Opening Repertoire - The Fianchetto System - Weapons for White Against the King's Indian and Grünfeld- Damian Lemos

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Opening Repertoire: The Fianchetto

SystemWeapons for White against the King’s Indian and

Grünfeld

by Damian Lemos

Contents

About this publication

BibliographyIntroduction

1. The Symmetrical English Transposition

2. The Grünfeld without ...c6

3. The Grünfeld with ...c6

4. The King’s Indian: ...Nc6 and the Panno Variation

5. The King’s Indian: ...d6 and ...c6

6. The King’s Indian: ...Nbd7 and ...e5



Back to Contents Page

Opening Repertoire: The Fianchetto System

Grandmaster Damian Lemos presents a repertoire for White against both the King’s Indian and Grünfeld Defences.

Many players struggle to find suitable lines to challenge these two popular and dynamic openings, or find the

masses of theory in the main lines difficult to digest. Lemos solves this perennial problem by advocating a solid

system of development based on the fianchetto system, where understanding ideas is more important than move

memorization. By playing a very early g2-g3 and Bg2, White protects his kingside, denies Black much of thecounterplay typically associated with the King’s Indian and Grünfeld, and creates long-term pressure on the

queenside. Lemos’s choices in this book are largely based on his own repertoire he used on the way to becoming a

Grandmaster. Using illustrative games, Lemos examines the typical tactics and strategies for both sides and

highlights key move order issues. This book tells you everything you need to know about playing the Fianchetto

System against the King’s Indian and Grünfeld.

· A repertoire for White after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6

· Includes the King’s Indian, Grünfeld and Symmetrical English

· Examines the key tactical and positional ideas

Damian Lemos is a Grandmaster from Argentina. He is a former Pan-American Junior Champion and was only 15

years old when he qualified for the International Master title. He became a Grandmaster at 18 years old. An active

tournament player, GM Lemos also trains students at OnlineChessLessons.net.

Publisher Information

Opening Repertoire: The Fianchetto Systemby Damian Lemos

First published in 2014 by Gloucester Publishers Limited, Northburgh House, 10 Northburgh Street, London EC1V

0AT.

Copyright © 2014 Damian Lemos

The right of Damian Lemos to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the

Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any

form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior

permission of the publisher.

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Bibliography

Books

Grandmaster Repertoire - 1.d4, volume two, Boris Avrukh (Quality Chess 2010)

Play the Grünfeld, Yelena Dembo (Everyman Chess 2012)

Other resources

The Week in Chess

Mega Database (ChessBase)

Rybka 4

Stockfish 2.2.2





Introduction

Dealing with dynamic and aggressive defences like the Grünfeld or King’s Indian is not an easy task for White

players. Over the years, I’ve tried several variations against both openings, usually choosing lines in which White

establishes a strong centre, although Black had lot of resources against those lines too. When I was fourteen years

old, I analysed Karpov-Polgar, Las Palmas 1994 (see Chapter 4,Game 25), and was impressed with the former

World Champion’s play with White. Then, I realized that the Fianchetto System works well for White for the

following reasons:

1. After playing g2-g3 and Bg2, White is able to put pressure on Black’s queenside. What’s more, White’s kingside

is fully protected by both pieces and pawns.

2. The Fianchetto System is playable against both the King’s Indian and Grünfeld Defences.

3. As a King’s Indian/Grünfeld player (from the Black side), I love the attacking possibilities that these defences

offer. However, facing the Fianchetto System is always a problem to me, as the game goes into positional

continuations where Black cannot generate much kingside activity, whereas White has a solid spatial edge.

The purpose of this book is to offer the reader a solid system in order to face 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6, not only focusing on

theory but also long-term plans for White. The subject of thefirst chapter is a transposition to the Symmetrical

English: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 c5 4 Nf3. I recommend this variation so we can eliminate the Modern Benoni andBenko Gambit.

In Chapters 2 and 3, we will look at neutralizing the Grünfeld Defence, while the King’s Indian Defence is covered in

Chapters 4, 5 and 6.

It is my fervent hope that you’ll find this book a useful weapon for White, and also improve your positional

understanding in the process!

Damian Lemos, Argentina

April 2014





Chapter One

The Symmetrical English Transposition

Our transposition from an Indian opening to the Symmetrical English arises after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 c5!?, which

is a tricky move order by Black. Instead of continuing with the natural 3...Bg7, he wants to enter the minefields of

the Modern Benoni or Benko Gambit. Instead, 4 Nf3 leads to positional lines where White always has at least a

small edge. If you think about it, Benoni/Benko players enjoy unbalanced positions, therefore the English variationswith 4 Nf3 should be annoying for them. You should pay special attention to Adams-Wang Haoand

Kramnik-Radjabov, as they are recent model examples of this line.

Game 1

A.Karpov-A.Khalifman, Linares 1995

Game 2

E.Bareev-A.Shirov, Biel 1991

Game 3

V.Kramnik-D.Andreikin, World Blitz Championship, Moscow 2010

Game 4

J.Gustafsson-A.Labuckas, European Cup, Plovdiv 2010

Game 5

M.Adams-Wang Hao, Dortmund Sparkassen 2013

Game 6

V.Akopian-T.Luther, FIDE World Championship, Groningen 1997

Game 7

B.Gelfand-M.Krasenkow, European Team Championship, Leon 2001

Game 8

A.Khalifman-J.Yrjola, European Cup, Izmir 2004

Game 9

V.Kramnik-T.Radjabov, World Championship Candidates, London 2013

Index of Variations

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 c5 4 Nf3 Bg7

4...cxd4 5 Nxd4 d5 – Bareev-Shirov

5 Bg2 cxd4

5...Qa5+ – Karpov-Khalifman

5...0-0 6 0-0 d6 7 Nc3 Nc6 – Khalifman-Yrjola

6 Nxd4 Nc6

6...0-0 7 Nc3 Qc7 – Kramnik-Radjabov

7 Nc3 0-0 8 0-0 Nxd48...Qa5 – Adams-Wang Hao

8...d6 – Akopian-Luther



8...Ng4 – Gelfand-Krasenkow

9 Qxd4 d6 10 Qd3

10...a6 – Kramnik-Andreikin

10...Bf5 – Gustafsson-Labuckas




E60Karpov,AKhalifman,A

Linares (Game 1) 1995[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c5!? Definitely oneof the main move orders we have to study

carefully as White. Black tries playing into theBenko Gambit or Benoni set-ups. 4. f3The advantage of 4 Nf3 is its flexibility. Wekeep a strong centre as we continuedeveloping our pieces.

[ What’s more, by not playing 4.d5, both the Benko Gambit (after b5 )

( and Benoni (after 4...e6) are circumvented. )]

4... g7 5. g2 "a5+ This is an ambitious

and aggressive move from Black. By delaying5...0-0, he’s trying to break our pieces'coordination. Of course, as White, we are fullof resources and will not let this happen. 6. c3 In my opinion, the best reply for us.

[ 6. d2 is also possible, but I think Blackgets good chances after the simple variation

! b6 7.dxc5 ! xc5 8.! b3 "c6 9."c3 0-0 10.0-0 "a5 and Black is at least equal, asin B.Grachev-V.Bologan, Croatian TeamChampionship 2009. ]

6...

e4 7.

d2 Black has a number of dangerous possibilities in this position.Karpov’s move is solid and White is going toget a stronger centre. The only drawback I seeis that we are letting Black get our bishop pair.

[ After studying the position for a long time, Irealized 7.! d3 is a great alternative: cxd4

( the key is to meet 7...xc3 with 8.!d2!, followed by Bxc3, when we don't get aweak pawn structure with doubled c-pawns )

8."xd4 "c5 ( after 8...xc3 , once more

9.!d2! keeps the pawn structure intact ) 9.! d1 "c6 10.e3 and now:

A) after 10..."xd4 11.exd4 "e6 12. e3 ! b4 13.0-0 ! xc4 ( or similarly 13..." xb2 14.d5 with a huge initiative for White ) 14."d5 , White’s developmental edgeoutweighs Black’s material gain.; B) 10..."e6 11.0-0 and then:

B1) 11..."cxd4 12.exd4 "xd4 ( or 12...!xd4 13.d5 with ideas of Bh6;

this manoeuvre puts a lot of pressure onthe kingside, and Black will have a hardtime getting castled ) 13. h6! xh6

14.! xd4 0-0 15."d5 g7 16."xe7+ #h8 17.! d6 and Black’s queenside is

badly hemmed in.; B2) 11..."exd4 12.exd4 xd4 13. h6!and Black cannot complete hisdevelopment successfully.;

B3) 11...0-0 12."xe6 fxe6 ( or 12...dxe6 13.!d2 and I believe we havea small but stable advantage here;Black’s pawn structure has been alteredto give White the chance of creating aqueenside passed pawn ) 13. d2 d6

14.! e2 d7 15. e4! – I really like thismove, placing the bishop on a powerfulsquare. White can increase his spaceadvantage by playing f4 or the h4-h5advance.;

B4) 11...! c5 12."db5 a6 13."a4 ! xc4 (a risky decision by Black, butprobably the best) ( if 13..." b4 14.a3

" xc4 15.bc3 and White is still better ;while after 13..." e5 14.bc3, we have a juicy hole on b6 available for our knight, not to mention the d5-square ) 14."bc3 $b8 15."b6 ! c5

16."cd5 (we will not leave Black’squeen alone!) 0-0 17.b4 "xb4 18. a3

a5 19.$c1 ! d6 20.! a4 and White wonin D.Bocharov-D.Kokarev, St Petersburg2004. ]

7... xd2

[ Taking the c3-knight doesn’t make muchsense as Black is shedding too many tempi. After 7..."xc3 8. xc3 ! b6 9.0-0 cxd4, I like 10.c5! ! xc5 11. xd4 xd4 12.$c1and Black should be losing in the long run. ]

8."xd2 0-0 9.e3 d6 10.0-0 c6 11.h3 [ Advancing the d4-pawn means the g7-bishop is only going to become stronger; for example, after 11.d5 "e5 12."xe5 xe5, when Black is at least equal. ]

11...cxd4 12. xd4 d7 13.#fd1Here, I would like to share GM Ftacnik’swords: “White can hope for a small advantageonly because his e-pawn is still on e3.Otherwise, the absence of the dark-squaredbishop promises a small edge to his opponent.” xd4 I don’t like this move much. After this,we’ll have a stronger centre.

[ However, after 13...$fc8 14.b3 , followedby Rac1, I still trust in White’s spaceadvantage, although Black can also try

improvising with ...a6, ...Rab8 and ...b5. ] 14.exd4 c6 15. d5! As can be easily seen,this move deserves an exclamation mark.Trading off the g2-bishop wouldn’t give us anyadvantage, whereas the resulting position



with opposite-coloured bishops is better for us.The reason is clear – our bishop is going tobe better than the opponent’s. "d8

[ Not 15...! xd2? 16."xe7+ #h8 17.$xd2and White has snagged a pawn. ]

16.#ac1 #c8 17.h4 White is winning spaceon both sides of the board. Certainly, the h3-h4, b2-b3, a2-a4 space-annexing plan isworth considering.

"

d7 18.b3#

fd8 19.a4 xd5

[ Alternatively, after 19...b6 20."b4 xg2 21.#xg2 , followed by d5, White gets a nicesquare on c6 for the knight. ]

20. xd5 b6 21.a5 White doesn’t seem tohave a big advantage here. However, for aplayer of Karpov’s calibre, sometimes a smalladvantage suffices! e6

[ 21...b5 runs into 22.a6! . ]

22.

f3 b5 23.d5! Once more, I defer to GMFtacnik: “This is the main point as Black willhave the inferior pawn structure in anyvariation.” bxc4

[ 23...e5 leads to a passive position after 24.cxb5 ! xb5 25.b4 , followed by Be2 or Rc6. ]

24.dxe6 A nice in-between move! [ 24.bxc4?! e5 is not so clear, as the c-file isnow closed. ]

24..."xe6 25.bxc4 "f5

[ 25...$xc4? is not playable in view of 26. d 5 . ]

26.$g2 f6 27.a6 h5 28.#e1 Probably aslight inaccuracy by the former WorldChampion. Black is going to activate his rooksnow.

[ Instead, 28.! e3 ! c5 29.$b1 looks like apossible improvement – this variation isn'tmaking lot of sense from the positional pointof view, but with the help of Rybka, you cansee that Black cannot resist the Rb7/Bd5threats. The a6-pawn is quite dangeroustoo. ]

28...#c5 29. d5 #b8 30.#c2 $g7 31. e4 "d7 32. b7 "c7 33."d3 #d8 34. d5!Stopping Black from freeing his position with ...d5. "a5 35.#b1 "xa6 36.#b7 #f8 37.#e2This pawn sacrifice allows Karpov to getcloser to the real target: Black’s king. #a5?Making White’s job easier. However, findingthe best defence for Black requires deep

analysis. [ His survival chances increase after 37...! a5 38.$e6! $c7 39.$xd6 ( less accurate is 39.# xf6 $xf6 40." d4+ $e7 and Black slips away ) 39...$xb7

40. xb7 $d8 41.c5 and White has a slightadvantage. ]

38.#e3 After this, White’s rook joins the partyand Black is defenceless against the threats.

#a1 39.#f3 #e1 40.#xf6 $xf6 41."f3+1-0

A31Bareev,EShirov,A

Biel (Game 2) 1991[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c5 4. f3 cxd4 5. xd4 d5 An interesting try to free Black’sposition. However, he has to be carefulbecause the opening of lines in the centre was

made without strong development. 6.

g2 g7 [ Let’s take a look at Black’s alternatives inthis position: 6...dxc4 is best met by 7.! a4+ . White willcontinue with Qxc4 and obtain strongpressure on the h1-a8 diagonal. ] [ 6...e5 7."f3 d4 8.0-0 ( not 8.xe5?? as " a5+ picks up the knight ) 8..."c6 9.e3 g4 10.! b3 gave White a clear advantagein V.Tukmakov-A.Beliavsky, Vilnius 1978,

due to strong queenside pressure and thechance of opening lines in the centre wherethe black king is badly placed. ]

7. c2 Definitely an important move for Whiteto make before castling.

[ After 7.0-0 0-0 8.cxd5 "xd5 9."c3, White has his pieces posted actively for an attack on the queenside. However, froma theoretical viewpoint, Black has quite afew good equalizing possibilities; whereasafter 7 Nc2, we immediately put pressure onthe d5-pawn. ]

7..."a5+ [ It seems that Black did not want to play theendgame resulting from 7...dxc4 8.! xd8+ #xd8 9.0-0 , since White enjoys a risk-freeadvantage. Black has lost his right to castleand needs to find a safe place for his king.On the other hand, White has a lot of pressure on the h1-a8 diagonal, coupledwith attacking chances on the black king.

( Note that 9.e3 , winning the pawn backimmediately, allows Black to reach equalityby means of c6 10.xc4 !e6 11.ba3 # c8 12.!e3 $e8 as Black safeguards hisking and I don’t see any advantage for



White. ) After 9..."c6 10.$d1+ #e8 ( both 10...$c7; and 10...!d7 are met by 11.ba3 ) 11."c3 (White will regain thepawn sooner or later, while Black is going tohave developmental problems as he hasmoved his king already) e6 12. e3 "g4

13. xc6+ bxc6 14. d4 f6 15."a4, the resulting endgame is much better for White because of Black’s weak pawnstructure and the ‘holes’ in his position. ]

8.b4 The answer to Black’s aggression is tocounter with more violence!

[ If White shies away from fighting for theinitiative, things could be complicated; for example, 8."c3 "e4 ]

[ or 8. d2 ! c5 , when Black has sometricks based on ...Ng4 and ...Bxb2. ]

8..."c7 9.cxd5 g4 10.0-0 xa1 11. xa1

White is the exchange down but he has goodcompensation in return. The absence of theg7-bishop means that Black’s kingside isgoing to be quite weak. 0-0 Black castlesanyway, which is correct. He cannot afford toplay with his king in the centre. 12. b3 d7 13."d4 White launches a strong attackagainst the g4-knight and Black’s king. gf6 14. b2 "b6

[ 14..."b6 15.$c1 ! d6 16.e4 also givesWhite a clear advantage, as there is no clear

way to stop the e5 advance. ] 15."c3

[ As pointed out by GM Stohl, 15."c5allows some counterplay after a5! 16.a3

axb4 17.axb4 $a 2 . ] 15...e5 Unable to find a way of getting hispieces out, Black tries blocking the a1-h8diagonal instead. 16.dxe6 fxe6

[ Not 16...! xe6? , as after 17."c5 "xc5 18.bxc5 , the pressure on the a1-h8diagonal is just too powerful. ]

17.

1d2 e5 18.

c4"

e6 19.

c5"

e7 [ The premature 19..."xc5 20.bxc5allows the d6-square to become a niceoutpost for our knight. ]

20.#d1 [ Taking on e5 is probably an improvement;for example, 20."xe5 "xe5 21.! xe5

! xe5 22. xe5 , and although Black cancontinue fighting, he should lose in the longrun. ]

20...

xc5 21.

xe5 [ Here, taking on c5 looks like the naturalmove. All the same, White must be carefulas after 21.bxc5 ! xc5 22. a3 ! xf2+

23.#xf2 "e4+ , followed by ...Nxc3, Black

is fighting for the initiative. ] 21... cd7

[ Let’s take a look at Black’s alternativeshere: 21..."a4 is met by 22.! b3+ , picking upthe knight. ] [ Or 21..."ce4 22. xe4 "xe4 23.! c4+and the knight is once again nabbed. ] [ 21..."e6 is the most accurate move for Black. Then 22."g4 seems to be winningfor White, but this is just an illusion becauseafter "xg4 23.! h8+ #f7 24.! xh7+ #e8 25.! xg6+ ! f7 26.! xg4 ! xf2+ 27.#h1 "f4 , incredibly, White cannot give a singlecheck and is therefore losing! ]

22."c4+ $g7 23."c7 #f7 [ If Black unpins his king by playing 23...#g8, White can increase the pressure with

24.$d6! . ] 24. xf7 $xf7 25.#d6 $f8 [ After 25..."e8 26.! c4+ #f8 27.$e6 ! f7 28. d5 , White is winning. ]

26. c1 [ The tempting 26. xf6 is not as goodbecause, after "xf6 27.$d8+ "e8 28.! f4+ #g7 , Black has some survivalchances. ]

26... b6 27."c5 fd7 28. h6+ $e8 29."d4 e5 30. f4?

[ White misses a great chance here: 30.$d8+! ! xd8 ( Black has no choice, as 30...$f7 31.# h8 wins for White ) 31.! xe5+ #f7 ( other ways to lose are 31...$d7 32.!h3+ $c6 33.b5#; or 31..." e7 32." h8+ $d7 33.h4! and Black iscompletely paralysed ) 32.! g7+ #e6 33. h3+ #d5 34.e4+ #xe4 35. g2+(Black’s king is an easy target in the middleof the board) #d3 36.! b2 and Black either gets mated or loses copious material after #c4 37. f1+ #d5 38.! d2+ ]

30... f7 31.#f6 d7?! [ If Black tries to complete his developmentwith 31... e6 , White has 32. xb7! $d8 33. c6+ , and if #f8? ( 33...!d7 is equal ), then 34. h6+ #g8 35.$xg6+and mates. ] [ However, 31... f5! looks good for Black. ]

32.#c6 g5 [ Taking the rook was also possible: for

example, 32...bxc6 33. xc6 ! xe2 34. xa8 and the position is unclear. ] 33. d6 xd6 34.#xd6 f8 35.h4 gxh4 36. f3 f5 37.gxh4 #d8 38.#xd8+ "xd8 39."e5+ White’s attack wasn’t successful, so



he now has to fight for a draw. e6 40."h5+ f7 41."e5+ e6 42."h5+ g6Black avoids the repetition and goes for thewin. Unfortunately for him, White has a lot of pawns for the piece. 43."xh7 f7 44."h6

[ It’s never too late to make a mistake: after 44.h5 ! g5+ 45.#h1 "e5 , Black gets apowerful attack ]

44..."

d1+ [ I guess 44...! xh4 45.! e3+ , followed byQxa7, should also be a draw, but White hasto play accurately. ]

45.$g2 "d4 46.$g1 "xb4 47."e3+ $f8 48.h5 f4 49."xa7 xh5 50."b8+ e8 51.$h2 White has to forestall ...Qe1+somehow. "d4 52.e3 "h8+ 53.$g1 "g7+ 54.$h2 "h6+ 55.$g1 "g6+ 56.$h2 d3 57. xb7 "b6 58."g3 "xb7 59."d6+ "e7

60."

xd3"

h4+ 61.$

g1"

g5+½-½

A39Kramnik,V Andreik in,D

World Blitz Ch., Moscow (Game 3) 2010[Damian Lemos]

1.d4

[ The actual moves in this game were 1."f3 "f6 2.c4 c5 3.g3 g6 4. g2 g7 5.d4 cxd4 6."xd4 "c6 7."c3 "xd4 8.! xd4 0-0 9.0-0 d6 . ]

1... f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c5 4. f3 g7 5. g2 cxd4 6. xd4 c6 7. c3 0-0 8.0-0 xd4 9."xd4 d6 The resulting position is one of themain lines in the Symmetrical English opening.I have used the 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 moveorder to show how we reach this position fromour repertoire. White enjoys a plus due to hisspace advantage and queenside pressure. 10."d3 I really like this move, as getting off the long dark diagonal should be a good idea.If Black plays ...Bf5, we simply advance e2-e4,seizing more space in the centre. We willexamine this in the next game. a6

[ 10...! a5 is worth considering too. Blackwants to play ...Qh5 followed by ...Bh3 andthis manoeuvre would be definitely annoyingfor us if we allowed it. Hence: 11.h3! e6

( if Black insists on 11..." h5 , White has thestrong 12.g4! ) 12. d2 ! a6 13.b3(White is banking on his space advantage;what’s more, Black cannot try the ...a6 and ...b5 freeing manoeuvre as his queen is

already placed on a6) $fd8 14.e4 d5(this interesting move is suspect as Whitegets an advantage with accurate play) 15.exd5 xd5 ( 15...xd5 16.!xd5 !xd5 17.xd5 would reach the same position ) 16. xd5 "xd5 17."xd5 e6 ( Black cannotaccept the exchange with 17...!xa1 , due to 18.# xa1 e6 19.f6+ $g7 20." c3 # xd2 21.g4+ and White wins a piece ) 18."e7+ ( I like this check employed by Navara, butthere is another continuation which hasn'tbeen tried yet: 18.# ad1 # xd5 19." f3 # d4 20.!e3 # dd8 21.a4 and, in my opinion,White’s advantage is clear due to thequeenside pawn majority, plus the pressureon a7 and b7 ) 18...#f8 19."xg6+ hxg6 20.! e3 xa1 (taking the rook leavesBlack’s king completely naked, though I

understand his decision, as he does notwant to play a pawn down) 21.$xa1 ! d6 22. c3 #e8 23. f6 and Black’s mainproblem is that his king will never find asafe place, D.Navara-A.Jakubiec, CzechLeague 2005. ]

11. g5 This is not the most popular move. Istarted paying attention to it after observingKramnik’s handling of this game. In myopinion, the Bg5/Qd2 plan is accurate, sincewe can set up Bh6 to get rid of Black’s

powerful g7-bishop. f5 12."

d2 [ 12.e4 is possible too but, given the choice,I would leave the long light diagonal open for the g2-bishop. ]

12...#b8 A standard move in this position,getting out of the Bg2’s reach and preparing ...b5.

[ As Black, I would also consider 12...$c8 13. xb7 ( 13.b3 is the solid way of treatingthe position, which deprives Black of counterplay ) 13...$xc4 14. xa6 and hereBlack can just sacrifice the exchange,getting a nice initiative in return: $xc3 15.bxc3 "e4 16.! e3 "xg5 17.! xg5 h3and Black will follow up with ...Qa8 with atleast equal chances. ]

13.#ac1 b5 14. d5 e6 [ It is hard to suggest an improvement for Black, as after 14..."xd5 15.cxd5, White has full control of the c-file, not tomention the idea of Rc6. ]

15.

xf6 Giving up the bishop pair is supposedto be a bad idea. However, in this position, wehave a strong reason for doing so – thedemolition of Black’s pawn structure. exf6

16.cxb5 axb5 17. b4 Black is unable to



create counterplay because he cannotactivate his bishop pair. This is compoundedby the weak c6-square and White’s ability toattack the d6-pawn with ease. "a5 18.a3 f5 19.#fd1 #fc8 20.#xc8+ #xc8 21."xd6 f6

[ Taking the b2-pawn is out of the questionbecause, after 21... xb2 , White can justreply 22."c6 , followed by Ne7+, winningthe exchange. ]

22. c6 "c7 23."d2 "b6 24.#c1 $g7 25.e3 #c7 26. d4 #xc1+ 27."xc1 c4 28. f1 This simple move allows White to tradedown to a winning endgame. xf1 29.$xf1 b4 30.axb4 "xb4 31."c3 "b7 32.h4 "h1+ 33.$e2 "b1 This endgame is noteasy at all as, with queens on board, there isalways the risk of perpetual check. Kramnikdemonstrates excellent technique, even at

the blitz time control.Here is the rest of the game: 34.b3 "a2+ 35."c2 "a3 36. f3 "a6+ 37."d3 "a1 38. d2 "b2 39.$d1 "a1+ 40."b1 "a8 41.$e2 "a6+ 42. c4 "b5 43."d3 "a6 44.$f3 "b7+ 45.$e2 "a6 46.$f1 h5 47.e4 fxe4 48."xe4 "b5 49."d3 "b7 50. e3 "h1+ 51.$e2 "a1 52. d5 "b2+ 53.$f3 e5 54. e3 f6 55."c2 "a1 56.b4 "a6 57."c4 "b7+ 58. d5 e5 59.b5 "d7 60.$g2 "f5 61.b6 "b1

62."

b4"

d3 63.

e3 d6 64."

c4"

d2 65.b7 "b2 66."d5 b8 67. c4 "f6 68."f3 "e6 69. a5 c7 70. c6 "d6 71."c3+ $h7 72."c4 $g7 73."b5 "e6 74.b8" xb8 75. xb8 "d6 76. c6 "d1 77."e5+ $h7 78. d4 "a1 79."d5 $g7 80."xf7+ $xf7 81.$f3 $f6 82.$f4 $f7 83.$g5 $g7 84.f3 $f7 85.$h6 $f6 86.g41-0

A39Gustafsson,JLabuckas,A

European Cup, Plovdiv (Game 4) 2010[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 [ Once again, we have altered the moveorder in the actual game, which went 1."f3

"f6 2.c4 c5 3.d4 cxd4 4."xd4 "c6

5."c3 g6 6.g3 g7 7. g2 0-0 8.0-0 "xd4 9.! xd4 d6 . ] 1... f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c5 4. f3 g7 5. g2 cxd4 6. xd4 c6 7. c3 0-0 8.0-0 xd4 9."xd4 d6 10."d3 f5 Black forces the e4-

advance with the idea of blocking the Bg2’spath on the long diagonal. Unfortunately for him, we are happy to play e2-e4 as we getthe Maróczy Bind structure with pawns on e4and c4. This formation traditionally offersWhite a strong centre. 11.e4 e6 12. d2One of the advantages of this move-order isthat we prevent ...Qa5.

[ Theory also suggests 12.b3 , but I like thegame move, which has been employed bystrong GMs, such as Gustafsson, Ehlvest,Hort and Kovalyov. ]

12..."c8 [ Some other possibilities for Black: 12...! a5 13."d5 ! d8 14. c3 and Blackhas merely succeeded in losing a lot of tempi. ] [ 12...a6 13.b3 $b8 14.$ac1 ! d7

15."d5!? b5 ( less accurate is 15...xd5 16.cxd5 !h3 17.!xh3 " xh3 18.# c7 ) 16.$fe1 $b7 17.! f1 "g4 18.h3 xd5 19.cxd5 "f6 20.$c6 $a8 21.$ec1was agreed drawn in J.Ehlvest-G.Kamsky,Reggio Emilia 1991. ( White can try improvewith 21.!a5 , as pointed out by GM Ribli. )] [ 12..."d7 (trying to improve the knight’splacement and attack White’s queen in theprocess) 13.b3 "c5 14.! e2 a6 15.$fd1 $e8 16.$ac1 b5 was J.Smejkal-N.Lakic,

Banja Luka 1976. Here I believe White canplay 17."d5 bxc4 18.! xc4 a5 19. e3with a powerful position and the culminationof White’s strategy – both c- and d-filesare under his control, and his bishop on g2rules the long light diagonal. ] [ 12..."g4 13.b3 "e5 14.! e2 "c6 15.$ac1 $c8 was played in A.Mikhalchishin-V.Srebrnic, Slovenian Team Championship2011; and now the improvement 16."d5 ( rather than 16.# fd1 ) 16..."d4 17.! d3leaves White’s advantage beyondquestion. ]

13.b3 h3 14.#ac1 We don’t mind tradingbishops, since we can just place our pawns onlight squares, making the dark-squared bishopa stronger piece. xg2 15.$xg2 b6 16. d5

"b7 17.#fe1! A deep move: apart fromdefending e4, the rook is going to be usefulwhen the e-file opens up. xd5

[ If 17...$ac8 , then 18.f3 , followed by a4 –

we keep placing our pawns on light squaresand gaining space. ] 18."xd5 As long as we understand that theendgame is good for us, trading queens isfine.



[ 18.exd5?! would be a positional mistake,as after e5 , Black gets rid of his weak e7-pawn. ]

18...#ab8 [ After 18...! xd5 19.exd5 , Black is going tohave a hard time defending his e-pawn. ]

19.a4 #fc8 20.f3 b2 21.#cd1 "xd5Black is hard pressed to find any counterplay,so he trades the queens off. However, thisopens the e-file and White is going to exploitit perfectly. 22.exd5 f6 23.g4 What I likeabout this game is White’s refined positionalplay. Almost every single white pawn is placedon a light square, making the dark-squaredbishop a very strong piece. Moreover, Whitethreatens g5 to win the e7-pawn. #b7Black was naturally worried about the e7-pawn,so the rook defends the 7th rank, but Black’s

position is still passive. 24.#

e4 a6 25.g5 g7 26. e3 At first sight, White seems likelyto play Bd4 to trade bishops off. However,analysing the position a bit deeper, we cansee that 26 Be3 is actually preventing ...b5. e5

[ The rash 26...b5 would play into White’shands after 27.cxb5 axb5 28.a5, creating a dangerous passed pawn. ]

27.f4 g7 28.#f1 White increases theadvantage little by little; f4-f5 is coming. #e8

29.f5 e5 30.f6 h5 [ 30...exf6 is strongly met by 31.$xf6, adding a new target to attack: the weak d6-pawn. ]

31.#e1 [ Here 31.$xe5! is a very strong alternative – tactics flow easily when you have a muchbetter position. The position is pretty closed,so Black cannot activate his rooks via dxe5

32.fxe7 $exe7 , as 33.$f6 leaves Blackdefenceless against Bxb6, followed by apawn storm in the centre. ]

31...exf6 32.gxf6 #c8 33.#xe5The exchange sacrifice works well here too. dxe5 34.$f3 e4+ 35.$f4! Taking the e4-pawn was also playable, and I think Whitewould win in the long run with accurate play.From the practical point of view, it is better not to open files for the black rooks, which iswhy 35 Kf4 deserves an exclamation mark. #d8 36.#d1 $f8 37.#d4 #bd7 38. c1

$

g8 [ Black can’t free his position by playing 38...b5 , as after 39. a3+ #g8 40.#xe4, White’s mobile pawns continue to advancewith c5-c6. ]

39. a3 $h7 40.#xe4 The rest is a matter of technique. $h6 41.#e7 g5+ 42.$f5 h4

43. c1 $h5 44.h3 #xd5+ 45.cxd5 #xd5+ 46.#e5 #d3 47. xg5 b5 48. f4 #d8 49.axb5 axb5 50.#e7 #f8 51.#b7 b4 52. e51-0

A15 Adams,MiWang Hao

Dortmund Sparkassen (Game 5) 2013[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 [ Once again, we have altered the originalmove order, which went 1.c4 "f6 2.g3 c5

3. g2 g6 4."c3 g7 5."f3 0-0 6.d4 cxd4 7."xd4 "c6 8.0-0 ! a 5 . ] 1... f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c5 4. f3 g7 5. g2 cxd4 6. xd4 c6 7. c3 "a5 This queensally has been played a few times by GMMiso Cebalo at master level.

[ The main line also can be reached with 7...0-0 8.0-0 ! a 5 . ]

8.0-0 0-0 This line is one of the most criticaltests of the English. This aggressive-lookingplan with ...Qa5 has also been played by

strong GMs like Korchnoi, Tukmakov andLarsen.

[ If Black attempts 8...! c5 , attacking the c4-pawn instead, play can follow with theaggressive 9."db5! 0-0 10."c7 $b8 11."7d5 ! xc4 12. f4 with good play for the pawn; for example, e5? ( 12...xd5 13.!xd5 wins the exchange ) 13. xe5 "xe5 14."xf6+ xf6 15.! d6! and White hits theb8-rook and f6-bishop simultaneously. ]

9. b3 "h5 10. d5 I really like the planemployed by Michael Adams in this game.

[ Another option is to get rid of the Qh5 with 10.e4 and then:

A) Trading queens with 10...! xd1 11.$xd1 gives White a slight and stableadvantage; for example, d6 12.c5 dxc5

13."xc5 g4 ( attempting to anchor in ...Nd4 with 13...e5 looks like a better choice ) 14.f3 c8 15. e3 b6 16."d3and White won handily after 35 moves in

Kir.Georgiev-M.Pavlovic, Yugoslav TeamChampionship 1991.; B) 10...d6 11.! xh5 "xh5 12.c5 dxc5 13."xc5 , but I don’t think White’s slightpull is enough to fight for the win, A.



Hauchard-J.M.Degraeve, Parthenay1992. ]

10...d6 [ Black should avoid 10..."xd5 11.cxd5 "e5 12.f4 "c4 13. f3 ! h3 14."d4, followed by b3, when he has merelywasted development tempi, whereas Whitehas gained territory. ]

11.

f4"

e5 12.#

e1! Strong and simple;White prepares e2-e4 to build up a strongcentre.

[ Attacking the queen was also possible: 12."d3 ! e6 13.c5 d5 . However, I prefer Black’s chances here, especially if he movesthe queen somewhere (say ...Qf5) andfollows with ...e5. ]

12...a5 Black tries to create counterplay on thequeenside, but his plan is halted in its tracks

by White’s next move. 13.a4! It is worthmentioning that Black’s queen cannot becomfortable in the middle of the board. e6 14. d2 With this natural move, White gets asolid position, but Black will have a chance toequalize.

[ I think we should try improving White’s playwith 14."d5 and then:

A) 14...! h5 15.h3! (exploiting Black’squeen position again; Black has a fewchoices here but none of them are enough

for equality) "d7 ( 15...!xh3?loses a piece to 16.f4; while after 15...!xd5 16.cxd5 b4 17.g4 " h4 18.!f4 , Black’s queen is still out of play ) 16.g4 ! h4 17."d2 and the black queenis in serious trouble.; B) 14... xd5 15.cxd5 "b4 16.e4, when the position remains complicated,but I believe in White’s bishop pair.; C) 14...$fd8 15.e4 and the precariousposition of the queen will again be aserious concern for Black. ]

14... f5 15. d5 [ After 15."b3 , Black can consider repeating moves with e 6 . ]

15... xd5 16.cxd5 b4 17.e4 d7 18. c4White has made some progress, but Blackshould equalize with accurate play. "d4 19."xd4 xd4 20. e3 #fc8 21. f1 #xc4 22. xc4 xb2 This is probably too ambitious.

[ Black could equalize through simple means

like 22... xe3 23.$xe3 "c2and he regains the exchange with a likelydraw soon. ]

23.#ab1 f6 [ After 23... a3 24.$e2 $c8 25. b3

, White's advantage is clear ] 24.#ec1

[ Instead, 24. b5!? may be an improvementfor White. ]

24... xa4 25. b6 d7? [ Black misses a great chance to take thelead here with 25... c2! . This move is easyto see with the help of the computer, butover the board it’s a different story. The keyto this tactical combination is seen after 26.$xb4 axb4 27.$xc2 $a1+ 28.#g2 b3! 29. xb3 ( or 29.# d2 b2 ) 29...$b1and Black gets the piece back. ]

26. xa5 White takes the dangerous a5-pawnand Black’s position collapses. #xa5 27.#xb4

b5 28. d3 $g7 29.$g2 g5 30.#c7 g4? 31.e51-0

A38 Akopian,VLuther,T

FIDE World Ch., Groningen (Game 6) 1997[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 [ Once again, I have switched the move order to fit in with our repertoire. The actual

moves leading to the game position (andmore commonly seen in tournament praxis)is 1.c4 c5 2."f3 "f6 3."c3 "c6 4.g3 g6 5. g2 g7 6.d4 cxd4 7."xd4 0-0 8.0-0 d6 . ]

1... f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c5 4. f3 g7 5. g2 cxd4 6. xd4 c6 7. c3 0-0 8.0-0 d6 An interesting gambit of the b-pawn, for whichBlack gets the open b-file and pressureagainst c4. It is seen at all levels, and hasbeen played by former FIDE WorldChampions Topalov, Khalifman and Tal. Wecan, of course, take up the challenge andaccept the gambit pawn with 9 Nxc6 etc.However, I also like the solid 9 Nc2 (playedby Garry Kasparov), trying to build up astrong centre in “Maróczy Bind” style. 9. c2

h5!? Black tries to create weaknesses on thekingside.

[ Let’s take a look at Black’s mainalternatives here:

9... e6 10.b3 ! d7 11. b2 h3 12."e3 xg2 13.#xg2 and now: A) After 13...e6 , White builds up on the d-file with 14.! d2 $fd8 15.$ad1 a6

16.! c1 b6 17.! a1 ! b7 18.#g1



as in G.Mastrokouko-V.Kotronias, GreekChampionship, Komotini 1992. I believeWhite is better here for several reasons:1. We have strong pressure on the a1-h8diagonal.2. We can exert more force on the d-fileby doubling rooks with Rd2 and Rfd1.3. Black cannot free his position by playing b5 because 19."xb5! wins a pawn. ( 19.-- ); B) 13..."e4 14.! c2 "xc3 15. xc3 xc3 16.! xc3 ! e6 17."d5 $ac8 18.$ad1 $fe8 19.$fe1 ! e5 20.! d2 ! g7 21.e4 was G.Kasparov-P.Leko, Horgen1994. White has built up a strong centreand will annex more space with f2-f4,whereas Black is unable to find anycounterplay. Leko eventually succumbed

in 45 moves. ] [ 9..."d7 10. d2! (I really like this move,protecting our pawn structure in case Blackplays ...Bxc3) "c5 11.b3 a5 12."e3 d7

13.$b1 "d4 14.a3 ( 14.cd5 , followed byBc3, is worth considering too ) 14... c6

15.b4 was working very well for White,whose space advantage gave him the edgein A.Shcekachev-J.Hjartarson, Reykjavik1994. ]

10. g5 The natural way of preventing Black

from playing ...h4. e6 11.b3 [ White can also try 11."d5 "h7 12. d2 h4 13.$b1 , when his space advantageshould again give him the better prospects. ]

11...h4 A nice attempt by Black to trap our bishop. 12.gxh4

[ Taking with the bishop would be a hugemistake after 12. xh4 "h7! , when Whitehas to deal with the dual threats of ...Bxc3and ...g5. ]

12... h5 13."e1 The best way of defendingour knight!

[ The exchange sacrifice 13."e4 is worth atry, but I think Black has good defensiveresources after xa1 14.! xa1 f6 15. e3

"g7 , when Black defended successfullyand later won in I.Glek-T.Luther, Asti 1997. ]

[ The safer-looking 13.! d3 allows Black toequalize after ! a5 14. d2 "e5 15.! e3

"g4 16.! d3 "e 5 . ] 13..."a5 This cannot be recommended. Black

nets the exchange, but at the cost of theinitiative and activity. [ Instead, after 13...! d7 14.$d1 (here wesee the point of 13 Qe1!) h3 15.f3 xg2

16.#xg2 , White just keeps a space

advantage. ] 14. d5! The most challenging continuation.

[ After the insipid 14. d2 , Black seizes theinitiative with "f 4 . ]

14... xd5 [ Grabbing the exchange immediately with 14... xa1 15."xe7+ #h7 16.! xa1is clearly better for White due to his darksquare control, as well as the weakenedblack king. ]

15.cxd5 xa1 16."xa1 This simple move isalso the best.

[ The alternative 16.dxc6 c3 is far fromclear, and Black should be able to generateenough counterplay. ]

16... b8 17. e3 Looking for new horizonswith our knight.

[ 17. xe7 $e8 18. xd6 $xe2 is not as

clear as the game. ] 17...f6 18. c4 "d8 19. d2 d7 20.f4 f5 21.e4 White immediately takes the opportunityto develop an initiative in the centre. Thismakes a lot of sense because White has thebishop pair and should strive to open theposition up. df6

[ After 21...fxe4 22. xe4 , White wouldopen up the position even faster. ]

22.e5 dxe5 23."xe5 b5 24. a5 "b6+ 25.$h1 g4 26."e1 #ae8

[ If 26...$fe8 27."c6 #g7 , White slots in 28. f3 , intending h3 or Rg1, and I believeWhite’s domination is clear with everysingle piece participating in the attack. ]

27. c6 $h7 28.h3 gf6 29.$h2 "c7 30. a5? The bishop is not doing much on thisdiagonal.

[ White could have played 30.! e5, followed by Nd4-e6, when his positionlooks promising. ]

30..."d7 31. e5 "c8 32. b4 e4 33."e3 "

c2 34.#

c1"

xa2 35.#

c7#

g8?Never be too careful! The position requiresimmediate aggressive action by Black.

[ Instead, after 35..."hf6! 36.! d4 ( not 36.!xe7? xd5 with a triple threat ) 36...! xb3 37. xe7 ! g3+ 38.#g1 $c8, the position is unclear but I would rather play Black here. ]

36.#xa7 "b1 37.d6 hg3 38.d7 #a8 39.d8" #gxd8 40."b6! The most accurate

move. [ It is not too late to make a mistake with 40.$xe7+? #g8 41.! b6 "f1+ , when 42. xf1? $a2+ 43. g2 ( or 43.$g1 " xf1+! ) 43...$xg2+! 44.#xg2 ! c2+ 45.#f3



! d1+ gives Black a winning attack. ] 40...#g8 41.#xe7+

[ And not 41.$xa8? , since "f1+ 42. xf1 ! xf1 43.$xg8 ! e2+ leads to perpetualcheck. ]

41...$h6 42."b7 #h8 43. f7+ $h5 44. xh8 f1+ 45. xf1 #a2+ 46.$g1 $xh4 Unfortunately for Black, his advancedking is not useful in the attack. 47.

#

xe4"

xe4 48."h7+ $g3 49."xg6+ $xf4 50. d2+!

[ Black resigned without waiting for 50. d2+ $xd2 51.! h6+ , winning the rook and thegame. ]

1-0

A39Gelfand,B

Krasenkow,MEuropean Team Ch., Leon (Game 7) 2001[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 [ Once again, we have illustrated the moveorder stemming from the King’s IndianFianchetto System. The actual moves were

1."f3 c5 2.c4 "c6 3.d4 cxd4 4."xd4 "f6 5.g3 g6 6. g2 g7 7.0-0 0-0 8."c3 "g4!? . ]

1...

f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c5 4.

f3 g7 5.

g2 cxd4 6. xd4 c6 7. c3 0-0 8.0-0 g4!?This is the start of an important line whichasks the question of White’s centralizedknight immediately. The point of Black’s moveis the ...Nh6-f5 manoeuvre, putting somepressure on White’s centre. 9.e3 d6

[ Black has two main alternatives in thisposition:

9..."xd4 10.exd4 "h6 11. d2 d6 ( if 11...f5 , simply 12.d5 gains space and wecan probably continue by placing the rookson e1 and c1 – even if Black can get hisknight to d4, its stability there is problematicas the d4-square is not supported bypawns ) 12.$e1 g4? (after this, Blackloses a piece) 13.! c1 "f5 14.h3and the forlorn light-squared bishop cannotescape, Y.Pelletier-H.Banikas, FrenchTeam Championship 2002. ]

[ 9..."ge5 is played from time to time, and

here I like the following approach employedby White in a recent game: 10.b3 d6 11."de2 f5 ( after 11...!d7 12.h3, White keeps the same spatial plus ) 12.e4

d7 13.h3 , with the option of f2-f4,

annexing more space, A.Giri-P.Vandevoort,Dutch Team Championship 2011. ]

10.b3 h6 11. de2 As White, we need tobe careful about the a1-h8 diagonal, but wecan play Bb2 or Bd2, depending on thesituation. g4

[ 11...! a5 is met by 12. d2 "f5 ( the queen swap after 12..." h5 13.f4 " xd1 14.# axd1 leaves Black with a hardtime stopping moves like Nd5 or Nb5 ) 13."d5 ! d8 14.$c1 e6 15."df4 ! c7 16. c3 "e5 17.! d2 $b8 18.$fd1was played in N.Weinstein-P.Cleghorn,Lone Pine 1976. White’s position is muchbetter for the following reasons:1. Black’s d6-pawn is quite weak.2. The e4 advance is coming.3. If we get rid of the g7-bishop, Black’s

kingside is going to be quite weak too. ] 12. b2 "d7 This does not solve Black’sproblems. I would have played the queen to amore active square.

[ Nevertheless, after 12...! a5 13.! c1 xe2(Black must feel sad to lose his bishop pair,but the alternative is to allow White to playf3 and e4, gaining more space in the centre) ( also, 13...# fd8 would be met by 14.f4with a strong central grip ) 14."xe2, White enjoys a comfortable advantage due

to his powerful light-squared bishop andbetter queenside prospects. ]

13."d2 h3 14. d5 xg2 15.$xg2 f5?The f5-square should be reserved for theknight. Black does not achieve much byadvancing on the kingside.

[ After 15..."f5 16. xg7 "xg7 ( or 16...$xg7 17.e4 ) 17.$ad1 , White still hasa comfortable advantage. Black cannot pushthe d5-knight away, since ...e6 wouldweaken d6 and f6. ]

16.

xg7$

xg7 17.#

ad1 e6 As previouslymentioned, this creates a weakness on d6.

[ It was essential to play 17..."f7 to bring theknight back into the fray. ]

18."b2+ $f7 This is Black’s best chance. [ White is not troubled after 18...e5 19."ec3, when doubling the rooks with Rd2 andRfd1 looks powerful from a positional pointof view. ]

19. dc3

[ 19."f6 is tempting, but loses a piece to ! e7 20."xh7 $h 8 . ] 19...#ad8 20. b5 Now the d6-pawnbecomes a real target. "e7 21."a3The pressure on d6 increases! d5 22.cxd5



exd5 [ The alternatives look gloomy too: 22...! xa3 23.dxe6+ #xe6 24."xa3and the endgame with an extra pawn shouldbe an easy win for White in the long run. ]

[ 22...$xd5 23.$xd5 exd5 ( or 23..." xa3 24.# xf5+ ) 24.! xe7+ #xe7 25.$d1also wins a pawn for White. ]

23."

xe7+ xe7 [ 23...#xe7 is no better, as I don’t thinkBlack can save the d5-pawn after Nf4, Rd2and Rfd1. ]

24. f4 [ Stronger than 24."xa7 $a8 25."b5 $xa2, when Black has an active rook. ]

24...g5 25. d3 c6 26.h4! gxh4 27.#h1The point of White’s previous move – Black’sposition is hopeless because of his wrecked

pawn structure. g4 28.#

xh4 f6 29.

b4With so many weak black pawns ripe for harvesting, trading pieces is a good idea for White. d4? Making White’s job easier.

[ 29..."xb4 30.$xb4 a5 offers moreresistance, though after 31.$f4 , followed byNd4 or Rh4 and Rdh1, Black will be unableto defend all his weaknesses. ]

30. xc6 This wins a pawn and the game. bxc6 31.#hxd4 #xd4 32. xd41-0

E65Khalifman,AYrjola,J

European Cup, Izmir (Game 8) 2004[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c5 4. f3 g7 5. g2 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7. c3 c6This system is a critical branch of the “EnglishKing’s Indian”, as Black intensifies thepressure against our centre with the PannoVariation (7...Nc6). It is decision time for White. 8.dxc5!?

[ 8.d5 is the most popular try in this positionand thousands of games have been playedwith "a5 9."d2 a6 , followed by ...Rb8, ...b5, and probably ...e5. As an experiencedKing’s Indian player myself, I can vouch thatthis is the kind of battle Black is itching get

into. Whereas, in my opinion, 8 dxc5!? leadsto a position where White is in the driver’sseat. First of all, we have an extra tempo ina symmetrical position. More importantly,Black won’t have the attacking chances he

craves – and usually gets – in the King’sIndian. ]

8...dxc5 9. e3 I like this move, attacking c5and seizing the initiative as soon as possible.

[ 9. f4 , trying to play Ne5, is White’s mainalternative, but after "h5 10. e3 ! a5, I think the position is unclear. ]

9... e6 Black keeps the symmetry. [ Others: 9...! a5 can be met by 10.! b3!? . ] [ 9..."g4 10.! xd8 $xd8 11. xc5 e6 12.$fd1! ( Aronian preferred 12.d5 !xd5 13.cxd5 # xd5 14.!a3 # ad8 15.# ac1and White is always a tinge better due tohis bishop pair, L.Aronian-A.Morozevich,Monte Carlo blindfold rapid 2007 ) 12... xc4 ( the endgame after 12...# xd1+ 13.# xd1 !xc4 14.d2 is clearly better for White; for

example, !e6 15.!xc6 bxc6 16.!xe7 !xc3 17.bxc3 !xa2 18.c4 and White’sadvantage is close to decisive ) 13."d2 e6 ( White gets good play after 13...!a6 14.!xc6 bxc6 15.b3 , as Black has aweakened pawn structure: !xc3 16.# xd8+ # xd8 17.bxc3 !xe2? 18.d4! is a goodexample of Black’s problems in thisendgame ) 14. xc6 bxc6 15.f3 "e5 16. xe7 and White is a healthy pawn up. ]

10."a4 Definitely the best try.

[ Taking the c5-pawn is risky. After 10. xc5 ! a5 11. a3 xc4 12."d4 "xd4 13.! xd4 $ac8 , Black has a great position. White’smain problem is the queen on d4 is badlyplaced and in the line of fire of the g7-bishop.For instance, 14. xb7 is met by "d5and White is in serious trouble. ]

10... d4 [ 10...! b6 11.! b5! "d7 12."g5 "d4 13. xd4 cxd4 ( 13...!xd4 14.xe6 " xe6 15.d5 ) 14."xe6 dxc3 15."xg7 ! xb5 16.cxb5 cxb2 17.$ab1 #xg7 18.$xb2 ] [ 10...! a5 11.! xa5 "xa5 12. xc5 "d7 ( 12...xc4 13.g5; 12...!xc4 13.e5 ) 13. d4 xc4 14. xg7 #xg7 15.b3 e6 16."d4 $ac8 17.$ac1 $fd8 was played in A.Mandel-An.Wagner, German League2000. Here 18."xe6+ fxe6 19."b5doesn't look great for Black due to hisdamaged pawn structure, as well as themisplaced knight on a5. ]

11.#

ac1 The idea behind this move is tocontrol the c2-square. [ 11.$ad1 d7 12.! a3 "c2 would giveBlack good counterplay. ]

11... d7



[ Let us examine Black’s main alternatives inthis position:

11..."g4 12. f4 ! b6 13.b3 "xf3+?! ( but 13...# ac8 14.xd4!? cxd4 15.d5 !xd5 16.!xd5 still offers White a slight advantage,as pointed out by GM Stohl ) 14. xf3 "e5

15. g2 $ac8 16."d5 xd5 17.cxd5 ! b4? 18.! xa7 c4 19.! e3 "g4 20.! f3 cxb3 21.! xb3 ! xb3 22.axb3 "e5 23.$fd1 $fd8 24.$xc8 $xc8 25.d6 exd6 26.$xd6 "c6 27.$d7 "d4 28. xb7 and Black resigned in A.Baburin-D.Gor mally, Isle of Man 2001. ] [ 11...! b6? looks active but cannot berecommended. Here I like 12."xd4 cxd4

13.c5! ! xc5 ( if Black takes the plunge with 13..." xb2 , then 14.!xd4 !d7 15." d1 ) 14."d5 ! d6 15. f4 ! d8 16."xf6+ xf6 17. xb7 h3 18. c7 ! e8 19. c6 ! c8

20.$fd1 with a clear advantage to White, J.Borges Mateos-A.Sorin, Havana 1988. ] 12.b3 A solid move, defending the c4-pawn.

[ After 12.$fd1 "b6 , followed by Nxc4, theposition is unclear. ]

12..."c8 [ Black has also tried: 12...a6 13."g5 ! c8 14. xd4 cxd4 15."xe6 "b6 as in I.Fancsy-O.Loskutov,Budapest 1996. Here, after 16.! a5 ! xe6

17."e4 "d7 18."g5 , Black will lose the

b7-pawn. ] [ 12..."b6 13.! a5 (the placement of thewhite queen encourages Black to try andtrap it, but to no avail) $c8 14.$fd1 g4

15.! xa7 $a8 16.! xb7 c8 17.! e4 f5 18.! h4 f6 19. g5 with a huge advantagefor White, L.Spassov-Rieda, Berga 1993. ]

[ 12..."f5 13. f4 h6 , as in J.Szmetan-H.Filgueira, Buenos Aires 1992, can be met by

14.$fd1 and White has a slight advantage,according to Stohl. ]

13.#

fd1 xf3+ 14.exf3 The purpose of thismove is clear. White wants to play f4 toprevent the black knight from accessing thee5-square. a6 15.f4 #b8 16. d5 #e8 17.b4 White needs to open up the position ashe has superior development and more space. xd5

[ After 17...cxb4 18.! xb4 , Black is unableto activate his pieces. ]

18. xd5 cxb4

[ Not 18...b5? , as after 19.cxb5 axb5 20.! a5 c4 21. a7 , Black loses theexchange. ]

19.c5! f6 20. f3 g4 21.c6 xe3 [ 21...bxc6 allows 22. a7 $a8 23. xc6

and White wins the exchange. ] 22.cxb7 "e6

[ 22...! f5 23.fxe3 ! e6 24.! xb4 ! xe3+ 25.#g2 ]

23.#e1 c3 [ 23... d4 24.! xb4 ]

24.#xe3 "b6 25."c6 "xc6 [ 25...! a5 ]

26.

xc6 d2 This tempting move losesimmediately.

[ 26...#f8 offered more resistance, thoughWhite should win in the long run. ]

27. xe8 xc1 [ 27... xe3? is futile, since 28.fxe3 $xe8 29.$c8 is winning. ]

28.#xe7 b2 [ 28...#f8 29.$c7 doesn’t change thingsmuch. ]

29.

xf7+$

g7 30.

d5+$

h6 31.#

c7 d4 32.g4 g5 33. e4! gxf4 34.h4 . The blackking gets trapped in a corner. A fitting endingto a well-played game by Khalifman!1-0

E60Kramnik,VRadjabov,T

London Candidates (Game 9) 2013

[Damian Lemos]

We finish this chapter by analysing one of thelatest high-level games in this line.

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c5 4. f3 g7 5. g2 cxd4 6. xd4 0-0 7. c3 "c7

[ Radjabov deviates from 7..."c6 . ] 8.b3 This is simple and clear.

[ Instead, 8."d5 "xd5 9.cxd5 ! a5+ 10. d2 ( 10.$f1 was played in M.Bezold-R.Polzin, Austrian Team Championship 2011;naturally, playing with the king in thecentre without castling rights cannot be agood idea ) 10...! b6 11. c3 d6was K.Urban-W.Moranda, Poznan 2011.This looks equal to me, as Black is poisedto finish his queenside development. What’smore, the b8-knight can get back into thegame via ...Na6-c5-d7-e5 or ...Nd7-f6. ]

8...d5 9. db5! The best reaction, winning animportant tempo.

[ 9.0-0 dxc4 10."cb5 ! d8 11.bxc4 a6 12."c3 "g4 13.e3 "c6 14.$b1 A) 14..."xe3!? 15. xe3 ( 15.fxe3!? xd4! 16.d5 ) 15... xd4 16. xd4 ! xd4 17.! xd4 "xd4 leads to an equal position,



L.Aronian-T.Radjabov, Morelia/Linares2008.; B) 14..."ge5 15.c5 g4 16.f3 c8 ]

9..."a5 10. d2 dxc4 11.bxc4 "d8 At first glance, we can see that White has aweak pawn on c4. However, the open b-file isuseful and White’s strong pressure on theh1-a8 diagonal is quite telling. 12.0-0 a6Pushing the knight back to the corner makeslot of sense for Black.

[ 12..."c6 is strongly met by 13."d5! a6 ( winning the exchange with 13...xd5 14.cxd5 !xa1 15." xa1 cannot berecommended for Black, as his king is notprotected at all and White has full control of the dark squares ) 14."bc3 and White hasthe better prospects due to his queensideactivity. Moreover, Black has created a hole

for a white knight at b6. ] 13. a3 f5 [ After the natural 13..."c6 , White can reply 14.$b1 . This is annoying for Black who nowhas to give his b7-pawn extra support if hewants to develop the c8-bishop; and as wepointed out before, Black has a hole on b6which White can try exploiting by playingNd5 or Na4. For instance, e6 15."a4, planning Nb6/Nc5 or Bc3, ( though

15.# xb7 a5 16.# b4 is also worth

considering. )] 14. c2 The knight looks for better horizons inthe centre.

[ Taking the b7-pawn is too risky: after 14. xb7? $a7 15. g2 $d7, White suddenly loses material. ]

14... c6 15. e3 "d7 I guess Black was nothappy letting his bishop pair go, but it is noteasy to suggest an alternative for him.

[ 15... e6 16.$b1! (now that the blackbishop has left f5, we can play Rb1 to exertstrong queenside pressure) ! d7 17."a4and White will follow up with Nc5/Nb6,ensuring a plus. ]

[ 15...! d4 (this aggressive-looking move isnot sufficient to equalize either) 16."xf5

gxf5 17.$c1 $fd8 ( not 17..." xc4? , as 18.d5 " xa2 19.# a1 " c4 20.b6wins material ) 18."d5 e6 19. e3!, and I believe all the endgames are better for White because of the bishop pair. ]

16.

xf5"

xf5 Of course Black prefers tokeep his pawn structure intact. [ After 16...gxf5 17.$b1 , the only differencefrom the game is that Black’s kingside isweaker. ]

17.#b1 #ad8 Black chooses an activecontinuation, placing the rook on the same fileas White’s queen.

[ This is better than defending b7: after 17...$ab8 18."d5 "xd5 19.e4!, White gets the piece back and builds astrong centre. ]

18."c1!? The simplest answer for White. [ I also like 18."d5 "e4 19. b4 ! e5 20.! a4 and White has a slight advantage; ] [ 18.$xb7 allows Black some counterplayafter "a5 19.$b4 ! e 6 . ]

18..."e6 [ 18...$d7 can be met by 19."d 5 . ]

19.#e1 "xc4 20.#xb7 e5 21. f4 "e6 22.h3 c4 23.e4 Material is equal but Whiteis slowly improving his position. The twoactive bishops, plus the powerful rook on the

7th rank, ensure White a big edge. e5 24. xe5!? [ White can also keep a solid advantagewithout offering his bishop pair: by playing 24.! a3 $fe8 25.$eb1 "c4 26.! a4, when Black’s knight doesn’t have anypowerful squares to go to, whereas Whitehas the chance of improving further withmoves like e5 or Nd5. ]

24..."xe5 25. d5 #fe8 26. b4 #d7 27. c6 "e6 28.#b6 "xa2? The decisive

mistake. White has a forced win based onBlack’s weak back rank.

[ Black does better to create counterplay with 28...$c7 , pinning the knight against thequeen, and forcing White to play e4-e5, asafter 29.$xa6 "d7! 30."xe7+? $xe7 31.! xc7 ! xa6 32.! d8+ f8 , Black getsto keep his extra piece. ]

29.e5 d5 [ Not 29..."h5? , since 30.g4 sends theerrant knight into oblivion. ]

30.#

b2"

a4 31.

xd5#

xd5 32.#

b4The correct move order.

[ 32."xe7+? fails because Black is stillcontrolling the e8-square; i.e. $xe7 33.! c8+ $e 8 . ]

32..."a2 33. xe7+! $h8 [ Now after 33...$xe7 34.! c8+ f8 35.$b8, mate is inevitable. ]

34. xd5 "xd5 35."c4 Once White hasmore material, it becomes easier, as he can

simply trade pieces to win the endgame. "

xc4 36.#xc4 xe5 37.$f1 . Black has no answer to f2-f4 or Rce4, and therefore he resigns.1-0




Chapter Two

The Grünfeld without ...c6

The Grünfeld is one of the sharpest defences Black can play against 1 d4. What I really like about the g3-system is

its flexibility. In the main line, where Black plays a quick ...d5 (without first preparing the advance with ...c6), we

push Black's knight back after e2-e4 and Ne2, therefore building up a strong centre for White. The advantage of

playing Ne2 instead of Nf3 is clear: White avoids the annoying ...Bg4 pin.

Game 10

V.Akopian-P.Svidler, Haifa 1995

Game 11

P.Tregubov-R.Kempinski, Koszalin 1999

Game 12

R.Wojtaszek-K.Piorun, Polish Championship, Warsaw 2011

Game 13

G.Kasparov-R.Kasimdzhanov, Wijk aan Zee 1999

Index of Variations

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Bg2 d5 5 cxd5 Nxd5 6 e4 Nb6

6...Nb4 – Akopian-Svidler

7 Ne2 Nc6

7...c5 – Wojtaszek-Piorun

7...0-0 – Kasparov-Kasimdzhanov

8 d5 – Tregubov-Kempinski




D72 Akopian,VSvidler,P

Haifa (Game 10) 1995[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 d5So here we have the dynamic Grünfeld

Defence. As Yelena Dembo pointed out in her excellent ‘Play the Grünfeld’, the opening isall about piece activity and being the first tocreate threats. In the following games, we’llstudy how to deal with Black’s activity andobtain a strong centre as White. 5.cxd5 xd5 6.e4 The advantage of White’s moveorder is that he can choose to develop hisknight via e2 instead of f3. b4 [ 6...b6 is the main line, and the subject of

the other three games in this chapter. ] 7.a3 [ 7.d5 is also possible, but I like the textmove because it curtails Black’s optionsand White seizes a lot of space. ]

7... 4c6 8.d5 d4 9. e2 [ 9.f3 led to a quick draw in D.Sekulic-L.Janjgava, Belgrade 1988: xf3+

( instead, Black might prefer 9...g4!, aiming to ease his position by tradingpieces. ) 10.! xf3 0-0 11.0-0 e6 12.! b3

exd5 13.exd5 d7 14. " e3 e5½-½, though White is still slightly better, inmy opinion. ]

9... g4 Again, the most challenging move. [ Black can also try defending the knight with 9...c5 , but after 10.0-0 0-0 11.bc3 ( 11.!xd4 cxd4 12.!d2 !a6 is not soclear, A.Shirov-V.Gavrikov, Klaipeda 1988 )

11...d7 12. " e3 (getting rid of the Nd4) e5 13.dxe6 xe6 14.f4 , White’s spaceadvantage gives him the better prospects;

( 14.b4 looks good too. )] 10. bc3 f3+ White loses the right to castle,but Black loses a lot of development tempi.Moreover, White can castle ‘by hand’ with h3and Kg1-h2. 11."f1 d4 [ 11...0-0? loses a piece after 12.h3 " h5 13.g4 . ]

12.h3 xe2 13. xe2 c8 Black keeps hisbishop. [ After 13... " xe2+ 14.! xe2 0-0 15. " e3

, White will play Kg1-h2, Rhd1 and Rac1,when his bishop pair and strongdevelopment should be enough for anadvantage. ]

14.#b3 c6 15. e3 0-0 16."g1 Slow, but

good enough to connect the rooks and put theking in a safe place. b6 [ 16...cxd5 17.exd5 does not ease Black’sposition. White’s d5-pawn, while isolated, iswell protected by the queen and bishop, andNc3 and Rhd1 if necessary, thusmaintaining White’s space advantage. ]

17."h2 b7 18.$hd1 #e8 [ The alternative 18...cxd5?! is dubious, asafter 19.exd5 d7 20.d4 , the knight

jumps into the juicy hole at c6. ] 19.$ac1 a6 20. d4! The knight is wellplaced on d4 and should be able to controlevents in the centre. Black faces a bigdecision now: whether to play 20...cxd5 andallow White access to c6, or close theposition with 20...c5. cxd5 [ Closing lines with 20...c5 allows 21.c6

" xc6 22.dxc6 e5 ( not 22..." xc6? 23.e5, winning the exchange ) 23. " f1 , followedby Rd7, and White has a clear advantagedue to his light square domination andpassed pawn on c6. ]

21.exd5 c5 22.#c2 e5 Black tries to freehis game. [ Playing 22...e6 would just weaken hisposition after 23.b4 a6 24.dxe6 " xg2 25.#xg2 fxe6 26.! c4 (Ftacnik). ]

23. c6 d7 24. e7+ White trades his

knight for a bishop and, in the process,fashions a strong passed pawn on d6. #xe7 [ Black cannot ignore the check, since if heplays 24...#h8 , White should be able towin material after the simple 25.! c7, followed by d5-d6. ]

25.d6 #f6 26. xb7 $ad8 27.b4!Black has managed to bring his queen’s rookinto the game, but now 27 b4 curtails thefuture of his knight. h6 28.#d3 $fe8 29.$c7This natural move prepares Bc6. e4Logically, Black tries to create counterplay.Otherwise, he is going to lose without a fight.

30. xe4 e5 31.#c2 $xd6 32.$xd6 #xd6 33.$xa7 The extra pawn, plus the bishop pair,should be enough for a win. #e6 34.#d1!?

h5 [ 34...g4+ just helps White, who will gladlytrade pieces off with 35.! xg4 ! xe4 36.! xe4 $xe4 37. " xb6 . ]

35.#d5 #f6 36."g2 h4 37.g4! Excellent

defence by White, not allowing anycounterplay, and the trade of queens willfollow soon. After that, the game is over. "h7

38.g5 #e6 39.#xe6 $xe6 40. d5. A very good example of how to play with the



bishop pair!1-0

D72Tregubov,PKempinski,R

Koszalin (Game 11) 1999[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 xd5 5. g2 b6 6.e4 g7 7. e2 c6 8.d5 e5 From the e5-square, the black knightcontrols both sides of the board. [ Instead, 8...a5 is not very popular as itdoesn’t put enough pressure on White’scentre. For example: 9.0-0 c6 10.bc3

cxd5 11.exd5 0-0 12.$e1!? e6

( the knight sally 12...!ac4 doesn’taccomplish much: after 13.b3 !d6 14.f4, White is much better already and canfollow up with Rc1; what’s more, White cantry grabbing more space with a4-a5, while Iwould also aim for Nd4 and Be5 to get ridof Black’s strong, active g7-bishop ) 13.f4

e5 14.d3 ac4 15.b3 e4 16.xe4! " xa1 17.bxc4 " g7 18.! b3 (White is theexchange down, but he has a powerful c4/d5 pawn wedge, as well as a huge lead in

development) " f5 19. " g5 f6 20. " f4 g5 21. " d2 #h8 22. " b4 $e8 23.d6 $xe1+ 24.xe1 ! d7 25.c5 a5 26. " c3 a4 27. " d4 ! e7 28.xf5 ! xe1+ 29. " f1 ! b4 30.! e3 and Black was unable to create anycounterplay in V.Akopian-L.Shmuter, StPetersburg 1993. ]

9.0-0 e6 10. bc3 The natural move in thisposition. [ However, I believe White can also take thelead with 10.f4 ec4 11.e5 (this line isn’teasy to find without the help of an engine;analysing the position deeply, I realizedWhite has strong compensation here) exd5

( not 11...!xd5? 12." a4+ , winning apiece ) 12.bc3 c6 13.b3 a5 14. " a3

( or perhaps 14." e1 , eyeing the errantNa5 ) 14... " f8 15. " xf8 and White has fullcontrol of the dark squares, whereas theblack knights are out of play. ]

10...exd5 11.exd5 0-0 12.h3 This move is

very useful for White (especially when youhave fianchettoed) because it protects thekingside from the likes of ...Ng4 or ...Bg4. Italso prepares the f2-f4 advance if needed. [ Having said that, White can also consider

12. " f4 bc4 ( if 12...g4 13.h3 f3!?, then 14.xe5 xg2 15.xc7!wins a pawn ) 13.b3 d6 14.! d2 $e8 15.$ac1 " h3 16.$fe1 " xg2 17.#xg2 ! d7 18.d4 , and after a6? 19.e6! fxe6 20. " xe5 " xe5 21.$xe5 , White had a hugeadvantage in S.Begun-Ivanov, USSRTeam Championship 1989. ] [ 12.b3 " g4 13.f4 ec4 14.bxc4 " xc3was unclear in R.Bator-P.Schiller, SwedishTeam Championship 1993. ]

12... f5 13.b3 $e8 14. a3 I would like toshare GM Ftacnik’s words here: “Both playershave active light pieces, but Black’s freedomis restrained by the strong d5-pawn.” d3

15.$c1 [ 15.f4 ec4! 16.! xd3 ( 16.bxc4 xe2 17.!xe2 xa1 ) 16...$e3 ]

15...

a6 16.$

c2#

f6 [ 16... " d3 17.$d2 " f5 18.d4 ] 17.f4 ed7

[ 17...d3? 18.$f3! ] 18. e4 #d8

[ 18...! f5!? 19.g4 ! xd5 20.f6+ xf6 21. " xd5 bxd5 ]

19.$f2 White improves his position little bylittle. This time he places the rook on a better square, away from the glare of Black’s a6-bishop. f6

[ The seemingly active 19...f5 20.g5 ] 20. xf6+ xf6 21. c3 $e3?

[ 21... " g7 22.#h2 ( 22.!e4?! !xd5; 22.# fd2 # e3! 23.!e4?! " e8 24.!c5?? # e1+ ) 22...c8 23.d6!? xd6 24.$fd2 $c8 ]

22. e4 g7 23. c5 $d3 24.$fd2 $xd2 [ 24...$xd5? 25. " xb6 $xd2 26.$xd2 ]

25.$xd2 c8 26.d6 xd6 [ 26...cxd6 27. " f2 ( 27.!xd6 !xd6 28.# xd6 " c7 29.b4 b5 ) 27...! e7 28.a4 ]

27."

h2#

e8 [ 27...$c8? 28. " xd6 cxd6 29.xd6 $b8 ( 29...# c7 30.!b5 ) 30.xf7 ] [ 27... " f8 ]

28. xd6 cxd6 29. xd6 #e3 [ Here, 29...! e7 30.xf7! ! xf7 ( 30...$xf7 31.# d7 ) 31. " d5 ]

30. xf7! $f8 [ 30...#xf7 31.$d7+ #g8 32.! d5+ #h8 33.$d8+ ]

31.

g5"

h8 32.$

d7#

e8 33.#

d51-0



D72Wojtaszek,RPiorun,K

Polish Championship, Warsaw (Game 12) 2011[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 d5 5.cxd5 xd5 6.e4 b6 7. e2 c5 As usual, Black tries to put some pressure onWhite’s centre. [ The natural 7...0-0 8.0-0 is the subject of the next game. ]

8.d5 Annexing more space. [ Capturing on c5 is not effective: 8.dxc5 ! xd1+ 9.#xd1 a4 and White has lost theright to castle, while Black is poised to gethis pawn back soon. ]

8...e6 9.0-0 0-0 10. ec3!? A very deep

move by White! So why does this knight go toc3 instead of the one on b1? White isreserving the queen’s knight for the subtleidea of a4, followed by Na3 or Nd2. [ What’s more, after 10.bc3 exd5 11.exd5, Black could throw in the annoying ...Bg4pin sooner or later. ]

10... a6 11.a4 exd5 12.exd5 White is notinterested in trading pieces. The passed d5-pawn is dangerous and offers White a nicespatial advantage. c4 Naturally, Black

would like to blockade the d5-pawn with ...Nd6. 13. d2 xd2 [ Presumably Piorun realized that 13...d6is futile here, as the knight would bechallenged by 14.de4 . Here we see thepoint of White’s 10 Nec3: the Nd2-e4manoeuvre to eliminate the blockade is anice one. After " f5 15. " g5 ! d7 ( 15...f6would render Black’s dark-squared bishopimpotent, and 16.!xd6 " xd6 17.f4, followed by d6, opens the diagonal for White’s own fianchettoed bishop; moreimportantly, Black lacks counterplay )

16.xd6 ! xd6 and now 17.g4!, White gains control over e4 and can placea knight there to assist the passed d6-pawn. ]

14. xd2 f5 15. e3 [ Here, I think 15.! b3 also gives White aslight advantage; for example, b4 16.e4

" xe4 ( 16...!xd5 allows 17.!xc5;

and the howler 16..." xd5?? loses thequeen to 17.!f6+ ) 17. " xe4 . ] 15...#d7

[ Alternatively, 15...! b6 is met by 16.! e2! ( 16." d2 looks interesting too, but 16 Qe2

creates the option of playing Qb5 ) 16...$fd8 17.g4 " d7 18.d6 and White is better for thefollowing reasons:1. Nc3-d5 becomes a big threat.2. The passed d6-pawn is dangerous. ]

16.d6 $ac8?! Black gets off the h1-a8diagonal, but c8 is the wrong square for therook. [ 16...$ad8 is better, although 17.a5shows that the d6-pawn need not beprotected too much, as White can alwayswin a pawn back on the queenside. For example, ! xd6 ( or 17...h3 18.xh3 " xh3 19." d5 with a clear advantage, JuWenjun-Huang Qian, Jiangsu Wuxi 2012 ) 18.! xd6 $xd6 19. " xb7 and White has amuch better endgame, since Black’squeenside is full of weaknesses. ]

17.

d5 The threat of Ne7+ is deadly. $

ce8 [ Black cannot now take the d6-pawn: after 17...! xd6 18.g4! " d7 ( 18...e6?loses instantly to 19.!f6+ ) 19. " f4 ! e6 20.$e1 ! xg4 21.e7+ , White wins theexchange and the game. ]

18. e7+ $xe7 [ 18...#h8 19.xf5 leaves Black with adifficult decision: gxf5 ( or 19..." xf5, which loses a pawn at once to 20.xb7 ) 20. " h3 and Black is unable to defend

against the threat of Qh5 and Bxf5. ] 19.dxe7 #xe7 20.$e1 The rest should beeasy for White. xb2 21. h6 #f6 22. xf8

"xf8 23.$c1 b6 Black tries fighting with hisminor pieces. [ Taking on c1 would not suffice: 23... " xc1 24.! xc1 , as then b6? fails to 25.! h6+ ! g7 26.$e8+! with a decisive deflection. ]

24.$c4 b4 25.#d2 g5 26.$e3 g6 27.$f3 #e5 28.h4 gxh4 29.$e3 #h8 30.$xb4! Good technique by White.

[ Black loses more material after 30.$xb4 cxb4 31.! xb4+ #g7 ( or 31...$g8 32.# e8+ ) 32.! xb2+ . ]

1-0

D72Kasparov,GKasimdzhanov,R

Wijk aan Zee (Game 13) 1999

[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 d5 5.cxd5 xd5 6.e4 b6 7. e2 0-0 8.0-0 c6



[ 8...e5 can’t be recommended. Black gainsspace but also blocks the g7-bishop’sdiagonal. V.Akopian-M.Khachiyan,

Armenian Championship, Yerevan 1995,continued 9.d5 c6 10.bc3 a6 11.b3!(this move is always useful, preventing ...Nc4) c7 12.a4 " g4 13.a5 c8 14. " a3

$e8 and now: A) instead of 15.$a2!? cxd5 16.exd5 d6 17.h3 " xe2 18.$xe2 ( or 18." xe2 e4 ) 18...cb5! , which was rather unclear; B) Akopian suggested 15.$c1!, intending cxd5 16.exd5 d6 17. " xd6 ! xd6 18.e4 with a nice advantage. ]

9.d5 a5 10. bc3 c6 11.b3! As previouslyexplained, this is a key move in this variation.Limiting the a5-knight in its movements is an

important part of our plan. cxd5 12.exd5 g4 Black introduces another pin; now bothwhite knights are under attack. 13. d2I feel this is White’s best option. [ Although 13.f3 unpins the knight, it has thedisadvantage of blocking the g2-bishop’sdiagonal as well. Black has no problemsafter this; for instance, " d7 14. " a3 $e8

15.$c1 e6 and Black eventually equalized in A.Obukhov-P.Kotsur, Kurgan 1994. ]

13...e6

[ 13...d7 14.h3 " f5 15. " e3 $c8 16.g4 " xc3 17.xc3 $xc3 18.gxf5 f6was played in J.Hirschhorn-V.Feldman,

Australian Championship, Sydney 1995.Here White could have got a hugeadvantage with 19.! d4 $c8 20.fxg6 hxg6

21.$ad1 , threatening both Qxa7 and d5-d6,opening lines to favour our bishop pair. ]

14.dxe6 xe6 15. e4 A strong move by the13th World Champion. Black’s g7-bishop ismore important than White’s a1-rook. [ White can also sacrifice the exchange inanother way: 15.f4 " f5 16.cd5 c6

17.$c1 $e8 , as in M.Mozny-R.Kalod,Czech Team Championship 1997, but thisposition looks equal to me, as Black doesn’thave any exploitable weaknesses. ]

15... c6 [ Grabbing the exchange is quite hazardousfor Black’s health: 15... " xa1 16.! xa1 d7

( 16...!d5? loses to 17.!f4! ) 17. " h6 f6

18. " xf8 ! xf8 19.$d1 and while Blackdoesn’t lose material, his pieces, especiallythe Na5 and Qf8, are misplaced. Black’skingside is weak too, and f6 becomes atarget. White has a clear advantage here. ]

16. g5 Although the position is symmetrical,White’s pieces are better placed. [ Another good option is 16. " c3 , eliminatingBlack’s strong g7-bishop:

A) 16... " xc3 17.2xc3 gives White aclear advantage; Nc5 is coming and Blackhas chronic dark square weaknesses.

( 17.-- ); B) 16...$e8 17.d6 $e7 18. " xg7 #xg7 19.xb7 simply wins a pawn for White.; C) I believe Black should try 16... " g4 17. " xg7 #xg7 18.! c2 , though White isstill better due to Black’s weakenedkingside. ]

16...#xd1 [ The seemingly active 16...f6 17. " e3 f5can be met by the simple 18.c5 " xa1 19.xe6 ! xd1 20.$xd1 , when White has

a clear advantage in all variations; for example, " e5 ( after 20...# f6 21.!c7 # c8 22.!d5 e5 23.f4 b2 24.# b1, Black loses material ) 21.xf8 #xf8 22.f4 and White’s bishop pair should havethe final word in this open position. ]

17.$axd1 h6 18. e3 [ White can also keep the pressure on with 18. " f6 " xf6 19.xf6+ #g7 20.e4, although Black, as the defending side,would be glad to have traded some pieces

off. ] 18...$ad8 19. d6 g4

[ The active defence 19...b4is met strongly by 20.f4! (there is no rushto pick up the black pawns) ( the hasty 20.!xb7 # xd1 21.# xd1 !xa2 22.!c5allows Black some chances to resist ) 20... " g4 21.f3 " c8 22.b5 and White hasa serious initiative. ]

20.f3 c8 21. c5 f6 22.f4! I concur withGM Ftacnik’s sentiments here that this is alogical continuation, with White’s advantagestemming from his strong pressure against theblack position. g4 [ Not 22... " e7? , which loses a pawn after 23.xb7 " xb7 24. " xe7 . ]

23. e4 xe2 24. xf6+ "g7 25.$xd8 [ White can also trade on f8, and after 25. " xf8+ $xf8 26.e4 ( rather than 26.xc6 bxc6 27.# d6 xf1 28.$xf1 # c8, when Black gets rid of his weak c6-pawn

by playing c5-c4 and should equalizeshortly ) 26... " xd1 27.$xd1 , as usual Whitehas a better endgame due to his powerfulfianchettoed bishop. ]

25...$xd8 26.$e1 $d2



[ The alternatives aren’t exactly palatable: 26...#xf6 27.$xe2 and Black is going tohave a hard time defending against thebishop pair. ]

[ 26...$d1 27.e8+ #h7 28.$xd1 " xd1 29.d6 is even worse, as the knight ispoised to go cherry-picking. ]

27. e8+ "g8 28. d6 d7 29. e3 $xa2 [ After 29...$xd6 30.$xe2 , White’s bishopsmake a much better team than Black’sknights. ]

30. d5 d8 31.b4 $b2 32.f5! Opening upthe position is the best way to enhance thebishops’ power. gxf5 [ Not 32...f6? 33. " d4 and the diagonalfork wins. ]

[ Black’s last chance was to try and close theposition with 32...g5!? , but after 33.$c1

#f8 ( not 33...!f6? 34.# c8 !xd5 35.# xd8+ $h7 36.d4 and Black isdefenceless; 33...!c6 34.!xf7is also crushing for White ) 34.h4!, White still has a clear advantage with hisbishop pair and strong initiative. ]

33. xf5 e6 34. c1 $b1 [ 34...$c2 hardly helps either: White winsmaterial after 35. " xe6 fxe6 36.d 4 . ]

35. e4 $a1 36. e7+ . After the black kingmoves to a dark square, we’ll check him and

pick up the rook. A great performance by Kasparov!1-0




Chapter Three

The Grünfeld with ...c6

Black can also try the Grünfeld with the solid ...c6 and ...d5. This formation is aimed at impeding White’s central

advance and pressure after blunting the g2-bishop’s diagonal. However, the solidity of Black’s set-up makes it more

inflexible; hence strategic concerns are more pertinent here than in the previous chapter. Please pay attention to

the following move order explanation because we may lose all our advantage with a wrong step.

The c6/d5 Neo-Grünfeld – explaining the move order

(view in Game format)

Before we start analysing the proposed repertoire against the c6/d5 Grünfeld (which is probably Black’s most solid

try against the Fianchetto System), we have to be aware of some move order tricks and lines we want to avoid as

White. The system we want to essay is 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Nf3 0-0 5 Bg2 c6 6 Nc3 d5 7 cxd5 cxd5 8 Ne5,

which is the starting position of our analysis. As you’ll see, we have lot of ways of reaching this position and there

are a few details we need to be aware of.

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 c6 4 Nf3 Bg7

Black can try playing ...d5 at once: 4...d5 5 cxd5 cxd5 6 Bg2 Bg7 7 Nc3!

It is imperative to develop our queenside knight first. The problem with the natural 7 0-0 is that, after 7...0-0 8 Ne5

Ng4, Black gets the kind of position we want to avoid as White – as practice has shown, Black has lot of equalizingchances here; for example, 9 Nxg4 Bxg4 10 Nc3 Nc6 11 h3 Bd7 12 e3 e6 with chances for both sides.

With 7 Nc3! 0-0 8 Ne5!, we get to our desired system. If instead 8 0-0, Black can play 8...Ne4, reaching a playable

line for both sides. I think Black’s chances are not worse here.

5 Bg2 0-0

Black can again try playing ...d5 before castling. Then 5...d5 6 cxd5 cxd5 7 Nc3 0-0 8 Ne5 gives us our desired

position once more.

6 Nc3!

After our previous analysis above, we can tell that White should delay castling for a couple of moves. Here 6 0-0

would be met by 6...d5 7 cxd5 cxd5 8 Ne5 (or 8 Nc3 Ne4!) 8...Ng4!, as we have already seen.

6...d5 7 cxd5 cxd5 8 Ne5!



White has successfully prevented the ...Ne4 and ...Ng4 ideas, and we are now ready to start discussing our main

line.

Game 14

U.Andersson-D.Roos, German League 1999

Game 15

O.Romanishin-A.Rombaldoni, Di Roseto 2010

Game 16

I.Stohl-L.Ftacnik, Vinkovci 1995

Game 17

Wang Hao-L.Aronian, World Team Championship, Ningbo 2011

Game 18

B.Grachev-N.Chadaev, Moscow 2011

Game 19

S.Mamedyarov-L.Van Wely, Bastia (rapid) 2010

Game 20

T.Radjabov-B.Gelfand, World Blitz Championship, Moscow 2010

Game 21

Wang Yue-Lou Yiping, Chinese Rapid Championship, Hefei 2011

Index of Variations

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 c6 4 Nf3 Bg7

4...d5 (delayed castling line) 5 cxd5 cxd5 6 Bg2 Nc6 7 Nc3 Ne4 –Wang Yue-Lou Yiping

5 Bg2 0-0 6 Nc3 d5 7 cxd5 cxd5 8 Ne5 e6

8...Nc6 9 0-0

9...Qb6 – Romanishin-Rombaldoni

9...e6 10 Nxc6 bxc6 11 Na4 Nd7

12 Be3 – Andersson-Roos

12 Bf4 – Stohl-Ftacnik9 0-0 Nfd7 10 Nf3 Nf6

10...Nc6 11 e4 dxe4 12 Nxe4

12...h6 – Wang Hao-Aronian

12...Qb6 – Grachev-Chadaev

11 Bg5 h6 12 Bf4 Nc6

13 Ne5 – Mamedyarov-Van Wely

13 Rc1 – Radjabov-Gelfand




D73neo-Grünfeld move order [Damian Lemos]

Before we start analysing the proposedrepertoire against the c6/d5 Grünfeld (whichis probably Black’s most solid try against theFianchetto System), we have to be aware of

some move order tricks and lines we want toavoid as White. The system we want to essayis 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Nf3 0-0 5 Bg2c6 6 Nc3 d5 7 cxd5 cxd5 8 Ne5, which is thestarting position of our analysis. As you’ll see,we have lot of ways of reaching this positionand there are a few details we need to beaware of. 1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c6 4. f3 g7

[ Black can try playing 4...d5 at once: 5.cxd5

cxd5 6.

g2

g7 7.!

c3! (it is imperative todevelop our queenside knight first) ( the problem with the natural 7.0-0is that, after 0-0 8.e5 g4 , Black getsthe kind of position we want to avoid asWhite – as practice has shown, Black has lotof equalizing chances here; for example,

9.xg4 !xg4 10.c3 c6 11.h3 !d7 12.e3 e6 with chances for both sides ) 7...0-0 8.!e5! and we get to our desiredsystem. ( If instead, 8.0-0 , Black can play

e4 , reaching a playable line for both sides.I think Black’s chances are not worse here. )]

5. g2 0-0 [ Black can again try playing 5...d5before castling. Then 6.cxd5 cxd5 7.!c3

0-0 8.!e5 gives us our desired positiononce more. ]

6. c3! After our previous analysis above, wecan tell that White should delay castling for acouple of moves.

[ Here 6.0-0 would be met by d5 7.cxd5

cxd5 and then 8.!e5 ( or 8.c3 e4! ) 8...!g4! , as we have already seen. ]

6...d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8. e5! . White hassuccessfully prevented the ...Ne4 and ...Ng4ideas, and we are now ready to startdiscussing our main line.

D79 Andersson,URoos,D

German League (Game 14) 1999[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2. f3 [ 2.c4 is our direct move order, but there isno harm in throwing in Nf3 first, especially if White prefers to avoid the Budapest Gambitafter e5!? . ]

2...g6 3.c4 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 c6 6. c3Once again, let me reiterate that this moveorder is vital for White.

[ Playing something like 6.0-0 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.!e5 ( or 8.c3 e4! ) 8...!g4!gives Black good equalizing chances,according to theory. ]

6...d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.

e5Now the difference is clear: Black cannot playeither ...Ne4 or ...Ng4. c6 This is the naturalresponse by Black.

[ The main line goes 8...e6 , with Black tryingto undermine the e5-knight by playing ...Nfd7!?. We’ll examine this later in thechapter. ]

9.0-0 e6 [ Black has two main alternatives: 9... f5 10.!xc6 bxc6 11. f4 !d7 12."c1

e5 13.dxe5 !xe5 14.b3 , when Black hassome activity in the centre but White’sposition is quite solid. Qd2 and Rfd1followed by Na4 looks like a good plan for White – the c5-square is a nice hole for our knight. ] [ 9...# b6 is the subject of the next game. ]

10. xc6 bxc6 11. a4 Now that theweakness on c6 has been created, we have apositional target to aim at. I should repeat thatc5 is a juicy square for our knight. d7

12.

e3 The point of Be3 is clear: Whiteoverprotects the d4-pawn in case Black plays...e5, while the bishop also adds to White’scontrol of the c5-square.

[ 12. f4 is another option and will beinvestigated in Game 16. ]

12..."e8 [ With the d4-pawn well defended, White canmeet 12...e5 with simply 13."c1, maintaining strong pressure on the c-file. ]

13."

c1 b7 14.#

d2"

c8 Black delays thenatural ...e5 break. In fact, he doesn’t get toplay this move in the entire game! Usually inthis variation, Black has a compromisedqueenside structure, so he has to create



counterplay in the centre. Therefore, in myopinion, playing ...e5 is a must for Black here.

[ Nevertheless, after 14...e5 15.dxe5 xe5 ( or 15...xe5 16.b3 , followed by Nc5 andWhite is better – Black’s b7-bishop, inparticular, is quite passive ) 16."fd1, White’s position is much easier to play.We already have strong pressure on the c-and d-files, whereas Black doesn’t have anyclear targets to attack. ]

15.b3 White covers the c4-square, just in case,since a black knight could easily hop its waythere with manoeuvres like ...Nb6-c4 or ...e5,dxe5 and ...Nxe5-c4. f8 16."c2 a5 17.#c1!?

[ Andersson was probably trying to prevent 17."fc1 a3!? , which is a bit annoying for White. ]

17..."

a8?! Apart from playing ...e5, I can’t findany other idea for Black. Moving the rook tothe corner looks like a waiting move to me.

[ I guess Black should play something like 17... d6 , when the bishop has some controlon both sides of the board. ]

18. h6 d6 Black cannot afford to trade dark-squared bishops, as this is his stronger bishop.

[ After 18... xh6 19.# xh6 , Black wouldhave trouble defending the weakened dark

squares. ] 19.e4! Andersson strikes out in the centre togain space, while still retaining his queensideadvantage. If you have gained the impressionthat Black is just defending and waiting to seewhat White can do, you aren’t mistaken. #e7 20."e1 b4 21. d2 a3 22.#d1 #f8

[ 22...dxe4 is a positional mistake, as after 23. xe4 , White exerts a lot of pressure onthe c6-pawn. ]

23.h4 "ec8 24.h5 The most important factor in this position is Black’s lack of activity.Here, he tries belatedly to get somecounterplay by advancing his c6-pawn.However, this only results in isolating his d5-pawn, giving White an even larger advantage. c5 25.exd5 xd5 26. xd5 exd5 27.dxc5 xc5 Black was probably reluctant to part withhis bishop.

[ Unfortunately, taking with the knight is evenworse, as after 27...!xc5 28.!b6

, White is absolutely winning. ] 28. xc5 "xc5 29."xc5 xc5 White has thestronger remaining minor piece, as well as aclear target to aim at in Black’s isolated d-pawn. These two factors are sufficient to give

White a decisive advantage, despite materialcurrently being equal. 30. g5 e6 31.#xd5

[ Keeping the strong bishop with 31. f6should also be winning for White, sinceBlack’s kingside is too weak. ]

31... xg5 32.#xg5 a4 33.h6! After thissimple move, Black’s back rank becomes aserious concern. axb3 34.axb3 #d6 35.#e3

"

c8 36."

b1#

b4 37."

d1#

g4 [ Trying to defend passively by 37...# f8is hopeless, as Black cannot cope with bothhis weak back rank and the advancing whiteb-pawn; for example, after 38."d7 "e8 39.# d 2 . ]

38."d4 #f5? A final mistake. [ 38...# e6 was necessary, though Blackshould still lose in the long run. ]

39.#e7

[ After 39.# e7 , White threatens the decisiveRd8, and # a5 40."d7 "f8 41.# f6doesn’t help Black at all. Therefore, Roosresigned. ]

1-0

D79Romanishin,ORombaldoni,A

Di Roseto (Game 15) 2010

[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2. f3 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0 5.c4 c6 6.0-0 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8. e5 c6 9. c3 #b6 This move has been seen quite alot, although I do not understand its popularity.Playing Na4 is part of White’s plan and,sooner or later, he will gain a useful tempo byattacking Black’s queen on b6. 10. xc6 bxc6This is the standard way of retaking on c6,supporting Black’s centre. On the other hand,the c6-pawn becomes weak and White has anice hole on c5 for his knight.

[ 10...# xc6 is the alternative, but moving thequeen so often cannot be a good idea for Black. After 11. g5 e6 , White has:

A) 12. xf6 (the approach employed byTahirov is interesting, but personally, Iwould complete White’s developmentbefore playing Bxf6 and e2-e4) xf6

13.e4 # b6 14.exd5 # xb2 15."c1 exd5?

( I don’t see a clear way to get anadvantage for White after 15..." d8! – in fact, I think Black has better chancesin the long run due to his bishop pair )

16."c2 # b4 17.!xd5 and White has a



clear advantage, F.Tahirov-Y.Krasnov,Tula 2007.; B) 12.# b3 d7 13."ac1 # a6 14."fd1and now White can follow up with Bxf6and e4, or maybe e3 and Bf1, puttingpressure on Black’s queen. I think Whitecan claim a slight edge with this solidcontinuation. ]

11.b3 What I like about this move is itsflexibility. White will have the option of playingBf4, Be3, or maybe Ba3, depending on howBlack responds. g4 Black tries to free hisposition by playing ...e5.

[ 11...!d7 also deserves attention, fightingfor control of the c5-square. Then I wouldopt for 12. e3! , which is the best squarefor the bishop even if it blocks the e-pawn.The c5-square is kept under control and the

c-file will soon be cleared for the heavypieces. ( 12.e3 !a6 13." e1 e5is not that clear to me: White has thesuperior pawn structure, but Black has twopowerful bishops and activity. )]

[ 11... a6 makes lot of sense as Blackwould like two active bishops. For example:

12. b2 ( here 12.!e3 runs into g4!, which is pretty annoying for White as hehas to relinquish his bishop pair ) 12...!d7

13.!a4 # b4 14."c1 (White enjoys a plus,

as it’s not easy for Black to get rid of the c6weakness) "ac8 15. c3 # b7 16."e1and Black’s position is solid, but after thee4 push, White annexes more space andalso increases his initiative. What’s more,Black cannot play ...c5 just yet since his d5-pawn is insufficiently defended. ]

12.e3 e5 [ Now Black can’t play the aggressive 12... a6 , as it would leave his knight enprise. ]

13.

a4#

c7 This move is playable but I thinkit will turn out badly for Black in the long run.White plans to place his rook on c1, and thequeen on c7 is somewhat in the line of fire.

[ I think Black can try improving his gamewith 13...# b5 14.h3 !h6 , though Whitecan still take the lead with the simple

15.dxe5 xe5 16. a3 "e8 ( as usual, thegreedy 16...!xa1 17.# xa1 leaves Black introuble on the dark squares; e.g. " e8

18.# f6! and wins ) 17."c1 and White’spositional advantage is undeniable. ] 14.h3 h6 15.dxe5 xe5 16. b2I like the plan of trading dark-squared bishops. After this Black’s king will lack protection,

while his other bishop is restricted by the c6/d5/f7/g6/h7 pawn structure.

[ 16. a3!? was also possible. ] 16... xb2

[ 16... a6 17. xe5 # xe5 18."e1is much the same. White will continue withRc1 and Nc5 with a clear advantage. ]

17. xb2 a6 18."e1 "ad8 19."c1 c5?Black’s hanging pawns can be exploited easily.It would have been more prudent to get theblack queen off the c-file.

[ Nevertheless, 19...# d6 20.!a4 !f5 21.!c5 is still much very good for White dueto Black’s weaknesses at a7, c6 and d5. ]

20. a4 c4 21. c3 Suddenly, Black is justlost, as there is no way of defending d5. b7

22. xd5 xd5 23. xd5 f5?! [ 23...# d7 24.bxc4 # xh3 would keep the

deficit to a single pawn, but Black is stilllosing in the long run. ] 24.#f3 #a5 25.bxc4 #xa2 26."a1. Black loses a second pawn and thereforeresigns.1-0

D79Stohl,IFtacnik,L

Vinkovci (Game 16) 1995[Damian Lemos]

1. f3 [ Obviously, our move order starts with thequeen’s pawn: 1.d4 !f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0 5.!f3 c6 6.!c3 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.!e5 !c6 9.0-0 . ]

1... f6 2.d4 g6 3.c4 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 c6 6.0-0 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8. c3 c6

[ I was checking whether you have beenpaying attention! With this move order,Ftacnik could have played 8...!e4!, a move which Kasparov, Ivanchuk andSvidler have essayed against top-flightopposition. Thus, White should have played6 Nc3! (instead of 6 0-0) if he had wantedto avoid this possibility. ]

9. e5 e6 10. xc6 bxc6 11. a4 d7 12. f4 #f6 This does not look like the bestsquare for the queen, as it is blocking the g7-

bishop’s diagonal. [ Let’s examine the alternatives for Black: 12... a6 13.# d2 (as usual, White plays thestandard Qd2/Rac1 manoeuvre; while, asyou can see, Black’s main counterplay is



based on ...e5) "e8 (giving extra support tothe ...e5 advance) ( after 13...e5 14.dxe5

xe5 15.b3 , followed by Rac1 and Nc5,White has a solid positional plus ) 14."ac1

b5 15.!c3 a6 16."fd1 "c8was Be.Larsen-N.Krogius, Le Havre 1966. If I were White, I would try 17.e4 , when it isnot easy for Black to free his position. For instance, after c5 18.exd5 cxd4 19.dxe6

"xe6 20.!d5 , White has the superior piececoordination. ]

[ 12...# a5 is definitely more active: A) 13.a3 a6 14.b4 # d8 was played inE.Akhmilovskaya-M.Chiburdanidze,Women’s World Championship (10thmatchgame), Sofia/Borzomi 1986. Thearising position is not clear to me, as thea3/b4 advances left a hole on c4 for Black

to exploit, so ...Nb6-c4 is going to beannoying for White. After 15."c1 b5 ( 15..." c8 16.c5 xc5 17." xc5is better for White ) 16.!c3 a6 17."e1(planning e2-e4; while a4 and b5 is worthconsidering too) !b6 18.e4 !c4, White is slightly better, according to theengines. However, I believe Black hasgood chances as well here.; B) 13."c1 a6 14."e1 ( of course Whitecan’t take the c6-pawn: 14." xc6? !b5

and Black wins material ) 14..."fc8 15.e4and this time I think White is a little better,as he can always protect the c4-square byplaying b3 if necessary. ]

13.#c2 White has a number of possibilitieshere. I believe 13 Qc2 is the best because itkeeps the initiative.

[ Other tries allow Black reasonable play: 13.e3 e5 14.dxe5 !xe5 and Blackthreatens ...Ba6, eyeing the weak d3-square. ]

[ 13. d6 "e8 14."c1 # xd4 15.# xd4 xd4 16."xc6 !b6 and I think Black has goodequalizing chances in the endgame, sincethe c6 weakness has been eliminated. ]

13... b7 Black opts for a solid move. [ Taking on d4 leads to a sharp position: 13...# xd4 14. d6 ( at first sight 14.# xc6seems to be winning, but Black has a wayout: b6 15.xb6 # xb6 16.# xa8 !a6

17.!e3 " xa8 18.!xb6 axb6 and Black has

strong compensation for the exchange in theform of a potent bishop pair ) 14... b7 ( Black has to give up the exchange, since 14..." d8 15.e3 , followed by Qxc6, is evenworse ) 15."fd1 # f6 16. xf8 xf8 17.e4

and Black has some compensation, but Ithink White will prevail in the long run withhis extra material. ]

14."fd1 [ The immediate 14. d6 "fe8 ( 14...# xd4transposes to the previous note ) 15.!c5gives White the advantage too. Take a lookat Black’s bishop on b7 which resembles a‘tall pawn’. ]

14..."fc8? A mistake from the strategic pointof view.

[ Black should have prevented White’s nextmove with 14...# e 7 . ]

15. d6! The bishop now controls the wholeboard. e5 16.dxe5 xe5 17. c5Simple and strong, White’s bishop goes to d4in order to control the a1-h8 diagonal, whilevacating the c5-square for the white knight.

"

e8 18.

d4#

e7 19.#

c5 A slight inaccuracyby White, leaving the e2-pawn unprotected.Trading queens off is a good idea for White,because all endgames favour him, but thiswas not the best moment to do that.

[ Instead, after the simple 19."ac1, White has a clear edge. ]

19... a6! Black takes the chance to createsome counterplay. 20.#xe7 "xe7 21. f1White has to defend for a little while now.

[ The aggressive 21.e4 would have been a

mistake in view of e2 , followed by ...Nf3+,and Black gets the bishop pair. ]

21... g4 [ Defending the c5-square with 21...!d7was probably a better option. ]

22. xg7 $xg7 23.h3 f6 24.e3Trading pieces off is part of White’s strategy. All endgames are good for him due to hissuperior pawn structure. xf1 25.$xf1 e4

26."ac1 "e6 27. c5 Continuing the piece-trading policy. The resulting rook endgame isworth studying: White is going to apply a lot of pressure on Black’s weak pawns at a7, c6 andd5. xc5 28."xc5 "b8

[ In the case of 28...a5 , I would like to sharethe variation from GM Stohl: 29."d4! a4 30."b4 a3 31.b3 "a6 32."b7 and Whitehas a clear advantage: his rooks are muchmore active than Black’s, and the c6- anda3-pawns are clear targets. ]

29.b3 "b6 30."a5 A good move, preventing

Black from activating his rook with ...Ra6. "

e7 31."d4 $f6 32.$e2 $e5 Bringing the kingto the centre is usually the right idea inendgames, but not here. White is going to playe3-e4, after which Black’s king will find itself



badly placed in the middle of the board. 33.$d3 f5? Naturally, Black wants to stop thee4 advance, but White just plays it anyway!

[ After other moves White would have tobuild up the pressure more slowly; for instance, 33..."b5 34."da4!? "xa5

35."xa5 $d6 36.b4 ] [ or 33...$d6 34."da4 "bb7 35.g4, followed by f3 and Kd4. ]

34.e4! The d5-pawn is pinned, so White isable to open the centre and create further weaknesses in Black’s camp. "d7

[ The alternatives are equally gloomy: 34...fxe4+ 35."xe4+ $d6 36."xe7, followed by Rxa7+ and Rxh7, wins easily ]

[ and 34...$d6 35.exd5 c5 36."c4looks very difficult for Black as well. ]

35.exd5 cxd5 Now White has two targets to

attack now: the a7- and d5-pawns. 36."

da4 h5 Black tries for active counterplay, sincepassive defence would be hopeless.

[ For instance, 36..."bb7 leaves the blackking is in terrible danger after 37."a6, threatening 38 f4 mate, while d4? fails to

38.f4+ $d5 39."4a5+ and mate nextmove. ]

37."xa7 "xa7 38."xa7 f4 39."e7+ [ Or just 39.gxf4+ $xf4 40.$d4and the rest should be easy with the two

connected passed pawns. ] 39...$f6 40."e2 g5 41.$d4 "c6The next variation analyzed by Stohl looksvery convincing

[ Stohl’s analysis of 41...f3 looks veryconvincing. After 42."e3 g4 43.hxg4 hxg4

44.a4 "c6 45."c3 "e6 46."c2 "e2 47.$d3 , White stops Black’s counterplaycold and wins with the queenside passedpawns. ]

42.$xd5 "c3 43."e6+ $f5 [ Retreating with 43...$f7 allows simply 44.gxf4 gxf4 45."e4 with an easy win. ]

44."e5+ $g6 45.gxf4 gxf4 46.$e4 "c2 [ 46..."xh3 47.$xf4 is also hopeless. ]

47.f3 "h2 [ Taking the a2-pawn looks slightly better,although Black is still losing after 47..."xa2

48.$xf4 . ] 48.$xf4 The rest is a matter of technique. Theremaining moves were: "xh3 49."e6+ $f7

50."

b6$

e7 51.a4$

d7 52.a5$

c7 53.b4 "h1 54.$g5 h4 55."h6 h3 56.f4 h2 57.$f5 "b1 58."xh2 "xb4 59."c2+. A wonderful performance by White! This isdefinitely a game worth studying if you are

looking for an alternative to 12 Be3.1-0

E60Wang Hao Aronian,L

World Team Ch., Ningbo (Game 17) 2011[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c6 4. f3 g7 5. g2 0-0 6. c3 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8. e5 e6 9.0-0 fd7 So here we have one of themost solid tries against the Fianchetto System.In this variation, as opposed to the ...Nc6 lineexamined in the previous games, Black doesnot accrue any weaknesses so we cannotbreach his pawn structure so easily.

10.

f3!? I started paying attention to thismove after analysing some of Mamedyarov’sgames. White plans to open the centre bymeans of e2-e4. Despite getting an isolatedpawn on d4, he will have plenty of activity inreturn. What’s more, 10 Nf3 is not as popular as 10 f4, so this is a good line with which tocatch the unprepared opponent.

[ Many games have been played with 10.f4, the resulting positions being positional innature, and I think chances are balanced. If

you want to investigate this line more deeply,I strongly recommend studying the games A.Karpov-B.Gelfand, FIDE Candidates Final(4th matchgame), Sanghi Nagar 1995, and A.Karpov-J.Timman, FIDE WorldChampionship (12th matchgame),Netherlands 1993. ]

10... c6 The natural response by Black. [ 10...!f6 is also possible and you’ll find thismove later in this chapter (see Games 19and 20). ]

11.e4 dxe4 12.

xe4 h6 I think this move isnecessary for Black, otherwise the impendingBg5 will be quite troublesome for him.

[ The sharp 12...# b6 is the subject of our next game. ]

13. f4 [ The position is rich in possibilities andWhite has two alternatives. Let me sharemy analysis with you: 13. e3 seems like a strange choice for the

bishop; however, it creates the possibility of playing Ne5 and Bc5 in the future: A) 13...!b6 14.!e5 !d5 ( the mistaken 14...xe5?! 15.dxe5 just gives White twoactive bishops and the chance of playing



Bc5 and maybe Nd6, ensuring a risk-freeadvantage ) 15.!xc6 bxc6 16."c1and I think White has a slight advantage,although we should be careful not to letBlack’s bishops become too active.; B) 13...f5?! merely weakens Black’skingside. After 14.!c3 , it’s clear that the...f5 advance was not worth the trouble:now the e6-pawn and Black’s kingside areweak. ( Actually, 14.d6 b6 15.xc8 " xc8 16.# b3 is good for White too, asthe bishop pair is a dangerous weapon topossess, especially in open positions. )]

[ I like 13.b3!? for White as well. I know... itlooks dangerous to open up the a1-h8diagonal with the g7-bishop sitting on it, butI don’t see any way for Black to exploit this;meanwhile White prepares Ba3 to take

control of the queenside dark squares. After !f6 ( the simplistic 13...# e7 walks into 14.a4 , when Ba3 is even more appealing b6 15.a5 ) 14.!xf6+ # xf6 15. b2 "d8 16.!e5 and, in my opinion, White has asolid advantage and nice queensidepressure. For example, !xe5 ( or 16...!d7

17.# e2 ) 17.dxe5 # e7 is met strongly by 18.# c1! . Although White has severalsquares for the queen, I like c1 for thefollowing reasons:

1. The queen controls the c-file .2. We prepare Ba3 again.3. We also attack the h6-pawn.4. It is not easy for Black to complete hisqueenside development, as the c8-bishophas to stay put to defend the b7-pawn. ]

13... b6 Black's ...Nb6-d5 manoeuvre showsthat the white bishop is not well placed on f4. 14. c3

[ 14."e1 looks like a slight improvement. After !d5 15. d6 f5 , the position isunclear. ]

14...g5! Aronian takes over the initiative. Atfirst glance, 14...g5 looks like a weakeningmove, but Black’s active play is going to givehim equality. 15. e3 f5 16.d5 White has tobe careful about an ...f4 advance, while Blackcan consider playing ...Nc4 as well. My senseis that White has lost his opening advantage.The pawn sacrifice is definitely interesting, butI don’t think it’s good enough for an edge.

xd5 17.

xd5 exd5 18.

c5"

e8 19.

d4 xd4 20. xd4 e6 Black’s extra pawn is notrelevant, as White has a good blockader ond4. There is also the issue of Black’s porouskingside. 21. c3 d4!? A wise decision by

Black, giving the extra pawn back in order toeliminate White’s bishop pair. 22. xc6 bxc6

23.#xd4 [ Not 23. xd4? c4 24."e1? "xe1+ 25.# xe1 # xd4 and Black wins. ]

23...#xd4 24. xd4 The position now takeson a drawish nature, due to the opposite-coloured bishops. d5 25."fe1 $f7 26."xe8

"

xe8 27.

xa7"

a8 28.

e3"

xa2 29."

xa2 xa2 30.f4 . I expect to see more games withthis line in the future.½-½

D79Grachev,BChadaev,N

Moscow (Game 18) 2011

[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 c6 6. c3

[ Once again, a reminder to develop our queenside knight before castling. After 6.0-0 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.!e5 ( or 8.c3 e4 ) 8...!g4 , Black has good chances toequalize. ]

6...d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8. e5 e6 9.0-0 fd7 10. f3 c6 11.e4 dxe4 12. xe4 #b6

I don’t like this move much. Black sacrificespiece development in order to go after material.

[ I prefer Aronian’s 12...h6 , which weexamined in the previous game. ]

13.#e2!? [ The alternative gambit with 13. e3 # xb2is unclear, because White cannot trapBlack’s queen: after 14.# c1 # xc1 15."fxc1 !b6 16."ab1 , White has somecompensation, but Black gets to keep hisextra pawn with a solid position. ]

13... xd4 [ If Black declines the pawn with 13...!f6 14.!xf6+ xf6 15. e3 !e7, White increases the pressure by playing 16.!e5 , when I think White is slightly better as it is not easy for Black to complete hisqueenside development. On the other hand,Black again has a solid position. ]

14. xd4 #xd4

[ Taking with the bishop is quite risky. After 14... xd4 15."d1 , if Black tries !f6?! ( rather than spending a precautionarytempo on something like 15...!g7 ), he could be in for a shock. White’s lead



development is going to have the final wordhere: 16."xd4! # xd4 17. e3 # e5 18.f4

# f5 19.g4! !xg4 20.# xg4 # xg4 21.!f6+ $g7 22.!xg4 and in my opinion, White’sknight and bishop are clearly superior to therook and pawns, not least because Black’sdark squares, as well as his king, are veryweak. ]

15."

d1 White accelerates his development,whereas Black has to move his queen yetagain. It is going to take a while before Blackmanages to develop his queenside, and this isa key factor in the position. #e5

[ White has a nice game after other movestoo:

15...# b4 16."b1! (White plays the sameway in the main game) !e5 17. e3and Black will have a hard time stopping

White’s threats. ] [ 15...# a4 16. g5 (provoking ...h6, whichwill only weaken Black’s kingside) h6

17. e3 and White has a clear advantage. ] [ 15...# b6 16."b1 ( 16.d6!?also deserves attention ) 16...!e5 17. g5and White is already homing in on theweakened dark squares, whereas Black isstill trying to finish his development. ]

16."b1! Protecting b2 in order to develop thec1-bishop. #a5 17.b4 #a4 18. f4

The result of the opening is that White hasmanaged to develop all his pieces, while Blackhas moved his queen... five times! What’smore, White has a lot of good ideas, such asBd6, Nc5 or Nd6, all of which areuncomfortable for Black to meet. f6 After this, Black loses the exchange, thoughit’s not easy to suggest a significantimprovement.

[ If 18...e5 , then 19.!c3! # a3 ( or 19...# a6 20.# xa6 bxa6 21.!xa8 ) 20."b3and the queen is trapped. ]

19. c3 #e8 20. d6 d5 21. xd5This looks like the easiest option from apractical point of view.

[ 21. xd5 exd5 22. xf8 # xe2 23.!xe2 xf8 24.!f4 is winning as well, but Blackcan try to fight on with his bishop pair. ]

21...exd5 22.#d2 d4 23."e1 #d8 24. e7 #b6 25. xf8 $xf8 Black needs to cover hisback rank somehow.

[ 25... xf8? loses immediately to 26."e 8 . ] 26.a4 #d6 27.b5 "b8 28.a5 b6 29."bc1 d7 30. c6 Trading pieces will make White’stask easier. e6 31. e4 d7 32. c6 e6 33. e4 d7 34. d3 f6 35.a6! This pawn

should emerge as a passer in good time. e7 36."c2 $g7 37.#c1

[ Here 37."xe7 # xe7 38."c7 , followed byRxa7, should be winning in the long run, butI understand if White didn’t wish torelinquish his material advantage. ]

37... d8 38.#f4 e7? And now White getseven more material.

[ Black had some chances of resistance after 38...# xf4 39.gxf4 $f8 40."e4 f5 41."xd4 f6 42."d5 e6 43."d6, although White should still win withaccurate play. ]

39."xe7 #xe7 40.#xb8 . There are no backrank swindles, so Black resigned. A key game for the assessment of the 10Nf3!? variation.1-0

D79Mamedyarov,SVan Wely,L

Bastia (rapid) (Game 19) 2010[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 c6 6. c3 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8. e5 e6 9.0-0 fd7 10. f3 f6 This is the main

alternative to 10...Nc6. Black’s idea is simple:he wants to stop White from playing e4.

11. g5! The natural developing move is 11Bf4. However, 11 Bg5 has the added value of provoking ...h7-h6 which weakens Black’skingside. Furthermore, White does not lose atempo in getting his bishop kicked, since hewill regain it by playing Qd2 or Qc1 to attackthe h6-pawn. h6 12. f4 c6 13. e5I like this move. If allowed, White will followup with Nxc6, creating targets to attack on thequeenside.

[ Alternatively, 13."c1 was played by GMRadjabov and is the subject of our nextgame. ]

13... d7 Allowing the weakening of his pawnstructure.

[ Instead, Black has good equalizing chancesafter 13...!xe5 and then:

A) 14.dxe5 (an interesting try, especially if you don’t want to play a symmetrical

position) !d7 ( after 14...h5 15.!d2 !xe5 16.!xh6 " e8 17.# d2 , White hasa small advantage, in my opinion ) 15.e4

dxe4 reminds me of Grachev-Chadaev(Game 19). White is a pawn down but his



queenside pressure gives him amplecompensation in return.; B) If you find the previous line too risky,you can try the safe-looking 14. xe5with a slight but stable advantage. If White somehow manages to trade dark-squared bishops, he will be left with thebest bishop on the board, seeing asBlack’s is restricted by his own pawnchain. ]

14. xc6 bxc6 15.#d2 As intended, Whiteregains the tempo by attacking the h6-pawn. $h7 16.e4 I like White’s idea here. Byadvancing his e-pawn, he stops Black fromplaying ...c5 and also gains space in thecentre.

[ 16."ac1 is worth considering too, as c5?is not possible here either; i.e. 17.dxc5

!xc5 18.!xd5 and White wins a pawn. ] 16... b6 17."ad1 White needs to defend thed4-pawn before playing b3.

[ The immediate 17.b3 allows dxe4, followed by ...Qxd4, and Black canequalize by trading pieces. ]

17...a5 18.h4! I would like the reader tocompare this position with Andersson-Roosfrom earlier in this chapter (Game 14). Bothgames are similar in nature, the onlydifference being Black’s weakened kingside

pawn structure here. With 18 h4! Whiteprevents ...g5 and can also consider playingh5 later. a4 Black needs to open lines on thequeenside in order to get some counterplay. 19."fe1 Despite this being a rapid game,Mamedyarov plays powerful and logicalmoves. Every single white piece is in playnow. a6 20.#c2 $g8 Black slides his kingaway from the white queen’s concealed gazeon the b1-h7 diagonal. 21.#c1 $h7 22. h3 "a7 23.#c2 c4

[ Again, 23...$g8 was necessary, but Blackwas probably tired of continually shifting hisking out of harm’s way, and he tries for theinitiative on the queenside instead. ]

24.h5 g5 25. e5 We should remember thatthis is a rapid game,. which explains whyWhite missed something here. Nevertheless,the move played is advantageous too, sinceWhite is about to eliminate Black’s bestdefender.

[ The missed chance was to switch the dark-squared bishop to the queenside with 25. d6! "e8 ( of course, 25...# xd6?loses the queen to 26.e5+ , thus showingwhy ...Kg8 was necessary! ) 26. c5

and White has a clear advantage with the a4-pawn poised to fall shortly. ]

25...$g8 [ Black cannot block the e5-h8 diagonal with 25...f6 , since 26. d6! then wins outright ( and even 26.!xf6 !xf6 27.e5+should be winning ) ; e.g. 26..."e8 27.exd5+! $h8 28. c5 cxd5 29.# g6 . ]

26.

xg7$

xg7 27.e5"

b7 28.$

h2I believe White’s idea was to play somethinglike f4 and Rg1, but there was a faster way toenter Black’s kingside.

[ ...which was 28."e3 , followed by Rf3-f6. If Black tries to defend with ...Nd7, the a4-pawn will be left unprotected. ]

28...f5?! After this, Black’s kingside becomeseven weaker – and ultimately untenable.

29.exf6+ #xf6 30.$g1

[ Or simply 30."d2!? , which defends f2 andleaves a4 and e6 ripe for the picking. ] 30..."e7 31."e3 Preparing to double rooksand put excruciating pressure on the e6-pawn.

"fe8 32."de1 $h8 [ Black can't free his position by playing 32...e5 , as after 33.dxe5 "xe5 34."xe5 "xe5 35."xe5 # xe5 36.# g6+ $f8 37.$h2! , he is left with too manyweaknesses. ]

33. xa4 xa4 34.#xa4 e5? Here again

Black’s long-intended break loses quickly, butotherwise he is just a pawn down with a badposition. 35.dxe5 "xe5 36."xe5 "xe5

37.#a8+ $g7 38.#b7+ $f8 39.#b8+. And White picks up the rook, so Blackresigned.Despite this being a rapid game, I really likethe way White played and how he continuallyincreased his positional advantage. Hopefully,we’ll see more games with this line in the near future.1-0

D79Radjabov,TGelfand,B

World Blitz Ch., Moscow (Game 20) 2010[Damian Lemos]

Even though this is a blitz game, I found a lot

of value in it. White opens with a Réti, butsoon we transpose into a c6/d5 Grünfeld. 1. f3 d5 2.g3 c6 3. g2 f6 4.c4 g6 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.d4 g7 7. c3 0-0 8. e5 e6 9.0-0 fd7 10. f3 f6 11. g5



As pointed out in previous games, Whiteprovokes ...h6, which weakens Black’skingside slightly. h6 12. f4 c6 13."c1!?This is a good alternative to Mamedyarov’s 13Ne5 in the previous game. The position issomewhat symmetrical, but Black’s light-squared bishop is stuck behind the pawnchain, whereas both White’s bishops arebreathing freely. d7 A logical developingmove by Black.

[ The engines suggest advancing on thekingside with 13...g5 , although from apositional point of view, this is not a goodidea. As you know, pawns cannot movebackwards! For instance, after 14. e3 !g4

15. d2 !xd4? 16.!xd4 xd4 17.e3! xc3 18. xc3 , Black is unable to resist thepower of White’s two bishops. ]

14.

d6! We’ve seen this type of bishop foraybefore in Stohl-Ftacnik (Game 16). Tradingdark-squared bishops is part of White’sstrategy, as the Bg7 happens to be Black’sstronger bishop. If this strategy succeeds,Black will be left with the passive Bd7, whichis on the same colour as his central pawnchain. "e8 15.e3 f8 Black has to play thismove sooner or later, since the presence of White’s bishop on d6 is pretty annoying for him.

[ Instead, 15..."c8 is met by 16.!e5, planning Nd3-c5, while !xe5 17.dxe5!will be followed by e4 with a big advantagefor White. ]

16. xf8 $xf8 17. e5 Without the dark-squared bishop, Black’s castled position isweakened, therefore White starts to makedesigns on the kingside. #a5 If I were Black, Iwouldn’t leave the f6-knight and h6-pawnunprotected for too long.

[ 17...$g7 was probably a better try. ] 18.a3 A strong and reasonable move,especially in a blitz game where you can’tcalculate too much.

[ However, opening up the position with 18.e4! looks great here as Black’s piecesare not well coordinated, and the careless

dxe4? ( 18..." ad8 is safer ) 19.!xe4 !xe4 20.!xd7+ $e7 21. xe4 $xd7allows White to prise open the centre with

22.d5 , after which Black’s king would be

unlikely to survive. ] 18..."ec8 19.h4 Notice how White places allhis pawns on dark squares – a very good idea,as it makes the light-squared bishop astronger piece! e8 20. d3 I like the fact

that 20 Nd3 keeps the pieces on, preventingBlack from easing his way by means of liquidation.

[ Another possibility is 20.!g4 !xg4 21.# xg4 h5 22.# f4 , when Whitedominates the dark squares, thoughBlack’s position is pretty solid. ]

20...$g7 21.g4! Although pushing the pawnsin front of one’s king is usually a double-edged strategy, I don’t see any counterplayfor Black in this particular instance. Theinitiative is a big factor, and probably all themore so in a blitz game.

[ Alternatively, White could take his time andplay something like 21. f3 , followed byKg2. ]

21...#d8 22.f4 e4 Naturally, Black doesn’twant to sit and wait. He would rather fight for

the initiative too. 23.

xe4 dxe4 24.

c5! [ The simple 24. xe4 # xh4 25.$g2is also good for an advantage. White’s kingis safe and he can look to attack on the h-file after Rh1. ]

24...#xh4 25. xe4 [ Here White might have played 25.f5!, trying to punish Black’s lack of development. ]

25... e7 26."xc8 "xc8 27. d6 "b8?This is too passive.

[ Instead, Black can get interestingcounterplay with 27..."d8 28.!xb7 "b8 29.!d6 c6 , when his active piecescompensate for the pawn. ]

28.e4 [ Once more, White had the chance of playing 28.f5 , opening lines around Black’sking. ]

28... d7 29.#f3 c8 30. c4 Apart from hisqueen, all Black’s pieces are quite passive. soWhite should be looking to attack.

[ Here he could have broken into the kingsidewith 30.!xf7! $xf7 31.f5 gxf5 ( 31...exf5 32.exf5 gxf5 transposes ) 32.exf5, when Black has various possibilities, butnone of them seems to be good enough. For example:

A) 32...exf5 33.# d5+! e6 34.# e5 "a8 ( or 34...# f6 35.# xb8 # xd4+ 36." f2 ) 35.gxf5 and White has a powerful attack.; B) 32...!d6 33.fxe6+ $e7 ( not

33...$xe6? 34.# e2+ and Black getsmated ) 34.exd7 regains the piece, leavingBlack a pawn down. ]

30... b5 31.b3 b6 32.f5 White has to startan attack as soon as possible.



[ If he delays any longer, with something like 32."c1 "c8 33. f1 a5 , then Black getsthe initiative and it’s clear that hisproblems have been solved. ]

32...exf5 [ An interesting option was 32...!xc4!? 33.bxc4 xc4 34.fxg6 and now "f8!allows Black to defend successfully, thoughit’s not easy to see this over the board atthe end of a blitz game. ]

33.gxf5 xc4 34.bxc4 xc4 35.f6+ $g8 36."c1 b5 A doubled-edged position hasarisen in which Black seems to have theadvantage. However, White’s passed d-pawnshouldn’t be underestimated. 37.d5 #g5 38."d1 #e5

[ The best way to realize Black’s advantagewas 38..."b6! , since 39.d6 fails to "xd6

40."xd6 # c5+ . ] 39.#f2 "b6 40.#d4 #g5 [ The endgame after 40...# xd4+ 41."xd4 $f8 ( not 41..." xf6? 42.d6 and Black hasto give up his bishop ) 42.e5 is far from clear.Black has an extra pawn, but the dangerousopposing central pawn mass makes itdifficult for him to undertake anythingpositive. For example, $e8 43. h3 "a6?

44.d6 "xa3 45.e6! xe6 46. xe6 fxe6 47.f7+ $xf7 48.d7 would win for White. ]

41.e5 e2 42.#

d2?#

xe5? [ It is easy to discover mistakes at the end of a blitz game. White should have moved hisrook, whereas now Black was winning after the simple 42... xd1 43.# xd1 ( or 43.# xg5

hxg5 ) 43...# xe5 . ] 43."e1 "xf6 44.#xe2 White has won a piece,and Black’s three pawns aren’t worth as much.The endgame isn’t easy, but I think Whiteshould prevail with accurate play.The remaining moves (which include a fewmore mistakes) were:

#

d6 45.#

e5#

b6+ 46.#e3 #c7 47."c1 #d7 48."c6 "f5 49.d6 "g5 50.#f3? #e6 51.#f2 a5 52."a6 b4 53.axb4 axb4 54."b6 b3? 55.#d2 #e5 56."xb3 #a1+ 57.$f2 #a7+ 58."e3 "f5+ 59.$g1 "e5 60.$f2 "f5+ 61.$g1 "e5 62.d7! "xe3 63.d8#+ $h7 64.#8d4 "e1+ 65.$h2 #b8+ 66.#4f41-0

E60Wang YueLou Yiping

Chinese Rapid Ch., Hefei (Game 21) 2011[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c6 4. g2 [ It is important to point out that we can reachthe position at move 9 by a different moveorder: 4.!f3 d5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6. g2 g7 7.!c3 !e4 ( 7...0-0 8.e5! is our familiar main line ) 8.# b3 !xc3 9.bxc3 !c 6 . ]

4...d5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6. f3 c6 7. c3 e4 A nice attempt by Black to avoid the mainlines.

[ After 7... g7 8.!e5! e6 ( or 8...0-0 9.0-0 ) 9.!xc6 bxc6 10.0-0 0-0 11.!a4, we reach a well-known position for us (see

Games 14 and 16). ] 8.#b3 xc3 9.bxc3 g7 10. d2!This move, followed by Ba3, is key in order toprevent Black from castling. e6 11. a3 f5

12.0-0 [ Former World Champion Anatoly Karpovtried 12.e3 !a5 13.# b2 b6 14. b4, which is very interesting too. A.Karpov-B.Gelfand, FIDE Candidates final (2ndmatchgame), Sanghi Nagar 1995, continued !c6 15.c4 !xb4 16.# xb4 b7 17."c1

# d7 18.0-0 $f7 , and here I think Whitemight improve with 19.cxd5!? ( Karpov played 19." c3 ) 19...exd5 ( 19...!xd5 20.!xd5 exd5 21." c3 " ac8 22." fc1 " xc3 23.# xc3 gives White a slightedge ) 20.!f3 "he8 21."fd1 . Even if thethe position is objectively unclear, I wouldprefer to play White, with ideas like Bf1 or a4-a5. ]

12... a5 13.#b2 $f7 Black has to castle byhand.

[ 13... f8 is not a good idea as Black’s kingis still in the centre, which White can exploitby 14.c4! dxc4 ( 14...xc4 15.xc4 dxc4 16.!xf8 " xf8 17." fc1 gives White a clear advantage ) 15.d5 "g8 16."ab1and Black is going to have a hard timedefending with his king in the middle. ]

14."ac1 [ Aiming for a central break with 14.f3looks too slow, as after # b6 15.# c2 d7

16.e4 "ac8 , Black seizes the initiative,intending 17.# b2? ( or 17.!b2? # xd4+! ) 17..."xc3! . ]

14...#b6 15.c4 White has a lead indevelopment and therefore opens up the



position. xd4 [ Trading queens immediately does not easematters: 15...# xb2?! 16. xb2 dxc4

17.!xc4 !xc4 18."xc4 and Black isunable to complete his queensidedevelopment. ]

16.#xb6 xb6 17.cxd5 Logically speaking,with the queens off the board, there should beno attack for White. However, this is not thecase here as Black’s king is still exposed, andWhite soon gets to launch a powerfulonslaught. exd5 18. xd5+ e6 19. xe6+ $xe6 20. f3 "ad8 21."fe1 So far bothsides have been playing natural moves andthe position looks almost balanced... perhapsa trifle better for White. h6?! Black wasprobably concerned about possibilities of Bb2and Ng5, but this gives White time for a more

direct assault. [ Black should have preferred 21..."he8, when 22.e4 ( or 22.!b2 $f7; or if

22.g5+ $f6 23.xh7+ $g7 24.g5, then " d2 with counterplay ) 22...!c6

23.exf5+ $xf5 looks safe enough. ] 22.e4 c6

[ Instead, 22...f4 23.gxf4 "d3 is insufficientin view of 24. b2 with a clear advantage toWhite ]

[ while after 22...g5 23.exf5+ $xf5 24."e5+

$g6 25."e6+ $f7 26."e7+ $g8 27.!e5, White keeps the pressure on. ]

23.exf5+ $xf5 24. b2 "he8 25. h4+ $g5? Black’s king is an obvious target on thekingside, but there’s a big difference between...Kg5 and ...Kg4.

[ Perhaps Black, in time trouble, wished toprotect the g6-pawn, but after 25...$g4! ,

A) White can’t take it anyway: 26.!xg6? "xe1+ 27."xe1 "d2 and suddenly Blackseems to be winning! ( 27...-- ); B) while after 26.$g2 (threatening 27Rc4+ Kh5 28 Kh3 and wins) g5 27.h3+ ( now 27." c4+ $h5 28.$h3 is only goodenough for a draw: gxh4 29." xh4+ $g6 30." g4+ with perpetual check ) 27...$h5 28.!f5 $g6 , the black king finds his wayto safety. ]

26.$g2! Here Black cannot attack the whiteknight with ...g5 because his king is in theway. $h5 Black is in bad shape.

[ 26..."xe1 27."xe1 d4 is no better, dueto 28.!f3+ $f5 29.!xd4+ !xd4 30.g4+!and White wins; for example, $g5 ( or

30...$f4 31.h3 , threatening Bc1 mate ) 31."e4 !c6 32.h4+! $xh4 33. f6+ . ]

27.$h3 x f2 [ It is now too late for 27...g5 since 28.g4#is mate at once ] [ while 27..."xe1 28."xe1 xf2 29.g4+ $g5 30. c1+ $f6 31."f1 wins a piece for White. ]

28. f6 . Black can only prevent g4 mate bycoughing up copious amounts of material, andhe therefore resigned.1-0




Chapter Four

The King’s Indian: ...Nc6 and the Panno Variation

The Fianchetto System is an excellent choice against the dynamic King’s Indian Defence. It is one of the few lines

where Black does not get an automatic kingside attack. For that matter, the fianchetto happens to be a good

defensive set-up against Black’s typical kingside pawn storm!

We intend to meet the Panno Variation (6...Nc6 followed by 7...a6) with 8 Bf4. Rather than to plunge into pawn

chain warfare complications after 8 d5 Na5 9 Nd2 c5, White prefers to obtain an advantage by simple means with

Rc1 and Qd2 or Nd5.

Game 22

D.Lemos-R.Disconzi da Silva, Buenos Aires 2006

Game 23

N.Sedlak-Z.Plenkovic, Zadar 2010

Game 24

R.Wojtaszek-J.Zawadzka, Wroclaw 2010

Game 25

A.Karpov-J.Polgar, Las Palmas 1994

Game 26

E.L’Ami-M.Erdogdu, European Championship, Rijeka 2010

Game 27

G.Meier-D.Lemos, Buenos Aires 2011

Game 28

V.Neverov-M.Erdogdu, Dresden 2007

Game 29

A.Morozevich-A.Motylev, Russian Championship, Moscow 2004

Game 30

E.Alekseev-E.A.Levin, Russian Team Championship 2009

Index of Variations

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Nf3 0-0 5 Bg2 d6 6 0-0 Nc6 7 Nc3 Rb8

7...Bf5 8 Ne1

8...Qc8 – Lemos-Disconzi da Silva

8...Na5 – Sedlak-Plenkovic

7...Bg4 – Wojtaszek-Zawadzka

7...e5 – Karpov-Polgar

7...a6 8 Bf4

8...Rb8 – L’Ami-Erdogdu

8...Bd7 – Meier-Lemos

8 h3



8 Bf4 – Alekseev-Levin

8...a6 9 e4

9...e5 – Neverov-Erdogdu

9...b5 – Morozevich-Motylev




E62Lemos,DDisconzi da Silva,R

Buenos Aires (Game 22) 2006[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 d6 3. f3 g6 4.g3 g7 5. g2 0-0 6. c3 c6 7.0-0 f5

This set-up is attributed to Simagin and is oneof the main options for Black.

[ The Simagin Variation itself, 7... g4, is considered in Game 24 ]

[ and the direct 7...e5 in Game 25. ] [ The Panno Variation, 7...a6 is Black mostpopular system. We will look at this later on(in Games 26 and 27) ]

[ while 7...!b8 , which can often transpose,is examined in the final games of this

chapter. ] 8. e1! Clearly the best. Black’s idea was togain the central e4-square for his knight, andso our plan is to inhibit him from realizing this.We also want to play e4 in order to get astrong centre.

[ 8."h4 would be another way of controllinge4. However, after d7 , our knight is rather misplaced on the edge. ]

8..."c8 At first glance, playing ...Qc8 or ...Qd7looks like the same thing. After further

analysis, we can see that ...Qd7 should bebetter, because Black keeps his rooksconnected.

[ 8...# d7 9.e4 h3 10."c2 (we’ll see thisin the main game too; the Ne1-c2manoeuvre works well for White, as theknight is supporting the d4-pawn) xg2

11.$xg2 e5 12.d5 "e7 13.f4 ( alternatively, after 13.f3!? , White gets the desiredset-up, placing the pawns on light squares – a good idea because our remaining bishop

is the dark-squared one; whereas Black’sg7-bishop is now quite passive ) 13...exf4

14. xf4 "g4 15.# d2 $h8 16."d4 "e5 17.b3 was played in R.Hübner-E.Grivas,European Team Championship, Pula 1997. Ibelieve White is slightly better here as,obviously, he has more space. For Black,the e5-knight is well placed, but I don’t likethe placement of the one on e7; moreover, if he plays the freeing move ...f5, then the e6-

square becomes weak. ] [ Black’s main alternative, 8..."a5, is the subject of our next game. ]

9.e4 h3 [ 9... g4 10.f3 would simply give White an

extra tempo, as he wants to play f3anyway. ]

10. c2 This knight is well positioned on c2,controlling d4 and therefore supporting our centre. Its placement may be useful for aqueenside attack as well. xg2 11.#xg2 a6

12.f3 Protecting the centre, and preventingany counterplay based on ...b5 breaks.

[ For instance, after 12.h3 b5 13.cxb5 axb5, White cannot take on b5 because the e4-pawn is also hanging. ]

12...$b8 Naturally, Black wants to createqueenside counterplay.

[ Playing ...e5 is possible too, but blockingthe Indian bishop’s diagonal cannot be agood idea. 12...e5 13.d5 , followed by Be3and c4-c5, looks much better for White. ]

13. e3 e6

[ This game was played several years ago,but I still remember I wasn’t worried aboutthe ...b5 break. After 13...b5 14.cxb5 axb5 15.b4 , I believe Black lacks counterplay,whereas White can improve his position bymeans of ideas like d5 and Nd4, or Qd3 andRfc1. ]

14.a4 a5 Black prevents the b4 advance, butnow the b5-square becomes a weakness.

15."d2 $a8 16.b3 I am gradually improvingmy position. White’s advantage is solid and

risk-free because I don’t see any way for Blackto create counterplay here. e7 17.$ac1

"d7 18.d5 The idea of h3 and f4 looks goodtoo. But as I’ve pointed out before, I don’tmind placing my pawns on light squares, andd5 gains space too. $fc8

[ 18...e5 would allow 19.c5 , when Whitehas a strong queenside initiative. ]

19.$fd1 "e8 20. d4 e5 [ 20...# d7 , trying to keep the g7-bishop’sdiagonal open, is too passive, as after 21."db5 , Black is still unable to createcounterplay. ]

21. de2 b6 22.g4 Now that the queensidehas become ‘frozen’, White shifts attention onthe kingside, where he has more space too.

"d7 23. g3 $f8 24.$g1 A 'deep' move. Myidea was to place the rook on the same file asthe Kg8. I know Black is a long way fromplaying ...f5 - but just in case! #h8 25.#h1

fg8 26.$cf1 f6

[ Actually, Black might have tried 26...f5here, aiming for some kingside activity;though after 27.gxf5 gxf5 28."h5 ( the immediate 28.f4 is interesting too ) 28..."g6 29."xg7 $xg7 , White can open



the position up with 30.f4 , usually a goodidea if you have stronger development. ]

27. b5 $f7 28.f4! Now that Black’s queen isbusy defending c7, I decided to play thismove anyway. If allowed, I will continue withthe cramping f5, annexing more space. h6

[ Of course 28...# xg4 fails to 29."xc7 . ] 29.f5 xe3 30."xe3 g5 This fails to keepthe position closed, and just provides a holefor the white knight and a target for his h-pawn.But otherwise White will prepare g4-g5 himself,while Black has nothing at all to do. 31. h5 h6 32.h4 $g8 33. xf6! The f6-pawn wasthe base of Black’s resistance, and once it isdemolished, so is his game. $xf6 34.hxg5 xg4 35.$xg4 "e8 A last trick by Black. 36."h3 Preventing ...Qh5+ is the easiest wayto win.

[ White still had the opportunity to scuttle hisgame: 36."xc7?? # h5+ wins for Black. ] 36...$f7 37. xc7 . This game was veryimportant for me, since beating a strongInternational Master positionally was a major achievement. Black was unable to create anyreal counterplay, and I kept increasing myadvantage in a solid way, before finallysquashing him.1-0

E62Sedlak,NPlenkovic,Z

Zadar (Game 23) 2010[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0 5. c3 d6 6. f3 c6 7.0-0 f5 8. e1 a5 This is probably the main move after 8Ne1, and it requires accurate play by White.The good news is that, if he plays well, Whitegets to keep a strong centre with the better prospects. 9.e4

[ White should avoid 9.b3 , as c5!puts pressure on d4 and opens the longdiagonal for the g7-bishop. If White nowcontinues with 10.e4 , then cxd4 11.exf5

( 11. xd4? is refuted by !xe4 ) 11...dxc3gives Black a clear advantage. ]

9... g4

[ 9... d7 has been tried in a couple of games. I think White can play 10.# e2 c5 11.dxc5 dxc5 12.e5 "g4 13. f4and stands better with a powerful bishop ong2, much more space and a plethora of

ideas, such as Rd1, Ne4 and Nc2. ( 13.f4is interesting too. )]

10.f3 d7 [ After 10... e6!? 11.b3 ( on 11.d5 "d7, Black can obtain counterplay with ...c6 and...Rc8 ) 11...c5 12."c2 cxd4 13."xd4 d7 14. e3 , White gets a Maróczy bind positionwhere his typical space advantage offershim the better chances. ]

11."e2 c6 [ If Black attacks with 11...c5 now, White canplay for a clamp with 12.dxc5 dxc5 13.e5 "e8 14.f4 , when the difference in activitybetween the two fiachettoed bishops is clear. After e6 15.b3 # d4+ 16.# e3 , White ismuch better. ]

12. e3 e5 13.dxe5! Simple and strong. [ Closing the centre with 13.d5 allows Black

nice counterplay after "d4 14.# d2 c5, since winning a pawn is not a good ideafor White; i.e. 15.dxc6 bxc6 16. xd4 exd4 17.# xd4 "g4 , followed by ...Qb6+, and theweak dark squares will probably bedecisive. ]

13...dxe5 [ 13..."xe5 is always possible, but after 14.!d1 # e7 15."c2 , White can improvehis position little by little, and kick theknight away with h3 and f4 at an appropriate

moment. ] 14. c2 "c8

[ 14...# e7 connects the rooks, but invites afuture Nd5, when Black has fewer options asthe queen will be under attack. ]

15.$fd1 h5 16.b4 d4 With his opponentgaining space relentlessly, Black sacrifices apawn in order to get some activity. ButWhite’s position is too solid to be fazed byany tactical trickery. 17. xd4 exd4 18. xd4

xd4+ 19.$xd4 c5 20.bxc5 "xc5 21.$ad1 After this, White keeps his extra pawn.

[ 21.# f2 was also possible, breaking the pinon the rook. ]

21... e6 22. d5 f5 [ After 22...b6 , White can start to gain spaceon the kingside with 23.f4 "g7 24.g4 . ]

23.exf5 xd5 24.cxd5 g7 [ 24...gxf5 can be met by 25.d6 ] [ or similarly, 24...!xf5 25.d6 . ]

25.g4 gxf5 26.d6 fxg4 27.fxg4 $f4

28."

c4+! A nice tactic to trade pieces off.Without queens, Black has no attack. "xc4 29.$xc4 $xc4 30. d5+ #h8 31. xc4 $d8 32.d7 Now the black knight can’t move at all. h5 33.h3 #h7 34.$d6 . Black resigned, in



advance of the approaching zugzwang.Neither his knight nor his king can move, andhe will quickly run out of pawn moves too.Once more, White’s space advantage claimsanother victim.

[ Note that 34.!d6 $h8 is met rudely by 35.!h6# . ]

1-0

E62Wojtaszek,RZawadzka,J

Wroclaw (Game 24) 2010[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4. c3 d6 5.g3 0-0 6. g2 c6 7.0-0 g4 This is the

Simagin Variation. 8.

e3!? Not the mostnatural move in this position. I like the factthat White protects d4 and prepares Qd2 tofinish his development.

[ The main alternative is 8.h3 xf3 9. xf3 "d7 10.e3 e5 11.d5 "e7 , when Whitehas the bishop pair, but the position is of aclosed nature, which favours Black's knights. A.Pashikian-S.Iuldachev, Asian ClubChampionship, Al Ain 2008, continued 12.e4

f5 13. d2 f4 14.h4 (trying to open lines on

the kingside) h5 with unclear play. ] 8... d7 This looks like the best response for Black.

[ After the natural 8...e5 , White can play 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.# b3 (here we see one of the points of Be3 – the c5-square is under control!) # c8 11.!ad1 , when White exertsstrong pressure on the queenside. I wouldalso consider ideas like Ng5 and Nd5. ]

9."d2 e5 10.dxe5 xf3 [ Let’s take a look at Black’s other options: 10...dxe5 11.!ad1 "b6 12.# c1!(the reason for this square is seen nextmove) # c8 13.b3 and White has a solidadvantage with ideas such as Qa3, or Rd2and Rfd1. ]

[ 10..."dxe5 11."xe5 "xe5 ( after 11...dxe5 12.# ad1 xd2 13.# xd2, Black is going to have a hard timedefending this endgame ) 12.b3 "c6

13. h6 – trading bishops off is a good idea.

White is slightly better here. ] [ 10..."cxe5 11.b3 "xf3+ 12.exf3! – the key move, which we will soon see inthe main game too. ]

11.exf3 Despite getting doubled pawns, White

is still better as he can continue with f4,gaining both space and control of the e5-square.

[ Instead, after 11. xf3 "cxe5, Black equalizes easily, as he is going to getone of our bishops. ]

11... dxe5 [ 11...dxe5 would again be answered by 12.!ad1 , when White has the bishop pair togo with his other advantages. ]

12."e2 e7 This move feels a bit passive. [ I would have tried 12..."a5 13.c5 "ec4 14.cxd6 # xd6 15. f4 , when Black has anactive position, though I prefer White’sbishop pair. ]

13.f4 5c6 14.g4!? [ Another option is 14.!ad1 "f5 15.c5 "xe3 16.fxe3 xc3 17.bxc3 # e7

, when White is still better due to hisstrong light-squared bishop.Wojtaszek probably preferred to keep hisbishop pair. Meanwhile 14 g4 prevents ...Nf5and claims more space on the kingside. ]

14...$e8 15.$ad1 "c8 Black gets his queenoff the d-file.

[ If instead 15...# d7 16.c5 , Black is goingto have a weakness on d6. For instance, xc3 ( or 16...# ad8 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.# d2and Black will either have to take on c3

sooner or later, or else give up the d-pawn ) 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.bxc3 and White is clearlybetter as his bishop pair is much stronger than the black knights. What’s more,Black’s kingside is full of weaknesses withhis g7-bishop now missing. ]

16.h3 "e6 17. e4 White is waiting for Blackto weaken his kingside with ...h6 beforecarrying out his plan of Nd5. h6 18. c3

$ad8 19. d5 "d7 20."d2 White has twoactive bishops plus a strong kingside initiative,whereas Black’s position is solid but withoutprospects. #h7 21.b4 xd5 22.cxd5 e7

23.$c1 Applying pressure down the open c-file.

[ Taking the a7-pawn would be a mistake: 23. xa7?? b6 and White’s bishop getstrapped. ]

23...a6 [ If 23...c6 , White now can play 24. xa7 . ]

24.$c4! An excellent move by White which

defends the 4th rank and prepares to doublerooks on the c-file. c6 25.$fc1 $c8 As usual, Black’s main problem is hispassivity.

[ To avoid getting boxed in, he might



consider 25..."xd5 26. xd5 cxd5 27.# xd5 !e7 28.$g2 , when White’s advantage isundeniable, but at least Black has morechances here than after the gamecontinuation. ]

26.dxc6 bxc6 27. d4! Simple and strong.White wants to get rid of the g7-bishop, whichis Black’s most active piece. d5 28. xg7 #

xg7 29."

d4+#

g8 30.$

4c3$

b8 31.$

e3 c8

[ Black could still play for activity: 31...# d6 32.a3 !a8 , aiming for ...a5. Unfortunatelyfor him, White’s attack on the kingsidearrives first: 33.f5! gxf5 34.gxf5 "xf5

35.# g4+ "g7 36.!g3 # e5 37.!xc6 !e6 38. xd5! with a decisive advantage. ]

32.$xe8+ "xe8 33.f5 Black’s kingside lacksdefenders, so his position is lost. g5?

[ 33...gxf5 34.# f4! , Black is in serioustrouble, but he has more chances than withthe text, which just loses immediately. ]

34."f6 $xb4 35."xh6 $c4 36."xg5+ #f8 37.$b1 "e7 38.f6 "e6 39.$b7 . White’smating threats are unstoppable, so Blackresigned here. This is definitely a game worthstudying against the 7...Bg4 variation!1-0

E62Karpov,APolgar,J

Las Palmas (Game 25) 1994[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2. f3 g6 3.c4 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 d6 6.0-0 c6 7. c3 e5 The mostdirect continuation, staking an immediateclaim in the centre. 8.d5 e7 9.e4 d7 10. e1 This line reminds me of the ClassicalKing’s Indian, where White often plays Ne1-d3as well. The ideas behind the knightmanoeuvre here are:1. Clearing the g2-bishop’s diagonal.2. Freeing the f-pawn to advance.3. On d3 the knight will prove very useful,supporting a queenside attack (b4-c5), as wellas a possible f2-f4. f5 11. d3 f6 12. g5 I really like thismove by the 12th World Champion. Usually,

giving up a bishop for a knight is not a goodidea, especially in open positions. However,here Black’s knight is a key controller of thecentre. fxe4

[ Karpov’s bishop sally is directed against

12...h6 , which weakens Black’s kingside. After 13. xf6 xf6 14.f4 exf4 15."xf4 e5 16.exf5 xf5 17.# d2 c6 18.$h1 # b6 19.!ae1 , White had a slightadvantage in A.Kar pov-B.Gelfand, DosHermanas 1994. ]

13. xe4 f5 14.$e1 Overprotecting the e4-square. By blockading on e4, White makes theg7-bishop into a bad bishop as it lacks gooddiagonals.

[ I believe Karpov's move is best, althoughGM Epishin tried both 14 Qd2 and 14 Kh1here: 14.# d2 "xe4 15. xe4 # e8 16.!ae1 "d4 with counterplay, as moves like ...Nf3+,...Bh3 or ...b5!? are annoying for White, V.Epishin-J.Polgar, Dos Hermanas 1994. ] [ 14.$h1 h6 15."xf6+ xf6 16. d2 # d7

17. c3 ( 17.f4 e4 18."xe4 !xg3+ 19.hxg3 h3+ leads to perpetual check,showing that 14 Kh1 wasn’t very useful ) 17...# g7 18.# b3 b6 , when Black attainedequality and eventually won in V.Epishin-J.Polgar, Las Palmas 1994. (This was sixrounds earlier in the same tournament asthe main game.) ]

14...h6 15. xf6+ [ I’ve been analysing 15. xf6 xf6 16.f4 exf4 17."xf4 d4+ 18.$h1 $h7 19."e6

xe6 20.dxe6 . The position is unclear but,given the choice, I would take Whitebecause the e6-pawn is dangerous. ]

15... xf6 16. d2! Of course White is notinterested in trading bishops off! As wepointed out earlier, Black’s dark-squaredbishop is ‘bad’ because it lacks gooddiagonals. #h7

[ Here 16...g5!? was a more ambitious wayto cover the h6-pawn.

A) Then 17.# h5 # d7 , followed by ...Qf7,looks okay for Black ( rather than

17... e8?! 18. xe8 # xe8 19.f4 !d4 20.fxe5 dxe5 21."e4 , which just givesWhite a new target: the isolated e5-pawn ), since 18.g4? would be disastrous for White after "h4 19.# xh6? # xg4 .;

B) However, after 17. c3 d7 18.c5(as in the game), White’s positionaladvantage is still clear; for example, # e7?!

19.# b3! b6 20.cxd6 cxd6 21."xe5!

dxe5 22.d6+ # f7 23. d5 and wins. Itwas perhaps because of this sort of thingthat Black moved her king off the a2-g8diagonal. Unfortunately, it provesultimately to be no safer on the b1-h7



diagonal. ] 17. c3 d7 A logical developing move.

[ Nevertheless, given her next, Black mighthave done better to hamper c4-c5 by playing

17...b6 at once, even if 18.# d2 maintainsWhite's advantage, with ideas like f4 and b4/c5. ]

18.c5! b6? Now White gains even morespace.

[ 18... b5 seems more consistent, thoughafter 19.f4 ( I also like 19."e4 here )

19... xd3 20.fxe5 xe5 21. xe5 dxe5 22.# xd3 , White’s bishop looks stronger than Black’s knight. ]

19.c6 e8 20.f4! The right moment to openthe position. Black’s pieces lack coordinationand she can't bring the a8-rook into the game. exf4 21. xf4 f7 The only real way to

defend the hole on e6. [ After 21..."g7? 22.# d3 , followed by Be4,White’s pressure on g6 is decisive. ]

22."d3 xc3 23.bxc3 "g5 [ 23...# f6 , trying to play ...Rae8, was areasonable alternative. I think White shouldcontinue 24.!e4 !ae8 25.!f1! !xe4

26. xe4 with a clear advantage. ] 24.h4! "f6

[ Taking on g3 or h4 is no better: 24..."xh4 25.gxh4 # xf4 26.!e4! # f6

( or similarly 26... f5 27.# f1 h5 28.# e7 ) 27.!f1 # d8 28.# e3 $g7 29.!e7wins for White. ]

[ 24...# xg3 25.# xg3 "xg3 26.!e7and Black’s position is hopeless in the longrun. ]

25. e6 xe6 26.$xe6 "g7 27.h5Despite material equality, White already has awinning game due to his space advantage andsuperb piece activity. e7

[ 27...gxh5 loses a piece to 28. e 4 . ] 28.

$

ae1 [ Black resigned, since resistance is futile;for example 28.!ae1 !f7 ( or 28...# ae8

29.hxg6+ $h8 30. e4 ) 29.hxg6+ "xg6 30.!xg6! # xg6 31. e4 and wins. ]

1-0

E63L'Ami,EErdogdu,M

European Championship, Rijeka (Game 26)[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 d6 6.0-0 c6 7. c3 a6 So here wehave the famous Panno Variation of theKing’s Indian. It is named after one of thestrongest Grandmasters in Argentinian history.Black usually tries to get a queenside initiativeby playing ...Rb8 and ...b5; the rook bothsupports the pawn thrust and safeguardsitself from attack by the g2-bishop on the longdiagonal.White has various possibilities here such as 8d5, 8 Qd3 or 8 h3, which are White’s most

popular tries. However, we are going to focuson 8 Bf4!?. I would like to share a little storyabout this move.Towards the end of 2011, I played a stronground-robin tournament (Magistral Panno)together with GMs G.Meier, N.DelgadoRamirez, D.Flores, A.Rodriguez Vila, and S.Mareco. There was an interesting rule too: wehad to play the Panno Variation in every game.I played 8 Qd3 in all my games as White, withgood results. However, as Black, I had a hard

time facing 8 Bf4, which was used against meby Rodriguez Vila in the first round and Meier in the seventh. Before these games, I wasquite unfamiliar with this move, as it is lesspopular than the usual main lines. Now, frompractical experience, I can vouch that 8 Bf4deserves more attention!

8. f4!? This weird-looking move prevents ...e5 and prepares Rc1. In some variations,White can try for Qd2 and Bh6. Comparedwith the main lines, White usually keeps hiscentral pawns mobile on c4 and d4, instead of advancing with d4-d5.

$b8 [ I tried 8... d7 in the Panno tournament, butdespite drawing against Georg Meier, I feel Igot a dubious position as Black. This is thesubject of the next game. ]

9.$c1 I like the simple way White conductsthe middlegame here. We know Black isplanning ...b5, so preparing to put pressure

on the c-file is a good idea. d7 10."

d2 b5Black finally makes his intended pawn break.However, this allows White to carry out hisplan. 11. d5! e4 Black’s decision was noteasy at all.



[ Let’s take a look at the alternatives: 11..."xd5 12.cxd5 "a7 13. h6and White has a clear advantage, as thesubsequent doubling of rooks on the c-fileis going to be annoying for Black. ]

[ 11...bxc4 12."xf6+ exf6 ( after 12..."xf6 13.# xc4 e5 14."h6 # e8 15.dxe5 !xe5 16.!xe5 "xe5 17.b3 , White has the edgedue to his superior pawn structure ) 13.!xc4(Black’s position is playable but, again, hispawn structure is quite suspect) g5 14. e3

d5 15.!c3 , followed by Ne1-d3, whenWhite has a definite positional advantage. ]

[ 11...e6 12."xf6+ xf6 ( not 12... xf6? 13."g5 f5 14.e4! xe4 15.# fe1 f5 16.!h4 g4 17.# e4 h5 18."f3and the queen is trapped ) 13.c5(not a standard move in this kind of position,

but I believe it gives White the better prospects) e5 ( 13...d5 leaves Blackwithout counterplay and makes the Bd7 abad bishop; while 13... e7 14.cxd6 cxd6

15.d5 exd5 16. xd5 gives White a clear target: the isolated d6-pawn ) 14. h6 !e8

15.d5 "d4 16."xd4 exd4 and here, Whitecan consider seizing space on thequeenside with 17.b4 ( or opening lines inthe centre with 17.e3 . )]

12."c2 f5 13.cxb5 $xb5 14. c3 xc3

15."

xc3 e5? As a King’s Indian player, Iunderstand the urge to play ...e5 and createimmediate counterplay, but in this case,despite appearances, Black doesn't havesufficient control of the centre.

[ 15...!b6 16.!fd1 Improving White'sposition little by little. Black has a difficultgame at queenside ]

16.dxe5 #h8 [ Unfortunately, 16...dxe5 runs into 17.a4! !b6 ( or 17...exf4 18. c4+ ) 18."xe5and White is virtually winning already. ]

17.a4 $a5 18.$fd1 dxe5?! 19. xe5! $xe5 20. xc6 $d5 A last, desperate, and futile try. 21.$xd5!

[ 21.# xg7+! $xg7 22.!xd5 was equallygood. ]

21... xc3 22.$xc3 $f7 23.$cd31-0

E63Meier,GLemos,D

Buenos Aires (Game 27) 2011[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 d6 6.0-0 c6 7. c3 a6 8. f4 As I’ve already said, during this tournament, Iwas quite unfamiliar with this move. In fact,after facing 8 Bf4 in the first round againstGM Rodriguez Vila, I was worried about facingit again. For this game, I had worked out anew idea, but as we will soon see, it’sinsufficient for equality.

d7 9.$c1 b5 I thought that Black couldperhaps do without ...Rb8 but, as myopponent’s play proves, this idea is mistaken

and Black has to move the rook sooner or later. [ 9...!b8 would transpose to the previousgame. ]

10. d5! I found this move very annoying. After thinking for a long time, I decided to putmy rook on b8 after all. $b8

[ Let’s have a look at the alternatives: 10..."xd5 11.cxd5 "b4 12.# b3 a5 13.a3 "a6 14.e4 sees the black knight out of play,and White, as he usually does, controls the

c-file. Rc2 and Rfc1 looks like a good follow-up. ] [ 10...e6 11."xf6+ xf6 ( 11... xf6?loses material after 12."g5 f5 13.e4 xe4 14.!e5 ) 12.# d2 and White is muchbetter, in my opinion. I don’t see any goodideas for Black, and taking on c4 justsaddles him with a weak queenside pawnstructure. ] [ 10...bxc4 is met by 11."xf6+ xf6 ( or similarly 11...exf6 12.# xc4 # b8 13.b3 ) 12.!xc4 !b8 13.b3 . Once this solid moveis played, Black’s counterplay on the b-fileis nullified, whereas White has goodchances on the c-file. ]

11. xf6+ exf6 I decided to take with thepawn in order to create the possibility of playing ...g5.

[ Black needs to find some counterplay assoon as possible, which I feel is lacking after 11... xf6 12.c5 ( or 12.cxb5 axb5 13. d2

. )] 12."d2 This natural move offers White anedge;

[ but I think White can play more stronglywith 12.d5 "e5 13.c5 !e8 14."d4



and, again, Black lacks counterplay. He isunable to open the b-file, while ...Nc4 canbe easily prevented by b2-b3. ]

12... e7?! This is just too passive, though Idon’t see big improvements for Black.

[ 12...bxc4 13.!xc4 , followed by b3, againgives White a solid plus. ]

[ 12...!e8 , simply developing, is probablyBlack’s best try in the position. Note that

13.d5 "e5 14.c5?! could now be met by "c4! . ]

13.d5! Gaining more space and limiting themobility of the black knight. g5 14. e3 f5 15. d4 xe3 Now Black is going to havesome holes on the kingside, but taking on d4is no better.

[ After 15..."xd4 16. xd4 , White’s bishopsare more active, and he keeps the better

prospects on the queenside and in thecentre. ] 16.fxe3 $e8 17. f5

[ 17.c5 dxc5 18.!xc5 f8 19.!c2feels like it should be good for White as well.I think my opponent didn’t want to allow mydark-squared bishop any activity. ]

17...$e5 18.e4 xf5 19.exf5 b4!Now I can breathe again, as closing theposition (especially the c-file!) gives Blackequalizing chances. White should have thrown

in cxb5 earlier on (e.g. on move 17), toensure that the c-file remained open. 20.g4

[ After 20.c5 dxc5 21.!xc5 f8 , Black’sdark-squared bishop suddenly becomes apowerful piece. ]

20..."e8 21. f3 f8 White’s chances of opening things up have dwindled, and theopposite-coloured bishops give the position adrawish nature. 22."d4 $b6 23.$a1 #g7 24.#f2

[ After 24.a3 , I intended to drum upcounterplay with !e3 25.axb4 !b3and Black is not worse. 24 Kf2 prevents thatidea. ]

24..."a4 25.$fc1 "a5 26.a3 "c5. Black trades queens off and there is notmuch play left. Taking into account mydubious opening, I think a draw was a goodresult.½-½

E63Neverov,VErdogdu,M

Dresden (Game 28) 2007[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 d6 6.0-0 c6 7. c3 $b8 An interesting alternative to the main line 7...a6. This rook move has been essayed bystrong GMs like Judit Polgar and ErnestoInarkiev. 8.h3 The move h2-h3 is alwaysuseful in the Fianchetto Systems. Itsafeguards our king, and restricts Black’s light-squared bishop.

[ Alternatively, White can again try 8. f4!?, which is examined in Game 30. ]

8...a6

[ Let’s look at the alternatives: 8... f5 9.g4 d7 10.e4 – playing h3 andg4 looks weak, but I believe this actuallystrengthens White’s kingside. Here, I wouldlike to share GM Boris Avrukh’s analysisfrom his excellent book ‘Grandmaster Repertoire - 1.d4, volume two’: e5 11. e3 a6 12.!c1 b5 ( after 12...exd4 13.!xd4 !e5 14.b3 , followed by f4, White applies alot of pressure ) 13.dxe5 "xe5 14."xe5 dxe5 15.cxb5 axb5 16.# c2 c6 17.!fd1

and White’s position is better, with anaggressive pawn formation, while Blackhas weaknesses on d6 and c5. ] [ 8...e5 9.d5 "e7 ( 9...!a5 makes littlesense when the g7-bishop’s diagonal isclosed; White can continue 10.!d2 c5 11.a3 , followed by Rb1 and b4, with astrong queenside initiative ) 10.e4(comparing this position with Game 25,Karpov-Polgar, we can see that White’s h2-h3 is more useful than Black’s ...Rb8) "e8 11. e3 a6 12.# d2 f5 13."g5 fxe4 14."gxe4 "f5 15. g5 and White got anice advantage in M.Najdorf-H.Ardiansyah,Manila 1973. ]

9.e4 e5 [ The immediate 9...b5 is the subject of thenext game. ]

10. e3 [ Obviously, 10.d5 is possible here too. ]

10... d7

[ If Black lashes out with 10...b5 now, Whitecan simply reply 11.dxe5 dxe5 ( or 11...!xe5 12.!xe5 dxe5 13. xd8 # xd8 14.!d5 !xd5 15.cxd5 and Black willsuffer ) 12.cxb5 axb5 13.# c2 , followed by



Rfd1 and Rac1, with strong positionalpressure. ]

11.$c1 exd4 12. xd4 $e8 13. de2 A slight mistake by White, which gives Blackthe chance to create some counterplay.

[ The straightforward 13.!e1 "xd4 ( not 13...b5? due to 14.!xc6 "xc6 15.e5and wins ) 14. xd4 c6 15.# d2was better. ]

13...h5 A missed opportunity. [ At this precise moment, after the whiteknight has withdrawn from the centre, Blackhas could have played 13...b5! , threatening...b4 and ...Nxe4; while after 14.cxb5 axb5

15.# c2 , Black has more space and thusmore freedom than in the game. ]

14.c5! Now White seizes the initiative again. dxc5 15. xc5 "c8 16.#h2 b6 17. e3

e5 18.

g5 A good idea, deflecting the f6-knight away from the centre, before movingthe bishop to the useful f4-square. h7 19. f4 c5?! This just cedes the d5-square toWhite’s knight.

[ Instead, something like 19...h4 , trying for some kingside counterplay, was probablybetter. ]

20. d5 [ White could also have played 20. xe5!? xe5 21.f4 g7 22.e5 , followed by Ne4 or

Nd5, with a clear advantage. ] 20...g5?!

[ Here too 20...h4 would have been better.The text gains the bishop pair but givesWhite a clear target for his attack. ]

21. xe5 xe5 22.f4 gxf4 [ 22... g7 23.fxg5 "xg5 24."ef4is also very good for White. ]

23.gxf4 h8 24. ec3 [ Another possibility was 24.e5 , shuttingBlack’s knight and dark-squared bishop outof the game. ]

24... d4 There is no way to defend the h5-pawn.

[ If 24..."f6 , then simply 25.e5 ( or 25.!xf6+ "xf6 26.e5 ) 25..."xd5 26. xd5, followed by Qxh5 and Rg1+, gives Whitean unstoppable attack. ]

25."xh5 "c6 26.e5 "g6 27."xg6+ fxg6 28. e2 White has a winning position and therest should be a matter of technique. b5

29.$

c2 g5 30.$

d1 xe2 31.$

xe2 gxf4 32.e6 $bd8 33. xf4 e5!? Nevertheless,the game isn’t over just yet, so White still hasto exercise some caution. 34.$f1

[ Not 34.!xd8? xf4+ ]

[ or 34.!xe5 !xd1 , and Black is back in thegame. ]

34...$xe6 35.#h1! $ee8 So Black hasregained the pawn. Unfortunately for him, hisking is now too exposed. 36. d5+ #h8

[ Moving the king forwards is equally futile;for example, 36...$g7 37.!g1+ $f6 38.!g6+ $f5 39. e4+ $xf4 40.!g4# . ]

37.$

fe1$

f8 38.

g6+#

g7 39.

xf8. Black cannot prevent material losses andhence resigns. Definitely an interesting gamefor the assessment of this line.1-0

E63Morozevich,AMotylev,A

Russian Championship, Moscow (Game 29)[Damian Lemos]

1.c4 f6 2. f3 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0 5.0-0 d6 6. c3 c6 7.d4 $b8 8.h3 a6 9.e4 b5 Taking the initiative on the queensidemakes a lot of sense, and this thematicPanno advance is Black’s main alternative to9...e5.

10.cxb5 axb5 11.$e1!? I really like the calmapproach employed by Morozevich in this

game. [ The aggressive 11.e5 is also possible,though after dxe5 12.dxe5 "d7 13.e6!?, the position is quite unclear. ]

11... d7 I agree with Black’s plan to leave theh8-a1 diagonal open.

[ After 11...e5 12.d5 "e7 13.b4 d7 14.!b1 # c8 ( attacking the centre with 14...c6 would be met by 15.dxc6 "xc6 16. d3! , intending a2-a4 to create apassed pawn ) 15.$h2 !d8 16.a4! bxa4 17.b5 # b7 18.# xa4 !a8 19.# b4 "c8 20. e3 , White has a comfortable edge, A.Fominyh-V.Ravikumar, CommonwealthChampionship, Sangli 2000. ] [ All the same, it’s not completely clear howBlack should equalize. His best optionsseem to be the text move or else 11...e6and then:

A) 12.d5 b4! 13."e2 ( after 13.dxc6 bxc3 14.bxc3 e5 , White’s pawn structure

is quite weak, P.Tregubov-F.Nijboer,European Championship, Istanbul 2003 ) 13...exd5 14.exd5 "e7 and White’s d5-pawn has become a clear target.;

B) 12.e5 dxe5 13."xe5 "xd4! 14. e3



c5 15. xd4 cxd4 16."c6 # b6gives Black interesting counterplay.; C) 12.# c2!? is the best try for White, inmy opinion. For example, after b4 13."e2 b7 14."f4 e5 15.dxe5 dxe5 16."d3, White has a nice hole on c5 for his knight,and the b4-pawn is weak too. ]

[ Instead, 11...b4 can be met by 12."d5!? "d7 13. g5! (once again, White provokes...h7-h6 to weaken Black’s kingside) h6

14.!c1! hxg5 15.!xc6 with strong pressureon the c-file. If b7 , then 16."xb4! a8

17.!c4 wins a pawn, R.Leitao-D.Pulvett,San Cristobal 2012. ]

12. e3 I am a big fan of playing the bishop tog5 first to provoke the weakening ...h7-h6.Then White wins a tempo by attacking the h6-pawn with Qd2 or Qc1 later.

[ For instance, after 12. g5 h6 13. e3 "a5 14.b3 c5 15.!c1 , White has a slightadvantage, T.Nyback-S.Conquest,European Championship, Aix-les-Bains2011. ]

12... a5 13.b3 Simple and clear; Whiteprevents ...Nc4. c5 I have the feeling Black isnot sufficiently developed to open up theposition just yet.

[ It was better to try something like 13...b4 14."a4 a6 15.!c1 b5 , when I prefer

White’s position, but Black has chances aswell. ]

14.$c1 c4 This looks like a positional mistakefor Black. The c4-pawn will be weak (whenWhite plays the undermining move a2-a4sooner or later), while keeping an open centreshould be part of Black’s strategy.

[ Simply 14..."c6 , as in R.Vaganian-Z.Ribli,World Junior Championships, Athens 1971,looks preferable, although White is stillslightly better after 15.dxc5 , followed by 16Nd5. ]

[ If instead 14... a6 15. f1 "c6, as in P. Bachmayr-U.Dirr, German League1991, I think White can improve his play with

16.dxc5 dxc5 17.a4 b4 18."b5, when he has a clear advantage. ]

15.b4 c6 16.a3 e5 Black was probably nothappy to close the long dark diagonal, but it ishard to suggest a better move. 17.d5 e7 18.a4 Creating the anticipated queenside

target by undermining the c4-pawn. bxa4 19."xa4 f5 Here we see a concept which canoften be found in the King’s Indian: Blackcreates counterplay on the kingside with ...f7-f5 but, in doing so, the e6-square becomes

weak. How important that factor is depends oneach individual circumstance.

[ In any case, trying to prepare ...f5 with 19...h6? is just too slow, because after 20."d2 , the c4-pawn is going to be takenvery soon. ]

20. g5 [ Actually, White might have played 20."d2!anyway. After f4 21. a7 !b7 22."xc4, the a7-bishop is in some danger, but itseems White can solve this problemtactically: fxg3 ( or similarly 22... c7 23.!b5 ) 23.fxg3 # c7 24."b5 !xb5 25."xd6! !xb4 26.# xb4 # xa7+ 27.$h2and I believe White is much better, as hisrooks are far more active than Black’sminor pieces. ]

20... b6? It seems both sides misjudged the

significance of e6 in this position. [ Here Motylev missed a good opportunity tocreate kingside counterplay with 20...f4! .

A) Then 21."e6? can be met by fxe3 22."xd8 exf2+ 23.$h2 fxe1# 24.!xe1 !xd8 , when Black has the advantage withrook, bishop and knight for the queen;

( 24...-- ); B) while after 21. a7 "b6 22.# a5 !b7, the position is unclear.Ironically, leaving e6 unprotected would

have prevented White from playing Ne6,whereas Black’s attempt to cover thissquare actually makes the knight movepossible. ]

21."a7 $b7?! 22. xb6? This timeMorozevich misses his opportunity.

[ He could have played 22."e6! !xa7 ( 22... e8 23. a5 "xe6 24.dxe6 d8 25.exf5 is no better ) 23."xd8 !xd8 24. xb6 , when White wins the exchangeand almost certainly the game, since the c4-and d6-pawns remain weaknesses. After the text, material remains equal, soWhite has to rely on the initiative in order to achieve anything. ]

22..."xb6 23."xb6 $xb6 24.b5 h6 25.h4 d7 26.$a1! Activity is more important thanmaterial!

[ The obvious plan was 26.!b1 , followed byRb4, Reb1 and Bf1, but Morozevichprobably judged that Black would obtain

sufficient counterplay by throwing in ...fxe4at an opportune moment. ] 26... xg5 27.hxg5 xb5 28.$a7 c8

[ 28...$f7? would be a fatal self-pin, due to 29.f4! , with the threat of -- 30.fxe5 dxe5



31."xb5 !xb5 32.d6 . ] 29.$c7 a6 30.$a1 $f7

[ The active 30...!b3? fails to 31.!xa6 !xc3 32.!ac6 and the knight is trapped. ]

31.$c6 b7 [ 31...!xc6? leads to another self-pin after 32.dxc6 !a7 , which White can exploit by 33.exf5 gxf5 34. d5+ $g7 35. e6 b5 36.!xa7+ "xa7 37.c7 a6 38. xf5, when the untouchable passed pawn givesWhite a winning endgame. ]

32.$xc4 $b2 33. d1 $b3 34. e3Black has defended well so far and materialremains equal, although White still has thebetter prospects due to his space advantageand superior piece coordination. b6 35.$cc1 #g7? The decisive mistake.

[ Black had to insert 35...fxe4 before

36. xe4 $g7 , when his defence with 37.!ab1 ( White would have to resort to 37."g2 , keeping up the pressure ) 37...!xb1 38.!xb1 "a4 39."c4 "c3! would work. ]

36.$ab1 $xb1 37.$xb1 a4 38. c4Now the weakness on d6 is going to beenough for White to win, since Black has nocounterplay. c3

[ If Black tries to defend the pawn with 38...!d7 , White has the forcing variation 39."xd6 xd5 40."e8+ $f7 41."f6 a2

42.!a1 !d2 43.!c1! and suddenly Black’skingside is in trouble. ]

39.$b6 a4 [ Taking on e4 loses the exchange after 39..."xe4 40. xe4 fxe4 41."xd6 ] [ or 39...fxe4 40."xd6 xd5 41."xf7 . ]

40.$b4 c5 41. xd6 $d7 42. e8+ [ 42."e8+ $f7 43."f6 !d8 44.!b5 !c8 45. h3 is hopeless for Black, so heresigned. ]

1-0

E62 Alekseev,ELevin,EA

Russian Team Championship (Game 30)[Damian Lemos]

1. f3 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0 5.0-0 d6 6.d4 c6 7. c3 $b8 8. f4!?

White can also try the Bf4 idea against the ...Rb8 system. If Black plays 8...a6, hetransposes into the main line analysed inGames 26 and 27.I haven’t been able to find many practical

examples of this precise position (8 Bf4 is kindof new), although White’s ideas are similar those after 7...a6 8 Bf4.

f5 [ As I just mentioned, 8...a6 transposes toour main line Panno Variation. ] [ Let’s take a look at Black’s alternatives inthis position: 8..."d7 aims for ...e5, but I think White getsan advantage by simple means: 9.!c1 e5 10. g5! (an excellent move to disruptBlack’s coordination) f6 ( both 10... e8 11.!d5; and 10...!f6 11.dxe5 dxe5 12. a4! are pretty annoying for Black ) 11. xf6 "xf6 ( 11... xf6 allows 12.!d5 ) 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.# a4 and White has acomfortable advantage for the followingreasons:

1. The queenside pressure is definitelytroublesome for Black.2. White can also try increasing his centralpresence with Rfd1 and Nd5, therebygaining more space. ] [ 8... d7 looks playable, though I think Blackhas to play ...a6 sooner or later. Otherwise,his whole plan with ...Rb8 and ...Bd7doesn’t make sense. For example, 9.!c1 ( building a strong centre with 9.e4!?also deserves attention ) 9...a6 10.# d2

transposes back to Game 26, whichcontinued b5 ( while 10...# e8 can be metby 11.e4 b5 12.e5 and I think White is wellplaced to face the upcoming tactics withhis superior development ) 11."d5! . ]

9.$c1 $e8 [ Moving the knight to e4 is the logical follow-up to ...Bf5. After 9..."e4 , trading somepieces off should help Black by relieving hisslightly cramped position. Nevertheless,White can fight for the advantage with 10."xe4 xe4 11.d5 xf3 12. xf3 "e5 13. g2 and if c5 then 14.dxc6 . As usual,White keeps a slight edge, thanks to hisbishop pair. ]

10.d5 a5 This natural move is a clear mistake in the position. As we’ll see, Black’smisplaced knight can easily get trapped on theside of the board.

[ Black should prefer 10...e5 , when we havesome interesting variations: 11. e3 ( not

11.dxc6 exf4 , since the b7-pawn is wellprotected and Black gets the bishop pair ) 11..."a5 12."d2 c5 ( Black has no time for 12...!g4 because 13.b4 wins a piece ) 13.a3 and White has the better queenside



prospects. He might also consider increasing his central presence by means of f2-f3 and Nde4 at some point. ]

11.e4! g4 [ Black cannot take the e4-pawn, as after 11..."xe4 12."xe4 xe4 , White againwins a piece with 13.b4 . ]

12.b3 c5 13.h3 xf3 Black has to tradesome pieces off because he lacks space.

[ 13... d7 runs into 14.!e1! and White ispoised to push e5 sooner or later. ]

14. xf3 d7 15. e2! A subtle positionalconcept by White. Instead of returning thebishop to g2, Alekseev tries a different tack.From e2, the bishop is well placed to preventBlack’s queenside counterplay (with ...a6 and...b5), and also provides good support for akingside attack with h4-h5. a6 16.#g2

When I play the Fianchetto System, I dreamabout a position like this. Material is equal butWhite can keep improving his set-up little bylittle, whereas Black is unable to createcounterplay. $f8

[ If Black plays 16..."e5 , White can justpush it away again by playing 17. e3, followed by f4. ]

17."d2 f6 18."e3 [ I don’t mind playing carefully as White, evenif the immediate 18.e5 was also possible.

After dxe5 19. xe5 !c8 20.# e3, White enjoys a clear plus. ]

18... e8 19.h4 d4 20."d2 e5 21. h6 [ I think White has an advantage after 21.dxe6 fxe6 22. g4 as well. The onlyproblem with this line is that the a5-knightcan return to the game via ...Nc6 and ...Ne5,which I why I prefer leaving the pawn ond5. ]

21... g7 22. d3 There’s no hurry for Whitebecause, as I said before, Black is lacking incounterplay. Meanwhile White has the bishoppair and needs to open the position in order to increase his advantage. The bishop makesway for the knight to retreat, in preparation for f2-f4. b6

[ If Black lashes out with 22...f5 , then 23."e2 fxe4 24. xe4 makes White’sbishops even stronger. ]

23. e2 b7 24.f4 f6 25.h5!? An interestingway to prise open the kingside.

[ An alternative was 25.f5 gxf5 26.exf5and, from a positional perspective, Whitehas a winning position already. ]

25...gxh5 26.$h1 "e8 27.$h4 White buildsup his attack methodically, and Black has to

try and organize a defence while restricted tothe back two ranks. d8 28.$ch1 $b7

29.g4 [ White is not interesting in giving his bishopaway with 29. xg7 . The text move isstronger, as Black cannot take the g-pawnanyway. ]

29...#h8 [ Of course, 29...hxg4 would be asking for trouble after 30.!xg4 . ]

30. g3 exf4 31. xf4 e5 32.gxh5 xf4 33."xf4 "e5 34.$f1 $e7 35. e2White wants to attack f6 and thereforeprepares h5-h6 and Bh5 to eliminate the maindefender: a knight on e8. e8 36.h6 f7

37. h5 [ The endgame after 37.# xe5 "xe5 38."f5 !g8+ 39.$f2 !d7 40.!hh1 should be won

as well, as White can always open up thequeenside and Black’s position is full of weaknesses. ]

37... g5 38."xe5 dxe5 39. xe8! As intended, White removes the defensivelynchpin and the rest is easy. $exe8 40. h5

f5 41.$xf5 $xf5 42.exf5 e4 43. f6 $e5 44.d6 $xf5 45.d7

[ The pawn cannot be stopped, but if Blacktries, he allows White a nice finish: 45.d7 "e6 46.d8# +! ( of course 46.# xe4

wins too ) 46..."xd8 47.!xe4 and mates;for example, !g5+ 48.$f2 !g8 49.!e7etc. A great positional performance by White! ]

1-0




Chapter Five

The King’s Indian: ...d6 and ...c6

The ...d6, ...c6 and ...Qa5 motif is an active choice for Black. Known as the Kavalek System, Black’s main motif, if

unimpeded, is to swing in ...Qh5, followed by ...Bh3 and ...Ng4, with an automatic attack on the kingside. Instead,

as analysed in Khismatullin-Gabdrakhmanov, White trades queens off with 8 e4 and 9 Ng5, and the resulting

endgame is much better for him because of his space advantage. To compound matters, Black does not have muchcounterplay without the queens.

Black can also chose to counter in the centre immediately with 7...Qa5 8 e4 e5 (instead of 8...Qh5), when the game

will transpose to Chapter Six after 9 h3 Nbd7 10 Re1. I recommend that you study this line carefully, since I

consider it to be the main line in the Kavalek System. Alternatively, Black might opt for ...Bg4 as inRoiz-Srebrnic to

trade off a minor piece. Although Black gets a solid position, he is far away from equality, as White’s bishop pair will

become a telling factor in the long run.

Game 31

M.Roiz-V.Srebrnic, Trieste 2010

Game 32

D.Khismatullin-R.Gabdrakhmanov, Nezhmetdinov Memorial, Kazan 2007

Game 33

R.Dautov-J.Moreno Carnero, German League 2005

Game 34

B.Grachev-M.Manolache, European Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011

Game 35

A.Wojtkiewicz-M.Mrva, FIDE World Championship Zonal, Krynica 1998

Game 36

O.Romanishin-Ri.Forster, Elista Olympiad 1998

Index of Variations

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Bg2 0-0 5 Nf3 d6 6 0-0 c6

6...Bg4 – Wojtkiewicz-Mrva

7 Nc3 Qa5

7...Qb6 – Dautov-Moreno Carnero

7...Bf5 – Grachev-Manolache

7...Bg4 – Romanishin-Forster

8 e4

8...e5 9 h3 Nbd7 – Chapter Six

8...Bg4 – Roiz-Srebrnic

8...Qh5 – Khismatullin-Gabdrakhmanov




E62Roiz,MSrebrnic,V

Trieste (Game 31) 2010[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2. f3 g6 3.c4 g7 4. c3 d6 5.g3 0-0 6. g2 c6 So here we have one of

the most popular lines against the FianchettoSystem. One of the advantages of 6...c6 is itsflexibility, while blunting White’s fianchettoedbishop on the long light diagonal. From thisposition, Black has the following possibilities:1. Playing 7...Qa5, followed by ...Qh5 in anattempt to attack the fianchettoed kingsidestructure.2. Developing the queen to b6 to put pressureon the centre and b2. Black often continues

with ...Qa6 to attack the c4-pawn (which ispossible after 7...Qa5 too, of course).3. Fighting in the centre with 7...Bf5. Blackprevents White from playing e4 and alsogives himself the option of playing ...Ne4 totrade some pieces off.We will examine all these lines in this chapter,as well as the methods of dealing with Black’scounterplay. 7.0-0 "a5

[ 7...fd7 is not a popular choice, as White

gets a comfortable advantage by simplemeans. After 8.e4 e5 9. ! e3 a6 10.h3

exd4 11.xd4 , White has the better prospects due to his space advantage. ]

8.e4 There’s no need to be afraid of ...Qh5.By playing e4, we build up a strong centre.

[ The main alternative is 8.h3 , A) planning to answer 8..." h5 with 9.g5!, followed by g3-g4, and Black’s queen isin trouble. ( 9.-- ); B) Instead, 8...e5 9.e4 bd7 transposes

to Chapter Six (as with 8 e4 e5 below); C) but Black can also try 8..." a6!?; D) or 8... ! e6!? , and if 9.d5 cxd5 10.d4then dxc4 11.xe6 fxe6 12. ! xb7 bd7 13. ! xa8 #xa8 with an unclear position:White is the exchange up, but Black has amassive pawn centre and good pieceplay. ]

8... g4 Black is usually unable to find a goodsquare for his c8-bishop, so he aims to solve

the problem by trading it for the f3-knight.Obviously, the drawback of this manoeuvre isthat he then has to play without the bishoppair.

[ If Black instead plays 8...e5

, he transposes to the main line of Chapter Six after 9.h3 bd7 (see Games 46-49),and Games 48-49 did in fact take thisroute. ] [ Alternatively, he can try 8..." h5 , which isthe subject of the next game. ]

9.h3 xf3 10. xf3 e5 11.d5 A good choiceby White, gaining more space in the centre.

[ I think taking on e5 is a positional mistake:after 11.dxe5 dxe5 , White has gifted Blackthe d4-square for his knights. A possiblemanoeuvre would be ...Nbd7-c5-e6-d4 or ...Nbd7-f8 (after ...Re8) and ...Ne6-d4. ]

11...cxd5 12.cxd5 bd7 13."e2White has a slight positional advantage, dueto his bishop pair, and can improve hiskingside with h3-h4. a6 14. d2 #fc8 15.h4

h5

[ Black can also try playing for the queensideinitiative with 15...b5 . The problem is thatWhite’s queenside is just too solid and, after a move like 16.a3! , I don’t see manyprospects for Black. Furthermore, Whitecan consider playing Na2-b4, aiming for thehole at c6, with a nice advantage. ]

16. g2! The bishop is useless on f3. so Whitereroutes it to the h3-c8 diagonal, which isgoing to be annoying for Black. $h7 17. h3

"b4 18.f3!?

[ Defending the b2-pawn with 18.#ab1!?is possible too. However, as we’ll see inthe next note, Black can’t capture on b2anyway, so White takes the chance tooverprotect his centre, while creating theoption of a later g3-g4. ]

18..."c4 [ After 18..." xb2 19.#ab1 " a3 20.#xb7 #d8 21.g4! , White’s advantage is close todecisive, as Black’s position is verypassive.The text move is a better try for Black,though the resulting endgame is ultimatelyhopeless. White has the bishop pair andthe pleasant choice of opening the positionon either side of the board. The techniqueemployed by GM Roiz is worth studying. ]

19.#ac1 #c7 20."xc4 #xc4 21.b3 #c7 22. a4 Simple and clear. Trading rooks off isan important part of White’s strategy to winthis endgame, as it is then harder for Black to

defend his queenside weaknesses as well asthe vulnerable d6-pawn. #ac8 23.#xc7 #xc7 24.#c1 #xc1+ 25. xc1 So the first step iscompleted: rooks are off the board. b5?!This probably makes things easier for White.



Black will find it difficult to defend hisqueenside as he is unable to contest the lightsquares. The other key factor is the bishop ong7, which is out of play. 26. b2 h6Black tries to improve his bishop, but... 27. g5! A nice move by White! Black’s bishopis still out of play and he can’t take on g5. $g7

[ After 27... ! xg5? 28.hxg5 , Black wouldlose one of his knights. ]

28. d3 a5?! Black tries to stop White fromplaying Nb4, but every time he advances apawn, his queenside position becomesweaker. 29.b4 a4

[ Taking on b4 is not an improvement for Black: 29...axb4 30.xb4 b6 31. ! f1!

c4 32. ! xh6+ ( or 32.a4 ) 32...$xh6 33. ! xc4 bxc4 34.a4 and White is winning. ]

30. c1 Now the b5-pawn becomes the main

target and this is going to fall sooner or later (after Ne2-c3, Bf1), so White is basicallywinning already. b6 31. xh6+ $xh6 32. e2 c4 33. c3 a3 34. f1 c2 35. xb5 e8

[ 35...xb4 36.xd6 wins as well. ] 36.a3 $g7 37.$f2 $f8 38. d3 a1 39. c3 Black loses a second pawn andtherefore resigns.This is definitely a game worth studying,because White attained a solid advantage

without taking any risks. A nice positionalperformance by GM Roiz!1-0

E62Khismatullin,DGabdrakhmanov,R

Nezhmetdinov Memorial, Kazan (Game 32)[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 d6 3.

f3 g6 4.g3 g7 5. g2 0-0 6.0-0 c6 7. c3 "a5 8.e4 "h5This is Black’s consistent follow-up to ...Qa5,intending to attack on the kingside and play ...Bh3, if given the chance. Unfortunately... 9. g5! After this move, proposing theexchange of queens, there is simply no attackfor Black. The resulting queenlessmiddlegame is much better for White, as hehas a strong centre and a clear space

advantage. By now, you should know that thisis my favourite type of position in theFianchetto System: one in which White playsfor an advantage without any risks. "xd1Black has nothing better.

[ If he avoids the queen trade with 9... ! g4, White gets a big advantage after thesimple 10.f3! ! c8 11.g4 " h4 12.h3and Black’s queen is in trouble as it caneasily get trapped on the kingside. ] [ Alternatively, 9...h6 is, I think, a rather useless response for Black, because hisknight on h5 is now going to be out of play,and the pawn move weakens his kingsideslightly. After 10." xh5 xh5 11.f3 ! e6 12.d5 ! d7 13.#e1!? (as we are used toseeing, White’s position keeps improvinglittle by little, and now the advance e4-e5becomes a possibility) a6 , I like howWhite slowly choked his opponent intosubmission in V.Burmakin-H.Westerinen,Sort 2006: 14. ! d2 b4 15.#ab1 $h7 16.a3 d3 17.#e3 e5 18.xe5 ! xe5

19.e2 cxd5 20.f4 d4 (changing the gameinto a Maróczy Bind pawn structure) 21.#d3 ! g7 22.xd4 #ac8 23.b3 a6 24.a4 #fe8 25.#e1 (now that any counterplay on thequeenside has been stifled, White turns hisfull attention to the e5 break) b6 26.e5 dxe5 27.fxe5 #ed8 28. ! b4! (homing in onBlack’s weak e7-pawn) ! f8 29.#ed1 ! g4 30.#1d2 a5 31. ! a3 g7 32.c6 #xd3 33.#xd3 ! f5 34.#d2 e6 35. ! xe7 c5 36. ! xf8 #xf8 37.#d6 xb3 38.e7 ! e6

39.d5 (and now Black loses a pawn) c5 40.xb6 #b8 41. ! d5 $g7 42. ! xe6 xe6 43.$f2 c5 44.$e3 #b7 45.$d4 e6+ 46.$d5 #e7 47.#d7 #e8 48.c5 #b8 49.$c4 $f8 50.$b5 #e8 51.c6 #e7 52.#xe7 $xe7 53.d5+ $d8 54.$xa5 c5 55.$b5 d3 56.$b6 xe5 57.c7+ $d7 58.$b7 and Black resigned. GMBurmakin sure made this look easy. ]

10.#xd1 e5 11.d5 c5 Closing the positionseems like the best choice for Black.

[ The alternatives offer less chance of equality: 11...h6 12.f3 cxd5 13.cxd5 ! d7 14.d2(the c4-square is key in this variation as itfunctions like a hole for our knight) #c8 15. ! f1 ! f8 16.f3 a6 17.c4 b4 18.e3 h7 19.h4 ! e7 20. ! d2 f5 21.a3 a6 22.exf5 gxf5 23. ! b5 ! xb5 24.xb5 #f8 25.g4 fxg4 26.fxg4 and White hasmore space on both sides of the board, P.

Leko-S.Mamedyarov, Dortmund 2010. ] [ 11...cxd5 12.cxd5 a6 13.a4 bd7 ( after 13...a5?! 14.f3 a6 15.d2 c5 16.c4 ! d8 17."e3 , Black’s position is fullof holes ) 14.a5 gives White a clear



advantage, with better prospects on thequeenside. ]

12.a3 I like this natural-looking move. Whiteprepares Rb1 and b2-b4. e8 13.b4White continues his queenside expansion. d7 14.#b1 b6 15. b5! Black’s position isnot easy to play. All his pieces are passiveand it is difficult to find a clear plan, whereasWhite has more space and, as usual, a risk-free advantage. df6 16.#e1 Defending thee4-pawn so that the g5-knight can return to f3. h6 17. f3 d7 18. d2 h7 19.a4!Preparing to create extra targets to attack onthe queenside with a4-a5. h5 20.#b3Giving himself the option of either doublingrooks on the b-file or swinging the king’s rookacross to a1. f6 21.#a1 $g7 22.a5 xb5Black goes for an active defence instead of

playing a passive position after [ Black tries for some activity (albeit in vain),rather than defend a passive position after

22... ! d8 ; for example, 23.axb6 ( or first 23."e3 ) 23... ! xb6 24.bxc5 ! xc5 25.e1, followed by Nd3, and White has a bigedge. ]

23.cxb5 c7 24.bxc5 dxc5 [ After 24...bxc5 25.#ab1 , the white b-pawnis going to be unstoppable. ]

25. c3 #fe8 26. d2! White calls the shots

and gradually improves his position, whileBlack has failed to obtain any counterplay. h4 27. c4 hxg3 28.hxg3 g5 29.f4

[ 29.d6 ce6 30.axb6 axb6 31.#xa8 #xa8 32.f4 , and if exf4 then 33. ! xf6+! $xf6 34.e5+ , was another, perhaps slightly faster,way to win. ]

29...exf4 30. xf6+ $xf6 31.axb6 [ Or again 31.e5+ , followed by 32 gxf4 and33 d6. ]

31...axb6 32.#xa8 #xa8 33.gxf4 The rest isquite easy for White.

#

a1+ 34.$

h2 h7 35. xb6 #c1 36.d6 e6 37. d5+ $g7 38.b6 c4 39.b7 cxb3 40.b8"1-0

E62Dautov,RMoreno Carnero,J

German League (Game 33) 2005

[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 c6 6.0-0 d6 7. c3 "b6 As GM Stohl says: "This queen sortie still

remains a rare guest in tournament practice,although it’s not quite clear what is White’sbest reaction." This move is similar to 7...Qa5,in that Black has the option of playing ...Qa6there too. One of the main differences I cansee is that Black puts extra pressure onWhite’s d4- and b2-pawns.

8.e3 Probably not the main move in thisposition, but I still like it. White overprotectshis centre and keeps the long diagonal openfor the g2-bishop.

[ Instead, 8.h3 " a6 leads to a positionbriefly mentioned in Game 31, but against7...Qa5 we are playing 8 e4, rather than 8h3. ] [ The trouble after 7...Qb6 is that 8.e4can be met by ! g4! , and if 9.h3(as in Game 31), then ! xf3 10. ! xf3 fd7

, when the pressure on d4 disrupts White’ssmooth development, given that 11. ! e3!? " xb2 would involve a slightly speculativepawn sacrifice.The text move takes a lot of the tactics outof the position, enabling White to build upslowly and play e3-e4 at a more convenientmoment, albeit at the cost of a tempo. ]

8...#e8 A flexible response by Black, retaininghis available options. He can decide later onwhether to hit back with ...d5, ...e5, or maybe

...Qa6. [ Let us take a look at Black’s alternatives: 8... ! f5 (with the now familiar idea of playing...Ne4 in order to trade off some pieces) 9.h4! ! e6 10.b3 a5 11. ! d2 ! d7 12.#c1gave White a slight advantage in J.GomezEsteban-J.Moreno Carnero, Suances1997. ] [ 8... ! e6 9.b3 d5 (this looks like a freeingmanoeuvre for Black; on the other hand, thea3-f8 diagonal is now open, which White cantry and exploit) 10.e5 a6 11. ! a3 " a5 12." c1 and White has the better prospects,especially on the queenside, A.Y.Kharitonov-S.Iskusnyh, Russian Cup 1997. ] [ 8...bd7 9.#e1 e5 10.a4 (drivingBlack’s queen from b6 is a good idea as itallows White to build a strong centre with e4after all) " c7 11.e4 b5 ( alternatively, 11...exd4 12.xd4 e5 13.b3 is similar topositions examined in Chapter Six; in

particular, compare 11...Re8 in the notes toGame 45 ) 12.cxb5 cxb5 13.c3 a6 14. ! d2 ! b7 15.#c1 and White has a slightplus, H.Stock-H.Bergman, World SeniorsChampionship, Rowy 2000. ]



9. d2! A deep move by White. First of all, hestops Black from playing ...d5; and secondly,the c4-square will be useful for the knight in alot of variations;

[ for instance, after a later c4-c5, or following 9.d2 e5 10.d5 cxd5 11.cxd5 . ]

9... a6 [ If I were Black, I would develop my bishopfirst: 9... ! f5 10.b3 ( 10.h3 was played inZ.Izoria-D.G.Petrosian, Yerevan 2004, but Ithink White can improve on this ) 10...a6

11.e4 ! g4 12." e1 ( 12.f3 is less accurate,as after "e6 13.# e2 b4 , the threat of ...Nxa2 is a bit unpleasant ) , and I believeWhite has a slight advantage; note that

12...b4?? loses material after 13.a4! . ] 10.a3 Preparing a queenside expansion withb2-b4. e5

[ Black had already played this positionbefore. Here he tries to improve on K.Aseev-J.Moreno Carnero, European Championship,Ohrid 2001, which continued 10...c5 11.d5

" a5 12.#e1 ! d7 13.#b1 #ab8 14.h3 e6 15.dxe6 ! xe6 16." c2 h5 17.#d1 #bd8 18.e4 , when White achieved a solid andstable spatial edge, which was further enhanced by Black’s weak pawn on d6. ]

11.d5 Dautov increases his space advantage. [ He could also try 11.c5 " d8 ( or 11...dxc5

12.dxe5! , followed by Nc4 ) 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.b4 , when White is slightly better. He canlook to plonk a knight on d6 via c4 or e4,while Black’s knight on a6 is now rather misplaced. ]

11...cxd5 12.cxd5 White does not want totrade pieces.

[ The text is much stronger than taking withthe knight, when 12.xd5 xd5 13. ! xd5

c7 14. ! g2 ! e6 gives Black a comfortableposition. ]

12...

g4 13."

c2#

ac8 14.e4 d7 15.

b3 h5 16. e3 "d8 17.h3 As we have seenbefore, h2-h3 is often useful in the FianchettoSystem. It consolidates the kingside (Whitecan always play Kh2 if required) and securesthe dark-squared bishop by preventing any ...Ng4 ideas. a4?! This active-looking move isactually misguided; Black shouldn’t give uphis bishop pair. 18."d1! #xc3 Once again, Iwould like to share GM Stohl words: "Hardly

sufficient or fully correct, but this is thelogical consequence of Black’s previous move."

[ But otherwise 18... ! xb3 19." xb3 ] [ or 18...c5 19.xa4 xa4 20." e2

gives White a clear advantage, with thebishop pair and strong pressure on thequeenside. ]

19.bxc3 d7 20."b1 h4 21. d2White is now the exchange up with a solidposition, and his advantage should bedecisive in the long run. ac5 22. f3 f6

23.c4 "e7 24.$h2 $g7 [ 24...hxg3+ 25.fxg3 just helps White byopening the f-file his rook. ]

25.gxh4!? Here White takes unnecessaryrisks.

[ Simply 25.g4 keeps the kingside closed,and White’s material advantage should havethe final word. ]

25... xh4 26. xh4 "xh4 27.f4 #h8 28.fxe5 xe5 29. xc5 dxc5 30."xb7 d7 31."b2

[ The careless 31." c7? would allow Black tosave himself with " g5! 32.#a2 ! xh3! 33. ! xh3 #xh3+! 34.$xh3 " g4+ 35.$h2 " h4+ and despite his two extra rooks, Whitecannot avoid perpetual check. ]

31...f6 32."c3 g5 33.#xf6? This time,perhaps in time trouble, White justmiscalculates.

[ After 33.#ab1 , and if g4 then 34." g3, he could expect to consolidate. ]

33... g4+!

[ White’s idea was 33...$xf6? 34.#f1+and wins, but Black doesn’t have to take therook. ]

34.$g1 xf6 35.e5 e4? Black returns thefavour with a final, fatal mistake.

[ He could have hoped to survive after 35... ! xh3! 36.exf6+ $f7 37. ! xh3 ( or 37.# e5 "xg2 38.# e6+ $g6 39.f7+ $g7 40.# e5+ $xf7 41.# f5+ with perpetualcheck ) 37..." xh3 38." xh3 #xh3and the rook endgame should be drawn. ]

36.

xe4 Now Black is devoid of counterplay. xh3

[ Also futile is 36..." xe4 37.e6+ $g6 38.#e1 and all Black’s pieces are en prise atonce. ]

37.e6+ $g8 38."f3 f5 A last ditch try. [ Otherwise 38..." g4+ 39." xg4 ! xg4 40.#f1 , followed by 41 e7, wins quickly. ]

39."xf5 "g3+ 40.$f1 . Black cannot createany more threats and therefore resigns.

1-0



E62Grachev,BManolache,M

European Ch., Aix-les-Bains (Game 34) 2011[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2. f3 g6 3.c4 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 c6 6. c3 d6 7.0-0 f5 This movehas been played by strong GMs like Michael Adams, Gata Kamsky and Dmitry Andreikin.It’s reminiscent of Games 22 and 23 at thestart of the previous chapter, where Blackplayed 6...Nc6 and 7...Bf5, intending to followup with ...Ne4 and trade some pieces off,while stopping White from playing e4 straightaway.White does best to react in the same way asin the earlier line: 8. e1! "c8

[ Black can also try playing the standardKing’s Indian’s counter with 8...e5, but White will be pleased to see the g7-bishop’s diagonal closed. G.Kasparov-M. Adams, New York (rapid) 1995, continued 9.d5 cxd5 10.cxd5 a6 11.e4(White builds up a strong centre and a bigspace advantage; his e1-knight is ideallyplaced, able to go to either d3 or c2; for example, after Nd3, it aids in the control of both queenside and kingside) ! d7 12.d3

" e7 13.a4! (restricting the d7-bishop andcontesting the b5-square; a future Nb5 willbe annoying for Black) #fc8 14. ! d2 c5

15.xc5 #xc5 16.a5 , followed by Qb3 witha solid advantage, which Kasparov dulyconverted. ]

9.e4 h3 10.f3 If you recall, I adopted thesame formation in my game with Disconzi daSilva (see Game 22 in the previous chapter). xg2 11.$xg2 bd7 12. e3 a6Playing ...c6, ...a6 and ...b5 is a standard planin the King’s Indian Defence, particularly inthe Sämisch Variation with f2-f3. In thisprecise position, however, White is able topre-empt that idea with his next move,creating a hole on the b6-square, after which ...b5 won’t be as good anymore.

[ Instead, after 12...e5 13.d5 , Black hasblocked his King’s Indian bishop’s diagonalonce more, making it harder for him tocreate counterplay. ]

13.c5! White poun

ces on the b6 weaknessand defuses the ...b5 advance. dxc5 [ Now 13...b5?! would just hand White astrong positional advantage after 14.cxb6

xb6 15." e2 ]

14.dxc5 #d8 15."e2 I like this move; frome2 the white queen oversees control of boththe kingside and queenside. "c7 16. c2!?Slightly committal, as it’s not clear whichsquare is best for this knight just at themoment.

[ Instead, White could seize space on thekingside at once with 16.f4 f8 ( or 16...e5 17.f5 ) 17.h3! , followed by Nf3 with thebetter prospects. ]

16... h5 17.f4 xc3 It seems wrong to tradea bishop for a knight in an open position – especially the Indian bishop – but Black hasto obtain some counterplay somewhere, andthis move at least wrecks White’s queensidepawn structure. 18.bxc3 "a5 19.f5White can’t slow down here. If he defends c3,he will lose the initiative.

[ For example, 19." c4?! would be met by " b5! , and the exchange of queens givesBlack a favourable endgame due to hissuperior pawn structure. ]

19... hf6? [ Having said “a”, Black should say “b” andtake the pawn. Although it is clearly risky togive tempi away (i.e. 19..." xc3 20. ! d4 " a5 ) when the king is in danger, there is noobvious forced loss, and Black might yetdefend with ...Qb5-c4 or even take on c5 as

well. ] 20.e5! White keeps the pressure on. As justmentioned, it is important to maintain theinitiative here, rather than worry aboutmaterial parity. xe5?! This exchange of e-pawns only weakens the dark squares further.

[ Black should probably resort to 20...h5 21. ! d4 e6 , when he has at least managedto close the long diagonal, although 22.e3and Nc4 shows that his position is full of other dark-squared holes. ] [ 20...d5 would run into 21.e6! . ]

21. d4 The opening of the long diagonalallows the bishop to show its strength. ed7

22."xe7 #e8 23."d6 #e2+ 24.$h1Black’s brief activity comes to nothing. Thewhite king is perfectly safe, whereas Black’sown is in terrible danger. g5 Trying to keepthe f-file closed.

[ 24...#xc2 would lose at once to 25.fxg6 hxg6 26.#xf6 ]

[ while bringing the queen back with 24..." d8doesn’t help, as after 25.fxg6 " e8 26.$g1!, White has an irresistible attack ( but not 26."xf6?? # e4+ and Black mates! )]

25. xf6 xf6 26."xf6 #xc2 Material is still



roughly equal and, given a free move, Blackmight even defend. As it is, the weakness of his king is of course the decisive factor. 27."xg5+ $h8 28."f6+ $g8 29.#f4 h5

[ Or 29...$f8 30." d6+ $g8 31.#g4+and mates. ]

30."g5+ $f8 31."h6+ $g8 32.f6. Checkmate is inevitable, so Black resigns.1-0

E62Wojtkiewicz,AMrva,M

FIDE Zonal, Krynica (Game 35) 1998[Damian Lemos]

1. f3 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0

5.d4 d6 6.0-0 g4 I am a King's Indianplayer and I don't like offering the light-squared bishop. My reason is simple: theposition is going to be open sooner or later therefore White's bishop pair will make thedifference 7. c3 "c8 The plan of ...Qc8 and...Bh3 looks a bit slow to me, and in fact Blacksoon elects not to pursue it further.

[ Note that 7...Qc8 represents a deviation inthis chapter, in which Black supposedlyplays ...d6 and ...c6. Here 7...c6 returns to

that theme and is the subject of the nextgame ]

[ while 7...c6 transposes to the SimaginVariation, covered in Chapter Four (seeGame 24). ]

8. e1!? Of course we have seen this knightmanoeuvre before: in the previous game andin Chapter Four. (I played it myself in Game22.) If you think about it, we don’t need the g2-bishop if Black is going to play ...Bh3xg2anyway. So, Ne1-c2, and possibly f3 and e4,looks like a good idea, building up a strongcentre. c6 9. c2 From c2, the knightdefends d4 and prepares a queensideexpansion. e5 10.d5 a5?! Black’s knight isgoing to be misplaced on the edge.

[ 10...e7 was better. ] 11.b3 b6 12.f3 d7

[ Black refrains from trading bishops after all,as 12... ! h3 13.e4 ! xg2 14.$xg2doesn’t change the fundamental issues:

White has a large space advantage and thebest bishop. ] 13.e4 h5 If Black wants to get somecounterplay, he should look on the kingside.

[ Otherwise, if he tries something like 13...c6

now, White just takes with 14.dxc6and the d6-pawn becomes a chronicweakness. ]

14. d2 a6 [ The immediate and natural 14...f5could be simply met by 15.exf5 gxf5 ( after 15..."xf5 16.e4 , Black’s g7-bishopremains shut in ) 16." e2 and White hasnumerous possibilities, such b4 or f4, or the centralizing Rae1, bringing all hispieces into the game. ]

15."e2 b7 16.b4 Played to restrict Black’sb7-knight, while gaining more space on thequeenside. "e8 17.a3!

[ White has to be careful with his pawnadvances. One more step, 17.a4, and Black would obtain the c5-square hisknight after a5! . ]

17...f5 18.

e1 The closed nature of theposition and White’s spatial plus means thathe can afford to “waste” some tempiimproving his pieces. From d3, the knight willcontrol the centre and prepare c5 to priseopen Black’s queenside. f6 19. h3 A change of plans! White frees the g2-squarefor the knight to support f4 instead. g7

[ Taking on e4 cannot be recommended:after 19...fxe4?! 20. ! xd7 " xd7 ( or 20...exf3 21."xe8 fxe2 22.! xf6! xf6

23."c6 with two strong bishops ) 21.xe4, White has a nice positional edge. ]

20. g2 "e7 21.f4 White has more spaceand superior development, so opening up theposition makes a lot of sense. g5?This move creates a lot of action, but I don’tthink Black has the coordination to pull it off successfully, especially as his b7-knight is stillout of the game.

[ Mobilizing his forces with 21...exf4 22.xf4 #ae8 23.#ae1 d8 looks like a better plan,when Black has good defensive chances. ] [ Note that, after 21...exf4 22.xf4 #ae8 23.#ae1 , trying to win a pawn by ! xc3? 24. ! xc3 fxe4 would be a mistake on allgrounds due to 25. ! e6+! and Black actuallyloses a pawn (on e4), since ! xe6 ( or 25...xe6 26.dxe6 "c6 27.b5 ) 26.dxe6 xe6 fails to 27." xe4 bd8 28.d5 " d7 29." h 4 . ]

22.fxg5 It is imperative for White to keep the

a1-h8 diagonal closed. Besides, after 22 fxg5,the f5-pawn becomes a target. xg5 23. xg5 "xg5 24. h4! At first sight, the positionmight seem fairly balanced, but more carefulinspection reveals that White’s pin on the h3-



d7 diagonal is too much for Black to bear;exf5 followed by Ne4 is the key threat. a5

[ 24...#f7 doesn’t look like an major improvement, as after 25.exf5 ! xf5 ( or

25...xf5 26.e4 ) 26.xf5 xf5 27.#xf5! ( not yet 27.e4?! due to # e3+ ) 27...#xf5 28.e4 " g6 29. ! xf5 " xf5 30.#f1, White has a decisive attack. ]

25.exf5 xf5 [ 25...xf5 26. ! xf5 ! xf5 27.#xf5!comes to the same thing. ]

26. xf5 xf5 27.#xf5! #xf5 28. e4 After this simple tactic, White wins materialand the rest is easy. axb4

[ Or if 28..." h5 , then 29.f6+ . ] 29. xg5 #xg5 30."d2 #g4 31. f5 $h8 32."d1 #xc4 33.axb4 #f8 34."h5 #xb4 35."g5

1-0

E62Romanishin,OForster,Ri

Elista Olympiad (Game 36) 1998[Damian Lemos]

1. f3 f6 2.g3 g6 3. g2 g7 4.d4 0-0 5.c4 c6 6. c3 d6 7.0-0 g4

As I mentioned in the previous game, I don’tlike giving up the bishop pair as Black in theKing’s Indian. Playing ...e5 is part of Black’sstrategy, and if White closes the position withd4-d5, the Bg7 will become a bad bishop. 8.h3 xf3 9. xf3 bd7 10. g2 The bishopretreats again to defend the kingside. Oneimportant concept we have to remember hereis that White’s plans are flexible with his pawnon e2; there’s no pressing need to play e4,blocking the g2-bishop’s diagonal. "a5

[ The natural 10...e5 11.d5 c5 ( after 11...cxd5 12.xd5 ! c8 13.b3 e4 14.! b1, White has a big positional advantage withthe bishop pair, not to mention theweakness on d6 ) 12.#b1 favours White,who has greater mobility and more concreteoptions. White is able to play on both sidesof the board with a3 and b4, or e4 and f4. Another good idea involves e4, Bf3 and h4-h5 to claim more space on the kingside. Yes,

I know the bishop has just returned to g2from f3; this is a long-term plan for themiddlegame. ]

11. d2 "a6 12.b3 Here we can appreciate akey advantage of the Fianchetto System:

White gets the edge with natural moves. d5!?Opening lines in the centre favours Whitebecause he has the bishop pair. Nevertheless,I think this is a good try for Black.

[ If he goes instead for 12...e5 13.d5, he'll hardly find any counterplay, whereasWhite will keep on seizing space. ]

13.cxd5 xd5 [ 13...cxd5 14.a4!? leaves the black queenon a6 misplaced. A long-term plan is Re1,e3 and Bf1, increasing the queensidepressure. ]

14.e3 xc3 Black wants to trade somepieces off in order to equalize.

[ If instead 14...7b6 , White can keep morepieces on board with 15.e4 and, as usual,the bishop pair counts. ]

15. xc3 "b6

[ 15...c5 is an interesting alternative,although it makes the g2-bishop stronger. After 16." f3 , I think White has the edge. ] [ Not 15...e5?! 16.d5 cxd5 17." xd5and White wins a healthy pawn. ]

16."d2 a5 17.#ab1! When you have thebishop pair, you should open the position up.With 17 Rab1, White prepares a queensideexpansion. This position reminds me of the“minority attack” White often plays in theQueen’s Gambit Declined, Exchange

Variation. #

fd8 18.b4 a4 [ 18...axb4? 19. ! xb4 ]

19.#fc1 [ 19." e2 looks like a slight improvement,getting the queen off the d-file whereBlack’s rook is placed. Then e5 can be metby 20.b5 and White has a seriousqueenside initiative. ]

19...e5 Now Black creates some counterplayon the half-open file. 20.d5 f6 21. xe5

xd5 22. xg7 $xg7 23."b2+ $g8 [ Black would prefer to play 23...f6 ,

A) so as to meet 24.b5 with " xb5 25." xb5 cxb5 26.#xb5 #d2 27.#xb7 #xa2 , when the passed a-pawn shouldn’tbe underestimated. ( 27...-- );

B) Unfortunately, White switches the playwith 24.g4! and Black has fatal problemswith his pinned knight; for example, after

g5 ( or 24...a3 25.# a1! ) 25.h4 h6 26.hxg5 hxg5 27.#c 5 . ]

24.b5 c5 [ Other ways of meeting the minority attackare worse: 24...cxb5 25." xb5 " xb5 26.#xb5and Black can’t avoid losing a pawn. ]



[ 24...#ac8 25.bxc6 " xb2 26.#xb2 bxc6 27.#c5 and White has a clear advantage, asa4 and c6 are clear targets. ]

25.a3!? White plays it the safe way and I likeit.

[ Rybka prefers 25." e5 b4 26." e7 xa2 27.#xc5 , but after #e8 28." c7 " xc7 29.#xc7 #ac8! , all the queenside pawnswill be exchanged (for example, 30.#xb7

c3 31.#a1 #b8 32.#a3 #xb7 33. ! xb7 xb5 34.#xa4 ), making White’s task of converting his extra pawn very difficult. ]

25...#d7 26.#c4 "c7? [ Black should prefer 26...c7 with a stilldefensible position, though White maintainsthe initiative after 27." e5 e6 28. ! d 5 . ]

27.b6 "d6 28."b5 It is instructive to seehow White keeps making progress, while

Black is simply unable to generate counterplay.Now the c5-pawn falls, together with Black’sresistance. #ad8 29."xc5 With an extrapawn and a strong bishop, the rest is easy for White. "f6 30.#d4 e7 31. xb7!The plan begun with 17 Rab1! has beensuccessful and the passed b6-pawn is nowdecisive. #xd4 32.exd4 f5 33. g2 xd4 34.b7 $g7 35.b8" e2+ 36.$h2. A fine technical display by Romanishin.1-0




Chapter Six

The King’s Indian: ...Nbd7 and ...e5

The ...Nbd7 and ...e7-e5 system represents the King’s Indian in its purest form. In contrast to White’s desire to keep

the game positional, Black wants to play dynamically and tactically.Lemos-Bitalzadeh and Akopian-Avrukh are

good examples of this theme. In my opinion, Black has a short-term initiative by initiating early central tension. On

the other hand, White has the long-term positional advantage, enhanced by his solid structure.

Black can also try playing the Gallagher Variation with ...a6/...Rb8/...c5 in order to obtain counterplay on the

queenside with ...b5, as in Tregubov-Mamedov. If he plays in the Old Indian Defence fashion with ...c6/...a6/...b5,

as in Dautov-Sutovsky, I think that 11 c5! confers White a big edge, as it triggers the collapse of Black’s centre.

You should study the game motifs carefully, as it is much easier to play when you know the ideas beforehand,

rather than find the moves over the board with time constraints.

Finally, in the remaining four games (L’Ami-Hendricks, Bradford-Bonin, etc), the ...Qa5/...exd4/...Ne5 line is

discussed. This system requires some accuracy by White, since we have to play Bf1, usually leaving the f3-square

unprotected. Nevertheless, White has a lot of resources to handle Black’s threats and I believe that, once again,

White’s bishop pair is good enough for an advantage.

Game 37

D.Lemos A.Bitalzadeh, Palau 2009

Game 38

V.Akopian-B.Avrukh, Amsterdam 2005

Game 39

R.Vaganian-R.Polzin, German League 2003

Game 40

Kir.Georgiev-Z.Ilincic, Boskovic Memorial, Belgrade 2000

Game 41

V.Topalov-M.Apicella, Yerevan Olympiad 1996

Game 42

P.Tregubov-R.Mamedov, Dubai 2002

Game 43

S.Lputian-M.Krasenkow, FIDE World Championship, Moscow 2001

Game 44

R.Dautov-E.Sutovsky, Bad Homburg 1997

Game 45

A.Karpov-J.Lautier, Biel 1990

Game 46

E.L’Ami-W.Hendriks, Hoogeveen 2010

Game 47

J.Bradford-J.Bonin, US Championship, Stillwater 2007

Game 48

V.Ivanchuk-T.Radjabov, Nice (blindfold rapid) 2009



V.Ivanchuk-T.Radjabov, Nice (blindfold rapid) 2009

Game 49

R.Dautov-V.Georgiev, European Team Championship, Batumi 1999

Index of Variations

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 g3 Bg7 4 Bg2 0-0 5 Nf3 d6 6 0-0 Nbd7 7 Nc3 e5 8 h3 c6

8...a6 9 dxe5 – Vaganian-Polzin8...exd4 9 Nxd4 Nb6 10 b3

10...c5 – Lemos-Bitalzadeh

10...d5 – Akopian-Avrukh

8...Re8 9 e4 exd4 10 Nxd4

10...c6 – 8...c6

10...a6 – Tregubov-Mamedov

10...Nc5 11 Re1

11...a5 – Georgiev-Ilincic

11...Bd7 – Topalov-Apicella

9 e4 Qa5

9...exd4 10 Nxd4 Re8 – Lputian-Krasenkow

9...a6 – Dautov-Sutovsky9...Qb6 – Karpov-Lautier

10 Re1 exd4 11 Nxd4 Ne5 12 Bf1 Re8

12...Be6 13 Nxe6 fxe6

14 Kg2 – L’Ami-Hendriks

14 Be3 – Bradford-Bonin

13 Be3

13...Be6 – Ivanchuk-Radjabov

13...c5 – Dautov-Georgiev




E67Lemos,DBitalzadeh,A

Palau (Game 37) 2009[Damian Lemos]

In this game, my opponent had prepared thewhole opening through to the middlegame, but

the Fianchetto System proved to be extremelysturdy. 1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0 5. c3 d6 6. f3 bd7 7.0-0 e5So here we have the King’s Indian in its purestform, where Black plays ...Nbd7 followed by ...e5. If you compare Fianchetto System withother King’s Indian variations, you will seethat Black doesn’t get his usual kingsideattacking chances. 8.h3 As previously

mentioned, h2-h3 is very often useful with our fianchetto formation, as it protects thekingside and prevents moves like ...Ng4 or ...Bg4.

[ White can also try 8.e4 here, but 8 h3 ismore flexible as it leaves the g2-bishop’sdiagonal open for the time being. Thisenables us to avoids lines such as a6, followed by ...b5. ]

8...exd4 [ Black can delay 8...exd4 too, having several

other possibilities – 8...a6 ] [ 8...c6 ] [ 8...e8 – which we’ll examine later in thischapter. ]

9. xd4 b6!? Black intends to free hisposition by playing ...c5 and probably ...d5.Then White has to be careful about tactics onthe a1-h8 diagonal, although the Ra1 will beprotected after White plays Nc2.

[ Here 9...e8 10.e4 would transpose to 8...Re8 lines. ]

10.b3 c5 [ The main alternative is 10...d5 , which isthe subject of the next game. ]

11. c2 e6 Black has to prepare ...d5 as hecannot play it immediately.

[ After 11...d5? 12.cxd5 !bxd5 13.!xd5 !xd5 14." xd5 , as just indicated, thea1-rook is now protected by the knight. ]

12. b2 "d7 13.#h2 d5 So far both sideshave played natural moves and Black

managed to achieve the ...d5 break. All thesame, he hasn’t equalized yet. 14. xd5 bxd5 15.cxd5 xd5 16. xg7 #xg7Now, after a couple of trades, the positiondoes seem to be equal. Nevertheless, White

has a slight advantage, in my opinion; he willhave the stronger centre after playing e4, aswell as the ability to attack on the kingsidewith f4-f5. 17."d2 This move prepares the e4advance and guards the c3- and b4-squares.

[ The immediate 17.e4 is also worthconsidering, and if !e7 then 18." f3, followed by Qc3 and f4-f5. The resultingposition is better for White, who has goodattacking chances on the kingside. ]

17...$fd8 18.$ad1 I just wanted to make sureall my pieces were in play before advancingthe e-pawn.

[ After analysing the position further, I thinkWhite can play this move without further preparation: 18.e4 !f6 19." f4 and, giventhe chance, I would choose White. ]

18..."b5

[ 18..." e7 looks like a solid alternative for Black, but after 19.e4 !c7 20." c3+ #g8 21.f4 , I still prefer White’s position, as thesubsequent kingside expansion will beannoying for Black. ]

19.e4 b4 Black opts for an activecontinuation.

[ After 19...!e7 20." c3+ , followed by Ne3and f4, White again has good play on thekingside. ]

20."c3+ #g8 21. xb4 cxb4

[ The endgame after 21..." xb4 22." xb4 cxb4 23.e5 is difficult for Black. ]

22."f6 $xd1 23.$xd1 a5 Black presses onon the queenside, even though his king isvery vulnerable. Therefore, I decided to openlines on the kingside with f4-f5. 24.f4 a4

25.f5 It is very important to remember that,very often, material is not as relevant as theinitiative. Here Black’s king is going to beextremely exposed. gxf5 26."g5+This check looks great, but it's actuallyinaccurate.

[ It was better to insert 26.bxa4! , hoping todeflect Black’s queen or rook from kingsidedefence.

A) 26...xa4?? 27.d8+ mates straightaway;

B) while after 26..." xa4? 27.d8+ xd8 28." xd8+ #g7 29." g5+ #f8 ( or 29...h8 30.exf5 !xa2 31.f6 and it’smate in one ) 30.exf5 $ xa2 31.f6

, threatening Qc5+ or Qg7+, Black’sposition is hopeless.; C) Black would have to abandon the pawnwith 26..." c5 , though after 27.d4, he would have find a succession of “only



moves” in order just to survive: f4! 28.gxf4 h6! 29.d3 #h7 and yet is still somewhatworse; for example, 30." b2 " c4 31.g3 g8 32.xg8 #xg8 33." f2 , since " xa2? loses to 34." g3+ #f8(or anywhere) 35.f5 $ c4 36.f6and mate follows. ]

26...#f8 [ 26...#h8 27." f6+ #g8 repeats theposition, when we can return to 28.bxa4!as in the previous note. ]

27."h6+ #g8 28.bxa4?! [ Now I probably should have played 28.exf5 " xf5 29.bxa4 , since $ xa2? loses to 30.d4! followed by Rg4, but I didn’t wantBlack’s queen to come to the rescue of theking. ]

28..."xa4 29."g5+ White always has the

perpetual check in hand, but winning is adifferent story as there are only a fewattacking pieces left. #f8 30."h6+ #g8 31.$d2 "b5 32."g5+ #f8 33.exf5Now Black should equalize with accurate play,but I was unable to see any other way toimprove my position. "xf5 34."h4 $xa2 35."xb4+ #g7?? Just as Black was gettingclose to a draw, he blunders a piece.

[ Going to g8 was the only option. After 35...#g8 36.d8+ ( 36." xa2 !xa2

37.# xb7 !e6 is clearly drawish ) 36...#g7, White appears to have a strong attack, butI was unable to find a winning variation here,while Black threatens to win himself with ...Qxh3+; for instance, 37." f8+ #f6 38." h8+

#e7 39." f8+ #f6 is just perpetual check. ] 36.$xa2 xa2 37."b2+ Now White is apiece up and the win should be a matter of technique. The main plan is to trade queensoff, after which it's all over. "f6 38."xa2 b6 39."a4 "b2 40."g4+ #f8 41."f5 h6 42.h4

#

g7 43.#

h3"

a1 44.

d5"

a7 45."e5+ #g8 46.#h2 "d7 47."b8+ #g7 48."b7 "f5 49. g2 "f2 50."e7 "d4 51."e4 "c5 52."d5 "e3 53.#h3 "c3 54."f5 "c7 55. e4 "d6 56. f3 "c7 57."g4+ #f8 58."d4 "c8+ 59.#h2 "e6 60."b4+ #e8 61."e4 #e7 62.#g2. I’m happy with how the opening went. sincethe resulting position after 13...d5 looks better for White, who will always have good

prospects on the kingside. As this gameshows, getting full equality is not easy for Black.1-0

E67 Akopian,V Avrukh,B

Amsterdam (Game 38) 2005[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 d6 5. c3 0-0 6. f3 bd7 7.0-0 e5 8.h3 exd4 9.

xd4 b6 10.b3 d5 11.

a3 [ Taking on d5 is not enough for anadvantage after 11.cxd5 !fxd5 12.!xd5 !xd5 . In fact, it’s not easy for White to stopa move like ...c5 or deal with the g7-bishop’s control over the long darkdiagonal. ] [ Instead, 11.c5 usually leads to the mainline after !bd7 ( but Black has another option here in 11...$e4 with an unclear

position, as played in L.Aronian-V.Ivanchuk,World Team Championship, Beersheva2005; with 11 Ba3, White avoids thispossibility ) 12.c6 !e5 13.cxb7 $ xb7 14. $ a3 e 8 . ]

11...$e8 12.c5 [ Once again, White should not take on d5 asthis frees Black’s position. After 12.cxd5 !fxd5 13.!xd5 !xd5 , Black is close toequality. ]

12... bd7 13.c6 The key to White’s strategy

– creating weaknesses in Black’s queenside. e5

[ It’s never too late to make a big mistake:after 13...bxc6?? 14.!xc6 , Black loses thequeen! ]

14.cxb7 xb7 15.$c1 An interestingmiddlegame position has arisen. As a result of his opening, Black has a dynamic position, buthe has some weaknesses on the queenside,so his pawn structure is not ideal. On theother hand, White has a solid pawn structureand the better prospects on the queenside.The c5-square is a key hole, so a manoeuvrelike Na4-c5 looks strong. $c8 Black needs toactivate his pieces as soon as possible.Otherwise he’s going to be frustratedpositionally.

[ The immediate 15...!e4 is a bad idea inview of 16.!xe4 dxe4 17.!b5 and Black islikely to lose a pawn. ]

16. a4 Natural and strong; White heads

straight for the hole on c5. e4 As pointedout already, Black has to play actively, andthis is the best way to contest the c5-square.

[ Instead, after 16...!ed7 17.!c6! $ xc6 18.xc6 , White keeps his positional



advantage plus the bishop pair. ] [ And not 16...!fd7? 17.f4 c5 18.!b5, when Black is going to lose material. ]

17. c5 This is the logical follow-up. [ The main alternative is 17.c2, when White gradually improves his position;but Black has good chances after the logical

h5 , planning ...h4 to create some targets onthe kingside:

A) 18.!f3 and now: A1) 18...!d7 19.!d2 !df6 20.!xe4 !xe4 21.!c5 !xc5 22. $ xc5was good for White in M.Manolache-R.Dragomirescu, European Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011. In general, Whitewants to trade pieces, since theendgame is much better for him due toBlack’s weaknesses on the queenside.

( 22.-- ); A2) 18...!xf3+!? is more interesting,with a complex position after 19.exf3

( or 19.!xf3 h4 ) 19...!d6 20. $ c5 h4.;

B) 18.!b5 is also possible, though itrequires giving up the bishop pair: $ a6 ( or similarly 18...c6 19.$xa7 " a8 20.!xe4 etc ) 19.!xa7 a8 20. $ xe4 dxe4 21." xd8 exd8 22. $ c5 and Whitehas won a pawn, but his knight is out on a

limb and we shouldn’t underestimateBlack’s two powerful bishops. ]

17... xc5 18. xc5 d7 19.e3White shouldn’t move his bishop away, as thatwould allow Black to push ...c5.

[ For instance, 19. $ a3 c5 and Blacksuddenly gets a strong centre. ]

[ 19. $ xa7 is pointless, as after a8 20. $ c5 !xc5 21.xc5 xa2 , Black regains thepawn and stands much better due to hisbishop pair. ]

19...

xc5 20.$

xc5 f8 21.$

c2 c6!?Black decides to reinforce his centre.

[ It was possible to advance with 21...c5here too, but perhaps Black didn’t want toplay with the hanging pawns, since Whitecan now organize his forces more effectivelyafter 22.!e2 ; for example, " d6 23.d2and White has a slight advantage, in myopinion. ]

22."c1 "b6 23.$d1 h6 Black wants to

keep a solid position. If he advances the c-pawn, he will have hanging pawns in thecentre (c5/d5) again, thereby giving Whitesome targets to attack.

[ After 23...c5 24.!e2 cd8 25.cd2

( 25." d3!? , to stop Black’s following trick, isworth considering ) 25...d4 26.exd4 $ h6 27.dxc5 $ xd2 28.xd2 " a5 , the positionis unclear.The text move, on the other hand, seems alittle passive and Akopian takes the chanceto increase his advantage on thequeenside. ]

24.b4! f8 [ Of course Black cannot capture the b4-pawn, as after 24..." xb4? 25.!xc6 ( not 25." b2? # e7 and everything is under control ) 25... $ xc6 26.xc6 xc6 27." xc6, White has a huge advantage. ]

25.$b2 [ Here 25.a3!? is suggested by GMMikhalevski,

A) intending to meet 25...a5 with 26.bxa5!

" a6 ( 26...# xa5 27.$xc6 !xc6 28." xc6 " xc6 29.# xc6 wins a pawn ) 27.!b3, when White has prevented ...c5 and canplay Bf1 with a clear edge.;

B) Instead, Black might just play 25...c5at once, as after 26.bxc5 xc5, the bishop pair compensates for theslightly weak isolated d-pawn.Nevertheless, this might have been abetter try for White than the text, whichonly deters the ...c5-advance temporarily. ]

25...

a6 As the c6-pawn doesn’t needprotecting anymore, Black takes the chanceto activate his bishop. 26."c3 c4 27. f1Now Black has the more powerful light-squared bishop, so White hurries to exchangeit. c5 28.bxc5 "xc5 29. xc4 dxc4Black managed to create a passed pawnsupported by his queen and rook. On theother hand, White has a solid position and astable knight on d4. The position looks equalto me. 30.$b5 "d6 31.$d2 g7 32.$b4

"

d5 33.$

c2 xd4 34."

xd4"

f3!?Black decides to play for a win.

[ Otherwise, trading queens with 34..." xd4 35.exd4 was a simple route to a draw; for example, c3 36.b3 ed8 37.cxc3 xc3 38.xc3 xd4 39.a3 d 7 . ]

35."g4 White has to be careful, as his backrank is weak, and so insists on the queenexchange. "xg4 36.hxg4 $e4!?

[ Here again 36...c3 should draw; for

example, 37.b3 e4 38.bxc3 xc3 39.xc3 a4! (a nice in-between move) ( not 39..." xg4 40." a3 and White wins apawn ) 40.a3 xg4 and the position iscompletely equal. ]



37.#g2 $xg4 38.f4!? Now the rook ismisplaced on g4, so White has a few chancesagain. h5 39.#f3 c3 40.$b3 g5Black obviously needs to free his g4-rook. 41.$bxc3 $xc3 42.$xc3 gxf4 43.exf4 $g6 44.$a3 a6 45.$a5! Maintaining active play isa key concept in endgames. Here White has aslight pull because his rook is more activethan Black’s. All the same, Black should beable to hold this without too much difficulty. $h6 46.a4 #f8 47.$c5 #g7 48.a5 h4 49.gxh4 $xh4 50.$c6 $h6 51.$b6!?The position is risk-free for White, whereasBlack still has to play accurately. $e6! A nice move to restrict White’s king. 52.#g4 #f8 53.f5 $e5 54.$xa6

[ 54.f6 #g8 55.xa6 #h7 , followed by ...Kg6, leads to a similar position. ]

54...#

g7 55.f6+ [ White gets nowhere after 55.#g5 f6+! 56.#f4 ( or 56." xf6 " xa5 ) 56...b5 57.a8 #h7 58.a6 ( or 58.e4 " e5+ ) 58...a5 59.a7 a 1 . ]

55...#g6 56.#f4 Although White is up apawn, his winning chances are small, as hisrook is too passively placed in front of thepassed a-pawn. $f5+ 57.#e4 #g5

[ Of course not 57...xf6?? 58.xf6+ #xf6 59.a6 and White wins. ]

58.#

d4$

f4+ 59.#

c5$

f5+ 60.#

b6White has to place his king on the 6th rank or Black will just check him forever. $xf6+ 61.#b7 $f5! It is prudent to prevent Rb6,followed by a6, as Black thereby gains a moveor two;

[ even though, in this precise position, 61...f1 62.b6 f5 63.a6 a1 64.a7 xa7+ 65.#xa7 f4! would also draw. ]

62.$a8 $f1 63.a6 $b1+ 64.#a7 f5Black advances his pawn and we reach atheoretical draw. 65.

$

b8$

a1 66.$

b5#

g4 67.#b6 f4 68.a7 $xa7 69.#xa7 f3. An interesting game for the assessment of this variation and definitely worth studying.½-½

E67Vaganian,RPolzin,R

German League (Game 39) 2003[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2. f3 d6 3.g3 g6 4. g2 g7 5.c4 0-0 6.0-0 bd7 7. c3 e5 8.h3 a6

This is a tricky line that requires careful study.With the flexible 8...a6, Black delays ...exd4and plans a tactical ...b5.

[ For instance, 8...a6 9.e4 runs into b5!, and if 10.cxb5 axb5 11.!xb5? then $ a6will pick up material. ]

9.dxe5!? I became a big fan of this move after analysing this game a long time ago. Whyshould we play 9 e4 and get embroiled inBlack’s intended quagmire? Why not play apositional line instead? After 9 dxe5, White isgoing to have a solid and stable advantage,while the g2-bishop’s diagonal is left open.

dxe5 [ 9...!xe5 can't be considered animprovement, as after 10.!xe5 dxe5 11." b3 , Black is going to have a hard timedeveloping his queenside. If he plays ...c6,

then the b6-square becomes a hole for our knight or bishop. ] 10. e3! The position is of a symmetricalnature and yet White has quite a few pluseshere:1. The g2-bishop’s diagonal is still open, asthere is no white pawn on e4 to block it.2. The e4-square can be a good square for our knight - especially if Black plays ...c6,when the d6-square becomes a hole (likewise,the b6-square).

3. White can keep improving on the queensideand in the centre with moves like Qb3 andRfd1; whereas Black doesn’t have theannoying counterplay that he usually attains inthe King’s Indian. c6 Black needs to block thewhite bishop’s diagonal.

[ Instead: 10...e8 11." b3 c6 12.!g5 !f8 13.ad1 " e7 14.!a4 saw White achieve a bigpositional advantage in V.Akopian-Z.Efimenko, Moscow 2002; the b6 and d6weaknesses are just waiting to beexploited. ] [ 10..." e7 11." b3 , intending to meet !c5with 12." a3! , gives White a big edge too. ]

11."b3 "e7 12.$fd1 [ 12.ad1 is also possible, but I prefer thetext. White’s a1-rook may become useful onthe queenside. ]

12...$b8 [ The natural 12...e8 is met by 13.!g5!

(manoeuvring the knight to e4 is a key partof White’s strategy) !f8 14.!a4 !e6 15.!xe6 " xe6 16.!b6 and White wasclearly better in A.Y.Kharitonov-I.Lukianov,Leningrad 1989. ]



[ Black can prevent Ng5 with 12...h6, but the knight has more than one route toe4. After 13.!d2 e8 14.!de4 !xe4

15.!xe4 , Black's position is not comfortableat all. ]

13. d2 e8 It is hard to suggest a better move for Black, as he needs to control the d6-square. 14. de4 h6

[ The immediate 14...f5 would be met by 15.c5+ #h8 16. $ g5! !ef6 ( or 16...# f7 17.# xf7 " xf7 18.$d6 $xd6 19.cxd6 ) 17.!xf6 $ xf6 18. $ xf6+ xf6 19.!a4and White has a slight advantage, in myopinion. ]

15. a4 f5 16.c5+ #h7 [ After 16..." f7 ] [ or 16...f7 , White simply plonks in 17.!d6 !xd6 18.cxd6 and his passed pawn on d6

is going to be annoying. ] 17. d6 f4 Black tries to create some kingsidecounterplay, but the attack won’t besuccessful without his bishop pair, sinceWhite’s position is quite solid. 18. xc8 $xc8 19. d2 fxg3 20.fxg3 df6 21.$ac1 h5 22. e1! A nice dual purpose move by White,freeing the d-file and protecting the g3-pawn. $c7 23."e3 "e6 24. c3 $cf7 25.b3Little by little, White improves his position. Hisbishop pair will soon exert its power, whereas

Black has no strong squares for his knights. hf6 26.g4! Gaining more space on thekingside and giving the dark-squared bishopmore scope. c7 27.$d6 "e8 28. g3 e4 29.$cd1 cd5 30. xd5 cxd5 Although theg2-bishop is now obstructed, White is stillmuch better due to his pressure on d5, whileBlack’s position is quite passive. 31. h4 g5Necessary, despite weakening his position,as otherwise Black loses the d-pawn. 32. e1 "e5 33. c3 xg4 Black has to try this,since moving the queen would just lose apawn straight away to Bxf6 and Rxd5. 34.hxg4 "xc3 35."xc3 xc3 36.$1xd5 $f4 37.$e6 White has a clear advantagebecause of his well-coordinated pieces, andhe can attack even without the queens on theboard. e3 38.$d7+ $8f7 39.$xb7 $xb7 40. xb7 $xg4+ 41. g2 $d4 42. e4+

[ The endgame is doubled-edged and it’s noteasy to calculate every variation, but I think

White might have done better with 42.c6 $ a5 43.e5! , when Black's bishop is introuble; for example, $ d8 44.c7! d1+

45. $ f1 $ xc7 46.e7+ etc. ] 42...#g7 43.c6 a5 44. f5 $d8

[ Here 44...f4 45. $ d3 f6 would haveoffered more resistance. ]

45. g4 $d4 46. h5 $h4 47.$e5! b6 48.$e7+ #f6 49.$b7 White will find it easier to make progress with the opposite-colouredbishops off the board. $xh5 50.$xb6 #e6

51.$xa6 $h4 52.a3 $g4+ 53.#h2 $f4 54.b4 $f2+ 55.#g3 $xe2? A seriousmisjudgement.

[ Things are not so clear after 55...#d6 56.b5 xe2 57.a8 b2 58.a4 h5. White may still be winning but it wouldrequire an engine’s accuracy. ]

56.b5? [ Missing a direct win with 56.c7+! #d7 57.c6 #c8 58.b5 etc. After the text, Blackcould return to the previous note with 56...Kd6, but instead he returns the favour. ]

56...$

b2? 57.c7+#

d7 58.b6 Material isequal, but White’s pawns are closer topromotion and this enables him to force thewin. e2 59.#f2 g4 60.$a8 g3+ 61.#e11-0

E68Georgiev,Kir Ilincic,Z

Boskovic Memorial, Belgrade (Game 40)

[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 d6 6.0-0 bd7 7. c3 e5 8.h3 $e8We are now going to study positions whereBlack plays ...Re8 and ...exd4. More often, hewaits for e2-e4 before taking on d4, though if Black wants the position in the game, themove order makes little difference in practice.

9.e4 exd4 10. xd4 c5 [ The Gallagher Variation, 10...a6, is a major alternative here; Black plans toseize the initiative on the queenside bymeans of ...Rb8, ...c5, ...Ne5 and ...b5. Thisis the subject of Game 42. ]

11.$e1 a5 Black stops b4 to maintain hisknight on c5.

[ However, 11...c6 is more accurate, as itprevents White’s next move. This is covered(by transposition from 8...c6) in Game 43 ] [ while 11... $ d7 is examined in the next

game. ] 12. db5!? The advantage of this move isclear. Black can’t play ...c6 now to get rid of our knight, as the d6-pawn would be en prise.

d7



[ Others: 12... $ e6 (this natural-looking move iserroneous here) 13.e5! dxe5 14." xd8

exd8 15.!xc7 (the resulting endgame ismuch better for White) ac8 16.!xe6 fxe6

17.b3 e4 18.b1 and White had a clear advantage in Kir.Georgiev-Jo.Ivanov,Bulgarian Team Championship 1991. ]

[ 12...!fd7 13. $ e3 !e5 14.b3 !ed3 15.e2 (planning Rd2 to push the blackknight back) c6 (this weakens the d6-pawn)

16.!d4 !b4 17.a3 !ba6 18.b1 !e6 19.!xe6 $ xe6 20. $ d4 with a useful spaceadvantage for White in N.Gaprindashvili-E.Kovalevskaya, Tallinn (rapid) 1999. ]

[ 12...a4 13. $ g5 (provoking ...h6 to weakenBlack’s kingside) h6 14. $ xf6 $ xf6 15.!d5

!e6 16.!xf6+ " xf6 17." d2 and White

has a slight advantage here too. ] 13. f4 White prepares the e5 advance. [ The immediate 13.e5?! is premature, asafter dxe5 14. $ e3 $ xb5 15." xd8 axd8

16.!xb5 !d3 17.!xc7 !xe1 18.!xe8 !c2 19.!xf6+ $ xf6 20.b1 !xe3 21.fxe3 $ g5 , Black attained equality in R.Hernandez Onna-G.Möhring, Kecskemét1975. ]

13... xb5?! I don’t like this exchange much asit gives up Black’s bishop pair.

[ Let’s take a look at the alternatives: 13..." c8 led to an unclear position after 14.!xc7 ( instead, 14.h2 is good enoughfor an edge, in my opinion ) 14..." xc7

15. $ xd6 " c8 16.e5 !h5 17.!d5 !e6 18.!b6 " d8 19.!xa8 " xa8 , in A.Payen-T.Seeman, Helsinki 2000. ]

[ 13...h6 14." c2 !e6 15. $ e3 !g5was A.Y.Kharitonov-S.Klimov, St Petersburg1998, and here Stohl suggests 16.#h2 $ c6

17.f3 , when White has a solid centre and aspace advantage. ]

14.cxb5 fd7 15."c2 [ I also like the following idea employed by(future GM) Daniel Fridman: 15. $ e3 !b6

16. $ d4 (trading Black’s active bishop looksgood) $ xd4 17." xd4 " g5 18.ad1occurred in D.Fridman-A.Finkel, WorldJunior Championships, Bratislava 1993.White will eventually advance f2-f4 and e4-e5 with a clear advantage. ]

15...

e6 16.

e3 d4 17.$

ad1 xe3 18.$xe3 ec5 19.a3 a4 Black still wants toprevent White from playing b4, but now the a4-pawn is going to be a target. 20.$d4! "f6 21.$b4 White’s rook cannot be pushed back

and, as we just pointed out, the a4-pawn isquite weak. b6 22."d1 White is clearlybetter, with the long-term plan of playing f2-f4and e4-e5 to undermine the c5-knight. $ad8

23.$e2 $d7 24.#h2 $de7 25.$d2 $e6 26.h4 h5 27.f4 "g7 28.$f2 Now apart fromthe e5 advance, Black has to be worried aboutf4-f5 as well. $6e7 29.$d2 "h6 30."c2

"

g7 31.$

d1#

h8 32."

f2 There’s no rush,since Black has no counterplay. cd7

[ After 32...f6 33. $ f3 , White is going toopen lines on the kingside sooner or later with Rg1, g3-g4, and possibly f4-f5. ]

33. f3 [ There is no point in taking on a4 just yet, as 33.!xa4 !xa4 34.xa4 !c5 , followed by...Nxe4, would regain the pawnstraightaway. ]

33...#

h7 34.$

d2"

f6 35.e5! Now Black’squeenside becomes very weak and full of holes, such as the juicy c6-square.

[ This is even stronger than 35.!xa4 !xa4 36.xa4 !c5 37.e5! , though White has apowerful initiative here too. ]

35...dxe5 36. xb7 exf4 37.$xf4 "g7 38. c6 f5 39. xa4 xa4 40.$xa4 $f8 41. xd7 The bishop was very strong, butWhite is already material up and tradingpieces off is a good idea to prevent any

counterplay. [ Instead, after 41.ad4 !f6 , Black hassome chances based on ...Ng4 or ...Ne4. ]

41...$xd7 42.$xd7 "xd7 43.$a7?! [ Rook activity is of utmost importance in theendgame, but here 43.c4 , keeping controlof the 4th rank, would have been moreaccurate. Then " xb5 44.xc7+ transposesto the game, as otherwise the advance of the queenside pawns would be decisive. ]

43..."xb5?! [ Here 43...f7 was more tenacious,intending to meet 44.b6 with " d6! , when 45.b7 fails to f4! 46.#g2 ( not 46.b8# ?? fxg3+ 47.# xg3 " f2+ and Black mates ) 46..." d5+ 47." f3 " d2+ with perpetualcheck. ]

44.$xc7+ #g8 45.b4! "e5 [ White threatened 45...-- 46." a2+ #h8 47." b2+ and mates. ]

46."c2 $d8 47.#h3 "e6 48."c6

Trading queens off makes things easier for White, who has two connected passed pawns. "xc6 49.$xc6 $d3 50.a4

[ 50.xg6+ #f7 51.g5 is also goodenough for a win. ]



50...#f7 51.b5 $a3 [ After 51...f4 52.b6 xg3+ ( or 52...f3 53." c1! " a3 54." b1 ) 53.#h2 a3 54.b7 b3 55.c7+ #e6 56.a5 , Black is unableto prevent one of the white pawnspromoting. ]

52.$c4 $b3 53.#g2 #e7 54.$c6 $b4 55.$a6 $g4 56.#f3 g5 57.hxg5 $xg5 58.

$

h6 The rest is a matter of technique. #

d7 59.$h7+ #c8 60.b6 $g4 61.$xh5 $xa4 62.$xf5 $b4 63.$f8+ #d7

[ 63...#b7 64.g4 is no better. ] 64.b7!

[ After 64.b7 , White forces the exchange of rooks and wins easily: xb7 65.f7+ #c6

66.xb7 #xb7 67.#e4 #c7 68.#e5 #d7 69.#f6 #e8 70.#g7 , followed by g4-g5-g6etc. ]

1-0

E68Topalov,V Apicella,M

Yerevan Olympiad (Game 41) 1996[Damian Lemos]

1. f3 f6 2.c4 g6 3.d4 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 d6 6.0-0 bd7 7. c3 e5 8.e4

[ Our move order would be 8.h3 e8 9.e4 exd4 10.!xd4 , transposing to the game. ]

8...exd4 9. xd4 $e8 10.h3 c5 11.$e1 d7

[ This looks like an improvement over 11...a5 12.!db5!? , analysed in the previousgame. ]

12. f4!? I like this natural developing movefor White. The threat of e4-e5 is always there,and against a move like ...Nh5, we can simplyretreat the bishop to e3 and Black’s knight willbe misplaced on the edge of the board. a6

[ Black has also tried 12..." c8 13.#h2 h6 ( after 13...a6 14." c1 h5 15.b4 $e6 16.$xe6 !xe6 17.c5 dxc5 18.$d5! !xd5 19.exd5 , White had a serious initiative onthe queenside in A.Ginsburg-A.Ryskin,Pinsk 1993 ) 14.f3 a5 15." d2 #h7

16.ad1 a4 17.!db5! (this is reminiscent of Game 40; White gains space, and Black isunable to drive the knight away) $ c6

18. $ e3 and White had the better position inG.Zaichik-Kir.Georgiev, Katerini 1992. ] 13."d2

[ White has to be careful not to lose a pawnafter 13." c2 !fxe4! . ]

13...$b8 You’ll find this idea in the PannoVariation as well (see Games 26, 27 and 29).Black plans to open lines on the queensidewith ...b5 but first gets the rook off the g2-bishop’s diagonal. 14.$ad1 "c8

[ I don’t think Black is ready to play ...b5quite yet. After 14...b5 15.b4 ( the aggressive 15.e5 is also worthconsidering ) 15...!e6 ( 15...$a4 16.$xa4 bxa4 17.e5 isn’t great for Black, structurallyspeaking ) 16.!xe6 $ xe6 17.cxb5 axb5 18.e5 (Black has some weaknesses on thequeenside, which White is going to exploit) dxe5 ( 18...$h5? runs into 19.!g5 f6 20.exd6! fxg5 21." xe6 " xe6 22.!d5 # xd6 23.$e4 , followed by Nxg5 with ahuge advantage ) 19." xd8 exd8 20.xd8+ xd8 21. $ xe5 and the resulting endgame

looks good for White. ] 15.#h2 b5 16.b4! e6 17. xe6 xe6 18.c5 Gaining some space on the queensideand planning Nd5.

[ Here 18.cxb5 axb5 19.e5 (as in theprevious note) is not so clear, in view of !h5 20. $ e3 ( or 20.exd6 $xf4 ) 20... $ xe5, when winning the exchange leads toobscure complications: 21. $ a7 a8 22. $ xa8 ( or 22.$xb5 !d7 23.!xa8 # xa8 24.$xc7 # f3 , threatening ...Bxg3+ )

22..." xa8 23. $ d4 $ xh3! collects a secondpawn for the exchange, since if 24.#xh3?then !f4+! 25.gxf4? " f3+ wins. ]

18...dxc5 19.bxc5 d7 [ The forcing 19...b4?! is no improvement: 20.!d5 $ xd5 21.exd5 reaches a similar structure to the game, where White has twodangerous pawns and is poised to play d6;for example, xe1 22.xe1 a5 23.d6 c6 24.e7 and Black is already in difficulties. ]

20. d5! e5 [ Not 20... $ xd5?! 21.exd5 xe1 22.xe1 !xc5 23.c1 and Black is in trouble on thec-file. ]

21. g5! Targeting the weak squares e7 and f6in Black's kingside. xd5 22.exd5Now Black is going to have a hard timedealing with White’s pawns in the centre. "f5Trying to fight for the dark squares.

[ After 22...!c4 23.xe8+ " xe8 24." f4 $ e5 25." e4 , as usual White’s two active

bishops call the shots. ] 23.d6 cxd6 24.cxd6 f6 [ 24...!c4? loses straight away to 25.xe8+ xe8 26.d7 f8 27." d 5 . ]

25. xf6 "xf6 26."f4! Trading off Black's



most active piece is a good idea, as well asenabling White to continue advancing thepassed pawn. "xf4 27.gxf4 c4Black tries to play actively, but passivedefence might have been more tenacious;

[ for example, 27...!d7 28.e7! !f6 29.a7 #f8 30.xa6 ed8 , with ideas of ...Ne8-g7, and while White is clearly better,Black might yet resist for a long time. ]

28.$xe8+ $xe8 29.d7 $d8 30. b7 b6 [ After 30...a5 31. $ c6 , White wins a pawnanyway, since b4? fails to 32.e1, followed by Re8+. ]

31. xa6 $xd7 [ Or 31...b4 32. $ b5 #f8 33.d6 !a8 34.d4 !c7 35. $ c6 , when the powerfulbishop dominates and all Black's pieces aretied down. ]

32.$

xd7 xd7 33.

xb5 c5 [ 33...!b6 34.a4 #f8 35.a5 !c8doesn’t change much; White’s extra,outside passed pawn is a decisiveadvantage. ]

34.a4 b3 35. c4 a5 36. d5 With theblack knight now corralled by White’spowerful bishop, the rest is a matter of technique. #f8 37.#g3 #e7 38.#f3 f6 39.#e4 #d6 40.#d4 g5 41.fxg5 fxg5 42.#e4 #c5 43.f3 h6 44.#e5 Black’s

knight is still trapped! #

b4 45.#

f6#

xa4 46.#g6 #b4 47.#xh6 #c5 48. a2 c6 49.#xg5 #d6 50.h4 . The plan of 11...Bd7,followed by ...a6 and ...Rb8, looks a bit slow.Black’s position may be playable, but as thisgame shows, White should get a solid plus outof the opening.1-0

E68Tregubov,PMamedov,R

Dubai (Game 42) 2002[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0 5. c3 d6 6. f3 bd7 7.0-0 e5 8.e4

[ Again, 8.h3 e8 9.e4 exd4 10.!xd4 a6 11.e1 would be our move order. ]

8...exd4 9. xd4 a6 10.h3 $e8 11.$e1 $b8

This is the Gallagher Variation. Instead of playing in a positional style with ...Nc5 and ...a5, Black aims to develop a strong initiativeon the queenside and will sacrifice a pawn if necessary. 12.$b1! I like this move, getting

the rook off the g7-bishop’s diagonal. Thenplaying b3 won’t be dangerous for us. c5

[ Another option is 12...!e5 13.b3 c5, when 14.!c2 transposes to the game. ]

13. c2 e5 [ 13...b5 14." xd6 b6 ( 14...b4 15.$d5 ) 15." d1 bxc4 was played in P.Kekki-Si.Bjornsson, Internet 2002, but in my opinion,White gets a winning advantage after 16.e5 !h5 17.!d 5 . ]

14.b3 "c7 [ Black can’t advance on the queenside hereeither, as after 14...b5 15.f4 !ed7 ( 15...$c6? 16.e5 just wins a piece; and 15...$h5 16.fxe5 !xe5 17.$d5doesn't look much better for Black ) 16." xd6, I don't see much compensation for thepawn. ]

[ Instead, 14... $ e6 15.f4 !c6 16. $ b2 h5 17.!d5 (as usual White’s space advantageis relevant; moreover, Black has a weaknesson d6 and White can increase the pressureby Qd2 and Rd1) !h7 18. $ xg7 #xg7 19." d2 b5 was played in A.Delchev-J.Gallagher, European Team Championship,Heraklio 2007. Here, White can try 20.cxb5 axb5 21.!de3!? , intending Rbd1 to attackd6. He can also consider f5 to open lines onthe kingside. ]

15.a4! It is a good idea to stop your opponent’s plans. Apart from the ...b5advance, I don’t see any plausible ideas for Black, so his queenside initiative has beenquashed. d7 16.f4 Gaining more space inthe centre.

[ Instead, 16.!e3 !c6 17.!cd5 !xd5 18.!xd5 " d8 looks quite good for White,but Black gets his knight to d4 too, sochances are balanced. ]

16... c6 17. b2 $bd8 18."d3 [ I don’t see anything wrong with 18.g4, when White’s space advantage is gettingeven bigger. ]

18..."b6 19.#h2 b4 [ Black can’t take on b3 as he loses thequeen: 19..." xb3?? 20. $ a1 !b4 21.!xb4 ] [ while after 19...!a5 20. $ a1, White maintains a solid plus. ]

20. xb4 cxb4?! Black gives himself a new

weakness – now both b4 and d6 arevulnerable. [ 20..." xb4 was better, in my opinion, whenBlack’s pawn structure is more healthy with just the single weakness on d6.



Nevertheless, White retains the advantageafter 21." c2 $ c6 22.bd1 , with the clear plan of attacking on the d-file. ]

21. e2 c6 22. d4 d7 23. xc6 bxc6 24. xg7 #xg7 25.$bd1 White adds a newadvantage to his arsenal: the bishop is goingto be superior to Black’s knight, especially if the position opens up. c5 26."e3 #g8 27.h4!?

[ 27.e5 is a good alternative but there’s norush. Black lacks kingside defenders and,after h4-h5, his king’s cover is further weakened. ]

27..."c7?! [ Perhaps 27...f6 offered stronger resistance,though it doesn’t prevent e4-e5. For instance, after 28." g1 ( alternatively, Whitecould elect to open lines on the kingside via

28.g4 and 29 g5 ) 28..." c7 29.e5 fxe5 30.fxe5 !b7 31.a5! dxe5 32.xd8 !xd8 33." b6 , White has a clear advantage. ]

28.e5 e6 29.exd6 $xd6 30.$xd6 "xd6Material is balanced, but Black has lot of queenside weaknesses. That factor will be keyin deciding the outcome of the game. 31."b6 "d2

[ 31...d8!? would be met by 32.a5!, when Black is under a lot of pressure. ( Not

32.# xc6?! # xc6 33.!xc6 , since " d3

then gives Black strong counterplay. )] 32."xc6 $d8 33.$xe6! fxe6 34."xe6+ #g7 35.c5? Too hasty – objectively speaking,that is.

[ Here 35." e7+ #g8 36.h5! " d6 37. $ d5+ #h8 38." xd6 xd6 39.hxg6 hxg6 40.#g2looks like an easy win for White, who willbring his king to the centre and push thepawns. ]

[ After 35.c5? , Black might again havefound counterplay with d3! . Instead, thedatabase gives the conclusion as... ]

35...a5?? and 1-0. So Black either realizedthat he couldn’t now stop the c-pawn, or elsehis flag fell.1-0

E69Lputian,SKrasenkow,M

FIDE World Ch., Moscow (Game 43) 2001[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2. f3 g6 3.c4 d6 4.g3 g7 5. g2 0-0 6.0-0 bd7 7. c3 e5 8.h3 c6

This set-up, which is covered in the remainingseven games of the book, might be regardedas the "main line" of the Fianchetto System. Itcombines elements of both Chapter Five (...d6and ...c6) and Chapter Six (...Nbd7 and ...e5)and can arise from either.

[ The particular variation seen in this gamecan also be reached via 8...e8 9.e4 exd4 10.!xd4 c6 ( or 10...$c5 11." e1 c6 . )]

9.e4 exd4 [ Black has several choices here. 9...a6 ] [ and 9..." b6 are examined in the next twogames ] [ while 9..." a5 (which is often played earlier)is the subject of Games 46-49. ]

10. xd4 $e8 As usual, we get a solid centreand space advantage for White, while Black’sd6-pawn is a clear target.

I should also say that there’s an important(albeit simple) concept to be noted here:White has more space and therefore shouldkeep as many pieces as possible on the board.In contrast, Black (who has less space)should trade pieces off in order to attainequality. 11.$e1 c5 12.$b1!? As we’veseen in many positions already - for both sides- the queen’s rook moves off the opposingfianchettoed bishop’s diagonal. The rook canbe useful for queenside expansion as well, if

Black leaves him the option of b2-b4.Otherwise, White he may just play solidly withb2-b3.

[ I also like developing the bishop straightaway: 12. $ f4 (actually the most popular move here) !e6 ( 12...$h5 13.!e3is similar to the main game; White has aslight advantage as the black knight is nowmisplaced ) 13.!xe6 $ xe6 ( 13..." xe6is met by 14.c5! , exploiting the now pinnedd6-pawn ) 14." xd6 ( although the endgameis good for White, I think that taking with thebishop is even better: 14.!xd6 !xc4 15.e5 $d7 16." e4! and White's advantage looksclear to me ) 14... $ xc4 15.ad1 " a5 16.b4 " a3 17.e3 " b2 18.e5 !h5 19." d4 !xf4 20." xc4 !xg2 21.#xg2 (Black hasbeen struggling to find counterplay but nowloses the plot completely) xe5?? 22.!a4!and the queen has nowhere to go but backin the box, U.Adianto-V.Syrtlanov, Koszalin

1998. ] [ 12." c2 a5 13. $ e3 " e7 14.ad1 ] 12...a5 Black wants to maintain his knight onc5. 13. f4 I find this move simple and strong.Basically, White claims that the inclusion of



Rb1 and ...a5 (on 12 Bf4 lines above) is in hisfavour.

[ The main option here is 13.b3 ] [ but there’s another interesting alternativewhich involves a pawn sacrifice: 13." c2, and if !fxe4 14.!xe4 $ xd4 , then

15. $ g5 " d7 ( 15...f6?? loses to 16.!xf6 !xf6 17.$xf6+ ) 16.!f6+ $ xf6 17. $ xf6gives White good compensation, sinceBlack’s kingside is full of weaknesses.Nevertheless, I like the fact that 13 Bf4 isrisk-free and puts strong pressure on Black’sd-pawn. ]

13... h5 After this we just move our bishopback to e3 again to leave the black knightmisplaced on the edge.

[ If instead 13...!e6 (to trade some piecesoff) 14.!xe6 $ xe6 ( as before, 14..." xe6

15.c5! gives White a big edge ) 15. $ xd6 $ xc4 16.e5 !d7 17.b3 ( 17." e4is less effective here due to !e6, threatening to skewer the rook with ...Bf5 )

17... $ e6 18.b2!? , White brings the rookinto the game with tempo and has the usualspace advantage, while the bishop on d6 isquite annoying for Black. ]

14. e3 "e7 [ Alternatively, Black can retreat the knightagain with 14...!f6 . Then play might

continue 15." c2 " e7 16.bd1!and, although the “wasted” tempi are nowequal (...Nf6-h5-f6 vs. Ra1-b1-d1 and Bc1-f4-e3), all White’s pieces are harmoniouslyplaced, while taking the e4-pawn is too risky:

!fxe4? 17.!xe4 !xe4 18. $ xe4 " xe4 19. $ d2! and Black has to give up his queenfor insufficient material, leaving Whiteclearly better.Note that the position after 16 Rbd1 mightalso arrive via 12 Qc2 a5 13 Be3 Qe7 14Rad1. However, Black has other, morepromising options by that move order. ]

15. b3 [ There is another interesting move here: 15.!f5!? gxf5 16." xh5 , when Black’skingside looks pretty weak, but after " f6

( not 16...fxe4? 17.!xc5 dxc5 18.!xe4and White is clearly better ) 17. $ xc5 dxc5

18.exf5 $ xf5 19. $ e4 e5 , Black is stillvery much in the game. ]

15...

d7 [ Other knight moves don’t alleviate thepressure either:

15...!xb3 16." xb3 and White has a slightbut stable advantage; we can already see

some weaknesses on the queenside, suchas the weak b6-square (due to Black’s ...a5). ] [ 15...!e6 16.!a4 and once again, the b6-square is quite weak for Black. There’s nodanger on the kingside as !g5 fails to 17.g4! and White wins a piece. ]

16. a4 hf6 17. d2 Now Black is going tohave a hard time defending the a5-pawn.

$

a6 18.$c1 White can’t take the a-pawn yet, so heimproves his position with a useful move.

[ 18. $ xa5?? loses a piece to b6 ] [ while 18.!xa5?! b5! 19.cxb5 cxb5 20.b4 bxa4 21.b5 isn’t fully sufficient either. ]

18... e5 19.c5! Winning space on thequeenside as well as opening the f1-a6diagonal, so that Bf1 becomes a seriouspossibility. d3 After this move, White gets a

powerful pawn chain and a big initiative. Onthe other hand, it is not easy to suggest animprovement for Black.

[ For example, after 19...!fd7 20.cxd6 " xd6 21.f4 !d3 22. $ c3 , followed by e5,White’s position looks much better. ]

20.cxd6 "d8 21. bc5 xe1 22. xe1White is the exchange down but is wellcompensated by his space advantage andstrong piece play. $a7 23.e5! d5

[ Taking the e5-pawn is losing for Black. After

23...xe5? 24. $ c3 d5 ( or 24..." e8 25.!xf6 , followed by 26 d7 ) 25. $ xd5 cxd5 26. $ xf6 $ xf6 27." xd5 , I don’t think Blackhas enough counterplay. ]

24.f4 White now has an awesome pawnchain! In contrast, Black is unable to findopen files for his rooks and therefore can’tactivate his position. b6 25. xd5 cxd5

26. b3 f6 27. f2!? Nevertheless, theposition is double-edged and it’s not easy tofind the best option from the practical point of view.

[ Here White might try 27.!d4 $ d7 28.!c6 $ xc6 29.xc6 fxe5 30." xd5+ f7 31.f5!(making sure the e-file remains closed), andif gxf5 then 32.!xb6 with a clear advantage. ]

27...$f7? The position requires immediateaction and the text move is too passive.

[ Black should have played 27...fxe5 28. $ xb6 " xd6! 29. $ xa7 " d7 , regaining

the piece, when the position is far from clear.For instance, after 30.!bc5 " xa7 31." xd5+ $ e6 32." c6 $ f7 , Black’sbishop pair shouldn’t be underestimated. ]

28. xb6 xh3 29.g4! Perhaps Black



overlooked this move. His bishop on h3 is nowcut off, and White also threatens Rc8,trapping the queen. fxe5

[ There is no time for 29...h5 , because of 30.e6! and wins ( which is even stronger than 30." c8 here. )]

30.$c8 "xc8 31. xc8 $xc8 32."f3This was more or less forced after 29 g4 andWhite is going to be a piece up. The restshould be a matter of technique, though Blackstill has some counterplay with his rooks. f8 33."xh3 xd6 34."d3 a4 35. d2

[ 35." a6 d8 36. $ h4! would probably haveended things more quickly. ]

35...$d8 36.fxe5 xe5 37. d4 $e8 38. xe5 $xe5 39. f3 $e4 40.g5

[ And here 40." xd5! was more accurate; for example, xg4+ 41.#h2 (threatening Ne5)

#g7 42.#h3 gf4 43.!g5 and wins. ] 40...$g4+ [ 40...f5! would have been moretenacious. ]

41.#h2 $f5 42."e3 $e4 [ Or 42...gf4 43.!d4 e4 44.!xf5! . ]

43."c3 $c4 44."a5 $c8 45."a6 $cf8 46."e6+ #h8 47. e5 d4 48."d6 $f4 49. g4 $8f5 50. h6

[ The resulting position after 50.!h6 f2+ 51.#g3 2f3+ 52.#g4 5f4+ 53." xf4

xf4+ 54.#xf4 is absolutely winning for White, and therefore Black resigns. ]

1-0

E69Dautov,RSutovsky,E

Bad Homburg (Game 44) 1997[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 g6 2.

f3 g7 3.c4 d6 4.g3 f6 5. g2 0-0 6.0-0 bd7 7. c3 e5 8.h3 c6 9.e4 a6!? This is a less usual but playablealternative to the more popular lines. Theconcept is similar to the Old Indian Defence,where Black prepares ...b5 to get somequeenside space. 10. e3 I like this simpledeveloping move. There’s no need for Whiteto prevent ...b5.

[ Instead, after 10.a4 a5! , Black takes

control of the c5- and b4-squares. D.Reizniece-Xie Jun, Elista Olympiad 1998,continued 11.e1 e8 12. $ e3 exd4

13.!xd4 !c5 14." c2 " c7 15.ad1 !fd7 16.f4 !a6 and White’s space is

counterbalanced by Black’s positionaladvantage on the queenside. ]

10...b5?! Black should have delayed this for awhile and opted for a solid move;

[ such as 10...e8 and then: A) 11.e1 b5 ( or 11...exd4!? 12.$xd4 $c5 13.# c2 # e7 ; this can be comparedwith the previous game ) 12.c5! exd4 ( not

12...b4?! 13.$a4 $xe4 14.cxd6 $xd6 15.$xe5 $xe5 16.dxe5 " xe5 17.!b6and White was clearly better in J.Smejkal-Th.Casper, German League 1992 )

13.!xd4 $ b7 14.cxd6 c5 15.!b3 !xe4 16.!xe4 ( White might try 16.!xe4!? !xe4 17.!xc5 , winning a pawn at thecost of the bishop pair ) 16... $ xe4 17. $ xe4

xe4 18.!xc5 xe3 19.xe3 !xc5 20." d5 !e6 was fine for Black in P.H.

Nielsen-V.Nithander, Swedish TeamChampionship 2012.; B) 11.a4 , restraining the queensideadvance, B1) should again be met by 11...a5!, as in the previous note (in fact 12.e1would transpose to that directly ( and

12.# c2 is much the same. ); B2) Instead, I don’t like 11...b8?!much, as ...b5 looks impossible for Black: 12.d5! (White is going to develop

a big queenside initiative) cxd5 13.cxd5 !c5 14.!d2 b5 (okay, he plays itanyway) 15.axb5 axb5 16.b4 !a4

17.!xa4 bxa4 18." xa4 $ d7 19." b3and White has an extra pawn, not tomention his space advantage, P.Kalisvaart-L.Brummelaar, Haarlem1997.;

C) 11." c2 (a natural move; White playssimply to complete his development) b5

12.dxe5 dxe5 13.fd1 " e7 14.!e1!(heading for d3 where it will control keysquares in the centre) b8 15.cxb5 axb5

16.!d3 !b6 17.b3 !fd7 18.!e2 $ b7 19.!c5 gave White a slight advantage inH.Kubikova-J.Schauer, Klatovy 1997. ]

11.c5! A very strong breakthrough. White hasthe superior development and Black’s centreis collapsing. White has a plethora of other possibilities here, though the text move looksbest.

[ 11.dxe5 (this seems premature) !xe5 12.!xe5 dxe5 13.cxb5 axb5 14." c2 $ e6 15.a3 !d7 16.fd1 " b8 17.!a2 c8 18.!b4 $ f8 19. $ f1 c5 20.!d5 c4 21. $ g5 e8 22.#h2 h6 23. $ e3 c8 24.ab1



gave rise to a highly complex position in V.Lukov-B.Dena, St Ingbert 1989. ]

[ 11.cxb5 axb5 12.b4!? (a standard idea toseize space on the queenside) b8 13.c1

e8 14." b3 $ b7 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.fd1 " e7 17.!e1 (a key manoeuvre in this line – the knight heads for the hole on c5) $ f8

18.!d3 " e6 19." c2 " c4 20." b1 " e6 21.d2 a8 22.cd1 a3 23.!e2 ea8 24.!ec1 3a4 25.!b3 and White has aslight advantage, although Black’s positionis pretty solid, J.Plachetka-J.Franzen,Czechoslovakian Championship, Trinec1972. ]

[ 11." c2 and now: A) 11...bxc4?! is inferior as White is goingto take on e5 sooner or later and Black’spawn structure (e5, c4, c6, a6) will become

weak: 12.fd1 ( the immediate 12.dxe5 $xe5 13.$xe5 dxe5 14." fd1 # c7 15.$a4 !e6 16.$c5 # c8 17.h2was good enough for an advantage too inH.Barez Menendez-J.Vazquez, Madrid1995 ) 12..." e7 13.dxe5 !xe5 14.!xe5 dxe5 15.!a4 $ e6 16. $ c5 " c7 17.!b6 ab8 18. $ xf8 $ xf8 19.!xc4 and Whitewas clearly better in A.Garcia-M.SionCastro, Seville 1992.; B) 11... $ b7 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.c5

(White closes the queenside and creates aweakness on d6; what is more, Black’sbishop on b7 is now a passive piece) " e7 14.b4! and White had more space in H.Gruenberg-Th.Casper, East GermanChampionship, Fuerstenwalde 1981. ]

[ 11." b3!? is also worth considering. After " c7 12.cxb5 axb5 13.fc1 , I think Whitehas the better prospects on the queenside. ]

11...dxc5? A serious tactical oversight – whichwas not punished by White.

[ Black should have inserted 11...b4 12.!a4, although his position is already worse:

A) 12...d5 13. $ g5! ( 13.$xe5 $xe5 14.dxe5 $xe4 is less clear ) 13...dxe4 14.!xe5 and White has a slight advantagewhich seems set to increase, E.Kengis-A.Vitolinsh, Latvian Championship, Riga1989.; B) 12...!xe4 13.cxd6 !xd6 14.!xe5 !xe5 15.dxe5 also gave White the better

prospects, especially on the queenside, L.Kavalek-J.Marsalek, CzechoslovakianChampionship, Jablonec 1962. ]

[ 11...exd4 12.!xd4 dxc5 13.!xc6followed by e5 and Bg2 diagonal is deadly ]

12. xe5?! [ Here White could have won material with 12.dxe5! !e8 ( 12...$h5 13.g4 traps theknight ) 13. $ xc5 , since the d7-knight ispinned. Strangely, this continuation wasalso overlooked by GM Goldin in another game the same year. ]

12... xe5 [ Black can’t complete his development with 12... $ b7 yet, as 13.!xd7 and 14 dxc5leaves White a healthy pawn up. ]

13.dxe5 d7 14.f4 $e8 15."d6 This active-looking move doesn’t achieve much, as thepawns are easily defended, and Black candrive the queen back whenever he likes.

[ White might have preferred 15.b3to limit the c5-pawn’s advance, and thentarget it with moves like Rc1 and Ne2-c1-d3,

when I think his advantage is obvious. ] 15..."b6 [ There is no need for 15...e6 , which wouldbe answered by 16." d2 and Black’s rook is just misplaced on e6. ]

16.$ac1 h5!? 17.#h1 a5 [ Not 17... $ b7?? 18." xd7 ad8, since White can escape the trap by 19. $ xc5! and wins. ]

18.a4 White plays to fix the black queensidepawns, though things don’t quite work out as

he planned. [ Alternatively, he could reorganize with 18.fd1 $ f8 19." d2 a4 20." f2, when he keeps the initiative and a spaceadvantage. ]

18...b4 19. b1 f8 20."d1 a6Black takes the chance to finish hisdevelopment. 21.$f2

[ White cannot capture the knight, as after 21." xd7?? , Black traps the queen with ad8! . ]

21...$

ad8 With Black having brought hispieces into play, the battle now revolvesaround whether he can activate his queensidepawns. If not, then they will remain aspermanent weaknesses. 22. d2 Fighting for the c4-square.

[ After the natural 22.d2 " c7 23. $ f1 $ xf1 24." xf1 !b6 , the position is far fromclear. ]

22..."b7 23. f1 The exchange of light-

squared bishops increases White’s control of c4. [ 23.b3?! would fail in this objective, as Blackcan play c4! anyway due to the tension onthe d-file; for example, 24.bxc4 ( or 24.$xc4



$xe5! ) 24...!c5 (threatening ...Nd3) 25.b1 d3 with good play. ]

23... b6! [ Not 23... $ xf1? 24." xf1 !b6 25.b3, when White gets a dream position.Black’s queenside pawns are immobilizedand the one on c5 is already ripe for thepicking. ]

24."

c2! [ Black gets dangerous counterplay after 24. $ xa6 " xa6 25. $ xc5 $ xc5 26.xc5 " d3 with multiple threats; ] [ and 24. $ xc5 $ xc5 25.xc5? $ xf1 26." xf1 ( or 26." xf1? # d7 ) 26...!xa4 27.xa5 !xb2 is even worse for White. ]

24... xf1 25.$fxf1 "d7 26.#g2 "d3 27."xd3 $xd3 28.#f2 $ed8

[ 28...!xa4 is risky at best, as after 29.!c4

, both the a4-knight and d3-rook can betrapped; for instance, b3 30.c2, followed by Ra1. ]

29.#e2 c4?! An ambitious attempt by Blackto activate his rooks, but other moves wereprobably better.

[ 29...!xa4!? is again met by 30.!c4 b3 31.c2 , threatening Ra1, but here Blackcan try dd3 32. $ f2 !xb2! with unclear play; for example, 33.!xb2 ( or 33." xb2

a4 ) 33...dc3 34.d2 a3

and the queenside pawns are quitedangerous. ]

[ Alternatively, 29... $ e7 was a more cautiousoption, although I prefer White’s positionhere after 30.c 2 . ]

30. xc4 xc4 31.$xc4 $b3 32.$c2 c5 33.h4!? c4 34.$fc1 $c8 Black doesn’t havea more useful move.

[ For instance, after 34... $ e7 35.xc4 xb2+ 36.1c2 xc2+ 37.xc2, White has to be careful about the passed b-pawn but he should be winning in the longrun. ]

35. d4 [ Not now 35.xc4? xb2+ 36.#f3 xc4 37.xc4 b1 , as the b-pawn is then veryfast. Best play might be 38.c8 b3 39.b8

b2 (threatening ...Rf1+) 40. $ f2 #g7(threatening ...Bb4) 41.e6 (threateningBd4+) f6 42.b7+ #g8 43.b8 #g7

44.b7+ with a draw by repetition. ]

35...$

xg3 36.$

xc4$

d8 [ Similarly, Black must avoid 36...xc4? 37.xc4 , as his remaining rook iscomparatively ineffective. After g4 38.c8, White threatens to win a piece with Bc5,

and #g7 doesn't solve the problem due to 39.e6+ f6 ( or 39...g8 40.e7 ) 40.e5! f5 41.e7! $ xe7 42.e6+ $ f6 43.c7+ etc. ]

37. b6 $g2+ 38.#f3?! There was no needto allow the black rooks into his position.

[ Simply 38. $ f2 $ e7 39.c8 would havebeen strong, but it is hard to be accuratewhen approaching the time control andBlack soon makes mistakes too. ]

38...$dd2 39. g1!? This looks like a funnymove, but White wants to prevent ...Rh2;

[ as after 39.c8 h2! , Black has at least adraw. ]

39...$xb2? Taking this pawn gives White acrucial tempo.

[ Black should have continued to target theking with 39...g4! , coming round to the h-file another way. After 40.c8 ( not 40.!f2?

!h6! 41.!e3 " dg2 42.!f2 " h2 ) 40...xh4, a draw would be the logical result; i.e. 41.#g3 g4+ 42.#f3 h4 43.#g3 etc. ]

40.$c8 b3?! [ 40...gd2 would have put White to the test.

A) Then 41.e8 d3+ 42. $ e3 bb3 43.cc8 xe3+ 44.#f2 f3+ is just adraw. ( 44...-- );

B) Instead, 41.f5! d3+ 42.#f4 g2seems to be winning for Black, but Whitehas a brilliant way (if he can find it) of

saving his king to win the game: 43.e6 #g7 44.xf8! (otherwise Black plays ...Rg4+ and ...f6 mate) #xf8 45.f6! g5+

( or 45...fxe6 46." c8+ f7 47." c7+ g8 48.f7+ g7 49.!c5 etc ) 46.#e5! fxe6 47.#xe6 (threatening Rc8 mate) d8 48. $ c5+ #g8 49.f7+ #g7 50.f1and the pawn promotes. ]

41.$d1 [ Maybe White wanted to avoid 41. $ c5 gc2!? 42.xf8+ #g7

A) as after 43.xc2 bxc2 44.c8 c1" 45. $ f8+ #g8 46.xc1 #xf8 , I'm notsure whether White can win. ( 46...-- );

B) But the computer comes up with 43.e6! xc1 ( or 43...fxe6 44." b8 " xc1 45.!d4+ ) 44.xf7+ #g8 ( not 44...h6? 45.!f8# ) 45.f8+ #g7 46.e7 xc5 47.f5! e5 48.f6+ #h7 49.f7! xe7 50.h8+ #xh8 51.f8" + and wins. ]

41...#g7 42.f5! Sometimes we can attack

without queens! [ Instead, 42.dd8 xg1 43.xf8 f1+leads to a draw with 44.#e3 e1+ 45.#d3 d1+ etc, since 46.#c3 c2+ 47.#xb3 xc8 48.xc8 h1 gets White nowhere. ]



42...gxf5 43.exf5 $gd2 44.$e1 $bc2 [ 44... $ b4 is no better, since 45. $ e3 g2 46.d1 bc2 47.b8 b2 48.dd8 b1" 49.g8+ is mate in two. ]

45.f6+! #g6 [ 45...#g8 fails to 46. $ c5! xc5 47.g1+ #h7 48.xf8 and White has a decisiveattack. ]

46.$

xf8 b2 47.

e3$

c1 48.$

g1+! [ It is not too late to bungle it with 48.b8?? xe1 49. $ xd2 b1" and Black is winning. ]

48...#f5 [ 48...xg1 49.g8+ #f5 50.xg1is the key point, when White controls thefirst rank and wins. ]

49.$g5+ #e6 50.$e8+ #d7 51.e6+! fxe6Other moves are equally futile.

[ Black gets mated after 51...#xe8 52.g8# ]

[ or 51...#c7 52. $ f4+ #b7 53.b5+ #a7 54. $ e3+ #a6 55.a8# ] [ while 51...#c6 fails to 52.b5 b1" 53.xb1 xb1 54.e7 , followed by Rc8+etc. ]

52.$b8 $f1+ 53.#e4 #c7 54.$gb5 $h2 55. f4+ . After a long resistance, Black finallyhas to lay down his arms.1-0

E69Karpov,ALautier,J

Biel (Game 45) 1990[Damian Lemos]

1. f3 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0 5.0-0 d6 6.d4 bd7 7. c3 e5 8.h3 c6 9.e4 "b6 Putting more pressure on White’scentre. 10.$e1 I like this solid move for Whitebecause it is flexible.

[ Alternatively, 10.c5!? dxc5 11.dxe5 !e8 12.e6 has been played a lot. If you want tostudy this ultra-sharp line, I recommendstarting with the game A.Shirov-G.Kasparov,Linares 1993. ]

10...exd4 The most consistent continuation,opening lines for piece-play.

[ If Black delays further with 10...e8, White can close the centre and gain spacewith 11.d5!? , since the thematic response ...

f5 (backed up by a rook on f8) would nowtake Black a long time. Instead, after !c5 12.b1! a5 13. $ e3 " c7 14.!d2 $ d7 15. $ f1! (a useful manoeuvre in theFianchetto System; from f1 the bishop

exerts controls over both the kingside andqueenside) eb8 16.dxc6 bxc6 17. $ xc5 dxc5 18.!b3 $ f8 19.!a4! White had aclear positional advantage in Z.Ribli-H.Olafsson, Buenos Aires Olympiad 1978. ]

11. xd4 e8 [ Black has two main alternatives here: 11...e8 12.!c2 !e5 13.b3 was seen inanother of Karpov’s games, which continued $ e6 14.!a4 " c7 15.!d4 ad8 16.!xe6 xe6 (White has obtained the bishop pair and still has much more space) 17." c2 " e7 18. $ a3 c5 19.!c3 !c6 20.ad1 !d4 21." d3 and White had a slightadvantage, A.Karpov-G.Kamsky, MonteCarlo (blindfold rapid) 1995. ] [ 11...!g4 12.!ce2! ( after 12.# xg4 # xd4, White would have a hard time defending

the c4-pawn ) 12...!ge5 13.b3 !c5 14. $ e3 (here White has everything under control and will eventually push Black’sknights back):

A) 14...e8 15.b1 a5 16.a3(White now has the option of both b3-b4and f2-f4) " c7 17." c2 " e7 18.b4

( but I believe White can improve his gamewith 18." bd1 , ensuring a slightadvantage ) 18...axb4 19.axb4 !cd3

20.ed1 c5 was unclear in R.Dive-F.

Rayner, Newcastle 1995.; B) 14...a5 15.b1 e8 16.f1!(pre-empting any tricks based on ...Nd3,and preparing f2-f4 to evict the centralizedknight) " d8 17." c2 " e7 18.bd1

( White does not need to playextravagantly to keep the edge; for example, after 18.$c3 $ed7 19." fe1

$f6 20." bd1 $fd7 21.f4 # d8 22.!f2 # b6 23." b1 # c7 24." e2 $b6 25." d1, White was clearly better in S.Furman-R.Nezhmetdinov, Tbilisi 1959 ) 18...h5(Black doesn’t have much counterplay inthe centre and if he does nothing, hisposition will slowly deteriorate as inFurman-Nezhmetdinov; so he triesattacking on the kingside instead) 19.fe1

h4 20.g4 $ xg4?! (sacrificing a pieceoffers Black only short-termcompensation) 21.hxg4 !xg4 22. $ f4 h3was played in A.Rustemov-A.Motylev,

Russian Championship, St Petersburg1998. Here GM Huzman gives the bestdefence as 23. $ xh3 " h4 24. $ xg4

" xg4+ 25. $ g3 !xe4 26.f3 $ xd4+ 27.#g2! , when Black attack has been



repulsed. ] 12. f3 e5 Black lacks space and thereforetries to swap pieces off.

[ The active-looking 12..." b4 is answeredsimply with 13. $ f1 , followed by a3 ,pushing the queen back. ]

13. xe5 dxe5 14."a4 [ I would also consider playing 14." c2 !c7 15. $ e3 " a6 16.!e2 White looks better although Black's position is pretty solid ]

14...a5?! This move creates a hole on the b6-square, virtually ruling out any quietcontinuation by Black, as he would just standworse.

[ Instead: 14...f5?! 15. $ e3 " c7 ( after 15...# xb2 16." ac1! f4 17." c2 # xc2 18.# xc2 fxe3 19." xe3 , Black doesn't have enough for the

queen ) 16.exf5 gxf5 has only been triedonce (in V.Bagirov-A.Yuneev, Leningrad1989), because White could have played

17. $ c5 !d6 ( or 17..." f7 18.!d5! ) 18.ad1 d8 19.xd6! xd6 20.!d5!with a clear advantage, since cxd5? loses to

21." e8+ $ f8 22. $ xd5+ $ e6 23. $ xe6+ #h8 24. $ xd6 . ] [ The safest continuation is 14...!c7 15. $ e3 " a6 ( not 15...# xb2?? as 16." ec1and Rab1 traps the queen, or if b5 then

17.# a5! b4 18.$a4 # e2 19.# xc7wins a piece ) 16." b4 ( after 16." ad1 # xa4

17.$xa4 $e6 , Black is pretty close toequality ) 16...!e6 17.c5 !d4 ( or 17...b6!?

18.cxb6 $d4 ) 18. $ xd4 exd4 19. $ f1 b5 20.!e2 d8 and Black was fine in M.Marin-Joh.Eriksson, Stockholm 2002. ]

15.a3! A useful move, controlling the b4-square.

[ 15. $ e3 is not possible yet, since " xb2shows the point of 14...a5: after 16.ec1

" b4 , the black queen runs away safely. ] 15... c7 16. e3 "xb2 A risky enterprise for Black, but the alternatives were not great-looking anyway.

[ For instance, after 16..." a6 17. $ f1, the black queen can't be comfortable on a6,and !e6 runs into 18.!d5! cxd5 ( or

18...c5 19.b4 ) 19.cxd5 " d6 20.dxe6 $ xe6 21.ed1 " e7 22.ac1 with a definite edgefor White, since the a5-pawn is permanent

weakness. ] 17.$ec1 b5 The only move to save thequeen. 18."d1! Obviously Qa5 is notpossible here, but after this simple retreat,White wins material. bxc4 19. c5

[ 19.!a4 " b3 20.!b6 $ e6 is less clear. ] 19... e6 There is no time to save the f8-rookbecause of the threat of Rab1. 20. a4

[ White could still play 20.ab1 , but after " xb1 21.xb1 !xc5 , Black seems to havesome counterplay. He can protect the c4-pawn with ...Be6 and centralize the knight onthe d4-outpost after ...Nb3. ]

20..."

b3 21.

xf8 xf8 22.

f1 Black hassome activity although White is an exchangeup. I believe the material advantage is morerelevant in the long run d4 23.$xc4 Although Black has a pawn and some activityfor the exchange, I believe White's materialadvantage is more relevant in the long run.

"xd1 [ 23... $ e6 24.c3 " xd1 25.xd1comes to the same thing. ]

24.$

xd1 e6 Lautier elects to keep his twobishops. [ The alternative was to take the a-pawn: 24... $ xa3 25.!b6 b8 26.!xc8 ( 26." a4 !b4 27.$c4 c5! is not clear either ) 26...xc8 27.a4 $ b4 28. $ c4 reaches acomplex endgame, where it would beinteresting to observe Karpov's technique. ]

25.$c3 $d8? This just wastes a tempo, sinceBlack changes his mind with the rook nextmove.

[ Therefore, Black’s best try is 25...b8to control the open file, when Karpov'sintended 26.!c5 allows $ xh3! . ] [ Note that the attempted fork 25... $ b3? just loses a piece to 26.xd4! . ]

26.#g2 $b8 27. c5 White graduallyimproves his position; whereas Black doesn'thave as much counterplay now and he's stilldown on material. $b2 28. d3 a2Safeguarding the bishop, and preventingWhite from playing Rb1 to trade pieces off.

29.

a4$

b3 30.$

a1! White forcesexchanges anyway, which makes thingseasier for him. $xc3 31. xc3 b3 32. e2

a4 33.f4 In Informator, Karpov stopsannotating at this point – presumably because,to him, the game was of no further interest.For us, it's great to learn from the former world champion. As we pointed out before,White is interested in trading pieces (whenappropriate), but we shouldn’t underestimate

Black’s powerful bishop pair. b5 34.fxe5 g7!? [ Taking the a-pawn with 34...!xa3would allow 35.!d4! $ c5 36.!xc6 !c2 37.c1 !e3+ 38.#f3 and White should be



winning, although the position still requiresaccurate play. ]

35.$c1 xe5 36.$xc6 [ Giving up the bishop with 36. $ xb5 cxb5 37.!c3 would have won a pawn, but after h5 ( 37...!c4? fails to 38.$xb5 !xb5 39." c5 ) 38.!xb5 #f8 and ...Ke7, it is notso easy for White to make progress againstBlack's strong bishops. ]

36... xa3 Black still has a pawn for theexchange and it seems as if he has somechances of resistance. However, Karpov findsa subtle way to play for the win. 37. g1!White is ready to push the e5-bishop back!Note too that Black’s knight is shut out of thegame on a3. #f8 38. f3 b2 39. d2 d1

[ 39... $ e6 40.a6 $ d7 is too passive tosurvive in the long run. ]

40.$

c7 e5 41.$

c5 [ With the black bishops where they are now,White could win with the switchback 41.c1

$ b3 42.!xb3 axb3 43.c6 b2 44.b6, followed by Rb3, when Black has to give upthe b-pawn to save the knight; but Karpovprobably wanted to avoid any long-windedrook vs. bishop endgame if at all possible. ]

41... d4 42.$c8+ #e7 43.$c7+ #e6?!It is understandable that Black wants to bringhis king into the centre, but it can't advance

any further and will just be an easy target one6.

[ Instead, 43...#d6!? was a more interestingtry,

A) as after 44.xf7 !c2! , the black a-pawn becomes quite dangerous ( 44...-- ); B) but 44.c1! $ b3 45.!xb3 axb3 46.c8 and Rb8 still wins, in spite of Black's more active king. For example, b2 47.d8+! ( not now 47." b8? c5 48." b3 $c4 ) 47...#c5 48.d5+ #b4 49.xd4+ #c3 50.d7 !c2 51. $ xc2 ( and not 51." b7?? $e1+! ) 51...#xc2 52.c7+!(gaining a crucial tempo) #d2 53.b7 #c2 54.#f3 b1" 55.xb1 #xb1 56.#f4 #c2 57.#g5 #d3 58.e5! (gaining moretime) #e4 59.#f6 #d5 60.#xf7 #xe5 61.#g7 and White wins. ]

44. f3 b2 45.$b7! [ The tempting 45.!g5+ would allow Blackto activate his forces by #d6!

, with annoying counterplay after 46.b7 ( or 46." xf7 !c2 ) 46... $ b3 47.!xf7+ #c5. ]

45... c1 46.#f2 h5 47. e2! b3 48. d4+ #e5 49. xb3 axb3 50.$xb3 #xe4

51. d3+ . Black is defenceless against Ke2-d1, chasing away the protector of the errantknight. Therefore, he resigns here. Excellenttechnique by Karpov!1-0

E69L'Ami,EHendriks,W

Hoogeveen (Game 46) 2010[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3. f3 g7 4.g3 0-0 5. g2 d6 6.0-0 bd7 7. c3 e5 8.e4

[ From this position, our move order would be 8.h3 c6 9.e4 " a5 . But note that Blacksometimes plays ...c6 and ...Qa5 before ...

e5 and ...Nbd7, transposing here fromChapter Five (in which we play e2-e4 first). As it happens, the final three games did takethat route. ]

8...c6 9.h3 "a5 10.$e1 [ White's main alternative is 10. $ e 3 . ]

10...exd4 Again, this is the most consistentway for Black to carry out his plan.

[ 10...e8 would transpose to the main line(with 12..Re8)

A) after 11. $ e3 exd4 12.!xd4 !e5

13. $ f1 , but White has other options ( such as 13.# e2!? ); B) or 11. $ d2!? " b6 12.!a4 " d8(having pushed the black queen back,White now completes his development)

13." c2 !h5 14. $ e3 exd4 15.!xd4(the e4/c4 vs. d6/c6 pawn structure hasfinally appeared, and White enjoys a plusdue to his space advantage) !e5

16.ad1 " c7 17.b3 !f6 18.!c3 !ed7 19.f4 (White has built up a strong position,while Black has achieved nothing at all) a5

20. $ f2 !f8 21." d2 $ d7? 22.!f3and White won the d6-pawn and soon thegame, A.Wojtkiewicz-G.Souleidis,Duisburg 1999. ]

11. xd4 e5 12. f1 e6 Not the main tryin the position, but definitely worth studying. As White, we now get the bishop pair but mustbe careful, because Black has some tricks andmost of our pieces are still on the back rank.

[ The usual move, 12...e8 , is the subject of Games 48 and 49 at the end of thechapter. ]

13. xe6 fxe6 14.#g2 Preparing theadvance of the f-pawn to drive away the



centralized knight. [ The immediate 14.f4?! runs into !xc4!and Black wins a pawn due to 15. $ xc4

" c5+ and ...Qxc4. ] [ I also like the natural 14. $ e3 for White,again preparing f2-f4. This is the subject of the next game. ]

14...$ad8 15.f4 f7 16."a4! White has thebishop pair, so the endgame should befavourable for him. Thus he aims for a risk-free advantage with queens off the board.

[ Another idea is 16. $ d2 " b6 17." b3 " c7(Black wants to play with queens on!)

18.ad1 e5 19. $ e3 !h5 ( but personally, Iwould play 19...exf4! 20.gxf4 # e7 21.# c2

$h5 , when the position is unclear ) 20.f5 " e7 21. $ e2 and White was clearly better inL.Pantsulaia-T.Luukkonen, European Cup,

Saint Vincent 2005. ] 16..."xa4 I don’t like this move at all; tradingqueens is part of White’s strategy.

[ 16..." c7? is clearly wrong, in view of 17." xa7 and White wins a pawn. ] [ Black should play something like 16..." b6 17." c2 ( 17.# b3!? is also worthconsidering ) 17...e5 18. $ e3 " c7, although White still has a slight edge after

19. $ e2 , preventing ...Nh5; while if Blackpushes ...d5, he opens up the position,

which will favour our bishop pair. ] 17. xa4 e5 18.f5 gxf5 19.exf5 h5Stopping White from playing g3-g4.

[ If instead 19... $ h6 20. $ xh6 !xh6 21.g4, White has a clear edge due to hispowerful bishop and strong kingside pawnmajority. ]

20. e2 #h7?! Beginning a faulty plan of attacking down the g-file.

[ Here I think Black should trade bishops with 20... $ h6 and then concentrate on his centre.For example, 21. $ d3 ( or 21.$c3 d5 )

21...#g7 22.!c3 d5 23.cxd5 cxd5 , and if 24.!b5 d7 25.!xa7?! , then e4!and the pawns are getting going. ]

21. e3 After this, White keeps his bishop pair as he can retreat down the g1-a7 diagonal if necessary. b6 22. c3 h6 23. f2! $g8

[ 23...d5 24.cxd5 cxd5 25.ad1 g8comes to the same thing. ]

24.$ad1 d5 25.cxd5 cxd5 The position is

still unclear, but given the chance I would takeWhite's bishop pair. 26. b5 Heading for b3 toincrease the pressure on the d5-pawn. $g5 27. a4 e4? Black is losing thread of thegame. This allows White to blockade on d4

and the once proud centre will soon bedemolished.

[ Perhaps Black wanted to take on f5 andwas worried about something like 27...xf5 28.!xd5 xd5 29.xd5 !xd5? ( but 29..." xf2+! 30.xf2 $xd5 31.!b3 $b4would save him here ) 30. $ c2 . ] [ Alternatively, he could switch his ownbishop to the queenside with 27... $ f8 28. $ b3 ( or 28.a3 !c5 ) 28... $ b4, when the game remains unclear. ]

28. d4! $dg8 [ Unfortunately, 28...xf5? now loses to 29.f1 and White picks up a haplessknight. ]

29. e2 g7 30. xf6 xf6 31.$xd5Finally cashing in on the booty. e5 32. c2

f3 33.$ed1 e5? The final error.

[ 33...e8 was necessary. ] 34. xe4 h4+ 35.#f2 xg3+ 36. xg3 $xg3 37.$d7+ #h8 38.f61-0

E69Bradford,JBonin,J

US Championship, Stillwater (Game 47) 2007[Damian Lemos]

1. f3 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0 5.0-0 c6 6.d4 d6 7. c3 "a5 8.h3

[ In Chapter Five, I give 8.e4 as being moreaccurate, when e5 9.h3 !bd7 transposesbelow. ]

8...e5 9.e4 bd7 By a completely differentroute, we arrive at the same position as in theprevious game. 10.$e1 exd4 11. xd4 e5

12. f1 e6 13. xe6 fxe6 14. e3 [ An aggressive alternative to White's 14.#g2in the previous game. ]

14...$ad8 This is the most natural move,simply defending the d-pawn. although Blackhas other possibilities too.

[ 14...d5 (I don’t think Black is ready for this,although accurate play is required by White) 15.cxd5 cxd5 ( if 15...exd5 , as in S.Brynell-Po.Carlsson, Swedish Championship,Orebro 2013, then 16.f4 $c4 17.!xc4 dxc4 18.e5 $d5 19.# d4 leaves White with

the superior pawn structure, while Black’sg7-bishop doesn’t have much influence onthe game ) 16. $ g2! ( this time 16.f4allows Black some counterplay after $c4 17.!xc4 dxc4 , since his pawn is more



useful on e6 ) 16...ad8 ( or 16...$xe4 17.$xe4 dxe4 18.!xe4 $c4 19.# b3 ) 17.exd5 !xd5 18.!xd5 exd5 19. $ f4and, as usual, White’s two active bishopsgive him the upper hand. ]

[ 14...!h5 15. $ e2 ad8 was played in B.Bester-A.Copar, correspondence 2007, andhere 16.#g2! is simple and strong. Whiteprotects g3 before playing f2-f4 and therebyhalts Black’s counterplay on the kingside. ]

15.f4 [ One of Black’s ideas is, if given time, to play 15.-- c5! 16.f4 !c6 and a later ...Nd4, soWhite should hit the knight straight away. ]

15... f7 16. g2 Its task on f1 completed, thebishop returns to the long diagonal. d7 17.$c1 b6

[ 17... $ xc3?! 18.xc3 " xa2 can't be a good

choice for Black. Yes, he's nabbed a pawn,but his kingside is now defenceless, andWhite's bishops are going to be much better than the knights in this open position. Anyway, White can win the pawn straightback with 19." e2! " a5 20.a3and Rxa7. ]

[ 17..." b4 18." e2 !b6 is also ineffective. After 19.!d1 , as pointed out by GM Boris Avrukh in his excellent book 'Grandmaster Repertoire - 1.d4, volume two', White

comfortably defends all his pawns and isready to transfer his knight to f2. ]

18."b3 $fe8 19.$ed1 [ Here I think 19.c2 might be animprovement, maintaining flexibility with therooks. White’s position is very solid, so d5shouldn’t be a problem for us. After 20. $ xb6

axb6 ( or 20...# xb6+ 21.# xb6 axb6 22.exd5 exd5 23." xe8+ " xe8 24.cxd5 ) 21.exd5 exd5 ( or 21...$d6!? 22.h2 $f5 23." cc1! $d4 24.# a4 ) 22.xe8+ xe8 23.cxd5 , White has an extra pawn and noweaknesses. ]

19...e5 20.f5 gxf5?! Black misses his chanceto trade pieces off.

[ After 20... $ h6 21. $ xh6 " c5+ ( 21...$xh6?? loses a piece to 22.c5+ ) 22.#h2 !xh6 , I think White is still better,but the position is not as clear. ]

21.exf5 e4 This is too ambitious, though Ican't suggest a better move for Black.

[ For instance, after 21..." a6 22. $ f1!(back again), Black's queen is misplaced inits little corner of the board. ]

22. xe4 "xf5 The queen arrives on thekingside to aid the defence. However, White’s

bishop pair is too strong in this open position. 23.$f1

[ 23.c5!? also came into consideration. ] 23..."g6 24.$f4! White increases his initiative,preparing to double rooks on the f-file andsetting up the threat of Rg4. d5

[ Moving the king out of the way with 24...#h8 is weak in view of 25.c5(attacking both knights) !d5 26.g4 " h5 27. $ f2 and White has a clear advantage ]

25. xb6 axb6 26.cxd5 cxd5 [ Black has no choice but to wreck his ownpawn structure, as 26...xd5?loses immediately to 27.cf1 !h6 28.!f6+. ]

27.$c7!? White has much better piececoordination and so is ready to attack.However, Black has more resources than it

might appear. [ Instead, 27.!f2 was a safe option for aslight advantage. ]

27...dxe4! 28.$fxf7 [ 28.cxf7 is met by " e6 (the only move) 29.xb7 " xb3 30.axb3 d1+ 31.#h2 e3! 32.g4 #h8 33.gxg7 e2 and White hasto take the draw. ]

28... d4+! 29.#h2 "e6 Again, the onlymove.

[ Black loses after 29...#h8? 30.xh7+

" xh7 31.xh7+ #xh7 32." f7+ #h8 ( or 32...!g7 33.!xe4+ " xe4 34.# f5+ ) 33. $ xe4! xe4 34." h5+ #g7 35." g5+ #f7 36." xd8 e2+ 37.#h1and the checks will soon run out. ]

30."xe6 [ White could win a pawn by 30. $ xe4 " xb3 ( not 30...# xe4?? 31." f8+ xf8 32.# f7# ) 31. $ xh7+ #h8 32.axb3 , but then e2+ 33.#h1 $ e5! 34.cd7 xd7 35.xd7 $ xg3 should draw, especially as White hasthe wrong bishop for his rook's pawn. ]

30...$xe6 31. f1 e3?? After finding a seriesof correct moves, Black makes a fatal blunder.

[ He should have inserted 31...c6! 32.xh7 ( not 32." xb7 " c2+ 33.!g2 e3 34." xh7? !f6! 35." h6 " d6 and the passed pawn issuddenly decisive ) 32...e3 , when theposition is still far from clear. ]

32. c4 e5 [ Black cant move the rook, because of

32...e5 33.g7+ #f8 ( or 33...h8 34." xh7# ) 34.g8# . ] 33. xe6 xc7 34.$xc7+ #h8 35.$c2. White is now a piece up and the e-pawn is



going nowhere, so Black resigns.1-0

E69Ivanchuk,VRadjabov,T

Nice (blindfold rapid) (Game 48) 2009[Damian Lemos]

1.c4 f6 2. c3 g6 3.g3 g7 4. g2 0-0 5.d4 d6 6. f3 c6 7.0-0 "a5 8.e4 e5 9.h3 bd7 10.$e1 exd4 11. xd4 e5 12. f1 $e8 This is Black’s main move here. Rather than playing ...Be6 at once (as in the previoustwo games), Black prepares it, in order tomeet Nxe6 with ...Rxe6, keeping the e-fileopen. 13. e3 e6

[ Black has a tricky alternative here in 13...c5, which is examined in the final game of thebook. ]

14. xe6 $xe6 15.#g2! [ White defends the f3-square in order toprevent ideas like 15.-- !xe4! 16.!xe4

" xe1! 17." xe1 !f3+ and wins. ] 15...$ae8

[ After 15...a6 , White gets good play with 16.c5! (a strong pawn sacrifice in order toobtain a kingside majority; and following f4

and e5, White will have the e4-squareavailable for his knight) dxc5 ( 16..." d8

17.cxd6 " exd6 18.# a4 is good for White,as pointed out by GM Avrukh ) 17.f4 d8

( the piece sacrifice with 17...# b4?!doesn’t work here: 18.fxe5 # xb2+ 19.!f2

# xc3 20.exf6 # xf6 21." b1 b5 22.!xc5and White is winning ) 18." c2 !ed7

19.ad1 b5 20.e5 ( the preparatory 20.!f2!looks even better ) 20...!d5 , as in M.Schachinger-A.Albadri, AustrianChampionship, Vienna 2010, and now

21. $ f2 !xc3 22." xc3 " xc3 23.bxc3gives White a clear advantage, due to hisbishop pair and the ability to double rookson the d-file. ]

16.$b1! White prepares an expansion on thequeenside. I started paying attention to thismove when Ivanchuk played it. a6

[ Another advantageous line for White goes: 16...!ed7 17.f3 a6 18.b4 " d8 ( or

18...# c7 19." c1 a5 20.a3 axb4 21.axb4 " a8 22.# b3 h5 23.!f4 $h7 24.c5! !e5 25.cxd6 # xd6 26." cd1 # c7 27.!xe5 " xe5 28.f4 " e7 29.e5 and White has aclear space advantage, S.Vidit-P.Thipsay,

Indian Championship, Aurangabad 2011 ) 19." d2 h5 was seen in O.Cvitan-A.Volokitin, Slovenian Team Championship2004. Here White can improve his play with 20.c5! " e7 21.cxd6 xd6 ( trading queenswith 21...# xd6 22." ed1 # xd2+ 23." xd2makes things easier for White ) 22." c2 h4(Black tries to create weaknesses on thekingside, but White has a powerfulrejoinder) 23.e5! !xe5 24.f4 !eg4!? ( or 24...$ed7 25.!c5 # f8 26.!xd6 # xd6 27." xe8+ $xe8 28.$e4 ) 25. $ c5 ( 25.hxg4?! # d7! 26." bd1 $xg4gives Black strong play for the piece ) 25..." d8 26.xe8+ !xe8 27.!e4!(winning the exchange) !gf6 28. $ xd6 !xd6 29.!xf6+ " xf6 30.d1 and Whitehas a clear advantage, in my opinion. ]

17.b4"

c7 18.$

c1"

b8 19.c5! It's the rightmoment to advance on the queenside. [ Instead, 19.a4 a5 20.b5 !ed7 21.f3 !c5 22.e2 !fd7 23. $ f2 " c7 was unclear in J.Maherramzade-G.Bagaturov, Tbilisi 2001;although White has the two bishops,Black’s dangerous knights shouldn’t beunderestimated. ]

19...$d8 20.cxd6?! [ Here I think White can improve by movingthe queen off the d-file, with either 20." c2 ]

[ or 20." b3 . If Black responds by playing d5, then after 21.exd5 cxd5 ( not 21...$xd5 22.$xd5 " xd5? due to 23.f4 followed by 24Bc4, skewering the rooks ) 22.cd1, he is left with a vulnerable isolated d-pawn. ]

20...$exd6 21."c2 b5?! I don’t like thismove much, as it just creates weaknesses onthe queenside.

[ Trading pieces off with 21...!d3 22. $ xd3 xd3 is a better idea, when Black gets rid of White’s bishop pair. After 23.cd1 ( 23.$d5? fails to $xd5! 24.# xd3 $xb4and 25...Nb3, regaining the exchange ) 23...xd1 24.xd1 xd1 25." xd1, I think White may have a slight initiative,but Black has no weaknesses and so shouldbe able to equalize soon. ]

22.$ed1 $xd1 23.$xd1 $xd1 24. xd1Despite the exchange of all the rooks, Whitehas the advantage again, due to his kingside

pawn majority and bishop pair, not to mentionBlack's backward c-pawn. "d6 25. f4 [ Another possibility was 25. $ c5 " e6 26.f3 $ f8 27. $ xf8 #xf8 28. $ e2 and Whiteimproves his position little by little. ]



25..."d4 26.f3 fd7 27."d2 c4?!This weakens Black's pawns even further.

[ But 27..." xd2+ doesn't solve his problems,as after 28. $ xd2 !b6 29.f4 !ec4 30. $ e1, White keeps the better prospects due tohis bishop pair. ]

28. xc4 bxc4 29."xd4 xd4 30. e3 b6 [ If 30...c3 , then 31.!c2 , followed byKf1-e2-d3, and the c3-pawn will quickly fall. ]

31.#f1 f6 32.#e2 c5 [ Black loses the c4 pawn after 32... $ c3 33.a3 $ b2 34. $ c7! . ]

33.bxc5 xc5 34. c7 a4 35. a5!Despite being a blindfold game, Ivanchukshows excellent technique. The white bishopretreats to prevent the black knight from usingthe c3-square. c3

[ 35... $ xe3 36.#xe3 !c5 37.#d4 !e6+

38.#xc4 !g5 is equally hopeless, as after 39.#c5 , followed by Kb6 and Kxa6, White'sa-pawn is much faster than any passedpawn Black might obtain on the kingside. ]

36. d5 #f7 37.#d3 d6 38.g4 #e6 39. xc3 xc3 40.#xc3 f5 41.#d4 fxg4 42.hxg4 e5+

[ 42...h5 43.gxh5 gxh5 44.f4 also wins for White ]

43.#e3 g5 44.#d3 d6 45.#d4 h2 46.a4 g1+ 47.#c4 #e5 48. b4 #f4

49.

xa6#

xf3 50.e5 h2 51.e6 d6 52.#d5

[ 52.!c5! would have been more accurate,as after h5 53.a5 hxg4 54.a6 g3 55.a7, the a-pawn promotes with check. ]

52... f8 53. b8 h5 This is Black's lastchance.

[ After 53...#xg4? 54.a5 , White's pawn isagain much faster. ]

54. d7 [ 54.a5? hxg4 55.a6 doesn't work now,since the white king blocks the check ona8. ]

54...hxg4 [ If 54... $ e7 , then 55.!e5+ #f4 56.gxh5 g4 57.!xg4 #xg4 58.h6 wins. ]

55. xf8 g3 56.e7 g2 57.e8" g1" 58."e4+ #g3 59. e6 So Black hasmanaged to get a new queen as well. All thesame, White is a piece up and – veryimportantly – still has a pawn on the board

and is therefore winning. The computer indicates more precise moves for each side inthe rest of the game, but the result is never indoubt and so requires no commentary. "d1+ 60."d4 "b3+ 61.#e5 g4 62.#f5 #h2

63."f2+ #h1 64."h4+ #g1 65."xg4+ #h1 66."e4+ #h2 67.#f6 "a3 68.#e5 "c3+ 69."d4 "a5+ 70.#d6 "a6+ 71.#d7 "b7+ 72. c7 "f3 73."h8+ #g1 74."d4+ #h2 75."e5+ #g1 76.a5 "d3+ 77.#c8 "h3+ 78.#b8 "b3+ 79.#a7 "a3 80.a6 #h1 81.#b6 "g3 82."d5+ #h2 83.a71-0

E69Dautov,RGeorgiev,V

European Team Ch., Batumi (Game 49) 1999[Damian Lemos]

1.d4 f6 2.c4 d6 3. f3 g6 4.g3 g7 5. g2 0-0 6.0-0 c6 7. c3 "a5 8.e4 e5

9.h3 bd7 10.$

e1 exd4 11.

xd4 e5 12. f1 As we have seen from previous games,Black’s activity is temporary. White has goodresources to keep the strong centre and willeventually push the black pieces back. $e8

13. e3 c5 The main alternative to 13...Be6.Black plays this aggressive-looking move inorder to drive the white knight away from thecentre, and with a trick in mind (see the nextnote). On the other hand, the drawbacks areobvious: it leaves some weaknesses in the

centre, such as the d5-square and thebackward d6-pawn. 14. b3

[ 14.!db5? is dubious in view of the trickreferred to above (and in the notes to theprevious game). When the white bishopwent to f1 a couple of moves ago, it left thef3-square underprotected, which meansBlack can now play !xe4! 15.!xe4 " xe1! 16." xe1 !f3+ 17.#h1 !xe1 and then: 18.!bxd6 ( not 18." xe1? " xe4; while 18.$exd6 is met by " xe3! 19.fxe3 $c2 20." c1 $xe3 21." e1 !h6 22.!g2 !e6 23.!xb7 " d8 and Black was clearly better in S.Bekker Jensen-Ax.Smith, Borup 2012. ) 18... $ f5! ( here 18...$c2 19.$xe8 $xa1 20.$xg7 xg7 21.$xc5 is not as clear,since White has the bishop pair anddominates the dark squares ) 19.!xc5 !c2 20.!xe8 xe8 and Black has the upper hand in the resulting endgame, as this timehe will get the bishop pair after ...Nxe3. ]

14..."

b4 Black has to continue playingaggressively. If he retreats the queen to c7 or d8, he will just be left with a strategically poor position. 15. d2 This is by far White’s mostnatural reply. 15 Bd2 opposes the black queen



on b4 and overprotects the e4-pawn. [ Nevertheless, I believe White has thebetter prospects after the ambitious

15." xd6!? !f3+ 16.#h1 ( not 16.g2? $xe1+ , since Black takes the rook withcheck! ) 16...!xe1 17. $ xc5 " xc3!? ( after

17...!f8 18.# xf8+ " xf8 19.!xb4 $c2 20.!xf8 $xa1 21.!e7 $xb3 22.!xf6, White has a clear advantage in myopinion ) 18.bxc3 !xe4 19." f4. The position is double-edged but, given theopportunity, I would choose White's queenover Black's minor pieces. ]

15..."b6 [ Taking the c4-pawn would be a mistake. After 15...!xc4? 16.a3 " xb3 17." xb3 !xd2 18." d1 !xf1 19.g4!, White prevents ...Bxh3 and the knight on f1

is doomed, so Black doesn’t get enough for the queen. ] 16.f4 c6 17. g2 White’s bishop is morerelevant on the f1-a6 diagonal as it controlsimportant squares there; whereas after 17 Bg2,the c4-pawn and d3-square are weakened.

[ Instead, 17.#h2 would have been a better option,

A) when 17... $ e6 18.!d5 $ xd5 19.cxd5 !b4 ( 19...$d4?? loses the queen to 20.!a5 ) can be answered by 20.a3;

B) or if 17...!d4 , then 18. $ d3and White retains the stronger centre,although Black has a dynamic position.Chances are probably level. ]

17... e6 [ Black might consider the aggressive 17...!d4!? , but then 18. $ e3 !xb3 19." xb3 " xb3 20.axb3 gives White thebetter endgame; for example, $ d7 21.ad1

$ c6 22. $ f2 ad8 23.d2 with goodprospects for White, since the d6-pawn isa permanent weakness. ]

18. d5 xd5 19.cxd5 Now the gamereminds me of a Modern Benoni. After 19cxd5, White gets a central/kingside majority.On the other hand, Black should find somecounterplay on the queenside. b4

[ The immediate 19...c4+? fails to 20. $ e3 " b5 (or anywhere) 21.dxc6 cxb3 22.e5! dxe5 23.cxb7 ab8 24.fxe5 xe5 25." xb3 and White is winning ]

[ while 19...!d4 again cedes the better prospects to White, this time following 20.!xd4 cxd4 21." b3 " xb3 22.axb3, when White has two active bishops and thechance to open the position with e5, or if

!d7 then 23. $ b4 (Dautov). ] 20. c3 c4+

[ Taking into consideration that White hasthe bishop pair, Black might play 20...!fxd5!? 21. $ xg7 ( or 21.exd5 c4+ 22.h2 cxb3 23.# xb3 !xc3 ) 21...#xg7 22.exd5 xe1+ 23." xe1 c4+ 24.#h2 cxb3 25." c3+ #g8 26." xb3 e8 27.a3 !a6(Dautov) and White has only a nominaladvantage due to his bishop. ]

21. d4 [ White has to be careful. The natural 21.!d4? runs into !fxd5! ( or 21...$d3!, followed by ...Nxd5, which may be evenbetter ) 22.exd5 xe1+ 23." xe1 $ xd4+and Black wins a pawn at least. ]

21..."b5 22. c1 h5? The knight is goingto be misplaced on the edge of the board.

Black had two stronger alternatives here. [ Dautov recommends 22...!d7 (with theidea of ...Nc5-d3) 23. $ xg7 #xg7 24.a3 !d3! ( after 24...$a6 25.b4 cxb3 26.$xb3, White has a slight edge ) 25.!xd3 cxd3 26." d2 , when the d3-pawn is weak, butBlack has a lot of activity in return: ac8 27.ac1 xc1 28.xc1 !f6 29." c3 " b6+ 30.#h2 " e3 31.d1 and now xe4!equalizes, according to Dautov; for example, 32.xd3 ( not 32.!xe4? # e2+ 33.!g2

# xd1 and the d-pawn will promote ) 32..." f2 33.d2 e2 34.xe2 " xe2 . ] [ In similar spirit, GM Stohl suggests animmediate 22...!d3!? 23.!xd3 ( 23." e2?!runs into $g4! and if 24.!xg7?? then # c5+ wins; or if 23.a4? then # xd5! 24.exd5 " xe1+ 25.# xe1 $xe1 and Black has aclear advantage ) 23...cxd3 , and then:

A) 24." d2? loses to !xe4! 25.xe4 xe4 26. $ xg7 e2! ; for example, 27." c3 d2 28. $ h8 ( or 28.!h6 # c5+ ) 28...f6! 29." xf6 e1+ 30.#h2 " d7 .; B) Trading queens with 24." b3?! " xb3 25.axb3 also favours Black this time, whohas d2 26.e2 !xe4! 27. $ xg7 ac8!

28.d1 ( White can't take the knight due to...Rc1+, while if 28.!c3 $xc3 29." xd2then " e2! is strong ) 28...#xg7 (Stohl)

29. $ xe4 xe4 30.dxd2 ( still not 30." xe4? " c1 ) 30...c1+ 31.#f2 b4with the better prospects in the rook

endgame; C) White should probably limit himself to 24.e3 , when !xd5! 25.xd3 $ xd4+ 26.xd4 !e3 (Stohl) 27." d2 !xg2 28.#xg2 ac8 is just equal. ]



23. xg7 #xg7 24.#h2 "c5 [ 24...!d3 is still possible, as in Dautov's linewith 22...Nd7 above, but here White hasswapped a2-a3 for the more useful Kh2.For instance, after 25.!xd3 cxd3 26." d2

ac8 27.ac1 xc1 28.xc1 !f6 29." c3, Black no longer has a queen check and somust resort to d2 30." xd2 !xe4 31." d4+

!f6 32.g4 " b6 (forced) 33." xb6 axb634.g5 !h5 35.c4 e2 36.b4and White is slightly better (Stohl). ]

25."d2 f6 26.a3 a6 27.b4 [ White could have played 27." c3first in order to stop Black’s next move, when

!c7 28.b4 " b6 29." xc4 !cxd5 30." d3 just leaves Black with his weak d-pawn. ]

27...c3! A worthwhile try; [ since White is just clearly better after

27..." b6 28.!a2 ] [ or 27...cxb3 28.!xb3 " b6 29.ab1. The open position doesn't favour Black'sknight pair, whereas White threatens bothNa5 and e4-e5. ]

28."d3 "c7 29. b3 [ 29.b5 wins a pawn but allows Black'spieces to become more active after !c530." xc3 ac8 , and if 31.e5 then dxe532.d6 " b6 33.fxe5 !fd7 . ]

29...$ac8 30. a5?!

[ 30.ac1 first was more accurate, and if c2 ( or 30...# c4 31.# xc4 " xc4 32.$a5 " c733.e5 ) , then 31.!d4 " c3 32." xc3 xc333.!b5 d3 34.xc2 !xd5 35. $ f1! e336.d1 !f6 37.!xd6 e7 38.e5and White should win easily. ]

30...c2 31.$ac1 $e7? Black has no chance if he defends passively.

[ I'd have tried 31..." c3 32." xc3 xc333.!xb7 !xd5 and, even if White'sadvantage is beyond question, at least Blackcan still resist; for example, after 34.!xd6

e7 35.e5 ( or 35.$b5 " e3! ) 35...!e336.!b5 d 3 . ]

32.$e3!? Preventing any counterplay basedon ...Qc3.

[ Alternatively, I think White is alreadyprepared to play 32.e5! , and if !e8 ( not

32...dxe5? 33.d6 " d7 34.fxe5 ) 33.e2 " c3 , then simply 34." xc2! " xc2 35.exc2 xc2 36.xc2 dxe5 37.fxe5 xe5

38.!xb7 with a winning endgame. ] 32..."b6 Dautov criticizes this move, but it'shard to suggest a significant improvement for Black, as he's lacking activity. 33.$e2 xb4 A desperate last-ditch effort; otherwise White

just takes the c2-pawn while retaining all hispluses. 34.axb4 "xb4 35."d2Trading pieces off is usually a good idea if youhave more material, and Black's desire toavoid them just makes things easier for White.

"b5 36.e5 e8?! 37. f1 $c5?! 38.exd6 $xe2+ 39. xe2 "a4 40.d7

[ White wins the rook after 40.d7 " xd741." d4+ , so Black resigns. ]

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Opening Repertoire - The Fianchetto System - Weapons for White Against the King's Indian and Grünfeld- Damian Lemos