The Jack Rabbit Chess Report (September 11): World Cup Semi-Finals tomorrow

Photo by Jon Sullivan
from public-domain-photos.com (Public Domain)


During the last several weeks, my impressive and loyal staff and I have put together surveys of opening theory for the French Game and the Grand Spanish Royal Game (that's the Ruy Lopez with 3...a6 for those who like the more traditional opening names).

This week, we will present the French Game. Next week, we will present the Spanish Game.

At some future time, we will do the Sicilian Game.


In the chess world currently, the World Cup is taking place in the Siberian oil town and chess Mecca, Khanty-Mansiysk. The semifinal round begins tomorrow, with both games featuring a Russian against a Ukrainian: Peter Svidler playing Ruslan Ponomariov in one set and Vassily Ivanchuk goes up against Alexander Grischuk in the other.

The second leg of the 2011-12 women's grand prix is underway in Shenzhen, China. After four rounds, Hou Yifan, Zhao Xue and Anna Muzychuk lead with three points each. Ms. Hou won the first leg of the grand prix last month in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.


And while we were away . . .

Magnus Carlsen won the elite tournament at the Biel Chess Festival.

Predrag Nikolic won the strong international open in Leiden.

Vladimir Kramnik took first in the annual international tournament in Dortmund.

Peter Svidler and Valentina Gunina won the general and women's competition, respectively, of the Russian National Championships in Moscow.

Maxime Vachier Lagrave and Sophie Millet won the general and women's competition, respectively, of the French National Championships in Caen.

Dariusz Swiercz of Poland and Deysi Cori Tello of Peru won the general and girls' group in the World Junior Championships in Chennai (formerly known as Madras), India.

Reigning world champion Vishy Anand won the Botvinnik Memorial Rapid tournament in Moscow, while Viktorija Cmilyte won the women's group.

The legendary Viktor Korchnoi, 80 years young, won the Botvinnik Memorial Seniors' Tournament in Suzdal, Russia.

We presented this game in May. I have had occasion to revisit it as I am currently taking part in the game Akobian vs. The World on ChessGames.com], which is still in its opening phases.

The opening theory below has been expanded upon in areas relevant to the online game.

I will have no comment on that game while it is in progress.



Etienne Bacrot

Photo by Stefan64 from Wikipedia (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)


Etienne Bacrot (Marseille) - Alberto David (Lutèce)
French Team Championship, Round 3/Board 2
Mulhouse, 28 May 2011

East India Game: Nimzo-Indian Defense (Rubinstein Opening/Bronstein Variation)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4

BLACK



WHITE

East Inad Game: Nimzo-Indian Defense
Position after 3...Bb4

4.Nf3

• The usual move order is 4.e3 when:
• (Bronstein Variation) If 4...b6 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.Nf3 transposing into the text.
• (Hübner Variation) If 4...c5 5.Nge2 cxd4 6.exd4 then:
• If 6...0-0 7.a3 Be7 8.d5 exd5 9.cxd5 then:
• If 9...Re8 10.d6 Bf8 11.g3 then:
• If 11...b6 12.Bg2 Nc6 then:
• 13.b4 Bb7 14.0-0 Rb8 15.Nb5 Ba6 16.Nec3 Re5 17.a4 Re6 18.Bg5 h6 is equal (M. Gurevich-Kengis, Soviet Ch ½-final, Lvov, 1984).
• 13.0-0 Ba6 14.a4 Rc8 15.Nb5 Bxb5 16.axb5 Na5 17.Nc3 g6 18.b4 Rxc3 19.bxa5 gives White a small advantage in space (Shulman-Tunik, Op, Pardubice, 1996).
• 11...Re6 12.Bf4 Nh5 13.Be3 Rxd6 14.Qc2 Re6 15.Bg2 Nc6 16.0-0 Nf6 17.Rad1 d6 18.Nd4 Nxd4 19.Bxd4 a6 20.Rc1 Rb8 draw (Brodsky-Kiriakov, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2005).
• If 9...a5 10.a3 Bxc3 11.Nxc3 a4 12.Bd3 then:
• 12...b6 13.cxb6 Qxb6 14.Bc2 Bd7 15.0-0 0-0 16.Rfe1 g6 17.Re3 Nc6 18.Rd1 Na5 19.Rh3 f5 20.Bxa4 wins a pawn for White (M. Socko-Mkrtchian, FIDE Knock Out W, Elista, 2004).
• 12...Bd7 13.0-0 Nc6 14.Bc2 Ne7 15.Rae1 0-0 16.Qd1 gives White the advantage in space (Knaak-Hall, Bundesliga 9899, Germany, 1999).
• 9...b6 10.a3 Bxc3 11.Nxc3 bxc5 12.dxc5 a5 13.Bb5+ Bd7 14.0-0 a4 15.Bxd7+ Qxd7 16.f4 Qe7 17.f5 0-0 is equal (Bu Xiangzhi-Shaposhnikov, World Jr Ch, Athens, 2001).
• If 9...Bc5 then:
• If 10.Na4 b6 11.b4 Bd6 12.Nec3 Be5 then:
• 13.Be2 Ba6 14.Ra2 Qc7 15.Rc2 Bxc3+ 16.Nxc3 Bxe2 17.Nxe2 Qe5 18.0-0 Qxd5 19.Rd2 Qf5 is equal (Shulman-Khalifman, World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2005).
• 13.Be3 Re8 14.Be2 Ba6 15.Rc1 Bxe2 16.Qxe2 d6 is equal (Shulman-Ulibin, Op, Goteborg, 1999).
• 10.b4 Bd6 11.g3 Re8 12.Bg2 a5 13.bxa5 Be5 14.0-0 Qxa5 is equal (Muir-Rowson, Op, Gibraltar, 2004).
• If 6...d5 then:
• If 7.c5 Ne4 8.Bd2 Nxd2 9.Qxd2 then:
• If 7.a3 Be7 then:
• If 8.Nf4 0-0 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Ncxd5 exd5 11.Bd3 Nc6 12.0-0 then:
• 12...Bf6 13.Be3 g6 14.Rc1 Qd6 15.Rc5 Be6 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Qg4 Rad8 18.Rfc1 Bg7 19.g3 draw (Arutinian-Gelashvili, Georgian Ch, Tbilisi, 2006).
• 12...Bg5 13.Re1 Qd6 14.g3 Bd7 15.h4 Bf6 16.Be3 g6 17.Rc1 Ne7 18.Qb3 is equal (S. Ivanov-S. Ionov, City Ch, St. Petersburg, 2001).
• If 8.c5 b6 9.b4 0-0 10.g3 then:
• If 10...bxc5 11.dxc5 a5 12.Rb1 Nc6 13.Bg2 Rb8 then:
• 14.Bf4 axb4 15.Bxb8 bxc3 16.Qa4 Nxb8 17.Rxb8 Nd7 18.Ra8 Nxc5 gives Black the initiative (Salov-M. Gurevich, Soviet Ch, Leningrad, 1987).
• 14.Nd4 Nxd4 15.Qxd4 Nd7 16.0-0 Ba6 17.Rd1 Bf6 is equal (Marin-Portisch, IT, Szirak, 1987).
• 10...a5 11.Rb1 axb4 12.axb4 bxc5 13.dxc5 Nc6 14.Bg2 Rb8 15.Ba3 Ba6 16.0-0 Bc4 17.Re1 Qc7 18.Nd4 Rfd8 19.Nxc6 Qxc6
• (Main Line) If 4...0-0 then:
• If 5.Bd3 then:
• If 5...d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 then:
• If 8...Nbd7 then:
• If 9.Qe2 then:
• If 9...a6 then:
• If 10.a4 then:
• If 10...cxd4 11.exd4 Nb6 then:
• If 12.Bd3 Nbd5 then:
• If 13.Nxd5 then:
• 13...Nxd5 14.Qe4 g6 15.Bh6 Re8 16.Ne5 wih a small advantage in space for White (Grischuk-Gelfand, IT, Linares, 2010).
• 13...exd5 14.Bg5 Qd6 15.Ne5 Ne4 16.Bf4 is equal (Ivanchuk-Speelman, World Cup, Reykjavik, 1991).
• 13.Bg5 Be7 14.Rfe1 Nb4 15.Bc4 Nfd5 16.Bxe7 Nxe7 17.Ne5 Nf5 18.Rad1 gives White the advantage in space (Korchnoi-Shamkovich, IT, Leningrad, 1967).
• 12.Bb3 Nbd5 13.Bd2 Re8 14.Qd3 Be7 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.Ne5 g6 17.Qf3 Be6 draw (O'Kelly-Smyslov, Argentine Ch, Buenos Aires, 1970).
• 10...Qc7 11.Na2 b5 12.Bd3 Ba5 13.axb5 axb5 14.Bxb5 Bb7 15.Rd1 Rab8 16.dxc5 Bxf3 17.gxf3 Nxc5 18.b4 Nb3 19.Rb1 gives White an extra pawn (Portisch-Balashov, ITZ, Rio de Janeiro, 1979).
• If 10.a3 Ba5 11.Bd3 b5 then:
• If 12.b4 cxb4 13.axb4 Bxb4 14.Nxb5 Bb7 15.Rb1 Be7 16.Nc3 Bxf3 17.Qxf3 gives White the advantage in space (Schreen-Korchnoi, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1983).
• If 12.Rd1 Bb7 13.e4 cxd4 14.Nxd4 Qc7 15.Bg5 Bb6 16.Bc2 Rac8 is equal (A. Rodríguez-Polugaevsky, Capablanca Mem, Havana, 1967).
• If 9...b6 then:
• If 10.d5 Bxc3 11.dxe6 Ne5 12.exf7+ Kh8 13.bxc3 Bg4 14.e4 Qe7 15.Re1 b5 16.Bxb5 Nh5 17.Bg5 Qe6 18.Qe3 Bxf3 19.gxf3 Qxf7 20.Be2 h6 21.f4 Nxf4 22.Bxf4 Qxf4 23.Rad1 Rae8 24.Rd5 c4 25.Rf1 Nf3+ 26.Bxf3 Qxf3 27.Rd4 Qg4+ 28.Qg3 gives White an extra pawn, but Black's pieces are more active in compensation (Gligoric-Jelen, IT, Bled, 1979).
• If 10.Rd1 cxd4 11.exd4 Bb7 12.d5 Bxc3 13.dxe6 Bxf3 14.gxf3 fxe6 15.bxc3 Qc7 16.Bxe6+ Kh8 17.Be3 Nc5 18.Bd5 Nxd5 19.Rxd5 Ne6 20.Qd3 Rad8 is equal (Gligoric-Unzicker, Ol, Leipzig, 1960).
• If 9.a3 cxd4 then:
• If 10.axb4 dxc3 11.bxc3 Qc7 12.Qb3 Nb6 13.Be2 e5 14.Ra5 Be6 15.Qc2 Nbd7 16.c4 b6 17.Ra6 Rfc8 18.Nd2 Qb7 19.b5 Nc5 20.Ra1 a6 21.bxa6 Rxa6 22.Bb2 Rxa1 draw (Johannesson-Chandler, Jonsson Mem, Reykjavik, 2001).
• If 10.exd4 Bxc3 11.bxc3 Qc7 12.Qe2 b6 13.Bd2 Bb7 14.Bd3 Rfe8 15.Rfe1 Rac8 16.Rac1 Qd6 is equal (Kottahachchy -Nguyen Van Thanh, World Youth, Vang Tau, 2008).
• If 8...Nc6 9.a3 Ba5 then:
• If 10.Qd3 a6 11.Rd1 b5 12.Ba2 Bb6 13.h3 c4 14.Qe2 Qc7 15.e4 e5 16.Be3 exd4 17.Nxd4 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Bxd4 19.Rxd4 Be6 20.Rad1 Rad8 21.Qd2 is equal (Portisch-Smyslov, IT, Amsterdam, 1971).
• If 10.Bd3 cxd4 11.exd4 Bb6 12.Be3 Nd5 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.h3 Qd6 15.Re1 Bc7 16.Rc1 Be6 17.Bb1 Rac8 18.Rc3 Bd7 19.Bd3 draw (Gligoric-Polugaevsky, ITZ, Palma de Mallorca, 1970).
• If 5.Nge2 d5 6.a3 then:
• If 6...Be7 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qc2 Nd7 9.Bd2 N5f6 10.g3 e5 11.Bg2 exd4 12.Nxd4 Ne5 13.0-0 c5 14.Nf5 Bxf5 15.Qxf5 Qxd2 16.Qxe5 Bd6 is equal (Aronian-Gelfand, Spanish ChT, Mérida, 2005).
• If 6...Bxc3+ 7.Nxc3 b6 8.Be2 Ba6 9.b3 Nc6 10.a4 dxc4 11.bxc4 Qd7 12.Nb5 Na5 13.0-0 c6 14.Na3 c5 15.Bb2 Rfd8 16.dxc5 Qe7 17.Qc2 Qxc5 18.Rfd1 Bb7 is equal (Aleksandrov-Akopian, FIDE Knock Out, New Delhi, 2000).
• (Capablanca Opening) If 4.Qc2
• (Keres Variation) 4...0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 then:
• If 6...d5 then:
• If 7.Nf3 dxc4 8.Qxc4 b6 then:
• If 9.Bf4 Ba6 then:
• If 10.Qc2 Nbd7 11.e4 Bxf1 then:
• 12.Kxf1 c5 13.Bd6 Re8 14.e5 Nd5 is equal (Morozevich-Kramnik, Tal Mem, Moscow, 2009).
• If 12.Rxf1 c5 13.Bd6 draw (Drozdovskij-R. Pert, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).
• 10.Qxc7 Qd5 11.Qd6 Qe4 12.Rc1 Nbd7 13.Nd2 Qg6 14.f3 Rac8 15.Rxc8 Rxc8 16.Kf2 gives White the advantage in space and an extra pawn (Krush-Gulko, US Ch, St. Louis, 2009).
• If 9.Bg5 Ba6 then:
• If 10.Qc2 Nbd7 11.e4 Bxf1 12.Rxf1 then:
• If 12...h6 13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.0-0-0 Rc8 15.Kb1 Qe7 16.Rfe1 Rfd8 is equal (Kramnik-Kasparov, Blitz Trmt, Moscow, 1998).
• 12...Qc8 13.0-0-0 c5 14.dxc5 Nxc5 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Kb1 Qb7 is equal (Bu Xiangzhi-Mahjoob, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).
• If 10.Qa4 c5 11.dxc5 bxc5 then:
• 12.Rd1 Qb6 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Rd2 Nc6 15.Qg4+ Kh8 16.Qh4 Kg7 17.Qg3+ Kh8 18.Qh4 Kg7 19.Qg3+ Kh8 draw (Riazantsev-Vitiugov, Russian Ch HL, Ulan Ude, 2009).
• 12.h4 Qb6 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Rb1 Rd8 15.Rh3 c4 16.Nd2 gives White more freedom and activity (I. Rajlich-T. Kosintseva, Euro Club Cup, Ohrid, 2009).
• If 7.cxd5 then:
• If 7...Ne4 8.Qc2 exd5 then:
• If 9.Bf4 then:
• 9...Nc6 10.e3 g5 11.Bg3 f5 12.0-0-0 f4 is equal (Karpov-Anand, Rapid M, Corsica, 2009).
• 9...Bf5 10.Qxc7 Qxc7 11.Bxc7 Rc8 12.Bf4 Nc6 gives White an extra pawn (Zhu Chen-Xu Yuhua, Grand Prix W, Nanjing, 2009).
• 9.e3 Bf5 10.Bd3 c5 11.dxc5 Nd7 12.Ne2 Ndxc5 13.Bxe4 Nxe4 14.Nd4 Bg6 15.Qd1 draw (Kramnik-Anand, Amber Rapid, Nice, 2009).
• 7...exd5 8.Bg5 Qd6 9.f3 Bf5 10.e3 Nbd7 11.Ne2 Rac8 12.b4 Rfe8 is equal (Gelfand-Caruana, IT, Biel, 2009).
• If 6...b6 then:
• If 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.e3 d6 then:
• If 9.Ne2 Nbd7 10.Qc2 c5 11.Rd1 then:
• If 11...cxd4 then:
• If 12.Rxd4 Qc7 13.Nc3 then:
• 13...d5 14.cxd5 Bxd5 15.Bd3 Rfc8 16.0-0 h6 17.Bh4 is equal (Beliavsky-Dzagnidze, Op, Gibraltar, 2009).
• If 13...Qc5 then:
• 14.Bh4 d5 15.cxd5 Nxd5 16.Bd3 f5 17.Bg3 Rac8 18.0-0 Qe7 19.Bc4 N7f6 20.Qb3 Kh8 21.Nxd5 Bxd5 22.Bxd5 Nxd5 23.e4 is equal (Navara-Efimenko, Corus B, Wijk aan Zee, 2009).
• 14.Be2 d5 15.cxd5 Nxd5 16.Bd3 N5f6 17.0-0 h6 18.Bh4 Rad8 19.Rd1 Ne5 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Be4 Rxd4 22.Rxd4 gives White a formidable center and better kingside pawns (L'Ami-Short, Staunton Mem, London, 2008).
• If 12.Bh4 Qc7 13.Nc3 d5 14.Bg3 e5 15.cxd5 Bxd5 16.Be2 then:
• 16...Rac8 17.e4 Bc6 is equal (Carlsen-Leko, IT, Morelia/Linares, 2008).
• 16...Qb8 17.0-0 a6 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.Bf3 Rd8 20.Rxd4 Qc8 21.Qa4 gives Black no compensation for the pawn (Bareev-Grischuk, World Cup, Khanty Mansiysk, 2007).
• 11...Rc8 12.Nc3 cxd4 13.Rxd4 Rc5 14.Bh4 Qa8 15.Be2 d5 16.b4 Rcc8 17.0-0 dxc4 18.f3 Ne5 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Nb5 Qb8 21.Nd6 gives White the advantage in space (Kasimdzhanov-Grischuk, Tal Mem Blitz, Moscow, 2007).
• If 9.f3 Nbd7 then:
• If 10.Bd3 c5 11.Ne2 Rc8 then:
• If 12.0-0 h6 13.Bh4 then:
• 13...cxd4 14.Qxd4 Ne5 15.b4 Qc7 16.Rac1 Nfd7 17.Be7 Nc6 18.Qxd6 Nxe7 19.Qxe7 Ne5 20.Qxc7 Rxc7 21.Rfd1 Rfc8 is equal (Krush-Chandran, USCL, Cyberspace, 2005).
• 13...d5 14.cxd5 Nxd5 15.Qe1 Qe8 16.Qd2 f5 17.Bg3 Qe7 18.Nf4 Nxf4 19.Bxf4 Rfd8 is equal (Moradiabadi-Sadvakasov, City Ch, Paris, 2005).
• 12.Qd2 h6 13.Bh4 cxd4 14.exd4 Ba6 15.Rc1 d5 16.cxd5 Bxd3 17.Rxc8 Qxc8 18.Qxd3 Nxd5 19.0-0 Qb7 20.Rc1 Rc8 21.Rxc8+ Qxc8 is equal (Kelly-Ong, Euro ChT, Saint Vincent, 2005).
• 12.Qb3 h6 13.Bh4 d5 14.cxd5 Bxd5 15.Qd1 cxd4 16.Nxd4 Ne5 17.Ba6 Rc5 draw (Kholmov-Chepukaitis, Botvinnik Mem, Tula, 2003).
• 10.Qd3 Ba6 11.d5 Bxc4 12.Qxc4 Nc5 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Ke2 Rfc8 15.Rd1 Nb3 gives White the active game (Vigorito-Browne, US Ch, San Diego, 2006).
• If 7.Nf3 Bb7 8.e3 then:
• If 8...d5 9.b4 c5 10.dxc5 bxc5 11.Bb2 Nbd7 12.cxd5 then:
• If 12...Bxd5 13.Be2 Qb6 14.0-0 then:
• 14...Rfb8 15.b5 a6 16.a4 c4 17.Bxc4 Bxc4 18.Qxc4 axb5 19.axb5 Rxa1 20.Rxa1 Qxb5 21.Qxb5 Rxb5 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.g3 draw (Drozdovskij-Zakhartsov, Op, Cappelle-la-Grande, 2010).
• 14...cxb4 15.axb4 Rfb8 16.b5 a6 17.Ra5 (draw (Akobian-Onischuk, Torre Mem, Yucatán, 2008)) 17...axb5 18.Rxb5 Qc6 19.Rxb8+ Rxb8 20.Rc1 Qxc3 21.Bxc3 is equal Zhao Xue-Gu Xiaobing, Chinese ChW, Wuxi, 2006).
• 12...cxb4 13.axb4 Bxd5 then:
• If 14.Ba6 Qb6 then:
• 15.Qd4 Rfb8 16.Qxb6 Rxb6 17.b5 Nb8 18.Bd4 Rd6 19.0-0 Nxa6 20.Rxa6 Rxa6 draw (Gelfand-Leko, Rpd, Yerevan, 2008).
• 15.0-0?! Rfb8! 16.b5 Bb7 17.Nd4 e5 18.Nc6 Bxc6 19.Qxc6 Qxc6 20.bxc6 Rxb2 gives Black a Rook on the seventh against White's advanced passer (Havasi-Kiprov, Ol, Munich, 1936).
• 14.Be2 Qb6 15.0-0 Rfc8 16.b5 Bb7 transposes into Zhao Xue-Gu Xiaobing, above.
• 8...d6 9.Be2 Nbd7 transposes into Koneru-A. Muzychuk, below.
• If 6...d6 (6...d5 7.Nf3 b6 8.e3 Bb7 transposes into Drozdovskij-Zakhartsov, above) 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.e3 b6 then:
• If 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 then:
• If 10...Ne4 then:
• If 11.Qc2 f5 12.b4 Rf6 13.d5 then:
• If 13...Rg6 then:
• If 14.Bb2 c5 then:
• If 15.Rad1 Qe7 then:
• 16.g3 Rf8 17.Ne1 exd5 18.cxd5 Ne5 19.Ng2 gives White a strong central pawn and the Knight can come to f4, giving her the advantage in space (Koneru-A. Muzychuk, Euro Club CupW, Ohrid, 2009).
• 16.bxc5 Ndxc5 17.dxe6 Nxe6 18.Rfe1 N4g5 19.Kh1 Be4 give Black a strong intiative and she has such a solid position that it would be pointless for White to launch an immediate attack (Peng-Chiburdanidze, OlW, Bled, 2002).
• 15.bxc5 Ndxc5 16.Rad1 Qe7 17.g3 Rf8 18.Bc1 e5 gives Black the advantage in space (Akobian-Moiseenko, Torre Mem, Yucatán, 2008).
• If 14.Nd4 Qg5 15.g3 then:
• If 15...Ne5 16.Nxe6 Rxe6 17.dxe6 Qg6 then:
• 18.Qb3 Ng5 19.e4 f4 20.f3 Nxe6 21.Kg2 gives White the material advantage; Black has more activity from his minor pieces and more space (Drozdovskij-Grischuk, Rpd, Odessa, 2007).
• 18.Rd1 Ng5 19.Rd5 Ngf3+ 20.Bxf3 Nxf3+ 21.Kf1 Nxh2+ gives White the exchange, a passed pawn and more space, but with the White King in check Black should level the material balance (Bocharov-Lysyj, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2007).
• 15...exd5 16.cxd5 Bxd5 17.Bc4 Bxc4 18.Qxc4+ Kh8 19.Qc6 gives White a fierce attack on the queenside and more space in compensation for the pawn minus (Kramnik-J. Polgar, IT, Sofia, 2005).
• If 13...exd5 14.Bb2 Rg6 then:
• If 15.Rad1 dxc4 16.Bxc4+ Kh8 17.Bd5 then:
• 17...c6?! 18.Bxc6 Rc8 19.b5 Ng5 20.Qxf5! Bxc6 21.bxc6 Rxc6 22.Nh4 gives White a dazzling attack in the center and on the kingside; White soon wins (I. Sokolov-Kristjansson, Op, Selfoss, Iceland, 2002).
• If 17...Bxd5! 18.Rxd5 then:
• 18...Ndf6?! 19.Rxf5! Qd7 20.Rf4 Re8 21.Nh4 gives White a strong kingside initiative (Roiz-Butnorius, Masters, Gibraltar, 2007).
• 18...c5 19.Rxf5 Qe8 20.Ne5 Nxe5 21.Qxe4 gives White the initiative and a small advantage in space, but Black is a long ways from beaten.
• 15.cxd5 Bxd5 16.Bc4 Bxc4 17.Qxc4+ Kh8 18.Qf7 c5 is equal (Dobrov-Tiviakov, Op, Neiva, Colombia, 2005).
• 11.Qd3 f5 12.b4 Qf6 13.Bb2 Rae8 14.Qb3 Qg6 15.Qa4 gives White a slight advantage in space (Z. Kozul-Grosar, Op, Portoroz, 1997).
• 10...c5 11.b4 Qe7 12.Bb2 Rfc8 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Rfd1 gives Whie a small advantage in space (Kramnik-Karpov, IT, Prague, 2002).
• If 9.b4 Bb7 10.Bb2 Ne4 11.Qc2 f5 12.Bd3 then:
• 12...a5 13.0-0 then:
• 13...Ng5 14.Nxg5 Qxg5 15.f4 Qg6 is equal (Farago-Nicholson, IT, Esbjerg, Denmark, 1981).
• If 13...Qe7 14.Nd2 then:
• 14...Qh4!? 15.f3 Nef6 16.d5 axb4 17.axb4 gives Black more space on the kingside and White more space on the queenside (Leotard-Birarov, Corres, 2001).
• 14...Nxd2 15.Qxd2 Qg5 16.f3 axb4 17.axb4 alsogives Black more space on the kingside and White more space on the queenside.
• If 12...Ndf6 13.0-0 then:
• If 13...Ng4 14.h3 Ngf6 15.Nd2 then:
• 15...Nxd2 16.Qxd2 Ne4 17.Qe1 Qg5 18.f3 Ng3 19.Rf2 Rf6 20.Kh2 refutes Black's attack and the initiative now goes over White (Saeed-Sisniega, ITZ, Taxco, 1985).
• 15...Ng5 16.f3 Qe8 17.h4 Nf7 18.e4 Nh6 19.exf5 exf5 20.Rfe1 gives White a small advantage in space (Ker-Chandler, IT, Wellington, New Zealand, 1988).
• 13...Qe8 14.Nd2 Ng5 15.f3 Qh5 16.d5 exd5 17.Bxf5 Rae8 18.Rfe1 White's King remains safe (Rodríguez López-Mascarenhas, Corres, 1999).
• (Noa Variation) If 4...d5 5.cxd5 then:
• If 5...exd5 then:
• If 6.Bg5 (a nexus between the Nimzo-Indian and the Rogozin Defense to the Queen's Gambit) 6...c5 then:
• If 7.Nf3 then:
• If 7...h6 then:
• 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4 10. e3 Bf5 11. Bd3 c4 12. Bxe4 Bxe4 is equal (Malakhov-Ponomariov, World Cup (½-final rd rpd TB), Khanty-Mansiysk, 2009).
• If 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.a3 Ba5 10.e3 0-0 then:
• If 11.dxc5 Bxc3+ 12.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 13.bxc3 Be6 14.Rb1 Nd7 15.Rxb7 Nxc5 16.Rb5 Rfc8 17.Nd4 Ne4 18.Rb3 a5 19.f3 Nxc3 20.Kd2 gives White the initiative (Botsari-Gaponenko, Euro ChW, Kusadasi, 2006).
• If 11.Be2 Bf5 12.Qd2 c4 13.0-0 Qd6 14.Nh4 Bh7 15.Bd1 Nd7 16.Bc2 Bxc2 17.Qxc2 Rfe8 18.Nf5 Qe6 is equal (R. Kaufman-Berg, Op, Hastings, 2008-09)
• If 7...Nbd7 then:
• If 8.e3 Qa5 9.Bd3 c4 10.Bf5 0-0 11.0-0 Re8 12.Nd2 g6 then:
• If 13.Bxd7 Nxd7 then:
• 14.h4 Nb6 15.f3 Bf8 16.e4 Bg7 17.Be3 Be6 18.a4 Bd7 is equal (Cheparinov-Mamedyarov, World Cup, Khanty Mansiysk, 2007).
• If 14.a3 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Nb6 16.f3 Bd7 then:
• 17.h4 Ba4 18.Qc1 Bc6 19.Rb1 Re6 20.Re1 Rae8 21.Nf1 Na4 22.Rb4 Qc7 23.Re2 b5 gives Black the advantage in space (Valerga-Peralta, Argentine Ch, La Plata, 2009).
• 17.Rfe1 Ba4 18.Qc1 Bc6 19.Ra2 Re6 gives Black a small edge in space (Kasparov-Tatai, Ol, Dubai, 1986).
• If 14.Rae1 Nb6 15.f3 then:
• 15...Bxc3 16.bxc3 Na4 17.Rc1 f6 18.Bh6 b5 19.h4 Qc7 20.Bf4 Qf7 is equal (Romanko-Zdebskaja, TTW, Ningbo, 2009).
• 15...Bd7 16.h4 Na4 17.Ndb1 Bf8 18.e4 Nb6 is equal (Zhu Chen-Dreev, Grand Prix, Dubai, 2002).
• If 13.Bh3 then:
• If 13...Bxc3 then:
• If 14.Qxc3 Qxc3 15.bxc3 Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4 then:
• If 17.Rfb1 Nb6 then:
• If 18.Bxc8 Raxc8 19.a4 Nd5 20.Rxb7 Nxc3 then:
• 21.a5 a6 22.Kf1 Nd5 23.Ke1 c3 24.Kd1 c2+ 25.Kd2 Rc3 is equal (Seirawan-Sosonko, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1986).
• If 21.Rxa7 Nd5 22.Rc1 c3 23.Kf1 Nb4 24.Rb7 Rc4 gives White an extra pawn, but Black has an advancing passer (Dreev-L. González, Op, Santa Barbara de Casa, 1992).
• If 18.Rb5 f5 19.g4 fxg4 20.Bf1 Bd7 21.Rxb6 axb6 22.Bxc4+ Kg7 leave Black up by the exchange (Sakaev-Lautier, World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2005).
• 17.Bg4 Nb6 18.Be2 Be6 19.Rab1 Rac8 20.Rfc1 Rc7 21.f3 gives White the initiative (Karpov-Milov, Rpd, Cap d'Agde, 2002).
• If 14.bxc3 Ne4 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Bxd7 Bxd7 17.Bf4 Re6 then:
• 18.d5 Ba4 19.Qd2 Rd8 20.d6 Qc5 is equal (Grivas-Hector, EU ChT, Haifa, 1989).
• 18.Rfb1 Qd5 19.a4 a5 20.Qb2 Bc6 is equal (Pinter-Sosonko, IT, Heninge, 1988).
• 13...Kg7 14.Rae1 Ne4 15.Ndxe4 dxe4 16.Bf4 f5 17.f3 Nf6 18.a3 Bxc3 19.bxc3 h5 20.Qf2 Bd7 21.Qg3 is equal (Grischuk-Morozevich, FIDE World Ch Trmt, San Luis, 2007).
• If 8.dxc5 h6 9.Bd2 Bxc5 10.e3 0-0 then:
• If 11.Bd3 a6 12.0-0 Bd6 13.e4 dxe4 14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4 Nf6 16.Bf5 Bxf5 17.Qxf5 Qc8 18.Qd3 draw (Dreev-Zvjaginsev, IT, Poikovsky, 2006).
• 11.Be2 a6 12.0-0 b5 13.a4 b4 14.Na2 a5 15.Nc1 Bd6 16.Nb3 Ne5 is equal (Cifuentes-Jobava, Ol, Calvia, 2004).
• If 7.dxc5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Ne4 10.e3 then:
• If 10...Qa5 11.Nge2 Bf5 12.Be5 0-0 13.Nd4 then:
• 13...Re8 14.Bxb8 Nxc3 15.Nxf5 Ne4+ 16.Kd1 Raxb8 17.f3 Nf6 18.Bd3 Bxc5 draw (Sundararajan-Villavicencio, Op, Andorra, 2006).
• 13...Nxc3 then after 14.Nxf5 Ne4+ 15.Kd1 Nc6 16.Bd4 White has an extra pawn (Shabalov-Stefansson, Mindsports Rpd, Beijing, 2008).
• 10...Nc6 11.Nf3 Qa5 12.Nd2 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Bxc3 14.Rb1 Qxc5 15.Rb5 Qa3 16.Rb3 Bxd2+ 17.Qxd2 Qa5 18.Qxa5 Nxa5 19.Rb5 Nc6 20.h4 g4 is equal (Eljanov-Farago, Rpd Op, Mainz, 2008).
• If 6...h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.Qxc3 0-0 10.e3 c6 11.Nf3 then:
• If 11...Bf5 12.Be2 Nd7 13.0-0 Rfe8 14.b4 Rac8 15.Rfc1 Qd6 16.Qb2 Bg4 then:
• If 17.Bd3 then:
• 17...Qf6 18.Nd2 h5 19.h3 Bf5 20.Bxf5 Qxf5 21.Qc2 is equal (Dreev-Kulaots, Greek ChT, Ermioni, 2006).
• 17...Bxf3 18.gxf3 Qf6 19.f4 Re7 20.Qe2 Rce8 21.Qg4 is equal.
• 17.a4 f5 18.Qd2 f4 19.exf4 Re4 is equal.
• 11...Re8 12.Bd3 Bf5 13.Bxf5 Qxf5 14.0-0 Nd7 15.Rac1 Nf6 16.Qc2 Qxc2 17.Rxc2 Ne4 18.Nd2 Nd6 19.g3 a5 20.a4 Ra6 21.b3 f5 draw (Petrosian-Averbakh, IT, Saltjobaden, 1952).
• If 6.e3 c5 then:
• If 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 0-0 9.Nf3 b6 10.c4 then:
• 10...Qc6 11.Bd3 Bb7 12.Bb2 cxd4 13.exd4 Nbd7 14.0-0 Rac8 15.Rfe1 h6 16.a4 Rfd8 17.Qe2 Qd6 18.Nd2 a5 19.Nf1 Re8 20.Ne3 Be4 21.Bxe4 Nxe4 22.Qd3 Qf4 is equal (van Wely-Jakovenko, Spanish ChT, San Sebastián, 2006).
• 10...Qh5 11.Be2 Bb7 12.0-0 Nbd7 is equal (van Wely-Short, Staunton Mem TM, London, 2009).
• If 7.Bd2 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 cxd4 9.Bxd4 Nc6 10.Bc3 0-0 11.Nf3 Rd8 12.Be2 Qe4 13.Qb3 Nd5 14.Bd2 Qg6 15.0-0 e5 16.Rfd1 e4 gives Black the initiative (Kasparov-Kramnik, Rpd M, Moscow, 2001).
• If 6.Nf3 Qf5 then:
• If 7.Qb3 then:
• If 7...Nc6 then:
• If 8.Bd2 0-0 9.e3 Rd8 10.Be2 then:
• 10...e5 11.Nxe5 Be6 12.g4 Qxe5 13.dxe5 Bxb3 14.exf6 Be6 15.f4 gxf6 16.0-0-0 Kg7 17.Rhg1 Na5 18.b3 Nxb3+ 19.axb3 Bxb3 20.Nb5 Bxd1 21.Rxd1 Bxd2+ 22.Rxd2 Rxd2 23.Kxd2 is equal (Ivanchuk-Anand, IT, Monte Carlo, 1996).
• 10...a6 11.Rd1 e5 12.Bc4 is equal (Gagunashvili-Turova, Op, Dubai, 2009).
• 8.a3 Ba5 9.e3 0-0 10.Qb5 e5 11.Bd3 Qg4 12.0-0 a6 13.Qb3 Bxc3 14.Qxc3 e4 gives Black the initiative (Beliavsky-Short, FIDE Knock Out, Las Vegas, 1999).
• 7...c5 8.a3 Ba5 9.Qc4 Bxc3+ 10.Qxc3 Nbd7 11.g4 Qe4 12.dxc5 0-0 13.g5 Nd5 14.Qd4 Qxd4 15.Nxd4 Nxc5 16.Bg2 Rd8 17.b4 e5 18.bxc5 exd4 19.Rb1 b6 20.cxb6 axb6 21.Bxd5 Rxd5 22.Rxb6 gives White an extra pawn (Vitugiov-Tiviakov, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2009).
• If 7.Qxf5 exf5 8.a3 then:
• If 8...Be7 9.Bf4 c6 10.e3 then:
• 10...Nbd7 11.Nd2 Nb6 12.Nc4 Nxc4 13.Bxc4 Be6 14.Bxe6 fxe6 15.Ke2 Kd7 16.Rac1 Rhg8 17.h3 Rac8 18.Nb1 Nd5 19.Be5 Bf6 draw (Timoshchenko-Wojtaszek, Czech ChT, Czechia, 2005).
• 10...Be6 11.Nd2 0-0 12.Nc4 Nd5 13.Bd6 draw (Psakhis-Suba, Op, Benasque, 2005).
• 8...Bd6 9.Nb5 Be6 10.e3 Nc6 11.Bd2 a6 12.Nxd6+ cxd6 13.Bd3 Ne7 14.Ng5 Bd5 15.f3 h6 16.Nh3 Rc8 17.Ke2 Bc4 18.Rac1 Bxd3+ 19.Kxd3 Kd7 is equal (Timman-Jussupow, IT, Frankfurt, 1998).
• (Hübner Variation) If 4...c5 5.dxc5 Bxc5 6.Nf3 then:
• If 6...Qb6 7.e3 Qc7 then:
• If 8.b3 a6 9.Bb2 then:
• If 9...Be7 10.g4 h6 then:
• 11.0-0-0 b5 12.Nd4 Bb7 13.Rg1 bxc4 14.Bxc4 Nc6 15.Nxc6 Qxc6 16.Kb1 Rc8 17.Qe2 d5 18.Bd3 Bb4 19.Na4 Qd6 20.h4 Kf8 21.g5 gives White a slight initiative (Akobian-Kuzubov, SPICE Cup A, Texas Tech U, 2009).
• If 11.Rg1 Nc6 12.h4 h5 13.gxh5 Nxh5 then:
• 14.Be2 d5 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Nxd5 gives White the initiative (Nogueiras-Korchnoi, ITZ, Zagreb, 1987).
• If 14.0-0-0 Nb4 15.Qd2 b5 16.a3 remains equal.
• If 9...b6 then:
• 10.Bd3 Bb7 11.Ne4 Be7 12.0-0 d6 13.Nxf6+ gxf6 14.Be4 Nd7 15.Rac1 h5 16.Rfd1 Rc8 17.Nd2 gives White the advantage in space (Gupta-Kotsur, Op, Dubai, 2005).
• 10.Be2 Bb7 11.0-0 Be7 12.Rad1 d6 13.Bd3 Nbd7 14.Qe2 0-0 15.e4 Rfe8 16.Rfe1 Bf8 17.Bb1 gives White a small advantage in space (Gunawan-Razuvaev, Op, Biel, 1994).
• 8.Be2 a6 9.0-0 Be7 10.e4 d6 11.Rd1 0-0 12.Nd4 b6 is equal (Berry-Waters, British Ch, Scarborough, 2001).
• If 6...Nc6 7.Bg5 then:
• If 7...h6 8.Bh4 then:
• 8...Be7 9.Rd1 0-0 10.e4 Nh5 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Be2 d6 13.0-0 Rd8 14.Rd2 Nf4 15.Rfd1 e5 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.cxd5 Nb8 18.Rc1 gives White better development and the advantage in space; on the bight side for Black, he has a good Bishop (Gagunashvili-Ibragimov, Op, Las Vegas, 2006).
• 8...Qa5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.e3 Bb4 11.Be2 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 b6 13.0-0 Bb7 14.Nd4 Qg5 15.g3 Qc5 16.Nb3 Qe5 is equal (Stahlberg-Grünfeld, IT, Ujpest, 1934).
• If 7...0-0 8.a3 then:
• If 8...Nd4 9.Nxd4 Bxd4 10.e3 Qa5 11.exd4 Qxg5 12.Qd2 Qxd2+ 13.Kxd2 b6 14.b4 then:
• 14...Bb7 15.f3 d6 16.Bd3 Rfc8 17.Rhc1 Kf8 18.Ne4 Nxe4+ 19.Bxe4 d5 20.cxd5 Bxd5 21.Bxd5 draw (Cramling-Akesson, Rilton Cup, Stockholm, 1999).
• 14...d6 15.Bd3 Rd8 16.f3 h5 17.h4 Kf8 18.Rhe1 Bd7 19.Rab1 Rac8 20.Rec1 e5 is equal (Kasparov-Kramnik, IT, Tilburg, 1997).
• 8...b6 9.e3 Be7 10.Be2 Bb7 11.0-0 Rc8 12.Rfd1 h6 13.Bh4 Na5 14.b3 d5 15.Qb2 Qe8 16.cxd5 Nxd5 17.Bb5 Qd8 18.Nxd5 Bxh4 19.Nxh4 Bxd5 20.e4 Qxh4 21.exd5 is equal (M. Gurevich-Sulskis, Op, Isle of Man, 2007).
• (Zürich Variation) If 4...Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 then:
• If 6.Bd2 0-0 7.a3 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 Re8 then:
• If 9.e3 e5 10.d5 Ne7 11.e4 Nh5 12.g3 f5 13.Nd2 then:
• If 13...Rf8 14.exf5 Bxf5 15.Ne4 Nf6 16.Bg2 Qe8 17.0-0 Qh5 18.Rae1 Nxe4 19.Bxe4 Bh3 20.Bg2 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 then:
• 21...Rf3!? 22.Qe4 Raf8 23.Re3 Rxe3 24.Qxe3 is equal (Johannessen-De Vreugt, Bundesliga 0809, Germany, 2008).
• If 21...Qf3+! 22.Kg1 b5 gives Black more space.
• If 13...fxe4 14.Nxe4 Bf5 15.Bg2 Qd7 16.Qe2 Bg6 17.0-0 Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Nf6 19.Bg2 gives White the advantage in space and two Bishops against two Knights (Malakhatko-Herberla, Euro Ch, Kusadasi, 2006).
• If 9.Rd1 Qe7 10.e3 e5 11.d5 Nb8 12.Be2 Bg4 13.e4 a5 14.b4 axb4 15.axb4 Nh5 16.Ng1 Qg5 17.Bxg4 Qxg4 18.f3 Qg5 19.Qd2 Qh4+ 20.Qf2 Qxf2+ 21.Kxf2 gives White more freedom (Kharitonov-Henrichs, Op, Pardubice, 2005).
• If 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3 then:
• If 7...0-0 8.b4 e5 9.dxe5 then:
• 9...Ne4 10.Qe3 f5 11.Bb2 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Rd1 Qe7 14.g3 Be6 15.Bg2 Nd6 16.Bxe5 Nxc4 is equal (Milner-Barry- Menchik, IT, Cambridge, 1932).
• If 9...Nxe5 10.Nxe5 dxe5 11.Qxe5 Re8 12.Qb2 Ne4 13.Bf4 then:
• After 13...Bf5 14.f3 g5 15.Bc1 Nd6 16.Qc3 f6 17.Bb2 Kg7 18.0-0-0 Qe7 19.e4 White soon won (Flohr- Milner-Barry, IT, London, 1932).
• If 13...a5 14.f3 Ng5 15.Rd1 Qe7 16.e3 axb4 17.axb4 Ne6 18.Bg3 gives White the advantage in space (D. Collas-van Hoolandt, Mediterranean Ch, Beirut, 2003).
• If 7...a5 8.b3 0-0 9.Bb2 then:
• 9...Re8 10.e3 e5 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Rd1 Qe7 13.Be2 Bg4 14.0-0 Bh5 15.Rfe1 Ne4 16.Qc2 gives White a slight initiative (Johannessen-Taimanov, Op, Reykjavik, 1968).
• 9...Qe7 10.e3 Re8 11.Be2 e5 12.d5 Nb8 13.Nd2 b5 14.e4 bxc4 15.bxc4 Nbd7 16.0-0 Nc5 is equal (Drozdovskij-Stavroyany, Ukrainian ChU16, Kiev, 2000).
• (Sämisch Opening) If 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 then:
• If 5...c5 6.e3 b6 7.Bd3 then:
• If 7...Nc6 8.Ne2 then:
• If 8...Ba6 9.Ne2 then:
• If 9...0-0 10.Bg6 h6 11.Bh4 then:
• 11...g5 12.Bg3 d6 13.f4 Na5 14.fxg5 hxg5 15.0-0 is equal (Zhao Jun - Xiu Deshun, Chinese Ch, Xinghua, , 2011)
• 11...e5 12.0-0 g5 13.Bg3 d6 14.f4 Ng4 15.fxe5 dxe5 16.Qa4 Na5 is equal (A. Schmidt-Hartl, Youth Trmt, Baviera, 2000/01).
• If 9...cxd4 10.cxd4 e5 then:
• 11.f4 exd4 12.e5 Ng4 13.Nxd4 Ngxe5 14.0-0 gives White more space and better development (Eazt-Sipila, Ol, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).
• 11.Bb2 Qc7 12.Qa4 Bb7 13.d5 Ne7 14.Qb4 gives White a fair advantage in space.
• If 8...0-0 9.e4 Ne8 10.0-0 Ba6 11.f4 f5 then:
• If 12.exf5 exf5 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.Be3 d6 15.Ng3 g6 then:
• If 16.Bxf5 gxf5 17.Qd5+ Rf7 18.Qxc6 Bb7 19.Qa4 Qf6 then:
• 20.Rab1!? Ng7 21.Qd1 Re8 22.Re1 Qg6 23.Bf2 gives White more space and a slight initiative (Nakamura-And. Volokitin, YM, Cuernavaca, 2006).
• 20.Rfe1! Ng7 21.Qc2 Re7 22.Qd2 Rae8 23.Bf2! gives White a slight advantage in space; the most serious pawn weakness on the board is Black d-pawn.
• 16.Re1 Na5 17.Nf1 Nf6 18.Bf2 Qd7 19.Ne3 gives White a slight advantage in space (I. Sokolov-Grischuk, Rpd Op, Calatrava, 2007).
• If 12.Ng3 g6 13.Be3 then:
• If 13...cxd4 14.cxd4 d5 15.cxd5 Bxd3 16.Qxd3 fxe4 17.Qxe4 Qxd5 18.Qxd5 exd5 19.Rac1 then:
• If 19...Na5 20.f5 then:
• If 20...Nc4 21.Bg5 Ned6 22.Be7 gives White a slight advantage in space (Jussupow-Cvitan, ZT, Dresden, 1998).
• 20...Nd6 21.Bg5 Rf7 22.Rce1 Nac4 is equal (Aleksandrov-Yegiazarian, Russia Cup, Minsk, 2000).
• 19...Ne7 20.Bd2 Rf7 21.Be3 Nc6 22.Bd2 Ne7 draw (Bluvshtein-Mareco, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2011).
• 13...Nd6 14.exf5 Nxc4 15.Bxc4 Bxc4 16.fxg6 Bxf1 17.Qh5 Qe7 18.Rxf1 hxg6 19.Qxg6+ gives White a comfortable advantage (Jussupow-Karpov, Candidates' M ½-final, London, 1989).
• If 7...Bb7 8.f3 Nc6 9.Ne2 0-0 10.e4 Ne8 then:
• If 11.Be3 d6 12.0-0 Na5 13.Ng3 Qd7 then:
• If 14.f4 f5 then:
• 15.Qe2 g6 16.Rad1 gives White a small advantage in space (Gligoric-Beni, IT, Dubrovnik, 1950).
• 15.d5 g6 16.Qc2 fxe4 17.Nxe4 exd5 18.cxd5 Bxd5 gives Black a small advantage in space and more freedom; White has the Bishop in a position where it may be useful (Cherepkov-Kholmov, Soviet Ch semif, Leningrad, 1955).
• 14.a4 Ba6 15.Qe2 cxd4 16.cxd4 Rc8 17.Rac1 Qxa4 18.c5 Bxd3 19.Qxd3 dxc5 is equal(Szabo-German, Ol, Helsinki, 1952).
• If 11.0-0 (White has a small advantage in space) 11...Na5 then:
• If 12.Ng3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Rc8 then:
• If 14.f4!? Nxc4! (Black has the advantage in space) 15.f5 f6 16.Rf4?! b5! 17.Rh4 Qb6 18.e5?! Nxe5!! 19.fxe6 Nxd3 20.Qxd3 Qxe6 leaves Black up by two pawns and he soon won (Geller-Dr. Euwe, Candidates' Trmt, Zürich, 1953).
• 14.c5 bxc5 15.dxc5 d6 16.cxd6 Qxd6 17.Rb1 maintains a slight advantage for White.
• 12.Qa4!? Rc8 13.Bf4 Ba6 14.d5 f6 15.Bg3 Qe7 is equal.
• If 5...d5 then:
• If 6.f3 c5 7.cxd5 then:
• If 7...Nxd5 8.dxc5 Qa5 9.e4 then:
• If 9...Ne7 10.Be3 0-0 11.Qb3 Qc7 then:
• 12.a4 Nec6 13.f4 Na5 14.Qa3 Nd7 15.Nf3 b6 16.cxb6 axb6 17.Nd2 Ba6 18.Bxa6 Rxa6 19.0-0 Rfa8 20.Qb4 Nb7 21.Ra2 Qc6 is equal (Khalifman-van der Wiel, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1991).
• 12.Nh3 e5 13.Nf2 Nec6 14.Rb1 Na5 15.Qa4 Be6 16.Be2 Nd7 17.Rb5 b6 18.0-0 Rfb8 19.Rfb1 h6 20.g3 bxc5 21.Rxb8+ Rxb8 22.Rxb8+ Nxb8 23.Qe8+ gives White a clear advantage (Arencibia-Lobron, IZ, Manila, 1990).
• 12.Bb5 Nec6 13.Rd1 e5 14.Qa2 Na5 15.Qd5 Bd7 16.Bxd7 Rd8 17.Qd6 Qxd6 18.Rxd6 Nxd7 19.Kf2 Nc4 20.Rd5 Nf6 21.Rxd8+ Rxd8 22.Ne2 Rc8 23.Rb1 gives White an extra pawn and a small advantage in space (Timman-Karpov, IT, Linares, 1990).
• 9...Nf6 10.Be3 0-0 11.Qb3 Nfd7 12.a4 Qc7 13.Qa3 b6 14.a5 bxc5 15.Nh3 Ba6 16.Bxa6 Nxa6 17.Qa4 Ne5 is equal (Milov-Razuvaev, Op, Biel, 1994).
• If 7...exd5 8.e3 then:
• If 8...0-0 9.Bd3 b6 10.Ne2 Ba6 then:
• If 11.0-0 Re8 12.Ng3 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Nc6 then:
• If 14.Ra2 Qd7 15.Re2 Rad8 16.Bb2 Re6 17.Rd1 g6 18.e4 dxe4 19.fxe4 h5 20.Ree1 Qe7 then:
• 21.Qf3 h4 22.Nf1 Nxe4 gives Black an extra pawn (Borg-Kunte, Ol, Istanbul, 2000).
• 21.Qf1 Nxe4 22.Rxe4 Rxe4 23.Nxe4 Qxe4 is equal (Serper-Onischuk, US Ch, San Diego, 2006).
• If 14.Bb2 Rc8 15.Rae1 then:
• 15...Na5 16.e4 Nc4 17.Bc1 b5 18.Bg5 Qb6 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.exd5 cxd4 21.cxd4 a6 is equal (Miedema-Hort, Op, Hoogeveen, 2008).
• 15...cxd4 16.cxd4 Qc7 17.e4 Ne7 18.e5 gives White more freedom (Gligoric-Damljanovic, IT, Sarajevo, 1969).
• If 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.0-0 then:
• If 12...Nc7 13.Ng3 Re8 14.Qd3 Ne6 15.Bb2 then:
• 15...Qd7 16.e4 cxd4 17.cxd4 dxe4 18.Nxe4 Nxe4 19.Qxe4 Nc7 20.Qd3 Nd5 21.Rae1 Rxe1 22.Rxe1 Re8 23.Re5 f6 24.Rxe8+ Qxe8 is equal is equal (Tomic-Szabo, IT, Vinkovci, 1970).
• 15...Rc8 16.Rad1 Qc7 17.Rc1 g6 18.e4 c4 is equal (Radjabov-Mateo, Op, Biel, 2000).
• 12...Re8 13.Ng3 Qd7 14.Ra2 Rac8 15.Re2 cxd4 16.cxd4 Rc4 is equal (Hensbergen-Teplyi, Politiken Cup, Helsingør, 2007).
• If 8...Qc7 9.Ra2 Bf5 then:
• 10.Ne2 cxd4 11.cxd4 Nbd7 12.g4 Bg6 13.Bg2 Rc8 14.0-0 Nb6 15.Nf4 Bc2 16.Qe1 0-0 is equal (Harika-Spraggett, Masters, Gibraltar, 2007).
• If 10.g4 then:
• 10...Be6 11.Ne2 Nc6 12.Nf4 0-0-0 13.g5 Nd7 14.Bd3 Kb8 15.0-0 Nb6 16.a4 is equal (Shirov-Lerner, ZT, Lvov, 1990).
• 10...Bd7 11.Bd3 Nc6 draw (Bauer-Graf, Op, Bad Zwesten, 2006).
• If 6.e3 c5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bd3 0-0 9.Ne2 then:
• If 9...b6 10.0-0 Ba6 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 then:
• 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.a4 Rfe8 14.Qd3 c4 gives Black a fair advantage in space (Botvinnik-Capablanca, AVRO, Holland, 1938).
• If 12.Qd3 then:
• 12...Nc7 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.c4 Rb8 15.Qc2 dxc4 16.Rd1 Qe7 is equal (Kotov-Benko, IT, Budapest, 1949).
• 12...Qc8 13.f3 Re8 14.Ng3 Qb7 15.Ra2 Re6 16.Re2 Rae8 17.Rfe1 h5 18.Qf5 gives White a small advantage in space (Beliavsky-Short, IT, Linares, 1990).
• If 9...Nc6 10.0-0 Re8 11.f3 then:
• 11...b6 12.Ng3 Bb7 13.Ra2 Rc8 14.Re2 cxd4 15.cxd4 Na5 16.Kh1 is equal (Kanko-Minev, ZT, Halle, 1963).
• 11...Bd7 12.Ng3 Qc7 13.Ra2 h6 14.Re2 Re7 15.Ree1 Rae8 16.Qd2 Qa5 is equal (Rubinetti-Najdorf, IT, Mar del Plata, 1971).
• If 5...0-0 6.f3 then:
• If 6...Ne8 7.e4 b6 8.Bd3 Ba6 9.Nh3 Nc6 10.0-0 Na5 11.Qe2 c5 12.e5 f6 then:
• 13.Bf4 cxd4 14.cxd4 Rc8 15.Rac1 Qe7 16.Rc3 d5 17.exd6 Nxd6 18.c5 Bxd3 19.Qxd3 bxc5 20.dxc5 Nf7 21.Qa6 gives White a fair advantage with a passed pawn (S. Volkov-Pashikian, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2008).
• 13.Be3 Rc8 14.Rac1 d5 15.Nf4 Nc7 16.exf6 Qxf6 17.cxd5 Bxd3 18.Qxd3 cxd4 19.cxd4 Nxd5 20.Nxd5 exd5 21.Bf2 Nc4 is equal (Topalov-Leko, Candidates' M Final, Dortmund, 2002).
• If 6...Nh5 7.Nh3 f5 then:
• If 8.e4 then:
• 8...c5 9.e5 Nc6 10.f4 g6 11.Be2 b6 12.0-0 Ng7 13.Be3 gives White the advantage in space (Bronstein-Szabo, IZ, Budapest, 1950).
• 8...fxe4 9.Be2 e5 10.0-0 d6 11.fxe4 Bxh3 12.Bxh5 Be6 13.Rxf8+ Qxf8 14.Ra2 Nd7 15.Rf2 gives White the advantage in space (Berkes-Dzagnidze, Op, Gibraltar, 2009).
• If 8.e3 d6 then:
• 9.Nf2 e5 10.f4 Nf6 11.fxe5 dxe5 12.c5 Nc6 is equal; White is already paying a price in lagging development for not being able to develop his Knight to f3 (Volkov-Izoria, Euro ChT, Saint Vincent, 2005).
• If 9.Bd3 e5 10.0-0 Nc6 11.f4 Qe8 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Ra2 e4 14.Be2 Nf6 15.a4 is equal (Geller-Pogats, IT, Schiavno Zdroj, 1950).
• If 5...b6 6.f3 d5 7.Bg5 then:
• If 7...h6 8.Bh4 Ba6 9.e4 Bxc4 10.Bxc4 dxc4 11.Qa4+ Qd7 12.Qxc4 then:
• 12...Qc6 13.Qd3 Nbd7 14.Ne2 Rd8 15.0-0 a5 16.Qc2 Qc4 gives White the advantage in space and the superior center(Lilienthal-Capablanca, IT 3435, Hastings, 1935).
• 12...Nc6 13.Ne2 Na5 14.Qd3 Qc6 15.0-0 0-0-0 16.Rab1 g5 17.Bg3 Nh5 18.f4 gives White the advantage in space (Dr. Alekhine-Eliskases, IT 3334, Hastings, 1934).
• 7...Ba6 8.e4 Bxc4 9.Bxc4 dxc4 10.Qa4+ Qd7 11.Qxc4 gives White the advantage in space (Veresov-Yudovich, Soviet Ch, Leningrad, 1934).

4...b6

• If 4...c5 then:
• If 5.g3 then:
• If 5...cxd4 6.Nxd4 0-0 7.Bg2 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 then:
• If 9.Qb3 Nc6 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.0-0 then:
• If 11...Qa5 12.Bd2 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Ba6 14.Rfd1 then:
• If 14...Qc5 15.e4 then:
• If 15...Bc4 16.Qa4 Nb6 17.Qb4 Qh5 18.Bf4 then:
• If 18...c5 then:
• If 19.Qb2 Rad8 20.Rxd8 Rxd8 21.f3 f5 22.exf5 Qxf5 is equal (Bacrot-Carlsen, IT, Biel, 2008 ).
• 19.Qa5 Rfc8 20.h3 f6 21.Be3 e5 is equal (Cheparinov-Karjakin, Grand Prix, Baku, 2008).
• 18...e5 19.Be3 Be2 20.Re1 Nc4 21.Qc5 Rfd8 22.Rab1 h6 23.h3 Nxe3 24.Qxe3 Bc4 is equal (Najer-Jakovenko, Russian Ch, Moscow, 2006).
• If 15...Nb6 16.Be3 Qh5 17.Bxb6 Rfb8 then:
• 18.Rd6 Rxb6 19.Qd1 Qxd1+ 20.Raxd1 g5 gives White a little bit mor more space, command of the d-file and the initiative (Onischuk-Zantonskih, GMT, Stillwater, 2005).
• 18.Rd7 axb6 19.e5 Bb5 20.c4 Ba4 21.Qe3 gives White a great deal more space, command of the d-file and the seventh rank and the initiative.
• 14...Rab8 15.c4 Qc5 16.cxd5 Rxb3 17.axb3 Bxe2 18.Re1 cxd5 19.Rxe2 Qb6 20.b4 Rc8 21.Be1 is equal (Nielsen-Savon, Op, Pardubice, 1995).
• 11...Rb8 12.Na4 Ba6 13.Qc2 Bb5 14.Bf3 Qe7 15.Nc3 Qc5 16.Bd2 Nxc3 17.Bxc3 is equal (Onischuk-Christiansen, US Ch, St. Louis, 2011).
• If 9.Bd2 then:
• If 9...Bxc3 10.bxc3 e5 11.Nb3 Nc6 12.0-0 Nde7 13.c4 Qc7 14.Qc2 Rd8 15.Rac1 Bf5 16.Qb2 Rac8 17.Bc3 then:
• 17...b6 18.c5 f6 19.cxb6 axb6 20.Bd2 Be6 21.Bc3 Bf5 22.Bd2 Be6 23.Bc3 Bf5 draw (Razuvaev-Balashov, Soviet Ch, Minsk, 1979).
• 17...f6 18.Rfe1 b6 19.a4 Be6 20.c5 Bd5 21.e4 Be6 gives Black a small advantage in space (Stocek-Zorko, Op, Nova Gorica, 2004).
• If 9...Nxc3 10.bxc3 Be7 11.Rb1 then:
• If 11...e5 12.Rxb7 exd4 13.Rb3 then:
• 13...Be6 14.Bxa8 Na6 15.Bf3 Bxb3 16.Qxb3 d3 17.Qc4 Nc5 18.0-0 gives White an extra pawn and a great deal more space (Kasparov-Anand, Blitz, Wijk aan Zee, 1999).
• 11...Qd7 12.Bf4 Bf6 13.Nb5 a6 14.Qxd7 Nxd7 15.Nd6 Bxc3+ 16.Kf1 Bf6 is equal (Stohl-Aronian, Vidmar Mem, Portoroz, 1999).
• 13...Na6 14.Bxa8 Bh3 15.Bf3 Nc5 16.Rb4 Nd3+ 17.exd3 Bxb4 18.cxb4 Re8+ 19.Be4 f5 20.f3 fxe4 21.dxe4 gives White two extra pawns; Black have more space (Staniszewski-Suba, ZT, Warsaw, 1987).
• If 5...Nc6 6.Bg2 Ne4 7.Bd2 then:
• If 7...Nxd2 8.Qxd2 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Ne5 then:
• If 10.Nc2 Be7 then:
• If 11.b3 0-0 then:
• If 12.0-0 a6 13.Rfd1 then:
• 13...Qc7 14.Rac1 d6 15.Nd4 Bd7 16.f4 Ng4 17.h3 Nf6 18.g4 is equal (Wang Yue-Z. Almasi, IT, Paks, 2006).
• 13...Rb8 14.Rac1 b5 15.Qe3 Qc7 16.cxb5 Ng4 17.Qd2 axb5 18.Nd5 exd5 19.Ne3! gives White stronger pawns and the initiative; Black cannot maintain his foremost d-pawn (Sandipan-Bindrich, Masters, Gibraltar, 2010).
• 12.Rd1 d6 13.Nb5 Qb6 14.0-0 d5 15.Qe3 Qxe3 16.Nxe3 dxc4 17.Nxc4 Nxc4 18.bxc4 Bc5 19.Rd3 Rb8 20.Rb1 g6 21.a4 a5 22.Rbd1 draw (Carlsen-Iordachescu, Op, Dubai, 2004).
• 11.Ne3 f5 12.0-0 a6 13.Kh1 0-0 14.f4 Nf7 15.Nc2 Qc7 16.b3 Rb8 is equal (Karpov-Suba, World ChT, Lucerne, 1985).
• If 10.Nf3 Nxf3+ 11.Bxf3 0-0 then:
• 12.Rc1 a6 13.0-0 Qc7 14.Rfd1 Rd8 15.Qg5 h6 16.Qh4 gives White a significant advantage in space and development (Inarkiev-Khismatullin, Russian Ch, Tomsk, 2006).
• 12.0-0 Rb8 13.a3 Bxc3 14.Qxc3 b6 15.Rfd1 Bb7 16.Rd4 f5 17.Rad1 gives White a strong initiative (Moiseenko-Parligras, Euro Ch, Warsaw, 2005).
• If 7...Bxc3 8.bxc3 0-0 9.0-0 then:
• If 9...Na5 10.Bf4 d5 11.cxd5 Nxc3 12.Qd3 then:
• 12...cxd4 13.dxe6 Bxe6 14.Ng5 g6 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.e3 Nc6 gives White an extra pawn (World Rpd Ch, Mainz, 2007).
• 12...Nxd5 13.Bg5 f6 14.Bd2 c4 15.Qa3 Nc6 16.Qc5 Nb6 is equal (Grischuk-Amin, World ChT, Bursa, 2010).
• 9...d6 10.Be3 d5 11.Qc2 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Bd7 13.Rfd1 Qc8 14.Nb5 Nf6 15.Rab1 gives White more space and the Bishop pair; Black has superior pawn structure (Radjabov-Gashimov, Euro Club Cup, Kallithea, 2008).
• 5.e3 0-0 6.Bd3 d5 7.0-0 transposes into the Main Line in the notes to White's fourth move.
• If 5.d5 d6 6.Bd2 0-0 7.e3 then:
• 7...Bxc3 8.Bxc3 Ne4 9.dxe6 Bxe6 10.Qc2 Nxc3 11.Qxc3 Nc6 12.Rd1 Qe7 13.Be2 draw (Navarovszky-Filip, Rubinstein Mem, Polanica Zdroj, 1976).
• 7...exd5 8.Nxd5 Nxd5 9.cxd5 Bxd2+ 10.Nxd2 Nd7 11.Be2 Nf6 12.Bf3 b5 13.0-0 Bb7 14.Qb3 Qb6 is equal (Pachman-Kholmov, Capablanca Mem, Havana. 1965).

5.e3 Bb7 6.Bd3 0-0

• If 6...Ne4 7.0-0 then:
• If 7...f5 8.Qc2 Bxc3 9.bxc3 0-0 10.Nd2 Qh4 11.f3 Nxd2 12.Bxd2 Nc6 then:
• If 13.Rab1 d6 14.e4 fxe4 15.Bxe4 Na5 16.Bxb7 Nxb7 17.Rbe1 Rae8 then:
• 18.Re4 Qh5 19.Rfe1 Qg6 is equal (Banikas-Whippermann, Op, Gibraltar, 2008).
• 18.Qa4 Na5 19.f4 Qh5 20.Rf3 e5 21.dxe5 dxe5 22.f5 Rd8 gives Black the initiative (I. Sokolov-C. Hansen, Ol, Novi Sad, 1990).
• 13.e4 fxe4 14.Bxe4 Na5 then:
• 15.Bd3 Ba6 16.Be1 Qh6 17.Qe2 c6 18.Bd2 Qf6 is equal (Portisch-Nikolic, IT, Niksic, 1983).
• 15.Rae1 Bxe4 16.Rxe4 Qh5 17.Qa4 Nxc4 18.Re2 b5 gives Black an extra pawn and a fierce initiative (Rabinovich-Alekhine, Russian Ch, Moscow, 1920).
• 7...Bxc3 8.bxc3 0-0 9.Ne1 f5 10.f3 Nf6 then:
• 11.Qe2 d6 12.e4 fxe4 13.fxe4 e5 14.Nf3 Nc6 15.Bg5 Qe7 16.d5 Na5 is equal (Johansson-Ptacnikova, Euro Club Cup W, Rethymnon, 2003).
• 11.Nc2 Qe8 12.Ba3 d6 13.c5 dxc5 14.dxc5 Rf7 15.Nd4 bxc5 16.Bxc5 Ba6 17.Rb1 Bxd3 18.Qxd3 Nbd7 19.Qc4 Nd5 20.Ne2 N7b6 draw (Gligoric-Lehmann, Zonal Trmt, Madrid, 1960).

7.0-0 c5

• If 7...d5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Ne5 then:
• If 9...Nbd7 10.f4 c5 11.Bd2 Ne4 then:
• If 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Bc4 Bxd2 14.Qxd2 Nxe5 15.fxe5 Bd5 16.Ba6 then:
• 16...Qe7 17.dxc5 Qxe5 18.Rfd1 Bc6 is equal (Sadler-Polugaevsky, IT, Hastings, 1992-93).
• 16...Qg5 17.dxc5 Rfd8 18.Qc3 bxc5 19.Rfd1 Qg6 is equal (Donner-Tarjan, Ol, Haifa, 1976).
• 12.Be1 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Bxc3 14.bxc3 d4 15.Qc2 c4 16.Bxc4 dxe3 17.Rd1 Qc7 draw (Konstaninopolsky-Sokolsky, Soviet Corres Ch, 1952).
• If 9...c5 10.Bd2 Nc6 11.a3 Bxc3 12.Bxc3 then:
• 12...Re8 13.Nxc6 Bxc6 14.dxc5 bxc5 15.b4 d4 16.exd4 cxd4 17.Bb2 Qd5 18.f3 Ng4 19.Qd2 Ne3 is equal (Gligoric-Ljubojevic, Match, Belgrade, 1979).
• 12...Nxe5 13.dxe5 Ne4 14.Bxe4 dxe4 15.Qg4 Qe7 16.Rfd1 Qe6 17.Qh4 Bd5 18.Rd2 a5 19.a4 Rab8 20.h3 Rb7 draw (Donner-Petrosian, IT, Hamburg, 1965).
• If 9...Bd6 10.f4 c5 11.Qf3 Nc6 12.Qh3 g6 then:
• If 13.Kh1 a6 14.Bd2 then:
• 14...cxd4 15.Nxc6 Bxc6 16.exd4 b5 17.f5 b4 is equal (Estremera-Romanov, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).
• 14...b5 15.Rad1 cxd4 16.Nxc6 Bxc6 17.exd4 b4 18.Ne2 Bb5 19.f5 Bxd3 20.Qxd3 Ne4 21.Bf4 draw (Sadler-Korchnoi, IT, Tilburg, 1988).
• 13.Bd2 cxd4 14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.exd4 Ne4 16.Bxe4 dxe4 17.f5 Bc5 is equal (Cherepkov-Korchnoi, IT, Leningrad, 1963).

8.Na4 cxd4 9.exd4 Re8

• 9...Be7 10.Re1 d6 11.Nc3 Nbd7 12.Bg5 Re8 13.Rc1 Rc8 14.b3 d5 15.Qe2 Ba6 16.Nb5 gives White a small advantage overall with more space, but Black has opportunities to disfigure White's pawns, such as 16...Bxb5, as was played in the game (Gufeld-Vladimirov, Russian Revolution 50th Anniversary, Leningrad, 1967).

10.Bg5

• 10.a3 Bf8 11.b4 d6 12.Re1 Nbd7 13.Bb2 g6 14.Bf1 Bg7 15.Rc1 Rc8 16.Qb3 is equal (Gajewski-Babula, Euro ChT, Novi Sad, 2009).

10...h6 11.Bh4 Be7

• If 11...Bxf3 12.Qxf3 Nc6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qxf6 gxf6 then:
• If 15.d5 Ne5 16.Be2 Rac8 17.a3 Bf8 18.Rac1 Ng6 19.dxe6 dxe6 20.Rfd1 then:
• 20...Ne5 21.b4 Red8 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.Kf1 Rd2 24.Nc3 gives Black more space; White has healthier pawns and a queenside majority (Gligoric-Kaplan, Op, Lone Pine, 1979).
• 20...Red8 21.Rxd8 Rxd8 22.Kf1 f5 23.g3 Ne5 24.b4 gives Black more space; White has healthier pawns and a queenside majority (V. Georgiev-Mikhalchishin, Ol, Bled, 2002).
• 15.Be4 f5 16.Bxc6 dxc6 17.Nc3 Rad8 18.Rad1 Rd7 is equal (Visier Segovia-Portisch, IT, Las Palmas, 1972).

12.Re1 d6 13.Rc1 (N)

• 13.Nc3 Nbd7 14.Qe2 Nh5 15.Bxe7 Rxe7 16.Qe3 Nhf6 17.b4 Re8 18.Rad1 a6 19.Nd2 d5 draw (Gligoric-Portisch, IT, Niksic, 1978).

13...Nbd7

• White has a small advantage. He has more space, but Black's "little center" will make it hard to exploit.

14.Nd2

• 14.b4 Rc8 15.Nc3 a6 16.a3 continues to give White a small advantage.

14...e5!

• Black will fight for a fair share of the center.

15.Nc3!?

• 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Bf5 Bc8 17.Bb1 Be6 18.f4 Nc6 continues to give White a small advantage in space.

BLACK: Alberto David



WHITE: Etienne Bacrot
Position after 15.Na4c3

15...exd4!

• Black turns the tables and takes a small advantage in space.

16.Nb5 Ne5 17.Nb3

• If 17.Bf5 d3 18.f4 Ng6 then:
• If 19.Bxg6 fxg6 20.Qb3 d5 then:
• If 21.Qxd3 dxc4 22.Qxd8 Raxd8 23.Nxc4 g5 then:
• 24.Bf2 Ne4 25.Nc7 Nxf2 26.Nxe8 Bc5 gives Black a significant advantage in space in compensation for the exchange.
• If 24.fxg5 Ne4 then:
• 25.Nc3 Bc5+ 26.Kh1 Bb4 27.a3 Bxc3 28.bxc3 Rc8 gives Black a small advantage in space in compensation for the pawn.
• If 25.Bg3 Bc5+ 26.Kh1 then:
• If 26...hxg5! then after 27.a3 a6 28.Rxe4 Rxe4 29.Nbd6 Rd4 Black wins.
• 26...Bb4!? 27.Red1 a6 28.Nbd6 Bxd6 29.Nxd6 Nxd6 leaves White no way to prevent 30...Rd2!.
• 21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.Qxd3 Rxe1+ 23.Rxe1 dxc4 24.Qxc4+ Bd5 gives White more space but Black has the Bishop pair and the initiative against two Knights.
• If 19.Bg3?! d5! then:
• 20.Bxd3 dxc4 21.Bxc4 Bc5+ 22.Kh1 Rxe1+ 23.Qxe1 a6 gives Black the initiative.
• 20.Qf3 Bc5+ 21.Kh1 Ne7 22.Qxd3 a6 23.Nc3 d4 gives Black the initiative and a passed pawn.

17...Nfg4

• Black leads with his minor pieces and leans into White's kingside, where there fewer defenders.
• An alternate plan, not as strong as the text, is to give the Queen more scope: 17...Qd7 18.Bg3 Rac8 19.Bxe5 dxe5 20.Rxe5 then:
• 20...Bc5! 21.Rxe8+ Rxe8 22.Nxc5 bxc5 gives Black a fair advantage in space.
• If 20...a6?! 21.N5xd4! g6 then:
• 22.Re2 Qg4 23.f3 Qh5 24.Qd2 Bd6 25.g3 gives Black only a slight advantage.
• 22.Rc2 Bd6 23.Rxe8+ Rxe8 24.Be2 gives Black only a slight advantage.

18.Bg3 Bg5 19.f4 Nxd3 20.Qxd3

• 20.Rxe8+ Qxe8 21.Qxd3 Bf6 22.Re1 Qc6 23.Re2 Ba6 gives Black a fair advantage.

20...Bf6 21.N5xd4 Rc8!?

• Black misses a chances to take a greater advantage.
• If 21...Rxe1+! 22.Rxe1 when:
• 22...d5 23.c5 bxc5 24.Nxc5 Qb6 gives Black a strong attack against White's centralized pieces.
• 22...Rc8 23.Nf5 d5 24.Qf3 dxc4 25.Qxb7 cxb3 26.axb3 gives Black stronger pawns and more space.

22.h3?!

• White keeps the game level by driving away Black's pesky Knight.
• If 22.Rxe8+! Qxe8 23.Re1 then:
• 23...Qa4! 24.Nf5! h5 25.h3 Nh6 then:
• 26.Nxh6+! gxh6 27.Qxd6 is equal.
• If 26.Nxd6!? Rd8 27.f5 Qxa2 28.Qc2 then:
• If [font col

WHITE



BLACK

French Game
Position after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5


Two games in the French Game series have already been presented:

French Game: Tarrasch Opening: Timofeev-Morozevich, Russian Championship Qual/Higher League, Taganrog, 2011
Closed French Game: Richter Opening: Hector-So, IT, Malmø, 2011

Akiba Rubinstein (1882-1961) was born Stawiski, Poland, then part of the Russian Empire, to a family proud of its rabbincal heritage. He was expected to become a rabbi, but at the age of 21 gave up his studies and became a professional chess player.

Along with Capablanca, Petrosian and Karpov, he is one of the greatest masters of the endgame in the history of chess. He was also an opening specialist whose name is lent to several innovations. His most famous opening system, however, is the Meran Defense to the Semi-Slav Queen's Gambit, which he introduced in his game against Ernst Grünfeld in the Meran interantional tournament in 1922. Rubinstein won the game. Herr Grünfeld, himself a legendary opening expert who invented the Grünfeld Defense (Indian Queen's Gambit), was so impressed that he began using the system in subsequent rounds.

Rubinstein has long been acknowledged, along with Dr. Tarrasch, Nimzovich, Keres and Korchnoi, as being one of the greatest players never to be world champion.



Akiba Rubinstein
Photo: from Deutsche Schachzeitung (January 1908) in Wikipedia (Public Domain in US, published before 1923).


Leo Forgacs - Akiba Rubinstein
Chigorin Memorial Tournament
St. Petersburg, February/March, 1909

French Exchange Game: Petroff Nexus

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5

BLACK



WHITE

French Exchange Game
Position after 3...ed5:p

• This branch of the French Game was played more before World War I than it is now. No elite grandmaster any longer plays it. It is unambitious and designed to lead to a draw, but in fact Black gets better-than-usual results from it. There are nexus with the French Main Line, the Nimzo-Winawer and even the Epine Dorsal: Horseman Defense (the Petroff Defense), for example 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d3 Nf6 6. d4 d5 is equivalent to 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6. This, of course, brings up the question that if chess writer, commentator and Kasparov cofidant Mig Greengard cheers against Black when Black adopts the Petroff Defense, does he also cheer against White if White plays the French Exchange?

4.Nf3

• If 4.Bd3 then:
• If 4...Nc6 5.c3 Bd6 6.Qf3 Be6 7.Ne2 then:
• If 7...Qd7 8.h3 Nge7 9.Bf4 then:
• If 9...0-0-0 then:
• If 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 11.Nd2 Ng6 12.0-0 then:
• 12...Kb8 13.b4 Nce7 14.a4 Nh4 15.Qf4 gives White only a slight advantage in space as an exchange of Queens cannot be avoided (Hallaeva-Muminova, Asian Games RpdW, Guangzhou, 2010).
• 12...Nce7 13.Qg3 Qd7 14.a4 Rde8 15.Nf4 Bf5 16.Nh5 is equal (Rinder-Dr. Ladanyike Karakas, ITW, Romford, 1967).
• 10.Nd2 Bf5 11.0-0-0 Bxd3 12.Qxd3 Qf5 13.Qxf5+ Nxf5 14.g4 is equal (Kharatyan-Rudolf, World Jr ChG, Yerevan, 2006).
• If 9...Ng6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 11.Nd2 Nce7 12.Nf1 Nh4 13.Qg3 is equal (Leite-Padurariu, Euro ChW, Dresden, 2007).
• If 7...Nge7 8.Bf4 Ng6 9.Bxd6 Qxd6 then:
• If 10.Qg3 then:
• If 10...0-0-0 11.Qxd6 Rxd6 12.Nd2 Nce7 then:
• 13.Nf3 f6 14.h3 Bf5 15.0-0-0 Re6 16.Rhe1 Bxd3 17.Rxd3 Nf5 18.Ng3 Rxe1+ 19.Nxe1 Nxg3 20.Rxg3 draw (Ju. Bolbochán-Guimard, ZT, Mar del Plata, 1951).
• 13.0-0-0 Bf5 14.Nf1 Rf6 15.f3 Nh4 16.Ne3 Bxd3 17.Rxd3 h5 18.f4 c6 19.g3 Nhf5 20.Re1 Nxe3 21.Rxe3 draw (Trivino-Moskalenko, Op, Can Pickafort, 2008).
• 10...Qxg3 11.hxg3 Nce7 12.Bxg6 Nxg6 13.Nf4 Nxf4 14.gxf4 gives Black better pawns and a lead in development while White has command of the h-file (Bohm-Ivkov, IT, Amsterdam, 1976).
• If 10.Nd2 0-0-0 then:
• If 11.Nf1 Nh4 12.Qg3 Nf5 13.Qxd6 Nxd6 14.Ne3 gives White a slight advantage in space (Prins-Gonzales, Ol, Helsinki, 1950).
• 11.Qg3 Nce7 12.Qxd6 Rxd6 13.Nf3 f6 14.h3 Bf5 gives Black a slight initiative (Medjedovic-Markovic, Yugoslav ChTW, Herceg Novi, 2001).
• 4...Nf6 5.Nf3 Bd6 transposes into the text.
• 4...Bd6 5.Nf3 Nf6 transposes into the text.
• If 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 then:
• If 5...Be7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.Be2 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Bg4 9.Be3 then:
• If 9...Nbd7 10.h3 then:
• If 10...Bh5 11.0-0 then:
• If 11...Nb6 12.Bb3 c6 then:
• 13.g4 Bg6 14.Ne5 Nfd5 15.Qf3 Rc8 16.Rad1 Bf6 is equal (van Nies-Middelveld, Dutch ChW, Hilversum, 2007).
• 13.Re1!? Nfd5! 14.Bc1 Bf6 15.Bc2 Qc7 16.Ne4 Rfe8 gives Black a pin at f3 and more space (Miezis-Z. Mamedyarova, Op, Dubai, 2004).
• 11...c6 12.Re1 Re8 13.g4 Nb6 14.Bb3 Bg6 15.Ne5 is equal (Aginian-Lian, Euro Club CupW, Fügen, 2006).
• 10...Bxf3 11.Qxf3 c6 12.0-0 Nb6 13.Bb3 Nfd5 14.Ne4 gives White a small advantage in space (Miezis-Norri, Finnish ChT 0607, Helsinki, 2007).
• If 9...Nc6 10.0-0 then:
• 10...Qd7 11.Be2 Nd5 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.a3 Bd6 14.h3 is equal (Miezis-Megaranto, Ol, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).
• If a) 10...Rb8 then:
• If 11.Be2 a6 12.Re1 Bd6 then:
• 13.h3 Bh5 14.Rc1 Qd7 then:
• 15.Bg5 Qf5 16.Be3 Qd7 17.a3 Rfe8 18.b4 Rbd8 is equal (Miezis-Bykov, Op, Jyvaskyla, Finland, 2007).
• 15.d5!? Ne7 16.Qb3 Nexd5 17.Bd4 Nxc3 18.Bxc3 Ne4 leaves Black an extra pawn.
• If 13.d5 then:
• 13...Nb4 14.Bg5 Be7 15.Qb3 is equal.
• 13...Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Ne5 15.Bd4 Re8 16.a3 is equal.
• 11.d5 Ne5 12.Be2 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 a6 14.Bd4 Bd6 15.Be2 c5 is equal (Marshall-Dr. Tarrasch, IT, Monte Carlo, 1902).
• b) 10...Qd6 11.Rc1 then:
• If 11...a6 12.Re1 Rad8 13.a3 Rd7 14.h3 Bh5 15.g4 gives White the initiative (Safarli-Minasian, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2008).
• 5...Bb4 is the nexus with the Nimzo-Winawer Defense; see Pogrebyssky-Botvinnik, Soviet Ch, Leningrad, 1939, elsewhere on this thread.

4...Nf6

BLACK



WHITE

French Exchange Game: Petroff Nexus
Position after 4...Nf6

5.Bd3 Bd6

• If 5...Be7 6.0-0 Bg4 then:
• If 7.Re1 0-0 then:
• If 8.Nbd2 c5 9.dxc5 Bxc5 then:
• If 10.Nb3 Bb6 then:
• 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 g5 13.Bg3 Nc6 14.c3 Ne4 is equal (Kosashvili-Thesing, Dutch ChT, Breda, 2001).
• 11.Be3 Nc6 12.Bxb6 Qxb6 draw (Dr. Hübner-Dreev, World Cup, Manila, 1990).
• 10.Nf1 Nc6 11.h3 Bh5 12.Ng3 Qb6 13.Be3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Ne5 is equal (Pereszupkin-Gulko, Soviet Ch 1st League, Baku, 1977).
• 8.Bg5 Nbd7 9.Nbd2 c5 10.c3 Re8 11.Qc2 cxd4 12.Nxd4 saddles Black with an isolated d-pawn; White wastes no time establishing a strong blockade (M. Turov-Zumsande, Cyberspace, 2004).
• If 7.Bg5 0-0 8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.c3 then:
• If 9...c6 10.Qc2 Bh5 11.Rfe1 Re8 then:
• If 12.Ne5 then:
• 12...Bg6 13.Bxg6 hxg6 14.Qb3 Qc7 15.Nxd7 Qxd7 16.Nf3 is equal (Krivokapic-Malakhatko, Op, Sozina, 2004).
• 12...Nf8 13.f4 N6d7 14.Nxd7 Qxd7 15.Bxe7 Rxe7 16.Re5 gives White a slight advantage in space (Fishbein-Privman, Op, Mashantucket, 2001).
• 12.Re2 h6 13.Bf4 Nf8 14.Rae1 Ne6 15.Bg3 Bd6 16.Bf5 is equal (Ovetchkin-Lintchevski, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2008).
• 9...c5 10.Qc2 c4 11.Bf5 Bxf5 12.Qxf5 g6 13.Qc2 is equal (Kristjansson-S. Ivanov, Euro Club Cup, Kemer, 2007).

6.0-0 0-0 7.Bg5

• If 7.Nc3 c6 then:
• If 8.Ne2 Bg4 9.Ng3 Qc7 then:
• If 10.h3 then:
• If 10...Be6 11.Nf5 Bxf5 12.Bxf5 then:
• If 12...Nbd7 13.c3 then:
• 13...Rfe8 14.Qc2 Nf8 15.Bd2 Ng6 16.Rfe1 Bf4 17.Rxe8+ Rxe8 18.Re1 Rxe1+ 19.Bxe1 is soon agreed drawn (Weiss-Schwarz, IT, Graz, 1880).
• 13...g6 14.Bd3 Ne4 15.c4 f5 16.cxd5 cxd5 17.Qb3 Nb6 18.Bh6 Rfc8 19.Rac1 Nc4 draw (Sellman-Mason, IT, London, 1883).
• 12...g6 13.Bd3 Ne4 14.Re1 f5 15.c4 Nd7 16.cxd5 cxd5 17.Qb3 Ndf6 18.Bh6 is equal (Sellman-Winawer, IT, London, 1883).
• 10...Bxh3 11.gxh3 Bxg3 12.fxg3 Qxg3+ 13.Kh1 Qxh3+ 14.Nh2 gives White the advantage since he can play 15.Rf3 driving away the Queen, but he is forced to use pieces to protect his King (Zukertort-Potter, Match, London, 1875).
• If 10.Re1 Nbd7 11.c3 then:
• 11...Rae8 12.Be3 Ne4 13.Qc2 Ndf6 14.Ng5 Nxg5 15.Bxg5 Bxg3 16.hxg3 gives White more activity (Gattie-West, IT. London, 1883).
• 11...Rfe8 12.Be3 Ne4 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Nxg3 15.fxg3 Bxg3 gives Black an extra pawn and the initiative (Vansittart-Piper, IT, London, 1883).
• 8.Bg5 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.g4 Bg6 transposes into the notes for White's eighth move.

7...Bg4

• If 7...h6 8.Bh4 Nc6 9.c3 then:
• 9...Re8 10.Qc2 Bg4 11.Nbd2 Re6 12.Rae1 Qe7 13.Rxe6 Bxe6 14.Re1 gives White a small advantage in space (Salenko-Borodavkin, Op, Kharkov, 2000).
• 9...g5 10.Bg3 Bg4 11.Nbd2 Ne7 12.Qc2 Nh5 13.Rae1 gives White a small advantage in space (Metger-Blackburne, DSB Kongress, Frankfurt, 1887).

8.Nbd2

• If 8.Nc3 then:
• If 8...c6 9.h3 then:
• If 9...Bh5 10.g4 Bg6 11.Ne5 then:
• If 11...Nbd7 then:
• If 12.Nxd7 Qxd7 13.Bxf6 gxf6 then:
• 14.Qf3 Kg7 15.Rad1 Rae8 16.Kh1 Bc7 is equal (Chigorin-Weiss, IT, Vienna, 1882).
• 14.f4 f5 15.g5 f6 16.h4 fxg5 17.hxg5 Rae8 gives Black better attacking possibilities (Mason-Schwartz, IT, Vienna, 1882).
• 12.f4 Qb6 13.Nxd7 Nxd7 14.f5 Qxd4+ 15.Kg2 f6 at least temporalily gives Black an extra pawn and more space (Chigorin-Feissing, IT, Vienna, 1882).
• If 11...Qb6 then:
• If 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nf3 Qxb2 14.Ne2 Qb6 15.Nh4 Re8 then:
• 16.Nf5 Bf8 17.Neg3 Nd7 18.Qf3 Qc7 is equal; Black's extra pawn is so weak as to be worthless (Maroczy-Reti, IT, London, 1927).
• 16.Qd2 Nd7 17.Nf5 Qc7 18.Rae1 Nf8 19.Qh6 Ne6 puts White's Queen in an awkward position while trying to pick off one of Black's doubled f-pawns (Pavosevic-Kacheishvili, World Youth, Bratislava, 1993).
• 12.Bxg6 hxg6 13.Qd3 Nh7 14.Be3 Qc7 15.f4 Nd7 is equal (Rosenthal-L. Paulsen, IT, Vienna, 1873).
• If 9...Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Nbd7 then:
• If 11.Ne2 Qc7 12.Ng3 then:
• If 12...Rfe8 13.Rae1 Rxe1 14.Rxe1 then:
• 14...Re8?! 15.Rxe8+ Nxe8 16.Nf5 Nf8 17.Nxd6 Qxd6 18.c3 gives White a comfortable advantage in space (Minckwitz-W. Paulsen, Westphalia SB, Krefeld, 1871).
• 11.Rfe1 Qc7 12.g4 Rfe8 13.Be3 Kh8 14.g5 wins Black's f-pawn after the Knight retreats (Morphy-Sicre, Match, Havana, 1862).
• 12...Bxg3 13.fxg3 Rfe8 14.g4 h6 15.Bh4 Qd6 16.g5 gives White more freedom, two Bishops against two Knights and the initiative.(Englisch-Mason, IT, Paris, 1878).
• 14...Qa5 15.c3 Qxa2 16.Nf5 Bf8 is equal.
• If 8...Nc6 then:
• If 9.Kh1?! then:
• If 9...Be7 10.Be3 Qd7 then:
• 11.Qd2 Bxf3 12.gxf3 Qh3 13.Be2 Bd6 14.f4 Ne7 15.Rg1 Ng6 gives Black stronger pawns and more space (Berger-Blackburne, DSB Kongress, Berlin, 1881).
• 11.Be2 Rad8 12.Ng1 Rfe8 13.h3 Bxe2 14.Ngxe2 Qf5 gives Black a comfortable advantage in space (Rosenthal-Chigorin, IT, London, 1883).
• If 9...Ne7?! 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Qd2 c6 then:
• If 12.Ne2 then:
• If 12...Ng6 13.Qh6 Re8 then:
• If 14.Rae1!? Bf8 15.Qd2 then:
• 15...Qc7!? 16.Nfg1 Re7 17.Ng3 Rae8 18.Rxe7 Rxe7 19.Bf5 gives White stronger pawns.(Barry-Delmar, IT, Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, 1904).
• 15...Bxf3 16.gxf3 Bd6 17.Ng3 Qb6 18.c3 Bf4 19.Qc2 is equal.
• 14.Nfg1 Qb6 15.h3 Bd7 16.f4 f5 17.Nf3 continues to give White a small advantage in space.
• 12.Nh4 Ng6 13.Nxg6 fxg6 14.f4 Qc7 15.h3 Bd7 is equal (Blackburne-Alapin, IT, Ostend, 1905).
• If 9.Nxd5 Bxh2+ 10.Kxh2 then:
• If 10...Qxd5?! 11.Bxf6! gxf6 12.Be2 Rfe8 13.c3 Qh5+ then:
• If 14.Kg1? then:
• If 14...f5? 15.Qd2 Re6 16.Bd1 Rg6 17.Qf4 R38 18.Qh2 Qxh2+ 19.Kxh2 then:
• If 19...Nd8 20.Ne5! Bxd1 21.Rfxd1 Ne6 22.Re1 gives White a powerful initiative (Sellman-Blackburne, IT, London, 1883).
• 19...Rh6+ 20.Kg3 Bh5 21.Nh4 Bxd1 22.Raxd1 gives Black the initiative, but Black can get his Rook to the seventh rank.
• If a) 14...Ne7?! 15.Re1! Ng6 then:
• If 16.Qd2? Rxe2! 17.Rxe2 Bxf3 18.gxf3 then:
• 18...Nh4? 19.Qf4 Nxf3+ 20.Kg2 Nh4+ 21.Kf1 is equal (Chigorin-Berger, DSB Kongress, Berlin, 1881).
• Black wins after 18...Qh3! 19.Re4 f5 20.Qg5 fxe4 21.fxe4 Re8.
• 16.Qc1! Kh8 17.Bd1 Nh4 18.Rxe8+ Rxe8 19.Qf4 f5 limits Black to a small advantage in space.
• b) 14...Kh8! 15.a4 Rxe2 16.Qxe2 Ne5 17.dxe5 Rg8 wins for Black.
• If 14.Kg3 then:
• 14...Ne7 15.Bd3 Bf5 16.Ne1 Qh6 17.f4 Ng6 gives Black a winning position.
• If 14...Qg6 15.Kh2 Qh5+ 16.Kg3 etc. draws.
• 10...Qd6+ 11.Nf4 h6 12.Bh4 g5 13.c3 gxh4 14.g3 is equal.

8...Nbd7 9.c3

• If 9.c4 c6 10.c5 then:
• If 10...Bc7 11.Qc2 h6 12.Bh4 Re8 then:
• If 13.Rae1 Rxe1 14.Rxe1 then:
• 14...Bxf3 15.Nxf3 Nf8 16.Ne5 gives White a comfortable advantage in space (Duras-Znosko Borovsky, IT, Ostend, 1907).
• 14...Qf8 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.Ne5 Re8 17.f4 Bc8 18.b4 gives White a clear advantage in space, but he has several important squares unprotected (Vysochin-Soloviov, Op, Alushta, 2001).
• If 13.b4 then:
• If 13...Nf8?! then:
• If 14.Qb2!? Bxf3 15.Nxf3 then:
• If 15...Ne6?! 16.Ne5 then:
• 16...Nxd4? 17.Ng4 h5 18.Nxf6+ gxf6 19.f4 White soon wins (P. Johner-Brody, DSB Kongress, Dusseldorf, 1908).
• 16...g5 17.Bg3 h5 18.Nf3 g4 19.Nh4 gives White greeater activity and more space.
• 15...Ng6 16.Bxg6 fxg6 17.Ne5 g5 18.Bg3 Ne4 19.Rae1 gives White a small advantage in space and stronger pawns.
• 14.Rae1 Ne6 15.Bh7+ Kf8 16.Bf5 Bxf5 17.Qxf5 gives White greater activity and more space.
• 13...Bf4 14.Rfe1 Qc7 15.Rab1 b6 16.Bxf6 Nxf6 17.g3 is equal.
• 10...Bb8!? 11.Bc2 h6 12.Be3 Re8 13.b4 Bxf3 14.Nxf3 gives White the advantage in space (Duras-Cohn, IT, Vienna, 1908)

9...c6 10.Qc2 Qc7 11.Rfe1

• If 11.Rae1 Rae8 12.h3 then:
• If 12...Bh5 13.Nh4 then:
• If 13...Bf4 14.Bxf4 Qxf4 then:
• 15.Nf5 Rxe1 16.Rxe1 Re8 17.Rxe8+ Nxe8 18.g3 Qc7 19.Nf1 is equal (Chigorin-von Bardeleben, IT, Barmen, 1905).
• 15.g3 Qc7 16.Kh2 Qd8 17.f4 Rxe1 18.Rxe1 is equal (Zvan-Ortner, Op, Latschach, Austria, 2001).
• 13...Bg6 14.Nf5 Rxe1 15.Rxe1 Re8 16.Rxe8+ Nxe8 17.Nxd6 Qxd6 18.Bxg6 Qxg6 19.Qxg6 hxg6 20.Kf1 gives White stronger pawns and more space (von Bardeleben-Maroczy, IT, Prague, 1908).
• 12...Bxf3 13.Nxf3 h6 14.Bc1 Bf4 15.Nh4 Bxc1 16.Qxc1 is equal (Chigorin-Schiffers, SX, Moscow, 1899).

11...Rfe8 12.h3 Bh5

• If 12...Bxf3 13.Nxf3 then:
• If 13...h6 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 then:
• If 15.Rxe8+ Rxe8 16.Re1 Rxe1+ 17.Nxe1 Qe7 18.Qe2 then:
• 18...Qxe2 19.Bxe2 Ne4 20.Nf3 Ng5 21.Nxg5 hxg5 22.Bg4 gives White better pawns, but not better enough to significantly tilt the balance away from the drawing tendancies of opposite-colored Bishops (Prokes-Treybal, IT, Prague, 1908).
• 18...Kf8 19.Kf1 Qxe2+ 20.Kxe2 Ke7 21.Nf3 Nd7 22.g3 g6 draw (Maroczy-Reti, IT, London, 1922).
• 15.Nh4 Qd7 16.Bf5 Rxe1+ 17.Rxe1 Re8 is equal (Hugues-Mohamed, Ol, Novi Sad, 1990).
• 13...Bf4 14.g3 Bxg5 15.Nxg5 h6 16.Nf3 Qd6 17.Nh4 gives White a small advantage in space (Chigorin-Rubinstein, IT, Karlsbad, 1907).

13.Rxe8+ Rxe8 14.Re1 Rxe1+

• 14...Bg6 15.Rxe8+ Nxe8 16.Nh4 Nf8 17.Nxg6 hxg6 18.Nf3 gives White slightly stronger pawns and a fair advantage in space (Marchand-Maroczy, IT, Amsterdam, 1920).

15.Nxe1 Bg6

• This was a novelty at the time the game was played.
• If 15...Bf4 16.Bxf4 Qxf4 17.g4 Bg6 18.Ng2 Qc7 is equal (Alapin-Dr. Tarrasch, BCA Congress, Manchester, 1890).

16.Bxg6

• 16.Nef3 Kf8 17.Nh4 Bf4 18.Nxg6+ hxg6 19.Bxf4 Qxf4 20.Nf3 gives White stronger pawns (F. Fischer-S. Wolf, IT, Vienna, 1923).

16...hxg6 17.Nef3 Nf8 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qa4 (N)

• 19.Qd1 Ne6 20.g3 draw (Z. von Balla-Rubinstein, IT, Bad Pistyan, 1912).

19...a6!?

• Black settles for an equal game, but he could have a something a little better.
• If 19...b5! 20.Qb3 Ne6 21.Nf1 Nf4 leaves White with stronger pawns, which is insignificant at the moment, and Black more space.

20.Nf1

• The game is equal.
• 20.c4 b5 21.cxb5 axb5 22.Qa8 Kg7 23.Qe8 Qb6 is also equal.

20...Ne6 21.g3

• Modestly better is 21.Ne3 Nf4 22.Qc2 Qe7 23.c4 Qe4 with equality.

21...f5! 22.Kg2 f4

• 22...Be7 23.N1d2 f4 24.g4 Bd6 25.c4 b5 remains equal.

23.g4 c5 24.Qe8+ Kg7 25.g5?!

• This advance would make more sense if White had more pieces on the board and could, for example, threaten to bring a Rook to the back rank. As it is, the move is a waste of time.
• Better is 25.dxc5 then:
• 25...Qxc5 26.N1d2 Qb6 27.Nb3 Qc6 28.Qxc6 bxc6 29.Na5 remains equal.
• 25...Nxc5 26.Qe2 Qb6 27.b3 Qc6 28.Nd4 Qc8 29.Nd2 remains equal.

BLACK: Akiba Rubinstein



WHITE: Leo Forgacs
Position after 25.g4g5

25...cxd4!

• Black will win a pawn.

26.cxd4

• If 26.Nxd4 Nxd4 27.cxd4 Qe7 then:
• If 28.Qxe7 Bxe7 29.h4 f6 then:
• 30.Nd2 (30.gxf6+?! Bxf6 31.Kf3 Bxd4 32.Kxf4 Bxf2 leaves Black with an extra pawn.
fxg5 31.hxg5 Bxg5 leaves Black with an extra pawn.
• If 28.Qc8? f3+!! 29.Kg1 Qe1 then:
• 30.Qc2 Bf4 31.h4 Qe6 32.Qd3 Qh3 White must surrender the Queen in order to prevent mate.
• If 30.Qg4 then after a series of checks 30...Bh2+ 31.Kxh2 Qxf2+ 32.Kh1 Qxf1+ 33.Kh2 Qf2+ 34.Kh1 Qe1+ 35.Kh2 then Black plays 35...f2 forcing White to surrender the Queen in order to stop the pawn.

26...Qe7 27.Qc8

• If 27.Qxe7 Bxe7 then:
• 28.N1d2 Bxg5 29.Nxg5 Nxg5 30.b4 Ne4 31.Nb1 g5 gives Black an extra pawn.
• 28.h4 f6 29.N1d2 fxg5 30.hxg5 Bxg5 31.Nxg5 Nxg5 gives Black an extra pawn.

27...Nxg5

• Black wins a pawn.

28.N1d2

• 28.Nxg5 Qxg5+ 29.Qg4 Qf6 30.Qd1 b5 gives Black more activity and better pawns.

28...Bb4 29.h4 Ne4 30.Nf1

• 30.Nxe4? dxe4! 31.Ne5 Qxh4 32.Qg4 Qxg4+ 33.Nxg4 Bd6 gives Black two extra pawns in the form of an advanced duo.

30...Nd6 31.Qg4 Qe4 32.h5?

• Ther seems little point in attacking asuch a well-protected pawn.
• If 32.a3 Be1 33.h5 then:
• if 33...Nf5 then:
• 34.hxg6! fxg6 35.Kg1 Qe2 36.Qg2 White, although suffered a pawn minus, still has a survivable position; there is no checkmate or great material loss in the offing and Black doesn't have a passed pawn.
• If 34.Kg1? then Black crushes White after 34...Nxd4! 35.h6+ Kxh6 36.Nxe1 Kg7.
• 33...Qe2 then after 34.Qh4 Ne4 35.hxg6 Qxf2+! 36.Qxf2 Bxf2 Black continues to enjoy an extra pawn with all heavy pieces eliminated.

BLACK: Akiba Rubinstein



WHITE: Leo Forgacs
Position after 32.h4h5

32...Nf5!

• Black jumps on White's central pawn.

33.hxg6

• If 33.a3 Ba5 34.b4 Bc7 then:
• 35.Qh3 Qd3 36.h6+ Kh8 37.Qg4 Qxa3 gives Black two extra pawns,
• 35.hxg6 fxg6 36.Kg1 Bd6 37.Ng5 Qe7 38.Nh3 Nxd4 gives Black two extra pawns,

33...fxg6 34.a3 Bd6 35.N1d2

• 35.b3 Qe6 36.Qg5 Qe7 37.Qg4 Nh6 38.Qc8 Bxa3 gives Black two extra pawns,

35...Qe2 36.Qg5

• If 36.Kg1 Qd1+ 37.Kg2 Qc1 then:
• 38.Qg5 Qxb2 39.Qd8 Qb5 40.Qc8 Bxa3 gives Black three extra pawns.
• 38.b3 Qxa3 39.Qg5 Qa5 40.Kf1 Qc7 41.Qg4 Be7 gives Black two extra pawns and more freedom.

36...Ne3+ 37.Kg1 Qd1+ 38.Kh2 Nf1+ 39.Nxf1 Qxf3!

• The fox is caught in a box.
• If 39...Qxf1?! 40.Qxd5! Qxf2+ 41.Kh1 b5 then:
• 42.b4 Qg3 43.Ng5 Be7 44.Ne6+ Kh6 45.Qe5 Qh4+ leaves Black much better, but he has to win the game all over again.
• 42.Qxd6? Qxf3+ 43.Kg1 Qe3+ 44.Kf1 f3 Black wins as soon as White runs out of checks.

40.Kg1

• 40.Qg2 Qh5+ 41.Qh3 f3+ Black wins the Queen.

BLACK: Akiba Rubinstein



WHITE: Leo Forgacs
Position after 40.Kh2g1

40...Qh3!

• Black threatens 41...f3! after which it's all over.

41.Qg2

• White is all but finished.
• If 41.Qxd5 f3! then:
• If 42.Qg5 b6! 43.b3 Qc8 then:
• If 44.d5 Qh3 45.a4 b5 then:
• If 46.axb5 axb5 47.b4 Kh7 then:
• 48.Ne3 Bh2+ 49.Kh1 Bg3+ 50.Kg1 Qh2+ 51.Kf1 Qxf2#.
• If 48.Nd2 then 48...Bh2+ 49.Kh1 Bg3+ 50.Kg1 Qg2#.
• If 46.a5 then after 46...Kh7 47.b4 Kg7 Black soon delivers mate.
• If 44.Qe3 Qg4+ 45.Ng3 b5 then:
• If 46.Qe4 Qxe4 47.Nxe4 then:
• If 47...Bxa3! 48.Kh2 Bb4 49.Nc5 then:
• After 49...Kf6 50.Nxa6 Bd6+ 51.Kg1 Ke6 52.b4 g5 Black wins.
• If 49...a5 50.Nd3 Bc3 then:
• If 51.d5 a4 52.bxa4 bxa4 then:
• If 53.Kg3 a3 54.Nc1 Kf6 55.Kxf3 then:
• 55...Bd4! 56.Ke2 Ke5 57.f3 Kxd5 58.Kd3 Bf6 wins.
• 55...Be5?! 56.Ke4 g5 57.f3 Bb2 58.Na2 Ke7 59.Kd3 gives White drawing chances.
• 53.Nc1 then Black wins after 53...Kf6 54.Kg3 Ke5 55.Na2 Bd4 56.d6 Kxd6.
• 51.Nc5 then Black wins after 51...Kf7 52.d5 Be5+ 53.Kh3 Ke7 54.Kg4 Kd6.
• 47...Bb8?! 48.Ng5! Kf6 49.Nxf3 Kf5 50.Kg2 gives White drawing chances.
• If 46.b4 Bxg3 then:
• If 47.Qe7+ Kh6 then:
• If 48.Qf8+ Kh5 49.Qh8+ Kg5 50.Qd8+ Kf4 51.Qd6+ Ke4 then:
• 52.Qxg3 Qxg3+ 53.fxg3 Kxd4 54.Kf2 Ke4 is an easy win for Black.
• If 52.fxg3 then 52...Kd3 leaves White out of checks and Black wins.
• If 48.d5 then after 48...Bh2+! Black delivers mate on the next move.
• If 47.fxg3 Qxg3+ 48.Kf1 Kf6! 49.d5 Qg2+ 50.Ke1 then:
• If 50...f2+!! 51.Qxf2+ Qxf2+ 52.Kxf2 Ke5 Black wins by virtue of the remote passer.
• If 50...Kf5? 51.Qd3+! then:
• If 51...Kg4 52.Qd4+ then:
• If 52...Kh5 53.Qh8+ Kg5 54.Qe5+ Kh4 55.Qh8+ then:
• 55...Kg3 56.Qe5+ Kh3 57.Qh8+ etc. draws.
• 55...Kg4 56.Qd4+ Kh3 57.Qh8+ etc. draws.
• 52...Kf5 53.Qd3+ Ke5 54.Qe3+ etc. draws.
• 51...Ke5 52.Qe3+ Kf6 53.Qf4+ Kg7 54.Qe5+ Kh6 55.Qh8+ etc. draws.
• 42.Qxb7+ Kf6 White must either sacrifice his Queen or submit to immediate checkmate.

41...Qxg2+ 42.Kxg2 Bc7

• A little better is 42...Be7 43.Nd2 Kf6 44.Nb1 Ke6 45.Nc3 Bf6 46.Ne2 Kf5.

43.Nd2 Bb6 44.Nb3 Kf6 45.f3

• If 45.a4 Ba7 46.Kf1 g5 47.Ke2 g4 then:
• 48.f3 g3 49.Kf1 Kg5 50.Kg2 Kf5gives Black a passed pawn.
• 48.Kd3 Kf5 49.Nc1 Bb8 50.Ne2 g3 51.fxg3 fxg3 is an easy win for Black.

45...g5 46.Kf2

• 46.Kh2 Kf5 47.Kh3 Ba7 48.a4 Bb6 49.Kg2 g4 assures Black an advanced passer.

46...Kf5 47.Kf1 g4 48.fxg4+ Kxg4 49.Nc5

• This is perhaps a harikari move.
• If 49.Kf2 then Black wins after 49...f3 50.a4 Kf4 51.a5 Ba7 52.Ke1 Ke3.

BLACK: Akiba Rubinstein



WHITE: Leo Forgacs
Position after 49.Nb3c5

49...Bxc5!

• Black simplifies to an easily won King and pawn ending.

50.dxc5 d4 51.b4 d3 52.a4 f3 0-1

• One Black pawn must queen.
• Forgacs resigns.

Deysi Cori Tello, an eighteen-year-old Peruvian, won the Girls Group of the World Junior Championships in August.



Deysi Cori Tello
Photo: Federació d'Escacs Valls d'Andorra in Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons License, Attribution/Share Alike)


P. V. Nandhidhaa - Deysi Cori Tello
World Junior Championships (Girls' Group), Round 2
Chennai, 3 August 2011

Closed French Game: Advance Opening

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5

BLACK



WHITE

Closed French Game: Advance Opening

Position after 3.e4e5

• It was due to the influence of Dr. Tarrasch that this variation of the French enjoyed little popularity from the late nineteenth century until after World War I, when Nimzovich adopted it almost exclusively as his way to meet the French. It really doesn't present Black a great deal of difficulty, but the pawn at e5 has a cramping that can become critical if not dealt with properly.

3...c5

• Undermining the base pawn is the most effective way to deal with the Advance Opening.
• An alternative is 3...b6 4.c3 Qd7 5.Nf3 Ne7 6.a4 then:
• If 6...a5 7.Na3 then:
• If 7...Ba6 8.Bxa6 Nxa6 9.0-0 then:
• 9...c6 10.Qd3 Nc7 11.Nc2 c5 12.h4 c4 13.Qe2 h5 14.Bg5 gives White a comfortable advantage in space (Sveshnikov-Vaganian, IT, Moscow, 1985).
• 9...c5 10.Nb5 Nc6 11.Bf4 Be7 12.Nd6+ Bxd6 13.exd6 0-0 is equal (Smeets-Happel, Op, Amsterdam, 2001).
• 7...h5 8.Nc2 Ba6 9.Bxa6 Nxa6 10.0-0 Nf5 11.Bg5 gives White more freedom and space (Haba-Meszaros, IT, Kecskemet, 1993).
• 6...Ba6 7.Bxa6 Nxa6 8.a5 c5 9.axb6 axb6 10.Qc2 is equal (Haba-Hollermann, IT, Datteln, 2002).

4.c3

• If 4.Nf3 then:
• If 4...Nc6 5.Bd3 cxd4 6.0-0 then:
• If 6...Bc5 then:
• If 7.a3!? then:
• If 7...Nge7! 8.Nbd2 Ng6 9.Nb3 Bb6 10.Re1 Bd7 then:
• If 11.g3?! then:
• 11...f6 12.Bxg6+ hxg6 13.Qd3 Kf7 14.h4 Qg8 gives Black an extra pawn and a small advantage in space (Bondarevsky-Botvinnik, Soviet Absolute Ch, Leningrad/Moscow, 1941).
• Also good is 11...Qc7 12.Bxg6 hxg6 13.Bg5 Rh5 14.Rc1 a6 15.g4.
• 11.Bxg6 hxg6 12.Bf4 Rc8 13.Qd2 Na5 14.Qd3 Rh5 continues to give Black a slim advantage.
• If 7...a6 8.b4 Bb6 then:
• 9.Bf4!? Nge7! 10.Nbd2 Ng6 11.Bg3 f5 12.exf6 gxf6 gives Black an extra pawn, but White has better pawns (Schwan-Moquette, IT, Amsterdam, 1899).
• 9.Re1 Nge7 10.c3 Qc7 11.cxd4 Nxd4 12.Bb2 Ndc6 is equal (Fritz).
• 7.Nbd2 Nge7 8.Nb3 Bb6 9.Bf4 Ng6 10.Bxg6 hxg6 is equal (Levenfish-Botvinnik, TM, Leningrad/Moscow, 1937).
• If 6...Nge7 7.Bf4 Ng6 8.Bg3 then:
• If 8...Be7 9.Nbd2 0-0 10.Nb3 then:
• If 10...Bd7 then:
• 11.Re1 f5 12.exf6 Rxf6 13.Nbxd4 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Qb6 is equal (Hagarova-Medic, Euro ChTW, León, 2001).
• 11.Nbxd4 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Qb6 13.Bxg6 fxg6 14.Qd2 is equal (Sikoras-Uhlmann, IT, Trencianske Teplice, 1979).
• If 10...f5 11.exf6 gxf6 12.Nfxd4 then:
• 12...e5 13.Nf5 e4 14.Nxe7+ Qxe7 15.Bb5 f5 16.f4 Rd8 17.Qe1 d4 gives Black an advancing passed pawn and more space; White has the Bishop pair, but the awkward position of his dark-bound Bishop makes White's whole position bad (Stocek-Matlak, Czech ChT 9900, Czechia, 1999).
• If 12...Nxd4 13.Nxd4 Qb6 14.Nb5 Bd7 then:
• If 15.Nc7 Rad8 then:
• If 16.a4? f5! then:
• 17.c3 f4! 18.Qh5 Kg7 19.Bxf4 Rxf4 20.Bxg6 Rh4 Black soon wins (Mach-Hanley, TT, Hyerois, 2001).
• 17.a5 Qxb2 18.Rb1 Qf6 19.f4 Rc8.
• 16.Bxg6 hxg6 17.c4 dxc4 18.Qg4 Kg7 19.Rfd1 Bc8 gives Black an extra pawn and the initiative against another.
• 15.a4 f5 16.Bc7 Qc5 17.Ba5 a6 18.b4 Qc6 gives Black the initiative against White's poorly placed Bishop.
• If 8...Bc5 then:
• If 9.Nbd2 0-0 10.Nb3 Bb6 then:
• If 11.Qd2 f6 then:
• If 12.exf6 gxf6 13.Bxg6 hxg6 then:
• 14.Nbxd4 Nxd4 15.Nxd4 e5 16.Nf3 Rf7 gives Black a small advantage in space (Ostrowski-W. Schmidt, Polish ChT, Zakopane, 2000).
• 14.Qh6 Qd7 15.Qxg6+ Qg7 16.Qd3 e5 17.Qb5 Qf7 gives Black a clear advantage.
• If 12.Bxg6! hxg6 13.Rfe1 g5 14.Nbxd4 g4 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Nd4 gives White a comfortable advantage in space.
• 11.h4 f5 12.h5 Nh8 13.Bf4 Bd7 14.h6 Ng6 gives Black the initiative and a slight advantage in space (Jodorcovsky-Simonen, Ol, Palma de Mallorca, 2004).
• If 9.Re1 f6 10.Nbd2 Kf7 11.h4 then:
• 11...Ngxe5! 12.Bxe5 Nxe5 13.Nxe5+ fxe5 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qxe5 Qf6 gives Black the advanatage in space and White the initiative (A. Kogan-Carrasco Martínez, Op, Lisbon, 2001).
• 11...Qb6?! 12.Nb3! Bb4 13.Bxg6+ hxg6 14.Re2 Bd7 is equal.
• If 4...cxd4 5.Qxd4 Nc6 6.Qf4 then:
• 6...f5 7.Bd3 Nge7 8.0-0 Ng6 9.Qg3 Be7 10.Re1 0-0 11.a3 is equal (Keres-Dr. Euwe, IT, Zandvoort, 1936).
• If 6...Qc7 then:
• If 7.Nc3 a6 8.Bd3 Nge7 9.0-0 Ng6 then:
• 10.Bxg6 hxg6 11.Ne2 Be7 12.Ned4 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 Qxc2 gives Black an extra pawn and an active Queen (Nimzovich-Dr. Bernstein, Russian Ch, Vilnius, 1911).
• 10.Qg3 Ngxe5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Re1 f6 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.f4 Bc5+ gives White stronger pawns, the initiative and slightly more space.(Velimirovic-Kholmov, TM, Odessa, 1975).
• 7.Bb5 Nge7 8.0-0 Ng6 9.Qg3 Bd7 10.Re1 0-0-0 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Bg5 Re8 gives White more activity and space (Nimzovich-Freymann, Russian Ch, St. Petersburg, 1913).

4...Nc6

• Black continues to apply pressure to White's pawn at d4.
• If 4...Bd7 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 then:
• If 6...Nc6 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 Rc8 then:
• If 9.Be3 Nh6 10.Bd3 Ng4 11.0-0 Nxe3 12.fxe3 Be7 13.Nbd2 Nb8 then:
• If 14.Qe2 Ba4 15.Rac1 then:
• If 15...0-0 16.h4 then:
• 16...Rxc1 17.Rxc1 Qd8 18.g3 Nd7 19.Kg2 f6 20.exf6 Bxf6 21.Bb5 Bxb5 22.Qxb5 Nb6 23.Qc5 draw (Soh-Holder, Nordic Ch, Bergen, 2001).
• If 16...Qd8 17.Qf2 Rxc1 18.Rxc1 Qd7 19.Nb1 Rc8 20.Qb2 Rc7 21.Kf2 is equal (Tuma-Szymanski, Op, Brno, 2006).
• If 15...Rxc1 16.Rxc1 0-0 17.h4 Nc6 18.Nb1 Nb8 19.g3 f5 is equal (Areshchenko-E. Pähtz, Masters, Gibraltar, 2008).
• If 14.Nb3 Ba4 15.Qb1 Bxb3 16.Qxb3 0-0 17.Qb1 g6 18.h4 is equal (Shovunov-Poddubnyi, Russian Ch, Elista, 2001).
• If 9.Bb2 Na5 10.Nbd2 Nc4 11.Nxc4 dxc4 12.Rc1 a5 13.Nd2 axb4 14.Nxc4 Qd8 15.axb4 Bxb4+ 16.Bc3 Bxc3+ 17.Rxc3 Kf8 18.Ra3 gives White a more active game (Peng Xiaomin-B. Socko, Ol, Istanbul, 2000).
• If 6...Bb5 7.c4 dxc4 8.Nc3 Nc6 9.d5 0-0-0 10.d6 f6 11.Qc2 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 fxe5 13.Nxb5 Qxb5 14.Bxc4 Qc6 15.Bxe6+ Kb8 is equal (Short-Bareev, IT, Novgorod, 1995).

BLACK



WHITE

Closed French Game: Advance Opening

Position after 4...Nb8c6

5.Nf3 Bd7

• If 5...Qb6 6.Bd3 then:
• If 6...Bd7 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.0-0 f6 then:
• If 9.b4 Be7 10.Bf4 then:
• If 10...fxe5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Bxe5 Nf6 13.Nd2 0-0 14.Nf3 then:
• 14...Bd6 15.Qe2 Rac8 16.Bd4 Qc7 17.Ne5 Be8 18.Rae1 gives White more space; White has a backward c-pawn and Black has a hanging duo in the center (Nimzovich-Salwe, IT, Karlsbad, 1911).
• 14...a5 15.bxa5 Rxa5 16.Rb1 Qa7 17.Ng5 g6 18.Rb2 gives White a narrow advatage in space (Koch-Nowarra, German Ch, Bad Oeynhausen, 1938).
• If 10...0-0-0?! 11.a4! Rf8 12.a5 then:
• 12...Qc7? 13.exf6 Qxf4 14.fxg7 Nf6 15.gxh8Q Rxh8 16.Qd2 gives White a significant material advantage (Lungu-Moale, Pan-African Ch, Cairo, 2001).
• 12...Qd8 13.b5 Nxa5 14.Qa4 b6 15.c4 dxc4 16.Bxc4 gives White enough activity to compensate for the pawn minus.
• If 9.Qe2 fxe5 then:
• If 10.b4!? Bd6 11.b5 then:
• 11...Nd8?! 12.Nxe5 Nf6 13.Nxd7 Kxd7 14.Nd2 Qc7 15.Nf3!! gives White more freedom for his pieces (Rozentalis-Sadiku, Euro Club Cup, Antalya, 2007).
• If 11...e4! 12.bxc6 Qxc6 13.Bxe4 dxe4 then:
• 14.Ne5! Qc7 15.Qh5+ g6 16.Nxg6 Nf6 is equal.
• 14.Nd4?! Qd5! 15.Ba3 Bf4 16.Bc1 Be5 gives Black an extra pawn and more space.
• If 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Qxe5 Nf6 then:
• If 12.Qe2 0-0 13.a4 e5!! then:
• 14.h3 e4 15.Bb5 Bc6 gives Black the initiative and more space, more than compensating for the hanging pawns.
• 14.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 15.Kh1 Rae8 gives Black a powerful initiative.
• If 12.Qg3 0-0 13.Nd2 Bb5 then:
• 14.Bxb5 Qxb5 15.Qh4 Rae8 16.c4 Qc6 17.a3 Nd7 gives Black a small advantage in space.
• 14.c4?! dxc4! 15.Nxc4 Bxc4 16.Bxc4 Ne4 gives Black a strong initiative.
• If 6...cxd4 7.cxd4 Bd7 then:
• If 8.0-0 Nxd4 then:
• If 9.Nxd4 9...Qxd4 10.Nc3 then:
• If 10...a6 11.Qe2 Ne7 then:
• If 12.Kh1 Nc6 13.f4 then:
• If 13...Nb4 14.Rd1 then:
• If 14...Bc5 15.Bxa6 Qf2 16.Qxf2 Bxf2 then:
• 17.Bb5 Bxb5 18.Nxb5 Rxa2 19.Rxa2 Nxa2 20.Bd2 Kd7 21.Ra1 Rc8 gives Black an extra pawn and more space (Toufighi-González García, Ol, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).
• If 17.Be2 0-0 then:
• 18.Bd2 Nc2 19.Rab1 Bc6 20.Bf3 Ne3 21.Bxe3 Bxe3 gives Black the initiative (Cubas-Abdul, Ol, Bled, 2002).
• 18.a3 Na6 19.g3 Nc5 20.Kg2 Nb3 21.Rb1 Bd4 gives Black the advantage in space (Rhodes-Mercky, Corres, 2010).
• If 14...Nxd3 15.Rxd3 Qb6 then:
• If 16.Be3 Bc5 17.Bxc5 Qxc5 18.Rad1 Bc6 then:
• 19.f5 0-0-0 20.Qg4 d4 21.fxe6 h5 22.Qh3 fxe6 23.Qxe6+ gives White a slight edge in space (Bohak-Anton, Corres, 1986).
• If 19.Rd4 0-0 20.f5 exf5 21.Nxd5 then:
• 21...Rfe8?! 22.b4! Bb5 23.Qf2 Qc6 24.Qxf5 is equal (Korobkin-R. Popov, Op, Novosibirsk, 2001).
• 21...Bxd5! 22.Rxd5 Qc6 23.Qd3 Rac8 Black continues to enjoy an extra pawn.
• 16.f5 d4 17.Qd1 dxc3 18.Rxd7 Qb5 19.fxe6 fxe6 20.Rc7 allows White to regain the pawn with the advantage in space (Maaroofkhani-Subramanian, Asian ChU20, Tehran, 2001).
• If 13...Bc5 14.a3 Ba7 15.Bd2 g6 then:
• 16.Rac1 Qb6 17.b4 Nd4 18.Qd1 Nf5 19.Na4 Qd8 20.Nc5 Bc6 is equal (Golod-Barsov, Op, Dieren, 1998).
• 16.Rf3 Qb6 17.Rff1 Nd4 18.Qd1 Nb3 19.Rb1 Nxd2 20.Qxd2 Qe3 gives Black an extra pawn (Nicholson-D. Mason, British Ch, Swansea, 2006).
• If 12.Rd1 Nc6 13.Bxa6 Qxe5 then:
• 14.Bxb7 Qxe2 15.Nxe2 Rb8 16.Bxc6 Bxc6 17.Nd4 Bd7 is equal (Kassinopoullos-Jere, Ol, Torino, 2006).
• 14.Qxe5 Nxe5 15.Bxb7 Ra7 16.Bxd5 exd5 17.Re1 f6 gives Blackl a piece for two pawns (Zhao Zhongyuan-Johansen, Op, Canberra, 1999).
• If 10...Qxe5 11.Re1 then:
• If 11...Qb8 Nf6 12.Nxd5 Bd6 then:
• If 13.Qg4 Kf8 14.Bd2 h5 15.Qh3 Bc6 16.Nb4 Be8 then:
• 17.Bc3 Ne7 18.Bc4 b5 19.Bd3 a5 20.Nc2 b4 gives Black the initiative and more space (Uribe Arteaga-Carbone, Pan-Am Jr Ch, Montevideo, 2009).
• 17.Be4 Nf6 18.Bf3 Kg8 19.Bc3 Ng4 20.g3 Ne5 gives Black the advantage in space (Pitlagano-Johanssen, Ol, Bled, 2002).
• If 13.h3 then:
• 13...Ne7 14.Nxe7 Bxe7 15.Qg4 0-0 16.Bh6 Bf6 17.Qe4 gives White a strong initiative for ther pawn; he will net the exchange (Martínez-Akobian, Wourld Youth, 1993).
• If 13...Bc6 14.Nc3 Nf6 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Be4 Be5 is equal (Frisch-McDonnell, Ameteur ChT, Parsippany, 1999).
• If 11...Qd6 12.Nb5 Bxb5 13.Bxb5+ Kd8 then:
• If 14.Qf3 Nf6 15.Bf4 then:
• 15...Qb6 16.a4 a6 17.Bd3 Bd6 18.a5 Qb4 gives Black two extra pawns and more space (Gossell-Shulman, Op, Stillwater, 2002).
• 15...Qb4 16.Be5 Qxb5 17.Bxf6+ Ke8 18.Rxe6+ fxe6 19.Qh5+ g6 20.Qg4 Kf7 gives Black an extra pawn and a slight edge space (Brenner-L. Levy, US Op, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1975).
• If 14.Bd2 Nf6 then:
• 15.Rc1 Ne4 16.Rxe4 dxe4 17.Bf4 e5 18.Qh5 exf4 19.Rd1 Rc8 gives Black the material advantage (Arutyunova-Hamrakulova, World Jr ChG, Yerevan, 2006).
• 15.Qa4 Qb8 16.Ba5+ b6 17.Bc6 Bd6 18.Bxa8 bxa5 gives Black the advantage in space (Suttles-Joyner, Canadian Ch, Vancouver, 1965).
• 9.Nbd2 Nc6 10.Nb3 Nge7 11.Be3 Qc7 12.Rc1 Ng6 13.Nc5 Be7 14.b4 Bxc5 15.Bxc5 Ngxe5 gives Black two extra pawns (Nun-Brodsky, Op, Pardubice, 1994).
• If 8.Be2 Nge7 9.b3 Nf5 10.Bb2 Bb4+ 11.Kf1 then:
• If 11...Be7 12.g3 a5 13.a4 Rc8 14.Bb5 Nb4 then:
• If 15.Nc3! Na6 16.Kg2 Nc7 17.Be2 Bb4 18.Na2 Na6 19.Bd3 then:
• 19...Ne7!? 20.Rc1 Nc6!? 21.Nxb4 Naxb4 22.Bb1 gives White a small advantage in space (Nimzovich-Dr. Tarrasch, IT, San Sebastián, 1912).
• 19...Be7 20.Rb1 Nb4 21.Nxb4 Qxb4 22.Bc2 is equal.
• 15.Bxd7+?! Kxd7 16.Nc3 Nc6 17.Nb5 Na7 18.Nxa7 Qxa7 19.Qd3?! Qa6! 20.Qxa6 bxa6 gives Black a considerable advantage in space (L. Paulsen-Dr. Tarrasch, IT, Nuremberg, 1888).
• 11...h5 12.g3 Rc8 13.Kg2 g6 14.h3 Be7 15.Qd2 a5 is equal (Nimzovich-Rubinstein, IT, Karlsbad, 1911).

6.Be2 Nge7

• If 6...f6 then:
• If 7.0-0 fxe5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 Qc7 then:
• If 10.c4 then:
• If 10...d4 11.Bf4 then:
• If 11...0-0-0 12.Nd2 Bc6 13.Bd3 g5 14.Bg3 h5 15.h3 g4 then:
• 16.h4 Nh6 17.Ne4 Nf5 18.Ng5 Nxg3 19.Nxe6 Qxe5 20.Re1 Ne4 21.Nxd8 Bd6 leaves Black an exchange to the good (Smeets-Rogers, Dutch ChT, Holland, 2001).
• 17...Kb8 18.Nb3 Qa4 19.Rb1 Bf5 20.Rb2 Ba3 21.Rd2 gives Black an extra pawn and more space, but White is focused on the weak d-pawn (Movsesian-Jedynak, Euro Club Cup, Ponormo, 2001).
• 16.hxg4 h4 17.Bh2 h3 18.f4 hxg2 19.Rf2 Qg7 gives Black a protected passed pawn at g2 that is difficult to destroy (Jonkman-Smeets, Op, Groningen, 2002).
• If 11...g6 then:
• 12.Nd2 Bg7 13.Re1 Ne7 14.Ne4 0-0 15.Bg5 gives White a small advantage in space (Reefat-Ostos, Ol, Torino, 2006).
• 12.Bd3 Bg7 then:
• 13.Re1 Ne7 14.Nd2 0-0 15.Qg4 Nc6 16.Nf3 gives White the better center, but maintaining it takes a lot of energy (Santos Flores-Ostos, Ol, Palma de Mallorca, 2004).
• 13.Nd2 Bxe5 14.Bxe5 Qxe5 15.Re1 Qc7 16.Ne4 is equal.
• If 10...Qxe5! then:
• If 11.Bh5+ g6 12.Bf3 0-0-0 13.Re1 then:
• 13...Qf6 14.Nc3 Ne7 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5 gives White a huge advantage with command of the long light diagonal and the centralized Queen (Voelker-Crane, Corres, 1991).
• 13...Qd6 14.Nc3 dxc4 15.Qe2 Nf6 16.Qxc4 Be7 17.Bf4 gives White a fierce initiative and a huge andvantage in space, more than compensating for the pawn minus (Romanishin-Ivanchuk, Soviet Ch 1st L, Irtutsk, 1986).
• If 11.Bf3 0-0-0 12.cxd5 then:
• If 12...exd5 13.Re1 Qd6 then:
• If 14.b4 then:
• If 14...Nf6!? 15.bxc5! Qxc5 16.Be3 Qa5 17.Nd2 then:
• 17...Bc6 18.a4 Bd6 19.Nb3 Qc7 20.g3 gives Black an extra pawn and White the advantage in space; Black has a passed pawn, which is also isolated, that is at least momentarily immobilized (Timman-Brynnell, Bundesliga 0001, Godesbberg, 2001).
• If 14...Qf6 15.Na3 then:
• 15...Ne7! 16.Rb1 Nc6 17.bxc5 Bxc5 18.Qb3 Bb6 is equal (Jonkman-Cheparinov, Op, Amsterdam, 2005).
• 15...Qxa1!? 16.Qxd5 Bc6 17.Qe6+ Bd7 18.Qd5 Bc6 19.Qe6+ etc. draws by repetition.
• 14.Nc3 Nf6 15.Nxd5 Nxd5 16.Qxd5 Qxd5 17.Bxd5 Bf5 18.Bf3 Bd6 19.Be3 draw (Movsesian-Shirov, Ol, Istanbul, 2003).
• 12...Bd6 13.g3 exd5 14.Bf4 Qf6 15.Nc3 Bc6 16.Nxd5 gives White a small advantage in space (Sveshnikov-Psakhis, IT, Sochi, 1984).
• If 10.Re1 0-0-0 11.c4 Qxe5 12.Bf3 Qd6 13.cxd5 exd5 transposes into Timman-Brynell, above, at 13...Qd6.
• If 7.exf6 Nxf6 8.0-0 then:
• If 8...cxd4 9.cxd4 Bd6 10.Nc3 0-0 then:
• 11.Nb5 Bb8 12.Bg5 Qb6 13.Nc3 Ne4 14.Be3 Qc7 is equal (Westerweele-Sanders, Op, Vilissingen, 2001).
• 11.Bg5 Qb6 12.a3 Be8 13.b4 Bh5 14.Na4 Qc7 is equal (Collins-Redpath, TT, Dublin, 2000).
• 8...Bd6 9.Na3 0-0 10.Nb5 Be7 11.c4 a6 12.Nc3 dxc4 is equal (Petrenko-Zhukova, Euro ChW, Warsaw, 2001).
• If 6...Qb6 7.0-0 f6 then:
• If 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.b4 Be7 10.Bf4 then:
• If 10...fxe5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Bxe5 Nf6 13.Nd2 then:
• 13...0-0 then:
• 14.a4 a5 15.b5 Rac8 16.c4 Be8 17.cxd5 Nxd5 18.Nc4 gives White the initiative and the advantage in space (Lacasa Diaz-Topalov, Op, St. Cugat, 1992).
• 14.Nf3 a5 15.Bd4 Qc7 16.bxa5 Rxa5 17.Bd3 Bc5 18.h3 is equal (Hendricks-Delemarre, Dutch Ch, Leeuwarden, 2001).
• 13.a4 a5 14.bxa5 Rxa5 15.Nd2 0-0 16.Rb1 Qa7 is equal (J. Polgar-Topalov, IT, Dos Hermanas, 1994).
• 10...Nh6 11.c4 Nf7 12.cxd5 Ncxe5 13.a3 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 gives White the advantage in space (Mariotti-Korchnoi, Ol, Tessaloniki, 1988).
• If 8.a3 c4 9.Nbd2 Na5 then:
• If 10.Re1 Ne7 11.h4 then:
• If 11...0-0-0 12.Rb1 Be8 13.exf6 gxf6 then:
• If 14.Nh2!? Bg6! 15.Ra1 h5 16.Nhf1 Nf5 17.g3 e5 18.dxe5?? (White lasts longer after 18...Bf3) 18...Bc5! White resigns in the face of material loss (Orton-Shulman, NAO, Stillwater, 2001).
<[li>14.b3 cxb3 15.Nxb3 Ba4 16.Nxa5 Bxd1 17.Rxb6 axb6 18.Bxd1 bxa5 19.Rxe6 gives White an active Rook and more space in the face of a small material deficit
• 11...Nec6 12.Bf1 Be7 13.g3 0-0 14.Bh3 Rae8 15.exf6 Bxf6 gives Black the advantage in space and better development (Haba-Kreischer, Austrian ChT, Austria, 1999).
• 10.Rb1 0-0-0 11.Re1 Ne7 then:
• 12.Bf1 Ng6 13.b3 cxb3 14.c4 fxe5 15.c5 Qc7 is equal (Anand-D. Prasad, IT, New Delhi. 1087).
• 12.b3 Qc7 13.Bf1 Ng6 14.Qe2 cxb3 15.Nxb3 gives White the advantage in space (Prie-Boudaille, Op, Metz, 1994).

7.Na3

• If 7.0-0 then:
• If 7...Nf5 8.Bd3 cxd4 9.Bxf5 exf5 10.Nxd4 then:
• If 10...Be7 11.Qb3 then:
• 11...Qc7 12.Qxd5 Qxe5 13.Qxe5 Nxe5 14.b3 Bf6 15.Na3 0-0-0 is equal (Hendricks-M. Gurevich, Op, Amsterdam, 2001).
• 11...Bc8 12.f4 0-0 13.Be3 f6 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.Nd2 Re8 is equal (Kupreichik-Kosten, IT, Val Maubuee, 1989).
• If 10...Be6 11.Be3 Be7 then:
• 12.Nd2 Nxe5 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Bd4 Qd6 15.f4 Ng6 16.Bxg7 Rg8 gives Black the advantage; White will lose a pawn to 17.Be5!?. Nevertheless, White recovers and wins in in 62 moves (Kupreichik-Backelin, Rilton Cup 9293, Stockholm, 1993).
• 12.f4 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 b5 14.Qb3 Qb8 15.Na3 a6 16.Nc2 gives White better pawns and a slim edge in space; Black has the Bishops and White's only Bishop is bad (Kupreichik-Legky, Soviet Ch ½-final, Sverdlovsk, 1984).
• If 7...cxd4 8.cxd4 Nf5 9.Na3 then:
• 9...Qb6 10.Nc2 transposes into the notes to Black's eighth move.
• 9...Nb4 10.Nc2 Nxc2 11.Qxc2 transposes into Movesian-Bruman and subordinate games in the notes to Black's eighth move.

7...cxd4 8.cxd4 Ng6

• If 8...Nf5 9.Nc2 then:
• If 9...Qb6 10.0-0 then:
• If 10...a5 then:
• If 11.Kh1 then:
• If 11...Nb4 12.Ne3 Rc8 13.Nxf5 exf5 14.Bd2 Be7 15.a3 then:
• 15...Na6 16.b4 axb4 17.axb4 Nc7 18.b5 0-0 19.Ba5 gives White healthier pawns and the iniative (Vescovi-B. Vuckovich, IT, Bermuda, 2002).


• 15...Nc6 16.Bc3 0-0 17.Qd2 Ra8 18.Ne1 Rfb8 19.Nc2 gives White healtier pawns and a slight advantage in space (Grischuk-M. Gurevich, North Sea Cup, Esbjerg, 2000).


• 11...h5 12.Bg5 h4 13.h3 Be7 14.Bxe7 Kxe7 15.Qd2 gives White more space in the center, but keeping the pawn at d4 will be a problem (Frhat-Barsov, Op, Ikaros, 2001).


• If 11.g4 Nfe7 12.Nh4 Ng6 13.Ng2 then:
• If 13...Be7 14.f4 0-0 then:
• If 15.Be3!? then:
• 15...f5 16.exf6 Rxf6 17.Bd3 Bd6 18.h4 Raf8 gives Black more space and the threat against the b-pawn (Benjamin-Gulko, US Ch, Durango, Colorado, 1992).


• 15...Qxb2 16.f5 Nh8 17.Qb1 Qc3 18.Rf3 exf5 19.gxf5 gives White the advantage in the center in compensation for the pawn.


• 15.f5! Nh8 16.Rf2 Rfc8 17.Bf3 Rc7 18.Nge3 is equal.


• 13...f6 14.exf6 gxf6 15.Kh1 Bg7 16.f4 f5 is equal (Howell-Z. Rahman, British Ch, Edinburgh, 2003).


• If 10...Na5 11.g4 Ne7 12.Nfe1 then:
• If 12...Bb5 13.Nd3 h5 14.gxh5 Nf5 15.Be3 then:
• 15...Nc6 16.a4 Bc4 17.b4 Qd8 18.Bg4 Nxe3 19.fxe3 Qg5 gives White an extra pawn, but Black has a pin in the g-file, the initiative and more space (Shabalov-Shirov, Op, Edmonton, 2005).


• 15...Rc8 16.a4 Bc4 17.b4 Nc6 18.Rb1 Qd8 19.Qd2 Be7 gives White an extra pawn that he cannot hold whilel after playing 20...Nxe3 21.Qxe3 Bg5! Black will gain command of the h6/c1 diagona (S. Zhigalko-Czap, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2006).


• If 12...h5 13.gxh5 then:
• 13...Bb5 14.Bxb5+ Qxb5 15.Ne3 Nac6 16.b3 g6 is equal (Shirov-Del Rio Angeles, Masters, Gibraltar, 2005).


• 13...Nf5 14.Bd2 Nc4 15.Bc3 Nxb2 16.Bxb2 Qxb2 gives Black a small advantage in space (Li Shilong-Visser, IT C, Wijk aan Zee, 2006).


• If 9...Nb4 10.0-0 Nxc2 11.Qxc2 then:
• 11...Qb6 12.Qd3 Rc8 then:
• If 13.h4 h6 14.h5 a6 15.a4 Bb4 then:
• 16.g4 Ne7 17.Be3 Nc6 18.Rfc1 Be7 19.Bd1 a5 is equal (Shirov-Drozdovskij, Euro Club Cup, Ohrid, 2009).


• If 13.a4 Bb4 14.h4 h6 15.h5 Ne7 then:
• 16.Bf4 Nc6 17.Rfc1 Na5 18.Rxc8+ Bxc8 19.b3 gives White a small advantage in space (Movsesian-Bruman, Op, Nova Gorica, 2000).


• 16.Nd2 0-0 17.Nb3 f5 18.a5 Qd8 19.Bd2 Bxd2 20.Qxd2 gives White the advantage in space (Sveshnikov-Rublevsky, Russian Ch, Elista, 1994).


• 16.Bf4 a5 17.Rfc1 Rc6 18.g4 Ne7 19.Be3 Rxc1+ is equal (Movsesian-Berelovich, Rpd Op, Mainz, 2008).


• 11...Rc8 12.Qb3 Qb6 13.Qxb6 axb6 14.Be3 Ne7 15.a3 gives White the early advantage in space (Minashian-Bong Villamayor, FIDE Knock Out, New Delhi, 2000).

9.h4

• If 9.Nc2 Be7 10.0-0 0-0 then:
• If 11.Re1 11...Rc8 12.Bd3 then:
• 12...f6 13.Bxg6 hxg6 14.Qd3 f5 15.Qd2 f4 16.b4 is equal (Shirov-Jussupow, IT, Prague, 2002).
• 12...a6 13.Re3 f5 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.Bxg6 hxg6 16.Rc3 gives White a slight advantage in space (Dvoirys-Tukmakov, Op, Geneva, 2001).
• If a) 11.Be3 f6 12.Bd3 Be8 13.exf6 Bxf6 then:
• 14.Qd2!? 14...e5! 15.Bxg6 Bxg6 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Bxe5 gives Black a passed pawn, the Bishop pair, the initiative and more space; White can use d4 as a blockading point (Quinn-Milnes, Masters 0708, Hastings, 2008).
• 14.Re1 e5 15.dxe5 Ncxe5 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 17.Nd4 Qf6 18.Bf1 is equal.
• If b) 11.Bd2 a5 12.a4 then:
• If 12...Nb4?! 13.Nxb4 axb4 14.b3 Rb8 then:
• 15.Ra2?! 15...Qa5 16.Qb1 Ra8 17.Rc2 b5 is equal (D. Collias-Montero Meléndez, Masters, Gibraltar, 2010).
• 15.Qe1! Qa5 16.h4 Nh8 17.Bd3 Rfc8 18.h5 gives White the advantage in space.
• 12...Qb6 13.Rb1 f6 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.b4 axb4 16.Nxb4 is equal.

9...Bb4+ 10.Kf1 0-0

• If 10...h6 then:
• If 11.Nc2 Be7 12.h5 Nf8 then:
• 13.b4 Nh7 14.Bd2 0-0 15.Bd3 Rc8 16.Qe1 a6 is equal (Sveshnikov-Gulko, Soviet Ch ½-final, Tashkent, 1984).
• 13.Rh3 Nh7 14.Bd3 0-0 15.Rg3 Kh8 16.Bf4 gives White the advantage in space (Movsesian-Nikolic, Ol, Istanbul, 2000).
• 11.h5! Nf8 12.g3 Nh7 13.Kg2 Be7 14.Nc2 0-0 is equal (S. Zhigalko-Brittner, Euro Club Cup, Saint Vincent, 2005).

11.Nc2 (N)

• If 11.h5 Nh8 then:
• 12.Bd3 12...h6 13.Qc2 f5 14.Qe2 Be7 15.Nc2 a5 is equal (Sandipan-Hertneck, Bundesliga 0203, Germany, 2002).
• 12.h6 g6 13.Nc2 Be7 14.Ne3 f6 15.exf6 Bxf6 is equal (Sebag-Salaun, French ChT, Montpellier, 2006).

11...Be7

• The game is equal.

12.g3

• If 12.Bd3 h6 13.Rh3 then:
• 13...f5 14.Rg3 Kh7 15.h5 Nh8 16.Be3 Qb6 17.Rb1 Rfc8 remains equal.
• If 13...Kh8?! 14.Be3! then:
• 14...a5 15.Rc1 Rc8 16.Kg1 Rc7 17.a3 f5 18.Bd2 gives White more freedom and the advantage in space.
• 14...Nb4!? 15.Nxb4 Bxb4 16.Rc1 Ba5 17.a3 Ne7 18.b4 gives White a signigficant advantage in space.

12...f6

• Black plays to breakup White's center pawns, but this has the obvious drawback of saddling her with hanging pawns.

13.h5

• This forces Black to move her Knight to a poor post, but the setback is only temporary.

13...Nh8 14.Kg2 Nf7 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Bf4

• The game is equal.
• If 16.b3!? Rc8 then:
• If 17.Be3 Nd6 18.Rc1 a6 19.Qd3 then:
• 19...Ne7 20.h6 g6 21.a4 Ne4 gives Black a small advantage in space.
• 19...Na7 20.Na3 Rxc1 21.Bxc1 Ne4 22.h6 g6 gives Black a slight advantage in space.
• 17.Bf4 Nxd4 18.Ncxd4 e5 19.Be3 exd4 20.Bxd4 Re8 gives White an extra pawn, albeit a weak one.

16...Ng5

• If 16...Qb6 then:
• If 17.b3 Rae8 then:
• 18.Rc1 Nxd4 19.Be3 e5 20.Nxe5 Nxe5 21.Bxd4 Qd6 remains equal.
• 18.Be3 Qa5 19.b4 Qa4 20.a3 a5 21.Rb1 Nd6 remains equal.
• 17.Re1 Rae8 18.Qd2 a6 19.Rad1 Rc8 20.b3 Be7 remains euqal.

17.Nxg5 Bxg5 18.Bd6

• 18.Bxg5 Qxg5 19.h6 Qf6 20.f3 g5 21.Qd2 Be8 remains equal.

BLACK: Deysi Cori Tello



WHITE: P. V. Nandhidhaa
Position after 18.Bf4d6

18...Be7

• Black forces the excahnge. This is good enough to give her a slight edge.
• If 18...Rf7 19.f4 Bf6 20.Qd3 then:
• 20...a6 21.a4 Rc8 22.b3 Be8 23.Ba3 Ne7 24.Ne3 remains equal.
• 20...Qb6 21.b4 Nb8 22.Be5 remains equal

19.Bxe7 Qxe7 20.f4 Qf6

• 20...Rac8 21.Qd2 Rc7 22.Rac1 Rfc8 23.Ne3 remains equal.

21.Qd2 Kh8 22.Rae1 e5

• 22...Rac8 23.h6 g6 24.Rc1 Ne7 25.Ne3 Nf5 26.Nxf5 remains equal.

23.dxe5 Nxe5 24.Nd4

• 24.Qd4 Nc6 25.Qxf6 Rxf6 26.Bd3 d4 27.b4 a6 remains equal.

24...Nc4

• If 24...Rae8 25.Nf3 Ng4 then:
• If 26.Qd4 Ne3+ 27.Kf2 Re7 then:
• 28.Qxf6 Ng4+ 29.Kg2 Nxf6 30.Bd3 remains equal.


• 28.Bd3 Rfe8 29.Qxf6 gxf6 30.Rc1 Ng4+ 31.Kg2 Bf5 remains equal.
• 26.Bd1 Bf5 27.Qd4 Qh6 28.Ng5 Rxe1 29.Rxe1 Qf6 remains equal.

25.Qc3!?

• White gives Black a tempo to protect the Knight at c4. Better is to take the Knight immediately.
• 25.Bxc4! (forcing White to downgrade her pawn from passer to candidate) 25...dxc4 26.h6 Rae8 27.hxg7+ Qxg7 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 is equal.

25...Rac8!

• Black takes a small advantage in space.

26.Bf3 Nd6!?

• Black discovers an attack on White's Queen, but the Queen just finds a fine defensive post.
• If 26...Rfe8 27.Rxe8+ Rxe8 28.h6 Re3 29.Qb4 Re7 30.hxg7+ Qxg7 continues to give Black a small advantage.

BLACK: Deysi Cori Tello



WHITE: P. V. Nandhidhaa
Position after 26..Nc4d6

27.Qd2!

• The game is equal.

27...Rc4?!

• Black allows White to pressure e5.
• 27...Nf5 28.Re5 Nxd4 29.Qxd4 Rc2+ 30.Kg1 Bc6 remains equal.
• If 27...Rfd8! 28.h6 then:
• 28...Nf5 29.Re5 Nxh6 30.Rhe1 Nf5 31.Nxf5 Bxf5 32.Bxd5 remains equal.
• 28...Ne4 29.Qd3 g6 30.Re2 b6 31.Rd1 a5 remains equal.
• If 27...Nc4 28.Qf2 then:
• 28...Nb6 29.Re5 Kg8 30.Rhe1 Rfd8 31.b3 Qd6 32.Qd2 gives White a brewing attack on the kingside.
• 28...Rce8 29.b3 Nb6 30.Rxe8 Rxe8 31.a4 a5 32.Rc1 gives White a blackade against Black's passed pawn and command of an open file; Black also has command of an open file.

28.Re5!

• White assumes a small advantage in space.

28...Ne4 29.Qe3?!

• White throws away her hard-won advantage, small though it was.
• If 29.Bxe4! dxe4 30.b3 then:
• If 30...Rc7 31.Re1 Qd6 32.Re2 Rcc8 33.R5xe4 then:
• If 33...Bg4 34.Ne6 then:
• If 34...Qxd2 35.Rxd2 Rfe8 then:
• 36.Nc5 Bxh5 37.Rxe8+ Bxe8 38.Ne6 Bc6+ 39.Kf2 gives White more flexibility in the center.
• 36.Ng5 Bxh5 37.Red4 h6 38.Ne4 Rc1 39.a4 gives White activity in the center good for a slight advantage.
• 34...Qc6?! 35.Nxf8 Bxe2 36.Qxe2 Re8 37.Kf3 Rxf8 38.Qc4 gives White an extra pawn.
• 33...Qf6 34.Ne6 Bc6 35.Nxf8 Rxf8 36.Kh2 gives White a very respectable material advantage.
• 30...Bc6?! 31.Kh2 e3 32.Qxe3 Rxd4 33.Qxd4 Bxh1 34.Kxh1 gives White an extra pawn.

29...Qb6! 30.Rxd5?!

• This is disastrous. White gives Black the initiative on a silver platter.
• If 30.Bxe4 dxe4 31.Rd1 Qxb2+ 32.Rd2 Qb4 33.a3 Qb6 gives Black more freedom and a fair advantage in space. White cannot take on e4 because 34...Bc6! then pins and wins.

30...Nf6!

• Black seizes the initiative.

31.Qa3

• This is a stylish move under the circumstances, but is it best?
• Fritz likes 31.Rxd7 Nxd7 32.Rd1 Qxb2+ 33.Kh3 Nf6 34.Qe7 Qb4 which forces White to exchange Queens while already at a material disavantage.

31...Rfc8 32.Rd6?

• White attacks the Black Widow. It has fatal consequences.
• Better is 32.Rxd7 Nxd7 33.Ne2 Rc2 34.h6 gxh6 35.Qe7 Rd2, but that earns White only a brief reprieve.

BLACK: Deysi Cori Tello



WHITE: P. V. Nandhidhaa
Position after 32.Rd5d6

32...Rxd4!!

• Aren't Queen sacrifices just beautiful?

33.Rxb6 Rd2+!

• It's all over but the shouting.

34.Be2

• If 34.Kg1 then 34...Rc1+! and Black delivers mate on the next move.

34...Rxe2+ 35.Kf1 Bg4 36.b4

• 36.b3 axb6 37.Rh4 Rec2 38.Qb4 Rc1+ 39.Kf2 R8c2+ begins a forced King march.
• 36.Rc6 Rxc6 37.b3 Rcc2 38.h6 gxh6 39.Rxh6 Ng8 Black soon delivers mate.

36...axb6 37.h6 Rec2 38.hxg7+ Kxg7 39.Qa7 Rd8 40.Qxb7+ Rd7! 0-1

• Black must either lose the Queen or submit to mate.
• Srimati Nandhidhaa resigns.

Mikhail Moiseevich Botvinnik (1911-1995), a native of St. Petersburg, was the sixth world champion (1948-1957; 1958-60; 1961-63). On August 17, the chess world celebrated the 100th anniversary of his birth. Several memorial tournaments were held to honor the occasion.

Botvinnik took a scientific approach to all aspects of the game. He even kept files on potential opponents in order to study weaknesses in their play. He was basically a positional player who punctuated his strategy with tactical finesse.

Mikhail Moiseevich was perhaps the greatest connoissuer of the French Game ever, specifically the Nimzo-Winawer Defense.

Resource: Botvinnik, Mikhail (Stephen Garry, trans.), One Hundred Selected Games (New York: Dover, 1960), game 63.



Mikhail Botvinnik
Photo: from the Book of the Botvinnik-Flohr Match, 1933 in Wikipedia Commons.com (Public Domain in Ukraine)


Iosef Pogrebyssky - Mikhail Botvinnik
Eleventh Soviet Championship
Leningrad, April 1939

Closed French Game: Nimzo-Winawer Defense (Main Line)

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4

BLACK



WHITE

French Game: Nimzo-Winawer Defense

Position after 3...Bf8b4

• The is the Nimzo-Winawer Defense. It is credited to one Szymon Winawer, a strong nineteenth-century Polish master. It was favored by Nimzovich in the years after World War I, but it was Botvinnik, starting in the thirties, who made it one of most popular variations of the French. Since the end of World War II, by which time Botvinnik was recognized as the world's strongest player and then the world champion, it has been the most played variation of the French. It is sometimes called the Botvinnik Variation.
• By pinning the Knight at c3, Black threatens White's e-pawn. This is usually dealt with by advancing the pawn to e5, stetting up the standard French pawn formation. The center is closed and opening play is quite slow. White has a natural advantage in space and will play against the Black King, assuming Black castles kingside (which he may not, as in the present game). Black will attempt to undermine White's center by playing ...c7c5 and ...Nb8c6, putting pressure on the d-pawn, and then develop counterplay on the queenside. Consequently, after a slow opening, the middlegame can be very sharp.
• In the opinion of your humble hare and his staff of chess playing cats, this is the sharpest of all the French lines. Black gives up the two Bishops in order to saddle White with doubled c-pawns; the closed nature of most Nimzo-Winawer positions make it questionable whether Black giving up the Bishops is any kind of concession at all. White's spoiled queenside pawns make it almost unthinkable for White to castle short. Black, on the other hand, typically castles long. The opposite-sided castling combined with long pawns chains for each side running through the center leads to a game with strong play on opposite wings.
• If you find yourself playing Black and needing a win, this is the kind of opening you might consider.

4.e5

• The advance is the the most effective to meet the Nimzo-Winawer, but White can also exchange on d5 or reinforce eith the guardian Knight or the e-pawn itself.
• (Exchange Opening) If 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3 Nc6 then:
• If 6.a3 then:
• If 6...Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 then:
• If 7...Nge7!? 8.Qh5 then:
• If 8...Be6 9.Rb1! then:
• If 9...b6 10.Nf3 Qd7 11.Ng5 then:
• If 11...0-0-0 12.Nxe6 Qxe6+ then:
• 13.Be3 g6 14.Qf3 Nf5 15.0-0 Nxe3 16.Rfe1 Qd6 17.fxe3 gives White command of two open fileand the advantage in space (Glek-Chenaux, Op, Saint Vincent, 1999).
• If 11...g6 12.Qf3 0-0 13.Nxe6 then:
• 13...fxe6 14.Qh3 Nf5 15.0-0 e5 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Bf4 Rae8 gives Black a better center and fewer pawn weaknesses; White has the b-file and the Bishop pair (Charochkina-I. Radziewicz Rajlich, Euro ChW, St. Petersburg, 2009).
• 13.Qe2 Nf5 14.Qxe6+ fxe6 15.0-0 Nd6 16.Re1 Kd7 17.Bf4 gives White the Bishop pair, command of the b- and e-files and control of e5; Black has command of c4 ().
• 13...Qxe6+?! 14.Kd1 Qd6 15.Re1! Qxh2 16.Bf4 Qh4 17.g4! gives White a fine game with command of the b- and e-files and a huge advantage in space in compensation for the pawn.
• If 9...Qc8 then:
• If 10.Ne2 then:
• If 10...Bf5?! 11.Nf4 then:
• If 11...Be6? then after 12.0-0 Nd8 13.Re1 c6 14.a4 h6 15.Ba3 White soon wns (Glek-Naumkin, Op, Cattolica, 1993).
• 11...Bxd3 12.cxd3 0-0 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.Qxd5 Re8+ 15.Be3 gives White an extra pawn and a clear advantage in space, but Black is still in the game.
• 10...Bg4 11.Qg5 0-0 12.0-0 Re8 13.Re1 Bf5 14.Ng3 gives White more space; Black can relieve the problem starting with 14...Bxd3.
• 10.Nf3 h6 11.h3 Bf5 12.0-0 Bg6 13.Bxg6 fxg6 14.Qh4 0-0 15.Re1 gives White command of two open files, but Black's pieces protect each other well (Tran Ngoc Lan-Larmuseau, World Jr Ch, Chotowa, 2010).
• If 8...g6 9.Qf3 Bf5 10.Rb1 then:
• If 10...0-0?! 11.Rxb7 then:
• If 11...Na5 12.Rb4 Re8 13.Ne2 Be4 14.Bxe4 dxe4 15.Qf6! gives White an extra pawn (Bykhovsky-Hort, IT, Moscow, 1962).
• 11...Qc8 12.Rb1 Qe6+ 13.Ne2 Be4 14.Bxe4 dxe4 15.Qf4 yields an extra pawn for White.
• Better is 10...Rb8 11.Ne2 0-0 12.0-0 Re8 13.Ng3 Bxd3 14.cxd3 when White has more freedom, command of the b-file and the advantage in space; Black has the e-file.
• If 7...Nf6 8.Ne2 0-0 9.0-0 then:
• If 9...Na5 10.Ng3 then:
• If 10...Bg4 11.f3 Bd7 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bf4 then:
• 13...Nc4 14.Qc1 Ne8 15.Nh5 Qh4 16.g4 f5 17.Bg3 Qg5 18.Bf4 Qh4 19.Bg3 Qg5 20.Bf4 draw (Wippermann-Jussupow, Bundesliga 0506, Germany, 2006).
• 13...Re8 14.Qc1 Re6 15.Nf5 Nh5 16.Be5 Nc6 is equal (Trygstad-S. Ivanov, Euro Club Cup, Saint Vincent, 2005).
• If 10...Qd6 11.h3 Re8 12.Qf3 then:
• 12...Qc6 13.a4 Nc4 14.Bxc4 dxc4 15.Qxc6 bxc6 gives White better targets among Black's weak pawns (Schöne-Mkrtchian, OlW, Dresden, 2008).
• 12...Be6 13.Bf4 Qc6 14.Be5 Nd7 15.Nh5 Nxe5 16.dxe5 is equal (Senff-Poldauf, Bundesliga 0607, Germany, 2006).
• 9...Re8 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Na5 12.Qd2 Qd6 13.Bg3 is equal (Nataf-Short, FIDE Knock Out, New Delhi, 2000).
• If 6...Be7 7.Nce2 then:
• If 7...Bf6 8.c3 Nge7 then:
• 9.Qc2 g6 10.Bf4 Bf5 11.Nf3 Qd7 12.Bxf5 Nxf5 13.0-0 is equal (Maze-E. L'Ami, Euro Ch, Aix-les-Bains, 2011).
• 9.Ng3 g6 10.Qf3 Bg7 11.Bg5 h5 12.Qf4 Qd7 is equal(Sanz Alonso-Mariotti, IT, Las Palmas, 1978).
• If 7...Nf6 8.c3 0-0 then:
• 9.Ng3 Re8 10.N1e2 Na5 11.0-0 c6 12.Bc2 Nc4 is equal(Cornette-E. Peterson, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).
• 9.Qc2 Re8 10.Bf4 Bg4 11.0-0-0 Bh5 12.f3 Bg6 is equal (E. Pähtz-Totsky, Op, Pardubice, 2001).
• If 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.0-0 Bf5 8.Ng3 then:
• If 8...Bxd3 9.Qxd3 Qd7 10.Nce2 0-0 then:
• 11.c3 Bd6 12.Bf4 Rae8 13.Qf3 Nd8 is equal (Spielmann-Dr. Euwe, IT, Zandvoort, 1936).
• 11.b3 Bd6 12.f4 f5 13.c4 b6 14.Bb2 Nd8 is equal (Spielmann-Sämisch, IT, Wiesbaden, 1925).
• 8...Bg6 9.Nce2 Qd7 10.f4 f5 11.a3 Bd6 12.b3 is equal (Spielmann-Nimzovich, IT, Copenhagen, 1923).
• (Kondratiyev Opening) If 4.Nge2 dxe4 5.a3 then:
• If 5...Be7 6.Nxe4 Nf6 then:
• If 7.N2g3 0-0 then:
• If 8.c3 then:
• If 8...Nbd7 9.Bd3 then:
• If 9...c5 10.dxc5 then:
• 10...Nxe4 11.Nxe4 f5 12.Ng3 Nxc5 13.Bc4 Qxd1+ 14.Kxd1 Bd7 15.b4 Na4 16.Re1 Nxc3+ gives Black an extra pawn and the initiative (S. Lalic-N. Pert, British Ch, Great Yarmouth, 2007).
• 10...Bxc5 11.0-0 Be7 12.Qe2 Qc7 13.Ng5 Re8 14.Re1 gives White a little more activity for her pieces, a queenside majority and the advantage in space (Vranesevic-Vasic, Yugoslav YouthW, Obrenovac, 2002).
• If 9...e5 then:
• 10.Nxf6+ Bxf6 11.d5 Nc5 12.Bc2 b6 13.0-0 Ba6 14.Re1 gives White a small advantage in space (Rogers-Zhong Zhang, IT B, Wijk aan Zee, 2003).
• 10.0-0 exd4 11.cxd4 Nb6 12.Be3 Nbd5 13.Bd2 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 is equal (Korbut-Grabuzova, TTW, St. Petersburg, 2003).
• If 8...Nc6 then:
• If 9.Bd3 e5 10.Nxf6+ Bxf6 11.d5 Ne7 12.c4 Ng6 then:
• 13.0-0 Nf4 14.Bc2 g6 15.Qf3 Bg7 16.Rb1 Qh4 17.Bxf4 exf4 is equal (Gluszko-Maier, Euro Ch, Warsaw, 2005).
• 13.Qc2 c6 14.dxc6 bxc6 15.0-0 a5 16.Be4 Qc7 17.Be3 gives White the advantage in space (Zelcic-Jussupow, ZT, Dresden, 1998).
• If 9.Nxf6+ Bxf6 10.Bc4 e5 11.d5 then:
• 11...Ne7 12.Ne4 Nf5 13.0-0 Nd6 14.Nxd6 Qxd6 15.Be3 is equal (Gheorghiu-Uhlmann, Alekhine Mem, Moscow, 1971).
• 11...Na5 12.Ba2 b5 13.0-0 c5 14.Ne4 c4 15.a4 gives White a better center and more freedom.
• If 8.Be2 Nc6 then:
• If 9.Nxf6+ Bxf6 10.c3 e5 11.d5 Ne7 then:
• If 12.c4 Ng6 13.Nh5 then:
• 13...Bg5 14.0-0 Bxc1 15.Qxc1 Qh4 16.Qc3 draw (Pachman-Bronstein, ITZ, Stockholm, 1948).
• 13...Be7 14.0-0 f5 15.f4 Bc5+ 16.Kh1 Bd4 17.fxe5 is equal (Pachman-Szabo, ITZ, Saltsjobaden, 1948).
• 12.Bc4 Ng6 13.0-0 Be7 14.Ne2 Bd6 15.f4 Qh4 gives Black the advantage in space (Gunnarsson-Maier, Op, Reykjavik, 2008).
• 9.c3 e5 10.dxe5 Qxd1+ 11.Bxd1 Nxe5 12.0-0 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 Nd3 gives Black a slight edge with more space (Kan-Alatorsev, Soviet Ch, Moscow, 1931).
• If 7.Qd3 0-0 8.Bf4 then:
• If 8...Nc6 9.0-0-0 b6 then:
• If 10.N2c3 Nd5 11.Nxd5 exd5 then:
• 12.Ng3 Be6 13.Qc3 Bd6 14.Nh5 Ne7 15.Bxd6 Qxd6 16.Qg3 Nf5 17.Qxd6 Nxd6 18.f3 f6 19.Bd3 Bf7 draw (Morky-Short, Ol, Thessaloniki, 1988).
• If 12.Nc3 Bf6 13.Qg3 Bh4 14.Qf3 Be6 15.Bc4 is equal (, Op, Philadelphia, 1987).
• If 10.h4 Nxe4 11.Qxe4 Bb7 12.d5 exd5 13.Rxd5 Bd6 is equal (Minisian-Asrian, Armenian Ch, Yerevan, 2005).
• If 8...Nbd7 9.0-0-0 then:
• If 9...b6 10.N2c3 Bb7 then:
• If 11.Be2 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 Nf6 then:
• 13.Ng5 Bd6 14.Be5 Bxe5 15.dxe5 Qxd3 16.Rxd3 Nd5 17.Bf3 gives White the advantage in space (Wolff-Morovic Fernández, Op, New York, 1987).
• If 13.Bf3 Nxe4 14.Bxe4 Bxe4 15.Qxe4 Bg5 16.Kb1 draw (Kavalek-Dr. Hübner, IT A, Wijk aan Zee, 1982).
• If 11.Nxf6+ Nxf6 12.Be2 Nd5 13.Nxd5 Bxd5 14.Bf3 Bg5 15.Qe3 Bxf4 16.Qxf4 Bxf3 draw (Ghaem Maghami-Korchnoi, Op, Isle of Man, 2004).
• If 9...Nxe4 10.Qxe4 c5 then:
• 11.Nc3 Nf6 12.Qe1 cxd4 13.Be5 Qa5 14.Rxd4 Rd8 15.Rxd8+ draw (Gipslis-Krogius, IT, Moscow, 1991).
• If 11.dxc5 Nxc5 12.Qe3 Qb6 13.Nc3 Rd8 14.Rxd8+ Qxd8 15.Be2 Bd7 16.Rd1 Qe8 17.Bd6 Rc8 18.Bf3 draw (Opl-Wagener, Austrian ChT, 2000).
• If 5...Bxc3+ 6.Nxc3 Nc6 then:
• If 7.Bb5 Nge7 8.Bg5 f6 9.Be3 0-0 10.Qd2 f5 11.0-0-0 then:
• If 11...a6 12.Bxc6 Nxc6 13.f3 then:
• If 13...exf5 14.gxf3 e5 15.d5 then:
• If 15...Na5 16.Qe2 b5 then:
• 17.f4 18.Bxf4 Bd7 19.Rhg1 Rf7 20.Rg3 is equal (Neelakantan-Harikrishna, Op, Calcutta, 2000).
• 17.Rhg1 Qd6 18.f4 e4 19.Qf2 Rf7 20.Bc5 Qh6 gives Black an extra pawn and White a small advantage in space (Ciocaltea-Ornstein, IT, Smederevska Palanka, 1981).
• 15...Nd4 16.Bxd4 exd4 17.Qxd4 Qd6 18.Rhg1 Rf7 19.Rg5 is equal (J. Polgar-D. Wood, Op, Hastings, 1988).
• If 13...e5 14.d5 Na5 15.Qe2 then:
• 15...b6 16.fxe4 f4 17.Bd2 Nb7 18.Rdf1 Nd6 19.g3 is equal (Stripunsky-Shulman, US Ch, St. Louis, 2010).
• If 15....b5 16.Bc5 Rf7 17.fxe5 f5 18.d6 c6 19.Qh5 is equal (So. Polgar-P. Olivier, Op, Val Maubuee, 1988).
• If 7.d5 exd5 8.Qxd5 then:
• If 8...Nge7 9.Qxd8+ Nxd8 10.Nxe4 Bf5 11.Bd3 then:
• If 11...Ne6 then:
• If 12.Bd2 0-0-0 13.0-0-0 Nd4 then:
• 14.Rhe1 Nec6 15.Bc3 Rhe8 16.Bxd4 Nxd4 17.Nc5 is equal (Daces-Drasko, Op, Metz, 2001).
• 14.Kb1 Nec6 15.f4 Rhe8 16.Rde1 Re7 17.Re3 Rde8 is equal (Zelcic-Psakhis, Euro ChT, Batumi, 1999).
• 12.Be3 0-0-0 13.0-0-0 Bg6 14.Ng5 Nxg5 15.Bxg5 f6 is equal (Olszewski-Dizdar, Euro Ch, Warsaw, 2005).
• 11...e5 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Bf4 Rb8 14.Bxe5 Be6 15.Qe2 is equal (Zeller-Rogers, IT, Deizisau, 2001).
• If 8...Be6 then:
• If 9.Qxe4 Nf6 10.Qh4 Qd4 then:
• If 11.Bg5 Qe5+ 12.Be2 Nd4 13.0-0-0 0-0-0 14.Bd3 then:
• 14...h6 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Qxf6 gxf6 17.Rd2 Bd5 18.f3 gives White better pawns and leaves him threatening 19.Bc4, winning a piece (Solodovnichenko-Edouard. French ChT, Mulhouse, 2011).
• 14...Nf5 15.Qf4 Qxf4+ 16.Bxf4 Nd4 17.Rhe1 gives White the initiative and a small advantage in space.
• 11.Qxd4 Nxd4 12.Bd3 h6 13.Be3 0-0-0 14.0-0-0 Ng4 is equal (Hakki-Bong Villamyor, Asian Ch, Calcutta, 2001).
• 9.Qxd8+ Rxd8 10.Bf4 Nf6 11.Bxc7 Rd7 12.Bf4 0-0 is equal (Bronstein-Vaganian, IT, Tilburg, 1993).
• (Schwartz Opening) If 4.Bd3 dxe4 5.Bxe4 Nf6 6.Bf3 then:
• If 6...c5 7.Nge2 Nc6 then:
• If 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 e5 then:
• If 10.Bg5 exd4 11.cxd4 cxd4 then:
• 12.Bxc6+ bxc6 13.Qxd4 Qa5+ 14.Bd2 Qd5 15.0-0 0-0 16.Rfe1 Ba6 17.Qxd5 Nxd5 draw (Hort-Uhlmann, IT, Zagrab, 1970).
• 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.c3 0-0 14.0-0 Rd8 15.Qa4 Bd7 is equal (R. Ortega-Uhlmann, Rubinstein Mem, Polanica Zdroj, 1967).
• If 10.Bxc6+ bxc6 then:
• If 11.0-0 exd4 12.cxd4 0-0 13.Re1 Ba6 then:
• 14.Be3 Bxe2 15.Rxe2 Nd5 16.Qd3 cxd4 17.Qxd4 draw (Torán Albero-L. Schmid, Ol, Leipzig, 1960).
• 14.Ng3 cxd4 15.Nf5 Re8 16.Bg5 Qa5 17.Nh6+ Kf8 gives Black an extra pawn and the initiative (Tseitlin-Jussupow, TT, Moscow, 1983).
• 11.Be3 cxd4 12.cxd4 0-0 13.0-0 exd4 14.Nxd4 Qd5 15.Re1 gives White a better center; Black has a little more space, but White need only drive the Queen away to fix that (E. Vasiukov-Golz, IT, Gotha, 1957).
• If 8.Be3 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Ne5 then:
• 10.0-0 Nxf3+ 11.Qxf3 0-0 12.Rad1 Qa5 13.Nb3 Qa6 14.Bc5 Bxc5 15.Nxc5 gives White the advantage in space (Sterner-Golz, IT, Dresden, 1956).
• 10.Be2 Nd5 11.Bd2 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Be7 13.0-0 0-0 14.f4 Nd7 gives Black better pawn structure; White has a better center (Fichtl-Uhlmann, IT, Zinnowitz, 1966).
• If 6...0-0 7.Nge2 Nbd7 8.0-0 e5 then:
If 9.Ng3 Re8 then:
• 10.Bg5 Bxc3 11.bxc3 h6 12.Bd2 e4 13.Be2 is equal (Houska-Fowler, British Ch, Swansea, 2006).
• 10.Be3 exd4 11.Bxd4 c5 12.Bxf6 Nxf6 13.Nd5 Ba5 is equal (Le Roux-Singh, Masters, Hastings, 2006).
• 9.Bg5 Be7 10.Ng3 h6 11.Be3 exd4 12.Bxd4 c5 ().

4...c5

• (Margate Variation) If 4...b6 5.a3 Bf8 then:
• If 6.Nf3 Qd7 then:
• If 7.Bb5 then:
• If 7...c6 8.Ba4 Ba6 9.Ne2 Bb5 10.Bb3 then:
• If 10...a5 11.c3 then:
• 11...Ne7 12.0-0 h6 13.Re1 a4 14.Bc2 Qa7 15.Ng3 gives White the advantage in space (Zawadzka-Martínez, Euro ChW, Warsaw, 2005).
• 11...c5 12.a4 Ba6 13.0-0 Ne7 14.Re1 Nbc6 15.Bc2 gives White a small advantage in space (Zhang Pengxiang-Nadera, Asian Ch, Calcutta, 2001).
• If 10...c5 11.c3 Nc6 12.0-0 Nge7 then:
• 13.Re1 0-0-0 14.Bc2 Ng6 15.Ng3 Kb7 16.h4 gives White the advantage in space (Chandler-Timman, IT, Amsterdam, 1987).
• 13.Bc2 a5 14.Re1 a4 15.Nf4 g6 16.h4 is equal (So. Polgar-Molnar, IT, Rimavska Sobota, 1991).
• 7...Nc6 8.Ne2 Bb7 9.Nf4 a6 10.Ba4 0-0-0 11.0-0 gives White more space as a consequence of better development (Psakhis-Karlsson, IT, Tallin, 1987).
• If 7.b4 then:
• If 7...c6 8.Rb1 Ba6 9.b5 Bb7 10.a4 c5 then:
• 11.Be3 Qc7 12.Bd3 Nd7 13.Na2 Ne7 14.c3 gives White a clear advantage in space (Krzyzanowski-Bajarani, World Youth, Vung Tau City, 2008).
• 11.Be2?! Qc7! 12.Be3 Nd7 13.0-0 cxd4 14.Bxd4 is equal (Y. Vovk-Hortensius, Op, Capplle-la-Grande, 2010).
• If 7...Ne7 8.Rb1 c5 then:
• 9.bxc5 bxc5 10.dxc5 Nec6 11.Be3 Na6 12.Nd4 gives White an extra pawn, more space (Kovalev-Johansen, Ol, Bled, 2002).
• 9.Bb5!? Nec6! 10.dxc5 bxc5 11.Ba4 a6 12.0-0 still give White the advantage with the pin a c6 and more space, but Black now has some rom to maneuver.
• If 6.f4 Ne7 7.Nf3 h5 8.Be3 then:
• 8...a5 9.Be2 Ba6 10.0-0 Nf5 11.Qd2 a4 12.Bxa6 Rxa6 (Candela Pérez-Vaganian. Op, Oviedo, 1992).
• 8...Qd7 9.Bf2 Ba6 10.Bxa6 Nxa6 11.Qe2 Nb8 12.g3 Nbc6 is equal (Lanc-Morky, Tirnavia, 1985).
• (Petrosian Variation) If 4...Qd7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 b6 then:
• If 7.Qg4 f5 then:
• If 8.Qg3 Ba6 9.Bxa6 Nxa6 then:
• If 10.Ne2 then:
• If 10...Nb8 11.Nf4 then:
• If 11...Kf7! then:
• 12.c4 Ne7 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.0-0 Nc6 15.Rd1 gives White a comfortablde advantage in space (Guilleux-Brichard, French ChT, Mulhouse, 2011).
• 12.Qf3 Ne7 13.Qh5+ Kg8 14.Rg1 Nbc6 15.g4 Rf8 is equal (Khachiyan-Akobian, Armenian Ch, Yerevan, 1999).
• If 11...Nc6?! 12.Nxe6 then:
• If 12...Qxe6? 13.Qxg7 0-0-0 14.Qxh8 Qg6 15.0-0 Rd7 then:
• If 16.Re1 then:
• 16...Kb7 17.Bf4 Rg7 18.g3 Nge7 19.Qf8 h5 20.Qf6 gives White a material advantage and an easy win (A. Zhigalko-Mihajlevski, Belorussian Ch, Minsk, 2006).
• 16...Rg7 17.g3 Kb7 18.e6 Nf6 19.Qf8 Ne4 20.Bf4 White wins (Timmerman-Beulin, Dutch Ch B ½-final, Eindhoven, 1987).
• If 16.h4? Rg7 17.g4 then:
• 17...fxg4?? 18.h5 Qf7 19.e6 Qf6 20.Bf4 gives White a huge advantage; Black's Queen is pinned to the Rook that entombs White's Queen (Revesz-Rogers, Masters, Gibraltar, 2007).
• Black wins by 17...Qxg4+! 18.Kh1 Qg2#.
• 12...g6 13.Nf4 Na5 14.0-0 Ne7 15.Re1 Nc4 16.Nd3 gives White a strong game with a passed pawn and command of g5, which can be used as a pivot point to attack Black's center.
• If a) 10...Kf7 11.a4 Ne7 then:
• 12.Qd3 Nb8 13.h4 c5 14.h5 h6 15.a5 Nbc6 16.axb6 axb6 17.Rb1 Qc7 gives Black stronger pawns and a small advantage in space (Blomqvist-Martinovic, World Jr Ch, Chotawa, 2010).
• If 12.h4 c5 then:
• If 13.h5 h6 14.Qd3 Nb8 then:
• 15.Rh4!? Nbc6 16.Nf4 Rhc8 leaves Black with stronger pawns and her position will benefit from an opening of the queenside (Chumpitaz-Medic, OlW, Khanty-Mansiysk, 2010).
• 15.0-0 Nbc6 16.Bf4 g5 17.Bd2 Kg7 18.f4 c4 remains equal.
• 13.Qd3 Qb7 14.Bg5 cxd4 15.Bxe7 Kxe7 16.cxd4 Kf7 is equal (Sveshnikov-Gulko, Soviet Ch, Moscow, 1976).
• If b) 10...0-0-0?! 11.a4 then:
• If 11...Nb8 12.a5 Nc6 then:
• If 13.axb6 cxb6 then:
• If 14.Nf4 Kb7 then:
• If 15.Ba3 Ka8 16.0-0 g6 17.Rfb1 Na5 18.Qh4 gives White a strong game as he threatens 19.Nxe6!! when the threat of 20.Qxd8 prevents Black from taking the Knight (Chandler-Mack, Bundesliga 8788, Germany, 1987).
• 15.Qh4 Rc8 16.Ba3 Nh6 17.0-0 Na5 18.Rfb1 gives White an impressive advantage in space (Quinn-Novikov, Euro Club Cup, Ohrid, 2009).
• 14.0-0 h6 15.Qd3 Nge7 16.c4 dxc4 17.Qxc4 gives White a comfortable advantage in space (Zuidema-Planinc, IT, Wijk aan Zee, 1973).
• 13.Qd3 Kb8 14.0-0 Nge7 15.axb6 cxb6 16.Ba3 gives White a better center and more space; Black game is cramped not only by White's pawn at e5, but Black's own pawns on the central light squares (Young-Novikov, Euro Club Cup, Antalya, 2007).
• If 11...Kb7 12.0-0 then:
• 12...g6 13.Qd3 Ne7 14.Bg5 Rc8 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.a5 leaves Black building an an attack on Black's King (Soderberg-Kockum, Op, Taby, 2007).
• If 12...Nb8 13.a5 b5 14.Nf4 a6 15.Ba3 Nh6 16.Nd3 gives White the better ceter and more space; Black is cramped (Kholmov-Zilberman, IT, Belgorod, 1990).
• If 10.a4 Nb8 11.Ne2 Nc6 then:
• If 12.0-0 Na5 13.Nf4 0-0-0 14.Ba3 then:
• 14...g6 15.Bb4 Nc4 16.a5 Ne7 17.axb6 cxb6 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Ra2 gives White a small advantage in space (J. Richter-Zagorovsky, Corres, 1965).
• If 14...Nc4 15.a5 then:
• 15...Kb7?! 16.axb6! axb6 17.Rfb1 gives White domination of the queenside and a comfortable advatage in space (D. Prasad-Rogers, Op, Calcutta, 1988).
• 15...Nxa5! 16.Bb4 Nc6 17.Rfb1 Qf7 18.Ra6 limits White to a small advantage in space.
• 12.Nf4 0-0-0 13.a5 Nxa5 14.Rxa5 bxa5 15.0-0 Kb8 (J. Polgar-Adams, Euro ChT, Haifa, 1988).
• If 8.Qh5+ Qf7 then:
• If 9.Qd1 Ba6 10.Bxa6 Nxa6 then:
• 11.Qd3 Nb8 12.c4 dxc4 13.Qxc4 gives White a better center and a comfortable advantage in space (Tal-Asmundsson, Op, Reykjavik, 1964).
• 11.a4 Nb8 12.a5 Nc6 13.axb6 cxb6 14.Ne2 Na5 gives White a slight edge (Antonio-Rogers, Op, Kuala Lampur, 2005).
• 9.Qf3 Ba6 10.Bxa6 Nxa6 11.Qd3 Nb8 transposes into Tal-Asmaundsson, above.
• If 7.a4 Ba6 8.Bxa6 Nxa6 9.Qg4 f5 10.Qh5+ then:
• If 10...g6 11.Qe2 Nb8 then:
• If 12.h4 h6 13.Nh3 Nc6 14.Nf4 Nge7 then:
• If 15.g4 0-0-0 16.gxf5 then:
• 16...Nxf5 17.Nxg6 Rhg8 18.h5 Na5 19.Qb5 Qxb5 20.axb5 c6 21.bxc6 draw (Razuvaev-Lebredo, Capablanca Mem, Cienfuegos, 1975).
• 16...gxf5 17.Ba3 Rdg8 18.Nh5 Na5 19.Bb4 Nec6 20.Nf6 gives White the initiative and a sizable advantage in space (Timman-Planinc, IT, Banja Luka, 1974).
• If 15.Ba3 Rg8 16.Bb4 then:
• 16...Nxb4 17.cxb4 a5 18.b5 Rc8 19.0-0 c6 20.Rab1 gives White a clear advantage in space, but somebody is going to have to commit to a pawn exchange or they can gree to a draw now (Velimirovic-Szabo, IT, Amsterdam, 1976).
• 16...Kf7 17.0-0 Nxb4 18.cxb4 Qc6 19.Ra3 Qc4 20.Qxc4 dxc4 21.Rc3 gives White the initiative; Black needs to find a way to maintain the material balance (A. Sokolov-Vaganian, Soviet Ch, Moscow, 1988).
• If 12.Nf3 Nc6 13.c4 then:
• 13...dxc4 14.Qxc4 h6 15.0-0 Nge7 16.Bb2 g5 17.Rfd1 then:
• 17...g4 18.Nd2 Rd8 19.Qf1 0-0 20.Nb3 Ng6 21.c4 gives White the better center owing to the overprotection of the backward d-pawn (Tringov-Spiridonov, IT, Varna, 1973).
• 17...0-0 18.Qe2 Nd5 19.g3 Rfe8 20.h4 g4 21.Ne1 gives White more freedom (Micheli-Cosulich, Italian Ch, Sottomarina, 1973).
• 13...h6 14.0-0 Nge7 15.cxd5 Qxd5 16.Bb2 0-0-0 17.Qa6+ gives White the more stable center and more space overall; Black's centralized Queen is an asset (Velimirovic-Raicevic, Yugoslav ChT, Zlatibor, 1989).
• 10...Qf7 11.Qe2 Nb8 12.c4 Ne7 13.Nf3 dxc4 14.Ng5 gives White a better center, the initiative and more space (Matulovic-Taimanov, TM, Leningrad, 1964).

5.a3

• Again, this is the simplest and best way to deal with the Bishop. White may also reinforce the Knight by playing 5.Bd2, freeing the Knight from the pin, or take advantage of the absence of the Bishop from Black's kingside and attack.
• (Icelandic Opening) If 5.Bd2 cxd4 6.Nb5 then:
• If 6...Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 Nc6 then:
• If 8.f4 then:
• If 8...Nge7 9.Nd6+ Kf8 10.Nf3 then:
• If 10...Qa5 11.Qxa5 Nxa5 12.Nxd4 then:
• 12...Nac6 13.c3 Nxd4 14.cxd4 Nc6 15.0-0-0 Ke7 16.Be2 gives White a tremendous advantage in space (Weeramantry-Filatov, Op, Philadelphia, 2000).
• 12...Bd7 13.0-0-0 Nc8 14.Nxc8 Rxc8 15.h4 f6 16.f5 gives White a tactical edge and more space ( Mikhalchishin-Nogueiras, IT, Sarajevo, 1985).
• 10...Qb6 11.Bd3?! Bd7 12.0-0 Nc8 13.f5 Nxd6 14.exd6 e5! is equal (Fogarasi-Braun, 1st Saturday August, Budapest, 2006).
• If 8...Nh6 9.Nd6+ Kf8 10.Nf3 then:
• If 10...Nf5 11.Nxf5 exf5 12.Nxd4 then:
• If 12...Qb6 13.0-0-0 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Qxd4 15.Rxd4 Be6 16.g3 gives White greater activity, more freeedom and healthier pawns (Movsesian-Veselsky, Op, Hlohovec, 1995).
• 12...Be6 13.Be2 g6 14.0-0-0 Kg7 15.h3 h5 16.Nxe6+ fxe6 17.g4 gives White a small advantage in space (Spassky-García Palermo, Rpd Op, Cologne, 1989).
• 10...Qa5 11.Qxa5 Nxa5 12.Nxd4 Ke7 13.Be2 f6 14.0-0 gives White teh advantage in space; Black can offer an exchange of Knights on c6 to his benefit (Schneider-Werle, World Youth, Oropressa del Mar, 2001).
• If 8.Nf3 Nh6 9.Bd3 0-0 then:
• If 10.0-0 f5?! 11.exf6?! then:
• If 11...Ng4 12.fxg7! then:
• If 12...Rxf3 13.gxf3 then:
• 13...e5?? 14.fxg4! Qh4 15.f3 Black is down a whole Rook and change; he resigns (Kashdan-Camarena, Pan-American Ch, Hollywood, 1945).
• Black may have been beyond hope even before this blunder: If 13...Nge5 14.Be2 Qb6 15.a4 Kxg7 16.f4 Ng6 17.a5 leaves White with a material advantage and Black's pieces in a chaotic retreat.
• 12...Kxg7 13.Qg5+ Qxg5 14.Nxg5 h6 15.Nc7 hxg5 16.Nxa8 gives White the advantage of the exchange.
• 11...Rxf6 12.Nbxd4 Nxd4 13.Nxd4 e5 remains equal.
• 10...f6! 11.exf6 Qxf6 12.Ng5 Nf5 13.Nc7 Rb8 14.Rae1 gives White a small advantage in space and a serious threat against Black's e-pawn, but Black's game is easily playable (Minasian-Hertneck, TM, Baden-Baden, 1996).
• 6...Bc5 7.Qg4 Kf8 8.Nxd4 Qb6 9.Bc3 Nc6 10.Ngf3 is equal (Heinrichs-de León, World Jr ChG, Puerto Madryn, 2009).
• (Moscow Poisoned Pawn Opening) If 5.Qg4 then:
• If 5...Ne7 6.Qxg7 Rg8 7.Qxh7 cxd4 8.a3 Qa5 then:
• If 9.Nf3? dxc3! then:
• 10.b3 Nbc6 11.Ng5 Nxe5 12.f4 Rxg5 13.fxg5 Bd6 gives White excellent winnig chances (Manik-Jussupow, IT, Warsaw, 2005).
• If 10.bxc3 then White is toast after 10...Bxc3+ 11.Bd2 Bxd2+ 12.Nxd2 Qc3.
• If 9.Rb1?? dxc3 10.axb4 Qa2 White must lose the Rook and resigns (Sylvan-M. Antosen, Op, Farum, 1993).
• 9.axb4 Qxa1 10.Nce2 b6 11.b5 Bd7 12.Qd3 Qa5+ gives Black a small advantage in space.
• If a) 5...Kf8 6.Nf3 then:
• If 6...Nc6 7.Bd2 cxd4 8.Nxd4 then:
• 8...Nge7 9.Nxc6 Nxc6 10.f4 Bd7 11.Bd3 g6 12.0-0-0 Rc8 13.a3 Bc5 14.Kb1 gives White a small advantage in space, concentrated on the kingside; Black is ready to counterattack on the opposite wing (Zakharchenko-Simkin, Ukrainian Ch, Kiev, 1999).
• 8...Bxc3 9.Bxc3 Nxe5 10.Nxe6+ Bxe6 11.Qb4+ Qe7 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 13.Bxe5 Nf6 14.0-0-0 gives White stronger pawns and the Bishop pair (Friedel-Pappu, Op, Framingham, 2001).
• 6...cxd4 7.Nxd4 Qa5 8.Bd2 Nc6 9.a3 f5 10.Qf4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qf4 gives White greater activity and more space (Bogatyrchik-Botvinnik, Soviet Ch, Moscow, 1927).
• If b) 5...g6 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.Bg5 Qb6 8.0-0-0 Bd7 9.Nf3 h6 10.Bf6 Nxf6 11.exf6 Bxf2 gives Black an extra pawn and more space (J. Berry-Brooks, Op, Oklahoma, 2003).

5...Bxc3+

BLACK



WHITE

Closed French Game: Nimzo-Winawer Defense (Main Line)

Position after 5...Bb4c3:N+

• The text is the Main Line.
• (Swiss Variation) If 5...Ba5 6.Qg4 Ne7 then:
• If 7.b4?! cxd4?! then:
• If 8.bxa5!? dxc3 9.Qxg7 Rg8 10.Qxh7 then:
• If 10...Nd7 11.Nf3 then:
• If 11...Nf8!? 12.Qd3 Qxa5 13.h4 Bd7 then:
• If 14.Bg5?! then:
• If 14...Rc8?! 15.Nd4 then:
• If 15...Nf5!? then:
• If 16.Rb1 then:
• If 16...Rc4? 17.Nxf5! exf5 18.Rxb7 then:
• If 18...Re4+ 19.Qxe4 then:
• 19...dxe4 20.Rb8+ Bc8 21.Bb5+ Qxb5 22.Rxb5 Ne6 23.Bf6 Rxg2 24.h5 Ba6 25.h6 Black resigns (Smyslov-Botvinnik, World Ch M, Moscow, 1954).
• 19...fxe4 20.Rb8+ Bc8 21.Bb5+ wins the Black Queen.
• If 18...Qxa3 19.Qxd5 then:
• If 19...Re4+ 20.Be3 Qc1+ 21.Qd1 then:
• If 21...Rxe3+ then White wins after 22.fxe3 Qxe3+ 23.Qe2 Qg3+ 24.Qf2 Qxe5+ 25.Qe2! when Black is out of checks.
• 21...Qxd1+ 22.Kxd1 Rxe5 23.Bg5 Rxg5 24.hxg5 wins the exchange.
• 19...Qa1+ 20.Ke2 Qb2 21.Rxb2 cxb2 22.Qb7 Rxc2+ 23.Kd1 leaves Black unable to queen the pawn.
• Black neglects his b-pawn and pays dearly. Correct is 16...b6 17.Nxf5 exf5 then:
• 18.Rd1! Ne6 19.Qxd5 Qxd5 20.Rxd5 Nxg5 21.hxg5 f4 22.g6 with equality.
• 18.Qa6?! Qxa6! 19.Bxa6 Rc5 20.Be3 Ra5 is equal.
• If 16.Nxf5 exf5 17.Rd1 then:
• If 17...Ne6 18.Qxd5 Qxd5 19.Rxd5 then:
• 19...Nxg5 20.hxg5 f4 21.Bb5 Bxb5 22.Rxb5 b6 23.Rh4 is equal.
• 19...Bc6?! 20.Bb5 Nxg5 21.hxg5 Bxb5 22.Rxb5 gives White the most active Rook.
• 17...Qxa3 18.Qxd5 Qb4 19.f3 f4 20.Bf6 Qb6 21.Qd3 leaves White with a passed pawn, two Bishops in an open center and more space.
• 15...a6 16.Rb1 b5 17.Rb3 Rc4 18.Qe3 Ra4 19.Ke2 gives White a better center and more activity for his minor pieces; Black has strength on the queenside.
• 14...Nc6 15.Bf6 Rg4 16.Be2 Re4 17.Ng5 Nb4 18.Qd1 Rd4 is equal (Tringov-Oren, Ol, Moscow, 1956).
• 14.Rb1! Qc7 15.Rb3 Rc8 16.h5 Ba4 17.Rb4 b5 18.Bf4 gives White an advancing passed pawn and a narrow advantage in space; Black's Bishop is entombed.
• If 11...Qc7! then:
• 12.Bb5 a6 13.Bxd7+ Bxd7 14.0-0 Qc4 15.Ng5 0-0-0 is equal (Vukcevich-R. Maric, Yugoslav Ch, Sombor, 1957).
• 12.Bf4 Nf8 13.Bb5+ Bd7 14.Bxd7+ Qxd7 15.Qd3 is equal (Ragozin-Botvinnik, Tng Trmt, Moscow, 1951).
• If 10...Nbc6 11.Nf3 Qc7 12.Bf4 Bd7 13.a6 0-0-0 14.axb7+ Kb8 15.Qd3 then:
• If 15...Rg4 then:
• If 16.g3 Ng6 17.Qxc3 Nxf4 18.h3 Nxh3 19.Rxh3 Nxe5 20.Qxc7+ Kxc7 21.Nxe5 Re4+ 22.Kd2 gives White an extra pawn and White can put his King's Rook on the seventh rank at will (Volokitin-Lputian, Ol, Palma de Mallorca, 2004).
• If 16.Bg3 Re4+ then:
• If 17.Be2?! Nf5! then:
• If 18.0-0?! Ncd4! 19.Nxd4 Nxd4 20.Bf3 Bb5 then:
• If 21.Bxe4 Ne2+!! 22.Kh1 Bxd3 23.Bxd3 Nxg3+ 24.fxg3 then:
• If 24...Qxe5?! 25.Rxf7 Qd6 then:
• 26.Raf1?! e5 27.R1f6 Qxa3 gives Black a slight material advantge and a better center against White's active Rooks, advanced passer and extra space (Elkin-Cioara, Euro Ch, Rijeka, 2010).
• 26.g4! Rd7 27.Rf6 Kxb7 28.g5 Re7 gives Black a slight material advantage and somewhat better center against White's active Rook, passed pawns and extra space.
• 24...Kxb7! 25.Rae1 Kc6 26.Rf4 Rg8 27.Bf1 a5 28.Re3 Kb6 give Black a slight material advantage and a moble d-pawn.
• 21.Qd1 Ne2+ 22.Bxe2 Bxe2 23.Qb1 Bxf1 24.Qxf1 Rd7 gives Black a better center and an active Rook.
• 18.Rd1 Ncd4 19.Nxd4 Nxd4 20.Qxd4 Rxd4 21.Rxd4is equal.
• 17.Kd1! Qa5 18.Qa6 Nf5 19.Qxa5 Nxa5 20.Bd3 gives White two extra pawns.
• 15...d4 16.Rb1 Rg4 17.Bg3 Nf5 18.Be2 Na5 19.0-0 gives White two extra pawns (Toro Solís de Ovando-Isslet, Corres, 2002).
• If 8.Nb5!! Bc7 9.Qxg7 Rg8 10.Qxh7 then:
• If 10...a6 11.Nxc7+ Qxc7 12.Ne2 Qxe5 then:
• If 13.Bb2 then:
• If 13...Qf6 then:
• If 14.f4 Nbc6 15.Qd3 Nf5 16.0-0-0 Qh6 17.Re1 Bd7 then:
• If 18.Kb1 Rc8 19.g3 then:
• 19...Ne3 20.Nxd4 Nxd4 21.Bxd4 Nxc2 22.Rc1 Nxd4 23.Rxc8+ Bxc8 24.Qxd4 Rxg3 gives Black an extra pawn and a small advantage in space; White has for the moment demobilized Black's center (Müller-Vaganian, Bundesliga 9394, Germany, 1993).
• 19...Kf8 20.h4 Nce7 21.Nxd4 Nxg3 22.Rh2 Qxf4 gives Black an extra pawn and more space (Yasudin-Lputian, Soviet Ch, Kiev, 1986).
• 18.Qd2 Rc8 19.Nxd4 Ncxd4 20.Bxd4 Rg4 21.Bc5 gives White the initiative owing to the pin at d5 (Hawelko-W. Schmidt, Polish ChT, Jachranka, 1987).
• 14.Qd3 e5 15.f4 Bf5 16.Qd2 Qh4+ 17.g3 gives Black the initiative and White the advantage in space (Cabrilo-Vaganian, ITZ, Manila, 1980).
• 13...Qc7 14.f4 Nbc6 15.Qd3 Nf5 16.0-0-0 Bd7 17.Re1 is equal (Dr. Nunn-Kinsman, Op, London, 1993).
• If 13.Qd3 then:
• If 13...Nbc6 14.Bb2 then:
• If 14...Bd7 15.0-0-0 Qf6 then:
• If 16.Nxd4 Qxf2 17.Nf3 Nf5 18.Qd2 Qe3 19.Bd3 then:
• 19...Nce7?! 20.Rhe1 Qxd2+ 21.Rxd2 Rc8 22.h4 gives White more freedom (Chandler-Vaganian, ITZ, Manila, 1990).
• 19...Rxg2! 20.Qxe3 Nxe3 21.Rd2 Ke7 clearly gives Black greater activity.
• 16.f4 Nf5 17.Re1 Rc8 18.g3 Qh6 19.Kb1 Kd8 20.Rc1 is equal (Curry-Madsen, Corres, 1991).
• 14...Nf5 15.0-0-0 Qf6 16.Nxd4 Nfxd4 17.Bxd4 e5 18.Bb2 give White an extra pawn and Black a center pawn duo (Liberaon-Vaganian, Euro ChT, Haifa, 1989).
• 13...Qc7 14.f4 Nbc6 15.Nxd4 Nxd4 16.Qxd4 Qxc2 17.Qd2 is equal (Kan-Botvinnik, Tng, Moscow, 1953).
• 10...Bxe5 11.Nf3 Bf6 12.Bf4 Rh8 13.Nc7+ Kf8 14.Bh6+ draw (León Cranbourne-Geo. Timoshenko, Grand Prix, Buenos Aires, 1991).
• 7.Qxg7 Rg8 8.Qxh7 cxd4 9.b4 dxc3 10.bxa5 Nd7 is the usual move order.
• (Maroczy-Wallis Variation) If 5...cxd4 6.axb4 dxc3 then:
• If 7.Nf3 then:
• If 7...Ne7 8.Bd3 Qc7 9.Ra3 cxb2 10.Bxb2 Nbc6 then:
• 11.Qd2 a5 12.bxa5 Rxa5 13.0-0 Bd7 14.Rfa1 is equal (Timmerman-Vanheste, Corres, 1990).
• 11.b5 Nb4 12.Rc3 Nxd3+ 13.Qxd3 Qa5 14.0-0 Bd7 15.Nd4 a6 is equal (Hartson-Wallis, British Ch, Coventry, 1970).
• 7...Qc7 8.Qd4 Ne7 9.Bd3 Nd7 10.0-0 Nc6 11.Qxc3 Qb6 12.b5 gives White the Bishop pair and a huge advantage in space; Black must retreat the attacked Knight (Rauzer-Alatorsev, Soviet Ch, Leningrad, 1933).
• If 7.bxc3 Qc7 8.Nf3 Ne7 9.Bd3 then:
• 9...Ng6 10.0-0 Nd7 11.Re1 Qxc3 12.Rb1 Nb6 13.Be3 Qc7 14.Bc5 Bd7 15.Ng5gives White a clear advantage in space (van den Bosch-Landau, Match, Amsterdam, 1934).
• If 9...Nd7 10.0-0 Nxe5 then:
• If 11.Nxe5 Qxe5 then:
• If 12.Re1?! Qxc3! then:
• If 13.Ra3? then:
• 13...Qf6? 14.Bb5+ Bd7 15.Rf3 Qg6 16.Rg3 Qf6 17.Bg5 gives White the initiative and a slight edge in space (Stellwagen-Soos, Op, Vlissingen, 2007).
• If 13...Qxb4! 14.Rb3 then:
• 14...Qh4!? 15.g3 Qf6 16.Bb2 Qh6 17.Ba3 b6 gives Black three extra pawns; White has more space (Kjartanson-Ingvason, Op, Reykjavik, 2008).
• If 14...Qa5! 15.Bb2 0-0 16.Ra3 Qc7 17.Be5 Qd7 still gives Black three extra pawns.
• 12.Ra3 0-0 13.c4 dxc4 14.Bxc4 Qc7 15.Bd3 e5 gives Black an extra pawn.
• 11.Bf4 Nf3+ 12.Qxf3 e5 13.Bb5+ Kf8 14.Bg3 Bf5 gives Black stronger pawns and a central duo; White has more space and will soon retrieve his lost pawn (Botvinnik-Model, Soviet Ch, Moscow, 1927).

6.bxc3 Ne7

• If 6...Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qb1 c4 then:
• If 9.Ne2 Nc6 then:
• If 10.Nf4 Bd7 11.g3 then:
• If 11...0-0-0 12.Bh3 f5 then:
• 13.0-0 Nge7 14.Bg2 Rdg8 15.Qb2 Nd8 16.Rfb1 Kb8 17.Qc1 gives White the advantage in space (Feygin-Lputian, Euro Club Cup, Kemer, 2007).
• 13.g4!? fxg4 14.Bxg4 Re8 15.h4 Re7 16.Rg1 is equal (Korneev-I. Ibragimov, IT, Montreal, 2006).
• If 11...Nge7 12.Nh5 Rg8 then:
• If 13.Bh3 0-0-0 14.0-0 Rdf8 then:
• 15.Qb2 Kb8 16.Rab1 b6 17.Rbe1 Nc8 18.f4 N8e7 is equal (Stellwagen-Sengupta, Op, Vlissingen, 2007).
• 15.Re1 Kb8 16.Qb2 Nc8 17.Re3 Qa5 18.Rb1 gives White a small advantage in space (Alvir-Zhu Chen, Ol, Torino, 2006).
• 13.Bg2 0-0-0 14.0-0 Kb8 15.Ra2 Nc8 16.f4 Nb6 is equal (B. Socko-Sánchez Jiménez, Anibal Op, Linares, 2003).
• 10.Ng3 Bd7 11.Be2 0-0-0 12.0-0 f6 13.exf6 gxf6 is equal (Swinkels-S. Berger, Bundesliga 0809, Dresden, 2008).
• 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.g3 Nge7 11.Bh3 Bd7 12.0-0 0-0-0 13.Re1 gives White a small advantage in space (Milev-Uhlmann, Blitz, 1954).
• If 6...Qc7 7.Qg4 f5 then:
• If 8.Qg3 cxd4 9.cxd4 Ne7 10.Bd2 0-0 11.Bd3 b6 12.Ne2 Ba6 13.Nf4 Qd7 14.h4 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 Rc8 16.Rh3 Rc4 17.Rg3 Nbc6 18.c3 Kh8 19.h5 Nd8 20.Kf1 Nf7 is equal (Luch-Jedynak, Rubinstein Mem, Polanica Zdroj, 2001).
• 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qd1 Bd7 10.Nf3 then:
• 10...Ba4 11.Rb1 Nd7 12.Be2 h6 13.dxc5 Nxc5 14.Rb4 Bd7 15.0-0 Ne4 16.Bd3 Ne7 is equal (Timman-Shaked, IT, Merrillville 1997).
• 10...cxd4 11.cxd4 Ba4 12.Bd2 Nc6 13.Bd3 h6 14.h4 gives White the advantage in space (J. Polgar-Short, IT, Dos Hermanas, 1997).

7.Nf3

• (Main Line Poisoned Pawn Opening) If 7.Qg4 then:
• If 7...0-0 then:
• If 8.Bd3 then:
• If 8...Nbc6 then:
• If 9.Qh5 then:
• If 9...Ng6 10.Nf3 then:
• If 10...Qc7 11.Be3 then:
• If 11...c4 then:
• 12.Bxg6 fxg6 13.Qg4 then:
• If 13...Qf7 then:
• If 14.Ng5 Qe8 15.h4 h6 16.Nh3 then:
• If 16...Ne7 17.Qe2 b5 18.g4 then:
• If 18...a5 19.h5 then:
• If 19...g5 20.f4 gxf4 then:
• 21.Bxf4 Bd7 22.Kd2 Kh7 23.Rag1 b4 24.g5 bxc3+ is equal (Airapetian-Abrahamyan, US ChW, Tulsa, 2008).
• 21.Nxf4 Bd7 22.Qg2 b4 23.Ke2 bxc3 24.g5 Kh7 is equal (Adamson-Abrahamyan, US Ch, San Diego, 2004).
• 19...gxh5 20.g5 hxg5 21.Nxg5 g6 22.Kd2 Rf5 23.Rag1 b4 is equal; White can make up the pawn minus at will aby exchanging on the queenside (Stellwagen-Dgebuadze, Op, Groningen, 2002).
• If 18...Bd7!? (Black plays with fire) 19.h5 then:
• If 19...a5?! 20.g5 Rf5?! then:
• If 21.gxh6?! Rxh5 22.Kd2 gxh6 23.Rag1 Kh7 then:
• 24.Ng5+?! hxg5 25.Rxh5+ gxh5 26.Rxg5 Qf7 gives Black an extra piece (Lutz-Jussupow, IT, Essen, 2002).
• 24.Qf3! Nf5 25.Nf4 Rxh1 26.Qxh1 b4 27.Rxg6 gives White a ferocious kingside atrack.
• If 21.hxg6! then:
• 21...h5 22.Nf4 Nxg6 23.Nxh5 Rf8 24.Qg4 Kf7 gives White an extra pawn and a considerable advantage in space concentrated in the neighborhood of the Black King.
• 21...hxg5? 22.Nxg5! Qxg6 23.Qg4 Rff8 24.Qh3 puts the Black King in a mating net.
• 19...gxh5 20.g5 hxg5 21.Nxg5 g6 22.Kd2 Kh8 23.Rag1 gives White a kingside attack.
• If 16...b5 then:
• If 17.h5 gxh5 18.Qe2 then:
• If 18...Bd7 19.Nf4 then:
• If 19...Rxf4?! 20.Bxf4 Qf7 21.Be3 Be8 then:
• 22.g4 hxg4 23.Qxg4 Qg6 then:
• 24.Qh3 Ne7 25.Kd2 Qf5 26.Rag1 Qxh3 27.Rxh3 gives White the advantage in space and domination of the kingside (Michels-E. L'Ami, Op, Groningen, 2003).
• 24.Qe2 Ne7 25.Kd2 Qf5 26.Rag1 Bg6 27.Qd1 a5 28.Rh4! forces Black to move the Queen before Wyatt Earp and Doc Halliday (the Rook at h4) arrive at the OK Corral (f4) (Ruan Lufei-Mkrtchian, FIDE Knock Out W, Ekaterinburg, 2006).
• 24.f3 Ne7 25.Kd2 h5 26.Qxg6 Bxg6 27.a4 bxa4 is equal (Kitson-Ueksti, Corres, 2004).
• 22.f3 Qc7 23.g4 Ne7 24.Kd2 Qa5 25.Qg2 Kf8 26.Rag1 gives White a material advantage (Kurnosov-A. Nielsen, Politiken Cup, Copenhagen, 2005).
• 19...g6 20.g4 Qf7 21.gxh5 g5 remains equal.
• 18...a5 19.Nf4 g6 20.g4 Ne7 21.Ng2 Kh7 22.Qd2 gives White the initiative (Svidler-Bareev, Russian Ch, Elista, 1997).
• If 17.Qe2 Bd7 18.g4 a5 then:
• If 19.h5 gxh5 then:
• If 20.g5 hxg5 21.Nxg5 g6 then:
• If 22.0-0-0 Qe7 23.Rdg1 Qxa3+ 24.Kd2 b4 25.Ne4 then:
• 25...dxe4? 26.Qxh5! Rxf2+ 27.Bxf2 Qxc3+ 28.Kd1 Qf3+ (Otherwise, White plays 29.Qh7+ Kf8 30.Qh8+ Ke7 31.Rh7#) 29.Qxf3 exf3 30.Rxg6+ Kf7 31.Rf6+ Ke7 32.Rh7+ Black resigns (Bacrot-Vaisser, French Ch, Aix-les-Bains, 2003).
• If 25...bxc3+ 26.Nxc3 Kf7? 27.Rxg6!! then:
• 27...Ke8 28.Qxh5 Kd8 29.Rg7 gives White a winning position.
• If 27...Kxg6 then 28.Qxh5+ Kg7 29.Qh7#.
• 22.Qf1! Ra7 23.Qg2 Rf5 24.Nf3 Qf7 25.Nh4 gives White an overwhelming position from which he wins (Areshchenko-Efimenko, Ukrainian Ch, Rivine, 2005).
• 20.Rg1 Ne7 21.gxh5 Kh7 22.Qg4 Nf5 23.Kd2 Qe7 is equal.
• 19.Nf4 Ne7 20.h5 g5 21.Nh3 b4 is equal (Lahno-Smeets, IT C, Wijk aan Zee, 2004).
• If 14.h4 then:
• If 14...Qf5 15.Qxf5 Rxf5 16.Ke2 then:
• If 16...h6 Bd7 17.g4 Rf7 then:
• If 18.Rag1 19.Ne1 Raf8 20.f4 Be8 21.Rg3 then:
• 21...Rc7 22.Ng2 Ne7 23.Bc1 Rc6 24.Rf1 Rb6 25.Ne3 gives Black healthier pawns and White a small advantage in space (V. Rajlich-Hoang Thang Trang, Elekases Mem, Budapest, 2001).
• 21...b5 22.Ng2 Rb7 23.Rf1 Kh7 24.Ne1 a5 25.Kd2 is equal (V. Rajlich-Berkes, 1st Saturday June, Budapest, 2001).
• 18.h5 g5 19.Ng1 Bd7 20.Nh3 Raf8 21.Rhf1 Rf3 is equal (T. Ernst-A. Olsson, Swedish Ch, Umea, 2003).
• 16...Bd7 17.g4 Rff8 18.Rab1 b6 19.Ne1 h6 20.f4 is equal (Munguntuul-Mrktchian, Grand Prix W, Doha, 2011).
• 14...h6 (this is a smart move; the g6 square is weakened, but it will be easier to protect with with White's light-bound Bishop) 15.h5 g5 16.Ng1 b5 17.Ne2 a5 18.f4 is equal (N. Guiliev-Dgebuadze, Rapid, 2005).
• If 13...Bd7 14.h4 Rf5 15.h5 gxh5 16.Rxh5 then:
• If 16...Rxh5 17.Qxh5 Be8 18.Qh3 Nd8 then:
• If 19.Kd2 Bg6 20.Nh4 Qf7 21.g4 Nc6 then:
• 22.f4 Ne7 23.Rf1 Rf8 24.a4 b6 25.Kd1 Be4 is equal (Haast-Mellema, IT, Hoogeveen, 2009).
• 22.Rf1 Rf8 23.Qg3 Qe8 24.f3 Ne7 25.Bg5 Nc6 is equal (Papa-Kniest, Op, Zürich, 2004).
• 19.Bg5 Bf7 20.Kd2 Qd7 21.Nh4 Qe8 22.g4 Bg6 is equal (Potkin-Dgebuadze, Bundesliga 0809, Germany, 2008).
• 16...Raf8 17.Rh3 Be8 18.Ng5 Qa5 19.Kd2 Rxg5 20.Qxg5 gives White both a material and spatial advantage (T. Ernst-Rylander, Swedish Ch, Umea, 2003).
• If 11...Nce7 12.h4 Bd7 13.a4 then:
• If 13...f5 14.exf6 Rxf6 then:
• If 15.0-0 c4 16.Bxg6 Nxg6 17.Rfe1 then:
• 17...Raf8 18.a5 h6 19.Qg4 Kh7 20.h5 Ne7 21.Ne5 Be8 22.Qh3 Nc6 draw (Brkic-Drasko, Op, Zadar, 2005).
• 17...Qd6 18.Bg5 Rf5 19.Qg4 Nh8 20.Ne5 Nf7 21.Bf4 is equal (Smirin-Dolmatov, Aeroflot Op, Moscow, 2003).
• 15.Bg5 cxd4 16.cxd4 Qc3+ 17.Ke2 h6 18.Bd2 Nf4+ is equal (Fressinet-Drasko, Paris Ch, 2005).
• If 13...Rac8 14.Qg4 f5 15.Qh3 then:
• 15...cxd4 16.cxd4! h6 17.h5 gives White a comfortable advantage in space (Kovacevic-Drasko, Serbia-Montenegro ChT, Budva, 2003).
• 15...Qa5 16.0-0 c4 17.Be2 Nh8 18.h5 Qxc3 19.Rfc1 gives White a small overall advantage; the sooner Black extricates his Queen, the better off he'll be.
• 10.Nh3 Qc7 11.Be3 Nce7 12.f4 Qa5 13.Bd2 Qa4 14.g4!? c4! gives Black a small advantage in space (J. Polgar-Hillarp Person, IT Malmö, 2005).
• If 9.Bg5 Qa5 10.Ne2 Ng6 11.0-0 then:
• If 11...Qa4 then:
• If 12.f4 c4 13.Bxg6 fxg6 14.Ra2 then:
• If 14...Bd7 15.h4 then:
• If 15..Rf5 16.h5 gxh5 17.Qxh5 then:
• If 17...Raf8?! 18.g4! R5f7 19.Kg2 Ne7 then:
• 20.Rh1! h6 21.Bxe7 Rxe7 22.Qh4 Ref7 23.g5 gives White the advantage in space and the restraint of Black's queenside; Black's Bishop isn't bad, it's abyssmal (Kountz-Farago, Op, Feffernitz, Austria, 2001).
• 20.Bxe7 Rxe7 21.f5 exf5 22.gxf5 Ref7 23.Ng3 gives White the advantage in space; the focus of the game is f5 (So-Brittner, Ol, Torino, 2006).
• 17...h6 18.Ng3 hxg5 19.Nxf5 exf5 20.fxg5 is equal.
• If 15...Rf7 16.h5 gxh5 17.Qxh5 Raf8 18.Qg4 b5 19.Rf3 then:
• 19...a5 20.Nc1 b4 21.axb4 Qb5 22.bxa5 Ra8 23.Rf1 gives White a small advantage in space (C. van Ooosterom-Michielsen, Dutch ChT 0708, Holland, 2007).
• 19...Ne7 20.Bxe7 Rxe7 21.f5 Rxf5 22.Rxf5 exf5 23.Qg5 is equal (Timmerman-Rittner, Corres, 2003).
• 14...b5 15.Bh4 Bd7 16.Qg3 Qa6 17.Rb1 Rab8 18.Qe1 is equal (Libeau-Uhlmann, Bundesliga 9495, Germany, 1995).
• 12.Qg3 cxd4 13.f4 Kh8 14.h4 Nge7 15.Bxe7 Nxe7 16.cxd4 is equal (Popov-Grigoryan, World Jr Ch, Yerevan, 2007).
• If 11...c4 12.Bxg6 fxg6 13.a4 then:
• If 13...Qc7 14.Bc1 Qf7 15.Ng3 then:
• If Bd7 16.f3 Rfc8 17.h4 Be8 18.Kf2 Ne7 is equal (Domínguez Pérez-Jussupow, Ol, Torino, 2006).
• 15...Ne7 16.a5 Nf5 17.Ne2 Bd7 18.h4 b6 is equal (Domínguez Pérez-Bareev, Capablanca Mem, Havana, 2006)
• 13...Rf7 14.f4 Bd7 15.Rf3 Raf8 16.Rh3 Qb6 17.Qh4 h6 gives Black the use of the b-file and he can bring his Queen to b2 at will.
• If 8...f5 9.exf6 Rxf6 10.Bg5 Rf7 then:
• If 11.Qh5 g6 12.Qd1 Nbc6 13.Nf3 then:
• If 13...Qf8 14.0-0 c4 15.Be2 h6 16.Bc1 then:
• If 16...Qg7 17.Qd2 Nf5 then:
• 18.h4 Bd7 19.Bb2 Qf6 20.g3 e5 21.dxe5 Nxe5 22.Nxe5 Qxe5 gives Black a better center, healthier pawns and more space (J. Polgar-Timman, Donner Mem, Amsterdam, 1995).
• 18.Re1 Kh7 19.a4 g5 20.h3 Nd6 21.Qd1 Bd7 is equal (Teichmeister-Praznik, Corres, 1999).
• If 16...Bd7 17.a4 Qg7 then:
• If 18.Ba3 g5 19.Bd6 then:
• If 19...Nf5 20.Be5 then:
• If 20...Qg6 then:
• If 21.Bc7 g4 22.Ne5 Nxe5 23.Bxe5 h5 24.a5 Kh7 then:
• If 25.Rb1 Ba4 26.g3 Raf8 27.Qd2 Ng7 28.Rb2 Ne8 29.Ra2 Bc6 30.Raa1 Nf6 31.f3 gxf3 draw (Knoll-Ernazarov, Corres, 2006).
• 25.Qd2 Nh4 26.Kh1 Raf8 27.Bd6 Rd8 28.Bg3 Nf5 29.Be5 Rdf8 draw (Kangur-Ernazarov, Corres, 2006).
• 21.h3 h5 22.Bh2 g4 then:
• 23.Ne5!? Nxe5 24.Bxe5 gxh3 gives Black the initiative and a small advantage in space (J. Geller-Koeyrev, Aeroflot Op B, Moscow, 2005).
• 23.hxg4 hxg4 24.Ne5 Nxe5 25.Bxe5 is equal.
• 20...Qf8 21.h3 Qe7 22.Bh2 Nd6 23.Ne5 Nxe5 24.Bxe5 Ne4 25.Bh5 gives White gives White the initiative (P. Smirnov-Halkias, Euro Ch, Istanbul, 2003).
• 19...Ng6 20.Qd2 Rd8 21.h3 Bc8 22.Bg3 Nf4 23.Bd1 Rdf8 is equal (Timmerman-Anton, Corres, 1996).
• 18.Qd2 Kh7 19.Ba3 g5 20.Bd6 Nf5 21.Be5 Qg6 22.g4 Nh4 23.Nxh4 gxh4 gives Black a small advantage in space (Colijn-Steenbekkers, Op, Vlissingen, 2007).
• If 13...Qa5 14.Bd2 then:
• If 14...Qc7 15.dxc5 e5 then:
• If 16.Ng5 Rf8 17.c4 e4 then:
• If [font