Opening Repertoire

Queen’s Gambit
Accepted
Nicolas Yáp

www.everymanchess.com
First published in 2023 by Gloucester Publishers Limited, London.

Copyright © 2023 Nicolás Yap

The right of Nicolás Yap to be identified as the author of this work has been
asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without prior permission of the publisher.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978 1 78194 713 5

Distributed in North America by National Book Network,

15200 NBN Way, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214. Ph: 717.794.3800.

Distributed in Europe by Central Books Ltd.,

Central Books Ltd, 50 Freshwater Road, Chadwell Heath, London, RM8
1RX.

All other sales enquiries should be directed to Everyman Chess.

email: [email protected]; website: www.everymanchess.com

Everyman is the registered trade mark of Random House Inc. and is used in
this work under licence from Random House Inc.

Everyman Chess Series

Commissioning editor and advisor: Byron Jacobs

Typeset and edited by First Rank Publishing, Brighton.

Printed by TJ International Limited, Padstow, Cornwall.

About the Author
Nicolás Yap started playing in tournaments aged nine, and won the
Northern California K-8 Championship in 2003, the Northern California K-
12 Championship in 2009 and was a part of the USA delegation at the 2005
World Youth Championship in Belfort, France. Having recently completed
his academic studies he is now restarting his chess career, as well as
planning to fulfill his two life dreams of becoming a grandmaster and
entering medical school to become a doctor. This is his first book.
Contents
About the Author
Bibliography
Introduction

Part I: Queen’s Gambit Accepted

1 3 e4 b5: Main Line
2 3 e4 b5: Alternatives
3 3 Nf3 Nf6
4 3 e3 e5
5 3 Nc3 a6
6 Third Move Alternatives

Part II: Other Queen’s Pawn Openings

7 The London System
8 The Pseudo-Trompowsky
9 2 Nc3 c5
10 The Torre Attack
11 The Colle System
12 Miscellaneous Ideas

Index of Complete Games

Bibliography
Printed Books
Avrukh, B., Grandmaster Repertoire 1: 1.d4 Vol.1 (Quality Chess LLC
2008)
Avrukh, B., Grandmaster Repertoire 1B: The Queen’s Gambit (Quality
Chess 2016)
Avrukh, B., Grandmaster Repertoire: Beating 1.d4 Sidelines (Quality Chess
2012)
Bogdanovich, G., The Zukertort System (Mongoose Press 2010)
Buckley, G., Easy Guide to the Queen’s Gambit Accepted (Cadogan 1999)
Burgess, G., A Cunning Chess Opening Repertoire for White, 2nd Ed.
(Gambit 2013)
Burgess, G., An Idiot-Proof Chess Opening Repertoire (Gambit 2020)
Burgess, G., The Gambit Guide to the Torre Attack, 2nd Ed. (Gambit 2022)
Cox, J., Dealing with d4 Deviations (Everyman Chess 2006)
Davies, N., The Veresov (Everyman Chess 2002)
De Firmian, N., Modern Chess Openings, 15th Ed. (Random House Puzzles
& Games 2008)
Delchev, A. & Semkov, S., Understanding the Queen’s Gambit Accepted
(Chess Stars 2015)
De Prado, O., El Sistema Londres-Pereyra (Editorial Chessy 2014)
Dunnington, A., Attacking with 1.d4 (Everyman Chess 2001)
Dvoretsky, M., Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, 5th Ed. (Russell Enterprises
2021)
Fleischman, E., The Richter-Veresov Attack: Qd3 Variation (Mongoose
Press 2022)
Georgiev, Ki., Fighting the London System (Chess Stars 2017)
Hatch, D. & Hatch, T., The Dogs of War: Practical Play in the Colle
System, Revised and Expanded 2nd Ed. (Pawn Promotions 2005)
Hilton, J. & Ippolito, D., Wojo’s Weapons Vol.1 (Mongoose Press 2009)
Johnsen, Sv. & Kovaevi, W., Gewinnen mit dem Londoner System (Gambit
2007; reprinted 2022)
Kaufman, L., The Kaufman Repertoire for Black & White, 2nd Ed. (New In
Chess 2012)
Kornev, A., A Practical White Repertoire with 1.d4 and 2.c4, Vol.1 (Chess
Stars 2013)
Kornev, A., Prakticheskij repertuar za chjornikh - d5, c6, Tom 1 -
Slavjanskaja Zashchita i drugije (Chess Stars 2017)
Kotronias, V. & Ivanov, M., Your Jungle Guide to 1.d4, Vol.1A (Thinkers
Publishing 2021)
Lakdawala, C., First Steps: The Colle and London Systems (Everyman
Chess 2018)
Lakdawala, C., Opening Repertoire: 1 d4 with 2 c4 (Everyman Chess 2019)
Lakdawala, C., Opening Repertoire: Richter-Veresov Attack (Everyman
Chess 2022)
Lakdawala, C., Play the London System (Everyman Chess 2010)
Lakdawala, C., The Trompowsky Attack: Move by Move (Everyman Chess
2014)
Lakdawala, C. & Kiewra, K., Opening Repertoire: ... c6 (Everyman Chess
2017)
Lane, G., The Ultimate Colle (Batsford 2001)
Lemos, D., Opening Repertoire: The Queen’s Gambit (Everyman Chess
2016)
Liew, J, The Veresov: Move by Move (Everyman Chess 2014)
Martin, A., Trends in Queen’s Gambit Accepted (Trends Publications 1991)
Moskalenko, V., An Attacking Repertoire for White with 1.d4 (New in
Chess 2019)
Moskalenko, V., Trompowsky Attack & London System (New in Chess
2021)
Neishtadt, I., The Queen’s Gambit Accepted (Cadogan 1997)
Ntirlis, N., Jouez 1.d4 d5!: Un Répertoire Classique (Olibris 2020)
Nunn, J. & Burgess, G & Emms, J. & Gallagher, J., Nunn’s Chess Openings
(Everyman Chess / Gambit 1999)
Palliser, R., The Colle: Move by Move (Everyman Chess 2013)
Pavlovic, M., The Modernized Colle-Zukertort Attack (Thinkers Publishing
2019)
Pert, R., Playing the Trompowsky (Quality Chess 2013)
Prusikin, M., Das Damengambit: Ein Schwarzrepertoire für Vereinsspieler
(Schachreisen-Verlag 2021)
Rizzitano, J., How to Beat 1 d4 (Gambit 2005; reprinted 2021)
Sakaev, K. & Semkov, S., The Queen’s Gambit Accepted, 3rd Ed. (Chess
Stars 2008 )
Schandorff, L., Playing 1.d4: The Queen’s Gambit, 1st Ed. (Quality Chess
2009)
Schandorff, L., Playing 1.d4: The Queen’s Gambit, 2nd Ed. (Quality Chess
2012)
Schmücker, M., Das Londoner System ... richtig gespielt, 1. Auflage
(Joachim Beyer Verlag 2016)
Schreerer, C., The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (Everyman Chess 2013)
Sedlak, N., Winning with the Modern London System Part 1 (Chess
Evolution 2016)
Sedlak, N., Winning with the Modern London System Part 2 (Chess
Evolution 2018)
Sielecki, C., Keep It Simple: 1.d4 (New in Chess 2019)
Smith, Ax., e3 Poison: A 21st Century Repertoire (Quality Chess 2015)
Smith, K. & Hall, J., Queen’s Gambit Accepted (Chess Digest 1995)
Summerscale, A. & Johnsen, Sv., A Killer Chess Opening Repertoire
(Gambit 2010; reprinted 2022)
Sveshnikov, E. & Sveshnikov, W., A Chess Opening Repertoire for Blitz
and Rapid (New in Chess 2015
Van der Sterren, P., Fundamental Chess Openings (Gambit 2009; reprinted
2021)
Vorobiov, E., Uskorennaja debjutnaja podgatovka: Debjutij za chjornyjkh
(Olga Vrublevskaya 2021)
Ward, C., Play the Queen’s Gambit (Everyman Chess 2006)
Ward, C., Queen’s Gambit Accepted (Batsford 1999)
Watson, J., A Strategic Opening Repertoire for White (Gambit 2012)
Watson, J., Mastering the Chess Openings, Volume 2 (Gambit 2007)
Wells, P., Winning with the Trompowsky (Batsford 2003)
Williams, Si., Opening Repertoire: The Jobava London System (Everyman
Chess 2022)

Electronic
Astaneh-López, A., Killer London System (GingerGM 2021)
Banzea, A., Alex Banzea’s London System (Chessable 2022)
Berger, S., Das Angenommene Damengambit (ChessBase 2021)
Davies, N., The Accelerated London with 2.Bf4 (ChessBase 2015)
Davies, N., The Colle System (ChessBase 2009)
Demuth, A., The Solid 1.d4 Part 1 (Chessable 2021)
Gledura, B., Lifetime Repertoires: Gledura’s Queen’s Gambit Accepted
(Chessable 2022)
Gonzáles, J., ¡Pura Dinamita! El Gambito de Dama Aceptado (Chessable
2021)
Grigorov, G. & Arnaudov, P., Queen’s Gambit Accepted: Simple Solution to
1.d4 (Modern Chess 2022)
Grover, S. & Naranayan, S., Lifetime Repertoires: Sahaj and Srinath’s
London System (Chessable 2022)
Gupta, Ab., Play the London System (Modern Chess 2022)
Ganguly, S.S., Lifetime Repertoires: Nimzo/Semi-Tarrasch Part 2
(Chessable 2021)
Guramishvili, S., Lifetime Repertoires: Guramishvili’s Queen’s Gambit
Accepted (Chessable 2020)
Hungaski, R., Queen’s Gambit Accepted (Modern Chess 2019)
IndrekR, Blackmar-Diemer for Blitz (Chessable 2020)
IndrekR, The London Attack: An Ambitious Repertoire (Chessable 2021)
Kuberczyk, C., Der Grünfeld-Slawisch-Hybrid (Chessable 2022)
L’Ami, E. & Sielecki, C., Lifetime Repertoires: Triangle Slav (Chessable
2022)
Lilov, V., The Queen’s Gambit Accepted (ChessBase 2010)
Mineriva, Queen’s Gambit Accepted - Grind for the Win (Chessable 2019)
Naranayan, S., Lifetime Repertoires: The Catalan (Chessable 2020)
Niemann, H.M., Lifetime Repertoires: Jobava London (Chessable 2021)
Neustroev, V., Demolish the London System (Chessable 2022)
Norowitz, Y. & Logozar, E., The Yaac Attack - Stonewall for White
(Chessable 2020)
Pähtz, E., Das Londoner System (ChessBase 2020)
Pert, N., An Attacking Repertoire with 1.d4, Vol.1 (ChessBase 2019)
Plichta, K., Go for the Throat: Play 1.d4 (Chessable 2019)
Ratkovi, M., Queen’s Gambit Accepted (TheChessWorld 2020)
Ris, R., A Complete Black Repertoire Against 1.d4 (ChessBase 2022)
Ris, R., Attacking 1.d4 Repertoire for White (TheChessWorld 2021)
Ris, R., Queen’s Gambit Accepted: 3.e4 b5 Caveman Style (ChessBase
2021)
Rozman, L., D4 Dynamite for White (Lichess.org 2017)
Sethuraman, S.P., Lifetime Repertoires: Sethuraman’s Semi-Slav (Chessable
2022)
Shankland, S., Lifetime Repertoires: Sam Shankland’s 1.d4 Part 3
(Chessable 2020)
Shankland, S., Lifetime Repertoires: Shankland’s Semi-Slav (Chessable
2020)
Williams, S., The Colle-Koltanowski System (ChessBase 2016)
Williams, S., The Jobava London System (Chessable 2019)
Williams, S., The London System with 2 Bf4 Reloaded (ChessBase 2019)
Williams, S., The Torre Attack (ChessBase 2019)
Yap, N., La Pirc-Escandinava (Chessable 2022)

Databases
Big Database 2023
ChessPublishing.com (Queen’s Gambit, 1 d4 d5 sections)
CorrBase 2022, 2023
MegaBase 2022, 2023
Opening Encyclopaedia 2022
The Week in Chess (TWIC)

Engines & Software

Stockfish 13, 14, 15, 15.1 (NNUE)
Leela Chess Zero (Lc0) 26.0, 27.0, 28.0, 28.2, 29.0 (NNUE)
ChessBase 14, 15, 16, 17
Introduction
The Queen’s Gambit Accepted (QGA) is one of Black’s most solid, reliable
and active defences against 1 d4. It has remained popular throughout chess
history, and its popularity spiked in 2021 due to new discoveries. Its
reputation as the most direct way of dealing with 2 c4 by simply accepting
the gambit, plus its prowess for allowing Black free development, has never
waned.
I have played many defences against 1 d4 throughout my career, at
some point shifting from one to the other with no direction, just trying to
look for a reasonable long-term weapon. I played the Classical Slav as my
first defence to 1 d4 in my youth, followed by the King’s Indian as a
teenager. Towards the end of my teenage years, I shifted from the KID to
the Nimzo-Indian/QGD complex and had issues with the Catalan.
Thereafter came a hiatus due to university studies. During my 20s I adopted
the Grünfeld, which is still one of my main weapons, but the practical
problem with the Grünfeld, just like the KID, is that it is a more “low-
occurrence” defence. In other words, it takes several moves to actually get
to the Grünfeld. After 1 d4 Nf6 White has a billion and one different ways
to deviate. Should I get to 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6, there is the very popular 3 h4
nowadays, as well as the extremely sharp 3 f3 Anti-Grünfeld. A similar
comparison could be made for the KID. The QGA, however, arises after 1
d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4. True, White can deviate on move two, but in my
experience the deviations at White’s disposal after 1 d4 d5 are significantly
less annoying than after 1 d4 Nf6. For example, the Trompowsky with 1 d4
Nf6 2 Bg5 is way more dangerous than 1 d4 d5 2 Bg5. The only deviation
on the second move that I would consider slightly annoying after 1 d4 d5 is
the London, and perhaps the Torre and Colle, since my preferred systems
involving ... d7-d6 and ... e7-e6 are now not possible.
The QGA is no longer the opening that it was in bygone eras,
considered a boring, yet very solid defence against 1 d4 when you just
wanted a draw. Since mid-2021, it has undergone what I would call a
renaissance. Fresh ideas have completely rejuvenated the QGA, as well as
overturned various lines that were once considered dubious. The main
example that stands out is undoubtedly the variation 3 e4 b5.
One characteristic of this book is that the lines that I recommend are not
well-trodden paths, but rather a journey through an unknown jungle or
wooded area where you have to carve out your own path.
For various factors that are outside of my control, for the past few years
I have been unable to play in over-the-board tournaments. What I did during
that time was to follow theoretical battlegrounds with the aim of creating a
solid, reliable, yet fighting repertoire for Black against 1 d4. The result is
this book. Although I had made it as my own home preparation files geared
to my own goals - norm tournaments, playing in high-quality closed and
open events throughout Europe, etc - this repertoire can be used by anyone,
from the club player up to world champion - whoever they or the next one
may be.
Truth be told, this is not a repertoire for lazy players; it is an ambitious,
maximalist repertoire for Black that takes serious study and dedication to
employ properly with accuracy and thus success - but the outcome shall be
repaid in dividends in terms of results, such as getting your third (and last)
IM or GM norm, just winning the club championship, or even winning the
men’s or women’s Candidates cycle.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that had started in 2020, many
recent games are rapid and blitz games. There was no other recourse, as
over-the-board play was rightly curtailed due to the gravity of the
pandemic. While this is not ideal, these games, some of which are presented
here, have still contributed significantly to recent theory.
I have consulted as many sources as possible - printed material in the
form of books, as well as electronic material in the form of DVDs,
Chessable courses, and old-style courses with mp4 and pgn files - as I see it
as important that this book addresses analyses and recommendations of
other publications as a prerequisite to providing the reader with updated and
correct information. Every single line has been checked by engines, most
notably by various versions of Stockfish and Leela Chess Zero (Lc0) -
something that would be sheer madness to eschew in any opening book in
the era of supercomputers.
I wish you the best of luck in your new QGA adventures.

Nicolás Yap
San Francisco, California
July 2023
Chapter One
3 e4 b5: Main Line
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6

We begin the book with what I believe will become the new absolute
main line of the entire QGA, starting with 6 ... Qb6 7 Be2 e6. The main
move 11 Na2!, which we shall examine below, has absolutely zero praxis .
Neither MegaBase 2022, nor TWIC, nor the Corr 2022 databases yield any
games - not even rapid or blitz. It is for this reason that the initial section
below is pure analysis instead of an annotated game.
In my experience, it is highly odd that there are zero games played in
what could be the new main line of an entire opening, but it is highly
logical as well: the entire 6 ... Qb6 complex is itself extremely fresh, only
gaining popularity in 2021. The theory is developing rapidly and, compared
to other lines of the QGA or any other well-traversed opening, there are
relatively few games in this whole variation. The explosion in popularity
also coincided with the height of the horrible Covid-19 pandemic, so even
fewer OTB games were played than expected.
In the QGA 6 ... Qb6 is perhaps the biggest discovery in recent years.
Prior to this, Black used to play 6 ... a6, sacrificing an exchange after 7
Nxb5 axb5 8. Rxa8 Bb7. Current theory gives it as “+=“, but I am not sure
about that assessment; I think 6 ... a6 line is completely viable and playable.
I simply prefer the newer 6 ... Qb6, which I consider the best move in this
position, although Black is sometimes obliged to sacrifice the exchange in
this line too (after 7 Nd5 Qb7 8 Bf4).
To give a brief overview of what other highly regarded theoreticians
have said about this variation: Lars Schandorff states in Playing 1 d4: The
Queen’s Gambit (both editions), that 6 ... Bd7 is necessary and that 6 ... Qb6
is “clearly insufficient” due to 7 Nd5 Qb7 8 Bf4. We shall examine this
variation soon, but Black is actually doing fine in these lines. That is a sign
of how drastically the theory of 3 e4 b5 has changed in the past few years.
Boris Avrukh, undoubtedly one of the top five opening theoreticians in the
world, only covers 6 ... a6 in his 2016 White repertoire book, Grandmaster
Repertoire 1B: The Queen’s Gambit, and doesn’t even mention 6 ... Qb6.
Larry Kaufman, in The Kaufman Repertoire for Black & White, 2nd Ed.,
covers only 6 ... Bd7, as neither 6 ... Qb6 nor 6 ... a6 were even serious
moves a decade ago. Sopiko Guramishvili covers 6 ... a6 in her Chessable
course, Lifetime Repertoires: Guramishvili’s Queen’s Gambit Accepted,
published in 2020, which some now consider an “old variation”. In Trends
in Queen’s Gambit Accepted by Andrew Martin, 3 ... b5 is not even
mentioned, nor in Angus Dunnington’s Attacking with 1.d4. The renowned
theoretician Iakov Neishtadt, in his book The Queen’s Gambit Accepted,
even gives 3 ... b5 a question mark!
The only Black QGA repertoire works that examine 6 ... Qb6 are GM
Benjamin Gledura’s Chessable course, Lifetime Repertoires: Gledura’s
Queen’s Gambit Accepted, IM Robert Ris’ Queen’s Gambit Accepted: 3.e4
b5 Caveman Style, and GM Vasilios Kotronias & IM Mikhail Ivanov’s very
new White repertoire book, Your Jungle Guide to 1.d4, Vol.1A. No other
sources cover 6 ... Qb6. Both Gledura’s course and Kotronias & Ivanov’s
book were published in 2022. The two lastly mentioned sources are cited
numerous times, as I provide my own views on where I either deviate or
agree with the authors and why.
7 Be2!?

Question: This move seems meek, random, unenergetic and simply

rather daft.
What is the point of placing the bishop on e2?

Answer: This quiet, subtle move is in fact extremely sinister. So much

so, that I consider it the absolute main line of the QGA. The idea is to
develop the kingside pieces in such a way as to put the king’s knight on h3,
from where it can jump to f4 and either go on to d5 or support the d4-d5
advance. As we shall see later, placing the knight on h3 immediately allows
Black simply to exchange it with ... Bxh3. Although 7 Be2 is not popular
right now, eventually the super GM crowd - and, by extension, the rest of us
- will catch up with this theoretical development, after which I am certain
that the theory will explode, similar to bubbles brewing underneath a
dormant geyser before the massive blast.
7 ... e6
White’s point: now ... Bxh3 is out of the question. But Black had to play
this to develop the kingside pieces. For example, if Black developed the
knight to f6, the advance e4-e5 would push their forces back.
8 Nh3 Bb4
An essential move. Black pins the c3-knight, leaving the e4-pawn
undefended after ... Bb7 and/or ... Nf6.
9 0-0
Black has an extra pawn, but White has a lead in development.
Throughout this line, we shall see that while White has compensation for
the pawn, if Black plays accurately White will achieve no more than
equality.
9 ... Ne7
Black finally develops the last minor piece on the kingside, facilitating
castling. Keep in mind that if Black wastes more time, White can end up
with a dangerous lead in development.
10 Be3
The ideal set-up for White. Nonetheless, as mentioned above, White has
no more than equality if Black responds accurately.
10 ... 0-0
We have arrived at an extremely important crossroads; it is in this
position that the new main line of the entire QGA shall be disputed in the
coming years, especially at the elite GM level and in correspondence
games.
 11 Na2!
This is the big main line and the most critical position of the entire
QGA complex. White tries to box in Black’s pieces on the queenside, even
at the cost of a pawn. While not as insane as the Botvinnik Semi-Slav, the
play that results here is extremely sharp, concrete, irrational, but very
rewarding and enjoyable as well.
I must highlight again that there have been no games at all played in this
line, even as I checked every few days as I was analysing this position. It is
for this reason that the only source I used was Kotronias & Ivanov’s
aforementioned 1 d4 repertoire book. I offer my own analysis showing
where Black can equalize against each of their recommendations for White.
11 ... Ba5
 The most logical and the best response. This is also Kotronias &
Ivanov’s main line in their book. Note that Black is one move away from
preventing the b2-b4 advance.
12 b4!
This move is necessary if White wants to fight for any advantage.
Instead:
a) 12 b3 cxb3 simply transposes.
b) 12 Bf3? (putting the bishop on f3 is simply poor; it will not get
activated on the long a8-h1 diagonal, because Black can fix the white pawn
structure) 12 ... e5! (this move is key and guarantees a clear advantage; in
fact, if Black doesn’t play this, they could easily end up worse) 13 dxe5
Qb7 (with the queen off the a7-g1 diagonal, Black can now finish
development, starting with ... Nbc6) 14 Nf4 (as expected, White brings the
offside knight to d5; Black was threatening to capture on h3 in any case) 14
... Nbc6 (targeting the e5-pawn, which is now clearly weak) 15 Nc3 (White
is ready to jump to d5 with the c3-knight as well; though it may seem
weird, I recommend exchanging on c3 to avoid this plan) 15 ... Bxc3 16
bxc3 Rd8 17 Qc2 Nxe5 and Black regains the extra pawn. I see no evidence
of White having sufficient compensation. White has to spend a tempo
retreating the f3-bishop, after which Black can start marching the queenside
pawns with ... a7-a5.
c) 12 d5?! weakens the centre to White’s own detriment: 12 ... Qd6
(Black can probe the dark square weaknesses, which are all over the centre;
viz., c5, d6, e5, d4, f4, etc) 13 dxe6 Qxe6 14 Nf4 Qe5

Question: What is the point of placing the black queen on e5?

Answer: The queen is well centralized, overlooking the entire board,

while attacking the b2-pawn. Soon Black can finish development: 15 Nc3
(White threatens the a5-bishop, as well as leaping to d5 with one of the
knights; again, the simplest way of dealing with this problem is to exchange
on c3) 15 ... Bxc3 16 bxc3 Bb7 and now the e4-pawn is definitely under
fire.
12 ... cxb3
Forced, or Black loses the bishop. Thankfully, en passant is legal.
13 Qxb3
 The b5-pawn is under attack but, as we shall see, Black can ignore the
threat to this pawn. We’ll examine three options:

A: 13 ... Qb7 16
B: 13 ... a6 25
C: 13 ... Nbc6!? 30

A: 13 ... Qb7
This is the move that Kotronias & Ivanov analyse, giving no other
alternative. While retreating the queen to b7 as a prophylactic measure is
one of the most critical options, it is certainly not the only one.
14 Nf4
Instead:
a) 14 Nc1 threatens the a5-bishop without allowing Black the luxury of
exchanging on c3 (had the knight jumped there instead). My suggestion
against this plan is to give back the extra pawn. The tempi that White
requires to regain it safely can be used to strike at the centre: 14 ... Bb6 15
Qxb5 e5 (Black has several threats here: to take on d4 and to take on h3,
damaging White’s structure) 16 d5 (necessary, or White would have
suffered even more structural damage) 16 ... Bxh3 17 gxh3 Nd7 (White has
the two bishops in exchange for a broken kingside; take care when the g-file
is open, though, as White could use it to launch an attack via this file) 18
Nb3 Nf6 19 Na5 Qc8 20 Qd3 Qxh3 (White sacrifices a pawn to keep the
two bishops but achieves no more than equality) 21 Bg5 Qxd3 22 Bxd3
Rac8 and the game is equal. White has sufficient compensation in the form
of a space advantage and the bishop pair, but no more than that.
b) 14 Nb4 Bd8 15 Nd3 Nd7 16 e5 (when White has pawns on d4 and
e4, advancing one of them creates holes, in this case on d5 and f5;
meanwhile the threat of a skewer with Bf3 is easily parried) 16 ... Qb8 17
Ndf4 a5 18 Ng5 Nb6 19 Bd3 Ng6 20 Nxh7 (scary if you have not faced it
over the board, but there is nothing to be afraid of - like many sharp, forcing
lines, the most logical result is a draw by perpetual) 20 ... Kxh7 21 Bd2
Rh8! (a weird-looking move, but an important one; Black prevents the
white queen from using h5 and h7 after ... Kg8) 22 Bxg6+ fxg6 23 Qd3
Kg8 24 Nxg6 Nc4 25 Qf3 Bb7 26 Qf8+ Kh7 27 Qxh8+ Kxg6 28 Qe8+ Kh7
with a draw. A normal day at the office.
14 ... Bb6!?
 Question: What is the point of this weird move?

Answer: Retreating the bishop is a prophylactic measure. It is almost

certain that White will move the a2-knight again, after which the a5-bishop
would be under attack. On b6, it also pressurizes the d4-pawn. Now it is
clear that Black is letting White recover the pawn by taking on b5, either
with the queen or the bishop. But that is the advantage of being material up
- you can give it back at an opportune moment. In this case, White loses
time recapturing on b5, allowing Black to do something productive in the
meantime.
Safeguarding the b5-pawn in advance with 14 ... a6 is also possible: 15
Nb4 (the typical freeing move, letting the a1-rook get into play while
attacking the a5-bishop) 15 ... Bb6 (pressurizing the d4-pawn yet again)
 Now:
a) 16 e5 Bd7 is fine for Black.
b) 16 Rfd1 allows Black to start marching the queenside pawns forward,
starting with 16 ... a5.
c) 16 Rfc1 a5 (it is important for Black to capitalize on the two passed
queenside pawns) 17 Nbd3 (the knight plans to jump to c5, trying to enter
enemy territory and cause chaos in Black’s rearguard) 17 ... b4 18 Nc5 Qa7
(the only move, since Black’s queen would face problems due to
discoveries on the c-file) 19 Qb2 e5 (White has solidified the defence of the
d4-pawn, but now comes the time to challenge those defences again) 20
Nh5 Nd7 21 Rc4 (following Kotronias & Ivanov’s analyses, we arrive at
this position) 21 ... Nc6 22 Nb3 (White retreats the c5-knight to attack the
c6-knight, but there is a more sinister idea lurking) 22 ... Qb7 23 Bh6!? (a
big bomb - taking would be suicide because of Qd2, etc) 23 ... a4 (Black
must push the queenside pawns to create hell on White’s queenside; one
thing that I recommend is to not play passively, which is fatal in these types
of sharp positions) 24 d5 (White has to answer fire with fire, or their own
position could collapse as well) 24 ... Ne7 25 Bxg7 axb3 (cold-blooded
courage, ice-cold) 26 Rxa8 Qxa8 27 Bxf8 Kxf8 28 d6 Nc6 29 Qd2 Qa1+ 30
Bf1 b2 31 Qh6+ Ke8 32 Rxc6 Ba6 33 Ng7+ Kf8 34 Nf5+ Ke8 and after all
the dust has settled, we get an evaluation of “0.00”. White has to accept the
perpetual, or else get killed on the back rank.
In this variation 17 ... Bd7!?, completing development while taking
control of a4 before pushing ... b5-b4, is also interesting:

18 Qb2 (overprotecting the d4-pawn and getting out of the way of

Black’s queenside pawns) 18 ... Ng6 19 Nh5 f6 20 Ndf4 Nc6 (Black
overloads White’s centre, forcing mass exchanges which lead to an equal
endgame; note that whenever White seems to be activating more of their
pieces, simplification is the most efficient way of extinguishing any
possible initiative) 21 Bxb5 Nxf4 22 Nxf4 Bxd4 23 Bxd4 Nxd4 24 Qxd4
Qxb5 25 Rab1 (it looks like Black has awkwardly-placed pieces, but a
small trick secures equality) 25 ... Rfc8! (White has to cede the c-file to
avoid back-rank disasters) 26 Rd1 e5 27 Qxd7 Qxd7 28 Rxd7 exf4 29 h4
Rd8 and after a fairly forced series of moves we arrive at an equal endgame.
d) 16 Bf3 lines up the bishop with the black queen and a8-rook, which
are awkwardly placed. Care is required to untangle: 16 ... Qa7 (preparing ...
Bb7 to contest the long diagonal) 17 e5 Bb7 (Black manages to exchange
the light-squared bishops, since White cannot just retreat from f3 and let
Black reign the a8-h1 diagonal; however, White has a tactical resource that
leads to complications) 18 Nxe6! (this looks scary, but accepting the
sacrifice just leads to equality) 18 ... fxe6 19 Qxe6+ Rf7 20 Rfc1 Bxf3 21
gxf3 Bd8 (overprotecting the e7-knight, allowing the f7-rook to move after
breaking the pin) 22 d5 Qb7 23 d6 Nf5 24 Qc8 Qxf3 25 Qxd8+ Rf8 26 Qg5
Nd7 27 e6 Ne5 and the engine gives “0.00”, which means “equal”, though
“dynamically balanced” would be a better term. What will almost certainly
happen is that when the best moves are played, a perpetual appears after a
long forced variation.

15 Qxb5
The main capture; White leaves the b-file open for one of their rooks.
a) 15 Nb4? a5 16 Nbd3 Nbc6 17 Nc5 Bxc5 18 dxc5 b4 (pushing the
queenside pawns immediately prevents White from launching their own
counteroffensive) 19 Rfd1 Ne5 20 Qb2 N7c6 and the passed c-pawn is
blockaded, but the two black queenside passed pawns are not.
 b) 15 Bxb5 e5!? (my improvement over Kotronias & Ivanov’s 15 ...
Qxe4; the idea is to refrain from impulsive pawn-grabbing and focus more
on positional factors: the pawn lever ... e6-e5 fixes the White central
structure, avoiding the e4-e5 advance) 16 dxe5 Bxe3 (forcing White to
recapture with the f-pawn, since the white queen is overloaded) 17 fxe3
Qxe4 18 e6! (the only way to maintain the balance) 18 ... Bxe6 19 Nxe6
Qxe6 20 Bc4 (another case of the position “looking” scary without actually
being so) 20 ... Qe5 21 Qb7 Nbc6 22 Rxf7! (note that all of this is forced
for White to retain equality; I repeat: retain equality - if White deviates from
this sequence, they face the prospect of ending up worse) 22 ... Kh8 23
Raf1 Rfb8 (after the best moves by both sides, the game peters out to an
equal endgame) 24 Qxa8 Rxa8 25 Rf8+ Ng8 26 Rxa8 Qxe3+ 27 Kh1 Nce7
28 Re8 Qd4 29 Bf7 Qd3 30 Re1 Qf5 31 Bb3 Qb5 32 Bf7 Qf5 and after
various rounds of fireworks we arrive at this curious repetition, showing
how rich chess really is.
15 ... Nbc6
A typical theme: Black develops pieces and attacks White’s pawns
simultaneously.
16 Rab1
Stopping any captures on d4 due to the pin on the b-file.
a) 16 Qb2 tries to stabilize the queenside, but this gives Black time to
fix White’s central structure with the typical lever: 16 ... e5 17 dxe5 Bxe3
18 Qxb7 Bxb7 19 fxe3 Nxe5 20 Nc3 a5 and Black gets counterplay in time
in the form of the passed a-pawn.
b) 16 Rfd1 (protecting the d4-pawn and preparing the d4-d5 advance)
16 ... e5 (fixing the white e-pawn again; now whether White advances d4-
d5 or acquiesces to an exchange of pawns on e5, their structure gets
compromised) 17 dxe5 Bxe3 18 fxe3 (White has a horrid pawn structure,
but their active pieces compensate for it so White can maintain equality) 18
... Qxb5 19 Bxb5 Nxe5 (the e5-knight is very well placed and blockades
both white e-pawns) 20 Nc3 a5
 Exercise: White has active pieces, while Black has some issues to solve
concerning development. How should Black untangle?

Answer: If White ever places a knight on d5, in order to undouble the

pawns with e4xd5 after an exchange, Black should play ... Bd7 to blockade
the d-pawn, after which the rooks are connected. Should White exchange on
d7, Black recaptures with the knight, maintaining the blockade.
For example: 21 Nd5 (or 21 h3 h6 22 Ncd5 Nxd5 23 Rxd5 f6 and the
e5-knight can never be repelled; even if White wins the a-pawn, Black can
organize counterplay against the doubled e-pawns) 21 ... Nxd5 22 exd5 Bd7
(note how, even though White has undoubled, the central pawns are still
blockaded; it is especially important not to ignore the d-pawn, which can
cause serious problems if not dealt with) 23 Bxd7 Nxd7 24 d6 Rfd8 (Black
achieves an ideal blockade with the knight right in front of the d6-pawn) 25
Rd4 f6 26 Nb5 Ne5 with equality.
16 ... Qc7
 Sidestepping the pin on the b-file and renewing the threat to the d4-
pawn.
17 Rfc1
Kotronias & Ivanov indicate that White retains an initiative. I disagree;
Black needs just a couple moves to untangle.
17 Rbc1 is another way to create pressure on the c-file. After 17 ... Qd6
(Black steps out of the pin) 18 e5 (forcing White to show their cards; White
cannot just sit there with a pretty centre and do nothing, since Black can
develop freely and push the passed a-pawn) 18 ... Qd7 19 Rfd1 Rb8 (Black
needs to chase the white queen from the queenside) 20 Bf3 Na5 21 Qe2
(White avoids entering an endgame since Black has a valuable asset in the
form of a passed a-pawn; this is one of the pros of playing this variation -
endgames tend to favour Black) 21 ... Bb7 22 Nc3 Bxf3 23 Qxf3 Nb3 24
Rb1 Bxd4 25 h3 Nf5, the position is dynamically balanced. It looks as if
multiple pieces are hanging, but the pins prevent a Pacman-style mutual
destruction.
17 ... Qd6!?
Black again gets out of the pin. If need be, the queen can go to a3.
18 e5
The most ambitious option. White increases the pressure on Black’s
loose pieces.
The pawn break d4-d5 must always be considered: 18 d5 Nd4 (the only
logical move; what follows is a semi-forced sequence that, once again,
leads to an equal endgame) 19 Qb4 Qxb4 20 Nxb4 exd5 21 Bxd4 Bxd4 22
Nfxd5 Nxd5 23 Nxd5 Be6
 Question: Black has the bishop pair, plus a passed a-pawn with both
rooks on
the board. Is Black not better?

Answer: No, the position is objectively equal, although I would rather

play Black. The reason is that dealing with the two bishops and the passed
a-pawn in practice is much harder than just letting the engine find
extremely accurate moves when you are analysing. White can force
favourable exchanges to bail out into an equal endgame, but only with
precise moves, something that many of your opponents, even titled players,
might not be able to do in your own games.
After 24 Rb4 Be5 25 Rb5 Rfe8 26 Nb6 axb6 27 Rxe5 Rec8 Black has
an outside passed b-pawn, but it is too far back to cause White real
problems.
18 ... Qa3
White cannot win two pieces for the rook on c6, since the a2-knight is
en prise.
 18 ... Qd7 is also viable. The idea is to slowly unravel the queenside and
then complete development. After 19 Rd1 Rb8 20 Qa4 (ducking discoveries
capturing on d4) 20 ... Qc7 White can consider:
a) 21 Bf3 (eyeing up the c6-knight, so be careful: do not lose this knight
to pins on the open c-file!) 21 ... Bd7 22 Qa3 a5 (again, it is important to
begin pushing this pawn, as it is an asset no matter what phase of the game
we are in) 23 Be4 (keep an eye on this bishop - if you play carelessly, White
could stealthily build up a deadly battery targeting h7) 23 ... Rfc8 (putting
both rooks on open files) 24 Qd3 Ng6 25 Ne2 (logical; it is in White’s best
interests to avoid exchanges, in order not to lose their space advantage and
also avoid an endgame where the passed a-pawn becomes more dangerous
with each exchange) 25 ... Qd8

Exercise: This is a complicated position with all the pieces still on the
board.
What is White’s plan, and what is Black’s plan?
 Answer: White would like to generate either a kingside attack or an
initiative in the centre with a pawnstorm. For the moment this is impossible,
but slowly building up forces on the kingside can yield an eventual attack.
Black needs to counter in the centre and on the queenside by pushing one of
their most important assets, the passed a-pawn.
For example: 26 h3 Be8 (a multi-purpose move, clearing the d-file to
pressurize the d4-pawn and lend support to the f7-pawn and the g6-knight
indirectly; the e8-bishop also reserves the possibility of going to a4 or c6 to
target White’s light squares) 27 Kh1 Nce7 (similar to the Advance Variation
of the Caro-Kann or French, Black aims to place the knights on the juicy
d5- or f5-squares, blockading White’s pawns and controlling many squares)
28 h4 (White tries to create holes in Black’s position by shoving the h-pawn
down their throat) 28 ... Ba4 29 Rd2 h6 30 h5 Nf8 (following the adage that
having a knight on f8 prevents mate) 31 Rdb2 Bc6 and Black manages to
trade off White’s good bishop. Although White has a kingside space
advantage, Black has a passed a-pawn, plus outposts on d5 and f5 for their
knights, which makes the game equal. A tense fight lies ahead.
b) 21 Rbc1 (the most critical reply, pinning the black knight once more)
21 ... Bd7 (the c8-bishop finally enters the game, X-raying the white queen)
22 Qc2 a5 (in these types of positions, it is important to push the passed a-
pawn even in the middlegame, since it can divert White’s forces at an
opportune moment) 23 Qe4 Nf5 24 Bd3 g6 (avoiding accidents on the b1-
h7 diagonal) 25 Ne2 Qa7 and Black continues pressurizing the d4-pawn
with a sharp game ahead. Note that trying to get two pieces for rook and
pawn with 26 Rxc6?? Bxc6 27 Qxc6 Nxd4 28 Qe4 Nxe2+ 29 Bxe2 Bxe3
30 fxe3 Rb2 leaves White busted.
19 Ra1
 19 ... Nxd4
Nerves of steel. But this capture works.
19 ... Bxd4 is also possible and equalizes but involves a queen sacrifice
which might not be to everyone’s taste. Therefore, you can keep this line as
a back-up. After 20 Nc3 Bxe3 21 Rxa3 Bxc1 22 Ra4 a5 (gaining space on
the queenside and threatening ... Ba6) 23 Nh5 (with few pieces defending
the black king, White tries for an attack) 23 ... Ba6 24 Qc5 Bd2 25 Rg4 Ng6
(so many pieces hanging, yet the computer is adamant: “0.00”!) 26 Qxc6
Rfc8 27 Qd7 (the threat of Bxa6 freezes the black rooks due to the
vulnerable back rank; Black needs to chase White’s queen) 27 ... Rd8 28
Qc6 Rdc8 and neither side can avoid the repetition.
20 Bxd4 Bxd4 21 Nc3 Qc5
Remember that, in general, the queen trade helps Black, since White
would no longer have attacking chances.
22 Ncd5
The only move to hold the balance. What follows is forced:
22 ... Qxb5 23 Nxe7+ Kh8 24 Bxb5 Bxa1 25 Rxa1 Rb8
 Question: White has two knights for a rook and pawn. Which side does
this favour?

Answer: Generally, it favours the side with the two pieces in the
middlegame, while in the endgame it favours the rook and pawn. If,
however, neither side has weaknesses, it could favour neither side. This
case is no exception to the rule.
For example: 26 Nxc8 Rxb5! (a bishop on an open board is much more
dangerous than a knight; that is why I recommend taking the b5-bishop
rather than the c8-knight) 27 Rc1 a5 28 Nd6 Rb6 29 g3 a4 30 Ra1 Ra8 31
Nxf7+ Kg8 32 Nd6 a3 33 Nc4 Rb3 34 Ra2 Ra4 35 Rxa3 Raxa3 36 Nxa3
Rxa3 37 Nxe6 Ra6 38 Ng5 h6 39 Ne4 Ra1+ 40 Kg2 Ra2 41 Kh3 Kf7 42 f4
Ke6 and Black is fine way into the endgame, as this long line of analysis
confirms.

B: 13 ... a6!?
 Another possibility at Black’s disposal. The idea is simply to protect the
b5-pawn, in order to no longer worry about it, and go about developing the
rest of the pieces.
14 Nc3
Instead:
a) 14 d5 Qd8 15 Rfd1 exd5 should transpose below.
b) 14 Rfd1 (supporting the d4-pawn which, as we know, tends to come
under heavy pressure) 14 ... Qd6 (getting out of the e3-bishop’s X-rays) 15
Nc3 (White forces Black to part with the a5-bishop, since Nxb5 is also a
threat) 15 ... Bxc3 16 Qxc3 Bb7
 Question: With the bishop pair and an impressive centre, is White
better?

Answer: No, White is not better, but neither is Black. White’s

compensation for the pawn is only enough for equality, nothing more. This
is because: i) Black has two passed queenside pawns, which offset White’s
central plans; and ii) Black has no weaknesses on which White can
capitalize.
For example: 17 Bf4 (White controls d6 to facilitate the advance of the
d-pawn; the immediate 17 d5 leads to an equal position as well: 17 ... exd5
18 Bc5 Qc7 19 Rac1 Rc8 20 Qd2 Ng6 21 Bb4 Qd8 22 Ba5 Qd6 23 Bb4
Qd8) 17 ... Qd7 18 d5 (White has to advance the d-pawn - if Black is
allowed to develop the rest of the queenside unhindered, White could easily
end up worse) 18 ... exd5 19 Be5 f6 (kicking the bishop from its excellent
post on e5) 20 Bg3 Nbc6 21 Nf4 Ne5 (White was threatening to take on d5,
but now Black forces an exchange on d5 such that White ends up with a
blockaded passed d-pawn) 22 Nxd5 Nxd5 23 exd5 Qd6 (the queen is not
usually the best blockader, but here it does a fantastic job) 24 Qe3 Rfc8 25
h3 Rc5 26 f4 Nf7 27 Bf3 b4 28 Bf2 Rb5 29 Rac1 b3 30 Rb1 Bxd5 31 Kh2
Rd8 and Black is certainly not worse.
c) 14 Nf4 Qd8 15 Nb4 (any time White moves the a2-knight such that
the a1-rook is “touching” the a5-bishop, be aware that the black queen can
be overloaded in some situations) 15 ... Bb7

Exercise: White has an interesting sacrifice at their disposal. Can you

find it?

Answer: The sacrifice 16 Nxe6 looks impressive, but leads to no more

than equality. All the same, I recommend that you examine how you should
handle this in a game: 16 ... fxe6 17 Qxe6+ Rf7 18 Nd3 (the knight jump to
e5 would cause serious issues; therefore, Black must avoid it) 18 ... Bc7 19
Nc5 Bc8 (Black’s position looks ugly, but White only has one pawn for the
sacrificed knight) 20 Qa2 Nbc6 21 Rad1 Na5 22 d5 Qd6 (forcing White to
weaken their kingside in order to pressurize the a7-g1 diagonal) 23 f4 Bb6
(the c5-knight is under pressure; what follows is all forced) 24 e5 Qg6 25
Bf2 Nc4 26 d6 Bxc5 27 Bxc5 Nf5 28 Bf3 Bb7, when White has
compensation for the knight in the form of two connected central passed
pawns, but again for no more than equality.
14 ... Qd8 15 Rfd1
Let us see what happens if White tries to push d4-d5 without a rook on
the d-file: 15 Nf4 Bb7 (15 ... Nbc6 16 d5 e5! 17 dxc6 exf4 is also possible)
16 d5 (without this advance White’s play would make no sense) 16 ... exd5
17 Ncxd5 Nxd5 18 Nxd5 Bxd5 19 exd5 Nd7 (the mass exchanges have
simplified the position to some degree; despite the bishop pair, White gets
no more than equality, since the knight on d7 blockades the passed d-pawn
well) 20 d6 Bb6 21 Bf4 Qf6 22 Bg3 Nc5 23 Qb1 Ne6 and with the d-pawn
blockaded, Black just needs to place a rook on d8.
15 ... Bb7

The pressure on e4 starts to mount rapidly.

16 d5
Again, White is almost obliged to push the d-pawn.
b) 16 Bf3? (this renders White’s centre pawns immobile) 16 ... Bb6 17
Nf4 Nd7 18 Nce2 Ng6 19 Ng3 Nxf4 20 Bxf4 Qe7, planning ... e6-e5 and
White has insufficient compensation. Remember that when Black achieves
the ... e6-e5 lever, White’s central structure often gets stuck.
a) 16 Nf4?! Bb6 17 Rac1 Nd7 18 Bf3 Ng6 19 Nxg6 hxg6 20 Qa3 Nf6
21 Bg5 Qd7 22 d5 e5 and again White’s central structure is stuck. The f3-
bishop serves no purpose, and the central dark squares are problematic for
White.
16 ... exd5 17 Nf4
Augmenting the pressure on d5 so that White can get a well-placed
knight on d5.
If 17 Nxd5 Nxd5 18 exd5, the d-pawn is now weaker and can be
blockaded by ... Nd7 and ... Bb6. White will place the other rook on c1 and
try to infiltrate with Rc7, so it is worth watching out for this plan: 18 ... Bb6
19 d6 Bxe3 20 Qxe3 Nd7 (the d7-knight occupies the most favourable
blockading square: right in front of the passed pawn) 21. Nf4 Qb6 22 Rac1
Qxe3 23 fxe3 Rfd8 24 Rc7 Rab8 25 Rd4 g6 26 h4 Kg7 and Black is slightly
better.
17 ... Bb6
Remember that the more pieces Black can exchange, the more
dangerous the passed a- and b-pawns will be.
18 Nfxd5 Nxd5 19 Nxd5
This was the point of White’s play; the knight on d5 controls a massive
number of squares, but Black manages to exchange yet another pair of
pieces.
19 ... Bxe3 20 Qxe3 Nd7
 Question: This position looks scary; it seems as if the black pieces trip
over
one another. Should Black be scared?

Answer: No, Black should not be scared. Many times White has
compensation for the sacrificed pawn, yet for no more than equality. Black
can untangle with accurate moves to avoid accidents related to discovered
attacks after the d5-knight jumps somewhere.
21 e5
Instead:
a) 21 Bg4?! (White threatens the deadly Bxd7, winning a piece, due to
Nf6+ after the recapture ... Qxd7) 21 ... Ne5 22 Qc5 (threatening yet again
to win the game on the spot, so the d5-knight must be eliminated at all
costs) 22 ... Bxd5 23 Rxd5 Qh4 24 Bf5 Ng6 25 g3 Qf6 and White has
insufficient compensation for the pawn.
b) 21 Rac1 (threatening a dangerous invasion on c7, so Black has to
trade rooks) 21 ... Rc8 22 Rxc8 Bxc8 23 Qa7 (trying to soften up Black’s
underbelly) 23 ... Kh8 24 f3 Qg5 25 f4 Qg6 and White’s centre pawns are
starting to feel the fire.
21 ... Re8

Black pressurizes the e5-pawn such that the only way of defending it is
to weaken the a7-diagonal by advancing the f-pawn: 22 f4 Bxd5 23 Rxd5
Qb6 (achieving a much-desired queen trade) 24 Qf2 Qxf2+ 25 Kxf2 Nf8 26
Rd6 g5! and White’s big central pawn phalanx gets undermined.

C: 13 ... Nbc6!?
 I spent days analysing this interesting move, which Kotronias & Ivanov
do not cover in their excellent repertoire book. Black is unafraid of the e3-
bishop’s X-rays and simply develops more pieces, pressurizing d4 in the
process.
Note once again that there are no games at all with this variation,
neither over-the-board nor by correspondence. What follows is pure
analysis.
14 Rfd1
A fairly straightforward and logical move; White shores up the defence
of the d-pawn, renewing the threat to the b5-pawn, while centralizing one of
the rooks.
Several other options also need to be examined:
a) 14 Bxb5?? simply drops the d-pawn: 14 ... Nxd4 and White is already
lost.
b) 14 Qxb5 is a very natural move that you could easily see in one of
your games. White regains sacrificed the pawn immediately, hoping to end
the anxiety of when the next opportunity might arise: 14 ... Qxb5 (the
advance d4-d5 was a threat; in any case, it makes sense to trade into an
endgame, where Black has the great asset of a passed a-pawn, while
avoiding White’s potential initiative and attack on the kingside) 15 Bxb5
Bb6 16 Rfd1 Rd8 17 d5 Bxe3 18 fxe3 exd5 19 exd5 Bg4 20 Bxc6 Nxc6 21
Rdc1 Ne5 should be holdable for White, but what a torture it would be.
c) 14 d5? looks critical but is in fact an error, as Black has an obvious
way to parry the double attack: 14 ... Nd4 (the only move, but a good one)
15 Bxd4 Qxd4 16 Qxb5 Bb6 17 Nb4 Rb8 and Black is clearly better.
d) 14 Nc3 (White can gain the bishop pair this way, since the pressure is
mounting on the b5-pawn) 14 ... Bxc3 15 Qxc3 b4 16 Qb2 (White lines up a
barrage of X-rays on the black forces)

Question: It looks like Black is playing materialistically, while White

has the
two bishops and a potential attack on the kingside. Why is this position
fine for Black?

Answer: It is true that White has the bishop pair and a big centre, but
Black has an extra pawn. It requires precision not to end up destroyed in the
centre, but if Black reacts correctly, they will have a slight advantage. Let
us see:
16 ... Qb8 (I prefer this option, ducking out of X-rays on the a7-g1
diagonal; now the advance ... a7-a5 is in the air, which would support the
passed b4-pawn) 17 Nf4 (still trying for d4-d5; care is needed from Black,
since problems could arise if White manages to advance the pawn all the
way to d6 unhindered) 17 ... a5 (remember to push your own pawns; the
most that White can get, unless Black makes a serious error, is one passed
d-pawn, whereas Black has two passed pawns on a5 and b4 and should use
them) 18 d5 exd5 19 exd5 Ne5 20 Bc5 (the usual pin; I recommend
stepping out immediately to avoid any tricks) 20 ... Re8 21 d6 Nf5 22 Nd5
Nxd6 23 Nb6 Nd7!? and Black returns the pawn with a slight edge.
e) 14 Rad1 is a highly logical move. White develops all of their pieces,
shores up defence of the d4-pawn, and centralizes the a1-rook; d4-d5 is now
in the air: 14 ... Qb8 (Black backs out of the X-rays from the e3-bishop and
prepares the arrival of the rook on d8) 15 d5 (the thing with the nice-
looking full centre is that White has to advance the pawns to make
something of it; leaving the pawns on d4 and e4 simply means they will
come under heavy fire from Black’s forces) 15 ... exd5 16 exd5 Ne5
 Exercise: The d4-d5 advance opens the c8-h3 diagonal for the light-
squared
bishop. White needs to divert Black’s attention from the crippling ...
Bxh3. How?

Answer: White has to create an initiative, trying to uncoordinate Black’s

pieces: 17 Bc5 (when White concentrates forces in the centre, Black needs
to know how to react accurately in order to achieve equality) 17 ... Re8
(getting out of the pin and protecting the e7-knight; it is worth knowing that
if White slows down, the d5-pawn can prove to be weak - you will have
noticed that whoever takes their foot off the accelerator can get punished
very quickly) 18 Qa3 (White attacks two pieces simultaneously, forcing a
temporary retreat) 18 ... Bd8 19 Bd6 (a lot of times things can look
treacherous, but in fact the engine indicates that White has to find all these
moves just to keep the balance) 19 ... b4! (for every blow, there is a
counterblow) 20 Qa4 Bd7 21 Qa6 Bc8 22 Qa4 Bd7 and White must
acquiesce to the repetition.
 14 ... e5

This push gives excellent counterplay. Often Black needs to break with
... e6-e5 to fix the white central structure, open the c8-h3 diagonal for the
light-squared bishop, and provoke dark-square weaknesses in White’s
camp.
15 dxe5
White captures on e5 with tempo, attacking Black’s queen
simultaneously.

Exercise: With 15 d5 White seemingly gains space with tempo,

attacking two
of Black’s pieces. Why is this inaccurate?

Answer: This natural-looking advance allows Black to weaken White’s

dark squares: 15 ... Nd4 (the only viable reply since two pieces were
attacked, but now Black gets the two bishops) 16 Bxd4 exd4 17 Ng5 (White
places the knight here with various tricks in the air after, for example, the
advance d5-d5) 17 ... Ng6 (the knight eyes up e5 and f4) 18 Qxb5 Nf4 19
Bf1 Bg4 and Black is slightly better.
15 ... Be6!
Black offers a pawn in order to develop more pieces.
16 Qb2
If White takes the pawn, Black just trades queens and ends up with
sufficient compensation: 16 Qxb5 Qxb5 17 Bxb5 Rfb8 18 Be2 Bb6 19 Nf4
Bxe3 20 fxe3 Nxe5.
16 ... Qb8
The queen dodges the attack from the e3-bishop. Now Black threatens
to destroy White’s kingside by exchanging on h3.
17 Bc5
Instead, 17 Ng5 threatens to gain the bishop pair, followed by attacking
the black king. I suggest simply moving the bishop out of the way and
offering an exchange: 17 ... Bc4 18 e6 (this was the point of Ng5 - it looks
scary but peters out to an equal position) 18 ... fxe6 19 Bxc4 bxc4 20 Qe2
(White plans to take on c4 to attack e6 thereafter) 20 ... Rf6 (protecting e6)
21 Qxc4 Ne5 22 Qe2 Bb6 and material equality has been re-established.
Black has an isolated e-pawn but also a passed a-pawn that could prove
dangerous in any endgame. The position is therefore equal.
 Exercise: With the text White pins the e7-knight, in a way paralysing
the
black camp. How should Black respond?

17 ... Bxh3
Answer: In most cases, whenever you see a white knight on h3 and you
can shatter White’s structure by taking it, you should do so. Exchanging
pieces both alleviates White’s chances for an initiative and gains
counterplay on the kingside.
18 gxh3
White now has the two bishops, but their structure is disgraceful.
18 ... Bc7
The black queen and bishop battery targets both the e5-pawn and the
h2-pawn behind it. Play is incredibly sharp and the position unbalanced,
meaning that both sides have chances to win the game.
19 Bd6
 Plugging the b8-h2 diagonal and somewhat stabilizing the centre. I
suggest that Black divert White’s forces with another pawn sacrifice:
19 ... b4
White has to accept, as ... b4-b3 would be quite unacceptable.
20 Nxb4 a5

Question: What is the whole point of the sacrifice? There seems to be

no
clear-cut follow-up.

Answer: Black’s idea is to disrupt White’s forces. The b4-knight

definitely cannot jump to a6, c6 or d5. This causes a break in coordination
which Black can exploit to divert White from using the bishop pair to
generate an initiative.
21 Qd2
The best response. Note how counter-intuitive this move looks; White
leaves the b4-knight, which is attacked three times, hanging. This is an
example of just how tactical this entire variation can be.
 Giving the bishop pair away with 21 Bxc7 guarantees White no more
than equality: 21 ... Qxc7 22 Nd5 Nxd5 23 exd5 Qxe5 (without this detail
Black would be in serious trouble) 24 Qxe5 Nxe5 25 d6 Rfd8 26 Bb5
(White tries to ram the d-pawn through Black’s camp) 26 ... Nd7 27 Bc6
Rac8 28 Bxd7 Rxd7 29 Rxa5 g6 30 Rad5 Rc3 and the endgame is dead
drawn despite White’s extra pawn. There is no way for White to make
progress, especially with a fractured kingside structure.
21 ... axb4
This simple capture leads to an exchange of pieces and eventual
equality.
22 Rxa8 Qxa8 23 Bxc7 Ng6
White has the two bishops in an open position, plus an extra pawn. On
paper, this sounds horrible for Black. I must reiterate that generalizations do
not suffice in an actual game; concrete details always take precedence.
24 h4 Nxh4 25 Bd6 Rd8

Black is threatening to take the e5-pawn due to the pin. Note that
White’s bishops do not dominate the open board, even if it seems like they
should. Stockfish 15 gives a perhaps stereotypical evaluation: “0.00”.
 After that long examination of the critical 11 Na2 variation, let us now
see what has been played in actual practice.

Game 1
S.Tsolakidou-Dac.Lin
US Masters, Charlotte 2021

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6

This recent discovery is our starting position for this chapter.

7 Be2
As we have seen in the theoretical section above, this quiet-looking
move is actually critical. We’ll examine other options - 7 b3, 7 Nd5, 7 Be3,
7 Qh5, and so on - in subsequent games.
7 ... e6 8 Nh3 Bb4
Pinning the c3-knight renders the e4-pawn vulnerable after ... Bb7
and/or ... Nf6. IM Robert Ris covers this in Queen’s Gambit Accepted: 3.e4
b5 Caveman Style and quotes this game in particular, so we know that
Black is in good hands here.
9 0-0
White can also try to play normally, but by delaying castling first:
a) 9 Bf3 Ne7 will almost certainly transpose below; for example, after
10 Be3 0-0 White has nothing better than 11 0-0.
b) 9 Be3 a5!? (protecting the b4-bishop and threatening to advance ...
a5-a4-a3; instead, 9 ... Ne7 10 0-0 would return to the main line, since 10
d5? Bc5 is just bad for White) 10 d5 (now 10 0-0 Ne7 would transpose to
10 ... a5!? in the main line) 10 ... Qb7 11 dxe6 Bxe6 (White must do
something quick to justify eschewing castling and avoiding ... Bxh3) 12
Nf4 Nf6 13 Ne5 (hoping to create chaos on the a8-h1 diagonal) 13 ... Nd5
(the pin on the c3-knight permits this knight jump) 14 Bf3 (this accurate
move maintains equality - not so attractive if White wants to gain an
opening advantage) 14 ... Nxe3 15 fxe3 Nc6 16 Be4 Bxc3+ 17 bxc3 Qb6
(getting out of the pin with tempo) 18 Nxe6 fxe6 19 Bxc6+ Qxc6 20 0-0 a4
21 Qh5+ g6 22 Qh4 Rd8 23 Qf6 Kd7! 24 Rad1+ Kc8 25 Rd6 Rxd6 26 exd6
Rd8 27 Qxe6+ Kb8 28 Rb1 Rxd6 29 Qe5 Ka7 and after the smoke has
cleared, Black has an extra and passed pawn, but the king is too exposed to
capitalize on that advantage.
9 ... Ne7
 10 Be3
Other moves:
a) 10 Kh1? is a waste of time. In sharp positions, neither side can afford
such luxuries. For example: 10 ... 0-0 11 Be3 a5 (ambitious; Black protects
the b4-bishop and readies ... a5-a4-a3 should White be busy on the
kingside) 12 Nf4 Na6 13 d5 Bc5 14 b3 Bxe3 15 fxe3 Nc5 16 bxc4 b4 and
Black is clearly better with the connected passed pawns.
b) 10 e5? is clearly premature, as it creates weaknesses on the light
squares: 10 ... Nbc6 (immediately targeting the d4-pawn) 11 Be3 Nf5
(increasing the pressure; this move would be impossible had White not
advanced e4-e5) 12 Bf3 Bb7 13 g4 (rash, but there was no other way to
alleviate the pressure on d4) 13 ... Nxe3 14 fxe3 Rd8 and Black is clearly
better with the superior structure, the bishop pair, and an extra pawn.
c) 10 Bf3?! (as we’ll see in the main game, the white bishop is not well
placed here) 10 ... a5 (10 ... e5!? looks promising too, while 10 ... 0-0 11
Be3 transposes below) 11 Be3 Ra6 12 Na2 0-0 13 Nxb4 axb4 14 Qd2 Ng6
15 Qxb4 Nc6 16 Qc3 Rxa1 17 Rxa1 e5 with an initiative for Black.
 d) 10 Na2 has the same idea as in the theoretical main line. In this case
White tries the manoeuvre early, without first developing the c1-bishop. As
before, 10 ... Ba5 is the best response, safeguarding the dark squared
bishop: 11 b4 (forcing the exchange of pawns on b3 en passant) 11 ... cxb3
12 Qxb3 0-0. Now if White places the bishop on e3, we transpose to the
main line. Instead:
d1) 13 Ba3? looks scary, but Black can just develop and protect the e7-
knight simultaneously: 13 ... Nbc6 (now what? Black threatens the d4-pawn
and ... b5-b4, shutting down the a3-bishop) 14 Rad1 (indirect protection,
since taking on d4 would hang the e7-knight) 14 ... b4 15 Bb2 Ng6, when
Black threatens to force the exchange of their bad bishop with ... Ba6,
pressure the d4-pawn with ... Rad8, and keep the extra pawn.
d2) 13 Rd1 Bb7 (developing with tempo) 14 Be3!? sacrifices the e4-
pawn. This is the first choice of Stockfish 15 and should undoubtedly be
taken seriously.

Question: Why sacrifice the e-pawn?

 Answer: White hopes to gain a vicious initiative after the d4-d5
advance, attacking Black’s queen in the process.
The only critical response is to accept. There is no way that we can let
White bully us around trying to bluff: 14 ... Bxe4 15 d5 Qd6 16 Qxb5
(White regains one of the sacrificed pawns, attacking the a5-bishop at the
same time; my analysis coincides with Kotronias & Ivanov’s in their book,
as this is all very sharp and forced) 16 ... Bc7 (with the obvious threat of ...
Qxh2+) 17 Bf4 e5 (remember this counter-advance when White has already
played d4-d5; note how the white d-pawn is blockaded, obstructing entry
points to Black’s camp) 18 Bg5 and now:

d21) 18 ... Bb6 (Kotronias & Ivanov’s choice) 19 Nc3 Bf5 (the bishop
was en prise; now it has the choice of either retreating to d7 to blockade the
d-pawn or taking on h3 to destroy White’s structure - whether one or the
other is correct depends on how White reacts) 20 Bxe7 Qxe7 21 d6 (White
has to keep up with extremely aggressive moves to justify the odd aspects
of their position, such as the offside h3-knight and slightly loose d-pawn)
21 ... Qh4 22 Nd5 Bd7 23 Qc4 (if Black exchanges queens, their queenside
pieces would have serious issues getting into the game; the best option is to
parry this threat by blocking) 23 ... Bd4 (now Black can develop the
queenside; White has to prevent this at all costs, even material, so the next
move is thus obvious) 24 Rxd4! Qxd4 25 Qxd4 exd4 26 Ne7+ Kh8 27 Bf3
(Black has to return the exchange, but it just leads to an equal endgame) 27
... Bxh3 28 Bxa8 Be6 29 Rd1 Rd8 30 Rxd4 g6 31 Bc6 a5 32 f4 Kg7 and the
d6-pawn has no hopes of queening, despite how dangerous it looks, since
Black controls the blockading d7-square three times.
d22) 18 ... Nf5 (I offer this move as an alternative; the idea is ... Nd4 to
cause problems in White’s rearguard, together with ... Bc2) 19 Nc3 (what
follows is the computer’s line, which is forced) 19 ... Bc2 20 Qb7 (White
plays ambitiously attacking Black’s a8-rook, while the d1-rook is left en
prise) 20 ... Nd4 21 Qxa8 Bxd1 22 Rxd1 (White is a piece up, but only
temporarily) 22 ... Ba5 (now we see that the e2-bishop is overloaded; White
cannot hang on to the extra material) 23 Rxd4! (the cleanest way to
preserve the balance) 23 ... exd4 24 Nb5 Qb4 (threats such as ... Qe1+ and
... d4-d3 are in the air) 25 Bf1 (pre-empting ... d4-d3) 25 ... a6 26 d6 d3 27
Bxd3 axb5 28 Be7 Rc8 29 Bf1 Bd8 30 d7 Nxd7 31 Qxc8 Qxe7 32 Bxb5
Nf6 33 g3 g6 34 Nf4 Kg7 35 Qc3 Qe4 36. Bc6 Qb1+ 37 Kg2 Bc7 and the
game - finally! - peters out to a completely equal position.
10 ... 0-0
10 ... a5!? is an interesting alternative.
 Question: What exactly is the point of this move?

Answer: Black protects the b4-bishop in advance and plans to place the
knight on a6 to plug the a-file. It also prevents White fixing the queenside
and pressurizing the a-pawn, and allows Black to play ... Ba6 in the future,
with the aim of protecting the pawn chain.
White’s most serious plan is to undermine the queenside via 11 Na2
Na6 12 b3, when Black has to be careful to not let the pawn chain collapse:
12 ... cxb3 13 Qxb3 0-0 14 Nxb4 Nxb4 (if White does nothing, Black will
place the bishop on b7 to pressurize the e4-pawn and complete
development) 15 d5 Qb7 16 d6 Nec6
 Question: This position looks like a complete mess. What exactly is
going on
here, and how should I handle this in a tournament game?

Answer: Let us see:

a) 17 Nf4 e5 (fixing the white structure; this is one pawn lever that you
must remember - it prevents all sorts of shenanigans, especially the advance
e4-e5 and the skewer Bf3) 18 Nd5 (this knight is very bothersome,
threatening jumps to b6, c7, e7 and even f6 in some cases; most of the time
you should eliminate it as soon as possible, unless there is a specific reason
not to) 18 ... Nxd5 19 exd5 Nb4 (it is true that Black has a delay in
development, so I recommend getting the c8-bishop quickly into the game,
most likely with ... Bd7, followed by bringing the rooks to the central files
or the open c-file) 20 Bd2 Bd7 21 Qg3 Kh8 (getting out of the pin on the g-
file, avoiding any type of Bh6 threats) 22 Qxe5 Rfe8 23 Qh5 (White
threatens to take on b4 and f7; the best way to deal with this is to move the
king back again) 23 ... Kg8 24 Rfc1 Qb6 25 Bxb4 axb4 26 Rxa8 Rxa8 27
Qe5 b3 28 Bd1 b2 29 Qxb2 Qxd6 and the two passed pawns balance each
other, which makes the game equal.
b) 17 f4 (a very ambitious plan to advance the central and kingside
pawns as far as possible, especially e4-e5, which would create a huge pawn
chain extending deep into Black’s territory) 17 ... Rd8 18 Rad1 (the
immediate 18 e5 is too hasty, since Black can just shove the queenside
pawns: 18 ... a4 19 Qb2 Nd5 20 Bc5 b4 and White’s d6/e5/f4 impressive-
looking pawn chain is useless, while Black’s a- and b-pawns are very
dangerous) 18 ... a4 19 Qc3 a3 20 f5 e5 21 f6 Bxh3 22 gxh3 g6 23 Qd2 Na6
24 h4 a2 25 h5 Nc7 26 hxg6 hxg6 27 Bc5 Ne8 28 Qg5 Nd4 29 Bxd4 exd4
30 e5 Qe4 with chaos but dynamic equality, in view of 31 Bf3 Qe3+ 32
Qxe3 dxe3 33 Bxa8 e2.
11 Bf3
This is the only known game in all the databases that I checked.
However, the f3-bishop accomplishes little on the a8-h1 diagonal, since
Black can simply block and develop with ... Bb7. White should prefer 11
Na2!, as analysed in the preceding theoretical section.
Note that 11 d5? is hasty and weakening, as after 11 ... Bc5 it is hard for
White to get compensation with such weak dark squares. White has to pick
their poison:
 a) 12 Bh5 (this move is odd but has the idea of pressurizing f7) 12 ... a5
13 Bxc5 Qxc5 14 Ng5 g6 15 Be2 h6 16 Nf3 exd5 17 exd5 Nf5 and the
position has stabilized, with White having no initiative at all.
b) 12 Nf4 (a rather typical knight jump, trying to put more pressure on
the e6-pawn) 12 ... a5 (Black starts advancing on the queenside - a typical
and often necessary plan in these positions) 13 dxe6 Bxe6 14 Nxe6 fxe6
(with the f-file now open, the pressure on f2 increases) 15 Qd2 Ng6 16
Bxc5 Qxc5 17 Qe3 Qc6 18 g3 Nd7 and again the centre has stabilized, with
Black ready to push the 3-1 queenside majority.
c) 12 Bxc5 Qxc5 13 Nf4 gives White a slight development advantage,
with ideas of softening up the b5/c4 chain as well as weakening the e6-
pawn. The following variations will try to determine whether these factors
are enough to compensate for the sacrificed pawn and weak dark squares:
c1) 13 ... a6 (overprotecting the b5-pawn ahead of any b2-b3 advance or
other tries to weaken the pawn chain) 14 Bg4 (White increases the pressure
on e6, forcing Black to make a decision) 14 ... exd5 15 exd5 Ng6 16 Nxg6
hxg6 17 Bxc8 Rxc8 leaves Black with an extra pawn, and I see no clear
way of White getting enough compensation. For example, 18 Ne4 Qb6 19
Qg4 f5 20 Qh3 Nd7 21 Ng5 Nf8 plugs all the entry points to Black’s camp,
who just has to pressurize the d5-pawn and centralize the rooks.
c2) 13 ... a5 is also absolutely fine, preparing to advance the queenside
pawns as soon as possible. However, this involves an exchange sacrifice
which may not be to everyone’s taste. Nevertheless, here is my analysis: 14
b4! (the only critical option to try to punish Black’s previous move) 14 ...
Qxb4 (Black has to take with the queen due to the pin on the a-file) 15 Qd4
(White plans to push the d-pawn as far as possible) 15 ... Qd6 (the black
queen retreats and attacks the f4-knight, forcing the e4-e5 advance) 16 e5
Qd7 17 Qe3 exd5 (if White doesn’t do something drastic, Black will start
pushing all four pawns with huge consequences) 18 Nfxd5 (the only way to
justify White’s play, drawing the black queen to the a8-h1 diagonal) 18 ...
Nxd5 19 Nxd5 (Black has many holes in the rearguard and is behind in
development, while the d5-knight is ready to jump to various squares, each
with their own consequences; therefore Black must take this knight
immediately) 19 ... Qxd5 20 Bf3 Qd7 21 Bxa8 Qc7 22 Rfd1 Be6 and Black
has more than enough for the exchange, in view of two extra pawns, a mass
on the queenside, active pieces, and the slightly weak e5-pawn.
11 ... Bb7
Alternatively:
a) 11 ... e5 is perhaps the simplest answer. Black locks White’s centre
for once and for all. The threat of ... Bxh3, destroying White’s kingside
structure, is now in the air: 12 dxe5 (12 d5? Qb7 is very bad for White) 12
... Bc5 (with the queen attacked Black obviously cannot take on h3
immediately) 13 Nd5 (the most ambitious possibility, forcing Black to enter
a highly sharp position) 13 ... Nxd5 14 exd5 Bxh3 15 d6 (this intermezzo
gives White a scary-looking pawn chain in the centre but not an actual
advantage) 15 ... Nc6 16 gxh3 Rae8 with equality in an imbalanced
position.
b) 11 ... Nd7!? is also interesting, delaying the development of the
bishop. The idea is to leave open the possibility of ... e6-e5 and ... Bxh3,
crippling White’s kingside. In response White reverts to the most dangerous
plan, trying to sideline Black’s dark squared bishop and, perhaps later, the
rest of Black’s pieces on the queenside: 12 Na2 Ba5 13 b4 (forcing the
usual exchange on b3 en passant) 13 ... cxb3 14 Qxb3 (Black has to watch
out for either pawn advance, d4-d5 or e4-e5) 14 ... Qb8 (I prefer retreating
the queen out of the scope of the e3-bishop; if White does nothing
productive, soon comes ... e6-e5, fixing White’s central structure and
activating the c8-bishop) 15 Nb4 (White threatens all sorts of rubbish with
jumps to a6 or c6, as well the a5-bishop) 15 ... Bxb4 16 Qxb4

Question: White has the two bishops, and the e7-knight is en prise.
How can
this possibly be worse for White?

Answer: White has superficial advantages that do not amount to

anything concrete. Black just needs to complete development and those two
passed pawns will count.
For example: 16 ... Ng6 (safeguarding the e7-knight and threatening to
fix the pawn structure with ... e6-e5; thus White tries to divert Black’s
attention) 17 Be2 (the b5-pawn is under attack but is defended with relative
ease) 17 ... a6 18 Rfc1 Nb6 (if allowed, ... Bb7 and ... Nf4 will soon follow)
19 Ng5 h6 20 Nf3 (White wants to break with d4-d5, so it makes sense to
take time to prevent it using prophylactic measures) 20 ... Nd7 21 Bd3 Bb7,
and ... f7-f5 comes next.

12 Nf4
White centralizes the sidelined knight, getting ready to fire on all
cylinders with a central break.
a) 12 d5 is a typical option that we shall see time and time again.
However, there is a certain twist in this precise position: 12 ... Bc5 13
Ra5!?. This insane-looking suggestion is Stockfish’s first move; the idea is
to attack the b5-pawn, and if Black captures on a5, White will capture on
c5, aiming for compensation in the form of the bishop pair. However, the
engine also finds the solution to this bizarre sacrifice: 13 ... Qxa5 14 Bxc5
(threatening both black pieces on the a3-f8 diagonal) 14 ... Qc7 (retreating
with tempo, while safeguarding the e7-knight and f8-rook) 15 Ba3 exd5 16
exd5 (the threat of d5-d6 is renewed) 16 ... Qd7 17 Ng5 a5, intending ... b5-
b4, forking White’s pieces or shutting down the a3-bishop.
 b) 12 Qe2 connects the rooks. Normally White brings the f1-rook to d1
to guard the d4-pawn and support the d4-d5 advance, but that looks too
slow after Black’s reply: 12 ... Ng6 13 d5 (White cannot allow Black to fix
the central structure with ... e6-e5) 13 ... Bc5 14 b4 cxb3 15 Bxc5 Qxc5 16
Qxb5 Qxb5 17 Nxb5 a5 and Black is better; note that 18 Nc7 Ra7 19 Nb5
Ra6 avoids the attempted repetition.
12 ... Rd8
The rook puts X-rays on the white queen. 12 ... Nd7 is interesting here
too, because there is no rook on d8 to block. The idea is to break in the
centre with ... e6-e5 as usual. If White tries to anticipate this by pushing the
d4-pawn, the dark squares in the centre get weakened, especially c5 and d4.
For example: 13 d5 Bc5 14 dxe6 Bxe3 15 fxe3 Nc5 16 e5 Bxf3 17 exf7+
Rxf7 18 Qxf3 Rd8 with perhaps a slight advantage to Black.
13 Qe2
White connects the rooks and leaves d1 vacant for one of them. The
plan is to break in the centre with either d4-d5 or e4-e5, trying to overrun
Black like a column of Soviet tanks.
13 Qc1 is another way of stepping away from the pin on the d-file. Now
the d4-d5 break is possible: 13 ... Nd7 (supporting the possibility of ... Bc5
in advance) 14 d5 Bc5 15 dxe6 fxe6 16 Bg4 (targeting the e6-pawn) 16 ...
Nf8 and Black is ready to take on e3. White can regain the pawn by taking
on c5 and e6, but then the position is equal. Both sides have big majorities
in opposite sectors, guaranteeing a sharp and exciting game.
13 ... Nd7?!
As a testament to how complicated this position is, this natural move is
actually inaccurate in this instance. Black needs to have fluid development
with open lines for their pieces. Putting the knight on d7 blocks the d8-rook.
13 ... Ng6 was better, with the idea of exchanging knights on f4,
followed by stabilizing the queenside structure and keeping the extra pawn.
To avoid being diverted from the protection of d4, White’s best response is
to exchange knights: 14 Nxg6 hxg6 15 Rfd1 (White prepares to fire the
cannon: the d4-d5 advance) 15 ... a6 (it is wise not only to redouble the
defence of the b5-pawn but also to take the a-pawn out of range of the e3-
bishop) 16 d5 Qc7 17 e5 Nd7 18 Bd4 Bc5, when I prefer Black. The e5-
pawn is in immediate danger, and the d5-pawn is not far behind.
14 Rfd1?!
In return, White plays a natural move that turns out to be an inaccuracy.
14 d5! was better, interrupting Black’s coordination: 14 ... Bc5 15 dxe6
fxe6 16 Bg4 and in contrast to the note with 13 Qc1 above, in this case the
queen is on e2 where it is more active and can enter the game more easily;
for example, go to g4 after Bh3.
14 ... Nf8
Black reopens the d-file for the d8-rook, which pressurizes the d4-pawn.
The e6-pawn also has added protection.
15 h4
The plan of retreating the knight on a2 to sideline Black’s pieces,
especially the b4-bishop, is ubiquitous in these types of positions. However,
after 15 Na2 Black has an additional option that I prefer in this concrete
position: 15 ... a5! (the b4-bishop is there to stay; if White exchanges on b4,
Black will end up with a huge pawn mass that could prove menacing in any
endgame) 16 b3 (attempting to break up the queenside pawn chain) 16 ...
Qc7 (Black affords the c4-pawn protection and steps out of the e3-bishop’s
crosshairs) 17 bxc4 bxc4 18 Rab1 Rab8 with indirect protection of the b4-
bishop, plus indirect pressure on the e4-pawn.
 Exercise: Should Black advance the a-pawn one or two squares?

15 ... a6
This is sufficient, defending the b5-pawn, but it was more active to push
the a-pawn two squares. Sometimes the choice between ... a7-a6 and ... a7-
a5 is not clear, but here the most active option is to divert White’s attention
by trying to get a passed pawn.
Answer: 15 ... a5! is more energetic, and if 16 g3 a4 17 Bg2 Neg6,
Black has a big advantage. In the future, Black can play for ... a4-a3 to
exchange pawns as well.
16 h5
White tries to soften Black’s defences with the h5-h6 advance. I prefer
to prevent any kingside rubbish with the prophylactic ... h7-h6.
Instead, 16 Nh5 hopes that placing the knight close to Black’s king can
help to generate some sort of attack. You will often see your opponents
make these types of vague aggressive moves; but remember: without
concrete threats, there is no reason to fear. After 16 ... Nfg6 Black prepares
the thematic ... e6-e5, fixing White’s central structure.
16 ... h6 17 d5
White has to make this advance to have any chance of generating
counterplay.
17 ... Bc5
17 ... Qc7 is another viable option, avoiding any problems with the e3-
bishop. If 18 e5 (trying some tricks related to the loose black pieces) 18 ...
Nf5 (avoiding a deadly fork on d6) 19 d6 Qb8 20 Bg4 Nxe3 21 Qxe3 Re8,
White has insufficient compensation for the pawn, and Black also has the
bishop pair.
18 Bxc5
You always must be aware of the pawn exchange on e6, which alters
both sides’ structures. After 18 dxe6 fxe6 19 Bxc5 Qxc5 20 Bg4 Qe5 the
black queen double-tasks, protecting the e6-pawn and pressurizing White’s
e4-pawn.
18 ... Qxc5
 Question: White has more space and more central pawns, while Black’s
minor pieces are stuck on the first two ranks. Does White have enough
compensation for the pawn?

Answer: No, since White has massive dark square holes. Their pieces
look aggressive, but they do little to contribute as a collective to launching
an attack on Black’s king.
19 g3
Here 19 dxe6 opens the d-file, allowing Black to simplify: 19 ... Nxe6
20 Nxe6 fxe6 21 Bg4 e5 22 Qf3 Rd4 and the other rook will soon come to
d8 or f8, when White is under serious pressure.
19 ... e5
The central structure is fixed, and White’s pawns are both stuck on light
squares - a factor that doesn’t favour them, given that they have a light-
squared bishop.
20 Ng2
The knight tries to recycle itself via e3, but there are no entry points to
Black’s camp.
20 ... Nc8 21 Ne3 Nd6
White’s position is so bad that I would say that it is already strategically
lost. Devoid of counterplay and saddled with a bad bishop and multiple
weaknesses, the only way that I can see White surviving is by playing for
tricks.
 22 Bg2 Qc7 23 Nf5 Nd7 24 Ne7+ Kf8 25 Nf5 Nc5 26 Qg4 Nxf5 27
exf5 Rd6 28 Re1
Attacking the e5-pawn. White has to try desperately for counterplay or
else risk getting blown off the board.
28 ... b4?
Too hasty. Black should have protected the e5-pawn to avoid any tricks
and then put pressure on the weak white pawns, especially the ones on d5
and f5. After 28 ... Re8! 29 Re3 Bc8 White is dead lost, even though it may
not seem like it. White has no chance to break through with the f5-f6
advance, while ... b5-b4 comes soon, loosening the d5-pawn even more.
29 f6
29 Nd1 is seriously passive: 29 ... Nb3 30 Ra4 a5 31 Ne3 c3 and the
queenside passed pawns are causing White a real headache.
29 ... Rxf6 30 Ne4 Nxe4
Inserting 30 ... Bc8 was even stronger. Black retreats the bishop to
attack White’s queen and play ... Rb8 to support the queenside pawn
majority. After 31 Qe2 Nxe4 32 d6 (this advance simply fails) 32 ... Rxd6
33 Qxe4 Rb8 34 Qxe5 Be6 35 Rxa6 Rbd8! White has less than nothing for
the pawn.
31 Qxe4 Kg8
31 ... Qc5 was also good.

32 d6?
Absolutely horrible. White was already is deep trouble, but jettisoning
their only source of counterplay, the d5-pawn, means White is dead lost.
Capturing on e5 was relatively best: 32 Qxe5 Qxe5 33 Rxe5 Rd6, though
the d5-pawn remains weak, while Black has a dangerous majority in motion
on the queenside.
32 ... Bxe4 33 dxc7 Bxg2 34 Rad1 Rf8 35 Kxg2 Rc6 36 Rd7 c3 37
bxc3 bxc3 38 Kf3 Kh7 39 Ke4 Rc8 40 Rxf7 R6xc7 41 Rxc7 Rxc7 42 Rc1
c2 43 Kxe5 Kg8 44 Kd4 Kf7 45 f4 Ke6 46 g4 Kd6
Dilly-dallying, but winning in any case. Pushing the passed a-pawn
would have finished the job much earlier.
47 Ke4 Rc4+ 48 Kf5 Kd5 49 g5 Kd4 50 Kg6 hxg5 51 fxg5 Rc5 52 h6
gxh6 53 gxh6 Kc3 54 h7 Rc8 55 Kg7 Kb2 0-1
 The a6-pawn decides the game.

Game 2
S.Tsolakidou-E.Song
Charlotte 2021

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6 7 b3

Question: This looks quite slow. Why is White making pawn moves on
the
queenside instead of developing the kingside pieces?

Answer: White’s idea is to break up the opposing pawn chain as soon as

possible. Should that fall, Black could end up with a significant
development disadvantage.
7 ... e6
Black prepares to put a bishop on b4, pinning the c3-knight, which can
play a dangerous role in pressuring the b5-pawn.
 Question: It looks like Black already has problems with the b5/c4 pawn
chain.
Should we worry?

Answer: No! Black has an extra pawn so, should White win it back,
material equality would only be re-established. Black can use the time to
develop the kingside pieces and pressurize White’s centre.
8 bxc4
White has an impressive-looking centre, with pawns on c4, d4 and e4.
However, the pawns are vulnerable with few white pieces developed.
8 Nf3? is simply poor in this specific position. The queenside is too
unstable to calmly develop the kingside pieces. For example: 8 ... Bb4 9
Bd2 Bxc3 10 Bxc3 b4 11 Bd2 c3 12 Be3 Nf6 13 Ng5 h6 14 e5 hxg5 15
exf6 gxf6 16 Qf3 Bb7 17 Qxf6 Rg8 18 d5 Nd7 19 Bxb6 Nxf6 20 Bb5+ Kf8
21 Bc5+ Kg7 22 dxe6 Rgc8 23 Bxb4 a5 24 Be7 fxe6 25 0-0-0 Bd5 and
Black has a big advantage.
8 ... Bb4
The only serious move. Black develops the f8-bishop, threatens the
knight on c3, and puts immediate pressure on White’s centre.
9 Bd2
White breaks the pin and threatens the b5-pawn once more. Other ways
of defending the c3-knight - 9 Qb3 and 9 Bb2 - are examined in Game 6.
9 ... bxc4
 Black just needs to develop the g8-knight to be able to castle.
Meanwhile, the d4-pawn is en prise.
10 Bxc4
White is not obliged to recapture on c4 straight away. Both 10 Nf3 and
10 Na4 are possible, as we’ll see in Game 5.
10 ... Ne7
The only square for the king’s knight, ducking the e4-e5 advance and so
avoiding losing a tempo. It is true that h7 is slightly weaker than if the
knight had been on f6, but putting it on f6 here is just bad: 10 ... Nf6? 11 e5
Bxc3 12 Bxc3 Qc6? (12 ... Nd5 stops the bleeding a bit, but this is still a
bad position: after 13 Bxd5 exd5 14 Ne2 Black has no counterplay, and the
d5-pawn is terribly weak) 13 Qd3 Qxg2 14 exf6 Qxh1 15 0-0-0 Qxh2 16
fxg7 Rg8 17 d5 and the computer is giving over +5 here. Words cannot
describe how much danger the black king is in, even though Black
miraculously won in H.Martirosyan-P.Ponkratov, World Rapid
Championship, Warsaw 2021.
11 Nge2
 This move has two main functions: i) to defend the c3-knight and
develop the king’s knight, and ii) to protect the d4-pawn. 11 Nf3 would
transpose to Game 5 again.
11 ... 0-0 12 0-0
The forcing 12 Na4 is examined in Game 4.
12 ... a5

Preparing ... Ba6 and protecting the b4-bishop in advance.

13 Be3
Preparing the advance of the d-pawn. White can also play 13 d5
immediately, as we’ll see in the next game.
Another option is 13 Na4 (trying to dislodge Black’s queen from a
relatively stable post) 13 ... Qc6 (this is also Ris’ recommendation in
Queen’s Gambit Accepted: 3.e4 b5 Caveman Style) 14 d5 (always consider
what happens if White pushes the d-pawn in these positions - it is often the
most critical option and can be dangerous if you do not accurately calculate
the consequences; the attempt to preserve the light-squared bishop with 14
Bd3 is thwarted by 14 ... Ba6 15 Rc1 Qe8 16 Bxa6 Nxa6 17 Be3 Rc8 18
Qb3 Rxc1 19 Rxc1 Qb8 with equality, as it is not clear what purpose
White’s nice-looking centre serves, while the black a-pawn could play a
significant role in any endgame) 14 ... exd5 15 exd5 Qxc4 16 Nb6 Qa6 (the
pin on the a-file causes no harm) 17 Bxb4 (or 17 Nxa8 Bxd2 18 Qxd2
Qxa8) 17 ... Qxb6 18 Bxe7 Re8 19 Ba3 Nd7 and Black is fine.
13 ... Ba6
The most direct and most logical continuation is to trade the light-
squared bishops, essentially eliminating White’s best minor piece.
13 ... Qc7, attacking the c4-bishop and X-raying the c3-knight, is also
viable, as ... Ba6 comes soon anyway: 14 Bd3 Ba6 (taking on c3 is useless,
since White pins the bishop with Rc1 and recovers the piece) 15 Rc1
(White sets up nasty discovered attacks with Nd5; it is best to step out of
such dangerous threats) 15 ... Qb7 16 d5 exd5 17 exd5 Bxd3 (not 17 ...
Rd8? 18 Be4 and White’s light-squared bishop lives, something that went
on to haunt Black in H.Martirosyan-L.Aronian, Tal Memorial blitz, Riga
2021) 18 Qxd3 Rd8 19 Rfd1 (White manages to defend the d5-pawn in
time, but it is still under pressure) 19 ... Qa6 (queen trades usually help
Black, as the passed a-pawn becomes harder to stop with fewer pieces on
the board) 20 Qxa6 Nxa6 21 Ra1 Rd7 (Black plans to double rooks on the
d-file and win the d5-pawn; however, White can bail out immediately by
diverting Black’s forces) 22 d6! Rxd6 23 Rxd6 Bxd6 24 Rxa5 and a draw
could be agreed in short order.
14 d5
Attacking Black’s queen and putting pressure on the e6-pawn
simultaneously.
Again, 14 Na4 tries to land Black’s queen in an awkward position, but
being careful saves Black from such an outcome: 14 ... Qc6 15 Bxa6 Qxa6
(with threats extinguished, Black can now develop the rest of the
queenside) 16 d5 Nd7 17 dxe6 Qxe6 sees a change in the structure,
whereby White has a 4-3 majority on the kingside, while Black has an
outside passed a-pawn. Neither side has real weaknesses, making the game
equal. For now, the a5-pawn is blockaded, and Black has play against
White’s e4-pawn.
14 ... Qd6
 15 Qb3
Lending more support to the potentially passed d-pawn, as well as
connecting the rooks. In the next game, White first exchanges on a6 before
developing the queen.
Instead, 15 Bf4 attacks Black’s queen, but the bishop can end up
exposed: 15 ... Qd7 16 Qb3 Bxc4 17 Qxc4 Rc8 (pressurizing White’s pieces
on the c-file) 18 Qd3 Ng6 19 Na4 Qb7 and Black’s queenside pieces are
now ready to join the battle and pressure White’s d-pawn.
15 ... Bxc4
In these types of positions, it is important to exchange the light-squared
bishops, eliminating White’s often most dangerous piece. If it stays on the
board, it could help target h7, or pressurize the e6- and f7-pawns after
withdrawing to a2.
16 Qxc4 Rc8 17 Qb3 exd5 18 Rfd1
Black’s knights have the better prospects, so it was more prudent to
exchange one of them with 18 Nxd5 Nxd5 19 exd5, even though after 19 ...
Nd7 the white d-pawn will be blockaded.
18 ... Nd7?!
 18 ... Qa6! is a stronger here, paralysing the enemy knights. Only when
White invariably takes on d5 should Black blockade with ... Nd7, after
which the other knight can jump to g6, and then to h4. If 19 exd5 Nd7 20
Bf4 (controlling b8 and e5, thus preventing a rook shift to b8 and a knight
jump to e5, which would increase the pressure on White’s position) 20 ...
Ng6 21 Bg3 h5, since ... Nh4 is no longer possible Black resorts to a back-
up plan of shoving the h-pawn. Not only does White lack proper
counterplay, the problem with their knights has still not been solved.
19 exd5?!
19 Nxd5 was again preferable: 19 ... Nxd5 20 exd5 h6 21 Nd4 Ne5 and
Black is only slightly for choice. Due to the absence of light-squared
bishops, Black’s knight has an easier time jumping to c4.
19 ... Nf5

Had White’s bishop still been on the b1-h7 diagonal, this knight jump
would have been impossible.
20 Bd2
One of the problems that White must solve in this line is their two
knights, which are chained to each other like prisoners. If both are under
pressure, neither would be able to move.
Note that should White try to attack the queen with 20 Bf4, Black has a
rather shocking blow: 20 ... Rxc3! (the e2-knight is overloaded, which is
what can happen when two knights get stuck to each other) 21 Qa4 Qf6
(Black has to return the piece, but White loses time recovering it) 22 Qxd7
Rd8 23 Qa4 Rc5 24 d6 g5, when the d6-pawn falls, and White has no
counterplay.
20 ... Qa6
White has all sorts of weaknesses. Black’s knights can jump to almost
every light square in White’s queenside and centre.
21 Bf4?!
Seemingly trying to advance the d5-pawn, but that accomplishes
nothing. White should keep all their pieces protected with something like 21
Ra2, otherwise they can end up in big trouble.
21 ... Nd6?!
Black misses more chances. Having the initiative, one should go
forwards, not backwards! Here 21 ... Rc4!, threatening to double rooks with
... Rac8, stretches White’s knights to the limit: 22 Na2 Bc5 (preparing to
blockade the d5-pawn) 23 Qd3 Nd6 and the a8-rook will soon go to c8 to
help its brother on c4.
22 Bxd6 Qxd6 23 Nb5 Qb6
Once again. 23 ... Qa6 was more accurate, forcing White’s knights to
defend each other with 24 Nbd4, when 24 ... Nf6 targets the d-pawn.
24 Nbd4
 24 ... Re8?!
More inaccuracies. Black should put the bishop on the a7-g1 diagonal
with 24 ... Bc5 to pressurize both the d4-knight and the vulnerable f2-pawn.
25 Qa4
White gains a tempo on the d7-knight, but that accomplishes little. The
d5-pawn cannot just march forward with ease. Instead, 25 Nc3 continues to
reorganize White’s knights, though after 25 ... Rab8 26 Rac1 Qf6 Black’s
own knight is ready to jump to e5, threatening all sorts of shenanigans.
25 ... Nf6 26 Qc6 Qd8 27 Nf4 Rc8?!
Black seems to be losing the thread again. 27 ... Ne4 would have kept
the advantage.
28 Qb5?
The wrong way. 28 Qa6 was the right route.
28 ... Qd6?
This time 28 ... Ne4! (threatening a fork with ... Nc3) 29 Nde2 Qf6
would have won for Black.
29 g3 Ne4 30 Qd3
 30 ... Nc3?
Black continues to miss winning moves. After 30 ... Qf6! Black has too
many threats. Both rooks are ready to penetrate, and ... g7-g5 is coming
next.
31 Nf5 Qd7 32 Nxg7!
White grabs gratefully at the chance to survive.
32 ... Kxg7 33 Nh5+ Kf8 34 Qxh7 Nxd1 35 Qg7+ Ke7 36 Qf6+ Kf8
37 Qg7+ ½-½
There is no way to avoid the repetition.

Game 3
J.Nmec-S.Mannion
Olomouc 2022

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6 7 b3 e6 8 bxc4

Bb4 9 Bd2 bxc4 10 Bxc4 Ne7 11 Nge2 0-0 12 0-0 a5 13 d5
This time White pushes the d-pawn before developing the c1-bishop.
13 ... Ba6
 As said before, it is important to try to trade the light-squared bishops.
White’s bishop can cause Black all sorts of problems, especially on the a2-
g8 and b1-h7 diagonals, the two diagonals that lead directly to Black’s king.
For instance, after 13 ... exd5?! 14 Nxd5 Nxd5 15 Bxd5, White’s light-
squared bishop is indeed too strong. Here one can see how it is easily
White’s most dangerous piece. After 15 ... Ra6 16 Be3 Qd8 17 Nf4 White
converted his advantage in H.Banikas-Ju.Song, Paleochora 2021. I cannot
recommend playing like this, since it is clear that White is having all the
fun.
14 Be3
We now simply transpose to the variation seen in the previous game.
Via this move order White had another option in 14 Ba2, seeking to avoid
the exchange of light-squared bishops.

Now:
a) 14 ... exd5 15 Nxd5 Nxd5 16 Bxd5 Nc6 17 Be3 Qb5?! was played in
D.Yuffa-N.Sunilduth Lyna, Biel 2021, but it is too clumsy. By trying to
hang on to the c6-knight directly, the black pieces get stuck in awkward
positions. After 18 Ng3 Rad8 19 Qg4 Rd6?!, the accurate sequence 20 Nf5
Rg6 21 Qh5 would have given White a serious initiative. I would be
surprised if Black survived more than ten more moves.
Instead, Kotronias & Ivanov give 17 ... Qd8, which matches up with my
own analyses with Stockfish 15 and Leela 28.2. Kotronias & Ivanov extend
the line further with 18 Bxc6 Qxd1 19 Rfxd1 Bxe2 20 Rdb1 Rac8 and so
on, but the main idea is that the game is equal. At the risk of sounding like a
broken record (or cassette tape), White’s central e-pawn compensates for
Black’s outside a-pawn.
b) 14 ... e5! is my preference, fixing White’s central structure. Should a
knight arrive on d6, White’s light-squared bishop would be a very sad piece
indeed. For example: 15 Na4 (critical, asking the question of the black
queen) 15 ... Qd6 (alternatively, 15 ... Qb5 16 Ng3 Nd7 maintains the
tension, leaving the white queen stuck defending the d2-bishop, causing a
slowdown in kingside operations) 16 Bxb4 axb4 (now Black has the open
a-file for both rooks) 17 Nb2 Nd7 (the a6-bishop is causing all sorts of
coordination issues for White, who has nothing better than to try to trade
bishops after all) 18 Bc4 Bxc4 19 Nxc4 Rxa1 20 Qxa1 Qb8 and Black’s
rook is ready to come to c8 to challenge White on the open c-file.
14 ... Qd6 15 Bxa6
Exchanging the light-squared bishops leads to equality, as White has
significantly fewer chances of launching an attack against Black’s king
without this bishop.
15 ... Nxa6
 16 Qb3?!
This is an inaccuracy, leading to White having a weak (albeit passed) d-
pawn. In this position 16 Bf4 is the way for White to maintain equality(!).
White has loose queenside pieces and must stabilize the centre, even if it
means fixing their own pawns on e4 and d5. Then 16 ... e5 helps both sides,
if that makes any sense. The white centre pawns are fixed on light squares,
which means White has a “good” bishop at least; while the outposts on c5
and d4 will be useful for Black. After 17 Be3 Nc5 18 h3 Rfc8 Black can
count on good counterplay.
16 ... exd5
16 ... Nc5 leads to similar positions. For example: 17 Qb1 (17 Qa2 helps
to safeguard the queen a bit but doesn’t help with the other problems in
White’s camp, most notably their loose pieces: after 17 ... exd5 18 Rfd1
Rfc8 19 exd5 Nf5 Black keeps chasing White’s forces) 17 ... Rab8 18 Qc2
Rfc8 and White not only has problems with piece coordination, the queen
has some issues trying to shield herself from the black rooks.
17 Nxd5 Nxd5 18 exd5
 White will end up with a blockaded passed d-pawn no matter what. If
18 Rfd1 Nc5 19 Qxd5 Qxd5 20 exd5 (20 Rxd5 would be fine if the e4-
pawn were not hanging) 20 ... Rfd8, White faces the same situation as in the
game.
18 ... Rfd8
Directly threatening the d5-pawn.
Another plan is to try and redirect the a6-knight to c4 via d7 and e5, in
order to help with the advance of the passed a-pawn. After 18 ... Nc5 19
Qc4 Nd7 20 Rfd1 (lending support to the d5-pawn, one of White’s
important assets) 20 ... Rfc8 (Black arrives first to the open c-file) 21 Qg4
Ne5 22 Qe4 Nc4 23 Bf4 Qf6, the d5-pawn has been stopped in its tracks,
while it is not as easy to prevent the a5-pawn from advancing.
19 Rfd1 Nc5 20 Qc4 Qa6 21 Qg4?!
A queen exchange would extinguish all of White’s attacking chances.
After 21 Qxa6 Rxa6 22 g3 h5 (creating luft for the black king), the game is
equal. White has a passed d-pawn that is going nowhere soon, but neither is
the a5-pawn.
21 ... Qg6 22 Qc4
 22 ... Qa6?!
The most accurate move was 22 ... Ne4!, controlling more central
squares, as well as preparing to blockade the d5-pawn with ... Nd6. But it
seems both players were happy with a draw by repetition.
23 Qg4 Qg6 24 Qc4 ½-½

Game 4
J.Xiong-L.Domínguez Perez
US Championship, St. Louis 2022

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6

This game was played in the US Championship while I was preparing
the manuscript for this book. I was following the tournament and noticed 6
... Qb6 played on the board on the livestream. I knew that it would be
interesting to see what Domínguez had prepared, given that he is one of the
best theoreticians in the world.
7 b3 e6 8 bxc4 Bb4 9 Bd2 bxc4 10 Bxc4 Ne7 11 Nge2 0-0
After a series of logical (and familiar) moves, White induces a forced
sequence.
12 Na4 Bxd2+ 13 Qxd2 Qc6
Attacking both the c4-bishop and e4-pawn, while preparing ... Ba6 to
exchange the light-squared bishops.
14 Bd3 Ba6 15 0-0 Bxd3 16 Qxd3 a5
A key move, which gets the passed a-pawn moving immediately while
preventing White from piling pressure on the pawn with the heavy pieces.
 17 Rfc1
White decides to keep the rooks on the queenside. If 17 Rfd1 Rd8 18
Nec3 Qa6 19 d5 Qxd3 20 Rxd3 exd5 21 Nb6 Ra6 22 Ncxd5 Kf8 23 Rda3
Nbc6 24 h4 h5, each sides has prevented the other from advancing their
passed pawn, and the game is equal.
17 ... Qd6
Making way for the b8-knight.
18 Nb2 Nbc6 19 Nc4 Qb8
This retreat may look odd, but Black wants to avoid auto-pinning on the
c-file after 19 ... Qc7 20 Ne3.
20 Rcb1
After anything like 20 Qd2 Qb4 21 Qd1 Qb5 22 Ne3 Rfd8 23 d5 Nb4
24 Rc7 Ng6 25 Rc4 Rdc8 26 Rd4 h6 27 h3 Kh7, Black has enough
counterplay on the queenside in exchange for White’s play in the centre.
20 ... Qc7 21 h3
If 21 Qc3 Rfd8 22 Rd1 Qb7 23 h3 Qb4, Black has equality due to the
passed a-pawn, pressure on d4, as well as play on the open b- and c-files.
21 ... Rfd8
 In a way, the structure slightly resembles a Semi-Tarrasch; White has
two centre pawns to Black’s one, but Black has an outside passed a-pawn. It
makes sense to stop White from advancing d4-d5 immediately, as it is
easier for them to force the d-pawn through Black’s defences with more
pieces on the board.
22 Qc3 h6
Also possible was 22 ... Rac8 to X-ray White’s pieces on the c-file. If
then 23 Rd1

Exercise: How should Black liquidate the centre?

Answer: Black can take on d4 and then on c4 - a typical trick when

pieces are not defended on the open files: 23 ... Nxd4 24 Rxd4 Rxd4 25
Qxd4 Qxc4 26 Qxc4 Rxc4 27 Rxa5 h5 with an equal endgame.
23 Rb5
White attacks the a5-pawn from the side and can think about Rc5 soon.
Instead, 23 Rd1 overprotects the d4-pawn, and White will try to harass
the a-pawn and/or create some chaos on the kingside. In return Black can
continue to harass White on the c- and d-files: 23 ... Rd7 24 Rab1 Rc8 25
d5 Nb4 26 Ne5 Qxc3 27 Nxc3 Rdd8 28 d6 Ng6 29 Nxg6 Rxc3 30 Ne7+
Kf8 31 e5 Ke8 32 f4 Ra8 reaches a rather odd-looking, level position. What
is happening is that both sides are trying to make the most of their own
passed pawn. White’s is more advanced, but Black’s king can blockade it
quite easily.
23 ... Rac8 24 Ra4 Qd7
One thing that Black (as well as White) should keep in mind is that it is
important to keep attacking the enemy’s vulnerable pawns, as it diverts
attention away from whatever the other side wants to do.
25 Nb6
25 d5 also leads to mass simplifications: 25 ... exd5 26 Nb6 Qb7 27
Nxc8 Qxb5 28 Nxe7+ Nxe7 29 Qxa5 Qxa5 30 Rxa5 dxe4 31 Re5 Rd1+ 32
Kh2 Rd2 33 Rxe4 Nd5 with a very equal endgame.
25 ... Nxd4 26 Nxd4 Rxc3 27 Nxd7 Rxd7 28 Rbxa5 Nc6 29 Ra8+
Kh7 30 Nxc6 Rxc6 31 R4a7 Rxa7 32 Rxa7 f6 33 f3 e5 34 h4 h5 35 Rb7
Rc2 36 Ra7 Rc6 37 Rb7 Rc2 38 Ra7 Rc6 ½-½
There is not much left to do here.

Game 5
W.So-L.Domínguez Perez
FIDE Grand Prix, Berlin 2022

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4. a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6 7 b3 e6 8 bxc4

Bb4 9 Bd2 bxc4 10 Nf3
White delays recapturing on c4 for the moment. Otherwise 10 Bxc4
Ne7 11 Nf3 (rather than 11 Nge2 as in the previous three games) reaches
the same position. The knight on f3 also defends the d-pawn, while there
are more possibilities to create an attack, for example with Ne5 or Ng5.
Another option is 10 Na4, which Gledura covers in his Chessable
course. The idea is to chase Black’s queen and gain a lead in development.
Note that after 10 ... Qb7 11 Bxc4 Qxe4+ 12. Ne2 Bxd2+ 13 Qxd2, taking
on g2 would be reckless and greedy.
 In a practical game, I imagine that Black would get destroyed most of
the time, since it is hard to handle positions where the queen grabs pawns
and the rest of the army stays at home. Instead, Black should mobilize their
pieces to avoid suffering at the hands of White’s initiative:
a) 13 ... Nf6 14 Nac3 Qb7 (there is no way to stop Black from castling
now) 15 0-0 0-0 16 d5 a5 and Gledura stops here, saying that the position is
around equal. My analyses with Stockfish 15 confirm this view, and I add
the following for reference to see how Black should develop: 17 h3 Qb4 18
Ba2 Rd8 and the black pieces are ready to enter the game, such as with ...
Ba6 and/or ... Nc6.
b) 13 ... Ne7 is also possible, controlling both c6 and d5. For example:
14 0-0 0-0 15 Bd3 Qc6 16 Rfc1 Qd6 17 Be4 Nbc6 (plugging the a8-h1
diagonal to avoid problems with the a8-rook) 18 Qf4 (trying to divert Black
from the defence of the c6-knight) 18 ... Qxf4 19 Nxf4 Bd7 20 Nc5 Be8 and
after bringing the a8-rook to either c8 or d8, Black neutralizes White’s
initiative.
10 ... Ne7
 The reason I prefer to delay the development of this knight is to see how
White reacts. Sometimes the knight is better on e7 in order to avoid losing a
tempo after e4-e5.
Note that trying to defend the c4-pawn with 10 ... Ba6?? would be a
huge mistake, since 11 Qa4+! Kf8 (blocking with the b8-knight drops the
a6-bishop) 12 Rb1 Bxc3 13 Rxb6 Bxd2+ 14 Nxd2 axb6 15 Bxc4 is winning
for White.
11 Bxc4
Both sides are ready to get their king out of the centre, which shall
inevitably be where the main battle takes place.
11 ... 0-0
Black should not delay in favour of 11 ... Bb7?, which is in fact a huge
blunder. The black pieces on the b-file are horribly lined up for White to
harass: 12 Na4! Bxd2+ 13 Qxd2 Qc7 14 Rc1 0-0 15 Nc5 Bc6 was
V.Raahul-D.Divya, Guwahati 2022, and now 16 Ng5! leaves Black dead
lost. There are simply too many threats, especially on e6.

12 0-0
 12 Nb5 is ambitious, trying to cause real chaos in Black’s queenside.
However, as in all the lines here, Black equalizes, as we shall see: 12 ...
Nbc6 (the c8-bishop is itching to get to a6 to create problems for White’s
awkwardly-placed b5-knight and c4-bishop) 13 0-0 Ba6 (White has to do
something urgently about the b5-knight) 14 Nd6 Bxc4 15 Nxc4 Qb5 16
Bxb4 Nxb4 (the game is in a delicate balance of one or two tempi; accurate
moves are required by both sides to maintain equality) 17 Qa4 (a little
tactical sequence that liquidates the game) 17 ... Qxc4 18 Rfc1 (Black can
no longer hang on to the loose b4-knight, and must therefore return the
piece) 18 ... Qd3 19 Qxb4 Rfe8 20 Qb1 Qxb1 21 Rcxb1 Reb8 slightly
resembles a Semi-Tarrasch endgame, with even chances.
12 ... a5
A multi-purpose move, which has the double aim of trading bishops
with ... Ba6, as well as protecting the b4-bishop.
13 d5
The most critical option; White decides to push at once in order to get a
passed d-pawn after an exchange on d5. However, there are numerous other
possibilities:
a) 13 Qe2 Ba6 14 Na4 Qd6 transposes to the 13 Na4 line below.
b) 13 Qe1 Ba6 sees Black manage to exchange the bad bishop before
White has time to push their central pawns.
c) 13 Qc2 is a nonchalant-looking move that nonetheless does improve
White’s position, albeit slightly, in that the white rooks are now connected
and can shuttle along the first rank. For example: 13 ... Ba6 (trading light-
squared bishops is, as we know, one of Black’s strategic goals and prevents
White from creating a dangerous attack utilizing this bishop later on) 14
Na4 Qd6 (keeping the d4-pawn in the crosshairs; the b8-knight will soon
come to c6, followed by the f8-rook to the central files) 15 Bxb4 axb4 16
Nc5 (White keeps pressurizing the a6-bishop; due to the tactical details of
the position, this threat is easily parried) 16 ... Bxc4 (the fact that the f1-
rook is en prise, as well as the a8-rook, enables Black to maintain material
equality; had this not been the case, Black would be under pressure) 17
Qxc4 Nbc6 and the game is dynamically balanced. White has a full centre
with pawns on d4 and e4, but Black has a passed b-pawn. Neither side has
any real weaknesses.
d) 13 Re1 Nd7 14 d5 Nc5!? (Kotronias & Ivanov analyse 14 ... exd5,
but I prefer activating Black’s pieces first) 15 Na4 (piece exchanges
generally favour Black, unless White can successfully pressurize or outright
win the passed a-pawn) 15 ... Nxa4 16 Qxa4 Bxd2 17 Nxd2 h6 (for now the
a-pawn is blockaded, but not in a stable manner - heavy pieces, especially
the queen, are not good blockaders) 18 Nf3 Rd8 19 Rab1 Qc7 20 Rbc1 Qb6
21 Ne5 Ba6 and Black obtains sufficient counterplay.
e) 13 Na4 is a significant alternative, kicking Black’s queen out of b6,
with ideas of jumping to c5 in the future. After 13 ... Qd6 (the best square;
on c6 the queen would block the b8-knight from entering the game with ...
Nbc6),

White has numerous possible continuations:

e1) 14 Bxb4 lets Black equalize easily, who can now can freely develop
the queenside pieces: 14 ... axb4 15 Bb3 Nd7 16 Re1 Bb7 and Black
follows the same simple plan: pressurize White’s centre.
 e2) 14 Qe2 connects the rooks but allows Black to trade light-squared
bishops immediately: 14 ... Ba6 15 Bxa6 Qxa6 16 Qxa6 Rxa6 17 Bxb4
axb4 18 Nc5 Rxa1 19 Rxa1 Rc8 with an equal endgame very similar to the
one in the main line.
e3) 14 Nb2 is theoretically unchallenging; the knight tries to reroute
itself via d3 or c4 back into the centre. Black should capitalize on this slow
move by again trading light-squared bishops: 14 ... Ba6 15 Re1 (White
begins preparations for a break in the centre, their main source of trying to
obtain an initiative) 15 ... Nbc6 (Black attacks the d4-pawn without
hesitation; always remember that in this variation the initiative often
matters more than purely static, positional factors, so it is important to play
actively and energetically) 16 d5 (undoubtedly the most critical response,
but it is easily parried - Black simply eliminates the centre) 16 ... exd5 17
exd5 Nxd5 18 Bxb4 Ncxb4 19 Rxa5 Qb6 20 Rxd5 Nxd5 21 Nxd5 Qxb2 22
Bxa8 Rxa8 and the board has been massively liquidated, such that a draw
should come very soon.
e4) 14 Re1 (protecting the e4-pawn in advance, while stepping off the
a6-f1 diagonal) 14 ... Nd7 (the immediate 14 ... Ba6?!, trying to trade light-
squared bishops, would be met by 15 Bxb4! Qxb4 16 Bb3, followed by Nc5
or Rb1 with the initiative; but ... Ba6 will come soon) 15 h3 h6 16 Nb2 Ba6
and the position is more or less equal. White has a full centre, but Black has
active pieces and is ready to fix the pawn structure with ... e6-e5.
e5) 14 Nc5 sacrifices a pawn to obtain the bishop pair. White gets
compensation but, as usual, for no more than equality: 14 ... Bxc5 15 dxc5
Qxc5 16 Rc1 (White threatens a discovery with Bxe6; I suggest simply
ignoring it in order to speed up development) 16 ... Nbc6!? 17 Bxe6 Qd6 18
Ba2 Be6 and material equality is restored, but Black’s pieces spring to life
very rapidly. Do not hang on to material for the sake of it. Being material up
lets you give it back at an opportune moment to distract your opponent’s
forces.
e6) 14 g3 is a cryptic-looking move that at first makes little sense.
White plans either to place the bishop on f4 or just create luft for the king to
avoid later back-rank tricks. In response Black adopts the theme we see
over and over: to exchange the bad bishop for White’s good bishop with 14
... Ba6, followed by attacking d4 and forcing concessions, such as the
premature advance of the d-pawn:

e61) 15 Bxa6 Rxa6 16 Bxb4 axb4 17 Nc5 (mass exchanges now ensue)
17 ... Rxa1 18 Qxa1 Nbc6 19 Rc1 f5 creates holes in White’s central
structure, guaranteeing Black counterplay on the kingside.
e62) 15 Bf4 (Black should not fear this attack) 15 ... Qc6 (the light-
squared bishops will be traded eventually ) 16 Bd3 Ng6 17 Rc1 Qe8 (this
looks passive, but the queen eyes the knight on a4 and keeps open
possibilities of breaking with ... e6-e5) 18 Bxa6 Rxa6 19 Bd2 Nd7 20 Rc4
Qa8 and the other rook will soon enter the game with ... Rc8.
e63) 15 Bxb4 axb4 16 Nc5 (White forces mass exchanges, since the
pressure on the a-file is now at maximum levels) 16 ... Bxc4 17 Rxa8 Bxf1
18 Kxf1 (or 18 Qxf1 h6 19 Qc4 Nbc6 20 Ra6 Rc8 21 Nb3 Qd7 with
equality) 18 ... Nec6 (Black is threatening to capture on d4, taking
advantage of the loose c5-knight, so White has to retreat) 19 Nb3 (this helps
to stabilize the d4-pawn in advance should Black increase the pressure even
more; for example, 19 Nd3 Rd8 20 Qa1 f5! forces White to define the
central structure, and if the e4-pawn moves, the d5-square will be available
for Black’s pieces) 19 ... Nd7 (offering an exchange of rooks; remember
that Black’s passed b-pawn becomes more dangerous with every piece
trade) 20 Ra6 Rc8 and the game is equal, although by no means a draw.
Black just needs to unpin the queen. In certain instances where d4-d5 is
unfavourable for White, the ... e6-e5 break becomes a possibility.
e7) 14 e5 is very direct. White plans to initiate a kingside attack with
this pawn push. The e4-square is now open for White’s pieces, as well as
the b1-h7 diagonal. The game N.Theodorou-A.Hong, Las Vegas 2021,
continued 14 ... Qc7 15 Rc1 Nbc6?!, when 16 Ba2! would have left White
with a small advantage. The a2-bishop can re-route to b1, enabling White to
create a queen and bishop battery attacking h7.
I think 14 ... Qd8 is better, keeping the d4-pawn under pressure and
letting the queenside pieces develop with ease. After 15 Nc5 (threatening to
take on b4, as the pin would win a piece) 15 ... Bxc5 16 dxc5 White now
has the bishop pair in a relatively open board, but that is not the end of the
story. Light square weaknesses abound in the centre, and Black has
excellent outposts on d5 and f5 for the knights. For example: 16 ... Nbc6 17
Qc2 (these quiet moves can be deadly - pay attention to where White’s
pieces are going and what the threats are; in this case Ng5 is in the air, and I
recommend that Black stops that threat once and for all) 17 ... h6 18 Ba2
(avoiding the trade of light-squared bishops, as ... Ba6 was coming) 18 ...
Bb7 19 Bb1 (with quite an obvious threat of mate) 19 ... Nf5
 Exercise: The white queen and bishop battery looks terrifying. What if
White
just kicks the f5-knight with g2-g4 - ?

Answer: 20 g4?? is horrible. It might appear to be winning at first

glance but White is dead lost after 20 ... Nb4!, as both the queen and the f3-
knight are under attack, while 21 Bxb4 Bxf3 22 gxf5 Qg5 is actually mate.
If White instead protects the f3-knight with 20 Ra3, hoping perhaps to
target Black’s king with a rook switch to the kingside, then 20 ... Nb4 solves
all problems. The white queen is attacked, and Black has ideas of ... Bxf3,
followed by ... Nd4, creating chaos in White’s camp.
13 ... Ba6
Yet again, we see the aim of ... Ba6 - trading the light-squared bishops,
taking away a large part of White’s attacking possibilities. There are now
two main choices at White’s disposal: jump to a4 to harass Black’s queen,
or trade on a6 and try to weaken Black’s b4-pawn.
14 Na4
 The alternative plan is 14 Bxa6 Rxa6 15 Rb1 (pinning the b4-bishop, at
least trying to cause some coordination problems in Black’s camp) 15 ...
exd5 16 Nxd5 (this leads to mass exchanges; whereas after 16 exd5 the
passed pawn needs extra protection; Black’s plan is to tie White’s forces to
this pawn, diverting them from commencing operations on other parts of
the board: 16 ... Qd8 17 Qe2 h6 is a good start, preventing rubbish
beginning with Ng5 which can cause more damage than appears at first
sight) 16 ... Nxd5 17 exd5 Nd7 (Black’s knight arrives in time to blockade
the d-pawn) 18 Bxb4 axb4 19 Nd4 Nf6 20 Nc6 (both passed pawns are
under heavy pressure; Black can liquidate the position relatively easily by
taking on d5, causing even more exchanges) 20 ... Nxd5 21 Qxd5 Qxc6 22
Qxc6 Rxc6 23 Rxb4 Ra6 and after a forced series of moves, the endgame is
totally equal. Not even Magnus Carlsen could win this position with White.
14 ... Qd8

Question: Obviously Black has to move the queen, but why specifically
to d8?

Answer: It is important to pay attention to subtle details. If the queen

went to c7, say, White could trade on a6, trade on b4, and then play d5-d6,
forking the queen and e7-knight.
15 Bxa6 Rxa6
 I recommend taking with the rook in this particular instance, to monitor
the d6-square in case White tries to advance their d-pawn.
16 dxe6 Rxe6 17 Bxb4 axb4 18 Qxd8 Rxd8 19 Nc5 Rc6 20 Rfc1
20 Rfd1 Rxd1+ 21 Rxd1 g6 22 Rd8+ Kg7 23 Rxb8 Rxc5 is another way
of getting to an equal endgame. Note that the b4-pawn is taboo, in view of
the back-rank mate.
20 ... Rdc8
White is forced to retreat the c5-knight no matter what, resulting in a
completely liquidated, equal endgame.
21 Nb3
Mass trades ensue on the open c-file.
21 ... Rxc1+ 22 Rxc1 Rxc1+ 23 Nxc1 f5
 Question: This looks like a random shot in the dark. What is the point
of
... f7-f5 here?

Answer: This pawn lever is good technique. It allows Black to liquidate

White’s majority on the kingside and get the king to the centre more quickly
via f7.
24 exf5 Nxf5 25 Kf1 Nc6 26 Ke2 Kf7 27 Kd3 Nd6 28 Ne2 Kf6 29
Ned4 Nxd4 30 Nxd4 Nf5 31 Nf3 Nd6 32 Nd4 Nf5 33 Nf3 Nd6 34 Nd4 ½-
½
The outside passed b-pawn is not enough for any advantage.

Game 6
D.Navara-J.Xiong
Tal Memorial (blitz), Riga 2021
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6 7 b3 e6 8 bxc4
Bb4

9 Qb3
White attacks and X-rays three of Black’s pieces on the b-file, while
keeping options with the c1-bishop.
White has two remaining ways to defend the c3-knight:
a) 9 Qc2?! (putting the queen here leaves the d4-pawn en prise) 9 ...
Nc6 (the d-pawn is now bound to fall, no matter what happens) 10 Be3
Nxd4 11 Qb2 a5 12 Nge2 e5 13 0-0-0 Ne7 14 c5 Bxc5 (the simplest
solution; 14 ... Qb7 15 Nxd4 cxd4 16 Bxb5+ leads to more of a mess that,
honestly, White does not deserve) 15 Nxd4 (commencing a forced
sequence) 15 ... Bxd4 16 Qxb5+ Qc6 17 Bxd4 exd4 18 Qxc6+ Nxc6 19
Bb5 Bd7 and Black has a slight advantage. White could restore material
equality by taking on c6 and d4, but this leaves Black with a bishop in an
open position, plus an outside passed a-pawn.
b) 9 Bb2 is the final possibility.
 Question: This move looks curious, even nonsensical. Why would
White
fianchetto the bishop here?

Answer: The idea is deeper than it first appears. Although the a1-h8
diagonal is closed at the moment, the bishop could become potentially
dangerous if it opens. It also protects White’s central pawns.
Black should fight fire with fire: 9 ... Nf6 (instead of fiddling with
pawns on the queenside, Black attacks the e4-pawn immediately) 10 e5 (the
start of great complications) 10 ... Ne4 (forcing White to answer the new
threat to the c3-knight) 11 c5 (a highly double-edged strategy; White creates
all sorts of holes in the centre, especially on the light squares, with the aim
of gaining space to launch an initiative) 11 ... Qb7 12 Nge2 (lending support
to the c3-knight; however, as one can see, this hinders White’s development
as the f1-bishop is now blocked in) 12 ... a5 (simply 12 ... 0-0, evacuating
the king from the centre, is also good: if 13 f3 Nxc3 14 Bxc3 Nc6 15 Bxb4
Nxb4 16 Qd2 a5, White has no initiative and Black is ready to take
advantage of those juicy light squares)
 Question: I see this ... a7-a5 advance yet again. What purpose does it
serve in
such a messy position?

Answer: Passed pawns must be pushed! But more specifically, the a5-
pawn reinforces the b4-bishop in case White attacks it, as well as
supporting the ... b5-b4 advance.
One point is seen after 13 f3 (forcing Black to show their cards) 13 ...
Nxc3 14 Bxc3 Nc6 15 Bxb4 axb4!? - doubling the b-pawns on purpose
looks odd, but the idea is still to have passed queenside pawns, with an
open a-file for the king’s rook after trades there. For example: 16 Ng3 (the
front b-pawn also prevents the white knight from going to c3) 16 ... Rxa1
17 Qxa1 Qa6 18 Qxa6 Bxa6 19 Kf2 Nxd4 20 Bd3 Ke7 21 Ra1 Ra8 22 Be4
Ra7 23 c6 Nb3 24 Rb1 Nc5 25 Rxb4 Rc7 and Black will regain the pawn
on c6, while keeping an outside passed b-pawn.
9 ... bxc4 10 Bxc4
Obviously 10 Qxc4? would be ridiculous, as after 10 ... Ba6 White is
already in deep trouble.
10 ... Nc6
 Exercise: We arrive at a critical juncture. Black not only threatens the
d4-pawn, but also ... Na5, forking queen and bishop. How can White
parry
both of these threats?

Answer: White is required to give up rook for knight on a5. It is

impossible to hang on to the exchange without suffering consequences.
11 Nge2
Defending the d4-pawn and preparing to castle. The g1-knight
inevitably must go to either e2 or f3. Both have their pros and cons, as we
shall soon see.
The alternative 11 Nf3 Na5 12 Rxa5 (absolutely forced in order to avoid
a catastrophe) 12 ... Bxa5 13 Bb5+ Kf8 14 Ba3+ Ne7 certainly looks scary,
but in fact Black is slightly better, since White has insufficient
compensation for the exchange: 15 0-0 Bxc3 16 Bc5 (driving the black
queen to an inferior square; after 16 Bxe7+? Kxe7 White has nothing) 16 ...
Qb7 17 Bxe7+ Qxe7 (now if 17 ... Kxe7 then 18 Ne5! a5 19 Nc6+ Kf8 20
Qxc3 offers White more chances. since 20 ... Qxb5?? loses outright to 21
Qa3+ etc) 18 Qxc3 Bb7 (Black has lost castling rights but has no other
weaknesses) 19 d5 Rc8 20 Qd3 exd5 21 exd5 Qd6 22 Rd1 Kg8 23 h4 h5 24
Ng5 Rh6, when Black finally covers all the weak spots and is still an
exchange up. White will have to fight hard for a draw.
11 ... Na5
With so many pieces under pressure, White has a serious decision to
make.
12 Qa2?!
 White chooses to maintain material equality and give up the bishop pair,
but in this case White is simply worse.
The only challenge to Black’s idea is 12 Rxa5 Qxa5 13 0-0, when Black
has problems to solve despite being an exchange up. White will try to force
the enemy king to linger in the centre as long as possible, while Black will
try to castle after developing the knight: 14 Bf4 Ne7 15 Na2 Ba3 (keeping
control of the a3-f8 diagonal, thus preventing the especially annoying Bd6;
I prefer this to 15 ... Bd2, which leads to too much of a mess, even if 16
Bd6 Nc8 17 Bc5 Nb6 may still offer Black a slight edge) 16 Ra1 (lining up
a pin on the a-file) 16 ... Rc8 (Black places the c4-bishop in the crosshairs
to threaten it later, abandoning the a3-bishop if necessary) 17 Nac3 Qb4
(White has to acquiesce to exchanges, whether they like or not) 18 Qxa3
Qxa3 19 Rxa3 Rxc4 20 Rxa7.

After the complications, White has regained a pawn for the exchange,
but this is simply not enough. Gledura also gives this line in his Chessable
course on the QGA, which coincides with my own analyses. Gledura opts
for 20 ... Rb4 here, but I prefer 20 ... Nc8, attacking the a7-rook and
plugging the eighth rank to avoid any rubbish there. After 21 Rb7 Ba4 (an
odd-looking move that paralyses White’s centre and knight pair) 22 f3 0-0
Black has finally castled, and the extra exchange should tell eventually.
12 ... Nxc4
You should almost always trade knight for bishop when given the
chance. White may have to acquiesce to such an exchange to secure the
king and complete development.
13 Qxc4 a5
Threatening to skewer White with ... Ba6.
14 Ba3?
14 0-0 was undoubtedly the more prudent option, but even getting the
king out of the centre doesn’t help White stave off having a disadvantage:
14 ... Ba6 (if this bishop doesn’t go to b7, the a6-square is often a good
home and can cause White logistical problems along the f1-a6 diagonal) 15
Qa2 Ne7 16 Rd1 0-0 17 Be3 Qc6 18 d5 Qc4 and Black is slightly better.
14 ... Ba6
Black already has a significant advantage due to the two bishops, which
skewer many of White’s pieces.
15 Qb3 Bxc3+??
This move is truly inexplicable. The dark-squared bishop is one of
Black’s most important pieces. You should only exchange this bishop for a
white knight if there is a concrete reason to do so, which is not the case at
all here.
Simply developing with 15 ... Nf6! would have left Black with a huge
advantage in view of the bishop pair, superior development and more active
pieces:
 a) 16 0-0 (White manages to castle, but the same problems remain: that
of the opposing bishop pair and White’s tied-up knights) 16 ... 0-0 17 f3
(this protects the e4-pawn but weakens the g1-a7 diagonal) 17 ... Rfb8 18
Rfd1 Qc7 19 Rdc1 Qd8 and it may not look like much, but the fact that
White can move neither knight without suffering serious consequences
paralyses their game tremendously.
b) 16 Bxb4 axb4 17 Ra4 Rb8 18 Na2 (piling on the b4-pawn, which is
bound to fall) 18 ... 0-0 (simply ignoring the threat; the time it White takes
to capture the loose pawn allows Black to activate their pieces to the
maximum) 19 Rxb4 Qc7 20 Qc3 Qa7 21 Qa3 De7 22 Ra4 Qxa3 23 Rxa3
Bc4 and Black has sacrificed the valuable passed a-pawn, yet has the better
position. This is because White’s pieces are terribly coordinated, the white
king is in danger, and the e4-pawn is hanging.
16 Qxc3
Now Black suffers heavily on the dark squares, especially on the a3-f8
diagonal.
16 ... Nf6??
 One serious mistake follows another. It would now be a miracle if Black
manages to castle. The only way to get Black’s king out of the centre is to
plug the a3-f8 diagonal with 16 ... Ne7! just to make castling a legal
possibility.

17 f3??

Question: This looks logical, protecting the e4-pawn. Should White

then try to
bring the king to f2?

Answer: This is a waste of time. White should castle and sacrifice the
e2-knight to maintain the initiative. 17 0-0! Bxe2 (or 17 ... Nxe4 18 Qe3
Qb7 19 Rab1) 18 Rab1 was called for, when Black has won a piece, but
their king will be lucky to survive even five more moves.
17 ... Nd7 18 Kf2?!
Here White’s best was to invade via the c-file: 18 Rc1! f6 19 Qc7,
leading to a more pleasant endgame.
18 ... Rc8?!
 Forcing the queen to move doesn’t help Black’s game. It was better to
take on e2 at once: 18 ... Bxe2 19 Kxe2 f6 20 Rab1 Qa6+ 21 Qd3 (or 21
Kf2 Kf7) 21 ... Qxd3+ 22 Kxd3 Ra7 (covering the second rank) 23 Rhc1
Kf7 and at least Black has secured their king, even if White still holds an
advantage due to the dark square weaknesses.
19 Qd2 Bxe2 20 Kxe2 f5?
After 20 ... f6 21 Rab1 Black still has issues with the king, but White’s
queen has no entry point on g5.
21 Rhb1?
Black’s dark square weaknesses should have led to their demise: 21
Qg5! Nf6 22 Qxg7 Rc2+ (the only way to prolong the game) 23 Ke1 Qc7
24 Qxc7 (the threat of ... Qc3+ means there is no time to take either the f6-
knight or h8-rook) 24 ... Rxc7 25 exf5 exf5 26 Bc5 and White will soon be
two pawns up with a winning position.
21 ... Qa6+ 22 Kf2 fxe4?
22 ... Kf7 23 exf5 exf5 24 Qf4 Qg6 25 g4 Rhd8 puts up more defence,
as the black king will find a safer home on g8.
23 Qg5! Kf7 24 Qe7+ Kg6 25 Qxd7 Rc2+
 26 Kg1??
A dreadful decision, albeit a natural one in blitz chess. The white king
should have gone forward: 26 Kg3! Rxg2+ 27 Kf4!, when White avoids all
perpetuals and wins.
26 ... Rxg2+! 27 Kxg2 Qe2+ 28 Kg1??
And again; after 28 Kg3 Qxf3+ 29 Kh4 Black has no more than a draw.
28 ... Qe3+??
Returning the favour. 28 ... exf3! would actually win for Black, as there
is no good defence to the twin threats of ... Qg2 mate and ... f3-f2+ etc. But
probably Black was happy just to have escaped a loss in this game.
29 Kf1 Qxf3+ 30 Ke1 Qe3+ 31 Kd1 Qd3+ 32 Ke1 ½-½

Game 7
T.Laurusas-E.Blomqvist
Riga (rapid) 2022

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6 7 Nd5

One of the main lines of the entire 6 Nc3 Qb6 complex. Just like after 6
Nc3 a6, White wins an exchange, but Black gets a lot of compensation in
return. This line is extremely concrete, so the player who knows the ideas
better will succeed.
7 ... Qb7
The only move. Everything else either loses or leads to a significant
disadvantage for Black. From b7, the queen eyes the e4-pawn in case the
d5-knight moves. Black also prepares ... e7-e6, when ... Bb4 would come
next.
8 Bf4
 The only move that makes sense. White’s whole idea was to fork
Black’s king and a8-rook with Nc7+, and this is the only way to prepare it.

Exercise: Now it looks like Nc7+ is inevitable. How does Black react?

8 ... e5
Answer: Again, another only move. Black sacrifices the exchange for
the initiative. Anything else either loses or gives White a huge advantage. In
the modern QGA, Black plays for the initiative, even at great material cost.
9 Bxe5
It is possible to take with the d-pawn, but I honestly fail to understand
why anyone would play that way - White prepares Nc7+, and then suddenly
abandons the entire plan, which is simply illogical. Nonetheless, this move,
and other deviations from the main sequence up to 13 ... Qxa8 below, will
be examined in the notes to Game 9.
9 ... Nd7
Threatening to eliminate the all-important e5-bishop. White must
answer this immediately.
 10 Bf4
White conserves the bishop and renews the threat of Nc7+.
10 ... Ngf6
Again ignoring the threat. Giving up an exchange in this variation is
something for which Black almost always must be prepared. Black has their
own threats too, though, viz., taking on d5, followed by a check on b4.
11 Nc7+
White takes up the gauntlet. There is no going back now, and both sides
agree to enter a labyrinth of mind-boggling variations.
11 ... Kd8 12 Nxa8 Qxe4+
With both the a8-knight and f4-bishop under attack, White has a choice.
They can surrender either the bishop or the knight. Given that the f4-bishop
is way more important, the most logical choice is to protect that.
13 Ne2 Qxa8

This is one of the most important tabiyas after 6 ... Qb6!?. It is an

incredibly sharp position where concrete knowledge is not only
recommended but also a must.
14 f3
 Question: Why is White neglecting their development? Is it not
dangerous to
play so calmly when they are still three moves from castling short?

Answer: The idea is to stabilize the centre, countering any threats

before completing development. White’s other options, 14 Qd2 and 14 Nc3,
will be examined in the next two games.
14 ... Nd5
Black’s knight dominates the centre, one of the main factors of
compensation for the sacrificed exchange. After dislodging White’s bishop
from f4, Black can bring the f8-bishop out with ... Bd6.
Also interesting is 14 ... Nb6!? 15 Nc3 Bd7 16 Be2 a5 17 0-0 a4 with
compensation.
15 Bd2
White has dark-squared weaknesses on b4, as well as e3 and f4 (due to
the f2-f3 advance), so it would be silly to let Black trade one of their
knights for this bishop.
a) 15 Kf2?! is therefore a bad idea for that reason.
 a1) 15 ... Nxf4! (undoubtedly the best response, when White will suffer
on the dark squares) 16 Nxf4 Bb4 (taking control of the entire a5-e1
diagonal; note that if White is not careful, even the manoeuvre ... Re8 with
the idea of ... Be1+ or ... Re1 would be possible) 17 b3 g5 18 Nh5 Qd5 19
bxc4 bxc4 20 Rc1 c3 21 Qd3 g4 and Black continues to enjoy
compensation for the exchange, while White’s pieces are still
uncoordinated.
a2) 15 ... N7b6?! was played in J.Suder-Sha.Dev, Krakow 2021, which
we’ll examine in a bit of depth because the positions are both typical and
instructive:
a21) 16 Bg5+ (the best move here, safeguarding the bishop and trying to
disrupt Black’s coordination) 16 ... f6 17 Bd2 Bd6 (Black prepares to get all
their pieces in the game) 18 Ng3 a6 19 Ne4 Qc6 20 Qc1 Bb4
 Question: Part of Black’s compensation is the bishop pair; why then
exchange
pieces, let alone one of the bishops?

Answer: In some instances in this variation, another way of trying to

exploit White’s weaknesses is to trade off the dark-squared bishops, leaving
squares such as e3 exposed.
After 21 Bxb4 Nxb4 22 Qd2 N6d5 23 Rc1 f5 Black starts squeezing
White, with the threat of ... f5-f4 and ... Ne3 in the future. This is all
thematic and common, and the engine confirms it: “0.00” already.
a22) 16 g3?! (another suboptimal decision)
a221) 16 ... a5! (not only necessary but good; although I stated that
Black must push the queenside pawns, do not get carried away and push all
three of them blindly - if you do that carelessly, you could just end up
losing them or else weakening the entire queenside) 17 Bd2 a4
 This pawn structure should be committed to memory. With the a-pawn
on a4, the a1-rook is shut out from infiltrating via the a-file. It looks
counter-intuitive, since there is a hole on b4, but White cannot capitalize on
this weakness.
For example: 18 Bg2 Bd6 (with the rook still on h8, Black can push the
h-pawn up the board as well to soften up White’s kingside) 19 Re1 (aiming
to castle by hand if possible) 19 ... h5 20 Nc3 Nxc3 21 bxc3 h4 (now White
has to postpone - or cancel - their plan of Kg1, since it would hang the g3-
pawn) 22 gxh4 Kc7 23 f4 Bb7 24 Bxb7 Kxb7 25 Qf3+ Ka6 26 Qxa8+ Nxa8
27 Rg1 Rxh4 28 Rxg7 Rxh2+ 29 Ke3 Kb6 30 Rxf7 Nc7 is good for Black,
despite the missing exchange, as the knight is coming to d5 with serious
consequences.
a222) 16 ... Bb7? (too slow - Black must give haste and push the
queenside pawns as above, to wrest the initiative from White) 17 Bh3?!
(this develops the bishop and allows White to castle by hand, but there is no
target on the c8-h3 diagonal; it was better was to try 17 Bg5+ again - often
you have to ask yourself whether White can play this to good effect, with
the idea of disrupting Black’s coordination; in this case, White manages to
do so: 17 ... f6 18 Bd2 Bd6 19 Bg2 b4 20 Re1 and White is first to control
the open e-file, while Black’s queenside pawns are slightly vulnerable,
especially the c4-pawn, which has no base on b5 - Black still has
compensation, but it is not entirely sufficient here) 17 ... Nb4? (17 ... Nxf4
18 Nxf4 Bb4 was correct - it is important to control the squares on the a5-e1
diagonal; now ... a7-a5 is possible and Re1 impossible, unless White is
willing to return the exchange: 19 Re1!? Bxe1+ 20 Qxe1 Qb8 21 Qb4 a6 22
Re1 Qc7 and White has compensation for the pawn but no more than that;
for example, 23 d5 g5 24 d6 Qc6 25 Qc3 Qxf3+! 26 Qxf3 Bxf3 27 Kxf3 h5!
28 Re7 g4+ 29 Kf2 gxh3 30 Rb7 Nd7 31 Ra7 Nb6 reaches a level endgame)
18 Ra3? (protecting the f3-pawn is too clumsy and passive; White should
prefer 18 Rf1 and can then complete castling by hand with Kg1 if need be;
if 18 ... Bxf3 19 Kg1 Nd3 20 Qd2 Bb4 21 Nc3, Black has gained a second
pawn for the exchange but White has managed to activate their pieces, and
the white bishops are more menacing than the black bishops - for that
reason, White has a slight advantage) 18 ... N6d5 (placing a knight on d5,
blockading the d4-pawn is a thematic idea; however, pushing the a-pawn
was better: 18 ... a5! 19 Ne1 Bc6 20 Qd2 a4, shutting out White’s rook on
the a-file, while Black can follow up by ... Be7 and ... Re8 to get all their
pieces in the game) 19 Re1 Be7 20 Qd2 Re8 21 Kg1 a5?! 22 Bf5 (22 Nc3!
was better and good for White) 22 ... g6 23 Be4 a4 24 Nc3 Nxc3 25 Rxc3
f5?? 26 Bxb7 Qxb7 27 Rce3 Nd3 28 R1e2 and Stockfish has this at +6 (the
threat is Bd6, or else Re6 and Bd6), though White somehow managed to
lose in just six more moves.
b) 15 Bg5+ (checking on g5 is a major option: it induces ... f7-f6, which
may prove to be a hindrance should Black want to use the sixth rank for the
rook or the f6-square for one of their knights) 15 ... f6 16 Bd2 (it is
inadvisable for White to move the g5-bishop off the c1-h6 diagonal, since ...
Ne3 would come with devastating force) 16 ... Bd6 (now Black’s rook is
ready to come to e8 to participate in the fight; White must form a strategy to
get their kingside pieces out - as well as their king - before Black sets up an
ambush in the centre)
b1) 17 Kf2 Qc6
 Question: Why does Black move the queen to c6 instead of bringing the
c8-bishop or the h8-rook into the game immediately?

Answer: Black plans to fianchetto the bishop on b7, creating a battery

towards White’s king; this also enables the manoeuvre ... Bc7-b6, which
targets White’s king as well, while the h8-rook is often useful where it
stands, supporting an advance of the h-pawn.
b11) 18 Nc3 Bb7 (although the battery threatens little as yet, should
White try to construct some sort of bunker for the white king by advancing
g2-g3, the f3-pawn would be in the black queen’s crosshairs) 19 b3 (if 19
Be2, Black can take time out for 19 ... a6, securing the a-pawn and a-file)
 Exercise: White is trying to demolish Black’s queenside pawn chain,
which
serves as a type of wall. Is there a way for Black to keep this “wall”
intact?

Answer: Exchanging on c3 brings White’s d2-bishop into a vulnerable

position, allowing Black to seal the queenside with tempo: 19 ... Nxc3 20
Bxc3 b4 21 Bb2 (or 21 Bd2 c3 22 Be3 f5) 21 ... c3 22 Bc1 Bc7 and the
“wall” has been sealed shut, with all of White’s remaining pieces on their
original squares. Probably White should return the exchange with 23 Rxa7
Bb6 24 Rxb7 Qxb7 25 Be3, eliminating one of Black’s bishops to obtain
the bishop pair and get counterplay.
b12) 18 Rxa7 is certainly possible. However, certain tactics then arise,
given that White’s a7-rook and king are on the same diagonal: 18 ... Re8 19
Qa1 Nc5! 20 dxc5 (if 20 Rxg7 Nb3 21 Ba5+ Nb6 22 Qa2 Bc7 or 21 Qa7
Nxd2 22 Qa5+ Qb6 23 Qxd2 Rxe2+! 24 Bxe2 Bf4 25 Qd1 Be3+ 26 Kf1
Bxd4, Black has very strong play for the sacrificed material) 20 ... Bxc5+
21 Ke1 Bb7 (Black can ignore the rook for now; in such sharp positions, the
initiative is worth more than material) 22 Kd1 Ne3+ 23 Bxe3 (exchanging
this bishop will leave the dark squares round sorely weak; but 23 Kc1
allows 23 ... Nxf1 24 Rxf1 Rxe2 with great activity) 23 ... Bxe3 24 Rxb7
Qd5+!

25 Nd4! (the only move; otherwise it’s mate in one) 25 ... Qxd4+ 26
Kc2 Qd2+ 27 Kb1 Qd1+ 28 Ka2 Qa4+ 29 Kb1 Qd1+ and White cannot
escape the repetition.
b2) 17 Ng3 Qb8 (threatening to take twice on g3 to get closer to White’s
king) 18 Kf2 (White elects to defend the knight; the alternative is 18 Be2,
giving a pawn back to coerce Black to exchange their dark-squared bishop
for the comparatively useless g3-knight, blunting the attack a bit; however,
Black is still okay with precise play; for example: 18 ... Bxg3+ 19 hxg3
Qxg3+ 20 Kf1 a6 21 Rh3 Qd6 22 Qc2 g6 23 Rh6 N7b6 24 Qc1 Ne7 25 g4
Nbd5 26 b3 cxb3 27 Bd1 f5 and Black has sufficient counterplay to
maintain the balance.
b2) After 18 Kf2, we’ll examine two continuations for Black:
 b21) 18 ... Re8 (the most natural move, bringing the rook into the game)
19 Be2 (instead, 19 Ne4 Bc7 transposes to line ‘b223’ below, while the
active 19 Nf5, threatening the g7-pawn as well as to take the d6-bishop, can
be met by 19 ... Bf4, aiming to weaken the e3-square: if 20 Nxg7 Be3+ 21
Bxe3 Rxe3 22 Nh5 Rb3 23 Qd2 N7b6, Black has long-lasting
compensation) 19 ... Bc7 (planning an assault on the d4-pawn, as well as on
the a7-g1 diagonal as a whole) 20 Re1

20 ... a6 (securing the queenside before starting offensive operations;

although ... Bb6 was planned, 20 ... Bb6? is inaccurate here because White
can sacrifice the d4-pawn with 21 Kg1! and eventually won in L.Aronian-
L.Dominguez Perez, FIDE Grand Prix, Berlin 2022; note that Black cannot
take on d4 without suffering serious consequences; e.g. 21 ... Bxd4+? 22
Kh1 Bb6 23 Qc2 g6 24 Ne4 Qc7 25 Rac1 and the pawn break b2-b3 is
coming, while Black’s forces are now less coordinated than White’s) 21 Bf1
Qa7 22 Rxe8+ Kxe8 (White has managed to trade off one pair of rooks, but
general principles do not win games; concrete details are more important to
find the correct evaluation of a position - and in this case, Black has
sufficient compensation all the same) 23 Bc3 Kd8
 24 Be1 (White has to do something, since their dark-squared bishop is
useless on c3, and ... b5-b4 is coming) 24 ... Bb6 (the black bishop finally
arrives at its destination, increasing the pressure on d4) 25 Kg1 (White has
to sacrifice the d4-pawn to open lines for their bishops, or otherwise be
condemned to passivity) 25 ... Bxd4+ 26 Kh1 Ne3 (although Black can
exchange pieces at various points, it is important that you judge each
exchange accurately - if you trade too many pieces, your initiative might
run out of steam; only do so if it eliminates one of White’s main attacking
pieces) 27 Ba5+ Ke8 28 Qd2 Ne5 29 Ne4 Nxf1 30 Rxf1 Nd3 31 b3 Be6
and the position is objectively balanced. Black still has ideas to utilize the
queenside pawn chain to push back and restrict White’s forces, while
White’s counterplay is based on getting an open file for the rook, perhaps
after trying to open the queenside.
b22) 18 ... Bc7! is perhaps even more accurate.

Question: This is a very odd manoeuvre. Why would Black retreat their
best-placed piece, which seemingly does nothing?
 Answer: One of the most important manoeuvres of this line is to retreat
the bishop to c7, as we’ve already seen. Played straight away it appears
almost as a weird, cryptic move. Black may yet continue with ... Re8 or
reposition the bishop on b6, depending on how White responds:
b221) 19 Ba5? is a mistake since Black can exchange bishops and gain
a tempo on White’s rook: 19 ... Bxa5 20 Rxa5 Qb6 21 Ra1 Ne5, when
Black capitalizes by re-routing the knight to c6 with the aim of pressuring
the d4-pawn.
b222) 19 Be2 (White tries to castle by hand, something that we have
seen time and time again, and you almost certainly will see in your own
games against titled players and others who know what they are doing with
White) 19 ... Bb6 (stronger now than 19 ... Re8, which would transpose to
line ‘b21’ above; the bishop both pressures the d4-pawn and X-rays White’s
king; note that White has weak dark squares, even though their bishop is
still on the board) 20 Ba5 Qf4 (threatening to infiltrate on e3) 21 Nf1 Re8
22 Qd2 a6 23 Qxf4 Nxf4 and even with the queens off, Black has nagging
pressure and lasting compensation for the sacrificed exchange; for example,
after 24 Ne3 Kc7 25 Rhd1 Bxa5 26 Rxa5 Nb6 27 Ra3 Nbd5 28 Nxd5+
Nxd5 29 Rc1 Kd6 it is clear that White’s rooks lack a point of entry into
Black’s camp.
b223) 19 Ne4 Re8 (since the d6-bishop has already retreated, Black has
other options here, but putting the rook on e8 makes sense anyway, taking
control of the only open file on the board) 20 Nc3 Ne7 21 b3 b4 22 bxc4
bxc3 23 Bxc3 Bxh2 24 Bd3 Ng6 (Black forces White to enter an endgame
that is simply equal, since the pressure on the kingside, especially on g3, is
starting to become unbearable) 25 Ba5+ Ke7 26 Re1+ Kf7 27 Rxe8 Kxe8
28 Qb1 Bg3+ 29 Kg1 Qxb1+ 30 Rxb1 Nf4 and Black has lasting
compensation, even in the endgame, as the white rook again has trouble
infiltrating Black’s camp.
15 ... Bd6
 This is a highly complicated theoretical position. Black has sacrificed an
exchange, while White is lagging in development.
16 Kf2
White has tried various moves here, and we are already at move sixteen.
Let us examine each of them:
a) 16 b3 tries to pry open the queenside. Given that Black only has one
rook, while White has two, Black needs to react with precision to avoid an
infiltration by White’s heavy pieces: 16 ... N7b6 (supporting the pawn front)
17 Kf2 Re8 (with all of Black’s pieces more or less in the game, it is time to
commence operations in the centre) 18 Ng3 (often this is the only safe way
for White to get the f1-bishop out, but it allows the following reply) 18 ...
c3 19 Bg5+ (inducing ... f7-f6 to prevent a black knight from coming to f6
and/or Black’s rook from using the sixth rank) 19 ... f6 20 Bc1 Qc6 21 Rxa7
c2 22 Qd3 Nc3 23 Ne4 Nbd5 24 Nxd6 Qxd6 25 Qxc2 Qb6 26 Rxg7 Qxd4+
27 Kg3 Ne3 28 Bxe3 Rxe3 29 Rg8+ (or 29 Bxb5 Ne4+) 29 ... Kc7 30
Qxh7+ Kb6, when White is up a lot of material, but their exposed king can
never escape the numerous perpetuals; e.g. 31 h3 (or 31 Rxc8 Ne4+ 32
Qxe4 Rxe4 33 fxe4 Qe3+) 31 ... Qe5+ 32 Kf2 Qd4 33 Kg3 Qe5+ etc.
 It is also very important to check what happens if White simply tries to
make way for the f1-bishop and then castle:
b) 16 Ng3?! (it is unclear where the knight wants to jump to from here)
16 ... Qb8 17 Be2 (allowing Black to capture on g3, as neither 17 Nf5 Bxh2
nor 17 Ne4 Re8 18 Be2 Bxh2 is attractive) 18 ... Bxg3+ 18 hxg3 Qxg3+ 19
Kf1 a6 20 Qe1 Qxe1+ 21 Kxe1 Kc7 and I prefer Black, who has two pawns
for the exchange, while the knights completely dominate White’s two
bishops.
c) 16 Nc3 is a better direction for the white knight.

c1) 16 ... b4??

Question: You said that pushing White’s forces back and expanding on
the queenside was a crucial part of Black’s plan in this variation. Why is
this
move a blunder then?

Answer: It is a blunder because Black’s forces are not ready to support

such an advance.
 After 17 Ne4 both the c4-pawn and d6-bishop are en prise, and 17 ...
Re8 is only a temporary solution in view of 18 Kf2!, simply getting out of
the pin (even stronger than 18 Be2 Bb8 19 0-0, as in M.Nechaeva-Sha.Dev,
Titled Tuesday blitz 2022). The only way not to fall apart at once is to
sacrifice yet another exchange, but this doesn’t help either: 18 ... Rxe4 19
fxe4 N5f6 20 e5 Ne4+ 21 Kg1 Qd5 22 Be3 Bc7 23 Bxc4 Qxc4 24 Rc1 Qd5
25 Qc2 Ndc5 26 dxc5 Ke7 27 Qc4 and White’s extra material will tell (even
if the h1-rook is yet to come into the game), since Black’s king is more
under fire from White’s forces than the other way round.
c2) 16 ... Nxc3! (exchanging on c3 is best in this particular instance,
since it stabilizes the queenside pawn structure) 17 bxc3 Nf6 (now the other
knight can hop to d5, where it will control many central squares) 18 Bg5 a6
19 Be2 Kc7 (the king moves out of the pin to the relative safety of the
queenside) 20 Bxf6 (if 20 0-0 Nd5 21 Bb2 Bb7 22 Re1 g6 22 Qc2 Qc8,
White’s king has reached safety on the kingside but their forces are now
stuck on the first two ranks) 20 ... gxf6 21. Kf2 Qd5 and Black has quite
enough for the exchange with central control and the bishop pair, whereas
White still has to find open files for their rooks.
16 ... Bc7?
Although rerouting the bishop to b6, as we have seen, is a standard idea
in this variation, Black doesn’t have the central control to indulge in such a
manoeuvre here.
The most accurate move is undoubtedly 16 ... Qc6!, which centralizes
the queen, supporting the b- and c-pawns. Next Black will mobilize the h8-
rook as well, bringing it to e8 to participate in the attack against White’s
king. It may look a little surprising to leave the a7-pawn en prise, but after
17 Rxa7 Re8 Black can count on excellent counterplay.
 For example:
a) 18 Qc1 Re6 19 Qa1 Ke8 20 b3 cxb3 21 Qb2 Nc5! (threatening ...
Nd3+) 22 Nc3 (taking the c5-knight loses the rook on a7 just to start with)
22 ... Bb8 23 Ra5 Nb4 24 Qb1 Qb6 25 Bxb5+ Nd7 26 Ne4 Qxa5 27 Bxd7+
Bxd7 28 Qxb3 Ba7 29 Qxb4 Qxb4 30 Bxb4 Bxd4+ and the material
balance has been restored, with perhaps a tiny edge for Black in view of the
two bishops.
b) 18 Nc3 Qb6 19 Bg5+ Ne7 (the immediate 19 ... f6 allows 20 Rxd7+,
followed by 21 Nxd5 and 22 Nxf6) 20 Qa1 f6 21 Be3 Nc6 22 Ne4 Nxa7 23
Nxd6 Qxd6 24 Qxa7 Nb6 (heading for d5 again) 25 b3 Rxe3!? 26 Kxe3
Nd5+ 27 Kf2 Qf4 and Black has a draw at worst. The immediate threat is
28 ... Qe3+ 29 Kg3 Qe1 mate, while 28 g3?? Qe3+ 29 Kg2 Bh3+! 30 Kxh3
Nf4+! leads to mate as well.
c) 18 Qa1

Exercise: An enemy rook has infiltrated Black’s queenside, while White

prepares to untangle themself with, for example, Nc3. Is there a way to
stop White from reorganizing?
 Answer: 18 ... Nc5! offers more material to open lines for Black’s
pieces. If the sacrifice is accepted, Black would be a whole rook down but
has huge compensation, especially if the a7-g1 diagonal opens up.
c1) 19 Rxf7 Nb3

Exercise: White’s forces are in disarray. How can they save themself?

Answer: 20 Bg5+! saves White from losing on the spot. Without this
move, White would be in trouble, whereas now Black’s forces have to
contort themselves to deal with the check: 20 ... Be7 21 Bxe7+ Rxe7 22
Rf8+ Re8 23 Rxe8+ Qxe8 and Black’s queen infiltrates to e3, forcing a
perpetual, since the attacked white queen in unable to control the key dark
squares.
c2) 19 dxc5 Bxc5+ (now Black is a rook down for only one pawn, yet
White’s king must navigate treacherous waters in order not to get
annihilated in the centre) 20 Ke1 (note that White can no longer castle -
which should be obvious, but during an actual game you sometimes forget
these things; on the other hand, if you do see your opponent try to castle in
such positions, remember to call the arbiter!) 20 ... Bb7!

Question: The a7-rook is clearly en prise. Why does Black eschew

taking it?

Answer: One thing that must be reiterated is that in this line the
initiative almost always outweighs material. Remember that it is not the
quantity of pieces that are on the board, but rather the quality. The keen-
eyed reader may notice that we’ve seen virtually the same position before
(in note ‘b12’ to White’s 15th move). Here the omission of ... f7-f6 doesn’t
change anything. After 21 Kd1 Ne3+ 22 Bxe3 Bxe3 23 Rxb7 Qd5+! 24
Nd4! Qxd4+ 25 Kc2 Qd2+ 26 Kb1 Qd1+ 27 Ka2 Qa4+ 28 Kb1 Qd1+,
again neither side can avoid the repetition.
 17 Ng3?
The issue with Black’s previous move could be highlighted by the
accurate 17 b3!, chipping away at the queenside and exploiting the fact that
Black’s queen is still sidelined in the corner. (Note that with the queen on c6
instead, 17 b3? would run into 17 ... c3!.) Often this is how White can take
advantage of the extra heavy piece, trying to get to Black’s king. After 17 ...
Re8 (17 ... N7b6 now fails to 18 Nc3 Nxc3 19 Bxc3, as Black’s bishop is
missing from d6 to enforce ... b5-b4) 18 bxc4 bxc4 19 Qa4 N7b6 20 Qb5
Re6 21 Nc3 Bd7 22 Qb2, followed by g2-g3, White has a clear advantage,
since Black lacks the usual counterplay in the form of an attack, while
White’s forces are not as uncoordinated as they usually are. There can be a
fine line between having sufficient compensation or not having enough.
17 ... N7f6?!
Both sides are making mistakes, which is understandable since the
position is difficult to play. That is why it is important to really know the
ideas in this variation, which - although not all the time - will in general
serve you in your own games.
 Again 17 ... Qc6! was undoubtedly the right move - it makes most sense
to extricate the queen from the corner and get her back into the attack.
Following 18 Be2 Bb7 19 Ba5 Bxa5 20 Rxa5 Qb6, Black’s queen is now on
the important a7-g1 diagonal, looking directly at White’s king: 21 Ra3 Kc8
22 Qd2 Rd8 23 Rd1 a6 24 Bf1 g6 secures Black’s advantage. The g3-knight
is dominated and can no longer access f5.
18 Be2
White tries to get their king out of the centre. Often White must move
the king to the kingside as quickly as possible - castling by hand tends to
take too much time.
Although the rule of exchanging pieces when material up is often
applied, in this situation 18 Ba5 Bxa5 19 Rxa5 Qb8 20 Qd2 a6 still leaves
Black with an attack, since White’s heavy pieces have no entry points,
while Black may continue with moves like ... Bb7, ... Re8 and ... Qf4.
18 ... Qb8

Black’s plan of attacking White’s king and pushing the queenside pawns
is fairly obvious and straightforward, while it’s unclear how White can
effectively counter these operations.
 19 Re1
If 19 Qc1 Re8 (given that Black has sacrificed an exchange, it is
important that all of their pieces enter the battle) 20 Rd1 h5 21 Bg5, Black
can push the h-pawn as a sacrifice to lure the g5-bishop off the c1-h6
diagonal: 21 ... h4! 22 Bxh4 (or 22 Ne4 Bxh2) 22 ... Bf4 23 Bxf6 (before ...
g7-g5 traps it) 23 ... gxf6! 24 Qc2 Be3+ 25 Kf1 Rh8 and the rook returns to
the h-file with deadly threats.
19 ... h5
The problem with the knight on g3 is that ... h5-h4 either comes with
tempo, or White has to retreat it in advance.
20 Nf1 h4
White is already in trouble. None of their pieces are coordinated, and
Black is starting to organize an attack against the white king. The extra
exchange is useless.
21 Kg1 Re8
Also possible was 21 ... h3, immediately advancing the h-pawn to
weaken White’s king, followed by aiming Black’s forces in that direction,
such as with 22 g3 Re8 23 Kf2 Qb7.
22 Bg5?
22 h3 was necessary, though a truly an ugly move to make. After 22 ...
Bb6 23 Kh1 Bd7 24 b3 c3 25 Bg5 Nf4 26 Qc2 Qd6 27 Rad1 Bc7, White is
surviving for the moment, but I would hate to play this position from that
side.
22 ... h3
Softening up White’s kingside. The rook doesn’t have to be on h8 for
this advance to be effective. The idea is to induce the g2-pawn to advance,
weakening White’s king position in the process.
23 g3 Bb6 24 Qd2 Bd7 25 Ne3 Qd6 26 Rad1 Kc8
Black elects to reposition the king before committing to any further plan
of action. Otherwise, the direct 26 ... Nxe3 27 Bxe3 Qd5 looks very strong.
27 Bf1 Kb7
 With Black’s king relatively safe, the time has come to start pushing the
queenside pawns. Although we are still in the middlegame, it is important to
remember that Black’s pawns can be pushed at any time really, even now.
28 Nxd5 Rxe1 29 Qxe1 Nd5 30 Qe4 Bc6?!
Since this doesn’t actually threaten anything, it just leaves the h3-pawn
en prise. Instead, 30 ... g6! was best, stabilizing the kingside, followed by
advancing on the queenside; for example, 31 Qh4 Qe5! 32 Bh6 a5 and
Black is winning.
31 Qf5?!
White might as well have taken the pawn, even if 32 Bxh3 g6 33 Qh4
a5 still looks very good for Black.
31 ... f6?
This is probably where time trouble started to become serious. After 31
... Ne7! White is lost, since their queen is kicked away, letting Black’s
forces into the kingside: 32 Qg4 f5 33 Qxh3 Bxd4+ 34 Kg2 Qd5 35 g4 (the
only way to defend the f3-pawn) 35 ... fxg4 36 Qxg4 Nf5 and White is
completely tied down.
32 Bc1 Bd7 33 Qe4?
 This hangs the game yet again. Ironically, White had to move the queen
away in order to protect their king: 33 Qh7 Qe5 34 Qxg7 Bxd4+ 35 Kh1
Kc6 36 Qg8 and White is still surviving, just barely.
33 ... Bc6?
The less than obvious 33 ... Qe5! would have given Black a decisive
advantage, especially threatening ... Bf5. Perhaps Black hoped to gain some
time on the increment by repeating a couple of moves, but White does not
oblige.
34 Qg4

34 ... g5??
This throws away all the advantage and then some. The best plan was to
trade queens with 34 ... Qd7 and then push the queenside pawns, Black’s
main asset in such endgames.
35 Bxh3
White removes the annoying h3-pawn and threatens mate on c8 as well.
35 ... Ne7?! 36 Bg2?!
Strangely, 36 Kg2 was a better way to overprotect the f3-pawn. There
was no need to abandon the queen and bishop battery.
 36 ... b4?
After 36 ... a5 37 Kh1 Ka6 38 f4 White has the edge, since they have
managed to stabilize things a bit. However, this is far from a clear
advantage, as Black still has counterplay in the centre and on the queenside.
37 h4! Bd7??
Taking the bishop off the a1-h8 diagonal is suicide, since White can
now push the f-pawn with check.
38 Qe4+?!
38 f4+! Kb8 39 Qe2 gxh4 40 gxh4 Nf5 41 h5 Nxd4 42 Kh2! would
have won. The position still looks a mess, but White is completely winning,
since Black has no attack and the c4-pawn is falling, while the h5-pawn is
on its way to h8.
38 ... Bc6 39 Qh7?
This time it was better to go back with 39 Qg4.
39 ... gxh4 40 gxh4 Ka6?
Breaking the pin on the knight. 40 ... Bc7 was more accurate, continuing
the attack by creating a new battery on the b8-h2 diagonal.
41 Be3?!
In general, it is better to return material to regain the initiative. Here 41
Qc2! sacrifices the d4-pawn, when 41 ... Bxd4+ 42 Kh1 Qc5 43 b3 opens
up Black’s king, which no longer has enough cover.
41 ... Nd5
For now, Black’s queenside pawns form a wall that protects their king,
while the d5-knight is a stabilizing force in the centre that blocks out
White’s bishops.
42 Bf2
After 42 Ra1+ Kb5 43 Qc2 a5 44 Bf2 Bc7 Black’s counterplay
continues.
 42 ... Nf4??
A dreadful blunder - even if doesn’t look like one - which just gifts the
game to White. Instead, 42 ... Bc7!, threatening Qh2+, would have
equalized, when White cannot focus solely on their own attack. After 43 f4
Qxf4 44 Qg8 Ne3 45 Bxe3 Qxe3+ 46 Kf1 Qf4+ 47 Ke2 Qh2 48 Kf1 Qf4+
neither side can avoid the repetition.
43 Bf1 Qd5 44 Ra1+ Ba5 45 b3
45 Qc7! would have won on the spot, as Black cannot stop both Bxc4 and
Rxa5.
45 ... Bb5 46 Qc7 Qg8+ 47 Kh2 1-0
Since Rxa5 mate is inevitable.

Game 8
L.Aronian-H.Nakamura
FIDE Grand Prix, Berlin 2022
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6 7 Nd5 Qb7 8
Bf4 e5 9 Bxe5 Nd7 10 Bf4 Ngf6 11 Nc7+ Kd8 12 Nxa8 Qxe4+ 13 Ne2
Qxa8 14 Qd2
Rather than blocking the long a8-h1 diagonal with 14 f3 as in the
previous game, White gives priority to development.
14 ... Nd5

Exercise: Black manages to get a knight to d5 immediately, from where

it
surveys many critical central squares. But what other purpose does the
d5-knight serve?

Answer: It also helps prepare ... Bb4, forcing White to self-pin with
Nc3, creating tension on the a5-e1 diagonal.
15 Nc3
15 Qa5+?! doesn’t help much, since Black can just block the check: 15
... N7b6 (now White has to deal with the fatal threat of ... Bb4+) 16 Bd2
Qc6 17 Nf4 (trying to get the f1-bishop developed) 17 ... Bd6 18 Nxd5
Qxd5 19 Be2 Re8 (19 ... Qxg2 20 0-0-0 Bf5 is also possible) 20 Kf1 Bh3 21
Rg1 Bf5 22 Qxa7 Rxe2 23 Kxe2 Qe4+ with a draw.
15 ... Bb4 16 Be2 Re8

Question: White needs to get their king out of the centre and out of the
line of
fire. How does the e8-rook cause additional pressure on White?

Answer: Should White castle, some of their minor pieces would be

loose. The main tactic is to take on c3 and f4 and then e2.
17 Bg3?!
This looks like the wrong solution to White’s problems. Instead:
a) 17 0-0?! allows the tactical sequence outlined above: 17 ... Bxc3 18
bxc3 Nxf4 19 Qxf4 Rxe2 with two pieces and a pawn for the rook. On the
other hand, Black’s king is more exposed, which allows White to harass
him: 20 Qg5+ Nf6 21 Qxg7 Re6 22 Qf8+ Ne8 23 d5 Re7 24 Rfe1 Qb7 and
White has restored the material balance, although Black still has a slight
advantage with the two pieces and outside passed pawn.
b) 17 Kf1! is the most precise. White moves the king off the open e-file
but maintains its protection of the e2-bishop, thus avoiding the continuation
above. So Black plays to increase the pressure another way: 17 ... N7f6 18
Bf3 (pinning the d5-knight, trying to exploit the position of Black’s queen,
which is stuck in the corner for the moment; pinning the other knight with
18 Bg5 is also a logical choice, when it makes sense to break the pin as
soon as possible: 18 ... h6 19 Bxf6+ Nxf6 20 Bf3 Qb8 21 h4 a5 and Black is
not worse since the white rooks still have issues finding open files) 18 ...
Ne4 (Black activates both knights) 19 Qc1 Bf5 and the c8-bishop finally
joins the battle as well. Black usually gets full compensation when all of
their pieces are in play. This position is no exception.
17 ... N7f6
Again, Black seeks to increase the pressure on the pinned white knight.
18 0-0 Ne4 19 Qc2
 Exercise: There are three ways Black can capture on c3. Which one is
correct?

19 ... Bf5?!
Answer: 19 ... Ndxc3! is the correct capture, since Black can push the
queenside pawns without letting White’s forces in at the same time: 20 bxc3
Bxc3 21 Rab1 Qd5 (it is important to centralize the queen; leaving it on a8
for too long may allow White to ambush the black king or at least disrupt
the coordination amongst Black’s forces) 22 Bf3 b4 23 Be5 f5 (lending
support to the erstwhile loose e4-knight) 24 Rfc1 a5 (just like the classic
REO Speedwagon song, you have to keep pushing on) 25 Bxe4 fxe4 26
Qe2 Bb7 27 Rxc3 (White returns the exchange to destroy the opposing
pawn phalanx) 27 ... bxc3 28 h4 a4 is basically equal. While it is true that
Black has quite a split structure, all of the queenside pawns, plus the e4-
pawn, serve as effective decoys so that White cannot launch an attack
against the black king.
20 Bh4+ f6 21 Bf3
Lining up the bishop with the two black knights and queen.
21 ... Bxc3 22 bxc3 g5
Kicking the dangerous bishop off the d8-h4 diagonal, but White still has
the two bishops in an open position with a safer king.
23 Rfe1
 23 ... Nf4??
A horrible blunder that leaves Black’s queenside wide open. It was
undoubtedly better to take on c3, followed by advancing the queenside
pawns: 23 ... Ndxc3 24 Bg3 b4 25 Qb2 Qb7, when the resourcefulness of
Black’s position allows for counterplay despite their awkwardly-placed
pieces.
24 Qa2
24 Ra6! was more precise, blockading the a-pawn and intending to pile
on the a-file.
24 ... Qb7 25 Qxa7?!
Missing the killing blow: 25 Qa5+ Kc8 (if 25 ... Kd7 26 Qxa7, White
gets to recapture with check) 26 Bg3 Nd3 27 Be3 and Black is in a
shambles.
25 ... Qxa7 26 Rxa7 Re6 27 Bxe4 Rxe4 28 f3 Re2 29 Bf2 b4 30 cxb4
c3
Black finally manages to get a passed pawn on the queenside, but White
now has two passed pawns there.
31 Rxe2 Nxe2+ 32 Kh1 c2 33 Be3 c1R+ 34 Bxc1 Nxc1
 Black has two minor pieces for a rook and two pawns, but the rook is
clearly dominant, while both the b- and d-pawns are dangerous passers.
White went on to win without much difficulty.
35 b5 Kc8 36 b6 Kb8 37 d5 Nd3 38 g4 Bc8 39 Rf7 Ba6 40 Rxf6 Kb7
41 Kg1 Bb5 42 Rf5 Nf4 43 h4 Bd3 44 Rf6 Bb1 45 hxg5 Nxd5 46 Rf8
Nxb6 47 f4 Kc6 48 Kf2 Nd7 49 Rf7 Nc5 50 Kg3 Bg6 51 Rf8 Ne6 52 Rg8
Kd6 53 Ra8 Bb1 54 Ra1 Be4 55 Rd1+ Bd5 56 Rd2 Nc7 57 Kh4 Ne6 58
f5 Nc5 59 Kh5 Ke5 60 Kh6 Ne4 61 Rb2 Bc4 62 Rb4 Bd3 63 Rxe4+ Bxe4
64 Kxh7 Kf4 65 Kh6 1-0

Game 9
B.Skonieczna-E.Karasova
Correspondence 2011

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6 7 Nd5 Qb7 8

Bf4 e5
In this game, we also examine various other options after 7 Nd5 up to
the tabiya at the 14th move.
 9 Bxe5
Of course 9 dxe5?! is possible, but then the question is why did White
play Nd5 and Bf4, only to abandon the Nc7+ plan? Black responds with 9
... Be6, developing the c8-bishop and blockading the e5-pawn at the same
time.

a) 10 b3?? is a dreadful error; while destroying Black’s queenside pawn

chain is desirable, White has fallen behind in development, something that
Black can immediately exploit: 10 ... Bxd5 11 Qxd5 Nc6 and Black has
deadly threats of ... Rd8 and ... Bb4+. Dealing with both is impossible. I
analysed 12 e6 (a desperate attempt at counterplay), but Black can just
ignore it: 12 ... Nf6! 13 exf7+ Ke7 14. Bd6+ Kd7 and White loses the d6-
bishop.
b) 10 Be2 Ne7

Question: What are the advantages of placing the knight on e7

immediately?
 Answer: Black manages to exchange the powerful d5-knight, followed
by threatening a check on b4. After 11 Nf3 Nxd5 12 exd5 Bxd5 13 0-0 Bc5
14 Qd2 0-0 White clearly has insufficient compensation for the pawn.
c) 10 Ne2 tries to support the d5-knight with Nec3, but this is too slow:
10 ... Nc6 (better than 10 ... Bc5 11 Nec3 Ne7 12 Be2 0-0 13 0-0 Ng6 14
Bg3 Nd7, even if Black was still fine in Roc.Wu-T.Cervantes Landeiro, US
Girls Championship, St. Louis 2022) 11 Nec3 Bb4! (I like this move; the
idea is to play for quick development with ... Nge7, even at the cost of
ceding the bishop pair. Then:
c1) 12 Be2 (too passive; White makes haste to castle but ends up in all
sorts of pins) 12 ... Rd8 13 0-0 Nge7 14 Bg5 Bxc3 15 bxc3

Exercise: Here is an easy tactic. How can Black win material?

Answer: 15 ... Nxd5! (the geometry of the position allows this shot,
since ... Nxc3 threatens both the white queen and the e2-bishop with check)
16 exd5 Rxd5 and Black has a clear advantage.
 c2) 12 Nxb4 is the most logical response. For both sides, obtaining the
bishop pair is usually a good thing, but here Black is just too active for
White to capitalize on such a generic asset: 12 ... Nxb4 13 Be2 Ne7 14 0-0
0-0, when the e7-knight plans to jump to g6 to harass both the e5-pawn and
White’s dark-squared bishop. Soon the black rooks can come to the centre.
9 ... Nd7 10 Bf4
Other moves are clearly inferior:
a) 10 Nf3?? (this simple development is in fact a blunder since the e4-
pawn will soon be under heavy fire) 10 ... Ngf6! (even stronger than taking
the bishop)

a1) 11 Nxf6+ (this loses a tempo, since the e5-bishop comes under
attack) 11 ... gxf6 12 Bf4 Qxe4+ 13 Qe2 Bb4+ 14 Nd2 Bb7 and Black is
still a pawn up, while White must acquiesce to the trade of queens, leading
to a technically losing endgame.
a2) 11 Bxf6 doesn’t help White either: 11 ... Nxf6 12 Nxf6+ gxf6 13
Be2 Bb4+ 14 Kf1 0-0 and Black had a clear advantage with two strong
bishops in A.Greenfeld-T.D.V.Nguyen, FIDE World Cup (online qualifier)
2021.
 a3) 11 Bxc4 tries accelerate development by sacrificing a piece, but this
fails: 11 ... bxc4 12 Nc7+ Kd8 13 Nxa8 Bb4+ 14 Kf1 Qxa8 15 Qa4 Qb7 16
Qxa7 Nxe4 and White is forced into trades to avoid an onslaught by Black’s
pieces.
a4) 11 Nc7+ (if White doesn’t follow through, the previous play makes
no sense) 11 ... Kd8

Question: This looks very similar to other positions where White

checks on c7
and forks king and rook. Why is this one different?

Answer: Two details are in Black’s favour: the e5-bishop is attacked

and ... Bb4+ is coming. After 12 Nxa8 (White might as well take the rook
for their trouble) 12 ... Bb4+ (White cannot parry this check comfortably)
13 Nd2 Nxe5 14 dxe5 Nxe4 15 f3 Nxd2 16 Qc2 Nb3+ 17 Kf2 Nxa1 White
loses the house.
b) 10 Bg3?! (this misplaces the bishop) 10 ... Ngf6 11 Nc7+ Kd8
 Question: This position looks extremely similar to the main line, except
that
White’s bishop is on g3 (rather than f4). How much does this difference
matter?

Answer: The fact that the bishop is absent from the c1-h6 diagonal
means that the retreat Bd2 is not possible should Black play ... Bb4+. For
example:
b1) 12 Qf3? (a careless blunder, but one that looks like at least a semi-
normal move) 12 ... Bb4+ 13 Kd1 (whenever their king gets stuck in the
centre, things tend to turn out badly for White) 13 ... Nc5! 14 Be5 was
V.Matviishen-C.Repka, St. Louis 2022, where 14 ... Nb3! 15 Bxf6+ Kxc7
16 Bxg7 Rd8 is completely winning. Once White runs out of checks, their
king will be lucky to survive more than a couple of moves.
b2) 12 Be2 Nxe4 threatens to take first on g3 and then the loose c7-
knight. White can survive with precise play: 13 Bf3 Bb4+ 14 Kf1 Rb8 15
Bxe4 (or 15 Na6 Nxd2+ 16 Qxd2 Bxd2 17 Bxb7 Rxb7) 15 ... Qxe4 16 Ne2
Rb6 17 Rxa7 Qd3 18 Qxd3 cxd3 19 Nc3 Rc6 20 N7xb5 Ba6 21 Bc7+ Ke7,
but Black’s two bishops still ensure more chaos in the white camp than
White can reciprocate.
b3) 12 f3 (simply protecting the e4-pawn) 12 ... Bb4+ (forcing White’s
king to move is without doubt the best option; 12 ... Rb8? 13 Na6 Ra8 14
Nh3 was objectively awful for Black in R.Praggnanandhaa-Z.Abdumalik,
online rapid 2021) 13 Kf2 (13 Ke2?? is a horrible error because of 13 ...
Nxe4 14 fxe4 Qxe4+ 15 Kf2 Nf6 16 Be2, as in A.Woodward-Lu Miaoyi,
Novi Sad 2022, and now the deft 16 ... Qf5+! 17 Nf3 Ne4+ 18 Kg1 Nxg3,
which wins the c7-knight) 13 ... Nxe4+! (this tactic still works but now only
leads to an equal game) 14 fxe4 Nf6 (with e4 and g4 wide open, the f6-
knight will infiltrate one way or the other) 15 Bxc4! (White resorts to a
desperado with the bishop to make luft for the king) 15 ... Nxe4+ 16 Kf1
Nxg3+ 17 hxg3 Qxc7 18 Bxb5 Qxg3 reaches a very odd position where
both kings are exposed. Honestly, all three results are possible, but you are
definitely guaranteed a fun game.
Here is a line that I analysed with the computer: 19 Nf3 a6 20 Qc2 h5
21 Qc6 Ra7 22 Ne5 axb5! 23 Qd5+ Rd7 24 Nxd7
 Exercise: White’s a1-rook is ready to join the battle with decisive
effect.
How can Black force a perpetual?

Answer: 24 ... Bb7!! is a nice deflection, dragging the white queen

away from defence of the d4-pawn, After 25 Qxb7 Qd3+ 26 Kg1 Qxd4+ the
white king cannot escape the checks.
c) 10 Nc7+? Kd8

Question: Why was White’s checking on c7 a mistake in this particular

situation?

Answer: Because White cannot actually fulfil the threat of taking on a8.
After 11 Nxa8?? Bb4+ (this check is fatal) 12 Qd2 (or 12 Ke2 Qxe4
mate!) 12 ... Bxd2+ 13 Kxd2 Nxe5 14 dxe5 Qxa8 White could already have
resigned in P.Barrionuevo-Sha.Dev, Titled Tuesday (blitz) 2021.
 So White has to retreat the knight again: 11 Nd5 Ngf6 (simple and calm
development, also with the threat of taking on d5) 12 Bc7+ (12 Be2?, as in
A.Sarana-Sha.Dev, Titled Tuesday blitz 2022, is simply too slow: after 12 ...
Nxd5 13 exd5 Bb4+ 14 Kf1 a5 15 Bxg7 Re8 White’s position makes little
sense) 12 ... Ke8 13 Ba5 Nxd5 14 exd5 Bd6, when Ris stops and says that
Black’s king is fine. We can analyse a little further: 15 Be2 Ke7!
(innovative, preparing the arrival of the h8-rook to the open e-file) 16 Nf3
Re8 17 0-0 Kf8 18 Re1 Kg8, when Black has managed to castle by hand
and can aim to target the white d-pawns.
d) 10 Ne2 is another way for White to develop the kingside pieces. The
idea is to support the d5-knight with Nec3, followed by Be2 and 0-0. Black
must therefore develop actively and with purpose: 10 ... Nxe5 11 dxe5 Be6
12 Nec3 Rd8 13 Qd4 Bb4 (defending the a7-pawn with 13 ... Rd7?! is too
passive; after 14 Be2 Ne7 15 0-0 Black was clearly worse in
G.Tokhirjonova-T.Cervantes Landeiro, St. Louis 2022) 14 0-0-0 (after 14
Rxa7 Qb8 15 Qb6 Qxb6 16 Nxd6 Ne7, Black can count on good play due
to White’s disorganized forces) 14 ... Rd7 (the threat was 15 Nf6+ and 16
Qxd8 mate) 15 Nxb5 Bxd5 16 exd5 Qxb5
 Exercise: We have arrived at a crazy-looking position. Evaluate it and
indicate who is better.

Answer: Equality. Again, surprising? Perhaps, but perhaps not. In such

concrete lines, often the computer is the only one who can evaluate
objectively. White has sufficient compensation for the material, which
Black would do well to eliminate by giving the piece back later.
For example: 17 Bxc4 Rc7 (this pin saves Black, gaining time before
White can advance both menacing centre pawns) 18 b3 Qa5 19 d6 Qa2 20
Rd3 Rc5 21 Re1 Kd8 22 Re4 Nh6 23 e6 Nf5 24 e7+ Kd7

This ridiculous position deserves a diagram. Both sides are basically

threatening to kill each other. White’s queen is almost trapped in the middle
of the board, but they can bail out and force a draw: 25 Qxc5! Qa1+ (if
Black captures the queen, 26 Bb5+ comes with grave consequences) 26
Kc2 Qa2+ (White has a huge material advantage, but again: quality over
quantity) 27 Kd1 Qb1+ 28 Ke2 Qc2+ 29 Kf3 (the only winning try) 29 ...
Bxc5 30 Bb5+ Kc8 31 e8Q+ (31 Ba6+ Kd7 32 Bb5+ Kc8 draws at once) 31
... Rxe8 32 d7+ Kb7 33 dxe8Q Qxf2+ 34 Kg4 Qh4+ and White’s king
cannot escape the perpetual, since 35 Kxf5?? g6+ 36 Ke5 Qg5 is mate.
10 ... Ngf6

11 Nc7+
Forced. Exchanging on f6 is a horrible blunder: 11 Nxf6+?? Nxf6
 Exercise: Which detail in particular makes this so bad for White?

Answer: The main weakness is the e4-pawn. Unlike in the main line,
White doesn’t even win an exchange after Nc7+. In other words, White has
problems for nothing in return: 12 f3 (since 12 e5? creates more holes, the
only way to protect the e4-pawn is to play f2-f3, but this weakens the dark
squares in the white camp even more) 13 Bd2 a5 (the best move, enabling
Black to recapture with the a-pawn, creating a big ball of pawns on the
queenside) 14 Bxb4 (if 14 Ne2 0-0 15 g3 Bd7 16 Bg2 Be7 17 0-0 b4, it may
look as if White is stabilizing, but the black queenside pawnstorm is
unstoppable) 14 ... axb4 (the “ball” - i.e. the pawns on b4, b5 and c4 - is
ready to roll) 15 Rxa8 Qxa8 16 Qd2 Qa5 (protecting the queenside pawns)
 Exercise: Give your evaluation of this position.

Answer: Material is equal. White is lost. Shocking? Perhaps. But the

main point is that White has zero counterplay, while Black will soon be
ready to ram the queenside pawns down White’s throat.
11 ... Kd8
 12 Nxa8
The most logical move, otherwise the question would be “why did
White play Nc7+ in the first place?”
The only reasonable alternative is 12 f3, protecting the e4-pawn before
deciding whether to take on a8 or not. Then 12 ... g5! forces White to make
a decision with respect to the f4-bishop.
a) 13 Bg3?! Bb4+ 14 Kf2 Nxe4+ 15 fxe4 Nf6 is similar to a 10 Bg3?!
variation we’ve looked at earlier (note ‘b3’ to White’s 10th move). The
inclusion of ... g7-g5 doesn’t alter the assessment. After 16 Bxc4 Nxe4+ 17
Kf1 Nxg3+ 18 hxg3 Qxc7 19 Bd5 Rb8 20 Rh6 Rb6 the position is
objectively equal.
b) 13 Nxa8 gxf4 14 Qd2 Qxa8 15 Qa5+ Ke8 16 Qxb5 (the queen must
continue to surveil the b4-square - if Black gets the f8-bishop out with
tempo, i.e. ... Bb4+, White’s king could easily end up in grave danger) 16 ...
Nxe4! 17 fxe4 Qxe4+
 Question: What the hell is going on?

Answer: Both sides must try to attack the other’s king; in the ensuing
chaos, the machine gives equality, whereas anything might happen during
an actual game.
For example: 18 Ne2 (simply blocking the check, while keeping g2
protected) 18 ... Rg8 19 Qxc4 (careful! - the c8-bishop is now under attack)
19 ... Bb7 20 Rxa7 Rg6 (Black’s rook threatens to shift along the third rank,
especially to either c6 or d6) 21 Kd1 Rd6 (now the b7-bishop is about to
enter the battle with ... Bd5; White should return the exchange to avoid
getting slaughtered by Black’s bishops) 22 Rxb7 Qxb7 23 Nc3 Qxb2 24
Nb5 Qa1+ 25 Kc2 Rg6 26 Qc8+ Ke7
 (the position is still so sharp that one mistake by either side could lead
to a loss) 27 Nc3 Rd6 28 Qb7 Qe1 29 Bb5 Qxh1 30 Nd5+ Ke6 31 Nc7+
Ke7 32 Nd5+ Ke6 and the game ends in a rather insane repetition.
12 ... Qxe4+ 13 Ne2
The only move. 13 Be2?? drops the f4-bishop with White’s knight
waiting to die in the corner on a8, while after 13 Be3 Bb4+ White’s king is
in an unenviable predicament.
13 ... Qxa8
We have finally arrived at our familiar tabiya for the 7 Nd5 variation.
This time White elects to move the e2-knight straight away.
14 Nc3 a6
Simply defending the b5-pawn. The alternative 14 ... Bb4 is my
preference, when Black threatens both ... Re8+ and ... Qe4+, while the f6-
knight can soon come to d5. In order to meet the threats, White has to block
the long diagonal and take control of e4 with 15 f3, even though it weakens
the dark squares around White’s king.
 Now Black has two main options:
a) 15 ... Nd5 (establishing a presence on d5 and blockading the d4-pawn
immediately) 16 Bd2 Bxc3! (I prefer this to 16 ... Nxc3 17 bxc3 Bd6 which
led to a win for White in Joh.Richardson-A.Maksimenko, Bridgend 2022)

Question: Why is taking with the bishop on c3 the correct capture,

despite
ceding the bishop pair to White?

Answer: Again, what is important is not what is off the board but what
remains. White gains the two bishops, but they will take a long time to get
activated. After 17 bxc3 (or 17 Bxc3 Nxc3 18 bxc3 Re8+ 19 Be2 a6 20 0-0
Qc6, followed by ... Qe6 with counterplay, while White no longer has the
bishop pair) 17 ... a5 18 Be2 Re8 19 0-0 a4 (locking the queenside with this
advance is a theme that we shall see over and over in this book) 20 Re1
N7f6 21 Qb1 Qa6 22 Bd1 Rxe1+ 23 Bxe1 Qe6 24 Bd2 Bd7 25 Qc1 Kc7
Black has ample compensation for the material.
 b) 15 ... a5 (supporting the b4-bishop and pushing the queenside pawns)
16 Be2 (after 16 Bd2 Qc6 17 Be2 Qb6 the position is dynamically
balanced, which is bookspeak for all three results; note that sacrificing the
d4-pawn to open lines with 18 0-0 is insufficient, since Black can hang on
to the pawn and defend successfully: 18 ... Qxd4+ 19 Kh1 Re8 20 Rc1 Nc5
21 Qc2 Bd7 and Black’s king is perfectly safe) 16 ... Re8 (Black’s rook is
first to control the e-file) 17 0-0 (White has finally castled; obviously Black
can never do that, but the black king is safe where he is as there is no
effective way for White to blast open the centre - a typical characteristic of
this variation) 17 ... Qc6 (Black’s queen gets activated on c6, when it can go
to b6, aid a knight to get to d5, or even shift round to e6 or g6) 18 Re1 a4
(this standard lock meets with the engine’s approval; another option is to
play 18 ... Nb6 first) 19 Bd2 (White finishes their development; the game is
set to get even tenser) 19 ... Nb6 20 Ne4 (trying to trade dark-squared
bishops with the double goal of weakening Black’s dark squares and
infiltrating with Nc5; after 20 f4 Bxc3 21 Bxc3 Be6 22 Bf3 Bd5, although
White has the bishop pair, they still cannot inflict damage on the black
king)
 Black has two viable options here:
b1) 20 ... Bf8 (retreating all the way back to f8 is very possible, despite
looking passive) 21 Ba5

Question: White pins the b6-knight, perhaps with the idea of Nc5 and
that is it.
Or is there another idea?

Answer: White slyly threatens to break the centre open with d4-d5.
Always pay attention to these types of pawn breaks.
21 ... Nfd5 (overprotecting the b6-knight and preventing the pawn
advance) 22 Nc3 (trying to remove the guard on d5) 22 ... Be6 23 f4

Exercise: What is White threatening? And what should Black do about

it?

Answer: Careful! White wants to play Bf3 as soon as possible,

activating the light-squared bishop and allowing both bishops to rage
against Black’s forces, criss-crossing them in a two-frontal assault.
The only solution is 23 ... Nxc3! 24 bxc3 Bd5 (preventing Bf3). Play
might continue 25 Rb1 Kc7 26 Bxb6+ Qxb6 27 Bf3 Rxe1+ 28 Qxe1 Bxf3
29 gxf3 Qg6+ 30 Kf2 Qc2+ and the game ends in a logical perpetual.
b2) 20 ... Bd6 21 d5!? (or 21 Ba5 - try not to panic when White pins the
b6-knight like this; unless there exist specific threats, this is just a way that
White can try to improve their position - 21 ... Nbd5 22 Nxd6 Nxd6 23 f4!?
Nxf4 24 Qd2 Kc7 25 Bb4 Qf6 with ideas of ... Qg5 and ... Bb7; of course
some vigilance is required, but Black’s king remains well guarded all the
same) 21 ... Nbxd5 22 Nxd6 Qxd6 (White has sacrificed a pawn to open the
centre and gain the bishop pair, but again there are no immediate threats or
dangers)

b21) 23 Kh1 (getting off the a7-g1 diagonal to avoid accidents) 23 ...
Be6 24 f4 (White must do something to bring their bishops into the battle,
even by sacrificing a pawn; however, by playing f3-f4 White cedes control
of the e4-square) 24 ... Ne4 25 Ba5+ Ke7 26 Qd4 Qxf4 (now the threat at f2
drags the king back again) 27 Kg1 Rc8 28 Qa7+ Kf8 29 Bf3 Nef6 30 Bxd5
Bxd5 and Black has sufficient compensation for the exchange.
 b22) 23 Ba5+ Kd7 24 Qd4 (centralizing the queen and clearing the way
for Rad1, while the queen can go to a7 in the future) 24 ... Bb7

Exercise: The game is highly complex, with pieces scattered all over
the place.
Thinking schematically, how should Black organize themself?

Answer: It looks and sounds insane, but one way for Black to get
organized is to play ... Kc6, getting out of the various pins that are present.
For example, after 25 Rad1 (the most logical move at White’s disposal,
increasing the pressure down the d-file) 25 ... Kc6, the f6-knight can drop
back to d7 to cover the dark-squared entry points.
Or if 25 Bf1? Ra8 (avoiding the exchange of rooks, while gaining a
tempo on the a5-bishop) 26 Bc3, as in A.Erigaisi-L.Aronian, online rapid
2022, then again 26 ... Kc6!, with the idea of ... Qc5 to trade queens and
mobilize the queenside pawns.
15 f3
 Preventing any tactics that could arise from a black piece jumping to e4.
15 ... Nd5?!
I am not sure if Black mixed up the move order, but this allows White to
exchange pieces on their own terms. Again, I recommend the one stone/two
birds approach by immediately pinning the c3-knight with 15 ... Bb4, which
develops the f8-bishop at the same time and clears the way for the black
rook to shift to e8.

16 Be2 (White prepares to castle, with the aim of safeguarding the king
and then blasting open the centre) 16 ... Nd5 (blockading the d-pawn, while
attacking both c3 and f4) 17 Bd2 (here 17 Bg5+ would be met simply by 17
... N7f6) 17 ... Nxc3 18 Bxc3 Bxc3+ 19 bxc3 Re8 (applying pressure down
the open e-file) 20 0-0 Qc6 21 Re1 Qe6 22 Qc2 Qe3+ 23 Kf1 Qf4, when
Black has sufficient compensation for the exchange, given that White has
coordination problems and a slightly exposed king.
16 Bg5+
Omitting the check was also possible: 16 Bd2 Nxc3 17 Bxc3 Nf6 18
Ba5+ Kd7 19 b3 (Black’s king is quite exposed and their pieces still
undeveloped) 19 ... cxb3 20 g3 b2 21 Rb1 Bd6 22 Bh3+ Ke7 23 Qe2+ Be6
24 0-0 Ba3 25 Bc3 Qd5 26 Rfe1 and White has a slight edge. Although the
position is a mess and material equal, White has nagging pressure on the
open e-file, while Black’s king is not entirely safe.
16 ... f6
Here 16 ... N7f6? would allow 17 Nxb5!.
17 Bd2 Nxc3 18 bxc3
White can also play 18 Bxc3 without getting killed. In response, Black
should push the bishop back from c3 and shut it out from going to a5,
where it would be more than useful: 18 ... b4 19 Bd2 Nb6 20 Ra5 Qc6 21
Kf2 Bd6 22 Rc5! (due to this trick, White keeps a slight edge) 22 ... Bxc5
(Black has to accept the return sacrifice, as otherwise White just takes on
b4) 23 dxc5 Nd5 (not 23 ... Qxc5?? 24 Be3+ and wins) 24 Bxb4 Bd7 25
Ba3 Re8 26 Bxc4 Ne3 27 Qc1 Nxc4 28 Qxc4 and White emerges a pawn
up, although the opposite-coloured bishops mean the game is likely to end
in a draw.
18 ... Bd6 19 Kf2
Moving the king off the e-file. If 19 Be2 Nb6 20 0-0 Bb7 21 Qe1 Kc7,
White still has issues activating the two bishops. Note that f3-f4 is not
possible, since it hangs the g2-pawn.
19 ... h5?!
Centralizing the queen with 19 ... Qd5 was more accurate, after which
Black can get the rook to e8 and mobilize their forces. For example: 20 Be2
(White prepares to castle by hand which, despite looking quite ugly, is
highly logical) 20 ... Kc7 21 Qc1 Re8 22 Re1 Bb7 23 Kf1 Nb6 24 Bd1
 Exercise: White offers an exchange of rooks to blunt Black’s attack.
Judge
whether Black should agree to the trade or not.

Answer: Yes, Black should agree to the trade. Again, general principles
are helpful only to a certain point. What the correct decision should be
depends on concrete factors that are unique to each position. After 24 ...
Rxe1+ 25 Bxe1 Qe6 26 Bc2 Nd5 27 Be4 Bxh2 28 Bd2 g5, central control
provides full compensation for Black, whose last move prevents White’s
threat of reducing material with Bxd5 and Bf4.
20 Qc2 Qa7
Planning the thematic knight jump to d5, from where it overlooks the
entire centre.
21 Re1
After 21 Be2 Nb6 22 f4 Nd5 Black has typical ample compensation for
the exchange; with the knight on d5 and a lack of open files for the white
rooks, the position is balanced, although personally I would prefer Black.
 21 ... Nb6 22 f4

Exercise: What is White’s plan, and how should Black counter it?

Answer: White is trying to achieve two goals: block the b8-h2 diagonal
from the d6-bishop, while fianchettoing the bishop on g2. Black needs to
halt this plan by pressuring the f4-pawn.
22 ... Nd5
As well as attacking f4 this prepares to fire the h5-pawn like a cannon
after White plays g2-g3 to fianchetto the f1-bishop.
23 g3 h4 24 Bg2 Qf7 25 f5 a5
As mentioned in the previous game, just keep thinking about that REO
Speedwagon song and keep pushing on with that a-pawn.
26 Qe4 Bb7 27 Qg4 Qc7 28 Re6 hxg3+ 29 hxg3 Rxh1 30 Bxh1 Qd7
 Black safeguards both the d6-bishop and the g7-pawn. Note that even
though White managed to penetrate the e-file with their last remaining rook,
it just sits there on e6 doing nothing.
31 Qd1 a4 32 Be4 Nxc3 33 Bxc3 Bxe4 34 Rxe4 b4 35 Re6 bxc3 36
Qf3 ½-½
Neither side can force a breakthrough.

Game 10
K.Kavutskiy-C.Repka
Chicago 2022

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6 7 Be3

 A natural move, developing the bishop towards the newly posted queen
on b6. Fortunately, Black has nothing to fear from the advance of the white
d-pawn.
7 ... e6
Ris gives this an exclamation mark. It is worth noting that 7 ... Qb7? is a
clear error. After 8 g3!, followed by Bg2, Black’s queen - and rook behind it
- will come under far heavier fire than on b6.
8 d5
White doesn’t have to push the pawn straight away:
a) 8 Nf3 Nf6 9 d5 Bc5 10 Bxc5 Qxc5 is another route to the main line.
Via this move order Black can also play 9 ... Qb7, transposing to
E.Nasyrova-Sha.Dev, Titled Tuesday (blitz) 2021, where 10 Qd4? (after 10
g3 b4 11 Na4 exd5 12 exd5 Qxd5 13 Qxd5 Nxd5 14 Bxc4 White should
have enough for the pawn) 10 ... Bb4 11 dxe6 Bxe6 12 e5 Nc6 was already
close to winning for Black.
b) 8 Nh3!? Nf6 9 Be2 Bb4 10 Bf3 Bb7 11 d5 (if 11 0-0 0-0, as in
Vl.Fedoseev-K.Sychev, online rapid 2022, Black follows up with ... Nbd7
and can answer d4-d5 with ... Bc5 again if necessary) 11 d5 Qc7 (at this
moment 11 ... Bc5? is bad because of the forcing variations 12 dxe6 fxe6 13
e5 Nfd7 14 Bxb7 Qxb7 15 Nf4 and 12 ... Bxe3 13 e5! Bh6 14 Bxb7 Qxb7
15 exf6 0-0 16 e7 Re8 17 Qd5 Qc6 18 Rd1 gxf6 19 0-0 Rxe7 20 Qh5 Bf8
21 Nxb5, when Black’s position is a wreck)

a) 12 d6?! Qc8 13 e5 Nfd7 14 Bxb7 Qxb7 15 Qg4 Nc6 16 f4 0-0 17 0-0

h6 18 Rad1 f5 and Black resolves the situation on the kingside with
advantage.
b) 12 0-0 Bxc3 13 bxc3 e5 14 g4 Bc8 15 Qe2 a6 16 Rfb1 0-0 17 Rxb5
axb5 18 Rxa8 Qd6 with good counterplay for Black.
c) 12 dxe6 fxe6 13 0-0 (threatening both e4-e5 and Nxb5) 13 ... Bxc3 14
bxc3 Nc6 15 Ng5 Nd8 16 Bh5+ g6 17 Bg4 Qe7 18 e5 Nxg4 19 Qxg4 0-0
20 Rfd1 a5 and Black can look to the future with confidence.
8 ... Bc5
Black simply blocks the attack on the queen, developing the f8-bishop
in the process. It is important to pay attention to which pieces are being
developed and the safety of Black’s king.
9 Bxc5
 If 9 Nf3 Nd7 10 dxe6 fxe6 11 Nd4 Ngf6 12 Ndxb5 Bxe3 13 fxe3 0-0,
Black’s counterplay compensates for the missing b5-pawn.
9 ... Qxc5

10 Nf3
White simply develops the kingside so that the king can finally leave
the centre.
Most other moves are dubious. For example: 10 Qg4?! (seeking to
exploit the fact that the g8-knight has not yet been developed by attacking
the g7-pawn in Winawer Poisoned Pawn style) 10 ... Kf8 (sacrificing the
g7-pawn is possible, but leads to a mess) 11 Rd1 Ne7 12 Nf3 exd5 13 Qf4
Nbc6 14 Ng5 f6 15 exd5 Ne5 16 Nge4 Qb6 17 Be2 N7g6 18 Qd2 f5 19
Ng5 h6 20 Ne6+ Kg8 21 0-0 Kh7 and Black has finally secured the king
with rough equality.
10 ... Nf6
As said before, it is important that both sides get their kings to safety.
It is actually possible to overprotect the b5-pawn with 10 ... a6 as well.
The downside is that the black king remains in the centre: 11 dxe6 Ra7 (Ris
also analyses this on his DVD) 12 Qd4 Qxd4 13 Nxd4 Rc7 14 Nd5 (or 14
exf7+ Kxf7 15 Be2 Ne7 16 f4 Rd8 17 Nf3 Ke8 18 Kf2 Nd7 19 Rhd1 Nf6
20 Rxd8+ Kxd8 with equality) 14 ... Rb7 15 exf7+ Kxf7 16 b3 cxb3 17
Nxb3 Be6 led to another draw in M.Yilmaz-Mad.Andersen, European Team
Championship, Terme Catez 2021.
11 Qd4

Question: White usually tries to generate an initiative in exchange for

the
sacrificed pawn, so why offer the trade of queens?

Answer: White actually hopes to gain the initiative by trading queens,

the idea being that Black’s queen protects so many points in the black
camp.
We should also analyse what happens if White continues simply to
develop: 11 Be2 a6 (protecting the b5-pawn and preparing to castle) 12
dxe6 (seeing that Black’s queenside majority is fortified, White tries to blast
open the centre; note that the queen trade is now nothing to fear: 12 Qd4
Qxd4 13 Nxd4 Bb7 14 dxe6 Nc6 15 0-0-0 Nxd4 16 exf7+ Kxf7 17 Rxd4
Rhd8 18 Rhd1 Ke8 and the position is imbalanced yet equal) 12 ... Nc6!
 Question: Why does Black refuse to recapture on e6, which seems like
the
most obvious and natural reaction?

Answer: Recapturing is possible, but a mess can arise should White

push e4-e5.
Instead, Black focuses on rapid development. After 13 exf7+ Kxf7 14 0-
0 Bb7 Black’s rooks are ready to come to the centre with a slight advantage,
as White’s own pieces are rather passively placed.
11 ... Qb4
 Question: This time it looks as if Black is playing with their queen
while
neglecting the rest of their pieces. Should Black not focus on
developing and
getting the king to safety?

Answer: As we have seen in many lines of this variation, the black

queen can make solo appearances and still steal the show. In any case Black
is not ready for the exchange of queens, as the queenside would then be
insecure.
12 Be2 0-0?!
This move is completely natural but is in fact an inaccuracy.
Defining the central pawn structure with 12 ... exd5! was more
important, as White has chances to create a mess if the situation in the
centre is left unresolved. After 13 Qe5+! (the best reply, preventing Black
from castling, at least for now) 13 ... Be6 14 Rxa7! (White takes advantage
of the loose b8-knight) 14 ... Nfd7 15 Qxg7 (the queen sacrifice 15 Rxa8?!
almost works, “almost” being the operative word: after 15 ... Nxe5 16
Rxb8+ Ke7 17 Rb7+ Kf6 18 Rxb5 Nxf3+ 19 Bxf3 Qd6, the black king is
quite safe on f6, and Black’s queen is more than a match for White’s rook
and knight) 15 ... Rxa7 16 Qxh8+ Qf8! (the best way to extinguish White’s
attack is to trade queens) 17 Qxf8+ (or 17 Qh4 Ra1+ 18 Bd1 Nf6 19 Qh4
Nxe4) 17 ... Kxf8 (White has a choice of two on the menu: to take on either
b5 or d5 - both options lead to equality) 18 exd5 (or 18 Nxb5 Ra1+ 19 Bd1
dxe4) 18 ... Ra1+ 19 Bd1 Bg4 20 Nxb5 Bxf3 21 gxf3 Ra2 22 Nd6 (going
after the c4-pawn) 22 ... Nb6 23 Kd2 Rxb2+ 24 Bc2 Nxd5 25 Nxc4 Ra2
(maintaining the pin on the c2-bishop; Ris actually stops here and claims
equality) 26 Rb1 Nc6 27 Rb2 Rxb2 28 Nxb2 Kg7, White has an extra pawn
in this endgame, but it is a useless pawn. There is absolutely no way to
make progress, especially against a pair of knights that are very good
blockaders.
13 0-0

Question: Black has an awkwardly-placed queen and lagging

development.
 Does White have too much for the sacrificed pawn?

Answer: No. Just like in previous lines, White has enough

compensation, true; but as for more, no. That is because Black has no
obvious weaknesses and can eventually complete development.
13 ... Rd8
The cautious 13 ... a6 is also possible and led to a draw in
S.Mamedyarov-L.Dominguez Perez, online rapid 2022, but I find it a bit
slow. I think Black needs to get their pieces out more quickly.
However, 13 ... Bd7!? is an interesting alternative.

Question: That is a rather odd-looking move which seems to misplace

the
bishop. Does it not simply waste time and give White the initiative?

Answer: No; we have seen many lines where Black develops in what
one could call an odd fashion. The idea is to defend the b5-pawn so that the
queen can retreat if necessary.
White might then consider:
a) 14 Rfd1 (lending support to the d5-pawn, the most important asset in
White’s camp) 14 ... exd5 15 exd5 a5 16 Ne5 (making way for the white
bishop to go to f3, as well as trading the knight for Black’s remaining
bishop) 16 ... Re8 17 Bf3 Qd6 18 Nxd7 Qxd7 19 d6 Ra6 20 h3 Rd8 and
although it looks dangerous, the d6-pawn is firmly blockaded and is
counterbalanced by Black’s queenside majority, making the position equal.
b) 14 Na2 (driving the queen away) 14 ... Qe7 15 d6?! (it must be
reiterated that Black should not automatically panic when White pushes the
d-pawn; yes, it gets to d6, but the question that you should ask yourself is
“what happens thereafter?”) 15 ... Qd8 16 Nc3 Nc6 17 Qe3 Qb6 18 Qxb6
axb6 19 Nxb5 Nxe4 20 Bxc4 Rxa1 21 Rxa1 Rd8 and Black has a small
advantage, since White’s passed d-pawn has ended up being a liability
rather than an asset.
c) 14 b3 exd5 15 exd5 Qe7 (backing off and threatening ... b5-b4)
 c1) 16 bxc4 b4! leads to a forcing sequence with eventual equality. For
example: 17 Nd1 Qxe2 18 Ne3 (threatening to trap the queen with Rfe1, so
Black must return the piece) 18 ... Nxd5 19 cxd5 (19 Qxd5 Bc6 and 19
Nxd5 Nc6 are also equal) 19 ... a5, when we see the common theme of
Black’s queenside majority against White’s passed d-pawn, which in some
ways resembles the Semi-Tarrasch.
c2) 16 d6 (White pushes the d-pawn as far as possible; Black needs to
react with precision) 16 ... Qe6 17 Rfe1 (threatening the discovered attack
Bxc4, which Black must parry immediately) 17 ... Nc6 18 Qf4 Qg4 19
Qxg4 Bxg4 20 bxc4 bxc4 21 h3 Bxf3 22 Bxf3 Rac8 23 Red1 Rfd8, again
with relative equality.
c3) 16 Rfe1 (immediately setting up discoveries on the black queen) 16
... cxb3 17 Bxb5 Qd6 (it is important to blockade the white d-pawn, since
carelessness could easily lead to it becoming dangerous; Black’s plan is to
stabilize the position in order to capitalize on the outside passed a-pawn) 18
Bc4 (protecting d5 and attacking b3) 18 ... b2 (the b-pawn is doomed so
might as well disrupt White’s coordination before dropping) 19 Ra2 Re8 20
Rb1 Rc8 21 Rbxb2 a5 and Black’s queenside pieces are almost done
developing. We have see this theme throughout the book: while White
regains the pawn, Black uses the time to do something else.

14 Ne5
White prevents ... Nc6 and prepares Bf3. Instead:
a) 14 Rfe1 Nc6 15 Qe3 exd5 16 Nxd5 Nxd5 17 exd5 Ne7 (more or less
forced, as otherwise White’s initiative is too dangerous) 18 Bxc4! (this
tactic allows White to restore material equality) 18 ... bxc4 19 Qxe7 Qxe7
20 Rxe7 Kf8 21 Rexa7 Rxa7 22 Rxa7 Bg4 is equal, since the white d-pawn
will fall sooner or later.
b) 14 Rfd1 exd5 15 Ne5 (preparing a tactic that is very difficult to see
over the board; 15 exd5 a5 16 b3 initiates a forcing variation: 16 ... cxb3!
17 Qxb4 axb4 18 Rxa8 bxc3 19 Rxb8 c2 20 Rxb5 Nxd5 21 Rxb3 cxd1R+
22 Bxd1 Nf4, when the draw is not far away) 15 ... a5 16 Bh5!? (a very
interesting continuation which Stockfish 15 gives as best) 16 ... Nxh5 17
Nxd5 Qd6 18 Ne7+ Kf8 19 Qxd6 Rxd6 20 Nxc8 Rxd1+ 21 Rxd1 and now
21 ... Nc6! releases all of the queenside pressure and equalizes immediately.
White has nothing better than 22 Nd7+ (22 Nxc6? Rxc8 23 Nxa5 Nf4,
followed by ... Nd3, is very good for Black) 22 ... Ke8 23 Ndb6 Rb8 24
Nd6+ Ke7 25 Nf5+ Ke8 26 Nd6+ with a draw.
14 ... exd5
Here 14 ... Qe7 keeps White’s edge to a minimum: 15 Rfd1 exd5 16
exd5 Bb7 (it is important that Black continue to increase pressure on the d5-
pawn because, in general, the less dangerous this pawn is, the less
compensation White has) 17 Bf3 Nc6 (allowing White to get rook and
bishop for a queen is usually unfavourable for Black, but in this case it is
the best option) 18 dxc6 Rxd4 19 Rxd4 Qxe5 20 cxb7 Re8 21 Rdd1 b4 22
Nd5 Nxd5 23 Bxd5 c3 24 bxc3 bxc3 25 Bc6 and it looks like White could
be close to winning, but in fact they only have a small advantage. Both
sides have dangerous passed pawns, and the material is close to equal.
15 exd5 Bb7
Black manages to develop some queenside pieces, but take note of the
a8-rook and b8-knight: they are still stuck on their original squares.
16 Rxa7 Qe7

17 d6?!
 Too hasty. White should leave the pawn on d5 and simply increase the
pressure on the queenside: 17 Rfa1! Rxa7 18 Rxa7 b4 19 d6! (the right
moment) 19 ... Rxd6 20 Rxb7! (the same trick as in the game) 20 ... Nbd7
21 Qxc4 Qxe5 (or 21 ... bxc3 22 Nxd7 Nxd7 23 Qc8+ Qf8 24 Qxc3) 22
Rxb4 and White emerges a pawn up.
17 ... Rxd6??
A horrid blunder. 17 ... Rxa7 18 Qxa7 Qxe5 19 Qxb7 Re8 was still bad,
but not losing.
18 Rxb7!
Now this elementary tactical trick is completely winning for White.
18 ... Nbd7

Exercise: Blocking the threat to the queen appears to solve all Black’s
problems.
How can White prove a decisive advantage nonetheless?

19 Qe3??
 Definitely not by retreating. Kavutskiy has great positional skills, but in
this instance he misses a tactic.
Answer: White had to give up the queen to get a winning position: 19
Qxd6! Qxd6 20 Nxd7 Nxd7 21 Rd1 Qb4 22 Rxb5 Qe7 23 Rb7 Rd8 24
Bxc4 and the d7-knight drops too. Under no circumstances can the black
queen compete with the bishop, rook and b2-pawn.
19 ... Qxe5 20 Qxe5
Or 20 Rxb5 Qxe3 21 fxe3 Re8 and if White takes on c4, Black takes on
e3 with equality.
20 ... Nxe5 21 Rxb5 Re8 22 b3 cxb3 23 Rxb3 Rd2 24 h3 h5 25 Rd1
Rc2 26 Bf1

Exercise: The position is completely symmetrical. How can Black

“force” White
to accept that the position is dead equal?

26 ... Ng6??
Not like this! This horrific error loses the exchange.
 Answer: Activating the e8-rook would have conserved equality: 26 ...
Rc8! 27 Nd5 Nxd5 28 Rxd5 R2c5 and the time has come to sign the
scoresheets.
27 Bd3
Geometrically, this is a very odd way for the rook to get trapped, so one
can see how Black overlooked it.
27 ... Rxc3 28 Rxc3 Nf4 29 Bf1 Ne2+?!
29 ... g6 puts up more resistance, even if it would only have delayed the
inevitable.
30 Bxe2 Rxe2 31 Rc7
31 Rd8+ Ne8 (or 31 ... Kh7 32 Rc7) 32 Rcc8 Kf8 33 Kf1 Re7 34 Rc2,
followed by Re2, would have converted the advantage more easily, as the
rook vs. knight endgame is hopeless for Black.
31 ... g6

The rest honestly requires no comments. Black simply went from

completely equal to losing by hanging an exchange for no reason.
32 Ra1 Re8 33 Raa7 Rf8 34 Rcb7 Kg7 35 Kh2 Ne4 36 f3 Nc5 37 Rb6
Re8 38 Kg3 Ne6 39 Rbb7 Rf8 40 Rd7 Kg8 41 f4 Ng7 42 Kh4 Ne6 43 f5
gxf5 44 Ra5 f4 45 Rda7 Kg7 46 Ra8 Rxa8 47 Rxa8 Kg6 48 Ra5 Nd4 49
Rd5 Nc2 50 Rg5+ Kf6 51 Kxh5 Ne1 52 h4 Ke6 53 Rg8 Kf5 54 g4+ fxg3
55 Rxg3 Kf4 56 Rg1 1-0
The tablebases indicate that White mates in 18 moves, but it is easy to
see without calculation that Black is totally busted; the h4-pawn is almost
certainly going to queen.

Game 11
S.P.Sethuraman-Jag.Siddharth
Arandjelovac 2022

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nc3 Qb6

In this final game of the chapter, we shall examine all of the other
options at White’s disposal on move 7.
7 Qh5
White threatens the b5-knight directly. Others:
a) 7 Bf4? is the wrong move order, as Black can simply prevent the Nd5
jump: 7 ... e6 8 g4 Bb4 9 Nge2 Ne7 10 Bg2 Bb7 and White’s pieces make
little sense.
b) 7 g3?! is a nice-looking positional idea, but given the fast pace and
dynamism of this variation, it is a bit slow: 7 ... e6 8 Bg2 Bb7 9 Nge2 Nf6
10 0-0 Bb4 11 Be3 Nbd7 12 e5 (or 12 d5 Bc5 13 dxe6 fxe6) 12 ... Bxg2 13
exf6 Bxf1 14 fxg7 Rg8 15 Qxf1 Rxg7 16 Qg2 Rc8 and White has passively
placed pieces, meaning they have insufficient compensation for the
sacrificed exchange.
c) 7 Nf3 e6 8 Be3 returns to note ‘a’ to White’s 8th move in the previous
game.
d) 7 Nge2 (it is too early to commit the king’s knight here; its only
logical independent jump is to go directly to f4) 7 ... e6 (Black prevents
Nd5 by either white knight) 8 Nf4 Bb4 and Black follows up with the usual
... Ne7, ... Bb7, ... a7-a5, etc, with a slight advantage due to White’s odd
piece placement.
e) 7 Nh3!? (Kotronias & Ivanov analyse this move briefly in their book;
I agree with them that taking on h3 is best, when Black no longer needs to
worry about Nf4 jumps) 7 ... Bxh3! 8 gxh3 e6 9 Be3 Nd7 10 Bg2 Bb4 11 0-
0 Ne7 12 Qh5 Bxc3 13 bxc3 0-0 14 d5 and now I suggest 14 ... Qd6!? 15
dxe6 Qxe6 16 Qxb5 Rab8, returning the pawn to activity Black’s pieces.
After 17 Qg5 Nf6 18 Rfe1 h6 19 Qg3 Rb3 White has the two bishops, but
Black has good counterplay against White’s pawns, and there is no attack
against Black’s king.
7 ... a6!
 Question: This looks like a beginner’s error, seeing that it fails to
defend the
b5-pawn. What is the point of playing ... a7-a6 in that case?

Answer: The idea is to return the material to speed up development,

while gaining further time harassing vulnerably placed white pieces.
8 Nxb5
Abandoning the plan of capturing on b5 would be a clear mistake. For
example, after 8 Nf3? Nf6 9 Qh4 Bb7, Black will follow with ... e7-e6 and
... Bb4, pinning the c3-knight and putting the e4-pawn under heavy
pressure.
8 ... e6
Opening the diagonal for the f8-bishop, both preventing Qc5 and
threatening a dangerous check on b4.
9 Qe5
 White can also retreat with 9 Nc3, aiming to develop more classically,
but the queen is still misplaced on h5. After 9 ... Nc6 (attacking the
defenceless d4-pawn) 10 Bxc4 (10 d5? Nb4 is very good for Black) 10 ...
Nf6 11 Qf3 Nxd4 12 Qd3 Bb7 White has a slight disadvantage due to their
less actively placed pieces and lack of counterplay.
9 ... Bb4+

Exercise: White must make a difficult decision: how to answer the

check.
There are three options, but only one keeps the game equal. Which is
best?

10 Kd1
Answer: This is the best move. White’s king is relatively safe on d1, at
least for the time being. Instead:
a) 10 Ke2?! is inaccurate for obvious reasons - White’s f1-bishop cannot
develop, and the king is more exposed in the centre on e2.
 b) 10 Bd2?? is an outright blunder, as after 10 ... Bxd2+ 11 Kxd2 Nd7
the weakness at b2 is fatal. For example: 12 Qxg7 (12 Nc7+ doesn’t help:
12 ... Kd8 13 Nxe6+ fxe6 14 Qxg7 Qxb2+ and White ends up a piece down
to start with) 12 ... Qxb5 13 Kc1 Ngf6 14 Qxh8+ Ke7, followed by ... Rb8
gives Black a tremendous attack.
10 ... Kf8
Avoiding the Nc7+ fork.
11 Qc7
Basically the only viable move. If White doesn’t force the exchange of
queens, the b5-knight will have to retreat, after which Black can attack the
white queen with tempo and grave consequences.
11 ... Qxc7 12 Nxc7 Ra7

Now White has to decide how to extricate the c7-knight.

13 Ra4
Probably best, skewering the b4-bishop and c4-pawn.
a) 13 Nb5 Rd7 14 Nc3 Rxd4+ 15 Kc2 Bb7 16 f3 is roughly equal.
White will regain the c4-pawn, while Black can develop smoothly with ...
Nf6, ... Ke7 and so on.
b) 13 Bf4 is only a temporary measure: 13 ... Nf6 14 Nb5 (if 14 f3?!
Ke7, Black threatens to win with ... Nh5) 14 ... Rd7 15 Nc3 (the knight has
to retreat again since 15 Bxb8? axb5 would significantly improve Black’s
structure) 15 ... Nc6 16 Nf3 Nxd4 17 Nxd4 Rxd4+ 18 Kc2 Nxe4 19 Be3
Bxc3 20 bxc3 Rd7 21 Bxc4 Ke7 and the onus is on White to prove equality.
13 ... Nc6
Protecting the all-important b4-bishop and renewing the threat on the
c7-knight.
14 d5
The alternative was to defend the knight again: 14 Bf4 a5 (bolstering
the defence of the b4-bishop) 15 d5 Nce7 16 d6 (supporting the knight and
obtaining a passed pawn) 15 ... Bd7! (a clever resource, which works
because Black can trap the c7-knight) 17 dxe7+ Kxe7 18 Ra1 Bd6 19
Bxd6+ Kxd6 and Black regains the material with equality.
14 ... exd5??
It is hard to believe Black played this move which allows the white
knight out to d5. Simply 14 ... Rxc7 was correct: 15 dxc6 a5 (supporting the
b4-bishop for the moment) 16 Bd2 Rxc6 17 Bxb4+ axb4 18 Rxb4 Nf6 19 f3
c3 20 b3 (or 20 bxc3 Rxc3 21 Rc4 Rxc4 22 Bxc4 Ke7 and a handshake is
imminent) 20 ... Ke7 21 Kc2 Rd8 (threatening ... Rd2+) 22 Rc4 Rxc4 23
bxc4 Ba6 24 Kxc3 Rc8, followed by ... Nd7-b6, when the final queenside
pawn is liquidated.
15 exd5??
Remarkably, White returns the favour. After 15 Nxd5! (forcing Black to
solve the problem of the b4-bishop) 15 ... Rd7 16 Bxc4 Nf6 17 Ke2 Bc5 18
Nxf6 gxf6 19 Nf3 White is just winning, a pawn up already, with the a6-
pawn to follow, plus Black’s kingside structure is a shambles.
15 ... Rxc7 16 dxc6 a5
 Exercise: After a rather frantic sequence of moves, we arrive at this
position.
Material is equal, and both sides have less than ideally placed kings.
Evaluate
this queenless middlegame.

Answer: Black has a slight advantage, since Black can get their pieces
out more easily.
17 Bd2
Threatening to eliminate Black’s queenside presence with Bxb4. If
instead 17 Nf3 Ne7 18 Bxc4 Nxc6 19 Bf4 Rd7+ 20 Kc1 Ke7, the h8-rook
will soon join the game, while White still has a few coordination issues.
17 ... Bxd2?!
An inaccuracy that lets White equalize. Rushing the knight to c6 was
better: 17 ... Ne7 18 Nf3 Nxc6 19 Bxc4 Ke7, when White is still lagging in
development, which means a slight advantage for Black.
18 Kxd2 Rxc6 19 Rxa5 ½-½
The players clearly concluded that there was nothing left to fight for.
Chapter Two
3 e4 b5: Alternatives
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5

In this chapter, we shall analyse White’s various alternatives from 3 e4

b5 onwards, all the way up to 5 axb5 cxb5 where White refuses to play 6
Nc3. While 3 e4 b5 is highly theoretical in general, these deviations are
much less so than the 6 Nc3 Qb6 main line examined in the previous
chapter.

Game 12
Bo.Furman-D.Sorm
Prague 2019

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 b3

 Having weakened Black’s pawn chain lower down by exchanging on
b5, White now aims to destroy it completely by striking at the head.
6 ... e5!

The most precise option, countering in the centre as a response to a

flank attack.
7 dxe5
White places their hopes on exploiting Black’s weaknesses and lack of
development in a queenless middlegame. This is nothing to fear. Instead:
a) 7 d5? (although pushing past seems a natural response, it creates a
huge number of dark square weaknesses) 7 ... Nf6 (developing with tempo
by attacking the e4-pawn, which sets White probably unsolvable problems)
 a1) 8 f3 Qb6 9 Qc2 Bc5 10 Ne2 cxb3 and Black was already winning in
S.Gailiunaite-A.Gara, European Women’s Team Championship,
Hersonissos 2017.
a2) 8 bxc4 Nxe4 9 Qe2 f5 10 f3 (trying to drive the knight away) 10 ...
Bb4+ 11 Nd2 (if 11 Kd1 0-0! 12 fxe4 fxe4 13 Bd2 Nc6, White’s king is in
serious danger) 11 ... Nc3 12 Qxe5+ Kf7 13 Ne2 Re8 and White had a very
sad position in Ja.Merriman-S.L.B.Chan, Leamington Spa 2021
a3) 8 Bg5 can be met by 8 ... Bc5! 9 Qf3 Qb6 10 Bxf6 Bb4+ 11 Nc3
Qxf6 and White is busted due to the pin on the knight.
a4) 8 Qf3 Nc6!! throws a grenade on the battlefield. Taking is disastrous
due to ... Bg4, but otherwise ... Nd4 or ... Nb4 follows, not to mention ...
Bb4+. For example: 9 bxc4 Nd4 10 Qd3, F.S.Gonzalez-Ana.Donskov,
Titled Tuesday (blitz) 2022, and now simply 10 ... bxc4 11 Qxc4 Bd7,
followed by ... Rc8 is decisive.
a5) 8 Nd2 Bb4 9 Qc2, E.Ovod-Se.Pavlov, Moscow 2015, and now 9 ...
Nbd7 10 bxc4 Nc5 11 Ngf3 0-0 leaves White strategically lost.
a6) 8 Nc3 Bc5! (even stronger than 8 ... b4 or 8 ... Bb4) 9 bxc4 b4 10
Na4 Nxe4 11 Nxc5 Nxc5 12 Nf3 Nbd7 13 Be2 0-0 and Black has an extra
pawn, including two queenside passed pawns, for which White’s bishop
pair and blockaded centre are nowhere near sufficient compensation.
b) 7 Nf3 exd4 8 Qxd4 (8 bxc4 b4 transposes to note ‘c’ below) 8 ... Nc6
9 Qxd8+ Kxd8 (9 ... Nxd8 is also possible, as in A.Aleksandrov-Y.Taher,
Chennai 2020)

b1) 10 bxc4 b4 (keeping the dangerous a6-f1 diagonal shut; Black can
also try to blockade the c4-pawn by placing a piece on c5) 11 Be3 (after 11
Bd3?! Nf6 12 Bg5?! Kc7 13 Bf4+ Bd6 14 Bxd6+ Kxd6 Black already had a
clear advantage in J.Candela Perez-J.Plazuelo Pascual, Alcorcon 2022) 11
... Nf6 12 Nbd2 Bb7 13 c5 (trying to open the a6-f1 diagonal again, but it
leaves the c-pawn as a weakness) 13 ... Ng4 14 Ba6 Bxa6 15 Rxa6 Nxe3 16
fxe3 Nb8 17 Ra5 Nc6 18 Ra6 Nb8 with a draw by repetition.
b2) 10 Nc3 Bb4 (developing with tempo) 11 Bb2 Nf6 12 0-0-0+ Bd7 13
bxc4 Rc8 (even without the queens on the board, the initiative is more
important than material) 14 Ng5 Re8! 15 f4 Bxc3 16 Bxc3 Nxe4 17 Nxe4
Rxe4 18 cxb5 Ne5! is a ridiculous-looking computer line where Black
equalizes with some rather odd moves.
 c) 7 bxc4 b4! 8 Nf3 (still not 8 d5?! Nf6 9 Bd3 Nbd7 10 Nf3, as in
K.Leszczynski-M.Grabarczyk, Wloclawek 2009, as 10 ... Qc7 11 0-0 a5
leaves Black with a clear edge) 8 ... exd4 (both sides have punched holes in
each other’s structure like Swiss cheese, but Black remains with outside
passed pawns on the queenside)

Then:
c1) 9 Be2 is too slow: after 9 ... Bc5 10 Bb2 Ne7 11 Nbd2 0-0 12 Nb3
Nd7 13 0-0 a5 14 Qd2 Nc6 Black keeps the d4-pawn and can push the a-
and b-pawns next.
c2) 9 Nxd4 (White regains the pawn, but the knight ends up being a
target) 9 ... Bc5 10 Be3 Nf6 11 Be2 0-0 12 e5 Ne4 13 0-0 a5 and Black has
a clear advantage with the dangerous passed pawns.
c3) 9 Bd3 Ne7 (I prefer to develop in this fashion, avoiding attacks with
e4-e5, and bringing the king’s knight on c6 instead of the queen’s knight,
which can develop later) 10 0-0 (without a target on f6, 10 e5 gives White
no attack: 10 ... Nec6 11 Nbd2 Be7 12 Qc2 a5 13 0-0 g6 14 Bb2 0-0 and
Black remains a pawn up) 10 ... Nec6 11 e5 Be7 12 Be4, V.Esplugas
Esteve-G.Ayats Llobera, Barcelona 2020, and now after 12 ... a5! (making
use of the queenside majority immediately) 13 Nbd2 Ra6 14 c5 0-0, Black
has everything covered and can look forward to the middlegame with
confidence due to the two queenside passers and extra pawn.
c4) 9 Bb2 Ne7 (adopting the same set-up; 9 ... Nc6 10 Nbd2 Nf6 11 c5
Be7 12 Bb5 Bd7 13 Ra6 gave White more chances in G.Kasparov-Bankers
Trust, London 1993) 10 Nbd2 (10 Nxd4 Nec6 11 Nb5 Qxd1+ 12 Kxd1 Kd8
is also in Black’s favour) 10 ... Nec6 11 Nb3 Be7 12 c5 0-0 13 Bb5 Qc7 and
Black is ready to push the queenside pawns, whereas it is not exactly clear
what White’s plan should be.
c5) 9 Nbd2 Ne7 10 c5 (opening up the a6-f1 diagonal for White’s light-
squared bishop; 10 Nb3 Nec6 11 Nfxd4 Be7 12 Be3 0-0 again leaves White
without an obvious plan) 10 ... Nec6 11 Bb5 Be7 12 Ne5 Qc7 (12 ... Bb7 13
Nxf7 Kxf7 14 Qf3+ is too messy) 13 Nd3 0-0 14 Nb3 a5 15 Bf4 Qb7 16
Ba4 Nd8 17 0-0 Ne6 and despite not having yet developed the queenside,
Black is clearly better in view of the extra pawn and White’s poorly placed
pieces.
7 ... Bb4+
Without doubt the most ambitious reply, equalizing at once. However,
precision is required from Black, since White gets an unopposed dark-
squared bishop in exchange for the a1-rook.
A simpler solution is to trade queens right away, but then Black must
aim to equalize gradually after a series of precise moves: 7 ... Qxd1+ 8
Kxd1 Nc6 (immediately targeting the e5-pawn)
 a) 9 bxc4 b4! (closing the queenside limits the scale of White’s
operations in that sector) 10 Be3 (preparing c4-c5 to open the a6-f1
diagonal for the f1-bishop) 10 ... g5! (Black plans ... Bg7 to recapture the
e5-pawn and dominate the a1-h8 diagonal; this is more active than 10 ... a5
11 Nf3 g6, as in P.Cruz Lledo-L.Ballester Llagaria, Xativa 2016) 11 c5
(after 11 Bxg5 Nxe5 it was worth a pawn to disrupt White’s coordination)
11 ... Bg7 12 Bb5 Nge7 13 Bxg5 Rb8 14 Ba4 Bxe5 15 Ra2 0-0 and Black
has fully enough compensation, in view of White’s weak dark squares and
vulnerable c-pawn.
b) 9 Nc3 Bg4+! (inserting this check prompts White to make
weaknesses in their camp) 10 f3 Rd8+ 11 Nd5 Be6 12 bxc4 bxc4 13 Bd2
Bxd5 14 exd5 Nxe5 with a totally equal game.
c) 9 Nf3 Bg4 (pinning the f3-knight is the best way to develop and
threaten the e5-pawn simultaneously) 10 bxc4 Nxe5 11 Be2 Rd8+ 12 Kc2
bxc4 13 Rd1 (trying to trade more pieces to leave Black’s queenside pawns
vulnerable to attack) 13 ... Rc8 (the most precise, keeping the c4-pawn
under guard) 14 Be3 (if 14 Rxa7 Nf6, Black develops easily with equality)
14 ... Nc6 15 h3 (kicking the bishop away to unpin the f3-knight) 15 ... Be6
16 Nc3 Nf6 17 Nd4 Nxd4+ (17 ... Nb4+ 18 Kd2 Rd8 is reasonable too) 18
Bxd4 Bb4 19 Rxa7 Bxc3 20 Bxc3 Nxe4 21 Bxg7 Rg8 22 Bd4 Rxg2 23 Bf3
Rxf2+! (sacrificing the exchange to get rid of the dangerous dark-squared
bishop) 24 Bxf2 Nxf2 25 Rg1 Kf8 and the game is equal both positionally
and on material, as Black has a knight and two pawns for the rook.
8 Bd2
White is already committed to the exchange sacrifice, as after 8 Ke2??
Qc7 9 f4 Bg4+ 10 Nf3 Nc6 they would be lucky to survive for a couple
more moves.
8 ... Qd4

Equally, Black must take up the gauntlet. White will punish any meek
responses in such a sharp position. For instance, 8 ... Bc5?, as in
H.Hernández Carmenates-I.Nyzhnyk, Chicago 2017, is poor since it just
wastes time; after 9 Nc3 Ne7 10 b4 Bd4 11 Nxb5 Black will be lucky to
survive this one.
9 Bxb4
9 bxc4? is an incorrect move order. Rather than transposing below with
9 ... Qxa1 10 Bxb4, Black can gain a few tempi with 9 ... Bc5! 10 Be3 Qxa1
11 Bxc5 Qxe5 (the key - attacking both the c5-bishop and the e4-pawn) 12
Bd6 (or similarly 12 Ba3 b4!) 12 ... Qxe4+ 13 Be2 b4! 14 Bxb4 Ne7 15
Nc3 Qb7 and Black will castle next, followed by ... Nbc6.
9 ... Qxa1
Having grabbed the exchange Black will now have to navigate some
complications.
10 Bc3
Securing the e5-pawn is unnecessary at this moment. It was better to
play 10 bxc4 Nc6 (10 ... Qxe5? 11 Nf3 Qxe4+ 12 Be2 looks very dangerous
for Black with the king stuck in the centre) 11 Bc3 Qa4 12 cxb5 Qxe4+ 13
Be2 Nxe5 14 f3 Qe3 and then:

a) 15 Qd5 forks the e5-knight and the a8-rook.

Exercise: Black is down an exchange, but White is about to win some

material back. How should Black continue?

Answer: The best response is to ignore both threats. White’s perennial

king safety issue prevents them from recovering material and keeping it,
since their king has to dance in the middle of the board: 15 ... Ne7! 16 Qxe5
(16 Qxa8?? Nd3+ is mate in one) 16 ... Qc1+ 17 Bd1 Qxb1 18 Ne2 Bd7 19
0-0 Qxb5 20 Qxg7 Rg8 21 Qd4 Qb6 and Black has a slight edge purely due
to material factors.
b) 15 Qd6 (with the threat of Bb4 and a check on f8) 15 ... f6 16 Bb4
Bf5 17 Qf8+ Kd7 (again, things look dangerous for Black, but we can
verify with the computer that the position is fairly level) 18 Qd6+ Kc8 19
Kf1 Qb6 20 Qf8+ Qd8 21 Qxg7 Ng6 protects the h8-rook and keeps the
exchange. White has compensation in the form of Black’s misplaced king,
which makes the position balanced.
10 ... Qa2
Retreating the queen to either a2 or a6 suffices. After 10 ... Qa6 11 bxc4
bxc4 12 Nd2 Ne7 13 Bxc4 Qa3 14 Ne2 0-0 (Black’s king finally is out of
the fire) 15 0-0 Nbc6 16 Qa1 Qxa1 17 Rxa1 Be6 18 Bb5 Rfb8 19 Ba4 a5,
Black has a slight edge due to being an exchange up for a pawn, while the
outside passed a-pawn can become dangerous if White is not careful.

11 bxc4
 Even though it looks like a normal developing move, 11 Nf3?? is a
serious error: 11 ... Nc6 (Black plans to develop the c8-bishop and get the
a8-rook in the game, or even castle queenside if White cedes control of the
d-file) 12 Nd4 Nxd4 13 Bxd4 Be6 14 Be2 Rd8 15 0-0 b4 16 f4 Ne7 17 f5
Nc6 18 fxe6 Rxd4 19 exf7+ Kf8 and White’s attack is over.
11 ... bxc4?
11 ... Ne7 is best, trying to get the black king out of the centre as soon
as possible. After 12 cxb5 Be6 13 Bb4 Nd7 14 Nf3 Bb3! (this leads to a
series of forced exchanges) 15 Nc3 Bxd1 16 Nxa2 Bxf3 17 gxf3 Nxe5
material is close to equal, but White has weak pawns in this endgame.
12 Nd2?
With the obvious idea of recapturing on c4, but this is a poor move. 12
e6! was undoubtedly the best option, keeping the game balanced: 12 ... Nf6
(Black has to block the threat of Bxg7, and 12 ... f6?? would lose to 13
Qh5+ g6 14 Qb5+) 13 exf7+ Kxf7 14 Nf3 Nc6 15 Nbd2 Ba6, when Black
has developed all of their minor pieces, and the two rooks are ready to come
to the open central files.
12 ... Ba6
Developing the bishop and protecting the c4-pawn.
13 e6
13 Nh3 develops the king’s knight while keeping the d1-h5 diagonal
open for the queen. Energetic play is required so that Black doesn’t suffer:
13 ... Nc6 (now Black can castle queenside, bringing the queen’s rook to d8
immediately) 14 e6 0-0-0!
 Question: Did Black forget that Bxg7 wins material?

Answer: No, Black is willing to sacrifice to whip up a counterattack

against White’s king. Remember that in these sharp variations, the initiative
is worth more than material.
After 15 Bxg7 Nb4 16 Qc1 f6 17 Bxc4 Nc2+ 18 Kd1 Bxc4 19 Qxc2
Qa1+ 20 Qc1 Rxd2+ 21 Kxd2 Qd4+ 22 Ke1 Qxe4+ 23 Qe3 Qb1+ 24 Kd2
Qb2+, given that Black would lose a rook if they do not acquiesce to a
repetition, the game ends in a draw.
13 ... Nf6
Black needs to castle and get their pieces out as soon as possible. The
initiative in these positions is almost always more important than material.
14 e5??
A horrific blunder which loses, although it looks like a completely
natural move.
14 exf7+! was correct, forcing Black’s king to move: 14 ... Kxf7 15 e5
 Exercise: Black has just lost castling rights, and the f6-knight is en
prise.
How should they react?

Answer: 15 ... Nbd7 (sacrificing the f6-knight is not necessary, but it is

the most enterprising option; the alternative was 15 ... Re8 16 Be2 Nbd7 17
Ngf3 Nd5 18 Ne4 N7b6 19 0-0 Kg8 20 Nfg5 Qb3 21 Qd4 h6 22 Nf7! - a
ridiculous-looking move that maintains the balance - 22 ... Qc2 23 Nxh6+
gxh6 24 Bh5 Nxc3 25 Nf6+ Kh8 26 e6 Re7 27 Ne8+ Kh7 28 Nf6+ Kh8 and
neither side can avoid the perpetual) 16 exf6 Rhe8+ (now White has to deal
with the pressure down the e-file) 17 Be2 Nxf6 (the other rook is ready to
come to d8) 18 h4 (logical, as White cannot activate the rook by other
means) 18 ... Kg8 19 Rh3 Nd5 20 Rg3 Nxc3 21 Rxc3 Rab8 22 Kf1 Rbd8 23
Ke1! (an extremely odd-looking move; it seems that White’s king is a
massive glutton for punishment, wanting to return to the centre, but this is
the safest way to protect the d2-knight) 23 ... Rd3 24 Qc1 Qa5 25 Nb1 Rb8
26 Bxd3 cxd3 27 Nd2 Qe5+ 28 Kd1 Qh2 29 Ngf3 Qxg2 with a surprisingly
balanced position.
14 ... Nd5

The position is so sharp that one tempo makes all the difference. Notice
that White has to expend one tempo to do something about the c3-bishop.
Forcing the black king to move doesn’t help.
15 exf7+ Ke7 16 Ne4 Rd8 17 Bb4+ Kxf7 18 e6+ Ke8 19 Qh5+ g6
Incredibly, White is lost. Trying to figure out during an over-the-board
game what is going on in such a mental position is definitely harder than it
looks. The upside is that your opponent might not know what is going on
either!
20 Qxd5
20 Qe5 looks like a complete mess, but after 20 ... Qb1+ 21 Ke2
White’s king is fatally exposed.
 Exercise: It appears as if White’s king is ready to slip away from the
onslaught with Kf3. How can Black win immediately?

Answer: Deflection. 21 ... Qb2+!! is one of the most beautiful tactical

shots in the entire book. White is forced to take on b2 or else lose the
queen: 22 Qxb2 c3+ 23 Kf3 cxb2 and White is totally busted.
20 ... Qa1+
Not falling for 20 ... Rxd5?? 21 Nf6+ Kd8 22 e7+ Kc8 (or 22 ... Kc7 23
Nxd5+ Kd7 24 Nf6+) 23 e8Q+ Rd8 24 Qe6+ Kb7 25 Qe7+ with a draw.
21 Ke2 Rxd5 0-1
Now the black queen controls the f6-square, so White resigned.

Game 13
D.Le Bourhis-I.Rausis
Creon 1999

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nf3

 As in the previous game, White plans to attack the black pawn chain
with b2-b3 but first takes time to prevent ... e7-e5 in reply.
6 ... e6
Black immediately gets ready to develop the f8-bishop.
7 b3
Note that reverting to 7 Nc3?! just allows Black good versions of lines
in the previous chapter. After 7 ... Bb4 8 Bd2 Qb6 9 b3 (or 9 Be2 Ne7) 9 ...
Bxc3 10 Bxc3 b4 11 Bd2 c3 12 Be3 Nf6 White is struggling to show
compensation for the pawn.
7 ... Nf6

Developing the g8-knight and attacking the e4-pawn in the process.

Black should aim to take full control of the juicy d5-square, from which
White will never be able to eject any black piece.
8 bxc4
Instead:
a) 8 e5 Bb4+ 9 Bd2 Nd5 10 bxc4 bxc4 11 Bxc4 transposes below.
b) 8 Nbd2 can be met by 8 ... c3! (giving up the b5-pawn to remove the
white pawn on e4) 9 Bxb5+ Bd7 10 Bxd7+ Nbxd7 11 Nc4 Nxe4 (the c3-
pawn will likely fall, but White will end up with the worse structure with
three pawn islands to Black’s two) 12 Qc2 Nef6 13 Qxc3 Nd5 and with the
light-squared bishops off the board, the d5-knight can stay there forever.
8 ... bxc4
Still threatening the e4-pawn. Black can develop their pieces fairly
swiftly and naturally; e.g. ... Bb4+ or ... Be7, ... a7-a5, ... Ba6, etc.
8 ... Nxe4 is an interesting and logical alternative, eliminating the e4-
pawn immediately and thus White’s 2-1 centre pawn advantage.

a) 9 cxb5 Bb4+ (the same formula: ... Bb4+ before ... Bb7 in order to
prevent White from taking advantage of not having to block the check on
b4 yet) 10 Nbd2 Bb7 (Black is ready to castle and assault White’s centre)
11 Bd3 Nxd2 12 Bxd2 Bxd2+ 13 Qxd2 0-0 14 0-0 Bxf3 15 gxf3 Nd7 16
Be4 Rb8 17 Bc6 Ne5 18 Qe3 Nc4 19 Qf4 Nd6 and White controls most of
the queenside but has a broken pawn structure. The game is even.
b) 9 Bd3 Bb4+ (more forcing than the alternative 9 ... Bb7, which is
also good) 10 Nbd2 Bb7 11 cxb5 Nxd2 (this leads to a forced, but very
logical sequence) 12 Bxd2 Bxd2+ 13 Qxd2 0-0 14 0-0 Bxf3 (wrecking
White’s pawn structure is imperative; in fact, without this resource, Black
would probably be worse) 15 gxf3 Nd7 16 Be4 Rb8 forces White to do
something about the b5-pawn. Black can also try to initiate an offensive on
the kingside due to White’s horrible structure.
c) 9 c5 (the critical response, with which White scores 80% according to
the database) 9 ... Bxc5 and White has come to a fork in the road: take on
b5 or take on c5. Both lead to relative equality:
c1) 10 dxc5 forces immediate liquidation: 10 ... Qxd1+ 11 Kxd1 Nxf2+
12 Ke1 Nxh1 13 Bxb5+ Bd7 14 Nc3 0-0 15 Ke2 Bxb5+ 16 Nxb5 Nc6 17
Nbd4 Nxd4+ 18 Nxd4 and White will pick up the trapped knight on h1,
leaving a rough material balance of bishop and knight vs. rook and two
pawns.
c2) 10 Bxb5+ Bd7 (White must acquiesce to the exchange of light-
squared bishops to maintain equality) 11 Bxd7+ Qxd7 12 0-0 (again, 12
dxc5 Qxd1+ 13 Kxd1 Nxf2+ 14 Ke2 Nxh1 15 Be3 Nc6 16 Nbd2 f6 17
Rxh1 Kd7 18 Nc4 e5 is a fairly equal endgame with two pieces for rook and
two pawns) 12 ... Bd6 (covering the vital e5-square) 13 Ne5 (after 13 Qe2?!
Qb7 14 Nbd2 Nxd2 15 Bxd2 0-0 16 Rfb1 Qd7, White doesn’t have enough
for the pawn; I prefer placing the queen on d7 since Black can then go ...
Be7 to eliminate the knight should White dare to play Ng5) 13 ... Bxe5 14
dxe5 0-0 15 Be3 Rc8 16 Ra4 f5, when White has sufficient compensation in
the form of an active bishop on an open board, but Black has a solid
position and is not subject to any sort of attack
9 e5
The only serious option. Obviously if White takes on c4, Black takes on
e4. After 9 Bxc4 Nxe4 10 0-0 Be7 11 Re1 Nf6, White has enough activity
to compensate for the IQP, but if too many pieces get traded, it could
become a liability later in the game:
 a) 12 Nc3 0-0 (White has loose pieces in the form of the c3-knight and
c4-bishop, and should thus try to make something out of the IQP, as
otherwise they could end up strategically worse) 13 d5 Bb4 14 Bd2 Bxc3
15 Bxc3 Nxd5 16 Bxd5 Qxd5 17 Qxd5 exd5 18 Bb4 Rd8 (Black is now two
pawns up, but suffers from a lack of development, which allows White to
make an immediate draw) 19 Ba5 Rf8 20 Bb4 Rd8 21 Ba5 Rf8 and White
cleverly forces a repetition.
b) 12 Ne5 is very ambitious, trying for Qf3, trapping the a8-rook. I
recommend ignoring it for now and focusing on getting the black king to
safety: 12 ... 0-0 13 Qf3 Bb4 14 Qxa8 Bxe1 15 Qxa7 Bd7 16 Ba3 Re8 17
Qb7 Ba5 18 Bd6 Qb6 19 Qxb6 Bxb6 20 Ra8 Nc6 and after a long, semi-
forced sequence, Black manages to liquidate and can think about adding
more pressure to the d4-pawn.
9 ... Nd5 10 Bxc4 Bb4+
Avrukh doesn’t cover this move, which is better than 10 ... Be7?!.
11 Nbd2
The natural 11 Bd2 must definitely be examined: 11 ... a5 (this helps
stabilize the b4-bishop and prepares ... Ba6; other moves, such as 11 ... Bb7
and 11 ... 0-0, are also viable) 12 0-0 0-0 (with both sides castled, the real
battle begins; it is clear that White will try something on the kingside, while
Black will strive for queenside counterplay) 13 Bxb4 Nxb4

Let us take stock of the position. The dark-squared bishops have been
traded, which could be seen as theoretically favourable for White. However,
White is far away from generating any type of kingside attack.
For example: 14 Nc3 (after 14 Nbd2?!, as in Se.Volkov-M.Krasenkow,
online rapid 2020, simply 14 ... Bb7, preventing Ne4, looks good for Black)
14 ... Nd7 15 Be2 Nb6 16 Qd2 Bb7, when Black’s control over d5 is not in
doubt.
11 ... a5 12 0-0
 Question: A rather Shakespearean dilemma: to castle or not to castle?

Answer: Both options are fine but, practically speaking, I would prefer
to get rid of White’s dangerous light-squared bishop as soon as possible,
such as with ... Ba6.
12 ... 0-0
As just stated, trading light-squared bishops before castling is my
preference, so that White has fewer attacking chances on the kingside: 12 ...
Ba6 13 Bxa6 Nxa6 14 Ne4 (looking for shenanigans related to hopping to
g5) 14 ... Nac7 (lending support to the d5-knight; soon Black can play ...
h7-h6 to prevent White’s white knights or bishop appearing on g5 - I would
let Black’s king linger in the centre to avoid rubbish on the kingside) 15
Qd3 h6 16 g4 Qd7 17 g5 hxg5 18 Bxg5 Kf8 19 Rfb1 Rh3 20 Kg2 Rh5 21
Bd2 f5 and the game is complicated with chances for both sides.
13 Ne4
White tries to drum up a kingside attack, something that should be
expected by now.
 13 ... Ba6
Very logical, aiming to exchange White’s most dangerous piece.
14 Bd3
Sometimes White trades on a6 first to hurry up and start a kingside
attack: 14 Bxa6 Rxa6 15 Qd3, when alarm bells should be ringing at the
decibel level of a plane taking off from a runway at this point. White has
three (!) pieces which are all threatening to go to g5 as a prelude to a
kingside attack. I recommend stopping any of this rubbish at once with 15
... h6.

Question: Is Black done defending?

Answer: No, not at all. White will try to attack the kingside as their
main plan. In this case, the ... f7-f5 break, which is seen very often in
French positions, will be of key importance. This opens the e-file and
stymies tactical tricks on the b1-h7 diagonal.
For example: 16 g4 f5 (16 ... Rc6 is also possible but riskier) 17 exf6
Nxf6 18 Nxf6+ Qxf6 19 Ne5 Rd6 20 Qe4 Nd7 21 Be3 Qd8, when White
has a poor structure but active pieces, while Black has solidity and a passed
a-pawn.
14 ... h6
Again preventing all sorts of rubbish on g5. At this point I would have
preferred 14 ... Qb6, intending to exchange on d3 and offer a queen trade
with ... Qa6. Then Black could cut across White’s plans with either ... h7-h6
or ... f7-f5. After 15 Bxa6 Qxa6 16 Bd2 Nc6 White has no attack.

15 Bxa6?
Exchanging on a6 after having just played Bd3 makes little sense.
Better was trying for some sort of kingside action, although objectively
Black is in no danger:
a) 15 Ne1 (allowing the white queen to go to g4 and harass Black’s
king) 15 ... Bxd3 16 Nxd3 Be7 17 Qg4 (with the clear threat of Bxh6; Black
has to move the king to safety) 17 ... Kh7 18 Nf4 Nxf4 19 Qxf4 Nd7 and ...
f7-f5 comes soon.
b) 15 g4 Bxd3 16 Qxd3 Nd7 17 g5 h5 (trying to keep the kingside
closes at all costs) 18 Nf6+ (very flashy, but it doesn’t win) 18 ... gxf6 19
gxf6 N5xf6 (returning the piece is the only way to avoid a mating attack) 20
Kh1 Kh8 21 Bg5 Rc8, when Black can follow up with ... Rg8, while it is
not clear how White can continue the attack.
15 ... Nxa6?!
15 ... Rxa6 was correct. Note that after 16 Qd3 Rc6 17 g4 Nd7 Black
has an extra move on the same position via 14 Bxa6 etc and hence the
advantage.
16 g4?
White seems to be firing machine guns while blindfolded.
16 ... f5?!
Missing 16 ... Nc3! 17 Nxc3 Bxc3 18 Ra3 Bb4 19 Rd3 Rc8 20 Qe2
Be7, when material is equal and nothing seems to be happening, but in fact
Black is strategically winning, since White has heavily weakened their
kingside but no attack, whereas Black has a sound structure and a passed a-
pawn.
17 exf6
17 gxf5 Rxf5 is positional suicide for White.
17 ... Nxf6
 It is clear that, if it were possible, White would much rather the g-pawn
be back on g2.
18 Nxf6+ Qxf6 19 Ne5 Rad8
The pressure mounts on the d4-pawn.
20 g5 hxg5 21 Qg4 Qf5 22 Qxg5??
Giving up the d-pawn without a fight is clearly a mistake. Instead, 22
Qxf5 Rxf5 23 Be3 is bad but not yet lost.
22 ... Rxd4 23 Qxf5 Rxf5 24 Be3 Rd6
The extra and passed a-pawn gives Black a decisive edge.
25 f4 Nc7 26 Rfc1 Nd5 27 Rc8+ Kh7 28 Bc5 Bxc5+ 29 Rxc5

29 ... Nxf4
29 ... a4 was more accurate, and if 30 Rxa4 Nxf4 31 Ra1 Rd2, White’s
king is in dire straits.
30 Rcxa5 Rd2 0-1
White could have played on here with 31 Nc4, but either missed it, or
lost on time, or just felt the result was inevitable in any case.

Game 14
V.G.Antonenko-Jan.Hansen
Correspondence 2017

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 Nc3
Now we’ll begin to examine what happens if White doesn’t take on b5
immediately. Incidentally, this variation is more often considered as a Slav
Defence: 2 ... c6 3 Nc3 dxc4 4 e4 b5 5 a4.
5 ... b4
The only reasonable move, since White was threatening to win a pawn
by taking twice on b5. Black keeps the queenside relatively closed and
attacks the c3-knight with tempo.
6 Nb1
The two other retreats, 6 Na2 and 6 Nce2, feature in the next two
games.
6 ... Ba6
White was threatening Bxc4, so this was fairly forced.

7 Qc2
 White attacks the c4-pawn again, while offering the d4-pawn as a
gambit. Instead:
a) 7 Be3 Nf6 (forcing White to resolve the issue of the e4-pawn) 8 f3 (8
e5 Nd5 9 Qc1 c3 10 bxc3 Bxf1 11 Kxf1 e6 12 Nf3 c5 is not the happiest
position for White) 8 ... e5 9 dxe5 (9 Ne2 Bd6 10 Ng3 0-0 11 Nf5 wastes
too much time; it is immaterial whether White gains the two bishops or not
if their development is still lagging - after 11 ... Re8 12 Nd2 exd4 13 Nxd6
Qxd6 14 Nxc4 Qe6 15 Qxd4 c5 16 Qd3 Nc6 17 Qc2 Rad8 Black is clearly
better) 9 ... Nfd7 10 f4 Bc5, when White has an impressive-looking pawn
phalanx in the centre but again lags in development. Meanwhile, Black can
harass White’s queenside, especially if a knight comes to c5.
b) 7 Nd2 allows Black to advance the c-pawn with tempo and exchange
the light-squared bishops: 7 ... c3 8 bxc3 bxc3 9 Ndf3 Bxf1 10 Kxf1 e6 11
Ne2 Bb4 12 Qc2 Nf6 13 Bg5 h6 14 Bxf6 Qxf6 15 Nxc3 0-0 16 e5 Qe7 and
while White takes time to get their king to safety, Black can break with
either ... c6-c5 or ... f7-f6.
c) 7 Nf3 Nf6 8 e5 Nd5 9 e6 (the only way to cramp Black’s forces,
otherwise they will develop with no problems; if 9 Ng5 e6 10 Qh5 Qd7 11
Ne4 c5 12 dxc5 Nc6 13 Nbd2 g6 14 Qf3 Nxe5 15 Nf6+ Ke7 16 Nxd7
Nxf3+ 17 Nxf3 Kxd7, Black manages to keep things under control and
remain a pawn up) 9 ... f6!? (it is entirely possible to take on e6, but White
gets good compensation due to Black’s horrible backward e-pawns and
locked-in pieces) 10 Be2 Bc8 11 Bxc4 Bxe6 12 Bd3 Bf7 13 0-0 e6 14 Qc2
Bd6 15 Nbd2 h6 16 Re1 0-0 and Black can play for either ... c6-c5 or ... e6-
e5 and jump with ... Nf4 if possible.
7 ... e5!
 Gledura’s recommendation, and mine as well. The idea is to break up
White’s centre rather than passively hanging on to an extra pawn after 7 ...
Qxd4 8 Nf3 Qd7 9 Bxc4, when White’s lead in development provides
definite compensation, as in L.Aronian-F.Vallejo Pons, Sao Paulo/Bilbao
2011.
8 Nf3
Continuing in gambit fashion. Either 8 dxe5 Qa5! 9 Bd2 Nd7 10 Nf3
Nxe5, or 8 Bxc4 Bxc4 9 Qxc4 Qxd4 (much safer now, since it gains time by
opposing queens) 10 Qe2 Nf6 11 Nd2 Qd6 12 Ngf3 Qe6 13 Nc4 Bc5 14
Ncxe5 0-0 15 0-0 Nbd7 is perfectly okay for Black.
8 ... b3
White keeps enticing Black to take on d4, but 8 ... exd4 9 Bxc4 would
leave a big hole on c4. It makes sense to disrupt the harmony in White’s
camp and create immediate counterplay. The database indicates that White
has 75% in this line, so it is imperative that you know how to handle this
position.
9 Qc3
 Undoubtedly the best move, defending the d4-pawn and still threatening
Bxc4, although White has to watch out for ... Bb4 pins.
9 ... exd4 10 Nxd4 Nf6

Developing with tempo is always a plus.

11 Nd2
A dual-purpose move which attacks Black’s queenside phalanx and
defends the e4-pawn at the same time.
It is important to see what happens if White protects the e4-pawn
directly: 11 f3 Nbd7 (Black continues developing without worrying about
the c4-pawn, which is doomed anyway) 12 Bf4 (White gets the c1-bishop
out before Nd2 blocks it in) 12 ... Bc5
 Question: Black keeps ignoring the threat to the c6-pawn. Why?

Answer: As the general maxim goes, the initiative is worth more than
material. If White is greedy and takes on c6, they will have to spend several
tempi retreating the knight again: 13 Na3 0-0 14 Nxc4 Nd5! (an important
tactic that requires precision from White) 15 exd5 (now the e-file is opened,
and White will have some development problems) 15 ... Re8+ 16 Ne6
(White cannot hang on to the piece: 16 Ne3 Qf6 17 Ne2 Bxe2 18 Qxf6
Nxf6 19 Bxe2 Bxe3 wins it back anyway) 16 ... fxe6 17 dxc6 Nf6 18 Nd2
Bd4 19 c7 Qd7 20 Qxb3 Bxf1 21 Rxf1 Nd5 and Black is two pawns down
but has sufficient compensation in the form of White’s weak king and
misplaced pieces.
11 ... Bc5
Developing yet again with tempo.
12 Nf5 0-0 13 Bxc4
The c4-pawn was always going to fall, so it is no use worrying about it.
White has to expend several tempi trying to capture the queenside pawns
and, if they are not careful, could end up with development issues due to
greediness.
13 ... Bxc4 14 Qxc4 Nbd7 15 0-0 Re8

Putting pressure on the e4-pawn so that White has to think twice about
moving the d2-knight, the principal defender of e4.
16 Ng3
If 16 Qxb3 Ne5 (clearing the way for the queen to enter the game; 16 ...
Nxe4 17 Nxe4 Rxe4 18 Qc2 Qe8 was also okay in J.K.Duda-M.Bartel,
Polish Championship, Poznan 2016) 17 Qg3 g6 18 Qc3 Bf8 19 Nd4 c5 (or
19 ... Rc8, as in J.K.Andersen-J.Kregelin, correspondence 2013) 20 N4f3
Nxf3+ 21 Qxf3 Qd4 22 Re1 Rad8, Black has sufficient compensation.
16 ... Rb8 17 Nxb3 Bf8
 Question: We have seen this manoeuvre quite a bit. What is the point of
retreating the bishop all the way back?

Answer: On f8 the bishop controls the a3-f8 diagonal but doesn’t block
the e-file, which would happen if it retreated to e7.
18 Be3
If 18 Rd1 h5 (Black takes advantage of White’s slow development to
gain counterplay by kicking the knight out of g3) 19 Qc2 h4 20 Nf5 Qb6
(notice how Black keeps creating threats; this is necessary to prove
sufficient compensation and not just be a pawn down for nothing) 21 Nbd4
Rxe4 22 Qxc6 Qa5 23 Bd2 Qe5 24 Bc3 Rb6 25 Qa8 Rb8 26 Qc6 Rb6,
neither side can avoid the repetition.
18 ... Ne5?!
Not the most accurate. Putting the rook on b4 first was better, since
Black’s pieces get activated immediately: 18 ... Rb4! 19 Qc2 Ne5
(sacrificing the a7-pawn for more activity) 20 Bxa7 c5! (yet another pawn
sacrifice for counterplay!) 21 Bxc5 Bxc5 22 Nxc5 Rc4 (the point) and
Black gets a piece for the three pawns with at least equality.
19 Qc3 Nfg4 20 Bxa7 Rb7 21 Rfd1 Qh4 22 h3 Rxa7 23 hxg4 Qxg4
Now Black’s task of proving compensation is more difficult - or would
be in an over-the-board game.
24 Na5
I might prefer 24 a5 h5 25 Nf1 Ra6 26 Qe3, when White’s passed a-
pawn ensures a slight edge.
24 ... Qf4 25 b4
Slightly loose, as the b4-pawn and the a5-knight will need constant
protection in the future. 25 b3 g6 26 Ra2 h5 27 Nc4 was a more precise way
of stabilizing the position.
25 ... Ng4 26 Ra2 Qe5
Here 26 ... h5 27 Nxc6 Rxa4 28 Rxa4? Qxf2+ 29 Kh1 Ne3 is a nice
trick, but 28 Rc2 keeps everything under control.
27 Qxc6 Nxf2
If 27 ... Bxb4 28 Nc4 Qb8 29 e5, White remains a pawn up and still has
the outside passed a-pawn.
28 Rxf2 Re6 29 Qd5 Qxg3 30 Nc6 Rc7 31 b5 Rh6 32 Qe5 Qb3 33
Rdd2 Qa3 34 Qd5 Qg3
 Despite the extra pawn White is having trouble trying to make progress.
Indeed, Stockfish considers that Black has nothing to worry about.
35 Qd8 Qh2+ 36 Kf1 Re6 37 Rd4 Qh1+ 38 Ke2 Qb1 39 Rf3 Rb7 40
Rfd3 Qc2+ 41 Rd2 Qc5 42 R2d3 Qc2+ 43 Rd2 Qc5 44 e5 Rxc6 45 bxc6
Qxe5+ 46 Kf2 ½-½
A rather odd end to the game, but White’s king is quite exposed.

Game 15
A.Reede-A.Schenning
Correspondence 2016

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 Nc3 b4 6 Na2

This time White retreats the knight to attack the advanced black b-pawn.
6 ... Nf6
 We meet White’s attack on the b4-pawn with a counterattack on their
e4-pawn, developing the g8-knight with tempo.
7 e5
The only decent move. 7 Bxc4 Nxe4 would be a rather nonsensical
pawn trade, while 7 f3? creates dark-squared weaknesses in White’s camp.
For example: 7 ... b3 (7 ... e5 is also good) 8 Nc3 Ba6 9 g4 e5 10 dxe5 Nfd7
11 f4, M.Sadler-Cs.Horvath, Gausdal 1994, and now 11 ... Bb4 12 Nf3 0-0,
followed by ... Nc5 looks very good for Black.
7 ... Nd5 8 Bxc4 a5
Fixing White’s a-pawn on a light square and preparing to exchange
light-squared bishops with ... Ba6. This also stops White from playing a4-a5
themself.
9 Nf3
If 9 Qe2 at once, Black can either continue safely with 9 ... e6 (when 10
Nf3 transposes to the game) or opt for 9 ... Nb6 10 e6 (with d4 hanging,
White either protects the pawn or lets Black take on c4) 10 ... Nxc4 11
exf7+ Kxf7 12 Qxc4+ Qd5, when the king is safe on f7 and Black has the
bishop pair with a slight edge.
 9 ... e6

I must reiterate that, while I tried to avoid locking in the c8-bishop at all
costs, there were some exceptions. This is one of them. Black has to play ...
e7-e6 to solidify control over d5 and prevent White from advancing e5-e6,
which would cramp Black’s pieces.
10 Qe2
Instead:
a) 10 0-0 Be7 (if White castles, Black should just develop as quickly as
possible) 11 Bd2 Nd7 12 Nc1 N5b6 13 Be2 c5 14 dxc5 Nxc5 15 Be3 (15
Nb3 Ncxa4 16 Nbd4?! Bd7 was good for Black in T.Laurusas-
He.Gretarsson, European Rapid Championship, Katowice 2022) 15 ... Bd7
16 Bxc5 Bxc5 17 Nb3 Be7 18 Nbd4 h6 19 Bb5 0-0 20 Qe2 Qe8 is equal;
the b6-knight is coming soon to d5.
a) 10 Bg5 can be answered by 10 ... Be7 (Black just gets on with
development) 11 Bxe7 Qxe7 12 0-0 0-0 13 Nc1 Nd7, since White has no
way of exploiting the dark-square holes, such as d6.
b) 10 Bd2 (White wants to re-route the offside a2-knight via c1 to b3 or
d3 and pressurize a5 and/or hop to c5; Black will try to break with ... c6-c5
to free their game) 10 ... Ba6 (first of all, Black aims to trade their bad
bishop for White’s good bishop - quite a basic goal, given the pawn
structure; White has to acquiesce, otherwise they will have problems
castling kingside) 11 Bxa6 Rxa6 (I prefer recapturing with the rook, with
ideas of ... c6-c5 and then ... Rc6, rather than sideline the b8-knight) 12 Nc1
c5 and Black is successful in executing the thematic break with good play.
c) 10 Ng5 is a standard idea in some Slav lines but is not particularly
threatening here. Black should simply develop with 10 ... Be7 and then:

c1) 11 Qh5?! g6 12 Qh6 (Yur.Yakovich- D.Chuprikov, Voronezh 2010;

or 12 Qg4 h5 13 Qg3 h4 14 Qg4 Rh5 15 Nf3 Ba6) 12 ... b3! 13 Bxb3 (after
13 Nc3 Nxc3 14 bxc3 b2 Black wins a piece) 13 ... Ba6 14 Nf3 Qb6 and
White is strategically lost.
c2) 11 h4 Ba6 12 Bxa6 Nxa6 13 Qg4 Qb6 14 Ne4 0-0-0 and Black has a
slight edge due to having the safer king and superior development. If White
ever takes on g7, then d4 falls.
c3) 11 Ne4 (the knight returns to the centre, but White is wasting time)
11 ... 0-0 12 0-0 Nd7 13 Qg4 Kh8 14 Ng5 (and now it’s back)
 Exercise: White’s knight on g5 looks potentially annoying, with the e5-
pawn
as a spearhead of a future kingside attack. How should Black defend?

Answer: Black should kick the knight out of g5 again, then break on the
kingside with ... f7-f5. After 14 ... h6 15 Nf3 f5 16 exf6 N7xf6 Black is
already better.
10 ... Be7
As said before, it makes sense to develop more pieces first and play the
waiting game until it is safe to castle, if it is at all.
11 0-0
After 11 Qe4 Ba6 12 Bxa6 Nxa6 13 Qg4 Kf8 14 Bg5 h5 15 Bxe7+
Qxe7 16 Qe4 c5 Black has had to move their king, but it is very secure on
f8.
11 ... Nd7
 Now Black is ready to break with ... c6-c5 or retreat with ... N5b6 first,
depending on what White does.
12 Bd2
12 Qe4 c5 13 Bd2 Ba6 14 Bxa6 Rxa6 15 Qg4 g6 16 Bh6 c4 is not what
White wants.
12 ... N5b6 13 Bd3
Clearly it would be daft to allow Black to trade a knight for White’s
light-squared bishop.
13 ... c5
This is good and principled as well, but 13 ... Nxa4 was actually better.

Question: You have repeatedly said that taking pawns and being greedy
is not
in the spirit of the position. Why is taking on a4 the best move then?

Answer: In general, neither Black (nor White!) should be greedy in

these lines. However, in this specific position White has no way of
punishing Black for grabbing the a4-pawn. For example, after 14 Rfb1
Nab6 15 Nc1 h6 16 h4 Bb7 17 Qe4 g6 Black succeeds in keeping the
position shut.
14 Be3?
This looks like a natural developing move, but it allows Black to
advance the c-pawn unhindered. It was better to exchange it off: 14 dxc5
Nxc5 15 Bb5+ Bd7 16 Be3 0-0, even if Black then has nothing to worry
about.
14 ... c4

Exercise: Quickly ... why can White not take on c4?

Answer: After 15 Bxc4, there follows 15 ... Nxc4 16 Qxc4 Ba6,

winning an exchange.
15 Be4

Question: It looks like White is surely going to take control of the a8-h1
diagonal.
How should Black respond?
 Answer: By sacrificing the exchange.
15 ... Rb8?!
Rather meek and mechanical. Black should play energetically to control
the light squares, which would extinguish any ambition that White had
about generating an attack: 15 ... Ba6! 16 Bxa8 Qxa8 17 Rfe1 Nd5 and
Black likely owns the d5-square for the rest of the game.
16 Nd2 Ba6
Nevertheless, there are still huge X-rays on the a6-f1 diagonal pointing
towards White’s heavy pieces.
17 b3
17 Qg4 can be met by 17 ... 0-0!, offering the exchange again, since 18
Bh6 g6 19 Bxf8 (or 19 Nf3 c3 20 Rfb1 Nd5) 19 ... Nxf8 is very good for
Black.
17 ... Rc8 18 Rfe1 0-0 19 Qg4 Re8 20 Bh6 g6 21 Nc1

21 ... c3?!
Inaccurate, as the queenside gets locked up. Instead, after 21 ... Bf8 22
Bg5 Qc7 Black is ready to break through on the c-file.
 22 Nf3 Bf8 23 Bxf8?
It was better to hang on to the bishop: 23 Bg5 Qc7 24 Ne2 Bb7 would
have kept Black’s advantage to a minimum.
23 ... Nxf8 24 Nd3 Bxd3 25 Bxd3 Re7
Here, or on the next move, it was worth throwing in 25 ... h5! to kick
White’s queen out of its aggressive post on g4.
26 Rac1 Rd7 27 Ba6?
This misplaces White’s bishop more than Black’s rook.
27 ... Rb8 28 Qf4 Kg7?!
There was no need to prevent Qh6, as that threatens nothing with h7
solidly defended. Instead, 28 ... Rc7! prepares to sacrifice the knight on a4
to set the queenside pawns in motion.
29 Bb5?
Now Black gets to sacrifice the exchange after all.
29 ... Nd5 30 Qe4 Rxb5 31 axb5 a4 32 bxa4 b3 0-1
Those two pawns on b3 and c3 will kill White very quickly.

Game 16
M.Baldauf-R.Felgaer
Graz 2014

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 Nc3 b4 6 Nce2

White’s third option with the knight, switching it across to the kingside.
6 Bxc4? looks like a bombastic 19th-century sacrifice, but it simply
fails here: 6 ... bxc3 7 Qf3 (with the aim of attacking f7) 7 ... Nf6 8 bxc3
Qa5 9 e5 Bg4 10 Qf4 (or 10 Qd3 Nd5) 10 ... Qxc3+ and Black is
completely winning.
6 ... e6 7 Nf3
White scores best with the immediate 7 Ng3 but objectively can hope
for no more than equality. For example: 7 ... Ba6 8 Be3 (8 Nf3 transposes
below) 8 ... c5 9 Rc1 cxd4 10 Bxd4 Nc6 11 Bxc4 Bxc4 12 Rxc4 Nxd4 13
Qxd4 Qxd4 14 Rxd4 Rc8 and both sides can develop quite freely with an
equal game.
7 ... Ba6
 Black develops the c8-bishop and protects the c4-pawn. Two birds, one
stone.
8 Ng3
Sometimes White opts to develop the c1-bishop first:
a) 8 Be3 Qa5 (with ideas or ... b4-b3+ or ... c4-c3, as well as ... c6-c5) 9
Ng3, R.Miedema-L.Milov, Deizisau 2010, and now if 9 ... c3 10 Bxa6 Qxa6
11 bxc3 bxc3 12 Ne5 Nf6 13 Qd3 h5 14 h4 Bd6, Black threatens ... Bxe5,
forcing White to trade queens with a poor structure.
b) 8 Bf4 Nf6 9 Ng3 c3 10 bxc3 Bxf1 11 Kxf1 bxc3 12 Qb3 Qb6 13
Qxc3 Bb4 14 Qc4 a5 15 Ke2 0-0, Ri.Williams-J.Kregelin, correspondence
2013, and if 16 Rhc1 Rc8 17 Ne5 Nfd7 18 Ng4 Qd8, the position is equal,
albeit very odd-looking and non-standard.
c) 8 Bg5 Qa5 (floating the ... b4-b3 advance, as well as eyeing the g5-
bishop) 9 Rc1 Nd7 10 Ng3 Nb6 and Black is slightly better.
8 ... c5
 Immediately breaking in the centre, not allowing White to sit on their
space advantage.
9 d5
The most critical choice, bypassing Black’s entire queenside phalanx
and trying to obtain a dangerous passed d-pawn. Naturally, other moves are
possible too:
a) 9 Bf4 h5 (threatening to ram the h-pawn down White’s throat) 10 h4
cxd4 11 Qxd4 and now 11 ... Qb6 looks like the most precise way to offer a
trade of queens, since an exchange on b6 would improve Black’s pawn
structure or at least open the a-file. For example: 12 Rc1 Nc6 13 Qxb6 axb6
14 Bxc4 Bxc4 15 Rxc4 Bc5 16 Be3 Na5 17 Rc2 (or 17 Rc1?1 Nb3) 17 ...
b3 18 Rc1 Nb7 with fully equal play.
b) 9 Be3 is a viable option, trying to force concessions from Black in
the centre. In response I like 9 ... h5!? again: 10 h4 (the most logical reply,
avoiding complications arising from the black h-pawn; if 10 dxc5 Qxd1+ 11
Rxd1 h4 12 Ne2 Nf6 13 Ned4 Nxe4, Black goes after the c5-pawn next) 10
... cxd4 (exchanging off one of White’s central pawns and opening the
diagonal for the f8-bishop) 11 Nxd4 Nd7 (the c4-pawn could find itself
under pressure, so Black prepares ... Rc8 to overprotect it) 12 Nb5 (forcing
Black to exchange on b5) 12 ... Bxb5 13 axb5 Qc7 with the immediate idea
of ... Bc5, taking away White’s advantage of the bishop pair. As said before,
these positions can get sharp very quickly, so it is important to know how to
handle them correctly:
b1) 14 Qc2 (threatening the c4-pawn directly) 14 ... Rc8 (it is best to
protect the c-pawn, which is further advanced, and let the a-pawn go, so as
to avoid Black’s forces being tied down to its defence) 15 Rxa7 Qb8
(White’s rook has managed to penetrate to a7, but the rest of their forces
cannot readily participate in an attack) 16 Bxc4 (after 16 Rxd7!? Kxd7 17
Bxc4 Bd6 18 0-0 Nf6 Black’s king is safe enough) 16 ... Bc5 17 Bxc5 Nxc5
with an equal position. White has to expend a tempo retreating the a7-rook,
which Black can utilize to finish developing the kingside.
b2) 14 Qd4 (threatening both c4 and a7) 14 ... Nb6 (defending one pawn
and shielding the other)

Exercise: White has a nice-looking tactical shot that leads to equality.

What is it?
 Answer: Sacrifice the queen! In fact the computer gives 15 Qxb6! as the
only way for White to maintain equality, otherwise Black would just hang
on to the extra pawn for nothing. Now after 15 ... axb6 16 Rxa8+ Ke7 17
Be2 c3! 18 bxc3 Qxc3+ 19 Bd2 Qb2 20 Be3 Qc3+, neither side can safely
avoid the repetition.
9 ... exd5

It is simplest to resolve the situation in the centre at once instead of

having lingering tension.
10 exd5
The most sensible; White can still try to gain the initiative with the
queens on the board. Whereas 10 Qxd5?! Qxd5 11 exd5 yields nothing.
Indeed, the d-pawn quickly comes under heavy fire: 11 ... Ne7 12 d6 Nc8
13 Bf4 Bxd6 14 Bxd6 Nxd6 15 0-0-0 Nb7 16 Ne5 0-0 17 Bxc4 Bxc4 18
Nxc4 Nc6 and Black simply has an extra pawn.
10 ... Nf6 11 Bg5
11 Qe2+ has the idea of uncoordinating Black’s forces, but with precise
play Black is fine: 11 ... Qe7 12 Bg5 c3 13 Qxe7+ Bxe7 14 bxc3 h6 15
Bxf6 Bxf6 16 0-0-0 Bxc3 17 Ne4 (White threatens various knight jumps,
but none is dangerous) 17 ... Bf6 18 Kc2 Bxf1 19 Rhxf1 Nd7 20 Rfe1 Kd8
21 Nfd2 Re8 and Black finally gets the rooks out.
11 ... Qxd5 12 Qxd5 Nxd5 13 0-0-0
It looks like Black has some serious issues on the d-file, but there are
tactical ways to get the pieces out quickly.
13 ... h6 14 Re1+

14 ... Be7
Alternatively, 14 ... Kd7 15 Ne5+ Kc7 16 Nxf7 hxg5 17 Nxh8 Nc6 18
Ng6 Nd4 is Gledura’s recommendation in his QGA course, where he
explains how Black has sufficient compensation for the exchange, and I
agree with him. For example, if White tries to activate the rooks with 19 h4,
Black develops quickly anyway: 19 ... Bd6 20 hxg5 Bxg3 21 fxg3 Nb3+ 22
Kb1 Rd8 23 Ne5 Ne3 24 Rh7 Kb6 25 Rxg7 Nd2+ 26 Kc1 Nb3+ with a
logical perpetual. If White tries to avoid it somewhere, their king runs the
risk of getting slaughtered.
15 Bxe7 Nxe7 16 Nf5 Nbc6 17 Nd6+
 Another option is spend time recovering the pawn on c4, when White
will have just enough compensation for the other missing pawn in the form
of superior development: 17 Re4 h5 (so that the h8-rook can develop via h6
is need be) 18 Nxe7 Nxe7 19 Bxc4 Bxc4 20 Rxc4 Rc8 21 Re1 Rh6 22 Re5
Rg6 23 Rxh5 Rxg2 24 Ne5 Kf8 25 Nd3 Rd8 26 Kc2 Nc6 27 Rh8+ Ke7 28
Rxd8 Nxd8 29 Rxc5 Ne6 30 Rd5 Rxh2 31 Kb3 reaches a level endgame.
17 ... Kf8
The a8-rook is now ready to join the battle. Although it should not come
as a surprise in modern chess, we are still in theory here.
Previously Felgaer opted for 17 ... Kd7?!, stepping away from a knight
fork and centralizing the king. After 18 Nxf7?! Rhf8 19 N7e5+ Nxe5 20
Nxe5+ Kc7 21 Bxc4 Bxc4 22 Nxc4 Nc6 23 Re2 Rad8 Black’s more active
rooks provided a slight edge in A.Riazantsev-R.Felgaer, FIDE World Cup,
Tromsø 2013.

Question: So why has 17 ... Kd7 been given a dubious mark?

Answer: Black centralizes the king, yet exposes it at the same time.
After 18 Ne4! (threatening another fork in c5) 18 ... Kc7 19 Nxc5 Bc8 20
Bxc4 White regains the two pawns, while Black’s king is now in the way on
the c-file.
 18 Ne5
Trying to trade off Black’s defenders, but this also will mean there are
fewer pieces left with which to attack the king. On the other hand, going for
the black c-pawns here with 18 Ne4 etc will expose White’s own king: 18 ...
Bc8 19 Nxc5 Bf5 20 Bxc4 Rc8 21 Nb7 Rc7 22 Nd6 Na5 23 b3 Nxb3+ 24
Kb2 Nc5 and White has to play precisely to maintain the balance.
18 ... Nxe5 19 Rxe5 Rd8
Developing with tempo, which is always good.
20 Nxc4 Rd5 21 Rxd5 Nxd5 22 Ne5 Bxf1 23 Rxf1 Ke7 24 Re1
With the clear threat of a deadly fork on g6.
24 ... Ra8
24 ... Rc8 25 Kc2 f6 26 Nc4+ is much the same.
25 Kc2 f6 26 Nc4+ Kf8?!
Here 26 ... Kd7 was objectively better, but then Black cannot avoid a
draw by repetition: 27 Rd1 Ke6 (or 27 ... Kc6 28 Na5+ Kd6 27 Nc4+) 28
Re1+ Kd7 29 Rd1 and so on.
27 Kb3 Nf4
Trying to harass White’s pawns.
 28 g3 Nd3 29 Rd1 Nxf2 30 Rd7 Ne4?!
This is the wrong way too. Even two pawns down White can start to
generate quite dangerous play. 30 ... Ng4! was more accurate, planning to
retreat the knight to e5, covering the entry points to Black’s king and
neutralizing any threats.

31 Ne3?!
Retreating the knight allows Black to activate their rook. White should
utilize their asset and push the a-pawn with a4-a5-a6. With the white pawn
so close to its promotion square, Black would have to exercise a lot more
caution: 31 a5! g5 32 a6 f5 (aiming to create a distraction on the kingside
before White has to time to target the a7-pawn) 33 Ne5 Kg8 (the immediate
33 ... f4?? would lose the pawn to a knight fork) 34 Kc4 (after 34 Nc6 f4 35
Rxa7 Rxa7 36 Nxa7 f3 37 Nb5 both sides get a new queen) 34 ... f4 35 gxf4
gxf4 36 h4 b3! 37 Kxb3 Nf6 and Black gains sufficient counterplay to draw.
31 ... Re8 32 Kc4
In view of the discovery seen in the next note, White should take the a-
pawn at once: 32 Rxa7! Nd2+ (or 32 ... Nxg3 33 Nd5) 33 Kc2 Nf3 34 Kd3
with an equal endgame, where Black’s extra pawn is meaningless as White
has a strong passed a-pawn.
32 ... Re5?!
It was better to execute the threat: 32 ... Nxg3! 33 Nd5 Nf5 34 Rxa7 (or
34 Kxc5 Re2 35 Nxb4 a5) 34 ... Re2 35 Kxc5 b3 with advantage, as Black’s
b-pawn is dangerous now.
33 Rxa7?!
White takes on a7 at the wrong moment. Once again pushing the a-
pawn was preferable.
33,,,Nd6+! 34 Kd3 c4+ 35 Kd4 Re4+?!
Here 35 ... c3! 36 b3 Nf5+ 37 Nxf5 Rxf5 38 Rc7 Rf1 would give Black
a slightly favourable rook endgame, although close to move 40 this is not at
all easy.
36 Kd5 Rxe3 37 Kxd6 Re2

38 Rc7??
White panics at the last. After 38 Kc5! Rxh2 (or 38 ... c3 39 bxc3 bxc3
40 Kb4 c2 41 Rc7 Rxh2 42 a5) 39 Kxc4 Rxb2 (compare this position with
the one in the game) 40 a5, the outside passed pawn gives White enough
play to draw.
38 ... Rxh2 39 Rxc4 Rxb2 40 Kc5 b3 41 Rb4 Ra2 42 Kb6 b2 43 a5 h5
44 a6 g5 45 a7 h4 46 gxh4 gxh4 47 Kc5 Rxa7 48 Rxb2
The game has reduced to the dreaded rook ending with f- and h-pawn
versus none, Unfortunately for White, their king is way too far from the
drawing zone.
48 ... Rh7 49 Kd4 h3 50 Rh2 Kf7 51 Ke4 Kg6 52 Kf4 Rh4+ 53 Kf3
Kf5 54 Kf2 Kf4 55 Kg1 Rg4+ 56 Kh1 Rg3 57 Ra2 Rf3 58 Kh2 Kg4 59
Ra8 Rf2+ 60 Kg1 Rg2+ 61 Kh1 Re2 62 Rg8+ Kf4 63 Rh8 Re3 64 Kh2 f5
65 Rf8 Kg4 66 Rg8+ Kf3 67 Rg3+ Ke2 68 Rg5 f4 69 Ra5 f3 70 Ra2+ Kf1
71 Kg3 f2+ 72 Kh2 Ke1 73 Rb2 f1Q 74 Rb1+ Kf2 75 Rxf1+ Kxf1 0-1
No stalemate!

Game 17
T.Heilala-J.Brandberg
Correspondence 2018

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 Nf3
White decides to play in a calmer, slower manner, trying for long-term
positional compensation.
5 ... e6
 It took me months to decide on how to respond to 5 Nf3. I was adamant
that, throughout the book, I would avoid any Semi-Slav type positions
where Black had to suffer hanging on to the c4-pawn with the c8-bishop
locked in by ... e7-e6, but here are really no other good moves.
6 Be2
White continues to play quietly for the moment. Instead:
a) 6 axb5 cxb5 transposes to 5 axb5 cxb5 6 Nf3 e6 from Game 13.
b) 6 Nc3 b4 (6 ... Bb4 is a sensible alternative) 7 Nb1 (other retreats
transpose elsewhere: 7 Na2 Nf6 8 e5 Nd5 9 Bxc4 a5 is Game 15, while 7
Ne2 Ba6 is Game 16) 7 ... Ba6 reaches a different position than in the notes
to Game 14, where Black plays ... Nf6 rather than ... e7-e6. Nonetheless, the
latter is reasonable too, and ... Nf6 will likely follow soon enough.
c) 6 Bg5 Bb4+ 7 Nc3 Ne7 (the advantage of not having developed the
g8-knight is that it can come to e7 when needed) 8 Be2 stems from
S.Lputian-V.Kupreichik, Yerevan 1981; here I would opt for 8 ... h6 9 Bh4
0-0 10 0-0 Bb7 11 Qc2 a6 12 Rfd1 Nd7 13 b3 cxb3 14 Qxb3 Ba5, when the
bishop can recycle itself from a5 back to c7.
 d) 6 Qc2 (planning to assault the front c-pawn; Black responds by
targeting e4) 6 ... Bb7 7 Nbd2 Bb4 8 b3 c3 (this pawn could easily be lost
on c3, but it serves as a diversion for White’s forces) 9 Nb1 Nf6 10 Bd3 c5
11 dxc5 bxa4 12 Rxa4 a5 and Black had good play in K.Kinte-V.Vorobiev,
correspondence 2016.
e) 6 b3 (this almost invites the check on b4) 6 ... Bb4+ 7 Bd2 Bxd2+ 8
Qxd2 (if 8 Nbxd2?? c3 9 Nb1 b4, the passed c-pawn paralyses the b1-
knight) 8 ... cxb3

Now mass liquidation can take place on the queenside, but you do not
have to meet a capture with a recapture; remember not to play
mechanically, as small differences can allow you to make intermezzi.
For example: 9 axb5 (after 9 Qc3 Nf6 10 Nbd2 0-0 11 Qxb3 bxa4 12
Qxa4 a5 13 Be2 Bb7 14 0-0 Nbd7 and Black is still a pawn up and can play
... c6-c5, opening the diagonal for the b7-bishop) 9 ... Nf6!

Question: Why does Black not recapture on b5?

 Answer: Initiative over material! Black attacks the e4-pawn and gets
ready to castle to put more pressure on White.
10 Nc3 (or 10 Qb4 a5! 11 bxa6 Nxa6 12 Qc3 0-0) 10 ... 0-0 11 Rb1 a5
12 bxa6 c5 13 Rxb3 Nxa6 with an edge, as White has development
problems and a full but vulnerable centre.
6 ... Nf6

Developing with tempo by attacking the e4-pawn. I recommend

developing both sets of minor pieces but delaying castling until we see that
it is safe. White’s dream is to destroy the black king after it gets to g8, so
we should avoid this at all costs.
7 0-0
If White delays castling, it is still not guaranteed that leaving the rook
on h1 will lead to an attack:
a) 7 e5 Nd5 8 Nc3 (if 8 0-0 Be7 9 Nc3 a6 10 Ne4 Nd7 11 b3 cxb3 12
Qxb3 0-0 13 Qc2 h6 14 g4 f5, Black succeeds in preventing any kingside
attack) 8 ... a6 9 Ne4 Nd7 10 0-0 Be7 11 b3 cxb3 12 Nfd2 0-0 13 Nxb3 f5
14 exf6 N7xf6 15 Nxf6+ Bxf6 16 Bb2 Nf4 17 Bf3 Ra7 and White doesn’t
have enough for the pawn.
 b) 7 Bg5 (more shenanigans related to the pin on the f6-knight; as usual,
I recommend kicking the bishop immediately) 7 ... h6 8 Bxf6 Bb4+! (a nice
zwischenzug that forces White to pin themself) 9 Nc3 Qxf6 10 0-0 a6 11 d5
0-0 12 dxc6 Rd8 13 Qc2 Nxc6 14 axb5 Na5 15 bxa6 Qe7 16 Ra4 Bd7 and
Black can recover the a6-pawn soon while conserving the bishop pair.
c) 7 Qc2 (this is much the same as on the previous move) 7 ... Bb7 8 0-0
(or 8 Nbd2 Bb4) 8 ... Nbd7 9 Be3 Be7 10 Nbd2 0-0 11 b3 (White has
avoided ... c4-c3 as above, but the issues with the e4-pawn remain) 11 ...
cxb3 12 Nxb3 a5 13 Ne5 b4 14 Nxc6 Bxc6 15 Qxc6 Rc8 16 Qb7 Rc7 17
Qb5 Nxe4 18 Qxa5 Ndf6 and Black is at least equal.
d) 7 Nc3 Bb7 (I prefer to develop calmly and trade off some of the
pawns, rather than go into heavy complications with 7 ... b4 8 e5 bxc3 9
exf6 cxb2 10 fxg7 bxa1Q 11 gxh8Q Qa5+, which is a mad position with
four queens on the board - an exciting line, but it would not be easy to play
over the board) 8 axb5 cxb5 9 Nxb5 (9 e5 Ne4 10 Nxb5 Bb4+ 11 Kf1 Bd5
is also fine for Black, as in Zhou Jianchao-J.Cori, FIDE Grand Swiss, Riga
2021) 9 ... Bxe4 (this is reminiscent of 3 Nc3 a6 lines where Black tries to
liquidate the centre and queenside pawns; although it releases the tension
early, it also lets Black equalize more cleanly) 10 Nc3 Bb7 11 Ne5 was
M.Matlakov-S.Rublevsky, Kazan (rapid) 2022, where 11 ... Nbd7 12 0-0
Be7 13 Nxc4 a5 (gaining space on the queenside and preventing Na5) 14
Bf3 Bxf3 15 Qxf3 0-0 16 d5 Nb6 17 Nxb6 Qxb6 18 dxe6 Qxe6 19 Bg5
Qb6 is totally equal with the centre liquidated.
7 ... Bb7
The greedy 7 ... Nxe4?! would land Black in difficulties after 8 Ne5,
with White’s light-squared bishop threatening to come to the long diagonal.
 8 Nc3
Black should consider what happens if White plays either e4-e5 or b2-
b3 on each turn.
a) 8 e5 Nd5 9 Nc3 Be7 (what is important here is that Black has not had
to advance ... a7-a6 as in the main game, so can use this tempo to do other
things, such as develop the minor pieces) 10 Ne4 h6 11 Bd2 Nd7 12 b3 0-0
13 bxc4 bxc4 14 Bxc4 c5 makes the thematic break in the centre before
White gets any thoughts of ambushing Black’s king.
b) 8 b3 Nxe4 (8 ... cxb3 9 Nbd2 a5 is also viable) 9 bxc4 (if 9 Qc2 Nf6
10 bxc4 bxc4 11 Nbd2 c3! 12 Qxc3 Nd5 13 Qc2 Be7, White has an IQP but
active pieces as well, which makes the game equal) 9 ... bxc4 10 Bxc4 Be7
11 Qb3 Nd6 12 Ba3 Qc7 13 Bxd6 Bxd6 14 Nbd2 0-0 15 Ne4 Ba6 forces the
trade of White’s dangerous light-squared bishop with a level game.
8 ... a6
Guramishvili ends the line here in her Chessable course. I find it more
instructive if we continue analysing to get a feel of how to play this position
in a practical game.
 9 b3
White has also tried:
a) 9 e5 Nd5 10 Ng5 (otherwise 10 Ne4 h6 keeps White out on g5, and
after 11 Bd2 a5 12 h4 Be7 13 Qc1 Nd7 14 Rd1 Qc7 Black holds everything
together and hangs on to the extra pawn without suffering) 10 ... Be7
(forcing White to make a decision regarding the renegade knight on g5) 11
Nce4 (if White tries to be cute with 11 Bh5, playing for a fork on d6 after
11 ... Bxg5 12 Bxg5 Qxg5 13 Ne4 Qe7 14 Nd6+, as in Joh.Owens-J.Massie,
correspondence 2014, Black can respond 14 ... Kd8! 15 Nxf7+ Kc7 16
Nxh8 Nd7 17 Nf7 g6 18 Nd6 gxh5 19 Qd2 N7b6 20 f4 Nc8, when the two
minor pieces are clearly better than the rook) 11 ... h6 and now:

a1) 12 Nxf7? (a dubious sacrifice that doesn’t work) 12 ... Kxf7 13 f4

g6 14 Bh5 Bc8 15 Qg4 gxh5 16 Qxh5+ Kg7 17 Rf3 Qe8 18 Rg3+ Kh7 19
Qh3 Rg8 and White’s attack has run out of steam.
a2) 12 Nxe6? (no matter how much your opponent bangs it out, stares at
you, has a confident look, you should know that this sacrifice is complete
rubbish; yes, Black’s king has to move, but it will be relatively safe) 12 ...
fxe6 13 Bh5+ Kd7 (now what?) 14 Bd2 a5 15 Qg4 Na6 16 Bf7 Nac7 17
Qxg7 Kc8 18 f4 Kb8 19 f5 exf5 20 Rxf5 Bc8 and Black’s king is totally
safe on the queenside.
a3) 12 Nh3 c5 13 dxc5 Nd7 14 axb5 axb5 15 Rxa8 Bxa8 16 b3 0-0 17
bxc4 bxc4 18 Qd4 Qc7 and the c5- and e5-pawns are under heavy fire.
b) 9 Bg5 Nbd7 (preparing for e4-e5 in case White wants to try for some
odd kind of Botvinnik) 10 e5 h6 11 Bh4 g5 (this looks like an Anti-Moscow
but a very favourable version, since White is in no position for aggressive
measures) 12 Bg3 (or 12 exf6 gxh4 13 Ne5 Nxf6 and Black is two pawns
up with the bishop pair) 12 ... Nh5 (improving on 12 ... Nd5? from
T.V.Petrosian-V.Averbakh, USSR Championship, Moscow 1950; it is best
to eliminate the dangerous g3-bishop immediately so that it can create no
more threats) 13 Nd2 Nxg3 14 hxg3 Be7 15 Bh5 0-0 16 Re1 Rb8 and White
has insufficient compensation.
c) 9 Qc2 Nbd7

Black just has to develop cautiously and remember only to castle when
it is safe, as shown in these illustrative lines:
c1) 10 e5 (White immediately shows their cards and wants to attack; it
is essential for Black to keep calm) 10 ... Nd5 11 Rd1 h6 12 Ne4 c5 and
Black not only remains a pawn up but also gets to mobilize the queenside
majority at once.
c2) 10 b3 b4 11 e5 Nd5 12 Nxd5 cxd5 13 bxc4 dxc4 14 Bxc4 Nb6 15
Bd3 Nd5 16 a5 Be7 17 Bd2 Rc8 and the a5-pawn continues to be an issue
for White.
c3) 10 Rd1 Qc7 11 e5 Nd5 12 Ne4 Be7 13 Bg5 0-0 14 Bxe7 Nxe7 15
Nd6 h6 16 b3 cxb3 17 Qxb3 Nc8 and there is no attack.
c4) 10 Rb1 Be7 11 Rd1 0-0 (Black hangs on to the extra pawn no matter
what White does) 12 b3 cxb3 13 Rxb3 Rc8 14 e5 Nd5 15 Nxd5 cxd5 16
Qa2 b4 17 a5 Nb8, when the knight will be re-routed to c6 to defend b4 and
attack a5.
c5) 10 Ng5 (White has a little trick in mind, but it fails) 10 ... Be7 11
Rd1 h6 12 Nxe6 fxe6 13 e5 0-0! 14 exf6 Nxf6 15 Bf3 Qc7 and after
returning the piece Black remains a pawn up with the overall better
position.
9 ... b4
Black has quite a few options here, but I prefer this pawn push, as it
forces White to define the central structure immediately.
10 e5 Nd5 11 Nxd5
Not 11 Ne4? c3, which has just allowed Black to close the centre and
obtain a potentially dangerous passed c-pawn. It is not surprising that White
is already clearly worse.
11 ... cxd5 12 bxc4 dxc4 13 Bxc4 Be7
 This is the position we are aiming for. Notice that, since White has
pawns on d4 and e5 with no further support, there is a massive hole on d5
for Black to use, while White’s pawns could easily become a hindrance in
any endgame.
14 Be3
If instead:
a) 14 Bf4 0-0 15 Rc1 Bd5 16 Nd2 Nc6, Black has a slight edge due to
the passed b-pawn and control over d5.
b) 14 Qe2 0-0 15 Be3 Bd5 16 Nd2 Nc6 (sacrificing the a-pawn for
activity) 17 Bxa6 f5 18 exf6 Bxf6 19 Qd3 b3! (the b-pawn manages to
advance due to the ... Nb4 tactic) 20 Bc4 (if 20 Bb5 Nb4 21 Qc3 Rc8 22
Qxb4 Be7, the white queen is trapped) 20 ... b2 21 Rab1 Rxa4 22 Rxb2
Nxd4 and Black equalizes.
14 ... Bd5
14 ... Nc6 also yields equality: 15 Rc1 Na5 16 Bd3 Rc8 17 Qe2 Rxc1 18
Rxc1 0-0 19 Bxa6 Bd5 20 h4 b3 and Black soon regained the pawn in Lc0-
Stockfish, 13th CCC Final 2020.
15 Nd2
 After 15 Rc1 0-0 16 Qb3 Nc6 17 Bxd5 Na5 18 Bxe6 Nxb3 19 Bxb3
Rc8 20 d5 there is a massive material imbalance, but White has very active
pieces in exchange for the queen. Indeed, Black’s safest option might be to
liquidate with 20 ... Rc3 21 Rxc3 bxc3 22 d6 Bxd6 23 exd6 Qxd6 to reach
an equal position.
15 ... 0-0
It is clear that d5 is Black’s forever. However, White can still try to put a
piece on e4 to aid in some sort of kingside attack.
16 Qg4 Kh8 17 Rfc1
If 17 Rac1 Nc6 18 Bd3 Qd7 19 Ne4 f5 20 exf6 gxf6, Black has opened
the g-file and can now double rooks there to attack White’s king.
17 ... Nc6 18 Rab1

Exercise: White is ready to bring the knight to e4 and try to generate a

kingside attack. How should Black react to this plan?

18 ... Na5
 Answer: Black should probably use the thematic ... f7-f5 break again to
open the kingside and give their pieces some air: 18 ... f5! (often this is the
only way to stymie White’s kingside ambitions) 19 exf6 (White has to take
en passant, since ... f5-f4 is also a threat) 19 ... Rxf6 20 Bxd5 exd5 21 Nf3
Rg6 22 Qf5 Rf6 23 Qd3 Qe8 24 h3 Bf8 25 Ng5 Qg6 and Black manages to
free their pieces successfully.
19 Bd3!
Obviously White is not going to oblige Black by exchanging bishops on
d5.
19 ... Rc8
Black challenges for control of the c-file.
20 Rxc8
Or 20 h4 Rxc1+ 21 Rxc1 b3. Drill this concept: Black’s queenside play
vs. White’s kingside play leads to an equal game.
20 ... Qxc8 21 Ne4
If 21 Qh5 g6 22 Qh6 Kg8 23 h4 Qd7 24 h5 Rb8, the b-pawn provides
Black with adequate counterplay. It is important to note that objectively
White has no mate nor concrete threats on the kingside.
21 ... Nc4
 Black is meeting White’s kingside ambitions with counterplay in the
centre and on the queenside. This is something that you will have to do
frequently when your opponent goes after your king.
22 Ng5
22 Qh3 Bxe4 23 Bxe4 g6 24 Bh6 Rd8 is also equal, but White has to be
more careful as the b-pawn is potentially very dangerous: 25 Qf3 Kg8 26
Rc1 Rxd4 27 Bd3 b3! 28 Rxc4 Rxc4 29 Bxc4 b2 30 Qb3 Bf8 (Black has to
neutralize any back rank threats) 31 Bxf8 Kxf8 32 g3 (now White has to do
the same) 32 ... Qxc4 33 Qxc4 b1Q+ 34 Kg2 Qb6 finally reaches a drawn
endgame.
22 ... h6 23 Bf4 Qd8 24 h4
White tries to do something on the kingside. Obviously Black cannot
play ... h6xg5.
24 ... g6 25 Nh3 Kg7 26 Bc1 h5 27 Qg3 Rh8 28 Bg5 Bxg5 29 Nxg5
Qe7 30 Nh3 Nd2 31 Rb2 Nc4 32 Rb1
The struggle is in a state of equilbrium and the players agree to a draw
by repeating moves. If instead 32 Re2 b3 33 Nf4 b2, the b-pawn distracts
White’s forces enough to ward off any attack.
 32 ... Nd2 ½-½

Game 18
M.Parligras-T.Luther
Kozludoy (rapid) 2012

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 a4 c6 5 b3
White attempts to dissolve the opposing pawn phalanx at once. Black
should respond in the usual fashion.
5 ... e5!

The best method of breaking up White’s centre, especially as they are

quite preoccupied on the queenside.
6 dxe5
White has various other ways to meet the attack on their centre:
a) 6 axb5 cxb5 transposes to the 5 axb5 cxb5 6 b3 e5 variation
examined in Game 12.
b) 6 d5? Nf6 is just as good for Black as it was before.
 c) 6 bxc4 Nf6 (continuing the attack on the centre) 7 Nf3 (or 7 axb5
Nxe4 8 Ra4 Qxd4) 7 ... Nxe4 8 cxb5 (8 Bd3 Bb4+ 9 Nbd2 Nc3 10 Qb3 a5
paralyses the white queenside) 8 ... Bb4+ 9 Nbd2 0-0 10 Bc4 Bg4 11 0-0
Bxd2 12 Bxd2 Nxd2 13 Qxd2 Bxf3 14 gxf3 exd4 15 Rfe1 c5 and White
lacks full compensation for the pawn.
d) 6 Nf3 exd4 can lead to similar positions to the main game, except
that White is missing the extra pawn on e5, a factor which is clearly in
Black’s favour.
d1) 7 Qxd4 Bb4+ 8 Bd2 Bxd2+! (the most accurate move) 9 Qxd2 (or 9
Nbd2 Qxd4 10 Nxd4 c3 11 N2f3 b4) 9 ... cxb3 10 axb5 Nf6 11 e5 Qe7 12
Bc4 Ne4 13 Qb2 0-0 14 Qxb3 cxb5 15 Bxb5 Nd7 16 Qa3 Qe6 is good for
Black, since White has a weak e5-pawn and development issues.
d2) 7 bxc4

Exercise: White has the obvious aim of disintegrating Black’s pawn

structure.
Find Black’s best response.
 Answer: This was not easy at all. Black had many options, but 7 ...
bxa4! is the most accurate. Black trades their b-pawn for White’s a-pawn,
paving the way for the outside passed a7-pawn. After 8 Qxd4 Nf6! 9 Qxd8+
Kxd8 10 Ng5 Bb4+ (developing with tempo) 11 Bd2 Bxd2+ 12 Nxd2 Re8
13 Rxa4 (or 13 Nxf7+ Kc7) 13 ... Kc7 14 Ra5 (trying to advance e4-e5) 14
... h6 15 Nxf7 Nxe4 16 Nxe4 Rxe4+ 17 Kd2 Re7 18 Nh8 Kb6, Black keeps
a slight edge due to the passed a-pawn and White’s offside knight.
6 ... Bb4+
Stronger than exchanging queens straight away.
7 Bd2 Bxd2+
After the greedy 7 ... Qd4?! 8 Bxb4 Qxa1 9 Nf3, White has very strong
play for the sacrificed exchange, but 7 ... Bc5 is a viable option.

The threat is ... Qd4, targeting both f2 and a1. Now:

a) 8 axb5?! is bad for a reason we saw in the notes to Game 12: 8 ...
Qd4 9 Be3 Qxa1 10 Bxc5 Qxe5 retreats the queen with tempo by hitting the
c5-bishop and e4-pawn, though Black gets less of an advantage here: 11
Ba3 cxb5 12 Nf3 Qxe4+ 13 Be2 (given that White has Qd6 threats in the
air, the next move makes total sense) 13 ... b4! 14 0-0 (if 14 Bxb4? cxb3 15
Qd6 Ne7, Black soon consolidates) 14 ... bxa3 15 Bxc4 Qb7 (Black is a
rook and a pawn up but has zero development so will have to give material
back to stave off the attack) 16 Ng5 Be6 17 Re1 Ne7 18 Bxe6 fxe6 19 Nxe6
Nbc6 20 Nxa3 Rd8! (it is worth an exchange to force White to part with the
powerful e6-knight) 21 Nxd8 Kxd8 22 Qh5+ Nf7 23 Qc5 Qd7 24 h4 (not
24 Nb5? 0-0) 24 ... h5 25 Nb5 Kf8 26 Nc7 Rh6 27 Qxa7 Kg8 and Black
only has a slight edge, as White has two pawns for the piece and active
pieces. Just understand the ideas of this variation. I doubt that even Magnus
Carlsen could come up with all of these moves for White.
b) 8 Nf3 (preventing ... Qd4, which is why it is the only good option in
this position) 8 ... Ne7 (to hell with the pawns, it is time to get the king out
of the centre!) 9 b4 (if 9 axb5 cxb5 10 Nc3 Qb6 11 Be2 Bxf2+ 12 Kf1 Bc5
13 bxc4 b4 14 Na4 Qa5 15 Nb2 Qb6, the logical result is a repetition) 9 ...
Bb6 10 Nc3 0-0 (while White develops, Black can gang up on the e5-pawn
with ... Ng6 and ... Nbc6 or ... Nd7) 11 axb5 Be6 12 Be2 cxb5 13 Nxb5
Nbc6 14 0-0 Ng6 15 Nd6 Ncxe5 16 Nxe5 Nxe5 17 Bc3 Ng6 and the game
is dynamically balanced.
8 Qxd2
The problem with recapturing on d2 with the knight is that ... c4-c3
comes with tempo: 8 Nxd2?! c3 9 Ndf3 Qxd1+ 10 Kxd1 b4 and Black is
better with a connected passed pawn.
8 ... Qxd2+ 9 Kxd2
Similarly, if 9 Nxd2 c3 10 Ndf3 b4 11 Nd4 Ne7 12 Ngf3 a6 13 e6 Bxe6
14 Nxe6 fxe6 15 Ng5 Ng6 16 Nxe6 Ke7 17 Nd4 Nh4 18 0-0-0 c5 19 Nc2
Nc6, White has serious problems.
 9 ... Nd7?!
Attacking the e5-pawn was not a priority. Correct was 9 ... cxb3 10 axb5
Ne7 (aiming to liquidate the rest of the queenside except for the a-pawn) 11
Nf3 (the immediate 11 b6 allows the surprising 11 ... Ba6!, intending 12
Bxa6? axb6, when the bishop is pinned against the rook, while 12 Rxa6
Nxa6 13 Bxa6 axb6 14 Bc4 Ra2+ is a heavily imbalanced but equal
position) 11 ... 0-0 12 b6 (the best option, which leads to forcing play) 12 ...
a5 13 Nc3 Rd8+ 14 Kc1 Bg4 15 Na4 Ng6 16 Nd2 Nd7 17 Rb1 Rab8 18
Rxb3 Nf4 is roughly equal. White has development issues, but the b6-pawn
serves as a diversion.
10 bxc4?
Here 10 axb5! would have given White at least a slight edge, since there
is no way for Black to prevent White from breaking up the queenside
majority. If 10 ... cxb5 11 Na3 Nc5 12 Nxb5 Nxb3+ 13 Kc3 Nxa1 14 Nc7+
Kd8 15 Nxa8 Nb3 16 Nf3 (Black is lagging in development and the c4-
pawn is about to fall) 16 ... Na5 17 Bxc4 Nxc4 18 Rd1+ Bd7 19 Kxc4,
White has a dangerous initiative, even with one of their knights stuck in the
corner.
 10 ... b4!
Black fixes the white a4- and c4-pawns on light squares, with the
further option of advancing ... c6-c5 to support the b-pawn or blockading
with ... Nc5 for a clear strategic advantage. Although White can try to hold
on to the e5-pawn, Black’s excellent dark-square control and passed b-pawn
provide ample compensation.
Note that exchanging on 10 ... bxc4, intending to follow with ... Nxe5
next, would be a serious mistake, since White would simply defend the e5-
pawn with 11 Nf3 first. After anything like 11 ... Ne7 12 Bxc4 Ng6 13 e6!,
Black has a terrible position.
11 f4
If 11 Nf3 Nc5 12 Ke3 f5!, Black can bypass the e5-pawn and force
pawn exchanges to expose White’s king.
11 ... g5?!
It was better to attack from the front: 11 ... f6! would have kept the
edge, as White’s central pawn phalanx gets broken up.
12 fxg5 h6 13 gxh6?
Exchanging on h6 merely helps Black develop. 13 g6! Nxe5 (or 13 ...
fxg6 14 Nd3) 14 gxf7+ Nxf7 15 Kc2 would have guaranteed equality.
Although White is a pawn up, their pawns are seriously weak. I could easily
see the e4-pawn falling sooner or later.
13 ... Nxh6
The immediate 13 ... Nc5 looks even stronger: ... Nb3+ is threatened,
while if 14 Ke1 then even 14 ... f5! is possible.
14 Be2 Nc5
 15 Ke3?
This places the white king in the danger zone. On the other hand, other
moves are hardly attractive either. White may be two pawns up, but just
look at those pawns.
15 ... Ng4+ 16 Bxg4 Bxg4 17 Ne2?
This second error should be fatal, but even 17 Ra2 0-0-0 18 Rd2 Rde8
gives Black a great advantage. Both the a4- and e5-pawns are en prise, and
White still has three pieces on the back rank.
17 ... Bxe2?
After 17 ... 0-0-0!, White’s king is in dire straits in the centre of the
board. There was no need to eliminate the e2-knight, since 18 Nf4 Rhe8 19
h3 Bd1! 20 Nd2 Bc2 creates decisive threats.
18 Kxe2 Nxe4?
18 ... 0-0-0 was still correct, though not nearly as strong as on the
previous move.
19 Nd2 Nxd2
Here 19 ... Nc5! would have left Black with some consolation in the
form of a slight positional advantage.
 20 Kxd2
From a completely winning position, Black has liquidated into an level
endgame. White has some weaknesses but can afford to lose a pawn (or
even two) since they have an extra pawn in the first place.
20 ... Rd8+ 21 Kc2 Rh4 22 Kb3 a5 23 Rad1 Rxd1 24 Rxd1 Rxh2 25
Rd6 Rxg2 26 Rxc6 Rg3+ 27 Kb2 Ra3 28 e6 fxe6 29 Rxe6+ Kd7 30 Re5
Rxa4 31 Re3 Kc6 32 Rf3 Kc5 33 Rg3 Kxc4 34 Rh3 ½-½
I know that this is an opening book, but it is worth taking note of this
endgame position. Despite Black’s two extra pawns, there is no way to
extricate the rook from a4. Study your endgames too!

Game 19
Z.Kziezki-An.Donchenko
Würzburg 1992

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5 4 Nc3
Here we examine what happens when White plays Nc3 without
inserting a2-a4 first.
4 ... a6
 This position could also arise from Chapter Five via 3 Nc3 a6 4 e4 b5.
5 a4
White plays to break up the pawn chain before Black is able to
consolidate. 5 Nf3 e6 (it is important for Black to get the kingside pieces
out quickly; via this move order I prefer 5 ... e6 to 5 ... Nf6, which
transposes to Game 26 in the next chapter) 6 a4 b4 leads to similar - often
identical - positions after 7 Na2 Bb7, 7 Nb1 Bb7, or 7 Ne2 Nc6.

Question: What is the difference between White playing a2-a4 before

Nc3
and playing the moves the other way round?

Answer: The difference is the position of Black’s c-pawn (the a-pawn is

of less significance). On c7, the pawn is less obstructive, such that ... Bb7
will gaze down an open diagonal towards the white e4-pawn. The
manoeuvre ... Nc6-a5 is also possible, defending the c4-pawn and eyeing
the weak b3-square.
5 ... b4 6 Nd5
 Okay, this move wasn’t possible after ... c7-c6, but it’s not particularly
dangerous. Instead:
a) 6 Na2 (now both Black’s advanced pawns are en prise) 6 ... Bb7
(Black ignores the threats and counterattacks against the e4-pawn; as GM
Nick De Firmian notes in Modern Chess Openings, 15th Ed., if Black plays
6 ... e6, White takes on c4 with an edge; FM Valeri Lilov recommends 6 ...
e5 on his ChessBase DVD on the QGA, but 7 Nf3 exd4 8 Bxc4 c5, as in
B.Alterman-A.Raetsky, Rostov on Don 1993, and now 9 Bg5 sees White
with four pieces out to Black’s none - something which should only be
allowed under special circumstances, not here)

a1) 7 f3? (a truly awful move that has been played quite a bit, and by
strong players too: the average rating in games played in this variation is
almost 2500!) 7 ... Nc6 (Black pressurizes d4 and protects b4 - two birds,
one stone) 8 d5 (or 8 Be3 e5) 8 ... Na5 (holding on to the c4-pawn, ready to
break with ... e7-e6 should White take on b4) 9 Bd2 e6 10 dxe6 fxe6 11
Bxb4 Bxb4+ 12 Nxb4 Qh4+ 13 g3 Qe7, which De Firmian gives as a slight
edge for Black, but in fact Black is winning here, as in A.Amjad-A.Noah,
Iraqi Championship, Baghdad 2010.
 a2) 7 Nxb4 Bxe4 8 Nf3 e6 (hitting the b4-knight with tempo) 9 Nc2
Bd5 (it is often important to keep defending the extra pawn in such
positions, as White’s forces get diverted trying to recapture it) 10 Be2 (not
10 Ne3?! Bxf3 11 Qxf3 Bb4+) 10 ... Nc6 11 0-0 Bd6 12 Ne3 Nge7 13 Bd2
0-0 14 Nxc4 Nf5 15 Bc3 Qf6 and the position is equal.
b) 6 Nb1 (White “undevelops” the knight to avoid getting in the way of
the rest of their forces) 6 ... Bb7 (again Black counterattacks the e4-pawn) 7
Bxc4 (7 f3 e5! 8 d5 c6 was already good for Black in V.Korchnoi-
R.Hübner, Cologne rapid 1984) 7 ... Bxe4 8 Nf3 e6 9 Qe2 Bd5 and Black
keeps the pawn without incident.
c) 6 Nce2 (aiming to redeploy the knight either on f4 or g3) 6 ... Nc6!
(Black changes plans, since 6 ... Bb7?! 7 Ng3 e6 8 Bxc4 c5?! 9 d5 was very
good for White in E.Goudriaan-Al.Donchenko, Groningen 2013) 7 Nf3 e6 8
Ng3 Na5 9 Qc2 c5, hitting the centre immediately, with at least equality.
6 ... e6

Black cannot afford to let White plant the knight on d5 then take on c4
with no consequences.
7 Ne3
 If instead 7 Nf4, Black gets good play by pressurizing d4 with 7 ... Nc6
8 Be3 (8 Nf3 runs into 8 ... g5!, immediately disrupting White’s plans) 8 ...
Na5 9 Nf3 Nf6 10 Ne5 Bb7 (it is best to keep developing instead of taking
poisoned pawns; 10 ... Nxe4 11 Nxf7 Kxf7 12 Qh5+ g6 13 Qxa5 was just a
mess in I.Hausner-K.Motuz, Tatranske Zruby 2002) 11 f3 Nd5! 12 exd5
exd5 13 Be2 f6 and White is worse despite the extra piece, as their pieces
are treading on each other’s toes. Note that if 14 Ned3, Black would simply
decline the piece and continue to develop with 14 ... Qd7!, followed by ... 0-
0-0.
7 ... Bb7 8 f3
If 8 d5 (trying to destroy Black’s pawn structure) 8 ... Nf6
(counterattacking e4 again) 9 dxe6 Qxd1+ 10 Nxd1 fxe6 11 f3 Nc6 12 Bxc4
Nd7! (as usual, the initiative is more important than material) 13 Be3 (or 13
Bxe6 Nc5 14 Bd4 0-0-0) 13 ... Na5 14 Bxe6 Nc5 15 Bxc5 Bxc5, Black has
more than enough for the pawn in view of the unopposed dark-squared
bishop.
8 ... c5
Black executes the typical break that is so crucial to the QGA: hitting
White’s centre - especially the d4-pawn - with ... c7-c5.
9 d5
If 9 dxc5, as in K.Arkell-P.Sowray, Coulsdon 2008, I would keep the
queens on with 9 ... Qc7 10 Nxc4 (or 10 Bxc4 Nc6) 10 ... Bxc5 11 Nh3 Nc6
12 Bf4 e5 13 Be3 Bxe3 14 Nxe3 Nf6 15 Bc4 Qb6 16 Qe2 0-0, when Black
has good play on the dark squares.
9 ... exd5 10 exd5
 10 ... Nf6?!
It is more precise to bring the f8-bishop out first. After 10 ... Bd6 the d5-
pawn is safely blockaded, and Black might follow up with ... Ne7 and
castling, or if 11 Bxc4 then 11 ... Qh4+ 12 Kf1 Ne7, when White has
serious development issues on both flanks.
11 Bxc4
White recaptures with the bishop to shore up the defence of the d5-
pawn, which can easily fall if they are not careful.
11 ... Bd6 12 Ne2 0-0 13 0-0?!
White’s position was already starting to become uncomfortable and
routine development only makes things worse. They should try to reduce
the activity of Black’s forces before the d5-pawn comes under heavy fire:
13 a5 (taking the b6-square away from Black’s knight) 13 ... Nbd7 14 f4
(and now the e5-square as well) 14 ... Re8 15 0-0 Ne4 16 Qc2 Ndf6 17 b3,
followed by Bb2, when White still has a defensible game.
13 ... Nbd7 14 b3?! Nb6
Black puts immediate pressure on both the c4-bishop and d5-pawn, with
the threat of ... Be5, followed by ... Nbxd5.
 15 f4?
This fails to solve the problems and weakens White’s position even
more. The best defence here was 15 Ra2 Re8 16 a5 Nbxd5 (or 16 ... Nxc4
17 bxc4 Bc8 17 Ng3) 17 Nxd5 Bxd5 18 Rd2 (18 Bxd5 Nxd5 19 Qxd5??
loses at once to 19 ... Bxh2+) 18 ... Bxc4 19 bxc4 Qe7 20 Rxd6 Qxe2 21
Qxe2 Rxe2 22 Bd2, when Black is a pawn up but White at least has active
counterplay.
15 ... Bc7?!
Slightly imprecise. After 15 ... Re8, White has no good answer to the
plan of ... Bf8 and ... Nxd5, winning a pawn with a strategically superior
position.
16 Ra2
The a1-rook tries to get active play by shifting to the centre via the
second rank.
16 ... Re8
Preventing Rd2, which would hang the e3-knight.
17 Ng3

17 ... Qd7?
 Simply 17 ... Nbxd5 was winning, as after 18 Nxd5 Bxd5 19 Rd2 Bxc4!
20 Rxd8 Raxd8 Black’s activity will be overwhelming, whether or not
White decides to keep the queen.
18 a5 Nxc4 19 bxc4 Ne4 20 Ngf5 Bc8 21 Bb2?!
Here 21 Qd3 Nd6 22 g4 would keep White’s disadvantage to a
minimum, although their position is still awkward.
21 ... f6 22 d6??
Playing for a trick which should not work.
22 ... Nxd6 23 Qd5+ Qe6??
The wrong square. After 23 ... Qf7! 24 Qxa8 Bxf5 25 Qf3 Be4 White is
losing, despite being an exchange up, as all of their queenside pawns are
falling.
24 Qxa8 Bb7??
A miscalculation in a complicated position, Black still could keep a
clear advantage with 24 ... Nxf5 25 Nd5 Bd7 26 Qb7 Bb8, given the
wretched position of White’s queen.
25 Qa7 Nxf5 26 Nxf5 Qc6
 Exercise: Things look dire for White, in view of the threats of ... Qxg2
mate
and ... Ra8, trapping the queen in one move. How does White escape?

27 Bd4
Now the a2-rook protects g2 and the c5-pawn is en prise, which frees
the white queen. This solution does indeed allow White to escape, yet is not
the best.
Answer: 27 Bc1! is stronger. Note that ... Ra8 was not a real threat
because of the knight fork on e7, while after 27 ... g6 28 Be3 gxf5 29 Qxc5
White emerges a clear exchange ahead.
27 ... cxd4 28 Nxd4 Qxc4 29 Qxb7??
Presumably both players were in serious time trouble as they continue
to trade blunders. 29 Rc2 Qd5 is level.
29 ... Qxd4+ 30 Kh1 Qc4??
30 ... Qxf4! wins at once.
31 Raa1 Bxf4 32 Qd7 Rb8?! 33 Qg4 g5 34 Rac1 Qxc1??
Black probably hoped to reach a theoretically drawn ending with their
b-pawn on the second rank and the white queen stuck on b1. Unfortunately,
tactics enable White to avoid that scenario.
35 Rxc1 Bxc1 36 Qc4+ Kh8 37 Qxc1 b3 38 Qc3 Rb5
38 ... b2 drops the rook after 39 Qxf6+ Kg8 40 Qe6+, followed by
check on e5 or d6.
39 Qxf6+ Kg8 40 Qxa6 Re5 41 Qc8+ Kf7 42 Qb7+ Kg6 43 h3 1-0

Game 20
E.Ovod-I.Madl
German Women’s Bundesliga 2009

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 b5
We conclude our coverage of 3 e4 b5 with a few rarely played fourth
moves.
4 b3?!
 Question: Trying to break up Black’s queenside pawn mass looks
logical.
Why is this rarely played?

Answer: It looks logical but is not a good move here. White usually
needs an extra tempo for the b2-b3 break to be successful.
a) 4 g3? is too slow, and 4 ... Bb7 5 Bg2 e6 6 Ne2 Nf6 7 f3? Nbd7 8 a4
a6 9 0-0 c5 was already winning for Black in the old game Somacarana-
J.Cochrane, Calcutta 1856.
b) 4 Na3?? is even worse, as it both sidelines the knight and fails to
weaken the b5/c4 pawn chain. After 4 ... a6 5 Nc2 Bb7 Black has a winning
position by move five.
4 ... e5!

As we’ve seen before (in Games 12 and 18), this crucial pawn break
allows Black to free their game, liberating the f8-bishop so that it can come
to b4, while White has to deal with the sudden attack on their d-pawn.
5 d5?
 This merely creates more weaknesses, both on the dark squares and
with the central pawns themselves. White had to try either:
a) 5 Nf3 (defending d4 and putting pressure on the e5-pawn) 5 ... Nf6!
(Black ignores it and attacks e4 instead) 6 bxc4 Nxe4 7 Bd3 (or 7 cxb5
Bb4+ 8 Nbd2 0-0) 7 ... Bb4+ 8 Bd2 Nxd2 9 Nbxd2 bxc4 10 Bxc4 0-0 11
dxe5 Nc6 12 0-0 Bxd2 13 Qxd2 Qxd2 14 Nxd2 Nxe5 and Black has a slight
edge with the extra pawn.
b) 5 dxe5 Bb4+ (stronger than exchanging queens) 6 Bd2 Qd4 7 Bxb4
Qxa1 8 Qc2 Qxe5 9 Bc3 Qg5 10 Nf3 Qg6 11 bxc4 b4 12 Bxb4 Nc6 13 Bc5
Ne7 14 Nc3 0-0 15 Be2 Re8 and White has some compensation for the
exchange but not enough.
5 ... Nf6 6 Qc2 c6?!
This is an inaccuracy. It is more precise to get the minor pieces out as
quickly as possible before striking in the centre: 6 ... Bc5! (ignoring the
threat to the c4-pawn) 7 bxc4 (if 7 Nf3 then 7 ... c6! is strong, intending 8
bxc4 Ng4 9 Bg5 Qa5+) 7 ... Nxe4! (this tactic would almost certainly come
as a shock to your opponents) 8 Qxe4 Bd4 wins the rook in the corner. If
Black’s king could be attacked, White might have some compensation for
the lost (not sacrificed) rook. As things are, this is impossible.
7 bxc4 bxc4 8 Bxc4 cxd5 9 exd5 Bd6
 Due to Black’s inaccuracy White has avoided being completely
annihilated in the centre on the sixth move, but the d5-pawn is still very
weak. By no means is this a “good” passed pawn. White has to fight to not
lose it in the future.
10 Bg5?!
Simply developing and castling was more prudent: 10 Ne2 0-0 11 0-0,
but the d5-pawn remains a permanent weakness. Black can pile up pressure
with 11 ... Nbd7, followed by ... Nb6, ... Bb7, etc.
10 ... Nbd7
More precise was 10 ... h6!, putting the question to the g5-bishop. If
then 11 Bxf6 Qxf6 12 Bb5+ (or 12 Ne2 0-0 13 0-0 Bf5) 12 ... Nd7 13 Ne2
0-0, Black is more active than in the game.
11 Ne2 h6
It is still best not to allow the g5-bishop to sit there.
12 Bxf6
If 12 Bh4 0-0, White’s bishop is close to useless on h4 and effectively
rules out the option of Ng3, in view of ... g7-g5.
12 ... Nxf6 13 Nbc3?
 Here 13 0-0 0-0 14 Nd2 would limit White’s disadvantage, though this
is still an unenviable position since Black has the bishop pair for nothing
and the d5-pawn is perennially weak.
13 ... 0-0 14 0-0

14 ... Bg4!?
Trying to provoke a weakness with f2-f3 and White duly obliges.
Otherwise, simply 14 ... Bd7 15 Ng3 Rc8 sets White big problems on the
open c-file.
15 f3?! Qb6+ 16 Kh1 Bd7 17 Qd3 Rab8?!
It was better to move the rook one square further. White’s pieces are
often under pressure on the c-file in this variation, so you should attack on
this file.
18 a4 a5
Now White has an outpost on b5, but so does Black on b4. Soon the f8-
rook will join the battle by coming to either c8 or d8.
19 Bb5
After 19 Nb5 Bb4 20 Rac1 Rbc8 things have stabilized somewhat on
the queenside, but the d5-pawn remains a target more than an asset, while
the bishop pair continues to be one of Black’s advantages in a fairly open
position.
19 ... Rfd8 20 Rfd1 Bb4 21 Bxd7 Rxd7 22 Qf5 Qe3

It should be noted that, throughout the game so far, White has had
problems with loose pieces, in particular the knights. This reduces their
chances for counterplay.
23 Rd3 Qg5 24 Qxg5 hxg5 25 Ne4 Nxd5 26 Nxg5 Nb6 27 Rxd7 Nxd7
28 Ne4 Nb6 29 g4 Rc8 30 Kg2 Rc2 31 Kf1 Nd5
Even now White has not obtained fully acceptable play.
32 h4 f5 33 gxf5 Ne3+ 34 Kf2 Nxf5 35 Rc1 Ra2 36 h5 Nd4 37 N4g3
Kh7 38 Rc8 Be7 39 Ke3 Bg5+ 40 f4 Nxe2 41 Nxe2 exf4+ 42 Kf3 Rxa4 43
Nc3 Rd4 44 Ne4 Bh6 45 Ra8 Rd3+ 46 Kg4
 Exercise: White’s continued resistance so far has been seriously
annoying,
but now there is a chance to finish the game. What is Black’s killer
blow?

46 ... Rd4??
This mistake throws away the win.
Answer: Black should cut White’s king off horizontally. This strategy
often leads to success in pure rook endgames, and it works in this case too:
46 ... Re3! and White will have to give up the knight for one of Black’s
passed pawns sooner or later; for example, after 47 Re8 a4, or 47 Nf2 Rg3+
48 Kf5 Rg2 49 Ng4 f3, or 47 Kf5 f3 48 Rxa5 f2!.
Perhaps Black was worried about the counterattack 47 Kf5 f3 48 Ra7
(threatening Nf6+, Ra8+ and mates), but the king can just run: 48 ... Kg8!
49 Kg6 Kf8 50 Rf7+ Ke8 51 Nd6+ Kd8 52 Nb7+ Kc8 53 Nd6+ Kb8 54
Rf8+ Ka7 55 Nb5+ Kb6 56 Nd4 a4 57 Nxf3 a3 and again White is set to
lose the knight.
 47 Nc5 f3+? 48 Kxf3 Rf4+ 49 Kg2! Rf5 50 Rxa5 Rxh5
Now despite Black still having an extra pawn, the endgame is drawn, as
the tablebases confirm. None of the remaining moves dent that assessment
in the slightest.
51 Nb7 Rh4 52 Nd6 Rg4+ 53 Kh3 Rb4 54 Nf5 Bf4 55 Rd5 Kg6 56 Rd4
Rb3+ 57 Kg4 Be5 58 Ra4 Bf6 59 Ng3 Rb1 60 Ne4 Rg1+ 61 Kf3 Be5 62
Ra6+ Kf5 63 Nd6+ Bxd6 64 Rxd6 g5 ½-½
Chapter Three
3 Nf3 Nf6
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nf3 Nf6

In this chapter we analyse 3 Nf3 Nf6, the second of the “three main
lines”, as I would call them, the first being 3 e4, the most ambitious of all of
White’s tries, and the others 3 Nf3 and 3 e3, which are highly theoretical as
well.
The play after 3 Nf3 Nf6 is of a more strategic character, but the change
in pawn structures bring about highly variable situations, from regular
QGA-like positions to sharp Meran Semi-Slav type ones. However, I am
rejecting the big main line, 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 e6 5 Bxc4 c5 6 0-0 a6, where
thousands of games have been played, especially at elite GM level. I offer a
quirkier system that is little explored, as we shall see.
Game 21
V.Shinkevich-Yu Yangyi
World Rapid Championship, St. Petersburg 2018

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3

By far the most popular move. Other options, such as 4 Nc3, 4 Qa4 and
4 g3, are covered in Games 26-28.
4 ... a6
Preparing ... b7-b5 in case White was thinking of delaying the recapture
on c4.
5 Bxc4 e6

I have been unable to find coverage of our set-up in GM Srinath

Naranayan’s Chessable course Lifetime Repertoires: The Catalan, as he
examines lines where Black eventually plays ... c7-c5 or ... b7-b5. Similarly,
in A Strategic Chess Opening Repertoire for White IM John Watson states
that playing an early ... a7-a6 transposes to the big main line with a later ...
c7-c5. However, for us the move order does matter, as we shall eschew
entering that complex.
The current game actually went 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 c4 e6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5
e3 a6 6 a4 b6 7 Bxc4 Bb7 8 0-0 Nc6 9 Qe2, only transposing at move nine.
6 a4
White prevents any queenside expansion with ... b7-b5. For 6 0-0 and
other moves, see Games 23-25.
6 ... b6!?
Everything has been normal so far. The automatic move here is to break
in the centre immediately with 6 ... c5. Instead, I recommend a quick
fianchetto, fighting for control of the crucial a8-h1 diagonal, on which lie
the important central d5- and e4-squares.
7 Qe2
White prepares the future advance e3-e4, as well as vacates d1 for the
rooks. The immediate 7 0-0 is examined in the next game.
7 ... Bb7 8 0-0 Nc6!?

With this odd-looking move Black blocks both the b7-bishop and c7-
pawn - but only temporarily, as the knight is not planning to stay on c6. The
more normal alternative 8 ... Nbd7 is considered in the notes to the next
game.
9 Nc3
It is also important to see what happens should White try to accelerate a
central assault by delaying the development of the b1-knight: 9 Rd1 (the
rook comes to d1 to exert pressure on the d-file) 9 ... Na5 (gaining a tempo
on the c4-bishop) 10 Ba2 Bb4!? (this quirky-looking move is designed to
fight for control of the a5-e1 diagonal) 11 Bd2 (11 Nc3 transposes to the
main game) 11 ... Qe7 (ready to come to b4 after a bishop trade) 12 Ne5 0-0
13 Bxb4 Qxb4 (the black queen exerts influence on the queenside, which
can cause White some coordination issues) 14 Nd2 h6 15 h3 Rac8 16 Bb1
Nc6 17 Nxc6 Bxc6 18 Qc4 Qxc4 19 Nxc4 a5 (fixing the queenside pawn
structure, especially important being the a4-pawn fixed on a light square)
20 Ne5 Bb7 21 Bb3 c5, when Black has good counterplay.
9 ... Na5
Again, it is important to attack the c4-bishop, as this opens the diagonal
for the b7-bishop.
10 Ba2 Bb4
 With the a5-knight/b4-bishop set-up in place, Black is ready to castle.
White can try to push for the e3-e4 advance to gain more space in the
centre.
11 Rd1
When White X-rays the black queen like this, I would be on a low alert
level just to be safe, since there could be trouble if the d-file opens.
Instead, 11 Re1 puts more effort into pushing the e-pawn. 11 ... c5 is a
thematic answer, putting d4 under pressure: 12 dxc5 (or 12 e4 cxd4 13 Rd1
Qe7 14 Rxd4 Bc5 15 Rd1 0-0) bxc5

Exercise: Black has managed to hold down White’s queenside. What

should
Black be aiming for next?

Answer: They should anticipate the e3-e4-e5 advance and plan to

secure a knight on the d5-square. For example: 13 e4 Qc7 14 e5 (or if 14
Bd2 Rd8 15 e5 then 15 ... Bxc3 16 Bxc3 Ne4 17 Bxa5 Qxa5 18 Rad1 Rxd1
19 Rxd1 Qxa4 20 Bb1 Bd5 21 Re1 f5 - without this pawn lever, Black
would be in serious trouble; thankfully for us, it works) 14 ... Bxc3 15 bxc3
Nd5 16 Bd2 h6 (this little advance is often crucial, as it prevents White
from building a kingside attack by plopping a piece on g5, especially the
knight, from where it can reroute itself to e4) 17 Rad1 Rd8 (lending support
to the d5-knight and challenging White for the open d-file). In situations
like these, White is looking to blast the position open for the bishops. Black
should try to play around White’s pawns, especially the e5-pawn by
utilizing d5 and f5.
11 ... 0-0 12 Ne5
White tries to evict the b4-bishop with Nd3. Obviously pushing e3-e4 at
once hangs a pawn for nothing.
12 ... c5!

This break looks like madness, given that White would love to open the
d-file, but tactics allow Black to do this.
13 Nd3
The point is 13 dxc5 Qc7, attacking the e5-knight, which gives Black
time to recapture on c5. After 14 Nd3 bxc5 (Black is not worried about
Nxb4, as after ... c5xb4 White suddenly has problems with piece
coordination) 15 Bd2 Rfd8 16 Rac1 Qb6 17 Be1 Nc6 18 f3 Ba5 19 Bh4
Nb4 20 Bc4 Nxd3 21 Bxd3 h6 Black is fine.
13 ... Qe7
Although it looks weird, just giving up the bishop pair on c3 allows
Black to equalize easily: 13 ... Bxc3 14 bxc3 Bc6 15 Nb2 Ne4 16 Qc2 cxd4
17 exd4 Rc8 18 c4 b5 and Black has sufficient counterplay, since the white
pieces are all huddled on the queenside doing nothing.
14 Bd2

Exercise: Suggest a good plan for Black.

Answer: Black should return the knight to c6 to be ready to capture on

b4. If White exchanges on c5 instead, Black can play ... b6xc5 followed by
... Ba5, rerouting the dark-squared bishop.
14 ... Rac8
As indicated above, 14 ... Nc6 was the more natural plan, forcing White
to do something about the d4-pawn, which inevitably means exchanging on
c5. After 15 dxc5 bxc5 16 Be1 Ba5 Black’s dark-squared bishop can be
used for other purposes.
15 Be1 cxd4?!
Creating luft with 15 ... h6 was better. If 16 dxc5 bxc5 17 Rac1 Rfd8,
the position is even, with both sides having weaknesses.
16 Nxb4 dxc3 17 Bxc3
Unless Black has counterplay or there is some tactical detail, I would
advise against entering these open symmetrical structures where White has
the two bishops.
17 ... Ne4 18 Be1

18 ... Nc5
After the tactical mêlée 18 ... Qg5 19 f4 Qg6 20 Nxa6 Bxa6 21 Qxa6
Rc2 22 Qf1 Rxb2 23 Bb1, White still keeps a positional advantage with the
two bishops.
19 Rac1?!
Meek and indecisive. 19 Nd3! Nab3 20 Nxc5 Nxc5 21 a5 was best,
when White retains a slight edge.
19 ... Nxa4?!
 Black responds poorly, sidelining both knights. After 19 ... h6 20 f3
Nxa4 21 Nxa6 Qf6 there are no longer back-rank issues, and White’s knight
is also offside.
20 Nxa6 Qg5 21 f4 Qf6 22 b4?!
Instead, 22 Rxc8! Rxc8 23 Rd4 Rc1 (to distract the white queen) 24
Qd2 Rc8 25 Rxa4 Bxa6 26 h3 h6 27 Kh2 keeps the better chances.
22 ... Qb2 23 Qxb2 Nxb2 24 Rxc8 Rxc8

25 Rb1?!
The computer-generated line 25 Rd7 Bxa6 26 bxa5 h6 27 f5 Rc1 28
fxe6 fxe6 29 Bxe6+ Kf8 30 Kf2 Nd3 31 Rxd3 Bxd3 32 axb6 Rc6 ends in a
level endgame, but illustrates how both sides have far more dynamic
potential that one would perceive at first sight.
25 ... Nac4 26 b5 Be4?!
Here 26 ... Rd8 gives Black an edge since White’s pieces are clumsily
placed. Now the exchange of rooks leads to a drawn endgame.
27 Rc1 Nd3 28 Rxc4 Rxc4 29 Bxc4 Nxe1 30 Nb8 Nxg2 31 Kf2 Nh4
32 Nd7 Nf5 33 Nxb6 Nd6 34 Be2 Kf8 35 Nd7+ Ke7 36 Nc5 Kd8 37 b6
Bd5 38 Bd3 f5 39 Ke2 h6 40 h4 Nf7 41 Kd2 g5 42 hxg5 hxg5 43 fxg5
Nxg5 44 Kc3 Kc8 45 Ba6+ Kb8 46 Nd7+ Ka8 47 Kd4 Bc6 48 Ne5 Bb7
49 Bc4 Kb8 50 Kc5 Ne4+ 51 Kd4 Ng5 ½-½
The b6-pawn is going nowhere.

Game 22
B.Lajthajm-M.Perunovi
Bar 2005

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 a6 5 Bxc4 e6 6 a4 b6 7 0-0

If White castles immediately, Black should keep developing normally
and proceed according to whether White develops the b1-knight to c3 or d2.
7 ... Bb7 8 Nc3
With the knight on d2, things are a little different. After 8 Nbd2 Nbd7
(developing the queen’s knight but not obstructing the ... c7-c5 break) 9
Qe2 Be7 10 e4 0-0, Black’s plan is depends on whether White plays the
space-gaining e4-e5 advance. If not, Black can strike in the centre first with
... c7-c5 and play around the dark squares, d4/e5/f4. Even if White does
push the e-pawn, ... c7-c5 remains a key plan.
 a1) 11 b3 h6 (I recommend some prophylactic measures before breaking
with ... c7-c5) 12 Bb2 Bb4 13 Rac1 Qe7 14 Rfd1 and now 14 ... c5 strikes
in the centre before White can, with dynamic equality.
a2) 11 e5 (the critical option for White) 11 ... Nd5 12 Nb3 c5 (the key
pawn break; the plan is to liquidate the c- and d-pawns to open the files for
Black’s heavy pieces) 13 Bd2 cxd4 14 Nbxd4 (White has a nicely-placed
knight on d4, but so does Black on d5) 14 ... Re8 15 Rfd1 Nf8 16 Rac1 Qb8
17 h4 h6 18 h5 Rd8 reaches a balanced position. In general, White will try
to play in the centre and on the kingside, but Black has no problems since
the d5-knight becomes an unmovable object, and the f8-knight keeps
Black’s king extremely safe.
b) 8 Qe2 is a standard move, preparing e3-e4, clearing the d1-square for
a rook, while delaying making a decision with the b1-knight. Now 8 ...
Nc6!? was played in the previous game. Here we’ll examine congruent
ideas to the current game after 8 ... Nbd7.

b1) 9 Nc3 seems slightly inconsistent. If White intends to develop the

knight here, they might as well do so on the previous turn, since 9 ... c5
would transpose to the main game anyway, whereas the current move order
gives Black another option: 9 ... Bb4 (now the c3-knight can be traded at
any given moment should White try to advance the e-pawn) 10 Bd3
(instead, 10 Rd1 is line ‘b23’ below; not yet 10 e4?! Bxc3 11 bxc3 Nxe4 12
Bb2 0-0 13 Bd3 Nd6!, when Black has a good grip on the light squares,
meaning White has insufficient compensation for the pawn) 10 ... Qe7 11 e4
e5!

Black correctly breaks in the centre, forcing White to create

weaknesses:
b11) 12 Nxe5 (12 dxe5 Nxe5 13 Nxe5 Qxe5 is the same) 12 ... Nxe5 13
dxe5 Qxe5 14 Be3 (if 14 f4 Qh5 15 Qxh5 Nxh5 16 e5 0-0-0 17 Be2?!, as in
A.Istratescu-P.Jaracz, European Rapid Championship, Warsaw 2012, then
17 ... Bc5+! 18 Kh1 g6 is good for Black) 14 ... Rd8 15 Bxa6 Bxa6 16 Qxa6
Bxc3 17 bxc3 0-0 18 f3 Qxc3 19 Bf2 Rd2 is dynamically equal as both
sides have infiltrated the enemy queenside.
b12) 12 h3 0-0 13 Rd1 exd4 14 Nxd4 Ne5 (the e5-square can be used as
an outpost by Black’s forces) 15 Nf5 Qe6 and Black has Meran-style
counterplay.
 b13) 12 Bg5 (putting more pressure on Black’s centre) 12 ... 0-0 13
dxe5 Nxe5 (13 ... Bxc3 14 bxc3 Nxe5 is an alternative if you like playing
against White’s broken pawns, as in A.Potapov-P.Jaracz, Pardubice rapid
2011) 14 Nxe5 Qxe5 15 Bxf6 (or 15 f4 Qc5+ with dynamic equality) 15 ...
Qxf6 16 Nd5 Bxd5 17 exd5 a5 and Black was fine in Chr.Richter-P.Jaracz,
German Bundesliga 2012.
b14) 12 Be3 exd4 13 Nxd4 g6!

Question: Why is Black weakening their dark squares when White has
a
powerful dark-squared bishop, and the centre is fluid?

Answer: It was necessary to prevent Nf5, which would cause serious

issues for Black. It appears weakening that the pawn is now on g6, but it
stops White from unleashing an onslaught on the black camp. After 14 Nc2
(or 14 Rfd1 0-0 15 f3 Ne516 Qe1 Bc5 17 Be2 Nc6 18 Qf2 Nxd4 19 Bxd4
Nd7 20 Bc4 Rfd8 with an equal, yet imbalanced, game) 14 ... Bxc3 15 bxc3
Nxe4 16 Bd4 Nef6 White has enough compensation for equality, but
nothing more.
b2) 9 Rd1 Bb4 (with the same idea, even though White’s knight has not
come to c3 yet)

b21) 10 Na3 0-0 11 Bd3 Ne4 12 Qc2 (or 12 Nc4 a5 13 Nfe5 Nxe5 14
Nxe5 c5 15 Qc2 f5 16 f3 Nd6 with good counterplay) 12 ... f5 13 Qc4 Bd6
14 Qxe6+ Kh8 15 Qb3 Ndf6 16 h3 g5 gave Black a dangerous attack in
A.Noriega de la Serra-W.Ermakov, correspondence 2015.
b22) 10 Bd3 retreats the bishop to fight for control of e4. In response
Black immediately breaks in the centre: 10 ... c5 11 Nc3 cxd4 12 exd4 0-0
13 Ne5 h6 14 Bf4 Qe7 15 Rac1 Rfc8 16 h3 a5 17 Nc4 Nd5 with good
counterplay.
b23) 10 Nc3 0-0 (both sides aim to complete development before
initiating play in the centre) 11 Bd2 (or 11 Bd3 Qe7 12 e4 e5 13 d5 Nc5 14
Bc2 a5 15 Bg5 h6 16 Bh4 Ba6 17 Qe3 Ncd7 18 Nd2 g5 19 Bg3 Nh5 20
Bd3 Bb7 21 Nc4 Nf4 with a sharp, but equal position) 11 ... Qe7 (the
position resembles a Classical Slav where Black can choose between
breaking with ... c7-c5 or ... e6-e5, depending on what White does) 12 Rac1
Rfd8 13 h3 h6 14 Be1 c5 is dynamically equal. As a rule, any time that
Black can safely break in the centre, and White has still not initiated an
offensive, or even just typical play, Black stands fine. This applies here as
well.
b24) 10 Bd2 forestalls Black’s plan by challenging the b4-bishop before
developing the b1-knight) 10 ... Bd6 (retreating is best, leaving White’s
bishop on d2 where it obstructs the d1-rook) 11 Nc3 c5 (again we see the
thematic ... c7-c5 break; the most ambitious plan for White is to ignore it
and advance the e-pawn anyway, which can lead to fireworks) 12 e4 (12
Be1 Qe7 anticipates the plan of advancing d4-d5, which can lead to
favourable simplifications for White should Black have uncoordinated
pieces; now after 13 d5 exd5 14 Nxd5 Nxd5 15 Bxd5 Bxd5 16 Rxd5 Nf6
Black just has to centralize the rooks to get a good game) 12 ... cxd4 13
Nxd4 0-0 (if 13 ... Qb8, as in F.Caruana-H.Nakamura, Moscow 2012, White
might play 14 Bxe6!? fxe6 15 Nxe6 with a dangerous initiative) 14 f4

Exercise: White threatens e4-e5. How should Black deal with this threat
and
 gain counterplay quickly?

Answer: Due to the loose d4-knight, tactics allow Black to attack e4 at

once: 14 ... Nc5! 15 e5 Bxe5 16 Nxe6! Nxe6 17 fxe5 Qd4+ 18 Kh1 Nh5 19
Ba2 Qh4 with good kingside counterplay.
I prefer this to 14 ... b5?! 15 axb5 Bc5 16 Be3 axb5, when White has
over five viable options, making the position highly complex. Nonetheless,
do not lose track of the general considerations. Black still has play against
the centre, especially the e4-pawn, and pressure down the a7-g1 diagonal.
Even if White sacrifices on e6, the complications are no longer in their
favour. For example: 17 Nxe6 (or 17 Rxa8 Qxa8 18 Bxb5 e5 19 fxe5 Nxe5
20 Nf5 Qa7 21 Bxc5 Qxc5+ 22 Qf2 Qxf2+ 23 Kxf2 Nxe4 with equality) 18
... Bxe3+ 18 Qxe3 fxe6 19 Bxe6+ Kh8 20 Rxa8 Qxa8 21 Bxd7 b4 22 Na4
Bxe4 23 Nb6 Qa2 24 Qf2 Rd8 25 Re1 Nxd7 26 Nxd7 and a draw was
agreed in W.Dahm-K.Thiel, correspondence 2018.
8 ... c5

The thematic pawn lever, which we know all too well by now. This puts
pressure on the d4-pawn, such that White must consider the consequences
before committing to the e3-e4 advance.
9 Qe2
If White is feeling ambitious, they may advance 9 e4 anyway. This leads
to sharp play where small details matter a lot. For example: 9 ... cxd4 10
Nxd4 Bc5 11 Nb3 (or if 11 Be3 0-0 12 a5!? then simply 12 ... Nbd7, rather
than 12 ... b5?! 13 Nxe6!) 11 ... Bd6 12 Qe2 Nbd7 13 f4 e5 14 g4 (or 14 f5
0-0 15 Bg5 Qc7 16 h3 Rfc8 with counterplay) 14 ... 0-0 15 Rd1

Exercise: White is threatening the d6-bishop as well as to pawnstorm

Black’s
king. How should Black respond to both threats?

Answer: Counterattack! 15 ... b5! 16 Rxd6 bxc4 17 Nc5 Bc8 18 Nxd7

Nxd7 19 f5 Qc7 20 Rd1 Bb7 21 g5 Rac8 22 Be3 Nc5 23 Qxc4 Nxe4 24
Qxc7 Rxc7 25 Nd5 Bxd5 26 Rxd5 Rb7 27 Rxe5 Nxg5! 28 Bxg5 f6 and
Black finally equalizes.
Note that the immediate 15 g5 is met in similar fashion: 15 ... b5! 16
axb5 axb5 17 Rxa8 Bxa8 18 Bxb5 Ne8 19 f5 Nc5 20 Nxc5 Bxc5+ 21 Kg2
Nd6 22 h4 Nxb5 23 Qxb5 Qc8 24 Qc4 g6, when the bishop pair and
exposed white king give Black sufficient counterplay.
9 ... Nbd7
The best way to develop the queen’s knight, not obstructing the b7-
bishop. The only drawback of this set-up is that it allows White to play for
sacrifices on e6, which can be dangerous if Black is not careful.
10 Rd1
After 10 Bd3 Bd6 11 Rd1 Qb8 12 h3 0-0 13 Bd2 cxd4 14 exd4 h6 15
Rac1 Rd8 Black has good play against the IQP.
10 ... Qc7

X-raying the c4-bishop, getting ready to connect the rooks, and fighting
for control over the b8-h2 diagonal.
11 b3
White defends the c4-bishop and prepares to bring the other one to the
long diagonal. Half a dozen other moves have also been tried here:
a) 11 Bb3 Be7 12 Bd2 0-0 13 Rac1 Qb8 (I prefer getting the queen off
the c-file before centralizing the rest of the army) 14 Bc2 Rd8 15 Be1 cxd4
16 Nxd4 h6 with standard QGA equality. Black may consider moves like ...
Qa7, ... Rac8, and ... Nf8 to organize their forces.
b) 11 Bd3 (redirecting the light-squared bishop to the a2-g8 diagonal,
anticipating that Black will castle kingside) 11 ... Bd6 12 h3 0-0 13 Bd2
Rfd8 14 Rac1 Qb8 (I like this queen slide, which is reminiscent of slow
manoeuvring Hedgehog positions) 15 dxc5 Bxc5 16 Bc2 Nf8 with a solid
position for Black and no weaknesses.
c) 11 d5 (the solution to this push is usually to simplify on d5 a few
times, then develop and castle) 11 ... exd5 12 Nxd5 Bxd5 (Black has to be a
little careful: 12 ... Nxd5? has been played 45 times in the databases but
could be hit by the unexpected 13 e4!, intending 13 ... N5f6 14 e5 or 13 ...
Ne7 14 Bxf7+! Kxf7 15 Rxd7 Qxd7 16 Ne5+, which the engines say is
winning for White) 13 Bxd5 Nxd5 14 Rxd5 Be7 15 e4 0-0 16 Bf4 Qc6 and
Black was fine in Sas.Nikolov-T.Stoyanov, Bulgarian Championship, Sofia
2023.
d) 11 e4 cxd4 12 Nxd4 Ne5 (obviously White’s idea is to sacrifice on
e6, but even if your opponent has the guts to do it, it leads to no more than
equality) 13 Bxe6 (13 Nxe6 fxe6 14 Bxe6 is not scary either: 14 ... Bd6 15
Bg5 Qe7 16 Bd5 Bxd5 17 Nxd5 Qe6 18 Bxf6 gxf6 19 Nf4 Qe7 20 Nd5 Qe6
repeats; otherwise, 13 Bb3?! Neg4! 14 g3 Bc5 15 h3 Nxf2 16 Qxf2 e5 was
better for Black in H.Erdogan-T.Markowski, European Championship,
Istanbul 2003) 13 ... fxe6 14 Bf4 Kf7 15 Rac1 Qb8 16 Nxe6 Kxe6 17 Nd5
Bd6 18 Nxf6 Kxf6 19 Qh5 g6 20 Qh4+ Ke6 21 Qh3+ Kf6 is a logical
perpetual.
e) 11 Bd2 (clearing the way for the a1-rook to come to c1, X-raying the
queen) 11 ... Bd6 (11 ... Be7 is also completely playable) 12 Rac1 0-0
(Black’s bishops point towards White’s king, setting up the middlegame to
be a tense battle) 13 dxc5 Bxc5 (all recaptures are playable, even the queen;
Black drew with 13 ... bxc5 in V.Ivanchuk-Te.S.Ravi, Gibraltar 2020) 14
Bd3 Qb8 15 Be1 h6 16 Bc2 Rd8 17 h3 Qa7 18 Nd2 Bc6 19 Nb3 Be7 leaves
plenty of play on the board, despite the symmetrical nature. Black can try to
put a knight on c5 and pressure the a4-pawn. Should White plant a knight
on d4, the bishop can go back to b7.
 f) 11 Ne5!? Bd6 (again lining both bishops towards White’s king; 11 ...
Nxe5 12 dxe5 Qxe5 is possible but puts Black’s king in a precarious
situation after 13 Bb5+ Ke7) 12 f4 cxd4 13 exd4 0-0 14 Bd2 Rfe8 (an
important manoeuvre which overprotects e6 and makes way for ... Nf8 to
defend the kingside) 15 Be1 Nf8 16 Bg3 Ng6 17 Ba2 Ne7 (Black’s knight
jumps around, exploiting White’s light square weaknesses; the following
variation shows how Black can deal with White’s kingside ambitions) 18
Rac1 Nf5 19 Bf2 Rac8 20 h3 h5 21 g4 hxg4 22 hxg4 Ne7 23 a5 bxa5 24 f5
Bxe5 25 dxe5 Qc6 26 Nd5 Qxc1 27 Nxf6+ gxf6 28 Rxc1 Rxc1+ 29 Be1
Nc6 30 fxe6 Rxe6 31 Qe3 Rxe1+ 32 Qxe1 Nxe5 33 Qxa5 Rd6 and after a
wild ride the dust settles into an equal endgame.
11 ... Bd6

The d6-square is the most active one for Black’s bishop, aiming directly
at White’s vulnerable h2-point.
11 ... Be7 is also possible, leading to an equal game. For example: 12
Bb2 (here 12 Ba3 essentially gives Black an extra tempo on the same move
in the main game: after 12 ... 0-0 13 e4 Rfe8 14 e5 Bxf3 15 gxf3 Nh5 16
dxc5 Bxc5 17 Bxc5 Nxc5 18 Qe3 Red8 Black has fine play) 12 ... 0-0 13
Rac1 Rfd8 14 h3 Qb8 (or 14 ... h6 15 Rd3 Qb8 16 Rcd1 cxd4 17 exd4 b5
18 axb5 axb5 19 Bxb5 Nd5 and Black has good play for the pawn) 15 Ne5,
A.Gilevich- G.Lumachi, Civitanova Marche 2021, and now after 15 ... cxd4
16 exd4 Nxe5 17 dxe5 Nd7 18 Ne4 (or 18 f4 Nf8) 18 ... Nxe5 19 Rxd8+
Bxd8 20 Ng3 Nxc4 21 Rxc4 Qd6 22 Nh5 Qd5 23 Rg4 g6 24 Nf6+ Bxf6 25
Bxf6 e5, intending ... Qe6, White has nothing better than to exchange
queens on e5 for a drawn endgame.
Alternatively, if you wish to define the structure in the centre
immediately, there is 11 ... cxd4 and then:
a) 12 Rxd4?! (this misplaces the rook) 12 ... Bb4 (or 12 ... Bc5,
intending 13 Rh4?! g5!, as in B.Akkozov-J.Geller, Pardubice 2013) 13 Bb2
Bxc3 14 Bxc3 b5 (a forced sequence ensues which leads to massive trades)
15 axb5 axb5 16 Bxb5 Qxc3 17 Rxa8+ Bxa8 18 Ne5 Bd5 19 Qd3 Qxd3 20
Rxd3 Ke7 21 Bxd7 Nxd7 22 Nxd7 Ra8 23 h3 Kxd7 24 e4 Ra1+ 25 Kh2
Kd6 and Black has the edge in the endgame. White has an outside passed
pawn but a much more passive king.
b) 12 exd4 Bb4 (Black immediately puts pressure on the c3-knight to
weaken White’s control over the critical d5- and e4-squares) 13 Na2 (after
13 Bb2 0-0 14 d5 Bxc3 15 d6 Bxf3 16 gxf3 Qc5 17 Bxc3 Nd5 18 Bxd5
exd5 19 Qd2 Qxd6 20 Qxd5 Qg6+ 21 Kh1 Nf6 22 Qd4 Qf5 White has a
powerful bishop pointed towards g7 but also a broken kingside) 13 ... Be7
(Black retreats the bishop here so that it is less subject to attack by White’s
forces)
 b1) 14 Nc3 0-0 (it is best to get the king out of the centre as soon as
possible) 15 Bb2 (after 15 d5 Bxd5 16 Nxd5 exd5 17 Bxd5 Nxd5 18 Rxd5
Qb7 White has nothing) 15 ... Rfe8 16 Rac1 Bd6 17 h3 Qb8 18 Re1 Nf8 19
Ne5 Ng6, when Black has fortified the kingside defences and can even
think about launching a counteroffensive in that sector.
b2) 14 Bd2 0-0 15 Rac1, as in M.Swayams-Xu Yining, Bangkok 2017,
can be answered by 15 ... Ba3! 16 Rc2 Qd6 17 Nc3 Rfe8 18 h3 Bb4 with
good play.
b3) 14 Bb2 Nd5 15 Rac1 Qd6 16 Nc3 N7f6 17 Nxd5 Nxd5 18 Ne5 0-0
19 g3 (if 19 Qg4, as in B.Socko-M.Szpar, Polish Championship, Kruszwica
2022, then 19 ... Rfc8 20 Qh5 g6 21 Qf3 Bf6 with play against the IQP) 19
... f6 20 Nd3 Rfe8 with equality.
b4) 14 Bg5 (piling the pressure in the centre with the idea of blasting it
open with d4-d5, but this is nothing to worry about) 14 ... h6 15 Bh4 0-0 16
Rac1 Qf4 17 Bg3 (or 17 d5 exd5 18 Bxa6 Bxa6 19 Qxe7 Rfe8) 17 ... Qe4
18 Qf1 was Sv.Johannessen-R.Flaten, Oslo 1994, where 18 ... Rfc8 gives
Black typical IQP play.
12 Bb2
 The unplayed 12 Ba3! looks like a more testing option.

Black is about to castle, so White tries to cause problems along the a3-
f8 diagonal. If Black is careless, White can take on c5 and sacrifice the
exchange on d6.
a) 12 ... cxd4 is the most direct response, going for an immediate
exchange of dark-squared bishops. After 13 Bxd6 Qxd6 14 Rxd4 Qc7 15 e4
0-0 16 Rad1 h6 Black seems safe enough, if a bit passive.
b) 12 ... Be7 is a solid alternative, spending a tempo to take the bishop
out of range of the d1-rook.
b1) 13 Rac1 0-0 14 e4 (White attempts to generate an initiative with
their 2-1 central majority) 14 ... Qf4 (capitalizing on the absence of White’s
dark-squared bishop from the c1-h6 diagonal by utilizing the hole on f4) 15
g3 Qg4 16 Ne5 (initiating a forcing sequence) 16 ... Qxe2 17 Bxe2 Nxe5 18
dxe5 Nxe4 19 Rd7 Bg5 20 f4 Nxc3 21 Rxc3 Bc8 22 Rd6 Bd8 23 b4 Be7
(returning the pawn to complete development) 24 Rxb6 cxb4 25 Bxb4 Bxb4
26 Rxb4 a5 27 Rd4 Ba6 28 Bf3 Rab8 29 Rc7 Rb2 30 Ra7 Be2 31 Be4 g5!
and Black eventually equalizes in the endgame in this long line.
 b2) 13 e4 is ambitious, trying to force Black to make concessions: 13 ...
cxd4 14 Bxe7 Kxe7 15 Nxd4 Ne5 16 Bd5!? (an interesting Sicilian-like
sacrifice to get at Black’s king; the computer finds the defence) 16 ... exd5
17 Rac1 Qb8 18 Nxd5+ Bxd5 19 exd5 Kf8 20 d6 Qxd6! (planning to
sacrifice the queen) 21 Nc6 Qxc6 22 Rxc6 Nxc6 23 Qf3 Rd8 with an equal
endgame as Black has rook and two knights for the queen.
12 ... cxd4
It is important to exchange on d4 before castling. If Black plays 12 ... 0-
0? straight away, White gains the advantage by pushing 13 d5!.
13 Rxd4
If 13 exd4 0-0 14 h3 Rfe8 15 Rac1 Nf8 16 Bd3 Qb8 17 Ne4 Nxe4 18
Bxe4 b5, Black has fully equal counterplay.

Exercise: One of the key ideas in these lines is ... Ne5 in order to
exchange off
the f3-knight, which guards many of White’s vulnerable kingside points.
Should Black play ... Ne5 immediately or castle first?
 13 ... Ne5?
This is a mistake, since Black’s king is still stuck in the centre.
Answer: This time Black should have castled first. After 13 ... 0-0 14 h3
(Black threatened to take on f3 and h2) 14 ... Ne5, Black will exchange off
the f3-knight and have good counterplay in the centre and against White’s
king.
14 Nxe5 Bxe5 15 Rh4?
Aimless; the rook is a liability on h4, not an attacker. White could have
kept an advantage if they had prevented Black from castling with 15 Ba3!.
Losing the exchange on d4 is unimportant, since the two white bishops
would cause Black’s king serious problems.
15 ... Nd7?
Black should have targeted White’s oddly placed rook and initiated
kingside operations with 15 ... g5! 16 Rh6 Kf8 17 h4 gxh4 18 Rxh4 Rg8,
gaining immediately counterplay.
16 Rc1?!
Now 16 Rd1 Bf6 17 Rf4 might give White a slight edge due to more
active pieces.
16 ... 0-0 17 Bd3
 Exercise: Black just needs one or two moves to stabilize their position.
How should they deal with the threat to the h7-pawn?

17 ... f5?!
Answer: 17 ... h6 was the best way to consolidate. The computer
assesses the position as “0.00” and even indicates that White’s best would
be to force a perpetual by sacrificing the sidelined rook: 18 Rxh6 gxh6 19
Qg4+ Kh8 20 Qh5 Kg7 21 Qg4+ Kh8 etc.
18 f4!
Fixing e5 and e6 as weaknesses; e3 and e4 are not weaknesses as much,
since White can defend them more easily.
18 ... Qd8?
18 ... Bf6 19 Ne4 Qd8 20 Nxf6+ Nxf6 21 Rh3 was better, although
White has an unquestionable advantage due to the two bishops.
19 Rh3 Bf6 20 Qh5?!
Going a bit crazy now. After 20 Bc4 Re8 21 e4 White has a clear
initiative.
 20 ... h6 21 Bc4 Nc5
Black has managed to weather the storm, as White’s queen and rook are
stuck on the h-file with no breakthrough in sight. The rest of the game may
have been conducted in mutual time trouble as both players make serious
mistakes.

22 Qxf5?? Bxg2??
22 ... Bxc3! was game over.
23 Rg3?
Taking on g2 leads to a stable edge for White: 23 Kxg2 Qd2+ 24 Kf3
Qxb2 25 Qc2 Qxc2 26 Rxc2 Bxc3 27 Rxc3.
23 ... Bb7?!
Here 23 ... Bd5!, forcing exchanges due to tactics on the a1-h8 diagonal,
would have given Black (!) a slight edge.
24 Qc2?! Qe8 25 b4 Qc6 26 Kf2 Bh4?!
After 26 ... Nd7 27 Ne2 Bh4 all three results are still possible.
27 bxc5 Qg2+??
27 ... Rad8 28 Ke1 Qh1+ 29 Bf1 Bxg3+ 30 hxg3 bxc5 keeps Black in
the game.
 28 Ke1 Qg1+

29 Bf1??
The player who blunders second-to-last wins. 29 Kd2 Qxh2+ 30 Ne2
Rad8+ 31 Bd3 Bxg3 32 c6! Bc8 33 Rg1 would have been winning for
White.
29 ... Qxe3+ 30 Ne2 Rxf4 31 Qg6 Qf2+ 32 Kd2 Rd8+ 33 Rd3 Rxd3+
34 Qxd3 Bg5 35 h4 Rxh4+ 36 Kd1 Qxf1+ 37 Kc2 Bxc1 38 Qd8+ Kh7 39
Qxh4 Qxe2+ 0-1

Game 23
G.Kallái-Y.Balashov
European Cup, Moscow 1991

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 a6 5 Bxc4 e6 6 0-0

The most natural move. White castles before undertaking any measures
on the queenside or in the centre.
6 ... Nbd7
 Here I recommend simple development that maintains flexibility; the b-
pawn can go to either b6 or b5, the f8-bishop can go to either e7 or d6, etc,
all depending on what White does next.
7 a4
White again decides to prevent ... b7-b5. Other moves will be examined
in the next game.
7 ... c5
Although the position looks very similar to the previous two games,
Black is unable to play in the same way here: 7 ... b6? 8 Nc3 Bb7 runs into
9 e4! Nxe4 10 Nxe4 Bxe4 11 d5! e5 (or 11 ... exd5? 12 Bxd5 Bxd5 13 Qxd5
Be7 14 Rd1) 12 d6 Bxd6 13 Bxf7+ Kxf7 14 Ng5+ Ke7 15 Nxe4 and Black
is in serious trouble with the king stuck in the middle, I.Sokolov-E.Postny,
French League 2013.
8 Qe2
White vacates d1 for the rook and plans the e3-e4 push. The battle is
already starting to heat up. Instead:
a) 8 Nc3 Qc7 9 Qe2 is examined via 8 Qe2 Qc7 9 Nc3 below.
 b) 8 dxc5 allows Black easy development, such that after something like
8 ... Bxc5 9 Qe2 0-0 10 b3 b6 11 Bb2 Bb7 12 Nbd2 Qe7 the symmetrical
and solid structure gives Black good chances, as we see below.
c) 8 a5 attempts to clamp down on the queenside, but Black may push
there anyway: 8 ... cxd4 9 cxd4 (if 9 Nxd4 Ne5 10 Be2 Bd7 11 Nc3 Nc6 12
Nb3, Black again has the ... Bb4 idea, but this time it hits the a5-pawn as
well: 12 ... Bb4 13 Bb2 Nxa5 14 Ne4 Bxd2 15 Nxf6+ Qxf6 16 Nxd2 Qd8!
17 b4 Nc6 18 Ne4 0-0 19 Nc5 Be8 20 Qxd8 Rxd8 21 Nxb7 Rb8 22 Bxa6
Nxb4 finally reaches a level endgame) 9 ... b5 10 axb6 Nxb6 11 Bd3 Be7
(or 11 ... Bb4) 12 Nc3 0-0 13 Qe2, M.Colpe-N.Lubbe, Lüneburg 2013, and
now simply 13 ... a5 makes sense, removing the a-pawn from danger, after
which Black can proceed with ... Bb7 and ... Nbd5.
d) 8 b3 Be7 (not exposing the bishop on d6) 9 Bb2 (now 9 dxc5 Bxc5
gains a tempo for White, though Black is fine anyway: 10 a5 0-0 11 Bb2 b5
12 axb6 Bb7 13 Nc3 Nxb6 14 Bd3 Nbd7, as in G.Glinz-H.Hauenstein,
correspondence 2017) 9 ... 0-0 10 Qe2 b6 (again the “short” fianchetto) 11
Nbd2 cxd4 (resolving the tension) 12 Nxd4 Bb7 13 Rfd1 Bc5 14 Qf1 (if 14
Rac1 Qe7 15 N4f3 Ba3 16 Bxa3 Qxa3, the dark squares let Black get
counterplay, especially on the queenside) 14 ... Qe7 15 Be2 h6 16 h3 Rfd8
17 Bf3 Nd5 18 Nc4 Rac8 and Black had no problems in Stockfish-
Leelenstein, online blitz match 2019.
8 ... Qc7
 The key move in Black’s strategy. The black queen X-rays the c4-
bishop and protects the e5-square.
9 e4
The critical response. White hopes to push the e-pawn as far as possible
into Black’s camp to gain space and create threats against the king. Instead:
a) 9 Bb3 gives Black time for 9 ... b6 10 Rd1 Bb7 11 Nc3 Bd6 12 d5
exd5 13 Bxd5 Nxd5 14 Nxd5 Bxd5 15 Rxd5 Nf6 with comfortable equality.
b) 9 b3 cxd4 10 exd4 Bd6 11 Nc3 0-0 12 Rd1 transposes to line ‘d2’
below.
c) 9 Nc3 Bd6 leads to a full-blooded fight. Black sets up as in the
previous game, except that the c8-bishop is still on its original square
(rather than b7) which changes the play somewhat. In particular, Black must
be wary of a d4-d5 thrust coming at an inconvenient moment.
 d1) 10 d5 is not yet dangerous, and 10 ... exd5 11 Bxd5 0-0 was just
equal in M.Kovacs-G.Szakacs, Hungarian League 1999. Alternatively, 10 ...
Ne5 11 Nxe5 Bxe5 12 dxe6 Bxe6 13 Bxe6 fxe6 14 h3 0-0-0!? is not as
risky as it looks at first sight. Black can now attack White’s king with ... g7-
g5/ ... h7-h5, etc, even as White tries to attack Black’s king.
d2) 10 b3 0-0 11 Rd1 cxd4 12 exd4 b6 13 d5 can be met by 13 ... Ne5
14 h3 (or 14 dxe6 Bxe6 15 Rxd6!? Nxf3+ 16 Qxf3 Qxd6 17 Ba3 Qe5 18
Bxf8 Rxf8 19 Bxa6 Bxb3) 14 ... Nxc4 15 bxc4 Bb7 16 Be3 exd5 17 Nxd5
Nxd5 18 cxd5 Rfd8 with an even position.
d3) 10 a5 cxd4 11 exd4 0-0 12 Bd2 b5 (again, Black just pushes the b-
pawn anyway) 13 axb6 Qxb6 14 d5 exd5 (no choice this time) 15 Nxd5 was
I.Cintins-F.Jardin Rentero, correspondence 2012, and now 15 ... Nxd5 16
Bxd5 Rb8 offers Black good counterplay.
d4) 10 h3 (avoiding tricks on h2) 10 ... cxd4 11 exd4 0-0 12 Rd1 Nb6
(fighting for control of d5) 13 Bb3 Nbd5 14 Ne5 Nxc3 15 bxc3 Nd5 16
Bxd5 exd5 17 Qf3 Bxe5 18 dxe5 Qxe5 19 Rxd5 Qc7 20 Ba3 Be6! 21 Rd4
Rfd8 is more or less equal. White has active pieces to compensate for the
weak c3-pawn.
 d5) 10 Bd2 0-0 (not yet 10 ... b6?!, since 11 d5 exd5 12 Bxd5! Bb7 13
Bxb7 Qxb7 14 Nh4 0-0 15 Nf5 or 12 ... Nxd5 13 Nxd5 Qc6 14 e4 0-0 15
Rac1 gives White a dangerous initiative) 11 Rfd1 b6 (now Black can
fianchetto) 12 d5 exd5 13 Nxd5 (or 13 Bxd5 Bb7) 13 ... Nxd5 14 Bxd5 Bb7
15 Bc3 Bxd5 16 Rxd5 Be7 with a roughly level game in J.Just-R.Hirr,
correspondence 2020, despite White’s control of the d-file. For example: 17
e4 Nf6 18 Bxf6 Bxf6 19 Rad1 Qc6 20 e5 Be7 21 h4 h6 22 e6 fxe6 23 Rd7
Bf6 24 R1d6 Qxa4 25 Qxe6+ Kh7 26 Qf5+ Kg8 27 Qd5+ Kh7 28 Rxb6
Qg4 29 b3 Rae8 30 Rxa6 Bd4 31 Rf7 Rd8 32 Qb7 Rfe8 33 Re7 Be5! 34
Rxe5 Rd1+ 35 Kh2 Rxe5 36 Ra4 Qe6 37 Nxe5 Qxe5+ 38 g3 Qf5 39 Rf4
Qd5 40 Qxd5 Rxd5 41 Rf3 Rd2 42 g4 Rc2 43 h5 c4 44 bxc4 Rxc4 is a
theoretical draw.
d6) 10 dxc5 Qxc5 (it is totally fine to recapture with the bishop as well)
11 Rd1 0-0 12 b3 (or 12 b4!? Qc7 13 Bb2 Bxb4 14 Rac1 Qa5 15 Bd3 Be7
16 Ne4 Qxa4 17 Nfg5 Nxe4 18 Nxe4 f5) 12 ... Qc7 13 Bb2 (or if 13 Qd3
Be7 14 Bb2, R.Janssen-V.Neverov, Dieren 1998, then 14 ... Nb6) 13 ... b6
14 Rac1 (or 14 Qd3 Be7 15 Ne4 Bb7) 14 ... Bb7 15 Bd3 Qb8 16 h3 h6 17
Nd2 Rc8 18 Bc2 Be7 19 Nce4 b5 with good counterplay.
d7) 10 Rd1 b6 (I prefer preparing the “small” fianchetto to castling at
this moment; if White reacts indifferently, Black may continue with ... Bb7
or throw in ... c5xd4 and ... 0-0) 11 d5 (White takes up the challenge; after
11 h3 Bb7 12 d5 exd5, or 11 b3 exd4 12 exd4 0-0 as in line ‘d2’ above,
Black has little to worry about) 11 ... Ne5 (Black is behind in development,
so taking on d5 would only strengthen White’s initiative)
 d71) 12 dxe6?! Nxc4 13 Qxc4 Be6 14 Qe2 Bg4 15 h3 Bxf3 16 Qxf3 0-0
leaves Black with no problems at all.
d72) 12 Nxe5 Bxe5 (this leads to some fun for both sides) 13 e4 (here
too 13 dxe6 Bxe6 14 Bxe6 fxe6 is fine for Black, as the isolated e-pawn
hardly signifies; on the other hand, if 13 f4 Bxc3 14 d6 Qc6 15 bxc3 Bb7 16
Ba3 0-0, White’s d6-pawn is a weakness rather than a strength) 13 ... exd5
14 Nxd5 Nxd5 15 Bxd5 Bb7 16 f4 Bd4+ 17 Be3 Bxe3+ 18 Qxe3 0-0 19
Bxb7 Qxb7 20 Rd6 Rfd8 reaches a level major piece ending.
d73) 12 h3 Nxf3+ 13 Qxf3 0-0 14 Qe2 (if 14 e4 exd5 15 exd5 Nd7 16
Ne4 Ne5 17 Qc3 Nxc4 18 Qxc4 Bh2+ 19 Kh1 Be5 20 d6 Qb7, the white d-
pawn is not going anywhere) 14 ... Bh2+ (inserting this check forces
White’s king on to an inferior square) 15 Kh1 Be5 16 dxe6 Bxe6 17 Bxe6
fxe6 18 Bd2 Nd5 19 Be1 Qc6 20 Kg1 h6 21 Qh5 Nxc3 22 Bxc3 Bxc3 23
bxc3 Rf5 and Black has good counterplay due to the half-open f-file, which
compensates for the slightly weak e6-pawn.
9 ... cxd4 10 e5 Nd5
 We have reached a highly complex, tense position where general
principles cannot be casually applied. Each side needs to be creative and
decisive in their play to outmanoeuvre the other.
11 Bxd5
Doubling Black’s pawns and clearing the e-file in order to push e5-e6 is
the most obvious and natural continuation, and I would expect most of your
opponents to take on d5.
Nonetheless, 11 Re1 is a critical alternative. White overprotects the e5-
pawn, enabling Nxd4 or else Bxd5 and e5-e6 again. As the latter threat
could be very dangerous, my preference is to move the d5-knight away. If
Black can do this safely, then develop the f8-bishop and castle, they will
have a good position and can target White’s e5-pawn later on: 11 ... Nb4 12
Na3 (now 12 Nxd4?! Nxe5! overloads the white queen; while if 12 Bf4 then
12 ... Nb6 13 Rc1 Qd8 14 Bg5 Be7 15 Bxe7 Qxe7 16 Nxd4 0-0 17 Nd2
Bd7 equalizes) 12 ... Be7 13 Bd2 Nc6 (bringing the knight back both
defends the d4-pawn and helps to put pressure on the e5-pawn) 14 Rac1 (X-
raying Black’s queen) 14 ... Nc5 (taking control of e4 and d3, while eyeing
the a4-pawn) 15 Ba2 0-0 16 Bb1 g6 17 Qd1 (defending the a-pawn and
threatening to expand with b2-b4 and a4-a5) 17 ... a5 (preventing both
white pawns from advancing at the cost of ceding the b5-square) 18 Nb5
Qd7

Exercise: Black’s position looks cramped and awkward, but they have
an extra
pawn. How should they finish developing their pieces, especially the
c8-bishop?

Answer: Black’s position slightly resembles some variations of the

Open Spanish with the queen on d7 and a pawn on d4. In this line, the best
way to complete development is to fianchetto the c8-bishop on b7, after
which the rooks can come to the central files.
For example: 19 Bh6 Rd8 20 Ng5 (White groups their pieces for an
onslaught on the black king; the threat of Qf3, and if ... Qe8 then Nc7,
already looks very strong, so Black must generate immediate counterplay)
20 ... d3! (threatening ... d3-d2 to fork the white rooks) 21 Re3 b6 22 Qf3
Qe8 (protecting the vulnerable f7 point)
 Question: How is this situation any different from that of two moves
ago?
Doesn’t Nc7 still just win for White?

Answer: No; in fact, Black would love it if White went that way.
a) I can easily see your opponent banging out 23 Nc7?, thinking you
should resign soon, then you play 23 ... Nd4! and the most they can hope
for is a clear disadvantage: 24 Qxa8? (White has to play 24 Nxe8 Nxf3+ 25
Nxf3 Rxe8 26 Bxd3 and try to defend) 24 ... Qd7! (now White is dead lost)
25 Nd5!? (neither 25 Qa7 Ne2+ 26 Rxe2 dxe2 27 h3 Qd2, nor 25 Nb5 Bb7
26 Qa7 Ne2+ 27 Rxe2 dxe2 28 Nd6 Bxd6 29 exd6 Qxd6 is any better, since
White’s back rank is too weak) 25 ... exd5 26 e6 fxe6 27 Qb8 Nf5 28 Qxb6
d2 29 Rd1 Nxh6 and Black has far too much material
b) 23 Nd6 also meets with 23 ... Nd4! 24 Qf4 (or 24 Qxa8 Bxd6 25
exd6 Bb7 26 Qa7 Qc6 27 Nf3 Ne2+ 28 Rxe2 dxe2 29 Ne1 Qxd6) 24 ...
Ne2+ 25 Rxe2 dxe2 26 Re1 Bxd6 27 exd6 f6 28 Qxf6 Ra7 29 Qe5 Qd7 30
Qf6 Qe8, when Black protects both the eighth and seventh ranks.
 c) 23 Ne4 (abandoning the attack is the most sensible choice) 23 ...
Nxe4 24 Qxe4 Bb7 25 Rxd3 Rxd3 26 Bxd3 Qd7 leads to mutual chances.
The structure is now symmetrical, and both sides will fight for the open d-
file.
11 ... exd5

Question: Black has doubled isolanis. Should White not simply have an
edge
due to their superior structure?

Answer: At face value, yes, but Black has the two bishops to
compensate. Meanwhile both sides have to finish their development.
12 Bg5
White prevents the natural ... Be7. A little creativity yields the solution.
Instead:
a) 12 Nxd4 Bc5 (developing with tempo, always a good thing in sharp
positions) 13 Be3 Qxe5 (the position is very tense, with each side on the
lookout for tactical shots, both for themself and for the enemy) 14 f4 Qe7
15 Nf5 Bxe3+ 16 Kh1!? (fancy, but Black can defend with precision to
reach an equal endgame) 16 ... Qc5 17 b4 Qb6 18 a5 Qf6 19 Qxe3+ Kf8 20
Re1 Qe6 (the point; due to the loose f5-knight, White has to allow the trade
of queens) 21 Nd2 Qxe3 22 Rxe3 Nf6 23 Nd6 g6 and Black will safely
unravel.
b) 12 e6 is undoubtedly the most direct and consistent option. White
wants to kill Black straight away, but tactics do not allow this to happen: 12
... Nf6 13 exf7+ Kxf7 (should White check with the knight, Black’s king
can retreat to g8) 14 Bg5 (White tries to develop their pieces to the most
aggressive squares as quickly as possible)

14 ... Bb4 (an interesting way of developing Black’s dark-squared

bishop, taking control of e1 so that Re1 is impossible; 14 ... Bd6 is viable
too) 15 Qd3 (White should eliminate the loose d4-pawn; but not with 15
Nxd4?! since 15 ... Bg4 16 f3 Rhe8 accelerates Black’s development) 15 ...
Ne4 (placing the knight on an active square and forestalling an
unfavourable exchange on f6) 16 Qxd4 Qc5 (trading queens obviously
helps Black with their king on f7, and White has to acquiesce as otherwise
Black would just end up with more space after developing the rest of their
army) 17 Ne5+ Kg8 18 Be3 Qxd4 19 Bxd4 h5 and the h8-rook finds a way
to get activated via h6 with equality.
12 ... Qc4
Forcing the white queen to retreat, since White would prefer to keep the
queens on the board to generate an attack against Black’s king.
12 ... h6 was also possible, after which a draw by repetition is the most
logical result: 13 Rc1 (gaining a tempo on the black queen before pulling
the g5-bishop back) 13 ... Qb6 14 Bd2 Be7 15 a5 Qxb2 16 Na3 Bxa3 17
Qd1 d3 18 Rab1, when 18 ... Qa2 19 Ra1 Qb2 20 Rab1 Qa2 is the safest
way to end the game, though 18 ... 0-0 19 Rxb2 Bxb2 20 e6 Bxc1 21 Bxc1
Nf6 22 exf7+ Rxf7 23 Qd3 Bg4 reaches an equal but by no means drawn
endgame should Black wish to play on.
13 Qd1 Nc5?!
A bit aimless, even if it looks logical at first sight. It was better to kick
the g5-bishop away with 13 ... h6. However, the continuation we are about
to see is not obvious for either side: 14 Bc1 d3 (the d-pawn advance is not
just to cramp White, but also to try to force a queen exchange on c2) 15 b3
Qc2 16 Qxc2 dxc2 17 Nc3 Nc5 18 Nxd5 Nxb3 19 Ra2 Bf5 20 Nc7+ Kd7
21 Nxa8 Bc5 22 e6+ Ke7 23 Rb2 Nxc1 24 Rxb7+ Kxe6 25 Nc7+ Kd6 26
Rxc1 Ba3 27 Re1 Be4! with an odd kind of equality.
14 Nxd4
 Exercise: What is the best way to avoid tactical mishaps and complete
development?

14 ... Ne6?!
Answer: 14 ... Nd3! was the correct move, even though it looks way too
daring. The point is that it causes White some coordination issues while
also attacking the d4-knight. After 15 Be3 Nxb2 16 Qd2 Qb4 (offering a
queen trade yet again and also preparing an escape route for the queen via
e7, while the knight can come back to c4) 17 Nc3 Nc4 18 Qe1 Be6 19 Rb1
Qe7 20 f4 g6, with everything stabilized, Black can fianchetto the bishop on
g7 and finally castle.
15 Be3 Nxd4 16 Bxd4 Bf5 17 Nc3 Bd3 18 Re1 Qxd4 19 Re3 Bc5 20
Qxd3 0-0 21 Rd1 Qxd3 22 Rexd3 d4
 Exercise: How should White cement their advantage?

23 Ne2?
A serious positional error, which I honestly find inexplicable.
Answer: It would have been much better to bring the knight to e4,
where it attacks the bishop with tempo, blockades the d4-pawn, and
prepares to mobilize the kingside majority. After 23 Ne4! Ba7 24 f4 White
has an obvious structural edge, as well as the superior minor piece.
23 ... Rae8 24 Nxd4 Rxe5 ½-½
Between two strong players this is a draw.

Game 24
Y.Dzhumagaliev-N.T.S.Nguyen
World Rapid Championship, Riyadh 2017

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 a6 5 Bxc4 e6 6 0-0 Nbd7 7 Qe2

 In this game we’ll examine lines where White allows ... b7-b5,
supposing Black elects to push the pawn. Usually we will, but not always.
a) 7 Nc3 b5

a1) 8 Bd3 Bb7 9 e4 b4 10 e5 bxc3 11 exf6 Qxf6 (much safer than taking
on b2, which puts Black’s king in excessive danger) 12 bxc3 Bxf3 13 Qxf3
Qxf3 14 gxf3 Bd6 (White’s two bishops are offset by their damaged pawn
structure) 15 Be3 Ke7 16 Rab1 Rhb8 17 Rxb8 Rxb8 18 Bxa6 Nf6 (heading
for d5) 19 c4 c6 20 c5 (the pawn has to advance again to allow the a6-
bishop to escape) 20 ... Bc7 21 Bc4 Rb2 22 Bb3 Kd7 23 Bc1 Rb1 with
equality as White’s bishops and Black’s wonderful knight outpost cancel
each other out.
a2) 8 Be2 Bb7 (it is best to find out what White is planning before
making committal decisions in the centre) 9 a4 (aiming to break up the
queenside; Black should react accordingly) 9 ... b4 10 Nb1 (after 10 Na2 a5
11 b3 Be7 the a2-knight will take some time to return to the battlefield) 10
... c5 11 Nbd2 Be7, followed by ... 0-0, ... Qc7, ... Rfd8 with a good and
active position for Black.
 a3) 8 Bb3 b4 (sidelining the c3-knight before White gets itchy to
advance e3-e4) 9 Na4 Bb7 10 Qe2 Bc6 (threatening a skewer with ... Bb5)
11 Rd1 Qb8 12 Nd2 Be7 13 Nc4 Qb5 and the black queen can shift to the
kingside if needed.
b) 7 Re1 b5 8 Bf1 (after 8 Bb3 Bb7 9 Nc3 b4 10 Ne2 Bd6 11 Ng3 0-0
12 e4 Bxg3 13 hxg3 Bxe4 14 Bf4 Bd5 15 Bc2 Bxf3 16 Qxf3 Nd5 17 Bd2
Qf6 White has compensation, but only enough for equality) 8 ... Bb7 9 a4
Be7 10 axb5 axb5 11 Rxa8 Qxa8 12 Bxb5 0-0 13 Bf1 (or 13 Bd2 Rb8) 13
... c5 14 Nbd2 Rd8 15 Nb3, A.Grischuk-K.Sychev, online rapid 2022, and
now 15 ... Qb8 gives Black good compensation for the pawn.
c) 7 Bb3 (retreating the bishop before it is attacked) 7 ... b5 (we push
the pawn anyway) 8 a4 (for 8 Qe2 see 8 Bb3 in the main line) 8 ... Bb7 9
Nbd2 Be7 10 Qe2 0-0 11 Rd1 (obviously White gets skewered if they try to
grab a pawn on b5) 11 ... Qb8 12 Bc2 c5 gave Black excellent counterplay
in P.Laurent Paoli-M.Godena, Geneva (rapid) 2016.
d) 7 Bd3 (from here the bishop keeps an eye on b5 as well as e4, so
Black should strike in the centre first) 7 ... c5 and then:
 d1) 8 Re1 Be7 9 e4 b5 (I prefer this to 9 ... cxd4 10 e5 Nd5, as usually
played) 10 e5 (or 10 a4 c4 11 Bf1 Bb7) 10 ... Nd5 11 Nc3 Bb7 12 Ne4 h6
13 a4, S.Tsolakidou-Ali.Lee, St. Louis 2022, and now 13 ... Qb6 leaves the
centre fluid with tension on every queenside file and chances for both sides.
It is important that Black has already played ... h7-h6 to avoid rubbish on
g5.
d2) 8 Ne5 Qc7 9 f4, as in J.Sveinsson-S.Fombonne, correspondence
2003, can be met by 9 ... b6 10 a4 Bb7 and the position is double-edged;
White will try to bust open the kingside, but Black can counter in the centre
due to the fluidity of the pawn structure.
d3) 8 e4 cxd4 9 e5 Nd5 (we reach another Meran-looking position) 10
Be4 (if 10 Bg5 Qb6, Black is already better, as ... h7-h6 and ... Be7 are
coming next unless White does something drastic, such as 11 Na3 Bxa3 12
bxa3 h6 13 Bc1 0-0, when the absence of the dark-squared bishop doesn’t
trouble Black) 10 ... Nc5 11 Bxd5 (11 Qxd4 Nxe4 12 Qxe4 b5 13 a4 Bb7 14
axb5 axb5 15 Rxa8 Qxa8 was better for Black in M.Gurevich-A.Huzman,
European Cup, Saint Vincent 2005) 11 ... Qxd5 12 Nxd4 Be7 13 Re1 0-0 14
Nf5 Bd8
 Everything so far has been forced, but Black gains equality due to the
two bishops, even though they can be saddled with an IQP: 15 Nd6 Bd7 16
Qxd5 exd5 17 Rd1 Ne6 18 Be3 f6 19 Nxb7 d4 20 Bxd4 Bc6 21 Nd6 Nf4 22
Nc3 fxe5 23 Bxe5 Nxg2 24 Nd5 Nh4 25 Bg3 Nf3+ 26 Kg2 Ne1+ 27 Kg1
Nf3+ and the game ends with a logical, yet beautiful perpetual.
e) 7 a3 is a more protracted approach; White makes room for the c4-
bishop on a2, but without creating a hole on b4. We hit back anyway: 7 ...
b5 8 Ba2 (8 Be2 is much the same: 9 dxc5 Bxc5 10 b4 Be7 11 Bb2 Bb7 12
Nbd2 0-0 13 Rc1 Rc8 14 Rxc8 Qxc8 15 Qa1 Qa8 with total symmetry and
total equality, R.Jedynak-T.Markowski, Polish League 2004; while 8 Bd3
c5 9 Nc3 Bb7 leads to normal positions but with the pawn on a3 rather than
a4, which means Black can continue developing their pieces without
worrying about the queenside crumbling) 8 ... c5 9 dxc5 Bxc5 10 b4 Be7 11
Nbd2 Bb7 12 Bb2 Rc8 13 Rc1 0-0 and Black is fine in this symmetrical
structure, as well as both sides having no weaknesses, J.Soural-A.Kurtulik,
Prievidza 2009.
f) 7 b3 (White plays in a slower manner, hoping for a positional game; I
recommend a type of copycat strategy with a small fianchetto) 7 ... b6 8
Bb2 Bb7
 This is one of those positions where both sides maintain flexibility
instead of showing their cards right away. As a result, the game is quite
tense, since there are many ways for either side to change the nature of the
pawn structure. Black may yet throw in ... b6-b5 but will certainly go ... c7-
c5, while White will try for e3-e4 or else Ne5 as a prelude to a kingside
attack.
For example: 9 Nbd2 (9 Nc3 prepares to meet ... c7-c5 with d4-d5, so
Black should play 9 ... b5 10 Be2 c5 11 a4 b4 12 Nb1 Be7 13 Nbd2 0-0 14
Nc4, as in M.Lenhardt-H.Jonkman, Haarlem 2013, and now 14 ... cxd4 15
Bxd4 Nd5 with a possible future ... f7-f5 coming) 9 ... Be7 (simple and
flexible development) and then:
f1) 10 Be2 0-0 11 Rc1 c5 (now is the time for Black to break in the
centre; if White doesn’t capture on c5, Black can force the exchange on d4)
12 Nc4 (after 12 dxc5 Nxc5 13 Nc4 Nd5 14 Qc2 Rc8 15 Rfd1 Qe8 16 Qd2
b5 17 Na5 Ba8 Black is close to gaining more space than White) 12 ... b5
(or 12 ... Rc8 13 Nce5 h6 14 a4 Re8 15 h3 cxd4 16 Rxc8 Qxc8 and Black
has a solid structure, although White has more space) 13 Nce5 Nxe5 14
Nxe5 cxd4 15 Qxd4 Qa5 16 a4 bxa4 17 bxa4 Rfd8 and Black has good
counterplay.
f2) 10 Qe2 0-0 (it is also possible to play 10 ... c5 at once, as in
B.Adhiban-S.S.Ganguly, Mangalore 2008) 11 Rfd1 c5 (finally breaking in
the centre) 12 dxc5 (or 12 Bd3 cxd4 13 Bxd4 Qb8 14 h3 Rc8 15 a4 Qc7 16
e4 Qf4 17 Bb2 Nc5 18 Be5 Qh6 19 Bb1 a5, fixing White’s queenside
pawns on light squares and maintaining the pressure on the e4-pawn) 12 ...
b5!? 13 Bd3 Nxc5 14 Ne4 Nfxe4 15 Bxe4 Qc7 16 Be5 Qc8 17 Bc2 Rd8 18
Bd4 Nd7 19 Rac1 Qb8 with equality; Black slides the queen sideways like a
subtle ninja moving through the night.
7 ... b5
Gaining a tempo on the c4-bishop and preparing ... Bb7. The ... c7-c5
break may or may not follow, depending on what White does.
8 Bd3
The alternative is 8 Bb3 Bb7.

Both sides’ light-squared bishops are powerful, aiming at each other’s

centre. Black needs to watch out for tricks on e6 as well as the d4-d5
advance. Black can break with ... c7-c5 later after developing the kingside.
 a) 9 a4 (attacking on the queenside straight away) 9 ... Be7 (the best
answer; Black ignores the threat to the b5-pawn and instead focuses on
development) 10 axb5 (if 10 Rd1 0-0 11 Nbd2 Qb8, White can no longer
win the b-pawn in view of 12 axb5 axb5 13 Rxa8 Bxa8, and 14 e4 c5 hits
out at the centre, taking advantage of the fact that the d2-knight impedes
White’s development) 10 ... axb5 11 Rxa8 Qxa8 12 Qxb5 Bxf3 13 gxf3
Qxf3 14 Bd1 Qh3 15 Qc6 0-0 (after a forced sequence, White has the two
bishops but a wrecked kingside; Black gains counterplay on either flank,
depending on whether White wants to trade queens or not) 16 Qg2 (if 16
Qxc7 e5! 17 Qc6 exd4 18 exd4 Qd3 19 Nc3 Qxd4 20 Be2 Ne5, White has
two bishops in a wide open position, but their king is also wide open) 16 ...
Qxg2+ 17 Kxg2 c5 18 dxc5 Nxc5 19 Na3 Rc8 20 Bc2 Rb8 21 Nc4 Nd5 22
Bd2 Nb4 23 Rc1 Bf6, when White has the bishop pair and an outside
passed pawn in this endgame, but Black has enough counterplay to offset
those assets.
b) 9 Nc3 c5 (the right moment to strike in the centre, as White was
already thinking about pushing the e-pawn to capitalize on Black’s slight
lag in development) 10 Rd1 (if 10 e4 cxd4 11 Nxd4 Bc5 12 Rd1 Qb6, we
can see that e3-e4 was premature as the black bishops suddenly exert
uncomfortable pressure on White’s centre) 10 ... Qc7 (getting ready to
construct a queen and bishop battery on the b8-h2 diagonal) 11 e4 (White
goes for the throat, trying to blast the centre open and get to Black’s king; if
instead 11 d5 c4 12 dxe6 fxe6 13 Bc2 Bd6 14 h3 0-0, Black has
comfortable Meran-style counterplay) 11 ... cxd4 12 Nxd4 Bc5
 This position branches out into wild complications due to the open
centre. Black has to be careful, as their king is still on e8, and White might
launch sacrifices at any moment.
b1) 13 Nxe6?? is nonsensical and can only be used to scare Black
psychologically, as it loses: 13 ... fxe6 14 Bxe6 Qe5 15 Bxd7+ Nxd7 16
Be3 0-0-0 and White is busted.
b2) 13 Bg5 0-0 14 Rac1 can be met by 14 ... Rfd8, and if 15 Bxe6 then
15 ... Qe5! puts a spanner in the works, as now both bishops are en prise.
b3) 13 Be3 0-0 14 Rac1 (if 14 f3 Rfd8 15 Rac1, apart from 15 ... Qb6
transposing, Black might opt for 15 ... Rac8 16 a3 Nf8 17 h3 Qb8 18 Qf2
h6 19 Nde2 Bxe3 20 Qxe3 N6d7 21 Rd2 Ne5 and the knight can jump to c4
soon with good play) 14 ... Qb6 15 f3 (White fortifies the defence of e4 but
weakens the a7-g1 diagonal in the process) 15 ... Rfd8 (putting more
pressure on the d-file, specifically on the d4-knight) 16 Qf2 (or if 16 a3 Ne5
17 Nc2, as in U.Andersson-J.Magem Badals, Pamplona 1997, then 17 ... h6
again, leaving it to White to resolve the tension) 16 ... h6 17 a3 Ne5 and
Black has good play. The other rook can come to c8 next, while White has
no attack on the kingside despite their space advantage in the centre.
 b4) 13 Bxe6 needs to be checked: 13 ... fxe6 14 Nxe6 Qe5 15 Nxg7+
Kf7 16 Nf5 gives White three pawns for the piece, but Black’s pieces are
highly active and the king relatively safe if they play precisely. Most lines
lead to equality: 16 ... h5 (this keeps White’s queen out of h5 should the f6-
knight move; given the chance Black will develop the a8-rook and/or take
on e4, so White must respond quickly)

b41) 17 b4 (sacrificing another pawn to open up the dark squares) 17 ...

Bxb4 18 Bb2 Bxc3 19 Bxc3 Qxc3 20 Nd6+ Kg8 21 Rac1 (or 21 Nxb7 Rh7)
21 ... Qe5 22 Nxb7 h4 23 Nd6 Rh7 24 Qe3 h3 25 f4 (or 25 Qb3+ Kf8) 25 ...
Qe6 26 e5 Rg7 and at long last we can say that Black has successfully
fended off the attack and even stands better.
b42) 17 g3 (aiming to drum up an attack starting with Bf4) 17 ... Qe6 18
Bf4 Ne5 (getting all the pieces into the game) 19 Rac1 (19 b4 leads to a
forced sequence with little room for deviation: 19 ... Bxb4 20 Nd4 Qe8 21
Nd5 Nxd5 22 exd5 Ng6 23 Ne6 Nxf4 24 gxf4 Rh6 25 Kf1 Bc3 26 Rab1
Qd7 and White’s attack has run out of steam) 19 ... Rac8 20 Nd4 Bxd4 21
Rxd4 h4 and as White’s attack stalls, Black can begin a counterattack on
White’s own king.
 8 ... c5
White has quite a good score in this position at over 60%, so it is
important to know exactly what we are doing.
It is also possible to develop the queen’s bishop with 8 ... Bb7, fighting
for the long a8-h1 diagonal. In this case, Black can either delay ... c7-c5 or
forego it altogether.

a) 9 Rd1 Be7 (9 ... c5 is possible too, transposing to 8 ... c5 9 Rd1 Bb7

below) 10 Nc3 0-0 11 e4 (otherwise 11 a3 c5 gives Black a comfortable
QGA position) 11 ... c5 actually sees Black a tempo down on Em.Lasker-
J.R.Capablanca, 2nd matchgame, World Championship, Havana 1921, but
White is unable to take serious advantage in view of 12 dxc5 Nxc5! (not
fearing the discovery) 13 Bxb5 Qc7 14 Bd3 (or 14 e5 axb5 15 exf6 Bxf6 16
Nxb5 Qb8) 14 ... Rfd8 15 Bg5 Rxd3 16 Rxd3 Nxd3 17 Qxd3 Rd8 18 Qe2
h6 19 Bh4 Bb4 20 Bxf6 gxf6 21 Qe3 Kh7 and Black had more than enough
play for the pawn in Wi.Evans-Al.Scott, correspondence 2007.
b) 9 e4 can also get very sharp. The main line goes as follows: 9 ... Be7
10 a4 c5! (there’s no need to worry about the b-pawn just yet, whereas 10 ...
b4?! just leaves holes on the queenside) 11 axb5 axb5 12 Rxa8 Qxa8 13
dxc5 b4! (the right moment; Black takes the b-pawn out of White’s reach
and prepares a counteroffensive down the a1-h8 diagonal) 14 Bb5 (or 14
Nbd2 0-0 15 e5 Nh5, threatening ... Nf4 with good play) 14 ... Bxe4
(serious complications arise now and precision is required from both sides)
15 Ne5 Bxc5! 16 Bf4 Bxg2 17 Rd1 0-0 (Black abandons the doomed d7-
knight and focuses on creating an initiative on the kingside) 18 Bxd7 (18
Nxd7?? Bh3! wins at once) 18 ... Bh1! 19 Qf1 (or 19 Kf1 Nxd7 20 Rxd7
Bd5 21 Qd3 Qa2) 19 ... Rd8 20 Ba4 Bd4 21 Bb3 Bb7 (threatening ... Ne4,
attacking f2) 22 Qc4 Bh1 23 Qf1 Bb7 with a draw by repetition.
c) 9 a4 logically targets the advanced queenside pawns straight away.
Again, Black should just let the b-pawn go and concentrate on
development: 9 ... Be7 10 axb5 axb5 11 Rxa8 Qxa8 12 Bxb5 0-0

Black has sacrificed a pawn for activity. In a way, it is similar to the

Benko Gambit where Black gives up the a- and b-pawns for open files on
the queenside. Here are a few sample variations:
c1) 13 Nc3 (White gets on with development as quickly as possible to
avoid being victim to some sort of Black initiative either in the centre or on
either flank) 13 ... h6 14 Rd1 c6 15 Bc4 c5 16 dxc5 Rb8 17 Nb5 Nxc5 18
b3 Ba6 19 Nbd4 Bxc4 20 Qxc4 Bf8 21 Bb2 Qd5 22 Nd2 Qxc4 23 Nxc4
Nxb3 24 Nxb3 Rxb3 and Black finally regains the pawn to reach an equal
endgame.
c2) 13 b3 (one should not automatically assume that White wants to
fianchetto on b2; another idea is to secure the light-squared bishop by
retreating it to c4, with the b3-pawn as its base) 13 ... Rb8 14 Bc4 h6 15
Nbd2 Bb4 16 Rd1 Qa2 17 Qd3 Qa8 18 Qe2 Qa2 19 Nf1 Qxe2 20 Bxe2 Ne4
21 Bd2 Bxd2 22 N1xd2 Nc3 23 Re1 Nxe2+ 24 Rxe2 c5 25 dxc5 Nxc5 26
Nd4 e5 27 Nf5 Rd8 and Black has compensation for the pawn well into the
endgame.
c3) 13 Bd2 Rb8 14 Bc3 Bxf3 15 gxf3 Qd5 16 Bd3 c5 17 Nd2 cxd4 18
Bxd4 Bc5 19 Bc3 Qg5+ 20 Kh1 Qh5 21 Rc1 Nd5 22 Nf1 Nxc3 23 Rxc3
Bf8 24 b3 Nc5 25 Ng3 Qd5 and Black is still a pawn down but has
compensation in the form of active pieces and a healthier structure.
Meanwhile, the white b-pawn is going nowhere.

9 a4
The most ambitious continuation, forcing Black to define their plans
with regards to the queenside pawn structure. Other moves:
 a) 9 Rd1 Bb7 10 a4 (if White prepares this by 10 dxc5 Bxc5 11 a4,
Black can play 11 ... bxa4 12 Rxa4 0-0 13 Bxa6 Bc6 14 Rh4 Qb6 15 Bd3
h6 16 Nc3 Rfc8 with the usual active counterplay for the pawn; or 10 e4
cxd4 11 Nxd4 Bc5 12 Nb3 Bb6 13 Nc3 Qc7 14 Bg5 0-0 15 Kh1 h6 16 Bh4
Rac8 17 Bg3 e5 18 Bb1 Rfd8 with an equal position where both sides have
an even share of the centre) 10 ... c4 (neutralizing any issues with the
queenside pawns or the white rook on the d-file) 11 Bc2 Be7 12 e4 Qb6 13
Nc3 0-0 14 e5 Nd5 15 Ng5 Bxg5 16 Bxg5 f5 17 exf6 N7xf6, L.Schmidt-
T.Lins, correspondence 2021, when Black has the open f-file and a strong
queenside pawn chain as compensation for the weak e6-pawn and White’s
bishop pair.
b) 9 e4 cxd4 10 e5 Nd5 (play sharpens considerably when White pushes
e3-e4-e5, as we know from previous lines) 11 Nxd4 (if 11 a4 bxa4 12 Rxa4
Bc5 13 Bg5 Qb6 14 Na3 Bxa3 15 Rxa3 h6 16 Bc1 Bb7 17 Rd1 Rc8 18 h4
Nb4, Black has active play on the queenside with aims of infiltrating on c2,
while the king is safe in the centre for now) 11 ... Bc5 (Black needs to be
careful here since White threatened all sorts of tricks on e6 and f5) 12 Nb3
(now 12 Nxe6? fxe6 13 Qh5+ Kf8 just leaves White a piece down) 12 ...
Bb6 13 a4 Bb7 14 axb5 axb5 15 Rxa8 Bxa8 16 Bxb5 0-0 17 Na3 Nc7 18
Rd1 Nxb5 19 Nxb5 Bd5 20 N3d4 Qa8 and the two bishops more than
compensate for the pawn.
c) 9 Nbd2 Bb7 (the same themes hold true here: White can try for e3-e4
or a2-a4, while Black should aim for counterplay in the centre and
queenside and on the long a1-h8 diagonal) 10 e4 (if 10 a4 at once, then 10
... c4 again) 10 ... Be7 11 a4 0-0 12 axb5 axb5 13 Rxa8 Bxa8 14 Bxb5 cxd4
15 e5 Ng4 16 h3 d3! 17 Bxd3 Ngxe5 18 Nxe5 Nxe5 19 Bxh7+ Kxh7 20
Qxe5 Qd3 and Black has compensation in the form of the two bishops.
9 ... c4
Given White’s early a2-a4, pushing the c-pawn again looks like the best
option here.
 10 Bc2 Bb7
Fighting for control over the critical e4-square. If White advances e3-e4,
then the play can become incredibly sharp.
11 e4
Instead:
a) 11 axb5 axb5 12 Rxa8 Qxa8 13 b3 (White hopes to utilize their lead
in development to break into the queenside, but Black has nothing to worry
about) 13 ... cxb3 14 Bxb3 Qa5 15 Bb2 Be7 16 Nbd2 0-0 17 Ra1 Qb6 18 e4
h6 19 h3 Rc8 with a balanced position.
b) 11 b3 cxb3 12 Bxb3 has similar intentions and should not trouble
Black either: 12 ... Be7 13 Nbd2 (if 13 axb5 axb5 14 Rxa8 Qxa8 15 Qxb5
Bxf3 16 gxf3 Qxf3, material is equal and Black will soon castle to safety)
13 ... 0-0 14 Bb2 bxa4 15 Bxa4 Nb6 16 Bc2 was A.Moiseenko-
T.Markowski, European Team Championship, Plovdiv 2003, where 16 ... a5
would have given Black a tiny edge due to the outside passed a-pawn.
11 ... Be7
 Black wastes no time developing their pieces and castling.
12 Nc3
White puts immediate pressure on the b5-pawn, while overprotecting
the e4-pawn and preparing the further e4-e5, followed by Ne4, creating a
spearhead in the centre to initiate an attack, something that we are all too
used to by now.
a) 12 e5 seems premature in view of 12 ... Nd5 13 Nc3 N7b6 14 Nd2
(14 Ne4?! is met by 14 ... Nb4!) 14 ... Nxc3 15 bxc3 Nd5 16 Ne4 b4 17 Rb1
a5 and Black retains a slight edge.
b) 12 Nbd2 (White hopes to enable e4-e5 and Ne4 without getting hit by
the ... b5-b4 advance, as occurs in the main game) 12 ... Rc8 13 e5 Nd5 14
Ne4 h6 15 Bd2 b4 16 a5
 Exercise: White plans to build up an attack, most likely with Ng3 and
Nh5.
Find a way for Black to force equality.

Answer: Black can play energetically with 16 ... Bc6 17 Qxc4 (virtually
forced, as otherwise the black bishop would line up behind the c-pawn) 17
... Bb5 18 Qb3 Bc4 19 Qa4 Bb5 and White cannot avoid the repetition.
c) 12 Bg5 (putting more pressure on the d8-h4 diagonal, especially with
the threat of the e4-e5 advance) 12 ... h6 (it is usually a good idea not to let
the g5-bishop linger undisturbed) 13 Bf4 (keeping an eye on the h6-pawn;
13 Bh4 0-0 14 e5 Nd5! 15 Qe4 g6 is just good for Black) 14 ... 0-0 14 e5
Ne8 (not now 14 ... Nd5?! 15 Qe4 g6 16 Bxh6, but retreating the knight to
h7 is also possible; for example, 14 ... Nh7 15 h4 Kh8 16 Rd1 Nb6 17 a5
Nd5 18 Bxh6 gxh6 19 Qe4 f5 20 exf6 Nhxf6 21 Qg6 Bb4 22 Qxh6+ Kg8
23 Qg5+ Kh8 and White’s attempts at an attack ends in a logical draw) 15
Nbd2 Nc7
 The c7-knight can be re-routed to d5 while the d7-knight can come to f8
to shore up Black’s kingside defences. White will try somehow to get the
d2-knight into the attack via e4, and sometimes thereafter to g3 and h5.
Black must be on the lookout for these manoeuvres, as well as the various
tactical shots that become possible with such aggressive measures.
b1) 16 Qe3 (White is gearing up to sacrifice on h6; when this happens,
make sure that you have a way of repelling the attack) 16 ... Bb4 17 Bxh6
gxh6 18 Qxh6 f5 19 exf6 Rxf6 20 Qh7+ Kf8 21 Ne4 (or 21 Be4 Nd5 22
axb5 Bxd2 23 Nxd2 axb5) 21 ... Rf7 22 Qh8+ Ke7 23 Qh4+ Kf8 and
another White attack ends in a draw.
b2) 16 h4 (when this move appears on the board you should hear a little
“alarm bell” ringing, telling you that White is trying to start an attack on the
kingside) 16 ... Re8 17 Ne4 Nd5 18 Bd2 Qb6 19 a5 Qc6 20 Rfe1 Rad8 and
Black has good centralization.
d) 12 Rd1 Qb6 (note that Black has not castled yet, as the king is safe in
the centre for now; thus White is left waiting in terms of how to attack it) 13
Nc3 b4 14 a5 Qc7 15 e5 Nd5 16 Nxd5 Bxd5 17 Bg5
 Exercise: White clearly wants to remove the e7-bishop and invade via
the dark
squares. Find two viable ways for Black to deal with this plan.

Answer: Option I: Swap the bishops and follow with ... h7-h6, kicking
White out of g5. Option II: Retreat the bishop to d8 and entice White to
exchange there, whereupon recapturing with the rook will accelerate
Black’s development.
b21) 17 ... Bxg5 18 Nxg5 h6 19 Ne4 0-0 (now castling is safe) 20 Nd6
(the knight looks scary on d6; the question is does it actually do anything
there, and the answer is no) 20 ... Rfd8 21 Be4 Nf6! 22 Bxd5 exd5 23 Nf5
Qd7 24 Ng3 Ne8 25 f4 Rdc8 26 f5 f6 and a sharp position has arisen, where
even if White advances e5-e6, the game is equal since Black is ready to bust
open the b- and c-files and create a passed pawn of their own.
b22) 17 ... Bd8!? is an interesting alternative: 18 Bxd8 Rxd8 19 Be4 0-0
20 Bxh7+ (this looks scary but Black defends, as the machine shows) 20 ...
Kxh7 21 Ng5+ Kg6 22 Qg4 f5 23 Qg3 Qc6! 24 h4 (note that White has no
good discoveries: if 24 Nxe6+?! Kf7 25 Nxd8+ Rxd8 26 Qg5 Rb8 27
Qxf5+ Kg8, Black is clearly better with the queenside pawn mass and
complete control of the light squares, despite White having rook and three
pawns for bishop and knight) 24 ... Rg8 25 Rac1 Rc8 26 Ne4+ Kh7 27
Ng5+ Kg6 ends with a rather curious perpetual.

12 ... b4
The most forcing continuation. 12 ... Qb6 is also possible, as in
M.Zuccotti Bozzano-D.Sibeldin, correspondence 2012.
13 e5 bxc3
Moving the f6-knight is also viable: 13 ... Nd5 14 Ne4 a5 15 Bg5
(unquestionably the most critical option) 15 ... Ba6 (it took me a while to
find this move; Black accepts the loss of castling rights after Nd6+ as they
obtain dynamic play in return) 16 Nd6+ Kf8 17 Bxe7+ Qxe7 18 Nxc4 Rc8
(the point; White has to waste time and energy on the pinned c4-knight,
despite being a pawn up) 19 Bb3 (or 19 b3?! Nc3) 19 ... N7b6 20 Nfd2 Rc6
21 Rac1 Qc7 22 Rc2 Nxc4 23 Nxc4 Nc3! 24 bxc3 Bxc4 25 Bxc4 Rxc4 and
after a wild ride we reach a heavy piece middlegame, which is just equal.
14 exf6 Nxf6 15 bxc3 Qd5
 Various correspondence games have been played here, but Black
usually chose other moves, such as 15 ... Qa5 or 15 ... Qc7; while 15 ...
Bxf3?! 16 Qxf3 Nd5 17 a5 0-0 18 Qh3 f5 19 Re1 was better for White in
A.Giri-P.Eljanov, European Team Championship, Heraklion 2017. I prefer
placing the queen on d5, where she can shift to either side along the fifth
rank.
16 Rb1 0-0 17 Re1 Bc6
Eyeing the a4-pawn.
18 Bf4 Rac8 19 Qd2

19 ... Qa5
Although not bad, there was no need to remove the queen from d5 just
yet. I would have left her where she was and brought the f8-rook into the
game with 19 ... Rfe8, and if 20 h4 h6 21 Bxh6 Qh5 22 Bg5 Bxf3 23 gxf3
Qxf3 24 Re3 Qh5, Black can defend against White’s kingside attack,
causing a repetition via 25 Bd1 Qg6 26 Bc2 Qh5.
20 Ne5 Nd5 21 Nxc6 Rxc6 22 Be4 Bf6?!
The bishop is not doing much here. Black does better to challenge for
the h2-b8 diagonal with 22 ... Bd6, when 23 Bxd5 exd5 24 Bxd6 Rxd6 25
Qc2 Rb6 26 Rxb6 Qxb6 is quite equal.
23 Rec1?!
23 Bxd5 Qxd5 24 Rb4 was a better way to secure the queenside.
Although it relinquishes the bishop pair, White now has control of the only
open file, while Black lacks counterplay.
23 ... Rcc8 24 Bg3?!
24 Bxd5 Qxd5 25 Qc2 Rfd8 is pure equality.
24 ... Qxa4

Now Black has the advantage, as White has hung the a4-pawn for
nothing, but it’s not enough for any serious winning chances.
25 Ra1 Qc6 26 Ra5 Qb6 27 Rca1 Qb7 28 Rb1 Qc6 29 Rba1 Qb7 30
Rb1 Qc6 31 Rba1 Qb7 ½-½

Game 25
A.Istratescu-P.Acs
Hungarian League 2007

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 e3 a6 5 Bxc4 e6

 6 Qc2
We’ll now wrap up our coverage of the 4 e3 main line with a few lesser
sixth move options for White.
a) 6 Qe2 Nbd7 will most likely transpose to the main line, whether or
not White plays a2-a4. For instance, 7 0-0 is the previous game, while 7 a4
c5 7 0-0 goes back to Game 23.
b) 6 Bb3 is prophylaxis against 6 ... b5 but will most likely transpose
anyway; 7 0-0 Nbd7 is note ‘c’ to White’s seventh move in Game 24. There
are two main ways for White to deviate early:
b1) 7 Nc3 Bb7 8 Qe2 Nbd7 9 e4 b4 10 Na4 Nxe4 11 Bc2 Nef6 12 0-0
Bc6 and it is clear that trying to avoid the main line in this manner did not
help White.
b2) 7 a4 Bb7 8 axb5 axb5 9 Rxa8 Bxa8 10 Qe2 b4 11 Ba4+ Nfd7 12 0-0
Be7 13 Bd2 0-0 with an even position; White has two centre pawns, but
Black can break with ... c7-c5 soon.
6 ... c5
With the queen on c2 (rather than e2) Black can play more ambitiously.
It is true that if White exchanges on c5, Black’s bishop will be slightly
exposed, but there is no way for White to exploit this. Black can put a rook
on c8 to X-ray the white queen.
7 dxc5
If White castles with 7 0-0 then 7 ... b5 is possible, as Black can play
this safely even if White tries a later a2-a4 advance.

For example:
a) 8 Be2 Nbd7 9 a4 b4 10 dxc5 Bxc5 11 Nbd2 Bb7 12 b3 Rc8 13 Nc4
0-0 14 Bb2 Ne4 is fine for Black, as is normally the case if they get to play
... Ne4 and gain space so early.
b) 8 Bd3 Nc6 (developing with tempo due to the threat of ... Nb4, while
putting pressure on the d4-pawn) 9 Bd2 c4 10 Be2 Bb7 11 a4 Bd6 12 axb5
axb5 13 Nc3 Qb6 14 b3 cxb3 15 Qxb3 b4 and Black manages to hold
against White’s tries to infiltrate.
7 ... Bxc5 8 0-0
White has no good discoveries with the c4-bishop. 8 Bb5+!?, as in
B.Kouatly-T.Thorhallsson, Reykjavik 1993, can be answered by 8 ... axb5!
9 Qxc5 b6 10 Qb4 Ba6 11 0-0 Nc6 12 Qc3 0-0 13 b4 Rc8, when White’s
creative idea has just given them a lot of light square weaknesses.
 8 ... Nbd7

9 a4
The smaller 9 a3 prompts 9 ... b5, since attacking the pawn phalanx with
a3-a4 would then cost a tempo. After 10 b4 Bd6 11 Be2 0-0 12 Bb2 Bb7 13
Nbd2 Rc8 14 Qd3 Qe7, Black keeps flexibility and plans ... Rfd8 before
deciding on what to do in the centre.
9 ... b6
Black employs a set-up we are familiar with from earlier in the chapter:
advancing the b-pawn one square, followed by fianchettoing on b7. Even
when given the choice it is important to judge accurately whether ... b7-b6
or ... b7-b5 is better.
10 Nc3?!
This routine move doesn’t fit in with White’s set-up. It would be better
to play something like 10 b3 0-0 11 Bb2 Bb7 12 Qe2 (admitting that the
queen was misplaced on c2) 12 ... Qe7 13 Nbd2 h6 14 Rfd1 Rfd8 with total
equality.
10 ... Bb7
 Fighting for control of the long diagonal, while also threatening ... Bxf3,
shattering White’s kingside.
11 e4 Qc7 12 Bg5

White puts pressure on the f6-knight, but it is already well defended.

12 ... Bb4?!
12 ... h6! was best, putting the question to the g5-bishop immediately.
After 13 Bh4 Nh5 14 Be2 g5 15 Ne1 gxh4 16 Bxh5 h3 17 g3 Nf6, the
bishop pair and White’s weak kingside give Black a clear advantage.
13 Bd3 Bxc3?!
There was no need to exchange off this powerful bishop. 13 ... h6 was
still correct, and if 14 Be3 0-0 15 h3 Rac8, Black keeps a slight edge with
pressure down the c-file and more comfortable piece placement.
14 Rac1 Rd8?
Black has really lost the thread, self-pinning their own knight. Instead,
14 ... h6 15 Bxf6 Nxf6 16 Qe2 Qf4 17 g3 Qg4 18 Rxc3 Bxe4 leads to an
equal game, as White has enough counterplay with their heavy pieces to
offset the pawn deficit.
15 Qe2!
 Now it makes sense for White to recapture with the rook; without
Black’s dark-squared bishop, the c-file will be a point of entry into their
camp.
15 ... Nc5?!
In a space of just four moves, Black has gone from having a clear
advantage to being close to losing. After 15 ... 0-0 16 Rxc3 Qb8, while it is
unquestionable that White has the advantage due to the bishop pair and
more active pieces, Black has a solid structure and can try to untangle in the
future.
16 Rxc3 Qd7??
Black committed errors on moves 12-15, but this is a howler. The queen
should drop back with 16 ... Qb8. Then 17 Bxf6 gxf6 18 Bc2 Rg8 19 g3
looks desperate for Black, in view of their weakened king, but they could
have held on longer than in the game.
17 Rd1

Now White can destroy Black on the d-file.

17 ... Qxa4?
To be greedy like this in such a sharp position is hara-kiri.
 18 e5 h6 19 exf6 hxg5 20 Rxc5! gxf6
If 20 ... bxc5, White mates with 21 Qxe6+! fxe6 22 Bxg6+ Kf8 23
Rxd8+.
21 Rc4 Qa5 22 Rc7 Bd5 23 Nd4
23 Nxg5 fxg5 24 Qe5 Rf8 25 Qxg5 was even stronger.
23 ... Kf8 24 Bg6 e5 25 Bxf7 1-0
Since taking the bishop leads to mate: 25 ... Bxf7 26 Ne6+ Kg8 (or 26 ...
Bxe6 27 Rxd8) 27 Rxd8+ Kh7 28 Qh5.

Game 26
R.Sojek-P.Moujan
Correspondence 2020

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3

White plays ambitiously, planning to build a big centre as quickly as
possible. The drawback to this plan is that it delays attacking the c4-pawn,
which gives Black time to try and defend it.
4 ... a6
 Preparing to support the c4-pawn with ... b7-b5.
5 e4
Seizing the centre and threatening Bxc4, after which White would have
a dream position. Obviously, Black should not let that happen. Instead:
a) 5 e3 is a more restrained way of playing. White still threatens to take
on c4, but holds back on occupying the centre completely and exposing the
pawns to attack. Black could now respond in like fashion with 5 ... e6,
aiming for positions similar to those earlier in the chapter, but pushing the
b-pawn anyway is stronger: 5 ... b5 6 a4 b4 (Black cannot maintain the
pawn where it is so has to push it again) 7 Nb1 (7 Na2 is worse for White,
as it will take the knight longer to come back into the game) 7 ... c5 (various
moves have been played here, but I prefer striking in the centre
immediately) 8 Bxc4 e6 9 0-0 Bb7 reaches a crossroads.

The question is whether can White make use of their slight lead in
development, and the answer is no, not if Black knows what they are doing.
Black’s play is not particularly difficult; it just follows the basics, such as
developing the minor pieces, castling, and bringing the rooks to the middle:
 a1) 10 dxc5 Nbd7 (avoiding the exchange of queens) 11 c6 Bxc6 12
Nbd2 Bd6 13 Qe2 Bb7 14 b3 0-0 15 Bb2 Qe7 16 Rac1 Nc5 17 Rfd1 Rfd8
18 Bd4 Nfd7 and Black has good counterplay.
a2) 10 Nbd2 Nbd7 11 Nb3 Qc7 12 dxc5 Bxc5 13 Nxc5 Nxc5 14 Nd4 0-
0 15 Qe2 e5 and Black stakes a claim in the centre with the advantage,
despite White’s bishop pair, as in E.Pigusov-Pr.Nikolic, Sochi 1982.
b) 5 a4 forcibly prevents ... b7-b5 but creates more problems than it
solves, as it gives Black’s pieces free access to the a5- and b4-squares. In
particular, the b8-knight has a safe outpost on a5, defending the c4-pawn
and eyeing the hole on b3, since White is unable to target the knight with
Qa4+. After 5 ... Nc6! (essentially Black now has a nice version of a
Chigorin Defence) 6 e4 (if 6 e3 Na5 7 Ne5 Be6 8 e4 Nd7, Black hangs
doggedly on to the extra pawn) 6 ... Bg4 (pinning the knight and putting
pressure on the white centre)

White has tried:

b1) 7 Bxc4 Bxf3 8 gxf3 Qxd4 9 Qb3, as in A.Lutikov-B.Ivkov,
Sukhumi 1966, is a speculative sacrifice at best. After 9 ... 0-0-0 10 Ne2 (or
10 Bxf7 e5 11 0-0 Qb4, while 10 Be3?! fails to 10 ... Na5!) 10 ... Qd7 11
Bxf7 Kb8 12 0-0 e5 13 Be3 Bd6, White doesn’t really have enough for the
pawn.
b2) 7 d5 Na5 is also good for Black, though White’s score is over 60%
in the database, so precision is required:
b21) 8 Bf4 e6 9 dxe6 Bxe6 10 Qxd8+ Kxd8 (10 ... Rxd8? drops the c7-
pawn) 11 Nd4 Bb4 12 f3 Kc8 13 Kf2 Rd8 and Black keeps the extra pawn
with the initiative.
b22) 8 e5 Nd7 (now White’s pawns need constant care) 9 h3 (if 9 Bf4
then 9 ... e6 again) 9 ... Bxf3 10 Qxf3 e6 11 dxe6 fxe6 12 Qg3 Qe7 and
Black remains a pawn up. If they can neutralize the bishop pair, they will
end up with an edge, as after 13 Be2 Qf7 14 0-0 0-0-0 15 Be3 Qg6 16 Qxg6
hxg6 17 Bg5 Re8.
b23) 8 h3 (a natural response to the pin on the f3-knight, but Black is
already better due to the many holes in White’s position) 8 ... Bxf3 9 Qxf3
e5 10 dxe6 fxe6 11 e5 Nd7 12 Qg4 Qe7 13 Bg5 Qf7 14 Bxc4 Nxc4 15
Qxc4 Nxe5 16 Qe4 Bd6 17 0-0 0-0 and Black is a safe pawn up with a clear
advantage.
b3) 7 Be3 Na5 (one of Neishtadt’s choices in his QGA book; he also
gives 7 ... e5 8 dxe5 Nd7 9 Bxc4 Ndxe5 10 Nxe5 Nxe5 11 Be2 Qxd1+ 12
Rxd1 Be6 as equal, an assessment that I would say has not changed in the
decades since he wrote it; 7 ... Bxf3 8 gxf3 Na5 is good too, giving up a
bishop to wreck White’s pawn structure)
 b31) 8 Be2 e6 (Neishtadt analyses 8 ... Bxf3 from I.Aloni-C.Van den
Berg, Tel Aviv 1958, but Black doesn’t have to exchange on f3 right away)
9 0-0 Bb4 10 Qc2 0-0 11 Rad1 c6 (now ... b7-b5 is possible at any moment)
12 Bg5 h6 13 Bh4 Be7 and Black had good play in R.Jancic-V.Mitev,
Paracin 2020.
b32) 8 Qc2 Bxf3 9 gxf3 e6 10 0-0-0 (Neishtadt quotes his own game
E.Livshits-I.Neishtadt, Leningrad 1964, saying that 10 Rg1?! is
complicated, but this is a mistake as it wastes time, allowing Black to strike
in the centre: 10 ... c5! 11 dxc5 Qc7 with an edge) 10 ... b5 with good
counterplay due to White’s weak queenside.
b33) 8 h3 Bh5 (maintaining the pressure on the f3-knight) 9 g4 (the best
option, even though it creates more holes in White’s camp; 9 Be2 e6 10 0-0
Bb4 is good for Black) 9 ... Bg6 10 Nd2 e6 11 f3 (here 11 f4 Bb4 12 f5
traps the bishop, but Black gets strong play after any of 12 ... c5, 12 ...
Nxe4!? 13 Ndxe4 exf5, or 12 ... exf5 13 exf5 0-0 and ... Re8) 11 ... c5 12
Nxc4 cxd4 13 Nxa5 Qxa5 14 Qxd4 Rc8 and White has regained the pawn
with an impressive-looking central mass, but underneath it there are quite a
few weaknesses.
 5 ... b5
Protecting the c4-pawn and aiming to fianchetto the bishop on b7.
6 e5
Things are getting heated. White tries to build a formation that is
conducive to a kingside attack, with pawns on d4 and e5.
The forcing line 6 a4 b4 7 e5 (White cannot hope for anything after 7
Na2 Nxe4) 7 ... bxc3 8 exf6 cxb2 9 fxg7 bxa1Q 10 gxh8Q Qd6! reaches an
incredible position.

Question: Is Black not worse? If White gets Bh6 in, Black could have
problems.

Answer: That was why the queen went to d6. Black is not worse - on
the contrary, since Black’s queen pair (!) is more active than White’s, as odd
as that sentence sounds. After 11 Bxc4 (or if 11 Qxf8+ Kxf8 12 Bh6+ Qxh6
13 Qxa1 Bb7 14 d5 Qg7 15 Qxg7+ Kxg7 16 Bxc4 Nd7, all the queens are
off but White’s d5-pawn is weak) 11 ... Qc3+ 12 Nd2 Qg6 13 Qe5 Nc6 14
Qe3 Qxd4 15 0-0 Qxe3 16 fxe3 Be6 17 Bxe6 Qxe6 18 Nf3 h6 Black has an
extra pawn and a slight edge.
6 ... Nd5 7 a4
The critical move, striking at the queenside pawn phalanx before Black
consolidates completely.
Playing slowly would seem rather silly to me. For example, if 7 Be2 e6
8 Ne4 Bb7 9 0-0 Be7 10 b3 c3 11 a3 Nc6 12 Bg5 Bxg5 13 Nfxg5 Qe7,
Black still retains the front c-pawn and can castle on either flank.
Instead, 7 Ng5 tries to play in the manner of the Geller Gambit in the
Slav Defence. However, the big difference here is that Black has a pawn on
c7 (rather than c6), which allows for more flexibility: 7 ... e6 (otherwise
White might advance e5-e6 themself)

a) 8 Qh5 Qe7! 9 Be2 Nc6 10 Be3, as in A.Korelov-E.Gufeld,

Sverdlovsk 1963, can be answered by 10 ... g6!, which leads to the forced
sequence 11 Qf3 Nxd4 12 Bxd4 Qxg5 13 Nxd5 exd5 14 Qxd5 Bb4+ 15 Kf1
Rb8 where Black is much better. If White grabs the queenside pawns with
16 Qc6+ (or 16 h4 Qe7) 16 ... Bd7 17 Qxc7 Rc8 18 Qb7 Be6 19 Qxa6 0-0
20 Qxb7, then 20 ... Rb8 and 21 ... Rfd8 gives Black a probably decisive
initiative.
b) 8 a4 Be7 (honestly, Black has two good options and can fianchetto
the c8-bishop instead: 8 ... Bb7, and if 9 Qh5 Qd7 10 axb5 axb5 11 Rxa8
Bxa8 12 Nxh7 Nb4 13 Be2 Bxg2 14 Nf6+ gxf6 15 Qxh8 Qxd4, Black has a
raging attack for the exchange) 9 h4 (supporting the g5-knight, but it will
soon be kicked away) 9 ... Bb7 10 Be2 h6 11 Nge4 b4 12 Nxd5 Bxd5 13
Bf3 0-0 14 Rh3 f5 15 exf6 Bxf6, when White has no more attack, and Black
remains a pawn up.
7 ... e6
Of the various ways to defend this variation, I like the game
continuation best, allowing White to regain the pawn in order to defuse
their threats. If Black tries instead to hang on to c4 with 7 ... Nxc3 8 bxc3
Bb7, then 9 e6! creates serious difficulties, especially in practical play.
8 axb5 Bb4
This is also the choice of both GM Robert Hungaski (in his Modern
Chess database, Queen’s Gambit Accepted) and IM Robert Ris (who gives
an “!” on his ChessBase DVD, A Complete Black Repertoire Against 1.d4).
The alternative is 8 ... Nb6, which IM James Rizzitano recommends (in his
book How to Beat 1 d4); generally we’ll play that move next, but I prefer
interrupting White’s plans by pressuring the c3-knight first.
 9 Qc2
Instead:
a) 9 Qa4?! is given an interesting mark in Nunn’s Chess Openings.
However, this move is simply dubious as the white queen gets targeted
immediately: 9 ... Bd7 10 Nd2 c6 (10 ... Bxc3 11 bxc3 Nxc3 12 Qxc4 Nxb5
is also good) 11 Nxd5 Bxd2+ 12 Bxd2 cxb5 13 Qa3 exd5 14 Bb4 Nc6 15
Bc5 a5 and ... b5-b4 comes next.
b) 9 Qd2 (White aims to put the queen on f4, so that it can shift to g4
and attack Black’s vulnerable g7-pawn) 9 ... Nb6 (the standard response to
secure the queenside) 10 Be2 (if 10 bxa6 Rxa6 11 Rxa6 Bxa6 12 Be2 Nc6
13 0-0 0-0 14 Qf4 Ne7 15 Qg4, as in A.Salem-L.Aronian, online rapid
2022, then 15 ... Bb7! 16 Ne4 Bxe4 17 Qxe4 Qd5 gains time for Black to
reorganize, such as with 18 Qg4 Nf5 19 Bd1 Rd8 or 18 Qc2 h6 19 Be3
Ra8) 10 ... axb5 (here I deviate from Hungaski’s analysis with 10 ... Bb7; I
prefer to resolve the tension on the a-file once and for all, so that Black can
know where to put their pieces) 11 Rxa8 Nxa8 12 Qf4 h6 13 0-0 Bxc3 14
bxc3 Nb6 15 Qg3 Kf8 16 Nd2 Qg5 and Black equalizes by offering a queen
trade to extinguish White’s attack.
 c) 9 Bd2 (both defending the knight and breaking the pin) 9 ... Nb6 (we
shall see this thematic manoeuvre over and over in this line; Black cannot
leave the a8-rook or c4-pawn undefended, since that would permit way too
many tactical shots)

White now has two main options: exchange on a6 at once or wait until
Black has played ... Bb7.
c1) 10 bxa6 Rxa6 11 Rxa6 (if 11 Be2, Black can choose between 11 ...
Bb7, transposing to note ‘c3’ below, and 11 ... Rxa1 12 Qxa1 0-0 13 0-0
Nc6 14 Be3 Ne7, when the knights can come to d5 and f5 with good play)
11 ... Bxa6 (both sides’ queensides are now slightly vulnerable due to the
absence of rooks there) 12 Be2 Nc6 (the knight develops with tempo,
attacking d4 again) 13 Be3 (if 13 Ne4 then 13 ... Be7 14 Be3 Nb4, or 13
Bg5 Qd7 14 0-0 h6 15 Be3 Ne7 and again Black’s knights head for d5 and
f5) 13 ... Bb7 14 0-0 Bxc3 15 bxc3 Qd5 16 Qb1 Ne7 17 Qb4 Qc6 18 Ra1
Ned5 19 Qa3 Kd7 and Black is ready to play ... Ra8 to contest the a-file
with equality.
c2) 10 b3?! is poor in view of 10 ... Bb7 11 bxa6 Bxf3 12 Qxf3 Qxd4 13
Bxc4 0-0! 14 Qe3 Qxe3+ 15 fxe3 Nxc4 16 bxc4, C.Ward-S.S.Ganguly,
British Championship, Torquay 2002, when 16 ... Nxa6, followed by ...
Nc5, gives Black a favourable endgame due to White’s inferior pawn
structure.
c3) 10 Be2 Bb7 (10 ... Bxc3 seems a bit risky: if nothing else White has
11 bxc3 axb5 12 Rxa8 Nxa8 13 Ng5 h6 14 Nxf7 Kxf7 15 Bh5+ g6 16 Qf3+
Kg7 17 Qxa8 gxh5 18 Qxb8, regaining the material) 11 bxa6 Rxa6 (Black’s
pawns may look disgusting, but in this line, as in many others, dynamic
play matters more than just structure)
c31) 12 Rxa6 Nxa6 13 0-0 0-0 14 Be3 c5 (this is Hungaski’s
recommendation, and the more that I analysed it, the more I liked it, so I
also recommend it - with all their pieces developed Black doesn’t hesitate to
blast open the centre) 15 Nb5 (if 15 dxc5 Bxc5 16 Qc1 then 16 ... Qb8
slides over to the queenside so that d8 is empty for the rook, while 16 Qxd8
Rxd8 17 Rd1 Rb8 18 Nd4 h6 is an equal queenless middlegame) 15 ... cxd4
16 Qxd4 Bc5 (this leads to a forced sequence and then to a drawn endgame)
17 Qxd8 Rxd8 18 Nd6 Bxf3 19 gxf3 Bxd6 20 Bxb6 Bc7 21 Bxc7 Nxc7 22
Bxc4 Rd4 23 Rc1 g5 24 b4 Na8 25 Bxe6 fxe6 26 Rc8+ Kf7 27 Rxa8 Rxb4
and White cannot capitalize on the extra pawn as their king cannot pass the
fourth rank.
c32) 12 0-0 Rxa1 13 Qxa1 0-0 (having a quick glance at the position,
we can see that both sides have pawn weaknesses: Black has doubled
isolanis on the c-file, while White has a backwards d4-pawn and an isolated
b-pawn) 14 Be3 Nc6 15 Qb1
 Exercise: With the queen on the dangerous b1-h7 diagonal and a knight
ready
to jump to g5, White is looking to build an attack. How should Black
meet this
plan and gain counterplay?

Answer: There are several ways, but the method I like is 15 ... Ne7
(opening the a8-h1 diagonal for the b7-bishop and planning ... Nf5 to harass
the e3-bishop which holds White’s centre together; another option is 15 ...
h6 16 Qe4 Nd5 17 Bxc4 Nxe3, giving up the c4-pawn to blunt White’s
initiative and eliminate one of their bishops) 16 Ng5 g6 (analysis shows that
the dark square holes in Black’s camp are not actually dangerous) 17 Nce4
Nf5 18 Nf6+ Kg7 19 Nge4 Be7 20 Qc1 Bxe4 21 Nxe4 Qd5 22 Bf3 Qd7 (or
22 ... Qb5 23 Nc3 ½-½ M.D.Sørensen-K.R.Jensen, correspondence 2019)
23 Rd1 Nxe3 24 fxe3 h5 and Black is fine.
9 ... Nb6
 As before, the knight retreats to b6, where it protects both the a8-rook
and the c4-pawn, while opening the a8-h1 diagonal for the light-squared
bishop when it comes to b7.
10 Qe4
This is the most consistent and critical continuation; White’s queen
immediately rushes across to attack the kingside. Other moves:
a) 10 bxa6 Nxa6 (stronger than taking with the rook here, since Black
has the annoying idea of ... Be7 and ... Nb4) 11 Be2 (if 11 Bg5 Be7 12 Bxe7
Qxe7 13 Qd2 Bb7 14 Be2 0-0 15 0-0, M.Achatz-D.Minte, correspondence
2010, then 15 ... Nb4 gives Black an edge) 11 ... Be7 12 Qd2 Bb7 13 0-0
Nb4 14 Rxa8 Qxa8 15 Qf4 Na2 16 Nxa2 Qxa2

and White can try to hit Black’s vulnerable g7 point by bringing the
queen to the g-file. I recommend active play on the queenside to try to
divert White’s pieces from the other flank, as well as trading the b7-bishop
for the white knight if it comes to e4, when White will have big problems
penetrating Black’s camp.
For example: 17 Qg4 (or 17 Qg3 g6 18 h4 Qb3 19 Bd1 Qd3 20 Bh6
Kd7 21 Qf4 Qf5 22 Qd2 Qg4 23 Be2 Ra8 24 Rc1 Ra2 with a balanced,
albeit messy, position) 17 ... g6 18 Ng5 Qb3 19 Ne4 h5 (kicking White’s
queen as well) 20 Qf4 Bxe4 21 Qxe4 Nd5 and Black may even castle short,
since White has no way to exploit the apparent weakening of the kingside,
while Black can aim to penetrate on the queenside with the heavy pieces.
b) 10 Be2 can be met by 10 ... axb5 11 Rxa8 Nxa8, since the typical
tactic of regaining the pawn by capturing on c4 will cost a tempo, White
having already moved the bishop: 12 Bxc4 (or if 12 0-0 Bxc3 13 bxc3 Bb7
14 Ng5 h6 15 Ne4 Bd5, Black has managed to secure the queenside) 12 ...
Bxc3+ 13 bxc3 bxc4 14 Qa4+ Bd7 15 Qxa8 Bc6 and the light squares
belong to Black, who therefore has the better chances.
c) 10 Be3 (a normal-looking but unchallenging move; White develops
and protects the d4-pawn at the same time) 10 ... Bb7 11 bxa6 Rxa6 12
Rxa6 Nxa6 13 Be2 Be7 14 Bxc4 (after 14 0-0 Nb4 15 Qb1 Qa8 16 b3 cxb3
17 Qxb3 0-0, as in V.Malakhatko-F.Abbasov, Sautron 2007, I prefer Black
due to their total control of the d5-square) 14 ... Nb4 (if Black takes on c4,
White has Qa4+, forking king and knight) 15 Bb5+ c6 16 Qe4, J.Szabolcsi-
R.Zoldy, Budapest 2022, can be met by 16 ... Ba8! 17 Bd3 c5 18 Bb5+ Kf8
19 Qb1 Bxf3 20 dxc5 Bxg2 21 Rg1 N6d5 22 Rxg2 Nxe3 23 fxe3 g6 with
an edge for Black, who can attack White’s weak pawns.
d) 10 Bg5 (developing the queen’s bishop with tempo) 10 ... Qd7 11
bxa6 Rxa6 12 Rxa6 Nxa6 13 Be2 Bb7 14 0-0 0-0 reaches a fairly normal
position, at least for this variation. White will try for a kingside attack,
while Black will play in the centre and on the queenside. For example: 15
Ne4 Ra8 (Black should not be scared of ghosts; often it looks like White
may have some knockout blow, but careful analysis shows this to be bluff)
16 Bf6 (if 16 Qb1 Qd5 17 Nc3 Bxc3 18 bxc3 h6 19 Be3 Nb8, the knight
can be recycled via d7, or c6 and e7) 16 ... Bf8 17 Neg5 g6 18 Nxh7!?
Kxh7 19 Ng5+ Kg8 20 Qc3
 Exercise: The white queen is heading for the h-file to deliver mate on
h7.
How can Black defend?

Answer: By returning the piece with 20 ... Qc6 21 Qh3 (or 21 Bf3 Nd5
22 Bxd5 Qxd5) 21 ... Qxg2+, when 22 Qxg2 Bxg2 23 Kxg2 Nb4 23 Rc1
Nd3 24 Bxd3 cxd3 25 Rd1 Nd5 reaches an equal endgame.
10 ... Qd5
Centralizing the queen, preparing ... Bb7, and adding more protection to
both the a8-rook and the c4-pawn.
11 Qg4 axb5 12 Rxa8 Qxa8
 Precision is required in this intensely sharp position. White scores over
60% here, but this is mainly due to Black not knowing how to react
properly. The only way that White can try for an advantage is to take on g7
Winawer style.
13 Qxg7
In Nunn’s Chess Openings, the authors give 13 Be2 an exclamation
mark and the symbol for White being clearly better, whereas I definitely
disagree. Black is only getting started with their counterplay. As Hungaski
mentions, 13 ... g6 is then recommended by Aleksander Delchev; I agree
with both of them as this is also my preferred choice:
a) 14 0-0 (White is almost done developing, so Black has to act quickly)
14 ... Bxc3 (the simplest way to secure the queenside) 15 bxc3 h6
(preventing any Ng5 shenanigans) 16 Qf4 N8d7 (no more Qf6 threats
either) 17 Qd2 Na4 and White is struggling to prove any compensation for
the pawn:
 a1) 18 Ba3 Ndb6 19 Rb1 Nd5 20 Bb4 Bb7 (20 ... Bd7, followed by ...
Bc6, also worked out well in W.Brinkmann-T.Lins, correspondence 2006)
21 h3 g5 22 Ne1 Kd7 and the king is safe, as Black owns the light squares.
a2) 18 Bb2 Ndb6 19 Ra1 Bb7 and the black king can hide with ... Kd7
again later, while White has no entry points on the kingside. Note that 20
Qf4?! g5 21 Qf6?? Rh7 just leads to the queen being trapped.
a3) 18 Qa2 Ndb6 19 Qa3 Qe4 (19 ... Bb7 and ... Kd7 makes sense too)
20 Re1?! (White needed to try 20 Bd1) 20 ... Qc2 21 Bd2 Bb7 22 Rc1 Qb3
23 Qa1 Qb2 (or 23 ... Be4) 24 Qxb2 Nxb2 25 Ra1 Kd7 and White was dead
lost in A.Dillenburg-I.Chukanov, correspondence 2011.
b) 14 Ng5 h6 15 Nge4 Bb7 16 0-0 Bxc3 (I was a little surprised when
analysing this with the engine - it showed that Black was for preference in
all lines; Black’s king is remarkably safe despite the holes in the kingside)
17 Nxc3 b4 18 Nb5 Kd7 19 Qf4
 Exercise: Black has to decide what to do about f7. Should they protect
f7 or
let it fall?

Answer: Let it fall! 19 ... Kc6!? is one of the maddest moves in the
entire book. Black’s king hunts the b5-knight and White has to display
extreme ingenuity just to stay in the game: 20 Qf6 (if 20 Na3 bxa3 21 Qxf7
Kb5, White has to find 22 b3! Bxg2 23 bxc4+ Nxc4 24 Qe7! Bxf1 25 Qc5+
Ka6 26 Qxc4+ Kb7 27 Qb3+! Kc8 28 Qxe6+ Nd7 29 Bxf1 a2 30 Ba6+!
Kd8 31 Qxa2 Nb8 32 Bc4 Qxa2 33 Bxa2 Nc6 34 Be3 Ke7 and still comes
out slightly worse) 20 ... Kxb5 21 Qxh8 Bxg2 (alternatively, 21 ... Nc6!? 22
Qxa8 Bxa8 23 Rd1 h5 24 b3 Na5 25 bxc4+ Nxc4 26 Bd2 Be4 looks quite
unclear, even if “0.00” according to the engines) 22 b3 Bxf1 23 Bxf1 Ka5
24 Bg2! (a vital insertion; after 24 bxc4? Nc6 25 Qxa8+ Nxa8 26 Bg2 Nxd4
27 Bb2 Nf5 28 Bxa8 Ka4, Black actually wins with their active king and b-
pawn) 24 ... Qa7 25 bxc4 Nxc4 26 Bf1! and White has sufficient
counterplay for the two pawns, though if desired Black could just bail out at
this point: 26 ... Qxd4 27 Qxb8 Qg4+ 28 Kh1 Qe4+ 29 Kg1 Qg4+ with a
draw by perpetual check.
13 ... Bxc3+ 14 bxc3 Qa1 15 Qxh8+ Kd7

Most major courses cover this line for Black, including Hungaski, Ris,
and GM Petar Arnaudov during the Modern Chess QGA online camp.
16 Kd1
Trying to avoid the draw with 16 Be2?! Qxc1+ 17 Bd1 Qxc3+ 18 Nd2,
as in M.Krasenkow-R.Praggnanandhaa, FIDE World Cup, Krasnaya
Polyana 2021, only lands White in trouble: 18 ... Nc6 19 Qxh7 Nxd4 20
Qxf7+ Kc6 21 Qf4? (21 h4 puts up more resistance) 21 ... Nd5 22 Qe4 and
now 22 ... Kb6! 23 h4 Nb4 24 Rh3 Nd3+ 25 Rxd3 cxd3 26 Qe3 c5 27 h4 b4
would have won for Black, according to Krasenkow.
16 ... Qa4+
In the same exact vein, White cannot avoid the perpetual.
17 Kd2 Qa2+ 18 Kd1 Qb3+ 19 Kd2 Qa2+ 20 Ke1 Qc2 21 Bg5
21 Bd2 Qb1+ led to another draw in G.Antova-I.Schitko, Dulles 2022.
21 ... Qb1+ 22 Ke2 Qd3+ 23 Ke1 Qb1+ 24 Ke2 ½-½
 Neither side can avoid the repetition.

Game 27
O.Mudra-Cr.Bennett
Correspondence 2012

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 c4 dxc4 4 Qa4+

A rather secondary line, but it can be a venomous surprise option.
4 ... Nc6

Black’s main response is 4 ... c6, which leads to passive Catalan-style

positions after White captures on c4 and fianchettoes the bishop on g2. I
prefer to avoid any type of Catalan where Black suffers (which arguably
can be said of any Catalan position), so I recommend placing the knight on
c6, where it puts immediate pressure on the d4-pawn.
5 Nc3
White plans to expand in the centre with e2-e4.
a) 5 g3?!, trying for Catalan positions anyway, is dubious because of 5
... Nd5 6 Qxc4 Nb6 7 Qd3 e5! 8 Nxe5 (or 8 dxe5? Qxd3 9 exd3 Bg4) 8 ...
Nb4 9 Qd2 (9 Qd1?! runs into 9 ... Bf5 10 Na3 f6 11 Nf3 Nc4! and White is
in trouble) 9 ... Bf5!? (in his Chessable course, ¡Pura Dinamita! Gambito
de Dama Aceptado, GM José González states that Black has to play 9 ...
Qxd4 10 Qxd4 Nc2+ and ... Nxd4, which is good too, but ... Bf5 is still
possible) 10 Na3 f6 11 Nf3 Qd7 and Black castles queenside with a big
initiative.
b) 5 e3 is too quiet to cause Black any problems. In response I like 5 ...
Nd7 6 Bxc4 (if 6 Qxc4 e5! 7 dxe5 Ndxe5 8 Nxe5 Nxe5, Black is already
fine) 6 ... Nb6 7 Qb3 Nxc4 8 Qxc4 Be6 9 Qc2 Bg4 10 Nbd2 e6 11 0-0 Bd6
12 b3 0-0 and Black has a decent position with the bishop pair, as in
J.Lechtynsky-Y.Balashov, Trnava 1988.
c) 5 Qxc4 is the main alternative, regaining the pawn straight away.

Exercise: It looks like White is going to play Nc3 and e2-e4 with the
aim of
steamrolling in the centre. How should Black react?

Answer: With active play, busting the position open with 5 ... e5!.
 Now all sorts of threats are in the air, not least developing the c8-bishop
with tempo. After 6 Nxe5 (instead, 6 dxe5 Be6 7 Qa4 Nd7, intending ...
Nc5, as in B.Ahlander-S.Brynell, Swedish Championship, Skara 2002, and
7 Qh4 Bb4+ 8 Bd2 Nd7 9 Qxd8+ Rxd8 10 a3 Bxd2+ 11 Nbxd2 Ndxe5 are
already fine for Black) 6 ... Nxe5 7 dxe5 Be6 (this intermezzo allows Black
to develop before dealing with the threat to the f6-knight; alternatively, Ris
recommends 7 ... Ng4 8 Bf4 c6, as in R.Rapport-L.Domínguez Perez, St.
Louis 2021, which is also good) 8 Qc2 (if 8 Qa4+ Qd7 9 Qxd7+ Nxd7 10
Bf4 0-0-0 11 Nc3 Bb4 12 f3 c6, Black has compensation for the pawn in the
form of superior development and a safer king) 8 ... Ng4 9 Bf4 g5 10 Bg3
Bg7 11 e3 Nxe5 Black looks to have a nice version of a ... g7-g5 Budapest
Gambit.
5 ... Nd5!?

This manoeuvre is suggested by IM Graeme Buckley in his book Easy

Guide to the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. The idea is either to defend the c4-
pawn from b6, or jump to b4 and disrupt White’s piece coordination while
avoiding passive positions.
6 Qxc4
 After 6 e4 Nb6 7 Qd1 Buckley recommends 7 ... Bg4, which is almost
always played, but, as he duly points out, it can lead to cramped positions
for Black. Instead, 7 ... f5!? is a very interesting way to avoid that problem.
The idea is to strike at White’s centre immediately and take control of the
light squares: 8 d5 (the only critical reply) 8 ... fxe4 9 Ng5 Nb4 10 Bxc4
(this is possible as 10 ... Nxc4?! 11 Qa4+ regains the piece with advantage)
10 ... e6 (without this move, Black would be worse) 11 Bb5+ (taking on e6
would lose on the spot, as the c4-bishop is hanging at the end) 11 ... c6 12
dxc6 Qxd1+ 13 Kxd1 bxc6 14 Be2 Be7 15 Ncxe4 0-0 and Black has more
than enough activity to compensate for the structural deficit.
6 ... Ndb4
Now White has to deal with threat of ... Nc2+.
7 Qb3 Be6

Exercise: White has only two options with their queen that do not lose
immediately. Which is the best square?
 Answer: The a4-square is the only viable choice, since it pins the c6-
knight. Retreating the queen to d1 loses the d-pawn to 8 ... Nxd4 9 Nxd4
Qxd4, due to the ... Nc2+ fork.
8 Qa4 Bd7
X-raying White’s queen and threatening ... Nxd4.
9 Qd1
Otherwise 9 Qb3 Be6 repeats the position. 9 ... e5!? 10 dxe5 Be6 11
Qa4 Bd7 is another way. White could then avoid the draw with 12 e6!?
Bxe6 (or 12 ... fxe6?! 13 Qd1) 13 a3 Nd5 14 Bb2 Nb6 15 Qc2, but Black is
fine in any case.
9 ... e5!
And again! Who said that the QGA was boring? Black sacrifices a pawn
to free the pieces.

10 a3
After 10 dxe5 Bf5 (threatening ... Nc2+) 11 Bg5 f6 12 e4 (or 12 exf6
gxf6 13 e4 fxg5 14 exf5 g4, as in G.Windhausen-J.Bokar, correspondence
2014) 13 ... fxg5 13 exf5 g4 14 Nd2 Nxe5, with a check coming on d3,
Black is at least equal.
 10 ... exd4 11 axb4 dxc3 12 bxc3
FM Graham Burgess stops here in his book A Cunning Opening
Repertoire for White, stating that the position is unbalanced where either
side can win, and that 6 ... Ndb4 is objectively fine for Black. I agree with
all of that, while adding that in practice I would take Black, who often
develops more quickly, and the b4/c3 complex can become weak if White
mishandles the position.
12 ... Qf6 13 Bd2
Pushing on with 13 b5?! only increases the activity of Black’s pieces:
13 ... Ne5 14 Nd4 Bc5 15 e3 0-0-0 16 Qc2 Rhe8 17 Be2 Qg5 and Black has
a strong initiative.
13 ... Ne5

14 e3?!
White has to hurry up with development, but there’s no need to play so
passively. 14 e4 looks more logical, intending 15 Nxe5 Qxe5 16 Bd3 and 0-
0.
14 ... Bd6
The bishop goes to d6 to anticipate White’s inevitable kingside castling.
 15 Nxe5?!
Here 15 Be2 would be more circumspect.
15 ... Qxe5 16 Bd3 Qd5
Attacking both the d3-bishop and the g2-pawn.
17 Be2?
Now White is simply falling apart. Although unpleasant, 17 Bf1 was
necessary.
17 ... Qxg2 18 Bf3 Qg6 19 Bxb7 Rb8 20 Bd5 c6

White has many problems but the biggest by far is that their king has
nowhere to go. It is a sitting duck in the centre of the board.
21 Bf3 0-0 22 Rxa7 Be6 23 Ra6 Rfd824 Rxc6 Rd7 25 Kf1 Be5 26
Rxe6 Qxe6 27 Qe2 Qh3+ 28 Bg2 Qf5 29 e4 Qf6
Despite material still being roughly balanced, White is dead lost here.
30 Be3 Bxc3 31 Bf3 Rxb4 32 Kg2 h6 33 Rd1 Rxd1 34 Qxd1 Bd4 35
Bxd4 Rxd4 36 Qb3 Rd6 37 Qb8+ Kh7 38 Qb5 Qf4 39 Qf5+ Qxf5 40
exf5 Kg8 41 Be4 Kf8 42 Bf3 Rd4 43 Kg3 Ke7 44 Bg4 Rd5 45 Kf3 Kf6 46
Kg3 Rxf5 47 h4 g5 48 h5 Rc5 49 Be2 Ke5 50 Bd1 Rc3+ 51 f3 f5 52 Be2
Kd4 53 Ba6 Rb3 54 Bc8 Ke5 55 Ba6 g4 56 Be2 gxf3 57 Bxf3 f4+ 58 Kg4
Re3 59 Bc6 Rg3+ 60 Kh4 Kd4 61 Ba8 Ke3 0-1
The game only lasted so many moves because White took a long time to
resign.

Game 28
S.Sukhanitskij-I.Kochan
Correspondence 2020

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nf3 Nf6

Here we examine a few remaining options at White’s disposal on their

fourth move.
4 g3
White aims for a Catalan-style position. I prefer to avoid that sort of
thing as Black, since it often means long-term, drawn-out suffering.
 a) 4 Bf4 c6 (this transposes to a sideline of the Slav, but a good version
since White’s bishop doesn’t belong on f4 so early after Black takes on c4)
5 g3 (if 5 e3?! b5, Black keeps the pawn safely) 5 ... g6 (if White
fianchettoes, Black should too, so avoiding any Catalanesque positions) 6
Nc3 Bg7 7 Qd2 0-0 8 Bg2 Bg4 9 0-0 Nd5 10 Bh6 Nd7 11 Bxg7 Kxg7 12 h4
N5f6 13 Nh2 Qb6 and Black keeps the pawn again with a better position.
b) 4 Na3?! (White tries a cunning strategy of recovering the pawn and
placing the knight on the nice c4 square) 4 ... e5! (shattering White’s
ambitions by striking immediately in the centre; it doesn’t matter that e5 is
covered twice by White’s forces, as tactics allow this move anyway) 5 Nxe5
(everything else is terrible for White: 5 dxe5? Qxd1+ 6 Kxd1 Ne4 7 Be3
c3!; or 5 Nxc4? e4, which was P.Keres-B.Gurgenidze, Rapina 1967; or 5
e3? e4 6 Ne5 Bxa3 7 Qa4+ c6 8 Qxa3 b5; or 5 Qa4+? c6 6 dxe5 b5) 5 ...
Bb4+ 6 Bd2 Bxa3 7 Qa4+ b5 8 Qxa3 (not 8 Qxb5+?? c6 9 Qxc4 Be6 and
Black keeps the piece) 8 ... Qxd4 9 Nf3 (the only way to stay in the game; 9
Qf3? Qxe5 10 Qxa8 Qxb2 11 Rd1 0-0 12 Qxb8 c3 was winning for Black
in R.Boger-B.Fagerström, correspondence 2014) 9 ... Qb6 10 Ba5 Qa6 11
Bxc7 Qxa3 12 bxa3 Nc6 13 Ne5 Nd5 14 0-0-0 Nxc7 15 Nxc6 Bd7 16 Ne5
Be6 and if anyone is better it is Black.
4 ... c5
Striking back in the centre at once.
5 Qa4+
This is the only decent reply.
a) 5 Bg2 Nc6 (piling the pressure on d4) 6 Qa4?! (but if 6 Be3 Nd5 7
Nc3 Nxe3 8 fxe3 e6, White’s structure is unenviable, M.Krasenkow-
R.Praggnanandhaa, FIDE World Cup, Krasnaya Polyana 2021) 6 ... cxd4 7
Nxd4 Qxd4 8 Bxc6+ Bd7 9 Bxd7+ Qxd7 is good for Black, in view of 10
Qxc4 Rc8 11 Qf4 (the only way to defend the bishop) 11 ... Nd5 12 Qd2
Qh3 13 Nc3 Nxc3 14 bxc3 Qg2 15 Rf1 Qc6 16 Bb2 e6, when the white
king is stuck in the middle again, D.Izquierdo-Er.Mendez, Villa Ballester
1995.
b) 5 Nc3 cxd4 6 Qxd4 Qxd4 7 Nxd4 a6
 Question: Is it not a bit early to play for ... b7-b5, given that White is
planning
to fianchetto on g2 with a big lead in development?

Answer: It could be, which is why that is not the point of ... a7-a6. The
idea is to stop knight jumps to b5 before Black pushes in the centre with ...
e7-e5.
For example: 8 e4 (or 8 Bf4 Nbd7 9 Nc2 e5) 8 ... e5 (also preventing
White from playing e4-e5 themself) 9 Nf3 (or 9 Nf5 b5 10 Bg5 Nbd7,
followed by ... h7-h6 and ... Bb7) 9 ... Nc6 10 Bxc4 Bg4 and White is
clearly worse, despite having regained the pawn, since they have ceded the
initiative completely.
5 ... Qd7!?
 Any other method of blocking the check would transpose directly to the
Catalan, something we are trying to avoid. GMs Semko Semkov and
Aleksander Delchev, in their book Understanding the Queen’s Gambit
Accepted, recommend the usual 5 ... Nc6, but I prefer to enter less well-
charted waters.
6 Qxc4
White can hardly hope for anything after 6 Qxd7+ Bxd7 7 dxc5 Nc6,
followed by ... e7-e5.
6 ... cxd4
Black has free piece play whichever way White recaptures on d4.
7 Qxd4
If 7 Nxd4, the pawn lever ... e7-e5 can be used with tempo: 7 ... e5 8
Nf3 b5! (energetic play; Black opens the a8-h1 diagonal and is ready to
fight for control with ... Bb7) 9 Qc3 (or 9 Qb3 Nc6 10 Bg2 e4, followed by
... Nd4 and ... Bb7) 9 ... e4 (hitting the knight again) 10 Bg2 Bb7 11 Ne5
Qe6 12 Qc7 Bd5 13 Nc3 Bd6 14 Qxf7+ (forced) 14 ... Qxf7 15 Nxf7 Kxf7
16 Nxd5 Nxd5 17 Bxe4, C.Bartsch-V.Sukhorskij, correspondence, and here
I would throw in 17 ... Bb4+ 18 Kf1 Ke6, when White lacks full
compensation for the material deficit.
7 ... Nc6 8 Qxd7+ Bxd7 9 Bg2
White will castle to avoid tactical shots in the centre; meanwhile Black
can gain a foothold there and potentially end up with more space.
9 ... e5 10 0-0 h6

This preventing any annoyances from a white knight or bishop coming

to g5.
11 Nc3
11 b3 led to exchanges with 11 ... e4 12 Nfd2 Nd4 13 Nxe4 Nxe2+ 14
Kh1 Nxe4 15 Bxe4 0-0-0 and soon a draw in T.Baranowski-
P.Wolfelschneider, correspondence 2011.
11 ... Bb4
With the possible idea of exchanging on c3, saddling White with three
pawn islands and a weak c-pawn that can come under heavy fire on the
half-open c-file.
12 Bd2
 White keeps the queenside secure, so Black opts to force exchanges
again.
12 ... e4 13 Ne1 Nd4 14 Nxe4 Bxd2 15 Nxd2 Nxe2+ 16 Kh1 0-0-0

Black evacuates their king from the centre and prepares to centralize the
rooks. Although the position is objectively level, I think the onus is on
White to keep the balance.
17 Nc4
The threat of Nd6+ is easily prevented. 17 Nb3 seems more precise,
heading for either c5 or a5, and keeping an eye on d4. In return any of 17 ...
Be6, 17 ... Rhe8, or even 17 ... h5!? is fine for Black.
17 ... Kc7 18 Nc2 Be6 19 N4e3?!
And here 19 N2e3, when 19 ... Ng4 20 Nxg4 Bxc4 21 Ne3 Be6 22 Rfd1
is still equal.
19 ... h5
If 19 ... Rd2, invading on the second rank, 20 Na3 and Nac4 looks to
expel the rook again, while 20 ... Rxb2 21 Rfb1 Rxb1 22 Rxb1 gives White
enough play for the pawn, with either Rxb7 or Nb5+ to follow
20 Rfe1 Nd4 21 Nxd4 Rxd4 22 Kg1 Kb8
 22 ... Ng4 might offer Black a tiny edge.
23 b3 Rhd8 24 Kf1 h4 25 Red1
Now the game peters out to a drawn ending.
25 ... a5 26 Rxd4 Rxd4 27 Ke2 a4 28 Nc2 Rd7 29 bxa4 hxg3 30 hxg3
Bc4+ 31 Ke1 Ng4 32 Ne3 Nxe3 33 fxe3 Rd3 34 Kf2 Rd2+ 35 Kg1 Bxa2
36 a5 Bd5 37 Bxd5 Rxd5 38 a6 ½-½
Chapter Four
3 e3 e5
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 e5

In this chapter, we shall examine the last of the three main lines, 3 e3,
which was recommended by Boris Avrukh in his monumental book,
Grandmaster Repertoire 1: 1.d4, Vol.1. It is a solid variation where White
does not aim for maximum advantage but tries to outplay their opponent
little by little.
Black has a few choices here, but I go for 3 ... e5, the main option. The
main line continues 4 Bxc4, but now, instead of the usual 4 ... exd4 which
leads to a French Exchange structure where White can press if they really
know what they are doing, I recommend a much sharper alternative, 4 ...
Nc6!?, that has become popular recently. It brings about combative, yet
original positions where the player who understands them best should
prevail.

Game 29
R.R.Raja-S.Lomasov
Arandjelova 2021

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 e5 4 Bxc4
As played in over 95% of games. Other fourth moves are covered in
Game 34.
4 ... Nc6
Black entices the advance d4-d5 in order to gain Chigorin-style play.
This wild variation is recommended by IM Robert Ris on his ChessBase
DVD from 2021. Many 1 d4 sources do not cover this option. In one that
does, An Attacking Repertoire for White: 1.d4, GM Viktor Moskalenko
states that White is better after 4 ... Nc6. I completely disagree with this
view, but we should analyse deeply to see why Black is fine.
5 Nf3
The main line. White in turn openly dares Black to advance ... e5-e4,
with the intention of retreating the knight to d2 and pressurizing the pawn.
We’ll look at 5 d5, 5 Qb3, 5 Ne2 and other moves in Games 31-33.
5 ... e4
 Black accepts the challenge. This leads to very sharp play that is not
characteristic of the stereotypically solid QGA. Black sometimes supports
the pawn with ... f7-f5 or, more often, plays ... Qg5 to attack White’s
kingside.
6 Nfd2
The alternative is to play 6 Qb3 first. We’ll examine that in the next
game.
6 ... Qg5
The big main line of the 4 ... Nc6 variation. Black says to hell with the
e-pawn and initiates an offensive against the weak g2-pawn.
7 Nxe4
The most ambitious continuation. Now White has two pawns to zero in
the centre, at the cost of allowing their kingside structure to be broken up as
Black captures on g2. On the other hand, White cannot hope for much by
not taking the e4-pawn:
a) 7 Qb3? is mistimed. After 7 ... Qxg2 8 Bxf7+ Kd8 it may look as if
Black is playing like a fool, but their black king is quite safe on d8, whereas
White’s kingside is ruined. After 9 Rf1 (if 9 Qd5+ Ke7 10 Bxg8 Qxh1+ 11
Nf1 Rxg8! 12 Qxg8 Nb4, White is not even up material, and their king is
about to get slaughtered) 9 ... Nf6 10 Nc3, as in J.Friedel-K.Alekseenko,
Titled Tuesday (blitz) 2020, the engine says that 10 ... Nb4 11 Bc4 Bd6 is
already winning for Black.
b) 7 0-0 Bh3 8 g3

Question: Did White just hang an exchange for nothing?

Answer: Yes and no. While losing an exchange in the opening was
probably not the plan, White nevertheless gets reasonable compensation.
For that reason, I suggest declining the rook: 8 ... Nf6 9 Nc3 0-0-0 10
Ndxe4 Nxe4 11 Nxe4 Qg6 12 Nc3 h5, when White is the one up material,
but Black has a very swift kingside attack.
c) 7 Kf1 Qg6 8 Nc3 Nf6 (it is important to develop as quickly as
possible; White’s king may be relatively safe for now, but Black has the
possibility of attacking later in the game, especially after ... h7-h5 and/or
castling queenside) 9 h3 (after 9 Nb5 Bd6 10 b3 0-0 11 Nxd6 cxd6 12 Ba3
Rd8, P.Certek-J.S.Christiansen, Marianske Lazne 2017, or 10 h3 0-0 11
Nxd6 cxd6 12 b3 d5, the bishop pair brings White no pleasure) 9 ... h5 10 f3
Be6 11 Bb5 0-0-0 12 Ndxe4 Nxe4 13 Nxe4 f5 14 Nc3 h4 and Black has
compensation for the pawn in the form of White’s horrible king position
and poor development.
d) 7 Bf1 Nf6 8 h4 Qg6 9 h5 Qg5 10 a3 (or 10 Nc3 Bb4) 10 ... Bf5 11
Nc3 0-0-0 and the position is dynamically balanced, as White has protected
g2 yet lags in development, while Black has active pieces.
e) 7 g3 Qg6 (protecting both the e4- and f7-pawns, in case White plays
Qb3 at some point) 8 Nc3 Nf6

We have reached a tabiya that is becoming increasingly popular. While

it is true that the e4- and f7-pawns could become weak, Black’s strategy is
justified by quick piece play which compensates for the vulnerable
structure.
a1) 9 a3?! (the most played move, stopping ... Nb4 for good and
preparing b2-b4, but it seems a little slow in such a sharp position) 9 ... h5!?
(a thematic lever: along with harassing White on the light squares, Black
plans ... h5-h4 to soften up the kingside even more) 10 Qc2 (not 10 f3?! h4)
10 ... Bf5 11 Qa4 Nd7 12 Be2 0-0-0 and Black has a slight edge due to
superior development and being further ahead in their attack.
a2) 9 Nd5 Nxd5 10 Bxd5 Bf5 11 Qa4 can be answered by 11 ... 0-0-0!
12 Bxc6 Qxc6 13 Qxc6 (after 13 Qxa7 h5, Black has strong play for the
pawn) 13 ... bxc6 14 Nb3 h5 15 h4 Bg4 with an edge, since White’s light
square weaknesses are more important than Black’s shattered queenside,
Y.Drozdovskij-V.Ivanchuk, Odessa (rapid) 2007.
a3) 9 f3 exf3 10 Nxf3 removed the cramping e-pawn in E.Najer-
M.Matlakov, Moscow (blitz) 2021, but I still prefer Black after 10 ... Bh3
11 Nh4 Qg5 12 Bf1 Bxf1 13 Rxf1 Bb4 14 Bd2 Bxc3 15 bxc3 Qd5 16 Qf3
Qxf3 17 Rxf3 0-0 in view of the grip on the light squares.
7 ... Qxg2 8 Ng3 Qh3

This line has been around for a while but has become more popular in
recent years, especially since 2021 when the Covid-19 pandemic seemingly
brought about many new ideas in a variation that was previously considered
slightly dubious.
The black queen is offside, and White has two pawns versus none in the
centre. However, Black has easy development and free piece play, and this
is not the type of position that someone who plays 3 e3 usually wants -
instead of a slow, manoeuvring game, they are faced with sharp
complications, which makes it an excellent weapon for Black.
GMs Viktor Moskalenko (in An Attacking Repertoire for White with
1.d4) and Evgeny Postny (in Opening Encyclopaedia 2021) give 8 ... Nf6
here, but Black doesn’t have to put the knight on f6 just yet.
9 Nc3
This non-committal move has been White’s usual choice here. Instead:
a) 9 e4 (making immediate use of the centre pawns) 9 ... Bg4 (White has
an impressive-looking centre, but it is highly vulnerable to attack,
especially since Black can castle queenside at any given moment) 10 Qa4
(after 10 f3?! Bd6 11 e5 Be6! White will have big problems on the light
squares) 10 ... 0-0-0 11 d5 Bc5 12 Be3 Bxe3 13 fxe3 Kb8 14 dxc6 Rd1+ 15
Qxd1 Bxd1 16 Kxd1 Nf6 17 Nc3 Ng4 and White may be doing well
materially but their king has serious issues.
b) 9 Bf1 is a thematic manoeuvre, since it both expels the black queen
and re-routes the bishop. However, after 9 ... Qh4 (“!” - Ris) 10 Bg2 Bh3 (I
like this move, which aims to soften White up on the light squares; Ris
gives it “!?” and also quotes A.Moiseenko-J.S.Christiansen, PRO League
rapid 2020, where Black opted for 10 ... Nf6) 11 Bxh3 Qxh3 12 Nc3 h5 13
Qb3 0-0-0 White still ends up with a slight disadvantage.
c) 9 Qb3 threatens Bxf7+ followed by Bxg8, which cannot be ignored. I
propose putting the knight on h6 in this case; it is not yet clear if Black
should play ... f7-f5 or not, so I would leave the f-pawn alone for now: 9 ...
Nh6 10 Nc3 Bd6
 White now has two main options: complete development by possibly
castling queenside, or centralize the knights and try to eliminate the
dangerous d6-bishop. In either case, Black has free piece play, which is
what we want from the 4 ... Nc6 variation.
c1) 11 Nge4 (White centralizes one of the knights and leaves the threat
of Nxd6+ hanging for later) 11 ... 0-0 12 Bf1 Qh4 13 Bd2 Re8, when Black
has good activity and a slight lead in development in return for White’s
centre pawns.
c2) 11 Nce4 0-0 12 Bd2 (White both prepares castling queenside and
prevents the ... Na5 fork) 12 ... Bg4 (take note of this resource: the bishop
puts pressure on the opponent’s light square weaknesses, while preventing
White from castling queenside, at least until they can find a way to kick the
bishop off the d1-h5 diagonal) 13 Bf1 (not 13 Qxb7? Nb4 14 Bxb4 Rab8)
13 ... Qh4 (the black queen lingers on the kingside to keep harassing
White’s king) 14 Nxd6 (removing the d6-bishop but opening the c-file for
Black to put pressure on the queenside, where the white king will most
likely end up) 14 ... cxd6 15 Bg2 Bh3 16 Bxh3 Qxh3 with good
counterplay. If White is tempted to take the b7-pawn, they will lose more
time and have to leave their king in the centre after a black rook comes to
the c-file.
c3) 11 Bd2 (White finishes development and plans to castle queenside)
11 ... Bxg3 (I understand that giving up the dark-squared bishop, arguably
Black’s best piece, seems like an unnatural decision, but the exchange is
justified since it gets rid of a potentially powerful knight, forces White to
recapture away from the centre, and further weakens White’s light squares;
I consider this to be a good trade-off, even though it “looks” suspect at first)
12 fxg3 0-0 13 Ne2 (aiming to centralize the knight on f4 and oust Black’s
queen) 13 ... Ng4 (preventing White from castling queenside due to the ...
Nf2 fork)

c31) 14 Bd5 (White tries to take control of the crucial a8-h1 diagonal,
preventing Black’s queen from infiltrating via g2; I recommend violent play
in response) 14 ... Nf6 (threatening White’s bishop directly) 15 Nf4 Qg4 16
Bg2 Bf5! (in these lines you have to be ready at any given moment to
sacrifice material for the initiative) 17 Qxb7 Nxd4! (more material!) 18
exd4 Rfe8+ 19 Kf1 Be4 20 h3 Qf5 21 g4 Qd7 22 d5 g5 23 Qc6 Qxc6 24
dxc6 gxf4 25 Bxf4 Bxg2+ 26 Kxg2 Nd5 27 Bc1 Re2+ 28 Kg3 Rae8 29 a4
R8e6 and Black has long-term compensation, given that White’s king is
stranded in the middle of nowhere, and their remaining pieces are all on
their original squares.
c32) 14 Rf1 Qxh2 15 e4

Exercise: White’s position looks very impressive. They have the two
bishops,
a big centre, and more space, plus f7 is hanging. What should Black do?

Answer: Open lines on the queenside with 15 ... b5!. White’s king has
either to go to that way to escape from Black’s queen, after which we can
use the b-file for attack, or else stay in the centre, which would be an
unpleasant situation. The following lines illustrate how Black generates
counterplay: 16 Qxb5 (if 16 Bxf7+ Kh8 17 0-0-0 Qxe2 18 Bc4 then 18 ...
Be6! 19 Bxe2 Bxb3 20 axb3 Nf2 equalizes, while 16 Bxb5? Rb8! 18 Qd3
Bd7 is good for Black) 16 ... Nxd4 17 Nxd4 Qxg3+ 18 Kd1 Ne3+ 19 Bxe3
Qxe3 20 Qe5 c5 21 Nb3 Bb7 22 Qc3 Rad8+ 23 Nd2 Qxe4 24 Kc1 Qh4 25
Kc2 Bg2 26 Rfe1 Rfe8 with a crazy but level position.
 9 ... Nf6
9 ... Bd6, aiming for ... Bxg3, is possible too.

a) 10 Nb5?! Nf6 11 Nxd6+ cxd6 12 Bd2 Be6 13 Bf1 Qh4 and White has
won the bishop pair but will have long-term problems with their king.
b) 10 Nce4 Bxg3 (whichever of two viable ways White recaptures on
g3, the various holes on the light squares offer Black sufficient counterplay
for White’s pawn centre and bishop pair; this concept is one that you should
always take into consideration when judging whether or not this line or that
line gives you enough counterplay) 11 Nxg3 (after 11 fxg3 Qg2 12 Nf2 Nf6
13 Bf1 Qd5 14 Be2 Be6 15 0-0 Qd6 16 Bd2 0-0-0, Black has Chigorin-like
play in the form of active pieces) 11 ... Nf6 12 Qb3 0-0 13 Bd2 Bg4 14 Bf1
Qh6 15 h3 Be6 and although White has the bishop pair, they have problems
putting it to good use.
c) 10 Qb3 can be met by either 10 ... Nh6 (as above) or 10 ... Nf6!? (see
below).
d) 10 Qf3 Nf6 (covering f7 while getting on with development) 11 Nce4
Nxe4 12 Qxe4+ Ne7 and Ris indicates that Black has counterplay after this
move, a view with which I agree. For example: 13 Rg1 0-0 14 Bd2 Kh8 15
Qg2 Qxg2 16 Rxg2 Ng6 17 Rg1 (not yet 17 0-0-0?! Nh4 18 Rgg1 Bg4) 17
... Nh4 18 Be2 Re8 19 0-0-0 Bh3 20 Bc3 Rad8, when White still has two
centre pawns, but Black has very active pieces with both rooks occupying
the central files.
e) 10 Qh5 forces an exchange of queens, but Black can gradually
equalize. The key is to occupy the light squares slowly but surely: 10 ...
Qxh5 11 Nxh5 g6 12 Ng3 f5 (immediately fighting for e4, as well as
preventing the e3-e4 advance, which would help White to shore up their
light squares) 13 Nb5 a6 14 Nxd6+ cxd6 15 f3 b5 16 Bb3 a5 and the bishop
pair offers White no advantage.
f) 10 Bf1 Qh4 (I prefer to let the queen linger on the kingside, waiting
for opportunities to launch an offensive in coordination with Black’s other
pieces should White get careless)

For example:
f1) 11 Bg2 Bh3 (fighting for control of the light squares again) 12 Qf3
0-0-0 13 Bd2 Nge7 14 Bxh3+ Qxh3 15 Qxf7 Bxg3 16 fxg3 Rhf8 17 Qc4
Qh5 with good compensation for the pawn.
 f2) 11 d5 Nce7 12 Nge4 Nf6 13 Qa4+ Kf8 14 Nxd6 Qxa4 15 Nxa4 cxd6
and White has the two bishops, but the d5-pawn will fall, making the game
even.
f3) 11 Qf3 Nf6 (it is important to keep developing and keep looking for
ways to obtain the initiative) 12 Nf5 Bxf5 13 Qxf5 Nb4 14 Rb1 g6 15 Qf3
0-0-0 and White has the bishop pair, but this is compensated for by Black’s
active pieces.
f4) 11 Qh5 (White aims to get a favourable endgame with two centre
pawns to Black’s none) 11 ... Qxh5 12 Nxh5 g6 13 Ng3 f5 (it is worth
repeating: to keep White from using their central pawns to good effect,
Black has to prevent them from constructing a phalanx on d4 and e4) 14
Nb5 Be6 15 Nxd6+ cxd6 16 Bd2 Bd5 17 Rg1 Nf6 and Black is fine.
10 Bd2
White can also consider the same options as on the previous turn:
a) 10 e4 Bg4

a1) 11 f3 can now be met by 11 ... 0-0-0 (Ris gives this an exclamation
mark, and I agree: White’s king has big problems) 12 fxg4 (if 12 Bf1?! Qh4
13 fxg4, Black might also play 13 ... Bc5, as given by Ris) 12 ... Nxd4 13
Bf1 Qh4 14 Be3 Bc5 15 Bxd4 Bxd4 16 Qf3 Nxg4 17 Nd5 Rxd5 18 exd5
Qe7+ 19 Qe2 Qb4+ 20 Qd2 Re8+ 21 Be2 Qb6 with tremendous
compensation for the rook.
a2) 11 Qa4 (threatening d4-d5, or even Ba6 in some cases; Black
therefore needs to break the pin at once) 11 ... Bd7 (Ris analyses 11 ... Nd7,
but I prefer not to put the knight on the queenside, at least not yet) 12 Be3
Ne5 13 Qb3 Nxc4 14 Qxc4 Ng4! (again sacrificing for the initiative; Black
has the two bishops, so opening the position up even at the cost of material
is worth it) 15 Qxc7 Rc8 16 Qf4 Bb4 17 Nge2 0-0 and Black has good play
for the pawn.
b) 10 Bf1 Qh4 11 Bg2 Bh3 12 Bxc6+ bxc6 13 Qf3 Kd7!? gives
dynamic equality and a fun position to play.
c) 10 Qb3 targets f7 at a moment Black is unable to defend it with the
knight. If preferred Black can avoid this by playing 9 ... Bd6 first. Here they
should just let the f7-pawn go: 10 ... Bd6 11 Bxf7+ Kd8 12 Bd2 Bxg3 13
fxg3 Bg4 14 Qxb7?? (White needed to cover the long diagonal with 14
Bd5, when 14 ... Nxd5 15 Qxd5+ Kc8 leaves Black with light-square
control and play against the white king as compensation for the pawn) 14 ...
Qg2! 15 Rf1 Nb4 16 Qxb4 Ne4! 17 Bc1 Qxh2 and White was getting mated
in A.Bachmann-G.Navarrete Mendez, Titled Tuesday (blitz) 2022.
10 ... Bd6
Setting up ... Bxg3 again.
11 Bf1 Qh4
 As usual the black queen hangs around to keep the pressure on White’s
kingside.
12 Bg2?!
Surprisingly, it was better to fianchetto the queen: 12 Qf3 Bg4 13 Qg2
0-0-0 14 f3 Be6, when White’s centre pawns are impressive. On the other
hand, they do not really do anything; Black is compensated by active pieces
and a safer king.
12 ... Bh3?!
Simply 12 ... 0-0 was stronger; after 13 Nb5 Re8 14 Nxd6 cxd6, White’s
position looks shaky despite having the two bishops.
13 Bxh3 Qxh3 14 Qf3 h5?!
Natural, but also somewhat inaccurate. I would prefer 14 ... 0-0-0, and if
15 Qf5+ Qxf5 16 Nxf5 Bf8 17 Rg1 g6, White has lingering light square
weaknesses and a bad bishop.
15 Nce4 Nxe4 16 Qxe4+ Kf8
Although Black has lost castling rights, that is less important than the
objective safety of both kings. Black’s king is relatively safe on f8, whereas
White’s has to contend with a lot of holes on the light squares.
 17 0-0-0 h4

Exercise: White has to decide what to do with the g3-knight. What is

the best
way to proceed?

18 Nf5?
Answer: White can ignore the threat of ... h4xg3 for now, as the opening
of the h-file would lose for Black with the h8-rook hanging. After 18 Qd5
Re8 19 Rdg1 Rh6 20 Ne4 Qf3 21 Nc3 White is still worse, but nowhere
near as much as in the game.
18 ... Re8 19 Qc2 Rh5 20 Nxd6 cxd6 21 Bc3 d5 22 Qb3 Qd7 23 Rhg1
Rf5 24 Rdf1 Rf3 25 Rg5
 From this point on Black’s advantage ebbs and flows as both sides make
mistakes.
25 ... Rexe3?!
Returning with 25 ... Qh3 26 Rgg1 Qf5 would have kept a seal on the
kingside.
26 Qxd5 Qh3?!
26 ... Qxd5 27 Rxd5 Ke8 maintains control over the light squares and a
slight advantage.
27 Qd6+?
Here 27 Re1 Rxf2 28 Qc5+ Ke8 29 Rgg1 allows White to survive.
27 ... Re7
Moving the king was better: 27 ... Ke8! 28 Rgg1 Re2 and Black is
firmly in control.
28 Rd1 Rxf2 29 Re5 Qd7 30 Rh5?
After 30 Qc5 b6 31 Rh5! Kg8 32 Qg5 White is only slightly worse.
30 ... Kg8 31 Qxd7 Rxd7 32 Rxh4 Rd5 33 Rd2 Rxd2?!
Swapping an active rook for a passive one. 33 ... Rf1+ 34 Kc2 Rf6
keeps a strategic edge.
 34 Kxd2 g5?!
Now Black’s edge disappears completely. 34 ... f6 was the last chance.
35 Rg4 f6 36 Ke3 Kf7 37 h4 Ne7 38 hxg5 fxg5 39 Ke4 Ke6 40 Bd2
Kf6 ½-½

Game 30
R.Sturt-S.Lomasov
Arandjelova 2021

This game was played just a week after the previous one.
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 e5 4 Bxc4 Nc6 5 Nf3 e4 6 Qb3

White immediately targets Black’s Achilles’ heel, the f7-square. GM

Evgeny Postny gives this move an exclamation mark in Opening
Encyclopaedia 2021. Black cannot ignore the threat.
6 ... Nh6
This looks weird, but it protects f7 and develops the king’s knight.
7 Nfd2
 If White insists on going forward and not backward, they are likely to
choose 7 Ne5 Nxe5 8 dxe5, but this allows 8 ... Qg5 (hitting both the e5-
pawn and the g2-pawn) 9 e6!? (9 Nc3 Qxe5 10 Bd2 Bd6 11 Bd5 c6 12
Bxe4 Ng4 13 Bd3 Nf6 is just equal) 9 ... fxe6 10 Qb5+ Qxb5 11 Bxb5+
Bd7 12 Bxd7+ Kxd7 and even if White regains the pawn, the effort spent to
accomplish the task gives Black time to get their pieces out.
7 ... f5

Question: This looks insane. Why is Black giving in to White’s orders

by
opening the a2-g8 diagonal?

Answer: It is actually logical. White would love to play Bxf7+, so

Black moves the f-pawn out of range while defending the e4-pawn. Black
can usually plug the a2-g8 diagonal with ... Nf7 in order to castle. 7 ... f5 is
IM Robert Ris’ recommendation on his ChessBase DVD, A Complete Black
Repertoire Against 1.d4. Moskalenko and Postny only consider 7 ... Qg5.
 8 0-0
Other moves:
a) 8 f4 g5!? (this looks like total madness, but there is surprisingly no
danger for Black here; White wants to close the kingside, so the logical
thing to do is blast it open) 9 d5 Na5 10 Qb5+ c6 11 dxc6 Nxc6 12 Nc3 a6
13 Qd5 gxf4 14 0-0 Qf6 15 Rxf4 Qg6 is a rather non-standard position with
chaos on the board, but Black has good play against White’s king down the
g-file.
b) 8 Be2 Nf7 9 Nc3 Be7 (keeping the bishop out of range of the d2-
knight, but 9 ... Bd6 is possible too, transposing to note ‘c4’ below) 10 0-0
0-0 11 f3 exf3 12 Nxf3 Kh8 13 Bd2 was L.Yumshanov-S.Savitskiy,
Cheliabinsk 2020, where I would go for something like 13 ... Nd6 14 Bd3
a5 15 Rae1 Bf6 16 Kh1 Nb4 17 Bb1 Re8. If White breaks with e3-e4, they
end up with an IQP.
c) 8 Nc3 (this can transpose to the main game where White puts the
knight on c3 later, but more often not) 8 ... Bd6 (simply developing; White
has no killer blow on the long a2-g8 diagonal, so it is fine to ignore the
queen and bishop battery)
 c1) 9 0-0?? would be a horrible blunder in view of 9 ... Bxh2+! 10 Kxh2
Qh4+ 11 Kg1 Ng4 and Black wins.
c2) 9 Nb5 Be7 (in these lines I would rather conserve the dark-squared
bishop for later use against White’s king; the b5-knight can be kicked away
with ... a7-a6; meanwhile Black threatens to fork the queen and bishop with
... Na5) 10 d5 (this leads to sharp play, where both sides’ kingsides get
ripped wide open; instead, 10 Be2 Nf7 11 0-0 0-0 transposes to note ‘c42’
below) 10 ... Ne5 11 f4 exf3 12 Nxf3 Nxf3+ 13 gxf3 Bh4+ 14 Ke2 a6 15
Nd4 b5 16 Bd3 Qg5 is a big mess where neither king is particularly safe.
White will try to blow the centre up, while Black will try to infiltrate via the
kingside. Fun for both sides abounds.
c3) 9 a3 a6 (both sides take time out to prevent rubbish on b4 and b5
respectively) 10 h3 (preventing a dangerous ... Ng4 jump as well which
would hit both f2 and h2) 10 ... Qh4 (Black places the queen in an
aggressive position, ready to attack White’s king) 11 Be2 (White tries to
mobilize as quickly as possible, but the situation in the centre remains
tense) 11 ... b5 (in order to prevent Nc4, Black expands on the queenside as
well; should White castle long, Black will be in a position to initiate an
attack down the b-file) 12 g3 Qe7 13 a4 b4 (the crescendo is building in the
centre) 14 Nd5 Qf7 15 a5 Be6 16 Bc4 (now Nxc7 is threatened) 16 ... Kf8
17 Nb6 Bxc4 18 Qxc4 Qxc4 19 Nbxc4 Ng8 re-routes the offside knight
with a balanced position. Black’s general plan is to expand on the kingside
and blockade the d5-square, while White will try to break up the kingside
with f2-f3 and g3-g4.
c4) 9 Be2 (Shankland stops here in his 1 d4 course, basically stating that
White has Nc4 next, hitting the d6-bishop and causing Black coordination
problems; we’ll continue to analyse) 9 ... Nf7 (shielding the king on the a2-
g8 diagonal and allowing Black to castle safely)
 c41) 10 0-0 0-0 (with the a2-g8 diagonal plugged, Black can safely
castle) 11 Nb5 (here 11 Nc4 Be7 is ‘c42’ below, while 11 ... Kh8 transposes
to the main game; if instead 11 f3 exf3 12 Nxf3 Kh8 13 a3 a6 14 Qd1 Bd7
15 e4 fxe4 16 Nxe4 Bf5 17 Nxd6 Qxd6 18 b3 Be4 19 a4 Rfe8 20 Ba3 Qh6,
White has obtained two strong bishops, but Black has good counterplay in
the centre and on the kingside) 11 ... Be7 12 f3 exf3 13 Nxf3 a6 (kick him
out!) 14 Nc3 Kh8 15 a3 Nd6 16 Qc2 Bf6 17 Bd3 Be6 18 d5 Bxc3 19 dxc6
Bf6 (the position is very tense in the centre; White has Nd4, but Black can
trade if necessary) 20 Nd4 (if 20 cxb7 Nxb7 21 e4 fxe4 22 Bxe4 Rb8, the
b7-knight is ready to re-route to d6, with good activity to compensate for
the structural deficit) 20 ... Bxd4 21 exd4 bxc6 22 Bf4 Bd5 23 Be5 Qg5 and
we reach a familiar scenario: White has two great bishops, but Black’s d5-
bishop is also powerful and the d6-knight is ready to come to e4.
c42) 10 Nc4 Be7 11 0-0 0-0 12 Rd1 (Ris analyses 12 d5 Nb8 13 f3 exf3
14 Bxf3 Nd7, quoting L.Aronian-S.Mamedyarov, Chessable Masters rapid
2021; Black has good play) 12 ... Kh8 (it is important to avoid any type of
tactics related to the pin on the a2-g8 diagonal)
 13 Bd2 (after 13 a3 a6 14 Qc2 b5 15 Ne5 Bb7 16 Bh5 Nfxe5 17 dxe5
Qc8 18 Nd5 Qe6 19 Nxc7 Qh6 20 Nxa8 Qxh5 21 Nc7 Nxe5 22 Ne6 Rc8 23
Qb3 Qf7 24 Bd2 Nd3, Black has ample compensation for the exchange, as
the d3-knight is more active than either white rook) 13 ... a6 (preparing the
thematic ... b7-b5, as well as keeping White’s knights out of b5) 14 a4 Nd6
(the f7-knight has done its job; now it is time to trade White’s powerful c4-
knight; here Ris gives a “with counterplay” symbol; I have gone on quite a
bit further) 15 Nd5 (or 15 a5 Nxc4 16 Bxc4 Bd6 17 Ne2 Rb8 18 Nf4 b5 19
axb6 Rxb6 20 Qc3 Ne7 and Black has good counterplay) 15 ... Nxc4 16
Bxc4 Bd6 17 Bc3 Be6 18 Nf4 Bxc4 19 Qxc4 Qh4 20 Rac1 Rf6 (with
obvious ideas of ... Bxf4 and ... Rh6, so White hurries to force the queens
off) 21 g3 Qg4 22 h3 Qf3 23 Qe2 Qxe2 24 Nxe2 Ne7 25 d5 Rf7 26 a5 h6
27 h4 Kh7 28 h5 (trying to clamp down on both sides of the board) 28 ... g6
29 hxg6+ Kxg6 30 Be1 h5 31 Rc4 h4 32 gxh4 Rg8 33 Kf1 Rh7 34 f3 exf3
35 Ng1 Kh5 36 Nxf3 Rg4 37 b3 Ng8 38 Ng5 Re7 39 Ne6 Nf6 40 Rxg4
fxg4 41 b4 b5 and at the end of this long variation, Black has proven
equality. Q.E.D.
8 ... Bd6
 The most aggressive square, where the bishop points at h2 directly with
the immediate threat of ... Bxh2+ and wins.
9 Be2
This defuses the threat, while clearing the way for the d2-knight to
challenge the strong d6-bishop.
9 ... Nf7 10 Nc4

10 ... 0-0?!
Although castling is safe in itself, there is no reason to let White trade
their knight for our dark-squared bishop, so I recommend retreating it
again: 10 ... Be7 11 Rd1 (if White plays Nc3 here or on the next move,
we’re back in note ‘c42’ above) 11 ... 0-0 12 d5 (play now gets quite sharp)
12 ... Nb8 (as in some other openings, Black “undevelops” the c6-knight to
re-route it elsewhere) and now:
a) 13 a4 h6 (creating luft for the king) 14 Nc3 Kh7 15 Bf1 (with the
idea of bringing the c3-knight to f4 via e2) 15 ... Nd7 16 Qc2 (here 16 Ne2
Nde5 17 Nf4 Nxc4 18 Bxc4 Bd6 is fine for Black) 16 ... Nde5 17 b3 Bd7
18 Nb5 Bxb5 19 axb5 Bd6 20 Nxd6 cxd6 21 Bb2 Rc8 22 Qe2 Nd3 23 Bd4
Qd7 24 Rxd3 exd3 25 Qxd3 Ne5 26 Qe2 and the two bishops give White
sufficient compensation for the exchange, but no more than that. 26 ... f4 is
one forcing idea, which cannot be worse for Black.
b) 13 Nc3 Kh8 14 Qc2 Bd7 (Black develops cautiously, aware of
White’s possibilities of jumping to a5 or e5 in the future) 15 Na5 Qe8!

Question: Why does Black hang the b7-pawn?

Answer: Black sacrifices it for activity on the kingside. If White takes

on b7, their knight will be marooned in enemy territory, such that White
will have to spend time and firepower in order to extract it.
b1) 16 Nxb7 a5 (stranding White’s knight on b7) 17 Bc4 Ne5 18 b3 Na6
19 a3 Qg6 20 d6! (counterattacking in the centre, and the only way to
maintain the balance) 20 ... cxd6 21 Nd5 f4 22 Nxe7 Nf3+ 23 Kh1 Qh5 24
gxf3 Qxf3+ 25 Kg1 Bh3 26 Bf1 Qg4+ 27 Kh1 Qf3+ and after some
madness the game ends in a logical perpetual.
b2) 16 d6!? (throwing an interesting spanner in the works; rather than
taking on b7, White plays to cause chaos in Black’s camp) 16 ... cxd6 17
Nd5 (threatening Nc7, but it turns out that Black can just ignore it) 17 ...
Nc6! 18 Nxc6 (not yet 18 Nc7? Qd8 19 Nxa8 Qxa5, when Black gets two
knights for the rook) 18 ... Bxc6 19 Nc7 Ba4! 20 b3 Rc8 (saving the rook
after all) 21 bxa4 Qd7 22 Qb3 Rxc7 23 Bb2 Bf6! 24 Bxf6 gxf6 25 Bc4 Ne5
26 Be6 Qe7 27 Bxf5 Nd3 28 Rab1 Qe5 and while White has a bishop in a
position that is beginning to open, Black has a very strong knight on d3 and
the half-open g-file for their rooks.
11 Nc3
After 11 Nxd6 Qxd6 12 Nc3 White has a slight but stable edge, as the
bishop pair are more powerful than the kingside pawn phalanx. If White
gets the dark-squared bishop into the game, things can get nasty for Black.
11 ... Kh8
Here again I would play 11 ... Be7, transposing to note ‘c42’ to White’s
8th move.
12 Bd2
Now Black can recapture with the knight if White takes on d6, though
they should probably still do that anyway.
12 ... Be7

Black finally withdraws the bishop from danger.

 13 Rfc1?!
This is the wrong file for the rook. Instead, 13 Rfd1 takes us back to
note ‘c42’ again. Alternatively, White might try 13 Be1 a6 14 f4 Be6 15
d5!? Bxd5 16 Rd1 Bxc4 17 Bxc4 Nd6 18 Be2 with compensation in the
form of more space and routes of infiltration; for instance, the d5-square
may be used as a springboard for White’s knight and heavy pieces.
13 ... a6 14 a4 Be6?!
Black should play 14 ... Rb8 first, so that the b7-pawn is protected, a
subtlety that turns out to be very important, as we shall soon see.
15 d5!
15 Qxb7? would merely put the queen in danger after 15 ... Nb4!. By
pushing the d-pawn first, White springs the trap in advance, which makes
the difference between Black having equality and White having a slight
edge.
15 ... Bxd5 16 Nxd5 Qxd5 17 Qxb7

17 ... Nd6??
This is a more serious error. After 17 ... Rfc8 18 Bc3 Black would only
stand slightly worse. Alternatively, Ris offers 17 ... Ra7 18 Qb3 Rb8 19 Qc2
Nb4 20 Bxb4 Bxb4 with counterplay, though 21 Rd1 Qe6 22 a5 still leaves
White with the edge due to their superior structure. The a6-pawn in
particular is weak and will continue to be so in the endgame. Just to
reiterate, it was better to defend the b7-pawn earlier with 13 ... Rb8.
18 Nxd6 Bxd6 19 Be1?
Simply 19 Qxc6 Qxd2 20 Rc2 would have been strategically winning
for White. Now Black gets to create a mess.
19 ... Qe5 20 g3 Na5 21 Bxa5 Qxa5 22 Rc2 Qe5 23 a5 g5 24 Ra4 Qf6
25 Bf1? f4! 26 Qxe4 Rae8 27 Qd4 Be5?
Here 27 ... Qxd4 28 Rxd4 fxe3 29 Rd5 Rxf2 30 Rxf2 exf2+ 31 Kxf2
should be drawn in view of the opposite-coloured bishops, although Black
might have an unpleasant time proving that over the board.
28 Qd3 fxe3 29 Qxe3 Bxb2 30 Re4 Rxe4 31 Qxe4 Bd4 32 Kg2 c5 33
Bd3 Rf7?
33 ... Qg6 was correct, again aiming to hold the endgame after 34 Qxg6
hxg6 35 Bxg6 Rb8 or 34 Qxd4+ cxd4 35 Bxg6 hxg6.
34 f3 Re7 35 Qa8+ Kg7 36 Bxa6 Re1 37 Qb7+ Re7 38 Qc8 Re1 39
Bf1 Qe7 40 a6 Qe3
 41 a7??
Chess really is brutal. White goes from completely winning to dead lost
in one move, and on the first turn after the time control. 41 Bc4 Rg1+ 42
Kh3 Qxf3 43 Qg4 would have kept control and won without surprises.
41 ... Qg1+ 42 Kh3 Qxf1+ 43 Kg4 h5+ 44 Kxg5 Bf6+ 45 Kxh5 Re5+
46 Kg4 Rg5+ 47 Kf4 Qa1 48 Qd7+ Kh6 49 Qd6 Qa4+ 50 Ke3 Qb3+ 51
Kf4 Qa4+ 52 Ke3 Re5+ 53 Kd2 Qa5+ 54 Rc3 Qa2+ 55 Rc2 Rd5+ 56
Ke3 Qa3+ 0-1

Game 31
C.Melegyegyi-S.Korolev
Correspondence 1997

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 e5 4 Bxc4 Nc6 5 d5

This time White accepts the provocation and hits the black knight.
5 ... Na5

Immediately counterattacking the loose c4-bishop.

6 Qa4+
 If White moves the bishop, Black strikes with ... c7-c6 in any case. For
example:
a) 6 Be2 c6 7 Nc3 (or 7 e4?! Nf6) 7 ... Nf6 8 e4?! Bb4 9 Bg5 0-0 10 Nf3
cxd5 11 Bxf6 Qxf6 12 Qxd5 Bg4 13 0-0?! (but even 13 Qxe5 Qxe5 14
Nxe5 Bxe2 15 Kxe2 Bxc3 16 bxc3 Rfe8 is good for Black) 13 ... Bxc3 14
bxc3 b6 and White faces a difficult defence in view of the weak c-pawn,
S.P.Sethuraman-Li Chao, Doha 2015.
b) 6 Bb5+ c6 7 dxc6 (not 7 Ba4?! b5) 7 ... Qxd1+ 8 Kxd1 Nxc6 (or 8 ...
bxc6!?) 9 Bxc6+?! bxc6 10 Nc3 Ba6 11 Nf3 0-0-0+ 12 Ke1 f6 and Black is
clearly better, M.Purtseladze-M.Matlakov, Titled Tuesday (blitz) 2020.
6 ... c6
This blocks the check, opens the a5-d8 diagonal to defend the knight,
and threatens ... b7-b5 as well, so White has to make a decision about the d-
pawn.
7 dxc6
If 7 Be2 b5! 8 Qc2 cxd5 9 Bxb5+ Bd7, Black is at least equal, while
after 8 Qe4 Bd6 9 dxc6 Nf6 10 Qc2 Nf6 11 Bxb5 Qb6 White will be luck to
get out of the opening alive, despite their two extra pawns.
7 ... Nxc6
 8 Nf3
Instead:
a) 8 Nc3 Nf6 9 Nf3 Bd6 just transposes below.
b) 8 Bd2 Bd6 (nothing impedes Black from developing quickly, so that
is the most logical thing for them to do) 9 Nc3 Nf6 10 Nge2 0-0 11 Ng3,
A.Lenderman-J.Ehlvest, London 2016, and here I like 11 ... Nd7 12 Qc2
Nb6 13 Bb3 (or 13 Be2 Be6) 13 ... Na5, when Black eliminates the
dangerous light-squared bishop.
c) 8 Qb3 Qd7 9 Bd2 Nf6, followed by ... Bd6 and ... 0-0 reaches an
equal position, J.Luberanski-B.Niedbala, Poronin 2021. Although Black’s
queen looks awkward, this is only optical.
8 ... Bd6 9 Nc3 Nf6 10 Ng5?!
Relocating this knight is hardly a priority. White should prefer
something like 10 0-0 0-0 11 Rd1 Qe7 12 e4, when 12 ... Bd7 13 Qc2 Nd4!,
as in M.Cornel-D.Lafarga Santorroman, correspondence 2009, gives Black
good counterplay. Note that White cannot take twice on d4 due to ... Qe5.
10 ... 0-0
As the battle is about to begin, Black gets their pieces out very quickly.
 11 Qc2
After 11 0-0 Bf5 12 Bb5 Rc8 13 Nge4 Nxe4 14 Nxe4 a6 15 Nxd6
Qxd6, or 11 Nge4 Nxe4 12 Nxe4 Bf5 13 Nxd6 Qxd6 14 0-0 a6 15 Be2
Rfd8, White has the bishop pair but big development problems, giving
Black a definite edge.
11 ... h6!
With the c4-bishop pointing at f7 and the white queen pointing at h7, it
is inadvisable to let the knight linger on g5 for too long.
12 Nge4 Bf5?!
Black could have gotten a clear plus by kicking White’s pieces around
with tempo: 12 ... Nb4! 13 Qd2 Nxe4 14 Nxe4 Bf5! (a temporary piece
sacrifice) 15 Nxd6 Nc2+ 16 Ke2 Qg5 (with threats at g2 and a1) 17 Nxf5
Qxf5 18 h3 (18 Rb1?? Qg4+ wins at once) 18 ... Nxa1 19 Rd1 Rfd8 20
Qxd8+ Rxd8 21 Rxd8+ Kh7 22 Rd2 Qc8 23 b3 b5 24 Bd3+ e4 25 Bxe4+ f5
26 Bb2 fxe4 27 Bxa1 h5 and Black’s queen is stronger than White’s rook
and bishop.
13 Nxf6+ Qxf6 14 e4 Be6
 Black could also play 14 ... Nd4 15 Qd3 Bd7 with ideas of ... b7-b5-b4
in the air.
15 Bxe6 Nd4!
A nice intermezzo to bring the knight to the juicy d4-square.
16 Qd3
Not 16 Bxf7+?? Rxf7 17 Qd2 Qg6 and avarice gives White a losing
position.
16 ... fxe6!

Question: Why did Black deliberately destroy their own pawn

structure?

Answer: Depending on the specifics of the position it could be said that

taking this way is not “destroying” anything. At face value, Black has a
horrid structure with doubled and isolated e-pawns, but both pawns control
key central squares, viz., d4, d5, f4 and f5. This repels White’s ambitions of
Nd5 and such, as well as helping Black with a kingside attack.
17 0-0 Rad8 18 Be3
 It is not easy for White to deal with the troublesome d4-knight. Taking it
undoubles Black’s pawns and opens the diagonal for the d6-bishop, but
letting the knight stay there cedes good control of the centre.
18 ... Qh4?!
18 ... Bc5 19 Kh1 Qh4 was better, when White’s king is unfavourably
placed in the corner.
19 Nb5?
After 19 Ne2 Nxe2+ 20 Qxe2 Qxe4 Black has “only” a slight edge, a
pawn up with well-placed pieces, but White is surviving.
19 ... Bb8
With the deadly threat of ... Nf3+.
20 Bxd4 a6 21 Qc4?
Blocking the b8-h2 diagonal with 21 g3 was essential.
21 ... exd4 22 Qxe6+ Kh7 23 g3 Qh5 24 Na3 d3

As well as the passed pawn itself, now ... Ba7 is a threat.

25 f4 d2 26 Rad1 Bxf4 0-1
In view of 27 gxf4 Rxf4 and wins.
Game 32
Fab.Müller-F.Kröze
German League 2012

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 e5 4 Bxc4 Nc6 5 Qb3

White rushes to attack f7 which, admittedly, is currently quite
vulnerable. Again, Black cannot ignore this threat.
5 ... Qd7

Question: Is this the only way to defend d7, or is putting the knight on
h6
also possible?

Answer: In this particular position, it is more convenient to place the

queen on d7 and maintain the tension in the centre, forcing White to define
their intentions regarding the d4-pawn.
6 Bd2
Preventing the knight fork on a5. Instead:
 a) 6 dxe5 Nxe5 7 Be2 Qe6 equalizes immediately; 7 ... Nf6 is also fine
if Black wants to keep the queens on.
b) 6 Nf3 allows 6 ... Na5 7 Qc3 Nxc4 8 Qxc4 exd4, and if 9 0-0, as in
Wang Hao-N.Vitiugov, Ningbo (rapid) 2010, then 9 ... dxe3 10 Nc3 Bd6 11
Ne4 Ne7 and the black king escapes the centre without incident.
6 ... exd4 7 Nf3 dxe3

Black accepts the gambit, which is the most principled and best choice
in this given position.
8 fxe3?!
This looks ugly because it is ugly. Perhaps White wanted to open the f-
file and castle with pressure on f7, but such a plan is too slow.
Taking with the queen was better: 8 Qxe3+ Qe7 9 Nc3 Qxe3+ 10 Bxe3
Nf6 (Black is behind in development but can return the pawn while
finishing; the game will be equal in that case) 11 0-0-0 (if 11 0-0 Bd6 12
Nb5 Be6 13 Nxd6+ cxd6 14 Rac1 Rc8, Black is a weak pawn up, but White
has the bishop pair which compensates) 11 ... Be7 12 Nb5 0-0 13 Nxc7 Rb8
14 Nb5 a6 15 Nbd4 Nxd4 16 Bxd4 b5 with an equal position.
8 ... Nf6
 Black might have gained a more significant edge with creative play: 8 ...
a6 9 Bc3 (or 9 a4 Bd6) 8 ... b5 10 Bd5 Bb7 (now Black is almost ready to
castle queenside) 11 0-0 Nf6 12 Bxf6 gxf6 13 Nc3 0-0-0 14 Rad1 Qe7 with
the initiative.
9 0-0?!
If 9 Bc3 Bc5 10 Bxf6 gxf6 11 0-0 0-0 12 Kh1 Kh8, both sides have
kingside weaknesses, but this is better than the game for White.
9 ... Bd6
It was worth inserting 9 ... a6 10 a4 Bd6 11 Bc3 Qe7, when Black might
castle on either side. Note that Ng5 is impossible due to ... Qxe3+, forking
king and knight.
10 Bc3 0-0 11 Nbd2 Qe7

Nonetheless, Black still has the advantage in view of the extra pawn and
weakness on e3.
12 e4?
White had to try and find some compensation somewhere. After 12
Bxf6 gxf6 (if 12 ... Qxf6? then 13 Ne4 Qg6 14 Nfg5 Ne5 15 Rxf7! Rxf7 16
Nxf7 Nxc4 17 Nfxd6 equalizes) 13 Nd4 a5, White remains worse but at
least got a consolation prize of weakening Black’s kingside somewhat.
12 ... Ng4
Black has a near-decisive advantage but now completely loses the plot.
13 e5!? Ncxe5?
Instead, 13 ... Bc5+ 14 Kh1 Bb6 (with ideas of ... Nf2+ or ... Ne3) 15
Bd3 Be6 is truly dreadful for White.
14 Rae1 Bd7?
Here 14 ... b5! 15 Qxb5 Bd7 16 Qb3 Rab8 17 Qd1 Be6 would have kept
a little edge for Black, who is still a pawn up.
15 h3

Incredibly, White is now better. Black had to find 15 ... b5! 16 Bd5 c6
17 hxg4 Nxf3+ 18 Nxf3 Bc5+ 19 Kh1 Qd6 just to stay in the game.
15 ... Nxf3+? 16 Nxf3 Bc5+ 17 Kh1 Ne3 18 Bd4
The e3-knight is lost, so White is winning, until they too lose the plot.
18 ... Bxd4 19 Nxd4 Rae8 20 Bxf7+??
Simply 20 Rf3 would have been game over!
 20 ... Kh8 21 Rf3 Qg5 22 Rfxe3 Rxe3 23 Rxe3 Qf4 24 Ne6 Qf1+ 25
Kh2 Rxf7

26 Nxc7??
Anything but this. 26 Qxb7 Bxe6 27 Rxe6 Qf4+ and perpetual check
was one way to end the game. Instead, a comedy of errors awaits.
26 ... Qf4+?!
26 ... Bc6 27 Nd5 Rf5 wins at once.
27 Rg3 Bc6??
And here 27 ... h5 28 Qf3 (forced) 28 ... Qxf3 29 Rxf3 (or 29 gxf3 h4)
29 ... Rxf3 30 gxf3 h4 leads to a winning endgame for Black.
28 Nd5 Qd4 29 Nb4??
29 Ne3 would be level again.
29 ... Rf1 30 Re3 Qf4+ 31 Rg3 Bxg2! 32 Qd3 Be4?
Creating luft with 32 ... h6 leaves White without a defence. But after
some further inaccuracies Black won the endgame anyway.
33 Qd8+ Qf8 34 Qxf8+ Rxf8 35 Re3 Bg6 36 Kg3 h6 37 Nd3 Rf1 38
Nc5 b6 39 Nd7 Kg8 40 Ra3 Be4 41 Rxa7 Rf3+ 42 Kh2 Rf2+ 43 Kg3
Rxb2 44 a4 Rb3+ 45 Kf4 Bc6 46 Kg4 Rb4+ 47 Kf5 Rxa4 0-1
Game 33
E.Boldoo-V.Usmanov
Moscow 2018

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 e5 4 Bxc4 Nc6

Here we examine White’s remaining fifth move options, none of which

are dangerous, but it is good to know how to meet them in a game.
5 Ne2
Putting the knight here avoids the idea of ... e5-e4 from Games 29 and
30 but has little else to recommend it. Nothing else is any good at all:
a) 5 dxe5? Qxd1+ 6 Kxd1 Nxe5 is already horrible for White.
b) 5 Bb5?! Qd5 6 Bxc6+ Qxc6 gains the two bishops for nothing, and 7
Nf3 exd4 8 0-0 Bg4 9 Nxd4 Bxd1 10 Nxc6 Bh5 11 Nd4 0-0-0 keeps them
with advantage.
5 ... exd4 6 exd4
Instead, 6 Nxd4 Nxd4 7 Nxd4 (if 7 Qxd4 Qxd4 8 exd4 Be6 9 Bxe6
fxe6, both sides have weak pawns) 7 ... Bd6 8 0-0 Ne7 9 Nc3 0-0 10 Ne4
Bf5 leads to equality, whether White takes on d6 or not.
6 ... Nf6
Also possible is 6 ... Bd6!? 7 0-0 Nge7 8 Bg5 h6 9 Bh4 0-0 10 a3 Qe8.
Black’s moves look weird, but the idea is to follow with either 11 ... Nf5 or
11 ... Be6 12 Bxe6 fxe6, after which the queen can shift to h5.
7 0-0 Bd6 8 Nbc3 0-0

We arrive at a position from an Exchange French where White opts to

develop the king’s knight on e2. This is not a particularly critical set-up, as
Ne5 and Ng5 ideas are no longer possible, plus the h2-square is more
vulnerable without a knight on f3.
9 h3
Preventing ... Ng4 and ... Bg4 as well as sacrifices on h2, as after 9
Bg5? Bxh2+! etc. White can get the bishop pair after 9 Nb5 Re8 10 Nxd6
Qxd6 but then has weak light squares and an IQP.
9 ... h6
Black also takes time out to prevent Bg5.
10 Nb5 Ne8?!
 If Black wanted to avoid Bf4 after recapturing on d6 with the queen,
there was no need: 10 ... Re8 11 Nxd6 Qxd6 12 Bf4 Qb4 13 b3 Be6 14 Rc1
Nd5 15 Bxd5 Bxd5 16 Re1 Re4 leads to an equal position where the centre
is likely to get liquidated.
11 b3?!
11 Bb3 Bf5 12 Nxd6 Nxd6 13 Bf4 would have given White a slight
edge due to the bishop pair.
11 ... Be7
Also possible is 11 ... Bb4 12 d5 Ne7 13 Bb2 a6 14 Nbc3 Nf6 15 a3
Bxc3 16 Nxc3 b5, when both sides are ready to bring both rooks to the
centre files, with a dynamically equal position.
12 d5

The problem with the IQP is that White needs to make something of it
within the next few moves; otherwise, the further it advances, the weaker it
will be in the endgame.
12 ... Ne5 13 Bb2
13 Bf4 Ng6 14 Bh2 Nd6 15 Nxd6 Bxd6 16 Qd4 Re8 also gives Black
good counterplay on the kingside and in the centre.
 13 ... Bf6
Taking on c4 would have guaranteed an equal game: 13 ... Nxc4 14
bxc4 c6 15 dxc6 bxc6 16 Nbd4 Qb6 and the two bishops give Black good
play.
14 Nbd4 Nd6
Black’s knight manoeuvre looks quite nice now. Following basic
positional principles, Black blockades the IQP with a knight and threatens
to take on c4.
15 Rc1
After 15 Qc2 c5 16 dxc6 bxc6 17 Rad1 Qb6 White has enough play,
even without the light-squared bishop.
15 ... Re8
If 15 ... Ndxc4 16 bxc4 c5 then 17 dxc6 Nxc6 18 Nxc6 Qxd1 19 Rfxd1
Bxb2 20 Ne7+ Kh7 21 Rc2 leads to a level endgame.
16 Ng3 c5 17 dxc6

Exercise: It is time to trade off the c4-bishop at last. Which knight

should
 Black use?

17 ... Nexc4?
Answer: 17 ... Ndxc4! as before was correct. Now 18 bxc4?! Nxc6 19
Nxc6 Qxd1 and 20 ... Bxb2 is good for Black since there is no knight check
on e7, while after 18 c7 Qxc7 19 bxc4 Qb6 the two bishops give Black
excellent counterplay for White’s very active pieces.
18 cxb7?
After 18 bxc4! bxc6 19 Nxc6 Qd7 20 Bxf6 Qxc6 21 Ba1 White has won
a pawn and removed the f6-bishop, which is dangerous for Black given that
White’s bishop is staring straight at g7.
18 ... Bxb7 19 bxc4 Nxc4
The position is now objectively equal, though I would prefer Black due
to the bishops.
20 Bc3 Qd5 21 Nf3 Qxd1 22 Rfxd1 Bxf3 23 gxf3 Bxc3 24 Rxc3 Ne5
25 Kg2 Rac8 26 Ra3 Ng6 27 Rd4 Re1?!
27 ... Red8 28 Rxd8+ Rxd8 29 Rxa7 Nh4+ was a simpler way to
maintain equality.
28 Rxa7 Rcc1 29 h4 Red1 30 Re4 f5 31 Nxf5
 31 ... Rg1+?
Black had to find 31 ... Nf4+! 32 Kg3 (32 Rxf4 Rh1 threatens ... Rdg1
mate, so White has to throw a rook with 33 Rxg7+ Kh8 34 Rg8+! Kxg8 35
Rg4+ to hold) 32 ... Nh5+ 33 Kg4 (the only way to avoid the repetition) 33
... Nf6+ 34 Kf4 Nh5+ 35 Ke5 Rc5+ 36 Ke6 Rd8, which the engine assesses
at “0.00”.
32 Kh3 Rh1+ 33 Kg4 Rcg1+ 34 Ng3 Rxh4+ 35 Kf5
Now the white king escapes and Black is lost as their rooks are
misplaced.
35 ... Kh7 36 Rxh4 Nxh4+ 37 Kg4 Ng6 38 f4 h5+ 39 Kg5 h4 40 f5
Ne5 41 Kxh4 Rg2 42 f6?
White should throw 42 f4 in first.
42 ... Rxf2 43 fxg7 Nc6 44 Rc7 Nd4?
Apparently 44 ... Ne5 would hold.
45 Nh5 Ne6 46 Ra7 Rf5 47 a4 Nf4 48 Ng3 Ng6+ 49 Kg4 Rf2 50 Nh5
Ne5+ 51 Kg3 Rf3+ 52 Kg2 Rf5 53 Ra8 Rg5+ 54 Kf2 Nf7 55 g8Q+ 1-0
Since 55 ... Rxg8 56 Nf6+ wins the rook.
Game 34
J.Pérez Fernandez-A.Benlloch Guirau
Correspondence 2013

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 e5

In the final game of this chapter, we’ll look at alternatives to the usual 4
Bxc4.
4 Nc3
Other moves:
a) 4 dxe5? Qxd1+ 5 Kxd1 Nc6 dates back to L.De Labourdonnais-
A.McDonnell, 10th matchgame, London 1834. White is already worse due
to their king; Black will either recapture on e5 next or follow with ... Be6
and ... 0-0-0.
b) 4 d5? just creates a target: 4 ... Nf6 5 Bxc4 c6! 6 dxc6 Qxd1+ 7 Kxd1
Nxc6 and White is worse again.
b) 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 d5 (otherwise 5 Bxc4 transposes to the main line in
Games 29 and 30, while 5 Nc3 exd4 6 exd4 Bd6 7 Bxc4 Nf6 is similar to
this one) 5 ... e4! 6 dxc6 Qxd1+ 7 Kxd1 exf3 8 gxf3 Ne7! 9 cxb7 Bxb7 10
Nd2 0-0-0 11 Ke2 Nc6 12 Nxc4 wins a pawn, but Black clearly has
excellent play; even 12 ... Ne5!? is possible.
4 ... exd4 5 exd4 Nf6

Question: Wait a minute. You said you did not want to go down the
main
line where White gets an Exchange French structure. So why are we
now in an
Exchange French structure?

Answer: The big difference is that White has spent a turn developing
the knight to c3. The line I wanted to avoid was where White brings the
kingside pieces out rapidly: 4 Bxc4 exd4 5 exd4 Nf6 6 Nf3 Bd6 7 Qe2+
Qe7 (7 ... Be7 loses a tempo) 8 Qxe7+ Bxe7 (8 ... Kxe7?! 9 0-0 Re8 10
Ng5! is good for White) 9 0-0, which can lead to deceptively passive and
problematic positions. In the current situation, the fact that White is a move
further away from castling short means that Black is able to avoid any such
difficulties.
 6 Bxc4 Bd6
Both sides have relatively logical, easy moves to complete
development.
7 Nf3
The crucial point is that 7 Qe2+ can now be met by 7 ... Qxe7 8 Qxe7+
Kxe7! 9 Nf3 Re8 10 0-0 Kf8, as in Z.Agmanov-Ba.Jobava, World Blitz
Championship, Almaty 2022, and Black is fine, since 11 Ng5 achieves
nothing after 11 ... Re7.
7 ... 0-0 8 0-0 h6 9 h3
As in the previous game, both sides take time out to prevent an enemy
piece appearing on either g5 or g4.
9 ... Nc6 10 Qc2

Question: What is the point of this quiet move?

Answer: White sets up the bombastic Qg6 followed by Bxh6. It doesn’t

work right now, but in the future it might. It is best to be on the lookout to
avoid such tricks.
10 ... Ne7 11 Ne5 c6
 Black takes control of the d5-square and plans to blockade the IQP with
a knight.
12 Re1
If 12 Qb3 Nfd5 (plugging the a2-g8 diagonal often stops White’s
ambitions there) 13 Re1 (or 13 Bxd5 Nxd5 14 Nxd5 cxd5 15 Qxd5 Bc7 16
Qxd8 Rxd8 17 Be3 Be6) 13 ... Be6 14 Bxd5 Nxd5 15 Qxb7 Bxe5 16 Rxe5
Qb6 17 Qxb6 axb6 18 Nxd5 Bxd5 19 a3 f6 20 Re7 Rae8 21 Re3 b5, White
cannot make anything out of the pawn plus.
12 ... Nfd5 13 Ne4
Now if 13 Nxd5 Nxd5 14 Bxd5 cxd5 15 Bf4 Be6 16 Re3 Rc8 17 Qb3
Bxe5 18 Bxe5 Qd7 19 Rae1 Kh7, Black just has to kick the bishop out with
... f7-f6 and place a rook on the e-file for an equal position.
13 ... Bc7
Black decides to conserve the dark-squared bishop, but it might be
simpler to let it go: 13 ... Be6 14 Nxd6 Qxd6 15 Bd2 Rfe8 16 Rac1 Nf5
provides Black with ample counterplay for White’s bishop pair, especially
given the sensitive IQP.
14 Bd2
 Here 14 Ng3 (preventing the move in the game) 14 ... Be6 15 Bd2 gives
White a slight edge due to the IQP being an asset now, as they can follow
up with Rad1, Nh5, etc, with dangerous threats.
14 ... Nf5 15 Nf3 Nd6 16 Nxd6 Qxd6 17 a3 Bd7
Connecting the rooks and preparing for both rooks to come to the
central files.
18 Ne5?!
The immediate 18 Rad1 might have kept a tiny edge.
18 ... a5
Prophylaxis against a b2-b4 advance.
19 Rad1 Be6 20 Ba2 Ne7
A logical way to try to trade more pieces, given White’s IQP.
21 Bxe6
21 d5 Bf5 22 Qb3 cxd5 23 Bf4 Qb6 returns the extra pawn with
equality after the consequent liquidation.
21 ... Qxe6 22 Nd3 Qf6 23 Nc5 Qd6 24 g3 b6 25 Bf4 Qd8
White manages to create enough counterplay against Black’s own
pawns to divert attention away from the IQP.
26 Bxc7 Qxc7 27 Nd3 Rac8 28 Ne5 Nd5 29 Re2 f6 30 Ng6 Rfe8 31
Rxe8+ ½-½
Chapter Five
3 Nc3 a6
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nc3 a6

3 Nc3 is played often, but I would not include it in the group of main
lines, which consists of 3 e4, 3 Nf3 and 3 e3. The problem with putting the
knight on c3 so early is that Black can prepare to protect the c4-pawn with
... a7-a6 and ... b7-b5, which is what I recommend.

Game 35
I.Ilonen-T.Steinbacher
Correspondence 2019

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nc3 a6
 The best move in my opinion. White has eschewed trying to recover the
pawn as soon as possible, thus it makes sense to defend it with ... b7-b5,
making it harder for White to get it back.
4 e3
4 e4 b5 was examined via 3 e4 b5 4 Nc3 a6 in Chapter Two (Game 19).
4 Nf3, 4 a4, 4 g3, and other moves are covered in the next three games.
4 ... b5 5 a4
The most critical response, immediately putting pressure on the
queenside pawn chain when Black has no pieces developed. Pay attention
to how Black should respond, especially the move orders.
Instead, 5 Nf3 allows Black a wealth of choice: 5 ... Nf6 (as in the notes
to Game 26), 5 ... e6 (as in the notes to Game 36), or 5 ... Bb7 6 a4 b4 7
Bxc4 e6, followed by 8 ... Nf6 (transposing below). Black can even
consider 5 ... Bb7 6 a4 c6!?, trying to keep the pawn for good, though in
that case 7 axb5 cxb5 8 b3 cxb3 9 Nxb5! axb5 10 Bxb5+ Nd7 11 Rxa8
Bxa8 12 Qxb3 gives White sufficient compensation, in view of Black’s
completely undeveloped kingside.
5 ... b4
 The only move, as allowing a4xb5 right now would be disastrous.
6 Bxc4
Capturing on c4 straight away gives White another retreat option with
their c3-knight. Instead:
a) 6 Na2 (this allows Black to develop with ease) 6 ... e6 7 Bxc4 Bb7
(hitting g2 with tempo) 8 Nf3 Nf6 (White has a horrible score from this
position, as the a2-knight is quite sidelined; if Black can break with ... c7-c5
safely, they might even end up with more space than White) 9 0-0 (after 9
a5 c5 the a-pawn is under immediate fire) 9 ... a5 10 b3 Bd6 11 Bb2 0-0 12
Nc1 Nbd7 13 Ne2 c5 and a typical Slav-like position has arisen, but is more
favourable for Black than regular Slavs due to their active pieces.
b) 6 Nb1 (here too I recommend developing normally and striking back
with ... c7-c5) 6 ... e6 7 Bxc4 Bb7 (or even 7 ... c5 at once, since 8 Qf3 can
be answered by 8 ... Qc7, as 9 Qxa8? Bb7 10 Qa7 Nc6 traps the queen) 8
Nf3 c5 9 0-0 Nf6 and we get a normal-looking position that is similar to the
main lines, but Black is totally fine due to White having lost two tempi with
the queen’s knight.
c) 6 Ne4 (trying to capitalize on Black’s holes) 6 ... Bb7 (developing
with tempo and fighting for control of the long diagonal) 7 Nc5 (or 7 Nd2
Nf6 8 Nxc4 e6 9 Nf3 c5) 7 ... Bc6 8 Bd2 a5 (I recommend keeping the
queenside as closed as possible) 9 Rc1 e5 (but now detonating the centre)
10 Rxc4 exd4 11 Rxd4 Bd6 12 Ne4 Nf6 13 Nxd6+ cxd6 and Black has a
good game, despite the weak d-pawn and White’s two bishops, since White
severely lags in development.
d) 6 Qf3 is a quirky move, but White has a score of over 70% here.
 Exercise: How should Black respond?

Answer: By simply moving the rook out of the way: 6 ... Ra7
(remember that we try to avoid ... c7-c6 unless there is a good reason to
play it) 7 Bxc4 e6 8 Nce2 (if 8 Nb1 then 8 ... Bb7 9 Qh3 h5 10 Ne2 c5 11
Nd2 g5 is an interesting method of defence; not 8 Ne4?! Bb7 9 Nh3 f5! 10
Nhg5 Qe7 and Black wins material while warding off the onslaught with
precise moves) 8 ... Nf6 (simple development; Black can follow up with ...
Bd6 and ... 0-0; I analysed all of White’s attempts to generate an attack, and
they do not work) 9 Qg3 (if 9 e4 Bb7 10 d5 exd5 11 exd5 Be7 12 Nf4 0-0
13 Be3 c5 14 dxc6 Bxc6 15 Qe2 Rd7 16 Ngh3 Bd6 17 0-0 Re8, both sides
have active pieces but Black’s seem better placed) 9 ... Bd6!?
 Question: What kind of madness is this? Why did Black respond by
White’s pressurizing the g7-pawn by outright hanging it?

Answer: Black is enticing White to waste time pawn grabbing with the
queen, as in the Winawer Poisoned Pawn, except that this is a much better
version for Black given their development. Remember that the initiative is
key; material, not so much. After 10 Qxg7 (if 10 Qh4, Black can insist with
10 ... g5!) 10 ... Rg8 11 Qh6 Rg6 12 Qh4 c5 13 Nf3 Rg4 14 Qh3 (or 14 Qh6
Bf8) 14 ... e5 Black has a dangerous initiative for only one pawn.
6 ... e6
 Exercise: A quick tactics check: Why is it bad for Black to take on c3?

Answer: White answers 6 ... bxc3?? with 7 Qf3, threatening both the
a8-rook and to take on f7.
7 Nce2
This is White’s extra option. Had the knight gone here at once, it would
have just been in the way. Instead, 7 Na2 and 7 Nb1 transpose to their
equivalents on move six.
7 ... Bb7 8 Nf3
Simple development. The alternative is 8 Nf4 (getting ready for some
shenanigans on e6) 8 ... g5 (if White wants to fight, we fight) 9 Nxe6 fxe6
10 Qh5+
 Exercise: How should Black’s king escape?

Answer: By running to hide on c8: 10 ... Kd7 11 Nf3 Nf6 12 Ne5+ Kc8
(White can get a couple more pawns, but Black can use the time to
consolidate) 13 Bxe6+ Nbd7 14 Qxg5 Qe7 15 Qf5 a5 16 0-0 Bh7 and Black
is fine.
8 ... Nf6 9 b3
The positional approach; White intends to fianchetto on b2 to fight for
control of e5.
The alternative is to try and force through e3-e4, but Black can ensure
that advance can only be made as a sacrifice: 9 0-0 Bd6 (as it is not easy for
White to harass the bishop, it is well placed here, pointing directly at the
kingside) 10 Ng3 0-0
 a) 11 e4?! Nxe4 12 Nxe4 Bxe4 13 Re1 Bd5 14 Bxd5 exd5 15 Bg5 Qd7
gives White some compensation due to Black’s holes, but not enough for a
whole pawn.
b) 11 Qe2 Nbd7 12 e4 Bxg3 13 hxg3 Nxe4 (this time White gets the
bishop pair as compensation) 14 Bf4 a5 15 Rfc1 Ndf6 16 Rc2 Nd6 17 Bd3
Nd5 18 Be5 b3 19 Rc5 Nb4 20 Rac1 Bd5 (White has active rooks, but the
b3-pawn is a thorn in their side, and the a4-pawn has no natural defender)
21 Rxc7 Na2 22 R1c5 Ne8 23 Bb5 Nxc7 24 Rxc7 f6 25 Rd7 Qc8 26 Rc7
Qd8 leads to a draw by repetition on the black queen.
c) 11 Re1 Nbd7 12 e4 (it is not too late to change plans with 12 b3, as in
the main game) 12 ... Bxg3 13 hxg3 Nxe4 (White again has the bishop pair,
but equality is the most they can hope for) 14 Bf4 c5 15 a5 Ndf6 (it is
important to play actively, so Black brings the other knight into the game)
16 Qe2 Ng4 (putting pressure on f2 as a form of counterattack) 17 Ne5
(with the situation heating up in the centre and on the kingside, it would be
far too passive for White to defend the f2-pawn) 17 ... Nexf2 (taking twice
on g4 doesn’t win a piece, as Black has ... Qxd4+ afterwards) 18 dxc5 Qd4
19 c6 Nd1+ 20 Kh1 Ndf2+ 21 Kg1 Nd1+ is one of the weirdest perpetuals
in the entire book, and there have already been many!
9 ... Bd6
Again, the best square for the bishop.
10 Bb2 Nbd7 11 0-0 0-0
Both sides have their bishops pointed at the other’s kingside, which
means that the battle will remain tense; eventually, there will be a crescendo
where everything explodes.
12 Ng3 c5

The thematic strike in the centre. Black can follow up with ... Qe7 and
bringing both rooks to the central files. White can do the same with Qe2
and Rac1/Rfd1 or Rad1/Rfe1.
13 Rc1
Instead:
a) 13 dxc5 Bxc5 14 Rc1 Qe7 15 Qe2 Rfd8 16 Rfd1 Bd6 17 Ng5 Nc5 18
Bd4 a5 is essentially equal, which in this case means that there is balanced
dynamism where either player could play for a win with even chances.
 b) 13 Re1 h6 14 Rc1 (after 14 a5 cxd4 15 Bxd4 Qc7 both sides have
very active pieces and weak a-pawns; thus the game is equal) 14 ... Rc8 15
Qe2 cxd4 16 Nxd4 Qb6 17 Red1 a5 18 Nf3 Rfd8 19 Bb5 Bd5 and Black
has more space in a favourable Meran-type position.
13 ... Qe7 14 dxc5 Nxc5!?
Giving White the chance to unbalance the position; otherwise 14 ...
Bxc5 transposes to line ‘a’ in the previous note.
15 Bxf6
This is always a double-edged decision. It often happens in the French
Tarrasch 3 ... c5 line as well. White shatters the opposing kingside but gives
up the bishop pair and opens the g-file for Black’s rooks.
15 ... gxf6
Black can now play both in the centre and down the g-file.
16 Nd4
Or 16 Qd4 Kh8 17 Rfd1 Rad8 18 Qh4 Rg8 with good counterplay.
16 ... f5
So far, my analysis has coincided with Mineriva’s recommendation in
her Chessable course Queen’s Gambit Accepted - Grind for the Win. All of
the previous moves have been logical, and there was not much room for
deviation.
 17 f4
White fixes the pawn structure, preventing Black from advancing ... f5-
f4, as well as trying to seal the d6-bishop off from the kingside. If instead
17 Be2 Bxg3 18 hxg3 Ne4 19 Bf3 (Mineriva rightly assesses 19 Nc6?!
Bxc6 20 Rxc6 a5, P.Nedoma-W.Oudheusden, correspondence 2012, as
slightly better for Black) 19 ... Nc3 20 Qe1 Rfd8, Black is more
comfortable, but no more than that.
17 ... Rfd8
Or 17 ... Rad8 18 Be2 Qf6 19 a5 Ne4, when White should probably go
for 20 Nxe4 Bxe4 21 Bd3 e5 22 fxe5 Qxe5 23 g3 Bc5 then 24 Rxc5 Qxc5
25 Qh5 Bxd3 26 Qg5+ with another draw.
18 Be2 Qf6
White has enough play to maintain the balance despite the lack of a
dark-squared bishop. Ideally, White would love to exchange the light-
squared bishops in order to exploit Black’s queenside weaknesses,
especially the c6-square.
19 Nh5 Qh6 20 Ng3 Rac8
 20 ... Ne4 21 Nxe4 Bxe4 22 Bf3 Be5! would also have maintained
equality.
21 Bf3 Bxf3?!
There was no reason to acquiesce to the exchange of bishops. Black
could have kept the bishop pair by plugging the a8-h1 diagonal with 21 ...
Ne4.
22 Qxf3 Qf8?!
Now White is the one who is pressing.
23 Rfd1 Be7 24 h3
Ensuring that White’s king will be safer than Black’s. In some positions
g2-g4 might even be possible.
24 ... Bf6
If 24 ... a5 25 Nh5, the white pieces start swarming around the black
king with ominous threats.
25 a5 h6 26 Kh2 Kh7

27 Qe2
Harassing Black’s king with 27 Qh5 might offer more chances, when
Black has to watch out for any type of sacrifice on f5. For example: 27 ...
Bxd4 28 Rxd4 Nxb3 29 Rxc8 Rxc8 30 Rxb4 Nxa5 31 Nxf5, though 31 ...
Nc6! 32 Rb7 Nd8 still defends.
27 ... Rd5 28 Rc4 Bxd4 29 exd4
If 29 Rcxd4 Rxd4 30 exd4 Nxb3 31 Qxa6 then 31 ... Rc3 32 Ne2 Rc2
33 Qd3 Rb2 34 d5 Qd6 35 Qb5 Nc5 36 Qc6 Ne4 should hold.
29 ... Nxb3 30 Nh5 Rxc4 31 Qxc4 Nxa5 32 Qxa6 Qe7 33 Rd3 Kg8 34
Qc8+ Qd8 35 Rg3+ Kf8 36 Nf6 ½-½

A rather odd draw, but analysis bears it out: 36 ... Qxc8 37 Rg8+ Ke7 38
Nxd5+ Kd6! 39 Rxc8 Kxd5 40 Rc5+ Kxd4 41 Rxa5 b3! and if 42 Kg3 b2
43 Rb5 Kc3 44 Kh4 then 44 ... f6! 45 Kh5 e5! draws.

Game 36
J.Bellón Lopez-H.Jonkman
Santo Domingo 2001

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nc3 a6 4 Nf3

White maintains flexibility by developing pieces that they hope will end
up being useful regardless of what set-up Black chooses.
 4 ... e6

I recommend having a poker face and copying White by not making

committal decisions yet. Alternatively, 4 ... Nf6 transposes back to Game
26, while Semko Semkov and Aleksandr Delchev opt for 4 ... b5 in their
book Understanding the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. Some of their lines are
relevant here if White follows up with e2-e4.
5 a4
Seeing that Black has delayed pushing ... b7-b5, White decides to
prevent it.
Other moves:
a) 5 Bg5 hopes to make something of White’s development edge and
harass Black à la Trompowsky. I recommend borrowing an idea from the
Triangle Slav by kicking the bishop away with 5 ... f6. After 6 Bf4 (or 6
Bh4 b5 7 a4 b4 etc) 6 ... b5 7 a4 (White invites chaos, since 7 e4 Bd6 is
better for Black) 7 ... b4 8 Nb1 g5 9 Bg3 g4 10 Nfd2 Qxd4 chaos duly
ensues, but Black is by no means worse.
b) 5 e4 b5 6 a4 b4 7 Ne2 (anywhere else and White has problems with
the e4-pawn; for example, 7 Nb1 Bb7 8 Qc2 Nf6 9 e5 Nfd7 10 Bxc4 c5 and
White’s centre is falling apart, Huang Qian-S.Matveeva, Ergun 2006) 7 ...
Nc6! (7 ... Bb7 would now be met by 8 Ng3, so Black changes direction) 8
Ng3 (or 8 a5 b3, intending ... Nb4) 8 ... Na5 and Berger agrees that this is
slightly better for Black, who can hit in the centre with ... c7-c5 without
incident.
c) 5 e3 b5 6 a4 b4 is likely to transpose to lines we have already seen, In
particular, 7 Nb1 c5 8 Bxc4 Nf6 9 0-0 Bb7 is another route to note ‘a’ to
White’s fifth move in Game 26. If White tries 7 Ne4 (given that ... Nf6 has
not appeared yet), then 7 ... Bb7 8 Ng3 c5 already looks fine for Black.
5 ... Nc6 6 e3
White has to abandon plans of pushing e2-e4 if they wish to get the
pawn back, as after 6 e4 Na5 7 Be3 c6 8 Ne5 b5 9 Qf3 Nf6 Black easily
hangs on to it.
6 ... Na5
Although Black cannot now keep the extra pawn, this makes White
work a little to regain it, while clearing the way to break in the centre with
... c7-c5.
7 Ne5 c5
 One of the main motives of bringing the knight to a5, while also asking
White if they want to enter an IQP position.
8 Nxc4
If White plays 8 Bxc4, I would not grab the bishop pair, as after 8 ...
Nxc4?! 9 Nxc4 White has ideas of a4-a5, clamping down on Black’s
queenside. Instead, I prefer quick development with 8 ... Nf6, followed by
... Bd6 and ... 0-0, or ... b7-b6 and ... Bb7, or likely both.
8 ... Nf6 9 Nxa5
The endgame after 9 dxc5 Qxd1+ 10 Kxd1 (or 10 Nxd1 Nb3 11 Rb1
Bxc5) 10 ... Nxc4 11 Bxc4 Bxc5 is, if anything, easier for Black.
9 ... Qxa5
Black just has to develop the f8-bishop, castle, and then mobilize the
queenside pieces. Meanwhile White has an odd structure, since the a4-pawn
leaves a big hole on b4, and the c1-bishop cannot go anywhere yet.
10 Be2
If 10 Bd3 Bd7 11 0-0 cxd4 12 exd4 Bc6 13 Bf4 Be7 14 Be5 0-0 15 Qc2
g6, White has no attack and Black can focus on pressuring the d4-pawn.
10 ... cxd4 11 exd4
11 Qxd4 avoids the IQP, but after 11 ... e5 12 Qd3 (or 12 Qh4 Be7) 12
... Be6 Black has free development and piece play. If White is not careful,
Black could end up with more space.
11 ... Bd7
Both sides plan to fight for control over the crucial a8-h1 diagonal.
12 Bf3
Trying to discourage ... Bc6, but Black can play it anyway.
12 ... Bc6 13 0-0 Bd6
It is important to get the f8-bishop out and castle to avoid falling behind
in development. Here the bishop aims at White’s vulnerable h2-pawn.
14 Bxc6+ bxc6 15 Qf3 Rc8
 Both sides have pawn weaknesses, with three pawn islands each. Black
would like to blockade the light squares, while White might try to infiltrate
via the dark squares if they can exchange bishops.
16 Bf4 Bxf4 17 Qxf4 0-0
Having finally castled, the position is easier to play for Black in a
practical game, since d4 and b2 are easier to attack than a6 and c6.
18 Rfd1 Rb8 19 Ne4 Nxe4 20 Qxe4 Rxb2 21 Qxc6 Rd8 22 Qc5 Qb4
23 Qc7 Qb6
The IQP is a lingering sore in White’s camp.
24 Qe7?!
White should exchange queens straight away.
24 ... Qd6?
Creating luft with 24 ... g6 would have given a big edge due to that
horrible IQP.
25 Qxd6 Rxd6
 Black is still slightly better, which is much less of an edge than before,
but White still has to defend correctly.
26 Rac1?!
A grandmaster should be able to draw after something like 26 Rdb1
Rdb6 (or 26 ... Rxb1+ 27 Rxb1 g6 28 Rb4) 27 Rd1 g6 28 d5 exd5 29 Rxd5
Ra2 30 Rdd1 Rbb2 31 Rxa2 Rxa2 32 h4 Rxa4 33 Rd8+ Kg7 34 Ra8, so
perhaps White was short of time.
26 ... g6 27 Rc4 Rd5 28 h4 Rf5 29 f3 Ra5 30 Ra1 h5 31 Kh2 Rd2 32
Rb1?! Rd5 33 Rbb4?! a5 34 Rb8+ Kg7 35 Ra8? R2xd4 36 Rxd4 Rxd4
37 Rxa5 Rxh4+ 38 Kg3 Rb4 39 Ra8 g5 40 a5 ½-½
The result given in the database may be wrong, as Black is now
completely winning.

Game 37
L.Koridze-A.S.Zakharov
Titled Tuesday (online blitz) 2021

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nc3 a6 4 a4
 GM Evgeny Vorobiov correctly gives this move a dubious mark in his
repertoire book Uskorennaja debjutnaja podgatovka - Debjutij za
chjornyjkh.
4 ... e5!

In their various books and discs GMs Evgeny Vorobiov and Chris Ward
and IM Steve Berger all go for 4 ... Nc6, when Black gets a favourable sort
of Chigorin’s Defence. This is indeed perfectly good, since 5 d5 and 5 e3
are both answered by 5 ... Na5, while 5 Nf3 Nf6 transposes to 3 Nf3 Nf6 4
Nc3 a6 5 a4 Nc6 in the notes to Game 26. Nonetheless, I prefer the
counterblow 4 ... e5, as it detonates the centre immediately and is the most
direct way to punish White for playing too slowly.
5 e3
Instead:
a) 5 d5? Bb4 leaves the d-pawn irreparably weak, while if 6 e4 Qh4, the
e4-pawn is now under heavy fire as well.
b) 5 dxe5?! Qxd1+ 6 Nxd1 Nc6 or 6 Kxd1 Be6 is also bad for White.
c) 5 Nf3 exd4 6 Qxd4 (6 Nxd4?! c5 7 Nf3 Qxd1+ is clearly worse) 6 ...
Qxd4 7 Nxd4 c5 8 Nf3 Nc6 9 Nd5 may be the best attempt to get an equal
game, and if 9 ... Bd6 10 Nd2! Nf6 11 Nb6 Nb4 12 Rb1 Bf5 13 Nxa8 0-0
14 Nb6 Re8 15 Nbxc4 Nd3+ 16 Kd1 Nxf2+ 17 Ke1 Nd3+, White can be
relieved to have escaped with perpetual check.
5 ... exd4
Now White ends up with an IQP no matter what.
6 exd4
The only move.
a) 6 Qxd4? Qxd4 7 exd4 Nc6 8 Be3 Na5 leaves White a pawn down.
b) 6 Bxc4?? dxc3 7 Bxf7+ fails to 7 ... Ke7 8 Qb3 Nh6 9 Bd5 Nd7 10
Qxc3 c6, as White is too slow getting pieces out to attack Black’s king.
6 ... Nc6

Black hits the d4-pawn and develops a piece simultaneously.

7 Be3??
A serious error, even though it looks like one of the most natural, logical
moves White can make. Instead, there were two possible ways to restore the
material balance:
a) 7 Nf3 Na5 (Black can and should hang on to the c4-pawn) 8 Qe2+
Be7 9 Qe5 c6 10 Qxg7 Bf6 11 Qg3 Nb3 12 Rb1 b5 and White is in bad
shape.
b) 7 Bxc4!? Nxd4 8 Be3 Be6! (defusing the gambit by allowing White
to regain the pawn) 9 Bxa6 Rxa6 10 Qxd4 Qxd4 11 Bxd4 Nh6 and although
no longer material up, Black has the advantage in view of the two bishops
and the weak white a-pawn.
7 ... Na5
Again holding on to the c4-pawn. Note that White has no knight on f3,
so Ne5 and Nxc4 are not possible yet.
8 Nf3 Nf6
Pinning the c3-knight with 8 ... Bb4, followed by ... Ne7 and ... 0-0,
may be even stronger.
9 Be2
White gives up on recovering the c4-pawn for the moment and tries to
castle as quickly as possible. Black has time to hang on to the pawn and
develop quickly as well, so I recommend overprotecting the c4-pawn.
9 ... Be6 10 0-0

10 ... Be7
 Here 10 ... c6 11 Qc2 Be7 12 Ne5 0-0 13 f4 Nd5 would have guaranteed
Black a winning position.
11 Ne5 Nd5
Black aims to trade off the c3-knight so that ... b7-b5 is possible,
protecting the c4-pawn and getting the queenside pawns in motion.
12 Nxd5?
12 Bg4 0-0 13 Bxe6 fxe6 14 Qg4 Rf5 would “only” be clearly worse for
White, which gives some clues about how bad their position is.
12 ... Bxd5 13 Rc1 b5 14 axb5
If 14 Bg4 0-0 15 Bf5 g6 16 Qg4 Bf6 17 Bh6 Bg7, White’s pieces look
scary, but it is all bluff.
14 ... axb5 15 Bf3 0-0 16 Bxd5 Qxd5 17 Qg4 f5 18 Qg3 Bf6

Now Black is completely winning, but anything can happen in a blitz

game.
19 Rcd1 Nb3 20 Kh1 Rfe8 21 Nf3 Re7 22 Bf4 c6 23 Ne5 Nxd4 24
Rxd4 Qxd4 25 Nxc6 Qxb2??
25 ... Qe4 26 Nxe7+ Qxe7 should win easily enough.
26 Nxe7+ Kf7
 Unfortunately 26 ... Bxe7?? loses at once to 27 Be5.
27 Nxf5 Ra1 28 Ne3 Rxf1+ 29 Nxf1 c3 30 Qe3 c2 31 Qc1 Qb1 32
Kg1 Bb2 33 Qd2 c1Q 34 Qd7+ Kf6 35 Qd6+ Kf7 36 Qd7+ Kg6 37 Bxc1
Qxc1 38 Qxb5

White has emerged a pawn up and can try to torture Black for a long
time. She definitely succeeded in torturing him but not in winning the
game.
38 ... Bf6 39 Qd3+ Kf7 40 g3 g6 41 Kg2 Kg7 42 Ne3 Qc6+ 43 Kf1
Qe8 44 Ke2 Qf7 45 Qd5 h5 46 Qxf7+ Kxf7 47 Kf3 Kg7 48 Ke4 Ba1 49
f4 Kf7 50 h3 Bb2 51 Nd1 Ba1 52 Kf3 Bf6 53 Ne3 Bd4 54 Nd5 Bb2 55
Nb4 Bc3 56 Nd3 Bd2 57 Nc5 Bb4 58 Ne4 Ba5 59 Nd6+ Kg7 60 Nc4 Bb4
61 Ke4 Bc3 62 g4 Be1 63 f5 hxg4 64 hxg4 gxf5+ 65 gxf5 Kf7 66 Ne5+
Kf8 67 Kd5 Bh4 68 Ke6 Ke8 69 Ng6 Bg5 70 Ne5 Bh4 71 Nf3 Bd8 72
Nd4 Bh4 73 Nc6 Bg5 74 Ne5 Bh4 ½-½

Game 38
J.Vaculik-J.Sobek
Czech League 2017
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Nc3 a6 4 g3
By fianchettoing the light-squared bishop White aims to deter ... b7-b5
and reach a Catalan-type position. Naturally, we will be avoiding that.
Of White’s remaining fourth move options:
a) 4 Qa4+? fails comprehensively to regain the pawn in view of 4 ... b5
5 Nxb5?? Bd7 and Black wins a piece.
b) 4 Bf4 develops the bishop before playing e2-e3 to target the c4-pawn.
However, the bishop is a little exposed on f4, while Black can use the time
taken to increase their counterplay. For example: 4 ... b5 5 a4 b4 6 Nb1 (or
6 Na2 Nc6 7 e3 e5!, as in J.Tourinho-L.J.Borges, correspondence 2000) 6 ...
c5 7 e3 Nc6 8 Nf3 cxd4 9 exd4 Be6 10 Nbd2 c3 11 bxc3 bxc3 12 Ne4 Nf6
13 Nxc3 Nd5 14 Nxd5 (or 14 Bd2 g6) 14 ... Bxd5, followed by ... e7-e6, ...
Bd6 and ... 0-0 with a good position for Black in view of the IQP.
4 ... e5!

Immediately striking in the centre. White already has a difficult choice.

5 dxe5
Other moves:
 a) 5 d5? merely creates a target and blocks White’s bishop if it comes to
g2 as intended. After 5 ... b5 6 e4 Bd6 7 a4 b4 8 Nb1 Nf6 9 f3, Gü.Moser-
G.Mitterhümer, Austrian League 2001, and 9 ... c6 Black is virtually
winning already.
b) 5 Nf3 exd4 solves all Black’s problems straight away. For example,
after 6 Nxd4 (or 6 Qxd4 Qxd4 7 Nxd4 Nf6 8 Bf4 c6) 6 ... Nf6 7 Bg2 Bc5 8
Be3 Nbd7 9 Nf5 Bxe3 10 Nxe3 Nb6 11 Qxd8+ Kxd8 12 0-0-0+ Ke7, the
most White can hope for is to regain the pawn with equality.
5 ... Qxd1+ 6 Kxd1 Ne7
Black anticipates the bishop coming to g2 and plans to develop the
queen’s knight on c6 without the risk of Bxc6 shattering the queenside.
7 Bg2
If 7 f4 b5 8 Bg2 Nbc6 9 Nf3 Bb7 10 e4 Nb4 11 a4 Nd3, I do not foresee
White’s king getting to safety.
7 ... Nbc6

8 Bxc6+
Presumably White did not like 8 f4 Be6 9 Bd2 0-0-0 10 Ke1 f6,
chipping away at their centre, and so tried a tactical solution, at the cost of
giving up the light-squared bishop.
8 ... Nxc6 9 Nd5 Kd7
The best way to cover c7, as Black’s king can enter the battle right now
if needed.
10 Bf4?
The bishop has no scope here. 10 Nf3 was better, when 10 ... b5 11 Kc2
Nb4+ 12 Nxb4 Bxb4 13 a4 Kc6 14 axb5+ Kxb5 shows how Black’s king
can be put to good use!
10 ... b5 11 Nf3 Bb7 12 Kc2 Re8
12 ... Rd8 is better. 13 Rhd1 Kc8, White now has to deal with the threat
of ... Rxd5.
13 Rhd1 Kc8 14 a4

Exercise: How can Black break up White’s (albeit fragile) defensive

barrier?

14 ... h6?!
 Answer: Black should attack the centre with 14 ... f6! to get behind the
pawn chain and harass White’s pieces. After 15 axb5 axb5 16 exf6 (or 16
Nc3 b4 17 Nb5 g5 18 Be3 g4 19 Nfd4 Nxe5) 16 ... Rxe2+ 17 Rd2 Rxd2+
18 Kxd2 Nb8! (uncovering a skewer on the white knights) 19 Nxc7 Bxf3 20
fxg7 Bxg7 21 Nxb5 Nc6 22 Nd6+ Kd7 23 Nxc4 Ke6, White’s three pawns
are not worth the missing bishop.
15 axb5 axb5 16 h4?!
It was worth spending two tempi on 16 Nc3 b4 17 Nd5 to undermine
Black’s pawn chain.
16 ... Bc5
Both sides are losing the thread. 16 ... f6! was still correct, when 17 exf6
Rxe2+ 18 Rd2 Rxd2+ 19 Kxd2 Nb8 is much the same as at move 14.
17 Kd2?
17 b3 cxb3 18 Kxb3 Bf2 19 e3 Rd8 20 Nc3 was a better option.
17 ... Bxf2?!
17 ... Rd8 18 Ke1 Nb4 19 Nxb4 Bxb4+ 20 Bd2 Bc5 21 Bc3 Rxd1+ 22
Rxd1 Re8 was an easy route to a clear advantage, as the e5-pawn is a
permanent weakness.
18 e3 g5?
Here 18 ... Nxe5! 19 Nxe5 g5 was correct, and if 20 Nxf7 gxf4 21 Nxh8
fxg3 22 Ke2 Rxh8, Black’s two bishops and two pawns are much stronger
than White’s knight and extra rook.
19 hxg5 hxg5 20 Nxg5 Nxe5?!
20 ... Rxe5! 21 Bxe5 Nxe5 22 Kc3 Bxg3 might still offer Black a little
something.
21 Nf6??
At the very moment they are back in the game, White makes an horrific
blunder. Instead, after 21 Nxc7! Kxc7 22 Nxf7, the position is a mess but
dynamically balanced since White will regain the piece.
21 ... Rd8+ 22 Ke2 Rxd1 23 Rxd1 Rh2
White is totally busted now. The rest is just Black converting a decisive
advantage, even if it did take another 47 moves.
24 Kf1 Rh1+ 25 Kxf2 Nd3+ 26 Rxd3 cxd3 27 e4 Rh2+ 28 Ke1 Rxb2 29
Nxf7 Re2+ 30 Kd1 b4 31 Ne5 Ba6 32 Nd5 b3 33 Nc3 b2 34 Nf3 Rc2 35
Nb1 Bb5 36 Ne1 Ba4 37 Nxd3 Rc1+ 38 Kd2 Rxb1 39 Kc3 Re1 40 Kxb2
Rxe4 41 Kc3 Bb5 42 Nf2 Re2 43 Ng4 Kd7 44 Ne5+ Ke6 45 Kb4 c6 46
Nf3 Kd5 47 Nd2 Bd3 48 Kc3 Bf5 49 Bg5 c5 50 Bf4 Bg6 51 Bg5 Rh2 52
Bf4 Rg2 53 Kb3 Be4 54 Kc3 Bh7 55 Bc7 Rg1 56 Kb2 Be4 57 Bb8 Kd4
58 Nb3+ Kc4 59 Nd2+ Kd3 60 Nb3 Rg2+ 61 Ka3 Kc4 62 Bd6 Bb1 63
Nc1 Kc3 64 Bf4 c4 65 Be5+ Kc2 66 Bf4 Kd1 67 Kb4 Bd3 68 Kc3 Rc2+
69 Kd4 Bh7 70 g4 Bg8 0-1
Chapter Six
Third Move Alternatives
1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4

There are few sensible remaining options at White’s disposal on move

three. 3 Qa4+ lets Black equalize easily, though is not bad. Alternatives
such as 3 g3, however, let Black take the initiative early, which make them
illogical to play.

Game 39
M.Miksatko-R.Wiener
Prague 2005

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 g3
 White tries to construct a Catalan set-up as soon as possible. 3 Qa4+, 3
a4, and other moves are examined in the next two games.
3 ... e5!

This pawn break totally interrupts White’s plans. It is no long possible

for White to try and reach a slow Catalan set-up where they can torture
Black all day. One of the major advantages of the QGA, as compared to the
QGD for example, is that we never transpose to the dreaded Catalan.
4 Nf3
Other moves are even worse:
a) 4 d5 c6 and White has nothing for the pawn.
b) 4 Qa4+ fails to recoup the pawn after 4 ... Qd7 5 Qxd7+ (or 5 Qxc4
Qxd4) 5 ... Nxd7.
c) 4 dxe5 Qxd1+ 5 Kxd1 Nc6 6 Nf3 (or 6 Bf4 Be6 and 7 ... 0-0-0, while
6 f4 f6 weakens White’s position even more) 6 ... Bg4 7 Bg2 0-0-0+ 8 Ke1
Bxf3 9 Bxf3 Nxe5 and Black is just a pawn up.
4 ... exd4
We encounter a familiar scenario: Black asks whether White would
rather be a pawn down with or without queens on the board.
 5 Qxd4
If 5 Nxd4 then 5 ... Qd5!? is an interesting possibility, forcing White
either to move the h1-rook or make the humiliating retreat Nf3.
5 ... Qxd4 6 Nxd4 Bc5 7 Nb5
Instead:
a) 7 Be3 Nf6 8 Nd2 Nd5 9 Nxc4 Nxe3 10 fxe3 sees White regain the
pawn at the cost of their structure and the two bishops. That engines were
able to defend the position in two games between Leela and Stockfish is no
recommendation for a human to play it as White.
b) 7 Nc2 Be6 is also much better for Black.
7 ... Na6
Black easily defends the c7-pawn and intends ... c7-c6 next to kick the
b5-knight away, after which the c8-bishop will come to e6 to protect the c4-
pawn. Meanwhile White is already behind in development.
8 Bg2
If 8 Bf4, Black plays 8 ... c6 anyway, as after 9 Nd6+ Bxd6 10 Bxd6
Be6 White’s bishop pair is not enough for the pawn.
8 ... c6 9 N5a3 Be6 10 0-0 Rc8
Defending c6 in order to enable ... b7-b5, but there was no need. Simply
10 ... 0-0-0, followed by ... Nf6 and ... Rhe8 would have been more
accurate, since White has no real way to attack the c4-pawn.
11 Nc2 Ne7 12 e4?
12 Nc3 0-0 13 Ne4 was better in the sense of “less worse”, as there is no
clear way for White to regain the pawn, and they definitely have insufficient
compensation.
12 ... 0-0 13 Re1 f5
A pawn up with a big lead in development Black logically starts an
attack, though something like 13 ... Ng6 14 Be3 Ne5 would be winning
easily in any case.
14 Bg5?!
Objectively, 14 Be3 Bxe3 15 Rxe3 f4 was preferable for White, if still
very bad.
14 ... Ng6 15 Bh3
 15 ... Bxf2+??
Black gets carried away and completely miscalculates. This move
deserves three question marks. 15 ... Ne5 16 Nd2 Nd3 was easy enough.
16 Kxf2
A free piece.
16 ... fxe4+ 17 Kg2 Bxh3+ 18 Kxh3 Rf2 19 Nd2 Ne5 20 Be3 Rf5 21
g4 Rf7 22 Nxe4 Rcf8 23 Nd4 Nd3 24 Re2 Re7 25 Nd6 g6 26 Kg3 Nab4
27 Nxc4 Rfe8
 White seems to have gotten themself into a pickle on the e-file, but
tactics allow them to escape with impunity.
28 Rd1??
Returning the favour. 28 Bh6 Rxe2 29 Nxe2 Rxe2 30 Rf1 would have
won for White, due to the permanent threat of mate on the back rank: 30 ...
Re8 31 Nd6 Rd8 32 Rf7 Ne5 33 Rg7+ Kh8 34 Rxb7 and so on.
28 ... b5! 29 Nxc6??
The same idea of 29 Bh6 Nxe2 30 Nxe2 bxc4 31 Nc3 keeps White in
the game.
29 ... Nxc6 30 Rxd3 bxc4 31 Rc3 Nd4 32 Re1 Nb5 33 Kf2 Nxc3 34
bxc3 Rb7 35 Rd1 Rf7+ 0-1

Game 40
M.Akdag-D.Kustra
Correspondence 2007

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 Qa4+
 White actually scores quite well with this sideline, so it is important to
know how to answer it.
3 ... Nd7
Again, we opt for an ambitious set-up with ideas of ... a7-a6 and ... b7-
b5 to protect the c4-pawn in case White doesn’t capture on c4; even if they
do, the ... b7-b5 advance will gain a tempo kicking the queen. It is worth
repeating that I avoid any Catalan-style schemes, as that is certainly what
White would love.

4 Nf3
4 Qxc4 allows 4 ... e5, which gives Black free piece play. Similarly, if 4
e4 or 4 e3, then 4 ... c6 (threatening ... b7-b5) 5 Qxc4 e5, when White has to
be careful to not fall behind in development.
4 ... a6
Beginning to prepare ... b7-b5. IM Milovan Ratkovi recommends 4 ...
e6 in his course Queen’s Gambit Accepted, but I prefer 4 ... a6, as it forces
White to act immediately, and ... b7-b5 is unstoppable as well.
5 Nc3
 If 5 Qxc4 e6 6 g3, still hoping for a Catalan, then 6 ... b5 7 Qc6 (or 7
Qc2?! Bb7 8 Bg2 c5) 7 ... Rb8 8 Bf4 Bb7 9 Qxc7 Qxc7 10 Bxc7 Rc8, as in
Du Chunhui-N.Legky, Bruges 2019, gives Black excellent play for the
pawn.
5 ... e6

6 e4
On 6 Bf4 Ngf6 (6 ... Bd6 is also fine) 7 e4, Black can even try 7 ... b5!?
8 Nxb5 axb5 9 Qxa8 Bb4+ 10 Nd2 (10 Bd2 Nb6 11 Qc6+ Bd7 12 Qb7 Bc8
13 Qc6+ Bd7 is an immediate draw) 10 ... 0-0 with a strong initiative for
the exchange while White tries to extricate the queen.
6 ... Rb8 7 Qxc4 b5 8 Qd3 Bb7 9 Be2 Ngf6
Black now threatens to win the e4-pawn with ... b5-b4.
10 e5 Nd5 11 0-0
 11 ... Nb4?!
There was absolutely no need to move this knight. Both 11 ... Be7 and
11 ... h6 were better and equal.
12 Qd2! c5 13 a3
13 Rd1 cxd4 14 Nxd4 Nxe5 15 Qe3 would have given White an edge,
with heavy pressure down both central files for the pawn.
13 ... cxd4 14 axb4?!
Or here 14 Nxd4! Nd5 15 Nxd5 Bxd5 16 Qc3 Bc5 17 Rd1, when White
has more space, better development and fewer weaknesses.
14 ... dxc3 15 Qxc3 Rc8 16 Qd4 Nb6 17 Qg4 Nd5 18 Rd1
As of now the game is equal again. White has more space but an ugly
queenside structure, while the d5-knight can never be dislodged.
If 18 h4 g6 19 Bg5 Qb6 20 Rfd1 Bg7 21 h5 h6 22 Bd2 g5, Black closes
the kingside and can look for counterplay on the other flank. Even 23 Bd3
0-0 is possible, since 24 Bxg5 (or 24 Qe4 Nf6!) 24 ... hxg5 25 Qxg5 Qd8 26
Qg3 Kh8 27 h6! Bxh6 28 Qh3 Kg7 29 Qg3+ Kh8 is a draw by repetition.
18 ... h5?!
 While tempting, this is an inaccuracy. Instead, something like 18 ... Qc7
19 Bg5 h6 20 Rac1 Qd7 21 Rxc8+ Qxc8 22 Bd2 g6 23 Bd3 Qd7 24 h4 Bg7
25 h5 g5 would give both sides their chances in a complex position. White
has very active pieces, but Black has a rock-solid knight on d5.
19 Qg3 h4 20 Qg4 h3

Black is really playing with fire, especially in a correspondence game.

21 gxh3
I might prefer 21 Rd4!? hxg2 22 Bd2, when White has a slight edge due
to better-placed pieces, despite having a shattered kingside.
21 ... g6 22 Bg5 Be7 23 Bd3 Qd7 24 h4 Kf8
If 24 ... Nxb4 25 Be4 Nd5 26 Bxe7 Qxe7 27 Bxd5 exd5 28 Qg3, White
has unquestionable control over the dark squares.
25 Bd2?!
White has ideas of Ng5 and Nxf7, but never gets the time. The little
move 25 h3 was stronger, giving the king the h2-square, and waiting to see
how Black proceeds before committing to a plan of attack.
25 ... Nb6
 Exploiting the fact that White’s bishop retreat left the other one
undefended.
26 Be2 Bxf3 27 Qxf3
White has the two bishops, but they are doing little. 27 Bxf3 Rc4 28
Qg2 Rcxh4 also provides Black with ample counterplay.
27 ... Nd5 28 Rxa6 Rxh4

Black now has good counterplay in a French/Caro-Kann-type structure.

White’s pawns are horrendous, but their pieces are very active.
29 Qg3 Kg7 30 Bf3 Rcc4 31 Ra8?!
The computer offers the line 31 Bc3 Qb7 32 Rd6!? Qc8 33 Bxd5 exd5
34 e6+ Kh6 35 Bd2+ Kg7 36 Bc3+ Kh6 with a draw.
31 ... Rcd4?!
31 ... Qc7! 32 b3 Rc2 would have allowed Black to control the c- and h-
files with a slight edge. White has problems moving their pieces and finding
a constructive plan.
32 Bh6+ Kh7
Or 32 ... Kxh6 33 Rxd4 Rxd4 34 Rh8+ Kg7 35 Qh3 and Black has to
return the piece on h4 in order to prevent mate.
 33 Rxd4 Rxd4 34 Bg5 Bxg5 35 Qxg5 Nf4 36 Qh4+ Nh5 37 Qg5 Nf4
Neither side can profitably avoid the repetition.
38 Qh4+ Nh5 39 Qg5 ½-½

Game 41
A.Pechisker-R.Jiganchine
Vancouver 2008

1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4

3 a4?
This terrible move has over 150 appearances in the databases. White
wastes time and weakens the queenside irreparably before Black even
threatens to defend the c4-pawn.
Of White’s remaining third move alternatives:
a) 3 Qc2?! tries to entice Black to take on d4 with the queen, then chase
her around the board. I recommend declining the pawn for now in favour of
3 ... Nc6! 4 e3 e5 and Black is already much better.
 b) 3 Na3?! is a quirky idea where White hopes to regain the pawn and
place the knight on c4. Again, striking in the centre is the best response: 3 ...
e5! 4 dxe5 (obviously 4 Nxc4 just loses a pawn now, while if 4 Nf3 e4 5
Ne5 Bb4+ 6 Bd2 Bxa3 7 Qa4+ b5 8 Qxa3 f6, the e5-knight has no retreat
square) 4 ... Qxd1+ 5 Kxd1 Bxa3 6 bxa3 b5 and Black is better in view of
White’s weak structure and insecure king.
c) 3 Bf4 is a standard-looking development and prevents ... e7-e5, but
ignores the c4-pawn for the moment, which means Black can try and defend
it: 3 ... a6 4 e3 (or if 4 a4 then 4 ... Nc6 5 e3 e5! with an edge for Black) 4 ...
b5 5 a4 Bb7 6 axb5 (not 6 b3?? e5! and 7 ... Bb4+ virtually wins at once) 6
... axb5 7 Rxa8 Bxa8 8 Nc3 c6 and White doesn’t have enough for the
pawn. Probably White should opt for 4 Nc3, transposing to a 3 Nc3 sideline
in the notes to Game 38.
3 ... e5

Breaking in the centre, episode 2,718,932.

4 dxe5
4 e3 exd4 looks like a normal QGA, except that White has a silly pawn
on a4. After 5 Bxc4 (perhaps the best try, with the aim of making a mess of
the position; 5 Qxd4 Qxd4 6 exd4 Nc6 and 5 exd4 Nc6 are both hopeless) 5
... Bb4+ (please do not take on e3, as Bxf7+ will not be pleasant) 6 Kf1
(note that 6 Bd2 dxe3! is now very strong, in view of 7 Bxb4 exf2+ 8 Ke2
fxg1N+! and wins) 6 ... Nc6 7 Qb3 Qe7 8 Nf3 Na5 9 Qd3 Nxc4 10 Qxc4
Be6 and White could have resigned here in C.Camacho-Wo.Richter,
correspondence 2013.
4 ... Qxd1+ 5 Kxd1 Nc6

Not only is White’s king stranded on d1, there are gaping holes on both
b4 and b3 due to the a2-a4 advance.
6 Bf4
If 6 Nf3 then 6 ... Be6 supports the c4-pawn and prepares ... 0-0-0 with
a clear advantage.
6 ... Nge7
6 ... Bf5 7 Nf3 0-0-0+ would have been pretty much winning by move
seven (!).
7 Nf3 Ng6 8 Bg3 Bg4?!
And here 8 ... h5 9 h4 Bf5 followed by ... 0-0-0 wins.
 9 Nbd2 0-0-0 10 Kc1?! Na5 11 Kc2 Bb4 12 e3? Rhe8 13 h3 Be6 14
Be2

14 ... Bxd2?
Black begins to go very wrong. 14 ... Nxe5! 15 Bxe5 Bf5+ 16 e4 Rxe5
was killing.
15 Nxd2 Rxd2+??
Perhaps Black thought this would help to simplify the position, but what
happens is that material is equal with White having the bishop pair. 15 ...
Ne7 16 Ne4 Nd5 would have kept a big edge.
16 Kxd2 Nb3+ 17 Kc3 Nxa1 18 Rxa1 Bd5?
I have a feeling that Black must have been in shock after having thrown
away a totally winning position. Often that causes a player to lose hope and
interest in the game. 18 ... Bd7 19 f4 f6 20 e4 fxe5 21 f5 Nf4 22 Bxc4 Nh5,
intending ... Nf6 and ... Bc6 was less bad.
19 Rd1 Bc6?!
But if 19 ... Bxg2? then 20 Bg4+ Kb8 21 e6! fxe6 22 Rd7 wins.
20 Bg4+ Kb8 21 a5 a6 22 f4 Bxg2 23 Rd7 Ne7 24 Bh4 Ng6? 25 Bd8
Bc6 26 Bxc7+ Ka8 27 Rxf7 Ne7 28 Rxg7 h6 29 Kxc4 Nd5 30 Bb6 1-0
White is now three pawns up with a totally won position. A cruel lesson for
Black on playing too carelessly when being completely winning.
Chapter Seven
The London System
1 d4 d5 2 Bf4

We need to have a talk before we start this chapter. The London System
is perhaps the most hated opening in the world right now, supposing one did
a poll asking which opening is more annoying for both White and Black
combined. The reason is that the London is extremely solid and hard to
break down; White can, in many cases, play on autopilot, although I would
not recommend it.
The London System has traditionally been connected with club players,
especially those under 2000 FIDE, who either have no time to study
openings or deliberately want to avoid opening theory and thus play a
system-like opening, regardless of how much time they may have.
Nowadays, the London System is used at all levels, from beginner up to
elite GM level, including even Magnus Carlsen. Here are a few truths about
the London that you must accept immediately so that you do not go into this
chapter with completely erroneous misconceptions:
1) The London System is not boring.
2) The London System can be played to fight for an advantage.
3) The London is played so often, and at such high levels, that under no
circumstances can you dismiss or ignore it as a mere sideline. This is a
serious opening that deserves ample coverage where you need to have
concrete knowledge.
2 ... c5!
Undoubtedly the best response to the Modern London, 2 Bf4 without a
preliminary Nf3. Black forces White to define their plans regarding the d4-
pawn instead of letting them set up the London Triangle - pawns on
c3/d4/e3 - with ease. There is an unbelievable amount of GM games from
this position, but I recommend a subtle move order trick that gets White out
of their comfort zone, as we shall see shortly.
We will look at the “Old” London too; i.e. 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bf4. This is less
popular now, but White can use it to avoid our planned set-up after 2 Bf4.
Even so, Black has good play.

Game 42
S.Sabaev-M.Stöckert
Correspondence 2016

1 d4 d5 2 Bf4
This is the modern move, sometimes called the “Accelerated London”.
White gets the c1-bishop out immediately, delaying the development of the
g1-knight. This move order is extremely popular nowadays and is
recommended in GMs Sahaj Grover and Srinath Naranayan’s Chessable
course, IndrekR’s Chessable course, GM Simon Williams’ ChessBase
DVD, GM Nigel Davies’ ChessBase DVD, amongst others.
The “traditional” London System with 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bf4 is examined in
Game 45.
2 ... c5
 This is the main response to the modern 2 Bf4. Black tries to capitalize
on White’s lack of Nf3 to bypass certain lines.
3 e3
The usual continuation, and the one that you should expect in most of
your games from this position. White bolsters the d4-pawn in the most
natural way. Other options, in particular 3 e4, are covered in Game 44.
3 ... Nc6
Black remains flexible as well; the knight will be useful on c6 in most
positions.
4 Nf3

The big main line. White finally develops the king’s knight. We will
look at 4 c3 and other moves in Game 43.
4 ... cxd4!
The key move. It looks inconspicuous, since exchanging on d4 is
something that Black does in many variations of the London. The fine detail
is that Black has not yet developed the king’s knight, which will be
extremely important for our set-up, as it enables Black to play a later ... f7-
f6, taking control of the e5-square.
 This idea is rarely covered in London sources. The only one that I can
find is IM Alex Banzea’s Chessable course, Alex Banzea’s London System,
where he rejects 2 Bf4 c5 entirely and recommends 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bf4,
specifically with the aim of avoiding 4 ... cxd4, followed by ... f7-f6. This
gap in knowledge of 4 ... cxd4! poses a serious threat to White’s ambitions
of proving an advantage against 2 Bf4 c5 and should most likely confuse
your opponents - that is, if they even sense the nuances!
5 exd4
Taking with the knight, 5 Nxd4, makes little sense as White loses
control over the centre, which Black can immediately exploit by playing 5
... f6 and then:
a) 6 Bd3 e5 7 Nxc6 bxc6 8 Bg3 Be6 9 0-0 Rb8 10 Nd2 Nh6 11 e4 Bc5
12 Kh1 0-0 and Black has more space and one more centre pawn than
White, something that is uncommon in the London.
b) 6 Bb5

Exercise: This pin can be dealt with in a unique way. What should
Black do?
 Answer: 6 ... Qd7! looks like an idiotic move, as it lines up the queen
and king with the b5-bishop and obstructs Black’s own bishop on c8.
However, the idea is to play ... e7-e5, which causes White to retreat, while
protecting both the c6-knight and d5-pawn. After 7 Bg3 e5 8 Nb3 h5 9 h3
a6 10 Bd3 Qf7 Black has more space both on the kingside and in the centre,
with good chances for an attack.
5 ... Bg4
Black pins the f3-knight immediately after the pawn exchange to
pressurize the d4-pawn, as well as finish development with ... e7-e6. I
almost always recommend that Black only play ... e7-e6 after the c8-bishop
is developed outside of the pawn chain, so the bishop has more scope. I fail
to understand why many players of all levels, even super-GMs, prefer to
lock it in. In such cases, White has more chances for an advantage, both
theoretical as well as practical.
IndrekR briefly analyses 5 ... Bf5 in The London Attack: An Ambitious
Repertoire. His course is the only one of two that mentions the idea of ... f7-
f6 by keeping the g8-knight out of f6, in his case after 5 ... Bf5 6 c3 e6 7
Nbd2 Bd6 f6 and ... Nge7. I see this as fine for Black as well, but I prefer to
pin the f3-knight immediately.
6 c3
The main alternative, 6 Nbd2, will transpose if c2-c3 follows quickly.
At the moment White holds the c-pawn back, keeping the option of c2-c4
should a good opportunity arise, and instead makes a standard developing
move. After 6 ... e6 (White had set a trap here: 6 ... Nxd4?? doesn’t win a
pawn because of 7 Nxd4! Bxd1 8 Bb5+ and Black can resign) 7 h3 (as
indicated, 7 c3 - here or on the next move - transposes below, specifically to
7 Nbd2 lines in the next note) 7 ... Bh5 (in some cases, it is possible to
retreat the bishop to f5; this usually depends on whether h2-h3 is beneficial
or weakening for White and/or whether they can reply with Nh4) 8 Bb5
(White plans to increase the pressure on the a4-e8 diagonal, as well as take
on c6) 8 ... Bd6 (exchanging off the London bishop) 9 Bxd6 Qxd6
 Exercise: Black has not developed the king’s knight yet. How should
they
organize their pieces?

Answer: Black should set up with ... Nge7 and ... f7-f6, taking control
of e5. As we’ll see, this idea is the cornerstone of our Anti-London
repertoire.
Play might continue 10 c3 (10 c4?! doesn’t achieve the desired result:
10 ... dxc4 11 Nxc4 Qd5 and White ends up with an IQP for nothing) 10 ...
Nge7 11 0-0 0-0 12 Re1 (if 12 Bd3 f6! 13 Re1, Black can play 13 ... e5
straight away, since the d3-bishop and f3-knight are not placed well for the
incoming ... e5-e4 threat) 12 ... f6 (now Ne5 is no longer possible) 13 Qe2
Bf7 14 Nb3 a6 15 Bd3, as in I.M.Ryzhkov-V.B.Grigoryev, correspondence
2017 (by transposition at move 11), and now I would opt for 15 ... a5
(preventing White’s majority attack) 16 a4 Rfe8, when Black can think
about breaking in the centre with ... Ng6 and ... e6-e5.
6 ... e6 7 Qb3
 White breaks the pin on the knight and threatens the b7-pawn. Instead:
a) 7 Nbd2 is answered by 7 ... f6 again.

In almost all of these London variations, White would very much love
to plant a knight on e5. The quirky-looking ... f7-f6 takes the e5-square
away for good. It is true that the e6-pawn is thus slightly weaker, but Black
is fine if they cover it sufficiently, something that is quite easy to do. If need
be, the g4-bishop can come back to f7 (via h5).
a1) 8 Qb3 Qd7 transposes to the main game.
a2) 8 Bd3 allows an immediate 8 ... e5 (8 ... Bd6 is also fine) 9 dxe5
fxe5 10 Qe2 Bd6 11 h3 Bxf3 12 Nxf3 (or 12 gxf3 Qf6) 12 ... e4 13 Bxd6
Qxd6 14 Bc2 0-0-0 15 Nd2 Nf6 16 0-0-0 Rhe8 with an active and equal
position.
a3) 8 Be2 Bd6 9 Bg3 (or 9 Bxd6 Qxd6) 9 ... Nge7 10 0-0 (if 10 Nh4
Bxe2 11 Qxe2 Qd7 12 Nb3 b6 13 0-0 Bxg3 14 fxg3 0-0 15 Rae1 e5, Black
breaks in the centre with nice counterplay) 10 ... Bxg3 11 hxg3 h5 12 Ne1
Bxe2 13 Qxe2 Qd6 14 b4 Nf5 15 Nd3 Kf7 and, even though they have
already moved the e-, f- and h-pawns, Black’s king is safe.
 a4) 8 Bb5 Bd6 9 Bxd6 Qxd6 10 0-0 Nge7 11 Re1 0-0 is a normal
position where White cannot use the e5-square.
a5) 8 h3 (putting the question to the bishop; obviously, Black should not
take on f3 with no good reason) 8 ... Bh5 9 Qb3 (after 9 Bd3 Bd6 10 Bxd6
Qxd6 11 0-0 Nge7 12 Re1 0-0 13 Qb3 Rab8 14 Re3 Bf7, with e6 well
defended Black can look forward to the future with optimism) 9 ... Qd7
(now that e5 is under Black’s control they no longer have to worry about
Ne5 ideas) 10 Bh2 (prophylaxis against any attacks on the London bishop;
if 10 Bb5 a6 11 Bd3 Bg6 12 Be2 Bf7 13 Bh2 h5 14 0-0 g5 15 Ne1 g4, it is
Black who ends up having a kingside attack) 10 ... Nge7 11 Bd3 Bg6 12
Qc2 Bxd3 13 Qxd3 Ng6 14 0-0-0 0-0-0 15 h4 Bd6 16 Nb3 Bxh2 17 Nxh2
e5 18 g3 Kb8 19 h5 Nf8 is dynamically balanced. The f8-knight can be re-
routed to e6 to participate in the centre; White will probably do the same
with Nf1-e3.
b) 7 Bd3 Nge7

Again, Black always has ... f7-f6 in mind to prevent Ne5; even ... h7-h5
and ... g7-g5 is possible in some cases in order to gain space on the
kingside.
 b1) 8 0-0 Ng6 9 Bg3 Bd6 10 Bxd6 Qxd6 11 Re1 Bh5 12 Nbd2 f6 13 b4
(not 13 Qe2?! Nf4) 13 ... 0-0 14 b5 Na5 15 Qa4 b6 and the position is
equal. White can try to break with c3-c4, while Black can aim for kingside
play, such as with ... Nf4 and/or ... e6-e5.
b2) 8 a4 f6 9 Bg3 h5 10 h3 Bf5 11 0-0 g5 12 Na3 Kf7 13 h4 Bxd3 14
Qxd3 g4 15 Nd2 Ng6 16 Rae1 Qd7 17 Re2 Re8 is more complex than what
you might expect for the London, but it means a tenser fight and more
chances to play on our home pitch instead of White’s.
c) 7 h3 Bh5 8 Qb3 Qd7 looks like Black has been move-ordered, but
actually we are still in our anti-London set-up. The important detail is that
Black’s knight is still on g8, which means that, should White try any
permutation of Ne5 and Bb5, Black can always play ... Ne7 and plug the
a4-e8 diagonal with ... Nc6. For example: 9 Ne5 (or 9 Nbd2 f6, as in note
‘a5’) 9 ... Nxe5 10 Bxe5 Ne7 11 Nd2 Nc6 12 Bf4 Be7 13 Bd3 0-0 14 0-0
with an equal position. Both sides play similar to the Exchange Caro-Kann.
7 ... Qd7
The same concept as before; Black puts the queen on d7 to protect both
the b7- and e6-pawns. Not 7 ... Bxf3? 8 Qxb7 as White wins a pawn.
8 Nbd2
If 8 Ne5 Nxe5 9 Bxe5, then 9 ... Ne7 10 Nd2 Nc6 is virtually the same
as in the 7 h3 line above.
8 ... f6
 Once again, Black takes control of the key e5-square. A kingside
pawnstorm is now also possible, something that would have been outright
silly with the knight on f6.
9 Be2
Other moves:
a) 9 Bb5 a6 10 Be2 (White hopes that the extra ... a7-a6 will harm
Black’s position, but it makes little difference) 10 ... g5 11 Bg3 Nge7 (or 11
... Bf5 12 0-0 h5 as in the main game) 12 h4 Nf5 13 hxg5 Nxg3 14 fxg3
fxg5 15 Nxg5 Bxe2 16 Kxe2 Be7 17 Ngf3 0-0-0 18 Rae1 Bd6 19 Rh3 Rhg8
and it is clear that Black has good compensation.
b) 9 Bd3 g5 (or 9 ... Nge7 10 0-0 g5 as in E.Sveshnikov-K.Sasikiran,
World Mind Sports Team Blitz, Beijing 2008) 10 Bg3 Bf5 11 Bxf5 exf5 12
h4 f4 and Black is more than alright.
c) 9 Bg3 Nh6 10 h3 Bh5 11 Bd3 Bg6 12 Qc2 Bxd3 13 Qxd3 a5 14 Bh2
Nf7 15 0-0 Bd6, when Black has successfully prevented White from
utilizing e5 and now has good counterplay.
9 ... g5 10 Bg3
 White tries to keep the bishop on the important b8-h2 diagonal, as
letting Black control it with ... Bd6 would not be ideal.
10 ... Bf5
Black makes way for the g-pawn. 10 ... Nge7 was another way to play,
as in note ‘a’ to White’s 9th move above.
11 0-0
A very recent game saw 11 Nf1 h5 12 h3 Nge7 13 Ne3 Bg6 14 0-0 Nf5
15 Nxf5 Bxf5 (15 ... exf5 16 c4 Bf7 is another option) 16 c4, An.Tang-
W.So, Armageddon Championship, Berlin (blitz) 2023, when 16 ... dxc4 17
Qxc4 (or 17 Bxc4? Na5) 17 ... Be4 would give Black the better chances.
11 ... h5
Exactly what Black wants - a kingside pawnstorm with the e5-square
under their control.

12 h4
After 12 h3 h4 13 Bh2 g4, White’s king is feeling the heat.
12 ... g4 13 Ne1
The best square, from where the knight can re-route via d3. If instead 13
Nh2 Bh6 14 Qd1 Qh7!?, Black has ideas such as ... Bc2 or ... Bd3.
 13 ... Bd6?!
Not the most accurate. After 13 ... Bh6 14 Qd1 Nge7 15 Nb3 b6 Black
has a slight edge with both bishops sweeping adjacent diagonals and both
c5 and e5 under control.
14 Bxd6
Natural, as White tends to exchange their London bishop in return for
positional advantages. In this case, White opens up the queenside, where the
black king might have taken residence.
14 ... Qxd6 15 Qxb7
If 15 g3 Nge7 16 Rd1 0-0-0 17 Qa4 Kb8, the king is safe on b8, and
Black can look to attack the king. White will do the same, which leads to a
tense, double-edged battle.
15 ... Rb8 16 Qa6 Rxb2 17 Nb3
White tries to lock in the b2-rook, with the idea of pinning the c6-knight
with Bb5. It is best for Black’s king to flee from these threats.
17 ... Nge7
With the c6-knight well defended, Black is ready to castle or bring the
king to f7, depending on how White reacts.
18 Bb5
If 18 g3 then 18 ... 0-0 and ... e6-e5 comes soon.
18 ... Kf7 19 Bxc6 Qxc6 20 Qa3
White keeps going after the renegade black rook.
20 ... Re2 21 Nc1 Re4
 Exercise: Assess the position.

Answer: Each side has their advantages and disadvantages. White has
traded off the light-squared bishop in exchange for dark square control,
while Black has active pieces and a potential kingside attack. Thus, the
position is even, at least until White’s next move.
22 Ned3?
A poor move, which allows Black to blast open the kingside. White had
to play 22 g3, after which they can jump with their knights to the dark
squares. It is not so easy for Black to win the c3-pawn in any case, since 22
... Rc8 23 Nb3 Qxc3?? 24 Rc1 sees the queen trapped.
22 ... g3 23 fxg3 Re3
Now Black infiltrates.
24 Rf3 Rxf3 25 gxf3 Qc7 26 Kf2 Rg8 27 Nf4 e5 28 Nfe2 e4 29 fxe4
Bxe4 30 c4 dxc4 31 Qc5 Qxc5 32 dxc5
 The endgame doesn’t help White escape from a worse position, but at
least they do not come under a heavy attack.
32 ... Nd5 33 Nd4 f5 34 Nb5 Kf6 35 Nd6 c3 36 Ne2 Bd3 37 Nf4 Nxf4
38 gxf4 Ke6 39 Re1+ Kd7 40 Nf7 Be4?
Black had to dodge the tactical tricks and get the king out of forks. 40 ...
Kc7 would have kept an edge, albeit not enough to win a correspondence
game.
41 Ng5 Rc8 42 Nxe4 fxe4 43 Ke3 Rxc5 44 Kxe4 c2 45 Rc1 Rc3 46
Kd4 Rc6 47 Kd3 Ke6 48 Rxc2 Rxc2 49 Kxc2 Kf5 50 Kd3 Kxf4 51 a3
Kg4 52 Ke4 Kxh4 53 Kf4 a5 54 a4 Kh3 55 Kf3 h4 56 Kf2 Kg4
The black king escapes the box on the h-file, only to be trapped again
on the other side of the board.
57 Kg2 Kf4 58 Kh3 Ke4 59 Kxh4 Kd4 60 Kg3 Kc4 61 Kf3 Kb4 62
Ke3 Kxa4 63 Kd2 Kb3 64 Kc1 Ka2 65 Kc2 a4 66 Kc1 a3 67 Kc2 Ka1 68
Kc1 a2 ½-½

Game 43
K.Bochev-J.Rivas Maceda
Correspondence 2020

1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 c5 3 e3 Nc6

Now we examine what happens if White delays the development of the

g1-knight.
4 c3
4 dxc5 cedes the centre to Black, which 4 ... e5 5 Bg3 Bxc5 6 Nf3 f6
then fortifies. White can force simplifications after 7 c4 d4, but they are not
unfavourable for Black.
4 ... Bf5

Question: This doesn’t look like our desired set-up against the London.
Why is the bishop on f5 instead of g4?

Answer: If White waits longer to put the knight on f3, then ... Bg4 is of
course impossible. I prefer developing this “bad” bishop outside of the
pawn chain before playing ... e7-e6, so f5 must suffice. FM Óscar de Prado
has 4 ... Qb6 as the main line, in El Sistema Londres-Pereyra, but gives 4 ...
Bf5 as an alternative.
Note that I am eschewing 4 ... Nf6 because, in addition to not entering
the lines with Black having both knights on c6 and f6, I wish to avoid IM
Eric Rosen’s recommendation, 5 Nd2, in his 80/20 Tactics Multiplier
London System course. The point, as Rosen explains, is that if Black
follows up with 5 ... Qb6, White can put the queen on b3 without fearing a
future ... c5-c4 and ... Bf5. Therefore, I recommend delaying the
development of the king’s knight and instead getting the bishop to f5
immediately.
5 Nd2
As in Rosen’s line, White’s development is aimed at the plan of ... Qb6
and ... c5-c4. Instead:
a) 5 Nf3 would be answered by 5 ... Qb6 and then:

a1) 6 Qb3 c4 (making White trade queens on Black’s terms) 7 Qxb6

axb6 (according to the database, White is 7/21 from this position, which is a
good sign for us) 8 Nbd2 (or 8 Nf3 Nf6 9 Nb5 Ra5) 8 ... b5 9 Be2 h6 10 0-0
(if 10 Ne5 g5 11 Bg3 Nf6 12 f3 h5, the pawns never stop marching) 10 ...
g5 11 Bg3 Nf6 12 a3 e6 and Black has a slight edge due to the half-open a-
file, more space, and more actively placed pieces.
a2) 6 b3 e6 7 Bd3 Bxd3 8 Qxd3 Nf6 9 h3 Be7 10 Nbd2 0-0 11 a4 a5 12
0-0 h6, when b3 provides Black with a weakness to attack instead of
helping White’s cause.
a3) 6 Qc1 (the database shows that White has done quite well with this
passive move) 6 ... cxd4 7 cxd4 (or if 7 exd4 then 7 ... h6!? 8 Be2 g5 9 Bg3
Rc8 10 0-0 Bg7, followed by ... e7-e6 and ... Nge7, leaving bishop clear to
pressurize d4) 7 ... Rc8 8 Nc3 e6 9 Be2 Be7 10 0-0 Nf6 is fine for Black, as
the white queen is not well placed, while 11 Nh4 can lead to some
interesting tactics: 11 ... Bg4 12 f3 Nh5! 13 Be5 Bxh4 14 fxg4 Nxe5 15
dxe5 Bg5 16 Bb5+ Kf8 17 Rf3 Nf4 18 Qf1 Ng6 19 Rxf7+ Kg8 20 Bd7
Nxe5 21 Bxc8 Nxf7 with a slight edge for Black.
a4) 6 Nbd2 e6 7 Nh4 Be4 (the Slav bishop shuffle) 8 Qb3 (Moskalenko
gives this an exclamation mark; if 8 f3 Bg6 9 Nxg6 hxg6 10 Qb3 Be7 11
Qxb6 axb6 12 Bb5 Kd7, Black has a solid structure and two half-open files
for their rooks in return for the bishop pair) 8 ... h6! (as Moskalenko points
out, 8 ... c4? hangs a pawn to 9 Bxc4) 9 Qxb6 axb6 10 Nhf3 (Black
threatened ... g7-g5) 10 ... Bh7 (it is now time to retreat the light-squared
bishop) 11 Bb5 Ne7
 Question: Is Black not too cramped? It looks like their kingside pieces
are
tripping over each other.

Answer: No, because they can develop with the odd-looking ... Nc8!,
followed by ... Bd6. Black can also prepare a kingside pawnstorm with ...
g7-g5, ... f7-f6, etc. Note that the tempting-looking 12 Bc7?! fails to 12 ...
Nc8 13 Ne5 Bd6 14 Nxc6 Bxc7 15 Na7+ Ke7 16 Nxc8+ Rhxc8 and White
has ceded the bishop pair for no good reason.
b) 5 Qb3 is of course possible, attacking b7 now the bishop no longer on
c8. In response I like 5 ... Qd7 (a typical placement as it protects both b7
and d5) 6 Nf3 f6 (the usual set-up, preventing Ne5 by White and planning
either a kingside pawnstorm or just development with ... e7-e6; De Prado
gives 6 ... c4 here, which is also good).
This position is analysed by Viktor Moskalenko in The Trompowsky
Attack & London System.
 b1) 7 Bg3 (Moskalenko gives this prophylactic move an interesting
mark, so let us analyse further) 7 ... e6 8 Be2 h5 (Black can start
pawnstorming already) 9 h3 g5 10 Nbd2 c4 11 Qd1 Qh7!? and Black is
fine. The only other opening where I have seen Black put the queen on h7
this early to get counterplay is the French Winawer.
b2) 7 Nbd2 g5 (if White doesn’t prevent ... g7-g5, I recommend playing
it, as it gains many tempi on the retreating white pieces) 8 Bg3 c4 9 Qd1 h5
is much the same, and 10 h3 e6 11 Be2 even transposes.
b3) 7 h4 e6 8 Nbd2 Bg4!? (8 ... Nh6!? is another possibility) 9 a3 cxd4
10 exd4 Nge7 11 Bd3 Rc8 12 0-0 h6 13 Nh2 Bh5 14 Rfe1 g5 15 Bg3 Kf7
and a tense battle follows in this equal position as each side builds up forces
to attack the other’s king.
5 ... cxd4
De Prado gives 5 ... e6 and putting the knight on f6, which is what I
wish to avoid. White now has a choice of entering a typical London-style
structure or a weird Exchange Slav with the knight oddly placed on d2.
6 exd4
The alternative is 6 cxd4 Rc8 (immediately threatening ... Nb4) 7 Rc1
(if 7 Qb3, then 7 ... f6 8 Qxb7 e5 gives Black good play for the pawn) 7 ...
Nf6
 Question: You said that in the 2 Bf4 London Black should play ... Nge7
and ... f7-f6.
Why put the knight on f6 here?

Answer: Technically, this is no London, but rather an Exchange Slav.

Black doesn’t need to play ... f7-f6 in these positions, as any Ne5 by White
is not generally as annoying nor dangerous as in the London. Now if 8 Ngf3
Nh5 9 Nh4 Nxf4 10 Nxf5 Ng6 11 Bd3 e6 12 Ng3 Bd6, the near symmetry
persists with an equal position.
6 ... e6 7 Ngf3
If 7 Qb3 Qd7 8 Ngf3 f6 9 h4 Nh6!? 10 Be2 Nf7 11 h5 e5 12 dxe5 fxe5
13 Bg3 Bc5, Black again has good counterplay.
7 ... f6!
GM Elisabeth Pähtz (who reaches this via a Caro-Kann on her London
DVD, Das Londoner System) and IM Alex Astaneh-López (in his Killer
London System course), only analyse 7 ... Bd6 here, which is viable but not
our set-up.
 8 h3
Brace yourself for the fireworks after 8 Nh4 g5 9 Qh5+ Kd7.

Exercise: Black’s king is safe, and the g5-pawn is forking two pieces.
What is White’s only way to stay in the game?

Answer: White has to chase the f5-bishop and trap him at all costs or
remain a piece down: 10 g4! Bc2 11 Rc1 (it is the end of the road for the
black bishop; if it goes to a4, then b2-b3 traps it, thus both sides lose their
bishops) 11 ... gxf4 12 Rxc2 Qe8 13 Qxe8+ Rxe8 with an odd but equal
position where each side will try to get at the other’s king. This is actually
still theory; for example, 14 Rg1 Nh6 15 g5 Rg8 16 Nhf3 fxg5 17 Nxg5 e5
18 Bh3+ Kd6 19 Nf7+! Kc7 20 Rxg8 exd4+ 21 Kf1 Nxg8 22 cxd4 was
Ri.Ward-Sv.Rose, correspondence 2021, and here I would play 22 ... Re7 23
Ne5 Kd6 24 Ndf3 Bg7 25 Nxc6 bxc6 26 Bf5 Bf6 27 h4 a5 and the knight
will come to h6 next, with an level but not immediately drawish endgame.
8 ... g5
 Black kicks the f4-bishop with tempo, and then pushes again with ... h7-
h5.
9 Bh2 h5 10 Nb3

10 ... Bd6
Possibly 10 ... Kf7 11 Bd3 a5 12 a4 Nge7 was more accurate, trying to
get the knight to g6 and then to f4, with a slight edge.
11 Bd3 Nge7 12 Bxf5
White did not have to trade on f5, but there was nothing better.
12 ... Nxf5
There was an interesting alternative in 12 ... exf5!? doubling Black’s
own pawns. The structure is ugly, but it helps Black to launch the kingside
pawns with more force. Then 13 Nc5 Bxh2 14 Nxh2 Ng6 15 Qa4 Kf7 is
definitely the riskier option, but also the more enterprising one.
13 Qe2 Kf7 14 Bxd6 Qxd6 15 0-0-0 b6 16 Kb1 h4 17 Nc1
 White re-routes the knight to d3, a typical, if not altogether frequent,
manoeuvre in the London. As usual it helps that Black has e5 under control,
due to the f-pawn being on f6, which prevents any Ne5 jumps by White.
17 ... Nce7
The immediate 17 ... a5 18 Rhe1 Rae8 would also have given Black
good counterplay, with ideas of either pushing the queenside pawns or
breaking with ... e6-e5 at some point.
18 Nd3 a5
Black expands on the queenside to prevent any majority attack by
White. The engine declares a resolute “0.00” here, and the players do
nothing to alter that assessment.
19 Nfe1 Rae8 20 Nc2 Ng6 21 Rhe1 Re7 22 Qf3 Kg7 23 Rd2 Qc6 24
Ne3
White finally manages to make Black retreat the f5-knight, but no harm
is done.
24 ... Nd6 25 Rc2 Qd7 26 Ng4 Nf5 27 Rd2 Rhe8 28 Rde2 Qd6 ½-½
Both sides have become a tad “stuck”, and given the calibre of the
players and the fact that it was a correspondence game, a draw was
reasonably agreed.

Game 44
Ch.Bauer-E.Postny
Nancy (rapid) 2019

1 d4 d5 2 Bf4 c5

Here we examine White’s third move alternatives to the usual 3 e3.

3 e4
In FM Óscar de Prado’s book, El Sistema Londres-Pereyra, he refers to
this as the Morris Gambit. It is essentially a reversed Albin Counter-
Gambit, where White has the extra move Bf4. The Albin is tricky in any
case, but with White having extra tempo Black can get destroyed if they do
not know what they are doing.
Other lines:
 a) 3 dxc5 e6 (as White has ceded the centre, blocking in the c8-bishop is
justified so that Black can recover the pawn) 4 e4 (the only attempt to make
anything of the position; 4 b4?? Qf6 is embarrassing for White to say the
least) 4 ... Bxc5 5 Nc3 (or 5 exd5 Qb6!, hitting both b2 and f2) 5 ... Ne7 (I
prefer to place the knight here to avoid any e4-e5 rubbish) 6 exd5 Qb6!
(again) 7 Qd2 (or 7 Qf3 0-0 8 0-0-0 Nxd5) 7 ... Nxd5 8 0-0-0 Nxf4 (this
leads to a forced sequence) 9 Bb5+ Nc6 10 Bxc6+ bxc6 11 Na4 Bb4! 12
Qxf4 Qb5 13 a3 Be7 14 Nf3 0-0 and Black has three pawn islands to
White’s two, but also the two bishops and half-open b-file.
b) 3 c3 Qb6 (Black has to be careful to not get move-ordered,
something that happens with much more frequency in the London than in
other openings, given how similar many positions look - just remember not
to develop the g8-knight automatically, as we often try to avoid the systems
where Black puts both knights on c6 and f6) 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Qb3 (this is the
main way for White to deviate from the main lines, but Black has no
problems after exchanging queens and immediately defining the central
structure) 5 ... Qxb3 6 axb3 cxd4 7 Nxd4 Nxd4 8 cxd4 e6 9 Nc3 Bd7 10 e3
(or 10 h4 Ne7 11 Bd6 Nc6 12 Bxf8 Kxf8 13 e3 Ke7) 10 ... Bb4 with
equality in R.Kutschenko-J.Roos, World Seniors Championship, Assisi
2022; Black has ... Ne7 and ... Nc6 next.
c) 3 Nf3 has little independent significance. Black can choose between
3 ... Nf6, going into an Old London (as in the next game), and the more
modern 3 ... Nc6, when 4 e3 is just a main line (from Game 42), 4 c3 Qb6 is
note ‘b’ above, and 4 dxc5 can be answered by 4 ... f6!? (more ambitious
than 4 ... e6, which is also fine) 5 e4!? (or 5 c4 e5 6 cxd5 exf4 7 Nc3 Bxc5
8 dxc6 Qb6) 5 ... dxe4 6 Qxd8+ Kxd8 7 Nfd2, as in Jü.Heinz-M.Böhnisch,
German League 2014, and then 7 ... e5 8 Be3 f5 9 g3 Nd4 10 Na3 Bxc5 11
0-0-0 Ke7 with a messy but level position.
3 ... dxe4
The most critical response, accepting the gambit. I must point out that if
you really want to avoid this, you can play 3 ... Nc6, as recommended by
FM Graham Burgess in his book An Idiot-Proof Chess Opening Repertoire.
 When I looked at this line, Black was scoring better than if they
accepted. De Prado even gives 3 ... Nc6 an exclamation mark. In any case
White can get no more than equality:
a) 4 exd5 Qxd5 5 Nc3 Qxd4 6 Nd5 e5 (the moves are now more or less
forced) 7 Nc7+ Kd8 8 Nxa8 exf4 9 Nf3 Qxd1+ 10 Rxd1+ Bd7 11 Bb5 (GM
Nigel Davies stops here on his DVD, Accelerated London with 2 Bf4, but
we need to extend the line to see that both sides are equal) 11 ... Kc8 12 0-0
Nh6 13 Rfe1 f6 14 Nd2 Nf7 15 Nc4 Nfe5 16 Nab6+ axb6 17 Nxb6+ Kc7
18 Nxd7 Nxd7 19 Bxc6 Kxc6 20 Re8 Kc7 and the pin on the back rank
gives White enough for the slight material deficit.
b) 4 dxc5 Nf6 5 e5 Ne4 (Burgess states that Black is fine; again I
continued the line to show how the game could proceed) 6 Nd2 Nxc5 7 Nb3
Nxb3 8 axb3 Bf5 9 Nf3 e6 10 Nd4 Bc5! 11 Nxf5 exf5 12 Bd3 0-0 13 0-0
Re8 and Black has good play, despite the fractured pawns.
c) 4 Nc3 cxd4 5 exd5 dxc3 6 dxc6 Qxd1+ 7 Rxd1 bxc6 is also level.
The same position can arise via 2 Nc3 c5 in Chapter Nine (Game 49).
4 d5
The only move reminiscent of the Albin, as well as not being silly.
 4 ... Nf6 5 Nc3 g6

The most logical way for Black to develop their pieces is to opt for the
fianchetto, seeing as the pressure on the d-file makes developing the bishop
on the a3-f8 diagonal problematic. GM Alexei Kornev also recommends
this move in his Black repertoire book, Prakticheskij repertuar za
chyornikh - d5, c6, Tom 1.
6 Nb5
Trying to utilize the extra tempo in the most direct fashion. If White
plays routinely, the bishop move may turn out to be irrelevant. In some
cases it can be less than useful, as the b2-pawn is vulnerable. For example:
a) 6 Bb5+ Nbd7 7 Qe2 Bg7 8 Be5 0-0 9 Bxd7 Qxd7 10 0-0-0 b6 11
Nxe4 Nxd5 12 Bxg7 Kxg7 13 Qf3 Qc6 14 Nxc5 Rd8 and White is clearly
worse, despite having regained the pawn.
b) 6 Bc4 Bg7 7 Nge2 0-0 and Black just has to develop and target the
d5-pawn, with a clear edge.
c) 6 Qe2 Bg7 7 0-0-0 0-0 and White’s king is not truly safe on the
queenside, as Black can follow up with ... Qa5 and even ... b7-b5 soon, with
at least a slight edge.
 d) 6 Nge2 Bg7 7 Ng3 (or 7 Qd2 Qa5) 7 ... 0-0 and White is wasting too
much time trying to recover the pawn.
e) 6 f3 (making the gambit permanent) 6 ... exf3 7 Nxf3 (if 7 Qxf3?!
Bg7 8 h3 0-0 9 0-0-0 Qb6 10 Nge2 e6 11 dxe6 Bxe6 White has nothing) 7
... Bg7 8 Qd2 (White almost certainly wants to start an attack with Bh6, but
it is not very dangerous) 8 ... 0-0 9 0-0-0 (or 9 Bh6 a6 10 a4 Bg4 11 Bxg7
Kxg7 12 Ne5 Nbd7) 9 ... Bg4 10 Be2 Nbd7 11 h3 (or 11 Bh6 Qa5) 11 ...
Bxf3 12 Bxf3 Ne8 13 Bh6 Nd6 (blockading the d-pawn) 14 Bxg7 Kxg7
with an edge for Black, who will continue their plan of targeting White’s
king with ... Qa5, ... b7-b5-b4, etc.
f) 6 Qd2 is perhaps the most natural move, lining up Bh6 sooner or
later. IM Levy Rozman stops here in his D4 Dynamite course, stating that
White plans to castle queenside, launch a kingside attack and/or regain the
e4-pawn via Nge2 and Ng3. This may allow White to equalize, but no more
than that.
Let us analyse further: 6 ... a6 (Black gears up to launch missiles with ...
b7-b5; I prefer to at least prepare queenside counterplay before castling so
that White has no immediate object of attack) 7 Nge2 (if 7 Bh6?! Bxh6 8
Qxh6 b5 9 0-0-0 Nbd7, Black is clearly better; while after 7 0-0-0 b5 8 f3
exf3 9 Nxf3 Bg7 10 d6 Nc6 Black is not worse) 7 ... b5 8 Ng3 Bg7 9 Be2
(or 9 Ncxe4 Nbd7 10 0-0-0 Bb7 Nbd7 10 0-0-0 Bb7 11 c4 h5 12 h4 Qb6 13
Re1 0-0 with good play) 9 ... Bb7 10 Rd1 Nbd7 11 Bh6 0-0 12 h4 b4 and
Black forces a pawn trade, thus keeping the extra pawn.
6 ... Na6 7 d6
Similarly, if 7 Bc4 Bg7 8 d6 then 8 ... Be6! 9 Bxe6 Qa5+ 10 c3 Qxb5 11
Qb3 Qxb3 12 Bxb3 e6 13 Ba4+ Kd8 and Black’s king is safe in the centre
as the d6-pawn ironically acts as a shield.
7 ... Be6!
 The key move; Black continues to develop and ignores the presence of
the enemy d6-pawn, given that there are no direct threats.
8 c3
Not 8 dxe7? Bxe7 9 Nd6+ (if 9 Qxd8+ Rxd8 10 a3 c4, White can
technically recover the pawn with Nxa7, but losing so many tempi to do so
makes it risky; Black has a clear edge) 9 ... Kf8 (Black can play around the
d6-knight, which gets close to being trapped) 10 Qd2? (10 Bc4 was the
least worse option, but after 10 ... Qd7 Black is already winning!) 10 ... Qb6
11 0-0-0 Rd8 and White was dead lost, as demonstrated in two bullet
games, An.Tang-S.Nihal, Chess.com 2021.
8 ... Bg7?
The bishop needed to stay where it was to guard against Nd6+ rubbish.
Black is fine if they ignore the d6-pawn and continue to play around it. For
example: 8 ... Qb6 9 Nh3 exd6 10 Nxd6+ Bxd6 11 Qxd6 Nd5 12 0-0-0
Qxd6 13 Bxd6 0-0-0 14 Be5 f6 and White’s two bishops in no way
compensate for the missing pawn, especially since the d5-knight is very
strong and Black has a healthy pawn structure.
9 dxe7 Qxd1+ 10 Rxd1 Kxe7 11 Bd6+ Ke8 12 Nh3
 12 ... Bg4?
Losing the plot. Black needed ice-cold nerves to play 12 ... Bxa2! (or
else 12 ... h6 13 Nf4 Bxa2!) 13 Bg3 Nh5 14 Nd6+ Ke7 15 Nxb7 Nxg3 16
hxg3 Nc7 17 Nxc5 Rhb8 18 Rd7+ Kf8 19 Rxc7 Rxb2 and White is actually
in more danger, despite being a piece up, as their king is stuck in the centre
and will be destroyed by Black’s bishops if White doesn’t defend with
accuracy.
13 Be2
White would gladly trade bishops and dominate the juicy light squares,
especially in the centre.
13 ... Bxe2?
Black continues to make things worse for themself and is now seriously
busted. Having said that, it is hard to see a good move.
14 Kxe2 Nd7 15 Rhe1 f5 16 f3 Nf6 17 Ng5
This is fine and perfectly natural, but White could have destroyed Black
altogether by breaking up the kingside pawn chain with 17 g4!.
17 ... h6
Nothing is any better at this stage.
 18 Ne6 Kf7 19 Nxg7 Kxg7 20 Be5 Rhd8 21 fxe4 Kf7 22 Nd6+ Ke6 23
exf5+ gxf5 24 Kf3 Ne4 25 Kf4 c4 26 g4 Nf2 27 gxf5+ Kd7 28 Nxb7+
Nd3+ 29 Rxd3+ cxd3 30 Nxd8 Rxd8 31 Bd4 Re8 32 Rd1 Re2 33 Rxd3
Rxb2 34 Bxa7+ Ke7 35 Rh3 Nc7 36 Rxh6 Nd5+ 37 Ke5 Nxc3 38 Rh7+
Kf8 39 Bc5+ Kg8 40 Ra7 Re2+ 41 Kf4 Rxh2 42 f6 Nd5+

43 Ke5?
43 Kg3 wins at once due to the twin threats of Kxh2 and f6-f7+ etc.
Now it starts to get a bit more tricky.
43 ... Rh5+ 44 Ke6 Nf4+
Black might have played 44 ... Nxf6, though 45 Ra8+ Kh7 46 Bd4 Ng8
47 Ra7+ Kh6 48 a4 is still winning with the knight out of the game.
45 Kd6 Rf5 46 Rg7+
After 46 f7+! Rxf7 47 Rxf7 Kxf7 48 a4 Ke8 49 Bb6 the a-pawn cannot
be stopped.
46 ... Kh8 47 Rg4?!
The counter-intuitive shot 47 Bd4! Rd5+ 48 Kc6 Rxd4 49 Rg4 wins, as
the threat of f6-f7 can only by answered by 49 ... Ne6 50 Rxd4 Nxd4+ 51
Kd7, when Black is unable to stop both pawns.
 47 ... Rxf6+ 48 Ke5 Ra6 49 Bd4?
Objectively, White’s last chance was 49 Kxf4 Rxa2 50 Bd4+ Kh7 51
Kf5, which is the rare case of a winning rook and bishop vs. rook endgame,
though these are not at all easy to conduct, especially in extreme time
trouble. The rest of the game sees several reverses before the game ends in
a draw.
49 ... Rxa2?
Black should have moved the knight.
50 Kxf4+ Kh7 51 Rg7+?
51 Kf5 is the same as in the note above.
51 ... Kh6 52 Rg1 Ra4 53 Ke4 Kh5 54 Rd1 Kg6 55 Rc1 Kf7 56 Ke5
Ra5+ 57 Bc5 Kg6 58 Ke6 Kg5 59 Bb4 Ra6+ 60 Bd6 Kg4 61 Rc3 Kg5 62
Rg3+ Kh4 63 Rg7 Kh3 64 Ke5 Ra5+ 65 Ke4 Kh4 66 Kf4 Ra4+?
66 ... Kh5 was correct.
67 Kf5 Kh3 68 Rg3+ Kh4 69 Re3 Kh5 70 Rf3 Ra5+ 71 Be5 Ra4 72
Rg3 Rb4 73 Rg8 Rb6 74 Rg5+ Kh4 75 Rg2?
The rook should have gone up the board.
75 ... Rb3 76 Rf2 Ra3 77 Rd2 Rb3 78 Bf6+ Kh3 79 Kf4 Rf3+ 80 Kg5
Rg3+ 81 Kh5 Rg2 82 Rd1 Ra2 83 Be5 Re2 84 Bf4 Rf2 85 Kg5 Ra2? 86
Kf5?
Here 86 Rh1+ Kg2 87 Rh2+ wins the rook.
86 ... Kg2 87 Kg4 Rc2 88 Rd3 Ra2 89 Rh3 Kg1 90 Be3+ Kg2 91
Rg3+ Kh1 92 Kf3 Rg2!
Good old stalemate comes to the rescue.
93 Rh3+ Rh2 94 Rxh2+ ½-½

Game 45
J.Marcano Veliz-R.Navarro Garcia
Puerto la Cruz 2014

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6
Note that we play this move in order to stay within our repertoire after 3
c4 dxc4.
3 Bf4
 This is the older, more traditional way to play the London, which is
recommended by Alex Banzea in his Chessable course, as well as GM
Nikola Sedlak and IM Cyrus Lakdawala in their books on the London.
3 ... c5

I recommend striking in the centre with ... c7-c5 immediately, as we

play on move two in the 2 Bf4 variation.
4 e3
The usual move, but White can also play:
a) 4 dxc5 e6 (as with 2 Bf4 c5 3 dxc5 e6 in the notes to Game 44, it is
simplest to aim at regaining the c5-pawn at once, even though it means
blocking in the c8-bishop) 5 b4? (trying to hang on to the pawn is a
mistake; but if 5 e3 Nc6 6 c4 Bxc5 7 Be2 0-0 8 0-0 Qe7 Black has good
counterplay with ... e6-e5 coming next; it is no surprise that White’s score is
20% here) 6 c3 (or 6 a3 axb4 7 Bxb8 Rxb8 8 axb4 b6 and the pawns fall) 6
... axb4 7 cxb4 Nc6! (stronger than 7 ... b6, as given by Rizzitano) 8 Qb3
Ne4 9 Nc3 (or 9 Bd2 b6) 9 ... Qf6 10 Bd2 Nxb4! 11 Qxb4 Bxc5 and White
soon resigned in R.Hasangatin-A.Shirov, Sochi (rapid) 2017.
 b) 4 c3 Qb6 (if White opts for c2-c3 without e2-e3, at least for now, I
recommend hitting b2 immediately, as White’s usually dangerous way of
gambiting the pawn with Nc3 is no longer possible; this is also Boris
Avrukh’s recommendation in his book Grandmaster Repertoire 12: Beating
1 d4 Sidelines)

b1) 5 e3? Qxb2 6 Nbd2 c4! shuts the f1-bishop in, and White has no
compensation for the pawn.
b2) 5 dxc5 Qxc5 6 e3 might be met by 6 ... g6 7 b4 Qb6 8 a4 a5 9 Na3
Bg7 10 Nb5 Na6 11 Be5 0-0 12 Qb3 Ne4, when both sides have their
chances, although practically I would take Black, who has a safer king and
better development.
b3) 5 Qc2 (White prevents ... Bf5 as well as protects b2) 5 ... g6 (I
prefer this to 5 ... Nc6, which Avrukh recommends; Black enables ... Bf5
again while preparing to fianchetto the other bishop) 6 a4 (or 6 e3 Nc6 7 h3
Bf5) 6 ... cxd4 7 a5 Qd8 8 cxd4 Nc6 9 e3 Nh5 10 Bb5 Nxf4 11 exf4 Qd6 12
0-0 Bh6 13 g3 0-0, when Black’s bishop pair and superior structure
guarantee good counterplay to White’s space advantage.
 b4) 5 Qc1 (the queen protects b2 directly but otherwise is not well
placed on the c-file) 5 ... Nc6 6 e3 cxd4 7 cxd4 Nh5 and with ... Bf5 and ...
Rc8 coming, White’s queen will feel the pressure.
b5) 5 Qb3 (just as Black often meets Qb3 with ... Qb6, White meets ...
Qb6 with Qb3, both sides playing chicken to see who swaps queens first) 5
... Nc6 (now White has either to exchange on b6 or defend the d4-pawn.

b51) 6 Qxb6 axb6 7 Bc7 (anything like 7 e3 c4 is better for Black) 7 ...
Bf5 8 Bxb6 c4 (White is a pawn up, but the b6-bishop is stranded) 9 Nbd2
e6 10 Bc7 Kd7 11 Bf4 b5, intending ... b5-b4 with good play for the pawn.
b52) 6 dxc5 Qxc5 (it looks like the queen is vulnerable, but Black just
has to get the f8-bishop out and castle) 7 Nbd2 (or 7 e3 Ne4, intending ...
f7-f6 and ... e7-e5) 7 ... e6 8 Rd1 Be7 9 h3 0-0 and Black is fine.
b53) 6 Nbd2 Qxb3 (6 ... c4?! 7 Qc2 is better for White) 7 Nxb3 cxd4 8
Nfxd4 (if 8 cxd4 then 8 ... Nb4, or 8 Nbxd4 Bd7) 8 ... e5 9 Nxc6 exf4 10
Ncd4 Bd6 11 g3 h5 and Black has an inferior structure but the two bishops
and aggressive play as compensation.
b52) 6 Na3 c4 7 Qxb6 axb6 8 Nb5 Ra5 (the position is double-edged
despite the lack of queens; in some cases Black can sacrifice a pawn for the
initiative, while White has to get their pieces out as quickly as possible) 9
a4 Bf5 10 e3 e6 (ignoring the a-pawn for now and getting on with
development) 11 Be2 Be7 12 Bc7 (let White take on b6 and lose time) 12 ...
0-0 13 Bxb6 Ra6 14 Bc5 Bxc5 15 dxc5 Bg6! (a useful waiting move; 15 ...
Rfa8 16 Bd1 and 15 ... Nd7 16 Nfd4 are less clear, so Black asks White to
move first) 16 Nfd4 (or 16 Bd1 Nd7) 16 ... Rfa8 17 Bd1 e5 18 Nf3 Ra5 and
Black will regain the pawn on c5 with the advantage.
4 ... cxd4
Avrukh recommends 4 ... Nc6 here, but I prefer not to enter the main
lines with Black having knights on c6 and f6. GM Nikola Sedlak, in
Winning with the Modern London System Part 2, explains that he chose the
2 Nf3 move order in the second book with the intention of 4 ... Nc6 5 Nbd2,
but we dodge that move order trick by White.
5 exd4 Bf5

As usual we develop the c8-bishop before closing the diagonal with ...
e7-e6.

Question: Why not put the bishop on g4, pinning the knight, as in the
 2 Bf4 main line?

Answer: Here we have already played ... Nf6, so our plan of ... Nge7
and ... f7-f6 is no longer available. Instead, the bishop goes to the b1-h7
diagonal, preventing White from seizing it with Bd3.
6 c3
Direct attempts at a refutation do not work:
a) 6 Nc3 Nc6 7 Nb5? Rc8 and White has just wasted time.
b) 6 Bxb8?! Rxb8 7 Bb5+ Bd7 and White gave up the bishop for
nothing.
c) 6 Bb5+ Nbd7 7 Ne5 a6 kicks the bishop away.
d) 6 Ne5 Nfd7 7 Bb5 a6 8 Bd3 Bxd3 9 Nxd3 e6 10 0-0 Be7 with normal
counterplay
e) 6 c4 Qb6 7 Qb3 (or 7 Nc3 Qxb2 8 Nb5 e5!) 7 ... dxc4 8 Bxc4 Qxb3 9
Bxb3 e6 with equality.
f) 6 Nbd2 e6 7 c3 e6 transposes to 7 Nbd2 below.
6 ... a6
Ruling out any more rubbish on b5 and giving Black a new way to
defend the b7-pawn.
7 Bd3
White cannot hope for anything by exchanging light-squared bishops.
Instead:
a) 7 Qb3 Ra7 (the point of Black’s previous move) 8 Nh4 Bxb1 9 Rxb1
e6 10 Bd3 Bd6 11 Bxd6 Qxd6 12 a4 0-0 is easy to play. The odd-looking
a7-rook is only a minor inconvenience.
b) 7 Nbd2 e6 8 Nh4 (or 8 Qb3 Ra7 again, when 9 a4 Bd6 10 Bxd6
Qxd6 11 Qa3 Qxa3 12 Rxa3 Nc6 13 Nh4 Bc2 is equal) 8 ... Be4 9 Nxe4 (if
9 f3 Bg6 10 Nxg6 hxg6, White has merely weakened the kingside) 9 ...
dxe4 10 g3 Nc6 11 Ng2 h6 and White has the bishop pair, but Black has
good play in the centre.
7 ... Bxd3 8 Qxd3 e6 9 Nbd2 Be7 10 h3 0-0 11 0-0 Nbd7 12 Ne5 Qb6
This is not a mistake in itself, but it becomes one when coupled with
Black’s next move. Either 12 ... Nxe5 13 Bxe5 Nd7 or 12 ... Rc8 was more
thematic.
 13 Rab1
Simply defending b2 is not very ambitious. White might have tried 13
c4 dxc4 14 Ndxc4 Qd8, though Black is equal in any case.
13 ... Bd6?!
Instead, 13 ... a5 14 Bg5 Bd6 15 Rfe1 is still theoretically equal, though
in practical terms I would prefer White, since they are ready to bring the
rooks into the kingside attack with Re3, Rbe1, etc.

Exercise: Black’s last move left their bishop slightly loose. How can
White capitalize on this?

14 Ndc4?
This trick should backfire.
Answer: 14 c4 was correct, threatening c4-c5, and if 14 ... Bb8
(obviously Black cannot take on c4 as White would recapture with the e5-
knight) 15 b3, White has a stable advantage due to more space and much
more active pieces.
14 ... dxc4 15 Nxc4 Qb5?
 White gets away with it. Instead, 15 ... Bxf4! 16 Nxb6 Nxb6 would
have been a great trade-off for Black: three minor pieces for queen and
pawn in a position where the queen has no targets.
16 Bxd6 Rfc8 17 Ne5?!
Both sides continue to trade errors. 17 b3! Qc6 18 Bb4 Nd5 19 Rfc1
keeps a slight edge; although White has a clumsy bishop, they still have an
extra pawn.
17 ... Qd5?!
Forking d6 and a2; but 17 ... Nxe5! 18 Qxb5 Nf3+ 19 gxf3 axb5 20 a3
Nd5 was better, with good compensation in view of White’s brittle structure
and light squares.
18 Nxd7 Nxd7 19 Bb4?!
The wrong way. 19 Bg3! was stronger, as after 19 ... Qxa2 20 b3 b5 21
Rfc1 White’s strong bishop and queenside majority is more important than
the equal pawn count.
19 ... Ne5?
Here 19 ... a5 20 Be7 Ne5 21 Qe2 Ng6, followed by 22 ... Qxa2 would
have equalized.
20 Qg3 Nc6 21 a3 b6?
21 ... Nxb4 22 axb4 a5 was the best option, as Black has more chances
of holding the major piece endgame.
22 Bd6 f6 23 Rfe1 Ra7 24 Re2
24 a4! was more accurate, preventing any counterplay on the queenside.
24 ... Rd7 25 Bf4 Nd8?!
25 ... Ne7 26 Rbe1 Rc6 was a better way to defend, when the knight is
more active.
26 Rbe1 b5
 27 Qe3?!
Exchanging queens doesn’t help White at all. Something like 27 h4
would apply more pressure, with ideas of Qg4, h4-h5 and Re3.
27 ... Rc6 28 Qe4?
It was not too late to go back with 28 Qg3!.
28 ... Qxe4 29 Rxe4 Kf7 30 Kf1 Nb7 31 g4 Na5 32 h4 Nc4 33 R4e2
Rd5?!
Black should play this the other way round; i.e. 33 ... h5 34 gxh5 Rd5
with equality. As it is White might prevent it with h4-h5.
34 Kg2?! h5 35 g5 Rf5 36 Kg3 Nb6 37 Bc1 Nd5 38 Bd2 a5 39 Rc1 a4
40 Rce1 Ke7 41 f4 Kd7?!
It was safer to exchange on g5 and play ... g7-g6, which is dead level.
Otherwise White might throw in g5xf6 at an inconvenient moment.
42 Rc1 Nb6 43 Rg1 Kd6 44 gxf6 gxf6 45 Kf3 Kd5 46 Rge1 Nc4 47
Bc1 e5 48 dxe5 Nxe5+ 49 Kg3 Nc4 50 Rd1+ Kc5 51 Be3+ Nxe3 52 Rxe3
 52 ... Kc4?
Very risky. Black should just sit tight with 52 ... Rd5. The king can look
to infiltrate if all the rooks come off.
53 Rd2?
This allows Black to correct their mistake and go back again. 53 Rd4+
was stronger, intending 53 ... Kb3 (or 53 ... Kc5 54 Kf3) 54 c4+ Kxb2 55
cxb5 Rxb5 56 Rxa4, when White has more chances of making something of
the extra pawn.
53 ... Rcc5? 54 Re4+
The wrong rook. 54 Rd4+ Kb3 55 c4+ is now even stronger, since 55 ...
Kxb2? 56 Rd2+ Kc1 57 Rh2 sees Black getting mated.
54 ... Kb3 55 Kf3 Rc4 56 Red4 Rfc5 57 Ke4 f5+?
Black should exchange rooks first: 57 ... Rxd4+ 58 cxd4 (or 58 Kxd4
Rc4+) 48 ... f5+, followed by 49 ... Rd5, is a fortress.
58 Kd3?
Missing 58 Ke3!, when Black is in zugzwang: 58 ... Rxd4 (or 58 ... Rc8
59 Rd5 R8c5 60 Rxc5 Rxc5 61 Kd4) 59 Kxd4 Rc8 60 Ke5 Rf8 61 Ke6 Ka2
62 Rd5 Kxb2 63 Rxb5+ Kxa3 (or 63 ... Kxc3 64 Rb4) 64 c4 is a winning
rook endgame for White.
58 ... Rc7 59 Rd5 Rxf4 60 Rxb5+ Ka2 61 Rb4 Rg4 62 Rxg4 fxg4 63
Ke4 Rf7 64 c4 Kb3 65 c5
65 ... Kc4?
Simply 65 ... Re7+ holds since the white king cannot go to d5.
66 Rc2+?
The engine spots another win: 66 c6 Rc7 (or 66 ... Kb5 67 Rd7) 67
Rd4+ Kb5 68 Rd5+ Kxc6 69 Rxh5 Rb7 70 Ra5 g3 (or 70 ... Rxb2 71 Kf4)
71 Kf3 Rb3+ 72 Kg2 Rxb2+ 73 Kxg3 Rb3+ 74 Kg4 Rxa3 75 h5 Kb6 76 h6
Kxa5 77 h7 and declares mate in 43.
66 ... Kb5 67 c6 Kb6 68 Kd5 Kc7 69 Kc5 Rf3 70 Kb5 Rf4 71 Kc5 g3 72
Rg2 Rg4 ½-½
Chapter Eight
The Pseudo-Trompovsky
1 d4 d5 2 Bg5

I have always been a bit indecisive about this move - it is basically the
Trompowsky against 1 ... d5. The absence of a knight on f6 means that
Black can kick the g5-bishop around. Consequently, Black obtains equality
more easily than against the Trompowsky proper (1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5).
However, the Pseudo-Trompowsky leads to very original and odd positions
that favour those who enjoy chaos; and there is significantly less theory,
which helps both White and Black.
2 ... f6
I recommend this straightforward response which hunts the bishop from
move two. In some variations, White has to move this bishop several times
as it keeps getting hit by Black’s pawns and pieces.
Game 46
A.Risdon-A.Jedinger
Correspondence 2008

1 d4 d5 2 Bg5
Objectively, this is less challenging that the traditional Trompowsky,
since White is not threatening to take on f6 here, nor will the knight be
pinned. I would say that the Pseudo-Trompowsky as a whole is objectively
equal, but that is true for any good White opening, given that chess is a
draw. In any case, 2 Bg5 leads to interesting, non-standard play.
2 ... f6
Black has many options here, but I recommend this ambitious move as
it leads to very odd positions that are fun to play. IM Richard Pert gives 2 ...
f6 an exclamation mark in his book Playing the Trompowsky, and I agree
that this is the best move.
3 Bd2
White retreats the bishop, arguing that ... f7-f6 is awkward for Black. In
his book Jouez 1.d4 d5!: Un Répertoire Classique, Nikolaos Ntirlis (who
recommends 2 ... h6 instead) writes that 3 Bd2 is very strong here and gives
it an exclamation mark. I agree that it is the best move and would
recommend it if someone wanted to play this line with White, but Black
obtains equality nonetheless.
Other bishop moves - 3 Bh4, 3 Bf4, 3 Bc1 - are examined in the next
two games.
3 ... Nc6
 4 e3
The main line; White locks in their own bishop but plans to break with
c2-c4 and then attack from the flank with, for example, Nc3 and Rc1.
Instead:
a) 4 c4 Nxd4 (the best option, eliminating the d4-pawn without
hesitation) 5 e3 (or 5 Bc3 e5) 5 ... Nc6 6 Qh5+ g6 7 Qxd5 (White recovers
the pawn but falls behind in development) 7 ... Bd7 8 Qd3 e5 9 Qb3?! Qe7!
10 Nc3 0-0-0 11 Nd5 Qf7 and Black was better in M.Wieth-B.Müller
Clostermann, correspondence 2012.
b) 4 Nf3?! e5 5 dxe5? fxe5 (facing a centre this big, White has to be
careful not to lose within the next five moves) 6 e4 (if 6 Bg5 Qd6 7 e3 Be7,
Black has a bigger centre, more space and superior development) 6 ... dxe4
7 Ng5, D.Harika-A.Stefanova, Beijing (blitz) 2014, leads to a clear
advantage for Black after a forced sequence that involves a queen sacrifice:
7 ... Nf6 8 Nc3 Bf5 9 Bc4 h6 10 Nf7 Qd4 11 Qe2 Rh7 12 Nb5 Qd7 13 0-0-0
a6 14 Ba5 axb5! 15 Rxd7 Bxd7 16 Bxc7 bxc4 17 Nxe5 Be6 and despite the
close material balance White is lost, as their pieces have no scope nor
targets.
 4 ... e5
Breaking open the centre with the idea of capitalizing on White’s
passive d2-bishop.
5 Bb5
It is possible to play 5 Nf3 e4 6 Ng1 with a reversed French Defence,
although it looks ridiculous. After 6 ... Be6, followed by ... f6-f5 or 7 c4
dxc4 8 Qc2 f5 9 Bxc4 Qd7, Black has at least a slight edge.
5 ... Qd6!?

Pert doesn’t cover this move in his book (only 5 ... exd4 and 5 ... Bd7),
so it may surprise your opponents, as it is not common at all. The idea is to
prepare queenside castling by getting the queen out while leaving d7 for the
c8-bishop.
6 a3
Intending to harass the black queen with Bb4. If 6 Bxc6+ bxc6 (6 ...
Qxc6!? 7 fxe5 Bf5 is not bad either) 7 Ne2 Rb8, Black keeps an advantage
in all lines due to various factors, namely the bishop pair, superior
development, more central control, as well as more space.
6 ... Bd7
 Also possible is 6 ... Nge7 7 Bb4 Qe6 8 Nf3 Bd7, and if 9 Bxe7 Bxe7
10 c4 exd4 11 cxd5 Qxd5 12 Nc3 Qf7 13 exd4 0-0-0, Black has an obvious
structural edge due to the bishop pair, a lead in development and White’s
IQP.
7 Ne2
7 Bxc6 Qxc6 gives up the bishop pair without even winning a pawn: 8
dxe5 fxe5 9 Qh5+ Kd8! 10 Nf3 Nf6 11 Qxe5 Qxc2 12 Nc3 Bd6 13 Qg5
Qf5 and after the tactical mêlée Black’s king is safe, while White will sorely
miss the light-squared bishop.
7 ... Nge7
7 ... a6! 8 Ba4 h5 9 Nbc3 h4 10 h3 g5 was even better, when Black has
an unquestionable space advantage.
8 0-0 a6 9 Ba4
Now was the moment to play 9 Bb4 if White wanted to do so, though 9
... Qe6 10 Bxe7 Bxe7 11 Ba4 0-0-0 has just ceded the bishop pair for no
tangible positional results.
9 ... h5
Time to ram the pawn down White’s throat.
10 Bb4 Nxb4 11 axb4?!
After 11 Bxd7+ Qxd7 12 axb4 h4 13 h3 0-0-0 White has succeeded in
trading off one pair of bishops, but now there are light square weaknesses in
their camp.
11 ... c6
 Black keeps the bishop pair for later use.
12 e4?
Trying to open the centre and exploit Black’s slight lag in development.
12 c3 was a solid option, though White is still clearly worse.
12 ... Qxb4
Black could also ignore the pawn and play 12 ... 0-0-0 13 Nbc3 h4,
planning to push the h-pawn again and probe White’s kingside.
13 exd5?! Nxd5 14 Bb3 0-0-0 15 Bxd5 cxd5 16 dxe5 fxe5 17 Qxd5
Bg4!?
17 ... Bc6! 18 Qxe5 Bd6 looks more natural. With those raking bishops,
I would be surprised if White survived for five more moves.
18 Qxe5 Bc5 19 Nec3 Rhe8 20 Qg3 Bd6
After 20 ... Qxb2! at once, White can barely move.
21 Nd5 Qxb2 22 Qc3+ Qxc3 23 Nbxc3 Be5
 Nonetheless, the two bishops should still destroy White.
24 Ra3 Be6 25 Ne3 Bf7 26 h3 Bd4 27 Ne2 Bb2 28 Ra4 Rd6 29 Rf4
Bf6 30 Nc3 Rd7 31 Na4 Kc7 32 Nc5 Rd4 33 Rf5 Rd6 34 c4 Kc6 35 Na4
Re5 36 Rf4 Ra5 37 Nc3 Rd4 38 Ncd5?! Rxf4 39 Nxf4 Ra1
The endgame becomes much simpler with all the rooks off. White could
resign here.
40 Rxa1 Bxa1 41 Kf1 Kc5 42 Ke1 Bxc4 43 Nxh5 b5 44 Ng3 Bc3+ 45
Kd1 Bd3 46 Ne2 Bxe2+ 47 Kxe2 b4 48 Kd3 a5 49 f4 a4 50 Nc4 Bf6 51 g4
a3 52 Nd2 a2 53 Nb3+ Kd5 54 Kc2 a1Q 55 Nxa1 Bxa1 56 Kb3 Ke4 57 f5
Bf6 58 Kxb4 Kf4 59 Kc4 Kg3 60 Kd3 Kxh3 61 Ke3 Kxg4 62 Ke4 Bb2
63 f6 gxf6 0-1

Game 47
D.Mehmeti-F.Ashiku
Durres 2013

1 d4 d5 2 Bg5 f6 3 Bh4?!
 The most played move according to the database, but far from the best.
White tries to maintain pressure on the d8-h4 diagonal, but it can be hit
from too many directions, as we shall see.
3 ... Nh6

The most ambitious and best option; the knight plans to jump to f5 to
eliminate the annoying bishop or use it as a target for Black’s pawns.
4 e3
Instead:
a) 4 Nc3?! Nf5 5 Bg3 h5 6 Qd3 h4 (White already has huge problems) 7
Bf4 Nc6 8 0-0-0 Nb4 9 Qb5+ (or 9 Qd2 g6) 9 ... c6 10 Qxb4 e5 11 Qb3
exf4 and Black is clearly better.
b) 4 c4 Nf5 5 Bg3 e5! 6 dxe5 d4 looks like a promising Albin Counter-
Gambit: 7 e4 (after 7 exf6? Qxf6 8 Bxc7?! Bb4+ 9 Nd2 Na6 10 Bf4 0-0,
White is unlikely to survive) 7 ... Bb4+ 8 Nd2 Ne3! 9 Qb3 (and 9 fxe3?
dxe3 10 Ngf3 Bg4 11 Qa4+ Nc6 12 0-0-0 Bxd2+ 13 Kb1 fxe5 is virtually
winning) 9 ... Nxf1 10 Qxb4 Nc6 11 Qc5 Nxg3 12 hxg3 fxe5 and Black is
at least slightly better.
 c) 4 f3 is IM Cyrus Lakdawala’s recommendation in his book on the
Trompowsky. White gives the bishop a retreat at f2 and has ideas of
pushing e2-e4. The drawback is that the g1-knight no longer has the f3-
square: 4 ... c5 (striking at the centre immediately and preparing ... Qb6) 5
dxc5 e6! (this creates less of a target; Lakdawala only looks at 5 ... e5 6 Bf2
Nc6 7 e4 or 6 ... d4 7 e3, when White has reasonable play on the light
squares) 6 Bf2 Na6 7 e4 Bxc5 8 Bxc5 (or 8 Nh3 Bxf2+ 9 Nxf2 Qb6, as in
F.Bendig-T.Morrell, correspondence 2019) 8 ... Nxc5 9 exd5 Qb6! is good
for Black, who has a big lead in development for a pawn that White is
unlikely to keep in any case.
4 ... Nf5 5 Bg3
If the bishop doesn’t retreat, Black will target it with ... h7-h5 and ... g7-
g5. For example:
a) 5 Nf3 g5 (or 5 ... h5) 6 Bxg5?! fxg5 7 Nxg5, Ant.Fernandes-
J.Mellado Trivino, Elgoibar 1998, and now 7 ... Ng7! leaves White with
very little for the piece.
b) 5 Bd3?! h5! (5 ... Nxh4?! 6 Qh5+ was White’s trick) 6 Bxf5 (forced)
6 ... Bxf5 and Black is clearly better with the bishop pair.
5 ... h5 6 Be2
White cannot play either 6 h3 or 6 h4 since 6 ... Nxg3 7 fxg3 would
wreck the pawn structure.
6 ... h4
 The problem for White in this line is that they keep having to expend
tempi to safeguard the dark-squared bishop.
7 Bf4
7 Bh5+ Kd7 is much the same: 8 Bg6 e6 9 Bf4 Ne7 10 Qg4 (if White
moves the g6-bishop, then ... g7-g5 traps the other one) 10 ... Kc6! (it is not
often you can play your king here on move ten with advantage) 11 c4 (or 11
e4 b6) 11 ... e5 was already winning for Black in Z.Monus-W.Erdös,
Hungarian League 2001.
7 ... g5 8 Bh5+
White is forced to take drastic measures not to get slaughtered on the
spot. 8 e4 dxe4 9 Bc1 Qxd4 or 9 Be3 e5 is clearly hopeless.
8 ... Kd7
Black’s king is remarkably safe in this variation, which was heavily
disputed throughout the 1990s. All of White’s options either lose or are
close to losing.
9 Bg4
White pins the f5-knight, forcing Black to make another pawn move,
but their king is safe all the same.
 The alternative was 9 e4 dxe4 10 d5 (one of Pert’s recommendations; 10
Bg4 e6 transposes the game, while 10 Bc1? c6 11 Nc3 Kc7 12 d5 e6 13
dxc6 Bb4! pretty much wins) 10 ... e6 (Pert only examines 10 ... Ng7 and
10 ... gxf4) 11 dxe6+ (or 11 Nc3 Bb4 12 dxe6+ Ke7) 11 ... Ke7 12 Bd2
Bxe6 and Black was close to winning in M.Lynge-V.Turicnik,
correspondence 2018. White is a pawn down and has no attack; in fact they
are more likely to be the victim of an attack by Black’s forces.
9 ... e6 10 e4
White opens the c1-h6 diagonal to allow the f4-bishop to escape.
10 ... dxe4
Best; 10 ... gxf4? 11 exf5 would only lead to problems for Black.

11 Bc1
11 Bd2 can be answered by 11 ... Ke7 (GM Michael Prusikin’s
recommendation, and mine as well, avoiding any rubbish with 11 ... Ke8 12
Bh5+ Ke7 13 Bb4+) 12 c3 (or 12 Ne2 Kf7 13 Nbc3 Nd6, followed by ... f7-
f5, as in G.Obukhov-J.Eshuis, correspondence ) 12 ... c5 13 Qe2 Kf7 and
there is no more attack. Prusikin quotes the game R.Groenhout-E.Van Vliet,
correspondence 2016, and states that Black is winning, which is correct.
 11 ... Ke8 12 c3
Now 12 Bh5+ Ke7 just puts White’s light-squared bishop in danger.
12 ... c5 13 Ne2 Nc6 14 0-0 cxd4
It is less easy to be precise over the board. After 14 ... Ng7! 15 Nd2 f5
White can resign.
15 cxd4 Nfxd4
Interestingly, the engine prefers 15 ... h3! 16 Bxh3 Nfxd4 17 Nxd4
Qxd4 18 Bg4 (forced), when Black has the same position as in the game
minus a pawn but, more significantly, with the move.
16 Nxd4
If 16 Nbc3 Be7 17 Nxe4 f5 18 Bh5+ Kf8, White loses a piece since ...
g5-g4 will trap the bishop. As so often in this variation, Black’s king is safe,
while White’s pieces are scattered around randomly.
16 ... Qxd4 17 Bh5+ Ke7 18 Nc3 Qxd1 19 Bxd1
Now that the queens are off White’s position is objectively hopeless. All
that Black has to do is protect the kingside pawns, and then advance them.

19 ... Kf7 20 Nxe4 e5 21 Be3 Be7 22 a3 Be6 23 b4 f5??

But here the pawns are not protected. 23 ... Kg6 was one way to do that.
 24 Nxg5+ Bxg5 25 Bxg5 f4?!
The white bishop is trapped again, but Black was mistaken if they
thought this would be enough to win.
26 b5! Na5
Not 26 ... Nd4? 27 Re1 and Black is suddenly in trouble.
27 Rc1 Nc4

28 Bb3?
Attacking the knight from the wrong direction. 28 Be2 Rac8 29 Bxc4
Bxc4 30 Rfe1 Bxb5 31 Rxc8 Rxc8 32 Bxh4 would lead to a draw.
28 ... Rac8?
Missing 28 ... Nd2! 29 Bxe6+ Kxe6 30 Rfe1 Kf5, when White has
problems again.
29 Rfe1?!
29 Bxc4 keeps the balance as after 28 Be2 etc.
29 ... Nxa3 30 Bxe6+ Kxe6 31 Bxf4 Kf5?!
31 ... Rxc1 32 Bxc1 Nc2! might have given Black something, as the
possibility of creating an outside passed queenside pawn is very high.
32 Rxe5+ Kxf4 33 Rce1 Rc4 34 R5e3 Nxb5 35 Rf3+ Kg5 ½-½
 Since the black king cannot evade rook checks up and down the e-file.

Game 48
A.Okrajek-F.Levin
Bad Wörishofen 2000

1 d4 d5 2 Bg5 f6
Here we shall analyse White’s remaining two bishop retreats.
3 Bf4
Strangely enough, the database indicates that 3 Bc1 scores best for
White.

Question: This retreat looks ridiculous. What is White trying to do?

Answer: White hopes to show that ... f7-f6 harms Black’s position, even
when given the move as well. I agree that it is ridiculous. It is logical to
take the centre, given that White “undeveloped” the c1-bishop. Black could
indeed play 3 ... e5 immediately, but I prefer 3 ... Nc6, pressurizing the d4-
pawn and preparing ... e7-e5. For example:
a) 4 c4?! e5 5 dxe5?! d4 6 exf6 Nxf6 is an Albin Counter-Gambit with
two extra moves. White will do well to survive the opening.
b) 4 Nf3 e5 5 dxe5 fxe5 6 e4 dxe4 7 Qxd8+ Kxd8 8 Ng5 Nd4 9 Kd2
Ke8 10 Nxe4 Bf5 and Black is at least equal.
c) 4 e3 e5 is a reversed French Defence with the extra ... f7-f6 for
Black: 5 Bb5 (if 5 Nf3, Black can choose between the Classical moves 5 ...
Bg4 and 5 ... e4, or opt for 5 ... Be6 seeing as the e-pawn is already
defended) 5 ... Qd6!? is the same as Game 46, except that White’s bishop is
on c1 (rather than d2). As there, Black prepares to develop the c8-bishop
and castle queenside, then perhaps think about pushing the kingside pawns.
3 ... c5

We arrive at a Modern London position with an extra ... f7-f6 for Black.
Given that our plan in those positions was often to play ... f7-f6 anyway, we
should be quite happy to have gotten that move for free. In fact it allows
Black to play even more aggressively.
4 e3
 Instead:
a) 4 e4?! dxe4 5 Bb5+ (note that 5 d5 can now be answered by 5 ... e5!
6 dxe6 Qxd1+ 7 Kxd1 Bxe6 8 Nc3 f5 9 Nb5 Na6 and Black keeps the
pawn) 5 ... Nc6 6 Bxc6+ bxc6 7 Qh5+ (trying to exploit the “weakening” ...
f7-f6) 7 ... g6 8 Qxc5 e5 9 Qxc6+ Bd7 10 Qxe4 Ne7 11 dxe5 Bc6 12 Qe2
Qd4! and although White is currently four pawns up, the tactics work out in
Black’s favour as the f4-bishop and both g2 and b2 are en prise.
b) 4 Bxb8?! Rxb8 5 Nc3?! (or 5 e3 c4! and with the f1-bishop locked in
Black can expand with ... b7-b5) 5 ... e6 6 e4 dxe4 7 d5 worked out for
White in Ju.Hodgson-H.Steingrimsson, German Bundesliga 2003, but
objectively 7 ... exd5 is just good for Black.
4 ... Nc6
I prefer this move here, immediately pressurizing the d4-pawn and
preparing the ... e7-e5 break.
5 Nf3
After 5 Bb5 h5 (both preparing ... g7-g5 and preventing any Qh5+
nonsense; Pert only gives 5 ... cxd4 here) 6 h4 cxd4 7 exd4 Bg4 8 f3 Bf5
Black has a good London position.
5 ... g5 6 Bg3 h5
 Black has the option of rushing the kingside and should take it up.
7 h3
The only move; both 7 h4 g4 8 Ng1 e5 and 7 c4 h4 8 cxd5 hxg3 9 dxc6
g4! 10 Qc2 (not 10 Nfd2? Rxh2) 10 ... gxf2+ 11 Kxf2 Rh6 are good for
Black.
7 ... cxd4
If 7 ... Nh6?! at once, White can fight for the initiative with 8 c4 Nf5 9
cxd5 Nxg3 10 fxg3 Qxd5 11 Nc3 Qd6 12 Ne4 Qc7 13 Rc1.
8 exd4 Nh6
The knight heads to f5, where it can pressurize d4 and attack the g3-
bishop.
9 Nc3?!
White should still try and counterattack with 9 c4! Nf5 10 cxd5 Nxg3
11 fxg3 Qxd5, when 12 Bd3 (not now 12 Nc3?! Qd6 13 Ne4 Qb4+) 12 ...
g4 13 hxg4 Bxg4 14 Bg6+ Kd8 15 Nc3 Qc4 16 Bd3 Qb4 17 0-0 Bh6 offers
mutual chances in a very messy position.
9 ... Nf5
 As intended; though I might now have preferred 9 ... Bf5 10 Bd3 e6 11
Qe2 Kf7 with an edge for Black, as the white bishop is denied access to g6.
10 Bd3 Nb4?!
Going after this bishop as well is not necessary. It was better to
eliminate the other one and ruin White’s pawns: 10 ... Nxg3 11 fxg3 Qd6 12
0-0 Bd7 13 Bg6+ Kd8 with an edge for Black due to the extra pawn. You
should not fear moving your king to d8 (or f7) in this variation.
11 Bb5+ Kf7 12 a3 Nc6 13 Qd3
White might just put the bishop back on d3.
13 ... a6?!
Black can do without this and start developing the rest of their pieces,
such as with 13 ... e6 14 0-0-0 Na5 15 Qe2 Bd7.
14 Ba4?
Trading on c6 made more sense: 14 Bxc6 bxc6 15 0-0-0, followed
perhaps by Na4, while taking on g3 would just open the files towards
Black’s king.
14 ... e6
Objectively, 14 ... b5! 15 Bb3 e6 was better, but Black probably figured
White was unlikely to take on c6, having just retreated the bishop.
15 b4?! Be7?!
It is not yet clear which square is best for this bishop. Building up on
the c-file with 15 ... Bd7 16 0-0 Rc8 looks more accurate, followed perhaps
by ... Nce7 or ... Bh6.
16 Bb3 b5
 17 Rd1
17 0-0 allows 17 ... g4 (since the h1-rook has left the h-file) 18 Nh4
Ncxd4 19 Nxf5 Nxf5, and if 20 Nxd5?! then 20 ... Ra7! forces White to
exchange into a bad endgame.
17 ... Qd7?
Seeing that the a1-rook has left the a-file, simply 17 ... a5! leaves
White’s queenside on the verge of collapse.
18 0-0 Kg7
Not 18 ... g4 19 Nh4 Ncxd4? since 20 Nxf5 Nxf5 21 Nxd5 is now very
bad for Black.
19 Rfe1?!
19 Ne2 was correct, both covering the g3-bishop and allowing White to
support the centre and queenside with c2-c3.
19 ... Nxg3 20 fxg3 Bd6 21 Rf1 Ne7 22 Rde1?!
22 Ne2 was still relatively best.
22 ... Qc7
With the knight coming to f5 as well, White has no good way to save
the g3-pawn and so tries a desperate sacrifice.
 23 Nxg5? fxg5 24 Qe3 Rh6 25 Ne4?
Hopeless, but otherwise the black rook comes to g6 and White has
nothing anyway.
25 ... dxe4 26 d5 exd5 27 Qxe4 dxe4 28 Rf7+ Kg6 29 Rxe4 Rh7 0-1
Chapter Nine
2 Nc3 c5
1 d4 d5 2 Nc3

With this original move, which blocks the c2-pawn from advancing,
White breaks basic opening principles in order to enter an aggressive set-
up, such as the Veresov (2 ... Nf6 3 Bg5) or the Jobava London (2 ... Nf6 3
Bf4). These are dangerous systems, especially for unprepared opponents;
the latter in particular has become highly popular at all levels, in the same
way as the Modern London.
2 ... c5!?
This response has become popular recently; earlier sources on the
Veresov Attack usually lack coverage. Given that White generally plays 2
Nc3 to gain the initiative, I propose throwing a spanner in their works by
trying to seize the initiative as Black. This leads to very sharp positions,
with chaos that is not unfavourable for Black. Essentially, White is being
given the chance to play a Chigorin’s Defence (1 d4 d5 2 c4 Nc6) with an
extra move; unfortunately for them, there is no extra move which offers any
advantage.

Game 49
Fa.Hoffmeyer-S.Eichner
German Bundesliga 2014

1 d4 d5 2 Nc3 c5 3 Bf4
White’s most played move, and the most dangerous try in my view. 3
e4, 3 Nf3, and others are examined in the next two games.
3 ... Nc6

IM Jimmy Liew doesn’t consider this move in The Veresov: Move by

Move, only analysing 3 ... cxd4. Taking on d4 seems good, as Black could
gain a tempo on the white queen after 4 Qxd4, but a closer look reveals that
it simply helps White develop. In just four moves, Black would have zero
pieces out, with White about to castle on move five (!). Instead, putting the
knight on c6 puts pressure on White’s centre due to the threat of ... c5xd4,
as well as expanding with ... e7-e5, plus develops a piece.
4 e4
White wants to blast open the centre to capitalize on their slight lead in
development, especially having in mind the Nb5 and Nc7+ idea. The
immediate 4 Nb5?? loses to 4 ... Qa5+ 5 Nc3 cxd4, and 4 e3 cxd4 5 exd4
Bf5 doesn’t pose any problems for Black.
4 ... cxd4
Black has to be fast; keep in mind that White already has several threats,
including taking both pawns on c5 and d5.
5 exd5 dxc3 6 dxc6 Qxd1+ 7 Rxd1 bxc6

We come to a crossroads where White has two main options: threaten

what looks like a cheapo on d8 or eliminate the irritating c3-pawn
immediately. This endgame is sharper than most, given the nature of the
position with neither side having development to brag about. Concrete
analysis is necessary, as either side who simply proceeds on basic principles
is likely to get blasted off the board, even without queens.
8 Bc7
 If 8 bxc3 Nf6, Black plans to plug the d-file with ... Nd5, followed by
getting their pieces out as soon as possible. White will try to destroy Black’s
defences, but all roads lead to equality. For example: 9 Nf3 Nd5 10 Bd2 f6
11 Nd4 Bd7 12 Ba6 e5 13 Bb7 Rb8 14 Bxc6 Nb6 15 Bxd7+ Kxd7 16 Nb3
Ke6, when White has an extra, but crippled pawn, while Black has an active
king and two pawn islands to White’s three.
8 ... Bg4 9 f3
Or 9 Nf3 a5 and then:

a) 10 Ba6 Bd7 11 Ne5 Rxa6 (L’Ami & Sielecki recommend 11 ... Nf6,
which is completely fine, but I prefer eliminating the light-squared bishop
which can cause all sorts of rubbish) 12 Rxd7 Ra8 13 Rd3 Nf6 14 Nxc6
cxb2 15 Ke2 e6 16 Rb1 Nd5 17 Be5 Rc8 18 c4 Nb4 19 Nxb4 axb4 20 Bxb2
Rxc4 and Black is temporarily a pawn up, though getting the f8-bishop out
will most likely mean giving it back.
b) 10 bxc3 Nf6 is equal according to L’Ami & Sielecki. Here is some
extra analysis that illustrates this conclusion: 11 Ba6 (threatening Bb7 with
devastating consequences, so what follows is forced) 11 ... Nd5 12 Bb7 Kd7
13 Rxd5+ cxd5 14 Bxa8 Bxf3 15 Bxa5 Bxg2 16 Rg1 Bf3 17 Rg3 Bh1 (this
is without doubt one of the most bizarre variations in the entire book; what
follows is a mix of confusing, yet simplistic beauty and fireworks that boil
down to pure logic) 18 Bb7 e6 19 c4 g6 20 Bb6 Bd6 21 c5 Bxg3 22 fxg3
Rc8 23 a4 Rc7 24 Bxc7 Kxc7 25 Ba8 Be4 26 c4 f5 27 cxd5 exd5 28 a5 d4
29 Bxe4 fxe4 30 a6 g5 31 h3 Kc6 and the game ends in a positional draw,
due to the “pendulum” effect, as it was called by legendary endgame expert
and trainer Mark Dvoretsky.
9 ... Bd7!
Previously, 9 ... Rc8?! 10 Ba5 Bd7 11 Bxc3 gave White a slight
advantage in Fa.Hoffmeyer-Hen.Hoffmann, German League 2011. But as
we’ll see, there’s no need for Black to be concerned about the rook.
10 Ba6
After 10 bxc3 Nf6 11 c4 g6 12 Bd3 Bg7 Black can castle next and bring
the rooks out, perhaps with ... Ne8 to kick the c7-bishop away.
10 ... Nf6 11 Bb7 Nd5

12 Bg3?
Having played to win the rook, letting it escape makes little sense.
White should have played 12 Bxa8 Nxc7 13 Bb7 cxb2 14 Rb1 e5 15 Rxb2,
even if 15 ... Nd5 16 Ne2 Bb4+ 17 c3 Ba5 18 0-0 Ke7 19 Ba6 Nxc3 20
Nxc3 Bxc3 21 Rb7 Bd4+ 22 Kh1 Kd6 gives Black a slight edge, with two
strong bishops and two pawns for the exchange.
12 ... cxb2 13 Rb1
It is too late to take on a8 now, as the b2-pawn needs to be dealt with
immediately.

Question: Why all the fuss about the lonely b2-pawn?

Answer: This is not just any old pawn; it is a dangerous unit by itself.
When combined with other forces, it can be very dangerous. In this case,
White cannot ignore it since 13 Bxa8? Nc3 would win on the spot.
13 ... Rd8 14 Ne2 e6 15 Rxb2
If 15 0-0, then 15 ... Ne3 16 Rd1 Nxc2 17 Red1 Ba3 18 Be5 f6 19 Bxb2
Bd4+ 20 Kh1 Rb8 leaves Black two pawns up.
13 ... Bc5
Now Black prevents White from castling. 15 ... Bb4+ 16 c3 Ba5 17 0-0
Nxc3 was also good.
16 c4 Bb4+ 17 Kf2 Bc5+ 18 Ke1 Ne3 19 Bc7
Winning the exchange after all changes nothing as Black’s pieces
become too dominant.
19 ... 0-0 20 Bxd8 Rxd8 21 Ng3 e5 22 Ba6 Be6 23 Nf1
 23 ... Nf5?!
There was no need to retreat the knight. 23 ... Ba3! 24 Nxe3 Bxb2 was
completely winning. The white king is in trouble, and the a6-bishop is not
faring any better.
24 Ng3 Ne3 25 Nf1 Nf5 26 Ng3 Bd4 27 Rb3 Ne3 28 Ke2 Nxg2 29
Rhb1 Bb6 30 Rd1??
A final blunder ends the game quickly.
30 ... Nf4+ 31 Ke1 Ba5+ 0-1

Game 50
H.M.Niemann-K.Shevchenko
Junior Speed Chess (online blitz) 2015

1 d4 d5 2 Nc3 c5 3 e4
A very sharp option which is suggested by GM Hans Niemann himself
in his Chessable course on the Jobava London. Just like 2 Bf4 c5 3 e4 in
Game 44, White aims to play a reversed Albin Counter-Gambit a tempo up,
meaning with an extra piece developed.
3 ... dxe4

Of course taking the e-pawn is the only critical option.

4 d5
Apart from this standard Albin push, White has also tried:
a) 4 Nge2 cxd4 5 Qxd4 (or 5 Nxd4 a6, intending ... e7-e5) 5 ... Bd7
(keeping queens on enables Black to gain time against the white queen
and/or whichever piece recaptures on e4) 6 Nxe4 Nc6 7 Qc4 Nf6 and Black
is fine.
b) 4 Bb5+ Bd7 (logically offering the exchange of light-squared
bishops) 5 dxc5 Nf6 and now:
b1) 6 Qe2 e6 7 Bg5 Bxc5 8 0-0-0 Qb6 9 Bxf6 gxf6 10 Bxd7+ Nxd7 11
Nxe4 Be7 is slightly better for Black, who can either keep the king in the
middle or castle queenside, with good control of the centre and ... Ne5 and
... Rg8 possible.
b2) 6 Be3 is given as “a simple line for White” by GM Simon Williams
in Opening Repertoire: The Jobava London System, while conceding that 6
... e6 7 Nge2 Qc8 8 Qd4 a6 9 Ba4 Bxa4 10 Qxa4+ Nbd7 11 0-0-0 Bxc5 12
Bxc5 b5 13 Nxe4 Nxe4 14 Qxe4 Nxc5 is equal. Extending the line confirms
this: 15 Qf3 0-0 16 Rd6 Qc7 17 Qc6 Qxc6 18 Rxc6 Rac8 and there is no
way for White to infiltrate.
4 ... Nf6 5 Nge2
This move mirrors Black’s current fashion for ... Nge7 set-ups in the
Albin proper. Others involve developing the queen’s bishop or making the
pawn sacrifice permanent:
a) 5 f3 exf3 (if White wants to make it a gambit, Black should take the
pawn and fianchetto) 6 Nf3 (or 6 Bb5+ Bd7 7 Nxf3 Bxb5 8 Nxb5 a6 9 Nc3
g6) 6 ... g6 7 Bf4 Bg7 and Black has an edge, as we saw in Game 44 (note
‘e’ to White’s 6th move).
b) 5 Be3 (developing and attacking the c5-pawn) 5 ... Nbd7 (developing
and defending the pawn) 6 Qd2 a6 is fine for Black, who can follow with ...
b7-b5 or ... g7-g6 or both.
c) 5 Bf4 transposes to Game 44 (in Chapter Seven) where we play 5 ...
g6.
d) 5 Bg5 (putting immediate pressure on the f6-knight) 5 ... g6!? (I
found no coverage of the immediate fianchetto; IM Jimmy Liew opts to
play 5 ... Nbd7 first, while L’Ami & Sielecki play 5 ... Nbd7 with the idea
of ... h7-h6 and ... g7-g5, which is a very interesting plan as well, but 5 ...
g6 is more consistent with our previous set-ups) 6 Qd2 (6 Bxf6?! exf6 7
Nxe4 Bg7, followed by ... 0-0, is good for Black; while 6 f3 exf3 7 Nxf3
Bg7 is much the same as 5 f3 above or other f2-f3 lines we have seen) 6 ...
Bg7 7 0-0-0 (if 7 Bh6 0-0 8 h4, then 8 ... e3! 9 Bxe3 Qb6 takes the initiative
in view of 10 0-0-0?? Ne4! and wins) 7 ... 0-0 8 Bh6 (or 8 h4 h5 9 Nge2
Qa5 with queenside counterplay) 8 ... e3! (again this disrupts White’s plans)
9 Bxe3 Ng4 10 Bxc5 (or 19 Bf4 Qa5) 10 ... Qc7 11 Bd4 Bh6 12 Be3 Nxe3
13 fxe3 Nd7 and Black has excellent play for the pawn.
5 ... g6
Just as after 2 Bf4 c5 3 e4, and the notes above, I recommend this
fianchetto.
6 Ng3
 White wants to recover the pawn immediately, which is understandable.
If they switch back to 6 Bf4 Bg7 7 Qd2, with ideas of Bh6, then 7 ... Qa5
starts a counterattack on the queenside.
6 ... Bg7 7 Ngxe4

7 ... Nxe4
I would have opted for development with 7 ... Nbd7 instead of
acquiescing to the exchange on White’s terms. For example: 8 Be2 0-0 9 0-
0 b6 (protecting the c5-pawn for good; Black now plans ... Bb7 and ... a7-a6
with ideas of ... b6-b5, or ... Rc8 and ... c5-c4, or simply ... Qd7 and ... Rad8
to target the d5-pawn; though Black must be on guard for the d5-d6 break,
which can be devastating if White has their forces queued up on the d- and
e-files) 10 Re1 (X-raying the e7-pawn) 10 ... Bb7 (increasing the pressure
on d5) 11 Nxf6+ (or 11 Rb1 Rc8 12 Bf4 Nxe4 13 Nxe4 c4 and in some
cases Black can even sacrifice this pawn for counterplay) 11 ... Nxf6 12
Bc4 a6 13 a4 Qd7 and Black was soon ready to take on d5 in
M.Madaminov-A.Predke, World Blitz Championship, Almaty 2022.
8 Nxe4 0-0 9 Be2
Of course the c5-pawn is taboo.
 9 ... Nd7
Alternatively, 9 ... f5!? looks crazy, but Black gets interesting
counterplay by locking in the c1-bishop after 10 Nc3 f4 11 0-0 Nd7.
10 0-0 b6 11 c4

11 ... Bb7?!
Premature, since is not yet clear whether the bishop belongs on b7 or
elsewhere, such as f5. Right now it bites on the granite d5-pawn, so leaving
it on c8 for the time being was preferable.
It was better to play 11 ... Nf6 at once, and if 12 Nc3 (or 12 Nxf6+ Bxf6
13 Bf3 Qd6, when Black can aim to break with ... e7-e6 eventually) 12 ...
e5! 13 a4 a5, White may have a passed pawn, but Black can blockade it
with ... Ne8-d6, giving up the light-squared bishop for the white knight
should it come in at b5.
12 Nc3 Nf6 13 Bf3
There was no urgency to play this move. 13 a4 e6 14 Bf3 was better, in
order to soften up Black’s queenside and make the b7-bishop
uncomfortable.
13 ... Qd7?!
 Black wants to connect the rooks, which is fine but also premature.
Blockading the d-pawn with 13 ... Ne8 and ... Nd6 was called for before
commencing operations in the centre.
14 Re1
Now 14 a4 looks even better than last move.
14 ... Rad8?!
The engine finds resources in a split second which even grandmasters
cannot spot in blitz chess. Here 14 ... e6 15 dxe6 Bxf3 16 exd7 (or 16 Qxf3
Rae8!) 17 ... Bxd1 17 Rxd1 Rad8 18 Nd5 Nxd7 19 Bg5 f6 20 Bf4 Ne5 21
Bxe5 fxe5 keeps Black’s disadvantage to a minimum, although White is
definitely better, with a nagging edge, as can be seen from just one look.
15 Bg5?!
Here 15 Qc2 e6 16 dxe6 fxe6 17 Bxb7 Qxb7 18 Bg5 would have kept a
slight edge, since Black’s attempt at counterplay has left them with a weak
e6-pawn.

15 ... Rfe8?
Black should drive the bishop back at once: 15 ... h6 16 Bf4 g5 17 Be5
(or 17 Bg3 g4) 17 ... e6 with good counterplay in the centre, as the d-pawn
is now much shakier than in the game.
16 Qc2 h6 17 Bh4?
The wrong way. After 17 Bf4! Black can no longer play 17 ... g5 18 Be5
e6 because 19 Bxf6 Bxf6 20 dxe6 fxe6 21 Qg6+ wins, while 17 ... Ba6 18
b3 e6 19 d6 would turn the d-pawn into a dangerous passer.
17 ... Qc8?
Now 17 ... g5! 18 Bg3 g4 was effective, since 19 Be2 e6 or 19 Be4
Nxe4 20 Qxe4 e6 puts strong pressure on White’s centre.
18 Rad1
It was worth retreating the h4-bishop on this or any of the next few
moves, to control the b8-h2 diagonal and reduce Black’s options
significantly.
18 ... Ba8?! 19 Qa4 a6 20 Qb3 g5 21 Bg3 g4 22 Be4?
The wrong way again. 22 Be2 prevents ... b6-b5, and 22 ... e6 23 Na4
breaks down Black’s queenside barrier.
22 ... b5?
This gives White the chance to retreat the e4-bishop, whereas after 22 ...
Nxe4 23 Rxe4 b5 Black obtains great counterplay. The two bishops are
strong enough to compensate for Black’s dodgy pawn structure.
23 Bd3?
And this allows a trick. 23 Bb1! was correct, and if 23 ... bxc4 24 Qxc4
Qb7 then 25 Be5 Qxb2 26 Qd3 gives White strong play on the kingside.
 23 ... Nh5??
Missing 23 ... Nxd5! 24 Nxd5 Bxd5 25 cxd5 c4 and Black is okay.
Instead, the text lands Black in a lost position, not least because White
could just take on b5.
24 Be5!? bxc4 25 Bxc4 Qf5 26 Bxg7 Kxg7 27 Ne4 Nf4 28 Ng3 Qg5
29 Qc3+ Kg8 30 Re5 Qf6 31 Qe3 e6 32 Re1??
32 Nf5! Ng6 33 Nxh6+ Kg7 34 Nxg4 is pretty much game over.
32 ... Bxd5
Suddenly Black is equal, for a few moves anyway.
33 Bxd5 Rxd5 34 Re4 Ng6 35 Qxh6 Qg7 36 Qc1 Red8? 37 Rxg4 Kf8
38 h4 Qf6 39 h5?!
Here 39 Ne4 Qd4 40 Rxg6 fxg6 41 Ng5 is a tactical win.
39 ... Ne5 40 Ne4 Qf5? 41 Qh6+ Ke7 42 Rf4 Ng4 43 Rxg4??
And 43 Rxf5 Nxh6 44 Rxd5 Rxd5 45 Rc1 is a technical win.
43 ... Qxg4 44 Nf6 Qg5?! 45 Nxd5+ Rxd5 46 Qxg5+ Rxg5 47 Re3
Rxh5 48 Ra3 Rd5 49 b3 Rd1+ 50 Kh2 Rd6 51 Ra5 Rc6 52 Kg3 Kd6 53
Ra4 Kd5 54 f3 e5 55 Kg4 Ke6 56 f4 f5+ 57 Kf3 e4+ 58 Ke3 Kd5 59 g4
fxg4 60 Rxe4
 60 ... Re6??
A terrible decision even at bullet - the rook endgame is drawn, but the
pawn endgame is completely lost for Black.
61 Rxe6 Kxe6 62 Kf2 a5 63 Kg3 Kf5 64 a4 Ke4 65 Kh4??
Or would have been lost except for this mouse slip. 65 Kxg4 obviously
wins for White, whereas 65 ... Kxf4 now leads to the opposite result;
presumably Black already had their reply on premove and was fortunate it
was good enough to draw.
65 ... Kd4?? 66 Kxg4 Kc3 67 f5 Kxb3 68 f6 c4 69 f7 c3 70 f8Q c2 71
Qf4 Kb2 72 Qf2 Kb1 73 Qb6+ Ka2 74 Qc5 Kb1 75 Qb5+ Ka2 76 Qc4+
Kb1 77 Qb3+ Ka1 78 Qc3+ Kb1 79 Qxa5 c1Q 80 Qb4+ Ka2 81 a5 Qc8+
82 Kf4 Qc7+ 83 Ke4 Qc6+ 84 Kd4 Qd7+ 85 Ke5 Qg7+ 86 Kd5 Qf7+ 87
Kc6 Qe8+ 88 Kb7 Qd7+ 89 Ka6 Qc6+ 90 Qb6 Qa8+ 91 Kb5 Qd5+ 92
Qc5 Qb7+ 93 Kc4 Qe4+ 94 Qd4 Qc6+ 95 Qc5 Qe4+ 96 Kc3 Qf3+ 97
Kd4 Qf2+ 98 Kd5 Qf5+ 99 Kc4 Qe4+ ½-½

Game 51
L.Pressman-F.Mandiza
US Online Chess League 2011

1 d4 d5 2 Nc3 c5

3 Nf3
Here we examine White’s third move alternatives. The following have
all been played by a GM or IM at least once, if only in blitz games:
a) 3 e3 is very passive, such that 3 ... Nf6 is already better for Black.
Then 4 Nf3 Nc6 transposes to 4 e3 in the game, while 4 dxc5 is note ‘c2’
below.
b) 3 Bg5?! surrenders the centre: 3 ... f6 4 Bc1 cxd4 5 Qxd4 e6 6 e4
Nc6 7 Qd1 d4 and White ends up worse.
c) 3 dxc5 (almost all of the time where White takes on c5 with a knight
on c3, they cede the centre without justification) 3 ... Nf6 (Black develops a
piece, as well as protects the d5-pawn) and now:
c1) 4 Nf3 Nc6 transposes to the game.
c2) 4 e3 e5 (4 ... e6 is fine too) 5 Nf3 (or 5 b4 a5) 5 ... e4 6 Nd4 Bxc5,
when Black already has a space advantage and can castle and bring a knight
to e5 next.
 c3) 4 e4 d4 5 Bc4 (or 5 e5 dxc3 6 Qxd8+ Kxd8 7 exf6 exf6 8 bxc3
Bxc5) 5 ... Nc6 (not 5 ... dxc3?? 6 Bxf7+) 6 Nd5 Nxe4 7 Bf4 e5 8 Qe2 Bf5
9 f3 was Ba.Jobava-C.Lupulescu, Baku Olympiad 2016, where 9 ... Nf6! 10
Bxe5 Nxd5 11 Bc7+ Qe7 12 Bxd5 Nb4 13 Bxb7 Nxc2+ 14 Kd2 Kd7! 15
Bf4 (or 15 Bxa8 Kxc7) 15 ... Qxc5 16 Bxa8 looks insanely dangerous for
White, according to GM Mekhitarian.
d) 3 Qd3 Nf6

This transposes directly to a line that Eric Fleischmann analyses in his

book The Richter-Veresov Attack: Qd3 Variation.
d1) 4 Nf3?! cxd4 5 Nb5 (Fleischmann stops here, saying that the
position is unclear; I disagree, as Black is close to strategically winning
already) 5 ... a6! 6 Nbxd4 Nbd7 (the point; now ... e7-e5 is coming and
White has no tricks) 7 Nb3 e5 8 Bg5 Qc7 and I would be sincerely
surprised if White survives to move 20.
d2) 4 Bg5?! (this basically leaves White’s centre for dead) 4 ... Nc6!
(hitting it immediately forces concessions) 5 Bxf6 gxf6 6 dxc5 d4 7 Ne4
Qd5 and the two bishops are ready to participate, after which Black will
take the centre with ... e7-e5.
 d3) 4 e3 a6 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Be2 b5 7 0-0 c4 8 Qd1 Qc7 and Black has been
allowed far too much space this early in the game.
d4) 4 dxc5 Nc6 5 Nf3 e5 6 Bg5 (after 6 e4 d4 7 Ne2 Nd7 White’s
position makes little sense) 7 Qe3 Be6 (7 ... Be7 8 0-0-0 Ng4 9 Qf4 exf3 10
Rxd5 Qa5 may be stronger but is also more of a mess) 8 Nd4 Bxc5 9 Nxe6
Bxe3 10 Nxd8 Bxg5 11 Nxc6 bxc6 and Black has at least a slight edge.
3 ... Nc6

Black attacks the d4-pawn again, threatening to take and follow up with
... e7-e5.
4 dxc5
White hopes to pressurize the exposed d5-pawn, but ceding the centre is
rarely a good idea. Instead:
a) 4 e3 Nf6 5 Bb5 e6 6 Ne5 Qc7 7 0-0 Bd6 8 f4 0-0 is an inferior Colle
for White. After something like 9 Kh1 a6 10 Bxc6 bxc6 Black has the two
bishops, as well as two c-pawns with which to attack the centre.
b) 4 Bf4 (White opts for a London-style set-up) 4 ... Nf6 5 e4!? (if 5 e3
cxd4 6 exd4 Bg4 7 Be2 e6 8 0-0 Bxf3 9 Bxf3 Bd6, Black is slightly better
in this Exchange Caro-Kann type position due to having the superior minor
pieces and a more logical structure) 5 ... dxe4 6 d5 Nb4 7 Bb5+ Bd7 8
Bxd7+ Qxd7 9 Ne5 Qd5 10 Qe2 a6 (defending against the destructive Qb5+
threat) 11 Bg3 Nfxd5 12 Nxe4 Ne3! 13 fxe3 Qxe3 and Black has a slight
edge with the extra pawn.
4 ... Nf6
Facing threats of both ... d5-d4 and ... e7-e5, White must act at once;
however, they are always at least one tempo short. In general, holding on to
the extra pawn is not possible.
5 e4
Surprisingly, this position more often arises from a Sicilian Defence (1
e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nc3 Nc6 4 d4 d5 5 dxc5?!) and leads to a forced
sequence. Instead:
a) 5 Bg5?! d4 6 Na4 Qa5+ 7 c3 b5 8 b4 Qxa4 9 Qxa4 bxa4 10 b5 Na5
11 cxd4 Ne4 and White doesn’t have enough for the piece.
b) 5 Bf4 d4 6 Nb1 gives Black a pleasant choice between 6 ... Nd5, 6 ...
Bf5, or simply 6 ... e6.
5 ... d4 6 e5
After 6 Ne2 e5 7 Ng3 Bxc5 or 6 Na4 Qa5+ 7 c3 dxc3 8 Nxc3 Nxe4 9
Qa4 Qxa4 10 Nxa4 g6, Black has regained the pawn with a slight advantage
due to more active pieces.
6 ... dxc3 7 Qxd8+ Nxd8 8 exf6 cxb2!
Forcing a structure which is more favourable for Black.
9 Bxb2 exf6 10 Bb5+
If 10 0-0-0 Bd7 11 Nd2 Ne6 12 Bc4 0-0-0, Black keeps a slight edge, as
their king is safe and c5 will fall soon.
10 ... Bd7 11 Bxd7+ Kxd7
 Although the black king has been brought into the open, it will be safe
enough on the c-file, and the c5-pawn will soon fall, leaving Black a pawn
up. It may not look like much in view of the doubled f-pawns but, from nine
games in the database, White has managed only one half point from here.
12 0-0-0+ Kc7 13 Ba3
After either 13 Rhe1 Bxc5 14 Nd4 Rc8 or 13 Rd5 Kc6 14 Rhd1 Bxc5
Black keeps the extra pawn without incident.
13 ... Ne6
Logical; Black hits the c5-pawn again and can soon challenge for the d-
file by bringing a rook to d8.
14 Rd5
White protects the c5-pawn and prepares to double rooks, but they
should not be able either to keep the pawn or control of the d-file. The best
defence was 14 Nd4! Nxc5 15 Rhe1 a6 (not 15 ... Rd8? 16 Nb5+) 16 Nf5
Ne6 17 Bd6+! Bxd6 18 Nxd6 Rhd8 19 Nxf7 Rxd1+ 20 Rxd1 Rf8 21 Nd6
Rd8 22 Nf5 Rxd1+ 23 Kxd1, when White should be able to hold the knight
endgame, despite the inferior pawn structure.
14 ... Be7
 The immediate 14 ... Rd8 15 Rxd8 Kxd8 was stronger. It was worth a
tempo to exchange one of White’s more active rooks.
15 Rhd1
Here too 15 Nd4 was better, intending 15 ... Nxd4 16 Rxd4 Rhd8 17
Rd3 or 15 ... Rhd8 16 Nxe6+ fxe6 17 Rh5 h6 18 Re1 e5 19 f4 with some
counterplay.
15 ... Rad8?!

The wrong rook. 15 ... Rhd8 would eliminate the possibility in the next
note.
16 c4?
Once again 16 Nd4! was correct. This is not the easiest move to spot,
but neither is it the hardest. The point is that 16 ... Rxd5 17 Nb5+ regains
the rook since 17 ... Kc6?! 18 Nxa7+ forces the king away. (Note that this
trick would not work if Black had left the a8-rook where it was.) If instead
16 ... Nxd4 17 R5xd4 Rxd4 18 Rxd4 f5, White is still worse, but is holding
on at least.
16 ... Nf4?
 Simply 16 ... Rxd5 17 Rxd5 (or 17 cxd5 Nxc5) 17 ... Rd8 is close to
winning, since White now has two weak c-pawns to worry about.
17 Kc2 Nxd5?
Grabbing the exchange straight away merely turns White’s pawns into a
powerful force. Black should have played 17 ... Kc8, threatening 18 ...
Nxd5 19 cxd5 Rhe8! 20 d6 Bf8, while after 18 Rxd8+ Rxd8 19 Nd4 Bf8 or
18 R5d2 Rxd2+ 19 Nxd2 Rd8 Black keeps the advantage in view of
White’s pawn weaknesses.
18 cxd5 Kd7?!
The king is more vulnerable here. 18 ... Kc8 19 d6 Bf8 20 Kb3 h5 was
much better, as Black can try to gain space on the kingside and breathe.
19 c6+?!
19 d6 Bf8 20 Nd4 was far more testing, when Black would have to find
20 ... Rc8 21 Kd3 g6! 22 Rb1 b6! 23 c6+ Rxc6 24 Nxc6 Kxc6 25 Rc1+ Kd7
26 Rc7+ Ke6! 27 d7 (or if 27 Rc8 then 27 ... Bg7!, the obscure point of
Black’s 21st move) 27 ... Be7 28 Bxe7 Kxe7 29 d8Q+ Kxd8 30 Rxa7 Re8
31 Rxf7 Re5 32 Rxh7 Ra5 with just enough counterplay to draw.
19 ... bxc6 20 dxc6+ Kxc6 21 Bxe7 Rxd1 22 Kxd1 Rb8
Neither side has the advantage in this rook and pawn vs. bishop and
knight ending; so the game ends in a draw, if not in the most accurate way.
23 a3?! Kd5 24 Bb4 Kc4 25 Kc2 Rc8?! 26 h4?! h5 27 g3 Re8 28 Nd2+
Kb5 29 Kd3 Rd8+ ½-½
Chapter Ten
The Torre Attack
1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bg5

Now we come to the Torre Attack, which is not especially dangerous

against this move order. The Torre is more effective against Nimzo/QID
players who adopt 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 e6 set-ups, as then 3 Bg5 pins the f6-
knight. In our position the knight is not pinned, so Black can equalize quite
easily by advancing it.
3 ... Ne4
In his book, The Gambit Guide to the Torre Attack, FM Graham Burgess
states that this type of Torre is “ineffective” as White cannot force the black
knight out of e4 with f2-f3, and I agree. He even recommends that readers
transpose to the Queen’s Gambit with 3 c4 (to which we would reply 3 ...
dxc4 of course). If your opponent plays 3 Bg5 in any case, they are either
hardcore Torre aficionados or simply are unfamiliar with the nuances. In
either case, you can look forward to a theoretically easy position.

Game 52
Ho.Arnold-H.Offenborn
Correspondence 2008

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bg5 Ne4 4 Bf4

The most frequently played move by far. White hopes to get a
Trompowsky-like position where they can demonstrate that the e4-knight is
too exposed. Other options - 4 Bh4, 4 Be3, and 4 h4 - are examined in the
next two games.
4 ... f6!?

This move is quite rare, yet scores very well for Black. The idea is to
take control of e5 and g5 and launch a two-pronged assault: on the
queenside with ... c7-c5 as well as a kingside pawnstorm with ... g7-g5 and
... h7-h5. Most books recommend 4 ... c5, including IM John Cox’s
excellent book Dealing with 1 d4 Deviations, so I am sure that 4 ... f6
would come as a surprise to most, if not all, of your opponents.
5 e3?
This normal-looking move is probably an outright mistake. Instead:
a) 5 Nbd2 can be answered by 5 ... g5 6 Be3 Nd6, when White’s pieces
are in each other’s way, so Black can take the initiative such as with 7 c4 c6
8 g3 h5 9 Bg2 h4.
b) 5 Nfd2 tries to force the knight out of e4, but it doesn’t have to move:
5 ... e5! 6 dxe5 fxe5 7 Bxe5 Nc6 8 Bg3 Qf6 9 c3 Nxg3 10 hxg3 Bg4
(threatening ... Bc5) 11 Nf3 (or 11 Qa4 h5) 11 ... 0-0-0 12 e3 Bc5 and Black
has two bishops and great activity for the pawn.
c) 5 h3 safeguards the f4-bishop at the cost of a tempo, which Black can
use for 5 ... c5! 6 e3 cxd4 7 exd4 e5 8 dxe5 (or 8 Be3 Nc6 9 Bd3 Nd6) 8 ...
Bc5 9 Bb5+ Nc6 10 0-0 fxe5 11 Be3 (not 11 Nxe5? 0-0) 11 ... Bxe3 12 fxe3
0-0 with counterplay
d) 5 c4 is the critical continuation, but Black can proceed with the
kingside pawnstorm, even with the centre fluid: 5 ... g5 (the most ambitious
way for Black to fight for the initiative from the start) 6 Bc1
 Exercise: White “undevelops” the bishop with the hope of proving that
Black’s structure is overextended and thus weak. How should Black
respond?

Answer: By making their structure look even weaker with 6 ... e5!?.
Black aims to seize the initiative without worrying about material, a
concept that you should internalize after having read the QGA part of the
book. For example:
d1) 7 e3 Nc6 8 Nc3 Bb4 9 Bd2 Nxd2 10 Qxd2 Be6 11 0-0-0 e4 12 Ng1
Ne7 13 cxd5 Nxd5 14 Nge2 Qe7 15 a3 Bxc3 16 Nxc3 f5 17 Kb1 0-0-0 with
equality, as Black has finally secured their centre.
d2) 7 Nc3 Bb4 (with so many pawns hanging, this leads to fun
positions) 8 Qb3 c5 9 e3 exd4 10 exd4 g4 11 Nd2 Nc6 12 Ndxe4 Nxd4 13
Qa4+ Bd7 14 Nd6+ Ke7 15 Qd1 Qa5 16 Bd2 Kxd6 and Black’s king is
surprisingly safe on d6, despite all the pieces remaining on the board. The
immediate threat is to bring a rook to e8.
 d3) 7 dxe5 Nc6 8 Qxd5 (after 8 exf6 Bb4+ 9 Bd2 Nxd2 10 f7+ Kxf7 11
Nbxd2 g4 12 a3 Be7 13 cxd5 Qxd5 14 e3 Kg7 15 Bc4 Qd7 16 Ng1 Ne5
White has an extra pawn, but Black has the bishop pair, more space, as well
as ... Nd3+; or if 8 cxd5 Bb4+ 9 Nc3 Nxc3 10 bxc3 Bxc3+ 11 Bd2 Bxa1 12
dxc6 Bxe5 13 Nxe5 fxe5 14 e4 0-0 15 Bc4+ Kg7 16 Qh5 Qf6, all the
madness leads to equality) 8 ... Bf5 9 a3 g4 10 e6 Bg6 reaches a loony
position where White is two pawns up but has poor development, while
Black has threats such as ... Nd4 and ... Nc5.

Play could continue 11 Nbd2 (or 11 Nfd2 Nd4 12 Nxe4 Nc2+ 13 Kd1
Bxe4 14 Qd7+! Qxd7+ 15 exd7+ Kxd7 16 Ra2 Nd4 17 Nd2 Bc2+ 18 Ke1
a5 and White is a pawn up, but their development is another story) 11 ...
Nc5 12 b4 gxf3 13 bxc5 Nd4 14 Bb2 Nc2+ 15 Kd1 Qxd5 16 cxd5 Nxa1 17
Bxf6 (or 17 Bxa1 Bxc5) 17 ... Rg8 18 Bxa1 fxe2+ 19 Bxe2 Bxc5 20 f4 Rd8
21 g4 Be3 22 f5 Rxd5 23 Bc3 Ke7 24 Kc2 (or 24 Bf3 Rxd2+ 25 Bxd2 Rd8
26 Ke2 Bxd2 27 fxg6 hxg6) 24 ... Bxf5 (the safest option) 25 gxf5 Rxf5 and
the game is finally equal.
5 ... g5
Black starts the kingside pawnstorm at once.
 6 Ne5
Sacrificing a piece in this way is White’s best chance.
a) 6 Nxg5 Nxg5 7 Bxg5 fxg5 8 Qh5+ Kd7 9 h4 c6 is safer for Black,
since White misses the dark-squared bishop.
b) 6 Bg3 h5 leads to a wrecked white kingside as the only way to save
the bishop is to push the h-pawn: 7 h3 (7 h4 Nxg3 8 fxg3 g4 9 Nfd2 Bh6 is
even worse) 7 ... Nxg3 8 fxg3 Qd6 9 Kf2 h4 and Black is clearly better in
view of White’s dark square weaknesses.
6 ... h5
I prefer this move, which keeps the white queen out of h5 and opens up
for the h8-rook.
Taking the knight at once is also possible: 6 ... fxe5 7 Qh5+ Kd7 8 Bxe5
Nf6 9 Qxg5 Rg8 10 Qf4 as long as Black finds 10 ... Rg4! (pushing the
white queen off the b8-h2 diagonal gives Black time to secure the king) 11
Qf3 Ke8 12 h3 Rg7 13 Qf4 (back again, but now Black can ignore the
threat to c7) 13 ... Nbd7 14 Bxc7 e5! 15 Qxe5+ (or 15 Bxe5 Nxe5 16 dxe5
Ne4) 15 ... Nxe5 16 Bxd8 Kxd8 17 dxe5 Ne4 and Black is better, even
though White currently has four pawns for the piece.
7 Be2 fxe5 8 Bxh5+ Kd7
The king escapes to d7, reminiscent of Game 47 in Chapter Eight.
9 Bxe5 Nf6 10 Be2
Simply retreating the bishop is hardly consistent, but White is struggling
to show compensation in any case:
a) 10 Qf3 Kc6! is an example of an adventurous king (we’ve seen it
before in the notes to Games 9, 26, 38 and 47). Here Black also threatens 11
... Rxh5 12 Bxf6 g4 and wins.
b) 10 h4 gxh4 11 Nc3 c6 12 Qf3 Bg7 13 Qh3+ (or 13 Rxh4 Qg8) 13 ...
e6 14 Be2 Ne8 and there is no way that White has enough; Black’s king is
too locked in to attack.
10 ... Nc6 11 c4 e6 12 Nc3
 Exercise: White piles the pressure on the d5-pawn. How should Black
respond?

12 ... Bb4?
Answer: Black should let the pawn go. It is more important the
challenge the e5-bishop: 12 ... Bd6! 13 Bxf6 (or 13 f4 gxf4 14 exf4 Qf8) 13
... Qxf6 14 cxd5 exd5 15 Nxd5 Qg6 with a clear edge, as the piece is worth
more than White’s three pawns. Black’s king looks ugly for now, but after
... Kd8 the c8-bishop can finally get out.
13 Qc2
Castling with 13 0-0! looks stronger, since Black has nothing better than
13 ... Bd6 (if 13 ... Bxc3 14 bxc3 Nxe5 15 dxe5 Ne4 16 Qd4, White
threatens f2-f3 to trap the knight) 14 f4 gxf4 15 exf4 Qf8 16 cxd5 exd5 17
Qb3 Qh6 18 h3 Ke7, which is now about even due to Black having wasted
a tempo on ... Bb4.
13 ... Bxc3+ 14 bxc3 Qe7?!
 Here 14 ... Nxe5 15 dxe5 Ne4 16 0-0-0 Ke7 is equal, given that Black’s
king is not as safe as it could have been.
15 cxd5 Nxe5 16 dxe5 Nxd5
Now for sure Black’s king is less safe. The dark-squared bishop offered
him much protection that is sorely missing here.
17 c4?!
17 Rd1 Ke8 18 c4 is more testing, though Black can defend with precise
play: 18 ... Qb4+ 19 Kf1 Ne7 20 Qd3 (preventing ... Bd7) 20 ... Kf7! 21
Qe4 Nf5 22 Qf3 Qc5 23 g4 Qxe5 24 gxf5 gxf5 25 Rd5 Qf6 and so on.
17 ... Qb4+ 18 Kf1 Qc3 19 Qd1 Qxe5 ½-½

A rather odd position in which to agree to a draw, but this is

correspondence chess, so they must know that the position is equal. For
example, 20 h4 Ke7 21 cxd5 exd5 22 h5 and the engine says “0.00”.

Game 53
Im.Balog-C.Seel
German Bundesliga 2019
1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bg5 Ne4 4 Bh4
Here the bishop is not subject to ... e7-e5 attacks, but we can target it
anyway.
4 ... h5!?

Most authors recommend 4 ... c5, often giving it an exclamation mark,

and do not examine 4 ... h5 at all. GM S.P.Sethuraman states in his
Chessable course that 4 ... c5 is the most principled, but I find 4 ... h5 to be
more principled. White has sidelined their dark-squared bishop, so it makes
sense to harass it by initiating a pawnstorm. A practical advantage is that
your opponents are unlikely to know this line as well as 4 ... c5.
Note that 4 ... f6 is less effective here because of 5 Nfd2! and there is no
... e7-e5 resource, while 5 ... Nd6 (or 5 ... g5 6 Nxe4 gxh4 7 Ned2) 6 f4 g6 7
e3 Bg7 8 c4 gives White a slight edge, as in A.Grischuk-A.Dreev, Airthings
Masters (online rapid) 2023.
5 Nfd2
The critical move, challenging the e4-knight straight away and
preparing to safeguard the h4-bishop by advancing the f-pawn. Anything
else and Black might play ... f7-f6 after all. For example: 5 Nbd2? f6, 5 c4?
f6, or 5 e3 f6 (when White has to find 6 Ng1! just to stay in the game),
while after 5 h3 Black can profitably switch to 5 ... c5.
5 ... g5

Question: Why is Black allowing White to double their pawns after

6 Nxe4 gxh4 - ?

Answer: Black should not fear this exchange. It is true that the structure
looks ugly, but in return Black gets the bishop pair and the half-open g-file.
6 Nxe4 gxh4 7 Ned2 Nc6
Attacking the d4-pawn and playing for ... e7-e5. I might have opted for
7 ... Bg7 8 Nf3 c5 9 c3 cxd4 10 cxd4 Nc6, which softens up the a1-h8
diagonal.
8 Nf3 Bg7 9 e3
White fortifies the d4-pawn and tries to develop as quickly as possible
in order not to fall too far behind. It goes without saying that there is no
time to take on h4.
9 ... e5
 Black should not sit back and play slowly as if it were trench warfare.
This is now an open battlefield, and decisive measures must be taken.
10 Bb5?
The bishop doesn’t belong here. 10 dxe5 Nxe5 11 c3 was more prudent,
trying to block up the a1-h8 diagonal, though White is still slightly worse.
10 ... e4
Opening up with 10 ... exd4! may be even stronger: 11 Nxd4 (or 11
exd4 Qe7+) 11 ... Kf8!, when 12 Nxc6? bxc6 13 Bxc6 Rb8 is far too
dangerous for White.
11 Ng1
If 11 Ne5 then 11 ... Rh6 12 c4 Kf8! is good for Black.
11 ... Qg5 12 Ne2
White lines up a cheapo: 12 ... Qxg2? 13 Rg1, skewering Black’s queen
and g7-bishop.
12 ... a6
Playing to gain the two bishops is logical, but 12 ... Kf8! is stronger,
stepping out of the pin and defending the g7-bishop, and if 13 Rg1 Ne7, the
knight re-routes to cause havoc on White’s fragile kingside.
 13 Bxc6+ bxc6 14 Nbc3 Rb8 15 Na4 Qxg2??
A serious miscalculation. Instead, 15 ... Bf8! conserves the advantage -
and the g7-bishop.
16 Rg1 Qxh2 17 Rxg7 Bg4 18 Kd2!

Presumably this is what Black overlooked. Anything else and White

would be in trouble.
18 ... Kf8
Incredibly, the engine prefers not going for the rook: 18 ... Ke7! 19 Rg5
(if 19 Qh1 Qxh1 20 Kxh1 then 20 ... Kf6) 19 ... Rbg8 20 Rxg8 Rxg8 21 Qf1
(not 21 Qg1?? Qxg1 22 Rxg1 Bxe2 23 Rxg8 h3 24 Rg1 Bf3 and wins) 21 ...
Bxe2 22 Qxe2 Rg1 23 Rxg1 Qxg1 and Black has sufficient counterplay to
draw.
19 Rxg4
The nuance 19 Rg5! f6 20 Rxg4 hxg4 21 Qg1 improves this for White,
since the f6-pawn will get in Black’s way, though a draw is still the most
likely result.
19 ... hxg4 20 Qf1?!
 Black’s pawns are far more dangerous with the queens on. 20 Qh1 Qxh1
21 Rxh1 Ke7 2 b3 should lead to a draw.
20 ... Ke7 21 b3??
It was not too late for 21 Qh1.

21 ... Rh6??
Missing the chance. After 21 ... Rbg8! and 22 ... g3 White’s position is
resignable.
22 Qh1 Qxh1 23 Rxh1 a5 24 Ke1 Rbh8 25 Kf1 g3 26 Nac3 Kd6 27
Nf4 gxf2 28 Kxf2 Rg8 29 Nce2 c5 30 a3 cxd4 31 exd4 c5 32 Ke3 Rc8?!
This makes things more difficult as the white knights now become a
nuisance.
33 c4 cxd4+ 34 Kxd4 a4 35 Ng3! Rhh8 36 Nf5+ Kd7 37 Nxd5 axb3
38 Nb6+ Ke6 39 Nxc8 Rxc8 40 Nxh4
 White is now a piece up, but things are not yet hopeless for Black.
40 ... f5??
The curse of move 40. Instead, 40 ... Rh8 41 Kc3 f5 is dynamically
equal, as the pinned knight and Black’s passed pawns keep White from
realizing their material advantage. For example: 42 Kxb3 f4 43 Kc3 f3 44
Kd2 f2 45 Ke2 e3 46 a4 (or 46 Kxe3 Rxh4!) 46 ... Rh5! 47 a5 Rxa5 48
Kxe3 Rc5 49 Kd4 Rh5 and White cannot make progress.
41 Rb1??
Giving Black another chance. 41 Rf1! wins for White.
41 ... Rd8+ 42 Ke3 Rh8 43 Ng6 Rh3+ 44 Kd4 Rd3+ 45 Kc5 Rg3 46
Nf4+ Ke5 47 Ne2 Rd3 48 a4 f4 49 a5 f3 50 Nc1 Rd7 51 a6 e3??
The wrong push. 51 ... f2 is correct, when the black pawns hold the
draw. For example: 52 Ne2 (not 52 Nxb3 e3 53 Nd4 Ra7 54 Kb6?? Rxa6+
55 Kxa6 Kxd4 and wins) 52 ... e3 53 Kb6 Ke4 54 a7 Rxa7 55 Kxa7 Kd3
(Black’s pawns, supported by the king, are quite the match of White’s rook
and knight) 56 Rxb3+ (bailing out) 46 ... Kxe2 57 Rb1 f1Q 58 Rxf1 Kxf1
59 c5 e2 60 c6 e1Q 61 c7 with a theoretical draw.
52 Rxb3 Kf4 53 Rb7!
 Gaining a crucial tempo.
53 ... Rd8 54 a7 f2 55 Rb8 f1Q 56 Rxd8 Qxc1 57 Rf8+ 1-0

Game 54
S.Bednarek-R.Grib
Warsaw 2019

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Bg5 Ne4

4 Be3
This is an odd-looking move, but it has its adherents. White retreats the
bishop where it cannot be so easily attacked, overprotects d4, and tries to
discourage ... c7-c5, then plans to fianchetto on the kingside and/or
destabilize the e4-knight.
A fourth option, 4 h4?!, is an idea from the Trompowsky, hoping for 4
... Nxg5?! 5 hxg5 when White gets a semi-open h-file, However, assuming
Black avoids that, the g5-bishop is still there to be hit: 4 ... c5 (striking on
the other flank first) 5 e3 (or 5 c3 f6 6 Bc1 cxd4 7 cxd4 Nc6, intending ...
e7-e5) 5 ... f6 6 Bf4 cxd4 7 exd4 e5! with good play for Black (as after 4
Bf4 f6 5 h3 c5 in the notes to Game 52).
4 ... g6
Having the bishop on e3 means that White takes longer to develop. For
that reason, I recommend fianchettoing, with the idea of ... c7-c5 soon, to
make life as uncomfortable for the e3-bishop as possible.
5 g3
The alternative is to challenge the black knight straight away:
a) 5 Nc3?! (dubious; White is not set up to cope with structural
weaknesses on the queenside) 5 ... Nxc3 6 bxc3 Bg7 7 Bf4?! c5 8 e3 Qa5
and Black was already better in Jor.Gutierrez-Hum.Gonzalez, Santiago
2004.
b) 5 Nfd2 Nf6 (the knight steps back again, leaving White’s pieces
awkwardly placed) 6 Bf4 (this is the same as 3 Bf4 g6 4 Nfd2?!, which
would be very strange; but not 6 c4? c5 7 dxc5 d4 8 Bg5 Bg7, when White
has just ceded the centre) 6 ... c5 7 e3 Nc6 8 c3 Nh5 and Black has a
definite edge.
c) 5 Nbd2 can be answered by 5 ... a5!?
 Question: Why is Black advancing on the queenside for no apparent
reason?

Answer: The computer suggested this move, and the more that I looked
at it, the more attractive it became. The idea is to ram the pawn all the way
down to a3 to soften up the dark squares: 6 Bf4 a4 7 c3 a3 and White’s
queenside pawns are under fire. If White blocks with 6 a4, Black can play
to break in the centre with ... c7-c5 or ... e7-e5, as after 6 ... Bg7 7 Bf4 0-0 8
e3 Nd7 9 Be2 c5 or 9 ... e5 with equality in either case.
5 ... Bg7 6 Qc1
Playing to exchange dark-squared bishops. Instead, 6 Bg2 c5 7 0-0 0-0
8 c3 cxd4 9 Nxd4 (or 9 cxd4 Nc6) 9 ... Nf6 10 Na3 (not 10 Nd2 Ng4) 10 ...
Nc6 is too passive for White, with the a3-knight and e3-bishop awkwardly
placed.
6 ... h6
Black opts to prevent Bh6. Castling was also fine: 6 ... 0-0 7 Bg2 (as 7
Bh6?! c5 is only dangerous for White) 7 ... Nd7 8 0-0 Ndf6 9 Bh6 (or 9 c4
c6) 9 ... Bxh6 10 Qxh6 c6, when Black has a solid and active position.
 7 Nc3?
This creates more problems for White than they can deal with. Normal
development would lead to a very balanced game, as after 7 Bg2 Nd6 8 0-0
c6 9 a4 Bf5.
7 ... c5
Maximum pressure on d4, always!
8 Nd1 Nc6 9 c3 Qa5?
An inexplicable error that lets White off the hook, potentially anyway. 9
... cxd4 10 Nxd4 (or 10 cxd4 Bf5 11 Bg2 Rc8) 10 ... Nxd4 11 cxd4 Bf5 12
Bg2 e5 13 dxe5 Rc8 would have been crushing.
10 a3?
Missing the moment for 10 dxc5! d4 11 Nxd4 Nxd4 12 Bxd4 Bxd4 13
Bg2 Bf5 14 g4 and White regains the piece with equality after 14 ... Nxc3
15 Nxc3 Bxg4 16 c6 b6 17 0-0.
10 ... cxd4 11 b4?!
Not best, but 11 Nxd4 Nxd4 12 Bxd4 Bxd4 13 b4 Bxf2+ 14 Nxf2 Qb6
was also winning for Black.
 11 ... Qb6
Not really bad, except that there was a spectacular win available: 11 ...
dxe3! 12 bxa5 exf2+ 13 Nxf2 Bxc3+ 14 Kd1 (if 14 Qxc3 Nxc3, White is
just two pawns down) 14 ... Nxf2+ 15 Kc2 Bg7, when there is no way
White can avoid getting destroyed, with ... Bf5, ... Nxa5 and ... Rc8 coming,
never mind the h1-rook being en prise.
12 cxd4 Nxd4 13 Nxd4 Bxd4 14 Bg2 Bf5 15 Bxe4 dxe4 16 0-0
 16 ... Bh3?!
Black starts to lose the thread a bit. Here 16 ... e5! 17 Bxd4 (or 17 Qd2
0-0, followed by ... Rfd8) 17 ... exd4 18 Qf4 0-0 19 Qxh6 Rac8 would have
cemented Black’s complete control. White is dead lost despite now being
level on material.
17 Re1 0-0?!
And 17 ... Rc8! 18 Qd2 e5 still keeps a significant advantage.
18 Bxd4?
It was better to play 18 Qc2 first, targeting the e4-pawn, when 18 ... e5
(or 18 ... Bf5 19 Bxd4 Qxd4 20 Ne3) 19 Qxe4 Bf5 20 Bxd4 exd4 21 Qf4
offers more chances of holding.
18 ... Qxd4 19 Ra2?! Be6 20 Rd2 Qe5?
There was no need to retreat the queen. 20 ... Rac8! would have been a
killer blow.
21 Ne3?
After 21 Qc3 Qxc3 22 Nxc3 f5, White is still worse but can hope for
mistakes at least.
21 ... Rac8 22 Qa1 Qxa1 23 Rxa1 f5 24 Kf1 Kf7
 Exercise: What is Black’s winning plan?

Answer: Black has two plans: A) Expand on the kingside; B) Infiltrate

via the c-file to get behind White’s pawns. As it turns out Black gets to do
both.
25 Ke1
If White tries to prevent Plan B with 25 Rdd1 g5 26 Rdc1, Black can
proceed with Plan A: 26 ... f4 27 Nd1 h5, when White hardly has any
moves, while Black can improve their position at leisure, by centralizing the
king to e5 for starters.
25 ... g5 26 Rd4 Rc3 27 b5 Rfc8 28 Nd1 Rb3 29 Rb4 Rc5 30 b6 a5 31
Rxb3 Bxb3 32 a4 f4 33 gxf4 gxf4 34 Ra3 Bxd1 35 Kxd1 Kf6 36 Kd2 Rc4
37 Rc3 Rxc3 38 Kxc3 Ke5 39 Kc4 Kd6 40 Kb5 e5 41 h4
41 Kxa5 Kc4 would soon lead to zugzwang.
41 ... h5 42 Kc4 Kc6 43 e3 f3 0-1
Chapter Eleven
The Colle System
1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3

Just like the Torre in the previous chapter, the Colle, where White plays
an e2-e3, is not dangerous against our move order. It has more potency
when Black locks in the c8-bishop with ... e7-e6, something which players
at all levels do, even elite GMs. I fail to understand why they play this way,
as that is exactly what White wants.
3 ... c5
As in the London System (Chapter Seven), I recommend the advance of
the c-pawn as being the most logical reply. Black gains space while not
committing to any specific development. They may yet play ... Bg4 and ...
e7-e6, or fianchetto with ... g7-g6 and ... Bg7, or even ... e7-e6 after all if
White decides to capture on c5.
Game 55
J.Ristoja-T.Sandvik
Finnish League 2022

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 c5

In this game we’ll look at White’s attempts at a standard Colle with c2-
c3. The next examines the Zukertort-style 4 b3 and other fourth moves,
except for 4 c4 which is covered in Game 57.
4 Be2
Anticipating a pin on the knight with ... Bg4 has already led White away
from their usual set-up where this bishop is developed on d3. Instead:
a) 4 Bd3 is duly met by 4 ... Bg4, after which 5 c3 e6 6 Nbd2 Nc6 is
perhaps the closest that White can get to a normal-looking Colle, but it is
quite harmless against our active deployment. In particular, Black has the
idea of ... e6-e5 very soon, which often forces White to abandon the set-up
altogether.
 Question: We often do not put both knights on c6 and f6. Why is this an
exception?

Answer: That rule usually applies to systems where the c1-bishop is

developed outside the pawn chain. In the Colle, with that bishop buried
beneath the wall of pawns, we have much more freedom to develop.
For example: 7 0-0 (the artificial 7 Qa4 is answered by 7 ... Nd7!) 7 ...
Bd6 (exchanging on d4 first is also good) 8 dxc5 (already White is
struggling to find a plan, and 8 h3 Bh5 doesn’t change anything) 8 ... Bxc5
(Black now has two centre pawns to White’s one, and can play for ... e6-e5
or ... Ne5 after castling) 9 e4 (this looks like White’s best try to equalize;
the Meran-like 9 b4 Bd6 10 a3 0-0 11 c4 is too slow, as 11 ... Ne5 gives
Black the advantage) 9 ... 0-0 10 exd5 (or 10 Qc2?! h6) 10 ... Qxd5 11 Qe2
Rfd8 12 Bc2, when White stands only slightly worse and managed to draw
in Siegf.Müller-J.L.Ojeda, correspondence 2007
b) 4 c3 is more subtle in that it keeps White’s options open while also
threatening to take on c5 and prop the pawn up with b2-b4. In response I
recommend 4 ... Qc7!? (not the most common move, but the idea is simply
to defend the c5-pawn in order to prepare a kingside fianchetto) 5 dxc5
(White prepares to play a reversed Meran; Black can count on a good
position against routine moves, such as 5 Nbd2 g6 6 Bd3 Bg7 7 0-0 0-0 8
Qe2 Nbd7 9 e4 dxe4 10 Nxe4 Nxe4 11 Qxe4 cxd4 12 cxd4 Nf6 or even 11
... e5!?) 5 ... Qxc5 6 b4 Qc7 7 Bb2 e5 8 a3 a5 (undermining White’s
queenside) 9 Nbd2 (or 9 c4 axb4 10 Bxe5 Bd6 11 axb4 Rxa1 12 Bxa1
Bxb4+ 13 Nbd2 0-0 with equality) 9 ... Be7 10 c4 (this line leads to insane
complications) 10 ... e4 11 Nd4 axb4 12 axb4 Rxa1 13 Qxa1 Bxb4 14 Nb5
Qe7 15 Qa8 0-0! (to hell with material!) 16 Qxb8 dxc4 (now ... Rd8 is in
the air) 17 Qe5 (or 17 Nc3 Rd8 18 Bxc4 Qc5) 17 ... Bxd2+ 18 Kxd2 Qb4+
19 Bc3 Qb1! and Black’s initiative is sufficient for at least a draw.
c) 4 Nbd2 cxd4 (resolving the tension in the centre) 5 exd4 Qc7!? (this
move again; here the queen eyes the c-file and prevents Bf4, once the d2-
knight gets out of the way) 6 c3 (if 6 c4, Black can switch to 6 ... g6 with an
ideal Grünfeld-like position) 6 ... Nc6 (the strange 6 ... Bd7?! was seen in
Ding Liren-I.Nepomniachtchi, 12th matchgame, World Championship,
Astana 2023) 7 Bd3 (or 7 h3 Bf5 8 Nh4 Bd7) 7 ... Bg4 8 0-0 e6 9 Re1 Bd6
10 Nf1 0-0 and even Stockfish has failed to squeeze out the slightest
advantage as White.
4 ... Nc6
 5 0-0
Other moves:
a) 5 dxc5?! e5 is reversed QGA where White’s e2-e3 and Be2 are less
than optimal. After 6 b4 e4 7 Nd4 Nxb4 8 Nb3 Be7 and ... 0-0, Black is
certainly not worse.
b) 5 c4 dxc4! 6 Bxc4 e6 gives Black an extra tempo on a main line
QGA, since White took two moves to recapture on c4.
c) 5 c3 cxd4 (not 5 ... Bg4?! at once, because of 6 dxc5 and b2-b4) 6
exd4 Bg4 7 h3 Bxf3 8 Bxf3 e6 9 Bf4 Bd6 10 Bxd6 Qxd6 and the position is
equal with a typical reversed Carlsbad structure and Black’s bad bishop off
the board.
5 ... Bg4
There is no reason to delay developing the bishop to its best square.
6 h3
White puts the question to it straight away. Instead:
a) 6 dxc5 e6 7 c4 dxc4 8 Na3 Bxc5 9 Nxc4 0-0 10 a3 a5! prevents the
b2-b4 advance with an equal game.
 d) 6 b3 cxd4 7 Nxd4 Nxd4 8 exd4 Bxe2 9 Qxe2 e6 10 Bb2 Be7 is also
equal, since Black has managed to trade off the light-squared bishops, as in
M.Popchev-Mo.Nikolov, Albena 2015.
c) 6 Ne5 Bxe2 (again Black gets to trade the light-squared bishops) 7
Qxe2 Qc7 8 Nxc6 Qxc6 (Black now has the option of ... e7-e6 or
fianchettoing on g7) 9 c3 (or 9 dxc5 Qxc5 10 b3 g6 11 Bb2 Bg7 12 c4 0-0
and the two bishops face off on the long diagonal) 9 ... e6 10 Nd2 Be7 11
Nf3 0-0 12 Ne5 Qc7 and Black already stands well, G.Petesch-
Al.Donchenko, Titled Tuesday (blitz) 2021.
d) 6 Nbd2 (White tries to stay flexible as in the London) 6 ... e6 (now
the f8-bishop comes to d6 no matter what) 7 h3 Bh5 (when White can
recapture on f3 with a knight, it is usually better to keep the bishop) 8 b3 (or
8 c3 Qc7 9 Ne5 Bxe2 10 Qxe2 Nxe5 11 dxe5 Ne4 12 Nxe4 dxe4) 8 ... cxd4
9 Nxd4 Bxe2 10 Nxe2 Bd6 11 Bb2 0-0 is equal, as White’s knights are
passively placed, C.Rajimaekers-I.Gavrilov, correspondence 2018.
6 ... Bxf3 7 Bxf3 cxd4 8 exd4 e6 9 c3 Bd6 10 Re1 0-0

A reversed Carlsbad structure has arisen, similar to a Caro-Kann. Black

has gotten rid of their light-squared bishop, and their natural plan is to start
a minority attack by pushing the queenside pawns. From the other side, it is
difficult for White to generate a kingside attack with their pieces situated as
they are, so they are mostly stuck to defence.
11 Nd2 Rc8 12 Nf1
Here 12 Be2 looks better, switching the bishop to the b1-h7 diagonal,
while clearing the way for the knight to come to f3.
12 ... b5 13 a3 a5 14 Bg5
This pin doesn’t really do anything.
14 ... b4 15 axb4 axb4 16 Qd3?!
16 c4 was a more active defence, intending 16 ... dxc4 17 Bxf6 gxf6
(not 17 ... Qxf6? 18 Ra6) 18 Bxc6 Rxc6 19 Qf3 Rc8 20 d5, when White’s
initiative against the broken black kingside structure compensates for the
pawn.
16 ... bxc3 17 bxc3 h6 18 Bh4

18 ... Be7?!
18 ... g5 19 Bg3 Bxg3 20 Nxg3 Ne7 keeps Black’s edge.
19 Rac1?!
 It is a mistake to give up the a-file. After 19 Ne3 Qc7 the only real
weakness in White’s camp is the c3-pawn, which can be defended easily.
19 ... Na5
Now Black can jump to c4.
20 Bxf6?!
There was no need to do this either; perhaps White thought that bishops
of opposite colour would help to draw, but we’re a long way from the
endgame.
20 ... Bxf6 21 Bd1?!
The start of a rather strange manoeuvre.
21 ... g6 22 Bc2?!
This queen and bishop battery fires blank shots. After 22 g3 h5 23 h4
Black has a clear edge, but only that.
22 ... Qc7 23 Bb1?! Nc4 24 g3

24 ... Na3
It was worth inserting 24 ... Bg5! 25 f4 (not 25 Rc2? Na3) 25 ... Bf6 to
weaken White’s kingside as well. After 26 Ne3 (or 26 Nd2 Nxd2 27 Qxd2
h5 28 h4 Qa5) 26 ... Nxe3 27 Qxe3 h5 28 h4 Qb6 Black can probe
indefinitely, while White has to be careful always to arrange their heavy
pieces correctly so as not to lose on the spot.
25 Ba2?! Nc4?
Here 25 ... Qb6! 26 Red1 (if 26 Ne3 Qb2, Black infiltrates with decisive
effect) 26 ... Rfd8 (directed against ... c3-c4; if 26 ... Qb2 27 c4 Qxa2?! then
28 Rd2 unexpectedly traps the queen) 27 Rd2 Qa5 keeps the pressure on. In
a practical game I can see White losing far more often than drawing.
26 Bb1?
After 26 Bxc4 Qxc4 27 Qxc4 Rxc4 28 Ne3 Rc6 29 Rc2 White’s
defensive task is relatively easy. But it seems both sides were happy to
repeat moves.
26 ... Na3 27 Ba2 Nc4? 28 Bb1? ½-½

Game 56
W.Baklanov-M.F.Noble
Correspondence 2008

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 c5
 4 b3
This time White aims for a Colle-Zukertort set-up, that is with b2-b3
and Bb2 rather than c2-c3. Three other moves are worth mentioning:
a) 4 a3 cxd4 5 exd4 Nc6 6 Bd3 (or 6 h3 Bf5 7 c4 g6 - again the
fianchetto works well against White’s slow tries) 6 ... Bg4 7 c3 e6 8 h3 Bh5
9 Bf4 Bd6 10 Bxd6 Qxd6 and Black was fine in Ar.Braun-N.Grandelius,
PRO League (rapid) 2020.
b) 4 Bb5+ Bd7 5 Bxd7+ (this merely helps Black develop; if White
instead retreats, a subsequent ... Bg4 will transpose to lines examined in the
previous game; i.e. 5 Bd3 Bg4 or 5 Be2 Nc6 6 0-0 Bg4) 5 ... Nbd7 6 0-0 e6
7 b3 cxd4 8 exd4 Rc8 9 Bb2 Bd6 10 Nbd2 b5 11 c3 Qb6 and Black had the
chances in B.Kurajica-I.Khenkin, Brena Baja 2005.
c) 4 dxc5 e6 (aiming to regain the pawn immediately) 5 c4 (Black has a
great game after 5 b4 b6!? 6 cxb6 Bxb4+ 7 c3 Be7 8 Bb5+ Nbd7 9 bxa7
Rxa7, as in Le Quang Liem-L.Aronian, Chessable Masters rapid 2021, or 5
Bd3 Bxc5 6 0-0 0-0 7 Nbd2 Nc6, followed by ... e6-e5) 5 ... Bxc5 is already
equal. Black plans the usual ... 0-0, ... Nc6 and ... e6-e5, plus ... a7-a5 if
White goes for b2-b4. For example: 6 a3 0-0 7 b4 (or 7 Nbd2 a5) 7 ... Be7
(or 7 ... Bd6) 8 Bb2 dxc4 9 Qxd8 Rxd8 10 Bxc4 a5 11 bxa5 (or 11 b5
Nbd7) 11 ... Nc6 12 Nbd2 Nxa5 13 Be2 Nd5 and Black held an edge with
their active knights in N.Marcetic-S.Brenjo, Obrenovac 2005.
4 ... cxd4 5 exd4
5 Nxd4? is a horrible positional error that gives away the centre. After 5
... e5 6 Nf3 (or 6 Bb5+ Nbd7) 6 ... Nc6 7 Bd2 Bd6 8 Be2 0-0 9 0-0 Re8
Black is clearly better.
5 ... g6
I like the kingside fianchetto here as it avoids White’s autopilot
attacking plans of a later Ne5, f2-f4, Rf3 etc. Naturally, 5 ... Nc6 and ... Bg4
is possible too.
6 Bb2 Bg7 7 Bd3 0-0 8 0-0 Nc6
 9 Re1
White begins to assert control over the e-file and the e5-square in
particular, while also giving the d3-bishop a temporary retreat square at f1 if
required. Against other moves Black may target the bishop:
a) 9 Nbd2 Nb4 10 Be2 Bf5 11 c3 (11 Ne1 Rc8 12 c3 Nc6 leaves White’s
pieces misplaced) 11 ... Bc2 12 Qc1 (not 12 Qe1?? Nd3) 12 ... Bd3 13 Qd1
Bc2 is a draw if Black wants one; if not, then 11 ... Nd3 is also possible.
b) 9 a3 (preventing ... Nb4) 9 ... Nh5 (so Black tries from the other side)
10 Qd2 Qc7 11 Re1 Nf4 12 Bf1, D.Debashis-S.Gagare, World Junior
Championship, Chennai 2011, and now 12 ... Bg4!? (this forces White to
find a lot of “only moves” solely to get a draw) 13 Ne5 Nxe5 14 dxe5 Bh6!
15 Qd4 Qxc2!? (15 ... Bf5 is another option) 16 e6 f6 17 Bc1 Nxg2 18
Bxg2 Bxc1 19 Qxg4 Qb2 20 Qb4 Qxa1 21 Rxc1 Rac8 22 Rxc8 Rxc8 23
Qxe7 Qxb1+ 24 Bf1 Rf8 25 Qxb7 Qf5 28 Qc6 Qg4+ and Black can take the
perpetual.
9 ... Bf5!?
 Question: Why does Black offer not only to let White double their
pawns but
also weaken their kingside?

Answer: This ... Bf5 idea is typical of these Caro-Kann Exchange

structures. Black wants the trade of bishops on f5 because ... g6xf5 then
gives them control of the e4-square; the half-open g-file could potentially
be useful too.
10 Bxf5 gxf5 11 c4 e6
Fortifying both the d5- and f5-pawns.
12 Nbd2
If 12 Nc3 Rc8 13 Rc1 Qa5, Black has good play on both sides of the
board.
12 ... Ne4
Here 12 ... Qb6 13 cxd5 Nxd5 14 Nc4 Qc7 was preferable, when White
has a blockaded IQP as well as a blocked bishop. Black can play ... Kh8 and
... Rg8, as well as ... Nf4 or ... Qf4.
13 cxd5
White might have played 13 Qe2 first, so that Black is obliged to
recapture with the e-pawn. Even so, 13 ... Rc8 14 cxd5 exd5 and if 15 Nf1
then 15 ... f4 is still fine for Black.
13 ... Qxd5 14 Qe2?!
Too passive. After 14 Nxe4! fxe4 15 Ne5 Rac8 16 Nxc6 Rxc6 17 Rc1
f5, the position is equal, as Black’s control and space balances their slightly
inferior pawn structure.
14 ... Nxd2 15 Qxd2 Rfd8 16 Rac1
 16 ... a5?!
16 ... h6! would be more unpleasant. With the white queen kept out of
the kingside, Black has time to get an iron grip on the light squares on both
sides of the board.
17 Qg5!
White takes the opportunity to harass Black’s king.
17 ... h6 18 Qh5 a4
Given a moment White could wreak havoc on the kingside with Rcd1
and Bc1, so Black immediately breaks open the queenside to get
counterplay there.
19 Rc5 Qd6 20 Rb5 axb3 21 Rxb7 Rd7 22 Rxd7 Qxd7 23 axb3 Qd5
Black is a pawn down, but d4 is certain to fall.
24 Bc1
White finally takes aim at h6.
24 ... Nxd4 25 Nxd4 Qxd4
 26 h3
Making necessary luft. Not 26 Bxh6?? Bxh6 27 Qxh6 Ra1! and Black
wins.
26 ... Ra1 27 Rd1 Qc3 28 Bf4 Be5?!
Slightly inaccurate. 28 ... Bd4 29 Bxh6 Qg3 30 Rxa1 Qxf2+ 31 Kh1
Bxa1 is equal, as both kings are very airy.
29 Bxe5 Qxe5 30 Rxa1?!
In turn 30 g3! Kg7 31 Rxa1 Qxa1+ 32 Kg2 retains more of a practical
edge with the outside passed pawn, though Black should still have no
trouble holding.
30 ... Qxa1+ 31 Kh2 Qe5+ 32 g3 Qc3 33 Qd1 Qb4 34 Kg2 Kg7 35
Qa1+ Kg6 36 Qa4 Qb7+ 37 Kg1 f4 38 gxf4 Qf3
 With the white king now exposed, there are no longer any real winning
chances.
39 b4 Qxh3 40 b5 Qg4+ 41 Kf1 Qh3+ 42 Ke2 Qh5+ 43 Ke3 Qc5+ 44
Kf3 Kf6 45 Qb3 Qb6 46 Qb2+ Ke7 47 Kg3 h5 48 Kh2 Kd7 49 Kg3 Ke7
50 Kh4 Qb7 51 Qb4+ Kd7 52 Qd4+ ½-½

Game 57
T.Rimpau-Jü.Krebs
Correspondence 2020

1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 c5 4 c4
White opts for open play, similar to a sort of Semi-Tarrasch.
4 ... cxd4
The best way to punish White is to give them an IQP. Note that 4 ...
dxc4 5 Bxc4 e6 does not necessarily transpose to our lines in Chapter
Three, as there we don’t play ... c7-c5 quite so soon.
5 exd4
 White has to comply, as both 5 Nxd4?! e5 or 5 Qxd4?! Nc6 waste time
and cede the centre, while after 5 cxd5?! dxe3 6 Bxe3 Qxd5 White has to
try and prove compensation for the pawn.
5 ... g6

The set-up that I recommend against the IQP here is the fianchetto; this
way, Black can pressurize the d4-pawn with the bishop on g7. This is also
the choice of the renowned theoretician, and second to Anand, GM Surya
Ganguly in his Chessable course Lifetime Repertoires: Nimzo/Semi-
Tarrasch Part 2, so we are in good company.
6 Nc3
This transposes to the Panov-Botvinnik Attack against the Caro-Kann.
Fortunately, the early inclusion of Nf3 means that we have already avoided
the most critical lines. Instead:
a) 6 Qb3 Bg7 7 Nc3 (7 cxd5 Nxd5 is note ‘c’ below) 7 ... 0-0 8 cxd5 is
covered via 7 Qb3 in the main game.
b) 6 c5 Bg7 7 Bb5+ (7 Nc3 0-0 8 Be2 Nc6 9 0-0 transposes to the main
game) 7 ... Bd7 8 Bxd7+ Qxd7 9 0-0 Nc6 10 Nc3 Ne4 (a standard
manoeuvre) 11 Re1 Nxc3 12 bxc3 b6 13 cxb6 axb6 and Black had no
problems in D.Anton Guijarro-A.Grischuk, Online Olympiad (rapid) 2021.
c) 6 cxd5 (White seeks an early initiative, so precise play is required) 6
... Nxd5 7 Qb3 (7 Bc4 Bg7 8 Qb3 is the same) 7 ... Bg7 8 Bc4 e6 9 Bg5
Qd6 10 Bxd5 Qxd5 11 Qa3 (11 Qxd5 exd5 12 Nc3 Be6 13 Nb5 Na6 14 0-0
0-0 is equal; White has active pieces, but Black has the two bishops)

Question: Is this not dangerous for Black?

Answer: No; although White’s pressure on the central dark squares

looks threatening, Black can neutralize it by a timely opposition of queens:
11 ... Nc6 (11 ... Qe4+ 12 Be3 Qc6 and ... Qa6 is another way) 12 Nc3 (or
12 0-0 Qa5) 12 ... Qc4! 13 Ne4 Qb4+ 14 Qxb4 Nxb4 15 0-0 (or 15 Nd6+
Kf8) 15 ... Rf8 (intending ... f7-f6) 16 Bf4 Nd5 17 Bd6 Rg8 18 Rac1 Bf8 19
Bxf8 Kxf8 20 Nc3 Nc7 21 Ne4 Nd5 22 Nc3 Nc7 23 Ne4 and ½-½ due to
this odd repetition in G.Kogelov-A.Zholob, correspondence 2021.
6 ... Bg7
 It is important that Black not delay development. Any pressure on d5
can be ignored for the time being.
7 Be2
Other moves:
a) 7 Bg5 0-0 8 Bxf6 exf6 9 Nxd5 (or 9 cxd5 Nd7 and ... Nb6) 9 ... Nc6
10 Be2 f5 11 0-0 Be6 and White is temporarily a pawn up, but the pressure
on d4 and the two bishops give Black excellent Grünfeld-like
compensation.
b) 7 Qb3 0-0 8 cxd5 Nbd7 (Black has let the d5-pawn be captured, but
they can quickly harass the white pawn there) 9 Bg5 (if 9 a4 a5 10 Be2 Nb6
11 0-0 Nfxd5 12 Nxd5 Nxd5, the game is equal; White has a slight lead in
development, while Black has easy play against the IQP) 9 ... Nb6 10 Bxf6
exf6 11 Be2 a5 (threatening ... a5-a4, as well as trying to weaken White’s
queenside) 12 a4 Qd6 13 0-0 Rd8 and Black can recover the d-pawn
whenever it seems most convenient.
c) 7 cxd5 Nxd5 leads to a major division, as it is one of the main lines
of the Panov-Botvinnik Attack with ... g7-g6. However, as already
mentioned, it is not one of the critical lines. I provide here a summary of
how to play as Black:
 c1) 8 Bc4?! Nxc3 9 bxc3 brings about a “hanging pawns” structure;
White needs activity in the middlegame to compensate for the weaknesses,
but I do not see how that can be achieved here. For example: 9 ... Qc7 10
Qb3 0-0 11 0-0 Nc6 (the big threat is ... Na5) 12 Ng5 e6 13 Qc2 b6 is good
for Black, who will complete the double fianchetto and bring the rooks to
c8 and d8 to hit the hanging pawns.
c2) 8 Qb3 Nxc3 9 bxc3 0-0 10 Be2 Nc6 11 0-0 b6 is an improvement
for White; nonetheless, Black is fine and plans the following: ... Bb7, ...
Rc8, ... Qd6, ... Rfd8, ... Na5, and piling on pressure down the c-file, with ...
Nc4 the ultimate goal.
c3) 8 Bb5+ (hoping to disrupt Black’s coordination) 8 ... Bd7 (a clever
block, as the knight on d5 is not really hanging) 9 Qb3 Nxc3 10 bxc3 0-0 11
0-0 Nc6 (now White can try to harass Black with the dark-squared bishop to
get activity, while Black brings the rooks to the open files and pressurizes
the hanging pawns) 12 Bg5 (not 12 Ba3?! Na5 13 Qa4 Bxb5 14 Qxb5 a6
and Black is better) 12 ... h6 13 Bh4 Rc8 14 Be2 Be6 15 Qxb7 f5, when
Black has more than enough for the pawn, not least because ... g6-g5 and ...
f5-f4 threatens to trap the h4-bishop.
 7 ... 0-0 8 0-0 Nc6

We now have a standard QG Tarrasch formation in reverse. The fact that

White is on the move allows them to negate the pressure Black normally
faces in the Tarrasch, but it is not enough to give White the slightest
advantage.
9 c5
A logical move, whereby White avoids any problems with an IQP and
seeks to make something of their queenside pawn majority.
By far the most common continuation is 9 h3, preventing ... Bg4 as well
as ... Ng4 (after a subsequent Be3), but if this is the best White can do,
clearly Black has no reason to worry. For example, 9 ... dxc4 (this is
Ganguly’s choice in his Chessable course, and also mine) 10 Bxc4 Na5 11
Be2 (11 Bd3 Be6 12 Re1 Rc8 13 Rxe6!? fxe6 14 Ng5 Qd7 15 Qe2 Nc6 16
Qxe6+ Kh8 17 Nf7+ Kg8 18 Nh6+ is one way White might try to draw) 11
... Be6 12 Bg5 Nc4 13 Bxc4 Bxc4 14 Re1 Re8 15 Qd2 Rc8, as in
G.Cabrilo-D.Leskur, Kragujevac 2009, is the sort of thing Black should be
aiming at; White’s IQP in no way helps their position but rather is
detrimental to it.
 9 ... Ne4
This is also Ganguly’s suggestion. Black has various breaks, such as ...
b7-b6 and ... e7-e5, gaining counterplay against the centre.
10 Be3
If 10 h3, Black can choose between 10 ... b6 again, or 10 ... f5!? 11 Bb5
g5!? with interesting counterplay in a rather quirky position.
10 ... Nxc3
I would play these moves the other way round; i.e. 10 ... b6 11 cxb6
Nxc3 12 bxc3 axb6, transposing below; or if 11 Qa4 Bd7 12 Bb5 then 12 ...
Nxc3 13 bxc3 Qc7.
Alternatively, 10 ... Nxc5 11 dxc5 d4 is a way to get easy equality,
although in that case White no longer has weak pawns.
11 bxc3 b6
Naturally, given that the c5-pawn “shields” the c3-pawn, Black chips
away at the spearhead of White’s queenside structure.
12 cxb6
Here 12 Qa4 Bd7 13 Qa3 bxc5 14 Qxc5 Qa5 15 Qxa5 Nxa5 16 Ne5
Ba4 17 Rab1 was level in J.Morozova-L.Kostiukova, Evpatoria 2007, since
White’s activity compensates for the weakness at c3.
12 ... axb6
 Black’s database score of 80% from here indicates that their position is
easier to play. However, the engines assess the position as more or less
equal, and in a correspondence game White manages to put up a sufficient
defence.
13 Bb5!?
White plays to prevent the exchange of light-squared bishops. If instead
13 Bf4 Ba6 14 h4 h5 15 a4 e6, with d5 fortified Black is ready to trade the
bishops and clamp down on c4 with a good game.
13 ... Na5 14 Qe2 Qc7 15 Rfc1
White cannot sacrifice the c3-pawn but could try to advance c3-c4 at
some point. In order to avoid this Black occupies the c4-square
immediately.
15 ... Nc4
If 15 ... Bd7, White can allow the trade of bishops because 16 Rab1
Bxb5 17 Qxb5 hits b6 and d5.
16 a4
White should not play 16 Bxc4?! dxc4 yet, as Black gains control of the
light squares and can then station the bishop on d5 and probe on both sides
of the board.
16 ... Ba6 17 Bxc4
Now it’s alright because 17 ... dxc4 18 Rcb1 Bb7 19 Qb2 gives White
good queenside counterplay.
17 ... Bxc4 18 Qb2

18 ... f6
If instead 18 ... Rfc8 19 Ne5 Ba6 20 Qd2 f6 21 Nd3, the knight can go
on to b2 or b4. Note that Black cannot play 21 ... e5?? because 22 dxe5 fxe5
23 Nb4 destroys their position.
19 Nd2 Be2
Keeping the bishop, but now White can break with c3-c4, after which
they no longer have any problems. On the other hand, 19 ... Rfb8 20 Nxc4
Qxc4 21 Qb5 Qxb5 22 axb5 Ra5 23 Rxa5 bxa5 24 Rb1 a4 would also lead
to a draw.
20 Qb3 e6 21 c4 Rfc8 22 c5 Rab8 23 Qa2 Ba6 24 h4 bxc5 25 Rxc5
 White’s once weak c3-pawn has been swapped for a passed a-pawn, but
there are no winning chances unless Black is careless.
25 ... Qd7 26 Rxc8+ Qxc8 27 Nf3 Bf8
Opposing queens with 27 ... Qc4 28 Qd2 Qb4 was simpler.
28 Bf4 Rb7 29 Qd2 Bb4 30 Qe3 h5 31 Rc1 Qd7 32 Bg3 Kg7 33 Bf4 Kg8
½-½
Chapter Twelve
Miscellaneous Ideas
1 d4 d5

In this final chapter, we examine White’s various remaining tries. Some

are serious, such as 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 g3 which Magnus Carlsen played in the
decisive sixth game against Ian Nepomniachtchi; others are downright silly,
such as the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit. I have tried to cover as many
sidelines as possible, so that you are not left wondering what to do when
your opponent uncorks some odd opening.

Game 58
B.Willmann-F.Kahl
Correspondence 2018
1 d4 d5 2 Nf3
We’ll look at White’s remaining second moves, including 2 e4 and 2 e3,
in the final two games of this book.
2 ... Nf6 3 g3
White indicates a desire to enter a sort of Catalan. Other third moves:
a) 3 Nbd2 (White tries to stay flexible, although this is committal too as
it is not clear that the knight belongs on d2, especially this early) 3 ... g6 (I
recommend the fianchetto again) 4 b3 Bg7 5 Bb2 0-0 6 e3 Nbd7 7 Be2 c5 8
0-0 b6 and ... Bb7 gives Black a nice double-fianchetto set-up.
b) 3 c3!? (this interesting move was recommended by Le Quang Liem
in his Chessable course on the London System) 3 ... g6 (Le Quang Liem
doesn’t cover this move; against a Grünfeld-style set-up with ... g7-g6 and
... d7-d5, he recommends Nc3; but that is clearly impossible here as the c-
pawn is already on that square) 4 Bf4 (if 4 Bg5 Bg7 5 e3 h6 6 Bh4 c5 7
dxc5 Ne4 8 Bb5+ Nc6 9 Nd4 Bd7 10 Nb3 Ne5, Black has sufficient
compensation for the pawn with active pieces and better control of the
centre) 4 ... c5 5 Nbd2 (or 5 h3 Qb6) 5 ... cxd4 6 cxd4 Nh5 7 Be5 f6 and
Black is fine wherever the e5-bishop goes.
c) 3 Nc3 c5 (striking in the centre immediately) 4 Bf4
 Question: Did White just trick us into a Barry Attack or Jobava
London?

Answer: No; we are not entering the Barry with ... g7-g6, and by
playing an early Nf3 (instead of e2-e3) White has move-ordered themself
out of the most dangerous lines of the Jobava.
After 4 ... Nc6 (normally Black could not play this way because of Nb5,
threatening Nc7+, but here 5 Nb5? gets driven away by 5 ... Qa5+ with a
clear advantage) 5 e3 Bg4 (and now 6 Nb5?! Rc8 does nothing) 6 Bb5 (or 6
Be2 e6 7 0-0 Rc8) 6 ... e6 7 h3 Bxf3 8 Qxf3 cxd4 9 exd4 Qb6, Black is fine.
3 ... g6
 Nepo played 3 ... e6 as being consistent with his preparation, but there is
no need for us to block in the c8-bishop - and, as I said several times
already, I prefer to avoid any type of Catalan position as Black.
4 Bg2
Our plan is that if - or, usually, when - White plays c2-c4, we take the
pawn with ... d5xc4, aiming to get a QGA-like game but without suffering
against White’s fianchetto, since we have a fianchetto too. For instance: 4
c4 dxc4, when 5 Bg2 Bg7 6 0-0 0-0 transposes to the game, while 5 Qa4+
Nc6 6 Qxc4 Be6 7 Qa4 Bg7 8 Bg2 0-0 9 0-0 is note ‘b’ to White’s 7th
move.
4 ... Bg7 5 0-0 0-0 6 c4
By far White’s most frequent choice. Other lines put little pressure on
Black. For example:
a) 6 c3 a5 7 a4 (or 7 Bf4 a4 8 Qc1 c6) 7 ... b6 8 Na3 Bb7 9 Bf4 Nbd7 is
level.
b) 6 Nbd2 a5!? 7 c4 (7 a4 b6 intending ... Bb7 and ... c7-c5) 7 ... c5!? 8
dxc5 Nc6 9 e3 Bf5 with counterplay.
 c) 6 b3 c5! 7 Bb2 (or 7 dxc5 Ne4 8 c3 Na6) 7 ... cxd4 8 Bxd4 (or 8
Nxd4 Re8 intending ... e7-e5) 8 ... Nc6 9 Bb2 Qc7 and Black has taken over
the initiative.
6 ... dxc4

7 Na3
This is the best way for White to regain the pawn. Others:
a) 7 Ne5 c5! 8 d5 (or 8 dxc5 Qc7) 8 ... Nbd7 9 Nxc4 b5 10 d6 (or 10
Ne3 Nb6) 10 ... Rb8 11 dxe7 Qxe7 12 Na5 Rb6 is good for Black.
b) 7 Qc2 (or 7 Qc4) 7 ... Nc6 8 Qxc4 Be6 9 Qa4 (or 9 Qd3 Nb4) 9 ...
Nd5 and ... Nb6 gains even more time on the white queen.
7 ... c5 8 dxc5
Instead, 8 Nxc4 lets Black develop with tempo and get their pieces out:
8 ... Be6 9 Nfe5 (or 9 b3 Nc6) 9 ... Qc8 10 dxc5 Nfd7 (trading the e5-knight
off opens the diagonal for the g7-bishop) 11 Nxd7 (or 11 c6 Nxc6 12 Nxc6
bxc6) 11 ... Nxd7 12 c6 bxc6 13 Na5 Bd5 14 Bxd5 cxd5 15 Qxd5 Nf6 16
Qf3 Qe6 and the queenside pressure gives Black full compensation for the
pawn, with ideas of ... Ne4 and pushing the a-pawn down the board.
8 ... c3
 Question: Black was going to lose the c-pawn anyway, so why spend a
tempo advancing it?

Answer: The idea is to “hara-kiri” the pawn to deflect the a3-knight

from its desired capture on c4.
9 Nb5
Otherwise 9 bxc3 Ne4 is already equal.
9 ... Na6
Black should not be greedy: after 9 ... cxb2?! 10 Bxb2 White has a
dangerous initiative with their lead in development.
10 Nxc3
Following suit with 10 c6!? doesn’t get White anywhere: 10 ... cxb2 11
Bxb2 bxc6 12 Qxd8 Rxd8 13 Ne5 Rb8 14 Nxa7 (or 14 Nxc6 Rxb5 15 Bxf6
Bxf6 16 Nxd8 Bxa1) 14 ... Rxb2 15 Nexc6 (not 15 Naxc6?? Re8) 15 ...
Rdd2 (or 15 ... Rb7 16 Nxd8 Rxa7, as in A.Grischuk-S.Nihal, PRO League
rapid 2023) 16 Nxe7+ Kf8 17 Naxc8 Rxe2 is equal.
10 ... Nxc5
 Both sides have easy development with the c- and d-pawns liquidated.
The next issue is where to place the queen’s bishops.
11 Be3
If 11 Nd4 Qb6 12 Be3, as in Ding Liren-S.Karjakin, FIDE Candidates,
Berlin 2018, then 12 ... Ng4 13 Bg5 Ne4!? 14 Nxe4 Bxd4 15 Qa4 Nf6 16
Rad1 Nxe4 17 Bxe4 Bc5 18 Bh6 Bh3! with equality.
11 ... Nfe4
Black plans to trade off the valuable c3-knight that holds the white
queenside together. White would love to use their slight development edge
to exert pressure on the a8-h1 diagonal, so Black always has to be aware of
this.
12 Nxe4 Nxe4 13 Bd4 Bxd4 14 Qxd4
Keeping the queens on does not improve White’s chances: 14 Nxd4
Nd6 15 Qb3 Bd7 16 Rfd1 (or 16 Rfc1 Re8 17 h4 Qa5 and ... Rac8 comes
next) 16 ... Re8 17 Qe3 Rc8 18 h4 Qa5 19 Nb3 Qb5 20 h5!? (or 20 Qxa7
Qxe2) 20 ... Qxh5 21 Bxb7 Nc4 22 Qd4 Rc7 23 Bf3 Qe5 and Black is fine.
14 ... Qxd4 15 Nxd4 Nd6!
 Here the knight holds everything together while Black completes
development. This position has been tested two dozen times at grandmaster
level with White failing to show the slightest advantage.
16 Rac1
Putting the other rook here makes little difference: 16 Rfc1 Rd8 17 f4
a5!? (17 ... Kf8 is also possible) 18 Rc7 Ne8 19 Rc4 Nd6 20 Rc7 and the
players agreed a draw in H.Doppelhammer-M.Byrne, correspondence 2021.
16 ... Rd8 17 f4
White prevents any ideas of ... e7-e5 and provides a path for the king
into the centre. 17 Rfd1 Bd7 18 f4 Rac8 is much the same.
17 ... Kf8
I might have preferred the more active 17 ... a5!? (gaining space on the
queenside) 18 Kf2 Ne4+ 19 Ke3 Nf6 20 Bf3 Nd5+ 21 Bxd5 Rxd5 22 Rc7
Bh3 23 Rfc1 e5, when the endgame is dynamically equal rather than
completely drawn.
18 Kf2 Bg4
Black brings the bishop out and prepares ... Rac8, challenging rooks and
completing development. White cannot prevent this plan.
19 h3
Or if 19 Rc3 Rac8 20 Rfc1 Rxc3 21 Rxc3 Rc8 22 Rxc8+ Bxc8 23 b3,
then 23 ... f6 (better than 23 ... f5?! from J.Van Foreest-A.Giri, online rapid
2021) 24 Bd5 Kg7 25 e4 e5 prevents White from playing e4-e5 and
maintains equality.
19 ... Bd7
Having prompted a tiny weakness the bishop retreats to its only logical
square, with ... Rac8 coming next.
20 Rc7
If 20 e4, as in V.Kramnik-Wei Yi, Wijk aan Zee 2018, then 20 ... Nb5!
21 Nxb5 (or 21 Nf3 Nd6) 21 ... Bxb5 22 Rfd1 Rxd1 23 Rxd1 Rc8 is dead
level.
20 ... Rac8
If White doubles on the c-file, both pairs of rooks will be traded with
complete equality.
21 Rfc1
 21 ... Ke8
This long line is also in Christof Sielecki’s book, Keep It Simple: 1 d4.
He recommends entering this symmetrical structure in order to torture
Black with the extra tempo that White has. Here he gives 21 ... h5, but I see
no reason to lunge forward with the h-pawn right now. It is better to get the
king into the game, defending the d7-bishop, and then trade the rooks
without weakening the kingside.
22 g4 Rxc7 23 Rxc7 Rc8 24 Rxc8+ Bxc8 25 Kg3 f6 26 Bd5 b6 27 Kf3
½-½
Given this was a correspondence game, it is natural that both players
realized the position is objectively a draw.

Game 59
Ar.Haugen-P.Bastos
Correspondence 2008

1 d4 d5 2 e4?
 This is the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, one of the worst gambits known
to humankind.
2 ... dxe4 3 Nc3 Nf6

4 f3
If 4 Bg5 Bf5 5 Qe2 Nbd7 6 0-0-0 c6 7 f3 exf3 8 Nxf3 g6, Black follows
up by fianchettoing on g7 and castling, with a clear edge.
4 ... exf3
I remember that when I was younger, I would see some players return
the pawn with, for example, 4 ... e3. I never understood why - this gambit is
much worse than the Morra Gambit, which is objectively sound, so Black
should accept the sacrifice.
5 Nxf3
The funny thing about 5 Qxf3? is that White does quite a bit better in
the database with this move than recapturing with the knight. I say “funny”
because 5 Qxf3? is close to losing for White: 5 ... Qxd4 (my jaw almost
dropped on seeing that White has a score of close to 50% here; but if Black
plays a bunch of silly moves, they can get punished, so it is worth knowing
how to respond) 6 Be3 Qh4+ (whichever way White blocks, the black
queen has g4 available) 7 Bf2 (or 7 g3 Qg4 8 Qf2 Qf5 9 Qd2 e6 10 0-0-0
Be7, followed by castling) 7 ... Qg4 8 Qd3 g6 9 h3 Qf5 10 Nf3 Bg7 and
White is lost - although to be honest White was already lost on move five.
5 ... g6

This is known as the Bogoljubow Defence. There is no need for Black

to limit their ambitions to just keeping the extra pawn; with the kingside
fianchetto Black aims for maximum activity as well.
6 Bf4
White intends a direct kingside attack with Qd2, 0-0-0, Bh6 and h2-h4-
h5. Instead:
a) 6 Bg5 Bg7 7 Qd2 0-0 8 0-0-0 is inferior because of 8 ... c5! 9 d5 a6
and if 10 Bh6 then 10 ... b5. In Das Damengambit: Ein Schwarzrepertoire
für Vereinsspieler, GM Michael Prusikin states that Black is better after 10
... Nbd7, which is true, but I prefer starting a queenside pawnstorm
immediately, when Black has an even bigger edge.
b) 6 Bc4 Bg7 is the main line, where White usually castles short, but
since it is still possible to go long Black should adopt a flexible set-up to
meet either contingency.
 b1) 7 Bg5 0-0 8 Qd2 a6 (similar to ... a7-a6 Modern, Black prepares ...
b7-b5, which makes sense in view of the bishop on c4) 9 0-0-0 b5 10 Bb3
Nc6 11 Ne5 Na5, when White has problems on the queenside and the
important light-squared bishop is about to be eliminated.
b2) 7 Bf4 0-0 8 Qe2 (White keeps playing chicken, refusing to commit
their king) 8 ... a6 9 a3 b5 10 Ba2 Nc6 11 d5 (or 11 Rd1 b4 12 Ne4 bxa3 13
bxa3 Bf5) 11 ... b4 (11 ... e5!? also gives Black an edge) 12 dxc6 bxc3 13
bxc3 Nd5 14 Rd1 (or 14 0-0-0 e6) 14 ... Nxf4! 15 Bxf7+ Kxf7 16 Qc4+
Ke8 17 Rxd8+ Kxd8 18 0-0 Be6 and Black is clearly better with a rook and
two bishops for the queen.
b3) 7 0-0 0-0 (now that there is no white king to attack on the
queenside, Black should focus more on the centre and kingside)
b31) 8 Qe1 (the Studier Attack is one of IM Christoph Scheerer’s
recommendations against the Bogoljubow Defence in his book on the
Blackmar-Diemer; White aims to destroy Black’s king) 8 ... Nc6 9 Qh4
(this plan is essentially a Grand Prix Attack with White a pawn down) 9 ...
Bg4 (Scheerer gives this move, the Bangiev Variation, as the best reply, and
I agree) 10 Be3 (if 10 Ne2, I suggest hunting the c4-bishop: 10 ... Na5! 11
Bd3 c5 12 dxc5 Bxf3 13 Rxf3 Nc6, when the threats of ... Ne5 plus
recovering the pawn on c5 are unstoppable) 10 ... e6 (Kuberczyk gives 10 ...
Bxf3, but I prefer to keep developing before deciding whether to take on f3
or not) 11 Rad1

Here Scheerer quotes the game G.Studier-S.Wolk, correspondence

1964, which continued 11 ... Bxf3 12 Rxf3 Nd5 13 Bg5, when White had
some compensation and even went on to win. However, Black doesn’t have
to take on f3.

Exercise: How should Black convert their advantage?

Answer: 11 ... Ne7! is the best move, re-routing the knight to f5 to

bolster the kingside defences. After 12 Bg5 Nf5 13 Qe1 h6 the attack is
over and White is lost.
b32) 8 Ne5 is another of White’s more aggressive tries analysed by
Scheerer, who also indicates the correct answer to this knight jump) 8 ...
Nc6! 9 Nxc6 bxc6 (the doubled pawns are no hindrance to Black) 10 h3
Nd5 11 Bb3 a5! (stronger than 11 ... Ba6, as given in Schach-Echo 6/1953),
when White has no good moves, while Black can consider ... Nb6, ... Bf5,
... Ba6, or ... e7-e6 depending on what White does.
6 ... Bg7 7 Qd2 0-0
It is also possible for Black to postpone castling in favour of immediate
queenside counterplay: 7 ... a6 8 0-0-0 Nbd7 9 Bh6 (White’s most direct
and obvious plan, but it is not dangerous) 9 ... 0-0 10 Bxg7 Kxg7 11 h4 h5
12 Bd3 c5 13 Qg5 Ng4 14 Rhe1 e6 15 dxc5 Qxg5+ 16 hxg5 Nxc5, when
Black regains the extra pawn and is ready to complete development with ...
Bd7.
8 0-0-0 a6

As before, Black prepares ... b7-b5 with queenside counterplay. Here 8

... c5?! 9 d5 a6 (as in the 6 Bg5 line above) is less effective because of 10
Be2 b5 11 Ne5 b4 12 Na4 and Black has over-extended themself, since 12
... Ne4?! (which would win after 6 Bg5) is answered simply by 13 Qe3.
9 h4
Other moves:
a) 9 Bh6 b5 10 h4 (FM Christoph Kuberczyk, in his extremely
interesting Chessable course Der Grünfeld-Slawisch-Hybrid, analyses this
move order trick which attempts to avoid the ... h7-h5 defence, as after 10
Bxg7 Kxg7 11 h4 h5 12 Ne5 Qd6 13 Qg5 Bf5 14 Bd3 Bxd3 15 Rxd3 Nc6
16 Rhd1 Rad8, when White has no attack and remains a pawn down) 10 ...
Bxh6! 11 Qxh6 Ng4 (this thwarts White’s intentions) 12 Qd2 (or 12 Qf4
Qd6) 12 ... h5 (Kuberczyk stops here, stating that Black has a clear
advantage, which is true) 13 Bd3 Nd7 14 Rhe1 e6 15 Be4 Rb8 and ... Bb7
is coming next, while Black’s kingside is too solid for White to demolish.
b) 9 Ne5 Nbd7! (I consider this the best response, aiming to eliminate
the annoying e5-knight before starting queenside play) 10 Be2 (Scheerer
ends the line here, saying that White can play for h2-h4-h5 etc; but Black
can trade knights and develop the queenside quickly) 10 ... Nxe5 11 Bxe5
c6 12 Bf3 Be6 13 Kb1 Rc8, preparing ... b7-b5 again, when I fail to see
how the h4-h5 plan will work.
9 ... b5?
Too hasty. The precautionary 9 ... h5! is definitely the best move,
stopping White’s coffeehouse-style plan of h4-h5 and mate in five moves or
whatever. Kuberczyk also gives this in his Chessable course, meaning that
we are in good company. White can still try to exchange bishops, but it is
not dangerous for Black: 10 Bh6 Bxh6 11 Qxh6 Ng4 12 Qf4 Bf5 13 Ne5
Nc6 14 Nxc6 bxc6 15 Be2 Qd6 and Black keeps the extra pawn with a
substantial edge.
10 h5 Nxh5
Driving the knight to the kingside with 10 ... b4 11 Ne2 can only help
White. After 11 ... Nxh5 12 Bh6 Qd6 13 Bxg7 Kxg7 14 Rh4 (threatening
g2-g4) 14 ... f5 15 Rxh5!? gxh5 16 Nf4 Nd7 17 Bc4, followed by Rh1,
White has a dangerous attack.
11 Bh6
Here 11 Rxh5? is a horrid sacrifice that could only work in bullet or
blitz. After 11 ... gxh5 12 Bd3 Bg4 13 Bh6 f6 14 Rh1 Nc6 White’s attack is
dead.
 11 ... Bg4?
The correct defence was 11 ... Qd6! (threatening ... Bxh6 and ... Qf4+)
12 Bxg7 (or 12 Kb1 f5) 12 ... Kxg7 13 Ne5 Nd7 14 Ne4 Qe6 15 g4 (if 15
Nxd7 Bxd7 16 Ng3 Nxg3 17 Qh6+ Kf6, White has to take the perpetual) 15
... Bb7! 16 Nxd6 Bxe4 17 Nxf8 Qxa2 18 Qh2 Bxh1 19 Qxh1 Rxf8 20 gxh5
Rd8!, when Black has three pawns and sufficient counterplay for piece.
12 Be2 Nd7 13 Bxg7 Kxg7 14 Rh4 Ndf6
14 ... f5 15 Ng5 is equally bad.
15 Ne5 b4
If 15 ... Bxe2 16 Nxe2 e6 17 Rdh1, White has g2-g4 coming next.
16 Nxg4 bxc3?
Now Black is dead lost. 16 ... Nxg4 17 Bxg4 bxc3 18 bxc3 Qd6 19
Rdh1 Rh8 20 Bxh5 gxh5 21 Rxh5 h6 was better, but White still has a strong
initiative and is not even a pawn down.
17 Qh6+ Kg8 18 Nxf6+ Nxf6 19 g4
 The rest is pure carnage as White finishes Black off, although it took
another 30 moves to do so.
19 ... Rb8 20 bxc3 Qd6 21 Rf1 Rfe8 22 Bc4 Qc6 23 Bd3 Qxc3 24 g5
Qa3+ 25 Kd2 Qa5+ 26 Ke3 Qd5 27 Be4 Qd6 28 gxf6 exf6 29 Kf3 Qxd4
30 Qxh7+ Kf8 31 Qh6+ Ke7 32 Re1 Kd8 33 Bxg6 Qc3+ 34 Re3 Rxe3+
35 Qxe3 Qxe3+ 36 Kxe3 Rb2 37 Rh8+ Ke7 38 Rh7 Rxa2 39 Rxf7+ Kd6
40 Rxf6+ Ke7 41 Rc6 Kd7 42 Be4 a5 43 Kf4 a4 44 Ke5 Rb2 45 Ra6
Rb5+ 46 Kf6 Rb6+ 47 Rxb6 cxb6 48 Ke5 b5 49 Kd4 1-0
Quite the grind, but White won eventually.

Question: Why did you show a game where someone rated almost 2500
at correspondence chess loses to the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, given
how
bad it is?

Answer: The Blackmar-Diemer is indeed bad, but the lesson to be learnt

is that Black has to play precisely in order to convert the advantage they
gained at move two - and the way to do that is to follow the
recommendations.

Game 60
B.Hlavica-E.Filin
Correspondence 2015

1 d4 d5 2 e3
Finally, we get to White’s “occasional” second moves. After 2 e3 White
often intends a Stonewall with f2-f4 but does not commit to that formation
just yet. Others:
a) 2 g3 g6 generally transposes to 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 g3 g6. If White tries too
hard to avoid this, they can get punished. For example: 3 Bg2 Bg7 4 c4
dxc4 5 Qa4+? (pure silliness; 5 Nf3 Nf6 6 0-0 0-0 goes back to Game 58) 5
... c6 6 Nc3 (or 6 e3 b5) 6 ... Qxd4 7 Nf3 Qb6 8 Qxc4 Nf6 9 0-0 0-0 and if
White had a pawn on d4, it would be a normal-looking Fianchetto Grünfeld,
but here White has a pawn less for nothing.
b) 2 f4 looks premature as White has big weaknesses, especially on e4.
In response I recommend the fianchetto as the best way to neutralize any
attacking ambitions White might have on the kingside: 2 ... g6 3 Nf3 Bg7 4
e3 c5 5 Bb5+ (or 5 c3 Nh6) 5 ... Bd7 6 a4 was seen in Xiphos-Fire 7, engine
game 2018, where 6 ... Bxb5 7 axb5 Nd7 8 0-0 Nh6 9 Ne5 0-0 looks to give
Black an edge.
 Although White has the half-open a-file, it has cost them their light-
squared bishop, while Black’s knights can look to jump to f5 and e4.
c) 2 Qd3 (this crazy-looking move is lightly analysed in Eric
Fleischmann’s book The Richter-Veresov Attack: Qd3 Variation, so I
decided to consider how Black might respond) 2 ... c5 (I like this move,
opening the centre in order to capitalize on White’s exposed queen) 3 dxc5
(here 3 Nc3 transposes to 3 Qd3 in the notes to Game 51) 3 ... Nf6 4 a3 e5!?
(4 ... e6 is safer) 5 b4 a5 6 Bb2 b6 7 Bxe5 Nc6 8 Bb2 axb4 9 Qb5 Bd7 10
Qxb6 Qc8 11 e3 Be7 12 axb4 0-0 and I prefer Black, who has very strong
play against the vulnerable white queen, despite being three pawns down.
d) 2 c3 is a rather tricky option. White has various intentions, including
hanging on to the pawn after 2 ... c5 3 dxc5. GM Alexei Kornev
recommends this for Black anyway, but I shall recommend something more
combative: 2 ... g6 (Black goes for a Grünfeld-type set-up, where White is
already committed to c2-c3) 3 Nf3 (3 f4 Bg7 4 e3 c5 is much the same as
note ‘b’ above) 3 ... Bg7 4 Bf4 c5 5 e3 Nf6 6 h3 0-0 7 Nbd2 b6 (although
we are no longer in our repertoire against the London, White’s play is not
the most testing either)
 8 a4 (or 8 Bd3 Bb7 9 0-0 Nc6 10 Qb1 Nd7 11 Bg5 Qb8 12 b4?! e5 and
Black was better in Be.Larsen-F.Olafsson, Berg en Dal 1960) 8 ... Nc6 9
Be2 Bb7 10 0-0 Nd7 (a standard manoeuvre, planning ... e7-e5, though
Black does not have to push the pawn at once) 11 Qb3 Rc8 12 Qa3 Re8 13
Rfd1 h6 14 Bg3, M.Apicella-J.Lautier, Besancon 1999, and now 14 ... e5 is
fine for Black, including even 15 dxe5 Ndxe5 16 Nxe5 Nxe5 17 Nf3 d4!?
18 Nxe5 Bxe5 19 Bxe5 Qg5 20 Bg3 dxe3 as the engine demonstrates.
2 ... c5
Striking in the centre at once. 2 ... Nf6 is another option, when 3 Nf3 c5
returns to Chapter Eleven, while 3 c4 e6 is a passive Queen’s Gambit for
White; we could even follow up with 4 ... dxc4!? 5 Bxc4 a6, transposing
back to Chapter Three.
3 c3
IM Yaacov Norowitz & NM Elijah Logozar recommend this move in
their Chessable course, The Yaac Attack - Stonewall for White, but end the
analysis here. Instead:
a) 3 Nf3 Nf6 is the Colle from the previous chapter.
 b) 3 c4 Nf6 4 Nf3 transposes to Game 57, while 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4!?
Nc7 6 d5 e6 7 Nc3 Bd6 is fine for Black.
c) 3 dxc5 is not dangerous, as the pawn can be recovered very quickly.
For example, 3 ... e6 4 c4 Bxc5 5 Nf3 Nf6 takes us back to Chapter Eleven
again, specifically note ‘c’ to White’s 4th move in Game 56.
3 ... cxd4

I recommend exchanging on d4 to shift White away from their desired

Stonewall formation. Now White has a choice between transposing to a
non-standard London or a poor version of the Exchange Slav where they
have inexplicably played e2-e3.
4 cxd4
We arrive by transposition at 2 c4 c6 3 cxd5 cxd5 4 e3. Instead, 4 exd4
sets up a potential London scheme but where White is already committed to
c2-c3. After 4 ... Bf5 5 Qb3 (ideas of c2-c4 to soften up Black’s centre are
no longer viable, except as a tempo loss with c3-c4) 5 ... Qd7 6 Nf3 Nc6 7
Bf4 (or 7 Bb5 f6 8 0-0 e6 9 Nh4 Bg4) 7 ... f6 8 h4 e6 9 Nbd2 Nge7 Black
has easy equality with ideas of ... Ng6 (or ... Nc8) and ... Bd6.
4 ... Bf5
 I recommend delaying the development of the knights until White
reveals more about which set-up they intend to adopt.
5 Qb3 Qd7
The only way to defend both pawns, something we have seen in the
London chapter.
6 Nf3 Nc6
It is important that Black fights for control of e5, especially given
White’s threats of Ne5 and Bb5+.
7 Nc3
If 7 Bb5 then 7 ... e6 8 Ne5 Qc8. Normally I would not want to go down
this road where White gets to put a knight on e5 combined with a pin, but
Black can simply kick the knight out with ... f7-f6 next.
7 ... e6 8 Bd2 Bd6

Question: Why does Black develop the king’s bishop first?

Answer: The idea is to keep options with the g8-knight. Probably it will
go to f6, but in some circumstances we might prefer our London set-up with
... Nge7 and ... f7-f6 to take control of e5.
 9 Be2
White opts for simple development, reminiscent of the 4 e3 “Slow”
Slav. Instead:
a) 9 Bb5 Rc8 10 0-0 Nf6 11 Rac1 0-0 offers equal chances, with the f3-
and f6- knights eyeing e5 and e4 respectively.
b) 9 Nb5 Bb8 doesn’t achieve anything, and the b5-knight can be kicked
away with ... a7-a6 at leisure.
c) 9 Rc1 should be answered by 9 ... Nge7, which negates any sacrificial
ideas of Ne5 and Bb5, since the e7-knight can block on c6. Whereas 9 ...
Nf6?! 10 Nb5 Bb8 11 Ne5! Nxe5? 12 dxe5 Bxe5? loses to 13 Nc7+ Bxc7
14 Bb5.
9 ... Nf6
Personally, I would have taken time out with 9 ... a6, to stop rubbish on
b5 and prepare the advance ... b7-b5 to gain queenside counterplay later.
10 Nh4
If White doesn’t go after the bishop pair, they have no hope of striving
for an advantage, though it hardly matters since Black is equal anyway.
10 ... Bg6
Again, it was possible to do the Slav shuffle with 10 ... Be4 to induce
f2-f3 before dropping back to g6.
 11 Qd1

Question: What on earth is this move for?

Answer: Presumably White delays taking on g6 because it opens the h-

file for the h8-rook. In the meantime retreating the queen to d1 prevents
Black from sliding the bishop to h5 (as after 11 0-0 Bh5) and pre-empts a
possible hit by ... Na5, but it is also an admission that White can find
nothing positive to do. For example, 11 g4 Rc8 12 Rc1 Bb8!? (a useful
waiting move) 13 g5 Ng8 merely weakens White’s kingside.
11 ... a6 12 Rc1 Rc8 13 0-0 0-0
Black could play 13 ... b5 first but would soon have to castle anyway.
For instance, if 14 h3 Bb8, White might even throw in 15 Nxb5!? axb5 16
Bxb5 0-0 17 Nxg6 hxg6 18 Qa4 Qd6 19 g3 Ne4 20 Rxc6 Rxc6 21 Bb4!
Qc7 22 Bxc6 Rc8 23 Rc1 Nxg3 24 Ba5 Qd6 25 Bb4 Qc7 26 Ba5 with a
draw by repetition.
14 Nxg6 hxg6 15 Na4 Qe7
It would be nasty to allow the Nb6 fork.
 16 a3
If 16 g3 then 16 ... Nd7 and ... b7-b5 gives Black good queenside play.
In some cases ... b5-b4 is possible.
16 ... e5
Black has had enough with waiting and breaks in the centre. White’s
pieces are too passive to capitalize on the resulting IQP.
17 dxe5 Nxe5 18 Bc3
Floating the threat of Nb6, hitting the c8-rook and the IQP, but it is
easily dealt with.
18 ... Nc4 19 Bd4 b5

20 b3!
A useful and necessary resource, since 20 Nc3? Nxb2 and 20 Nb6?!
Nxb6 21 Bxb6 Bxh2+! 22 Kxh2 Qd6+ both win a pawn more cleanly.
20 ... Nxe3 21 Bxe3 bxa4 22 b4 Rxc1 23 Bxc1
Black has still won a pawn but cannot hope to convert it in view of the
weaknesses at a6, a4 and d5.
23 ... Rc8 24 Bb2
Similarly, 24 Bf3 a5 liquidates the queenside.
 24 ... a5 25 bxa5 Bxa3 26 Bxf6 ½-½
Since 26 ... gxf6 27 Qxa4 Qxe2 28 Qxa3 Rc2 is dead level. Not the most
eventful game, but it shows how to proceed when your opponent plays
quietly.

Conclusion

Dear Reader,
We have come to the end of our journey with the Queen’s Gambit Accepted.
It has been a long, yet rewarding trip, and I assure you that you now have
the knowledge to play the QGA and other Queen’s Pawn Openings at all
levels, whether you are 1500 Elo, 2200, or 2300 aiming to increase your
rating and get your IM norms, 2400 trying to increase your rating and get
your GM norms, or a 2700+ elite super-GM. It is my sincere wish that you
have success with the QGA and have learnt much from the years of analysis
that I have put into this book.
Index of Complete Games

Akdag.M-Kustra.D, Correspondence 2007

Antonenko.V-Hansen.Jan, Correspondence 2017
Arnold.H-Offenborn.H, Correspondence 2008
Aronian.L-Nakamura.H, FIDE Grand Prix, Berlin 2022
Baklanov.W-Noble.M, Correspondence 2008
Baldauf.M-Felgaer.R, Graz 2014
Balog.I-Seel.C, German Bundesliga 2019
Bauer.C-Postny.E, Nancy (rapid) 2019
Bednarek.S-Grib.R, Warsaw 2019
Bellón Lopez.J-Jonkman.H, Santo Domingo 2001
Bochev.K-Rivas Maceda.J, Correspondence 2020
Boldoo.E-Usmanov.V, Moscow 2018
Dzhumagaliev.Y-Nguyen.N, World Rapid Championship, Riyadh 2017
Furman.B-Sorm.D, Prague 2019
Haugen.A-Bastos.P, Correspondence 2008
Heilala.T-Brandberg.J, Correspondence 2018
Hlavica.B-Filin.E, Correspondence 2015
Hoffmeyer.F-Eichner.S, German Bundesliga 2014
Ilonen.I-Steinbacher.T, Correspondence 2019
Istratescu.A-Acs.P, Hungarian League 2007
Kallái.G-Balashov.Y, European Cup, Moscow 1991
Kavutskiy.K-Repka.C, Chicago 2022
Koridze.L-Zakharov.A, Titled Tuesday (online blitz) 2021
Kziezki.Z-Donchenko.A, Würzburg 1992
Lajthajm.B-Perunovic.M, Bar 2005
Laurusas.T-Blomqvist.E, Riga (rapid) 2022
Le Bourhis.D-Rausis.I, Creon 1999
Marcano Veliz.J-Navarro Garcia.R, Puerto la Cruz 2014
Mehmeti.D-Ashiku.F, Durres 2013
Melegyegyi.C-Korolev.S, Correspondence 1997
Miksatko.M-Wiener.R, Prague 2005
Mudra.O-Bennett.C, Correspondence 2012
Müller.Fab-Kröze.F, German League 2012
Navara.D-Xiong.J, Tal Memorial (blitz), Riga 2021
Nemec.J-Mannion.S, Olomouc 2022
Niemann.H-Shevchenko.K, Junior Speed Chess (online blitz) 2015
Okrajek.A-Levin.F, Bad Wörishofen 2000
Ovod.E-Madl.I, German Women’s Bundesliga 2009
Parligras.M-Luther.T, Kozludoy (rapid) 2012
Pechisker.A-Jiganchine.R, Vancouver 2008
Pérez Fernandez.J-Benlloch Guirau.A, Correspondence 2013
Pressman.L-Mandiza.F, US Online Chess League 2011
Raja.R-Lomasov.S, Arandjelovac 2021
Reede.A-Schenning.A, Correspondence 2016
Rimpau.T-Krebs.J, Correspondence 2020
Risdon.A-Jedinger.A, Correspondence 2008
Ristoja.J-Sandvik.T, Finnish League 2022
Sabaev.S-Stöckert.M, Correspondence 2016
Sethuraman.S-Siddharth.Jag, Arandjelovac 2022
Shinkevich.V-Yu Yangyi, World Rapid Championship, St. Petersburg
2018
Skonieczna.B-Karasova.E, Correspondence 2011
So.W-Domínguez Perez.L, FIDE Grand Prix, Berlin 2022
Sojek.R-Moujan.P, Correspondence 2020
Sturt.R-Lomasov.S, Arandjelovac 2021
Sukhanitskij.S-Kochan.I, Correspondence 2020
Tsolakidou.S-Lin.Dac, US Masters, Charlotte 2021
Tsolakidou.S-Song.E, Charlotte 2021
Vaculik.J-Sobek.J, Czech League 2017
Willmann.B-Kahl.F, Correspondence 2018