a2-g8 is a logical diagonal for our light-squared bishop. Also, we create a threat! In my game versus Richard Rapport I played the “automatic” 6.d3, which is also possible. 6...c6 7.Ba4 [7.Bc4 d5 8.Bb3!? could be a new path!]

Position after: 7.Ba4 19

A) 7...d6 A1) 8.Nd2 Nf6 9.f4

Position after: 9.f4 This was played by Anand against Kovalev at Wijk aan Zee, but in my opinion it’s not so dangerous and Kovalev did not have any serious problems equalizing: 9...0-0 10.Bb3 d5 11.Kh1 Re8 12.e5 Ng4 13.Nf3 f6 14.h3 Nh6 15.c3 Nf5 16.Qe1 fxe5 17.fxe5 Rf8 18.Bg5 Be7 19.Bxe7 Qxe7 20.Nxd4 ½-½ Anand – Kovalev (2020). A2) The alternative is 8.Bb3! transposing back to the 6.Bc4 line. Black may still develop the knight to f6, but ...d5 is not possible anymore (unless he wants to waste some more precious tempi!) B) 7...Ne7 Declaring the knight’s intentions early, but intending to play ...d5. B1) 8.Qh5?! is definitely not the right square for the queen in this position: 8...d5 9.Nd2 0-0 10.Nf3 f6!∞ with an unclear position. My queen on h5 was misplaced and soon I got into big trouble because of that. Swiercz – Rapport (2013) B2) 8.f4 d5 9.Bb3 0-0

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Position after: 9...0-0 10.f5! Bd6 11.Qh5 f6 12.Nd2² White brings the knight to the kingside and possibly prepares g4g5.

Position after: 6.Bc4!? 6...d6 This move is sort of forced, as Black needs to protect the bishop on c5.

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A) 6...Qh4 is too ambitious; the queen will soon be chased away. 7.d3 Ne7 [7...d6 8.Nd2 Bg4 9.f3 makes little sense for Black] 8.Nd2 0-0 Here 9.Bb3! is an improvement: [9.c3?! as in Sutovsky – Rapport (2015) gave Black 9...d5! 10.exd5 Bg4ƒ] and now:

Position after: 9.Bb3! 9...a5 [9...c6 10.f4 d5 11.f5! A typical idea that we’ve already seen in some of the previous lines; 9...d5 10.exd5 Bg4 11.Qe1] 10.a4 Ra6 11.f4 d5 12.f5! Bd6 13.Nf3 Qh5 14.h3 c5 15.Bd2±. This looks complicated, but it should be good for White, as Black has no attack and White enjoys more space and better-placed pieces. B) 6...h5 was played by Ivan Sokolov in 2010 versus Josep Manuel Lopez Martinez, but it hardly is a good idea. 7.d3 c6 [7...d6 8.Nd2±]

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Position after: 7...c6 8.e5! [8.Bb3 happened in the aforementioned game, where Lopez Martinez got an advantage as well. But I believe that 8.e5 is even stronger.] 8...d5 9.exd6 Bxd6 10.Nd2 no need to rush Re1 10...Nf6 11.Re1+ Kf8 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.dxe4!± C) 6...Ne7? 7.Bxf7+!+– D) 6...c6? 7.Bxf7+!+– 7.d3 7.c3?! was played in Sevian – Safarli in the 2019 Fide Grand Swiss, but I certainly dislike this idea here, as here White cannot really gain control in the center just by undermining the d4-pawn: 7...c6 8.b4 Bb6 9.Qb3 Qe7 10.cxd4 Bxd4 11.Bb2 Bxb2 12.Qxb2 Nf6 13.d3 0-0= with a good position for Black. ½-½ (57) Sevian, S (2654) – Safarli, E (2593) Douglas 2019

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Position after: 7.d3 7...c6 A) 7...Ne7 Developing the knight to e7 more or less implies the intention of a later ...c6, ...d5. 8.Nd2 0-0 9.Qh5 [9.f4 Kh8 10.f5!? also looks promising] 9...c6 10.f4 d5 11.Bb3

Position after: 11.Bb3 White’s idea is f5. If Black himself plays 11...f5 [11...Kh8 12.f5 f6 13.Nf3±], then after 12.exd5 24

cxd5 13.Nf3± White takes control over the squares in the center. B) 7...Nf6 runs into 8.Bg5± with an unpleasant pin. Trying to get out of this pin results in further weakening of Black’s position: 8...h6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Ng4 11.Nd2 h5 12.h3 Ne5 13.Bb3±. C) 7...Qe7 8.f4 Nf6 9.f5!± And now the 2009 victory of Maxime Vachier – Lagrave over David Howell is a great example of White’s plans in this line:

Position after: 9.f5!± 9...Nd7 10.Qh5 Ne5 11.Bg5 Qf8 12.Nd2 Kd7 13.Be6+ Kc6 14.Bd5+ Kd7 15.Be6+ Kc6 16.Bd5+ Kd7 17.f6 g6 18.Qh3+ Kd8 19.Qg3+– with a dominant position. Vachier Lagrave, M– Howell, D Puerto Madryn 2009 8.Bb3! Nf6

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Position after: 8...Nf6 9.h3!? White stops...Bg4 and ...Ng4 ideas in advance and keeps all options in hand. In my opinion, White is slightly better. A) 9.Bg5 is possible, but it leads to massive complications (which are unnecessary here!). That’s why it’s better to play Bg5 only after Black castles. 9...h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3

Position after: 11.Bg3 26

11...a5 I am not entirely sure why Black needs to include a4, ...a5 but computer analysis is sometimes mysterious! Probably, though, there is not much difference. [11...h5!? 12.f4 Ng4 13.Qf3 f5∞] 12.a4 h5 13.f4 Ng4 14.Qf3 f5∞ Computer evaluations vary, and it requires serious checking and extreme accuracy in play. I am not sure whether entering this line is necessary. B) 9.Nd2 is possible too, but we don’t really want to follow up with Nf3 in response to ...Bg4. So, 9.h3 makes more sense to play as we keep the option of developing the c1-bishop first. 9...a5 A) 9...0-0 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4ƒ looks really annoying for Black. B) 9...h6 10.f4² 10.a4 0-0 10...Be6 11.Bxe6 fxe6 12.f4² 11.Bg5 Be6 12.Nd2² I believe White is (at least) slightly better here. The pin is very annoying, potential for a kingside attack exists, and it’s unclear what Black is doing here.

Position after: 12.Nd2² For instance: 12...h6 13.Bh4 Bb4 14.Bxe6 fxe6 15.Nf3 Qb6 16.Rb1! Qc5 17.Rc1!

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Position after: 17.Rc1! White threatens to push c3 and poses really big problems for Black. b) 5...c6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 c6 This is not so popular nowadays but it is also a possible move. It is definitely good to know how to react with White. 6.Bc4

Position after: 6.Bc4 Black has two possible continuations. 6...Nf6 6...d5 is a very concrete approach. Taking control over the center is usually a good idea, but here Black still has not developed fully and White can take advantage of that: 7.exd5 cxd5 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Re1+ Ne7 10.c4!

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Position after: 10.c4! An important move, undermining the center and commencing immediate action when Black is not really ready for it, with his king still in the center and his undeveloped pieces. A) 10...Bxb5 11.cxb5 Qd7 12.Na3± with the idea of b3-Bb2. B) After 10...dxc3 almost anything is good, for instance: 11.Nxc3 [11.Bxd7+!? Qxd7 12.dxc3±] 11...d4 12.Bxd7+ Qxd7 13.Ne4 0-0-0 14.d3± is clearly better for White. C) 10...dxc4 11.Bxc4+– is simply lost for Black. D) 10...a6 11.Bxd7+ Qxd7 12.Na3± with the idea of b4-Qb3. Black has serious issues with king safety.

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Position after: 6...Nf6 7.d3! After careful analysis, I came to the conclusion that this is the simplest path to an advantage. In my opinion, 7...d5, which fights for the center, is not so great. And if Black doesn’t play 7...d5, then the entire idea of ...c6 and ...Nf6 (preparing ...d5) seems kind of flawed. A) 7.Re1 was my initial thought, but things may not be so easy after 7...d6 8.c3. [8.d3 is possible, but we don’t need Re1 just to play d3, especially since ...d5 is not a problem!]

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Position after: 8.c3 A1) 8...Ng4 used to be played quite often, but it’s just not good: 9.h3 Ne5 10.d3 Qb6 [10...Nxc4 11.dxc4 dxc3 12.Nxc3±] 11.a4! and Black is in big trouble.

Position after: 11.a4! 11...a5 [11...dxc3 12.Nxc3±] 12.cxd4 Qxd4 13.Na3!± The queen on d4 is very unstable and White has a decisive development advantage. A2) 8...Be7! is the best defense. 9.cxd4 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nc3 0-0

Position after: 11...0-0 By giving up a pawn, Black manages to finish development and stabilize the position in the center. With the blockade on d5, Black can hope to equalize eventually. However, it’s still clearly slightly better for White after almost anything: 12.Bxd5 cxd5 13.d3². B) 7.e5 d5!∞ is Black’s idea, leading to some sharp play which is not really necessary for White to go for.

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Position after: 7.d3! 7...d5 Black follows the plan. There are alternatives, but White is better everywhere: A) 7...d6 8.Nd2 Be7

Position after: 8...Be7 9.h3!? I like this prophylactic move. White prepares Nf3, either before or after pushing his f-pawn. 32

[I consider 9.Nf3 Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 to be unnecessary, as 11.g4 allows a piece sacrifice that leads to massive complications. Most likely, White ends up on top there, but those complications are not what White would normally want.] 9...0-0 [9...Be6 10.Bxe6 fxe6 11.f4!±: for instance, here 11.f4 is preferable to the immediate Nf3.] 10.Nf3! [10.f4?! d5! may not be so clear] 10...c5 11.Re1²/±

Position after: 11.Re1²/± White is clearly better. He has several plans available, chiefly involving pushing either c3 (and building a strong center), or e5. B) 7...a5, trying to trap the bishop, does not bring Black much, and it actually opens up an interesting possibility for White: 8.Re1!? [The simple solution 8.a4 also works: 8...d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Re1+ Be7 11.Bg5

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Position after: 11.Bg5 which is fairly similar to the position without the a-pawn moves included.] 8...b5 [8...d6 is a must, but here we can even play 9.c3±, opening the center and showing ...a5 up as useless.] 9.e5 Ng8

Position after: 9...Ng8 10.Bxf7+! Kxf7 11.Qf3+ Ke8 12.Nd2! Heading to e4. 12...Qe7 13.Ne4 Qf7 14.Bf4‚ White has a very strong attack, for instance: 14...h6 15.Nd6+ Bxd6 16.exd6+ Kf8 [16...Kd8 17.Qe4±] 17.Re5! ±. 34

8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Re1+

Position after: 9.Re1+ 9...Be7 9...Be6 very likely drops a pawn by force in the following line: 10.Qh5! Qd7 11.Bxd5 Qxd5 [11...cxd5 12.Qe5 looks awful for Black as well.] 12.Qxd5 cxd5 13.Nd2 and the weak d4-pawn is very likely going to fall.

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Position after: 13.Nd2 13...Rc8 14.Nb3 Rxc2 [14...Bc5 15.Bf4±] 15.Nxd4 Rc5 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Rxe6+ Kd7 18.Re2+– 10.Bg5 0-0 10...f6 weakens the kingside and a2-g8 diagonal. 11.Bc1! 0-0 12.Nd2± The d4-pawn, again, is doomed. 11.Bxe7 Nxe7 12.Nd2

Position after: 12.Nd2 Optically Black looks fine as some pieces were traded and he has managed to castle. Yet, White still maintains serious pressure, and in reality, Black has to be extremely careful (while White enjoys a risk-free initiative.) White has control over the e-file, more active pieces, pressure against the weak d4-pawn and many plans for improving his pieces: Qh5 or Qf3, Re2 followed by Rae1, Nf3 (or Ne4) and then Ne5/Ng5... 12...Ng6 13.Qh5±

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Chapter 3 Schliemann Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5

Chapter Guide Chapter 3 – Schliemann Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 a) Introduction b) 4...Nf6, 4...d6 c) 4...fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 d6 d) 4...fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 Bc5 e) 3...a6 4.Ba4 f5 alternative a) Introduction 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5

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Position after: 3...f5 The Schliemann (or Jaenisch) Variation is a sharp line against the Ruy Lopez. Black undermines the center and tries to unbalance the position. One of the top players who is an expert on this line is Teimour Radjabov. In these pages, I will provide my suggestion for how to react to this variation. 4.d3 This is what I would suggest. 4.Nc3 is another line but I will not analyze it as I believe that 4.d3 is good for White and my analysis will be focused on this. 4...fxe4 By far the most popular response and objectively the best one. Black’s other options 4...d6 and 4...Nf6 are covered in the next subchapter. 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0

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Position after: 6.0-0 Here, Black has two moves: 6...Bc5 and 6...d6. Both of these moves will be examined carefully. 6...Bd6 is not really worth much attention, as after 7.Bc4!± White is simply much better. b) 4...Nf6, 4...d6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 d6

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Position after: 4...d6 Recently, Russian GM Pavel Ponkratov played this move in a few games, with good results. It should be investigated even though it’s pretty rare. 4...Nf6?!

Position after: 4...Nf6?! In my opinion this is a dubious line, and it is rare nowadays. However, there have been more than 800 games played in this line! So we should check it, even if quite briefly. 5.exf5! A) 5...Ne7 6.d4! e4 7.Nh4 c6 8.Be2 Nxf5 [8...d5 9.g4±] 9.Nxf5 Qa5+ 10.Nc3 Qxf5 11.0-0± White plays f3 next, with a big advantage. B) 5...Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Bxc6 dxc6 8.Nxe5 Bxf5 9.Re1± C) 5...Nd4 This is probably the main idea for Black here. 6.Ba4 c6 7.0-0 d5

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Position after: 7...d5 Here, White has a big choice. Almost any move leads to a very promising position; the problem is to choose one! 8.Re1 I think this is the best. 8...Nxf3+ 9.Qxf3

Position after: 9.Qxf3 C1) 9...Be7!? 10.c4! 0-0 [10...e4 11.Qh3! Qa5 12.Nc3 d4 13.dxe4 dxc3 14.e5! 0-0 15.Bc2+– The position is quite sharp, but White is dominating here.] 11.cxd5 Nxd5 [11...cxd5 12.Nc3+–] 12.g4! Here White is just a pawn up: 41

Position after: 12.g4! 12...Qa5 [12...g6 13.Bh6+–] 13.Qd1 g6 14.Nc3 gxf5 15.Bh6+– C2) 9...Bd6 The idea here is to undermine Black’s center with c4. 10.c4! 0-0 11.Nc3

Position after: 11.Nc3 11...Bb4 [11...e4 12.dxe4 Nxe4 13.g4! the f5-pawn is very important – it is essential to protect it, even if doing so seemingly weakens the white king! 13...Qh4 14.Nxe4] 12.Bc2 e4 13.dxe4 dxe4 14.Qh3 Qa5 15.c5! 42

Position after: 15.c5! White should win here. After 15...Nd5 16.g4! Black can’t really go for 16...Nxc3 17.bxc3 Bxc3 as 18.Bb3+ Kh8 19.Re3!+– wins on the spot: 19...Bxa1 [19...h6 20.Rxc3+–] 20.Qxh7+! Kxh7 21.Rh3#. 5.Nc3 This move would be my choice, so this is what I focused on here. Meanwhile, 5.exf5 happened in the recent Ponkratov games. 5...Nf6 5...fxe4 6.dxe4 Nf6 7.Bc4!±

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Position after: 7.Bc4!± Just as in the 6...d6 line, but here it’s an even better version, as White still has the option to castle long. 7...Na5 [Or 7...Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.a3± with the idea of Be3-Qd3-0-0-0.] 8.Be2 Be7

Position after: 8...Be7 Black logically attempts to castle, but the idea fails: 9.Ng5! 0-0 10.b4! h6 11.bxa5 hxg5 12.Bc4+ Kh7 13.Nd5± with a strong attack for White.

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6.exf5

Position after: 6.exf5 6...a6 6...Bxf5 7.d4! Immediately opening the center, as Black’s king doesn’t really feel comfortable. Now after 7...exd4 8.Nxd4 Bd7, 9.Bxc6!? seems simplest. 9...bxc6 10.0-0 Be7 11.Qe2!

Position after: 11.Qe2! 45

11...c5 [If 11...0-0 then 12.Nxc6! Bxc6 13.Qc4+ d5 14.Qxc6± with a healthy extra pawn.] 12.Nf3 Bg4 [12...0-0 13.Re1+–] 13.Re1 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 0-0 15.Bg5± 7.Bxc6+ bxc6

Position after: 7...bxc6 White is better here in a number of ways. The most convincing seems to be the following sequence of moves: 8.Qe2 Bxf5 9.d4 e4 10.Nh4 White wins a pawn.

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Position after: 10.Nh4 10...Bc8 This is the main move in correspondence/computer games. 10...Be6 is more human but Black will just be a pawn down: 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Qxe4 Kd7 13.Nf3 Qf6 14.Bg5 Qf5 15.Qxf5 Bxf5 16.0-0-0±. 11.Bg5!? 11.f3 is also possible. However, I like the text more, since this position is, strangely enough, not so easy. I don’t want to dive into deep analysis of this line, as I found something much simpler. However, if you are interested, I suggest you analyze the following position, which is not as simple as it looks: 11...Be7 12.fxe4 0-0. 11...Be7 12.Nxe4 0-0 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nf3²

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Position after: 14.Nf3² This looks quite simple. White just has an extra pawn and Black does not have enough compensation. For instance: 14...Bg4 15.0-0-0 Bxf3 15...Qe7 16.Rhe1²/± 16.gxf3 Bh4 17.Rd3²/± c) 4...fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 d6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 d6

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Position after: 6...d6 With this move Black simply defends the pawn on e5 and wants to develop the light-squared bishop to g4 quickly. 7.Bc4! A new trend, after Caruana’s games versus Aronian (2018) and Carlsen (2019). The light-squared bishop belongs on this diagonal, on which White should seek to safeguard it. The problem with 7.Nc3 is that after 7...Be7 8.Bc4 Na5 Black manages to dislodge the bishop from the a2-g8 diagonal and eventually castle kingside. 7...Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.Nc3

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Position after: 9.Nc3 9...Qd7 A) 9...Nd4? happened in Caruana – Aronian (2018) and it’s pretty bad for Black: 10.g4! Nxf3+ 11.Qxf3 Bg6

Position after: 11...Bg6 12.g5! An improvement! [12.Be6? was the game continuation, and eventually Aronian won: 12...c6 50

13.Be3 Qe7„] 12...Nd7 [12...Bh5 13.Qg3 Nd7 14.f4±] 13.h4 White has a large plus, for instance:

Position after: 13.h4 A1) 13...Nb6 14.Be6! Qe7 15.Bh3 Bf7 [15...c6 16.Qg3± with the idea of f4] 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 g6 18.Qe4 Bg7 19.Be3 0-0 20.h5 Rfe8 [20...gxh5 21.f4+–] 21.h6 Bf8 22.c4+– A2) 13...Be7 14.Qg4! The idea is f4. 14...Rf8 15.f4 exf4 16.Bxf4± B) 9...Be7 10.g4!

Position after: 10.g4! 51

This is a very concrete attempt to prove an advantage, and it seems to work! 10...Bg6 11.Ng5 Nd4 12.f4 c6 13.f5 h6 Critical position. 14.fxg6! by far the strongest. [14.Nf3?! Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Bf7 16.Bxf7+ Kxf7∞ This position is not so clear.] 14...hxg5 15.Bf7+ Kd7 16.Kg2!

Position after: 16.Kg2! White is much better here due to the safer king, bishop-pair and relatively easy play. B1) 16...Rh4?! 17.Be3 White is just nearly winning here. 17...Qb6 [17...Qh8 18.Rh1 Nxg4 19.hxg4 Rxh1 20.Qxh1 Nxc2 21.Bf2 Nxa1 22.Qxa1+–] 18.Qd3 Nxg4 [18...Rah8 19.Rh1+–] 19.hxg4 Rxg4+ 20.Kf2+– B2) 16...Kc7 17.Ne2! White needs to trade the d4-knight, the most active black piece. 17...Nxe4 18.Nxd4 exd4 19.Qxd4 d5 20.Rf3!±

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Position after: 20.Rf3!± White is much better here. White’s king is safe, unlike Black’s. White also has the two bishops, and the f7-bishop restricts Black’s options. White wants to finish development and undermine the center. The position, however, still remains quite complex. For instance: 20...Bf6 21.Qd3 Qd7 [21...Qd6 22.Be3 b5 23.Re1±] 22.c4

Position after: 22.c4 22...Rad8 [22...Rxh3? does not work: 23.Rxh3 Qxg4+ 24.Kf1 Be5 25.Qf3 Qd7 26.cxd5 cxd5 53

27.Bxd5 Qxd5 28.Be3+– and Rd1 next.] 23.cxd5 cxd5 24.Rf5! Kb8 25.Be3 d4 26.Bg1 Nd6

Position after: 26...Nd6 27.Rxf6! gxf6 28.Qxd4 Qc6+ 29.Bd5 Nb5 30.Bxc6 Nxd4 31.Be4± 10.Nd5! This move basically forces 0-0-0 and Black’s king will not feel too comfortable on the queenside. 10.Be3 was played in Caruana – Carlsen (2019): 10...Be7 11.a4.

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Position after: 11.a4 Here I believe Black is relatively fine after 11...h6!. It’s important to cover the g5 square, as in some lines Ng5 could be possible after unpinning the knight, e.g. in case of 11...Bd8. [11...Rf8? 12.Be2± and Caruana got a great position which he eventually comfortably converted into a win; 11...Bd8 allows 12.b4 with the idea b5. Taking the pawn on b4 allows the aforementioned Ng5 ideas: 12...Nxb4?! 13.Qb1! a5 14.Ng5!±] 12.a5 a6 13.Re1 Bd8

Position after: 13...Bd8 Black continues with ...Bf7 and ...0-0. I think that Black should be quite OK here: 14.Nd5 Bf7 15.Nd2 0-0„.

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Position after: 10.Nd5! 10...0-0-0 10...Be7? drops material after 11.Nxe5! Nxe5 12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13.Qxh5+ g6 14.Qe2±/+–. 11.Qd3 Kb8 12.a4!

Position after: 12.a4!

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White begins expanding on the queenside. Apart from natural pawn pushes, this also creates ideas of Ra3. 12.Bd2 is possible as well (as played in Navara – Azarov 2016) but I like 12.a4 more. 12...Bg6! The best defense. By pinning the e4-pawn against the queen, Black aims to oblige White to recapture on d5 with a piece. A) 12...Ne7 13.Ng5 Bg6 14.Nxf6 gxf6 15.Nf7 Bxf7 16.Bxf7± with the bishop-pair and good attacking prospects on the queenside. B) 12...Be7 13.Bb5± C) 12...Nxd5 13.exd5 Ne7 14.a5± D) 12...Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Nd4 14.Qd3 c6 15.Nxf6 gxf6 16.c3 d5 17.exd5 cxd5 18.Ba2 Ne6 [18...Nc6 19.Rd1±] 19.Qf3± 13.Re1 13.Nh4?! Bxe4 14.Nxf6 gxf6 15.Qxe4 d5 is OK for Black. 13...Nxd5 14.Qxd5 14.Bxd5 is not clear due to 14...Nb4 15.Qb3 Nxd5 16.exd5 Be7 17.Be3 Rhf8 18.Nd2 Bf5„. 14...Be7 15.Ra3!?

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Position after: 15.Ra3!? When I analyzed this some time ago, I ended my line here, evaluating it as just better for White. However, after digging further I came up with an astonishing resource for Black: 15...Nb4! 16.Qd2 Rhf8! The position becomes extremely sharp. Still, I believe White should be better: 17.Qxb4 d5 18.Qc3!

Position after: 18.Qc3! Best, according to my analysis. 18...Bxa3 19.Bb5 c6 20.Nxe5 Qd6 21.bxa3 cxb5 22.Nxg6²

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Position after: 22.Nxg6² Here, White has some chances, despite being an exchange down. However, the position is extremely sharp, so I cannot claim a big advantage. For instance: 22...Qxg6 22...hxg6?! messes up the pawn structure: 23.e5 Qb6 24.Qg3!±

Position after: 24.Qg3!± 59

e.g. 24...Qe6 25.axb5 Rc8 26.Re2 Rc4 27.Qd3 Rfc8 28.Bb2± 23.axb5 Qb6 23...dxe4?! 24.Be3± with a long-term initative and basically risk-free position. 24.Qg3+ Ka8

Position after: 24...Ka8 25.exd5!? I like this more than 25.e5!?² but it could be a matter of taste. 25...Qxb5 25...Rxd5? 26.c4± 26.d6 Qc6 27.Bf4²

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Position after: 27.Bf4² This looks very good for White! His advantage is cemented by having two pawns for the exchange, including the powerful and wellsupported d6-pawn. d) 4...fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 Bc5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 Bc5

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Position after: 6...Bc5 7.Bxc6 The most principled way to fight for an advantage is to grab a pawn! 7...bxc6 8.Nxe5 0-0 9.Nc3

Position after: 9.Nc3 Black faces a non-trivial choice. 9...d6 Lately this has become the main trend. The move gives White quite a wide choice, and after long thought about which system would be easiest, I decided to suggest 10.Na4 below. A) 9...Ba6!? This seems the only reasonable alternative to 9...d6. 10.Nd3

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Position after: 10.Nd3 A1) 10...Bd4 Unlike after 9...d6 10.Nd3, this move is not good now due to 11.Re1! d5 12.exd5.

Position after: 12.exd5 12...cxd5 [12...Nxd5 13.Ne4±] 13.Nf4 Re8 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.Rxe3 Rxe3 16.fxe3± A2) 10...Bb6 11.Bg5 A2.1) 11...Qe8 was Robson – Chirila (2012) and I really like what Ray played here: 12.Re1 Rb8

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13.Na4 Bxd3 14.Nxb6 Rxb6 15.cxd3 Rxb2 16.Qc1 Rb5 17.a4 Rb3 18.Be3!

Position after: 18.Be3! Going after the a7-pawn. Only after 18...Qe6 19.Bxa7 Rxd3 was there an improvement to be found: the easiest path for White is to play 20.f3! with a winning position. Black has little to no counterplay, while the a-pawn is pretty much unstoppable. [20.Qc2?! Qb3! was the game continuation, and Black kept some chances to survive]. A2.2) 11...Qe7!N Best defense.

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Position after: 11...Qe7!N 12.e5!? is a positional approach (and probably the easiest solution.) [12.Kh1, attempting to keep the pawn, is also possible: 12...h6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.f4 Rae8 15.Qf3 Qd4 16.Rae1 d6 17.e5!?²; 12.Re1? is not possible now due to 12...Bxd3! 13.Qxd3 Bxf2+! 14.Kxf2 Ng4+ 15.Kg1 Qxg5µ.] 12...Bxd3 13.exf6 gxf6 14.Bh6 Bxf1 15.Qg4+ Kh8 16.Bxf8 Rxf8 17.Kxf1² and White is better in this position due to his better structure and king safety.

Position after: 17.Kxf1² B) 9...Qe8 10.Nd3 Bd4 [10...Bb6 11.Re1 d6 12.Be3±] 11.e5

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Position after: 11.e5 B1) 11...Nd5 12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Nf4 Qxe5 14.Re1 Qf6 15.c3 g5 16.Qxd4 Qxd4 17.cxd4 gxf4 18.f3+– B2) 11...Nh5 12.Re1 d6 [12...d5 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.fxe3 Bf5 15.e4!+–] 13.Ne2 Bb6 14.exd6 Qg6 15.Nef4 Nxf4 16.Nxf4 Qxd6 17.Be3± B3) 11...Bxe5 12.Re1 d6 13.Nxe5! dxe5 14.Bf4+– C) 9...Re8? 10.Nd3 Bd4 11.Ne2 Bb6 12.e5

Position after: 12.e5 12...Ng4 [12...Ne4 13.Ng3 Nxg3 14.hxg3 d6 15.Bf4±] 13.Bf4± White just has an extra pawn. D) 9...Qe7? 10.Nd3 Bd4 11.e5 Bxe5 12.Re1 d6 13.Nxe5 dxe5 14.Bf4 Ng4 15.Qd2± 10.Na4!? This is the new trend. 10.Nd3 is an alternative and very likely it also offers an advantage for White.

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Position after: 10.Na4!? 10...Qe8 This is the main move and probably the most expected. A) 10...Bb6?! leads to another position where White has a clean pawn: 11.Nxb6 axb6 12.Nxc6 Qe8 13.Nd4 Qxe4 14.f3 Qg6 15.a4±. B) 10...Nxe4 is quite tricky, but if White knows how to react, then he is clearly better: 11.Nxc5 Nxc5 12.Nxc6 Qe8 13.Nd4 Qg6 [Or 13...Bb7 14.f3 Qf7 15.Bg5± followed by Qd2 and Rae1 next.] 14.f3

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Position after: 14.f3! It is important to cover the light squares. B1) 14...Bb7 and now both 15.Be3 and 15.Qd2 are very good for White: 15.Be3 [15.Qd2!? Rae8 16.Qc3±] 15...Nd7 16.Qd3± B2) 14...Bh3 15.Qd2 Rf4!? A very interesting move, after which (at first sight) it looks like White’s position is dangerous. In reality, White is just much better with accurate play: 16.Nb3! aiming to simplify the position.

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Position after: 16.Nb3! B2.1) 16...Rf5 17.Nxc5! [17.Re1?! is wrong due to 17...Raf8 18.Nd4 Rd5 19.c3 Rxf3!‚ with a strong attack, as in Vovk – Pruijssers 2013] 17...Rxc5 18.b4 Rh5 19.Rf2± B2.2) 16...Ne6 17.Kh1 Bf5 18.Re1 Rf8 [18...Bxc2 19.Qd5+–] 19.Qf2 Ra4 20.c3± White follows up with Be3 and I don’t see Black’s compensation. C) 10...Ba6? is just bad for Black: 11.Nxc5! Bxf1 12.Qxf1 dxc5 [12...dxe5 13.Ne6+–] 13.Qc4+ Kh8 14.Be3 Qe8 15.f4! Nd7 16.Nxd7 Qxd7 17.Rf1+–

Position after: 17.Rf1+– This looks very overwhelming! Gopal – Kuegel (2017). D) 10...Qe7 Here, we can either transpose (or nearly-transpose) to positions arising after 10...Qe8, but there is also an additional possibility of 11.Nxc6!: [11.Nd3 Bg4 12.Qe1 Bd4 13.c3 Bb6 14.Nxb6 axb6 is similar to 10...Qe8 line, but 11.Nxc6 is just stronger] 11...Qxe4 12.Nxc5

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Position after: 12.Nxc5 D1) 12...dxc5 13.Na5 Bf5 [13...Ba6 14.c4 Rae8 15.Bg5±] 14.f3 Qa4 15.Qd2 Rad8 16.Qc3 Bxc2 17.b3

Position after: 17.b3 17...Qd4+ [17...Qb4 18.Qxb4 cxb4 19.Be3±] 18.Qxd4 cxd4 19.Bd2± with a much better endgame. D2) 12...Qxc6 13.Nd3 Bb7 14.f3 Rae8 15.b3± 70

Position after: 15.b3± In my opinion, Black does not have enough compensation. 15...Ng4 16.h3 Qd5 17.Rb1 Ne5 18.Nxe5 Qxe5 19.Qd3± E) 10...Bxf2+? is bad for Black due to 11.Rxf2 dxe5 12.Qxd8 Rxd8 13.Bg5! Rd4 14.Bxf6 Rxa4 [14...gxf6 15.b3±] 15.Bxe5 Rxe4 16.Bxc7± 11.Nd3

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Position after: 11.Nd3 11...Bg4 11...Nxe4 was seen in Caruana – Radjabov (2013). White is better after 12.Naxc5 Nxc5 13.Nxc5 dxc5 14.Be3

Position after: 14.Be3 when Black must be in trouble here with his horrible structure! For instance: 14...Qg6 15.f3! The most human, just making sure that we are safe on the light squares. [15.Qd3 was the game move, and was less clear after 15...Bf5 16.Qc4+ Be6 17.Qe2 c4.] 15...Ba6 16.Rf2 Rad8 17.Qe1 Qf6 18.Qc1 Qe5 19.h3± 12.Qe1 Bd4 13.c3 Bb6 White will face another choice soon: he can try to hold onto and convert his extra pawn, or aim for a more positional type of advantage instead. 14.Nxb6 axb6 15.f3 Be6

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Position after: 15...Be6 16.a3 Normally, trying to hold on to the pawn is a correct strategy and it should be critical to the entire line. 16.e5 is the alternative: 16...dxe5 17.Nxe5 Rxa2 18.Rxa2 Bxa2 19.Bg5².

Position after: 19.Bg5² Despite the equal material, Black’s queenside majority does not have such good prospects as White’s 73

kingside one. On top of that, White’s e5-knight guarantees stability in the center and restricts Black’s counterplay. 16...Bc4 17.Qd1

Position after: 17.Qd1 17...Qf7!? Stronger than 17...Qg6. Here, Black gains immediate control over the light squares (stopping b3) and the queen does not become a tactical target. 17...Qg6 18.Re1 Rae8 19.Nf4!

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Position after: 19.Nf4! White chases the queen and quickly finishes his development with a big advantage: 19...Qf7 20.Be3±. 18.Re1 Nd7! This knight belongs on either e5 or c5, and it’s exactly where it’s headed. 19.Be3 c5

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Position after: 19...c5 20.Nc1! A very important move, guaranteeing White’s advantage. White prepares b3 and then c4. Also, Bf2Bg3 is another idea. If White stabilizes the position, then he will be just a pawn up. 20.Bf2 has been played in a few games, but I am not sure how great this position is after 20...Bxd3 21.Qxd3 Ne5 22.Qc2 c4©.

Position after: 22...c4© Black now installs the knight on d3. According to the engines, White is better, but from a practical point of view it does not look nice! 23.Bg3 Nd3 24.Re3 Qg6© 20...Be6 A) 20...Ne5 allows 21.b3 followed by c4, with a big advantage, e.g. 21...Be6 [21...Ba6 22.c4 b5 23.cxb5 Bxb5 24.Bf2±] 22.c4 Qg6 23.Kh1 h5 24.Ra2!

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Position after: 24.Ra2!± White uses the second rank to protect his kingside in advance. 24...h4 25.Ne2 h3 [25...Nxf3 26.gxf3 Rxf3 27.Nc3+–] 26.Nf4+–. B) 20...b5 21.Bf2! Bringing the bishop to g3. After 21...h5 probably simplest is 22.h4 [22.Bg3!?²/± is also possible] 22...Ne5 23.Bg3 Qg6 24.Kh2 Qf6 25.Qd2±. 21.Bf2!± The analysis could go on, but I believe that knowing lines until this moment should be sufficient. White is clearly better due to his extra pawn and is getting close to fully consolidating the position. A final sample line follows:

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Position after: 21.Bf2!± 21...c4 21...Ne5 was played in Garcia Ramos – Lilla Costany 2018. 22.Bg3!± [22.a4?! happened in the game and after 22...c4© Black had some compensation and eventually managed to make a draw.] 22.Qd2 Rae8 23.Na2! Ne5 24.Bg3 Nd3 25.Re3±

Position after: 25.Re3± 78

White plays Nb4 next, dislodging the d3-knight from its great outpost. e) 3...a6 4.Ba4 f5 alternative 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 f5

Position after: 4...f5 I did wonder what differences I’d uncover between the regular Schliemann and this version with 3...a6 4.Ba4 thrown in. To summarise: the deferred version is just bad for Black. Shocking! 5.d4! This is the refutation. 5...fxe4 Other moves aren’t any better: A) 5...exd4 6.e5 Bc5 [6...Nge7 7.c3!±] 7.0-0 Nge7 8.c3! dxc3 9.Nxc3± B) 5...b5 6.Bb3± 6.Nxe5

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Position after: 6.Nxe5 6...Nf6 6...Nxe5 7.dxe5+– In the analogous position without ...a6, Black is fine here due to ...c6! hitting the b5-bishop. 7.0-0 Bd6

Position after: 7...Bd6 80

Trying to undermine the powerful e5-knight. 7...Be7 8.Bg5 0-0 9.Nc3± After 7...Bd6, I think that either 8.Nc3 or 8.Ng4 leads to a big advantage for White. They are equally strong. 8.Nc3 The most natural move. 8.Ng4 is an alternative that also guarantees a big advantage: 8...0-0 9.c3

Position after: 9.c3 White trades knights and leaves Black’s e4-pawn very weak. On top of that, there are ideas of playing d5 in some positions. For instance: 9...Be7 10.Nxf6+ Rxf6 11.d5! Ne5 12.Nd2 e3 13.Ne4! exf2+ 14.Kh1! Rf8 [14...Rg6 15.d6+–] 15.d6 with a winning position. 8...Nxe5 9.dxe5 Bxe5 10.Nxe4! 0-0 11.Bb3+ Kh8 12.f4 Nxe4 13.fxe5±

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Position after: 13.fxe5± White has a big advantage, e.g. 13...Rxf1+ 14.Qxf1 d5 15.Qf7 c6 16.Be3 Qg8 17.Qc7!± It’s become impossible to develop the c8-bishop without losing material.

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Chapter 4 Cozio Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5

Chapter Guide Chapter 4 – Cozio Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a) 3...Nge7 b) 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 a) 3...Nge7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7

Position after: 3...Nge7 The Cozio Defense is an interesting move order against the Ruy Lopez. Black’s idea is to play either ...g6-...Bg7 or ... Ng6 -...Be7. Yet, the main idea of the quick ...Nge7 is to play against White’s c3 & d4 systems, as ...a6 is not played yet. At one point I was about to play

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the line myself, but then I encountered issues that I could not resolve. 4.Nc3! In my opinion, this very natural move is unpleasant for Black. It’s important to note that the move is good here, but not if 3...a6 4.Ba4 is thrown in. 4.c3 d5! is Black’s idea. The point is that in some lines the black queen goes to d5, hitting White’s b5-bishop. 4...g6 A) After 4...d6 5.d4 White simply takes control over the center.

Position after: 5.d4 5...a6 [5...Bd7 White is much better after 6.Be3±, or, indeed, 6.d5±.] 6.Be2 An extra option. [6.Bc4!? leads to note C below. ] 6...Nxd4 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6

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Position after: 8...Nc6 Here, White has many possible setups, all leading to advantages. Two of the options: 9.Qd2!? (running away from any Ne5 or Nb4 tempo-gainers and preparing b3-Bb2.) [Alternatively, White can play the more concrete 9.Qd3 g6 10.h4!?².] 9...g6 10.b3! Bg7 11.Bb2² and the g7-bishop is neutralized. B) 4...Ng6 is consistent with the previous ...Nge7. I think that White should continue with central play: 5.d4! would be my suggestion.

Position after: 5.d4! 85

B1) 5...exd4 6.Nxd4 Bb4 7.0-0 0-0 Here, White is better in many ways. I like 8.f4!?

Position after: 8.f4!? beginning active play in the center and/or kingside. There is no reason to fear any pins on the g1a7 diagonal. 8...a6 [8...Bc5 9.Be3 d6 10.Qd2²; 8...Bxc3? 9.bxc3± actually only helps White, as the structure does not matter much here.] 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Bd3² B2) 5...Nxd4 6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Qxd4 c6 8.Bc4! The most active square for this bishop. 8...Qb6 9.Qd1!²

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Position after: 9.Qd1!² White would rather not trade queens, since his advantage here is based on extra space and fairly easy development. 9...Be7 10.Bb3! Postponing castling. In some lines White may castle queenside! 10...d6 11.Be3 Qc7 12.f4² C) 4...a6 5.Bc4!

Position after: 5.Bc4! A key difference compared to 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nge7: the bishop is able to use this square instead. The threat is Ng5. C1) 5...b5 6.Bb3 works only in White’s favor, maintaining the Ng5 threat. 6...Ng6 7.h4 C2) 5...Ng6 6.h4!? An even better version of the 4...Ng6 5.h4 line. 6...Be7 [6...Nf4 7.d4! exd4 8.Bxf4 dxc3 9.bxc3±] 7.h5 Nf4 8.h6 g6 9.d4 exd4 10.Bxf4 dxc3 11.bxc3± C3) 5...d6 According to my engine, the best move. Here, White can go for either a calm option or a very tactical option: C3.1) 6.Ng5!? leads to a major mess, and while it could be objectively the strongest, there is no need for it! 6...d5 7.exd5 Na5

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Position after: 7...Na5 8.Qf3!? leads to a piece sacrifice: [Meanwhile 8.d3 f6 9.Nge4 b5 is pretty unclear; as is 8.b3 f6 9.Nf3 b5 10.Bd3 Nxd5 11.0-0 c6.] 8...Nf5 9.Nxf7! Kxf7 10.Bd3

Position after: 10.Bd3 10...e4! [10...Qf6?! 11.Ne4 Nd4 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qd1 Qd8 14.c3 White threatens both cxd4 and b4, trapping the knight. Black needs to give back the piece but the position remains complicated and highly tactical: 14...Qxd5 15.cxd4 Bf5.] 11.Nxe4 Kg8 12.0-0© 88

Position after: 12.0-0© White has strong compensation. However, it’s a mess and in my opinion such positions may not be some players’ cup of tea. Therefore, I would suggest simply playing 6.d4, with a clearer-cut advantage. C3.2) 6.d4 For someone who prefers more positional chess, I think that this is already satisfying: 6...Nxd4 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Qxd4² White is just slightly better.

Position after: 8.Qxd4²

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5.d4! exd4 5...Bg7 is just bad for Black in a number of ways. The simplest one is 6.dxe5 Nxe5 7.Nxe5 Bxe5 8.Qf3±.

Position after: 5...exd4 6.Nd5 This is the main move and the most challenging. An alternative is 6.Nxd4 which leads to more positional play: 6...Bg7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Nxc6!? bxc6 9.Ba4² with ideas of either Bd4 or Qd2, Bh6 in order to trade dark-squared bishops. 6...Bg7 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bf6

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Position after: 8.Bf6 8...Bxf6 8...Kf8 has been played in some games but it’s not good for Black. 9.Bxg7+ Kxg7 10.Bxc6 Nxc6 and here 11.Qd3± leads to a big advantage for White. [As does 11.Nxd4±.] 9.Nxf6+ Kf8 10.Qd2!

Position after: 10.Qd2! 91

10...d5 The most testing move, after which White is required to be accurate in order to get an advantage. After other moves White should be clearly better. A) 10...Ng8 11.Nxg8 Kxg8 12.0-0-0 Qf6 13.Bxc6 [13.Rhe1!?±] 13...dxc6 14.Nxd4± White had a good Exchange Ruy Lopez position in Solak – Berkovich (2012). B) 10...a6 11.Bc4 Ng8 [11...Nf5 12.Nd5 Nd6 13.Bd3±] 12.Nd5± C) 10...d6 11.0-0-0

Position after: 11.0-0-0 C1) 11...a6 12.Bxc6 Nxc6 13.Nd5 Bg4 14.h3 The simplest, although White had other strong choices. 14...Bxf3 15.gxf3 Qd7

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Position after: 15...Qd7 16.Kb1 [16.h4!? f5 17.Rhg1 Qf7 18.c4±] 16...Kg7 17.h4± C2) 11...Kg7 12.Nxd4 Kxf6 13.Qc3 Nxd4

Position after: 13...Nxd4 14.Rxd4! [Practice has seen only 14.Qxd4+ but it’s far less logical. After all, why not include the rook in the attack?] 14...Ke6 15.Re1+– With a crushing attack! 15...c6 16.Bc4+ Kd7 17.Red1 Kc7 18.Rxd6+– 93

C3) 11...Nf5 12.Nd5 Ng7 13.Be2 Ne6 14.h4!?±

Position after: 14.h4!?± White begins an expansion on the kingside, taking advantage of Black’s weakened pawn structure in this part of the board and his cramped pieces. Black’s extra pawn is outweighed by the major issues he faces, such as development. D) 10...Kg7 11.Nxd4

Position after: 11.Nxd4 94

11...Ng8 [11...Kxf6 12.Qc3 Ne5 13.f4+–] 12.Nxg8 Rxg8 13.0-0-0 Qf6 14.Bxc6 dxc6 15.Qe3± E) 10...Nf5 11.Nd5 Ng7 12.Bc4!

Position after: 12.Bc4! (preparing Nxd4) 12...Ne6 13.c3± 11.Bxc6! Nxc6 12.Nxd5 Bf5!

Position after: 12...Bf5! 95

The point of Black’s play. Suddenly, White’s center is undermined! 13.Qf4! An important move to know! 13.Nxc7 Qxc7 14.exf5 Re8+ 15.Kf1 gxf5 happened in several games, but I believe that Black is relatively OK here: 16.g3 Kg7 17.Kg2 Re4 18.Rhe1

Position after: 18.Rhe1 18...Qd7! My improvement over Navara – Stevic 2014. Black defends the f5-pawn and prepares ...Rhe8. [After 18...Rd8?! 19.Nh4!, Stevic was under serious pressure: 19...Qe5 20.f3 Re3 21.Rxe3 dxe3 22.Qxe3± Navara – Stevic 2014] 19.Nh4 Rhe8 20.f3 R4e5 and I believe that in the long run Black should be fine. 13...Bxe4™ 14.Qxe4 Qd6! 14...Kg7, with the idea of ...Re8, does not work due to 15.0-0 Re8 16.Qxe8! Qxe8 17.Nxc7

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Position after: 17.Nxc7 17...Qd8 [17...Qe4 18.Nxa8 Qxc2 19.Nc7+–] 18.Nxa8 Qxa8 19.Rad1± and this position looks nearly lost for Black as the queen is surely worse here than the two rooks. 15.Nxc7! Qxc7 16.0-0-0 Re8 17.Qh4

Position after: 17.Qh4 According to my database, this position has occurred only twice before. I believe that White has 97

better chances here. The pawn on d4 is likely going to fall and the king on f8 is not really comfortable yet. For instance: 17...Nb4!? The most resilient defense. A) 17...g5 18.Qg3 Qd7 Defending the d4-pawn. [The endgame looks pretty bad for Black, as the dpawn just falls: 18...Qxg3 19.hxg3 Re2 20.Rhf1 Re4 21.Nd2 Re5 22.Nb3 Rd5 23.c3 d3 24.c4 Rd8 25.Nc5+–.] 19.h4! g4 20.Ne1!± Here, White is not a pawn up but he does have full strategic control. The knight heads to d3, increasing White’s overall control over squares. B) 17...Kg7 18.Nxd4+– 18.Nxd4 Nxa2+ 18...Re2? looks flashy but simply loses: 19.a3! Rxc2+ [19...Nxc2 20.Nxe2 Ne3+ 21.Nc3+–] 20.Kb1+–. 19.Kb1 Nb4 20.Qf6! Kg8

Position after: 20...Kg8 White is clearly better, but what next? 21.h4! I think that this is the best.

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21.c3!? is another possibility but Black has relatively good chances to survive here: 21...Nd5 22.Qf3 Nb6! 23.Nb5 Qc6 24.Qxc6 bxc6 25.Nxa7 Re2!©. Thanks to his activity Black can hope to survive here, although the path to equality is still long. 21...Qe5 21...Re6 22.Qf3 Rd6 23.Qb3 Qc5 24.h5 g5 25.c3 Nc6 26.Qb5!± 22.Qf3 Qd5 23.Qxd5 Nxd5 24.Nb5± White wins a pawn and Black has little to no counterplay. b) 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nge7

Position after: 4...Nge7 The Deferred Cozio Defense has been employed quite often by such GMs as Maghsoodloo, Durarbayli and Demchenko. The major ideas for Black are to play either ...g6 or ...Ng6. 5.c3 White should build a strong center in order to fight for an advantage. Here, Black has a variety of systems available. 5...g6

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This is the most popular move, but let’s look at the alternatives as well: A) 5...f6?! If I could I would give several more question and exclamation marks for this move for its originality. It looks really stupid, but it’s not so bad, as it prepares ...d5. 6.d4 d5!N The point! Technically, only this move is a novelty. I think that White is better here but only after a very accurate move sequence, which may not be so easy to find over the board. That’s why I try to cover the entire Ruy Lopez, even lines like this one!

Position after: 6...d5!N A1) 7.dxe5 is possible too, but it leads to much more complicated positions and I think there is no need for that. 7...dxe4 8.Nd4 b5 9.exf6 Nxd4 10.Bb3!

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Position after: 10.Bb3! 10...Nf3+! Trying to escape into a pawn-down endgame. [10...gxf6 11.cxd4± looks bad for Black; 10...Nxb3? 11.f7++– hangs the queen!] 11.gxf3 Qxd1+ Here Black actually has some compensation for the pawn. Surprisingly, his activity is kind of annoying for White. For instance: 12.Kxd1 [12.Bxd1 gxf6 13.fxe4 Bb7 14.Bc2 0-0-0 15.Rg1 Ng6 16.Be3 Bd6©] 12...gxf6 13.fxe4 Bg4+ 14.Kc2 c5! 15.Rg1 Bd7

Position after: 15...Bd7

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16.c4 [16.Kd1 c4 17.Bc2 Ng6 18.Be3 Bd6©] 16...b4 17.Be3 a5 18.a4 Ng6 19.Nd2 Bd6© A2) 7.exd5! would be my suggestion. It is a very simplistic approach, but also very effective. 7...Qxd5 8.dxe5! Qxd1+

Position after: 8...Qxd1+ 9.Bxd1! Returning the pawn but obtaining a clear positional advantage. [9.Kxd1 Bd7 10.exf6 gxf6 may be less clear; while White is slightly better, Black has some compensation: 11.Ke2 Nd4+ 12.Nxd4 Bxa4 13.Re1 Kf7 14.Kf1² and Black has the bishop-pair.] 9...Nxe5 [9...fxe5 10.0-0²] 10.Nxe5 fxe5 11.Bf3!² B) 5...d6 6.d4 Bd7 Here, I would suggest playing 7.d5! Nb8 8.c4:

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Position after: 8.c4 White has the big space advantage typical for a King’s Indian Defense. However, here White will (almost certainly) get to trade light-squared bishops, and his king is still on e1, which takes the sting out of Black’s kingside ideas. Recent tournament practice here includes Moradiabadi – Khachiyan (2019): 8...Ng6 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Be3 h6 [10...0-0 11.Bxd7 Nxd7 12.g3±] 11.Bxd7+ Nxd7 12.g3 0-0 13.h4 f5 14.exf5 Rxf5

Position after: 14...Rxf5

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and here I believe White has an overwhelming advantage after 15.Nd2!±, heading to e4 with full control over the position. [15.h5?! happened in the game: 15...Ngf8 16.Ne4 Rf7∞ with an unclear position, as ...Nh7 and ...Bg5 is coming.] C) 5...Ng6 6.d4

Position after: 6.d4 C1) 6...Be7?! 7.d5 looks very strong for White: 7...Nb8 8.h4!?

Position after: 8.h4!? 104

8...0-0 [8...Nxh4 9.Nxh4 Bxh4 10.d6!±] 9.h5 Nh4 10.Nxh4 Bxh4 11.d6± C2) 6...d6?! was seen in So – Durarbayli (2019). I think that after 7.d5! White is much better. [The game continuation was 7.0-0 Be7 8.Be3 0-0 and now Black is quite OK.] 7...b5 8.Bc2± with a4 next. C3) 6...d5 This entertaining try does not work: 7.Nxe5 Ngxe5 8.dxe5

Position after: 8.dxe5 8...b5 [8...dxe4 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.Bf4±] 9.Bb3 Nxe5 10.Bf4±. C4) 6...exd4 The only reasonable reply. 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Bd2 and now:

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Position after: 8.Bd2 C4.1) 8...0-0 allows to gain control over the center 9.d5 b5 10.Bb3 Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Nce5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.0-0²

Position after: 13.0-0² White has an edge. 13...c5!? looks like Black’s only reasonable move, but it leads to a great version (for White) of a Benoni structure: 14.f4 Ng6 15.Nc3 d6 16.Rae1². C4.2) 8...Bxd2+ 9.Qxd2 d5 Logically, Black fights for the center. White can now play 10.exd5 106

Qxd5 11.Nc3 Qe6+ 12.Qe3!

Position after: 12.Qe3! with a really pleasant advantage. White forces the queen trade on e3, which is favorable for him as it builds up his center. 12...Bd7 13.0-0 Qxe3 14.fxe3 f6 15.Ne4² The knight is headed for c5. D) 5...d5? does not work here, unlike the analogous line without ...a6, Ba4 included. 6.Nxe5!

Position after: 6.Nxe5!

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6...b5 [6...dxe4 7.Qb3!+–] 7.Nxc6 Nxc6 8.Bc2± with a healthy extra pawn. 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4

Position after: 7.cxd4 7...b5 The most popular move. A) 7...d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 is very similar to Naiditsch – Nakamura (2018), for which see Chapter 5, Line A. The only difference is that ...a6 and Ba4 have been included. But this gives White an additional possibility after 9.0-0 Bg7:

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Position after: 9...Bg7 A1) 10.Re1+! still works. 10...Be6 11.Bg5 Qd6 12.Nbd2 0-0 13.Ne4 Qb4 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Qc1 Rfe8 16.Bd2 Qb6 17.Nc5 Bf5 18.Ne5²

Position after: 18.Ne5² The position is basically the same as in the Naiditsch – Nakamura game, with the only (unimportant) difference being the pawn on a6 rather than a7. A2) 10.Bg5! The most precise. 10...Qd6 11.Nbd2! The point is to bring this knight to c4. 11...0-0 109

12.Nc4

Position after: 12.Nc4 After 12...Qd7 [12...Qb4 13.Rc1 Nb6 14.Nxb6 cxb6 15.d5+– is just crushing, as in Oleksienko – Mazur (2017).] 13.Nce5 Qd6 14.Nxc6 White can ruin Black’s pawn structure without giving away either bishop. 14...bxc6 15.Rc1 Bd7 16.Bh4± B) If Black starts with 7...Bg7 then we play 8.d5:

Position after: 8.d5 110

After 8...b5 9.Bc2, play transposes to 7...b5 8.Bc2 Bg7 9.d5. And the alternatives are not good for Black: 8...Na5? [8...Ne5? 9.Nxe5 Bxe5 10.0-0±] 9.Bd2 c5 [9...Nc4 10.Bc3 Bxc3+ 11.Nxc3 Nxb2 12.Qd4+–] 10.Bc3±. 8.Bc2!

Position after: 8.Bc2! An important move. For years, there has been a debate about whether Bc2 or Bb3 is a better retreat in this line. I decided that Bc2 is more accurate, although Bb3 is playable too. 8...d5 The only reasonable move for Black in my opinion, but on the other hand it leads to a very nice and easy-to-play position for White. 8...Bg7?! allows White to build a very strong center and poses some practical problems as well – where will the knight go? 9.d5 Na5 [9...Nb4 is also very uncomfortable for Black: 10.Bb3 a5 11.a3 Na6 12.0-0± and White enjoys a nice center.] 10.Bd2!

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Position after: 10.Bd2! Once again harassing the knight, and (more importantly) heading to c3 to try and trade dark-squared bishops. A) 10...Nc4 11.Bc3 Bxc3+ 12.Nxc3

Position after: 12.Nxc3 A1) 12...d6 13.Qc1! [An extra option; instead, 13.Bb3!? Nxb2 14.Qd4 0-0 transposes to A2 below.] 13...c6 14.dxc6 Nxc6 15.Qh6± 112

A2) 12...Nxb2 White is much better in a number of ways. An example line could be: 13.Qd4!? [13.Qb1!? Nc4 14.a4] 13...0-0 14.Bb3 d6

Position after: 14...d6 15.Rb1 c5 16.Qd2 Nc4 [16...Na4 17.Bxa4 bxa4 18.h3±] 17.Bxc4 bxc4 18.Qh6±. B) 10...Bxb2? is just horrible for Black – and the results confirm this; according to my database, all the games to reach this point were won by White! 11.Bxa5 Bxa1 12.Nc3!

Position after: 12.Nc3! 113

12...Bb2 13.d6! Nc6 14.Nd5 0-0 15.dxc7 Qe8 16.Bd2± With a huge advantage for White. The pawn on c7, supported by the powerful d5-knight, really cramps Black’s game. C) 10...c5 Jeffery Xiong went for this in his 2019 game against Tiglon Bryce, so probably it’s the best option for Black. However, I think that White is much better after 11.Bc3 0-0

Position after: 11...0-0 12.0-0 [12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.b4?! there is no need at all to force the matters here. 13...cxb4 14.Qd4+ Kg8 15.Qxb4 Bb7„ Tiglon – Xiong (2019)] 12...d6 13.b3!± It is important to restrict this knight. Now there is not much Black can actually do! The only “active” plan for him that I can think of is 13...f5 [13...Bg4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3± does not solve Black’s issues either.] Now the simple 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Nc3± leaves Black with a very bad position. 9.exd5

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Position after: 9.exd5 9...Nxd5 9...Nb4 Black tries to recapture the d5-pawn with the b4-knight in order to keep the e-file covered with the other knight. There follows 10.Bb3 Nbxd5 11.0-0 Bg7 12.Bg5 Qd6 13.Nbd2:

Position after: 13.Nbd2 Very simple play by White! By simply developing the pieces he puts some pressure on Black – for 115

instance, Ne4 could be an unpleasant idea to meet. 13...Bf5 [13...0-0 14.Re1 Bf5 is just another move order leading to the same position.] 14.Re1 0-0 15.Rc1² With a clear advantage for White. Hypothetically, if Black’s pawn was not on b5, but on b7, Black would be doing quite well due to the nice blockade on d5 and lack of major weaknesses. Here, however, his structure on the queenside is messed up and it is a major asset for White.

Position after: 15.Rc1² In Adams – Van Foreest J. (2014) White won quickly after 15...Rae8 16.Ne4 Bxe4 17.Rxe4 and here Black cracked under pressure: 17...f6? [17...h6 was better but the position is bad for Black anyway: 18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.Qe2±] 18.Bf4+– 1-0 (21) Adams, M (2758) – Van Foreest, J (2466) Douglas 2014. 10.0-0 Here, Black can play either 10...Be6 or 10...Bg7. 10...Be6 This move has been played often by Azeri GMs Mamedyarov and Durarbayli. 10...Bg7 11.Bg5 A) 11...f6?! weakens the diagonal a2-g8 and clearly favors White: 12.Re1+ Nce7 13.Bd2 0-0 14.Nc3±

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Position after: 14.Nc3± Due to his terrible pawn structure, Black is in quite serious trouble from a strategic point of view. 14...c6 [14...Nxc3 15.bxc3 Bb7 16.a4 Qd7 17.Bd3± and White was much better in Baron – Popov (2015). 17...Bc6 18.h4!?±] 15.Ne4 g5 16.Nc5 Ng6 This is an aggressive plan for Black, however White can play 17.h3!± (improving over a 2014 Najer – Morozevich game) when Black has no attack at all, and so White is just much better. B) 11...Qd6 12.Nbd2

Position after: 12.Nbd2 117

12...Nce7 [12...0-0 is the most popular move here, but it is just bad for Black: 13.Ne4 Qd7 14.Re1± and Nc5 may soon come with tempo. Also Rc1-Bb3 could be an idea.] 13.Ne4 Qb6 14.Re1 0-0 15.Nc5 Nf5 16.Be4 c6

Position after: 16...c6 Here White can play 17.Bxd5!? [17.Rc1² is also OK] 17...cxd5 18.Rc1² with great chances. 11.Nc3 in my opinion this is the best attempt. 11...Bg7 12.Bg5 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Qd7

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Position after: 13...Qd7 This position was played quite often until 2014. For instance, GM Durarbayli won a very nice game versus GM Navara with Black. However, shortly before print a major improvement was played. 13...Qd6 runs into 14.Nd2!²/± manoeuvring the knight to e4 and then either to c5 or f6. 14.Be4! Important move: the pin is very annoying and the threat of d5 has to be dealt with somehow. 14...f5 A sad necessity, but what else? 14...Bd5 15.Bxd5 Qxd5 16.Qe2+ Kd7 17.Ne5+!

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Position after: 17.Ne5+! With a crushing attack against Black’s king. 17...Nxe5 18.dxe5 Qxe5 19.Rad1+ Kc8 20.Qf3!‚ e.g. 20...Rb8 21.Rd5 Qe6 22.Rfd1 f6 23.Bf4 Re8 24.h4 Bf8 25.a4+– 15.Bc2 Na5 16.Re1 0-0

Position after: 16...0-0 17.h4!± 120

As in Pérez Ponsa – Herrera (2020). This move is just very strong. It is the aforementioned improvement over Navara – Durarbayli (2014), in which 17.a4 was played. 17...Rae8 17...h5 18.Qe2 Rae8 19.Ne5 Bxe5 20.dxe5± 18.h5 h6 19.Bf4 g5 20.Be5 Nc4 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Bb3±

Position after: 22.Bb3± White eliminates the c4-knight, plants his own knight on e5 and consequently stands much better.

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Chapter 5 Smyslov Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6

Chapter Guide Chapter 5 – Smyslov Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3 a) 4...Nge7 b) 4...a6 c) 3...a6 4.Ba4 g6 alternative a) 4...Nge7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6

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Position after: 3...g6 The Smyslov Defense was very popular in the 1980s, and recently it has gained more recognition as many top GMs (e.g. Nepomniachtchi or Mamedyarov) have begun employing it. 4.c3 This is one of many possible setups. White attempts to build a strong center. 4...Nge7 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.0-0 Bg7

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Position after: 8...Bg7 Here, the continuation of Naiditsch – Nakamura (2018) did favor White, but I am not totally sure whether Naiditsch’s move order was the most precise one. 9.Bg5 9.Bxc6+ was how that game went, and it’s really good too, but in my opinion the text is a slightly more accurate move order, as White gains some additional options and the option of Bxc6 is still there next move. However, in the end it will transpose anyway. 9...Qd6 10.Re1+ 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Nc4

Position after: 11.Nc4 This was White’s extra option in the previous chapter, where ... a6 and Ba4 had been inserted. But here, it’s not as strong as White’s b5-bishop is hanging after 11...Qb4!„. 10...Be6 11.Nbd2

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Position after: 11.Nbd2 11...0-0 In case of 11...Qb4 the simplest approach is 12.Bxc6+. [There is also the very interesting 12.Rxe6+!? fxe6 13.Qe2 Kf7 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Nc4ƒ

Position after: 15.Nc4ƒ with good compensation for the exchange.] 12...bxc6 13.Qc1 0-0 14.Ne4 Play has transposed back to 125

the main line. 12.Ne4 This is probably the simplest path to an advantage for White. 12.Nc4!? is an alternative. Both this and the text give White some edge. 12...Qb4 13.a4

Position after: 13.a4 13...Rfb8!? Anticipating Bxc6; Black’s rook will already be on the b-file when it opens. [13...Rfe8 14.Bd2 Qf8 15.Na5²; 13...a6 14.Bd2 Qe7 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Na5 c5 17.Nb3 cxd4 18.Nbxd4² with Nxe6 next, destroying Black’s pawn structure.] 14.Rc1 Qf8 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Bd2²

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Position after: 16.Bd2² White is slightly better anyway, for instance: 16...c5 17.dxc5 Nb4 18.Nce5 a5 19.h4!ƒ.

Position after: 12.Ne4 12...Qb4 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Qc1 Rfe8 15.Bd2 Qb6 16.Nc5 Bf5 17.Ne5

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Position after: 17.Ne5 17...Re7 …...Rae8. This seems to be the best defense, but White is still for choice. 17...Rad8 18.h3! Naiditsch – Nakamura (2018) 18...h5 [18...Nf6? happened in the game and Naiditsch could have immediately claimed a big advantage after 19.Qc4!±.] 19.b3² and Black’s position is really unpleasant. 18.b3!? Rae8 19.Qc4 Bxe5 A beautiful line that shows how good White’s position is: 19...Qb5

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Position after: 19...Qb5 20.a4 Qxc4 21.bxc4 Bxe5 [21...Nb6 22.Nxc6 Rxe1+ 23.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 24.Bxe1 Nxc4 25.Bc3± and White picks up the a7-pawn, with great winning chances.] 22.dxe5 Nb6 23.e6!

Position after: 23.e6! 23...fxe6 24.a5 Nxc4 25.Bg5 Rf7 26.Ra4 Nb2 27.Rd4 An aesthetic domination motif! 27...e5 28.g4± White is clearly better.

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20.dxe5 Rxe5 21.Rxe5 Rxe5 22.Rc1² With the dark-squared bishops gone, Black’s setup looks dodgy. In particular, his king’s position is rather uncomfortable due to the weak dark squares. b) 4...a6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3

Position after: 4.c3 4...a6 By means of this move order Black tries to avoid 3...a6 4.Ba4 g6 5.d4!, which is really good for White, as discussed. If Black wants to go for a ...g6 system that involves taking on d4 and playing ...Ne7, ...b5 and ...Na5 etc, this is the right way. 4...Bg7 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 a6 7.Ba4 transposes. 5.Ba4 Bg7 A) 5...d6 6.d4 Bd7 7.0-0 Bg7 transposes to 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6. B) 5...Nge7 6.d4 transposes to 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nge7. 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 b5 8.Bc2

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Position after: 8.Bc2 8...d6! It is due to the possibility of 8...d6 that this move order is preferable for Black. Had he started with ...Nge7 on move 4 or 5, Black would lack this option. A) 8...d5 is a very rare line. 9.exd5

Position after: 9.exd5

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A1) 9...Nb4 happened in the recent game Savanovic – Petrov (2020) but I think White is better after 10.Bb3: 10...Nf6 [10...Nxd5 11.0-0 Nge7 transposes to 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nge7] 11.Nc3 0-0 12.Bg5 Bb7 13.0-0 Nbxd5 14.Ne4². A2) 9...Qxd5?! just loses time after 10.Nc3ƒ. A3) 9...Nce7!?N is an interesting novelty. I did not delve into this line too deeply, but I think White is slightly better after 10.0-0 Nf6 11.Re1 0-0 12.Bg5 Nexd5 13.Nbd2².

Position after: 13.Nbd2² We have a typical position for this variation. Because of Black’s bad pawn structure on the queenside I believe White can hope for a long-lasting advantage. B) 8...Nge7 transposes to 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nge7. 9.d5! White has various choices here, of which this is the most principled. 9.h3 is the main alternative, but Black is doing relatively well after 9...Nf6!:

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Position after: 9...Nf6! 10.0-0 0-0 11.Re1 Bb7 12.Nc3 Re8 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 Na5! 15.a3 Nc4 16.Qc1 g5 17.Bg3 c5! Black had fully equalized and even eventually won in the game Jansa – Prithu (2019).

Position after: 9.d5! 9...Na5 This is the main theoretical move.

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A) 9...Nb4!?N has never been played yet! It looks a little bit iffy, but it is not so bad. 10.Bb3 a5! The point – the knight goes back to a6 and then to c5. 11.a3 Na6 12.0-0 Nc5

Position after: 12...Nc5 Actually, it’s not so easy to prove an advantage here. After some analysis I came to the conclusion that the most annoying line for Black is 13.Re1!? preparing e5: 13...Bg4 [13...Ne7 14.h3 0-0 15.Nc3 Bd7 16.Be3²

Position after: 16.Be3²

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with the idea of Bd4 next. If Black tries to solve his problems dynamically with 16...b4, White remains better after 17.axb4 axb4 18.Rxa8 Qxa8 19.Bxc5 bxc3 20.Bd4 cxb2 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.Qd4+ f6 23.Qxb2 Rb8 24.Qc3².] 14.Bc2 Ne7 15.Nbd2 0-0 16.h3 Bxf3 17.Nxf3 c6 Black undermines the center, which is a very logical approach. White has various options here, of which I believe 18.Rb1!?² offers him a slight advantage.

Position after: 18.Rb1!?² The point is again to develop the c1-bishop, and (ideally) trade it for the g7-bishop. For instance: 18...cxd5 19.exd5 Qd7 20.Be3 Nf5 [20...a4 21.Bd4±] 21.Bd2 a4 22.Bc3². B) 9...Ne5? is just a mistake. 10.Nxe5 dxe5 [10...Bxe5 11.0-0 Bg7 12.Nc3 Nf6 13.Bg5±] 11.Be3 Nf6 12.Nd2 0-0 13.Rc1

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Position after: 13.Rc1 White has a big advantage, as Black’s pawn structure is terrible and his g7-bishop belongs on d6. 13...Bd7 [13...Ng4 14.Bc5±] 14.0-0 c6 15.d6± C) 9...Nce7 This looks passive. I don’t think Black can equalize with this: 10.0-0 Nf6 11.Nc3 0-0 12.Bf4!?²

Position after: 12.Bf4!?² A prophylactic move, intending to prevent the freeing ...c6, as the pawn on d6 would then be 136

hanging. White is slightly better, for example: C1) 12...Nh5 13.Bg5 h6 14.Be3 c5 [14...f5 15.Bd4±] 15.dxc6 Nxc6 16.Qd2 Kh7 17.h3² C2) 12...Re8 13.Rc1 Bg4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 c5 16.dxc6 Nxc6 17.Rfd1 Ne5 18.Qe2² 10.0-0

Position after: 10.0-0 10...Ne7 10...Nc4?! has been seen in a few games, notably Caruana – Mamedyarov (2018) and Vaishali – Sevian (2019). However, White’s position seems to be preferable in all cases: 11.Nc3 Ne7 [11...Nf6 12.Nd4 0-0 13.b3 Nb6 14.a4 bxa4 15.bxa4 a5 16.Rb1± Vaishali – Sevian (2019); 11...Bg4 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3²/± just cedes the bishop-pair.] 12.Bd3

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Position after: 12.Bd3 12...Nb6 [12...0-0 13.Bxc4 bxc4 14.h3 f5 15.Qe2± Besides the c4-pawn being attacked, White may consider (in some cases) playing e5!?.] 13.a4 b4 14.Ne2 a5 15.Ned4 0-0 16.Bg5 Bd7 17.Qc2 f6 18.Be3 f5 19.Bg5!± Improving over Caruana – Mamedyarov (2018); White has a big advantage.

Position after: 19.Bg5!± 11.Nc3

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11.Bd2!? is an interesting line, but it involves an exchange sacrifice. As discussed in the 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 line, Bd2 idea is really strong if White can play d6 himself. However, here, with a smart move order Black has managed to play ...d6 first and thus made the Bd2 idea lose some value. 11...Bxb2 12.Bxa5 Bxa1 13.Nc3 Bb2∞

Position after: 13...Bb2∞ 11...0-0 11...Bg4?! 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3± 12.Re1

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Position after: 12.Re1 Black has a wide choice here. Nevertheless, I believe White is slightly better everywhere. 12...Re8!? Possibly the best move for Black. A) 12...c5 13.dxc6 [13.Ne2 is worse than in the analogous line with h3, ...h6 included because of 13...Bg4!.] 13...Nexc6 [13...Naxc6 is too passive; the a5-knight should rather head for the c4square. 14.h3 Be6 15.Bb3²] 14.Bg5 Bf6 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.h3 and:

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Position after: 16.h3² A1) 16...Bb7 17.Nd5 Qxb2 18.Rb1 Qg7 19.a4² A2) 16...Nc4 17.Bb3 Be6 [17...Nxb2? 18.Nd5 Qg7 19.Qd2 Nc4 20.Bxc4 bxc4 21.Rac1±] 18.Bxc4 Bxc4 19.Re3² A3) 16...Ne5 17.Nd4 Be6 18.Rc1 Rac8 19.Nce2² B) 12...Bb7?! runs into 13.h4!

Position after: 13.h4! as there is no ...Bg4 anymore. There is no comfortable way of stopping h5 now: 13...h5 [13...h6 14.h5 g5 15.Qd3 Bc8 16.Nd4+–] 14.Bg5±. C) 12...h6 This prophylactic move prevents White’s idea of Bg5, which can be useful in some lines.

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Position after: 12...h6 C1) 13.Rb1?! c6! is OK for Black. [In Zajic – Banusz (2019), 13...Bb7? was seen, and White got a great position after 14.h4! c6 15.h5 cxd5 16.hxg6 fxg6 17.Nxd5 Rc8 18.b3±.] 14.dxc6 Nexc6∞ White has no option to play Bg5, whereas he would have done after 12...c5 or 12...c6. C2) 13.h3! and I am not sure how to proceed next with Black: 13...Bb7 [13...c5 14.Ne2!?± Right now, this is strong as Black can’t play ...Bg4. This Benoni structure is favorable for White, for instance: 14...Nc4 15.Rb1 g5 16.Ng3 Ng6 17.b3 Nce5 18.Nh2!?±; 13...c6 14.Be3! With the idea Bd4, and after 14...Nc4 15.Bd4 Nxb2 16.Qc1 Nc4 17.Bb3² White has good compensation for the pawn.] 14.Be3!? This is the approach I really like, even though objectively it might not be the very best. [14.Bf4² is probably strongest, but it’s less fun!] 14...Nc4 15.Bd4!

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Position after: 15.Bd4! Sacrificing a pawn to trade the dark-squared bishops. 15...Nxb2 16.Qc1 Nc4 17.Bb3 Na5 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qb2 Kh7 20.Rad1© with ideas of e5 or h4-h5. White has a strong long-term initiative. D) 12...Nc4 13.Bd3 Bg4 [13...Nb6 14.Bg5!? h6 15.Be3² with the idea of Qd2, winning some tempi.] 14.Bxc4 bxc4 15.h3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3

Position after: 16.Qxf3 This simply looks better for White: 16...Nc8 [16...Qb8 17.Rb1 Nc8 18.Be3 Nb6 19.Ne2± with Bd4 143

next.] 17.Qe2 Nb6 18.a4 a5 19.Be3²/± E) 12...b4 13.Na4 Nc4 14.Bd3 Ne5 15.Nxe5 Bxe5

Position after: 15...Bxe5 16.Bh6 [16.Bd2 a5 17.Rc1] 16...Re8 17.Rc1² F) For 12...c6 see 12...c5 13.dxc6. 13.h3 Bb7 13...c6 14.dxc6² followed by Bf4, Bg5 or Be3-Bd4 should also give an edge to White.

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Position after: 13...Bb7 14.Nh2! Now that the bishop has left the c8-square, some options of creating an attack on the kingside arise. 14.h4!? is also interesting, but Black can react in the center with 14...c6! and I think he is doing relatively well here: 15.dxc6 [15.h5 cxd5 16.h6 Bh8∞] 15...Nexc6 16.Bg5 Qc8!

Position after: 16...Qc8!

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17.Nd5 [17.h5 Qg4 18.h6 Bh8 19.Nd5 Nd4!=] 17...Nd4! 18.Nxd4 Bxd5 19.Rc1 Bxa2∞ with a completely unclear position. 14...Bc8! If this is what Black has to do to keep his position playable, it means that practically his task is quite unenviable. 14...h5?! significantly weakens the kingside: 15.Bg5

Position after: 15.Bg5 A) 15...Qd7 Here, among many interesting moves, White can play 16.f4!? with the idea of f5. Black’s position doesn’t inspire confidence: 16...f6 [16...f5 17.Nf3 Nc4 18.Nh4±] 17.Bh4 f5 18.Nf3 Nc4 19.Ng5 fxe4 20.Bxe4 Nf5 21.Bf2

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Position after: 21.Bf2 and I find this position very dangerous for Black. Maybe, with best play, Black can eventually hold, but it is definitely White who is pushing for a win. The e6-square is a great place for White’s knight and Black’s king is in real danger here. For instance: 21...b4 22.Na4 Nxb2 23.Nxb2 Bxb2 24.Rb1 [24.Ne6!?] 24...Bc3 25.Re2 c5™ 26.Ne6². B) 15...Nc4 16.Bb3! is just very unpleasant: 16...Nxb2 17.Qd2 Nc4 18.Bxc4 bxc4 19.Bh6². 15.Rb1!?

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Position after: 15.Rb1!? White prepares development of the c1-bishop by overprotecting the vulnerable b2-pawn, which in some lines could have become an issue. White has some pressure, for instance: 15...c6 16.Bg5 h6 17.Be3 cxd5 18.Bd4! Nc4 18...Bxd4 19.Qxd4 Nac6 20.Qd2!² 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 White has some choice here:

Position after: 19...Kxg7 20.Qd4+!? The most aggressive. 20.b3 is a simplistic approach. 20...Ne5 21.Nxd5 Bb7

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Position after: 21...Bb7 22.Nxe7 [22.Ne3!?²; 22.Nf4!?²] 22...Qxe7 23.Qd2² with some edge for White. 20...f6

Position after: 20...f6 21.Nxd5

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21.exd5!? Nf5 22.Qf4ƒ deserves attention too. 21...Nxd5 22.exd5 Bd7 23.Nf3 Ne5 24.Nd2 Qc7 25.Rbc1 Qa7 26.Qf4 g5 27.Qb4 Qc5 28.Qb3²

Position after: 28.Qb3² Black is facing serious difficulties. c) 3...a6 4.Ba4 g6 alternative 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 g6 I believe that this move order is inferior to the immediate 3...g6.

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Position after: 4...g6 5.d4! Immediate action in the center puts serious pressure on Black. Preparing d4 with 5.c3 is another possibility, which we checked via the order 3...g6 4.c3 a6 5.Ba4. However, I find the immediate 5.d4 very easy to learn and play, which makes it preferable. 5...b5! However weird it may sound, this looks to me like Black’s only move! 5...exd4?! is the most often-played move, but it leads to a very uncomfortable position for Black: 6.Nxd4

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Position after: 6.Nxd4 A) 6...Qe7 7.0-0 Bg7 8.Nf3!± looks very strong. Now Azarov – Plat (2019) continued: 8...Nf6 9.e5 Ng4 10.Bg5 [The immediate 10.Nc3 with Nd5 is possibly even stronger.] 10...Qb4 11.Nc3 0-0 12.Bb3 Ngxe5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.Nd5+– B) 6...Bg7 7.Nxc6! bxc6 [7...dxc6 leads to an unpleasant endgame for Black: 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Bb3²/±] 8.Nc3 Ne7 9.Be3!

Position after: 9.Be3!

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Followed by Qd2 and 0-0-0, with a position that looks much better for White: 9...0-0 10.Qd2 d5 11.0-0-0 Rb8 12.Bh6 Qd6 13.Bb3 dxe4 14.Bxg7 Qxd2+ 15.Rxd2 Kxg7 16.Nxe4± with a big advantage, as in Nyzhnyk – Gareyev (2019). 6.Bb3 exd4

Position after: 6...exd4 An important position. 7.a4!? I think that this is the most accurate move order. A) 7.c3 Bg7 8.cxd4 Nge7 would transpose to another major line, which I do not analyze in this book, as ideally White would want his light-squared bishop to be on c2 here. B) 7.Nxd4 allows the option of 7...Bb7 [7...Na5 8.a4 b4 transposes] 8.Nxc6 dxc6, which should be better for White too but need not be allowed. 7...b4 7...Bb7 is an alternative. I like White’s chances after 8.axb5 axb5 9.Rxa8

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Position after: 9.Rxa8 A) 9...Qxa8 can be met with the stunning 10.Nc3!! Suddenly Black is in big trouble! 10...Bg7 [10...dxc3, accepting the sacrifice, loses: 11.Qd5 Nd8 12.Qe5+ Ne6 13.Qxh8+–] 11.Nd5 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 b4 13.0-0 Nge7 14.Bg5±. B) 9...Bxa8 10.c3!

Position after: 10.c3! B1) 10...dxc3 11.Nxc3 gives White a powerful initiative: 11...Bg7 12.Bg5 Nge7 [12...Qb8 13.0-0 154

h6 14.Bf4±] 13.Nd5 0-0 14.h4!?± B2) 10...Bg7 returns the pawn and hands White a strong center. I prefer White here. 11.cxd4 Na5 [11...Nge7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Re1 d6 and here the “neural monster” suggests 14.h4!?±, among many other moves that give White a nice advantage.] 12.0-0 Nxb3 13.Qxb3 Nf6

Position after: 13...Nf6 White is better here, and probably has various ways to proceed. 14.Nc3! I like this one the most. 14...0-0 15.e5 Nh5 [15...Ne4 16.Qxb5±] 16.d5 d6 17.e6!

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Position after: 17.e6! White has strong pressure in the center. The position is somewhat complex, but White’s strong pawn center and Black’s multiple weaknesses give us good chances for a win. 17...b4 [17...fxe6 18.Ng5!±] 18.Na2! fxe6 19.dxe6 Qe7 20.Nxb4±

Position after: 20.Nxb4± There is no need to fear 20...Bxf3?! as White’s king remains safe and Black will come to miss his light-squared bishop. 21.gxf3 Re8 22.Re1 Be5 23.Nd3+–

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Position after: 7...b4 8.Nxd4 Na5 9.Bd5 c6 10.Ba2 Bg7 11.0-0 Ne7 12.c3 c5

Position after: 12...c5 Practically forced, as other moves fail: A) 12...bxc3 13.Nxc3± B) 12...Rb8 13.cxb4 Rxb4 14.Nc2 Rb8 15.b4± 13.Nb3! 13.cxb4 cxb4 was played by Alexei Shirov against Khanin in 2018. I find it inferior to 13.Nb3 as 13.Nb3 basically forces 13...Nb7, where the knight is certainly misplaced. Here, on the other hand, the knight on a5 is well placed and it’s not so easy to finish development for White. Shirov went for 14.Be3 0-0 15.Nd2 but after 15...d5!=

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Position after: 15...d5!= Black did not have any problems and eventually went on to win. Shirov, A – Khanin, S St Petersburg 2018. 13...Nb7 13...Nxb3 drops a pawn for questionable compensation: 14.Qxb3 0-0 15.cxb4 Rb8 16.b5 axb5 17.axb5 Nc6 18.Nc3 Nd4 19.Qa4 d6 20.Bf4² and Black is still far from equality. 14.cxb4 cxb4

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Position after: 14...cxb4 White needs to resolve his queenside development issues and he will be better. There is, helpfully, a very neat way to do so: 15.Be3!? With the idea of Bd4. 15...Bxb2 15...0-0 16.Bd4² 16.Bd4 Bxd4 17.Qxd4 0-0 18.Qxb4² White is slightly (but appreciably) better here.

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Chapter 6 Classical Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5

Chapter Guide Chapter 6 – Classical Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 a) 4...-b) 4...Nf6 c) 3...a6 4.Ba4 Bc5 alternative a) 4...-1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5

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Position after: 3...Bc5 The Classical Defense is not a popular choice nowadays in top-level games. In 2016, Spanish GM Francisco Vallejo Pons played it several times, but that’s about it. Even though there are thousands of games in the database, very few GMs go for it with Black. To me this seems to be no accident, because I do not think that Black equalizes here. 4.c3! White prepares a quick d4 and I like this approach a lot. When I was surprised by this line in my game in 2011 versus Pavel Shkapenko, I chose 4.0-0 and I won, but I like what I analyzed here much more. 4...f5!? A very aggressive approach! This is some sort of delayed Schliemann with ...Bc5 included. I believe that there are several ways for White to be better here, but I’ve chosen the cleanest one. A) 4...Nge7 was played in a bullet game Duda – Giri in the Speed Chess Championship 2019. 5.0-0 would be my move now and I don’t see how Black may equalize here. [5.d4 was played in the aforementioned game, but I don’t like it so much: 5...exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 a6 8.Ba4 d5 looks quite normal for Black.]

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Position after: 5.0-0 A1) 5...d5 has been played mostly in correspondence/computer games, but I fail to see the point of this move. White can grab a pawn, leaving Black with very questionable (if any) compensation. 6.Nxe5 0-0 7.Bxc6 Nxc6 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.d4 Bb6 10.exd5 [10.e5!?±] 10...cxd5 11.Re1± A2) 5...0-0 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb6 8.d5 Nb8 9.d6 cxd6 10.Nc3 just looks awful for Black, for instance:

Position after: 10.Nc3

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10...Nbc6 11.Bf4 Ne5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Bxe5 Nc6 14.Bd6 Looks ugly, doesn’t it? 14...Re8 15.Qd5 Re6 16.Rad1+– A3) 5...a6 6.Bxc6!? A very concrete approach, even if not the most popular one. [6.Bc4 or 6.Ba4 are also possible, of course.] 6...Nxc6 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Ba7 9.d5 Ne7

Position after: 9...Ne7 10.d6! cxd6 11.Nc3 b5 12.Bf4± A4) 5...Bb6 is the most common move for Black here. I believe White is better after 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 d5 8.exd5!

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Position after: 8.exd5! Opening the center to take advantage of Black’s king position: 8...Nxd5 9.Re1+ Be6 10.Bg5 Qd6 11.Nbd2 0-0 12.Nc4 Qb4 13.a4 a6.

Position after: 13...a6 White has a pleasant choice here. 14.Bd2 [Or, indeed, 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Rc1±.] 14...Qe7 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.a5 Ba7 17.Nce5±. B) 4...Bb6

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Position after: 4...Bb6 I could not write this book without at least not mentioning the recent revelation by Lc0 regarding this line. 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Nce7 7.0-0 [7.Qc2!?, also giving White a considerable advantage, could be an alternative leading to more positional play. 7...c6 8.Bd3 d5 9.e5 Ng6 10.Be3 N8e7 11.Nbd2±] 7...c6 8.d5!!

Position after: 8.d5!! A brilliant idea by Lc0. White sacrifices the bishop in order to push his pawn to d6 and completely stop the development of Black’s queenside. 8...cxb5 [8...d6 could be an alternative but after 9.dxc6 bxc6 10.Ba4± White is simply much better.] 9.d6

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Position after: 9.d6 The board is riven in two by the powerful d6-pawn. Black cannot easily develop his queenside, and his king is also in danger. White has a big advantage (not even just full compensation!) by virtue of his full control over the center and huge lead in development. 9...Nc6 10.e5! Stopping ...Nf6 and threatening Bg5. 10...Kf8 Black tries to escape to the kingside and free the e8-square for the queen. [10...b4 tries to stop Nc3, but allows 11.Bg5! f6 12.exf6 Nxf6 13.Re1+ Kf8 14.a3 bxa3 15.b4!? ±/+– with a huge, if not already winning, advantage.] 11.Nc3 Qe8 12.Re1 h6 13.Nd5 Bd8 14.b4±

Position after: 14.b4± 166

A beautiful position for White! It makes little sense to analyze it in depth. Black’s position is very bad, despite the extra piece. I will just show the game until the point where White has a clearly overwhelming advantage, with small comments where really merited. 14...a6?! This move only helps White as it weakens the b6-square and is not really an active defense. [14...a5!? was preferable, but White is much better anyway after 15.Bb2 axb4 16.Nd4!± with a huge advantage.] 15.Be3! Going for the b6-square. 15...h5 16.Bb6

Position after: 16.Bb6 16...Nxb4™ [16...Bxb6 17.Nxb6+– is obviously awful for Black.] 17.Nf6! gxf6 18.exf6 Qxe1+ 19.Qxe1 Bxf6 20.Qxb4! Bxa1 21.Ng5!+– White has a huge attack. Black’s queenside is completely cut off and White has a strong initiative on the kingside. I believe that White is simply winning here. Lc0 – Stockfish (2020) 5.d4! fxe4 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Nxe5 Bd6 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qe2

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Position after: 9.Qe2 9...Bf5 9...Qh4 looks kind of logical, but the queen runs into trouble here: 10.h3!

Position after: 10.h3! 10...Be6 [10...Nf6? 11.g3! Qh5 12.g4! and White suddenly wins, as 12...Qh4 13.Nf3! traps the queen on h4!; 10...Bf5 11.Be3±] 11.Nd2 Nf6 12.g3 Qh5 13.g4±. 168

10.Bf4 10.h3 was in Anand-l’Ami (2017) but it seems to me that 10.Bf4 is more accurate move order.

Position after: 10.Bf4 10...Nf6 10...Qh4, driving the bishop to g3, doesn’t change the evaluation: 11.Bg3 A) 11...Qh6 12.Nd2 Nf6 13.0-0 0-0 14.Rae1 Rae8 15.Qd1±

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Position after: 15.Qd1± Perhaps Qb3 at some point could now be a really good option for White, e.g. 15...a6 [15...Kh8 16.Ndc4 Nh5 17.Qb3+–] 16.Ndc4 Be6 17.Na5. B) 11...Qe7 12.Nd2 Nf6 13.0-0 0-0 [13...0-0-0 14.Rae1 Rhe8 15.h3 c5 16.Ndc4 cxd4 17.cxd4 Bb4 18.Rd1±] 14.Rae1 Qe6 15.Ndc4± 11.Nd2 Qe7 12.0-0 0-0-0

Position after: 12...0-0-0 13.Rae1!?² This seems most accurate to me. 13.h3 transposes back to Anand – l’Ami (2017), but I think that there is no necessity to play h3 yet. 13...Rhe8 14.Ndc4 Nd5 15.Bg3²

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Position after: 15.Bg3² White has full control over the position – the knight on e5 is very strong. At some point White may consider playing f3. For instance: 15...h5 16.h3! Now is a good time for h3! 16...h4 17.Bh2 g5 18.f3!²/± b) 4...Nf6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3! Nf6 5.d4

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Position after: 5.d4 5...exd4 5...Bb6? is quite common, which is surprising for a move that nearly loses by force! 6.Nxe5! Nxe5 7.dxe5 Nxe4 8.Qg4! Bxf2+ 9.Ke2 Qh4 10.Qxg7 Rf8 11.Bh6 Bc5 12.Nd2

Position after: 12.Nd2± Black is close to lost here: 12...Qf2+ is the only move that avoids an immediate loss. [12...a6? Piorun 172

– Neverov 2019 13.g3 Qh3 14.Nxe4 Qg2+ 15.Kd3 Qf3+ 16.Kd2 Qxe4 17.Rhe1 Qd5+ 18.Bd3 b5 19.Qxh7 Rb8 20.Bxf8 Bxf8 21.Rf1 Rb6 22.e6+–] 13.Kd1 Nxd2 14.Bxd2 a6 15.Rf1 Qh4

Position after: 15...Qh4 Here, almost any move leads to a huge advantage for White; all 3 suggestions below would be very good choices. A) 16.e6!? fxe6 17.Bh6 Rxf1+ 18.Bxf1 d5 19.Be2± B) 16.g3 Qh5+ [16...Qxh2 17.Bc4 Qh5+ 18.Kc2 Qg6+ 19.Qxg6 fxg6 20.Rxf8+ Bxf8 21.Rh1+–] 17.Be2 Qg6 18.Qh6± C) 16.Bg5 could be the cleanest: 16...Qh5+ 17.Be2 Qg6 18.Qf6 Qxf6 19.Bxf6± White’s simple idea of expanding further on the kingside looks crushing. 6.e5

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Position after: 6.e5 6...Nd5 6...Ne4 7.0-0 A) 7...dxc3? is just bad for Black: 8.Qd5! Bxf2+ 9.Rxf2 Nxf2 10.Nxc3! Ng4 [Instead 10...Ne7 11.Qd4+– traps the knight on f2.] 11.h3

Position after: 11.h3

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11...Ngxe5 [11...Nh6 12.Bxh6 gxh6 13.Ne4 Qe7 14.Nf6+ Kd8 15.Rd1+–; 11...d6 12.hxg4 0-0 13.Qe4 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.Be3±] 12.Nxe5 0-0 13.Nf3± B) 7...d5 8.cxd4 Bb6 We have transposed into a line of the Italian with an extra tempo, which should be great for White!

Position after: 8...Bb6 9.h3!? I like this move, stopping ...Bg4 (which Black very often wants to play in those positions.) 9...0-0 10.Nc3²

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Position after: 10.Nc3² White is slightly better. A few examples: B1) 10...Ne7 11.Re1 Bf5 12.Bd3² B2) 10...f5 11.exf6 Rxf6 [11...Nxf6 12.Re1²] 12.Bxc6 bxc6 [12...Rxc6 13.Qb3±] 13.Be3 Qe8 14.Rc1² B3) 10...Bf5 11.Bxc6!? Destroying Black’s pawn structure and playing against the b6-bishop. 11...bxc6 12.Be3 Nxc3 [12...f6 13.Rc1±] 13.bxc3²

Position after: 13.bxc3² White is better due to his better pawn structure and Black’s terrible bishop on b6. The position requires manoeuvring and patience, but it’s definitely much easier to play with White than with Black! 7.0-0 Be7™ There are two setups that White can choose from here. 7...0-0? 8.cxd4

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Position after: 8.cxd4 Black cannot maintain his blockade in the center: A) 8...Bb6 9.Bc4 Nce7 10.Bg5 Qe8 11.Qb3+– [11.Nc3+–] B) 8...Be7 9.Qb3 Nb6 10.d5±

Position after: 7...Be7™ 8.cxd4

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8.Nxd4!? is an alternative that also leads to a slightly better position, but I am a bit worried that Black is solid enough to maintain the balance. 8...0-0 [8...Nxd4 9.Qxd4 c6 10.Bc4² Sutovsky – Jones 2012] and again there is a choice for White.

Position after: 8...0-0 A) 9.Nf5!? d6 10.Nxe7+ [10.Nxg7!? looks interesting but unclear: 10...dxe5! 11.Nh5 Kh8 12.Nd2 f6∞ Stabilizing the position in the center; now Black can proceed with developing moves like ...Be6, ...Qe8, and maybe later ...Rg8.] 10...Ncxe7 White now has the bishop-pair, but I am not sure how much of an edge this translates to under the current conditions. 11.exd6 Qxd6 12.Re1 Qg6=

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Position after: 12...Qg6= If Black manages to develop quickly, I think that White’s pair of bishops will not be a source of problems for Black. The attempt at concrete play with 13.c4 does not really lead anywhere: 13...Nb4 14.Rxe7 Nc2 15.Bf4 Nxa1 16.Nc3 Nc2 17.Bxc7 Bg4∞ with a decidedly messy position. B) 9.Nf3!?N is a calmer option leading to a slightly better endgame, but Black is nonetheless very solid: 9...a6 [9...Nb6 10.Bf4 is similar to the main line.] 10.Be2 Nb6 11.Bf4!?

Position after: 11.Bf4!? White anticipates ...d6, so Black prepares it again: 11...Re8! is most accurate. [11...d6 12.exd6 Bxd6 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.Qxd6 cxd6 15.Rd1!² gives White an edge.] 12.Re1 d6 13.exd6 Bxd6 14.Bxd6 Qxd6 15.Qxd6 cxd6 White lacks the Rd1 idea in this case. 16.Nbd2 Be6

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Position after: 16...Be6 With correct (albeit perhaps protracted) neutralizing play from here, Black should eventually equalize. 8...d6

Position after: 8...d6 White has a choice, but I would narrow it down to two moves: 9.exd6 and 9.Nc3. My suggestion is 180

the former; each capture has drawbacks and Black must thus choose a concession to make. 9.exd6! From the practical perspective this seems like it could be a really good try! 9.Nc3 Be6 10.Re1 0-0 11.h3!?² is another possibility, which also should be slightly better for White. 9...Qxd6 Objectively, this is the best. A) 9...cxd6?! This move looks like the orthodox reaction, as it creates a symmetrical pawn structure and strengthens Black’s control over the center; generally, a good strategy. However, the problem is the timing. With Black’s king still in the center, White can take advantage of his development advantage with very dynamic play: 10.Qb3!. Hitting the knight on d5.

Position after: 10.Qb3! A1) 10...a6 11.Qxd5 axb5 12.Qxb5± is just an extra pawn for White. A2) 10...Be6? does not work due to 11.Bc4 Na5 and now White can play 12.Qb5+! with a check!

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Position after: 12.Qb5+! Had Black’s king not been on e8, Black would be completely fine here. 12...Kf8 13.Bxd5 a6 14.Qe2 Bxd5 15.Rd1± followed by Nc3 next. A3) 10...Nc7 is probably the best defense but still White is clearly better: 11.d5! Nxb5 12.Qxb5 a6 13.Qe2!

Position after: 13.Qe2! An important move, controlling the e5-square. Right now, the only way to finish the development 182

for Black is to give up a pawn. 13...Ne5 [13...Nb8 14.Re1+– and again Black’s king cannot castle.] 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.Qxe5 0-0 16.Nc3²/± This position is simply bad for Black: Yes, he has the bishop-pair, but his compensation is rather questionable. B) 9...Bxd6? makes little sense: making another (unnecessary) move with the bishop, especially with the vulnerable king on e8, is a recipe for disaster. 10.Nc3 Be6 11.Ng5!

Position after: 11.Ng5! Not the only path to the advantage, but a cute one: 11...0-0 12.Qc2 Nf6 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.h3± with a huge positional advantage as Black’s pawn structure is simply horrible! 10.Nc3

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Position after: 10.Nc3 Here, Black can play with or without ...a6. 10...a6 10...0-0 11.Re1 A) 11...a6 allows 12.Bxc6! [12.Ba4 transposes back to the text] 12...bxc6 13.Ne4! Qb4 14.Qc2².

Position after: 14.Qc2² 184

This is fairly similar to what we get after 10...a6, but the c8- bishop is definitely more of an issue for Black relative to that line. B) 11...Be6 12.Ne4 [A waiting move like 12.a3!?² also makes sense. White takes control over the b4-square, which can prove useful in some lines.] 12...Qd8 Here White has some choice. In my opinion White is better in a number of ways. I would suggest either 13.Bxc6 or 13.h3. [12...Qb4 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Qc2²]

Position after: 12...Qd8 B1) 13.h3!? Nf6 [13...h6 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Ne5 is a better version of 13.Bxc6, as Black’s pawn is on h6, making his kingside weaker. 15...Qe8 16.Bd2 f6 17.Nd3²] 14.Nc3 Nb4 15.a3 a6 16.Ba4 Nbd5 17.Bc2²

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Position after: 17.Bc2² White has some pressure. Despite his very robust blockade, Black is still a little bit passive. B2) 13.Bxc6 is a radical approach, and probably the strongest one. After destroying Black’s pawn structure, White will obtain the c5-square for his knights. The pawn on c6 will also be a weakness. 13...bxc6 14.Ne5 Qe8 15.Bd2 f6 16.Nd3² 11.Ba4 0-0 12.Re1

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Position after: 12.Re1 12...Be6 12...Nxc3 13.bxc3 Bf5 14.Bxc6 [Or 14.Ng5!?² followed by Qf3 next.] 14...bxc6 15.a4² 13.Ne4 Qb4 14.Bxc6! bxc6 15.Qc2²

Position after: 15.Qc2² White is toying with several ideas: Bd2, Ne5, Rac1 etc. White is slightly better due to his better pawn structure. c) 3...a6 4.Ba4 Bc5 alternative 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Bc5

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Position after: 4...Bc5 The Classical Defense Deferred lately gained some popularity thanks to Israeli GM Tamir Nabaty, who employed this line quite frequently in his games. 5.c3 Nge7 This move was chosen by Tamir Nabaty in his recent games, and I believe that this is the best path here for Black. 5...Nf6 is more common, but it leads to very risky positions for Black: 6.d4 Ba7

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Position after: 6...Ba7 Here, White can transpose to another line by playing 7.0-0. But in this move order there is a stronger option: 7.Nxe5! Nxe5 [7...Qe7 8.Bf4 Nxe4 9.0-0±] 8.dxe5 Nxe4 9.Qg4 Bxf2+ 10.Ke2 Qh4 11.Qxg7 Rf8 12.b4!

Position after: 12.b4! An important move. The position looks wild, but it is Black who is under serious pressure. I checked various moves here: A) 12...Qh5+? is bad due to 13.g4 Qg6 14.Qxg6 fxg6 15.Bh6±

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Position after: 15.Bh6± White has a big advantage, as Black is playing with limited development. 15...Rf7 16.Kd3 g5™ 17.Nd2! [17.Kxe4? b5„] 17...Nxd2 18.Kxd2± B) 12...Nc5 13.bxc5 Bxc5 14.Bc2 and 14...Qf2+ is only one check: [14...d5 15.Qg3!+–] 15.Kd1+–. C) 12...f6 Only move, after which White can choose between two forcing lines. 13.e6 Qh5+ 14.g4 Qd5

Position after: 14...Qd5 190

Here, White can go for either 15.Bh6 or 15.Bb3. Initially, I thought that 15.Bh6 is a must but then I found that 15.Bb3 is extremely strong: C1) 15.Bb3! Qb5+ 16.c4 Qe5 17.Bh6 Ng5+ 18.Kxf2

Position after: 18.Kxf2 And White’s king runs away to b2! 18...Qd4+ [18...Qf4+ 19.Ke2 does not really change anything.] 19.Ke2 Qe4+ 20.Kd2 Qf4+ 21.Kc2 Qe4+ 22.Kb2 Nxe6 23.Re1 Qxe1 24.Qxh7±

Position after: 24.Qxh7± 191

I believe that this is much better for White, however, accuracy is still required: 24...Qe2+ [24...a5 25.Nc3 Qf2+ 26.Bc2 axb4 27.Nd5 Qd4+ 28.Kb1 Qg1+ 29.Bc1 Qc5 30.g5+–] 25.Bc2 Nd4 26.Nd2 Nxc2 27.Kxc2 Rf7 28.Qg6 d6 29.Rf1 Ke7 30.Rf4 Be6 31.Re4 Qxh2 32.Bf4 Qh7 33.Qf5 Qxf5 34.gxf5± with good winning chances.

Position after: 34.gxf5± C2) 15.Bh6 is also good, but probably Black can eventually equalize after the following crazy line: 15...Qc4+ 16.Kd1 Qd3+ 17.Kc1 Be3+ 18.Kb2 Bxh6 19.Qxh6 Qe2+ 20.Bc2! dxe6 21.Qxh7

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Position after: 21.Qxh7 21...Nf2! [21...Nd6 22.Na3+–] 22.Nd2! Nxh1 23.Bg6+ Kd8 24.Rxh1 Bd7! 25.Qh6 Rg8 26.Bf7 Bc6² with chances to survive! 6.0-0 I like this approach for White. 6...Ng6 7.d4 Ba7 8.Bg5 Forcing the somewhat weakening ...f6. 8...f6 9.Be3 0-0

Position after: 9...0-0 10.Nbd2 10.d5!? was played in Paravyan – Krysa (2020) but in my opinion Black is fine after 10...Nce7!. [Instead 10...Nb8? happened in the game and White would have been much better had he played 11.d6!N in place of 11.Bxa7.]

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Position after: 10...Nce7! 11.d6 [11.Bxa7 Rxa7 12.d6 cxd6 13.Qxd6 b5 14.Bb3+ Kh8 and Black is OK, as White’s queen can be dislodged from d6 by the queen’s rook.] 11...cxd6 12.Qxd6 Bb8∞ 10...d6 11.Re1 Kh8 12.h3

Position after: 12.h3 Another choice has arisen for Black. 194

12...exd4!? An attempt to immediately resolve his issues with the lack of space. 12...Qe7 was played in Grigoriants – Narayanan (2020). This is a typical Ruy Lopez scenario where White has a little bit more space and generally favorable prospects. 13.Nf1 Nd8 14.Ng3 Ne6 15.h4!? Qf7 16.Bb3²/±

Position after: 12...exd4!? 13.Nxd4! Trading one pair of knights and making room for another knight on f3. 13.cxd4 is a slightly weaker option: A) I think that Black is relatively OK after 13...Nce7²/= preparing ...d5. B) 13...d5 happened in Henderson – Nabaty (2019) and is also perfectly OK, but it allows 14.Bxc6. While perhaps that’s not so dangerous, it does after all destroy Black’s pawn structure. In the game, GM Nabaty faced some practical difficulties after some further inaccuracies, and ended up in a clearly worse position which he eventually managed to defend nevertheless: 14...bxc6 15.Rc1 dxe4 16.Nxe4 Be6 17.Nc3 Qd6 18.Qa4 Bb6 19.Nd2 f5 20.Nf3 f4 21.Bd2². 13...Nxd4 13...Bd7 14.Bb3 and I believe that White is slightly better here, e.g. 14...Nxd4 15.cxd4 f5 16.Nf3 Nh4 17.e5!². 14.cxd4! 195

14.Bxd4 was Dominguez’ choice, but I believe that after the bishop trade Black is fine. 14...Bxd4 15.cxd4 f5=

Position after: 14.cxd4! 14...f5 A) 14...c5 15.Nf3² B) 14...d5 15.exd5 Ne7 16.d6 Qxd6 [16...cxd6 17.Ne4²] 17.Ne4 Qd8 18.Nc5² White now has a very strong move: 15.Nf3!

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Position after: 15.Nf3! White has an advantage in all lines. 15...Nh4 A) 15...fxe4? is met with 16.Bg5+–. B) 15...f4 16.Bd2± 16.exf5 b5 17.Nxh4 Qxh4 18.Bc2 Bxf5 19.Bxf5 Rxf5 20.a4²

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Position after: 20.a4²

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Chapter 7 Steinitz Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5

Chapter Guide Chapter 7 – Steinitz Defense 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a) 3...Be7 b) 3...d6 c) 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c3 -d) 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c3 g6 (with 13.a4) e) 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c3 g6 (with 13.Bb3) f) 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 d6 a) 3...Be7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Be7 After this move we get positions similar to those after 3...d6 (next subchapter).

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Position after: 3...Be7 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.0-0 d6 5...0-0 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Nxe5

Position after: 7.Nxe5 wins a pawn: 7...Nxe4 8.Nxe4 Qd4 [8...Qd5 9.d4 Qxe4 10.Re1 Qd5 11.Nxc6 Qxc6 12.Rxe7±] 9.Nxc6 Qxe4 [9...bxc6 10.d3±] 10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 11.Re1±. 6.d4

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Position after: 6.d4 6...Bd7 A) 6...exd4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 transposes. B) 6...Nd7 7.Nd5 [7.dxe5!? Ncxe5 8.Nd4²/±] 7...0-0 8.c3²/± 7.Bxc6! This is the simplest. 7.Re1

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Position after: 7.Re1 allows 7...Nxd4 which leads to simplifications. [7...0-0? falls into the famous “Tarrasch Trap”: 8.Bxc6 Bxc6 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qxd8 Raxd8 11.Nxe5±.

Position after: 11.Nxe5± Now 11...Bxe4 loses a piece: 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Nd3! f5 14.f3 Bc5+ 15.Nxc5 Nxc5 16.Bg5 Rd5 17.Be7 and in the game Tarrasch – Marco (1892) Black resigned due to 17...Re8 18.c4+–.] 8.Nxd4 exd4 9.Qxd4 Bxb5 10.Nxb5 c6 11.Nc3 0-0²/=. Compared to the position after 7.Bxc6, Black is 202

doing quite well as his lack of space is not so severe. 7...Bxc6 8.Qd3 exd4 9.Nxd4

Position after: 9.Nxd4 9...Bd7 After 9...0-0, almost anything is good for White, it just depends on your mood! 10.Nxc6 [10.Nf5!?²; 10.Bg5²; 10.Bf4²] 10...bxc6 11.f4² 10.Bf4 0-0 11.Rad1² b) 3...d6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6

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Position after: 3...d6 The Steinitz Defense nowadays is mostly played with the inclusion of 3...a6 4.Ba4, resulting in a Modern Steinitz Defense. I will dedicate a separate section to this line. Yet, this “raw” move order of the Steinitz Defense has recently been played by such GMs as Hikaru Nakamura and Zaven Andriasian. 4.d4 Straightforward central play looks very appealing to me. 4...exd4 A) 4...Bd7

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Position after: 4...Bd7 Recently this has been the choice of GM Zaven Andriasian. There are two very good options for White: A1) 5.Nc3 will very likely transpose to other lines. An attempt by Black to avoid those transpositions would be 5...Nge7 but after 6.Be3 g6 7.dxe5 Nxe5 8.Nxe5 dxe5 White has a pleasant choice, as nearly everything guarantees a big advantage! I would suggest 9.Qf3±,

Position after: 9.Qf3± 205

with ideas of 0-0-0 or Qf6 next, as it seems like a very natural move. White’s development advantage is overwhelming. A2) 5.Bxc6 Very simplistic, but yet very effective! 5...Bxc6 6.Nc3

Position after: 6.Nc3 6...Nf6 [Or 6...exd4 7.Nxd4 Be7 8.Qd3 Nf6 transposing; 6...f6 7.Be3 Ne7 8.Qe2±.] 7.Qd3 exd4 [7...Nd7 8.Be3 exd4 9.Nxd4 Be7 10.0-0-0 0-0 11.h4!?± beginning a kingside attack] 8.Nxd4± White is much better after nearly anything! 8...Be7

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Position after: 8...Be7 A2.1) 9.Nf5!? looks interesting, but seems unnecessary: 9...g6 10.Ng7+ Kf8 11.Bh6 Kg8 12.Nf5 Bf8 13.Bxf8 Qxf8 14.Ne3 Re8² Black attacks e4 and intends to follow up with ...d5 next move. This is not entirely clear to me. White should be better, but it feels like that Black has some counterplay. A2.2) 9.Nxc6!? bxc6 10.b3 0-0 11.Bb2 leads to note A2 to Black’s 6th. A2.3) 9.b3!? 0-0 10.Bb2 Nd7 11.0-0-0± B) 4...Bg4? is bad in a number of ways, for instance: 5.dxe5 [5.Nc3 exd4 6.Qxd4±] 5...dxe5 6.Qd5± and White wins a pawn. 5.Nxd4 Bd7 6.Nc3

Position after: 6.Nc3 6...Nf6 A) 6...Be7 A sneaky move order – keeping the option of ...Bf6 followed by ...Nge7. 7.Nxc6! Again, I believe that these structures should be good for White. A1) 7...bxc6 8.Bd3 Bf6 9.0-0 Ne7 10.f4 [10.Ne2!? 0-0 11.Ng3² is also better for White.] 10...Bd4+ 11.Kh1²/± A2) 7...Bxc6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.b3!

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Position after: 9.b3! 9...Nf6 [9...Bf6 10.Bb2 Ne7 11.f4±] 10.Bb2 0-0 11.Qd3 Here, comparing to the main line, White has an additional option of castling long. 11...Nd7 12.f4 Nc5 [12...a5 13.0-0-0 Nc5 14.Qg3±] 13.Qf3 a5 14.a4± with 0-0-0 coming next. B) 6...g6 Developing the bishop to g7 looks more aggressive than the simple ...Nf6/ ...Be7 plan, but it’s also somewhat riskier: 7.Be3 Bg7 8.Qd2

Position after: 8.Qd2

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8...Nf6 [8...Nxd4? 9.Bxd7+ Qxd7 10.Bxd4± is just bad for Black.] 9.Bxc6! [Less accurate would be 9.f3 0-0 10.0-0-0 Nxd4 11.Bxd4 c6!„ chasing the bishop and following up with ...b5. Suddenly, it’s becoming pretty unclear!] 9...bxc6 10.Bh6 Trading the dark-squared bishops is the main thing on White’s agenda. 10...0-0 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.0-0-0 c5

Position after: 12...c5 Now both 13.Nde2 Bc6 14.f3 Rb8 15.Nf4² and 13.Nb3 Re8 14.Rhe1 a5 15.e5 dxe5 16.Nxc5 Bc6 17.f3 Qe7 18.Qe3² lead to nice advantages for White. C) Trading some minor pieces here with 6...Nxd4 only helps White: 7.Bxd7+ Qxd7 8.Qxd4

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Position after: 8.Qxd4 8...Ne7 [8...Nf6 9.Bg5 Be7 10.0-0-0 0-0 11.e5!±] 9.Be3 Nc6 10.Qc4±, followed by 0-0-0, looks like a big advantage for White. D) 6...Nge7 makes little sense, as after 7.Be3 there is nothing better than 7...Nxd4 8.Bxd7+ Qxd7 9.Qxd4 transposing to the poor 6...Nxd4 line above. 7.0-0 Be7

Position after: 7...Be7 A sort of typical, albeit passive, setup. 8.Nxc6! In my opinion, this is the best approach for White. 8...Bxc6 Black should trade bishops as it gives his other pieces some room to breathe (unlike after 8...bxc6). 8...bxc6 9.Bd3 0-0 10.f4!± with great attacking prospects, while it’s hard to come up here with any plan for Black! 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.f4 0-0

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Position after: 10...0-0 White has several possible setups, of which I provide two options below. 11.Qf3 The other idea is 11.b3 Nd7 12.Bb2 Bf6 13.Qd3 c5 14.Kh1 Bd4 15.Rae1 Re8 16.Bc1² with an edge too. 11...Nd7 12.Be3 Qb8 12...Bf6 13.Bf2 13.b3 Bf6 14.Bf2 Qb7 15.Rae1²

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Position after: 15.Rae1² c) 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c3 -1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6

Position after: 4...d6 5.0-0 Bd7

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A) 5...g5?! This extremely aggressive move is not justified here. However, White needs to be precise: 6.d4 g4 7.Bxc6+! bxc6 8.Ne1±. In Sychev – Moiseenko (2018), White got an overwhelming advantage very quickly:

Position after: 8.Ne1± 8...exd4 9.Qxd4 Qf6 10.Qa4 Ne7 11.Qa5 Ra7 12.Nd3 Bg7 13.Nc3 c5 14.e5! opening the center and ripping apart Black’s position. B) 5...Nf6 is a Steinitz Defense Deferred, analyzed in another section. 6.c3

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Position after: 6.c3 6...g5!? Here this is a little bit more justifiable than before: ...Bd7 is definitely a useful inclusion, while c3 might not be. This entertaining move has been played in the past by such GMs as Mamedyarov or Gareyev. I believe, however, that White should be better anyway: A) 6...Nf6 7.Re1 Be7 [7...g6 8.d4 Bg7 9.h3 transposes] 8.d4 0-0 9.h3² This is just a very passive setup for Black. White controls the center and follows up with the typical plan of Nbd2-Nf1-Ng3, Bc2 if necessary, etc. B) 6...Nge7 7.d4 Ng6

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Position after: 7...Ng6 B1) 8.d5 Nb8 is slightly better for White too, but it gives Black fairly simple and straightforward plans to implement. 9.c4 Be7 10.Nc3 0-0 11.Be3 Bxa4 12.Qxa4 Nd7

Position after: 12...Nd7 Black is aiming for either ...f5, ...h6, ...Bg5 or else ...h6, ...Nf6-...Qd7, ...Nh7 and only then ...f5. For White, I am not sure how to proceed in order to exploit his positional advantages on the queenside. I believe that White is slightly better, but still, Black has simple play and in chess it’s 215

also important to make your opponent’s position unpleasant to play in practice. B2) 8.Bc2!? Be7 9.a4!?N A completely new approach. The idea is to play d5 and then a5, seizing a space advantage on the queenside. Then, White’s task of creating play on the queenside will be easier.

Position after: 9.a4!?N B2.1) 9...a5? fails to 10.b4! axb4 11.d5 Nb8 12.cxb4±. B2.2) 9...exd4 10.Nxd4! Nxd4 [10...0-0 11.Nf5²] 11.cxd4 0-0 12.Nc3 c6 13.Be3²

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Position after: 13.Be3² White controls the center and has a nice edge. If Black plays 13...Kh8 (preparing ...f5), White can even play 14.g4!?, stopping counterplay and most likely intending f4 next to continue his kingside expansion. B2.3) 9...0-0 10.d5 Nb8 11.a5!²/±

Position after: 11.a5!²/± White has gained lots of space on queenside, which is a great achievement! 11...f5 [11...h6 12.Be3 Bg4 does not solve Black’s problems: 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Bg5 15.b4±.] 12.exf5 Bxf5 13.Bxf5 Rxf5 14.Be3 Nd7

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Position after: 14...Nd7 15.Nbd2! The most precise. White keeps several ideas in mind (Ne4, c4, Qb3, Ra4). [15.c4 is also possible; it allows 15...Qe8 16.g3 Qf7 17.Nfd2 Bg5 and Black manages to trade bishops, but after 18.Bxg5 Rxg5 19.Ne4 Rf5 20.Nbd2² the position is still unpleasant for Black due to his queenside problems.] 15...Nf4 [15...Qe8 16.Qb3!±] 16.Qb3 Qc8 [16...Rb8] 17.c4²/± 7.d4 g4 8.Ne1

Position after: 8.Ne1 218

8...h5 A) 8...b5? only helps White to bring the bishop to the right diagonal. 9.Bb3± B) 8...Bg7? blunders a pawn in an instructive way: 9.d5 Nce7 10.Qxg4! 9.f4! Meeting Black’s kingside aggression with an immediate thrust in the center. 9...exd4 A) 9...exf4? 10.Bxf4± is just awful for Black. B) 9...gxf3 10.Nxf3± 10.cxd4 d5! The best defense; Black tries to destabilize White’s center, even at the cost of a pawn. Right now, White has many possible moves, but I really like this one:

Position after: 10...d5! 11.Nd3!? Ignoring the hanging e4-pawn, White simply transfers his knight to e5, where it will be extremely powerful. 11...dxe4 12.Ne5

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Position after: 12.Ne5 12...f5!? Black tries to hold the e4-pawn, even at the cost of a piece. A) Instead after 12...Nge7 13.Nc3 Bg7 14.Nxe4± White recaptures the pawn and keeps his positional advantage, e.g.

Position after: 14.Nxe4±

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14...Bf5 15.Ng3 Be6 16.f5 Bxe5 17.dxe5 Bc4 18.Re1±. B) 12...Bg7 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.f5!

Position after: 14.f5!± also causes problems for Black, e.g. 14...0-0 15.Bg5 Be8 16.Bxc6 Bxc6 17.Nxc6 bxc6 18.Nxe4 Re8 19.Re1 and White is clearly better. 13.Nc3 After checking the alternative, I think this move is much more practical. 13.Nxd7 seems to be just winning, but I am not entirely sure. The position is extremely complex and from a practical point of view it could be suboptimal! 13...Qxd7 14.d5 b5 15.dxc6 Qxc6 16.Bb3 Bc5+ 17.Kh1 Rd8 18.Qc2

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Position after: 18.Qc2 White is a piece up but Black has some compensation: 18...Ne7! 19.Nd2! with the idea Nc4 or Nxe4 19...h4! 20.Nc4 Bd4 21.Be3 h3! 22.g3 Rh6!

Position after: 22...Rh6! Here Stockfish claims that White is completely winning (around +3.00) but Lc0 remains circumspect, with ‘+1’, even though White will be a queen up soon! 23.Rfd1 [23.Rad1!?; 23.Rac1!?] 23...bxc4 24.Ba4 Bxe3 25.Rxd8+ Kxd8 26.Bxc6 Rxc6 27.Qc3 Bc5 222

Position after: 27...Bc5 I have no idea whether this position is winning: White’s king on h1 is trapped, and Black might have set up a fortress of some sort. If the reader is interested, I would suggest you check for yourself whether White can make progress or not. It will be a fun task, that’s for sure! 13...Nf6 14.Qb3 Rh7

Position after: 14...Rh7

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And now White is better after: 15.Nxd7 Rxd7 16.Be3! 16.Bxc6?! bxc6 17.Qe6+ Qe7 18.Qxf5 0-0-0∞ 16...b5 17.Qe6+ Ne7 18.Qxf6 bxa4 19.Qg5 Rd6 20.d5!±

Position after: 20.d5! d) 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c3 g6 (with 13.a4) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c3 g6 7.d4 Bg7

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Position after: 7...Bg7 The main position of the Modern Steinitz Defense. White has many possibilities here, nearly all of which have been tested at high levels. I decided to pick a move here that causes Black’s possibilities to become (relatively) limited. 8.h3!? This seems like a more accurate move order from a practical point of view than 8.Re1, for the following reasons. 1) There are fewer lines that White should be familiar with; for instance, Re1 gives Black the extra option below. 2) In case of d5 lines, having played h3 is more useful than Re1, as the former helps stop KID-like kingside expansion ideas. After 8.Re1 White players need to be familiar, for example, with 8...b5 9.Bc2 exd4 10.cxd4 Bg4. This is a very sharp line.

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Position after: 8.h3!? 8...Nf6 By far the best move. A) 8...b5 9.Bc2 This bishop usually belongs on c2. And here, there is no ...exd4/...Bg4 line! 9...Nf6 10.Re1 0-0 transposing back to the main line. B) In case of 8...Nge7 White often wants to close the center with d5: after 9.Be3 0-0 I suggest 10.d5 at once. 10...Nb8 [10...Na5 leaves the knight awkward on the edge of the board. 11.Bxd7 Qxd7 12.Nfd2! It’s key to meet ...f5 with f3: 12...f5 13.f3².] 11.c4

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Position after: 11.c4 If White manages to trade light squared bishops, a subsequent attack from Black on the kingside should not be really dangerous to face. 11...Bxa4 [11...Bc8 tries to preserve the bishop, but runs into another problem: 12.c5! f5 13.Qb3!±.] 12.Qxa4 Nd7 13.Nc3 h6 Preparing ...f5. [13...f5? 14.Ng5+–] 14.Nd2! f5 15.f3 The jury is still out on this type of position: generally, it’s playable for both sides, but with correct play White should be better. 15...h5 [15...Nf6 16.c5!] 16.b4

Position after: 16.b4

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16...f4 [After 16...a5 White can just grab the pawn with 17.bxa5±; 16...Kh7 17.Qc2 f4 18.Bf2 g5 19.c5 Nf6 20.Rfc1 g4 21.Kf1] 17.Bf2 g5 Typical stuff for these KID-type positions: White attacks on the queenside, Black on the kingside. However, without the light squared bishops Black’s attack does not have much momentum. I believe White is better, for instance: 18.Rfc1!? (this shows that this rook need not go to e1!) 18...g4 and now 19.Kf1! to make sure the king is safe in the center. 19...Ng6 20.c5± 9.Re1 0-0 10.Bc2!? I like this deep prophylactic move. The idea is Nbd2-Nf1 or Be3-Nbd2, depending what Black does. This move order also avoids the following note. After 10.Nbd2 Black can play 10...exd4 11.cxd4 Nb4! trading some pieces, which clearly favors him and limits the effect of White’s space advantage.

Position after: 10.Bc2!? 10...Nh5! In my opinion, this is the best option Black has here. It is a typical manoeuvre; Black prepares ...f5. A) 10...exd4?! 11.cxd4 Nb4 no longer works: 12.Bb3± and the d3-square is covered! B) 10...b5 11.Nbd2 Re8 12.Nf1 Na5 leads to Chigorin-like setup and was played lately by Hikaru Nakamura versus Krishnan Sasikiran. [Instead 12...exd4? 13.cxd4 Nb4 was Vallejo Pons – Van Foreest J. (2017). I think that White is much better here: 14.Bb1 c5 15.dxc5 dxc5 16.e5 Nh5 17.Be4!+–, which is an improvement over the double-edged game move 17.g4.] 13.b3! Restricting 228

the knight. 13...c5 14.d5 Nh5 This is a critical moment:

Position after: 14...Nh5 B1) 15.Ng3 happened in Sasikiran – Nakamura, Moscow 2019, and in my opinion it’s possible (though not best). I’ll include the full game here. 15...Nf4 16.Ne2 Nxe2+ [16...Qf6!?„ was probably stronger.] 17.Qxe2 f5 18.exf5 e4?! A very committal and sharp approach from Black, even though objectively incorrect. However, we can’t forget that it was a blitz game!

Position after: 18...e4?!

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19.Ng5 Bxf5 20.g4 e3 21.Bxe3 [21.Bxf5 was very likely winning.] 21...Bxc2 22.Ne6 Qh4 23.Qxc2 Qxh3 24.Qe4 [24.Bf4 Qxg4+ 25.Bg3²] 24...Bxc3 25.Bg5 Be5 26.Re3 (0-1.) B2) 15.Bg5! would be my suggestion. 15...Qc7 16.Ng3 Nf4 17.Ne2 Now that we’ve thrown in Bg5 and ...Qc7, I think White is much better. 17...h6 18.Bxf4 exf4 19.Qd2

Position after: 19.Qd2 B2.1) 19...b4 20.c4! White doesn’t mind giving up an exchange. 20...g5 [20...Bxa1 21.Rxa1± Without his dark-squared bishop, Black’s kingside simply collapses.] 21.Rad1± With the idea of g3; Black’s a5-knight is just a passive observer. B2.2) 19...g5 20.g3! Undermining the kingside. 20...fxg3 [20...b4 21.gxf4+–] 21.Nxg3 Bxh3 22.Re3!±

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Position after: 22.Re3!± An important move, found by Lc0! White prepares action in the center and kingside, and the pawn deficit simply does not matter. C) 10...Re8 was Firouzja – Carlsen (2019). 11.Nbd2 Qe7!? (Black’s idea is ...Qf8, ...Bh6.) 12.Nf1 Qf8 13.Ng3²

Position after: 13.Ng3² White is slightly better. Black would need a highly active, concrete route here to be able to claim 231

equality, but here I simply can’t think of anything that threatens to do that. The consistent 13...Bh6?! is not so great: 14.Ng5! Nd8 Trying to manoeuvre the knight to e6 and trade the powerful g5knight, but White can play 15.f4!, with a big advantage. [15.Bb3 happened in the game and is also possible, but 15.f4 is simply much stronger.] 15...Ne6 [15...exf4 16.Bxf4±] 16.Nxe6 Bxe6 17.Rf1± 11.Be3 Qe8 12.Nbd2

Position after: 12.Nbd2 Here, White’s main task is to prevent Black from implementing ...f5 in a favorable way. If he can do so, he will have really good chances of an advantage. 12...Kh8 A typical waiting move, preparing ...f5. I would consider two moves for White: 13.Bb3 and 13.a4, of which (in all honesty) I am not sure which is stronger. A) The immediate 12...f5!? is possible too. But the timing is not great for Black: 13.dxe5 A1) 13...dxe5? fails tactically to 14.Bc5 Rf6 15.exf5 gxf5 16.Nxe5! Nxe5 17.Bd4.

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Position after: 17.Bd4 For instance: 17...Rg6 [17...Re6 18.Bb3 Nc6 19.Nf3± Black is in trouble due to his exposed king and White’s control over the central files.] 18.Bxe5 Bxe5 19.Nf3 Nf4 20.Bb3+ Kh8 21.Rxe5 Rxg2+ 22.Kf1 Qd8 23.Bc4±. Qd4 comes next. A2) 13...Nxe5? is also bad due to 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Nh4+–.

Position after: 15.Nh4+– Suddenly Black’s position is nearly collapsing! White wants to play f4, and if Black plays 15...f4 233

then 16.Bd4+– followed by Ndf3 looks simply horrible for Black. A3) 13...f4™ 14.Bd4

Position after: 14.Bd4 A3.1) 14...Nxe5 is not good due to 15.Bb3+ Kh8 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 [16...dxe5 17.Bc5 Rf6 18.Nf3±] 17.Nf3±. A3.2) 14...dxe5 15.Bc5 Rf6 16.Bb3+ Kh8 17.Bd5±

Position after: 17.Bd5 234

White has some advantage for sure; the only question is how much! White wants to expand on the queenside to push back Black’s pieces. Normally Black would love to create a kingside attack, but I simply can’t see how to do so here. For example: 17...h6 [17...b6 18.Ba3 Rd8 19.Nf1! Na7 20.N1h2 c6 21.Bc4 and 21...Bxh3 does not work due to 22.Qb3!+–; 17...g5 18.Nxg5 Qg6 19.Ngf3 Bxh3 20.Nh4! Qg4 21.Qxg4 Bxg4 22.Ndf3±] 18.Nh2 g5 19.a4² B) 12...b6?! makes little sense – it does not really help with Black’s major idea to push ...f5. Yes, it covers the c5-square, but the exposed king on g8 will be a more salient factor. 13.Nf1

Position after: 13.Nf1 13...f5 [13...Kh8 14.Ng3! Nxg3 15.fxg3²] 14.exf5 gxf5 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Ng3! The structure with a pawn on g3 helps White to control Black’s ‘hanging’ e5/f5 pawns. 16...Nxg3 17.fxg3 Kh8 18.Nh4²

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Position after: 12...Kh8 13.a4!? Expanding on the queenside seems to be a natural follow-up. A) It’s important not to play 13.g4? as it runs into 13...f5! and Black takes over, as after 14.gxh5? Black would trap the e3-bishop with 14...f4–+. B) I spent lots of time analyzing 13.Nc4?! as it looked very natural to me. However, it’s not that great! Black can play 13...f5! with huge complications.

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Position after: 13...f5! At first I thought that White would prevail in the end, but things are not so simple. 14.exf5 Bxf5 [14...e4 15.d5 exf3 16.dxc6 Bxc6 17.Bg5 Qf7 18.Na5] 15.dxe5 [15.Bxf5 gxf5 16.dxe5 Qf7!∞ with more mess!] 15...Bxc2 16.Qxc2

Position after: 16.Qxc2 16...Rxf3! 17.exd6 [17.gxf3 d5 18.Nd2 Qe6©] 17...Rf7! And the complications continue: 18.Bb6 cxb6 19.Rxe8+ Rxe8 20.Nxb6 Nf4∞. 13...b6 Now this makes sense, as it is a prophylactic measure against a5 as well. 13...f5 14.dxe5!? f4 15.Bd4

237

Position after: 15.Bd4 A) 15...dxe5 16.Bc5 Rf6 17.Bb3² Bringing the bishop to the right diagonal. 17...b6 [17...h6 18.Bd5 g5 19.Nh2²] 18.Ba3 g5!?

Position after: 18...g5!? 19.Nh2! Rh6 20.Ndf3 Rg6 21.Qd3 Nf6 22.Rad1 h5 23.h4 Bh6 24.hxg5 Bxg5 25.Bd5 Rg7 26.b4 b5 27.c4 and White is better. B) 15...Nxe5 16.a5!² 238

Position after: 16.a5!² This is the point of a4: after a5, White wants to play Ba4 and trade light-squared bishops. 16...g5 17.Ba4 Bxa4 18.Qxa4 Qg6 19.Bxe5 Bxe5

Position after: 19...Bxe5 White has quite a pleasant choice here; probably strongest is 20.Qc4!?. [20.Nc4 Bf6 21.e5 g4 22.hxg4 Qxg4 23.Ne3 Qg6 24.exf6 fxe3 25.Rxe3 Rxf6 26.Nh4²; 20.Nxe5 dxe5 21.Nf3 Rae8 22.Qd7²] 20...g4 [20...Qg7 21.Nd4²] 21.hxg4 Qxg4 22.Qxc7 Rg8 23.Kf1² 239

Position after: 23.Kf1² 23...Qxg2+ 24.Ke2 Ng3+ 25.Kd1 Qxf2 26.Nxe5 dxe5 27.Qxe5+ Rg7 28.Ra4±

Position after: 13...b6 14.Nc4! This would be my suggestion; however, it does lead to great complications. 14.Bb3!? is similar to 13.Bb3. Now 14...f5 is the logical continuation. 15.exf5 gxf5 16.dxe5 dxe5 240

[16...Nxe5 is bad due to 17.Nh4! when Black is in trouble, as his 17...Nd3 tactics fail:

Position after: 17...Nd3 18.Re2 Nxb2 19.Qc2 f4 20.Ndf3! going for Ng5! and White has a strong attack. 20...fxe3 21.Ng5 Nf6 22.Nxh7!+– A beautiful line!] 17.a5!

Position after: 17.a5! 17...b5! [17...Nxa5 18.Nxe5!] 18.Bc5 Qg6! 19.Nh4 Qh6 20.Bxf8 Rxf8 21.Ndf3 Bc8©

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14...f5

Position after: 14...f5 15.dxe5 15.exf5?! e4 16.d5 exf3 17.dxc6 Bxc6 18.Bg5 Qf7 The c4-knight is hanging! It’s important to note that without the inclusion of a4, ...b6, White would be much better because of Na5! Though, of course, there are different issues connected with playing Nc4 without a4 beforehand. 15...f4

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Position after: 15...f4 16.Bxb6!! An amazing piece sacrifice. 16.Bd4?! dxe5 17.Ncxe5 Nxe5 18.Bxe5 Bxe5 19.Nxe5 Qxe5 20.Qxd7 Rad8 21.Qg4 f3ƒ is starting to become dangerous for White. 16...cxb6 17.exd6 Be6 18.Nxb6 Rb8 19.a5 Ne5 20.Bd3! We have reached an insane position, where most likely White has the upper hand due to the strength (and number!) of his pawns, and also the fact that it’s not easy for Black to generate an attack on the kingside. However, the position is extremely complicated and requires immense precision.

243

Position after: 20.Bd3! For example: 20...Nxf3+ 20...g5 21.Bxa6 g4 22.hxg4 Bxg4 23.Be2 Bxf3 24.Bxf3 Nf6 25.Qe2² 21.Qxf3 Be5 22.Bxa6 Bxd6 23.Bf1 Be5 24.Nd5! Rxb2 25.a6²

244

Position after: 25.a6² e) 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c3 g6 (with 13.Bb3) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c3 g6 7.d4 Bg7 8.h3!? Nf6 9.Re1 0-0 10.Bc2!? Nh5! 11.Be3 Qe8 12.Nbd2 Kh8 13.Bb3!?

Position after: 13.Bb3!? The main point of this move is prophylaxis against ...f5 and its aftermath. If the a2-g8 diagonal opens, White’s bishop will be better placed on b3 than on c2. Hopefully, we can transpose to the lines above! 13...b6 Covering the c5 square, which is vulnerable in many lines. Here, I think White has two options: 14.Nc4 and 14.Bd5. If instead 13...f5!? we play 14.dxe5:

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Position after: 14.dxe5 14...dxe5! [14...f4 15.Bd4 dxe5 16.Bc5 Rf6 17.Bd5 transposes; 14...Nxe5 15.Nxe5 dxe5 16.exf5 gxf5 17.Nf3! is just very unpleasant.

Position after: 17.Nf3! 17...e4 18.Ng5 h6 19.Nf7+ Rxf7 20.Qxh5±] 15.Bd5 Rd8

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Position after: 15...Rd8 Maybe this is best for Black. Black may be able to equalize here, though it’s not by any means an easy task: 16.Qe2 [16.a4 b6 17.Bg5 Ne7 18.Nc4 Be6 19.Bxe6 Rxd1 20.Raxd1 Nc6 21.Bd7 Qf7 22.b3 fxe4 23.Rxe4

Position after: 23.Rxe4 23...Nd4 24.cxd4 Qxd7 25.Ncxe5 Qd5 26.Re3 Nf4 27.Bxf4 Rxf4; 16.Bg5] 16...b6! Taking the c5square from the bishop, but psychologically a very hard move to play as it just “hangs” the a6-pawn 247

right after White’s queen moved to e2. [16...Be6 17.Bxe6 Qxe6 18.Nb3²] 17.Bg5 Rc8

Position after: 17...Rc8 Now the position gets extremely tactical. 18.exf5! gxf5 19.Bxc6 Bxc6 20.Nxe5 Bxg2! 21.Kxg2 h6! (Black is miraculously holding!) 22.Bxh6 Bxh6 23.Kf1 Nf4 24.Qf3 Rg8 25.Qc6 Qh5 26.Nf7+ Kh7 27.Qxh6+ Qxh6 28.Nxh6 Kxh6 29.Nf3²/=

Position after: 29.Nf3² Maybe in this endgame White still has some chances, but with correct play Black should hold. 248

Position after: 13...b6 14.Nc4!? 14.Bd5!? The bishop is very well placed here and it disturbs Black’s plans. 14...Rb8 15.a4² when it’s not easy to make a move with Black, as 15...f5? [15...Ne7? 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.a5±] runs into 16.exf5 gxf5 17.dxe5 dxe5 18.Nxe5!±. 14...Rd8 Intending ...Bc8 and then ...f5. Other moves are no improvement: A) 14...f5?! doesn’t work now: 15.dxe5 fxe4 16.Ng5 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 dxe5 [17...Bxe5 18.Nxe4±] 18.Nxe4±. B) 14...b5 15.Ncd2 and White can again use the weakened c5-square. 15.Bg5! Creating a weakness before retreating. 15...f6 16.Bd2²

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Position after: 16.Bd2² The bishop retreats such that the e3-square is still usable by the c4-knight. 16...g5 16...f5? This move seems to be natural but White is ready for tactical battle in the center: 17.exf5 gxf5 18.dxe5 dxe5 19.Ncxe5! a powerful tactical blow. 19...Nxe5 20.Nxe5 Bxe5 21.Bg5! Nf6 22.f4! This is the point. The pin on the e-file is a big problem for Black. Trying to resolve it with 22...Bc6 runs into 23.Qxd8!! Qxd8 24.fxe5 Qd7 25.exf6!± and even though the position is still quite complicated, White is much better here. Black’s king is exposed and the advanced f-pawn creates lots of tactical possibilities for White. 17.Ne3 Ne7 18.Bc2²

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Position after: 18.Bc2² White heads to f5 with the knight. The position is complex but I think White has better chances. For example: 18...Nf4 19.Nf5 Nxf5 20.exf5 Bc6 21.Bxf4 gxf4 22.d5 Bb7 23.c4²

Position after: 23.c4² f) 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 d6 251

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 d6

Position after: 5...d6 The exact move order by which Black enters a Steinitz Defense Deferred is actually quite nuanced. If Black thinks that his opponent wants to meet 5...Be7 with 6.d3, he can try to avoid some lines using this move order, as now 5...d6 6.d3 makes little sense. Black would gain the freedom to choose any system (in particular 6...g6 seems quite a likely choice.) If such a player then tries 6.Re1, they could find themselves unexpectedly entering the main line (Closed) Ruy Lopez after 6...b5 7.Bb3 Be7. Therefore, White should select between the two approaches below, according to your preference of how to meet 5...Be7. I should mention that the main line Ruy Lopez will be thoroughly discussed in the second volume). 6.c3 This is the line I would advise if after 5...Be7 your idea was to play the Modern (6.d3) line. By playing 6.c3, White prepares to meet 6...b5 with 7.Bc2. 6.Re1

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Position after: 6.Re1 If, instead, your idea was to play 5...Be7 6.Re1, this choice is reasonable. Here, the only way after which Black can avoid transposing to another lines is 5...b5 6.Bb3 Na5. 6...b5 [6...Bg4 7.c3 Be7 transposes to an Averbakh Variation with 7.c3; 6...Bd7 7.c3 is discussed in the Modern Steinitz Defense section; 6...Be7 transposes to the Averbakh Variation.] 7.Bb3 Na5 Black will win the bishop-pair, but at a significant cost. [7...Be7 transposes to a Closed Ruy Lopez.] 8.d4! White can freely take control over the center now. 8...Nxb3 9.axb3 Bb7 and now there are two choices:

Position after: 9...Bb7 253

A) 10.dxe5!? This is an alternative which also gives White an advantage. 10...Nxe4 11.Nc3 d5 12.Nd4!

Position after: 12.Nd4! This position looks like an Open Ruy Lopez, but it’s a great version for White. 12...Qd7 [12...Bc5 13.Be3 0-0 14.Qg4±] 13.f3 Nc5 [13...c5? is bad: 14.fxe4 cxd4 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.exd5 Qxd5 17.e6! and White simply rips apart Black’s position. 17...fxe6 18.c4! Opening the position even more! 18...bxc4 19.bxc4 Qxc4 20.Qh5+ g6 21.Qe5+–.] 14.Nce2 Ne6 15.Nxe6!? fxe6 16.Qd4 Qf7

Position after: 16...Qf7 254

White has some choice. The most human approach is 17.b4. [While 17.c3!? is the computer’s suggestion, which also gives an advantage: 17...c5 18.Qg4 Be7 19.Nf4 Kd7 20.Rd1±.] 17...Rc8 18.Be3 c5 19.bxc5 Bxc5 20.Qd2

Position after: 20.Qd2 20...Bxe3+ [20...Be7 21.c3 0-0 22.b4±] 21.Qxe3 Rxc2 22.Nd4 Rc4 23.b3 Rc8 24.f4 0-0 25.Rf1± White simply dominates here despite the pawn deficit. B) 10.Nc3 Nd7 Black has to try to keep his center together. [10...Be7? this is very bad for Black due to 11.dxe5! dxe5 12.Qxd8+ Rxd8 13.Nxe5 b4 14.Na4 Bxe4 15.Bg5 Kf8 16.c4±.] 11.Nd5!

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Position after: 11.Nd5! 11...c6 [11...Be7 12.c4 0-0 13.Bd2±] 12.Ne3 g6 13.Bd2 a5 With these moves ...g6 and ...a5, Black is, in fact, only reacting to White’s threats of Nf5 and Ba5. Black’s position is very passive. White is better here in a number of ways. I like the following the most: 14.dxe5 dxe5 15.Qe2 Bg7 16.h4!? ± With this move White puts pressure not only on the queenside, but also on the kingside.

Position after: 6.c3 6...Nxe4 This is the only “drawback” of 6.c3 – Black has this additional option. Lately, Richard Rapport tried it twice with decent results. Everything else either transposes to a Modern Steinitz or an (improved) Closed Ruy Lopez, or is simply very passive for Black. A) 6...Bd7 7.d4 g6 8.Re1 Bg7 9.h3 transposes to a Modern Steinitz. B) 6...g6 7.d4 Bd7 tr. 6...Bd7 7.d4 g6. C) 6...Be7 7.d4 [7.Re1 is also possible, and will be discussed specifically within the Averbakh Variation.] 7...0-0 [7...Bd7 8.Re1 I discussed this briefly within the Modern Steinitz.] 8.Re1

256

Position after: 8.Re1 8...b5 [8...Bg4 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.dxe5 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 dxe5 12.Nd2± This looks bad for Black due to his pawn structure, for which there is no compensation.] 9.Bc2 This is an improved version of the main line Closed Ruy Lopez and it will be discussed in Volume 2. D) 6...b5 7.Bc2! The main benefit of playing 6.c3 is that the white bishop has this square now! 7.d4 Bd7 8.Re1 Nf6 9.Bxc6! Bxc6 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Qxd8+

257

Position after: 11.Qxd8+ 11...Kxd8 11...Rxd8? This leads to a horrible endgame for Black: 12.Nxe5 Be4 13.Nd2 Be7 14.Nxe4 Nxe4

Position after: 14...Nxe4 Black looks fine: White cannot take the e4-knight due to a back rank mate; and Black is only one move from either castling or retreating his knight, solving all his opening problems. But in chess, time is everything and this is no exception: White can capitalise on that one missing tempo. 15.Bh6!! A beautiful move, destroying Black’s pawn structure. 15...gxh6 [15...f5 16.Bxg7 Rg8 17.Bh6 Bc5 18.Re2+–] 16.Rxe4 0-0 17.Nf3 Bf6 18.Rg4+ Kh8 19.Rb4± 12.Nxe5

258

Position after: 12.Nxe5 12...Bd5 Black has two options here, but this is the best move for him in my opinion. 12...Be8 This move has been played twice by Richard Rapport. Black attempts to preserve his bishoppair, but on the other hand this move is rather passive. 13.Bg5 A) 13...a5 is possible, but it does not change the character of the position much. White is better in this endgame: 14.Nd2 h6 15.Bxf6+ gxf6 16.Ng4 Ra6 17.Ne4

259

Position after: 17.Ne4 17...Be7 [17...f5 18.Rad1+ Kc8 19.Ng3 Bd7 20.Nxf5±] 18.Rad1+ Bd7 19.Ne3 Kc8 20.Nd5 Re8 21.Re3± B) 13...h6 14.Bxf6+ gxf6 15.Ng4

Position after: 15.Ng4 15...Be7 [15...Bg7 16.Nd2 Bd7 17.Ne3 Re8 18.Rad1²] 16.Nd2 Bd7 17.Ne3 Be6 18.Nb3 Kc8?! [¹ 18...a5 19.Nd4²] 19.Nd4 Bd7

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Position after: 19...Bd7 This was all played in Nepomniachtchi – Rapport (2019). Here there is an improvement over Nepomniachtchi’s move: 20.Nef5! [After the game continuation 20.Rad1 a5 21.Nd5 Bd8², Rapport eventually managed to equalize.] 20...Bf8 [20...Bd8 21.b4! gains space on the queenside, and after 21...a5 22.b5+– White’s pieces are dominating.] 21.Ne7+ Bxe7 22.Rxe7 Rf8 23.Rd1± 13.Bg5

Position after: 13.Bg5 13...Be6 13...c6?! This move weakens all the dark squares on the queenside. 14.Nd2 Kc7 15.Bf4 Nh5 16.Be3 Re8 [16...Nf6 17.a4 Re8 18.Nec4 Re6 19.Bf4+ Kd8 20.Ne5 Re8 21.Rad1±] 17.Nec4 Be7 18.a4 Nf6 19.a5 Nd7 20.Bf4+ Kd8 21.Ne3² 14.Nd2

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Position after: 14.Nd2 14...Kc8! This is the most resilient. It is important to hide the king. A) In Albornoz Cabrera – Friedel (2017), 14...Bd6 15.Ndc4! was played.

Position after: 15.Ndc4! A1) 15...Be7? happened in the game. 16.Na5 Rb8 17.Rad1+ Ke8 18.f4± [18.Nb3!?±, as in the 262

game, is also very good.] A2) 15...Bxe5 Probably a sad necessity. 16.Nxe5 a5 [16...Ke7 17.f4!²] 17.Nd3!

Position after: 17.Nd3! There is no need to rush with Bxf6. White has a stable and clear advantage in this endgame. The game could go on in a number of ways, for instance: 17...Ke7 [17...Ra6 18.Nc5 Rb6 19.b3 Kc8 20.c4² Rc6 21.Nxe6 Rxe6 22.Rxe6 fxe6 23.Re1 Kd7 24.Bd2! b6 25.Bc3²; 17...h6 18.Bxf6+ gxf6 19.Nf4 Ra6 20.Rad1+ Kc8 21.Nd5²]

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Position after: 17...Ke7 18.Nc5 [18.Bf4 Nd5 19.Be5 f6 20.Bg3 Kf7 21.Nc5 Rhe8] 18...b6 19.Nxe6 fxe6 20.Bf4 c6 21.a4 Rhd8 22.Re2 Kf7 23.Rae1 Re8 24.c4!?². B) 14...h6? This was seen in 1933(!) in a game Lilienthal – Alekhine. However, White is actually close to winning after this move. 15.Bxf6+ gxf6 16.Ng6!

Position after: 16.Ng6! 16...Rg8 [After 16...fxg6 17.Rxe6 Be7 18.Rae1 Re8 19.Nf3 Kd7 20.Kf1+– Black is sort of paralyzed: the bishop can never move without losing the f6-pawn. Without moving it, there is no good way to get out of the pin, as Nh4 is coming too!] 17.Nf4! This is just crushing! [17.Nxf8? happened in the game and Alekhine managed eventually to defend this worse endgame.]

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Position after: 17.Nf4! 17...Bd7 [17...Bg4 18.Ne4 Be7 19.Nd5+–] 18.Rad1 Bd6 19.Ne4 Bxf4 20.Nxf6+–

Position after: 14...Kc8! 15.Nb3 This leads to a clearly better endgame. A) 15.Nd3!? is interesting and it should also be better for White. However, Black is doing quite well 265

after 15...Ne8 16.Nf3 b6 17.Nd4 Bd7²/=. B) 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nd3 Bh6 17.Ne4 Bc4! is not entirely clear. Black’s pair of bishops in some way compensates for the bad pawn structure. 15...Nd7! 15...c5 16.f4!ƒ with the idea of f5 looks very unpleasant for Black.

Position after: 15...Nd7! 16.Nd4! 16.Rad1?! Bd6!= 16...Nxe5 17.Nxe6 fxe6 18.Rxe5 Kd7 Black’s position is definitely no fun. His weak e6-pawn and somewhat uncomfortable king are the sources of White’s advantage. However, I have to acknowledge that Black’s position is still very solid and he retains good chances to hold. White needs to show very good technique in this endgame. In my opinion, as a rule of thumb, I would suggest White adhere to that classic endgame maxim, “do not hurry”. White should keep the material the way it is and not trade pieces or pawns, unless doing so has specific benefits. For example:

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Position after: 18...Kd7 19.Rd1+ Bd6 20.Re4 20.c4 This is interesting too but Black appears quite OK. 20...h6! 21.c5!? [21.Be3 Ke7 22.Re4 Rad8 23.Kf1 Kf7 24.Ke2 Be7² is worse version of the main line as Black managed to join the fight for the d-file.] 21...hxg5 22.Rxg5 Rag8 23.cxd6 cxd6

Position after: 23...cxd6

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White is slightly better here but I am not sure if that’s enough. As the famous Siegbert Tarrasch saying goes, “All rook endings are drawn”, which obviously is an exaggeration, but the truth is that drawing tendencies are indeed enhanced in rook endgames, due to their mobility and ability to create counterplay. It seems to apply here: 24.Rd3 g6 25.Rb3 b5 26.Ra3 Rh5 27.Rxh5 gxh5 28.Rxa6 d5© with good chances to hold, despite the lack of a pawn. 20...Rae8 21.Bf4!?

Position after: 21.Bf4!? The idea is to provoke ...Ke7, as sometimes Black’s king would have been comfortable on the c6square, while on e7 it only ever gets in the way. 21...Ke7 21...Kc6?! This is just wrong! 22.Rc4+ Kb5 23.b3 Bxf4 24.Rxf4 Here the trade of bishops is fine as Black’s king is misplaced on the b5-square; White controls the d-file and threatens to take the 7th rank. 24...Re7 [24...Rd8 25.Re1±] 25.f3 e5 26.Re4 Kc6 27.Kf2± 22.Be3 Rhf8 23.c4 b6 23...Kf7 24.Kf1 Rd8 25.Rd3 Be7 26.Rb3 b6 27.Ke2² 24.g3 Rf5 24...e5? 25.Bd4 Ke6 26.Rde1 Kf5 27.f4±

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25.Kg2 a5 26.Bd4 g6 27.a4 Ref8 27...Kd7? One benefit of provoking ...Ke7 earlier is that now this move loses: 28.Bxb6! cxb6 29.Red4+–. 28.Rd3 Kd7 29.f3²

Position after: 29.f3² White slowly improves position and keeps many ideas in mind. Do not hurry!

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Chapter 8 Norwegian Variation 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Na5

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Na5

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Position after: 5...Na5 This system, the Norwegian Variation, was extensively analyzed by Alexander Ipatov in the first volume of his recent book “Unconventional Approaches to Modern Chess”. In my book, I will not try to refute or improve his analysis but I will give my own perspective instead. 6.0-0 d6 7.d4

Position after: 7.d4 7...exd4 7...Nxb3 8.axb3 f6 The main idea of this system is to obtain the bishop-pair quickly, aiming to make use of it in the future. However, the cost is two quite important concessions – Black lags in development and gives away the center – which causes White’s position to be better. Ideally, White should aim to play c4 at some point. However, right now it’s not so great. In my opinion, the best approach is 9.Nc3. [9.c4 runs into 9...b4! as indicated by GM Ipatov, restricting the b1-knight.] 9...Bb7

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Position after: 9...Bb7 10.Qd3!? A very rare move, yet pretty strong. The idea is to play Rd1 and very often Nd5. Ideally, White wants to play c4. [10.Qe2 Ne7 11.dxe5 is given by Ipatov, also leading to a better position for White.] 10...Ne7 11.Rd1

Position after: 11.Rd1 A) 11...Ng6 12.h4!? [12.Nd5± is also very strong; however, according to the engines, the inclusion of h4 and ...h5 comes in useful in some lines!] 12...h5 13.Nd5 c6 [13...Be7 14.c4±] 14.Ne3 Nf4 272

15.Qf1 Qc7 16.c4± White finally manages to push c4 and attains a pleasant edge. B) 11...g5 12.Be3± C) 11...g6 takes away the g6 square from the knight and implies a later ...Bg7. It has a serious drawback: 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Qe2 Qc8 14.Be3 Bg7 15.Ne1!± heading to c5. D) 11...Qc8 12.Be3

Position after: 12.Be3 D1) 12...g6 13.dxe5 fxe5 [13...dxe5 weakens the c5-square: 14.b4±] 14.Nd2 Bg7 15.Nd5 White has a big advantage: 15...Nxd5 16.exd5 0-0 17.Ne4± followed by c4. D2) 12...Ng6 Here White has some choice, but I really like the following approach. 13.dxe5! Starting action in the center makes sense, considering that Black is still not fully developed.

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Position after: 13.dxe5! D2.1) 13...fxe5 14.h4!? [14.Nd5± with c4 next] 14...Be7 15.h5 Nf8 16.Nd5± with c4 next. D2.2) 13...dxe5 14.Nd5 Bd6 15.c4± with strong pressure on the queenside and center, e.g. 15...00 16.c5 Be7 17.Nh4!±.

Position after: 7...exd4 In this position White has several interesting options. Most of them are pretty well-known and I really recommend Ipatov’s analysis. While analyzing this system on my own, however, I noticed one game 274

by Ernesto Inarkiev against Vadim Moiseenko, where he played... 8.Re1! I became curious about this move when I saw Inarkiev had won easily. And then I ran the engines – it is by far the top choice of Lc0! The idea is that this move puts Black in an awkward spot with no obvious continuation. 8.Nxd4 is another possibility. 8...Nxb3 The most logical: after all, the main idea of this system is to take on b3. A) 8...Ne7? was played in Inarkiev – Moiseenko (2019), where White won convincingly: 9.Nxd4 c5 10.Nf5!

Position after: 10.Nf5! 10...Bxf5 11.exf5 c4 12.Nc3 f6 [12...cxb3 13.axb3+–] 13.a4 cxb3 14.axb5 Kf7 15.bxa6 Nac6 16.Nd5+– White is dominating! 1-0 (32) Inarkiev, E – Moiseenko, V Konya 2019. B) 8...Bb7 runs into 9.Bd5! c6 10.e5! This is one “perk” of Re1!

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Position after: 10.e5! 10...cxd5 11.exd6+ Ne7 12.Bf4 Nc4 13.dxe7 Bxe7 14.Qe2 Kf8 15.b3 Black’s position is unpleasant, as his king is not exactly safe on f8 and the d4-pawn will fall at some point, leaving White with a great strategic superiority. 15...Bf6 [15...Nd6 16.Nxd4±] 16.Qd3 Nd6 17.Nbd2²/± 9.axb3

Position after: 9.axb3

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9...c5 Logically protecting the pawn. After 9...Bb7 White has a choice: A) 10.Qxd4 Ne7 11.Nc3 Nc6 12.Qd3 Be7 13.Nd5 0-0 14.Bd2 [14.c4!?²] 14...Bf6 15.Bc3² B) White is better after either capture on d4, e.g. 10.Nxd4 g6 11.c4! b4 12.Nc2

Position after: 12.Nc2 B1) 12...a5 13.Qd4 f6 14.Bf4 c5 [14...Nh6 15.c5!±] 15.Qe3!± Stopping ...Nh6-...Nf7, and White intends Nd2 and Rad1 next with a big advantage. B2) 12...c5 13.Bf4 Nf6 14.e5 dxe5 15.Rxe5+ Be7 16.Qe2 h6 17.Nd2 Kf8 18.Rd1± 10.c3!

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Position after: 10.c3! Undermining Black’s center and, it turns out, also getting the pawn back. 10...Be7 10...dxc3 11.Nxc3± With all his pieces on the back rank and White’s being so active, this must be bad for Black! 11.cxd4 Nf6 12.Nc3

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Position after: 12.Nc3 12...Bb7 A) 12...0-0 instead would hang a pawn to 13.Nxb5±. B) 12...Be6 13.h3 0-0 14.d5 Bd7 15.e5±. 13.Nh4! White has only one move that really puts Black in an uncomfortable spot, and this is it. He is going for Nf5, taking advantage of Black’s last move. 13...b4 14.Nd5! Nxd5 15.exd5 0-0 16.Nf5 Bf6 17.Bf4!

Position after: 17.Bf4! An important move – White is going after the d6-pawn. 17...cxd4 A) 17...Bxd4 18.Bxd6 Bxb2 19.Ra2 Bc3 20.Re7 Qb6 21.Rae2± B) 17...Bxd5 18.Bxd6 Re8 19.dxc5± 18.Qf3!

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Position after: 18.Qf3! White has a very pleasant position. The d6-pawn falls and White’s d-pawn will be very strong. While the position is still complicated, I definitely prefer White here. For instance: 18...Re8 18...a5 19.Nxd6 Ba6 20.Rad1 d3 21.h4 Bxb2 22.Nf5 Qf6 23.Bg5 Qc3 24.Be7± with great winning chances. 19.Nxd6 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Qd7 21.h4! Rd8 22.Nxb7 Qxb7 23.Bg5! Bxg5 24.hxg5±

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Position after: 24.hxg5± With a very unpleasant position for Black. The d5-pawn is strong and also Black’s king could be in danger due to the weak bank rank.

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Chapter 9 Averbakh Variation 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 d6

Chapter Guide Chapter 9 – Averbakh Variation 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 d6 a) 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.d4 Nd7 b) 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.d4 exd4 c) 7.c3 Bg4 8.d3 Nd7 d) 7.c3 Bg4 8.d3 0-0 a) 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.d4 Nd7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 d6

Position after: 6...d6 Initially, I planned to include the Averbakh Variation in the second volume of the book. However, I 282

decided to place this line here, as I believe the possibilities for transpositions into it indicate doing so, and it’s essential to know that such transpositions could be possible. I suggest two approaches here; the choice depends on your mood and style! However, I strongly suggest you pay attention to 7.Bxc6 (discussed below), as the line could arise from other variations. I should also mention here that in the first volume of the book “Unconventional Approaches to Modern Chess”, the author, Alexander Ipatov discusses this line as well. I encourage everyone to check out what he says there, as he does a very good job of explaining the strategic concepts and plans from Black’s perspective. I will try to steer clear of his analysis and, similarly to the Norwegian Variation in the previous chapter, I will try to show my own perspective. 7.Bxc6+ Let’s discuss this move first, as positions I will discuss here can also appear from other lines. 7...bxc6

Position after: 7...bxc6 8.d4 This position can arise from several variations (the present order, the anti-Berlin with 4.d3 d6 or the Steinitz Defense Deferred with 6.Re1 Be7 7.Bxc6 bxc6). The flexibility of Ruy Lopez lines is quite interesting – you never know how one line can turn into another one! Therefore, I am a strong advocate of learning and studying different approaches to each line, as one can discover lots of interesting ideas that could be useful in games later! 8...Nd7 283

Position after: 8...Nd7 Offering White the chance to destroy Black’s pawn structure. But there is an even better move available: 9.Na3! After lots of hesitation and trying to make 9.dxe5 work (unsuccessfully), I finally decided to suggest this. 9.dxe5

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Position after: 9.dxe5 This move destroys Black’s pawn structure. However, the position is far from clear and Black can hold things together with correct play. I spent lots of time analyzing this and I came to the conclusion that Black is fine here! A) 9...Nxe5?! is a worse choice than 9...dxe5, as after 10.Nxe5 dxe5 11.Qxd8+ Bxd8 12.Nc3 Be7 13.Na4 Be6 14.Be3 0-0-0 15.b3² White has a long-term advantage. Black’s pawn structure is very bad and Black has little to no counterplay here. B) 9...dxe5 White has lots of possibilities now; I tried various approaches but found none of them satisfactory. It seems to me that in every line White reaches a point where nothing else can really be improved, while Black still has some room for improvement.

Position after: 9...dxe5 B1) 10.Nbd2 was played in Bijaoui – Ipatov (2016) and this is an example of a real game where White simply ran out of ideas after placing his pieces on the best squares: 10...f6 11.Nc4 Nc5! The knight is headed to the e6-square. 12.Qxd8+ Kxd8 13.Na5 Bd7 14.Bd2 Rb8 15.b3 Kc8

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Position after: 15...Kc8 Seemingly everything is placed well, but personally I find it hard to improve White’s position further! On the other hand, Black can simply go ...Ne6, ...c5 and ...Nd4 and there is little White can do to prevent it. 16.Rad1 Rd8 17.Bc3 Ne6 18.Nc4 c5 19.Ne3 Nd4

Position after: 19...Nd4 As promised, the knight lands on the d4-square! 20.Nd2 Be6 21.Ndc4 Rd7 22.f3 Bf8 23.Kf2 g6 24.Rc1 Bh6 25.Bd2? A blunder. [25.Rcd1= is still fine for White, as Alexander points out in his 286

book.] 25...Nxf3! Now Black wins material. 26.Kxf3 Bxc4 27.Nxc4 Bxd2 28.Nxd2 Rxd2 29.Red1 Rd4 30.c3 Rd6–+ Black had a winning endgame in Bijaoui – Ipatov (2016), which Alexander later converted into a full point. B2) 10.b3 a5! The idea of ...a5 is a key idea for Black here. 11.Ba3 f6 12.Qc1 0-0

Position after: 12...0-0 13.Rd1 [13.Nc3 Bb4! 14.Bxb4 axb4 15.Na4 Nb6=] 13...Ba6 14.Nh4 g6 15.Nc3 Bb4 16.Bxb4 axb4 17.Na4 Qe7 18.c3 bxc3 19.Qxc3 Bb5 20.Rac1 Rfd8= B3) 10.Be3 a5!

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Position after: 10...a5! 11.a3!? This is the computer suggestion that I was hoping would give White an advantage. The idea is to cover the b4-square ahead of moving the queen to c3. [11.Qd3 Ba6 12.Qb3 0-0 13.Nbd2 Re8 14.Rad1 Bf8 15.Nc4 Rb8 16.Qd3 Bd6=; 11.Nc3 0-0 12.Na4 Bd6 13.b3 Re8 14.c4 Qf6 15.Qc2 Nf8„; 11.Nbd2 0-0 12.Nc4 f6 13.a4 Nc5 14.Bd2 Nb7 15.Qe2 Be6 16.b3 Qe8 17.Nh4 Qf7=] 11...f6!

Position after: 11...f6! 12.Qe2 [12.Qd3 Nb6=] 12...Ba6 13.Qd2 Nc5 14.Qc3 Qd6! 15.Nbd2 Na4!

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Position after: 15...Na4! 16.Qxa5 [16.Qb3 Nc5=] 16...Bb7 17.Qb4 Qxb4 18.axb4 Bxb4 19.b3 Nc3 20.Rxa8+ Bxa8 21.Ra1 Kd7 22.Ne1 c5 23.f3 Ne2+ 24.Kf2 Nd4=

Position after: 9.Na3! 9...0-0 A) 9...exd4 10.Nxd4 Nb8 11.Nc4 0-0 just transposes to the main line. B) 9...f6 This move tries to hold the center, but fails to solve Black’s opening problems. 10.Nc4 Nb6 11.Na5!

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Position after: 11.Na5! There is no better square for this knight! White has a clear advantage and the following lines prove it: B1) 11...Bd7 12.c4 0-0 [12...c5 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Be3²] 13.c5 Nc8 14.Be3± B2) 11...c5 12.Nc6 Qd7 13.Nxe7 Qxe7 14.dxc5 dxc5 15.Be3² 10.Nc4 exd4 11.Nxd4 Nb8 12.Na5 c5

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Position after: 12...c5 White has several options here, but I really like the following: 13.Ndc6 Nxc6 14.Nxc6 Qe8 15.Nxe7+ Qxe7 16.b3²

Position after: 16.b3² I believe White has good chances here. One may ask «Why?» After all, the material is even, there are opposite-colored bishops, and Black’s king seems to be safe. Seemingly, no reason to worry for Black. And that’s what I thought initially too. Then, I realized that things are not so easy. The thing is that Black’s pawn structure can be a source of all kind of trouble. And White’s advantage is of a persistent, long-term nature. White simply improves, step by step, and Black has no active counterplay. Eventually, White will want to create a kingside attack. Let’s see what can happen here: 16...Bb7 16...a5 17.a4 Qf6 18.Rb1 Qd4 19.Qe2 f6 20.Bb2 Qb4 21.Qd3 Bd7 22.c4² 17.f3 Bc6 18.Bb2 f6 19.Qd2 Rfe8 20.c4 Qf7 21.Bc3 Re7 22.g4! Qg6 23.Kf2 Rf8 24.Qf4 h6 25.h4²

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Position after: 25.h4² As we can see, White has made significant progress. Of course, the path to a victory is still long, but there are no any doubts that White is in charge. b) 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.d4 exd4 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 d6 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.d4 exd4 9.Nxd4 Bd7

Position after: 9...Bd7 292

White has two possible plans here: Nc3 immediately, or c4 first and then Nc3. Probably both give White good chances, but I prefer c4-Nc3. It gains White more space and gives him firm control over the center. 10.c4! 0-0 11.Nc3

Position after: 11.Nc3 11...Re8 11...c5 A direct approach – White needs to decide where to go with the knight. 12.Nf5! I believe that this is the best. 12...Bxf5 13.exf5

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Position after: 13.exf5 13...Nd7! As Alexander Ipatov points out, it is necessary to bring this knight to better squares. White has some choice here. It is important now to think about prophylaxis – what does Black want and how White can prevent it? [13...Qd7?! 14.Qf3 Rfe8 15.Be3 Bf8 16.g4±] 14.b3! Very good move that is aimed at restricting Black’s play. White simply stops the advance ...a5-...a4 and makes the ...Bf6-...Bd4 idea less effective. 14...Bf6 15.Bd2

Position after: 15.Bd2

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A) 15...Bd4 16.Qf3 a5 17.Rad1 White has comfortably developed pieces and a clear advantage. While 17...a4 does work, White remains better anyway. [If instead 17...Ne5, then 18.Qg3 a4 19.Nd5! Kh8 20.Bg5 f6 21.Be3 Bxe3 22.Rxe3 axb3 23.axb3±.] 18.Nxa4 Ne5 19.Qe4 Nxc4 20.Bc3 Bxc3 21.Nxc3 Ne5 22.Re3² B) 15...a5 16.Rc1! Black cannot play ...a4 and without this move it is hard to suggest any active plan. B1) 16...Bd4 17.Nd5 a4 With the white bishop on the d2-square, this move is not dangerous as White can simply take it: 18.bxa4 with a5 next. [18.b4!?] B2) 16...h6 17.Qg4ƒ

Position after: 17.Qg4ƒ 17...Bxc3 [If 17...Kh7 18.Qe4 Bd4 19.Nb5 Nf6 and White can play the simple 20.Qd3 winning a pawn after 20...Be5 21.f4!±.] 18.Rxc3 Nf6 19.Qd1!?² White’s bishop is better than Black’s knight. 12.Qf3!?

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Position after: 12.Qf3!? White has a clear plus due to his space advantage. Black is very passive here. Since Black’s position is solid, it may not be so easy to break through, but anyway the initiative is on White’s side. 12...h6 A) 12...g6 This move stops Nf5 but it weakens some squares around Black’s king. 13.Bg5 c5 14.Nde2

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Position after: 14.Nde2 I like this full-blown central strategy the most. The knight is headed to the f4-square: 14...Bc6 [14...Nd5 15.Bxe7 Nxe7 16.Rad1²] 15.Nf4 Nd7 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Nfd5 Qd8 18.Rad1². B) 12...Bg4?! 13.Qd3 Qd7 [13...Bd7 This makes no sense – Black has just given an extra tempo to White. 14.h3²] 14.f3 Bh5 15.Nf5 Bg6 16.Nxe7+

Position after: 16.Nxe7+ Without his dark-squared bishop, Black’s position is clearly worse. It is similar to 8...Nd7 9.Na3. 16...Qxe7 17.Be3 Nd7 18.Rad1 f6 19.Bf2 Ne5 20.Qf1 Bh5 21.Bg3 c5 22.b3² 13.Bf4

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Position after: 13.Bf4 13...c5 13...Bg4 14.Qd3 Qd7 15.h3 Bh5 The bishop is misplaced here.

Position after: 15...Bh5 16.Nf5 Bf8 [16...Bg6 17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.f3 Nd7 19.Rad1 Ne5 20.Qd4 f6 21.b3²] 17.g4 Bg6 18.Rad1² 298

14.Nf5 Bf8 15.h3 a5 16.Rad1

Position after: 16.Rad1 16...a4 16...Bc6 Here, White has a very nice idea: 17.Bd2!? The bishop heads to the c3-square. 17...a4 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.cxd5 Bd7 20.Bc3² 17.g4!? This move supports the f5-knight and prepares e5. White goes for a full-blown attack in the center. This is very aggressive and requires good calculation. 17...Nh7 18.e5 Rb8

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Position after: 18...Rb8 19.Nd5! This is an important move. 19.Re2?! allows Black to take over the initiative: 19...dxe5 20.Bxe5 g6 21.Ng3 Ng5 22.Qg2 Rxe5! 23.Rxe5 Bd6 24.Re2 Ne6 25.Nd5 Bc6©. 19...c6 20.Nc3 dxe5 21.Bc1!ƒ

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Position after: 21.Bc1!ƒ The position is very complicated, but White has good prospects. For instance: 21...Qc8 22.Nxa4 h5 23.b3 hxg4 24.hxg4 g6 25.Nd6 Bxd6 26.Rxd6 Bxg4 27.Qe4! Qf5 28.Nxc5 Qh5 29.Qh1! Qf5 30.Ne4 Bf3 31.Qh4²

Position after: 31.Qh4 c) 7.c3 Bg4 8.d3 Nd7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 d6 7.c3

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Position after: 7.c3 This is the most popular move. If you’re someone who really prefers to keep the bishop-pair, then this path is more appropriate than 7.Bxc6. As we will see, White is also better here. 7...Bg4 8.d3 Black has two possibilities here: 8...Nd7 and 8...0-0. Both have their own advantages and drawbacks. (For 8...0-0, see the next subchapter.) 8...Nd7!? This is the latest trend here and has been tried by GMs Mamedyarov and Harikrishna. Black’s idea is to delay ...0-0 and first focus on bringing his pieces to good squares. On the other hand, it gives White liberty to choose between a few systems that should give an advantage. I will analyze two of them. 9.h3 Bh5 9...Bxf3 This unnecessarily cedes the bishop-pair, but leads to simplifications which could be desirable from a long-term perspective. Still, I like White’s chances. For instance: 10.Qxf3

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Position after: 10.Qxf3 A) 10...0-0 11.Be3 [11.Nd2!?] 11...Bg5 12.Nd2 Bxe3 and now both 13.Qxe3² and 13.fxe3!?² look good. B) 10...Nc5 11.Bc2 Bg5 12.Be3!? I like developing this bishop to the e3-square. [12.Nd2, however, is also possible.] 12...Ne6 [12...Bxe3 13.fxe3!² is similar to the main line.] 13.Nd2 0-0 14.Qg4 Bxe3 15.fxe3!² Restricting the black knights. White prepares Rf1-Rf2-Raf1, maybe bringing the knight round to f5, etc. Definitely, White has a very good initiative.

Position after: 9...Bh5 303

White has several possible setups now. 10.Be3! In comparison to the 8...0-0 line, White has this extra option here. The intention of this move is to stop ...Nc5. 10...h6 11.Nbd2 Bg5 12.Nf1!

Position after: 12.Nf1! This move would be my suggestion here. I think that White is slightly better here. 12...Bxe3 The most logical. A) 12...Qf6? This is a logical attempt to make use of the pin on the f3-knight, but it fails tactically: 13.Qb3!

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Position after: 13.Qb3! 13...Rb8 [13...b5 14.Qd5! Ndb8 15.Bd1+– and White is strategically winning.] 14.Nxg5 hxg5 15.Ng3± with a huge advantage for White. B) 12...0-0? runs into 13.Bxg5 hxg5 14.g4! Bg6 15.d4!

Position after: 15.d4! Again, White has a big advantage. The g6-bishop is terribly placed and neither Black knight can realistically make it to the f4-square. White can put some pressure on the g5-pawn too (Qd2). With 305

his very strong center White definitely has good chances here. 13.Rxe3 0-0

Position after: 13...0-0 And here White has many possible paths to an advantage, for instance: 14.d4 Or, alternatively, 14.Ng3 Bxf3 [14...Bg6 15.d4 b5 16.Bc2 Nb6 17.Re1²] 15.Rxf3 Nc5 16.Bc2². 14...Nb6 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Ng3 Bxf3 17.Qxf3² d) 7.c3 Bg4 8.d3 0-0 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 d6 7.c3 Bg4 8.d3 0-0

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Position after: 8...0-0 The “classic” line, if I may coin a name. 9.Nbd2 White is forced to play this move sooner or later, as Be3 ideas are not so great now. Therefore, White’s possibilities are limited. 9...Nd7 10.h3 Bh5 11.Bc2 New analysis indicates that White should go for this. 11.b4!? I tried this idea 3 times in my games: once with pawn still on a7-square, and twice in exactly this position. It is not so great though – I think that Black is fine after 11...b5 12.Bb3 a5 13.Bd5 Ra6

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Position after: 13...Ra6 14.bxa5 [14.c4 is probably stronger, but it leads to some very unclear position and I am unsure whether White is better here. 14...Nxb4 15.cxb5 Rb6 16.a4 Nxd5 17.exd5 Qa8 18.Qb3 Rbb8∞] 14...Nxa5 15.a4 bxa4 16.Qxa4

Position after: 16.Qxa4 16...c6 [16...Nc5 17.Qc2 c6 18.Ba2 Bxf3 19.Nxf3 Nab3 20.Rb1 Nxc1 21.Rexc1ƒ with ideas of d4 and some pressure for White, Swiercz – Stern (2012).] 17.Ba2 Qa8= and Black had equalized in 308

Swiercz – Onischuk (2012). 11...Nc5 12.Nf1 Ne6

Position after: 12...Ne6 13.g4! This is essentially the problem of this line: the h5-bishop may in many lines get very restricted. And getting rid of it with ...Bxf3 is hardly likely to solve the opening problems. 13...Bg6 14.Ng3

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Position after: 14.Ng3 14...Ng5 Black tries to trade pieces in order to simplify the position. With White very likely expanding on the kingside (and possibly pushing d4 in the future as well), Black’s position might soon become rather cramped. Therefore, trading some pieces makes sense for Black. 14...h6?! with the idea of ...Bg5 is an alternative. Black wants to make good use of the e6-knight and hopes to jump into the f4-square one day. However, Black will come under a very strong attack: 15.Nf5 Bg5 16.Nxg5 hxg5 17.h4! gxh4 [In case of 17...Nf4 18.Qf3± the f4-knight does not really contribute to Black’s position and White’s initiative remains very strong.] 18.Kg2

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Position after: 18.Kg2 18...Nf4+ [18...Bh7 19.g5 Ne7 20.Qg4! Ng6 21.Nxh4 Ngf4+ 22.Kg3± and if 22...Nxg5 23.Bxf4 exf4+ 24.Kxf4!+– is just winning!] 19.Bxf4 exf4 20.Rh1 Bxf5 21.gxf5 g5 22.fxg6 fxg6 23.Rg1!± 15.Nf5!N

Position after: 15.Nf5!N This logical move appears to be a novelty. 311

15...Nxf3+ The alternatives are no better: A) After 15...Nxh3+ 16.Kg2 Nf4+ 17.Bxf4 exf4 18.d4±

Position after: 18.d4± White has a strong center and his missing pawn is irrelevant. For instance: 18...Bg5 19.Qd3 h6 20.Rh1 Re8 21.Rae1 Qf6 22.b4 Ne7 23.a4±. B) 15...Bxf5 16.exf5!

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Position after: 16.exf5! White’s intention is to arrange a g5 breakthrough in the future. 16...h6 [16...Nxh3+ wins a pawn for Black, but same time opens the h-file for White, who can create a strong attack now: 17.Kg2 Ng5 18.Rh1 d5 19.Rh5! f6 20.Bb3‚.] 17.Kg2 Nxf3 [17...Bf6 18.a4 Re8 19.Bb3²/±] 18.Qxf3 Bh4 19.b4². 16.Qxf3 Bg5 17.Bxg5 Qxg5 18.h4! It is good to include this move.

Position after: 18.h4! 18...Qd8 18...Qf6!? This is actually a decent alternative, but it does not solve the opening problems by any means. White can either continue the attack or transfer play into an endgame. A) 19.Kg2 This keeps the queens on the board. White tries to construct some attack on the kingside: 19...Bxf5 20.exf5

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Position after: 20.exf5 20...g6 [20...h6 21.Qg3² with great attacking potential on the kingside.] 21.d4 Qxh4 22.Rh1 Qg5 23.Rh2!‚ With Rah1 coming next and strong pressure for White. B) 19.Nh6+ This leads to a better endgame. 19...Kh8 20.Qxf6 gxf6

Position after: 20...gxf6 If only White’s knight could escape from h6-square without being traded for the g6-bishop, White would be simply winning. While this is sadly impossible, White is better anyway: 21.f3 Kg7 314

22.Nf5+ Bxf5 23.gxf5 Rg8 24.Kf2 Kf8 25.Rg1².

Position after: 25.Rg1² Black is destined for a long and unpleasant defense. White will begin expanding on the queenside and center, while keeping some ideas on the kingside as well. 19.Kg2! f6 19...Bxf5 20.exf5± only helps White. It is an even better version of 18...Qf6 19.Kg2, which is discussed earlier. 20.h5 Bf7 21.d4²/±

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Position after: 21.d4² White is clearly better here due to his central control, strong f5-knight, and kingside prospects. Black’s position is rather unpleasant to play.

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Part II Berlin Defense Introduction 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6

Position after: 3...Nf6 Ruy Lopez Berlin (or just Berlin, which is the name I will use throughout the book) is without any doubt is one of the most solid openings where White has very hard time finding an advantage. Back in 80’s or 90’s, it has been considered that White has clearly an upper hand in the famous Berlin endgame resulting after 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8 Kxd8 but it all changed with the Kasparov – Kramnik World Championship Match in London, 2000. Vladimir Kramnik successfully employed “Berlin Wall” and Garry Kasparov could not find a feasible recipe to get any advantage. Kramnik never had any problems and went on eventually winning the match. This event brought Berlin to the mainstream theory and ever since it has been widely employed by many top GMs. Personally, I also incorporated it in my repertoire back in 2013. Berlin has been a subject of a theoretical discussion for the past 20 years and I believe that this debate will still be ongoing for many years. Many GMs have attempted to find a solution to this system but Black always emerged with satisfactory positions. Yet, the hunt for ideas is on. In this book I will not attempt to “refute” the Berlin or find a clear advantage – it is simply an impossible task! I hope that by that statement I will not discourage the reader from reading further. However, I will provide a variety of interesting ideas that lead to playable positions, where Black still needs to prove equality. Even though positions could be objectively equal, some questions will be still asked. Practical chess differ in that sense from 317

theoretical chess, that sometimes, even though the position is equal, one side has easier game and opponent may fall into some unpleasant position if he or she loses focus even for just one move. And this is the primary goal of this chapter – pose some unpleasant practical problems to solve for Black even though the position could be equal! Having said that, let’s jump into Berlin! I would suggest to play either 4.0-0 or 4.d3, and ideally both as it gives the most flexibility and it makes it harder for opponent to prepare. 4.0-0 4.d3

Position after: 4.d3 A) 4...d6 is possible as well. However, it allows White to gain some spatial advantage in many lines with fairly straightforward play. Obviously, Black is very solid but White can hope here for some advantage. B) 4...Bc5 The most popular and natural move. Here, White has huge choice. I would suggest few ideas here for White that can lead to some playable positions, however Black is generally fine. 4...Nxe4

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Position after: 4...Nxe4 5.Re1 This very solid system is actually quite venomous and Black should be familiar with lots of nuances. 5.d4 I will not suggest going for the endgame – it leads to an extremely complex positional fight that requires deep understanding and feeling for the position. It is very easy to go wrong there with White, as the subtleties cause lots of confusion even among top GMs!

Chapter 10 4.0-0: Sidelines on move 4 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0

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Position after: 4.0-0 4...Bc5 This is a quite rare line, but it’s the main alternative to 4...Nxe4, so when playing 4.0-0 against the Berlin, White should be familiar with this line. Black’s idea is to simply play ...0-0, ...d6 etc., and try for a typical Ruy Lopez or Italian structure. If White were to proceed with a move like 5.d3, Black’s strategy could be considered somewhat successful (though in reality, he would just have transposed into one of the Anti – Berlin lines discussed in a later chapter!). However, White has a very tactical alternative here, immediately putting Black under serious pressure: A) 4...Be7 5.Nc3 transposes to a position from Part 1 (3.Bb5 Be7 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.0-0), where Black is simply uncomfortable as White can quickly build himself a strong center by playing d4. B) 4...d6 transposes as well: 5.d4 Bd7 6.Nc3 Be7 and we get the position analyzed in Part 1 after 3.Bb5 Be7 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.0-0 d6 6.d4 Bd7. 5.Nxe5! Nxe4 5...Nxe5 6.d4 c6 7.dxe5 Nxe4 8.Bd3 d5 9.exd6 Nf6™

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Position after: 9...Nf6™ White is better in a number of ways here, but the strongest according to my engine is 10.Re1+ Be6 11.Nc3! [11.Bc4!? 0-0 12.Bxe6 fxe6 13.Nc3² is also possible but it’s not as strong as 11.Nc3.] 11...Qxd6 12.Bg5

Position after: 12.Bg5 12...0-0-0 [12...Bd4 13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Rxe4± and Black’s king remains in the center, as 14...0-0? loses to 15.Rxd4 Qxd4 16.Bxh7++–.] 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Ne4 Qd4 15.Nxc5 Qxc5 16.Qf3 f5 17.Re3± 321

Black’s pawn structure is awful, so White has a big advantage. 6.Qe2

Position after: 6.Qe2 6...Nxe5 6...Qe7? is just bad for Black: 7.Bxc6 Nxf2 [7...bxc6 8.Qxe4 f6 9.d4+–] 8.Rxf2 dxc6 9.Nc3 Bxf2+ 10.Kxf2+–. 7.d4! Here, Black has various choices, but none of them offers full equality. 7...Be7 A) 7...Qe7 8.dxc5 Nxc5? is just too greedy. [Instead 8...Ng6 is essential, transposing to note B below.] 9.Nc3 c6 [9...Ng6 transposes to 9...Nxc5 in note B.] 10.b4! 0-0 11.f4!

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Position after: 11.f4! Black is big trouble here. 11...a5 is an attempt to complicate matters but it backfires tactically: [11...cxb5 12.fxe5 Ne6 13.Nxb5±/+– installing a white knight on the d6-square; 11...Ng6 12.Qxe7 Nxe7 13.bxc5 cxb5 14.Nxb5± and White dominates!] 12.bxc5 Qxc5+ 13.Qe3! Qxe3+ 14.Bxe3 Ng4 15.Bc5 d6 16.Bxd6 Rd8 17.Bc7 Rd7

Position after: 17...Rd7 18.Rae1! Nf6 19.Be5 cxb5 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Re8+ Kg7 22.Rf3!+– Not only are Black’s pieces 323

paralyzed on the queenside, but White is also initiating a strong attack on Black’s king! B) 7...Ng6 8.dxc5 Qe7 9.Nc3! This leads to a very nice endgame for White.

Position after: 9.Nc3! 9...Nxc3 [9...Nxc5? 10.Be3 Ne6 11.f4 f5 12.g4! 0-0 13.gxf5 Rxf5 14.Bd3± and White wins an exchange, as Black is forced to leave the rook on f5. Otherwise, White will push f5 himself, winning even more material.] 10.Qxe7+ Nxe7 [10...Kxe7 11.bxc3² is roughly the same as 10...Nxe7.] 11.bxc3 b6 12.Rd1!²

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Position after: 12.Rd1!² The bishop-pair guarantees White a clear advantage, especially with Black’s king still located in the center. For instance: 12...bxc5 [12...a6 13.Ba4! b5 14.Bb3± with Bf4 next] 13.Ba3 Kd8 14.Bxc5 d6 15.Be2². 8.dxe5

Position after: 8.dxe5 8...a6 Black should include this move. For instance 8...Nc5? 9.Bc4 0-0 10.Rd1± is just a worse version of the main line for Black, as here he hasn’t played ...a6. 9.Bd3 Nc5 Here, White has two options, which are comparable in quality. The choice just comes down to a matter of taste. 10.Rd1 This would probably be my choice. 10.Bc4!?, preserving the bishop-pair, also deserves attention. However, it allows 10...d5! [10...0-0 11.Rd1 transposes] 11.exd6 Qxd6 12.Nc3 Be6 13.Rd1 Bxc4 14.Qxc4 Qc6 15.Be3 0-0 16.Rd5 Ne6 17.Qxc6 bxc6 18.Rd3². Here, White is also obviously better, but the position simplifies a little bit, such that from a practical point of view Black gets chances to equalize: 325

Position after: 18.Rd3² 18...Rfb8 19.b3 c5 20.Kf1 a5² and the ideas of ...a4 and ...c4 may be sufficient to equalize (eventually!) 10...Nxd3 Black probably should grab the bishop-pair and hope to eventually equalize, but it is not going to be an easy task. 10...0-0 11.Bc4 d6 12.Nc3 Bf5 13.Bf4±.

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Position after: 13.Bf4± This looks very unpleasant for Black due to the pin on the d-file. For instance: 13...Re8 [13...Qd7 14.Nd5 Rfe8 15.b4 Na4 16.Bb3 Bd8 17.c4±] 14.Qf3 Qd7 15.Be3 Be6 16.exd6 Bxc4 17.dxe7 Qxe7 18.b3 Be6 19.b4 Nd7 20.Qxb7 Rab8 21.Qxa6 Qxb4 22.Qc6± 11.Rxd3 0-0 12.Nc3 d6

Position after: 12...d6 White is obviously better here as well. The question is how to make good use of the pin on the d-file. 13.Qh5!? Stopping ...Bf5 and preparing Bf4. The immediate 13.Bf4 can be met by 13...Bf5, meaning Black obtains the best available square for this bishop. 14.Rd4 Re8 15.Qd2 h6²

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Position after: 15...h6² White is slightly better, but I’m unsure if this was the best way to extract the maximum capital out of his position. 13...Be6 14.Bf4 Re8 15.h3²

Position after: 15.h3² White secures his back rank and prepares Rad1 (the immediate 15.Rad1 could have been met by 328

15...Qc8 with the threat of ...Bg4). At a minimum, White can always trade on d6, creating an isolated pawn and locking in a stable advantage for himself.

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Chapter 11 4.0-0: Sidelines on move 5 and 6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1

Chapter Guide Chapter 11 – 4.0-0: Sidelines on move 5 and 6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 a) Introduction b) 5...Nf6 c) 5...Nd6 6.a4 Be7 7.Nc3 a6 d) 5...Nd6 6.a4 Be7 7.Nc3 0-0 a) Introduction 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1

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Position after: 5.Re1 This system is widely acknowledged to be very solid (maybe “too solid” would be even a better description) , but it is not without its venom. Over roughly last 10 years theory has developed immensely here, and it has become one of the most popular alternatives to the Berlin endgame. My goal in this section is to suggest some playable positions that the reader can choose to play. In general, in this line White tries to obtain a risk-free position with some pressure. It has been widely employed by many top GMs and the games don’t always end in a draw! As I said earlier, the main goal of this Berlin chapter is to find playable positions, as it is impossible to refute the opening. In my opinion, this 5. Re1 system may give some hopes for White in the long term. Black can react here with either 5...Nd6 or 5...Nf6. 5...Nd6 This is the main move, which will be discussed in detail. 5...Nf6 is the only alternative, which in my opinion is rather dubious. 6.Nxe5 This is the main move, but I will discuss an interesting alternative later. 6.a4!? This is quite rare line, but it could be a really good try from practical perspective. 6...Be7 7.Bf1

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Position after: 7.Bf1 Here, Black has two options: either 7...Nxe5 (considered to be the most solid line) or 7...Nf5 (which, in general, leads to more free-flowing positions). We will discuss both! b) 5...Nf6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nf6?!

Position after: 5...Nf6?! 332

First let’s have a brief look at this alternative. I believe that 5...Nf6 is inferior to the mainstream 5...Nd6. The main difference is that with 5...Nd6 Black attacks the b5-bishop and White has to somehow react to this threat. Here, however, White can quickly develop and put some pressure on the center. 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.d4 0-0

Position after: 7...0-0 8.Nc3 This is what I would suggest. It’s a simple developing move that puts Black in an awkward situation, as it is not so easy to neutralize the central pressure. 8.Ba4 is the computer’s suggestion at first, but I believe this move is a bit artificial. After 8...Na5!, followed by ...d6 next, it looks like Black is quite OK. 8...a6 9.Be2 9.Bc4!?² is also possible. 9...d6 9...d5 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Re8 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Bd3²

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Position after: 9...d6 10.Nxc6!N Destroying the pawn structure. 10.Nf3?! happened in Carlsen – Anand (2010) and Anand did not have any problems in equalizing: 10...Re8 11.Bf4 Bf8 12.Qd2 h6 13.h3 Bf5 14.d5 Ne7 15.a4 Qd7 16.Bf1 Ng6 17.Be3 Ne4=. 10...bxc6 11.Bd3 Bg4 12.Qd2²

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Position after: 12.Qd2² White is slightly better here due to his better pawn structure and space advantage. For example: 12...Re8 13.h3 Be6 13...Bh5? 14.f4!+– trapping the h5-bishop! 14.Qd1!? Making space for the c1-bishop and possibly heading to f3 with the queen. 14...d5 15.Na4² White is slightly better. c) 5...Nd6 6.a4 Be7 7.Nc3 a6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.a4!?

Position after: 6.a4!? An interesting alternative to the normal 6.Nxe5. In my opinion Black is completely fine here, but that’s not the point; the 6.a4 line is very rare, and if your opponent is not familiar with or prepared for it, the positions can get really tricky for Black. It is mostly a surprise weapon that it’s good to have in your repertoire as White, because it poses practical problems that may not be so easy to resolve over 335

the board. 6...Be7 I think that this is the best response to 6.a4. 6...a6 results in a position very similar to that after 6.Nxe5, but here the moves a4, ...a6 have been included. It could be debated whom this benefits (if it even matters), but I contend that it is somewhat in White’s favor. For instance, consider the line 7.Nxe5 Be7 8.Bf1 Nxe5 9.Rxe5 0-0 10.d4 Bf6 11.Re1 Re8 12.Nc3 Rxe1 13.Qxe1 Bxd4 14.Bf4 Ne8 15.Nd5:

Position after: 15.Nd5 The inclusion of a4, ...a6 causes huge problems for Black, as his whole queenside has been weakened and White’s pieces have gained some essential space. 15...d6 16.Bg5! f6 17.Be3 Be5? Without the apawn moves, this move would be fine for Black (as discussed later), but right now it fails. [17...Bxe3 is a must but White is much better after 18.Qxe3±.] 18.f4 Bxb2 19.Ra2!+– and White has this additional square, trapping the bishop. 7.Nc3 a6!?

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Position after: 7...a6!? This is the major alternative to the most popular 7...0-0. There are very few games in this line, however it is a perfectly ‘legit’ line for Black, and maybe even the best that Black can do objectively. 8.Bf1 e4 This move has been played in Karjakin – So (2019) and Mamedov – Kozak (2020). Black returns the pawn in order to stabilize the position in the center. A) 8...Nf5!?

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Position after: 8...Nf5!? This is a very solid line. Black gives away the e-pawn, similarly to after 8...e4, but here he will be trading off White’s f3-knight (rather than the c3-knight), which is in Black’s favor. 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Rxe5 d6 11.Re1 d5 12.d4 0-0

Position after: 12...0-0 Pichot – Vidit (2019). If such a strong player as Vidit went for this line, it definitely deserves attention (to say the least!) I think I managed to improve White’s play slightly here, however the 338

position remains very close to equality. A1) 13.a5N, trying to gain space on the queenside, is logical. On the other hand, though, this pawn may be the target of a later ...Nc4. For example: 13...c6 14.Ne2 Re8 15.c3

Position after: 15.c3 15...Bf8 [15...Bd6 16.Bf4² is what White normally wants.] 16.Nf4 Rxe1 17.Qxe1 Nd6 18.Nd3 Nc4 19.b4 Bf5 20.Bf4 Qd7= is equal. A2) 13.Bf4 c6 14.Ne2 a5 15.Nc1 Bd6 16.Qd2 Qc7 17.Bxd6 Nxd6 18.Qf4 Bf5 19.Nd3 Rae8= was equal too in Pichot – Vidit (2019). A3) 13.Ne2!?N 13...a5 14.c3 c6 15.Nf4

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Position after: 15.Nf4 White brings his knight to d3. The position is equal in several ways, but Black is still under some pressure (partly on the board, and partly psychological too). 15...Bd6 [15...Re8 16.Nd3 Nd6 If Black attempts to strictly ‘mirror’ his opponent, matters get a little tricky: 17.Bf4 Bf5 18.Qb3!?ƒ] 16.g3 Re8 17.Rxe8+ Qxe8 18.Bd2 Bf8 19.Qc2 [19.Nd3 Nd6 20.Bf4 Bf5 21.Qb3 Qc8=] 19...Nd6 20.Re1 Qd8 21.Bd3 g6 22.h4= With equality, but White has somewhat the easier game. B) 8...f6!?N

Position after: 8...f6!?N 340

This extremely greedy (and ugly) move is also possible. In the last round of 2020 US Championship Leinier Dominguez played this against me. It is no great surprise that such a strong GM knew of this possibility, but in my opinion the majority of players who do not know this line are unlikely to try this move. Still, White has decent compensation here, and the position is highly unbalanced. 9.d4 Nf7 10.Bc4!? [10.Nd5!? is possible too, but after 10...0-0 11.b4 d6 12.c4 Be6∞ I don’t really see what White’s plan is, and meanwhile Black has busied himself developing his queenside.]

Position after: 10.Bc4!? B1) 10...0-0 gives back the pawn. 11.dxe5 fxe5 12.Rxe5! [12.Nxe5 Ncxe5 13.Rxe5 c6= with ...d5 next.] 12...Ncxe5 13.Nxe5 c6! 14.Bxf7+ Rxf7 15.Nxf7 Kxf7

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Position after: 15...Kxf7 This position looks dangerous for Black, as his king is exposed and his queenside still undeveloped, but everything appears to work for Black! For instance: 16.a5 Kg8 [16...d5] 17.Bd2!? Preparing Na4. White still has some initiative, even though it’s very close to equal. 17...d5 18.Na4 Bd6 19.Nb6 Rb8 20.c4 Be6 21.cxd5 cxd5 22.Bc3 Qh4! 23.g3 Qe4 24.Qd2 Rf8 25.Re1 Qf5 26.Re2

Position after: 26.Re2

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With some pressure, but probably Black is fine after 26...Bc5 27.b4 Bxb6 28.axb6 Bd7=. B2) 10...d6 11.Nd5 0-0 12.c3 Kh8 13.b4 B2.1) 13...Be6 was played in Swiercz-Dominguez 2020.

Position after: 13...Be6 This is a very natural move that, somehow, I hadn’t looked at during my analysis. I think that White is doing well after 14.Ba2! [I played 14.Bb3?, but after 14...Qd7! followed by ...Bd8 and ...Ne7 I was just a pawn down and eventually lost the game.] The idea is that 14...Qd7? does not work now due to 15.Nxc7! with a big advantage. And if Black doesn’t play 14...Qd7, it is not so easy to find an alternative! White certainly has good compensation. B2.2) 13...Qd7 14.Nh4©

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Position after: 14.Nh4© This position requires further analysis, however there is no doubt that White has compensation for the pawn and that it’s not so easy to play with Black. And that’s exactly the main point of the 6.a4 line: even though objectively Black is fine, there are some practical difficulties! I encourage the reader to analyze this line on his or her own, as it is very interesting, but the details are beyond the scope of this book. 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Rxe4 d5 11.Re1

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Position after: 11.Re1 11...d4!? As played in Karjakin – So (2019). Black tries to gain a space advantage, but this approach significantly weakens his light squares, a fact which White can exploit in two ways: 11...0-0 This move allows 12.d4

Position after: 12.d4 which again leads to roughly symmetrical positions, but not equal ones as yet. Black still needs to earn the equality! 12...Bg4 13.c3 Bd6 14.h3 A) 14...Bf5?!

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Position after: 14...Bf5?! White is better here in a number of ways. For example (both lines are equally good): A1) 15.a5 Rb8 [15...Ne7 16.Qb3 Rb8 17.Ne5 c6 18.Bf4 Bc7 19.Qa3²] 16.b4 Re8 17.Be3 Ne7 18.Ne5 Ng6 19.Qh5 Nxe5 20.Qxf5 Qd7 21.Qxd7 Nxd7 22.b5! axb5 23.Bxb5 c6 24.Bd3² 1-0 (60) Mamedov, R– Kozak, A Moscow 2020 A2) 15.Bg5!? Qd7 [15...f6 16.Bd2 Be4 17.c4²] 16.Ne5 Nxe5 [16...Bxe5 17.dxe5±] 17.dxe5 Bc5 18.b4 Ba7 19.Be3 Bxe3 20.Rxe3² B) 14...Bh5 Critical move for the line. 15.g4 Bg6 16.Ne5

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Position after: 16.Ne5 16...Qh4! The best defense. [16...Ne7 17.Qb3 Rb8 18.Bg2²; 16...Be4? is just pointless: 17.f3 Bg6 18.Bg2 with the idea of f4. And if 18...Qh4 then 19.Bf4².] 17.Bg2!? An interesting try. 17...Be4 [17...Nxe5 18.dxe5 Bc5 19.Be3 Bxe3 20.Rxe3 c6 21.Qd4²] 18.Bf4 Nxe5 19.dxe5 Bc5 20.Be3 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 Bxe3 22.Rxe3 c6 23.Qe2 f5 24.exf6 Rxf6

Position after: 24...Rxf6 Again, with best play Black can most likely hold, but before that, there are still some small issues that he needs to resolve. 25.Rf1 Raf8 26.f3 h5 27.Re6ƒ With some initiative. Now back to the main line.

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Position after: 11...d4!? 12.Bc4!?N An interesting novelty, but (to be honest) probably also the most natural. 12.Bd3 Karjakin – So (2019). This move looks a little artificial, but is good too. A) 12...0-0 was So’s choice, and it does not spoil anything, but could be somewhat uncomfortable for Black in practice. 13.Be4 Be6 14.d3 Bd5 15.Bf4 Bxe4 16.Rxe4

Position after: 16.Rxe4 348

16...f5 [16...Qd7 17.Ne5 Nxe5 18.Bxe5 c5 19.Qf3 is a little bit unpleasant for Black: 19...Rfe8 20.Rae1 Bf8 21.b3 b5 22.a5²] 17.Re2 g5 Very aggressive play by GM So, but it could have easily backfired. 18.Bd2 g4 19.Ne5 Nxe5 20.Rxe5 Bd6?

Position after: 20...Bd6? A blunder! [20...Qd7= was still fine for Black.] 21.Rxf5! [GM Karjakin missed his chance here, choosing 21.Re2?, and the game later ended in a draw.] 21...Bxh2+ 22.Kh1 Qh4 23.Rg5+ Kh8 24.Rxg4+– B) 12...Be6 is the best way to equalize for Black. 13.Be4 Bd5 14.d3 Qd7!

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Position after: 14...Qd7! Black delays castling to keep the choice of going long instead. 15.Bf4 [15.c4 Bxe4 16.Rxe4 0-0 17.Bd2 Rae8=] 15...Bxe4 16.Rxe4 f5! 17.Ne5 Nxe5 18.Rxe5 0-0-0!= 12...0-0 12...Bg4 13.h3 Bh5 14.d3 0-0 transposes. 13.d3

Position after: 13.d3 13...h6 13...Bg4?! it seems natural to pin the knight to the queen, but White is clearly better here: 14.h3 Bh5 transposes 15.g4 Bg6

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Position after: 15...Bg6 Here, White has an amazing idea, which I just had to show: 16.Re2!! An amazing move. The idea is to play Qf1-Qg2, develop the c1-bishop (probably to d2) and then play Rae1 to attain the perfect setup for White’s pieces. It is a long plan, but it’s very strong and there is no way to stop it! 16...Qd7 17.Qf1 Rae8 18.Bd2 Bd6 19.Rae1 Rxe2 20.Rxe2 Re8 21.Rxe8+ Qxe8 22.Qe1 and White is slightly better. 14.Bf4 Bd6 15.Bxd6 Qxd6 16.Nd2 Bringing the knight to e4 and then onward to c5. Black is fine here, though. 16...Bd7!

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Position after: 16...Bd7! 17.Ne4 A) 17.Qh5 Qf4! 18.Nb3 Rae8= B) 17.Qf3 Ne5 18.Qg3 Rae8= 17...Qg6 18.Nc5 Bg4 19.f3 Bc8 20.Qd2 b6 21.Nb3= The position is equal, but not devoid of play. For instance, Black’s d4-pawn may be a weakness in the future. d) 5...Nd6 6.a4 Be7 7.Nc3 0-0 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.a4!? Be7 7.Nc3

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Position after: 7.Nc3 7...0-0 This is the most popular move for Black, so I’ve left it as the main line. However, I admit, it may be not the most accurate. 7...e4 was the move order in Christiansen – Lysyj but it later transposed to the main line after 8.Nxe4 Nxe4 9.Rxe4 0-0 10.d4. 8.d4! e4 This is a typical reaction for a player who has been surprised by the 6.a4 line (and, incidentally, the most popular move.) Black tries to stabilize the situation in the center by returning the pawn and playing ...d5. The alternatives are not really appealing, even though they also should probably eventually equalize. A) 8...exd4 This looks very scary for Black from a practical point of view, even if most likely it holds. But it’s very hard to decide on such a move! 9.Nd5 Re8 10.Bf4

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Position after: 10.Bf4 A1) 10...h6? A second-rate move, according to the engine. The idea is to prepare ...Bf8 by covering the g5-square ahead of time. Yet, this move has its’ own drawbacks: 11.Bd3 b6 [11...Bf8 12.Rxe8 Nxe8 13.Ng5! with a crushing attack: 13...hxg5 14.Qh5 g6 15.Bxg6 fxg6 16.Qxg6+ Kh8 17.Bxg5+–.] 12.Qd2 Bf8 13.Rxe8 Nxe8 14.Re1± A2) 10...Bf8? This seems to be a natural way of dealing with the pressure on the e-file and d5knight. However, it loses: 11.Rxe8 Nxe8 12.Ng5! and suddenly White has a crushing attack, e.g. 12...h6 13.Nxf7 Kxf7 14.Qf3 Kg8 15.Bc4+–. A3) 10...b6! Practically an only move!

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Position after: 10...b6! A3.1) 11.Nxd4?! leads to simplifications, and Black should be fine here. 11...Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Bf8 13.Rxe8 Nxe8 14.Qe4 Bb7

Position after: 14...Bb7 15.Bd3 [15.Ne7+ also yields nothing: 15...Qxe7 16.Qxb7 Rd8 17.Qxa7 Qc5= and ...Bd6 next.] 15...g6 16.Qxe8 Qxe8 17.Nf6+ Kg7 18.Nxe8+ Rxe8 19.Bxc7= This endgame is simply equal. A3.2) 11.Bd3! Bb7 [11...h6 transposes to note A1.] 12.Qd2! This looks unpleasant for Black, 355

even objectively though it could be fine for him. But that’s the point – from the practical point of view it’s hard to make moves for Black!

Position after: 12.Qd2! For instance, right here his two best moves for according to my engine are 12...Rc8 and 12...Kh8. After anything else, White is clearly better! 12...Rc8 [12...Bf8? 13.Rxe8 Nxe8 14.Ng5 g6 15.Bc4!±; 12...Kh8 13.Rad1ƒ] 13.h4!?ƒ

Position after: 13.h4!?ƒ

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White simply begins developing his kingside initiative. I am certainly not claiming White is better here, but I really believe that it’s much harder to play this position as Black than as White. For example: 13...f6 (such a hard move to play!) 14.c4!? dxc3 15.Qc2ƒ continuing the initiative. B) 8...Nxd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Nd5! Bh4! Here, White has some options. In particular I would suggest either 11.g3 or 11.Bd3. Black may hold with perfect play but, again, practical issues! [10...Bf6? looks like the most natural move at the first sight – what could be more logical than just defending the d4-pawn? However, 11.Bd3!± immediately puts Black in a very bad position!]

Position after: 10...Bh4! B1) 11.Bd3!? This is a very interesting and practical try for White. B1.1) 11...c6?

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Position after: 11...c6? A normal-looking reaction, except that it loses! 12.Nc7!! Qxc7 13.Qh5 Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2 f5 [14...g6 15.Qh4+– with a crushing attack.] 15.Re7! Ne4+ 16.Kg1 Qd6 17.Bc4+ Kh8 18.Qe8! Qf6 19.Bf7!+– and mate follows soon. B1.2) 11...b6! However, this move most likely holds for Black! 12.Qg4 f5 13.Qxd4 Bb7 14.Bf4 Ne4!

Position after: 14...Ne4!

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and Black is quite OK here. 15.g3 [15.Bxe4 fxe4 16.Rxe4 Rf5] 15...Ng5 16.Bxg5 Bxg5 17.a5© White has compensation, but I think that Black is not worse here. B2) 11.g3 This is most likely objectively the best. 11...c6 12.gxh4 cxd5

Position after: 12...cxd5 13.Qxd4 [13.Bg5!? Qb6 looks scary for Black too but I could not find anything special here for White, for instance 14.Be7 Re8 15.Bxd6 Rxe1+ 16.Qxe1 Qxd6 17.Qe8+ Qf8 18.Re1 a6 19.Bd3 g6=, followed by ...d6 when Black is fine.] 13...Nf5 14.Qxd5

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Position after: 14.Qxd5 Black faces some practical problems. 14...Qf6! Other moves are worse. [14...Nxh4 15.Ra3! A very nice move, swinging the rook in along the third rank. 15...d6 16.Bg5 Qa5 17.Re4 Ng6 18.h4 Be6 19.Qxd6 h6 20.b4 Qb6 21.Qxb6 axb6 22.Be3²; 14...d6 15.Bg5 Qb6 16.Bd3 Be6 17.Qf3²] 15.h5!

Position after: 15.h5! White importantly takes control of the g6-square (which otherwise might have been ideal for the black queen in some lines), thus in some sense protecting his king as well. The position is very complex; however, I believe that White can hope for some advantage here thanks to his bishoppair: 15...d6 16.Qf3 Be6 17.Bd3 Rac8 18.a5² with ideas of Ra4, or a6. Sometimes White may consider h3-Kh2, or h6!?. C) 8...Nxb5?! Trying to simplify the position does not solve Black’s opening problems: 9.axb5 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 exd4 11.Nd5 Bf6 12.Qf3!². 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Rxe4 d5

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Position after: 10...d5 Optically, Black should be fine. After all, the pawn structure is roughly symmetrical and he has no weaknesses. However, the reality is not so easy. Black has still some practical issues to resolve. 11.Re1 This is probably the best move. It was also the choice of GM Daniil Dubov (who is a well-known theoretician) versus GM Luke McShane in 2019. 11.Re3 is an alternative. The idea behind this slightly awkward move is to anticipate ...Bg4 and in case of future ...Bxf3 to have Rxf3 available. However, I believe that Black is fine after 11...Bd6! with an idea of ...Ne7. [In case of 11...Bg4 White is slightly better after 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Qd3.

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Position after: 13.Qd3 There could follow 13...Bxf3 to eliminate the Ne5 threat, and after 14.Rxf3 the rook on the third rank proves useful.] 12.Bxc6 [12.Ne5 Ne7= White’s e3-rook is rather misplaced and vulnerable to ...Nf5.] 12...bxc6 13.Ne5 c5 14.c3

Position after: 14.c3 A) 14...f6?! was played in Christiansen – Lysyj (2019), where I personally preferred White’s position for the majority of the game, but Black kept things solid and eventually the game ended in a 362

draw. 15.Nc6 Qd7 16.dxc5 Bxc5 17.Nd4 Bb7 18.b4 Bd6 19.Qd3 Rfe8 20.Bd2 Rxe3 21.Bxe3 a6 22.a5² Christiansen, J – Lysyj, I Skopje 2019. B) 14...Re8= Black has a much better version of note A, and the position is just equal. I can’t think of any reason why either side would be better here: 15.Nc6 Qd7 16.dxc5 Bxc5 17.Nd4 Rxe3 18.Bxe3 a5=.

Position after: 11.Re1 11...Bg4 11...Bd6 This move is not as good as in case of 11.Re3, however it is still possible. White can continue in a number of ways to create a small initiative, but probably Black can equalize eventually. A) 12.c4!?

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Position after: 12.c4!? White acts to change the structure. A1) 12...Bb4 13.Bg5 Ne7 14.Bxe7 Bxe7 15.cxd5² White is a pawn up, after all! Even though Black is probably very solid, there is no doubt that it is only White that can win this, even (or maybe I should say, especially) in case of opposite-color bishop positions. A2) 12...dxc4 13.Bg5 f6 14.Bxc4+ Kh8 15.Bd2 Bg4 16.Bc3

Position after: 16.Bc3 364

Black should be fine here. On the other hand, the position is complex and I still think that Black should be cautious here, e.g. 16...Ne7 17.Re4!? Bh5 18.Rh4 Bg6 19.d5ƒ. B) 12.Bg5 The most natural way of developing, which would not be available had White played 11.Re3. 12...Ne7 13.a5 c6 [13...f6 14.Bd2!? c6 15.Bf1!?² intending c4.] 14.Bd3 f6

Position after: 14...f6 15.Bh4 [15.Bd2!? is also possible. Now 15...Bf5 is best for Black, allowing 16.Rxe7 Bxd3 17.Rxb7 Ba6 18.Rb3 winning a pawn, but then claiming good compensation after 18...Re8 19.Re3 Qd7©.] 15...Nf5 16.Bg3 Nxg3 17.hxg3 Bg4 18.c4ƒ White is slightly better here. The position is nearly riskfree and Black needs to be careful here. However, with the best play probably Black can equalize. 12.Bxc6 This is the only try to pose some practical difficulties to Black. 12.c3 Bd6 13.Be3 Ne7 14.Be2 c6=

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Position after: 14...c6= This looks quite equal. In the game Lei – Tan (2019) White managed to get some advantage in the middlegame, however it had nothing to do with the opening. 15.h3 Bh5 16.Ne5 Bxe2 17.Qxe2 f6 [¹ 17...Ng6 18.f4 Re8=] 18.Nd3 Re8 19.Qf3 Qd7 20.Bf4 Ng6? The knight is misplaced here. [¹ 20...Nf5²/=] 21.Bxd6 Qxd6 22.a5± Lei, T– Tan, Z Hengshui 2019 12...bxc6 13.Qd3

Position after: 13.Qd3 366

White’s idea is Ne5. Black needs to react somehow. 13...f6! This is the most accurate. 13...Bxf3?! 14.Qxf3² is simply unpleasant for Black due to his worse pawn structure. 14...Bd6 Here, White has some choice. [14...c5 15.dxc5 Bxc5 16.b3!?²]

Position after: 14...Bd6 A) 15.Bf4!? was chosen in Dubov – McShane (2019). 15...Qf6 16.Bxd6 Black faces here an unpleasant choice: he can keep queens on the board, or enter the rook endgame. In both cases he faces practical issues. However, only one move is correct...

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Position after: 16.Bxd6 A1) 16...Qxd6? happened in the game; GM Dubov had a big advantage and was close to converting it to a win, but eventually the game ended in a draw. 17.Qc3 Rfe8 18.Re5! f6 19.Re3 Rxe3 20.Qxe3 Kf7 21.Re1± Dubov, D– McShane, L Netanya 2019. A2) 16...Qxf3! This is the only move. 17.gxf3 cxd6

Position after: 17...cxd6 A2.1) 18.Re7?! Rfe8 is fine for Black, as ...Kf8 is coming. 19.Rd7 [19.Rae1 Kf8=] 19...Red8 368

20.Rc7 Rdc8 with equality. A2.2) 18.Ra3! is a better way to bring the queen’s rook into the game. 18...Rfb8! The best defense. 19.Rc3 Rxb2 20.Rxc6 Rb4 21.a5 Rxd4 22.Re7 Kf8 23.Rb7ƒ

Position after: 23.Rb7ƒ Probably Black can equalize here with correct play, but it’s still tricky! B) 15.h3 If White wants to go for a less concrete approach, this move would be my suggestion. 15...Qh4 16.Qd3 Rae8 17.Bd2²

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Position after: 17.Bd2² White is slightly better here. Again, he has a better pawn structure. In general, White should try to trade queens (and maybe one pair of rooks, depending on specific factors.) The idea is to play c4 at some point, and play against Black’s c-pawns. Sometimes Qa6 could be an idea too. 14.Bf4 Qd7 15.h3 Bh5 16.Nh4!

Position after: 16.Nh4! White threatens Nf5 or Qf5. Black has some practical problems here for sure. 16...Rfd8! This is a very hard (and counterintuitive) move for Black to find. The main idea is to keep the queen protected and stabilize the position. A) 16...Rfe8?! This move, which seems like the most natural, runs into 17.Qf5! Qxf5 18.Nxf5

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Position after: 18.Nxf5 Suddenly the e7-bishop and c7-pawn are both hanging. The only way to defend both is to play the ugly 18...Bd8, but here I believe White is slightly better: 19.g4 Bf7 20.b3². B) 16...Rfb8 17.Qf5 Qxf5 18.Nxf5 Bf8 is a better version of the 16...Rfe8?! line for Black, but still White is slightly better after 19.b3 Bg6 20.g4². 17.g4 Bf7 18.Nf5 Bf8 19.Re2 Re8 20.Rae1 Rxe2 21.Rxe2 h5=

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Position after: 21...h5= The position is equal, but there is still some opportunity to play on.

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Chapter 12 4.0-0: Black plays 7...Nf5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5

Chapter Guide Chapter 12 – 4.0-0: Black plays 7...Nf5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5 8.Nf3 d5 9.d4 0-0 a) Introduction b) 10.c3 -c) 10.c3 Bd6 11.Nbd2 -d) 10.c3 Bd6 11.Nbd2 Re8 e) 10.Nc3 -f) 10.Nc3 Nh4 11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.Ne2 -g) 10.Nc3 Nh4 11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.Ne2 Bf5 a) Introduction 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5

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Position after: 7...Nf5 Let’s now take a look at this move, which lately has gone a little bit out of fashion, but is nevertheless very important to know as White. This move has been very often used by GMs Vladimir Kramnik and Hikaru Nakamura. 8.Nf3 d5 9.d4 0-0 This is the main position of the line. Black has stabilized the center and have no weaknesses.

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Position after: 9...0-0 At first glance one might think the position is equal. However, even if it is equal, we don’t need to offer a draw yet! I will attempt to show several ways for White to pose some problems for Black, and as we will see, things are not entirely trivial. 10.c3 This is one of the two options and the main move I would suggest. 10.Nc3 This move has lately gained lots of popularity and also offers some interesting possibilities to White. b) 10.c3 -1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5 8.Nf3 d5 9.d4 0-0 10.c3

Position after: 10.c3 We should examine this move first as it is the most popular, and there has to be a reason why. Now, 10...Bd6 is the most common reply by Black (see next subchapter), but there are lots of alternatives which we should check first. 10...Nh4?! Black attempts to simplify the position, but the f5-knight is actually well-placed and, if anything, Black should try to trade the c6-knight as it is restricted and misplaced. He should also be aiming for 375

the pawn structure b7-c6-d5. A) 10...Re8 Sometimes, people who play this line with Black choose to play this move first instead of 10...Bd6. Seemingly, there is no difference. But, in reality White has an additional resource that has been neglected by theory: 11.Qb3!?N

Position after: 11.Qb3!?N This is an interesting novelty! The idea is to simply hinder the development of Black’s queenside by putting some pressure on the b7- and d5-pawns. A1) After 11...Rb8, we achieve a position from the main line, with the moves Qb3 and ...Rb8 included (which favors White.) The pressure on Black’s d5-pawn prevents him from freely developing his pieces! 12.Bd3 Be6 13.Bf4 Qd7 [If 13...Bd6 then 14.Bxf5 Bxf5 15.Rxe8 Qxe8 16.Bxd6 cxd6 17.Nbd2² and White is slightly better due to the better pawn structure.] 14.Nbd2 Bd6 15.Bxd6 Nxd6 16.Qc2² White has an initiative and he intends Ne5 next. A2) 11...Na5 12.Qa4

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Position after: 12.Qa4 A2.1) 12...Nc4?! 13.Bxc4 dxc4 14.Qxc4 just gives up a pawn without offering Black any clear compensation in return. A2.2) 12...c6 This move does not look good: the a5-knight is misplaced and it may be tricky to bring it back to the game. 13.Bd3!? g6 [13...Nc4 14.Bxc4 dxc4 15.Qxc4² is a pawn after all!] 14.Bf4 Be6 15.Nbd2 Ng7 16.Qc2² A2.3) 12...Nc6 looks the most “human” – after all, the a5-knight was badly placed so it makes sense to drop it back. However, there is a very important nuance enabled by having the queen on a4: 13.Bd3 Bd6 14.Rxe8+ Qxe8 and now White has the option of 15.Na3!

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Position after: 15.Na3! White threatens Nb5. Black is under some pressure, for example: 15...a6 [15...Bd7 16.Qb3 Nce7 17.Nb5 Bxb5 18.Bxb5 c6 19.Bd3² White is slightly better here due to his bishop-pair.] 16.Qc2

Position after: 16.Qc2 16...g6 [16...Nce7 17.Bd2 f6 18.c4 Qh5 19.h3 Nc6 20.Re1 Ncxd4 21.Nxd4 Nxd4 22.Bxh7+ Kf7 23.Qd3 Be6] 17.Bg5 Be6 18.Re1 Qf8 19.Qc1² Black has still not fully equalized yet. B) 10...Nd6 The knight is usually well placed here, but it makes little sense to play this move right 378

now. White is better in a number of ways. 11.Bf4

Position after: 11.Bf4 I like this the most. B1) 11...g5?! only weakens the kingside. 12.Bc1! The bishop needs to put pressure on the kingside. 12...f5 [12...Bf5 13.Na3!?±; 12...g4 13.Ne5±] 13.c4!

Position after: 13.c4!

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Opening the center and exploiting Black’s weak kingside, e.g. 13...Nxc4 [13...dxc4 14.Nc3 Bf6 15.Nd5 f4 16.b3±] 14.Bxc4 dxc4 15.Qe2 g4 16.Qxc4+ Kg7 17.d5 Nb4 18.Nd4 Nxd5 19.Nc3 Nxc3 20.bxc3± and Black’s king is very weak. B2) 11...Be6 12.Bd3 Qd7 13.Nbd2²/± C) 10...h6 11.Nbd2 Be6 12.Bd3 Bd6 was the exact move order of Swiercz – Baryshpolets (2017), which is discussed in the next subchapter. D) 10...Be6 11.Bd3 g6 I don’t think this is a sound setup for Black. 12.Nbd2 Ng7 13.Nf1 f6 14.Bh6² D1) 14...Bf7 happened in the game Oparin – Goganov (2014): 15.h3 [15.Nh4!?± is possibly even stronger with the idea 14...Qd7 15.Nh4.] 15...Re8 16.N3h2 Bd6 17.Ne3± with Qf3 next looks very unpleasant for Black. D2) 14...Qd7 15.Nh4!² White has a stable plus and intends f4 next. E) 10...Bf6?!

Position after: 10...Bf6?! This is generally not a good square for this bishop in such positions. It belongs on d6, where it stops Bf4 and is just generally more active. 11.Bd3 g6 12.Bf4 Nd6 13.Nbd2 Ne7 14.Qb3 b6 15.Re2!? Bb7 16.Rae1 Nef5 17.h3± White had a big positional advantage in Frolyanov – Tazbir (2019). F) 10...Nb8!?N

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Position after: 10...Nb8!?N This has never been played before according to my database, but it is indeed an interesting idea for Black. To the best of my knowledge, it was developed by Francesco Rambaldi, my teammate from the Saint Louis University chess team. At some point we used to play lots of blitz games during training sessions of our team and he was constantly playing this line against me, successfully getting good positions. At first, I could not really believe that it was reasonable for Black to play like this but it is indeed a decent line for Black! Unfortunately, I do not have those games to show here, but I hope that the following analysis proves that viability of this line, even if objectively it does not fully equalize. The logic behind this move is simple: very often Black has problems with the c6-knight, which is misplaced. Therefore, he wants to bring it to the d7-square without delay. It looks slow and a little bit iffy but it’s actually quite sound! 11.Bd3 c6 In this position, White should try to take advantage of the fact that Black’s pieces are not developed (and cannot easily become so.) For instance, ...Nd7 is not possible yet as the f5-knight is under attack. 12.Bf4

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Position after: 12.Bf4 This is the most natural. F1) 12...g6 The idea of this move is to play ...Ng7 and ...Bf5, possibly in conjunction with ...Nd7f6.

Position after: 12...g6 I believe White retains better chances after 13.c4!. White should open the center and make use of the development advantage. [13.Nbd2 is the ‘autopilot’ move for White, but here Black’s strategy 382

proves successful: 13...Ng7! 14.h3 Nd7 15.Nf1 Nf6 16.Ng3 Re8=

Position after: 16...Re8² Black has achieved a good game and most importantly solved the problem of the c6-knight, by transferring it to the better f6-square. White may have some kind of plus, but it is very marginal at best.] 13...dxc4 14.Bxc4 Nd7 15.Nc3 Nb6 16.Bb3 Nd5

Position after: 16...Nd5 White has two good options now. 17.Bxd5 [17.Nxd5!? cxd5 18.Rc1 Be6 19.h3²] 17...cxd5 18.Qb3 383

g5 19.Bd2 Be6 20.Qxb7 Rb8 21.Qa6 Rxb2 22.Qd3²/±. F2) 12...a5!?

Position after: 12...a5!? Black wants to play ...Na6-c7. 13.Nbd2 [13.c4 dxc4 14.Bxc4 Nd7²/= with next ...Nb6 is probably OK for Black: compared to 12...g6 this is a better version for Black.] 13...Na6 [13...Bd6 14.Be5 Na6 15.Nf1²] 14.Nf1 Nc7 15.Ng3 Nxg3 16.hxg3 Ne8 [16...Ne6 17.Ne5²] 17.Re3 g6 18.Qd2 Bd6 19.Re2² F3) 12...Nd6?! does not really help Black as after 13.Nbd2 Nd7? loses due to 14.Qe2!+–. F4) 12...Bd6 Probably this is the best. 13.Bg5

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Position after: 13.Bg5 13...f6 14.Bd2 Na6 15.c4! Again, White should open the center. 15...dxc4 16.Bxc4+ Kh8 17.Nc3 Nc7

Position after: 17...Nc7 A critical position. At first, it does not look so clear! If Black is on time to set up a blockade on the d5-square and White does not do anything special in the meantime, the position will be simply equal. 18.h4!? I think White should follow the suggestion of Lc0. [18.Bd3 Ne7 19.Nh4 Be6 385

20.Qh5 f5 could be somewhat better too, but to be honest I think Black is very close to equalizing.] 18...Ne7 19.h5 Ned5 [19...Bg4?! 20.h6 g6 21.Ne4±] 20.Nh4!? f5 21.Nf3

Position after: 21.Nf3 21...Be6 22.Qb3 Qd7 23.Ne5 Bxe5 24.Rxe5 h6 25.Rae1 Bg8 26.Nxd5 Nxd5 27.Qa3²

Position after: 27.Qa3² White is slightly better here, but Black is quite solid thanks to the blockade. To quickly sum up this shocking 10...Nb8 idea, I believe White is slightly better in this line but things are far from clear if 386

White does not know it. From personal experience in blitz games against Francesco, trying to break Black’s defenses without preparation is very hard. However, I think the lines I suggest here prove White’s advantage, albeit a small one. Yet, the positions remain playable. We can certainly expect some developments in this line in the future! 11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.Bd3 Bf6

Position after: 12...Bf6 Here, White has several setups available. I will suggest two which I believe are equally good: 13.Qh5 13.Bf4 Going for simple development. 13...Ne7 14.Nd2

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Position after: 14.Nd2 14...c6 [14...Ng6? was played in Dominguez – Durarbayli (2015), where Dominguez quickly managed to get an overwhelming position: 15.Qh5 Be6 16.Bg3 Re8 17.f4!±] 15.Qc2 Provoking some weaknesses. [15.a4!?² is also possible, trying to expand on the queenside.] 15...g6 [15...Ng6 16.Bg3 Bd7 17.Nf3 Re8 18.Rxe8+ Bxe8 19.Re1²] 16.Qb3!

Position after: 16.Qb3! Stopping Black from having easy development with ...Bf5. 16...Qb6 17.Bd6 Be6 18.a4 Rfe8 19.a5 388

Qxb3 20.Nxb3 Nf5 21.Bf4² 13...g6 14.Qf3 Bg5

Position after: 14...Bg5 15.Nd2! This move would be my suggestion here. 15.Bxg5 Qxg5 16.h4!? happened in Steinberg – Zubov (2019), but I am not sure if it is so clear: 16...Qxh4 17.Qxd5

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Position after: 17.Qxd5 17...Be6!N [17...Rd8?! is a mistake: 18.Qf3 Kg7 19.Nd2 Qg4 20.Qe3 Be6 21.Be2 Qh4 22.Bf3± Steinberg – Zubov (2019).] 18.Qb5 Qf4! and Black should be quite OK here, as 19.Qxb7 Bd5 20.Qb5 Rae8 21.Na3

Position after: 21.Na3 21...Bxg2 22.Kxg2 Qg4+= leads to a draw.

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15...Ne7 This is more accurate. 15...Qd6 16.Bf1!

Position after: 16.Bf1! A counterintuitive move, but it threatens Nc4. 16...Be6 17.Nc4 Qe7 18.Bxg5 Qxg5 19.Ne5! Nxe5 [19...Ne7 20.Nd3± and Nc5 next.] 20.Rxe5±

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Position after: 20.Rxe5± Despite the symmetry, Black’s position is very shaky. White controls the e-file and has a safer king too. If Black tries to look for active counterplay with 20...Qd2, White can just go for a kingside attack: 21.Rae1! Qxb2 22.h4!‚ with an attack that will likely be crushing.

Position after: 15...Ne7 16.Re5!? Provoking some weaknesses. 16...f6 17.Re2 Bf5 18.Nb3 Bxd3 19.Qxd3 Bxc1 20.Rxc1 b6 21.Rce1 Nf5 22.Qb5²/±

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Position after: 22.Qb5² c) 10.c3 Bd6 11.Nbd2 -1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5 8.Nf3 d5 9.d4 0-0 10.c3 Bd6

Position after: 10...Bd6 11.Nbd2 393

I believe that this is a more accurate move order than 11.Bd3. 11.Bd3 allows 11...Nh4!?, which is rare but good. As White, it makes little sense to allow this possibility. 12.g3 Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 Be6 14.Nd2 Qd7 15.Nf1 Ne7 16.Ne3 Rae8= 11...h6 The idea is to play ...Qf6 and ...Be6. A) 11...Nh4 is obviously possible here too, but the 11.Bd3 version is more effective for Black. 12.g3 Nxf3+ 13.Nxf3

Position after: 13.Nxf3 The major differences are: firstly, here White gets to keep a knight on f3, and secondly his bishop is still on f1 (whence it has prospects of going to g2.) 13...Bg4 14.h3 Bh5 15.Bg2 Ne7 16.Qb3! Rb8 17.Ne5 c6 18.Bd2² White’s position is slightly better and it’s easier to play. B) 11...Qf6 A rare move that is unlikely to solve Black’s opening problems. 12.b4! Be6 13.b5 Nce7 14.Ne5!

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Position after: 14.Ne5! The e5-square is very important in those positions. 14...Ng6 15.Ndf3 h6 16.a4 Nfh4 17.Nxh4 Nxh4 18.f4² 12.Bd3

Position after: 12.Bd3 12...Qf6 395

A) 12...Be6 is an inaccurate move order as it allows 13.Ne5! which is annoying for Black. [13.Nf1 is what I played in my game versus Andrey Baryshpolets, transposing back to the normal line, as I was not sure about the Ne5 idea.] 13...Nxe5 14.dxe5

Position after: 14.dxe5 A1) 14...Bc5 was played in Shirov – Burg (2016), where things got ugly for Black pretty quickly: 15.Nf3 f6? [15...c6 16.Bf4²] 16.b4! Bb6 17.g4!+–

Position after: 17.g4!+–

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and White wins material, e.g. 17...Ne7 18.exf6 Rxf6 19.g5! hxg5 20.Bxg5+–. A2) 14...Be7 15.Nf3 c5 16.h3 Qd7 17.Qe2²

Position after: 17.Qe2² This looks unpleasant for Black. The f5-knight is a little bit awkward. 17...Rfd8 [17...Rad8 18.Bf4²] 18.Bd2 Rac8 19.Rad1 and White is slightly better. B) 12...Nh4 13.g3 Having included ...h6 is not really helpful for Black here. 13...Nxf3+ 14.Qxf3 Ne7 15.Nf1² 13.Nf1

397

Position after: 13.Nf1 13...Be6 In this position White has quite a big choice. A) 13...Nh4?! Kevlishvili – Theodorou (2018) 14.Nxh4 Qxh4 15.g3 is just better for White, but after 15...Qg4

Position after: 15...Qg4

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White should keep queens on the board: 16.Be2! Qd7 17.Ne3 Ne7 18.Bd3²/±. B) 13...Nce7 was played in Kovalev – Petrosyan (2019), and White was better after 14.Ne5!.

Position after: 14.Ne5! One thing to note: in such positions, it’s quite often good to place the knight on e5 whenever possible, as in case of trades there White gains some space on the kingside and center. 14...Ng6 15.Ng4! This is stronger than the move in the game. [15.f4 c5!„, as in the game, is also OK but not so clear.] 15...Qd8 16.Ng3 [16.g3!?² with idea Nge3.] 16...Nxg3 17.fxg3 f5 18.Ne3 c6 19.Qf3 Ne7 20.Nc2² With ideas of Bf4.

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Position after: 13...Be6 14.Bd2!? I would suggest playing this move, which I think is the most flexible. In general, White wants to prepare b4-a4; but at the same time, if Black is not careful, White keeps ideas of Qb3. Sometimes the white queen may also head towards the kingside. Black has lots of possible moves here, but everywhere White retains some chances. A) 14.Bc2 This is the move that I played in my game versus Andrey Baryshpolets. The idea is to play Qd3 and create some threats on the diagonal. The f5-knight seems to be a little bit uncomfortable. Initially I thought that this is the best, but then I faced some difficulties while analyzing it and I changed my mind! 14...Rfe8 15.Qd3

Position after: 15.Qd3 Black needs to deal with the unpleasant battery of the d3-queen and c2-bishop. A1) 15...g6?! 16.Bd2 a6 17.h3! [17.Re2?! Bd7! Trades on the e-file will simplify the position, and White does not have enough to claim an advantage. Swiercz – Baryshpolets (2017).] 17...Nh4 18.N3h2² A2) 15...Qg6!, the best move, was played in Negi – Matlakov (2014). I could not find any clear advantage for White here. Black prepares ...Bd7 or ...Nfe7 trying to simplify the position. B) 14.b4 is also possible; it is similar to 14.Bd2. C) 14.Ng3 This very concrete approach deserves attention too but unfortunately it does not give anything here: 14...Nxg3 15.fxg3 Bf5 16.Bxf5 Qxf5 17.Nh4 Qd7 18.Qh5 Rfe8 19.Bd2 Bf8=.

400

Position after: 14.Bd2!? 14...Rae8 The best move. Everything else is somewhat dubious: A) 14...Nfe7?! 15.Ne3! [15.Ng3 was played in Adams – Dominguez Perez (2015) and also leads to an advantage for White, but I think 15.Ne3 is even stronger.] 15...Ng6 [15...Rae8 16.g3 Ng6] 16.g3 Rae8 17.b4 Nce7 18.h4! with serious pressure: 18...Nf5 19.Ng4 Qd8 20.h5 Nge7 21.Nge5±. B) 14...Rfe8?! 15.h3!

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Position after: 15.h3! 15...Nh4 16.Nxh4 Qxh4 17.Qf3 Ne7 18.Re2 Ng6 19.Rae1 Nf8 20.Ne3 Qf4 21.Qxf4 Bxf4 22.g3 Bxe3 23.Rxe3 Bd7 24.g4² C) 14...Nh4?! 15.Nxh4 Qxh4 16.g3

Position after: 16.g3 16...Qf6 [16...Qg4 17.Qxg4 Bxg4 18.Ne3 Be6 19.f4!±] 17.Ne3±

402

D) 14...a6?! This is just a waste of a tempo. 15.Ng3!

Position after: 15.Ng3! Right now, this works great for White! 15...Nxg3 16.fxg3 Bf5 17.Bxf5 Qxf5 18.Nh4 Qd7 19.Qh5ƒ 15.b4!

Position after: 15.b4! White begins gaining space on the queenside, with en route to later action in the center. If the c6403

knight moves, then White can play Ne5. Please note how Black’s pieces are cramped, one next to another. It feels like they lack a little bit of air. I would consider two moves here for Black: 15...Bd7 and 15...Bc8, both intending to trade a pair of rooks and simplify the position. 15...Bc8 15...Bd7 16.Qb3! A) 16...Nce7 17.Ne5! The point! 17...Bc8 18.Qd1!? The queen has done its job on b3 (Black has played ...Nce7 to protect his d5-pawn and allowed Ne5) and now the queen goes to the best square available.

Position after: 18.Qd1!? White is slightly better, e.g. 18...Ng6 19.f4! c6 20.a4 Bc7 21.a5 Nd6 22.Ng3². B) 16...Rxe1 This just gives up control over the e-file. 17.Rxe1 Be6 18.Qd1² C) 16...Be6 17.Qc2 Bd7 White gained a tempo, which is a definitely a positive thing! [17...Nh4 18.Nxh4 Qxh4 19.f4!²] 18.a4²

404

Position after: 18.a4² There is no doubts that White’s position is preferable. For example: 18...Nd8 [18...Nh4 19.Nxh4 Qxh4 20.g3 Qh5 21.Ne3 Ne7 22.b5 f5 23.f4²] 19.Ne3 Nxe3 20.fxe3! Bg4 21.e4 dxe4 22.Bxe4 c6 23.Rf1ƒ. 16.a4! 16.Qb3?! is not great now, as after 16...Nce7 17.Ne5 White does not attack the black light-squared bishop. Black can simply play 17...Nh4=.

405

Position after: 16.a4! 16...Re6! This is probably the best. Black tries to maintain the tension in the center, and in case of Rxe6 he’ll recapture with the pawn. However, I would like to note two things: such a move is not easy to play; and it also does not offer full equality. A) 16...Nh4 17.Rxe8 Rxe8 18.Nxh4 Qxh4 19.g3 Qg4 20.Qxg4 Bxg4 21.Ne3 Be6 22.f4² B) 16...Rxe1 17.Nxe1!

Position after: 17.Nxe1! A good-to-know idea: the knight vacates the f3-square for the queen and heads for c2. White’s plan is Nce3 or Nfe3. 17...Nce7 [17...Nfe7 18.Ne3²] 18.Qf3 Qe6 19.g3 g5 20.Nc2² C) 16...Nce7?! allows 17.Ne5! Nh4 18.Ng4 Bxg4 19.Qxg4±. 17.Rxe6 fxe6 18.b5

406

Position after: 18.b5 Black has two moves here but White maintains an advantage after both: 18...Na5 18...Nce7 19.Qe2 Ng6 20.Ng3 Nfh4 21.Nxh4 Nxh4 22.Rf1

Position after: 22.Rf1 22...Bd7 [22...e5 23.dxe5 Qxe5 24.Qxe5 Bxe5 25.Re1 Bd6 26.c4²] 23.Nh5 Qf7 24.c4 Nf5 25.Bc3 407

dxc4 26.Bxc4 Ne7 27.Bd2 Nd5 28.Ng3 Bf4 29.Ne4² 19.Qe2 Nb3 20.Re1 c5 21.bxc6 bxc6 22.Ne3 Nxd2 23.Qxd2 Nxe3 24.Qxe3 Qf4 25.Qe2²

Position after: 25.Qe2² d) 10.c3 Bd6 11.Nbd2 Re8 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5 8.Nf3 d5 9.d4 0-0 10.c3 Bd6 11.Nbd2 Re8 12.Rxe8+ Qxe8 13.Bd3

408

Position after: 13.Bd3 13...Bd7 The best and the most popular move, played twice by Hikaru Nakamura. A) 13...b6!? Back in the day I considered this slightly mysterious move as best, inspired by the game Aronian – Kramnik (2015). A fresh look at this line made me realize that things are not so easy. 14.Nf1! f6

Position after: 14...f6 15.g4!N I discovered this powerful novelty, gaining space on the kingside and in the center. [15.Qc2 was played in Aronian – Kramnik.] 15...Nfe7 16.Nh4 Qf7 [16...Nd8 17.Ng3 Nf7 18.f4!?ƒ] 17.Qf3 Nd8 18.Nf5 Nxf5 19.gxf5 c6

409

Position after: 19...c6 White has to choose a plan now. There are chances of creating an attack on Black’s king, but it is probably even better to play through the center. 20.Bd2!?² with the idea of Rc1 and c4. Usually the f1-knight belongs on the e3-square, but sometimes it may go via g3 to h5. B) 13...Nce7 This move has been seen quite often lately at the top level.

Position after: 13...Nce7 B1) 14.Qc2 was played in Tari – So (2019), where Black was fine after 14...f6 15.Nf1 g6. We’ve 410

actually transposed to a different line which I believe White should try to avoid. There have been many games here, and Black is generally doing well. B2) 14.Nf1! This is my suggestion.

Position after: 14.Nf1! B2.1) 14...c6? was played in Leko – Andreikin (2020) and, just like 14...f6, it runs into 15.g4! with great winning chances for White: 15...Nh6 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Nh4 h5 18.Nf5 Nxf5 19.gxf5±. B2.2) 14...f6? was played in Saric – Cheparinov (2020) and it is a mistake! Once again, White can play 15.g4! and Black is in trouble: [15.Qc2? happened in the game, missing the opportunity.] 15...Nh6 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Nh4! h5! 18.h3!± White keeps his grip on the f5-square and intends Qf3 next. B2.3) 14...Ng6 is what Black probably should play, as in Inarkiev – Nguyen (2016). However, I like White’s chances here, even though the position is close to equal. It is just easier to play with White! 15.Bd2

411

Position after: 15.Bd2 15...Nfe7 [15...c6 16.Qc2 Nfe7 17.Re1²] 16.Ne3 Nf4 17.Bc2 c6 18.h4!? f6 19.g3 Ne6 20.Qe2² C) 13...f6 has been seen several times with decent results for Black, but no White player yet played the best continuation, which is: 14.Qb3! Qf7 [If 14...Nfe7 then 15.Ne4!± with big positional advantage, as the d6-bishop will be traded and all the dark squares will be an issue for Black.]

Position after: 14...Qf7 and now White has two options: 15.Nc4! This would be my choice. [15.Bxf5!? Bxf5 16.Qxb7 wins 412

the pawn and Black still has to prove compensation: 16...Qe8! 17.Qa6 Qe6! The best attempt at counterplay. 18.Qa4! Rb8 19.Nf1 Bg4 20.Qd1 Qe4 21.Ng3 Bxf3 22.Qxf3 Qxf3 23.gxf3²] 15...Bf8 16.Bf4

Position after: 16.Bf4 16...Nd8 [16...g5 is only weakening: 17.Bg3 g4 18.Nfd2±] 17.Ne3 Nxe3 18.fxe3² with a nice positional edge. D) 13...g6 is an attempt to try a different move order to stabilize the kingside and queenside. However, it gives White additional possibilities. 14.Nf1 f6 [14...Be6 15.Bg5²] 15.Qb3

413

Position after: 15.Qb3 15...Nce7 [15...Qf7 16.Bxf5! destroys the pawn structure as Black’s c8-bishop is tied to the b7pawn. 16...gxf5 17.Ne1² with the idea of Nd3.] and here White undermines the center with 16.c4!, which is rather uncomfortable for Black. 16...c6 17.c5!? [17.Bd2!?²] 17...Bc7 18.Bd2 Ng7 19.Re1 Qf7 20.h3²

Position after: 20.h3² Obviously Black is still very solid, but White has managed to gain some space advantage on the queenside. The plan to follow is b4-b5. E) 13...Nfe7?! This move is very passive and I hardly see any point behind it. 14.Nf1 Ng6 [14...Bf5? This typical idea does not work due to 15.Bxf5 Nxf5 16.Qb3±] 15.h4!

414

Position after: 15.h4! A strong move that immediately challenges Black’s last two moves. 15...Nf8 [15...Bg4 runs into 16.Ne3!²] 16.h5 h6 17.Nh4² and the knight goes to f5. 14.Nf1 f6

Position after: 14...f6 The most important position in this line. I came up with several different ideas here for White. To be 415

honest, all of them are possible and I don’t really want to rank them. Objectively, Black should be fine here, but there are some testing tries. 15.Qc2 A) 15.g4!?N The same idea as in 13...b6. It is important to note, however, that with ...Bd7 played instead of ...b6, this is a better version for Black. I am not sure whether in reality White is better here, but it certainly it creates an imbalance to which Black must react accurately, or else it can be pretty dangerous. 15...Nfe7 16.Nh4 A1) 16...Qf7 This logical move is an inaccuracy. 17.Qf3 Rf8 [17...g6 18.Bf4!²; 17...g5 18.Ng2! Ng6 19.Bd2 Nce7 20.Ng3 Rf8

Position after: 20...Rf8 Were Black in time to play ...f5, the position would be equal. However, after 21.h4!ƒ White has a strong initiative: 21...Nxh4 22.Nxh4 gxh4 23.Nh5 f5 24.g5 Kh8 25.Re1 Ng8 26.Nf4²] 18.Ng3 g6 19.Bh6 Re8 20.Ng2²

416

Position after: 20.Ng2² Black’s pieces do not have much space here. Probably with perfect defense (as always) Black can equalize, but it is not easy at all during a real game. For instance: 20...Nd8 [20...f5?! 21.gxf5 Nxf5 22.Nxf5 Bxf5 23.Bxf5 Qxf5 24.Qxf5 gxf5 25.Bf4± with a very pleasant endgame.] 21.Bf4 Nc8 22.Bxd6 Nxd6 23.h4ƒ A2) 16...g5?! 17.Ng2² A3) 16...g6 17.Qf3² A4) 16...Nd8! The best defense for Black. Black has three ideas here: 1) playing ...Bb5, trying to trade light-squared bishops; 2) challenging the center with ...c5; 3) bringing the knight to the kingside with ...Ne6 or ...Nf7. However, this move is not an easy one to play over the board if the second player gets into this position without preparation.

417

Position after: 16...Nd8! A4.1) 17.Ng3 does not lead anywhere here. 17...g6 18.f4 [18.Ng2 Ne6 19.f4 Ng7 20.Qf3 f5=] 18...c5 19.Be3 [19.f5 cxd4 20.cxd4 Ndc6„] 19...cxd4 20.cxd4 Bb5!

Position after: 20...Bb5! the difference between 12...b6 and 12...Bd7 – right now Black has enough counterplay. 21.Bc2 Rc8„ A4.2) 17.Nf5?! is not good for White due to 17...Nxf5 18.gxf5 Bb5!³ trading the light squared 418

bishops. And in case of 19.Bc2 Black can play 19...Be2!³. A4.3) 17.Be3 Prophylaxis against ...c5.

Position after: 17.Be3 17...g6! An important move. Black has to cover the f5-square. [17...Bb5 does not lead anywhere due to 18.Bc2². Obviously, White needs to keep bishops on the board.; 17...Ne6 18.Nf5! Nxf5 19.gxf5 Ng5 20.Qg4ƒ and White has an easier game.; 17...Qf7 18.Nf5 Nxf5 19.gxf5 Nc6 20.Qf3 Ne7 21.Ng3 Re8 22.Kh1 Kh8 23.Rg1ƒ; 17...Nf7 18.Nf5 Nxf5 19.gxf5 Qe7 20.Ng3ƒ] 18.Qf3 [18.f4 f5!=] 18...Qf7 19.Bf4 Bxf4 20.Qxf4 Ne6 21.Qg3 [21.Qe3 Re8=] 21...c5 22.dxc5 Nxc5„

419

Position after: 22...Nxc5„ The position is unclear. It definitely looks playable, but White’s king is a little exposed. Black should not have problems here. It may sound weird that I suggest a line where Black is fine, but we can’t forget about the practical problems that arise for Black after the 15.g4!? idea. B) Another idea could be following: 15.Qb3 Nce7 16.a4!? stopping ...Ba4 and maybe preparing a queenside expansion. The position is simply playable and I don’t want to dive into deep analysis of it; instead I will show how both sides can proceed from now on: [16.c4 dxc4 17.Bxc4+ Kh8= is fine for Black, compared to the line with ...g6 included, i.e. 15.Qc2 g6 16.Qb3.]

420

Position after: 16.a4!? B1) 16...Rb8 17.Bd2 Qf7 18.Re1 [18.Ng3!? c6 19.Re1 Be6 20.Qc2 g6²/=] 18...g5 19.h3 h5 An aggressive attempt, but White is better here: [19...c6 20.c4²]

Position after: 19...h5 20.c4 g4 21.c5! gxf3 22.cxd6 fxg2 23.dxe7 gxf1=Q+ 24.Bxf1 Nxe7 25.Kh2!ƒ B2) 16...a5 17.Ng3 Nxg3 18.hxg3 b6

Position after: 18...b6 421

19.Bd2 [19.Bf4!?] 19...Kh8 [19...Qc8 20.Re1 Bf5 21.Rxe7!±] 20.Qc2 g6 21.c4² B3) 16...b6 17.Ng3 Nxg3 18.hxg3 c6 19.Bd2² B4) 16...g5! 17.Ng3 Bxg3 18.hxg3 Nd6 19.Bd2²/=.

Position after: 19.Bd2² Black should be fine here in the long run, but White has some chances due to his bishop-pair. 19...Qf7 20.Re1 Re8 21.Nh2ƒ 15...g6 16.Qb3N After provoking ...g6 in order to weaken Black’s kingside, White now wants to open the center. 16...Nce7 17.c4!

422

Position after: 17.c4! 17...dxc4 17...b6 If Black does not play ...dxc4 it could be considered as a small success for White. 18.Qc3!?

Position after: 18.Qc3!? 18...c5 [18...c6 19.c5 Bc7 20.Bd2²; 18...dxc4 19.Bxc4+ Kh8 20.Ng3²] 19.dxc5 d4 20.Qa3 bxc5 [20...Bxc5? 21.b4 Bd6 22.c5±] 21.N1d2 423

Position after: 21.N1d2 White is slightly better here. The blockade on the d3-square restricts Black’s play. White wants to develop his queenside with Ne4, Bd2, Re1 etc. 21...Qf8 22.Ne4 Nc6 23.Bd2 Be7 24.Bc2² 18.Bxc4+ Kg7

Position after: 18...Kg7 19.g4! 424

A very concrete approach. 19.Qxb7 does not yield anything for White: 19...Nc6 20.Qb3 Ncxd4 21.Nxd4 Nxd4 22.Qd3 Nc6=. 19...Nh6! This move equalizes. However, practically speaking it is far from trivial. 19...b5?! 20.Be6! Bxe6 21.Qxe6 Qc6 22.Qb3 Nh6 23.Bxh6+ Kxh6 24.Ne3² 20.g5! 20.Bxh6+ forces Black’s king a bit further out, but there is no way to make use of it due to White’s g4-pawn being under attack. 20...Kxh6 21.h3 Kg7 22.Re1 b5! Black is fine here.23.Be6 Bxe6 24.Rxe6 Qd7 25.Ne3 c6= 20...fxg5 21.Nxg5! 21.Bxg5 Nf7 22.Re1 Nxg5 23.Nxg5 Qf8= 21...Nhf5

Position after: 21...Nhf5 This position is very complex. If White is looking for a messy and fighting position, this is it. Both kings are exposed, there are lots of pieces on the board and the position requires accuracy from both sides. Objectively, it is equal but if White knows what to do and Black is caught surprised, there is no doubt that White would have some advantage (at least psychological) in a real game. White has a lot

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of choice here, but in order not to make things complicated, I will suggest only one option that I like. 22.d5!? 22.Ng3!? h6 23.N5e4 would be my second choice. 22...Nd4 23.Qd3 Nef5 24.Bd2!

Position after: 24.Bd2! White’s idea is Bc3, and Black is under some pressure, e.g. 24...b5 24...h6 25.Re1 Qf8 26.Ne6+ Nxe6 27.dxe6 Bc6 28.Bd5 Rd8 29.Qc3+ Kh7 30.Bxc6 bxc6 31.Ng3ƒ 25.Re1 Qf8 26.Bb3 b4 27.Ng3 Nxb3 28.Qxb3ƒ

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Position after: 28.Qxb3ƒ e) 10.Nc3 -1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5 8.Nf3 d5 9.d4 0-0 10.Nc3!?

Position after: 10.Nc3!? This line has been tried lately several times at the highest level. The game that really drew my 427

attention to this line was So – Nakamura from the Grand Chess Tour in Zagreb in 2019. Wesley So managed to get a very nice position and eventually went on to win against Hikaru Nakamura (who is a modern Berlin specialist.) Black has a choice here. 10...Bb4 Lately this has become a major trend. The move was also recommended by Wesley So in his commentary. In my opinion, White is slightly better here, but of course it is debatable. A) 10...Bf6?! This bishop does not really belong here. 11.Ne2 Re8 12.c3

Position after: 12.c3 As we can see now, the f6-bishop is neutralized by the c3- and d4-pawns. White simply has better pieces and better chances in this manoeuvring game. 12...Nd6 13.h3!? One of many possible good moves. 13...Ne7 14.Nf4

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Position after: 14.Nf4 14...g6 [14...c6 15.Nh5 Ng6 16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 17.Rxe8+ Nxe8 18.Bg5²] 15.Nd3² B) 10...Re8 11.h3 Be6 12.Ne2

Position after: 12.Ne2 This simply looks like a better version of the 10.g3 line! The following analysis is very interesting; however, it is not necessary to go for such complications. Yet, Black needs to be extremely careful: 12...f6 13.Nf4 Bf7 14.c4!? Possibly the strongest, and I think that the complications favor White. A 429

sample line: 14...dxc4 15.d5 Nb4 16.Bxc4 c6 17.Ne6! Qc8 18.dxc6 Nxc6 19.g4! Ne5 20.Nxe5 fxe5 21.Bd5 Nd4 22.Nxd4 Bxd5 23.Rxe5 Bf7 24.Nf5

Position after: 24.Nf5 White has an extra pawn and Black still needs to prove compensation. 24...Bf6 25.Nd6 Qd7 26.Rxe8+ Rxe8 27.Bf4 Rd8 28.Qe2² 11.h3!

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Position after: 11.h3! A prophylactic and useful move. In the future, White may develop the bishop to the f4-square and would like to be able to drop it back to h2 in case of an attack (as we will see in one of the lines.) Also, this move stops any possibility of being pinned by ...Bg4 in case the f5-knight moves somewhere. 11...Nce7 A) 11...Nd6?! This was played by Awonder Liang with the idea of ...Bf5. In this particular position, however, I think that it is not good for Black and White is just much better here: 12.Bg5 f6 13.Bf4! [13.Bd2!? was chosen in Ajay – Liang (2019), but it looks to me a little bit passive.] 13...Bf5 [13...Bxc3 14.bxc3 b6 15.Nd2±; 13...Ne7 14.Rxe7! Bxc3 15.Re3 Ba5 16.c3±] 14.Nh4! Be4 15.Nxe4 Nxe4 16.c3 f5 17.Nf3 Bd6 18.Bxd6 Qxd6 19.c4² B) 11...Nh4 was played in Ivic – Andreikin (2019). Here, it is less good than a move before. 12.Nxh4 [12.Ne5 was the game, but I like what I suggest here more.] 12...Qxh4 13.a3!

Position after: 13.a3! 13...Bxc3 [13...Ba5 14.Be3 Be6 15.Qd2 Rae8 16.b4 Bb6 17.Bb5 Bxh3 18.gxh3 Qxh3 19.Bf1 Qg4+ 20.Bg2 Bxd4 21.Kf1±] 14.bxc3 Bf5 15.Rb1 b6 16.Rb5 Rad8 17.g3 Qf6 18.Qf3 and White is better. 12.a3

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Position after: 12.a3 12...Bxc3 12...Ba5 13.b4 Bb6 14.Na4 was already agreed drawn in Vaibhav – Sargissian (2020) but I hope that the reader will not get discouraged by that, as White is slightly better here! 14...c6 15.Nxb6 axb6 16.a4 Ng6 17.Bg5!

Position after: 17.Bg5!²

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The bishop-pair gives White some edge. The imbalanced pawn structure on the queenside also gives some chances. For instance: 17...Qc7 [17...f6 18.Bd2 Nd6 19.b5²] 18.Ne5 [18.c4!?²] 18...f6 19.Nxg6 hxg6 20.Bd2

Position after: 20.Bd2 20...Nxd4 [20...b5 21.axb5 Rxa1 22.Qxa1 cxb5 23.Bd3²] 21.c4!². 13.bxc3 Nd6 This move stops c4, but it allows another thing. 13...Ng6?! 14.c4!± 14.Bf4!

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Position after: 14.Bf4! And the bishop lands on its perfect diagonal! Again, the bishop-pair gives White some advantage. For example: 14...Ng6 15.Bh2 Re8 15...Bf5 16.a4!? [16.Bd3!? Bxd3 17.cxd3] 16...Re8 [16...a5 17.Bd3 Bxd3 18.cxd3!±] 17.a5 Rxe1 18.Nxe1 b6 19.Qh5 Ne7 20.Nd3² 16.Ne5 Bf5 17.a4 a5 18.Bd3 Qg5 19.Qc1²

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Position after: 19.Qc1² f) 10.Nc3 Nh4 11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.Ne2 -1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5 8.Nf3 d5 9.d4 0-0 10.Nc3!? Nh4

Position after: 10...Nh4 This is a typical approach in those positions. 435

11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.Ne2! The idea behind 10.Nc3. In the aforementioned game So – Nakamura (2019), Wesley chose 12.Bb5!? but I personally prefer 12.Ne2. However, this also deserves attention. 12...Re8 A) 12...Ne7 Black tries to improve the knight, as on c6-square it is clearly not optimal. 13.Ng3

Position after: 13.Ng3 This is my suggestion. The idea is Bd3, preparing moves like Nh5, Nf5 or Qh5, the exact choice depending what Black does. 13...Ng6 [13...c6 14.Bd3 Ng6 15.Qh5 Re8 16.Rxe8+ Qxe8 17.Bd2² Qd8 18.f4!ƒ; 13...Nf5 14.c3 Nxg3 15.hxg3 Bf6 16.Bd3²

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Position after: 16.Bd3² White’s plan is pretty straightforward: Qf3, Bf4, double rooks on the e-file. Also, g4 could be considered at some point.] 14.Bd3 Re8 [14...f5 15.Nf1! the knight is headed to the f3-square. 15...f4 16.Nd2 Qf6 17.Qh5 Bf5 18.Nf3²] 15.Rxe8+ Qxe8 16.c3

Position after: 16.c3 16...Bd7 [16...Be6 17.Qh5 Bxg3 18.hxg3²] 17.Bd2 Bb5 18.Bf5² B) 12...Bg4 The pin does not solve anything for Black. 13.h3 Bh5 14.c3 Re8 15.Bf4² 437

13.c3

Position after: 13.c3 it is difficult to suggest any better move than 13...Bf5, which transposes back to the main line. 13...Nb8!?N This is actually an interesting move. Black radically transfers the knight from c6-square (ideally to f6square) and prepares ...c6. It is a little bit slow, but it’s the only reasonable alternative to 13...Bf5. White has many options here, but I will suggest the following two: A) 13...Bg5? This natural attempt to simplify the position is simply bad for Black: 14.Bxg5 Qxg5 15.Qb3!.

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Position after: 15.Qb3! Suddenly, there are some issues with the development of Black’s queenside, as well as his b7- and d5-pawns. 15...Rd8 16.g3 Na5 17.Qa4 b6 18.Nf4± Dragnev – Rodshtein (2020). B) 13...Bf6?! was played in Giri – Nakamura (2018). It is interesting how quickly Black’s position worsened in this game after seemingly natural moves: 14.Bf4

Position after: 14.Bf4 14...Ne7? [¹ 14...Bf5 15.Ng3 Rxe1 16.Qxe1 Bg6 17.Qe2²] 15.Ng3 g6 16.Qf3 Bg7 17.Re3!± 439

[17.Be5 was Giri’s choice, but 17.Re3 intending Rae1 seems stronger.] C) 13...h6 This move prepares ...Bg5, but is not ideal either: 14.g3 Bg5 15.h4 Bxc1 16.Qxc1² White avoids the ...Bg4 pin ideas and prepares Nf4.

Position after: 13...Nb8!?N 14.a4!? This is typical for those positions, as I discuss in the 7...Nxe5 line as well. 14.g3 Bf6 15.Nf4 White tries to take advantage of the fact that Black’s pieces are not developed yet. [15.Bd2 c6 16.Qb3 Na6 is not as great for White as it was with the inclusion of a4 and ...a5. 17.Nf4 Nc7 18.h4 b6 19.Bd3 g6²/=. Black’s position looks very solid.] 15...Rxe1 16.Qxe1 c6 White again has some choice.

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Position after: 16...c6 A) 17.Nh5!? This is also possible. 17...Be7! [17...Be6?! 18.Bd3 Nd7 19.Qe2 Be7 20.f4ƒ] 18.Qe5 Bf8 19.Bg5 Qd6 20.Qxd6 Bxd6 21.Re1

Position after: 21.Re1 This endgame is slightly better for White, but it somehow feels like White should have better winning chances with queens on the board. 21...Bd7 22.Bf4 Bf8² B) 17.Bd2 Nd7 18.Qe2 441

Position after: 18.Qe2 18...g6 [18...Nf8 19.Re1 Ne6 20.Bh3!?²] 19.Re1 Nf8 20.Qf3 Ne6 21.h4!?ƒ 14...c6 14...a5 The inclusion of a4, ...a5 benefits White here, as Black’s queenside is now weakened: 15.g3 Bf6 16.Qb3 c6 17.Bd2 Na6 18.Nf4 Nc7 19.h4². 15.a5

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Position after: 15.a5 Similarly to many of the lines analyzed after 7...Nxe5, this idea is applicable. After all, the structure is very similar. 15...Nd7 16.a6 b6 17.b4!?

Position after: 17.b4!? An interesting idea. White wants to play b5 at some point to weaken Black’s d5-pawn. In the future, the a6-pawn may prove to be very annoying for Black. And if Black decides to fix the queenside and play ...b5 himself, then the c5-square will be weak. For example: 17...Nf8 17...b5 18.Bf4 [18.Nf4?! runs into 18...Bxf2+! 19.Kxf2 Qh4+ 20.g3 Qxh2+ 21.Bg2 Rxe1 22.Qxe1 Nf6 23.Kf1 Bd7©] 18...Nf8 19.Nc1!

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Position after: 19.Nc1! The knight goes to the d3 square. 19...Rxe1 20.Qxe1 Ne6 21.Be5 Qb6 Black can try to take the a6pawn, but then his kingside will be left unattended and White can construct some kind of attack: 22.Qe3!? Bxa6 23.Qh3 Bg5 24.Bd3 Bh6 25.f4ƒ. 18.g3 Bf6 19.b5!? This is interesting, but also unnecessary. E.g. 19.Nf4². 19...cxb5 20.Nf4 Rxe1 21.Qxe1² g) 10.Nc3 Nh4 11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.Ne2 Bf5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nf5 8.Nf3 d5 9.d4 0-0 10.Nc3!? Nh4 11.Nxh4 Bxh4 12.Ne2! Bf5

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Position after: 12...Bf5 Most likely the best reply for Black. 13.c3 Qd7 13...Re8 14.g3 Bf6

Position after: 14...Bf6 A) 15.Be3!? was played in Grandelius – Sargissian (2019). That game continued 15...Ne7?! 445

[15...Qd7 with ...Nd8 next looks strongest to me. 16.Nf4 Nd8²/= seems quite OK for Black.] 16.Nf4 Nc8 and here, White had a great opportunity to increase the pressure:

Position after: 16...Nc8 17.g4! [17.Nh5 Be7=] 17...Bg6 18.Nxg6 hxg6 19.Qf3². B) 15.Nf4 B1) 15...Qd7?! is similar to 13...Qd7 14.g3(?!) Bf6 15.Nf4 Rae8, with the difference that the other rook is on the e8-square. It is actually a really important detail though: White can play 16.Bg2!

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Position after: 16.Bg2! 16...Rxe1+ [16...Bc2? does not work now as 17.Rxe8+ comes with check. Had the other rook gone to the e8-square, this would not be the case.] 17.Qxe1 Re8 18.Qf1 Be4 19.Qb5!² B2) 15...Rxe1 16.Qxe1 Ne7 17.Qe2!?

Position after: 17.Qe2!? White intends Qb5. 17...Bg5 [17...c6? 18.Nh5! Ng6 19.Qf3±; 17...Ng6 18.Qb5! Nxf4 19.Bxf4 g5 20.Be5 Bxe5 21.dxe5 Rb8 22.Qc5 b6 23.Qc6²] 18.Qb5 Bxf4 19.Bxf4 b6 20.Qa6!?²

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Position after: 13...Qd7 14.Nf4N I think that here White can hope for an advantage, or, failing that, at least some nice pressure. 14.g3?! The only move to be tested. 14...Bf6!N [14...Bd8?! was way too passive. 15.Nf4 Ne7 16.Nd3 b6 17.Ne5 Qc8 18.b3± and White had a big positional advantage in Grandelius – Adams (2019).] 15.Nf4 Rae8!

Position after: 15...Rae8! Black is fine. 14...Rae8 15.Be3!

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Position after: 15.Be3! Trying to keep as many pieces on the board as possible. 15...Nd8 16.Nd3 c6 16...Be7 17.Ne5 Qc8 18.c4² 17.Ne5 Qc8 18.c4!? Opening up the center. The d8-knight is misplaced and it is the main source of Black’s issues. If it gets back into the game, Black will equalize, but not until then. For instance:

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Position after: 18.c4!? 18...dxc4 18...Be6 19.Bd3 Bf6 20.Qc2 g6 21.b3² Here, both recaptures look good. 19.Nxc4 19.Bxc4!? Be6 20.Bd3 Bf5 21.Rc1 Bxd3 22.Qxd3 Be7

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Position after: 22...Be7 23.Red1 [23.d5 Bb4 24.Bd2 Bxd2 25.Qxd2²] 23...Bf6 24.Nf3 Qb8 25.b4 Ne6 26.b5² 19...Be7 20.Qd2 Be6 21.Bf4 Qd7 22.Ne5 Qc8 23.Qa5 a6 24.Rac1 Bd6 25.Bd2²

Position after: 25.Bd2² In conclusion, the still quite unexplored 10.Nc3 leads to playable positions. I am not claiming that White is better everywhere. The “+/=” symbol might mean that White is either really slightly better, or just that he is pressing with relatively easy play and Black needs to be careful. Objectively, Black’s position is very solid everywhere and it might be hard to break. However, I think that White retains some chances.

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Chapter 13 4.0-0: Black plays 7...Nxe5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0

Chapter Guide Chapter 13 – 4.0-0: Black plays 7...Nxe5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 a) Introduction b) 9.d4 b6 c) 9.d4 Ne8 10.d5 d6 d) 9.d4 Ne8 10.d5 Bc5 e) 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Nf5 f) 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.-g) 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 -h) 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Ne8 13.d5 -i) 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Ne8 13.d5 d6 j) 9.Nc3 a) Introduction 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0

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Position after: 8...0-0 This system is considered as Black’s best reply to the Berlin with 5.Re1. As I said in the introduction, the Berlin is one of the toughest openings to crack, and I will not offer a solution to this opening, as it simply does not exist! However, we can deal with it by being armed with numerous ideas leading to rich positions. In this position, White has two options: 9.d4 or 9.Nc3. I will discuss both in the following sections. 9.d4 Personally I would somewhat lean towards this move, so I will dedicate more attention to it. 9.Nc3 will also be discussed (though in less detail) as it also leads to some positions which some players may find preferable relative to 9.d4. 9...Bf6 A) 9...Ne8 Levon Aronian has played this line frequently since 2018 at the top level. Lately, Hikaru Nakamura began employing it as well. It is probably a fine line for Black, however there are some nuances and potential practical difficulties. Black’s idea now is to kick away the e5-rook and play ...d5. 10.d5!

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Position after: 10.d5! I think that this is the only real attempt to create problems for Black. White needs to gain a space advantage in order to have some positional trumps. Black has two possibilities here: 10...d6 This was lately Nakamura’s choice. [10...Bc5 This line was played quite often by Aronian. Both lines will be discussed.] B) 9...b6?! This is a rare sideline which is rather dubious.

Position after: 9...Bf6

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10.Re1 This is the main move. 10.Re2!? is the alternative that was popularized after Magnus Carlsen used it in a World Championship Match in 2018 against Sergey Karjakin and got a very promising position. It deserves attention too but I will not discuss this line in this book, as I believe that 10.Re1 gives better chances. 10...Re8 This is the most popular line. Theory widely agrees that Black is doing well here. However, there are some ideas for White. I will discuss several interesting ideas that White has at his disposal, and I will try to show that things are not entirely trivial for Black. 10...Nf5 This is a somewhat forgotten line, which has been revived lately by the Russian GMs Malakhov, Jakovenko and Esipenko. However, it allows White to push 11.d5! with a space advantage.

Position after: 11.d5! We will see that even though the position is close to equality, White has easier play and Black needs to be careful. b) 9.d4 b6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 b6?!

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Position after: 9...b6?! This move is not popular nowadays. It was played few times in the mid-2000s by GMs like Bologan, Jakovenko and Aleksandrov. However, personally, I am not a fan of this move for Black. It is logical to develop the c8-bishop, but this 9...b6 implentation looks incorrect to me. The problem is that White will always have a possibility of pushing d5, gaining space and closing the diagonal of Black’s lightsquared bishop. 10.Nc3 Bb7 10...Bf6 Here, White has two options, both equally good but leading to different position types.

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Position after: 10...Bf6 A) 11.Re1 This is a very simplistic approach: 11...Bb7 12.Qd3 with the idea of Bf4. [12.Bf4 immediately would allow 12...Nf5²/=.] 12...Bg5 13.Bxg5 Qxg5 14.Re5 Qf4 15.Rae1 Rae8

Position after: 15...Rae8 White is slightly better. There are several ways to proceed, but none of them leads to anything big. However, it’s definitely playable and if you would prefer not to sacrifice the exchange and play something else, this could be the direction. For example: 16.a4 a5 17.g3 Qf3 18.Qxf3 Bxf3 19.Bh3 457

Rd8 20.Re7 f5 21.Bg2 Bxg2 22.Kxg2 c6 23.d5². B) 11.Nd5!? is an interesting exchange sacrifice.

Position after: 11.Nd5!? B1) 11...Bb7 12.Nxf6+ Qxf6 13.Qg4 [13.Bd3 is also possible, as in Asrian – Jakovenko (2006), but I personally like 13.Qg4 more.] 13...Qg6 14.Rg5 Qf6 15.Qf4! The endgame is just much better for White. 15...Qxf4 16.Bxf4 f6 17.Rh5 Nf7 18.Rh3± B2) 11...Bxe5 12.dxe5 Ne4 13.Qd4 c6 14.Qxe4 cxd5 15.Qxd5 Rb8

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Position after: 15...Rb8 White is better here, but the position is still complex. Accuracy is required: 16.Bd2! Qh4 17.Bc3! Transferring the bishop to the best square. Sooner or later Black will have to cede the d7-pawn, otherwise his c8-bishop will never get into the game. 17...Bb7 18.Qxd7 Rfd8 19.Qc7 Rdc8 20.Qd6 Rd8 21.Qb4 Qxb4 22.Bxb4 Rbc8 23.c4² White has good winning chances, though the game will be long.

Position after: 23.c4² 11.Bf4

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Position after: 11.Bf4 11...f5!? 11...Bf6 makes more sense one move earlier, as here White can play 12.Re3! as his dark squared bishop is already developed. 12...Nf5 [12...Re8 13.Bxd6 Rxe3 14.fxe3 cxd6 15.Bc4 Qe7 16.Qd3 Re8 17.Re1²] 13.Rh3

Position after: 13.Rh3

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13...g6 [13...Nxd4? 14.Qh5 h6 15.Bd3!+– with Bxh6 next; White has a crushing attack.] 14.d5!² White is clearly better due to his extra space and better-placed pieces. 12.Nd5!?

Position after: 12.Nd5!? A very concrete approach, leading to some complications after best play. 12...Bh4 The only move. A) 12...Bxd5? 13.Rxd5±

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Position after: 13.Rxd5± This is just bad for Black: 13...g6 [13...Ne4 14.f3 c6 15.Re5 Nd6 16.Qd2±] 14.Qe2! Stronger than 14.Re5 as in Turner – Kosten (2020). 14...Re8 15.Re5 Nf7 16.Qc4 c6 17.Rae1± and White has a huge advantage. B) 12...Bf6 13.Nxf6+ Qxf6 14.Re1± 13.c4!

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Position after: 13.c4! White is better thanks to his control of the center. 13...Ne4 A) 13...c6 14.Ne3!? Bf6 [14...Ne4 15.g3 Bf6 16.Rxf5 g6 17.Rxf6 Qxf6 18.c5±] 15.c5 Bxe5 16.Bxe5 Nf7 17.Bc4±

Position after: 17.Bc4± Despite being an exchange down, White has a dominant position. The b7-bishop is just awful! For example: 17...b5 18.Bb3 Kh8 19.Bxf7 Rxf7 20.Qd3 Qg5 21.f4 Qg6 22.a4 a6 23.a5!±

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Position after: 23.a5!± and just have a look at the b7-bishop! B) 13...Bxd5 14.cxd5! B1) 14...Bg5 15.Bxg5 Qxg5 16.Rc1± B2) In case of 14...Ne4 15.g3 Bf6, we can transpose into the main line with 16.Rxf5, or there is 16.f3!? Nd6 17.Rc1²/±. 14.g3 Bf6 15.Rxf5 Bxd5 16.cxd5

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Position after: 16.cxd5 Here, there is some concrete play from both sides, but White emerges with a superior position in the end: 16...g6 17.Re5 Nxf2 18.Qd2 Bxe5 19.dxe5 g5 20.Be3 Ng4 21.Bd4 d6 22.e6 Ne5 23.Bxe5 dxe5 24.Rc1²/±

Position after: 24.Rc1²

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The e6-pawn is extremely powerful and White being an exchange down does not really matter. Still, accuracy is required. c) 9.d4 Ne8 10.d5 d6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Ne8 10.d5 d6 11.Re1

Position after: 11.Re1 Let’s take a look at this position. All the strategic factors (like king safety, pawn structure, weaknesses and piece activity) seem to be evenly balanced, with only one difference: thanks to the d5- and d6-pawns in the center, White has a space advantage. It may seem insignificant: after all, this space advantage may quickly evaporate as soon as Black trades some pieces. However, his d5-pawn gives White control over important squares in the position and gives his pieces more room. That’s the main source of White’s advantage. Therefore, Black should somehow attempt to simplify the position, otherwise the position may become really uncomfortable for him. 11...Bg5 This is the most natural move and I believe it’s the best one. A) 11...Bf5 Hikaru played this in some games, but I don’t think this is accurate as it gives White additional possibilities compared to the normal 11...Bg5. A1) 12.c4!? is also possible, as in Bellahcene – Nakamura (2019), but I don’t like it as much. Probably it’s just a personal preference, but still.

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A2) 12.Bd3 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Bg5 14.Nd2 Nf6 and a draw was agreed in Vitiugov – Nakamura (2019). A3) 12.Nc3 is the most natural move, and is also good. After 12...Nf6 13.a4!? is similar to 12.a4, while 12...Bg5 to 11...Bg5 12.Nc3 Bf5. A4) 12.a4!?N is the idea I really like for White. White gains some space on the queenside and prepares to develop the a1-rook with Ra3! 12...Bg5 [If 12...a5 then 13.Ra3!² with lots of ideas: Rb3, Rae3; Na3-c4 or simply Nc3, just to name a few.] 13.a5 Bxc1 14.Qxc1 Nf6 15.Nc3²

Position after: 15.Nc3² White’s position is more comfortable due to his space advantage in the center and on the queenside. B) 11...Nf6

467

Position after: 11...Nf6 B1) 12.Nc3!? is again possible. 12...Nd7 [12...Bf5 transposes] 13.Be3 Bf6 14.Qd2 Re8 15.a4² B2) 12.a4!?N Just like after 11...Bf5, I believe this is strong. The ideas are similar. 12...a5 13.Ra3 c6 [13...Nd7 14.Bb5 Bf6 15.h3 Nb6 16.Nc3 Bd7 17.Bxd7 Nxd7 18.Ne4²] 14.c4 Bg4 15.Be2 Bxe2 16.Rxe2 Re8 17.h3!?² preparing Rae3. [The immediate 17.Rae3 would run into 17...Ng4 18.Re4 Nf6, which is not desirable for White.] 12.Nc3

468

Position after: 12.Nc3 12...Bxc1 13.Rxc1 Nf6 13...Bf5 was played in Swiercz – Nakamura (2020), but it transposed to the main line after 14.Qd4 Nf6. 14.Qd4 Bf5

Position after: 14...Bf5 15.h3! It is essential to play this move. The idea is g4 and Black needs to react somehow. If 15.Bd3 then 15...Bg6: in case of 16.Bxg6 Black can then reply ...hxg6, which he can’t if 15.h3 h6 is included. 15...h6 This is the move you should expect. 15...Re8 puts Black in a slightly uncomfortable position, even though objectively it could be OK.

469

Position after: 15...Re8 A) 16.g4!? This is very sharp, but it seems like Black holds after 16...Bd7!. Only this holds the balance. 17.g5!? [After 17.Bd3 h6 18.Kf1 a6= there is no real continuation of White’s kingside attack.] 17...Nh5

Position after: 17...Nh5 18.Qh4 [18.h4!? is interesting too, but Black is fine. 18...Rxe1 19.Rxe1 f6 20.Be2 Qe8! 21.Ne4! fxg5! 22.Nxg5 Nf6 23.Kf1 Bf5= Tough moves for Black to figure out over the board!] 18...g6 470

19.Ne4 Kg7!=

Position after: 19...Kg7!= Apparently Black is fine here. 20.Be2 is a try to play for a win, but it’s also quite risky. [20.Ng3 is just equal: 20...Nxg3 21.Qxg3 h6 22.h4 hxg5 23.hxg5 Rh8=.] 20...Rxe4 21.Qxe4 Qxg5+ 22.Qg2 Nf4 23.Qxg5 Nxh3+ 24.Kg2 Nxg5 25.f4 Ne4 26.Bb5 Bxb5 27.Rxe4 Bd7=

Position after: 27...Bd7= The position is around equal. Two pawns for the exchange is really good compensation and White’s 471

rooks do not have real entry points. B) 16.Rxe8+! I would suggest this move.

Position after: 16.Rxe8+! 16...Nxe8 The e8-knight is now passive. Yes, it will be back soon with ...Nf6, but White has a moment to develop some initiative. [16...Qxe8 17.g4 Bg6 18.f4 h6 19.f5 Bh7 20.Kf2²] 17.Ne2!? Nf6 18.c4 b6 19.g4 Bd7 20.Ng3² 16.Bd3! This is the deeper idea of including h3 and ... h6: right now Black does not have the cushy g6-square available, as he did when it was supported by the h7-pawn. 16.g4 is too aggressive: 16...Bh7 17.f4 Nd7 18.f5 g6!∞

472

Position after: 16.Bd3! 16...Bxd3 16...Qd7!? is a good alternative, which probably equalizes. We can’t really avoid equal positions in Berlin... However, the position remains playable and that’s all we need with White. White can try either 17.Bb5 or 17.Bxf5. Let’s examine both: A) 17.Bxf5 Qxf5

Position after: 17...Qxf5 473

A1) 18.Ne4 Nxe4 19.Rxe4 Rfe8 20.Rce1 Kf8 is very likely drawish, but even here there are some practical issues that Black still needs to resolve, e.g. 21.Qc4!? Rxe4 22.Rxe4 Qd7 23.Qc3!ƒ

Position after: 23.Qc3!ƒ Black remains unable to play ...Re8, as after Rxe8 he will not be able to hold both c7- and g7pawns. A2) 18.Re7!? Rfc8 19.Qc4 Nd7 20.Re2 Ne5 21.Qa4 a6 22.Rce1ƒ White still has some initiative. B) 17.Bb5!?

474

Position after: 17.Bb5!? Provoking ...c6. B1) 17...Qd8 18.Re3 a6 19.Bd3 Bxd3 [19...Qd7 is not great anymore: 20.Rf3!] 20.cxd3 transposing back to the main line. B2) 17...c6! Black should not be worried about this “weakening”. Black can probably equalize here, but White can press as he keeps some initative: 18.Ba4 Qc7 19.Rcd1 Rfd8 20.dxc6 bxc6 21.Qf4 Bg6 22.Ne2!? Rac8

Position after: 22...Rac8 and now both 23.Bb3 Ne4 24.Nd4 Nc5 25.Re3=/² and 23.c4!? Qb6 24.Bb3=/² lead to decent positions where White keeps some chances, even if they are objectively equal. 17.cxd3 a6

475

Position after: 17...a6 Here, White has two options. The reader can choose according to his or her own preferences! 18.Re3 This is what I played in my game against Hikaru Nakamura. 18.Ne4!? is an alternative.

Position after: 18.Ne4!? 476

Black has only one move that holds the balance (as anything else just results in relatively bad positions): A) 18...Nxe4?! 19.dxe4² is just unpleasant for Black. Maybe with correct play he can somehow hold it, but it’s clearly no fun. B) 18...Nd7?! 19.Ng3 Rerouting the knight to the kingside. After 19...Ne5 20.Re3 c5 21.dxc6 Nxc6 22.Qf4² Black is under serious pressure and needs to work really hard to equalize. C) 18...Nh5! Only this move holds. 19.Qe3!

Position after: 19.Qe3! 19...Nf6! [19...f5 weakens the kingside, and 20.Ng3 Nxg3 21.Qxg3² looks to me like just a worse version of the 19...Nf6 line.] 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 21.Rc2² White is obviously still pressing, but without knights it may be easier to hold it. 18...Re8

477

Position after: 18...Re8 19.Rxe8+! This move offers some edge. I chose the natural 19.Ne4, but it is an inaccuracy. A) 19...Nd7? Hikaru immediately made a big mistake, and I got a big advantage very quickly (that I eventually managed to convert into a win.) 20.Rg3! (forcing the weakening ...f6) 20...f6 21.Re3!

478

Position after: 21.Re3! The rook has done its job on the g3-square and comes back to e3. Next, White wants to play Ng3-f5 with a big advantage. 21...a5 22.Ng3 Nc5 23.Nf5 Rxe3 24.fxe3 h5 25.Rf1± Swiercz – Nakamura (2020). B) 19...Nh5! This is an improvement and it actually equalizes, but in a complicated way:

Position after: 19...Nh5! 20.Rf3!? [20.Rce1 f5 21.Ng3 Rxe3 22.Rxe3 Nxg3 23.Rxg3 Qd7= With one pair of rooks traded, Black is fine in this structure.] 20...Re5™ 21.g4 f5™ 22.Rxf5 Rxf5 23.gxf5 Qd7! 24.Ng3 Nxg3 25.fxg3 Re8©. Black has enough counterplay. 19...Nxe8 20.Nd1!²

479

Position after: 20.Nd1!² This is a very instructive idea. The knight heads to the e3-square and White achieves a perfect setup. White is slightly better and Black is pushed onto the defensive. d) 9.d4 Ne8 10.d5 Bc5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Ne8 10.d5 Bc5 11.Re1 d6 12.Nc3

480

Position after: 12.Nc3 There have been many games played here. White’s idea is obviously Ne4 so Black needs to react to this. 12...Bf5 This was chosen lately by Wesley So. 12...f5

Position after: 12...f5 A) 13.Na4 initially I thought this was good, but after Karjakin – Aronian (2018) I realized Black is fine. There is no real room for improvement for White as the line is pretty forced: 13...Bxf2+ 14.Kxf2 Qh4+ 15.Kg1 Qxa4 16.Re7! Qh4! 17.Qe2 Nf6 18.Rxc7 Nxd5

481

Position after: 18...Nxd5 19.Qc4 [19.Rc4 Qd8 20.Rd4 Qb6 21.c3 Nf6=] 19...Qe4! 20.Qxe4 fxe4 21.Bc4 Be6 22.Rxb7 Rac8!

Position after: 22...Rac8! With equality, as in Karjakin – Aronian (2018). 23.Bb3 Rf7 24.Rxf7 [24.Rb5 might be a better try, but Black should be fine after 24...Nf4 25.Bxe6 Nxe6 26.c3 a6 27.Rd5 Rcf8 28.Be3 Nf4=.] 24...Kxf7 25.c3

482

Position after: 25.c3 25...a5!= Black is fine here. It is important to put pressure on White’s queenside pawns to avoid a worse endgame. [25...Rb8?! happened in the game, and after 26.Bxd5! Bxd5 27.b3 Bc6 28.Bf4² White had some chances.] B) 13.Be3! I came to the conclusion that this is the best here. 13...Bxe3 14.Rxe3 Nf6

Position after: 14...Nf6 With the threats of ...Ng4 and ...f4. White needs to deal with this immediately. There are two good 483

paths for him: 15.h3 and 15.Qd2. B1) 15.h3 stopping ...Ng4. 15...f4 16.Rf3!

Position after: 16.Rf3! 16...g5 [16...Nd7 17.Qd2 g5 18.Nb5 Ne5 19.Rc3 Rf7 20.Be2²] 17.Nb5 Bd7 18.Nd4 Qe7 19.Rb3 Rab8 20.Bc4 Rfe8 21.a4 a6 22.a5²

Position after: 22.a5²

484

e.g. 22...Kh8 23.Ne6! Bxe6 24.dxe6 c6 25.Qd4 d5 26.Bf1 Qxe6 27.h4ƒ. B2) 15.Qd4?! was played in Giri – Aronian (2018), and Black was doing great after 15...Ng4 16.Ree1 f4ƒ. B3) 15.Qd2 Ng4 16.Ree1 f4 [16...Ne5 17.f4²] Black managed to play the desired push, but White has a very strong counter-idea: 17.Nb5!

Position after: 17.Nb5! White’s knight heads to d4 and then to the e6-square. It is quite instructive that Black’s attack is not really dangerous if White can create some threats in the center and queenside. 17...Ne5 18.a4! Bd7 19.Nd4 Qf6 20.Ra3 Rae8 21.Rc3 c6 22.dxc6 bxc6 23.b4²/±.

485

Position after: 12...Bf5 13.Ne4!?N I like this novelty. White gets the bishop-pair, and while it may seem that Black gets active play from the tempi gained off White’s e4-rook (...f5 or ...Nf6), it all works out well for White. 13.Bd3 was seen in Robson – So (2019). 13...Bxe4 13...Bb6?! Trying to preserve the bishop pair does not lead anywhere good for Black. 14.Qf3! [14.a4 Nf6.]

486

Position after: 14.Qf3! 14...Bg6 [14...Bxe4 15.Rxe4² is just an improved version of the main line for White.] 15.Bd2 c6 16.dxc6 bxc6 17.Bb4² White has more active pieces and a better pawn structure. 14.Rxe4

Position after: 14.Rxe4 Black has two options here. I consider them to be of more or less equal value. 487

14...f5 14...Nf6 This is fine for Black, but it is a little bit dangerous. White has a long-lasting initiative, and Black has to be extremely cautious here in order not to get into real trouble. 15.Rf4! This is the correct square for the rook.

Position after: 15.Rf4! A) 15...Qe7?! runs into 16.b4 Bb6 [16...Qe5 17.Rb1 Bb6 18.Qf3±] 17.Bb2 Ne4 18.c4²

Position after: 18.c4² 488

White’s bishop-pair is strong, while Black’s bishop can be closed off at any moment with c5. A1) 18...a5? 19.c5! and White is winning: 19...dxc5 20.Rg4 g6 21.Qc2 f5 [21...Nxf2 22.Qxf2 cxb4 23.Bd4+–] 22.Rxe4! fxe4 23.d6+– A2) 18...f5 19.Rc1

Position after: 19.Rc1 Strategically Black is much worse: a very bad b6-bishop, less space, White’s bishop-pair, and the likelihood that his pieces will quickly lose ground if he does not act fast. Therefore, Black should look for the most active counterplay. 19...a5! [19...g5 20.Rf3±] 20.a3 axb4 21.axb4 g5 22.Rf3 g4 23.Rf4 Qg5!

489

Position after: 23...Qg5! Putting serious pressure on the f4-rook. The position becomes very tactical. 24.Rxe4! [24.g3!? also deserves attention.] 24...fxe4 25.c5 Ra2! 26.Qd4 Rxb2 27.Qxb2 Ba7 28.Ra1 Bb8 It is hard to believe that Black can be OK here with such a horrible bishop and his exposed king. White is clearly better.

Position after: 28...Bb8 29.Rd1 [29.c6!?] 29...e3 30.fxe3 Qxe3+ 31.Kh1 dxc5 32.bxc5 Qxc5 33.Bd3ƒ 490

B) 15...a5 Just as in the 14...f5 line, Black should stop White from playing b4. 16.Bd3 g6 17.Qf3!

Position after: 17.Qf3! Black is under pressure. B1) 17...Nh5! 18.Rf5 Ng7 19.Bg5 Qd7 20.Rf4 f5! 21.Rh4!

Position after: 21.Rh4! Black’s knight is not placed well on the g7-square. 21...Ne8 is therefore essential, bringing it to f6

491

instead. However, please note that Black has, in the last several moves, played ...Nf6-h5-g7-e8, a rather implausible manoeuvre for a real game! 22.Re1 Nf6 23.Re6 Ne4

Position after: 23...Ne4 24.Be3!ƒ [24.Re7?! Nxg5 25.Rxd7 Nxf3+ 26.gxf3 h5 27.Rxc7 Rf7 28.Rxf7 Kxf7=] B2) 17...Nd7 is too passive. White can proceed in a number of ways: 18.Bd2 [18.h4!?²] 18...Ne5 19.Qg3 c6 20.dxc6 bxc6 21.Re1² 15.Rf4!

492

Position after: 15.Rf4! 15...a5! Black should prevent b4 as White’s queenside expansion could be very annoying. 15...Nf6?! allows 16.b4! Bb6 17.a4

Position after: 17.a4 and I believe White is better here: 17...a5 [17...Ne4 18.a5 Qf6 19.c3±] 18.bxa5 Rxa5 19.Bd2 Ra8 20.a5 Bc5 21.Rb1.

493

Position after: 21.Rb1² There could follow 21...Ng4 22.h3 Qh4 23.Qf3 g5 24.g3 Qh6 25.hxg4 gxf4 26.gxf5 Rxf5 27.Bd3 Rf7 28.Bxf4². 16.Bd3 g6

Position after: 16...g6 Comparing this position to the positions arising after 14...Nf6, Black has some extra tempi (the knight didn’t do a “360 manoeuvre” between the e8- and h5-squares!). Nevertheless, White retains some chances: 17.Bd2 Nf6 18.Qf3

494

Position after: 18.Qf3 18...Ng4! It is important for Black to play actively. 18...Qd7 19.Rf1 Nh5 20.Rh4 Nf6 21.h3² 19.Rf1 Qg5! 19...Qf6 20.Bc3 Ne5 21.Qg3²

495

Position after: 19...Qg5! 20.Qg3! The best move. 20.h3!? This is an alternative. White kicks the knight out as it is very annoying. 20...Ne5 21.Qd1 Qf6 [21...Rae8 22.Bb5 Re7 23.Kh1²] 22.Bc3 Qg5 23.Qc1

Position after: 23.Qc1 White has some chances here. Probably, Black is OK after 23...Rf7∞ but the position remains tense. [23...Qg3?! 24.Qd2 g5 is wrong due to 25.Bxe5! gxf4 26.Bxf4² with more than enough compensation for the exchange.] 20...h5! Also the best reply. The position is very complex, but Lc0 suggestions and evaluations give hopes. 21.a3!

496

Position after: 21.a3! 21...Bb6 A) 21...Rae8 22.h4 Qf6 23.Bc3 Qf7 24.Bxa5 Ne3 25.Rc1² with a clear extra pawn, as Black does not have any follow-up. B) 21...Rf7 22.Kh1 h4 23.Qf3 Ne5 24.Qd1² 22.h4 Qf6 23.Bc3 Qf7 24.Bb5 Ne5 25.Rd1 Kh7 26.Kf1²

497

Position after: 26.Kf1² Obviously, some clarification is required here. I do not claim that White has a clear advantage here. All I am saying is that with perfect play, which during the game is hardly attainable, Black can get decent position here. However, White retains some advantage and some chances. Such is the nature of the Berlin! The most important conclusion is that 13.Ne4!? is a novelty offering good practical chances, and even after Black’s best play an advantage is up for grabs; there is no clear-cut line for Black to equalize immediately. e) 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Nf5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Bf6

Position after: 9...Bf6 Finally, we get to the main line, which is considered by many as a “dead draw”. Yes, the positions are equal with correct play but it does not mean that White cannot set some practical problems for Black to solve! 10.Re1 Nf5 A well-forgotten line, recently revived due to the efforts of Russian GMs Malakhov, Jakovenko and Esipenko. 11.d5!

498

Position after: 11.d5! As seen earlier (9...Ne8 line), pushing d5 is one of the main ideas for White. Gaining space may give him some positional trumps in the future. 11...Re8! The best move. Black tries to simplify the position immediately before White installs his knight on the e4-square. 11...d6 Even though this move has been played the highest number of times, it is less accurate than the text. The issue is that after this move White is in time to place the knight on the e4-square, preventing the trade of rooks that would result after 11...Re8. 12.Nd2!

499

Position after: 12.Nd2! Heading to the e4-square. Black has various choices here, but none of them really solve all the problems. For instance: A) 12...c6 13.Ne4 Be5 14.c3

Position after: 14.c3 A1) 14...Qb6?! This move is the most popular, but the queen does not really belong on the b6square. 15.dxc6! bxc6 [15...Qxc6 16.Bd3±] 16.Bd3 h6 [16...Be6 17.Ng5 g6 18.Nxe6 fxe6 500

19.Re2±] 17.Nd2 Be6 18.Nc4 Bxc4 19.Bxc4² A2) 14...cxd5 15.Qxd5 Be6?

Position after: 15...Be6? was played in Lagno – Gunina (2019) but it just blunders a pawn: 16.Qxb7 Rb8 17.Qa6 d5 18.Ng5+–. A3) 14...Bd7 15.dxc6 Bxc6

Position after: 15...Bxc6 501

Now White has at least managed to break up Black’s pawn structure. White has some small positional advantage due to the isolated d6-pawn. Obviously, it is still relatively OK for Black but White can create some problems to be solved: 16.Qg4! g6 17.Bg5! Provoking some weaknesses. 17...f6 18.Bd2 d5

Position after: 18...d5 19.Ng3! [19.Ng5!? is also interesting, but it leads to a huge mess after 19...Qb6 20.Nf3 Qxb2 21.Rab1 Qxa2 22.Bd3 d4!∞.] 19...Nd6 [19...Ng7 20.Ne2 Qb6 21.Rab1² with Nf4 or Be3-Nd4 next.] 20.Qh4 Ne4 21.Be3² White is slightly better! B) 12...Nh4 13.Ne4

502

Position after: 13.Ne4 B1) 13...Be7 happened in a few games as well. Here, I really like 14.a4! with similar ideas to the 9...Ne8 line. [14.g3 is a little bit calmer and it also offers White an advantage: 14...Ng6 15.f4²] 14...f5 15.Ng3 f4 16.Nh5!

Position after: 16.Nh5! 16...f3 [16...Ng6 17.Qd4±] 17.g3 Ng6 18.Ra3 Ne5 19.Nf4 Bg5 20.Rc3 Bg4 21.Qd4± Even though the e5-knight is very well placed, it does not have much scope. The f3-pawn does not really 503

create any threats to the white king either. With Ne6 coming soon, White will have a big advantage in the center and the queenside. B2) 13...Bf5 14.a4!N again! [14.Ng3 was played in Wang Hao – Fedoseev (2017), but there is no need to retreat with the knight from such a nice location as the e4-square just yet.] 14...Re8 15.Nxf6+ Qxf6 16.Ra3!²/±

Position after: 16.Ra3!² White has a very nice position. C) 12...Re8 13.Ne4 Bd7 14.c3 h6

504

Position after: 14...h6 Here I found a strong novelty: 15.Qb3!N putting some pressure on Black’s queenside. [Instead 15.Bd3 was seen in a blitz game Anand – Kramnik (2017), and it’s certainly a good move, but I think that 15.Qb3 is stronger.] 15...b6 [15...Rb8 16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 17.Bd2²] 16.Bd2

Position after: 16.Bd2 16...Nh4 [16...Be5 17.f4! Bf6 18.Bb5 Bh4 19.g3 Be7 20.Qa4 Bxb5 21.Qxb5²] 17.a4!² White has some pressure. [The simplistic 17.Nxf6+ also gives him a pleasant edge: 17...Qxf6 18.Qc4².] D) 12...Bg5 This is a very logical move. However, it results in a worse version of the 9...Ne8 line, as the f5-knight is rather misplaced and would be better off on the f6-square. 13.Ne4 Bxc1 14.Rxc1 Bd7 15.Qd2²

505

Position after: 15.Qd2² D1) 15...Nh4 Trying to improve the knight runs into 16.c4 b6 17.b4! followed by c5. D2) 15...a5 16.b3 Re8 17.Re2 h6 [17...Nh4 18.Rce1 Ng6 19.f4!?²] 18.Rce1 Re5 19.c4 Qf8 20.g3 Rae8 21.Qd3² D3) 15...Re8 16.b4!? Stopping ...a5 and preparing c4-c5. [16.c4 a5 17.c5 dxc5 18.Nxc5 Nd6=]

Position after: 16.b4!?

506

16...b6 [16...Qh4 17.g3 Qh6 18.Qxh6 Nxh6 19.c4²] 17.c4 a5 18.c5 axb4 19.c6! Bc8 20.Rb1!² After gaining space on the queenside White has a long-term plan of installing the knight on b5square and trying to control the e-file. It is also possible to expand on the kingside. Even though Black is super solid, White has some chances. I looked at this position with both Lc0 and Stockfish. While Stockfish claims this position to be equal, Lc0 (which is generally stronger in positional chess) gives White some edge. Nonetheless, the position is clearly playable and far from a boring Berlin draw! 12.Rxe8+ Qxe8 13.Qd3 d6 14.Nd2

Position after: 14.Nd2 White’s knight, typically for this line, heads towards the e4-square. 14...c6 15.Ne4 Be5 16.c4! The best try to fight for an advantage. White needs to control the center. If 16.Bd2 then I think Black is fine after 16...cxd5 17.Qxd5 Qc6=. 16...cxd5 17.cxd5

507

Position after: 17.cxd5 Black has some choice here. 17...Qa4! This active move is likely Black’s best. A) 17...h6 It makes sense to create “luft” for Black’s king. I think that after 18.Bd2! Bxb2 19.Re1 Qd8

508

Position after: 19...Qd8 20.h3!?© White has a good initiative. It is not so easy to play this position with Black. I like White’s chances. [20.g4!? is more forcing and also possible: 20...Nh4 21.Nxd6 Bd7 22.Qg3ƒ.] B) 17...Bd7 18.Bd2

Position after: 18.Bd2 Intending Re1 and Bc3 next. If 18...Bxb2, then 19.Rb1 followed by capturing the b7-pawn, with an advantage for White: 19...Be5 20.Rxb7². C) 17...b6?! This move prepares ...Bd7 as Black’s queenside pawns are defended. However, White can still play 18.Bd2!. After 18...Bxb2 19.Re1

509

Position after: 19.Re1 White has a strong initiative: 19...Qd8 [19...Qd7 20.Ng5!ƒ] 20.g4 Ne7 21.Rb1 f5 22.Rxb2 fxe4 23.Qxe4±. 18.Bd2! White needs to finish development and look for the initiative. 18...Bxb2 19.Re1 Be5 20.Qb1!?©

510

Position after: 20.Qb1!?© White has nice compensation for the pawn. The idea of Qb1 is to prevent ...Bd7, after which Black would complete his development. Black is definitely under pressure, for instance: 20...h6 21.h3!? b6 21...Rb8 22.Bc3© 22.Bb5! Qd4 23.Bc6 Rb8 24.Bc3 Qc4 25.Bxe5 dxe5 26.Rc1 Qa6 27.a4²

Position after: 27.a4² f) 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.-1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8

511

Position after: 10...Re8 In this position White has several different lines at his disposal. I will try to focus on two or three of them just to show different possibilities. 11.Bf4 A) 11.Rxe8+ Nxe8 12.d5!? This system is also tricky. As usual, White’s d5-push causes some danger for Black. 12...d6 13.Nd2

512

Position after: 13.Nd2 A1) 13...Bf5 This move is aimed against White’s Ne4 idea, and so is logical. But White can hope for some advantage. In particular, this move should not be combined with ...c6, as I played on the next move. 14.Nc4!

Position after: 14.Nc4! A1.1) 14...c6?! This is the most popular, but it’s actually quite shaky for Black! 15.c3 Be4 16.dxc6 Bxc6 [16...bxc6? 17.Qa4± with a big advantage for White, as in Naiditsch – Swiercz (2019) or Harikrishna – Balogh (2019).] 17.Bf4 d5 18.Ne5 Nc7 19.Ng4² [19.Nxc6 bxc6 20.Qa4²] A1.2) 14...Bg5!? Again, it makes sense for Black to trade dark-squared bishops. 15.a4 [15.Be3 Bxe3 16.Nxe3 Bd7 17.Qd4 a5 18.c3 Nf6 19.Re1 Qb8 20.Bd3 Qa7 21.Qxa7 Rxa7 22.f3 Kf8 ½½ Polgar, J– Kramnik, V (2011)] 15...a5 16.Bd2 Bxd2 17.Qxd2 b6 18.Re1 Bd7 19.b3 Nf6 20.Na3² With some pressure related to the occupation of the b5-square and resulting pressure on the c7-pawn.

513

Position after: 20.Na3² A2) 13...c6! Immediately undermining the center. 14.Nc4 cxd5 15.Qxd5

Position after: 15.Qxd5 A2.1) 15...Qc7 This is a little bit inaccurate, I believe. 16.Qd3 Be6 17.Ne3 Rd8

514

Position after: 17...Rd8 Now 18.c3 [or 18.c4 Qc5 19.Rb1², as in Howell – McShane (2019)] 18...d5 19.Nc2 Nd6 20.Nd4² give White some static edge. A2.2) 15...Qe7! This is strong and Black comfortably equalizes. 16.Ne3 [16.Qd3 Be6 17.Nd2 d5 18.Nf3 Nd6 19.Nd4 Nc4] 16...Be6

Position after: 16...Be6 17.Qd3 [17.Qd1 d5 18.Ng4 is a try to win the bishop-pair. After 18...Bxg4 19.Qxg4 Rd8 I don’t 515

think White has anything special here, as White’s queenside is still not developed and Black’s pieces are quite active here.] 17...d5!

Position after: 17...d5!= This move is important. Black comfortably equalizes: 18.c3 d4! 19.cxd4 Rd8 20.Nc2 Nd6© with good compensation for the pawn. B) 11.Nc3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Bxd4 13.Bf4 Ne8 14.Nd5

Position after: 14.Nd5 516

This is a very sharp line in which many games ended with White wins lately, mostly due to the fact that the people playing Black did not remember (or know) the theory. It is impossible not to at least mention this line when discussing these positions, even though I believe that Black is completely fine here. 14...d6 [14...c6!? is also possible but it is considered as quite risky for Black.] 15.Bg5 f6

Position after: 15...f6 There have been played many games. White has some options here, but Black is generally fine. B1) 16.Bc4N is an interesting novelty, but Black is fine in many ways. The simplest (I think) is 16...Kh8 17.Qe4 fxg5 18.Bd3 Bf5! 19.Qxf5 Nf6 20.Nxf6 g6 21.Qxg5 Qxf6=. B2) 16.Be3!? B2.1) 16...Bxb2?! is dangerous for Black: 17.Rb1

517

Position after: 17.Rb1 17...c6 [17...Be5? ended badly for Black in Ivanchuk – Lenic (2019): 18.f4 c6 19.Nb4 Bf5 20.fxe5+–.] 18.Bc4 Be5 19.Nb6+ d5 20.Nxa8 dxc4 21.Rd1 Qe7 22.Bxa7² and White is better here, even though Black’s position is not so bad. B2.2) 16...Be5! It is important to provoke f4.

Position after: 16...Be5! 17.f4 [17.Bc4 Kh8 18.f4 Bxb2 19.Rb1 Ba3 20.Qa5 Bc5 21.Bxc5 dxc5 22.Qxc5 Nd6=] 17...Bxb2 518

18.Rb1 Ba3 19.Qa5 Be6! 20.Bc4 c6 21.Qxd8 Rxd8 22.Ne7+ Kf8 23.Nxc6 bxc6 24.Bxe6 Nc7 25.Bc4 Nd5= B3) 16.Bh4 The most popular move.

Position after: 16.Bh4 Here I think that 16...g5! is really strong. [16...Bxb2?! 17.Rb1 Be5 18.f4 c6 19.fxe5 cxd5 20.exf6 Nxf6 21.Bd3 Bd7 and this position, even though if objectively fine, feels quite dangerous for Black.] 17.Qe4 Bxb2 18.Re1 Be5 19.f4 gxh4 20.fxe5 dxe5 21.Bd3 Bf5 22.Qxf5 Qxd5 23.Qxh7+ Kf8

519

Position after: 23...Kf8 Here I don’t think White has more than a draw. 24.Qh6+ [24.Kh1 Rd8³ can be only risky for White, even though in Guseinov – Georgiadis (2019) White won.] 24...Ke7 25.Qh7+ Kf8 26.Qh6+ Ke7 27.Qh7+ Kf8 Gukesh – Leko (2019). 11...Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Ne8 13.c3 13.Nc3 Bxd4 transposes to 11.Nc3. 13...d5

Position after: 13...d5 Here, White has several possible setups. Three of them are below: 14.Bd3 This is a very well-known “draw line” and almost all the games played here have ended with draws. I will point out a few key features here, but this is for sure not a line to suggest to play for a win with White. This line is so popular that even though I do not suggest playing it, I had to include it in this book. A) 14.Nd2 Delaying Bd3 has some venom too, mostly due to move order nuances. A1) 14...Bf5!? is possible too, as White has delayed Bd3. On the other hand it gives him other possibilities, for instance: 15.Nb3 [15.Qe3!?] 15...c6 [15...b6 16.Bb5!] 16.Nc5 b6 17.Nd3²/=, leaving Black’s queenside a little bit weakened. 520

A2) 14...g6 15.Nf3

Position after: 15.Nf3 A2.1) 15...Ng7 Here, after 16.Bd3 play would just transpose, but there are alternatives which are quite playable, e.g. 16.Qd2!? c6 17.Re1 Be6 18.h3 and having kept the light-squared bishops may provide White with some additional ideas. A2.2) Grandelius – Firouzja (2020) saw 15...c6 16.Bd3 Ng7 17.Bh6!

Position after: 17.Bh6! 521

This is the point. Normally, after 17.Qe2 Bf5 it would just lead to a transposition into another line, but thanks to having postponed Bd3, White has gained this possibility. 17...Nf5 18.Bxf5 Bxf5 19.h3 Be4 20.Nd2 Qe7 21.Qe3 Re8 22.Qf4 Bf5 23.Nf3 Qd8 24.Ne5

Position after: 24.Ne5 24...Be7? [¹ 24...Bg7 but I still prefer White: 25.Bxg7 Kxg7 26.g4 Be6 27.g5².] 25.g4 Be6 26.Re1²/± Grandelius – Firouzja (2020). B) 14.a4 a5 15.Bd3 g6 16.Nd2 Ng7 17.Qe2 c6 18.Re1 Bf5 19.Bxf5 Nxf5 20.Nf3 Ng7 21.Be5

522

Position after: 21.Be5 We have a similar position to the typical line, with the difference being the inclusion of a4 and ...a5, which is rather useful for White. Again, I am not claiming that this is anything great for White, but the goal is to confuse the opponent and find playable positions. For instance: 21...Ne6 22.Qe3 Bg5?! This is not so good anymore, whereas it is if a4 and ...a5 haven’t been included: [22...Bxe5 23.Nxe5 Qg5 24.Qf3 Qf4 25.Qd1 Re8 26.Re3²] 23.Nxg5 Qxg5 24.Qxg5 Nxg5 25.h4 Ne6 26.g4².

Position after: 26.g4² The a5-pawn is a source of problems for Black. 14...g6 15.Nd2 Ng7 16.Qe2 c6 17.Re1 Bf5 18.Bxf5 Nxf5 19.Nf3 Ng7 20.Be5

523

Position after: 20.Be5 20...Ne6 20...Bxe5 21.Qxe5!?N [This is a better try than 21.Nxe5, as here Black is fine after the simple and known 21...Qd6 22.Qf3 f6 23.Nd3 Re8 24.Rxe8+ Nxe8=.] 21...Qb6 22.Qf6!?

Position after: 22.Qf6!? 22...c5 [22...Qxb2?! 23.g4! Rf8 24.Re7 Qc1+ 25.Kg2© looks very dangerous for Black. Even if 524

objectively it holds, the risk for Black is very high!] 23.Qxb6 axb6 24.a3=/² At least Black’s pawn structure is somewhat disrupted. 21.Qe3!

Position after: 21.Qe3! In my opinion this is the only try. 21...Bg5! I think that this is the cleanest way to equality, even if it requires a little bit of memorization. 21...Bxe5 22.Nxe5 Qg5 23.Qf3! is the only try for White. [In Swiercz – Melkumyan (2018) I played 23.Qxg5 Nxg5 24.f3 Ne6= and a few moves later we agreed to a draw.] 23...Qf4 24.Qd1 Re8 25.Re3ƒ

525

Position after: 25.Re3ƒ White has ideas of Qb3 or Qa4-Qb4. The position is equal but Black should still be a little bit careful. A good example could be game Amin – Jakovenko (2015), where Amin quickly got a very promising position. 25...Re7 26.g3 Qh6 27.Qa4 a6 28.Qb4 Qf8 29.a4 Qd8 30.a5 Qc7 31.Nd3² 22.Nxg5 Qxg5 23.f4 Qf5 24.h3 h5 25.Qf3 f6 26.g4

Position after: 26.g4

526

26...Ng5! 27.Qg2 Nxh3+! 28.Qxh3 hxg4 29.Qh6 fxe5 30.Rxe5 Qb1+ 31.Kf2 Rf8 32.Re7 Qc2+ 33.Kg3 Qd3+=

Position after: 33...Qd3+ g) 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 -1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1

527

Position after: 12.Qxe1 This very positional approach generally should not pose any real problems for Black. However, recent developments, even though objectively not indicating anything special for White, made me think that those positions may not be so trivial to play over the board. Sometimes, even GMs failed to equalize! Black has several possibilities, all most likely equalizing but first leaving him with some practical difficulties to solve. 12...Nf5 This move happened in two of my games and in both of them I did not get anything special. I will quickly review them, but without a particular focus on those lines, as I believe that White should choose different paths. In general, White should try to advance a4-a5 to gain space on the queenside. A) 12...Qe8 An attempt to trade queens and simplify the position. 13.Qd1 In this position, I would suggest to keep queens on the board, as with more pieces there are usually more possibilities! [13.Qxe8+ Nxe8 14.a4 happened in Kovalev – Karimov (2019), but I don’t see any problems for Black after the simple 14...a5=.] 13...Nf5

Position after: 13...Nf5 A1) 14.d5 is also possible but it sort of transposes to another line with c3 already played, while normally White can play either Qd3 or Nd2. 14...d6 15.Nd2 Nh4= One pair of rooks traded and White’s knight is not getting to the e4-square yet. A2) 14.Bf4 c6 15.Nd2 [15.d5 runs into 15...Qe4! 16.g3 Qxd5 17.Qxd5 cxd5= and Black is just fine.] 15...d5 In this position, White should opt to gain space on the queenside again. 16.a4!

528

Position after: 16.a4! Even though such a position should normally be completely equal, there are still some practical difficulties for Black to resolve. For instance: A2.1) 16...a5 17.Qb3!², followed by Nf3 and Re1, putting pressure on the b7-pawn. A2.2) 16...g5!? An aggressive attempt to solve Black’s opening problems. 17.Bc7 Qe7 18.Ba5! The bishop regroups to the b4-square, from where it also pressurizes Black’s position. Meanwhile, with ...g5 Black has chronically weakened his kingside. 18...Ng7 19.Bb4 Qc7 20.Bd3² A2.3) 16...Qe7 17.h3 a5 18.Nf3 Nh4 19.Nxh4 [19.Ne1!? Bf5 20.Nd3 is possible as well] 19...Bxh4 20.Bd3 Be6 21.Qb3 Qd7 22.Re1 Re8 White has some pressure here and can proceed with either 23.Qb6 Bd8 24.Qa7² or 23.Qc2 g6 24.g4!?². B) 12...Qe7 Similarly to 12...Qe8, Black wants to trade queens. Here, however, there is an important feature in the position arising after the queen trade. In the case of 12...Qe8 13.Qxe8 Nxe8, Black wants to quickly play ...d5. Here, however, after the queen trade, Black’s knight is still in in the way of the black d-pawn and White has some time to develop an initiative. Therefore, I would suggest playing 13.Qxe7 Bxe7

529

Position after: 13...Bxe7 and here White can choose whether to play Bf4 or a4, but very often both ideas lead to similar positions. B1) 14.Bf4 B1.1) 14...Ne8 15.c4!² B1.2) 14...g5!? Probably the most accurate, even if it looks ‘loose’. 15.Bg3 Ne8 16.c4!? [16.Nd2 d6 17.Re1 Kf8 18.Bd3 h6 19.f4 Ng7 20.fxg5 hxg5 21.Bf2 Be6 22.c4 d5= and Black was fine in Kurnosov – Granda Zuniga (2010).] 16...d6 Again, White develops his knight to the c3-square: 17.Nc3 f5 18.f4! g4 19.Nd5ƒ with some chances. B1.3) 14...b6 This happened in several games, but it could be just unpleasant for Black: 15.a4

530

Position after: 15.a4 15...a6 [15...a5?! 16.Na3 Bb7 17.Bxd6! Bxd6 18.Nb5²] 16.g3 Bb7 17.Nd2² B2) 14.a4!? happened in Kovalev – Aleksandrov (2019). Probably this would be my choice. 14...Ne8 15.a5 a6 [15...d5 16.a6² is not something that Black would enjoy. It transposes to Andreikin – Wang Hao, discussed later.]

Position after: 15...a6 16.c4! This move looks quite strong to me. The idea is to develop the knight to the more active c3531

square and aim to push d5 in the future. [16.Bf4 d5 17.Nd2² was also slightly better, as in the Kovalev game.] 16...Nf6 17.Nc3 d6 18.h3!?² White may consider playing g4 and Bg2 next.

Position after: 12...Nf5 13.Bf4 A) 13.Nd2 d5 14.Nf3 Be6 15.Bf4 c6 16.Bd3 Nh4 17.Nxh4 Bxh4 18.Qe3 Qd7 19.Re1 Re8 20.g3 Bd8 21.h4 Re7= Swiercz – Zherebukh (2018) B) 13.a4!? This is the newest trend. Very often, though, it transposes to the main line. 13...d5 [For 13...a5 14.Bf4 see the main line.] 14.a5

532

Position after: 14.a5 B1) 14...Be7!? Ju Wenjun – Goryachkina (2019). With this move Black transfers the bishop to the d6-square. It is an interesting approach, as it neutralizes a possible Bf4 ahead of time. However, it reduces Black’s pressure on d4, a fact which White can use in some lines. For example: 15.Nd2 Bd6 16.Nf3 Ne7

Position after: 16...Ne7 B1.1) 17.b3 Bf5 18.c4! This was the game continuation, but it’s a little bit less accurate. 18...c6 533

Position after: 18...c6 19.c5! gives some edge: [19.Bb2? a6= and Black equalizes.] 19...Bc7 20.a6 b5 21.cxb6 Bxb6 22.Ba3 Ng6 23.Rc1² B1.2) 17.c4! This choice seems to be a slightly better implementation of Ju’s idea. 17...c6 [17...dxc4 18.Bxc4²] 18.c5 Bc7 19.a6² B2) 14...Nd6 15.Bf4 Bf5 16.Nd2 Bg5

Position after: 16...Bg5 534

This all happened in Kovalev – So (2020). I believe White can hope for some edge after 17.Bxg5 Qxg5 18.Nf3 Qd8 19.a6! [19.Ne5 happened in the game; a draw was agreed soon, after 19...f6 20.Nd3 c6 21.Qd1 Qc7= Kovalev – So (2020).] 19...b6 20.Ne5 Qe8 21.Qd2 f6 22.Nd3

Position after: 22.Nd3 With the pawn on the a6-square, White has some long term idea of making this pawn really useful in disturbing Black’s defenses. Yes, it can become a weakness if he’s not careful, but with correct play the pawn there will most likely benefit White. For instance: 22...Qd7 23.Re1 c6 24.Nb4 Bg6 25.h4 Re8 26.Rxe8+ Bxe8 27.Qf4². B3) 14...c6 15.Bf4 transposes. [15.Nd2 was fine for Black in Karjakin – Giri (2019): 15...Nd6 16.Nb3 Bf5 17.Bf4 Rc8 18.Nc5 b6 19.axb6 axb6 20.Nd3 h6 21.Be5 Be7=.] 13...c6

535

Position after: 13...c6 14.a4!? This alternative was chosen by Nakamura against Giri. Instead, 14.Nd2 d5 15.Bd3 g6 16.Qe2 Ng7 17.Re1 was transposes into Swiercz – Melkumyan (2018), mentioned in subchapter F. 14...a5 This move stops White’s expansion on the queenside. A) 14...d6 This looks like some sort of achievement, as Black did not play ...d5. 15.Nd2 Be6 16.Bd3 Qd7 17.Qe2² with ideas of Re1, Ne4 or Nc4. B) 14...d5 allows 15.a5 which should be advantageous to White. 15.Bc7 Qf8 16.Bd3 d5

536

Position after: 16...d5 17.Nd2! This is my suggestion. 17.Bb6!? has been played, but I believe there is no necessity for this move. 17...Nd6 [¹ 17...g6 Here, this idea works perfectly for Black, as Bb6 wasted essential time. 18.Nd2 Ng7 19.Nb3 Bd8 20.Bc5 Qe8=] 18.Nd2 Be6 19.Qb1 g6 20.b4 axb4 21.Qxb4ƒ With some pressure, as in Nakamura – Giri (2012). 17...g6 Ideally Black wants to manoeuvre the knight to the e6-square as it kicks out the c7-bishop and covers c5-square. But I believe White has some pressure. 18.Nb3! Attacking the a5-pawn. 18...Bd8 19.Be5 Ng7 20.c4!ƒ

537

Position after: 20.c4!ƒ With some initative. It is Black that has to be cautious and defend. h) 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Ne8 13.d5 -1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Ne8

Position after: 12...Ne8 538

This move is by far the most popular. 13.d5! This is the recent development. Again, when given a chance, White opts for d5. Black has quite a broad choice here. A) 13.Bf4 transposes. if White wants to go for this, the most accurate move order would be immediate 11.Bf4, as it gives fewer options for Black to deviate from this position. B) 13.a4!? An alternative employed quite successfully recently by Russian GM Andreikin. As usual, White attempts to gain space on the queenside.

Position after: 13.a4!? B1) 13...a5 After this move White can continue with regular play as in the 11.Bf4 or 13.Bf4 lines with the inclusion of a4 and ...a5. I am not sure how big a difference it makes, but it feels to me like the a5-pawn could become a weakness in some lines. B2) 13...d5 The most natural move, but it allows White to expand on the queenside. 14.a5 B2.1) 14...Qe7?! Andreikin – Wang Hao (2019). 15.Qxe7 Bxe7 16.a6!²

539

Position after: 16.a6!² 16...b6 [16...c5 17.dxc5 Bxc5 18.Bf4² with Nd2-Nb3 (or Nf3) or Na3-Nc2 next.] 17.Bb5 Be6 18.Na3 Bxa3 19.Rxa3 Kf8 20.Bf4 Ke7 21.Bc6 Rd8 22.Ra1± B2.2) 14...c6 15.Bf4

Position after: 15.Bf4 15...Bf5 [15...Qe7?! Also here, trading the queens is not a good idea for Black. 16.Nd2 Qxe1 17.Rxe1 Kf8 18.Nb3 b6 19.Ra1² Andreikin – Cheparinov (2019).] 16.Nd2 Nc7 17.Nf3 Ne6 540

18.Be5

Position after: 18.Be5 18...Ng5 [18...a6 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.Qd2² and with Black’s dark squares on the queenside weakened, White can hope here to maintain some pressure, even though the position is (nearly) equal.] 19.Nxg5 Bxg5 20.a6 b6 21.c4²

Position after: 13.d5! 13...Qe7!? 541

A) 13...c6!? With this move Black tries to undermine the center immediately and solve the problem of lack of space on the spot. White can react in several ways here.

Position after: 13...c6!? A1) 14.Be3!? This pawn sacrifice has happened in two games at the time of writing. I believe that Black is fine after 14...cxd5 15.Qd2 Nc7 16.Na3 d6 17.Nc2 Bf5=.

Position after: 17...Bf5= I do not see any problems for Black. 18.Nb4 [18.Nd4 Bd7 19.Rd1 Ba4=] 18...Be4 19.Rd1 542

Position after: 19.Rd1 A1.1) 19...Qe7?! 20.a3 h6 21.f3 Bf5 22.Qf2 b6 23.Nxd5 Nxd5 24.Rxd5 and the position is around equal, but it is still Black that has to defend. In the game Kovalev – Van Foreest L. (2019), Black ultimately didn’t manage to defend this. A1.2) 19...a5! As in McShane – Radjabov (2017). 20.Nc2 [20.Nd3 Ne6=] 20...Qd7 21.a3 Re8 22.Nd4 h6 23.Ne2 Qc6 24.Ng3 Bg6 25.Be2 Qa4ƒ

Position after: 25...Qa4ƒ

543

and Black slowly managed to improve his position more and more, eventually winning the game. A2) 14.Qe4N 14...Qe7 15.Qf3

Position after: 15.Qf3 This is a novel idea, attempting to stop ...d6 or ...b6 by putting pressure on the c6-pawn. Black should be fine though, after 15...Qc5! 16.dxc6 [16.Be3 Qxd5 17.Qxd5 cxd5 18.Na3 b6 19.Rd1 Bb7 20.g3 Be7 21.Nc2 Bc5=] 16...dxc6 17.Nd2 Qf5=. A3) 14.Qd1 Personally I like this the most. 14...b6 Here, White has some choice again.

544

Position after: 14...b6 A3.1) 15.Bf4 Bb7 16.dxc6 dxc6 17.Nd2 c5 was played in Anand – Caruana (2019) and is also possible, but it seems like Black has no real problems here. 18.Nc4 Qxd1 19.Rxd1 Rd8 20.Rxd8 Bxd8

Position after: 20...Bxd8 Black still should be a little bit careful here, but with accurate play it should be equal. The Anand – Caruana game continued 21.Bb8 a6 22.a4 b5 23.axb5 axb5 24.Na3 b4 25.Nc4 bxc3 26.bxc3 Bd5 27.Ba7 Bxc4 28.Bxc4 Nd6 29.Bd5 Nb5 30.Bxc5 Nxc3= and the draw was agreed shortly. A3.2) 15.g3!?N I like this approach for White. 15...Bb7 16.Bg2 cxd5 [16...Nc7 17.d6 Ne6 18.a4] 17.Na3! Nc7 18.Nc2 Bc6 19.Bf4

545

Position after: 19.Bf4 and White’s position is slightly better, even though Black is very solid (as usual.) For instance: 19...Ne6 [19...Rc8 20.Qd3²] 20.Be3 d4 21.Bxd4 Nxd4 22.Nxd4² B) 13...b6?! This line is, I believe, a little bit suspicious for Black; compared to 13...Qe7 14.Qd1 b6, here White is in time to achieve the perfect setup which Ian Nepomniachtchi demonstrated in his game versus Vladimir Kramnik in 2019. In fact, it is a model strategic game which I am happy to show in its entirety: 14.Bf4 Bb7 15.Qd2

Position after: 15.Qd2 546

15...h6 [15...c6 16.d6!² with Na3 next.] 16.c4 c6 17.Nc3 [17.d6?! c5∞ is not so great here for White, as Black has the d4-square for his bishop.] 17...cxd5 18.cxd5 d6 19.Re1²

Position after: 19.Re1² This is a perfect setup for White and he is clearly better here. The game continued: 19...Nc7 20.Bc4 Bxc3 [20...Qd7 was better, but White is slightly better anyway after 21.Ne4².] 21.bxc3 Qf6 22.h3 Rc8 23.Re4! b5 24.Bb3 a5 25.a3 Qf5 26.Rd4 Qb1+ 27.Bd1 b4 28.cxb4 Nb5 29.Qd3! Qa1 30.Re4 Bxd5 31.Re1!

547

Position after: 31.Re1! A very nice consolidating move. White has a huge advantage and won quickly: 31...Bc4 32.Qf5 Rf8 33.Kh2 g6 34.Qe4 d5 35.Qe7 axb4 36.Be5 1-0. 14.Qd1 b6 This approach has been employed lately by Evgeny Tomashevsky, in his game against Ian Nepomniachtchi. 15.Na3 Bb7 16.g3 Nd6

Position after: 16...Nd6 In this position, Nepomniachtchi chose 17.Bg2 and did not get much. 17.Bf4!N Personally, I believe that this is the best try for White here. Even though Black holds (as he does nearly everywhere in the Berlin) White still has some chances. 17.Bg2 Bg5 18.Nc2 Re8 19.Be3 Nf5 20.d6 Nxd6 21.Bxg5 Qxg5 22.Bxb7 Nxb7 23.Qxd7 Qe7= Nepomniachtchi – Tomashevsky (2019).

548

Position after: 17.Bf4!N 17...Re8 A) 17...Be5 18.Qe2 f6 19.c4 Re8 20.Bxe5 Qxe5 21.Qxe5 Rxe5 22.b4² with some pressure in this endgame. B) 17...Ne4 18.Nb5 d6 19.Bg2 a6 20.Nd4! [20.Nxc7 is just equal after 20...Nxf2! 21.Kxf2 Qxc7=.]

Position after: 20.Nd4!

549

20...Re8 [20...Bxd5? 21.Nf5 Qe6 22.Bh3!+–] 21.Nc6 Bxc6 22.dxc6² White is slightly better here due to his bishop-pair and the possibility of the c6-pawn becoming really strong later on. 18.Qd3!

Position after: 18.Qd3! 18...g5! The best reply, but over the board it’s not easy to come up with such moves! A) 18...Be5? does not work tactically: 19.Re1! Qf6 20.Qe3 Qf5 21.Bxe5 f6 22.Bxd6! Rxe3 23.Rxe3 cxd6 24.Nb5! and suddenly White is winning! B) 18...Bg5? looks seemingly more logical, attempting to trade bishops without weakening the kingside. However, White is much better after 19.Bxd6! Qxd6 [19...cxd6 20.c4+– is very likely just lost for Black as the b7-bishop is never coming back into the game.] 20.Nb5! Qc5 21.b4 and the c7pawn falls. 19.Bxd6 Qxd6

550

Position after: 19...Qxd6 White can play here either 20.Rd1 or 20.Bg2, with some hopes for an advantage. With perfect play Black can most likely equalize, but playing perfect chess is not easy! 20.Rd1 A) 20.Bg2 Re5! [20...Qe5 is already a little bit suspicious: 21.Nc4 Qe2 22.Qf5! Kg7 23.Bf1 Qe4 24.Qxe4 Rxe4 25.d6².]

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Position after: 20...Re5! 21.Rd1 transposes to 20.Rd1. [21.Nc4 Ba6!=] B) 20.Nb5 leads to an equal endgame: 20...Qxd5 21.Qxd5 Bxd5 22.Nxc7 Re5=. 20...Re5!

Position after: 20...Re5! Only move! 21.Bg2 Be7! Finally, this move equalizes. Nonetheless, White can still try some things, and this entire sequence would be hard to find for Black in a practical game. 21...Qe7 22.Nc2 d6

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Position after: 22...d6 looks very logical too, but it can get really unpleasant here for Black: 23.f4! gxf4 24.gxf4 Rh5 25.Qf3! Rh6 26.Bh3 Rg6+ 27.Kh1² with full control over the light squares and the b7-bishop is still not participating in the game. 22.Qc4 h5 23.b4=

Position after: 23.b4=

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The position is equal but quite unbalanced and tense. i) 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Ne8 13.d5 d6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Re8 11.c3 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 Ne8 13.d5! d6

Position after: 13...d6 This is the most popular response and so you should expect it. White has some choice here. 14.Be3!?N This move would probably be my choice. White ensures that the dark-squared bishops aren’t traded, which gels well with his space advantage. And (obviously) more pieces on the board means more chances to win! A) 14.Nd2!? As we have seen so far, this is a typical manoeuvre. The knight goes, ideally, to the e4square. I think Black is fine after both 14...Bg5 and 14...Bf5. A1) 14...Bf5

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Position after: 14...Bf5 15.Ne4 [15.Nf3 Bg4 16.Qe4 Bxf3 17.Qxf3 Bg5=; 15.Nc4 tr.] 15...Bh4 16.Ng3 Bd7 17.c4 Bg5 18.Bd2 Bxd2 19.Qxd2 Qh4 20.Re1 Nf6 21.h3 b6= A2) 14...Bg5 15.Nf3 Bxc1 16.Rxc1 Nf6 17.c4 Bd7 18.Nd4

Position after: 18.Nd4 A2.1) 18...Qe8 was played in Azarov – Mekhitarian (2020), and things went south quickly as Black did not secure the queenside: 19.Qc3 Qe5?!. A questionable queen manoeuvre. 20.Re1 555

Qg5 21.Nf3 Qh5 22.h3! The black queen is a little bit shaky already, but 22...Re8?? just lost on the spot: 23.Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.Qe3+–. A2.2) 18...a5! It is essential to keep the queenside solid. 19.h3 Qe8= B) 14.Na3

Position after: 14.Na3 A curious way to develop the b1-knight. Black’s ...Bg5 is not possible yet and the knight is headed to the c4-square. B1) 14...c6?! 15.dxc6 [15.Qd1?! Lagno – Tan (2019)] 15...bxc6 16.Nc4 Be6 17.Bf4 d5 [17...Bxc4 18.Bxc4 d5 19.Bf1!?² with ideas of g3-Bg2 or Bh3.] 18.Ne5 c5 19.b4² B2) 14...Bf5! 15.Nc4

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Position after: 15.Nc4 B2.1) 15...a5 was played in Nepomniachtchi – Karjakin (2019). This is also possible, but there is no need to play ...a5 just yet. Anyway, I decided to show this game, as Nepomniachtchi outplayed Karjakin in this game in this supposedly equal position. It is a great example for showing that even if positions are equal, it does not mean that they are easy to play! 16.a4 Bd7 17.Be3

Position after: 17.Be3 17...g6 The first step in the wrong direction, even though it’s still completely fine for Black. 557

[17...Bg5!= was necessary, to trade those dark-squared bishops.] 18.Qd1 Ng7 19.f3 Nf5 20.Bf2

Position after: 20.Bf2 White has managed to preserve the bishop, and Black struggled for the next few moves to find the right plan: 20...h5 21.Qb3 b6 22.Na3 Bg5 23.Re1 Bd2 24.Re4!

Position after: 24.Re4! After several suboptimal moves, suddenly White is much better. The idea is to play Bb5 and exploit Black’s queenside weaknesses. 24...Qg5 25.h4 Qh6 At this point Black was risking a 558

loss, but after 26.Qc4?! [26.Bb5 Bxb5 27.Nxb5±

Position after: 27.Nxb5± would have guaranteed a big advantage to White.] 26...Rc8 27.Nb5?! Be3! Black had equalized. 28.Qe2 Bxf2+ 29.Qxf2 Qc1 30.Re1 Qf4 31.Re4 Qc1 32.Re1 Qf4 ½-½ Nepomniachtchi, I – Karjakin, S (2019). B2.2) 15...Bg5! The best move.

Position after: 15...Bg5! 559

Trading dark-squared bishops is usually a good idea for Black in those positions, and this is no exception. I believe that Black is just fine here. 16.Na5 is probably the only try but it does not really give White much: [16.Be3 Bxe3 17.Nxe3 Bd7 18.c4 Qg5= with a very solid position.] 16...Bxc1 17.Qxc1 c5 18.Nc4 Be4 19.Qd2 Nf6 20.Ne3 h6=

Position after: 14.Be3!?N 14...Bf5 A) 14...Bd7 15.Qd2 h6 16.c4 Bg5 17.f4! Bf6 18.Nc3 c5 [18...a5 19.Re1 a4 20.Bd3²] 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.b3² B) 14...c6 15.dxc6 bxc6 16.Nd2 d5 17.Nb3² 15.Qd2 h6 16.c4 Bg5

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Position after: 16...Bg5 17.f4! Just in time! 17.Nc3 Bxe3 18.Qxe3 Nf6= should be fine for Black. 17...Bf6 18.Nc3 c5 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.h3²

Position after: 20.h3² 561

White has a better pawn structure and good prospects. j) 9.Nc3 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.Nc3

Position after: 9.Nc3 This is another system that has been very popular. Personally, I do not have too much faith in this line because Black can quickly develop his pieces and achieve a correct and simple setup without any particular issues. On the other hand, White does manage to win the bishop-pair, which could be considered as a positional trump. 9...Ne8 This is the main move. Alternatives lead to some advantage for White. A) 9...Bf6?! 10.Re1

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Position after: 10.Re1 A1) 10...Nf5 11.Nd5 d6 12.Nxf6+ Qxf6 13.c3 [13.Qf3 Bd7 14.d3 Bc6] 13...Bd7 14.d4 Rfe8 15.Bd2 Rxe1 16.Bxe1 Nh4 17.f3 Qg5 18.Bg3 Nf5 19.Bf2² A2) 10...b6 11.d4 is covered in line B. A3) 10...Re8 11.Nd5 Rxe1 12.Qxe1 b6 13.d3 Bb7 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.Qb4!? Re8 16.Qf4! Qf5 17.Bd2² and White is slightly better. B) 9...c6?! 10.d4

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Position after: 10.d4 10...Bf6 [10...Ne8 11.d5 d6 12.Re1² This is exactly what White wants: a pawn on the d5-square, giving him more space.] 11.Re1 Nf5 12.d5 d6

Position after: 12...d6 Here White can play 13.Ne4 [or 13.Bf4², also with a better position] 13...Be5 14.c3, transposing to a line analyzed via 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re1 Nf5 11.d5 d6 12.Nd2 c6 13.Ne4 Be5 14.c3. 10.Nd5 Bd6 11.Re1 c6 12.Ne3

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Position after: 12.Ne3 Here, Black has two options and both are perfectly fine for him, but White may retain some practical chances either way. 12...Be7 Recently this move has been a little bit more popular. White can try many things, but Black remains very solid anyhow. 12...Bc7 In this line White gets the bishop-pair, but Black stabilizes the center. 13.Nf5 d5 14.Ne7+ Kh8 15.Nxc8 Rxc8 [15...Qxc8 was tried too, but it does not change the landscape too much.] 16.d3

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Position after: 16.d3 In this position Black has many moves, but these two are the most popular: 16...Nf6 and 16...f5. A) 16...Nf6 A calm attempt to regroup. 17.Bg5!? This would be my suggestion. It seems like it does not change much. However, there are some minor reasons why the inclusion of ...h6 is to White’s benefit. For instance, there could be Bxh6 tactical ideas; or if White’s queen gets to the h5-square, Black’s ...g6 will not be possible. 17...h6 18.Bd2 Qd7 19.g3

Position after: 19.g3

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A1) 19...Ng4 20.h3 Ne5 21.Qh5 f5 22.Re2 Kh7 23.d4 Nc4 24.Rae1 Qf7 25.Qxf7 Rxf7 26.Bc1 Nd6 27.Re6 Ne4 28.Bd3² A2) 19...Rce8 20.Qf3 Rxe1 [20...Ng4?! 21.d4±] 21.Rxe1 Re8 22.Rxe8+

Position after: 22.Rxe8+ 22...Nxe8 [22...Qxe8? 23.Bxh6 is one point of provoking ...h6!] 23.Qh5!² Intending Bh3. If 23...Nf6 then 24.Bh3!² still works! A3) 19...Qf5 20.Bg2 Rce8 21.Qf3 Qxf3 22.Bxf3 Kg8 23.b4²

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Position after: 23.b4² White has a pleasant advantage here. Probably with correct defense it is holdable, but there is no doubt that the bishop-pair is strong here. The light-squared bishop, in particular, has huge potential as it has no opponent. B) 16...f5 This is a very concrete way to solve Black’s problems. Recent games by top GMs confirm it is probably the best move here for Black, but that does not mean that White cannot find some ideas here. 17.Qf3

Position after: 17.Qf3 B1) 17...Qd7 18.Bf4 Nf6 [18...Bxf4 19.Qxf4 Nd6 20.c4±] 19.Bxc7 Qxc7 20.Re6! Rce8 21.Rxe8 Rxe8 22.Qxf5 Qb6 23.b3 Qd4 24.Rc1 Qb2 25.Qf4 Qxa2 26.Qd4² B2) 17...Qf6 18.c3 g5 Consistent with Black’s strategy, but not necessarily solving his opening problems. [18...Nd6?! went wrong quickly for Black in Vorontsov – Chandra (2018): 19.Bf4 Nf7 20.Re2 Bxf4 21.Qxf4 Rfe8 22.Rae1 Rxe2 23.Rxe2±.] 19.Be3 g4 20.Qd1 Ng7 21.Bd4 Qf7 22.Qd2 Kg8 23.Be5² B3) 17...Nf6! 18.h3!?N This move would be my suggestion. Probably it’s just an idea for one game, but still! The point of this move is to stop ...Ng4 and then simply develop pieces, hoping that the bishop-pair proves to be an important strategic factor. B3.1) 18...f4!? This is a very concrete approach. It seems quite risky for Black: 19.Bxf4 Ne4 20.Bxc7 Rxc7 21.Qe3 Nxf2 22.g3!ƒ

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Position after: 22.g3!ƒ The f2-knight seems to be sort of trapped. Maybe with some very concrete play Black can hold it, but I think White has good chances here. B3.2) 18...Qd6 19.g3 Qd7 leads to a similar position but with an extra g3 played for White, which in my opinion is to his benefit. B3.3) 18...Qd7 19.Bf4 Bxf4 20.Qxf4 Rce8 21.a4²/= Because of the d3-pawn (it isn’t on the d4square) White has some flexibility here in choosing plans.

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Position after: 12...Be7 13.c4 A) 13.Nf5!? White wants to grab the bishop-pair, just like in the 12...Bc7 line. 13...Bf6 14.Qe2 Here Black needs to be quite careful.

Position after: 14.Qe2 A1) 14...d5 This is what White hopes for. 15.Ne7+ Kh8 16.Nxc8 Rxc8 17.d3 Nd6 [17...Bg5?! 18.Bxg5 Qxg5 19.c4!? Qd8 20.Qe7 was very uncomfortable for Black in Hovhannisyan – Pashikian (2015); 17...Nc7 could be a decent option but White has good prospects: 18.Qg4 Re8 19.Rxe8+ Qxe8 20.Bd2².] 18.Qg4

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Position after: 18.Qg4 The position is not so easy for Black. The game Yu Yangyi – Wang Hao (2017) followed: 18...h6 [18...Re8 19.Rxe8+ Qxe8 20.Bf4 Rd8 21.c3²] 19.g3 Bg5 20.c4! Bxc1 21.Raxc1 dxc4 22.dxc4 Qf6 23.Rcd1± and suddenly Black is in trouble. A2) 14...Kh8! This move is very strong and solves Black’s opening problems. The difference between ...d5 and ...Kh8 is very subtle. 15.Ne7 Following the plan. [15.Qf3 d5 16.Ng3 g6 17.c3 Ng7 18.d4 Kg8=] 15...Nc7! 16.Nxc8 Re8!

Position after: 16...Re8! 571

The point: Black is in time to trade rooks on the e-file in a comfortable way. 17.Qd1 Rxe1 18.Qxe1 Qxc8 19.c3 d5 20.d4 Qd7= Black is certainly OK here. B) 13.d4 This was played twice in 2020 by Daniel Naroditsky. It could be sort of a new trend, but I do not have much hope of finding anything special here for White. 13...d5 14.Bd3

Position after: 14.Bd3 B1) 14...g6 was played by Nakamura, but it seems a little bit inaccurate. 15.Ng4 Ng7 16.Qf3 Kh8?! [16...Bxg4 was already necessary, handing White the bishop-pair.] 17.Ne5 Be6 18.c3 Bg5 19.Qg3 Bxc1 20.Raxc1 Nh5 21.Qe3 Qf6 22.g3²

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Position after: 22.g3² White is slightly better here. Of course Black is very solid, but that’s the nature of the entire opening! B2) 14...Nd6! An accurate move. 15.c3 Re8 16.Ng4 Bf5 17.Bxf5 Nxf5 18.Bf4 Bf8 19.Qd3= and a draw was agreed in Naroditsky – Grischuk (2020). 13...Nc7

Position after: 13...Nc7 14.d4 14.Nf5!? Bf6 15.Nd6 This idea could be tried once too. A) 15...Ne6? was played in the blitz game Nakamura – Grischuk (2018). Here, White has an amazing resource: 16.d4! Giving away a pawn for total domination of the position due to the powerful d6-knight.

573

Position after: 16.d4! [16.d3? Qc7= happened in the game and Black is certainly fine.] B) Black is fine here after 15...Ne8!=, getting rid of the d6-knight and reaching equality. 14...d5 15.cxd5 Bb4

Position after: 15...Bb4 16.Bd2 574

The only try. 16.Re2 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Qxd5! [17...cxd5?! 18.Qb3 Bd6 19.g3 Bg4 20.Re3²] 18.Re5 Qd8=

Position after: 18...Qd8= This is at least OK for Black. The isolated d4-pawn can only become an issue for White in the future. 16...Bxd2 17.Qxd2 Nxd5 18.Nxd5 Qxd5 19.Re5 Qd6 20.Bc4 Bd7 21.Rae1

575

Position after: 21.Rae1 This line has seen numerous draws in tournament practice. And this is understandable: why would Black be worse here, considering the limited material and seemingly inevitable further trades? The thing is that Black still needs to be familiar with some ideas here, as White is definitely more active. 21...b5! This is probably the most accurate. 21...Rae8 is also possible: A) 22.Qc3 The most popular choice. With a few accurate moves Black is fine: 22...Rxe5 23.dxe5 Qe7 24.Rd1 Be6! 25.Bxe6 Qxe6 26.a3 f6! 27.exf6 Qxf6

Position after: 27...Qxf6 28.Qb3+ [28.Qxf6 Rxf6 29.Rd7 Rf7 30.Rd8+ Rf8 31.Rd7 Rf7 32.Rd8+ Rf8 33.Rd7= ½-½ Alekseev – Dominguez Perez (2019)] 28...Kh8 29.f3 Qe7= [29...b6!?= Nakamura – So (2018)]. B) 22.Qe3!? This was played by Alexander Motylev against Jeffery Xiong in 2017, a game won by Motylev. It definitely deserves attention. 22...Rxe5 23.dxe5 Qb4!

576

Position after: 23...Qb4! 24.b3 [24.e6 is tempting too, but Black should be fine after 24...Bxe6 25.Bxe6 fxe6 26.Qxe6+ Kh8 27.Qe7 a5 28.Re4 Qxe7 29.Rxe7 b5 30.Kf1 Kg8 31.Rc7 Rd8 32.Ke2 Rd6=.] 24...Be6! Only this move equalizes. [24...Qb6?! was Jeffery’s choice and Black’s position becomes worse. 25.Qxb6 axb6 26.Rd1 Bf5 27.a4 Re8 28.f4 Kf8 29.Kf2²] 25.Bxe6 fxe6 26.Rd1!

Position after: 26.Rd1! Black has an only move: 26...Qa5! with equality. Next Black either takes the a2-pawn or plays ... 577

Rd8. 27.h4 [27.a4 Rd8=] 27...Qxa2 28.Rd7 Rf7 29.Rd8+ Rf8 30.Rd7 Rf7= C) 22.Qf4 Rxe5 23.dxe5 Qe7= D) 22.h4!?N Probably this would be my suggestion. Another idea for one game only, but it is still better to choose something that has not been played yet! And there are still some practical problems that Black needs to solve. 22...Rxe5 23.Rxe5

Position after: 23.Rxe5 D1) 23...h6 24.Qf4! Be6 25.Bxe6 fxe6 26.Qe3 Rd8 27.Re4 Qd5 28.b3 a5 29.Kh2ƒ

578

Position after: 29.Kh2ƒ The truth is that only White can win this, and Black is still under some pressure. Probably Black equalizes with perfect play, but along the way White will not be without chances. D2) 23...Qf6?! 24.h5! h6 [24...Re8? 25.Qa5!+–] 25.Qe3² D3) 23...Re8 24.Qf4 Qf8

Position after: 24...Qf8 25.d5!? [25.a4 Rxe5 26.Qxe5 h6= most likely Black is fine here.] 25...cxd5 26.Bxd5ƒ White has some pressure here. 22.Bb3 a5 23.a3 a4 24.Ba2 Rae8

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Position after: 24...Rae8 25.Qc3 Probably the best try. 25.h4 Rxe5 26.Rxe5 Qf6! [26...Re8?! 27.Qf4 Qf8 28.d5ƒ] 27.h5 Re8=

Position after: 27...Re8= Here is the best example of the differences between the position with and without Black advancing 580

his queenside pawns. In this position Black is fine, but if we look at the analogous position without ...b5, ...a5, and ...a4, White can play Qa5! with a winning position. (Specifically, see 21...Rae8 22.h4 Rxe5 23.Rxe5 Qf6 24.h5 Re8 25.Qa5!). 25...Rxe5! The most accurate. 25...g6 This waiting move is also possible, but it allows White to develop an initiative on the kingside: 26.h4!

Position after: 26.h4 26...h5 This natural move was played in Handke-Heimann (2018). I think that White can develop a strong initiative here. [26...Rxe5 27.dxe5 Qe7 28.h5! gives White some pressure. Probably with correct play Black should eventually equalize, but there are certain practical problems still to be resolved. For example: 28...Be6 29.Bxe6 Qxe6 30.f4!? and I think that Black still needs to be careful.] 27.Qg3 Rd8 28.R1e4!? Bringing another piece to join the attack. 28...Kg7 29.Rf4

581

Position after: 29.Rf4 29...Bg4 [29...f6 does not work, due to 30.Rxh5! and after 30...Rde8 31.f3 Re2 32.Rg5!! White’s attack is irresistible. The point is that the rook is untouchable: 32...fxg5 33.Rf7+!+– and White wins.] 30.Bb1!± White prepares f3 with a strong attack. [30.f3? was played in the aforementioned game Handke-Heimann (2018), but after 30...Be6 31.Bb1 f5!!„ suddenly Black would have solved all the problems on the kingside. Note, though, that 31...Rh8 was played instead and White had a great position after 32.Qg5!±.] 26.dxe5 Qe7 27.Rd1! Bf5! 28.Rd6 Rd8=

582

Position after: 28...Rd8= Black is fine here. White has some practical chances but objectively there is nothing that could really cause any danger to Black. 29.Qd2 29.Qa5 Rf8! 30.f4 [30.Qc3 Rd8=] 30...Be6! 31.Bxe6 fxe6 32.Rxc6 Qd7! 33.Rd6 Qc8!

Position after: 33...Qc8! 583

34.Qxb5 [34.Qd2 Qc5+ 35.Kh1 Qxe5=] 34...Qc1+ 35.Qf1 Qe3+ 36.Qf2 Qc1+= 29...Rxd6 30.exd6

Position after: 30.exd6 Black has some choice here. 30...Qe5 30...Qf6!? is also fine. 31.Qa5 Qxd6 32.Qa8+ Qf8 33.Qxc6 Qd8

584

Position after: 33...Qd8 34.Qxb5 [34.h4 Bd7 35.Qd6 Qe8 36.Bd5 h6=] 34...Qd1+ 35.Qf1 Qd2 36.Qa1 Bc2= with enough compensation for the pawn. 31.h4 Bd7 32.Qa5 Kf8!

Position after: 32...Kf8! I don’t see any further improvement for White. Any attempt at pushing the d-pawn and supporting it with his queen will leave White’s king unprotected and subject to a perpetual check. 33.Kf1 Qe4 34.Qd8+ Be8 35.Kg1 Qe1+ 36.Kh2 Qe5+ 37.g3 Qe2=

585

Position after: 37...Qe2= In general, I think Black is fine in this 9.Nc3 line (like everywhere in the Berlin!). I dedicated much less time to this system as personally I believe 9.d4 gives better chances. However, there are some ideas here for White too. Especially I like the Bg5-Bd2 idea in the 9...Bc7 line. Even though Black is fine nearly everywhere, White can try to apply some pressure if his opponent does not remember (or mixes up) the lines. The 9.Nc3 line is a good supplement to the wide array of weapons against the Berlin, however it can’t be treated as the primary choice in every game.

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Chapter 14 4.d3: Sidelines on move 4 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3

Chapter Guide Chapter 14 – 4.d3: Sidelines on move 4 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 a) Introduction b) 4...Bd6 c) 4...Ne7 a) Introduction 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3

Position after: 4.d3 4...Bc5 This is the most popular move nowadays, and the theory here has been growing exponentially for the 587

last 20 years. And this happened for a reason: as people started to have good results here as Black, people who played the line as White managed to come up with new ideas, setting new problems for Black. Then, analysts and players came up with solutions; but other ideas emerged for White, and so on. This is a natural process for any opening. The present state of theory at time of print is that Black is doing well here (after all, it is a Berlin!). I will suggest an idea that has been quite popular lately; and I have played it myself. I do not claim it gives White an advantage, but if the opponent is caught off-guard, it could give White an easy game. A) 4...d6

Position after: 4...d6 This system is considered to be somewhat inferior to 4...Bc5; however, there is definitely less theory here. People (including myself) choose this whenever they don’t feel like going for the theoretical battles that can result after 4...Bc5. Indeed – the theory on 4...Bc5 has grown incredibly in the last couple of years, and it could be overwhelming. Therefore, 4...d6 is an alternative that offers playable positions without having to know tons of lines. However, it comes at a cost. White is usually slightly better here, or at least has a somewhat easier game. After 5.0-0 Black has a choice. In many cases there are transpositions to other systems that I cover elsewhere (I will make sure to mention which line transposes to which). Here, my main emphasis will be on variations that are specific to this move order and cannot appear on the board from different ones. Namely, I will focus on lines where Black plays ...g6. B) 4...Bd6

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Position after: 4...Bd6 This move has been played several times by Levon Aronian. The main idea is simply to support the e5-pawn without having to move the d7-pawn. With the continuation ...0-0, ...Re8 and ...Bf8, Black will make sure the e5-pawn stays protected by the rook, and eventually aim to play...d5 in one move. In case of Bxc6 dxc6 at some point, the bishop is already well placed on d6. However, the bishop is still placed somewhat artificially there. I believe that this line does not equalize. C) 4...Ne7

Position after: 4...Ne7 589

The idea of this rare move is to play ...Ng6 very quickly, push the b5-bishop with ...c6, quickly develop the kingside and achieve perfect with the g6-knight without allowing any kind of Bxc6 lines etc. Also, it contains an extremely devilish trap. 5.Bc4! This would be my suggestion. 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2

Position after: 6.Nbd2 I would suggest going for this positional line. In recent years the theory has grown a lot here and I feel like this line is very rich in ideas. White can get a pleasant position with good chances. 6...Be6 This is the most popular (and probably the best) reply. It has been played many times by many top GMs (Kramnik, Nakamura, Dominguez, So just to name a few). There are lots of alternatives: 6...Nd7, 6...0-0, 6...Bg4, 6...Qe7, and 6...Bd6. 7.0-0

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Position after: 7.0-0 In this position, Black needs to somehow defend the e5-pawn. And there are three ways to do it: 7...Bd6, 7...Qd6, ad 7...Nd7. I will analyze each of those lines in detail. Again, I will not attempt to refute the Berlin. Very often the positions will be equal – it is not possible to find an objective advantage in this opening if Black does not do anything suspicious. However, even if positions are equal, having good knowledge and feeling about those structures will definitely be helpful for when you want to create play in a practical context. b) 4...Bd6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bd6

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Position after: 4...Bd6 5.0-0 a6 5...0-0 Black can try to play temporarily without ...a6, but eventually this move has to be played anyway. 6.Re1 Re8 [6...Ne7? 7.d4!±] 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 Bf8 9.c3 d6 10.Nbd2²

Position after: 10.Nbd2² Usually, in such positions Black would be able to play ...Be7 as the second (rather than third) move 592

by this bishop. But here, Black already went to the f8-square. If he wants to play ...Be7 now, then White will be a tempo up relative to the normal theoretical position. However, there is another idea for Black that is quite interesting, and I will analyze it after 10...a6 11.Ba4 as ...a6 is compulsory in any case. 6.Ba4 0-0

Position after: 6...0-0 7.Re1! I think that this is an important move order. The point is that White may be preparing an immediate d4, and there is no need to worry about the a4-bishop (...b5 & ...Na5 ideas) due to this d4 idea, as I will show in a moment. Also, it avoids a very annoying order by which Black could meet 7.c3. In case of 7.c3 I think that Black has a relatively good game after 7...Re8 8.Re1 h6 9.Nbd2 Bc5! While it may seem that Black just wasted a tempo making two moves with his dark squared bishop, White cannot exploit it. For instance, 10.Nf1 [10.Bb3 d6 transposes to an Italian!] 10...d5! with an unclear position. 7...Re8 A) 7...h6 8.d4! This is the main benefit of starting with 7. Re1. 8...b5 9.Bb3

593

Position after: 9.Bb3 A1) 9...exd4!? This is an interesting piece sacrifice. 10.e5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 c5! 12.Nxf7 This is the most principled move. [12.c3!? is also possible. 12...c4 13.Qxd4 Bxe5 14.Rxe5 cxb3 15.axb3² Black should equalize here, eventually, but White’s position is still preferable.] 12...Rxf7 13.Bxf7+ Kxf7 14.Nd2! Bb7 15.Nf3

Position after: 15.Nf3 Black has some compensation for the exchange but it is clearly White that is pressing for a win. 594

There are some ideas of undermining the center with c3 or b4. 15...Nd5 [15...Qc7 16.Qd3] 16.Ne5+ Kg8 17.Qh5 Qe8 18.Qf5 Qe6 19.Qxe6+ dxe6 20.Bd2² A2) 9...Bb7 10.c3 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 This is very similar to the Zaitsev Variation of the Closed Ruy Lopez, but not exactly. 12.Nf1!

Position after: 12.Nf1! This is the difference. Normally, White needs to play Bc2 first in order to transfer the knight to g3, but here it is not necessary as Black’s d-pawn is still on the d7-square rather than d6. If Black plays ...exd4, White would be able to play e5! (see 12...exd4). 12...Na5 [12...d6 would be a Zaitsev-like position, but in a good version for White as his knight is already on the g3-square. 13.Ng3 Na5 14.Bc2 Nc4 15.b3 Nb6 16.Bd2²; 12...exd4? 13.e5! Nh7 14.cxd4±] 13.Bc2 d5!? This is the only logical follow-up, taking advantage of the fact that his d-pawn hasn’t moved yet; more importantly, it works tactically. 14.Nxe5 dxe4 15.Bf4² However, even after the breakthrough in the center, White retains some edge. The e4-pawn is a little bit weak, and White’s pieces are somewhat better placed. For instance:

595

Position after: 15.Bf4² 15...c5 [15...Rc8 16.Bg3 c5 17.dxc5 Rxc5 18.Qxd8 Rxd8 19.Ne3 Nc6 20.Nxc6 Rxc6 21.Rad1² is a pleasant endgame for White.] 16.dxc5 Qc7 17.b4! Rxe5 18.Bxe5 Qxe5 19.bxa5 Bxc5 20.a4² Black lacks full compensation for the exchange. B) 7...b5 8.Bb3

Position after: 8.Bb3 8...Na5? This is a principled way to get the pair of bishops. [For 8...h6 9.d4 see 7...h6.] 9.d4! Due to 596

this move, the ...b5/...Na5 idea does not work. 9...Nxb3 10.axb3 Re8 11.dxe5 Bxe5 12.Nxe5 Rxe5 13.Bf4 Re6 14.e5 Ne8 15.Qd5 Rb8 16.Nc3 Bb7 17.Qd4²/± 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4

Position after: 9.Bh4 9...Bf8 9...b5 10.Bb3 Be7 11.a4! Rb8 Black should maintain the tension. But this comes at a cost: White will control the a-file. [11...b4?! 12.a5 d6 13.Nbd2²] 12.axb5 axb5

597

Position after: 12...axb5 White can proceed here in a number of ways. For instance: 13.Nc3 [13.c3 d6 14.Bg3 Bf8 15.Nbd2²] 13...d6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nd5². 10.c3 d6 11.Nbd2 b5

Position after: 11...b5 12.Bb3! 598

The bishop should be placed here for now. It is much more active there than on the c2-square. 12.Bc2 was my initial thought – after all, availability of the c2-square is one of benefits of c3. However, I realized that the position is pretty unclear after 12...g5! 13.Bg3 Ne7!

Position after: 13...Ne7! Black manoeuvres the knight to the g6-square. 14.a4 Rb8 15.axb5 axb5 16.Nf1 Ng6∞ and White has some play, but Black also has chances. Sometimes, ...h5-h4!? could be possible for him. 12...Na5 This is a drawback of 12.Bb3 – Black can chase the bishop and play ...c5 next. But it does not fully equalize. With the white bishop placed on b3, the plan with 12...g5 13.Bg3 Ne7 is not so great. As mentioned earlier, the b3-bishop is much more active than if it were on c2 and this may be useful in some lines. 14.Nf1 Ng6 15.Ne3²

599

Position after: 15.Ne3² White has a nice edge. There is no clear follow-up to Black’s play and White can proceed with his own play either in the center or on the kingside. For example: 15...c5 [15...h5? With the b3-bishop on c2, this would be possible. But now, White simply wins after 16.Nxg5+– as Black’s f7-pawn is under attack!] 16.h4! g4 17.Nh2 h5 18.f3 Bh6 19.fxg4 Bxe3+ 20.Rxe3 hxg4 21.Qd2² 13.Bc2 c5 14.h3 White has a nice position.

600

Position after: 14.h3 The pin is pretty annoying for Black and also the h4-bishop can hide on the g3- or h2-squares. From there, it would be supporting d4 idea and help put some pressure on the center. For instance: 14...Nc6 14...Be7 15.Bg3 Nh5 16.Bh2 Nf6 and now both 17.d4² and 17.Nf1² are possible with some edge. 15.Nf1 Be6 16.Ne3 Be7 17.d4²

Position after: 17.d4² c) 4...Ne7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Ne7

601

Position after: 4...Ne7 White has a number of lines to choose from. Personally, my favorite is the approach that prevents Black’s basic ideas from happening. 5.Bc4!? This is, therefore, what I would suggest here. The idea is to renew the Nxe5 threat and prevent ...Ng6. 5.Nxe5?? It is important not to fall for this: 5...c6!–+ with ...Qa5 next. 5...c6 Black prepares ...d5. A) 5...d5? simply hangs the pawn: 6.exd5 Nexd5 7.0-0 Bd6 8.Re1 0-0 9.Nxe5±. B) The immediate 5...Ng6? runs into 6.h4!

602

Position after: 6.h4! which is the key idea behind 5.Bc4. Black is under serious pressure: 6...d6 [6...h5? 7.Ng5+–] 7.h5 Ne7 8.Nc3 h6 9.d4 exd4 10.Nxd4 a6 11.Bf4±. 6.Nc3

Position after: 6.Nc3 6...d6 603

A) 6...Ng6? again runs into 7.h4! with serious pressure: 7...h5 [7...d5 8.exd5 cxd5 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bxd7+ Qxd7 11.h5+–] 8.Ng5 d5 9.exd5 b5 10.Bb3 cxd5 11.d4!

Position after: 11.d4! White has an advantage. Black’s center is nearly collapsing and White’s development advantage is overwhelming. For example: 11...Bb4 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Bf4 Nc4 14.Qe2+ Qe7 15.Qxe7+ Kxe7 16.0-0-0 Bxc3 17.bxc3±. B) 6...d5? 7.Bb3 Ng6 8.exd5

604

Position after: 8.exd5 8...cxd5 [8...Nxd5 9.0-0 Be7 10.Qe2 Nxc3 11.bxc3±] 9.h4! h5 10.Qe2 Bd6 [10...Bg4 11.Ba4+±] 11.Bg5± 7.0-0 Black has to push ...h6 at some point here, as at some point Ng5 will become a real threat. 7.Ng5 immediately is fruitless as Black has 7...d5 8.Bb3 h6 9.Nf3 Ng6=.

Position after: 7.0-0 7...h6 A) 7...Qc7 This gives White an additional option but I’d prefer to keep things simple. 8.d4 [8.Ng5!? is possible too but it is not so clear to me what happens after 8...d5 9.exd5 cxd5 10.Bb3 Bg4 11.Ba4+ Bd7∞. Probably White doesn’t have much here.]

605

Position after: 8.d4 8...exd4? does not work: [8...h6 transposes to our main line.] 9.Ng5! is crushing now. 9...dxc3 10.Bxf7+ Kd8 11.e5! Ng6 12.exf6 gxf6 13.Qd4 Ne5 14.Ne6+ Bxe6 15.Bxe6±. B) 7...Ng6? 8.Ng5!± 8.d4 Qc7 9.Nh4!

Position after: 9.Nh4! 606

A very nice and strong move. White threatens f4 which puts lots of pressure on the center, which will be very uncomfortable for Black as his king is still in the center. 9...g5! It is essential to stop f4. 9...g6? 10.dxe5! is an important intermezzo. [10.f4? was played in Saric – Fedorchuk (2018), and Black is fine after 10...exd4 11.Qxd4 Bg7∞.] 10...dxe5 11.f4± White is crushing in the center. 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Qf3 Bg7 12.Nf5

Position after: 12.Nf5 12...Bxf5 12...Nxf5?! 13.exf5 g4 14.Qd3 0-0 15.Ne4± 13.exf5 0-0 14.Bd3²

607

Position after: 14.Bd3² White’s bishop-pair and control over the e4-square, and the very bad black bishop are the main sources of White’s advantage. White may consider, in the distant future, a kingside attack with moves like h4.

608

Chapter 15 4.d3: Black plays 4...d6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 d6

Chapter Guide Chapter 15 – 4.d3: Black plays 4...d6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.0-0 a) 5...Bd7 b) 5...Be7 c) 5...a6 a) 5...Bd7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.0-0

609

Position after: 5.0-0 5...Bd7 5...g6 6.d4 will soon transpose to the main line. But White gets additional options this way due to having not yet committed to Re1. 6...Bd7 7.Re1 transposes. [7.d5!? is also possible and leads to nearly identical positions.] 6.Re1 g6

610

Position after: 6...g6 7.d4! White takes control over the center. 7...Bg7 8.d5 Ne7 In case of 8...Nb8 White has a nice edge after 9.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 10.c4 0-0 11.Nc3².

Position after: 11.Nc3² Without light-squared bishops, Black’s capacity to create an attack on the kingside is severely diminished. Yes, after 8...Ne7 light squared bishops are also traded, but from the e7-square the knight in some sense supports Black’s pressure on the center. An example from tournament practice: 11...h5 12.Bg5 Qe8 13.b4 Nh7 14.Bd2 a6 15.Rb1 Qd8 16.g3 f5 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Nh4± Karjakin – Sakaev (2015). 9.Bxd7+

611

Position after: 9.Bxd7+ 9...Nxd7 This has been sort of a trend recently. 9...Qxd7 10.c4 0-0 11.Nc3²

Position after: 11.Nc3² White is slightly better here. This is a typical KID-like position with the difference that Black does 612

not have a light-squared bishop. As mentioned earlier, Black’s attack will not be so strong because of that. Black has lots of moves, but White is better everywhere. A) 11...Nh5 Usually, after ...f5, in case of exf5 Black wants to recapture with the pawn. Here, however, he won’t be able to do so as the h5-knight will be under attack. 12.Be3 h6 13.a4 f5 14.exf5

Position after: 14.exf5 14...Nxf5 [14...gxf5? 15.Nxe5+–] 15.a5± B) 11...h6 12.a4! White begins queenside expansion. 12...Nh7 [12...a5 13.c5!±] 13.a5

613

Position after: 13.a5 13...f5 [13...a6 14.c5 f5 15.Nd2±] 14.Qa4!? A queen trade would clearly favor White, but after 14...Qd8 15.b4 White is much better too. C) 11...a5 12.c5!± D) 11...c6 12.a4 a5 [12...cxd5 13.cxd5 Rfc8 14.a5±] 13.h3 h6 14.Be3± E) 11...b6!? This is probably the most resilient. It prevents White’s quick expansion on the queenside. 12.b4 a5 13.bxa5 Rxa5 14.a4

Position after: 14.a4 The queenside is sort of blocked. However, it is Black that is on the defensive side here. White can manoeuvre around and slowly improve the position, while all Black can do is wait and react. Even if Black gets to play ...f5, it is unclear what to do next. White is slightly better everywhere. For example: 14...h6 [14...Nh5 15.Ra3 h6 16.Nb5²] 15.Ra3 [15.Nd2!?²] 15...Rfa8 16.Bd2 R5a6 17.Qc1 Kh7 18.Qc2 Ne8 19.h3²

614

Position after: 19.h3² One idea here is Rea1, Nb5 and a5. 10.Be3!

Position after: 10.Be3! A very important move. The point is that White needs to be able to establish a firm grip on the e4square. And appropriate move order is the key. It’s worth noting that this was played by such GMs as 615

Caruana or Dominguez. 10...h6 Preparing ...f5. 10...f5?! 11.Ng5! Nf8 12.exf5 gxf5 13.f4!±

Position after: 13.f4!± With a big advantage for White, e.g. 13...Neg6 [13...Qd7 14.c4 Neg6 15.Nc3 h6 16.Nf3 e4 17.Nd4± Sutovsky – Kramnik (2005)] 14.Nc3 Bf6 15.Nf3 Rg8 16.fxe5 dxe5 17.Qd3 Qd7 18.Qc4 e4 19.d6 Bxc3 20.bxc3 Qf7 21.Qa4+ c6 22.Ng5+– with a winning position, Cornette – Fressinet (2006). 11.Nfd2! f5 12.f3

616

Position after: 12.f3 This is the grip in the center I was talking about. Right now, Black’s capacity to breaking up White’s center is severely diminished. With the next move (c4) White establishes a powerful center and Black cannot really do much about it. As for the typical King’s Indian plans connected with ...f4, ...h5, ...g5 etc, they will not be as dangerous here as if the light squared bishops had remained on the board (as I already mentioned earlier.) So White’s attack on the queenside should be stronger. 12...f4 I think that this is the most critical for the entire line. Black tries to go for the immediate kingside attack. There are possible alternatives so let’s have a look at them. A) 12...h5 13.c4

617

Position after: 13.c4 A1) 13...Bh6? There is no doubt that black dark squared bishop is a problem, but solving it by trying to trade those bishops in this way simply loses: 14.Bxh6 Rxh6 15.f4!+– White opens the center and launches immediate attack on the black king as it still is unsafe in the center. A2) 13...h4 14.Nc3 h3 does not really lead anywhere: 15.g3±. [Or, indeed, 15.g4!?± as in Najer – Moradiabadi (2009).] A3) 13...b6 14.Nc3 f4 15.Bf2 g5

618

Position after: 15...g5 This is one of the possible attempts at a quick attack on the kingside. It is a worse version of this attack than the one suggested in the main line. In the following game White’s strategy prevailed: 16.b4 Nf6 17.c5 Ng6 18.Rc1 0-0 19.cxd6 cxd6 20.Nb5 Rf7 21.Rc6 Ne8 22.a4 Qd7 23.Qc2 g4 24.Kh1 Bf6 25.Rc1± with a huge advantage for White. Sjugirov – Ponkratov (2018). B) 12...Bf6 The main idea is ...Bh4!; Black is trying to solve his problems with the dark-squared bishop. 13.Bf2! Prophylaxis first!

Position after: 13.Bf2! B1) 13...h5 14.c4 h4 15.Nc3 a6 was played in Felgaer – Sokolov (2012). 16.h3!N

619

Position after: 16.h3!N I believe that this is what White should play now. Black’s activity is stopped and White simply has a big advantage. In case Black tries to take control of the f4-square with 16...Bg5 intending ...Nf6h5, White can react as follows: 17.Ne2! Nf6 18.f4!+– crashing through in the center. B2) 13...Bg5 14.c4 b6 15.b4 Bxd2 16.Nxd2 a5 17.a3 axb4 18.axb4 0-0 19.Qc2±

Position after: 19.Qc2± White prepares c5 and Black’s counterplay is limited. White is much better, as in Saric – Jovanic 620

(2013). C) 12...Nf6 13.c4 c6

Position after: 13...c6 Despite the fact that White’s center is very strong, Black nevertheless attempts to undermine it. It was quite recently tried in a game Dominguez Perez – Radjabov in 2019. I think that White’s control of the center is too strong for such an approach to be successful. 14.Nc3 0-0 15.Qb3!?

Position after: 15.Qb3!? 621

C1) 15...b6 16.dxc6! Opening the position and gaining control over the light squares in the center. 16...Nxc6

Position after: 16...Nxc6 17.exf5! it is a little bit counterintuitive to give up the center, but in reality, Black’s pawns are very shaky in the center and are prone to weaknesses. Also, White avoids any kind of attack on the kingside. 17...gxf5 18.Rad1 Rf7 19.Nf1± C2) 15...Rf7 16.c5!± C3) 15...cxd5 was no better than the other choices. 16.cxd5 Rf7 17.Rac1 fxe4 18.Ndxe4 Nf5 19.Bf2 Nxe4 20.Nxe4 Kh8 21.Rc4±

622

Position after: 21.Rc4± With a big advantage for White, as in Dominguez – Radjabov (2019). 21...Qd7 22.a4 Nd4 23.Qb4 Rd8 24.Qa5 b6 25.Qb4 Kg8

Position after: 25...Kg8 26.Rc3± [26.Bxd4?! was the game move, and Black got enough counterplay to escape: 26...exd4 27.Rc6 Be5 28.Nf2 Qf5 29.Re4 Qg5„.] 26...Kh7 27.h3 Qf5 28.Qa3±

623

13.Bf2 g5 Black immediately closes the kingside and tries to attack. White should react on the queenside immediately: 14.c4 Ng6 15.b4!

Position after: 15.b4! With the idea of playing c5. 15...0-0 A) 15...a5? only helps White. In general, one should not play where the opponent has an advantage. In this position, White clearly has an advantage on the queenside and Black has already committed to pursuing his own attack on the kingside. Therefore, 15...a5 is a mistake. 16.c5!? [16.bxa5 Rxa5 17.Nb3 Ra8 18.c5±] 16...axb4 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.Qb3± B) 15...Nf6 16.c5 h5

624

Position after: 16...h5 Black is trying to play without castling. 17.Qa4+ Kf7 18.Qb5 b6 19.cxd6 cxd6 20.a4 g4 21.a5 g3 22.hxg3 fxg3 23.Bxg3 h4 24.Bh2

Position after: 24.Bh2 White is just much faster here: 24...Nh5 [24...Bh6 25.Nc4 Bf4 26.axb6+–; 24...h3 25.g3+–] 25.axb6+–.

625

16.c5 Nf6 This is probably the best Black can do here. 17.Nc3 h5 18.c6!

Position after: 18.c6! It seems like this move closes the queenside, leaving Black a free hand on the kingside. In reality, though, White puts a lot of pressure on the queenside due to his far-advanced c6-pawn. In the future it may enable some sort of piece sacrifice (Nxb6, Nxd6 or others). Additionally, due to the “closed” queenside, White’s king can freely escape through the light squares to the center. 18...b6 The most natural response. 18...bxc6?! 19.dxc6 gains a tempo for Black’s attack, but severely weakens light squares. And Black’s attack still does not get enough momentum for it to succeed. 19...g4 20.Kh1!

626

Position after: 20.Kh1! A typical method of dealing with the kingside attack. 20...g3 21.Bg1! gxh2 22.Bf2!± 19.h3 g4 20.Kf1! The king begins to run to the center. Black has many ways to continue, but as the following analysis indicates, White has very good winning chances.

Position after: 20.Kf1! 627

20...gxh3 A) 20...Qc8 21.a4 a6 [21...g3? 22.Bg1 Nh4 23.a5+–] 22.b5!

Position after: 22.b5! Fixing the pawn structure but also preparing to sacrifice a piece on the b6-square. 22...a5 [If 22...g3? then 23.Bxb6!! cxb6 24.Nc4 Qd8 25.a5!+– is simply crushing.] 23.hxg4 hxg4 24.Nc4 Qd8 It is essential to strengthen the structure on the queenside. [24...g3 25.Bxb6!+–] 25.fxg4! Right now, White can just grab this pawn, and Black will not have enough compensation.

628

Position after: 25.fxg4! A1) 25...Nh7 26.Ke2 f3+ The only way to try and complicate the position. 27.gxf3 Ng5 28.Be3! Nxf3 29.Rh1 Nd4+ 30.Kd2 Nf4 31.Rh2

Position after: 31.Rh2 While Black has opened the kingside, White’s king has escaped and is very safe. White should win, e.g. 31...Qg5 32.Kc1 Rf6 33.Kb2 Raf8 34.Ka2 Rh6 35.Rxh6 Qxh6 36.Qh1+–. A2) 25...Bh6 26.Ra3 Bg5 27.Nb1!

629

Position after: 27.Nb1! The rook goes to the h3-square and the knight to the d2-square, to prevent any counterplay by Black. For instance: 27...Kg7 28.Rh3 Rh8 29.Nbd2 Rxh3 30.gxh3 Qh8 31.Qf3 Nh4 32.Qd3+–. B) 20...Nh7!? This move involves an interesting sacrifice of two pawns, but it is all in King’s Indian style. And I didn’t find anything better for White than accepting it. 21.fxg4 f3! [21...hxg4? 22.Qxg4+–] 22.Nxf3 hxg4 23.hxg4 Ng5

Position after: 23...Ng5 Black clearly has some compensation. Here, at least, Black is going after White’s king: the kingside is opened, Black’s knights have squares to go to, and his bishop also has some diagonals to enter. Most importantly though, the f- and h-files are opened. While it is still speculative compensation for Black, White should proceed with caution. 24.Re3! Strengthening the third rank. 24...Bh6 25.Ne2! White needs to transfer more pieces to the kingside. This knight will ideally land on the f5-square! If it does, Black will be simply lost, so he should try to complicate the position as much as possible.

630

Position after: 25.Ne2! 25...Nh3! 26.Ra3! The best square for the rook on the third rank. 26...Nxf2 27.Kxf2 Qh4+ 28.Ng3 Qxg4 [28...Bf4 would win the g3-knight if it did not block the f-file, as right now 29.Nxh4+– is available!] 29.Qh1! Bf4

Position after: 29...Bf4 30.Nf1! White needs to stabilize the position and ideally trade queens. The position is very complex still but White clearly has good chances. [30.Nf5?! would run into 30...Rxf5! 31.exf5 Qxf5© with 631

good compensation for Black.] 30...Bg5 31.Kg1 a5 32.b5 Nf4 [32...Bf4 33.Qh3±; 32...Rf7 33.Qh3 Qxh3 34.gxh3±] 33.Re1 Rf7 34.Qh2 Raf8 35.Qg3± C) 20...g3 21.Bg1 Nh4 Black tries some tactics on the g2- and h3-squares. However, White is just faster: 22.Qe2.

Position after: 22.Qe2 The idea could be Qa6!?. C1) 22...Qc8 23.a4 a6 [23...Nh7 24.a5 Ng5 25.axb6+–] 24.a5! b5 25.Nxb5 axb5 26.Qxb5 Rb8 27.Qe2! Rxb4 28.Reb1 and White is just winning. C2) 22...Nh7 23.Qa6 Nxg2 24.Kxg2 Qh4

632

Position after: 24...Qh4 25.Bc5!!+– White will play Rh1 next, locking up the kingside and winning on the queenside. C3) 22...a6 23.b5! a5 24.Rec1 Nh7 25.Na4 Rf7 26.Rc3 Ng5 27.Rac1+– with some strike on b6 coming in soon. 21.gxh3 h4

Position after: 21...h4 633

Black tries to occupy the g3-square with the knight and attack the h3-pawn with the manoeuvre ...Nh7-... Ng5. 22.Ke2 Nh5 23.Kd3 Ng3 It seems like White has a great position: his king has escaped the attack and there are unlimited possibilities for making progress on the queenside. However, there are still some issues on the kingside (with the h3-pawn) that need to be resolved. Luckily, White is in time with everything: 24.Nf1!

Position after: 24.Nf1! The knight is headed to the g4-square. 24...Nh8! The black knight also is going to better squares. 24...Qc8 does not change much. 25.Nh2 Nh8 [25...Qxh3 26.Ng4+–] 26.Ng4±/+– 25.Nh2 Nf7

634

Position after: 25...Nf7 By playing ...Ng5 next Black will generate big pressure on the kingside. What can White do here? 26.Ne2!! An amazing and a beautiful move. Full prophylaxis! The knight is headed to g1-square in order to fully secure the kingside. One may ask, “Alright, but how does White want to win with the knight on g1-square?” Well, let’s see! 26...Ng5 27.Ng1 Qc8 28.Ng4 a5 29.b5 Bf6 30.a4

635

Position after: 30.a4 White may (but does not have to) include this move. For the sake of simplicity, let’s have it to prevent Black’s ...a4. 30...Qe8 31.Qc2 Qg6 32.Kc4 Kh8 33.Ra2 Rg8 34.Qd3 Rg7 35.Rc1 Kh7 36.Be1 Kh8 37.Rh2!

Position after: 37.Rh2! White had to remove everything from the second rank in order for the white rook to get to h2-square. 636

Now the g1-knight is free to go to the queenside. 37...Rgg8 38.Ne2 Kh7 39.Nc3 Rgb8 40.Nd1 Bh8 41.Kb3 Bg7 42.Nb2 Bf8 43.Nc4

Position after: 43.Nc4 Huge progress, isn’t it? The funny thing is that Black cannot do anything to stop it! An example of how White can go for a win is the following: 43...Rc8 44.Rhc2 Rab8 45.Bf2 Nxh3 46.Bxb6!+– cxb6 47.Rh2 Ng5 48.Rxh4+ Kg8 49.Rc2+–

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Position after: 49.Rc2+– An absolutely dominating position! b) 5...Be7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.0-0 Be7 6.c3 0-0 7.Re1 Bd7

Position after: 7...Bd7

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This is a somewhat passive line for Black. It reminds me of a Steinitz Variation with the difference that White has played d3, not d4. It is clearly in Black’s favor as White anyway at some point will want to play d4 so it gains some time for White. However, the position is rather calm and without crazy tactical fireworks, so I am not sure whether in here this tempo matters so much. I believe White is slightly better. 7...a6 8.Ba4 is simply a different system; play transposes to one of the variations in the Modern Line, which will be discussed in detail in Volume 2. 8.Nbd2 White should go for strategic play. 8.d4?! is definitely premature: 8...Nxd4! a typical idea that White should be aware of. 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Bxd7 Qxd7 11.cxd4 d5 12.e5 Ne8= 8...Re8 9.Nf1 h6 Stopping Bg5. 9...Bf8 gives White an additional option. A) 10.Ng3 g6 [10...h6 would transpose.] 11.Ba4 Bg7 12.d4²

Position after: 12.d4² This position reminds of some sort of Modern Steinitz Defense but with several extra tempi for White, as normally his knight is on the b1-square, while here it is already on g3-square. B) 10.Bg5!? This move can be tried too. However, there is no need, as 10.Ng3 anyway very likely 639

transposes to the main line. 10...h6 11.Bh4 Be7 12.a4

Position after: 12.a4 12...Nh7 [12...Nh5 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.a5 a6 15.Ba4 Nf4 16.d4²] 13.Bg3 Ng5 14.N3d2!?² 10.Ng3 Bf8

Position after: 10...Bf8 11.h3 640

In case of 11.Ba4 Ne7 12.Bc2 White keeps light-squared bishops on the board, but I think that after 12...c5!

Position after: 12...c5! Black is fine. For instance, 13.d4 can be met with 13...cxd4 14.cxd4 exd4 15.Nxd4 Ng6 planning ...d5 with equality. And if 16.f4?! Qb6! 17.Kh1 Rac8ƒ

Position after: 17...Rac8ƒ Black grabs the initiative. The availability of the g4-square for Black’s pieces gives him a good game. 641

As we will see, if White’s pawn was already on h3, White would be better here (11.h3 a6 12.Ba4 Ne7 etc). 11...Ne7 Black should trade bishops. But, it does not solve all the problems as White retains control of the center, more space and more active pieces. 11...a6 12.Ba4 Ne7 13.Bc2

Position after: 13.Bc2 13...c5 Black tries the same strategy as in the 11.Ba4 note. [13...Ng6 14.d4 c5 15.Be3 gives White a nice edge. 15...Qc7 16.d5!?²] 14.d4 cxd4 15.cxd4 exd4 16.Nxd4 Ng6

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Position after: 16...Ng6 The position is nearly the same, but the inclusion of h3 and ...a6 is definitely in White’s favor. This time, White can play 17.f4! (stopping ...d5) 17...Qb6 [17...d5? 18.e5!±] 18.Kh2 Rac8 19.Bb3² with a clear advantage. Black’s counterplay is pretty much stopped. 12.Bxd7 Qxd7 13.d4 Ng6

Position after: 13...Ng6

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White has a nice center, but how to proceed? 14.Be3!? I like this simple developing move. It might be a bit counterintuitive, as after 14...exd4 White has to take with the bishop. Normally White should aim to recapture with the pawn and create a strong center, however even the bishop capture will also be good for White. 14.Qc2!?² is also possible, preparing Be3 and intending cxd4 in case of ...exd4. 14...exd4 A) 14...c6?! runs into a nice (and unexpected) tactical idea: 15.dxe5 Nxe5 [15...dxe5 16.Nh5 Qe6 17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.Qd7 Re7 19.Qg4²] 16.Nxe5 dxe5

Position after: 16...dxe5 17.Nh5! Qe6 18.Nxf6+ Qxf6 19.Qd7!² despite the symmetry, White is clearly better due to his more active pieces and initiative. B) 14...a6 a little bit passive move. White can play 15.c4 b5 16.Rc1² 15.Bxd4

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Position after: 15.Bxd4 Forced, but things are far from easy for Black. 15...Ne5 A) 15...Qe6 16.c4!² B) 15...Re6 16.Bxf6!? Rxf6 17.Nh5 Re6 18.Nd4 Ree8 19.f4² 16.Nh2!? 16.c4 is also possible. The idea of placing pawns on the e4- and c4-squares is prevalent in this type of positions. 16...g6 17.Qe2 Bg7 18.Rad1² 16...c5 17.Bxe5 Rxe5 18.Ng4 Nxg4 19.Qxg4²

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Position after: 19.Qxg4² White is definitely slightly better. c) 5...a6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.0-0 a6

Position after: 5...a6

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With this move Black wins the bishop-pair. However, it costs him a worsened pawn structure and one tempo. 6.Bxc6+ 6.Ba4?! b5 7.Bb3 Na5 and Black takes the bishop-pair without damaging his own pawn structure. 6...bxc6 7.Re1! The strongest move. 7.d4

Position after: 7.d4 I tried this once in 2017 in my game against Andrey Baryshpolets but I failed to get anything special out of the opening: 7...exd4 8.Qxd4 Be7 9.c4 0-0 10.Nc3 Nd7 11.Bf4 Bf6 12.Qd2 a5 13.Rac1 Re8= I managed to eventually win the game but it had nothing to do with the opening.

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Position after: 7.Re1! 7...Bg4 A few games have featured this move, most notably Karjakin – Kramnik (2019). A) 7...Be7 8.d4 transposes to the Averbakh Variation. B) 7...c5 Black tries to stop d4, but unsuccessfully: 8.c3!

Position after: 8.c3!

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B1) 8...Bg4 if Black wants to play this move, it should be played a move earlier. 9.h3 B1.1) 9...Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Be7 11.Be3 0-0 12.Nd2 Nd7 13.Nc4 Bg5

Position after: 13...Bg5 It seems like Black is fine here: two pairs of minor pieces have been traded, the dark-squared bishops will soon follow, and Black did not give up his control of the center, thanks to the c5and e5-pawns. However, slightly worse pawn structure is a telling factor. 14.b4! Bxe3 15.Nxe3² White is slightly better. The tension with the c5-pawn is quite annoying for Black as the d7-knight has to stay there to avoid further pawn structure disruptions. White pieces has lots of play and good squares. White has lots of plans to choose from: he can afford to manoeuvre and not show his intentions yet. Black could make a mistake, or White could eventually prepare and play d4, for instance. B1.2) 9...Bh5 10.d4 Nd7 11.Be3

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Position after: 11.Be3 11...Be7 [11...cxd4 12.cxd4 Be7 13.Nc3 0-0 14.Rc1²] 12.dxc5 dxc5 13.Nbd2² B2) 8...Be7 9.d4 cxd4 10.cxd4 exd4 11.Nxd4 Bd7 12.Nc3 0-0 13.h3 White has a nice edge here.

Position after: 13.h3 Black’s pair of bishops does not have a clear future as of now as it is White controls the center. The game Harikrishna – Oleksienko (2020) continued: 13...Re8 14.Bf4 Qb8 15.b3 Qb7 16.Qd3 Rad8 17.Rad1 h6 18.Qf3². 650

Position after: 18.Qf3² 8.Nbd2 8.h3

Position after: 8.h3 It is also good to start with this, but it very likely will transpose anyway. 8...Bh5 [8...Bxf3 This makes little sense, as it gives away the bishop pair without reason. 9.Qxf3 Nd7 10.Nd2 Be7 11.Nc4 Nf8 651

12.Be3 Ne6 13.c3 c5 14.Rad1² with the idea d4.] 9.Nbd2 and after both 9...c5 and 9...Be7 we are back at the main line.

Position after: 8.Nbd2 8...c5 Black should prevent d4. 8...Be7 Playing without ...c5 is not so great for Black, however it is still not a big deal so far. 9.h3 Bh5 10.Nf1

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Position after: 10.Nf1 10...Nd7 [10...c5 11.Ng3 Bg6 is a try to save the bishop-pair. White, however, can play now 12.Nh4! with the idea of Nhf5 and a very pleasant position. 12...Nd7 13.Nhf5 Bf6 14.c3 0-0 15.b4!?²] 11.Ng3 Bg6? [It was not too late to play 11...Bxf3 12.Qxf3 g6 13.Be3 c5 14.c3 transposing to the main line.] 12.d4! 0-0 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Be3 Bd6 15.Qe2± Karjakin – Kramnik (2019). 9.h3 Bh5 10.Nf1 Nd7 11.c3 Be7 12.Ng3

Position after: 12.Ng3 12...Bxf3 12...Bg6 13.d4 exd4 14.cxd4 0-0 15.Bd2!? Re8 16.Bc3² 13.Qxf3 g6 14.Be3 Bg5

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Position after: 14...Bg5 Play is similar to the 7...c5 8.c3 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 line, but here White’s knight is misplaced on g3-square (as it is restricted by the g6-pawn). However, the character of the position is rather calm and the knight can be easily transferred to better squares without changing the evaluation (i.e. slight edge for White). 15.Nf1!? The knight should be brought to better squares. 15...0-0 Here (and, generally, in similar positions) White can consider playing either b4 or d4. Both are possible and give some edge. 16.b4!?² 16.Rad1!? Re8 17.d4²

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Chapter 16 4.d3: Black plays 4...Bc5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5

Chapter Guide Chapter 16 – 4.d3: Black plays 4...Bc5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 a) 6...Bd6 b) 6...Qe7 c) 6...Bg4 d) 6...Nd7 e) 6...0-0 7.Nc4 Re8 f) 6...0-0 7.Nc4 Nd7 g) 6...Be6 7.0-0 Qd6 h) 6...Be6 7.0-0 Nd7 8.Nb3 Be7 i) 6...Be6 7.0-0 Nd7 8.Nb3 Bb6 j) 6...Be6 7.0-0 Bd6 8.Nb3 -k) 6...Be6 7.0-0 Bd6 8.Nb3 a5 655

a) 6...Bd6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 Bd6

Position after: 6...Bd6 This was played recently by Alireza Firouzja against Fabiano Caruana. Even though it is not the most popular approach, it needs to be checked if a 2700+ player played it recently. 7.Nc4 Nd7

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Position after: 7...Nd7 8.d4!N This seems like an issue with the 6...Bd6 line. Instead Fabiano Caruana played 8.b3, but I think 8.d4 is better. 8...Qe7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Re1

Position after: 10.Re1 I think that White is slightly better here. 10...Re8 10...exd4?! 11.Nxd6! cxd6 [11...Qxd6 12.Nxd4±] 12.Nxd4± 11.dxe5 This is the simplest. 11.c3!? Strengthening the center is also possible. 11...f6 12.b3 Nf8 13.dxe5 fxe5 14.Bg5 Qe6 15.Bh4 Ng6 16.Bg3² 11...Nxe5 12.Nfxe5 Bxe5 13.Nxe5 Qxe5 14.Re3!²

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Position after: 14.Re3!² White’s idea is Bd2-Bc3. White is clearly better and Black’s defensive task will not be easy in the long run. b) 6...Qe7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 Qe7

Position after: 6...Qe7 658

This is quite rare, but it has been seen in some games by top players. Personally, I don’t think that the black queen is well placed on the e7-square as it may be a target there for a future Nf5. If Black wants to defend the e5-pawn, there are better lines. 7.Nc4 Nd7 8.0-0

Position after: 8.0-0 8...0-0 8...f6!? This is some sort of hybrid version of the 6...Nd7 7.Nc4 f6 line in which Black’s queen is rather awkwardly placed on the e7-square. However, even here it is not easy to prove an advantage for White! There are for sure some chances, however. The try I like most is the following: 9.c3! 0-0

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Position after: 9...0-0 10.b4 [10.d4!? It would be great if this worked, but after 10...Nb6! I think that Black is OK. 11.Ncxe5 Bd6! 12.Nd3 Qxe4 13.Re1 Qd5=] 10...Bd6 11.a4

Position after: 11.a4 I think White’s position is more pleasant, however, Black is still very solid. 11...Rd8! 12.Qc2 Nf8 13.Be3!? [13.d4!? is also possible.] 13...Ng6 14.b5

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Position after: 14.b5 White combines queenside play with central play. Black should be quite OK here but it is White that has simple play and an initiative. 14...c5 [14...Qf7 15.bxc6 bxc6 16.Rfb1²] 15.d4 Bg4 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Nfxe5 fxe5 18.f3 Be6 19.Nxd6 cxd6 20.c4² 9.Ne3!N

Position after: 9.Ne3!N

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I would suggest this move. The knight is headed to the f5-square. The idea is typical, but in this particular position it happens to be a novelty. 9...f6 10.Nf5 Qe8 11.Kh1!

Position after: 11.Kh1! One of the ideas here is to play f4. With Kh1 White prepares it. 11...g6 It is logical to challenge this knight immediately. 11...Rf7 (with the idea of ...Nf8-e6) is an alternative. 12.N3h4! White should immediately go for f4. 12...Nf8 13.f4 exf4 14.Qh5!

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Position after: 14.Qh5! 14...Bd6 [14...Bxf5 15.Nxf5 Ne6 16.Bxf4 Kh8 17.Qg4²] 15.Bxf4 Bxf4 16.Rxf4 Kh8 17.Ne3² 12.Nh6+ Kh8 12...Kg7 makes little sense, as White was going to play 13.Ng4 anyway. In this case, after 13.Ng4 there is no better move than 13...Kh8 so White will simply be gaining a tempo. 13.Ng4 After weakening the kingside, the knight heads back and White prepares f4. For example: 13...Be7 The idea is ...Nc5-e6. 14.Bh6 Rg8 15.Bd2 Nc5 16.Ng1! Ne6 17.Ne2²

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Position after: 17.Ne2² c) 6...Bg4 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 Bg4!?

Position after: 6...Bg4!? Reaching a position I’ve played with both colors. This is quite an interesting line. It used to be relatively neglected, and considered inferior to other lines (like 6...Be6 or the systems with ...Nd7) 664

but lately has become more popular. The ideal scenario for Black in this line is to play ...Nd7, ...f6 and run his bishop to the f7-square. Very often Black castles queenside and, as usual, he tries to bring the knight to e6. White should try to stop this plan; only then can he hope for an advantage. 7.h3 Bh5 Black should keep the bishop. 7...Bxf3?! makes little sense for Black as it voluntarily gives up the bishop-pair, the main source of Black’s compensation for the doubled pawns. 8.Qxf3 Nd7 9.Nc4 Qe7 10.0-0 f6 11.Bd2²

Position after: 11.Bd2² White wants to play b4. For example: 11...0-0 12.b4 Bxb4 [12...Bd4 13.Rab1 b5 14.Na5 Bb6 15.Nxc6 Qe6 16.Na5 Qxa2 17.Rfc1 Qe6 18.c4²] 13.Bxb4 Qxb4 14.Rab1 Qe7 15.Rxb7 Nc5 16.Rb2² and Rfb1 next.

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Position after: 7...Bh5 8.Nb3! I think that this is the strongest move. The alternative plans involve placing the knight first on the c4square and then transferring it to f5-square. One example of my own follows, to show quickly what White should NOT do in this line. The seemingly natural moves by White failed to cause any harm to Black. A) 8.Qe2 This is what Fabiano Caruana played against me. 8...Nd7 9.g4 Bg6 10.Nc4 Qe7! 11.Bd2 0-0-0 12.0-0-0 f6 13.Nh4 Bf7 14.Nf5 Qf8 15.Kb1 g6

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Position after: 15...g6 Black, at least, has no problems. Unfortunately, I lost the game eventually. B) In 2017, against Le Quang Liem, I played 8.Nc4 and got some edge in the opening but only with help from my opponent. 8...Nd7 9.g4 Bg6 10.Qe2

Position after: 10.Qe2 10...f6 [10...Qe7! is correct, transposing to my game against Fabiano Caruana.] 11.Ne3 Nf8?! [11...Qe7 still retained equality.] 12.Nf5 Ne6 13.Be3 Bb6?! [13...Qd7 was still OK.]

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Position after: 13...Bb6?! 14.a4? Throwing away the advantage. [14.0-0-0! was correct, with some advantage: 14...c5 15.h4 Bf7 16.h5 h6 17.Nd2²] 14...Qd7! and now Black is fine: 15.a5 Bxe3 16.fxe3 c5 17.b3 0-0-0= Swiercz – Le (2017). 8...Bd6

Position after: 8...Bd6 9.g4 9.Bd2 This is what Ray Robson played against me in 2017, but out of the opening I got a good position with Black. 9...b6 10.g4 Bg6 11.Nh4 a5 12.Qf3

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Position after: 12.Qf3 12...Qd7 [Including 12...a4!? also makes sense: 13.Nc1 Qd7 14.Ne2 0-0-0 15.0-0-0 a3 16.b3 Kb7 17.Nf5 Ne8=.] 13.Nf5 Bxf5 14.gxf5 a4 15.Nc1 0-0-0= With equality. Later in the game I was much better with Black, but then I made some mistakes and I had to defend a difficult pawn-down endgame, which I managed to save eventually. 9...Bg6 10.Na5! I think that this is the cleanest path to White’s advantage. 10.Bd2 b6 transposes to 9.Bd2.

669

Position after: 10.Na5! 10...Qc8 10...Bb4+ With this move Black immediately eliminates the a5-knight but it is simply a worse version of 10...Qc8. 11.Bd2 Bxa5 12.Bxa5 Qd6 [12...Nd7 13.Qd2 f6 14.0-0-0 c5 15.Nh4² with f4 next.] 13.Qe2 0-0-0 14.Bc3 Nd7 15.0-0-0 c5 16.Nh4²

Position after: 16.Nh4²

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White wants Nf5, f4 or both. Without the dark-squared bishop Black’s position in the center is a little bit shaky. 11.Nh4 b6 12.Nc4

Position after: 12.Nc4 It looks like the white knight has executed quite a weird manoeuvre with Nd2-b3-a5-c4, but in each case those moves were the best ones. They forced some moves (like ...Qc8 or ...b6) which do not really help Black, White, meanwhile, also managed to play Nh4 and now Nxd6 is also unavoidable (a favorable trade for White.) As mentioned earlier, Black’s center is somewhat shaky without his darksquared bishop. 12.Nxc6?? obviously loses to 12...Qb7–+ and the knight is trapped. 12...Qe6 13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.Qe2 Nd7 15.Bd2 0-0-0 16.0-0-0 Nc5

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Position after: 16...Nc5 Black’s knight heads to the e6-square, from where it temporarily stops f4. However, White can prepare it: 17.Rhf1! Ne6 17...f6 18.Nf5 [18.f4!?²] 18...Qd7 19.f4 exf4 20.Bxf4 Ne6 21.Be3 c5 22.Qg2 Kb8 23.b3 h5 24.Kb2²

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Position after: 24.Kb2² 18.Nf5 Qc5 19.Be3 It is also possible to go for the endgame with 19.Qe3 Qxe3 20.Bxe3². 19...Qb5 20.Kb1²

Position after: 20.Kb1² d) 6...Nd7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 Nd7 7.Nc4 f6

673

Position after: 7...f6 This line has lately been chosen frequently by Sergey Karjakin. The main idea behind 7...f6 is simply not to allow the dangerous attacks that may happen if Black castles kingside. Black simply wants to transfer the knight to the e6-square. Postponing ...0-0 has the benefit that Black can still castle queenside in some lines. Therefore, it makes no sense for White to start an attack on the kingside, as Black’s king is simply not there. However, White can go for central play now. 8.0-0 0-0 9.c3! White switches to central play and prepares d4. In some cases, b4 is possible too. 9...Re8 9...Nb6!?

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Position after: 9...Nb6!? This was not played in any tournament games but it has been tried numerous times in correspondence games. White can continue in two ways. A) 10.Be3 Nxc4 [10...Be7 11.Na5 Rb8 12.h3 Be6 13.b4²] 11.Bxc5 Nd6 12.d4

Position after: 12.d4 12...b6 [12...Re8 13.Re1 b6 14.dxe5 bxc5 15.exd6 cxd6 16.Qd3²] 13.Ba3 Re8 14.dxe5 fxe5 15.Bxd6 cxd6 16.Qd3 The position is approximately equal, but White has a slightly better pawn 675

structure. In the long run he may have good chances of an advantage. The plan is to play c4, prevent all kinds of counterplay connected with ...d5, and attack the d6-pawn. It is a risk-free position for White, while Black needs to be careful.

Position after: 16.Qd3 For instance: 16...Bg4 17.Rfe1 Rf8 18.Re3 Qc7 19.h3 Bh5 [19...Bxf3 20.Rxf3 Rxf3 21.Qxf3 Rf8 22.Qe2² Due to his better pawn structure, White has some chances here.] 20.Rd1 Rad8 21.c4 Qe7 22.Rd2 h6 23.Nh2² B) 10.b4 Bd6 [10...Be7 11.Na5 c5 12.Be3 cxb4 13.cxb4 Bd6 14.Rc1 Qe7 15.a3] 11.Nxd6 cxd6 [11...Qxd6] 12.a4 Be6 13.a5 Nc8 14.d4²

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Position after: 14.d4² I think White is slightly better here, however Black’s position is very solid. For instance: 14...Ne7 [14...Qe7 15.Be3 Qf7 16.Nd2 Ne7 17.f4 exf4 18.Bxf4 d5 19.e5²] 15.Be3 Ng6 16.dxe5!? [16.Qe2!? preparing c4, is also possible.] 16...dxe5 17.Qe2 Qc7 18.Rfd1 Rfe8 19.h3²

Position after: 19.h3² This position is pleasant for White due to his extra space on the queenside.

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10.d4 exd4 11.cxd4 Bf8

Position after: 11...Bf8 Wesley So went for this in 2019, and in 2020 Sergey Karjakin played it as well. 12.Qb3! This move would be my suggestion. I believe that it is a useful move that is worth including. A) 12.Qc2 was played in Fedoseev – Karjakin (2020) and after the opening Karjakin had a very good position: 12...Nb6 13.b3 Bg4 14.Bb2

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Position after: 14.Bb2 14...Nxc4! With this move Black can even be better! [14...Qd7 was the game move; after 15.Nfd2∞ the position was rather unclear, and eventually Fedoseev won.] 15.Qxc4+ [15.bxc4 c5! 16.d5 Bxf3! 17.gxf3 Bd6³] 15...Kh8 16.Rfe1 Bxf3 17.gxf3 f5³ B) 12.Re1 There were two games like this: Nepomniachtchi – So (2019) and So – Karjakin (2020). It is not a bad move, but I simply think that the inclusion of 12.Qb3 Kh8 is useful for White. 12...Kh8 13.Re1

679

Position after: 13.Re1 13...Nb6 This is the correct move. 13...a5?! This move prevents Na5, but on the other hand it gives White free rein to develop his pieces easily. 14.Bf4 b5 15.Ncd2 This is the most logical and leads to some fairly tractable positions. [15.Na3!? is also possible.] 15...a4 16.Qc2 c5 17.d5!

Position after: 17.d5! I think that Black still has to work hard to prove equality here. For instance: 17...Bd6 [17...Ne5 18.Nxe5 fxe5 19.Be3 c4 20.b3 cxb3 21.axb3 a3 22.Rec1ƒ; 17...Bb7 18.Rad1 c6 19.d6 Ne5 20.Bxe5 fxe5 21.Nxe5! Rxe5 22.Nf3 Re8 23.e5 Bc8 24.Qxc5±] 18.Bg3 Ne5 19.Nxe5 fxe5 20.b3² 14.Na5! The best try. 14...Rb8 15.h3 Be6

680

Position after: 15...Be6 In order to keep an advantage, White needs to stabilize and maintain the control of the center. 16.Qc3 I like this approach the most. 16.Qc2!? is an alternative which also gives some edge: 16...Bf7 17.Nb3 Bh5 18.Nh4!ƒ and the knight goes to the f5-square. 16...Bf7 17.Nb3 Bg6 Black should attack White’s center and provoke weaknesses. 18.Nc5!

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Position after: 18.Nc5! With this move White holds the center and maintains some pressure. For instance: 18...Bxc5 18...Nd7 19.e5 Nxc5 20.dxc5 Qd3 21.Bd2 Qxc3 22.Bxc3 Bxc5 23.exf6 gxf6 24.Bxf6+ Kg8 25.Bc3²

Position after: 25.Bc3² 19.dxc5 Nd7 20.e5! Qe7 21.exf6 Qxf6 22.Be3 Qxc3 23.bxc3² 682

Position after: 23.bxc3² The position is close to equality, but still it is White that has somewhat better chances. His kingside pawn majority may become a key factor in the future. e) 6...0-0 7.Nc4 Re8 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.Nc4 Re8!?

Position after: 7...Re8!? 683

This recently gained some popularity. ...Re8 is often a part of Black’s plans anyway, and after 7...Nd7 White has several interesting ways of creating an attack on the kingside. With Black’s knight still on f6, it is unlikely that any attack will take place. White should play a sort of waiting move that improves the position and also keeps the possibility of the kingside attack on the cards. 8.a4!?

Position after: 8.a4!? This move was lately (in 2020) played by Ian Nepomniachtchi against Ding Liren. I like this move very much for a number of reasons. First, with this move White does not declare his intentions or further plans; both queenside and kingside play are possible, depending on Black’s actions. Also, the c4-knight is not so easily pushed away from this square. True, Black can try ...b5, but that rather weakens his queenside and then White can switch to queenside play. Additionally, it poses a practical problem for Black. For how long can Black withhold playing ...Nd7? After all, by playing ...Re8 Black wanted to avoid being attacked on the kingside, and as White has made a waiting move, it is not entirely obvious what Black should do from a psychological perspective. 8...a5 This is probably the most expected and it’s also what Ding Liren played. A) 8...Nd7

684

Position after: 8...Nd7 After this typical move White should not hurry to attack on the kingside, but instead either go for positional play or make a waiting move, querying Black’s intentions and keeping many options. A1) 9.0-0 The positional approach also makes perfect sense. It is good to know this option as sometimes we may not feel like going for such an aggressive plan as White. The positions are around equal, but White keeps play. 9...f6 10.Kh1 Nf8 11.Nh4

Position after: 11.Nh4

685

11...Be6 [11...Ne6 12.g3 g6 13.Ng2 White is slowly preparing f4.] 12.Ne3 Qd7 13.Nhf5 Ng6 14.Qf3 With a tense position which (in my opinion) is easier to play with White. A2) If 9.h4 Black is suddenly fine after 9...Nf6!. That’s why it is important to wait for ...f6 to try and build an attack. A3) 9.Bd2!? This is an interesting waiting move. White keeps all the options in hand. 9...f6 followed by ...Nf8 seems to be a reasonable idea for Black. [If 9...b6 with the idea of ...a5, White can also switch to calm positional play with 10.b4 Bf8 11.0-0, where the queenside space is usually a good thing for White.] 10.h4!

Position after: 10.h4! This is the point. Right now, White can expand freely on the kingside. One logical way in which the game could proceed: 10...Nf8 11.h5 Ne6 12.Nh4 Nd4 13.Ne3 Be6 14.Kf1!? There is no need to castle – white rook is well placed on h1-square. 14...Qd7 15.g4 Bf8 16.Nef5 c5 17.b3 a6 18.Be3 b5 19.Qd2∞

686

Position after: 19.Qd2∞ White prepares ideally g5 at some point. And if Black stops that with ...h6, White’s knights will have the f5- and g6-squares. Then, White can think of playing f4 at the right moment or switching to the queenside. The position objectively is equal; however, it looks like White has an easier game. B) In case of 8...b5 White should go for positional play: 9.Na5 Qd7 10.Nb3 Bd6 11.0-0 a6 12.h3².

Position after: 12.h3²

687

In this position Black’s b5-pawn is far from ideal and his queenside has been weakened. Normally, Black should keep the queenside solid with moves like ...a5, ...b6, ...c5 etc. Here, Black has played ...b5, which can clearly be considered as an achievement for White.

Position after: 8...a5 9.Bg5! This gives White very good chances and puts great pressure on Black. 9.Bd2!? This is what Nepomniachtchi played. It is also a testing try, but Black can equalize here: 9...b6 10.Bc3 Ng4 11.0-0 f6 12.Bd2

688

Position after: 12.Bd2 Black needs to figure out now what to do with the g4-knight as h3 is a threat. A) 12...g5? was played in Nepomniachtchi – Ding (2020), where Nepomniachtchi immediately got a great position and quickly converted it into a win: 13.h3 Nh6

Position after: 13...Nh6 14.h4 [14.Nh2!?±] 14...Nf7 15.hxg5 fxg5 16.Nh2 Re6 17.Ne3 Rg6 18.Nf5 Bxf5 19.exf5 Rf6 20.Qg4 h6 21.Qh3 Qd7 22.Ng4 Rxf5? A blunder in an already difficult position. 23.Nf6+ 1-0, 689

Nepomniachtchi – Ding (2020). B) 12...f5! This move keeps the balance. It is not an easy move, but it serves its purpose, for instance: 13.Bg5! Nf6! 14.Re1 fxe4

Position after: 14...fxe4 B1) 15.Rxe4 is possible, and here Black has to be ready to sacrifice a queen to maintain equality: 15...Nxe4! 16.Bxd8 Nxf2 17.Qe2 Rxd8 18.Rf1 e4! 19.dxe4 Nxe4+ 20.Kh1 Nf6= The position is unclear and complex but objectively should be approximately equal. B2) 15.dxe4 Qxd1 16.Raxd1 h6!

690

Position after: 16...h6! Black is doing well here. 17.Bh4 [17.Be3 Nxe4 18.Nfxe5 Ba6 19.Bxc5 Nxc5 20.b3 Bxc4 21.Nxc4 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 b5= with simplifications and a likely draw.] 17...g5 18.Bg3 Nh5 19.Nfxe5 Ba6 20.Rd7 Re6!© Black has good compensation here. Despite which, 9.Bd2 could still be tried – Black has to be careful too!

Position after: 9.Bg5! 9...b5 This move is probably what Black should do here. However, it involves a pawn sacrifice, after which Black needs to look actively for compensation. 9...h6 is a calmer approach but here White definitely has some advantage: 10.Bh4 Bb4+ [10...Bd6 11.0-0²] 11.c3 Bd6 12.0-0 b6 13.Re1 Ba6 14.Nxd6 cxd6 15.d4².

691

Position after: 15.d4² 10.axb5 cxb5 11.Nxa5 Bb4+ 12.Bd2 Bxd2+

Position after: 12...Bxd2+ 13.Nxd2! 13.Qxd2 is incorrect due to 13...Bg4! with good compensation: 14.Ng1 c5 15.f3 Be6 16.Ne2 b4 17.Nb3 Rxa1+ 18.Nxa1 c4©. 692

13...Bg4 14.f3 Be6 15.Nab3 Qd6 16.0-0

Position after: 16.0-0 This is the critical position. Does Black have enough compensation for the pawn? I believe that this is highly debatable and probably different players would offer different opinions. I will say this: Black surely has some compensation, and with perfect play it likely is enough to eventually equalize. However, here we come again with the expression “perfect play”. In a real game, I believe that White definitely has some chances here to win the game. An extra pawn is, after all, an extra pawn. I analyzed this position and I could not find any clear path for Black to equalize fully. 16...Nd7! With the idea of ...Nc5, hoping to get the pawn back tactically. 16...c5 17.Qe2! Nd7 18.Qe3 h6 19.h3² 17.Rb1!?

693

Position after: 17.Rb1!? It seems like White has simply ceded the a-file, but in reality, the a-file does not matter much. What matters is the extra pawn that White has, and his ability to reorganize his pieces (especially the knights) so that they perform their best functions. And with 17.Rb1 White begins a nice manoeuvring operation: 17...c5 18.Rf2! Nb6 18...c4? 19.dxc4 bxc4 20.Nxc4± 19.Nc1 c4 20.Nf1 Improving the knights. 20...b4 21.Qe1 b3 22.cxb3 cxb3 23.Rd2²

694

Position after: 23.Rd2² White has gradually managed to consolidate. After the intended Ne2-Nc3 and Ne3 White will be fully in charge. f) 6...0-0 7.Nc4 Nd7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.Nc4 Nd7

Position after: 7...Nd7 695

This is by far the main move here. 8.h4!? I would suggest going for this relatively new idea. White immediately expands on the kingside and attempts to create some attack on the black king, or at least gain control over important squares (like the f5-square). 8...Re8 8...b5 was seen in Ivic – Balogh (2019) but it simply transposes to the main line after 9.Ne3 Re8 10.h5. 9.h5

Position after: 9.h5 9...b5 The most popular reply. Black chases the knight in order to weaken the pressure on the e5-pawn and expand on the queenside. However, it drives White’s knight towards the kingside. A) 9...h6 This move is less accurate than 9...Nf6 as it gives White additional option of Nh4. 10.Nh4!? An additional option. [It is also OK to play 10.Ne3 Nf6 11.Nh2, discussed via 9...Nf6.] 10...Nf6 11.Ne3 Bxe3 12.Bxe3

696

Position after: 12.Bxe3 12...Ng4!? Trying to simplify the position and tactically disturb White’s plans to generate an attack. [Black cannot take the h5-pawn with 12...Bg4? due to 13.f3 Bxh5 14.Qd2+– and White has a crushing kingside attack. Moves like g4 and Bxh6 are coming.] 13.Bc1 Qd4 14.Qe2 Planning f3, g4. 14...Nf6

Position after: 14...Nf6 15.g3!? This is an important move. White prepares f3. In general, White does not mind sacrificing 697

the h5-pawn, if it opens the h-file and White can make good use of it. [15.f3? Nxh5³, threatening ...Ng3, is not good for White.] 15...c5 16.f3!

Position after: 16.f3! I believe White’s position has some potential here. The idea is g4-g5. For example: 16...c4 [16...Nxh5?! 17.Qh2!ƒ with idea g4 and strong pressure on the kingside. The idea of Bxh6 is looming.] 17.g4 cxd3 18.Qxd3!?ƒ Even endgames are often favorable for White. B) 9...Nf6!?

698

Position after: 9...Nf6!? This is actually an interesting move. The main idea is to prevent further expansion on the kingside and play ...Ng4, as White’s h-pawn cannot control the g4-square anymore. B1) White cannot take the e5-pawn: 10.Ncxe5? Rxe5! 11.Nxe5 Qd4 12.Be3 Qxe5

Position after: 12...Qxe5 13.d4 [13.Bxc5 Qxc5–+] 13...Bb4+ 14.c3 Qxe4 15.cxb4 Bg4!–+ and Black dominates on the light squares. B2) 10.Be3 was my initial intention, but I failed to find any real chances for an advantage after 10...Bxe3 11.Nxe3 Ng4!. It is important to trade the knights. [Instead, 11...h6?! is inaccurate due to 12.Nh4! and I think White may be better here.]

699

Position after: 11...Ng4! 12.Qd2 [12.Qe2 h6 13.Nd2 Nxe3 14.Qxe3 Qe7=] 12...h6 13.0-0-0 [13.Nh4 Nxe3 14.Qxe3 Bg4 loses the h5-pawn, for which White, at best, has sufficient compensation. And a pawn is a pawn!] 13...c5 14.Nh4 Nxe3 15.Qxe3 Qd4!= B3) 10.Nh2!?

Position after: 10.Nh2!? If White wants to have any real chances here, this is the best try to drum something up. The idea is 700

simple – prevent ...Ng4 and prepare a kingside expansion. The position is closed, so White can afford to play a little bit slowly in order to achieve his strategic goals. 10...h6 A very cautious move. Black needs good control of the g5-square. [10...Be6 would be an example of being a bit careless as Black: 11.Ne3 h6 12.g4! Qd7 13.Rg1!?ƒ and White intends g5 with a kingside attack.] 11.Ne3 Nh7 12.Nhf1!? …Ng3,Ng(e)f5. 12...Ng5 13.Ng3 a5 14.a4 Ne6 15.Ngf5∞

Position after: 15.Ngf5∞ The position is unclear, but it is very much alive and there is potential for White here. For instance: 15...Nd4 16.g4 Ne6 17.Qf3 b6 18.Qg3 f6 19.0-0 Kh7 20.Kh2 Qd7 21.f3ƒ preparing Nh4-Ng6, or Ng2, and eventually at some point f4. 10.Ne3

701

Position after: 10.Ne3 10...Nf8 This was played in Ivanchuk – Deac (2019). A) 10...Bf8 was played in Ivic – Balogh (2019). It is a very passive setup for Black, but pretty solid. Black attempts to “block” the kingside, as we will see shortly. However, White should be better. 11.g4 h6 12.Nf5 Nf6 13.Qe2! I like this move. White prepares Be3 and 0-0-0 with either d4 next or g5. Sometimes, when the kingside is locked, White may also opt for 0-0. [13.Rg1 was played by Ivic. It is also possible, but I like 13.Qe2 more.]

702

Position after: 13.Qe2! 13...Nh7 Black tries to block the kingside. [13...Nxg4? is very risky for Black as it opens the g-file for White’s attack: 14.N3h4 Nf6 15.Rg1 Kh7 16.Bd2 Ng8 17.Qg4‚ with an attack that is likely to be lethal; 13...Bxf5 does not solve any problems either: 14.gxf5 c5 15.Kf1 Qd6 16.b3 Rab8 17.Rg1 Kh7 18.Bb2².] 14.Be3 Black has some choice here but White has good perspectives here.

Position after: 14.Be3 A1) 14...f6 15.N3h4 Ng5 16.Ng6²/± 703

A2) 14...a5?! 15.0-0-0! and here White can consider playing both through d4 and g5, depending on what Black does. 15...c5 [15...f6 16.d4!ƒ] 16.g5!‚ A3) 14...c5 With this move Black stops d4. 15.Rg1 f6 16.a4! It is useful to undermine the queenside, as ...a6 is not possible. 16...c6 17.N3h4²/± B) 10...Nb6 was played in Deac – Georgiadis (2019). However, I believe that this knight is misplaced on the b6-square. 11.Nh4! White follows the plan. 11...Be7 12.Nef5! [I think this is stronger than 12.Nhf5, which happened in the aforementioned game. White’s plan is Be3, Qd2 and a quick g4 with the intention of g5.] 12...Bf6 13.Be3 h6 14.Qd2²

Position after: 14.Qd2² White wants 0-0-0, g4 etc. For instance: 14...a5 15.0-0-0 b4 16.g4 Bxf5 [16...Bg5 17.Bxg5 Qxg5 and White has a beautiful idea to continue the attack: 18.f4! Qxf4 19.Ne3!‚] 17.Nxf5 Bg5

704

Position after: 17...Bg5 The simplest path to an advantage for White is 18.Bxg5 Qxg5 19.Qxg5 hxg5 20.Kd2²/±. C) 10...h6 11.g4 Nf8 12.Nf5² is very similar to 10...Bf8.

Position after: 10...Nf8 11.h6! In all probability this is the most challenging move. The pawn on the h6-square may cause annoying 705

issues for the black king in many lines. 11.Bd2!? was Ivanchuk’s choice, which is also possible. 11...g6 12.a4! f6 Preparing ...Ne6 and trying to cover the dark squares around Black’s king. A) 12...f5?! attacks the center, but weakens the e5-pawn and the black king. White is better after simply 13.axb5 cxb5 14.Bd2². B) 12...Bd6 has the same idea as ...f6, but does not improve dark squares near Black’s king. 13.0-0 Ne6 and right now White has the very nice move 14.b4!?.

Position after: 14.b4!? White’s strategy is oriented at the dark squares, with which Black may potentially have serious issues. For instance, grabbing the pawn with 14...Bxb4 opens the position and significantly exposes Black’s king: [14...f6 15.c3² with ideas of d4 in the future.] 15.Nxe5 Bc3 16.Nxc6 Qd6 17.Bd2! Bxd2 [17...Qxc6 18.axb5 Qc5 19.Bxc3 Qxc3 20.Nd5 Qh8 21.Qf3±] 18.Qxd2 Qxc6 19.Nd5ƒ. 13.c3 Ne6 14.axb5 cxb5 15.0-0

706

Position after: 15.0-0 The position is quite complex but Black’s king feels a little bit unsafe. Once White opens the center with d4, black king may be in trouble. For instance: 15...Nf4 If 15...Bf8 then 16.Qb3!

Position after: 16.Qb3! 707

with some pressure: 16...Bxh6 [16...a6 17.Ng4²; 16...c6 17.d4!²] 17.d4!? [Calm 17.Qxb5² is also good.] 17...exd4 18.Nxd4ƒ with a good initiative. 16.d4! exd4 17.cxd4 Bf8 18.g3

Position after: 18.g3 18...Nh3+ 18...Ne6 19.b4 Bxh6 20.Re1© 19.Kg2 Rxe4 20.Qb3+ Kh8 21.Qxb5 Ng5 22.Nxg5 fxg5 23.Qc6 Qe8 24.Qxc7 Re7 25.Qc2 Bxh6 26.d5²

708

Position after: 26.d5² The position is still complicated, but White has good chances. The idea Bd2-Bc3 or b4-Bb2 will bring the bishop to the a1-h8 diagonal where it will be very annoying for Black. Also, the d5-pawn is very strong. g) 6...Be6 7.0-0 Qd6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 Be6 7.0-0 Qd6!?

709

Position after: 7...Qd6!? This is a rare move, but it is quite interesting. Black wants to defend the e5-pawn without touching the f6-knight, in order to always counter Ng5 with ...Bg4. 8.b3! White needs to, therefore, attack the e5-pawn and force ... Nd7. 8...h6!? This is probably the best move for Black. It is important to cover g5 so he can play ...Nd7 without worrying about Ng5. A) 8...Nd7 9.Ng5! is exactly what White wants.

710

Position after: 9.Ng5! 9...f6 10.Nxe6 Qxe6 11.Nc4 0-0 12.Be3 a5 13.a4 b6 14.Kh1² B) 8...0-0-0 9.Bb2 Nd7 10.Ng5 f6 11.Nxe6 Qxe6 12.a3ƒ

Position after: 12.a3ƒ White has a nice initiative on the queenside. There are chances to create a strong attack against Black’s king. 12...Kb8 [12...a6 13.b4 Ba7 14.a4ƒ] 13.b4 Bd6 14.Bc3 h5 15.a4

711

Position after: 15.a4 15...g5 [15...h4? 16.h3± was played in Robson – Obregon (2020) and Black had no attack, while White had a very strong attack on the queenside.] 16.Nc4² 9.a3!? I would suggest going for this. The move order starting with 9.Bb2 Nd7 10.a3 is also possible.

712

Position after: 9.a3!? 9...0-0 A) 9...a6 10.b4 Ba7 11.Bb2 Nd7 12.Nc4 Bxc4 13.dxc4 Qxd1 14.Rfxd1 f6 15.Nd2 0-0-0 16.a4 a5 17.c3 axb4 18.cxb4 Nf8 19.Nb3²

Position after: 19.Nb3² B) 9...Nd7 10.b4 Bb6 11.Nc4 Bxc4 12.dxc4 c5 13.Qe2² 10.Bb2 Nd7

713

Position after: 10...Nd7 Here I like the following: 11.b4! Bb6 12.Nc4 Bxc4 13.dxc4 c5 14.Qe2² White is slightly better due to the misplaced black bishop and some good possibilities for piece play. One of the key ideas here is Nh4-Nf5. Black is definitely under pressure. For instance:

714

Position after: 14.Qe2² 14...Qe6 15.Nh4 Kh7 16.Rad1 Rad8 16...g6 17.Bc1² 17.Nf5²

Position after: 17.Nf5² h) 6...Be6 7.0-0 Nd7 8.Nb3 Be7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 Be6 7.0-0 Nd7

715

Position after: 7...Nd7 This move was quite popular in the mid-2010s, until people started shifting slowly towards 7...Bd6. 8.Nb3 White attacks the c5-bishop but also wants to play Na5 and/or Ng5. Black should stop that. 8...Be7 8...Bd6?! allows everything that White wants: 9.Na5 Rb8 10.Ng5² The text move prevents Ng5. However, apart from 9.Na5, it allows: 9.d4!

716

Position after: 9.d4! I think this is stronger than 9.Na5. Black has the uncomfortable problem of choosing how to deal with the pressure in the center. 9...f6 A) 9...exd4? Releasing the tension on White’s terms is simply bad for Black: 10.Nfxd4 Bc4 11.Re1 0-0 12.Bf4 Re8 13.Qg4 Bf8 14.Rad1±. B) 9...Bf6!?

717

Position after: 9...Bf6!? B1) 10.Na5 Initially I thought that this is very good for White, but Black is fine after 10...Qe7!N. [10...Rb8?! 11.h3 0-0 12.c3 Re8 13.Re1²]

Position after: 10...Qe7!N 11.Nxb7 This is the most critical, but the position becomes very sharp and unclear: [11.dxe5 also does not give much: 11...Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Qh5 Bd7 14.Nc4 Bd4 15.c3 Qc5 16.Qe2 Bf6=] 11...Qb4! 12.Nc5 Nxc5 13.c3 Qa4 14.dxc5 Qxe4 15.Re1 Qf5 16.Bg5!? Rd8 17.Qa4 0-0 18.Bxf6 718

gxf6 19.Re3 Kh8! 20.Qxc6 Rg8∞ Black has good compensation for the pawn. B2) 10.c3! I would suggest this simple move, strengthening the center and starting calm positional play. 10...a5 11.a4 0-0 12.h3 Re8 13.Be3

Position after: 13.Be3 I think that White is slightly better here. 13...exd4 [13...Nf8 14.Qc2 Ng6 15.Rad1²] 14.cxd4 Qc8 [14...Be7 15.Bd2 b6 16.Rc1 Nb8 17.Re1²] 15.Nc1!? Be7 16.Qc2² 10.Na5

719

Position after: 10.Na5 10...Rb8 10...Qc8? was played in So – Nakamura (2020), but probably Hikaru mixed up his lines. After 11.dxe5 fxe5 12.Ng5!

Position after: 12.Ng5! White is simply much better. In the game there followed 12...Bxg5 13.Qh5+ Bf7 14.Qxg5 0-0 15.Rd1 Be6 16.b3 Rf6 17.Bb2 Rg6 18.Qe3+–. White is just winning.

720

Position after: 18.Qe3+– After 18...Bf7 Wesley could have just played 19.Nxb7!+– with a winning position; but he played 19.Rd2, and eventually Hikaru managed to win somehow. 11.dxe5

Position after: 11.dxe5 11...Nxe5 11...fxe5? again runs into 12.Ng5! Bxg5 13.Qh5+ Bf7 14.Qxg5 Qf6 15.Be3± with a big advantage, as in So – Topalov (2019). 12.Qxd8+ Kxd8 12...Bxd8 does not really change much. 13.Nxe5 fxe5 14.Be3² 13.Nxe5 fxe5 14.Be3

721

Position after: 14.Be3 This position looks very pleasant for White. His better pawn structure is the main source of the advantage. White can manoeuvre around and slowly improve the position. 14...Bb4 This was played in Ivanchuk – Bacrot (2015). 14...Kc8 Probably this is a little bit better, but still White has a nice edge: 15.Rfd1 Rd8 16.Rxd8+ Kxd8 17.Rd1+

722

Position after: 17.Rd1+ 17...Ke8 [17...Kc8?! 18.b3 Bb4 19.Bd2±] 18.a3². 15.Nb3 b6 16.Nc1!

Position after: 16.Nc1! A very nice manoeuvre: White’s knight is headed for the d3-square. 16...Bd6 17.b3 c5 18.c4 b5 19.Nd3 bxc4 20.Nxc5 Bf7 21.bxc4 Bxc4 22.Rfc1±

723

Position after: 22.Rfc1± White has a big advantage. Ivanchuk – Bacrot (2015). i) 6...Be6 7.0-0 Nd7 8.Nb3 Bb6 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 Be6 7.0-0 Nd7 8.Nb3 Bb6

724

Position after: 8...Bb6 Allowing White to win the bishop-pair. 9.Ng5! Bxb3 Black had nothing better. 10.axb3 f6 11.Nf3 Nc5 Even though Black has ceded the bishop-pair, the position has simplified a little bit and Black’s knight can head to the ideal e6-square. 12.Nd2!

Position after: 12.Nd2! White’s knight goes to the c4-square. 12...0-0 A) 12...Qd7 transposes after 13.Nc4 0-0. B) 12...Ne6 This was Kramnik’s choice against Yu Yangyi. 13.Qh5+ g6

725

Position after: 13...g6 14.Qe2!? This is suggested by engines and it is better than Yu’s choice according to the engines. The point is that after ...Nd4 White will simply retreat with the queen and either chase the d4-knight with a future c3, gaining a tempo, or simply go for f4 as the knight does not help stop it anymore. [Yu Yangyi played 14.Qd1 and won a very nice game. This is obviously also possible.] 14...0-0 15.Nc4

Position after: 15.Nc4

726

15...Rf7 [15...Nd4 16.Qd1 Qd7 17.Bh6 Rf7 18.Nxb6! cxb6 19.f4²; 15...Bc5 16.c3²] 16.Be3 [16.Kh1!?²] 16...Bxe3 17.fxe3 Qe7 18.Rf2² 13.Nc4

Position after: 13.Nc4 13...Ne6 13...Qd7 does not change anything, as after 14.b4 Ne6 15.Qg4 there is a transposition to the main line. 14.Qg4 Qd7 14...Nd4?! runs into 15.c3!

727

Position after: 15.c3! and Black’s position becomes very uncomfortable: 15...f5 [15...Nxb3? 16.Nxb6 cxb6 17.Qe6+ Kh8 18.Qxb3+–; 15...Nb5 16.Nxb6 axb6 17.Rxa8 Qxa8 18.Bh6 Rf7 19.f4±] 16.Qd1 Ne6 17.exf5 Rxf5 18.Be3²/±. 15.b4!

Position after: 15.b4!

728

Choosing this line simplifies the task of remembering the lines, as Black can sometimes start with ...Qd7 stopping Qg4. However, if we play b4, Black is forced to play ...Ne6, transposing. White’s main idea is to play Be3 and then prepare f4. Also, White can consider Kh1 and then f4 (either supported with g3 or not). Example lines: 15...Rad8 A) 15...Rfd8 16.Be3 Bxe3 17.Nxe3 Nd4 [17...a6 18.g3 Qe8 19.f4 exf4 20.gxf4±] 18.Qxd7 Rxd7 19.g3² B) 15...c5 16.b5! Rae8 17.Na3 Rf7 18.Be3 c6 19.bxc6 Qxc6 20.Nc4 a6 21.Bd2² 16.Be3 Bxe3 Black should trade the bishops. 16...Nd4?! 17.Qxd7 Rxd7 18.Bxd4 Bxd4 19.g3² 17.Nxe3 a6 18.g3 g6 19.Kh1 Kh8 20.Rae1²

Position after: 20.Rae1² Slowly preparing f4 with some edge. j) 6...Be6 7.0-0 Bd6 8.Nb3 -1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 Be6 7.0-0 Bd6

729

According to modern theory, this is the best move. It is an improvement over 7...Nd7. The difference is, similarly to 7...Qd6, that here in case of Ng5 Black can play ...Bg4, which wasn’t possible after 7...Nd7. White has a choice here. 8.Nb3

Position after: 8.Nb3 This is the new trend here. The most popular move here is 8.b3 with idea Nc4 or Bb2. It also deserves attention, but recent developments (most notably, Dominguez’s games) proved that Black is fine. And lately Dominguez himself played 8.Nb3, which could be an indication that the move is, at least, testing. The main idea of this move is Na5. Black should do something about it. 8...Qe7!? This was played in 2019 in Robson – Dominguez. It is quite an aggressive approach by Black and White needs to be familiar with some ideas here. I had analyzed this move back in 2015 and my conclusion was that White has good chances for an advantage. New developments in this line made me revisit my analysis, and in the process, I realized that things were not so easy. A) 8...Bg4?! This move was played 4 times in a Banter Blitz Cup match between Ray Robson (with White) and Benjamin Bok (with Black). Personally, I do not like this line at all for Black and I think White can obtain a considerable edge here. 9.h3N It makes sense to “ask” where the g4-bishop plans to go. [9.Na5!? was played in the Robson – Bok games and White is slightly better here too.] 9...Bh5 [As usual, 9...Bxf3 10.Qxf3² only favors White.] 10.d4!

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Position after: 10.d4! I think that this is the main issue with Bok’s 8...Bg4. I believe White is just much better here, e.g. 10...Nxe4 [10...Qc8 11.dxe5 Bxe5 12.Qd3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3±; 10...Qe7? 11.dxe5 Bxe5 12.g4+– just wins as 12...Nxg4 is met with 13.Nxe5!+–.] 11.dxe5

Position after: 11.dxe5 11...Bc5 [11...Be7 12.Qe2 Nc5 13.g4 Nxb3 14.axb3 Bg6 15.Rd1 Qc8 16.Bg5 Bxg5 17.Nxg5 h6 18.Nf3 0-0 19.Nh4±] 12.Qxd8+ Rxd8 13.Ng5! Suddenly, Black is facing serious issues. 731

Position after: 13.Ng5! A1) If 13...Nxg5 then 14.Nxc5! and White wins a pawn: 14...Ne6 15.Nxb7 Rb8 16.Na5 Nd4 17.Be3 Nxc2 18.Nxc6 Rxb2 19.Rab1 Rxb1 20.Rxb1 Kd7 21.Nb8+ Ke6 22.Bxa7±. A2) 13...Ng3 fails due to 14.Nxc5 Nxf1 15.Nd3!

Position after: 15.Nd3! and the f1-knight is trapped. 15...Be2 16.e6! fxe6 17.Nxe6 Rd6 18.Nxg7+ Kf7 19.Nf5 Rd5 20.Nh6+ Kg7 21.b3 Re8 22.Ng4+– 732

Position after: 22.Ng4+– Black’s knight is just trapped. The best defense for Black is following: 22...Kf7 23.Bh6 Re6 24.Nf4 Bxg4 25.Nxe6 Bxe6 26.Kxf1+– but here White still has a fairly easily winning endgame. A3) 13...Bxf2+ 14.Rxf2 Nxf2 15.Kxf2 Rd1 This is probably the best hope for Black.

Position after: 15...Rd1 But this endgame is just much worse for Black: 16.Nf3 0-0 17.Bf4 Rxa1 18.Nxa1± The minor pieces are stronger than the rook and pawn. Of course, Black can try to hold somehow, but it is 733

rather a daunting task. B) 8...0-0 I don’t like this move for Black. With the king already on the kingside it makes sense for White to pin the knight so that in case Black played ...h6 and ...g5, his king would then become quite exposed. 9.Bg5! c5 10.Na5

Position after: 10.Na5 B1) 10...b6 11.Nc4 h6 12.Bh4 B1.1) If 12...g5 13.Nxd6! cxd6

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Position after: 13...cxd6 White can play 14.Nxg5! hxg5 15.Bxg5 with an initiative. 15...Kh8™ 16.f4 Rg8 17.Bh4 [17.Qe1!? Rxg5 18.fxg5 Nh7 19.h4²] 17...Rg4 18.Qe1 exf4 19.h3 Rxh4 20.Qxh4+ Nh7 21.Qxf4² B1.2) 12...Bxc4 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.dxc4²

Position after: 14.dxc4² Even though the position may seem equal, it is White in charge, due to the awful black bishop that has little future, while White’s knight is very mobile. B2) 10...Rb8

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Position after: 10...Rb8 11.Re1 A key move. It is important to support the e4-pawn in advance of bringing the a5-knight to c4. [11.Qe1 was played in Bartel – Goryachkina (2016), with the same idea as 11.Re1, but I think that Black is fine after 11...h6 12.Bh4 g5! 13.Bg3 Nh5 14.Nc4 f6=.] 11...h6 12.Bh4 g5 [12...Kh7 13.Nc4 Bxc4 14.dxc4 g5 15.Bg3 Qe7 16.Nd2²] 13.Bg3

Position after: 13.Bg3 B2.1) 13...Nh5 is not good now due to 14.Nc4! Nxg3 [14...f6? is not possible now due to 736

15.Nxg5!+– and here we see why it is important to keep the queen on the d1-square.] 15.hxg3 b5 16.Ne3². B2.2) 13...Nd7 14.Nc4 f6 15.Ne3² C) 8...Nd7?! This is very briefly discussed in 6...Be6 7. 0-0 Nd7. D) 8...b6!?N

Position after: 8...b6!?N This move has no other purpose than stopping Na5 and I am surprised that no one has played it yet so far. D1) 9.d4 This alternative is playable. 9...Nd7 White has many ideas here. 10.Qe2!? [10.dxe5 is possible too but I am not sure if this leads anywhere: 10...Nxe5 11.Nfd4 Bd7 12.f4 Ng6 13.e5 Be7=] 10...f6 11.c4∞ This is one of them. The position is simply playable. D2) 9.Bg5 I like this more. 9...Qd7!? This move is extremely hard to play over the board. In those positions Black queen is almost never seen on the d7-square. White can continue in a number of ways. Each of them is possible, and to be honest I’m not sure which is best. [9...h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Nd7 12.d4 f6 13.Qd3²] 10.d4!? This is a very concrete approach. [10.Bh4!?, with the idea of Bg3, also deserves attention; as does the calm 10.Re1!? c5 11.c3 intending d4.] 10...Nxe4 11.dxe5 Nxg5 12.Nxg5 Bxe5 13.Nxe6 Qxd1

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Position after: 13...Qxd1 14.Raxd1 [14.Nxg7+!? Bxg7 15.Raxd1 Bxb2 16.Rfe1+ Kf8 17.Rd7 Bf6 18.Rxc7 Kg7!= With this move Black probably equalizes.] 14...fxe6 15.Rfe1 Bxb2 16.Rxe6+ Kf7 17.Rxc6 Be5 18.f4 Bd6 19.g3=/²

Position after: 19.g3= Somehow it feels like White has slightly better chances than Black.

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9.Na5 0-0-0!

Position after: 9...0-0-0! 10.a3!? 10.Bd2 was played in Robson – Dominguez, but I think that Black is fine here. As a side note, I am not sure if the bishop is so great on the d2-square. 10...Bg4 11.Rb1 Nd7 12.Nc4 Qf6! 13.b4 Nf8!„ After several natural moves by Ray Robson, Dominguez suddenly got very strong counterplay and eventually managed to win the game.

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Position after: 10.a3!? 10...Bg4 The most logical move. A) 10...c5?! happened in the recent game Karthik – Aleksandrov (2020). I think that this is a mistake: there is no particular reason to push the c-pawn, and it would be better for Black to look for counterplay on the kingside. 11.b4! The strongest. White opens the queenside and goes for an attack on Black’s king. [11.Be3 was played in the aforementioned game, but it is less accurate due to 11...Ng4 12.Bd2 Qe8² with ...b6 coming next.]

Position after: 11.b4! 11...cxb4 12.axb4 Bxb4 13.Bd2 Bxd2 14.Qxd2 Nxe4 15.Qe3 Nc5 16.Nxe5± with a strong attack. B) 10...Rhg8 11.b4

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Position after: 11.b4 and there is hardly better move than 11...Bg4 which transposes back to 10...Bg4. And if 11...g5?! then White can play 12.Bxg5 Bh3 13.g3! Bxf1 14.Qxf1±, when the pawn and full control of the light squares offers more than enough compensation for White. 11.b4

Position after: 11.b4

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Sometimes White’s idea is c4!?. Black has a few options here. 11...Nxe4!? Possible but risky! A) 11...Rhg8!?

Position after: 11...Rhg8!? Preparing kingside expansion: ...g5, etc. 12.Rb1 [12.Nc4 Kb8 13.Ne3 Bh5; 12.h3 Bh5 13.Qe2 g5 14.g4] 12...g5 13.b5 c5 14.Nc4 Qe6 15.Re1!

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Position after: 15.Re1! White prevents ...Nxe4. The position is quite complicated but I think he should be better here. 15...Nh5!? [15...h5 16.Ne3 h4 17.Nxg4 Qxg4 18.Nd2 Qe6 19.Nc4 g4 20.a4 Nh5 21.g3²; 15...Bh5!? 16.Qe2 g4 17.Nh4 g3 18.f3 gxh2+ 19.Kxh2 Bg6 20.Qf2²] Here things get really tactical! 16.h3

Position after: 16.h3 16...Bxh3! [16...Bxf3 17.Qxf3 Nf4 18.Qg4²] 17.Nxg5! Qg6 18.gxh3 h6 19.Qg4+ Kb8 Black 743

recaptures the piece but the kingside sort of closes. Due to control of the light squares I believe White has good chances but the position is quite complex.

Position after: 19...Kb8 For instance: 20.Kf1 hxg5 21.Be3 f6 22.Ke2 Nf4+ [22...Qf7 23.Rh1²] 23.Bxf4 exf4 24.Rh1². B) 11...Nd7 Following Dominguez’s plan (...Qf6, ...Nf8 and ...Ne6). But it’s not so easy here for Black: 12.h3 Bh5 [12...h5 is an interesting move but White can play 13.Re1! forcing 13...Bxf3 14.Qxf3² with a clear advantage.] 13.c4!

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Position after: 13.c4! 13...c5 [13...Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Qe6 15.c5 Be7 16.Be3±] 14.Rb1 cxb4 15.g4! Bg6 16.axb4 Bxb4 [16...h5 17.c5 hxg4 18.cxd6 Qxd6 19.Nc4 Qe7 20.hxg4±] 17.Qa4 c5 18.Be3± The position is complicated, but much better for White, e.g.

Position after: 18.Be3± 18...Nb6 19.Qb5 Rxd3 20.Rxb4 Bxe4 21.Ng5 Rxe3 22.fxe3 Qxg5 23.Qxc5+ Kb8 24.Rxf7 Rd8 25.Rb2!+–.

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Position after: 11...Nxe4!? 12.dxe4 Bxb4 13.Nxc6! bxc6 14.Qe2 Bc5 This is essentially forced. Black’s king is definitely in danger here. White can proceed here in a number of ways. 15.Qa6+! I would suggest playing this move. It is the most forceful and it puts Black under serious pressure.

Position after: 15.Qa6+! 15...Kd7™ 15...Kb8? 16.a4 Bc8 17.Qxc6 Bb7 18.Rb1 Bb6 19.Qb5+– 16.Rd1+ Ke8 17.Qxc6+ Bd7 18.Qxc7 f6 19.Rb1!

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Position after: 19.Rb1! White has an extra pawn and retains an initiative. I will show the best path for Black and comment briefly at the end: 19...Kf7 20.Bg5 Rhe8 20...Bg4? 21.Nxe5+!+– 21.Rd5 Bb6 22.Rxb6 axb6 23.Be3 Bf5 24.Nxe5+ fxe5 25.Qxe7+ Kxe7 26.Bg5+ Kf7 27.Bxd8 Bxe4 28.Rd2 b5 29.Ba5² After the best defense, Black can escape from White’s attack into a worse endgame. Maybe Black can hold it, maybe not. The fact is that Black is forced to defend this forever, while White enjoys a riskfree advantage.

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Position after: 29.Ba5² k) 6...Be6 7.0-0 Bd6 8.Nb3 a5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 Be6 7.0-0 Bd6 8.Nb3 a5!?

Position after: 8...a5!? This is how Aronian replied. I analyzed this line back in 2015 and came to the conclusion that this move is the best defense. The point is that White cannot reply 9.a4 as Black can play 9...Bxb3, 748

destroying White’s pawn structure. 9.Qe1! White should try something tactical. White wants to place the knight on a5-square and sometimes there are Qc3 ideas too. For comparison to the 9.Qe1 b6 line, if White plays 9.d4?! right away, then Black is fine after 9...Nd7. 9...a4 This is nearly forced. 9...b6? is wrong due to 10.d4 Nd7 11.Qc3!±.

Position after: 11.Qc3!± This is the «hidden» idea of Qe1. In the 9.d4?! Nd7 line Black was fine, but including 9.Qe1 b6 clearly favors White. 10.Na5

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Position after: 10.Na5 10...Qb8 10...Qc8?! is not good due to 11.Ng5 Bg4 12.f3, when Black now lacks the much-needed ...Qa7 resource that he had after 10...Qb8. And after 12...Bd7 13.f4², White is simply better. 11.b4! White’s a5-knight is a little bit loose, and with this move White supports it. Just to illustrate an idea, 11.Ng5 is not as great now as it was after 10...Qc8 because of 11...Bg4 12.f3? [¹ 12.h3 Bh5 13.g4 Qc8!?∞ leads to some crazy positions] 12...Qa7+!³.

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Position after: 11.b4! 11...0-0 This was the main move in my old analysis. A) 11...Bg4!? Aronian’s choice. 12.Nh4 0-0 13.Nc4

Position after: 13.Nc4 13...Nh5! This is essentially the only move here. [13...Be6? Here Aronian made a mistake. This is 751

very bad for Black: 14.Nxd6! cxd6 15.f4!± and without his dark-squared bishop, Black’s position becomes very difficult.] 14.h3 Be6 15.Qe2 Nf4 16.Bxf4 exf4 17.Nxd6 cxd6 18.Qd2 g5 19.Nf3 Qd8 20.Rfe1=/²

Position after: 20.Rfe1= Objectively, the position should be equal but equal does not mean drawish. The position is clearly full of play. I think that White’s position is a little bit more appealing, hence the evaluation “=/²”. B) 11...c5 12.bxc5 Bxc5

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Position after: 12...Bxc5 Here, White has a choice. I would primarily consider two moves here: B1) 13.Nxe5!? leads to a crazy position where evaluations by engines vary: 13...Bd4 14.Rb1 Bxe5 15.Nc6! bxc6 16.Rxb8+ Rxb8∞

Position after: 16...Rxb8∞ This position looks extremely unclear to me. Stockfish is extremely happy with White, but Lc0 shows “dead” equality. I analyzed it a little further, without particular conclusions. I have a feeling that objectively White is slightly better, but it requires computer-like precision. Still, Black should be able to hold with correct defense. 17.c3 [17.Qa5!? Bd6! 18.e5 Bb4 19.Qxa4 Nd7 20.f4 g6 21.Be3 0-0 22.a3 Be7 23.Qxc6 Rfd8∞

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Position after: 23...Rfd8∞ I don’t know how this should be evaluated– White could also be taking some risks with such a material imbalance!] 17...0-0 18.f4 Bd6 19.e5 Be7 20.exf6 Bxf6 21.Qd2 Rfd8 22.h3 h5© It is not easy to improve White’s position. B2) 13.Rb1!? Personally, I think I would go for this more positional approach. B2.1) 13...Qa7?! is not so good: 14.Rxb7 Qa6 15.Nxe5 0-0 16.Bd2!

Position after: 16.Bd2! 754

Despite the slightly “loose” pieces, White is better; it is OK, given his 2 extra pawns, to give an exchange to stabilize the position. 16...Bb6 [16...Bxa2 17.Qa1 Bb6 18.Rxb6 cxb6 19.Qxa2 bxa5 20.Qxa4±] 17.Rxb6 Qxb6 18.Nec4² B2.2) 13...Nd7 14.Nc6 Qc8 15.Ncxe5 Nxe5 16.Nxe5 Bxa2

Position after: 16...Bxa2 17.Qc3! Be7 18.Ra1 Be6 19.Ba3 Bxa3 20.Qxa3 c5 21.d4!ƒ I think White has a very nice initiative. C) 11...axb3?! 12.axb3 This clearly favors White. 12...0-0 13.Bb2 Nd7 14.Ng5² 12.Ng5!

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Position after: 12.Ng5! I like this move. White wants to take the bishop-pair from Black. What should Black do? 12...Re8! This counterintuitive move seems to solve all Black’s opening issues. However, it is a difficult move to play from a human perspective. After all, in such lines, the pair of bishops is very often the main source of compensation for the worse pawn structure. After the natural 12...Bd7 13.Nc4 White has some initiative and good chances for an advantage. 13...Nh5! This is the only move that holds the balance. It was essential to stop f4. 14.Qe2 Nf4 [14...g6 15.Nf3 Re8 16.a3 b5 17.Nxd6 cxd6 18.Bh6²] 15.Bxf4 exf4 16.a3²

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Position after: 16.a3² Black’s pawn structure, the closed character of the position and the chance to build a strong center makes White’s position preferable. 13.Nxe6 Rxe6 14.Bd2 Bf8!

Position after: 14...Bf8! This is another important move for Black. One of the ideas is ...b5. 757

15.Rb1!? 15.Nc4!? It is also OK to transfer the knight to the e3-square. After 15...b5 16.Ne3 c5 17.bxc5 Bxc5 18.Rb1

Position after: 18.Rb1 The position is equal, but there is play. White aims to push f4 at some point. For instance: 18...Qe8 19.Kh1 Bf8 20.f4 exf4 21.Rxf4∞. 15...b5!? This is the most principled. Black tries to “entomb” the a5-knight. Dynamically, though, it is not so easy. 15...b6 is an alternative. But after 16.Nc4 b5 17.Ne3 c5 18.bxc5 Bxc5 this is simply a better version of the 15.Nc4 line.

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Position after: 18...Bxc5 White has an extra tempo, which can be utilized in a number of ways. Of course, Black is fine, but it is an achievement for White. 19.Kh1!?ƒ 16.c4!

Position after: 16.c4! White puts some pressure on the queenside and his a5-knight is actually placed perfectly for that. 759

Things are not so easy for Black in practice. 16...c5! Black needs to enter the complications. But, without preparation, these lines could be quite confusing at the board! 16...Nh5 17.g3² 17.bxc5 Qd8! 18.cxb5 Qxd3 19.Be3 Nxe4 20.b6!

Position after: 20.b6! The last few moves were nearly forced. Black has two moves now: 20...Nc3 and 20...Nc5. It requires good calculation and good evaluation to avoid going wrong here, as play gets very tactical! 20...Nc3 20...Nxc5 21.Bxc5!? Bxc5 22.b7! Rb8 23.Rc1ƒ

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Position after: 23.Rc1ƒ Black is fine here, but at the board it could be confusing for Black. White has some initiative: 23...Qd5 [23...Bd6 24.Qe3 Qa6 25.Nc6 Rxb7 26.Nd8 Re8 27.Nxb7 Qxb7= It is equal, but still there is some imbalance.] 24.Qc3 Bb6 25.Nc6 Rxb7 26.Rcd1 Bd4 27.Nxd4 exd4 28.Rxd4 Qb5 29.Rd8+ Re8 30.Qd3 Qe5 31.Qd5 Rb5™=

Position after: 31...Rb5™= and finally Black has equalized. 761

21.Rb2 cxb6 22.cxb6 Rb8 23.Qd2 Qxd2 24.Rxd2 f5! With the idea of ...f4, challenging the construction of e3-bishop and b6-pawn. Black equalizes.

Position after: 24...f5! 25.Rc2 f4 26.Rxc3 fxe3 27.b7 e2 28.Re1 Rd6 29.Rcc1 Rd5 30.Nc4 Rxb7 31.Rxe2 Rc7=

Position after: 31...Rc7=

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Part III Ruy Lopez Open Defense Introduction 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4

Position after: 5...Nxe4 The Ruy Lopez Open Defense (or just for short Ruy Lopez Open or Open Spanish) is one of the very popular approaches to deal with Ruy Lopez for Black. It leads to unbalanced positions, not typical to regular thematic Spanish structures, as the center is actually quite opened (hence the name of the line, I guess). On top level, this line was popularized heavily by Viswanathan Anand in 90’s and early 00’s. He played numerous games in this opening with pretty good results. The most notable contribution to the development in this opening happened in 1995 in the final match of the PCA Candidates between Kamsky and Anand (won by Anand), and the World Championship match Kasparov – Anand in New York 1995 (won by Kasparov). Ever since this opening became a subject of theoretical discussion and analysis worldwide, especially with growing power of the computers. In modern times, this opening is being widely used by many top GMs, including Carlsen, Anand, Mamedyarov, So and many other top GMs. Personally, I think that this is a very sound opening. It feels to me that with perfect play Black should be fine there, but here we go again with the word “perfect”. It is possible that people will know exactly all the lines and find solutions to each question asked. However, this task gets harder and harder if White comes up with different approaches every game or finds some interesting ideas. And, similarly to the section on the Berlin, here I will attempt to show numerous ideas that could be used against the Open Defense in Ruy Lopez. Even if they don’t 763

guarantee an advantage with “perfect” play by Black, they will offer some playable positions and from practical point of view that’s what is the most important as refuting any sound opening is just not possible! 6.d4 b5 A) 6...exd4? This line is simply bad for Black and it has been widely known for years. Modern analysis confirms this! B) 6...Be7

Position after: 6...Be7 This line was popularized by GM Jeroen Piket in 90’s but for some reason it was not seen on top level until 2011 when Teymur Radjabov used it again. Ever since it has always been less popular choice to 6...b5 but the popularity grew significantly in recent years. The most famous game was Aronian – Mamedyarov from the Olympiad in Batumi in 2018 in which Mamedyarov performed a stunning attack. Later, it was also employed by Magnus Carlsen or Fabiano Caruana. Therefore, if so many strong GMs went for it, it means that it deserves serious attention! Personally I like White’s chances there but it goes without saying that opening knowledge and precise play are required to try to prove anything. 7.Bb3

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Position after: 7.Bb3 7...d5 7...Be7?! I believe that it is not a good line for Black as White has pretty simple play there just enough to prove stable advantage. 8.dxe5 8.Nxe5!? I will briefly cover this line as well, which could be treated as an alternative. 8...Be6 9.Nbd2

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Position after: 9.Nbd2 This would be the line I will suggest in this book. This is the most classical approach to the Open Spanish. I believe that it gives good chances for an advantage for White. There are several other approaches possible as well. All of them are playable and widely used among GMs, but the truth is that the entire book could be written about the Open Defense, while I am trying to cover the entire Ruy Lopez, so there has to be some compromise!

Chapter 17 Sidelines on move 6 and 7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4

Chapter Guide Chapter 17 – Sidelines on move 6 and 7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 a) 6...-b) 6...b5 7.Bb3 Be7 a) 6...-766

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4

Position after: 6.d4 6...Be7 This is the main alternative to the classical lines of the Open Ruy Lopez. A) 6...exd4? This line is called the Riga Variation. I believe that it is simply bad for Black. 7.Re1!

Position after: 7.Re1! 767

A1) 7...f5? This is just horrible for Black. 8.Nxd4

Position after: 8.Nxd4 8...Qh4 [8...Bc5 loses to a nice and simple tactic: 9.Rxe4+! fxe4 10.Qh5+ g6 11.Qxc5+–.] 9.g3 Qf6 10.Bxc6 dxc6 11.f3+–

Position after: 11.f3+– White wins a piece, leaving Black without any compensation. A few correct moves and the game will be over. 11...c5 12.Nb3 c4 13.Nd4 Bc5 14.c3 0-0 15.fxe4 fxe4 16.Be3 Bh3 17.Nd2+– 768

A2) 7...d5 8.Nxd4 Bd6 9.Nxc6 Bxh2+

Position after: 9...Bxh2+ 10.Kh1! An important and well-known move. [10.Kxh2?? falls into the only trap Black had, and leads to a draw. 10...Qh4+ 11.Kg1 Qxf2+ 12.Kh2 Qh4+=] 10...Qh4 11.Rxe4+! dxe4 12.Qd8+ Qxd8 13.Nxd8+ Kxd8 14.Kxh2

Position after: 14.Kxh2 This position occurred in the 2020 Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit! Black blundered mate in 769

one there, but even without that, this endgame is very bad for Black. White’s minor pieces are stronger than the rook and two pawns, as Black’s pawns can easily be blocked and White’s pieces will be very active in creating threats and weaknesses for Black. For instance: 14...Be6 15.Be3 f5 16.Nd2 Ke7 17.c3 Kf7 18.f3 exf3 19.Nxf3+– B) 6...d6?

Position after: 6...d6? This move is bad for a number of reasons. 7.Qe2 This is probably the strongest. 7...b5 [7...Bf5 8.dxe5 b5 9.Bb3 dxe5 10.Rd1 Qf6 11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.bxc3±] 8.Bb3 d5 and now very strong is 9.c4! with a big advantage for White, e.g.

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Position after: 9.c4! B1) 9...Be6 10.cxd5 Bxd5 11.Rd1 Bxb3 12.axb3 Qd5 13.dxe5 Qxb3 14.Nbd2 Nxd2 15.Bxd2±/+– B2) 9...bxc4 10.Ba4 Bd7 11.Bxc6 Bxc6 12.Nxe5 Bb7 [12...Bb5 13.a4+–] 13.f3 f6 14.Ng4+– B3) 9...Nxd4 10.Nxd4 bxc4 11.Ba4+ Bd7 12.Bc6 Bxc6 13.Nxc6 Qd6 14.f3 Nc5 15.Nxe5 Qe6 16.f4 0-0-0 17.Nc3 f6 18.Nf3 Qxe2 19.Nxe2+– C) 6...d5? this move just loses: 7.Nxe5 Bd7

Position after: 7...Bd7 771

8.Nxf7! Kxf7 9.Qh5+ Ke6 10.Nc3 Be8 11.Qg4+ Kf7 12.Nxe4+–. 7.Re1

Position after: 7.Re1 7...b5 7...f5? This move was tried a few times in the past but it’s simply bad for Black. 8.dxe5 0-0 9.Nc3!

Position after: 9.Nc3! 772

9...Nxc3 [9...Nc5 10.Bb3+ Nxb3 11.Qd5+ Kh8 12.Qxb3±] 10.bxc3 Kh8

Position after: 10...Kh8 White has a big advantage. Black’s pieces on the queenside are not developed and White fully controls the center. There are many ways for White to proceed from here. 11.c4 Preventing ...b5. [11.Bb3!?±] And if Black decides to play 11...Na5 [11...b6? 12.e6+–] 12.Qd3 Nxc4 13.Qxc4 b5

Position after: 13...b5 then White can at least play 14.Bxb5 axb5 15.Qxb5 Ba6 16.Qd5± with an extra pawn. 773

8.Rxe4 d5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Rxe5 bxa4

Position after: 10...bxa4 This is the main position of this line. If Black is in time to finish development, his position will be fine. Therefore, I believe White should act with haste in order to make maximum use of his advantage in development. 11.Qe2!? I believe that this move is very likely the strongest. It stops ... 0-0 by adding more pressure on the efile and prepares Nc3, Bf4, Re1 etc. More notably, it’s worth mentioning that Maxime Vachier Lagrave played two games in this line against Magnus Carlsen in the Grand Chess Tour semifinal in London 2019. In the first one he was clearly surprised and did not get anything out of the opening, but in the second game he chose 11.Qe2 and very quickly got a promising position. Even though I would choose a different next move than MVL did, it does not detract from the strength of 11.Qe2. Here, Black has two replies: 11...c6 or 11...Be6. Carlsen chose 11...c6 but I believe 11...Be6 is just stronger. 11...Be6! 11...c6?! I believe that this is a mistake!

774

Position after: 11...c6?! A) 12.Bd2?! was played in MVL – Carlsen (2019), but I don’t like this move. 12...Be6 13.f4 Qb6! This solves all Black’s problems. The position remains very complex but I don’t think he has any real reason to worry here. [13...g6?! was Carlsen’s choice, and White has a nice position here. 14.Nc3 a3 15.b3 Bd6 16.f5! gxf5 17.Rf1 Bxe5 18.Qxe5 Rg8 19.Na4 Qb8 20.Qe3²] 14.f5 a3

Position after: 14...a3 15.Nxa3 [15.Nc3 Qxd4+ 16.Kh1 axb2 17.Re1 0-0 18.fxe6 fxe6 19.Re3 e5∞] 15...Qxb2 16.Rf1 775

Qxd4+ 17.Re3 0-0 18.Kh1 Bxa3 19.Rxa3 Bd7∞ B) 12.Nc3! This is correct! 12...Ra7 [12...a3 13.b3 Be6 14.f4 Kf8 15.Na4 Bd6] 13.Bf4! [13.Nxa4 0-0 is also OK but 13.Bf4 is more concrete.] 13...0-0 [13...a3 14.bxa3 0-0 15.Re1 Be6 16.Re3 tr.] 14.Re1 Be6

Position after: 14...Be6 White has many options but I like these two the most: 15.Re3! [or 15.Nxa4 Bf6 16.Rxe6! fxe6 17.Nc5 Re8 18.Qd2 Rf7 19.c3²] 15...a3 16.bxa3²/±. White is clearly better; his extra pawn and great piece activity give him great winning chances. 12.f4!

776

Position after: 12.f4! Increasing the pressure on the e-file. Initially I thought that Black has to stop f5 as this threat looks crushing. However, new analysis revealed that things are not so straightforward. 12...Kf8! The best defense, as in Ivic – Murzin (2020). 12...g6?! 13.Nc3 a3 Trying to mess up White’s pawn structure. [13...Bd6 14.f5 gxf5 15.Bf4 a3 16.b3 would just transpose.] 14.b3 Bd6 [14...Qd6 15.Nb1] 15.f5! gxf5 16.Bf4!

777

Position after: 16.Bf4! 16...Bxe5 [16...0-0 17.Rf1 Kh8 18.Re3 Rg8 19.Qf2±] 17.Qxe5 Rg8 18.Re1 c6 19.Na4± White’s position is dominating due to his full control of the dark squares.

Position after: 12...Kf8! 13.f5 13.Nc3!? This approach leads to more solid positions. 13...Bd6 14.Nxa4

778

Position after: 14.Nxa4 14...Qf6! This is correct – Black wants to develop the queen first and then play ...Bxe5 and ...Qg6. [14...Bxe5 15.fxe5 Qh4 16.Be3 Qg4 17.Qd2 followed by 18.Rf1 offers very good compensation for the exchange.] 15.Nc5! The best try. [15.Be3 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Qg6 17.Nc5 Kg8 18.c3 h5! and Black was fine in Ivic – Murzin (2020).] 15...Bxe5 16.fxe5 Qg6 17.Be3 Kg8 18.Rf1©

Position after: 18.Rf1© White has great long-term compensation for the exchange, but Black’s position is quite solid and I can’t say that White is better here. This line is definitely playable so it could be a good alternative to the more forceful 13.f5. 13...Bd7 14.Nc3

779

Position after: 14.Nc3 14...f6! The only reasonable move. 14...Bd6?! 15.Qf2! h5 [15...Bxe5 16.dxe5 d4 17.Qxd4 Bxf5 18.Nd5!± intending Qc5 and Ne7 with a very strong attack; 15...f6 16.Re1± planning Bf4.] 16.h4! [16.Rxd5!?] 16...Bxe5 17.dxe5 Kg8 18.f6!± with a powerful attack. 15.Re3 Bxf5

780

Position after: 15...Bxf5 A critical position for the entire line. 16.Bd2!ƒ I really like this approach. White simply brings more pieces into the game, while Black’s king remains unsafe. White has a long-term initiative and from a practical point of view it is very hard for Black to play such a position. A big threat right now is Re1!, after which Black has issues with the e7-bishop that he must somehow solve. 16.Qf3!? is an alternative, but it is far less clear and requires memorization of crazy lines that eventually do not give White much. I encourage the reader to investigate this on his or her own, but I will not show them as I believe it is irrelevant for the purpose of this book. 16.Bd2 offers very good chances without having to memorize complicated lines so it serves its purpose well! 16...a3!? This is the best reply by Black. Black tries to hold on to the pawn or at least try to mess up White’s pawn structure on the queenside. A) 16...Bg6? runs away from Rf1 and Qf3, true, but the problem of 17.Re1! remains unsolved and Black is in big trouble: 17...Bd6 18.Nxd5 Bxh2+ 19.Kxh2 Qxd5 20.Qg4±.

781

Position after: 20.Qg4± The activity of White’s pieces and the unsafe black king make Black’s position simply bad. Even the queen trade 20...Qh5+ 21.Qxh5 Bxh5 does not really help as White can play 22.d5+– followed by Re7 and simply picking up the c7-pawn with a winning position. B) 16...c5? also runs into 17.Re1!

Position after: 17.Re1! with a huge advantage: 17...Ra7 [17...cxd4? only helps White: 18.Rxe7 dxc3 19.Bxc3 Be4 20.Rxe4 782

dxe4 21.Bb4+ Kf7 22.Qc4+ Kg6 23.Qxe4++– with winning attack.] 18.Nxd5 Qxd5 19.Rxe7 Qxd4+ 20.Re3 Re7 21.Qf1 Rxe3 22.Bxe3 Qd5 23.c4!

Position after: 23.c4! 23...Qe5 [23...Qd3 24.Qxd3 Bxd3 25.Rd1 Bg6 26.Rd8+ Be8 27.Bxc5+ Kf7 28.Ra8+–] 24.Qf3± C) 16...c6 This looks most human to me. Black tries to stabilize the situation in the center and bring the a8-rook into play with ...Ra7. However, White can play the simple 17.Re1 Ra7 18.Nxa4, recapturing a pawn and retaining a positional advantage.

783

Position after: 18.Nxa4 18...Kf7 19.a3² The idea is Bb4. D) 16...Qd7

Position after: 16...Qd7 Here, White has two options. 17.Nxd5 is probably the simplest. [17.Re1!? This is an alternative. 17...Bb4 18.a3 Bxc3 19.bxc3!

Position after: 19.bxc3! 784

White’s idea is that if 19...Be4 then 20.c4! c6 21.cxd5 cxd5 22.c4! h5 23.h3ƒ and at some later point White will play cxd5 and Re7 with strong pressure.] 17...Qxd5 18.Rxe7 Qxd4+ 19.Be3 Qg4 20.Qxg4 Bxg4 21.Bc5 Kg8 22.Rf1²/± As long as Black’s pieces are not coordinated, White maintains very good chances of winning this. 17.bxa3 Bg6 17...Bxa3? 18.Qf3!+– 18.Qg4!

Position after: 18.Qg4! Another strong move. White has a strong initiative. For example: 18...Bxa3 18...Bf7? 19.Rxe7! Qxe7 20.Nxd5 Be6 21.Qf4+– 19.Rf1 19.h4!?ƒ 19...Bxc2 20.Rg3 Bg6 21.h4!ƒ

785

Position after: 21.h4!ƒ I am far from claiming that White is much better here, but with certainty I can say that White has a long lasting initiative and more than enough compensation for two pawns. b) 6...b5 7.Bb3 Be7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 Be7

Position after: 7...Be7 786

Before jumping into the jungle of lines in the main line, let’s have a brief look at this old forgotten line. As I mentioned in the introduction, White is slightly better here nearly everywhere with pretty simple and natural play. 8.dxe5 0-0 9.Bd5 Nc5 10.Nc3

Position after: 10.Nc3 Main position. Black has some choice here, but none of the moves solve his opening problems. White is better everywhere with simple play. 10...Bb7 A) 10...Rb8 11.Be3 Nb4 [11...Bb7 transposes] 12.Bxc5 Bxc5 13.Be4 Nc6 14.Qd3 h6 15.Rad1± B) 10...Ne6?! This move allows any possible setup for White. For instance, White is much better after 11.Qe2 [11.Ne1!? is also possible, with the idea f4.] 11...Bb7 12.Rd1 Qc8 13.a4 b4 14.Ne4± 11.Be3 Ne6 11...Rb8 12.a4! b4

787

Position after: 12...b4 13.Ne2! d6 14.Bxc5 dxc5 15.Re1² 12.a4 b4 13.Ne4 d6 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Re1² White is simply slightly better here. For example:

Position after: 15.Re1² 15...Rb8 788

15...Qc7 16.Nfg5!ƒ 16.h3 Ne5 17.Bxb7 Rxb7 18.Nd4 Nxd4 19.Bxd4 Nc6 20.Be3²

Position after: 20.Be3²

789

Chapter 18 White plays 8.Nxe5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5

Chapter Guide Chapter 18 – White plays 8.Nxe5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 a) 9...Bb7 b) 9...Be6 10.Be3 Bc5 c) 9...Be6 10.Be3 Be7 d) 9...c6 10.Nd2 Nxd2 11.Bxd2 e) 9...c6 10.Nd2 Nxd2 11.Qxd2 a) 9...Bb7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5

Position after: 9.dxe5

790

This sideline could be an interesting surprise weapon for White. Very often such lines are overlooked or neglected in preparation, as they are relatively rare. Here, many people consider 8.dxe5 to be an automatic and mandatory move, which makes this line quite interesting from a psychological point of view. One difference between the usual 8.dxe5 and 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 is that in this line White may go for f4-f5, as the f3-knight isn’t in the way of the f-pawn here. On the other hand, the same thing applies to Black’s c-pawn; by pushing ...c5 in the future he’ll find it much easier to create a strong center. 9...Bb7?! This bishop does not belong here at all. In fact, Black gets into trouble quickly: 10.c3! Nc5 Only the transfer of the knight to the e6-square could really justify Black’s bishop development on the previous move. A) 10...Bc5 11.Nd2 Qe7 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Qh5 0-0 14.Bf4 Rad8 15.Rad1² B) 10...Be7 11.Be3 0-0 12.Nd2

Position after: 12.Nd2 12...c5 [12...Nxd2 13.Qxd2 c5 14.f4²/±] 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.e6 c4 15.exf7+ Rxf7 16.Qxd8+ Rxd8 17.Bd1!² [This is even stronger than 17.Bc2 as it creates additional options of Bg4 or Be2.] White will play a4 at some point, definitely with a favorable endgame. 11.Bc2 Ne6 12.f4!

791

The e6-knight is very shaky. White puts serious pressure on Black. It looks like the only way to counter White’s aggression is to start action in the center:

Position after: 12.f4! 12...d4! However, the tactical complications work out well for White: 13.f5 Qd5 14.Qg4! 14.Rf3?! is the initial engine suggestion, but Black is fine: 14...Bc5 15.Kh1 Nf8! [15...dxc3? 16.Qxd5 Bxd5 17.Rxc3+–

792

Position after: 17.Rxc3+– Either the e6-knight or c5-bishop falls.] 16.Bf4 0-0-0!∞ With ...Nd7 coming and a completely unclear position. 14...Nc5 14...h5 15.Qh3 Nc5 16.b4 just transposes. 15.b4!

793

Position after: 15.b4! Despite Black having many choices, there is no equality. However, the position is very sharp. 15...h5 A) 15...Ne4 16.c4! Strong move. 16...bxc4 17.Re1

Position after: 17.Re1 Suddenly the e4-knight has nowhere to go! 17...d3 is an attempt to save it, but it runs into 18.Ba4+ Kd8 19.f6+–. B) 15...Nd7 is a passive retreat, after which White obtains very good winning chances: 16.Re1 0-0-0 17.Be4 Qc4 18.Bxb7+ Kxb7 19.Qe4+ c6 20.a3± With this quiet move White stabilizes the queenside and keeps major winning chances. C) 15...d3 does not really lead anywhere, as the d3-pawn is going to be easily blocked after 16.Bd1 Ne4 [16...h5 17.Qh3 transposes] 17.Nd2 Nxd2 18.Bxd2± D) 15...0-0-0 is a very sharp approach that also fails to equalize. 16.bxc5 Qxe5 17.Kh1!

794

Position after: 17.Kh1! Ensuring that the white king is safe. 17...h5 18.Qh3 Qe2 19.Nd2 dxc3 20.f6+ Kb8 21.Bd1 Bxg2+ 22.Qxg2 Qxg2+ 23.Kxg2 cxd2 24.Bb2 g6 25.a4± Black has lots of pawns, but I believe the bishop is worth more, especially since the d2-pawn is blocked and White will have some active play as well. 16.Qh3

Position after: 16.Qh3 795

16...dxc3 A) 16...Na4 17.e6+– B) 16...d3 17.Bd1 Ne4 18.Bf4 0-0-0 19.Bf3 Qc4 20.Nd2 Nxd2 21.Bxd2± 17.Rd1 Qc4 18.Nxc3 Qxb4 19.a4 Nd7 20.Ba3 Qg4 21.Qxg4 hxg4 22.e6±

Position after: 22.e6± b) 9...Be6 10.Be3 Bc5 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 Be6 10.Be3 Bc5?!

796

Position after: 10...Bc5?! Trading these bishops favors White. 11.Bxc5 Nxc5 12.Qd4! Nb7 A) 12...Ne4 13.c3 [13.f3 c5 14.Qe3 c4 15.fxe4 d4∞ could be also better for White, but it looks very messy.] 13...f5! The only way to save the e4-knight. [13...c5 14.Qe3±] 14.exf6

Position after: 14.exf6 797

14...Qxf6 [14...Nxf6 15.Qe5 Kf7 16.Nd2 Re8 17.a4 c6 18.axb5 axb5 19.Bc2²

Position after: 19.Bc2² White has some edge here due to his control over the dark squares. Black’s pawn structure is questionable.] 15.Re1 Qxd4 16.cxd4 Kd7 17.Bc2 Nd6 18.Nd2 Nc4 19.Nb3 Kd6 20.Nc5 Rae8

Position after: 20...Rae8 21.b4!? [21.b3 is also better for White, but after 21...Na5 Black’s knight is headed to the c6-square, from where it will give Black some counterplay.] 21...Bc8 22.Bd3² 798

B) 12...Nd7? 13.Bxd5 Nb6 14.Bc6++– 13.c3

Position after: 13.c3 13...0-0 13...c5 14.Qe3 d4 leads to a worse endgame. 15.cxd4 Qxd4

Position after: 15...Qxd4 799

This is an important position. [15...cxd4 16.Qe4 Bxb3 17.axb3 Qb6 18.Nd2 0-0 19.b4± Black’s b7knight is simply awful, and the d4-pawn is weak too.] A) 16.Qxd4 cxd4 17.Bxe6 fxe6 18.Nd2 Ke7

Position after: 18...Ke7 This line is the engines’ choice for White, but I have a feeling that the drawing margin here is quite big. Obviously, there is no question that White is better, but I am not convinced if it is enough to win. For instance: 19.Nb3 d3 20.f4 Rac8 21.Rfc1 d2! 22.Nxd2 Nc5 23.g3 Nd3 24.Rxc8 Rxc8 25.b3 Rc2© with (most likely) sufficient compensation. B) 16.Bxe6!

800

Position after: 16.Bxe6! This looks like the right approach here to me, even if it is the second best choice according to the computers. I believe that it offers better winning chances than 16.Qxd4. B1) 16...fxe6 17.Qf3! An additional option – White keeps the queens on!

Position after: 17.Qf3! 17...Qd5 18.Qh5+ g6 19.Qg5 0-0 20.Nc3 Qc4 21.Rad1 b4 [21...Rad8 22.f3!± with the idea of Ne4.] 22.Rd7 Nd8 801

Position after: 22...Nd8 23.Nd5! exd5 24.e6 Qf4™ 25.Qxd5 Nxe6 26.Qxe6+ Rf7 27.Rxf7 Qxf7 28.Qc6 Qf8 29.h4± With a huge advantage. Black’s king is weak, as are his queenside pawns. B2) 16...Qxe3 17.Bxf7+ Kxf7 18.fxe3+ Ke6 19.Nd2²

Position after: 19.Nd2² I believe White has good chances for a win here due to his extra pawn (which is actually not so easy for Black to get back), Black’s weak king, and the b7-knight still being ‘offside’. The 802

position, however, is very tactical. 19...c4 [19...Kxe5 20.Rf7 Nd6 21.Rxg7±] 20.b3 c3 [20...cxb3 21.axb3 Nc5 22.Nf3!] 21.Nf3

Position after: 21.Nf3 21...Rac8 22.Ng5+ Kd5 23.Rad1+ Kc6 24.Nf3± 14.Qe3! Probably the strongest. 14.Bc2!? c5 15.Qd3 g6 16.Qg3² also deserves attention, with Nd2-Nf3 coming next.

803

Position after: 14.Qe3! 14...Bf5 14...c5 15.Rd1!² and the d5-pawn is under pressure. 15.Nd2 Qd7 15...c5 runs into 16.Qf3! and Black has to play 16...Be6, effectively losing a tempo. White can proceed with 17.Bc2² with better position. 16.Nf3 c5 17.Rac1!²

804

Position after: 17.Rac1!² With the idea of Rfd1. White has a nice edge here. c) 9...Be6 10.Be3 Be7 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 Be6 10.Be3 Be7

805

Position after: 10...Be7 11.c3 0-0 12.Nd2 I would suggest starting with this move, in order to avoid Black’s idea of ...Qd7 and ...Bf5. 12.f3 is not so accurate. 12...Nc5 13.Bc2

Position after: 13.Bc2 13...Nd7 happened in the recent game Piorun – Lomasov (2018), which was a very instructive game: it showed what may happen if the second player is surprised by this line and gets into uncomfortable territory. [¹ 13...Qd7! is the correct move, which equalizes. 14.Nd2 Bf5!= is the point.] 14.f4 f5 15.Nd2 c5

806

Position after: 15...c5 16.Nf3 [16.Bf2!? Nb6 17.Qf3 might have been more accurate, as it anticipates ...d4 quite effectively: 17...d4 18.cxd4 c4 19.Rfd1!² with the idea of breaking the blockade on the d5-square using the Nf1Ne3 manoeuvre.] 16...Nb6 17.Bf2 Rb8? [17...d4! 18.cxd4 c4 still holds the balance, as White probably has nothing better than 19.d5 Nxd5 20.Nd4 Qd7=.] 18.b4!± Suddenly White is much better. 18...cxb4 19.Nd4 Qd7 20.g4! literally ripping off the kingside. 20...g6 21.gxf5 gxf5 22.Kh1!+–

Position after: 22.Kh1!+–

807

With a powerful attack for White. Let’s see the end of this game, as it is really spectacular: 22...Kh8 23.Qh5 Bf7 24.Qh3 Bg6 25.Rg1 Qe8 26.Rxg6! Qxg6 27.Rg1 Qf7 28.e6 Qe8 29.Bxf5 1-0, Piorun – Lomasov (2018). A beautiful attack by Kacper Piorun! 12...f5

Position after: 12...f5 13.f3 Nc5 13...Nxd2 14.Qxd2

808

Position after: 14.Qxd2 14...Qd7 [14...c5 15.Rfd1 attacks the d5-pawn and therefore forces 15...c4, after which White is clearly better: 16.Bc2 Qd7 17.f4²] 15.Rfd1 c6 16.f4² 14.f4 Qd7 15.Qe2

Position after: 15.Qe2 OK, so let’s stop here for a moment. Does White have here anything special? The short answer is no. 809

The position is around equal. However, the thing is that from a practical point of view, White’s play is pretty straightforward, while Black has several setups to choose from. Sometimes, having too much choice causes confusion, especially when one is not familiar with the position. And this is precisely the point of this line: even though objectively Black is fine, practically speaking I think it is White that has the superior position. Additionally, the surprise factor can cause Black to spend lots of time on deciding between plans and setups (which only works to White’s advantage.) For example, the game can continue as follows: 15...Ne4 16.a4 g6 17.Nxe4 fxe4 18.h3!?

Position after: 18.h3!? White stops ...Bg4 and prepares a potential future g4 push. 18...c5 19.axb5 axb5 20.Rxa8 Rxa8 21.Qf2 Qc7 22.Kh2∞

810

Position after: 22.Kh2∞ With a playable position. Who is better? Probably, objectively, no-one! However, I prefer White here. His idea could be Bd1Bg4. Black’s central pawns are blocked and White may actually have some ideas of pushing his kingside pawns and generating an attack on the kingside. d) 9...c6 10.Nd2 Nxd2 11.Bxd2 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 c6

811

Position after: 9...c6 This is the most expected move – Black strengthens the center. In my opinion, it is also the strongest reply. There are, however, alternatives. 10.Nd2 Nxd2! The best reply. A) 10...Bf5?! This is premature, as White can gain tempi off this bishop. 11.Nf3! White will play Nd4 next: 11...Qd7 12.Nd4 intending Nxc6!.

812

Position after: 12.Nd4 12...Rd8 [12...Nc5 13.a4 b4 14.Be3 Be7 15.c4 Bg4 16.e6 Bxe6 17.Nxe6 fxe6 18.Bc2©] 13.f3 [13.a4 Be7 14.axb5 axb5 15.Ra6 Rc8 16.c4] 13...Nc5 14.Bg5 Rc8

Position after: 14...Rc8 A1) 15.g4?! This very aggressive approach deserves attention, but it’s incorrect. In the blitz game Sevian – Baryshpolets (2020), Black could have won: 15...Bg6 16.a4? bxa4!–+ [16...h5?! was played in the game, where eventually Sam Sevian won.] A2) 15.c3! This simple move leads to a better position for White. 15...Bd3 [15...Bg6 16.f4 Ne4 17.Bh4 Bc5 18.Kh1! Leaving the g1-a7 diagonal.

813

Position after: 18.Kh1! After 18...Bxd4 19.cxd4 Bf5, though, it’s time to move right back to the g1-square and prepare h3: 20.Kg1!². A funny but functional king manoeuvre!] 16.Re1 Be7 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.Bc2 Bxc2 19.Qxc2 0-0 20.Rad1 g6 21.Qf2 Ne6 22.f4² B) 10...Nc5 This was played by Ray Robson in blitz against David Anton Guijarro. 11.c3

Position after: 11.c3 B1) 11...Nd3?! Anton Guijarro – Robson (2020) 12.Bc2 Nxc1 13.Rxc1 Be7 [13...g6 is more 814

cautious but White is better here anyway. 14.f4 Bg7 15.Qe2 0-0 16.Rce1² With idea of preparing f5 and a kingside attack.] 14.f4 White is much better. 14...0-0 15.f5!± This is the perfect scenario for White in this line! [15.Qh5?! happened in the game and eventually Ray Robson won.] B2) 11...Bf5N This is correct and probably Black is quite OK here, but the ensuing positions are very rich in play. 12.Bc2 Bxc2 13.Qxc2 Be7

Position after: 13...Be7 14.Nb3 This is most likely the best. [14.Nf3 is also OK, but I like it less: I don’t really see any clear plan here for White, while Black has pretty simple play. 14...0-0 15.Be3 Qd7 16.Rae1 Rae8 17.Re2 Ne6 18.Nd4 c5 19.Nf5 f6=] 14...0-0 15.Be3 Nxb3 [15...Ne6? 16.f4! f5 17.Nd4! Nxd4 18.cxd4±] 16.axb3 a5 17.f4

815

Position after: 17.f4 With some pressure. After correct play Black should equalize, but I like White’s chances and depth of available ideas here. 17...f6! This is the best defense. White has some chances after 18.e6 f5 19.Bd4

Position after: 19.Bd4 White has some initiative. The position does not look like an easy one for Black at all. Definitely White has some practical chances here. I will show some example lines: 19...Qd6! [19...Bf6?! 816

20.Bc5 Be7 21.Qf2! and White is better. 21...Re8 22.Rfe1 Qc8 23.Bd4 c5 24.Be5 g6 25.Qf3 Qxe6 26.Rad1ƒ] 20.b4!? An interesting try. 20...axb4 21.Rxa8 Rxa8 22.Qxf5 Rf8 23.Qg4 g6

Position after: 23...g6 This position, at first glance, looks very promising for White. However, engines hold it. The question, though, remains: can people hold it, especially with limited time to think? 24.f5!? [24.Be5!? Qc5+ 25.Kh1 bxc3 26.bxc3 Bf6 27.Bxf6 Rxf6 28.h3∞] 24...c5 25.f6 cxd4 26.Qxd4 Qxe6 27.fxe7 Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 bxc3 29.Qxd5 Qxd5 30.e8=Q+ Kg7 31.bxc3= with a drawish endgame. 11.Bxd2

817

Position after: 11.Bxd2 Only this move has been played so far. There are some practical chances here, but Black should fairly easily equalize. 11...Be7! Black needs to castle kingside quickly. However, it is important to note that 11...Bf5?! is a somewhat inaccurate, even if typical, move. 12.Qf3! Bg6 13.e6!? This is a very interesting idea, at least from a practical point of view. 13...fxe6 14.Rfe1

818

Position after: 14.Rfe1 Here, Black has some room for error: A) 14...Qf6?? happened in Ganguly – Sethuraman (2018) and Ganguly played the stunning 15.Bxd5!!, crushing Black’s center, with a winning position. 15...0-0-0 16.Bxe6+ Kb7 17.Qe3 Bc5 18.Qxc5 Rxd2

Position after: 18...Rxd2 19.Bg8!+– A neat move, after which Re7 and Re6 can’t both be stopped. Ganguly – Sethuraman 819

(2018). B) 14...Bf7?! 15.Bc3ƒ C) 14...Qd7! The only reply. 15.a4! b4 16.Qg4!

Position after: 16.Qg4! Here Black only has two moves, but both of them would look “dangerous” in a practical context. C1) 16...0-0-0!? I think this isn’t an easy move at all, especially since Black’s queenside is very weakened. 17.c3!? White should try to open the queenside. [17.Bxb4 is inacurate: 17...e5! and Black solves all the problems as after 18.Qxd7+ (After 18.Qh4 e4 Black has nothing to complain about.) 18...Kxd7 19.Bxf8 Rhxf8 20.Rxe5 it is actually (quite surprisingly) White that has to be careful in this endgame: 20...Rde8! 21.Rxe8 Rxe8³ and it requires great understanding to see that despite the extra pawn, it is actually White that has to be defending.] 17...bxc3 18.bxc3 e5 19.Qe2 Bc5 20.Qxa6+ Qb7 21.Qxb7+ Kxb7 22.Rxe5

820

Position after: 22.Rxe5 White has an extra pawn. Normally, Black should be able to equalize here, but in a real game anything can happen! It is definitely White that has some chances to win and Black must be careful. 22...Rhe8 23.Rxe8 Rxe8 24.Bd1!=/². White has some chances here. C2) 16...Kf7 Not an easy move either. 17.Qf4+ Kg8 [17...Ke8? is obviously wrong: 18.Bxb4ƒ.] 18.Bxb4

Position after: 18.Bxb4

821

C2.1) 18...c5!? This is a very greedy approach by Black. It can easily backfire: 19.Bc3 c4 20.Ba2 Bxc2 21.Qd2! Bd3 22.b3! Rc8™ [22...cxb3? 23.Bxb3 Bf5 24.Re5!±] 23.bxc4 Bxc4 24.Bxc4 Rxc4 25.Rab1©

Position after: 25.Rab1© White has good compensation for the pawn and Black should be careful here! C2.2) 18...Bxb4 19.Qxb4 h6 20.Qd2 Kh7 21.c3 Rhf8 22.Re3=

Position after: 22.Re3= 822

Yes, the position is approximately equal. But how many traps has Black had to avoid along the way? Even if Black can reach this position, there is no immediate draw, and the position is playable, with little-to-no risk for White.

Position after: 11...Be7! 12.Qh5 White needs to stop Black’s ...Bf5, at least temporarily. A) 12.c3 allows 12...Bf5 and Black is just fine. 13.Bc2 Qd7 14.Re1 0-0= B) 12.Qf3 Another attempt to stop ...Bf5. 12...0-0 13.c3 f6! Undermining the center and comfortably equalizing. 14.exf6 Rxf6 15.Qe2 Bf5

823

Position after: 15...Bf5 16.a4 [16.Rfe1 Re6 17.Qh5 Qd7 18.Rxe6 Qxe6 19.Re1 Qf7=] 16...bxa4 17.Bxa4 Qc7 18.Be3 Bd6 19.g3 Re8= The position is around equal. 12...Be6 13.c3 13.f4 g6 14.Qe2 0-0= 13...Qd7 14.Bg5

824

Position after: 14.Bg5 14...Bxg5 This is probably the simplest. A) 14...Bc5!? is also possible but it leads to more complex play. B) 14...Bf5?! happened in an old game Short – Timman (1993). I believe that White has some chances here: 15.Bxe7! [15.Rfe1?! was played in the game, after which Black was fine. 15...Bg6 16.Qh4 Bxg5 17.Qxg5 0-0 18.Rad1 Rfe8= Short – Timman (1993).] 15...Bg6 16.Qe2 Qxe7 17.f4²

Position after: 17.f4² White quickly develops an initiative on the kingside and center, as Black wasted some precious tempi with this ...Bf5-g6 manoeuvre. 15.Qxg5 0-0 16.Bc2 f6! 17.exf6 Rxf6 18.Rae1 h6 19.Qd2 Bf5=

825

Position after: 19...Bf5= Black has equalized, which is normal and even expected after perfect play. However, the practical reality could be very different as Black faced big choices on the way here and had a high chance of choosing suboptimal moves. e) 9...c6 10.Nd2 Nxd2 11.Qxd2 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 c6 10.Nd2 Nxd2! 11.Qxd2!?N

826

Position after: 11.Qxd2!?N This would be my suggestion. 11...Bf5 Here, this move is much better than in case of 11.Bxd2. But here comes another practical difficulty for Black: he must know precisely that only after 11.Qxd2 he should play 11...Bf5, and that after 11.Bxd2 the correct move is 11...Be7. During the game it’s quite likely someone will mix up their lines. 11...Be7 This is a little bit inaccurate, as White can proceed with 12.Qd3! stopping ...Bf5. 12...0-0 13.c3 g6 14.Bh6 Re8 15.h3ƒ I believe White has some chances here, even if it is very little objectively and if Black should equalize with accurate moves. The c8-bishop does not have an easy deployment to the f5-square, and Black’s kingside is a little bit weakened now.

827

Position after: 15.h3ƒ For instance, 15...Bf5 16.Qe3 [16.Qd4!?] 16...Bd6 17.f4 f6 18.g4 Bd7 19.Qf2 Bf8 20.Bxf8 Rxf8 21.Rae1 fxe5 22.Rxe5 Qf6 23.Re3!? Rae8 24.Rf3 Qd6 25.Bc2

Position after: 25.Bc2 White’s idea is f5. Of course, this was only a sample line, but it shows that the position can remain quite complicated even if it is objectively equal.

828

12.a4 Be7 It is important to finish development and castle kingside. 12...b4?! 13.c3² only helps White. 13.Qf4 Bg6 14.Be3 0-0 15.c3

Position after: 15.c3 How do we assess? My judgment: it is equal, but definitely not drawish and it is simply a playable position. That’s the entire point of this line: there are some traps here and there, we make our opponent solve some multiple-choice questions, and even if this position arises, the position is still playable. As our opponent is very likely not familiar with the position and has to spend time and energy while making each decision, we can gain a time advantage and have, in general, an easier game. 15...Re8 15...f6 16.Bd4 Qc7 17.axb5 axb5 18.Rxa8 Rxa8 19.Qg3ƒ With ideas of f4, h4, Bd1-Bg4 or Re1, which may of course be combined. 16.Rfe1 Bf8 17.Qg3 Qd7 18.Bd1=

829

Position after: 18.Bd1= The position allows for fighting chess. At some point White may continue with f4, or maybe h4-h5. There are ideas of transferring the bishop to the f3- or g4-squares. Again, the entire point of this line is to surprise our opponent and create practical difficulties. Getting an objective advantage in such fashion is very hard! Also, please note that after the best play I don’t analyze much because I am not looking for an objective advantage. On the other hand, I gave quite extensive analysis of some of Black’s suboptimal moves. The reason for that is that after best play for Black, White need only know the directions and plans. After suboptimal moves, however, sometimes we need to know specific lines, as those “inaccuracies” from Black create new possibilities for White. Anyway, I would not suggest going for the 8.Nxe5 line in every game. Your main repertoire choice should be 8.dxe5, and the 8.Nxe5 line should be used occasionally, in faster time controls and mainly as a surprise weapon.

830

Chapter 19 White plays 8.dxe5 (9...Bc5 and 9...Nc5) 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.Nbd2

Chapter Guide Chapter 19 – White plays 8.dxe5 (9...Bc5 and 9...Nc5) 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.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 a) Introduction b) 9...Bc5 alternative c) 10...-- alternatives d) 11.Ng5 e) 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.a4 -f) 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.a4 Bb4 14.axb5 Nxb5 15.Nc4 g) 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.a4 Bb4 14.axb5 Nxb5 15.Qa4 a) Introduction 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.Nbd2

831

Position after: 9.Nbd2 As mentioned earlier, this is the most “classical” approach to the Open Spanish. The last 20 – 30 years have seen vast numbers of theoretical developments here. 9...Be7 Lately, this move has become the trendy choice. A) 9...Nc5 10.c3 d4

832

Position after: 10...d4 This is the traditional line, which was very popular in the past, but nowadays not so much (though there have been some new games there among the elite.) The theoretical discussion historically favored White here and probably that’s the reason why top players switched to different systems. Yet, things are not so trivial and White really needs to be precise in order to create problems for Black here. I suggest you play 11.Bxe6 here, which I believe is the best. [I also analyze 11.Ng5, a very aggressive approach that objectively does not give an advantage to White, but it still deserves attention as this line involves lots of history!] 11...Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4

Position after: 12...Ncxd4 In this position I will consider two different approaches that I believe are very testing: 13.a4 and 13.Ne4. B) 9...Bc5 Nowadays, this line is almost not played at all, but it has been employed in roughly 200 games, so it definitely deserves attention. 10.c3

833

Position after: 10.c3 10...Nc5 It is important to note that this line can also appear from the move order 9...Nc5 10.c3 Be7. 10...0-0 11.Bc2 f5 is another line that has become popular lately. 11.Bc2 d4

Position after: 11...d4 834

This is by far the most popular varia-tion. Additionally, I will cover all Black’s sidelines on moves 9 and 10, as I believe people playing this should be familiar (at least to a basic level) with all the lines. b) 9...Bc5 alternative 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.Nbd2 Bc5 Usually, the f8-bishop would be developed to the c5-square after 9.c3. Then, 9...Bc5 is a perfectly decent move. Here, however, I think Black is mixing up the lines a bit. White has two possible approaches here and while I believe both lead to better positions for White, I certainly prefer the text move.

Position after: 9...Bc5 10.Qe2! This move attempts to put some pressure on Black in the middlegame. 10.Nxe4 This move, on the other hand, leads to a slightly better endgame, but in the endgame it feels like Black’s chances to defend will be higher than in the middlegame. 10...dxe4 11.Ng5 Qxd1 12.Rxd1 Bxb3 13.axb3² Obviously, this could be analyzed further, but I am personally satisfied with 10.Qe2 and that’s what I would recommend playing.

835

Position after: 10.Qe2! 10...Nxd2 10...Bf5 The idea of regrouping the bishop to the e4-square is not really great for Black. 11.a4

Position after: 11.a4 A) 11...b4? only weakens the queenside. 12.Nxe4 Bxe4 13.Be3 Be7 [13...Bxe3 14.Qxe3±] 14.a5± B) 11...Rb8™ Black tries to solidify the queenside. 12.axb5 axb5 13.Nxe4 Bxe4 14.Be3 Bxe3 836

15.Qxe3²

Position after: 15.Qxe3² White is simply better here. The e4-bishop is vulnerable and is can be targeted by, for instance, Ng5. And if the e4-bishop is not stable there, Black’s prospects regarding control of the center are also questionable. 15...0-0 16.Ng5! This is very strong now. 16...Nxe5™ 17.f3 Bf5 18.g4!

Position after: 18.g4! Black cannot hold on to both pieces. 18...Nc4 19.Bxc4 bxc4 20.gxf5 Rxb2 21.Qc1± White is simply 837

a piece up, without any real compensation for Black. 21...Qf6 22.Ra6! Rxc2 23.Rxf6 Rxc1 24.Rc6!±

Position after: 24.Rc6!± The analysis probably could be extended a little bit further, but there is also no real need for it. White has an extra piece and is clearly better. 11.Bxd2 0-0 12.c3

Position after: 12.c3 838

We have a typical Open Spanish position, but White has several tempi more compared to the normal positions. Most importantly, the d2-knight was traded without any complications and this helped with the development of the c1-bishop. Black can proceed in many ways, but White is better everywhere: 12...Re8 A) 12...Bg4 13.Rae1! Qd7 14.Qd3 Rad8 15.Nd4 Nxd4 16.cxd4± B) 12...d4? 13.Qe4+– C) 12...Qd7 13.Rad1 Ne7 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.Qxe3 Bg4 16.Bc2 c6 17.Rfe1 Rfe8 18.Rd2² 13.Bf4

Position after: 13.Bf4 13...Qd7 13...Bg4 does not really lead anywhere as White is very solid in the center and this pin does not do much. 14.Rfe1²/± 14.Rad1 Ne7 15.h3² Stopping ...Bg4. White is, without any doubt, slightly better. 15...Bb6 16.Be3!

839

Position after: 16.Be3! 16...Bxe3 After 16...c5 17.Ng5 White is better as well, e.g. 17...h6 18.Nxe6 Qxe6 19.f4 f6 20.Qf2! Rac8 21.exf6 Qxf6 22.Rfe1²/± 17.Qxe3 c6 18.Nd4 Rac8 18...Nf5 19.Qg5²/± 19.f4 c5 20.Nf3²/±

840

Position after: 20.Nf3²/± White’s kingside pawn majority is more dangerous than Black’s. c) 10...-- alternatives 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.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3

Position after: 10.c3 841

Before jumping into the main lines, let’s have a look at the less popular alternatives. I firmly believe that none of them equalize, but it does not take away the fact that as White we should know how to react. 10...Bg4 This is the most popular alternative. A) 10...Nxb3?! Black takes the b3-bishop before it escapes to c2. This line has been tried a few times. This move, however, significantly helps with the development of White’s pieces and White is in time to make good use of it: 11.Nxb3 Be7 12.Nfd4!

Position after: 12.Nfd4! Playing for a blockade on the dark squares. 12...Nxd4 [12...Qd7 13.Nxc6 Qxc6 14.Be3² followed by f4 looks very good for White.] 13.cxd4 a5 If Black avoids this, his problems on the dark squares will be even bigger. [13...0-0?! 14.Bd2!±] 14.Be3 a4 15.Nc1!

842

Position after: 15.Nc1! Transferring the knight to d3 guarantees White a very nice position. 15...0-0 16.Nd3² Black’s ...c5 is stopped for good, and therefore Black simply has no play here. White is clearly better. B) 10...g6?! An unorthodox way of developing the f8-bishop. Black attempts to put some pressure on the e5-pawn. Yet, I believe that this move is a bit too extravagant. 11.Bc2 Bg7 12.Nd4!

Position after: 12.Nd4! This move is very strong and it’s worth knowing it. Even though the e5-pawn is under attack, White 843

does not defend it but is willing to give it to Black in exchange for very active central play. 12...Nxe5 What else, if not to accept the challenge? [12...Nxd4 is just contrary to the idea of ...g6 and ...Bg7: 13.cxd4 Nd7 14.f4± with mighty control over the center.] 13.f4!

Position after: 13.f4! 13...Nc4 is the only reasonable retreat. [13...Ned3?! 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.b4! and Black’s knights cannot defend each other anymore: 15...Nxb4 16.cxb4 Bxa1 17.bxc5+–; 13...Ned7?! 14.f5 gxf5 15.Nxf5±.] 14.Nxc4 dxc4 15.f5!

Position after: 15.f5! 844

Following through with the plan. 15...Bd5 16.Re1+ Kf8 17.Bf4± and despite being down a pawn, White has a big advantage. Black’s king is in the center, where it’s very hard to keep it safe. C) 10...Nd3?! This is an attempt to gain the bishop-pair by taking the c1-bishop. But the c1-bishop has not even moved yet, which suggests that it cannot be a good idea for Black. Black is spending precious time to get this bishop, while White simply builds up his development advantage. 11.Qe2! Nxc1 12.Raxc1

Position after: 12.Raxc1 C1) 12...Bc5 13.Rcd1! (with the threat of Ne4!) 13...Qe7 Black tries to stop it... [13...0-0 14.Ne4 Be7 15.Ng3 Na5 16.Bc2±] 14.Ne4! Anyway!

845

Position after: 14.Ne4! 14...Rd8 [14...dxe4 15.Qxe4+–] 15.Nxc5 Qxc5 16.Nd4± C2) 12...Na5 13.Nd4 Nxb3 14.axb3 c5 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.c4±/+– with a huge advantage; White is probably nearly winning already. D) 10...Bf5 The main idea of this move is to trade bishops in case of Bc2. However, it looks a little bit strange to me – after all, if Black wants so desperately to trade those bishops, why not just play 10...d4, which is one of the main moves? Therefore, I believe that this sideline is rather suspicious for Black. I would suggest the following: 11.a4

846

Position after: 11.a4 D1) 11...b4 This is the most normal from a human perspective. Engines, however have a different opinion. 12.Nd4! [12.Bc2 was played in Givon – Khmelniker (2020) and is also possible, but Black seems relatively OK after 12...Bxc2 13.Qxc2 d4!.] 12...Nxd4 13.cxd4 Ne6 14.Nf3 Be7 15.Be3 Rc8 [15...0-0 16.Rc1±] 16.Rc1 a5

Position after: 16...a5 All White’s pieces seem to be placed perfectly. Meanwhile, Black wants to play ...c5 at some point. If we take a deeper look at the position, Black’s best piece here is the e6-knight. I believe that it is important to trade this knight. 17.Ne1! The knight goes to the d3-square, and maybe later to f4 to trade Black’s e6-knight. 17...h5 [17...c5 18.dxc5 Nxc5 19.Bxd5 0-0 20.Nf3± is just an extra pawn for White.] 18.Nd3 0-0 19.Nf4! Nxf4 20.Bxf4± D2) 11...bxa4 12.Bxa4 Nxa4 13.Qxa4 Qd7 [13...Bd7?! 14.Qa2 Be6 15.b4±] 14.Rd1!

847

Position after: 14.Rd1! White has some pressure on the d-file and is clearly better, for example: 14...Be7 [14...Bd3 15.b3 Be7 16.Ba3 Bb5 17.Qf4 0-0 18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.b4²; 14...Bc5 15.Nc4 0-0 16.Be3 Bxe3 17.Nxe3 Be6 18.c4 d4 19.Nxd4 Nxe5 20.Qxd7 Bxd7 21.Ra5±] 15.Nc4 0-0 16.Ne3 Be6 17.c4 d4 18.Nxd4 Nxe5 19.Ndf5 Qe8

Position after: 19...Qe8 20.Qxe8 Rfxe8 21.Nxe7+ Rxe7 22.Rxa6 Ree8 23.Rxa8 Rxa8 24.b3²/±. White has a healthy extra 848

pawn with great winning chances. 11.Bc2

Position after: 11.Bc2 11...Ne6 This line was employed quite often by Ivan Sokolov in the 00’s. Maybe back then this line was quite playable, but modern analysis finds big problems here for Black. A) 11...Be7 is probably what Black should play in this particular position, and it will be analyzed within the 9.Nbd2 Be7 10.Bc2 sidelines. B) 11...Qd7 is a good alternative, but White has 12.b4! posing problems. 12...Ne6 [12...Na4 This move at first seems to be OK for Black, as after 13.Bxa4 bxa4 14.Qxa4 Nxe5 he does not lose the pawn. However, strategically Black’s position is very dubious: 15.Qxd7+ Nxd7 16.Re1+ Kd8 17.h3 Bh5 18.Nd4± with great control over the dark squares and future possibilities of developing an attack on the vulnerable black king.] 13.a4

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Position after: 13.a4 13...Rb8 [13...Rd8 does not change much: 14.axb5 axb5 15.Bd3 Rb8 16.Ra6!?±.] 14.axb5 axb5 15.h3 Bh5 16.Nb3 Be7 White has many possibilities now. One of the simplest is 17.g4 Bg6 18.Bf5± which pins the knight and uncomfortably cramps all Black’s pieces. C) 11...d4 12.Nb3! This is just great for White: 12...dxc3 [12...d3 13.Bb1 Qd5 14.Nxc5 Bxc5 15.Qxd3 Qxd3 16.Bxd3 0-0-0 17.Be4 Bxf3 18.gxf3 Nxe5 19.b4! Bb6 20.a4±] 13.Qe2!

Position after: 13.Qe2!

850

Black’s king in the center is the source of all kinds of trouble for him. 13...Nxb3 [13...Nb4 14.Rd1 Qc8 15.Nxc5 Bxc5 16.Bb3±] 14.Bxb3 Nd4 15.Qe4 Nxb3 16.axb3 Be6 17.Qc6+ Bd7 18.Qxc3± 12.Re1! With the idea of Nf1-g3. 12...Bc5 13.Nf1

Position after: 13.Nf1 13...Bh5 This is probably the best – the bishop goes to the g6-square. A) 13...Ne7 14.Ng3 h5 15.h3 h4 16.Nf1 Bh5

851

Position after: 16...Bh5 There have been games like this, but White is clearly better in many ways. 17.N1h2 strengthening the blockade on the kingside. [17.a4!? has been played so far and is also very good.] 17...c6 18.Qe2± White wants Be3 so prepares Qxe3 in case of a trade. B) 13...0-0? allows 14.Qd3! g6 15.Bb3 Ne7 16.Nd4± with a huge advantage. 14.Ng3 Bg6 15.Bb3!

852

Position after: 15.Bb3! This is very strong. There are concrete issues with the d5-pawn, and Black’s position is very shaky. 15...Ne7 15...d4 This already gives away the pawn. 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.cxd4

Position after: 17.cxd4 as Black cannot take back the d4-pawn. 17...Bb4 [17...Nxd4? 18.Be3 Nxf3+ 19.Qxf3 Bxe3 20.Qc6+!+–; 17...Bxd4? 18.Bg5 Qd5 19.Rc1+–] 18.Bd2 0-0 19.Rc1

853

Position after: 19.Rc1 White is just a pawn up and everything works out tactically for him too: 19...Rxf3!? 20.gxf3 Bxd2 21.Qxd2 Nxd4 22.Kg2 Qd5 23.Qe3 Rf8 24.Red1! c5 25.Rxc5 Qxc5 26.Rxd4+–. 16.h4

Position after: 16.h4 16...h5 854

16...h6 17.h5 Bh7 18.Nd4± 17.Nd4 Ba7 18.Nge2! The knight is headed to the f4-square. White is better. 18...0-0 19.Nf4 Nxf4 20.Bxf4 c5 21.Nf3± d) 11.Ng5 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.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 As mentioned in the introduction, this is the traditional main line, but it’s gone out of fashion. White, however, really needs to be precise in order to create problems for Black here.

Position after: 10...d4 11.Ng5!? This is a very sharp alternative that has been chosen by such great attacking players as Garry Kasparov and Judit Polgar. I was curious to examine this line, as lately there have not been many games in it and I was wondering whether analysis using modern strong engines would shed some new light on this line. So, let’s have a look! 11...Qxg5! This is by far the critical line. I believe that Black is fine here. 855

A) 11...Bd5? This line was played several times at the top level, until a famous game Polgar – Mamedyarov (2002) in which Polgar won with a beautiful attack. The continuation was 12.Nxf7!! Kxf7 13.Qf3+ Ke6 14.Qg4+:

Position after: 14.Qg4+ A1) Mamedyarov chose 14...Kf7?. Let’s have a look at this beautiful game: 15.Qf5+ Ke7 16.e6! Bxe6 17.Re1 Bringing the rook to the attack. [However, 17.Qxc5++– also wins.] 17...Qd6 18.Bxe6 Nxe6 19.Ne4 Qe5 20.Bg5+ Kd7

856

Position after: 20...Kd7 21.Nc5+! Bxc5 22.Qf7+ Kd6 23.Be7+! Kd5 1-0, Polgar – Mamedyarov (2002). Mamedyarov resigned as mate is inevitable after 24.Qf3++–. A2) 14...Ke7 The best defense. 15.e6!

Position after: 15.e6! A very strong move. It looks like White is just giving up a pawn, but the thing is that if Black takes it, the e-file will be opened for the white rook, leaving Black’s king in big trouble. White has a powerful attack which should suffice to win the game, for instance: A2.1) 15...Nxb3 16.Nxb3 Bxe6 [16...Ke8 17.Qf5 Qd6 18.Bf4 Qxe6 19.Rfe1+–] 17.Re1 Qd5 18.Nc5 Nd8 19.cxd4+– A2.2) 15...Bxe6 16.Re1 Qd7 17.Bxe6 Nxe6 18.Nf3! Re8 19.Ng5

857

Position after: 19.Ng5 19...Kd8 Returning the piece and hiding the king on the queenside. [After 19...Ncd8 20.Bf4+– Black pieces are sort of paralyzed!] 20.Nxe6+ Kc8 21.Bf4± Material is level again but White has a huge positional advantage. One attempt to complicate matters would be 21...g5; but White can just capture the pawn, leaving Black without any real compensation: 22.Bxg5 Rg8 23.Qh3±. B) 11...dxc3?! 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.bxc3 Qd3

Position after: 13...Qd3

858

This line has been played in the 1995 Kasparov – Anand World Championship match. Here, Kasparov produced the powerful novelty 14.Bc2!! which, according to the Ftacnik commentary to this brilliant game, was Mikhail Tal’s idea. 14...Qxc3 15.Nb3!

Position after: 15.Nb3! B1) 15...Rd8 is probably a better defense but White is much better anyway: 16.Bd2 Qxe5 17.Re1 Qf6 [17...Qd5 18.Qg4!+–] 18.Nxc5 Rxd2™ [18...Bxc5? loses on the spot after 19.Qh5++–]

Position after: 18...Rxd2™

859

19.Rxe6+! Important move! [19.Qxd2? is an automatic move that makes things really unclear after 19...Bxc5, for example: 20.Rac1 Bb4 21.Qd5 0-0 22.Qxe6+ Qxe6 23.Rxe6 Nd4=.] 19...Qxe6 20.Nxe6 Rxd1+ 21.Rxd1 Bd6 22.Nxg7+ Kd7 23.Bf5+ Ke7 [23...Kd8?! 24.Ne6+ Ke7 25.Nxc7!+–] 24.Be4±

Position after: 24.Be4± White has a big advantage in the endgame. 24...Kd7 25.Nf5 h5 26.h3 Ne7 27.Nxd6 cxd6 28.g4± B2) 15...Nxb3 16.Bxb3 Nd4 17.Qg4! Qxa1 18.Bxe6 Rd8 19.Bh6!!

860

Position after: 19.Bh6!! Brilliant preparation by Kasparov. 19...Qc3 20.Bxg7 Qd3 21.Bxh8 Qg6 [21...Ne2+ 22.Kh1 Ng3+ 23.hxg3 Qxf1+ 24.Kh2 also loses] 22.Bf6 Be7 23.Bxe7 Qxg4 24.Bxg4 Kxe7 25.Rc1!+– and White won the endgame in Kasparov – Anand (1995). 12.Qf3

Position after: 12.Qf3 White gets the piece back as the c6-knight cannot really be defended. 12...0-0-0 A) 12...Kd7? 13.Bd5!+– B) 12...Bd7? 13.Bxf7+! Ke7 14.Bd5 Nxe5 15.Qe2! d3 16.Qe1+–

861

Position after: 16.Qe1+– With the threats of Bxa8 and f4. 13.Bxe6+ fxe6 14.Qxc6 Qxe5 15.b4! Qd5 16.Qxd5 exd5 17.bxc5 dxc3 18.Nb3 d4 19.Ba3

Position after: 19.Ba3 Until this moment both sides’ moves have been forced. White has an extra bishop, but Black has two powerful advanced pawns on c3 and d4. 862

This position was already the subject of much debate in the 90’s and 00’s, and already back then a solution was found. My analysis has only reinforced that conclusion and found even more ways for Black to obtain a good position! 19...g6! This move has been historically proven to be successful for Black. A) 19...Be7?! is a worse version of the 19...g6 line as the h8-rook is, in some lines, unprotected. 20.Bb4 Bf6 21.a4

Position after: 21.a4 A1) 21...d3 22.axb5 d2 23.bxa6 c2 24.a7 Kb7 25.a8=Q+ Rxa8 26.Rxa8

863

Position after: 26.Rxa8 26...c1=Q [26...Rxa8? 27.Bxd2+–; 26...d1=Q? 27.Rxh8+–] 27.Nxc1 dxc1=Q 28.Rxh8² with some chances for White to win. A2) 21...Kd7 22.axb5 axb5 23.Rfd1 Ke6 24.Rac1 Rd5 25.Rd3 c6 26.Ra1²

Position after: 26.Ra1² White has some chances here, as Black’s pawns are blocked. While with correct play Black can probably hold, it’s not so easy. 864

B) 19...c2!? 20.Bb4 Rd5!N

Position after: 20...Rd5!N This is a computer-suggested idea. Black wants to play ...a5 and take the c5-pawn, same time advancing his central pawns to the c2- and d3-squares. 21.a4 a5 22.Bxa5 Bxc5 23.Rfe1 Kd7 24.axb5 Rb8 25.Bd2 d3

Position after: 25...d3 Black has at least enough compensation for the piece, e.g. 26.Nxc5+ Rxc5 27.f4 Rcxb5 28.Kf2 Rb1 865

29.Ra3 Rxe1 30.Kxe1 Rb1+ 31.Kf2 c1=Q 32.Bxc1 Rxc1 33.Rxd3+=. 20.Bb4 Bg7 21.a4

Position after: 21.a4 21...d3! The most forcing way to a draw. 21...Kd7 22.axb5 axb5 23.Rfd1 Ke6 24.Rac1± was seen in Kasparov – Shirov (2001), where Kasparov managed to set up a blockade and eventually win. 22.axb5 d2 23.bxa6 c2!

866

Position after: 23...c2! Compared to the 19...Be7 line, the h8-rook is protected and Black is OK. White should take care not to overpress. 24.Nxd2! A) 24.a7 Kb7 25.a8=Q+? [25.Nxd2 Bxa1 26.Rxa1 Rhe8 transposes to 26.a7] 25...Rxa8 26.Rxa8 and here, with the h8-rook protected, Black wins with the simple 26...d1=Q–+. B) 24.Bxd2? Bxa1 25.Rxa1 Rd3–+. 24...Bxa1 25.Rxa1 Rhe8!

867

Position after: 25...Rhe8! Black is fine here. For instance: 26.Rc1 26.a7 Kb7 27.a8=Q+ Rxa8 28.Rc1 Ra2 29.Kf1 Kc6=. 26...Re4 27.Bc3 Rc4! 28.Rxc2 Rd3 29.Rb2 Rcxc3 30.a7 Ra3 31.Rb8+ Kd7 32.a8=Q Rxa8 33.Rxa8 Rxd2 34.h4 Kc6=

868

Position after: 34...Kc6= Despite the fact that the 9.Ng5 line does not give an objective advantage, the line still remains pretty complex and if someone is not prepared or cannot remember lines it could sometimes be used, mostly in rapid or blitz games. The fact that Kasparov went for it, albeit before the modern computer era, means that this line is sound. White can hope for at least some practical chances. e) 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.a4 -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.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4

Position after: 12...Ncxd4 13.a4 White should go for this line. Black has a huge choice. I will go over each of the lines that Black can play. 13.Ne4!? This line is an alternative to 13.a4. However, I like 13.a4 more, as here I encountered serious problems. A) 13...Be7 is what the majority of people play, but here there could be some chances for White. 14.Be3 Nf5 15.Qc2 0-0 and now both 16.Neg5 and 16.Rad1 deserve attention. B) 13...Qd5! This rare move, surprisingly, equalizes! 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Nc3 Qc4 16.Be3 Rd8

869

Position after: 16...Rd8 I think that Black is fine, e.g. B1) 17.Rc1 Bb4 18.Bxd4 Qxd4 19.Qb3 [19.Qh5 0-0 20.Rfd1 Qf4 21.g3 Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1 Qc4 23.Nd5 Bc5∞] 19...Bxc3 20.Qxc3 Qxc3 21.Rxc3 Rd2 22.Rxc7 0-0= This endgame should be easily drawn. B2) 17.Bxd4 Bc5! 18.e6 Rxd4 19.exf7+ Qxf7

Position after: 19...Qxf7 870

20.Qc2 [20.Re1+ Kd8!=] 20...0-0 21.Nxb5 Rg4! 22.Qxc5 Rxg2+ 23.Kxg2 Qf3+ 24.Kg1 Qg4+= with perpetual check.

Position after: 13.a4 13...Be7 This line has had its prime back in 80’s and 90’s, but nowadays it’s not being commonly played anymore. However, as we will see, it’s not a trivial line. A) 13...Bc5?! I think that after this move Black has to be very careful not to be much worse. 14.Ne4!

871

Position after: 14.Ne4! A1) 14...0-0?? This was tried several times, most notably in 1996 in the game Topalov – Anand. Let’s see what happens and why I assigned a double question mark to this move: 15.Nxc5 Nxf3+ 16.Qxf3 Nxc5 17.axb5 axb5 18.Bg5! Rxa1 This is the only attempt to hold the position together. [18...Qe8 19.Rxa8 Qxa8 20.Be7+–] 19.Bxd8 Rxf1+ 20.Kxf1 Rxd8

Position after: 20...Rxd8 Black has sacrificed a queen for a rook and a knight, hoping for a fortress. In the mentioned 872

Topalov – Anand (1996) game, Anand indeed managed to pull off a draw by creating a fortress. However, with correct technique White should win this. A1.1) 21.g3? Ne6? Tragically inaccurate! [21...g6! This is the correct move order. 22.h4 h5 23.Qc6 Ne6 24.Qxb5 c5 transposing back to the game] 22.Qb7? [¹ 22.h4!+– was again possible!] 22...g6! Now it is a fortress! 23.Qxb5 c5 24.h4 h5 25.b4 cxb4 26.Qxb4 Kg7=

Position after: 26...Kg7= There is no way that White can make progress here. 27.Kg2 Kg8 28.Qc3 Ra8 29.Qf3 Rb8 30.Qe3 ½-½ Topalov – Anand (1996). A1.2) 21.h4!N It is important to start with this move. The idea is to gain space on the kingside and not allow Black to place his kingside pawns on the g6- and h5-squares. Preventing that is essential for White to win here. 21...Ne6 22.h5 c5 23.g3 b4 24.Qb7 g6 25.h6+– A2) 14...Bb6 Main move. Here, theory suggests 15.Nfg5!? and it is pretty good as well, but I found an even better move myself. 15.Bg5!?N

873

Position after: 15.Bg5!?N I believe that this is very testing! A2.1) 15...Qd5? 16.Nxd4! Nxd4 [16...Qxd4 17.Qf3! Nxg5 18.Nxg5 0-0 19.a5 Bc5 20.e6 fxe6 21.Qh3+–] 17.Re1 Qb3 18.Qh5± A2.2) 15...Nxg5? 16.Nfxg5 16...h6 17.a5! Ba7 18.Qh5 g6 19.Qh3 Qe7 20.Rfe1± A2.3) 15...Nxf3+ This looks the most concrete and is probably also best. The alternatives are not really appealing for Black. 16.Qxf3 Nxg5 17.Nxg5 0-0 18.Qf5! g6 19.Qf4!

874

Position after: 19.Qf4! 19...Qe7™ Black needs to cover the 7th rank and prepare ...f6. [19...h6? 20.Nf3! and suddenly White wins! 20...Kg7 21.a5 Ba7 22.Rac1 c5 23.Rfd1 Qe7 24.Rd6!+–] 20.Qh4 f6 [20...h5 21.a5 Bd4 22.Qxd4 Qxg5 23.Rae1²/±] 21.exf6 Rxf6 22.Rae1 Qg7

Position after: 22...Qg7 Here, finally Black has sort of stabilized, but his position remains worse because of the weak king. 23.Re2!? I think that this is the correct path. [If 23.Nxh7 then 23...Rxf2! holds Black’s position. 24.Rxf2 Qxh7 25.Qxh7+ Kxh7=; 23.Ne6 leads nowhere as 23...Qf7 24.Ng5 Qg7 is just a repetition.] 23...h6 24.Qe4 c6 25.Nf3 Raf8 26.h3² B) 13...Rb8?! 14.axb5

875

Position after: 14.axb5 B1) 14...Rxb5?! is a computer suggestion, but this move just gives the a6-pawn for free. Maybe some new theory is going to develop here, but I still believe that after 15.Rxa6 White has a comfortable, risk-free edge. 15...Be7 16.Nxd4 Qxd4 17.Ra8+ Bd8 18.Nf3 Qxd1 19.Rxd1 0-0 20.Ra4² B2) 14...axb5 15.Ne4 Be7 16.Nxd4 Qxd4 17.Qxd4 Nxd4

Position after: 17...Nxd4

876

18.Ra7! White has a pleasant endgame: 18...Rc8 [18...Ne2+ 19.Kh1 Kd7 20.Bg5 Rhe8 21.Bxe7 Rxe7 22.f4 Kc6 23.g3²] 19.f4 f5 20.exf6 gxf6 21.Rd1 Nc6 22.Rb7±. C) 13...b4? 14.Nxd4 Qxd4 15.Qf3 Rd8 16.Qc6+ Qd7 17.Qxa6± 14.Nxd4

Position after: 14.Nxd4 What should Black recapture with? 14...Nxd4! This is the best reply. 14...Qxd4?! 15.axb5

877

Position after: 15.axb5 According to my database, this position appeared in tournament practice 16 times, and every time Black chose either 15...Qxe5 or 15...0-0, which are both terrible moves leading to very bad positions. A) 15...Qxe5? This leads to a nearly lost position. 16.bxa6 0-0 17.Qa4±

Position after: 17.Qa4± White is just a pawn up and the a6-pawn is a strength rather than a weakness. The game Topalov – Kortschnoj (1996) followed: 17...Nc5 [If 17...Rfb8 then 18.Nf3 Qd6 19.Be3 Rb4 20.Qa5 c5 878

21.Rfd1 Qb8 22.a7 Qb7 23.Ne5+– is winning for White.] 18.Qc4 Rfb8 19.Ra5! Qd6 20.Ne4 Nxe4 21.Qxe4 Qb4 22.Qxb4 Bxb4 23.Ra4 Rb6

Position after: 23...Rb6 White is winning here in two ways. A1) 24.Rd1!? is an alternative. 24...Bc5 25.Rd5! Bf8 26.a7 Rb7 27.Be3 c5 28.Kf1 Raxa7 29.Rxa7 Rxa7 30.Bxc5 Bxc5 31.Rxc5+–

Position after: 31.Rxc5+– 879

and this rook endgame should be won as the white king is close to the center and can easily support the b-pawn. Black is very far from achieving a good defensive setup. A2) 24.a7 Bc5

Position after: 24...Bc5 Here Topalov went wrong. He should have played 25.b4! with a winning position. [He played 25.Rd1?, when suddenly in case of 25...Rb7 the position is most likely just a draw! But Kortschnoj did not take his chance, returned the favor with 25...h6?, and soon lost the game.] 25...Bxb4 [25...Rxb4 26.Rxb4 Bxb4 27.Be3 c5 28.Rd1 h6 29.Rd7+–] 26.Be3 c5 27.Rfa1+– White’s king approaches the queenside and that’s all she wrote. B) 15...0-0 16.bxa6 Qxe5 just transposes to line A above. C) 15...a5! This is the only move after which Black’s position does not collapse. However, it is still far from fun – White has an extra pawn. 16.Nf3!

880

Position after: 16.Nf3! I think this is the most accurate. 16...Qb6 [16...Qc4 17.Qa4±] 17.Qa4 0-0 18.Bd2 Rab8 19.Bxa5 Qxb5 20.Qxb5 Rxb5 21.Bc3² White has a clear extra pawn. As for whether it is enough to win – I believe that the objective answer does not matter. What matters is that Black is forced into a long and unpleasant defense, where White will always have some winning chances. 15.Ne4

Position after: 15.Ne4 881

15...0-0! 15...Ne6?! The first time this move was played was in 1981 in the Karpov – Kortschnoj World Championship match. It aims at preserving the pawn structure on the queenside (to respond to axb5 with ...axb5). But the cost of doing so is way too high. 16.Be3 0-0 17.f4±

Position after: 17.f4± To be honest, I don’t see much point in analyzing it this much further, because White’s advantage is simply overwhelming. Black’s pawn structure is bad, White threatens f5 and there is little Black can do to face White’s play. 17...Qxd1 18.Rfxd1 A) 18...Rad8 19.axb5 axb5

882

Position after: 19...axb5 A1) 20.f5?! is not so clear: 20...Rxd1+ 21.Rxd1 Rd8 22.Rc1 Nd4 23.f6 Ne2+ 24.Kf2 Nxc1 25.fxe7 Re8 26.Bxc1 Rxe7 27.Bf4 f6 28.Ke3 fxe5 29.Bg3 Kf7 30.Nc5 Re8²

Position after: 30...Re8² This position looks far less clear than the position after 20.g4! below. Yes, White is better, but the path to the victory is still long. A2) 20.g4!± is the most accurate, in my opinion, improving on Adams – Unzicker (1996). 883

B) 18...Rfb8 19.Rd7 Bf8 20.f5 Nd8 21.a5 Nc6 22.e6 fxe6 23.f6 Ne5 24.Rxc7 Rc8 25.Rac1 Rxc7 26.Rxc7+–

Position after: 26.Rxc7+– With a winning position, which Karpov eventually managed to convert. Karpov – Kortschnoj (1981). 16.axb5 Nxb5 16...axb5? obviously drops a piece: 17.Rxa8 Qxa8 18.Qxd4+–. This is why people played 15...Ne6 first, in order to have ...axb5 here. 17.Be3

884

Position after: 17.Be3 White is slightly better here due to his better pawn structure. However, lots of pieces have been traded and on the queenside White has only the b2-pawn left. In case he can make a favorable series of trades, Black is likely to escape with a draw, so that should be his primary objective here. Most simplifications only help Black. 17...Qxd1! Based on the previous words, it becomes clear that this is the best move for Black here. However, it is still far from equality. 17...Qc8 18.Qc2 Qe6 19.f4² here simply looks better for White. 18.Rfxd1

885

Position after: 18.Rfxd1 18...Rfe8! 18...f5? 19.exf6 Bxf6 20.Nxf6+ Rxf6 21.Rdc1± 19.f3 Bf8 20.Bf4

Position after: 20.Bf4

886

20...a5!? Trying to play ...a4 and ...a3, simplifying the position. 20...c5 21.Nd6 Reb8 22.Nc4 Nd4 23.Bd2 Be7 24.Ra4 f6 25.Re1 Rb7 26.exf6 Bxf6 27.Bc3² 21.Rd5 c6 22.Rd7 a4 23.Rc1²

Position after: 23.Rc1² White retains some pressure and a slight advantage. f) 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.a4 Bb4 14.axb5 Nxb5 15.Nc4 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.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.a4 Bb4

887

Position after: 13...Bb4 This is the most popular recently. 14.axb5 Nxb5 In this position White has some choice. Probably this is one of the most important positions in this line. Here, I would suggest either 15.Nc4!?, which is a novelty, or 15.Qa4, which is the most popular move here. 14...Nxf3+ This was Anand’s recent choice in his game against Grischuk. Even though 14...Nxb5 is the most popular move for Black, this requires careful checking as well, especially since it was played by Anand! 15.Nxf3 axb5 16.Rxa8 Qxa8 17.Ng5!

888

Position after: 17.Ng5! The e6-knight holds Black’s position together, so from White’s perspective it is essential to exchange it. A) 17...Be7 18.Nxe6 fxe6 19.Qg4 Kf7

Position after: 19...Kf7 A1) 20.Qf4+ Ke8 21.Be3?! was seen in Bacrot – Fressinet 2009, and even though Bacrot won the game, Fressinet could have equalized here. [¹ 21.Qg4 repeating and then proceeding with Bg5 as 889

below.] 21...Qd5!= Black centralizes the queen and solves all his problems. A2) 20.Bg5! Re8 21.Rc1 Bxg5 22.Qxg5 Qd8 23.Qe3 Kg8 24.h3± B) 17...Qc6? Black tries to centralize the queen, but it fails tactically: 18.Qg4! Qc4 19.Qf5! Nd8 20.Rd1!+–

Position after: 20.Rd1!+– White is winning as Black faces unsolvable problems with the king. 20...Qc6 [20...Be7 21.Be3 Qc6 22.Rxd8+ 1-0, Ganguly – Iuldachev (2005).] 21.Nxh7 Be7 22.Bg5+– White is just a pawn up and continues the attack on the black king. [22.Qh5?? g6!–+ and suddenly Black is winning due to the pin, as in Kramnik – Shirov (2005), though Kramnik eventually managed to make a draw. Probably Kramnik missed that after 23.Nf6+ Bxf6–+ defends the h8-rook.] C) 17...Nxg5 This was Anand’s choice. 18.Bxg5 h6

890

Position after: 18...h6 This is an important position. How should White proceed here? C1) 19.e6?! was played in Grischuk – Anand (2019). White has some initiative here too, but with correct (and not really difficult) play, Black should be fine. Anand made a draw without any issues. 19...fxe6 20.Qh5+ Kf8 21.Bf4 Qd5! 22.Qe2 Bd6 23.Rd1 Qc4

Position after: 23...Qc4 24.Qxc4 [24.Bxd6+ cxd6 25.Qh5 might be a better try, but Black should be fine after 25...Qc2= 891

with the idea of playing ...Kg8 and ...Kh7, also keeping in mind ...Qxb2 and White’s back rank issues.] 24...bxc4 25.Bxd6+ cxd6 26.Rxd6 Ke7 27.Rc6 Rb8 28.Rxc4 Rxb2 29.g3 h5 30.h4 g6 31.Kg2 ½-½ Grischuk – Anand (2019) C2) 19.Bh4! g5 Here, I would suggest two options for White. [19...0-0? runs into a powerful attack, and the only bailout for Black is to give up a pawn: 20.Qg4 Bd2 21.Rd1 Bg5 22.Bxg5 hxg5 23.Qxg5±.] 20.e6!? [Or 20.Bg3 Qc6 21.f4 gxf4 22.Bxf4 Rg8 23.Qe2 Rg6 24.h4².] 20...0-0 21.Bg3 Qc6 22.exf7+ Rxf7 23.h3²

Position after: 23.h3² The lack of safety of Black’s king is the source of his problems. For instance, going for simplifications does not solve anything: 23...Bd6 24.Bxd6 Qxd6 25.Qxd6 cxd6 26.Rd1± with good winning chances.

892

Position after: 14...Nxb5 15.Nc4!?N This natural move is a novelty, which is quite surprising as there could hardly be a better square for the knight than this. 15.Qb3 has been tried a few times, but I think Black can equalize without much effort: 15...Bxd2!

Position after: 15...Bxd2!

893

A) 16.Bxd2 0-0 Relative to the 15.Qa4 line, this is a better version for Black, as the d4-square is not covered so well by White. 17.Be3 c5 18.Rfd1 [18.Qc4 Nbd4=] 18...Nbd4= B) 16.Rxa6!? This could be testing from a practical point of view, but objectively it does not lead to anything special. 16...Rb8! 17.Rxe6+ fxe6 18.Qxe6+ Qe7 19.Qc6+ Qd7 20.Qxd7+ Kxd7 21.Bxd2

Position after: 21.Bxd2 21...c5! [21...Ke6?! was played in Sutovsky – Mikhalevski (2006) and White eventually managed to win. In my opinion, there is no need for such moves as they only risk running into some attack.] 22.Be3 Rhc8 Black immediately creates counterplay. 23.g3 Ke6

894

Position after: 23...Ke6 Here, the king move is already OK, as all Black’s other pieces are already participating in the game: 24.Kg2 h6 25.h4 Ra8 26.Rc1 Nd4! 27.Nxd4+ cxd4 28.Rxc8 Rxc8 29.Bxd4 g5= and there is no way White could win. 15...0-0 16.Be3

Position after: 16.Be3 Here, Black has many possibilities, but everywhere White retains some chances: 16...Qe7 A) 16...c5?! The idea of this move is to install the black knight on the d4-square. White can just ignore it with very good chances: 17.Qc2 Nbd4 18.Qe4!, a typical idea here.

895

Position after: 18.Qe4! A1) 18...Nxf3+ and now: A1.1) 19.gxf3!? The most extravagant option. 19...f5 20.Qc6 Qe8 21.Qxe8 Rfxe8 22.f4² White has a clearly better endgame, as the c4-knight holds the entire queenside and Black’s b4-bishop is very restricted. White can sometimes play Nd6, as well as Rad1 (or Rfd1) and in general play against Black’s weaknesses. A1.2) 19.Qxf3 Qd3 20.Nd6 Nd4 21.Qd1 Qxd1 22.Rfxd1 Nc2 23.Rac1 Nxe3 24.fxe3²

896

Position after: 24.fxe3² White’s knight is much better than the black bishop. A2) 18...f5!? An active attempt to solve Black’s opening problems. 19.exf6 Qxf6 20.Nfe5! Again, White can ignore the d4-knight. 20...Qf5 21.Qxf5 Nxf5 22.Rad1²

Position after: 22.Rad1² Without any doubt White is better here. This endgame should be quite unpleasant for Black, at least from a practical point of view, e.g. 22...a5 23.g4 Nfd4 24.Kh1 Nc2 25.Bc1 Rad8 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 27.f4². B) 16...Qxd1 Even though Black trades queens, it is on White’s terms and the resulting position favors White. 17.Rfxd1

897

Position after: 17.Rfxd1 17...Rfd8 [17...Bc5 18.Rd5 Bxe3 19.fxe3!

Position after: 19.fxe3! A nice move after which White gains even more space. Most importantly, Black’s knights lack access to the d4-square. 19...Rfd8 20.Rxd8+ Nxd8 21.Kf2 Ne6 22.Ke2 Kf8 23.Ne1²] 18.Rxd8+ Nxd8 19.g4!?² [19.Na5!?²] C) 16...Bc5!? 898

Position after: 16...Bc5!? White has two possibilities here. C1) 17.Bxc5 This leads to a slightly better endgame. 17...Nxc5 18.Na5 Qxd1 19.Rfxd1 Rfd8 20.g3 Rxd1+ 21.Rxd1 Kf8 22.Nc6 Ke8

Position after: 22...Ke8 23.h4!?² e.g. [23.Kg2!?²] 23...Ne6 24.Ng5 Nxg5 25.hxg5 Na7 26.Nb4 a5 27.Na6 Nb5 28.Nc5²

899

C2) 17.Qc2 This leads to more dynamic play. 17...Bxe3 [17...Nbd4 18.Bxd4 Nxd4 19.Nxd4 Bxd4 20.Qe4 c5 21.Kh1²] 18.fxe3!

Position after: 18.fxe3! I will talk about this idea more later, but for now I want to make clear that this capture does not necessarily worsen White’s pawn structure, as the d4-square is covered! And very often that square is the key to Black’s counterplay. 18...Qd5 19.h3 Rfd8 20.Rad1 Qc5 21.Nfd2!? Na7 22.Qf5ƒ White has a nice initiative. 17.Qc2 Rfd8 18.Qe4 Similarly to the 16...c5 line, White’s queen is headed to the e4-square. 18...Qd7

900

Position after: 18...Qd7 Here, White has a number of continuations. To be honest, all of them seem possible. I chose two that seem best to me and I will discuss them here. 19.h4!? The idea is to create “luft” for the king and keep the structure on the kingside as flexible as possible. 19.g3!? This is another option. 19...Qd3 [19...Bc5 allows 20.Rfd1!ƒ and Black cannot trade queens, similarly to after 19.h4. White’s position is preferable.] 20.Qxd3 Rxd3

901

Position after: 20...Rxd3 21.Ra4!? This is very direct. [21.Rfd1!? Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1 is also slightly better for White: 22...a5 23.Rd5 Rb8 24.h4 h5 25.Ng5 a4 26.Nxe6 fxe6 27.Rd7 Ra8 28.Kf1 Ra6 29.Ke2 Rc6 30.Kd3 a3 31.bxa3 Nxa3².] 21...Bc5 22.Rfa1 Bxe3 23.Nxe3 Black has a worse pawn structure and the path to a draw is still not clear. White can exert some pressure here. 23...Nbd4! Most likely this should eventually equalize. [23...Nc5 24.Rc4 Ne6 25.Kg2² and this is not so easy to play this with Black. White has a risk-free edge.] 24.Nxd4 Rxd4 25.Rxa6 Rxa6 26.Rxa6 h5 27.h4 Rb4 28.Ra2

Position after: 28.Ra2 28...Re4! [28...Rb5?! 29.f4 g6 30.Kf2 Nd4 31.Nd1 Nf5 32.Ra3 Rd5 33.Ke2²] 29.Ra5 Rb4 30.Nd1 g5!²/=

902

Position after: 30...g5!² Black simplifies the position to a probable draw. However, figuring all this out during a game is not easy! And even here, White has an extra pawn so Black still has to be careful. 19...Qd3 Black should probably try to look for equality in the endgame. 19...Bc5?! 20.Rfd1 Qe8 21.Ng5 Nxg5 22.hxg5±

903

Position after: 19...Qd3 20.Qc6! I like this the most – the point is that White wants to get an even better endgame than the one after 20.Qxd3. However, I would like to include that move in the analysis as well, because it was the first thing I checked and I discovered that those positions are not so easy for Black either. Readers may learn some ideas that could be useful if, for some reason, they cannot get the exact positions that I talk about here (chess is a rich game!) and is thinking for themselves. An example is the 20.Qc6 Qd7 line (which I discuss soon), where knowing these ideas will definitely be helpful. 20.Qxd3!? Rxd3

Position after: 20...Rxd3 Here, all the moves are possible. If I had my way, each of them would be tested in a game! A) 21.Ra4!? leads to nearly the same thing as 19.g3 Qd3 20.Qxd3 Rxd3 21.Ra4, with one small difference: 21...Bc5 22.Rfa1 Bxe3 23.Nxe3 Nbd4 24.Nxd4 Rxd4 Here White can play 25.h5!? and in this endgame White also has some pressure. [25.Rxa6 Rxa6 26.Rxa6 h5 27.g3 would just transpose.] 25...Rxa4 26.Rxa4 h6 27.f4 Rb8 28.f5 Nc5 29.Rd4 Kf8 30.Rd5 Ne4 31.Rd7ƒ B) 21.h5!? also deserves attention. C) 21.Rad1 Rxd1 22.Rxd1

904

Position after: 22.Rxd1 C1) 22...a5 Black wants to eliminate the queenside pawns and hopes to draw a position with only kingside pawns. C1.1) 23.Ng5 is interesting, but Black can equalize with 23...Rd8! 24.Rxd8+ [24.Ra1 Ned4 25.Nxa5 Ra8 26.Nb3 Rxa1+ 27.Nxa1 Be7= With such an a1-knight there is no way White could possibly win this.] 24...Nxd8 25.g4 a4 26.Ne4 a3 27.bxa3 Nxa3 28.Nxa3 Bxa3=

Position after: 28...Bxa3=

905

Due to the limited material I don’t think White can win this. C1.2) 23.h5 This would be my suggestion. 23...a4 [23...h6 24.Nh4!?ƒ with the idea of f4.] 24.Ng5 Rd8 25.Ra1 Nxg5 26.Bxg5 Ra8 27.Rd1² C2) 22...Bc5 23.Bxc5 Nxc5 24.Na5² C3) 22...h5 This move stops the kingside expansion, but at the cost of a precious tempo, which White can utilize. 23.Ng5! Nxg5 Now, both recaptures are possible.

Position after: 23...Nxg5 C3.1) 24.Bxg5 Kf8 25.g3 Ke8 26.Kg2 Also here White has some chances. 26...a5

906

Position after: 26...a5 27.f4!? [27.Kh3 a4 28.g4 hxg4+ 29.Kxg4 Be7=] 27...Be7 28.Bxe7 Kxe7 29.Kf3 a4 30.g4 hxg4+ 31.Kxg4 g6 32.Kg5!

Position after: 32.Kg5! 32...a3 [32...Ke6?! 33.h5 gxh5 34.f5+ Ke7 35.Kxh5 Rh8+ 36.Kg5 Rg8+ 37.Kh6! with some chances.] 33.Nxa3 Nxa3 34.Ra1! White will have an extra pawn in this endgame. Yes, it is very close to a draw, but we can’t forget that it is move number 34 and Black needs to be perfect until 907

now to get such a position. C3.2) 24.hxg5!? This is probably the most testing. 24...Kf8 25.f4

Position after: 25.f4 Black has some room for error now: 25...Ke7! [25...g6? runs into 26.Rd7! Ke8 27.e6! and Black is under serious pressure: 27...Be7 28.Ne5 fxe6 29.Rd2².] 26.f5 g6!

Position after: 26...g6! The only way to hold the balance. 27.Rf1 gxf5 28.Rxf5 Rd8 29.Rf6 Nd4 30.g6 fxg6 31.Rxg6 908

Ne6= Black should be fine here, but it is still White that can try to press in this endgame.

Position after: 20.Qc6! 20...Bc5 A) 20...Qd5?! This is what White ideally wants to get. 21.Qxd5 Rxd5 22.Ra4! Bc5 [22...Be7? 23.Rfa1 Nc5 24.Bxc5 Rxc5 25.b3 Rc6 26.Ra5 Rd8 27.Rxa6 Rxa6 28.Rxa6±] 23.Rfa1ƒ Suddenly, the a6-pawn falls! 23...Nbd4 [The difference is that after 23...Bxe3 24.Nxe3±

Position after: 24.Nxe3± 909

the d5-rook is under attack!] 24.Bxd4 Nxd4 25.Rxa6 Rad8 26.Nfd2² [26.Ra8!?²] B) 20...Nbd4 leads to massive simplifications, leaving White with a favorable endgame: 21.Bxd4 Nxd4 22.Nxd4 Qxd4 23.g3 Qd5 24.Qxd5 Rxd5 25.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 26.Rxd1 Kf8 27.f4²

Position after: 27.f4² C) 20...Qd7!? Here, we probably have to trade queens, leaving us with a slightly better version of 20.Qxd3, as Black’s rook will not be as active. 21.Qxd7 Rxd7 22.g3!? With the rook on d3 this was not possible, as White’s f3-knight would be under some pressure.

910

Position after: 22.g3!? 22...Bc5 [22...a5 23.Ra4²] 23.Bxc5 Nxc5 24.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 25.Rxd1 Ne6 26.Na5² 21.Rfc1! With this move White voluntarily agrees to worsen his pawn structure, but it could be also an “improvement” – depending entirely on our perspective. 21.Bxc5?! Qxc4 22.Rfc1 Qg4=

Position after: 21.Rfc1! 21...Bxe3 21...Qd5 22.Qxd5 Rxd5 23.g3² 22.fxe3! Right now, the e3-pawn does a very important function of covering the d4-square. As I said earlier, the question of which side benefits from this trade depends on your perspective. 22.Nxe3? loses to 22...Nbd4–+ and ...Ne2. 22...Qd5 23.Ncd2! 23.Na5 Qd3 and there is nothing better than 24.Nc4 repeating the position. 23...Qd3 24.Kf2²

911

Position after: 24.Kf2² White is slightly better here. Black has some issues to resolve with the queenside pawns, especially the a6-pawn. 24...h6 25.Qc4! Qxc4 26.Rxc4 Rdb8 An important position. How to proceed? 27.Ne1!

912

Position after: 27.Ne1! A very nice idea. The knight is headed to the d3-square, from which it fully supports the b2-pawn and possibly prepares Nf4 to trade Black’s strong e6-knight. White gains some flexibility for his pieces to move around, as everything is covered and Black has no targets to attack. For instance: 27...Rb6 28.Nd3 Na7 29.Rac1 Rb5 30.Nf3 c5 31.Kg3 Rab8 32.Nf4²

Position after: 32.Nf4² g) 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.a4 Bb4 14.axb5 Nxb5 15.Qa4 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.Nbd2 Nc5 10.c3 d4 11.Bxe6 Nxe6 12.cxd4 Ncxd4 13.a4 Bb4 14.axb5 Nxb5 15.Qa4

913

Position after: 15.Qa4 This is the most popular move here and is also a serious test of Black’s opening variation. Even though Black can probably equalize with perfect play, in practical terms it never equalizes. That makes this line possible to play too! 15...c5 This is probably the best defense. However, the position is still quite complicated and Black will still need to prove equality. A) 15...Bxd2 16.Bxd2 0-0

914

Position after: 16...0-0 Black’s main idea here is to use the d4-square for trades of many pieces and simplify the position. It is not possible to stop that entirely, but White can mitigate its effects! A1) 17.Rfd1 c5 18.Be3

Position after: 18.Be3 A1.1) 18...Qe7?! The queen is misplaced here. 19.h3 Rfd8 [19...Ned4 20.Bxd4 cxd4 21.Qc2²; 19...Rfe8 20.Rd2 h6 21.Re1 Red8 22.Qg4 Kh8 23.Nh4ƒ] 20.Rxd8+ Qxd8 [20...Rxd8? 21.Qxa6 915

Nbd4 22.Nxd4 cxd4 23.Bd2±] 21.Qe4 Nbc7 22.Qc2² Hitting the c5-pawn, and intending Rd1 as well. A1.2) 18...Qb6! This should be fine for Black. 19.h3 Nbc7! 20.Rd2 Rfd8 21.Rad1 Rxd2 22.Rxd2 a5= I don’t see any problems here for Black. A2) 17.h3!?N I like this move. The idea is to not declare yet where White’s pieces will be placed, as this depends on what Black does. In the meantime, 17.h3 makes room for White’s king and is simply a useful addition to his position.

Position after: 17.h3!?N 17...Ned4 This is the most principled. [17...c5 18.Qe4! Suddenly, the ...Qb6 setup is not so great, because the d2-bishop can go to a5!] 18.Nxd4 Qxd4 19.Qxd4 Nxd4 20.Ra4²

916

Position after: 20.Ra4² Despite the limited material, White is slightly better here. Black’s pawn weaknesses are telling and his knight is never really comfortable due to the messed-up pawn structure. For instance: 20...Rfd8 [20...c5 21.f4 Rfb8 22.Bc3 Ne2+ 23.Kf2 Nxc3 24.bxc3

Position after: 24.bxc3 Even this rook endgame is not so easy, as long as White manages to preserve the c3-pawn. 24...Rb2+ 25.Kf3 Rc2 26.Rc4 a5 27.Ra1 g6 28.Rxc5 a4 29.Ra3!±] 21.Ba5 Rd7 22.Re1 h5 23.Bc3 917

c5 24.f4 Nb5 25.Kf2² B) 15...Be7?! This is very passive. 16.Rd1!

Position after: 16.Rd1! 16...0-0 [16...Nc5 17.Qc2 Qd3 18.Qxd3 Nxd3 19.Nc4²] 17.Ne4 Qc8 18.Be3 Rd8 19.Rxd8+ Qxd8 20.Qc4 Qd7 21.h3²

Position after: 15...c5

918

16.Ne4! The best try. 16.Nc4 0-0 17.Be3 [17.Rd1 Nbd4 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Be3 a5 20.Rac1 Ra6!=] 17...Rb8! equalizes. 16...0-0 17.Rd1

Position after: 17.Rd1 17...Nbd4! The most accurate. 17...Qb6 18.Be3 Nbd4 19.Nd6 a5 20.Qa2² 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Be3 a5

919

Position after: 19...a5 The thing is that right now it is hard to come up with a plan for White. 20.Nxc5 This move grabs the pawn but leads to a drawish endgame. However, Black still needs to prove it! 20.h3!? is possible too, trying to keep the tension in the center. 20...Rb8 [20...h6!? This waiting move is also possible.] 21.Qa2 Qe7 22.Qd5 Rbd8 23.Nd6 Qe6 24.Qxe6 fxe6=

920

Position after: 24...fxe6= This endgame is very close to equality. Realistically, there is no advantage for White here. 20...Bxc5 21.Bxd4 Bxd4 22.Rxd4

Position after: 22.Rxd4 22...Qb8 22...Qe8 23.Rd5 Qxa4 24.Rxa4 Rab8 25.Raxa5 Rxb2 26.h4² As long as White manages to keep both pairs of rooks on the board, White will have chances to win. 23.Rd5 Qxb2 24.Rxa5 Rxa5 25.Qxa5² With correct defense, this is very likely to be drawn. The only attempt for White to win this is keep queens and rooks on the board as long as possible and try to create threats. For instance:

921

Position after: 25.Qxa5² 25...h6 26.Re1 Rb8 27.h3 Qb4 28.Qa1 Qb2 29.Qd1 Qb3 30.Qg4 Qe6 31.Qe4²

Position after: 31.Qe4²

922

Chapter 20 White plays 8.dxe5 (9...Be7) 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.Nbd2 Be7

Chapter Guide Chapter 20 – White plays 8.dxe5 (9...Be7) 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.Nbd2 Be7 10.c3 a) 10...--, 10...Nc5 11.Bc2 -b) 10...Nc5 11.Bc2 d4 (with 17...Rfd8) c) 10...Nc5 11.Bc2 d4 (with 17...d2) d) 10...0-0 (with 17.a4) e) 10...0-0 (with 17.Bxg5) a) 10...--, 10...Nc5 11.Bc2 -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.Nbd2 Be7 10.c3

923

Position after: 10.c3 10...Nc5 A) After 10...Qd7 11.Bc2 f5 [11...Nc5? 12.Nb3± is discussed under 11...Qd7.] 12.Nb3 0-0, play will very likely transpose to the 10...0-0 line, which is discussed elsewhere. B) 10...Bf5?

Position after: 10...Bf5?

924

This bishop belongs on the e6-square, so it is definitely a mistake to transfer it to e4. 11.a4 [11.Nxe4!? Bxe4 12.Bf4 0-0 13.Re1±] 11...b4 12.Nd4 Nxd4 13.cxd4 0-0 14.Nxe4 Bxe4 15.Be3± C) 10...Na5? is just bad for Black. 11.Nd4 Nxd2 [11...Nxb3 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.Nxb3±] 12.Bxd2

Position after: 12.Bxd2 C1) 12...Qd7 13.Bc2 Nc4 14.Bc1 Nxe5 15.Re1 Ng6 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Qh5

Position after: 17.Qh5

925

17...0-0 [17...0-0-0 18.Rxe6!+–] 18.Re3!+– with Rh3 coming. C2) 12...Nxb3 13.axb3 c5 [13...Bd7 14.b4±] 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Qg4 Kf7 16.Qf3+ Kg8 17.c4± 11.Bc2

Position after: 11.Bc2 Here, White has the very strong positional threat of Nb3, which would leave Black without any good counterplay. Normally, Black should play 11...d4, but the alternatives are worth a look too. 11...Bg4 Black pins White’s f3-knight to the queen and prevents Nb3. A) 11...0-0? 12.Nb3! Just like after 11...Qd7 below, this leaves Black stuck. 12...Nxb3 13.axb3± B) 11...Qd7? 12.Nb3!

926

Position after: 12.Nb3! Black is stuck here, as ...d4 is never possible. 12...0-0 [12...Nxb3 13.axb3 0-0 14.Re1±] 13.Re1 Rfe8 14.Ng5 g6 15.Nd4± 12.Re1

Position after: 12.Re1 12...Qd7!? 927

This was played in 2013 by Hikaru Nakamura, so I made it my main line. 12...0-0 13.Nb3 works well again.

Position after: 13.Nb3 Now 13...Ne4 was played in Kasparov – Krasenkow (2000). [13...Ne6 14.Qd3! White threatens mate, and after 14...g6 15.Bh6 Re8 16.Qe3± this is simply bad for Black: he can’t play ...d4, his pieces are less active and he lacks space.] Now I believe the approach the former World Champion chose is the best: 14.Bf4 Re8 15.h3 Bh5 16.a4! bxa4 17.Rxa4±

928

Position after: 17.Rxa4± with big problems for Black. 17...Bf8 18.Nbd4 Nxe5 Facing strategic misery, Black attempts tactical tricks, which also do not work. 19.Bxe5 Rxe5 20.g4 Qf6 but here Kasparov made a mistake!

Position after: 20...Qf6 A) 21.Nc6? Here 21...Ree8!! is a sudden miraculous save! [21...Rg5? returned the favor immediately, and Kasparov quickly won: 22.Bxe4 dxe4 23.Nxg5 Qxg5 24.Raxe4 1-0, Kasparov – Krasenkow (2000).] 22.Qxd5 Ng5!!

929

Position after: 22...Ng5!! Probably this idea was overlooked by both GMs. 23.Bxh7+ Nxh7 24.Rxe8 Rxe8 25.gxh5 Re2!= B) 21.gxh5! There is nothing wrong with grabbing a piece, e.g. 21...Rg5+ 22.Kf1 Rxh5 23.Bxe4 dxe4 24.Rxe4 Rxh3 25.Kg2 Qg6+ 26.Kxh3 Qxe4 27.Qc2+–. 13.Nf1 13.Nb3 is possible here too, but it’s not as good as in case of 12...0-0, as Qd3 does not threaten mate on the h7-square. 13...Ne6 14.Qd3 Bh5! The point – Black’s bishop moves to the g6-square, keeping chances balanced.

Position after: 13.Nf1 13...Rd8 Here, White has a very strong idea that poses lots of problems to Black. 13...0-0 Here, White probably has several ways to continue with good chances. I like the following two most: A) 14.Ne3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Nxe5

930

Position after: 15...Nxe5 16.Qxd5 [16.Qh5!? is interesting too, but leads to unnecessary complications.] 16...Qxd5 17.Nxd5 Bd6 18.Bf4 This endgame is just much better for White. 18...Rfe8 19.Bg3! Ncd3 20.Re2 Rad8 21.b4!± B) 14.h3!? Bh5 15.Ng3 Bg6 16.Be3

Position after: 16.Be3 16...Rfe8 [16...Rad8 17.Qe2 Rfe8 18.Rad1²] 17.Bxg6 hxg6 18.Qc2 931

Position after: 18.Qc2 White maintains his structure and tries to apply pressure with Rad1. Black has little to no counterplay here and White is in full control. 18...Rad8 [18...Bf8 19.Bxc5! Bxc5 20.Rad1²] 19.Rad1 Qe6 [19...Ne6 20.Ne2²] 20.b4 Nd7 21.Bf4²

Position after: 13...Rd8 14.Ne3!

932

14.h3 is also possible: 14...Bh5 15.Ng3 Bg6 16.Be3 [16.Nd4 was played in Kosteniuk – Nakamura (2013), but I think Black can hope for counterplay after 16...Nxd4 17.cxd4 Ne6 18.Nf5 c5„.] 16...00 We’ve transposed to line B of the 13...0-0 note. 14...Bh5 15.b4! Ne6 16.Nf5!

Position after: 16.Nf5! This move sequence gives White a very promising position. 16...0-0 A) 16...d4 17.Be4!± is the point. It is hard to suggest a move for Black now, as taking the c3-pawn loses: 17...dxc3? 18.Qxd7+ Kxd7 19.Bxc6+ Kxc6 20.Nxe7++–. B) 16...Bg6 17.Qe2 0-0 18.Be3±

933

Position after: 18.Be3± Strategically White is just much better here. For instance: 18...Rfe8 [18...Bh5 19.Qd3 Bg6 20.Rad1±] 19.a4 Nf8 20.axb5 axb5 21.Nxe7+ Nxe7 22.Bb3 Nf5 23.h3±. 17.a4 d4 A) 17...Rfe8 18.axb5 axb5 19.Qd3 Bg6 20.Qxb5 Nxe5 21.Qxd7 Nxd7 22.Nxe7+ Rxe7 23.Bb3±

Position after: 23.Bb3± 934

White’s bishop-pair dominates! B) 17...Rb8 18.axb5 axb5 19.Ra6 Rfe8

Position after: 19...Rfe8 20.h3!± White’s next idea will be g4 and h4, and he stands much better. 18.axb5 axb5 19.Be4! This is an important idea to know when facing ...d4 in such positions. 19...Bxf3 20.Bxf3 Nb8 21.Qb3±

935

Position after: 21.Qb3± White is much better here. The bishop-pair, more active pieces and more space are all in White’s favor. An example game continuation could be: 21...c5 22.Nxe7+ Qxe7 23.bxc5 dxc3 24.Ba3 Nc6 25.Bxc6 Nd4 26.Qxc3 Nxc6 27.Rab1±

Position after: 27.Rab1± With an extra pawn and a clear advantage for White. 936

b) 10...Nc5 11.Bc2 d4 (with 17...Rfd8) 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.Nbd2 Be7 10.c3 Nc5 11.Bc2 d4 This line was very popular in the mid-2010s, but even lately there have been some games played by GMs in this line. It is a very complicated line but it feels to me that it is Black that takes a substantial risk of messing something up here due to the position’s complexity, and from a practical point of view White has an easier game pretty much everywhere. Probably, this was the reason why many people switched to 10...0-0.

Position after: 11...d4 12.Nb3 d3 12...dxc3?! This is very shaky for Black. 13.Nxc5! [13.bxc3 was seen in Vachier Lagrave – Yu Yangyi (2019).] 13...Bxc5 14.Be4

937

Position after: 14.Be4 A) 14...Qxd1?! 15.Rxd1 This endgame is very bad for Black. 15...Bd7 16.Rd3! White plans to capture the c3-pawn with the rook and put some pressure on Black down the c-file. 16...0-0-0 [16...cxb2? 17.Bxb2+–] 17.Rxc3 Bb4 18.Rc2

Position after: 18.Rc2 White has a weak back rank, but Black cannot exploit it. 18...Bg4 [18...Be6 19.Be3 Na5 20.b3±; 18...Bf5? 19.Bxf5+ and there is no ...Rd1 because of the check!] 19.Bg5 Nd4 [19...Bxf3 20.Bxc6 938

Rd1+ 21.Rxd1 Bxd1 22.Rc1 Be2 23.a3 Ba5 24.h4±] 20.Nxd4 Rxd4 21.f3 Be6

Position after: 21...Be6 A1) 22.a3!? Rxe4! 23.fxe4 Bb3 24.Rc6 Ba5 25.Rac1 Kb7 Here White has a huge advantage, but I am a little bit worried that Black could hope to set up a fortress. The position is quite blocked and his light-squared bishop is very strong. Obviously, White has great winning chances, but Black’s drawing chances are also very decent. A2) 22.Rac1 Ba5 [22...Rc4 23.Rxc4 bxc4 24.Kf2± This endgame is just much better for White. The idea is to just push the kingside pawns.] 23.Be3

939

Position after: 23.Be3 23...Rc4 [23...Rxe4? 24.fxe4+– is a much worse version for Black as b4 next just wins on the spot.] 24.Rxc4 bxc4 25.Rd1± B) 14...Qd7 Main move. Some games have been played in this position in the past, but no one played the following: 15.Bg5!N

Position after: 15.Bg5!N This novelty is very likely a refutation of 12...dxc3. 15...h6 This looks like an only move. [15...cxb2? only helps White to bring his rook into the game with 16.Rb1, e.g. 16...h6 17.Rxb2! hxg5 18.Rd2+–; 15...0-0 16.Rc1+–] 16.Qc2!! A beautiful move that is nearly crushing. Rad1 next will just rip Black’s position apart. Black has to find several only-moves in order to survive the direct attack, but gets a clearly worse position anyway. 16...hxg5 17.Rad1 Nb4 [17...Nd4 18.Nxd4 Bxd4 19.Bxa8 Bxe5 20.g3±; 17...Bd4 18.bxc3 0-0-0 19.cxd4 Bd5 20.Nxg5±] 18.Qxc3 Bxf2+ [18...Qe7 19.Bxa8+–] 19.Kxf2 Nd5 20.Qc5 c6 21.Nxg5 Rh5 22.Nf3 Qa7 23.Rc1²

940

Position after: 23.Rc1² White is clearly better. Yes, I wish there was more than an endgame after such move like 16.Qc2!! but with the best computer defense this is what we get: still a nice result!

Position after: 12...d3 13.Bb1 The principled choice and so this is what I will suggest.

941

13.Nxc5 is an alternative that leads to a slightly better endgame for White (at least visually), however it is very drawish and I would not suggest going for this line if White wants to play for a win. 13...dxc2 14.Qxd8+ Rxd8 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Be3 Rd5 17.Rfc1 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Rxe5 19.Rxc2 Kf7 20.c4 b4 21.Rd1 Rd8 22.Rxd8 Bxd8=

Position after: 22...Bxd8= There have been numerous draws here, including in games by the top GMs. 13...Nxb3 14.axb3 Bf5 In this position, White has a very broad choice. 15.Be3

942

Position after: 15.Be3 This is the system I would suggest to play. Very often White can find risk-free playable positions here, even if objectively Black should be fine. From a practical point of view this line makes a lot of sense to me. It has been chosen in numerous games by Fabiano Caruana and many other GMs. 15...0-0 A) 15...Qd5 16.Bd4 0-0 just transposes. B) 15...Bg6? This move has been played a few times, but it is simply bad for Black. 16.Nd4

943

Position after: 16.Nd4 16...Nxe5 [16...Nxd4 17.cxd4 c5 18.dxc5+–] 17.f4 c5 18.fxe5 cxd4 19.Bxd4

Position after: 19.Bxd4 The d3-pawn just drops. Accuracy is still required so let’s have look a bit further: 19...Qd5 [19...0-0 20.Bxd3 Bxd3 21.Qxd3+–] 20.Bxd3 Bxd3 21.Qxd3 Qxb3 [21...0-0 22.b4+–] 22.e6!+–

944

Position after: 22.e6!+– White has a crushing attack in the center: 22...0-0 23.exf7+ Rxf7 24.Rxf7 Qxf7 25.Qxb5 axb5 26.Rxa8+ Qf8 27.Rxf8+ Bxf8 28.Kf2 Kf7 29.Ke3 Ke6 30.Ke4+– with a winning endgame. Drozdowski – Simacek (2017). 16.Bd4 Qd5 17.Re1

Position after: 17.Re1

945

This is the main position of this line. Here, Black has two main options: 17...d2 or 17...Rfd8. Other moves are of less importance, but it is still good to know what to do. In general, in this line White aims to get a risk-free position with some initiative. I believe that he has pretty good chances to get an advantage here. Black needs to be extremely cautious in a lot of positions. Objectively, Black can equalize with perfect play, but this comes down again to the question of ‘perfect play’, which during the game is hardly attainable. 17...Rfd8 This line is, for some reason, a bit neglected, but I believe it is perfectly sound. A) 17...Nd8?! This is a dubious but quite interesting move: the knight goes to the e6-square and prepares ...c5. White needs to play very precisely to prove an advantage. A1) 18.b4!? was played in Bok – Pruijssers (2015). This approach also gives an advantage but it feels like Black should be able to equalize in the long run. 18...Ne6 19.Bxd3 Bxd3 20.Qxd3 Rfd8 21.Qe2 Bxb4 22.cxb4 Nxd4 23.Nxd4 Qxd4 24.e6! fxe6 25.Qxe6+ Kh8 26.Rxa6 Rf8! 27.Rxa8 Qxf2+ 28.Kh1 Rxa8 29.Qe8+ Qf8 30.Qxb5

Position after: 30.Qxb5 Since move 19, all of this has been more or less forced (and pretty concrete.) Here, even though White has an extra pawn, the position is very simplified, which increases drawish tendencies. After 30...Qe7! Black has chances to survive. [30...Rb8 was played in the game: 31.Qc6 h6 32.Qxc7 Qxb4 33.Re2² with some chances for White, but it’s probably still quite hard to break through.] 31.Qb8+ Rxb8 32.Rxe7 h5 33.Rxc7 Rxb4 34.Rc2 g5²

946

Position after: 34...g5² With good drawing chances for Black. This is definitely a risk-free advantage for White, though whether it is winnable is a different matter entirely. However, 18.Bxd3! is a much better choice than going for this, to say nothing of Black perhaps having an improvement somewhere on the way. A2) 18.e6!? This entertaining move was played in Grischuk – Sorokin (2005). I believe Black is fine here. 18...fxe6 19.Re5 Qd7 20.Bxd3 Bxd3 21.Qxd3 c5! [21...Nf7?! 22.Re3² Grischuk – Sorokin (2005).] 22.Qe4 cxd4! Very concrete play: Black gives up an exchange but has enough compensation.

947

Position after: 22...cxd4! 23.Qxa8 dxc3 24.Qxa6 cxb2 25.Rb1 Rf5! 26.Rxf5 exf5 27.Ne1 Bf6© The b2-pawn offers enough compensation for the exchange. A3) 18.Bxd3!N By far the best move. 18...Bxd3 19.Qxd3 Qxb3 [19...c5 leaves White with an extra pawn: 20.c4 Qd7 21.Qe4! Qc6 22.Bc3±.] 20.Qe4!

Position after: 20.Qe4! Here, Black has two moves. They both lead to difficult positions, so it’s a tough choice! 948

A3.1) 20...c6 21.Nd2 Qd5 [21...Qe6 22.f4±] 22.Qxd5 cxd5 23.Nf1± A3.2) 20...Ne6 21.Nd2! Qxb2 22.Nf3! Black’s queen is in trouble. 22...Nxd4 [22...Nc5 23.Bxc5 Bxc5 24.Ng5! Bxf2+ 25.Kh1 g6 26.e6!

Position after: 26.e6! gives White a powerful attack, e.g. 26...f6 27.e7 fxg5 28.Qd5+ Kg7 29.exf8=Q+ Rxf8 30.Re7+ Kh6 31.Rd1+–; 22...Qb3, running away with the queen, does not work: 23.Reb1 Qc4 24.Nd2+– and the queen is trapped!] 23.cxd4² White’s control over the center guarantees him a nice advantage, despite the ‘missing’ pawn. B) 17...Nxd4? 18.Nxd4 d2 19.Bxf5! dxe1=Q+ 20.Qxe1± Full control over the light squares gives White a dominating position.

949

Position after: 20.Qxe1± C) 17...Bc5? just hangs a pawn.

Position after: 17...Bc5? 18.Bxd3 This is the simplest. [18.Bxc5!? is another option giving White a large advantage: 18...Qxc5 19.Bxd3 Rfd8 20.b4 Qe7 21.Bxf5! Rxd1 22.Raxd1±. White has a rook, bishop and pawn for the queen, and great mobility as well.] 18...Bxd3 19.Qxd3 Bxd4 20.cxd4±

950

Position after: 17...Rfd8 18.h4!? Only four games have been played here. It is the engines’ top choice and was played by a Ruy Lopez specialist, Fabiano Caruana. Back in 2016, when Caruana played it against Hou Yifan, it was a novelty. The main idea behind this move is to simply gain space on the kingside and potentially create some kind of an attack against Black’s king. At the same time, White’s king now has the h2square available so his back rank should never be an issue anymore. And finally, it is a useful, waiting move: the ball is in Black’s court and the choice is huge. It is easy to go wrong! 18.Re3!? This is an alternative that has been the most popular choice. White can hope for some advantage here, but it is rather minimal. 18...Nxd4

951

Position after: 18...Nxd4 19.cxd4 [19.Nxd4 Bg6 20.b4 c5 21.bxc5 Bxc5 22.Ba2 Qb7 23.e6 Bxd4 24.exf7+ Bxf7 25.Bxf7+ Qxf7 26.cxd4 Rxd4 27.Rxd3=] 19...c5 20.Bxd3 cxd4 21.Re2 Qe6!

Position after: 21...Qe6! Maintaining the tension. In order to get any chances for an advantage White must try to trade bishops and set up a blockade on the d3-square with his knight (or sometimes the queen can go there too if there are concrete tactical reasons.) 22.h3 952

A) 22...Bg6?! This was played lately in Smeets – Saduakassova (2020). 23.Ne1!

Position after: 23.Ne1! This is the only idea here for White. 23...a5 24.Bxg6 [24.Kh2 was played in the game, but I don’t really see the point: the king is hardly better on the h2-square than the g1-square.] 24...hxg6 [24...Qxg6?! 25.Qd3 Qxd3 26.Nxd3² is exactly what White wants to achieve.] 25.Qd3!

Position after: 25.Qd3! Putting some pressure on the b5-pawn. 25...a4 [25...Rd5 26.Nf3²] 26.Qxb5 Rdb8 27.Qc4 Rxb3 953

28.Qxe6 fxe6 29.Rd1 Bb4 30.Nd3² B) 22...Bxd3!? This could be the best defense: Black forces White to recapture on d3 with the queen. White can still play for an advantage, but Black is solid. 23.Qxd3 Rd5 24.Re4 Rad8

Position after: 24...Rad8 The blockade on the d3-square is obviously nice, but it would be much better if it was the knight blockading, not the queen. It is not easy to find a follow-up plan for White. 25.h4 h6 26.g4 [26.g3 Bb4 27.Kg2 Qc6 28.Rh1 a5∞] 26...g6 27.Kg2 Bf8 28.Rh1 Bg7 29.h5 g5 30.Rhe1 a5=

954

Position after: 18.h4!? 18...d2!N By far the best move. White has two options here. But first let’s see other options for Black: A) 18...Bg4? This is simply bad for Black: 19.Qxd3 g6

Position after: 19...g6 20.Re4! Bf5 21.Qe2 Bxe4 22.Bxe4 Qe6 23.g3± with huge compensation for the exchange and a very dominating position for White. B) 18...Bg6?! was played in Caruana – Hou (2016). This move is sort of a waste of a tempo for Black, because White’s h4 is an extra move relative to the normal position. As we will see, this will cause a big difference in the evaluation. 19.b4 d2 20.Qxd2 Bxb1 21.Raxb1 Bxb4 22.Qf4

955

Position after: 22.Qf4 22...Nxd4 This is the best defense. [After 22...Be7? 23.e6 fxe6 24.Qg4! Nxd4 25.Nxd4 Bf6 26.Nxe6 Rd7 27.Re3± White has a big advantage and a strong attack, as in Caruana – Hou (2016).] 23.Nxd4 Bc5

Position after: 23...Bc5 White is better here in two ways: 24.Nf5 [Or 24.e6 fxe6 25.Nxe6 Rd7 26.Qg4 Rf7 27.Re2².] 24...Qd2 25.Qf3 g6 26.Ne3 Bxe3 27.Rxe3 Qd5 28.Qf4 Qe6 29.Rbe1 Rd2 30.h5 Rad8 31.b4 R8d5 956

32.Kh2² C) 18...h6?! This is a “reflex” response to 18.h4, and plausible if someone is not familiar with the line. However, the inclusion of h4, ...h6 is in White’s favor. 19.Re3! Suddenly, it has become difficult to suggest a good move for Black.

Position after: 19.Re3! 19...Nxd4 This move is quite logical but the inclusion of h4 and ...h6 makes Black’s position risky. [19...b4 just drops the pawn: 20.Bxd3 Bxd3 21.Rxd3±.] 20.Nxd4 Be4 [20...Bg6? 21.b4 intending Ba2 looks very unpleasant for Black: 21...c5 22.bxc5 Bxc5 23.Ba2 Qb7 24.h5 Bh7 25.e6+–; 20...Bh7 21.b4!± is quite similar to 20...Bg6.] 21.Qg4! [21.b4 is not great now for White, as in the line 21...c5 22.bxc5 Bxc5 23.Ba2 the e5-pawn hangs: 23...Qxe5!„ and Black should not be worse here.] 21...c5 22.Rxe4 cxd4 23.c4! An important move. The idea is that after 23...bxc4 24.bxc4 Qxc4 25.Qd1!± White wins back the d3-pawn with full control over the light squares and great perspectives of developing and attack on the kingside. D) 18...Nxd4 19.Nxd4

957

Position after: 19.Nxd4 19...Be4!? This approach was also suggested by Igor Stohl. I believe that it is actually quite good for Black! [After 19...d2? 20.Bxf5 dxe1=Q+ 21.Qxe1±, White was much better in Sethuraman – Saduakassova (2019).]

Position after: 19...Be4!? D1) 20.Qg4 does not give White much: 20...Bg6 21.h5 d2 22.Rd1 Bxb1 23.Raxb1 c5 [23...Qxe5!? 24.Nc6 Qd6 25.Nxd8 Rxd8© also deserves attention.] 24.Nf3 Qxb3 25.Nxd2 Qe6 26.Qxe6 fxe6= 958

with a playable, but objectively equal, endgame. D2) 20.b4! The best try. 20...c5

Position after: 20...c5 21.Ba2! [21.bxc5 Bxc5 22.Qg4 Bxd4 23.Rxe4 Bxe5 24.Ba2 Qc5 25.Bxf7+ Kxf7 26.Qf5+ Kg8 27.Rxe5 Qf8=] 21...Qb7! [Igor Stohl only mentioned 21...c4, and I agree with him that White retains good winning chances here: 22.Qg4 Bg6 23.h5 d2 24.Red1 Bd3 25.h6 g6 26.Qf4 a5 27.bxa5 Rxa5 28.e6ƒ] 22.bxc5 Bxc5 23.e6 Bxd4 24.exf7+ Kf8 25.cxd4 Rxd4 26.Qd2ƒ

959

Position after: 26.Qd2ƒ The position is very complicated, but I believe it is a bit dangerous for Black because of his unsafe king. For instance: 26...Rad8 27.Re3 Bg6 28.Re5 Bxf7 29.Rf5 R8d7 30.Rc1ƒ. E) 18...Bc5? 19.Bxc5 Qxc5 20.b4 Qe7 21.Re3 h6 22.e6 Bxe6 23.Bxd3 Qf6 24.Qe2±

Position after: 18...d2!N 19.Bxf5!? I would suggest playing this. This leads to the most imbalanced play where lots of traps and tricks are hiding. White has long term compensation and an initiative. Objectively Black is OK here but White takes on little risk and it is Black that has to defend. 19.Qxd2 Bxb1 20.Raxb1 Qxb3

960

Position after: 20...Qxb3 21.e6! This is the only try. [21.Re4 Qe6 22.Qe2 h6= With his blockade on the e6-square, Black has nothing to really worry about here.] 21...fxe6 22.Qf4 e5! Returning the pawn and forcing simplifications. The resulting position is very close to a draw. [22...Bd6?! 23.Qg4 e5 24.Be3ƒ]

Position after: 22...e5! 23.Bxe5 [23.Nxe5 Bd6 24.Qe4 Nxe5 25.Bxe5 Bxe5 26.Qxe5 Qf7=] 23...Rf8 24.Qe4 Nxe5 25.Nxe5 Bc5 26.Re2 Rae8 27.c4 Rd8!= 961

19...dxe1=Q+ 20.Qxe1

Position after: 20.Qxe1 20...Qxb3 20...a5?! 21.Be4 Qe6 22.Qe2² leads to a similar position to the main line, but with White having an extra b3-pawn. 21.h5!? To me this looks like typical AlphaZero play. White sacrificed an exchange for the long-term initiative. Without the light-squared bishop it is uncomfortable for Black to play this position. As a side note, it is worth mentioning the engine evaluations. Stockfish gives roughly 0.00, while Lc0 gives 0.15. All while White is an exchange down! It means only one thing – White has very good compensation! As Lc0 gives better insights regarding long-term prospects, I believe it is really worth it. 21.e6 This is quite forcing and lets Black equalize in very concrete fashion: 21...Rd6! 22.Bc5 Rxe6 23.Bxe6 Qxe6 24.Qxe6 fxe6 25.Bxe7 Nxe7 26.Nd4 Nd5 27.Nxe6 Kf7 28.Ng5+ Kg8=. 21...g6 A) 21...Nxd4 22.Nxd4 Qxb2 23.e6!ƒ B) 21...a5? 22.e6 Rd6 23.Ne5 Nxe5 24.Qxe5 Bf6 25.Qe4± 22.Be4 Qe6 962

22...Nxd4 23.cxd4 Ra7 24.Qd2© 23.g3!©

Position after: 23.g3!© Preparing an invasion along the h-file. There is little sense in analyzing this – White, without any doubt, has very good chances here. I will go over some example lines just to give a general picture of what can happen: 23...a5! The best defense. 23...f5?! is already a mistake: 24.exf6 Bxf6 25.Bxf6 Qxf6 26.Qe3 and White is much better. 24.Qe3 a4 25.Kg2 Ra6! 26.Qh6 Bf8 27.Qf4©

963

Position after: 27.Qf4© With ongoing compensation; Black needs to be extremely careful. c) 10...Nc5 11.Bc2 d4 (with 17...d2) 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.Nbd2 Be7 10.c3 Nc5 11.Bc2 d4 12.Nb3 d3 13.Bb1 Nxb3 14.axb3 Bf5 15.Be3 0-0 16.Bd4 Qd5 17.Re1 d2

Position after: 17...d2 964

Lately this has been the most popular. 18.Re2 18.Bxf5!? Similarly to the 17...Rfd8 line, this exchange sacrifice is also possible here. 18...dxe1=Q+ 19.Qxe1 Qxb3 20.e6!ƒ White has some initiative.

Position after: 20.e6!ƒ Black needs to be extremely careful here; on almost every occasion, he must find only moves! 20...Nxd4 21.Nxd4 Qxb2™ 22.exf7+ Kh8™ 23.Rb1 Qa3™ 24.Qe4 Qxc3 25.Bxh7 Rxf7 26.Bg6 Rff8

965

Position after: 26...Rff8 The position is most likely just about equal. Black’s king is very unsafe but I don’t see a way to break through. 27.Rf1 [27.Ne6 Qf6™ 28.Rf1 c5 29.f4 Rad8 30.f5 Rd6=] 27...Bg5! 28.Ne6 Bh6 29.Nxf8 Rxf8 30.Qe7 Qf6 31.Qc5 Qd6 32.Qh5 b4 33.Bb1 b3∞ Sometimes White also needs to be careful as Black’s queenside pawns may be quite dangerous if they advance! However, it is good to know such a line as sometimes it may be useful to play it in either blitz or rapid. It requires huge accuracy from Black (while White remains in book) and the arising positions offer little to no risk. 18...Bxb1 19.Rxb1 Nxd4 20.Nxd4 Bg5 Black needs to defend the d2-pawn. 20...c5? 21.Nf3±

Position after: 20...Bg5 21.g3 This would be my suggestion. 21.h4!? This alternative has not been explored that much, but probably for good reason. Black should equalize quite easily after 21...Bf4 [21...Bxh4? 22.Qxd2²] 22.g3 Bxe5 23.Rxd2

966

Position after: 23.Rxd2 23...Bxd4!? I think this is simplest. [23...Bf6 is also possible, as in Bacrot – Aguera Naredo (2015).] 24.Rxd4 Qc6 25.b4 Rfe8 26.Qd2 h6= It does not seem like White has a lot here. A slightly better pawn structure and the (temporarily) more active pieces should not be enough to claim a significant advantage, due to the already-reduced material. 21...c5 22.Nf5

Position after: 22.Nf5 967

22...Qd3 Everything else is bad for Black. A) 22...Qe6? 23.Nd6 Rad8 24.f4 Be7 25.Ra1!

Position after: 25.Ra1! Very instructive by White: his last piece joins the game. As we will see later, this idea is very important in this line. White is clearly better: 25...f6 [25...Bxd6 26.Rxa6 c4 27.Rxd6 Rxd6 28.exd6 Qxd6 29.Qxd2± with an extra pawn.] 26.f5! Qd7 [26...Qd5 27.Rxa6 Bxd6 28.Rxd6 Rxd6 29.exd6 Qxd6 30.Qxd2±] 27.Rxa6 fxe5 28.Rxd2 with great winning chances. 28...Bg5 29.Rd5 Rxf5

968

Position after: 29...Rxf5 30.Qe2!? [30.Nxf5 Qxd5 31.Qxd5+ Rxd5 32.Rd6 Rxd6 33.Nxd6 b4 White surely has chances to win this, but to be honest I am not 100% sure whether it is winnable if Black defends correctly.] 30...Rf6 31.Nf5 Qxd5 32.Ne7+ Kh8 33.Nxd5 Rxa6 34.Qxb5± B) 22...Rad8? 23.f4

Position after: 23.f4 23...Qd3 [23...Qe6 24.Nd6 transposes to note A above] 24.Nd6 Be7 25.Rxd2 Qe3+ 26.Kg2+– 969

Smeets – De Jong (2009). 23.Nd6

Position after: 23.Nd6 White managed to get his knight to the d6-square, where it is a very strong piece. In many lines White’s whole strategy will revolve around this knight. 23...Qg6 The only move. 23...f6? There has been only one game like this, Agmanov – Audi (2019). White reacted perfectly here: 24.f4! fxe5 25.Rxd2 Qe3+ 26.Rf2!

970

Position after: 26.Rf2! 26...h6 [26...Kh8 27.Qd5 Rad8 28.Qe4 Qxe4 29.Nxe4 Bh6 30.Nxc5 Rd6 31.Re1 exf4 32.gxf4±] 27.Qd5+ Kh7 28.Nf5! Rxf5 29.Qxa8 exf4 30.Qf3+–

Position after: 30.Qf3+– White is winning. 30...Qe6 31.Rbf1!+– This is the most precise. [31.Re2? happened in the game; after 31...fxg3 32.Rxe6 Rxf3 33.Kg2 Rd3 34.hxg3 b4 Black had reached a likely drawish endgame in Agmanov – Audi (2019).] 971

24.h4!

Position after: 24.h4! A very strong and important move. The d2-pawn is very annoying and it needs to be taken care of. White needs to kick the g5-bishop off the c1-h6 diagonal. Black has now three possibilities. 24...Bxh4 The most normal reaction. After all, why not just take the h4-pawn? A) 24...Bf4!?

972

Position after: 24...Bf4!? There was only one game here, Caruana – Mamedyarov from October 2018. Very likely Mamedyarov had done his homework after the game with Anand from August. But I think that White is slightly better here. A1) 25.h5!? This is an alternative to what Caruana played, and is also quite good. 25...Qe6 26.Ne4 Bxe5

Position after: 26...Bxe5

973

A1.1) 27.Qxd2 was my initial thought, but I found nothing special after 27...Rad8 28.Qe3 c4. Unfortunately, no tactics work for White with the e5-bishop: 29.Nc5 Qc6

Position after: 29...Qc6 30.bxc4 [30.Qxe5?? Rde8–+] 30...bxc4 31.Nxa6 Bxc3 32.bxc3 Qxa6= This is very drawish. A1.2) 27.Rxd2!? Qf5 28.Nd6 Bxd6 29.Rxd6 Rae8 30.Ra1² with a similar position to Caruana – Mamedyarov (2018). A2) 25.Ne4 is what Caruana played. 25...f5!? [25...Bh6 26.Qf1 Rae8 27.Nxd2 Bxd2 28.Rxd2 Rxe5 29.Re1² is similar to Caruana – Mamedyarov] 26.Nxd2 Rad8 27.Ra1!

974

Position after: 27.Ra1! Again this idea! 27...Rfe8 28.Qc2! More accurate. [Caruana played 28.Qe1, but here there is 28...Rd5! and Black is completely fine: 29.Nf3 Rd3 30.Nh2 Bxg3 31.fxg3 Rxg3+ 32.Kf2 Rg2+ 33.Kf3 Qc6+ 34.Kf4 Qh6+ 35.Kf3 Qc6+=.] 28...Bxd2 [28...Rd5 is not great now: 29.Nf1! Rdxe5 30.Rxe5 Bxe5 31.Re1²] 29.Rxd2 Rxd2 30.Qxd2 Rxe5

Position after: 30...Rxe5 Back to Caruana – Mamedyarov! 31.Qd8+ [31.Qf4 Qe6 32.Kg2 Qc6+ 33.Qf3 Re4] 31...Re8 32.Qd5+ Qe6 White has two options here:

975

Position after: 32...Qe6 A2.1) 33.Qxc5!? f4! In order to weaken White’s king. 34.b4! This calm move secures the extra pawn. 34...h6 35.Rd1² White has an extra pawn.

Position after: 35.Rd1² Whether Black can or cannot equalize does not matter, because he faces a long journey ahead to make a draw. A2.2) 33.Rd1 Qxd5! Even though I believe that this rook endgame should be drawn, the path to a 976

draw is still long. There is still some work for Black! [33...c4? 34.bxc4 bxc4 35.Qb7± with big advantage as in Caruana – Mamedyarov (2018).] 34.Rxd5 Re2 35.Rxc5 Rxb2 36.b4 g6 37.Kg2²

Position after: 37.Kg2² Due to the f5-pawn, Black’s task of making a draw is not so easy. Additionally, there is no way to comfortably simplify the pawns on the queenside. White’s plan is Kf3-e3, f3, Kf4. At some stage he may throw in Rc7 or Rc6, or try to force a weakness on the kingside with h5. Black should make a draw eventually but it’s not trivial. B) 24...Bh6?!

977

Position after: 24...Bh6?! Mamedyarov played this move against Anand in August 2018. I believe it is a rather suspicious idea for Black... 25.h5! Qxh5 26.Rxd2 [26.f4 Qh3!=] 26...Qxe5 27.Rd5

Position after: 27.Rd5 B1) 27...Qe6?! This seemingly more natural move runs into 28.Nf5! and suddenly it is not easy for Black to come up with the next move! 28...Qe4 [28...Bg5? 29.Nxg7!] 29.f3!? Not the only way, but good enough. It is also OK to play 29.Nxh6, but there is no rush. 29...Qe6 30.f4² the h6bishop is the source of Black’s problems here. B2) 27...Qf6

978

Position after: 27...Qf6 B2.1) 28.Ra1 was Anand’s choice and it was also better for White. But I think that after 28.Ra1 Black has more time to set up a correct defense. 28...g6! 29.Ne4 Qc6 30.Nxc5 Rfe8 31.b4 Bf8

Position after: 31...Bf8 bringing the bishop. 32.Nd7 Re6 33.Ne5 Qe8 34.Nd7 h5 35.Qf3 Qe7² White is obviously better here, but Black is quite solid. In the game Black managed to make a draw. Anand – Mamedyarov (2018). 979

B2.2) After 28.Nf5 Black can play 28...Rad8!= and that’s the reason why 27...Qf6 is a must. B2.3) 28.Qd3! This would be my suggestion, planning to develop the rook to the center. 28...g6 29.Ne4 Qe7 30.Nxc5 Rfd8 31.Rd1²

Position after: 31.Rd1² White has nice pressure in the center, as Black is not in time to achieve the defensive setup of the Anand – Mamedyarov game above. 25.Rxd2

980

Position after: 25.Rxd2 25...Be7 Practically an only move. Everything else is just bad for Black from a strategic perspective. 25...Rad8? 26.Ra1! and once again, the rook joins the game on the a-file. 26...Bxg3 Trying to muddy the waters, but [26...f5 27.Kh2 Be7 28.f4±] 27.fxg3 Qxg3+ 28.Kh1 Qxe5 29.Rd5±

Position after: 29.Rd5± is just an extra piece for White. There is no way Black has sufficient compensation. The d6-knight is very powerful! 26.Rd5!?

981

Position after: 26.Rd5!? This move has been played in two games: Caruana – L’Ami (2012) and Bruzon – Mikhalevski (2013), and in both games White won. It leads to a slightly better position for White without any risk, where White can press for the rest of the game. As practice shows, Black’s defensive task is not easy. 26...f6! Black has to undermine the center. A) 26...Rad8? 27.Ra1!± B) 26...h5? 27.Qd3! Qxd3 28.Rxd3²/±. This endgame favors White. 27.e6 f5 28.Qd3 Qxe6 29.Nxf5

982

Position after: 29.Nxf5 29...Bf6! This was played by Victor Mikhalevski. I believe it is the best defense. 29...Rad8?! This was chosen by L’Ami. Here, White can continue in two ways. A) 30.Nxe7+!? is an alternative. 30...Qxe7 31.Rd1 Rde8 32.Rd2! Rf6 33.Kg2²

Position after: 33.Kg2²

983

White is slightly better here. First, his king is very safe and his pieces are very active. This makes it very unlikely that Black can create any danger on the kingside. Black’s king is also fine, true, but his queenside pawn structure is quite shaky. I think White has a long-lasting initiative here, similar to what Caruana had in his game against Mamedyarov in 2018 (see 24...Bf4). B) 30.Qe3!? Qxe3 31.Nxe3 Rxd5 32.Nxd5²

Position after: 32.Nxd5² This endgame is by far a better version (for White) of the one that arose in Bruzon – Mikhalevski (2013). It is not easy to play this position with Black. Caruana demonstrated brilliant technique and won the game: 32...Bd8 33.f4 Kf7 34.Kg2 Re8 35.Kf3 Re6 36.g4 Rd6 37.Rd1 h6 38.f5 g6 39.fxg6+ Kg7 40.Ke4 Bg5 41.Ke5 Rc6 42.Rf1 Rxg6 43.Nc7± with mounting threats and dangers for Black, which slowly became irresistible. Caruana – L’Ami (2012). 30.Rd1 Rad8

984

Position after: 30...Rad8 31.Ne3!? I like this idea – White wants to keep queens on the board. 31.Qe3!?, leading to a slightly better endgame, was played in Bruzon – Mikhalevski (2013). With good play Black can equalize here, but it is still quite uncomfortable. 31...Qxe3 32.Nxe3

Position after: 32.Nxe3

985

A) 32...b4! equalizes immediately, as after 33.Rxc5 Black has one very concrete line that leads to simplifications. [33.R1d3!? This could be tried but Black should be OK here. 33...Kf7=] 33...Rxd1+ 34.Nxd1 Rd8 35.Ne3 Rd2! 36.Nc4 Rd3=

Position after: 36...Rd3= Thanks to his piece activity, Black can make a draw here. However, this line is not so easy to figure out! B) 32...Rxd5?! This is inaccurate, as after 33.Nxd5 b4 34.Ra1!ƒ

986

Position after: 34.Ra1!ƒ White has a nice initiative. This should be holdable for Black, but in this game Mikhalevski did not save it. 34...Rb8 35.cxb4 Bxb2 36.Ra2 Bd4 37.Rxa6 Kf7 38.bxc5

Position after: 38.bxc5 After 38...Bxc5! Black can still hold. [38...Rxb3?? With this move Mikhalevski erred. 39.c6+– Bruzon – Mikhalevski (2013)] 39.Rc6 Bd4 40.Rc4 Be5 41.Re4 Bd6 42.Re3 h5² However, White still has an extra pawn so there are some practical chances!

987

Position after: 31.Ne3!? 31...Bg5 The most forcing move. If Black does not do anything concrete, and plays for instance 31...Rfe8, White can simply play 32.Qc2 with some pressure: 32...Rxd5 33.Rxd5 Be5 34.Kg2 Qc6 35.Qd3². 32.Rxd8 Rxd8 33.Nd5 Rf8

Position after: 33...Rf8 White has some advantage here. There are two major ways he can proceed. 34.Nc7! I will focus on this one as I personally like it the most. 34.Kg2!? This is the alternative. Black should seek active counterplay with 34...h5!. Probably this is sufficient to eventually equalize, but it is far from easy. If the reader is interested (or dissatisfied with my suggestion 34.Nc7), this is another path worth exploring. 34...Qxb3 35.Qe2! Qf7™ 36.Nxa6 c4 37.Nc5 White has regained the pawn and his knight is headed to the e4-square. 37...Re8 38.Ne4²

988

Position after: 38.Ne4² I like White’s chances here. The knight is very well placed on the e4-square. In many endgames White will have an advantage, as such a knight will be stronger than Black’s bishop and it should be easy for White to put some pressure on Black’s queenside pawns. The evaluation sign “+/=” could be an overestimate in this particular position in “real terms”, but I consider it as just an indication that White has better chances, which in “practical terms” translates to a small edge for White. Anyway, this is all what can happen with perfect play from Black, which (as I’ve already said many times) is hardly attainable in a game between humans! d) 10...0-0 (with 17.a4) 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.Nbd2 Be7 10.c3 0-0

989

Position after: 10...0-0 This is a very solid line for Black. Recently, the trend among GMs sort of switched to this line instead of 10...Nc5 11.Bc2 d4. It is not so easy to analyze it even with engines, as they very often initially overestimate White’s chances. Therefore, I have decided to pick a few different ideas that caught my attention and analyze them. I believe that they give decent practical chances. 11.Bc2 f5 12.Nb3 This move is the main topic of theoretical discussion and my focus in this book. 12.exf6!? is another idea that deserves attention and there have been some games there lately too. 12...Qd7

990

Position after: 12...Qd7 13.Nfd4 13.Nbd4 allows additional lines, like 13...Nd8!? which would have to be considered. 13.Nfd4, on the other hand, forces 13...Nxd4 and so narrows down Black’s options. 13...Nxd4 13...Nxe5? does not work: 14.f3!

991

Position after: 14.f3! Suddenly, all Black’s minor pieces are on the e-file and there will be a deadly pin. 14...Nf6 [14...Nc5 15.Re1+–; 14...c5 15.Nxe6 Qxe6 16.fxe4 fxe4 17.Be3+–] 15.Qe2 Bd6 16.f4+– 14.Nxd4 c5

Position after: 14...c5 15.Nxe6 15.Ne2!? This has been tried few times lately too. The idea is to kick the e4-knight out of the center and keep more pieces on the board. I think that Black is doing quite well here: 15...Rad8 16.f3 Ng5 17.Be3 d4! 18.cxd4

992

Position after: 18.cxd4 A) 18...cxd4?! is inaccurate: 19.Nxd4 Bc5 20.Bxg5?! [20.Kh1 Bxd4 21.Bxg5 is a better move order]

Position after: 20.Bxg5?! 20...Bxd4+?! [20...Qxd4+! is additional option that should equalize. 21.Kh1 Rd5 22.Qxd4 Bxd4 23.f4 Rc5 24.Bb3 Re8©] 21.Kh1 Rde8 22.Bb3 Bxb3 23.Qxb3+ Qe6 24.f4² with some pressure, as in Svidler – Vitiugov (2019). 993

B) 18...Bc4! This is correct, and I think that Black should equalize here. 19.Bb3 Ne6 20.Bxc4 bxc4

Position after: 20...bxc4 21.dxc5!? This is the best try for White but Black is alright here anyway. [21.d5?! was played in Sevian – Oparin (2019), and Black could actually even be slightly better here! 21...Qxd5 22.Qxd5 Rxd5 23.f4 Rd3 24.Kf2 g5 25.Rfc1 Rb8 26.Rab1 Rb4 27.g3 Kf7³ Sevian – Oparin (2019).] 21...Qb5 22.Qc2 Rd3 23.Nf4 Nxf4 24.Bxf4 Qxc5+ 25.Kh1 Qd4! 26.Bg3 Rd2 27.Qa4 Rxb2= Black has regained the pawn, with approximate equality. 15...Qxe6 16.f3 Ng5

994

Position after: 16...Ng5 This is one of the most important positions in this line. There are essentially two paths for White that I consider to be quite dange-rous for Black, and I analyze both of them. 17.a4 This is the most popular move, which also is quite testing. Black needs to be familiar with many lines in order not to get much worse out of the opening. 17...Rad8 18.axb5 axb5 19.Ra7 This is the main move, and most likely it is the best one. 19.Qe2 This is the move I tried in 2011 against Daniele Vocaturo. After a very complicated game I managed to win, but in the opening he could have immediately equalized. 19...c4 20.Be3 trying to control the dark squares.

995

Position after: 20.Be3 A) 20...Qc6! and ...Ne6 next would equalize. White cannot play the same moves as in the game, as with Black’s pawn on the f5-square there is a huge and subtle difference: 21.Rfd1 Ne6 22.b4? d4! 23.cxd4 Bxb4–+ and now Be4 is not possible! Without this move, White’s central pawns are simply blocked. B) 20...f4?! A mistake! With this move Black chases my bishop and it may seem like he gains some space, but in reality the c2-bishop becomes strong on the b1-h7 diagonal. 21.Bf2 Qc6 22.Rfd1 Ne6 23.b4!

996

Position after: 23.b4! 23...g6 [23...d4? is not working anymore due to 24.cxd4 Bxb4 25.Be4+– and White’s bishop is placed perfectly on the e4-square!] 24.Ra7ƒ With some initiative, but nevertheless the position is very complicated. Swiercz – Vocaturo (2011).

Position after: 19.Ra7 19...Rd7 In the event of 19...g6 I think White may have some initiative after 20.f4 Ne4 21.Qe2! c4 [21...b4?! 22.c4! dxc4 23.Bxe4 fxe4 24.Qxe4²/±] 22.Be3 Ra8 23.Rfa1ƒ. 20.Rxd7 Qxd7

997

Position after: 20...Qxd7 This is the most debated position in this line. No matter what try I analyzed for White, Black remained objectively fine in my opinion. However, it requires great knowledge and understanding not to go astray here. White has a choice: 21.f4!? The most forcing line. A) 21.h4!?N This is one of the engine’s suggestions. 21...Ne6 22.g4 g6 23.Bh6 Rf7!

998

Position after: 23...Rf7! After this move, with ...Bf8 next, I think that Black is fine: 24.f4 Bf8 25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.gxf5 gxf5 27.Qh5 d4! 28.Bxf5 dxc3 29.bxc3 b4!„

Position after: 29...b4!„ Black should be fine here, however the position is extremely sharp and there are some chances that Black may err. B) I do not think that 21.Be3 brings much to White’s position. Black can simply play 21...g6 22.f4 Ne6= with good and solid position. C) 21.Bxg5!? Bxg5 22.f4 Be7 23.Qf3 is similar to the 17.Bxg5 line (subchapter E.)

999

Position after: 23.Qf3 This version is also quite testing for Black, but I somehow feel that with more pieces on the board it should be even more dangerous. Hence, I suggest 17.Bxg5 too. 23...c4 24.Rd1 Rd8 This is the most accurate. [24...Bc5+ was played in Grandelius – Vitiugov (2018), but I think White may have an edge after 25.Kh1 Rd8 26.h4!?ƒ, which is a novelty and a similar idea to the one I will give after 17.Bxg5.] 25.b4!? cxb3 26.Bxb3 Qa7+ 27.Kh1 Qa3 28.Bxd5+ Kh8

Position after: 28...Kh8

1000

White is a pawn up, but the question remains whether there are any realistic chances of winning. To be honest, Black should probably be able to hold, but it may not be as trivial as it looks. For instance: 29.Rb1!? g6 30.g3 Qc5 31.Rd1 b4 32.cxb4 Qxb4 33.Qe2² White still has some chances here, but the drawish tendencies are huge. 21...Ne4™ 21...Ne6? runs into 22.g4! g6 23.gxf5 gxf5 24.Qh5! Ng7 25.Qf3± with a big advantage for White.

Position after: 21...Ne4™ 22.Bxe4 Again, this is the most forcing line. 22.g4!? was seen in Saric – Anand (2019): 22...Kh8 23.gxf5 Qxf5 24.Qe2

1001

Position after: 24.Qe2 and right now, Anand could have equalized with 24...g5!. [24...c4 was played in the game, when after the simple 25.Be3² I think White is slightly better.] 25.fxg5 Qxe5 26.Rxf8+ Bxf8 27.Qg4 Bd6!= Black has enough counterplay. 22...fxe4 23.f5! d4! Black needs to look for active counterplay by advancing the central pawns. 24.f6!

1002

Position after: 24.f6! Black is clearly under pressure. Entering such a line without preparation is clearly no fun. Black needs to simply know what to do here. 24...Bd8! This difficult move saves Black. It has been played only once, in Albornoz Cabrera – Miranda Mesa (2020). 24...gxf6? has been seen twice in games by top players (Karjakin – Polgar in 2011 and Navara – So in 2019.) This is a nearly losing line for Black! 25.Bh6 Rf7

1003

Position after: 25...Rf7 A) 26.cxd4? Only this move has been played so far and Black can equalize here after 26...fxe5! [Wesley So played 26...Qe6?? against David Navara, and after 27.d5!

Position after: 27.d5! So just resigned. After 27...Qxe5 28.Qg4+ Kh8 29.Qc8+ Bf8 30.Bxf8+– White wins a piece.] 27.Rxf7 Kxf7 28.Qh5+ Kg8 29.dxe5 c4 30.e6 Qa7+ 31.Kf1 Qa1+ 32.Kf2 Qxb2+ 33.Kg3 Qf6 34.Qe8+ Bf8 35.Bxf8 Qg5+= with unavoidable perpetual check, as in Karjakin – Polgar (2011). 1004

B) 26.Qe1!N This powerful novelty is basically a refutation of 24...gxf6. The threat is Qg3, e6 and Qb8, as illustrated after 26...e3.

Position after: 26.Qe1!N 26...Bf8™ [26...e3? 27.Qg3+ Kh8 28.e6 Qxe6 29.Qb8++–] 27.Qg3+ Kh8 28.Bxf8 Rxf8 29.exf6±

Position after: 29.exf6± White is much better here. The main threat is Qe5!, which is impossible to stop due to Black’s very weak king. For example: 29...e3 30.Qe5! Qf7 31.cxd4 cxd4 32.Qxd4 e2 33.Re1 Qxf6 34.Qxf6+ 1005

Rxf6 35.Rxe2±/+– with a very likely winning rook endgame, though good technique is still required.

Position after: 24...Bd8! 25.Be3 This is probably the best try, but with correct play Black is doing well. 25.Rf4 was played in the aforementioned game, and Black was fine after 25...gxf6 26.cxd4 Qxd4+ 27.Qxd4 cxd4 28.Rxe4.

1006

Position after: 28.Rxe4 Here, the best move is 28...f5 [28...Re8 29.e6 f5 30.Re5 was played in the game, and eventually Albornoz Cabrera managed to win.] 29.Re1 Ba5 30.Rd1 Kf7=. 25...gxf6 26.cxd4 cxd4 27.Bxd4 Qe6!

Position after: 27...Qe6! I tried to find some ideas here for White but it looks like Black can escape with a draw everywhere. For example: 28.Qe2!? 28.exf6 Bxf6 29.Bxf6 Rxf6 30.Qd8+ Kf7

1007

Position after: 30...Kf7 31.Qxf6+ [31.Rxf6+ Qxf6 32.Qd7+ Kg6 33.Qxb5 Qd4+=] 31...Qxf6 32.Rxf6+ Kxf6

Position after: 32...Kxf6 The pawn endgame is just drawn: 33.Kf2 Ke5 34.Ke3 h5 35.g3 b4! 36.b3 Kd5 37.h3 Ke5 38.g4 h4 39.g5 Kf5 40.g6 Kxg6 41.Kxe4 Kg5=. 28...Bb6! 1008

Position after: 28...Bb6! 29.Bxb6 Qxb6+ 30.Kh1 f5 31.Qd2 Qe6 32.Qf4 Re8 33.Qg5+ Kh8 34.Rxf5 e3 35.Kg1 e2 36.Kf2 Rg8 37.Qf6+ Qxf6 38.exf6 Rxg2+ 39.Ke1 Kg8= e) 10...0-0 (with 17.Bxg5) 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.Nbd2 Be7 10.c3 0-0 11.Bc2 f5 12.Nb3 Qd7 13.Nfd4 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 c5 15.Nxe6 Qxe6 16.f3 Ng5

1009

Position after: 16...Ng5 17.Bxg5!? This is a very interesting try for White. It is quite rare relative to 17.a4, which definitely favors White, as the surprise aspect could cause people playing with Black not to figure out the right paths. On top of that, I did not find a clear path for Black to equalize here. 17...Bxg5 18.f4 Be7 18...Bd8 is an alternative that makes a lot of sense too, but it is debatable whether the bishop is placed better on the b6- or c5-square (after ...c4 first, obviously.) Very likely it makes no significant difference, as the character of the position is pretty much the same. Additionally, 18...Bd8 may be not a common choice as it gives White additional options, which I will discuss shortly.

Position after: 18...Bd8 A) 19.Qf3 White follows the same plan as after 18...Be7: 19...c4 20.Rfd1 Bb6+ 21.Kf1 Rad8 22.Rd2 Rd7 [22...d4 23.cxd4 Rxd4 24.Rxd4 Bxd4 25.Rd1± is the same as after 18...Be7.] 23.Rad1 Rfd8 24.h4! g6 25.h5ƒ with similar play as in the 18...Be7 line. B) 19.a4!? This move puts Black in a rather uncomfortable position. He needs to decide what to do about the tension on the queenside.

1010

Position after: 19.a4!? 19...Rb8N I think that this is the best move, but it gives away the a-file, which makes this move hard to play. [19...Bb6? has, according to my database, been played 3 (!) times, which is shocking, as White simply wins here: 20.axb5 axb5 21.Rxa8 Rxa8 22.Bxf5!+–.] 20.Qf3 It makes sense to keep the tension on the queenside, as White can take any moment and Black does not really want to play ...bxa4. For instance: B1) 20...bxa4 21.Bxa4 Be7 [21...Rxb2 22.Rad1 d4 23.Bc6 Qe7 24.Kh1! Bb6 25.Rb1 Rxb1 26.Rxb1ƒ] 22.Rfd1 Rfd8 23.Rd2² with a favorable pawn structure for White. B2) 20...c4 21.Rfd1 Bb6+

1011

Position after: 21...Bb6+ 22.Kh1 [22.Kf1!? is also possible, but having played a4 White won’t necessarily be attacking on the kingside; queenside play is also available, and in those lines his king may feel safer on the h1square.] 22...Rbd8 23.Rd2

Position after: 23.Rd2 White has some pressure. 23...Rd7 [23...d4 24.cxd4 Rxd4 25.Rxd4 Bxd4 26.Rd1 Bxb2 27.Qb7] 24.a5!? [24.b3!?²] 24...Bc5 25.Rad1 Rfd8 26.b4! Ba7 27.h3ƒ with g4 next. 1012

19.Qf3

Position after: 19.Qf3 19...c4! Black should play this move, with the idea of playing ...Bc5 and a future ...d4. Black can try to play without ...c4 by going for 19...Rad8 20.Rfd1 Rd7. However, this only benefits White, as Black’s position without ...c4 becomes very passive. 21.Rd2 Rfd8 22.Rad1 g6 [22...c4 23.b4!²] 23.h3!

1013

Position after: 23.h3! This is a very strong move. The idea is obviously g4 and there is no good way to stop it! In one game between two GMs there followed 23...h5? [23...c4 is still the best move for Black, but White is much better anyway after the brilliant 24.b4 d4 25.cxd4! Bxb4 26.d5 Qb6+ 27.Rf2 Bc5 28.d6!±

Position after: 28.d6!± and despite the lack of exchange, White’s position is simply dominating.] 24.g4! hxg4 25.hxg4 fxg4 26.Qh1 Bf8 27.Qh4 c4 28.Rh2 Bg7 29.Qh7+ Kf8 30.Qxg6 Qxg6 31.Bxg6+– with a winning position. Hovhannisyan – Hakobyan (2020). 20.Rfd1!

1014

Position after: 20.Rfd1! Here, after trying to understand the ideas in this position, I came to the conclusion that White should start with 20.Rfd1 in order to make space for his king on the f1-square. In some lines White’s king may be needed closer to the center, and this also helps White transfer his rooks to the kingside faster. 20...Bc5+ 21.Kf1! Rad8 22.Rd2 Rd7 Black needs to support the d-pawn and prepare ...d4. 22...d4? fails due to 23.Rad1. [23.cxd4!? Rxd4 24.Rxd4 Bxd4 25.Rd1± is also good.] Now 23...d3? (otherwise White wins the d4-pawn) runs into 24.Rxd3! cxd3 25.Bb3+–. 23.Rad1 Rfd8 This is an important position. How to proceed with White? It looks like Black is fine: everything is protected, ...d4 is well-supported and is coming soon and White does not (for now) have any real threats. However, if we look closely, Black’s kingside pawn structure is a little bit weak. If Black were now to move, very likely he would play ...g6 to support his f5-pawn and improve his king. White should try to disrupt Black’s plans of stabilizing the kingside, as in the long-term perspective, White’s bishop may be a very annoying piece for Black.

1015

Position after: 23...Rfd8 24.h4! This is the best way of developing some sort of aggressive play on the kingside. When White plays h5 next, Black’s kingside (and king) will not feel very safe. White has some potential for developing a kingside attack. 24...g6 24...d4? does not work tactically for Black: 25.cxd4 Rxd4 [25...Bxd4 26.g4!+–] 26.Rxd4 Rxd4 27.Rxd4 Bxd4 28.Bxf5 Qxf5 29.Qd5+ Kf8 30.Qxd4± 25.h5

1016

Position after: 25.h5 25...Kg7 25...d4 does not solve Black’s problems. 26.cxd4 Bxd4 [26...Rxd4? 27.Rxd4 Bxd4 28.Qb7+–] A) 27.hxg6!? hxg6 28.g4! fxg4 29.Qe4!

Position after: 29.Qe4! is a very tempting alternative, but I think that Black can miraculously defend here after 29...Bc5! 1017

[29...Bxb2? 30.Rxd7 Rxd7 31.Rxd7 Qxd7 32.Qxg6+ Kf8 33.Kg2±] 30.Rxd7 Rxd7 31.Rxd7 Qxd7 32.Qxg6+ Kf8² and I don’t see how White could get here a decisive advantage. B) 27.Qg3! This is the strongest. 27...Kf7 28.Qh4

Position after: 28.Qh4 28...Bc5 [28...Kg8 29.Qg5 Kf8 30.Qh6+ Ke8 31.hxg6 hxg6 32.b4±] 29.hxg6+ hxg6 30.Qh7+ Ke8 31.Rxd7 Rxd7 32.Rxd7 Qxd7 33.Qxg6+ Kd8 34.Qh5! Kc7 35.Qd1!±

Position after: 35.Qd1!± 1018

White has good winning chances. For instance: 35...Qh7 36.Qd5 Qh1+ 37.Ke2 Bb4 38.Qf7+ Kb6 39.Qf6+ Kc7 40.Qg7+ Kb6 41.Qg5!± Qe1+ 42.Kf3 Qf1+ 43.Kg3 and his king finds a haven on the h2-square. 26.g3! White needs to try and develop an initiative on the kingside.

Position after: 26.g3! This move’s main idea is to bring the rook thence via the second rank. If White manages that, then Black will not be able to hold this position. So probably Black is in big trouble here, meaning this calm move actually has lots of venom. Therefore, Black needs to seek counterplay actively. 26...d4! 27.cxd4

1019

Position after: 27.cxd4 27...Qd5!? This move is initially suggested by the engines. Stockfish, for instance, gives 0.00. Does it mean that Black is fine? Let’s have a look! 27...Rxd4 28.Rxd4 Bxd4 [28...Rxd4? 29.Qb7+ Kh6 30.Rxd4 Bxd4 31.Qa8!+–] 29.Rd2!±

Position after: 29.Rd2!±

1020

A very nice move. The rook can now swing over to the kingside. White has strong initiative here. There is no doubt that Black has not equalized. White has strong pressure on the kingside and Black’s king is clearly in danger. Thanks to the h5-pawn, Black’s pawn structure is undermined. White can consider hxg6, h6 or g4 ideas, depending on what Black is doing. For example: 29...a5 [29...Qd5 30.Qxd5 Rxd5 31.Ke2 Rd8 32.Kf3 Bb6 33.Rg2!± preparing g4 and crushing on the kingside; 29...Rd7 30.Qh1!?±] 30.hxg6 hxg6 31.Qb7+ Qd7 32.Qa6!±. 28.Qe3! Qh1+ The point of 27...Qd5. If 28...Bb6 then White can play the simple 29.Kg1± with an extra pawn and hardly any compensation for Black. 29.Kf2 Rxd4! 30.Rxd4 Rxd4

Position after: 30...Rxd4 Very likely this is the position that Black aimed for when playing 27...Qd5. Is it just OK for Black? 31.Rxh1! White needs to eliminate the black queen in order to prevent any kind of perpetual check. In case of 31.Rxd4 Black has a perpetual check after 31...Qh2+.

1021

Position after: 31...Qh2+ There is no way to escape: 32.Kf1 Qh1+ 33.Ke2 Qg2+ 34.Ke1 Qh1+ 35.Kd2 Bb4+ 36.Ke2 Qe1+ 37.Kf3 Qh1+ 38.Kf2 Qh2+ 39.Kf1 Qh1+=. 31...Rd2+ Black recaptures the queen. 32.Kf3 Bxe3 33.Kxe3 Rxc2

1022

Position after: 33...Rxc2 From afar, it may seem like this endgame is drawish. However, in reality White is on the verge of winning here! 34.h6+! There is no good square for Black’s king. 34...Kf7 Probably the best defense. 34...Kf8 35.Rd1! Activating the rook! 35...Rh2 [35...Rxb2 36.Rd7+–] 36.Rd7 Rxh6 37.Kd4!

Position after: 37.Kd4! And now also activating the king, with a winning position. 37...Rh2 38.Kd5!+–. 35.Rd1 Rxb2 36.Rd7+ Ke6 37.Rxh7 c3 38.Rh8! Rh2 39.h7 c2 40.Rc8 Rxh7 41.Rxc2±

1023

Position after: 41.Rxc2± White has great winning chances in this rook endgame.

1024

Table of Contents Title page Key to Symbols Foreword by Le Quang Liem Introduction Chapter 1 – Questionable setups for Black Chapter 2 – Bird’s Defense Chapter 3 – Schliemann Defense Chapter 4 – Cozio Defense Chapter 5 – Smyslov Defense Chapter 6 – Classical Defense Chapter 7 – Steinitz Defense Chapter 8 – Norwegian Variation Chapter 9 – Averbakh Variation Chapter 10 – 4.0-0: Sidelines on move 4 Chapter 11 – 4.0-0: Sidelines on move 5 and 6 Chapter 12 – 4.0-0: Black plays 7...Nf5 Chapter 13 – 4.0-0: Black plays 7...Nxe5 Chapter 14 – 4.d3: Sidelines on move 4 Chapter 15 – 4.d3: Black plays 4...d6 Chapter 16 – 4.d3: Black plays 4...Bc5 Chapter 17 – Sidelines on move 6 and 7 Chapter 18 – White plays 8.Nxe5 Chapter 19 – White plays 8.dxe5 (9...Bc5 and 9...Nc5) Chapter 20 – White plays 8.dxe5 (9...Be7)

1025

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