The Modernized Ruy Lopez Volume 2 A Complete

Table of Contents
Title page
Key to Symbols
Foreword by Le Quang Liem
Introduction
PART I – Systems with ...Bc5
Chapter 1 – Moller Defense

Chapter 2 – Archangelsk Defense
PART II – Closed Ruy Lopez
Chapter 3 – Rare Lines

Chapter 4 – Zaitsev Variation
Chapter 5 – Chigorin Variation
Chapter 6 – Breyer Variation
Chapter 7 – Anti-Marshall
PART III – Modern Line with d3

Chapter 9 – Main Line
2
The Modernized Ruy Lopez
Volume 2
A Complete Repertoire for White
by
Dariusz Świercz
Thinkers Publishing 2021
www.thinkerspublishing.com
First edition 2021 by Thinkers Publishing

Copyright © 2021 Dariusz Świercz
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, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher.
All sales or enquiries should be directed to Thinkers Publishing, 9850 Landegem, Belgium.
Email: info@thinkerspublishing.com
Website: www.thinkerspublishing.com
Managing Editor: Romain Edouard

Assistant Editor: Daniël Vanheirzeele
Typesetting: Mark Haast
Proofreading: Bob Holliman
Software: Hub van de Laar
Cover Design: Iwan Kerkhof
Graphic Artist: Philippe Tonnard
Production: BESTinGraphics
3
ISBN: 9789464201086
D/2021/13730/6
I dedicate this book to
my lovely wife Keyla, with whom I share my life and who loves me and supports me every day,
my parents, Mamuś Ela and Tati Jurek, without whom I would have never achieved anything,
my sister Ola, BIL Wit, Otylia and Marek, who root for me in every game I play,
my R.I.P grandma Irena, who always believed in me,
my R.I.P grandpa Rysiek, who taught me the game of chess.
I wanted to say thank you and I love you!
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Key to Symbols
! a good move
? a weak move
!! an excellent move
?? a blunder
!? an interesting move
?! a dubious move
™ only move
N novelty
‰ lead in development
ʘ zugzwang
= equality
∞ unclear position
© with compensation for the sacrificed material
² White stands slightly better
³ Black stands slightly better
± White has a serious advantage
µ Black has a serious advantage
+– White has a decisive advantage
–+ Black has a decisive advantage
‚ with an attack
ƒ with initiative
„ with counterplay
… with the idea of
¹ better is
≤ worse is
+ check
# mate
5
Foreword
While writing the forward to the first volume of this series in August of 2020 I noticed some
interesting ideas in the book and was hoping to try them out against strong players. I did not have to
wait long. The prestigious Champions Chess Tour kicked off with the Skilling Open in November.
While preparing for the last day of competition I noticed that one of my opponents, Spanish GM
David Anton, regularly employed the open variation of the Ruy Lopez as Black. I then reviewed an
idea in the last chapter of the first volume and decided to give it a try in our battle. I blitzed out the
first 23 moves and was pleasantly surprised to see 23...h5 appear on the board. The move is very
natural, yet a huge mistake from Black that was already refuted in an earlier classical game and
restated by Dariusz Swiercz. The fact that I read this book while GM Anton was not aware of it gave
me a clear advantage. As a result, I won that game very quickly having to think independently for
only 5 more moves before my opponent resigned.
The continuation described in my own game is not Dariusz’s greatest discovery, yet it was enough to
bring me an important tournament point and prove the comprehensiveness of his work. I am delighted
to see that Dariusz has carried forward a consistent approach to the Ruy Lopez in the book you now
hold. He has conducted a great amount of research to include the latest games and theoretical trends,
so you are well prepared in all scenarios.
Overall, I believe that anyone interested in playing the Ruy Lopez with either color should study this
book. Dariusz has constructed a complete modern repertoire for White in the Ruy Lopez. For those of
you who only play a variation for Black you would do well to review your opponent’s options from
one of the leading experts in this opening. I am sure chess players of all strengths will benefit
immensely from Dariusz’s books the same way I did.
GM Liem Quang Le
World Blitz Champion 2013
Saint Louis, January 2021
6
Introduction
Dear Reader,
I would like to thank you for purchasing this book, I really appreciate it. It also means that you found
an interest in my work of trying to crack the Ruy Lopez.
As I said in the introduction to the first volume, I had no idea what I was signing up for when
deciding to write a book on Ruy Lopez. This opening has such a rich history and good reputation that
proving advantages in many lines is nearly impossible. Writing the first volume on this opening was a
Herculean effort and I thought “it cannot be more difficult”. After all, I was covering such solid
variations as the Berlin and the Open Spanish. Well, I got surprised again! I am not exaggerating
when I say that writing the second volume was at least as hard as writing the first one.
This second volume on the Ruy Lopez consists of two parts. In the first part I focus on modern
systems with ...Bc5, attempting to dissect both the Archangelsk and Moller Variations. These two
variations have quite a rich history but in 2020 there have been several developments. If I had to
name one person that contributed the most to the developments in those lines it is, without a doubt,
Fabiano Caruana. His encounters in the Candidates Tournament in Ekaterinburg, then his theoretical
discussion in those lines with Leinier Dominguez, revised my opinion on many of those lines and led
to interesting discoveries that I analyze in this book.
In the subsequent part I discuss the Closed Ruy Lopez. It is easily one of the most popular openings
throughout the history of chess with many games occuring as early as the 1800s. I suggest going for
9.h3 which usually leads to a positional battle. I present new trends and find new paths and ideas in
such evergreen variations as the Zaitsev, Breyer, Chigorin and others. Additionally, I attempt to crack
the Marshall Attack by suggesting the Anti-Marshall lines with 8.a4. I must admit that I thought that
it would be a pretty easy task to analyze those openings having some prior analysis and experience
with both colors. However, time after time I was encountering new challenges and new ideas from
both sides that I had to resolve. My conclusions, based on careful analysis with the most powrful
engines currently available is presented in this book.
This book completes my series on the Ruy Lopez.
I would like to take a moment and recall what I said in the introduction to the first volume. When
both sides play very good and sound chess, it is normal that games end in a draw. It is especially true
for such sound openings as Ruy Lopez. I do not attempt to dismiss one line or another because
somewhere with best play Black can make a draw by force on move number 30, playing sometimes
ridiculous moves that are only found during the analytical work. Over the board the reality is way
different – practical aspect plays an important role in chess. Some positions are easier to play, some
harder. Similarly to what I did in the first volume, I try to offer the most playable positions. I do not
mind if the positions are equal, provided it is easier to paly with White or the chance of an error by
Black is quite large. Sometimes I go into forced variations (e.g. in Moller Defense or Archangelsk
Defense), sometimes into more positional battles (like in the Zaitsev) but I truly believe that the
positions I aim to reach have potential and are tricky for Black. With proper knowledge I think White
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can put pressure on Black in the Ruy Lopez.
I hope that you will find my approach to tackling the Ruy Lopez interesting. I am aware that there is
only so much I can analyze and someone may say that I did not analyze some positions deeply
enough but that is the nature of chess – possibilities are pretty much unlimited and there will always
be theoretical debate!
Finally, I wish you, dear Reader, good luck and I hope you can successfully use the ideas that I
present in this book in your games.
Thank you,
Dariusz Swiercz
8
Part I
Systems with ...Bc5
Chapter 1
Moller Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5
Chapter Guide
Chapter 1 – Moller Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 d5 8.a4
a) Introduction
b) 6...0-0 alternative
c) 8...b4?! & 8...Rb8
d) 8...dxe4 9.axb5 0-0N
e) 8...dxe4 9.axb5 exf3
f) 8...dxe4 9.axb5 Bg4!?
a) Introduction
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5
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Position after: 5...Bc5
The Moller Defense is some sort of hybrid of the Classical Defense (or even Deferred Classical
Defense) which I discuss in Volume 1. It became a popular choice lately due to Fabiano Caruana’s
games.
The Moller Defense offers some flexible move order and White cannot easily achieve his perfect
setup with c3-d4 as Black can immediately go for counterplay in the center. The positions here are
often very complicated, but according to my analysis, I think White can put lots of pressure on Black,
even though with perfect play Black can possibly equalize.
6.c3 b5
This is an interesting approach that recently has gained a lot of popularity.

Usually, if Black wants to play ...Bc5, it happens after 5...b5 6.Bb3 Bc5. Here, however, the move
order was reversed, which gives White an additional option of 7.Bc2, which I suggest as It leads to a
very combative fight. Let us see what can happen here!
6...0-0 is a viable alternative. There have been some developments in this line lately, one of the
reasons being numerous games of Magnus Carlsen.
7.Bc2 d5 8.a4!?
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Position after: 8.a4!?
I think that this is the most critical approach to this line. It definitely is very testing, but it also
involves some risk that White is willing to take. A small word of caution though - these lines require
memorization and willingness to go for crazy positions. However, objectively speaking, they offer
good chances to win the game, unlike other lines that lead to less complicated positions. Therefore, I
decided to choose this line and analyze it thoroughly so that you can extract the maximum value.
Black has several possibilities.
8...dxe4
This is mostly played here. There are alternatives following alternatives: 8...Rb8 and 8...b4 but they
are considered to be inferior relative to the mainstream 8...dxe4.
9.axb5
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Position after: 9.axb5
9...Bg4
This move did not have a good reputation until recently. White has scored well here. In 2020 Fabiano
Caruana played an amazing new idea in his game against Leinier Dominguez which leads to
absolutely crazy positions.
A) 9...exf3 This line has generally been considered as the main option for Black. Here White has
some chances, but practice shows that Black has decent defensive resources. Yet White achieves a
nearly risk-free position where he can exert pressure on Black for many moves.
B) 9...0-0N This move has not been played yet but it definitely deserves attention as well.
Let us begin the analysis!
b) 6...0-0 alternative
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.c3 0-0 7.d4
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Position after: 7.d4
In this position Black has essentially three logical continuations, but only two of them are decent.
7...Ba7
This is the most popular lately. Thanks to having played ...a6 Black has the a7-square available for
the bishop.
Alternatives are following:
A) 7...Bb6 This is a relatively rare move, but it has been recently played by Fabiano Caruana. He
had to have a reason to go for it, so we should not dismiss that.
A1) 8.Bg5 This happened in Nepomniachtchi – Caruana (2020). Even though it looks somewhat
scary for Black I do not think it is particularly dangerous. 8...h6 9.Bh4 d6
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Position after: 9...d6
10.h3 stopping ...Bg4 in any case, and provoking Black’s next move. [10.Qc1!? could be
considered too, temporarily stopping ...g5. However, I am not sure whether it is so great. 10...Qe7
11.Re1 Bd7 looks pretty solid for Black.] 10...g5! 11.Nxg5 hxg5 12.Bxg5
Position after: 12.Bxg5
Here Caruana had to play 12...Kg7!∞ and White would have to work hard to prove sufficient
compensation. The position is extremely unclear. [12...Kh7? was Caruana’s choice instead and
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now White is much better: 13.Bxc6! Rg8 14.f4 bxc6 15.Qe1!±]
A2) 8.Re1 I would suggest this move, instead of 8.Bg5 as played by Nepomniachtchi. 8...d6 9.h3
Position after: 9.h3
9...Bd7 Probably the right path for Black. After others White is clearly better. [9...Ne7? 10.dxe5
dxe5 11.Nxe5+–; 9...h6 10.Be3 Bd7 11.Bc2 Re8 12.Nbd2²] 10.Bc2 Re8 Now I consider two
options for White.
Position after: 10...Re8
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A2.1) 11.a3!?² is an alternative. It is a typical idea that is prevalent in all kinds of Ruy Lopez
positions. White in advance controls the b4-square in case Black played ...exd4 to later play
...Nb4. Essentially, White preserves the light-squared bishop.
A2.2) 11.Be3 exd4 12.cxd4 Nb4 White allows Black to take the light-squared bishop in exchange
for dynamic play in the center and quick development of his pieces. 13.Nc3! Nxc2 14.Qxc2 h6
[14...c6 15.Bg5!?²] 15.e5! The black knight has to run to the edge of the board. 15...Nh7
16.Rad1²
Position after: 16.Rad1²
with some pressure in the center. Black’s pair of bishops in some way compensates for that but
not fully. White is better.
B) 7...exd4? This move is simply a mistake as Black gives up control over the center for no reason.
8.cxd4 Ba7 9.e5 Nd5 [9...Ne8 10.Nc3±] 10.Nc3 Nxc3 11.bxc3±
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Position after: 7...Ba7
8.Re1
I am leaning towards this positional approach. It is similar to the 7...Bb6 line discussed earlier, but it
is a little bit different. Black now has an additional option in ...b5 which was not possible after
7...Bb6. The positions are quite similar to ones arising in regular Archangelsk/ Moller Defense,
however here we can safely retreat with the bishop to the c2-square from where it supports the center.
A) 8.Bg5 is the major alternative - pinning the knight and the queen seems reasonable. I think that it
is also a very good attempt, however I have some doubts in one particular line. I will not go into
details because I think that 8.Re1 is much easier and I focus on it instead. However, I offer a basic
background if you are interested in analyzing on your own. 8...h6 9.Bh4
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Position after: 9.Bh4
A1) 9...exd4?! is quite risky: 10.Re1! d6 11.Bxc6! bxc6 [11...dxc3 12.Nxc3 bxc6 13.Qc1 Re8
14.e5 dxe5 15.Ne4ƒ with strong initiative, as in Sethuraman – Erdos (2019).] 12.Nxd4! Bd7
[12...g5?! 13.Nxc6 Qd7 14.Nxa7!±] 13.Nd2²
A2) 9...d6! The best response by Black. 10.Bxc6 With this move White wins a pawn. [If 10.Re1
then 10...Bd7 is OK for Black.] 10...bxc6 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Nxe5
Position after: 12.Nxe5
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It seems like White has won a pawn and messed up Black’s pawn structure on the queenside.
However, things are far from easy: 12...Qe7! This move offers Black a certain amount of
counterplay. As I said earlier, I do not want to dive into deep analysis of this line, but personally I
believe that Black has decent chances to hold thanks to either activity or positions with opposite
color bishops that have big drawish tendencies. If you are interested in this line, I encourage
studying it on your own. Personally, though, I like 8.Re1.
B) 8.dxe5 is another possibility, but here Black has no problems at all. 8...Nxe4
Position after: 8...Nxe4
9.Qd5 [9.Bc2 d5 10.exd6 Nxd6 11.Bg5 f6 12.Bf4 g5!„ Vallejo Pons – Carlsen (2019).] 9...Nc5
10.Bc2 Ne7 11.Qd1 d5 12.exd6 Qxd6 13.Qxd6 cxd6 I think that in this endgame Black has no
problems and games that have been played there so far confirm this.
8...d6
An important move order. Black should start with this.

8...b5?!
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Position after: 8...b5?!
This move has been a popular choice of GMs lately, however in my opinion it is inaccurate. It gives
White an additional option of 9.Bb3!? which puts a lot of pressure on Black. [9.Bc2 d6 10.h3 would
just transpose to the main line and it is also a good option for White.] 9...d6 10.Bg5! This pin
becomes pretty unpleasant. 10...h6 11.Bh4 Black has several choices but White retains the initiative.
A) 11...Bb7 12.a4 This is similar to the Archangelsk/Moller with 5...b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Bb7 which
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is pretty risky for Black and this looks like an even better version for White.
B) After 11...g5 White goes for a typical piece sacrifice with 12.Nxg5! hxg5 13.Bxg5 Kg7 14.Re3!
± with a powerful attack.
C) 11...exd4 12.Bd5! The key move. Suddenly, White is much better. 12...Bd7 [12...dxc3 13.Nxc3
Bb7 14.Qd2± with huge compensation for the pawn.] 13.cxd4 g5 14.Bxc6 Bxc6 15.Qc1!± with
Nxg5 next.
D) 11...Bg4? is a mistake as after 12.Bd5! there is nothing better than 12...Bd7 which just gives up a
tempo.
E) 11...Bd7!? Perhaps this is what Black should do here, but White is better anyway. 12.Na3
[12.Qd2!? also deserves attention.] 12...g5 [12...exd4 13.cxd4 g5 14.Bg3²] 13.Bg3 Re8 14.Qd3
Nh5 15.Nc2²
9.h3
9...b5
Black can try playing without ...b5.

9...h6 10.Be3
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Position after: 10.Be3
A) 10...Bd7 11.Bc2 Re8 [11...exd4 12.cxd4 Nb4 13.Bb3! Re8 14.d5 Bxe3 15.Rxe3 a5 16.Nc3 a4
17.Bc4²/±.] 12.Nbd2² This position resembles a typical position from the Italian Game where
White comfortably achieved full control over the center. White is simply better.
B) 10...Nxe4!? This is an interesting piece sacrifice, but it still is quite dubious as it does not
equalize. 11.d5 Bxe3 12.Rxe3 Nxf2 13.Kxf2 Ne7
Position after: 13...Ne7
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Black has two connected central pawns for the piece and managed to weaken the position of the
white king. However, it is still a long time before those pawns begin rolling forward. I think that
White has enough resources to stop them: 14.Qd2! trying to stabilize the center. [14.c4?! would be
premature due to 14...c6 with ideas of ...Nf5 and ...Qb6 being unclear.]
B1) 14...f5 15.c4 and it is not easy to push the Black kingside pawns forward. 15...f4 [15...g5
16.Kg1 g4 17.hxg4 f4 18.Re2 Bxg4 19.Bc2±; 15...e4 16.Nd4±] 16.Re1 Nf5 17.Nc3±
B2) 14...c6 also deserves attention, but with white queen on the d2-square, White secures all the
weak spots: 15.dxc6 Nf5 16.Re4 Qb6+ 17.Ke1 bxc6 18.Qf2 Qc7 19.c4!²/±
Position after: 19.c4!²
and Black does not have enough compensation.
10.Bc2
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Position after: 10.Bc2
If Black uses the 9...d6 move order, White should play Bc2.
10...h6
This is the most popular move, fearing Bg5, however White will not always want to play that.
A) 10...exd4!? This is an interesting alternative to 10...h6. 11.cxd4 Nb4
Position after: 11...Nb4
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A1) 12.Bb3 This was played in Svidler – Nabaty (2020), but Black is fine after 12...c5 13.a3 Nc6
14.Be3
14...Na5 [14...c4!? 15.Bc2 d5 16.e5 Ne4 17.Nc3 f5 18.exf6 Nxf6∞ also deserves attention.]
15.Nc3 Nxb3 16.Qxb3 Bb7 and Black should be fine here although the position is still
complicated.
A2) 12.Be3! This leads to a clear advantage in my opinion. Even though Black wins the pair of
bishops, White’s control over the center is more important. Additionally, White has the idea of
playing d5 in the future and trading bishops. 12...Bb7 [12...Re8 transposes to 10...Re8.] 13.Nbd2
Nxc2 14.Qxc2
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Position after: 14.Qxc2
14...Qd7 [14...Rc8 15.a4! bxa4 16.Bg5!ƒ] 15.d5 Bxe3 16.Rxe3 c6 17.dxc6 Bxc6 18.Nf1 Rac8
19.Qd3²
B) 10...Re8!? This move was played twice by Stefanova, but without great results. 11.Be3 exd4
12.cxd4 Nb4 13.Nbd2 [13.Bb3 c5 14.a3 Nc6∞ does not look clear to me.]
Position after: 13.Nbd2
13...c5 [13...Bb7? was in Robson – Stefanova (2019) and here after 14.Bb1!± it appears that Black
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cannot take the e4-pawn and a3 is next simply pushing back the knight. White is much better. In the
game Black played 14...Bxe4 which only hastened defeat, however Black’s position was already
very unpleasant. 15.Nxe4 Nxe4 16.Qb3! c5 17.a3 cxd4 18.Bxd4+– and White wins a piece.]
Position after: 13...c5
Here White has a few choices which appear to yield an advantage.

B1) 14.Bb1!? cxd4 15.Bxd4² with some slight edge is the simplest.
B2) 14.dxc5!? This is the most concrete approach.
B2.1) 14...dxc5?! 15.e5 Nfd5 [15...Nxc2 16.Qxc2 Nd5 17.Bxc5±] 16.Be4±
B2.2) 14...Bxc5 15.Bxc5 [15.e5!? leads to crazy positions: 15...Bxe3 16.exf6 Bf4 17.Rxe8+ Qxe8
18.Bb3 but Black probably is ok after 18...Bb7∞] 15...dxc5 16.e5 Nxc2 17.Qxc2 Nd7 18.Rad1
Bb7 19.Ne4 Bxe4 20.Qxe4ƒ also gives White some pressure.
B3) 14.d5 Perhaps this is the best, hoping to get a game similar to a Benoni structure. 14...Nxc2
15.Qxc2 h6 [15...c4 16.Bxa7 Rxa7 17.b3 cxb3 18.Qxb3²] 16.a4 Bd7 17.Bf4²
11.Be3
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11...Re8
A) 11...exd4 12.cxd4 Nb4 is not good anymore. 13.Bb3²

B) 11...Bb7 12.Nbd2 would probably transpose to the main line after 12...Re8.
12.Nbd2 Bb7 13.a3!
Position after: 13.a3!
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A typical move which happens quite often in the Ruy Lopez. White controls the b4-square and
secures control over the center.
13...Nb8
This maneuver is borrowed from the Breyer Variation where the knight goes to the d7-square.
There are also alternatives, but White remains better there too:
A) 13...Bb6 14.b4 Nb8 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.c4²
B) 13...exd4 14.cxd4 Ne7 15.a4 Ng6 16.Bd3²
14.dxe5
One of the good ways to pose some problems to Black. 14.a4 is another possibility which is also very
testing.
Position after: 14.a4
14...exd4 [The natural 14...Nbd7?! loses a pawn: 15.axb5 exd4 16.Nxd4 axb5 17.Nxb5 Bxe3
18.Rxe3±] 15.cxd4 Nbd7 16.Qb1 Bb6 17.b4² White has good control over the center with the result
being that his space advantage restricts Black’s active play. In general, White should be aiming to
gradually improve his position and control Black’s plans by via prophylaxis. An example is: 17...Rb8
[17...Nf8 18.Bd3 Qd7 19.d5 Bxe3 20.Rxe3±] 18.Ra2 c5 19.d5 c4 20.Qa1²/±
14...dxe5
14...Bxe3 15.exf6 Bxd2 16.Qxd2 Qxf6 17.e5 dxe5 18.Nxe5 Nc6 19.Ng4²
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15.Bxa7 Rxa7
Position after: 15...Rxa7
16.Qe2
This would be my suggestion. White prepares Rad1 and c4.

16.a4!? was in Anand – Harikrishna (2019) and it is challenging as well. Although I prefer 16.Qe2.
16...Nbd7 17.c4! c6 18.Rad1 Bc8 19.Nh4!ƒ
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Position after: 19.Nh4!ƒ
With unpleasant pressure on Black.
c) 8...b4?! & 8...Rb8
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 d5 8.a4
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8...Rb8
This move allows White to open and control the a-file, which has to be beneficial.
8...b4?! 9.d4! Inclusion of 8...b4 9.a4 helps White a lot relative to the immediate 8.d4 (which I do not
cover here, as I focus solely on 8.a4).
Position after: 9.d4!
9...dxe4 [9...exd4?! is even worse: 10.e5! Ne4 11.cxd4 Ba7 12.Be3 Bg4 13.Nbd2 Nxd2 14.Qxd2
Bxf3 15.gxf3 Qh4 16.Rad1±] 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.dxc5!²/± White wins the bishop pair and has a clear
advantage.
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Position after: 11.dxc5!²
For example: 11...Nd3 12.Bxd3 exd3 13.Re1+ Be6 14.cxb4 0-0 15.Bd2²/± with a healthy extra pawn.
9.axb5 axb5 10.d4 dxe4 11.dxc5!?
Position after: 11.dxc5!?
I think that after opening the a-file White can go for a positional approach.
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11...Qxd1
Black should trade queens.

After 11...exf3?! 12.Qxf3 queens remain on the board and it certainly favors White, as it will be
easier to create some tactical threats against Black. 12...Qd5 13.Qg3 0-0 14.Bg5 Ne4 15.Qf3! Nf6
16.Qe3 Qe6 17.b4±
12.Bxd1 exf3 13.Bxf3 e4 14.Be2²
Position after: 14.Be2²
White has a clear advantage, no doubt about that. However, I am not sure about it is size. For
example, Lc0 (Leela Chess Zero) evaluates this as only a slight advantage, while Stockfish claims
that White is much better. Which one of them is right? Are there enough winning chances? Answers
to those questions are pretty much irrelevant. It may be surprising, but that is how I see it. All we
need to know is that White IS better and there ARE winning chances. The following analysis
indicates that probably with best defense Black could theoretically somehow hold, but as I said, it is
irrelevant. What matters is that White can put big pressure on Black and practically it will not be easy
to play with Black.
14...0-0 15.Bf4
This is the most natural.

15.Re1!? This is an equally good alternative. 15...b4 [15...Re8?! 16.Na3 b4 17.Nb5! with issues with
the c7-pawn. 17...bxc3 18.bxc3 Re7 19.c4±] 16.Bf4 Rb7 now White has some choices. [16...Nd5
17.Bg3 is a better version of 15.Bf4 as now 17...g5? runs into 18.Bc4!±]
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Position after: 16...Rb7
17.h3!? [17.Ra6!?²; 17.Bf1!?²] 17...h6 [17...Be6 18.Ra6 Nd5 19.Bh2 Nde7 20.Bf1±] 18.Bg3²
15...Nd5 16.Bg3 g5!
An important move that kind of holds the balance.

Obviously, White has chances, but this is the best defense by Black. With this move Black gains
access to f4-square.
35
Position after: 16...g5!
17.Na3
Immediately putting pressure on the b5-pawn. There is, however, an alternative.

17.Re1 is a little more subtle but is equally as good as 17.Na3. It reduces the strength of ...Nf4 in
some lines. 17...Re8 18.h4 h6 19.Na3 b4 20.Nb5 bxc3 21.Nxc3!? Nxc3 22.bxc3ƒ
17...b4 18.Nb5 Nf4 19.Bxf4 gxf4 20.Nxc7²
White has won a pawn. While it is not so clear White has no risk and decent chances to win.
Position after: 20.Nxc7²
20...Ne5 21.cxb4
21.Rfe1!?²
21...Rxb4 22.Nd5 Rxb2 23.Nxf4²
36
Position after: 23.Nxf4²
White is definitely better.
d) 8...dxe4 9.axb5 0-0N
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 d5 8.a4 dxe4 9.axb5 0-0N
Position after: 9...0-0N
37
This move has not yet been played in current practice. This is quite surprising, as many GMs have
played this line over the years and it is one of the suggestions of the engine. The idea is to provoke
White into playing 10.bxc6 and only then capture the f3-knight. In case of immediate 9...exf3 there is
10.Qxf3 attacking the c6-knight with the queen (see 9...exf3). After 9... 0-0, though, White can save
the f3-knight.
10.Ng5!
The e4-pawn now falls but Black has two moves here:
10.bxc6?! exf3 11.Qxf3 e4!∞ is what Black is hoping for.
10...Ne7!
This is objectively the best for Black. It is a surprising move as it seemingly gives away a pawn for
no reason. However, a deeper look at this position made me realize that here Black can hope for
decent compensation, especially if White does not know how to react.
10...Bg4?! This is the most expected, but it is simply dubious. 11.Qe1 axb5 12.Rxa8 Qxa8 13.Nxe4
The material is even and the position at first looks unclear. White’s pieces are not yet developed but
Black’s are placed a little bit shaky. Due to tactical reasons Black is worse: 13...Bb6 Black has to
accept a worse pawn structure. [13...Nd7? loses a pawn: 14.Nxc5 Nxc5 15.Qe3! Nd7 16.Qd3 Nf6
17.Qxb5+–; 13...Nxe4?? loses a piece: 14.Qxe4 f5 15.Qd5++–] 14.Nxf6+ gxf6 White is simply
better here. The plan is to develop the remaining pieces and to make use of Black’s bad pawn
structure.
38
Position after: 14...gxf6
I do not think that this position requires lots of analysis. White’s moves are pretty much natural and
Black needs to be very careful here. For instance: 15.h3 Bh5 16.Be4! Bg6 17.d3 Rd8 18.Bh6 Rd6
[18...Rxd3? 19.Bxd3 Bxd3 20.Qd1!+–] 19.Nd2 Qd8 [19...Qe8 20.d4!±] 20.Qe2 Ne7 21.c4! c6
22.cxb5 cxb5 23.Ra1±
11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 Ra7
Position after: 12...Ra7
39
Here, White has some choice.
13.Qe2!
I think that this is correct.

13.d4 is the alternative but after 13...axb5 14.Rxa7 Bxa7 15.dxe5 Ng6!© Black has decent
compensation:
Position after: 15...Ng6!©
A) After 16.Na3 Black can play 16...Bxf2+!! with a forced (but complicated) draw. 17.Kxf2 Qh4+
18.Ke3 Nxe5 19.Qe1! Qd8!! 20.Kf2 b4!
40
Position after: 20...b4!
21.cxb4 [21.Nc2 f5! 22.Kg1 fxe4=] 21...f5 22.Bb1 Qd4+ 23.Kg3 Qg4+ 24.Kf2 Qd4+=
B) 16.Qh5 Re8 17.Bf4 Bb7! 18.Rd1 Qa8 19.Bxb7 Qxb7 20.Qf5!? [20.Bg3 Qe4!=] 20...Qxg2+
21.Kxg2 Nh4+ 22.Kf1 Nxf5 23.Rd7 Bb6= with a likely draw in this endgame.
C) 16.h3 Nxe5 17.Bf4 Qh4 18.Bxh7+ Qxh7 19.Bxe5 Qg6 20.Kh2 c6©
Position after: 20...c6©
41
A pair of bishops should offer sufficient compensation here.
D) 16.Qe2 Re8 17.Bxg6 hxg6 18.Nd2 b4!?© The bishop pair is compensation for the pawn.
13...axb5 14.Rxa7 Bxa7 15.Qxb5
Position after: 15.Qxb5
White has an extra pawn, but the position is still very complicated. White’s pieces on the queenside
are still not developed and Black can attempt to quickly develop some initiative on the kingside or
center.
15...f5!
15...Qd6?! 16.Qd3! The queen trade favors White, but 16...Qh6 17.Qg3± with idea d4 neutralizes
Black’s initiative.
16.Bf3!?
As the position is sharp and Black has evident compensation, White needs to be careful and precise in
order to neutralize Black’s initiative. After careful analysis I concluded that this retreat is the most
accurate.
16.Bc2 Ng6 17.d3 is the main alternative but things are not clear after the simple 17...Kh8!?© Black
has a long-lasting initiative and it is a relatively easy position to play with Black.
42
Position after: 16.Bf3!?
16...Qd6
With an idea ...Ba6.

A) 16...e4 is the most logical but it allows White to challenge the center with d3. 17.Be2 Kh8 18.d3
Rf6 19.Qa4 Ba6 20.Re1 h6 21.d4 Bxe2 22.Rxe2 Bb8 23.Nd2 c6 24.Nf1²
B) 16...Ng6?! 17.d3²/± is safe for White. The bishop is better placed on the f3-square than the c2-
square.
17.d4!
43
White gives back the pawn but opens the center and changes the character of the position. Black does
not have such a dangerous initiative anymore.
17...e4!
Black should try to keep the center closed and still look for compensation on the kingside.
17...exd4?! 18.Re1 [18.Rd1!? Bd7 19.Qc4+ Be6 20.Qa4² is also possible.] 18...Ng6 19.b3!?²
18.Be2 c6
44
19.Qb3+
19.Bc4+!? Kh8 [19...Nd5? 20.Bf4!+–] 20.Qe5 This is a safer approach, trying to look for chances in
the endgame. Objectively, though, Black should equalize here eventually: 20...Qxe5 21.dxe5 Ng6
22.e6 Re8 23.Rd1 with some pressure but after 23...h6= I am not sure whether Black has any reasons
to worry.
Position after: 23...h6=
45
19...Be6 20.Bf4! Qd7 21.Bc4 Bd5 22.Bxd5+ cxd5 23.f3
Position after: 23.f3
White has an extra pawn and good winning chances. Black still has counterplay, but it has definitely
slowed down – White managed to develop the dark-squared bishop and fight for the center.
For example:
23...Ng6 24.fxe4 fxe4 25.Be3²
e) 8...dxe4 9.axb5 exf3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 d5 8.a4 dxe4 9.axb5 exf3
46
Position after: 9...exf3
This line is very sharp and there are often long lines that both sides should memorize. It all begins
now:
10.Qxf3 e4 11.Bxe4 Ne5 12.Qe2 0-0 13.d4
This is the first critical position. There are two moves for Black.
47
13...Bg4
13...Nxe4N This move has not been played yet, but it is one of the suggestions of the engine. Perhaps
it is going to be played in the future! 14.Qxe4 Bd7 15.bxa6 Bb5 16.Qxe5 Bxf1 17.Kxf1 Ba7
[17...Bb6 18.Nd2 Re8 19.Qb5 c5 20.Nc4 Ba7 21.Be3±] 18.Qf5!±
Position after: 18.Qf5!±
This is an important move that grants an advantage to White. It is essential to cover the light squares.
The position remains complicated but with correct play White has great winning chances. Some
sample lines:
A) 18...Qh4? runs into 19.Nd2! Qxh2 20.Nf3 Qh1+ 21.Ng1+– and White has managed to both
secure the kingside and the a6-pawn.
B) 18...Re8 19.g3! safety of the king comes first. 19...c5 20.d5 c4 21.Na3 Bxf2!? [21...Qe7 22.Kg2
transposes to 18...c5.] 22.Nxc4 Ba7 23.d6!±
C) 18...c5 19.d5 Qh4 20.Kg1
48
Position after: 20.Kg1
20...c4 [20...Qe7 21.Be3 c4 22.Nd2 Bxe3 23.fxe3 Qxe3+ 24.Qf2 Qd3 25.Qd4 Qxd4+ 26.cxd4±
there are too many pawns for Black to handle. The white knight goes to the c5-square.] 21.g3 Qe7
22.Kg2 Rfe8 23.Na3 transposes to 18...c5. 23...Qe1 24.Nc2 Qe2 25.Nd4 Bxd4 26.cxd4 c3 27.bxc3
Rxa6 28.Rxa6 Qxa6 29.h4±
14.Qc2 Nxe4 15.Qxe4
Position after: 15.Qxe4
49
This is another position where Black has a big choice.
15...Nf3+
The main move. Black wants to weaken White’s kingside.

Alternatives are rather worse.
A) 15...axb5? loses another pawn. 16.Rxa8 Qxa8 17.Qxe5 Bd6 18.Qxb5±
B) 15...Qd7 is also worse than 15...Nf3. 16.dxe5 Bf5 17.Qf3!?
Position after: 17.Qf3!?
Perhaps this is the most accurate. 17...Bg4 [17...f6 18.Rd1 Qe6 19.Be3 Bxe3 20.Qxe3 axb5 21.Rxa8
Rxa8 22.Na3±] 18.Qc6 axb5 19.Qxa8 Rxa8 20.Rxa8+ Bf8 21.Re1± The two rooks and pawn are
worth more than a queen.
C) 15...Bd7 is the same as 13...Nxe4.
16.gxf3 Bh3 17.dxc5
50
Position after: 17.dxc5
17...Bxf1
Only this move has been played to date. There is a dubious alternative.
17...Re8?!N A logical move – Black maintains the tension and brings another piece into the game.
However, it does not work out well. 18.Qd4!
Position after: 18.Qd4!
51
A very important move from White as he must quickly neutralize Black’s initiative Over the board
the position may seem unclear, and this is what Lc0 initially shows. Stockfish, on the other hand, is
simply ruthless giving a +2.00 evaluation in each of the lines leaving no room for discussion. And
Lc0 realizes this later too! 18...Qe7 19.Be3 Rad8 20.Qf4! Bxf1 21.Kxf1 Rd1+ 22.Kg2
Position after: 22.Kg2
A) 22...Qd8 23.bxa6 Re6 24.a7 Rg6+ 25.Qg3!! protecting the king and proving that the a7-pawn is
sufficient to win the game. 25...Rxg3+ 26.hxg3 Qa8 27.c6!+– and White wins, e.g., 27...g6 28.Ra4!
Rxb1 29.Rb4+–.
B) 22...Qd7 23.bxa6 Qb5 24.a7 Qf1+ 25.Kg3 Qg1+ 26.Kh4+– and Black’s initiative is over.
C) 22...axb5 23.Ra7!? One of many winning moves. 23...Rxb1 24.Rxc7 Qf8 [24...Qe6 25.b4+–]
25.c6 Re6 26.Qd4!+–
18.Kxf1 Qd1+ 19.Qe1 Qxf3 20.Be3
52
20...axb5
The most popular move, but practice has also seen two other moves.
A) 20...Rad8? 21.Nd2 Qh3+ 22.Kg1! and Black does not even take the h2-pawn. 22...axb5 23.Qf1
Qh5 24.Qg2+–
B) 20...Qh3+ 21.Ke2
53
Position after: 21.Ke2
21...Qg4+? after this move the white king escapes safely to the queenside. [21...axb5 22.Rxa8 Rxa8
23.Nd2 Qxh2 would transpose to the main line and this is what Black should play.; 21...Rad8?!
22.Nd2 axb5 23.Qh1!±] 22.Kd2 Rad8+ 23.Kc1 axb5 24.Nd2+– Vocaturo – Kobo (2020).
21.Rxa8 Rxa8 22.Nd2 Qh1+ 23.Ke2 Qxh2 24.Nf3 Qh3 25.Qd1 Qe6 26.Qd3²
Position after: 26.Qd3²
The question is whether White has enough resources to win this or not. There is a kind of debate
about it. Statistics suggest that Black is doing well - out of 8 games, 6 draws and 2 wins for Black. Is
it a good estimator of what is going on in this line? Personally, I do not think so. I think that the
position is nearly risk free for White and only some serious mistake would turn the tables. However,
if White plays well, White can put lots of pressure on Black. I certainly prefer White here.
26...c6
Probably the best move.

26...Qb3?! is the alternative that was twice played by Dmitrij Kollars. In both games he managed to
win with Black! This move certainly deserves attention, but it seems to me that objectively it is really
dangerous for Black. 27.Ng5! Qc4 28.Kd2!?N
54
Position after: 28.Kd2!?N
I would suggest playing this move. It basically forces the queen trade and brings the white king a
little bit closer to the queenside. With 3 versus 2 pawns on the queenside, supported by the king and
minor pieces, White has good chances of creating a strong passed pawn that may decide the game.
This endgame is still far from easy though as Black already has a passed pawn on the kingside and
some counterplay options. Still, I like White’s chances. For example: 28...Qxd3+ 29.Kxd3 h5
[29...Rd8+? 30.Ke4!+– with idea Nf3-Nd4.] 30.c4!?
Position after: 30.c4!?
55
Immediately beginning the queenside play. 30...bxc4+ [30...b4 31.Nf3 f6 32.Bf4 c6 33.Nd4 Rc8
34.Kc2+–] 31.Kxc4 c6 32.Nf3! Ra2 33.b4 Kf8 34.Kb3 Ra6 35.b5! cxb5 36.Kb4 Rf6 37.Ng5 Ke7
38.Kxb5 Kd7 39.Ne4+–
27.Qd6!
This is most likely the best try by White.

27.Ng5 Qg4+ 28.Kd2 Qh5 29.Kc2!? could be an alternative but as there are no immediate threats to
Black I like it less than the main line.
27...Qc4+ 28.Kd2 b4!
Black should try to simplify the position and open some files or ranks to create some danger to
White’s king.
29.Bd4!?N
This move is a novelty, only on move 29! Pretty unusual, isn’t it? That is modern theory! I think it is
a good try for White. If someone does not expect it, it can easily induce mistakes from Black. In such
position even one inaccuracy from Black can be disastrous.
29.cxb4 Only this move has been played and it also deserves attention. However, I would like to
suggest something not yet explored. 29...Qxb4+ 30.Kd3
56
Position after: 30.Kd3
A) 30...Qxb2 from Dominguez – Caruana (2019) but probably this is not entirely easy... 31.Qxc6
Qb1+ [31...Rd8+ is perhaps better but White still has some chances here after 32.Ke4 h5 33.Qb6
Qc2+ 34.Kf4 Qc4+ 35.Kg3 Rc8 36.Qb7 Rxc5 37.Bxc5 Qxc5 with a probable draw, but there is still
some chess to be played.] 32.Ke2 Qc2+ 33.Nd2 Rd8 34.Kf3! This position is quite tricky for Black.
[34.Qb7 Rxd2+! 35.Bxd2 Qxc5= I do not think that this endgame is possible to win.]
Position after: 34.Kf3!
57
34...h5? This move is a mistake. [34...Kf8!! was an unbelievable move that probably still held.]
35.Ne4! right now I think that White has great chances to win after 35...h4 36.Kg2 Qc4 37.Nd6
Qe6 38.Qe4 Qxe4+ 39.Nxe4+– with winning position as the h4-pawn falls. Eventually Caruana
managed to escape with a draw.
B) 30...h5!?N I think that this novelty equalizes, but I am not 100% sure. I focused mostly on
29.Bxd4 which gives very good chances. 31.Qxc6 Rd8+ 32.Ke2 Qxb2+ 33.Kf1 Qb4!
Position after: 33...Qb4!
and it is not easy to make progress with White, e.g. 34.Qc7 Qc4+ 35.Kg2 Qd5! 36.Kh2 Rd7
37.Qe5 Qxe5+ 38.Nxe5 Rc7= Compared to Dominguez – Caruana (2019) the h-pawn is not lost.
The black king quickly comes to the center from where it supports the kingside pawns and helps in
stopping the white c5-pawn.
29...bxc3+ 30.Bxc3 h5
58
Position after: 30...h5
31.Nd4!
31.Qd4 Qxd4+ 32.Nxd4 Ra6 33.Ke3 f6= is probably too little. Black’s king joins the game very
quickly.
31...Qf1!
Only move.
32.Qxc6 Qxf2+ 33.Kd3 Qf1+
Again, the only move.

33...Rd8? loses in a beautiful way:
59
Position after: 33...Rd8?
34.Qh1!!+–. White suddenly covers all of the important squares, his king is safe and the c-pawn
marches forward.
34.Kc2!
The best move. Somehow the white king needs to hide from checks.
Position after: 34.Kc2!
60
Here Black has two options.
In general, I would like to make a point that this position is extremely hard to analyze and there are
lots of paths for both sides. I do my best to cover ones that I found the most “normal”, but I am sure
that some lines remain unexplored.
Nonetheless, it does not change the evaluation of the position. Despite objectively nearly equal
position, White is everywhere pushing for a win and sometimes Black has to find a series of only
moves to maintain the balance. Such perfection is hardly expected from people playing under
conditions of stress...
34...Rd8
A pretty natural move.

34...Qf2+ is another possibility – Black keeps the white king under checks for now. 35.Kb3 Rb8+
36.Ka3!
Position after: 36.Ka3!
The best try.

A) 36...h4 37.Qf3! is very testing. Black must be extremely careful. 37...Qg1 38.Ka2 [38.b4!? also
deserves attention. 38...Re8™ 39.Nf5 h3™ 40.Qxh3 Qc1+ 41.Ka4 Qd1+ Here, with a series of
accurate checks Black can make a draw. 42.Kb5 Qd7+ 43.c6 Rb8+ 44.Kc5 Qa7+ 45.Kd5 Rd8+
46.Kc4 Qa2+=] 38...Rd8 39.Nc6 Re8 40.Ne5
61
Position after: 40.Ne5
40...Rf8™ And Black “somehow” holds... [40...Re7?? 41.c6!+–] 41.c6 h3 42.Qxh3 Qd1!!= is the
idea for Black.
B) 36...Qf1 37.b4 Qc1+ 38.Bb2 Qf1! 39.Qf3 Qc4 40.Bc3 [40.Nc6 Ra8+ 41.Na5 Rxa5+ 42.bxa5
Qxc5+=] 40...Rd8™
Position after: 40...Rd8™
Once again, according to the engines, Black somehow holds here. 41.c6 [41.Nc6 Rd3 42.Ne7+ Kf8
62
43.Ng6+ Kg8=] 41...Ra8+ 42.Kb2 Ra2+ 43.Kb1 Ra3 44.Kc2 Ra2+ 45.Kc1 Ra3 46.Kd2 Ra2+
47.Nc2 [47.Ke1!? h4 48.b5 Rh2!!=] 47...f6!=
Position after: 34...Rd8
35.Qc7!?
I think that this is the best try for White.

35.Qe4!? is the top choice of the engines, but Black can equalize rather easily after 35...h4™ 36.Qxh4
Qg2+
63
Position after: 36...Qg2+
and right now, there is no good way out of the checks. 37.Kb1 [37.Bd2 Qd5! 38.b4 Qa2+ 39.Kd3
Qb1+=] 37...Qf1+ 38.Ka2 Qc4+ 39.b3 This is the only way to escape the checks but it gives away
the c5-pawn. 39...Ra8+! 40.Kb2 Qxc5=
Position after: 40...Qxc5=
I do not think that White has any real chances of winning this. However, it still could be playable...
35...Qg2+ 36.Kb3
64
Position after: 36.Kb3
36...Ra8!!
This is the best move here.

36...Qd5+ leads to some funny lines where the engines evaluate around 0.00 but it is much harder to
play with Black: 37.Kb4 h4 38.Nc6! Qe4+ 39.Ka5 Ra8+ 40.Kb6 h3 41.b4 f6™
Position after: 41...f6™
65
This is simply a mess. However, I think that it is easier to play with White as it feels like Black has to
be extremely careful. 42.Bd2 [42.Bxf6!? gxf6 43.Qg3+ Kf7 44.Qxh3 f5 45.Qh7+ Kf6 46.b5∞]
42...Qe2 43.Qb7 Re8 44.Bf4 h2 45.Bxh2 Qxh2 46.Qd7 Qe2 47.Nd4 Qe3 48.b5ƒ
Position after: 48.b5ƒ
With a playable position. White does not risk much here, while any inaccuracy from Black could end
the game in White’s favor.
37.Qf4
This is the best try for White.

37.Qc6 is interesting too. However, Black is fine after 37...Rb8+ as the white king cannot safely
escape the checks. [37...Qxc6 loses: 38.Nxc6 f6 39.Kc4! h4 40.Be1! g5 41.Nd4! Ra1 42.Bf2 Kf7
43.c6! Ke7 44.b4! and White’s pawns are faster.] 38.Ka3 Ra8+ 39.Kb4 Rb8+ White should accept
the draw now, as 40.Ka5 is like “playing with fire”: 40...Qf1! 41.Nc2 Qe2 42.Nb4 h4!ƒ and Black’s
h-pawn is very quick. White should exercise caution to avoid a loss.
37...Qd5+ 38.Kb4 Qb7+ 39.Kc4 Qa6+ 40.Nb5 h4!
66
Position after: 40...h4!
And here Black again holds.
41.Qg4 f6 42.Qe4 Rb8 43.Qd5+ Kh8 44.Qh5+ Kg8 45.Qd5+=
Yes, the lines end with a draw and I ask the following question. So what? How realistic is it that
Black will find ALL those moves which are extremely difficult in a majority of the cases? In my
opinion the chance for that is very low. True, it requires White to remember some lines and ideas, but
it is still much easier to play it with White than with Black. And that is why I suggest this line as you
do not have to “reinvent the wheel” as it is all there. It is sufficient to review, memorize some lines
and ideas and go play! It is up to Black to find all those defensive resources, which for sure is not an
easy task.
f) 8...dxe4 9.axb5 Bg4!?
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5!? 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 d5 8.a4 dxe4 9.axb5 Bg4!?
67
Position after: 9...Bg4!?
This move did not have a good reputation until recently. White has had good results here. However,
in 2020 Fabiano Caruana played an amazing new idea in his game against Leinier Dominguez, which
leads to absolutely crazy positions.
10.bxc6 exf3 11.gxf3
Position after: 11.gxf3
68
11...Bh3
11...Be6?! This is another possibility; however it is way less logical since after sacrificing the pawn,
the bishop retreats instead of attempting to develop the initiative on the kingside. 12.Ra5! A nice way
to improve the rook. 12...Qd6 [12...Bd6 is even worse: 13.d4! and White has huge advantage,
possibly even winning position. 13...exd4 14.Qxd4 Rb8 15.Rd1 0-0 16.b4 Qe7 17.Qh4+–] 13.f4!
Position after: 13.f4!
A strong move. White challenges the e5-pawn and wants to control the center. 13...e4 [If 13...exf4
then 14.d4 Bb6 15.Re5!± is very strong. The f4-pawn falls, and all the white pieces are quickly
joining the game.] 14.d4 exd3 15.Qxd3 0-0 16.Qxd6 Bxd6 17.Rd1± with big advantage for White, as
in Caruana – Onischuk (2016). The extra pawn is after all an extra pawn and Black does not have any
compensation for it.
12.Re1 0-0 13.Ra5!
69
Position after: 13.Ra5!
13...Qd6!
This is critical for the entire line. The position is very dynamic, and Black should try to activate all of
his pieces.
13...Bd6?! This move is too passive and even though it is somewhat risky, White still needs to be
accurate here to prove an advantage. 14.Na3!
Position after: 14.Na3!
70
This is an important move that offers good chances to White. The knight is headed to the c4-square
from where it can either eliminate the d6-bishop in case of any danger on the kingside or simply
attack the e6-pawn. Black has several options.
A) 14...e4!? This move leads to massive complications, but they eventually work out in White’s
favor. 15.Nc4! Re8 [15...Bf4 16.d4!? probably the simplest. 16...exd3 17.Qxd3 Bxc1 18.Rxc1±]
16.fxe4
Position after: 16.fxe4
16...Ng4 [16...Bxh2+ fails to 17.Kxh2 Bg4 18.Rd5!! this move kicks the queen from the d8-square
and any possible attack. 18...Qe7 19.Re5! Qf8 20.f3+–] 17.Nxd6 Qxd6 18.f4! By far the strongest.
18...Qxf4 19.Qe2 Ne5 20.Rxe5! Qxe5 21.d4 By giving up the exchange White built up a very
strong center and neutralized all the activity that Black had. 21...Qa5 22.e5+–
B) 14...Re8 15.Nc4 Ne4?
71
Position after: 15...Ne4?
is an interesting try, but it fails to 16.d4! Nxf2 17.Kxf2 Qh4+ 18.Kg1 exd4 19.Ne5!+–.
C) 14...Ne4? 15.d4!+–
D) 14...Rb8 Perhaps Black should neutralize the a5-rook. 15.Nc4 Rb5! 16.Rxb5 axb5 17.Nxe5 Bxe5
18.Rxe5 Qd6
Position after: 18...Qd6
72
19.d4! [But not 19.Rxb5? Nd5! 20.d4 f5!‚] 19...Qxc6 White has an extra pawn, but the king is still
somewhat unsafe. Black has some compensation but at the end of the day I think that White should
be better. 20.d5!? Qa8 21.Bg5 Nd7 22.Re3 Re8 23.Bf4²/±
14.b4
Position after: 14.b4
14...Bxf2+!!
Black has to sacrifice the bishop and begin an attack on White’s king. This was a brilliant novelty by
Fabiano Caruana. I am sure that there will soon be more games in this line as this line looks very
interesting. Now both sides play pretty much only moves until move 18.
14...Bb6? happened in game Wei – Bu (2016) but it is simply bad for Black: 15.Raxe5 Qxc6 16.d4+–
15.Kxf2 e4!
73
Position after: 15...e4!
16.Kg1!
White needs to secure the king.

16.Bxe4? allows Black a direct attack against the white king. Black has at least a draw there.
16...Ng4+! 17.fxg4 Qxh2+ 18.Ke3 Qg3+ 19.Kd4 Bxg4 with at least a perpetual check. While it
looks very scary for White he can hold but with such an exposed king it cannot be pleasant to play.
Position after: 19...Bxg4
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20.Re2 [20.Bxh7+ Kxh7 21.Qc2+ Kg8‚] 20...Rad8+ 21.Rd5 Rxd5+ 22.Bxd5 Qf4+
Position after: 22...Qf4+
A) 23.Kc5 Rd8 24.c4 Qd6+ 25.Kd4 Qf6+ 26.Kd3 [26.Kc5 Qd6+=] 26...Qf5+ 27.Kd4 Qf6+=
B) 23.Kd3 Bf5+ 24.Be4 Bxe4+ 25.Rxe4 Rd8+ 26.Rd4 Qf5+ 27.Kc4 Qe6+ 28.Kc5 Qe5+ 29.Kc4
Qe6+=
16...Rae8!
Black brings the rook into the game.
17.Re3!
Protecting against the threat of ...exf3.
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Position after: 17.Re3!
17...Nh5!!
Another very powerful move.
18.Rg5! Qh6!
Position after: 18...Qh6!
76
I am sure that all of that was Fabiano Caruana’s preparation. Such a strong player would not go for
such crazy lines not having them thoroughly analyzed. This is the critical position of this line.
19.f4!?N
I think that this move offers good chances for an advantage.

19.Rg3 This was chosen by Dominguez and it is seemingly a safer option, but in reality Black
maintains the initiative. 19...Nxg3 20.hxg3 exf3 21.Qxf3 Re6!∞
Position after: 21...Re6!∞
A) 22.Qf4 was seen in Dominguez – Caruana (2020) but after 22...g5 23.Qd4 Rd6 Black has at least
a draw. [23...Qh5!?∞ also deserves attention with a completely unclear position.] 24.Qe5 Re6
25.Qd4 Rd6 and here Dominguez decided to play for a win with 26.Qe4 but after 26...Rf6! 27.Bd3
Bf5ƒ I like Black’s chances.
B) 22.Bd3!? This is initially suggested by the engines, but it is not a surprise, Black has a good
initiative: 22...Rd8 23.Be2 Qg6!∞.
19...Nxf4
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Position after: 19...Nxf4
There is a choice again.
20.Rgg3!
I think that this is a better attempt.

20.Reg3!? is a very tempting alternative. It leads to absolutely crazy positions where even after
thorough analysis I am not sure whether I missed anything or not. But it is not a practical approach by
White as in the arising positions it is extremely difficult to play. 20...f5 21.Rxg7+
78
Position after: 21.Rxg7+
A) 21...Kh8 is logical but inaccurate. White has some chances here. 22.c4! (with the idea Bb2)
22...Qf6 23.Qe1! [23.d4?! e3 24.d5 e2 25.Qe1 Bg4!∞ with a total mess. White is also taking on risk
here.] 23...Bg4 24.Rxc7
Position after: 24.Rxc7
This position is completely crazy too. For the sake of simple curiosity, I continued several moves
forward and the lines here are absolutely insane. Even though White could objectively be winning, it
is not at all obvious over the board. I will show what I discovered for the beauty of chess and it is
rich in ideas, but by any means I do not suggest these lines... unless you feel comfortable in such
positions, then feel free! 24...Ne2+!? [24...Nh3+ 25.Kg2 Nf4+ 26.Kf2 Nd3+ 27.Bxd3 exd3
28.Re7!!
79
Position after: 28.Re7!!
This move leads to a slightly better endgame. 28...Rxe7 29.Bb2 Rxe1 30.Bxf6+ Rxf6 31.Kxe1 Rxc6
32.c5 a5 33.b5 Rxc5 34.Nc3 Rc4 35.Rxd3² with some chances.] 25.Kf1 h5! 26.Qf2! e3! 27.Rxe3 f4
28.Re4!! Nxc1 29.Qc5! Bh3+ 30.Ke1 Bf5 31.Nc3 f3 32.Qe3! Bxe4 33.Bxe4 Ne2 34.Rh7+ Kg8
35.Rd7!
Position after: 35.Rd7!
What is happening here?? According to the engine White is winning, but who knows what happened
80
on the way as it is very easy to miss some things in such positions. It is too easy to go wrong in such
positions.
B) 21...Qxg7! Black should trade those rooks for the queen and try to infiltrate with the rooks on the
g-file. 22.Rxg7+ Kxg7 23.Qe1 Rf6! Continuing the attack on the kingside is a very good approach
by Black.
Position after: 23...Rf6!
24.Qe3 [24.Kf2 Ng2! leads to a quick draw by perpetual: 25.Qe2 Rg6 26.Qc4 Rg4! 27.Qd4+ Kg6
28.Qd7 Rf4+ 29.Kg1 Ne1 30.Qxe8+ Kf6= and White needs to give perpetual check in order to
avoid a mate on the f1-square.] 24...Rg6+ 25.Kf2 Rg4!©
81
Position after: 25...Rg4!©
and here I think that Black has good counter chances. Black plans to play ...Re6 and increase the
pressure on the kingside. Some sample lines: 26.Na3 [26.Bb2 Kf8! 27.Qc5+ Kg8! 28.Bb3+ Kg7
29.Bc4 Rg2+ 30.Ke3 Ng6∞] 26...Re6 27.b5!? Kf7! 28.Qa7 Rg2+ 29.Ke3 Ne2!! 30.Qxc7+ Kf6
31.Bxe4 Nxc1 32.Qd8+ Kf7 33.Qd7+ Kf6 34.Qxe6+ Kxe6 35.Bxg2 Bxg2 36.bxa6 Bxc6=
Unbelievable chess!
Position after: 36...Bxc6=
82
Good, though, that White does not have to go for that!
20...f5 21.d4 Bg4 22.Qf1!
Position after: 22.Qf1!
I think that this is the best try by White.
22...Nh5!
The only move that holds the balance.

A) 22...Kh8? is too slow and loses: 23.Re1 g5 24.d5! Nh3+ 25.Rxh3 Bxh3 26.Qf2!+–.
83
Position after: 26.Qf2!+–
heading with the queen to the d4-square and creating a counterattack on Black’s king. 26...Qh5
[26...f4 27.Rxe4+–] 27.d6 f4 28.Bd1 f3 29.Be3+–
B) 22...Be2? 23.Qf2 Bc4 is an interesting maneuver, but it is also too slow. 24.Bd2!!
Position after: 24.Bd2!!
A stunning move, completely neutralizing Black’s initiative. The point is that the dark-squared
bishop is not going to be hanging in some lines. For instance: 24...Ne6 25.Rxe4! f4 26.Qe1 Qh5
84
27.Re5+–.
23.Re1!?
23.Rg2 Nf4 24.Rf2 is the main alternative.
Position after: 24.Rf2
24...g5™ This is again the only move for Black. [24...Nh3+? 25.Rxh3 Qxh3 26.Qxh3 Bxh3 27.Bf4±]
25.h4! Bf3™ 26.Rexf3 exf3 27.Bxf4 gxf4 28.Nd2 Kh8 29.Nxf3 Qxc6=
85
Position after: 29...Qxc6=
This position is still unclear, but White’s king is still unsafe. Black has good play on the kingside,
sufficient for equality. White’s two minor pieces and strong blockade are not enough for an
advantage.
Back to 23.Re1.
Position after: 23.Re1!?
23...Qxc6
A) 23...g5?! 24.Qf2! It is important to ignore the threat of ...Nxg3. The g3-rook performs important
defensive tasks of stopping Black’s kingside expansion. The position is very sharp but according to
my analysis Black is on the verge of being lost. 24...Nxg3 25.Qxg3 e3 26.Bb3+ Kh8 27.d5! White
must open the long diagonal to launch a counterattack. 27...Qf6 28.Qg2! A super important move.
Apart from preparing c4-Bb2, the e3-pawn is under attack as well. [28.c4? would lose instantly:
28...h5! 29.Qg2 f4! 30.Bb2 f3!!–+ and black pawns are unstoppable.] 28...e2 [28...h5 29.Bxe3! f4
30.Bf2 Rxe1+ 31.Bxe1+–] 29.Qg3! White needs to prepare c4 again! This time, White needs to
have an idea of Qc3 always in hand. [29.c4?? f4 30.Qxg4 f3–+] 29...Re7 30.c4 f4 [30...Qd4+
31.Qf2 Qe5 32.Bd2+–] 31.Qc3 Re5 32.c5! (with the idea of Na3-Nc4) 32...f3 33.Kf2!+– White
wins - Black’s pawns are blocked and everything on the a1-h8 diagonal collapses.
B) 23...Qd6?! 24.Qf2! Bf3 25.Nd2 Nxg3 26.Nxf3 exf3 27.hxg3 Qxc6 and now both 28.Bf4² and
28.Bd2² give good chances to White.
24.Bf4!
86
Position after: 24.Bf4!
White develops the bishop naturally and may want to place it on the e5-square in the future. If Black
does not equalize in a very precise way, White will have the advantage as Black’s initiative will be
gone. However, the blockade seems to be pretty stable on the dark squares and I like White’s chances
here. For instance:
24...Kh8 25.Qf2 h6 26.Be5!? Nxg3 27.hxg3
Position after: 27.hxg3
87
With a pretty stable position in the center. White just needs to protect the c3-pawn and bring in the
knight. Black needs to act very quickly:
27...a5!
A pretty much only move. Black manages to hold the balance here, but such a move is not an easy
one to figure out.
27...Kh7? 28.Qf4!±
28.bxa5 Ra8! 29.Nd2 Qxc3 30.Nb3 Rfe8 31.Qe3 Qc6∞
Position after: 31...Qc6∞
The engines evaluate this as equal. Is it though?

White maintains a pretty strong blockade on the dark squares. Even if it is equal, I think that Black is
still on the defensive side. Nonetheless, the entire line is very complex. I did not find any clear
refutation, and it looks like Caruana’s 14...Bxf2!! is the best approach for Black in this line.
Still, with correct play I believe White can put some pressure on Black.
88
Chapter 2
Archangelsk Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3
Chapter Guide
Chapter 2 – Archangelsk Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3

a) Introduction
b) 6...Bb7
c) 6...Bc5 7.a4 b4?!
d) 6...Bc5 7.a4 Bb7 with 10...h6
e) 6...Bc5 7.a5 Bb7 with 10...0-0
f) 6...Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 with 12...--
g) 6...Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 with 12...Re8
a) Introduction
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
89
The Archangelsk Defense is one of the most complex variations in the Ruy Lopez. For simplicity in
naming, I will generally use the Archangelsk Variation terminology for lines that involve ...b5 and
...Bc5, even though the correct name for them is Modern Archangelsk Defense. For instance, the
move order 5...b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 is the Modern Archangelsk and I focus primarily on this line. The move
order 5...b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 is the standard Archangelsk Defense, however sometimes there are
transpositions, and it is hard to say where those lines which where “Modern” switch to “Standard”
etc. Therefore, I consider those lines pretty similar and I put them in the same section. Archangelsk
Variations often lead to complicated positions. Objectively, Black is doing well here. However, very
often the positions can be simply difficult to play just like the other lines (e.g., The Berlin in Volume
1) it may be hard to refute some of the lines, but finding positions and lines where Black’s practical
tasks are incredibly difficult and the chance of inducing a mistake from Black are significantly
increased. That is my main objective, as you can see in a number of variations in this book and in
Volume 1. Recently, the Archangelsk Defense (its “Modern” version) has often become the choice of
top GMs. Most notably, Fabiano Caruana played it several times lately both in Wijk aan Zee and in
the Candidates Tournament 2020 with good results. Those games contributed a lot to the
development of theory in those positions.
6...Bb7 as I mentioned earlier, this is the “standard” Archangelsk Variation. After 7.Re1
Position after: 7.Re1
Black can choose either 7...Bc5 or 7...Be7. After the former there is pretty much a transposition to the
Modern Archangelsk hence issues with the terminology! I discuss this with the move order of 6...Bc5
7.a4 Bb7 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.Re1 and Black cannot avoid the transposition. Therefore, for this
“standard” Archangelsk, I analyze only 7...Be7. This line can happen from a different move order
90
(5...Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7) so this is a very important line to be familiar with. However, it is not
the “real” Archangelsk - as the bishop goes to the e7-square, not c5-square. As I said, the terminology
here is very confusing and I apologize for that! The 7...Be7 line though is a little bit suboptimal.
7.a4
7...Rb8
A) 7...Bb7 This is some sort of hybrid of both the “standard” and “Modern” Archangelsk. Ever since
I discovered the danger that awaits Black in some lines when White play Bg5, I always thought that
it was a suspicious line but also here there were some developments and things are not so clear.
However, I still believe that those lines are risky for Black and even if objectively Black somehow
holds, without amazing preparation, it is pretty much practically impossible to figure out what to do
over the board. 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.Re1 0-0 11.Bg5
91
Position after: 11.Bg5
This is the line I suggest here, and I think that Black is generally struggling.
B) 7...b4?! With the inclusion of a4 the ...b4 positions favor White after 8.Nxe5!.
8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6
Position after: 9...Bb6
10.a5!
92
This is the recent trend, and it is believed to be the most challenging line. Black cannot take the pawn
due to the tension in the center (exact lines are given in the section with analysis) so Black has to
retreat.
10...Ba7 11.h3 0-0 12.Be3
I suggest going for this line. There have been lots of developments here, mainly due to Fabiano
Caruana’s games. As I will discuss, the game Grischuk – Caruana from the Candidates 2020 made me
revise previous analysis and look for new paths for White. It seems like Caruana’s idea is very strong
and the paths I initially wanted to suggest are not attainable.
Detailed analysis follows!
b) 6...Bb7
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.Re1 Be7!?
I have always neglected this line. I have never thought that voluntarily placing the bishop on the b7-
square and then following with ...Be7 makes sense for Black, as I thought that the position would
transpose to some sort of Zaitsev Variation with White saving a tempi on h3. And I believe that this is
what White is supposed to do here.
7...Bc5 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.a4 This line is discussed after 5...b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Bb7.
93
Position after: 7...Be7!?
8.c3
The most principled.

White tries to get a c3-d4 setup without having to play h3.
8.d3 If someone does not feel comfortable with this 8.c3, there is always the possibility of playing
8.d3. However, I believe that 8.c3 it is the most challenging try by White.
8...d5!?
This move came as a shock to me when I saw it the first time. Can the Marshall Attack be played
without ...0-0? It looks like it can!
After 8...0-0?! 9.d4 d6 White gets a Zaitsev Variation with a saved tempo on h3. White can exploit
that by playing moves like 10.Nbd2 or 10.a3. It is also possible to play 10.h3, however it generally is
better to take advantage of having an extra tempi.
9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5
94
Position after: 11.Rxe5
Compared to the normal Marshall Attack, Black has played ...Bb7 instead of ...0-0. In the normal
position Black plays 11...c6 followed by 12...Bd6 and such an approach is considered as the best one.
Other moves (like 11...Nf6 or 11...Bb7) are considered as worse. I was wondering whether Black can
somehow make good use of the early ...Bb7. I concluded that there is no particular benefit to Black
and that such a move order is good for White. That is the reason why I suggest playing the 8.c3 line.
11...c5!?
If Black wants to deviate from the Marshall Attack, this is the way to go. So far there is nearly no
theory, but I assume that in the future there could be some developments.
A) 11...Nf4? This move seems like the justification of ...Bb7. And this is one of the things White
hopes for! White is simply winning now! 12.d4! Nxg2 what else? [12...Ng6 13.Re1 0-0 14.Nd2+–
is just an extra pawn.] 13.Qe2!
95
Position after: 13.Qe2!
It appears that the g2-knight is trapped, and Black cannot castle. 13...h6 Black tries to cover the g5-
square and escape with the knight. [The whole line relies on 13...Nh4 14.Rxe7+! Qxe7 15.Qxe7+
Kxe7 16.Bg5++–; 13...Kf8 14.d5 Nh4 15.Rxe7 Qxe7 16.Qxe7+ Kxe7 17.Bg5++–] 14.Qh5! g6
[14...0-0 15.Bd5!+–] 15.Qh3!
Position after: 15.Qh3!
With a series of accurate and strong moves White simply wins. 15...Qd6 16.Nd2! Nf4 [16...Nh4
96
17.Ne4 Qxe5 18.dxe5 Bxe4 19.Be3+–] 17.Qe3 Ng2 [17...Nd5 18.Bxd5 Bxd5 19.Ne4 Bxe4
20.Qxe4 Rb8 21.Bf4+–] 18.Qg3 Nh4 19.Ne4 Bxe4 20.Rxe4 Nf5 21.Qg2+–
Position after: 21.Qg2+–
Even though the black knight managed to escape, White has a huge positional advantage. Next, Bf4
and Rae1 are coming, along with other ideas.
B) 11...0-0 With this move Black transposes to the Marshall Attack with the dubious ...Bb7.
12.Qf3!? I think that this is the simplest. [12.d4 is another possibility but I am not so sure whether
White has anything special after 12...Bf6 13.Re1 Re8.] 12...Bd6 [12...c6 is another possible move
order: 13.d4 Bd6 14.Re1 Qc7 15.Bxd5 cxd5 but it leads to the same position.] 13.Bxd5 c6 14.Re1
cxd5 15.d4 Qc7 16.g3
97
Position after: 16.g3
White has an extra pawn, but Black has typical Marshall compensation. Here, however, I think that
due to the somewhat misplaced b7-bishop White can hope for some advantage. Normally, Black has
a very active bishop on the f5-square which causes lots of problems for White. It is not the case
here. 16...Rae8 17.Be3 Re6 18.Nd2 Rfe8 19.Nf1 White wants to trade rooks and bring the knight to
the e3-square.
B1) 19...b4 20.Bd2!
Position after: 20.Bd2!
98
20...bxc3 [20...Rxe1 21.Rxe1 Rxe1 22.Bxe1²; 20...a5 21.Rxe6 Rxe6 22.Ne3²] 21.Rxe6 Rxe6
22.Bxc3²
B2) 19...Re4 20.Bd2 Qc6 21.Qd3 (preparing f3) 21...a5 22.a3 Ba6 23.Rxe4 dxe4 24.Qc2 e3
[24...a4 25.Ne3²] 25.Nxe3 Qf3 [25...Bb7 26.d5+–] 26.Qd1±
12.d4 c4 13.Bc2 0-0
Position after: 13...0-0
Black has compensation for the pawn. There is a good blockade on the d5- square. However, I think
that once White stabilizes the kingside by developing the pieces from the queenside, the position
should be better for White. Nonetheless, Black has his own chances and there is lots of play.
14.Nd2 Bd6 15.Re1
99
15...Qc7
Black should at first complete his development.

15...Nf4 leads to simplifications that favor White: 16.Nf3 Re8 17.Bxf4 Bxf4 18.Rxe8+ Qxe8
19.Nh4!².
16.Nf1 f5!? 17.Bd2!?
White also should complete his development.
17...Rf6
Here, White has some choice.
100
Position after: 17...Rf6
18.Re2!?
It is a nice idea of fighting for the e-file. White hopes to trade rooks and queens and neutralize all of
Black’s activity and the e-file may serve that purpose.
18.Qh5!? Qc6 19.f3 Raf8 20.Qh4² is also possible.
18...Raf8 19.Qe1 Qd7
19...Bc6 20.Re6!²
20.a4!²
101
Position after: 20.a4!²
And I am not sure if Black has suffi-cient compensation. I definitely prefer White.
c) 6...Bc5 7.a4 b4?!
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 b4?!
Position after: 7...b4?!
102
Inducing this move is the main idea of 7.a4. Black runs directly into White’s idea:
8.Nxe5! Nxe5 9.d4
One may ask, why I do not suggest 7.Nxe5. The answer is that the inclusion of 7.a4 b4 helps White a
lot.
There is a huge difference: after 7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.d4 Black can play 8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 with a good
and stable position, but after the inclusion of 7.a4 b4 Black is just lost as the b4-pawn falls! In
general, Black’s position is very risky right now.
9...Qe7
Perhaps this should be played, but it is never easy for Black.

A) 9...Bxd4?! 10.Qxd4 Qe7 [10...d6 11.Qxb4+– The main difference between positions with and
without inclusion of 7.a4 b4.] 11.Bg5 Nc6 12.Qe3±
B) 9...Nxe4? 10.dxc5+–
10.dxc5 Bb7
103
11.c3
11.Be3!? also deserves attention. 11...Nxe4 12.Qd4 a5 13.Nd2 Nxd2 14.Qxd2 0-0 15.f3±
11...Qxc5 12.Be3 Qe7 13.cxb4 Qxb4
13...0-0 14.Bd4!? Rfe8 15.Nc3 Qxb4 16.f4 Ng6 17.e5 c5 18.Bf2±
14.Bd4 d6 15.Re1 0-0 16.Bc3 Qc5 17.Nd2±
104
Position after: 17.Nd2±
The bishop pair and better pawn structure offer a clear advantage.
d) 6...Bc5 7.a4 Bb7 with 10...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Bb7
105
This line is an alternative to the main 7...Rb8. Instead of running away with the rook, Black wants to
quickly apply pressure to the center by quickly developing the bishop. Personally, I think that 7...Bb7
is a somewhat suspicious line for Black and I will provide valid arguments supporting my claim.
8.c3 d6
Black needs to support the center.

A) 8...0-0 This move performs horribly for Black, but it is not so bad as the statistics indicate. 9.d4
Bb6 10.Bg5 [10.dxe5 Nxe4 also deserves attention, but I am not entirely sure how much White
objectively has here.] 10...h6 11.Bh4 exd4?!
Position after: 11...exd4?!
This is the only alternative to the regular 11...d6, after which we are back at the main line. In fact,
Black should transpose, as 11...exd4 is very risky for him.
A1) If White starts with 12.e5?! then things work nicely for Black: 12...g5 13.Qd3 gxh4 14.Qg6+
Kh8 15.Qxh6+ Nh7 16.Bc2 f5 17.exf6 Rf7 and right now Black wins, as ...Qxf6 next neutralizes
any initiative. In comparison to inclusion of axb5, Black still has the rook on the a8-square which
covers the 8th rank and it makes a huge difference.
A2) 12.axb5! This is likely the refutation of this line. It is very important to include this move.
12...axb5 13.Rxa8 Bxa8 [13...Qxa8? 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Nh4+– is obviously very bad for Black.]
14.e5 g5 15.Qd3! An important tactical idea.
106
15...Nxe5™ [15...gxh4 now loses: 16.Qg6+ Kh8 17.Qxh6+ Nh7 18.Bc2 f5 19.exf6 Rf7. In the
same position but without axb5 Black was doing well, but here White can play 20.Re1!+– and
Black cannot take the f6-pawn due to his weak back rank! This is why it is important to begin with
12.axb5.] 16.Nxe5 Be4 17.Qg3 Nh5 18.Qh3
Position after: 18.Qh3
The position is still complicated, but in reality Black is on the verge of defeat. For instance:
107
A2.1) 18...Nf4? 19.Qg4 Bxg2 20.Qxf4! wins, e.g., 20...Bxf1 [20...gxf4 21.Bxd8 Bxf1 22.Be7+–]
21.Bxf7+ Kg7 22.Qe4! Qf6 23.Bg3 Bh3 24.Ng4! Bxg4 25.Be5 Rxf7 26.Bxf6+ Rxf6 27.Qxg4
dxc3 28.Nxc3 Rxf2 29.Qh5!+–
Position after: 29.Qh5!+–
and White should win this. Actually, 29.Qh5 is the only move but it is sufficient.
A2.2) 18...d6 Probably the only move that does not lose on the spot. 19.Nd7! gxh4 20.Qg4+ Ng7
21.Nxf8 Bf5 22.Qf3 Kxf8 23.cxd4± with an extra exchange and great winning chances.
B) 8...Nxe4?! Taking the e4-pawn is extremely dangerous. 9.Qe2 Black is in serious trouble now.
108
Position after: 9.Qe2
B1) 9...Bxf2+ Black can try to complicate the position. The alternatives are not any better. Perhaps
10.Kh1! is the most accurate. [10.Rxf2 however, is simple to play: 10...Nxf2 11.Qxf2 0-0 12.d4 d6
13.Nbd2± or 12...Na5 13.Bg5 Qb8 14.Qg3 Kh8 15.Bc2+–] 10...Na5 [10...d5 11.d3+–] 11.Bd1!
An example of the engine’s precision. [11.Ba2± is also very good.] 11...Ng3+ [11...Bb6 12.b4
Nc4 13.d3+–] 12.hxg3 Bxg3 13.Kg1 0-0 14.axb5 axb5 15.d4+– White has an extra piece and
Black has no compensation. The point of 11.Bd1 is that after 15...Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Qh4 White plays
17.Qh5!+–.
B2) After 9...Ne7 White ends up with an extra pawn: 10.Nxe5 0-0 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rxa8 Bxa8
13.d4 Bd6 14.Qxb5±.
B3) 9...Nf6 10.d4+–
B4) 9...d5 10.d3 Nf6 11.d4+–
9.d4 Bb6 10.Re1
This is an important moment. Black has to make a choice now of whether to play 10...0-0 and allow
the pin with 11.Bg5 (which could be quite unpleasant in many instances) or prevent that beforehand
and play 10...h6 (which could appear useless). I will discuss both (10...0-0 is covered in the next
subchapter).
10...h6
109
This move prevents 11.Bg5 and plans ...0-0 on the next move. However, it has a serious drawback: it
is too slow. White can quickly develop the initiative which underlines the uselessness of this move.
10...Ne7 This is a very rare move. Black hopes to transfer the knight to the g6-square. White should
react immediately in the center: 11.dxe5! Nxe4 [11...dxe5 12.Nxe5+–] 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.Rxe3
A) 13...dxe5? runs into 14.Rd3! with a powerful initiative: 14...Nd6 15.Ng5! The most powerful.
[15.Nxe5!? 0-0 16.Qh5ƒ also deserves attention.] 15...Qb8 16.Rxd6! cxd6 17.Bxf7+ Kf8 [17...Kd8
18.Nd2+– is even worse for Black.] 18.Ba2ƒ White has a long-term initiative and good prospects of
an attack on Black’s king.
B) 13...Nc5 14.exd6
110
Position after: 14.exd6
14...Qxd6 Black should try to trade queens and look for drawing chances in the endgame. However,
this endgame is pure suffering: [14...cxd6?! 15.axb5 axb5 16.Rxa8 Bxa8 17.Na3 0-0 18.Ba2 Nf5
19.Re1±] 15.Qxd6 [15.axb5 Nxb3 16.Qxb3 0-0 17.Nbd2 is also possible but here Black can hope
for some counterplay after 17...Nd5 18.Ree1 Nf4©] 15...cxd6 16.Nbd2 Nxb3 17.Nxb3 bxa4
18.Rxa4 Bxf3 19.Rxf3² with a better endgame, e.g.
Position after: 19.Rxf3²
111
19...Rb8 20.Rxa6 0-0 21.Nd4 Rxb2 22.g3 Nc8 23.Nf5²
11.Be3!
Position after: 11.Be3!
11...exd4
A) 11...bxa4N This is the engine’s suggestion. However, it is quite hard to take this move seriously
– Black voluntarily weakens the pawn structure. Such an approach should not equalize: 12.Rxa4 0-0
13.h3
112
13...Re8 [13...exd4 14.cxd4 Na5 15.d5 Nxb3 16.Qxb3 Re8 17.Nc3²] 14.Nbd2 exd4 15.cxd4 a5
16.d5 Nb4 17.Bxb6 cxb6 18.Bc4²
B) 11...0-0 runs into 12.d5!
and White gains a stable positional advantage by messing up Black’s pawn structure on the
queenside. 12...Na5 [12...Na7 13.Bxb6 cxb6 14.axb5 Nxb5 15.Nbd2²/±] 13.Bxb6 cxb6 14.axb5
113
axb5 15.Bc2 Nc4 16.Rxa8 Qxa8 17.b3 Na3 18.Bd3±
C) 11...Ng4 Black wants to trade off the e3-bishop and at the same time preserve the b6-bishop.
12.Bd5! Ignoring the threat of ...Nxe3, White puts pressure on the queenside. 12...Nxe3 13.fxe3!
Position after: 13.fxe3!
Again, an important move. White voluntarily “messes up” his own pawn structure, but in reality in
this position White improves the pawn structure as right now the center is fully guarded and White
can focus on exploiting Black’s deficiencies on the queenside. White has a very pleasant position.
13...0-0 14.Na3 [Or 14.Qd3!?².] 14...Qb8 15.axb5 axb5 16.Nxb5 Rxa1 17.Qxa1 exd4 18.cxd4 Nb4
19.Bxb7 Qxb7 20.Qb1 Rb8 21.Nc3²
12.cxd4 Na5 13.Bc2!
114
Position after: 13.Bc2!
White should secure the bishop.
13...0-0
A “pseudo” active 13...Nc4 forces 14.Bc1 but there is no follow-up for Black. The knight will soon
be kicked out and there will be no sign of Black’s initiative. 14...Ba5 [14...0-0 15.b3 Na5 16.Bb2 Re8
17.Nbd2±] 15.Re2 0-0 16.b3 Nb6 17.Bd2 [17.d5!?] 17...Bxd2 18.Nbxd2² with a clear advantage for
White.
14.Nbd2
115
14...Re8
14...Ng4 was in another game by IM Gabor Nagy, but also without particular success: 15.Bf4 Qf6
16.Bg3 Bxd4 17.Nxd4 Qxd4 Black won a pawn, but here after 18.Qxg4!N [18.axb5 was in Haba –
Nagy (2019) but here Black was not doing that bad after 18...axb5 19.Qxg4 Qxd2 20.Bf4 Qd4!N
21.Bxh6 Nc4!„ an inclusion of trades on the b5-square helped Black to get some counterplay.]
18...Qxd2 19.Bf4!±
116
Position after: 19.Bf4!±
White has a huge advantage, e.g.

A) 19...Qxc2 20.Bxh6 g6 21.Qh4 Qc5 [21...Qxb2 22.e5 f6 23.Qg4+–] 22.b4+–
B) 19...Qd4 20.Bxh6
Position after: 20.Bxh6
20...Nc4 [20...f5?! 21.Qg3 fxe4 22.axb5 axb5 23.Bxe4!+–] 21.b3 Qf6 22.Bg5 Ne5 23.Bxf6 Nxg4
24.Bb2±
15.b4!N
15.d5?! Bxe3 16.Rxe3 was Brkic – Nagy (2019) but after 16...c6!N Black could have equalized.
117
Position after: 15.b4!N
15...Nc6
15...Nc4?! is bad for Black: 16.Nxc4 bxc4 17.a5! Ba7 18.d5 Bxe3 19.Rxe3 and 19...c6 is met by
20.Ba4!±
16.Rb1 Ne7 17.Bd3 bxa4 18.Qxa4 Bc6 19.Qb3²
White is slightly better.
e) 6...Bc5 7.a5 Bb7 with 10...0-0
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Bb7 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.Re1 0-0
118
This is the most principled. Black does not fear the pin and wants to quickly finish his development
and prepare for the battle in the center.
11.Bg5!
White should accept the challenge and pin the knight and queen.
11...h6 12.Bh4
119
This is another critical position for this line. Again, Black has some choice.
12...exd4
Objectively, this should be played. There were many games here lately and Black managed to make a
draw in some of them (e.g., Huschenbeth – Shankland (2019) or Abdusatorov – Matlakov (2019)) but
I would not worry about that. The arising positions are extremely dangerous for Black and White has
a number of possibilities to challenge Black’s defenses.
A) 12...g5 does not change much: 13.Nxg5! hxg5 14.Bxg5
Position after: 14.Bxg5
and now Black has to take the d4-pawn after which White can transpose to the main line. 14...exd4
[14...Kg7? 15.Re3!‚ with a winning attack, e.g. 15...Ne7 16.Rh3 Bxe4 17.Nd2 Bg6 18.Bh6+ Kg8
19.Qf3 Nh7 20.a5 Ba7 21.Ne4 Nf5 22.Qg4 d5 23.Bxf8 Kxf8 24.Ng5!+–]
120
Position after: 14...exd4
A1) 15.Bd5?! is an additional option, but I am not convinced if that is so great for White after
15...d3!
Position after: 15...d3!
which closes the center and, most importantly, the third rank. Right now, White’s rook cannot
easily transfer to the kingside. For example: 16.Qf3 Kg7 17.Nd2 [17.Qg3 Nh5! 18.Qg4 Ne5
19.Qxh5 Rh8 20.Bxd8 Rxh5 21.Bxc7 Bxc7 22.Bxb7 Rb8 23.Bxa6 bxa4=] 17...Ne5 18.Bxf6+
121
Qxf6 19.Qxf6+ Kxf6 20.Bxb7 Ra7 21.Bd5 c6 22.a5 Bxa5 23.Rxa5 cxd5∞
A2) 15.cxd4 White should transpose to the main line.
B) 12...Qe7
Position after: 12...Qe7
This is a decent alternative which I employed myself once in my game against IM John Bryant. The
idea is to avoid crazy lines involving ...g5 with Nxg5 whereby White gets some new and playable
position. My choice of this line, though, was some sort of “semi-bluff”, as it is definitely quite a
suspicious line. White has many attractive paths. 13.Na3 The most logical move, as it also appeared
in Bryant – Swiercz (2018). I think I like it the most for White. 13...exd4 14.cxd4 g5 15.Bg3 Na5 I
remember that I was happy here with my position, but analysis proved that I did not have many
reasons to be so happy... 16.Ba2 b4
122
Position after: 16...b4
17.e5! A very powerful novelty which I discovered after the game. While working on this book, my
analysis showed that White can indeed apply strong pressure. [17.Nc4? happened in the game and
after 17...Nxc4 18.Bxc4 Nxe4∞ I think that Black is fine.] 17...Ne4™ [If 17...bxa3? then
18.Qc2!!+– is extremely powerful, with the threat of Qg6. Suddenly, there are huge issues on the
kingside.] 18.Qd3! [18.Nc4 Nxc4 19.Bxc4 d5 20.Ba2 a5 21.Qd3 Rae8 22.Rac1]
123
B1) 18...d5? 19.Nc2! White managed to keep all the pieces on the board and thanks to the weak
black king White has great prospects of developing a strong attack on the kingside. For example:
19...c5 20.dxc5! sacrificing the piece for the attack 20...Nxc5 21.Qd1 b3 22.Ne3! bxa2 23.Nf5
Qd7 24.N3d4‚
Position after: 24.N3d4‚
with Qh5 next. It is interesting from an analytical point of view: Lc0 shows that the position is
equal, while according to Stockfish White is simply winning. Here I would definitely trust
Stockfish: 24...Nc6 25.Qh5 Nxd4 26.Nxh6+ Kg7 27.Qxg5+ Kh8 28.Qh5 Kg7 29.Bh4 Rg8
30.Bf6+ Kf8 31.Nxg8+–
B2) 18...b3™ The only move. 19.Bxb3 Nxb3 20.Qxb3 Nxg3 21.hxg3 Bxf3 22.Qxf3 Bxd4
23.Rad1 Bxe5 [23...c5 24.exd6 Qxd6 25.Nc4²] 24.Nc4ƒ
124
Position after: 24.Nc4ƒ
White has strong compensation for the pawn. Black’s king is very weak.
C) 12...Re8 A logical move which puts some pressure on the center. 13.axb5! This is the strongest.
13...axb5 14.Rxa8 Bxa8 15.d5
Right now Black has a difficult situation as it is not clear where the knight should go.
C1) 15...Nb8? is bad due to 16.Bxf6! Qxf6 17.Na3± and there are big issues with the b5-pawn.
125
C2) 15...g5? 16.Nxg5 hxg5 17.Bxg5 Nb8 18.Qf3 Nbd7 19.Nd2 Kg7 20.Nf1 Rg8 21.Qf5 Kf8
22.h4ƒ
C3) 15...Na5? is also bad as after 16.Ba2+– the a5-knight is horribly misplaced.
C4) 15...Ne7? 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Nh4!± with Qh5 next puts huge pressure on Black.
C5) 15...Na7! 16.Na3 Bb7 17.Qd2!²
Position after: 17.Qd2!²
This is a very important move, because it prevents ... g5, without which Black will always be
facing issues related to the pin. White can begin to either challenge Black’s queenside (by
removing the bishop from the b3-square and playing b4 and c4) or attempting a kingside expansion
by preparing g4 and g5. For example: 17...Bc8 18.Bd1 Bd7 19.h3 Kh7 20.c4 Rg8 21.b4 g5
22.Bg3±.
13.cxd4 g5
126
Position after: 13...g5
14.Nxg5!
This simply must be played. Without any doubt this is the most testing line for Black.
14.Bg3 Re8 was Abdusatorov – Matlakov (2019), which does not offer much to White.
14...hxg5 15.Bxg5 Nxd4
The only move.

Another capture, 15...Bxd4?, simply loses! 16.Bd5!
127
Right now, both pins are causing Black a lot of problems and White additionally plans to transfer the
a1-rook through the third rank to the kingside. 16...Bxb2 [If 16...Bc5 then 17.b4! Bxb4 18.Re3!+–
and another rook enters the kingside.] 17.Ra2 Be5 18.Ra3!
with a winning attack: 18...Re8 19.f4 Bb2 20.Rg3 Kf8 21.Nc3 b4 22.e5! dxe5 23.Bh6+ Ke7 24.fxe5
Bxc3 25.exf6+ Kd6 26.Rxe8+–
128
16.Bd5!
16...Ne6
16...c6? This move is nearly losing: 17.Ra3 Re8 18.Rg3 Kf8
Position after: 18...Kf8
Here, White has a pleasant choice: 19.Bh6+! This is objectively the strongest. [19.a5!? cxd5 20.axb6
129
Ne6 21.Bh4 Nc5 22.Qc1ƒ is also very strong. 22...Re6 23.e5! dxe5 24.Qxc5+ Qd6 25.Qxd6+ Rxd6
26.Rxe5 Rxb6 27.Nd2² /+/- with a much better endgame.] 19...Ke7 20.Bxf7
Position after: 20.Bxf7
20...Rf8 [20...Rh8? 21.e5 Rxh6 22.exf6+ Kxf7 23.Qg4 Qxf6 24.Qd7+ Kf8 25.Qxb7 Rd8 26.Qxb6+–
Kollars – Godena (2018) .] 21.Ba2 Kd7 22.Nc3 c5 23.Rg6 Kc7 24.h4± White has a big advantage
despite being a piece down. Black’s king is very weak.
17.Bh4
130
17...Bxd5
17...c6 I was surprised to discover that this move is not so bad! However, it is extremely risky and
requires tremendous accuracy from Black to hold. So yeah, Black miraculously holds here. But again,
I would not worry about it. Many of the moves or lines are nearly impossible to be found over the
board... 18.Qf3 Nd4 [18...Kg7? 19.Ra3 Bd4 20.Qg3+ Kh7 21.Qd3+–]
Position after: 18...Nd4
19.Qf4! The best try. [After 19.Qg3+? Kh7! Black can neutralize White’s initiative comfortably:
20.Ra3 Rg8 21.Qh3 Qc8 22.Bxf6+ Qxh3 23.Rxh3+ Kg6 24.Bxd4 Bxd4 25.Rg3+ Kh7 26.Rd3 Bxb2
27.Bxf7 Rgf8∞] 19...Ne6 20.Bxe6 fxe6 21.Ra3 Bd4™
131
Position after: 21...Bd4™
White has some choice here. I will focus on what I think gives the best chances to win for White as it
creates plenty of room for Black to err. 22.Nd2! Qe8 23.Rg3+ Kh7 24.Nf3 Nh5™ 25.Qxd6
Position after: 25.Qxd6
This position looks extremely dangerous to Black. 25...Nxg3! With this forced line Black
miraculously holds... [25...Bg7? is very passive and after 26.Rg4± White has long lasting initiative.
Practically, it is nearly impossible to hold it with Black.] 26.Nxd4 c5! 27.Nxe6 Nxe4 28.Nxf8+ Qxf8
132
29.Qe5! Re8 30.Qh5+ Kg7 Finally, we reached this position. It is very dangerous for Black still, but
Black holds.
Position after: 30...Kg7
The chance for this to happen in a game is pretty much non-existent. White can still try to push, e.g.,
31.axb5 [31.f3 Nd6 32.Qg4+ Kh8 33.Rxe8 Nxe8 34.Qd7 Ba8 35.axb5 axb5 36.Qxb5²] 31...Qf7!
[31...axb5? 32.f3!+–] 32.Qg4+ Qg6 33.Qxg6+ Kxg6 34.f3 Nf6 35.Rxe8 Nxe8 36.bxa6 Bxa6 37.Bf2
c4 38.Bb6²
18.exd5 Ng7
133
Position after: 18...Ng7
This is the position I had in mind in my commentary to 12...exd4.

This position is extremely dangerous for Black. Some players believe that Black simply holds, which
could be the case, and I am not negating that. However, personally I think that going willingly into
such a line, even with great preparation, is nearly insane. White has several ways to put immense
pressure on Black where only engines find some crazy only moves that miraculously hold. My
question is, is it really worth it from Black’s perspective? At best, Black can make a draw if only
Black manages to find ALL the only and best moves which is not easy when you are pushed back all
the way to defense. In my opinion, this is certainly not fun, and I will show a few ideas that White can
try to really challenge Black.
19.Qf3 Re8 20.Nc3 Rxe1+ 21.Rxe1 Bd4
134
Position after: 21...Bd4
Here is the first moment where White has some significant options.
22.Ne4
This is the most natural way of continuing the initiative by White.

22.Re4!? is an interesting alternative. It is also extremely testing. 22...Bxf2+ 23.Qxf2 Nxe4 24.Nxe4
Qc8™ 25.Nf6+ Kf8 26.g4
135
This position looks very scary for Black, yet he has two ways to hold.
A) 26...bxa4!? also holds yet in an equally difficult way. 27.Qe3
27...a3!! The only saving move. Black needs to open the b-file in order to activate the queen.
[27...Qb7?? 28.Nd7+ Kg8 29.Qh6!+–] 28.bxa3 Qb7 29.Qh6 Qb1+ 30.Kg2 Qb2+ with very likely a
perpetual.
B) 26...Ne8 27.Qf4 Nxf6 28.Bxf6 Qb8!!
136
Position after: 28...Qb8!!
An absolutely stunning move that holds by a miracle. Understanding the point of this is very hard at
first, but it becomes clearer once we play some moves. Essentially, the black king needs the b7-
square! 29.Qh6+ Ke8 30.Qe3+ Kd7 31.Qe7+ Kc8 32.Qe8+ Kb7 33.Qc6+ Kc8 and even though it
seems like White should somehow win, I could not find any path to the full point.
22...Nge8 23.h3!
Position after: 23.h3!
137
A strong prophylactic move. White secures the back rank and prepares an attack on Black’s king.
Right now, Black has a big choice, and it is very easy to go wrong if Black does not know or
remember what to play here. Black has only one move that does not lose...
23...Rb8!!
This is the only move, which is absolutely impossible to come up with without prior preparation. It
was already played in Huschenbeth – Shankland (2019). Obviously, it is not a surprise that a
theoretician like Sam Shankland played it, going for such a line without immense preparation would
be just silly and he had to have analyzed 23.h3. The idea of 23...Rb8 is very deep and I am going to
show it. Let us first have a look at the alternatives.
A) 23...Bxb2? This move (nearly) loses by force. 24.Qf4! Bd4 [24...Be5 25.Qh6 is just the same.]
25.Qd2 Be5 26.Qh6! Bd4!
Position after: 26...Bd4!
27.Rd1! (hitting the bishop and swinging the rook through the third rank to the kingside) 27...Bb2
28.Rd3 Nxe4 Black has to give up the queen. 29.Bxd8 Rxd8 30.Qe3 N8f6 31.f3 Nc5 32.Rd2 Ba1!
138
Position after: 32...Ba1!
All those moves are only moves for Black that temporarily hold. However, White can play 33.Rd1
Bb2 34.Qg5+ Kf8 35.axb5 axb5 36.Qh4!± and White has a big advantage. Black’s pieces are not
well coordinated, and the king is still unsafe. I think that White has great winning chances.
B) 23...Be5 24.Nxf6+ Bxf6 25.Rxe8+ Qxe8 26.Bxf6 Qe1+ 27.Kh2 Qb1 28.h4
C) 23...Kf8? 24.Nxf6 Bxf6 25.Qh5!+–
D) 23...bxa4?! This move is kind of expected without prior preparation. What could be wrong with
grabbing the pawn? Well, one particular thing in the following line! 24.Nxf6+ Bxf6
139
Position after: 24...Bxf6
25.Rxe8+! Qxe8 26.Bxf6 Qe1+ 27.Kh2 Qb1 A typical defensive idea in this variation. 28.h4!! Re8
[28...Rf8 29.h5 Kh7 30.g4+–] 29.Bc3!
This is the crucial difference between 18...Rb8 and 18...bxa4! In comparison with the main line
where a black pawn is still on the b5-square, this move would not be possible due to ...b4! Here,
however, the bishop cannot be kicked out of the c3-square easily and Black is in trouble. I
discovered that with literally ONLY moves Black can again hold here, but again: it is nearly
impossible to figure it out over the board: 29...Qh7 30.h5 f6™ 31.Bxf6 Qf7™ 32.g4 Re5™
140
Position after: 32...Re5™
33.Qf4 [33.Kg2 Rxd5; 33.Kg3 Qxd5 34.Bxe5 Qxe5+ 35.Kg2 Qxb2] 33...Rxd5 34.Qh6 Qh7
35.Qe3 Qf7 36.Bc3 Rc5™ 37.Kg2 Qd5+ 38.f3 Rxc3 39.Qxc3 c5
and in this endgame White still has some chances. It is very easy to go wrong with Black. 40.Kf2!?ƒ
141
Position after: 23...Rb8!!
24.axb5
I think that this is the best try. I also analyzed other moves but this seems to me the most promising.
24.Nxf6+ was in Huschenbeth – Shankland (2019) and the game ended with a quick draw after
24...Bxf6 25.Rxe8+ Qxe8 26.Bxf6 Qe1+ 27.Kh2 Qb1 28.axb5 [28.h4 is not so great anymore due to
28...Re8 29.Bc3 b4!= undermining the bishop with a probable draw.] 28...axb5 29.Qg4+ Qg6 30.Qh4
Qh7 31.Qg5+ Qg6 32.Qh4 Qh7 ½ – ½ Huschenbeth – Shankland (2019). A typical repetition for this
line.
24...axb5
142
Position after: 24...axb5
25.Qf5!
Again, I think that this poses the biggest challenge to Black.

25.Qg3!?+ Ng7 26.Qg5 This engine suggestion is very good for White. Black does not have an easy
task here as he must eliminate the b2-pawn before the queens are exchanged. 26...Bxb2! 27.Qh6 Nf5
28.Nxf6+ Bxf6 29.Qxf6 Qxf6 30.Bxf6 This endgame looks promising for White. Black’s king is in
danger, White’s kingside pawns seem to have an easy path forward and Black’s queenside pawns
appear slower. However, Black can solve his problems in a very instructive way. 30...Kf8!! This
move may be hard to understand at first sight but there is a deep idea behind it. Black wants to play
...Nh6 followed by ...Ng8!, kicking the white bishop out of the f6-square and preparing ...Ne7 which
hits the d5-pawn. The endgame is equal: 31.g4 Nh6 32.Rc1 Ng8 33.Bb2 Ne7 34.Rxc7 Nxd5 35.Rd7
Nf4!= with sufficient counterplay.
25...Ra8™
How likely is it Black will play moves like ...Rb8 and ...Ra8 without prior preparation?
26.Qg5+
143
Position after: 26.Qg5+
26...Kf8™
Again, the only move!

A) 26...Kh8? 27.Rd1!+– e.g. 27...Bxb2 28.Rd3! Ra1+ 29.Kh2 Be5+ 30.f4+–
B) 26...Kh7? 27.Qg3!!
Position after: 27.Qg3!!
144
and suddenly White’s attack is irresistible. The idea (apart from the obvious Ng5) is Bg5 followed
by Qh4! 27...Kh8 28.Bg5! [28.Nxf6 Nxf6 29.Bg5] 28...Bxb2 29.Qh4+ Kg8 30.Nxf6+ Nxf6
31.Kh2!+– with a crushing attack. Re3-Rg3 is coming.
27.Qh6+ Kg8 28.Kh2
Trying to bring the rook to the third rank.
28...Be5+
A useful check - forcing the king to go to the first rank.
29.Kh1 Bxb2 30.Re3 Ra1+ 31.Kh2 Be5+
Here, White has two moves which both lead to a draw. This may happen if Black is well prepared or
somehow manages to find all the best moves in which case there is nothing we can do.
Position after: 31...Be5+
32.f4
32.g3!? Bd4 33.Rd3 Bb2™ 34.Qg5+ Kf8 35.Qh6+=
32...Ng4+ 33.hxg4 Bxf4+ 34.Qxf4 Qxh4+ 35.Rh3 Qe7 36.Rh5! f6!
145
Position after: 36...f6!
and there is nothing better than the draw after
37.Qh6 Qg7 38.Qf4 Qe7=
f) 6...Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 with 12...--
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.c3
146
Position after: 8.c3
8...d6
8...0-0?! Playing without ...d6 is a risky enterprise: 9.d4 Bb6 10.dxe5! Ng4 [10...Nxe4 11.Bd5 Nc5
12.a5 Ba7 13.Be3² with a pleasant position for White.] 11.a5 Ba7 12.Bf4 Qe7 13.e6! dxe6 14.e5²
9.d4 Bb6 10.a5!
As I said in the introduction, in my opinion this is the most critical line.
10...Ba7
Black cannot take the a5-pawn:

A) 10...Bxa5?? loses a piece to 11.d5+–.
B) 10...Nxa5? also fails, but in this case due to 11.Rxa5! Bxa5 12.dxe5!
147
Position after: 12.dxe5!
and Black cannot resolve the tactical issues: 12...dxe5 [12...Nxe4 13.Qd5 Be6 14.Qxe4 Bxb3
15.Nd4! 0-0 16.Nxb3 Bb6 17.Nd4!+– and White should win this as two minor pieces are stronger
than the rook.] 13.Qxd8+ Kxd8 14.Nxe5
with the irresistible threats of Nc6 and Nxf7. 14...Bb7 15.Nxf7+ Ke7 16.e5 Ne4 17.Nxh8 Rxh8
18.Be3+– With an extra pawn and a winning position.
148
11.h3
With this move White prevents ...Bg4 which often could be an unpleasant pin. In general, White’s
next moves are Be3 and Nbd2.
11...0-0
This is by far the most popular move. Black can also try to postpone castling by playing 11...Bb7 or
11...h6. Let us have a look at both before examining the main line.
11...Bb7 with the idea of ...Nxe4. 12.Be3!
149
A) 12...Ra8 is what Black should probably play, but here White can play 13.Nbd2 transposing after
both 13...0-0 or 13...h6 to variations analyzed below, [Or 13.dxe5!? which also offers some
advantage in the endgame.]
B) 12...Nxe4? is the logical continuation, considering Black’s previous move. However, it leads to
incredibly dangerous positions which are very likely lost for Black. 13.d5! Bxe3 14.dxc6 Nxf2
15.Qe2 Nxh3+ 16.Kh1 Nf2+ 17.Rxf2 Bxf2 18.cxb7 Ba7 19.Bd5!±
Position after: 19.Bd5!±
150
A key move. It is essential to preserve the b7-pawn. I think that this position gives White a big
advantage.
B1) 19...0-0 20.c4! b4 21.Nbd2 Kh8 [21...Qd7 allows 22.Ng5! h6 23.Nde4!+– with a winning
attack.] 22.c5! Bxc5 23.Ne4 f5 24.Nxc5 dxc5 25.Qxe5 Rf6 26.b3+–
B2) 19...Qd7 20.Nd4! Qe7 [After 20...Bxd4 White wins with 21.Qf3!! 0-0 22.cxd4+–] 21.Bc6+
Kf8 22.Nf3±
Position after: 22.Nf3±
White has kept b7-pawn. Once White finishes his development the game should be pretty much
over. For instance: 22...Qe6 23.c4 d5 24.cxd5 Qh6+ 25.Nh2 Qc1+ 26.Qf1 Qxb2 27.d6! cxd6
28.Bd5 f6 29.Ra3±
12.Be3
151
12...exd4
A) 12...Nxe4?! This move is pretty risky, but it is not as bad as I initially thought. 13.Bd5 exd4
14.cxd4! An important move. [14.Nxd4 is what I planned initially, but here Black is fine: 14...Nxd4
15.Bxe4 d5! 16.Bxd4 c5! 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Bxd5 c4!© Black has good compensation for the pawn.
The a7-bishop is very strong.; 14.Bxe4?! d5!∞] 14...Qe8 15.Re1
152
15...Nf6 [15...Bf5? 16.Bxc6 Qxc6 17.d5 Qb7 18.Nh4! Bg6 19.Nxg6 fxg6 20.Bxa7 Qxa7 21.Rxe4
Qxf2+ 22.Kh2± and Black does not have sufficient compensation for the piece.] 16.Bg5 Nxd5
17.Rxe8 Rxe8
Position after: 17...Rxe8
Black has a rook, bishop, and a pawn for the queen. Very often this is sufficient compensation,
especially when Black’s pieces are anchored on well supported squares (like the d5-knight). Despite
that, I think that White is better. The dominant factors that affect the evaluation of this position are
the bad a7-bishop and king’s safety. It may be surprising, but White has the potential of developing
a strong initiative on the kingside! 18.Nc3! Be6 [18...Nxc3 19.bxc3 only helps White to strengthen
the center. 19...h6 20.Bf4 Ne7 21.Qd2 Nd5 22.Re1ƒ with a potential g4-g5 in the future.] 19.Nxd5
Bxd5 20.Be3ƒ
153
Position after: 20.Be3ƒ
There are certain issues with the a7-bishop and the black king is weakened too. White wants to play
Nh4-Nf5 and develop some initiative on the kingside. For instance, the position would have been
way different if the black bishop were on the f8-square, instead of the a7-square. Then the black
king would be perfectly safe, and the bishop would also participate in the game.
B) 12...Ra8(?!)
154
It is hard to assign a dubious mark to this move... but it really is an inaccuracy that may cause
serious issues for Black! The point is that now White has an additional option leading to promising
positions. 13.Nbd2 h6 14.Qe2! This is it! [After 14.Re1 White can also transpose to the main line.]
14...Re8 15.Rfd1
Position after: 15.Rfd1
I found this idea in 2019 and I managed to use it once in my game against Vasif Durarbayli. I won a
nice game, and I was very inclined to suggest this line in this book, however it appears that this line
is simply not attainable if Black uses the 12...Re8! move order. It was a shocking and frustrating
discovery and I was forced to look for new ideas. Luckily, I found one that I particularly like!
However, 12...Re8 is a very rare move and I still assume that many players will stick with 12...Ra8
instead. Therefore, I will show the basic concepts of the Qe2–Rfd1 idea. I do not want to go into
details because Black can start with 12...Re8 and this idea does not work anymore.
B1) 15...Bb7 This is what Vasif Durarbayli played against me. 16.d5!N An improvement! [I chose
16.dxe5?! as I mixed up my analysis. Good though that I still managed to win!] 16...Ne7 17.Nf1
Bxe3 18.Qxe3²
155
Position after: 18.Qxe3²
with a positional advantage. One of the ideas for White is to play c4. If Black plays 18...c6 then
after 19.dxc6 Nxc6 20.Nh4! Bc8 21.Ng3!ƒ White has a very strong initiative on the kingside.
B2) 15...Bd7 16.dxe5! Nxe5 17.Nxe5 dxe5 18.Bxa7 Rxa7 19.Qe3 Ra8 20.Ba2!?² with the idea of
Nb3-Nc5.
B3) 15...exd4 I thought that this is critical for the entire line. 16.cxd4 Qe7 [16...Nb4 17.Rac1 Qe7
18.d5! is another move order.] 17.d5 Nb4 18.Rac1!N
156
Position after: 18.Rac1!N
A powerful novelty, improving over Nguyen – Shirov (2019). The point is that after 18...Bc5
19.Bxc5 dxc5 20.Qe3 c4 21.Nxc4! bxc4 22.Rxc4ƒ White sacrifices a piece for two pawns and
some positional benefits. The central pawns are very strong, and the b4-knight is under pressure.
There are lots of threats and it is not an easy position to play with Black. I do not want to go
further into the details here for the reasons I discussed earlier but if you are interested I would
suggest analyzing this line on you own and discover lots of interesting ideas!
13.cxd4 Nb4
This idea is typical in many Ruy Lopez lines, but it is especially common in this line and is one of the
recent trends.
14.Nc3 Bb7
White has lots of possibilities here.
15.Ng5!?
Position after: 15.Ng5!?
This line has been played several times, most notably in MVL – Caruana in the Candidates 2020. I
think that it is one of the most principled approaches in this position.
15...Qe7!
This is the only move. Everything else is just bad for Black.
157
A) 15...c5? is bad as it allows 16.e5!
Position after: 16.e5!
and White is crushing in the center: 16...Nfd5 17.dxc5! dxc5 [17...dxe5 18.c6+–] 18.Qh5 h6
19.Rad1 hxg5 20.Ne4!+–.
B) 15...Qe8 This is a similar idea to 15...Qe7 but its execution is much worse. Right now, White
gets a big advantage tactically: 16.e5! dxe5 17.dxe5
Position after: 17.dxe5
158
B1) 17...Qc6? happened in Sasikiran – Moroni (2020) but here Black is simply lost: 18.Nf3! Bxe3
19.fxe3 Ne4 [19...Rbd8 20.Qe2 Nfd5 21.Nxd5 Nxd5 22.Rac1 Qh6 23.Rfd1!+– with positional
domination.] 20.Qd4! Nxc3 21.Qxb4 Ne4 22.e6!
and White is simply tearing apart Black’s position. 22...fxe6 23.Ne5 Qc5 24.Bxe6+ Kh8 25.Qxc5
Nxc5 and here, the cleanest win was 26.Ba2! [26.Nf7+ happened in the game which wins as well
but is more complicated.] 26...b4 27.Rfc1! b3 28.Rxc5 bxa2 29.Nd7+–
B2) 17...Bxe3 This is the best defense. 18.Nxf7!
159
Position after: 18.Nxf7!
the main difference between 15...Qe8 and 15...Qe7 is that right now Black cannot play 18...Ba7
due to 19.Nd6!, which was not the case after 15...Qe7. Perhaps Black is not lost yet, but the
position is extremely shaky... 18...Rxf7 19.exf6 Bc5 20.Re1! Qf8 21.Ne4! Bxe4 22.Rxe4±
Position after: 22.Rxe4±
White has a big advantage. It is not over yet as Black has some defensive resources, but Black’s
position is very dangerous. For instance: 22...Kh8 23.Bxf7 Qxf7 24.fxg7+ Kg8 25.Qd2 Nd5
26.Rae1 Bd6 27.Rd4 Nf4 28.Ree4 Ng6 29.h4!‚
16.e5!
160
16...dxe5
16...Nfd5 is the alternative but it is quite dubious. White has two tempting possibilities: 17.Qb1 [Or
17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.Bd2 Bc4 19.Re1 Nd3 20.Bc2ƒ] 17...g6 [17...f5? 18.exf6 gxf6 19.Nxd5 Bxd5
20.Bxd5+ Nxd5 21.Nf3±] 18.exd6 cxd6 19.Bd2 Bxd4 20.Nxd5 Nxd5 21.Qd3 Qf6 22.Ne4 Qe5
23.Rad1ƒ
Position after: 23.Rad1ƒ
161
and White has a strong initiative. Black has to be very careful here.
17.Nxf7
17.dxe5 Bxe3 18.Nxf7 does not work so great due to 18...Ba7!
Position after: 18...Ba7!
and the position is completely unclear. White cannot win the queen with Nd6 as like in case of
15...Qe8. 19.exf6 Qxf6∞
17...e4™
17...exd4? 18.Bxd4 Bxd4 19.Ne5+ Bd5 20.Nxd5 Nfxd5 21.Qxd4±
162
Position after: 17...e4™
18.Ng5+!N
18.Nd6+?! Kh8 19.Nxb7 Rxb7 was MVL – Caruana (2020) but here Black is absolutely fine.
18...Kh8 19.Ne6
163
I think that this is the best attempt by White. The knight on the e6-square is very strong. Black has to
decide now where to go with the rook.
19...Rfc8™
This is the only move that holds the balance.

19...Rfe8?! This move seems more logical. Here White is better because Black wastes an important
tempo! 20.d5 Bxe3 21.fxe3 Rbc8 22.Qd2 c5 23.dxc6 Bxc6 [23...Nxc6 24.Rf5!±] 24.Qd4 Nc2
25.Bxc2 Qxe6 26.Rad1² with a nice positional advantage.
20.d5 Bxe3 21.fxe3 c5!
This is the point. Black very quickly reacts in the center.
22.dxc6 Rxc6 23.Nd4 Rc7
Position after: 23...Rc7
The question is, what happens in this position? Does White have enough to claim an advantage or
not? As usually happens, none of this matters.
What matters is the practical aspect: first, 19...Rfc8 is not easy to find without prior knowledge;
second, White has some positional trumps (strong d4-knight, safer king) that makes White’s position
easier to play. The risk of error for Black is higher than for White. The game can take lots of paths. I
will try to illustrate some example lines that shows what kind of danger lays ahead for Black.
24.Qe1!?
164
Perhaps the best try, but there are other moves too.
A) 24.Nce2!?
B) 24.Nf5!?
24...Nd3 25.Qg3
25.Qh4!? Nxb2 26.Nce2 Nd3
27.Rf5!? [27.Nf5 Qe5 28.Nxg7 Bd5! 29.Ne6 Qxe6 30.Nd4 Qe5 31.Rf5 Qe7 32.Qxf6+ Qxf6
33.Rxf6 Bxb3 34.Nxb3 Rc3∞; 27.Ne6!? Nd5 28.Ng5 h6 29.Rf5 Nxe3 30.Nf7+ Kh7 31.Ng5+
Kh8=] 27...Bc8 28.Rxf6! gxf6 29.Rf1 f5 30.Qg3 Qg7 31.Qd6 Qe7 32.Qg3 Qg7= Black holds!
25...Re8 26.Nce2!? Qe5 27.Qh4 Bc8!
165
Position after: 27...Bc8!
28.Nf4
28.Rad1 Nxb2 29.Nf4 g5 30.Ng6+ Kg7 31.Nxe5 gxh4 32.Rc1 Rxc1 33.Rxc1 Rxe5 34.Rxc8 Nc4=
28...g5 29.Ng6+ Kg7 30.Nxe5 gxh4 31.Nxd3 exd3 32.Rfc1 Rxc1+ 33.Rxc1 Bd7!
166
There are some chances in this endgame, but Black should hold with correct play.
34.Rc7 Kf8 35.Kf2 Re7 36.Ra7 Ne4+ 37.Kf1 Nd2+ 38.Ke1 Nxb3 39.Nxb3 Rxe3+ 40.Kd2 Re7
And again, somehow Black holds. Should White worry about black finding these moves? Perhaps,
but I would not care about it. I think that from practical point of view this line is very challenging and
over the board Black will have to face many unpleasant situations where one move is correct, and one
is not due to subtle differences that could be very hard to spot.
g) 6...Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 with 12...Re8
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.a5! Ba7
11.h3 0-0 12.Be3 Re8
167
13.Ng5
13.dxe5 Bxe3 14.exf6 Bf4!∞ leads to completely unclear positions in which I think that quite often it
is White that is taking on more risk than Black. I certainly do not suggest going for this with White.
13...Rf8 14.Re1
168
14...h6
A) 14...d5?! This move is a viable alternative, but it looks (and it is) quite suspicious. 15.exd5 Nxd5
Position after: 15...Nxd5
Here, White has a pleasant choice between several options which all put Black’s position to a
serious test.
A1) 16.Qd3!? Nf6 17.Nd2 exd4 18.Bf4 also deserves attention.
A2) 16.Bc1!? exd4 [16...h6 17.dxe5 Be6 18.Nf3² with an extra pawn. Black still needs to prove
compensation.] 17.Nxh7 Kxh7 18.Qh5+ Kg8 19.Bxd5 Ne7 20.Be4 Bf5! 21.Bxf5 g6 22.Qg4
Nxf5 23.Nd2ƒ with some pressure. The knight is headed to the e4-square. Black’s king is
somewhat exposed.
A3) 16.Qf3!? This is the most aggressive path. 16...exd4
169
17.Nxf7!? leads to absolutely crazy positions where both sides need to be extremely precise.
Knowing such lines prior to the game can give certain advantages during the encounter! [17.cxd4
White can go for a simplistic approach too. 17...Nce7 18.Nc3 Bb7 19.Bd2 h6 20.Nge4 Bxd4
21.Rad1 c5 22.Be3!ƒ] 17...dxe3 18.Rxe3 Rxf7 19.Qxd5 Bxe3 20.Qxf7+ Kh8 21.fxe3
Position after: 21.fxe3
Seemingly White wins, but Black has an unbelievable response: 21...Bxh3! 22.Qh5 Bd7! and
170
Black is quite OK. Still, there is plenty of the game ahead and I think in general that White has
better chances. For example: 23.Bc2 g6! 24.Bxg6 Qe7 25.Nd2 Be8!! 26.Bxe8 Qxe3+ 27.Kh1
Qxe8 28.Qh6² with some pressure due to his better pawn structure on the queenside.
B) 14...Ra8 15.Nf3 h6 just transposes.
15.Nf3
Position after: 15.Nf3
15...Ra8
Right now, this move is forced.

After 15...Re8?! White can already play 16.dxe5! Bxe3 [16...dxe5? 17.Qxd8 Rxd8 18.Bxa7 Nxa7
19.Nxe5+–] 17.exf6 Bf4
171
Position after: 17...Bf4
The inclusion of Re1 – ...h6 works in White’s favor–- while ...h6 does not create any value, the rook
is simply more active on the e1-square. White is better in many ways, e.g., 18.fxg7 [18.Qd5!? Ne5
19.Nxe5 Be6 20.Nc6 Bxd5 21.Nxd8 Bxb3 22.Nc6 Ra8 23.h4!±] 18...Qf6 19.Nbd2 Qxg7 20.Kh1±
16.Nbd2 Re8
172
As discussed earlier, the ideal setup for White would be with the moves Qe2 and Rfd1, not Re1. But
this tricky move order by Fabiano Caruana does not allow that. Therefore, I decided to look for ideas
in the main line. I found one particular idea that I personally like the most.
17.Qc2!?
White is going for a positional fight with this move. By strengthening the center and planning to
centralize the pieces White prepares for some action in this part of the board, expecting that the
position is going to open soon.
17...exd4
17...Bb7 is the main alternative but it is not good for Black. White obtains a positional advantage
after 18.dxe5! Nxe5 [18...dxe5 19.Nf1²] 19.Nxe5 dxe5 20.Bxa7 Rxa7 21.c4!².
18.Bxd4!
Position after: 18.Bxd4!
A little bit surprising but clearly the best. White is not afraid to exchange bishops due to his dynamic
advantage and possibilities of breaking through in the center and creating an attack.
18...Ne5
The most common move here. It was played by English GM Gawain Jones who is an expert in this
line. There are other moves too, but they are worse than the text move.
A) 18...Nxd4?! This leads to a very direct and sharp fight. However, I think it is not good for Black.
173
19.cxd4
Position after: 19.cxd4
A1) After 19...Bb7 White can play 20.e5! Nd5 21.Qe4! with strong pressure. 21...dxe5 22.dxe5
Qd7 [22...Rb8 23.Rac1! Qd7 24.Bc2 Nf6 25.Qh4 Nh7 26.Ne4±] 23.Rad1 Rad8 24.Nf1±
This position simply looks awful for Black. The pins on d-file and h1-a8 diagonal are very hard to
deal with.
174
A2) 19...c5!? 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5!N I think that this novelty is very strong. [21.dxc5!? Qc7
22.Rac1 Kf8 23.Nh4ƒ with initiative, as in Kevlishvili – Girish (2019), also deserves attention.]
Position after: 21.dxe5!N
21...Nd5 [21...c4 22.Bxc4 bxc4 23.exf6 Be6 24.fxg7± White has an extra pawn (soon possibly two
extra pawns) and Black hardly has any compensation.] 22.Bxd5! Again, very direct. There is no
time to waste while developing the initiative! 22...Qxd5 23.Rad1 Be6 24.Ne4 Qb3 25.Qd2!±
Position after: 25.Qd2!±
175
White is much better as Nd6 is coming and such a strong knight cannot be bearable.
B) 18...Bd7?! is similar to 18...Bb7. 19.Bxa7 Rxa7 20.Nf1²
C) 18...Bb7?! 19.Bxa7 Rxa7
Position after: 19...Rxa7
20.Nf1!² White transfers the knight to the kingside, where it belongs. I like White’s chances here - a
little bit more space and somewhat better pieces are the main sources of advantage. [20.Nd4?! was
in Oparin – Shirov (2017) but Black is doing great after 20...Ne7!ƒ the d4-knight appears to be
misplaced as it is running into ...c5–...c4 ideas.]
19.Rad1 Nfd7
176
Position after: 19...Nfd7
20.Bxe5!?N
This is the idea I suggest here. At the time of writing, it has not been played. The idea is simple -
develop the initiative on the light squares and ignore the a7-bishop, seeking to make it useless.
20.Nxe5 happened in a few games, most notably Nihal – Jones (2019). It is also possible, but I like it
less.
20...dxe5
Black has to recapture with the pawn. It may seem that 20...Nxe5?! is equally good but in reality it
leads to a very shaky position for Black. After 21.Nxe5 dxe5 [21...Rxe5? 22.Nf3 Re7 23.e5+–]
22.Nf3 Qf6 23.Rd3²
177
Position after: 23.Rd3²
White has a stable advantage. The a7-bishop is neutralized, White controls the d-file and there is the
potential of creating an attack on the kingside.
21.Bd5 Rb8 22.c4!
Position after: 22.c4!
A typical move, challenging the pawn structure on the queenside. To me, from Black’s perspective
178
this position does not look appealing at all.
22...Bb7!
A pretty much only move.

A) 22...Nf6? This natural move is a big mistake! 23.b4! Suddenly White gets to play c5 and gain
lots of space while at the same time shutting down the a7-bishop. 23...Bd7 [If 23...Nxd5 24.cxd5
then Black faces another problems on the c-file.] 24.c5! Qe7 25.Bb3±
B) 22...Qe7 23.cxb5 Rxb5 24.Qxc7 Bb8 25.Qc2 Rxa5 26.Nc4±
23.cxb5
Position after: 23.cxb5
Perhaps this is the best try for White.
23...Bxd5
23...axb5 24.Bxb7 Rxb7 25.Nf1²
24.exd5 Rxb5
Here, after both 25.Ne4!?ƒ and 25.Nc4!?ƒ I think that White still has some initiative and chances.
179
Part II
Closed Ruy Lopez
Introduction
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6
After 7...0-0 I suggest 8.a4 avoiding the main Marshall lines. I discuss this line later.
8.c3 0-0 9.h3
The Closed Ruy Lopez is one of the “most classical” (if I can use such term) openings in the history
of chess. It has been played by a majority of World Champions (at least with one color). According to
my database, at the time of writing there have been more than 38, 000 games played there. It only
counts the games collected in the database, but I am sure that lots more have been played online or in
blitz games not documented in the database. Additionally, according to the Ruy Lopez PowerBook,
which collects top human games, computer games and correspondence games, there have been
roughly 350, 000 games. It just shows that this variation is extremely big and complex.
After 9.h3, Black has lots of possible variations to choose from:
9...Nb8
The Breyer Variation is one of the most popular lines. The knight immediately is being transferred to
the d7-square from where it comfortably supports the center.
180
A) 9...Bb7 10.d4 Re8 is the Zaitsev Variation. It is one of the most flexible variations in which
Black can sometimes choose positional play but sometimes also a very direct tactical fight. I think
that it is generally one of the good lines for Black in the Ruy Lopez.
B) 9...Na5 the Chigorin Variation, if I am not mistaken, is one of the oldest systems in Closed Ruy
Lopez. Black wants to kick the bishop away from the b3-square and play ..c5, fighting for the
center. Those three (apart from the Marshall) are generally considered to be the best lines for Black
in the Closed Ruy Lopez. There are several less common variations:
C) 9...h6 and
D) 9...Qd7 are Smyslov’s Variations that were predecessors to the Zaitsev Variation. The Zaitsev
pretty much improves on the deficiencies that exist in Smyslov’s Variations.
E) 9...Nd7 This is the Karpov Variation. Karpov used this variation in his 1990 World
Championship match against Garry Kasparov.
F) 9...Be6 is the Kholmov Variation,
G) and 9...a5 is the Keres Variation. These less common lines I believe are less common for a
reason: they do not offer good chances to equalize and White generally has favorable positions in
them. However, before I analyze those “more correct” lines, I begin with the less common lines.
Chapter 3
Rare Lines
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3
Chapter Guide
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3
a) 9...a5 (Keres Variation)
b) 9...Be6 (Kholmov Variation)
c) 9...Nd7 with 11...-- (Karpov Variation)
d) 9...Nd7 with 11...Bb7 (Karpov Variation)
e) 9...Qd7!? (Smyslov Variation)
f) 9...h6 (Smyslov Variation)
a) 9...a5 (Keres Variation)
181
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 a5
Position after: 9...a5
As far as I understand, the main idea of this move is to gain some space on the queenside and kick the
white bishop from the b3-square.
This queenside expansion has been tried named after Paul Keres who played it several times in the
1950s and early 1960s.
Recently, this line has not been so popular, but it still has been employed by some top players - most
notably Magnus Carlsen went for it in 2009 against Vassily Ivanchuk and achieved a draw.
10.d4
This is my suggestion.
10.a4 is an alternative but I am not a big fan of giving the b4-square to the black knight in the
following line: 10...b4 11.d4 bxc3 12.bxc3 exd4 13.cxd4 where Black can either play 13...Nb4
immediately or at first fight for the center with 13...d5!? and use the b4-square later at his
convenience.
10...a4 11.Bc2
182
11...Bd7
After 11...exd4 12.cxd4 Nb4 Black accomplishes the goal of winning the bishop pair but at a very
steep price: 13.d5! With this move White secures a favorable pawn structure with a weak c7-pawn
and potentially weak b5- and a4-pawns. For instance: 13...Nxc2 14.Qxc2 Bd7 15.Nd4 Qc8 16.Be3
Qb7 17.Nd2±.
12.Na3!
183
This is the second most popular move here (12.Nbd2 is mostly played) but I really like this concrete
approach. Black’s pawn structure on the queenside is somewhat weakened and with Na3 White
immediately applies some pressure.
12...Rb8
12...Qb8 is an alternative but it does not solve any problems. 13.Bg5!
Position after: 13.Bg5!
A very natural path of development for the bishop. At the same time, there is the threat of dxe5 and
the black d7-bishop is under attack. 13...h6 [13...Rd8 14.Qe2 h6 15.Bh4 just transposes.; 13...Re8??
would lose material to 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.Nxe5 dxe5 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Qxd7+–.] 14.Bh4
184
White maintains nice pressure here, for example:

A) 14...exd4 15.cxd4 Re8 Black tries to avoid playing 14...Rd8. 16.Bxf6!? [16.Rc1± is a very simple
approach with clear advantage] 16...Bxf6 17.e5 Bd8 18.Qd3 g6 19.Qd2 Kg7 20.Be4± with much
more active pieces and control over the center White has a nice advantage.
B) 14...Rd8 The rook does not really belong there but it is probably a sad necessity if Black does not
want to give up full control over the center with 14...exd4. 15.Qe2 Qb6 [15...b4 16.Nc4!± only
helps White.] 16.Rad1 Rab8 17.Bb1!?± …Nc2, bringing the knight to the center.
13.d5
185
13...Na7
This is what Magnus Carlsen chose in the aforementioned game against Vassily Ivanchuk and it is the
most popular move here.
13...Na5 This is the alternative which is probably somewhat better than 14...Na7 but it never really
solves the opening problems. 14.b4 axb3 15.axb3
186
15...c6 [15...c5 16.Be3± with a typical edge.] 16.b4 Nb7 [16...Nc4? 17.Nxc4 bxc4 18.Nxe5! dxe5
19.d6 Be6 20.dxe7 Qxe7 21.Be3±] 17.dxc6 Bxc6 18.Qe2²
Position after: 18.Qe2²
with idea of Bd3 after which the b5 pawn is really in trouble. Black can tactically still hold the
material balance, but from a positional point of view Black’s position is not fun. For instance:
18...Qc7 19.Bd3 Nd8 20.Nxb5 Bxb5 21.Bxb5 Nxe4 22.Qxe4 Rxb5 23.Qd3 Rb7 24.Ra8 Ne6
25.Rxf8+ Bxf8 26.Ng5 Nxg5 27.Bxg5²/± where the b-pawn is potentially a very strong passed pawn.
14.c4!
14.Be3!? as in Sethuraman – Ponomariov (2017).
187
Position after: 14.Be3!?
I think that after 14...Nc8 Black manages to preserve the pawn: [14...c5?! Was the game move and it
ran into 15.Nxe5! dxe5 16.d6 Rc8 17.f4!± with a big advantage for White.] 15.c4 bxc4 16.Nxc4 c6!
17.dxc6 Bxc6 18.Nfd2 Qd7² and even though Black is still slightly worse, compared to the 14.c4 line
Black is doing relatively well.
14...Ra8
Trying to protect the a4-pawn.

14...b4? 15.Nb1+– and the a4-pawn is lost.
188
15.cxb5!
A novelty and an improvement over Ivanchuk – Carlsen (2009).

15.Be3 was played by Ivanchuk and after the precise 15...b4! 16.Nb1 c5! Carlsen managed to solve
his problems with the queenside pawns. The game followed: 17.a3?! b3 18.Bd3 Nxe4! 19.Bxe4 f5
20.Nfd2 fxe4 21.Qh5 Be8 22.Qe2 Bd7 23.Qh5 Be8 24.Qe2 Bd7 and the players agreed to a draw. ½-
½ Ivanchuk – Carlsen (2009)
15...Nxb5 16.Nb1!
189
Position after: 16.Nb1!
An important sequence of moves offering a big advantage to White as it is not possible to hold the a4-
pawn, e.g.
16...c5
16...a3 17.bxa3 c5 18.dxc6 Bxc6 19.a4 Nc7 20.Nc3±
17.dxc6 Bxc6 18.Bxa4 Qb6 19.Bc2 Qb7 20.Nbd2±
190
Position after: 20.Nbd2±
White has an extra pawn and Black does not have any compensation for it.
b) 9...Be6 (Kholmov Variation)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Be6
Position after: 9...Be6
Even though it recently has not been an often guest in the games of top players, the Kholmov
Variation is still quite a legit line that gives hopes for equality if White is not familiar with the ideas
or lines.
As it is somewhat neglected by theory it could be an interesting choice by Black as a surprise
weapon. Therefore, as White, we should at least be familiar with the basic ideas. In general, White
has two options here, both of which should lead to some edge and it is a matter of personal choice as
to which one to choose. I will discuss both idea to provide you with a clear picture.
10.d4
This is the most popular.

10.Bxe6!? fxe6 11.d4
191
Even though it is a less common approach, I think that Black’s position is unpleasant to play. It looks
like the positions arising in the Italian Game where Black plays ...Be6 and White decides to trade
bishops on the e6-square and then go for maneuvering play. One of the main ideas for White in those
positions is to reach d4. Here, White already has played d4 which suggests that it should be really
good for White. 11...Qd7 [11...exd4?! is premature, as now the white knight can develop to the c3-
square. 12.cxd4 Qd7 13.Nc3²] 12.Nbd2 White should strengthen the center and develop the pieces.
[12.dxe5 happened in several games but I do not think that in the endgame arising after 12...Nxe5
13.Nxe5 dxe5 14.Qxd7 Nxd7 Black has any serious concerns.]
192
A) 12...Rad8 was in an old game Wolff – Averbakh (1990). I think that White is better after 13.Nf1
[13.a4 was played by Wolff and he eventually won the game, however the position was balanced.]
13...exd4 14.cxd4 d5 15.e5 Ne4 16.N1d2!²
B) 12...h6 Black covers the g5-square and prepares the typical ... Rf7 – ...Raf8. However, White can
bring the knight to the kingside and I do not really see any danger on the semi-open f-file. 13.Nf1
Rf7 14.Ng3 Raf8 15.a4²/±.
C) 12...exd4!? This is probably the best attempt by Black to equalize. 13.cxd4 Nb4! 14.Nb3 a5!
trying to play actively. 15.Bg5!
Vacating the c1-square if needed and developing the bishop. 15...h6 [15...a4 16.Nc1 a3 17.Rb1!² is
unpleasant for Black.] 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.a3 Nc6 18.e5! Bd8 19.Qe2 a4 20.Nbd2²
193
Position after: 20.Nbd2²
White is slightly better. Black has lots of weaknesses and it is not easy to guard them all
comfortably.
10...Bxb3 11.axb3!
Position after: 11.axb3!
Taking with the pawn is stronger than recapturing with the queen as it opens the a1-rook.
194
11...exd4
11...Re8?! allows 12.d5! Nb8 13.c4 and White builds a strong center. Black’s position is
uncomfortable, e.g., 13...Nbd7 [13...c6 14.cxb5 cxb5 15.Qd3²] 14.Qc2
Position after: 14.Qc2
14...Qc8 [14...b4 15.Be3 Qc8 16.Nbd2 c6 17.Qd3 Qb7 18.Nf1²] 15.cxb5! axb5 16.Rxa8 Qxa8
17.Be3 Rc8 18.Rc1²
Position after: 18.Rc1²
195
Fully preventing ...c6. Black has weaknesses on the queenside and lacks active counterplay.
12.cxd4 Nb4
This is probably what Black should do (similarly as in the 10.Bxe6 line).

12...d5 13.e5 Ne4 14.Nc3
Position after: 14.Nc3
14...f5 This is what Black normally plays here. [14...Bb4? The pin does not work: 15.Nxe4! Bxe1
16.Neg5! with a powerful initiative: 16...h6 17.Qc2 hxg5 18.Nxg5 g6 19.Qxc6 Bb4 20.Bf4 Be7
21.h4±; 14...Nxc3 only helps White to fix the pawn structure. 15.bxc3²/±] 15.exf6 Nxf6 Here, I
would suggest playing 16.Ne5 [16.Bg5!?² also deserves attention] 16...Nb4 17.Na2 aiming to trade
the b4-knight and exploit Black’s weaknesses on the queenside.
196
Position after: 17.Na2
It is an unpleasant position for Black, e.g. 17...Bd6 18.Nxb4 Bxb4 19.Nc6 Qd6 20.Nxb4 Qxb4
21.Be3 a5 22.Rc1 Rf7 23.Rc6 and White is clearly better.
13.d5!
13...c5!
197
Black needs to try to fight for the center somehow and secure the b4-knight.
13...Nd7? 14.Bd2! Nd3 15.Re3 N3e5 16.Nd4 Bf6 17.Bc3±.
14.dxc6 Nxc6
14...d5?! leads to a chronically worse position. 15.e5 Ne4 16.Nc3 Nxc3 17.bxc3 Nxc6 18.Qd3²/±.
Black’s weaknesses and White’s potential of attacking them defines the roles till the end of the game.
It is clearly not a fun position to play with Black.
15.Nc3 h6 16.Bf4 Re8
198
This is probably what Black should play here. Even though White is obviously better, I think that
Black’s position is still quite solid, and it may not be easy to break it. But White should have good
chances here.
17.Nd4 Nxd4 18.Qxd4 Qd7 19.b4 Qb7 20.Re3²
Position after: 20.Re3²
199
c) 9...Nd7 with 11...-- (Karpov Variation)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nd7 10.d4
10...Bf6
This reply to the Ruy Lopez has been frequently used by former World Champion, Anatoly Karpov.
Most notably he played it in the fifth and final World Championship Match against Garry Kasparov
in 1990. Modern theory is somewhat advanced here so I hope that my analysis and suggestion will
shed some light on how to proceed with White.
10...Nb6 The main idea of this alternative is to not allow 11.a4. On the other hand, Black does not put
pressure on the center, and White is in time to bring the knight to the kingside: 11.Nbd2 Bf6 12.Nf1².
200
Position after: 12.Nf1²
White is better pretty much everywhere here with simple developmental moves. I give a few
suggestions that seemed attractive to me but there are more. Choose whichever you like as White has
a great position after nearly anything.
A) 12...Na5 13.Bc2 c5 14.b3!? restricting the black knights. 14...exd4 [14...Bd7 15.Ne3²] 15.cxd4
Nc6 [15...cxd4 16.Nxd4 Bb7 17.Qd3 g6 18.Bh6 Re8 19.Rad1±] 16.Bb2²
B) 12...Re8 13.Ng3 g6
201
14.Bh6 [14.Bc2!? also deserves attention. 14...Bd7 15.b3 Qe7 16.Be3²] 14...Na5 15.Bc2 c5 16.b3
Nc6 17.d5 Ne7 [17...Na5 18.Qd2²] 18.Qe2²
Such positions I discuss in detail in the section on the Chigorin Variation.
11.a4
Without this move it is unlikely that White can put any serious pressure on Black.
11.d5 is another possibility, but very often it just transposes to 11.a4. In fact, this is what I chose in
my game against Alexander Ipatov in 2017.
A) 11...Ne7 12.a4
202
Here, after moves like 12...Rb8 or 12...Bb7 the position just transposes. However, there is an
alternative that Alex Ipatov went for: 12...Nc5!? This positional pawn sacrifice is objectively rather
questionable, but nevertheless it is quite interesting. 13.axb5 Nxb3 14.Qxb3 Rb8 15.c4 axb5
16.cxb5 Bd7 pressuring the b5-pawn. However, White is better here: 17.Nc3
A1) 17...Qe8 was played in the game and I could have played 18.Qc4!± with a huge advantage.
203
[18.Ra5 Nc8 19.Bg5?! Bxg5 20.Nxg5 was my choice and after 20...Ne7 21.Nf3 Qd8 22.Ra7 Nc8
23.Ra3 f5„ the position got very complex but eventually somehow I won. Swiercz – Ipatov
(2017).]
A2) 17...Nc8 is a more accurate move order. Black wants to play ...Qe8 and ...Bd8, without
fearing the Qc4 idea as after 17...Qe8 18.Qc4. 18.Be3 Qe8 with ...Bd8 next. Still, I believe White
is better here due to the extra pawn, however during my game similar positions were not so clear to
me.
Position after: 18...Qe8
That is why I decided to trade dark squared bishops with the intent of keeping the c7-pawn
weakened. Black’s counterplay on the kingside is not dangerous to White: 19.Ra6 Bd8 [19...Bxb5?
20.Ra5+–] 20.Rea1 f5 21.exf5 Bxf5 22.Qb4± often with the idea of Ra8, putting lots of pressure on
the queenside.
B) While 11...Na5 is another possibility, the knight is misplaced on a5.
204
Position after: 11...Na5
12.Bc2 Nb6 [12...Nc4 13.a4! Bb7 14.b3 Ncb6 15.a5 Nc8 16.c4± is also bad for Black.] 13.a4 bxa4
Despite the bishop pair Black’s position is not good. [13...Bd7? is bad due to 14.b4 Nb7 15.a5 Nc8
16.c4!+– and White is strategically winning. Morozevich – Socko (2007).] 14.Bxa4 Nxa4 15.Qxa4
Nb7 16.Be3 Bd7 17.Qb3 Qc8 18.c4!± White has a very strong center, better pieces and a better
pawn structure.
205
11...Rb8
With this move Black gives away control over the a-file but instead keeps the bishop on the c8-
square.
11...Na5 12.Bc2
A) 12...Nb6 is the most popular move here but it is hardly advisable, as after 13.b4 Nac4 14.a5 Nd7
15.Na3 Nxa3 16.Bxa3±
Position after: 16.Bxa3±
White has nice space advantage and full control over the center. One of the plans is to play d5 and
then prepare c4.
B) 12...b4!?
206
Position after: 12...b4!?
An innovation by Alex Ipatov, who considers this line in his book, “Unconventional Approaches to
Chess (Volume 1)”. Indeed, it is a very rare line and pretty unorthodox. White should know what to
do here! 13.d5! [13.Nbd2 was in Bailet – Ipatov (2016) but Black is doing quite well after 13...Rb8
14.Nf1 c5„] 13...b3!? an extraordinary pawn sacrifice and the entire point of Ipatov’s idea. 14.Bxb3
Nxb3 15.Qxb3 Be7
207
With the idea of ...f5 in the future. The pair of bishops offers some compensation to Black. Yet, the
extra pawn is still an extra pawn and I do not think that such compensation is sufficient.
Nonetheless, it is easy to go wrong in such positions as White when Black simply plays actively on
the kingside, especially having the pair of bishops. Therefore, White needs to be quite careful and
precise: 16.Qc2 immediately improving the queen. Black’s ...f5 is a little bit delayed and White
wants to play c4-Nc3. [16.Be3!? is a reasonable option too.] 16...Qe8 17.c4 a5 18.Nc3 Nc5
[18...f5?! is premature: 19.exf5 Nc5 20.g4! g6 21.Be3+–] 19.Nb5 Na6 20.c5! White immediately
develops an initiative on the queenside. 20...f5 21.Bg5 fxe4 22.cxd6 cxd6 23.Qxe4± White has an
extra pawn and good winning chances.
12.axb5 axb5 13.d5 Ne7
This move can sometimes support kingside play through ...f5.
14.Na3!
The knight is headed to a great location on the b4-square. Additionally, it puts some pressure on the
b5-pawn and there could be ideas involving Bc2-Bd3, attacking the b5-pawn.
14...g6!?
This is probably the most resilient path for Black, as in Mista – Piorun (2016).
A) 14...Nc5 This is the most popular move, but it does not really solve anything for Black. 15.Bc2
208
15...c6 [15...b4 gets rid of the weak b5-pawn but not of the positional issues: 16.cxb4 Rxb4 17.Rb1!
± preparing Bd2 and then b4.] 16.b4 Na6 17.dxc6 Nxc6 18.Qe2 Nc7 19.Rd1±
B) 14...Ng6 heading to either the f4- or h4-square. Right now, I believe it is time to surround the b5-
pawn with 15.Bc2!±. White is much better, e.g.
Position after: 15.Bc2!±
15...b4 [15...Nf4 16.b4±] 16.cxb4 Rxb4 17.Qd3 Nh4 18.Nxh4 Bxh4 19.Qc3 Rb8 20.Nc4±
209
15.Nc2
15...Nc5
15...Bg7 is less accurate as after 16.Nb4 Nc5 White has an additional option of 17.Bc2!?± preserving
the bishop. [17.Be3 would likely transpose to 15...Nc5 line.]
16.Nb4 Nxb3 17.Qxb3 Bd7 18.Be3 Bg7 19.Ra7 h6
210
20.Nd2!?
This is what I would suggest. It is prophylaxis against ...f5 as there will always be f3 available.
20.c4 was Mista – Piorun (2016) but I think that Black is doing quite ok after 20...bxc4! [20...c5?
happened in the game and White could have gotten a big advantage after 21.Na6!±] 21.Qxc4 Nc8
22.Ra3 f5„ with counterplay.
20...c5
20...f5 21.f3±
21.dxc6 Nxc6 22.Nxc6 Bxc6 23.Rea1±
Position after: 23.Rea1±
d) 9...Nd7 with 11...Bb7 (Karpov Variation)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nd7 10.d4 Bf6
11.a4 Bb7
211
The most popular response. The alternatives have been covered in the previous subchapter.
12.d5!
I believe that this is the best approach for White.

12.Na3 was what Kasparov played against Karpov. It also should be quite testing but I will not
analyze it as I simply believe that 12.d5 is strong.
12...Ne7
12...Na5? places the knight on the edge of the board and brings nothing good to Black: 13.Ba2± with
idea b4, e.g. 13...Nb6 14.b4 Nac4 15.a5 Nc8 16.Bxc4 bxc4 17.Nbd2+–.
13.axb5 axb5 14.Rxa8
212
Position after: 14.Rxa8
14...Qxa8
The most popular recapture. Black wants to prepare ...c6 and have the queen ready to maximize the
pressure in the center.
14...Bxa8 This was recently seen in Kovalev – Harikrishna (2019). White continues with a typical
plan: 15.Na3 Nc5 16.Bc2 c6 17.b4! Na6 18.dxc6 Bxc6 19.Qd3
Position after: 19.Qd3
213
A) 19...Qb8? happened in an old game Tal – Torre (1984). The 8th World Champion, well-known
for his tactical style, now played 20.Nd4! which gains a huge advantage. 20...exd4 21.e5 Ng6
22.exf6 Re8
23.Rd1!± with a big advantage. It is important to avoid simplifications. [23.Rxe8+?! Was played by
Tal and after ...Qxe8 Torre managed to save the game. Tal – Torre (1984).]
B) 19...Nc7 20.Rd1² White has nice pressure. Black has weaknesses that are not easy to guard in the
long term.
B1) 20...Nc8 Black wants to guard all the weaknesses, but it leads to a very passive position.
21.Be3 Qd7 22.Nd2 [22.Bb3!?²] 22...Ne6 23.Nb3 Bd8 24.Nc5!?
214
Position after: 24.Nc5!?
24...Nxc5 [24...dxc5 25.Qxd7 Bxd7 26.Rxd7 cxb4 27.cxb4 Be7² was better but still Black is on
the defensive side till the end of the game.] 25.bxc5 Be7 26.c4± Kovalev – Harikirshna (2019).
B2) 20...Qa8!? 21.Qxd6 Ne6
This pawn sacrifice happened in Huebner – Short (1993). Black tries to solve his problems
actively. However, an extra pawn gives White good winning chances: 22.Qd3 Ng6 23.Re1 Nef4
215
[23...Qb7 24.g3!± Huebner – Short (1993).] 24.Qf1 Qc8 25.Kh2 Bd7 26.Rd1²
15.Na3
Position after: 15.Na3
15...Ba6
15...c6!? This is an interesting pawn sacrifice which has not been given too much credit in the past.
However, it is very logical and that is why Black needs the queen on the a8-square. 16.dxc6 Bxc6
17.Qxd6 Nc8 18.Qd1 Nc5
216
Position after: 18...Nc5
Black tries to find counterplay with dynamics. White has two options now, 19.Bd5 and 19.Bc2. I am
leaning more towards 19.Bc2! [After 19.Bd5 Nd6 20.Bxc6 Qxc6 21.Qe2 White manages to keep the
pawn, but I am not sure how to proceed after a move such as 21...h6!?. The e4-pawn is weak, and
Black has good chances to eventually equalize.] 19...Rd8 20.Qe2 Nd6 21.Bg5! Bxg5 [21...Ncxe4
22.Bxf6 Nxf6 23.Rd1!±] 22.Nxg5
Position after: 22.Nxg5
217
22...h6 [22...Na4?! 23.c4 Nxb2 24.Nxb5 Nbxc4 25.Nxf7! Bxb5 26.Nxd8 Qxd8 27.Rd1± Black’s
pieces are very unstable 22...f6 23.Qe3!±] 23.Nf3 f6
Position after: 23...f6
Black’s last two moves, ...h6 and ...f6, severely weakened the kingside and that is where White will
look for some chances. 24.Rd1!? [24.Nh4!?ƒ also deserves attention.] 24...Ncxe4 [24...Qb8 25.Nh4!
ƒ] 25.Nh4! Nxc3 26.bxc3 Qxa3 Now, White has two options. Both put Black’s position to a big test.
Position after: 26...Qxa3
218
27.Qg4 [27.c4!?ƒ] 27...Nf7 28.Nf5 Rxd1+ 29.Bxd1 Qf8 30.Bb3 Be8 31.Nxh6+ Kh8 32.Nf5ƒ
16.Be3
I think that this simple developmental move poses the biggest challenge to Black. Black has several
possibilities but White has better chances everywhere.
16...Nc5
A) 16...Rb8 17.Qd2! prophylaxis against ... b4. [If 17.Nc2 then 17...Nc5! wins the bishop pair while
solving a majority of his opening problems.] 17...Qb7 18.Ra1
219
Position after: 18.Ra1
18...Nc5 [18...b4?! 19.cxb4 Qxb4 20.Qxb4 Rxb4 21.Nd2±] 19.Bc2 h6 20.b4 Nd7 21.Nh2²
B) 16...c6 is not as strong as a move earlier. 17.dxc6 Qxc6 18.Nc2! Bb7 19.Nb4 Qc7
Position after: 19...Qc7
There is some choice for White now. 20.Bd5!?N [Only 20.Nd5 has been played so far, but after
20...Nxd5 21.Bxd5 Be7!∞ the position is not so clear.; 20.Nd2!?N 20...Nc5 21.Bc2² is also better
for White.] 20...Nxd5 21.Nxd5 Bxd5 22.Qxd5 Rb8 23.Ra1²
220
17.Bc2 c6
Logically undermining the center. However, White still is in control:
18.b4! Nd7 19.dxc6 Qxc6 20.Qd3 Nb6 21.Rd1
Position after: 21.Rd1
And here the game Parligras – Socko (2008) ended in a draw.
221
The peace agreement may be a bit premature as I believe that White is slightly better.
21...Rd8 22.Bxb6!?
One of the possible paths for White.

22.Nh2!? Nc4 23.Nxc4 bxc4 24.Qd2² or 22.Nd2!?² gives an advantage too.
22...Qxb6 23.Bb3²
Position after: 23.Bb3²
With full control over the light squares and a nice positional advantage.
e) 9...Qd7!? (Smyslov Variation)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Qd7!?
222
Position after: 9...Qd7!?
This line was played for the first time by the 7th World Champion, Vassily Smyslov, in 1959 and he
employed it on several successive occasions in his later games. Thanks to his contribution to the
theory of the Ruy Lopez this line was named after him. At first this move seems to be kind of
awkward as the queen stays in the way of the other black pieces. In reality, though, it is some sort of
hybrid of the Zaisev Variation. In the future Black plans to play ...Bb7 achieving similar setups as in
the Zaitsev, however thanks to playing 9...Qd7 Black manages to hold back playing ...h6, as issues
connected with the f7-pawn are resolved thanks to vacating the d8-square for the knight.
10.d4 Re8 11.Bg5!?
I would suggest playing this move.

It makes perfect sense to develop this bishop at first and then the b1-knight, as the g5-square is
available. In another Smyslov Variation (9...h6, which is another hybrid of the Zaitsev Variation) this
is not possible, but here White can take advantage of a little bit of slow play by Black in the opening.
I would like to note that historically White scores 87.5% here!
11.Ng5 does not achieve anything due to 11...Nd8 and Black comfortably covers the f7-pawn.
223
Position after: 11.Bg5!?
11...h6
11...Bb7 Black can try to play without ...h6, but it actually helps White. 12.Nbd2 Bd8 preventing
Nf1, as the e4-pawn would be then vulnerable. 13.d5!?
Position after: 13.d5!?
White gains some space and wants to route the d2-knight to better squares such as the g3-square. Fun
224
fact - this position happened already in 1960 in the game of two Soviet GMs, Vasiukov – Averbakh!
[13.Nf1? exd4! is Black’s idea.] 13...Na7 14.Nf1 c6 15.Qd2 Nc8 16.dxc6! This would be my
suggestion. [16.Rad1² was chosen by Vasiukov with only a slight advantage.] 16...Bxc6 17.Ng3±
with a big advantage for White. Strategically, Black’s position is very suspicious. All the weak
squares and pawns are going to be ongoing issues that Black will be facing.
12.Bh4
12...Nh7!?
I think that it is essential for Black to play this move. Black should aim at simplifying the position as
soon as possible.
A) Playing 12...Bb7 13.Nbd2 only benefits White. The b7-bishop may often be misplaced, while
Nbd2 is one of the moves that White has to play anyway. 13...Nh7 Like in the main line, Black tries
to simplify the position. Here, however, it is a much worse moment to do that. [After 13...Rad8
White can play nearly anything with advantage, e.g., 14.a3!?± and similarly to positions discussed
after 12...g5, it is not clear what Black does next.] 14.d5
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and the knight does not have good squares to go to, e.g., 14...Nd8 [14...Na5 15.Bc2 c6 16.b4! Nc4
17.Nxc4 bxc4 18.dxc6 Bxc6 19.Bxe7 Qxe7 20.Nd2 d5 21.exd5 Bxd5 22.Qe2±] 15.a4 c6 16.c4!±
with a big advantage for White. Yemelin – Lugovoi (1998).
B) 12...g5?! With this move Black immediately solves the problem of the pin but at the same time it
weakens the entire kingside, especially the f5-square. Also, with the white bishop on the g3-square,
White puts pressure on the e5-square. 13.Bg3 Bf8 14.Nbd2 Bg7 15.a3!? a typical move in many
Ruy Lopez positions. White covers the b4-square in any case and makes room for the bishop on the
a2-square. 15...Bb7 16.Rc1 Rad8 17.Ba2±
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Position after: 17.Ba2±
The last few moves seemingly did not bring anything dramatic to White’s position, while Black
brought all of his pieces into the game. However, White still has room for further improvement
whereas Black has already achieved his full potential. It is not easy to further improve the position
of Black’s pieces while White can choose between several ideas. For instance: 17...Qc8 [17...Nh7
18.Nf1!± and the knight gets to the kingside.] 18.d5 Ne7 19.c4± and suddenly White opens the
game on the queenside.
13.a4!?
I think that the best play by White is to begin aggressive action on the queenside. As discussed briefly
in the annotations to 13.Bg3, I do not think that White should try to keep bishops on the board at all
cost.
I am not convinced if 13.Bg3 Bf6 brings much to White. Black is pretty secure on the e5-square and
the g3-bishop could be isolated from the game in the future.
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13...Na5
The best defense by Black, which is not really obvious.

After the “automatic” 13...Bb7?! Black faces serious problems after 14.Bxe7!
Position after: 14.Bxe7!
as no matter how Black recaptures on the e7-square, he will yield certain concessions to White:
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14...Rxe7 [14...Qxe7 15.Qd3!± with problems on the queenside with the pawn structure (namely, the
b5-pawn).; 14...Nxe7 just loses a pawn: 15.dxe5+–] 15.axb5 axb5 16.Rxa8+ Bxa8 17.d5!± and right
now not only all of Black’s pieces are misplaced, but also White has a much better pawn structure.
14.Bd5!
White provokes ...c6, which weakens Black’s pawn structure.
14...c6
14...Bb7? is bad due to a very tactical and concrete line: 15.axb5 axb5 16.Bxb7 [But not 16.Rxa5?
because of 16...Bxd5!=] 16...Nxb7 17.Rxa8 Rxa8 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.dxe5 dxe5
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Position after: 19...dxe5
20.Qd5! The key move. White wins a pawn. 20...c5 21.Na3 Nf6 [21...b4 22.Nc4+–] 22.Qxe5 With a
decisive advantage.
15.Ba2 Bxh4 16.Nxh4²
Position after: 16.Nxh4²
White is slightly better. Black’s a5-knight is misplaced, and it is not going to be improved anytime
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soon.
For instance:
16...Qc7 17.Nd2 Nf6 18.b4 Nb7 19.axb5 cxb5 20.c4!?²
f) 9...h6 (Smyslov Variation)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 h6
This is an another Smyslov Variation, in which instead of avoiding ...h6 (what 9...Qd7 attempts to
do), Black does not have to develop the bishop to b7 but instead keeps the option of developing the
bishop to the d7-square. It is quite a flexible setup for Black and has been widely played by many
GMs. It is much more common than Smyslov’s other invention, 9...Qd7. However, there are always
some trade-offs. While in the regular Zaitsev Variation, Black immediately puts some pressure on the
e4-pawn, here it is not the case and White has a free hand to bring the knight quickly to the kingside.
And it is precisely what White should do.
10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.Nf1!
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Position after: 12.Nf1!
An important move, which is not available to White if Black plays the Zaitsev (9...Bb7). Here, Black
has essentially two moves: 12...Bd7 or 12...Bb7.
12...Bd7
It seems that this is the more logical path. If Black wanted to play with ...Bb7 he could have chosen a
Zaitsev Variation in which the quick maneuver of the knight to the g3-square is not possible.
Nonetheless, we should investigate 12...Bb7 anyway, even though it should be suboptimal. 13.Ng3
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Position after: 13.Ng3
A) 13...g6?! Black tries to fianchetto the bishop. However, with the white bishop still on the b3-
square, this idea has a serious flaw: 14.Nh4! d5™ [14...Kg7?? loses due to 15.Bxh6+! Kxh6
16.Bxf7+– destroying Black’s kingside with a winning attack.] 15.exd5 Na5™ [15...Nxd5?
16.Qg4!+– Black cannot withstand the pressure on the kingside and the center.] 16.dxe5 Nxb3
[16...Nxd5 17.Nf3± does not really change much.] 17.axb3 Nxd5 18.Nf3± White is just a pawn up.
B) 13...Na5 14.Bc2
B1) After 14...c5 15.d5!± White seizes a space advantage in a very comfortable fashion. It reminds
me of a Chigorin Variation, but (again) in an improved version for White. I discuss such structures
in a section of the chapter on the Chigorin Variation.
B2) 14...g6 15.b3! and now the a5-knight cannot easily join the game. In the game Tazbir –
Mesaros (2019) Black decided to retreat the knight with 15...Nc6 and after 16.d5 Nb8 17.c4 c6
18.Be3
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the position pretty much resembles a Breyer system, but in a much-improved version for White.
Basically, White has few extra tempi compared to the normal line. 18...Nbd7 19.Qd2 Kh7
20.Rac1± with big positional advantage for White. Tazbir – Mesaros (2019). [20.Nh2!?± with the
idea of Ng4 also makes sense.]
B3) 14...Nc4 The most logical move. Black’s knight is headed to the b6-square where it will be
better placed than on the a5-square. There alternatives have issues: 15.b3 Nb6 16.Bd2!? A
developmental and prophylactical move. In some lines Black wants to play a quick ...d5, but after
this move any such aggression backfires as these sample lines show. [For instance, 16.Bd3?!
would run into 16...d5!]
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Position after: 16.Bd2!?
B3.1) 16...c5 17.d5 is a typical position where White is comfortable.

B3.2) 16...g6 17.Bd3 c6 [17...Bg7 18.Qc1 Kh7 19.Qc2²]
18.Rb1!? I am not sure if that is really necessary, but it is not bad. [18.Qc1 Kh7 19.Qc2² was
probably somewhat more accurate, but objectively it does not matter.] 18...Bg7 19.Qc1 Kh7
20.Qc2 Rc8 21.a4² with a stable and comfortable advantage for White. Duda – Bruzon (2016)
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B3.3) 16...d5? does not work: 17.dxe5 Nxe4 18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.Bxe4 Bxe4 20.Rxe4 with a
healthy extra pawn.
B3.4) 16...a5!? This happened recently in Muzychuk – Kosteniuk (2020). It seems like this is
what Black should play here, but it does not solve Black’s opening problems by any means.
17.Bd3 c6 18.c4!N Is more direct than Muzychuk’s approach. [18.Qc2 a4 was seen in Muzychuk
– Kosteniuk (2020).] 18...bxc4 19.bxc4 Nfd7 20.Rc1²
Position after: 20.Rc1²
White has a stable advantage, for instance: 20...exd4 21.Nxd4 d5 22.cxd5 cxd5 23.Ndf5 dxe4
24.Bxe4 Bxe4 25.Nxe4ƒ.
Black cannot win the e4-pawn with 12...exd4 13.cxd4 Nxe4?? due to 14.Bd5+–.
13.Ng3 Na5 14.Bc2
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14...Nc4
Black, again, should improve the knight and keep the structure’s flexibility.
14...c5 This position with the black bishop developed to the d7-square makes more sense as anytime
White plays d5 then the bishop will not be as restricted as it would be on the b7 square. White has
two options here which give good chances. 15.b3 I would probably suggest this move, but very likely
it is just purely a preferential choice. [15.d5 followed by 15...Nc4 16.b3 Nb6 17.Be3² also is better
for White.] 15...Nc6 [15...cxd4 16.cxd4 Nc6 17.Bb2²] 16.d5 Ne7 17.Be3 Ng6 18.Qd2
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Position after: 18.Qd2
White is slightly better due to the space advantage. 18...Nh7 [18...Qc7 19.a4 Rec8 20.Ra2²] 19.a4
Be7 20.b4 cxb4 21.cxb4 Ng5 22.Nh2! Due to the space advantage, White should avoid trading
pieces. 22...Nh7 23.Nf5²
15.b3 Nb6 16.Be3 c5 17.Nd2!?
A flexible move.
White does not yet fix the pawn structure which keeps more options of how to proceed next. For one
thing, White can play d5 at any moment so that is always an option. (If Black decides to trade twice
on the d4-square then White cannot play d5, but then the position opens, and the white pieces are
better prepared for that type of position).
Secondly, White may go for some maneuvering play, checking at first to see what Black wants and
only then deciding on the pawn structure. White can afford to do that as he is better strategically and
it is Black that has to be more cautious. In order not to analyze too much (there is already not much
theory here) I will show a few lines that illustrate some possible courses of action.
17.d5 is also possible (it actually transposes to 14...c5 15.d5 Nc4 16.b3 Nb6 17.Be3), but there is no
rush to define the pawn structure here.
Position after: 17.Nd2!?
17...Qc7
17...cxd4 18.cxd4 exd4 19.Bxd4 Rc8 20.Rc1 [20.Ndf1!?²] 20...Bc6 21.f4 Bb7 22.Qf3²
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18.Rc1 a5 19.Bd3 Rec8 20.Qf3!
This additional idea is possible thanks to the previous Nd2.
20...Qd8 21.Qe2 b4 22.Nc4 Nxc4 23.Bxc4²
Position after: 23.Bxc4²
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Chapter 4
Zaitsev Variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7
Chapter Guide
Chapter 4 – Zaitsev Variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8
11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3
a) Introduction
b) 10...Nd7 alternative
c) 12...Nb8?
d) 12...Qd7
e) 12...g6
f) 12...h6 13.Bc2 d5!?
g) 12...h6 13.Bc2 Nb8 14.b3!? Nbd7 15.Bb2 --
h) 12...h6 13.Bc2 Nb8 14.b3!? Nbd7 15.Bb2 g6
a) Introduction
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The Zaitsev Variation is one of the most important variations in Ruy Lopez. It was developed in the
mid-1970s by Igor Zaitsev, who was Anatoly Karpov’s second. It quickly became very popular
among top players at the time. Lots of strong players at the time immediately picked up the trend
(including Karpov himself) and ever since then the theory grew exponentially as this opening quickly
gained a good reputation by test. I am not a super expert on the history of this line and how it got
developed, but while working on this book I discovered an interesting pattern, and I developed my
hypothesis on that. The Smyslov Variations (both 9...h6 and 9...Qd7) discovered by Smyslov in
1950s-1960s had the defect that Black does not put pressure on the e4-pawn quickly enough allowing
White to reroute the knight to the g3-square very quickly. Probably players who played those
positions were not quite satisfied with that. I hypothesize that in the 1970s, as chess theory was
developing at a quicker pace than earlier, (based on prior failures to successfully equalize), Zaitsev
discovered this line which fixes the issues of Smyslov’s lines. I would like to apologize in advance if
my hypothesis is not correct. It is based only on my understanding of trends in chess considering the
timeline when each of those lines were played for the first time. Personally, it logically makes sense
to me.
11.Nbd2 Bf8
11...exd4 12.cxd4 Nd7 This is a modern line that was discovered only in the mid-2010s; however I do
not think that it equalizes.
12.a3!?
This is what I would suggest. It is a positional approach to the Zaitsev Variation which has proven to
be quite challenging to Black. The main point of this calm move is to cover the b4-square, which
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Black could access in case of ...exd4-cxd4 in the future. It could offer some tactical chances for Black
of counterattacking in the center. Additionally, White ensures that the light-squared bishop can stay
on the a2-g8 diagonal, as the a2-square is now available and in some lines it may be useful. Black has
many possibilities here:
12.a4 is another possibility which often leads to big complications. I am not covering this line and I
focus solely on 12.a3 as I just personally like it more. However, just to illustrate why I am not
advocating for this move, I will show the following line: 12...h6 13.Bc2 exd4 14.cxd4 Nb4! 15.Bb1
c5 16.d5 Nd7.
This line was the subject of a theoretical debate for many years, most notably for the Kasparov –
Karpov battles in this line in their World Championship matches in 1986 and in 1990.
The main difference between the 12.a3 and 12.a4 lines is that after 12.a4 Black can activate the
knight to the b4-square. The positions here are very complicated and generally Black can hope for
decent counterplay. On the other hand, 12.a3 offers more positional battles where double-edged fights
are rarer.
12...h6
This is the most popular move.

A) 12...Nb8? as we will see shortly this move loses (!).
B) 12...Qd7 is similar to Smyslov’s Variation, however the position is a little bit different. It also
deserves attention.
C) 12...g6 is the main alternative. I am going to discuss all of those lines in detail.
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b) 10...Nd7 alternative
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Nd7
This variation can also appear in another move order: 10...Re8 11.Nbd2 exd4 12.cxd4 Nd7.
11.Nbd2
11...exd4
If Black plays without ...exd4, the pressure on White’s center is not sufficient and White should
maintain a strong center and an advantage. 11...Bf6 12.Nf1 Na5 13.Bc2 c5 14.d5 This position looks
like an improved version of the Chigorin Variation. White’s queenside knight is already on the
kingside while Black has not accomplished anything for the upcoming battle. White is much better,
e.g.
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14...Nc4 15.a4 Ncb6 16.a5 Nc8 [16...Nc4 17.b4 Rc8 18.Bb3 cxb4 19.cxb4 Be7 20.Ng3±] 17.b4 Ne7
18.Ng3±
12.cxd4
12...Re8
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This is a modern trend that was begun at the end of 2014 by Icelandic IM Gudmundur Kjartansson. In
2015 Kjartansson repeated this line against Peter Svidler and got a good position out of the opening.
Probably (I am speculating) Svidler found this line as an interesting one and decided to employ this
line himself, most notably in the same year in the World Cup against Anish Giri. Svidler won in that
encounter and that, I think, was the game that popularized this line so much. Since 2015 there have
been more than 200 games played in this line very often by GMs. Its popularity peaked around 2017
– 2018 but recently there have not been many games in this line.
Black can try to postpone ...Re8 temporarily, but not forever: 12...Bf6 13.Nf1 Na5 14.Bc2 and now
14...Re8 is obligatory (transposing to the main line), as 14...c5?? runs into 15.e5! and White is
actually on the verge of winning, e.g. 15...Be7 16.Qd3 g6 17.Bh6 Re8 18.exd6 Bxd6 19.Rxe8+ Qxe8
20.dxc5 Bxc5 21.Qc3+–.
13.Nf1
13...Na5
In case of 13...Bf6 White has many possible moves, but to keep it simple I would suggest 14.Rb1!? as
there are hardly any better moves than 14...Na5 which after 15.Bc2 transposes back to the main line.
14.Bc2 Bf6
An immediate 14...c5 15.d5 leads to similar positions as the main line.
15.Rb1!
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I like this prophylactic move. White anticipates Black’s activity in the center.
15...c5 16.d5 Nc4
Position after: 16...Nc4
In this position White has two possibilities.
17.N3h2!
This is my suggestion. Back in 2017 I considered 17.b3 as the best move for White. I was confident
that my analysis was good enough and I thought that Black was struggling. However, the technology
development in chess leads very often to new evaluations and finding new paths for both sides that
had previously been either neglected or simply not discovered. The main difference between 17.b3
and 17.N3h2 is that the former gives Black additional possibilities of creating counterplay on the
queenside. After 17.N3h2 Black’s counterplay is limited and in this simplicity lies the main
advantage of 17.N3h2. In the following analysis we can see what can happen.
17.b3 is considered as the main move, but recently I found that things are not so simple: 17...Nce5
18.N3h2 c4!
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Position after: 18...c4!
Even though it is not the most popular, this is by far the best reply by Black. 19.Ne3 [19.f4 Nd3
20.Bxd3 cxd3∞ is not unclear at all, e.g., 21.Nf3 Nc5 22.Ng3 Bc3 23.Bd2 b4ƒ and actually it is
Black who has the initiative, as in the game Baron – Efimenko (2012).] 19...Nd3! 20.Bxd3 cxd3
21.Nf5 Nc5 22.Ng4 Bc8! [22...Bc3? 23.Re3!‚ developing a strong attack on the kingside.]
23.Nxf6+ Qxf6 24.Ng3 Qg6„
Position after: 24...Qg6„
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With decent counterplay in the center. Objectively, White is still somewhat better, but I think that
with correct play Black should have equality.
17...Nce5
Probably this should be played by Black.

17...Nde5 is the alternative. The logical follow-up could be 18.b3 Nb6 19.Ng3 g6 20.Rf1!?±
Position after: 20.Rf1!?±
Not the only move, but a pretty good one. White prepares f4 with an initiative on the kingside. It is a
very unpleasant position to play with Black and I believe White has really good prospects here. For
instance: 20...a5 21.f4 Ned7 22.Ng4 Bg7 23.Bb2 Bxb2 24.Rxb2±
18.Ng3
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White does not have to play 18.b3, which would just transpose to 17.b3 Nde5 18.N3h2. In fact,
White can play this move which improves the position of the white knight. It is clearly more
beneficial than 18.b3, which looks pretty much like a waste of time. I did not find an equalizer for
Black:
18...c4
A logical continuation by Black, trying to sacrifice a pawn in the spirit of the Benoni and look for
active counterplay. However, tactically everything works well for White:
A) After the passive 18...Ng6 White develops his initiative with 19.Ng4 Be7 [19...Bd4 20.Nf5±]
20.Rf1±
B) 18...g6 19.b3 Nb6 is the same as the main line.
19.f4 Nd3 20.Bxd3
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Position after: 20.Bxd3
20...Bh4!?
The best attempt to keep the balance by Black.

20...cxd3 21.Nf3! An important move. The d3-pawn falls, and White gets an extra pawn. 21...Rc8
22.Be3 Nc5 23.Bxc5 Rxc5 24.Qxd3±
21.Nhf1! cxd3 22.Re3!±
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Position after: 22.Re3!±
However, with this move White wins the pawn and Black does not have counterplay. For example:
22...Nc5
A) 22...Rc8 23.Qxd3 Nc5 24.Qd1 f5 25.exf5±

B) 22...g6 23.Rxd3 Rc8 24.b3±
23.b4! Na4 24.Rxd3 Rc8 25.Qf3±
Position after: 25.Qf3±
White is clearly better.
c) 12...Nb8?
11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 Nb8?
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Position after: 12...Nb8?
With this move Black attempts to achieve a typical Breyer setup with the knight on the d7-square.
Indeed, in those positions very often it is what Black should do. However, here, this move simply
loses! It is good to know how to play here with White, as such knowledge can yield an easy win in
case you face this line.
13.Ng5!
Taking advantage that the g5-square is available, White puts some pressure on the f7-pawn.
13...Re7
Pretty much forced.

13...d5 is even worse: 14.dxe5 Rxe5 15.Ndf3 Re7 16.e5 Ne8 17.e6+– and White is simply
overwhelming Black
14.Ndf3!
White brings the knight to the kingside and increases the pressure both in the center and on the f7-
square. As it turns out, the pressure is not bearable!
14...Nbd7
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Position after: 14...Nbd7
15.Nxf7! Rxf7 16.Ng5 d5 17.exd5
This is the strongest (and the simplest) however it is not the only path for White.
17.Nxf7 Kxf7 18.f4! exd4 19.e5 dxc3 20.bxc3± is also very good, as in Topalov – Karpov (2018).
17...Bd6
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Black tries to block the d5-pawn to limit the strength of the b3-bishop. However, it is only a
temporary solution:
17...Bxd5 18.Nxf7 Kxf7 19.dxe5 Nc5 20.Bc2!+–
18.dxe5 Nxe5 19.Rxe5! Bxe5 20.d6!
White regains the rook and retains an extra pawn. White wins.
20...Qxd6 21.Qxd6 cxd6
White can take back the rook with either piece.
22.Bxf7+
22.Nxf7 also wins: 22...Bd5 23.Bxd5 Nxd5 24.Nxe5 dxe5
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25.a4!+– White challenges Black’s queenside pawns and comfortably creates a passed pawn.
[25.Bd2?! Nb6! was Shankland – Ding (2020) which is not entirely trivial from a practical point of
view. Eventually, Ding managed to save the game.]
22...Kf8 23.Bb3+–
d) 12...Qd7
11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 Qd7
Black tries playing in the style of the Smyslov Variation. In fact, if Black wants to go for the Smyslov
Variation, I would probably advise playing in this move order, however it does not really equalize
even here.
13.Bc2
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White should somehow transfer the knight to the kingside and this move enables that, as the e4-pawn
is now supported.
13...d5!?
I decided to leave this as the main move, as it leads to very concrete play where White actually needs
to remember some moves to prove an advantage. Moreover, other moves do not really pose any
problems to White and White is better by employing simple measures.
A) After 13...Rad8 White can play 14.d5 Ne7 15.b3! with c4 next building a strong center with an
advantage. 15...c6 16.c4²
B) 13...g6 looks logical, but now White can transfer the knight: 14.Nf1 [14.d5 Ne7 15.Nb3!?² with
the ideas of Bg5 and Na5 is also really good.] 14...Bg7 15.Ng3²
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Position after: 15.Ng3²
White has achieved a perfect setup and enjoys a nice position. 15...Rad8 [15...d5? does not work due
to 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Rxe5 18.f4 Ree8 19.e5±] 16.d5 Ne7 17.b3 c6 18.c4² a recurring idea!
C) 13...Nd8
Black tries to somehow transfer the knight to the e6-square and, most importantly, renews the
pressure on the e4-pawn not allowing the Nf1-Ng3 maneuver. However, White has other
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possibilities available. 14.d5!? Playing against the d8-knight. [14.b4!? Rc8 15.a4² is another
possibility.] 14...c6 15.c4 Qc7 16.b3 bxc4 17.bxc4 Bc8 18.Nb3 Nb7 19.Be3²
14.exd5
The most challenging. Now Black has two options.
14...Qxd5
14...Nxd5!?N 15.dxe5! An important move. [15.Nxe5?! possibly throws away all the advantage:
15...Nxe5 16.Rxe5 Rxe5 17.dxe5 Nf4!© with sufficient compensation, e.g., 18.Nf3 Qxd1+ 19.Bxd1
Nd3 20.Be2 Nxc1 21.Rxc1 Re8=] 15...Nf4 16.Re4!
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The most precise.

A) 16...Nxg2?? This entertaining move in reality just traps the knight on g2! 17.e6! with this move
White wins by force! [17.a4] 17...Rxe6 18.Rxe6 Qxe6 19.Ng5 Qe1+ 20.Kxg2!
Position after: 20.Kxg2!
20...Nd4+ [20...Ne5+ 21.Kg3+– White remains with an extra piece.] 21.Ndf3 Nxc2 22.Qxc2 g6
23.Be3! Qxa1 24.Qb3! Bxf3+ 25.Kxf3 Qh1+ 26.Ke2+– it is not possible to defend the f7-pawn, a
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quick mate follows.
B) 16...Ng6 17.Qe2 Nd8 18.h4!ƒ
Position after: 18.h4!ƒ
An illustrative moment. White ignores the hanging rook on the e4-square and goes for the attack.
The initiative is very often worth more than the material! 18...Ne6 19.Nb3 f6 [After 19...Bxe4
20.Qxe4 Be7 21.h5 Ngf8 22.Nbd4± White dominates.] 20.h5 Nxe5 21.Nxe5 fxe5 22.Na5 Bd5
23.Rxe5±
15.Bb3 Qd6 16.Ng5 Nd8
White’s position is promising, but the position is dynamic and requires accuracy. In such positions
one move may often spoil the advantage. That is why it is important to know the next move by White:
17.Bc2!
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This move is based on concrete tactical ideas. White needs increase his pressure in the center and this
move fully accomplishes this goal as 17...exd4 is not possible.
17...h6
A) 17...exd4?? loses: 18.Rxe8 Nxe8 19.Bxh7+ (the point of 17.Bc2) 19...Kh8 20.Nde4+–
B) 17...Qc6? is also bad. The refutation is the following forced line: 18.Nde4 exd4 19.Nxf6+ gxf6
20.Bxh7+ Kg7 21.Be4! Rxe4 22.Nxe4 f5 23.Qxd4+ f6 24.Bh6+! Kxh6 25.Qxf6+ Qxf6 26.Nxf6±
Black’s pieces are misplaced, and White maintains the initiative. White definitely has a clear
advantage.
18.Nde4 Nxe4 19.Nxe4ƒ
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Position after: 19.Nxe4ƒ
19...Qc6
19...Qg6 20.Ng3 Qc6 21.Be4 Qd7 22.d5 g6 23.Qg4 Qxg4 24.hxg4²
20.Qg4! exd4
20...Re6 21.f4!ƒ
21.Nf6+ Qxf6 22.Rxe8 Bc6 23.Re2 Ne6 24.Bd2 Rd8 25.Be4²
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e) 12...g6
11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 g6
With this move Black claims that ...h6 is unnecessary and that Black can be better off by immediately
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improving the f8-bishop, immediately putting pressure on the center.
13.Ba2!?
As Black did not play ...h6, it makes sense to keep the bishop on the a2-g8 diagonal as at some point
Ng5 ideas could be considered.
13...Bg7
In this position White has several possibilities which are promising. I decided to choose a path that
aims at restricting Black’s counterplay and generally leads to the most positional fight.
Position after: 13...Bg7
14.Qc2!?
I suggest this move. White overprotects the e4-pawn and prepares b4 on the next move. Then, if
...exd4-cxd4 happens, the white queen will be well placed on c2-square.
14.b4 This is the main alternative, but things can get extremely complicated after 14...exd4 15.cxd4
a5!.
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Position after: 15...a5!
Here White can hope for some advantage (I do not deny that) but it seems to me that the
complications that very often arise here are not needed when there is such move as 14.Qc2, which
also offers good positions but in a much simpler way. In order not to clutter the analysis, I focus
solely on 14.Qc2. If you are interested in 14.b4 you may engage in independent analysis.
14...Qd7
As discussed already in Smyslov’s Variation 9...Qd7, this is a common square for the queen in these
positions.
15.b4
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Position after: 15.b4
Here Black has some choices.
15...exd4
This move happened in Sethuraman – Wojtaszek (2016) . Black follows a similar idea to the one
discussed in the commentary to 14.b4. There are, though, alternatives.
A) 15...a5 This is the best alternative to 15...exd4. 16.d5
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Now Black faces a difficult decision: where should the knight retreat? In my opinion, there are two
decent possibilities for Black, but none of them offer equality.
A1) 16...Nb8 if Black plays ...c6 in a comfortable position he will equalize. White should act
quickly: 17.c4 axb4 18.cxb5! Qxb5 19.Rb1!
Position after: 19.Rb1!
I think White has good chances here. Most importantly, White manages to keep his strong control
over the center (thanks to the e4- and d5-pawns) and ...c6 is not possible. Possibly the best move
for Black is 19...c5 but it weakens the d6-pawn and after Nc4 White will have an initiative. The
pawn deficit is temporary, as we can see in the following line. 20.Nc4 Bf8 21.Bd2 Nbd7 22.axb4
Reb8 Out of White’s options here the most challenging move is 23.Ng5!?ƒ
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Position after: 23.Ng5!?ƒ
The idea at some point is to play Ne6! 23...cxb4 [23...h6? is already a mistake as it runs into
24.bxc5 Qxc5 25.Ne6! fxe6 26.dxe6±] 24.Bxb4 Nc5 25.Ba5 Qa6 26.Re3!?ƒ with pressure.
A2) 16...Ne7 17.bxa5 c6 [17...Rxa5 18.c4 c6 is the same as 18...Rxa5?!] 18.c4
A2.1) 18...Rxa5?! is bad for Black as after 19.dxc6! White either wins a pawn or gains a huge
positional advantage. 19...Nxc6 [19...Qxc6 20.Rb1!±; 19...Bxc6 20.c5!±] 20.Nb3 Ra7 21.cxb5
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Nd8 22.Qd3²/±
A2.2) 18...cxd5 19.cxd5 Rxa5 20.Rb1! Rc8
Position after: 20...Rc8
and here both of the following ideas offer some advantage to White. 21.Qd1 [21.Qb2 Qd8
22.Qb4²] 21...Nh5 22.Nf1 Nf4 23.Ng3²
B) 15...Nh5 The idea of this move, apart from ...exd4, is obviously ...Nf4, but White can easily deal
with both by playing 16.Nb3! With advantage.
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Position after: 16.Nb3!
It is hard to suggest what to do next for Black, e.g., 16...exd4 17.cxd4 a5 18.Nxa5 Nxa5 [18...Nxd4
19.Nxd4 Bxd4 20.Rb1²] 19.bxa5 Rxa5 20.Rb1²
C) 15...d5?! Challenging the center in this way does not work well for Black. 16.exd5 Nxd5
17.Ne4!
Position after: 17.Ne4!
heading to c5 with the knight. 17...exd4 18.Nc5! Rxe1+ 19.Nxe1
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C1) 19...Qe8 20.Kf1! An important move. [20.Nf3 d3! 21.Qxd3 Ne5 22.Nxe5 Qxe5 is not so
clear: 23.Nxb7 Nxc3 24.Be3 Ne2+! 25.Qxe2 Qxa1+ 26.Kh2 Qb2! with decent chances to save
the game.] 20...Nxc3 21.Nxb7 a5 22.bxa5 Ne5 23.Bf4 Qc6 24.Bxe5 Bxe5 25.Nd3 Bd6 26.Nxd6
Qxd6 27.f4!±
Position after: 27.f4!±
with great winning chances. Objectively, Black is clearly in trouble. White’s idea is Ne5, Qb3,
Re1 and so on, developing the attack on Black’s king.
C2) 19...Qe7 20.Nf3
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20...d3 [20...Nxc3 21.Nxb7 d3 22.Qxd3 Ne2+ 23.Kf1 Bxa1 24.Qxe2 Qxe2+ 25.Kxe2±] 21.Qxd3
Ne5 22.Qe4! An important move to play. [22.Nxe5?! Qxe5 would lead to 19...Qe8 20.Nf3 d3!
21.Qxd3 Ne5 22.Nxe5 Qxe5, which, as analyzed above, gives Black good chances to hold.]
22...Rd8 Pretty much an only move. [22...Nxf3+ 23.gxf3!±; 22...Nxc3 23.Qxb7 Rd8 24.Be3!
Ne2+ 25.Kf1 Ng3+ 26.fxg3 Nxf3 27.Qxf3 Bxa1 28.h4±] 23.Bg5! White, by force, gets a nice
positional advantage with a difficult defense for Black. 23...Nxf3+ 24.Qxf3 Qxg5 25.Nxb7 Rd7
26.Nc5 Rd8 27.Rd1²/±
16.cxd4 a5
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Position after: 16...a5
17.bxa5 Nxa5
17...Rxa5? 18.e5!±
18.Rb1 Qc6
So far the analysis has followed Sethuraman – Wojtaszek (2016). However, in this position there is an
improvement for White.
18...d5? 19.Ne5!+– and the b5-pawn falls.
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19.Qd3!N
I think that this move is much stronger than what Sethuraman played.
19.Qd1 was in the aforementioned game. It also is quite testing, but eventually I think that Black
should be able to equalize. 19...d5! 20.Ne5 Qa6 21.a4 Nc4?! The first inaccuracy, however it does
not ruin anything yet. [¹ 21...bxa4= was the simplest, with equality.] 22.Rxb5
Position after: 22.Rxb5
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22...Nxd2? However, this move is already a big mistake after which White has a big advantage.
[22...Nxe5 was necessary and Black was still quite OK, but it is not so simple anymore. 23.dxe5 Rxe5
24.Bb2! Ree8 25.Qc1!ƒ with some initiative for White – Black still needs to earn a draw.] 23.Bxd2
Qxa4 24.Qxa4 Rxa4 25.Bb3 Rxd4 26.Nf3!
White wins an exchange, and the game is pretty much over. 26...Rxd2 27.Nxd2 Ba8 28.Rc5 c6
29.Ra5+– Sethuraman – Wojtaszek (2016).
19...Ba6 20.d5 Qc5
Black should actively look for counterplay.

20...Qd7 is too passive. 21.Bb2 b4 22.Qc2 bxa3 and White has a pleasant choice between 23.Bd4!?±
or simply 23.Bxa3±.
21.Rb4!
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Position after: 21.Rb4!
A very strong move which grants an advantage to White. The counterplay related to ...b4 is now
stopped. The rook is a perfect blocking piece in this instance and if White manages to comfortably
bring the c1-bishop into the game Black’s position will be on the verge of collapsing. For instance:
21...c6
21...Nd7 22.Nb3! Nxb3 23.Qxb3 Qa7 [23...Qc3 24.Qd1!±] 24.Qc2 Bc8 25.Re3±
22.Bb2
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Position after: 22.Bb2
22...cxd5
22...Qa7 23.Bxf6 Bxf6 24.e5! dxe5 25.d6ƒ The d-pawn will be supported by other pieces (Ne4 is
coming) giving White great winning chances. Additionally, the black king is somewhat weak and
White should definitely have that in mind in the future, as creating an attack on the kingside would
certainly be beneficial.
23.Bd4 Qc8 24.Bxf6 Bxf6 25.Bxd5²
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Position after: 25.Bxd5²
f) 12...h6 13.Bc2 d5!?
11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 h6
The most classical approach by Black. With this move Black covers the g5-square which is important
in protecting the f7-square. Black’s main idea is to play ...Nb8–...Nbd7, achieving an optimal Breyer-
like setup, with the major difference being that the white knight is still on d2. In my opinion this is the
best reaction to 12.a3. White’s main choice appears to be 13. Bc2.
13.Bc2
I would suggest going for this line which is also the most popular. There are, though, alternatives that
also give some hopes for an advantage.
A) 13.d5!? This move gains some space but in my opinion it defines the structure in the center too
early. Still, it involves an interesting positional idea of playing on the light squares as Black does not
have anything better than playing ...c6 at some point. The drawback is that it would open the a2-g8
diagonal and weaken light squares. I am not going too much into detail here as I believe that Black
generally does quite well. 13...Nb8 14.Nh2!? bringing the knight to the g4-square, anticipating ... c6
and trying to seize control over the d5-square in the future. 14...Nbd7 15.Qf3 c6 16.dxc6 Bxc6
17.Ng4!
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Position after: 17.Ng4!
The entire point of 14.Nh2. 17...Nc5

A1) 18.Ba2!? could be a better try, leading after 18...Ra7 to a complex fight. There is not much
theory here and there could still be some future developments. It seems to me that Black should not
have problems, however, the position is definitely playable.
A2) 18.Nxf6+ A seemingly natural move, destroying Black’s pawn structure. However, it leads to
simplifications. 18...Qxf6 19.Qxf6 gxf6 20.Bc2 Red8! with the idea of ...d5, as in Giri – Ding
(2015).
B) 13.Ba2!?
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Position after: 13.Ba2!?
This is another logical move. White reacts in the same way as in the 12...g6 line. Lately Indian GM
Karthikeyan Murali played two games with decent results. However, I am not a big fan of this line
and if I were looking for alternatives to 12.Bc2, I would probably stick with 12.d5.
B1) If 13...Nb8 I feel like White has some chances in following line: 14.Qb3!? Qd7 15.Qc2 c5
16.d5 c4 17.a4! Qc7 18.b3! cxb3 19.Bxb3ƒ
Position after: 19.Bxb3ƒ
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with some pressure on the queenside, typical for the Ruy Lopez (especially some Chigorin and
Breyer variations). White wants to play Ba3, c4 etc.
B2) 13...Qd7 Perhaps the correct response by Black. 14.Qc2 [14.a4!? deserves attention but
14...Rad8∞ with idea of ...d5 is very unclear.] 14...a5!?∞ with some unclear play as in Chigaev –
Matlakov (2018).
13...d5!?
This is the main alternative. Taking advantage of White’s last two moves which, apart from
strengthening the e4-square, did not bring much to White’s position. Black takes this moment to
strike in the center. This idea was pretty much developed by Russian GM Alexander Morozevich and
lately it also happened in Radjabov – Wojtaszek (2019). Still, things are not so easy for Black.
13... g6 This move is somewhat suspicious in this particular position. With his last two moves White
supported the e4-pawn in order to route the d2-knight to the kingside. After such a lousy move as
13...g6 White can proceed with 14.Nf1! Bg7 15.Ng3² achieving its goal.
Similar positions are discussed in the Smyslov Variation after 9...h6.
14.dxe5
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14...Nxe5
14...Nd7 happened in Fedoseev – Predke (2015) but it is hardly any better than 14...Nxe5. 15.Nb3!
dxe4 [15...Ndxe5 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.f4 Nc4 18.e5ƒ] 16.Bxe4 Ndxe5 17.Nxe5 Qxd1 18.Rxd1 Rxe5
19.Bf3² with a clear positional advantage. The pin is quite unpleasant.
Position after: 19.Bf3²
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15.Nxe5 Rxe5 16.Nf3
16...Re8
16...Rxe4?! This exchange sacrifice does not offer full equality. 17.Bxe4 dxe4 18.Qxd8 Rxd8 19.Nd4
Nd7 20.Bf4± with good winning chances.
17.e5 Ne4 18.Qe2 c5 19.Bf4!
I think that White should go for this line. With this move White overprotects the e5-pawn and
prepares Nd2, improving on Radjabov’s idea. Black has several possibilities here.
19.Nd2 was played in Radjabov – Wojtaszek (2019). It is a very logical approach by White. If the e4-
knight is comfortably exchanged then White will have a clear advantage. However, Black does not
have to trade them: 19...Rxe5! [19...Nxd2?! 20.Bxd2² would certainly benefit White.] 20.f3 c4! Black
leaves the knight under attack and develops strong counterplay. It had to be a preparation by
Wojtaszek, who is well known for his in-depth analysis.
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The game ended with a draw without any issues for Black after 21.fxe4 Bc5+ 22.Kh1 dxe4 23.Nf1
e3! 24.Bxe3 Bxe3 25.Nxe3 Qh4! 26.Qg4 Qe7! 27.Qxg7+ Kxg7 28.Nf5+ Rxf5 29.Rxe7 Rf2 30.Rxb7
Rxc2= with an inevitable draw. The game ended eventually on move 40. Radjabov – Wojtaszek
(2019).
Position after: 19.Bf4!
19...f5!?
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This is probably the best move for Black. The idea is to entrench the knight on e4-square in the style
of the Open Spanish (discussed in Volume 1).
A) 19...g5 This move is a little bit shaky. Black prematurely weakens the kingside. 20.Be3! a good
square for the bishop. [20.Bh2 is also possible, as after 20...f5 21.a4 it is a transposition to the 19...f5
line.] 20...Bg7 21.Rad1 Qe7 22.Bb1!?²
Position after: 22.Bb1!?²
A good waiting move. White prepares Qd3 or Qc2, depending on what Black does. One of the ideas
for White is to create some attack on the kingside. Another one is to weaken Black’s structure in the
center. For example: 22...Rad8 23.Qc2 [23.Qd3 Bc8 24.a4²] 23...Qc7 24.Qc1!? (preparing h4)
24...Rc8 25.h4 g4 26.Nh2 h5 27.f4!?².
B) 19...Qb6?! is a logical, but careless move. White can now play 20.Nd2! trading the knights.
20...Nxd2 21.Bxd2²
20.a4!
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20...Qb6
This move is correct.

20...g5?! This move, again, weakens the kingside unnecessarily. 21.Bh2 Qb6 22.h4! putting pressure
on the kingside. It is not an easy position for Black: 22...Be7 [22...g4?! weakens all the dark squares.
23.Nd2 c4 24.Bxe4 dxe4 25.Nf1²] 23.Nd2 Qe6 [23...c4? 24.Nf3!±] 24.axb5 axb5 25.f3 Nxd2
26.Qxd2²
21.axb5 axb5 22.Rxa8 Bxa8
286
Position after: 22...Bxa8
23.h4!?
I like this move as White seizes some space on the kingside. In a long-term perspective there could be
an idea to kick the e4-knight away.
23.Nh4!? This is a very tempting option too, but unfortunately it does not bring more than an equal
endgame: 23...g5! 24.Nxf5 gxf4 25.Qg4+ Kh8 26.Qxf4 Qe6! 27.f3 Qxe5 28.Qxe5+ Rxe5 29.fxe4
dxe4 30.g4 c4=
23...Be7
23...Bb7
24.Rd1 Bb7 25.Nh2!?
287
Position after: 25.Nh2!?
Rerouting the knight and preparing f3.

I think that White can apply some pressure here. For example:
25...b4
A) 25...Rf8 26.f3! c4+ 27.Be3 Nc5 28.f4²

B) 25...d4 26.cxd4 cxd4 27.Nf3 Rd8 28.h5²
26.c4 Qe6 27.Nf1!? Bxh4 28.g3 Be7 29.cxd5 Bxd5 30.Ne3ƒ
288
Position after: 30.Ne3ƒ
g) 12...h6 13.Bc2 Nb8 14.b3!? Nbd7 15.Bb2 --
11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 h6 13.Bc2 Nb8
A typical maneuver. Black opens the b7-bishop putting more pressure on the e4-pawn and stopping
289
the Nf1-Ng3 maneuver. The black knight is headed to the d7-square.
14.b3!?
One of the possible approaches. White brings the bishop to the b2-square and keeps the pawn
structure flexible. For instance, White has a plan to play c4, which, when supported by the b3-pawn,
is stronger than in the case of 14.b4.
14.b4 is another big line which is also testing, but I focus here solely on 14.b3. I think it offers good
chances for White and it makes little sense to cover both. If I did cover all the possibilities for White,
the book would be too cluttered and too long!
14...Nbd7 15.Bb2
In this position Black has a huge choice. In general, the character of the position is rather calm, or
static, which means that there is little sense to memorize specific lines. Instead, it is much more
beneficial to know and understand the ideas for both sides. Only then can we make informed
decisions.
15...c6
Starting with this move makes sense if Black does not really plan on playing ...g6. Black can go for
that, but it looks to me as a slight inaccuracy.
A) 15...Rb8 This move has been tried a few times. Personally, I find it a little bit mysterious as there
is no need to play it just yet. I know that in some lines the b2-bishop could be under attack, but still,
290
no need for that. 16.a4!? White challenges Black’s queenside pawn chain. [The idea of 16...Rb8
could be the following: 16.d5?! c6 17.c4 bxc4 18.bxc4 cxd5 19.cxd5 Bxd5! and Black is clearly
better.]
A1) 16...c5 This move has been played in several games, including Radjabov – Carlsen (2014). I
believe, though, that it is simply inaccurate. In general, if White can play d5 and White’s pawn
chain cannot be challenged in any way (like ...c6), then I think that the space advantage gives
White an advantage. 17.d5! Bc8 White has many moves here, but I like the following: 18.Bc1!?
Be7 [18...Nb6 19.c4!? b4 20.Nf1² is pretty much one-sided position.] 19.Nf1 [19.c4!?² is also
good.] 19...Nf8 20.b4!?²
A2) 16...c6 17.Bd3 Nh5 18.Qc2 Nf4 19.Bf1² is similar to 15...c6, but the inclusion of ...Rb8 and
a4 hardly helps Black.
B) 15...c5?! 16.d5² White gains space, just like in the Chigorin variation, discussed later in the
book.
C) 15...Nb6 16.Bd3 Nfd7
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Position after: 16...Nfd7
This is a rare setup. It was played in Abdusattorov – Eljanov (2019). I am not sure of the idea behind
this knight regrouping. White can proceed in a simple fashion: 17.Qc2 with the idea of c4. 17...c6
18.c4 [18.Rad1!? also deserves attention.] 18...bxc4 19.bxc4 exd4 20.Bxd4! taking control over the
c5-square. 20...c5 [20...Nc5? 21.Bxc5! dxc5 22.e5+– is strategically hopeless for Black.] 21.Bc3²
Position after: 21.Bc3²
White has a stable advantage and good chances. 21...Bc6 22.Ba5 Rb8 23.Nf1! White immediately
292
improves the d2-knight and brings it either to the kingside or the center. [Abdusattorov played
23.a4?! but there was no need for this move.] 23...g6 [23...Ba4 24.Qd2²] 24.Rab1 Bg7 25.Ne3²
D) 15...d5?! This pawn break in the center is premature. 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 [In case of 16...dxe4
17.Nxd7 Qxd7 18.c4!± White has very good prospects after d5 White will gain control over the
center and the black e4-pawn will become a weakness.] 17.dxe5
17...Nxe4 [17...Rxe5? 18.c4! d4 19.Nf3+–] 18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.Bxe4² White wins a pawn. Black can
hope for some compensation, true, but the position cannot be equal.
E) 15...Rc8 This move happened only in one game, Topalov – Ding Liren (2016). 16.a4
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E1) 16...c6 was normal, with a typical position. 17.Bd3 Nh5 18.Nf1!? with the inclusion of a4,
this move is good as there is additional pressure on the queenside that does not allow a quick ...d5.
Also, White does not fear 18...Nf4 19.Bc2²
as there is no clear follow up for Black. White brings the knight to either the e3- or g3-square.
E2) 16...b4?! A speculative decision by Ding. 17.cxb4 exd4
294
E2.1) 18.Bxd4 c5 19.bxc5 Nxc5 20.Qb1 was played by Topalov but here things are less clear:
20...Ne6!N [20...a5? 21.b4! axb4 22.Qxb4± Topalov – Ding Liren (2016).] 21.Be3 d5! 22.e5 d4
23.exf6 dxe3∞
E2.2) 18.Nxd4!N The strongest reply. White does not give Black any hope of compensation
18...c5 19.bxc5 Nxc5 20.Qf3 d5 21.e5 Nfe4 22.Qe3±
Position after: 22.Qe3±
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with an extra pawn and lack of any clear compensation.
16.Bd3 Nh5!?N
A typical maneuver of the knight. The knight is headed in the end to the e6-square where it is very
flexible.
A) 16...Qc7 17.Qc2 Rad8 18.Rad1 Nh5 19.c4 Nf4 20.Bf1²
B) 16...g6 is analyzed after 15...g6 (next subchapter).
Position after: 16...Nh5!?N
17.Qc2
A) The immediate 17.Bf1 Nf4 18.c4 deserves attention too, but after 18...exd4 19.Bxd4 bxc4
20.Nxc4 [20.bxc4 c5 21.Bc3 g6=] 20...c5!
296
the position becomes very sharp and unclear: 21.Be3 Rxe4!? an interesting exchange sacrifice.
[21...Qf6!? is also possible.] 22.Nfd2 Rxe3 23.Nxe3 Nf6©
B) Sometimes there are ideas of playing 17.Nf1 trying to bring the knight to the e3- or g3-squares.
Here, though, Black can play 17...Qc7 preparing ...d5 very soon. For example: 18.Ne3 [18.a4 Nf4
19.Bc2 d5!∞] 18...Nf4 19.Bc2 d5!∞
17...Nf4 18.Bf1
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Position after: 18.Bf1
A good square for the bishop which will put pressure on the center after c4.
18...exd4!?
18...Ne6 19.c4 [19.Rad1 a5 20.dxe5 Nxe5 21.Nd4 Qb6 22.Re3 Bc8 23.Nxe6 Bxe6 24.c4 a4 25.b4 c5
26.cxb5 cxb4 27.axb4 Rec8 28.Rc3 Be7 29.Nc4] 19...exd4 20.Nxd4 Nxd4 21.Bxd4 Rc8 22.Rab1 a5
23.g3 h5
19.cxd4 d5
This is an interesting idea for Black which is typical for these positions. White generally has two
possible approaches, both are pretty much equivalent.
20.exd5
20.g3!? Ne6 21.b4 Nb6 22.Bc3 Nc4 23.Bg2
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It is debatable if White is better here, but I think that White has at least somewhat the easier game.
23...dxe4 [23...a5?! 24.Nxc4 axb4 25.exd5 cxd5 26.Nd6 Bxd6 27.Bxb4²] 24.Qxe4 Nxd2 25.Nxd2
Nc7 26.Qd3 Nd5 27.Nb3ƒ with a playable position, but I would rather play it with White.
20...Rxe1 21.Rxe1 cxd5 22.Qf5 Ne6
299
23.b4ƒ
with some pressure. It seems like the white knight gets to the c5-square somewhat faster.
23.Rxe6 does not give more compensation than equality: 23...fxe6 24.Qxe6+ Kh8 25.Bd3 Qe8
26.Qf5 Nf6 27.Ne5 Bd6=.
23...Qf6 24.Qxf6
24.Bd3!? Qxf5 25.Bxf5 Re8 26.Nb3ƒ
24...Nxf6 25.Nb3ƒ
Position after: 25.Nb3ƒ
h) 12...h6 13.Bc2 Nb8 14.b3!? Nbd7 15.Bb2 g6
11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 h6 13.Bc2 Nb8 14.b3!? Nbd7 15.Bb2 g6
300
This is the most popular move here and I think that it is the best. Black does not declare yet whether
he will go for a regular ...c6, ...Qc7, ...Nh5 set up or maybe the more direct ...d5!?. All options are
still available.
16.Bd3 Bg7
A logical follow-up to the previous move. Black prepares ...d5.

16...c6 is unnecessary. Maybe what I am about to say will be controversial, but I think that in these
positions playing both ...g6 and ...c6 can potentially bring lots of issues in the future. Black probably
should choose one or another, but not both. Some sample lines: 17.Bf1 Qc7 [17...Bg7 18.a4 Qc7
19.Qc2 Nh7 20.dxe5!? dxe5 21.c4²] 18.Qc2 Rac8 19.a4! Nh5 20.axb5 axb5 21.dxe5!?
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Position after: 21.dxe5!?
This is another typical idea. White voluntarily reduces the tension in the center in order to transform
the pawn structure. 21...dxe5 [21...Nxe5 22.Nxe5 dxe5 23.Nf3] 22.Ba3!? The trade of bishops is
good for White. 22...Bxa3 23.Rxa3 Nf4 24.Rea1²
Position after: 24.Rea1²
and my question is why would Black ever play ...g6 going for such positional maneuvering? Black’s
kingside is somewhat weakened now. I mean, obviously this is just some sample line, but both sides
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were playing logical moves so similar positions can arise in actual games.
17.dxe5!?
I think that this move gives White decent practical chances. There is no more ...d5 from Black and the
g7-bishop is somewhat misplaced. It would have been more actively placed on the f8-square.
A) After 17.Qc2?! d5! Black is doing great. 18.dxe5 Nxe4 19.Nxe4 dxe4 20.Bxe4 Bxe4 21.Rxe4
Nxe5=
B) 17.a4 This is the main move according to the theory. Initially I wanted to suggest playing this
move, but then I discovered that Black has one very concrete path to equality. 17...bxa4! A stunning
and completely (at least to me) unexpected move. Black voluntarily worsens the pawn structure on
the queenside. What good could such an anti-positional move do? The answer lays in the pretty
much extremely dynamic nature of chess. Modern computers in many instances do not really care
about “old school” chess principles. Instead, they just calculate a million moves (or more...) every
second and come up with new approaches and ideas based solely on calculation and dynamics. To
tell the truth, it happens in every opening and that is how chess theory is being developed. 18.Rxa4
d5!
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Black hits in the center. The queenside does not matter much, as pretty much everything is now
happening in the center. 19.dxe5 [19.exd5 Nxd5=; 19.Nxe5 Nxe5 20.dxe5 Nxe4] 19...Nxe4
20.Nxe4 dxe4 21.Bxe4 Bxe4 22.Raxe4
Position after: 22.Raxe4
22...Nxe5! 23.Rxe5 Bxe5 24.Qxd8 Raxd8 25.Rxe5 Rd1+! 26.Kh2 Rxe5 27.Nxe5 Rd2! the key
move of this long line. Thanks to this move Black equalizes comfortably. An amazing discovery by
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the engines.
17...Nxe5
Perhaps this is objectively the right path for Black.

After 17...dxe5
White has two possibilities:

A) 18.c4!? Nc5 19.Bc2 also deserves attention. 19...Nh5 [19...bxc4 20.Nxc4 Ncxe4 21.Bxe5²]
20.b4 Nd3 21.Bxd3 Qxd3 22.Re3 Qd6 23.Nb3!?ƒ with pressure on the dark squares.
B) 18.Qc2 c5 19.c4! b4 20.Nf1² White is slightly better. The knight is headed towards the d5-
square.
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B1) After 20...Nb8?! White can play 21.Nxe5! [21.Ne3 is also possible though, with more
positional play.] 21...Nh5 22.Nxf7! Kxf7 23.e5 Nf4 24.Bxg6+! Nxg6 25.Qf5+ Kg8 26.Qxg6ƒ
with a strong initiative and compensation for the piece.
B2) 20...Nh7 21.Ne3 Nhf8 22.Nd5 a5 23.h4!?ƒ
18.Nxe5 dxe5
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18...Rxe5 19.c4²
19.Qc2 Qd6 20.Rad1
White prepares c4.
20...Rad8 21.Nf3 Qc6!
Position after: 21...Qc6!
An important move by Black. It is necessary to put some pressure on the e4-pawn and prevent c4.
22.Rd2!?
The best try by White. Essentially, the idea is to prepare c4 and in some lines have the possibility of
Nxd2.
A) 22.Rc1!? This move is the alternative. It is also quite testing. 22...Qd6 23.Red1 [But not 23.Bf1?!
Bxe4! 24.Rxe4 Nxe4 25.Qxe4 f5 26.Qe2 e4ƒ] 23...Qc6 24.c4! White regrouped the rooks and only
now went for c4. Black needs to be very accurate to maintain the balance.
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24...bxc4 25.Nxe5 Rxe5! 26.Bxe5 Rxd3 27.Qxd3 cxd3 28.Rxc6 Bxc6 29.f3!
and here White has some practical chances. Objectively, though, Black should make a draw.
29...Nd7! 30.Bxg7 Kxg7 31.Rxd3 Bb5 32.Rc3 c5= with equality.
B) 22.c4 is premature: 22...bxc4 23.Bxc4 and now two moves are good for Black: 23...Rxd1
[23...Nxe4!?] 24.Rxd1 Nxe4 25.Rd5 Ng5 26.Nxg5 hxg5=.
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Back to 22.Rd2.
Position after: 22.Rd2!?
22...Nd7!
Black still needs to be precise.

22...Rd6 23.c4 bxc4 24.Qxc4 Qxc4 25.Bxc4 Nxe4 26.Rde2 Nc5 27.Bxe5 Bxe5 28.Rxe5 Rxe5
29.Nxe5 Bd5 30.b4!² there is still some work that Black needs to do to make a draw.
23.c4 Nc5 24.Bf1!
Again, the most testing.
24...Nxe4
This move leads to some concrete play where Black needs to be very precise.
24...Rxd2 25.Nxd2² is one of the lines where 22.Rd2 comes in handy - the knight can now recapture
and protect the e4-pawn.
25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Nxe5 Bxe5 27.Bxe5 Rd2! 28.Rd1!
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Position after: 28.Rd1!
28...Qd7
28...Rxc2?? 29.Rd8++– mates.
29.Rxd2 Qxd2 30.Qxd2 Nxd2 31.Be2 c6™
Even here, this is an only move!

31...Nxb3? 32.cxb5 axb5 33.Bxb5+–
32.cxb5 cxb5
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Position after: 32...cxb5
33.b4
33.Bf4 Nxb3 34.Bxh6 is also possible, but the drawish tendencies are bigger as Black can rather
easily create a passed pawn and simplify the position further.
33...Nc4 34.Bf4 h5 35.Bc1²
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Whether this position is winnable or not, it is a different question.
What I see here is that White has the bishop pair with pawns on both sides of the board which has to
give him some practical chances Black is certainly on the defensive side.
Additionally, Black needs to find all the best moves to achieve such a position, which is very hard. As
I said, there is still some chess to play.
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Chapter 5
Chigorin Variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5
Chapter Guide
Chapter 5 – Chigorin Variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5
11.d4
a) Introduction
b) 11...cxd4
c) 11...Nd7 12.d5 Nb6 13.Nbd2 --
d) 11...Nd7 12.d5 Nb6 13.Nbd2 g6
e) 11...Qc7
a) Introduction
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5
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The Chigorin Variation used to be the most popular response to the Ruy Lopez in the early 1900s and
remained popular for dozens of years. Roughly 20,000 games have been played with it over the years.
Lately, however, it is not so common as it used to be and there was a major shift towards Breyer,
Zaitsev or Marshall variations.
Nevertheless, in the last few years there were a few games that caused a revival of this old system. As
this system is so robust I decided to skip many lines that I do not consider necessary to be familiar
with and sticked with (in my opinion) the most important ones for building the repertoire for White.
And, as we will see, my approach leads to good positions for White! In this variation, Black decides
to immediately kick the white bishop from the b3-square and play ...c5 on the next move. Fighting for
the center in such a way provides some room for the black pieces and keeps the position very flexible.
However, playing ...c5 has a drawback in that if White plays d5 in the future, Black will have no way
to challenge White’s center. Obviously, the d5 thrust reduces the tension in the center and gives some
freedom for Black to regroup and so on, but as we will see things are far from easy for Black.
10.Bc2 c5
10...d5!? This line is a deviation from the Chigorin Variation, and it was introduced by the Polish GM
Grzegorz Gajewski in 2007. Ever since then this line has been called the Gajewski Gambit. In reality,
it is a delayed Marshall Gambit. I am going to talk about this in the section on the Marshall Gambit,
as it applies more to that variation than to the Chigorin Variation.
11.d4
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11...Qc7
This is the most classical response. Black strengthens the center.

A) 11...Nd7 This line has been quite popular lately. GMs Howell and Naroditsky play this system
quite frequently; against the former I had a chance to play this system back in 2009. 12.d5!? I would
suggest closing the center and immediately obtain a space advantage.
As we will see, Black’s tasks are not easy.
B) After 11...cxd4 12.cxd4 I will discuss how opening the center changes the character of the
position.
12.d5
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I would suggest playing this line. It may be a little bit controversial to suggest this as White usually
plays it when it is possible to win a tempo. However, similarly as in the 11...Nd7 line, obtaining a
space advantage offers a series of benefits and it is not so easy to play this with Black. Without any
further ado, let us jump in to the analysis!
b) 11...cxd4
11.d4 cxd4 12.cxd4
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Let us first have a look at the open position that can arise in the Chigorin Variation when Black
decides to trade on the d4-square.
12...Re8!?
There were not many games here, but there was one, Duda – Gajewski (2015), that drew my attention
to this line.
A) 12...Bb7? Is a questionable decision by Black. Right now, the b7-bishop is misplaced. White can
now choose where to play, but very often it makes sense to play on the queenside, as the strong
center gives White a space advantage and Black’s pieces are not well coordinated. 13.d5!±
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Position after: 13.d5!±
A1) If Black retreats with 13...Bc8 it means that something went wrong. 14.Bd3 Bd7 15.Na3 Qb8
16.b4 Nb7 17.Nc2±
A2) 13...Nc4 Black routes the knight to the b6-square but it does not solve any problems. 14.b3
[14.a4!?±] 14...Nb6 15.a4! bxa4 16.bxa4 a5 17.Na3±
A3) 13...Rc8 14.b3 Qc7 15.Bd3±
Position after: 15.Bd3±
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The a5-knight is obviously awful combined with minimal space and you can see this is the source
of Black’s problems. Black can try a variety of approaches to try to solve these issues but none of
them really work.
A3.1) 15...Nh5 16.Na3!? f5 17.Ng5! Bxg5 18.Bxg5 Qf7 19.f3± the b7-bishop and a5-knight are
awful.
A3.2) 15...Nd7 was in Bacrot – Bauer (2008) and Bacrot demonstrated a good approach: 16.Bd2
f5 17.Bb4 [17.Nc3!?±] 17...Nc5 18.Nc3 f4 19.Rb1 [19.Bf1!?+– preserving the bishop was
possibly even stronger.] 19...Nxd3 20.Qxd3 Ba8 21.a4+– with unbearable pressure on the
queenside.
A3.3) 15...Nxe4 This aggressive attempt was tried in Morozevich – Ponomariov (2001).
However, it did not work: 16.Bxe4 f5 17.Bd3! e4 18.Bg5! Bf6 19.Bxf6 Rxf6 20.Be2 exf3
21.Bxf3+–.
Position after: 21.Bxf3+–
As a result of the trades in the center the position simplified and opened, but Black’s bad pieces
on the queenside remain terrible.
B) 12...Nc6 This is a very passive approach for Black. White is better in a number of ways. 13.Nc3
Bd7 [13...Bb7 again runs into 14.d5 Nb8 15.b4± and the b7-bishop is misplaced.] 14.Be3
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14...Rc8 [14...h6 15.d5 Nb4 16.Bb1 a5 17.Nxe5 dxe5 18.d6²/± White wins the bishop pair and has
better pieces.] 15.d5 This is probably the simplest. [15.a4!? also deserves attention.] 15...Na5
16.Nd2²/±.
C) 12...Qc7 Without the trades on d4, I suggest playing on the d5-square. Here, though, I think that
White should go for simple development. 13.Nc3
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C1) 13...Bb7 as discussed above, the bishop does not quite belong there. 14.Bd3 Nc4 [14...b4
15.Na4 Bc6 16.Be3±] 15.d5 Nd7 16.b4!? One of many paths leading to a big advantage for White.
C2) 13...Bd7? would run into the unpleasant 14.Nd5! Nxd5 15.exd5±.
C3) 13...Be6 14.Ne2 Rfc8 15.Bb1²
White is slightly better. It is not clear how to proceed with Black and White has still a lot of room
for improvement. The next move would probably be b3 to gain more control over the squares on
the queenside.
D) After 12...exd4 13.Nxd4 the position oftentimes transposes to the main line. In order to avoid
duplication, I will show a few lines here that are different. 13...Re8
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14.b4!? There is this additional option, which also is quite interesting. White wins the bishop pair.
[14.Nc3 (transposes back to the main line)] 14...Nc4 15.Nc6 Qc7 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.Nd2 d5!
Black should play this freeing move. [17...Be6?! 18.Nxc4 Bxc4 19.a3±] 18.Nxc4 dxc4 19.e5!
But things are still not easy for Black and I believe that White can hope for some advantage. For
instance: 19...Qe6!? 20.Bb2 Nd5 21.Be4 Bb7 22.Qf3 Bc6 23.Rad1 Rad8 24.Qg3 Ne7 25.Bc2²
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Position after: 12...Re8!?
13.Nc3 exd4 14.Nxd4 Bb7
14...Bd7 is probably more accurate, but it never fully solves Black’s problems, e.g., 15.b3!? Rc8
16.Bb2 Nc6 17.Rc1 Bf8 18.Bb1²
15.Nf5 Bf8
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A critical position. How should White proceed?
16.Qf3!?
This would be my suggestion.

16.Bg5 was Duda – Gajewski (2015) but in my opinion Black is fine here. 16...h6 17.Bh4
17...Nc4 [17...Rc8!? also deserves serious attention, as 18.Re3 Nc4 19.Rg3 Kh8 does not really lead
anywhere. That said, Black can postpone 17...Nc4.] 18.Qd4 g5 19.Bg3 Nh5 20.Bh2 Qf6 21.Qd1
Nf4∞ with a complicated position.
16...h6
A necessity.
16...Nc4? 17.Bg5± would be extremely unpleasant now.
17.Rd1! Re6 18.Nd5 Rc8 19.Nd4
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Position after: 19.Nd4
19...Re8
White now has some choices.

19...Rxc2 does not work: 20.Nxc2 Nxe4 21.Ncb4±
20.b3!?
Perhaps this is the strongest. As we have seen numerous times in the Ruy Lopez, with this move
White restricts the a5-knight.
20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 21.Qxf6 gxf6 22.Bd3! [22.b3?! f5!∞] 22...Bxe4 23.Bxe4 Rxe4 24.Nf5² White is
slightly better in this endgame.
20...Nxd5 21.exd5 g6 22.Bb2 Bg7 23.Be4!²/±
With pressure. The a5-knight is out of play. If White manages to stabilize the pieces in the center and
improve the rooks in an optimal way, Black will be in trouble. According to the engines, and my
analysis, Black does not have a way to stop that from happening. However, White needs to be
precise:
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Position after: 23.Be4!²
23...Qg5
23...Rc7 24.Re1! Rce7 25.Re3! f5 26.Bc2 Rxe3 27.fxe3±
Position after: 27.fxe3±
even after such an “unfavorable” trade on the e3-square White still has good chances, as the a5-knight
is completely out. When the center opens the game is pretty much over.
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24.Rab1! Rc7 25.Re1 Rce7 26.Re2!
And it is still a long path for Black to equalize. A sample line:
26...f5 27.Bd3 Rxe2 28.Bxe2 f4 29.Qd3! Bxd5 30.Bf3 Bxf3 31.Nxf3 Qf5 32.Qd1! Nc6 33.Bxg7
Kxg7 34.Rc1 Qd7 35.Qd2 g5 36.Rc5ƒ
Position after: 36.Rc5ƒ
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Black’s king is very weak.
c) 11...Nd7 12.d5 Nb6 13.Nbd2 --
11.d4 Nd7
This line has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years. It is more frequent in the games of GMs
than 11...Qc7. The reason for that is probably its flexibility.
12.d5
Just like after 11...Qc7, I would suggest playing d5 here. The rationale is pretty much the same.
Gaining a space advantage is more pronounced when all the pieces are on the board.
12...Nb6
This is the standard response by Black.

A) 12...c4? is bad due to 13.b4!±. It is a typical idea in these positions; the same thing happens in
the 11...Qc7 12.d5 c4 line.
B) 12...Bf6?! This happened lately in Wei Yi – Naroditsky (2020). However, I am not really sure
about the point of the move.
C) 12...Nc4 Black immediately improves the knight. I think that White can proceed here in a
number of ways, but I particularly like the following one: 13.b3 Ncb6 14.Nbd2!
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Position after: 14.Nbd2!
with the idea c4. It is typical for some Ruy Lopez positions which I discuss in many places in this
section (for instance in commentary to 14...Bg7 in the main line). 14...g6 [14...a5 15.c4 b4 16.a3²]
15.c4 Nf6 16.Bd3 Bd7 17.a4!²
13.Nbd2
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13...Bd7!?
This move deserves serious attention as it was played twice by Fabiano Caruana.
A) 13...f5? is mostly played here but it is way too premature: 14.exf5 Bxf5 15.Bxf5 Rxf5 16.Ne4
White gains control over the e4-square. True, Black has some temporary activity, but it can be easily
neutralized: 16...Qd7 [16...Qe8 17.Nfg5 Bxg5 18.Bxg5 Qg6 19.Qg4 Nb7 20.Rad1±] 17.b3 Raf8
18.Nfg5! Bxg5 19.Bxg5 Nb7 20.Rc1 Nd8 21.c4± the game is pretty much one-sided.
B) 13...Bb7?! This is a rather uncomfortable square for the bishop in such a pawn structure, as
White’s central pawns completely blunt this bishop. 14.Nf1
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14...f5 The only logical follow-up. However, the main issue here is that it significantly weakens the
kingside and White gets a great attacking ideas: [14...Bc8 is suggested by the engines, which shows
that the previous move was likely a mistake.] 15.exf5! Bxd5 [15...Nxd5 16.Ng3 Qd7 17.h4!?±]
16.h4!? (preparing Ng5)
Position after: 16.h4!?
16...h6 taking the pawn only accelerates White’s initiative. [16...Bxf3 17.Qxf3 Bxh4 18.Qh5‚;
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16...Bxh4 17.Nxh4 Qxh4 18.Re3‚ with Rh3 next and crushing attack.] 17.Ng3 Nc6 18.Nh2!?±
with Ng4 and Nh5 next, developing a strong attack.
C) 13...Nb7 seems quite logical. Black wants to play ...c4 and then ...Nc5 or prepare it by playing
...a5 first. White, though, has a very good response: 14.c4!
by temporarily sacrificing the pawn White makes sure that the b7-knight cannot be easily improved.
White is better as the following lines show.
C1) 14...Nxc4 15.Nxc4 bxc4 16.Qe2 [16.Re3!? with idea of Rc3 also deserves attention.] 16...Na5
17.Bd2±
C2) 14...g6 15.b3²/±
C3) 14...bxc4 15.Qe2 Na5 [15...f5 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.Bxf5 Rxf5 18.Nxc4±; 15...Bd7 16.Nxc4 Nxc4
17.Qxc4 Bb5 18.Qc3±] 16.Nf1± with the idea of Bd2. The pawn deficit is meaningless and White
is clearly better due to his space advantage and better pieces.
D) 13...c4?! is (as usual) met by 14.b4! cxb3 15.axb3 Nb7 16.b4±
14.Nf1
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14...Nb7
In case of 14...c4 White should play 15.b4! with advantage: 15...cxb3 16.axb3 Nb7 17.b4! further
restricting the b7-knight. 17...Qc7 18.Ra3 Nc4 19.Ra2 Nb6 20.Bd2 Nc4 21.Bd3!
White can allow the trade of the dark-squared bishop as he generally plays against the b7-knight.
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21...Nxd2 22.Qxd2 Rfc8 23.Ra3 a5 24.Rea1 Qd8 25.Ne3²
15.b3 a5
15...c4 16.b4 a5 17.Ng3 axb4 18.cxb4² and there is no clear follow up to Black’s play.
Position after: 18.cxb4²
White can consider either bringing the knight to the c3-square or beginning an attack on the kingside.
For example: 18...Qc7 19.Nf5!? Bxf5 20.exf5 Rfc8 21.h4!‚.
16.Rb1!?²
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Position after: 16.Rb1!?²
Prophylaxis against Black’s plans on the queenside. White is slightly better.
16...c4!?
Happened in Hou – Caruana (2018).

Black needs to look for counterplay somehow on the queenside. This move, though, involves a pawn
sacrifice after which Black does not have full compensation.
16...a4 is not any better: 17.b4! Qc7 [17...Nc4 18.Bd3±] 18.Ne3 g6 19.Qe2 Rac8 20.g4!?ƒ and
Black’s counterplay on the queenside is very limited, while White has begun expanding comfortably
on the kingside.
17.bxc4 Nxc4 18.a4!
Winning a pawn.
18...Qc7 19.axb5 Nb6 20.Be3 Rfc8 21.Bd3
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Position after: 21.Bd3
As I said earlier, Black does not have full compensation for the pawn and it, at best, is very
speculative. With correct play White should win.
21...Nc5
21...a4 22.Qc2! Qxc3 [22...a3 23.c4 Nc5 24.Be2±] 23.Qxc3 Rxc3 24.Bxb6 Rxd3 25.Rec1! Bc8
26.Rc6+–
22.Qc2!
22.Re2?! was played Hou Yifan and here Caruana could have played 22...Nba4! with big
complications, but instead he opted for 22...a4?! which essentially returns the favor.
22...a4 23.N1d2 a3 24.Rb4±
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Position after: 24.Rb4±
The game goes on, but Black is much worse.
d) 11...Nd7 12.d5 Nb6 13.Nbd2 g6
11.d4 Nd7 12.d5 Nb6 13.Nbd2 g6
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The second most common move by Black. The idea is to prepare ...f5 and challenge White’s center.
14.Nf1!
I believe that this natural move is the best one. However, despite its objective strength, for some
reason White does not have good results (scoring only 21%), which is very weird. The reason for that
could be that over the board it may not be easy to find the best move or commit to aggressive actions
(as in the main line), which depletes the advantage in the long run. I would like to refute that myth
and show that there is nothing to be worried about for White!
14.b4 is another possibility and it is the move that I played myself against David Howell back in
2009. However, I do not think that White has anything special. 14...Nb7! Black maintains the tension
and intends to challenge the queenside with ...a5. [14...cxb4?! is inaccurate. White is better after
15.cxb4 Nac4 16.Nxc4 Nxc4 17.Bb3 Nb6 18.Be3 Bd7 19.Rc1 Rc8 20.Rxc8 Bxc8 21.Qc2 Bd7
22.Rc1 Na8 23.Qd2²/± Anand – Carlsen (2007).] 15.Nb3 [15.a4 also leads to an unclear position
after 15...bxa4 16.Bxa4 Nxa4 17.Qxa4 Bd7 18.Qb3 Qc7 Vedmediuc – Zhigalko (2016).]
Position after: 15.Nb3
A) 15...c4?! was played in Swiercz – Howell (2009) and I had some advantage: 16.Nbd2 a5 17.Nf1
axb4 18.cxb4 Bd7 19.Bh6 Re8 20.Ng3² However, after 20...Bf8 I made a mistake and allowed a
bishop trade, while after 21.Be3² followed by Ne2-Nc3 I would have kept my advantage.
B) 15...Qc7!∞ with pretty much an unclear position. There is some fight on the queenside and
Black’s chances are not worse than White’s.
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14...f5
Following the plan!

Black has impressive statistics here, so it is the most expected move.
Black can also try playing slowly, but it should not lead to anything good for Black as White then has
time to develop his own initiative. For example: 14...Bf6 15.b3 Bg7 16.g4!? (stopping ...f5 in
advance) 16...Nb7 17.Ng3 Bd7 18.Kh2 a5 19.Rg1² and White has good prospects on the kingside,
while the queenside is still closed. It looks like White’s attack is just faster.
15.Bh6!
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Position after: 15.Bh6!
15...Rf7
A) 15...Rf6 is the alternative. It anticipates exf5 next in order to win an important tempo (the h6-
bishop would be under attack) but the rook is misplaced in other lines. 16.a4! This puts a lot of
pressure on Black. 16...Bd7
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17.b4 [17.Ne3!? also deserves attention, e.g., 17...Nxa4 18.Bxa4 bxa4 19.Rxa4! Rf7 20.Ra3±]
17...cxb4 18.cxb4 Nac4 19.a5 Na4 [19...Nc8?! is just very passive. 20.Rc1±] 20.Bxa4 bxa4 21.Rc1
Position after: 21.Rc1
21...fxe4 [21...Na3 22.Ng5!± this is the main difference relative to 15...Rf7. This move is now
possible!; 21...Bb5 22.Rc3+–] 22.Rxe4 Na3 23.Re3 Nb5 24.Qxa4 Nd4 25.Qa3± with an extra pawn
and great winning chances.
B) 15...Re8?? is obviously bad due to 16.exf5 gxf5 17.Ng3+– and Black’s kingside and f5-pawn are
vulnerable.
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Position after: 15...Rf7
16.exf5!
It is important to open the center and begin aggressive play on the kingside. Being familiar with this
idea is essential for this line.
16.a4 is not so great now 16...Bd7 17.b4 cxb4 18.cxb4 Nac4 19.a5 Na4 20.Bxa4 bxa4 21.Rc1 Na3
White cannot play 22.Ng5. Black is doing well here.
16...gxf5 17.Ng3ƒ
Position after: 17.Ng3ƒ
White has an initiative on the kingside. The position is obviously quite complex, and it requires
courage to make such committal decisions involving sacrifices. This is the biggest practical difficulty
for White but once it is overcome I believe that Black does not have good prospects here.
17...e4
Here, White needs to be accurate:

17...Nac4 18.b3!N [18.Nh2?? Has only been played so far and Black is better after 18...Bg5!µ]
18...Na3 19.Bd3 e4 [19...c4 20.Bf1+– and the a3-knight is in trouble.] 20.Bxe4! fxe4 21.Rxe4‚
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Position after: 21.Rxe4‚
This is an even better version of the main line. The evaluation is +3 according to Stockfish. A sample
line: 21...Kh8 22.Qd3 Bb7 23.Nh5 Nxd5 24.Rae1 Qd7 25.c4+–.
18.Bxe4! fxe4 19.Rxe4‚
Position after: 19.Rxe4‚
White has a very strong attack on the kingside and, thanks to the full control over the center, the
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attack gains in strength. The following lines show some of the possible courses of action. White
retains very good winning chances everywhere:
19...Bb7
A) 19...Kh8 20.Qe2! Nxd5 21.Ng5 Qg8 22.Nxf7+ Qxf7 23.a4+–

B) 19...Rf6 20.Bg5 Rf7 21.Qe2 Ra7 22.Rd1! Bxg5 23.Re8+ Rf8 24.Rxd8 Bxd8 25.b3 Rg7 26.Nh5
Rg6 27.Kh2±
20.Rg4+ Kh8 21.Nh5! Bf8 22.Ng5
Bringing all the pieces to the attack!
22...Re7 23.Ne6 Rxe6 24.Bxf8 Rg6 25.Bg7+ Kg8 26.Qd3! Rxg4 27.hxg4+–
Position after: 27.hxg4+–
White’s attack is extremely strong.
e) 11...Qc7
11.d4 Qc7
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12.d5!?
As I discussed in the Introduction to the Chigorin Variation, I believe that the space advantage, that
this move offers, gives White good chances. White’s plan now is two-fold: first, make sure that Black
does not get active play on the queenside and if given a chance, try to exploit possible weakening of
the queenside in the future (like after 12...c4, which will be discussed soon). After that, White may
begin the classical plan of advancing on the kingside. The maneuver Nbd2-Nf1-Ng3 (or g4-Ng3)
would be a perfect start. Generally, White has lots of possibilities and Black is rather passive and
without much counterplay as he is trying to hold on.
12.Nbd2 is the most popular line by White. The theory here is immense and in order to not spend all
the time analyzing those positions, I decided to choose a simpler approach. Also, I am not sure
whether after the following two lines White has much: 12...Bd7 [Or the classical 12...cxd4 13.cxd4
Nc6] 13.Nf1 Nc4 following the game So – Carlsen (2015) in which the World Champion equalized
quite comfortably.
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12...Nc4
In my eyes this is the most logical move. The knight on the edge of the board does not do much and it
has to be brought back to the game.
A) 12...c4? is another attempt to improve the knight. With this move Black vacates the c5-square
and hopes to play ...Nb7 and ...Nc5. It would be all nice if not for 13.b4! which poses a difficult
problem to Black - trade with en passant or the retreat ...Nb7. And the truth is that none of them are
good for Black. For instance: 13...cxb3 14.axb3
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A1) 14...Nb7 is met by 15.b4!± taking control over the c5-square anyway with a huge advantage
for White. The b7-knight is simply awful. White wants to put more pressure on the queenside and
eventually probably play c4. With such bad pieces Black has little hopes for survival.
A2) 14...Bd7 15.Bd3! preparing a swing of the rook through the second rank. 15...Rfb8 16.Re2! the
rook is headed to a2, finally forcing the knight to retreat. 16...Nb7 17.b4!±
Position after: 17.b4!±
with a big advantage for White, as in Gashimov – Inarkiev (2010). Some exemplar next moves:
17...Qc8 [17...a5? 18.Rea2 a4 19.Bd2 Nd8 20.Na3 is strategically hopeless for Black, e.g.
20...Qb7 21.c4 bxc4 22.Nxc4 Bb5 23.Qe2+–] 18.Rea2 Nd8 19.Be3 Ne8 20.Nbd2 f5 21.exf5 Bxf5
22.Qc2 Bxd3 23.Qxd3±.
B) 12...Bd7 seems to be a regular developing move. However, it leaves the a5-knight misplaced:
13.b3!
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Position after: 13.b3!
B1) 13...Rfe8 This move was tried quite recently in game Robson – Smirin (2019). Delaying ...
Nb7 does not change much: 14.Nbd2 g6 15.Nf1 Nh5 16.Ng3!?
Position after: 16.Ng3!?
A nice move by Ray. White does not have to fear doubling the pawns as it only opens the f-file
which could be used in attacking the kingside in the future. 16...Nxg3 [After 16...Ng7 White can
play nearly anything with advantage. For instance, 17.Nh2± with idea Rf1, f4, Ng4 looks very
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logical.; 16...Nf4 17.Bxf4 exf4 18.Ne2±] 17.fxg3 Nb7 18.Be3 c4 19.b4 a5 20.a4!± Robson –
Smirin (2019).
B2) 13...c4?! is a mistake due to 14.b4 Nb7 15.a4!
and on top of good chances on the kingside, White takes over on the queenside as well. 15...g6
[15...Rfb8 16.Be3 Nd8 17.Nbd2±] 16.Be3 Nh5 17.Nbd2 Ng7 18.Qe2±
Position after: 18.Qe2±
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with the idea of doubling on the a-file. This position reminds me of a game Karpov – Unzicker
(1974) where Karpov illustrated the amazing idea of playing Ba7, taking control over the a-file.
B3) 13...Nb7 Black tries to immediately improve this knight. 14.c4 building up a strong center and
trying to develop the knight to the c3-square. [14.Nbd2 is also possible, but why not try to
strengthen the center?] 14...b4 [14...g6 15.Nc3!] 15.Nbd2 White wants to bring the knight to the
kingside and begin a kingside expansion. 15...g6 16.Nf1 Nh5
Position after: 16...Nh5
This is a typical plan for Black. Right now Black wants to bring the knight to the g7-square, play
...f6 and then play ...Nd8–...Nf7, finally improving the knight. It is a long plan, but a decent one.
Unfortunately for Black, it does not really solve his lack of space problem. 17.Bh6 Ng7 18.g4! f6
19.Ng3 Nd8 20.Be3 Nf7
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Position after: 20...Nf7
Despite improving the knight, White retains the advantage. As the queenside is pretty much
blocked, White wants to further expand on the kingside and hopefully develop a strong attack
against Black’s king. A good example of White’s strategy was seen in the game Huschenbeth –
Stern (2019): 21.Kh2 Kh8 22.Rg1 Rg8 23.Ne1 a5 24.a4 Raf8 25.Ng2 Qc8 26.Qd3 Rd8 27.Raf1
Bf8 28.Bc1 Ne8 29.f4!? exf4 30.Nxf4 Ne5 31.Qe2 Bg7 32.Nf5!
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with strong pressure, despite a very closed position.
C) 12...Ne8 allows 13.b3! as well. In reality, the game follows a similar pattern to Huschenbeth –
Stern (2019), discussed after 12...Bd7. 13...g6 14.Bh6 Ng7 15.Nbd2 Nb7 16.Nf1
16...f6 [16...f5?! only weakens the kingside. 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Ng3± with lots of pressure on the
kingside. On the next move, Ng5 could be an idea.] 17.g4 Nd8 18.Ng3 Nf7 19.Be3±
13.b3 Nb6 14.a4
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An important position. Black has some choices here.
14...c4!?
Even though there were only a few games like that, I believe that this is the best attempt by Black to
equalize. White has essentially two decent options here: 15.bxc4 and 15.b4. Both of them offer good
chances and I am going to analyze both.
A) 14...Bd7 This is the most popular move here. Black makes a simple developmental move and
vacates the c8-square for the knight, hoping to transfer the knight to the kingside through the c8- and
e7-squares. However, after 15.a5 Nc8 16.c4!
I really like White’s chances. 16...b4 17.Nbd2 As seen earlier, after locking down the queenside,
White focuses all of his forces on the kingside. There were several games here of top GMs that
showed a great strategy for White. Let us have a look:
A1) 17...g6 18.Nf1 Nh5 19.g4!? [19.Bh6 is also very good. 19...Ng7 20.g4±] 19...Nf4 20.Bxf4
exf4 21.Qd2 Bf6 22.Qxf4 Bxa1 23.Rxa1± Caruana – Naroditsky (2020). White has more than
sufficient compensation for the exchange.
A2) 17...Bd8 this was played in Grischuk – Rapport (2017). There, a long maneuvering play
follows, but it is White who is in charge: 18.Nf1 Kh8 19.Ra2 Qb8 20.Be3 Ne7
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21.Ng3 [21.Nxe5!? dxe5 22.Bxc5 is also worth of considering.] 21...Qc8 22.Nh4 Neg8 23.Rf1!
(preparing f4) 23...Ne8 24.Nf3 Bf6 25.Nh2 Ne7 26.Nh5 Ng6
27.Bb1 [27.f4! worked really well too, but in such position there is usually no rush and Grischuk’s
approach is perfectly fine too.] 27...Qd8 28.Qc1 Kg8 29.Kh1 Bh4 30.f4!± Finally, opening the
center with a big advantage. Grischuk won this convincingly.
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B) 14...bxa4? 15.bxa4
Position after: 15.bxa4
Black voluntarily weakens the queenside and gives White full control on this side of the board too.
White has a big advantage, for example: 15...Nc4 [15...a5 16.Na3 Ba6 17.Be3 Rfb8 18.Nd2±]
16.Nfd2 Na5 17.Na3 Nd7 18.Nac4 Nxc4 19.Nxc4 a5 20.Na3±
Position after: 14...c4!?
15.bxc4
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A) However, 15.axb5 is not advisable for White. 15...cxb3 16.Bd3 [16.Bxb3 axb5 17.Rxa8 Nxa8
does not look problematic for Black at all.] Black can play 16...Nfd7!
Position after: 16...Nfd7!
with ...Nc5 and ...f5 next. Black has decent counterplay, e.g. 17.Qxb3 Nc5 18.Qc2 f5! 19.Nbd2
axb5 20.Rxa8 Nxa8 21.Bxb5 Nb6©
B) 15.b4!? This move also puts lots of pressure on Black. Probably with absolutely best moves
Black can equalize, but it does not matter - over the board Black’s task will be very hard! 15...Nxa4
[15...Bd7?! allows 16.a5 closing the queenside and, similarly to what we have seen so far, White can
now focus on the kingside. 16...Nc8 17.Nbd2 h6 18.Nf1 Nh7 19.Ng3² /±] 16.Bxa4 bxa4 17.Qxa4
This is an important position.
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Position after: 17.Qxa4
B1) 17...Bd7?! This “automatic” human move is bad for Black. 18.Qa2! Rfc8 19.Na3 Rab8
[19...a5? 20.b5± was in Lupulescu – Galdunts (2009) with a big advantage.] 20.Bg5 h6 21.Bxf6
Bxf6 22.Nc2 Bb5 23.Ne3²/±
B2) 17...Nd7?? runs into 18.Qc6!+–.
B3) 17...Ne8! I think that only this move maintains the balance. The idea is to play ...f5. 18.Nfd2
[18.Qc6 Qxc6 19.dxc6 f5] 18...f5! 19.Qc6! Qxc6 20.dxc6
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B3.1) 20...Be6?! 21.b5! Bd8 22.Rd1! The position seems unclear but in reality Black is in
trouble. White wins a pawn soon and then continues challenging Black’s weaknesses. 22...Bb6
23.Rxa6 Rxa6 24.bxa6 Rf7 25.Na3! (now aiming at the c4-pawn) 25...Ra7 26.exf5 Bxf5
27.Ndxc4 Rxa6 28.Nb5±
Position after: 28.Nb5±
surrounding and winning the d6-pawn. White has clear advantage.

B3.2) 20...fxe4! The best defense by Black. 21.Nxc4 Be6 22.Nb6 Rb8 23.Be3
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Black is under serious pressure. The c6-pawn is strong, and it is not easy to deal with it. In fact,
there is only one path for Black to keep the balance. 23...Bg5! The only move. With tactics Black
somehow manages to escape to only a slightly worse endgame: 24.Nd7 Bxd7 25.cxd7 Bxe3!
26.fxe3 Nc7 27.Nd2 Rfd8 28.Nxe4 Rxd7
Position after: 28...Rxd7
By a miracle Black managed to get to this endgame. With correct play Black should eventually
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fully equalize but for now White still has some pressure: 29.Ra5!?²
15...Bd7!
A very strong move from Black. If not this then White would have had a big advantage.
For example, 15...bxa4? loses to 16.c5! Qxc5 17.Nxe5! dxe5 18.Ba3 Qc7 19.d6+–.
16.axb5 axb5 17.Rxa8 Rxa8 18.cxb5 Bxb5©
White has an extra pawn, but Black has decent compensation for the pawn. It is not so easy to play it
with White and Black can count on good active piece play. Still, White is better but converting it may
not be an easy task.
Position after: 18...Bxb5©
19.Nfd2!?
A little bit of a counterintuitive move, but the idea is to bring the knight to the queenside and
completely secure everything. Once this is done, White may start looking for ways to advance his
pieces. Alternatives are worse:
A) 19.Bd3 Bxd3 20.Qxd3 Nfd7 21.Ba3 Nc5©
B) 19.Na3 Ba6 20.Re3 Nc4 21.Nxc4 Bxc4 22.Bd2 Bd8 23.Re1 Qa5 24.Nh2 Bb6©
19...Nfd7
19...Nc4 20.Nxc4 Bxc4 21.Na3²
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20.Na3 Ba6 21.Ndb1!
Position after: 21.Ndb1!
With this awkward maneuver White secured everything on the queenside. It is harder now to develop
Black’s initiative. The position is kind of hard to play with both sides, but it is still harder to play with
Black, at least from a psychological point of view. Black is a pawn down and generally if this is the
case Black should try to find some direct ideas to complicate the position. Here, it is not possible.
This can induce suboptimal decisions.
I think that White has some chances. Some model lines:
21...Nc5 22.Be3 Bc4
A) 22...h6 23.Qg4!
B) 22...Bd8 23.Nd2! Nbd7 24.c4 Qa5 25.Ndb1² White has made some progress. The idea could be
Bd2 and Nc3, followed by installing one of the knights on the b5-square.
23.Kh2!?²
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Position after: 23.Kh2!?²
It is not easy to react to such a move! White made a waiting move that slightly improves the position.
Maybe the idea is to create some attack on the kingside? Maybe prepare f4? Maybe in some lines it is
simply better to have the king there? I cannot answer those questions because I simply do not know!
But neither does Black! Psychology plays an important role here. And we cannot forget that White
still has an extra pawn. So, which path for White is better: 15.bxc4 or 15.b4? In my opinion it
depends on the preferences. Someone may like one line, someone the other. But the truth is that both
offer good chances to White and that is the most important!
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Chapter 6
Breyer Variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8
Chapter Guide
Chapter 6 – Breyer Variation
a) Introduction
b) 10.d4 Nbd7 11.c4!? c6 12.Nc3 Qc7
c) 10.d4 Nbd7 11.c4!? c6 12.Nc3 b4
a) Introduction
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The Breyer Variation is one of the most popular variations in the Ruy Lopez. Its history reaches 1911
when Gyula Breyer recommended this line and eventually it was named after him. My database
includes roughly 9,000 games here, some of them employed by strong GMs. One of the specialists of
this line is the Egyptian GM Amin Bassem, who has played this opening his entire life with good
results. The main idea of this seemingly silly 9...Nb8 move (after all, Black played 2...Nc6 and now
the knight comes back to its initial square) is to prepare against White’s main idea, which obviously is
building a strong center with the move d4. By playing 9...Nb8 Black wants to transfer the knight to
the d7-square where it supports the center in a very flexible way. For instance, if Black does not do it
and leaves the knight on the c6-square, White can sometimes consider playing d5 with tempi. Also,
after the transfer of the knight to the d7-square, the black bishop can go to the b7-square and put some
pressure on White’s center.
10.d4 Nbd7 11.c4!?
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This is the modern approach to the Breyer Variation which in recent years has become a viable
alternative to the classical approach (9.Nbd2) to this line. After 11.c4, White’s idea is to develop the
knight to the c3-square instead of to the d2-square. By immediately beginning the battle in the center,
Black does not have time to comfortably regroup the pieces, as in the 9.Nbd2 line. Personally, I have
never played this line and so far I have only chosen the classical approach. However, I think that the
11.c4 line for a reason became a hot topic in the Breyer and I believe that it poses certain problems to
Black, especially because Black cannot achieve an easy setup.
11.Nbd2 is what I have played so far. 11...Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6
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A) 15.b3 is what I chose in 2016 against Nikita Maiorov and I won a nice game. Those lines also
offer quite good chances for White, but I think that Black has quite simple play, while after 11.c4!? I
feel like the position is hard to play with Black from a practical point of view. And very often in
chess it is all about practical decision making, which may not be so easy for Black!
B) 15.Bg5 I chose twice, most notably against Amin Bassem in 2017. Even though I had a great
position, I eventually lost in the endgame.
11...c6
This is by far the best choice by Black. There are alternatives but they are not so good. I will discuss
all the lines in the following analysis!
b) 10.d4 Nbd7 11.c4!? c6 12.Nc3 Qc7
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4
Nbd7 11.c4!?
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11...c6
This is by far the best choice by Black.

Alternatives are clearly inferior:
A) 11...b4 This move’s goal is to deprive the knight of c3 but it allows 12.c5! with strong pressure
in the center:
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A1) 12...Bb7? runs into the strong 13.Qc2! and White is actually on the verge of winning:
13...exd4 14.c6! d3 15.Qc4 Nb6 16.cxb7! trading a queen for a rook and two minor pieces, which
results in a massive material advantage for White. 16...Nxc4 17.bxa8=Q Qxa8 18.Bxc4 Nxe4
19.Nbd2! d5 20.Bxd5 Qxd5 21.Rxe4 Bc5 22.b3+– with Bb2 and Rc1 or Rce1 next.
A2) 12...exd4 13.cxd6 cxd6 14.Nxd4²
Position after: 14.Nxd4²
White has a typical advantage in the Ruy Lopez, where pawn trades on d4-square were somewhat
premature for Black. For instance: 14...Bb7 [14...Nc5 15.Nc6 Qd7 16.Nxb4 Nfxe4 17.Bd5 Bb7
18.Nc3 Nxc3 19.bxc3 Rfe8 20.Be3±] 15.Nf5 Nc5 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Re8 18.Qd4 Bxe4 19.Nxe7+
Rxe7 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Nd2±
B) 11...c5
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This is a typical thrust by Black in the Breyer. It is generally a good idea for Black to play it if
White goes for the classical setup. Here, however, the b1-knight has the possibility of going to the
c3-square from where it can eventually go to the d5-square. 12.dxe5! Nxe5 [12...dxe5 13.Nc3 b4
14.Nd5± is just very bad for Black from a strategic point of view.] 13.Nxe5 dxe5 14.Nc3
14...Qxd1 Black probably should try to simplify the position in order to have better chances to hold.
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[14...Rb8 allows White to keep queens on the board with 15.Qe2! White has a nice edge as in the
following game: 15...Qb6 16.a4 b4 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.cxd5 a5 19.Bc4± Gadimbayli – Aleksandrov
(2019).] 15.Rxd1
Position after: 15.Rxd1
B1) 15...Rb8 was in an old game, Geller – Kholmov (1972). 16.a4! Be6 17.Nd5! an improvement
over the aforementioned game. [17.axb5 played Geller] 17...Bxd5 18.exd5 Bd6 19.cxb5 axb5
20.axb5 Rxb5 21.Bc4 Rb6 22.b3±
B2) 15...Be6 Probably the best defense. 16.Nd5! [16.cxb5 This is also possible, but after 16...axb5
17.Bxe6 fxe6 18.Nxb5 Nxe4 White is better too, but here Black has decent drawing chances
thanks to his piece activity.] 16...Bxd5 17.exd5² White has a stable advantage. It may seem like
Black is close to equality thanks to the possible blockade on the dark squares, but as the following
example lines show it is not so easy. The problem is that with the pawn on b5 there are certain
issues with Black’s pawn structure. 17...Ne4 [17...Bd6 18.a4! bxc4 19.Bxc4 Nd7 20.Re1 f5
21.f3±] 18.Be3 Rfc8 [18...Nd6 19.Bxc5 Rfc8 20.Ba3 bxc4 21.Ba4²] 19.a4!
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19...b4 [19...bxc4 20.Bxc4 Nd6 21.Rac1²] 20.Bc2 Nd6 21.b3 f5 22.Re1² White’s plan is to first
improve his pieces and then prepare to play g4, challenging the kingside and utilizing the c2-
bishop.
C) 11...Bb7 12.Nc3
Here, Black should transpose to another line with 12...c6, which is discussed after 11...c6 12.Nc3
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Bb7. Alternatives to this are worse: 12...bxc4 [12...b4 13.Nd5± is exactly what White wants.]
13.Bxc4 Nb6 14.Bb3 exd4 15.Nxd4 Nfd7 16.Nf5 Bf6 17.Be3±
D) 11...exd4 is not good for Black as it releases the tension in the center for not good reason. Now
White has easy development of his pieces and Black is struggling: 12.Nxd4 Bb7 13.Nc3 Nc5
14.Nd5!
Position after: 14.Nd5!
14...Re8 [14...Nxd5 15.cxd5±] 15.cxb5 Nxd5 16.bxa6 Rxa6 17.Bxd5 Bf6 18.Bxb7 Nxb7 19.Nc2±
White is clearly better.
12.Nc3
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12...Qc7!?
This move is actually a decent alternative to the main move 12...b4. Black does not rush with the
development of the c8-bishop and keeps a possibility of playing ...exd4 in the future, often followed
by ...Bd7. At first I thought that White is simply better after playing 13.a3, as it happened in the
majority of games so far, but thorough analysis showed that things are far from clear. Therefore, I
was forced to look for an advantage elsewhere and I think I found it.
12...Bb7 13.a3! securing the knight on the c3-square.
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A) 13...exd4 14.Nxd4 Ne5 releases the tension in the center, but it puts some pressure on the c4-
pawn. White can respond in the following way: 15.cxb5! axb5 16.Be3 Re8 17.Qc2 g6 18.Rad1²
with a clear advantage and good prospects.
B) 13...Qc7 14.Be3
B1) 14...Rac8 15.Rc1 Qb8 16.cxb5 axb5 17.dxe5 Nxe5 [17...dxe5 18.Nh4±] 18.Nd4±
B2) 14...Rad8 15.Rc1 Qb8 16.Qc2 with a clear advantage for White, as in Baron – Adhiban
(2012). In the game there followed a very speculative 16...bxc4 17.Bxc4 d5!? but White is much
better after 18.dxe5 Nxe5 19.Nxe5 Qxe5 20.exd5 Bd6 21.f4 Qh5 22.dxc6! [22.Qf2? cxd5∞ Baron
– Adhiban (2012).] 22...Bxc6 23.Bxa6 Rfe8 24.Qf2+– and I do not see sufficient compensation for
Black.
C) 13...Re8 14.Be3 Bf8 Black’s typical regrouping may give White a chance at obtaining a big
positional advantage. 15.dxe5! Nxe5 [15...dxe5? loses to 16.cxb5 axb5 17.Bxf7+! Kxf7 18.Qb3+
Ke7 19.Ng5 Qa5 20.Red1! with a crushing attack.] 16.Nxe5 dxe5 [16...Rxe5 17.Qf3±] 17.Qf3!
Position after: 17.Qf3
White should keep the queens on the board as White has a space advantage and simplifications
would ease Black’s defensive task. The b7-bishop is bad so it is logical to improve it. 17...Bc8 Now
White continues with 18.Red1 Qe7 19.c5±, seizing even more space on the queenside and in the
center. The key idea is that 19...Be6 will be met with 20.Nd5! cxd5 21.exd5 and White’s c- and d-
pawns are simply marching forward. White has a huge advantage: 21...e4 22.Qg3 Bf5 23.d6±.
13.cxb5!
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I think that this is the best path for White. Even though it is a novelty in this position.
After 13.a3!?, which has been mostly played here, I think that Black can equalize.
A) 13...Rb8?! is inaccurate due to 14.Qc2². White overprotects the b2-pawn with an idea of
developing the c1-bishop. In Tiglon – Moradiabadi (2019) followed 14...Qb7 and White missed
here a great possibility for a big advantage with 15.c5!±
B) 13...exd4! 14.Nxd4 Ne5 15.cxb5 axb5
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B1) 16.f4!? is logical too but Black seems to hold after 16...b4!, for example: 17.Na4 [17.Na2
bxa3 18.fxe5 dxe5 19.Nf3 Rb8!∞ looks very unclear.] 17...Ng6 18.axb4 c5 19.Qc2 Bd8
20.Nf3 [20.bxc5 retains an extra pawn, but Black has a strong compensation after 20...dxc5
21.Nb5 Qb8 22.Bc4 Nh5©] 20...cxb4 21.f5 Ne5 22.Nxe5 dxe5= and I don’t see here any serious
problems for Black.
B2) 16.Bg5 This is my initial idea in this position. 16...h6 17.Bh4 b4! A nice tactical idea
simplifying the position and opening the queenside. 18.axb4 Rxa1 19.Qxa1 Qb6! The key move,
which maintains the balance. I could not find here anything satisfactory for White. Some example
lines: [An immediate 19...Nd3?? is bad due to 20.Rd1 Nxb4 21.Qa4! Qb6 22.Na2!+– and
suddenly White wins.]
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B2.1) 20.Qd1 Qxb4 21.f4 Ng6 22.Bf2 [22.Bg3 Bd7=] 22...Qb7!=

B2.2) 20.Nc2 Nd3 21.Rd1 Nxb4 22.Nd4 [22.Ne3 Be6=] 22...Rd8=
13...axb5 14.Qc2
There is actually a transposition to a game Sutovsky – Mindlin (2018) that arose from a different
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move order. I like this position for White: there is an immediate threat of Nxb5 that Black has to deal
with somehow and Black cannot quickly play ...exd4 followed by ...Ne5, as it was the case after
13.a3. It means that in many similar positions White will have an extra tempo.
14...Qb7
14...Qb8 is a little bit passive. White has many paths to the advantage: 15.Bg5 [15.dxe5!? dxe5
16.Be3 also deserves attention, e.g. 16...c5 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.Bxd5 Bb7 19.Red1²] 15...h6 16.Bh4
Bb7 17.Rad1 Re8 18.a3² and White is slightly better. Sutovsky – Mindlin (2018).
15.a3!
A useful move, that gives White some edge.
15...exd4
The most logical.

A) After 15...c5 White has two paths to advantage: 16.Nd5 [16.Bd5!? Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Re8 18.dxe5
dxe5 19.Nxe7+!? Rxe7 20.Nh4²] 16...Re8 17.dxc5 dxc5 18.Nxe7+ Rxe7 19.Ba2²
B) An important thing is that after 15...b4?! 16.Na4! bxa3 17.bxa3± opening of the queenside is in
White’s favor.
16.Nxd4 Ne5
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The difference between this position and the one after 13.a3 exd4 14.Nxd4 Ne5 is that inclusion of
moves Qc2 and ...Qb7 is clearly in White’s favor - after all, the white queen is placed better than
initially, while the black queen is not better than it was on c7-square. I think that White has a pleasant
advantage, however the position still remains quite complicated, as all the pieces remain on the board.
Some example lines:
17.Be3 Re8 18.f4 Ng6
18...Nc4?! 19.Bf2 with an idea a4 looks dangerous to Black, e.g. 19...d5 20.exd5 Nxd5 21.a4! Nxc3
22.Qxc3 Bd7 23.a5±
19.Nf3!?²
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Position after: 19.Nf3!?²
c) 10.d4 Nbd7 11.c4!? c6 12.Nc3 b4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4
Nbd7 11.c4!? c6 12.Nc3 b4
Black should kick white knight from the c3-square. Otherwise, with the c3-knight White will have a
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very strong control over the center.
13.Ne2!
This move involves a pawn sacrifice, but it poses the largest challenge to Black.
13.Na4 is another possibility but practice has proved that Black is doing quite well here, as the a4-
knight is misplaced: 13...c5 14.d5 Re8 15.a3 a5 16.Bc2 Nf8 17.b3 Ng6 18.Nb2 Bd7 19.Be3 h6
20.Ra2 Nh7 21.Qd2 Ng5= with approximate equality, as in Vallejo Pons – Carlsen (2015).
13...Nxe4
A principled approach by Black - accepting the pawn sacrifice!

13...c5 could be an alternative but it does not really lead to anything good for Black: 14.dxe5
A) 14...dxe5 15.Ng3²
is simply better for White. Black’s knights are far from reaching the d4-square, while White pieces
are very well placed and have a rather easy path to further improvement. The plans for White could
be (among many) Qe2-Rd1, develop the c1-bishop forward or provoke weaknesses on the kingside.
B) 14...Nxe5 15.Ng3! [I think that this move is better than 15.Nf4. Now, the knight is headed to the
f5-square.]
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15...a5 [15...Nfd7 16.Nf5 Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 Ne5 18.Nxe7+ Qxe7 19.Qg3²] 16.Nf5 Bxf5 17.exf5
Nfd7 18.Ba4²
14.Qc2!
Position after: 14.Qc2!
The most challenging move. Right now, Black has some choices.
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14...f5
This is the main move, and it should be investigated first. For some time the alternatives have been
neglected, but lately there have been some games with other moves too.
A) 14...Nef6?! This passive retreat is quite a solid option, but it allows White to develop and
initiative without many difficulties. 15.Ng3 (with the threat of 16.c5) 15...c5 16.dxe5 Nxe5
17.Nxe5 dxe5 18.Rxe5 Bd6 19.Re2ƒ
Position after: 19.Re2ƒ
The critical position. Black has daunting statistics here of only 30%, especially among the games of
GMs. This suggests that White has good chances, and the following analysis is confirmation.
A1) 19...Re8 This rare move has not been played so far by GMs. White maintains initiative:
20.Rxe8+! Black faces a tough choice. 20...Qxe8 [20...Nxe8 avoids the unpleasant Bg5, but on the
other hand it is a very passive retreat. White is better after simple developmental moves: 21.Be3
Bb7 22.Rd1 Qb6 23.Ba4 Nf6 24.Qf5!? h6 25.Nh5 Nxh5 26.Qxh5²] 21.Bg5! The threat of Bxf6 is
pretty annoying.
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An attempt to resolve it by 21...Bxg3 22.fxg3 Ne4 runs into 23.Ba4 Qe6 24.Re1 Bb7 25.Qd3!²
with position similar to the one discussed after 19...Bb7.
A2) 19...Qc7 20.Bg5 Bxg3 21.fxg3 Qxg3 22.Bxf6 gxf6 23.Rf1ƒ
Position after: 23.Rf1ƒ
with a strong initiative. The game Oparin – Amin (2019) followed 23...Qg6 24.Re3! Qxc2
25.Bxc2 Be6 26.Rg3+ Kh8 27.Bxh7!+– and White won.
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A3) 19...Bb7 This natural development of the bishop does not solve the opening issues that Black
faces. 20.Bg5! Bxg3 21.fxg3
Position after: 21.fxg3
A3.1) 21...Qd4+? was Shirov – Santos Latasa (2019) but it is simply bad for Black: 22.Be3 Qe5
23.Bf4 Qd4+ 24.Kh2± it is just a much better version of the 21...h6 line as the black queen is
misplaced. In the afore-mentioned game followed 24...Ne4? after which White simply wins:
25.Rd1! Qf6 26.Rxe4 Bxe4 27.Qxe4+–.
A3.2) 21...h6 22.Rd1 Qb6 23.Bf4 Rad8 24.Rde1 Rfe8 25.g4² The bishop pair gives White a nice
edge.
B) 14...Ng5?! is not good for Black: 15.Bxg5! Bxg5
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Position after: 15...Bxg5
Here, White has two possibilities. 16.Rad1! Personally, I would be leaning towards this move.
[16.c5!? is an interesting alternative but it is less clear: 16...exd4 17.Nexd4 Nxc5 18.Nxc6 Qf6
19.Nxb4 Nxb3 20.Qxb3 Be6 and I am not sure whether White has anything special here.] 16...Bf6
17.Ng3 Qc7 [17...exd4 only helps White to centralize the knights. 18.Nxd4 Qc7 19.Ne4±] 18.Nh5!
ƒ
Position after: 18.Nh5!ƒ
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with a strong initiative, e.g. 18...exd4 [18...Bd8 19.c5 d5 20.dxe5 Be7 21.Qc1!? Nxc5 22.Nf6+ gxf6
23.exf6 Bxf6 24.Qxc5ƒ; 18...c5 19.dxe5 Bxe5 20.Qd2!ƒ] 19.c5 d5 20.Nxd4 Bg5 21.h4! Bxh4
22.Nf5ƒ.
C) 14...Ndf6!? This move is a very interesting one. As we will see in a moment, it provokes
aggression from White and temporarily the position becomes extremely unclear. However, with an
accurate sequence of moves (which is not easy for Black to find) White retains an advantage.
C1) 15.dxe5?! was played in Zhu – Moroni (2019) and after 15...dxe5 16.Nxe5 Bc5! 17.Nd3 Ba7
Black is doing well. Due to the very strong activity of the black pieces (a7-bishop and e4-knight),
White possibly should look for equality and play 18.c5 Bf5 19.Qc4 Be6 20.Qc2 Bf5= with a
possible repetition.
C2) 15.c5! The best move by White. 15...Bf5!
Position after: 15...Bf5!
16.Nh4! Again, this is the most direct and powerful try by White. White puts a lot of pressure on
Black’s center. 16...Bd7 [16...Be6?! 17.cxd6 Qxd6 18.dxe5 Qc5 19.Be3! Qxe5 20.Bxe6 Qxe6
21.Nd4 Qd7 22.Rad1±] 17.cxd6 Bxd6 18.f3!
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A very important move. Now a sequence of a few forced moves follows after which White retains
a nice positional advantage: 18...Nd5! 19.Qxe4 f5 20.Bxd5+ Kh8! (not an easy move to see for
Black from a few moves back!) 21.Nxf5! This is not the only move but it is the simplest. 21...Bxf5
22.Qe3 exd4 23.Qxd4 Qe7!? [23...cxd5 24.Bf4² is an even better version of the main line.] 24.Be3
cxd5 25.Bf2² White enjoys a nice positional advantage.
15.c5+
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Position after: 15.c5+
15...d5
15...Kh8 is an alternative and it happened in an only one game so far, Kantans – Oparin (2018). I do
not think that Black can equalize here: 16.cxd6 Bxd6 17.Be3 Qc7! [17...Bb7? was played by Oparin
but he quickly got into big trouble: 18.Rad1 Qf6 19.dxe5 Nxe5 20.Nxe5 Qxe5 21.Bf4 Qf6 22.f3
Bxf4 23.Nxf4 Ng5 24.Qc5+– with a strategically winning position for White.] 18.Rac1!
Position after: 18.Rac1!
White has nice pressure in the center. The position is still quite complicated but definitely this is the
way to play with White. 18...exd4 19.Nfxd4 Ndc5 20.f3! f4 [If 20...Ng3 then 21.Nxc6! is strong:
21...Nxe2+ 22.Rxe2 Nxb3 23.Qxb3 Re8 24.Qd1!²] 21.Nxf4 Bxf4 22.fxe4 Nxb3 23.Bxf4! Qxf4
24.Nxb3² heading with the knight to the c5-square. White has a nice edge.
16.Be3
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The main position of this line.
16...Kh8
This is the most popular response probably driven by fear of a pin on the a2-g8 diagonal. It is
obviously logical, but still, this move is not necessary and there are alternatives.
A) 16...f4!? Back in 2015 I used to think that this is a very good line for Black as I believed that my
analysis holds. Revising my analysis while writing this book made me discover new paths for White
that actually make Black’s task really difficult and I no longer think it is such a great line.
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Position after: 16...f4!?
A1) 17.Qxe4?! is the only move that has been played here so far. It leads to massive complications
that are completely unnecessary. 17...Kh8! 18.Bxd5 cxd5 19.Qxd5 fxe3 20.Qxa8 exf2+ 21.Kxf2
and now both 21...Qc7∞ and 21...exd4∞ are completely unclear.
A2) 17.Bxf4!N Although I had it in my old analysis. 17...Nxf2 [17...exf4? 18.Qxe4+– is just awful
for Black.] 18.dxe5
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18...Nxh3+! The best attempt by Black. [18...Bxc5 is a mistake as after 19.Kh2! Qe8 20.Rf1±
there are irresolvable issues with the f2-knight.] 19.gxh3 Nxc5 20.Nfd4 Qe8 21.Bg3! An
improvement over my old analysis. The point is the prophylaxis and aiming at stabilizing the
kingside. White can achieve that by playing Nf4. After all, White has an extra piece and there are
no immediate threats. So, if White manages to consolidate on the kingside, Black will be left
without any hope for counterplay. [21.Rad1 was the move I considered in 2015 and I thought that
Black is fine after 21...Kh8. But, as it is nowadays, the engines find new solutions!]
21...Bxh3! The best defense. [21...a5? trying to trap the bishop does not work: 22.Ba4! Nxa4
23.Qxa4 Ra6 24.e6 with a big advantage for White. A try to create a counterplay on the kingside
with 24...Qg6 is met by 25.Qc2!± neutralizing any threats.] 22.Nf4! Nxb3 23.Qxb3
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Position after: 23.Qxb3
This position is really messy, but it is White who retains some winning chances and Black
generally needs to be careful. For example: 23...Bc5! Is the only move. [23...Bg4? loses a precious
tempi. 24.Rac1! Bg5 25.Rf1±] 24.Nxh3 Bxd4+ 25.Kg2 Qg6 26.Rad1 Qg4 27.Rd3!²
Position after: 27.Rd3!²
The position is still very sharp but Black is clearly on the defensive side. For instance, after 27...h5
White has some choices. 28.Qd1 The simplest. [28.Qc2!? or; 28.e6!? are also viable alternatives.]
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28...Qxd1 29.Rdxd1 Bxb2 30.Re2 Bc3 31.Nf4²
B) 16...Bf6 This move has not been played many times, but it has happened in tournament practice.
Here, I would suggest the following novelty: 17.Rad1!?N
Position after: 17.Rad1!?N
By developing the rook, White increases the pressure on the center and prepares for inevitable trades
in the center resulting in dynamic action. By placing the rook there White hopes to be better
prepared than Black for those events. 17...a5 18.dxe5 Nxe5 19.Nfd4 Qe8 [19...Bd7 20.Nf4ƒ one
day, the idea could be to play Nxd5 or Nxc6. We can see that Rad1 clearly helps with those ideas!]
20.Bf4! Bd7 21.f3 Qg6 22.Ba4²
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Position after: 22.Ba4²
with certain pressure. Black will be forced to give away the e4-knight hoping for some attack on the
kingside. Realistically it should not be really dangerous if White is prepared for that.
C) 16...Qc7? This move is simply bad for Black. White can now play 17.Nxe5! Nxe5 18.dxe5
Qxe5 19.f3! Ng5 20.Nf4±
White has nice control over the center and a strong initiative.
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17.Nxe5 Nxe5 18.dxe5
18...Bh4
Practically the only for Black. An important position that has been the subject of a theoretical debate
in this line. Generally, White has decent results.
The question is how to continue?
A) 18...f4? happened in a few games. This positional pawn sacrifice aims at activating the c8-bishop
and f8-rook, but it does not bring anything to Black. 19.Nxf4 Bf5 20.g4! is a very straightforward
refutation. 20...Bc8 21.Rad1+–
B) 18...Bg5? only helps White too: 19.Bxg5 Qxg5 20.Nd4
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The knight on the d4-square is very strong. With the threat of f3 next Black is actually on the verge
of losing. 20...f4 is the only try – Black needs to look for counterplay, but it tactically all works for
White. 21.f3! Bxh3 22.Nxc6! Nxc5 23.Bxd5 Ne6 24.Rad1± There is no attack on the kingside and
White dominates in the center.
19.Rad1!?N
Position after: 19.Rad1!?N
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This move is a novelty and my suggestion here. It is also suggested by Lc0, which drew my attention
since Stockfish does not really consider it as a dangerous move to Black. With this move White
simply brings another piece into the game getting ready for the possible future battle in the center.
Strategically, White has a very sound position: his king is safe, all of his pieces are developed, the
knight has access to the important d4-square. On top of that, the e5-pawn can be dangerous to Black.
Additionally, in the future the Black pieces may be forced to retreat (in case of f3). It is a very
interesting position from an analytical perspective. Two engines evaluate this position differently –
Lc0 gives some edge to White, but Stockfish gives stone-cold 0.00. Which evaluation is correct here?
Let us find out!
19...f4
Probably the best move by Black. Alternatives are worse:

A) 19...Qe8 This is also a logical move, but it fails as well due to direct action in the center: 20.Nf4!
Qxe5 21.Nxd5! cxd5 22.Bxd5±
Position after: 22.Bxd5±
This is one of the examples where 19.Rad1 comes in very useful. White is much better: 22...Ra7
[22...Qb8 23.Bxa8 Qxa8 24.c6 h6 25.c7 Kh7 26.Re2!± preparing f3.] 23.c6 23...Rc7 [23...Re7
24.Bc5 a5 25.Bxe7 Qxe7 26.g3 Bf6 27.c7±] 24.Bb6 h6 25.Re2! a5 26.Bxe4 fxe4 27.Bxc7 Qxc7
28.Qxe4±
B) 19...Ra7 with the idea of ...Re7 next. 20.Ba4! White puts immediate pressure on the c6-pawn and
pretty much forces the passive 20...Rc7. Right now White can obtain a big advantage after 21.Nf4!
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The point is that the black pieces are going to be pushed back very soon. The following lines are
very tactical but in general White is better prepared for a direct fight. 21...g5 22.Nh5 g4 [22...Qe8
23.Nf6! Qg6 24.g3 and everything tactically works for White: 24...f4 25.Bd4 fxg3 26.f3 g4 27.hxg4
Nxf6 28.exf6 Bxf6 29.Qxg6 hxg6 30.Kg2+–] 23.hxg4 fxg4 24.Nf6! Nxf6 25.exf6 Bxf6 26.Bf4±
C) In case of 19...Be6 White plays 20.g3 Bg5 21.Nd4! Bxe3 22.Rxe3 with advantage.
399
For instance:
C1) 22...Bd7 23.e6! Be8 24.Nxf5! Qg5 25.Rxe4 [25.Nd6!? Nxf2 26.Qxf2 Rxf2 27.Kxf2 also
gives White good winning chances.] 25...dxe4 26.Ne3±
Position after: 26.Ne3±
White has more than sufficient compensation for the exchange.

C2) 22...Qe8 23.g4!
Position after: 23.g4!
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undermining Black’s control over the center. 23...Qf7 [23...fxg4 24.Rxe4+–; 23...Qg6 24.f3+–]
24.f3 Ng5 25.f4 Ne4 26.Rxe4! fxe4 27.f5! Bc8 28.e6 Qf6 29.Qh2± with a huge advantage for
White.
20.Nxf4 Nxf2 21.Bxf2 Rxf4 22.Bxh4 Qxh4 23.e6
Position after: 23.e6
A very tricky position for Black who now has two options.
23...Rf6!
The best (and actually only) defense.

23...Qe7? This move may seem logical - after all the e6-pawn is very strong and it may seem very
dangerous to let it go even further. However, this is too passive, and Black is forced into a full-blown
retreat: 24.Ba4! Bb7 25.Re5! Raf8 26.Rde1 Kg8 27.Kh2±
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Position after: 27.Kh2±
White simply has a dominant position. The queen is a horrible blocking piece. Black is extremely
passive, and White can gradually improve his position and exert more and more pressure.
24.e7 Bd7
24...Be6? 25.Ba4±
25.Re4
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Again, Black has room to go wrong.
25...Qh5
25...Rf4? would be a big mistake: 26.Rxf4 Qxf4 27.Qe2!
right now the e7-pawn is very hard to eliminate. White is on the verge of actually winning. For
instance: 27...Re8 28.Ba4 g6 [28...Qh4 29.Rf1!+–] 29.Rf1 Qd4+ 30.Kh1 Qxc5 31.Qe5+ Kg8.
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Position after: 31...Kg8
32.Bxc6!! Qxc6 33.Rf8+! Rxf8 34.Qh8+!! Kxh8 35.exf8=Q# A beautiful line!
26.Rxb4
Position after: 26.Rxb4
There are alternatives, but I think that this is the simplest.
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26...Qe5
26...Re8 is a decent alternative. White should play 27.Qc3 Rxe7 28.Re1! Rxe1+ 29.Qxe1 h6 30.Kh2².
Even though the material is equal, White has pretty good prospects. There are potential weaknesses
(the a6- and c6-pawns) on the queenside that could be the object of an attack. Even endgames may be
dangerous for Black.
27.Qc3 Qxe7 28.Re1 Be6
28...Re6?! 29.Rxe6 Bxe6 30.Qe3±
29.Rb6 Qd7 30.Bc2²
White has some edge here due to his better pawn structure (the black queenside pawns are weak) and
better pieces (mainly bishops). Still, the game is full of life, but there are clearly some chances for
White. It is possible that with perfect play Black can be quite ok here, but from a practical standpoint
it is definitely easier to play with White and put some pressure on Black.
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Chapter 7
Anti-Marshall
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4
Chapter Guide
Chapter 7 – Anti-Marshall
a) Introduction
b) 7...d6 alternative (Gajewski Gambit)
c) 8...Na5?! & 8...Rb8
d) 8...d5!?
e) 8...b4 9.a5 d5!?
f) 8...b4 9.a5 d6 with 13...--
g) 8...b4 9.a5 d6 with 13...bxc3
h) 8...Bb7 9.d3 d5
i) 8...Bb7 9.d3 d6
a) Introduction
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3
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7...0-0
This is the move order used by Black that gives him the option to play the Marshall Attack. Black
does not want to waste time with ...d6. He wants to play ...d5 as soon as possible, sacrificing the pawn
for the initiative.
However, Black can also obtain Marshall-like positions by playing 7...d6 The idea is to play ...d5
later, as in the following variation: 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 d5!?
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Position after: 10...d5!?
This variation is the Gajewski Gambit that was born in 2007 when it was played for the first time ever
by Polish GM Grzegorz Gajewski.
It is a “delayed” Marshall Attack. After its introduction, this Gambit appeared quite often in the
games of top GMs - even Magnus Carlsen went for it - but lately it has lost its popularity as there
were discovered some paths for White that offer a stable advantage.
8.a4!?
This line is one of the ways to avoid the Marshall Attack. It is the second most popular move here
(roughly 5,000 games), right after 8.c3 which in turn allows 8...d5 (15, 000 games). The Marshall
Attack is one of the most complicated and crazy openings and a book could be written about it by
itself. In this book I decided to avoid analyzing it as from White’s perspective there are alternatives to
choose from that lead to a more positional fight. I decided to suggest 8.a4 for a number of reasons.
First, in general, it leads to calmer positions in which understanding plays a much bigger role than
memorization (in the Marshall Attack you simply have to remember your lines). Second, it has been a
frequent choice of many top GMs throughout the years that wanted to avoid the abundance of theory
in the Marshall Attack. For instance, Garry Kasparov used it successfully in a match against Nigel
Short and more recently there have been numerous top GMs, including Carlsen, Caruana,
Nepomniachtchi, Anand, Nakamura and Dominguez who have employed it. If those players choose to
deviate from the classical Marshall Attack by 8.a4 it means that it is a valid option for White worth
suggesting. Personally, I had only one chance to play this line and that was against Ding Liren. I got a
great position out of the opening and at some point I was winning but I missed my opportunity and
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the game ended in a draw. I will discuss this game in subsequent pages. Black has several moves
here, but two of them are way more popular than others:
8...b4
This move is a frequent choice of many GMs.

A) 8...Bb7 This move is as equally popular as 8...b4. After 9.d3 the fight goes on more positional
grounds and usually this is what White wants to achieve by playing 8.a4. Of course, it is a complex
positional battle, but I think that White has good prospects.
B) 8...Rb8 allows 9.axb5 axb5 which I think only helps White. Control over the a-file cannot be a
bad thing. However, as we will see in the analysis, it is still not entirely easy for White to get an
advantage.
C) 8...Na5?! This move is very dubious, and it simply gives away the pawn without sufficient
compensation after 9.axb5 Nxb3 10.cxb3²/±.
D) 8...d5 This is an attempt to get the Marshall Attack in a little bit different way. As I discuss in the
analysis, it is a somewhat speculative approach and I don’t think it equalizes.
9.a5!?
I would suggest playing this line. The idea is to gain space on the queenside and fix the pawn
structure there.
9...d6
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9...d5 is another stubborn attempt to achieve a Marshall-like position. It is quite suspicious in my
opinion, but it leads to a complicated position where White needs to be precise.
10.d3
I like this positional line.
I employed it myself in 2019 against Ding Liren, a specialist in Marshall/Anti-Marshall variations

and I got great winning chances, so I decided to recommend it in this book, as my personal
experience is pretty positive! White hopes to make good use of the defined pawn structure on the
queenside and prepare c3-d4. As the b3-bishop is very strong, Black is pretty much forced to trade it
by playing ...Be6 which leaves Black with a worse pawn structure.
b) 7...d6 alternative (Gajewski Gambit)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3
410
7...d6
7...0-0 8.c3 Na5 9.Bc2 d5 is another version of the Gajewski Gambit, however it is not achievable
when using move orders I chose in this book. I suggest playing 8.a4 instead.
8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 d5!?
411
This is the Gajewski Gambit, named after Polish GM Grzegorz Gajewski who introduced it in 2007
in his game against Viktor Kuznetsov. This line quickly became very popular in the following years
and was employed on the top level by many GMs, including Magnus Carlsen. Recently, there was
some setback in its popularity, probably due to its speculative nature thus it has not been seen so
much at the top level. What the early games show is that it can be a tricky variation to face with
White without prior knowledge.
11.d4!
This is probably the best reaction by White.

11.exd5 is another viable option which wins a pawn but leads to very complex positions in the style
of the regular Marshall where Black has long lasting compensation for the missing pawn. 11...e4!
Position after: 11...e4!
I do not want to go into the details of this line, as I truly believe that 11.d4 is superior line. However, I
wanted to bring up the beginnings of this line by showing and briefly annotating the game Kuznetsov
– Gajewski (2007). 12.Ng5?! This is very risky for White – Black can immediately seize the initiative
with [¹ 12.Bxe4 Nxe4 13.Rxe4 Bb7 14.d4 Bxd5 15.Re1 is what White is supposed to play. However,
Black can hope for some compensation due to the bishop pair.] 12...Nxd5 13.Nxe4 f5! 14.Ng3 f4
15.Ne4 f3!ƒ
412
Position after: 15...f3!ƒ
with great attacking prospects. 16.d4 fxg2 17.Ng3 Qd6!? This happened in Kuznetsov – Gajewski
(2007). Even though the game was not played perfectly by either side, I believe that it is essential to
bring it up here because it shows what kinds of danger exist in Marshall-like positions. [17...g6! is
suggested by the engines and is probably even stronger.] 18.Be4 Bb7?! [18...c6!] 19.Nf5 Rxf5!?
20.Bxf5 Rf8 21.Re6 Rxf5 22.Rxd6 Bxd6 A crazy position! Even though White is much better here, it
is not easy to play it over the board.
Position after: 22...Bxd6
413
23.a4 [23.Qd3!? Rh5 24.b3± was safer.] 23...Bg3!! 24.f3 Bf4! 25.axb5 Bxc1 26.Rxa5?? The first
mistake after which Black has a very strong attack. [26.Qxc1! was essential. 26...Rxf3 27.bxa6 Ba8
28.Qg5! and White should win. However, it is not easy at all...] 26...Nf4!
Position after: 26...Nf4!
27.Qe1?? The second mistake, and this time it is fatal. [27.Nd2™ was the only move which held the
balance.] 27...Bxf3! Now Black’s attack is irresistible. 28.bxa6 Nxh3+ 29.Kh2 Bf4+ 30.Kxh3
g1=N+ 31.Qxg1 Rxa5 with ...Rh5 next. 0-1, Kuznetsov – Gajewski (2007). Despite lack of
preciseness in this game, I believe that Black can hope for decent compensation. White should play
12.Bxe4, as 12.Ng5?! offers Black great prospects.
11...dxe4 12.Nxe5 c5
414
13.Be3!
White should secure the center and develop all the pieces.
13.Bg5 has been played in a few games too, but it is far less clear. I will provide a few sample lines:
13...Bb7
415
14.dxc5 [14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Bxe4 wins a pawn, but after 15...Bxe4 16.Rxe4 Bxe5 17.Rxe5 cxd4
18.cxd4 Nc4 19.Re2 Rc8© Black has decent compensation.] 14...Qc7 15.Bxf6 Rad8!
Position after: 15...Rad8!
An important move. Black has already taken over as seen in the following game: 16.Qe2 Bxf6
17.Ng4 Bg5 18.Ne3 f5 19.b4 f4 20.Nf1 f3–+ with a crushing attack, Volokitin – Wojtaszek (2007).
13...Bb7 14.Nd2
416
14...Rc8
I was surprised to discover that this is the only move for Black here. After anything else White has a
big advantage.
A) 14...Qc7? This is the most popular move here, but it is very bad: 15.Bf4!± Suddenly, the e4-
pawn falls. 15...cxd4 [15...Bd6 16.Bxe4! Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Bxe4 18.Rxe4±] 16.Nxe4 Nd5 17.Bh2!+–
Position after: 17.Bh2!+–
The pressure in the center is just too much for Black, e.g., 17...f5 [17...dxc3 18.Nxc3 Nxc3 19.Qd3
Ne4 20.Rxe4!+–] 18.Ng3! dxc3 19.Nxf5 cxb2 20.Rb1+–
B) 14...Qd5? 15.Ng4+– and the e4-pawn falls.
15.Qe2!
417
White plays in the center and with this move White simply brings the queen there and prepares Rad1.
15...Re8
A) 15...Qc7 runs into 16.Bf4!± and Black is in trouble: 16...cxd4 17.Nxe4! Nd5 18.Bg3! The
pressure on both h2-b8 diagonal and e-file is extremely unpleasant to Black, e.g. 18...dxc3 19.Nxc3
Nxc3 20.bxc3 Bd6 21.Qd3! f5 22.Rad1 Rcd8 23.h4!?±.
B) 15...b4 This move does not really achieve anything. 16.Rac1 bxc3 17.bxc3±
16.Ng4!
418
16...Nd7!?
Probably the most tricky. However, White has several paths to a very promising position.
A) 16...Nd5 17.Bxe4 Nxe3 18.Bxb7 Nxb7 19.Qxe3±
B) 16...Nxg4 17.Qxg4+– This is bad for Black, as with the black rook on the e8-square, Black does
not have ...f5.
17.dxc5
This is one of the simplest paths. 17.Nxe4!? is an aggressive option. 17...f5 18.Nxc5 Bxc5 19.Bxf5
Bd6 20.b3!± Three pawns for the piece with such centralization and such active pieces offers White a
big advantage.
419
17...f5
A) Now Black cannot take the c5-pawn: 17...Bxc5? 18.b4 Bxe3 19.Nxe3 Nc6 20.Nxe4+–.
B) Or 17...Nxc5? 18.b4 Nd3 19.bxa5+–.
C) In case of 17...h5 White has an extra pawn after 18.Nh2 Bxc5 19.Qxh5 Nf6 20.Qd1 Bxe3
21.Rxe3 and White is much better.
18.Rad1! Qc7
After 18...fxg4 19.Nxe4 White has a powerful initiative in the center. 19...Qc7 20.Qxg4 Ne5
21.Qg3±
19.Nh2 Bf6 20.Bd4±
420
Position after: 20.Bd4±
Black does not have sufficient compensation for the pawn.
c) 8...Na5?! & 8...Rb8
421
Before diving into big lines like 8...Bb7 or 8...b4, let’s have a look at the less popular paths.
8...Rb8
The idea of this move is to keep the pawn on the b5-square and not to develop the bishop to the b7-
square, hoping to develop it in the future somewhere on the h3-c8 diagonal. It has a drawback though
– White can obtain control over the a-file which will be useful in many lines.
8...Na5?! With this move Black wants to win the bishop pair, but it gives away a pawn. I do not
believe that it could possibly be good for Black: 9.axb5
A) In case of 9...axb5 White has two possibilities: 10.d4!? [10.Nxe5 Bb7 11.Nxf7! Rxf7 12.Bxf7+
Kxf7 13.d3²/± is also very good for White. Black’s minor pieces do not have good squares and the
pawn chain is very strong.] 10...exd4 11.e5 Ne8 12.Bd5 c6 13.Be4ƒ
422
Position after: 13.Be4ƒ
White has a strong initiative, for instance:

A1) 13...f5 14.Bd3 c5 15.b4! c4 [15...cxb4 16.Nxd4±] 16.Bxc4+ bxc4 17.Qxd4!±
A2) 13...d5 14.exd6 Nxd6 15.b4! White wins a piece and Black does not have sufficient
compensation. 15...Nxe4 16.Rxe4 Bf5 [16...Bxb4 17.Rxd4 Qe7 18.Rxb4 Qxb4 19.Ba3 Qa4
20.Nc3 Qc4 21.Bxf8 Qxc3 22.Ra3!+–] 17.Rf4 Bg6 18.Rxa5 Bxb4 19.Rxa8 Qxa8 20.Bd2±
B) 9...Nxb3 10.cxb3
423
10...Bb7 Black tries to win the e4-pawn. [10...d6?! 11.d4 is simply bad for Black. 11...Bb7 12.bxa6
Rxa6 13.Rxa6 Bxa6 14.Nc3±] 11.bxa6 Bxe4 12.Nc3 Bd3 13.Nxe5 Bxa6 14.d4²/±
Position after: 14.d4²
White has an extra pawn, which certainly offers him an advantage.
9.axb5 axb5
424
10.h3
I think that White should play this move. It is the most flexible move order.
A) 10.d3 d6 happened in Robson – Caruana (2018) from a different move order. I think that playing
d3 a little bit too early helps Black. White should try to play d4. 11.Nbd2 h6 12.h3 Re8 13.c3 Bf8
14.Nf1 Be6=
B) I spent a great deal of time analyzing 10.c3 and trying to prove that 10...d5! 11.exd5 Nxd5
12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.Rxe5 c6
is a worse version of a Marshall Attack. And... I concluded that the Marshall Attack even in such a
move order is good for Black. It makes little sense to allow those lines if they do not give anything
special to White. Therefore, I would suggest playing 10.h3.
10...d6 11.c3
Right now, White can play via c3-d4.
11...b4
This is the only way to stop White from playing d4 comfortably.

11...Nd7 12.d4 Bf6 transposes to the Karpov Variation.
425
12.d3!
Right now, only after Black decided to play ...b4, White should play positionally with d3.The idea is
to develop the pieces from the queenside (mainly bring the b1-knight to the kingside) and then in the
future prepare d4. Black does not have as easy play now as in the Robson – Caruana game (as in this
game d3 was played too early). I like White’s chances here.
12.d4?! This move does not gain anything: 12...bxc3 13.bxc3 exd4 14.cxd4 d5! 15.e5 Ne4= without
the queenside pawns I do not see any issues with Black’s position.
12...Bd7 13.Be3 h6 14.Nbd2 Re8 15.Qc2²
426
Position after: 15.Qc2²
Preparing d4 with some edge.
d) 8...d5!?
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 d5!?
427
An unusual line!
Who could have expected ...d5 in this position? After all, 8.a4 is meant to be the anti – Marshall,
trying to prevent Black from sacrificing a pawn in such fashion. Lately, however, this line actually
became a thing! It leads to very sharp positions that without prior analysis are very hard to play over
the board. This line was played by GM Daniil Dubov who is a well-known and respected theoretician.
He is especially known for his contribution in discovering and developing unorthodox lines in many
openings. This one (8.a4 d5!?) is one of them. Personally, I think that this line is extremely
speculative, and I believe that White is better in this line, however over the board it may not be easy
to figure out what to do here. I will suggest some lines that should give you a good understanding and
knowledge of how to react in this sharp line.
9.axb5!
I believe that this is objectively the strongest.

9.exd5 is another possibility. There were several games here, but I think that Black is doing well. An
example of how good Black’s compensation is can be seen in a game from 2019 by Dubov himself
against Bjerre: 9...Na5 10.Nxe5 Nxb3 11.cxb3 Bb7 12.Nc6 Bxc6 13.dxc6 Bc5
14.d3? [¹ 14.d4 was necessary] 14...Bxf2+!‚ with a powerful attack. Even though White should not
be lost here, it is a very tricky position for White. 15.Kxf2 Qd4+
428
Position after: 15...Qd4+
16.Be3?? Bjerre went wrong immediately. [16.Kg3 Rae8 17.Rf1 was correct but things are very
messy and hard to evaluate over the board.] 16...Ng4+! Now Black wins. 17.Kf3 Nxe3 18.Rxe3 Rae8
19.Re2 Qf6+ 20.Kg3 g5 21.Rf2 Qd6+ 22.Kh3 Qh6+ 23.Kg4 Qh4+ 0-1 Bjerre, J (2506) – Dubov, D
(2699) Batumi 2019
9...dxe4 10.bxc6 exf3 11.Qxf3 e4 12.Qe2
429
The first critical position.
Black needs to be very aggressive as the material deficiency may prove costly in the future.
12...Bd6!?
Looking at the kingside with thought of developing an attack there. There are alternatives but they are
not any better.
A) 12...Bc5?! The bishop is not so well placed here. 13.Nc3 Bf5 [13...Bg4 14.Qc4 Bb6 15.Nxe4±]
14.h3 Qd6
Position after: 14...Qd6
Such play by Black seems logical - there could be a threat of ...Bxh3 at some point and all the pieces
seem active. However, White has a powerful response: 15.d4! returning the pawn but completing
development. 15...exd3 [15...Bxd4? 16.Ra5! Bg6 17.Rd1+–] 16.Qf3! Bg6 17.Rd1 Rfe8 18.cxd3±
White regained the pawn and enjoys a big advantage.
B) 12...Bg4?! This move is also logical. However, it is debatable whether Black should place the
bishop there so early. The g4-square may be more suitable for the knight in some lines. 13.Qe3
430
13...Re8 [13...Bd6 14.h3 Bh5 15.d3±] 14.h3 Bh5 15.Nc3 Bb4 16.Bc4±
13.h3!
Prophylaxis first! The g4-square has to be covered.
431
13...Re8
Bringing the rook to the game.

A) 13...Qe8?! could be an alternative - the idea is to play ... Qe5. White can deal with it in a very
nice way: 14.d4! exd3 15.Qxe8 Rxe8 16.Rxe8+ Nxe8
White has managed to trade the queens neutralizing Black’s initiative. White can proceed in two
ways: 17.c3!? a more subtle move [17.cxd3!? wins a pawn but leaves the pawn structure somewhat
damaged. Still, White is clearly better: 17...Rb8 18.Bd1 Bf5 19.d4 Bd3 20.Nc3 Nf6 21.Bf3±]
17...Rb8 18.Bc4 Rb6 19.Bxd3 Rxc6 20.Na3± with a big strategic advantage.
B) 13...Qe7? is the same idea as 13...Qe8, but with much worse execution. Black runs under a pin
on the e-file. 14.d4+–
14.Nc3 Re5!?
A visually “scary” move by Black. All sorts of scary ideas ...Bxh3 and ... Rg5 are in the air. Without
preparation it may be easy to go wrong here with White.
15.Ra4!
432
A very important move. White puts pressure on the e4-pawn and actively counters Black’s
aggression.
15...Bf5
Black probably should play this move, as the e4-pawn is essential for Black’s chances of developing
an attack on the kingside.
15...Bxh3!? is a very entertaining move. Black sort of goes all or nothing on the kingside.
A) 16.gxh3 is also possible, but it leads to unnecessary complications. 16...Rg5+ 17.Kf1 Qc8
18.Qe3 Rg3!
433
Position after: 18...Rg3!
with crazy complications. I do not think that it makes sense to go more in detail of this as 16.Nxe4
is a much simpler response.
B) 16.Nxe4! The simplest answer. As I said earlier, the e4-pawn is a key to Black’s successful
aggression on the kingside and White should eliminate it once given a chance. 16...Bg4 [16...Bf5
17.d3+–] 17.Qe3! [17.Qf1? was in Blomqvist – Andersen (2020) but it is too passive. Black is fine
here: 17...Nxe4 18.Raxe4 Rxe4 19.Rxe4 Qh4 20.g3 Qh5∞]
434
17...Bf5 [17...Rxe4 18.Rxe4 Nxe4 19.Qxe4 Qh4 20.g3 Qh5 is similar to the Blomqvist – Andersen
game, but right now White can control the f3-square by playing 21.Re3± and White is just pawn up.]
18.d3 Nxe4 19.dxe4 Be6 20.Bc4 Qe8 21.b3 Qxc6 [21...Bxc4 22.Rxc4± White has a healthy extra
pawn.] 22.Bb2! Rh5 23.Bxe6 fxe6 24.Rc4± White has a big positional advantage.
Position after: 24.Rc4±
16.Rxa6 Rb8
An interesting position.
White has an extra pawn, but there are some practical difficulties. The c1-bishop is not developed and
as long as it does not join the game, Black can hope for decent compensation.
16...Rxa6? 17.Qxa6+– simplifies the position which definitely favors White.
435
17.Qf1
White needs to secure the kingside and prepare the freeing d3 or b3-Bb2.
17...Qc8
Black puts some pressure on the a6-rook and the kingside.

17...Qe8 is an alternative. 18.Bc4! White should try to bring the c1-bishop into the game. 18...Bc8
19.Ra4 Qxc6
436
Position after: 19...Qxc6
20.d4 This is probably the simplest. [20.b3!?] 20...exd3 21.Bxd3 Rxe1 22.Qxe1 Bb7 23.Bf1± with an
extra pawn. Black still has some compensation, but it is not sufficient for equality.
18.Ra4!
Applying pressure on the e4-pawn.
437
18...h6!?
A waiting move makes sense, as immediate aggression does not work for Black.
A) 18...Bxh3? is a very tempting move. However, White can play 19.d3! ignoring Black’s
aggression and reacting in the center. Black’s initiative evaporates and White actually just wins.
19...Be6 20.Bxe6 Qxe6 21.Nxe4+–
B) 18...Bg6 with the idea of ...Rg5 also does not bring much. 19.Bc4 Rg5 20.Kh1+–
19.Bc4!
White needs to bring the c1-bishop into the game.
19...Qe8
19...Bxh3 is similar to 18...Bxh3. 20.d3!+– White again needs to counter in the center with a winning
position.
20.b3 Qxc6 21.Ne2!±
438
Position after: 21.Ne2!±
With ideas like Bb2 and Ng3 or Nf4 and sometimes d4 as well.
White has a big advantage.
e) 8...b4 9.a5 d5!?
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.a5 d5!?
439
Similar to 8...d5, this is very speculative. However, it is in the spirit of the Marshall Gambit so when
playing this line with White we should even be ready for this!
10.exd5 e4
The point of playing 9...d5.

10...Nxd5?! This version of the Marshall is pretty bad for Black as White controls important squares
on the queenside and any attack on the kingside should not work with a strategically unsound
position. 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 [11...Nd4 12.Bc4±] 12.Rxe5
12...c6 [12...Bb7 13.d3 Bf6 14.Re1± is just an extra pawn for White.] 13.Re1 Bd6 14.d3 Qh4 15.g3
Qh3 16.Re4!±
11.dxc6 exf3
440
Position after: 11...exf3
12.d3!
White needs to finish development.

12.Qxf3?! Bg4 13.Qf4 Bd6 14.Qc4 Re8! offers a strong initiative for Black, e.g.
Position after: 14...Re8!
15.Qxf7+ Kh8 16.Rxe8+ Qxe8 17.Qxe8+ Rxe8 18.f3 Bxf3! 19.gxf3 Re1+ 20.Kf2 Rxc1 and White’s
441
position looks quite suspicious, even though it is probably still ok.
12...fxg2
12...Bg4? runs into 13.h3 Bh5 14.g4! and White wins: 14...Nxg4 15.hxg4 Bxg4 16.Re4!+–
13.Qf3!
The g2-pawn actually acts as a shield to the white king. However, in the future White may consider
collecting it. For now, though, the most important goal is to develop all the pieces.
13...Rb8 14.Bc4 Be6!?
Black should try to complicate the position as much as possible.

14...Ne8 was Ponomariov – Aronian (2006). The black knight is being rerouted to the d6-square.
However, it is too slow of an approach as for such a dynamic position. 15.Bf4 [15.Nd2!? Nd6
16.Ne4± is also very good.] 15...Bf6
442
16.Be5! An important move. [16.Nd2?! happened in the game and Aronian managed to make a draw:
16...Bxb2 17.Rab1 Bc3 18.Bg5 Bf6 19.Rxe8 Rxe8 20.Ne4 Rxe4 21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.Qxf6 gxf6 23.dxe4
Kf8 24.Kxg2 Ke7 25.Rd1 and the draw was agreed. ½-½ Ponomariov – Aronian (2006).] 16...Bxe5
17.Rxe5 Nd6 18.Nd2± White has a strategically much better position and the g2-pawn is virtually
dead.
15.Nd2!
Completing development and securing control over the light squares. The knight may be headed to
the c4-square in the future.
443
Position after: 15.Nd2!
15...Bd6
A logical move. Black tries to create some complications on the kingside.

15...Bd5? 16.Bxd5 Nxd5 17.d4! a very strong move. White wants to play c3 or c4, strengthening the
center. White is winning. 17...Bf6 18.Ne4+–
16.h3!?
444
I like this move. The g4-square is taken under control and the black g2-pawn still performs important
functions for White.
16...Qc8!?
trying to create some threats on the kingside and (most importantly) provoke Kxg2 which would
weaken the white king.
A) 16...Re8 17.Bxa6 Bd5 18.Ne4 Nxe4 19.dxe4 Bxc6 20.Bc4±
B) 16...Bxc4 17.Nxc4 Rb5 18.c3±
17.b3!
Position after: 17.b3!
An important move. No matter how complicated the position is, one should always remember basic
chess rules like completing development. The bishop is going to the b2-square. White has a big
advantage.
17...Bxh3 18.Bxa6! Qxa6
18...Qg4 could be tempting but 19.Qxg4 Nxg4 20.Nf3!+– solves all the issues. It is an only move,
but more than sufficient. Black’s attack ends and White wins.
19.Qxh3 Qxc6
445
19...Rb5 20.Nc4 Rh5 The rook swing does not bring much: 21.Qxg2 Rh4 22.Qf3!+–
20.Nc4±
Position after: 20.Nc4±
Without a light-squared bishop it is hard to perform any active actions on the kingside, especially
since White controls the light squares and the center. Most importantly though White has a powerful
a-pawn that will always be a problem for Black, especially in the eventual endgame. White is much
better, for example:
20...Bc5 21.Qxg2 Nd5 22.a6!
Probably the strongest.

22.Bb2!? f6 23.Re4±
22...Bd4 23.Ra5 Rb5 24.Rxb5 Qxb5 25.Ne5 g6 26.Bh6 Re8 27.Nf3 Rxe1+ 28.Nxe1+–
446
Position after: 28.Nxe1+–
and White should win this. Obviously, it is an example line only, but Black’s position is worse
everywhere and this is only one of the possible scenarios.
f) 8...b4 9.a5 d6 with 13...--
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.a5 d6 10.d3
447
I like this positional line. I employed it myself in 2019 against Ding Liren, a specialist in the
Marshall/Anti-Marshall variations. I obtained great winning chances, so I decided to advise it in this
book as my personal experience is pretty positive! White hopes to make good use of the defined pawn
structure on the queenside and prepare c3-d4. As the b3-bishop is very strong, Black is pretty much
forced to trade it by playing ...Be6 which leaves Black with a worse pawn structure.
10...Be6
The b3-bishop is too strong, and it has to be traded.

A) 10...Rb8 Black can try postponing ...Be6 but not for long. 11.Nbd2
A1) 11...h6 12.c3 bxc3 13.bxc3 and there is hardly anything better than 13...Be6 which after
14.Bxe6 [14.Nc4!? also deserves attention, as in Svidler – Postny (2019).] 14...fxe6 15.d4 pretty
much transposes to the immediate 10...Be6.
A2) 11...Nd7 After this move there is no transposition to the main line. However, I think that this
is not a great line for Black. 12.c3 Nc5 13.Bd5 Bd7 [13...Na7 14.Qc2²] 14.Nf1²
448
White’s light-squared bishop is very strong and is not easily traded. White is slightly better.
B) 10...Bg4?! This pin does not bring anything to Black and it actually helps White, as after the
useful h3 in the future Black will face a dilemma whether to play ... Be6, leaving White with the
extra h3-move or play ...Bh5 leaving the b3-bishop very strong. 11.c3 bxc3 12.bxc3 Rb8 13.Nbd2
13...Qc8 [13...d5 14.Qc2 and Black’s center is rather vulnerable.] 14.h3 Be6 was in Kosteniuk –
449
Moradiabadi (2008). I believe White is better after 15.Bc2!² preparing d4.
11.Bxe6 fxe6 12.Nbd2
12...Rb8
The main move here. The a5-pawn gains space on the queenside but at the same time is somewhat
estranged from other white pawns where it becomes an object of attack. By playing 12...Rb8 Black
wants to play ...Rb5 and attack it. There are also legit alternatives in which Black tries to play without
...Rb8, which I would like to discuss as well.
A) 12...d5!?
450
Instead of surrounding the a5-pawn, another idea by Black is to quickly begin playing in the center.
A1) 13.c3 has been seen in a few games but it seems like it misses the point of what Black really
intends by playing ...d5. 13...Bc5! Black can bring the bishop to the g1-a7 diagonal with a good
game: 14.Nb3 Ba7 15.Be3 bxc3 16.bxc3 dxe4 17.dxe4 Qxd1 18.Raxd1 Rab8= Howell – Adams,
London 2018.
A2) White may consider taking the e5-pawn after 13.exd5 (?!) 13...exd5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Rxe5
but it is too greedy. Black can play the strong 15...Bc5!© with powerful compensation for the
pawn. White has to be careful with all sorts of tactical ideas like ...Bxf2 or ...Qd7 followed by
...Ng4.
A3) 13.Nb3 I believe that this is by far the best move for White. It is aimed at preventing ...Bc5.
13...d4!?
451
This seemingly strategically “bad” move is not as bad as it looks! It was played in Vachier Lagrave
– Aronian, Karlsruhe 2019 and MVL did not manage to get any advantage with White. Even
though it chronically weakens the c4-square, Black hopes to neutralize that issue by covering all
his weak points claiming that it is not a big deal that White has all those squares. This is exactly
what happened in the MVL – Aronian game. Therefore, White should look for another path to play
for a win, as simple maneuvering may not bring much.
A3.1) 14.Bd2 played by MVL and personally I am not a big fan of this move. As we are going to
see, it just wastes some time relative to the immediate 14.Bg5. 14...Rb8! 15.Rc1 Rb5 16.h3 Qd6
17.Bg5
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(Finally! But why not immediately 14.Bg5?) 17...Nd7 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.Nfd2 Nc5 20.Nc4 Nb7!
21.Ra1 Nd6 with equality. Here, a draw was agreed after repetition with 22.Ncd2 Nb7 23.Nc4
Nd6 24.Ncd2 Nb7 25.Nc4 Vachier Lagrave – Aronian, Karlsruhe 2019
A3.2) 14.Nfd2 with the idea of Nc4 is tempting, but this knight on c4 is pretty much without any
good function. 14...Qe8!? 15.Nc4 Qg6 16.Rf1 Rf7„
Position after: 16...Rf7„
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Black shifts towards the kingside trying to develop some initiative there. The c4-knight is well
placed but it does not do much.
A3.3) 14.Bg5 Nd7
Black logically wants to trade bishops, as Black’s bishop is by its own pawns. However, it also
performs some important defensive functions - it controls all the dark squares. It appears that it is
actually good for White to trade them, as long as it is connected with challenging Black’s pawn
structure since the main protector of those squares will be traded. And that is exactly what White
does here: 15.Bxe7! Qxe7 16.Rc1! White prepares c3. I think that White is slightly better here,
for example: 16...Rab8 17.c3! bxc3 18.bxc3 dxc3 19.Rxc3 Qd6 20.d4!
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Continuing to challenge Black’s center and leaving Black with a bad pawn structure. Maybe with
correct play Black can eventually hope to equalize, but this position is certainly more appealing
to White. 20...Rfd8 [20...exd4 21.Nfxd4 Nxd4 22.Qxd4²] 21.Qd2 exd4 22.Nfxd4 Nxd4
23.Qxd4 Ne5 24.Qe3²
B) 12...Qe8 Black tries to bring the queen to the kingside and develop some initiative there. 13.c3!
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White needs to play c3-d4 and begin playing in the center. Then, any aggression on the kingside by
Black will not be as strong as Black will be forced to keep in mind what is happening on the other
side of the board.
B1) The inclusion of 13...bxc3 14.bxc3 does not change much. 14...Nd7 [14...Nh5 15.d4²] 15.d4!
exd4 16.cxd4 Na7 17.Bb2 Nb5 18.Rc1²
B2) 13...Nh5 14.d4! Nf4 15.Nf1!
Shyam – Perez Mitjans (2018). I think that White is in full control here. There is not any real
danger on the kingside and White has an advantage in the center. For instance: 15...Rb8 16.Bxf4!
Rxf4 17.Qd3² with full control and a stable advantage. [17.d5!?² also deserves attention.]
C) 12...Qb8!?
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Position after: 12...Qb8!?
There was only one game with this move, Vachier Lagrave – Aronian, London 2018. It looks like
MVL and Aronian had their theoretical discussion in this line! The idea behind this move is to bring
the queen, instead of the rook, to the b5-square. Additionally, Black may consider ... Nd8 followed
by ...c5.
C1) 13.Nb3 was played by MVL but I think it is not so accurate. Black has time now to play
13...Nd8 with the idea of ...c5 next and White is not in time to play d4 and after ...exd4 recapture
with the pawn. Nonetheless, MVL decided to go for 14.d4 but Black is clearly OK after 14...exd4
15.Qxd4 c5 16.Qc4 Nd7 17.Be3 Bf6= as White did not manage to build the strong center with
pawns on the d4- and e4-squares.
C2) 13.c3 Nd7 14.Nb3 Qb5 15.Be3 bxc3 16.bxc3
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Position after: 16.bxc3
C2.1) 16...Rab8 17.Rb1 Nxa5 is also logical. Here though White can play 18.c4 Qa4 19.Nxa5
Qxa5 20.Ra1 Qb4 21.Rxa6² and get back the pawn. White is slightly better due to his better
pawn structure. After 21...Ra8 it is important though to play 22.Ra1! and not give up control over
the a-file.
C2.2) 16...Rfb8!? 17.Nc1²
Position after: 17.Nc1²
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This position is playable. I personally like White’s chances. A better pawn structure gives good
long-term prospects. It makes little sense to analyze it further as there is a myriad of possible
setups for both sides and it is impossible to cover everything move-by-move. Instead, it is
important to understand the ideas. The key maneuver for White is to play Nd2 and possibly
prepare Ncb3. Another idea is to play Qg4. At some point White may consider playing d4, or
sometimes possibly even h4-h5.
13.c3
13.Nb3 also deserves attention, as in So – Aronian, Berlin 2016.
13...d5
Quite a rare move by Black, however beginning action in the center makes perfect sense. Here,
however, I think it is not timed so well. If Black wanted to play ...d5 it would be better to play it a
move earlier (see 12...d5).
A) 13...Rb5
A1) White can just transpose to the main line by playing 14.d4 and this is what I played against
Ding. It transposes to the main line after 14...bxc3 15.bxc3.
A2) 14.c4!? is an additional option relative to the position with ...bxc3-bxc3 included that Black
should consider. I do not think that it is too dangerous, but there is no reason to give additional
options to White.
B) 13...Qe8 14.d4 bxc3 15.bxc3 exd4 16.cxd4
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In this position, Black can obviously play 16...Rb5 which is the best move and I discuss it in the
commentary to 16...Qe8 in the main line. Instead, I wanted to discuss here an alternative that
happened in the game Sevian – Sasikiran, Astana 2019, in which Sam Sevian, my teammate in the
World Team Championships in 2019, won a nice game. In this game Sasikiran played 16...Nb4?!
which looks logical – Black wants to play ...Nd3. There is, however, one problem with that and Sam
immediately seized the initiative by playing 17.Qb3! Suddenly, there are issues with the e6-pawn
and it is not easy to protect it without weakening of the position.
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Position after: 17.Qb3!
B1) 17...d5 had to be played, but it is understandable that it is not the move that anyone playing
with Black would be happy to play as it weakens the pawn structure significantly. White can play
18.Ba3² with an obvious positional advantage.
B2) 17...Nh5? Krishnan Sasikiran decided to sacrifice the pawn looking for active counterplay, but
it simply does not work. 18.Qxe6+ Kh8 19.Rb1! Nf4 20.Qc4 Qg6 21.g3+–
Position after: 21.g3+–
and Black does not have enough compensation here. The game lasted only 11 more moves: 21...d5
22.exd5 Bd6 23.Ba3 Nh3+ 24.Kf1 Qh5 25.Rb3 Nxd5 26.Rxb8 Rxb8 27.Bxd6 cxd6 28.Qxa6 Rd8
29.Qc6 Nhf4 30.gxf4 Nxf4 31.Re4 Qf5 32.Re8+ 1-0 Sevian – Sasikiran, Astana 2019
C) 13...Nd7?! This move is quite popular too, but in my opinion it is a passive approach by Black
giving White a free hand to easily occupy the center without anything special in return. 14.d4! bxc3
15.bxc3
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15...Qc8 [15...exd4 16.cxd4² is just a better version of the main line, where the d7-knight is not well
placed. In fact, Black should play ...Nf6 as soon as possible...] 16.Qa4! The most natural move. At
some point White wants to play Qa2 and put some pressure on the e6-pawn. 16...Rb5 17.Rb1 Rxb1
[17...Qb7 18.Qa2 Nd8 19.Bb2²] 18.Nxb1 Qb7 19.Qa2 Nd8 20.Nbd2²
14.exd5!N
This is my suggestion. I think that White has some chances here.

14.Qe2 only this has been played so far. However, I think that Black is fine after 14...bxc3 15.bxc3
Qd7= The point is that if White takes the e5-pawn after 16.exd5 exd5 17.Nxe5 Nxe5 18.Qxe5
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Position after: 18.Qxe5
Black can play the extremely strong 18...Bb4!! and White needs to play 19.Ne4 to maintain the
balance, e.g. 19...dxe4 20.cxb4 exd3 21.Bd2=.
14...Qxd5
Pretty much forced. Black looks for active counterplay that hopes to compensate for a bad pawn
structure.
14...exd5?! 15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.Rxe5
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is just an extra pawn for White as tactically everything works for White. The difference between
12...d5 and 13...d5 is that here White has already played c3 and in case of 16...Bc5 White can shut
down this bishop by playing 17.d4 which was not possible earlier. 17...Bd6 18.Re1 Qd7 19.Nf3 Qf5
20.Qe2 Rbe8 21.Ne5±
15.Qa4!
The point.
Position after: 15.Qa4!
A very important move after which White manages to maintain an advantage.
15...Bc5
15...Rfd8 16.c4! Qd6 [16...Qd7 17.Nb3!²] 17.b3 Qc5 18.Ng5!
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Bringing the knight to the e4-square with a clear advantage. For instance: 18...Rxd3 19.Nde4 Nxe4
20.Nxe4 Qd4 21.Qxc6! [21.Bg5!?] 21...Qxa1 22.Qxe6+ Kf8 23.Qxe7+ Kxe7 24.Bg5+ Kf7 25.Rxa1
Rxb3 26.Bc1!²
Position after: 26.Bc1!²
16.h3
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Prophylaxis against ...Ng4.
16...h6 17.Ne4 Nxe4 18.dxe4
18.Rxe4!?
18...Qc4 19.Be3 Bxe3 20.Rxe3²
Position after: 20.Rxe3²
With a very strategically sound position for White with some advantage after:
20...Rb5 21.Rc1 Nxa5 22.Qd1 b3 23.Nh4ƒ
g) 8...b4 9.a5 d6 with 13...bxc3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.a5 d6 10.d3 Be6
11.Bxe6 fxe6 12.Nbd2 Rb8 13.c3 bxc3
Black probably should start with this move.
14.bxc3 Rb5 15.d4 exd4 16.cxd4
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Probably the most important position of the entire variation. Essentially Black has two moves: either
16...Nb4 or 16...Nxa5. After other moves White should be better.
In general, I would like to recall what I said in the first volume. Objectively, with correct play in
sound openings (like the Berlin which was discussed in Volume 1 or the Marshall/Anti-Marshall) it is
not realistic to focus on finding an “objective” advantage, as it essentially is not possible. However, it
is better to navigate towards the positions that are not simple to play over the board for your
opponent. Even though positions are sometimes equal, there are practical chances that we can utilize
thanks to better understanding and prior knowledge of the position.
This is one such instance. I am far from claiming that White is objectively better here. Computers will
show stone-cold 0.00 in many positions. But computers do not play, humans do! The statistics among
humans are clearly in White’s favor scoring 75%. It shows that even though the position is close to
being equal, Black still faces practical problems that apparently are not easy to solve.
Instead of jumping immediately to 16...Nxa5 or 16...Nb4, let us have a brief look at the alternatives:
16...Nb4
A) 16...d5?! This move voluntarily weakens the pawn structure. White is better after 17.e5 Nd7
[17...Ne4? a typical pawn sacrifice played in Kulaots – Meskovs (2019). Here, however, it does not
work for Black: 18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.Rxe4 Qd5 20.Rg4! Rxa5 21.Rxa5 Nxa5 22.h4!?± with big
pressure on the kingside.] 18.Nb3²
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Position after: 18.Nb3²
White wants to keep control on the queenside, but also looks forward to developing some initiative
on the kingside, e.g. 18...Qb8 19.Re3 Qb7 20.h4! Rb8 21.Nfd2²
B) 16...Qe8 (This position also appears from the 13...Qe8 move order.)
B1) 17.Ba3! The best move by White. By ignoring the a5-pawn White focuses on developing the
initiative and putting pressure on Black in the center.
Position after: 17.Ba3!
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B1.1) 17...Qd7 happened in two games so far. It makes little sense though to first play ...Qe8 and
then ...Qd7. 18.Qc2 Nxa5 [If 18...Rfb8 then 19.Rec1! Nxa5 20.Qxc7 Qxc7 21.Rxc7 Bf8 22.h3²
as in Huschenbeth – Alekseenko (2019).] 19.Rac1!N
Position after: 19.Rac1!N
White should keep the rook on the e1-square. It supports playing in the center here with e5!
[19.Rec1?! c5!∞ is unclear. Motylev – Tomashevsky (2017).] 19...Bd8 [19...c5 20.e5! dxe5
21.dxc5²] 20.e5! Nd5 21.exd6 cxd6 22.Ne4 Be7 23.Neg5ƒ
B1.2) 17...Nh5!?N Probably this is the correct response by Black. Since the white bishop left the
c1-square, the black knight hopes to jump to the f4-square as it is not controlled anymore by the
bishop. 18.g3
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18...Bg5 is the engine’s top suggestion, which is not an easy move to play. [18...Rxa5 seems
much more logical but after 19.Qe2! the position looks dangerous for Black due to his
uncoordinated pieces. 19...Nf6 20.Qc4!ƒ] 19.Nxg5 Rxg5 20.Nf3 Rxa5 21.e5!ƒ
Position after: 21.e5!ƒ
Despite the pawn deficit it is White that puts pressure on Black. The pin on the a3-f8 diagonal is
quite annoying and the pressure in the center is not easy to deal with. Even though with correct
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play Black can eventually equalize, it is by far easier to play with White. For instance: 21...Rd5
22.Rc1 h6 23.Qb3 Qf7 24.Rxc6 Qxf3 25.Qxf3 Rxf3 26.exd6 cxd6 27.Bxd6 Rxd4 28.Rxe6²
Position after: 28.Rxe6²
and despite reduced material Black cannot claim it is an easy draw.

B2) 17.Qc2 is interesting too but is not as good.
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True, White puts some pressure on the c-file making use of the black queen not protecting the c7-
pawn. However, here Black can seize the initiative by playing 17...Nb4! 18.Qxc7 Qb8! 19.Qxb8
Rfxb8© with good compensation for a pawn, e.g. 20.Rd1 Nc2 21.Ra4 d5!∞.
C) 16...Nxa5!? This line is a valid alternative to the more popular 16...Nb4. So far, though, White
has won all the games here! Even though engines claim equality, on a human level Black struggles
due to the complexity of the position and practical difficulty in playing it. I do not spend too much
time on analyzing this line as the most important thing here is to know how to place pieces and what
is going on (which I explain). 17.Qc2 I would suggest playing this move. 17...Qd7 18.Ra4! Rfb8
19.Ba3
Position after: 19.Ba3
Following the footsteps of Hikaru Nakamura in his game against Hrant Melkumyan. I had this line
prepared before playing it against Ding Liren and the fact that Hikaru went for it only confirms that
this is a challenging line for Black! The point is that in this position the a6-pawn is meaningless, and
the awkwardly placed a5-knight does nothing for Black and it may most likely fall at some point.
White has nice control over the center with possibilities of various breakthroughs. Additionally, the
c7-pawn could become the target of a future attack.
C1) 19...Ne8?! was Nakamura – Melkumyan, Isle of Man 2019. This move is a little bit too
passive - the knight was perfectly placed on the f6-square and retreating with it without a particular
reason should not be good for Black. 20.Qa2!? Increasing the pressure on the a-file. [20.e5!? also
deserves attention.] 20...Nb3 21.Rxa6 Nxd2 22.Nxd2 R5b6 23.Ra7 R6b7 24.Rxb7 Rxb7 25.e5!²
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Position after: 25.e5!²
White has regained the pawn and enjoys a more pleasant position. Nakamura – Melkumyan, Isle of
Man 2019.
C2) 19...Bd8 This is correct. 20.h3 Qc6 21.Qxc6 Nxc6 22.Rxa6 R5b6 23.Ra4=/²
Position after: 23.Ra4=
with a playable position. It is close to equality, true, but White has nice control over the center and
the better pawn structure. There are still certain practical difficulties for Black.
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Back to 16...Nb4.
17.Ba3!?
I would recommend following what I played against Ding Liren where I reached a very promising
position. Even though I played it already I would be eager to repeat this line if I had a chance as I
think that Black does not have an easy life here. I will discuss the intricacies in following analysis.
17.d5!? happened in the same tournament in Amin – Ding Liren, Astana 2019 and it also looks
interesting. The position becomes very complex though and I do not want to dive into deep analysis
of this move for two reasons. First, I have faith in the 17.Ba3 line, and second, I need to keep the
book as neat and clean as possible so that you do not get lost inside all of these complicated lines. As
17.Ba3 is complicated enough, it makes little sense to analyze another possibility, especially that I do
not think it is a better try than what I played.
17...Nd3
What could be more logical than this move?
18.Rf1
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Position after: 18.Rf1
18...Nf4
I decided to keep this move as the main one, as Ding Liren went for it. It is a logical move – Black
brings the knight to the kingside.
A) 18...c5 This move is also possible, but it carries a positional danger after 19.Qc2 Nb4 20.Bxb4
cxb4 21.Rfc1
Position after: 21.Rfc1
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The thing is that White has a better pawn structure and the b-pawn is blocked. Black is probably still
ok after 21...Qe8! but such a position is easier to play with White than with Black. 22.Qb3!?ƒ White
wants to infiltrate through the c-file. [22.Qd3!? with idea Rc2-Nb3 – Rac1 etc also deserves
attention.]
B) 18...Ng4?! Such a straightforward approach does not bring anything good to Black: 19.h3 Ngxf2
20.Rxf2 Nxf2 21.Kxf2 Rxa5 22.Qb3 Qd7 23.Qc3²
C) 18...Qd7!? This is one of the best reactions from Black to the 17.Ba3 idea. 19.g3 I find this move
more testing. There are certain issues with the d3-knight. [19.Qc2 is an alternative but after 19...Nf4
20.g3 Nh3+ 21.Kg2 Ng5 22.Nxg5 Rxg5 Black’s position is very solid. White can try playing
23.Qc3 with some positional battle. However, Black should not be worse here.] 19...Ng4 20.Nc4!?
[20.Qc2 Ndxf2 21.Rxf2 Nxf2 22.Kxf2 Rxa5 is similar to 20.Nc4 Nxf2 but here Black also capture
the a5-pawn.]
C1) 20...d5?! This move is also possible, but it leads to huge complications where Black is on the
defensive side, for instance: 21.Bxe7 Ngxf2 22.Rxf2 [22.Bxf8!? Nxd1 23.Nce5 Qd8 24.Raxd1©]
22...Nxf2 23.Kxf2 Qxe7 24.exd5 exd5 25.Nce5 c5! 26.Ra2! c4 27.Kg2!ƒ
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Position after: 27.Kg2!ƒ
with a completely unclear position. However, I again prefer White here. The knights are very
strong, the white king is safe and there is some potential possibility of developing an attack on the
kingside.
C2) 20...Ngxf2 21.Rxf2 Nxf2 22.Kxf2∞
Position after: 22.Kxf2∞
leads to a very complicated position. Both sides have their own chances. I think that the knights
477
have good potential here. They can easily protect themselves and neutralize the black rooks.
However, Black has no weaknesses, and the material is balanced. It is a very playable position. I
think that in the future White has slightly better chances.
19.g3!
Position after: 19.g3!
White needs to somehow deal with the f4-knight. Since now several moves are nearly forced for both
sides.
19...Nh3+
19...Ng6 is inferior as the g6-knight is passive. 20.Qc2²
20.Kg2 Ng5 21.Nxg5 Rxg5 22.Qb3 Qd7 23.e5!
An important move. It may seem counterintuitive to voluntarily give the d5-square to Black but the
point is that White can simply ignore it as it does not create any immediate threats.
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Playing e5 has two important benefits. One, it puts pressure on Black in the center and it gains space.
White will want to put pressure on Black’s central pawns. Two, with this move White separates the
board into two parts and keeps the rooks disconnected from the queenside. The a5-pawn is not a
weakness anymore and the a6-pawn potentially becomes one.
23...Nd5
23...dxe5? 24.Nf3!±
24.Ne4 Rgf5 25.f4!
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Strengthening the center. The position is still quite complicated, but I like White’s chances. Black
should try to look for some play on the kingside as all of his forces are there, but it is easier said than
done.
25...Qc6?!
This natural and human move looks like a no-brainer - the queen should normally be on this diagonal.
However, it is actually a mistake!
A) If 25...h5 then 26.h4! blocks the kingside and Black does not have a clear follow-up. For
instance, the aggression connected with 26...Nxf4+ does not work for Black: 27.gxf4 Rxf4 28.Nf6+
R8xf6 29.exf6 Rg4+ 30.Kh3 Bxf6 31.Rf3 Kh8 32.Raf1 e5 33.Kh2± and White should eventually
consolidate and convert the material advantage.
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Position after: 33.Kh2±
B) 25...g5? simply does not work: 26.fxg5+–.

C) 25...h6!? prepares ...g5. It is likely that this is what Black should play. Still, it feels like it is
easier to play it with White and it is Black that has to be more cautious. One of the possible
continuations could be 26.Rae1 g5 27.fxg5 Rxf1 28.Rxf1 Rxf1 29.Kxf1 hxg5 30.Bc1ƒ
Position after: 30.Bc1ƒ
and even though Black should be able to eventually equalize, White still has some chances in this
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endgame.
26.Rac1 Qa8 27.Qf3!
An important move that neutralizes the black queen.
27...g5?
A natural move, but a big mistake that actually loses!

¹ 27...Rd8 had to be played to secure the d6-pawn. However, it is a passive move and White has a
very comfortable position here.
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Position after: 27...g5?
28.Rxc7!!
A beautiful tactical strike that decides the game. Unfortunately, I completely missed it and eventually
the game ended with a draw...
Nonetheless, there are beautiful tactical lines that I am happy to show!
I played 28.exd6? but this leads to simplifications and the position evens out. 28...cxd6 29.Bxd6 gxf4
30.Bxe7 [I was tempted to play 30.Bxf4 but then I spotted the quiet 30...Kh8!! and Black seizes the
initiative!] 30...Nxe7 31.Nc5 fxg3 32.Qxa8 Rxa8 33.hxg3 Rc8 34.Nxa6 Rxc1 35.Rxc1 Rxa5 and the
draw was agreed. Swiercz – Ding Liren, Astana 2019.
28...Nxc7
A) 28...gxf4 29.g4! and Black’s position collapses. 29...R5f7 [29...Ne3+ 30.Kg1+–] 30.exd6 Nxc7
31.dxe7 Re8 32.Nd6 Rfxe7 33.Nxe8 Rxe8 34.Qxa8 Rxa8 35.Rxf4+–
B) 28...Rxf4 29.gxf4 Nxc7 30.Bxd6 Bxd6 [30...Rxf4 31.Nf6++–] 31.exd6 Nd5 32.Kg1!+–
C) 28...Nxf4+ 29.gxf4 Rxf4 30.Nf6+!+–
29.exd6
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29...Rxf4
A) 29...Rxa5 30.Bc5! Ra2+ 31.Kh1 Bxd6 32.Bxd6 Nd5 33.Bxf8 Qxf8 34.Nxg5+–
B) 29...g4 30.Qxg4+ Bg5 31.fxg5 Nb5 32.d5! Qxd5 33.Kh3!+–
30.dxe7! Rxf3 31.exf8=Q+ Qxf8
31...Rxf8 32.Rxf8+ Qxf8 33.Bxf8 Kxf8 34.Nxg5
32.Rxf3!!
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Position after: 32.Rxf3!!
The entire point of the combination. White wins thanks to a beautiful geometric pattern.
32...Qa8
32...Qh6 33.Nf6+ Kh8 34.Bd6! Qg6 35.Be5!+–
33.Rf8+ Qxf8 34.Bxf8 Kxf8 35.Nxg5 Ke7
35...Nb5 36.Nxh7+ Kg7 37.Ng5 Nxd4 38.h4+–
36.Nxh7 Nb5 37.Ng5 Nxd4 38.h4 Nb3 39.Ne4 Nxa5 40.Nc5+–
485
Position after: 40.Nc5+–
h) 8...Bb7 9.d3 d5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 Bb7 9.d3 d5
This is another way to sacrifice a pawn and achieve a Marshall-like position. Similarly, to previously
analyzed variations with ...d5, it is also somewhat suspicious. However, it was even tried by Magnus
486
Carlsen, so it definitely deserves attention. White needs to know how to respond as the position may
become very sharp!
10.exd5 Nxd5
Here, White has some choices.
11.Nbd2!
This was played in Caruana – Carlsen (2018) and I would suggest following Fabiano’s choice. Lie
11.Nc3, it is a positional approach. Here White can hope for some advantage.
A) 11.Nc3!? Nxc3 12.bxc3 is another positional approach.
The main idea is that after 12...Bf6 White continues with 13.Nd2!? rerouting the knight to more
active squares. In the future Ba3 also is on agenda.
B) 11.axb5 It clearly is the most critical approach but, sadly, I think that Black has sufficient
compensation. 11...axb5 12.Rxa8 Bxa8 13.Nxe5
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13...Nd4! This is probably the strongest objectively. Black wants to gain the bishop pair. [However,
13...Nxe5 14.Rxe5 c5© is not bad for Black.] 14.c3 [14.Nd2!? is another possibility by White
played in Robson – Durarbayli (2018). I think that Black is doing quite well after 14...Re8!?
15.Nef3 Nxb3 16.Nxb3 c5©] 14...Nxb3 15.Qxb3 Bg5! 16.Nd2 Bf4! and I think that Black has
sufficient compensation.
Position after: 16...Bf4!
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The position is pretty much unclear, e.g., 17.Nef3 Bh6! 18.Qxb5 Nf4 19.d4 c5!∞
11...f6 12.c3!?
12...Kh8
A logical move. In any case Black removes the king from the a2-g8 diagonal.
A) 12...Na5 13.Bc2 c5 This is the main alternative. 14.axb5 axb5 15.Ne4
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Even though Black has more space here, it is White that has some advantage. Its source is the
slightly vulnerable position of Black’s king and somewhat worse pieces. Thanks to that, if White
wants, he can at any moment fight for the center (with d4) but there is also a possibility to weaken
the kingside first and then play in the center. 15...Qc7 [15...Qd7 16.Ng3 g6 17.h4!ƒ] 16.Ng3 Rfd8
17.h4!
White begins action on the kingside. The main purpose is not to immediately create a crushing
attack, but instead to significantly weaken the kingside in order to expose Black’s king. Then, when
the center opens at some point, Black’s king may be in danger. Some sample lines: 17...Bf8 [17...c4
18.d4!²; 17...b4 18.Bd2²] 18.h5 b4 19.d4! b3 20.Be4 cxd4 21.cxd4 Nb4 22.Bxb7 Qxb7 23.Bd2
exd4 24.h6!ƒ
B) 12...b4 13.d4!
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Now White plays in the center, taking advantage of the pin. 13...Kh8 14.Ne4 bxc3 15.bxc3 Rb8
16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 fxe5 18.Qh5 Nf4 19.Bxf4 exf4 20.Bc2²
13.axb5 axb5 14.Rxa8 Bxa8 15.Ne4 b4
15...Na5 16.Bc2 c5 17.Ng3² with the idea of h4-h5 or d4.
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16.h4!ƒ
This would be my suggestion. White begins an initiative on the kingside and keeps all the options of
playing in the center as well. Some sample lines:
16.d4 was in the game and I think that it is a little bit too straightforward path. 16...bxc3 17.bxc3 exd4
18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.cxd4 Bb4 20.Bd2 Bxd2 21.Qxd2 Re8= with equality. Caruana – Carlsen,
Stavanger 2018.
16...bxc3 17.bxc3 Qd7
17...Na5 18.Ba2 c5 19.h5ƒ
18.Bd2 f5 19.Neg5 Bf6 20.Qb1 h6 21.Qa2 Rd8 22.Ra1 hxg5 23.hxg5ƒ
Position after: 23.hxg5ƒ
With unpleasant pressure in White’s favor.
i) 8...Bb7 9.d3 d6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 Bb7 9.d3 d6
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Finally, let us have a look at this line, which has become more and more fashionable recently. Black
elects a setup with the bishop on the b7-square, which can often happen in the Arkhangelsk Ruy
Lopez (5...b5 6.Bb3 Bb7). For some time, it was considered as favorable to White as Black’s light-
squared bishop would rather stay on the h3-c8 diagonal where it has an option to neutralize White’s
light-squared bishop after ...Be6. However, modern theory proves that this is also a viable option for
Black, primarily due to one particular idea in the 10.Nbd2 line that likely solves all of Black’s
problems. Therefore, I would suggest steering away from this line and look for different paths!
10.Bd2!?
I would suggest playing this move. It leads to playable positions which give certain practical chances.
The main idea is to stop ...Na5, which sometimes is an idea for Black.
A) 10.Nbd2 is the main line in which the correct reply by Black is 10...Nd7!
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Position after: 10...Nd7!
This became mainstream theory after the game Nakamura – Topalov, Riga 2019. It is worth noting
that this idea was played in the blitz game Dominguez – Sargissian, Huai’an 2016. In 2004 Topalov
played the same idea against Kasparov! Therefore, when Topalov played it in 2019 against
Nakamura, he essentially revived a line he used against Kasparov 15 years earlier. With the rapid
spread of information, it did not take long until other strong GMs began employing this line. While
writing this book (and earlier) I tried to find some playable paths for White, but I could not find
anything. To the best of my knowledge, Black is doing well here. The main idea is to bring the
knight to the c5-square and immediately challenge the b3-bishop and a4-pawn which provokes the
release of tension and giving away the a-file. It is important to note that this idea exists only because
White played Nbd2, which covers the c1-bishop which cannot be immediately developed to the e3-
square. I will show a few sample lines of what can happen here. I do not want to spend too much
time here as I would rather save it to discuss what I suggest, not what used to work until now. 11.c3
[11.Nf1 Nc5 12.axb5 axb5 13.Rxa8 Qxa8 14.Bd5 Nd8! solves all the problems with the d5-bishop.
15.Bxb7 Qxb7 16.Ne3 Nde6 17.Nf5 Bf6=] 11...Nc5 12.axb5 axb5 13.Rxa8 Qxa8 14.Bc2 b4! Black
challenges the queenside pawn structure. 15.d4 bxc3! 16.bxc3 Nd7
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This is essentially the main position. Thanks to simplifications Black does not have any weaknesses
(even potential ones) and the idea of ...Qa1, attacking the c3-pawn and inviting the queen trade,
makes it really hard for White to show anything.
A1) 17.Nc4 Qa1! 18.Qd2 [18.Ne3 Bf6!= increasing the pressure on the d4-pawn.] 18...Rb8
19.Bd3 Qa4 20.Bb2 Qb3 21.Qe2 exd4 22.Nxd4 Nxd4 23.cxd4 Ba6= with equality. Now it is
White that needs to be careful, as Black has the initiative. Huschenbeth – Grandelius, Augsburg
2019.
A2) 17.Nf1 Bf6 18.d5 Ncb8 19.h4
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and now both 19...Qa1= Nakamura – Topalov, Riga 2019, and 19...Nc5= Kasparov – Topalov,
Linares 2004, lead to good positions for Black.
B) 10.Nc3 is another popular move by White, but I think that Black is fine here too in a pretty
straightforward way. 10...Na5 11.Ba2 b4 12.Ne2 c5 13.c3 [13.Ng3 Bc8! is OK for Black.]
13...Qb6!N= a strong novelty that gives Black a good position. Very often the idea is to play ...b3,
making a white light-squared bishop an awful piece.
C) 10.h3 deserves future exploration as well.
D) 10.c3 is another path that deserves attention, but I do not discuss it in this book.
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Position after: 10.Bd2!?
10...b4
This is the most popular move. Black tries to underline the problem with White’s last move. White
cannot easily develop the b1-knight. Playing 10...b4 also restricts the c3-square. It is very logical, but
there is a myriad of alternatives. Let us have a look at them.
A) 10...Nd4?! This is a pretty typical idea in all kinds of the Spanish with d3. Sometimes it works
and sometimes it does not. Basically if White can effectively use tactical measures to gain positional
benefits, it should favor White. And this is the case here: 11.Nxd4 exd4 12.c3! Thanks to this move
that challenges the center, White either wins control over the center or gets a better pawn structure.
12...dxc3 [12...c5 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.axb5 axb5 15.Rxa8 Bxa8 16.Na3²] 13.Nxc3 Qd7 14.Ne2!
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Position after: 14.Ne2!
An important maneuver - the knight belongs on the kingside. 14...c5 15.Ng3 g6 16.h3²
B) 10...Nd7?! Right now, the idea of bringing the knight to the c5-square is not so effective. 11.Nc3
[11.Be3!?² is also possible, stopping ...Nc5 altogether.] 11...Nc5 12.Bd5 the a4-pawn is protected
by the c3-knight. 12...b4 13.Ne2 Rb8 14.Ng3²
C) 10...Nb8
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With this move Black wants to transfer the knight to the d7-square, in the style of the Breyer
Variation.
C1) 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rxa8 Bxa8 13.Nc3 White can go for such a position after trading the a-
pawns and rooks. 13...c6 14.Ne2 Nbd7 15.Ng3 Re8 16.h3!?
it makes little sense to go for c3-d4 here as quickly opening the a-file usually helps Black in the
Breyer structures. 16...Bf8 17.Nh2 Nc5 18.Ba2²
C2) 11.Nc3 c6 12.Ne2 Nbd7 13.Ng3
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A typical setup by White. 13...Re8 [13...Nc5 might be tempting, but I think that after 14.d4! Nxb3
15.cxb3² White applies some unpleasant pressure in the center.] 14.c3 preparing d4. Black’s
position is very solid, but White gains control over the center. It is similar to the typical Breyer
Variation. 14...Bf8 15.d4 [15.h3!?²] 15...c5 16.d5 c4 17.Bc2²
transposing to the typical Breyer structure, however not the exact one as the white pawn is still on
the h2-square. However, it does not change much here as the position is closed.
D) 10...Qd7 11.Nc3
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With ...Qd7 played, it makes sense to go for this plan. Normally, Black reroutes the bishop back to
the e6-square, but here the black queen stands in the way. It is not by any means clear that White is
better, but there are certain practical chances. 11...Na5 [11...Nd4?! 12.Nxd4 exd4 13.Ne2 c5
14.Ng3² similar to the 10...Nd4 line, White should be better when the knight joins the kingside.]
12.Ba2 b4 13.Ne2 c5 14.Ng3 Rab8
Position after: 14...Rab8
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This is a typical move. Black prepares ...b3 in the future. In general, in these types of positions
White tries to construct an attack on the kingside, control the light squares or somehow get to play
d4. There are several plans for White and it is a difficult position to analyze, but I think it is more
important to know the ideas than just the moves.
D1) 15.h3 Bc8 16.Nh4 g6 17.Nf3 This is more positional approach. [17.f4!? also deserves
attention.] 17...Qc7 18.Nf1!? Re8 19.Ne3 Bf8 20.Nh2 heading to the g4-square and fighting for
control over the light squares.
D2) 15.Nh4!? One idea is to try to quickly develop an initiative on the kingside. 15...g6 This move
is necessary. [15...Nxe4? wins a pawn, but loses the game: 16.dxe4 Bxh4 17.Nf5! Bf6 18.Qg4+–.
White’s attack is overwhelming.] 16.Bh6 Rfe8 17.Nhf5! Bd8!
The question is whether White has any way to power through Black’s defenses. Objectively, Black
should be fine, but it may not be easy to prove in a game! 18.Ng7 [18.Ne3!? Is a more positional
approach.] 18...Rf8 19.h3!? prophylaxis against ...Ng4 and preparing further expansion on the
kingside. [19.N7h5 Nxh5 20.Nxh5 Re8 21.Re3!? deserves attention too.] 19...b3!? 20.Bxb3 Nxb3
21.cxb3 Bc6 22.Rf1!ƒ
502
Position after: 22.Rf1!ƒ
Preparing f4. The position is very complicated, but it is White that has the initiative. The g7-knight
is not really trapped as N7f5 is a piece sacrifice that is part of White’s plans.
11.c3
I think that White should immediately challenge the b4-pawn. Additionally, White potentially want to
play d4 at some point.
11.a5!? also deserves attention.
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11...Rb8!?
This move was played by such GMs like Tomashevsky and Gledura.
A) 11...bxc3 Releases the tension too early. 12.Bxc3
Position after: 12.Bxc3
A1) 12...Na7 A little bit of an awkward move, but with a very concrete idea – Black wants to play
...c5. It is logical as allowing d4 may sometimes be unpleasant to Black. However, this idea
weakens the c4- and d5-squares: 13.Nbd2 c5 14.Nc4² with positional play on the light squares.
A2) 12...a5 13.Nbd2 Nb4
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14.Bxb4!? The simplest. [14.d4 is another possibility but it leads to massive complications that are
unnecessary: 14...Nd3 15.Re3 Nxf2! 16.Kxf2 Ng4+ 17.Ke2 Ba6+ 18.Bc4 d5!∞] 14...axb4 15.d4
exd4 16.Nxd4²
Position after: 16.Nxd4²
I think that White has good potential here. The passed a-pawn can be dangerous in the future and
White holds a grip on the light squares. Potential trades may further weaken the light squares. In
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general, even if White’s advantage is not big, it is definitely easier to play with White. For
instance: 16...Re8 17.Qc2 c5 18.N4f3 Qc7 19.Ng5 Rf8 20.Nc4²
B) 11...d5 This move involves temporary pawn sacrifice which is pretty much unnecessary, and I
hardly would expect that move to be played by Black unless someone is extremely well prepared
and remembers literally all the lines here. Having said that, it is quite a risky approach by Black.
12.cxb4 dxe4 13.dxe4
B1) 13...Bd6 is a more passive option. White should be better in several ways. 14.Na3!? Bringing
the knight to the c4-square. [14.Nc3 Nxb4 15.Bg5² also deserves attention.] 14...Nxb4 15.Bg5 h6
16.Bh4² Due to White’s slightly better pawn structure.
B2) 13...Nd4!? Black tries to resolve all of his opening problems tactically. It is a valid option for
Black, but White has good prospects: 14.Nxd4 Qxd4 [14...exd4 is less accurate: 15.Qc2 c5 16.e5
Nd5 17.bxc5 Rc8 18.Bc4 Rxc5 19.Qb3 Nb6 20.Bf1 Bd5 21.Qd1²] 15.Bc3! Qxd1
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Position after: 15...Qxd1
here White has some choices. 16.Rxd1 I lean towards this. It looks more playable to me. [After
16.Bxd1 there are forced simplifications: 16...Nxe4 17.Bf3 Nxc3 18.Bxb7 Ra7 19.bxc3 Rxb7 and
even though White wins a pawn after 20.Rxe5 Black has good chances to save this endgame after
20...c5!©] 16...Nxe4 17.Be1! [17.Bxe5 does not lead anywhere: 17...Bxb4 18.Bxc7 Bc5 19.Bg3
Nxg3 20.hxg3 Rab8©] 17...Rab8 18.Na3!? [18.Bc4!?] 18...Bc8 19.Nc2ƒ
Position after: 19.Nc2ƒ
507
with some pressure. The pawn structure on the queenside favors White as there is potential to
create a passed pawn and also somehow put pressure on Black’s queenside pawns.
C) 11...a5?! This move allows White to build a strong center. 12.d4! exd4 [12...bxc3 13.Bxc3!²]
13.cxd4 d5 14.e5 Ne4 15.Be3²
with advantage for White. The fixed pawn structure on the queenside definitely favors White. The
game Ducarmon – Fedoseev, Pune 2014 followed: 15...Qd7 16.Nbd2 Nd8 17.Rc1 Ra6!? an
interesting rook swing by Fedoseev, but it does not work. 18.Nxe4! dxe4 19.Nd2 Rg6 20.Nf1!+–
508
Position after: 20.Nf1!+–
protecting the kingside and leaving Black with lots of weaknesses. White is strategically winning.
Position after: 11...Rb8!?
12.h3!?
A useful prophylactic/waiting move. In any case, the g4-square is covered. White is sort of trying to
see what Black wants to do and then adjust plans depending on Black’s choices.
A) 12.cxb4 Bc8! the essence of 11...Rb8. In the game Vachier Lagrave – Tomashevsky Black
equalized quite easily: 13.b5 axb5 14.axb5 Rxb5 15.Ra8 Rb8 16.Rxb8 Nxb8 17.d4 exd4 18.Nxd4 c5
19.Nf3 Nc6 20.Bc3 Be6 21.Nbd2 d5!=
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Position after: 21...d5!=
0-1 (91) Vachier Lagrave, M (2775) – Tomashevsky, E (2716) Tbilisi 2015.

B) 12.d4?! This move is logical, but it is not so great now: 12...exd4 13.cxd4 Na5 14.Bc2 c5 15.d5
Nd7³ with a great version of a Benoni structure.
C) 12.a5 d5! solves all the problems.
13.Qc2 [13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Bc4 Qd6= with the b1-knight out of the game White cannot hope for any
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advantage.] 13...Bc5 14.Bg5 dxe4 15.dxe4 h6 16.Bh4 bxc3 17.bxc3 g5 18.Bg3 Nh5 19.Nbd2 Qf6∞
12...d5!?
I think that objectively this is what Black should play here. With this move Black tries to solve his
opening problems tactically. It is quite similar to 11...d5 discussed above, but the inclusion of the
moves ...Rb8 and h3 makes a subtle difference in some lines. It is debatable whether it favors White
or Black, but I can say that White everywhere maintains some chances.
A) 12...Bc8 13.a5!² Right now it is useful to fix the pawn structure on the queenside. A positional
fight follows here, but in general I like White’s chances.
B) 12...Ba8 13.a5!² is similar to 12...Bc8. Here, though, it is an even better version, as after Bc4 in
the future the a6-pawn will be under attack.
C) 12...bxc3 This move again reduces tension a little bit too early. 13.bxc3 [13.Bxc3!? also deserves
attention.] 13...Na5 [13...d5 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Na3!²] 14.Ba2 c5 15.Na3²
13.cxb4
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13...Bxb4
Objectively the best.

A) 13...dxe4 14.dxe4 This pawn trade benefits White as now the b3-bishop is opened on the a2-g8
diagonal.
A1) 14...Bxb4 15.Bxb4 Nxb4
Position after: 15...Nxb4
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Here, White has two possibilities. 16.Qxd8 [16.Nxe5!? Qe7 17.Nxf7 Rxf7 18.Nc3 the engines
also like this line. 18...Kh8!? 19.Bxf7 Qxf7∞/². The position seems unclear but probably White’s
position is still preferable.] 16...Rbxd8 17.Nbd2² with a slightly better endgame. Black has several
weaknesses that White will try to exploit.
A2) 14...Nd4 Black follows the same idea as I analyzed in 11...d5. Here, the inclusion of ...Rb8
and h3 helps White: 15.Nxd4 Qxd4 16.Bc3 Qxd1 17.Rxd1 Nxe4 18.Bxe5 and now the c7-pawn
hangs with tempo on the black rook!
Position after: 18.Bxe5
18...Ba8 This should be played. [After 18...Bxb4 19.Bxc7 Black does not have time to play
19...Bc5 as the rook is hanging. And after 19...Rbc8 20.Bb6± White simply has an extra pawn.]
19.Bc4 Rxb4 20.b3² White has the better pawn structure and good prospects.
B) 13...Nxb4?! gives up the e5-pawn in an uncomfortable way. 14.Nxe5!
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Position after: 14.Nxe5!
14...dxe4 [14...Bd6 15.exd5 Bxd5 16.Bxd5 Nfxd5 17.Nc3²] 15.dxe4 Nxe4 16.Qh5! Qe8 17.Bxb4
Bxb4 18.Nc3 Nf6 19.Qh4 Be7 20.Rad1²
Position after: 13...Bxb4
14.Bxb4
This is one of two good attempts by White to get an advantage.
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The other idea is 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Bxb4 Re8 which also looks good for White. 16.Bc3 dxe4 17.dxe4
Qxd1 18.Bxd1 Nd3 19.Re3 Bxe4 20.Nd2² with some chances.
Position after: 20.Nd2²
Black still needs to show accurate play to fully equalize. However, Black may manage to do it:
20...Bg6 21.Rxe8+ Rxe8 22.Bf3 Rd8! A very important move. If not this, then White is clearly better.
Here, though, Black plays ...Nd5 next and most likely solves the problems dynamically. 23.b3 Nd5
24.Ba5 Ne5! 25.Rc1 Nxf3+ 26.Nxf3 f6 27.Bxc7 Rc8 28.Bf4 Rxc1+ 29.Bxc1 Bd3²/=
Position after: 29...Bd3²
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With a probable draw. However, over the board all those moves by Black are not obvious and there is
some room for error by Black!
14...Nxb4 15.Nxe5 Qd6!
15...dxe4 16.dxe4 transposes to 13...dxe4.
16.exd5 Nbxd5
16...Bxd5 17.Nd2±
17.Qd2!
White has an extra pawn. I am not sure how big of an advantage it is, but it is definitely some kind of
advantage.
Black needs to prove his compensation which may not be an easy task.
17...Nh5! 18.Bd1!
Immediately bringing the bishop to the f3-square.

18.Nc3?! would be inaccurate: 18...Ndf4! 19.Bd1 Qf6! 20.Kh2™ 20...Nxg2 21.Bxh5 g6∞ with a
total mess.
18...Nhf4 19.Bf3²
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I think that White is slightly better because of the extra pawn. Black has compensation for this pawn,
but it feels like White has everything under control. For instance:
19...Ne6 20.Nc3 Nd4 21.Bxd5 Bxd5 22.Nxd5 Qxd5 23.Rad1²
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Part III
Modern Line with d3
Introduction
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3
As an alternative to the main lines of the Ruy Lopez resulting after 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 etc, I would
suggest going for the Modern Line by playing 6.d3. This move often leads to calmer and relatively
balanced positions. The fight is on more positional ground which may suit some players. Also, I have
to say that there is considerably less theory and less things that must be strictly memorized, which
also speaks in favor of this line. However, as a negative side I must say that Black usually has a
number of ways to equalize, but none of them definitely lead to a draw. The emerging positions are
clearly playable, and this is what I will try to show in this section.
6...b5
This is by far the most popular move.

An alternative is 6...d6 which is also quite ok for Black, but it is way less common. I think that with
correct play White can put some pressure on Black.
7.Bb3 d6
7...0-0 If Black starts with this move, the positions very often transpose. I will cover a few
518
exceptions.
8.a4
This is the line I would suggest. I have had a good experience in this line myself.
8.a3 This is the most popular recently, but I decided to analyze 8.a4 instead.
Black has several options after 8.a4:
A) 8...Bd7
B) 8...b4
C) 8...Rb8
D) 8...Bg4
E) 8...Bb7
F) 8...Na5
I will analyze each of these. Let us begin our discussion on the Modern Line!
Chapter 8
Rare Lines
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Chapter Guide

a) 6...d6
b) 6...b5 7.Bb3 0-0
a) 6...d6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 d6 7.c4!?
520
I lean towards this move. White immediately tries to gain some space advantage.
7.c3 is the most popular move here. I believe that White has good chances for an advantage but if we
can take advantage of Black not having played ...b5 yet, I think we should.
7...0-0
The most expected reply.

7...Bg4 is also logical. As White weakened the d4-square, Black tries to trade the f3-knight and then
somehow tries to control this square. However, it is not so easy to do. 8.Be3 0-0 9.h3
A) After 9...Bh5, apart from the normal 10.Nc3, White can consider the slightly extravagant
10.Nbd2!?² which solves the problem of the pin. As discussed in the Averbakh Variation (Volume
1) this bishop on h5 usually is not a great piece.
B) 9...Bxf3 Black should be consistent. 10.Qxf3
521
Position after: 10.Qxf3
10...Nd7 playing in the spirit of the Averbakh Variation. [The resulting pawn structure after
10...Nd4 11.Bxd4 exd4 12.Nd2² favors White. It resembles Bird’s Variation a little bit, but with a
pawn already on the c4-square it should generally favor White.] 11.Qd1!?N A novelty that I
personally like. White tries to prevent Black’s plans. [11.Nc3 would be inaccurate, as after
11...Nd4! (now it is good for Black) 12.Bxd4 exd4„ Black gains important tempos to launch
counterplay on the queenside.]
Position after: 11.Qd1!?N
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B1) 11...Nd4 is still not sufficient: 12.Bxd7 Qxd7 13.Bxd4 exd4 14.Nd2².
B2) After 11...Bg5 White can simply play 12.Nc3 not fearing 12...Bxe3 13.fxe3² as this pawn
structure is good for White. Black’s knights are cramped, and they have little to no access to good
squares.
B3) 11...Nc5 probably Black should play this, but it looks very ugly... 12.Bxc5 dxc5 13.Bxc6 bxc6
14.Qe2²
due to the better pawn structure, White can play on and have good chances. Still, Black is quite
solid, but in the long run I believe White should slowly increase the advantage.
8.h3
523
Preventing ...Bg4 in any case. Black has some choices now.
8...Nd7
This is one of the most logical moves.

Black tries to bring the knight to the e6-square and the bishop to the f6-square, fighting for control
over the d4-square.
A) 8...Nd4 This immediate jump is a common idea for Black in such positions. 9.Nxd4 exd4
10.Nd2 Rb8 [10...c5 11.f4! this is an additional idea. 11...Rb8 12.Bc2 b5 13.b3 White wants to
create an attack on the kingside. After 13...Ne8 White can play 14.f5!² with a further plan of
expanding on the kingside.] 11.Nf3
524
A1) 11...b5 happened in Svidler – Gozzoli (2020) but I think that it is simply not good for Black:
12.Nxd4!N [12.Bb3 c5 was in the game.] 12...bxa4 13.Nc6 Qe8 14.Nxb8 Bb7 15.Nxa6! Bxa6
16.b4!²
Position after: 16.b4!²
An important move to play. The material is very unbalanced. Some people may prefer two minor
pieces over the rook, but we cannot forget that White’s pawns are significantly restricting Black’s
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pieces. Therefore, they are not so active and have limited potential to get activated. White is better.
A2) 11...c5 12.b4 b5 13.cxb5 axb5 14.Bb3²
White has a stable advantage. The ideas involve e5 (opening up the center for White’s more active
pieces) and a4 (to seize control over more light squares).
B) 8...Bd7 This plan is very passive for Black. Black is not really improving any of his pieces.
9.Be3 Re8 10.Nc3 h6 11.a3!? One of typical plans here.
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11...Bf8 12.b4 Ne7 13.Bb3²

C) 8...Rb8 Black prepares ...b5 and provokes Nc3 hoping that ...Nd4 then will be stronger than at
move 9. Frankly, I do not think that is the case. 9.Nc3 Nd4 10.Nxd4 exd4
11.Ne2 [11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.cxd5² is also better for White. White’s plan is to begin an expansion on
the kingside with f4 etc.] 11...c5 [11...b5 12.Nxd4 transposes to 8...Nd4, 11...b5.] 12.b4! b5 13.cxb5
axb5 14.Bb3²
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I think that Black still has a long path to equality. White has a better pawn structure and more active
pieces.
D) 8...Nb8 This “Breyer” move is also possible. Black tries to achieve a Philidor-style position with
...Nbd7, ...c6 and ...b5. However, White should be able to quickly create a strong center
guaranteeing a stable advantage. 9.Nc3
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D1) After 9...Nbd7 White can play 10.d4 [Or 10.b4 c6 11.Bb3 b5 12.Be3²] 10...exd4 11.Nxd4
Ne5 12.Qe2²
D2) 9...c6 10.d4 Nbd7 11.d5!?
I believe this causes the biggest problems for Black: 11...cxd5 [11...Qc7 12.Be3 b5 13.dxc6 bxa4
14.cxd7 Bxd7 15.Nd2²] 12.cxd5 b5 13.Bc2 Nb6 14.b3²
9.Be3!
Prophylaxis against ...Nc5.
529
9...Bf6
9...Nc5? 10.Bxc6 bxc6 11.Bxc5 dxc5 12.Nxe5 Bf6 [12...Qd6 13.Nf3+–] 13.Nxc6 Qd7 14.e5!
the key move of this line. White wins a pawn: 14...Qxc6 15.exf6 Bb7 16.Qg4 Qxf6 17.Nc3+–.
10.Nc3 Nd4
530
White has some choice here. I like the following simplistic approach the most:
10...Nc5?! is still not good: 11.Bxc6 bxc6
Position after: 11...bxc6
and now White has a nice positional advantage in a number of ways: 12.Nxe5!? (the most flashy)
[12.d4 exd4 13.Nxd4² is the simplest.; 12.Bxc5 dxc5 13.Qe2² is simply better too.] 12...Bxe5 13.d4
Nxe4 14.Nxe4 Bf6 15.Nxf6+ Qxf6 16.Qa4²
531
11.Bxd7
This simplistic approach makes perfect sense.

11.b4 and 11.Nd5 are alternatives that also could be played.
11...Nxf3+
11...Bxd7 12.Bxd4 exd4 13.Ne2 c5 14.Nf4²
The knights are better than the bishops due to the closed character of the position and availability of
the d5-square.
12.Qxf3 Bxd7 13.Rfd1
Preparing d4 which Black should stop.
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Position after: 13.Rfd1
13...Be6 14.b3 c5
But this, on the other hand, weakens the d5-square and allows queenside expansion.
15.Rab1!?²
With the idea of b4.
b) 6...b5 7.Bb3 0-0
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 0-0
533
In this analysis I will try to consider alternative options for Black that do not transpose to other d3
lines. However, there are not many of them!
8.a4 b4
Let us consider this move first.

A) After 8...Bb7 9.Re1 there is a transposition to the Anti-Marshall 8.a4 Bb7 9.d3 d6.
B) 8...Rb8 With this move, combined with avoiding ...d6, Black may try to get to play Marshall-like
...d5. 9.axb5 axb5 10.Nc3
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However, White can simply prevent it. One of White’s ideas is to play Nd5. Here, Black should
finally transpose back to the regular line and play ...d6. Alternatives are way worse: 10...Bc5
[10...h6 11.Be3²] 11.Bg5!²
9.a5
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Here Black normally should transpose by playing 9...d6. However, there is also a possibility to play
9...Bc5
which actually transposes to one of the lines in the Arkhangelsk (which I did not cover in this book)
but with an extra tempo for White. Therefore, I believe that this position should be good for White!
10.Be3!?
I like this approach for White. It is very simplistic and leads to nice and playable positions with a
long-term initiative.
10...Bxe3
10...d6? 11.Bxc5 dxc5 12.Nbd2± Black’s pawn structure is horrible.
11.fxe3 d6 12.Nbd2
12...Ne7
A typical maneuver, bringing the knight to the kingside.

It makes sense for Black to trade the b3-bishop. However, White can obtain a nice advantage after
12...Be6 13.d4! Bxb3 14.cxb3!², e.g. 14...Re8 15.Qc2 Nb8 16.Rac1 Ra7 17.Qd3².
13.Qe2 Ng6 14.h3 h6 15.Rf2!?²
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With the idea of doubling on the f-file and potentially developing some initiative on the kingside.
This position should be easy to play for White.
Position after: 15.Rf2!?²
537
Chapter 9
Main Line
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4
Chapter Guide
Chapter 9 – Main Line
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4
a) 8...Bb7
b) 8...Na5
c) 8...Bg4
d) 8...b4
e) 8...Rb8
f) 8...Bd7 9.c3 Na5
g) 8...Bd7 9.c3 0-0 10.Bc2 b4
h) 8...Bd7 9.c3 0-0 10.Bc2 Re8
a) 8...Bb7
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Bb7
538
This line is somewhat suspicious. Black has already played ...d6, but White did not play Re1 yet,
which is often precisely aimed at preventing ...d5 ideas. White may not only save a tempo on Re1, but
also the rook can be helpful on the f1-square to develop some initiative on the kingside (e.g., by
supporting f4). In short, besides simply transferring back to the Anti-Marshall with 9.Re1, White has
here additional options. I will just introduce them briefly without diving too deep into them as 9...Bb7
is a rather minor sideline that is not expected that often.
9.Nc3
One of the approaches I would recommend and by far the simplest one.
9.Bd2!? is another possibility. In the Anti-Marshall I recommended Bd2 after Re1. Here, it seems like
it can only be a better version as White can quickly develop some pressure on the queenside. 9...0-0
10.Na3!?
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Position after: 10.Na3!?
An original approach by White, but a very concrete one. Right now, Black faces a tough choice.
A) 10...b4 allows 11.Nc4 and the white knight enters a very comfortable location on the c4-square.
From here Ne3 and Nf5 are options. 11...Nd7 [11...a5 12.Ne3 Nb8 13.Nf5²] 12.Ne3 Nc5 13.Bc4²
B) 10...Na7 Perhaps this ugly-looking move must be played. 11.c4!?² White has some pressure on
the queenside. Very often White wants to play cxb5 and then Qc2, applying more pressure. In
general, White wants to either create some weaknesses on the queenside or at least seize control
over the light squares. [11.c3 c5 12.Re1² is also OK.]
9...b4
9...Na5 10.Ba2 b4 11.Ne2 just transposes to 9...b4.
10.Ne2 Na5 11.Ba2 0-0
540
And here both 12.Ng3² and 12.c3² should offer an advantage.

The fact that White did not need Re1 so far is clearly good for White. Potentially, as mentioned
earlier, f4 ideas could be pretty strong.
b) 8...Na5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Na5
541
This move is also somewhat suspicious. With the pressure on the a-file Black voluntarily goes under
a pin. Black is not losing on this pin by any means but comparing to the regular lines it seems a little
bit iffy.
9.Ba2
A simplistic yet effective.

9.axb5 is also good for White: 9...axb5 [9...Nxb3?! is the most popular but here I struggle to find any
compensation for Black: 10.cxb3 0-0 11.Nc3 Bb7 12.bxa6 Rxa6 13.Bg5²
Position after: 13.Bg5²
In my opinion White just has an extra pawn and great winning chances.] 10.Bd2 c5 11.Ba2 0-0
12.Nc3²
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e.g. 12...b4 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Bxd5 Bb7 15.Bxb7 Nxb7 16.c3 bxc3 17.Bxc3!².
9...b4
A) 9...c5 10.axb5 axb5 11.Nc3 Bd7 12.Bg5 0-0 13.Qd2²
This looks like a dream position to achieve in the Modern Line!
543
B) 9...bxa4 happened in my game against Milan Pacher. I got a nice advantage after 10.Bd2 Nb7
11.Nc3 Bd7
12.Bb1 [I did not want a possible repetition after 12.Bc4 Na5 13.Ba2 Nb7.] 12...Nc5 13.Be3 Ne6
14.Nxa4 0-0 15.Nc3² with advantage.
10.c3 c5 11.cxb4 cxb4 12.Nbd2 0-0 13.Nc4²
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White is slightly better due to his more active pieces and better pawn structure. It is easier for White
to develop some initiative on the queenside or center than for Black.
c) 8...Bg4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Bg4
I think that this move is not so great for Black. Logically speaking, this bishop sooner or later will be
kicked off the g4-square with h3. Then, if the bishop decides to go back to the d7-square, the arising
position is essentially the one from the line 8...Bd7 but with an extra move, h3, for White. Capturing
...Bxf3 rarely makes sense and ...Bh5 would place the bishop in a suboptimal part of the board (as
seen in a number of variations like the Averbakh Variation from Volume 1).
Now White has two good options.
9.c3
Objectively, this should be the best move, especially considering a possible transposition to the
8...Bd7 line with an extra tempo.
9.Be3!? is an alternative which gives some advantage too. Black has some choices now but White
retains with a pleasant position around the board.
A) 9...Na5 10.Ba2
545
Position after: 10.Ba2
10...0-0 [10...c5?! weakens the d5-square: 11.axb5 axb5 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.Nd5 Nc6 14.Qd2²; 10...b4
is rather premature. 11.Nbd2²] 11.h3 Bd7 12.axb5 [12.b4!? Nc6 13.c3²] 12...axb5 13.Nc3 b4
14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Bxd5 c6 16.Ba2²
Position after: 16.Ba2²
This position looks very good for White.

B) 9...0-0 10.h3
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10...Bd7 [10...Bh5 11.Nbd2²; 10...Be6 11.Bxe6 fxe6 This happened in Adams – Carlsen (2012), but
it came from a different move order. White has a stable advantage here: 12.Nbd2 b4 13.c3²
planning d4 in the future.] 11.Nc3 Na5 12.Ba2 b4 13.Ne2 c5 14.Nd2²
Even though Black’s position is quite solid, it is definitely easier to play with White as he has good
control over the light squares, the potential of building his pawn center (c3-d4) or playing f4. These
547
are White’s main ideas.
9...Na5
This seems to be the best try to justify the ...Bg4 move.

After 9...0-0 10.h3
it is hard to find a better move than 10...Bd7 which results in the 8...Bd7 line with White a tempo up.
A) 10...Bxf3?! gives up the bishop pair 11.Qxf3 with a clear advantage for White. 11...Na5 12.Bc2
c5 [12...b4 13.Nd2 bxc3 14.bxc3 c5 15.Bb1!?± with the idea Ba2.] 13.Nd2² In the game Aronian –
Cuenca (2019) followed 13.Nd2² [13.Be3!?²]
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13...b4?! [¹ 13...Qc7²] 14.cxb4 cxb4 15.Nb3!± with a big positional advantage for White.
B) After 10...Bh5 White should go for a typical plan of transferring the b1-knight to the g3-square.
The h5-bishop is misplaced. 11.Re1 Na5 12.Ba2!
I would recommend following a game Dominguez – Postny (2019): 12...c5 13.Bg5 b4 14.cxb4 cxb4
15.Nbd2 Rb8 16.Bxf6! Bxf6 17.Bd5± with a big positional advantage. 17...Qd7 18.g4 Bg6
549
only here would I suggest a different path than the one chosen by Dominguez: 19.Nc4! [19.Nf1?!
Was played in the game but after 19...Nb7! with ...Nc5 next the position is not so bad for Black.
Instead, Postny chose 19...Bd8 which returns the favor.] 19...Nxc4 20.dxc4±
10.Ba2!
A better move than 10.Bc2.

10.Bc2 would not be accurate due to 10...b4!
550
and now the move ...Bg4 is indeed justified. The g4-bishop is helpful with solving some problems on
the queenside.
A) 11.cxb4?! Nc6! is great for Black: 12.h3 [12.Bd2? Nd4µ] 12...Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Nxb4 14.Bb3 0-0=.
B) Should White go for 11.Nbd2 but I am not sure whether he has anything special: 11...0-0 12.h3
Bh5 13.Re1 Nd7 14.g4 Bg6 15.Nf1 Rb8„ with some counterplay on the queenside.
10...c5
Normally, this should be played. Otherwise, the a5-knight will run into b4. But, it does have a
drawback as the d5-square is weakened.
10...0-0 11.b4 Nb7 A sad necessity. [11...Nc6?! is simply a loss of two precious tempi. 12.h3²] 12.h3
551
White should be better due to the bad knight on the b7-square: 12...Bd7 13.axb5 [13.Bb3!?²]
13...axb5 14.Na3².
11.Bg5!
Fighting for control over the d5-square.
11...0-0
11...Nd7? 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Bd5+–
12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Bd5 Rb8 14.b4 Nb7 15.axb5 axb5 16.Nbd2²
White has a stable positional advantage.
552
Position after: 16.Nbd2²
d) 8...b4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 b4 9.a5
White is achieving a similar position to the one from the Anti-Marshall 8.a4 b4 9.a5, with the
distinction that d3 has been played instead of Re1. Very often, there can be a transposition between
553
those lines. However, White can also try to save a tempo by not playing Re1.
9...0-0 10.Nbd2
10...Be6
The main move. Other moves very likely lead to similar (or just the same) positions as without ...Be6.
It is hard to play this position with Black.
A) 10...Rb8 11.c3 [It is also OK to start with 11.Nc4] 11...Be6 12.Nc4 simply transposes to the
main line.
B) 10...h6 also will likely transpose to the main line after 11.Nc4.
11.Nc4!?
554
I believe that this is the point of White’s play. White keeps the bishops on the board and tries to
prepare f4 or c3-d4, challenging Black’s pawn structure in the center. In this position, Black’s typical
plan involves the moves ...Rb8, ...h6, ...Qc8. Sometimes, ...Nd7 followed by ...Bf6 also makes sense.
Lots of games have been played here with generally good results for White (at the time of writing,
11.Nc4 scores 60.3%) but Black’s position is solid, and it is definitely not an easy one to crack.
11...Rb8
This move and 11...h6 are equally popular. I decided to make 11...Rb8 the main line as it was chosen
by Magnus Carlsen.
A) 11...h6 In this variation I will cover setups where Black plays without ...Rb8. 12.c3 (the same
plan as after 11...Rb8) 12...bxc3 13.bxc3 Qc8
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This setup was successfully employed in 2014 by Sergei Karjakin and in 2020 by Alexandra
Kosteniuk, both winning their games. However, I found an interesting approach for White that puts
some pressure on Black: 14.Ba4!?N
A1) After 14...Qb7 White has an interesting tactical idea: 15.Bxh6! Bxc4™ [15...gxh6? 16.Rb1+–
This is the point of this combination!] 16.dxc4 Nxa5 17.Bg5 Nxc4 18.Bb3ƒ
Position after: 18.Bb3ƒ
556
White has sacrificed a pawn for the bishop pair and the weakening of Black’s kingside while
gaining control over the light squares. The position is still sort of balanced, but White has the
initiative and Black has to be very careful.
A2) 14...Na7 (with the idea of ...Nb5). 15.Re1 Nb5 16.Bd2
I like this position for White. White can choose from many possible plans (d4 in the future, Ne3
followed by typical Ruy Lopez piece play), while it is not clear what Black does next. These
sample lines show some of the possible game scenarios: 16...Nd7 [16...Rb8 17.Qe2! (with the idea
of d4) 17...Nd7 18.d4 Bf6 19.d5 Bg4 20.h3 Bh5 21.Ne3 Nc5 22.Bc2 Bg6 23.Qc4²] 17.Ne3 Nc5
18.Bc2 Bf6 19.c4!? Nd4 20.Nxd4 exd4 21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.cxd5²
B) 11...Nd7 12.Be3 Bf6 As mentioned earlier, this is one of the possible setups for Black here. The
main point is to prevent White’s d4 ideas. White has two options here:
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B1) 13.Ba4!? is an alternative. White immediately puts pressure on the c6-knight forcing it to
declare where it is going. 13...Nd4 [13...Ne7? is a positional mistake. The knight here is very
passive and White can quickly build a strong center: 14.c3!± with the idea Qe2 and d4.] 14.c3
Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Rb8 16.Bc6²
with some edge as well. It is definitely easier to play it with White.
558
B2) 13.c3!? White immediately prepares d4. In order to maintain relative balance, Black would
have to play a very difficult move 13...Nc5!? which without prior preparation would be hard to
play - after all, Black’s pawn structure becomes totally shattered! Yet, everything else is even
worse. [13...Rb8 14.Ba4! Ne7 15.Qe2!±; 13...bxc3 14.bxc3 Qe7 15.d4±] 14.Bxc5 dxc5 15.Qc2²
Position after: 15.Qc2²
White’s advantage is pretty obvious, but Black still can obviously fight.
C) 11...Nd4?! This typical idea for the Modern Line in the Ruy Lopez is not good here. Black’s
pawn structure on the queenside is quite bad and White has a clear edge and an easy game. 12.Nxd4
exd4 13.Bd2
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13...Rb8 [13...d5?! is even worse: 14.exd5 Bxd5 15.Re1± Black simply has no plan, while White
can further develop his pieces without many issues, try to make good trades (trying to leave Black
with a bad dark-squared bishop) etc.] 14.f4² with a pleasant advantage for White. Black will
struggle a lot here.
12.c3!?
560
I like this move. Even though it is not the most popular choice by White here, I think it is quite
venomous. The idea is to prepare d4 at some point.
12...bxc3
The most popular and most likely the best response. It makes sense to open the b-file for the b8-rook.
A) 12...Qc8!? This is the best alternative. I think that White can certainly apply some pressure there,
even though with correct play Black should eventually equalize. 13.d4! White should certainly try
this move.
A1) 13...Bg4? 14.Ba4! and Black is in big trouble: 14...Qb7 15.d5 [15.Ne3!?±] 15...Na7 16.Ne3±.
A2) 13...exd4 14.cxd4 d5 15.exd5 Bxd5 16.Nce5! The best try. [16.Nfe5 Qb7! 17.Nxc6 Qxc6=]
16...Qe6! An important move for Black.
561
Position after: 16...Qe6!
Honestly, it feels like White should have some initiative here and from a practical point of view it
should be much easier to play with White, even if the position is objectively equal. Some sample
lines: 17.Ba4 Perhaps the best try. It requires Black to find a series of the best moves to hold the
balance. [17.Nxc6!? a simplistic approach. 17...Qxc6 18.Bg5 h6 19.Bh4 the tension in the center
can be annoying for Black here, e.g., 19...Bxb3 20.Qxb3 Rb5 21.Rfe1ƒ] 17...Nxe5 18.Nxe5ƒ with
an idea Re1 and some pressure.
B) 12...h6?! is pretty dangerous for Black due to 13.d4! exd4 [13...bxc3? 14.d5!+–] 14.cxd4 d5
15.Nce5!
562
Position after: 15.Nce5!
with an initiative in the center. 15...Na7 an ugly, but necessary move. [15...Nxe5? 16.Nxe5+– and
Nc6 comes in next.] 16.exd5 Bxd5 17.Nh4!ƒ White has a strong initiative. [17.Re1!?² is calmer and
it also gives some edge.] 17...Re8 [17...Nc6? is simply losing: 18.Nxc6 Bxc6 19.Ng6 Re8
20.Bxf7+!+– Kosintseva – Jackova (2007)] 18.Nf5 Bf8 19.Bf4² with some pressure. Black can try
to hold, obviously, but it is White that is in charge.
563
13.bxc3
13...h6
Sooner or later Black should play this move as Ng5 ideas might be annoying to meet.
A) 13...Na7 happened in Svidler – Sargissian (2011). Black transfers the knight to the b5-square,
but it does not necessarily solve the opening problems. 14.Ng5!? was played by Svidler. The idea is
to quickly play f4! 14...Bg4 15.f3
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Position after: 15.f3
A1) 15...Bh5?! 16.Qc2 Nd7 17.Nh3² with a stable positional advantage.
Position after: 17.Nh3²
The h5-bishop is misplaced. White should have an easy position to play with many possible plans
to choose from. Personally, I would aim to play f4.
A2) ¹ 15...Bd7 was correct with a relatively balanced position: 16.f4 exf4 17.Bxf4 Nb5 18.Bd2²
but also here I would rather play it with White. The f-file is opened, White has the potential to
create a strong pawn center and it is rather Black that needs to be careful here.
B) 13...Bg4?! is not good due to 14.Ba4 Na7 15.Ne3² and White gains some tempis as in Grischuk
– Bacrot (2007).
14.Re1 Qc8
565
15.Bc2!?
I would recommend this move. The main idea of this move is to prepare the d4 push in the near
future. As we will see in the following analysis, there is also no reason to worry about ...Bxc4,
destroying White’s pawn structure.
A) I certainly dislike 15.Ba4?! as after 15...Bxc4 16.Bxc6 [16.dxc4? Nxa5µ] 16...Bb5 17.Bxb5
Rxb5= Black equalizes comfortably.
B) 15.Ba3 is also not great as this bishop does not necessarily belong on the a3-square. 15...Rd8
16.Nfd2 [After 16.Qc2 there is a transposition to 15.Qc2.] 16...Nd7 17.Ba4 Qb7 18.Rb1 Qa8
19.Nb3 Na7„
C) 15.Qc2 was played in a recent game Svidler – Postny (2019) in which Svidler deviated from his
game against Carlsen from 2013. However, I think that Black is doing fine here: 15...Rd8 16.Ba3
Nh5!„
566
Position after: 16...Nh5!„
threatening ...Nf4, with decent counterplay for Black. It is clear that the bishop would have been
much better placed on the c1-square... [16...Bf8?! 17.Nfd2ƒ with some game.]
15...Rd8
A solid approach by Black.

15...Bxc4 destroys White’s pawn structure, but also gives away the bishop pair which could cause
Black difficulties on the light squares. 16.dxc4
567
16...Nd8 [16...Nd7?! 17.Ba4 Nd8 18.Bxd7 Qxd7 19.Nxe5! Qe6 20.Ng4! with an extra pawn, unless
Black goes for 20...Qxc4 and now White can obtain a huge positional advantage after 21.Ne3! Qe6
22.Nd5 c6 23.Nxe7+ Qxe7 24.Bf4 Nb7 25.Qd3±] 17.Nh4!?N White begins an initiative on the
kingside. 17...Ne6 18.Nf5
A) After 18...Qd8 19.g3² is just slightly better for White, but [19.c5!? Nxc5 20.Re3© with a
potential attack on the kingside could be very unpleasant to meet.]
B) 18...Bd8 19.Ba3! preparing a pawn sacrifice (c5) with a strong initiative on the light squares, e.g.
19...h5 20.c5! Nxc5 21.Bxc5 dxc5 22.Bd3 g6 23.Nh4².
16.Qe2!
An important move to play. The idea is to push d4.
16...Bf8
Continuing with the maneuverig play. The c6-knight now has a path to the kingside (...Ne7–...Ng6).
16...Bxc4 17.dxc4² is probably an even better version for White of the 15...Bxc4 line, as right now
the c6-knight is not getting to the e6-square easily.
568
17.h3!
A useful prophylactic move. White waits for a good moment to play d4, without declaring yet which
plan he will eventually choose.
Essentially, White keeps an eye out for other possibilities, depending on what Black does.
A) 17.Ne3?! This happened in Svidler – Carlsen (2013). It is a mistake because it allows Black to
comfortably begin a fight for control over the center with 17...d5! This is exactly what Magnus
Carlsen did and right now Black’s position is better.
B) 17.d4? would be premature: 17...exd4 18.cxd4 and now 18...d5 [18...Bg4 is also strong: 19.Be3
Nb4 20.Bb1 Nxe4! 21.Bxe4 d5µ] 19.exd5 Bxd5µ is much better for Black.
569
17...g6
A) 17...Bxc4 is again not great for Black: 18.dxc4 Nd7 19.Ba4 Ne7 20.Be3 Ng6.
21.Kh2!? A prophylactical move. White prepares to play g3 in the future to neutralize the black
knights. [21.c5?! is tempting, but not sufficient for an advantage: 21...d5! 22.exd5 Nxc5 23.Bxc5
570
Bxc5∞ and Black should be doing well here.] 21...Nf6 22.Qc2²
B) 17...Ne7?! is not great as it allows 18.d4! with advantage:
18...exd4 [18...Ng6 19.d5 Bd7 20.Bd3±] 19.Nxd4! Bxc4 20.Qxc4 c5 21.Nf3± with a big positional
advantage as in Najer – Karjakin (2014).
18.Ne3
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White slowly but surely improves the position.
18...d5
18...Bg7 19.Bd2 d5 20.c4² is similar to the main line.

Just as in Svidler – Carlsen (2013), Black attacks the center. However, there is a significant
difference: right now, the white queen is already on the e2-square and it does not run into any tension
on the d-file. Therefore, White can play
19.c4!
seizing the control over the d5-square with a great position as in Najer – Inarkiev (2014).
White is much better, for example:
19...dxe4 20.dxe4 Nd7 21.Nd5±
Stronger than 21.Nf5?! which is not really necessary but happened in the game.
e) 8...Rb8
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Rb8
572
With this move, like I discussed in the Anti-Marshall 8.a4 Rb8, Black tries to keep the pawn structure
flexible and not yet declare where the c8-bishop is going to be developed. There is one difference
though between the Anti-Marshall and this position – White has already played d3. That means that
plans with d4 are probably not as strong as they would be if d4 was played in one move, but they are
still quite challenging. There are also other plans. One thing to note is that the white rook is still on
the f1-square and it can support f4 in the future.
9.axb5
It is definitely useful to open the a-file for the a1-rook.
9...axb5
In this position there are several possible plans for White.
573
In order to keep the analysis neat and clean I will suggest two of them that are quite common in the
Ruy Lopez structures as they have a universal value for understanding middlegames arising from this
opening.
10.Nc3
White wants to play Nd5.

10.c3 with idea of d4 is another possible approach. Even though it should not be as strong as d4 in
one move, practice has shown that Black still has to do some work to equalize. 10...0-0 11.d4 exd4
12.cxd4
574
Black has some choice now, but only one move maintains the relative balance in the position.
A) 12...Bg4?! this logical move has been primarily played so far, but right now White has a clear
advantage: 13.Nc3! Qd7 [13...Bxf3 14.gxf3± does not necessarily weaken the pawn structure; on
the contrary - it only strengthens White’s center!] 14.Be3 Rfe8 15.h3 Bh5 16.Re1² with a stable
advantage.
B) 12...d5?! is also problematic for Black. 13.e5 Ne4 14.Ne1!?± with f3 next should be great for
White.
C) 12...Nb4N is the best move for Black. 13.d5! White should try to prevent ...c5 which would
support the b4-knight. If Black plays ...c5 now, White will obtain a better pawn structure. [13.Bd2
d5 14.e5 Ne4∞ does not look so clear to me]
575
13...Bg4 [13...c5 14.dxc6 Nxc6 15.Nc3²; 13...Nxe4? loses a piece: 14.Qd4+–] 14.Be3 Re8 15.Nc3
Bf8 16.Qd2!?²
Position after: 16.Qd2!?²
with some pressure. An important thing to note is that ...Bxf3 is rarely a concern for White as after
gxf3 White will have a very strong center. Also, the b4-knight feels somewhat uncomfortable. Any
attempt at ...c5 will result in en passant dxc6 which, as mentioned earlier, will give White a better
576
pawn structure. Finally, 16...Nxe4? does not work due to 17.Nxe4 Rxe4 18.Nd4+– and Black loses
a piece either to Qxb4 or f3.
10...0-0 11.Nd5
11...Nxd5
Black should trade those knights as soon as possible.

11...h6 12.c3 Re8 13.Be3 is rather comfortable for White, e.g., 13...Bf8 14.Nd2!? Be6 15.Qf3 Ng4
16.h3 Nxe3 17.fxe3!?² with pressure on the f-file. [17.Nxe3² is good too.]
12.Bxd5 Nb4 13.Bb3 c5 14.Bd2 Nc6
14...Na6 15.Qe2 Nc7 16.Ra7² looks comfortable too.
15.c3 Be6 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.Qe2²
577
This is a typical position arising from the Ruy Lopez or Italian. Black is quite solid, but the better
pawn structure should offer White some edge. In many such positions Black tries to attack on the
kingside, while here this is simply not possible. White can try to exploit the a-file, prepare d4 or f4, or
simply go for slow maneuvering play not declaring his intentions too quickly (g3, Kg2, h4, Nh2, Qg4
etc.).
f) 8...Bd7 9.c3 Na5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Bd7
578
Personally, I think that this move is the best reaction for Black against the Modern Line with 8.a4. I
have tried it with both sides with good results. The point of this move is twofold: one, it keeps the
pawn structure on the queenside flexible (in contrast to the 8...b4 line) and two, it keeps the bishop on
the h3-c8 diagonal where it normally belongs.
9.c3 Na5
This is the main alternative to 9... 0-0.

White can play either 10.Ba2 or 10.Bc2. In both cases White maintains some slight pressure but with
correct play Black should equalize. Yet, over the board the task may not be easy! As I said in many
instances (especially in Volume 1), sometimes it is very hard to find an advantage. However, we can
look for many ideas and positions that, even if equal, are difficult to play for our opponent. Here, both
10.Ba2 and 10.Bc2 accomplish that goal, despite the position being (with correct play) equal.
10.Ba2
This approach has been chosen recently by Magnus Carlsen. It makes sense to keep the bishop on the
a2-g8 diagonal.
10.Bc2 c5 11.d4
579
11...Qb8 [11...cxd4 was seen in Nakamura – Ding Liren (2019) but in my opinion it unnecessarily
releases the tension in the center. 12.cxd4 exd4 13.Nxd4 0-0 14.axb5 axb5 15.Nc3 b4 16.Nce2² with
some advantage for White, however Black is solid.] 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bh4 Be6 14.Nbd2 0-0 15.h3
This is the main position of this line. Black has some choices now. Only one move though keeps the
balance, so there is room for Black to err. 15...cxd4! [15...Rc8 has been mostly played so far but after
580
16.Bg3!N there are certain issues with the e5-pawn.] 16.cxd4 Qb6! This is the best path for Black, as
in Harikrishna – Alekseenko (2019).
A) 17.b4?! was in the aforementioned game. 17...Nc4 18.d5 [¹ 18.Nxc4 Bxc4 19.Re1 Rfc8=]
18...Bd7 19.Nxc4 bxc4³ and Black’s position is preferable due to the misplaced h4-bishop.
B) 17.axb5 The best try for White. 17...axb5 18.dxe5 dxe5 19.Nxe5
581
White has won a pawn but Black has good compensation. However, Black still needs to prove this
compensation, while a pawn is a pawn. If Black slips somewhere it would yield White an advantage.
19...Rac8! The following sequence is what Black should do: 20.Ndf3 Rfd8 21.Qe2 Nc4 Here, White
has many moves. Probably, 22.Bb1!?∞
Position after: 22.Bb1!?∞
is the best one, keeping the tension in the position. Ideas include Ng4, Nd3, Ba2 or Bg3. Black
definitely has compensation, but it requires accurate play which in such a complicated position may
not be easy for people.
10...bxa4!
This is the best path for Black. By capturing the pawn, Black gains some time to comfortably develop
his pieces while at the same time White will be trying to recapture the a4-pawn.
10...c5 This idea is not as good for Black as it is in case of 10.Bc2. Now, White’s bishop is perfectly
positioned. 11.Bg5! Fighting for the d5-square. 11...0-0
582
A) 12.Nbd2!? This was Carlsen’s choice.

A1) 12...Rb8?! followed in the game Carlsen – Tari (2019) and the World Champion managed to
quickly obtain a very nice positional advantage: 13.axb5 axb5 14.Re1 b4 15.Nc4 Nxc4 16.Bxc4
bxc3 17.bxc3 Qc7 18.Qc2 Bb5 19.Bxb5 Rxb5 20.Bxf6 Bxf6 21.Nd2± Even though Black does
not have to allow that, it is a nice example of maneuvering play in the Ruy Lopez middlegame.
583
A2) However, after 12...bxa4! I struggle to find anything more than compensation: 13.Bxf6 Bxf6
14.Bd5 Ra7 15.Rxa4!? Bxa4 16.Qxa4 Qc7 17.Ra1 Nb7 18.Nc4© with compensation, but not
more.
B) 12.axb5 I would suggest going for this. Here White can obtain an advantage with rather simple
play: 12...axb5 13.Na3!? (with idea Nc2-Ne3 in the future) 13...Qb6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Bd5 Nc6
16.Qe2 Ra7 17.Nc2 Rfa8 18.Rab1!?²
Position after: 18.Rab1!?²
The a-file is not really that relevant here, as there are no entry points for the black rooks. Control
over the d5-square is more important.
11.Nbd2 0-0 12.Bb1
584
Sooner or later White has to go for the Bb1-Bc2 maneuver.
12...c5
12...Bb5 Black can use the c5-square for the knight as the following line indicates. 13.Bc2 Nb7
14.Nb1!? [14.c4 Bd7 15.Bxa4 Bxa4 16.Qxa4 is playable too.] 14...Nc5 15.c4 Bd7 16.h3²/=
preventing ...Bg4.
585
Position after: 16.h3²
The idea is Be3, Nc3, eventually recapture the a4-pawn with some playable position and most likely
a better pawn structure in the future (after the a4-pawn falls, the a6-pawn may become a weakness).
13.Bc2 Bb5
Provoking c4.
14.c4 Bc6 15.Bxa4 Qb6
Position after: 15...Qb6
The position seems to be just equal. However, it feels to me that it should be easier to play with White
as Black’s light squares are somewhat weakened.
16.Nb1!
A nice maneuver. The knight comes to the c3-square and in the future possibly to the d5-square.
16...Bxa4 17.Rxa4 Nc6 18.Nc3
586
This position happened in Grandelius – Cheparinov (2016). I think that from a practical point of view
it should be easier to play with White, even though the engine claims a stone-cold 0.00... For
example:
18...Rfb8 19.Ra3 Qb7 20.Ne1!?ƒ
White brings the knight to the e3-square and prepares f4. The position is clearly full of life!
g) 8...Bd7 9.c3 0-0 10.Bc2 b4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Bd7 9.c3 0-0
This move is the most popular and it was also my choice in my games.
10.Bc2 b4
587
Personally, in this position I twice played this move being inspired by some games of Evgeny
Tomashevsky in which he comfortably equalized. A few years ago I did some analysis here and I
thought Black is fine. Some years past and... not much changed! This is still a legit line, however
certain developments happened, and I will try to challenge Black’s ideas here.
11.Re1 Rb8 12.Nbd2 d5!
This is the line I had analyzed a few years ago and I successfully employed it in my game against
Yuniesky Quesada.
13.a5!?
588
White fixes the pawn structure on the queenside and potentially targets the a6-pawn.
13...h6!
13...Bd6? 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Ne4 bxc3 16.bxc3 h6 [16...f5 17.Nxd6 cxd6 18.Bb3 Be6 19.Ng5+–]
17.Bb3 Nf6 18.Bc4±
Position after: 13...h6!
589
14.Bb3!?N
This is a new try in this position. White tries to immediately put some pressure on the d5-pawn. I
think that this move can pose some practical problems for Black.
So far only 14.Ba4 has been played. I think that 14...Bd6! fully equalizes, as I proved in my game:
[14...bxc3 and; 14...dxe4 are alternatives chosen by Tomashevsky, but I find my approach to be very
precise.] 15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Ne4 bxc3 17.bxc3 f5! 18.Nxd6 cxd6 19.Bb3 Be6
in comparison to the line 13...Bd6?, Black is doing well here as ...h6 prevents Ng5. The game
continued 20.Nd4!? Nxd4 21.cxd4 Kh7! 22.Bc4 Nc3 23.Qd2 Bxc4 24.Qxc3 Bb5= with full equality.
The game ended quickly with a draw: 25.dxe5 dxe5 26.Bb2 Qxd3 27.Qxe5 Qd7 28.Rad1 Qf7 29.Rc1
Rfe8 30.Qf4 Rxe1+ 31.Rxe1 ½-½ Quesada – Swiercz (2017).
14...dxe4
If Black does not want to play 14...dxe4, it is possible to try 14...bxc3 15.bxc3 Be6.
590
I think that White can hope for some initiative after 16.Ba4! Nxa5 17.Nxe5 dxe4 18.dxe4 [18.Nxe4!?
Nxe4 19.Rxe4 Bd6 20.d4 is also playable – Black still needs to prove full equality due to his worse
pawn structure.] 18...c5 19.Nef3 due to the better pawn structure and potential of playing e5 in the
future, hoping to construct some attack or initiative on the kingside. I would rather play this position
with White.
15.dxe4
591
15...bxc3
A) 15...Re8!? This mysterious move is suggested by the engine, but there are no logical reasons for
Black to play this move now. I mean, it is definitely useful, but considering White’s positional
trumps on the queenside, it is unlikely that such a move would occur in a real game, so I would not
worry about it and therefore I do not analyze it too much. There is plenty of life here anyway:
16.Bc4 Qc8 17.Qe2 Ra8 18.Nf1 with around equality, but definitely a playable position. It looks to
me that it should be easier to play with White.
B) 15...Qc8?! is inaccurate due to 16.Ba4! with some pressure: 16...Rd8 [16...Bd6 17.Nc4²] 17.Qe2
Bd6 18.Nc4².
C) 15...Bc5 is also good for White: 16.Bc4 Qc8 17.Qe2 Ra8 18.Nf1 Be6 19.h3².
16.bxc3 Rb5!?
Position after: 16...Rb5!?
This concrete approach is logical – Black attacks the weakened a5-pawn, but it is also quite risky and
at the same time difficult to play, as the following lines indicate:
17.Ba4 Rc5!
This rook seems to be nearly trapped here, but somehow the engines hold it...
17...Rxa5? 18.Nb3±
592
18.Bb2!
Position after: 18.Bb2!
I think that Black still needs to work quite hard to prove the equality.
18...Bg4
The most logical move in my opinion.

So far the a5-pawn is untouchable (18...Ra5? 19.Nb3+– and 18...Nxa5 19.Ba3+–), so Black tries
some active play instead.
Alternatives involve 18...Nb8 and 18...Na7 which are extremely difficult moves to play. Also, White
can play almost anything and keep the game going with some chances. That is why I focus solely on
18...Bg4 as the alternatives are very abstract.
19.Qc1!?
One of the few good moves here. I think that the position, even if objectively fine, is quite scary for
Black:
19...Nd4!
The only move holding the balance.
20.Nxd4 exd4 21.Nb3
593
Position after: 21.Nb3
21...d3!
Again, a difficult move to play.

21...dxc3 22.Bxc3 could be unpleasant for Black: 22...Rc4 23.Nd2 Rc5 24.h3 Bd7 25.Bb3².
22.e5
22.Qe3!?
22...Nd7 23.Qf4 Be6 24.Nxc5 Nxc5
594
Position after: 24...Nxc5
From now on, the (nearly) forced sequence simplifies the position, but in general Black always fights
for equality:
25.Ba3 Nxa4 26.Bxe7 Qxe7 27.Qxa4 Rd8 28.Red1 d2 29.Qf4 Qd7 30.Qd4 Qxd4 31.cxd4 Rxd4
32.Rab1 Rd5 33.f3 Rxe5 34.Rxd2 Rxa5 35.Re2
595
And even if objectively this should be drawn, White still may have a few tricks up his sleeve here.
Finally, all those lines are hardly attainable in a real game, as it is people who play, not machines.
h) 8...Bd7 9.c3 0-0 10.Bc2 Re8
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a4 Bd7 9.c3 0-0 10.Bc2 Re8
11.Re1
The most popular move.
11...h6
Black prevents Bg5 in advance and prepares ...Bf8 on the next move.
11...Bf8?! is inaccurate. 12.Bg5! White can take advantage of ...h6 having not yet been played and
create this annoying pin.
A) After 12...h6
596
White can execute the hidden positional threat that was created with 12.Bg5 13.axb5! [13.Bh4?! g5
14.Bg3 Ne7„ followed by ...Ng6, is not so clear] 13...axb5 [13...hxg5? 14.bxc6 Bxc6 15.Nxg5+–
and White wins a pawn] 14.Rxa8 Qxa8 15.Bxf6 gxf6. This forced sequence shattered Black’s
kingside pawn structure. 16.Nbd2² White is clearly better here and has good chances to further
increase the pressure.
B) 12...b4 A natural move, stopping the threat of axb5. It happened in my game in 2016 against
Grzegorz Gajewski. 13.Nbd2 h6 14.Bh4
597
This position, though, I find simply unpleasant for Black. White can go for a typical plan of Nf1-
Ne3, prepare d4 etc, while at the same time it is quite difficult to suggest some active plan for
Black. 14...Be7 A typical move, trying to get rid of the pin by playing ...Nh5 and trading the dark-
squared bishops. 15.Bg3! Prophylaxis. In general, White should try to keep as many pieces on the
board as possible due to having a little bit more space (d4 is likely coming) and somewhat better
pieces. 15...g6 16.h3! securing the dark-squared bishop. [16.d4 was also possible. 16...bxc3 17.bxc3
exd4 18.cxd4 Nh5] 16...Nh5 17.Bh2 Bg5 Consistently trying to trade those bishops.
But now after 18.Nc4 Bf4 19.d4!² White comfortably begins action in the center. Swiercz –
Gajewski (2016).
12.Nbd2
598
12...Bf8
12...b4 I cannot skip this move, as it happened in Caruana – So (2018). However, after 13.Nc4² the
position is quite similar now to lines with 8...b4, where White goes for Nbd2-Nc4. [13.d4 was
Caruana’s choice but Black is fine here after 13...bxc3 14.bxc3 exd4 15.cxd4 Nb4=]
13.Nf1
A) Another move is 13.h3, but I think that if it is possible not to play this move then you should not.
B) It is logical to consider here 13.d4?! but it is a little bit premature: 13...exd4 14.Nxd4 [14.cxd4
Nb4³ is better for Black.] 14...Qb8!?„ with some balanced play in the center, but Black has no
reason to complain here.
599
13...d5!?
This is the most principled approach.

Fighting for the center first makes perfect since otherwise White would play d4.
A) 13...b4 14.Bd2 [14.Ne3!?, stopping ...d5, also deserves attention.] 14...bxc3 [14...d5 would likely
transpose to 13...d5, e.g., 15.exd5 Nxd5 16.a5 and after 16...Rb8 which is a very logical move,
White can play 17.Ng3 achieving the same position as in the line after 13...d5.] 15.bxc3 Na5!?
600
Position after: 15...Na5!?
This was played in Kryvoruchko – Tomashevsky (2019). I think that White’s position is simply
more pleasant: 16.d4 c6 [16...Nc4 17.Bc1²] 17.Rb1 Qc7 18.Ne3².
B) 13...g6 This move allows White to comfortably expand on the queenside. 14.b4 Bg7 15.Bd2²
C) 13...Ne7 is a little bit passive. In fact, it reminds me of a Smyslov Variation discussed earlier.
14.d4 Ng6 15.Ng3²
14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Ng3 b4 16.Bd2
White has several ideas here. To name a few: playing a5 and fixing the structure, Bb3 putting
pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal or playing d4 at some point in the future.
16...Rb8
16...a5 17.Bb3 Nb6 18.Rc1ƒ with some pressure. Black has some weaknesses here that need to be
guarded. Probably with correct play Black is OK, but practically it is easier to play with White.
17.a5 bxc3 18.bxc3
601
I think that White’s position is preferable. In Jakovenko – Bu (2016) White managed to get a huge
advantage quite quickly:
18...Qf6?!
18...Nf6!? is more solid. 19.h3² with a positional battle ahead but I like White’s chances.
19.Bb3 Nf4 20.Ne4 Qd8?
Playing ...Qf6 and then ...Qd8 cannot be good.

¹ 20...Qg6 21.Bxf4 exf4 22.Nh4 Qg4 23.Qxg4 Bxg4 24.Ba4 Bd7 25.d4²
21.Bxf4 exf4 22.d4!±
Improving over 22.Bc4, which happened in the game between Jakovenko and Bu.
602
Position after: 22.d4!±
603
Table of Contents
Title page 3
Key to Symbols 5
Foreword by Le Quang Liem 6
Introduction 7
Chapter 1 – Moller Defense 9
Chapter 2 – Archangelsk Defense 89
Chapter 3 – Rare Lines 180
Chapter 4 – Zaitsev Variation 240
Chapter 5 – Chigorin Variation 313
Chapter 6 – Breyer Variation 363
Chapter 7 – Anti-Marshall 406
Chapter 8 – Rare Lines 518
Chapter 9 – Main Line 538
604

The Modernized Ruy Lopez Volume 2 A Complete

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The Modernized Ruy Lopez Volume 2 A Complete

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Table of Contents

PART I – Systems with ...Bc5

Chapter 1 – Moller Defense

PART II – Closed Ruy Lopez

Chapter 3 – Rare Lines

PART III – Modern Line with d3

Chapter 8 – Rare Lines

A Complete Repertoire for White

Thinkers Publishing 2021

First edition 2021 by Thinkers Publishing

Managing Editor: Romain Edouard

I dedicate this book to

my R.I.P grandma Irena, who always believed in me,

my R.I.P grandpa Rysiek, who taught me the game of chess.

I wanted to say thank you and I love you!

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5

Chapter 1 – Moller Defense

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5

This is an interesting approach that recently has gained a lot of popularity.

Position after: 12.Bxg5

Position after: 9.h3

Position after: 10...Re8

Position after: 16.Rad1²

Position after: 12.Nxe5

Position after: 8...Nxe4

An important move order. Black should start with this.

Position after: 11.Bh4

Position after: 9.h3

Black can try playing without ...b5.

Position after: 13...Ne7

Position after: 19.c4!²

and Black does not have enough compensation.

Position after: 11...Nb4

Position after: 14.Be3

Position after: 13.Nbd2

Position after: 13...c5

Here White has a few choices which appear to yield an advantage.

A) 11...exd4 12.cxd4 Nb4 is not good anymore. 13.Bb3²

12.Nbd2 Bb7 13.a3!

Position after: 13.a3!

Position after: 14.a4

Position after: 15...Rxa7

This would be my suggestion. White prepares Rad1 and c4.

16...Nbd7 17.c4! c6 18.Rad1 Bc8 19.Nh4!ƒ

With unpleasant pressure on Black.

c) 8...b4?! & 8...Rb8

Position after: 8.a4

Position after: 9.d4!

9.axb5 axb5 10.d4 dxe4 11.dxc5!?

Position after: 11.dxc5!?

Black should trade queens.

12.Bxd1 exf3 13.Bxf3 e4 14.Be2²

Position after: 14.Be2²

This is the most natural.

15...Nd5 16.Bg3 g5!

An important move that kind of holds the balance.

Immediately putting pressure on the b5-pawn. There is, however, an alternative.

17...b4 18.Nb5 Nf4 19.Bxf4 gxf4 20.Nxc7²

Position after: 20.Nxc7²

21...Rxb4 22.Nd5 Rxb2 23.Nxf4²

White is definitely better.

d) 8...dxe4 9.axb5 0-0N

Position after: 9...0-0N