The King's Indian Defense

MODERNIZED:
THE KING'S INDIAN

DEFENSE
Dejan Bojkov
ETROPOLITAN
ME TROPOLITAN CHESS PUBLISHING
First Published in the US by Metropolitan Chess Publishing 2014

Copyright 2014 Dej an Bojkov
First Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form without written permission from the Publisher.
ISBN- 13: 978-0-985628 1-0-9
ISBN- 10: 0985628103
Cover by Elena Rose Dadural

Edited by Lawrence Stevens
Printed in the US by Lone Star Press
Metropolitan Chess Publishing is an imprint of Metropolitan Chess, Inc
Metropolitan Chess, Inc., PO Box 25 1 12 , Los Angeles, CA 90025-0 1 12
email: info@metrochessla. com
website: www.metrochessla.com
METROPOLITAN CHESS PUBLISHING

Commissioning Editor: Ankit Gupta
Editor-in-Chief: Lawrence Stevens
Assistant Editor: Alej andro Ruiz , Jr.
Contents
Introduction
The Classical Variation
15
1a F lexibility in the Classical Variation
17
1 b The Gligoric System
67
1c The Exchange System
91
1d The Petrosian System
107
The Samisch Variation
121
The Four Pawns Attack
189
The Averbakh System
213
The Bagirov Line
237
The Fianchetto System
273
Solutions to the Exercises
307
Index of Variations
355
Symbols
Good move
!!
?
??
!?
?!
Excellent move
Bad move
Blunder
Deserves attention
Dubious
#
D
Checkmate
oo
Unclear position
Equal position
;!;
Slight advantage for White
Distinct advantage for White
Distinct advantage for Black
+-
White is winning
Forced; the only move
Slight advantage for Black
-+
Black is winning
with the initiative
with the attack

insufficient compensation for the material
00
sufficient compensation for the material

with counterplay
with the idea...
better is...
Novelty
Time pressure
Introduction
ear reader, you are holding in your hands a book on my beloved opening,
the King's Indian Defense. I started playing this line in my youthful
days after reading the famous book by David Bronstein about the Interzonal
tournament in Zurich-Neuhausen 1953 . It was the time when the defense
appeared in elite tournaments and never left.
I witnessed Garry Kasparov's

glorious career and followed his
final match against his great rival
Anatoly Karpov when Kasparov did
not fear to use the KID and even won
the match.
My passion for the King's Indian
remains undiminished all these
years . For some people it is a religion.
Many of my friends have tried
to convince me that this opening
is positionally unsound. White is
taking more space and controls the
center better.
I strongly disagree. The KID is
founded on strong fundamentals; the
center is temporarily given up but
can later be attacked and destroyed,
while Black's control of key squares
can compensate for his lack of space.
Have a look at the following
example:
Skembris
Van Wely
Skei 1993
White indeed has more space, but

his position is strategically lost. His
gain of space has opened up some
weaknesses in his camp, specifically
the d4 square. At the same time,
Introduction
the analogous square on d5 is well

covered by the black pieces and is
unreachable by the white knight.
18. Rhe1 f6 19. Rd6 Kf7 20.Nd2

Ke7 21. Rd3 Ne6 22.g3 h5 23. h4
Nd4 24. Nf1 b6 25. Ne3 Bb7 2 6.(3
14.a3 c5/
If26.Nd5+ then 26 . . . Kd6 , answering 27. Nxf6 with 27 . . . Rf8 2 8 . Nd5

Rxf2+.
This fixes the white pawns on the

color of Black's own bishop, and pre
pares a standard knight maneuver.
15. b5 Nc7 16. Be2

Of no relief is 16 .Nxe5 due to
16 . . . Re6 17. Ng4 f5 18.Ne3 f4 19.Nd5
Nxd5 20.cxd5 Rxe4++, while 16.Rdl
Re6 17. Rd8+ only helps Black to
proceed with his idea: 17 ... Kg7
18.Be2 Re7+.
16 . . . Re6 17. 0-0-0 ReB+
26. . . Rg8 2 7. Bd1 Kd6 28. Rd2

Raf8 29. a4 f5 30. exf5 gxf5 31.(4
Probably more stubborn is 3 l . g4
hxg4 3 2 . fxg4 f4 3 3 . Nf5+ Rxf5 34.gxf5
e4+.
31 . . . Rxg3 32. Nc2

Better was 32.fxe5+, which is an
swered by 32 . . . Ke6 3 3 . Rf2 f4 34.Bxh5
f3 3 5 . Bg4+ Kxe5 3 6 . Nf5 + Kf4-+.
32 . . . Be4 33.fxe5+ Kxe5 34. Nxd4

cxd4 35. Bxh5 Rh8 36.Bf7 Rxh4
3 7. Kb2 Rhh3 38. c5 bxc5 39. a5
Ra3 40. a6 Ra4 41. Be8 c4 42. Rf2
Rb3+ 0-1
White can do nothing to face the

establishment of the black knight
on d4 . After this, Black can either
prepare the f5 breakthrough, or he
can even open the position on the
queen's flank at the proper moment.
Probably not familiar with this
game from two months before, Polgar,
with 17 ... Kg7 18.a4 a6 , rushed and
threw away the edge. Now White uses
the open a-file to release the pressure.
19.Kb2 Re7 20.Rd6 Ne8 2l.Rd5 axb5
22.axb5 b6 23.Ral Rxal 24.Kxal f6
25.Rd8 Bb7 26.Nd2 f5 27.exf5 gxf5 .
The game was later drawn, Huebner
Polgar, Biel Interzonal 1993 .
6
Introduction
n order to better understand the

King's Indian Defense, one needs
to appreciate the importance of
Black's dark-squared bishop. This
mighty piece on the long diagonal
is the pride and the j oy of any KID
player. The black squares are the
territory of the second player, yet
the bishop might in fact not even
be needed for the second player to
demonstrate this:
Qhl#.)
18 . . . Ng3+
19.hxg3
20.Nfl Qh6+ 2 1 . Nh2 Kg7-+
Qxf8
Nau mkin - S mirin
Ischia 1995
And now if 2 2 . Bfl then 22 . . . Qxh2+

2 3 . Kxh2 Rh8 mate.
1 7. . . Qxg5 18. Nfl

If 18. Bfl then 18 . . . Kg7 !? intending . . . Rh8 .
18 . . . (5
With the attack. The outcome of
Black's idea is very impressive, and
the position of his pieces on the king's
flank is quite frightening.
19. exf5
Here, Ilya Smirin introduced a
fabulous novelty, based on his deep
understanding of the position:
15 . . . Bf6l!N 16. Bxh6

Rejecting the offer would not save
White from problems: 16 .a3 Bg5
17. Bf2? Bxd2 18.Qxd2 Nxb3+.
Not 19.Qcl
2 1 . Kg2 f4+.
Nf4
20.g3
Nh3+
19 . . . gxf5 20. a3 a41

Energetic play on both flanks !
If 20 . . . Nf4 then 2 1 . g3 .
21. b4
Or 2 1 .bxa4!?
21 . . . Nb3+
16 . . . Bg5/
The point behind Black's maneu
ver. Without the black-squared bish
op, White can do nothing to control
his dark-squared perimeter.
1 7. Bxg5
The exchange is poison, as Black
will mate on the dark squares:
17.Bxf8? Be3+ 18.Kh l (Also mating
is 18. Kfl Qh4 19.Ndl Ng3+ 20. hxg3

Introduction
Black is using one extra piece at least

(the bishop! ) in the attack, makes his
position resignable.
31. Qe2
If all the white pawns leave the
black squares, White will have no
control over them: 3 1 .b3 Rc8 3 2 . Kc2
Rxc4+! 33 .bxc4 Rb2+-+.
31 . . . Qa7 32. Rcl RaB 33. b3 Bf4

34. Kc2
Smirin's inspired play has given

him the advantage, which he later
converted into a full point on move 47.
As we have seen, the positional
pawn sacrifice is one of the strategi
cal ideas to prove superiority on the
dark squares.
However, we also have another
strong weapon in our arsenal, the
attack with opposite-colored bishops:
34 . . . Re7
Kamsky - Kasparov
Manila (ol) 1992
Kasparov is not interested in

trading his bishop for a rook!
35. Qd3 Qc5 36. R bl Re3 3 7. Qd4

Ra2+ 38. Kdl
It's mate after 3 8 . Rb2
39.Qxb2 Be5 40.Qa2 Rc3+.
Rxb2+
38 . . . Rxf3
There were other wins as well,
for example 38 . . . Re8!? 39.Rd3 Qb4
40.Qc3 Qxc3 4 1 . Rxc3 Rd2+ 42 . Kcl
Rel mate.
39. Qxf4 Rxf4 40. Rxa2

41.Kc2 Qxh2+ 0-1
Qgl+
You will have noticed that the

attack was conducted mainly on
the squares of the color of the black
bishop.
Kamsky has an extra pawn, but
it's no consolation. The open files and
diagonals, and above all the fact that
8
Introduction
In the KID, players are not afraid

to sacrifice material, even for strate
gical purposes. You saw what Smirin
did in his game against Naumkin.
Here is an example of a successful
blockade:
Kotov - Gligoric
Candidates Tournament 1953
Thanks to the pawn sacrifice,

Black has managed to build a strong
central position. Gligoric does not
stop so soon, though.
16.Nf3
Qe7
1 7. Nxe5
18. 0-0-0 Nf6 19. h3 Bd7
Qxe5
Another plan is 19 ... a6 !? 20. Bd3
(20. a4!? Bd7 21.Rel Nh5 t) 20 . . . b5
Svetozar Gligoric was one of the

leading forces behind the KID all his
life. In this game he demonstrated a
remarkable idea.
2 l .cxb5 axb5 2 2 . Bxb5 Ba6-. .

Also 19 . . . b5!? 20.cxb5 a 6 2 l . a4
axb5 2 2 . Bxb5 Bd7 2 3 . Rhel Bxb5
24.Nxb5 Nh5t.
20. Bd3 a6 21. Nbl! (3!?
ll . . . e4! 12.fxe4 (4! 13. Bf2 Nd7!

14.Ngl
Not 14.e5?! Nxe5 1 5 . Bxh7+ Kh8t
16.0-0-0 Qg5 17. Kbl Qxg2 1 8 . Ne4
Nf6 19.Rhgl Qf3 20. Nxf6 Rxf6
21.Nc3 Qh5 22 .Be4 Bg4+.
14 . . . Qg5 15. Bfl Ne5';.
Kotov was threatening to bring

his knight into the action via d2 and
f3, and Gligoric is not afraid of sacri
ficing another pawn!
Introduction
Also possible was 2 l . . . Rae8!?

followed by:
a) 22.Nd2 Ba4! 23.b3 (23. Qxa4
Nxe4!) 23 . . . Qal+ 24.Nbl Bd7 2 5 . Rdel
b5=.
b) 22.Rdel Nh5 2 3 . Nd2 Ng3
24.Nf3 Qh5 25.Rhgl b5+t.
Another idea is 2 l . . .Be8!? 2 2 . Nd2
Ba4! 23 .b3 (if23. Qxa4 then 23 . . . Nxe4)
23 . . . Qal+ 24.Nbl Be8! 2 5 . Bel Nd7
26.e5!? Bxe5 27. Bxh7+ Kh8 28. Bd3
Rg8oo.
We are much obliged to the Yu

goslavian GM for another powerful
idea, the positional exchange sacri
fice:
Avery
Gligoric
USA 1971
22.gxf3 Nh5 23. Nd2 Nf4
21 . . . Rf4!
The outcome of Black's strategy:

his pieces on the freed f4 and e5
squares are dominating the position
and the long diagonal is in complete
control. White's pieces lack air
because of their own pawns. Black
has rich compensation for the pawns
and went on the attack after
24. Bfl b5!

The game was eventually drawn
at move 41.
"I found this move easily over the

board . The exchange sacrifice solves
all Black's strategical problems.
It introduces into the action the
passive bishop on g7 and the knight,
and Black even gets some material
compensation for the exchange."
Needless to say, this pattern is
now commonly recognized by any
chess player.
22. Bxf4
24. Rc2
exf4
23. Nd3
Qxg5+
Not 24. Nxf4? Bh6 .
24 . . . Rf8 25. Kdl a3! 26.Ncl Ba4

2 7. Nb3 Bb2
With the idea 2 8 . . . Bxb3 29. axb3
a2.
28. Rxb2
If
2 8 . Rc6
then
28 . . . Bxb3+!
29.axb3 Qe5 30.Rxa6 Bc3+.
28 . . . axb2 29. Qxb2 RbB! 30. Qd2

Nf6 31. Kcl Bxb3 32. axb3 Qe5
33. Kbl g5-+
10
Introduction
e have seen the sacrifices of the

pawn(s) and the exchange, but
Black can also sacrifice:
I) A Piece
Miroshnichenko - Bojkov
European Individual Chess

Championship, Plovdiv 2008
34. Rc1 g4 35. Rc7 Nh71 36. Ka2

Ng5 37. Qe2 h41 38.fxg4 Rf8
39. Bf3 Qd4 40. Rc4 Qe3 0-1
The strategic ideas in the King's
Indian Defense can be the subject
of another complete book, so rich in
ideas is the KID !
I will just mention the pawn
chains. The situation of the pawns,
especially in the positions with the
closed center, obliges both sides to
play on their flanks.
For White this is usually the
queen's flank where he has the better
quality pawns, thanks to the wedge
on d5, while Black attacks the king
side. In these double-edged situations .
the main question is "Who is faster?",
and an experienced KID player is not
afraid of sacrificing material.
It seems as if I need to retreat,

after which White will most proba
bly smash me on the queenside. But
I know that King's Indian players do
not retreat.
12 . . . Ncxe4!
13. Ndxe4
Nxe4
14. Nxe4 f5 15. Nc3 f4 1 6. Bd2 e4
1 7. 0- 0 e3 18. Be1 axb4 19. axb4
Rxa1 20. Qxa1
Introduction
11
Rg7-+) 23 . . . Nh5 24.Bf2 (24.Bh2 Be3+

25.Rf2 D Qh4 26.Nd3 Ngf4 2 7. Qel
Nxg2! 28.Kxg2 Rg7+-+) 24 . . . Ngf4 and
now:
2 5 . Rc7? Ba4! 2 6 .Qxa4 Nxe2+
27.Kh 2 Bf4+ 2 8 . Kh3 (28.g3 Qh4+
29.Kg2 Bxg3 30. Qe8+ R{B 31. Qe6+

KhB-+) 28 . .. Nhg3 ! 29. Rxf7 Kxf7
30.Nd3 Qc8+ 3 l . Kh4 (31.Kh2 Nxfl+
32. Khl Nfg3+ 33. Bxg3 Nxg3+ 34.Kgl
Ke7!-+) 3 l . . . Nxfl 32.g4 Nd2 3 3 . Nel
20. . . (8! 21.gxf8 Bh8

With lively doubled-edged play.
The game ended in a draw, which
satisfied both opponents.
2) ARook
Piket
Kasparov
Tilburg 1989
h5!-+.
2 5 . Nd3 ! :
a ) 25 . . . Nxg2
2 6 . Kxg2
Rg7+
27.Kh 2 Ng3 ! 2 8 . Bxg3 Qg5 29. Rg1D
Qh5+ 30.Kg2 Be3 3 l .Rhl Rxg3+
32.Kxg3 Qg5+ 33 . Kh2 Qh4+ 34.Kg2
Qg5+ 3 5 . Kh2 Qh4+=.
b) 2 5 ... Rg7
2 6 . Nxf4
Bxf4
27.g4 ! (27. Rc7? Ng3! 2B. Rxd7 Qh4
29.Rxg7+ Kxg7 30.Bxa7 Nxe2+!

31. Qxe2 Bh2+-+) 27 . . . Bxcl 2 8 . Qxcl
Nf4 2 9.Qe3 h5!+.
21 . . . Nh5!
20 . . . g8!
Time is more precious than the
material!
21.Nxa8?
Here are some beautifullines giv
en by Kasparov's trainer:
2l .hxg3
fxg3 !
2 2 . Bxg3
Bh6 !
23.Nxa8 !
(23.Ne6 Bxe6 24.dxe6
12
Introduction
22. Kh1D
2 2 . Bxa7 Qh4 23 .h3 Bxh3 24.gxh3
Qxh3 2 5 . Rf2 gxf2+ 2 6 . Kxf2 Nh4
27. Bfl Qh2+ 2 8 . Ng2 Rg7-+.
22 . . . gxf2 28. Rxf2 Ng3+! 24. Kgl

Qxa8 25. Bc4 a6!
3) A Queen!
Kramnik - Kasparov
Munich Intel Express blitz '5 1994
Black took over the initiative, and

his opponent could not adjust to the
situation and lost quickly:
26. Qd3?!
Other moves lose, too: 26.hxg3
fxg3 27.Rb2 Qd8 2 8 . Kfl Bh6 29.Ke2
Qg5 -+.
And 2 6 . Nd3 Qa7 27.Nc5 Bb5 !
(27... dxc5 28.d6 cxb4 29. Qd5 NhB

30. Qxe5 Qe3 31.RdJ oo) 2 8 . Bxb5 axb5
29.hxg3 fxg3 30. Rfc2 dxc5 3 l .bxc5
Nf4-+.
26. . . Qa7 2 7. b5
If 27. Rcc2 then 27 . . . Be7 threaten
ing 28 . . . Bh4 .
27. . . axb5 2B. Bxb5 Nhl! 0-1
12 . . . Nfxe4!!
Kasparov had prepared this line
especially for the blitz match with
Kramnik.
13. Bxd8
15. Rcl ?!
Nxc3
14. Qel
Rfxd8
1 5 . Nb l ! is the only move to test

Black's idea.
It is not a big surprise that
Kramnik did not orient himself well
enough with less than five minutes
on the clock. Nevertheless, even
against best play Black has good
compensation for the queen.
15. . . Nxa2 16.Ral Nb4 1 7. Bdl e4

18.Rbl ReB 19. Qe3 (5
Introduction
13
With all his pieces beautifully

placed, Black is indisputably better,
and went on to win!
20. h4 Rf8 21.g3 Rae8 22. Kg2

Nbd3 23. Rgl (4 24.gxf4 Rxf4
25. h5 g5 26. Rfl Rh4 27. Rhl Rf4
28. Rfl Ref8 29.(3 Rh4 30.fxe4
Nf4+ 31.Kgl Ncd3 32. e5 Nxe5
33. Rcl Rh3 34. Nf3 g4 35. Nxe5
Rxe3 36. Nxd7 Nh3+ 37. Kg2 Rxfl
38. Kxfl g3 39. Kg2 Nf4 + 0-1
14
Introduction
et's stop here to take a breath!

Mr. Kasparov's play in this game
was extreme, as usual, just like our
defense. You will see more of these
ideas in this book and will learn
other things as well.
The chapters feature the most
important systems for White which
you are most likely to face. Each
chapter includes memory markers,
important positions and ideas that
were explained in the text, which
will help you to memorize the key
positions.
My practice as a trainer has
taught me that no book is complete
without a set of exercises to help you
confirm your knowledge. Therefore,
at the end of each chapter there
are many puzzles, both tactical and
strategical!
Welcome to your remarkable jour
ney in the King's Indian Defense!
Chapter 1
The Classical
Variation
l.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5
he Classical Variation is by far the most popular reply to our beloved

defense. White is doing everything right. He occupies the center, he
develops his knights first, he develops the king's bishop next, and he is ready
to castle; It's a truly classical approach, and it's no wonder that it is the main
weapon that you might face when playing the KID.
Chapter 1: The Classical Variation
15
Chapter la
Flexibility in
the Classical
Variation
l.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5

7.0-0 exd4 8.Nxd4 ReB 9.(3 c6
In the late nineteenth century, positions where one side abandons the center
were considered to be dangerous and even lost for that side. The KID was an
irregular (and wrong! ) opening, according to the Classical Chess School .
hen came Aaron Nimzowitsch
who, together with the other "hy
per-modernists", gave new meaning
and understanding to positions with
the so-called small center.
This pawn structure in the
Classical arises after the moves:
l.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 g6 4.Nc3

Bg7 5. e4 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7. 0-0 exd4
8.Nxd4 ReB 9.{3 c6 (see the above
diagram).
Black has released the tension in
the center and given his opponent
both the territory and the freedom
to develop comfortably.
White's
advantages are obvious, and Black
has a backward pawn on d6 which
seems to be well controlled by the
white pawn bind on c4 and e4. The
first player just needs to finish his

development, bring the cl bishop to
a good position (and there is plenty of
choice on the c . l -h6 diagonal ! ), place
the queen on d2, connect the rooks,
bring them to the center, and his
advantage will be beyond any doubt.
For many years , this position was
not considered to be worth playing
as Black. After all, he does not really
have a direct attack against the king,
nor are there any obvious targets to
hit.
Enough talking, let's have a look
at the new games which changed the
attitude towards the line !
I start with two games by Viorel
Bologan,
the
Moldavian
player
known for his uncompromising style.
Chapter la: Flexibility in the Classical Variation
17
The main line:

ll.Bg5
1 Fier
Bologan
Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2011

l.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 g6 4.Nc3
Bg 7 5. e4 0 - 0 6. Be2 e5 7. 0-0
exd4 8.Nxd4 ReB 9.f3 c6 l O. Khl
Nbd7 11.Bg5
12 Qc7!? 13 .Qd2 and now:

a) 13 . . . a6?! This is a bit slow, and
one should be aware of a typical
combination in White's arsenal:
14 . Nc3 b5 15 .cxb5 axb5 16. Racl
(with the threat Nc3xb 5 ! ) 16 . . . Qb6
17. Nxc6! Qxc6 1 8 . Nxb5 Qb6 19. Nc7 .
Watch out for this idea!
b) Instead, Postny suggests the
idea 13 . . . Nc5 ! 14 . Nxc5 (or 14.Nc3 a5
15.Radl Nfd7oo) 14 . . . dxc5 1 5 . Nb3 b600
White has a pawn majority on the
kingside, but Black has counterplay
on the dark squares, and the Knight
is misplaced on b3.
12 Qa5 This is what Bologan
chose against Beliavsky, and as we
shall see, things are good for Black
here as well. We look at two moves:
a) 1 3 . Bd2 is the old move in
the position, when Black is doing
generally fine after both 13 . . . Qe5 and
13 . . . Qc7:
.
The main line in this variation .

White tries to permanently stop
Black's main counterattacking re
source d6-d5 while finishing his
development . Still, there are other
ideas for Black .
ll . . . Qb6
Black targets both the knight
on d4 and the pawn on b2 , forcing
White to retreat the knight to a
worse position. It was because of this
idea that Bologan decided to give the
line a new try.
12.Nb3
Six months prior to this game
Bologan suffered a defeat after
the tricky 12.Na4. His opponent
Alexander Beliavsky managed to
extract some advantage from the
opening. However, Black had ways of
improving his play:
18
al) 13 . . . Qe5 14 .Bc3 Qe7 The

knight on a4 and the bishop on c3
do not really seemed improved, to
say the least. 15 .Qd2 Ne5 16.b3 d5!
17.cxd5 cxd5 18.Bb5 Bd7 19. Bxd7
Qxd7 20.exd5 Qxd5 and we see
Black taking over the initiative in
Bilobrk-Saric, Split 201 1 .
a2) 13 . . . Qc7 14 .Be1 a6 15.Rc1 c5!

Another option for Black to begin
active play is to advance this c-pawn
and win the d4 square for the knight.
16 .Nc2 Ne5 17. Nc3 Bd7 18 .Qd2
(The seemingly dangerous 18.{4 Nc6

weakens the e4 pawn instead, and
Black is fine after 19.Bf3 Nd4 20.Nxd4
cxd4 2l. Qxd4 Nxe4+Z.) 18 . . . Rad8
19.Bh4 Bc6 20. Rfd1 b5!? 21 .cxb5 axb5
22 .Bxb5 Bxb5 23.Nxb5 Qb6 24.Nca3
and here the active 24 . . . d5! would
have given fantastic compensation to
Black after 25.Bxf6 Qxf6 26.exd5 Qh4
with the threat Bg7-h6-f4! Instead,
24 . . . Rd7 was the game continuation
in Ruzele-Siepelt, Berlin 1994.
b) 1 3 . Bf4N
b2 1 1 )
18 . . . Bg4
19.Qd2
Rh5
(19. . . Nxe4 ? 20.Nxe4+-) 2 0 .e5.

b212) 18 ... Rxe4 19. Bxd7 Nxd7
20.Nxe4 dxe4 2 1 . Ne6 Nf6 2 2 . Nxg7
Kxg7 23 .Qb3 and Black didn't get
sufficient
compensation for the
exchange
in
Beliavsky-Bologan,
J S ibenik 2010. Even if he can survive
this we do not play the KID to suffer
for a draw.
b22) Note that 14 . . . Qb4? is met
by 1 5 . Nc2 ! and the b2 pawn is taboo:
15 . . . Qxb2?? 16 . Na4+-.
b23) Instead, Black needed to
play 14 ... Qb6 ! ? 15 .Qd2 Nfd7 16 .Be3
Nc5 17.Qc2 (or 1 7.Nc2 a5 lB.Rabl
B{B) 17 . . . Ned7 18.Rad1 a5oo.
12 . . . a5
Black wins space on the queen's
flank with tempos .
13. Qd2
We will look at 1 3 . Na4 Qb4 in the
next game, Elj anov-Bologan, S ibenik
2010.
13 . . . a4 14. Be3 Qd8!

The best square for the queen.
From here it can be transferred to
either the king's or queen's flank!
15. Nd4
This was
the
novelty that
Beliavsky had prepared for the game.
b1) Now
one
possibility
is
13 ... Qc7 14 .Qd2 (Black will achieve
1 5 . Nc1?! is too slow, and Black can

perform the desired central break
after 15 . . . Ne5 16 . Rb1 Be6 17.b3
axb3 18.axb3 d5t, in Sharavdorj
Shimanov, Moscow 2 0 1 1 .
15. . . Nc5
standard break after 14.Nc3 Nh5

15.Be3 {5+Z.) 14 . . . Nh5 1 5 . Be3 Nc5
16 .Nc3 a5 17.Nb3:t.
b2) But 13 ... Ne5 is best in the
above diagram. Now, after 14 . Nc3:
b2 1) The central release which
Bologan tried did not work: 14 . . . d5?!
15.cxd5 cxd5 16 . Bb5 Bd7 17. Bxe5
Rxe5 18.f4 and now:
19
Thanks to the beautiful pawn on

a4 , the knight on c5 is really hand
some. Please note that whenever this
knight occupies the c5 square, we usu

ally start playing on the king's flank,
discarding our plans for a central
strike with d6-d5.
Also possible are 15 . . . Nb6 and
15 . . . Qa5 !?.
16. Rfdl
16.Rabl!? is an alternative for
White. Still, after 16 . . . Nfd7 17.b4 axb3
18.axb3 Be5 19.b4 Ne6 20.f4 Black
can trade a pair of pieces: 20 . . . Bxd4!
(But not 20... Bg7 21.Nxe6 Rxe6 22.Bd4

Nf6 23.Bf3 ReB 24.RfdH, when White
stabilizes the situation and enjoys his
extra space, in Goganov-Shimanov,
St. Petersburg 2011.) 2l.Bxd4 Nxd4
The central strike! 20.b4 Ne6?

Fighting for the dark squares! 2l.Ra8?
Nxd4 22.Bxd4 Bxd4 23 .Qxd4 Qh4!
And now a small winning combination
is inevitable: 24.Qd2 Ng3+ 25.Kgl
Qxh2+! 26.Kxh2 Nfl+ 27.Kgl Nxd2+,
with a good extra pawn in Smith
Shimanov, Stockholm 2010.
If 16.Nc2 then 16 . . . Nfd7 ! welcom
ing 17.Qxd6? a3 ! .
1 6. . . Nfd7 1 7. Rabl
With 17.Bfl White can try to
defend the king's flank in advance.
17... Be5 A semi-provoking move, as
Black would love to see the white
pawn advance to f4 , leaving it.s
colleague on e4 vulnerable.
22.Qxd4 Ra3. With fewer pieces on

the board White's space advantage is
not so obvious, and Black can gradu
ally equalize: 23.Ral Rxal 24.Rxal
Qf6 25 .Qe3 Qe7 26.Qd3 Nf6 27.Ra8
Bg4=, Bologan.
16.b4 is an aggressive try for the
first player. Pay close attention to
the following model game, as Black
manages to achieve all the ideas that
he wants: 16 . . . axb3 17.axb3 Rxal
18.Rxal Nh5 ! Opening the road for
the queen! 19.Bdl f5!
20
We show two possibilities:

18.Qf2!? stops Qd8 -h4 and is
probably White's best try. Still, the
situation is full of life and possibil
ities for both sides after 18 . . . Qe7
(18 . . Qa5!? with the threat a4-a3
b) 19. Bf2
makes sense as well, since the white

queen has left the center.) 19.Rel Nf6
20.Radl Bd7 2 1 .h3 Nh5 2 2 . Nde2 and
here is a strong blockading move
22 . . . g5 !
After Qe7-f6 and eventually a4a3 , Black seems in good control of

the situation. Instead, the youngest
GM in the world preferred 22 . . . b6
23.g4 Nf6? 24.Bxc5 ! bxc5 2 5 . f4 Bxc3
26.Nxc3, in Reinderman-Nyzhnyk,
Wijk aan Zee 2 0 1 2 .
18.Rabl ('!?' D. Mozetic.) 18 . . . Qa5
a) 19.Qc2
Qb4
20.Ncb5
Qa5
21.Nc3 Qb4 2 2 . Nce2 Nf8 ! Remember
this pattern - Black is taking care of
the strong d4 Knight! 23 .Qcl Nfe6
24 .Nc2 Qa5=, Khalifman-Kokarev,
Dagomys 2009.
Now Black, with 19 . . . Nf8 , intended

to first deal with White's d4 knight,
and then advance the f-pawn. 20.b4
axb3 2 l . axb3 Qb4 2 2 . Bel Nfe6
2 3 . Nc2 Qb6 led to a complex position
with mutual chances.
White, however, committed a
characteristic mistake, 24. Bf2?, and
was punished in a typical, tactical
way:
24 . . . Bxc3!
25.Qxc3
Nxe4!
2 6 . Bxb6 Nxc3, winning a pawn in
Bosiocic- Cvitan, Split 201 1 .
1 7 Be5
...
Provoking White's
Unclear is 17 . . . Qa5oo.
next
move.
21
18.(4
This move drives away the bishop
from its active location, but weakens
the e4 pawn.
A safer alternative is 18.Bf2 Qe7
19. Bfl . However, after the already
standard idea 19 . . . Nf8 ! 20.b4 axb3
2l.axb3:
a) 2l ... Ra3 22 .Qc2 Nfe6 2 3 . Nde2
Nf4?! (Only this is a mistake. Better
was 23 . . . Qf6!?"?.) 24.Nxf4 Bxf4 25 .b4
Ne6 26.Rd3:t, Van Wely- Shchekachev,
Bastia 2010.
b) Black could have solved all
his problems with the other typical
blockading idea: 2 l . . . Nfe6 22.Nde2
Qf6 23 .b4 Na4 24.Nxa4 Rxa4 25.Be3
g5=.
Note the ideal position of the

black pieces. The bishop on e5 is a
monster!
18.g3 is another solid but
innocuous attempt. Black equalizes
after 18 . . . Qe7 (unclear is 18. . . Qa5oo)
19.Bg5 f6 20.Be3 Nf8 2l.b4 axb3
22.axb3 Nfe6 23.Nc2 Qg7 24.b4 f5
25.Nd4 Nxd4 26.Bxd4 Bxd4 27.Qxd4
Na4=, Polishchuk-Opryatkin, 2007/
Corr 201 1.
22
The careless 18.b4?! axb3 19. axb3

is strongly met with 19 . . . Qh4! t.
It is worth studying this position

for a while using Mozetic's notes:
a) Now 20.h3? weakens the black
squares: 2 0 . . . Nf6-+ .
b) 20.Bgl is no better: 20 . . . Nf6 !
(20. . . Bf4! might be even stronger) and
now:
bl) 2 l .g4 Bxg4! 22.fxg4 Nfxe4-+ .
b2) 2 l .b4?
Nh5
2 2 . g4
Ne6 !
2 3 . Nxe6 (or 23.gxh5 Nxd4) 23 . . . Ng3+
24.Kg2 Nxe2 2 5 . Nxe2 Bxe6t.
b3) 2 1 .Qel! is White's best try,
but he is still worse after 2 1 . . .Qxel
2 2 . Rxel Ra3+.
c) After 20.f4 Bg7 2 l . Bf3 Nf6,
Black's pieces have arrived on the
battlefield with great effect, and
the first player is in trouble: 2 2 . Bf2
(not 22.g3?! Qh3+, and g4 and e4 are

weak squares.) 22 . . . Qh6 2 3 . Rel Ng4
and now :
cl) 24. Bgl? Bxd4 25.Qxd4 Qxf4+.

c2) 24. Bg3 Ne5 ! (24 . . . Ra3 might
be even better.) 2 5 . Be2 Ned3 ! 2 6 . Bxd3
Bxd4:
c21) 27.b4? Ra3 .
c22) 27.Bc2 Qg7 2 8 . Ne2 Bf6 !
(28 . . . Nxe4 ?? 29. Nxd4!+-) 29.Qxd6
(29. Ngl Bc3) 29 . . . Nxe4 3 0.Bxe4
Rxe4+ with the bishop pair and the
better game.
c23) 27.Ne2 Bf6t.
c3) 24. Bxg4 Bxg4+. Black was
better and managed to convert his
advantage
in
Ligterink-Mozetic,
Tilburg 1993.
20 . . . Qf8
18 ... Bg7 19. Bf3 Qe7
2 6 . Nxf3 RedS = .
The threat is ... f7-f5 . Black is

using the half-open e-file!
23. b4
Bologan decides to play for a

win. Alternatively, a relatively safe
equality would be reached after
20 . . . Nb6!? 2 1 .b3 h5 (also possible is
21 . . . axb3 22.axb3 Ra3 23.Bf2 Nbd7

24. Qc2 h5+t) 2 2 . f5 axb3 2 3 . axb3 Ra3
24. Bg5 Qe5 2 5 . Nce2 Nbd7oo.
21. b4 axb3 22. axb3 Ra3

Black can torture his opponent
by hitting the vulnerable e4 pawn:
2 2 ... Nf6 2 3 . Bgl (23. Qc2 Bg4 24. b4
Ne6= Bologan.) 23 . . . Bg4 24.e5 dxe5
2 5 .fxe5 Bxf3 (25 . . . Bh6 26. Qc2 Bxf3
2 7.Nxf3 Nfd7 2B. RbdH,
Postny.)
20. Rel
23
33.Rxf7 ! Be6! 34.Rxf8+ Qxf8, with

the remark:
28 . . . Nb6/
The King's Indian Spirit!
Black sacrifices a piece for only
two pawns. However, these pawns
will be well supported by both bish
ops and the heavy pieces.
Also possible is 23... Na4 24.Nxa4
Rxa4 25.Qc2;!;.
24. bxc5 Nxc4 25. Qd8

26. Qxe8 dxc5 2 7. Nde2 c4
Nxe8
Better than 27...Bxc3 28.Nxc3 b5

29.Ral Rxal 30.Rxal b4 3 l. Na4 c4
32.Qb6 Be6 33.Nc5;!;, Bologan.
28. Qcl g511
"You might be laughing, but despite

the fact that Black is a piece down,
and does not have a single pawn to
compensate for it, I would still prefer
to have Black here ! "
Indeed, the beautiful bishops i n
the center, which control everything,
make even the materialistic machine
respect the position, and carefully
assess it as equal!
81. Ndl Rxbl 82. Qxbl b5 88. Ne8

Be6 84. Nf5/ Ra8
Absolutely gorgeous! Black clears
the way for the bishop, so that no one
will disturb it on e5!
29.fxg5
29.g3 b5 highlights the weak
ened third rank, while 29.e5 gxf4
30.Ne4 Rxe5 3 1.Qxc4 Be6 32.Qc2
Qe7 33.Nxf4 Ba2 34.Rb2 Bd5, given
by Bologan, leads to a complete mess.
29. . . Be5 80.Bh5

Also unclear would be 30.Ndl
Qc5 3l.Ng3 b5 32.Nf5 c3 33.Nh6+
Kg7 34.Ne3 Be6 35.Re2 b4 36.Bg4
b3 37.Bxe6 fxe6 38.Qdl Bd4oo.
80 . . . Rb8
After 30... Qc5 Bologan gives the
following line: 3l.Rfl Rf8 32.Qd2 b5
24
35. Qdl
One wild line is 3 5 . Ned4 Bxf5
36.Nxf5 Ral 37.Qxa l Bxa l 3 8 . Rxal
b4 39. Be2 ! c3 40. Bc4 Qb8 4l.Bb3
c5 42.e5 c4 43. Bxc4 c2 44.h3 Qa7
45.Rcl Qd7 46.Nh6+ Kg7 47. Bb3
Qd2 48. Rxc2 Qel+ 49.Kh2 Qxe5+
50.g3 Qxg5 5 l . Nxf7 Qe3 =.
Or 40 ... b3 4 l . Nxe6 b2 42 . Nxf7+

Qxf7 43 . Bxf7 bxclQ 44.Rxcl c2
45.Nxc5 Bb2 46 .Rel clQ 47.Rxcl
Bxcl=.
41.Nxe6 Ral
43. Rxal clQ+!
42. Qxal
Bxal
35. . . c5?
Both opponents went into time
trouble, with unavoidable mistakes.
Better was 35 ... Ral 36 .Qxal
Bxal 37.Rxal Qd8 38 .h4 b4 39. Nh6+
Kf8 40.Nxf7 Qb6 4 l . Ne5 b3 42. Nf4
Ke7 43.Nxe6 b2 44.Rbl Qe3 4 5 . Nd4
Qcl+ 46.Rxcl bxclQ+ 47. Kh2 c5
48.g6 hxg6 49.Nxg6+ Kf7 50. Nf4+
Kg8 5l.Nde2 Qel 52 . Nd5=.
36. Nh6+
36.Rfl ! .
36 . . . Kh8 ?
3 6 . . . Kg7 37.Qd2 b 4 3 8 . Nf4 Qd6
39.Nxe6+ fxe6 40.Qf2 Rf8 4 l . Nf7 c3
42 .Qh4 Qd4 43 . Nxe5 Qxe5 44. Bg4 h5
45 .gxh6+ Kh8 46.h3 Rf6oo.
37. Rfl Qe7
Or 43 ... Qa7 44.Nxf7+ Kg8 45.Rfl

(45.Nh6+=)
45 . . . Qe7
46.Ne5
b3
47. Bf7+ Kh8 48.g6 Qf6 49.g7+ Qxg7
5 0 . Nxg7 b2 ! ! 5 l . Nd3 blQ 52 . Ncl
Kxg7 with good chances for a draw,
according to Bologan.
44. Rxcl fxe 6 45. Ral Qf8

It's also a draw after 45 . . . Kg7
4 6 . h4 Qb7 47. R d l Qc7 4 8 . R a l
Qb7=.
46.Nf7+ Kg7 4 7. Ra 7 b3 48.Nh6+

Kh8 49. Nf7+ Kg7 50. Nh6+ KhB
**
Who would not like to give this
line a try after such a start?!
38. Qd2
Fier misses a golden opportunity:
38.Nxf7+ Bxf7 39.Bxf7 Ral 40.Nc l
Qxg5 4l.g3+-.
38 . . . b4 39. Nf4 c3 40. Qcl c2

25
2 EJjanov - Bologan
Croation Team Championships,

Sibenik 2010
l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg 7 4 . e4
d6 5. Nf3 0-0 6. Be2 e5 7. 0-0
exd4 8.Nxd4 ReB 9.f3 c 6 lO. Khl
Nbd7 11.Bg5
position for Black in Blees-Brendel,

Krumbach 1991.
14 . . . Nc5
Definitely playable, and Black en
joys a good game after this move.
However, from a theoretical point
of view, Black's problems are easily
solved with the standard 14 d5!
..
Eljanov also goes for the main

line against Black's setup.
ll . . . Qb6 12. Nb3 a5
13. Na4
And here, instead of allowing the
a-pawn to advance, he tries to force
the queen's retreat with tempo. The
drawback of this move is that the
knight is misplaced on the edge of
the board, and does not sufficiently
control the center.
Note that White cannot take the
d-pawn: 13.Qxd6? a4 14.c5 Qb4 15.Qd4
Qxd4 16.Nxd4 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Bxd4+.
13 .Qd2 was the course of the pre
vious game, Fier-Bologan, Moscow
2011.
13. . . Qb4 14. Ncl

A more or less forced retreat, as
the alternative 14 . Nd4? saw White
suffer after 14 . . . Nc5! 1 5 . Nxc5 dxc5
16 .Nb3 a4 17. Nc1 Qxb2 18.Nd3
Qd4, with an extra pawn and better
26
White's knight on a4 is too far away

from the central battle, and Black
equalizes easily, at the very least. We
look at several replies:
After 15.Nd3 Qe7 16.cxd5 cxd5
17.e5 Nxe5 18.Nb6 Rb8 19.Nxd5 Qd8
20. N3f4 h6 2 l . Bxf6 Bxf6 2 2 . Nxf6+
Qxf6=, Black even managed to win
this position, in Shneider-Buturin,
Kiev 1986.
15.a3 does not have the desired
effect, as the queen can step into the
bishop pin for a moment: 15 . . . Qe7
16.exd5 cxd5 17. Bh4 (1 7. cxd5 Qe5
18.{4 Qxd5 19. Qxd5 Nxd5+) 17 . . . dxc4
18. Bxc4 Ne5 19.Bb5 Bd7 2 0 .Qe2?!
Bxb5 2 l .Qxb5 Qd7, and Black is
already much better. Just compare
the coordinated black pieces to
white's , which are scattered around,
in Ruzele-Ivanchuk, Sochi 1986.
15.cxd5 cxd5 and now there are
further branches:
Chapter l a : Flexibility in the Classical Variation
a) 16 .exd5 Nc5 17. Nd3 , when

Black has a pleasant choice between
immediate equality with 17 . . . Qxa4
18.Nxc5 Qxd 1 19.Bxd 1 Nxd5 = Pane
lo- Grigore, Sitges 2 0 0 5 , and the rec
ommendation by Eljanov : 17 . . . Nxd3!
18.Bxd3 Nxd5 19.a3 Qd6 2 0 . Bc4
Be6, with excellent play for Black.
b) 16. Bxf6 Nxf6 (Black can also
sacrifice a pawn with 16. . . Bxf6

17.a3 Q{B 18.Qxd5 RdB.) 17. Nd3
(17.exd5? suddenly loses material
after 17. . . Bd7 18. b3 Bxa4 19. bxa4
Qb2-+) 17 . . . Qd4 18.e5 Nd7 19.f4 f6 !
The King's Indian bishop needs air.
20.Bf3 fxe5 2 l . Nxe5 Qxd 1 2 2 . Raxd 1
Nxe5 2 3 . fxe5 Bxe5=, and Black's
two bishops will secure equality.
15. Nd3!N
16 ... Qb4! and now:

a) After 17. Rd1
(Bologan) 17 . . .
Nd7, only Black c a n b e better, or
even 17 . . . d5!? with the initiative.
b) 17.Qc2 d5 18.cxd5 cxd5 19.Nd3
Qd4+.
Please note that the immediate
16 d5? is premature: 17.cxd5 cxd5
1 8 . Nd3 Qf8 19.e5 Nd7 20.f4, Roed
er-Burgess, Vienna 1990.
15
...
This move is a novelty and the

first choice of the engines. White
needs to trade his opponent's active
pieces at once . Anything else will
pass the initiative to Black.
15.Nxc5 also trades pieces, but
provides time for Black to create con
crete threats: 15 Qxc5 16.Qd2
..
Qxa4 1 6. b3 Nfxe4!!
Spectacular and in the spirit

of the KID. Bologan sacrifices his
queen for just two minor pieces and
a pawn, but will enjoy great activity.
Note that 16 Qa3? loses the
queen after 17.Bcl.
27
A less brave man would prefer

another attractive sacrifice after
16 Nxb3! 17.axb3 Qxal 18 .Qxal
Nxe4!
...
b) Or a different perpetual with

2 3 . Ne4 axb3 24.Nf6+ Kg7 2 5 . Nh5+
gxh5 26.Qg5+ Kh8 27.Qf6+ Kg8
28 .Qg5+=.
1 7. bxa4
19.Qcl Nxg5 20.Qxg5 Rxe2
1 7. . . Nc3
The point behind Black's idea. He
wants the e2 bishop, not the one on
g5 .
Less good is 17 . . . Nxg5?! 18.Rbl
Bf5 19.Nxc5 (after 19.g4!? Bxd3
20.Bxd3 Nh3 2l. Qd2 Be5, "White

can hardly crack the black-squared
blockade) 19 . . . Bxbl 20.Nxb7 Bxa2
2 1 . Nxd6 RedS 22 .c5 Ne6 23 .Qc2 Bd5
24.Bc4 Bxc4 25.Qxc4;!;.
18. Qcl!
with much more material to compen

sate for the queen. The most likely out
come is a draw: 21.Qd8+ Bf8 22.Nf2
The only move. Everything else

loses material:
18 .Qc2? Rxe2 19.Bd2 Bf5 -+.
18.Qel?! Rxe2 19.Nxc5 Rxel
20. Raxel Bf5 2 1 . Nxb7 d5t.
18 . . . Nxe2 19. Qa3
(or 22.h4 Re7! with the key defensive

resource given by Eljanov: 23.h5 Rd7
24.Qe8 Re7 25.Qd8 Rd7=) 22 ... a4 (also
good is 22... Re6 23.Ne4oo). Now:
a) Either
a
perpetual
after
23 .bxa4 Rxa4 24.Ne4 Be6 (24 . . .
Rxe4!? 25.fxe4 Be6) 2 5 . Nf6+ Kg7
26.Ne8+ Kg8 27.Nf6+=,
28
19...Be6!
I suspect that Bologan did not
even consider throwing away his
bishop for the miserable rook on
al! 19 . . . Bxa l 20.Rxal b6 2 l . Nf2
f5
22.Qb2
would
see
White
consolidating, and building an attack
on the dark squares.
20.Nxc5
Or 20.Rael Bxc4 2 l . Nxc5 dxc5
22 .Qxc5 Ba6iii , where the white rooks
are out of play.
30. Bf6 The b-pawn becomes too

dangerous, so White hurries to
trade bishop!;!. 30 . . . Bxf6 3 1 .Qxf6
Re6 32 .Qb2 Bc4iii . and once again,
White's rooks are kept out of play.
21 . . . Nc3!
Once again scorning the rook.
Indeed, the line 2 1 . . . Bxal 2 2 . Rxal
Nd4 2 3 . Bf6 should be avoided!
22. Rae1
20... dxc5 21. Qd3

The position is extremely messy,
and difficult for both players . Some
further lines prove that Black has
enough compensation:
21.Qb3 is a line given by Bologan
21...Nd4 22.Qxb7 Bxc4 2 3 . Rfel Ne6
24.Racl Bxa2 25 .Qd7 c4iii .
And the line 21.Qxc5 is provided
by Eljanov: 2 1 . . . Bd4 22 .Qd6 Bxc4
23.Rabl (also 23. Qc7 b5! and 23.Rael
c5! 24.{4 Re4 25.{5 RaeB with the

initiative) 23 . . . b5! 24.Qxc6 Rac8
25 .Qd7 b4 2 6 . Rbdl Be6 27.Qd6 Bg7
28 .Qb6 h6! and now:
a) 29.Bd2 Bxa2 30.Qxa5 b3iii with
eompensation.
b) 29.Bh4 Nc3 3 0 . Rdel Ra8iii .
c) 29. Rdel Bxa2
22 . . .Nxa2
The other pawn was also yummy:
22 . . . Nxa4 23 .Qb3 b5! 24. Rxe6 Rxe6
25.cxb5 Nb6 26.bxc6 Rxc6 27.Qb5
Rac8 28 .Qxa5 c4 29.Rbl Nd7 30.Qa7
Nf8iii . In fact, it is only Black who can
play for a win here!
29
23. Re3 h6 24.Bh4

Black's pawns also start rolling
after 24. Bf4 Nb4 25 .Qe2 b 5 ! .
24 . . . Nb4!
Also possible is 24 . . . Nc3 !? with
counterplay.
25. Qe2 b5 26. cxb5

Similar is 26.axb5 cxb5 27.cxb5
Nd5.
26 ... Nd5 2 7. Ra3 c4 ?!

Overambitious .
A neat continuation is 27. . . cxb5!
28.axb5 (or 28. Qxb5 c4 29. Qxc4
3 0 . Qb5 RedS 3 l . Rc l Nb4 3 2 .c7 Rd5

3 3 .Qb7 Rc500
29. . . Rec8 30. Bg3!

Black's position has i mproved
significantly in the last moves, and
Elj anov hurries to get rid of the
black-squared monster.
30 . . . Rxc6 31. Be5 Bxe5

Unfortunately,
3 1 . . . Bf8
can
be answered with 3 2 . Raxc3 Nxc
3 3 . Rxc3 .
32. Qxe5 c2
Ne3 30. Qcl Nxfl 31. Qxfl RabB with

initiative) 28 . . . Nb6 29.Rel a4 30.Qc2
Bd4 31 .h3 Bb3 3 2 . Rxe8+ Rxe8
33.Rxb3 axb3 34.Qxb3 Ra8 3 5 . Kh2
c4 with counterplay - Eljanov.
28. bxc6?!
Returning the favor.
Better was 28 .Qxc4! cxb5 29.Qxb5
Reb8 30.Qe2 Rb2 3 l .Qdl.
28. . . c3
Now the position is more or less

balanced. White will need to give up
some m aterial for the c2 passer, and
the resources of both sides will be
exhausted.
33. h4 Nb4
Or 33 . . . Rac8 34 .h5 g5 3 5 . Kh2 Nf4
3 6 . Re3 Rc5 37.Qb2 Bf5 38 .Qb6 Be6=.
34. Rc3
Rxc3
35. Qxc3
36. Qd2 h5 37. Kh2 Bf5
Much more subtle than 28 ... Rec8
29.Rcl Bf8 30.Raal Rxc6 3 l . Rxc4
Nc3 32.Rxc3 Rxc3 3 3 . Bf6 Rc4
34.Bb2.
29. Rcl
If
29. Bg3
then
29 . . . Rac 8 !
(29. . . Rec8 30. Qb5 c2 3l.Rcl Nb4

32.c7 Bb2 is refuted with 33.Rxc2!)
30
ReS
4 7. .. Nd6 48. Rb8+ Kg7 49. Kg3

Nf5+ 50.Kf4 Nxh4 51.a6 Bd5
52. Ke5 Bf3 53.Kd6
It's also a draw after 5 3 . a7 g5
54.Rb3 Ng6+ 5 5 . Kd6 Be4 56.Rb6
BaS 57.RbS Bf3 5 S . Rb5 g4 59. Rg5
BaS 60. Rxg4 f5 6 1 . Rgl f4 62 . Ke6
f3 6 3 . Kf5 Kh7 64. Kg4 Ne5+ 6 5 .Kf4
Nc6 =.
53. . . g5 54. a 7 g4 55. Rb3

56. Rxf3 Nxf3 57. a8Q g2
g3
38.g4!
The only way to generate counter
play, but a sufficient one.
38 hxg4 39.fxg4 Bxg4 40. Qg5

Bh5
..
Analysis shows that Black cannot

win:
40 . . . Be6 41 .h5 Na2 42 .Qe5 Nxcl
43.h6 Kf8 44 .Qd6+ KgS 45 .Qe5=.
Also, 40 ... Bd1 41 .Qe7 Nd3 42 .Qd7
Nxcl 43.QxcS+ Kg7 44.Qc3+ Kh7
45.Qc7=.
41.Qxa5Na2
No better was 4 1 . . . Nd3 42 .Qa6
Rc3 43 .Qf6 = .
58. Qa1+ Kg8. 59. Qa8+ Kg7

60. Qa1+ Kg8 61.Qa8+ Kg7
62. Qa1+ Kg8 63. Qa8+ Kg7 %-%
42.Qa6 Bg4 ?!
It was time to accept the draw
with 42 . . . Rc3 43 .QaS+ Kg7 44 .Qd5
Nxcl 45.Qd4+ KgS 46 .Qxc3 Bdl
47.QcS+=.
43.Qxc8+
Suddenly, Bologan needs to show
some technique to prove the draw.
He does it successfully, though.
43 ...Bxc8 44. Rxc2'! Be6 45. R b2

Nc3 46.a5 Ne4 4 7.Rb5
Bologan proves the draw after
47.a6 Bd5 4S.Rb5 Bc6 49.RbS+
Kg7 50.a7 g5 5 1 . RcS Bb7 52 .h5 Nf6
53.RbS Be4 54.Rb5 Nxh5 55.Rxg5+
Kh6 56.Re5 BaS 57.ReS Bc6 5S.RcS
Be4=.
31
Aggressive
development:
ll.Bf4
3 Premnath - Kokarev
Mumbai Mayor's Cup 2010

l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg 7 4. e4
0-0 5. Be2 d6 6. Nf3 e5 7. 0-0
exd4 8.Nxd4 ReB 9.(3 c6 lO. Khl
Nbd7 11.Bf4
Two white pieces are hanging, so

the knight needs to retreat.
13. Nc2
The most aggressive way to

develop the bishop. White seemingly
wins a tempo. However. . .
The other retreat can be met in the

same way: 13.Nb3 Nf4! threatening
Nf4xe2 , after which the bishop on
d6 or the pawn on b2 will suffer. We
discuss four continuations:
14.c5 a5 1 5 . a4 Ne5 16.g3 Nxe2
17.Qxe2 Qe6! (or 17. .. Be6!?) with
the idea 1 8 . Nd4 Qc4 19.Bxe5 Qxe2
20. Ncxe2 Rxe5 2 1 . Racl f5 22.exf5
Bxf5iii .
l l . . . Nh5!
l l . . .Ne5 12 .Qd2 is a playable
alternative, but Black can and should
show activity at once.
12. Bxd6
The only way to prove that White's
previous move was not a mere waste
of time is to accept the sacrifice.
Alternatively, 1 2 . Be3?! f5 (worth
considering are both 12 . . . a5!? and
12 . . Qh4!?) 13 .Qd2 f4 14 . Bf2 Be5?
saw Black achieving a comfortable
position in Lautier-Piket, Adelaide
1988.
.
12 . . . Qf6!
32
The bishop pair compensates for the

missing pawn, with interest.
14.Rel is best met with 14 . . . Nxe2 !
This bishop is also a good piece!
(better than 14 . . . Ne5 15.c5 b6 16. Qc2

Be6 17. BfH Loehr-Schmitt, Germany
1991) 15.Rxe2 Ne5 16.c5 b6 with
counterplay.
14.Rbl a5! creates the threat
a5 -a4-a3 .
Finally, after 14.B:x:f4 Qxf4
15.Qc1 Qh4 (15 . . . Qc7, with the idea
of a5-a4-a3, also provides enough

compensation for Black.) 16.Qe3
f5 17.g3 Qe7 1 8 . c5 Nf6 , Black has
sufficient compensation for the
sacrificed pawn. The e4pawn is
always a target , and the pair of
bishops also brings j oy to Black.
The further course of this game
shows that it is only Black who can
play for a win.
I am giving the next few moves
so that you can see how this position
is handled by a grandmaster.
19.Bc4+ Kh8 2 0 . Rae1 fxe4 2 l . Nxe4
Bh3 2 2 . Rf2 Nxe4 2 3 . fxe4 Rad8
24. Rf7 Qe5 2 5 . Bfl Bc8 2 6 . Rf2 Be6
27.Qf4 Rd7 2 8 . Qxe5 Bxe5 2 9 . Kg2
Kg7 30.Rc2 RedS 3 l . Bc4 Bg4 3 2 . Be2
Be6 3 3 . Bc4 Bxc4 3 4 . Rxc4 Bxb2 +,
Franco Ocampos-Damljanovic, San
Sebastian 1994.
A typical trick, which might work

in many cases for Black.
15. Bxc5?
White is frustrated, and gives up

too quickly.
Correct is 15.e5!
Now Black can choose equality
with
15 R:x:e5!? 16. Bxe5 Qxe5
17.Qd8+ Bf8 18.Rf2 Rb8 19.Qd4
Qc7, with a nice bishop and a pawn
for the exchange:
13 . . . Nf4 14. c5
With the white knight on c2 , Black
has one more idea up his sleeve.
Kokarev had pleasant experience
after 14.B:x:f4 Qxf4 1 5 .g3 Qh6 16.Qc1
Qxc1 17. Raxcl f5. Aupov-Kokarev,
Kazan 2 0 0 1 . As in the game Franco
Ocampos-Damlj a novic, it is only
Black who can play for the win.
Lerner-Kuzmin, Alushta 1992 ,
continued 14.Rf2 (similar would
be 14.Rel) 14 . . . Nxe2 1 5 . Rxe2 Ne5
16.Ne3 Be6 17.c5 b6 1 8 . Ned5 cxd5
19.Bxe5 Qxe5 2 0 . exd5 Qf5 2 l . dxe6
Rxe6 22 .cxb6 axb6 2 3 . Rxe6 Qxe6
24.Qd2 Qc4 2 5 . a3 Bxc3 Y:.!- 2 .
14 . Nxc5/
..
Also possible , on Black's last move ,

was the queen trade 19 . . . Qxd4
2 0 . Nxd4 Nfe6 2 l . Nxe6 Bxe6.
Or instead, Black can choose
complications with 15 Qg5 16.g3
Bh3 (or 16 . . . Nxe2 1 7. Qxe2 b6 18.f4-t.
33
but Black definitely has compensa

tion) 17. Bxc5 and now:
a) Bad would be 17 . . . Rad8 1 8 . Ne4
Qf5 due to Postny's suggestion:
a1) 19.Bd6!
all) not 19 ... Bxe5 20.Ne3 Qc8
2l.Nc4 Bg2+ 2 2 . Kg1 Bd4+ 2 3 . Rf2+-.
a12) nor 19 ... Bxfl 20.Qxfl Nxe2
21 .Qxe2+-.
a13) 19 . . . Bg2+
20.Kg1
Bxfl
2l.Bxfl Bxe5 22.Nd4 Nh3+ 2 3 . Bxh3
Qxh3 24.Bxe5 Rxe5 25 .Qe1!.
a2) Much worse was 19. Nd4?
Bg2+ 20.Kg1 Nxe2+ 2 l . Kxg2 Nxd4
22.Nd6? Rxd6 2 3 . Bxd6 Nc2 24 .Qe2
Nxa1 2 5 . Rxa1 Qe6 26.Qd3 Bxe5
27.Re1 Rd8 2 8 . Rxe5 Qxe5 0 - 1 ,
Karolyi-Watson, Kecskemet 198 8 .
b) However, a playable alternative
is 17 . . . Nxe2 18.Qxe2 Bxfl 19. Rxfl
Qxe5 20 .Qf2 with approximate
equality.
c) Or the wild 17 . . . Qxe5!? 1 8 . Bd6
Bg2+
19.Kg1
Nxe2+
2 0 . Kxg2
Nxc3 2l .bxc3 Qxc3 2 2 . Bf4 Rad8
23.Re1D (not 23. Qcl Re2+ 24.Rf2
One more mistake gives Black t

chance to increase his advantage.
24 . . . g51 25. Qe5

Not 25 .Qe3? c5-+.
Also insufficient
2 6 . Bg1 Bg7-+.
is
25 .Qc1
25. . . Qxe5 26. Bxe5 Rdl+ 2 7. Rx

Rxdl+ 28. Rel Rd2
Qxc2 25. Qxc2 Rxc2 26.Rxc2 Bxal-+)

23 . . . Qc4 with two pawns and active
pieces to compensate for the piece.
15. . . Qg51+
Double attack. Black recovers the
pawn, and has the bishop pair for
free.
16.g3 Nxe2 1 7.Be3 Nxc3 18. bxc3

Qe7
Or 18 . . . Qa5 !?
19. Bd4 Bh3 20. Rel Rad8 21. Qe2

Rd7 22. Qe3 RedS 23. Re2 Bf8
24. Qf4
34
The bishops triumph !
29. Ne3
Rxa2
30. Kgl
B,
31. Bxg7 Kxg7 32.(4 gxf4 33.g"
a5 34. e5 a4 35. c4 a3 36. c5 R
37. Nc4 Rg2+ 38. Khl a2 39.
Rc2 40.(6+ Kh6 41.Nd6 Be6 0-
The prophylactic
ll.Nc2
that this piece is vulnerable in

the center, encouraging the e- and
f-pawns to advance. White's last
move in this line is an improvement
on 14 .exd5?! cxd5 1 5 .c5 Nh5 16.Qd2
Nc6 = , Pavlovic - S edlak, Mataruska
Banj a 2 0 0 8 .
4 Kovalenko - Kokarev
RUS Cup final 2011

J. d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 8.Nc8 Bg7 4. e 4
d6 5. Be2 0- 0 6. Nf8 e5 7. 0 - 0
exd4 8.Nxd4 ReB 9.f8 c 6 l O. Khl
Nbd7 11.Nc2
12. Bg5
Insisting on his idea to stop d6 d5 forever. As usual, though, this
bishop has a wide choice of squares
for development:
12.Bf4 should be met with
12 . . . Be6 13 . Na3 (or 13.Ne3 d5=)
13 . . . Nh5! and now :
a) It appears that the d6 pawn is
poisoned: 14 . Bxd6 NcB ! 15.Bb4 Qg5
16.Qcl
White prophylactically retreats

the knight to c2 . His idea is to step
away from the vulnerable central
square, and to unblock the queen's
file, thus hoping to prevent the d6-d5
thrust. Additionally; the c2 -knight
wants to be transferred to e3, or to
support a bishop on e3.
and now comes the combination:
16 . . . Ng3+ ! 17.hxg3 Qh5+ 1 8 . Kgl
Bd4+ 19. Rf2 a5+ suddenly trapping
the bishop!
b) 14 . Be3 Qh4? gaining counter
play with the idea 15.Qxd6? Rad8
16.Qc5 Ng3++.
The other bishop development
cannot prevent d6-d5: 12.Be3 Be6
ll. . . Nb 6
All these considerations, though,
are overpowered by the fact that
White loses precious time. Therefore,
we should try to prepare d6-d5
at once. Please note also that the
retreat of the d4 Knight has left the
e6 square in Black's hands, and the
bishop would not mind arriving there
with a tempo.
l l . . . Ne5 is not the best square
for the knight , as the line 1 2 . Be3
Be6 13 .b3 d5?! 14 . B d4 ! proves
(I also like 12 ... Nh5!?, first provoking

some weaknesses on the king's flank,
13.g4 Nf6 14. Qd2 Be6 with counter
play.) 13.b3:
Chapter l a: Flexibility in the Classical Variation
35
a) And now Black should not

waste any time, but strike at once
with 13 . . . d5!
b2) 14. Nd4

Rad8
16.cxd5?!
(16.a5f;t,)
1 5 . a4
d5
16 . . . Bxd5
(16 ...Nfxd5! 1 7.exd5 Nxd5 18.Nxd5

Bxd5+) 17.a5 Nc8 = in Chuchelov
Hoehn, Porz 1990.
12
...
Be6
Natural, but not best.

And the direct 12 ... d5?! is not
well supp orted, and should be refuted
after 13.cxd5 (or 13.c5 Nbd7 14.exd5
Nxc5 15.dxc6 Qxdl 16.Raxdl bxc6

17.Nd4;t Lev-Rechlis, Tel Aviv 1989)
13 . . . cxd5 14 . a4! . .
Black needed first to put the
question to the bisho p : 12 . . . h6!
For example:
a1) 14 .cxd5 cxd5
15.e5 Nfd7
16.f4 f6 17.exf6 Nxf6 18.Rc1 (18.Bd4
Ne4 19.Nxe4 dxe4 20.Bxg7 Kxg7=)

18 . . . Rc8 19. Bd4 Ne4 20.Bxg7 Kxg7
2l .Qd4+ Qf6=.
a2) Yurtaev also proved decent
compensation after 14 .exd5:
a21) Now 14 . . . cxd5 is simplest:
15.c5 Nfd7 ! The point behind Black's
break! 16.Qd2 (16.Bd4 fails due
to a small trick: 16 ...Nxc5 17.Bxg7

Kxg7 18.Qd4+ Qf6 19.Qxc5 RacB+)
16 . . . Rc8+t.
a22) Yurtaev continued instead
with 14 . . . Bf5!? 15. Bd4 c5 16 . Bxc5
Nfd7 17. Bxb6 Qxb6 18.Na4 Qd6
19.Rb1 Be5 and Black even won in
Moskalenko-Yurtaev, Frunze 1987.
Watch out for this name, we shall
hear more about him later!
b) Also
possible,
though,
is
13 . . . Qe7 instead:
b1) 14.Qd2 d5 15.cxd5 cxd5 16.e5
Nfd7 17.f4 f6 18.exf6 Nxf6 19. Bd4
Ne4 is a somewhat better version for
White than the line from above, but
still close to equality.
36
and after 13.Bh4, only now proceed

with 13 ... Be6. The additional moves
h7-h6 and Bg5 -h4 provide us with
the option to chase away the bishop
with g6-g5 with tempo at the right
moment, thus supporting the d6-d5
advance.
a) Now, there is another cunning
idea by Yurtaev. 14 . Ne3 is met with
14 . . . g5 !
and d6-d5 on the next move. We look

at two tries by White:
a1) 15. Bg3 d5 16.cxd5 cxd5 17. Nb5
(1Zexd5?! allows Black to seize the

initiative: 17... Nfxd5 18.Nexd5 Nxd5
19.Nxd5 Qxd5+.) 17. . . Re7 18. Bd6
Rd7 19.e5 NeB 20.f4 gxf4 (20 ... Nxd6!?
21.exd6 gxf4 22.Rxf4 Qg5 might
transpose.) 2 1 . Rxf4 Qg5 2 2 . Rf3 Nxd6
23.exd6 Be5?, and Black was fine in
Thoma-Pachmann, Prague 1995.
a2) 15.Bf2
d5
16.cxd5
cxd5
17. Nf5 Bxf5 18.exf5 Nc4 led to an
interesting and double-edged battle:
19.Bxc4 dxc4 20 .Qa4 Qc8 2 1 . Rad1
a6 22.Rd6 b5 23 .Qc2 Re5 24.g4 Qb7
25.Bd4 Nxg4 26.Rb6 Qd7 27. Bxe5
Nxe5,
in
Thorhallsson- Comas
Fabrego, Arnhem 1988 , which ended
successfully for Black.
b) 14.b3 is the other way to
protect the pawn, and this is where
Yurtaev's bomb explodes:
b1) 14 . . . Nxe4! !
Absolutely brilliant! 15.Bxd8 Nxc3

16.Qd2 Raxd8 17. Rae1 c5! Now White
won't be able to meet d6-d5 with c4c5 ( Postny). 1 8 . Ne3 d5! Black has
two minor pieces and a pawn for the
queen, but the activity of those piec
es is so great that White was relieved
to escape with a draw after 19.cxd5
Nbxd5. And now:
bll) 20. Bc4
Nb4
2 1 .Qf2
b5
2 2 . Bxe6 Nd3 23 .Qh4 Nxe1 24.Rxe1
Rd4 2 5 .Bg4 h5+.
b12) 20.Nxd5 Rxd5 2 1 .Qc1 b5
2 2 . f4 Rdd8 23 .Qa3 Nxe2 24. Rxe2 c4
2 5 .bxc4:
lh-lh, Huzman-Yurtaev,
1987.
White
has
no
Tashkent
winning
37
chances against Black's powerful

pair of bishops .
b2) However, 1 4 . . . g 5 i s not so
bad here, either. Black needs to be
careful, though: 15.Bf2 d5 16.exd5
cxd5 17.c5 Nfd7 !? The same idea as
above! (but not 17... Nbd7 lB.Rcl
a6 19.Na4 ReB 20.Nd4 Ne5 21.Nb6

Rc7 22. b4t. Kozul-Strikovic, Yerevan
1996) 18 .cxb6!? Bxc3 19.bxa7 Bxa l
20.Qxal b6. White certainly has
compensation, but we have an extra
exchange. Still, attacking is much
more fun than defending, therefore
check out what Yurtaev did instead!
Now back to our game:
Black has every reason to play for

a win. His bishops are much better
than their counterparts. Still, we do
not always manage to win our better
positions, and this game was one of
those examples.
20. Nc3 Qa5 21. Qc2 Rac8 22. Rfdl

Nc4 23. Bxc4 Rxc4 24. Racl Rec8
25. Bel b5 26.a3 Qb6 2 7. Qd2
aS 28. Bf2 Qb7 29. Ne4 Rxcl
30. Rxcl Rxcl+ 31. Qxcl Qd5
32. Bel b4 33. axb4 axb4 34. Bxb4
Bxb2 35. Qel Be5 36. Bc3 Bxc3
37. Nxc3=
13. Ne3
This move does not pose any prob
lems for Black.
The bad news comes after 13.b3!t.
when White stabilizes the situation
and Black finds it hard to advance in
the center: 13 . . . h6 14 .Be3 d5?! 15.cxd5
cxd5 16.e5 Nfd7 17.f4 a6 (17. . . {6
1B.Bd3! underlines the fact that the

g6 pawn is loose now!) 18.Bd4 ,
Grigore-Larios Crespo, Benasque
1999. Also strong is 18.Nd4.
13 . . . h6
14.Bh4
g5
15. Bf2
d51= 16. cxd5 cxd5 1 7. e5 Nfd7
18.Nexd5 Nxd5 19.Nxd5 Nxe5+
38
White h a s defended well, and the

game should now end in a draw. It
seems, though, that time trouble
The acid test:

ll.Be3
took its toll in the later stage of the

game.
37... Qd4 38.Ne4 Kg 7 39. h4

Bf5?! 40. hxg5 Bxe4 41.gxh6+
Kxh6 42.fxe4 Kg5 43.Qg3+ Kf6
44.Qf4+ Ke6 45.Qf5+ Ke7 46. Kh2
Qe3 47.g3 Qd2+ 48. Kh3 Qh6+
49.Kg4 Qhl 50. Qe5+ Kd7 51. Kg5
Qg2 52.Kf6 Qa2 53. Qd5+ Qxd5
54.exd5 Kd6 55. Kxf7 Kxd5
56.Kf6 Ke4 57.g4 Kf4 58.g5 Ke4
59.g6 Kd4 60.g7 Ke4 61.g8Q Kd4
62.Qb3 Ke4 63. Qc4+ 1 - 0
5 Kramnik - Ponomariov
Dortmund SuperGM 2011

l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4 . e4
d6 5. Be2 0 - 0 6. Nf3 e5 7. 0 - 0
exd4
Ponomariov wants to surprise his
mighty opponent and chooses this
rare and fresh line.
8.Nxd4 ReB 9.{3 c6 lO.Khl Nbd7
ll. Be3
Still, Kramnik shows some
quality prep, and this line might
be Black's main source of concern
nowadays. Despite the fact that the
bishop stays on the file of the e8 rook,
it is surprisingly difficult for Black to
make use of this.
White has one more prophylactic
retreat in his disposal, l l . Nb3 . But
here, the knight simply invites the
black a-pawn to advance with tempo,
starting with ll . . . a5. Note that the
pawn on d6 is not delicious at all :
1 2 . Qxd6 a4 1 3 . Nd2 (Even worse is
13.Nd4 ? Nh5 14.Nc2 Be5 15. Qd2 Qh4

16.{4 Ng3+ 1 7. Kgl Nx{l +.J 13 . . . Ne5
14 .Qxd8 Rxd8 , and Black has full
39
compensation for the sacrificed

pawn. White is underdeveloped,
and the positional threat of a4-a3
with the bishop ranging on the long
diagonal cannot be prevented so
easily. One sample line is: 15.f4 Nd3
16 .Bxd3 Rxd3 17.e5 a3 ! 18.exf6?!
axb2 19.Bxb2 Rxd2 20.Bcl Rc2+.
Qf8, trying to m ake use of his black

squared bishop, for example: 16.Nd5
Re6 17. Bb5 a6 1 8 . Ba4 Nc5 19.Nc7
Rd6 20.Nxa8 Rxdl 2 l . Raxd l Bf6 = .
a 2 ) Still, White h a d other ways of
improving his position. There is also
the ambitious 1 3 . Nxd5 cxd5 14 .Nb5
dxe4 (or 14 ... Nb6 15.Bf4!) 1 5 . Nd6
Re7 16.fxe4t., and White will use the
f-file for his m ajor pieces and the c4
square for his bishop to attack the
most important f7 pawn, as in De
Verdier-Schutz, Sweden 2009.
b) If 12 ... cxd5, there is once again
the very unpleasant 1 3 . Ndb5 ! The
knight is headed for d6. 13 . . . dxe4
(13 . . . Nb6 14. a4 Be6 15.e5 Nfd7 16.{4,

Petkov- Gajewski, Plovdi v 2008) and
Now back to our game:
ll
. . .
a6
This was prepared by Ponomariov

at home. Black takes control over the
b5 square and intends to play b7-b5
or d6-d5 in the future. Black has
alternatives, though.
Of course, Black's initial reaction
is to look at d6-d5: ll d5?! Beware !
For the time being, White has a pull
here. 12.cxd5 and now:
a) 12 . . . Nxd5 The best move, but
Black is not better after either of the
main replies 13.exd5 and 13.Nxd5:
al) 13.exd5 Rxe3 14 .dxc6 Black
has some compensation for the pawn,
but it's quite obvious that the first
player is not risking much, and can
play for a win in a relatively easy way.
The best for Black now is 14 . . . bxc6!
...
(better than 14... Nb6 15.Nc2 ReB

16. Bb5 Qxd1 17.Raxd1 R{Bt., Djukic
Strikovic, Brezovica 1988) 15.Nxc6
40
now:
bl) The f7 pawn can become vul
nerable after White plays 14 .Bf4!
bll) 14 ... Nh5?
15.Bd6!
Qh4
(15 . . . Re6 16. Bc4 ) 16 . Nc7 Be5
(16. . . Re5 1 7. Qe1+-) 17. Bxe5 Rxe5
1 8 . Nxa8 Ng3+ 19.Kgl Nxfl 20.Qxfl
Rh5 2 l .h3+-.
b12) 14 ... Nc5 1 5 . Nc7 Bf5 16 .Qxd8
Raxd8 17. Nxe8 Rxe 8 . The exchange
is stronger here, as White can m ake
use of the open files for his Rooks,
in Rakhmanov-Kokarev, Voronezh
2010.
b2) Or even after White instead
plays the aggressive 14 .fxe4 Nxe4
1 5 . Rxf7 !
Nxc3
(not 15. . . Kxf7??
16. Bc4++-) 16 .Qb3 K h 8 17. Rxg7
Kxg7 1 8 . Qxc3+ Nf6 19. Bf3 , White
has excellent compensation for the
exchange ( Postny).
Ponom a riov liked the Grischuk
style provoking idea of l l Nh5 ,
but I a m not quit e convinced after
1 2 . g4 ! N h f6 1 3 . Q d 2 h5 14 . g5 Nh7
1 5 . N b 3 Qe7 16 . Ra d l Be5 17.f4 ! :
. . .
(our f7 pawn will be safe now!), and

d6, too. We look at two possibilities :
a ) The prophylactic 1 2 . Nc2 c a n be
met with 12 . . . Be6 13 .b3 d5 (13 . . . Ng4!?
14.Bd4 Ne5) 14 .cxd5 cxd5 15.e5 Nfd7
16.f4 f6.
b) The only game played in this
line continued 12 .Qd2 d5
This pawn s acrifice i s something

that we should always be afraid ofl
White does not mind investing some
material in order to gain Black's
dark-squared bishop, and we agree!
17... Bxc3 18.Qxc3 and now:
a) 18 ... Qxe4+ 19.Bf3 Qxe3 (19 . . .
Qe7 20.Rfel QfB) 20.Rdel Qxc3
2l.Rxe8+ Nhf8 22 .bxc3.
b) 18 ... Nc5 19.Nxc5 dxc5 20.e5
or 20.Bd3 !?.
However, Black can still prepare
the d6-d5 advance with ll Nb6!?
...
The knight move not only opens the

diagonal of the light-squared bishop
and controls the d5 square, it has two
additional functions: control over c4
and now:
bl) 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.exd5 (This time
14.Ndb5 is not threatening Nb5-d6,

and can be met simply with 14 ... a6
15.Na3 Bd7=.) 14... Nfxd5 15.Nxd5
Nxd5=, and Black was at least equal
in Zielinski-Curic, Duisburg 2004.
Further tests will reveal how good
Black's resources are in this line.
The other attempts do not promise
anything either:
b2) 13.exd5
cxd5
14 .c5
Nc4
1 5 . Bxc4 dxc4 16. Ndb5 Qxd2 17.Bxd2
Rd8= and Black can even hope to
make use of his bishop pair in the
long run.
b3) Or the immediate 13 .c5 Nbd7
14 .exd5 Nxd5 1 5 . Nxd5 cxd5 16 .b4
Qe7 17. Bf2 a5.
Another interesting and typical
plan for Black is ll a5!? 12 .Qd2
a4 continuing with Qd8 -a5, Nd7-c5,
Nf6 -d7-e5 (or b6), and a4-a3 at the
...
41
proper moment. The arising positions

are similar to those that can arise in
the Fianchetto Line of the KID, but
there the white light-squared bishop
is placed on g2 , and the d3 square is
somewhat loose. I consider this to be
in White's favor, but I believe that
Black's resources should not be un
derestimated.
Back to Kramnik - Ponomariov:
12.Nc2
Ponomariov writes: "Judging by
the times, I think here Vladimir
started to play on his own resources.
"The move he played is quite
ambitious; he emphasizes the main
weakness of the black position, the
weak pawn on d6. But at the same
time, without positional grounds,
White retreats his knight from the
center.
"However, at the board it is im
possible to calculate every line and
the choice is about one's confidence
in one's own strengths."
If 12.Qd2 , Black shows that the
move a7-a6 is not played solely to
prepare the b7-b5 advance: 12 . . . d5!
13.exd5 cxd5 14 .cxd5 (or 14.Nxd5
Nxd5 15.cxd5 Nb6 16.Rfel Nxd5=)

14 . . . Nb6:
42
Similarly, as in the ll . . . Nd7-b6 line

from above, White lacks the resource
Nd4-b5-d6 , and does _ not have the
c4 square for his bishop. The game
is level. 15. Bg5 Nbxd5 16. Rfel Nxc3
17.bxc3 b6=, or 17 . . . Qb6 = .
In his notes, Ponomariov also
mentions 1 2 .Bgl , retreating the
bishop from its vulnerable position.
a) White's idea is revealed in the
line 12 . . . d5 13.cxd5 cxd5 14 .exd5
Nb6 15 .Qb3! The queen has this
extra square ! 15 . . . Nfxd5 (15. . . Nbxd5
16.Bc4) 16 . Nxd5 Nxd5 17. Bc4t, and
even though Black has freed himself
from the backward pawn, White has
an i r ritating initiative: 17 . . . Bxd4
18. Bxd4 Be6 19. Rfd l Nf4 (or 19. . . Qg5
Ponomariov 20. Bfl Re7 2l.RacH

with the two bishops) 2 0 . Bxe6 Nxe6
2 l . Bc3t.
b) But
the
Ukrainian
GM
also
shows
the best response:
1 2 . . . c5! 1 3 . Nc2 Ne5 "and the later
possibilities include Be6, Nc6 , and
Nfd7. In general, Black has sufficient
counterplay."
12 . . . Ne5
Active play is required, as usual,
to prevent White from developing
harmoniously. Do not forget that
fundamentally, White has the better
pawn structure, and this might tell

in the long run if we do not use the
tactical chances that our position
provides.
12 ... Qc7 13 .Qd2 b5 14 . Rfd H is a
good example of slow play, as Black is
now forced to defend passively.
Qxd5+) 16 . . . Nc6 17.e5 Ne4 1 8 . Nxe4

dxe4 19. Nd4 Nxd4 2 0 . Bxd4 f5 2 1 .exf6
Bxf6 2 2 . Rfd l Qxd4 2 3 .Qxd4 Bxd4
2 4 . Rxd4 Bf7=.
13
. .
Neg4 14. Bgl
13.{4
The principled move. However
now, as we know, the e4 paw n
becomes a target, too.
White can play more solidly
with 13.Qd2 , but then Black can
successfully hit the center with
13 .. Be6 14.b3 (14.{4 ? Nxc4) 14 d5

.
(14 b5!?? is another possible attack

in the center.).
. . .
After the immediate 15.f4 Neg4,
14 . . . h5
Once more, Ponomariov gives a
clear explanation of the situation:
"The last three moves are reminis
cent of the Modern Benoni. Black
is prepared to sacrifice a knight for
active play."
If 14 . . . Qe7 then 1 5 . Bf3;!;, but not
15 .h3?! Nh5 ! with the idea of 16 . Bxg4?
Ng3+ 17.Kh2 Nxfl+ 1 8 .Qxfl Bxg4
19.hxg4 Qh4 mate.
Slow is 14 . . . b5?!
15 .c5 dxc5
16 . Bxc5.
it's a messy position in which Black
seems OK. After 16.e5:
a) 16 ... dxc4!? looks like a per
ceptive piece sac: 17.exf6 Nxe3
18.Qxe3 (lB. QxdB RaxdB 19.Nxe3
Bxf6 20.Racl cxb3 2l. axb3 Bxb3+)

18 ... Qxf6 19.Ne4 Qb2 2 0 . Nd6 cxb3!
2l.Nxe8 Rxe8 2 2 . axb3 Qxc2+.
b) While a safer option is 16 . . . Ne4
17.Nxe4 dxe4=.
White can also trade on d5
first with 15.cxd5 cxd5 and then
play 16.f4 (16.exd5?! Nxd5 1 7.Nxd5
15. Bf3
Here the direct attempt 15 .h3
will unleash the power of the black
pieces:
15 . . . Nxe4 !
16 . Nxe4 Rxe4
17.hxg4 Qh4+ 1 8 . Bh2 hxg4 19.g3
Qe7 2 0 . Bd3 Bf5 ! (or 20 . . . b5! and the
white king is quite unsafe) with the
idea 2 1 . Bxe4? Qxe4+ 2 2 . Kgl Qxc2 -+.
15. . . Be6
43
16. b8
Most of the annotators considered
this move to be dubious.
They suggested instead 16.Qd3!
as the best move. Indeed, it seems
Black might have some issues here,
but a detailed analysis shows some
good ways for Black to counterattack:
16 ... b5 and now we look at two
replies:
After 17.cxb5 axb5
18. Rfd l
(JB.Radl ? Bc4 +)
18 ...d 5 !
19.e5
Nd7 20.Nd4 , Black needs to ruin
the opponent's center: 20 . . . Ngxe5 !
2 1 .fxe5 Nxe5 22 .Qd2 Bd7 (22 . . . b4
28.Nce2 Qd6t,) 23.a4 b4 24.Nce2 c5!
25.Bxd5 (25.Nb3 Nxf3 26.gxf3 Qf6+)
25 . . . cxd4 26.Bxa8 Qxa8 27.Nxd4 h4t.
Or 17.Rfdl Bh6 (The exchange
of queens turns out to be bad for

Black after 17... Bxc4 18. Qxd6 since
the knight on g4 is out of play.)
18.g3 (18. Qxd6 Qxd6 19.Rxd6 Bxf4
20.Rxc6 bxc4=) 18 . . . g5 ! Active play,
remember?! 19.cxb5:
a) And
here
I
recommend
19 . . . gxf4 !
Thorough analysis will give you
good chances to score the whole
point, and here are some lines:
al) 2 0 .Bxg4 Bxg4 2 1 .bxc6 Nxe4
2 2 . Nxe4 Bf5 2 3 . Rel Qe7 24. Nb4
Qxe4+ 25 .Qxe4 Bxe4+ 2 6 . Rxe4
Rxe4=.
a2) 20.gxf4 axb5 2 1 .e5 (21. Qfl)
2 1 . . . Nd7 ! 2 2 . Bxc6 Bxf4 .
a21) 2 3 . Bxa8 Bxh2 24.Bg2 Bxgl
2 5 . Kxgl Qh4 26.Qh3 Qf2+ 27.Khl
Qxc2 28 .Qxh5 Nf2+ 29.Kgl Nxd l
30.Rxdl Nxe5=.
a22) 23 .Qf3 ReB 24 .exd6 Nde5
2 5 .Qxf4 Rxc6 = .
b ) 19 . . . axb5 seems less subtle, a s
i t provides White time to consolidate
the position, although it might be
playable as well.
1 6. . . Qa5
Black
now
starts
creating
concrete problems, and the positions
become extremely sharp.
1 7. Qel
Ponomariov considers this dubi
ous, and had not even considered it
during the game. Indeed, the queen
now steps onto the file of the black
rook, and this gives Black some addi
tional tactical chances .
44
Alternatively, White could opt for
17.Qd2 , but the queen is somewhat

loose on this square:
Black can play 17. . . Nd5 ! and now:

a) 18.cxd5 Bxc3 19.Qcl, when
Black is best advised to keep his
bishop with 19 . . . Bd7!=, rather than
go for the line 19 ... Bxal 20.dxe6 Bg7
2l.exf7+ Kxf7 2 2 . f5.
b) 18 . Nbl is the computer defense
for White, which, however, does not
pose serious problems for Black after
18 ... Qxd2 19.Nxd2 Nxf4!? (19. . . Nc3
is also good) 20. Bxg4 Bxg4 2 l . Rxf4
Bc3! and we look at three replies :
bl) 22.Nf3 Ponomariov 22 . . . Bxal
23.Nxal Bxf3 24.gxf3 f5 ! (24 . . . d5
25.cxd5 cxd5 ?) with the idea to meet
25.exf5 with 25 . . . Re2 26.fxg6 Rxa2
27.Bd4 c5 2 8 . Bc3 ReB 29.Re4 Rxe4
30.fxe4 b5+.
b2) 2 2 . Be3 Bxa l 2 3 . Nxal Be2=.
b3) 22.Rf2 Bxal 2 3 . Nxal d5?, or
again 23 . . . f5 .
Ponomariov also mentions the
line 17.Qd3
Now 17 . . . d5! 18.cxd5 Nxd5! 19.Nxd5

Bxal 2 0 . Bb6 Qb5 21.Qxb5 axb5
2 2 . Nc7 Bc3 2 3 . Nxe8 Rxe8 24.h3 Nf6
.
2 5 . Bd4 Bxd4 2 6 . Nxd4=.
We resume our game in progress:
17
. . .
b5?
Instead of this, Black can get a

good game in two ways: 17... Nd7!?
18.Nd4 (The endgame is good for
Black after IB.Ne2 Qxel 19.Raxel

Ngf6 20.Nc3 Bg4=.) 18 . . . Nh6:
a) 19.Qd2 f5 (19. . . Rad8 20.Racl
Bg4oo) 20.e5 Nf7 (20. . . dxe5? 2I.Nxe6)
2 l . Nxe6 Rxe6?.
b) 19.Rdl Nc5 (19 ... Bg4) 2 0.Qd2
f5 2 l . Rbl fxe4 22 .b4 Qd8 2 3 . Nxe4
Nxe4 24. Bxe4 Bxc4 2 5 . Bxg6 Bxfl
45
26.Rxfl (26.Bxe8 Bxg2+ 2 7. Qxg2

QxeB+) 26 . . . Qf6 27. Bxe8 Rxe8 2 8 . Nf3
Nf7 29. Bd4 Qg6 30.Bxg7 Qxg7=.
c) 19.h3 f5 20.Rcl (20.Rbl B{7)
20 . . . Nc5t.
The other route was offered by
the Ukrainian GM: 17 Bf5, when
he provides the lines: 18.h3?! (or
18.Nd4 QdBt) 18 . . . Qd8 ! ! t
b) 20 .. . Bxd4 2 1 . Bxd4 cxb3 2 2 . axb3

Ngf6 23.f5 Bxb3 24 .Qg3--+.
Or 18 Nh6 19.e5 dxe5 2 0 . Bxc6
bxc4
(20. . . exf4
21.Bxa8
RxaB
22.Nd4) 2 1 . fxe5 Nd7 2 2 . Bxa8 Rxa8
2 3 . Nd4 .
18 ... b4 19.Na4
19 ...Bc4 ?
Ponomariov: "after which White has
very serious problems with the e4
pawn. But such retreating moves
are not so easy for a human to see,
especially when the queen has only
recently come from d8 . Instead of
this, I played another natural move,
keeping the tension."
Ponomariov's line might continue
19.Rdl Nxe4 20.Nxe4 Bxe4 2 1 . Bxe4
Nf6+.
18.c5?
Kramnik misses a good chance to
consolidate his position with 18.h3!
and now:
18 bxc4
19.Nd4!
(19. hxg4 ?
hxg4 20.Be2 cxb3 21.axb3 Qh5+

22.Bh2 Bxb3+) 19 . . . Nd7 (or 19. . . Bd7
20. bxc4) 20.Rcl:
a) 20 . . . cxb3
2 1 . Nxc6
Bxc3
22.Rxc3 Qxa2 23 .hxg4 hxg4 24.Bdl
b2 25.Bc2+-.
46
The critical moment of the game!

Ponom ariov saw 19 Nxe4! but
for some reason discarded it. Black is
better in all lines:
20.Qxe4 Bxb3 2 1 . axb3 Rxe4
2 2 . Bxe4 Bxa l 2 3 . Rxal Ponom ariov:
"I was afraid that I could lose all
my queenside pawns and the minor
pieces would be stronger than the
queen. But in reality, White has more
problems here, because of the bad
position of his king. The computer
suggests:
a) 23 . . . Re8 ! 24.cxd6 (the idea is
.
24.Bxc6 Re2 25.Nb6? Nf2+ 26.Bxf2

Rxf2-+) 24 . . . Qd8 2 5 . Bxc6 Re6t with
excellent play, as the white king is
not that well protected.
b) 23 . . . Qc7 !?.
c) 23 ... dxc5 24.Nxc5 Qc7 2 5 . Nxb4
Qxf4 . Black is somewhat better here."
20.Qxb4 Qxb4 2 1 . Nxb4 Nxc5+.
20.Bxe4 Bd5 2 1 .Qxb4 Qxb4
2 2 . Nxb4 Bxe4 2 3 . Raeloo, with an

unclear situation in which Black is
not worse. One instructive line by
the Ukrainian goes 23 . . . a5 24.Nb6
axb4 25.Nxa8 d5! 2 6 . Nb6 Bc3!?t.
20. Qxb4!
Kramnik has a great sense of
danger, and here he immediately
understood that parting with the
exchange is the lesser evil for him
than allowing Black to have the
initiative with queens on the board.
Now the endgame is difficult for
Black.
20. . . Qxb4 21. Nxb4 Bxfl 22. Rxfn

Nxe4
23. Nb6!
Much better than the move which
Black expected, 23 .cxd6 Rad8:
24. Bxe4
2 5 . Bc5
Ne3
Rxe4
(25 ... Bf8 !? 2 6 . Nxc6 Rxd6 27. Bxd6
Bxd6) 26.Rgl Re6 27.Nxc6 Rdxd6
28.Bxd6 Rxd6+.
24.d7 Rxd7 2 5 . Bxe4 Rxe4 2 6 . Nc5
Rxb4 27. Nxd7 Bd4=.
23 . . . Ra7
'!?' Ponomariov.
Black will have to return the ex
change anyway: 23 . . . dxc5 24.Nxc6;!;.
24. cxd6 Nxd6
25. Bxc6!
Kramnik has achieved what he
wanted. His endgame technique is
legendary, and though he faced one of
the greatest defenders in the world,
he managed to crack his defense.
Watch out for such endgames, they
are always very difficult for Black! I
will cite Ponomariov's analysis, as it
gives a very clear picture of what is
going on for the rest of the game.
Black's play would be easier after
2 5 . Nc4:
25 . . . Nxc4 2 6 . Bxa7 Nd2 27. Bxc6
(27. Rdl Nxf3 28.gxf3 Ne3 +!) 27 . . . Re7 !
2 8 . Bc5 Re6 29.Rcl (29.Rdl B{B!)
29 . . . Bb2 3 0 . Rd l Ba3 3 l . Bf3 Nxf3
32 .gxf3 Nf2+ 3 3 . Bxf2 Bxb4+!. and
because of his weak pawns, it is quite
hard for White to realize his small
material advantage.
Less clear is 25 . . . Rae7 !? 26.Nxd6
Rel 27. Rxel Rxel 28 .h3 Bd4 29.hxg4
hxg4 30. Bxg4 Bxgl 3 l . Nd3 Ral
3 2 . Nc400
25 . . . Re2 26. N6d5

Someone at the press conference
suggested 2 6 . Bf3 , but again, it is
easier for Black to play here: 26 . . . Rd2
27.Nc4 Nxc4 2 8 . Bxa7 Nce3 , and the
activity of his pieces gives Black good
grounds for optimism.
47
26 . . . Nc8
"Almost unnoticed, the black
knight has retreated from the center
to the edge of the board, whilst White
has brought his knight from a4 into
the center! "
27. h3 Nh6 ?
Ponomariov: "I was still too
optimistic, and hoped to seize the
initiative, although after his latest
knight maneuvers, Black should be a
little careful.
"Otherwise I would of course have
played 27 . . . a5!;!; with good drawing
chances, eg. 28.hxg4 (28.Nd3 Nh6)
28 . . . axb4:
29. Bxa7 Nxa7 30.Nxb4 Nxc6
31.Nxc6 Rxa2 32.gxh5 Rc2 3 3 . Ne7+
Kf8 34.Nd5 Rd2 .
29.Nxb4 hxg4 30.Bb5 Re4 3 1 . Rcl
Nd6 32.Bxa7 Nxb5 33 .Bc5 Rxf4
34.Nd5 Re4 35.a4 Nd4+!."
the same time, I cannot even or

ganize a perpetual check, because
when the bishop on gl takes the
Ra7, it frees gl for the white king! "
No better is 28 . . . Kh7 29. Ba4 Nf5
30.Kh 2 ! Nfd6 3 1 . Bxa7 Nxa7 3 2 . Rc2 ,
as White neutralizes the activity of
the black pieces.
29. Bb5! Ng3+

Maybe more practical chances
were offered by 29 . . . Rc7 !? (with the
idea 30.Rxc7? Ng3+ 31. Kh2 Nfl+=)

which at least is a very striking move .
But after 3 0 . Nxc7 axb5 3 1 . Nxb5
Nce7 there are still no threats to the
white king, so White's passed pawns
should decide.
30. Kh2 Nfl+ 31. Rxfl axb5

"Unfortunately, now Black does
not have the resource a6-a5 and the
white knight feels totally comfort
able."
28. Rcl!
32. Bxa7 Nxa7
"It turns out that White does not

have to rush to take the rook on a7,
as it is not going anywhere."
33. Kg3!
28 . . . Nf5
To his horror, Ponomariov "real
ized that in the tactics , White can
take the NcB with check, after which
the Ra7 becomes undefendable. At
48
With 33 .Rcl, White traps the

enemy knight, but after 33 . . . h4 his
king still has problems.
33. . . Nc8 34. Rdl Bf8

Black was in time pressure here.
35. Kf3 Rb2 36.g4 Kg7

"It is hard for Black to defend,
and my time-trouble made White's

task easier.
"It was dangerous, but still pos
sible, to open the h-file by 36 ... hxg4+
37.hxg4 Kg7 38.g5 Rh2 ! Instead, I
decided to try to activate my pieces
at the cost of a second pawn, but my
opponent was very accurate."
37.gxh5
37. . . Nd6
Here too, there was the more
tenacious 37 . . . gxh5 3 8 . Rgl+ Kh6 and
in any event, White cannot play for a
direct attack: 39.Nd3?! Rd2 ! 40.Ke3
Rh2 41.Ne5?? Bc5+.
38. hxg6 fxg6 39. Nc 7 Kf7

Better was 39 . . . Nf5 .
An early deviation:
10.Nc2
6 Nyzhnyk
Kazhgaleyev
Tata Steel (C), Wijk aan Zee 2011

l . d4 Nf6 2 . c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4
d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Nf3 e5 7. 0-0
exd4 8.Nxd4 ReS 9.{3 c6 10. Nc2
Before committing his king to h l ,

White makes a useful prophylactic
move which seemingly stops d6d5. He is also happy to prevent the
maneuver Nb8-d7-c5.
However, Black can still reach c5
in a much more convenient way.
1 0. . . Na6/ l l . Be3
40.Nd3 Rxa2 41.Ne5+ Kf6

Or 4 l . . . Kg8 42 . Nxg6+-.
42. Nd7+ 1-0

A painful defeat for Ponomariov,
who showed guts, playing the line
against one of the world's most
-prepared l.d2-d4 players.
The course of the game, as well
as the analysis , shows that from
a theoretical point of view, Black
has good chances for a full-blooded
fight .
The most logical follow up. The

Bishop on e3 is guarded by the
knight, and White wants to save a
tempo by avoiding the king retreat.
He is now planning Qdl-d2 and
Ral-d l , which will underline the
weakness of the d6 pawn.
Black needs to hurry and show
his trumps at once.
Naturally, without the knight
on c7, l l .Bf4 does not promise any
thing: l l . . . d5 1 2 . exd5 cxd5 13.cxd5
Nh5 14 .Bd2 Nc7.
The king retreat l l .Khl is still
49
possible, and we have now a version

of the game Kovalenko-Kokarev. In
that game the knight from d7 went
to b6 to prepare d6-d5, and here we
have an even better square for this
same idea: ll . . . Nc7!
and d6-d5 cannot be stopped. Play

may continue:
a) 12.Be3 d5 13.exd5 cxd5 14 .c5
Bf5 hitting the knight on c2 and the
bishop on e3, and Black is already
very good: 15. Bf2 Nh5 16 .Nd4 Bd7
(There is no need to spoil Black's

haircut with 16... Nf4 17.Nxf5, as
Black's kingside pawns are already
mussed.) 17.Qd2 Qf6 and now:
al) 18.g3 Bf8 19.b4 b6 The
advanced pawns seem scary, but
can easily be attacked. 20.Racl bxc5
21 .bxc5 Rac8=, or 2 l . . . Bxc5 2 2 . Nxd5
Nxd5 2 3 . Rxc5 Nb6 2 4 . Rc7 Ng7
25. Rfcl Nf5 26.Nxf5 Bxf5 27.Bb5
RedS 28 .Qe2 Be6 29.a4 Bd5 30.Kg2
a6 31 .Bc6 Rab8 32.a5 Na8 3 3 . Bxa8
Bxa8 .
a2) 18. Rfel to free the f1 square
for the bishop 18 . . . Nf4 19. Bfl Bc6
and now three possibilities:
a21) 20.Radl Rxel 2 1 . Rxel Nfe6
Bxd5
2 3 . Nxd5
Nxe6
22.Nxe6
24.Qxd5 Qxb2 =.
50
a22) 20.Nxc6 bxc6 leaves Black in

control of the situation.
a23) 20.b4
a6
2 1 . a4
Nce6+.
White's center is under pressure,
and he cannot stick to the blockade
for very long.
b) 1 2 . Bf4 is met with the pawn
sacrifice 12 . . . d5 13.cxd5 cxd5 14 . Bxc7
Qxc7 15.exd5 Qf4.
with the bishop pair and total control

over the black squares to compensate
for the pawn down, Huzman-Epishin,
USSR 1987.
c) 1 2 . Bg5 pins the knight and
seemingly prevents d6-d5, but now
12 . . . d5! A nyway! It works!
cl) 13.exd5 cxd5 14 .Rcl Be6 15.c5
h6 16.Be3 and now we have active
play on the king's flank: 16 . . . Nh5
(also 16. . . Nd7!?) 17. Bd4 Bf5 18.Bxg7
Bxc2 19.Qxc2 Qh4 20. Bf6 Nxf6 , and
Black is already thinking about
seizing the initiative.
c2) White can also try to open the
f-file to make use of the vulnerable f7
square , like he did in some previous
lines: 13.cxd5 cxd5 14 .Rcl h6 1 5 . Bh4
dxe4 16.Qxd8 Rxd8 17.fxe4 However,
with the knight on c2 this does not
seem scary. On the contrary, the first
player risks ending up with a weak
and isolated pawn on e4: 17 . . . g5

18. Bg3 NceS 19.Ne 3 Be6 20.Rcd1
(or 20.Rfdl) 20 ... Rxd 1 2 1 . Rxd 1 Nd7
22.Nf5 Bxc3 23 .bxc3 Nc5 24.Nxh6+
Kh7 2 5 . Ng4 Nxe4 2 6 . Bd3 f5=.
ll. . . d5!
16 . . . Ba4! Black has great play. It is

remarkable how quickly White loses
this endgame. 17.QxdS RaxdS:
a) 1S.Rf2 f5! 19.Rb1 fxe4 20.fxe4
Bc6 2 1 . Bxa7 Bxe4 22 .b4? Rf8 !
23 .Rxf8+ Bxf8 24.Rcl ReS 0 - 1 ,
Black sacrifices a pawn, but will
get open files and open diagonals
for his pieces, and often White's
dark-squared
bishop
too.
The
compensation is rich . Every KID
player appreciates it, and should be
willing to play such positions.
12. cxd5 cxd5 13. exd5

If White ignores the pawn, he has
no chance of any advantage: 13.Qd2
dxe4 14.QxdS RxdS 15.fxe4 ReS
16. Rad1 Ng4=.
13.Bf2 is another move to keep it
safe: 13 . . . dxe4 14.QxdS RxdS 15.Rad1
Bf5 1 6 . Ne3 Be6 (16 ... Nc7!?=) 17.fxe4
Rxd 1 1S.Rxd 1 Nc5 =, Maslik-Vovk,
Slovakia 2 0 12 .
13.Bb5 this move is sometimes
dangerous for the defender, but not in
this particular case. 13 . . . Bd7 14. Bxa6
Overoptimistic. (Safer is 14. Bxd7
Qxd7 15.exd5 RadB 16.Bxa7 Nxd5

1ZNxd5 Qxd5 18. Qxd5 Rxd5 19.Rabl
ReB=.) Now we enjoy the bishop show!
14 ... bxa6 15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16.Qxd5
Tilicheev-Vorobiov, Moscow 2 0 1 1 .
b ) More resilient is 1S. Nb4! a 5
19.Na6 R d 3 (or 19. . . Bxb2 20.Rabl
Be5=) 2 0 . Nc5 (also 20.Bxa7 Bxb2
21.Rabl Be5=) 20 . . . Rxe3 2 1 . Nxa4
Re2.
13...Nb4!
The logical follow up.
Black has had good results
after 13 Bf5, but it seems like the
position of the knight on a6 might
.
51
be a problem for Black. For example,

14.Bf2 and now:
14 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Bxc2 16.Qxc2
Qxd5 17.Bc4 Rac8 18.Bxd5 (And here
White has the improvement lB.Racl!

Qa5 19. Qb3, with the two bishops
and pressure against {7. I would not
like to play the KID and defend such
a boring position.) 18 . . . Rxc2 19. Bxb7
Nc5 20.Bxc5 -lh, Malcher-Langers ,
Germany 2009.
14 Bxc2 15.Qxc2 Nxd5 16 . Radl
(16.Nxd5! Qxd5 17.Bc4 would trans

pose to Malcher-Langers, though.)
16 . . . Qe7 (16 ... Bxc3, with chances
to equalize, is correct) 17.Bxa6
(17.Nxd5! Qxe2 1B. Qa4 Qxb2 19.Rbl
Qe5 20.Rfel+-) 17 . . . Ne3 18.Nd5
16. . . Qa5
Not a bad square for the queen.
Black has other reasonable options,
too:
16 Bd7!? Simple development.
17.Qd2 ReS 18.Radl (White cannot
yet trade the light-squared bishops:

1B.Bb5? Rxc3! 19.Bxd7 Rxc2+.)
18 . . . a6 and now:
a) 19. Rfel Qb6 . All Black's pieces
are actively placed, and White finds
it hard to protect the b-pawn, for
instance 20.Nd4 Nxd5! 2 l . Nxd5
Qxd4 22.Qxd4 Bxd4 2 3 . Rxd4 Rxe2+.
b) Note that the advance of the
d-pawn will make it only more
vulnerable than it is now: 19.d6?!
Qb6 20.Na3 Qb4+,
Nxc2 19. Nxe7+ Rxe7 20.Rd2 Ne3

2l.Bxe3 Rxe3 22.Bxb7 Rb8 lh-lh,
Benko-Pilnik, Budapest 1952 .
14.Nxb4
Or else Black's position is even
more pleasant after 14.Bf2 Nbxd5
15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16 . Bb5 Rf8+.
14 . . . Rxe3 15. Nc2 ReB
Or 16.Qd2 Bf5 (Note that the b2

pawn is poisoned: 16 . . . Qb6+ 17.Khl
Qxb2 ? lB.Rabl .) 17. Radl and now
followed by Rc8 -c6, Bg7-f8 , and even

tually Re8-e6 to take the d-pawn.
16 a6!? takes away the b5 square
from the white bishop, and Black can
also use his b-pawn in the battle for
the d5 pawn. 17.Qd2 Qd6 18.Radl b5
19.a3 Bb7 20. Rfel Rad8 2 l .Nb4 a5
2 2 . Nc2 (or 22.Nxb5 Qb6 23.Nc2 Rxd5
24.Nbd4 Qxb2 +) 22 . . . b4.
These lines are not forced, but
they demonstrate the potential
behind Black's position.
17 . . . Rc8 or 17 . . . Qb6+ 18.Nd4 Bd7.
1 7. Bc4 Bd7 1B. Qd2 h5?
16.Khl
52
Not the best move. It will tran

spire later that the position of the
pawn on h5 is in fact creating some
targets for the first player only.
It was not too late for Black to
return to the plan of surrounding the
d5 pawn with 18 . . . b5!?
Rxe8 25 .Rel Rxel+ 2 6 . Nxel Kf8 fol

lowed by Kf8 -e7-d6, when Black has
no risk of losing.
22 . . . Rcd8 23. Nd4!

White's chances are connected
with the attack against the black
king (remember the weakening h7h5 move?) and his centralized pieces
will help him in its organization.
Also possible is 23 .d6, and White
is already threatening Qg3xg6 . How
ever, Black can defend concretely
with 23 . . . Be6 24.Nd4 Bxb3 2 5 . Nxb3
Qb6 2 6 . Rd2 Bf8 , and once again the
white d6 pawn is doomed.
23 . . . Kh7?!
And now 19.Bb3 b4 20.Ne2 Qc5
This only helps White.

If 23 . . . Qf8 then 24.Ne6 ! .
More resilient would b e 2 3 . . . Bc8
although here, too White retains a
large advantage after 24.d6! Rxd6
2 5 .Qxg6 Re7 2 6 . Nde2 Be6 27. Bxe6
Rdxe6 2 8 .Qd3 ReB .
2l.Racl Qd6 2 2 .Qf4 Re5.
24. d6 RfB 25. Rfel Bc8
19. Qf2 a6 20. Radl Rac8 21. Bb3

Qc5!?
26. Nc2 b5 2 7. Re5 Qb6 28. Re7

Rd7 29. Ne3 Qd8
22. Qg3!
Or 29 ... Qc5 3 0 . Re5 Qb6 3 l . a4 .
Without the queens and even the

rooks, it is easier for Black to show
superiority on the black squares:
22 .Qxc5 Rxc5 2 3 . Rfel Rcc8 24.Rxe8+
30. Rxd7
32. Ne 7!
Qxd7
31. Ned5
Bb7
53
Development
without preparation:
10.Be8
7 Shankland
Vorobiov
20th Dresden Open 2011

l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 8.Nc8 Bg7 4 . e4
d6 5. Nf8 0-0 6. Be2 e5 7. 0 - 0
exd4 8.Nxd4 ReB 9.{8 c6
In this game w e take a close look
at the plan of quick development for
White, who simply ignores all central
threats and plays:
The threat ofBb3xf7 is impossible
to meet. This is why you should
refrain from weakening moves like
h7-h5 without a concrete reason!
10. Be8
82 . . . Kh8 88. Bxf7 Rxf7 84. Nxg6+

Kg8 85. Ne5 Qe6 86. Nxf7 Qxf7
87. Rel h4 88. Qg5 Bc6 89. Re7
Qf8 40. Rc7 b4 41.d7 Nxd7
42. Nd5 Qe8 48.Rc8 1 - 0
And a sweet finish at the end.
Despite the outcome, Black had great
compensation for the sacrificed pawn
after the opening.
No prophylaxis, no need to
stop Nb8-d7, nada. Therefore, we
demonstrate that such a flighty
approach against the KID cannot be
recommended.
10. . . d51
Of course, Black makes use of the
fact that the bishop on e3 is hanging,
and clarifies the situation in the
center.
This is an immediate equalizer,
and it is quite surprising that a
strong GM and good theoretician
like J. Gustafsson is still trying
to extricate something out of this
line for White . Probably he already
54
CIJ,apter la: Flexibility in the Classical Variation
knows that in the other lines there is

not much either?!
ll.cxd5 Nxd5!
Black frees his position a bit by
trading a pair of knights, and at the
same time opens the diagonal for his
king's bishop.
Weaker is ll . . . cxd5, although a
recent grandmaster game saw Black
equalizing after 1 2 .Qb3 Nc6 1 3 . Radl
Qa5 14 .Qb5 (White could pose more
problems with 14.Ndb5! dxe4 15.Nd6

Re7 16.fxe4;t, when the f7 square
is once again vulnerable.) 14 . . . Qc7
14 . . . Nc 6 !
1 5 .Qxd5
Re5
1 6 . Bxc6
(16. Qc4 Nxd4 1 Z Bxd7 Nxf3+ 18.gxf3

Qxd7 is somewhat better for Black,
but was preferable to the move in
the game.) 16 . . . Rxd5 17. Bxd5 Bxd4
18. Bxd4 Bc6 19. Rfdl Bxd5 20.Bf2
Qf6 2 1 .exd5 Qxb2+ with a clear
edge for Black, in Zhou Jianchao
Volokitin, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007.
The other principled way is
13.Qb3 Nc6 14 .Rad l , when Black
should proceed with further trades:
14 . . . Nxd4 1 5 . Bxd4 Bxd4+ 16. Rxd4
and now the key move 16 . . . Qf6!
15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16.Qxd5 Nxd4 17. Bxd4

Be6 18.Qb5 a6 19.Qb4 Bf8 2 0.Qc3
Qxc3 21 .bxc3 Bxa2=, in Hammer
Berg, Eretria 2 0 1 1 .
12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. Rcl

White gets nothing after 13.Bb5
Bd7 14.Qb3 :
White has tried various moves here,

but without obtaining even a hint of
an advantage:
a) Naturally, the pawn is un
touchable: 17. Rxd5? Be6+.
b) 17.Qxd5 Be6 18.Qc5 (White
a) And now there is no need
to grab the pawn with 14 . . . Bxd4
15.Bxd4 Bxb5 16.Qxb5 dxe4 17. Bc3
(or lZRadl Nc6 18.Bc3 Qb6+

19. Qxb6 axb6) 17 ... Qb6+ 18.Qxb6
axb6 19.fxe4 , when White will have
decent compensation, thanks to his
powerful bishop.
b) Instead, Volokitin showed a
better way to handle the situation:
should liquidate to a drawn rook end

game with 18.e5 Bxd5 19.exf6 Rxe2
20.Rxd5 Rxb2 2l.Rfdl h6=.) 18 . . . Rec8
19.Qb4?! After this, Black is already
better: 19 . . . a5 (Not bad, but even
more determined would be 19. . . Rc2!

20.Rf2 a5+ not fearing 21. Qxb7??
Qxd4 22. Qxa8+ Kg7- +.) 20.Qa4 Rc2
2 1 .Qxc2 Qxd4+ 2 2 . Kh l Rc8 23 .Qd3
Qxb2 24.f4 Qc2 (o 24 . . . Bxa2+) 2 5 . a4
Qxd3 (25. . . Qxa4! 26.f5 Bc4 2 Z Qe3
55
Bxe2 28. Qxe2 Qc4-+) 26.Bxd3 Rc3

27.Bb5 Bc4 28.Rdl Bxb5 29. axb5
Rb3 lh-lh, Li-Ding, Hefei 2 0 1 1 . For
some reason, Black accepted a draw
here even though his position is close
to winning.
c) 17.Rd2 Qf4 Activity again.
Instead of opening lines to the f7
pawn with dxe4, Black prefers to
create threats. 18 .Qxd5 and now:
cl) 18 . . . Qe3+ 19. Rf2 Be6 20.Qd3
Qb6 21 .Qb5 Qe3 22 .Qd3 Qb6 23 .Qb5
Qe3 24.Rd3 Qcl+ 25.Rfl (now White
d) Finally, a very fresh example

in which the youngest GM in the
world played Black for a change:
17.Qa4 Bd7 18.Qdl Bc6 19.exd5
can push with 25.Rdl Qe3 26. b3t)

25 . . . Qc4 26.a4 Qxb5 27. axb5 Bc4
28 .Rd2 Bxe2 29. Rxe2 Re5 -.
Gustafsson-Kotronias, Kerner 2007.
c2) More subtle is 18 ... Be6 ! :
c21) 19.Qd3 can b e answered the
same way with 19 . . . Bxa2=, as the
bishop cannot be trapped: 20.g3 Qc7
21 .b3? RedS 22 .Qe3 Rxd2 23.Qxd2
Bxb3+.
c22) 19.Qd4
And
here
an
equalizer is
19 . . . Bxa2=, but not
19 . . . Rad8 20.Qxd8 Qe3+ 2 1 .Rf2 Rxd8
22.Rxd8+ Kg7 23 .b3 a5;!;, although
Black managed to save this position
too, in Hess-Naroditsky, Groningen
201 1.
19 . . . Rxe2! 20.dxc6 Rxb2 2 1 .cxb7 (not

21.c7 Qb6!) 2 l . . . Rxb7 2 2 . Rd6 Qb2
2 3 . Rf2 Qbl 24.Qxbl Rxbl+ 2 5 . Rfl
Rb2 2 6 . Rf2 Rbl+ 27. Rfl Rb2 28.Rf2
Rbl+ -. Ernst-Nyzhnyk, Wijk aan
Zee 201 2 .
13
. .
Nc6!
What's more natural than quick

development and central pressure?
Another approach brought a quick
victory to Black in the following
game, but it could easily have ben
56
the other way around: 13 . . . a6?!

14.Qb3 ! dxe4? 15.fxe4 (15. Bc4! R{B
16. Bxf7+ Rxf7 17.fxe4+-) 15 . . . Rf8
16. Rxf7! Rxf7 17. Rfl Bf6 18.e5+-,
Handke-Atalik, Cappelle la Grande
2000.
14.Nxc6
19. . . Rxd4 2 0. R c 7 Bd5 21. Rd7

White is also on the defensive
after 2 l . Rxa7 Rd2 2 2 .Rel ReS, and
Black has the initiative. Also good is
22 . . . Rxb2 .
21 . . . e3 22. Rel Rd2 + 23. Bfl Kg7

Also good is 23 . . . a5!?.
Or 14 . Bb5 Qb6 1 5 . Bxc6 bxc6, but

not 16 . Rxc6? Bxd4! 17. Rxb6 Bxe3+
18.Khl Bxb6+.
24. Re2 ?
14 . . . bxc6 15. Rxc6 Bb7 16.Rc2 ?!

Shankland
wants
to have his
rook on the second rank to defend the

b-pawn, but there is a drawback to
this square .
Somewhat more venomous is
16.Rcl dxe4 17.Qxd8, when Black
needs to be careful and opt for
17 . . . Rexd8 !? 18.f4 a5=, rather than
17. . . Raxd8 18.f4 Bd4 (1B . . . Re7!? might
still be an equalizer.) 19.Kf2 Bxe3+
20.Kxe3;!; Gustafsson-Maze, Aixles
Bains 2 0 11.
16. . . dxe4 1 7. Qxd8 RaxdB= 18.(4

Bd4 19. Bxd4
The disadvantage of the position
of the rook on c2 is revealed after

19.Kf2 Bxe3+ 2 0 . Kxe3 :
Now Black had a chance t o finish

the game in his favor.
24 . . . Rxe2 ?
But missed it . . .
Correct was 2 4 . . . Rd l ! 25 .h3 Bb3
(25. . . Re4 26.g3 Rc4 should also do.)

2 6 . Rxd l Bxd l 27.Rel e2-+.
25. Bxe2 Bxa2 2 6. Rxa 7 ReB

2 7. h3 Rcl+ 28. Kh2 Be6 29. Ra3
Rc2 *-*
And now 2 l . . .Rd3+! 2 l . Bxd3 exd3+

22.Kxd3 Be4+ 2 3 . Kd 2 Bxc2 2 4 . Kxc2
Re2+ 2 5 . Kc3 Rxg2+.
57
Minor alternatives
10.Nb3 and 10.Bg5
8 Lakdawala - Yermolinsky
National Open, Las Vegas 1997

l.Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7
4.e4 d6 5. d4 0 - 0 6. Be2 e5 7. 0- 0
exd4 8. Nxd4 ReB 9.f3 c 6
12 . . . Qd8!? and 12 . . . Qe5!?) 13 .Bel

Nbd7 (or 13 ... a6 14.Rcl Nbd7) and
it is not so clear why the knight on
a4 is better placed than on c3. After
14 . Bf2 , Black has several nice
looking continuations:
a) 14 . . . Bh6 !?= will make use of the
absence of the white bishop on e3.
b) 14 ... a6 15.Rcl Bh6 16. Rc2 b6
patiently finishes development and
leaves the central breaks with b6-b5,
d6-d5 or f7-f5 for the future.
c) 14 . . . Nc5 15.Nc3 (15.Nxc5?! dxc5
16.Nb3 Nh5 is excellent for Black,
thanks to the juicy {4 and d4 squares.)
15 . . . a5 16.Qd2 b6 (or 16 . . . Nfd7=),
Beliavsky- Sergeev, Alushta
with approximate equality.
2009
IO. . . a5!
IO. Nb3
In this game we shall have a look
at a couple of minor alternatives for
White. As you can see, the featured
game is quite old, and this is an in
dication that there are not too many
volunteers following in the footsteps
of the first player.
The move Nd4-b3 is also prophylac
tic; it opens the file for the queen, pre
venting d6-d5. The drawback is that it
allows another typical counter-move.
White has also tried the immedi
ate 10.Bg5. After 10 Qb6 we look
at two replies:
Note that White might like to
force a draw with l l .Be3 Qxb2
12.Na4 Qa3 13.Bcl Qb4 14 .Bd2 Qa3
15.Bcl Qb4 16 .Bd2 Qa3 lh-lh, in
Ivkov-Larsen, Belgrade 1964.
l l.Na4 Qa5 12 .Bd2 Qc7 (also
good seem to be the alternatives

58
This is why the b3 square is not

perfect: the knight is a magnet for
the black a-pawn.
l l . a4
If White wants to fight for an ad
vantage, he needs to continue with
the artificial l l . Na4 . But Black can
exploit this set up with ll . . . c5!? as
there is no one to attack the b5 and
d5 squares. Play may continue 1 2 . Rbl
Bd7 13.Nc3 a4 14 .Nal and here I be
lieve Black's best is 14 . . . Nc6, and now:
15 .Qxd6? Nd4! is dangerous for

White only. Also possible is 15 . . . Nh5 !?.
15.Nc2 Nd4 16 . Ne3 Nh5t sees
Black in control all over the board.
Finally, the once recommended
15.Nb5 Nd4 16. Nxd4 cxd4 17. Nc2 Qb6
18.Rf2 , planning b3 and Bb2 , can be
met tactically with 1S . . . Bc6 19.b3?
This knight i s the reason why

White no longer wishes to play an
early a2-a4 . Black is comfortable, and
later manages to outplay his opponent.
14. Radl Bf8 15. Rf2 Qc7 1 6. Bfl

Rad8 1 7. Rcl Nd7 18. Nd5!? Bxd5
19. cxd5 Nc5 20. Qdl
A draw would be a better deal for
White instead: 20.Nxc5 dxc5 21.Bxc5
Bxc5 22.Rxc5 Qb6 23 .Qc3 cxd5 24.Rb5
Qa7 25 .Qc7 ReS 26.Qd7 (not 26. Qxb7?!
Qe3!+) 26 . . . RedS 27.Qe7 ReS =.
20. . . Nxa4 21. dxc 6 bxc 6 22. Ral

Nc5 23. Nxa5?
Necessary
24.Qa4.
was
2 3 . Nxc5
dxc 5
23 . . . d5!
19 ... Bxe4! 20.fxe4 Nxe4+.
ll . . . Be6
Even better is ll ... Qb6+ 12 .Khl
Nfd7 followed by NbS -a6 , and Black

can occupy both the c5 and b4
squares. I would love to have Black
in this situation.
12. Be3 Na6 13. Qd2 Nb4 =

We've seen this break so many
times that it has become part of our
KID culture . Naturally, Black is
better now.
24. Qd2 Ne6

Decisive is 24 . . . Ncd3 !
dxe4 26.fxe4 Nxd3-+.
25.Bxd3
25. Qcl d4 2 6. Bd2 d3 2 7. Nb3

Nc2 28. Ra5! Qb6 29. Nal Bc5
Also winning
29 . . . Ned4-+.
is
the
stronger
30. Rxc5 Qxc5 31.Nb3 Qb5 32.Na5

Ned4 33. Khl c5 34. Bc3 Ne2
35. Qd2 Nxc3 36. Qxc3 Ne3 0-1
59
Memory Markers
Here are reminders of some of the ideas and motifs in this chapter, which
include queen sacrifices, breaking open the center, knight outposts , and
blockading. Giving up the center opens up many possibilities !
1. After 9...c6. Our starting po
2. After 16 ... Nf6-d7. The queen
sition.
is best placed on dB to work on

both sides, text move iu Fier
Bologan, page 20.
3. After 22 ... g6-g5!. A black

square blockade. See diagram on
page 21 in Fier-Bologan.
4. After 18 ...Nf6xe4!.
60
Typical
queen sacrifice, see diagram on
page 28 in Elj anov-Bologan.
5. After l l ...Nf6-h5!.
Active
play against the bishop sortie
on f4, text move in Premnath
Kokarev, page 32.
6. After 14 ...Nf6xe4!!. Yurtaev's

brilliant idea. See diagram on
page 3 7 in Kovalenko-Kokarev.
7. After 12 ...d6-d5. The central

strike, see diagram on page 4 1
i n Kramnik-Ponomariov.
13 ..Na6-b4!.
Black
square compensation, see text
move in Nyzhnyk-Kazhgaleyev,
on page 5 1 .
8. After
Chapter la: Flexibility i n the Classical Variation
61
Active
play in the center. See diagram
on page 55 in Shankland
Vorobiov.
9. After 16 ... Qd8-f6!.
62
10. After 13 ...Na6-b4. The b4

outpost for the knight, text move
in Lak.dawala-Yermolinsky on
page 59.
Exercises
Black to play!
with these situations from actual games, you, as Black, can practice finding
some of the breakthroughs, tricks, combinations, and positional opportunities

that may appear after "abandoning" the center in the Classical Variation.
Solutions to these exercises begin on page 307.
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
C obb - Grossett
Young - Yermolinsky
Bristol Open 1998
US Open, Chicago 1994
The seeming happiness in White's

camp is deceptive. Prove it!
Remember the previous one?
63
Exercise 4
Exercise 3
Zude
Hoelz l - Szilagyi
Graf
Bundesliga 2004
Budapest 1988
Black is very active. Can he turn

his activity into something more
tangible?
How can Black exploit the somewhat

loose position of the opponent's rook?
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Keipo - Perez
Zakharov - Yurtaev
Cuba 2000
URS-ch sf, Volgodonsk 1983
White wants to establish a-knight on

b6. What would you recommend for
the second player?
64
Once more, Yurtaev!
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Trmal - Michalek
Littleton - Boey
Czechia 2009
Den Haag 1966
Shall we retreat the knight?
White has just taken the pawn on d6.

How can Black punish his opponent
for this greediness?
Exercise 9
Exercise 10
Kolev - Rasik
Korotylev - Kokarev
Budapest 1993
Serpukhov 2007
How can Black prove superiority on

the black squares?
Once again,
squares!
superiority on black
65
Exercise 11
Wirig - Vaisser
Caen 2011
A pleasant choice . . .
66
Chapter l b
The Gligoric
System
l. d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5

7. Be3
exd4 8.Nxd4 ReB 9.{3 c6
An alternative form of development in the Classical line is the Gligoric

system. Instead of castling, White first develops the bishop to e3.
he prominent Yugoslavian GM
Svetozar Gligoric had a great
impact on the development
of the King's Indian Defense and
advanced it to the highest levels. He
gave to the world the Mar del Plata
Line, as well as the famous Rf8 -f4!
positional exchange sacrifice which
is a common theme in almost every
KID line, and tons of model games
which I recommend to any player
who wants to make the KID part of
his/her life!
Still, as a universal player, he
also needed to fight against his
beloved defense and he did so in a
very dangerous way. The featured
set-up is named after him.
1 Popov
Giri
Russian Championship,
Olginka 2011
l.Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4.Nc3
0- 0 5. e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7. Be3
Chapter 1 b: The Gligoric System
67
Gligoric's move. White wants to

postpone castling for the time being
and provoke the tempting 7. . . Nf6 -g4.
This is Classical (developing a piece),
flexible (the king can castle on either
side) and provoking.
While 7. . . Nf6-g4 is still playable
and is Black's main line, I am
recommending the straightforward
approach of bringing pressure into
the center at once. It also matches
well with the line which we have
already studied as Black's main
weapon against the Classical System.
7. . . exd4
10. Qd2
8.Nxd4
ReB
9.(3
c6
Black hits the center and frees his

position.
l l . exd5 cxd5 12. 0 - 0

This
is
the
most
logical
development, as otherwise White
might have issues on the e-file.
However, some players have also
tested 12.c5 at once. In this case,
Black either tries to make use of the
loose position of the white pieces with
12 . . . Qe7 ! or simply finishes developing
with 12 . . . Nc6, most likely transposing
to a position similar to the one in the
next game, Onischuk-Bacrot.
First, we look at 12 Qe7!
a) Now 13.Kf2?! seems a bit too
much already. 13 . . . Nc6 14 .Nxc6?
Once control over the d4 square is
lost, White is in big trouble. (Better is
14.Radl Bd7+.) 14 . . . bxc6. (The threat
is Nf6-d7, not only attacking the c5

pawn, but threatening a fork with d5d4 followed by Qe7-h4+, picking up
the bishop on d4!) 15. Bd4 Rb8 16 .a3
Rxb2 ! !
One of the two main ideas that

White has in the line . Kasparov
considered it insufficient for an
advantage.
A
possible
transposition
to
the lines which we have already
discussed is achieved after 10 .0-0
d5 ll.cxd5 Nxd5! See the notes to
Shankland-Vorobiov, game 7 in
Chapter la.
For the main line 10 . Bf2 see the
next game, Onischuk-Bacrot.
10. . d5!
.
We have seen this already.

Whenever the opportunity arises,
68
Chapter lb: The Gligoric System
Black bets on black and cracks

White's shaky position ! 17.Qxb2
Ng4+ 18.fxg4 Bxd4+ 19.Kg3 (Or
19. Kfl Qe3 20.Ndl Qf4+ winning the

queen, and it's a mate after 19.Kel
Bxc3+ 20. Qxc3 Qxe2#.) 19 . . . Qe3+
20.Bf3 Be5+ and mate next move ,

Solonar- Grimberg, Bad Woerishofen
2008.
b) For better or worse, White
needs to try 1 3 . Bf2 although here,
too,
Black
is
doing
great
after
13 ... Na6 !? (13 . . Nc6!?) 14 .c6 bxc6

15.Nxc6 Qb7 16 . Na5 Qb4 17.Nb3
Nc7 18.0-0 Ne6 19. Rad1 Bb7, with
.
active play in the center, Wichmann

Rayner, Leipzig 2007.
One interesting idea was test
ed recently: 12 Nc6 1 3 . Bf2 Re5N.
Compared to the Onischuk-Bacrot
game, White has played Qd1-d2 in
stead of the generally more useful
0-0. The queen is not very well placed
on this square and White needs to
castle anyway. 14 .0-0
14 ... Qf8! 15.Bb5 Bd7 16. Rae1 Bh6

17.Qdl Rae8 18.Rxe5 Rxe5 19.Re1
Qe8 20.Rxe5 Qxe5 2l.Bxc6 bxc6
22.Qe2 Qxe2 23.Ncxe2 =, Franco
Alonso-Cheparinov,
San
Sebastian
2012.
12 Nc6 13. c5
. . .
The silent approach does not yield

White any advantage: 13.Rad 1
And now 13 . . . dxc4 14 .Nxc6 Qxd2
15.Bxd2 bxc6 16. Bxc4 Be6 17. Bxe6
Rxe6 18. Rfe1 Nd5 19.Rxe6 fxe6
20.Rc1 Rd8 =. Indeed, Black has pawn

weaknesses, but the active positions
of his pieces fully compensated in
Romanov-Zvj aginsev, Moscow 2009.
Black can also try the patient
13 . . . Nxd4 14 . Bxd4 dxc4 15. Bxc4 a6
16. Rfe1 Rxe1+ 17.Qxe1 Bd7 18.Nd5
Nxd5 19.Bxg7 Nb6 2 0.Qc3 Nxc4
2 1 .Qxc4 Kxg7 22 .Qd4+ Kg8 23 .Qxd7
Qb6+ 24.Qd4 Qxd4+ 2 5 . Rxd4 ReS
2-2, Timoscenko-Rasik, Czechia
2008.
13 . . . Qa5N
This remains still the only over

the-board game in which Black used
this move. However, I did find two
correspondence predecessors . Giri
probably saw them, too. On account
of the improvement that White later
had, I will recommend another idea.
After the great Garry Kasparov
introduced the positional exchange
sacrifice 13 ... Rxe3!? against none
other than Anatoly Karpov in their
New York World Championship
match in 1991, almost everyone
has been choosing this option and, I
should add, with good reason.
This is how the sacrifice was
described when it was introduced: "A
typical Kasparov exchange sacrifice,
69
which, of course, had been prepared

beforehand. It is based not on the
calculation of any specific variations,
but on a clear positional foundation.
Left without an opponent, the King's
Indian bishop becomes terribly
strong, and the price paid for this
is very small."
(Geller and Lein)
14.Qxe3 Qf8!
This is the point behind the

sacrifice. Black threatens to win
material with Nf6 -g4! and prepares
the possible Bg7-h6 .
I love Kasparov's description of
Black's compensation: "Apart from
obvious superiority in control of the
center and the powerful dark-squared
bishop (hole at e3, weak white pawn
at c5), a completely new factor has
appeared in the position - the black
rook is ready to come into play via
b8-b4-h4 . But the sum of these pluses
can hardly outweigh White's extra
exchange, and the position is one of
approximate dynamic balance."
The pawn on c5 is also hanging.
Against Kasparov, neither Gel
fand nor Karpov could prove any
advantage:
Gelfand tried 15.Ncb5 Qxc5
16.Qf2 (16.Racl Qb6 17. Qf2 Bd7
70
Chapter l b: The Gligoric System
was the course of Gelfand-Kaspar

ov, Linares 1992, which Black won.)
16 . . . Bd7 17. Rfd l Bh6 1 8 . Nb3 lh-'12,
Hracek-Kantsler, Panormo 2001.
Karpov immediately got rid o f the
loose knight: 15.Nxc6. The current
practice also shows that Black is in
good shape. After 15 . . . bxc6:
a) The stem game is a good
demonstration of Black's
ideas:
16 .Khl Rb8 ! 17. Na4 Rb4! 18 .b3 Be6
19. Nb2 Nh5 20.Nd3
20 ... Rh4! 2 1 .Qf2 Qe7 2 2 . g4 It was

already White who needed to find
the only move ! 22 . . . Bd4 2 3 .Qxd4
Rxh2+ 2 4 . Kxh2 Qh4+ lh-lh, Karpov
Kasparov, Lyon/New York 1990.
b) 16. Na4 Bf5 17. Rfel
17 ... d4!? And now:

bl) 18.Qa3 The only way to fight
for something. 18 . . . Nd5 (lB... RdB!?
19.Bd3 Be6 20.g3 Nd5 also looks nice

for Black.) 19.Bd3 Be6 20.Bc4 and here
the most subtle is 20 ... Rd8!? (20... Bh6
2l.Bxd5 Bxd5 22.Qd3 RdB 23. b3 Be6
24.Rxe6 fxe6<XJ Hillarp Persson-Spasov,
Salou 2005.) intending to counter
2l.Bxd5 with 2l ... Rxd5=.
b2) Alternatively, White can force
a draw after 18.Qxd4 Ng4:
b21) 19.Qc4 Be6 20 .Qe4 Bf5 =
repe ati ng moves .
b22) O r 19.Qd6 Qxd6 20.cxd6 Bd4+
2l.Khl (21.Kfl?? Nxh2#) 2l . . . Nf2+=
with a perpetual.
b23) But 19.Qb4?! Rb8 2 0.Qc4
allows Black a choice. He might not
like to repeat moves , but try for a
win w ith 20 . . . Ne3 2 1 . Qh4 Nc2t.
b24) And not 19.Qf4? Be5 20.Qb4
Bxh2+ 21.Kfl Qh6 with a mating
attack.
14.Bf2 Nxd4
Giri decided to save a tempo. In
fact, this is the actual novelty in the

position.
Not 14 Qxc 5? 1 5 . Nxc6 Qxc6
16.Bb5.
The two correspondence games
saw another approach with 14 a6!?:
After this move Black seriously

intends to go after the c5 pawn.
15.Nb3 (15.Khl Qxc5 16.Ne6 Qa5
1 7:Nxg7 Kxg7 is a hefty extra pawn

albeit White's compensation is the
dark-squared bishop. We should not
forget that the d-pawn is a central
one.) 15 Qb4 and now:
a) Not 16 . Nxd5? Qxd2 17. Nxf6+

Bxf6 1 8 . Nxd2 Rxe2-+.
b) With 16. Rfd l White defends
the queen and hits the d5 pawn for
the future.
bl) 16 . . . Bf5 Note that Black
prefers to have this bishop active
rather than to defend the isolated
d5 pawn. With all the pieces on the
71
board, the isolani tends to be an

asset rather than a weakness, due
to the excellent control of the central
outposts.
17. Bfl
Rac8
18. Racl
(18.Nxd5? Nxd5 19. Qxd5 Bxb2-+)

18 . . . Be6:
game . 24.Rel Nf5t!, Taras-Lloveras

Rebell, ICCF email 2006.
b2) Still, 16 . . . Be6 is also possible
and seems good enough for a safe
equality after 17. Bfl Rad8 18.Nd4
Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Nd7 20.Nxd5 Qxd2
2 1 . Rxd2 Nxc5=.
c) White could use the other rook
instead, 16 . Rad l , when the logical
development 16 . . . Bf5 17. Nd4 Nxd4
18.Bxd4 Nd7 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Qxd5
Rad8 led to a complete exhaustion
of both the armies and a draw
after 2 1 .Qd4+ Qxd4+ 2 2 . Rxd4 Nxc5
2 3 . Rfdl Rxd4 24. Rxd4 ReS 25.Kf2
Be6 2 6 .f4 b5 27.g3 f5 2-2, Romanov
Kruchem, ICCF corr 1996.
15. Bxd4 Qb4 1 6. Rfdl!
bll) White rejected the drawing

line 19.Nd4 Nxd4 20. Bxd4 Nd7
2l.Nxd5 Qxd2 2 2 . Rxd2 Bh6 2 3 . Be3
Bxe3+ 24.Nxe3 Rxc5=.
b12) 19.Qc2 allows Black's dark
square bishop to go to a working
diagonal. 19 . . . Bh6 20.a3 Qf4 2 1 . Nd4
Nh5 22.Nxe6 fxe6 23 .b4
White overprotects the d4 square,

defends the queen, and prepares an
attack against the isolated d5 pawn.
The other rook can also be use
ful in this role: 16. Radl Bd7 17.a3
(Premature is 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Qxd5

Be6 19. Qd2 Qxc5++.) 17 . . . Qb3 18. Bd3
23 ... Ng7! The knight is brought into

the center and Black has a good
72
with an advantage for White. Note

that the immediate gain of the pawn
is not effective: 18. Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Nxd5
Qxb2 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 2 1 . Qxd7 Rxe2
22.Qxb7 Rae8=.
16. . . Bd7 1 7. a3 Qb3 18. Bd3 Rad8
It is understandable that White

wants to support the bishop on d4,
but the text move allows a nasty pin .
28 ... Qe7 29. Radl

It is unlikely that White will
survive after 29.Bxg7 Nxg7 3 0 . Qd2
ReS 3 l . Kfl Re3 32 . Bxd5 Bd3 (not
32 . . . Rd3 33. Qa2) 3 3 . Be4 Qg5+, but
this was his best chance.
29. . . Bxd4+ 30. Rxd4 Nf6 31. Qd2

ReB 32. Kf2 Qc5 0-1
19. Bc2
White misses a chance to obtain a
large advantage.
Instead, the maneuver 19.Bbl!
Qc4 20.Ba2! would put unbearable

pressure against
20 Qa6 2 l . Nxd5
Kxg7 23.Qxd5 .
...
the d5 pawn:
Nxd5 2 2 . Bxg7
19. . . Qc4 20. b3 Qa6 21. b4t.
White is completely tied up and

could not find any defense against
either of the threats Re6 -e3! or
Re6-e4! Therefore he resigned.
An interesting game, and from a
theoretical point of view, Kasparov's
exchange sacrifice still rules!
White i s better. His pawn

majority has advanced unimpeded,
but he tragically blunders at the end.
21. . . b 6 22. cxb 6 axb6 23.Bb3 Bf5

24. a4 Qb7 25. b5 h5 26. Qb2 Re6
27.Rel
Better was 27.Qf2 ! .
27... Ne8 28. Ne2 ?

Chapter l b : The Gligoric System
73
2 O nischuk - Bacrot
12th Karpov International

Poikovsky 2011
l.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4. e4
d6 5. Nf3 0 - 0 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3
exd4 8. Nxd4 ReB 9.(3 c 6 10. Bf2
15 . . . Nxd5! 16 . Nxd5 Bxd5+, Jedlicka

Sikora Lerch, Ostrava 2009.
13 . . . Re51?
Instead of defending the bishop,

White safeguards it on f2. Kasparov
considered this move best. We shall
see that the great Russian found
serious followers.
10 . . . d5/
Anyway!
Whenever the opportunity arises,
remember?
ll.exd5 cxd5 12. 0- 0 Nc6 13. c5

The only move.
13.Nxc6 is dangerous for White
only: 13 . . . bxc6 14 .Rel Be6 15.cxd5
Sasikiran introduced this novelty

a couple of years ago.
Nowadays, when everything is
explored so deeply and novelties
are played on move thirty (or even
forty!), one is astonished to find that
chess still has many resources.
Black's idea is a similar set-up
to the one that Kasparov adopted:
Qd8-f8 , Bc8-d7 and doubling the
rooks on the open e-file.
Besides the text move, the main
line remains 13 Nh5 14.Qd2 Be5.
Black activates his pieces and creates
74
threats on the king's flank. Once they

are stopped, after 15.g3 Ng7, the
pieces are relocated to the center.
But the main move is 16 ... Be6:
This is the tabiya of the whole

line. Black sup orts the d5 pawn and
is already threatening to exchange
(maybe even twice) on d4 , play
Ng7-f5, and advance the d-pawn.
We discuss five alternatives for
White: 17. Ncb5, 17. Bb5 , 17. Nxe6,
17.f4, and 17. Bfl on page 77.
a) 17.Ncb5 Mikhalevski stated,
"taking additional control of the d4
square makes sense." I do not object to
this, but add that the knight is not so
stable on b5. Black is doing reasonably
well after 17. . . a6 (or 1Z .. Bh3!?) 18.f4
axb5 19.fxe5 Nxe5 and now:
The battle will be for the strategically

important d4 square, and the main
question remains: is the d5 isolani a
weakness or an asset?
With the rook development to
el, White does not pay sufficient
attention to the d4 square: 16.Rfel
Ne6 17.Nxe6 Bxe6 18.f4 Bxc3 19.bxc3
(19. Qxc3 d4 20. Qa3 Qd7 with a

strong passed pawn and light-square
domination looks scary for White.)
19 . . . Bf5, and White found nothing
better but to trade everything
and offer a draw despite a rating
advantage:
2 0.c4 dxc4
21.Qxd8
Raxd8 22.Bxc4 Re4 2 3 . Rxe4 lh-lh,
Fressinet-Todorov, France 2009.
Better is 16.Rfdl, guarding d4
with another piece.
Now 16 ... Ne6 is a reasonable
sideline: 17. Nxe6 Bxe6 18.f4 Bxc3 !?
In this line we usually need to part
with this beautiful bishop, and the
other one will have to work for two!
19.Qxc3 Bf5 20.Bfl Be4, with an
irregular, messy position, in the
game Hansen-McShane,
E sbjerg
2001.
75
a1) 20.Bxb5
Bd7
2 l . Bfl
Nf5
(2l. . . Nh5!? with the idea Nh5-f6-e4

looks tempting too.) 2 2 . Bg2 Nc4
c) Another option is 17. Nxe6

Nxe6!? 18.Qxd5 Bxc3 19.bxc3
23 .Qc3 Nfe3:
24.Bxe3 (Instead, White had to sac

rifice the exchange with 24.Bxd5
Nxdl 25.Rxdl Ne5 26.Bxb7 Rxa2oo.)
24 . . . Nxe3 25.Re1 Nxg2 26.Kxg2
Rxe1 (26. . . Re4!?+) 27.Qxe1 Qf6+,
Gustafsson- Sebenik, Austria 2012.
a2) Perhaps it is better to opt
for 20.Nxb5 Nf5 2l .Qf4 f6 2 2 . Nd4
19 . . . Ncd4 20.Bc4 Qxd5 2 l . Bxd5 Ne2+

2 2 . Kfl Nxc3 2 3 . Rd3 (23.Bxb7 Nxdl
24.Rxdl RadB) 23 . . . Nxd5 24. Rxd5
RedS =, Arizmendi Martinez-L'Ami,
Barbera del Valles 2 01 1 .
d ) The straightforward 17.f4 also
proved to be insufficient for getting
an advantage: 17 . . . Bxd4 18. Bxd4 Nf5
19. Bf2 d4 20.Nb5 Qe7
(22.g4!? g5 23. Qd2 Nh4!? 24.Bxh4

gxh4 is a line for adventurers.)
22 . . . Bd7 (22 . . . Nxd4 immediately is
more subtle.) 23 .b3 Nxd4 24. Bxd4
Bf5oo, Socko-Chigaev, Moscow 2012 .
b) Against 17. Bb5 the recent
fashion is 17. . . Rc8 (But also 17. . . Qd7
intending RadB, as in Ivanchuk

Radjabov, Morelia/Linares 2006, is
possible.) and now:
b1) 1 8 . B x c 6 ? ! b x c 6 1 9 . R a c 1
Nf5 =. Black also has 19 . . . a5!? and
19 . . . Bd7 20.b4 Ne6 =.
b2) Or
18 .b4
Nf5
19. Nxf5
Bxf5 20.Re1 Bh3 2 l . Bxc6 bxc6
22 .Bd4 f6 23.a4 Qd7 24.Bxe5 fxe5
25.Rad1 Rf8 26 .Qd3 Rce8=, in
Cheparinov-Fedoseev, Moscow 2 0 1 1 .
76
2 l . Bd3 (or 2l. Bf3 Qxc5 22. Nxd4

Ncxd4 23.Bxd4 Nxd4 24. Qxd4
RacB=) 2 1 . . . a6 (Not bad, but Black
can boldly take the pawn thanks to
the tactical trick 21 . . . Qxc5N 22. Nc7
2 7. Rxdl ReB =) 26 . . . Nxd6 2 7 . R d l

Rd8 = , Kruppa-Volokitin, Kallithea
2002 .
n all these lines Black was

patiently repelling White's active
possibilities, and even though the
position was always about equal,
this is not every KID player's cup of
tea. If so, you are advised to pay close
attention to Sasikiran's idea, our text
move 13 . . . Re5 !?.
14. Bb5
22 . . . Ne5! 23.fxe5 Qxc 7+.) 2 2 . Bxf5
axb5 23. Be4 (After 23. Bxe6 Qxe 6
24. Bxd4 RedB 25. Qf2 Rxa2, Black
is at least not worse.) 2 3 . . . Qxc5
(23 ... Bg4!? 24. Rel Qxc5=) 2 4 . Bxd4
Nxd4 2 5 . Qxd4 Qxd4+ 2 6 . Rxd4
Rxa2 27. Rxa2 Bxa2 2 8 . Bxb7=,
Gelfand-Van Wely, Wij k aan Zee
1996.
e) Finally, 17. Bfl allows the
already standard idea 17 . . . Bxd4
18.Bxd4 Nxd4 19.Qxd4 Nf5 20.Qf2 d4
2l.Nb5 Qe7 2 2 . Nxd4 Qxc5 2 3 . Nxe6
Qxf2+ 24.Kxf2 Rxe6 2 5 . Rd7 Rd6
Onischuk starts immediate play
on the queen's flank, trying to ob
struct Black's ideas . This position is
extremely fresh.
26. Rxd6 (26. Rxb7?! is answered

by 26 . . . Rd2+ 2 7. Kgl Nd4 28. Bg2
ReB +, but OK is 26. Rdl Rxdl
77
We discuss two other plans , one

starting with 14 .Qa4 and another
starting with 14 .Re1. Both have been
tested.
One version of queenside counter
play is seen in the line 14.Qa4 Bd7:
a l l ) Sasikiran
retreated
the
rook with 15 . . . Re7, perhaps fear
ing Nd4-b5 with possible forks.
The game continued 16 .Bf3 Rxe1+
17.Qxe1 Bg4 18.Qd1 (In case of
White
continued
with
15.Rad1
(15.Bb5 transposes to the featured

game.) 15 . . . Nh5 (15... a6!? to prevent
Be2-b5 is an additional possibility
for Black.) 16.Bb5 Qc8? ! . (Instead,
Cabrera needed to play a-la-Bacrot
with 16... Rc8, not fearing 17.Bxc6
bxc6 18. Qxa7 RaB 19. Qb6 QeB=.)
lB.Rdl then lB . . . ReB 19. Qfl Qxc5 is

possible, when it is questionable if the
first player can prove compensation.)
18 . . . Bxf3 19.Qxf3 ReS (Even better
was 19. . . Ne4! 20.Nxc6 Bxc3 21. bxc3
bxc6+.) 20.Ndb5 Ne4+t:
And now White found the co

17.f4! Nxf4
ordination breaker:
18.Nxc6 bxc6 19.Qxf4 (White could
have cashed in his idea with 19.Ba6!

QbB 20. Qxf4.) 19 . . . Rf5 20 .Qd2 Bxc3
21 .Qxc3 cxb5 22.Bd4;i;, Vazquez
Igarza-Cabrera, Totana 201 1 .
The stem game saw a different
version of queenside counterplay
with 14.Rel :
a) to which Sasikiran reacted
with 14 . . . Qf8.
a1) After 15.f4:
78
Black has successfully finished his

development, and now his opponent
blundered: 2 l . Nd6? Nxd6 22.cxd6
Qxd6 2 3 . Nxd5 Bxb2+, AI Sayed
Sasikiran, Guangzhou 2010.
a12) 15 . . . Re8 was also possible,
as the aggressive knight thrust

16. Ndb5 (Not 16.Ncb5? Ne4 +, and
16.Bf3 Rxel+ will transpose to the
game.) can be answered with the no
less aggressive 16 . . . d4!
25. . . Ne4+ 26.Khl

Qh6+.) 2 1 . . .Qxd6
Ng3+!
2Z hxg3
22 .cxd6
Bd4+
2 3 . Kh l Nf2+=.
a122) 17. Na4 Bf5 1 8 . Nc7 Rxe2
19.Qxe2 Rb8 2 0 . Nb5 Ne4.
In both these lines we see
Kasparov's idea in practice.
a2) Predojevic
suggested
an
improvement for White in Chess
Evolution, November 2 0 1 1 : 15.a3
Bd7 16 . Ndb5 , but I feel that things
are not so scary for Black, and he can
try a move which was not suggested
by the Bosnian GM : 16 . . . Rd8 !? when
17. Nd6 Ne8 1 8 . Nxb7?! is effectively
answered by 18 . . . Rb8+.
a3) The most recent attempt to
get something out of the position was
made by Volkov: 1 5 . Ncb5 Bd7
with two lines
in which Black
sacrifices the exchange:
a 1 2 1 ) 17. Nxd4
Rd8
1 8 . Qa4
Nxd4 19. Bxd4 Rxd4 ! 2 0 . Qxd4 Ng4 !
and now White needs to settle for
a draw with 2 1 .Qd6 (Or, if he likes,
he can get mated instead after

21. Qc4 ? (or 2 1 .Qb4 a 5 ! 2 2 .Qc4 Be6 ! )
2 l . . . B e 6! 22. Qb4 a5 23. Qb5 Bd4+
24.Khl Nf2+ 25. Kgl
16. Bfl (The knight can venture

into the black camp but is not well
supported for that: 16.Nd6 b6 17.Rcl
Bh6 18.Rc3 Qe7?-.) and now:
a31) Black could have boldly
taken the pawn. In the line 16 . . . Rxel
17.Qxel Qxc5 1 8 . Nf5 Qc2 (Safer is
18 . . . Qf8 19.Nxg7 Kxg7 20.Rdl Qb4

21. Qxb4 Nxb4 22.Nxa7 Nxa2=.)
19.Nxg7 Kxg7 2 0 . Nd4 Qxb2 2 l . Rbl
Qxa2 2 2 . Rxb7 ReS 23 .Qcl, White
has compensation for the pawns but
79
Korchnoi would certainly have taken

them!
a32) Instead, Volkov-Nitin, Dubai
2012 saw 16 . . . Nh5 17.Qd2 Rae8 18 .b4
Bf6 (18 . . . a6 19.Nxc6 Bxc6 20.Nd4 Bd7
is close to equality.) 19.Rxe5 Rxe5
b12) Instead he choose a wrong

path: 17. Nxc6?! Bxc6 18 .Qc1?!
(and here Black should have captured

with the bishop with approximate
equality, 19. . . Bxe5=) 20.Rd1 Bg5
21 .Qb2 Qe7 2 2 . Nxc6 bxc6 2 3 . Nxa7.
White had won a pawn, but his op
ponent generated counterplay after
23 . . . Be3 and later saved the game.
b) Sasikiran's second try was
14 . . . Bd7, and it proved even more
successful than the first, with the
game not even reaching move twenty!
18 ... d4! 19. Nb5? Qxc1 0-1, El Debs
Sasikiran,
Caleta
201 1 .
After
20. Raxc1 Rxe2 2 l . Rxe2 Bxb5-+
Black is winning.
b2) Against 15 .Qd2 the most
logical follow up is 15 . . . Qf8, which
intends to complete the plan and
prepares Bg7-h6.
b2 1) White was successful after
16 . Bfl but this had nothing to do
with the opening: 16 . . . Bh6 17.f4 Rxel
b1) 15.a3 Nh5! Active play. 16 .g3

Qg5 :
bll) Here White needed to find
the only move 17.h4 , which keeps the
balance after 17 . . . Qe7 18.Ndb5 d4
19.Ne4 (not 19.Nxd4 Nxd4 20. Qxd4
Nxg3! 21.Bxg3 Rxe2+) 19 . . . Nf6+t.
80
(The first improvement for Black

is the cool 17. . . Rae8!? the rook can
stay active, or be replaced by another
active black piece in case of 18.Rxe5
Nxe5+t.) 18.Rxe1 Rd8 19.h3 Bg7
(Central activity was already possible
with 19. . . Ne4!? 20.Nxe4 dxe4 2l.Nb5
Be6 22.Nd6 f5ao.) 20.Qd1
20 Ne4! 2 l . Nxe4 dxe4= 2 2 . Nxc6?!

Bxc6+, Ulko- Sychev, Moscow 2 0 1 1 .
b22) 16. Ndb5 w a s a more fruitful
attempt.
. . .
17 . . . Rd8 ! There is no rush for the

c5 pawn. As you will see, Black can
always take it later.
b22 1 1) Now W hite could have
entered wild complications with the
computer-like line 18.Rad l ! ?N Rxc5
19.Nxc6 (or 19.Ndb5 Be6 20. Qcl
Rxdl 21. Qxdl=) 19 . . . Rxc6 20.Bxa7 ! ?
b6 2 l . Bb5 Rxc 3 ! 2 2 . Bxb6 (also
possible was 22. Qxc3 ReB 23. Qe5 Rc5

24.Bxd7 Rxe5 25.Rxe5 Nxd7 26.Red5
Bxb2 27. Rxd7 Qb4=) 22 . . . Bxb5
On the whole, this is an idea that

the second player should always
watch out for!
b221) N. Kosintseva tried to
23.Qxd8 ReS, where her chances are

preferable.
b22 1 2) The move which Gura
mishvili chose is also quite logical:
1 8 . Nxc6 Bxc6 19.Qc2 . But it allowed
Black to demonstrate one of the
main ideas of the line: 19 . . . Nh5! ? (or
19 . . . Nd7 20.Radl (also 2 0 . Redl Nxc5)
20 ... Nxc5 21.Rxd8 QxdB=) 2 0 . Bfl
solve the problems with the help of
tactics: 16 ... d4! ? 17. Nxd4
81
Bd7-c6.) 16.Qxb7 Nxd4 17. Bxd4 Rb8

18.Qxa7 Rxb2 ! 19. Rab1 (19. Bxe5?
Bxe5 20.Racl Qh4 21.g3 Bd4+ 22.Kg2
Qh3+ 23. Khl Nxg3#) 19 . . . Rexe2 !
(Instead of this sharp and direct
approach, I like the silent but violent
19. . . Re7!N
20 ... Rxc5! 2l.Rad1 (The rook is un

touchable, for the black squares will be
severely weakened after 2l.Bxc5 Qxc5+
22.Khl Ng3+ 23. hxg3 Qh5+ 24.Kgl
Bd4+-+ and this will cost White her
queen.) 21...Ra5 22.Rxd8 Qxd8 23 .b4
Re5 24.Rxe5 Bxe5=, Guramishvili-Ko
sintseva, Gaziantep 2012 .
b222) Moves can be transposed
with the novelty 16 . . . Rd8 !?N 17. Rad 1
(17.f4 is answered by 17. . . Re7) and
17 . . . d4 transposes, however Black
can try 17 . . . Bf5!?oo.
b3) After the direct 15 .Qb3,
20.Bxg7 Bf5 21. Qa3 Rxbl 22.Nxbl

Nxg7 23.Nc3 d4 , when Black enjoys
plenty of compensation for the pawn.)
20.Nxe2 Rxe2 21.Bxg7 Rxe1+ 22.Rxel
Kxg7oo, resulting in an unclear
position, but still good for Black in
Volkov-Gallagher, Aix-les-Bains 2011.
14 . . . Bd7 15. Qa4
Black was looking for trouble

with 15 . . . Nh5 (A safe approach is
15. . . Nxd4 16.Bxd4 Re6 followed by

82
Chapter 1 b: The Gligoric System
15 . . . Rc81?
An improvement upon Sasikiran's

only loss in this line, which saw
15 ... Qc8 16.Rfel a6 (Here also Black
has improvements, such as 16 ... Rxel+
lZRxel a6 18.Bxc6 Bxc6.) 17.Bxc6 Bxc6

18.Qc2 Rh5 (or JB... Rxel+ 19.Rxel Qc7
20.b4 ReB with approximate equality)
21.Qd3 Rb8, which also gave him some

compensation,
in
Shulman-Feller,
Lubbock 2011. But there was not as
much payoff as in Predojevic's line,
when this knight was destined for c4.
1 6. . . Rxel+
1 7. Rxel
18. Bxd4 Bc6=
Nxd4
19.b4 Bd7 20.Radl Bh6 2l.Bg3;!;,

Onischuk-Sasikiran, Ningbo 2011.
16.Rfel
Soon after Bacrot showed his nov
elty, Shulman tried to improve upon
his compatriot's play with 16.Radl!?
Here I like Predojevic's 16 a6!?
The difference between this game

and the above Onischuk- Sasikiran
game (with 15 . . . Qc8) is that Black's
rook is active on the c-file.
19. Qdl Qa5 20. Bfl ReB 21. Rxe8+

Nxe8
17.Bxc6 Bxc6 18.Nxc6 bxc6 19.Qxa6
Nd7. This is why the pawn is
sacrificed before Nf6 -h5 . The knight
will find good squares in the center,
specifically c4.
Black's compensation is there,
albeit not very obvious, after 20. Rfel
Rxel+ 2l.Rxel Ne5.
Also possible, at White's 2 0th, are
20.Bd4 Re6 2 l . Bxg7 Kxg7 22 .Qd3
Qf6, and 20.Qd3 Re6 2 l .b4 Ne5
22 .Qc2 Nc4.
Feller played the natural-looking
16 ;Nh5 instead and nevertheless
sacrificed a pawn after 17.g3 a6
18.Bxc6 Bxc6 (or 18... bxc6 19.Qxa6
ReB) 19.Nxc6 bxc6 20.Qxa6 Qc7
..
22. Qd2 ?
White misses a maneuver and
loses a pawn. Better was 2 2 . Nxd5
83
Bxd5 23.Bxg7 Bxf3 24.gxf3 Nxg7

25 .b4 Qc7 26.Bh3 Qe7=.
The active king will save White.
22 . . . Bxd4+ 28. Qxd4 Nc 7!
88 . . . Be6 84. Bxe6 Nxe6 85. Ke4

Kg7 86. Ke5 Nc5 8 7. Kd4 Nd7
88. Nb4 a5 89. Nd5 g5 40. Kc4
Black wins the pawn on c5. Still,

with stubborn and strong defense,
Onischuk saved the half point.
40 . . . g4
24. b4 Ne6 25. bxa5 Nxd4 26. a 6!

bxa6 27. Bxa6 Ne6 28. Kf2 Nxc5
29.Bc8
29. . . d4
Allowing White the King activi
ty with 29 . . . Kg7 30.Ke3 Kf6 3 1 . Kd4
Ne6+ 32.Bxe6 fxe6 33.Kc5 might
have been his best chance for a win.
80. Ne2 Bd5 81. Nxd4

82.Nc6 a6 88. Ke8!
84
Bxa2
Better was 40 ... Ne5+!? 4 1 . Kb5 (or

41.Kd4 Ng6) 41 . . . Ng6 .
41.fxg4 Ne5+ 42. Kb5 Nxg4
48.Kxa5 Nxh2 44.Kb4 Kg6
45. Kc8 Kf5 46.Kd8 Ng4 4 7.g3
Ke5 48. Nf4 Kf5 49. Nd5 Ne5+
50. Ke8 Kg4 51. Nf6+ Kf5 52. Nd5
Kg4 58. Nf6+ Kxg8 54. Ke4 Nd7
55. Nxd7 h5 56. Nf6 h4 57. Kf5 h3
58. Ng4 f6 59. Ne8 Kf8 %-%
Memory Markers
Here are reminders of some of the ideas and motifs in the Gligoric System.
Again, giving up the center opens up many possibilities !
1 . After 10...d6-d5!. The central

strike, text move in Popov-Giri,
page 68.
16 ... Rb8xb2!!.
Attacking the king in the center,
see diagram on page 6 8 in
Popov-Giri .
3. After 14...Qd8-:f8! Kasparov's
4. After 18 ... Bf5-e6. Active play

in the center. See diagram on
page 72 in Popov-Giri .
exchange sacrifice, see diagram

on page 70 in Popov-Giri.
2. After
85
5. Mter 13 ... Re8-e5!?. Sasi

kiran's set-up, text move in
Onischuk-Bacrot. See diagram
on page 74 .
6. After 16 ... Bc8-e6. The stan

dard plan, the tabiya for the line.
7. After 19 ...Re5-e7!N. Ultra

sharp play, see diagram on page
82 in Onischuk-Bacrot.
8. After 15 ... Ra8-c8!?. Bacrot's

improvement, text move in
Onischuk-Bacrot, page 82.
86
See diagram on
Onischuk-Bacrot.
page
75
in
Exercises
Black to play!
With these situations from actual games, you can find some ideas and
opportunities that may await you, as Black, when facing the Gligoric System.
Solutions to these exercises begin on page 3 1 2 .
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Sundararaj an - Asau skas
S erralta - Rabineau
World Championship U20, Goa 2002
French Championship, Nimes 2009
Exploit the pin.
Find the move.
87
Exercise 3
S ergeev - O sinovsky
S asikiran - Konguvel
St. Petersburg White Nights

St. Petersburg 2004
India Championship, Nagpur 1999
Make use of your activity!
Exercise 5
How can Black make progress?
Exercise 6
Obukhov - S ergeev
Bedic - Marku n
Soviet Union 1991
Slovenian Championship
Kranj 1999
Black's position seems frightening,

but how to break in?
88
Exercise 4
Find the move.
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Miles - Nu nn
. D annevig - Vladimirov
BBC TV Master Game

England 1976
Gausdal International 1991
The black square symphony!
Did you pay attention?
89
Chapter l c
The Exchange
System
l. d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5

7. dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8
In the Classical system , the first player can choose not to maintain the
pre s sure in the center but to swap central pawns instead, reaching the
Exchange System.
or many years this idea has been

considered innocuous, as the
exchange in the center and then the
queen trade eases Black's defense.
Moreover, the pawn skeleton will
now favor Black, as our pawns on e5
and c6 will better control the center,
covering all the critical squares.
Compare these pawns to those on c4
and e4, which can never disallow a
black piece on d4 (ideally a knight)
and you will see the difference.
But you need to be ready for this

line in your games , as many white
players try to take the sting out of
the KID as early as possible . Do not
worry. Patient and purposeful play
will still give you chances to play
for the full point .
The system I have choosen for
you is relatively rare, and this will
increase its surprise value.
Chapter lc: The Exchange System
91
Mchedlishvili - Jobava
Tbilisi Municipality Cup 2009

l.d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7
4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 0- 0 6. Be2 e5
7.dxe5 dxe5
In your King's Indian encounters,

you may face opponents who are
unwilling to enter sharp lines in
which they can get mated, preferring
to play a game without risk, or they
might just be endgame masters
willing to outplay you in a quiet
manner. If so, the Exchange KID
will suit their purpose.
8. Qxd8 Rxd8
92
9. Bg5
This is the only move that can
cause any trouble for Black.
Note that White cannot win a
pawn with 9.Nxe5 Nxe4 10. Nxe4
(not 10.Nxf7?? Bxc3+-+) 10 . . . Bxe5
1 l . Bg5 ReS . Even the dark-squared
bishop is not as tasty as usual in this
situation: 1 2 . Nf6+ Bxf6 1 3 . Bxf6 Bf5
14 .Rd1 Na6 !?
Black safeguards the back rank

and prepares the doubling of the
rooks on the e-file with Re8 -e6 and
Ra8 -e8. The maneuver Na6 -b4-d3+
(or even better Bf5-d3 ! ) is also
possible. Since White cannot castle,
Black already stands somewhat
better.
Against 9.Nd5 I like the fighting
move which Lenic used: 9 . . . Ne8!?
10. Ne7+ Kf8 1 l . Nxc8 Rxc8 12 .Be3
Nc6 13.0-0-0 Nf6 . Black has
kept more pieces on the board and
gradually outplayed his opponent,
after 14 . Nd2 Rd8 15.f3 Nd4 16 .Rhel
c5=, followed by Nf6 -g8 and Bg7-h6
with black-squared domination in
Tolstikh-Lenic, New Delhi 2010.
Instead, Black can equalize at
once with 9 . . . Nxd5 10.cxd5 c6 l l . Bc4
cxd5 1 2 . Bxd5 Na6 =.
9 Na6/?
10 Re8 l l .f4 c6 (ll . . . h6 was still

good: 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. 0-0-0 Bxe5
14.fxe5 c6=) 12 .0-0-0 Nc5 1 3 . Bf3 h6
. . .
14 . Bxf6 Bxf6 1 5 . Nd3 Nxd3+ 16 . Rxd3

g5 17.g3 gxf4 18.gxf4 Be6 19.b3
Rad8 , with some compensation for
the sacrificed pawn in De Firmian
Leski, California 1993 .
10 h6!? is a tricky move order
which invites White to err. We look
at three alternatives:
a) l l . Bh4 ReB and now 1 2 . f4 can
be strongly met with 12 . . . g5 :
Players who choose the Exchange

System are usually not very well
prepared to enter long theoretical
lines. Therefore, I suggest that we
give them a big surprise right from
the start!
It's relatively rare, but logical.
White's threat was Nc3 -d5 to hit both
the f6 knight and the c7 pawn. The
c-pawn is now defended, and Black
has Rd8-d6 to defend the knight.
At the same time, the knight from
a6 controls c5 and completes Black's
development.
Black's main choice is 9 Re8
where he is comfortably equalizing.
But what if we need to play for
a win?! The sharp 9 c6 was used
by Kasparov to try to unbalance
the situation with a pawn sacrifice.
However, White is usually well
prepared for that, and I also do
not completely trust this approach
because of the forced manner of the
positions that arise. Such forced
lines usually lead to a draw.
...
IO.Nd5
Consistent.
10.Nxe5 is still possible and still
innocuous. We look at two possibilities:
a1) 1 3 . Bg3 Nc5+ and again White

cannot defend the central pawn with
14 . Bf3? Nfxe4 1 5 . Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Bxe4
gxf4 17. Bxf4 Bxe5-+.
a2) Less good is 13.fxg5 hxg5
14. Bg3 Nc5+, as 1 5 . Bf3 fails to
15 . . . Rxe5! 16. Bxe5 Nd3+ 17. Ke2
Nxe5-+.
b) l l .Bf4 is stronger, with comfort
able equality for Black after l l . . . Re8
1 2 . Rdl Nxe4 13.Nxe4 Bxe5 14. Bxe5
Rxe5 15.Rd8+ Kg7 16.f3 b6=.
c) Finally, l l . Bxf6 Bxf6 1 2 .f4 c6
1 3 . Rd l Rxd l+ 14 . Bxd l Bxe5 15.fxe5
is somewhat better for Black already.
The pawn on e5 will inevitably fall,
and the one on e4 will not be in great
shape afterwards .
Chapter l c : The Exchange System
93
10
. . .
Rd6
As mentioned before, Black can

now play this move to defend f6.
However, if you desperately need
a win (imagine that your opponent
is a half point away from you in the
final round of an open tournament
and needs a draw to win it! ) you
might consider the fascinating idea
of GM Neverov: 10 ... Nxd5!?
Here, Black has tried to develop the

initiative in various ways:
a) 12 . . . Bg4!? 13. Be70 ReS (13 ...
c5!? intending 14. . . f6 to restrict the

bishop is interesting, too.) 14 .Ba3
Bxf3 15.gxf3 Bf8! Black is heading
for exchanges, but then he will have
complete domination on the dark
squares ! 16 . Bxf8 Kxf8 and now:
al) 17.0 - 0 - 0 Nb4 (1 7. . . Ke7 with
If White plays l l.cxd5 then
ll . . .f6 gets the type of unbalanced
play that Black is aiming for, after
12.Be3 (Black takes over the initia
the idea Na6-c5-e6-d4 looks great,

too!) 18.a3 Nc6, intending Nd4 as
compensation for the material:
tive after 12.Bxa6 bxa6 13.Be3 Bb7

14.Rcl RacB 15.Bxa7 f5!) 12 . . . Nb4
(also 12 . . . f5!?) 13.Rcl f5 14 . Rxc7 fxe4
15.Ng5 Nd3+ 16. Bxd3 exd3 17. Kd2
Rxd5oo. In any case this will shake
your opponent's confidence!
White accepts the exchange sac
rifice with ll.Bxd8 Nf4 1 2 . Bf10
(of course not 12.Bd1 Nxg2+ 13. Kf1

Nf4+).
Once the knight reaches d4 it will

completely paralyze the white rooks.
Which piece is better, the knight on
d4 or a rook, is highly debatable !
94
a2) The strength of the knight is

also seen after 17. Kd2 Rd8+ 18.Kc3
Nc5, intending Nce6 -d4 to compen
sate for the exchange.
b) Black can play more aggressive
ly in the center with 12 . . . f5 13.Kd2
(13.exf5 Bxf5 14. 0-0-0 Nb4 15.Bxc7

Bh6 looks scary for White, to put it
Taken by surprise, the strong

Georgian GM chooses a toothless de
veloping move. Jobava will now get
a chance to enjoy his more flexible
pawn structure.
White's best option is ll.Bxf6
Bxf6
mildly.) 13 . . . fxe4 14. Nel Bf5 15.Bh4

Bh6 16.Kc3 g5 17. Bg3 Rd8 18.h4 g4,
with a strong initiative. The next
blunder eased his task. 19.Nc2
19 ... Nxg2! 20.Bxe5 (not 20.Bxg2 Rd3

mate) 20 ... Bd2+ 2l.Kb3 Nc5+ 22.Ka3
e3! 23.Bxg2 Bxc2 24.fxe3 c6 25.Rh2
a5 26.b3 Bb4+ 27.Kb2 Bxb3! 28.axb3
And we consider four possibilities

for White: 12.Rcl on this page,
12.0-0-0 and 12.b4 on page 96,
and finally the acid test 12.Nxf6+!
on page 97.
12.Rcl with the idea c4-c5 can be
parried:
a) either with
12 . . . c6!?
13.c5
Rxd5!
Nd3+ 29.Kc2 Nxe5 30.Rhhl Rd2+

3l.Kbl Rxg2 32 .Ra2 Rxa2 33.Kxa2
Nf3 0-1, Brijs-Bedyk, IECG email 1999.
c) Neverov himself chose 12 ... b6
13.Bg5 Ne6 14.Be3 Bb7 15.Nd2 f5
(He could have obtained compensation

after the subtle 15...Nb4! 16.Kdl f5
1Zf3 RdB.) 16.f3 Nb4 17.Kdl? (And
White could have benefitted by
JZ0-0-0! Nxa2+ lB.Kbl Nb4 19.c5
intending Bc4;t, although I also have
the feeling that Black should be OK
even here.) 17... Rd8 ( Neverov) 18.a3
now
Nc6oo, Fulvi-Neverov, Groningen 1993 .
11.Nd2
95
14 .exd5 cxd5 15.Bxa6 bxa6 with the

two bishops and a central pawn pair
in return for the exchange!
b) or with
12 . . . b6
13 .b4
c6
(13 . . . Bd8!? 14.c5 bxc5 15. bxc5 Re6=)

14 .c5, when Black can once more sac
the exchange:
Black's plan is to bring the knight to the

center (ideally, the d4 square via the
c5-e6 route), trade a pair of rooks (to
soften the pressure along the d-file) and
to enjoy his powerful knight! 15.Bxf3 c6
Note that the active idea 16.Rd7 drops
a pawn after 16 ... Nc5 17.Rc7 Nd3+
18.Kd2 Nxf2 19.Re1 (19.Rfl? Nxe4+)
19 ... Nxh3! .
After 12.b4
a) Black should play the immedi
ate 12 . . . c6! When the intended 13 .c5?
is in fact losing material for White!
13 . . . Rxd5:
14 . . . Rxd5! 15.exd5 e4 16 . Nd2 cxd5.

If
12.0-0-0 then 1 2 . . . Bg4!
13.Nxf6+ Rxf6 14.h3 Bxf3 !
a1) 14. Bxa6 bxa6 15.exd5 e4

16 .0-0-0 exf3 17.dxc6 fxg2 18. Rhgl
Be6+ (Here Black wins quickly
with 1B . . . Bg4 19.Rd3 Be2 20.Rd6

Bg5+ 21.Kc2 Bf3- +.) 19. Rxg2 ReS,
Black successfully transforms the

advantage of the bishop pair into
the advantage of the better minor
piece.
White's bishop is rather poor in this
case, surrounded by its own pawns.
96
and Black converted his material

advantage in Korotylev-Matamoros
Franco, Calatrava 2006.
a2) Keeping the bishop isn't any
better: 14 .exd5 e4 15.0-0-0 exf3
16. Bxa6 fxg2 17.Rhe1 bxa6 18.Re8+
Kg7 19.d6 Bg5+ 2 0 . Kb2 Bg4!-+.
b) However,
also
possible is
12 . . . Bg4 13.Rd 1 Kg7 14 .c5 Rxd5!
15.Rxd5 (better than 15. exd5 Nxb4
16.a3 Nc2+ 1 7.Kd2 Bf5(XJ) 15 . . . Nxb4
16 .Rd2 Nc6.
The
acid
test
of the
line
is
b1) The main line now runs

14 . . . Nc5?! 1 5 . 0 - 0 - 0 f6 16 . Rd8+ Kg7
Black needs to be careful here!

12 ... Rxf6 1 3 . Nxe5 Re6:
a) After 14 . Ng4 h5 1 5 . Ne3 Rxe4
16.Bf3 ReS 17.0-0 c6 1 8 . Rab1
Nb4, Black was already more
comfortable. A handful of moves
saw him converting his pressure
into something more tangible:
19.a3 Nd3 20. Rfd 1 Ne5 2 1 . Be2 Bg4
2 2 Nxg4 hxg4 23 .h3 gxh3 24.gxh3
Re7+. White has weak pawns and
an inferior minor piece in Dao Thien
Hai-Stellwagen, Dresden 2008.
b) Better is 14 .f4
bll) Now 17.b4 is nothing for

White after 17 . . . Nxe4 18. Bg4 Rd6 !
19.Rxc8 Rxc8 2 0 . Bxc8 fxe5:
b111) 2 1 . fxe5 Rd4 2 2 . Kc2 Rxc4+
2 3 . Kb3 (not 23.Kd3 Rxb4) 23 . . . Rc3+
with equality.
b112) or 2 1 . Bxb7 Nf2 ! (21 . . . Rd4
12.Nxf6+!
22.Bxe4 Rxe4 23.fxe5 Rxc4+ 24. Kd2

Rxb4 25.RcH) 2 2 . fxe5 Rb6 2 3 . Rfl
Nd3+ 24.Kd2 Nxe5 2 5 . Bd5 c6 2 6 . Be6
Rxb4=.
b12) I wanted to suggest this
main line to you, but then I discov
ered the highly unpleasant 17. Nd3 !
97
17 . . . Rxe4 1 8 . Nxc5 Rxe2 1 9 . Nd 3 . The

pin is very unpleasant! Probably
Black is not losing, but it makes no
sense to enter this position at all!
b121) 19 ...Bf5
20.Rxa8
Bxd3
21.Rd8 Rc2+ 22.Kdl Rxb2 23.Rel
Rbl+ 24.Kd2 Rxel 25 .Kxel Bxc4
26.Rd7+, Miton-Smit, Pavlodar 1991.
b122) or 19 ... b6 20.Rel Rxel+
21.Nxel c5 22.Nc2 h5 2 3 . Ne3
Yakovich-Livner, Stockholm 2001.
b123) also 19 ... Kf7 20.Rel Rxel+
2l.Nxel b6 22.Nc2 h5 2 3 . Kd2 Ke7
24.Rh8 Bb7 25. Rh7+ Kd6 26.Nd4 .
b124) and
finally
19 . . . Kh6
20.Rel Rxel+ 2 l . Nxel b6 22.g3 Bb7
23.Rd7 ReS 24.Rf7 .
b13) 17. Bg4 was supposedly a
strong novelty but it seems to me
that the evaluation of the final po
sition given in Chess Informant is
completely wrong: 17 . . . fxe5 18 .b4 Rd6
19. Rxc8 Nd3+ 20.Kc2 Rxc8 2 l . Bxc8 .
98
Up to here, the game is evaluat

ed as slightly better for White in
Khuseinkhodzhaev-Levin, St. Peters
burg 2008. However, if we continue
the line a bit: 2 l . . . Nxb4+ 2 2 . Kc3 a5!
We see that it is the other way around!
b131) 23 .c5 Rd3+ 2 4 . Kc4 exf4+.
b132) 2 3 . Bxb7? Rd3+ 24.Kb2 a4!
25 .c5 (25.a3 Rb3+ 26.Kcl Rxa3-+)
25 . . . a3+ 2 6 . Kbl Rd2-+.
b133) 2 3 . fxe5?!
Rd3+ 24.Kb2
a4+ is similar as above.
herefore, from the diagram after
line b) on page 97, I suggest
two
other
possibilities:
getting
counterplay for the sacrificed pawn
starting with 14 . . . Kg7 !? or trying to
recover the pawn with the untested
14 . . . Re7!?:
b2) 14 ... Kg7 !?
15.0-0-0?!
1 5 . Bf3
{6
16.Nf3
15 . . . Rd6 !?
(better than
16. 0- 0 - 0 f6 1 7.Nd3 ).
(not
Rxe4+)
15 . . . Nc5
1 1 . . . c 6!
The point behind Black's play.

White's pieces are a bit uncoordi
nated, guaranteeing counterplay.
16.Rd1 Be6 (Better than 16 . . . Rxdl+
lZBxdl Be6 18. b3 RdB 19. Ke2, which

seems like an improved version for
White.) 17.0- 0 ReB 18 .b3 Nc5 19.h3
a5 20.Rxd6 cxd6 2 l . Ng4 a4 2 2 . Rb1
Ra8 23.e5 h5 24.Nf6 axb3 2 5 . axb3
dxe5 26.fxe5 Ra3?, Hedgehog-Alan
sacount, playchess .com INT 2006.
b3) 14 . . . Re7 ! ?N is suggested,
With the disappearance of the

active white knight, Black will seize
the initiative.
Note the difference: the d4 square
is an ideal outpost for the black
knights, while the d5 square can be
attacked by a black pawn!
12.Nxf6+
Black looks great after 1 2 . Ne7+
Kf8 1 3 . Nxc8 Rxc8, with the idea of
Nc5 (c7)-e6-d4 .
12 . . . Bxf6 13. Be3!

There will be fewer pieces to con
trol the black squares after 1 3 . Bxf6
Rxf6+.
13 . . . Bd8 ?!
Jobava wants to transfer the
bishop to a more active position.
Usually this is a good idea, but here
it allows the c4-c5 advance with the
knight still on a6.
A better idea seems to be the cool
13 . . . Nc7 14 .0-0-0 Ne6 1 5 . Nb3 Be7
16. Rxd6 Bxd6 =.
14. 0 - 0 - 0
with the idea 1 5 . Bf3 (or 15.0-0-0
{6 16.Rd8+ Kg7 17.Nd3 Rxe4 1B. Bf3

Re7, which is approximately equal)
1 5 f6 16.Nd3 Bf5 17. Nf2 Bxe4
Mchedlishvili should have freed

the c4 square for his knight and
bishop with 14 .c5! Rd7 15.0-0-0 Be7
16 . Bxa6 bxa6 17. Nc4:t.
18.Bxe4 Nc5 =.
14 . . . Be7
.. .
99
This looks weird. Why didn't

Jobava finish his plan?
After 14 . . . Bb6
15.Bxb6 axb6
16.Nb3 Rxdl+ 17.Rxdl Be6=, he
is very comfortable. Maybe he just
wanted to keep more pieces on the
board.
15.Nb8
Worthy of consideration is 15.c5!?
15. . . Rxdl+ 16. Rxdl
Two
energetic
moves
have
clarified the situation. Black will
keep his active light-squared bishop
on the board and bring the knight to
d4. He has also gained space on the
king's flank.
21. Be2 Nb4 22. a8 Nc 6 28.Bc8
Now watch out, this is where the

second player's idea is revealed!
16. . . c5!
Brilliant! Even though Black
releases control over the d5 square, he
will be better! The difference comes
from the positions of the knights.
The black one can easily reach the
d4 point via different routes, which
we cannot say for its adversary.
17. h8 b6
Sets free the knight and prepares
Na6-b4 (b8)-c6 -d4! or Na6 -c7-e6-d4!
18. Bg4
If 18.a3 then
Ne6+.
18 . . . Nc7
19.Nd2
18 . . . (5! 19.Bf8 f4 20. Bd2 Be6!';
28 . . . (8!
Further unbalancing the position
for good.
Calm improvements were also
possible, for instance 23 . . . h5 followed
by the further advance of the king
side pawns.
24. Bxf8 Bxc4 25. Kc2 Rf8 26.Rd7

Bb5 2 7. Kbl Bh4
100
Black wins a pawn and the game.

28.Nd2
Not 28. Bel? Nd4-+.
28 ... Bx(2 29. Bg4 Bd4 30. Nf3
Rf6 31.Bd2 ? h5
32. Bg5
hxg4
33. Bxf6 gxf3
34.gxf3
Be2
35. Rg7+
Kf8
36. Rxg6 Bxf3 3 7. Rg 7 Bxe4+
38. Kcl Bd3 39. Rc7 Na5 40. Kdl
e4 0-1
Chapter 1c: The Exchange System
101
Memory Markers
Here are reminders of some of the ideas and motifs in this chapter. There
are still some interesting possibilities in the Exchange System !
1. After 14.. .Nb8-a6!?. The cap

ture on e5 (9.Nxe5 ) is innocuous.
See diagram on page 92 in
Mchedlishvili-Jobava.
2. After 12 ... g5. The g6-g5 un
Nev
erov's exchange sacrifice. See di
agram on page 94.
4. After 13...Rd6xd5.
3. After 10 ... Nf6xd5!?.
102
dermining. See diagram on page

93.
Trouble
on the long diagonal.
See
diagram on page 96.
5. After 14...Re6-e7!?N. Novel
6. After
ty against the acid test. See dia
faster to the outpost? The text
gram on page 99.
move
in
16... c6-c5!.
Who's
Mchedlishvili-Jobava,
page 100.
103
Exercis es
Black to play!
With these situations from actual games, you can find some ideas and
opportunities that may await you, when facing the Exchange System.
Solutions to these exercises begin on page 3 17.
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Mengual Bolo Castella Garcia
Wolske - Kubikova
Pardubice 1996
Cullera-B 2003
Tricks are rare but possible in the
Exchange line.
104
The "Who is faster?" contest.
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Shankar - Saravanan
Ruiz Delgado Martinez Martin
White wants
position.
to
consolidate
his
Vecindario 2010
The d-file is well covered and the
white rooks are useless. But how
about their black counterparts?
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Ritz - Neumeier
Olafsson - Danielsen
Wattens 1997
ReyJdavik Open 2006
What is Black's plan?
The bishop on h3 is ready to chop off

the knight whenever it reaches the
e6 square. A draw?
105
Chapter ld
The Petrosian
System
l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 0- 0 5. Nf3 d6 6. Be2 e5

7.d5 a5
After Svetozar Gligoric's dangerous positional system, we study a world

champion's concept to fight the KID, the Petrosian System, named after the
ingenious GM and world champion . Known for his unique limiting style, the
Armenian GM invented a system which was bringing him so many points that
he even stated once that he bought his apartment thanks to his opponents
who dared to choose the KID against him.
The special attention of this great player should only flatter us.
he idea of the system is to
close the center as quickly
as possible , establish the two
pawn chains, and prevent Black
from trading in the center. White
has extra space and possibilities
to expand on the queen's flank;
Black should look for chances on
the opposite side of the board where
his pawns are more aggressively
situated.
Petrosian often developed the
bishop to g5 , intending to hinder
this play. Prophylaxis worked well

against his less experienced op
ponents. But later, new methods
were found and Black has learned
to bring his dark-squared bishop
into the game , activating it for both
attack and defense, before White
advances on the queen's flank.
What you need to know is that
in general, the release of central
pressure eases your counterplay on
the king's flank as well.
Chapter ld: The Petrosian System
107
Topalov - Mamedyarov
Corus, Wijk aan Zee 2008
I.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg 7 4 . e4
0 - 0 5. Nf3 d6 6. Be2 e5 7. d5 a5
Our recommendation.
The line 7 . . . Na6 8 . Bg5 is also
logical and leads to equality if Black
knows what to do.
This move simply cries out for

9 . . . Ng4! 10. Bg5 f6 and now:
a) l l . Bh4 stops f6-f5 only tem
porarily and places the bishop in a
dangerous position: l l . . . Qe8 1 2 . Nel
f5 1 3 . Nd3 (preferable is 13. Bxg4
fxg4 14.Bg5=) 13 . . . h5 14 .exf5 Bxf5
15 .Qd2 e4t,
B.Bg5
This is how Petrosian handled
his system. Many years later it was
Vladimir Kramnik of Russia who
gave second life to White's concept.
But from the peak of the line's glory,
it's once again in decline.
8.0-0 NaG can lead to transposi
tions after 9.Bg5.
However, White can also try
9.Be3
Granda Zuniga- Sasikiran, Andorra

1998.
b) And after l l .Bd2 f5 it is ques
tionable if White has achieved any
thing with the bishop provocations:
1 2 . Ng5 Nf6 13.exf5 gxf5 (13 ... Bxf5!?
makes sense as well, as the knight

from g5 can not easily access the e4
square.) 14 .f4 Qe8 15.fxe5 dxe5.
1 08
etrosian loved to play against

these hanging pawns on f5 and e5,
but we should not forget that they are
central pawns, and ready to come into
motion: 16 . Kh l h6 17.Nf3 e4 18.Nd4
e3 19.Bel Ne4+, Karasev- Sakaev,
St. Petersburg 2 0 1 1 .
The first player c a n also attempt
to defend his center with 9.Nel Nc5
10.f3, but we know that if a KID
player is given extra time he will
inevitably use it: 10 . . . Nh5 1 1 .g3 Bh3
12 .Rf2 f5 13.exf5 gxf5 14 . Nd3 Nxd3
15.Qxd3 f4i. Black is fully mobilized
and already attacking the kingside
in Danner-Sebenik, Austria 2 0 1 1 .
Another way t o defend the e 4
pawn is 9.Qc2 . Black then finishes
developing with 9 . . . Bd7 and prepares
both c7 -c6 and the typical king's side
attack lO.Nel (Note the typical trick
ll . . . Nfxe4! 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Qxe4

Bf5-+.)
10 . . . Nc5
prevents
the
Nel-d3 maneuver. (Also worthy of
consideration is 10. . . c6!?.) 1 1 . Bg5
h6 1 2 . Bh4 g5 13 . Bg3 , and now the
position of the bishop on g3 allows the
following exchanging combination:
13 . . . Nfxe4
which deprives White of the direct

attack with lO.Rbl Nc5 ll.a3?
14 . Nxe4 Nxe4 15 .Qxe4 f5 16 .Qc2 f4 .
1 09
9.Bh4
The pawn chains are fixed and
they show the directions in which
both sides will conduct their plans.
White has better pawns on the
queenside and should attack the
base of Black's pawn chain on this
side, and Black should do the same
on the kingside.
9.Be3 is still possible and is a
specialty of GM Zvj aginsev. Black is
doing fine by simply developing his
forces: 9 . . . Ng4 lO.Bcl Na6 1 1 .0-0
Nc5 12 .g3 ! ?
Black recovers the piece, but how
about the light squares? It seems
White is controlling them, thus
making the KID bishop a poor piece.
But Inarkiev finds a way to bring
this piece into the game: 17. Bd3 g4!
(preparing h6 -h5 -(h4) and to open
the cl-h6 diagonal for the bishop)
18.Be4 fxg3 19.hxg3 b6 20.Qd2 h5
2l.Nc2 h4 2 2 . gxh4? ! Qxh4 23 .g3
Qh5 24.Ne3.
A venomous idea! 1 2 . . . Nf6 (The

simple-hearted 12 . . . {5?! walks into
White's hidden idea: 13.Nh4! QeB
14.{3 Nf6 15.exf5 gxf5 16.Be3.)
13 .Qc2 Qe8 14 . Nh4 Bh3 15 .Rel Nfd7
16. Nb5 Na6 (16. . . Qb8!?) 17. Bd2 c6!?
18.Nxd6 Qb8 19.c5 Naxc5 20.Nc4
cxd5 2 l .exd5 b6=, Porper- Ganguly,
Edmonton 2009.
...
Na6 1 0. 0 - 0
White may transpose moves with

Now 24 . . . Rf6 2 5 . Ng2 Bh6 2 6 . Q d 3
Raf8+ was played i n D a nner
Inarkiev, Saint Vincent 2 0 0 5 .
8 . . . h6
It is useful to clarify the white
bishop's diagonal.
110
10.Nd2 Qe8 11.0-0.

In addition, White can further
postpone castling with l l.a3 Nh7
or ll . . . Bd7, or White can even try
the sharp l l.g4 a4 1 2 . f3 intending
Bh4-f2 and h2 -h4-h5:
anticipates an eventual bishop check

on e 3 .
O n e o f the ideas behind the
Petrosian system is to trade both
bishops for Black's knight and light
squared bishop. Concretely: 12.Bxf6
Bxf6 13. Bg4
Black needs to react immediately

with 12 . . . h5! 13.g5 Nh7 14 . Nxa4 and
here, best is 14 . . . Qe7 ! 1 5 . Rgl Bh6 ! +,
rather than 14 . . . f6 15.gxf6 Nxf6
which also gave some compensation
for the pawn in Pasztor-Kislik, Zal
akaros 2 0 1 1 .
10. . . Bd7 l l . Nd2 Qe8

13 . . . Nc5 (The somewhat artificial
13 . . . Bxg4 14. Qxg4 Qe7 15.Nb3
Nb8 16. Qe2 Nd7 is not bad at all.)
14 . Bxd7 Qxd7 15.Nb3 Be7 (Odd.
Here instead, Black needed to play
15 . . . Na4 16.Nxa4 Qxa4 1 7.Nd2 Qxdl
18.Rfxdl a4 which is close to equal.)
16 . Nxc5 dxc5 17.Qd2;!;, Kovalenko
Levin, St. Petersburg 2 0 1 1 .
Naturally, White needs to play
on the queenside, but 12.a3 allows
the standard 12 . . . a4! 13.Nb5 Bxb5
14 .cxb5 Nc5 =.
Prophylaxis and development.

The pin is broken and Black can
start his kingside operations .
12.Khl!?
A useful prophylactic
move.
Thanks to the efforts of Kramnik,
this move became White's main
choice. White is waiting for his
opponent to show his intentions and
111
However, with 12.b3 instead,

White can start a gradual queenside
pawn storm:
Now the moves which have inde

pendent meaning are:
a) 15.Qc2 Be3+ (or 15. . . {5 16.Rabl
Be3+ 17. Khl Bc5= Xu Jun-Wen, Hefei

2011.) 16. Bf2 Bxf2+ 17. Rxf2 Qe7
Previously, this was the main

choice. Still, the positions that arise
can easily transpose from the main
text. 12 ... Nh7 and now:
13.f3 h5 14 .Rb1 Bh6 15.Bf2 Qe7
16 .Rb2 (or 16.a3 h4 17.b4 Bf4 1B.Rb2)
16 . . . h4 17. Re1 Qg5 18. Bfl Nf6 19.f4
Qxf4 20.h3 Nh5 2 l . Be3 Qxe3+
22.Rxe3 Bxe3+--+, Kunze-Sjugirov,
Rijeka 2010.
Or 13.a3 h5, intending to trap
the bishop, thus forcing White's next
move: 14.f3 Bh6:
1 12
Chapter 1d: The Petrosian System
18.Kh l .
Here, I like playing a-la Kotroni
as with 18 . . . h4 followed by Qe7-g5 ,
Kg8 -g7 and Nh7-f6 -h5 and you know
what happens afterwards.
However, 18 ... f5 was not bad at
all: 19.exf5 Bxf5 2 0 . Bd3 Nc5 2 l . Bxf5
gxf5 =, Simic-Brenjo, Kladovo 1994.
b) Or 15.Rb1 Be3+, in conjunction
with the covering move 16 . Bf2 .
I n this case Black i s happy to
trade, as his pawn center is situated
on the dark squares and White will
have only the passive light-squared
bishop left on the board. 16 . . . Bxf2+
17.Rxf2 Nc5 (17... h4!? followed by
Qe8-e7-g5 and {7-{5 is an excellent

plan as well.) 18 .Qc2 (or 1B. b4 axb4
19.axb4 Na4=) 18 . . . f5 19.b4 axb4
20.axb4 Na4 2 l .Nb5 Bxb5 22.cxb5
Qe7=.
Black's game is easier, as the
pawn on c7 can be defended without
much ado and the pawns on the
king's flank are easily advanced, in
Franic-Plenkovic, S ibenik 2 0 1 1 .
c ) White c a n also prevent Black's
bishop from arriving on the excellent
e3 square with 15. Bf2, but Black's
piece is already good enough and
he can concentrate on his kingside
attack with 15 . . . Qe7 and now:
cl) 16 . Khl h4 17.Rgl Preparing

Qdl-el. 17 . . . Bg5 (A trick worth re
membering is 17. . . Nf6 with the idea

18.Bxh4 Nxe4 +.) Gradually building
the pressure:
Bxh2+ 30.Kxh2 Nf4 - + 31.g3 Rxh4+

32.gxh4 Qg2#.) 29 . . . Bg3 3 0 . Ra7 (not
30. hxg3 ? hxg3 31 .Be3 ?? Nf4 32.Be2
Rhl+ 33. Kxhl Qh4+ 34. K.gl Qh2+
35. Kfl Qxg2#) 3 0 . . . Qf4 3 l . h3 ! , al
though Black is still on top after
3 1 . . .Qg5 ! --..
c2) The prophylactic King move
in the previous line is needed, since
after 16 . Rbl h4 17.b4 axb4 18. axb4
Bf4!
Black's plan includes Kg8 -g7, Rf8 -h8 ,
Nf6 h5 -g3 + and mate in short notice .

-
18.Qel Kg7 19.Rbl Nc5 2 0.b4 axb4

21.axb4 Na4 2 2 . Nb3 Nxc3 23 .Qxc3
Nf6 24.Ral Nh5 2 5 . Rxa8 Rxa8
26.Ral Rh8 27.Kgl Bf4:
Black already threatens Qe5 -g5 ,
followed by Bd7-h3. For instance,
the careless 19.Rb2 can be answered
19 . . . Nxb4! 20. Rxb4 Qg5 2 l . Rb2 Bh3
with a strong attack.
12 . . . Nh7
Black frees his kingside pawns.
13. a3 h5
Imperative now is 2 8 .Qe10 (After

28.Be3 Qg5 29. Kf2 f5+ White was
soon
crushed in Kiss-Kotronias,
Kavala 2005.) 28 . . . Qg5 ! 2 9 . Bfl !
(Black's idea is shown after 29.Bxh4 ?
With the idea of trapping the

bishop after g6 -g5 and h5 -h4 .
It is also possible to play 13 . . . a4
14 . Nb5 Bxb5 15 .cxb5 Nc5 , Rahman
Tratar, Bled 2002 , which leads to
approximately equal positions, but
is less active compared to the text
move.
1 13
The immediate 17.b4 is also possi

ble: 17 . . . axb4 18. axb4 f4 19.Be1 g5oo,
in Pavlovic-Dimitrov, Varna 1994.
14.(3 Bh6
1 7. . . gxf5
The most logical continuation.

Black brings the bishop into open air.
If instead 14 Bf6, we look at two
possible replies:
After
15.Bxf6
Nxf6
16.b3,
Black quickly got the initiative:
16 . . . Qe7 17.Qe1 Kg7= 18.Qf2?! h4!
Gulko-Kasparov, Novgorod 1995, as
19.Qxh4 is met with 19 . . . Nxd5+.
More challenging is 15.Bf2 Bg5 .
Black prepares the usual play with
h5 -h4, Kg8-g7, Re8 -h8, Qe8-e7, Nh7f6-h5 , etc. Ideally, the second player
should combine his attacking ideas
with defending moves on the other
wing. 16 .Rb1 a4 17.b4 axb3 18.Nxb3
b6 19.Nb5 h4 20.a4 Qe7 21.a5 bxa5
(21...Rfb8!?) 22.Nxa5 Nf6 23.Nc6 Bxc6
24.dxc6 Kg7?, Paunovic-lruzubieta
Villaluenga, La Roda 2012.
15. b3 Be3 16. R bl (5

This is not the only plan in the
position.
Black can also temporarily pre
vent the b3 -b4 advance with 16 . . . Bc5
17.Qc1 and now 17 ... f5 18.Na2 g5
19. Bf2 f4 20.b4 Bxf2 2 1 . Rxf2 axb4
2 2 . axb4 g4?, in Sertic-Jovanovic,
Djakovo 201 1 .
1 7. exf5
1 14
18. b4
GM Igor Naumkin preferred
instead to trade his f-pawn for the
black h-pawn: 18.f4 exf4 19.Bxh5
Qe5 20.Ne2 . Practice shows, though,
that Black's activity compensates for
the doubled f-pawns with interest.
20 Nc5 and now :
21.Nf3?! is simply bad after
2 1 . . .Qg7 22 .g3 fxg3 2 3 . Nxg3 f4
24.Re1
a) 24 ... fxg3 2 5 . Rxe3 Qh6 -+.
b) That line was even better
than 24 . . . Nf6 2 5 . Bxf6D (not 25.Ng5?
.
Bf2!-+, and not 25.Rxe3 ?! fxe3

26. Qe2Ng4!?-+) 25 . . . Rxf6+, Naumkin
Wood, London 1993 , and another

possibility is 25 . . . Qxf6 ! ?.
21.Bg6 yielded White nothing

after 2 1 . . .Qg7
R g8 + ? ,
Gershon-Antoniewski,
Mureck 1 9 9 8 .
2 0. . . Qg6!?
Mamedyarov transfers the queen
to a more active position.
Also possible is 2 0 . . . Rg8 ! ? 2 1 .Qe2
Qg6 2 2 . Rfd 1 Rae8 =, in Lalev
Petrushin, Pleven 1985.
21. Qe2 Qh6 22. Rfdl RaeB 23. Qel

RgB 24.Nfl Bg5
2 2 . Nxf4? (better was 22. Bxh7+ Qxh7
23. Bg5 Nd3 24.Nxf4 Nf2+ 25.Rx{2
Bxf2 26. Qf3 ) 22 . . . Nf6 ! 23 .b4 axb4

24.axb4 Bxf4 (24 . . . Na4!) 2 5 .bxc5
Bxd2 2 6 . Bxf5 Bxf5 2 7. Rxf5 Ne4-+,
Naumkin-Vorobiov, Moscow 2010.
18 ... axb4 19. axb4 KhB =

25. Ne2/?
An interesting exchange sacrifice
by Topalov.
Also to be considered is 2 5 . Bc2
Qg7 2 6 . Bxg5 Nxg5 =.
25. . . Rg 7
After 25 . . . Ba4 2 6 . Bxf5 Bxd1
27.Rxd1 Bxh4 28.Qxh4 Qg5 29.Qh3
Nxb4 30. Nfg3 the strong e4 square
and the weak black king will provide
good compensation for White.
26. Bxg5 Qxg5 2 7. Qf2 e4 28.(4

Qh6 29. Bc2 h4 30. h3 Nf6
Black has good play o n the king's
flank. The game is dynamically
level.
20;Bd3
Or
2 0 . Bf2
Bxf2
2 1 . Rxf2
h4
(2l ... Qe 7! ? =) 2 2 . f4 exf4 2 3 . Nfl Q e 5

2 4 . Q d 2 h 3 2 5 . Rxf4 h x g 2 + 2 6 . Kxg2
Neither side can make progress

and a draw was agreed some moves
later.
31. Ne3 Nh5 32. Kh2 Ng3 33. Nd4

RegB 34. Rd2 Qf6 35. Bdl RaB
36. Be2 Kh 7 3 7. Bdl Rf8 38. Qel
Rfg8 39. Kgl Rf7 40.Ndc2 Ba4
41.Nd4 Bd7 42. Kh2 -*-*
1 15
Memory Markers
Here are reminders of some of the ideas and motifs in the Petrosian System.
1. After 15 ...e4. Central activi

ty. See diagram on page 108.
2. After 13 ... Nf6xe4. Recover

ing the bishop with the f-pawn
advance. See diagram on page
109.
Activat
ing the KID bishop. See diagram
on page 1 12 .
4. After 1 7 .. Bh6-g5. Gradually

building pressure on the king's
flank. See the diagram on page
1 13 .
3. After 14...Bg7-h6.
116
5. Mter 16 ...f5. The natural

attack on the king's wing, text
move on page 1 14 .
Activity
compensates for the doubled
f-pawns. See diagram on page
1 15 .
6. Mter 2 1 ... Qe5-g7.
117
Exercis es
Black to play!
As Black, practice finding the right moves when facing the Petrosian
System.
Solutions to these exercises begin on page 3 2 1 .
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Goossens Schebler
Tukmakov Magerramov
Belgian Championship 2004
9th Spartakiad, Moscow 1983
Three versus one . . .
118
White has just taken the h4 pawn.

What did he miss?
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Torres - Strikovic
Petersen - Bekker Jensen
New York Open 1988
Denmark Junior Championship

Lyngby 1996
everything OK
queenside attack?
Is
with
White's
Exercise 5
White offers the bishop swap. Is it a

good idea?
Exercise 6
Naumkin - Khalifman
Izquierdo - Navarro
Sochi U20 1984
Santiago Zonal Tournament

Santiago de Chile 1996
How to free the rook?
How to fight the positional threat

b4-b5?
1 19
Exercise 7
Straka - Rabatin
Valle - Di Berardino
Czech Championship U16

Kouty nad Desnou 2009
69th Brazil Championship

Brasilia 2003
How to conduct the attack?
120
Exercise 8
Improve your position!
Chapter2
The Siimisch
Variation
l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5.{3 0-0 6. Be3 c5

The second most common plan against the KID is the Samisch Variation ,
named after the prominent German GM Friedrich Samisch. This line offers
a prudent approach against Black's central counter-strikes. We have already
seen in the previous chapter that the second player often attacks not only
the d4 square but also the e4 pawn, especially when the e5 pawn is swapped
off. Samisch's approach was to counter this with his rock-solid concept: first
overprotect the e4 pawn, solidify the center, secure yourself, and only then
bring the pieces out. Behind the solid center you should not be in danger, time
is not so important, and the white pieces will have plenty of time to get into the
game and find their optimal squares.
A gainst this system, I suggest we

fis hake White's comfort as early
as possible and strike in the center at

once with 6 . . . c5 ! . The logic is that the
white knight is not at f3 and cannot
easily support the central d4 pawn.
Further on, a delay in development
can be highlighted only if the position
is opened. In that case, the difference
in the quality of the developed and
active pieces in comparison to the
underdeveloped and sleeping pieces
will become more obvious .
The price of a pawn is not as high
as the profits that Black will gain.
White can meet 6 ... c5 with three

conceptually different plans:
1) Accept the pawn and try to
withstand the pressure, hoping that
in the endgame the difference in
activity will not be too significant.
2) Proceed with development and
try to hold the d4 square.
3) Close the center with d4-d5
and try to win time for development .
After examining these plans we
will conclude with a look at the prin
cipally different development of the
white bishop to g5 (6. Bc l-g5), which
we call the Neo-Samisch .
Chapter 2: The Siimisch Variation
121
Plan 1 (grabbing the pawn)

and trading queens
1 Benidze - Saric
European UlB Championship 2008

l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg 7 4 . e4
d6 5.(3 0 - 0 6. Be3 c5 7. dxc5
dxc5
A typical resource, which opens

the diagonal for the dark-squared
bishop. We will see more of it later.
10.Rc1 (White has problems with the
c4 pawn after 10.Nge2 Nde5 ll.Nf4

Na5 12. Qa4 Bd7 13. Qb4 ReB.)
10 . . . Qa5 l l . Nh3 Rd8 . White's lag in
development became frightening in
Dlugy-Gelfand, Palma de Mallorca
1989.
8. Qxd8
White is behind in development,
so it makes sense for him to take the
queens off the board.
If White avoids the immediate
pawn gain with 8.e5 Nfd7 9.f4 , then
Black can open the game anyway
with 9 . . . f6! 10.exf6 Nxf6 ! l l . Bxc5 Bf5 .
Since the white pawns are on the c4
and f4 squares, white lacks sufficient
control over e4 and d4! 1 2 . Nf3 Ne4
13.Nxe4 Bxe4 14 .Ba3 Nc6 15.Be2
Nd4 16 .Nxd4 Bxd4+, Campos More
no-Mortensen, ECC 1991.
If White keeps the queens on
the board, he risks losing still more
tempos in the opening, and falling
under a devastating attack: 8.Bxc5
Nc6 9.Be3 Nd7 !
8 . . . Rxd8 9. Bxc5 Nc6
A tabiya for this line. White has

plenty of choices. We shall first see
what happens if he keeps the bishop
on the a3-f8 diagonal and tries to
take as many pawns as he can.
I O. Ba3
122
One of the most used moves is
b) Better is l l . Kxd l Nd7 !
10.Nge2; see Wang Yue-Radjabov,
game 3 .
The other main alternative is
10.Nd5, which will lead us to our
next game, Krylov-Efimenko.
Since
Razuvaev- Shirov
1991,
10.Rdl is not very often played.
10 . . . Rxd1+ and now:
a) l l . Nxdl Nd7 ! (11 . . . b6 12.Ba3
Nd7 is also good.) 1 2 .Ba3 And now a
new method to attack the queenside
pawns: 12 . . . a5!
The threat is Nc6 -b4, and White

cannot trade that knight, as the a-file
would be opened. Shirov proved that
his position is better with energetic
play: 13.Ne3 Nb4 14 . Nh3 Nc5 ! 15.Nf2
e6 16 .Be2 b6 17. Nfd l (if 1 7. 0 - 0 then
17. .. Bd4!) 17. . . Nxa2 18.Nc2 Ba6
19. Bxc5 bxc5 20.Na3 Ncl 2 l . Nb5
Rb8 2 2 . Bfl a4 2 3 . Kd2 Nb3+ 24.Kc2
Rd8 25.Nbc3 Rd2+ 2 6 . Kbl Na5 27.g3
a3 Triumphantly demolish White's
flank at the end! 28 .bxa3 Bxc4 29.f4
Bb3 0-1, Razuvaev- Shirov, Germany
1991. One can easily understand
why White's appetite for the move
10.Ra 1-d l has disappeared.
Remember this typical maneuver.

Black opens t he bishop's diagonal
with tempo, and forces the white
bishop to make a very tough choice.
bl) 12 .Ba3 The usual retreat,
as the bishop can eventually defend
the queen's flank. The retreat on
the other diagonal (option b2) does
not principally change the situation.
12 . . . Bxc3! This idea works well in
many positions . Black soon recovers
the missing pawn and leaves White
with two more weaknesses on the
queenside. 13 .bxc3 Nde5+.
Chapter 2: The Samisch Variation
123
b2) 1 2 . Be3 The other retreat.
Black intends Bc8-e6 with a juicy

skewer on the a2-g8 diagonal.
White has tried here:
b11) 14 .f4 Ng4 15.Nh3 Ne3+!
Once the light-squared bishop is
gone, Black can start harvesting
pawns. 16 .Kd2 Nxfl+ 17. Rxfl Be6
18 .Rbl Rd8+ 19.Ke3 Rd7+ Erik
son-Ly, Chennai 2011.
b12) 14 .Ne2 Nxc4
15.Bcl e5
(15... N6e5 16.Nd4 Bd7+ is more

active.) 16 .Ng3?! (There is no work for
the knight on the king's flank. Better
was 16.Nd4 N6a5 17.Nb3 Be6 18.Nc5
RdB+ 19.Kc2 BcB 20.g4 b6 21. Nb3
Be6+, Pechy-Vocaturo, Bratto 2005.)
16 . . . Be6 17.Bd3 Nb6!
12 . . . Bxc3! An important moment.

The advantage of the more active
pieces is transformed into a better
pawn structure. Soon Black will
start winning the weak white
pawns. 13 .bxc3 Now I prefer the
natural 13 . . . Nde5! as it obstructs
White's natural development. (This
is even better than the move played

in Shahtahtinsky- Cela, Ikaria 1998,
which continued 13 . . . b6 14. Ne2 Ba6
15.Nd4 Na5 16. Nb5 Ne5.) Black
plays Bc8-e6 next, and stands better.
14 .Kc2 Be6 15.c5 Bxa2+.
10
...
Suddenly White cannot defend his

queenside weaknesses. 18.a3 Na4
19. Bd2 Rd8 20.Ke2 (not 20.Kc2
Na5!) 20 . . . a6 (20. . . Na5!+ with the
idea Be6-c4 is even better.) 2 1 . Rcl b5
22 .Be3 Na5 23.Nfl Nb3 and White
resigned in Bouah- Cawdery, Cape
Town 2011, not willing to see 24.Rc2
Rxd3 25.Kxd3 Bc4 mate.
124
a5
The same idea as in Razu

vaev- Shirov 1991, above. Black is
preparing Nc6 -b4.
Finally, after 13.0-0-0 e 6 !
ll. Rdl
With l l.Nd5?! White is playing
with fire: ll ... Nxd5 12.cxd5 Nb4!
Black starts a nice attack against

t he center and the queen's flank.
13.Rdl would not prevent Black

from attacking the center: 13 . . . e6!
14.d6 Nc2+ 15.Kf2 Nxa3 16.bxa3
Be5 17.Bb5 Bxd6+, restoring the
material advantage and keeping all
the positional trumps in Resnjanskij
Raykhman, Differdange 2008.
13.Kf2 would be answered
similarly: 13 . . . e6 14 .Bc4 exd5 15.exd5
Bd4+ 16. Kg3 Nxd5+.
(However, there was nothing wrong

with the simple-minded 13 . . . Nxa2+
14. Kbl Nb4 15.Bc4 Bd7 16.Ne2
RdcBt.)
a) It looks like White's best
chance now would have been to give
back the pawn with 14 .d6!? Nxa2+
(or 14 ... Be5 15.Kbl Rxd6 16.Rxd6

Bxd6 17.Bb5+) 1 5 . Kb1 Nb4 16.f4 e5
17.Nf3+, although Black is obviously

better in either case.
b) And after 14 .Bc4 exd5 15. Bxb4
(If 15. Bxd5? White already needs

to be careful not to get mated after
15. . . Nxd5 16.exd5 Bf5-+ followed
by Bg7-h6+ and RaB-cB!) 15 . . . axb4
16. Rxd5 (better than 16.Bxd5 Be6
1 7.Kbl Ra5 18.Ne2 Bxd5 19.exd5
Raxd5+) 16 . . . Be6! 17. Rxd8+ Rxd8
18. Bd5 (Or else things will get
even worse: 1B.Bxe6 Bh6+! 19.Kc2
Rd2+ 20.Kb3 fxe6 21.Nh3 Rxg2+.)
18 . . . Bh6+
125
13 Nd7 14 . Nxe7+ Nxe7 1 5 .Bxe7

ReS 16.Ba3 ReS (16 . . . f5!?) 17.b3 b5!
19.f4 (If 19.Kc2 White's pieces will

be paralyzed forever, after 19. . . Rc8+
followed by Rcl-+.) 19 . . . Bxf4+ 20.Kbl
Bxd5 2l.exd5 Rxd5 and White was
fighting for his life in Beliavsky
Nunn, Amsterdam 1990.
l S . Kd l (White cannot accept this

sacrifice: 18.cxb5?! Rc2 19. Bc4
Rxa2 20. Bxe6 fxe 6 21. Bcl Nc5 +.)
ll . . . Be6
1S . . . bxc4 1 9 . Bxc4 Bxc4 2 0 . bxc4

Rxc4 2 l . B c l Nc5 2 2 . B e 3 Nd3
The
Ra4+.
m aterial
2 3 . Ne2
balance will be soon restored,
and Black keeps his active pieces
i n addition to his distant passed
p aw n , i n Kolbus-Hillarp Pers son,
Stockholm 2 0 0 7 .
1 3 Bxd5 14.cxd5 N b 4 1 5 . Kf2
ReS 16 . Bb5 Rc5 17. Ba4 Rc1 1S .g3 g5
19.g4 .
This is better than exchanging on

dl, since Black keeps the enemy king
in the center.
12.Nd5
Since the main line gains White
nothing, he might also try 12.Rxd8+
Rxd8 13.Nd5
However, here too Black can

show decent compensation after both
13 . . . Nd7 and 13 . . . Bxd5:
126
Once again, Black manages to use

his
advantage
in
development.
19 . . . Nfxd5 ! 20.exd5 and now :
a) 20 . . . Nxd5 2 l . Bb3 Bd4+ 2 2 . Ke2
e6 23.Bdl b5 24. Bd6 Bxb2 2 5 . Nh3
h6, Oms Pallisse-Kuzmin, Andorra
2003 .
b) More
subtle
is
20 ... Bd4+!
2l.Kg2 (or 21. Ke2 Bxgl 22. Bxb4
axb4 23. Kd3 Kg7+) 2 l . . . Nxd5 with a
strong attack.
Once again, possible is 14.Rxd8+
Rxd8.
12 . . . Nb4!
15.Bxb4 axb4 16 . Nd5 and now:

a) 16 . . . Ra8 17. Nxb4 Nd7t
Again an idea by Shirov. Black

is OK with sacrificing no fewer than
three pawns in order to trade the op
ponent's active pieces and underline
his lag in development! Tournament
practice has proved that White has
nothing to play for, and this line
has virtually disappeared from the
chess scene.
13. Nxe7+
The game is conveniently opened
for Black after 1 3 . Nxb4? Rxdl+
14 .Kxd l axb4 1 5 . Bxb4 Rxa2+.
And after 13. Bxb4?! axb4 14. Nxb4
Nd7 15.Rd2 Nc5t, Black will soon
recover at least one pawn and enjoy
his mighty pieces .
13 . . . Kh8 14. Nd5
We arrive at a curious position in

which White has three ( ! ) extra
pawns, but cannot defend them. The
b2 pawn is lost on the next move,
and after that, it's a2's turn. Black
will simply take them while further
activating his pieces.
b) 16 ... Nd7 !? 17.Kd2 Bxb2 (Trying
to force White's pawn to the a3 square

also makes sense: 17. . . Ra8!? 18.Nxb4
Ra4 19. a3 Bxb2, with decent com
pensation for the pawn.) 18.Kc2 Bg7
127
19.Ne2 Ra8 20.Ncl Ra3 2 1 . Nxb4 Nc5

22.Be2 and here I like 22 . . .f5't rather
than 22 . . . Be5 23. Nbd3 Nxd3 24. Bxd3
Rc3+ 25.Kbl g5, Ostojic-Arsovic,
Belgrade 1995.
More solid is 15.Nd5 which
leads to a safer position for White.
15 . . . Nc2+ 16 .Kf2 (Or 16.Kd2 Nxa3
2 1 . Bxa4 Nxd5 2 2 . exd5 Bxd5 2 3 . Bb3

Bxb3 2 4 . axb3 Rc2 + 2 5 . Ke3 Rc3+
2 6 . Ke2 Rxb3 (26. . . Rc2+!?=) 2 7 . R d l
h6 2 8 . Rd3 B c 3 2 9 . a4 Rb2 + 3 0 . Kd l
B b 4 3 1 . Rd4 g5 3 2 . Kc l Ba3 3 3 . Rd3
Rb3+ 3 4 . Kc2 Rb2 + 3 5 . Kc l Rb3+
lh - lh , M artinovic- Saric, Bj elolasica
2 007.
17.bxa3 b5! 18.Nh3 draw, Kramnik

Shirov, Bundesliga, 1992. The game
can continue: 18 ... bxc4 19.Bxc4 Nxd5
20.exd5 Bxd5 2l.Bxd5 Rxd5+=
followed by Bg7-f8, or even Bg7-b2.)
14 . . . Nc2+ 15. Kf2 Nxa3 1 6. bxa3

b5!
16 . . . Nxa3 17.bxa3 .
From the eight games played in

this line in the Megabase, White
managed to make five draws only.
1 7. Nh3
White hopes to finish his develop
ment behind the super-well-protect
ed knight in the center, but there
is a way to undermine it! 17 . . . b5!
(17. . . Nd7!? was tested just once but

might bring you good dividends ifyou
dig deeper) Now:
bl) 18.cxb5 Nxd5 19.exd5 Bxd5

is already more pleasant for Black,
who can bring the rook on the second
rank after Rd8-c8-c2 .
b2) Also unappealing for White is
18.Nxf6 Bxf6 19.cxb5 Rd2+ 20.Ke3
Rxa2't.
b3) 18. Nh3 The best reaction.
18 . . .bxc4 19. Bxc4 ReB 2 0 . Bb3 a4 ! =
and this i s virtually a forced draw :
128
The
Scottish
GM
Jonathan
Rowson tried to revive this line in
2004, but the KID expert Vasilios
Kotronias reacted the best possible
way: 17.a4 White wants to stabilize
the queen's flank and removes the
a3 pawn from the possible attack of
the dark-squared bishop. He is also
willing to use b5 to seal the b-file
with his own bishop.
Therefore: 17 . . . bxa4! (not 17. . . bxc4
18.Bxc4 RacB 19.Bb3t.)
Black's doubled a-pawns are more

dangerous than they seem. The rea
son: piece support! 1 8 . Ne2 1 8 . Ne2 (or
18.Bd3 RabB 19.Rbl Rxbl 20. Bxbl

ReB 21.Bd3 Nd7 and . . . Nd7-e5 or
c5) 18 . . . Rab8 19.Ncl ( The utility
of the doubled a-pawns is seen in

the line 19.Rd2 a3 followed by
19. Nb 6
Better
than
19.Nhf4?!
Bxd5
(also good is 19. . . Nxd5 20. Nxd5 c3+)
2 0 . Nxd5 Nxd5 2 i . Rxd5 Rxd5 22 .exd5

Bd4+ 2 3 . Kg3 c3+, in Bigler-Har Zvi,
Biel 1993 .
19 . c3 ?1
..
Rb8-b2.) 19 . . . Rb2+ 20. Be2 Rc8, with

rich compensation for the pawn in
Rowson-Kotronias, Hastings 2004.
17.cxb5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Bxd5
is similar to line bl above, on the
previous page.
17 Rac8
.
Black seems to allow a tempo gain

after 17 . . .bxc4N 18. Bxc4, but this
might be very good for Black as well:
18 . . . Rdc8 anticipating 19.Rcl Bh6
20.Rc3 (not 20.Rc2 ? Nxd5 21.exd5
Bxd5+
22.Bxd5?
Rxc2+
20 ... Bxd5 2 l .exd5 Rc5?.
18. Be2 bxc4
check!)
This is quite an entertaining
option indeed, but I would rather
you adopted a more restrained ap
proach: 19 Rxdl!N 20.Rxdl Rc6
21.Rd8+?! Now there will be no one
to guard the first rank: 2 l . . . Ng8
2 2 . Nd5 c3+.
Better is 21.Na4 c3 22 . Rcl Bxa2+,
and if 2 3 . Nxc3 then 23 . . . Nxe4+
24.fxe4 Bxc3.
129
Also better is 21.Nd5 c3 2 2 . Ne3

c2 23.Rcl Bxh3 24.gxh3 Bh6+.
20.Nxc8
22.Bb5
Rxc8
21. Ba6
Rc6
White could put Black's idea to

the test with 22.Rd8+ Ng8 2 3 . Bd3
Bh6 24.Bc2.
22. . . Rc5 23.Ba4 Bh6 24.g4 c2

25. Rcl Bxcl 26. Rxcl Rc3=
27.Ng5 Bxa2 28.e5 Nd5 29. Rxc2
Rxa3 30.Rc8+ Kg 7 31. Be8 Nf4
32. Rc7 Nd3+ 33. Ke2 Nxe5 34.{4
Nxg4 35. Bxf7 Bxf7 36. Rxf7+
Kg8 37. Rxh7 a4 38. Ra7 Nxh2
39. Ra6 Kg7 40.Ra7+ Kf8 41.Ra6
Ral 42. Rxg6 a3 43. Ra6 a2
44.Ne4 Nf3 45. Kxf3 Rfl+ 46. Kg4
alQ 47. Rxal Rxal 48.Ng5 Ke7
49. Kf5 Ra5+ 50. Kg6 %-%
Plan 1 (grabbing the pawn)

with aggressive play: 10.Nd5
2 Krylov - Efimenko
Russian Team Championships 2010
l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg 7 4.e4
d6 5.{3 0 - 0 6.Be3 c5 7. dxc5
dxc5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Bxc5 Nc 6
Instead of retreating the bishop,
White can try to play more aggres
sively with:
10.Nd5
White hopes to cause some dis

comfort in Black's position . Still, we
should not be afraid of that, and need
to react in a standard way:
10 . . . Nd7
A familiar idea, is it not? This is
probably Black's most used move in
the line . The bishop on g7 must be
freed, and it will be Black who is
the troublemaker. White now needs
to grab the pawn. Depending on
which piece takes on e7 we have two
completely different plans.
ll.Nxe7+
We look at the capture l l.Bxe7,
and the retreat l l.Ba3 on page 134.
With the other capture ll.Bxe7,
White pins his hopes on the stable
130
position of the knight on d5. However,

Black can play around it! ll . . . Nxe7
12.Nxe7+ Kf8 1 3 . Nd5 (worse is
13.Nxc8 Bxb2 14.Rbl Bc3+ 15.Kf2

Bd4+! 16.Kel RaxcB+ tJ.l ZRxb7?
Bb6+) 13 . . . Bxb2 .
Now we consider two moves:

In case of 14 .Rdl Nc5 (14 ... Nb6!?)
15.Ne2 , Black can nevertheless re
treat the bishop and perform the
same plan as after 14.Rbl below:
15 ... Bg7 !? 16 .Nec3 Bd7 17.Be2 Rac8
18 .Kf2 Be6 19.Ke3 Rd6. The differ
ence between White rook's position on
dl rather than on bl is insignificant.
White can try 14 .Rbl Bg7.
et's try to assess the situation.

White has kept the extra pawn,
and stabilized the situation in the
center where his knight is doing a
great job. If it weren't there, the black
pieces would flood the opponent's
camp, but for the time being it holds
the position.
How about the Black's trumps?
Well, Black has the unopposed KID
bishop, and this is worth more than a
pawn! White's queenside is damaged
and the c4 and a2 pawns are weak.
These pawns show us the correct
plan. Black needs to attack them by
ignoring the strong Nd5 .
White has tried many ideas here;
we look at four alternatives .
a ) 15.Ne2 Nc5 16 . Nec3 (16.Ncl
Be6 1 7. Nd3 transposes to the 15.Nh316. Nf2-17.Nd3 line, d21 below.)

16 . . . Bd7 (The same plan can be
performed in a more active way:
16 . . . Be6 17.Be2 Rac8.) 17. Be2 Rac8
18.0-0
18 ... Rc6 ! Black plays around the

knight! The rook is lifted along the
sixth rank to attack the a2 pawn.
The other rook can also j oin the
party in a while. 19.Rfdl Ra6 2 0 . f4
White intends to shut out the KID
131
bishop. Therefore: 20 . . . Bxc 3 ! 2 l . Nxc3

Ra3 2 2 . Rbc1 ReS (22 . . . Re8 might be
even better: 23.e5 f6?.) 2 3 . e 5 Be6iii ,
Wells-Lamoureux, Oakham 1993 .
b) 15.g4 is aggressive , but not so
well prepared. 15 . . . b6 16.g5 This is
the point - the g-pawn is blocked,
and White intends to march with
his h-pawn. 16 . . . Bb7 17.h4 Rac8
Threatening Nd7-e5.
18.f4 Nc5
White's center crumbles .
19.e5
(not 19.Bg2 ? Nxe4 20. Bxe4 ReB-+)

19 . . . Bxd5 20.cxd5 Rxd5+,
Watson , London 1990.
c) 15 .h4
Levitt
Once again, White wants to use the

h-pawn and find work for his rook
from its initial position.
cl) Here I like 15 . . . Nc5 ! ? Black
is ready for 16.h5 (if 16.Nh3 then
16. . . Be6) 16 . . . g5 , not allowing the
rook to enter the game. Next,
Black plays for the standard plan :
17.h6 B e 5 18. Be2 Rd6 1 9 . R d 1 Bd7
20.Rh5 f6 (also 20. . . Ba4 21. Rbl f6+)
2 l .f4 gxf4 2 2 . Nxf6 Bc3+ 2 3 . Kfl
Rxf6 24.Rxc5 Bc6iii , in Wang Rui
Moradiabadi , Cebu 2007.
c2) But you might also study
15 . . . Nb6 16.h5 Be6 17.Nh3 Rac8
18.Ng5 Bxd5 19.cxd5 Rc2 20. Bd3
132
Bc3+ 2 l . Kfl Rd2 22 .hxg6 hxg6

23. Be2 Rxa2oo, E hlvest- Gelfand,
Polanica Zdroj , 1997.
d) Now the main continuation is
15.Nh3:
d1) There is an infrequent
ly played alternative for Black in
15 . . . b6 16. Be2 Bb7 17. Kf2 Rac8
1 8 . Rhc1 Bh6?. 1 9 . f4 Nc5 2 0 . Kf3 f5 !
2 l . exf5 gxf5 2 2 . Nf2 Ne6 2 3 . Nd3?
Rxc4 ! - +, Foisor-Maze, Ascona 2 0 07.
d2) But most often seen is 15 ... Nc5
16.Nf2 Be6:
d21) Trading the knight on c5

only helps Black lift the rook: 17.Nd3
Rac8 18. Be2 (or 1B.Nxc5 Rxc5
19.Rxb7 Ra5+) 18 . . . b6 (18 . . . Na4!?)
19.0-0 and Black has a pleasant
choice of which pawn to attack:
19 . . . Nb7 !? The c4 pawn, after the
maneuver Nb7-a5. (or Black can go
for the a2 pawn, after the rook lift

19 . . . Nxd3 20.Bxd3 Rc5?.) 20. Rfc1
Na5 .
d221) At the Canadian open

I chose the former plan: 18 . . . Rd6
19. Rfd1 Ra6 2 0 . Rd2 Bh6 (20 . . . Ra3=
Roquebourne,
Korchnoi-Polgar,
1992.) 2 l . Rc2 Ra3 2 2 . Nd1 Bg7
2 3 . N1c3 a6 2 4 . Nd1 f5 .
The white knight on d5 is still

beautiful, but has nothing to do
with real life. 2 l . Rb4 Rc6 2 2 . Rc2?
(A blunder. 22.Kfl RdcB 23.N3f4 Bh6

24.g3 Rc5 was needed, although it is
only Black who can hope for something
in this situation.) 22 . . . Bxd5 2 3 . exd5
Rxd5 24.cxd5 Rxc2 2 5 . Kfl Ke7+,
Georges-Gallagher, Zurich, 1994.
d22) 17. Be2 Rac8 18.0-0
While White's position is still defend

able, I would not like to be in his shoes.
He needs to defend all the time against
the opening of the position, and he
could lose time in frustration, and
might commit a mistake. Or at least,
this is what happened in my game.
Now if 2 5 . Nf2 then 25 . . . fxe4 (or
25. . . Bd4!?+) 26.fxe4 Nxe4 27.Nxe4
Bxd5.
Instead, my game continued
with 2 5 . N1c3 b5 26.Rb4 (not 26.cxb5
Na4) 26 . . . fxe4 27.Nxe4 Nb7 28.Rd2
Bh6 29.Rd1 (Worse are 29.Rd3 + and
29.Rdb2?? Bxd5 30.cxd5 Be3+ 31.Kfl

Rcl+ 32.Bdl Rxdl+ 33. Ke2 Rxd5- +.)
29 . . . Rxa2 30.Nec3 (if 30. Ndc3 then
3 0 . . . Be3+) 30 . . . Rc2 3 l . Bd3? Rd2
White has finished his development
and intends to do . . . ? No idea what,
to be honest with you! Black has all
the joy and can choose either to lift
the rooks to the a-file and attack the
a-pawn, or to put pressure on the
c-pawn.
3 2 . Rxd2 Bxd2 3 3 . Rb2 Bxc3 34.Nxc3

Bxc4 3 5 . Be4 Nc5 36. Bd5 Bxd5
37.Nxd5 Nd3 3 8 . Rb1 Rc5 0-1, Inigo
Bojkov, Toronto 2 0 1 1 .
d222) 1 8 . . . b6 is also a very prom
ising plan. You can study the follow
ing game: 19. Rfe1 Nb7 !
1 33
Here is an example from my own

practice: l l . . .e6 1 2 . Nc7 Rb8 1 3 . Nb5
a6 14 . Nd6 Nd4 (or 14 ... b6 with the
idea to meet 15. 0-0-0 with 15. . . Nc5

16.Nxc8?! Bh6+ 17.Kc2 Rxdl lB.Kxdl
RxcB+) 15.0-0-0 b5 16.cxb5 axb5
17.Bb4 Ba6 18.Ne2 Nc6 19.Bel Nc5
20.Nc3?! b4.
Surrounding the c4 pawn! 20.Recl

Bh6 21.Rdl (2l.Rc2? loses a pawn
after 2l. .. Bxd5 22.exd5 Rxd5) 21 . . . Na5
22.Rb4 Rc5 23.f4?! Bxd5 24.exd5 Bxf4
25.Ne4 Rc7 26.Kf2 Nb7?! (better is
26...(5 27.g3 Re7 28.gxf4 Rxe4 29.K.f3

RdeB 30.Bfl Nb7+) 27.Ra4 (White can
try 27.c5! bxc5 28.Nxc5 Nxc5 29.Rxf4=.)
27...Nd6 28.Nf6 Be5! 29.Nxh7+ Kg7
30.Ng5 Bf6 31 .c5 (or 31.Nf3 Ne4+
32.K.fl Nc3) 3l ... bxc5 32.Nf3 c4-+,
Graf-Guseinov, Dubai 2003.
After ll.Ba3
This move opens the bishop on a6 ,

prepares the advance b4-b3 , and
underlines the poor development of
the white pieces. We look at three
White responses:
a) After 2 1 . Bxa6? bxc3 2 2 . Be2
Bh6+ 2 3 . Kc2 Rxb2+ 2 4 . Kxc3 Na4+
2 5 . Kc4 Ne5+ 26.Kd4 Bf4 it's a quick
mate.
b) If 2 1 . Ncb5 then 2 l . . .b3! 2 2 . a3
(not 22. Kbl bxa2+ 23.Kxa2 Bxb5

24.Bxb5 Rxb5-+) 22 . . . Bxb5 2 3 . Bxb5
(and not 23.Nxb5 Bxb2+!) 23 . . . Nd4
24. Bg3 Nxb5 2 5 . Nxb5 Bh6+ 2 6 . Kbl
Rxd l+ 27. Rxdl Rxb5-+.
c) The game continued with
2 1 . Nbl Nd4 . The idea is to trap the
knight. (However, 2l. .. Bxfl! was
Black is no longer willing to part

with the pawn, especially after real
izing that it can escape with a tempo.
His play is natural and easy-to-go.
134
in fact a better way to surround the

opponent's knight on d6. For exam
ple: 22.Rxfl b3 23.a3 Ne5 24.Bg3
Ned3+ 25.Kd2 e5 and wins.) 2 2 . Nc4
(22.Bxa6 b3! was the point of Black's
idea. White's king lacks air in the line

23.a3 Nxa6 24.Nc4 Ne2#.) 22 . . . Rbc8 .
c2) After 2 3 . Nbd2 b3! Black is

winning:
The difference in the activity o f the

pieces determines the outcome of the
game.
cl) Now, worse than the game
continuation is 23 .b3 Ncxb3+ 24. axb3
Nxb3+ 2 5 . Kc2 Na l+!
c21) And now if 24.Kbl then

24 . . . bxa2+, when Black opens further
lines for his rooks on the queen's
flank, and his attack is unstoppable:
Ndb3+
2 5 . Ka l??
c2 1 1) not
2 6 . Kxa2 Bxc4 27. Bxc4 Ra8+ 28.Kbl
Ral+ 29.Kc2 Nd4+ 30.Kc3 Nc6+
3 1 . Kc2 Nb4 mate.
c2 12) 2 5 . Kxa2 Ra8 26.Kbl Ndb3
27.Kc2 Bxc4 2 8 . Nxc4 Nal+ ! ! and if
29.Kcl then 29 . . . Ncb3+ 30.Kbl Rxdl
mate.
c22) The
game
ended
with
24.a3 Na4 2 5 . Kbl Nxf3 ! 26 .gxf3
Bxc4 27. Bxc4 Rxc4 2 8 . Rcl Rxcl+
29.Kxcl Bxb2+ 3 0 . Kbl Bc3 0-1,
Astengo-Bojkov,
Bergamo
2009.
Black resigned, as the line 3 1 . Nxb3
Rdl+ 3 2 . Kc2 Rxel-+ does not require
further explanation.
ll
Nxe 7 12. Bxe 7 Bxb2
..
26.Kcl Bh6+ 27.Nbd2 Bxc4 2 8 . Bxc4

Rxc4+ 29.Kbl Rc2 with the idea :
30.Kxal Bg7+ 3 1 . Kbl Rb2+ 3 2 . Kcl
ReS+ winning easily for Black.
135
White
has
an
alternative
in
14.Kdl ReS and now two further
choices:
15.Ba3:
13.Rbl
Weaker is 13. Bxd8 Bxa1 14 . Nh3
Bc3+ 15.Kdl Be5! preventing Nh3 f4-d5! 16 .Nf2 Nb6 17. Nd3 Bd4
18.Ncl (White needed to install the
knight on d5 anyway: 1B. Nf4 Bd7

19.Bc7 ReB 20.Bxb6 axb6 21. Kc2
with chances for equality.) 18 . . . Na4
19.Ba5 Be6, and Black took over the
initiative after 2 0 . Nb3 Be5 2 l . Nd2
b6 2 2 . Bb4 a5 2 3 . Ba3 Nc3+ 2 4 . Kc2
Nxa2+, James-Wells, Dublin 1993 .
13 . . . Bc3+
a) Now
15 ... Bg7
is
playable
but a bit slow. 16.Ne2 Nb6 17. Nf4
Rd8+ 18.Nd5 Be6 19. Bd3 (19. Kel!?)
19 . . . Rac8 20.Ke2 Nxc4 2 l . Be7 Rxd5
(or 21. . . Rd7 22.Nf6+ Bxf6 23.Bxf6)

Bxd5 2 3 . Be4 ReB (better
was 23 . . . Nb6 24.Rbdl Bc4+ 25.Kf2
f5 26.Bbl Nd5rx>) 24.Bxd5 Rxe7+
22 .exd5
2 5 . Kf2;l; Horvath-Bojkov, Chambery

2007.
b) Instead, I will suggest the
direct attack 15 . . . Nb6!N, with the
idea to meet 16.c5 with 16 . . . Rd8+
17. Kc2 Bg7 ! and if 18.cxb6? then
18 . . . Be6! 19. Bd3 (19.Rcl axb6 20.Bb2
Rxa2 21.Rbl ReB+ wins material for

Black.) 19 . . . Rac8+ 2 0 . Kd2 Bc4 and
Black wins.
14. Kf2
136
15.Kc2 is more common. We can

make use of the position of the white
king with a later f7-f5 . 15 . . . Bg7
16.Bd6:
Black can now play 16 . . . b6!?, and

16 ... Ne5 !? is excellent as well.
But there is also 16 ... f5 ! In his
notes, the future world champion
Kasimdzhanov gives the following
lines:
a) 17.exf5 Ne5 18.g4 (18.Bxe5?
Bxf5+ 19.Bd3 Bxd3+ 20.Kxd3 Rxe5)
18 ... gxf5 19.h3 b6!+.
b) 17.Bd3
fxe4
18. Bxe4
Nf6
19.Bd3 Rd8 20.c5 b6+ or 2 0 . . . Ne8 !?.
c) 17.c5 fxe4 18.fxe4:
c1) And now best is 18 . . . Rxe4!
19.Nf3 Nf6 20. Bd3 Rg4 2 l . g3
(21.Rhgl Nd5 22.a3 Ne3+ 23.Kd2

Nc4+ 24.Bxc4+ Rxc4+) 2 l . . .Be6!+.
c2) 18 . . . Bd4!?
19.Bc4+
Kh8
20.Nf3 (20.Bb5 Rxe4 21.Bxd7 Bxd7
22.Rxb7 Bf5) 20 . . . Bxc5 2 l . Ng5
Kg7oo.
c3) 18 . . . Nf6? 19.Bc4+ Kh8 20.e5
Ng4 2 l . Nf3=, Nenashev-Kasimdzha
nov, Namangan 2000.
14.. Re8
In this game Efimenko chose the
second most used move.
The main theory continues with

the check 14 ... Bd4+ and this is also
decent:
Now we look at two alternatives:

15.Kg3 ReS 16. Bg5 Nf6 !
17.Nh3 Nh5+ 18.Kh4 Kg7 The

king on h4 is awkward and this
was proved in the following game:
19.g4 h6 2 0 . Bxh6+ Kxh6 2 l . gxh5 f5
2 2 . Kg3 fxe4 2 3 . Bg2? gxh5 24.f4 Rg8+
2 5 . Ng5 h4+ 0-1, Gil Capape-Howell,
Gausdal 1986 .
In case of 15.Kel Black is not
obliged to repeat moves with 15 . . .
Bc3+, but can play for more with
15 . . . Re8 !
137
18.Nf4 ?
16. Bg5
f5N
1B.Bh4 f5 is
with the idea
hxg6, followed
strong attack.)
(16 ...{6N 1ZNe2 Bb6

also good for Black,
19.exf5 Ne5! 20.fxg6
by Bf5 and Nd3+ with
17. Ne2 Bg7 18.exf5 h6

19. Bh4 g5 20. Bg3 Nc5 with attack
against the king in the center.
15.Ne2 Be5 16.Bg5

Or 16.Ba3 Nb6 17.c5 Na4?.
A blunder. Now the white bishop

will be overworked.
Better was 18.Nd4 Bd7 (also
possible is 18. . . a6) 19.Rd2 (or 19.Be2
Nc3) 19 . . . b6 with an unclear, double
edged position;
16. . . Nc5 1 7. Rdl
18 . . . h 6! 19. Bxh 6 Kh7 20. Bg5 (6+

21. Bxf6 Bxf6 22. Nd5
17. . . Na4
22 . . . Bd8!
Black can still opt for the opening

of the game with 17 . . . f5 !? 18.exf5
Bxf5 19. Nf4 Rf8, since Black's active
pieces and White's weak pawn prove
sufficient compensation
for the
second player.
The KID bishop is not to be

traded so e asily! In the forthcoming
battle , Black converted his advan
tage .
138
23. h4 Be6 24.g4 ReB 25.g5 Bxd5

26. cxd5
After 26.exd5 Bb6+ 27. Kg3 Nb2

28.Rcl Re3, Black increases his
advantage.
26 . . . Nc8
Two
other
possibilities
2 6 . . . Rf8 !? and 2 6 . . . Rc2+!?.
are
27. Rd2 BaS 28. Rd8 Nxa2 29. d6

Nb4 80. Rdl
Better than 30 .d7 Rc2+ 3 l . Kg3
Rf8-+.
30 . . . Rc8 81.Bb5 RfB 82. Be2
32 . . . Nc 6! 88.Rd8 Rxd8
Faster would have been 33 . . . Bb6+
34. Kg2 Rc2 3 5 . Rel Ba5.
Bd2
Ne5
85. Be2
34.Bxd8
36. Rbl Rf7 8 7. R b2 Bf4 88. Rc2
Nc6 89. Ba6 Bxd6 40. Bxb 7 Nd4
41. Rb2 Rxf8+ 42. Kg2 Rg8+
48. Kfl Rb8 44.Rd2 Rxb 7 0-1
Plan 1 (grabbing the pawn )

with calm development:
10.Nge2
3 Wang Yue
Rad.jabov
2nd FIDE Grand Prix, Sochi 2008

l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 8.Nc8 Bg 7 4 . e4
d6 5. (8 0 - 0 6. Be8 c5 7. dxc5
dxc5 B. QxdB RxdB 9. Bxc5 Nc6
1 0. Nge2
One could argue that this is the

most obvious and natural move.
White just develops and wants to
convert the extra pawn. But we know
that the position of the bishop on c5
is shaky and there is yet another
flaw behind the knight being on e2 .
1 0. . . b 6
Radjabov chooses the second most
popular move.
Black has usually opted for the
standard idea of chasing the bishop
with 10 Nd7 and this is also very
good for Black.
Now we look at three choices for
the first player: l l.Ba3 and l l.Be3
on the next page, and finally l l .Bf2
beginning on page 142 .
139
The most common continuation is
ll.Ba3.
Still, the bishop is somewhat mis

placed on a3 . l l . . . Nde5 1 2 . Nf4 Nd4
(Black has a pleasant alternative

in 12 . . . e6 13.Rdl Rxdl+ 14. Nxdl
a5 with the standard idea Nc6-b4
and an excellent game for Black,
Murey-Degraeve, Cappelle la Grande
1993.) 13.0-0-0 Bh6 14 . Kb1 Bxf4
15. Bxe7 Rd7 16 . Nd5 Ndc6 (16 . . . Nec6
might be better) 17. Nf6+ (or 17. Bf6oo)
We look at three tries here:

a) Note that13 . Rd 1?
is a mistake in view of 13 . . . Nxf3+!

14 .gxf3 Bxc3+ 15 .bxc3 Nc2+ 16 . Ke2
Rxd 1 17. Kxd1 Nxe3+ 1 8 . Kd2 Nxfl+
19. Rxfl b6+ with a very nice endgame
for Black.
b) 1 3 . Kf2
is
also considered
dubious on account of the following
game: 13 . . . Be6!
17. . . Kg7 18.Nxd7 Nxe7 19.Nxe5 Bxe5

and Black was already on top in
Schnider-Zelbel, Graz 2010.
ll.Be3 For some time this was
considered a mistake, as the bishop
can be in danger on this particular
square. However, the current state
of the line shows that this might be
White's only chance to fight for some
thing. l l . . . Nde5 1 2 . Nf4 Nb4 This is
how Black hits the bishop on e3.
b1) 14 . Ncd5 Bxd5 15.Nxd5 Nc2

16.Rc1 Nxe3 17.Kxe3 (not 1 7. Nxe3
Rd2+) 17 . . . e6 18.Nc3 Bh6+ 19.f4 g5!
20.g3 Ng6 with strong attack m
Gunawan-Gelfand, Minsk 1986.
140
b2) Nobody
has
ever
tried
14 .Nxe6 fxe6 1 5 . Rbl, where Black
has decent compensation for a pawn
after 15 . . . Nc2 16. Bg5 (or 16. Be2 Nxe3
17.Kxe3 RacB= anticipating 18. b3 ?!

Nxf3 19.Bxf3 Bxc3) 16 . . . Rac8 and
White can hardly afford to grab
another pawn with 17. Bxe7 Rd2+
18. Kg3 Nf7, when the black pieces
are dominating the board, for exam
ple: 19.Nb5 a6 2 0 . Na3 Rc7 2 l . Nxc2
Rxe7 2 2 . Ne3 Be5+ 2 3 . f4 Bd4-+.
c) Best is 13 .Rcl!
White has two pawns for the sacri

ficed exchange, and is hoping to play
for a win without any risk. It is up to
you if you want to enter this position;
not everyone is able to patiently
defend, especially if they are KID
players!
Anyway, the situation is not as
dangerous for Black as it seems.
After all, there is an open file for the
rooks, so they will not be worthless.
13 . . . Be6!
Gelfand's
Black
should
follow
footprints.
(Weaker is
13 ...g5 14.Nfd5 Nbd3+ 15.Bxd3

Nxd3+ 16.Ke2 Nxcl+ 1 7. RxcH,
Khenkin-Schaack, Frankfurt 2011.)
14.b3 g5 1 5 . Nxe6 Ned3+ Black wins
the exchange. (As pointed out by
Bologan, he can also postpone the

immediate cash-in with 15. . . fxe6
16.Bxg5 Kf7, and the fork on d3 will
follow anyway. This might transpose
into the main line of the featured
game.) 16. Bxd3 Nxd3+ 17. Ke2 Nxcl+
18 .Rxcl fxe6 19. Bxg5 Kf7:
A n important thing for you to

fik now here is that we usually
want to trade our bishop for the

opponent's knight.
We continue from the diagram:
cl) 20.Be3:
ell) Black's best is trading right
away with 20 . . . Bxc3! 2 l . Rxc3 e5.
c12) But 2 0 . . . Bd4 is not bad either:
2 l . Ndl Rac8 2 2 . Nf2 e5 2 3 . Nd3 Bxe3
2 4 . Kxe3 (not 24.Nxe5+? Ke6 25.Kxe3
Kxe5-+) 24 . . . Kf6 2 5 . Rfl Rc6 26.f4
exf4+ 27.Nxf4 Kg7 2 8 .e5 Ra6 29.Ke4
Rd2 , and the position was unclear in
Khairullin- Gallagher, Aix-les-Bains
2011.
c 2 ) 2 0 . Nd l B d 4 Creating the
threat Rd8 -g8 . As explained above,
Black wants to get rid of the white
knight. 2 l .g3 Rd7 2 2 . Nf2 Bxf2 !
141
23.Kxf2 e5! Once the White knight

is off the board this move can and
should be played. This is also the
reason why we need to exchange the
bishop for the knight; it can no longer
torture us on the d5 square. Next,
Black places his pawns on the color
of the bishop and levels the chances.
24.Ke2 Ke6 25 .Be3 b6!=, in Atalik
Berg, Eretria 2011.
Compared to the line 1 1 .Bc5 -e3 ,
after ll.Bf2 the bishop is seemingly
not in danger. However, Black still
finds
enough
counterplay
with
1 1 . . . Nde5. Once again, the d3 square
is the ultimate temptation for the
black knights. 1 2 . Nf4:
Rxa2 27.Nb6? Rb2+ with an eventual

draw, in Gordon-Williams, Liverpool
2008.
b) 12 ... b6! Simple and good. Black
finishes his development and makes
the most of his lively pieces. White
has tried:
b1) 1 3 . Be2 White manages to
castle, but this is the only benefit
of the move. Black creates strong
counterplay after 13 . . . Ba6 14 . Nb5
Nb4 15.0-0 Bxb5 16.cxb5:
bll) And now the rook dream is
completed after 16 . . . Rd2 17. Rab1 Bh6
18. Bg3 Bxf4 19.Bxf4 Rxe2 20. Bxe5 f6
(not 20... Nxa2?! 21.Ral Nb4 22.Rfdl

maintaining pressure on a7) 2 1 . Bd4
ReB?, or 2 1 . . . Nxa2 22.Ra 1 Rd2

23.Bxf6 exf6 24.Rxa2 ReB =.
b12) This is better than 16 ... Bh6
17.Bg3 Ned3 18.Nxd3 Nxd3 19.Bxd3
Rxd3 20.Rfd1 Rad8 21.Rxd3 Rxd3
22.BeH, Akesson-Huschenbeth, Stock
holm2009.
b2) 13. Nfd5 e6 14 . Nc7 RbB:
b21) Exchanging rooks at the
moment seems sensible for the first
player. Still, after 1 5 . Rd1 Rxd1+
16 . Kxd 1 Nb4
a) It is important to know that

without the bishop on e3, the move
12 . . . Nb4?! is just a shot in the dark.
Black did well in the following game,
but only thanks to some mistakes
by his opponent: 13.Rd H Rxd 1+
14 .Kxd1 g5 15. Nfd5 Ned3 16 . Bxd3
Nxd3 17.Bg1 (better was 17.Ke2 Nxf2
18.Kxf2 Bd4+ 19.Ke2 K{B 20. h4)

17 . . . Nxb2+ 18.Kc2 Nxc4 19.Nc7 Bh3 0
20.gxh3 ReS 2 1 . N3d5 (better was
21.N7d5 K{B 22.Ne2 Ne5+ 23.Ndc3)

21...Kh8= 22.Bxa7 e6 2 3 . Kd3 exd5
24.Nxd5 Ne5+ 25.Ke3 Ra8 2 6 . Bc5
142
Black already has two strong threats,

either to trap the white horse after
a7-a6 and Rb8-b7, or to transfer the

rook to the open file with Rb8 -b7-d7
(or Bc8 -b7 and Rb8-d8) at once.
Possible continuations are:
b2 11) 17. Bg3 Bb7 18.a3 Rd8+
19. Kcl Nbd3+:
b2 1 1 1) 20.Bxd3
Rxd3
2 l . Kc2
(2l.Rdl
Rxdl+
22.Nxdl
Nxc4 +)
2l...Rd7
2 2 . Ne8
(22. N7b5
a6)
22 ... Nxc4 2 3 . Nxg7 Kxg7=.
b2 112) 20.Kc2 White is seemingly
doing fine, but the following tactical
strike clarifies the situation in
Black's favor: 20 . . . Nxc4! 2 l . Bxd3
Ne3+ 2 2 . Kd2 Nc4+= and the first
player should settle for a draw, as
the line: 2 3 . Ke2 Nxb2 24.Bb5 Bxc3+
is favorable for Black only.
b2 12) 17. N7b5 Rb7
This time
the rook is transferred via the
seventh rank. The advantage of the
rook lift is the fact that the queen's
flank is now secured, which is not
the case with White's . 18.Be3 Or
else the bishop from g7 might like
to appear on the cl-h6 diagonal.
18 ... Rd7+ 19.Kcl Nbd3 + 20. Bxd3
Rxd3 2 l . Bd4 Bh6+ 2 2 . Kbl (or 22. Kc2
Rd2 + +) 22 . . . Nxc4=.
I know that this position is now very

far from the opening, but it makes
sense to continue the analysis in

order to make the reader feel the
potential of Black's position.
b2 121) The
pawn
is
taboo:
2 3 . Nxa7? Rxd4 2 4 . Nxc8 Rd2-+.
b2 122) 2 3 . Rd l i s , obj e ctively
speaking, White's safest move, and
after 23 . . . Rxdl+ 24.Nxd l a6 2 5 . Na7
Bb7 2 6 .b3 e5 (or 26. . . Nd2+ 27.Kc2
Nfl=) 2 7. Bgl Nd6 2 8 . Bxb6 f5! 29.Bc5
Nxe4! ! I would love to rely on the
pawns, for example: 30.fxe4 Bxe4+
3 l . Kb2 Bxg2 3 2 . Ne3 Bxe3 3 3 . Bxe3 f4
34. Bd2 g5 3 5 . Kc2 Kf7+.
b22) 1 5 . Bh4 has had good results
and was tried by GM Rowson.
Nevertheless, it should not pose any

real problems for Black after . . . Nd3+
or ... Rd7:
b221) 15 . . . Nd3+ 16. Bxd3 Rxd3 :
b22 11) 17. Ke2 Rd7 18.Ne8 (better
is 18.Bg3) 18 . . . Ba6 19.Nf6+ Bxf6
20. Bxf6 Bxc4+ 2 l . Ke3 Rd3+ 2 2 . Kf4
e5+ 2 3 . Kg3 Rd6 24. Bg5 f6 25. Be3
Rbd8
2 6 . Kf2
Nb4+
Zaja- Saric,
S ibenik 2008.
b2212) 17. Bg3 might be better,
when Black cannot get his initiative
going the way he would like:
b2 2 1 2 1 ) 17 . . . Rb7
1 8 . Ke2
Rd4
1 9 . Ne8 Rxc4 2 0 . Nxg7 (20. Nd6?
143
Rb4 + 21.Nxc8 ? Rxb2+ 22. Kd3 Rd7+

23.Kc4 Na5#) 20 . . . Kxg7 2 l . Rhd1
Rd7 2 2 . Rxd7 Bxd7 2 3 . Kd3 Rb4
24.b3 f5 oo.
b22 122) 17 . . . Bxc3+ 18.bxc3 Rb7
However, the bishop might as

well first visit the a6 square. An
other recent top GM encounter saw
U Ba6 1 2 . Nb5 Rd7
(18 . . . e5 19.Rcl f5).

b222) If you want calm equality,
you can choose the continuation
15 . . . Rd7
16.Ne8 Nd3+
17. Bxd3
Bxc3+ 18.bxc3 Rxd3 1 9 . Ke2 Rxc3
20.Rhc1 Ra3 2 l . Bf6 e5= followed by
Bc8-e6.
ll.Ba3 Bb7
13 . Nec3 (13.Rdl Rad8 14.Rxd7Nxd7!?

followed by Nd7-c5 looks excellent
for Black as well.) 13 . . . Bb7 ! This is
Radjabov follows this move with

a logical novelty. Two more contin
uations deserve serious investiga
tion.
White managed to get something
from the opening after ll e6 1 2 . Rd1
Ba6 13.Nb5 Rxd1+ 14 . Kxd1 Rd8+
15.Kc2 Bh6 16 .Nec3 Nh5 17. Kb1
Bxb5 18.cxb5 (18.Nxb5? Rdl+ 19. Kc2
...
Rcl+ 20.Kb3 Na5+ 21.Ka4 Nxc4+)

18 . . . Ne5 19.Be7! Rd7 20.Bh4;t;, in
Khenkin-Hausrath,
Saarbruecken
2009.
144
where we discover the advantage of

the bishop shuffling. The knight on
b5 is in danger, having no moves.
a) Thus 14 .Na4 RadS 15. Be2
Nh5 16.g3 f5, lvanchuk-Grischuk,
Monte Carlo 2 0 1 1 .
b ) After 14 . Nd5 , w e employ the
usual counterplay along the d-file
with 14 : .. e6 15.Nxf6+ Bxf6 16.Rd1
Rxd1+ 17.Kxd 1 Rd8+ 18.Kc2 a6
19.Nc3 Bg5+t.
12. Rdl
The "active" 1 2 . Nd5 only helped
Black develop the initiative: 12 . . . e6
13.Ne7+ Nxe7 14 . Bxe7 Rd7 1 5 . Bb4
ReS 16.Rc1 Bh6 17.Rc2 RcdSt,
Lev-Kraidman, Tel Aviv 1992 .
12 . . . a5N
13 . . . Nb4 14.Bd3 Bh6
Technically speaking, this move

is a novelty. In reality, though, we
have seen the idea often enough.
The bishop on a3 attracts the Black
knight's attention, as well as that of
his entire queen's flank.
The outcome of the opening battle

is satisfactory for the second player.
He is using nearly all his pieces and
already has concrete threats. It is
only his later mistakes that made
him lose the whole point.
13.Ncl
15. Nd5 Nfxd5
Or 13.Nb5 Nb4 14 . Nec3 Rxd l+

15.Kxdl Rd8+ 16 .Ke2 Bh6+ .
White could also have tried to
make use of the vulnerable b6 pawn.
Still, Black is fine after 1 3 . Na4 Nb4!
a) The pawn is not yummy at all:
14.Nxb6 Nc2+-+.
b) 14 . Rxd8+ Rxd8 15.Nxb6 Nd3+
16.Kd2 Nf2++.
c) 14 . Bxb4 Rxd l+ 1 5 . Kxdl axb4
16.Nxb6 Rxa2-+.
Not a bad move, but Black could

also have tried 15 . . . Bxcl 16.Bxb4
axb4 17.Rxcl Rxa2 (also possible is
17. . . Bxd5 18.cxd5 Rxa2 19.Rbl Nd7

20. Bc4 Ra5 2l.Ke2 ReB= 22.Rhc1 ?
Rac5 23. b3 b5) 1 8 . Nxe7+ Kg7 19.Nd5
Rxb2 20.0-0 b5=.
1 6. cxd5 e6
Now a forced line follows:
1 7. Bxb4
19. e7D
axb4
18. dxe6
Bxcl
Chapter 2 : The Siimisch Variation
145
It seems Radjabov wanted too

much.
He could still have shared the
point after 2 l . . . Rxa2
19 . . . Rdc8
Once again not bad, but I also
fancy the line 19 ... Rxd3 20.Rxd3
Bg5 21 .h4 Bxe7 22.Rd7.

And now Black has the sharp
22 ... Bc5!? 2 3 . Rxb7 Rxa2 :
a ) 24.Rb8+ Kg7 25.Rd8 Rxb2

26.Rd2 Rbl+ 27.Rdl Rb2 =.
b) or 2 4 . Kd2 Rxb2+ 2 5 . Kc l Rxg2
2 6 . Rd l b3=, and White has chanc
es to go wrong with 27. Rdd7? Ba3+
2 8 . Kd l Rgl+ 2 9 . Ke2 b2-+.
Or a certain draw in the line
22 ... Rxa2 23.Rxe7 Ral+ 24. Kf2
Rxh l 25. Rxb7 Rbl 26.Rxb6 Rxb2+=.
2 2 . Rbl Ba6 2 3 . Bxa6 Rxa6 24.Kd2

Ra7=.
22. Rc7! Bd5 28. 0- 0 fxe4 24.fxe4

Bxa2 25. Ral
20. e8Q+ Rxe8 21. Rxcl
The threat is Ralxa2

and
Bd3-c4+. Wang Yue is already on top
and does not miss his chance.
21 . . . {5 ?
146
25. . . Bd5 26. Rxa8 Bxa8 2 7. Bb5

Re5 28.Bc4+ Kf8 29. Rc8+ ReS
80. Rxe8+ Kxe8 81 . e5 Ke 7 82. Kf2
Bc6 88.g8 g5 84. Ke8 h 6 85. Kd4
Bd7 86. Bd5 Bb5 8 7. Bf8 Be8
38. Bg2 Ba4 39.Bd5 Bb5 40. Bg8

KfB 41. Bc4 Ba4 42. Bd5 Bb5
43. Bf3 Ke7 44. Bg4 Bfl 45. Kd5
Bb5 46. Bf5 BeB 4 7. Kc4 b3
48. Kxb3 Bb5 49. Kc3 Be2 50. Kd4
Bb5 5l. Kd5 Ba4 52. b4 Bb5
53. Bg4 Ba4 54. Bc8 KdB 55. Ba6
Kd7 56. e6+ Ke 7 57. Bc8 Bb5
58. Bd7 Be2 59. Kc 6 b5 60. Kb 6
Bc4 61. Bxb5 Bxe6 62. Kc 7 1 - 0
Plan 2: White maintains the

pressure in the center
4 Caruana - Rodshtein
European Team Championships 2011

l . d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.{3 Bg7 4. e4
0 - 0 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 c5 7. Nge2
Now that we have reviewed the
lines in which White accepts the
pawn offer, we move forward with a
completely different approach . The
first player protects the center rather
than grabbing the c5 pawn.
7. . . Qa5
In response, Black gets ready for

the battle. The queen on a5 stands
well, supporting both the c5 pawn
and the eventual Benko-style play
with b7-b5 if White closes the center
with d4 -d5. It also discourages
long castling by the opponent and
prepares the smooth development
Nb8-c6.
B. Ncl
White forces the game into a
Maroczy structure.
There are other possibilities as
well. We examine 8.Qd2 here and
8.d5 on page 150.
147
8.Qd2 can't really stand the cen

tral pressure. Sooner or later White
will need to do something about the d4
pawn in order to finish development.
There is not much choice, though:
8 ... Nc6 9.d5 (Note that 9.dxc5 is an an
tipositional exchange. The outpost on

d4 is now screaming for a black piece
to arrive there. 9...dxc5 10.Nd5 Qxd2+
ll.Kxd2 Nd7 and after e7-e6 Black
has an excellent position.) 9 . . . Ne5 The
pawn on c4 is hanging and White has
two different approaches.
We look at 10.Nc1 and 10 .Ng3 .
(JO.b3?! does not contribute to White's

development and provides precious
time for Black. 10... a6 followed by b7b5 is a logical way to punish White's
sloppy play.)
after ll . . . e6! 12.Ra3 (or 12.Be2 exd5

13.cxd5 b5t) 12 . . . exd5 13 .cxd5 Nh5!
Black turns to another plan, typical
for the Benoni defense - play on the
king's flank with f7-f5 . 14.Be2 f5
15.exf5 gxf5 16 .Bh6 Qb4 17.Bxg7
Nxg7 18.f4 Nc4 19.Bxc4 Qxc4 20.a5
Bd7 2l.N1e2 Rae8 (Also excellent for
Black is 21. .. Nh5! (Nikitin) improving

the knight. 22.0-0 Nf6 23.Rf3 RaeB?..)
22 .Kf2 , Spassky-Polgar, Budapest
1993 , or 22.0-0 Bb5 ! .
a2) White can also neglect the
pawn thrust and finish developing
with l l .Be2 . In response, we should
continue preparing for the b7-b5
advance. l l . . . Bd7:
a) 10.Nc1 Intends to transfer the

knight to the queen's side.
In this situation I recommend

Benko-style play with 10 . . . a6 (JO. . . e6
is certainly another option, and leads

to Benoni-like positions: ll.Be2 exd5
12.cxd5 Bd7 (12 ... a6!?) 13. a4 a6
14.Ra3 Qc7 15. 0-0 RaeB 16.N1a2
BcB 17.a5 h5?. Psakhis-Szalanczy,
Vienna Open 1990.) And now :
a1) White can try to prevent
the b7-b5 advance with l l . a4 but
148
a21) Note that 1 2 . f4?! is doing the

knights a favor: 12 . . . Neg4 1 3 . Bg1 b5
14 . Bf3 Bh6 !+, and the knight intends
to return to e5 with decisive effect.
a22) 1 2 .h3? prepares the f3f4 advance but comes a move too
late:
12 . . . b5
13 .b3 Nh5 !+, with
multiple threats such as 14 . . . Ne5xf3 ,
14 . . . b5xc4, 14 . . . Nh5-g3 , etc. 13 . . . Ne8!
is also great.
a23) On account of Kramnik
Gelfand, Linares 1993, the plan
with 1 2 . a4 was considered somewhat
dangerous for Black. However, there
is a later improvement.
12 . . . Qb4
13 .b3 e6 (If you are in a mood to
play an endgame you might try this

one: 13 . . . Nxc4 14.Bxc4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4
Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 BxaJ oo.) 14 .Nla2
Qa5 (In this line, our main concern
is the health of her Majesty, so
please, refrain from any experiments:
14 ... Qxb3 ? 15.Rbl Qa3 16. dxe6 fxe6
1ZQc2 is already forcing Black to
sacrifice the bishop in order to save
the lady.) 15.dxe6 Bxe6 16.Qxd6 Too
not stand so well. 10 . . . Qb4 (JO. . . a6 as
in Dautov-Kempinski, Bad Wiessee

1997 is also good for Black.)
greedy:
I like this straightforward approach .

The pawn on c4 is hanging and White
starts to feel the heat. And now:
bl) Be ready for the typical trick
after l l .b3?
Now Gelfand could have punished

his mighty opponent had he found
16 ... Nxe4!
17.fxe4 Rfd8
18 .Qxc5
Nd3+ 19. Bxd3 Bxc3+ 20.Nxc3 Qxc3+
2l.Kf2 Rxd3+.
Instead, the game continued
16 . . . Nfd7 17. Kf2 Nc6 1 8 . Racl Nd4
19 .b4 Qb6 2 0 . Qxb6 Nxb 6 2 1 .bxc5
Nxe2 2 2 . Nxe2 and Gelfand missed
one more chance, this time for
equality with 2 2 . . . Nxa4 ! (22 . . . Nxc4
23. Bd4 ;t Kramnik- Gelfand, Linares

1993.) 2 3 . Nf4 Rfc8 2 4 . Nd5 Bf8
25.Nab4 a5 2 6 . Nd3 Nxc5 2 7 . Nxc5

Bxc5 2 8 . Rbl= as pointed out by
Kramnik.
b) 10. Ng3 is the second possible
plan. The knight on g3 , though, does
l l ... Nfg4! 1 2 . Rcl Nxe3 13 .Qxe3 b5

14 .cxb5 f5 15.exf5 gxf5 16.Qd2 Qh4
17.Qf2 a6 18 .bxa6 Bxa6 19. Bxa6
Rxa6 2 0.Qe2 c4 2 1 . 0 - 0 Nd3 2 2 . Nb5
NxcH as in Gupta-Jones , Yerevan
2007.
b2) White has less than nothing
if he trades queens at once: l l . Nb5
149
Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2?! (better is 12.Bxd2=)

12 . . . a6 13.Nc3 h5!? 14 . Be2 b5!'t.
b3) l l . a3 intends to exchange
queens in a more favorable situation.
This does not change the evaluation
of the position. l l . . .Qb3 12 .Qdl
Qxd l+ 13.Rxd l and now:
b31) 13 . . . Nfd7 14 .Kd2 Nb6 15 .b3
e6 16 .Kc2 exd5 17.exd5 f5, and
my position was very good in my
game against K. Rusev from the
Bulgarian Individual Championship,
Blagoevgrad 2009.
b32) or the immediate 13 ... e6
14 .Be2 (14.dxe6 Bxe6 15. b3 Nc6
1116.Rxd6 Ng4! 17.fxg4 Bxc3+ 18. Kf2

Be5+) 14 exd5 15.cxd5 a6 16.f4 lh-lh,
...
Maiwald-Kempinski, Dresden 2008.

After discovering that the knight
on e5 is too lively, White might come
to a conclusion that 8.d5 immediatly
is better:
and Bl ck took over the initiative in

Bogda rt ovski-Kempinski, Chalkidiki
2002. i
B . . . cxd4
Thi s is natural. Once the knight is

gone from e2 why shouldn't we do it?
9. Nb3
Thi is also natural. Why not

take o d4 with a knight when he
can sti ll do it?
Indeed, the bishop on d4 is only
a sourc of tempo gains after 9. Bxd4
Nc6 10,Nb3 Qd8 l l . Be3 Be6 12 .Rcl
Ne5? i 1 3 . Nd5 Bxd5 14 .cxd5 e6!
Black :rhakes use of the fact that his
opponei}t has not yet castled and
tries to open the center. 15 .dxe6
fxe6 16.Be2 (16. Qd2 d5!) 16 . . . Nxe4!?
I
17.fxe4 : Qh4+ 18.Kd2 Qxe4 19.Rc3
Qxg2" < and soon a draw was agreed
'
in Bischoff- Stellwagen, Germany,
2004, b}lt I have the feeling that Black
can play for more after 19 . . . d5!--..
9 . . . Qh 5 10.Nxd4 Nc 6
The Benko-style of play is especially

effective with the queen on a5 and
the underdeveloped white kingside.
Therefore: 8 . . . b5! One example is
9.cxb5 a6 10. Ng3 (Plan A does no
longer exist in this sub-line: lO.Ncl ?

Nxe4! 11.fxe4 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Qxc3+-+.)
10 . . . axb5 l l . Bxb5 Ba6 1 2 . Bxa6 Nxa6
13.0-0 Nd7 14 .Rcl Ne5 15.Qe2 c4+,
l l . Be2
Aftr the game, Caruana was not
totally convinced about the strength
of this inove.
Perhaps ll.Qd2 is better. But
in this case Black can reduce the
pieces in the center with ll Nxd4
I
I
150
12.Bxd4 Be6 with a normal game
for Black:
Black has no worries: 13 . . . Nd7

14. Bxg7 (or 14. 0 - 0 Bxd4+ 15. Qxd4
Qc5=) 14 . . . Kxg7 1 5 . 0 - 0 Qc5+ 16 . Kh l
Nf6 = , and not 1 6 . . . Bxc4 17.b4 Qxb4
18.Qd4+ Ne5 19.f4 , when White wins
a piece.
13.Nd5 does not impress either:
13 . . . Nxd5 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15.cxd5
Bd7=.
ll . . . Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Qh4+1?

A tricky continuation, which aims
to spoil White's coordination.
13.g3
We look at three replies:

13.h4 Rfc8:
a) Note that White cannot easily
bother the black queen: 14 .b4 Bxc4 (or
the simple 14 . . . Nd7 with an excellent

game for Black) 15.g4 Nxg4t.
b) Another attempt to trap the
lady with 14.c5?! is even worse , due
to my improvement over Gallagher's
analysis:
14 . . . dxc5!+
anticipating
15.g4? cxd4!
16.gxh5 dxc3 17.bxc3 Nxe4! -+.

Perhaps White should complete
his development with 13.Be2 but
Black's idea is seen in the line

1 3 . Bf2 Qg5 , when the first player
has problems with the defense of
the g2 pawn. Caruana didn't like
the
continuation
14 .g4
(14. 0-0
Nh5 followed by Nh5-f4 is good for

Black) 14 . . . Be6 15 .h4 Qe5 , where
"White's pawn structure is severely
weakened." - Caruana.
13 . . . Qg5
Instead of this, Black needed to
place the queen on h3: 13 ... Qh3
The queen seems shaky on this

square, but she prevents White from
castling and cannot be attacked so
easily.
14.Kf2 is a suggestion by
Caruana, which does not yield White
151
much after 14 . . . Be6 15 .Qd2 Bh6 16.f4
(or 16.Be3 Bxe3+ 17. Qxe3 RfcB 18. b3

Qh5=) 16 . . . Bg7 ! ''After provoking f4
the bishop returns, leaving the e4pawn vulnerable and the g4 square
open to invasion. Black has sufficient
counterplay." Caruana.
witnessed the following game

in New Zealand: 14.Qd2 Be6?!
(The immediate aggression with

14 ... Bh6!?N makes a lot of sense. In
the line 15.f4 e5 16.Be3 Ng4 17. Bfl
Qh5oo, White has a repetition of
moves, but hardly more.) 15.Nd 1 !
A key resource that Black needs t o
know. The knight is transferred to f2
both for defense and attack against
the intruder.
a) Note that the queen is indeed
in trouble after 15 . . . Rfc8?! 16. Nf2
Qh5 17.f4.
b) I also do not fancy Black's posi
tion after 15 . . . Bh6 16.Qc3 Bg7 17. Nf2
Qh6 18.0-0, although it might not be
as bad as it seems after 18 . . . Nd7, as
the queen can re-enter the game via
g7. Black will also be happy to get rid
of the queens in this situation.
c) So it seems that Black does not
have any choice: 15 . . . Bd7 16. Nf2 Qe6
17.0-0 Bc6 18. Rfel a6 (18 ... Nd7!?)
19.a4 a5 20.b3 Nd7 2 l . Bxg7 Kxg7
22.f4 f5 23.exf5 gxf5 24.Bh5::!;,
Ganguly-Lukey, Queenstown 2012 .
14. Kf2!
One more thought of Caruana
clarifies White's plan: "A strong
move, preparing to regroup with
Be3, Qd2 , Rcl and b3, when White
has organized his position and enjoys
a typical Maroczy bind. Instead,
castling would allow . . . Bh3 with gain
of tempo."
14 . . . Be6 15. RcH
152
15 . . . Qa5
Even 15 ... Rfc8 16.b3 a6 17. a4 Nd7
18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.f4 Qc5+ 2 0 . Kg2 is
also a bit better for White.
he problem for Black is that he
has no active play and has to
wait and see what will happen
afterwards. This is not the type
of play that KID fans like to see.
Therefore, it makes sense to play
13 . . . Qh3 and employ the aggressive
novelty 14 . . . Bh6 !? in the annotation
after Black's thirteenth move.
1 6. Kg2 RfcB 1 7. b3 a6 18. a4

Since b7-b5 is stopped, White can
safely play on the kingside.
1B . . . Nd7
Nf6 ?
19. Bxg 7
Kxg 7
20.{4
Better was 20 . . . Nc5 2 l . Rfl f6::!;, or

20 . . . f6::!; at once.
21. Bf3
23.g4!
RabB ?
22. Rel
RdB
Plan 3: Closing the center

with 7. d4-d5
The third approach that White
can try is to advance the d5 pawn
and keep the center blocked. In this
case, positions which are typical for
the Benoni will arise.
As this is something that cannot
be avoided in this line, the second
player needs to have at least enough
knowledge to get out of the opening
in good shape.
White's advantage grew, and
Caruana managed to wrap up the
game later.
23 . . . h6 24. h4 RhB 25. Qd4

Or 25.f5 Bd7 2 6 . Nd5 .
25. . . Qc5 2 6. Qxc5 dxc5 2 7.{5 Bc8

28. e5 NeB 29.fxg6 fxg6 30. Nd5
Rf8 31. Nxe7+ - Be6 32. Kg3 Rf7
33.Nd5 b 6 34. Rcdl Nc 7 35. Nxc 7
Rxc 7 36. Rd6 Re7 3 7. Bd5 RbeB
38. Bxe6 Rxe6 39. Rxe6 Rxe6
40. Kf4 Kf7 41. Ke4 1 - 0
5 Anand - Nakamura
6th Tal Memorial, Moscow 201 1
l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4 . e4
d6 5. Nge2
Anand chooses to enter the Sa
misch in this slightly unusual way.
Alternatively, White can also
achieve Benoni-style positions with
the "normal" move order 5.f3 0-0
6.Be3 c5 7.d5 e6
We look at three possibilities for

White:
8.Nge2 has the drawback that it
obstructs the normal development of
the bishop. I will also add that the
development of this knight is the
Chapter 2: The Stimisch Variation
153
main problem that White experience

in this line. After the natural moves
8 . . . exd5 9.cxd5 a6 10.a4 Nbd7 1 l . Ng3 ,
Black immediately puts the future
of that knight in question with the
typical idea 1 1 . . .h5:
a) 12. Be2 Nh7 will most likely
transpose to the game Korchnoi
Cheparinov below. (The game is in
the annotations after move 8: see

variation a2 on page 163.), but Black
has the additional option 12 . . . h4 .
b) 12.Bg5
Compared
to
the
main lines White has lost a tempo.
This certainly cannot be without
consequences:
12 . . . Qa5
13 .Qd2
b5 saw Black already seizing the
initiative in Muir-Jones, Crete 2007.
If White chooses to develop the
bishop first with 8.Bd3, it will most
likely be traded for the black knight
after 8 . . . exd5 9.cxd5 a6 10.a4 Nbd7
l l . Nge2 Ne5:
a) 12 .Bc2 gives Black a tempo in

his queenside expansion: 12 . . . Bd7
13.0-0 (And we should not forget
that the c4 square is a great spot for

the knight: 13.a5? Nc4 hits too many
things.) 13 . . . b5t.
b) Alternatively,
12 .0-0
Bd7
13.Ng3 Nxd3 (as usual, 13 . . . h5!? is
154
also possible) 14.Qxd3 b5 15. axb5

axb5= Here the abrupt 16.e5?! (White
needed to head for the equal position
after 16.Nxb5 Qb6 1 7.Rxa8 RxaB
18.Na3 Qxb2 19.Nc4 QbB.) 16 . . . c4
17.Qd2 dxe5 18.Bc5 ReS saw White

losing the pawn without too much
compensation in Edouard- Cossin,
Chalons 2008.
8.Qd2 is what White usually
chooses. We can then enter the
typical Benoni set up with 8 . . . exd5:
a) Now 9.exd5?! does not make

any sense in this particular situation.
After 9 . . . Re8 Black already threatens
to win material with Bg7-h6 , which
practically forces castling on the long
side.
a1) 10. Nge2 will be answered
with 10 . . . Nbd7 or 10 . . . a6, and White
still needs to castle long in order to
finish his development.)
a2) And if 10.0-0-0, the queen's
flank is not the most welcome place
that the monarch can reside! 10 . . . a6
l l. g4
ll ... b5 Black opens both the a- and

b-files and starts a strong attack after
12 .cxb5 axb5 (12 . . . Bd7!? looks even
better: 13. bxa6 Nxa6) 13 . Bxb5 Nfd7
(13 ... Bd7 14.Bc4 Qb6) 14 . Bh6 BhS
15.Nge2 Ba6 16 . Bxa6 Nxa6 followed
by Nd7-b6-c4, and Black is clearly
on top in Shockley-Zilberstein, Reno
2002.
b) Normal is 9.cxd5 a6 .
It is useful to insert the moves
a7-a6 and a2 -a4 . Black has a pawn
m ajority on the queenside and it
makes sense for him to prepare
counterplay on this side of the board.
Another idea is the standard
f7-f5 advance. The position is very
flexible, and while White finishes his
development Black prepares to show
his cards everywhere.
Now best is 10.a4 (Or else Black
will gratefully occupy the flank:
10.Nge2 b5 ll.a3 Nbd7 12.Ng3 h5

13.Bh6 Ne5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.f4 Ned7
16.Bd3 Qb6 1 7.Bc2 c4 + Mai Jiongqi
Wang Yue, Xiapu 2005.) lO . . . ReS:
The tabiya of the line. Black

makes a useful move and pressurizes
in the center. The first player has
tried various ways to finish his
development.
b l ) l l . B e2 A somewhat slow
maneuver. l l . . .Qc7 Black makes
an useful move and keeps the h 3 c 8 diagonal open, thus n o t letting
the white knight appear on h3 .
This forces White to continue the
bishop m aneuver: 1 2 . B d l and only
now 1 2 . . . Nbd7 1 3 . Nh3 Ne 5 + which
m akes use of the fact that the
bishop i s no longer controlling the
c4 square ! In this line such small
subtleties often decide the outcome

of the opening.
b2) On the other hand, l l . Bd3
places the bishop within reach of
the black knight. l l . . . Nbd7 1 2 . Nh3
(12.Nge2 Ne5 will also win the bishop

for the knight) 12 . . . Ne5 and as the
capture on h3 is threatened, Black

will trade his knight for White's
light-squared bishop and have an
excellent game.
b3) l l . a5 allows Black to open
the game on the queen's flank with
l l . . .b5 1 2 . axb6 Qxb6? since the
half-open b-file is definitely an asset
for Black.
155
b4) Therefore, the most natural

way for White to finish developing
seems to be l l . Nge2 Nbd7.
21...c3! (even stronger was 2l ... Nxd5!

22.exd5 c3) 22 .Qxc3 Nxd5 and Black
Now White needs to decide where to

place the knight in order to free his
bishop. It is a funny thing: despite
his advantage in development, White
finds it hard to develop his pieces
harmoniously.
From this position we examine at
length three alternatives for White,
12.Nd1!? here, 12 .Nc1 on page 158,
and 12.Ng3 on page 159.
b41) One set-up for White starts
after 12.Nd1!? The idea is to place
this knight on f2, the other knight
going to c3, and White will have good
control over e4. As usual though,
such a deep positional plan spends
a considerable amount of time, and
Black can make use of it.
b411) 12 . . . Rb8 is a worthy try:
13.Nec3 Qc7 with the idea c5 -c4
and b7-b5 (the immediate 13 ... Qa5
won, Hultin-Ziegler, Gothenburg 1997.

b412) After
12 . . . Ne5
13.Nec3
I see nothing wrong with 13 . . . Qa5,
which was given the dubious sign
(?!) by the King's Indian expert
Gallagher. (There is also the natural
13 . . . Bd7 14.Nf2, when Black can

choose to play on the queen's flank
with 14 . .. Rb8 f!. and b7-b5, or on the
kingside with 13 . . . Nh5f!. and {7-{5.)
is usually answered with 14.Ra3)

14 .Rc1 Qa5! 15.Rb1 Ne5 16.Be2 b5t,
with an excellent game for Black.
In order to show activity, White
went too far with 17. axb5 axb5 18 .b4
cxb4 19.Na2? Nc4 20. Bxc4 bxc4
2 l . Nxb4 and got punished:
156
Now, after 14.Ra3 Nfd7 (14 ... Qb4 in

tending ... Nc4 looks good, too.) 15.Be2
f5 16.0-0 Nb6, Black had harmo

niously developed his forces in Kas
pi-Hebden, Rishon Le Ziyyon 1992 .
Instead, 14 . Be2 was considered

to be somewhat better for White by
the Dutch player Meulders. I believe
that this assessment was based on
the result of his game rather than on
objective reasons. 14 . . . b5 15.0-0
and only then to advance on the

queen's flank with 16 . . . b4.
lease note that such an advance

of your pawn majority must be
well grounded and well supported
by the black pieces. If not, the freed
squares can be occupied by their
white counterparts (the c4 square is
the ideal outpost for a white knight!)
and this can backfire !
We look at 17. Ncd1 Rac8, with the
idea c5-c4.
Now, 18 .b3 helps Black open
the game on the queen's flank with
18 . . . c4 19. Rc1? (19.Rbl helps Black to
create a strong defended passer after

19. . . c3) 19 . . . cxb3+.
b41 2 1 ) The
game
Meulders
Douven , Netherlands 1991 con
tinued 15 . . . Nfd7 1 6 . Nf2 Nc4 (or
16 . . b4 1 7. Ncdl Nb 6 1B. Bh6)
17. Bxc4 bxc4 1 8 . f4 Rb8 1 9 . e 5 , and
at this stage of the game nothing
was clear at all.
b4122) Instead, a good idea for
Black is to complete his development
with 15 . . . Bd7 16 . Nf2
Instead, 18.h3 prepares the cen

tral advance with f3 -f4 and Black
needs to hurry with his counterplay:
18 ... c4 (It is also interesting to acti
vate the bishop in a slightly unusual

way with 1B . . . Bb5!?+
19.axb5 Qxal 20. bxa6 Qa4 oo.) 19.f4

Now Black completes the plan to free
the c4 square for his knight with
19 . . . c3 ! t.
157
b42) 1 2 . Nc1 seems like the safest

way to allow the bishop to enter the
game. At least, the knight cannot be
bothered on the c1 square. Indeed,
neither can it bother anyone.
b422) The other plan is 13 . . . Nh5,

when Black prepares f7-f5 .
b4221) Now an important tip!
If White tries to prevent the f7-f5
advance with the violent 14 .g4?
After 12 . . . Ne5 13.Be2 we look at two

good plans:
b42 1) I like the plan to play on
the queenside with 13 . . . Bd7 14 .0-0
Rb8 15.a5:
Black has the cruel 14 . . . Qh4+ 15.Bf2

Qf6 ! 16.gxh5 Nxf3 + 17. Bxf3 Qxf3
18.Rg1 Bxc3 19.bxc3 Rxe4+-+.
b4222) After 14 .0-0 f5 15.f4 Nd7
Black is not afraid of the doubled
h-pawns. The payback is good: the
bishop pair, the g6 square for the
queen, and the half-opened g-file.
(15. . . Ng4 16. Bxg4 fxg4 oo) 16. Bxh5
gxh5 17.e5 (One more trick worth re
membering is 1 7. exf5?? Rxe3 18. Qxe3

Bd4-+.) 17 . . . dxe5 18.Nd3 b6 19.fxe5
Nxe5 2 0 . Nxe5 Bxe5 2 1 . Bg5 Qd6t!.
White certainly has compensation
for the pawn, but no more than that
in Mihajlovic-Kovacevic, Nis 1996.
15 ... b5!? these pawn sacrifices are

very common in the Benoni structure.
In return for the pawn, Black will
generate pressure along the b-file.
16. axb6 Rxb6 17.Rxa6 Rxa6 18.Bxa6
Qa5 19. Be2 Rb8.
158
b43) Finally, the most natural

development of the knight 1 2 . Ng3:
the trade of the dark-squared bishop is

not always in White's favor: 21.Bh6?!
Bxh6 22 .Qxh6:
b43 11) Now Black missed a golden
opportunity to capitalize on the posi
tion of White's queen with 2 2 . . . Ng5 !
allows the corner pawn to worry it

with 12 . . . h5 1 3 . Be2 h4 14 . Nfl N h7 !
2 3 . Kh l (23. Qxh4 ?? Ngxf3+) 23 . . . Ra7 !

24.Qxh4 Nxe4! 2 5 .Qel (25. Qxd8
Ng3+ 26. Kgl RxdB+J 25 . . . Nxc3+.
b4312) He choose instead 22 . . . Qf6
2 3 .Qd2 f4 =, with an impressive dark
square
blockade
in
Obodchuk
Domogaev, Belgorod 2 0 1 1 .
b432) Another way t o finish de
velopment is 15.Bf2 , when Black is
doing great with 15 . . . Ne5 16.Ne3 .
With the pawn o n h4 , the h7 square

is better for the knight. For example,
if 14 . . . Nh5 instead, then 15.g4 ! .
From the diagram, four tries are
15.Bh6 , 1 5 . Bf2 , 15 .g4 , and 15 .Qc2 :
b431) White has tried 15.Bh6 Bd4
16.Ne3 b6 (It is also interesting to give
some consideration to the bishop on h6:

16: ..g5!? 17.Nf5 Ne5 I!J.l8.Nxd4? cxd4
19. Qxd4 Qf6, giving it a deserved rest
outside the board.) 17.Nc2 Be5 18.Be3
Bg7 19.0-0 Ne5 20.h3 5. Note that
159
And now:
b4321) 16 . . . h3 !N
17.f4
(Unfor
tunately for White, 17.g3 Ng5 hits
painfully at the f3 pawn.) 17. . . hxg2
18.Rg1 Nd7 19.Bf3 Bxc3 20.bxc3
Ndf6 21 .Qc2 Bh3+ Rybka.
b4322) Also, the previously em
ployed 16 . . . Qg5 17.0-0 f5 18.Kh 1 f4
19.Nc4 Nxc4 20. Bxc4 Be5 2 1 .Qe1
Thus, after 15 . . . g5 ! 16 . Rb1 (16.Bf2
Nh{B
2 1 . . .Qh6 !? with an attack on the

dark squares seems excellent for the
second player. 2 2 . Bxh4 g5 2 3 . Bf2
Nf6 (23 ...g4 24.fxg4 Bxg4 25. Qcl
(25.Be2?? f3 ! ) 25... Ng5t) 24.g3?! Kf7
25 .h4 Rh8 26.Rg1 Nh5 27.g4 Ng3+-+
0-1, Novikov-Loginov, Volgodonsk
1983 .
b433) On the other hand, 15.g4
allows Black to block the king's
flank, and, as we know, he is better
on the other side of the board:
17.Ne3
Ng6
18.Nf5
Be5+)
16 . . . Ne5 Black had pleasant one

sided play: 17.Qc1:
b4331) 17 ... b5!?
18. axb5
axb5
19.Nxb5 Ba6 20.Nc3 Bxe2 2 1 . Kxe2
Qf6 2 2 . Nd2 Nf8+.
b4332) 17 . . . Bd7
18.Nd2
Rb8
19.0-0 b5 20.axb5 axb5 2 1 .b4 c4
2 2 . Ra 1 Ng6 2 3 . Ndb1 Be5 24.Rf2
Nf4+, Blanco Fernandez-Martin del
Campo, Cienfuegos 1997.
b434) Finally
15.Qc2 ,
which
frees the d2 square for the knight,
did not yield White anything i n the

following model game: 15 . . . h3 (other
tries are 15 . . . Qe7! ? and 15 . . . Ne5! ?)

160
16 .g3 f5 ! 17. Nd2 (Or 1 7. exf5 gxf5
The usual move order is 8 ... exd5
18. Qxf5 Ne5
9.cxd5 h5
and just look at the juicy white pieces

on the e-file!) 17 . . . Bd4! 18. Bxd4 cxd4
This can be an almost automatic

reaction for you once you see a knight
appear on g3 !
For 10.Bg5, see page 164.
Now 10.Be2 can transpose to
positions mentioned in the analysis
after 5 .f3 : 10 . . . Nh7 1 l . Be3 a6 1 2 . a4 .
19.Nd1 Ne5 20.0-0 fxe4 2 l . Nxe4
(not 21. Qxe4 ? d3- + or 21.fxe4 d3!

22.Bxd3 Qb6+) 2 l . . . Bf5 2 2 . Ndf2
Ng5 and Black was already better.
23 .R a3 (23. Qb3 Bxe4 24.fxe4 R{B+)
23 . . d3! 24.Nxd3 Nexf3+ 2 5 . Bxf3
Nxf3+ 26. Rxf3 Rxe4+ (Becerra
.
Rivero), Cooke-Becerra Rivero, Boca

Raton 2006.
...
0- 0 6.(3 c5 7. d5 e 6 8.Ng3 a6
Nakamura avoids the trade in the

center for the time bein:g, but sooner
or later he will have to do it, and this
will transpose to the line below.
Black's counter-chances are connect

ed with the h5 -h4 advance, which
will cause unavoidable discomfort
in the opponent's camp. We look at
12 . . . Nd7 first here, and on page 163
we examine the immediate 1 2 . . . h4!?.
161
a) The pawn advance can be done

after 12 . . . Nd7 13.0-0, once the king's
rook occupies fl : 13 . . . h4 14. Nh1 This
knight will go to f2. 14 . . . f5 :
a121) The specialist of the line,

super- GM Dreev, allowed the f5-f4
advance against Radjabov but faced
troubles after 17. Nf2 f4 18.Ng4 Qg5
19. Bf2 Ne5 20.Ne4 Qe7 2 l . Nxe5
Bxe5 2 2 . Rae 1 Bf5 2 3 . Bd3 b5 24.Re2
h3 ! Dreev-Radjabov, Warsaw 2005.
a122) Instead, 17.f4 Qg6 allowed
Black to comfortably place his pieces.
At the same time I find it hard to
foresee White's active ideas. 18.Nf2
Ndf6 19.h3 Bd7 20.Rab1 Rac8:
a1221) Now Iljushin- Can, Mos
cow 2012, continued 2 l .a5 Kh8
2 2 . Bf3 Rg8 23 .Qc2?! Nh5 24. Rfe1
Bh6 2 5 . Ne2 Rce8 2 6 . Bd2 N7f6
27.Nd3 Bb5 28 .b3
Here are a couple o f examples:

al) After 15 .Qd2 , a good move is
15 ... Qf6 with the idea f5-f4 . (Also pos
sible is 15 ... h3 16.g3 fxe4 17.fxe4 Nhf6

18.Nf2 Ne5 Mikhalevski.) And now:
all) Probably White should now

settle for the solid 16.f4 fxe4 17.Nf2
Qe7 18 .Ncxe4 Ndf6 19.Nxf6+ Qxf6oo
Dreev-Karpov, Reykjavik rapid, 2004.
a12) But White can first trade on
f5 . The current practice of the line is
satisfactory for Black: 16.exf5 gxf5:
2 8 . . . Re4!-+. After 29. Bxe4 fxe4 , mate
on g2 is coming.
a1222) So, perhaps White needed
to proceed with his idea: 2l .b4 cxb4
2 2 . Rxb4 Ng4 2 3 . Bd4 Bxd4 24. Rxd4
Nxf2 2 5 . Rxf2 Rc7=.
162
a2) Our next example is 1 5 .exf5

gxf5 16 . Nf2 f4 17. Bd2 Ne5 18.Khl,
when the course of the following
game definitely deserves close exam
ination:
18 ... Nf6 !? 19.Bxf4 Nh5 20. Bd2 Ng3+!

21 .hxg3 hxg3 2 2 . Nh3 Qh4 2 3 . Bg5 D
Qh7 24.Qel Bxh3 2 5 . Qxg3 Bf5+
26.Qh2 Qg6 (or 26 ... Nd3!? 2 7. Qxh7+
Kxh7 28.Bxd3 Bxd3) 27.f4 Ng4
28. Bxg4 Bxg4 .
for the position itself: 2 9 . Rael Rf7

3 0 .Qg3?! Bd4! 3 1 . Bh4 Rh7 3 2 .Qh2
Re8 ! - +
3 3 . Rxe8+
Qxe8
3 4 . g3
Qe3 3 5 .Qg2 Bf6 3 6 .Qe4 Rxh4+
37. gxh4 Qh3+ 3 8 . Kgl Bd4+ 3 9 . Rf2
Qg3+ 4 0 . Kh l Bxf2 ? It is only this
fortieth move which spoiled the
well-deserved win by Cheparinov.
(The cool 40 . . . Kf8!- + would have
crowned his bra ve play.) 4 1 .Qe8+
Kg7 4 2 . Qe7+ Kg6 43 .Qxd6+ Kh5
44.Qe5+
Kxh4
4 5 . Qe7+
Kh3
4 6 . Qh7+ Qh4 47.Qd3+ Qg3 4 8 . Qh7+
draw, Korchnoi- Cheparinov, Porto
Carras 2 0 1 1 .
b ) Or, play the pawn advance
12 . . . h4!? immediately, as I actually
believe that Wh ite's knight is best
placed on f2! Black did well after
1 3 . Nfl Nd7:
We look at two possibilities here:

bl) 14 . Nd2 f5 15.exf5 gxf5 16.f4
Ndf6 with the threat Nf6 -g4 . 17.h3
Qe7 18.Kf2 ReB 19.Nc4 Rb8 20.a5:
Black has decent play on the

king's flank. The fact that the
experienced defender Victor the
Terrible Korchnoi failed quickly
under a dreadful attack speaks
1 63
b22) But a safer option is the

novelty 23 . . . Qg5 ! N
Seemingly, White has stopped the fire

on the queen's flank, but no one has
ever managed to perform such a feat
with his king in the center! Indeed,
20 ... b5! is still possible, as 2 l . axb6
in Korchnoi-Xie Jun, Roquebrune ,
1998, can be answered 2 l . . . Rxb6 ! and
the rook is untouchable: 2 2 . Nxb6?
Qxe3+ 23.Kfl Qxf4+ 24. Bf3 Ne4-+
with a winning attack.
b2) After 14 .Bf2!? f5 15.exf5
gxf5 16.f4 ReS 17.Ne3 Bd4 18.Nxf5!?
Dreev's sharp idea, Black has an im
provement: 18 . . . Bxf2+ 19.Kxf2 Rf8
20.g4 hxg3+ 2l.hxg3 Rxf5 2 2 . Rxh7
Kxh7 23 .Bd3:
b21) The position is very complex,
and there is nothing wrong with the
move chosen by Gallagher: 23 . . . Nf6
24.g4oo, Dreev- Gallagher, Catalan
Bay 2004.
24.Qf3 Kg7 2 5 .fxg5 Rxf3+ 26.Kxf3

Ne5+ 27.Ke3 Nxd3 2 8 . Kxd3 Bf5+=.
The move order which Anand
chose is designed to develop the bish
op to a more active position: 10.Bg5.
Compared to the game Anand
Nakamura, Black has not yet commit
himself to the move a7-a6. This
gives him an additional resource,
which I believe is best in the current
situation : 10 . . . Qb6 ! hitting the pawn
on b2 and diverting the white queen
from its usual route.
Black is doing well in this line.
164
a) The main idea is that after

ll.Qd2 Nh7:
a1) The move 1 2 . Bh6 is no longer
possible thanks to the queen on b6!
12 ... Bxh6 13.Qxh6 Qxb2+.
a2) Instead,
White
can
try
12 .Be3 Nd7 and now the suspicious
idea 13 . 0 - 0 - 0 which seems, as usu
al, to be castling into it! (Better is
the normal development 13.Nge2
Ne5 14.Nf4 a6 15. Be2 Qa5 16. 0 - 0
b 5 17. Qc2 Bd7=, Gulko- Spraggett,
Hastings 1989.) 13 . . . h4 14 . Nge2 Qa5
15.Kb1 b5 16 . Ncl b4--+, Braun- Galla

gher, Olbia 2008.
a3) Or, White can try the slightly
more active
(and risky!) 1 2 . Bh4
which leaves the bishop exposed.
12 . . . Nd7 13 . Be2:
a31) In fact, Black could have

now won this bishop for a knight
with 13 . . . g5 14. Bxg5 Nxg5:
a3 1 1 ) because
after
15.Qxg5
Black recovers the pawn with
15 . . . Qxb2 16.Rc1 (not 16.Nxh5 Qxa1+
1 7.Kf2 Qxc3- +) 16 . . . Nf6oo.
a312) although Sandipan was
not afraid to sacrifice a piece with
15.Nxh5 ! ? Nh7 16 . Nxg7 Kxg7 17.g4
Sandipan-Caspi, Zurich 2009.
a32) But 13 ... Re8 looks safer, and
was the recent choice of Leon Hoyos,
who obtained sufficient counter play
after 14 . 0 - 0 Bf6 1 5 . Bxf6 Nhxf6
16 .Nh1 a6 17. Nf2 Rb8 18.f4 c4
19.Kh1 Qc5 2 0 . Rad1 b5, Sandipan
Leon Hoyos, Tromsoe 2010.
b) Dreev chose 1 1 .Qb3 , but then
the queen simply retreated 1 1 . . .Qc7,
happy that her counterpart is far
away from the c1-h6 diagonal.
1 65
Black was good in these games:

12.Be2 a6 and now:
b1) 13.a4 Nh7 14 .Be3 Qe7 1 5 . 0 - 0
Nd7 (Watch out for this typical
White has the strong intermezzo

13.a5! Qc7 14 . Bh6;!;, Gupta-Vorobiov,
Kavala 2010.
"white" trick: 15 . . . {5? 16.Bxc5 dxc5

17.d6+ Qf7 18.Bc4+-.) 16.f4 Bd4!
Instead,
Nakamura
proceeds
with the usual play on the queen's
flank, but I have the feeling that this
is not sufficient for equality, with the
stable white center.
17. Bf2 h4 18.Nh 1 g5 ! 19.Qd1 Qf6

20.fxg5 lh-lh, Dreev-Topalov, Elista
1998 .
b2) 13.0-0
Nh7
14 .Be3
h4
15 .Nh1 f5 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.Bf2 g5 ,
Dreev-Bologan, Shanghai 2001.
12. Qd2 Nbd7 13. Be2 RbB
14. 0- 0 c4
9. a4 h5 10. Bg5 exd5 ll. cxd5

We have reached a position
similar to the analysis from above.
However, the inclusion of the moves
a7-a6 and a2-a4 is a difference that
favors White.
ll
..
Qc7
Black can no longer make use of

the plan 1 1 . . .Qb6 12 .Qd2 , as after
12 . . . Nh7:
15. Be3!?
Or 15. Rab1 b5 16. axb5 axb5 17.b4
cxb3 18.Rxb3 b4 19.Na2, Grover
Ootes, Wijk aan Zee 2 0 1 2 .
15 ... h4 16.Nhl h3!?

Nakamura wants to weaken the
light squares in front of the enemy king.
166
This is better than 16 . . . Nc5

17.Bxc4 Ncxe4 18.Nxe4 Nxe4 19.fxe4
Qxc4 20.Nf2;!;.
21.a5 Qd8
1 7.Nf2!
22. Ne2
Cool reaction by the world cham

pion!
Black's idea appears in the line
17.g3 Nc5 1 8 . Bxc4 Ncxe4 19.Nxe4
Nxe4 20.fxe4 Qxc41'.
In the line 2 2 . Na4 Nh5 2 3 . Racl

Anand was afraid of 23 . . . Qh4 !?
24. Rxc4 g5, but cool analysis shows
that after 2 5 . Bxh5 Qxh5 26.Ba7 Ra8
27. Bd4 White is simply better.
1 7. . . hxg2 18. Kxg2 ;!;
22 . . . Nh 7 28. Ng8 ?!
Once Black goes passive, it spells

trouble.
At the Tal Memorial, Anand was

mainly concerned in signing the
contract for the wee match against
Gelfand, and finished the event with
nine draws.
Instead, he could have been
more aggressive :with 2 3 . Rfcl!?;l; or
23.Rgl !?;l; .
2 8. . . b 6 24. axb 6 Nxb 6 25. Bd4

Bxd4 2 6. Qxd4 Qf6+t.
Although the engine considers
this position as equal, I would not

recommend it to the second player.
The knight on f2 is well placed, and
the first player can create a powerful
step-by-step attack on the king's
flank with f3 -f4 and e4-e5 in the
future. The g-file also helps him in
this plan.
18 ... Nh5!?
Nakamura correctly provokes the
advance of the f-pawn at the moment
at which White is not yet ready to
support his central pawns.
19.{4 Nhf6 20. Bf8

Or 20.a5!?;!;.
20. . . Re8
However here, Black needed to

prepare the f7-f5 advance as fast
as possible: 20 . . . Nc5 !? 2 1 .Qe2 Nb3
22.Rad l NeB 23 .e5 Bf5oo.
There is no mate without the

queens . Black is OK now!
2 7. Ne2
Qxd4
28.Nxd4 Bb7
29. Ra8 Nf6 8 0. Nc 6 Rbc8 81.Na5
B e c ause the line 3 1 . Nb 4 offers
Black good tactical chances with
3 1 . . . Nfd7 (or 31 . . . Rc5 32. Nxa6 Bxa 6
33. Rxa6 Rb5) 3 2 . Nxa6 c 3 ! 3 3 .bxc3
Nc4 , Anand decides to force a draw.
81 . . . Ba8 82. Nc 6
Ba8 %-%
Bb7
88.Na5
167
The Neo- Siimisch: 6. Bg5

6 Nikolov - Spasov
Bulgarian Championship,
Plovdiv 2008
I . d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 8.Nc8 Bg 7 4. e4
d6 5.f8 0 - 0 6. Bg5
7. Qd2
The Samisch can be interpreted

in a more active way, with a bishop
on g5 . This piece provokes the future
advance of the black h-pawn (which
will win a tempo for White after the
future Qd1-d2) and in case Black
uses the Benoni set-up, White will
have the bishop where he likes it
most. The good news for Black is that
we can choose an active Benko-style
set up instead, when the bishop is
not effective on g5 .
6. . . a6
168
This is what White usually does

in this position.
The general drawback of the
move 7. Nge2 is that it shuts the
diagonal for the light-squared bishop
and the b7-b5 advance becomes more
effective. 7 . . . c5 8 .d5 b5 9.cxb5 Qa5!?
is a common idea, which you will see
in the main lines below. Black makes
a useful move with the queen and
waits for his opponent to capture on
a6 - thus developing his bishop for
free. 10 . Ng3 axb5 (or 10. . . Nbd7!?)
l l . Bxb5 Ba6 1 2 . Bxa6 Nxa6 13.0-0
Rfb8 14 . Rb1 Rb7, and Black has
enough compensation for the pawn,
Y2-Y2, Dreev-Azmaiparashvili, Reggio
Emilia 1996.
7. . . Nbd7
Please note that the move order
7... c5 8.d5 Nbd7 allows the move

9.a4!?
I faced this once, and even though

the final outcome was positive, I
feel reluctant to repeat the line. T h e
game saw 9 Qa5 10.Ra3 ReS.
Once again, the knight does not
belong on e2 : l l.Nge2?! Ne5 1 2 . Nc1
e6 13.f4 Neg4 14.h3 h6 1 5 . Bh4 exd5
16.hxg4 Nxe4 17. Nxe4 Rxe4+ 1 8 . Ne2
Qxd2+ 19.Kxd2 dxc4+.
Therefore: l l .Nh3 Ne5 1 2 . Nf2 :
16 . . . Nxd5 17.exd5 e6 1 8 . Bd2 exd5+00

If you are one of those who dare, here
is something for you to dig into!
b) Instead, 12 . . . e6 was my move
in the game:
b1) Premature is 13.f4 Neg4
14 . Nxg4 Nxg4 15 .h3 Nf6 16 .dxe6
Bxe6 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Nd5 Qd8
19.Nxf6+ Qxf6+.
b2) 13. Be2 Qb4 (or 13 . . . exd5
14.cxd5 c4 15. 0- 0 ) and now:
b2 1) Now White played 14 .Qc2?!
b2 1 1) which allowed the tactical
chance 14 . . . Nxc4! and which I had
miscalculated and missed! 1 5 . Rb3
Qa5 16. Bxc4 (or 16.Bxf6 Ne3 1 7. Qcl
Bh6 lB. Qbl exd5 19.exd5 c4 20.Ra3

Nxd5 2l.Bd4 Nf4 22. Kfl Nxe2
23. Nxe2 Rxe2+) 16 . . . exd5 17. Be2 d4+.
a) Here Black can sacrifice two

pieces after 12 . . . Qb4!? 13 .Qd1 Nxc4
b2 12) I played 14 . . . exd5?! 15.cxd5

c4 16 .0-0 Qc5 (or 16. . . Rb8 17.a5 b5
18. Be3) 17.Qd2 with advantage
for White in Kozhuharov-Bojkov,
Bulgaria Teams 2 0 1 1 .
b22) Instead, White could have
achieved an edge with the subtle
14 .Qd1!
(Certainly not 13 . . . Qxb2 ? ? 14. Rb3+-)

14 .Rb3 Nxb2 15 .Qc2 Qa5 16.Qxb2
1 69
15 . Qxg7+ Kxg7=, Genov-B ogner,

Sunny Beach 2 0 0 9 .
Instead, 9.d5 b5 10.cxb5 Qa5!
1 l . Nc1 axb5 1 2 . Nxb5 Nb6+t 13.Qxa5
Rxa5 14 . Nb3 Ra8 15.Nc3 Ba6 16.Rcl
h6 17.Bd2 Nfd7 18.Rc2 Rfb8 19. Bxa6
Rxa6 20.Ke2 f5 ! + was an excellent
Benko in the game Tosic-Arsovic,
Subotica 2008.
8 . c5 9. d5
. .
14 . . . Nxc4 15.Rb3 Nxb2 16.Qc2 Qa5

17.Qxb2 exd5 18.0-0 dxe4 19.fxe4
Nxe4 20. Nfxe4 Rxe4 2 l . Bf6 Bxf6
22. Rxf6 Rd4;t.
B.Nh8
White uses the opportunity to
bring the knight into play via a
square which does not obstruct the
bishop.
Again, the knight is not well
placed on e2: 8.Nge2 c5,
. .
b5
The Benko style ideas are quite

effective against White's set-up,
since he loses too much time with f2f3 and the maneuver Nh3 -f2 (d 1).
1 0. Nf2
The text position is usually
achieved after a different move
order: 10.cxb5 Qa5 . However, White
might try something else, like 1 l . a4
(11.Nf2
although the move 9.Bh6 adds

some independent flavor : 9 . . . Bxh6
10. Qxh6 b5! Anyway! l l .h4 (or
ll.cxb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 Ba6 13.Nec3

cxd4 14.Nxd4 Qb61') 1 1 . . .b4 1 2 . Nd5
e6
1 3 . Nxf6+
Qxf6
14 .h5
Qg7
1 70
transposes
to
the game.)
1 1 . . . Ne5 1 2 . Nf2 which, however,

would not change the character of
the game. Black has the traditional
compensation after 12 . . . axb5 13. Bxb5
Ba6 14 .0-0 Rfb8 1 5 . Rfb1 NeB !
A typical idea. The knight opens the
road for the bishop and eventually

for the f-pawn and aims for the c7
square. The pawn on e7 is usually
poisoned!
16 . Bxe7? Here is a case when this
pawn is not yummy at all. 16 . . . Bxb5
17.axb5 Qxa1 18.Rxal Rxal+ 19. Nfd1
(If 19.Ncdl then 19. . . Rxb5.) 19 . . . Nc4
20.Qe2 (or 20. Qel Nxb2) 20 . . . Bd4+
2l.Kfl Ne3+ 2 2 . Kf2 Nxd1+-+.
Black gets counterplay after
16.Qe2 Bxb5 17. Nxb5 Qd8 18.Bd2
Nc7 19.Nxc7 Qxc7?, Maciol-Hebden,
Leicester 2010.
12.Nfdl
12.a4 can be met with 12 . . . axb5
13. Bxb5 Ba6 14 .0-0 Bxb5 15. axb5

Qxa1 16 . Rxa1 Rxa l+ 17. Nfd1 Rfa8.
Zhao-Ly, Gold Coast 2010.
In case of 12 .bxa6 Bxa6 1 3 . Bxa6
Black will reply with 13 . . . Qxa6 !
14 .Qe2 Rfb8.
10 . . Qa5
.
Before trading on b5 Black waits

for the bishop on f1 to move, thus
winning a tempo. There are plenty
of useful things that Black can do,
contrary to his opponent.
ll.cxb5
The pawn should be captured
sooner or later, or else Black will
come for the one on c4: l l .Be2 Nb6
12.0-0 (12. b3? h6 13.Bh4 g5 14.Bg3
b4
15.Ncdl Nxe4- +)
1 2 . . . Nxc4
13.Bxc4
bxc4+,
Ionescu-Atalik,
Romania 1996.
ll ... Nb 6
The same policy again .
ontrary
to
popular
belief,
Black's compens ation in the
B enko becomes more obvious with
the disappearance of the queen s !
T h e reason for t h i s is the fact
that Black seeks counterplay on
the queen's flank, and without the
ladie s , there is no one to worry him
on the king's side .
1 71
Ideally, Black is seeking a pure

rook endgame, where he is usually
better despite the pawn down! 15.Qxa6
Rxa6 16.Nfdl Nc4 17.b3 Na3 18.Rcl
Nd7 19.Ke2 Nb5! 20.Kd2 (20.Bxe7?!
Nxc3+ 21.Nxc3 Bxc3 22.Rxc3 {6 traps

the bishop - another typical idea!)
20 ... Nxc3 21.Nxc3 Bxc3+ 22.Kxc3 f6
23.Bd2 Rxa2+, Jakubowski-Mista,
Zakopane 2001.
Nikolov is no stranger to the
position. Our game from the final
in Svilengrad continued 12.Be2 ,
which is the main line in White's
opening arsenal 12 . . . axb5 13 . Nxb5 ,
t o which Black needs t o proceed with
the development 13 . . . Bd7 (13 . . . Na4
al) But here I failed to conclude

the game in style with 27 . . . Qd8! !-+
28.g3 Bxe3+ 29.Kxe3 Qd4+ 30. Kxf4
is worse: 14. b3 Nxd5 15. bxa4 Bxal

16.exd5) 14 .Nc3 Rfb8, with a
further branch:
a) Nikolov chose against me the
solid 15.Nfd l to which I replied:
15 ... e6! Reminding White that his

king is still in the center! 16.dxe6
Bxe6 And he took the pawn here as
well! 17.Qxd6?! Na4t Black had a
tremendous initiative after: 18.0-0
Nxb2 (18... Ne8!?) 19.Rcl Rd8 20.Qf4
Nh5 21.Qh4 Rdb8 22 .Qel Nxdl
23.Bxdl Rb2 24. Be3 Bd4 2 5 . Rf2
Rxf2 26.Kxf2 Nf4 27.Qfl .
1 72
30 . . . g5+ 3 1 . Kxg5 Qe5+ 3 2 . Kh4 Qf6+

3 3 . Kh5 Qg6+ 34. Kh4 Qh6 mate.
a2) Instead, the game continued
27 . . . Bxc3?@ 2 8 . Bxf4 Bd2 29. Bxd2
Qxd2+ 30.Be2 Rxa2? (30. . . Qd4+
31. Kg3 Rxa2-+) 3 1 . Qd l+ and for
White, the worst was behind him in
Nikolov-Bojkov, Svilengrad 2006.
b) Probably better is 15.0-0:
But Black has two good choices in

15 . . . Na4!? and 15 ... Ne8:
bl) 15 ... Na4!?
16 . Nxa4
Qxd2
17. Bxd2 Rxa4 . Here are some lines
of my home analysis which demon
strate the compensation that Black
has: 18.Bc3 (After 18. b3 Ra3 19.Bcl ?!
b12) 20. Rfbl c4 2 1 . Rcl Rxb2

2 2 . Bxc4 Nf4 23 .g3 :
b 1 2 1 ) 23 . . . N h 3 + 24.Nxh3 Bxh3
2 5 . Bb3 Rd4 2 6 . Rd l :
b 1 2 1 1 ) 26 . . . Rg2+ 27.Khl Rxdl+
2 8 . Rxd l Rf2 29.f4 (29.Ral Rx{3+J
29 . . . Re2 3 0 . Kgl Rxe4 3 1 . Kf2 Rb4
3 2 . Rcl Kf6 = .
b 1 2 1 2 ) Rather than 2 6 . . . Rxdl+
27.Rxd l g5 2 8 . Bc4 Rg2+ 29.Khl
Rf2 30.Ral Rxf3 3 1 . a4 Rc3 3 2 . Bb5
Rc2 3 3 . a5 Bg2+ 34.Kgl Bxe4 3 5 . Bc6
Rg2+ 3 6 . Kfl Rxh2 37.Ra3 Rd2.
b122) Also good is 23 . . . Ne2+
24. Bxe2 Rxe2 :
b1221) 2 5 . Rc7?
Bb5
2 6 . Kg2
(26.Rxe7? Raxa2 27.Rxa2
Ra7 20.Bb2 watch for good tricks like

this one: 20. . . Nxd5! 21. Bxg7 Nf4 +.)
18 . . . Nh5 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 and now:
27. . . Rel+ 28. Kg2 Bfl+ 29.Kgl Bh3

mate.) 26 . . . Rb4+.
b1222) 2 5 . a3 Bb5 2 6 . Rabl Ba6
27.Rb3 Ra2+.
b2) Even better for Black is
15 . . . Ne8:
bll) 20 .b3
Ra3
2 1 . Rfbl
Nf4
22 .Bc4 g5 23 .g3 Ng6 24.Nd3 Rba8
25.Rb2 h5 2 6 .b4 Rc3 27.Rcl Raa3
28.Rb3 Raxb3 29. axb3 cxb4 30.Ral
Bh3 3 1 . Rcl Kf6+.
1 73
b222) 19 . . . Bxe6
2 l . Be3 Rb7
b2221) 22.Qxd6
2 0 . Bxe6
Rd8
Nxe6
23 .Qg3
(23. Qc6? Nxc3 24.Nxc3 Rb6 25. Qa4

Bxc3-+) 23 . . . Nxb2 !
And now we consider three alter

natives for White, 16. Bxe7, 16. Rabl,
and 16 .Rfbl :
b2 1) Here, as usual, the greedy
16. Bxe7 is punished, this time after
16 . . . Na4! 17.Qe3 (17.Nfdl Rxb2+)
17 . . . Rxb2 18.Nxa4 Qxa4+.
b22) 16. Rabl is better, but Black
has the initiative after 16 . . . Na4
17. Nfd l e6 18. Bc4 Nc7 19.dxe6 :
24.Nxb2
(24.Rxb2 Rxb2 25.Nxb2

Qxc3 26.Bcl Bd4+ 2ZKhl Qc2-+)
24 . . . Qxc3 2 5 . Ndl RxdH.

b2222) 2 2 . f4 Nxc3 2 3 . Nxc3 Rab8
24 .b4 cxb4 2 5 . Nd5 Nc5 2 6 .Qc2 Qa4
2 7.Qc4 b3 2 8 .Qxa4 Nxa4 29. axb3
Rxb3=. I hope that the analysis will
be of some help to understand the
nature of the position.
b23) Finally, the move 16.Rfbl
has already been seen in GM practice:
16 . . . Na4 17. Nfd l (Better than 1 7.Nxa4
Qxd2 18.Bxd2 Bxa4 19.Bc3 Bc2

20.Rfl Bxc3 21. bxc3 Rb2+, Dreev
Beliavsky, Linares 1995.)
b221)
19 . . . Bd4+ 20.Kh l (20.Be3

20 . . . Bxe6
2 l . Bd3
Nxb2
22.Rxb2 Rxb2 23 .Qxb2 c4 24. Be3
Bxe3 25.Nxe3 cxd3? 26.Rd l d5
27.exd5
Nxd5
28.Nexd5
Bxd5
29. Rxd3 Bxa2=.
Bxe6?)
1 74
Now an idea that is always good
to know is 17 . . . Rxb2 !
12 . . . axb5
13.Nxb5
And Black explodes the dark

squares, although the position re
mains approximately equal. 18.Rxb2
Nxc3 and now :
b231) 19. Bc4 Na4 (19 . . . Bd4+!?
The other capture leads to the

Benko endgame, which is excellent
for Black: 13.Bxb5 Ba6 14.Bxa6
Qxa6 15.Qe2
20.Be3 Nxdl 21.Bxd4 Nxb2 22. Qxa5

Rxa5 23.Bxb2 Nc7=) 20.Qxa5 Rxa5
2l.Rbbl Ra8 2 2 . Kf2 Bxa l 2 3 . Rxal
f6 24.Be3 f5=.
b232) 19.Nxc3 The problem with

this position for me at least, during
the game, was that I could not find
a way to gain the advantage. Equal
positions I had everywhere, but not
an advantage.
b2321) For example,
19 . . . Bxc3
20.Qcl f6 (20... Bxb2 21. Qxb2 {6)
2l .Bd2 Bxb2 22.Qxb2 Qa4=.
b2322) I chose 19 ... Bd4+ 20.Kfl
Bxc3 21 .Qcl f6 2 2 . Bd2 Bxb2 23.Qxb2
Qa3 24.Qxa3 Rxa3 2 5 . Kel f5 2 6 . Bcl
Ra7 27.Bd3 Nf6 2 8 . Bb2 fxe4!?
(28 ... Kf7 29.a3 e6 draw, Benitah
Bojkov, Vancouver 2006) 29.fxe4 Ra4
30. Bc2 Rc4 3 1 .Bd3 Rb4 3 2 . Bc3 Ra4
33.Bc2 Rc4 34. Bxf6 exf6 3 5 . Kd2
Ba4=.
Here we look at two possibilities:

First, 15 Rfb8 16.Qxa6 Rxa6
17.b3 c4 1 8 . Rbl cxb3 19. axb3 h6
20.Be3 Nfd7 2 1 . 0 - 0 Ne5 2 2 . Rf2
(22.Nf2 Nxf3+) 22 . . . Nbd7 2 3 . Ra2
Rxa2 24.Nxa2 Nc4 =.
1 75
And 15
Qxe2+ 16.Kxe2 Rfb8:
a) Now 17.b3 c4 18.Rb1 (18. b4

Na4 l'l 19.a3 Nxe4+) 18 ... h6 with two
possibilities:
a1) 19.Be3 Nfd7 20.bxc4 Nxc4
2l.Rxb8+ Rxb8+t.
a2) 19.Bh4 Nbd7 20.b4 Ra3 2 l .b5
g5 22 .Be1 Nh5 23 .g3 Bd4 24.Rc1 Ne5
25.Rc2 Nd3 26.Bd2 Nb4 27.Rb2 Nd3
28.Rc2= e6!?.
b) Not as good is 17.Rb1 Nc4 18 .b3
Na3 19.Rc1 c4 20.bxc4 Nxc4 2 l . Re1
h6 22.Bh4 Nh5+.
17.b3 c4 18.Rb1 ReS 19.Be3 cxb3

20. axb3 (Probably, White needed
to force a draw with 20.Bxb6 bxa2

21. Bxa5 Bxc3+ 22.Nxc3 axblQ+
23.Nxbl Rcl+ 24. Kd2 Rxbl=.)
20 . . . Bxc3+ 2 l . Nxc3 Rxc3 2 2 . Bxb6
Ra2 23 .b4 Nc7 24. Bxc7?? Re3+ 0-1,
Clemens-Kovalev, Zwolle 1996.
The other knight can also appear
on c3: 14.Ndc3N
13 . . Bd7 14. Nbc3

.
The most solid, but a somewhat

artificial reply.
As usual, the queen exchange
works well for Black: 14.Qxa5 Rxa5
15.Nbc3 Rb8 16 .Bd2 Ne8 ! t
Here is an original analysis of this

option: 14 . . . Na4 (14 ... Rfb8!?) 15.Nxa4
Qxa4 16.Nc3 Qb4 17.Be2 Rfb8 18.Rb1
NeB 19.0-0 Bd4+ 20.Kh 1 (20.Be3
Rxa2!+ 21.Bxd4 cxd4) 20 ... Bxc3
21.Qxc30 (21.bxc3 Qxb1 22.Rxbl Rxbl+
23.Bdl Rxa2-+) 2l...Rxa2 22.Bc4
1 76
(22.Qxb4 Rxb4 23.Bxe7 f6 24.e5 fxe5+)

22 ... Rxb2 23 .Qxb2 Qxb2 24.Rxb2
Rxb2 25.Bxe7 f6 26.Bd8 Bb5 (26... Rc2
2ZBd3 Rc3 28.Ba6 Ra3 29.Bc4 BcB)

27.Bxb5 Rxb5 28.Ral Rb8 29.Ba5 f5+.
14 . . . e 6 15. dxe6 Bxe6
a) 1 9 . Qxa5
Rxa5
2 0 . a3
saw
Black completely in control after
2 0 . . . Rb8 :
a l ) 2 1 . Bd2 Ra7 2 2 . Rc l Bd4+.
a2) 2 1 . 0 - 0 Bd4+ 2 2 . Kh l Kg7 !?
Black plays for a win. (22 ... Bxb2
23.Nxb2 Rxb2 24.Rfel Nc3 25.Bfl

Rb3=) 2 3 . Bd2 Ra4
16. Qxd6N
A greedy novelty.
Safer is 16.Be2, though Black
experienced no problems here as well.
16 . . . d5! It looks like the best idea for
Black is to immediately try to reach
the white king! 17.exd5 (better than
1ZBxf6 Bxf6 18.exd5 Nxd5 19.Nxd5

Qxd2+ 20.Kxd2 Bxd5t) 17. . . Nfxd5
18.Nxd5 Nxd5 and now:
24.Rcl (24.Nc3 ? allows the total dom

ination of the black troops instead:
24 . . . Rxb2 25.Nxa4 Rxd2 26.Rael
Ne3-+) and now:
a21) 24 . . . h5!? Improving on the

king's flank. I have the feeling that it
is only Black who can push for a win
in this situation, for instance, after
2 5 . Nc3:
a211) 25 ... Rxb2 2 6 . Nxa4 Rxd2
27. Rfel Bf2 2 8 . Nxc5 Ne3 29.Nxe6+
fxe6 30. Bfl Bxel 3 l . Rxel Nxfl
3 2 . Rxfl Ra2 =.
2 6 . Bxc3
a212) or
25 ... Nxc3
(26. bxc3 Bf6+ 2 7. Be3 ReB) 26 . . . Bxc3
27.Rxc3 (27. bxc3 Rb2 28.Rfel Rxa3+)
27 . . . Rxb2 2 8 . Bd3 Rb3-+.
a22) Instead, equal is 24 ... Bxb2
2 5 . Rxc5 Bxa3 2 6 . Rc4 Bb4 27. Bxb4
Rbxb4 2 8 . Rxb4 Rxb4=.
a3) Finally, an over-the-board
game saw 2 1 . Rcl Bxb2 2 2 . Nxb2 Rxb2
23 .Ral c4 24.Bd2 c3 2 5 . Bh6 Ne7+,
1 77
Vernay-Nakar, Aix les Bains 2 0 1 1 .

But Black had two better options on
his 25th move:
a31) 25 . . . f6 26. Bc4 Nf4 27. Bxe6+
Nxe6 28.0-0 g5 -+.
a32) and 25 ... c2 26.Bd2 Nc3
27. Bxc3 Rxa3 28 .Rc1 Rxc3 29.Kd2
Rc6 30.Bd3 Rd6 3 l . Rhe1 Bf5 3 2 . Kc3
Rb7 33.Bxf5 Rc7+ 34.Kb4 gxf5 -+.
b) 19.0-0 has also been played:
19 ... Rfb8 (Instead, Black could
a) 2 l . Bd3 c4 2 2 . Be3 cxd3 2 3 . Bxb6

Ra6+.
b) 2 l .e5?! Nh5 .
c) 2 l .exd5 exd5 2 2 . Bb5 NeB
with rich compensation for the pawn.
A sample line 2 3 . 0 - 0 Nd6 24.Bd3
Nbc4 25 .Bc3 Bxc3 2 6 .bxc3 ReS 27.a4
Nd2 2 8 . Rf2 Re1+ 29.Bfl N6c4-+.
16
..
Na4
have achieved a slight edge after

the move: 19. . . Qxd2 20. Bxd2 Bd4+
2l.Khl Nb6+.) 20. Bc4 Bd4+ 2 l . Kh 1
Qxd2 2 2 . Bxd2 Bxb2 2 3 . Nxb2 Rxb2
24.Bh6:
b1) 24 ... Ne3
2 5 . Bxe3
draw,
Socko- Spisak, Krynica 1997.
b2) Black missed another chance:
24 . . . Nb4! 25.Rac1 Bxc4 26.Rxc4 Nd3
27.Rc3:
b21) 27 ... Rd8 ! ?
2 8 . Kg1
Rb4
29.Rd1 c4 30.Bg5 Rdb8 3 l . Bf6 Rb1
32.Rfl Rxfl+ 3 3 . Kxfl Rb1+ 34.Ke2
Nf4+-+.
b22) 27 ... Nf2+
28.Kg1
Raxa2
29.Rxc5 Nh3+ 30.Kh1 Nf2+=.
I have also analyzed the untested
computer suggestion 16.Nb5
1 7. Qd2
I remember that when I was ana
lyzing the game, the computer's first
choice was 17.Bd2 and I did not feel
surprised to see this had already
been tried in a correspondence game:
17 Rfd8 18.Nxa4
18 Qxa4.
16 . . . d5 17.Qxa5 Rxa5 18.Bd2 Raa8

19.Nc7 Ra7 20.Nxe6 fxe6:
1 78
(18. Qf4
Qb6!)
Note that the greedy 19.Qxc5

Rxd2 2 0 . Kxd2 Nxe4+ 2 l .fxe4 Qxe4--+
leads to a decisive attack for Black:
al) 22 .Qb5
Qa7
2 3 . a3
Rab8
24 .Qa5 Qe7 2 5 . g3 Bb3 2 6 . Bg2 Bxd l
27.Rxd l Rxb2 -+.
a2) 22 .Be3 Qb4+ 2 3 . Kf2 Bxa2
24. Bxd4 cxd4+.
b) The game saw 19 . . . Rd4 20.b3
Qd7 2 l . Nc3 Nh5 22 .Qe3 Bxb3 23. Be2
(23.g4 QdB!) 23 . . . RdS 24. axb3 Rxd2+
- (63), Knudsen-Mikeshin, ICCF
email 1999.
17. . . Rfd8 18. Qc2
a) 2 2 . Bd3 Bh6+ 2 3 . Kc3 (23. Kc2

Qxg2+ 24.Nf2 ReB-+) 23 . . . Qf4 24 .Qe3
ReS+ 2 5 . Kd2 Qb4+ 2 6 . Ke2 Bg4+

27. Kf2 Bxe3+ 2 S . Kxe3 ReS+ 29.Kf2
Qf4 + 30.Kgl Rel+.
b) 2 2 . Be2 ReS 2 3 . Nc3 Bxc3+
24.Qxc3 Rxc3 25 .bxc3 Qxg2+.
More resilient is 19.Qf4,
18 . . . c4
Black is two pawns down, but
is much better developed. All of his
pieces are involved in the pressure he
puts on White's position. No wonder
he soon starts a very dangerous
attack.
However, there was a more
incisive decision: 18 . . . Nxb2 ! 19.Qxb2
(better than 19.Nxb2 Nxe4 20.fxe4

Qxc3+ 2l. Qxc3 Bxc3+-+) 19 . . . Rxdl+
20.Rxd l (not 20.Kxdl Nxe4 21.fxe4
Bxc3 22. Qc1 Qa4+ 23.Ke2 Qxe4+-+)
20 . . . Nxe4 2 l . fxe4 Bxc3+ 2 2 . Bd2 Bxb2
2 3 . Bxa5 Rxa5+.
although Black's initiative is over
whelming here as well:
a) 19 ... Nh5 !? 20 .Qe3 Bd4 2 l .Qe2
Nf6:
1 79
19. Bd2
23 . . . Rxdl+ 24. Kxdl Bxc3
19 . . . Rxd2!!
25. Qb8+0
Instead, 19 . . . Nc5 with an initiative

is the positional approach, but the
combination that Spasov chooses
gives him a dangerous attack, and
excellent practical chances .
2 5 .Qcl loses on the spot after

25 . . . Bg4+ 2 6 . Kc2 (26. Be2 Qa4 +
27. Qc2 Bxe2+) 26 . . . Bf6 27.Bxc4 Qc3+
2 8 . Kbl Qxal+ 29.Kc2 Qc3+ 30.Kbl
Qb4+ 3 l . Bb3 Qxe4+ 32 .Qc2 Qd4, as
.. Bf5 is inevitable.
20. Qxd2
RdB
22. Qxb2 Nxe4/
21. Qc2
Nxb2
25 . . . Kg 7 26.Rcl ?l
This natural move brings White
to the verge of defeat.
The
computer
defense
was
2 6 . Bxc4 Bxc4 27.Rcl Bd3 28.Rxc3
Qxc3 2 9.Qb3 Qa l+ 3 0 . Kd2 Qxhl=.
26 . . . Bg4+ 2 7. Kc2
The point. Black opens the diag

onal for the "Monster". Gufeld would
have been delighted to see this .
23.fxe4
Obviously weaker
is
2 3 . Rcl
Rxdl+ 24.Kxdl Nxc3+ 2 5 . Rxc3 Bxc3
26.Qcl Qe5 -+.
180
After
27. Be2
Qa4+
2 8 . Rc2
Bxe2+ 29.Kcl (not 29.Kxe2 Qxc2+-+)
29 Qa3+ 3 0 . Kbl Bd3
...
Black has won back a queen and

a pawn for his sacrificed rooks, but
White's defensive resources are not
yet exhausted.
White is completely tied up. The
bishops are obviously better than the
rooks!
However, White can still fight here:
31.Rdl Bxe4 32.Rd8 h5 33.Rh8 Qa4
34.Qf8+ Kf6 35.Qd6+ Kf5! 36.Qc5+
Be5 37.Qf2+ Ke6+, and I doubt that
any human can stand the pressure.
27 Be5 28 Qxe5+1
. . .
Again the only move. Momchil

Nikolov is famous for his stubborn
ness in defense.
28 Qxe5 29. Bxc4 Qxe4 + 30. Kb3

Qb7+ 31. Kc3 Qxg2+
. . .
32. a4 Bf3
B etter was 32 . . . Qc6! 3 3 . Kb4
Qd6+ 3 4 . Kb3 Qb6+. Black stops
White's counterplay and then ad
vances the pawns on the King's
flank. 3 5 . Ka3 f5+.
33. Rhfl {5
The same plan, but with Black's
inactive queen, White escapes.
34. Rc2 Qh3 35. Kb4 Be4 36. Ra2

Qh4 3 7. a5
White advances the pawn, but
gives yet one more chance for his rival.
Better was 37.Rdl with chances
for a draw.
37. . . Bd5 38. Rcl Qe7+
181
46. Kb3
39. Kb5
39.Ka4 Qc5 40. Bxd5 Qxcl 4 l . Kb5
Qfl+ 42 .Bc4 Qbl+ 43.Kc5 Qgl+
44.Kb5 f4 45.a6 Qa7 should be
winning for Black, although with
difficulties.
39
Qe5
Missing the last chance to play

for a win. After 39 . . . Qd6 ! the white
pawn will be stopped, as 40.a6?
allows 40 ... Bc6+ 4l.Kb6
41 ... Bd7+ 42.Kb7 Qc6+ 43.Kb8 Qb6+

44.Ka8 Bc6 mate.
40. Kb4 Qd6+ 41. Kb3 f441.. .Qb8+!?.
42. Rcc2
44.Kb3
182
Qb8+
Qe3+
43. Kc3
45. Kb4
Qe5+
Qe7+
And with the white . pawn close

enough to the promotion square to
scare Black, he decided to force a
draw.
46 . . . Qb7+ 4 7. Kc3
Qd6+ 49. Kb3 -*-*
Qc6 48. Kb4
Memory Markers
Here are reminders of some of the ideas and motifs in this chapter.
1. After ll . .Nd7!. The typical

knight maneuver. See diagram
on page 123 in Benidze-Saric.
2. After 12 .Nb4!. Shirov's idea
3. After 19 .Nb7!. Surrounding

the c4 pawn. See diagram on
page 134 in Krylov-Efimenk.o.
4. After 16 Nf6!.
..
..
in Benidze-Saric.
on page 1 2 7 .
See diagram
Attacking
the exposed king. See diagram on
page 137 in Krylov-Efimenk.o.
...
183
5. Mter 19 ... Kf7. The critical

exchange sacrifice. See diagram
on page 141 in Wang Yue
Radj abov.
6. Mter 21 ... Rxa2. Black levels
7. Mter 15 ... cxd4!.

An im
provement on Gallagher's analy
sis. See diagram on page 1 5 1 in
Caruana-Rodshtein.
8. Mter 13 ...Qh3. The naughty
184
the chances. An improvement on

2 1 . . .5 in Wang Yue-Radj abov.
See diagram on page 146.
queen! Improvement on 13 . . . Qg5

in Caruana-Rodshtein. See dia
gram on page 1 5 1 .
9. After 9 ... h5.
The automatic
advance of the h-pawn when the
knight reaches g3 . See diagram on
page 161 in Anand-Nakamura.
Avoiding
a7-a6 against the Bc1-g5 plan.
See diagram on page 164 in
Anand-Nakamura.
1 1 . After ll ...Nb6. Postponing

a6xb5 to win a tempo, text move
in Nikolov-Spasov. See diagram
on page 1 7 1 .
12. After 17 ... Rxb2!. A typical

way ofbreaking the defense in the
Benko-style set-up. See diagram
on page 175 in Nikolov-Spasov.
1 0 . After 10 ... Qb6!.
1 85
Exercis es
Black to play!
As Black, practice finding the right moves when facing the Samisch .
Solutions to the exercises begin on page 325.
Exercise 1
Martinez - Damljanovic
Andorra Open 2008
An appetizer.
186
Exercise 2
Polishchuk
- Nesterets
Myrhorod Open 2010

How can Black make use of his
active pieces?
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Arlandi - Khalifman
Harika - Mamedov
Groningen 1985
Moscow 2012
Demonstrate your compensation!
How can Black fight against the

opponent's space advantage?
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Dragomarezkij - Kaminski
Zaid - Ubilava
Warsaw Open 1992
USSR 1974
Which piece holds White's position

together?
Prove that the white pieces are

clumsy.
187
Exercise 7
Dias - Fier
Akhmadeev - Amonatov
Curitiba 2010
Nezhmetdinov Memorial 2007
White is a pawn up and is seemingly

consolidating his position. Is he?
Exercise 9
Exercise 10
Demanghon - Perrin
Sergeev - Klimov
FRA-chT2 2008
St. Petersburg 2003
Is White as rock solid as he seems?
188
Exercise 8
A small combination.
Chapter 3
The Four
Pawns Attack
l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5.(4 0-0
What can be more logical than taking the center if they give it to you? This
is the first thing that will come to anyone's mind after seeing Black developing
in a KID style. Just push the pawns, seize the center and crack this freaky
set-up. It's that simple . . .
ut i n reality, things are not as

simple as they look. First of all,
White is neglecting h i s development
and has not yet brought any of his
kingside pieces into the game . The
second player, on the other hand,
has already castled and is ready to
bring a rook closer to the center; only
those mighty pawns are obstructing
it from starting a fire against the
white monarch.
Therefore, they need to be cleared
away, and I suggest we do this at
once: 6 . . . e7-e5 is a move which seems
to be deeply underestimated, even
though according to the Megabase it
was played as early as 1851! Let us
try to fix this unfairness!
1 Jobava - Jianu
Romanian Team Championship

Brasov 2011
l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4
d6 5.(4
The Four Pawns Attack. A recent
book of IM Semko Semkov called
it Kill K. I.D. Bombastic, yes , but
also to the point. White is willing
to immediately attack in the center
and occupy it, and eventually blow it
open to reach the black king. White
certainly needs some preparation in
order to do that. Therefore, I suggest
that we counterattack at the first
possible moment.
5. . . 0 - 0 6. Nf3 e5!?
Chapter 3: The Four Pawns Attack
1 89
Black hits back in the center

at once. Indeed, White is not badly
developed and can even win a pawn,
but the rook on f8 will help Black to
find sufficient counterplay.
Black usually strikes in the cen
ter with 6 . . . c5, or prepares the e7-e5
advance with the help of 6 ... Na6 .
This move needs further investiga
tion, and as we shall see, some trans
positions are possible.
am nevertheless recommending
you use the fresh 6 . . . e7-e5 attempt
which is in the true spirit of the
KID, and further on it avoids some
side-possibilities for the first player,
which might be uncomfortable for
Black.
However, a line that is of interest
to us arises after 6 ... Na6 7.Be2 e5
and now 8.dxe5 (For 8.fxe5 dxe5
9.d5, see the next game.) 8 ... dxe5
190
Black is again sacrificing a pawn.

Tournament practice has shown that
the best that White might expect
here is a forced draw:
9.Nxe5 is the old theory of the
line. (For 9.Qxd8, see page 193.)
Note that it does not now make
sense for us to exchange queens with
9 . . . Qxd1+?! since the bishop will be
transferred to a better square after
10.Bxd 1 ! Nc5 1 l . Bc2 Be6 12 .Be3
Nfd7 13 . Nxd7 Nxd7 14 .0-0-0 Bxc3
15 .bxc3 Rfd8 16. Rd4:t. em
Thus 9 ... Nc5, putting immediate
pressure on the e4 pawn.
Unfortunately for White, he
cannot use the queen to defend the
pawn because 10.Qc2?! is answered
with 10 . . . Nfxe4! l l . Nxe4 Bf5 12 .Bf3:
a) 12 ... Re8 !?N might be even better, as White cannot castle anyway.
13.0-0 Bxe4 14 . Bxe4 Qd4+ 15 .Qf2
Qxf2+ 16. Rxf2 Nxe4 17.Re2 f5+.
b) 12 . . . Bxe5 13.fxe5 Bxe4 14 . Bxe4
Qh4+ 15 .g3 Qxe4+ 16.Qxe4 Nxe4+.
10.Qxd8 Rxd8 l l . Bf3 Be6 will
transpose to the line 9.Qxd8 below.
Therefore, White needs to defend
with 10.Bf3 Qxd1+ 1 l . Kxd 1 and now
Black should bring the rook immedi
ately into the game with ll . . . Rd8+!
which is uncomfortable for White.
Bxc3+) 14 ... gxf4 15.Rg1 fxg3 16.Rxg3

Kf8+ and Black has all the play.
a3) The c2 square is never safe
for the white king: 13 . Kc2 g4 14 .Be3
We consider four replies, 1 2 .Bd2,

12.Ke2?! , 1 2 . Ke1, and 12 .Kc2 on
page 192:
a) If White tries to block the
check with 12 .Bd2 then Black has
12 . . . g5 ! ! (or even 12 . . . Ng4 13.Nxg4
Bxg4 with the idea of 14.Bxg4 Bxc3

15. bxc3 Nxe4 +):
We look a t five replies here:

a1) 13 .g3
gxf4
14 . gxf4
Bh6 !
15.Nd5 (White lacks the time to break
the pin: 15.Ke2 ? Rxd2+ 16. Kxd2

Bxf4+) 15 . . . Ncxe4 16 . Nxf6+ Nxf6
17.Rg1+ Kf8+.
a2) The active 13 .b4 just brings the
knight to a better position: 13 ... Ne6
14.g3 (14.{5 Nxe4 15.Bxe4 Bxe5 16.fxe6
14 ... Ncxe4! 1 5 . Nxe4 Bf5+.

a4) 13 .h3 allows Black to recover
the pawn and keep the initiative:
13 . . . gxf4 14 . Ke2 Nh5 ! 1 5 . Bxh5 Bxe5
16. Bf3 f5 ! with a clear edge due to
the weak white king.
a5) Finally, 13.fxg5 walks into
13 . . . Ne8 ! + when the knight on e5
is almost trapped, and White loses
material: 14 . Ng4 Bxg4 15. Bxg4 Bxc3
16 .bxc3 Nxe4-+.
b) The drawback of 1 2 . Ke 2?! is
that the c4 pawn is attacked with
tempos. An old and convincing
example: 12 . . . Be6 13.Nd5 Nfd7:
b1) How vulnerable the king is
shows in the line 14 . Nxc7? Nxe5
15.Nxe6 Nxf3 16.Nxc5 Nd4+ 17. Kf2
(1 7. Kfl Nc2 18.Rbl Rdl+) 17 . . . Nc2
18.Rb1 Bd4+, and Black wins a piece.
b2) 14 .Be3 Nxe5 15.fxe5 Nd7
16. Bg5 Bxd5 17.cxd5 ReS+ Gorelov
Belov, USSR 1987.
191
c) The king avoids the intermedi

ate checks with 1 2 . Ke l Be6 1 3 . Kf2 ,
but Black would nevertheless enjoy
great compensation after 13 . . . Nfd7 !
D emember this move. It is a key

firesource in the current line,
which unleashes the power of the
black monster on g7, weakens the
d3 square, and gives a chance for
the e6 bishop to attack the c4 pawn.
14 .Nxd7 Rxd7 15.e5 Bxc4+.
Black plays
12 . . . Nfxe4!
13.Nxe4
Bf5 14.Rel Bxe5 15.fxe5 Rd4, and
either recovers the piece or forces a
perpetual: 16 . Kc3 (or the immediate
16. b3 Nxe4) 16 . . . Rd3+ and now:
dl) A beautiful draw is forced

after 17. Kb4 Na6+ 18.Ka5 b6+!
19.Kxa6 Bc8+ 2 0 . Kb5 Bd7+ 21.Ka6
Bc8+,
d) Thus White has 1 2 . Kc2 , but as

we have already seen, this position is
not great for the White king:
with a perpetual check.

d2) Or 17.Kc2 Rd4, and if White
does not want to repeat moves he
needs to try returning the piece
with 18 .b3 !? Nxe4 (It's best to avoid
18 . . . Bxe4+ ?1 19.Bxe4 Rxe4 20.Rxe4

Nxe4 21. Be3!.). And now:
192
d21) There is no need to be afraid

of 19.g4!? as Black has a couple of dis
covered checks: 19 ... Nd2+ (19... Ng5+
leads to the same thing) 20.gxf5 Nxf3
21.Re2 , and here I like the tricky
2l...gxf5 22.Bb2 RadS! 23.Rfl Re4!
where White still needs to work hard
in order to prove compensation.
d22) 19.Kb2 is more cautious .
A GM game continued 19 . . . Nc5
20.Ka3?! (or 20.Be3 Nd3+ 21.Kc3
Nxel
22.Bxd4
Nxf3
9.Qxd8 RxdS 10.Nxe5 . The

difference from the previous line is
that White can castle short. Still, we
are doing fine with 10 . . . Nc5:
23.gxf3=)
20 . . . Nd3 2 l .Rd1 ReS! with the idea

ReSxe5 -a5 mate ! 2 2 . Bxb7 Rxe5 with
an edge for Black. Some lines to
prove the assessment:
d221) 2 3 . Bd2 Rd6 24. Bc3 Re2
25 .b4 (or 25.Ba5 c6):
a) If 1 l . Bf3 Be6:
a1) 1 2 . Nd5?! Nfd7 13.Nxd7 Rxd7
14 . Ke2 ReS! (14 . . . c6! is even better.)
15.e5 c6+, Vaiser-Weindle, Chiasso
19S9.
a2) 1 2 . 0 - 0 Nfd7. With the disap
pearance of the knight on e5 Black
has nothing to worry about. 13.Nxd7
2 5 . . . Nb2 !
2 6 . Bxb2
Re3+
27.Bc3
Rxc3+ 2 S . Kb2 Rxc4 29. Rxd6 cxd6+.
d222) Best is 2 3 . Bd5, yet Black
can still try to mate the opponent
with 23 . . . Rexd5! 24.cxd5 Rxd5 25 .b4
Be6! 26.Rb1 Rd6 2 7.b5 a6 (27. .. Bc4!?)
forcing him to find the only defense:
2S.Bf4! Rd5 ! (or 2B . . . Nxf4 29.Rxd6
cxd6 30. b6 Bd5 31.g3 Ne6 32. b7+-)

29.Bxc7 axb5 30.Rxb5 Rxb5 3 1 . Rxd3
Rc5 3 2 . BdS Rc2 3 3 . Bf6 Rxa2+
34.Kb4 RaS 3 5 . RdS+=, Cifuentes
Parada-Bosboom, Netherlands 199S.
13 . . . Bd4+! It is useful to bring the

bishop to an active position now, not
having to face the move e4-e5 with
it still on g7. 14 . Kh 1 Rxd7 15.Nd5
193
c6= 16. Be3 Practically forcing a

draw. (weaker is 16.Rdl Bg7 1 7. Ne3 ?!
Rxdl+
lB.Nxdl
Nd3
19.e5
{6t)
16 . . . cxd5 17. Bxd4 dxe4 1S. Bxc5 exf3

19. Rxf3 Bxc4. GM Yevseev tried to
play this position for a while , but
in the end accepted the draw in
Charochkina-Yevseev, St. Petersburg
201 1. It is a funny fact that even in
a sharp defense like the KID, there
are lines which lead to a forced draw.
Still, this should not be considered
a significant danger for the second
player.
b) After the pseudo-aggressive
1l.Nd5:
the pawn with 13 . . . f6 !? 14 .Bxc5

fxe5 15.fxe5 Bxe5=, as the pawn
cannot be defended with 16.Ba3
Bxb2 (16 . . . Bg4 17. Bxg4 Bxb2+ is also
possible.) 17. Bxb2 Bg4.
b22) Instead, Kindermann con
tinued 13 . . . Bxe5 14 .fxe5 Rxe5 15.Kf2
(If 15. Bxc5 then 15. . . Bg4=, and if

15. Bd4 then 15 . . . Re4.) 15 . . Ne4+
.
16 .Kf3 :
t
.. ..
'/ /
ll
.
b1) Black did well in a recent
game after ll . . . c6 1 2 . Ne7+ KfS
13.NxcS RaxcS 14 .Be3 Nfxe4 15.Rd1
Rxd1+ 16.Kxd1 ReS 17. Nd3 Nxd3
1S. Bxd3
Bxb2+,
Uhoda-Guliyev,
Metz 2003 .
b2) But White's move can still
be met with ll . . . Nxd5 12.exd5 ReS !
A n old game of Kindermann shows
the tactical resources of the second
player. Let's follow it. 13.Be3 (13. 0-0?
is just bad: 13. . .{6 14.Nd3 B{B!) And
now:
b2 1) Black is not forced to give
up the bishop pair; he can recover
194
ft
Now look what he does : 16 . . . Bg4 + !

17. Kf4! (better than 17.Kxg4 Nf6 +
18.Kf3 RaeB 19. Bd4 Rf5++) 17 . . . Rae8 !
(It's a draw after 17. . . Rf5+ 18. Kxe4

Bxe2=.) 1S. Bxg4 Nf6 ! 19. Bxa7 (And
not 19. Bf3 ? g5+! 20. Kg3 Rxe3+ given
by Hazai.) 19 . . . Re4+ 20.Kf3 Nxg4,
with a strong attack for the second
player in Gabriel-Kindermann , Bad
Homburg 1997.
7. dxe5
Another way
sacrificed pawn
to
is
pick
up
the
7.fxe5 dxe5
transposes
(8.d5
8.Nxe5
to
Bromberger-Nyzhnyk,
the second
game in this chapter.) The problem
with thi s capture is that the knight

on e5 is quite shaky once the pawn
on d4 disappears . Therefore: 8 ... c5!
This is White's best try.

A top GM game saw a transposi
tion to the 6 . . . Na6 line after 8.Nxe5
Qxdl+ 9.Kxdl Na6:
If the d-pawn moves forward,

the e-file will be opened: 9.d5 ReS
10. Nf3 Nxe4. Black not only recovers
the pawn, but has a strong attack
after l l . Nxe4 f5! It is good to chase
away the knight from f3 ! 1 2 . Be2
fxe4 1 3 . Nd 2 , and now the flashy
13 . . . Bh3 ! wins a pawn for Black, as
both 14 .gxh3? Qh4+ 1 5 . Kfl Bd4-+
and 14 .0-0 Qg5 15.g3 Bd4+ 16.Kh 1
Bxfl-+ are disastrous for the first
player.
9.Be3 carefully watches the cen
ter, but it is a bit too late.
a) One continuation is 9 ... cxd4
10. Bxd4 ReS l l . Be2 Qa5 (ll . . . Nxe4!
The knight on a6 is doing a great

job. It defends the pawn on c7, it
can attack the pawn on e4 with
Na6 - c 5 , or it might like to jump to
b4 instead.
Nobody has yet tested 10.Be3 ,
and I feel Black has nothing to worry
about after 10 . . . ReS:
a) Note the usefulness of the
knight on a6 after l l . Kc2?
would not be bad for Black either:

12.Nxe4 Qh4+ 13.Ng3 Bxe5 14. Bxe5
Rxe5 15. 0-0 Nc6 +.) and now:
a1) After 1 2 . Nf3 Nc6 13 .Qd2?

Nxd4! 14 . Nxd4 Nxe4 , Black later won
in Reina Aguilar-Arias Rodriguez ,
Trevias 2 0 0 6 .
a 2 ) White missed the chance to
scramble the position with 1 2 . Nxf7 !
Kxf7 13.0-0 Nc6 14 .Bxf6 Bxf6
15.Nd5 Re6 16. Bg4 Kg7 17.Bxe6
Bd4+ 1S.Kh 1 Bxe6oo.
b) Instead,
9 . . . ReS! puts the
White strategy to the test! 10. Be2
Qa5 l l . Bd2 cxd4 1 2 . Nd5 QdS+.
7 dxe5 8. Qxd8
. . .
l l ... Nxe4! 1 2 . Nxe4 Bf5 1 3 . Bd3 Nb4+

14 . Kd2 Nxd3 15. Kxd3 f6+.
1 95
b) After l l .Kc1 Nxe4 1 2 . Nxe4 f6

13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 it is up to Black if he
wants to recover the pawn, or (pref
erably!) to play for the attack with
Bc8-f5 on the next move.
After 10.Be2 Rd8+ l l . Kc2 Nxe4
12.Nxe4 Bf5 13.Bf3 Nc5 14 .Re1
Bxe5 15.fxe5 Rd4 16.Kc3 Rd3+
17. Kc2 Rd4 18.Kc3 Rd3+ 19.Kb4
Na6+ 20.Ka5 b6+ 2 l . Kxa6 Bc8+
22.Kb5 Bd7+ 23.Ka6 Bc8+ 24.Kb5
Bd7+ 25.Ka6, a draw was agreed in
Mamedyarov-Svidler, Baku 2008.
You have seen this draw already in
the notes above. (If Black had contin
ued with 25 . . . Bc8+, the game would
have arrived at the position in the
diagram on page 192 in line d l .)
8 . . . Rxd8 9. Nxe5
a) And Black could have proved

good compensation if he had found
12 . . . Na4! 1 3 . Bd2 Na6 14 .Be2 (if
14.Nd4 then 14 . . . N6c5) 14 . . . N6c5
15.0-0-0 Bf5.
b) Instead, he went down after
1 2 . . . Nd3+ 1 3 . Ke2 Nxc 1+ 14.Rxc1 Nc6
1 5 . Ke3t, Jobava-Roussel, Warsaw
201 1 .
Also, 9 Nxe4!? looks like an
interesting try for equality: 10.Nxe4
f6 l l . Nxg6 hxg6 1 2 . Kf2 Bf5 . You can
investigate Black's possibilities in
this case; it should be fun.
The king on e1 provides some
extra options for the first player, af
ter 9 Na6 10.Be3 ReS l l . Be2 Nxe4
1 2 . Nxe4 f6 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14 .0-0.
Still, this line is also worth investi
gating.
1 0. Bd3
Best. The pawn on e4 needs care.
Alternatively, 10. Be2
9. . . Re8!?
I like this move . Black places
the rook on the half-open e-file, and
intends to open the file either by
taking on e4 and proceeding with f7f6 , or simply by trading the knight
on e5 with Nd7.
There are also valuable alterna
tives for the second player:
Another game of Jobava saw
9 Nfd7!? 10. Nf3 Bxc3+!? 1 l .bxc3
Nc5 12 .e5:
196
runs into 10 . . . Nxe4! 1 l . Nxe4 f6

1 2 . Nxg6 (12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13. Kf2 Nd7!?
14.Nf3 Nc5 15.Rdl Bf5 is excellent

for Black, with the bishops completely
paralyzing White's queen's flank.)
12 . . . Rxe4 1 3 . Nh4 Bg4 14 . Nf3 . A
correspondence game continued with
14 . . . Bxf3 (Black could prove a decent
initiative either with 14 . . . Bf8 followed

by B{B-c5, or with 14 ... Na6.) 15.gxf3
Re7 16.Kf2 Nc6 17.f5 Rae8 18. Bd3;t,
Mueller-Callow, IECG email 2000.
10
Ng41
12 . . . Na6!'1
Jianu probably was afraid of the
line 12 . . . f6 1 3 . Nd5, but analysis
shows that Black is doing great here
as well. (13. 0-0 fxe5 14.Be4 Nc6 is
equal) After 13 . . . Na6 14 . Ne3 Be6
15.exf6 (Maybe it's best for White
to play for equality with 15.f5 Nb4

16. Bb1 gxf5 1 7. 0 - 0.) 15 . . . Bxf6 , with
Ra8-d8 and Na6 -c5 to follow, Black
has great development.
13. 0 - 0 Rad8
Seemingly best! Black's bishop

will be active on the g4 square if it
recaptures there. This line is very
fresh, and there is only one game in
the megabase, which we explore here.
Note that the e4 capture idea
is no longer available with White's
bishop on d3: 10 Nxe4? l l . Bxe4 f6
12 .Bd5+ Kh8 1 3 . Bf7 Rf8 (not 13 . . . Re7
14.Nd5) 14 . Nxg6+ hxg6 1 5 . Bxg6+
Krush-Airapetian, Tulsa 2008.
The bishop on d3 is also ready
to meet the standard aggression:
10 Na6 1 1 . 0 - 0 Nc5 1 2 . Bc2 c6 (or
...
12 ... Ng4 13.Nxg4 Bxg4 14. e5 Rad8;!;

1962)
Mikov-Vooremaa,
URSS
13.Be3,
2004.
Kopylov- Seibicke,
This was the idea behind Nb8-a6.

Black wins one more tempo to
introduce all his pieces into the
game, and f7-f6 is coming soon.
14. Be4 Nc5 15. Bf3 Bxf3 1 6. Rxf3

Of course not 16.gxf3?! f6 ! 17.exf6
Bxf6 1 8 . Rb1 Bxc3 19.bxc3 b6, when
White's position is a total mess .
1 6. . . (61
Kiel
10 Nfd7 might be playable, but

I would prefer to have the bishop on
g4, as Jianu had it, rather than on

d7. l l . Nxd7 Bxd7 1 2 . Kf2 .
ll.Nxg4 Bxg4 12. e5

1 3 . Kh 1
Bd4+!
12 .0-0
Or
Bxc3 14 .bxc3 Nd7, with excellent
compensation for Black.
197
18 . . . c6 19. Nxf6+ Bxf6 20. exf6

Nxb2
Finally, the second central file is

opened, and it is White who has to be
alert now. One of his main problems
is . . . the pawn on f4! It obstructs the
normal development of his bishop
and limits the activity of his rook,
too.
1 7.Be8
17.exf6 can be answered with
17 . . . Bxf6 18.Be3
21.{5!?
The last try.
After 2 l . Rbl Nxc4 2 2 . f7+ Kxf7
2 3 . Rxb7+
Re7
24. Rxe7+
Kxe7
2 5 . Bxa7 Ke6 2 6 . Rc3 Rdl+ 27.Kf2
Rd2+ 2 8 . Kel Rxa2 2 9 . Rxc4 Rxa7
30.Rxc6+ Kf5 3 l .g3 Ra2 , all the
pawns are killed.
21 . . . Nxc4 22. Bxa7 Kf7 28. Rh8

gxf5 24. Rxh 7+ Kxf6 25. Rxb7
Rd2
18 . . . Rxe3! 19.Rxe3 Bd4 20.Ndl Nd3

2l.Kfl (not 21.g3? ReB) 2 l . . . Bxe3
22.Nxe3 Nxf4, and Black takes over
the initiative.
1 7. . . Nd8 = 18. Nd5

Or 18.exf6
20.Rbl c6.
198
Bxf6
19.Nd5
Bxb2
Black's rooks will double on the

seventh to compensate for White's
extra pawn.
26. Rb4 Rc2 2 7. a4 Ree2 28. Kfl

Re4 29. Kgl Ree2 30. Kfl Re4
31. Kgl
2 Bromberger Nyzhnyk
It looks like they agreed to the

draw at this point, as the next move
does not make sense.
l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg 7 4 . e4
d6 5.f4 0 - 0 6. Nf3 e5
31 . . . Ke5 % - %
Bahia Feliz 2011
I shall once again refer to the

line starting with 6 ... Na6, as the
positions which we shall study below
can easily transpose (especially after
7.Bd3, discussed on page 200).
After the modest development
7.Be2 e5:
a) Note that White cannot keep

the central pressure with 8.0-0 exd4
9. Nxd4 ReS 10.Bf3 Nc5 l l .Rel due to
a trick worth remembering:
1 99
ll . . . Bg4! 1 2 . Bxg4 Nxg4 1 3 .Qxg4

Bxd4++, and Black wins the pawn on
e4 after Bd4xc3.
b) Thus 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.d5 (9. Nxe5
c5! is excellent for Black, compare

with the previous game!) 9 . . . Nc5! This
is the big difference. White does not
have a defender of the e4 pawn. Both
natural defenses now have definite
drawbacks:
bl) 10.Qc2
We've
seen
this
before; the queen is not happy here !
10 . . . Nfxe4!
10 . . . h6 l l . Bxf6 Qxf6 12 .b4 Na6
13 . Rbl c5!=, with blockade on the
black squares and equality. 14 . a 3
Qd6
15 .Qb3 B d 7 H i .0-0 Rac8
17.Khl h5 18. Nb5 Bxb5 19.cxb5 NbS
2 0 . Nd2 and a draw was agreed in
Stellwagen-Iordachescu, Wijk aan
Zee 2002 .
Now the move 7.Bd3 can easily
transpose to the position into our
game after 7 ... e5 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.d5:
l l . Nxe4 Bf5
1 2 . Bd3
(12.Nfd2 ?
Nxe4 13.Nxe4 Qh4+ loses a pawn.)
12 . . . Bxe4
1 3 . Bxe4
f5
Forking
everything all the way. . . 14 . Bxf5
Rxf5 ! and Black is on top, as e 5 e 4 is unstoppable: 1 5 . Be3 (15. 0 - 0
e4 16.Nd2 Bd4+ 17. Khl Qh4 leads

to a picturesque position in which
White cannot face the threat Rf5xfl+
followed by Qh4-el!) 15 . . . e4! 16. Bxc5
exf3 17. 0-0, and here instead of

17 . . . c6+ Dyachkov- Svirjov, Alushta
2003, Black could have been more
determined with 17 . . . Qg5 ! 1 8 . Rael
Be5 with the threat 19: .. Be5xh2+
and Qg5 -h4 +.
b2) 10. Bg5 is better, although
White had to part with his bishop:
200
Black has a large choice of ideas

besides the move 9 . . . Nc5 , which the
young Ukrainian used in our main
game. The most important for us
are 9 ... Qe7, and 9 ...Ne8 which is
explored on page 2 0 2 .
9 Qe7 This is a rare plan and

Black has good statistics here, but I
feel that the queen is not optimally
placed. The way that Nyzhnyk
played, 9 . . . Nc5 , seems better. Just
one example to demonstrate the
difficulties that the second player
experiences in this line: 10.0-0 Nc5
l l . Bc2 a5 1 2 .Qe2 !?N is a most recent
one. White controls the e4, c4 and
b5 squares.
...
his version of the hanging pawns

is not good for Black. Soon, one
of them will need to advance, mak
ing the second one a backward weak
ness. It's best to avoid it!
b) 1 3 . Be3 might be even better:
13 . . . Ng4 (13 . . . b6 is still possible,
keeping the Nf6-g4 resource for the

future.) 14. Bg5 f6 15.Bd2:
After 1 2 . . . Bd7 we look at two alter
natives:
a) 1 3 . Kh 1 frees the g1 square
for the bishop. 13 . . . b6 14 .Rb1 Nh5
15. Be3 Bg4?! (15. . . Nb7 at once is
more flexible, for example 16. b3 Nd6

17.a3 Nf4 18. Bxf4 exf4 19.e5 Nf5?.)
16.Qf2 Nb7 17.Nb5 f5 18.exf5 gxf5
19.Bg5 Bf6 20. Bxf6 Rxf6 2 l . Rbel
with advantage for White in Koneru
Ju, Antakya 2010:
b1) Now Black can do what

Edward Lasker did in his game
against Alekhine in New York 1924!
15 ... Qd6 !? intending to meet 16. Nb5
with 16 . . . Qb6 . However, the prelim
inary 16.h3:t keeps some edge for
White.
201
b2) Or 15 . . . Nh6 16. Nb5 Rfc8

17.a3 a4 (o 17. . . Nf7!? intending Bh6)
18.Nel c6 19.Nc3 Bg4?! (o 19 . . . Nf7t)
20.Qf2, Tasic- Sikorski, LSS email
2008.
The move 9 ... Ne8 is not mentioned
by Semkov. It is flexible, as Black has
a choice of plans. He can advance
either with 10 . . . c7-c5, or 10 . . . f7-f5
(see page 203) which I believe is
somewhat better. 10.0-0. And now
we see the prophylactic 10 .. c5!?:
.
lack intends to block the position

on the queen's flank first, use
the wonderful square on d6 for the
knight, and enjoy a kingside attack.
Luke McShane produced two
wonderful games in this line.
a) In the first game, I suspect he
was very happy to see l l .dxc6 bxc6
12 .Be3
202
12 . . . Nec7! 1 3 . a3 Ne6 , when he had

total control over the center. Thus
White's play on the queenside is not
dangerous at all. 14.b 4 Nd4 15.Ne2
Nxf3+ 16 . Rxf3 Nc7 ! The other
knight replaces his brother on the
d4 square. 17.h3 Ne6 1 8 . Ra2?! f5.
McShane took over the initiative and
won just two moves later! 19. Bc2?
Qxdl+ 2 0 . Bxd l f4 and White re
signed, as the pawn on e4 falls after
Ne6 -g5 , Palliser-McShane , Hinckley
Island 2009.
b) The acid test of the line is
however, the immediate advance
on the queen's flank: l l .a3! played
by another great expert of the line,
Alexander Shabalov. At the 2011
UTD tournament in Dallas, I saw
him winning this position with both
colors. l l . . . Bd7 1 2 .Qel Qe7 13.Bg5
f6 14 .Be3 Nd6 1 5 . Rbl. It seems that
White should be more successful
on his part of the board, but with
careful play McShane nullifies the
activity: 15 . . . Rfc8! 16.Qh4 b6 17.Khl
Nf7 ! Freeing the d6 square for the
second knight, which is inactive at
the moment. 1 8 . Nd2 Nc7 19.b4:
And now the other plan 10... f5
It seems White is making prog

ress, but . . . 19 . . . Na6 ! The knight is
suddenly retreating to counterattack
the b-pawn, and Shabalov is forced to
either close the flank or risk 20.d6!?.
You do not need to ask Shaba
twice. He will sacrifice something at
the moment he can! (Black achieves
what he wants in case of 20. b5 Nc7

21.a4 NeB 22.a5 Ned6 and next, most
likely, Qe7-f6 will follow, and Black is
ready to advance on the king's flank.)
McShane continued with 20 . . . Qxd6
2 l .Nd5 Rf8 (21...Be6 22. Nxf6+ Bxf6
23. Qxf6 seems dangerous for Black,

but might be approximately equal.)
22.Rf3 Nc7 23 .bxc5 bxc5 24.Rbfl
with a sharp, double-edged game in
which the Englishman proved better,
Shabalov-McShane, Toronto 2010.
We look at l l.Be3 and l l.Bg5.
l l.Be3
a) The only game so far in this line
saw Black prematurely advancing his
kingside pawns with ll . . . f4?! 1 2 . Bf2
g5 , but after 1 3 . Nd 2 ! he could not
prevent the maneuver Be2 -g4 , and
lost the battle for the light squares ,
and the game, after 13 . . . c5 14 . Be2
Qd7 (Maybe 14 . . . Nf6 15.a3 b6 was
more resilient, but the position is still

good for White.) 15 .h3 Qd6 16.Nb5
Qg6 17.Bh5 Qh6 1 8 . Bg4! . Watch

out for such ideas! White dominates
the board, Chernyshov-Demchenko,
Moscow 2007.
b) Instead, some preparation was
required: ll . . . Qe7 !? with a possible
continuation 1 2 . a3 Nc5 1 3 . Bc2 Nxe4
14 . Nxe4 fxe4 1 5 . Nd2 (if 15.Bxe4 then
15 . . . Nd6!) 15 . . . Rxfl+ 16 .Qxfl Nd6 ,
and the knight will enjoy the f5 and
eventually the d4 squares.
l l.Bg5 Some players believe that
the queen is not well placed on d6
and is a bit shaky. I am not entirely
convinced, as it can now support
the knight: ll . . . Qd6 1 2 . Be3 (12. a3!?
can be answered with 12 . . . Nc5 13.b4

Nxd3 14. Qxd3 b6, with f5-f4 and
203
the h7-h6, g6-g5 advances to follow.)

12 . . . Nf6 (Deserving attention is 12 . . . f4
13.Bf2 Nc5 14.Bc2 a5, with a sharp,
doubled-edged game.).
could finish his development with

13 . . . Bd7 ! ? and I do not see much
difficulty for him. 14 .a3 (14. Rcl Ng4
15. Bgl Bh6 followed by Bh6-e3 looks

great for Black) 14 . . . fxe4!? This is
something that Black usually avoids

in these situations, but concrete
analysis shows that Black's two
bishops compensate for White's
e4 outpost: 1 5 . Nxe4 (Or 15.Bxe4
Nc5 16.Bxc5 Qxc5 1 Z Nxe5 RaeB

18.Rxf6 Rxe5! 19.Rxf8+ Qx{B, with
lovely compensation for the pawn.)
15 . . . Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Nc5 17. Bxc5 Qxc5
18.Qd3 a5oo 19.Ng5 Qe7.
c2) On the other hand, the move
in the game was neatly refuted:
13 . . . Nc5? 14 . Bxc5 Qxc5 1 5 .exf5 gxf5
16 . Nxe5 Ne4 17. Bxe4 Bxe5
And now three alternatives:
a) Nothing comes with 1 3 . Nb5?!
Qe7, as this knight needs to defend
the e4 square: 14 .exf5? e4.
b) And after 1 3 . a3 Nc5 14.b4
Nxd3 15.Qxd3 White cannot hold the
important e4 point:
18. Bxf5 ! Bxf5 19. Rxf5 Rxf5 2 0 .Qg4+

Bg7 2 1 .Qxf5, and White managed to
convert his extra pawn in Parligras
Erdogdu, Athens 2007.
7.fxe5 dxe5 B. d5 Na 6 9. Bd3 Nc5
15 . . . fxe4! 16 .Nxe4 Nxe4 17.Qxe4 Bf5

18.Qh4 e4 19.Nd4 a5.
c) Therefore 13.Kh l Prophylaxis:
cl) Instead of the move played in
the game, shown in c2 below, Black
204
McShane game: Bc8-d7, b7-b6, etc., as

13.Nb5 is simply bad: After 13 . . . Qb6,
the e4 pawn is hanging and c7-c6 is a
threat.) 1 3 . Bg3 Nfxe4 ! :
10.Bg5
Bromberger chooses a rare con
tinuation and is not shy about trad
ing his bishop.
The main continuation is 10.Bc2
a5 and now :
After 1 1.0-0 Black can proceed
in the spirit of the game with ll . . . Qd6
followed by Bc8-d7, b7-b6 , and play
on the kingside.
There is also the provoking
ll.Bg5 against which Black can try
l l . . .h6 1 2 . Bh4:
12 . . . g5 Quite entertaining! (I would

also recommend to finish developing
ifyou want a slower game: 12 . . . Qd6N
with development as in the Shabalov-
a ) In case of 14. Bxe4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4

f5 16. Nc3 e4 17. Nd4 f4 18.Bf2 e3
19.Bgl Qf6-+, one can hardly discover
at a glance who has the extra piece.
b) After 14 . Nxe4 Nxe4 15. Bxe4
f5 White took the practical option to
give back the piece with 16 .0-0 (The
line 16. Bc2 e4 1 7.Nd4 f4 1B.Bf2 e3

19.Bgl Qf6+ is sufficiently convincing
for him to avoid it!) 16 . . . fxe4:
Black has active play and somewhat

better chances . And now:
205
b1) 17. Nxe5 Rxfl+ 18 .Qxfl Qe7

19.Re1 h5 looks scary for White.
His knight can easily be lost in the
center.
b2) Instead, the game saw 17.Nd2
e3 (17. .. Bf5!?+) 18. Rxf8+ Qxf8 19.Nfl
Qc5 (And here GM Ian Roger's
.1.
suggestion 19. . . e4! to open the bishop

would yield Black somewhat better
chances.) 2 0 .Qe2 b5oo, Jones-Yuan,
Sydney 2010.
IO . . . Qd6
Now, this is even better than the

standard 13 . . . Bd7 as it allows Black
to play on both flanks, thanks to the
additional b7-b5 possibility.
14. Khl ?!
It seems as if Bromberger lost
the thread. Otherwise, he would
have chosen to control the b5 square
without delay.
Correct is 14 .Qe2 cxd5 15.cxd5
Bd7 16 . a4 with approximate equality.
14 . . . Bd7 15. Qel

b5!
cxd5
16. cxd5
II.Bc2
Immediate castling entails a
pawn sacrifice: 1 1 .0 - 0 Ng4 (with the
threat Nc5xd3 and Qd6-b6+) 1 2 .Bc2
(12.Khl Qb6 transposes) 1 2 ... Qb6
1 3 . Kh1 Qxb2 14 .Bd2 Qb6 , and it is
questionable if the compensation is
sufficient .
I I . . . a5 12. 0 - 0 h6 13. Bd2

13 . Be3 allows 13 . . . Ng4 and f7-f5
with tempo.
13 . . . c6!
B lack takes over the initiative.

After b5-b4 the pawn on e4 will be
in danger.
1 7. Qh4
206
It was probably better to sacrifice

the pawn with 17. a4 b4 1 8 . Nb5 Qb8
19.Rcl Bxb5 20.axb5 Qxb5 2 1 .Qh4 ,
with some activity in return .
1 7. . . h5
Nyzhnyk misses a golden oppor
tunity: 17 . . . b4! 18.Ndl
19 . . . Na 6
o 19 . . . Rfc 8 ! ? 2 0 . Bxb4 Ng41'.
20. Bg5 Rfe8+ 21. Nxe5 ?!

White's desire to restore material
balance is understandable, but here
it leads to even worse circumstances.
21 . . . Qxe5 22. Bxf6 Bxf6 23. Qxf6

Qxf6 24. Rxf6 Nc5+
18 . . . g5 ! 19.Qel Bb5 Punches are

coming from the left, from the right,
and finally. . . 20.Rgl Nfxe4 ! ! From
the center! 2 l . Bxe4 Nxe4 22 .Qxe4 f5
23 .Qe3 Qxd5+.
This is a K I D player's dream

endgame. Just looking at White's
bishop and the juicy e4 pawn will
make him happy.
18. b4
25. Rafl Rxa2 26.Nd4
Returning the favor. 18.Ndl b4

19.Nf2 keeps White in the game .
18 . . . axb4 19. Ne2
26. . . Rxc21 2 7. Nxc2 b3 28.Na3

Nxe4 29. Rxf7 b4 30. Rxd7 bxa3
31. d6 b2 32. Rb7 Nxd6 0-1
207
Memo r y M a r k e r s
1. Mter 6 ... e5.

position.
Our starting
The central
strike. See diagram on page 191
in Jobava-Jianu.
2. Mter 12 ... g5!!.
3. Mter 13 ...Nfd7!.
4. Mter 2 1 . ..Bc8+.
The exchange of White's most

active piece. See diagram on page
192 in Jobava-Jianu.
The beautiful draw. See diagram

on page 192 in Jobava-Jianu.
208
5. After 10 ...Ng4.
The fresh
idea of Jianu, the text move in
Jobava-Jianu. See diagram on
page 197.
6. After 10 ... Nfxe4!. The center
7. After 10... c5!?.

McShane's
plan . See diagram on page 202
in Bromberger-Nyzhnyk.
8. After 16 ... b5!.
crumbles. See diagram on page

200 in Bromberger-Nyzhnyk.
Play on both
flanks, text move in Bromberger
Nyzhnyk. See diagram on page
206.
209
Exerc i s es
Black to play!
As Black, practice finding the right moves when facing the Four Pawns
Attack.
Solutions to the exercises begin on page 3 3 2 .
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Varlet - Trommsdorf
Metge - Rogers
French Team Championship 1989
Auckland 1992
How can Black profit from his active

pieces?
Black played 26 . Kg8 -f7 and later

won. What did the experienced
Australian GM miss?
210
..
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Verdier Maier
Trepka - Skrivanek
Tabor 201 1
White's initiative is overwhelming.

Or is it?
Delay in development
dangerous .
is
always
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Sykora - Sochna
Poobalasingam - White
Czechia Team Championships 2011
British Championship
Isle of Man 2005
Drive the e-pawn forward!
In search of. . . overworked pieces.
211
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Gerard - Hebden
Sofronie - Golubev
Montpellier Open 2003
Bucharest 2003
Find a good plan for Black.
212
What should Black do now?
Chapter 4
The Averbakh
System
l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 0-0 6. Bg5 Na6
Which light pieces to develop first: the knights or the bishops? The classical
players taught us the knights! They are short-ranged pieces and need more
time to reach the center or either flank. A bishop, on the other hand, might
appear to be already developed from its initial square in many cases, or it can
be brought into action with just move .
GM
Averbakh
had
Yuri
another
opinion
when
the KID was the subject. He liked
to first develop his black-squared
bishop with 6 . Bcl-g5 . One idea
was that it can now be easily
supported by Qcl- d 2 , and these two
pieces together can fight the pride
and joy of Black's setup: the KID
bishop ! Moreover, once the bishop
is swapped off, White can start
a devastating attack against the
weakened fianchetto position!
White also prevents the immedi
ate 6 . . . e7- e 5 , and is ready to castle
long when Qdl-d2 is played. The

first player is in fact reluctant to
develop the kingside knight , as he
might need to advance the h- and
g-pawns as fast as possible , and
might also like to support the e4
pawn with f2 -f3 .
In the sharp positions that
arise, the usual question is "Who
is faster? ", and therefore I suggest
that we start our counterplay as
soon as pos sible . Sacrifices will be
needed to make time work for us,
and you should not be afraid to
make them!
Chapter 4: The Averbakh System
213
Khoroshev - Mchedlishvili
Agzamov Memorial
Tashkent 2012
l.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 8.Nc8 Bg7 4 . e4
d6 5.Be2 0 - 0 6. Bg5
7. Qd2
This is the main move, which
retains the flexibility in White's set
up. White supports the black-squared
bishop, intends to weaken Black's
kingside by exchanging bishops, and
then to advance the g- and h-pawns
with mating threats. Long castling is
also on the agenda.
However, other dangerous plans
are also available . We look at 7.f4 c6
here, 7.h4 e5 (on page 2 1 8), 7.Qc2
h6 (on page 220), and 7.Nf3 h6
(page 220).
ne way for White to make use of

the delayed development of his
knight is to advance 7.f4:
The Averbakh system. It is

named after the world's oldest living
GM , the prominent theoretician and
endgame specialist Yuri Averbakh.
White delays the development of
the king's knight for the time being,
thus keeping his options open. White
can use this delay in various ways,
for example, by advancing the pawns
on that side of the board before
developing the knight.
6. . . Na6
Black prepares the e7-e5 advance
and intends to introduce the knight
into the central fight via the c5
square .
As usual, whenever you see the
bishop appearing on the g5 square,
you must have something in mind!
This move is not only designed to
provoke h7-h6 but also to prevent e7e5. Avoid 6 . . . e5? 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8
Rxd8 9. Nd5 with a double attack
against the pinned knight and the c7
pawn, when White wins.
214
Compared to the Four Pawns

Attack, White has an active bishop
on g5 . At first sight, this should
favor the first player, but a closer
investigation of the position reveals
that the bishop is vulnerable there.
Now 7 c6 prepares the maneuver
Na6 -c7-e6 to worry the bishop and
put pressure on the white pawns on
f4 and d4 .
a) White cannot hold his impres
sive center in case of 8 .e5 Ne8 9.Nf3
Nac7 10. Bh4 b5.
bll) 9 . . . d5 is probably the best,

as the central strike is something
that Black definitely needs: 10.e5 (Or
10.cxd5 cxd5 ll.e5 Ne4=; and 10.exd5

cxd5 ll.c5 Ne4 is already better for
Black, who can easily attack both d4
and c5 pawns.) 10 . . . Ne4:
b1 1 1) Note that the straightfor
ward l l . Nxe4 dxe4 1 2 . Ng5 does not
win a pawn:
The center can be attacked from

this side too! 1 1 .0 - 0 (Black's idea is
shown after ll.cxb5 cxb5 12.Nxb5?

Nxb5 13. Bxb5 Qa5+.) ll . . . bxc4
1 2 . Bxc4 Ne6 1 3 . Bxe6 Bxe6 14 .d5
cxd5 1 5 . Nxd5 f6 16.exf6 Nxf6
17. Nxf6+, and since the center is
gone, the opponents called it a day,
in Del Rio Angelis-Cuenca Jimenez ,
Evora 2 0 0 7.
b) 8 . Nf3 Nc7:
1 2 ... f6 ! 1 3 . Nxe4 (Or 13.exf6 exf6
14.Nxe4, which allows Black to first
improve his rook with 14 . . . Re8 15.Nc3
Ne6, and either the f4 or d4 pawn will
be captured.) 13 . . . Ne6 Black recovers
the material and enjoys a free game.

14.exf6 exf6 15 .d5 cxd5 16.cxd5 Nxf4
17.0-0 and now:
bl l l l) 17 . . . g5 !? is an interesting
winning attempt. 1 8 . Bf2 (or 18.Bg3
Nxe2+ 19. Qxe2 f5 20.Nc3 f4+; and

1B.Rxf4 is probably best, with unclear
game after 18 . . .gxf4 19. d6) 18 . . . Re8
Now Nc7-e6 is a nasty threat and

White needs to do something about
it.
b1) 9. Bh4 is a possible prophylax
is. In this case Black has a bunch of
convincing options:
19.Nc3 Nxe2+ 20.Nxe2 Bg4 , and

Black took over the initiative in
Bucharest
Dumitrache- Golubev,
1996.
b 1 1 12) Also possible is 17 ... Nxe2+
18.Qxe2 Qxd5 19. Nxf6+ (19.Bxf6
Bf5!) 19 . . . Bxf6 20. Bxf6 Bf5 = .
Chapter 4 : The Averbakh System
215
b112) 1 1 .0-0 is a move against

which I had to fight some years ago:
After 1 l . . .f6 1 2 . cxd5 Nxc3 13 .bxc3

Nxd5! Black needs to make use of the
open squares in the opponent's camp!
Now 14 .Qd2 Bh6 ! is the correct move
sequence. (and not the move that I
chose in the game: 14 ... Qa5?! which

allowed the bishop to come back
home. 15.Bel t) 15.g3 (or 15.Bg3 Qa5
16. Bc4 Bf5?.) And only now 15 . . . Qa5
with an excellent game for Black,

as 16.c4? fails to 16 . . . Qxd2 17. Nxd2
Ne3+, which wins the exchange for
Black, or even a piece after 18. Rfc1
g5 -+.
b12) I knew this line very well, but
as my opponent Kieran Moynihan in
the decisive round at the Cork Chess
Congress, in Ireland in March 2012,
was blitzing his moves, I decided to
deviate with 9 . . . Ne6 first, and only
after 10.Qd2 play 10 . . . d5!? which
appeared to be quite effective from
a practical point of view, as Kieran
sank into deep thought.
216
Our game continued l l . Bxf6 exf6

1 2 . exd5 cxd5 .
b121) Now critical was 1 3 . Nxd5
b5! 14 .b3 (or 14.f5 bxc4 i5.Bxc4 Ng5t)
14 . . . Bb7 with decent compensation
for a pawn. One possible line runs
15.f5 Ng5 16 .0-0 bxc4 17.bxc4 Ne4
18 .Qf4 Bxd5 19.cxd5 Qxd5 =.
b122) Kieran did not take the
dare and rejected the pawn with 13.c5
Nc7 14 .0-0 Bg4 (Black intends f6-f5
and Nc7-e6 to attack the base of the

white pawn chain.) 1 5 . Rad1 (15.Nel
at once was better.) 15 . . . Ne6 16 .Ne1
f5 17. Nc2 (if 17. Bxg4 then 17. .. Bxd4+)
17 . . . Bxe2 18.Qxe2 b6! Black is al
ready better, but there was no need
for White to lose a pawn with 19.b4?
bxc5 2 0.bxc5 Nxc5 2 1 . dxc5 Bxc3+.
b13) Black can also attack the

center from the other side: 9 . . . b5
the vulnerable f4 pawn are not

addressed at all. 9 . . . Nh5 !? 10.Qd2 f6
1 1 . Bh4 Bh6 ! 1 2 .g3 e5 13 .dxe6 Nxe6
Black has counterplay, as White
cannot castle long: 14 . 0 - 0 - 0 Nhxf4!
1 5 . Kb1 (15.gxf4 ? Bxf4 wins the queen)
15 . . . Nxe2 16.Qxe2 g5 -+.
b3) Finally, 9.Qd2 is answered
with the typical pawn sacrifice that
we have already seen in the game
Moynihan-Bojkov: 9 . . . d5!
10.e5 (10. cxb5 cxb5!? ll.e5 Nfd5 looks

good for Black) 10 . . . Nh5 l l .Qd2 (or
ll.g3 {6! 12.cxb5 cxb5 13.Nxb5 Nxb5
14. Qb3+ Kh8 15. Qxb5 Bh3 ) ll . . . Ne6
12.g3 bxc4 13 .d5 cxd5 14. Nxd5 f6
15.exf6 Nxf6 16. Bxc4 Kh8 17.0-0,
and with the excluded bishop on
h4 White cannot hope for any
advantage. 17 . . . Nc7 18. Nxf6 exf6 ! ?oo.
b2) 9.d5 is designed to deprive
the knight of the e6 square, but it's a
bit slow :
Moreover, the problems with the

bishop on a shaky square and
But it's a much improved version,

as the light-squared bishop is not
obstructed by its own knight. 10. Bxf6
exf6 and now :
b31) Neglecting to trade in the
center will give White problems
after 1 1 .0 - 0 dxe4 1 2 . Nxe4 Bg4
1 3 . Rad1 Qe7 14 . Nf2 Bxf3 15. Bxf3
f5+. The pawn on d4 is a convenient
target. Next, Ra8-d8 and Nc7-e6
will follow, and as the bishops are
opposite-colored White will have
to advance d4 -d5. This pawn will
be blocked and White's bishop will
become inactive. Black can start play
on the king's flank afterwards with
h7-h5 -h4 and attack against the f4
pawn.
b32) ll.exd5 cxd5
1 2 .c5
Bf5
13.0-0 Be4! An excellent outpost for
217
the bishop! 14.b4 (14.Nxe4 will be aw

ful after 14 ... dxe4 15.Nel f5 16.Rdl
b6+) 14 . . . Ne6 15.Racl f5+. White is
doomed to a passive defense due to

the pawns on the dark squares.
nother
principally
different
plan is to advance the h-pawn
with 7.h4 e5:
8 .d5 White needs to stabilize the

center if he wishes to proceed on the
king's flank. (There is no time for
B.h5 exd4 9. Qxd4
concrete reason for doing so: the

necessity to create threats in the
center before White opens (or closes!)
the game on the kingside. 9.Be3 Nc5
The pressure on the e4 pawn forces
White to put his queen to work in a
defensive role. 10.Qc2 (or 10.Bf3 a5
ll.g4 Qd7! 12.g5 Ng4 with good game;

and if 10.{3?! then 10 ... Nh5+) 10 . . . c6
l l .h5 (Remember well the typical trick
after ll.b4?
l l . . . Ncxe4! 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Qxe4

Bf5 14. Qf3 e4 and Black wins the
rook.) l l . . . cxd5 1 2 . cxd5 Qa5 Once
again putting
1 3 . B d2
9... Nxe4!) 8 . . . h6 I usually advise you
not to use this pawn so early. In

this case, however, we have a very
218
pressure
on
e4!
It seems that White has achieved

his plan and there is nothing else but
for Black to advance the g6 pawn.
Only if we do not recall the dark
squared domination principle with
13 . . . Bd7 !
14 .hxg6 fxg6 and now:

a) In case of 15.Rbl Qb6 16.Be3 a5?
the pawn on h6 is no longer available
for White. 17.Bxh6? Nfxe4 18.Nxe4
Nxe4 19.Qxe4 Qxf2+ 20.Kd2 Bf5.
b) Accepting the pawn deprives
the first player of his most active
pieces: 15. Bxh6 Bxh6 16. Rxh6 Kg7
17.Rh4 Rh8 18. Rxh8 Rxh8+.
c) 15.f3 Rac8
All the black pieces are in action,

and logic says Black should be better!
cl) If White takes the pawn,
there is more than enough compen
sation for Black after 16. Bxh6 Bxh6
17.Rxh6 Kg7. For example: 18.Rh2
(or lB.Rhl Nh5 19. 0 - 0 - 0 Na4- +)
18 . . . Nh5 19. Nh3 Rh8 20.Rbl Qd8 !+
suddenly switching flanks with to
tal domination on the black squares.
The threats Nh5 -f4 and Qd8-h4+ fol
lowed by Qh4-g3xg2 are impossible
to parry.
c2) White's attempt to start an
open fight is spectacularly refuted:
16 .b4? Qxb4 17. Nb5
17 . . . Qxb5 ! ! 18. Bxb5 Bxb5 19.Qbl Bd3

20.Qdl Nfxe4-+ 2 1 . fxe4 Rfl#.
c3) 16 . Rbl
is probably best,
but it's still better for Black after
16 . . . Qd8 ! 17.Bxh6 Bxh6 18.Rxh6
Kg7 19.Rh l , and now 19 . . . Nh5 or
19 . . . b5t.
219
'l'I Then the queen loses a tempo

V V with 7.Qc2 we can put the
question to the bishop with 7... h6:
and now:
a) 8 . Be3 e5.
b) 8.Bd2 e5 9.dxe5 dxe5= 10.Nd5?!
Nc5 1 l . Bb4 Nfd7 1 2 . Bg4?! f5 13.exf5
e4 14 .Be2 was already better for
Black had he found the move 14 . . . c6!
(14... Nd3+ L. Spassov- V. Spasov, La

Roda 2005.) 15.f6 Bxf6 16. Nxf6+
Qxf6 17.0 -0-0 Qg5++ with a pawn

gain.
c) The third retreat of the bishop,
8. Bf4, places it on a vulnerable
square . We can underline this fact
with 8 . . . c5 9.d5 e5 10.dxe6 Bxe6
ll.Rdl (In case of 11. 0-0-0?! the
easiest solution is ll...Nb4 12. Qb3

NeB followed by Nb4-c6-d4 in the
near future.) ll . . . Nb4 12 .Qd2 :
220
Depending on our mood, we can

choose either to sacrifice a piece with
12 . . . Nxa2 ! ? 1 3 . Nxa2 Nxe4 14.Qe3
Qa5+ 1 5 . Kfl Qxa2 16.Qxe4 Rfe8iii ,
with a lot of fun for the missing
material, or to keep all the pieces on
the board with 1 2 . . . Re8=, since the
pawn is poisoned: 13. Bxd6? Nxa2!
14 . Nxa2 Nxe4-+.
A pet line of Belorussian GM

fiA leksandrov is 7.Nf3 . My advice
is to include 7... h6 and compared
to the analogous positions of the
Classical Line of the KID, Black has
the useful move Nb8 -a6 and White
the not"so-good Bcl-g5 .
Some proofs of this thinking are pro

vided below :
a) S . Bf4 e5! 9. dxe5 Nh5 10.Be3
dxe5= was an immediate equalizer.
In fact, Black is still several tempos
ahead :
l l .Qc1
Kh7
(l l . . . Nf4!?)
1 2 .0-0 c6 1 3 . Rd1 Qe7 14 .c5 Nc7
15.Nd 2 Nf4 16. Bfl Nce6 17.g3 Nh5
18 .b4 Nd4 19.Bg2 a5 2 0 . a3 B g4+ is a
good example for the second player in
Mitchell-Arakham i a , Caleta 2 0 0 5 .
b) 8 . B e 3 :
b 1 ) The Bishop c a n be once again
attacked . 8 . . . Ng4 9 . B c 1 e5 and now :
bll) 10.h3 exd4 ! 1 l . Nxd4 Nf6
1 2 .0 - 0 Nc5 (Black's best plan is to
ll . . . dxe5 1 2 .h3 Nf6 1 3 . QxdS RxdS

14 . Be 3 Nh5 1 5 . Rfd 1 ReS 16 . a3 Nf4fl.,
Ponom ariov- Grischuk, B eijing 2 0 1 1 .
b 2 ) Also possible is the prelimi
nary S . . . e5 9.dxe5 Ng4 10. Bf4 Nxe5
l l . Nd4 Nc5 1 2 . 0 - 0 Ne6 1 3 . Be3
Nxd4 14 . Bxd4 c5! 1 5 . B e 3 Be6 16.b3
(or 16. Qb3 b5! 17.Nxb5 a6 18.Nc3

RbB 19. Qc2 Nxc4) 16 . . . Nxc4 17.bxc4
Bxc3 1 S . Bxh6 ReSfl., L'Ami-Aguera

Naredo, Reykjavik 2 0 1 2 .
c ) Finally, White can retreat the
bishop to h4: S . Bh4 but here it can be
captured by the black knight, a trade
which we cannot resist. S . . . g5 9 . B g3
Nh5 10.0-0
lure the light-squared bishop to f3

and then attack it with Nf6-h7-g5!
12 . . . Re8!?
13. Bf3 Nh7+.) 1 3 . Bf3 a5 14 . Re1 ReS=

Bick- Sharavdorj , Minneapolis USA
2005.
b12) 10 . 0 - 0 c6 1 l . dxe5 (or the
model plan which we have already
seen after ll.h3 exd4 12.Nxd4 Nf6
13.Rel ReB 14.Bf3 Nh7!fl.) and now
Black usually recaptures with a

piece (for example ll...Nxe5 12.Nd4
Nc5 13. Be3 a5fl.), but Grischuk
proved recently that there is nothing
wrong with the other capture:
10 ... e 6 ! The bishop has nowhere

to go, and Black can improve his
position first. l l . Ne1 Nxg3 1 2 . hxg3
c5! Hitting where it is most painful
the black squares!
13 .d5 exd5
14 .exd5 (14.cxd5 f5!) 14 . . . Nc7 1 5 . Nc2
f5 16. B d 3 Bd7 17.Qh5 QeS 1S .QxeS
RaxeS and Black was already a touch
better in Khismatullin-Nikolaidis,
Chalkis 2010.
221
7. . . e5 8. d5
9 dxe5
.
White can once again try to turn

the game in another direction with
8.Nf3. If this happens , I advise you
to attack the e4 pawn at once with
8 Qe8 :
.
Note that the White pawn is in

real danger: 9.0-0?! exd4 10.Qxd4
(10. Bxf6 is the lesser evil, though

it's somewhat better for Black after
10 . . . Bxf6 ll.Nxd4 c6+) 10 . . . Nxe4!
and now:
a) 10.Rd1 Nc5 1 l . Bxf6 This trade
weakens White's
dark squares.
ll . . . Bxf6 1 2 . Nd5 Bd8 (with the idea
of c7-c6) 13 .Qe3 Ne6 ! Now Black ar
ranges his pieces in a most beauti
ful way: 14 . Nxe5 c6 15.Nc3 and now
the move 15 . . . Bg5 ! leads to advan
tage for Black. (Instead, 15 . . . Bb6 in
Uhlmann-J. Polgar, Aruba 1992, was

actually quite good anyway, and led
Judith to a victory later.) 16.Qf3 f5
17.0-0 Bf6 (1 7. . . Qe7!?+) 18.Nd3 Ng5
19.Qe3 Nxe4+.
b) 10.0-0 is more solid, but Black
still manages to bring the a6 knight
to a gorgeous position: 10 . . . Nc5 not
only attacking the e4 pawn but
intending to bring the knight into
the center with tempos after Nc5 -e6.
l l . Bxf6 Bxf6 1 2 . Nd5 (Worse is
12. b4 ?! Ne6 13.c5 c6+.) 12 . . . Bd8! and
again, White cannot win the pawn:
13 .Qe3 Ne6+ 14 . Nxe5?! c6 15.Nc3
Bg5 16.f4? Nxf4 ! .
ll .Qxe4 Bxc3+ 12 .Qxe8 Rxe8, and

the bishop on e2 has suddenly become
loose.
But 9.dxe5 releases the central
pressure, which is in Black's favor.
222
Chapter 4: The Auerbakh System
Thus 9.d5 remains White's only

option:
1 3 . Nb3 Na4 14 . Ndl c6 1 5 . Bd2 cxd5

16.cxd5 ReS 17.Qd3 b6 1 8 . Rcl Nh5
19. Rxc8 Qxc8 2 0 . g3 f5 2 l . f3 fxe4
2 2 .fxe4 Bh3 2 3 . Rgl Bd7 24.Rfl Nf6
2 5 . Be3 Kh7 2 6 . Bf3 Bh3 27. Rf2 Ng4
2 8 . Bxg4 Bxg4+,
Gerusel-Popovic,
Germany 2 0 0 2 .
Now we can exploit the somewhat

chaotic arrangement of the white
pieces with 9 ... Nc5. The queen on
d2 has taken away the square from
the f3 knight and will need to move
again . (9. . . Bd7 is good as well: 10. 0 - 0
Nh5 11.Rae1 {6 12.Bh6 Bxh6 13. Qxh6

Nf4=, Milanovic-Damljanovic, Valje
vo 2010.) And now :
a) The queen stays only if White

wishes to part with his dark-squared
bishop, as in the following game:
10. Bxf6 Bxf6 1 l .b4 Nd7 1 2 .0 - 0 Bg7
Freeing the road for the f-pawn.
13 .Qc2 This frees the c1-h6 diagonal
for Black's bishop. 13 . . . a6 14 . Bd3 Qd8
(14... Bh6!?) 1 5 . Nd2 Bh6 The bishop
can work well on this diagonal,
too! 16. Nf3 Nf6 , and Black has an
excellent game, in Illescas Cordoba
Comas Fabrego, Cala Galdana 1999.
Next, he will most likely go for Nf6 h5-f4.
b) 10.Qc2 But now White has lost
a tempo, and this matters a lot in the
KID ! Let's see the course of a model
game, where Black gets everything
he wants: 10 . . . h6 1 l .Bc1 (ll. Be3
Ng4! and {7-{5.) 1 l . . .a5 1 2 . Nd2 Bd7
. . .
Nc5!?
This is my recommendation
against
the
Averbakh
system
because of a sharp idea of Ang.
Perez. It has an excellent surprise
value and some deep analysis will
allow you to score decently in the
line.
If you do not want to take a risk,
you might like to study 8 . . . Qe8 !?
which is a decent alternative .
So is the main continuation 8 . . . c6
9.f3 cxd5 10.cxd5 Bd7, which also
successfully solves Black's opening
problems.
9.(3
Born out of necessity.
223
The simple-minded 9.b4?!

neatly punished after 9 . . . Ncxe4!
is
1 l . Bxd8
Nxd2
10 . Nxe4
Nxe4
1 2 . Bxc7 Ne4 (12 . . . e4 is interesting
too: 13.Rcl e3 14.fxe3 Ne4 ) 1 3 . f3
Nc3 14 . Bxd6 ReS (14 . . . RdB!? 15.Bc7
ReB) 1 5 . Kfl e4! and it turns out
that Black's initiative is very
strong even in the endgame: 16.Re1
(or 16. Rcl exf3 1 7. Bxf3 Bf5+ with

the nasty threat Bf5-d3+) 16 . . . Bf5
luring the pawn to g4 ! 17.g4 Bd7
18.Nh3 (1B. h3 looks more resilient,
although Black still has all the joy

after lB . . . RadB 19.Bc7 ReB 20. d6
Nxa2 +) 18 . . . Rac8 1 9 . Nf2 exf3
10.0-0-0 looks like castling into

it:
10 . . . a4 l l .h4 a3 1 2 .b3 c 6 13 .dxc6
(o 13.h5 Qa5 14. hxg6 fxg6 15.KbJ oo)

13 . . . bxc6 14 .Qxd6 Qa5 1 5 . Kc2 Ne6
16 .Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Qxc6 Nd4+ 1 8 . Rxd4
exd4 , with somewhat better chances
for
Black
in
Voiteanu- Galyas,
Budapest 2 0 0 7.
10.h4 usually does not have in
dependent value, as White almost
always proceeds with the move
l l .g2 -g4 which will transpose to the
10.g2 -g4 line from above. I will just
mention the exceptions: 10 c6
20. Bxf3 Rxe1+ 2 l . Kxe1 Rxc4+,

when White's position fell apart in
Portisch-Kluger, Budapest 1957.
9.Bf3 a5 10. Nge2 c6 1 1 . 0 - 0 cxd5
12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Nxd5 Bg5 14 .Qc2
Bd7 was excellent for Black in
Efimov-Ivanov, Tomsk 2003.
9. . . a5 lO. Bdl
White frees the e2 square for the
knight and prepares Bd1-c2 . Still,
this seems a bit artificial.
This is not the only idea that
White has in this situation. Three
alternatives are explored.
224
and now:
a) l l . Nh3
cxd5
1 2 . cxd5 Bd7
13 .Nf2 a4!? with the idea Qd8-a5 and
b7-b5 -b4:
10 .. . c6
l l .h4 cxd5 l . cxd5 Bd7 1 3 . Nh3

(13.h5 transposes to Raetsky- Gal
14 .h5 h6! 1 5 . Bh4 (Or 15.Bxh6 Nxh5
16.g4 Nf4! 1 7.Bxf4 exf4 + 18. Qxf4 ?
a3! Demonstrating how useful the
a-pawn advance is for Black.) 15 . . . Qa5
16 . Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Qxh6 (1 7. hxg6 Bg5!)
17 . . . Bg7 18 .Qd2 a3 19.b3 Bh6 :

al) And here White missed the
draw after 20.Qxh6 Qxc3+ 2 l . Kfl
Qxal+ 2 2 ; Bdl Bb5+ 2 3 . Kgl g5
24.Qxg5+ Kh7 25.Qf5+=.
a2) The game continued 20 .Qc2
Rac8 2 l . Nfd l Kg7+ 22 .hxg6 fxg6
23.Rbl Qb4 24.0-0 Bf4 2 5 . Nf2 Rh8
26.g3 Bxg3 27.Ncdl Rh2 2 8 .Qc3 Qb6
29.Qd2 ,
0-1
Budrewicz-Zhigalko,
Warsaw 2 0 1 1 .
b ) Another
game
saw
l l .h5
cxd5 1 2 . cxd5 Bd7 13.Nh3 Qe8
14.g4 b5 1 5 . Nf2 b4 16 . Ncdl Bb5
'12-lh,
Raetsky- Gallagher,
Swiss
Championship, Samnaun 2008.
The main move is 10.g4 which
usually leads to the same position if
White chooses the 10 .h4 approach.
Black needs to strike back in the
center as soon as possible . At least
this is what the classics say, when
confronted with a flank diversion .
lagher, which is studied under the

10. h4 move order.) White is ready to
finish his development with Nh3 -f2

and advance on the king's flank.
How about Black? 13 . . . b5! (If you do
not want to sac anything, there is a

positional way of countering White's
attack: 13. . . Qe8 14.Nf2 b5 15. h5 b4
16. Ncdl Bb5.):
This i s the sharp idea b y Ang. Perez.

Black is ready to sac a pawn, or a
piece! The ultimate target is that
naughty white king in the center!
225
a) 14 . Bxb5? is completely handing

over the controls to Black: 14 . . . Bxb5
15.Nxb5 Rb8 16.Qe2 (Even worse
is 16.Nc3 Rxb2!+.) 16 . . . Qd7 17. a4
Nxa4+.
b) 14 .Nf2 Qb6 (14 ... b4!? 15.Ncdl
ReB?) 15 .h5 was seen in Guerra
Perez, Cuba 1997. Now according
the Cuban player, Black had to play
15 . . . Ra7 ! 16.Rc1 ReB intending Rac7=.
c) The point behind Black's idea
is unleashed after 14 . Nxb5 Nfxe4 ! !
looks great for Black as well.) 19. Bc6

Ra7 20.Bxd6 Ne4+ 2 l . Kxf3 Nxd6+.
c122) In addition, Perez played
the position himself, and after
17. Bxf3 Bxb5 1 8 . Bxf8 Rxf8 19. Be2
Bxe2 (I found, though, a good improve
ment on Black's play: 19. . . Bd7! Why
trade bishops when we can have two
of them?!
Next, Black plays e5-e4, Rf8-b8,

and/or f7-f5 with the better chances.)
A star move ! I spent numerous
ours analyzing the positions af

terwards and found no way for White
to claim any advantage, despite the
extra piece that he might have ! And
you may be sure that your opponent
will be completely shocked to have
this on the board, while you will
be completely armed straight from
home!
c1) First of all, as Perez analyzed,
it is already too late to reject the
"gift": 15. Bxd8? Nxd2:
c11)16.Kxd2 Rfxd8 17. Nxd6 Bxg4
18.fxg4 Rxd6 19. Bc4 Rb8+ (or even
better 19... e4!+).

c12) 16 . Be7 Nxf3+:
c121) 17. Kf2 Bxb5 1 8 . Bxb5 Rfb8
(18 . . . Nd4 19.Bxf8 RxfB 20.Bc4 e4 +

226
2 0 . Kxe2 a4!, he got decent compen

sation for the exchange, Keipo-Perez
Cuba 1996.
c2) Thus, 15.fxe4 is forced, and
after 15 . . . f6 the fun starts:
c21) 16 .Bh6?! looks like a mis

take to me. 16 ... Nxe4 17.Qe3 Bxh6:
c211) 18 .g5 fxg5 19.Qxe4 gxh4 -+
is hopeless for White, with the king
under crossfire in the center.
c2 12) 18.Qxe4 f5 19.gxf5 Bxf5
20.Qa4 Qb6 is one more improvement
on Perez's analysis, and Black is
winning.
c213) 18.Qxh6 Ng3+ or 18 . . . Bxb5
19.Bxb5 Qb6+.
c22) 16 . Bxf6? the extra piece
was
White's
only
advantage .
16 . . . Qxf6 17.g5 Qd8 1 8 . Nc 3 Qb6+. If
Black emerges only a pawn dow n ,
t h i s would be absolutely nothing
compared to all the weaknesses in
the white camp.
c23) The same can be s aid for
1 6 . Nc3 fxg5 17. Nxg5 (if 1 7. hxg5
then 1 7. . . Qb 6 +) and now 17 . . . Rb8 ! t
or 17 . . . Bh6 !?=.
c24) The only thing left is 16.Be3
Nxe4:
center. I would not like to be in White's

shoes in this situation.) 1 9 . Ng5
Ng3 2 0 . Rgl, Terrieux-Ekstroem ,
Rogaska Slatina 2 0 0 9 .
c242) 17.Qc2 is the more logical
move. White is at least attacking the
knight and gains time for the defense.
Still, 17 . . .f5 leads to further branches,
which seem excellent for Black:
c2421) 1 8 . gxf5?!
1 8 ... Ng3 ! Do not forget (as Ekstroem

did) to include this move ! It is the
cornerstone of your counterattack!
c242 1 1) Bad is 19.Rgl Qxh4
2 0 . Nf2 Nxf5 - +.
c242 1 2 ) 19.Rh2 is possible, but
not great after 19 . . . Nxe2 20.Qxe2
Qxh4+ 2 1 . Bf2 Qb4+ 2 2 . Nc3
c241) In the only game in the

Megabase, White won after 17.Qdl
f5 1 8 .gxf5 gxf5? An automatic
answer which spoiled the attack.
(Instead, correct is 18 . . . Ng3! 19. Rgl

Nxf5 20. Bg5 Qb6 21.a4 Nd4, trying
to open as many files as possible in the
22 7
22 . . . e4! and I doubt that White can

survive the line attacks of all the
remaining black pieces!
c242 13) 19.0-0-0? This is not
advisable.
19 . . . Rc8 20.Nc3 Bxf5
21.Bd3 Bxd3 22 .Qxd3:
c24221) After 19.a4 Ng3 20.Rgl

Nxe2 2 1 .Qxe2 f4 , with his flanks
disconnected and the bishop on g5 in
danger of a permanent prison, White
has nothing better than 2 2 . Be7 Rf7
2 3 . Bxd6 Bxb5 24. Bxb8 Bxe2 2 5 . Bxe5
Bxe5 2 6 . Kxe2 Rb8+ (or 26 . . . {3+!?+).
c24222) Or 19.Nc3 Ng3 20.Rgl
f4 2 1 . Bf3 (21.Rxg3 fxg3 22. 0-0-0
e4! allows Black to attack for free.)

2 1 . . .Qb6 2 2 .Qf2
Now White gets slaughtered after

22 . . . e4! 23 .Qd2 Bxc3 24.bxc3 Rxc 3 + !
2 5 . Kbl (25. Qxc3 Ne2+) 2 5 . . . Qb8+
2 6 . Kal Rd3 2 7.Qc2 Nxh l-+.
c2422) 1 8 . Bg5 is the move cham
pioned by the computer. However
after some digging, it confesses
that it is only White who plays for
the half point, after 18 . . . Qb8 !
228
t seems as if White is finally

stabilizing the situation . But
here comes my favorite move of all
the analysis that I did: 22 . . . Rab8 ! !
Black i s not afraid t o go into an
endgame despite the piece down!
23.Qxb6 Rxb6 with the threat h7-h6

and Rf8-e8 to trap the bishop. And
if 24 .h5 e4 2 5 . B d 1 Rxb2+, Black
already has two pawns for the piece
(and what pawns ! ) and very active
pieces (and what pieces! ) .
c2423) 18.Ng5 Ng3
We look at five possibilities for White:

1) 19.0 - 0 - 0 Nxh 1 2 0 . Rxh1 ReS
2l.Nc3oo and now we can follow one
more of Perez's games: 2 l . . .h6:
11) 2 2 . Ne6 Bxe6 2 3 . dxe6 d5!+.
12) 22 .gxf5 ! ? hxg5 23.fxg6 gxh4+.
13) 2 2 . Nf3 f4 2 3 . Bd2 (23.Bf2
digging will also discover excellent

possibilities for Black in this line as
well.
32) 2 2 . Rxf3 Rxf3 2 3 . Nxf3 Bxg4
24.Qe3 Bxf3 2 5 .Qxf3 Qxh4+ 26.Qf2
Qg4--+:
2 7. Nc3 Rf8 2 8 . Qh2 Bh6 ! and being,

technically speaking, only a pawn
down, Black has a devastating attack
without any risk.
4) 1 9 . Rh 2 f4 2 0 . Bf2 Nxe2 2 1 . Qxe2
f3 ! 2 2 .Qc4 (In the line 22. Qd3, Black
can open files! 22 . . . e4! 23. Nxe4 Bxb5

24. Qxb5 Qe7+.) 22 . . . Rc8 2 3 .Qb3
Bxg4! 24. Qxg6 Bf5 25. Qg2 a4 D.Qa5--+)
23 . . . Bxg4 24.Qxg6 B f5 2 5 . Qg2 Qb6

26.Rg1 Rf7+--+ Diaz-Perez, Cuba
1997.
2) 19.Ne6 !? is interesting with
rich,
double-edged
play
after
19 . . . Bxe6 20.dxe6 f4 2 1 . Bc4 Kh8
22.Rg1 fxe3 2 3 . Rxg3 d5 24.0 - 0 - 0
Qxh4 25 .e7 Qxe7 2 6 . Rxd5 Rac8oo.
3) 19.Rh3 was also suggested by
the computer. 19 . . . Nxe2 2 0.Qxe2 f4
2l.Bg1 f3 :
31) Probably, White should play
for a draw with 2 2 . Nxf3 Bxg4
23.Rg3 Bxf3 24.Rxf3 Qxh4+ 2 5 . Rf2
Rxf2 26. Bxf2 Qh1+ 27.Qfl Qe4+=,
although I
suspect that some
23 ... a4! The beauty of the position

is that Black can attack from either
229
side! 24.Qxa4 Rb8 2 5 . Ne6 Bxb5

26 .Qa7 Qf6 27.Nxf8 Rxf8+.
5) And finally, after 19. Rg1 Nxe2
20.Qxe2 f4 2 l . Bf2 e4! , Black enjoys a
strong attack.
10 . . . c6
a) 13 . . . Nd7 14 . 0 - 0 Ndc5 15. Bc2

Bd7 16.Rad1 Bc6 17.b3, with a
slight edge for White, was played in
Sasikiran-Zude, Bastia 2005.
b) Instead, I like 13 . . . Nxd5 !?
14 .cxd5 Nc5 , as White cannot easily
dominate on the light squares after
1 5 . Bxc5 dxc5 16 .Ba4 Qh4+ ! Before
White has time to castle! 17. Ng3
Bh6 18.Qf2 b6 (with the idea Bc8-a6)
19.Bb5 a4 .
Less good is 12.cxd5 B d 7 (or
12 . . . a4 13.Bc2 Qa5 14. Nbl Qb6

15.Na3 Bd7 16.Rbl RfcB 17.Be3 Nh5
18.g3 {5 as in Bareev-J. Polgar,
Moscow 1996) 13.0-0 b5 14 .Bc2 Qb6
11. Be3 ?1
Highly illogical.
White should finish developing
with ll.Nge2 . Black has a good score
in this line as well, but the position
is balanced and White can try and
fight for an edge. u .. cxd5
.
1 5 . Be3 Qb7 16 . Nd1 Rfc8 17. Nf2

b4 18. Rfc1 Bb5 , with a convenient
position for Black, in Tsvetkov
Berbatov, Plovdiv 2010.
11 . . . cxd5 12. cxd5 b 6 13. Be2 NeB

14. 0 - 0 - 0 (5 15. Kbl Nf6
Probably, 12 .Nxd5!? is White's

best bet in this position. 12 . . . Ne6
13.Be3 and now:
230
21. Bxe4 bxc5 22. Ne2 Bg4 23. Rd2

Rb8 24. Nc3 Rb4 25. h3 Bd7
26. Kal Qh4 2 7. Bd3 Rfb8 28. Rbl
c4 0-1
Black is already better on both

flanks.
16. Qc2 ?
The exchange on e4 should not be
allowed!
16. . . fxe4 1 7.fxe4

If instead 17.Bxc5, then 17 . . . exf3+.
17. . . Nfxe4! 18.Nxe4 Nxe4 19. Bd3

Not 19.Qxe4 Bf5 -+.
19. . . Nc5
20. Bxc5 e4!

There are many ways to convert
the extra pawn, but Mchedlishvili
decided correctly not to hold on to it,
but to transform it into more power
for the KID bishop!
231
Memory M a rkers
1. After 8 ... Nc7. The maneuver

N a6-c7 -e6 against the four pawn
advance. See diagram on page
2 15 .
2. After 13 ... Bd7!. The h6 pawn
3. After 7 . . .h6. A good version

of the classical line. See diagram
on page 220.
4. After
232
sacrifice. See diagram on page

2 1 9.
1 0 ...Nxe4!. Central
pressure. See diagram on page
222.
An early
central attack. See diagram on
page 224.
6. After 13...b5!. Perez's sharp
7. After 14 ...Nfxe4!!. Analysis

of Perez's sharp idea. See
8. After 14...Qb6. Comfortable
5. After 9 ... Ncxe4!.
diagram on page 2 2 6 .
idea. See diagram on page 2 2 5 .
development.
page 230.
See
diagram
on
233
Exercis es
Black to play!
As Black, practice finding the right moves when facing the Averbakh
System.
Solutions to these exercises begin on page 337.
Exercise 1
Uksti Kulaots
Polva Open 2000

Why was the h-pawn good for bait?
234
Exercise 2
Strunsky
Raykhman
German Championship
Net Final UlB 2009
The game of checkers.
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Zaiatz - Komiagina
Wilder - Gallagher
Russian Women's Championship

Orel 2006
Saint John Open 1988
A typical situation, but it still works!
How to make our pieces work?
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Walkusz - Dlugosz
Mohr - Uhlmann
Gdansk Championships 2005
Bund_esliga 1994
White has just started queenside

action. Prove that it's premature!
235
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Bagirov - Khismatullin
Seirawan - Gelfand
Moscow Open 2008
Tilburg 1990
The stability of the white center is

deceptive. Prove it!
Exercise 9
Exercise 10
Vegh - Krum Georgiev
Silman - Brooks
Berlin Open 1988
Software Toolworks Open

Pittsburgh 1988
How to address our problems on the

king's flank?
236
How to negate White's activity?
Inspiration is needed.
Chapter S
The Bagirov
Line
l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 8. Nc8 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf8 0- 0 6. h8 Na6!?
We trust that the lines we have studied so far have convinced you that the
King's Indian is a hard nut to crack and cannot be taken with bare hands .
Careful preparation is needed, and in this chapter we shall investigate such
an approach.
he positional system which
starts with 6 .h3 is named
after GM Vladimir Bagirov
who laid the foundation of its
strategic concepts. Just as in the
Petrosian, this system is designed
to limit Black's active possibilities.
One idea is to carefully control
the e4 square and make the f7-f5
advance ineffective. White often
plays g2-g4 to discourage his op
ponent from advancing this pawn;
even if f7-f5 is still possible, the first
player intends to trade twice on f5
and block the position with Nf3 d2-e4. If this happens , the knight
is more than happy in the center,
but what is more important, it will
dominate the black bishop on g7, our

most beloved piece.
Another strategically venomous
plan is to advance the kingside pawns
with g2-g4 and h3 -h4-h5 in order to
force Black to close the flank with g6g5 . If this plan works, Black would
suffer painfully until the very end,
deprived of his usual counter-chances
on the king's wing. With the limited
space he has, there will be nothing to
be done on the other side of the board
either. This one-sided play is what the
first player craves.
Shall we allow him this pleasure?
We must not forget that in the
KID, White can hardly afford slow
motion !
Chapter 5: The Bagirov Line
23 7
1 Parligras - Fressinet
13th European Championship

Plovdiv 2012
l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg 7 4. e4
d6 5. h3
The usual move order is 5 . Nf3
0-0 6.h3 .
5. . . 0- 0 6. Nf3
(ideally) shut the flank and play a

one-sided game on the queen's flank.
These are, in brief, White's
intentions . However, remember that
in the KID, White cannot afford such
slow motion . As Boris Avrukh once
told me, he abandoned this beloved
weapon of his since he was getting
mated way too often.
6 . . . Na 6
The
Bagirov
system.
White
intends to fight the KID in a
positional way.
The placement of the pawn on h3
is designed to take control over the
important g4 square, thus making
possible the development of the bish
op to e3. White usually waits with
the other bishop, which might get
into the game at a later stage on e2
or d3 , or it might even be fianchet
toed.
This pawn is also useful in the
aggressive-preventive play on the
king's flank. As mentioned in the in
troduction, White usually advances
g2-g4 and tries to discourage the f7f5 move. If Black insists on this idea,
the first player will exchange twice
on f5 and win the e4 square and open
the g-file for an attack. If not, White
might advance the pawns further to
238
7. Be3
The most natural move .
For the more active, tricky, and
popular continuation 7. Bg5 see the
next game. But here I will mention
the following game, as there is a
transposition to a later phase in
our present game: 7 . . . Qe8 8 . Be2
e5 9.d5 Nh5 10.g3 f5 l l . Nh4 Nf6
1 2 .exf5 gxf5 13.Be3. We reach a
position seen in our main game, but
with an extra tempo for Black. This
certainly cannot be bad, and Black
took over the initiative after 13 . . . Bd7
14.Qd2 Nc5 1 5 . Bh6 Nfe4 16 . Nxe4
Nxe4 17.Qcl Qf7+ in Rajcevic-Antic,
Obrenovac 2 0 0 5 .
7 e5
. . .
ready better, as 14. Qxa7 Bb7 15.Nd2

Nxe4! 16.Ndxe4 Bxe4 17.Nxe4 Rxb5+
leaves Black a healthy pawn ahead.)
14 . . . Be6 1 5 . Nxe5 . It seems White
should be happy with his position,
and that Black's pawns on the c-file
will fall in the future . But Spasov
reveals hidden resources in the posi
tion with 1 5 . . . Nxe4 !
8.d5
White stabilizes the center and
shifts the play to the flanks .
Some years ago there was a slight
burst of popularity in the line 8 .dxe5
dxe5 9.c5 (the pawn is untouchable:
9. Nxe5?! Nxe4) with the ideas Bflxa6
and Nf3-d2-c4-eventually-d6 But it
was soon discovered that 9 . . . b6! yields
White no advantage:
The king in the center matters

more than the material. 16 . Nc6
Qg5 ! 17.Nxb8?? (o 1 7. Qxe4 Bxc3+
18. bxc3 Rxb5+) 17 . . . Qxg2 1 8 . Rfl (not
18. Qxe4 ?? Bxc3+) 18 . . . Nxc3 19.bxc3
Rxb8 2 0 . Be2 Re8, and despite the
extra exchange, White resigned in
Kukov- Spasov, Plovdiv 2 0 0 8 .
. . .
Nh5!
A principled decision. White did

not pin this knight, so why not trou
ble him with it? Now both Nh5 -f4
and f7-f5 are in the air.
10.Qa4? ! (10. cxb6 Qxdl+ ll.Rxdl

axb6 12.Bc4 Bb7= Karpov-Kasim
dzhanov, Vitoria Gasteiz 2007.)
10 . . . Nxc5 l l . Bxc5 bxc5 1 2 . Rdl Qe7
1 3 . Bb5 Rb8 ! 14 .Qc2 (Black was al-
239
Instead, Topalov chose 8 c6

against Carlsen and I believe this is
playable as long as the second player
is ready to positionally sacrifice a
pawn: 9.g4 Nc5 10.Nd2 a5 l l.a3
And we look at two possibilities:

Topalov chose l l Nfd7:
a) Now White gets nowhere after
12 .b4 axb4 13. axb4 Rxal 14.Qxal
Na6 15 .Qa3 c5 16.bxc5 Naxc5=.
b) So Carlsen played 1 2 . Rg1 a4
13 .Qc2 Nb6 14 .0-0-0 Bd7 1 5 . Kb1
and now, according to many of the
annotators, Topalov needed to opt for
15 . . . Rc8 (rather than 15 . . . cxd5? which
.
led to an unfavorable position and

defeat in Carlsen-Topalov, Nanjing
2009) 16. Be2 cxd5 17.cxd5 Kh8 18.h4
f5 19.gxf5 although here, too, I am
not convinced of Black's chances.
White's queenside is stable, which is
definitely not the case with Black's
kingside. Not recommended!
240
Instead of the move played by

Topalov, I like Marin's recommenda
tion l l ... a4:
"This is possible right now," Marin

notes, "as it is hardly favorable for
White to capture this pawn at the
price of exchanging his dark-squared
bishop and weakening the dark
squares in his camp (especially after
g2 -g4)."
a) Now in case of 12 .Qc2 Qa5 (or
12 . . . Bd7 13. 0 - 0 - 0) 1 3 . 0 - 0 - 0 Bd7
14 . Kb1 cxd5 15.cxd5 b5, it looks like
a much better version of the position
that Topalov got from the opening.
b) In contrast, capturing the
a-pawn with 1 2 . Bxc5 dxc5 13.dxc6?!
(o
13.Nxa4
Qa5
14.Nc3
Bh6)
13 . . . bxc6 14 . Nxa4 Bh6 brought White

only troubles: 1 5 . Nc3 Rb8 16.Rbl
Qa5 17.Bd3 Rd8 18 .Qc2 Be6 19.Nf3
Bf4+, Muse-Levacic, Medulin 2002.
Back to our game:
9.g8
Parligras decided to limit the
black knight. However, this cannot
prevent Black from playing for the
f7-f5 advance.
There are several alternatives for
White. We look at 9.a3 next, 9.Nd2
on page 243, 9.Ngl on page 244,
a nd 9.Nh2 on page 246.
A typical plan is to advance the
pawns on the queen's flank at once:
9.a3 . In this case I recommend that
you first give some air for your piec
es, with 9 ... c6 (Alternatively, Black
a) Now the active 12 . . . Nf4!? seems

fine for Black.
As usual, the knight on f4 does not

intend to retreat from this excellent
square. For example: 13 .g3 fxe4
14 . Nxe4 (The line 14. Nd2 Nd3+
15.Bxd3 exd3 16. Nde4 Nc7 17. Qxd3

b6 with the ideas Bc8-a6 (b7) and
Nc7-e8-f6 shows the advantages of
both the vacated c7 square and the
presence of the light-squared bishop
on the board for Black.) 14 . . . Bf5
15. Nfd2
also advance on "his, flank,

but we should not forget that this is
a risky strategy with less time for
development. 9. . . Qe8 10.b4 f5 ll.c5
Nf6 12.Rcl KhB 13.Bc4 NbB saw
double-edged play in the recent game
Riazantsev-Mamedov, Plovdiv 2012,
but I have the feeling that White is
more comfortable.) 10.b4 cxd5 l l .cxd5
can
The c-file is opened, but it is not cer

tain who will make use of it. ll . . . f5
12 .Rcl (12.exf5 gxf5 13.Bg5 Qd7=
yields nothing) and at this point we
look at two possibilities:
15 ... Nc7 ! hitting the pawn on d5,

rather than prematurely taking it.
(If instead 15. . . Nxd5? then 16. Qb3

Chapter 5: The Bagirou Line
241
Nac7 17.Rxc7.) The idea is 16 .gxf4?

exf4 17. Bxf4 Bxe4 18.Nxe4 Rxf4+.
b) Also possible is 1 2 . . . Bd7.
All of a sudden, Black has nasty

threats.
b2 1) I can understand White's
unwillingness to take the d6 pawn,
but objective analysis shows that
1 5 . Nxd6 Bh6 will lead to a draw
after a spectacular skirmish: 16 .Qb3
Rxf2 ! 17. Bxf2 Bxd2+ 1 8 . Kxd2 (Worse
is 18. Ke2 Nf4+ 19.Kxd2 Qxf2+ 20.Kdl

e3 --.) 18 . . . Qxf2+ 19. Be2 Ng3 20.Rhel
Qd4+ 2 l . Kc2 Qf2 2 2 . Kd2 Qd4+=.

b22) Lysyj , playing White, hur
ried to secure the third rank with
15 .Qb3 and soon went wrong.
b221) Now Black could have
used the same motif to grab the
initiative: 15 . . . Ng3 ! !
bl) Note that the pawn on e5 is

untouchable in the line 13.exf5 gxf5!
14 .Nxe5 f4 15.Nxd7 (Or 15. Qxh5 BeB
16. Qe2 fxe3 17.Nf3 exf2+ 18. Qxf2

Bh6 with powerful attack for a pawn.)
15 . . . fxe3 16.Qxh5 exf2+ 17. Kdl Qxd7
18. Bd3 Be5. Black recovers the pawn
and enjoys the better chances thanks
to his safe king.
b2) We now follow a game by
Novikov, who decides to finish
developing with 13.Nb5 fxe4 14 .Nd2
Qh4!
16.fxg3 (or 16.Nxd6 Nxhl) 1 6 . . . Qxg3+
17. Kdl (not 17.Ke2 Bxb5+) 17 . . . Rxfl+! !
18.Nxfl (or lB.Rxfl Bxb5) 18 . . . Qxg2
19.Rgl Qf3+ 2 0 . Kc2 Bxb5 -+, with
three pawns for the exchange and an
attack as "compensation".
b222) Instead, Black finished his
development and gave his opponent
a chance for some nice tactics with
15 . . . Rac8?! 16 .Rxc8 Rxc8 and now
White missed the computer-like
combination: 17.Nc4 ! ! (17.Nc3 fl. was
Lysyj-Novikov,
17 . . . Bxb5
242
Belgorod
1 8 . Nxd6
Bxfl
2008.)
19.Nxc8
Bxg2 2 0.d6+ Kf8 2 1 . Ne7 Nf6 22 .Qe6

Bxh1 2 3 . Nxg6+ hxg6 24.Qe7+ Kg8
25.d7 Nxd7 26.Qxh4.
The maneuver 9.Nd2 is designed
to temporarily
stop
the
f7-f5
advance, and afterwards this knight
can either be used to control the e4
square or it might be transferred to
the queen's flank. 9 . . Qe8
a1) 13.f4? is not great here, as

after 13 . . . exf4 14 . Bxf4 Nh5! Black
creates strong threats. 15.Nf3 (or
15. 0 - 0 Nxf4 16.Rxf4 Be5+) 15 . . . Nc5
16.Qd2 Ne4 17. Nxe4 fxe4 18.Nd4 Nxf4
19.gxf4 e3 with a decisive advantage
Kourousis-Banikas,
Black,
for
Nikaia 2007.
a2) Better is 13 .Qb3:
Black's play is pretty standard

and is easy to memorize. The knight
is supported by the queen, and f7-f5
is coming next.
a) 10.g3 gives an additional object
for an attack for the second player:
10 . . . f5 1 1 .exf5 gxf5 1 2 Be2 Nf6:
Now it's 13 ... Nd7 ! with the ideas of f5 f4 , Nd7-c5 and Na6-b4 afterwards.
14 . Rg1 supporting the bishop. (After
14. 0-0- 0 ? f4 15.gxf4 exf4 White will

have to part with the piece.) 14 . . . Kh8
15.f3 . If it's necessary to weaken
the black-squared perimeter with a
move like this , then than Black can
simply enjoy the game: 15 . . . f4! 16 . Bf2
(16.gxf4 ? loses at least a piece after

16 . . . exf4 1 7.Bxf4 Ndc5 18. Qc2 Nb4
19. Qb1 Nbd3+-+) 16 . . . fxg3 , and Black
took over the initiative and quickly

won, in Sethuraman- Shyam, New
Delhi 2010.
b) 10.Be2 invites the knight to a
dream square with 10 . . . Nf4 , and the
second mistake in a row 1 1 . Bxf4?!
led to a disaster on the dark squares
after 1 l . . . exf4 12 .Qc2 Nc5 1 3 . Bf3 Qe7
14 .0-0-0 Bd7+, Askarian- Sumets,
Alushta 2002.
243
c) 10. Nb3 is recent try. White

puts his hopes in the queen's flank,
as his alternatives are in dire straits.
10 ... f5 l l .c5 f4 Just in time ! 12 .Bd2
Nxc5 13 .Nxc5 dxc5 14 .b4!?
14 . . . f3!
(14 ... cxb4
15.Nb5
Qd7
16.Bxb4 is the kind of play that
White is aiming for.) 15.gxf3
(15.g3? would receive a painful
punch: 15... Nxg3 16.fxg3 f2+ 17.Ke2
cxb4 and Black already wins, as
the knight must not move: lB.Nbl ?
Qb5+ 19.Ke3 Bh6 mate.) 15 . . . cxb4
16 .Nb5 Qd8 (16... Qf7!? is also worth
analyzing.) 17.Qb3 (1 7.Rcl c6 18.dxc6
bxc6 19.Rxc6 a5 is good for Black.)
9.Ngl is a somewhat artificial

way to oppose Black's threats.
White's idea is revealed in the

lines 9 . . . f5?! 10.exf5 or 9 . . . Nf4 10.g3
Nh5 1 1 . Bg2 .
Instead, 9 . . . Qe8! Prepares f7-f5,
since the queen supports the knight
from this square. 10 .Be2:
17 . . . Kh8 18. Bxb4 a6 !? and the

open fight ended peacefully after
19. Bxf8 Bxf8 20.Nc3 Qf6 2 l . Ne2 a5
22.a3 Bc5 23.Ng3 Nf4 24.Ne2 Nh5
(Instead, Black could have searched

for more with 24 ... Qh4!?, since the
compensation on the black squares
should be more than enough.) 2 5 . Ng3
Nf4 26 .Ne2 , when a draw was agreed,
Wang Yue-Ding, China 2010.
244
10 ... f5 (10 ... Nf4 is also possible, but I

like the move in the text better.) Now:
a) I was once "caught" in a home

prepared line: l l . Bxh5 gxh5 1 2 . Nf3
fxe4 13.Ng5 Qg6 14. Ngxe4 Bf5
15.Ng3 :
b) If l l .exf5 then l l ... Nf4!
My opponent Kukov was a student of

the notorious Bulgarian IM Bogomil
Andonov, who had many bright ideas
in this line. As he was practically
blitzing his moves I became worried
that things were not going that well,
but my next move came as a surprise
for him: 15 . . . Bd3!
Up to here we were following a
game of Andonov, but now Kukov
had to think on his own. The move in
the game proves that White's setup is
harmless. 16 .Qxh5 Qxh5 Forced, as
otherwise the black bishop will not
have a retreat square. 17. Nxh5 Bxc4
18 .Nxg7 (or 18. b3 Bd3 19. 0 - 0 - 0
Bg6 20.Nxg7 Kxg7=) 18 . . . Kxg7 19.b3
(19.0-0-0!?Nb4 20. b3 Ba6=) 19 . . . Bd3
20.Kd2 Bg6 2 1 . a3 c6 2 2 . Rhdl Nc7
23.Ke1 c5! Kukov-Bojkov, Bankia
1116-final 2002 . Black was already
better due to the weak d5 pawn, and
I went on to win.
This is the idea behind Black's

line. White should be punished for
his sloppy play!
bl) Bad here would be 1 2 . fxg6?
Nxg2+ 1 3 . Kd2 Qxg6+.
b2) 1 2 . Bf3? was already one
mistake too many, and Redzepagic
was swiftly punished after 12 . . . e4!
1 3 . Nxe4 Bxf5 14 . Nc3 Nd3+ 15.Kd2
15 ... Nxf2 ! 16.Qe1 (not 16.Bxf2 Bh6+

17.Be3 Qxe3 mate) 16 . . . Nxh 1 17. Nge2
Nb4 0 - 1 , in
Skopje 1991.
Redzepagic- Golubev,
245
b3) Better is 1 2 . Bxf4 exf4 1 3 . fxg6

Qxg6:
A tabiya for the line.

Recently, the strong Brazilian GM
Vescovi tried to prove that White's
extra pawn is more important than
the initiative. In vain. 14.Bg4N This
was his idea. (14.Kfl Bf5 provides
One more way to meet Black's

counterplay is 9.Nh2. Still, the
knight does not seem so great on this
square. 9 . . . Qe8 10.Be2:
And now a couple of possible continu

ations for Black:
a) 10 . . . Nf4!? l l . Bf3 (In case of
ll.g3 ?
decent compensation for the pawn.)

14 . . . Bxg4
(14 ... Nc5!?
might
be
even better.) 15.hxg4 (The careless
15. Qxg4 ?! brings White to the verge
of defeat: 15 ... Qc2 16.Nge2 {3! 1 7.gxf3
KhB and White is in trouble.) Now:
b31) Kotronias decided to restore

material balance: 15 . . . Bxc3+ 16 .bxc3
Qe4+ 17.Qe2 (better than 17.Kfl
Qxc4+ 18.Ne2 RaeB +) 17 . . . Rae8
18 .Qxe4 Rxe4+ 19.Kd2 Rfe8 20.Rh5
Nc5 2l.Rg5+ Kh8 2 2 . Rf5 Rxc4=,
Vescovi-Kotronias , Bursa 2010.
b32) Instead, 15 ... Rae8+ 16 . Kfl
Nc5 also looks great for Black, who
will then double his rooks on the
open file and/or open the diagonal for
the bishop with Nc5 -e4!
246
Black will take the more valuable

bishop: ll . . . Ng2+ 12.Kfl Nxe3++.)
l l . . . f5 1 2 .a3 (not 12.g3 Nxh3) 12 . . . g5
with the idea Qe8-g6. Such positions
are a bit favorable for White with
a knight on d 2 . However here,
with that piece misplaced, Black
experiences no problems whatsoever.
13.g3 fxe4 14 . Nxe4 Qg6? (More exact

is 14 . . . Bf5!, as in this case White
cannot capture the knight: 15.gxf4
exf4. White was hoping for 14 . . . Nxh3
15.Ng4 Qg6 16. Rxh3 Bxg4 1 7.Bxg4
Qxe4 18. Qe2 with compensation on
the light squares.):
al) Now after 15.h4? g4 Black
soon won in Simantsev-Neuman,
Pardubice 2 0 1 1 , as the line 16.gxf4
gxf3 17.f5 Bxf5 18.Ng3 Bc2 leads to
a healthy extra pawn for the second
player.
a2) Critical
is
15.gxf4 !
exf4
16. Bd4 ReS 17.Bxg7! Rxe4+ 18. Bxe4
Qxe4+ 19.Qe2 Qxe2 + 2 0 . Kxe2 Kxg7
2l.Rhgl with an advantage for
White.
b) Alternatively, 10 ... f5 makes a
lot of sense:
king's side with KgB-hB, R{B-gB, not

forgetting the immediate threats such
as f5xe4, or f5-f4 with Bc8xh3 to fol
low.) 12 . . . hxg4 13.hxg4 fxe4 14 .Qbl
Qg6 15 .Qxe4:
15 . . . Bd7 is a recent novelty which

equalized
immediately.
16 . Ke2
Nb4! The knight is heading for the
d4 square, and White needs to stop
it. 17. Rhcl (of course not 17.Racl ??
Nxa2! 18. Qxg6 Nxcl+ 19. Rxcl hxg6)

17 . . . a5 and now:
bl) 18.Qxg6 hxg6 19.a3 Na6
20.Ne4 b6 is good for Black as point
ed out by Ostojic.
b2) And 18.a3 Na6 19.f3 b6 is
similar.
b3) 18.f3 a4 19.Nfl a3 20.b3
Qxe4 (Also interesting is keeping the
Black should not fear l l . Bxh5 gxh5,
as now the black queen receives the
excellent g6 square from where it
will attack both the g2 and e4 pawns
(squares). In addition, the g-file is
advantageously opened for the black
rook. 12 .g4 White tries to stabilize
the situation in the center and to
secure the e4 post for the knights.
central tension for the time being with

20. . . Rf7 21.Nd2 Ra{B 22. Qxg6 hxg6
23.Nce4 b5?.) 2 1 . Nxe4 c6 22 .dxc6
Bxc6 2 3 . Nfd2 (23.Nfg3!?) 23 . . . d5=,
and a few moves later the opponents
agreed to a draw in Grigoryan
Mamedov, Rijeka 2010.
(The line 12. 0-0 Qg6 allows Black to

slowly but surely bring pieces to the
24 7
9. . . Qe8
can also prepare to ruin the black

center with g3 -g4 .
14.gxf4 exf4 15. Bd4

The pawn is poisoned: 15. Bxf4?
Nb4
16 .Qbl
(if 16. Qb3
then
16 . . . Nd3+) 16 . . . Ne4 17. Nxe4 Rxf4 and
Black wins a piece.
15 . . . Nb4
10. Be2 f5 11. exf5

Naturally not l l . Nd2?? f4-+, and
not l l . Nh2? f4+.
1 1 . . . gxf5 12.Nh4
12.Nd2 would transpose to the
alternative line 9.Nd2 discussed
above, with 12 . . . Nf6? transposing to
the diagram in line a) on page 243.
12 . . . Nf6 13. Qc2
An important moment!
From
hindsight,
the
strike
15 f3!N
13 . . . (4!
Activity and only activity!
The
timid
13 . . . e4?!
allows
14 .0-0-0, when White is strategi
cally winning. He has juicy squares
for the knights (f4 is great one), and
248
is already possible, but the French

GM decided to bring his knight clos
er first. I guess he wanted to avoid
the line 16.Nxf3 Nb4.
Now,
bad
18 .0-0-0 Ne4
Qxe4
wins
is
17.Qd2?! Bf5
19.Rhgl (19.Nxe4? ?
instantly
for
bl) 2 l . Nh4 Bd7
Black.)
19 . . . Bg6 !+.
However, even after 17.Qb3 Black
has nothing to worry about.
a) One
possibility
is
17 . . . a5,
intending to meet 18.0,- 0 - 0 with
either 18 . . . Bh6+ or 18 . . . Bf5 .
b) However, 17 . . . Nd3+, spoiling
casting, is even better: 18.Kd2 White
manages to bring the a-rook into
action. Still, Black has decent counter
chances after 18 . . . Nc5 19.Bxc5 (The
only move. Not 19. Qc2 ? Bf5!+ and

not 19. Qa3 ? Nfe4+ 20.Nxe4 Nxe4+
21.Kd3 Bxd4-+.) 19 . . . dxc5 20. Ragl
Bf5:
with the ideas Nf6 -e4+ and Kg8-h8

with Bg7-h6+ to follow.
White can try the following four
ideas: 2 l . Nh4 , 2 l . Ng5 , doubling
rooks starting with 2 l . Rg2 , and the
lively 2 1 .Qxb7.
And now:
bll) 22 .Qxb7?!
is
too
risky.
22 . . . Rb8 23.Qxc7 Rxb2+ 24.Kdl Ng4 ! !
2 5 . Bxg4 Ba4+ 2 6 . Kcl Rc2+ 27.Kbl
Qb8+ 2 8 . Nb5 (or 28. Qxb8 RxbB+
29.Nb5 Rxc4+) 28 . . . Qxc7 29.Nxc7
Rb8+ 30.Nb5 Rxc4 , with close to a
decisive advantage for Black.
b12) On the other hand 2 2 . Rg2 is
possible, with a mess after 22 . . . Qe5
2 3 . Rhgl Qf4+ 24.Kdl Rf7 25.Nf3
Bf5 26.Qxb7 ReB. Black definitely
has a powerful initiative, and it is up
to him to prove that it matters more
than White's material advantage.
b13) After 2 2 . Nf3 Black can
either repeat moves with 22 . . . Bf5=,
or take a risk with 22 . . . Nh5 !? to try
for a win.
b2) If 2 l . Ng5 , then 2 l . . . Rd8 (to
stop Ng5 -e6) 2 2 . Kcl. Then after
22 . . . Bh6 Black is fine.
b3) The immediate doubling of
the rooks is also logical: 2 l . Rg2 Ne4+
2 2 . Nxe4 Qxe4 2 3 . Rhgl Bg6 24.Ng5
Bh6 25.f3 Qf4+ 26 .Qe3 Rae8 2 7.Qxf4
Rxf4 28 .b3 Rh4 29. Rg4 Bxg5+
30. Rxg5 Rxh3 (or 30 . . . Rd4+ 31.Kel
K.g7oo) 3 l . Bd3 Rh2+ 3 2 . R lg2 (not
32.Kc3 ? Re3) 32 . . . Rxg2+ 3 3 . Rxg2 =.
249
b4) And finally, one entertaining

line goes 2 1 .Qxb7 Ne4+ 2 2 . Nxe4
Qxe4 23. Rxg7+ Kxg7 24. Rg1+ Bg6
25.Qxc7+
Kg8
26.Rxg6+
Qxg6
27.Qxc5 Rae8:
Fressinet was probably counting

on this novelty, and it certainly has
a good surprise value. Still, analysis
shows that White can claim an
advantage. Therefore I suggest that
you go back and review the analysis
of 15 . . . f3 ! N instead, on page 248.
The only predecessor saw 16 ... Ne4
and did not end happily for the KID
defender after 17. Rg1 Rf7 18.Nxe4
Qxe4 19. Bxg7 Nc2+ 20.Kd 1 Rxg7
2 l . Rxg7+ Kxg7 2 2 . Bf3 Qe7 23.Kxc2
Qxh4 24. Rg1+, in Semcesen-Berg,
Gothenburg 2 0 1 1 .
But 1 6 . . . c 5 ! ? deserves further
investigation.
1 7. Rgll R(7
Strictly speaking, White has plenty

of material for the sacrificed ex
changes. I still prefer Black, though,
as the rooks and the queen together
possess immense power when chas
ing the enemy king.
There is no time to gr ab the bish

op: 17 . . . fxe2? 18. Rxg7+ Kxg7 19.Qg5+
Kh8 20. Bxf6+ Rxf6 2 1 . Qxf6++-.
18.Nxf3 B(5
16. Qd2
19.Nh4
With the pawn still on f4 , 16.Qb3

is less appealing: 16 . . . Nd3+ 17.Kd2
Nc5 and Black looks great.
16. . . (3N
250
White also could have castled

with 19.0-0-0.
In the line 19 ... Bg6 2 0 . Ng5 Re7
2 l . Bf1 (21.Ne6 looks great for White
too.) 2 1 . . .c5 2 2 . Bxf6 Bxf6 23.Ne6
White has a large advantage and
the tricky 23 . . . Qa4?? (hoping for
24.Nxa4 ?? Nxa2 mate) is simply refut
ed with the zwischenzug 24. Rxg6+.
And after 19 . . . Ne4 20.Qh6 Bg6

2l.Bxg7 Rxg7 2 2 . Nd4 Nxc3 23 .bxc3,
White manages to keep control over
the situation. Despite the scary look
of his position, he should be better
after 23 . . . Qa4 24.cxb4 c5 25 .bxc5
dxc5 26 .Qe3 cxd4 2 7.Qb3 Qa5
28. Rxd4.
19. . . Nc2+ 20. Kdl Nxd4 21. Qxd4

Bd7
For better or for worse, Black
needed to capture the pawn with
2 l . . . Bxh3;t .
22. Kc2 Qf8 23. Rg5 ReB 24. Ragl

25. . . Re5!
Taking the sting out of the active
white pieces. It is important to get
some air for the defenders .
26. Rxe5 dxe5 2 7. Qxe5 Ng8

Better was 27 . . . Ng4 2 8 .Qe4 Rxf2+
29.Kcl Nf6 , and Black is still in the
game.
28. Qe4
Or 28 .Qg3 Rxf2+.
28 . . . Rxf2+ 29. Ne2 ?!

Parligras did not fancy 29.Kbl
Rxb2+ 3 0 . Kxb2 Qb4+ 3 l . Kcl Qxc3+
3 2 . Bc2 Qb2+ (32 ... Bh6+ 33.Kbl
White has an extra pawn and
active pieces . And even in such a
difficult situation, the KID player is
able to find resources as long as his
dark-squared bishop is on the board!
Qb4+ 34.Bb3 Bg7 is also anything

but clear.) 3 3 . Kdl Nf6 34.Qe3 Qxa2 ,
with a mess in which the exchange

should objectively prevail.
29 . . . Nf6 30. Qe3 Rh2 ?
24 . . . Kh8 25. Bd3
251
2 Avrukh - Milov
7th Gibraltar Masters 2009
l . d4 g6 2. c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4
Nf6 5. h3 0 - 0 6. Bg5 Na 6
The presence of the bishop on g5
might provoke Black to play h7-h6 . I
believe there is no need to go for this.
As you have seen from the previous
game, White can also develop the
bishop to e3. Furthermore, White
will be able to win a precious tempo
with the developing move Qdl-d2 ,
hitting the h6 pawn.
Now Black creates threats of
his own. The game enters the time
trouble zone and the turn of events
did not inspire White!
31. Rg3 Nh5 32. Rxg7 Qxg7

33. Nf5?
Qf6+
34.Nfd4 Nf4
35. Be4
7. Nf3
The position in the text is usually
achieved with the move order 6.Nf3
Na6 7. Bg5 .
7. . . Qe8
I like this approach . It is the most
flexible one, and Black keeps the op
tion to go for either of the e7-e5 or c7c5 advances .
The utility o f the bishop o n g 5 is
seen in the line 7 . . . e5 8.d5, as now
the pin on the f6 -knight doesn't allow
8 . . . Nc5? due to 9.b4, and White's
e-pawn is safe.
8. Be2
After 8.a3 e5 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.b4,
the knight can find a better post with
10 . . . c6? followed by Na6 -c7-e6.
The useful move 8.Qc2 can be
met with another of Golubev's ideas:
8 . . . h6!? (8 . . . e5 is met with 9. dxe5 dxe5
35. . . Nxe2
35 . . . Qe5 would have been quicker.
36.Nxe2 Rxh3 37. Qxa 7 Qe5

38. Qd4 Qxd4 39. Nxd4 Re3
40. Bd3 h5 41. Kd2 Rg3 42.Be4
h4 43. c5 h3 44. c6 bxc6 45. dxc6
Bg4 46. a4 h2 47. Bhl Rgl 0-1
252
10.Nd5, and White's queen defends

the e4 pawn) 9.Be3 (insisting on his
idea with 9.Bh4 can be answered
9. . . c5?) 9 . . . e5 10.dxe5 dxe5
However, Black can react with

the central attack 8 ... c5!
with a roughly equal game:

a) l l .c5 b6!? is what I like, but
also good is l l . . . Nb4!? 1 2 .Qb3 Nc6.
b) After 1 l . Nd5 Nh5 (ll . . . Nd7!?)
12.a3 one should know the idea
12 . . . Kh7 to make way for the rook.
(12 . . . f5!?) 1 3 .Be2 c6 14 . Nb4 Nc7
15.Bc5 Rg8 =.
8.Bd3 brings the bishop to a
vulnerable square and it makes
sense for us to underline this fact
as fast as we can, with 8 . . . e5 9.d5
Nh5 10.Qd2 f5 (10 ... f6!? to push
the bishop with tempo makes a lot

of sense!) l l . g4?! fxg4 1 2 . hxg4 Bxg4
The '!' is given by the KID special

ist Golubev. We now look at four of
White's options: 9.d5 here, 9.Qd2 on
page 254, and 9.Be2 and the fianch
etto 9. Bg2 , both on page 255.
a) White would normally be hap
py to close the center now, but 9.d5
can be met with 9 . . . e 6 ! 10. Be2 (also
good for Black is 10. Qe2 exd5 ll.exd5

h5!) 10 . . . exd5 l l . exd5 Bd7 (Note that
once again, Black can employ the in
teresting pawn sacrifice ll. .. h5!
13.Nh2 Bd7 14 . 0 - 0 - 0 Nf4 15. Be2

Nc5+, Marholev-Antic, Plovdiv 2012 .
In case White chooses the
aggressive 8.g4, one line is 8 ... e5,
for example 9.d5 Nd7 10. Rg1 Kh8
l l . Be2 Ndc5 1 2 . a3 Bd7 13 .b4 Na4
14 .Nb5 Nb6 15 .Qd3, in Martinovic
Saric, Bosnj aci 2012 .
12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13.gxh5 Bf5 14. hxg6

fxg6+, and then curiously observe
253
White's attempts to castle.) 1 2 .0 - 0

h 5 13.Nh2 hxg4
14 .hxg4 Ne4
with
advantage
for
Black
in
Meskovs-Felgaer, Caleta 2 0 1 1 .
b) 9.Qd2 was used by the main
ideologist of the line, Vladimir
Bagirov. White is heading for a
Maroczy bind set up.
b1) After 9 . . . Nb4 the KID expert
Smirin showed a good plan for Black:
10. Bg2 (10.dxc5 is usually anti-posi
tional. 10... dxc5 11.0-0-0 b6 looks
fine for Black.) 10 . . . h5.
White's advanced pawn can also be

attacked. True, one needs nerves of
steel to open his king this way, but
we are playing the KID after all,
aren't we?
bll) The game continued 1 l . Bxf6
exf6 12.0-0-0 hxg4 1 3 .hxg4 Bxg4
14.a3 Nc6 ! This was one of the ideas
behind the move Na6 -b4 . The knight
is now happy to be working near the
central squares. 1 5 .Qf4 Qc8 16 . Nd5
Qe6 ! Black is doing fine, and the
greedy 17. Nc7?
was swiftly punished after 17 . . . Qxc4+

18.Kb1 f5 ! Who would possibly care
about the miserable aS -rook when
our dark-squared bishop enters the
game?! 19. Bfl (19.Nxa8 RxaB 20.Rd2
cxd4 +) 19 . . . Qa4 20.Bb5 Qa5 and Black
went on to win in Maciej a- Smirin,
Maalot-Tarshiha 2008.
b12) Probably White could simply
abandon these pawns and play in
the spirit of Velimirovic's attack:
1 1 .0 - 0 - 0 cxd4 (or ll . . . hxg4 12. hxg4
Nxg4 13.Kbl) 1 2 . Nxd4 hxg4 1 3 .hxg4
Nxg4 14 . Ncb5 a5 with a mess, as
1 5 . Nc7? is wrong due to 15 . . . Qa4
16.Nxa8 Qxa2 17.Qc3 Nxf2 , where
Black's attack is unstoppable .
b2) If you do not want to experi
ence those opposite side castling at
tacks, you might simply prefer the
normal development with 9 . . . Bd7.
Now, after the overoptimistic 10.e5?
(White was better advised to proceed

with development, although in that
case the Benko style play: 10.Bg2 b5
ll.cxb5 Bxb5t is very promising for
Black.) 10 . . . cxd4 l l .Qxd4 (not ll.exf6
exf6+) Black immediately casts a
shadow over White's frivolous play
with 1 l . . .Bc6!
254
12 .Qe3 (again, not 12. exf6 exf6+

check!) 1 2 . . . dxe5 with an extra pawn
an clear edge in Perunovic- Grigory

an, Bansko 2 010.
c) From the previous line, it
became apparent why development
is so important for White, and the
logical 9.Be2 was recently tested by
Pashikian to which his opponent
Jobava reacted with 9 . . . cxd4 (But
I have the feeling that Black should
12 . . . h5!? The good old pawn-for-the

dark-squared-bishop sac. 1 3 . Bxf6
Bxf6 1 4 . gxh& Rc5! The point behind
Black's play. If this rook makes it
to the king's flank, White might be
in trouble. In the only two games
played so far in this sub -line , Black
scored an excellent 1 Y2 points.
1 5 . Nd5 (or 15. hxg6 Rg5! 16.f4 Rx
g6t) 15 . . . Bg7 1 6 . hxg6 fxg6 17.Rc1
e 6 1 S . Ne3 Rh5:
instead play 9. . . h5!??, as the line

10.Bxf6 exf6 ll.gxh5 f5 is very
attractive for the second player.)
10 .Nxd4 Nc5 (or 10 . . . Bd7 11.{3) l l .f3
Bd7 (Instead of this move which
seems a bit slow, it made sense for
Black to reduce material. Therefore
ll . . . Ne6!?N 12.Be3 Nxd4 13. Bxd4
Be6, with chances for equality.)
12 .Qd2 QbS (or 12 . . . a6 13. h4) 13 .h4
ReS
14.h5;!;,
Pashikian-Jobava,
Martuni 2 0 1 1 .
d ) Another way t o finish develop
ing is via the fianchetto 9. Bg2 :
d1) The modern way of fighting
White's bind is shown in the following
games: 9 . . . Bd7 10.0 - 0 cxd4 l l . Nxd4
ReS , not only to weaken the long
diagonal, but to prepare an unusual
rook lift. 1 2 .b3
dll) One of these games ended in

beautiful black-squared symphony
after 19. Nb5 Be5 2 0 . Ng4 (20.Nxd6
Qe7 21.Nb5 Bf4 ) 20 . . . Bf4 2 1 . Nxd6
Qe7 2 2 . Rc3 e5 2 3 . Nb5 Rh7 24.Rd3
Be6 2 5 . Rd6 KhS 2 6 .Qe2 Rh4 27.f3
255
Nc5 28. Rfd1 Qg5 29.b4? Bxg4 30.fxg4

(30. hxg4 Be3+ 3l.Kfl Nxe4) 30 . . . Be3+
31.Kh 1
31 . . . Nxe4 0-1, Parligras-Rapport,

Caleta 2012.
d12) In the other game, White
decided to give back the material
but secure his king with 19. Ng4 Qe7
20.e5 Bxe5 2 1 . Nxe5 dxe5 2 2 . Ne2 Bc6
23.Rc3 Bxg2 24.Kxg2 Nc5=, and a
draw was agreed some moves later in
Ipatov- Stellwagen, Germany 2012 .
d2) I see nothing wrong with
the conventional plan to fight the
Maroczy bind: 9 . . . cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5
1 1 .0-0 Bd7
It is a bit odd that no one has ever

played this way after a game by
Garry Kasparov himself!
Kasparov's game saw 1 2 .Be3 ReS
1 3 . Rc1 a6 14.Qe2 e5 1 5 . Nb3 Ne6
16. Rfd 1 Nf4 17. Bxf4 exf4 1 8 . Rxd6
Qe5 with typical black-squared com
pensation,
Ariela-Kasparov,
ICC
.
INT 1998.
From the diagram, Krasenkow
analyzed instead 12 .f4 , and after
1 2 . . . Ne6 (12 . . . Rc8 ? 13.e5) 1 3 . Nxe6
Bxe6 I believe that Black is doing
fine.
Despite the cramped nature of his

position, it is full of tactical resources:
d21) 14 .c5 dxc5 15.e5 Rd8 16 .Qf3
Nd7 17.Qxb7 Rb8 18.Qxa7 Rxb2oo.
15.exd5
Bxd5
d22) 14.Nd5
(15.cxd5 Nd7) 15 . . . b5.
d23) 14 .Qe2 Qc8 1 5 . Nd5 (15. b3 ?
Nxg4
wins
a pawn
for Black )
.
15 . . . Nxd5 and now:

d231) 16.exd5 Bd7 when the e7
pawn is poisoned: 17.Qxe7? (17.Racl
Qc5+ lB.Khl RfeB 19.f5 RacB with

b7-b5 to follow.) 17 . . . Re8 18.Qxd6 Bf8
19.Qf6 Qc5+ 2 0 . Kh2 Bg7 trapping

the white queen.
17. Bxe7
Bd7
d232) 16.cxd5
(17.Racl QdB with the ideas Qd8-b6+

256
and Bd7-b5 looks OK for Black.)

17 . . . Qc5+ 1 8 . Kh2 Rfe8 19. Rfcl (bet
ter than 19.Racl Qb6 20.Bh4 Bb5+
or 19. Bh4 ? Bb5) 19 . . . Qb6 20.Bh4
Qxb2 with good play. Also possible
is 20 . . . Bxb2 2 l . Rcbl Bxa l 2 2 . Rxb6
axb6oo.
. . .
e5 9. d5
11.0-0
In the line l l .b4 Na4 1 2 .Qcl Nxc3
13 .Qxc3:
. .
Bd71?
Black finishes his development

and secures the a4 square for his
knight. This was one of those games
which forced Avrukh to abandon his
main weapon.
Instead, the main lines goes
9 . . Nh5 10.g3 f5 l l . exf5 gxf5 1 2 . Nh4
Nf6 and Black has carried out f7f5, getting a strong center. White in
turn will play for a blockade, trying
to force the advance of either the
e-pawn or the f-pawn.
.
10. Nd2
For the other main move 10.g4 ,
see our next game, Milanovic-Bojkov.
10. . . Nc5
Black can equalize at once with

13 . . . Nxe4!? 14 . Nxe4 f5 15.0-0
(Or
15.Bd3 fxe4 16.Bxe4 Rf4 1 7. Qd3 Bf5

18.{3 Bxe4 19.fxe4 Rf7-.;t with a7-a5
next.) 15 ... fxe4 16.Qe3 Bf6=.
But Black decided to play for

even more with 13 . . . Nh5 14 .Bxh5
gxh5 15.g4 f6 16.Be3, and could
have achieved the advantage had he
played 16 . . . hxg4 (instead of 16 . . . c6
in Koster-Nijboer, Enschede 2003)

17.hxg4 Bxg4 1 8 . Bh6 Bxh6 19.Rxh6
Qe7 20.f3 Bd7 2 1 . 0 - 0 - 0 Rf7+ with
Rf7 -g7 to follow.
257
ll . . . a5 12. b3
If 1 2 . a3?! then 12 . . . a4 .
12 . . . h5
Note that the other capture

15 . . . Bxf5 16.Bxc5 dxc5 17. Nde4;!;
leads to a pleasant position for
White, thanks to the control over the
e4 point.
1 6. Bxh5 Qe7 1 7.Be2

The generally desirable blocking
move 17.f4? fails tactically to 17 . . . exf4
18.Bxc5 dxc5 19.Rcl Qe3+.
17. . . e4 18. Qc2

Or 1 8 . Rcl:
Black's concept in this encounter

made an enormous impression on
me. I still admire the way Milov han
dled this game.
13.a3 Nh7 14. Be3 f5 15. exf5
Now 18 . . . a4! 19.b4 Nb3 20.Nxb3 axb3

2 1 . Qxb3 f4 2 2 . Bd2 f3, and the pawns
are rolling.
18 . . . Qh4 19. Rfel

There is no time to show activity
on the queen's flank: 19.b4 f4 20.bxc5
fxe3 2 1 .fxe3 Ng5+.
And 19.f4 fails once more, due to
19 . . . Qg3 .
19 . . . Ng5
The hits on h3 are in the air.
Now what?
15 . . . gxf5!!
The stunning pawn sac! The h5
pawn is lost with tempo, but Black
manages to open files for his rooks
and mercilessly bring all his pieces
to the king's flank!
258
20. Bfl
One beautiful line runs 20.b4 f4!
21.Bxc5:
With the disappearance of this

bishop, White can no longer hold the
dark-squared perimeter.
Once again there is no time for
2 1 .b4 f4 2 2 . Bxc5 dxc5 2 3 . Ndxe4 Nxe4
24.Nxe4 Bxal 2 5 . Rxal Bf5 26.f3
(26. Bd3 f3 27.Ng3 Qf6+) 26 ... Bxe4
27.fxe4 cxb4 2 8 . axb4 axb4+, as given
by Maxim Notkin.
21 . . . Qxg5
21...e3 ! ! 22.fxe3 Nxh3+ 2 3 .gxh3 Qg3+

24.Kh l Qxh3+ 2 5 . Kgl Qg3+ 2 6 . Kh l
Rf6 and White is helpless.
Back to our game:
22. Radl Re7 23. b4 axb4 24. axb4

Na6 25. c5
2 5 .Qb3 was probably more resil
ient.
25 . . . Nxb4 2 6. Qb3 Na6 2 7. Bxa6

Or 27.c6 Nc5 !
2 7... bxa6 28. Qc4 Be5 29. Nfl Rg 7
20 . . . Rae8
Milov coolly brings up the re
serves.
But it appears, though, that the
position was already ripe: 20 . . . Nd3 !
21.Bxd3 exd3 2 2 . Qxd3 f4 2 3 . Bd4 f3 !
with a decisive attack a s 24. Bxg7
Nxh3+! is mate in five .
21. Bxg5
259
3 Milanovic - Bojkov
1st League CS, KraiJevo 2011

l . c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4.d4
Bg7 5. Nf3 0- 0 6. h3 Na 6 7.Bg5
Qe8 8. Be2 e5 9. d5 Bd7 1 0.g4!?
White is helpless.
30.g3 Qh5 31. c 6 Bc8 32. Nxe4

fxe4 33. Qxe4 Bxh3 34. Qhl
Qf5 35. Re2 Bxfl 36. Kxfl Bxg3
37. Qg2 Be5 38. Qhl a5 39. Qh4
Qf3 40. Rcl Rh7 0-1
I suspect that we will see more of
this against Milov's fabulous idea.
This move is in the spirit of the
line, designed to prevent Black's
active moves at the start. Impossible
now is Nf6 -h5, and after f7-f5 White
wouldn't mind trading twice, thus
opening the g-file for his rook and
vacating e4 for the knights. The king
will eventually find a relatively safe
shelter on the queen's flank.
10 . . . Nc5
A logical move which brings the
knight into the action .
The play of Swedish IM Nithander
deserves credit as well: 10 . . . Kh8
260
Better is 13 . . . f6 !
A typical maneuver in the KID.

Since the h5 square is unavailable,
and e8 and d7 are blocked, Black
frees g8 for the knight to prepare f7f5 . 1 1 . Rg1 (or 11.Nd2 NgB 12. Qc2 f6
13.Be3 Bh6) ll . . . Nc5 1 2 . Nd2 Ng8
with the idea f7-f5. (12 . . . a5!?) 13 .Qc2
(Nothing is gained by 13. b4 Na4) and
White gets ready to meet the f7-f5
advance.
Please note that the position
which arises after 13 . . . f5 14 .gxf5
gxf5 150-0-0 Nf6 16 . Kb1 Nfxe4
17. Ncxe4 Nxe4 18.Nxe4 fxe4 19. Bg4
Bxg4 20. Rxg4;!; is something that
White is heading for. The bishop on
g7 is definitely not happy, and White
is enjoying the g-fi.le.
A change in plans! Black will

create a dark-squared blockade and
no longer needs his bishop. But before
trading it he places his pawns on
that color. 14 .Be3 Bh6 15.Bxh6 Nxh6
16.b4 Na6 17.a3 c5 (Now instead of
this impatient move, some preparation

would have leveled the chances. After
17. .. Nf7 Black plays Qe8-e7 and c7c5.) Still, White's active moves have
left his king without a hiding place:

18 .dxc6 bxc6 19.c5 Hillarp Persson
Nithander, Gothenburg 2010, with
favorable complications for White.
l l . Nd2
261
ll . . a5
l l c6 can be answered with:
.
...
a) 12 .b4 Na6 13.dxc6 bxc6 14 .c5

Nc7 15 .cxd6;J;.
b) Or 12.Be3 cxd5 13.cxd5 h6?!
14.h4! b5 15.g5 hxg5 16.hxg5 Nh7
17.b4 Na4 18.Nxa4 bxa4 19. Bg4!
Qc8 20.Rcl Qb7 2 l . Bxd7 Qxd7
22.Rc6, with a dream position for
White in Tuvshintugs- Sharavdorj ,
Ulaanbaatar 2011.
On principle it is best to avoid
n h6. It brings the bishop to a
better position after 12 . Be3 Kh7, and
helps White to block the king's flank
13 .h4! with the direct threat g4-g5
and the positional one h4-h5 to force
g6-g5, after which White has all the
play. Beware of this idea! 13 . . . Bxg4
14. Bxg4 Nd3+ 15.Ke2 Nxb2 16 .Qb3
Nxg4
17.Qxb2 ,
Ris-Milonakis,
Heraklion 2011.
...
queen's flank and cracks Black's

cramped position.
However,
12 Qe7oo deserves
attention, with the idea Nf6 -e8 and
f7-f5 .
...
18. Rgl
Another plan is to hurry up and
castle with 13 .Qc2 !? Ne8 14 .0-0-0
with the standard idea 14 ... f5 15.gxf5
gxf5 16.exf5 Bxf5 17. Nde4 , when
the g7 bishop is blocked. Play may
continue 17 . . . Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Nf6 19.f3
Bg6 with the idea Nf6 -h5 -f4 .
18 . . . Kh8 ?!
Despite the glorious outcome of
this game, I am not too happy with the
outcome of the opening. Since White
intends to castle long, it made sense
for me to worry him a bit in advance.
Instead, 13 . . . c6! was called for,
12. Be8 QcB

I did not like the look of 12 Kh8
13.h4 Ng8 14 .h5 ! .
Even less 1 2 h 6 13.h4 Nh7 14 .h5
g5+- which leads to the strategically
lost position for Black against which
I have already warned you:
...
. . .
and after 14 .Qc2 (or 14. Bxc5 14 . . . dxc5)

14 . . . cxd5 15.cxd5 Qc7, note that the
positionally desirable trade of the
light-squared bishops fails tactically:
16. Bb5? (better is 16. 0-0-0 Rfc8?)
16 . . . Ncxe4! 17. Ndxe4 Bxb5+.
White continues Nd2 -fl-g3 , f2 -f3 ,

castles, brings all his pieces t o the
262
14. h4! Ng8 15. Nfl

Also interesting is 15 .h5 !? gxh5
16.gxh5 and now :
16 . . . f5 17.Qc2 (17.exf5 Bxf5 18.Nfl
could offer some edge for White.)

Although here 17 . . . Bh6 is already
possible: 18.Rxg8+ Rxg8 19. Bxh6
f4 20.Nf3 Qd8 2 1 . 0 - 0 - 0 Qf6=, and
material balance is restored.
There are not enough pieces for
a counterattack in the line 16 . . . Bh6?
17. Rxg8+! Rxg8 18. Bxh6 Rgl+ 19.Nfl
Bh3 20.Qd2 Bxfl 2 l . Bxfl Qh3
22.Qe2 Qd3 23.Qxd3 Nxd3+ 24.Ke2
Nxb2 2 5 . Rbl+-.
15. . . (5 1 6.gxf5 gxf5 1 7. exf5
Better is 18 . . . Bh6 19. Bxh6 Nxh6

20.Qd2;!;.
One might say that White is
winning material after 18 . . . Bh6
19.Nxf5 Qxf5 20. Rxg8+, but Black
has plenty of activity and is even
better in the line 20 . . . Rxg8 2 l . Bxh6
Rgl+ 2 2 . Bfl Nd3+ 2 3 . Kd2 Nxf2
24 .Qc2 Qxc2+ 2 5 . Kxc2 Ng4+.
1 9. Qd2
A very venomous move! I thought
that Slavisa wanted to castle next.
The idea 19. Bd4 is not yet working
due to 19 . . . Nd3+ 20. Bxd3 (20. Qxd3 ?
exd3 2l.Bxg7+ Kxg7 22.Nxf5+ Kh8-+)

20 . . . Bxd4 2 l . Bxe4? Bxf2++.
However, . White
could
have
claimed the advantage after 19.Nxf5
Qxf5 20.Qd2 a4 (and not 20. . . Bh6?
2l.Bd4+ Rf6 22.Rxg8+ Rxg8 23. Qxh6

Rgl+ 24. Kd2 e3+ 25.fxe3, when I get
slaughtered) 2 1 . 0 - 0 - 0 ! As Black's
initiative is not as great as it seems:
2 l . . . a3 22 .b4! Na4?? (Black's best is
22 . . . Nd3+ 23.Bxd3 exd3 24. Qxd3.)

due to the alternative exchange
sacrifice
2 3 . Rxg7 ! ! Kxg7 24.Rgl+
Kf7 2 5 . Bg4 and White wins.
19. . . a4
17. Bxf5?!
. .
Automatic and wrong.

Black is OK after 17 . . . Ne7 ! :
a ) 18. Bxc5 dxc5 19.Qd3 (or 19.Ng3
Nxf5) 19 . . . Nxf5 with active piece play.
b) Or 18.Ng3 Nxf5 19. Nxf5 Bxf5
when White cannot organize a block
ade on the e4 square.
Black is also OK after 17 . . . Nh6 ! .
18. Ng3 e4 ?!
This was my idea, to open up the
bishop and quickly organize play on
the queen's flank with a5 -a4-a3 . But
I am one tempo too short.
Instead ofthe expected 20.0-0-0,

Milanovic played:
263
20. Bd4! Nd3+

There is no other choice. The
lines:
20 . . . Be5
2 l . Bxe5+
dxe5
22.0-0-0,
20 ... Nf6 21 .Qg5 Bg6 2 2 . Bxc5 dxc5
23 .h5+-,
20 ... Qd7? 2 l . Nxf5+-, and
20 ... Rf7 2 l . Bxg7+ Rxg7 22 .Qd4+are a good proof.
Fortunately, I found a very nice
resource. After the forced moves:
21. Bxd3 Bxd4 22. Bxe4

And now the star move of the
game:
22 . . . Be5!!
and I am proud to have this bishop

still there ! Four lines:
25.0-0-0? Bf4 would be a good
trade .
25.Qg5 Bxc3+ 26 .bxc3 ReB+
leads to a forced draw : 27. Kfl (But
of course, White can lose if he likes

after 27.Kdl ? Qf3+ or 27.Kd2 ? Qxf2+
28.Kcl Rel+ 29.Rxel Qxel+ 30.Kb2
a3+-+.) 2 7 . . . Qh3+ 2 8 . Rg2 Qhl+
For the sake of the bishop I am

ready to sacrifice not only a pawn,
but an exchange to boot.
With the queen on d2, 22 . . . Bxf2+?
no longer works: 23 .Qxf2 Bxe4
24.Qd4+.
23.(4
White miscalculated here.
The main line goes 23.Nxf5 Rxf5
24.Bxf5 Qxf5
264
29.Rgl Qh3+=.
25.Kfl a3 ! and if 26 .b3?? then
26 . . . Qh3+.
I was mostly afraid of the counter
sac 25.Rg5!
a) Now 25 . . . Qf3 2 6 . Rxe5 (n ot
26. Qe2 ? Bxc3+) 26 . . . dxe5
allows White to sacrifice the ex

change
himself
with
27.Qe2 ! !
Qhl+ 2S .Kd2 ! Qxal 2 9 .Qxe5+ Nf6
30.Qxf6+ KgS . I was not sure if this
was a win for White while calculat
ing it . In any case it is not pleasant
and White can always take the per
petual if he likes.
b) I therefore intended to lure the
white knight into the center with the
tricky 25 . . . Qf6 ! ? 2 6 . Ne4 Qf3 2 7. Rxe5
dxe5 2 S . Ng3 RfS with compensation
for the pawn.
28. . . Bxf4 24. Qxf4 Bxe4 25. Qe8

The
bishop
is
untouchable:
25.Qxe4? ReS .
But 25 .Qg5 B f3 was possible.
We were getting low on time, and

this influenced the quality of the
play.
25. . . Bf8
28.Nb5?!
Correct was 2 S . Nge2 Qxd4+
29.Nxd4 Ne4+ (or 29. . . Nd7 30.Ne6
Ne5 3l.Nxf8 Nxc4+ 32.Kc2 Rx{Bt)

30.Nxe4 Bxe4 3 l . Ne6 Rf6 with an
unclear position.
28 . . . Qxd4+ 29. Nxd4 Nd7 80. Ne6

Rf6 81. Rafl
The pawn is not healthy for
White: 3 l . Nxc7 ReS 32.Ne6 Rxc4+.
81 . . . Ne5
And it is our other bishop that

now saves the day! It controls the e4
and h5 squares and prevents White
from castling!
26. Qd4+ Nf6 2 7. Kd2

Artificial castling is White's best.
Not 27. Nce4?? Qg4-+, and not
27.Kf2?! Qg4 .
27... Qg4
The situation has stabilized, and
I managed to outwit my opponent in
the time scramble.
265
32. Kc3
Better than 32.Nxc7 ReB 3 3 . Ne6
Rxc4 34.Nh5 Rf7+.
32
. .
Rg8 33. Ng5?!
33.Nh5? Rxgl 34. Rxgl Bxh5

loses a piece for White.
But 33.Ne2 ! was called for.
33 . . . h6
Best was 33 . . . Rf4!+.
34.N3e4
Not 34.Nxf3 Rxf3+ 3 5 .Rxf3
Nxf3 36.Rg2 Nxh4 37.Rgl Nf3
38.Rg2 h5-+.
And not 34.N5e4 Rfg6 -+.
48
34 . . . Rf4+
Nf2
An easier win was 48 . . . Rg3,

as Nf2 and Rg2 can't be stopped:
49.Nxd6 Nf2 50.Nf7+ (or 50.Rh2 Rg2
51. Nf7+ Kg7 52. d6 Kxf7) 50 . . . Kg7
5l .d6 Kxf7+-.
49. Rh2 Ne4 50. Na5 Kg7 51. Nxb7

Kf6 52. Re2 Rf4
Not 52 . . . Ke5? 5 3 . Nxd6 .
53. Ka5 Nf2 54. Nxd6
35. Nxf3 Rxgl

37. Kb4
36. Rxgl Rxf3+
Not 37.Kd4?? Rd3 mate.
37. . . Rf4 38.Nd2 Rxh4 39. b3 Rd4

40. Rg2 axb3 41. axb3 h5 42. Kc3
Rf4 43. c5 h4 44. cxd6 cxd6
45. Nc4 h3 46. Rh2 Rf3+ 4 7. Kb4
Ng4 48.Rhl
54
. .
Kg6
Avoiding the last trap: 54 . . . h2?

55.Ne4+! Nxe4 56 . Rxh2 = .
55. Nc4 h2 56. Rel Rf5 0-1
266
Memory Markers
Here are reminders of some of the ideas and motifs in The Bagirov Line.
Kingside
aggression. See diagram on
page 242 , notes to 9.g3 in Parli
gras-Fressinet.
Immediate
1. After 9 ...b6!.
equality against the central trade.
See diagram on page 239, notes
to 8 .d5 in Parligras-Fressinet.
2. After 14 ... Qh4!.
3. After 13 ... Qxg6. A tabiya

for the line. Kingside aggression
with a pawn sacrifice. See dia
gram on page 246, notes to 9 . g3
in Parligras-Fressinet.
4. After 13 ...f4!. Opening of the
center,
the
text
move
in
Parligras-Fressinet, page 248 .
267
5. After 15 ... f3!N. A Novelty on
6. After 8 ... c5!. Central counter
move 15. See diagram on page

248, notes to 15 . . . Nb4 in Parli
gras-Fressinet.
strike. See diagram on page 253,

notes to 8 .Be2 in Avrukh-Milov.
15 ... gxf5!!.
Milov's
superb idea, the text move m
Avrukh-Milov, page 258.
8. After 22 ...Be5!!. The posi

tional exchange sacrifice, see di
agram in Milanovic-Bojkov, page
264.
7. After
268
Exercis es
Black to play!
As Black, practice finding the right moves when facing The Bagirov Line.
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Nikcevic - Tkachiev
Miroiu - Georgescu
Cannes i 996
White's position seems rock-solid.
ROM-ch U16 2007

White has just defended his h3 pawn
with Kgl-h 2 .
Chapter 5 : The Bagirov Line
269
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Kostic - Riemersma
Apecheche - Espinosa Veloz
Caorle 1989
Havana 2007
White thought he was winning a

piece. Prove him wrong!
How to make use of the weakened

dark squares?
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Robatsch - Timoscenko
Vokoun - Juptner
Mitropa Cup 1995
CZE-chT1 W 2012
What's the best move?
270
White wants to castle long.
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Todorovic - Dujkovic
Arnaudov - Novikov
SCG-chT 2006
EU-ch 2008
The king's in the center.
A standard idea . . .
Exercise 9
Exercise 10
Sahu - Miles
Wolf - Kleinwaechter
Kolkata 1995
GER-chT 1999
Everything seems OK for White.
How to increase Black's activity?
271
Chapter 6
The
Fianchetto
System
l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0-0 5.g3 d6 6. Bg2 c6

7.0-0 Qa5
The Fianchetto System is another positional approach . White copies his

opponent's play and shows no great a mbition . First of all , the kingside is
fortified, and in addition , the fianchettoed bishop is well placed to support
queenside expansion . There is still White's advantage of the first move and
the space advantage of the d4 pawn against its d6 counterpart.
his is indeed true, but there are

some things that now work well
for Black, too. First of all, the fifth
rank is free of pawns, and this can
be used by the black queen for an
attack on the fianchettoed bishop
after Qd8 - a 5 -h5 . The queen can
also be well utilized for queenside
attacking, with Qa5 -b4 (or a6), and

can also support the e7- e 5 advance.
Black is flexible in the center, and
can try various set-ups with his
pawns.
The game is very rich in nuances
in our suggested system, and I trust
in Black's dynamic chances.
Chapter 6: The Fianchetto System
2 73
1 Laznicka - Vachier-Lagrave
Spanish Club Championship

Sestao 2010
l.d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4.g3
This is why Black hurried with

c7-c6 move. The queen is activated
and will have various options.
8. e4
White tells his opponent: "You

want to fianchetto your bishop
and give it some extra powers? No
problem, I can do the same ! You want
to attack on the king's flank? You're
welcome to it, my position has been
fortified!" I know many KID players
who do not like to face this approach.
But please be patient, you will
discover that Black has his share of
play in this line, too.
4 . . . 0- 0 5. Bg2 c6
The usual way to reach our
recommended line is 5 . . . d6. In this
game Black kept his options open.
He could have switched to the
Griinfeld Defense on the next move,
but I suspect that Vachier-Lagrave
wanted a more lively game than the
symmetrical positions that arise in
that opening. Still, if you are one of
those players who tend to play both
the Griinfeld and the KID, this is
a good point for you to torture your
opponent just a bit.
6. 0- 0 d6 7.Nc3 Qa5
274
Leading to the main line.

White has a bunch of other tries.
We look at 8.Qc2 here, 8.h3 and
8.Nd2 on page 275, and 8.d5 on
page 276.
8.Qc2 prepares the maneuver b2b3 followed by Bcl-b2 , and vacates
dl for the rook. However, it allows
8 . . . Qh5 9.Rel e5 (Maybe 9... Bh3!??
or 9... Na6!?? are better options for

Black.) 10.d5 (10.dxe5 dxe5 ll.Ng5!
is the critical test for Black's idea.)
10 . . . cxd5 l l . Nxd5 Nxd5 12.cxd5 Na6 =
Arabidze-Mchedlishvili, Tbilisi 2009.
8.h3 will usually transpose to the

main text after 8 . . . e5:
Petrosian-Jankovic, Plovdiv 2008.

b) Black could have held the
balance with the natural 15 . . . b5
16.Nd5 Qb7 17.Nb6 Rab8 18 .Qb2
bxc4 19.Nxc4 Qxb4 20.Qxb4 Rxb4
2 1 . Nxe5 Rb2 2 2 . Nxc6 Rxa2=.
8.Nd2 is designed to kill any
active play by Black. Now, the c4 pawn
is covered and the Qa5 -h5 maneuver
is stopped due to e2-e4. I have faced
this idea twice and if you are playing
against a Georgian player watch out
for it; it's their specialty. Black can
continue developing naturally with
8 . . . Nbd7
and now 9.e4.

But it might have some indepen
dent flavor after 9.Be3 Nbd7 10.dxe5
Nxe5! Freeing his position a bit.
l l . Nxe5 dxe5 12 .Qa4 Qc7 (Here the
simple 12 ... Qxa4 13.Nxa4 Nd7= fol

lowed by f7-f5 would lead to equali
ty.) 13 .b4 Be6 14 . Racl a6 (14 . . . Bxc4
15. b5! is too dangerous for Black.)
15.Qb3:
a) And now instead of the care
less 15 . . . Qc8?!
when White can start his queenside
play in two ways, 9.Rbl and 9.a3:
a) 9.Rbl e5
al) 10.b4 is not exact: 10 ... Qc7
l l .d5 cxd5 1 2 . Nxd5 Nxd5 13.cxd5
(13. Bxd5?! Nb6!) 13 . . . Nf6 = .
16 .Nd5! Nxd5 17.cxd5 Bxh3 18.Bxh3

Qxh3
19.dxc6
bxc6
20.Rxc6;!;,
Chapter 6 : The Fianchetto System
2 75
a2) 10.d5 cxd5 ll .cxd5
weaknesses along the d-file. 20.Rd2

Rad8 2 l . Rd5 Rf7 22 .Qc2 fxg3 23.fxg3
Rxfl+ 24.Kxfl Qf5+=.
White can try to shut down the
queen's sortie against his king with
the help of the immediate 8.d5 How
ever, the queen finds another target:
8 .. Qa6
.
and now I started a complex plan to

repel the opponent's pieces: ll . . . Qc7 !?
(It is not easier to deny all this activity

with ll. .. b5 12.b4 Qb6 13.Nb3 a6
14.Be3 QbB 15.Na5.) 1 2 . Nb5 Qb8
13.Nc4 Ne8 White's activity is

over, and now the intruders will
be repelled. 14.b4 a6 15.Nc3 f5 (It
is important not to get overexcited

when counter attacking. Do not
allow the white knight to reach the
c6 square! 15... b5? 16.Na5.) 16.Qb3
b6 17. a4 Ra7 (17... Bb7!?) 18.Be3 Rc7
19.Rbcl Rf7 20. Rfdl Bf8 2l.f4 Bh6 =

22.a5?! b5 23.Nb6 Bb7 24.Nxd7
Rcxd7+, and Black's strategy was
successful at this stage in the game,
GaprindashviliBojkov,
Istanbul
2005. An alternative was 24 . . . Rfxd7+.
b) The other way White can
start his queenside play is 9.a3 e5
10.d5, an idea to make use of the d5
outpost and to eventually attack the
d6 pawn. My game against Nanu
saw an almost forced line of play:
10 . . . cxd5 ll.Nxd5 Nxd5 1 2 . Bxd5 Nf6
13.Bg2 Qc7 14.b3 Be6 15.Ne4 Nxe4
16 .Bxe4 f5! 17. Bd5 Qf7 18.Bxe6 Qxe6
19. Ra2 f4 , and the activity on the
king's flank compensated for Black's
276
Another way to use the queen on the

queenside. 9.Nd2 Nbd7 and now :
a) 10.dxc6
bxc6
l l . Rbl
Ne5
12 .b4 Be6+ was Shutukov-Ehlvest,
Khanty-Mansiysk 2009.
b) 10.e4?! allows an immediate
attack against the center. 10 . . . Ne5
l l .Qe2 cxd5 (or ll . . . Bg4 12.{3 Bd7+)
1 2 . exd5 (o 12. cxd5 Qxe2 13.Nxe2
Nd3 +) 12 . . . Bf5 . White's position is
crumbling, so he decides to enter
a highly unbalanced position with
13.f4 Bd3 14 .fxe5 Bxe2 15.exf6 Bxfl
16.fxg7 Kxg7 17. Bxfl , but naturally
Black's big material force prevailed
in the end, in Radulov-Bojkov, Sunny
Beach 2007.
e5
9. h3
Once again White can close the
center, but with the knight on c3 this
is less effective: 9.d5 cxd5 10.cxd5
Black has queenside pressure with

the closed center. 18.Rcl Qd8 It is
good to control a5 against the Nb3a5-c6 maneuver. 19.Qd2 Nd7 20.Ral
Nac5 and Black achieved everything
he was hoping for in Schulze-Bojkov,
Neuhausen 2008.
There is also the tricky ll.a3 b4
1 2 . Na2!? when Black has two inter
esting possibilities:
a) Either to play the Benko-style
sacrifice with 12 . . . Qb5 !? 13.Nxb4 a5
14 . Nc2 Nbd7:
10 ... b5! This is why White should

avoid this line. Black wins some
tempos to organize his play on the
queen's flank. We look at two of
White's replies:
l l.Nd2 b4 1 2 . Nb3 Qc7 13.Ne2 a5
14 .a3 Na6 1 5 . axb4 axb4 16.h3 Bd7
17. Be3 Bb5
Black intends to exploit the weakness
of the b3 square, with Nd7-c5-b3, as
well as the open c-file and the half
open b-file. I believe Black has ample
2 77
compensation after
15.Rel Nc5
16. Bfl Qb7 17.Nd2 Bd7 18.f3, and
now 18 . . . Bb5!? or 18 . . . Ba4!?.
b) Or if you are not in a sacrificial
mood, you can chose the more stable
12 . . . bxa3 13.Nc3 Qb4 14 .Rxa3:
1 0. Be3
bl) But beware of the interesting

tactical possibility for White after
14 . . . Nxe4?! 15.Nxe4 Qxe4 16.Ng5
Qg4?! 17.Ne 6 ! ! which led to success
in Tashkov-Grigorov, Albena 201 1 .
b2) Instead, Black can finish his
development with 14 ... Nbd7, for ex
ample:
b21) 15. Ra4
Qb8
16.b4
a5!?
.:1 17.bxa5?! (17.Rxa5 Rxa5 1B. bxa5
Qb4 19. Bd2 Qxa5=) 17 . . . Nc5 18.Ra3
Ba6 19.Rel Nd3 20.Re3 Nxcl 2 1 .Qxcl
Bh6+, winning the exchange.
b22) Or 15.Rb3 intending Nd7-c5,
Bc8 -a6 with rooks on the c- and b-file.
15 . . . Qa5 16.Be3 Ng4 17. Bd2 (17.Ra3
Nxe3!) 17 . . . Nc5 18.Ra3 Qb6 19.Na4
(19. h3 Nf6 20. Be3 Bd7) 19 . . . Nxa4
20.Qxa4 Rb8 (20... {5!?)
21.Qxa7
(21.b4 Rb7) 2 l . . . Nf6 22.Qxb6 Rxb6
regaining the pawn with equality.
9 . Nbd7
.
278
The alternatives do not promise

White any advantage.
For lO.Rel, see our next game,
Harikrishna-Radjabov.
10.d5 is still possible, but com
pared to the previous note White
has included the unnecessary h2h3 pawn move while Black has
played the useful developing move
Nb8-d7. Naturally, this is in his
favor: 10 . . . cxd5 l l .cxd5 b5 1 2 . Nd2 b4
13 .Qa4?! (better is 13.Nb3, although
Black is still somewhat better after

13 . . . Qd8 14.Ne2 a5) 13 . . . Qb6 14 .Ne2
Nc5 15 .Qdl Ba6 16 . Kh2 Rac8+,

and White was completely tied up
in Funke-Bojkov, Differdange LUX
2007.
10.Qc2 is an interesting position
al move which defends the c3 knight
in advance, the c4 pawn against
future attacks, and frees dl for the
rook. The only drawback is that it
releases control over the d5 square,
which Black can immediately exploit
with 10 . . . exd4 l l . Nxd4 Nb6 1 2 . Nce2
ReS:
a) If 13 .b3 then 13 . . . d5!

al) Now 14.c5? Nbd7 15.exd5
Nxd5 would lose the c5 pawn.
a2) Black is also more comfort
able after 14 .cxd5 cxd5 15.exd5
Nfxd5
a3) Better is 14 .exd5 cxd5 15. Be3
dxc4 16.bxc4 . Strictly speaking this
position is equal, but Black feels
more comfortable due to White's
weaknesses on c4 and a2 . And
indeed, Movsesian needed just three
more moves to prove an edge against
a very strong Russian GM after
16 . . . Bd7 ! :
Qa4
18. Racl
a31) 17. Nb3?!
when the typical exchange sacrifice

19 . . . Rxe 3 ! 20.fxe3 Bxe2 21.Qxe2
Qe5
would . give
Black
ample
compensation on the black squares
and a future attack against White's
weakened kingside.
b) 13. Bf4 is the last word in
this line so far. Kiril Georgiev was
successful in a game against his old
rival Branko Damljanovic, but the
impression is that the opening had
nothing to do with this fact. 13 . . . d5!
(or 18.Bxb7 RabB 19. Bg2 Nxc4t)
18 . . . Bf5+,
in
Grachev-Movsesian,
Plovdiv 2008.
a32) For better or for worse,
White needed to accept the chal
lenge: 17. Bxb7 Bxh3 18. Bxa8 Bxfl
19.Bc6
Still the best idea for the second

player! 14 .exd5 cxd5 15.c5 Nc4 16 .b3
Na3 17.Qd2 Qxd2 18. Bxd2:
bl) 18 ... Bd7 19. Racl Ne4 20.Be3
Rac8?! Once again, Damljanovic
2 79
missed a chance to bring the knight

back into the game, and was pun
ished for it. (Better was 20. . . Nb5
21.Rfdl Bc6 with an approximately

equal position.) 2 l . Rfdl a5 2 2 . Kh2
Nxc5 23.Nf4 Ne6 24.Rxc8 Bxc8
25.Nxd5
Nxd4
26.Bxd4
Bxd4
27. Rxd4:t Georgiev - Damljanovic,
Tivat 2011.
b2)
Now
the
improvement
18 . . . Nc2 !?N
makes a lot of sense, immediately

getting rid of the knight on the rim!
19. Radl (better than 19.Nxc2?! Rxe2
20.Radl Ne4 +) 19 . . . Nxd4 20.Nxd4
Bd7 2l .Be3 (better than 21.b4?! Ne4
22.Nb3 Ba4 23.Rfel RadB +) 2 l . . . Ne4
22. Rfel Nc3 (Also equal is 22 ... Nxc5
23.Bxd5 RadB but Black can play

more aggressively.) 2 3 . Rd2 Rac8
24 .b4 a5 25.a3 axb4 26.axb4 Ra8 .

White still owns the better pawn
structure, but Black enjoys the more
active pieces and this is the primary
factor in the endgame.
280
10
. . .
exd4
Vachier-Lagrave chose the main

move and this is sufficient for equal
ity. The preliminary exchange in the
center gives a chance for Black to liq
uidate into an equal endgame.
Note that the less used move
10 . . Nb6 is a good alternative and
also promises Black equality.
We look at three replies: l l .Qd3,

l l.dxe5, and the immediate l l.Nd2 .
l l.Qd3 is now met with the
attack against the c4 pawn, as the
white queen is rather loose on its new
square: ll . . . exd4 1 2 . Nxd4 Qa6 13 .b3
d5!= 14 .exd5 Nbxd5 15.Bd2 Nxc3
16. Bxc3 Nd5 17. Bb2 .!-.! Skatchkov
Vorobiov, Cappelle la Grande 2006.
l l.dxe5 intends to stabilize
the situation in the center and to
win some tempos for a queenside
initiative. But in general, such
an approach is anti-positional, as
Black controls well all the central
squares, which we cannot say for his
adversary. ll . . . dxe5 1 2 . Nd2:
Qa5 19.Rd2 Rxd2 20.Bxd2 Qc7=

Nielsen-McShane, Drammen 2005.
The immediate ll .Nd2
Now Black has an interesting

positional exchange sacrifice in
troduced into practice by the .
Bulgarian-Macedonian GM Vladimir
Georgiev :
a) 12 . . . Be6!? 13.Nb3 Qb4 14 .Bc5
Qxc4
is effectively opposed with ll . . . exd4

1 2 . Bxd4 (12.Nb3 Qa6 drops the
pawn on c4, and 13. Qxd4 ? Nfd5 is

even worse) 12 . . . Be6 13 .Qf3 Qh5
(13 . . . Nfd7+Z followed by {7-{5 is also
a great idea) 14 .Qxh5 Nxh5 15.Bxg7
Nxg7 16.b3 a5! 17. Rfdl a4 18 .b4 a3=
in Akopian- Shomoev, Budva 2009.
1 1 . Nxd4
15.Bxf8 Bxf8
16.Qc2 a5
Y2-Y2,
Hansen- Georgiev, Germany 2000.
b) Also possible is the simple re
grouping 1 2 ... Nbd7= with the idea
Rf8-e8 and Nd7-f8 -e6-d4!
c) And finally, McShane's highly
original way of preventing White's
play on the queenside: 12 . . . Qb4
13.c5 Nc4 14 . Nxc4 Qxc4 15 .Qc2
Be6 16. Rfdl Rfd8 17.b3 Qb4 18.Na4
l l . . . Nb 6 12. Nb3
Or 12 .Qd3 , which transposes to
10 . . . Nb6 l l .Qd3 exd4 1 2 . Nxd4 , in the
note after Black's lOth move.
281
12 . . . Qh5
This was why the e5 pawn was

swapped. Now White needs to trade
queens and is no longer hoping for
any advantage.
18. Qxh5
The other version of the endgame
is no better: 13.Nd2 Qxd l 14 . Rfxd l
Be6 15. Bfl Rfd8 16.f4 d5 17.cxd5
cxd5 18.Bxb6 axb6 19.e5 Nh5 20.Kf2
f6t Mikhalevski- Oratovsky, Rishon
Le Ziyyon 1995.
No one has ever tried 13.g4? ! ,
and with good reason, a s 13 . . . Bxg4!
14 .hxg4 Nxg4 15. Bf4 Nxc4 nets a
third pawn for the sacrificed piece
and keeps the attack going for free,
for the second player.
18 . . . Nxh5 14.g4
14 .Na5 would most likely lead to
a transposition, but Black can also
use the moment to strike with 14 . . . f5 .
14
. .
Nf6 15. Na5 Be6!
Vachier-Lagrave brings his piec

es quickly into action. Indeed, no one
likes to defend passively, e_specially a
KID guy.
1 6. Rfdl
The move 16.c5 allows Black to
get rid of the backward pawn: 16 . . . Nc4
17. Nxc4 Bxc4 18. Rfdl dxc5 19. Bxc5
Rfd8 !? 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 2 l . Bxa7 Rd2
22 .b3 Nd7 (22 . . . Bd3!?) 2 3 .bxc4 Bxc3
24.Be3 Bxa l 2 5 . Bxd2 Ne5 26 .c5 (not
26.B{l ? ? Nf3+) 26 . . . Bd4 27. Kfl Nd3
2 8 . Ke2 Nxc5=, Zhu Chen-Arizmendi
Martinez, Gibraltar 2006.
And 16.b3?! looks like a blun
der: 16 . . . Nxg4 17.Bd2 Ne5 18.f4 Nd3
19.Nxb7 and now:
a) 19 . . . Bd4+ 20.Kh2 g5 2 l . f5 Bxc4
2 2 . Na5 Ba6 2 3 . Nxc6oo, Poliakov- Go
chelashvili, Novomikhailovsky 2011.
b) Black could have entered fa
vorable complications with 19 . . . Bxc4
20 .bxc4 Nxc4 2 l .Rad l Ndb2 22.Ne2
Nxd l 2 3 . Rxdl Rfb8 24.Na5 Nxa5
2 5 . Bxa5 Rb2+.
Also bad is 16.Nxb7?! Nxc4
17. Rabl Rab8 18.Nxd6 Nxe3! 19.fxe3
Nd7+.
16. . . Nfd7!?
282
Black transfers his knight from

f6 to a better square and opens the
diagonal for the bishop. The way for .
the f-pawn is cleared as well.
There was nothing wrong with
16 . . . Nxc4 17. Nxc4 Bxc4 18. Rxd6 Rfd8
which can transpose to the game
Zhu Chen-Arizmendi Martinez from
above, in the note to White's 16th.
After 19. Rxd8+ (White can also
Supporting the bishop on the e6

square.
21. Rxd6
Not 2 l .f5? gxf5 2 2 . gxf5 Bxf5 !
21 . . . (5 22.gxf5 gxf5 23. e5 BfB =
try his chances with 19.Radl Rxd6

20.Rxd6 NeB 21. Rd7 Bxc3 22. bxc3
Bxa2 23.Rxb7 a5, but the a-pawn
looks scary.) 19 . . . Rxd8 20. Bxa7 Rd2,
we reach the position after 2 1 moves
in that game.
17. Racl
17. Rxd6 looks very nice for Black
after 17 . . . Ne5 18.Bfl Bxc4 19.Nxc4?!
Nbxc4+.
Maybe White could try 17.f4 Nxc4
18.Nxc4 Bxc4 19. Rxd6 Nb6 20.Rc l
(or 20.e5 {6!) 2 0 . . . B a 6 2 l .b3 Rfd8
with complex position with mutual
chances.
17. . . Nxc4 18. Nxc4 Bxc4 1 9. b3

Be6
Or 19 ... Ba6 20. Rxd6 Nb6 2l.f4
Rfd8=.
White's strong passed pawn on

e5 is neutralized by the excellent
blockading outpost in front of it. The
game is equal, and in the forthcoming
battle the Frenchman proved luckier.
24. Rddl Nb 6 25. Kf2 Ba3 26. Rc2

RadB 2 7. Rxd8 RxdB 28.Ne2 Nd5
29. Nd4
20.(4 Rfe8!?
283
29 . . . Kf7
Better was 29 Bc8=.
...
30. Nxe6 Kxe6 31. Bxd5+ Rxd5

33. Be3
Be7
32. Bxa7 Rdl
34. Rd2 Rhl 35. Kg2 Rbl 36. Kf3
Rhl 37. Kg3 c5 38. a4 Rbl 39. Rd3
b6 40. Kf3 Rhl 41.Kg2 Rbl
42. Bd2 Ral 43. Kf3 h5 44. Ke2
h4 45.Be3 Rhl 46. Bf2 Ral
47.Bel Ra2+ 48. Bd2 Ral 49. Rc3
Kd5 50. Kd3 Ra2 51. Rcl Ra3
52. Rc3 Ra2 53. Ke2 Ral 54. Re3
c4 55. bxc4+ Kxc4 56. Rc3+ Kd5
57. Rd3+ Kc 6 58. Rc3+

Kd5
59. Rc7 Bc5 60. Rf7 Ra2 61. Kd3
Rxa4 62. Rxf5 Ra3+ 63. Ke2
Rxh3 64. Rf7?
284
64 . . . Rg3 65. Bel Re3+ 66. Kd2

h3 6 7. Bf2 Ra3 68. Bxc5 bxc5
69. Rd7+
Kc6
70. Rd6+
Kc7
71. Kc2 Ral 72. Kb2 h2 0-1
2 Harikrishna Radjabov
10 . . . exd4 l l . Nxd4 Ne5
39th Olympiad
Khanty-Mansiysk 2010
l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg 7 4.g3
0 - 0 5. Bg2 d6 6. 0 - 0 Nbd7 7.Nc3
e5 8. e4 c 6 9. h3 Qa5 I O. Rel
12. Bfl
This is White's main weapon

against the chosen system. He sup
ports the center and intends to bring
the bishop via f1 to the defense of the
c4 pawn. Nevertheless , Black needs
to use the time to build pressure in
the center.
10.Be3 leads to the previous game
Laznicka - Vachier-Lagrave.
The best continuation.

Weak is 1 2 . Nb3?! Qc7 13 . Bfl Be6!
and White has obvious problems
with the c4 pawn, and not-so-obvious
problems with the king's flank: 14 .f4
(Or 14.Nd2 a6 15.{4 Qb6+ 16.Kh1
16 ... Nh5! 1 Zfxe5 Qf2 18.Ne2 Bxe5+..)

14 . . . Nxc4 15.f5 gxf5 16.exf5 Bd5+
Daskevics-Saric, Warsaw 2008.
12 . . . Re8
Black introduces the rook into
the game. The pressure along the
half-open e-file will be useful in the
future.
285
18. Be8
Besides this natural development
White has some important alterna
tives. We look at 13.f4, 13.Rbl, and
finally 13.Nb3 on the next page.
13.f4 Ned7
has independent value in case White

chooses something like
14 . Kh2
(14.Nb3 Qc7 transposes to 13.Nb3

Qc7 14.{4 Ned7, reaching the dia
gram on page 287 below.) 14 . . . h5
15.Nb3 Qc7 16.c5?! Nxc5 17. Nxc5

dxc5 18.e5 Nd5 (or 18 . . . Rd8! 19. Qf3
Nd5+) 19.Nxd5 cxd5 20.Qxd5 Be6+,
Umansky-Movsesian, playchess.com
INT 2005.
13.Rbl is designed to prepare
the b2-b4 advance, and it also takes
away the rook from the x-ray of the
black bishop. Black is best advised to
proceed with queenside play: 13 ... a6,
a move which takes away the b5
square from the white knights and
prepares the b7-b5 thrust.
White has tested two ideas:

a) The preparatory 14 . Bd2 which
was tested in only one recent game,
which saw 14 . . . b5!? (14 . . . Qc7 prepar
ing b7-b5 seems OK too) and now:
al) White did not venture into
the complications after 1 5 . Ncxb5!?
Qb6 16 . Nxd6 Qxd4 17. Nxe8 Nxe8
18.Be3 Qxdl 19. Rexdl Be6oo.
axb5
15.cxb5?!
a2) Instead,
16 .b4
Qd8
17. Nb3
Be6+
was
Radovanovic-Vovk, Hastings 2012.
b) And the straightforward 14.b4
Qc7 15.f4 Ned7 16.Bg2:
White has advanced his pawns all

over the board, but now it's Black's
turn: 16 . . . c5 17.bxc5 Qxc5 18.Qd3
286
Nb6
19.Be3 Qxc4 20.Qd2 Na4
2l.Nxa4 Qxa4 with a healthy ex
tra pawn despite White's activity in
Maletin- Sakaev, St. Petersburg 2009.
13.Nb3 can be played at this
moment as well as later. The
drawback of this move is that the
knight is standing in the way of
Black's oncoming a-pawn, whose
advance is one of the main options in
his position. 13 . .Qc7
.
is doing great. He has the center,

more space, and a free development.
Wait a minute, just how, exactly,
is he to develop his forces? Bcl-e3 is
not possible, Bcl-d2 is anything but
appealing, and how should White
deal with the simple positional threat
of a7-a5 -a4- (a3), followed by Nd7-c5?
And how about the possible problems
with the exposed king's flank? For
the time being, theory has not found
a good answer to these questions.
al) 15 .Qd3 a5!
a l l ) The pawn cannot be stopped:
16 . a4?? Qb6+.
a12) And if 16. Na4? then 16 . . . b5!
17.cxb5 cxb5 18 .Qxb5 Ba6 19.Qxa5
Qxa5 20.Nxa5 Bxfl .
a 13) So White played 16 .Be3 a4
17.Nd2 Nc5 (Even better is 17. . . Nh5!
18.g4
a) 14 .f4 White immediately tries

to show who's boss. 14 . . . Ned7
18 . . . Nc5! 19. Bxc5 dxc5 20.gxh5 RdB

21. Qe2 Qxf4 ) 1 8 . Bxc5 dxc5 19.e5
Rd8 (better was 19 ... Bf5 20. Qf3 Nd7
21.g4 Be6oo) 20 .Qe3 NeB 2 l . Nde4 b6
This position can also appear with a

slightly different move order: 13.f4
Ne5 -d7 14 . Nb3 Qc7. Visually, White
2 2 . Radl Rxd l 2 3 . Rxd l f5 24.exf6

Nxf6 2 5 . Nxf6+ Bxf6 2 6 .Qe8+ Kg7
and Black repelled the opponent's
initiative in the center and enjoyed
the bishop pair, in Nakauchi-Bojkov,
Canberra 2010.
287
a2) 15.Qf3 seems a touch better

compared to the previous move, as
the queen is less . vulnerable here.
But still, Black goes 15 . . . a5 16 .Be3
(16.Na4 is now possible but is in

fact still helping Black after 16 ... b6
17.Bd2 c5! 18.Nc3 Bb7, renewing the
a5-a4 threat and generating useful
pressure against the e4 pawn.) 16 . . . a4
17.Nd2 a3 18.b3 Ng4!? (18 . . . Qa5!?)
19. Racl?! (19. hxg4 Bxc3 20.Radl=
was mandatory) 19 . . . Nxe3 20.Qxe3
Qb6 (Instead, the simple 20. . . Nc5+
is much better for Black.) 2 l .Qxb6
Nxb6 22.Kg2 Be6= 23. Bd3 f5 24.Nf3
fxe4 25.Nxe4 Rad8 26.Nf2 Bf7 :Y2-lh,
Dolezal-Forthoffer, Prague 2009.
a3) 15.Bg2 a5!
Freeing the c6 square for the knight.

16.b3 a6 17.a4 Qd7 18.g4 , and here
I like Movsesian's inspired play, al
beit in a blitz game: 18 . . . Nfxg4!?
(18 . . . Nc6!? or 18 . . . h5!?) 19.hxg4
Bxg4 20.Be2D Bxe2 2 1 . Qxe2 Qh3
22 .Qfl Nf3+ 2 3 . Nxf3 Qxf3 24.Bd2
Bxc3 2 5 . Re3 Qg4+ 2 6 . Rg3 Qxg3+
27.fxg3 Bxd2 ,
and Black took
over the initiative to win later in
Fancsy-Movsesian, Dos Hermanas
2004.
13
. . .
c5/?
16.Be3 a4 17.Nd4 Qa5 (or 17... Nc5

18.Bf2 Qb6) 18.Nc2 Qc7 19.Na3
Bf8 20 .Qd2 Nc5 2 l . Bxc5 dxc5 22 .e5

Rd8 23 .Qe3 Ne8 24.g4 Qb6 25 .Qf2
f5 26.gxf5 Bxf5 with complex, dou
ble-edged play with mutual chances,
Omearat-Tissir, Abu Dhabi 2010.
b) At the same time, natural de
velopment allows Black time to count
er-attack: 14.Be3 Be6 15.Nd2 c5:
288
Once again, a very fresh (histori

cally) idea by GM Vladimir Georgiev.
Veselin Topalov also gave it a go in
2000 against none other than Anatoly
Karpov to win a fine attacking game.

Black is ready to part with the d6
pawn on some occasions as long as
he can control the d4 square and the
black-square complex. Furthermore,
some tactics will support the second
player's intention.
Note that Black is now entering
a strategically risky position with
a permanent weakness on d6 and
needs to play actively and keep the
position unbalanced, at least until he
finds a clear target to attack.
13 . . . Be6 was and is still played
instead, but I feel like the surrender
of this beautiful piece is a major con
cession!
16 . . . Nc6 17.Qxd6? Nd4+.

b) The game saw instead 15 . . . Qb4
16 .Nab5 Nxc4? (o 16. . . Rad8) 17. Bxc4
Bxc4 18.a3 Qb3 19.Nxd6 Re7 20.Bxc5
Rc7 2 l . Bd4 Litwin-Dobrowolski,
Polanica Zdroj 2010.
It is very important for you to
know that the immediate attack
on the d6 weakness 14.Ndb5? is
spectacularly refuted after 14 . . . Nxe4!
14. Nf3
One of the two main weapons
that White has in his arsenal and
the choice of Karpov against Topalov.
The other is 14.Nb3!? discussed on
page 290.
14.Nc2 looks timid and was tried
only once, but watch out! It has more
venom than you might think! After
Be6 15.Na3:
The main trap. 15.Nxe4 Qxe l ! the

queen on a5 shows her power!
a) Now 16.Qxe l Nf3+ 17. Khl
Nxel is already much better for
Black:
al) 18. Nbxd6 Bf5! is a sugges
tion by Stohl, which allows Black to
maintain his active position. (Rather
than keeping the material gain with

18 . . . Nc2 19.Nxe8 Nxal 20.Nxg7 Kxg7
2l.Nxc5 Nc2 22.Bd2 , which also
seems OK for Black, but not advanta
geous.) 19.Nxc5 Nc2 20.Nxe8 Rxe8i.
a) Black should now take away

the b5 square from the white knights
with 15 . . . a6 ! i and not worry about
the d6 pawn: 16 .f4 (16. Qxd6? Nf3+)
a2) 18. Nexd6 Rxe3 19.fxe3 Nc2

DimukhametovNxe3+
20.Rcl
Samusenko, Moscow 2006.
b) Stohl also suggests White's
best is 16.Nc7, but this is still better
for the second player after 16 . . . Qxd l
17.Rxdl Nf3+ 18.Kg2 Rxe4 19. Kxf3
Rxe3+ 20.fxe3 Rb8+.
289
The
other main weapon is

as
recommended
by
Boris Avrukh in his Grandmaster
14.Nb3!?
Repertoire.
Black answers 14 ... Qb4 when White

has a really wide choice .
We look at the early try 15.Bg5?!
here, the former main move 15.Bd2
on page 290, the silent but violent
15.a3 on page 291, and the less
tested 15.Qxd6 on page 296.
15.Bg5?! was one of the first at
tempts to fight the system, but not
a very successful one. 15 . . . Be6 (not
15... Nxc4 ?? 16.a3 winning material)

16 .a3 Qb6
And now:
a) 17. Nd5?! Nxd5 18.exd5 Bd7
19.a4 f5 20.Bd2 Nf7 2 1 .Qc2 Rxe1
2 2 . Bxe1 Ng5+ Ippolito-V. Georgiev,
Bermuda 1998.
b) Stohl recommended 17.Nd2!?
when Black has the fascinating idea
17 . . . Qxb2 ! ? (or . 1 7. . . Nc6 18.Nd5 Bxd5
19.cxd5 Nd4 20.Nc4 Qc7?) 18.Na4
18 . . . Qxa 1 ! 19.Qxa1 Nxe4 20 .Qd1

Nxg5 2l.f4 Nxh3+ 2 2 . Bxh3 Bxh3
23.fxe5 Bxe5oo, with rook and three
pawns for the queen, with the two
bishops against the two knights.
Why not give it a go sometime?
For a while , 15.Bd2 was con
sidered to be White's main move,
but the second player found con
vincing play after 15 . . . Qb6 16.f4 (or
16.Nd5 Nxd5 1 7. exd5 QdB 18.Bc3 {5=

Piarnpuu-Melamed, St. Petersburg
2001) 16 . . . Nc6 :
290
c4+ 23. Qd4 + Qxd4+ 24.Nxd4 Nd3 +)

22 . . . Rxel+ 2 3 .Qxel c4+ 2 4 . Kh2
cxb3 2 5 .Qc3+ Kg8 2 6 . Qxb3 ReS
27.a3 Na6 2 8 .Qxb6 axb6 2 9 . Rc l Re2
3 0 . Rc8+ Kg7 3 l . Rd8 Rxb2 3 2 . Rxd6
Nc5 3 3 . g4 Kf8 = Dautov.
b) Dautov
suggests
instead
17. Kh2 Nd4 18.Bd3, but this is just
equal after 18 . . . Bd7 or 18 . . . a5.
Avrukh likes the silent but violent
15.a3:
a) 17. Bg2?! The '?!' is given

by Dautov, who played this move
against Vladimir Georgiev. 17 . . . Be6 .
18 . Nd5 Bxd5 19.cxd5 Nb4! and it
suddenly transpired that it is Black
who owns the initiative: 20.Bc3
Indeed, Black needs to be careful in

this position; 15 ... Qb6 is the only
move. (Another try which I once test
ed against Ilincic: 15. . . Nf3+?! 16. Qxf3

Qxb3 1 7.RadH, gave White a strong
initiative.)
Now White achieves nothing af
ter 16.f4 Nc6 17. Bg2 (or 1 7. e5 dxe5
This position occurred in the
game D autov-V.Georgiev, EU- ChT
Batumi 1999. (20. Kh2 is weaker, as
Stohl points out: 20 . . . Nd3 21. Ba5

Qa6 22. Bfl c4 +) 2 0 ... Nfxd5 ! (Or
maybe even better is 20 . . . c4+ 21. Bd4
Qb5 as in the game, and now 22.a4
Qa6 followed by Nf6-d7 with firm
control over the d3 square.) 2 l . Bxg7
(or 21. exd5 c4+ 22. Kh2 cxb3 23. Qxb3
Bxc3=) 2 1 . . . Kxg7 2 2 . exd5 (22.a3?
18. Bxc5 QdB 19. Qxd8 RxdB 20.fxe5

Nd7 21.Radl ReB 22.Bf2 Ndxe5=)
17 . . . Be6 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.cxd5 Na5
2 0 . Nxa5 Qxa5oo with active play on
the queen's flank for Black in a Beno
ni type of position.
However, the acid test is 16.Nd2.
There are two ways to fight for
equality; Black of course cannot
capture the pawn with 16 . . . Qxb2??
as 17. Na4 traps the queen.
291
One option is to take away the

queen from the potential b2 -b4
advance: 16 ... Qd8
And now:
a) 17.b4 is still possible, but less
appealing. 17 . . . b6 18 .b5 a6 19.a4 axb5
20.Nxb5 Bb7 2 l .f4 Nc6 2 2 . Bf2 Nb4
23.Ra3 Bxe4+ was Maletin-Smirnov,
Barnaul 2011.
b) White might try also 17.Qc2 !?
with the natural desire to finish his
development and place a rook on the
half-open file. A game of Antonios
Pavlidis , a former student of mine,
continued 17 . . . Nc6 (17. .. b6 lB.Radl
Bb7 is worth investigating.) 18.Nf3
Nd7 19.Redl Nde5 20.Nxe5 Nxe5!?
sacrificing a pawn, or even two.
Antonios is a very sharp tactician
who is not afraid to invest material,
which helped him win his first na
tional men's title at the age of eigh
teen. 2l.Bxc5 Nf3+ 22.Khl Qg5 and
Black had strong attack for the sacri
ficed piece. 23.Bxd6 Qh5 (23 . . . Qh6 is
more exact.) 24.Ne2 g5 25.Ngl Nxgl
26.Kxgl Bxh3 27. Rd5 Re6 2 8 . Bf4?
Bxfl 29. Rxg5 Qe2 30.Qc3 Rg6 0-1,
Obrusnik-Pavlidis, Albena 201 1 .
The other way to fight for equality

is 16 ... Nc6 17.Rbl
All of this was a part of Avrukh's rec

ommendation, a fact of which I was
completely unaware - shame on me!
We look at the move I played here,
and the most precise 17 . . . Qd8 on
page 295.
a) Taken by surprise, I chose the
following plan against Alejandro
Ramirez: 17 . . . Nd4?!
I now believe that this is dubious , but

I still want to show you this game, as
the ideas that it saw might be use
ful to you. 18 .b4 Qd8 19. Bxd4 (The
idea that I was most afraid of was

292
the simple improvement of the pieces:

19. Bg2-t. followed by Nd2-b3. Once
White gets rid of the strong knight,
he can pile his heavy pieces along the
halfopen d-file. I could not, and still
do not, see an equalizing line for Black
even though the computer leisurely es
timates the position as approximately
balanced.) 19 . . . cxd4 20.Nb5. True,
Black is losing a pawn now, but I will
possess the dark-squared bishop and
a good follow-up.
Now, not so good is 20 . . . Nh5
21.Nb3-t., and the tempting 20 . . . Qb6?!
is strongly met with 2 1 .c5 dxc5
22 .bxc5 Qxc5 (or 22 . . . Qc6 23.Nd6)
23.Rcl Qe7 24.Nc7 Be6 2 5 . Nxa8
Rxa8 26.Nf3 .
Best is 20 . . . h5! as played in the
game.
24.Ne2 Qg5+, or even better, 24 . . . a5

first.) 22 . . . Nh5 2 3 . N2f3 Nf4:
Never mind that the computer

says White should be somewhat better
here. A human will always prefer to
have the black pieces in this situation.
Or at least a KID addict will!
al) There is no time for any
preparation: 24.Kh2 and now:
a l l ) 24 . . . Qd7 2 5 . Ng5 Be5 and the
black squares are weak, I insist!
a12) Also possible is 24 . . . Qf6!?.
a13) And 24 . . . Be5 2 5 . Nxe5 dxe5
2 6 . Nf3 Qf6 27.c5 Rd8 28 .Qb3 Nd3
29. Bxd3 Qx3---. .
a2) Alejandro finds the best
chance: 24.Nb5 Bf8 25 .e5 (25. Qd2 is
probably best, but he also wanted to

show some activity after all!) 25 . . . Bf5
This move is designed to fight for
the black squares and . . . the cen
ter! Larsen would be proud to see
this move from one of his admirers.
21.Nxd4 (21.h4?! gives away the g4
square: 21. . . Ng4) 2 1 . . .h4! Now the
black squares in the opponent's camp
will be severely weakened!
Ramirez continued with 2 2 . gxh4
(Alternatives are no better: 22.g4 ?

Nxg4, or 22.Bg2?! hxg3 23.fxg3 Nh5
Black's compensation now is huge!

Now White has several possibilities:
a21) 2 6 . Rb3?!
dxe5
27.Qxd8
Raxd8 2 8 . Rxe5 Rxe5 29.Nxe5 Rdl+.
a22) 26 .Ral dxe5 27.Qxd8 Raxd8
2 8 . Nxe5 Bg7+.
a23) 26.Rcl dxe5 2 7.Qxd8 Raxd8
28.Rxe5 Rxe5 2 9 . Nxe5 a6 (29. . . Bh6!?)
30.Nc3 Rd2iii .
a24) Ramirez
played
2 6 . Nxd6
Bxd6 (Of course not 26 . . . Bxbl 27.Nxe8
Qxdl 28.Nf6+, where White wins.)

293
27.Qxd6 (27.exd6 Rxel 2B.Nxel Bxbl

29. Qxbl Qxd6+) 27 . . . Bxbl 2 8 . Rxbl
(Normally White would be happy to
enter an endgame, but he lacks the
time for that: 2B. Qxd8 RaxdB 29.Rxbl
Nd3 30. Bxd3 Rxd3+.) 28 . . . Qc8!
with numerous threats, namely

Qd4-f4 (d7) or Ng5-e4-f6 and e5-e6 at
the proper moment.)
The game is now extremely com

plex, and neither of us were sure who
would give mate or get mated!
Now if 29.Qf6 then 29 . . . Nxh3+
30.Kh2 (30.Bxh3 Qxh3 31. Qxf7+
Kxf7 32.Ng5+ Kg7 33.Nxh3 Rxe5+)

30 . . . Nxf2+ threatening . . . Ng4. Not
30 . . . Re6? 3 1 . Bxh3 Rxf6 3 2 . Bxc8
Rxf3 33. Bxb7.
Instead, Alejandro played 2 9.Qd4!
Nxh3+ 30.Kh2 Qf5 3 1 . Bxh3 ! Qxf3 !
(Taking the second exchange would

be a mistake: 31. .. Qxbl 32.Ng5
294
This is the game position after

3 1 . . .Qxf3 ! Now Black wins after
3 2 . Rdl Rad8 33.Qxd8 Qxf2+ 34.Khl
Rxd8 3 5 . Rxd8+ Kg7-+, or 3 2 . Bg4
Rad8 a33 . Qxd8? Qxf2+.
Ramirez played 3 2 . Bg2 ! Rad8,
and we both entered the time scram
ble with Alej andro playing better.
Now if 3 3 . Qxa7? then 33 . . . Qf4+
34.Kgl Rd2 3 5 . Rfl Rxe5 and White
would gradually get mated before he
even starts advancing his queenside
pawns: 36.Qxb7 Rh5 37.c5 Rxh4 .
So the game continued 3 3 . Bxf3 ,

the only move. 33 . . . Rxd4 34.c5
b 1 ) 19 . . . h5! similar t o the idea in

my game against Ramirez , Skoberne
generates tactical ideas, thanks
to the h5 -h4 thrust: 20.Nd5 (20. b4
cxb4 21. axb4 would see Black ad

vancing the h-pawn: 21 . . . h4 22.g4 ?
Nxg4) 20 . . . Bd7 (o 20. . . Nd4 21. b4 Nd7
22. bxc5 Nxc5oo) 2 1 .b4 b6:
bll) 2 2 . Bf2 Now the position is
equal. 22 . . . Nxd5 23.cxd5 Nd4=
34 ... Rxe5?!
(Missing the chan ce
34 . . . Re7! 35. Kg3 Rd3 36.a4 Rxe5+)
35. Bxb7 Rxh4+ 3 6 . Kg3 Rc4 37.Rb3
Kg7 3 8 . Rd3 a5 39. Bd5 Rc2 40.c6
axb4 4 1 . axb4 lh-lh, Ramirez-Bojkov,
Richardson USA 2 0 1 1 .
b ) Therefore, I now believe that
17 . . . Qd8 at once is the most precise
for Black:
Brunello- Skoberne, Porto Carras

2011.
b 1 2 ) Maybe White needed t o try
2 2 . Nxf6+ Bxf6 23 .bxc5 bxc5 24.e5
dxe5 2 5 . Ne4 Be7 2 6 .fxe5 Bf5oo, but
not 26 . . . Nxe5? 2 7.Qd5 Nc6 28.Rb7+-.
b2) 19 ... Nd7 !? looks worse: 20.Nd5
Bxd5 (20. . . Nd4!? is a possible improvement for Black.) 2 1 .cxd5 Nd4
22 .b4:
b21) 22 ... b5 23 .bxc5 Nxc5 24.Nfl
was the game Ramirez- Sadorra,
Orlando 2 0 1 1 .
18. Bg2 (18.b4 does not impress

here due to 18 ... Ng4 19. hxg4 Bxc3)
18 . . . Be6 19.f4 (Black also should not
worry about 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.exd5
Nd4 21. b4 b6=):
Chapter 6 : The Fianchetto System
295
b22) Trying to improve, I first

thought that 22 . . . Nb5
17 ... Qxc3!! This was my suggestion

from two years before. (17. . . Bf8 was
would be OK for Black, but then
I discovered the strong exchange
sacrifice 23.Nc4! Nc3 24 .Qc2 Nxbl
25.Rxbl Qc7 26 .bxc5 Nxc5 27.Nxd6
Qxd6 28.e5 Qd7 29.Qxc5 .
The untested 15.Qxd6 was an
option when I made my KID DVD.
A good sign for Black is that two

games were played afterwards with
Black scoring llh/2 . In the game that
he won, Black followed my recom
mendations: 15 ... Nf3+ 16.Khl Nxel
17.Bxc5
296
an inspired and safe over-the-board

try, which is a reasonable alternative
for Black: 18. Qxf8+ Rx{B 19.Bxb4 Nc2
20.Bxf8 Nxal 2l.Bh6 Nxb3 22. axb3
Zalakaros
Juhasz- Csirik,
1h-lfz,
2009.) 18.bxc3 Nxe4 19.Qd5 Bxc3
and I am happy to discover followers!

A strong and experienced IM went
down after facing this idea - not a big
surprise for such a wild position !
a) The line that I give in the DVD
continued 20.Rcl Bf5 2 1 . Qxb7 Rab8
22.Qxa7 Ra8 23 .Qb6 Nxc5 24.Nxc5
Bd4 25 .Qd6 Rad8 2 6 . Rxel Rxd6
27.Rxe8+ Kg7 2 8 . Ne4 Ra6 29.g4
Bxe4+ 30.Rxe4 Bxf2 3 l . Re2 Bc5=.

Naturally, there is a vast scope for
improvement for both players but I
feel that Black is definitely not risk
ing more than his opponent!
b) Instead, the game saw 20.Rdl
Bf5 2 l . Bg2
Ngl+ 3 5 . Kh4 Nf3+ 36.Kh3 Nxd2

37.Nxd2 Bxd6 38.Qd4 Bc7 39.f3 Re2
40.Ne4 Rh2+ 4 l . Kg4 f5+ 42.Kg5
Rh5+ 43 .Kf6 fxe4 44 .Qc4+ Bd5 0-1
Colovic-Carmaciu,
Sunny
2 0 1 1 . A spectacular game !
Beach
14 . . . Nxf8+ 15. Qxf8

2 l . . . Nxg3+!
2 2 . Kh2 (22.fxg3 Nxg2

23.Kxg2? Be4+) 22 . . . Nxg2 23 .Qxg2
Ne2 24.Bd6 Rad8 2 5 .c5 Be5+
(25 ... b6! would be even stronger!)

26.Khl (26. Bxe5 Rxdl 27. Qxb7 was
White's only chance.) 26 . . . Nf4 2 7.Qfl
Bxh3 28 .Qc4 Bg4 29.Rd2 Bf3+
30.Kh2 Bd5 3 1 .Qa4 Bc6 32 .Qc4
15. . . Nd7!?
An idea of the Romanian GM
Grigore.
Topalov achieved excellent com
pensation
after
15 . . . Be6
16. Bf4
(However, 16.Nb5! is critical and

looks advantageous for White.)
32 . . . Rxd6 !
33.cxd6
Ne2+
34.Kh3
16 . . . Nd7 17. Bxd6 Ne5 18 .Qe3 Rad8

and now 19. Radl (not 19. Bxc5? b6
297
20.Ba3 (20. Bd4? Rxd4-+) 20. . . Nxc4+)
19 . . . b6 20.a3 Nxc4 2 l . Bxc4 Bxc4,

Karpov-Topalov, Monte Carlo 2000.
16.Nb5
It is curious that the passive
16.Bd2 was played twice against the
young Ukrainian GM Vovk and he

easily got the upper hand using the
same method: 16 . . . Ne5 17.Qd l Be6
18.b3:
18 . . . Nxc4 (18 . . . Qb4!? can be your

choice if you do not need a draw.)
19.Rxe6 fxe6 20. Bxc4 Qb4 21 .Qfl
Qxb2 22 .Rcl Bxc3 2 3 . Rbl Qc2 24.Rcl
Qb2 2 5 . Rbl=.
16 . . . Ne5
18 ... Nxc4! 19.bxc4 Bxc3 20.Bxc3

Qxc3
2 1 .Qxd6
b6+
L'Ami-Vovk,
Dieren 2011.
The stem game saw 16.Radl?!
Ne5 17.Qg2 Be6 18.Nb5 Rad8 with ad
vantage for Black in Marin- Grigore,
Amara 2007.
White might do better to start
retreating his pieces with 16.Qdl
Ne5 17. Kg2 Be6 18.Nd5 Nc6 19. Bf4
Qd8 =, although the most he can
count on is equality, as 20.Kh2?!
can be met with 20 ... Bxb2 ! (instead
of 20... Nd4 21.Nc3 h5+ Miron

Georgescu, Bucharest 2011) 2 l . Rbl
Bd4 22.Rxb7 Bxf2+.

considered
himself
Marin
16.Redl as best, although this op
tion remains untested. I will give
you a possible line: 16 . . . Ne5 17.Qg2
Be6 18.Rxd6
298
1 7. Qe2
Avoiding the typical trick with
the special participation of Her
Majesty: 17.Qg2?
17 . . . Bxh3 18 .Qxh3 Nf3+ -+.
Centralization!
17. . . Rd8 18.Redl Be6 19. bB a 6!

20. Bd2
20.Nxd6
knight.
Qb6
would
trap
the
20 . . . Qb6=
Radjabov h a s repelled the active

white pieces and can confidently look
to the future .
21. NeB Ne 6 22. Rael Nd4
2B. QdB Qa7 24.Ne2 b5 25. Nxd4

Bxd4 26.B_eB BxeB 2 7. QxeB Qe7
28. Rd2 b4 29. QeB Rd7 BO. Redl
f6 Bl. Be2 ReB B2. Kg2 a5 BB. Bg4
Bxg4 B4. hxg4 Qxe4+ B5. Qxe4
Rxe4 B6. Rxd6 Rxd6 B 7. Rxd6
Re2
BB. Rxf6 Rxa2 B9. Re6 a4 40. bxa4

bB 41. R b 6 Rxa4 42. RxbB Rxe4
4B. Rb8+ Kg7 44. Rb7+ Kh 6 45.(4
g5 46. KfB ReB+ 4 7. Kf2 Re2+
48. Kf8 ReB+ * - *
299
Memory Markers
Here are reminders of some of the ideas and motifs in The Fianchetto
System.
1. After 8 ... Qa6. Use of the

queen on the queenside. See dia
gram on page 276, notes to 8 . e4
in Laznicka-Vachier Lagrave.
2. After
Active
central play against Georgiev's
idea. See diagram on page
280, notes to 10.Be3 in Laznic
ka-Vachier Lagrave.
4. After 14 ... Qxc4.
3. After 18 ... Nc2!?N.
300
17 ... Bb5.
Queenside
pressure with a closed center. See
diagram on page 277, notes to
9.h3 in Laznicka-Vachier Lagrave.
Positional
exchange sacrifice. See diagram
on page 2 8 1 , notes to 10 . . . exd4
in Laznicka-Vachier Lagrave.
5. Mter 13 ... c5!?. Central activ

ity in Harikrishna-Radj abov, see
diagram on page 288.
6. Mter 14 ...Nxe4!. The main

trap. See diagram on page
289,
notes
to
14.Nf3
in
Harikrishna-Radj abov.
Flexibility
7. Mter 23 ...Nd4.
against
Avrukh's
line.
See
diagram on page 295, notes to
14.Nf3 in Harikrishna-Radj abov.
8. Mter 19 ...Bxc3. The mess.

See diagram on page 296, notes
to Harikrishna-Radj abov.
301
9. Mter 22 . Nd4
Centraliza
tion in Harikrishna-Radj abov,
see diagram on page 299.
.
302
Exercis es
Black to play!
As Black, practice finding the right moves when facing The Fianchetto
System .
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Aronian - Marjanovic
Szabolcsi - Lorscheid
Bucharest 1999
Budapest 2007
Future GMs also need to learn.

Aronian has just played 15.a2 -a3?
Something is rotten in the state of

Denmark!
303
Exercise 3
Ursie
Sulava
Nova Gorica 1997
Palleja Rahal
Barcelona 1995
A typical trick.
Trap something!
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Wheeler Zilberstein
Schaefer Lechtynsky
USA ICC 2006
Litomysl 1997
Target the king!
304
Exercise 4
How will you finish the game?
Exercise 7
Holeman Acher
FRA-chJM3, Rochefort 1998

Somewhat of a surprise . . .
Exercise 9
Exercise 8
Hoffmann
Movsesian
EU- Cup, Ohrid 2009

Unleash the power of your pieces!
Exercise 10
Lucea Arias Boo
Zats Bonin
Barcelona 2001
USA-AmChT, Parsippany 2001
Decoy the king!
Black's position looks cramped.
305
Solutions to the Exercises

Chapter la: Flexibility in the

Classical Variation
Exercise 1
15 . . . Qe5+
or even the better 15 ... Ne5!+, Black
is much better, thanks to his
domination on the dark squares, the
weak isolated pawn on e4, and the
clear superiority of the black knight
against the bishop on e2 .
Exercise 2
Cobb - Grossett
Bristol 1998
The seeming happiness in White's
camp is deceptive . Prove it!
12 . . . Nxe4!
A typical trick based on the
vulnerable position of the white
knight on d4 and the dark-squared
bishop. One should always watch
carefully to see if it works!
18.fxe4
Even worse is 13.Nxe4 Qxd2
14 .Bxd2 Bxd4+, as Black wins the
pawn for free after 15.Nxd6?? Rxe2-+.
18 . . . Bxd4 14. Qxd4 Qxg5 15. Qxd6

White has escaped material loss,
but after:
Young - Yermolinsky
US Open, Chicago 1994
Remember the previous one?
12 . . . Nxe4!
This should be a piece of cake,
once you have solved the previous
exercise.
18.Nxe4
13. Bxd8? is even worse, as it loses
a piece and the pawn after 13 . . . Nxd 2 .
18 . . . Qxh4 14. Nb8

Not 14 .Nxd6? Qxd4+.
Solutions to the Exercises: Chapter 1a
307
14 . . . Nc5 15. Nbxc5
28 . . . Bf8 29. Ne4
Once again White cannot take

back the pawn: 15.Nxd6 Nxb3
16. axb3 Qd4+ 17.Qxd4 Bxd4+ 18.Kh l
Rxe2 -+.
29 . . . Qxf5 30. Ng3 Nf2+ 31. Kgl

Qc5 32. Kfl Nd3 0-1
It's lights out after 29.Re8 Nf2+

30.Kgl Nh3+ 3 1 . Kh l Qgl mate.
15. . . dxc5+
With a healthy extra pawn and a
bishop pair as "compensation", Black
easily won.
Exercise 4
Exercise 3
Hoelzl - Szilagyi
Budapest 1988
Zude - Graf
Bundesliga 2004
How can Black exploit the some

what loose position of the opponent's
rook?
19 . . . Ng4! 20. Qg5 Ne3!

Black is very active. Can he turn
his activity into something more
tangible?
26 . . . Rxb2!
Black wins material while bring
ing his pieces closer to the enemy
king!
27. Qxb2
The
most
stubborn
defense
would be 27.Re8+ Bf8 28.Qxb2 Nxd3
29.Na4! (Or even worse: 29. Qd2 Nf2+
30.Kgl Ne4 + - +) 29 . . . Nxb2 30.Nxc5
dxc5+, although Black should win
here as well.
27. . . Nxd3 28. Qb8+

Or 28 .Qe2 Nxel 29.Qxel Bxc3.
308
Solutions to the Exercises: Chapter la
By simple means, just attacking

the defender with tempos. The c2
knight is overworked, and White los
es material.
21. e 5
The move 2 1 .Qxc5 will indeed
save the rook but not the game, after
2 1 . . .dxc5 2 2 . Rd2 Nbxc4 23 .Re2 Nxfl
24.Rxfl b5-+.
After the text move, the simple
continuation 2l . . . Nxc2 wins easily.
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Keipo - Perez
Zakharov - Yurtaev
Cuba 2000
URS-ch sf, Volgodonsk1983
White wants to establish a knight

on b6. What would you recommend
for the second player?
1 6. . . Nexg4! 1 7. Nb 6
Once more, Yurtaev!
29 . . . Bb7!!
The hunting season for the white
king is open!
17.fxg4 can b e answered with

18. Radl Bxd4 19. Rxd4
Nxg3+ 20.Qxg3 Rxe2 2 l . Rxd6 Be6+
with a healhy extra pawn for Black.
30. Qxb 7
17. . . Nxe4
White
cannot
survive
after
30.Nd5 Rad8 3 l . Kgl Bxd5 32.cxd5
Rd6 .
17. . . RbB 1B. c5
30 . . . Nxg3+ 31. Kg1 Ne2+
This time, 18.fxg4? is even worse,

as the white queen must guard the
knight on b6. 18: .. Nxe4 19. Radl
Nxg3+ 20.hxg3 Bxd4 2 l . Rxd4 Rxe2+.
3 1 . . . Nxfl immediately is also pos

sible: 3 2 . Nxfl Qc3 3 3 . Rcl Qb2 -+.
18 . . . Ne5+
Black has chopped an important
pawn and later won the game.
32. Kf2 RaeB

34. Ng2
Nd4
36. Rxh2 Nxh2
33. Qf3 Qxh2+

35. Rh1
Nxf3
Black has gained a decisive

material advantage which he soon
converts.
3 7. Kg3 Re2 3B. Bd3 Rd2 39. Be4

ReB 40. Bc 6 ReB 41.Bb7 Rc7
42. Bxa6 bxc4 43. Kxh2 c3 44. Kg3
c2 45. Ne3 0-1
309
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Trmal - Michalek
Littleton - Boey
Czechia 2009
Den Haag 1966
Shall we retreat the knight?
25 . . . Rxd6!
KID players never retreat! They
also rarely miss a chance to gain con
trol over the black squares!
26. cxd6
26.fxe5 would lose the black
squares anyway, and would not even
bring material consolation for the
first player after 26 . . . Rd4-+.
26 . . . Qxb 6 27.fxe5 Bxe5+

Black has a large advantage: his
bishops control the whole board, the
white king is rather miserable, and
the white pawns are a mess.
28. Rd1 Rd8 29. Qf8 Bd4 80. Rfd2

c5 81.e5 Bxe5 82. Qe4 Bg 7 88.Bc4
Qb4 84. b8 a4 85. Ra2 axb8
86.Ra8 Bf6 8 7. Rxd8+ Bxd8
88. Qa8 Qxc4 89. Qxd8+ Kg 7
40. d7 Qe4+ 0-1
310
White has just taken the pawn

on d6. How can Black punish his
opponent for this greediness?
18 . . . Rad8
There is no direct refutation,
but
simple
development
will
underline the fact that White lacks
communication between his pieces.
13 . . . Nh5 is a decent alternative.
14. Qg8 Nh5 15. Qe1 Nf4 16.Kh1

Nb4+
White is helpless, s o huge i s the
difference between the pieces.
1 7. a8 Nbd8
18. Bxd8 Nxd8
19. Qe2 Qb8 20. Ncd1 Rd7! 21. Rb1
Red8 - + 22. Bd2 ? ? Nf4 0-1
Exercise 9
Exercise 10
Kolev - Rasik
Korotylev - Kokarev
Budapest 1993
Serpukhov 2007
How can Black prove superiority

on the black squares?
Once again, superiority on the

black squares!
22 . . . Bxc3
19. . . Ne6!
I can almost hear you screaming:

"How? Our pride, our KID bishop !
Isn't this something we should not
do?"
Well, you know that chess is
a game of exceptions , and here,
thanks to the fact that the e4 pawn
is hanging, Black can actually make
a concrete use of the black squares.
He can establish a firm control over
them even without the bishop!
This move forces the

e5, after which Black gets
backward pawn on d6 and
the central situation in his
23. Bxc5 Qxc5!

One more defender of the dark
squares has to leave the stage.
24. Qxc5 dxc5 25. bxc3

And now, thanks to this nice ma
neuver:
25. . . Ne 6!
Nd7!+
2 6.{5
Nf8!
trade on
rid of his
stabilizes
favor.
20. Bxe5
Unfortunately for White, he can
not retreat the bishop: 20. Be3? a3 !
will cause immediate collapse of the
queen's flank, while a neutral move
like 20. Rabl? will witness an acci
dent on the other side of the board:
20 . . . Nxd4 2 1 . Nxd4 Qh4!-+.
20 . . . dxe5 21. Qe3 Ndc5+

Black is better. He has two ex
cellent outposts for his knights on f4
and d4 , and White has a poor bishop
on e2 .
2 7. Kgl
Black establishes his knight on

e5 and underlines the fact that he is
in full control of the situation. Note
that he kept the opponent's bad bish
op on the board !
311
Exercise 11
Chapter 1b: The Gligoric System
Exercise 1
Wirig - Vaisser
Caen 2011
A pleasant choice . . .
Sundararajan - Asauskas
World Championship U20, Goa 2002
29 . . . Nh3+1
This breaks White's pawn for
mation and allows Black to solidify
his advantage. With so many active
pieces, it is no wonder that he had an
alternate win, with 29 . . . Qal+! 30.Nfl
Nxg2 ! ! with the idea 3 1 . Kxg2 Bh3+
32.Kg3 Qxfl 33. Nf4 h4 mate.
30.gxh3 Qxf3 31. Qd3 Bxh3

32.Nd4 Qxe4 33. Qxe4 Rxe4+
The three pawns supported by
the active rook and the bishop pair
prove better than the white knight.
34.Ndc2 (5 35. Rb3 (4 36. Nf1

Bxf1 37. Kxf1 Bxf2 38. Kxf2 Rxc4
39. Ne1 Kf7 40. Rb8 Ra4 41.Rb2
g4 42. Rc2 c5 43.Nd3 Kf6 44.Nc1
Ra3 45. Ne2 Rf3+ 46. Kg1 Ke5
47. Rc4 h4 48.Ra4 h3 49. Rxa5
g3 50. Ra8 g2 0-1
312
Solutions to the Exercises: Chapter lb
Exploit the pin.
23 . . . Bxc4 24. Rxc4 Qd5! 25. Rc2

White is doomed also after
25 .Qd3 Rxa2 2 6 . Kh l (or 26.Rccl
Nxd4 27. Qxd4 Re1+!) 26 . . . Ra3-+.
And if 2 5 . Rdcl RedS , the pinned
piece will leave the stage.
25 . . . Nxd4 26. Qxd4 Re1+1 0-1

An elegant finish!
Exercise 2
30. Nxe1 Kf6 31. Kf3 Ke5 32. Ke3

Kf5 33. Nf3 Kg4 34. Kf2 Kf4 35. b4
f6 36. a4 Ke4 3 7. b5 Kd3 38. a5 c5
39. Nh4 Kxc4 40. b 6 axb 6 41. axb 6
g5 42. Nf5 Kd5 0-1
Exercise 3
Serralta - Rabineau
French Championship, Nimes 2009
15. . . Nxf4!
Forced, but good! Black gains
three pawns for the piece at once,
with a strong attack.
16.gxf4 Bxf4 1 7. Qd1

The queen must retreat, or else
mate is coming: 17. Be3? Qg5+ 18.Kf2
Qh4+ 19.Kfl Qh3+ 20.Kgl Qxh2+
2 l . Kfl Bh3 mate.
Perhaps the square 17.Qc2 is a
better retreat, although it's still much
better for Black after 17 . . . Bxh2+
18.Kg2
Bh3+
19.Kxh2
Qxf2+
20.Kxh3 Qxd4+.
17. . . Bxh2+ 18. Kg2 Bh3+1

Black even has two other options
worth considering, 18 . . . Bf4!?+ and
18 . . . Nxe4!?+.
Sergeev - Osinovsky
St. Petersburg White Nights
St. Petersburg 2004
Make use of your activity!
26 . . . Nxb21
Wins a pawn at once.
2 7. Rxc8+ Qxc8 28.Nxb2 Qc1+

29. Be1
Or 29.Qel d2 .
29 . . . Bd4+ 30. Kf1 Qe3 0-1
19. Kxh2 Qxf2+ 2 0. Kxh3 Nxe4

21.Nxe4 Rxe4 22. Nf3
Or 2 2 . Bg4 Rxd4-+.
22 . . . Rae8
Black wins back one of the pieces
and retains good winning chances .
23. Rf1 Qxe2 24. Qxe2 Rxe2+

25. b3 Kg7 2 6. Rfd1 R8e3 2 7. Kg3
h5 28. Re1 Rxel 29. Rxel Rxe1
313
Exercise 4
30. Kg2
Sasikiran - Konguvel
25. . . h5!
The heavy pieces and the bishop
cannot be improved for the moment,
but the advance of the h-pawn will
weaken the castled position of the
white king, and will open spaces for
future attack.
26. Nd4 h4 2 7. Rdl hxg3 28. hxg3

g5!?
The idea is g5 -g4 , after which the
bishop will gain the e4 square.
Also 28 . . . Kg7 !?, with the idea to
use the h-file in the future, makes
sense as well.
29.g4 ?!
White does not stand the pres
sure and allows the following storm!
Better was 29.Kg2 , preparing for
the defense.
Note that the trade of the light
pieces is favorable for Black: 29.Nxf5
Qxf5 30.Kg2 g4-+.
29 . . . Bxg4!
314
Or 30.fxg4 Re4 3 l . Nf3 (or 31. Kg2
Rxg4+ 32. Kh3 Re4 with a decisive at

tack) 3 l . . . Rxg4+ 3 2 . Kf2 Rf4 33 .Qc3
Qxc3 34 .bxc3 g4-+.
30 . . . Bd7 31. Rhl g4 32. Qc3 gxf3+

33. Kf2 Re4 34. Nxf3 d4 35. Qb3
Qf4 36. Rel Rxel 3 7. Kxel Bg4
38. Ngl Kg 7 39. Qc4 Qe3+ 40. Kfl
Bf5 41. Qb4 Bd3+ 42. Kg2 Be4+
43. Kfl Qf4+ 44. Kel Qg3+ 0-1
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Obukhov - Sergeev
Bedic - Markun
Soviet Union 1991
Slovenian Championship
Kranj 1999
Black's position seems frighten

ing, but how to break in?
29. . . h5!
The help of the foot-soldier will
transform the white position from
defendable into hopeless. The main
defender on g3 cannot hold the
position .
80. Kg1
White's fate is sealed if he starts
pushing the pawns in front of his
king: 30.h4 Qf6 3 1 . Kgl Qd4+ 3 2 . Ne3
Nf6 3 3 . Rd8 Rg4! 34.Qf2 Qxd3
35. Nxg4 Nxg4 36 .Qf4 Qe2-+.
80. . . h4 81. Qh8 Nf6

Black could also choose the pret
ty finish 3 l . . . Rf2 ! 3 2 . Ne3 Rxg2+
3 3 . Nxg2 Qxcl+ 34. Bfl Qxc5+ 35.Ne3
Nxe3
3 6 . Rxe3
(36. Qxe3 Qxe3+
37.Rxe3 Bc5) 36 . . . Be6 37.Qf3 Qg5+!
38.Kf2 Bd5 39.Qh3 Bc5 -+.
12 . . . Nf4!+
It is amazing how quickly the
white position will fall apart now.
12 . . . Nxc3 indeed ruins the white
pawns, but this knight is made for
greater deeds!
18. Bc4 ?
1 3 . Kh l Qg5
White's best bet.
14. Bg3
h5t
was
13 . . . Qg5 14.g3 Nh3+ 1 5. Kg2 Rd8

15 ... Nxf2 ! 16.Rxf2 Bxd4 17. Qxd4
Rd8 ! is a pretty finish as well!
1 6. Nce2 Nxf2 1 7. Rxf2 c5- +

18. Qb8 cxd4
19. Bxf7+ Kh8
20. Nf4 Nc 6 21. Rc1 Qf6 22.Bd5
Bh6 28. Qa4 Bd7 24. Qd1 Rac8
25. Rc4 Bxf4 2 6.gxf4 Be6 0-1
82. Rxf8+
Not 3 2 . Rel Rf3 !
82 . . . Kxf8 88. Rc2 Rf8!- + 84. Qc8+

Kg7 85. Bf1 Ne4 86. b8 h8 8 7. Qc 7
Nd2 88. Rxd2 Rxf1 + 89. Kxf1
Qxd2 40. Qe5+ Kh 7 0-1
315
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Miles - Nunn
Dannevig - Vladimirov
BBC TV Master Game

England 1976
Gausdal International 1991
The black-square symphony!
19 . . . Neg41 20.Bh4
If the knight is captured, then
Black will grab the dark-squared
bishop, causing the collapse of the
white position: 20.fxg4 Ne4 2 1 .Qf4
(not 21. Qb2 Nxf2 22.Kxf2 Qh4 +

23.Kg1 Rxe2!) 2 l . . . Nxf2 22 .Qxf2
Rxe2 ! -+.
20 . . . Ne41/ 21.fxe4
Not 2l. Bxd8 Nxd2, which leaves
too many pieces hanging. Black
threatens both Bxd4+ and Rxd8 .
21 . . . Qxh4 22. Bxg4 Qxg4 23. Nc3

dxe4 - +
Without the bishops, Miles can do
nothing to save the game.
24. Qe3 Qh5 25. Nde2 Bg4 26. Rel

Qe5 27. b4 ? Bxe2 28. Nxe2 Qb2
29. Khl Qxb4 30.Rcl RdB 31. h 3
Be5 32. Qg5 f6 33. Qe3 Qd2
34. Qb3+ KhB 35. Qc4 Rd3 0-1
The end is near, after 36.Qf7 (or
36.Ng1 Qf4 37.g3 Qxg3 38. Qa2 Bf4-+)
36 . . . Qxcl+ 37.Ngl Qxc5-+.
316
Solutions to the Exercises: Chapter l b
Did you pay attention?
1 6. . . Rxe41
If you did, you would have already
known that bishops are more import
ant on various occasions in this line!
1 7.fxe4 Bxe4 18. Bg3 ?

White's defense is not on the
highest level.
More resilient is 18.Ne3 although
here, too Black has a good initiative:
18 . . . Ne5 19. Be2 (if 19.Kh1 then 19... f5
with the idea f5-f4).

And now:
19 . . . f5! Suggested by GM Wahls.
20. Bxh5 f4! 2 l . Ng4 (not 21. Qd4 ??
Nf3+ 22.Bxf3 Bxd4 23.Bxe4 fxe3-+)

2 l . . . gxh5
2 2 . Rel
Bxg2
and if
2 3 . Kxg2?? then 23 . . . Nxg4! -+.
I like another of his suggestions:
19 . . . Nf4 20. Bg3 and here the good
move is 20 . . . Nfd3 ! + (if 20. . . Nxe2+
then 21. Qxe2 Bd3=).

18 . . . Nxg3 19. hxg3 Bxc21
Black squares above all!
20. Qxc2 Bd4+ 21. Rf2 Nf6+

22. Be2 Qxg3 23. Bf3 ReB 24. Rdl
Bb6 25. a4
After
2 5 .d6
Re3,
relative
ly best is 2 6 . Kf1 Qh2 27 . g4 Rxf3
2 8 . Rxf3 Qxc2 - + because other tries
are wors e : 2 6 . d7 ? Nxd7 2 7 . Bxb7
Ne 5 - + and 2 6 . Kh l? Re4 (or e ven
26 . . . Kg 7!- +) 2 7 . Bxe4 Qh4+ 2 8 . Kgl
Nxe 4 2 9 . d7 Nxf2 3 0 . d8 Q + Bxd8
3 l . Qxf2 ? ? Bb6 - +.
Chapter 1c: The Exchange System
Exercise 1
25. . . Re3/ 2 6. a 5 Bxa5 2 7. Qc8+

Kg7 28.Qh3 Qe5 29.g4 Ne4
30. Re2 Ng5 0-1
Mengual Bolo Castella Garcia

Cullera-B 2003
Tricks are rare but possible in the
Exchange line.
26 . . . Rxa1 2 7. Nxa1 0-1

White resigned, not waiting for
27 . . . Rxa l 2 8 . Kxal Nxb3+ 29.Kb2
Nxd4 .
Solutions to the Exercises: Chapter lc
317
Exercise 2
Wolske - Kubikova
Shankar - Saravnan
Pardubice 1996
The "Who is faster?" contest.
16. . . c5!
The best move. White was threat
ening to bring his knight to d6 by
c4-c5 and Nd2-c4-d6. Black pre
vents this and brings his own knight
quickly to the d4 outpost.
1 7. b5
Naturally, 17.bxc5 is no better, as
then both the c4 and a3 pawns will
be desperately weak, after 17. . . Nxc5+.
17. . . Nc 7 18. Nb3 Ne 6 19. Rhd1

Nd4+ 20.Nxd4 exd4 +
Black has a protected passed
pawn and the more active rooks. He
is better in both the pawn and the
rook endgames.
21.{3 Re6 22. Kd3 Rae8 23. a4 f5

24. Re1 Kg7 25. a5 ReS 26. Re2
fxe4+ 2 7.fxe4 Rf8 28. a6 b 6
29. Rg1 Rf4 30. Rc1 h5 31.Rce1
h4 32. Rg1 Kf6 33. Ree1 Rg5
34. Rgf1 Rgg4 35. Rf3 Ke5 36. Re2
g5 37.Ref2 Rxf3+ 38. Rxf3 Rf4
39. h3 g4 40. hxg4 Rxf3+ 0-1
318
Exercise 3
White wants to consolidate his

position.
18 . . . c5!
It makes no sense for Black to
allow the consolidating Nd2-b3-c5 or
Bb4-c5 maneuvers. The weak back
rank helps Black demonstrate an
advantage.
19. Rxc5
19. Bxc5 loses to 19 . . . Bh6 ! 20.Nb3
20.Bxd6 Rxcl+)
20 . . . Bxcl
2 l . Bxd6 Bxe4 22.0-0 Bxb2-+.
(not
19 . . . Rxc5 20. Bxc5 Rc6

The bishop cannot retreat and the
black pieces become super heroes.
21.Nb3
If 2 l .b4, Black will first of all get
rid of the doubled pawn with 2 l . . .a5
2 2 . a3 axb4 2 3 . axb4 Bh6 24.Nb3+
and then make use of the freshly
opened a-file with 24 . . . Ra6 .
21 . . . a5!
Not a moment of rest for White.
22.Be3
2 2 . a4 would be answered by
22 . . . Ba6 with the threat Ba6 -c4, and
even the white king is in jeopardy.
The activity of the black pieces

will allow him to win back the pawn
and still maintain piece activity.
No worries about them ! They can

open files of their own! In the mean
time , the sphere of influence of the
black-squared bishop is enlarged.
23. Nc5 Bc6 24. 0 - 0 Kf7
20. R b2
Giving White an opportunity, as

Black had two much better moves,
24 . . . Rxb2+, and 24 . . . Bf8 2 5 . Ne6 Be7
26.Rcl Rxcl+ 27. Bxcl Bxe4+.
If 20.c5 axb4 2 l . axb4 Ra3 2 2 .Rcl

Black has pleasant choice of which
piece to improve first, the bishop:
22 . . . Bf8+ with the idea Bf8 -h6 , or
the second rook: 22 . . . Rb3 followed by
Re8 -a8.
22 . . . Rc2+
25.(3
White's last chance was 25 .Rcl,
for if 25 ... Rxb2? then 2 6 . Nd3.
20. . . axb4 21. axb4

The a-file is open
quickly profits from it.
and
Black
25... Re2 26. Bf2 Rxb2 2 7. a4 Ra2

28. h4 h5 29. Rd1 BfB 30.Nb7
Bxa4 31. Rd5 Bb3 32. Rd7+ Ke6
33. Rh7 a4 34. Bxa7 Rc2 35. Nd8+
Kd6 36. Bb8+ Kc5 3 7. R b 7 Kd4
38. Ba7+ Kd3 39. Kf1 Bc4 40.Nc 6
a 3 41. Rb1 a 2 42. Re1 Kc3+
43. Kg1 Kb2 0-1
22. Na2
23. Rdd2
b5
ReaB
24. cxb5 Rxa2 25. Rxa2 Rxa2
2 6. Rxa2 Bxa2 2 7. b 6 NbS 28. b7
Bd6 29. Ne1 Nd4 0-1
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Ruiz Delgado Martinez Martin
Ritz - Neumeier
2 l . . .Ra3 w a s better.
Wattens 1997
Vecindario 2010
The d-file is well covered and the
white rooks are useless . But how
about their black counterparts?
19 . . . a5!
21 . . . Ra6
22 . . . Kf8/
This is the endgame that Black
loves! The light-squared bishop suf

focates behind its own pawns, and
319
the black squares are desperately

weak. Black brings his king to c5 to
help the knight. His play is a model
for this endgame.
23.(3 Ke71 24. Kf2 Kd6/ 25. Ke3

Ne6/ 26. Bd3 Kc5/ 2 7. Bf1 Kb41
28. Kd2 a41 29. Kc2 Nd4+ 30. Kd2
Ne6 31. Kc2 a3/
The game is basically over.
32.Bd3
If 32 .b3 then 32 . . . Nd4+ 3 3 . Kd2
Nxb3+!-+.
32. . . b6 33. Kc1 Nc5 34. Be2 Na4

35. bxa3+ Kxa3 36. Bd1 Nc3
37.Bb3 Nxa2+ 38. Kc2 Ncl 0-1
23.Rd5, when Black can temporar

ily sacrifice the pawn with 23 . . . Nb6!
24.Rxc5 N a4 25.Rd5 Rc7 and the
h3 bishop becomes "empty". It looks
good but does nothing: 26.Rd7 Rxd7
2 7 . Bxd7 Rd8 28.Bh3 Rd4+ .
Perhaps White needs to bring the
bishop to the defense instead: 23.g4
hxg4 24. Bxg4 Nb6 2 5 . Be2 Rd7+,
although Black is clearly on the
better side here as well.
The black rook also reaches the
d4 square after 23 .Rcl Rd8+.
23 . . . Rd8+ 24. Kc2 Rd4 25. Rxd4

exd41
The first asset is obvious: Black
gets a protected passed pawn.
Exercise 6
26.(3 Nb 6 2 7. Kb3
Now the second player will coor
dinate his forces.
2 7. . . a5/ 28. bxa6 bxa6 29. Rb1 a5

30. a4 (51 31 . Ka2
Both rook and knight are activat
ed after 3 1 . exf5 Re3+ 3 2 . Ka2 Nxc4+.
31 fxe4 32.fxe4 Nxa4 - + 33. Rb8+

Kf7 34. Rc8 Nc3+ 35. Ka3 d3 0-1
. .
Olafsson - Danielsen
Reykjavik Open 2006
The bishop on h3 is ready to chop
off the knight whenever it reaches
the e6 square. A draw?
22 . . . Na8/
No, thanks! There is another
route for the knight, from where it
can attack the c4 pawn!
23. Kd2
Bringing the king to help. The al
ternatives are:
320
Exercise 2
Exercise 1
Tukmakov - Magerramov
9th Spartakiad, Moscow 1983
Goossens - Schebler
White has just taken

pawn. What did he miss?
Belgian Championship 2004

Three versus one . . .
the h4
24 . . . Be3+1 25. Bf2 Nc5 2 6. Qc2
36 . . . Bh3!
The king has not a single defender
and is bound to get mated.
3 7.g3
37.gxh3 Qxh3 is an inevitable
mate on g2 .
3 7. . . hxg3 38. hxg3 Bfll

Much better than 38 . . . Bg2+
39.Kgl Qh3 40.gxf4 , as the bishop is
not where it is needed.
39. Kgl Qh3 40. Kf2 Qg2+ 41. Ke3

Qgl mate
26.Qb5 Nfxe4 27.fxe4 Nxe4 will

lead to the same result.
26 . . . Ncxe4!
He missed that he cannot hold
the control over the black squares!
2 7.fxe4 27. . . Ng4! 0-1

White resigned, not willing to see
his forces disappear after 2 8 . Bxe3
Qxe3+ 29.Khl Nf2+ 30.Kgl Nxe4+
3 1 . Kh l Nf2+ 3 2 . Kgl Nxdl+ 3 3 . Kh l
Nf2+ 34.Kgl Kg7.
Solutions to the Exercises: Chapter l d
321
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Torres - Strikovic
Petersen - Bekker Jensen
New York Open 1988
Denmark Junior Championship

Lyngby 1996
Is everything OK with White's

queenside attack?
22 . . . dxc5 23. bxc5 Nxc5/

White obviously missed this idea.
24. Bxc5?
Things were not that bad after
24.Nc4 ! , since White has open files to
compensate for the material deficit.
Now he gets mated.
24 . . . Be3+ 25. Bxe3 Qxe3+ 26. Kh1

Ng3+1 27. hxg3 hxg3 0-1
Mate is inevitable, as the threat
ened 28 . . . Qh6+ and 28 . . . Kg7 followed
by 29 . . . Rh8+ cannot both be stopped.
White offers the bishop swap. Is it

a good idea?
13 . . . Bxg4
Not really. Attention to small de
tails is always required in the game
of chess. Here, White included the
prophylactic move Kgl-h l and Black
Nf6 -h7, which clearly favors him.
The difference:
14. Qxg4 g5/ 15. Bg3 f5/

is that this pawn is not obstruct
ed, and the e8 queen can support the
h-pawn advance.
1 6. exf5 h5 1 7. Qe2 h4
Black wins a piece.
18.Nde4
Rxf5
20. Bxh4 Rf4 0-1
322
Solutions to the Exercises: Chapter ld
19. Qg4
Qf7
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Naumkin - Khalifman
Izquierdo - Navarro
Sochi U20 1984
Santiago Zonal Tournament

Santiago de Chile 1996
How to free the rook?
29. . . Qg4!
This move brings the h-pawn to
g4 and creates additional problems
for White. Neither 29 . . . Bg5 nor 29 . . .
g5 are as good.
30. Qxg4
The
queen
cannot
retreat:
30.Qh2?? Bf4 ! , and 30.Qel?? Qxh3+
3l.gxh3 Rxh3 mate.
30. . . hxg4 31. Ra1

White needs to chase this rook,
as else 3 l .c5 Bf4 will create the inev
itable threat of Rh4xh3+ and Ra2-h2
mate.
31 . . . Rd2 32. Rgd1 g3+ 33. Rxd2

Bxd2 34. c5 Bxb4 35. c 6 bxc 6
36. dxc 6 Rf4 3 7. Rb1 Bc5 38. Rb8+
Kg 7 39. Rb7 Rf7 40. Bc4 d5
41. exd5 Rf4 42. Be2 Re4 43. Rb2
Rd4 44. Rb3 Rd2 45. Bg4 Bf2
46. Rb 7 Kf6 47. d6 Rc2 0-1
How to fight the positional threat

b4 -b5?
24 . . . c5!
A typical method! Either the
b-pawn will be swapped or else the
knight will get the excellent outpost
on b4. In both the cases Black sta
bilizes his situation on the queen's
flank and can concentrate on his play
on the other side of the board.
25. b5 Nb4+ 26.{4 ?

This move only helps Black's in
tentions.
26. . . exf4 2 7. Nxf4 Nxf4 28. Rxf4

Qg5 29. Rf2 Qe3 - + 30. Rb3 Nxd3
31. Qxd3 Ra1+ 32. Nf1 Rxf1+
33. Kxf1
Qc1+ 34. Ke2 Bg4 +
35. Rf3 RaB 36. Qb1 Qxc4+ 3 7. Kf2
Qd4+ 38. Rfe3 Qf6+ 39. Rf3 Bxf3
40.gxf3 c4 41.Re3 Qf4 42. Qg1
Ra1 43. Qg2 Qe5 44. Qh3 Qb2+
45. Re2 Qd4+ 0-1
323
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Straka - Rabatin
Valle - Di Berardino
Czech Championship U16

Kouty nad Desnou 2009
69th Brazil Championship

Brasilia 2003
Improve your position!
How to conduct the attack?
20 . . . Bh3!
24 . . . Kg6!+
Black wants to see a less flexible

piece on g2 .
The king can take care of himself!

Next, h5 -h4 will follow and the black
queen is free to go wherever she
likes. It could be the f6 square (in
conjunction with e5 -e4), or on the
eighth rank to fight for the open file.
The white queen is now mis
placed.
21. Bf1
Bxg2!
23. Bg3 Be3+
22. Bxg2
h3+
23 ... Bxg3 was simpler, as 24. Bxh3

Qe3+ 25.Khl Qf2 ! 26.hxg3 Ng5
27. Bg2 Kg7 leads to mate.
24. Kf1 hxg2+ 25. Kxg2 (5 26. Nf1

Bd4 27. Kh1 Qh5 28. Rd3 fxe4
29.fxe4 Nxb4 0-1
25. Ng3 h4 26.Ne2 Qf6 2 7. Qc3 e4

28. Qxf6+ Bxf6 29. Nf4 + Kf7
Black won the battle for the open
file and later the game.
30.Rab1 Rg8 31.Ne 6 Ra2 32. Re1

c5 33. Nf4 Rga8 34.g3 Be5
35. Ne2 Rd2 36. Kf1 Raa2 37. b4
b 6 38. bxc5 bxc5 39. Rb7+ Kf6
40.gxh4 f4 41.(3 exf3 42. Nxf4
Rxh2 43. Nh5+ Kg6 44.Nf4 + Kh6
0-1
324

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Martinez - DamJjanovic
Polishchuk - Nesterets
Andorra Open 2008
Myrhorod Open 2010
An appetizer.
2 7. . . Rc1+!!
A nice tactical shot.
28. Kd2
White loses the rook, as the line
28.Rxcl Bb4+ 29.Rc3 Bxc3 mate is
more than convincing!
28 . . . Rxb1 29.Bd3 0-1
How can Black make use of his

active pieces?
21 . . . Nxe4!
The white king is in danger!
22.fxe4 Bxe4+ 23. Kc1 Bh6- +

There is no escape against the
threat . . . e6-e5. Such attacks are very
common in this type of the Samisch,
as the rook and bishops can success
fully operate from far away.
24. Rg1 e5
And black won.
25.g3 Bf3 2 6. Kc2 exf4 2 7. Nxf4

Bxf4 28.gxf4 Rdl
Solutions to the Exercises: Chapter 2
325
19. exf5 Nxf8!

The goal of . . . f7-f5! The second
bishop is effectively in play on the
long diagonal.
20.(60
Not 20.gxf3 Bxf3 ++-.
20 . . . Nxg5!
Weaker is 20 . . . Bh8 2 l .h4!oo as
pointed out by Khalifman and Nesis.
21.fxg7
28. Ke1
Nh8!
22. Nd8
Kxg7
Intending Nf2 .
28 . . . Rd8!+
29.(5 Kg 7 80.fxg6 hxg6 81. h4

Kh6 82. h5 gxh5 88. Rg8 Rxf1
84. Rb8 Be4+ 85. Kd2 Rf6 86. Ke8
Bb1 87. Ra8 Kg5 88. Kd4 h4 89. c5
bxc5+ 40. Kxc5 h8 41.Rh8 Rh6
0-1
The energetic play of Khalifman

allowed him to win back the
pawn and completely tie down the
opponent's forces. He went on to win.
24.Ne5 g5 25. Ng4 h5 26.Ne8 g4!

2 7. Be2 Nf4 28. Rg1 Rd4 29. Bf1
Ng6 80. Be2 Nf4 81. Bf1 Be4
Nearing zugzwang.
82. a8
Or 32.g3 Nd3+ 3 3 . Bxd3 Bxd3 -+.
Exercise 3
Arlandi - Khalifman
Groningen 1985
Demonstrate your compensation !
18 . . . (5!
The game needs to be opened be
fore White consolidates his position!
326
82 . . . e5 88.g8
Rxd8 85. Nd1
8 7. Nd5 e8 0-1
Nd8 + 84. Bxd8

Bf8 86.Ne8 e4
Exercise 4
Kxh5 50. Rh4+ Kg5 51. Rh7 Rc7

52. Bh3 Kf6 53. Kg2 Bd4 54. Bg4
Rc2+ 55. Kf1 Rc7 56. Ke2 Be5
57. Rh3 Rc4 0-1
Exercise 5
Harika - Mamedov
Moscow 2012
How can Black fight against the
opponent's space advantage?
20 . . . Ba4!
Mamedov trades a pair of bishops.
In the arising position with opposite
colored bishops, the black one will be
placed in a dominant position while
its counterpart will be limited by
its own pawns and can only defend
them. The space advantage will
become irrelevant.
21. Qxa4
Dragomarezkij - Kaminski
Warsaw Open 1992
Which
piece
position together?
Correct. It's the knight, and no

matter how strong our black bishop,
it needs to be exchanged.
1 9. exd5 b5!
21 . . . Bxd4+ 22. Kh1 Be5 23. Qd1

Rc3 24. Rb3 Qc7 25. b5 axb5
26. Bxb5 ReB+
20. Rh2 Be5!
Black is clearly better.
White's
1B . . . Bxd5!
2 1 .Qd3? drops a piece to 2 l . . . Bb5.

So does 21.Qd2? Rc2 .
2 7.fxg6
hxg6
2B. Qg4
Kg 7
29. Rxc3 Qxc3 30. a4 Bf6 31. h 3
R c 5 32. Qf3 Qd4 33. Qd3 Qb2
34. Rb1 Qa2 35. Rf1 Rc3 36. Qe2
Rc2 3 7. Qf3 Qb2 3B. Bd3 Rd2
39. Bb5 Qe5 4 0. Qf4 Qxf4 41. Rxf4
Rd4 42.g3 Be5 43. Rg4 Rd2
44. BeB Rf2 45. Kg1 Bd4 46. Kh1
Be3 4 7. h4 Kh6 4B. Bd7 Rc2 49. h5
holds
The white center crumbles.

Also good is 20 . . . Bd4! 2 l . Ne2 Bb2
2 2 . Rbl Ne5+.
21. Rhc2 Bg3+ 22. Kd1 Nb 6+

23. Nh3 bxc4 24. Bxc4 Nxd5
25. Bxd5 Rxd5+ 2 6. Ke2 ReB+
2 7. Kf1 Bxh4 2B. Rc7 Ra5 29. R1c2
Re1+ 30. Kg2 Bxg5 31. Nxg5
Rxg5+ 32. Kf2 Rh1 0-1
32 7
Exercise 6
Be5 28. Kf2 Nd4 29. Bd3 Rac8

30. b4 b6 3l. Bfl Nc2- + 32. Rb3
Bxa4 33. Rxd8+ Rxd8 34. Nxa4
Rd2+ 35. Be2 Rxe2+ 3 6. Kxe2
Nd4 + 3 7. Kd3 Nxb3 38.{4 Bxf4
39. Kc3 Ncl 40. Kc2 Ne2 0-1
Exercise 7
Zaid - Ubilava
USSR 1974
Prove that the white pieces are
clumsy.
16. . . Na5!
With some clever maneuvering,
Black manages to uncoordinate the
opponent's troops.
Dias - Fier
17.Nb4
Curitiba 2010
The passive 17.Ncl allows 17 . . .

Bxc3! 18 .bxc3 B e 6 19.Rb4 Rd H.
17. . . Bd4+
19. Nbd5!?
18. Kd2
Bc5+
A tricky defense. White threatens

b2 -b4 next.
Not 19.Nd3 Nxc4++.
19 . . . Nc 6
And not
2l .cxd5;!;.
19 . . . e6
20.b4
exd5
20. Na4 Bd4+
White is a pawn up and is

seemingly consolidating his position.
Is he?
29. . . Ngxe4 +!!

The king is still in the center, and
once it gets opened the heavy pieces
will quickly approach. Naturally, not
2 9 . . . Nfxe4+ 30. fxe4 Nxe4+ 3 l . Bxe4
Qe5 3 2 . Bf3 , when White defends.
And not 2 9 ... Qh4+? 30.g3 .
White's knights are misplaced

and . . . e7-e6 is a serious threat. Black
takes over the initiative.
3 0. Bxe4
21. Bd3 e6 22. Ndc3 Nb4 23. Rhdl

Bd7+ 24. b3
32.Kf3 Qg5 followed by Ng4-e5+

with a devastating attack) 3 1 . . .Qd4+
24.Ke2 is answered by 24 ... Nxa2 !
24 . . . Be5
Threatening 25 . . . Bxa4+-.
25. Ke2 Bxh2 26. a 3 Nc 6 2 7. Bc2

328
The other recapture does not help:

30.fxe4 Qe5 3 l . g3 (not 31.Ne2 Ng4+
3 2 . Kf3 and the king will not survive

in the open air: 32 . . . Nxe4 3 3 . Bxe4
Qxe4+ 34. Kg4 (or 34.Kf2 Qe3+
35.Kf1 Qf3 + 36.Kg1 Re2 and mate)
34 . . . Rb8 3 5 .Qd7 Rb4 3 6 . Kxh3 Rh8+

37. Kg4 Qe2+ 3 8 . Kg5 Qe5+ 39.Qf5
Qxf5 mate.
80. . . Nxe4 + 81.fxe4 Qe5 82. Rhf1

White's best defense, but still in
sufficient.
If the knight retreats, the second
player will have a pleasant choice on
which side to mate the opponent's king:
32 .Ne2 Qf6+ 33.Ke3 (or 33.Kg3 Rxe4
34.Ra2 Re3+ 35.Kg4 Qf5+ 36.Kh4
RhB#) 33 . . .hxg2 34.Rhgl Rxe4+
35.Kxe4 ReB+ 36.Kd3 Qf3+ 37.Kc4
Qxe2+ 38.Kc3 Re3+ 39.Kd4 Qd3 mate.
82 . . . Qxf4 +
Black has recovered the p awn,
can win another one, and continues
the attack. His p osition is winning.
88. Kg1 Qd2 84.gxh8 RbB 0-1

White resigned or lost on time.
Easier would have been 34 . . . Qd4+
35.Kh l Qxe4+ 3 6 . Kgl Qd4+ 37.Khl
Re2 .
Exercise 8
Black is obviously better, as the

d5 and g4 pawns are weak and can
be targeted. The bishop on d4 domi
nates the board, but the other black
pieces are not as active as they
should be.
Therefore, Amonatov first im
proves the knight and brings it to f6
from where it will target the d5 p awn
and can be further activated via h5,
g4 or e4!
29. Kg2 Nf6 80. a5 Kf7!

The king is also brought to a bet
ter square .
81. Be2 Kg6 82. Bf8 Rxe1 88. Rxe1

ReB 84. Rb1
If 3 4 . Rxe8 then 34 ... Bxe8+ fol
lowed by Be8 -f7 and the p awn on d5
will be lost.
84 . . . Ng4
The threat is Ng4-e3 -c4.
85. Bxg4 fxg4

And now both the bishop and the
king will make use of the f5 square.
Black's advantage has increased and
he later won :
86. Re1 Rxe1 8 7. Bxe1 Bf5 88. Bd2

Bd8 89.Be1 Kf5 40. Bd2 Bc4
41.Kh2 Bb8 42. Kg2 Bf6 48. Kf2
BdB 44.Ne2 Bxd5 45. Bc8 Bc4
46. b4 b6 4 7. axb 6 Bxb 6 48. bxc5
dxc5 49. Ke8 Bxe2 50. Kxe2 c4 0-1
Akhmadeev - Amonatov
Nezhmetdinov Memorial 2007
28 . . . Nh 7!+
329
Exercise 9
2 l . axb4 Rxb4 with a decisive attack.
19 . . . Rxa2 20. Rbl Ra4 21. Rhel

Qd3 22. Redl Qxe4 23. h 3 Rc4
24. Qg3
Rd4
25. Ral
Qxd5
26. Rxd4 Qxd4+ 2 7. Qe3 Qxb2+
0-1
Exercise 10
Demanghon - Perrin
FRA-chT2 2008
Is White as rock solid as he
seems?
13 . . . Bxb5
No, he is not, and Black can win
back his pawn!
14. Bxb5
Better is 14 .Nxb5 Qxd2+ 15.Bxd2
Rxa2+.
14 . . . Nxe41
Sergeev - Klimov
St. Petersburg 2003
A small combination.
Another typical tactical idea to

be remembered! The bishop on g7
is opened with tempo, Black wins a
pawn, and keeps the enemy king in
the center.
When the knight on d4 is eyeing

the c2 square, Black can consider the
idea of giving check on c2 and then
capturing on a3 and c3.
15.fxe4
16. Bxc4
If 15.Nxe4 then 15 . . . Qxb5+ and

not 16. Bxe7? Rfe8 17. Bxd6 f5 -+.
15 . . . Bxc3 16. Qxc3 Qxb5 1 7.Bh6

Ne51 18. Bxf8 KxfB+
White has won the exchange in the
complications, but because his king
has stayed in the center, the immense
activity of the black pieces promises a
jolly time to the second player.
19. Kf2
If 19.Ral then 19 . . . Ra4! and
if 19.a3 then 19 . . . Ra4 20.b4 cxb4
330
15. . . Bxc41
If 16 .0-0 then 16 . . . Rac8+.
16 . . . Nc2+ 1 7. Ke2 Nxa3 18. bxa3

Bxc3
Black has recovered the pawn
and now has the initiative, thanks to
his better bishop and White's pawn
weaknesses on the a-file .
19.Rd3 Bf6 20. Rhdl

Also possible is 20.e5 Be7 2 1 . Rhdl
Nc5
22.Rxd8+
Rxd8
2 3 . Rxd8+
Bxd8 =.
20 . . . Nc5 21. Rxd8+ BxdBI
Black wants to continue the bat

tle, and keeps a pair of rooks . There
is no penetration on the d-file.
22. Kf8 Be7

Eyeing a3 .
23.(5 ReB 24.Bb5

This looks rather useless.
Better was 24.fxe6 fxe6 2 5 . Nf4 .
24 . . . a6 25. Bfl b5 26. Nf4 Bg5

2 7. Rd6 K(B 28. a4
White wants to get rid of his
weakness, but in fact he simply loses
it!
28 . . . Be7 29. R b 6 Bd8 30. Rd6

exf5 31. exf5 Ke 7 32. Rd4 Nxa4
Winning the vital pawn.
33. Nd5+ K(B 34.Bd3 Nb2 35.Be4.

Nc4 36. Nb4 ?
Losing more material.
Better was 3 6 . Ke2 .
36 . . . Bf6 - + 3 7. Rdl Ne5+ 38. Kg3

Rc4 39. Nd5 Bh4+ 4 0. Kf4 (6 0-1
331

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Varlet - Trommsdorf
Metge - Rogers
Auckland 1992
How can Black profit from his

active pieces?
Black played 26 . . . Kg8 -f7 and lat

er won. What did the experienced
Australian GM miss?
21 . . . Ncxe41
Black sees that the white pieces
are stepping on each other's toes,
and wins the game at once.
This is even better than 2 1 . . . Nd3
22. Bxd3 Bxd3 23 .Rdl Nxe4 24. Rxd3
Nxf2 .
22. Bxe4
24. Nfd4
Nxe4
28. Qxe4
Rc4
If 24 .Qd3 then 24 . . . Rcl+! and

Black first wins the queen, 2 5 . Nxcl
Bxd3 26.Nxd3 , and then the knight,
26 . . . e4-+.
24 . . . exd4 25. Qf4 Qxd5 26. Qg5

Qxg5 27. Bxg5 Rc5 28. Rcl Rxg5
0-1
332
26. . . Bc21
Winning at least the exchange.
2 7. Rxd5
No better is 27.Rcl Bxe4+
2 8 . Kxe4 Rxd2 29.Bxd2 Rxd2.
2 7. . . Bxd1+ 0-1
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Verdier - Maier
Trepkl;l - Skrivanek
Tabor 2011
White's initiative is overwhelm

ing. Or is it?
Delay in development is always

dangerous.
25 . . . Rxc5!
14 . . . Nxe4!!
We can just demolish the first

player on the dark squares. White
loses material with tempos.
We need to open the game in our

favor!
26. Qxc5
2B. Khl
Not the best defense.

The lesser evil was 15.Nxe4 f5
16 . Nc5 e4 17.Qc4 exf3--+, although
Black is definitely happy with the
bishop pair and the strong initiative
on the king's flank.
The endgame after 15 .Qxe4 Bf5
16.Qe3 Bxbl 17.Qxb6 axb6 18.Nxbl
Rxa2+ is clearly in Black's favor.
Nxe4
2 7. Qxa5
Bc5+
Or 2 8 . Kfl Nxd2+ 29.Ke2 Nxbl-+.
2B . . . Bxb 6 29. Qa3 Nf2+ 30. Kgl

Ne4 + 31. Khl Nxc3 - + 32. Rel
e4 33. Nc4 Nb5 34. Qb4 Ned6
35. Ne5 Qf6 36.Nc 6 Bf2 3 7. Rfl f4
3B. Racl e3 39. Bdl Qh4 40.Ne5
Nf5 41.g4 fxg3 42. Qxh4 g2+
43. Kxg2 Nxh4+ 44.Khl Bh3 0-1
15. Be3
15. . . Qd8
Here Black could have won with
the energetic 15 . . . Nxc3 ! 16. Bxb6
e4 17.Qe3 exf3 18.Bc5 fxg2 19.Rgl
NxbH.
1 6. Qxe4 '1
One more mistake and it is over.
The last chance was 16 . Nxe4 f5 17.d6
fxe4 18 .Qd5+ Kh8 19.Ng5oo.
16 . . . Bf5 1 7. Qc4 ReB 1B.Bc5

Bxbl 19. Nxbl b6- + 20. 0 - 0 bxc5
21. bxc5 Qa5 22. c 6 Rfd8 23. Nc3
333
Exercise 5
e4 24.Nd4 Bxd4+ 25. Qxd4 Rxc 6

26.Nxe4 Qb6 2 7. Qxb6 Rxb 6
28.g4 f5 29.gxf5 Rxd5 30.(6 Rf5
3I. Rcl Re6 32. Rc8+ Kf7 33. Rc7+
Ke8 34.Nc5 Rexf6 35. Ne4 Re6
36.Nc5 Rei+ 37. Kg2 Re2+ 0-1
Sykora - Sochna
Czechia Team Championships 2011
Drive the e-pawn forward!
16 . . . Bxe4!
It is a pity to part with such a great
piece, but the return on investment is
worth it. The long diagonal is opened
for the other bishop and the e-pawn
advances with great effect!
1 7. Qxe4 Nf6! 18. Qh4

If White tries to make use of the
pin along the e-file with 18 .Qe2 e4
19.0-0 Rae8 20. Rael, it's the white
knight that is suddenly trapped,
after 2 0 . . . Ng4! 2 l .h3 Qd8 2 2 .hxg4
exf3 -+.
18 . . . e4 19.Ng5 e3 20. Bc3 h6

A prettier finish is 2 0 ... Nh5
2 l . Bxg7 Qxb4+! 2 2 . Ke2 Qd2 mate.
2I . Ne6 Nxd51- +
Now Black wins a piece.
22. Qxe 7 Bxc3+ 23. Kdl Nxe7

24. Rcl Bd2 25. Nxf8 Bxcl 26.Ne6
Bd2 2 7. b5 c 6 28. bxc 6 Nxc6
29. Ke2 ReB 30. Nc7 Re4 3I .Nd5
Rxc4 32. Nxe3 Bxe3 33. Kxe3 Rc2
0-1
334
Exercise 6
Poobalasingam - White
Gerard - Hebden
British Championship
Isle of Man 2005
Montpellier Open 2003
In search of. . . overworked pieces .
19
Exercise 7
Nxe4!
One of the greatest features of the

blockading knight is that it not only
defends against the aggression of the
passed pawn, but also attacks from
its ideal position.
20. Qxe4 Bxd5 21. Qb4

Or else the other bishop will suf
fer, after 2 1 .Qel Bxf3 2 2 . Rxf3 Qd4+.
21 . . . Rc4!
Harassing the queen and under
lining the fact that it is overworked.
Premature is 2 1 . . . Bxf3 2 2 . gxf3 .
22. Qa3
Or 2 2 .Qb3 e4 2 3 . Nel Bxa l .
22 . . . Bxf3
The result: Black takes back the
sacrificed piece and emerges with
two pawns ahead.
23. Bb3
If 2 3 .Qxf3 then 23 ... Rxa4 .
23 . . . Qd4 + 24. Kh1 Bxg2+ 25. Kxg2

Qxd2+ 26. Rf2 Rg4+ 2 7. Kf1 Qd3+
28. Re2 Rf4 + 29. Ke1 Qc3+ 0-1
Find a good plan for Black.
18
..
Bf6!
The black-squared bishop is not

doing much at the moment and is to
be transfered to a better diagonal.
The exchange of that piece will
weaken the dark squares in the
opponent's camp and make the black
knights more confident. They will
own the nice c5 and f4 squares.
14.g3
The bishop trade cannot be avoid
ed after 14 .Qe3 Bh4 15.Rfl f6 .
14
..
Bg5 15. d6 ?!
Indeed, White wins the d5 out

post for the knight but a central
pawn is a central pawn!
After the natural 15. Bxg5 Qxg5
16 .Re3 Black has the better chances,
but there is a long battle in progress.
Similar is 16 . Kh2 Nc5 17. Bc2 a5.
15. . . cxd6 1 6. Nd5 Qd8 1 7. Bxg5

Qxg5 18. Kh2 Nc5+ 19. Qe8 ?
This allows a small combination
after which Black will be two pawns
up:
19 . . . Qxg3+!
20. Qxg3
Nxg8- +
335
Exercise 8
21. Rad1
Or 2 1 . Kxg3 Nxd3 .
21 . . . Nh5 22. Be2 Nf4 28. Nxf4

exf4 24. Rxd6 Nxe4 25. Rd4
Rae8 26. Bf1 Ng8 2 7. Rxe8 Rxe8
28. Bd8 Re8 29. c5 Kf8 80. Rd7
Re7 81. Rd8+ Kg7 82. b4 Nh5
88. Kg2 Nf6 84. Kf2 g5 85. Be2 h5
86. Ra8 Ne4+ 8 7. Kf8 Nc8 88. Bf1
Re1 89. Bg2 Nd1 40. Bf1 Rxf1+
41. Ke2 Rh1 0-1
Sofronie - Golubev
Bucharest 2003
What should Black do now?
20 . . . Nc 7!
The knight has nothing to do on
the rim, so Golubev brings it into
play via the square e8!
21. Qb8 Nce8!

Overprotection !
The
excellent
blockading knight on d6 is support
ed, and because the central situation
is stabilized, Black can start advanc
ing the pawns on the king's flank.
22. Nd2 Kh8 28. a4 {5? 24. a5 f4

25. Bc5 g5
A risky and entertaining deci
sion. Black could also have prevented
the knight maneuver by 25 . . . Qd8 !? or
2 5 . . . Qf6!?
26. Nb5 Bxb5 2 7. Bxb5 b 6 28. axb 6

axb 6 29. Bxe8 bxc5 80.Bc6 Rab8
81. Rxc5 g4
It's a sharp and double edged po
sition in which Black proved luckier.
82. Ra5 Bh6 88. Qc8 Rg8 84.Nc4

Nxc4 85. Qxc4 f8 86. Qc5 fxg2+
8 7. Kxg2 Qh4 88.Ra8 Bf4 89.Rh1
Rbf8 40. d6 Rf6 41. Bd7 Be8 0-1
336

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Uksti - Kulaots
Strunsky - Raykhman
Polva Open 2000
German Championship
Net Final UlB 2009
Why was the h-pawn good for

bait?
The game of checkers.
10 . . . Nfxe4!
20 . . . Nd3+!
Because the central pawn is more

valuable, especially considering the
fate ofWhite's black-squared bishop.
At least this is how it looks when

Black helps himself to the opponent's
pieces with each move !
11.fxe4
21. Bxd3 Qxgl+ 22. Kd2 Qxh2- +

23. Qc7 Qf4 + 24. Ke2 Rf7 25. Qxb7
Raf8 2 6. Rc1 Qh2 2 7. Kf2 Rxf3+
28. Kel Qgl+ 29. Kd2 Rf2+ 30. Be2
Rxe2+ 31. Kxe2 Qxc1 32. Qxd7+
Rf7 33. Qxd6 Qxb2+ 34. Ke3
Qd4+ 35. Ke2 Rf2+ 0-1
Or l l . Nxe4 Nxe4 12.fxe4 Qh4+

13.g3 Qxh6+.
11 . . . Qh4+ 12.g3 Qxh6+ 13. Nf3 f5

14. Ng5 f4 1 5. h4 fxg3 1 6. 0- 0 - 0
Rf4 1 7. Bf3 Rxh4 18. b4 Bf6
19. Rxh4 Qxh4 20. Rh1 Qxg5
21. bxc5 Qf4 0-1
33 7
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Zaiatz - Komiagina
Wilder - Gallagher
Russian Women's Championship

Orel 2006
Saint John Open 1988
A typical situation, but it still

works!
ll . . . Ncxe4!
This is this shot! We've seen it
with the hanging rook on bl; here
it works thanks to the fact that the
queen's only retreat will be f3 .
12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.g4
How to make our pieces work?
20 . . . Bf6!
Gallagher first brings the bishop
into play and equalizes.
21.g5 Bd8 22. Ng4 Bb6 23. h5

Bxg4 24.fxg4 Bd4 = 25. Rabl
Rab8 2 6. b4 axb3 2 7. Rxb3 Ra8
28. Bxb5 Rxa2 29. Bc6 gxh5
30.gxh5 Nc 7 31. Rhbl Na6
White loses the rook after 13.Qxe4

Bf5 14 .Qf3 e4 15.Qf4 Bxal.
13 ... cxd5 14. cxd5 Nf6 - +

Black has a hefty extra pawn and
a won position.
15. Qdl Qd7 16.g5 hxg5 1 7. Bxg5

Qf5 18. Rcl Qe4 19. Rh2 Qxd5
20. Qxd5 Nxd5
21. h 5 gxh5
22. Bxh5 ReB 23. Ne2 Be6 24. a3
Rac8 25. Rdl Rc2 26.Ng3 Nf4
27. Bf3 d5 28. Kfl Rc3 29. Bhl
Bg4 30. Rel Nd3 31. Rbl e4
32.Nh5 Bxh5 33. Rxh5 Re5 0-1
And later manages to outplay his

opponent.
32.Kel Nc5 33. Rb8 Rxb8 34.Rxb8+

338
Kg 7 85. Bb5 Rb2 86. Bc1 Rb1

87. Kd2 Nxe4+ 88. Kc2 Rxc1+
89. Kxc1 Nxg5 40. Bd8 e4 41. Bc2
f5 42. Kd2 Bc5 48. Ke2 f4 44. Bxe4
Nxe4 45. Kf8 Nf6 46. Kxf4 Kh 6
47. Kf5
Nxd5
48. Rb7
Ne8+
49. Ke4 . Nf1 50. Kf4 Bd4 51. Kg4
Be5 52. Rb8 Ng8 58. Re8 Kg 7
54. Kg5 h6+ 55. Kg4 Kf6 56. Rb8
Ne4 57. Rb4 Ng5 58. Rb8 Ne 6
59. Rb5 Bf4 60. Rf5+ Ke 7 61. Ra5
Bg5 62. Kf5 Kf7 68. Ra7+ Be7
64. Ra1 Ng 7+ 65. Kg4 Bf6 66. Re1
Be5 67. Rf1+ Ke6 68. Rf8 Bf6
69. Ra8 Bg5 70. Rf8 d5 71. Rg8
Nf5 72. Re8+ Ne 7 78. Kf8 Kf5
74. Rh8 d4 75. Rf8+ Bf6 76. Rd8
Nc 6 77. Rd6 Ne5+ 78. Ke2 Ng4
79. Kf8 Kg5 80. Re6 Kxh5 81. Re4
Ne5+ 82. Kf4 Nf7 0-1
Exercise 5
15. Ncxe4 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 f5 1 7.f8

If 17.Nd2 g5 18.Bg3 , Black will
recover the piece in the most conve
nient way: 18 . . . e4! (avoiding 18 . . . {4
19.Ne4) 19.Qbl f4 20.Nxe4 Bf5+.
And if 17. Nc3 g5 18.Bg3 , again it's
18 . . . e4 19.h3 f4 20.Bh2 Qe5 2 l . Kd2
e3+ crushing through.
The most stubborn defense was
probably 17.0-0 fxe4 18 .c5+.
17. . . fxe4 18.fxe4 Rf4+

Black not only wins a pawn but
keeps the enemy king in the center.
19. Bf2 Rxe4 20. h8 b5 21. Qa5

bxc4 22. Qxc 7 Bf8 28. Kd2 Qa4
24. Qa5 Qb8 0-1
Walkusz - Dlugosz
Gdansk Championships 2005
White has just started queenside
action. Prove that it's premature!
12 . . . axb4 18. axb4 Rxa1 14. Qxa1

Ncxe4!
No need to retreat!
339
Exercise 6
Exercise 7
Mohr - Uhlmann
Bagirov - Khismatullin
Bundesliga 1994
Moscow Open 2008
17. . . g5!
Breaking open the position for
the black-squared bishop !
18.Ne5
Or 18.fxg5 Nxg5 19.Qc3 a5! with
hits on black squares all over the
board!
18 . . . gxf4 19. c6
White loses material after 19.gxf4
Nxf4 20.Rxf4 Qg5+.
19 . . . bxc 6
Even better was 19 . . . Ng5 ! 2 0 . Rxf4
Nh3+ 2 l . Kfl bxc6 2 2 . Nxc6 Bxf4
23.gxf4 Qh4-+.
20. Rxc 6 Qg5+ 21.Nxf7 Kxf7

22.Nd6+ Ke 7 28. Nxe4 fxe4
24. b5 f8 25. Qb4+ Kf7 26. Qd6
RaeB 27. Bxf8 KgB 28. Bg2 Qe8+
29. Kh1 Rxf1+ 80. Bxf1 Qf8+ 0-1
340
The stability of the white center

is deceptive . Prove it!
16 . . . Nxf4! 1 7. Rxf4 g5
Not bad, but Black could have
achieved even more with 17 . . . f6 ! 18.e6
(or 18. exf6 e5!) 18 ... Bxf4+ 19. Kxf4
g5++.
18. Kf2 gxh4!

Note that Khismatullin is more
interested in the bishop than the
rook!
Less clear is 18 . . . gxf4 19.cxb5
cxb5 20. Bf3 Rb8 2 l . Bxe7oo.
19. Rxh4
21. Bd8 ?!
Bg7
20. cxb5
RbB
Necessary was 2 l .bxc6.
21 . . . Bxe5 22. Bxh 7+ Kg 7 28. Be4

cxb5+ 24. Rd1 e6 25. Rg4 + Kf6
26. Bf8 b4 2 7. Na4 b8 28. a 8 Ke7
29. Rd2 f5 80. Rc4 RdB 81. Rxd8
KxdB 82. Bd1 Bd7 88. Nc8 Ke 7
84. h4 a5 85. Ke8 Bg 7 86. Bf8 e5
8 7.g4 e4 88. Bd1 fxg4 89. Rxe4 +
Kd6 40. Rc4 g8 41.Ne4+ Ke 7
42. Nc8 Bxc8 48. Rxc8 RgB 0-1
Exercise 8
Exercise 9
Seirawan - Gelfand
Vegh - rum Georgiev
Tilburg 1990
Berlin Open 1988
How to negate White's activity?
20 . . . Ne4!
How to address pur problems on

the king's flank?
Gelfand enters a complicated line

which will allow him to trade off
White's most active pieces.
12 . . . h5!
21. Qe3
13. h4 RhB! 14. Nh3
Not 2 1 . Nxe4 Qxa 2 .
21 ... Nxc3! 22. Bxb3 Bd4! 23. Qxd4

Ne2+ 24. Kf2 Nxd4+
The queens are off the board and
Black's extra pawn becomes more
valuable.
25. Ba4 Rb6 26.Re1 Kf8 2 7. Re4

Nb3 28. Bxb3 Rxb3 29. Re3 Rxe3
30. Kxe3 a6 31.c5 d5 32. Ra4
e6 33.(6 e5 34. h3 d4+ 35. Ke4
Be6 36. Rxa6 Bd5+ 3 7. Kd3 Bg2
38. Bg3 Bf1+ 0-1
Krum
Georgiev
performs
sophisticated prophilaxis.
Or 14 .g5 Nfd7 15.Kbl Nb6.
14 . . . hxg4
15. Ng5+
KgB!
1 6. Rdg1
gxf3
1 7. Bxf3 Bd7
18.Ne2 Qe7 19. Ng3 Ng4 20. Bxc5
dxc5 21.Nf1 Nf6 22. h5 Nxh5
23. Bxh5 Rxh5 24. Rxh5 gxh5
25. Ne3 Ra6 26. Qh2 Rg6 2 7. Nf3
Qf6 0-1
341
Exercise 10
29. Qg2
This loses instantly.
A human would not think of
bringing the queen to the tiny little
spot 2 9.Qh4 , but this was White's
best chance. Nevertheless , Black is
extremely active and despite the rook
down has great chances of a success
ful end of his attack after 2 9 . . . e4+ (or
29. . .g5 30.Bxg5 Qxg5 31. Qxg5 hxg5)

30.Kd2 Qe8 ! ! 3 1 . Bxb6? (31. Bf4 is best
and it will be good for you to analyse
the position after 31. . . Qb5) 3 1 . . .Qb5
32 .Be3 Qd3+ 3 3 . Kcl Qc3+ 34. Bc2
Ra8:
Silman Brooks
-
Software Toolworks Open

Pittsburgh 1988
Inspiration is needed.
26. . . Rxc3!
The start of a wonderful attack.
There is also the positional solution,
26 . . . Qc7 followed by Nb6-c4 with the
advantage, but the move in the game
is flashier!
27. Kxc3
Worse is 27.Qxc3 Nxe4 28 .Qc2
Nxg3 -+.
27. . . Nxe4+!! 28. Qxe4 Bf5
and mate is inevitable!
29. . . Qc7+ 30.Bc5

White is completely helpless after
30.Kd2 Nc4+ 3 1 . Bxc4 Qxc4-+.
Or 30.Kb2 Nc4+ 3 1 . Bxc4 Qxc4
32 .Qd2 Ra8 3 3 . Ral e4+ forcing mate.
30 . . . dxc5 31. b5 Na4+ 32. Bxa4

Qa5+ 33. Kb3 0-1
It's a mate: 33 . . . Qb4+ 34.Ka2
Qxa4+ 3 5 . Kb2 Qb4+ 3 6 . Kcl Qc3+
37.Qc2 Qxc2#.
342

Exercise 2
Exercise 1
Miroiu
Nikcevic - Tkachiev
White's position seems rock-solid.
27. . . Bxg4!
But it's not!
Unfortunately for White, he can
not capture the intruder: 28.fxg4
Nd3 ! 29.Bxd3 Qf3+ 30.Kh2 Bf4+
3 1 . Kgl Qxg4+ 3 2 . Kfl Qxd l+ 3 3 . Kg2
Qg4+ 34.Kfl Bg3 -+.
One more deflection. White re
signed due to 29. Qd3 Ncl .
Georgescu
White has just defended his h3

pawn with Kgl-h2 .
1 6. . . Nxh3!
28. Qc3
28. . . Na21 0-1
ROM-ch U16 2007
Cannes 1996
But this was not the wisest deci

sion, since it can be still taken!
1 7. b4
Not 17.gxh3
17.Kxh3?? Nd4+.
Qxf3+
and
not
1 7. . . Nhg5 18. Nxg5 Nxg5

Black keeps a hefty extra pawn.
19. b5 Ne6 2 0. Kg1 ReB 21. bxc6

bxc6 22. Qa4 Nd4 23. Nd5 Qd8
24. Nb4 Bg4 25. Rd2 Bd7 26. c5
Qe7 2 7. Rc1 Qh4 28. Nc2 Qxe4
29. Nxd4 exd4 30. Bxd4 Bh6
31. Re2 Qh4 32. Rce1 Bg7 33. Rd1
Rxe2 34. Bxe2 ReS 35. Bf1 Be5
36.g3 Bxg3 3 7. Bg2 Bxf2+ 38. Kf1
Bxd4 39. Qxd4 Re1+ 0-1
343
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Kostic - Riemersma
Apecheche - Espinosa Veloz
Caorle 1989
Havana 2007
White thought he was winning a

piece. Prove him wrong!
How to make use of the weakened

dark squares?
19. . . Ng3+11
20.fxg3
21. Qxd3 e4 22. Bxe4
13 . . . Nd7! 14. Rcl Ne5! 15. Bfl

Qe7 1 6. Nxe5 Bxe5 1 7. Bg2 Kg7!
18. Rc2 RhBI+
Bxd3
Similar is 2 2 .Qxe4 Qxe4 2 3 . Bxe4

Rae8-+.
22. . . Rae8 23. Rxf8+ KxfB 0-1
The h-file is to be opened for the

heavy pieces . Black is strategically
winning.
19. Qd3 h5 20.(3 Bd7 21. Kfl

Qh4 22. Rf2 Ra(B 23. Ke2 c5
24. dxc 6 bxc6 25. Kfl Be6 2 6. b3
c5 2 7. Nb5 a6 28.Nc 7 Bd4
29. Rd2 Qg3 30. Qe2 hxg4 31.fxg4
Rxh3 32. Rxd4 cxd4 33. Qd2 (3
34. Qxd4+ KgB 35. Bxh3 Bxg4 0-1
344
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Robatsch - Timoscenko
Vokoun - Juptner
Mitropa Cup 1995

23 . . . Rxc3+1
This is not even a sacrifice, as
Black at once gets two pawns for the
exchange.
24. Kxc3 fxg3 25. Bg2

Better than 25.fxg3 Rxf3+.
25. . . gxf2 26. Bg5

Not 2 6 . Rfl Ng3 27. Rxf2 Nxe4+.
26. . . Ng3 2 7.Be7 Rf7 28.Bd6

Nxe4 + - + 29. Kb3 Be6+ 30. Kb2
Nxd6 31. cxd6 e4+ 0-1
. CZE-chT1 W 2012
White wants to castle long.
1 6. . . Rf4!
This typical exchange sacrifice
welcomes the king to the queen's
flank. There is no safe heaven on
earth for the white monarch now.
1 7. Bxf4
This leads to disaster, but White
did not have much choice.
If 17.0-0-0 Black can insist:
17 . . . Rd4! 18.Qel (The queen is lost
after 18.Bxd4 exd4 19.Nb1 Bh6!) and
now 18 . . . a4+ with overwhelming po
sition, or the pretty line 18 . . . Rxc4
19. Bxc4 Qxc4 20.Rgl Qxa2 ! ! 2 l . Nxa2
Nb3 mate.
17. . . exf4 18.Nfl

Nd3+ 20. Kdl
f3!
Even worse
2 l . Kdl Qxf3+.
20.Ke2
is
19. Bxf3
Qxf2+
20. . . Nxf2+ 21. Ke2 Bd3+
345
Exercise 7
Black later won:
22. Qxd3 Nxd3 23. Kxd3 Qd4+

24. Kc2 a4 25. a3 Qxc4 26. Nd2
Qd4 27.Nde4 Nf6 28. Nxf6+
Bxf6 29. Raf1 Qc4 30. Bg4 Qb3+
31. Kd3 Bg7 32. Rh2 c5 33. Rg2
c4+ 34. Ke4 Qb6 35. Be6+ Kh8
36. Rf4
Qd4+
3 7. Kf3
Qd3+
38. Kg4 Be5 39. Rf5 b5 40. h4 b4
41. axb4 a3 42. Rf3 h5+ 0-1
Todorovic - Dujkovic
SCG-chT 2006
The king's in the center.
13 . . . (4!
And it's quite disturbed after:
14.gxf4 exf4 15. Bxf4 Ne4! 1 6. Be3

Better is 16 . Ndxe4 Rxf4 17.Qc2
Bf5 18.f3 Nc5t.
16 . . . Nxc3 1 7. bxc3 Bf5t

Also possible are 17. . . Nc5!? and
17. . . Bxc3!?.
18. Rg1 Nc5 19. Nf3 Bg6 20. Nd4

Qe5 21. Rg2 Rae8 22. Rc1 Qe4
23. Nf3 Qf5 24. Rg4 Qd7 25. Nd4
Qf7 26. Rg2 Rxe3 2 7.fxe3 Qe7
28. Rxg6 hxg6 29. Ne6 Ne4 30. Qc2
Bxc3+ 31. Qxc3 Qh4+ 32. Kd1
Nxc3+ 33. Rxc3 Rf2 34. Nxc 7
Qf6 35. Nb5 Rh2 36. Nd4 Rxh3
3 7. Kd2 Qf2 38.a4 b6 39. a5 g5
40. axb 6 axb 6 41. Ra3 g4 42. Ne6
Rh2 43.Ra8+ Kh7 44. Nf4 g3
45. Kc3 Qe1+ 46. Kd4 Rxe2 0-1
346
Exercise 8
Exercise 9
Arnaudov - Novikov
Sahu - Miles
EU-ch 2008
Kolkata 1995
A standard idea . . .
Everything seems OK for White.
1 6 . . . Nf4!
20. . . g4!
is to bring the knight into the

center without fearing the g3 pawn!
But then Miles blows open the

lines!
1 7.gxf4
21. hxg4 hxg4 22. Nxg4
17.Bxf4 exf4 18.0-0-0 Rae8 is

also big advantage for Black.
Even worse is 2 2 . Bxg4 Nxg4

2 3 . Nxg4 Qh4 24.f3 Bxg4 25.fxg4 f3 -+.
17. . . exf4 18. 0 - 0 - 0
22 . . . {3!!
than
Better
19. Ndxe4 Qxf4+.
18. Bxf4
Bxe4
18 . . . fxe3 19. Qxe3

19.fxe3 was probably the most re
silient, with a good choice for Black
after 19 . . . Bxe4 (or 19. . . Rae8 20.Rhfl
Bxc3) 20.Ndxe4 Qf3+.
19. . . Rae8 20.f3

Qf2! 22. Qxf2
Bxe4
21.fxe4
Better was 2 2 . Rhel Bd4 2 3 . Qxf2

Rxf2+.
22 . . . Nd3+ 23. Kc2 Nxf2 24. Rh2

0-1
The number of pawns is irrele

vant. The number of open files and
diagonals is what counts!
23. Bxf3
The only move was 2 3 . Nxf6+,
when Miles most probably would
have continued the attack with
23 . . . Raxf6 2 4 . Bxf3 Rxf3 2 5 . gxf3
Qg5+ 2 6 . Kfl Bh3+ 27.Ke2 Rxf3
2 8 . Rgl Qf4-+.
23 . . . Nxg4 24. Bxg4 Qh4! 25. Bf5

Not 2 5 . Bxc8? Qxf2+ 2 6 . Kh l Rxc8
and mate is threatened on the h-file.
25 . . . Rh6
Black h a s a decisive attack.
26.{3 Bxf5 2 7. exf5 e4 28. Rxe4

Bd4+ 29. Rxd4 cxd4 30. Ne4 Rxf5
31. Qe1 Qh2+ 32. Kf2 Rg6 33. Qf1
Rg4 34.Nd2 Qf4 35. Qe2 Re5
36. Ne4 Rxe4 0-1
34 7
Exercise 10
Wolf - Kleinwaechter
GER-chT 1999
How to increase Black's activity?
15 . . . Ne8!
First, the knight heads for the
fabulous d6 square.
16. Qf3 Bf6!+

Then the bishop is activated on
the cl-h6 diagonal.
1 7. 0 - 0 - 0 Kg7
Black holds all the cards.
Also possible are 17 ... Ra6 18.Kbl
Bg5 19. Bc2 Nd6+ and 1 7 . . . Bg5+ .
18. Kb1 Ra6 19. Qg2 Bg5 20. Nf3

Bf4 21. h4 Rb6 22. Ka2 Nd6
23. b3 Ra6 24.Nd2 Raa8 25. Nf1
Rh8 26.Ne3 RagS 2 7. Nc2 Kf8
28.(3 Ke8 29. Qf2 b 6 30. Ne2
Kd8 31. Nxf4 exf4 32. Qd2 Qe5
33.Ne1 (5 34. exf5 gxf5 35.gxf5
Bxf5 36. Bxf5 Qxf5 3 7. Nd3 Rg3
38. Qxf4 Rxf3 39. Qxf5 Nxf5
40. Rh2 ReB 41.Rdd2
Ree3
42.Nc1 Nd4 43. Rb2 h5 44.Rhg2
Re1 45. Ne2 Rff1 46. Rd2 Ra1+
47. Kb2 Rfb1 + 0-1
348

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Aronian - Marjanovic
Szabolcsi - Lorscheid
Bucharest 1999
Budapest 2007
Future GMs also need to learn.

Aronian has just played 15.a2 -a3?
Something is rotten in the state

of Denmark!
15 . . . Nxe4!
1 7. . . Nxb2!
The main trick in this line !
16. Bd4
The knight can't be taken:
16 . Nxe4 Qxe l ! 17.Qxel Nf3+ 18.Kg2
Nxel+ 19.Rxel Rxe4-+.
And not 16.b4 Nxc3.
1 6. . . Ng5 1 7. Kg2 1 7. . . Nef3! 0-1

Aronian resigned due to 18.Rxe6
Qf5 19.Re3 Qxh3 mate.
And it's the long diagonal, Shake

speare !
18. Rxb2 Rxc3! 1 9. Bxc3 Bxc3

Black has won a pawn.
20. Rabl Bxb2 21. Rxb2 ReB 22.{4

Rc3 23. Nd2 Nc5 24.Nbl Rcl+
25. Kf2 Bf5 26.Nd2 Rc3 2 7. Ra2
Kf8 28. Bf3 h5 29. Kel Ke8
30. Kdl Bd7 31. Nbl Rb3 32. Nd2
Ba4 33. Nxb3 Bxb3+ 34. Rc2 Kd8
35. Kd2 Bxc2 36. Kxc2 Kc 7 3 7. Kc3
b5 38.e3 Kb 6 39.Bdl Ne4+
40. Kd4 Nf2 41. Bc2 {5 42. h3 a5
43.e4 Nxe4 44. Bxe4 fxe4 45.g4
hxg4 46. hxg4 b4 4 7. axb4 a4
48.{5 g5 0-1
349
Exercise 4
Exercise 3
Ursie
Palleja - Rahal
Sulava
Barcelona 1995
Nova Gorica 1997

Trap something!
19 . . . Nxf2/
Black is attacking the king, but . . .
20. Kxf2 Bf5/ 0-1

it's easier to do so with an extra
queen!
A typical trick.
18 . . . Bxh3/
which chops a pawn. The f3
square is always vulnerable in these
Fianchetto lines!
19. Bg5
Parting with the queen is no good:
19. Bxh3?? Nf3+.
And 19.f4 Bxg2 20.fxe5 sees Black
escaping with both pieces in one go:
20 . . . Nxe4!-+.
19. . . Bxg2 20. Kxg2
It seems as if White has compen350
Exercise 5
sation, thanks to the d5 outpost for

the knight, but the following shot
clarifies the situation:
20. . . Nf3!
The dangerous bishop
changed off and Black wins.
is
ex
21. Qf4
The
knight
is
untouchable:
2 l . Kxf3 Nxe4 2 2 . Bxe7 (not 22.Nxe4
Qxe4 mate) 22 . . . Nxd2+ 2 3 . Ke2
Bxc3-+.
21 . . . Nxg5 22. Qxg5 h6+ 23. Qh4

Nd7 24. Qxe 7 Rxe7 25. Ne3 Bxc3
26. Rxc3
Rxe4
2 7. Rd1
Rd4
28. Rcd3 Rxd8 29. Rxd3 Kf8
80. Rxd6 Ke 7 31. Rd2 Nf6 32. Re2
Kd7 33. Rd2+ Ke 7 34. R e2 Kd7
85. Rd2+ Kc6 36. Rd8 b5 3 7. Rd1
ReB 88. Kf1 h5 39. Rd3 Ng4
40.Nxg4 hxg4 41.{8 gxf3 42. Rxf3
f5 48.g4 Re5 44.a4 bxa4 45. bxa4
Kb 6 46.Rd8 fxg4 4 7. Rd6+ Ka5
48. Rc6 Rg5 49. Kg1 g3 50. Kg2
Kxa4 51. R b 6 Rg4 52. Rxa6+ Kb4
53. Ra8 Rxc4 54. Kxg3 Re4 0-1
Wheeler - Zilberstein
.
USA ICC 2006
Target the king!
18 . . . Ng4!
The kingside is so weak that
Black can sacrifice his knight to
bring his forces closer to White's
most precious piece.
19. Be3
Strategical resignation.
However, the attack is devas
tating after 19.hxg4 Qxf2+ 20.Khl
Qxg3 , and the good thing is that it is
for free, since Black can always get a
third pawn in the process.
Now 2 l . Re3? falls to 2 1 . . . Qh4+
22.Kgl (not 22.Kg2 Rf2 + 23.Kgl Qh2
mate) 22 . . . Be5-+
Best is 2 l . Re2 Bxc3! 22 .bxc3 Qxg4
23 .Qgl Qf3+ 24.Qg2 (if 24.Rg2 then
24 . . . Qxe4) 24 . . . Qh5+ 2 5 . Kgl Qc5+-+.
19 . . . Nxe3 20.fxe3 Be5- +

With the bishop pair and White's
crumpled king's flank, Black's task is
pure pleasure.
21. Kg2 Rf6 22. Qe2 Raf8 23. Rf1

Rxf1 24. Rxf1 Rxf1 25. Kxf1 Bxg3
26. Kg2 Be5 2 7.Bb3 Qd8 28. Qg4
Kg7 29. Kf3 Qf6+ 30. Ke2 Bxc3
31. bxc3 Qxc3 32. Bxe6 h5 0-1
351
Exercise 6
Exercise 7
Schaefer - Lechtynsky
Holeman - Acher
Litomysl 1997
FRA-chJM3, Rochefort 1998
How will you finish the game?
Somewhat of a surprise . . .
14 . . . Qa511
13 . . . Nc5!
The ability to see the whole board

is a sign of great class. Black sud
denly switches to the queen's flank
to force the bishop to occupy a bad
square.
Black trades off a pair of knights

and spoils his pawn structure. How
ever, he correctly notices that the c4
pawn will almost inevitably fall.
15. Bxd6
Holeman decided to give up the

h3 pawn instead.
White cannot save the c4 pawn:
15.Ne2 Be6 16. Racl (not 16. Qxb7
If 15.Bb2 then 15 . . . d3! 16.Qxd3

Bxb2-+.
15. . . Rfd8!
The bishop is frozen due to the
major threat of . . . d4-d3 , and Black
wins material.
16.e5
Or 16.b4 Qa3 17.e5 d3 18.Qcl
Qxcl 19.Nxcl d2 20.Nxd2 Rxd6
21 .exd6 Bxal-+.
16. . . d3 1 7. b4
If 17.Qxd3 then 17 . . . Nxe5 18.Qdl
Nxf3+ 19. Bxf3 Bxal-+.
17. . . Nxb4 18. Bxb4 Qxb4 19. Qc3

Qc5 20. Ned4 Nxe5 0-1
352
14. Nxc5 dxc5 15. Nf3
Bxc4 17.Rfe1 RabB 18. Qe7 RfeB

19. Qh4 Rxb2-+) 16 . . . Nxc4 17. Rxc4 b5!
Probably best is 15.Nc2 , but

Black's position is overwhelming
after 15 . . . Be6 16 . Na3 Qb4! 17.Racl
Rad8+.
15. . . Nxf3+ 1 6. Bxf3 Bxh3+

Black emerges with a clear extra
pawn.
1 7. Rfdl
Not 17.Qxb7 Bxfl .
1 7. . . Qb6 18. Rd2 Be6 19. Radl

Rfe8 20. Qc2 a5 21. Qb3 Qb4
22. Qxb4 cxb4 23. Be2 h5 24. Bb6
Bf6 25.(4 a4 26. a3 bxa3 2 7. bxa3
Be7 28. c5 Bb3 29. Rel BdB 30. Bfl
Bxb 6 31. cxb 6 Rad8 32. Ree2
Exercise 9
Bc4 33. Rf2 Bxf1 34. Kxf1 Rxd2

35. Rxd2
Rxe4
36. Kf2
Rc4
37. Rd3 Rc2+ 38. Kf3 Rb2 39. Rd4
Rxb6 40. Rxa4 Rb3+ 41.Kg2 Kg7
42. Ra5 Kf6 43. a4 Ra3 44. Ra7
Rb3 45. Ra5 b 6 46. Re5 Ra3
47. Re4 c5 48. Kf2 Rb3 49. Re8
Rb4 50. Ra8 Kf5 51. R a 7 f6 52. a5
bxa5 53. Rxa5 Rc4 54. R a 6 Rc2+
55. Ke3 Rc3+ 56. Kf2 c4 57. R c 6 g5
58.fxg5 fxg5 59. Rc8 Kg4 60. Rg8
Rf3+ 61. Ke2 Rxg3 0-1
Exercise 8
Lucea - Arias Boo
Barcelona 2001
Decoy the king!
1 7. . . Nxg3!
The king is brought out into the
open air and various knight forks
start to appear.
18. Kxg3 exf4+ 19.Kh2

The bishop is captured after
19. Bxf4 Nh5+ 2 0 . Kh2 Nxf4 .
I love the line 19.Kxf4 Nh5+
2 0 . Kg5 Qd8 mate.
Hoffmann - Movsesian
EU- Cup, Ohrid 2009
19. . . fxe3 20. Rxe3 f4 21. Re2

Nd7- + 22. Bh1 Ne5 23. Nxe5 Bxe5
24. Bf3 Qd8 25. Rg2 Qh4 26. Qf2
Qxh3+ 0-1
Unleash the power of your pieces!
28 . . . Rxe2!
All of them get in the game, and
White resigned after:
29. Rxe2
No different is 29.Qxe2 Nf4 .
29. . . Nf4 0-1

The lines 3 0 . Bfl Nxe2+ 31.Qxe2
Ne4-+ and 30. Bxb7 Qxb7 ! 3 1 . Be3
Nxe2+ 3 2 .Qxe2 Ne4 3 3 . Na5 Qb8
34.Rcl Qg3+-+ are more than con
vincing.
353
Exercise 10
This
Black.
Zats - Bonin
USA-AmChT, Parsippany 2001
Black's position looks cramped.
14 . . . Nb5!
But appearances are deceptive,
since the black pieces can easily
reach the opponent's camp. First of
all, the defender on c3 is traded.
15.Nxb5 Rxcl 16. Qxcl

Probably a better chance
16 .Bxcl Bxb5 17.Nd4 Bc4+.
is
16. . . Bxb5 1 7.Nd4 ReB

The c-file is occupied.
18. Qd2 Bc4!

And the d5 weaknesses is hit to
allow Black time to firmly seize con
trol over the open file.
19.Nc2 Qc7 20. Rcl ?!
354
makes
things
easier
for
20 . . . Bb3+ 21. Bg5 Bxc2 22. Bxf6

Bxf6 23. Be4 Bxe4 24. Rxc7 Rxc 7
25.(3 Rc2 26. Qdl Ra2 2 7. Kg2
Bc2 28. Qcl Bd3 29. Qc8+ Kg7
30. Qxb 7 Rxe2+ 31. Khl Bd4
32. a4 Rel+ 33. Kg2 Bfl+ 34. Kh2
Re2+ 35. Khl Bg2+ 0-1
Index of Variations
l. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6. Be2 e5 7. 0- 0
exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9. (3 c6
10.Kh1 Nbd7 l l . Bg5 Qb6 1 2 . Nb3 a 5 13 .Qd2 a 4 14 .Be3 Qd8 !

1 3 . Na4 Qb4 14 . Nd4? Nc5 !
14 . Ncl d5!
14 . Nc1 Nc5
13.Qxd6? a4
1 2 . Na4
19
26
26
26
26
18
l l . Bf4 Nh5 ! 1 2 . Bxd6 Qf6 ! 1 3 . Nc2 Nf4 14 . Bxf4 Qxf4

14 . Rf2 Nxe2
14 .c5 Nxc5!
1 3 . Nb3 Nf4 !
1 2 . Be3?!
33
33
33
32
32
1 l . Nc2 Nb6 1 2 . Bg5 h6! 1 3 . Bh4 Be6

1 2 . Bg5 Be6 13 .b3 ! h6 14 .Be3 d5?!
1 3 . Ne3 h6 14 . Bh4 g5
36
38
38
35
35
1 2 . Bf4 Be6
1 2 .Be3
Index of Variations
355
10.Kh1 Nbd7 1 l . Be3 a6 1 2 . Nc2 Ne5 13.f4 Neg4 14 . Bg1

13 .Qd2 Be6
2 . Nc2 Qc7
12 .Qd2 d5!
1 2 . Bg1
l l . Be3 d5?!
1 l .Be3 Nh5
1 l .Be3 Nb6 ! ?
l l . Nb3 a5
43
43
43
42
42
40
40
41
39
10.Nc2 Na6 ! l l . Be3 d5! 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.exd5 Nb4!

13.exd5 Bf5
13 .Qd2 dxe4
1 3 . Bf2 dxe4
13.Bb5 Bd7
51
51
51
51
51
10.Nc2 Na6 ! 1 l . Bf4 d5

l l . Kh1 Nc7 !
49
50
10 .Be3 d5! ll.cxd5 Nxd5! 1 2 . Nxd5 cxd5 13.Rc1 Nc6 !

13.Rc1 a6?!
1 3 . Bb5 Bd7 14 .Qb3
13.Qb3 Nc6
ll.cxd5 cxd5 12 .Qb3
56
57
55
55
55
10.Nb3 a5! 1 l . a4 Be6 1 2 . Be3 Na6 13 .Qd2 Nb4

1 l . Na4 c5!?
59
58
10. Bg5 Qb6 1 l . Na4 Qa5 12 .Bd2

ll.Be3 Qxb2 1 2 . Na4 Qa3 13.Bc1 Qb4 14 . Bd2 Qa3
58
58
356
Index of Variations

l. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5.Nf3 0- 0 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3
exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9. {3 c6
10.Qd2 d 5 ! l l .exd5 cxd5 1 2 . 0 - 0 Nc6 :

1 3 . c 5 Q a 5 14 . Bf2 Nxd4 15. Bxd4 Qb4 16. Rfd 1 ! Bd7
16. Rad 1 Bd7
14 . Bf2 Qxc5?
14 . Bf2 a6!?
13.c5 Rxe3!? 14 .Qxe3 Qf8! 15.Ncb5 Qxc5
15.Nxc6 bxc6
1 3 . Rad1 Nxd4 14. Bxd4 dxc4 1 5 . Bxc4
1 3 . Rad1 dxc4 14 . Nxc6 Qxd2
10.Qd2 d5! 1 l .exd5 cxd5 12 .c5 Qe7 !
12.c5 Nc6
10.Bf2 d5! 1l.exd5 cxd5 1 2 . 0 - 0 Nc6:
13.c5 Re5 ! ? 14. Bb5 Bd7 15.Qa4 ReS ! ? 16. Rfe1 Rxe1+
16.Rad1 a6 ! ?
16. Rad 1 Nh5
15.Qa4 Qc8
14 .Qa4 Bd7
14 .Re1 Qf8
14 .Re1 Bd7
13.c5 Nh5 14 .Qd2 Be5 15 .g3 Ng7 16. Rfe1 Ne6
16.Rfd1 Ne6
16. Rfd1 Be6
1 3 . Nxc6 bxc6 14.Re1 Be6
10.0-0 d5 l l . cxd5 Nxd5!
72
72
71
71
70
70
69
69
68
69
83
83
83
83
78
78
80
75
75
75
74
68
Index of Variations
357

l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5.Nf3 0- 0 6. Be2 e5 7. dxe5
dxe5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8
9. Bg5 Na6 !? 10.Nd5 Rd6 1 1 . Nd2 c6 ! :

12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13.Be3! Bd8?! 14 .0-0-0
M!
13.Be3! Nc7
12.Ne7+ Kf8
9. Bg5 Na6 !? 10.Nd5 Rd6 l l . Bxf6 Bxf6 12 .Rcl
1 2 .0 - 0 - 0 Bg4!
12 .b4 c6!
12 .b4 Bg4
1 2 . Nxf6+! Rxf6 13.Nxe5 Re6
10.Nd5 Nxd5 !? 1 1 .cxd5 f6
10 .Nxe5
l l . Bxd8 Nf4
9.Nxe5 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Bxe5 l l . Bg5 Re8

9.Nd5
358 Index of Variations
99
99
99
95
96
96
96
97
94
94
93
92
92

l. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 0- 0 5.Nf3 d6 6. Be2 e5 7. d5 a5
8 . Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 Na6 10.0-0 Bd7 1 l . Nd2 Qe8:

12 . Kh 1 ! ? Nh7 13.a3 h5 14.f3
13.a3 a4
1 2 . Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Bg4
1 2 . a3 a4!
12 .b3 Nh7
1 14
1 13
111
111
112
8 . Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 Na6 10 . Nd2 Qe8 1 l .a3

1 l . g4 a4
9.Be3 Ng4 10 .Bc1 Na6
1 10
1 10
1 10
8.0-0 Na6 9.Be3 Ng4! 10. Bg5 f6

9.Qc2 Bd7 10 . Ne1 Nc5
10.Rb1 Nc5 1 l . a3? Nfxe4!
108
109
109
Index of Variations
359

l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5.(3 0 - 0 6. Be3 c5
7.dxc5 dxc5 8 . e 5 Nfd7 9.f4 f6 ! 10.exf6 Nxf6 ! 1 l . Bxc5 B f5

8.Bxc5 Nc6 9.Be3 Nd7 !
122
122
7.dxc5 dxc5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Bxc5 Nc6:

10.Ba3 a5 1 l . Rd1 Be6
1 l . Nd5?! Nxd5 1 2 .cxd5 Nb4!
10.Rd1 Rxd1+
10.Nd5 Nd7 l l . Nxe7+ Nxe7 1 2 . Bxe7 Bxb2 1 3 . Rb1 Bc3+
1 3 . Bxd8 Bxa 1
1 l . Bxe7 Nxe7 1 2 . Nxe7+ Kf8
1 l . Ba3 e6 1 2 . Nc7 Rb8 1 3 . Nb5 a6
10. Nge2 b6 l l . Ba3 Bb7 12 .Rd1 a5
1 2 . Nd5 e6
l l .Ba3 e6 1 2 . Rd1 Ba6 1 3 . Nb5 Rxd1+ 14 . Kxd1
l l . Ba3 Ba6 1 2 . Nb5 Rd7
10.Nge2 Nd7 l l . Ba3 Nde5 1 2 . Nf4
l l . Be3 Nde5 1 2 . Nf4 Nb4
l l . Bf2 Nde5 1 2 . Nf4
7. Nge2 Qa5 8.Nc1 cxd4 9.Nb3 Qh5 10 . Nxd4 Nc6
9. Bxd4 Nc6
8 .Qd2
8 .d5 b5!
7.d5 e6 8.Nge2 exd5 9.cxd5 a6 10.a4 Nbd7 1 l . Ng3 h5
8.Bd3 exd5 9.cxd5 a6 10 . a4 Nbd7 l l . Nge2 Ne5
8 .Qd2 exd5 9.exd5?! ReS
9.cxd5 a6
126
125
123
136
136
131
134
145
144
144
144
140
140
142
150
150
148
150
154
154
154
155
360 Index of Variations
l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5. Nge2 0 - 0 6.(3 c5 7. d5 e6

8. Ng3
166
161
164
9 . . . a6 9.a4 h5 10. Bg5 exd5 1 l .cxd5

9 . . . exd5 9.cxd5 h5 10.Be2 Nh7 l l .Be3 a6 1 2 . a4
10. Bg5 Qb6 !
l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4 . e4 d6 5.(3 0 - 0 6. Bg5 a6
17 1
17 1
170
170
170
169
168
7.Qd2 Nbd7 8 . Nh3 c5 9.d5 b5 10.Nf2 Qa5 1 l . cxb5 Nb6

1 l . Be2 Nb6
10.cxb5 Qa5 1 l . a4 Ne5
8 . Nge2 c5 9.Bh6 Bxh6 10.Qxh6 b5!
9.d5 b5 10.cxb5 Qa5 !
7.Qd2 c5 8.d5 Nbd7 9 . a4!? Qa5 10. Ra3 Re8
7. Nge2 c5 8 .d5 b5 9.cxb5 Qa5 !?
Index of Variations
361

l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5.(4 0 - 0 6. Nf3
6 . . . e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Nxe5 ReS 10.Bd3

10. Bd3
10.Bd3
10.Bd3
9.Nxe5
9.Nxe5
9.Nxe5
9.Nxe5
Ng4!
Nxe4?
Na6
Nfd7
ReS 10.Be2 Nxe4!

Nfd7 !?
Nxe4!?
Na6
8.Nxe5 Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1 Na6
197
197
197
197
196
196
196
196
195
6 . . . e5 7.fxe5 dxe5 8 .d5 Na6 9. Bd3 Nc5 10. Bg5 Qd6

10.Bc2 a5
10. Bg5 h6
8 . Nxe5 c5!
206
205
205
194
6 ... Na6 7.Be2 e5 8 .dxe5 dxe5 9.Nxe5 Nc5

9.Qxd8 Rxd8 10.Nxe5 Nc5
8.0-0 exd4 9 . Nxd4 ReS
8.fxe5 dxe5 9.d5 Nc5 !
190
193
199
200
7.Bd3 e5 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.d5 NeB

9.d5 Qe7
362
Index of Variations
202
201

l . d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4 . e4 d6 5. Be2 0 - 0 6. Bg5 Na6
7.Qd2 e5 8.d5 Nc5 !? 9.f3 a5 10.Bd1 c6

10 .0-0-0 a4
10.h4 c6
10.g4 c6
9.b4?! Ncxe4!
9. Bf3 a5
230
224
224
225
224
224
7.Qd2 e5 8 . Nf3 Qe8

7.f4 c6
7.h4 e5
7.Qc2 h6
7. Nf3 h6
222
2 14
2 18
220
220
Index o{ Variations
363

l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 0 - 0 6. h3 Na6
7.Be3 e5 8 .d5 Nh5 ! 9.g3 Qe8

9.a3
9.Nd2 Qe8
9.Ng1 Qe8!
9.Nh2 Qe8
8 .d5 c6 9.g4 Nc5
8.dxe5 dxe5 9.c5 b6!
8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Nxe5?! Nxe4
248
241
243
244
246
240
239
239
7. Bg5 Qe8 8 . Be2 e5 9.d5 Bd7 10.Nd2 Nc5 1 1 . 0 - 0 a5

1 l .b4 Na4
8.a3 e5 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.b4 c6
8 .Qc2 h6!?
8.Bd3 e5 9.d5 Nh5
8.g4 e5
8.g4 c5!
258
257
252
252
253
253
253
7.Bg5 Qe8 8.Be2 e5 9.d5 Bd7

10.g4!? Nc5 1 l . Nd2 a5 12 .Be3 Qc8
12 .Be3 Kh8
1 2 .Be3 h6
12 .Be3 Qe7 ! ?
1 l . Nd2 c6 12 .b4 Na6
12 .Be3 cxd5 13.cxd5 h6?! 14 .h4!
l l . Nd2 h6 12 .Be3 Kh7 13 .h4!
262
262
262
262
262
262
262
10.g4!? Kh8 l l . Nd2 Ng8

l l . Rg1 Nc5
364
Index of Variations
261
261

l.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0 - 0 5.g3 d6 6.Bg2 c6 7. 0- 0 Qa5
8 .e4 e5 9.h3 Nbd7 10.Be3 exd4 l l . Nxd4 Nb6

1 2 . Nb3 Qh5 13 .Qxh5 Nxh5 14 .g4 Nf6 1 5 . Na5 Be6!
14 . Na5 f5
13.Nd2 Qxd 1 14 . Rfxd1 Be6
13.g4?! Bxg4!
12 .Qd3 Nb6
282
282
282
282
281
8 .e4 e5 9.h3 Nbd7 10.Be3 Nb6 1 1 .Qd3 exd4

1 1 .dxe5 dxe5
l l . Nd2 exd4
10.d5 cxd5
10.Qc2 exd4
280
280
281
2 78
2 78
8 .e4 e5 9.d5 cxd5 10.cxd5 b5!

8 .Qc2 Qh5
8.h3 e5
8 . Nd2 Nbd7
277
274
2 75
275
8.e4 e5 9.h3 Nbd7 10.Re1 exd4 l l . Nxd4 Ne5

1 2 . Bfl ReS 13. Be3 c5!? 14 . Nf3 Nxf3+ 15 .Qxf3
14 . Nc2 Be6
14 . Ndb5? Nxe4!
14 . Nb3 !? Qb4
13.f4 Ned7
13.Rb1 a6
1 3 . Nb3 Qc7
1 2 . Nb3?! Qc7
297
289
289
290
286
286
287
285
Index of Variations
365
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MODERNIZED:

THE KING'S INDIAN

ME TROPOLITAN CHESS PUBLISHING

First Published in the US by Metropolitan Chess Publishing 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in

Cover by Elena Rose Dadural

METROPOLITAN CHESS PUBLISHING

The Classical Variation

1a F lexibility in the Classical Variation

1 b The Gligoric System

1c The Exchange System

1d The Petrosian System

The Samisch Variation

The Four Pawns Attack

The Averbakh System

The Bagirov Line

The Fianchetto System

Solutions to the Exercises

Slight advantage for White

Distinct advantage for White

Distinct advantage for Black

Forced; the only move

Slight advantage for Black

with the initiative

with the attack

sufficient compensation for the material

I witnessed Garry Kasparov's

White indeed has more space, but

the analogous square on d5 is well

18. Rhe1 f6 19. Rd6 Kf7 20.Nd2

If26.Nd5+ then 26 . . . Kd6 , answering 27. Nxf6 with 27 . . . Rf8 2 8 . Nd5

This fixes the white pawns on the

15. b5 Nc7 16. Be2

16 . . . Re6 17. 0-0-0 ReB+

26. . . Rg8 2 7. Bd1 Kd6 28. Rd2

31 . . . Rxg3 32. Nc2

32 . . . Be4 33.fxe5+ Kxe5 34. Nxd4

White can do nothing to face the

n order to better understand the

Nau mkin - S mirin

And now if 2 2 . Bfl then 22 . . . Qxh2+

1 7. . . Qxg5 18. Nfl

15 . . . Bf6l!N 16. Bxh6

19 . . . gxf5 20. a3 a41

is 18. Kfl Qh4 19.Ndl Ng3+ 20. hxg3

Black is using one extra piece at least

31 . . . Qa7 32. Rcl RaB 33. b3 Bf4

Smirin's inspired play has given

Manila (ol) 1992

Kasparov is not interested in

35. Qd3 Qc5 36. R bl Re3 3 7. Qd4

39. Qxf4 Rxf4 40. Rxa2

You will have noticed that the

In the KID, players are not afraid

Candidates Tournament 1953

Thanks to the pawn sacrifice,

Another plan is 19 ... a6 !? 20. Bd3

(20. a4!? Bd7 21.Rel Nh5 t) 20 . . . b5

Svetozar Gligoric was one of the

2 l .cxb5 axb5 2 2 . Bxb5 Ba6-. .

20. Bd3 a6 21. Nbl! (3!?

ll . . . e4! 12.fxe4 (4! 13. Bf2 Nd7!

14 . . . Qg5 15. Bfl Ne5';.

Kotov was threatening to bring

The King's Indian Defense

The King's Indian Defense