Mastering the King’s Indian Defense Robert Bellin and Pietro Ponzetto Collier Books Macmillan Publishing Company ‘New YorkCopyright © 1990 by Robert Belin and Pieto Poazetto All sights reserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced, by any means, electronic ‘or mectanicat. Including photocopying rsording by or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in waiting from the Publisher. Collier Books Macmillan Publishing Company 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 Collier Macmillan Canada, Inc Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publisation Bellin, Robert “Mastering the King's Indian defense/Robort Ballin and Pietro Ponzsto, — Ist Collier Boods ed pcm — (A Batsford chess book) ISBN 0.02-030621-0 5, Chess—Openings. 1, Ponzetto. Pietro. 1952. Title UL Series GVI4502B364 1989 9.22170 CIP PAID ded ‘Macmillan books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases for sales ‘promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details contact Special Sales Director Macmnitian Publishing Company 866 Thied Avenue New York, NY 10022 First Collier Books Edition 1990 wos76sa324 Printed in Groat Britain Contents Preface vit Introduction ix 1 ‘The Mar del Plata Centre 1 2. The Petrosian Centre 28 3. The Samisch Centre 58 4 The Averbakh Centre 87 5S. The Simplified Centre 118, 6 Orthodox Centre 131 7 Samisch Variation: the Modern Centre 145 8 The Orthodox Centre against 22-3 158 9 Yugoslav Centre 172 10 The Panno and Kavalek Centres 185 Table of Variations 200Preface With this work we have set our- selves a very precise goal: to teach the understanding of the opening not by cataloguing variations but by explaining the key ideas and plans of each player quickly and easily with the Read and Play method and, in such a way, more- over, that the reader can follow the greater part of the text without a chessboard Vo achieve this ambitious aim, wwe have been guided by the princi- ple that once the central pawns have assumed a stable configur- ation there exists a greater stra- tegic and tactical affinity between diverse variations with the same central pawn structure than between different lines of the same variation which lead to different pawn structures. This simple approach enables us immediately to understand the basic idea of any position whatsoever. ‘This is in stark contrast to what happens in normal books of opening the- ory, where the exigencies of sys- tematization end up making the process of understanding very difficult, Having established this starting point the continuation is logical we divide the opening not accord ing to variations but according to “type of centre’ (which normally retains the name of the principal variation) so that different lines of the same variation will be exam- ined in one or other type of centre according to the configuration of the central pawns which sooner o later becomes established, Con sideration of each type of centre is, then divided into three parts: a deep analysis of the strategic ideas (with particular attention to the most modern), and overview of the recurring tactical themes, and finally some illustrative games, meticulously annotated, especially in the opening, in examining which (and here it is necessary to use a chessboard) the reader will find not only 2 practical correspon dence with the two theoretical parts, but also a certain number of ‘exemplifying variations. Attentive reading of the illustrative games is indispensable for the full compre-Preface hension of the strategic concepts previously expounded Of course, it has not been poss: ible to consider all the types of centre which can arise from all the opening variations. ‘The central structures considered are the most important and the most common, and comprise at least 85 per cent of possible eases. For those possi: bilities not considered (which all derive from minor byways) the reader can refer to traditional monographs, In theelaboration of our subject we have tried to maintain as objec- tive a viewpoint as possible without taking one side or the ‘other. We hope thereby to have ‘obtained an impartial exposition of the ideas of each type of centre, the knowledge of which is indis- pensable whether one intends to play the white side or the black side, This oewre can be used by a wide range of players: it can be used by beginners in order to learn the fundamentals of the opening, or by experts needing to expand their range of variations quickly or even to acquire an entirely new sddition to their opening reper~ toire. OF course, strong players, for whom a more profound know- ledge of the varistions and latest wrinkles is essential, must use this ‘work in conjunction with a syste~ matic text. We hope that readers will find our exposition clear, that they learn, that they enjoy themselves, and that they quickly improve their playing standard: only then will our Read and Play method hhave hit the mark. Introduction The King’s Indian Defence is a system of playing against the basic ‘Queen’s Pawn Opening (1 dé fol- owed by c2-o4) characterized by the moves ... ©f6,... 26... £87 and ... d6. Black’s strategy almost always features kingside castling and cither ... 5 or ... 65. In the most general sense, White’s response can. be classified accord- ing to whether the KBis developed on its original fl-a6 diagonal or is fianchettoed. Given that we have not divided the material into variations, as is usually the case, but have intro- duced the concept of type of cen- te’ it will be useful to provide the reader with a summary of the contents of the ten chapters in this book. The first three chapters examine the various closed centres which can arise when Black plays ... e5. Chapter i Mar del Plata centre: White’s KN is developed on £3 and the centre closed after ... @c6; Black's QN goes to 7. Both sides almost always castie kingside. Chapter 2 Petrosian centre: White’s KN is developed on 13, the centre closed, and Black’s QN placed on either 7 of a6. Both players often castleIntroduction Inroduetion short, but White retains more The fifth and sixth chapters Chapter 7 Alexibilty than in Chapter 1 ‘examine central pawn exchanges daher Black plays. 5 Modern centre versus. Simisch Chapter 3 Variation: Black initiates quecn- Chapter 5 side action before declaring his Simisch centre: White's KN is not developed on 1 (in order not to obstruct the f pawn), The centre is closed; White retains maximum flexibility regarding casting. Simplified contre: the d-fle is opened by dxeS dxeS. Chapter 10 Panno centre: Black pursues queenside action; central flexibility reserved. ‘The last three chapters deal with centres where White plays 22-83. Chapter 6 ‘The fourth chapter deals with Orthodox centrs: Black plays the closed centre which arises exd4 when Black plays... 65. Chapter 8 Orthodox centre against g2-g3: Black plays ... e5 followed by exd4, Chapter 4 Averbakh centre: Black plays 5 and the centre is closed. ‘The seventh chapter gives Black’s options against the Chapter 9 Samisch not covered in Chapter Yugoslav centre: Black plays 3 eS and the centre is closed. -_-Kavalek centre: the e-file becomesIntroduction open after d4-d5; the contre is fixed. Which variation should 'play? To help you decide which vari- ation is most appropriate for your style we have compiled a table of variations (see page 200) which indicates their level of strategic and tactical complexity. In addition, we have used a survey ‘of nearly 2000 games played in tournaments of FIDE category 7 and above to extract statistical data concerning the frequency and results percentage of each vari- ation so as to provide a useful overview oftheir level of risk. Thus you are given all the information necessary to make the most suit abie selection according to your needs. 1 The Mar del Plata Centre ‘Main Line: Mar del Plata Vari- 7 0-0 06 8 @e3 Dg4 9 £5 ation 1 dé @f6 2 c4 g6 3 Qc3 &g7 4 4 d6.5 O13 0-0 6 £e2 e5 7 0-0 06 8 dS Ge7 (1). f6 10 Sct h8 11 d5 Ge7, 1. Strategic Ideas The main strategic ideas can be deduced from the pawn structure and the position of the kings (2) A similar structure can arise from other lines, eg. 1 dé {6 2 of 6 3 Ac3 Lg7 4 of d6 5 OS (1) Closed centre wit 040 6 &e2 e5 and now: ; Serer eee ; (2) White's space advantage on Gligorie System the queenside 7 &e3 Dg (or 7... c6 8d5 (3) The central pawn chains De) 8. Bp5 16 9 Ahé 06 (4) White's weakness on the d4 40 d5 Se? and £4 squares“The Mar del Plata Centro Closed centre with same side castling With the centre closed and the 3 castied on the same side it is clear that the game can easily develop into one of respective flank attacks, White exploiting his spatial advantage on the queen- side and Black his natural ... £7~ ‘The mutual mobilization of flank pawns is also indicated by the position of the 2e7 and the 13. Black’s QN is, in fact, ideally placed to support the advance 7-45 and then join in the attack via g6 or g8. White, on the other hand, normally chooses to support the e4 point by 12-13 in response to Black’s attack, and therefore it is natural to transfer the knight to the qucenside by f3-cl-d3 or DB-d2-c4, in positions with _ mutual attacks, Black will generally avoid exchanging pawns on 4 after the sequence ... [5, 13 as this would 2 increase White's defensive space, and prefers instead to cramp the opponent's king by ... {5-f4, rely- ing on the g-pawn to effect a breakthrough later on. The manoeuvre 2f3-e1-d3 Having a spatial advantage on the queen’s wing, its clear that White will try to organize an attack in that sector. Black’s pawn structure is very solid, however, and in order to make progress itis necessary to open lines and ereate weaknesses Both these goals can be achieved by attacking the ¢7-d6-e5 pawn cchain with the advance c4-e5, and the manoeuvre best suited for its preparation is the simultancously offensive and defensive @f3-el— 3). Sometimes, White chooses to increase control of eS by linking this manoeuvre with the develop- ment of the QB on e3, intending to withdraw the bishop to 2 in case of... {5-f4. The manoouvr £6 (On his side, Black must free the path of his fpawn and thus it is natural to move the knight to U7 in order to hold up the ¢5 advance at the same time (5) = O67 However, should White show himself reluctant to weaken his king's position and create a break through point on the kingside by playing 13, then the 2d7 must retum to 16 in order to force the defence of e4 by [2-13. It is also important for Black to force f2-13 in order to be able to play ... I5~ {4 in the conditions shown in the above diagram without allowing White to get rid of his bad bishop by e2-24 Black has an alternative to returning with the knight to 16 The Mar del Plata Centre in the capture ... fSxe4 with the intention, as we shall see later, use £5 for his pieces and occupy as. Ie will be remembered that after the moves ... 6, 13 Black obtains nothing from the exchange {Sxed and instead claims his own space advantage on the king- side with ... 15~f4 entrusting his chances to the advance of the g- pawn. The opening of the c-file and the weakness of the pawn on dé The main aim of the advance e4- cS is to follow up with the exchange c5xd6 so that after the recapture ... c7xd6 White obtains the c-file and weakens the pawn ‘on d6 as a basis for his queenside play (6). ‘The pressure along the c-file can be reinforced by doubling the 3‘The Mar del Plata Centre heavy pieces, and that against the d6 pawn by £b4 and/or Wb3- 3. Two other ideas are the disrup: tive sally @c7-e6 (generally linked with Wb3 after which White does not fear... &xe6 because the opening of the d-file, weakening of the light squares in the enemy camp and enhanced ynamiso of the a2-g6 diagonal would all work in his favour) and winning the a-pawn alter o2 by means of the deflection ©xa7 since .., Bxa7 would leave the bishop on c8 insufficiently protec- ted. Black may either choose to abandon the a-pawn to its fate, contenting himself with ... Stc8- 47 after xa7 in the hope that the time lost by White will help his attack, or simply prevent the capture by playing -.. a6. The advance a2-a4 Its just for this last reason above that White plays a2-a4 (see Diag ram 6), securing the position of the bS in order to be able to meet ..a7-a6 with the manoeuvre DbS-al-of looking to fix the weakness on b6 by a subsequent ad-a5 (7). Although Black can attempt to resolve the development of his queenside by the manocuvre ... c8-d7-bS, it is lear that once 4 White has occupied b6 he will have total control of the e-file. ‘This paralysing manoeuvre can sometimes be effectively halted half-way if Black succeeds in organizing the advance ... b7-b5 before White can fix b6 with a4 a5 (8). In such types of position White’s attack may be slowed up sufficiently to allow Black to shift the emphasis of the struggle to the opposite flank. The defensive manoeuvre s+ Of6-08, ... HFB-47, ... Ag7-48 Clearly, though, Black cannot afford to be solely preoccupied with the a-pawn and/or b6 square ziven that White's two main objec- fives are pressure on d6 and pen- stration on c7. To protect these two weak points Black normally retreats the Of6 to 8, bringing the rook to £7 and completing the defence of the d6 pawn by... £8(9). In this manner the points 7 and d6 are defended three times and the square g7 is simul- taneously made available to the KR, from where itis ideally placed to support the advance of the g- pawn, The ... g4 breakthrough Black's hopes on the kingside arc closely bound up with the breakthrough ... g4: the opening ofthe gfile(...24x13) will evidently ‘The Mar de! Plata Centre seriously endanger the safety of the white king. Thus it is logical that White will try to control g4 as much as possible with moves such as h2-h3 and 43-12. Nat- urally, given the key importance of the Kingside breakthrough, Black, for his part, will not hesitate to enlist the h-pawn for support (10) Here, Black does not yet have sufficient control to effect the advance ... 25-4, and therefore if he cannot play ... e815 he sometimes has tecourse to the manoeuvre... Se7-g8-h6. Normally, however, the ¢7 will be transferred to hd via g6 and the breakthrough with ... e4 played anyway, evenat the cost of a pawn, especially since the opening of the 48-h4 diagonal will enable the queen to join in the attack. One defensive method White may use to help prevent ... g5-24 is to withdraw the queen to dl, Tt will be readily understood that if White has played 03-0 5‘The Mar del Plata Ceatre he will have more difficulty in preventing the ... g4 advance (1/). In this type of position Black quite often achieves a decisive opening up of lines of attack by means of the pawn sacrifice... 26 8. Defence by the major pieces along the second and third ranks Given the battle centred around control of g4 (see Diagram 10) it follows that when Black plays ... ‘95-n4 a series of exchanges could ‘occur which would free White's third rank. In such circumstances White quite frequently attempts to profit from this factor by rapidly transferring a major piece to the Iefile, especially seeing as Black's king is usually placed on h8 (12) In playing Wh3 White aims to tum the tables on the kingside; note that Black cannot reply with vos Hxg]+ because after hi he 6 R would have two pieces en prise. Sometimes this clearance of the third rank can be exploited by a rook which has previously been stationed at ¢3 or a3. ‘Another methed of defending the g-pawn from the attack shown in the last diagram is with the prophylactic 22 (which is also useful for doubling rooks on the efile) coupled with the clearance of the second rank by £d2-c1 (23), By Ad2-cl White not only defends g2 but also makes it poss- ible to eliminate the dangerous knight on ha. Occasionally these two defens- ive ideas can be combined, in which case it is by no means impossible for White to achieve his aim of turning the tables on the kingside, The weakness of the d4 square In the situation illustrated in Diag- ram 5 Black may, in piace of forcing [3 by ... 47-16, opt for @ more simplified type of game by playing ... fSxe4. This would create the following pawn struc- ture after the recapture Sc3xe4 an. This structure can also arise after ...£7-f5 when White chooses to capture on f5 and Black decides to recapture with a piece. How- ever, it isclearly in White's interest to wait, as whoever makes the exchange of pawns loses a tempo and helps the centralization of the enemy pieces, ‘The Mar del Plata Ceatre Alter the exchange ... fSxe4 the struggle essentially revolves around the squares d4 and ed Black has opened up a route to the weak d4 square (for example by ... Ge7-f5-d4) whilst White hhas use of the strong base e and can keep a degree of control over d4 by the manoeuvre S.c1—d2~c3 13). Black can bring about some simplification by ... Oh4, Oxf6-+ Wxi6, Bot 215, we2 xed, Wxed and may also offer the exchange of queens with ... WIS. However, in the ending White maintains a slight but enduring advantage due to the possession of the e4 square, the strong centra- lized position of the ©43, and the possibility of launching ‘a pawn assault on the queenside against Black's rather rigid structure, In addition, seeing as White's king's position is not at all weakened, itis difficult for Black to drum up any ‘meaningful play on the kingside.‘The Mar del Plata Centre Recently, after the thematic advances... f5-f4 and cd-c5, Black has tried opening up an alternative route to d4 by attack- ing the d5 pawn by ... c7-c6 (16) The inadequate protection of d5 obliges White to make the double exchange c5xd6 and d5xc6 which allows Black, after ... De7 xo6, to Took forward to occupying the square d4 (17), Such a strategy, however, has its defects, given that the ripping open of the centre does not fit in with the attacking thrust ... {5 8 {4 and the black queen becomes exposed. The attack against the pawn chain c4-d5, Another idea which Black can pur- sue is the dismantling of the pawn chain c4-d5 by means of the dual thrust ....c7-06 and ... b7-b5 (18). This idea finds its justification in the undefended position of the pawn on c4: Black will reply to ‘5x06 with ... bSxo4, and answer caxbS by ... c6xd5, utilizing the strength of his knights to destroy the enemy centre. To implement this kind of counterattack it is nearly always nevessary to play a prophylactic ... &#g8-h8 in order to avoid problems along the a2- 8 diagonal. Generally, in this type of pos- ition, White fights for possession of d5 either with @d3-b4 or d5xo6 bSxe4, d3-2 followed by ite obtains control of 45 his position is clearly preferable in view of the backward pawn on d6 and the queenside pawn majority. The advance b2-b4 If we return to reflect on the pos- jon shown in Diagram 1, it is clear that as an alternative to the manoeuvre 4f3-e1-d3 White ‘can also prepare the eS advance by playing b2-b4, The basic aim of this idea is to earmark the square e4 for the KN (@f3-d2- 4) and post the QB on a3 (after the move a2-a4) in order to exert ‘concerted pressure against the U6 pawn (20) If Black proceeds with his usual strategy, White does not intend to make the exchange cSxd6 but will increase the pressure on d6 by playing b4—bS with the further idea of breaking down Black's ‘The Mar del Plata Centre queenside structure by means of a subsequent a4-a5 and/or bS-b6. ‘The weakness of the £4. square Referring back to the position in Diagram 1 we observe that White can cither advance with b2-b4 immediately or first transfer the knight to d2 before proceeding with b2-b4. An anticipatory retreat of the KN (either to d2 or el) uncovers the action of the queen and bishop on the di-hS diagonal thus preventing Black from exploiting the weakness of f4 with a rapid ... A{6-hS-f4, This manoeuvre can be carried out if White decides to play b2-b4 immediately (21), Here White must choose between protecting £4 with 2-g3 at the cost of weakening his castled position and continuing his queen- side action by c4-e5 with the intention, after ... OhS-f4, of 9‘The Mar del Plata Centre eliminating the troublesome knight by ctxfi, In the first case, after Black's typical reaction of... 7-5, White can continue with b2-b4 and the consequent transfer @f3-d2-c4. However, the weakening of Wi te’s kingside means that Black's Kingside counterattack comes more quickly, especially with the natural arrival of Black’s QB on h3 (22), Black can increase the pressure ‘on the File by ....h7-hS followed by... @f6-g4 and leave the other knight to take care of the defence of d6 (.. Be7-c8). 10 Alternatively, White can ‘attempt to exploit the weakness ‘on e6 created by the advance 17-5 with the manoeuvre O1- 25 (-e6) (23). In this type of position the incursion into e6 often implies the sacrifice of a pawn after Bc8xe6, d5xe6, but White can find both strategic, and above all tactical, compensation in the general white square debility in the enemy camp, for example by exploiting the obvious possibility of occupying the dS square or utilizing the open d-file to exert strong pressure on ¢7 and dé after c4-c5 and Sc3-bs. When White decides against weakening his king’s position by 22-g3 in favour of continuing his queenside action with c4-c5, and consequently also plays Aclaf after OHS, the following stra- tegical outline arises (24), ‘After the recapture ... eSxf4 Black has managed to free the bad bishop, and in addition to the normal pawn attack on the king's wing (... h7-h6, followed by 26-25-24) he has also exposed the pawn to attack along the hail: open e-file. The He7 needs to be posted on g6 0 as to prevent the suffocating advance e4-e5, For his part, White will pursue his usual pressure along the e-file and against d6 (c3-b5) and also use the newly acquired base at d4, the ‘occupation of which may also be used to transfer a knight to 15 in the event of Black playing... g6— Bs. ‘The bad bishop One of the problems which fre- ‘quently obliges Black to play shar- ply and uncompromisingly is the fact that he cannot lightly enter an ending on account of his bad bishop. The exchange of the bad bishop thus represents a strategic clement which can be realized in ‘The Mar del Plata Centre various ways, according to how White plays. ‘When White goes (3-42, with the idea of continuing with b2~b4, c4-c5 and ©d2-04, Black can get sid of the bad bishop by ... g7— he (25). Black invariably aims to exchange his bad bishop for its good counterpart so as not to give White the opportunity, after the exchange ... &h6xd2, Lcixd2, of exploiting the weakness of the dark squares by opening up the position with the advance f2-f4, When White effects the manoeuvre ©f3-e1~d3, the elim ination of the bad bishop requires more complicated manoeuvres (26), Before blocking the position with ... {5-f4, Black can play the preparatory ... @g8-h8 which, in’ addition to aiding a possible attack on the pawn chain of-d5 (Gee p.8), can also contain the idea of getting rid of the badThe Mar del Plata Censre bishop with ... e7-g8 followed by £g7-h6. Finally, another method con- sists of playing the anticipatory thematic move ... 2f8-f7 to free the square f8 for the queen (27). ‘This is another way, albeit rare, for Black to carry out the exchange of his bad bishop. The prophylactic advance... 7-05 Given that White's attack is based almost without exception on the advance c4-c5, Black can effect a prophylactic strategy by 2 playing ... c7-c5 himself (28). Generally speaking, this plan is more usually employed when White plays 3-42, as it has the effect of depriving the knight of the important c4 outpost, but ‘oceasionally Black also employs this prophylactic idea when White plays the normal’ manoeuvre f3-el-d3. ‘Once Black has carried out the advance ... ¢7-e5, White must choose whether to take en passant or to stick with the opening up of the queenside by Eal-bl fol- lowed by b2-b4. In the first case, the strategic structure of the pos- ition changes considerably after 5x6 b7KC6 (29). Having weakened his control of the centre, White will try to develop the queenside and exploit his pawn majority in that sector with a quick b2-b4-bS, whereas Black will try to obtain counter- play in the centre by means of the thrust ... d6-d5. In the second case, on the other hand, White's queenside action will be based on the opening of the b-file (30), After ZbI and b4 (prepared by 2-23 in case of Black countering with ... a7~a5) Black's best strat- egy is to play ... b7-b6 in order to be able to recapture on cS with the b-pawn, The recapture with the d-pawn would give White a protected passed pawn and leave Black open to a flank attack after b7-b6 (Sooner or later Black is obliged to play this move in order to defend the pawn on c5) by a2- ad-a5. Similarly, even if Black ‘The Mar del Plata Centre captures the b-pawn by ... eSxb4 he will soon find himself exposed to the same attack as he will have to play ... b7-b6 in order to keep 5 under control After the opening of the b-fle, while Black is carrying on with his typical kingside counterplay, White will be looking to occupy the square e6 by the manoeuvre 2d2-b3-a5-c6 and to penetrate enemy territory by means of doub- ling the rooks on the open file. The prophylactic advance 204 White in his turn can take prophy- lactic measures against Black’s Kingside action The motivating force for these measures is that after the advance ...{5-f4 White's kingside suffers from a chronic lack of defensive space. Thus in otder to make the defence easier White will play g2-g4 before Black plays the restrictive ... £5- B‘The Mar del Plata Centre By applying this strategy White ‘obtains sufficient defensive space ‘on the kingside: if Black decides to block the position immediately with ... £5-£4 (hoping to continue with ... g6-g5 and subsequently prepare the breakthrough ... h7- hS) White can in fact prevent the opening of any lines by playing h2-h4, In this case the h4 pawn can be protected either by Set- 32 or sgi-g2 followed by Hfl— hil. Should Black decide to make the capture ... f5xg4, then after ‘Bxg4 itis clear that White's king- side is not restricted in the slight- est. This prophylactic strategy also contains another idea, that should Black try to get rid of his bad bishop as we saw in Diagram 26, White would continue the advance of the g-pawn by g4-g5 thus pre- venting the exchange. Normally, in the type of pos- ition shown in Diagram 31, Black, having been somewhat thwarted in his kingside attacking aspir- ations, redirects his attack to the pawn chain o4-d5, as we saw in Diagram 18. However, White, thanks to the move @d3-b4, has real chances of obtaining control of d5 (32) A position in which White is more concerned to contain the opponent's play on both flanks rather than initiate his own plans 4 2 Tactical ideas The presence of a closed centre, generally characteristic of the lines we have examined, militates against recurring tactical ideas at least during the opening phase. Of course, in the middle game, when the mutual attacks have reached their height ané the respective defences have consequently become somewhat stretched, the game can become rich in tactical ideas which, however, are too diverse to catalogue. Nor are there ‘many thematic, recurring tactical ideas to be foundin the lines where White weakens his king's position. with the advance g2-g3. Winning the a-pawn and the counter ... 207 In one of the better known theor- tical variations the following pos- ition arises after nineteen moves G3. Here White can exploit the pressure exerted against the Sc8 by playing Oxa7 although Black hhas the counter ... c7 available (it should be noted that Biack can also ignore the loss of the pawn and simply reply with ... 47) which forces a probably equalizing simplification: aS Bxc2, &xd8 Bxe?, Axc& Exad (34), Present-day understanding con- siders this position approximately equal, ‘The Mar del Plata Centre The knight sacrifice for two pawns The efficacy ofthe... Re7 counter comes seriously into question if White is able to capture on a7 after having played the advance b2-b4 (35), White plays ©xa7 and after the counter move... RcT he can reply with the sacrifice ®c6 because after ... bx06, dxe6, he obtains three connected passed pawns (36). The advance b4 rules out any danger of losing the c6 pawn and makes White's threats more immediate. 1s‘The Mar del Plata Centre The discovered attack on Black’s KN and the pseudo- fork 94 ‘When White allows the opponent to play... OhS and protects the ware by g2-g3 the following position can arise (37). Here White can play exf5 obliging Black to recapture on 15 with a piece (Since after... gxf5 there is a favourable discovered attack by xe5) although after ... ©xf5 he must not fall into the trap of playing a pseudo-fork: if g4? d4! and Black’s position is better in case of either Oxd4 exd4, or gxhS 16 because Black regains the piece with a very clear advantage. 3 Illustrative games Gane 1 Miles-Sax London 1980 ‘Mar del Plat Variation 1 af — f6 2 of 6 3 23 gr 4 ef An inversion of moves designed to avoid the Grinfeld defence. 4 wn 6 s a4 oo 6 82 7 00 This is the point where White declares his intentions regarding the king and 2lso permits the development ... ©b8-06. The principal alternatives are 7 d5 (Petcosian System; see Ch. 2)and 7 4e3 (Gligoric System). The latter, when it docs not revert to this type of centre, brings about those ‘considered in Chapters 2, 5, or 6. Aeebae Be6 8 ds De7 9 Bel ‘The most commonly used con- tinuation, with which White aims fo support the c5 advance by a typical transfer of the knight to 3, The alternatives are given in the notes to both White’s and Black’s ninth moves in the second ‘game. Doe a7 As well as freeing the path of the pawn and controlling the square c5, this move is also useful for maintaining control of 5. This becomes clear should Biack, in place of the usual manoeuvre 16-47, ... 11-{5 and ... O47 {6-c8, try to save two tempi by playing 9 ... e8, in which case White would instantly change plans and challenge the e5 point with the thrust f2-f4, eg. 10 d3 15 11 £4 exf4 12 xf4 with some advantage bearing in mind the possibility of occupying the e6 square. 0 23 868 1 a2 Note that White waits for the opponent's knight to return to {6 before playing 12-13 so as to facilitate the advance c4-c5. The old continuation 11 exf5 has fallen into disuse because the recapture 11... @xf5 helps Black to make use of the sensitive d4 square. Mow a6 ‘The Mar del Plata Centre Black must not continue with 11... f4 before having forced 13 as, this would allow White to rid himself of his bad bishop by play- ing 12 94. Moreover, in order to be able to open up lines of attack on the kingside Black needs to create a breakthrough point in White’s pawn structure: from this derives the need to force £3 in order to be able to make progress on the flank after ... 5-4 with the thrust ... g6-g5-24. An alter- native is found in the simplifying move 11 ... f5xe4 with the idea of exploiting the weakness of the d4 square with a subsequent e7-f5-d4 manoeuvre. But in this case White gains two vital tempi (id? and ©xc4) in com- parison with the old line noted above (11 exi5 &xf5) which ensure him a smail but enduring advan- tage, eg 11... fred 12 Oxed Of 13 Ac3 @f6 14 81 Dhd 15 Oxi5+ WIG 16 Bes 15 17 We2 xed 18 Wxe4 (Gee the commentary to Diagram 15). 12 13(39) At this point Black must choose aplan, There are three basic possi- bilities: (1) to continue the counterattack on the kingside with . 15-4, as we will see in this game; the classic and most popular ‘continuation; (2) to take prophy- lactic steps on the queenside by ”‘The Mar del Plata Centre playing ... ¢7-e5 either immedi ately or after ... $g8-h8, eg. 12 .. 05.13 Ebi M4 14 bd b6, or 12 Ph8 13 Bel c5, as will be seen in game 2; (3) to attack the ‘e4-d5 pawn chain (after... sg8- h8) without closing the centre by vo 5-4, eg 12... Bh8 13 Bel €6 14 bd b5 (see the commentary to Diagrams 18 and 19). Rn... ry Bs 85 This is Black’s last chance to ‘opt out of ‘the race to get there first’ by trying to open up a path to d4 with 13... €6, c 14 cxd6 Wxd6 15 dxc6 Dxe6 16 Ob5 We7 17 Sb4 with complicated play. 14 Bel In the present game this pos- ition was reached by a transpos- ition of moves: 10 £425 11 el Df 12 B {4 13 Od3 eS 14 5, Such transpositions are quite 8 frequent in this variation, but the move order given is the most logi- cal and most usual in practice. The text move is White’s most direct, method of commencing his the- matic pressure on the cefile. An alternative, although somewhat more tortuous plan, isto bring the KR to cl: 14 exd6 exd6 15 2 (to prevent .., g5-p4) followed by ‘Wd1-c2 and’ Bff-cl. Wo. Og6 Occasionally, when this pos ition has been reached with the additional interpolation of the moves ... g8-h8 and b2-b4, Black can use this knight (via g8— 1h6) coupled with the advance hT-hS to support the breakthrough ... g5-gt. The text move is equally useful for freeing the seventh rank for the defensi- vejoffensive manoeuvre ... BiR— M7, ... g?-f8 and ... BA7-27, and sending the knight to h4 from where, together with the X37, it will exert pressure on g2. 15 exd6 So far, the sacrifice 15 Ob5 a6 16 cxd6 axbS 17 exc Wd7 18 Wb3 has only been mentioned in analysis. Ss... exd6 16 bs Threatening &c7. 6... a7 17 We White supports the knight on b5 by renewing the threat of Oc7, as otherwise it could be chased out of the game by Black's queenside pawns, eg 17 @12 a6 18 a3 BS. Note that with the text move White does not yet_ threaten @bsxaT on account of ... WdB- b6-+ Wo. D8 Black can also consider permit- ting the penetration of the knight into c7 and ¢6, eg. 17... a6 18 DeT gx 19 gx} 3 20 Deb, but the solid text move is the most popular nowadays. 18 ad Necessary in order to prevent a7-a6 and ... b7=b5. Bo. 4s. 19 AR (40) ‘With the double aim of control- The Mar del Plata Centre ling g4 and covering the gl-a7 diagonal thus activating the threat of Oxa7, This classic position has been much analyzed. There are bas- ically three ways for Black to meet the ‘threat’ of @xa7: (1) to let White play Oxa7, having confid- cence in the simplification following the counter ... Be7, eg 19 AMS 20 xa7 Be7 21 Bas Exc2 22 Axd8 Exe2 23 Dxo8 Enad 24 Od3 g4 with a position currently considered balanced; (2) to sacrifice the pawn in order to gain time for the kingside attack, as we shall see in the present game; @) to prevent the capture of the a-pawn by playing ... &c8-d7 hoping to break free on the queen- side by ... a7-a6 and ... b7-b5, eg. 19... Rd7 20 Wb3 218 21 He2 a6 22 @a3 Bg? 23 h3 Ohd 24 Bfel Zbs 25 Sed gd 26 fked bS with an extremely complicated position, 9... 28 Now it is White who stands at the crossroads: to take on a7 of not? 20 43 Rg? ‘These two thematic moves merely postpone White's decision. 21 Oxa7 Quite apart fram the counter... 19‘The Mar del Plata Centre XcT, there is the danger associ- ated with this continuation that it will cost time to bring the knight back into play. 21 a5 and 21 Wb3 have also been experimented witb, Woe adT Deciding against the simpl- ification with 21 .., Bc7. The interpolation of h3 on the twenti- eth move provides the as yet untried possibility 21... &xh3!? 22 gxh3 Bxa7, 2 Obs — Oh4 23 wha White prepares to defend along, the third rank. B. hs Given that sooner or later Black will need to bring the Se8 into play on {6 in order to support the + 84 thrust, this sidestep is useful in cutting out potential dangers along the a2-s8 diagonal which could follow from the knight invasion @bS-c7-e6. If, eg. 23 f6 24 HoT gd 25 fred bxgd 26 ©e6 xe6 27 dxe6 d5 28 hxed and White stands better. Later games haye experimented with 23 vos 84 24 fixed hxgd 25 hxgd B16 with mixed results. 24 95 Removing the a-pawn from Black’s line of fire after the 20 impending sequence ... 6, et Wow. eft ‘A new move at the time, which takes Miles by surprise. Black effects the thematic breakthrough at the cost of a temporary pawn sacrifice. 25 fxd + xg 26 hxgt ‘The subtle point hidden behind Black’s 23rd move becomes appar- ent at this moment: on 26 xg would come 26 ... #f6! and now the capture on f6 would be without check, thus allowing the 2wischen- aug... Bxg2+. 2 oe ate 27 BT White continves logically. Tt would be very dangerous to pro- tect the g-pawn by 27 Wh3?! as Black would have the choice between 27 ... &h7 intending to continue with ... @g5 and. Hh7, and 27 ... 247 followed by ons. Me Oxgat Utilizing a clever tactical idea to remove the spawn and thus ‘open up the rook’s action along the file: 28 Oxa8? Qe} 29 Axe} Bxgl+ 30 hl wg5 with a winning attack 2 Sxeh axed 29 axed Not 29 x8? B+ winning. wo. Exgd (41) ; ‘The critical position of the game, which illustrates very 1 dlearly the pros and cons of this complicated and combative v: ation, Notwithstanding the multi- ple exchanges on g4, Black's king- | side pressure remains very strong, whilst his queenside hangs by a thread, and the presence of the bad bishop (quite apart from the pawn less) prevents him from entering almost any type of ending. 30 mM | ‘The decisive error. 30 Sel! had to be played, leading after 30 BI (but not 30... Rxg2+ 31 Sh B32 Bx Oxi 33 wad Exb2 34 Oxa8 Wra8 35 Wh3+ ‘The Mar dl Plata Contre Sg8 36 Ee8 and White wins) 31 EXP (if 31 Oxa8? Bxg2+ 32 Whi wes 33 Bed wit again winning) 31... Wg5 to an extremely complicated position, 30 ose wes 31 wh3 White is obliged to protect the pawn, since 31 Qxaf would be answered by 31... Bxg2+ 32 Sf (if 32 whl Bx 33 Bel GB! and wins) 32... Bxf+ 33 x2 We2+ 34 wel AB+ ete, Wo. Bg3 32 wh On 32 &e6 comes 32... WhS 33 Whi &h6 followed by Bags. Ro. eB 33 fel 33 Oe6 still does not work fon account of 33... Bxcl+ 34 skxel Wed 35 @x18 Sxe2+! 36 Exg2 Wdl+ 37 oh? O34 and wins, The text move activates the threat, eg. 34 De6 Excl 35 OxgS Exel+ 36 Rf Exg2+ 37 Wag? Oxg? 38 doxg? etc. BB h6 34 96 Again if 34 ©e6 Bxcl 35 QxgS Rxel+ 36 BM Oxfl-+ (not 36 ... Bxg2+ 37 Wxg2 xg? 38 Exel Orel 39 OA + a‘The Mar del Plata Centre and White can create dangerous ‘counterchances despite the picce Jess) 37 @xfl Gxg5 and Black has a winning position. 3. bxa6 35 Heb zee ‘The transfer of the QR to the ingside rapidly decides matters. 36 Bxd6 OD 37 BxaG xg + 38 Bxg? WH! 39 AD Ragd+ 40 Wxg? fxg? ot Game 2 Ftacaik-Nunn Vienna 1986 ‘Mar del Plata Variation 1 28 a6 2 of 26 3 Bg? 4 a4 00 3 et 6 6 £2 oS 7 00 Deb 8 as 207 9 Bet ‘This is the first important cross- toads for choice of variation as White can also play 9 Od2, 9 b4 and 9 42. The main aim of moving the knight is to prevent... i6-hS looking to occupy. f, 2 which would either oblige White to weaken the kingside by g2-23, ot agree to the exchange £olxFt once the knight arrives on F4. For example, 9 bd DS 10.05 Bf 1 axl exi4 12 Hel h6, or 9 2d? @hS 10 g3 15 M1 exfS xf 12 Ged Hf6. By contrast, in playing 9 @d2 White would prevent hS whilst intending to open up the queenside with b2-b4 and ot 5, teserving cf for the 242 Black's most direct method of countering this plan lies in the prophylactic advance ... e7-c5, eg, 9 Bd? ¢5 10 Ebi (or 10 dxc6 bxc6 11 b4 d5 12 5) 10... Bek 11 bd b6 ete. oe a7 (42) Im this classic position White essentially has wo methods of dealing with Black's intended Kkingside attack: to enter into opposite side attacks with mutual pawn storms, or to take preventive measures on the kingside in order to freeze the opponent's attack In the first case, the ¢5 advance can be prepared in two ways: (1)playing 2ct-e3 intending to answer the advance of the black Epawn with 243 and e312; further control of c5 can be brought about by b2-b4 and e1-d3, Nowadays this line is seen rather infrequently as after 10 e3 £5 11 13 (4 12 12 g5 the Position of the £2 is seen to be exposed during the middlegame to the breakthrough ... g4-g3 lead- ing to the dangerous opening up of lines of attack against the white monarch, albeit possibly at the cost of a pawn sacrifice. 2) Playing ‘Del-d3, as we saw in the preced- ing game. With the other method, White can implement his kingside pro- phylaxis by playing 10 (3 19 11 g4 and now Black can neither continue his attack by 11... fig 12 fxgd when White has no prob- lems, or 11... 14 fintending to continue with... g5 and a later. ‘hS breakthrough) because of 12 'h4 which prevents the opening of lines on the kingside. Therefore Black generally switches to queen- side play with an attack on the c4-d5 pawn chain, eg. 11... 16 12 O43 Wh 13 e3 06, with the idea of continuing with . b7-bs. ‘The Mar del Plata Centre 9 o8 = 6 ad? fe RB Phe This move constitutes the ‘modern alternative to the classical continuation 12 ... & which we examined in the previous game, Black can interpret the text move in three different ways: (1) to attack the e4-d5 pawn chain by means of ... 7-06 and ... b7-b5, in which case the king move serves to avoid problems along the a2 g8 diagonal; (2)to get rid of the bad bishop by ... @¢7-g8 and 4g7-h6; ()intending to play the prophylactic....c7-cS after having first lured the white rook to cl away from its natural post on bl. 13° Eel Now if 13 ¢5, the counter with 13... 66 would be more effective here than after 12.... {4 in place of 12... @h8. The point is that the king would already be tucked away from the exposed a2-s8 diagonal and the annoying press- ure exerted on e4 by Black's f pawn would tie down the knight on 3. 3. 5 Opting for the third possibility noted above, The alternatives are 13...€6 14 b4 b5 and 13... Begs 14 65 (White can hardly go in for 23‘The Mar del Plata Contre 14 gd fxg 15 fixed h6 16 hd xed 17 Sixes Wxh4 with a likely draw by perpetual check) 14 ... thé. 14 g4 (43) Usually when Black plays eT-¢5, White tends to open the b- file by Bal-bt and b2-b4, but in this specific position that would cost a tempo given that Hc! has already been played. This helps to explain the text move, which is also directed against preventing the exchange of the bad bishop. Instead of the natural plans of attack and counterattack, we now see prophylaxis and counter-pro- phylaxis leading to an extremely subtle strategical duel 4. Dees ‘Showing that he intends to con- tinue with ... @[6-e8 and .. skg7-h6. It is useless to try to force matters on the kingside, eg. 14... £415 hdl, or 14... h6 15 hd mM fxgd 16 fxgd g5 17 hS! smothering everything. 1S gat White gets ready to protect the h-pawn (when it is on h4) with Eft-hi, and at the same time prepares a subile transfer of the heavy pieces to the kingside. 1S. DB Black continues with his plan, not so much in she belief that he will be able to effect the exchange following ... &g7-h6, but rather to oblige the opponent to push on with g4-g5 thus obtaining the possibility of opening up the king- side (... h7-h6) The violent alter- native 15 ... % 16 hd Oxgét would not give Black sufficient compensation for the piece after 17 fred Wxh4 18 Sel We5 19 2 HS (if 19 ... Bh6 20 Dh3 WEG? 21 gS! Axh3+ 22 dxh3 ‘Waxg5 23 Ghd and wins) 20 Oh3 W{6 21 exhS g5 22 22. 16 65 4 Excessive confidence in White's inability to open up the kingside ‘could easily be shown to be mis- placed after, og. 16... Bf7 17 bd S18 18 exfS Sxfs 19 [4 with initiative, 17 bs mn 117... h6 18 Bhi 18 Bhi ry 19 wet Maximal utilization of the fi: teenth move, wo. Og? Improving the placing of his pieces and heading for g3 before ‘committing himself to ... h7-h6, 20 adit The beginning of an incredibly precise manoeuvre designed to confound Black’s plan of opening up the position. The clearest point is the freeing of e2 for the QN so as to prevent the occupation of g3 Note that 20 £f1 would not do ‘because White's king would then be forced to venture on to the dangerous dark squares, ¢g. 20... DHS 2 Oe2 Le7 22 G2 b6 with a strong attack, 20 nS 2 Der ht With the benefit of hindsight Black would have done better to abandon ideas of a kingside attack in favour of solidifying his position ‘on the opposite flank, eg, 21 Ag? 22 Rad Be7 23 b4 b6 with an edge for White. 2 wf ‘The white monarch withdraws on the light squares. ‘The Mar del Plata Centre 2 eT 2B If 23 gxh6 sbh7. Bow haxgs ‘Again with the benefit of hind- sight Black would have done better to play 23... #h7, even though after, e.g, 24 b4 b6 25 £6 bs 26 EbI a6 27 DS Rb7 28 c3 hxgS 29 hxgs Axes 30 BeS Eg? 31 OxeS dxes 32 BxeS White would have a strong attack, 24 bnxgS xg 25 eBlt (44) The point of White's manoeuvre, evidently underesti- mated by Black. Bown 97 Forced, because if 25... He7 26 2xg6 and the position collapses; equally if 25... Wxe8 26 WxgS Zh7 27 c3 with the decisive threat of Oxe5. 25‘The Mar del Plata Centre 26 Bxg6 Exe 26 ... ahd fails after 27 el! D+ 28 Bxg3 Bxg6 2 Exb4+ and wins, Note the importance of the king escaping fon the white squares. 27 ANhS+ sg If 27... @h6 28 Bexl4! ext 29 Axis 2xl4 30 wxgo and wins, 28 bed ‘The key move for activating all Whites pieoes. From here until the end Black must live with the continual nightmare of sacrifices on £4 and e3, as well as the po bility of the Sel coming into play via ©2 Bo. we7 If 28... Rd7 29 xeS+! dre5 30 QxeS with crushing consc- quences, or if 28... 216 29 Wh2 Dh 30 Bexfd ext 31 Oxfd x3 32 Oxg6 with a winning position. Relatively best was pro- bably 28 ... h6, even though after 29 Whi Of6 30 Eh2 it would not be easy for Black 10 prevent the idea of Ecl-c2 fol- lowed by Se2x/4 with a very strong attack. 29 Her Preparing a decisive sacrifice 26 on fi, Doe bho Once again Black has no time to bring his queenside pieces into play, og if 29... ad7 30 ex! xf 31 Bg? Bxg? 32 Wxg?-+ cbt 33 Gxfd exfd 34 Hh8 €17 35 Wg5 (with the threat of ede5) 35... Re8 36 Exe8+ Wxe8 37 Wh6+ with mate‘next move. 300 Wh2 | Gh7 Black tries to avoid the sacrifice on f4, but ... 31 Bexf ex 32 Oxf The sacrifice of a piece for two pawns leads to a decisive opening of lines: now all the white pieces actively join in the attack. 32 wer Black’s last hopes reside in an attack on 13, and in particular in the variation 33 Dxg6 as after 33 » ded or 33... Ox + 34 BD wd3+! 35 wel Wdl+ things would have become more compli- cated. A brilliant finish would fol- low 32... pS: 33. Bxh6+ @xh6 34 Wxh6+! and White 38 2f6 If 33... 4d7 34 Dxg6 wxe6 35 Kgl WIT 36 Be7+ wxg7 ‘The Mar del Plata Centre 37 Bxg7 chxg? 38 Wxd6 with a decisive advantage. 38 del 6S Moats axis Desperation as there are no 35 Hg? wdd more checks after 38... #e34 39 Be After 35... hd7 36 By6 wags 3 gee NOT 40 STL Wat 37 Qxg6 wxgé 38 Axh6+ A Dxh6 39 Wxd6+ White wins. 39° txts. wes 36 wes wats 4 ne 37 em wad i2 The Petrosian Centre ‘Main Line: Petrosian System 1 dd V6 2 of g6 3 cd eT 4 ef d6 5 13 0-0 6 Be 5 7 dS A similar structure can arise from other lines, eg. 1 d4 Of6 2 cf g6 3 He3 Bg7 404 d6 5 a1 0-0 and now: Petrosian System 6 he? e5 70.0 Obd7 8 ds Gligorie System 6 dtc? 5 70-0 (or 7 c3 We7 8 d5) 7... Dbd7 8 Ae3 06 9 as Orthodox System 6 fe? eS 7 0-0 Obd7 3 Hel (or 8 We2 06 9 Rdl for 9 dS] 9)... We7 10.45) 8 ... 06 9 fl 28 (or 9.45) 9... a5 10 Zb1 Bes 114s : Systems with h3 6 h3 €5 (or 6... 5 7 d5 65) 7 45 Other lines 6 Be2 Sgt 7 ke} Ofd7 & Bel 05 9-5 1 Strategic Ideas The most important feature in common in these variations, con- trasted with the preceding chapter, is the position of Black's QN, This apparently insignificant detail in reality has a profound influence on the strategy of both sides. In addition, the fact that White has not yet castled in some variations can also make an important diff erence as will be pointed out, although he will normally castle ingside. ‘Thus in general the type of cen- tre we shall be considering will present the following characterist- ics (46). ‘At first sight the strategic ele- ments here are very similar to those previously enumerated in ‘our observations on Diagram 2. Indeed, normally the game will feature attack and counterattack with castling on the same side, where a key role will be played by the respective offensive thrusts o4— 65 and... (7-15, However, the position of the QN means that although Biack may still choose to make the prophylactic advance ---€7-5 he will be able to contro} the square cS with greater ease than in the positions examined in the preceding chapter where the QN was placed on e7, The square cS Not only does Black exercise greater control over 5, he can also turn it into a strong outpost for his QN by securing it with a7-a8 (47), In this type of position itis clear ‘The Petrosian Centre that White cannot prepare the advance e4-e5 with the standard methods examined in the preced- ing chapter, especially considering that once the QN is directed towards ¢5 it can easily be reinforced by its partner (... &f6— a, To prepare c4-c5 White will need to employ his queenside pawns, but he will hardly over simply be able to continue with a2-a3 and b2-b4 because after an immediate 23 Black will gain permanent control of eS by fixing White's b-pawn with... aS-ad ‘Thus the battle for control of 5 must be prepared by first playing b2-b3 and only then a2-a3 and b3—b4 (48), Only by expending a certain number of tempi (among which will almost always be Zal-bl to bring extra support to ba) can White succeed in getting a pawn to bd which is the essential pre- requisite for the cS breakthrough. »‘The Petrosian Centre The closed centre Given Black's enhanced control of Sin the Petrosian type of centre, which naturally slows down Whi- ‘e's attack, he has no real need to resort to the prophylaxis of the advance ...¢7-¢5 to counter Whi- te’s queenside play. At the same time, however, it is true that reliance on Black’s extra control ‘of cS will merely hold up the opponent's attack whereas the more drastic solution of ....¢7-¢5 obliges White to adopt « different method of attack, In the type of situation illustrated in Diagram 46, then, Black may choose whether or not to play... e7=e5, thus bringing about the closed ‘contre, The closed set-up (¢5-d6-e5 » ‘o-d5-e4) arises most often from the following circumstances: (1) by inversion of moves, that is to say when Black first plays ... c7~c5 and after d4-d5 decides to close the centre with ... e7-e5; (2) when 30 White maintains the centrat ten- sion for some moves and fixes the centre after Black plays ... ¢7-c6 (49), In such positions Black often plays the logical alan of creating pressure against White's e-pawn by the exchange ... e5xd (pre- ceded oF followed by ... Z8-e8) and ... ©d7-c5 with the possi bility, should the occasion arise, of making the freting advance 46-45 (see Chapter 6) White can counter these ideas by closing the centre with d4-d5, often thus threatening to win the 46 pawn. This strategic decision may be taken either straight away orat any time durng maintenance of the central tension; sometimes, White waits for ... 5f8-e8 before losing the centre, thus luring the rook away from its natural sup- port of the Fpawn, ‘Afier d4-d5 Black often opts to fix the centre by ... e6-e5 since the opening of the e-file (as would be obtained after... e6xd5) gener ally favours White, which is not surprising given that this is one of the aims ofthe ote breakthrough. However, as we shall see, Black does sometimes ‘open the e-file with the intention, ofchallenging White on the queen- side. No matter at which stage the pawn gets to ¢5, White is obliged to change his mode of attack on the queen's wing (50). With both players having castled short, White will aitempt to breach the queenside by open- ing the befile while Black will pur- sue his standard counterplay on the opposite flank. It should, how. ever, be observed that Black ‘occasionally decides to confront the enemy head on with the advance... a7~a6 coupled with b7-bS. In this case White may react with the squeezing manoeuvre a2-ad—aS and Qc3— ‘The Petrosian Centre a4 followed by the advance b2- ba. ‘The only situation where Black can really take the initiative on the quoenside is when White wrenches the game out of the usual channels by castling long (51). In such cases the usual strategy is completely reversed due to the vital difference of being castled on opposite sides. The pin on the of6 With same-side casting, it is clear that White cannot simply adopi a pure attack/counterattack approach since, whether Black decides to control cS with his picces or block it with his e-pawn, in both cases White can easily find himself with the inferior chances, Itis therefore logical that White in turn seeks ways of slowing Black's kingside action, especially to pre- vent, retard, or weaken the advance of the black pawn. Once again we observe the influence 31‘The Petrosian Centre of the placing of Black's QN in ‘deciding this strategy: in contrast, to the variations examined in the previous chapter, the black knight does not support the ... f7-f5 advance, and on 7 it interferes with the action of the 2e8. The most direct method of obstructing the advance of the £ pawn isto pin the knight by Bel~ 85 (52). The principle aim of this pin is to induce Black to free himself by means of ... h7-h6 and 26-85, thus weakening his control of {5 and consequently enfeebling the advance of the {pawn which would now split the black pawns into two relatively harmless blocks after edxf5, Subsequent developments. will be determined according to whether Black places the QN on 86 or d7 (see Diagram 47) or plays 2 I-65. 2 Unpinning by ... h7-h6 and = 96-95 When Black develops his QN on. 47 we obtain the following type of position (53). It should be noted that in such situations White docs not threaten to prevent ... h7-h6 by playing Wdl-d2 because after ... 47 5 White would have the equally unpleasant choice between ste?~ 3 and Wd2-e3, both of which, in any case, would fail to prevent Black continuing with ... h7-h6. Consequently, this idea (wd1— 2) only works when Black has adopted a set-up with ... ¢7-c5. White's intention here, in fact, isto remove the KN to d2 in order to gain control of the diagonal d1— 1S and thus avert the simplifying follow-up ... @f6-hSxg3 after unpinning by ... h7-h6 and .. 26-25. Therefore, given that unpinning by ... Wd8-e8 would bbe met strongly by @c3~b5, it is casy to see that Black does best to react with an immediate advance followed by ... 2f6-hS (54), 4 FH ye) In such positions it will be read- ily understood that the occupation of f4 (... OhS-14) is only effective if White has already castled king- side. If, after ... @f6-hS, White has yet to castle, then he can try to exploit the enemy's weakened kingside by playing h2-hé, Such variations are often very compli- cated tactically and usually, after s+. g5-g4 and the exchange .. Bh5xg3, lead to the following pawn structure (55). Here the struggle mainly revolves around gaining control “The Petrasian Centre of £5; should White do so he will also gain a strategic superiority. Thus Black must accomplish the advance ... (7-5 even though it has lost its original counter attacking significance and become necessary liberation without which Black risks being slowly strangled. If Black manages to carry out the advanes, however, then after the exchange of the pawns on ef and f5 he can count on an ending with virtually an extra pawn, although his king will be open to attack during the middlegame. The square e4 Alter the moves ... h7-h6 and ... 26-25, the main reason that the advance ... £7-f5 loses the greater part of its attacking strength is that after eéxf5 White obtains the strong blockading square e (56). White can occupy e4 and take advantage of the general white 3‘The Petrosian Centre square weakness on the kingside. Black's only chance of combating this strategic inferiority is in sue- ceeding in playing ... e5-e4 and firmly defending it. An analogous situation also arises when Black plays... 17-f5, even with the sup- ort of a pawn on g6, and then for some tactical reason finds himself obliged to recapture on {5 with a piece. Uni ing by ... Wd8-e8 When Black’s QN has not been developed on d7 he has a less compromising way of getting out of the pin (57) After having played ... a7-a5 Black can unpin quite simply by s+ Wd8-e8 as Bc3-bS could be answered by the thematic develop- ‘ment ... Qb&-a6, In this case the move... h7-6 is not played with the intention of continuing with ++ 26-95 but in order to free h7 for the KN. After... Wd8-e8 it 4 is natural to move the KN so as to continue with ... f7-f5, and the square d7 is best reserved for the development of the QB, as we shall sce (58). After getting out of the pin, before continuing with ... [=f Black tends to bring his bad bishop into play via h6 with ... h6-hS, which also threatens to trap the QB and thus forces White to play 12-83 (59) In such situations, when White has castled Kingside he should be careful about withdrawing the bishop to R, which would allow Black to build up kingside press- ure too quickly by ... #e8-e7, hS-h4 and ... We7-g5. The square a4 ‘As we have seen, even though Black may eventually succeed in ‘organizing some kingside counter- play, the pin certainly slows things down. It is logical, therefore, for Black to augment his preventative measures on the qucenside in order to avoid being over-run there. ‘The combination of the unpin- ning... Wd8-e8 with the develop- ing ... &c8-d7 gives Black the extra option of implementing the simplifying manoeuvre ... e5~ a4 once White has managed to play b4 (60). Black can offer the exchange of his QN by ... 2cS-a4, either with or without capturing on b4, instead of consenting to its ‘exclusion from play by retreating to26. ‘The Peirosian Centre Unpi ing by ... Wd8-<7 As well as the methods already considered, when Black has played 7~c5 he can get out of the pin by moving his queen along the diagonal d8-a5 (61). ‘The best position for Black's queen in general is c7, given that the other possibilities (... Wb6 or .. a5) would be easily disturbed bby White's natural plan of opening the befle(Zal-bl and b2-b4). In. this case too, the move ... h7-h6 serves to prepare the retreat 16-b7, as going to 8 would impede the normal development of the QN on d7 because of h4~ 7 winning the exchange. The advance 12-44 Another method of countering the advance ... {7-15 (and especially the further .., {5-f4) is to play 12-4 cither before or after the exchange 4x15, x6xf5. The basic idea of this type of plan is to open. 35The Pettosian Centre the centre in order to weaken Black's attack on the kingside, at the same time hoping to profit from the somewhat exposed pos- ition of the black king. Such a strategy nearly always precedes the development of the QB on 3, and exhibits different nuances according to whether Black plays his c-pawn to c5 (62) a When Black has occupied 5, White can aim to open the centre and/or obtain control of d4 by playing e4xf5 g6x!S and [2-14 (63) In general, the closing of the position by ....e5~e4 is unlikely to upset White because the Ste3 is 36 already placed to block the pawn whilst the square dé will quickly fall into his hands (for example by d2-b3 or De}-bs) and the pawn chain e4-f5 can always be broken up by a later 22-84. Black’s best approach is to exchange on [4 locking for adequ- ate compensation for his inferior pawn structure in the centraliz- ation of his pieces ‘On the other hand, when Black thas played ... c5 White will norm- ally manoeuvre his KN to d3 via el (in order to support the advances b2-b4 aad 2-f4) rather than play Of3-d2 as in the pre- ceding diagrams, With the knight ‘on d3, however, if White takes with e4xf5 and afterwards plays 12-8 Black will be able to push ‘on with ... e5-e4 with gain of tempo (64). In such positions Black can play -e4 and after 243-12 immo- bilize White's pawns with the exchange ... 2g7xc3, subseque cently preventing the thrust g2-g4 by means of ... 7-16 and, if necessary, ....h7-hS. In this way he obtains a balanced game not- withstanding the loss ofthe bishop pair (and especially the fianchet- toed KB) thanks to the closed nature ofthe position and White's lack of pawn breakthroughs Consequently, when Black has played ... e5 White tends to post- pone the exchange e4xf5 and play an immediate f2-f4in order to try The principal aim of this advance remains the same, ie. to open the centre and try to profit from the exposed position of the black king. In this position Black has attempted to renew his king- side attack by playing ... g5, but after fheS OxeS (... f4, 06 fre3, exd7 xd7, €5 dres, Ged gives White a strategically superior pos- ition), xeS ixe5, exfS x!5, g4 White retains the initiative thanks to the rapidity of is attack on the g-pawn (Wd2 h6, h4). The Petrosian Centre Ideas associated with the advance h2-h3 Occasionally, White decides to play h2-h3 at some stage in the opening. This little move contains various ideas according to whether or not itis combined with the pin &cl-g5. When Black does nothing to break the pin, then h2— 3 serves to prepare ©I3-h2-e4 (66) White threatens to increase the pressure by @h2-g4, Should Black decide to play ... h7-h6, then the bishop can retreat to 03 and with a subsequent h3-h4-hS White can create a weakening of £Sand consequently of the advance 17-45. More often, however, the move h2-h3 (especially when played early on in the opening)isintended to prepare a later g2-24 (67). This is another system, fairly frequent in practice, which aims to draw the sting of ... {7-f5. Occasionally the g2-e4 advance 7‘The Petrosian Centre can be played without the support of the h-pawn by moving the KN to d2 thus supplying the support of the queen and KB. Itis obvious that this plan is almost always implemented before White has declared his castling intentions, as only in this way can he hope to reap the full benefit of @ possible ‘opening of the g-file following 17-45, By reserving the option of castling queenside White main- tains the possibility of sharpening things with opposite side castling. From Black’s point of view, it is not always easy to make the correct choice of plan, We will try to outline the pros and cons of the three possibilities. (1) Given that the opponent might castle queen- side, Black reacts by opening the e-file with ... c7-c6xd8, but this plan can only come to fruition if White has already committed himself to the g4 advance, other- wise nothing prevents him from giving up this idea in favour of 38 casting Kingside and trying to profit from the opening of the c- file; (2)Black reacts by securing ‘and occupying eS by ... aS and 45 or fixing the pawns with 65; this plan is only really effective when White has castled queenside as otherwise, protected by the closed centre, White’s king can remain in the centre and gain the initiative either on the kingside by e4 and hd, or on the queenside with a3 and b4, and this without allowing the opponent a clear object of counterplay; (3) Black reacts by exploiting the weak f% square (accentuated by h2-h3) With a rapid ... @f6-hS-f4 The square f4 Generally speaking, there are two ‘main situations where occupation, of the {4 square constitutes one of Black's mos: important aims: when White has played h2-h3, or when he has casted kingside. In the first ease, the diagram uundertines the fact that occupation of fis not dependent upon White having also castled kingside (68), White cannot afford any further weakening of the kingside pawns by g2-g3 as, in the first place, the aggressive aim of h2-h3 (to continue with g2-e4) would be nullified, and in the second, Black would acquire the dangerous ‘The Petrosian Centre breakthrough possibility of .. 5- 4 after... £715. Therefore, in onder to protect £4, White must have recourse to an artificial-look- ing manoeuvre: Qh2 @f4, 213 {5, and now, so as not to lose the h-pawn, hie must first play h4 and only then 23. It will readily be observed that the exchange Aoixf4 constitutes a strategic sucoess for Black given the liber- ation of the bad bishop and simul- taneous gain of dark square play. ‘An example of the second case (which we have already glimpsed in the commentary to diagram 54) comes about when White retreats the bishop to €3 after ... h7-h6 (6%. In this type of situation Black can cither choose to base his coun- terplay on ... £7-f5 by playing . {6-7 (or-d7), or on occupying {4 This latter plan gains in import- ‘ance from White castling kingside, and Black can proceed in three ways: (Ito play... f6-hS immediately if White's KN is still on £3; (2)t0 play... Re8-s4, if White's KN is on d2, with the id of gaining control of hS after 12~ 1B Ag4-d7; (3)t0 play... Ai hS immediately, even if White's KN has moved from {3, challeng- ing the opponent to give up the bishop pair in order to double Black's h-pawns. Cleatly, the idea of occupying 14 should not be seen as a totally separate alternative to the plan with ... {7-£5: the two methods are frequently combined The manoeuvre g2-93 and Of3-n4 White sometimes decides to play #2-g3 both in order to prever Black occupying f4 and to obtain the possibility of @f3-h4 to hold up or prevent the ... £5 advance (70). ‘The ideal (but not indispens- able) conditions for carrying out 39