Ga ea EL OEM eI E) EB icicela(elers opening repertoire ahCyrus Lakdawala a ferocious opening repertoire EVERYMAN CHESS Gloucester Publishers plc. www.everymanchess.comFirst published in 2010 by Gloucester Publishers plc (formerly Everyman Publishers plc), Northburgh House, 10 Northburgh Street, London EC1V OAT Copyright © 2010 Cyrus Lakdawala The right of Cyrus Lakdawala to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978 1 85744 6616 Distributed in North America by The Globe Pequot Press, P.O Box 480, 246 Goose Lane, Guilford, CT 06437-0480, All other sales enquiries should be directed to Everyman Chess, Northburgh House, 10 Northburgh Street, London EC1V OAT tel: 020 7253 7887 fax: 020 7490 3708 email: info@everymanchess.com; website: www.everymanchess.com Everyman is the registered trade mark of Random House Inc, and is used in this work under licence from Random House Inc. Everyman Chess Series Chief advisor: Byron Jacobs Commissioning editor: John Emms Assistant editor: Richard Palliser Typeset and edited by First Rank Publishing, Brighton. Cover design by Horatio Monteverde. Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays, Bungay, Suffolk.Contents wort nur wne Roe BOO Bibliography Introduction The Veresov: 3...\bd7 4 f3!? The Veresov: 3...\bd7 4 Wd3 The Veresov: Other Defences Veresov versus French: Lines with .. Df6 Veresov versus French: Lines without ... Af6 1.d4 d5 2 @c3: Second-Move Alternatives Veresov versus Caro-Kann Veresov versus Dutch Modern, Pirc and Philidor Schmid Benoni and Czech Benoni 1...Ac6 and Owen's Defence Index of Variations Index of Games 10 45 74 109 130 163 188 208 233 263 280 298 302Bibliography Dangerous Weapons: The French, john Watson (Everyman Chess 2007) Dangerous Weapons: The Pirc and Modern, Richard Palliser (Everyman Chess 2009) Dealing with d4 Deviations, John Cox (Everyman Chess 2005) Fighting the Anti-King’s Indians, Yelena Dembo (Everyman Chess 2008) French: Advance and Other Lines, Steffen Pedersen (Gambit 2005) How to Play Against 1 e4, Neil McDonald (Everyman Chess 2008) Pirc Alert!, Lev Alburt and Alex Chernin (Chess Info. and Research Centre 2001) Play 1...b6, Christian Bauer (Everyman Chess 2005) Play 1...2c6, Christoph Wisnewski (Everyman Chess 2007) Play the Dutch, Neil McDonald (Everyman Chess 2010) Play the French, John Watson (Everyman Chess 2003) Starting Out: d-pawn Attacks, Richard Palliser (Everyman Chess 2008) Starting Out: The Modern, Nigel Davies (Everyman Chess 2008) Starting Out: The Pirc/Modern, Joe Gallagher (Everyman Chess 2003) The Black Lion, Jerry van Rekom and Leo Jansen (New in Chess 2008) The Flexible French, Viktor Moskalenko (New In Chess 2008) The French, Viacheslav Eingorn and Valentin Bogdanov (Gambit 2008) The French Defense, Svetozar Gligoric and Wolfgang Uhlmann (RHM Press 1975) The Lion, Jerry van Rekom and Leo Janssen (Uitgeverij Schaaknieuws 2001) The Pirc Defense, Alex Chemin and Jan Cartier (Hays 1997) The Richter-Veresov System: The Chameleon Chess Repertoire, Eduard Gufeld and Oleg Stetsko (Thinker’s Press 1999) The Ultimate Pirc, John Nunn and Colin McNab (Batsford 1998) The Veresov, Nigel Davies (Everyman Chess 2003) The Veresov Attack, Ken Smith and John Hall (Chess Digest 1994) Tiger's Modern, Tiger Hillarp Persson (Quality Chess 2005) Win with the London System, Sverre Johnsen and Vlatko Kovacevic (Gambit 2005) Jalso referred to material from ChessPublishing.comIntroduction: The Veresov This book is really the result of a happy accident. | had just finished my first book for Everyman Chess on the London System, when John Emms asked if | wanted to do a second book - on the Veresov. Apparently he had seen several of my games with the Veresov in the database. There was only one problem: John had been looking at my younger brother Jimmy’s games! The database had inadvertently posted many of Jimmy's games under my name. Jimmy had played the Veresov in the 80’s and had long since retired from tournament play to become a captain of industry, running our family business. |, on the other hand, had not played a single Veresov in my life. After confessing this to John he gave me the go ahead any- way. Pethaps John thought Veresov was in the Lakdawala family genes! The book constituted a real chal- lenge, and the irony of a London-loving chess chicken like me writing a book on one of the most bloodthirsty openings in chess was not lost on me. | had al- ways considered the Veresov an open- ing of dubious lineage. After all, with 1 d4 and 2 4\c3 White violates one of the biggest taboos in chess, which is don’t block your c-pawn with your knight in a Queen’s Pawn opening. What never oc- curs to Veresov naysayers is the fact that White isn’t trying for c4, but instead plays for e4! Diehard Veresovers like Jimmy knew better. He would heap po- etic praises upon his beloved opening. Not wishing to hurt the lad’s feelings, | indulged him by nodding politely, coughing, looking up at the ceiling and whistling through my teeth, holding back any criticism of his favourite open- ing. Now, having thoroughly studied the opening, | can state with confidence that Jimmy was right and | was wrong. The Veresov is completely playable, and if you are a tactician and attacking player, it tends to suck your opponent into your realm of power. Nobody both- ers to study the line as Black. So the greatest strength of the Veresov is its own dubious reputation!A Ferocious Opening Repertoire Profile of a Veresover Jimmy was born to play the Veresov: 1. He was incredibly lazy about open- ing study. In fact, he reached an impres- sive US Chess Federation rating just over 2400 without ever studying a single chess book! A feat only the young Capa matched. The opening is easy to lear because you play d4, “\c3, 2g5 and of- ten f3 against just about everything. The idea behind the opening is incredi- bly simple: force e4! no matter how Black responds. This one guiding princi- ple makes your opening choices easy. 2. He was lopsided in his chess abili- ties. | would estimate his strategic un- derstanding at the level of a typical kindergartener, while his tactical and calculation abilities were right in the neighbourhood of Rybka! Once at a family birthday party | was playing GM Kaidanov in a 5-0 game on the ICC. Jimmy came in late, looked at the posi- tion for about 20 seconds and stopped me from making the move | was going to play. He reeled off a long variation with a cheapo at the end and insisted | play it. Kaidanov walked right into it! 3. Jimmy was happiest when the position was a mess. The more unclear the position, the better. And with the Veresov that’s what you get. So if you have any of the following similar traits, then the Veresov is a per- fect opening choice: you don’t have much time or inclination for study; you are a natural tactician; and you revel in chaotic positions. AHistory of the Veresov Besides Jimmy, the other founding fa- thers of the opening were Savielly Tar- takower, who invented the line in the 1920’s and played it his entire life; Kurt Richter, who played it mostly in the 30's; and Gavril Veresov, who played it from the 30’s to the mid-70's. Gavril Veresov must have had the better press agent for the opening to be named af- ter him. Its pedigree includes four World Champions who employed it: Smyslov, Tal, Spassky and Karpov. The top GMs who play it today are Hector and Khachian. Here is an early game in the Veresov. Note the utter confusion the opening inflicts on Black! Game 1 K.Richter-G.Rogmann Berlin 1937 1d4 Af6 2 Ac3 d5 3 2g5 c6 4 #3 We Y Vy, Ak = NS “ \ Ve. e “ Poly >| aw Logical. Black hits the sore spot on b2 before White gets into his groovewith Wd2 and 0-0-0. 5 eal? White can also take the milquetoast route with 5 Hb1, but any red-blooded Veresover would hang his head down in shame if this were played! 5...Wxb2 6 Dge2 e6 Choosing to keep the game closed to protect himself from White’s devel- opment lead. Instead, 6...dxe4!? 7 fxe4. Waz 8 e5 Ads 9 Bd2 2g4 10 AxdS cxd§ 11 Wb1! gives White enough for the pawn. 7 e5 Dfd7 8 Xba Wa3 9 Eb3 Was 10 d2 We7 11 fa a6! It is too soon for 11..c5?! 12 Abs We6 13 cA! dxc4 14 &xc4 cxd4 15 We2 when the game has blasted open and White holds a massive development lead. 12 £d3? His d-pawn required support with 12 Ace2 c5 13 c3. 12...2e7? | just don’t buy that White has full compensation for the piece if Black strikes with 12..c5! 13 Acxd5 (what else?) 13..exd5 14 Axd5 Wd8 15 e6 fxe6 16 We2 &f7 17 Af4 Ab6. More- over, Black’s failure to counter in the centre results in a massive build-up against his king later in the game. 13 0-0 0-0 This time the central counter entails tisk: 13...c5!? 14 Dcxd5 exdS 15 Axd5 Wad8 16 c3 Acé 17 Be3 cxd4 18 cxd4a 0-0 19 @xe7+ Wxe7 20 Wb1 and White has only one pawn for the piece, but Introduction may still have adequate compensation. He enjoys plenty of extra space and the bishop pair, not to mention that his pieces are aimed at Black’s king and he might begin a giant pawn roller, start- ing with f4, 14 We1 Hes Black's position falls apart after the mistimed 14...c5? 15 Acxd5! exd5 16 Dxd5 Wd8 17 2a5! b6 18 Wed! g6 19 Exbél. 15 Wg3 Afar! 15.5! 16 Dcxds! exds 17 Axds Wd8 is messy but probably still in Black’s favour. 16 Dhs Dgé 17 £4 2d8?! Black just doesn’t believe in coun- tering wing attacks with central count- ers! He had to plunge into the craziness of 17...c5 18 f5!. 18 Wh3 b5?! On his tombstone, Rogmann should have had the undertaker inscribe: “I wish | had played ..c5!” Even here, 18...c5 19 f5 exfS 20 Axd5 leads to a typical Veresov mess. 19 gal We7A Ferocious Opening Repertoire For the love of God, man, ...c5! But maybe now it is too late. Also, please note how kind | am in awarding most of Black’s non-...cS moves ‘?!’ instead of the full ‘?’ that they deserve. Here after 19...c5 20 f5 exfS 21 gxf5 4 22 &xg7! White has a crushing at- tack. 205! Planning to entomb Black’s king with a knight sac on f6. 20...b6 21 Dez c5! Hooray! Perhaps this move should be awarded a ‘Il’. Unfortunately, it ar- tives too late. 22 Df6+! The original maestro of the Veresov (the Richter-Veresov?) goes on to give a beautiful demonstration in the art of attack. 22...gxf6 23 gxfé WES 24 wha cxd4 The force of White’s kingside build- up is revealed in the lines: 24...c4?? 25 &b4! which traps the queen, and 24... Nc6 25 f5 exf5 26 6 f4 27 Whs. 25 Hga Ad7 26 Whs Axf6 27 exfé Ha7 28 ba! Deflecting a key defender. 28...2¢5 29 Bxcs Wxcs 30 2xgé fxgé 31 Exg6+! Obvious but still pretty. 31...2h8 Black’s king is utterly overwhelmed. This is how Napoleon must have felt near the end of the Battle of Waterloo! If 31..hxg6 32 Wxg6+ &f8 33 Bg3 and mate next move. 32 f7! 1-0 Black can’t deal with the double threats of 33 fxe8(Q+) and 33 We5+. Summary .-C5 was required! Defensive technique has come a long way since 1937. Today, most club players would reflexively counter in the centre at the first sign of a white attack, but one thing remains constant: the Veresov continues to con- fuse Black. The Tone of this Book | hope the reader will forgive my occa- sional overly-goofy tone. In the middle of a chapter, | may suddenly engageyou in a conversation about the Borg Collective and go on to confess impure thoughts towards space goddess Sevenofnine! The idea is to recreate the casual atmosphere of chess lessons at my home rather than that of a profes- sor in a lecture hall. It’s actually a mys- tery to me why most chess books are so formally written, as if readers are Amish elders rather than the goofs and nerds most of us are! Besides, | can’t help it. The dangerous combination of Jimi Hendrix and Buddhist chants blasting away on the CD player while | write induces such outbursts! | hope the reader gets as much enjoyment reading this book as | did writing it. Acknowledgments No project this large gets produced by a single individual without the helping Introduction kindness of others. | would like to thank John Emms for his Capa-like clar- ity with the chapter outlines, and also for allowing me to write the book the way | did. Thanks to Richard Palliser for his final edit of the book. Thanks to my friends Dave Hart and Peter Graves for their helpful discussions and sugges- tions while the book was in progress. Thanks to proof-reader-in-chief Nancy, and to computer wiz Timothy (I would like to add that any lingering resent- ment over the fact that the damned fool accidentally deleted a full day's work in Chapter Six has dissolved in the fog of time!). Cyrus Lakdawala, San Diego, November 2010Chapter One The Veresov: 3...Abd7 4 f3!? 1.4 Af6 2 “\e3 d5 3 &g5 Abd7 4 f3!? If you decide to play the 4 f3!? Veresov, be prepared to enter the rab- bit hole. The lines in this chapter are the craziest and some would claim ™most unsound of the entire Veresov. And indeed, there are several lines which are flat out unsound. | tried to weed these out and place them at a safe distance in the notes! Don’t worry though. If you don’t like the positions from this chapter, you always have the 10 option of skipping the lines here and heading to the solidity of 4 Wd3 in Chapter Two. Key ideas to remember 1. The first two games deal with Black’s worst option, which is the French-like situations arising from the ..€6 lines. The trouble for Black is that he already committed his knight to d7, and everyone knows that the b8-knight should be developed to c6 in a French. 2. Khachian-Donchenko is an ex- ample of the ...c5 lines, usually played on Black’s fourth move. Here | recom- mend taking on c5 and holding on for dear life, usually with b4. Black nor- mally regains the pawn due to his de- velopment lead and the arising posi- tions are interesting battles between White’s big queenside pawn majority and Black’s central advance. 3. The diagram below reveals thebig problem with playing 4 f3. The rec- ipe for Black (often given as a refuta- tion of the Veresov itself) is the set-up _Nbd7, ..c6, and when White plays e4, capture on e4 and hit back with a timely ..e5!. Structurally White remains pretty shaky in these lines and he is often forced to part with his powerful dark- squared bishop. | tried to thread the needle, and feel that the lines recom- mended here are the only playable op- tions for White who gets activity, a de- velopment lead and attacking chances to compensate for some of his posi- tional failings. Yilmazyerli-Song is a good example of White's explosive po- tential in this line. 4. Warning: This line is reserved for the very bravest of you out there! The 7 ®f3 line, as in the above diagram, is your wildest option in the whole 4 f3 Veresov. White gives up structure, tak- ing on an isolani on e4, and sometimes even gives up his b-pawn to boot. But don’t despair. You get quite a bit in re- turn in the form of tremendous piece The Veresov: 3...Abd7 4 f3!? activity, open files and real attacking chances. Here you just plunge into the ocean and either get the pearl or drown! Game 2 R.Réti-S.Tartakower Vienna 1919 1.4 d5 2 \c3 Af6 3 2g5 Abd7 4 f3 Who would have guessed that it was Réti, godfather of the hypermod- erns, who employed the very first pure Veresov? 4.uh6 5 2h4 | recently tested the rarely-played 5 &f4!? in an ICC blitz game, which con- tinued 5...c5 6 e4 cxd4 7 Wxd4 e5?! (un- sound, but very difficult to meet in a blitz game) 8 &xe5 2c5 9 Rxf6 gxfé 10 Wxd5 (the safer 10 Wd2!? also denies Black full compensation since 10...\Wb6? is met by the simple 11 a4!) 10..Wb6 11 Dge2? (11 0-0-0!! refutes Black’s sac after 11..2xg1 12 &b5 £e3+ 13 bt 0-0 14 &xd7 Hd8 15 Axc8l! Hxd5 16 Dxd5 Wes 17 Rxb7 Ef8 18 Dxfo+ and 11A Ferocious Opening Repertoire White's knight, rook and four pawns outweigh Black’s lone queen) 11...2f2+ 12 &d1 0-0 and in C.lakdawala~’Zq’, Internet blitz 2010, Black had full com- pensation in the form of his lead in de- velopment, White’s harassed king, and his domination of the dark squares. 5..06 6 ed Le7?7! This move is played all the time by Black, but it simply leads to a rotten French Defence, with his knight mis- placed on d7. Perhaps Black should risk 6...dxe4!? 7 fxe4 &b4 8 e5 959 &g3 AdS 10 Age2 c5 11 a3 2xc3+ 12 Axc3 De3 13 Wd2 cxd4 14 Dbs We 15 Ad6+ &f8 and now, instead of 16 Hc1!? as in F.Cottegnie-R.Cardoso, correspondence 2004, White might play the safer 16 c3! dxc3 17 Wxc3 Dds 18 Wd2 We3+ 19 Wxe3 “xe3 20 Hc1 when his develop- ment lead and open files give him more than enough compensation for the pawn in the queenless middlegame. 7e5 hs 7..Dg8 8 &f2 2b4 9 f4 De7 10 FZ leaves Black tangled. 8 2xe7 Wxe7 9 g3 12 Preparing to build his centre with £4. Meanwhile, Black’s knight floats in outer space on h5. 9...0-0 10 f4 g6 11 Wd2 White has achieved a wonderful version of the French Defence. 11...)g7 12 D€3 ¢5 13 2h3 Playing for the f5 pawn break. 13...82h7 14 0-0 14 0-0-0! and then continuing as he did in the game looks grim for Black. 14...cxd4 15 Dxd4 a6 16 Kae b5 16...h5 only stalls White's plan of g4: 17 &g2 b5 18 h3 and g4 follows. 174! The breakthrough f5 is coming. 17...2b7 18 #5 Wg5?! Fearing for his king, Black bails out into a rancid ending. He probably should have taken his chances in the line 18...Wh4 19 Hf3 gxfs 20 gxfs Hg8 21 #h1 cS. Even here though, White's attacking chances clearly trump Black's ability to counterattack against the somewhat exposed position of White’s king. 19 Wxgs hxg5 20 f6 Ae8 21 Ze3 hs22 Hda Retaining the bind over the materi- alistic 22 AF3!? &g8 23 Axgs d4 24 8d3 Axes 25 Exd4 Bc8 which offers Black some counterplay for the pawn. 22...8g8 23 a3?? Careless. 23 &f1 keeps Black totally tied up. 23.882? Laissez faire? Both Grandmasters overlook the simple 23...2xe5! 24 Hxe5 &xh3 which leaves White down a pawn and overextended. 24 2fal Now he sees the threat. 24...Dexf6! A temporary piece sac to mix it up. Possibly Réti, a habitual time trouble addict, may have been low on the clock at this point. Tartakower’s sac gives him practical chances. 25 exf6 e5 26 Af! 26 &dxb5?! allows Black back into the game after 26...axb5 27 &xb5 Axf6 28 Exes Hh4! and Black is still kicking. 26...d4 27 Dxda? 27 @xes! Dxe5 28 Exe5 dxc3 29 The Veresov: 3...2bd7 4 31? bxc3 £F3 30 Hd6 Bxc3 31 &d3 Hxa3z 32 &xg6! and Fritz announces a forced mate in 21 moves, while Rybka dis- putes this and claims a mate in 10. Ob- viously someone is not telling the truth here! 27...exd4 28 Exd4 @xf6 29 h3 &g7 30 Rg2?! 30 a4! was White’s last chance to continue the pressure. 30...&xg2 31 &xg2 BhdB Y2-Y2 Alucky escape for Black. Summary One of the great trade secrets of Veresov practitioners is to con unsus- pecting opponents into bad versions of the French Defence. You will see this pattern over and over again in this book. Game 3 M.Khachian-A.Kostin Pardubice 1996 1.d4 Afé 2 Ac3 My friend GM Melik Khachiyan and | have had many interesting battles over the years. He is one of the few grand- masters who regularly employs the Veresov. 2.5 3 2g5 Dbd7 4 f3 h6 5 Bh4 e671 6 e4 2e77e5 Dh5 8 Qxe7 Wxe7 9 Dh3! Possibly even stronger than 9 g3 which Réti used in the very first Veresov. White threatens to trap the wayward h5-knight with g4. But the 13A Ferocious Opening Repertoire question remains: is g4 really a threat? 9...052! Allowing the trap. Black sacs a piece to destroy the white centre, but just doesn’t get enough for it. He probably couldn't, though, stomach the position after 9..g5 10 g3 Ag7 11 Wd2 a6 12 Dd1 c5 13 c3 £6 14 4. 10 ga! The answer is: Yes, g4! is a real threat. 10...Wh4+ 11 vez Welcome to a typical Veresov posi- tion! The situation looks irrational and possibly very dangerous for White, but Khachian shows deep understanding of 14 his lines and demonstrates that the position is clearly in White’s favour, if not winning. 11...cxd4 12 Wxd4 f6 He can’t extricate the knight with 12...g6?? 13 Abs! (hitting c7, and also covering White’s queen on d4) 13...0-0 14 gxhs. 13 Wa! The power of preparation. What first looked like a dangerous black at- tack is now an arrow shot with the strength of a child. Black would have decent compensation if he could keep the queens on the board. Unfortu- nately for him, they come off and he just doesn’t have enough against accu- tate defence. 13...Wxf2+ 14 Sxf2 fxe5 15 gxh5 0-016 wbg2 Ate?! 16..Bf5 puts up more resistance, but still fails to 17 &d3 Exhs 18 296 Eh4 19 Hhe1 b6 20 Af2 2b7 21 Ad3 e4 22 3! (certainly not 22 fxe4?? Hg4+) 22...Df8 23 Des Axgé 24 Axgé Hhs 25 h4! @h7 26 Af4 Hes 27 fre dxe4 28 ad1 and White wins without trouble.17 Hei e4 18 fxe4 dg 19 Adi eS 19...Axh5 20 Le2 Af6 21 e5 is also quite joyless for Black. 20 Be2 Le6 21 Ddf2 Hac8 22 Hci SF7 23 Ehfa Dxh5 24 Sxh5 Axh5 25 Adz Bfe8 26 Dgil Preparing to hit the e5-pawn a sec- ond time with Df3 and also denying Black even a trace of counterplay like in the line 26 Hf5? &g6 27 Exe5 Exe5 28 Dxe5 Bxe4+ 29 &g3 Sixc2 when Black is still busted but at least has some hope. 26...8c7 27 Df3 Hec8 Passive defence with 27...2.ce7 28 c3 £96 29 Bfe1 doesn’t improve matters. The Veresov: 3...2bd7 4 f3!? 28 Hf2 2g6 29 Be2 &f7 30 a3 The e5-pawn is not running away. 30...S2¢4 31 DfxeS BbS 32 Ed2 Hes 33 Bei Hce7 34 Df3 Hxe4 35 Exe4 xe 36 Df2l 1-0 Summary White has a wealth of good moves in this line on move nine, including 9 &h3!. Game 4 M.Khachian-T.Abrahamyan Los Angeles 2010 1 dg Af6 2 c3 d5 3 Qgs Abd7 4 f3 h6!? Tossing in this move and chasing the bishop from g5 actually may help White over the normal lines. 5 aha Alternatively 5 2f4 c6 6 e4 Wb6 and now: a) White obtains a clear advantage after 7 e5! Dh5 8 &c1 g6 9 f4 thanks to his huge space advantage, while every 15A Ferocious Opening Repertoire developed black piece looks misplaced. b) However, Jimmy Lakdawala, unlike his timid older brother, rarely backed down from semi-sound sacs, so J.Lakdawala-LShamkovich, US Open 1987, continued 7 Wd2?! dxed!? (if Black is going to allow White a Black- mar-Diemer Gambit then his queen is misplaced on b6; 7...Wxb2 looks quite reasonable since the position remains closed for the time being, and the onus is on White to prove he has enough compensation for the pawn) 8 0-0-0 e3!? (chickening out! | would still ac- cept with 8..exf3) 9 &xe3 Wa5 10 &c4. Db 11 2b3 Afds 12 Dxds Wxd2+ 13 xd2 cxd5 with an equal ending. 5.06 The lines involving 4...c6 and 5...c6 are clearly the biggest headache for White in the 4 f3 Veresov. 6 Wd2!? A move like this may transpose to 4 ‘Wd2 lines. 6 e4 is also fine here as long as White is willing to sac the b2-pawn: 6...dxe4 7 fxe4 (7 &c4!? is a Blackmar- 16 Diemer Gambit) 7...Wb6!? (7...e5?! doesn’t make as much sense when the white bishop has been chased away from g5) 8 dxe5 Axes (the problem is that Black doesn’t have the normal ~ a5 in this line since there is no hanging bishop on g5) 8 &c4 Wxb2 9 Dge2 Wb4 10 Wd3 Ab6 11 2b3 g5 12 &g3 was G.Portisch-M.Hell, St Ingbert 1997, when White had great compen- sation for the pawn: 1. A development lead; 2. Control over the centre; 3. The open b- and f-files for his tooks; and 4. Black’s ...g5!? makes it easier for White to prise open the kingside. 6...e5 7 e3 Very flexible. White doesn’t have to achieve e4 in every single Veresov. 7..exd4 8 exd4 We reach an opposite-wing attack- ing version of an Exchange line of the French Defence. Let’s assess: 1. Black weakened her king’s cover with ...h6; 2. White may take advantage of thiswith a quick g4-g5, opening lines quickly against Black’s king; 3. White’s bishop on h4 is in the way of the h-pawn and slows his attack; 4. White must also be on the look- out for tactics based on the loose bishop with ...Ae4 tricks; and 5. White’s king doesn’t exactly have a safe haven on the queenside and Black’s attack develops quickly there too. Conclusion: the chances are dy- namically balanced. 8...2€7 9 0-0-0 0-0 Accepting the challenge. Another plan is to be uncooperative and try to castle queenside with 9..2f8!?. The obvious trouble with this plan is that it is slow. 10 g4 bS Both sides go after each other with great abandon! 11 Dh3!? He wants to achieve g5 as quickly as possible. Another plan would be to clear the way for his h-pawn and con- trol b8 with 11 293 Abé6 12 h4 Ac4. Now White can choose between: a) 13 Wa Was 14 &xcq dxc4 15 95 Dds 16 Axd5 cxd5 17 &b1 hs and the player with the superior attacking skills will probably win this one. b) 13 &xc4 bxc4 14 g5 Dh5 15 Re5 6 16 gxf6 &xf6 17 Age2 with mutual chances. 11...Ab6 12 gi b4 13 Aba 13 4\e2!? leads to a mess after 13..Ac4 14 Wd3 a5 15 g5 hxg5 16 The Veresov: 3...bd7 4 f3!? xg a4 17 Rh6 Dga! 18 &xg7 &xg7 19 fxg4 a3 20 b3 b2 21 Wd2 Axd1 22 séxd1. For the exchange White gets a pawn, the safer king and attacking ideas like “ef4 and Ah5+, although I'm not sure if this fully compensates him for his material and weakness on the dark squares. 13...c4 14 Wea! Walking into a combination which gives up the queen for activity and suf- ficient material. Other moves fall short: a) 14 &xc4?! dxc4 15 &xf6 Axf6 16 Wxb4 2xd4 17 Ege1 c5 18 Wxc4 2e6 when Black seizes the initiative and may even soon regain her missing pawn. b) 14 Wf2?! He8 15 g5 Qh7 16 f4 &xh3 17 &xh3 hxg5 18 fxg &xg5+ 19 &xg5 @xg5 and Black remains up a pawn with some initiative, while White does not have enough time to organize an attack down the g-file. 14...Re8 15 Dd2 b3! 16 axb3 2b4 17 Wxe8+! Wxe8 18 bxca We7 Alternatively 18...We3 and: 17A Ferocious Opening Repertoire a) 19 &f2! &xd2+ 20 Bxd2 Wxf3 21 Ed3 We4 22 Be3 Wh7 (22...Wg6 23 Dfa W5 24 Ah3 is a draw by repetition) 23 &d3 Dea 24 2g3! and White achieves counterplay based on the sorry position of Black’s queen, which is sinking in quicksand on h7. b) 19 &xf6?! (tempting, but White must keep some control over the dark squares; the damage inflicted to Black’s structure is insufficient reason to take the knight) 19...gxf6 20 f4 Wxd4 21 cxd5 cxd5 22 4\b3 Wb6 and Black soon organ- izes an attack based on....a5 and...a4. 19 c5! Wb7 20 Af2! The knight scurries to defend b2. Notice how White avoids &xf6?!, which weakens the dark squares. 20...2a5 21 Dd3 £c7 22 &g3 Axg3 23 hxg3 a5 24 c3 De8 25 c2 Ac? 26 Har a4 27 2e2 Abs 28 Hge1 a3 29 b3 5? Abrahamyan will come to regret this rash move which gives up control over e5. Black is under the false im- pression that she is winning, when in reality the situation remains unclear... until now! 18 30 Des fxg4 31 fxga Le6 32 2d3 Hes 33 Ze3 Ha8 34 g5! Black’s attack is at a dead end, while White's is just beginning. 34...H5 34...hxg5?! 35 Ddf3 feeds White’s attack. 35 Dge Hea?! Aself-pin, Black had to try 35...2.g4. 36 Hae Wd7 37 fA Black can’t survive after 37 g4! h4 38 Axh4 &F7 39 Hxe8+ &xe8 40 Afs. 37... 871? Sac’ing a piece in an attempt at counterplay. It is also unlikely Black can hold things together in the line 37...c7 38 KeS &g4 39 Hxe8+ Axe8 40 g6 Ac7 41 Aes. 38 g6 Hxe3 39 gxf7+ Wxf7 40 Bxe3 a2 41 Het g5 42 Dg6 Although White has the advantage, his position is very difficult to play. He must worry about tricks with Black’s advanced a-pawn, the fact that he has multiple pawn targets for Black's queen and perpetual checks. 42...W2 43 He8+ og7 44 ZaB ha 45gxh4 gxh4 46 Axhal Offering a knight for the dangerous passer is a bargain. 46...Wxh4 47 Exa2 “\c7? Passive defence loses. Perhaps an- other piece sac was in order to attempt to expose White’s king to perpetual check threats with 47...Axd4+! 48 cxd4 Wxd4 49 Has Wb4 50 Ba7+ &f6 51 Bad Wxc5+ 52 Bc4! We 53 Bf4+ we7 and conversion will not be an easy task for White. 48 Ba7 Wh2 49 Hb7! Uj, fe, Ry met an mpaae, aa A, a a vw x di Pan z _— “y - There is no defence to 50 Bb6 when 6 and then d5 will fall. Black’s position is a decaying old house on the verge of collapse. 49...2f7 50 Eb6 White begins to pluck pawns. 50...Ae6 51 Excé Af4 52 2f1 eb 53 Ed6 Dgs Threatening ...Ae4. 54 da! Wz 54..Wh1 doesn’t cover the pawn since White can take it anyway with 55 ‘xd! exploiting the pin on the a2-g8 diagonal. The Veresov: 3...2\bd7 4 f3!? 55 Exds Aes 56 Axed Wxf1t A strange situation, indeed, when the lioness faces a hungry pack of Hye- nas and is overwhelmed by sheer num- bers. 57 Sd2 Wg2+ 58 ve3 Weir 59 Sf4 Wh2+ 1-0 Possibly Black lost on time. If she re- signed, it was probably premature since White must observe vigilance not to walk into perpetual checks. Summary When Black plays a quick ...e5 you have an option to respond with e3, turning the game into a super-sharp, opposite- wings attack version of an Exchange French. Game 5 H.Nakamura-J.Becerra Rivero US Online League 2009 1d4.d5 2 Dc3 Af6 3 2g5 Dbd7 4 f3 e6 This is quite common, but again I’m convinced it’s just an inferior French 19A Ferocious Opening Repertoire for Black, who must now deal with a misplaced knight on d7 instead of the normal c6-square. 5e4 2e7 Alternatively: a) 5...dxe4 6 fxe4 h6 7 2h4 &b4 8 e5 g5 9 Rf2 Deg 10 Wd3 Axf2 11 Sxf2 also favours White, who is in a position to exploit Black’s ragged pawn struc- ture and the e4-square. b) 5...n6 6 RG? Bb4 7 eS Axc3+ 8 bxc3 A@g8 9 c4 De7 10 Wd2 and White’s bishop pair and space give him a clear advantage, R.Saptarshi-E.Haak, Vlissin- gen 2006. 6 e5 Ags 7 Le3 Following the principle which states: avoid exchanges when your op- ponent is cramped. 7 &xe7 Dxe7 8 f4 also looks promis- ing for White, who has space and the good bishop. 7..a6?! He should hit the centre immedi- ately, before White can back up the d4 point with a pawn: 7...c5! 8 f4 Dh6 9 Of3 Dfs 10 Lf2 a6 11 &d3 cxd4 12 20 Dxd4 Dxd4 13 &xd4 Acs and Black was only slightly worse in J.Bathke- W.Vandrey, Hamburg 1997. 8 Ace2! Ensuring a large space advantage, since White backs up the d4 point with 3. 8...b6 9 Wd2 c5 10 c3 a5! The dormant bishop comes to life on a6. 11a3 2a6 12 hd! Offering a pawn to open the h-file. a yay Oe inchs 1 can tell you from experience that Hikaru Nakamura is one of the most intimidating players | have ever faced. In our game at the 2005 US Champion- ship he had the disconcerting habit of staring at the sky instead of the board when it was his move! | found what ! believed to be a long combination at one point in the game. | checked, re- checked and re-rechecked the line for 45 minutes before plunging in. Naka- mura looked at the ceiling for about five minutes, made his move, and saw one ply further, upon which my posi- tion disintegrated and | promptly re-ceived a sharp kick to the gluteal re- gion! 12...2871 No, thank you! But this is not the most efficient way to develop: a) 12...@xh4+?! 13 g3 &e7 14 Ah3 cxd4 15 cxd4 Hc8 16 Dhf4 offers White huge compensation for the pawn. Black is handcuffed on the kingside and it isn’t clear how he completes de- velopment; b) 12...h5! stakes out much-needed kingside space and intends to develop with ...Ah6. 13 hs! Now Black is denied ..h5 and White’s kingside territorial advantage takes on alarming proportions. 13...h6 14 £4 De7 15 Af3 We7 16 g4 a4 Black has ideas of ...2\c6 and ...2a5, where the knight threatens to invade on c4. and b3. 17 2h3 Ac6 18 5 2e7 18...2a5?! 19 fxe6 fxe6 20 We2! is a very efficient move which attacks the a4-pawn, evades Black’s threat to fork on b3 and threatens a check on g6. 19 fxe6 fxe6 20 We2! As Protecting the a4-pawn is out of the question: 20...2b5?? 21 Wg6+ &f8 22 Df4 Dd8 23 Wxeb! is crushing. 21 Dg?! {t feels a little strange to criticize the normally-explosive Nakamura for over- caution! There is no reason to refrain from the pawn grab on a4. He should plunge in: 21 Wxa4! b5 22 Wc2 b4 23 exb4 cxb4 24 fq. bxa3 25 bxa3 £c4 26 The Veresov: 3...0bd7 4 f3!? &f2 with complications in White’s fa- vour. 21...Wd7 22 &f2 Das 23 Agé gs 24 bg3 Db3 25 Hae 0-0-0 Seeking refuge for his king on the queenside where the extra space should protect him. The trouble is White continues to press on the king- side. 26 Dd2 White has a better line in 26 \xe7+! Wxe7 27 g5! g6 28 wh2! and then: a) 28...gxh5? 29 gxh6 @h7 30 Hhg1 when White has multiple advantages: a surprisingly safe king, a powerful passed pawn on h6, the bishop pair and control over the kingside dark squares. b) 28...hxg5! 29 &xg5 W7 30 &xdB W4+ 31 &2g1 gxhS+ 32 2g2 &xd8 and Black has some but probably not enough play for the exchange. 26...xd2 27 2xd2 Black gets dangerous chances against White’s king in the line 27 Dxe7+!? Wxe7 28 &xd2 Wes! 29 Le3 g6 30 hxg6 “)xg6 31 &g2 He7. PesA Ferocious Opening Repertoire 27...Dxg6 28 Wxg6 &b8 29 g5 cB 30 Sfa Bdfe 31 2d3 cal? Locking the queenside. 32 &b1 Ws 33 Sct &xgs 33...hxg5 34 He2 regains the pawn. 34 &xgs hxgs 34...Wxb2?! looks like a fishy sac: 35 2e3 Wxc3 36 Waa Wxa3 37 &h7 Hh8 38 Wxg7 bS 39 Zh2 b4 40 We7! halting the avalanche whereupon White’s ex- tra piece should prevail. 35 Rez Wd7 36 Wxgs W7 37 Wea Let’s take stock of the position: 1. Black is stuck with pawns on the same colour of his remaining bishop; 2. Despite appearances, White’s king is quite safe because Black has no entry points; and 3. White has chances to apply pres- sure on g7, or play hé at an appropriate time, giving him a superior ending. 37...We7 38 &h7 Eh8 39 2g6 %c7 40 Bf2 Lxf2 41 bxf2 2d7 42 Lez od8 43 Hfa Efe 44 gi 2e8 45 dda 45 Gxe8?! Wxes 46 Wg5+ wc8 47 Wg6 Wf7 48 Wxf7 Hxf7 49 Bg6 &d7 50 h6 gxh6 51 Exh6 Hg7 is drawn. 45...2xg6 46 Wxg6 Bf7 46..Bf5 47 &c2 WF7?? 48 Wxg7 Wxg7 49 Bxg7 Exhs 50 Eb7 and White picks off both the b- and a-pawns. 47h6 Nakamura dissolves Black’s weak- ness in an attempt to open lines to Black’s king. 47...gxh6 48 Wxh6 2d7 49 deca Intending to hide the king on a2. The difference in king safety is Black's 22 main worry. 49..8h7 50 Wd2 Wf7 51 &b1 WF3 52 Gaz Wea 53 Wa! Threatening Ws. 53...W5! “2 Excellent defence. Black should draw the rook ending. 54 Wxf5!? White still has practical chances if he keeps queens on the board with 54 Wg2 WE7 55 Efi Wg7 56 Wc2 bs, al- though even here it isn’t clear how he makes progress. 54...exf5 55 Hg6 be7?! 55...@c7! 56 Ef6 Bhs and White can’t make progress: for example, 57 ‘Bd6 f4 58 Hxd5?? f3 and it is Black who promotes. 56 Hxb6 Zhi 57 Hf6 White doesn’t have time for 57 Bd6 £4! when he can’t take the d5-pawn. 57..df4? Placing the rook in front of his passed pawn loses. The counterintui- tive lateral defence plan holds after 57..ah5!. If White tries to make pro- gress with 58 &b1 Zh1+ 59 dc2 Bh2+60 dc1 Ehi+ 61 dd2 Hh2+ 62 de3 then 62..Bxb2 63 Ha6 Hb3 64 Exa4a Exc3+ 65 Sf4 Hd3 66 Ba7+ deb 67 Ea6é+ with a draw. The Veresov: 3...@bd7 4 f3!? 5 dxc5 If you are the more bloodthirsty type, you can go for a reversed Albin Counter-Gambit with 5 e4 and then: 58 Hd6l f4 59 Exd5 we 59...f3 60 Ed6 f2 61 Efé &d7 62 ds 2d1 63 Exf2 Bxd5 64 Bf7+ &c6 65 Ba7 Bxe5 66 Exa4 wins too. White must simply be careful not to swap his b- pawn for Black’s c-pawn, which would lead to a theoretical draw. 60 Hd6+ wfs 61 Bf6+ sega 62 e6 Her 63 d5 dg5 64 Ef7 Hes 65 e7 1-0 65...%g6 66 Exf4 is hopeless. Summary This was another example of Black landing in an inferior French due to the unfortunate placement of his d7- Knight. Game 6 M.Khachian-A.Donchenko Moscow 1995 14 d5 2 Ac3 Afé 3 2g5 Abd7 4 f3 c5 a) 5...dxe4 6 d5 exf3 7 Axf3 g6 8 Wd2 g7 9 0-0-0 when White's devel- opment lead and the cramping effect of the d5-pawn gave him reasonable compensation for his pawn in G.Mateuta-B.|strate, Baile Tusnad 1999. b) 5...cxd4 6 &xf6 exfé 7 Wxd4 2c5 8 Wd2 0-0 (8...\Wb6? 9 Aad is a trick you need to be familiar with: 9...2e3 10 Axb6 Sexd2+ 11 xd2 Dxb6 12 exdS ®xd5 and White's healthy queenside pawn majority gives him a nagging edge in the endgame) 9 xd5 was R.Saptarshi-V.Goswami, Hyderabad 2006, when Black had compensation for the pawn with: 1. The bishop pair; 2. Alead in development; 3. Control over the dark squares; 4. The open c-file for his attack. 5.26 6 ba He is not going to make it easy for Black to recapture the lost pawn. 23A Ferocious Opening Repertoire 6...2e7 7 Zb1 a5 8 a3 b6! Logical. Black challenges the white pawns while he leads in development. 9.6 Des 10 b5 &xa3 Let's assess: 1. Black has regained his pawn; 2. White establishes a powerful and cramping passed pawn on c6; 3, Black gets good counterplay on the dark squares; and 4. Black controls the greater share of the centre. Overall, the position looks interest- ing but hard to assess. 11 el? 2b4 12 Bd2 dxed 13 Daa! A strong pawn sac. He blockades 24 Black’s passed a-pawn and also applies pressure to b6. White’s king doesn’t look so healthy in the line 13 fxe4?! 0-0 14 Df3 Afg4 15 h3 Axf3+ 16 Wxf3 Aes 17 Wg3 Wada 18 Hd1 f5!. 13...Dd5 143 Rd6 15 fa! The careless 15 fxe4?? loses in- stantly to 15...Wh4a+. 15...Dg6 16 g3 e3!? 16...0-0 17 c4 Ab4 18 Le3 e5! 19 f5 &xf5 20 Axb6 Hb8 21 c5 and White’s queenside pawns look rather scary. 17 Be Dgxfa! 18 cq! Also, 18 Df3! Dns 19 Lg2 gives White full compensation for his miss- ing two pawns. 18...Wf6 19 AF3 19 gxfal? leads to total chaos after 1g...Wh4+ 20 we2 e5! 21 2xe3 294+ 22 DF e4 23 Wxd5 &xf3+ 24 ded2 Bd8 25 bc2 &xf4 26 c7! Bxd5 27 c8W+ Bd8 28 We6+ Be7 29 Bxb6 &xh1 30 Ac5+ when Rybka helpfully claims the game is dead even in this totally irrational position. 19...e2? Losing his sense of direction in the storm. Black should go in for 19...2b4+! 20 Bxb4 2c3! 21 We2 axb4 22 Dxc3 Dg6 23 Dea Wxf3 24 &g2 Whs 25 &xe3 Eait+ 26 &f2 Exh1 27 &xh1 Wxh2+ 28 &g2 0-0 and once again the position is very difficult to assess as White picks off b6 with three passed pawns close to touchdown, while Black goes after White's king, possibly with plans like ...Ae5 and ...g4, or ...f5, ..e5 and ...f4.20 &xe2 Dxe2 21 &xe2! Black has trouble due to the pile-up of pieces on the d-file. 21...0-0! He doesn’t get enough compensa- tion for the piece after this, but it is a superior practical choice over the un- pleasant ending arising from 21...Wfs 22 Wd3 Wxd3+ 23 xd3 Ab4g+ 24 dc3 Dar+ 25 d2 Hb8 26 &b2 0-0 27 Bag &c7 28 c5 when Black's chances look slim. 22 cxd5 exd5 23 &f2 2g4 24 Hb3 Hfes 25h3 Or 25 &e3 Ee6 26 &xb6 Hae& 27 fi 2h3 28 &gi Lxf1 29 Wxfa when White’s position stabilized and his two queenside passers should carry the day. 25...2.f5 26 Lf4?! 26 He3! 2e4 27 Axbé6 wins. 26...Bed 27 De3?! A second inaccuracy. Best is 27 Ze3! Axa 28 gxf4 Exf4. 27...R¢5+ 28 Sg2 a4 29 Dxd5 Web 30 Eb2 a3? Missing an opportunity to crawl back into the game with 30...2d8! 31 c7 The Veresov: 3...Abd7 4 f3!? Bxd5 32 c8W+ Wxc8 33 Wxd5 Wes 34 Wd1 a3 35 Hd2 Wxbs and the situation is not so clear, despite White’s extra took for only three pawns. Black’s passed pawns and bishop pair give him reasonable chances in the ensuing fight. 34 Lid2 a2 32 Ac7! aa 33 Hd8+? Please don’t adjust your TV screen! The diagram is correct and there are queens everywhere. However, White should forgo the check and take imme- diately on e6: 33 Axe6! Wxd1 34 Bhxd1 Exe6 35 Hd8+ Ze8 36 c7 Be7 37 Hxe8+ Exe8 38 2e3 is hopeless for Black. 33...248 34 Axe6 Ha2+? The final error. Black is still in trou- ble, but kicking after 34... Wa2+! 35 Hd2 Wre6 36 Ags We4 37 Axed Bxe4+ 38 h2 g5! 39 2e3! 2xh1 40 Wxh1. 35 Adz! Exd2+ The alternatives are also hopeless as can easily be seen. a) 35...Wxd1?? 36 Exf8 mate. b) 35...Bxe6 36 Wxa1 Sxa1 37 Bxat. 36 Wxd2 Wxha+ 37 Sxh1 Exe6 38 Exf8+ 1-0 25A Ferocious Opening Repertoire Summary This is the Veresov at its chaotic best. Even Rybka became disoriented analys- ing this one and requested a cold com- press for a headache! Game 7 T.Nabaty-K.Lerner Elkana 2007 1. dg Df6 2 Ac3 d5 3 &g5 Dbd7 4 f3 c5 5 dxc5 e6 6 b4 oes siefit ‘A move which warms the greedy hearts of all Slav players. We Slavazoids love to gobble the opponent's c-pawn and then protect the extra pawn with a timely push of the b-pawn. An alternative is to fight back in the centre with 6 e4 Was 7 &b5 dxe4 8 Wd2 &xc5 9 &xf6 gxf6 10 0-0-0 when the game ended abruptly after Black's next move: 10...4€7?? (10...0-0 11 Wf4! Hes 12 Wxf6 Ag 13 fed &e7 and despite the damaged pawns on the kingside, Black looks fine due to the usual dark-square influence) 11 Ads5+ 26 1-0 E.Hasanova-T.Fodor, 2005. 6.27 Black is in no rush to regain the lost pawn and calmly completes his devel- opment. 7 e4 0-0 8 2b5 a5 9 a3 axb4 10 axb4 Bxa1 11 Wxa1 dxeg 12 fred Axed! 13 Dxe4 Avoiding 13 &xe7? Wxe7 14 Axeg What 15 Sf1 Wxe4. 13... SRxgs 14 DF3 Le7 15 0-0 Budapest Viry W y, “a | prefer White for four reasons: 1 White's advanced queenside pawns cramp Black; 2. White’s queenside majority looks faster than Black’s kingside pawn ma- jority; 3. White leads in development; and 4 White's centralized knights are ac- tive and stand their ground against Black's bishop pair. 15...D#6 16 Axf6+ 16 Af2!? is an idea, since d5 is not a secure spot for Black’s knight. 16... 2.xf6 17 Wida?! After this inaccuracy, Black shouldhold the draw. Correct was 17 We1! 2c3 18 Edi Wc7 19 Wa3 2f6 20 c4 eS 21 We3 and White relies on his faster pawn majority for an edge. pee ‘mt a a8 A WF ee mae “GO wile Fe 17...5.¢3! 18 Wxd8 Hxd8 19 Hb1 26? Missing an opportunity to roll his majority forward with 19...e5! 20 &c4 (or 20 Hb3 a1 21 Ba3 &b2 22 Eb3 a1 with a draw by repetition) 20...2f5 21 Eb3 &d4+ 22 Dxd4 Hxd4 23 Hc3 &f8 24 bs we7. 20 &f2 g5 21 e2 &f8 22 Ad2 Les 23 Df3 26 24 Dd2 Les 25 h3!? White is not satisfied with a draw by repetition against his higher-rated opponent. 25...8e7 26 Acq Oc7 27 Zar e5?! Weakening d5. White has the slightly better chances after the more accurate 27..f5 28 Ha7 &b8 29 Ba8 C7 30 c6l? bxc6 31 Axcé Hd4! 32 De3 £d7 33 &xd7 Hxd7 34 b5 because his passers look more formidable than Black’s on the other wing. 28 De3 e4 29 c4 2e5 30 Laz Threatening c6. 30...f8 The Veresov: 3...bd7 4 f3!? Passive. | would have moved the king forward with 30..2f6. 316 Creating two connected passed pawns. 31...bxc6 32 2xc6 2e6 An unfortunate necessity since 32...f5? is met by 33 xfs! 2xfs 34 Bas &xh3 35 Bixe5 &xg2 36 Sxg5 2F3+ 37 e3 Hd3+ 38 Sf4 Bb3 39 b5 when Black is busted, as the e-pawn is a goner and White has much the better king position. Moreover, White's queenside passers move much faster than Black’s pip-squeak of an h-pawn. 33 Sxed Rdg 34 &d3 h5 35 Bad Af4 36 Dts Hd8 37 ga! Nullifying Black’s 3-versus-2 pawn majority. In essence White is up two clean pawns. 37...hxg4 38 hxg4 Zb8 39 Haq 2d7 40 b5 Me8+ 41 df3 2xf5 Black's best shot at saving the game is opposite-coloured bishops. 42 &xf5 Re3+ 43 df2 Hb3 44 we2 Le3 45 Rc2 He3 46 2d3 2d4 47 Ha6 he7 48 Hc6! PigA Ferocious Opening Repertoire Black can’t stop both the c5 and b5 pawn advances. 48...2b3 48...2d7? 49 25+ Ye7 50 b6 is just a waste of time for Black. 49 c5 Hc3 50 b6! Hxcs 51 b7 He5+ 52 Sd2 Le3+ 53 Sc2 La7 54 Hae? This innocent-looking move throws away a hard-earned victory, which was there after 54 Hc8! &d6 55 a8 dc7 56 Bxa7 &b8 57 Ha6 &xb7 58 Hf6. 54...2b8 55 Za8 Bc5+ 56 ba 56 &d1 Hds! 57 #e2 Hd8! 58 &f5 &d6 59 &c8 &c7 and Black should hold the draw. 56...2d5!! 57 Axb8 The only real try for a win lies in 57 bc2 Ed8 58 eq. 57..Hxd3 58 He8+ &xe8 59 bs+ White gets a queen but not the win. Black creates an impregnable fortress. 59...8d8 60 We5+ 28 61 Wc5+ Ses 62 Wes+ cfs 63 Wc5+ wes 64 Wh5+ SfB 65 Wxgs He8! 66 dc2 eé! Lazarus rises! Despite Rybka’s opti- mistic assessment of +4.48 for White, 28 the position is a dead draw. The white king can’t break through the barrier of the third rank. 67 Sd3 Bg6 68 Ws gs 69 eq g7 70 We5+ Sg8 71 Sf5 Gh7 72 Wes Yg7 73 g5 Reé Black is happy to go into a drawn king and pawn ending should White get dramatic and sac his queen for took and pawn. 74 Wd7 g6 75 ga Zeb 76 Wda+ vgs 77 Sf5 Eg6 V2-V2 Summary This game is a good example of how to push forward the queenside super- pawn majority. Game 8 K.Akshayraj-D.Swiercz Gaziantep 2008 1 d4 Af6 2 Ac3 d5 3 2gs Abd7 4 f3 c5 5 dxc5 Was Black avoids 5...e6 6 b4 and ensures the recapture of the lost pawn.6 Wd2 6 &xf6?! wins a pawn, but is not recommended since White gives up all control over the dark squares and has thrown in the weakening f3 to boot. Black also has a substantial lead in de- velopment, as was graphically high- lighted by 6...xf6 7 Wd4 e5! 8 Wxe5+ £e6 9 e4 0-0-0 10 c6 2d6 11 Wda4 dxea 12 Wa4 Wg5 13 2a6 2c5 14 Dds Wxg2 15 &xb7+ b8 16 2a8 Exda+! and 0-1 in N.Dobrev-D.Howell, Marseille 2006. 6...e6 7e4 Ton BKC5, Black is prepared to sac his d-pawn later for the bishop pair. After the The Veresov: 3...Abd7 4 f3!? 7..dxe4 8 Db5! Wxd2+ 9 2xd2 bs of C.Scholz-H.Emunds, Senden 2001, the cramping effect of the c5-pawn gives White an edge with 10 b4! a6 11 Ac3. 8 exd5 exd5 9 Age2 0-0 10 0-0-0 d4! 11 Rxf6 Axf6 12 Axdg 12...2b6 Other options are: a) 12...2d8?! 13 Ab3! Exd2 14 AxasS Exd1+ 15 Axd1 and it’s doubtful that Black has full compensation for the pawn, despite his bishop pair and de- velopment lead in the ending. b) 12..2b4 13 Db3 We7 14 Wada &xc3 15 Wxc3 Wxc3 16 bxc3 Le6 17 d4!? (17 c4! hangs on to the extra pawn and may give White a slight pull) 17...2xa2 18 c4 Bac8 19 AfS Ecs 20 Dd6 Hd8?! 21 Axb7 Exdi+ 22 &xda 2c7 23 Das Hes 24 Ab3 &xb3 25 cxb3 Ha5 26 @d2 Bat 27 g3! and White managed to convert the extra pawn in A.Allahverdiev-N.Umudova, Baku 2006. 13 Ab3 13 Wha! &c7 14 Wha Ses 15 &b1 Ed8 16 &c4 holds on to the extra pawn. 7A Ferocious Opening Repertoire 13...Wh5 14 2c4 Wha 15 Adal? Very brave, but Black can’t exploit the pin in any effective way. Still, such heroics are not necessary when the simple 15 g4! denies Black’s bishop the f5-square and prepares to roll forward on the kingside. 15...2d8 16 Ace2 Wf2 17 &b1 hé 17..W#xg2? 18 Hhg1 Wxh2 19 Exg7+! &xg7 20 Wg5+ &f8 21 Wxfo Wc7 22 £b3 nets White a winning at- tack. 18 Wd3 2e6?! 18...8d6 19 Khf1 Wha (once again - as you may suspect - it is ridiculous to take the g2-pawn: 19...Wxg2?? 20 Hg1 Wxh2 21 Wg6!) 20 Wb3! escapes the pin through tactics. For example, 20...2xd4? 21 @xd4 Bxd4?? 22 g3! Bxdit 23 Bxd1 Wh3 24 Bd8+ &h7 25 2d3+ &f5 26 Hxas. 19 2xe6 fxe6 20 Hic4 Lxd4 21 Dxda 21...Wxg2? There is a saying which goes: “When you are ina hole, stop digging!” Black succumbs to the temptation to equalize material and accepts the 30 taboo pawn. Instead, 21..%d6! 22 Axe6 Eco 23 W3 Eb6 24 Ehf1! Wxg2 25 Wea Hc6 26 Hg1 Wf2 27 Wb3 Hbe 28 Wd3! Bxe6 29 Wg6 He7 30 Wxf6 Hc7 leaves White up a pawn, but the full point is a long way away. 22 Edga W2 23 Axe6 Hde8 24 Ac7+ he 25 We7! Black can resign after this move. White wins heavy material. 25..h5 25..0xc7 26 Wxc7 Hg8 27 Wxb7 is also curtains for Black. 26 Dxa8 Wxc2+ 27 Sar Wes 28 Wxb7 g6 29 a3 Af4 30 Hea Wxc1+ 31 Bxcr Hxc1+ 32 &a2 g5 33 Dc7 Her 34 Wc De2 35 Wxho+ vgs 36 Wxgs+ &f7 37 a4 a5 38 Wh5+ sg7 39 Deb+ wf6 40 Wh4+ xe6 1-0 Black resigns just in time before White takes all the pieces with Wxe1 followed by Wxe2! Summary 5..Wa5 regains the c-pawn and the game takes an Open Sicilian flavour after 6 Wd2 and 7 e4.Game 9 T.Vogler-A.Balzar German League 1991 1.d4.d5 2 Ac3 Af6 3 2g5 Abd7 4 f3 c6 A critical test of the 4 £3 Veresov. 5 e4 dxed 6 fxeg eS Alternatives for Black are: a) 6...Wb6, although if you are on a pawn-grabbing adventure perhaps Morozevich is not the most suitable opponent to face when doing so! The game A.Morozevich-V.tazarev, Alushta 1993, continued 7 @f3 e5!? 8 dxes5 Dg4 9 Wd2 “dxe5? (Black’s position is get- ting hard to navigate, and he goes astray; 9..Agxe5 is correct) 10 h3! xf3+ 11 gxf3 De5 12 0-0-0 and Black fell dangerously behind in develop- ment. However, | have never quite under- stood the psychology behind playing ..lb6 and then not taking on b2. Here 7...\Wxb2 forces the white bishop to re- treat after 8 &d2 Wa3 9 e5 Ad5 10 ®xd5 cxd5 11 23, although for the The Veresov: 3...Abd7 4 f3!? pawn White has: 1. Acramping space advantage; 2. Abig lead in development; 3. Attacking chances down the open f-file; and 4. Black has no safe spot for his king, because he faces the open b-file on the queenside. db) 6..Wa5 7 e5 Ded (7...Axe5?? drops a piece to 8 &xf6) 8 &d2! (GM Davies thinks this is White's best line; also playable is 8 f3!? increasing the development lead) 8..2\xd2 9 Wxd2 e6 10 DF3 &b4 11 a3 cS 12 Hb1 &xc3 13 bxc3 Wxa3 14 243 was I.Miladinovic- P.Charbonneau, Montreal 2002, when White had full compensation for the pawn thanks to his space advantage with the cramping pawn on e5 and lead in development. Again he also en- joys excellent attacking chances no matter which side Black castles due to the open a-, b- and F-files. 7 dxe5 An ambitious alternative is 7 “f3!?, as we'll see later in the chapter. 31A Ferocious Opening Repertoire Black gets buffeted around after 7..Dxe5?! 8 Wxd8+ &xd8 9 0-0-0+ be8 10 Af3 Axf3 11 gxf3 Leb 12 f4 294 13 Hd3 Hd8 when White had several ad- vantages in C.Lakdawala-’Dinochess’, Internet blitz 2010: 1. A strong pawn centre; 2. Black can’t castle and has prob- lems with lines of communications with his h-rook; and 3. White still leads in development. 8 &xf6l Grabbing a pawn with 8 exf6?! is too risky: 8...xg5 9 fxg7 &xg7 10 Wd2 Wxd2+ 11 &xd2 @c5 and Black’s bishop pair, dark-square control and development lead gave him more than enough compensation for the pawn in LAlburt-M.Tal, USSR Championship, Baku 1972. 8...gxf6 9 e6! Loosening up the pawn front in front of Black’s king is much better than capturing on f6: 9 exf6? £a3! 10 Wc Dxf6 and White was fighting for survival in C.Brauer-M.Crosa Coll, Men- doza 2004. 9...fxe6 10 Wgql GM Davies gives this move a ‘?!’ in his book on the Veresov, but | believe it is White’s only move, and recommend this as your choice in this position. The more natural 10 4? leads to imme- diate difficulties after 10...2a3! 11 Wb1 Ac5 12 Sf1 with a wretched position for White, A.Dries-H.De Jong, corre- spondence 1981. 10...\b6 32 \ Pr SS Ill WY Resisting the temptation to post a knight on e5 at the cost of allowing a queen check on hs. 11 0-0-0 11 &e2?! is toothless: 11..2d7 12 Whs+ Wxhs 13 &xhs+ Ge7 and in T.Vogler-W.Ebert, Wiesbaden 1993, Black already stood better in the end- ‘ing due to his bishop pair, dark-square control and centralized king. 11,..2d7 12 Wfal White must fight for e5. This may ‘be an improvement over 12 Wh4 0-0-0! 13 Df3 (13 Wxf6 Bg8 with ...2g7 to follow gives Black a lot of play for the pawn) 13...g7 14 &b1 f5 when White must defend accurately. Good thing this was a correspondence game. Noth- ing like having Rybka and Fritz to do the heavy lifting! Indeed, after 15 d3 c5 16 e5! (it is crucial to plug the a1-h8 long diagonal) 16...Wb4 17 We7 Ac4 18 @d1 &xe5 somehow White managed to hold the draw in F.Cottegnie- G.Feldmann, correspondence 2003. 12...0-0-0 After 12..Wg5!? 13 Wxgs fxg5 14f3 Re7 15 2e2 White has a decent game, with plans like Aes, or h4, or e5. 13 2d3 If White tries 13 Wxf6?! in an at- tempt to clear the e5-square, once again Black gets promising play for the pawn with 13...2%g8 followed by ...2g7. 13...2g8 14 Dge2?! Better is 14 g3!. 14...2e771 He should continue to open the po- sition for his bishops with 14...4xg2! 15 Wxf6 297 with an edge for Black. 15 g3 hs 16 dba Dag?! 16...e5 takes control over d4 and f4: 17 Whé! Eh8 18 Wg7 Rdes 19 “ct and White has a few kingside pawn targets and the f5-square, while Black should try and whip up an attack on the queenside. 17 Axa Wxad 18 5! t” i Forcing a slightly superior ending. 18...Wxf4 19 Axf4 fxe5 20 Dg6 &.c5?! Black can improve over the game continuation with 20...2d6! 21 Hhet e4! 22 &xe4 &c7 and the e6-pawn is safer than in the game. The Veresov: 3...Abd7 4 f3!? 21 Dxe5 2e8? Now e6 falls. He should try 21.7. 22 2c4 Exdi+ 23 Hxd1 Ef8 24 Sxe6+ bc7 25 DAd7!? Black also should save the game in the lines: a) 25 &d7 2d6 26 Bxe8 Lxe5! 27 &xh5 Bh8 28 g4 &xh2. b) White can try to avoid the oppo- site-coloured bishops with 25 d3 &d6, but even here Black’s bishop pair should save him. 25...2xd7 26 Hxd7+ &b6 27 &f7 2g1 28 h3 &h2 29 g4 hxga 30 hxga 24 31. c3 Bh8 32 Bd1 Zh2 33 Le6 Sf2 34 a3 a5 35 a4 &c5 36 Yaz b5 37 axb5 cxb5 38 Bd5+ 38...2b6?! Black holds the draw quite easily af- ter 38..dc6! (the threat is 39...s2c1) 39 Rfs £e3. 39 27! b4 40 Rb5+ hc7 41 2F5 2c1?? Too fancy. The straightforward 41...bxc3 42 Hc5+ &d6 43 xc3 es 44 Hb3 &c5 holds the draw without any trouble. 42 cxba! 33A Ferocious Opening Repertoire Winning a second pawn. 42...2xb2 Realizing that 42..xb2+?? 43 @a1 Sd6 44 Hc5 drops a piece. 43 bxa5 2.d4+ 44 &b3 Hf4 If Black eliminates rooks with 44..b2+ 45 dca Exb5 46 &xb5 bs 47 95 &a7 48 g6 &g7 49 Sd3 2c3 50 sbc6 &b8 51 bd7 &a7 52 we7 kbs 53 &f7 &a7 54 g7 &xg7 55 &xg7 the trouble is White has the correct col- oured bishop and wins. 45 Sba ded6 46 a6 Ef3+ 47 cq Oc5 48 Hb3! Has 49 bs 2f2 50 Kd3+ des Or 50...8c7 51 Bd7+ &b8 52 £e6 eq 53 Hb7+ #a8 54 &d5 and wins. 54 Za3 £2a7 52 dc6 Hbq 53 Base fq 54 Xb5! Continuing to exploit the fact that Black cannot trade rooks. 54...Ha4 55 &b7 2d4 56 2d7 Ha3 57 Hb4 &e5 58 Zxda! The simplification sac clears the way for the passed a-pawn. 58...0xd4 59 a7 Eb3+ 60 dc6 Ba3 61 bb Ges 62 Abs! Threatening a roadblock with a6. 34 62...2d6 63 &b7 Even better was 63 2a6! Xb3+ 64 bas Ha3+ 65 dbs Kb3+ 66 hag. 63...—b3 1-0 Summary In my opinion 10 Wgd! is one of the only lines for White which avoids teaching an inferior position. Although Black gets the bishop pair and dark- square control, White has a lead in de- velopment and attacking chances to keep the balance. Game 10 F.Cottegnie-A.Scarani correspondence 2002 123 This is an interesting way to reach the Veresov. 1...d5 If Black wants to dodge the Veresov then he should try 1...e5 or 1...c5. 2:d4 Df6 3 2g5 Abd7 4 f3 c6 After 4...h6 5 &h4 c6 6 e4, just as in London, Torre and Trompowsky, | abso- lutely love it when opponents lash out with the ‘active’ ..h6 and ...g5, here with 6..g5?!. Black’s kingside pawns become a big bull’s eye target for White later on: 7 &.f2 dxe4 8 fxe4 DLE 9 Df3 297 10 Hd2 &e6 11 0-0-0 0-0 (Black can’t try and castle queenside since 11...Wc7? is met by 12 £93) 12 h4 disturbing the pawn front around Black’s king, F.Eid-P.van Hoolandt,Turin Olympiad 2006. 5 e4 dxe4 6 fxe4 e5 7 dxe5S Was 8 2xf6 gxf6 9 e6 fxe6 10 Wega Wgs!? Atricky idea suggested by Rybka. 11 Wags You can also take on e6, 11 Wxe6+ &e7 and now there is only one good plan for White: a) 12 Ws! Wxfs 13 exfs Des 14 0-0-0 &xfS 15 @ge2 when Black's bishop pair compensates him for the slightly weakened structure. b) 12 Df3? We3+ 13 Be2 Des 14 Wo3 Axf3+ 15 gxf3 f5! 16 h4? &xh4+! and White’s king is in big trouble. c) 12 Weq? Des 13 We2 2g4 14 Wa2 Wxd2+ 15 &xd2 0-0-0+ and for the pawn, Black has too much for White to deal with: 1. A massive development lead; 2. An attack, despite queens being off the board; 3. The bishop pair in a wide open position; and 4. As always, dark-square control. 11...fag5 12 2e2 2g7 13 ha! Activating the sleeping rook on h1 The Veresov: 3...Dbd7 4 31? and creating a target of Black's h- pawn. 13 2h5+?! is just a waste of time and only helps Black after 13...c2e7. 13...gxh4 13..h6 14 hxg5 hxgS 15 Bxh8+ &xh8 16 AF3 &F6 is equal. 14 Exha D8 After 14..2xc3+ 15 bxc3 “cS 16 Df3 Bg8 17 Sf2 &2d7 18 e5 0-0-0 19 di Se8 20 Hxd8+ &xd8 21 2d3 2g6 22 &xg6 hxg6 23 e3 White's strong piece activity and advanced king give him a micro-edge, despite his shattered queenside pawn structure. 15 D3 e5 If he avoids plugging up the e5- square with a pawn with 15...g6 16 hi Hes then after 17 0-0-0 Axf3 18 gxf3 h5 19 f4! &h6?! 20 Adfa Black be- gins to overextend. 16 Zhs 2)g6 a7 Adal Now f5 and c4 are possible destina- tions. 17.4 18 Hh2 Dxe2!? 'm not so sure this is a good deci- sion. 19 &xe2 Le6 20 De3 35A Ferocious Opening Repertoire The position is deceptive. Most players would take Black, but White’s knights more than hold their own against Black's bishops in this unbal- anced ending because the pawn struc- ture is fixed on the kingside and centre. Also, White controls the f5-square, a nasty outpost for a knight. 20...0-0-0 21 Dgs 2g8 22 gal Aknight on f5 will rule. 22...8d7 23 Haht h6 24 Af3 Bh7 25 DFS He8 26 Hd1?! White wants to swap a pair of rooks to lower the chances of a sudden black attack down the d-file. However, a bet- ter way to seal the d-file is 26 Ae1! 2g6 27 Dd3 2F8 28 de3 h5! 29 g5! keeping agrip on the position. 26...Rxd1 27 &xd1 2f8 28 ee2 dc7 29 a3 2g6 30c3 He6! A clever plan. Black finds counter- play by playing ...c5 and swinging the took to either b6 or a6 to harass White's queenside pawns. 31 b4 c5! 32 Se3 Hab 33 Axes 2xf5 34, gxf5 Bxa3 35 Agél Exc3+ 36 4 Numbers don’t matter. All that 36 counts is that White’s central pawns are faster than Black’s queenside pawns. Ue 36...2.g7 37 e5 cas 38 Sg 38 de3! cxb4 39 f6 Bg4 40 D4 28 41 De6+ wins even faster. 38...cxb4 39 6 Hc6 40 De7! He3+ 41 bga Sf8 41..Bc4+ 42 &f5 2F8 43 DAgé 2c5 44.e6 wins. 42 Dd5+ kd7 43 Axc3 1-0 After 43...bxc3, 44 &f5 secures e6 when there is no stopping the pawns, Summary The ending after 11 Wxg5 is dynami- cally balanced. White’s active pieces compensate for Black's bishop pair. Game 11 M.Yilmazyerli-R.Song Singapore 2007 1. d4 Df6 2 Ac3 ds 3 2g5 Dbd7 4 f3 c6 5 e4 dxe4 6 fxeg e5 7 dxes Was 8 Oxf6 gxf6 9 e6 fxe6 10 Wea DesBlack will not be denied the beauti- ful square for his knight. The price is the temporary discomfort of his king. 44 Whs+ &d8 Alternatively, 11...@e7!? (intending 12...Ad3+) 12 Be2 (or 12 Wh3 2g7 13 ®f3 2d7 14 0-0-0 with a Sicilian-like position with mutual chances) 12...b6?! (the beginning of a bad plan; better was 12..2d7 13 0-0-0 Bd8) 13 0-0-0 a6?! 14 Sb1 Bxe2 15 Agxe2 (all Black has achieved with his plan is to aid White’s development, and weaken both cé6 and e6) 15...Ac4 16 Wh3! (gun- ning for e6) 16...Wes 17 Wd3! Ad6 18 d4 Hc8 19 DF3! Wes 20 es! fxeS 21 &qg5 and White’s attack is decisive, C.Broeker-W.Eisenmann, dence 2000. 12 0-0-0+ &c7 13 Wha Se7 14 Lb d7 15 Df3 BadB? Allowing White an interference sac. Instead 15...Rae8! 16 &e2 looks dy- namically balanced. White has a lot of pawn targets (h7, f6 and e6), but Black has the bishop pair and dark-square control to compensate. Black looks like correspon- The Veresov: 3...Abd7 4 f31? he holds all the positional trumps and his cup runneth over after his last move. What could possibly go wrong? 16 Ab5+! A right hook which disconnects Black’s queen’s coverage of e5 to pull off a disrupting tactic. 16...cxb5 17 Dxe5 &c8 18 Hxd8 Exd8 If 18...0xd8? 19 Af7 Bf8 20 Axd8 xd8 21 &d3 and Black will drop at least one pawn. 19 2d3 Hes 20 gq Or 20 Whs! Rd8 21 Wxh7 Wh4 22 a3 We5 23 Agé Hd7 24 Axe7 Exe7 25 gb Wes 26 Rf1 f5 27 g3 when White has the initiative, the superior structure and an extra pawn. 20...e5 21 Dxf6! Oh, | like it! Licking honey off a razor blade! Surprisingly there is no way for Black to exploit the pin due to knight checks on e8 and ds. 21....e6! 22 b3! There is no good reason to allow complications with 22 Axe8+?! &d8 23 Wg3 Wrxa2+ 24 ci Walt 25 dd2 Wxh1 26 &xbs. aeA Ferocious Opening Repertoire 22...2b8? A blunder in a lost position. Of course, 22...2f8?? fails miserably to 23 DQd5+, but 22..8b6 23 Whe &xf6 24 ‘Waxf6 Wc3 was the only way to continue the game. 23 Whs! Kids rarely miss tactical tricks: e8 and e5 are hit simultaneously. 23.08 24 Dd7+! Eliminating Black's last chance, his dark-squared bishop. 24...2xd7 24.87? 25 Dxf8B Axf8 26 Wxes+ d7 27 Wxb5+ ends any attacking dreams Black may have had. 25 Wxe5+ Wc7 26 Wxe7 2c8 27 Wxh7 Now White has two connected passed pawns on the g- and h-files. 27...a5 28 Wg7 a4 29 h4 The simple plan is to promote on h8 while avoiding mate. 29...Wd6 30 h5 2e6 31 h6! Ignoring Black’s threat. 31...axb3 32 axb3 &xb3 General Custer’s last stand! 33 h7 Wha 34 Wha! 1-0 38 Summary 10...e5 plants the knight on its best square. The natural drawback is that it allows White the disrupting check on hs. Game 12 D.Berges-A.Delorme Fouesnant 1999 1.4 d5 2 Ac3 Af6 3 2g5 Abd7 4 f3 6 5 e4 dxed 6 fxeg e5 7 AF This is a radical option which may appeal to the true red-blooded Veresov player. Compare our line to the Fantasy Variation of the Caro-Kann: 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 f3 dxeq 4 fxeq eS 5 Df3. Let's see what White gets and what he must give up in the 7 2f3 line of the Veresov: 1. White allows damage to his pawn structure, isolating his e-pawn and creating a hole one5. 2. White often must sac his b-pawn to some form of ...b6 and ...Wxb2. 3. White gets the open f-file for his attack. This in conjunction with 2c4and a timely e5 could be deadly for Black, who could implode on f7. 4, White in general gets great piece activity, with a powerful bishop on c4, potentials of “\d4 and fs, and play along the f-file, d-file or b-file if White has sac’ed his b-pawn. 5. You will probably lose most end- ings if you get there without doing some damage to Black but as Tarrasch once said: “Before the endgame the gods have placed the middlegame!” 7.Was Several of my students suggested 7.8.46 to fortify e5 and play the same strategy Black uses against the Fantasy line of the Caro-Kann: 8 Wd2 (not 8 dxe5?! @xe5 and Black already stood better, K.Nickl-H.Heimsoth, Dortmund 1989) 8...h6 9 &h4 We7 10 0-0-0 0-0 11 &e2 Ke8 (11...b5? is well met by 12 ds! b4 13 dxc6! with a clear advantage to White) 12 Bhf1 and | like the look of White’s position: 1. At some point we will play dxeS and 4)d4, heading for f5; 2. We have pressure down the f-file; 3. At any point ...b5?! is conveniently met by d5!. 8 2c4 Worthy of consideration is 8 2xf6 Axfo 9 Axes Dxea 10 WZ DAd6 11 0-0-0 f6 12 He1! &d8 13 “c4 when White’s safer king is more meaningful than Black's bishop pair, Lim Yee Weng-W.Jordan, Melbourne 2004. 8...2b4 Nobody yet has had the nerve to en- The Veresov: 3...bd7 4 f3!? ter 8...2a3!? 9 2d2 2xb2 10 Abs Whé 11 Dd6+ we7 12 Abi! dexd6 13 dxes+ &c7 14 exf6 gxf6 15 c3! when | prefer White in the complications. 90-0 exd4 9....&xC3?! 10 bxc3 Wxc3 11 We2 0-0 12 Had1 offers White excellent com- pensation for the pawn. He has a big attack coming on the kingside. toes! In King’s Gambit style. There is no. turning back or hesitation now. Lines must be prised open quickly. 10...dxc3 11 exf6 0-0 Alternatively, 11...gxf6 12 He1+ &e7 13 We2 0-0 14 Wxe7 cxb2 15 &xfél bxa1W (15...axf6? 16 Hab1 threatens Wxfé and Ke5 among other things) 16 Bxai We5+ 17 Wxcd Dxc5 18 Bes Deb 19 &xe6 fxe6 20 Hg5+ &f7 21 Bg7+ sbe8 22 Ags and Black is up a full ex- change and a pawn in the endgame, but has to fight for the draw! 12 fxg7 &xg7 13 Wd4+ Ss! Black gets toasted after 13...f6? 14 We 4! cxb2 15 Hadi fxg5 16 Axg5. 14 Wha Bes?! 39