Emms - The Sicilian Taimanov Move by Move 2012 OCR

John Emms
The Sicilian Taimanov

move by move
EVERYMAN CHESS
www.everymanchess.com
First published in 2012 by Gloucester Publishers Limited, Northburgh House,
10 Northburgh Street, London EC1V OAT
Copyright © 2012 John Emms
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ISBN: 978 1 8S744 682 1
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Everyman Chess Series

Chief advisor: Byron Jacobs
Commissioning editor: John Emms
Assistant editor: Richard Palliser
Typeset and edited by First Rank Publishing, Brighton.

Cover design by Horatio Monteverde.
Contents
Bibl i ography 4
Introduction 5
1 White Pl ays iLe 2 : Main Lines 9

2 Wh ite Pl ays iLe 2 : Altern ative Lin es 76
3 Wh ite Pl ays iLe 3 and iLd3 113
4 Th e English Attack 154
5 White Pl ays f4 216
6 The Fi an ch etto Vari ation 252
7 White Pl ays s lZJb s 282
8 Other Lines 323
Index of Variations 364

Index of G ames 368
�ibliography
Books
Dangerous Weapons: The Sicilian, John E m m s and Rich ard Pal l i ser (Everym an Chess 2006)
Dismantling the Sicilian, Jesus de l a Vill a ( New in Chess 2009)
Experts vs. the Sicilian, ed. Jacob Aag aard and Joh n Sh aw (Qual ity Chess 2 004)
Opening for White according to Anand, volume 9 , Al exan der Khalifm an (Chess Stars 2007)
Starting Out: The Sicilian, 2nd edition, John Emms (Everym an Ch ess 1 9 9 8 )
The Nimzo-Indian: Move b y Move, John Emms (Everym an C h e s s 2006)
The Safest Sicilian, 2nd edition, Al eksander Delchev and Semko Semkov (Chess Stars 2008)
The Taimanov Sicilian, G rah am Burg ess (Gambit 2 000)
Electronic sources, DVDs and databases

Chess Inform ants
Chess Today
ChessPublishing .com (Open Sicil i an section with an n otations by Rich ard Pal l i ser and Tony
Kosten )
Mega Database 2 0 1 2 (Chess Base)
Meg aCoTT 2 0 1 1
Th e Week in Chess
4
Introduction
What is the Sicilian Taimanov?

This book is about the Sicil i an Defence, and more specifically th e Tai m anov Variation ,
which h as been my favourite reply to 1 e4 for more th an 1 5 years.
The Sicilian Taim anov ari ses after th e open i n g moves 1 e4 c 5 2 t/-'lf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 t;)xd4
lZJc6 (see Diagram).
It's named after the Russian Grandm aster an d former Worl d Cham pion ship Can di date
Mark Taim anov, who h as played hun dreds of games with it and h elped to develop m any
lines.
Why play the Sicilian Taimanov?

The Sicilian Defence really n eeds no sel l i n g at all . It's th e most famous chess opening of all
- an d the most popul ar on e too. Its m ain attraction is th at by choosing an asym metrical
pawn structure, Bl ack is abl e to unbal ance th e position from move on e, and crucially h e
can to do so in a sound way. Th i s allows Bl ack t o fight for t h e initiative from t h e very start
of the game. It al so means th at Wh ite is less l ikely to g ain a risk-free edge, as th e position
will always contain som e measure of im balance.
Of all the Sicilian variation s on offer - and there are m any! - why choose th e Taim anov?
I can th ink of two attraction s wh ich are im m edi ately evident :
5
The Sicilian Taimanov: Move by Move
1. Th ese days it's vi rtually i m possible to expect success in any m ainline opening
without l earn i ng at l e ast som e openi n g th eory, and the Sicili an Taim anov i s no exception .
However, the amount of th eory you h ave to conten d with in th e Taim anov i s still m i n i m al
in compari son to more illustrious vari ation s such as the Najdorf or th e Dragon , an d
developments in th eory al so ten d to move at a slightly slower pace. Th e Taim anov
Variation i s certainly a m an ag eable project for anybody wi shing to take up the Sicilian.
2 . Black's system of developm ent i s arguably on e of the more active on es in th e Sicilian,
and it al so allows a good degree of fl exibility and creativity.
Th e diagram shows a kind of "ideal " developm ent system for Bl ack. Of course in the real
worl d, Wh ite i s m aking moves too, and putting obstacl es in Black's way, but even so this
set-up i s wel l worth notin g . Th e Taim anov i s ch aracterized by th e d7-e6 pawn structure,
which allows the kin g ' s bi shop to play an active rol e. Depending on th e situation , th i s
bi shop sometimes develops t o e 7 , d 6 , b4, c 5 ( a s in th e di agram ) o r occasion ally, as you'll
fin d out, even a 3 ! Both knights are developed on th eir favourite squares, and th e l ight
squared bi shop can be activated vi a th e queen side fi anch etto . . . a6, . . . b 5 an d . . . .Qb7. Finally,
th e queen i s virtually always deployed on 0, her favourite square in most Sicil ian lines,
and certai nly in the Taim anov.
What this book covers

I approach ed th i s book in exactly the same m an n er as my previous one in th e Move by
Move series, wh i ch studi ed the Nimzo- I n di an Defen ce. With apolog ies to those who h ave
seen it, I ' d like to borrow from the introduction to that book. I m entioned a key moment in
vi rtually every game we play: the moment where our opening knowl edge run s out, we are
"out of book " and we h ave to th ink for ourselves. To help to un derstan d wh at we n eed to
do in th ese situation s, I 've again focussed on th e followi n g th emes:
1. Typical situation s in openi n g an d m i ddl egame position s (an d very occasion ally
th ematic endi n g s ) .
2. Typical pl an s for both s i d e s and h o w players react t o these.
3 . Typical and thematic tactical opportun ities for both sides.
4. Th e pri n ciples and guidelines of each vari ation covered.
5. Th e key question s we shoul d be askin g ourselves durin g study an d in game
situation s.
6
Introduction
I 've presented the open i n g theory for each vari ation covered, and delved into and
updated my long -run n i n g Tai m anov study files. I 've highli ghted m ove-order issues an d
possible tran spositions into oth er lines.
I 've covered m ain lines, but gen erally my ch oices are those wh ich I feel teach us a great
deal about th e basic pri n ciples of th e Sicilian Tai m an ov. For exam ple, barring a few
exception s, I 've chosen li n e s where Bl ack m aintai n s a Tai m anov set-up rather than
tran sposing to a Scheven ingen with an early ... d6. Al so, I 've focussed on the modern main
lines in whi ch Bl ack plays ... CiJf6, rath er than Tai m anov's ori g i n al treatment with ... ttJg e7.
Thi s book is prim arily aimed at those who pl ay (or want to play) th e Sicil ian Taim anov
as Black. I 've covered a suffi cient number of lines so th at th ose pl aying Bl ack can choose at
least one option ag ai n st every m ai n l i n e White can play. I do feel, though, th at the gen eral
study of Sicilian Tai m anov positions, as well as th e opening theory, will also be of value to
th ose who prefer pl ayin g the White side.
Ag ain I 'd like to s ay th at my studyin g and writing has been m ade easier by the creative
efforts of so many players whose g am e s and ideas h ave contributed immensely to th e
devel opm ent of the Sicili an Tai m anov over th e years. Some of th ese players are featured in
th is book, and th ey all deserve a huge amount of appreciation . To l i st just a very few, I
woul d m ention Vishy An and, Judit Pol g ar, Al exan der Morozevich , Sergei Movsesian, Pavel
Tregubov, Bartl om iej Maciej a, I g or Miladi n ovic, Sergei Rubl evsky, Al eksan der Delch ev, Pia
Cramli ng and, of course, Tai m an ov h i m self. It's certainly worth playing through their
Sicilian Taim anov gam es to g ain i deas and in spiration.
The Move by Move Se ries

Th e Move by Move form at used in th i s book i s desig n ed to be interactive, and is based on
question s asked by both teachers and students. It aim s - as m uch as possible - to repl icate
ch ess lesson s. So th e reader is en courag ed to do some work ! To g ain th e most ben efit,
please pause for thought to con sider each question asked, an d allow yourself a few
minutes to try each exerci se before m ovin g on to th e an swer below. I 've highli ghted some
of th e more difficult exerci ses and al so i n cl uded a few hints in places.
Many th anks g o to all th ose wh o h ave been kind enough to offer in spi rati on, advi ce and
assistan ce in th e creation and devel opment of Move by Move. Special thanks go to Darren
Reed.
Now let's begin our Sicili an Tai m an ov j ourn ey !
John Em ms
Kent
March 2012
Chapter One
White Plays �e2:

Main Lines
In the first two ch apters we'll study one of th e m ost im portant lines of the Sicilian
Taimanov: 1 e4 C 5 2liJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 4:Jxd4 4:Jc6 5 ct:JC3 'fIIo 6 �e2. White 's set-up with
�,e2 is the tradition al m ain li n e of th e Sicil i an Tai m anov and it conti nues to be popul ar at
all level s.
One of the attractions of pl ayin g fl.e2 i s a practical one. White can use �e2 again st a
number of Sicili an Vari ations, i n cluding th e Najdorf, Sch eveningen, Taim anov, Kan , Dragon
and Classical . In effect, White can employ th e same system of development agai n st all
these lines. Th i s reduces th e amount to learn , especially given th at m any Sicilian lines can
tran spose to each oth er: Najdorf to Sch eveningen, Tai m an ov to Scheveningen, Kan to
Taiman ov, Classical to Drag on, an d so on.
Many players enjoy th e controlled aggression wh ich �e2 bri n g s ag ain st the Sicil ian.
Instead of tryin g to bl ast Bl ack off the board in no time, White prefers to develop classically
and logi cally, and to apply pres sure only l ater on . Karpov was th e ultim ate m aster of th is
approach agai n st the Sicil i an an d it rem ai n s a rel evant one today, despite th e emerg ence
of more ag gressive option s such as th e En g l i sh Attack.
Moving back to specifi cs, an d the Tai m an ov Vari ation , in th i s ch apter we'll study th e
�e2 main l in es, while in Ch apter Two we'll take a look at altern atives for White.
The First Few Move s

We need to begin at th e start ! Before our fi rst game, l et's run th rough the in itial few moves
of th e Sicilian Tai m an ov and th e 6 �e2 l i n e :
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 e 6 3 d 4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 ct:Jc6
Th e oth er m ove order to reach thi s position is 2 . . . lLlc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 e6. See Game 39
for a bri ef discussion on th e ch oice between 2 ... e6 and 2 . . . lLlc6.
9
SlZ'lC3
5 lZ'lC 3 i s by far the m o st popul ar m ove for White in th i s position. A Sicil i an Tai m anov
player woul d expect to face it around 75% of the tim e ( 5lZ'lb 5 com es a di stant second, at
around 1 5%) .
S..."i¥C7
Question: Why does Black m ake th is queen m ove in the Sicilian Taimanov?
Answer: Th e o-square i s the n atural home for th e queen in m any Sicilians, an d especially
in th e Tai m an ov. From h ere she patrol s two i mportant l i n e s : the h alf-open c-file and th e
b 8-h 2 di ag onal , wh i ch i n cludes the key e 5 -square.
Question: Okay, but why does Black play :ifio so early?

..
Answer: Th at's a g ood questi on, and the an swer might seem quite surpri s i n g . In th e
Taim an ov, Bl ack wants to devel op th e dark-squared bi shop actively, and n ot hem it in with
... d6. I deally Bl ack woul d like to pl ay . . .ct:Jf6 and . . . .1i.b4 in the n ext coupl e of m oves, but if
pl ayed straightaway White can spoil Bl ack's pl an s with lDdb 5 ! . For example, after 5 ... lDf6 6
lZ'ldb 5 ! th e positional th reat of ct:Jd6+ forces Bl ack to either bl ock h i s bishop in with 6 . . . d6 or
exch an g e it with 6 . .. ..Itb4 7 a3 �xc3+ 8 ct:Jxc 3 . Neith er of th ese opti on s are bad for Bl ack -
th e first will probably tran spose to a Sveshnikov Vari ation after 7 .if4 e 5 8 iLg 5 wh ile th e
l atter i s the Four Knights Vari ation . But we want to pl ay th e Taim an ov, n ot som eth ing el se!
Th e idea beh i n d 5 .. :iVo i s to prevent ct:Jdb 5 , so th at Bl ack can devel op h i s king side the
way h e wants.
Question: Wait just a second! 5 "i¥C7 preventing ct:Jdb5 ?

...
I t looks like i t encourages it!
10
White Plays Jl.e2: Main Lines
Answer: Th at's true, an d m any woul d-be Tai m an ov players coul d easily get scared off by
th e thoug ht of 6 itJdb S . The truth, h owever, i s th at Bl ack n eedn 't be scared of th is move at
all , as long as h e respon ds with 6 .. :iVb8 ! '
Th e key point i s th at Bl ack m an ages t o keep control o f th e d6-square a n d is ready t o

gain time o n t h e knight with ... a 6 , wh i ch woul d then h ave noth ing better t o d o than retreat
back to d4. White's only attem pt to l an d th e knight on d6 con sists of 7 g 3 a6 8 �f4?, but
this is refuted sim ply by 8 ... e s ! , win n i n g a piece. Th e only way for White to m ake 60:\db S
even pl ayable i s by 6 . . :ikb8 7 �e3 ! , and th i s l i n e i s covered in th e fi nal ch apter. For now, it's
enoug h to know th at 6 itJdb S i s n 't a refutation of th e Tai m anov!
Question: H ow about preventing itJbs with s ...a6?
Answer: 5 . . . a6 often tran sposes to 5 . :VJifO, because sooner or l ater Bl ack plays . . . a6 to
.
prevent itJb s once and for all . I n th i s book I ' m focussing on th e m ain line, which is th e
5 .. :i'O move order. Th i s m ove order h as th e significant m erit of avoiding th e popul ar
response to s . . . a6, n am ely 6 itJxc6 bxc6 7 �d3. If White takes on c6 after S . Yfifo (see th e
.
final ch apter), Black's queen devel opment i s m uch m ore useful than . . . a6.
6..IiLe2 a6
11
Question: Can Black g et away with avoiding th is m ove?
Answer: Tai m an ov pl ayers coul d del ay ... a6 for on e further m ove and pl ay 6 . . . 0Jf6, but after
7 0-0 th e best opti on is still 7. . . a6 ! . If Bl ack del ays further an d chooses 7. . . �b4 White might
reply 8 t1Jdb S 'iVb 8 and now 9 a 3 ! .
7 0-0
It's worth n oting already th at there are a n umber of m ove orders to reach the same
position. White coul d pl ay 7 �e3 CZ'lf6 8 0-0, or earl i er, 6 �e3 a6 7 �e2 CZ'lf6 8 0-0.
7 01f6 8 �.e3
...
Altern atives to th i s typical bi shop devel opm ent will be con si dered in Ch apter Two.
8 �b4!
...
Th e Tai m anov m ove, and th e subj ect of th i s ch apter and th e n ext on e. Bl ack could, if he
12
White Plays :1i.e2: Main Lines
wished, tran spose to the m ain lines of th e Sicilian Scheveningen, by playi ng 8 . . . �e7 9 f4 d6.
With out further ado, let's m ove on to our fi rst game.
Gamel
O.Panagiotopoulos-I.Miladinovic
Kavala 1998
1 e4 c5 2 ctJf3 ctJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 Wic7 5 ctJC3 e6 6 �e3 a6 7 �e2 t!Jf6 8 0·0
As mentioned above, there's m ore th an one m ove order to reach th i s position. Th e most
common one is 6 �e2 a6 7 0-0 ctJf6 8 �e 3 .
8 :1i.b4 9 f3
...
White defends ag ai n st the th reat to h i s e4-pawn .
Question: This m ove hardly looks worrying.

Doesn't White have better options?
Answer: Yes he does, and we'll m ove on to those a l ittl e bit l ater. But it's very useful to fi rst
look at 9 f3 , whi ch is quite a n atural ch oice among st White players who are unfam iliar
with th e theoreti cal recom men dati on s. After all , someth i n g needs to be don e about th e
threat to the e4-pawn.
Th e probl em with 9 f3 is th at essentially it's a passive m ove. When White castl es
kingside again st the Sicilian, h i s n atural attackin g pl an on th e kin g side typi cally involves
f2-f4, and 9 f3 is at odds with th i s pl an . Basically, 9 f3 puts Bl ack un der no pressure. He can
devel op freely an d reach a very comfortabl e position .
Question: H ow about if White defends the e4-pawn with his bishop?
13
Answer: Even th i s i s n 't ideal, if n oth i n g el se because the bishop h as to m ove ag ain so soon
after going to e 2 .
If White defends with 9 �f3 Bl ack can respon d with 9 . . . ctJe s ! .
Thi s i s a classic Tai m an ov m ove and it's particul arly effective h ere, for a number of
reason s :
1 . B y un coverin g the queen on th e c-file, Bl ack in creases the pres sure o n t h e c3-kni ght.
2 . From e S , the knight can either take on f3 or g o to c4, hittin g both e3 an d b 2 .
3 . There are possibiliti es o f ... ctJeg4, threateni n g m ate on h 2 and h itting e 3 , if Bl ack
prepares it with . . . h S or if White's queen m oves away from the d l-h S diagonal .
A crucial point al so i s th at Bl ack doesn't need to fear 10 �f4 pinning the knight. Bl ack
has more than one g ood m ove ag ai n st 10 iLf4, but typically 10 ... d6, breaking th e pin, is a
good respon se.
Question: What about 1 1 �xes, doubling Black's pawns?
Answer: Bl ack sh oul d wel com e an exch an g e on e S , because th e very slight weaken ing of his
pawn structure i s heavily outweig h ed by h i s superior piece m obility and control of th e key
central squares. After 1 1 iLxe s dxe s 12 ctJde 2 0-0 1 3 a3 iLe7 14 g 3 b S 1 5 ctJcl iLb7 16 ctJd3
�fd8 17 '»Ve2 B,d4 18 iLg 2 �ad8 Bl ack already enjoyed a big advantage in A.Bonafede
I . Mil adin ovic, Lido E sten si 200 3 . Notice h ow Black's pawn s on e6 and eS do a great job of
denyi ng th e wh ite knights any outposts in th e centre.
Exercise: Black could respond to 9 �d3 also with 9 ctJes ,

...
but can you see another option for h im ?
14
White Plays iLe2: Main Lines
Answer: With th e white queen n o longer defending d4, there's an equally tempting option
in 9 ... ctJxd4! 10 �xd4 e S ! 11 �e3 �xc3 12 bxc 3 . Thi s is a g ood illustration of the Tai manov's
renown ed flexibility. Two similar m oves by White (9 �f3 an d 9 �d3) can be met quite
differently, l eadi n g to different piece and pawn form ation s. In both cases, th ough, the
important th i n g is th at Bl ack is at le ast equal if n ot already slightly better. H ere Bl ack coul d
capture on c 3 , but 1 2 ... d6 i s probably strong er, and 1 3 c4 .,liLe6 14 'MVe2 l::1, c 8 is an edge for
Black, A. H i dalg o Men a-B. Kuraj i ca, Valencia 1990.
Now let's return to th e g ame, and to the position after 9 f3 :
g ...dS
Black forces th e i ssue in the centre by attacki n g th e e4-pawn agai n . This is by no means
Black's only option, an d i n fact th e flexibl e 9 ... 0-0 h as been Black's most com mon choice in
practice. An exam pl e : 10 a3 �xc3 1 1 bxc3 ctJes (here we see th i s knight move ag ain ;
obviously Bl ack doesn't want to exch ang e o n d 4 an d straighten out White's pawn s) 12 '�e l
15
(if 12 f4 th en 1 2 ...CLJC4 13 �xC4 'iWxc4 foll owed by . . . bS or . . . d S ) 12 . . . dS (1 2 . . . d6 foll owed by

. . . bS and . . . �b7, or j ust . . . �d7 and then pressure down th e c-file, i s an oth er way to play) 13
f4 (White should probably choose 13 �f4, even though 13 . . . CLJh S ! is a m ore th an adequate
respon se) 13 . . . t;JJ C 4 14 �xC4 'iWxC4 1 S exds exds 16 fS Me8 17 Mf3 �d7 an d Bl ack is fi rmly in
control , B. Guij arro Arca-L. Filip, Cambados 2008.
1 0 exds
Exercise: Black h as two ways to recapture on dS. Wh ich one is best?
Answer: 10 ... exds!

We've n ow reach ed an i sol ated queen 's pawn (IQP) positi on. If White's f-pawn were
back on f2 , where it n orm ally stands i n IQPs, the position woul d be in White's favour. As it
stan ds, the weakn esses in White's position created by f2-f3 offer Bl ack g ood prospects.
10 ... CLJxdS is n ot as g ood, since the exch an g e of knights "frees" White's position to some
extent. After 1 1 t;JJ x dS exds White can m ore easily reinforce th e blockadi n g d4-knight, with
c2-c3, or h e can even con s i der striking with 1 2 C4 ! ?
11�h 1
White m oves h i s king to avoid any tricks on the g l-a7 diag onal l ike 1 1 �g s CLJxd4 1 2
'iWxd4 �cS - an unfortun ate necessity after pl ayin g f2-f3 .
11 4'\xc 6 ? bxc6 only h elps Bl ack by stren gthening h i s centre, and h ere th e pawn on f3
really does stick out like a sore thumb.
11. .0-0
.
16
White Plays iie2: Main Lines
Exercise: With the white king off the a7-g 1 diagonal, 12 �g s is now
playable. Find a g ood response to this move.
12 ttJb1?
A terrible m ove. Perh aps White was afrai d of a trade on c3 (he sh oul dn 't be - Bl ack
wants to keep h i s dark-squared bishop) or he desperately wanted to support the d4-knight
with c2-C 3. Either way, un devel opin g th e knight i s cl early too high a price to pay.
Answer: 12 �g s is a n atural m ove which creates a threat of jLxf6 foll owed by ttJxd S .
However, Bl ack h as a stron g respon se in 1 2 ... 'i'e s ! After 1 3 jLxf6 'i'xf6 th e pressure o n d 4 i s
very awkward for White, a n d o f course 14 ttJxc6 bxc6 solves th e probl em o f t h e ds -pawn
and leaves Bl ack with a great position. 13 ttJxc6 bxc6 14 �h4 l ooks wiser, but 14 .. J:'!.e8 is
still a bit better for Black.
12 'i'd2 i s a sensible m ove. White protects the e 3 -bishop and, g iven time, will continue
with m oves such as .l:'!.fe l, jLfl, .l:'!.ad1 etc. Thi s position actually occurred in the
grandm aster clash N.De Firm i an -l.Chri stian sen, US Championship, Parsippany 1996, and
led to a qui ck draw agreement after 1 2 ... .l:'!.e8 ! 13 .l:'!.fe l h6 14 i.Lfl :iLe7 15 .l:'!.adl, alth ough of
course there is plenty of play l eft in th e fi n al positi on .
17
Exercise: Returning to the position after 13 l:tfel, can you find

an amazing idea for Black, which both grandmasters overlooked?
Answer: Bl ack can sacrifice the exch an g e with 1 3 . .l:txe3

. ! ! 14 'Yi'xe3 iiLC 5 ! . Th e pin on th e d4-
knight is a real an n oyan ce for White. H e ' s n ot abl e to simply return the exch an ge, an d
tactics appear to be in Black's favour. Som e sample l i n e s :
a) 1 5 ct'ldb 5 'Yi'b6 ! .
b ) The key point i s th at 1 5 ct'le6 can b e m et by a brilliant desperado:
15 .. .'�xh 2 + ! ! 1 6 �xh 2 �xe 3 le aves White i n big troubl e, since 17 ct'lC7 loses to 17 ... iiLf4+.
c) 15 51adl .�.d7! (intending . . l:te . 8, or ... ct'lxd4 and . . . 'Yi'b6) 16 ct'le6 'Yi'xh 2 + ! (again th i s
move) 1 7 "tt x h 2 �xe 3 1 8 iiLfl iiLxe6 1 9l:txe 3 d 4 20l:txe6 fxe 6 a n d Bl ack i s a pawn ah ead.
1 3 ... Axe 3 ! ! i s a fitting pun i sh m ent of Wh ite's f2 -f3 . It l ooks l ike White h as to avoid it by
18
White Plays .:il.e2: Main Lines
retreating with 1 3 �f2 or 1 3 �g l, i n stead of 1 3 .l::tfe 1.

Now let's return to th e g ame, and to th e position after 1 2 tZJb 1 :
12 . . ..l::te8!
Mil adinovic i s n 't slow to g rab th e i n itiative. In fai rness Bl ack doesn 't h ave to do
anything speci al to ach ieve an advantage h ere, since he was given a m ajor helping hand
with White's previous m ove. To his credit, though, Miladinovic takes full advantage and
the game actually l asts only a further six move s !
13 .:il.g 1 iLd6 1 4 c3
Wh ite's best move h ere is probably 14 tZJC 3 !
14... itJxd4!
Forcing White to capture with the c-pawn . Th i s m akes the structure sym metrical and
mean s th at Bl ack's advantage in piece activity i s the only factor in th e position .
15 cxd4 �b6! 16 �d2
19
Exercise: Find a way for Black to increase his

initiative by g enerating threats.
Answer: 16. . . ct:J h S !

Now there are vari ous possibilities on th e king side, i n cl udin g . . . �f4 and . . . ct:Jg 3 +, and
Wh ite's defence i s becom i n g stretche d to the l i m it.
17 ct:JC3 ?
M i s s i n g the m ai n th reat. 17 �e3 h a n g s on, alth ough Bl ack m aintai n s a b i g advantage
after 17 ... �b4 1 8 c;JJn �e 6 1 9 f4 ct:Jf6 20 .uf3 ct:Je4.
17. . . �f4! 18 ct:JxdS
Bl ack has an easy win after th is, but queen m oves don't help either. If 18 �c2 Bl ack can
force m ate with 18 ... c;JJg 3 + ! 19 h x g 3 �6+ 20 �h 2 �xg 3 . 18 �e 1 is slightly better, but
18 ... �h 6 ! is still win n i n g for Bl ack.
Exercise: Find Black's knockout punch after 1 9 ..tf2 .

( H int: It involves a double piece sacrifice.)
Answer: 19 ....I1I.xh 2 ! ! wi n s . I f 2 0 �xh 2 th en 2 0 ... ct:Jg 3 + ! ! 2 1 �xg 3 g 5 ! forces m ate with either
. . . �h 4 or ... �d6 !
18 . 01g3 +! 0-1
..
After 19 h x g 3 Bl ack wins simply by 1 9 . . .'iVh 6+ and ... �xd2.

A nice win by Mil adin ovi c, even though h e was sign ificantly h elped by h i s opponent's
pl ay. I n sum m ary, Bl ack can be very confi dent wh en White defends the e4-pawn with 9 f3 ,
9 ��d3 or 9 .111.f3 .
20
White Plays .Jie2: Main Lines
Game 2
M.Vilar Lopez-R.Pogorelov
Castellar 1995
1 e4 e5 2 ct:Jf3 ct:Je6 3 d4 exd4 4 ct:Jxd4 Wile7
Pogorel ov ch ooses a different m ove order to our stan dard one, but we soon arrive back
in the norm al position .
Question: Does playing 4. . Wilc7 make any difference?

.
Answer: A few Taiman ov pl ayers choose th i s m ove order, I suspect m ainly to prevent th e
line 4 ... e6 5 ct:Jb S (see Ch apter Seven ) . However, th e queen move i s n 't a fool-proof way to
reach the main lines. For example, White coul d play S c4 h ere, wh en th e criti cal line run s
5 ..lu f6 6 ctJc3 ctJxe4! ? 7 ct:Jxe4 Wile s 8 ct:Jb S ! Wilxe4+ 9 �e2 (or 9 .Jie 3 ) with good compensation
.
for the pawn.

S <1JC3 e6 6 �e3 ct:Jf6 7 �e2 a6 8 0-0 �b4 9 ct:Jxe6
This time White exch an ges on c6 before defen din g the e4-pawn . By doing th i s she gives
herself more option s, an d avoids some of Bl ack's options (for example, 9 .�f3 t;fje s or 9 �d3
<1Jxd4 as seen in oUT previous game). Th e price White has to pay i s seen after Bl ack's next
move:
9 bxc6!
...
21
Question: Does Black normally recapture this way?
Answer: Yes, . . . bxc6 i s the m ost desi rabl e recapture. Takin g with th e b-pawn gives Bl ack
g reater control of the centre, and he is ready to advan ce with . . . d S . Th e h alf-open b-file
might al so prove to be useful .
9 .. .'�xc6, h ittin g c 3 and e4, might l ook tem pti n g , but White h as m ore th an one g ood
way of deal i n g with th i s . One opti on, created by the exch an g e on c6, i s 10 jLd4, and if
10 ... jLxC3 1 1�xc3 �xe4 1 2�.f3 White h as excellent com pensation for th e pawn . In the
Tai m an ov, Bl ack always has to be slightly wary of tradin g h i s dark-squared bishop. An early
exchange, coupl ed with m any pawn s bei n g on light squares, can som etim e s l ead to
probl em s due to holes or a g en eral l ack of dark-square control . Thi s i s a g ood example an d
som eth i ng to avoid as Bl ack.
10 jLd3
22
White Plays .:1l..e2: Main Lines
Now the e-pawn i s sufficiently protected and White i s ready to advan ce in typical
fashion with f2 -f4.
Exercise: Find a g ood move for Black after 10 .td3.
Two altern atives for Wh ite:

a) A n ewly created opti on for White after th e exchan g e on c6 i s 10 iVd4, which not only
defends the e4-pawn but attacks th e b4-bi shop, an d al so hits g7 if th e knight moves. This is
a rare but decent option for White, although Black i s okay if he reacts properly. For
exampl e, 10 . . . c5 (10 . . . il.xc3? 11 iVxc3 ! ) 11 iVc4 jj,b7 ( 1 1 . . . 0-0 !? is a good altern ative) 12 a3
dS! (Wh ite g ets g ood compen sation for th e pawn after 1 2 ... jj,xC3 1 3 iVxC3 jj,xe4 14 f3 jj,g 6
15 iVxC5 iVxC 5 16 jj,xC5 jj,XC2 ) 13 exd5 exd5 14 iVf4 iVxf4 1 5 jj,xf4 jj,xC3 16 bxc3 0-0 17
J::!.fbl J::!.fe8 18 �f1 jj,c6 19 �b6 jj,a4 with an equal positi on, JDe la Villa Garcia-M.5ion
Castro, Leon 1 9 9 6 .
b ) I t ' s al so worth n oting th e m ove 10 f4!?
Question: Doesn't this just hang th e e-pawn?
Answer: Wh ite is actually offerin g th e e-pawn , and h opes to g ain compen sation in the form
of initiative an d dark-square control .
For example, 10 . . . jj,xc3 1 1 bxc3 ttJxe4 1 2 jj,f3 ttJd6 !? (both 1 2 . . CDf6
. 13 iLC 5 ! and 12 . . . d5
13 ..ITi.xe4 dxe4 14 jj,C 5 ! illustrate wh at White is l ookin g for) 1 3 �b l (now 13 jj,C 5 can be met
by 13 ... tLlb7 an d if 14 jj,a3 d6) 13 ... tLlf5 14 jj,b6 iVd6 1 5 c4 O-O! 16 iVxd6 ttJxd6 17 jj,C 5 CLlxc4
18 ..ITi.xf8 'It>xf8 with a dyn amically bal anced position where Bl ack will bring his king to th e
centre and try to use h i s extra centre pawn s, I . Georgi adis-G.Tim oshenko, Pal eohora 2009.
If Black doesn 't want to g rab th e pawn, 10 ... 0-0 is a good altern ative. A typical
23
continuation is 11 eS ttJdS 12 ttJxd S cxdS 13 �d4 �b8 14 c4. Previ ously h ere 14 . . . dxc4 has
been played, but I like th e idea of 14 ... d6 ! ? fighti n g back in the centre. For exampl e : 1 5 cxds
.ltc s 1 6 �C 3 exds (or 1 6 . . . .ltxe 3 + 1 7 �xe3 dxe s ) 1 7 .ltxc s dxc S , or 1 5 exd6 .ltxd6 1 6 c S (1 6
cxdS �b4 ! ) 1 6 . . . .lte7 1 7 �C 3 iLf6 1 8 .ltd4 .ltxd4+ 1 9 �xd4 a s 20 a3 a4; in a l l ca se s with
complex pl ay wh ere Bl ack is holdi n g h i s own .
Let's return to the position after 10 .ltd3 :
Answer to Exercise: lo . . . dS!
Pogorel ov i m m edi ately attacks in th e centre, virtually forcing White to exch ange on d s .
F o r th i s reason 10 . . . d S i s stron g er th an 10 ... 0 - 0 whi ch g i v e s White the t i m e to play 1 1 f4 and
answer l 1 . . . d S with 1 2 e S ttJd7. Thi s certainly i s n 't bad for Bl ack either, but Pogorelov's
ch oice l eaves White strug g l i n g even to g ai n equal ch an ces, and because of th i s White
should prefer eith er 10 �d4 or 10 f4 to 10 .ltd3 .
11 exds cxdS
After only 1 1 m oves Bl ack h as m an ag e d to gain 2-0 pawn m ajority in th e centre. If

White i s n 't careful h e coul d quickly be overrun by these pawn s.
12 .ltd4
White prepares �e l, clamping down on the e s -square - he h as to prevent th e . . . e s
advance.
An oth er opti on i s 1 2 ttJa4 �b7 13 c4! ch ipping away at Black's centre. 1 3 . . . 0-0 (13 . . . dxC4
14 ,l;!,c l ! ) 14 MC l �c6 15 f3 �ad8 was roughly equal in R . Huebn er- L.Og aard, Oslo 1 974.
12 . . . .ltd6!
Pog orel ov selects the m o st active option . He h its th e h 2 -pawn , fi ghts to control eS and
correctly judg es th at Bl ack doesn 't h ave to fear an exchan g e on f6 .
12 . . . .lte7 1 3 �el i s very sol i d for Bl ack, but White - for th e mom ent at l e ast - h as some
hold on Black's centre.
13 g,el!?
24
White Plays Sie2: Main Lines
Exercise: Should Black capture on h2 with check?

Try to work out the consequences. (Warning : Difficult! )
1 3 h 3 ? e 5 ! shows very clearly th at White can n ot afford t o play passively. H e h a s failed t o

prevent . . . e 5 a n d i s already in b i g troubl e, e . g . 1 4 Sie 3 d4.
Th e key altern ative to 13 Mel is 13 Sixf6 g xf6 14 'iVh 5 Sib7. Bl ack will castl e queen side,
after wh i ch his centre, two bi shops and activity on the g-file should be at least sufficient to
offset to his weaknesses. One example from h ere continued 1 5 ct:Je2 Mg 8 16 0-'lg 3 f5 17 �fe l
0-0-0 18 c4 f4 ! 19 ct:Jfl ( M . Ki sl ov-E.sosn owska, J arosl awi ec 1 9 9 5 ) and here after 19 . . . i.'.C 5!
Bl ack's attack l ooks m uch further devel oped than Wh ite's.
13 �b7
...
Answer: Thi s i s a tricky one. 1 3 ... Sixh 2 + h as been played twi ce,
25
and on both occasions Bl ack won quickly, but objectively it might be good for White.
After 14 �h l White threaten s to trap th e bishop with g 2 - g 3 , and al so to take on f6 and
th en d s .
Bl ack sh oul d probably allow th e fi rst th reat a n d g ive u p a piece for three pawn s :
14 ... il..b 7! (14 . . ..�d6 1 5 ii.xf6 g xf6 16 tDxd s � d 8 1 7 �h s l ooks g ood for White) 1 5 g 3 ..I1;:.xg3
16 fxg 3 �xg 3 17 Ye 2 tDe4. We've been foll owing the game V. 5trupin sky-A.Krutko, Nizhniy
Tag il 2006, wh ich ended abruptly after l B.�h 2 es 1 9 �e 2 ! �f4 and "0-1" accordi n g to the
database, but h ere White h a s 20 tDxe4 dxe4 2 1 �b s + ! �f8 2 2 �e3 �f3 + 2 3 �xf3 exf3 24
�fl ! wh en White is doin g m uch m ore th an survivi n g . On top of th is, White might h ave
i m provem ents earl ier, such as 18 �e l �h 3 + 19 �h 2 �f3 + 20 �g 2 . Overall , I 'm a bit
suspicious of 1 3 ... �xh 2 + and prefer Pogorelov's ch oice.
14 h3 ·W1e7
Now the knight is defended by the queen so Bl ack can safely castl e king side.
1 5 �e2 0-0 16 .�e5 lUe8
White h as succeeded in preventing . . . e s for the m om ent, but Bl ack still enjoys a very
slight edg e . White's pieces l ook active enoug h , but essentially her position i s a passive one
because she n eeds to use up a l ot of resources to prevent Black's centre from expan di n g .
Bl ack i s in no rush a n d c a n sl owly i m prove h i s position.
17 .lla dl .�C5 ! ?
Th e i m m ediate 17. . . tDd7 w a s al so possibl e . I n fact I prefer th is because in the g am e
White gains counterpl ay agai n st th e centre. After 18 �h s h 6 1 9 � x d 6 ·W1xd6, foll owed by
. . . 0�f6, Bl ack keeps an edge.
18�d2
I feel th at White shoul d h ave taken th e opportunity to play 18 0Ja4 .�a7 19 c4 ! , the
same plan we saw earli er.
18.JiJd7 19 .0 g3 �f6 20 tLJa4 !
..
Finally White finds the right plan .
26
White Plays fie2: Main Lines
20 ... �a7 21 c4! dXc4 22 �XC4 �c6 23 'iYas? !

If White recentral izes with 2 3 ct:lc 3 ! th e position i s roughly equal .
23 .. J'Vg6!
Exercise: Find White's best move.
White i s experiencing some probl em s now, and th e game ends abruptly after the m ain
threat is mi ssed:
24 �d3 ??
Wh ite al so loses after 24 �h 2 ? ? �xf2 ! , or 24 l:!.d3 iLxa4! 2 5 'iYxa4 ct:lc 5 .
Answer: 2 4 �f1 ! woul d h an g on . Bl ack coul d keep a small advantage with 24 . . . ct:lf6 2 5 �d3
CLle4 26 fixe4 �xe4.
24... 'iYxg3 ! 0-1
After 1O . . . d 5 ! Bl ack was at l east equal , and perh aps already slightly better. 10 'iYd4 an d
10 f4! ? are m ore ch all en g i n g , but Bl ack still g ets a full sh are of the ch ances.
Game 3
A.Shirov-R.Kasimdzhanov
Wijk aan Zee 1999
1 e4 c5 2 ct:lf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:lxd4 ct:lc6 5 ct:lc3 'iYc7 6 iLe2 a6 7 0-0 ct:lf6 8 iLe3 �b4
So far in th i s ch apter it's been pretty m uch plain sail ing for Bl ack, wh o reach ed very
comfortabl e positions when White safeguarded th e e4-pawn . But now we arrive at a far
more ch allenging m ove, an d a g am e whi ch covers one of th e m ost criti cal lines of th e
entire Sicilian Tai m anov!
27
Question: What's the point of this move?

Doesn't it just leave the e4-pawn hang ing ?
Answer: As soon as it was di scovered th at White coul d leave th e e4-pawn en pri se, 9 ctJa4
becam e the m ain line, and it's the only m ove to seri ously ch allenge Bl ack. I n stead of
reactin g passively to Black's threat ag ain st e4, White counters with some th reats of h i s
own . 9 t;;� a 4 introduces m any active possibilities for White. Th e obvious o n e is ctJxc6
followed by ctJb6, but there are oth ers too, as we'll soon see.
Question: What happens if Black takes on e4 here?
Answer: Th at i s a g ood pl ace to start . On e of th e m erits of 9 ctJa4 i s th at it rem oves th e

possibility of . . ..l1i.xc 3 and so le aves the bishop on b4 rather out on a limb an d vul n erabl e to
attack. Th i s is seen clearly after 9 . ctJxe4? 10 ctJxc 6 ! bxc6? 11 'li'd4 ! and White wi n s a piece
. .
with a simple doubl e attack.

Bl ack can avoid losing a piece with 10 . . . 'Ii'xc6 but White's initiative becom es terribly
strong after a serious of strai ghtforward forcing m oves : 11 ctJb6 ! Mb8 1 2 'li'd4 �f8 (or
1 2 . . ..�hS 1 3 'li'xg 7 Mf8 14 ctJc4) 1 3 Af3 fS (n ... ds 14 c4 ! ) 14 Mad1
28
White Plays 1ie2: Main Lines
and Bl ack i s al ready in big troubl e, e .g . 14 ... d6 1 5 �h 5 + <j;e 7 ? 16 'i'xe4! �xb6 17 Wfh4+
1-0, L.Fran der- L.Kovacs, Hung arian League 2001. Defin itely a line Bl ack needs to avoid!
9 i.e7!
...
Exercise: Find a good response for Bl ack to 10 f3, protecting th e e4-pawn.
9 .. 1ie7 has been the m ai n l i n e for a number of years, and it's the move I 've chosen to
.
focus on here.
Question: Why does Bl ack retreat his bishop?

And why does h e do it so quickly?
29
Answer: To answer th i s question we need to l ook at 9 CLJa4 ag ain . One furth er m erit of the
knight m ove i s th at it m akes way for the advan ce of White's c-pawn . c2 -c4 i s a desirabl e
idea because it g ives White a better hold of the centre. Movin g further on, c4-c5 i s perh aps
even m ore desirabl e, as th i s h as a certain cramping effect on Black's positi on . If th e bi shop
i s still on b4 when White g ets the pawn to c 5 , Bl ack could be in serious troubl e, as the
bishop woul d be i n dan ger of g ettin g trapped.
9 ... jLe7 avoids th e possibil ity of th e bi shop becom i n g trapped before it even ari ses, but
it's n ot just prophyl axi s. Th e bishop retreat al so renews Black's th reat to take th e e4-pawn,
an d th i s reduces White's options. If we compare th e l i n e 9 . . . 0-0 10 c4! and only n ow
10 . . . jLe7, White has the opti on h ere of retreating with 1 1 CLJC 3 , defending th e e4-pawn in a
n atural way after h avin g set up th e Maroczy e4/c4 bin d - there i s n o time to do the same
th i n g after 9 ... jLe7.
Conti nuing with 9 ... 0-0 10 c4, th e critical que stion i s wh eth er or n ot Bl ack can g rab on
Unfortun ately, 10 ... CLJxe4 l ooks too ri sky, and despite several efforts I h aven 't been able
to fi n d anyth i ng fully sati sfactory for Bl ack after 11 jLf3 or 11 c 5 .
Question: In the line 9 ... 0- 0 1 0 c4, how about retreating to d6

instead of e7. 10 . ..id6 g ains a tempo by hitting the h2 -pawn,
..
and can't Black then grab on e4?
Answer: Th e retreat to d6 i s possible h ere (an d in similar position s), but White al ways gets
some compen sation for the pawn , an d often it's m ore th an "some". For exam pl e, after
9 ... 0-0 10 c4 iLd6 11 g3 CLJxe4 12 jLf3 (12 c5 is al so possible) 1 2 ... CLJf6 13 c5 jLe7 14 Mel we
reach a very similar position to th e one in oUT m ain g ame, but White is effectively a tempo
ah ead because Bl ack h as played . . . jLd6 an d then .. . jLe7.
Goi ng back a m ove, 9 ... jLd6 i s al so played, but after 10 g3 takin g on e4 i s again ri sky, e.g.
30
White Plays ile2: Main Lines
lO ... ttJxe4 1 1 ..Iit.f3 4Jf6 1 2 4Jxc6 bxc6 1 3 4Jb6l:tb8 14 4JC4 ! with probl ems on the h 2 -b8
diagon al . I n stead the m ai n l i n e run s 10 ... b s ! 1 1 4Jb6 ! l:tb8 (11 . . :t'Vxb6 1 2 4Jxe6 followed by
iLlxg 7+ i s g ood for White) 1 2 4Jxc8l:txc8 1 3 a4 with perh aps a slight edg e for Wh ite.
Finally, it's worth n oting th at th e temptin g 9 . bs is well m et by 10 4Jxc 6 ! dxc6 (or
. .
1O .. :i'xc6 11 4Jb6l:tb8 1 2 e s ! ) 11 �c s ! with an edge for White.
Now let's return to the game, and to th e position after Kasimdzhanov's ch oice of
9 .. .ie7:
.
10 c4!?
Shirov offers the e-pawn . On th i s occasion it's a g enuine g ambit - White definitely g ets
some compen sation for the pawn, but acceptin g it is the critical test of 10 c4. It's true th at
Black has to suffer for a while, but a free centre pawn i s often worth some sufferin g .
The main m ove, 10 4Jxc6, i s studi ed in G am e s 4-7.
Answer to Exercise: 10 f3 ? ! i s toothless. Bl ack can exploit Wh ite's m i stake with 10 . . . bs! to
reach a g ood position . Thi s forces th e knight back to c 3 , since 1 1 4Jxc6 "i'xc6 12 4Jb6? is met
by 12 ... �cs ! win n i n g two pieces for a rook: 13 4Jxa8 �xe 3 + 14 Wh l "i'xa8.
10 ttJxe4
...
Question: Does Black have to take the pawn ?
Answer: From an objective viewpoint I feel th at th i s i s definitely a case where acceptin g th e

pawn is th e m ost ch allenging opti on. H owever, if Bl ack wants to avoid the g ame
continuation , and i s quite h appy with a sol i d albeit slightly passive positi on , then 10 . . . d6 is
a reasonabl e altern ative. For example, 1 1 4Jc3 0-0 1 2l:tc l 4Jxd4 1 3 "i'xd4�Ld7 14l:tfdl
l'I,ac8 15 b4 with a s m all edge for White, A.Gri schuk-J .Pol g ar, Moscow 2002.
11 C5!
31
Exercise: Try to work out what's wrong with 1 1 ...CDxC5.
As m entioned above, c4- c5 is desi rabl e because it furth er cram ps Black's positi on .
1 1 c 5 i s by far the m ost popul ar choice h ere, but White h as an oth er interestin g
possibil ity with th e forcing sequence l lCDxc6 b x c 6 1 2 "iVd4CDf6 1 3 CDb6 g,b8 1 4 c 5 . Bl ack
best opti on here is probably to break the bind with 14 . . . d6, e . g. 15 cxd6 �xd6 16CDC4
ii,xh 2 + 17 �h l C 5 ! 18 "iVxC 5 "ivxc 5 ( Delchev and Semkov assess 18 . . . �b7 19 "iVa3 "iVc6 20 f3
cc}).C7 21 JUdi t;')d 5 22 <�d4 f6 23 g,acl "iVd7 as "unclear") 19 �xC5 �C7 20 g,ac lCDe4 21 ii,a7
Mb7 2 2�<e 0-0 2 3 �f3 f5 with a roughly equal position, J .Aldrete Lobo-C. Costa,
correspondence 2000. White h as en ough pl ay for th e pawn , but n o m ore th an th at.
11 0-0
...
Answer: 1 1 . . .t;')xc 5 ? loses a piece: 1 2CDxc 6 ! "iVxc6 1 3CDxC 5 �xc5 14 g,C l foll owed by 1 5 b4.
12 Bel!
32
White Plays �e2: Main Lines
Increasin g the pressure. Shirov realizes th at Bl ack, at some point, will h ave to break with
... d6 (or ... d s ) , and th e rook on cl will be perfectly positi oned after an exch ange on d6.
12 J�b8!
..
Answer: Prophyl axi s . It's very useful , especially in some tactical sequen ces, to en sure that
tUb6 does n 't com e with tempo. At some m om ent Bl ack will want to free him self by
advancing h i s d-pawn , but if the advan ce i s prem ature h e coul d fi n d him self in trouble
when the position open s up. For example, 1 2 ... ds 13 cxd6 ! (White must open up the
position to exploit his development l ead) 1 3 ... �xd6 14 jLf3 ! ? fs (or 14 ... jLxh 2+ 1 5 �h l fs 16
tUxc6 bxc6 17 jLxe4 fxe4 1 8 jLb6 �e s - 1 8 ... �f4 19 �S ! - 19 jLd4 �C7 20 g3 jLxg 3 2 1 fxg 3
l"Ixf1+ 2 2 �xf1 �xg 3 2 3 �g 2 and White i s better) 1 5 g 3 � d 7 1 6 jLxe4 fxe4 17 ct'lb6 ! .l:!.ad8
(17. ...iVXb6 18 ct'lxe 6 ! ) 18 ct'lxd7 �xd7 19 ct'lxc6 bxc6 20 �a4. White reg ai n s h i s pawn and
Black is left with m any pawn weaknesses.
13 g3
This move has two poi nts:
1. It creates the possibil ity of jLf4 at some moment.
2. It gives the light-squared bishop a retreat square on th e long di agonal after jLf3 .
Followin g on from point 2, Bl ack coul d an swer the imm ediate 1 3 jLf3 not only with
13...ctJf6, wh i ch woul d likely tran spose to our m ai n game after 14 g 3 , but al so with
13 ... ctJg s ! ? Bl ack woul d welcome a knight-for-bi sh op exch an ge, so 14 jLh s m akes sense.
Now f2-f4 foll owed by jLf3 i s White's pl an, and a typical sequence i s 14 . . .fs 1 5 f4 ct'le4 16
�f3 ds! 17 cxd6 jLxd6 1 8 ct'lxc6 bxc6 19 jLxe4 fxe4 20 .l:!.C4 e s ! . Bl ack h as succes sfully
broken free and h as the edge h ere, D.Mastrovasil i s - I .Mil adin ovic, Porto Carras 1998.
13 ctJf6 1 4 jLf3 !
...
33
Exercise: Try to find a pl an for Bla ck.
14 �f3 ! in creases the pressure even furth er. With th e knight on c6 under attack from
potentially three white pieces, Bl ack i s n ot yet in a position to break with . . . d6 or . . . d S .
Answer: 1 4...g6!
The . . . dS advance is unl ikely at the mom ent because of the pressure on c6, so
Kasim dzhanov chooses a vari ati on of th i s pl an . He wants to play . . . es first, to kick the
knight away from d4, and only after th i s (and a preparatory . . J1d8) will h e advance his d
pawn . 14 . . . g 6 ! is an i m portant precursor to the plan because it prevents t'LlfS in an swer to
...e S .
1 5 t'Llb 6 l1d8
Th e i m m ediate l S . . . e S i s certainly al so possible, alth ough I feel White was very slightly
better after 16 t'Llb 3 d6 17 cxd6 .ltxd6 18 .ltxc6 bxc6 1 9 'Yi'f3 .ltfs (19 ... 'Yi'd8 ! ? 20 t'Llxc8 e4) 20
'Yi'xc6 'Yi'xc6 2 111xc6 .lte7 22 .ltc s .ltxc s 23 t'Llxc s in G . Kam sky- L. Ni sipeanu, Sofi a 2007.
16 'Yi'a 4
A m ore recent try for White i s 1 6 .ltg s , whi ch prevents 1 6 . . . e S in view of 17 1Lxf6 an d 18
t'LldS . It's very possible th at Bl ack shoul d return h i s extra pawn h ere by 16 . . . h 6 ! ? 17 .ltxh 6 in
order to enforce h i s central advan ce: 17 ... dS 1 811e l ( 1 8 cxd6 'Yi'xb6 ! ) 18 . . . eS 19 t'Llxc6 bxc6
with an unclear position . For example, 20 'Yi'e2 t'Lld7 21 .ltxds t'Llxc s 22 t'Llxc811xd S 2 3
CfJxe7+ 'Yi'xe7 2411edl was S . B renj o-O.5aren ac, Bel grade 2009, a n d h ere Rybka g ives 24. . . e4
2 S ,�e 3 tDd3 2 611xc6 'Yi'd7 2 7 l1xa611xb2 with good com pen sation for Bl ack.
16...es! 17 CfJb3
17 tDxc 6? dxc 6 ! al so frees Bl ack's positi on . Th e difference h ere is th at White won 't
regain h i s pawn .
17. . . dS!
34
White Plays :il.e2: Main Lines
Fin ally Bl ack frees h i m self.

18 cxd6 Mxd6 19 CLlas
The position h as opened up and Bl ack still seem s to be under some pres sure.
Kasim dzh anov's n ext m ove, h owever, solves all Black' s probl ems.
19 . . e4!
.
It's worth giving up the e-pawn i n order to exch an g e White's strong light-squared
bishop, especially with White's light squares h avin g been weakened with g 2 - g 3 .
Kasim dzh anov's m ove w a s actually a n i m portant novelty a t th e t i m e ( a n d still is!). I t
improved over th e previously played 1 9 ... :il.d7 20 CLlxd7 "jVxd7 2 1 :Jl.xc6 bxc6 2 2 :Jl.c 5 Me6 2 3
l:I.fdl "jVe8 24 :il.xe7 "jVxe7 2 5 CLlxc6 "jV e 8 2 6 "jVxa6 wh en White was better in G . Kam sky
A.Karpov, Buenos Aires 1 9 94.
20 �xe4 CLlxe4 21 "jVxe4 :Jl.h3 !
Emph asizi ng both Black's n ewly found freedom and Wh ite's light-squared weaknesses.
White is th e one wh o n ow n eeds to be careful .
Exercise: Try to find a good response to 22 .!:!.fdl.
22l:1.fe1!
Answer: 22 Mfd l ? is m et by 22 ... Mxd1+! 2 3 Mxdl Md8! (but not 23 . . . 01xa5 ? ? 24 tDd5 ) which
leaves White in big trouble because of back rank probl ems. If 24 Mc l Bl ack has th e wi nning
shot 24... CLld4!!, e. g. 25 Mxc7 CLle 2 + 2 6 �h l Mdl m ate!
22...Me6 23 "jVf4 "jVxf4 Yz-Yz
The players agreed a draw h ere, but on anoth er day - or agai n st anoth er opponent -
Kasimdzhanov might h ave been tempted to carry on . After 24 :Jl.xf4 tLld4! 2 5 J::( x e6 �xe6 26
.txb8 ctJe2+ 2 7 �f1 CLlxC l 2 8 CLlxb7 CLlxa2 2 9 :Jl.d6 :Jl.f6 30 :Jl.a3 ( Kasim dzh anov) Bl ack 's
bishop pair gives him a slight edge in the endgame.
35
Came 4
A.Shirov-V.Anand
Wijk aan Zee 1999
1 e4 c 5 2 ttJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJc6 5 ttJC3 'JIIiC7 6 j,e2 a6 7 j,e3 ttJf6 8 0-0 j,b4 9 ttJa4
j,e7 10 ttJxc6
Th e m ain l i n e . White exch an g e s on c6 before deal i n g with th e threat to the e4-pawn .
Question: Going back a move, does 9 ttJxc6 bxc6

10 ttJa4 transpose, after 10 ..ie7?
...
Answer: Most White players choose 9 ttJa4, because after 9 ttJxc6 bxc6 10 ttJa4 the earlier
exch ang e on c6 g ives Bl ack m ore option s. White's pl an i s still c2-C4(-Cs), and tran sposing to
th e g am e with 10 . .. j,e7 is certainly Black's simplest opti on. Readers might wish to
investi g ate the altern atives 10 ... j,d6, 10 ... 0-0 and even 10 ... Mb8 . My opinion is th at th ese
opti on s are stron ger th an when played after 9 ttJa4, although I 'm n ot convi n ced any of
them are better th an 10 . . . j,e7; th ey are j ust different.
Before m oving on, it's worth n oting 10 ttJb6!?, in th i s specific position an d as an idea in
gen eral . Both players sh oul d be aware of th i s sacrificial possibility, and th e fact th at White
doesn't always h ave to exch ang e on c6 before pl ayin g ttJb6. If Bl ack accepts th e piece Wh ite
g ets two key pawn s an d com pen sation after 10 ... 'JIIixb6 11 ttJxe6! 'JIIi a s 12 ttJxg 7+ �f8 1 3
ttJfs . In view o f th i s , th e wisest choice for Bl ack i s probably 10 . . . Mb8!, after which 1 1 ttJxc6
bxc6 i s th e m ain line (see th e n ext g ame), while 1 1 ttJxc8 Mxc8 1 2 ttJxc6 'JIIix c6 1 3 e s ttJds 14
j,d2 was equal in G . Fran zon i-P.Cram l i n g , Biel 1 9 88, assumin g Bl ack avoids 14 . . . 'JIIix c2 ? ? 1 5
Mcl!.
1o bxc6
...
36
White Plays .1i..e2: Main Lines
As usual , capturin g towards th e centre i s best. Bl ack m ust certainly avoid 10 .. .'t'Uxc6?
which i s m et very stron gly by 1 1 tLlb6 ! .l:!.b8 1 2 e s ! .
l1..IiLd3
Th e e-pawn i s safely protected an d White i s ready to advance with c2 -c4, and, if

possible, C4-c s .
Exercise: Anand now advances a pawn to g ain space and combat

White's plan. Assess both 1 1 ... ds and l1...c s . Which would you choose?
11 tLlb6 i s White 's m ain choice, and th i s i s covered next game. Bl ack should al so be
aware of ..Itb6 possibil iti es. For example, 1 1 .1i..b 6 'iYf4 ( 1 1 . . . 'iYb8 i s al so reason abl e) 12 ..Itd3
(if 12 ..IiLf3 Bl ack can safely g rab on e4, since 1 2 ... tLlXe4 13 g3 tLlxg 3 ! un covers an attack on
a4) 12 ... 0-0 (in contrast, h ere 12 ... tLlxe4 is unwi se because of 13 g3 tLlxg 3 - or 13 ... 'iYe s 14
Mel - 14 fxg 3 'iYxa4 15 .l:!.f4 ! ; but 12 ... d s is okay) 13 C4 d s 14 g3 'iYb8 15 'iYc2 es 16 cxds cxds
17 exds ..Itd7 18 �e3 �xa4 1 9 'iYxa4 tLlxd s 20 �xh 7+ 'It>xh 7 21 'iYe4+ \itg 8 22 'iYxds .l:!.d8 2 3
"i'C4 'i'xb2 with a n equal positi on, Z.Farkas-K. Koegl er, correspondence 2009.
Answer: 1 1 (S!
...
This pawn advan ce h as a number of qual iti e s :

1. I t gai ns space and prevents c4-c s .
2 . I t open s u p t h e l o n g di agonal for Black's l i ght-squared bishop, which will sit very
nicely on b7.
3. It prevents both tLlb6 and �b6, an d so n e g ates the effect of Wh ite's knight on a4.
11 ... ds is al so tempti n g , an d we've already seen in Game 2 th e m erit of occupying th e
centre in th i s way. On th i s occasion, h owever, it's n ot so effective, since White is
immediately ready to organ ize a n attack o n the centre with the typi cal c2-C4 break. For
example, 12 exds cxds 13 c4! (wasti n g no tim e ! ) 13 . . . 0-0 ( 1 3 . . . dxC4 14 .:rCl) 14 .l:!.cl an d
White enj oys a slight advantage.
37
12 c4!
Th i s i s still a g ood m ove because it's vital for White to g et an equal sh are of the centre
and space on the queenside.
12 ••• �b7 13 t;!JC3
Th e knight was n o longer doi n g anythi n g speci al on a4 (it hit c S but Bl ack coul d simply
play ... d6) , so retreating it back to (3, wh ere it protects th e e4-pawn , is a sensible i dea.
13 . . .0-0 14 f4
With play on the queenside no longer a real i stic option for White, Shirov beg i n s typical
Open Sicilian kin gside action .
14 . . . d 6
Question: Should Black be aiming for a ...dS break?
38
White Plays il..e2: Main Lines
Answer: Breaking with ... d S i s certainly one of Black's weapon s, but Anand's pl ay in th is
game demon strates th at Bl ack can achi eve m ore th an en ough counterpl ay with out it,
using only piece m an oeuvres . An an d's 14 ... d6 prevents e4-eS an d leaves Bl ack with a rock
solid position and pawn structure. White can try to attack on th e ki n g side - and Sh irov
certainly tri e s ! - but th i s always carries some risk. As we sh all see, it's difficult for White to
attack with out m aking any positi onal con cession s.
The immedi ate 14 ... d S i s prem ature. For example, 1 5 exdS ( 1 5 e S d4 ! ) 1 s ... exds 16 tLJxdS
t"Llxds 17 cxdS and n ow 1 7 . . . �xdS 1 8 �S ! or 17 . . . c4 1 8 �c1.
However, 14 . . . �ad8 ! ? i s an interestin g altern ative to An and's 14 . . . d6. Bl ack is now much
better prepared for . .. dS h ere, e .g . 1 5 �f3 dS 16 cxdS exds 1 7 exds tLJxdS 1 8 tLJxdS jLxdS.
The key question is wheth er 15 es causes Bl ack any probl ems. It certainly didn't in th e GM
clash A. Brkic-M.Perunovi c, Zupanj a 2007: 1s ... tLJe8 1 6 �g 4 d6 ! (it's vital to strike back at th e
centre before White i s abl e to i n crease h i s attacki n g power) 17 exd6 tLJxd6 18 �hS fS! 19
'i'e2 �f6 ! 20 �c 2 �g6 21 �f2 il..f6 and by thi s stage it was Bl ack with the more active
possibilities.
15 'i'f3 �a d8 16 �h3 !
Exercise: Find a plan for Black.
16 'i'h 3 is anoth er typical m ove, and a g ood one. Now Bl ack has to be wary of tacti cs
against h7 involvin g th e e4- e S advance. Notice, though, th at e4-e S i s n 't possible at th e
moment because .. . dxe s woul d uncover an attack on the d3 -bishop.
Answer: 16 ...�fe8!
Typical Sicili an play. An and intends to m an oeuvre h i s pieces so th at they are ideally
placed ag ainst any assault by White on the king side. Thi s could be called "active defence"
by Black, and it's very common in Open Sici li an position s.
39
16 .. JHe8 as a starting m ove h a s quite a few qualities:

1 . It all ows the possibil ity of a reshuffle with . . . �f8, . . . g 7- g 6 and . . . �g7 - a typical
defensive pl an .
2 . I t all ows t h e idea o f . . . tLJd7-f8 an d . . . �f6, a s pl ayed by Anand in th e g am e .
3 . It m ay n ot s e e m obvi ous a t the m o m ent, but the rook often gains activity on th e e
file. Thi s is because White finds it diffi cult to do with out f4-fS in h i s attacking pl an s, an d an
exch ange of pawn s open s the e-file for the rook.
16 . . . d S i s still a possibil ity even h ere, because after 17 e S Bl ack can play 17 . . . tLle4. Even
so, following th e exch an g e s 18 cxdS exds 19 tLlxe4 dxe4 20 �C4 I feel th at White h as the
edge, and I prefer An and's m ore patient approach .
17 �ael
Shirov continues to strengthen h i s attack before committin g to any pawn advan ce.
Question: I would be worried about 1 7 g 4 followed by g 4-g S .

Isn't Black g oing t o g et squashed?
Answer: It m ay l ook scary at fi rst, but Sici li an pl ayers are quite used to m eetin g th i s kind of
ag g ression . I n fact, Sicil i an pl ayers often welcome a g 2 -g4 lunge, because it virtually al ways
means that Bl ack will g ai n some degree of counterpl ay, often l o n g -term , ag ai n st th e white
ki n g . Let's see wh at h appe n s if Bl ack contin ues to regroup h i s pieces : 17 . . . tLld7 18 g s �f8,
pl an n i n g . . . g6 and .. . � g 7 . The n atural attacking urg e for White is to pl ay 19 fS but all these
pawn m oves are doubl e-edged as th ey l eave beh i n d weakn esses. Th i s pawn m ove g ives
Bl ack the e s -square, and after 1 9 ... tLle s 20 �e2 exfs 21 exfs d S ! ? 22 cxdS �xdS Bl ack's
counterpl ay i s sh i ni n g through .
17 ...tLld7!
18 Yf3
Shirov still refuses to commit to a pawn m ove.
40
White Plays iLe2: Main Lines
Question: How about 18 eS here?
Answer: Bl ack will defe n d again st th e threat to h 7 , an d counterplay should ari se natural ly
after th e exch an g e of pawn s in th e centre. For exampl e, 18 eS LiJf8 (th reatening . . . dxe s ;
1 8. . . g6
i s al so fin e ) 1 9 exd6 (or 1 9 f S exfS 2 0 �'xfS �h 4!) 19 . . . �xd6 20 �e4 0Jg6 etc.
18 C2Jf8
.•.
Now h 7 i s securely defended an d Bl ack i s ready to pl ay . . . �f6. Th ere coul d fol low . . . g 6 ,
... �g7 an d e v e n a strike with . . . fS , am o n g st oth er opti ons. If White i s n 't careful , he coul d
find his pieces offside on the king side wh en th e key battl e is taking pl ace in the centre.
With th i s in m i n d, Shirov fin ally takes som e acti on :
19 f5
Th is looks m ore desirabl e n ow th at th e bl ack knight is two moves away from e S , but th e
knight i s n 't th e only bl ack piece wh i ch can use th is square . . .
1 9 iLf6! 2 0 fxe6
. . .
It was diffi cult to avoi d pl ayin g th i s m ove. oth erwi se White woul d h ave to deal with the
possibility of . . . exfs foll owed by ... �xc3 an d g a n g i n g up on th e weak e4-pawn .
Exercise: Black has two options, both of which are reasonable.

Try to as sess both 20 .. J:txe6 and 20 ..fxe6.
.
20 .i::!. x e6
...
Answer: Anand sugg ests th at 20 .. .fxe6 is an im provement. Th is way Bl ack keeps control of
the ds-square. If White does n oth i n g Bl ack will continue with a combin ation of . . . .� e s ,
... lLlg6, ... 'fJJ e 7 etc, with excellently placed pieces. A criti cal respon se by White is t h e sacrifice
21 es!? .11.. x f3! ( 2 1 . . . �xe s ? ? loses to 22 J:txf8+, wh ile 2 1 . . .dxe s ? 22 iLe4 kills the bishop on f6
41
and g ives White superb compen s ation) 2 2 exf6 �c6 and it's unclear wh eth er White has
enough compen s ation for the exch an g e . An and an alyses the direct try 23 f7+ 'ifxf7 24 �f1
and refutes it with 24 ... 'ifb7 ! 2 5 �xf8+ �xf8 2 6 'ifxh 7 'ifxb 2 ! 2 7 'ifh 8+ �f7 2 8 'ifh 5 + cJie7
wh en the king escapes and Bl ack win s .
An and's choice i n the g am e i s m uch safer from a practical viewpoint, because Bl ack
does n 't need to an alyse the complicated l i n e s after 20 . . . fxe6 2 1 e 5 ! ? H owever, it's very
possible th at 2 0 . . . fxe 6 i s objectively the stronger m ove.
21 ctJd5! �xd5 22 exd5
Exercise: Find th e best m ove for Black.
Answer: 2 2 ...�xe3!
Th i s "exch an ge" of pieces is a wise choice. If 22 ... �ee8 Sh i rov might well h ave been
tempted to sacrifice with 23 �xf6 ! ? gxf6 24 �f1, with excell ent compen sation.
2 3 �fxe3 �d4 2 4 � h 1
A n a n d gives 24 'ifh 4 as a n i m provem ent, b a s e d on the tactic 2 4 . . . �e8? 2 5 'ifxd4! cxd4 2 6
:J:\.xe8 . Bl ack shoul d prefer 2 4 ... h 6 with a roughly equal position .
24 ...�xe3 2 5 'ifxe3 'if b8!
Preparin g . . . ctJd7. If Bl ack can s afely g et h i s knight to th e e5 outpost an d con solidate, he
will gain the advantage because the knight will certainly outsh i n e th e bishop. White n eeds
to fin d ways to disrupt th i s plan .
26 'ife7 ctJd7 27 �C2 ctJe5
42
White Plays .Jl.e2: Main Lines
28 .ta4
28 b4! ?, as sug g e sted by Kasparov, is a way to disrupt Bl ack: 28 . . . :l.e8 ( 2 8 . . . cxb4 29 C 5 ! )
2 9 'i'h 4 "i'xb4 30 'iVxh 7+ �f8 3 1 'iVh 8+ � e 7 3 2 'iVh4+ wh en Bl ack can eith er invite a
repetition with 3 2 . . . �f8 or pl ay for the win with 3 2 . . . �d7.
28 ..lLlg6!
•
A neat idea, forcing the queen away before h oppin g back into e 5 .
29 'i¥g5 h 6 3 0 'iVd2 1L1es
N ow Black definitely enjoys an edge.
31 b3 fiC7 32 h 3 :l.f8?
Exercise: Anand's last m ove is a m istake.

How did Shirov seize the opportunity?
43
As an i m provement to 3 2 .. JU8 ?, Anand offers 3 2 . . . f6 ! intending .. JU8-f7-e7 to ch allenge

for control of the e-file. Bl ack's advantage of g ood knight versus bad bishop woul d persist
after an exch an g e of rooks .
Answer: 3 3 Mxe5!
Shirov seizes th e ch ance given to him by An and. The exch an g e sacrifi ce gives White a
powerful passed d-pawn - and it al so justifi e s White's bishop being placed on a4 !
3 3 ...dxe5 34 d6 iVd8 3 5 iVd5 iVg 5
An and goes for perpetual check, a wise choice since passive pl ay coul d easily l e ave him
strug g l i n g .
3 6 iVxC 5 iVc 1+
3 7 <Ji h 2
Shirov all ows the battl e to end with a perpetual check. It's a shame th at h e didn't pl ay
on with the adm ittedly ri sky 3 7 iVg 1 ! ?, as th i s coul d h ave led to a fascin ating four-queen
position after 37 ... iVd2 38 cS e4 39 d7 e 3 40 c6 e 2 41 C7 e 1iV 42 c8iV (An and) wh ere all
th ree results are still possibl e .
3 7 ...iVf4+ 38 �g1 iVc1+ 3 9 � h 2 'iYf4+ 40 � h 1 'iYc1+ Yz-Yz
A tense, wel l -pl ayed battl e between two world-cl ass players. An and's play in th e
middl e g am e demon strates g ood " active defence" by Bl ack in a typical Sicili an positi on .
Game S
S.Grodzensky-J.Soberano
Corres pon den ce 2003
1 e4 c5 2 ctJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJc6 5 ctJC3 a 6 6 �e3 'iYC7 7 �e2 ctJf6 8 0-0 �b4 9 ctJa4
,91e7 10 CDxc6 bxc6 11 CDb6
44
White Plays Jie2: Main Lines
The most popul ar ch oice. White seizes th e opportun ity to exchan g e knight for bishop,
before Bl ack stops the possibil ity with , for example, An and's 1 1 ... c 5 in the previous game.
11 . . ..l:!.b8 1 2 ct:J x e 8 'iVx e 8 !
Keeping th e a6-pawn protected. It's true th at after 12 ... Mxc8 1 3 .l1Lxa6 Mb8 Bl ack reg ains
his pawn, but 14 jld3 Mxb2 1 5 jld4 (or 1 5 a4) i s kn own to be a bit better for White.
13 eS
The old m ain l i n e . By attacking the knight, White deal s with the doubl e threat to the e4-
and b2 -pawn s. 13 ..\ld4 is covered in G am e s 6-7.
13 . . . t2lds 1 4 ..\lei!
Sometim e s you h ave to g o backward before going forward. Th e b2 -pawn was still
h anging and ... ct:Jxe3 was a positional th reat too. I deally White would like to play 14 �d4
but this allows Bl ack to force the swap of White's bishop with 14 ... C 5 ! , and 15 c4! (th e only
possible follow-up) 15 ... cxd4 1 6 cxd5 'iVC 5 (or 1 6 ... Mxb2 1 7 Mcl 'iVb8 18 <:\6 Jid8) 17 ii,f3 jlg5
is considered to be equal .
45
The Sici lian Taimanov : Move by Move
Exercise: Black cannot prevent c 2 -c4, but he can prepare for it.
What should he do? ( H int: Find or create a g ood square for the knig ht.)
14 . . . ..Itc 5 !
Th i s m ove i s dual -purpose:
1 . Th e bishop i s actively pl aced on th e a7-g 1 diagonal ; at th e moment it prevents f2 -f4.
2 . Th e bishop m ove vacates the e7- square for th e knight, whi ch all ows the knight to
keep an active rol e in the g am e .
A n altern ative with a s i m i lar intention i s 14 ... c S , s i n c e after 1 5 c4 t?J b4 t h e k n i g h t fi n ds a
g ood home on c6. Th i s i s n 't quite as g ood as the text, thoug h , as . . . c S l eaves Black's bishop
restri cted.
1 5 c4!
Even though the knight h a s a fi n e retreat square on e7, it still m akes sense for White to
kick it from dS strai ghtaway.
Bl ack's creative pl ay in J . R adul ski-B.Macieja, Budapest 2000, is worth seein g : 1 5 �d3 'liO !
( Bl ack is generally h appy to swap h i s a-pawn for White's e-pawn , and 16 'li'xa6 ? ! 'li'xe S leaves
Black very active) 16 �'e4 O-O ! ? (offering a pawn ; there's absolutely nothing wrong with
16 . .. aS eith er) 17 1i:.d3 (if 1 7 �xa6 fS ! 1 8 exf6 .uxf6 and Black's in credibly active pieces provide
excellent compen sation) 17 .. .fS ! 18 exf6 (virtually forced, since 18 '�'e2 can be met by
18 .. ,,:td4 ! ) 1 8 . . ,c;;J xf6 19 'li'h 4 dS 20 b3 (20 �xa6? ctJe4 ! ) 20 . . . e S 2 1 �d2 as 2 2 �h l e4. Bl ack has
taken over the centre and enjoys a clear advantage. Thi s game provides an excell ent example
of the type of counterpl ay Bl ack can strive for against less than forceful play by White.
15 ... c;Je7
Exercise: White mig ht try 16 �d3 here, activating his bishop.

Find a good reply for Black.
46
White Plays ile2: Main Lines
16 b3 !
Getting ready to provide th e e 5 -pawn with some m uch needed support, by �b2 .
Answer: If White i s n 't careful, t h e e 5 -pawn could come under fire very quickly, a n d he
might n ot be abl e to hold onto it. For example, m oving th e bishop to a more active
diag on al with 16 �d3 ? ! m ight l ook desirable, but it allows Bl ack to assault the e-pawn :
16 ... il... d 4! (or 1 6 . . .'�C 7 ! 1 7 �e2 �d4) 1 7 �e2 �C7 18 l::t e l C2Jg 6 ! 19 �xg6 (obviously not wh at
White wants, but oth erwi se there was n o way to safeg uard e 5 ) 19 . .fxg 6 ! ( 1 9 ... hx g6! is al so
.
good, as 20 l::t b l can be m et by 20 ... �C 3 ! ) 20 'iit h l 0-0 21 f4 g 5 ! 2 2 l::t b l (if 2 2 fxg 5 l::t f2 or
22..."i'xe 5 ! ) 2 2 . . . g xf4 2 3 �e4 c5 24 �xf4 l::t x b2 2 5 l::t x b2 �xb2 an d Bl ack converted his pawn
advantag e in S.wing e-T.wel i n , Stockh olm 1 9 8 8 .
I f White doesn 't pl ay the m o st accurate m oves in th i s line - which, o f course, is possibl e
at most level s ! - be ready to take over the i n itiative by hamm ering away at the e 5 -pawn .
16 ... "i'C7 17 �b2
17 . . d6!
.
Question: Doesn't th is move open th ing s up for Wh ite's b2 -bishop?

Won't th e g 7-pawn h ang?
Answer: It does activate White's bish op, but Bl ack h as a specifi c idea i n mind which will
become clear in a coupl e of m oves. Al so, after th e exchan g e on d6 Bl ack will h ave a th reat
against th e h 2 -pawn to counter White 's on g 7 .
The truth i s th at Black ' s two m ai n pawn breaks, . . . d6 a n d . . .f6, both bri n g t h e b2-bishop
to life. But without a pawn break, eith er now or soon, Bl ack might be in danger of
becoming cramped an d passive. Thi s i s why 16 b3 and 17 �b2 was such a g ood i dea
Black's natural pawn breaks i m prove Wh ite's bishop.
A sound alternative for Bl ack i s to carry on devel opi n g , either with 1 7 . . C2Jg6 or 1 7 . 0-0,
. . .
although ... d6 still tends to come sooner or l ater. Som e exam ples:
47
T h e Sicilian Taimanov: Move by Move
a) 17 . . . C;�g 6 1 8 �h l ! (al l owing White to pl ay f2 -f4) 1 8 . . . 0-0 ( 1 8 . . . C;�xe 5 19 f4 ! and .�.xg7)

19 ..\td3 ! ? (19 f4 J:.fd8 2 0 �C2 d6 21 exd6 Itxd6 i s TOughly equal ) .
Exercise: Calculate the variations after 1 9 . 4:Jxe5 and assess

. .
the resulting positions. (Warning : Difficult! )
Answer: After 19 . . .cLlxe 5 ? ! White reg ain s the pawn with t h e combination 20 si.xh 7+ �xh7
21 �h 5 + �g 8 22 ..\txe 5 , with a small advantag e . H owever, Bl ack m ust play 22 ... �d6 h ere,
since 22 . . . d6? loses on the spot. Th e obvi ous 2 3 i1.. x g7 �xg 7 24 �'g 5 + .j,;h 7 2 5 �h 5 + �g7 is
only a perpetual check, but th e brilliant 2 3 �f6 ! ! forces a win : 23 . . . g xf6 24 f4 and Bl ack
resigned, D . B arua-5.Ganguly, Mumbai 2000: �f3 is com i n g , and if Bl ack tries to escape with
24 . . . Ufe 8 then 2 5 �'h 6 ! is decisive. Cong ratul ati ons if you found the difficult 2 3 �f6 idea!
I n stead, after 19 . . Jlbd8 2 0 ifh 5 d6 21 exd6 �xd6 22 Itadl c 5 (22 ... f5 ! ?) 23 g3 �fe 8 24 f4
White has a small edge in view of h i s bishop pair, alth ough Bl ack's positi ons rem ain s very
sol id, S . Bouazi z - U .Andersson, Szirak 1 9 8 7 .
b ) Bl ack coul d con sider beg i n n i n g with 1 7 . . . 0 - 0 . Th en 1 8 ..\td3 C2Jg6 1 9 �h l tran sposes to
the note above, but if White pl ays 19 ifh 5 Bl ack can respond with the tricky 19 . . . ifa 5 ! . The
crude idea of the disruptive ... �d 2 i s surpri singly difficult to m eet effectively, unl ess Wh ite
deci des to retreat h i s queen . If 20 Itfd l Bl ack coul d even pl ay 20 .. .f5 ! ? inten ding to
surround the e 5 -pawn after swapping bishops with ....� a 3 .
48
White Plays jLe2: Main Lines
Exercise: What does Black play if White captures en pas sant?
Answer: 2 1 exf6 ? ? �xf2 + ! win s th e wh ite queen with a di scovered attack. With three pieces
blocking the fifth rank after 2 0 .. .fS, th i s tactic is n ot so easy to spot !
Let's return to OUT m ain g ame, and to the position after 17".d6:
18 exd6 jLxd6 1 9 g3
Exercise: Black could either castle here or play 1 9 " .i.es .

Which one do you think is better?
Black is fine after 19 �xg7 �g 8 2 0 �c3 �xh 2 + 2 1 'it>h l "�es - h i s king on e8 is at least as
safe as White's on h i .
49
Th e S i c i l i a n Ta i m a n o v: M o v e by M o v e
19 �d4 ! ? i s a tri cky m ove which l eads to compli cated position s . S o me exam p l e s :
a) 1 9 . . . c 5 (th e m ove n orm ally recom m e n ded) 2 0 �xg 7 �xh 2+ 2 1 �h l .l:lg 8 2 2 �f6 ( i f 2 2
�xh 7 then 2 2 . . . � e 5 ! an d th e com pl etely o p e n h -fil e i s g reat n ews for Bl ack) 2 2 . . .l:lg
. 6 23
�h 8+ .l:lg 8 ( 2 3 . . .�d7 2 4 �xh 7 � e 5 2 5 .l:lfd l+ �c6 2 6 ..Itf3+ �b6 2 7 .l:ld7 ! �xd7 2 8 � x e 5 -
Burg e s s - i s a bit better for White) 2 4 �C3 ( 2 4 �f6 .l:lg 6 2 5 �8+ .l:lg 8 repeats th e position)
2 4 ... tDc6 25 �f3 �e5 26 �xe5 tDxe 5 27 �f4.l:lc8 28 �6 tDg4 ! ? 29 �xg4! (29 �xh 7 �e 7 ! )
2 9 . . .l:lxg
. 4 3 0 �xh 7 � e 7 3 1 � 2 V2-V2, A. Pontiki s - K .Ch orfi , correspondence 2 0 0 7 . Black ' s
active rooks provide en ough compen s ation for th e pawn .
b) 19 . . . tDf5 ! ? ( 1 9 . . . �xh 2+ 2 0 �h l tDf5 com e s to th e s a m e th i n g ) i s an interesti n g
altern ative. After 2 0 � e 4 �xh 2+ 2 1 �h l Bl ack h a s w o n a pawn but Wh ite's i deas i n cl ude
g 2 - g 4 fol l owed by f2 -f4. N ow:
b l ) 21 . . . 0-0? 22 g 4 ! tD e 7 23 f4 � g 3 2 4 � e 5 i s g ood for White.
b 2 ) 2 1 . . . h 5 22 .l:lad l ! with excellent compen s ation, e.g. 22 . . . ..Itd6 23 C 5 ! � x C 5 2 4 �e5
.l:lb4 ? ( 2 4 . . . .¥Ld6 25 .l:lxd6 tDxd6 26 �f4.l:ld8 27 .l:ldl wi n s) 25 �xf5 1-0 M . M atul ovi c
L. Porti sch, Sousse 1 9 6 7 .
b 3 ) 2 1 . . . c 5 ! l ooks l i k e th e best m ove. Th i s prevents c4- c 5 , and if g 2 -g 4 Bl ack inten ds to
return th e p awn with . . . tDd4 in order to g et ri d of White's dark - s quared bishop. Th e only
g am e I coul d fi n d with 21 ... c5 conti n ued 22 �g4 (22 g 4 tDd4 23 �xd4 cxd4 2 4 f4 �g 3 l ooks
criti cal , uncl e ar, but p o s sibly better for White) 22 . . . 0 - 0 ! 2 3 �xf5 exf5 24 �xf5 .
With g 2 -g 3 threaten ed, Black ' s position l ooks diffi cult, but n ow com e s the
counterattack : 2 4 ....l:lb6 ! ! 25 g3 .l:lh 6 26 �g 2 �c6+ 27 f3 (27 �d5 �c8) 27 ... � xg 3 ! 28 �xg3
'/Wd6+ 2 9 iL e 5 (29 f4 �d2 3 0 .l:lf2 �e 3+ 3 1.l:lf3 �e 2 is a draw) 2 9 ....l:lg6+ 3 0 �h 3 �d2 ! 3 1
�f4 �g 2+ 3 2 r..ith 4 h 6 ! ! 3 3 � 3 �2 3 4 �f5 .l:lg 5 ! ! (th e point of 3 2 . . . h 6 ! ! ; Bl ack i s wi n n i n g by
force) 3 5 .l:labl ( 3 5 �xg 5 �2+ 3 6 �g4 h 5 m at e ; or 3 5 �d7 �g 2 3 6 .l:lg l �f2+ 3 7 .l:lg 3 g 6 ! !
3 8 .¥Lxg 5 h x g 5+ and Bl ack wi n s after eith er 3 9 �h 3 �g 7 ! o r 3 9 �g4 � 2 ) 3 5 . . . �g 2 3 6 .l:lgl
�f2+ 37 �g 3 �xg l 38 .l:lxg l .l:lxf5 and Bl ack won in H . M otzer- F . 5 ol f, corre spondence 2 007.
Answer: 19 ... �e5 !
50
W h i t e P l ay s iie 2 : M a i n L i n e s
An excell ent position al m ove. Bl ack fol lows th e pri n ciple "Wh en your oppon ent h as the
advantage of th e bishop pair, try to exch ange o n e of th e bish ops". Th i s i s usually a good
idea because th e two bishops m ake an excellent team, th e val ue of wh i ch i s greater than
the indivi dual part s .
Bei ng abl e t o pl ay . . . iie s i s th e w h o l e reason Bl ack played 1 7 . . . d 6 . Com pare th i s t o th e
lines with 17 . . . l2Jg6 , wh ere White was abl e to prevent . . . j:e s by vari ous m e an s ( e . g . �·hS). If
Bl ack doesn 't grab th e opportun ity to play . . . . liLe s , it coul d be taken away. For th i s reason
19 . 0-0 is n ot as good. Wh ite can m aintain a s l i ght edge with 2 0 '� d4! 0jfS 21 ·�e4.
..
20.ixe5
20 "i'c2 0-0 2 1 l'!.ad1 J/.. x b2! 2 2 �xb2 cS! 2 3 .J1Ld3 l2Jc6 2 4 f4 0Jd4 2S fS exfs 2 6';;.xfS r(be8
(A.Friedman -D.Cum mings, Toronto 1 9 9 8 ) is an excellent e x am p l e of how Bl ack can g ain the
advantage if Wh ite pl ays i n accurately.
Bl ack has seized the d4- square, h i s k n i ght is m uch stronger than White's remai n i n g
51
Th e S i c i l i a n Ta i m a n o v : M o v e by M o v e
bish op, and White's f-pawn advan c e only weakened h i s own ki n g . Th e g am e con cluded 27
�d3 �e 5 2 8 �f2 a s 2 9 '.t>g 2 �e6 3 0 �de 1 �c 6 + 3 1 '.t>h 3 � x e 1 3 2 �xe1 tDf3 3 3 �e 3 C;;� g 5 + 34
'.t>g 4 f 5 + 3 5 �xf5 g 6 3 6 �e 5 �f6 3 7 �xC 5 g x f 5 + 3 8 �xf5 h 5 + 0 - 1 .
20...�xe 5 2 1 .�f3
Movi n g th e b i s h o p onto a m ore active di a g o n al an d prepari n g �e 1 to force th e queen
away from her central outpost.
Bl ack has to be s l i ghtly m ore careful if White switch e s th e m ove order with 21 �e 1 ! ? If
Bl ack plays as in our m ai n g am e , with 2 1 . . . c 5 , then White can disrupt Black ' s plan with 2 2
:.th SL Black ' s m o st desirabl e retreat i s 2 2 . . . � C 7 but th i s i s m et b y 2 3 g,xe 6 ! , and if 2 3 . . . g 6 24
lde4 g xh 5 2 5 �xh 5 White h a s m ore th an enough for th e piece. 2 1 . . . 0-0 2 2 �d7 i s al so a bit
awkward, so I woul d sug g e st eith er 2 1 . . . �a5 or 2 1 . . . �d8. In the l atter case, 2 2 ·*Vc 2 'Wic7 23
C 5 ! ? as ! 2 4;li, d 3 g 6 ( 2 4 . . . h 6 ) 2 5 �ad1 0-0 was roug hly e qual in "otto der erste" I Hia rcs
"EmiIV"IRybka, Intern et (rapid) 2 0 0 7 .
2 1 ... c 5 !
Question: W h y is ... c 5 a g ood m ove h e r e ?
Answer: A ft e r the exch an g e o f dark - s quared bish ops, Bl ack shoul d be look i n g to pl ay . . . c5 as
soon as it's safe to do so, s i n ce it h a s a number of ben efits:
1 . Most obvi ously, th e c-pawn is no l o n g e r a targ et for th e b i s h op.
2 . Th e advan ce puts a clamp on the queen side and m ak e s it m uch m ore diffi cult for
White to use h i s pawn m ajority th ere.
3 . Bl ack secures control of th e d4- s quare, and l ater on th e k n i g ht will be a i m i n g to re ach
th i s square . We 've alre ady seen h ow Bl ack can s e i z e th e advantag e l i k e th i s in Fri edm an
Cum m i n g s , above.
2 2 )�e1 �C7
Bl ack enjoys a ful l sh are of th e chances in th i s positi on . He is ready to castl e and contest
52
W h i t e P l ay s :Ji. e 2 : M a i n L i n e s
the d-fi l e , White's que e n s i d e pawn m aj ority i s m ore o r l e s s i m m obile, and l ater o n Bl ack
may h ave th e possibil ity to create weak n e s s e s with . . . a s -a4. If White i s n 't careful , th e
knight coul d g et to d4 an d th en Bl ack will be better.
Exercise: Find a m ove for White which allows him

to keep an equal position .
Answer: 23 :Ji.e4!
Now th e bishop covers both fS and c 6 , so Black's pl an of . . . ct:Jd4 i s thwarted.
23. .0-0 24 'i'c2 h6 25 ':adl ':fd8 26 'i'C3 �f8 ! ?
.
A n interestin g psych ol o g i cal ch oice by Bl ack, wh i ch i s rewarded strai ghtaway. I n real ity
it's diffi cult for eith er side to m ake s i g n ifi cant prog re s s in th i s position with out taking
risks. 26 . ..'lt>f8 puts th e onus on White to come up with som eth i n g .
26 . . . CLJc6 i s th e most "l o g i cal" contin uati o n . White sh oul dn 't al low . . . 0ld4, so 2 7 .�xc6 !
Ixc6 28 l:td3l:txd3 29 'i'xd3 a s ! and th e two g ran dm asters agreed to a draw in V. Spasov
I.Mil adinovic, Varn a 1994. White can control th e d-fi l e with 30 ':d1, but th i s control i s
meaningless because Bl ack weak e n s Wh ite's queen side pawn s with 3 0 . . . a4 ! .
27 f4?
White is stirred into acti o n , but th e weak n e s s caused by th i s pawn lun g e will hurt him
later on.
27...'it>g8!
Kings can ch ange th eir m i n ds , but p awn s can 't!
28 'Ies
53
Exercise: Should Black exch ang e queens or avoid it?
Answer: 28 .. :�h 5 !
White's k i n g i s sl i g htly vul n erabl e after f 2 -f4, but o n l y if th e queen s remain on th e

board. After 2 8 . . .'�Wa s th e a-pawn i s attacked and th i n g s are al re ady a bit awkward for
White. In contrast, 28 . . . 'i¥'xe s ? 29 fxe s g i v e s White th e better of th e e n di n g where h i s
"active" k i n g will be a n a s s et rath er than a worry.
29 XU1 ! ?
R ather th an g o i n g on th e defen ce, White temporarily s acrifi ces a pawn t o s e t u p h i s
n e xt m ove and enter a tacti cal s e que n c e .
29 ...'iYxa2 3 0 l'Id 7 !
Us i n g tacti c s based o n th e 'iYxb 8 . Black ' s reply i s forced.
30...LtJf5 3 l�xf5 exf5 32 l::!.fd l ! l::!. e 8 !
A clever n u a n c e . A t first s i g h t 3 2 . . . l::!.f 8 l ooks m o r e log i cal, but W h i t e c a n still p l ay 3 3
l:!,xf7 !
3 3 'iYxf5 .l:!.f8 34 'klVxC 5 'iYx b 3 3 5 'iYd 5 l::!. b 4!
54
W h i t e P l ay s iL e 2 : M a i n L i n e s
Th e smoke h a s cl e ared, m ateri al e qual ity h as been restored but Bl ack enjoys the
advantage. Put Wh ite ' s pawn back on f 2 an d White woul d be fi n e . As it stan ds, h owever,
White h as serious probl e m s because of h i s weak e n e d kin g .
6.!::!.d8
White chooses to take h i s c h an c es i n a pawn - down rook e n di n g . If i n stead 3 6 cs, then
6.. . "i'e 3+ 3 7 'iith l Mob S ! 38 MoO Mob 2 ! and th e threats are beg i n n i n g to m ount, e . g . 3 9 Mob7
l:!.c2. 40 c6? "iVe 2 .
6..Jbd8 37 "iVxd 8+ \t> h 7 3 8 "iVd 3 + "iVxd 3 3 9 Moxd 3 MoXC4 4 0 Mod6 a s 4 1 Y. a 6 Y.a4
With his rook beh i n d th e passed pawn , n orm ally the defen der sh oul d be abl e to draw
this type of positi on . But even h ere the advan ce of th e f-pawn rui n s h i s chances, as it leaves
his king an d kin gside pawn vul n e rabl e in m any l i n e s . Once again White woul d l ove to be
able to pl ay th e m ove f4-f2 !
42 �2 g6 43 h4 �g7 44 fS
55
Passive defen c e with 44 '.t>f3 � a 3 + 4 5 '.t>f2 h 5 46 �a7 a4 al so looks wi n n i n g for Bl ack.

44...gxf5 4 5 �f3 h5 46 �c6 f6 47 �c1 �a3 + 48 \t>f4 a4 49 �c8 �a1 50 \t>xf5 a3 51 �c2 �f1+
52 \t>e4 �e1+ 5 3 '.t>f3 �e 7 ! 0-1
Th e rook g ets beh i n d the p a s s e d p awn , and after 5 3 . . . �e7 54 �a2 �a7 5 5 \t>f4 '.t>f7 5 6
We4 \t>e 6 5 7 �f4 �a4+ 5 8 \t>e 3 \t>e 5 White i s driven back a n d Bl ack wi n s .
A tough battl e, well pl ayed b y both pl ayers, with White ' s i m pul sive 2 7 f 4 th e only
obvi ous m i stak e . B l ack ' s dark - s quared plan i n volvi n g 1 7 ... d6 ! , 1 9 ... �e 5 ! and 21 ... c 5 i s well
worth rememberi n g .
Game 6
N.Coenen-P.Haba
European Club Cup, Ohrid 2009
1 e4 c5 2 CDf3 e6 3 d4 cxd 4 4 ctJxd4 ctJc6 5 ctJC3 "iiC 7 6 �e2 a6 7 0-0 ctJf6 8 �e3 � b4 9 CDa4
.91e7 10 ctJxc6 bxc6 1 1 ctJb6 �b8 1 2 ctJxc8 "ii x c8 1 3 �d4!
Aroun d 15 years ago pl ayers b e g an to real i ze th at White doe s n 't actual ly need to
safe g uard h i s e -pawn with 13 e 5 , and s i n c e th en 13 �d4 has repl aced 13 e5 as th e m ai n
choice a t g randm aster l evel . 1 3 � d 4 protects th e b 2 -pawn and allows White t o take on g 7
if Bl ack capture s on e 4 . N e xt m ove W h i t e plan s to m ak e h i s e-pawn s afe, and h e h op e s that
th e b i s h op pair will g i v e h i m a l o n g -term e d g e . H owever, there i s m ore than o n e positi o n al
i m bal an ce h ere, and Bl ack can argue th at h i s stren gth en ed centre offers h i m suffi c i ent
counter-ch a n c e s .
13 ...c5
Th e m o st popul ar move. We'll take a l ook at th e sh arper altern atives 13 ..."iiO and
1 3 ... ctJxe4 i n th e n e xt g am e .
56
Question: What about simply 1 3 0-0? ...
Answer: 13 ... 0-0 i s n 't a bad m ove, but 14 es ct:Jds 15 c4! demon strates one of the merits of
13 i.d4. Com p are th i s position to 1 3 e s ct:Jds 14 iLd4 c s ! . I n th i s i n stance White h as been
able to play c 2 -c4 before Black ' s ... c s . After ls . . . ct:Jf4 1 6 g 3 ! cs 1 7 ,�.c 3 ct:Jxe 2 + 18 �xe 2 fs 19
l''ta dl �c6 2 0 f4 :f7 21 b3 (V.An an d-J. Pol g ar, Sofi a 2 0 0 5 ) Bl ack is sol i d but pretty passive.
Even th ough Pol g ar drew th i s g am e, I feel th at th i s is a position Bl ack should be tryi n g to
avoid.
14 i.es
Exercise: Fin d the best square for the attacked rook.
Answer: 14 J::t b 6!
..
On b6 th e rook protects th e a6-pawn an d al s o al l ows Bl ack to pl ay ... d6 to force the

bisho p away.
14 .. .J:!.b4 is only superfi ci ally attractive, because once White defends the e4-pawn th e
rook i s vulnerabl e to attacks by, for example, kc 3 .
15 1'd3
White defends th e e4-pawn . Th e altern ative l i n e h ere i s 1 5 b3 ct:Jx e4! ( 1 5 . . . 0-0 16 �d 3
trans p oses to 15 "i'd3 0-0 16 b 3 ! , bel ow) 16 iLxg 7 :g 8 with a doubl e-edged position.
57
White h a s th e b i s h o p pair, clean er p awn structure, and Black can n o l o n g er castle . On

th e oth er h an d, all of Bl ack ' s p i e c e s look very active, and h i s k i n g is fai rly s afe beh i n d a wall
of central pawn s . White h a s a choice of b i s h o p retreat s , and h ere are a few sam ple l i n e s :
a) 1 7 � e 5 �d6 ! ( a s we've s e e n before, Bl ack i s h appy to e x ch an g e dark - s quared bi sh ops)
18 �g 3 ( 1 8 �xd6 .l::!: x d6 19 �d3 �c6 20 f 3 CL'lf6 is roug hly l evel ) 18 .. .f5 ! ? ( 1 8 . . . CL'lxg 3 19 fxg 3 ! ?
shows a point beh i n d 1 8 � g 3 - White m ay be abl e u s e th e open e d f-fi l e t o attack Black's
king) and n ow:
a l ) 19 �d3 4'lf6 20 �e2 �f7 2 1.l::!: a dl �b 7 (th reate n i n g .. .f4) 2 2 f4 c 4 ! 2 3 �xc4.l::!: x g 3 ! 24
h xg 3 � C 5 + 2 5 <J;h l d5 26 � d 3 CL'l g 4 ! i s a n i c e l i n e g iven by Delch ev an d Semkov. White is i n
h u g e troubl e h ere, as . . . e 5 an d . . . .l::!: h 6 m ate i s on th e h orizon .
a 2 ) 19 .l::!: e l ! , keepi n g opti on s open for th e bishop, feel s stron g e r to m e . 19 .. :iUo 20 �d3
�f8 2 1 .l::!: a dl .l::!: g 7 prem aturely e n ded as a draw i n a very com pl e x positi o n , P.Verde
C. Fern andez Vicente, corresp o n d en c e 2 0 0 8 .
b) If 1 7 �b2 Black can ch oose between compl i cati on s or positi o n al pl ay. For example:
58
Wh i t e P l ays .1i. e 2 : M a i n L i n e s
bl) 1 7 . . ..l:td6 1 8 .1i.d3 c4 ! ? (temporarily s acrifi c i n g a pawn t o wreck White's queen side
structure) 19 bxc4 �c6 2 0 �f3 iLld2 21 �xc6 .l:txc6 22 .l:tfdl iLlxC4 i s e qual . Delchev and
Semkov analysed 2 0 g 3 ! ? wh i ch at first s i g h t looks very ri sky, but White has a key defensive
resource in 2 0".iLlg 5 2 1 f3 �b 6 + 2 2 C 5 ! �xC 5 + 2 3 'it>h l .
b 2 ) Th e tri cky 1 7".C4 ! ? w a s sug g e sted on th e Ch e s s Publ i s h i n g .com forum . White l ands
in trouble if h e tak e s th e p awn : 1 8 .1i.xC4 �c6 1 9 g3 .1i.C 5 ! 2 0 �d4 iLlg 5 21 f3 iLxd4+ 22
'Ixd4 �xf3 ! . Semkov an d Delchev sug g e st th e wiser 1 8 �d4 c 3 19 iL c l �c6 2 0 �f3 d5 21
ie 3 Mb4 2 2 �d3 iLlg 5 23 iLe2 an d "Wh ite m i g ht be s l i ghtly better" . I n th e fi n al an alysis,
this assessment might well be true of both 1 7".Md6 and 1 7".c4, alth ough of course it's
completely different pl ayi n g th e s e positi o n s over th e board than it i s an alysi n g with the
computer at h om e !
b3) 17".�f6 (th e position al approach - exch an g e th o s e dark-squared b i shops ! ) 1 8 �xf6
4Jxf6 19 .if3 Mg 5 20 .l:te l �C7 2 1 �d2 .l:te 5 22 �C 3 .l:txe l + 23 .l:txe l 'it>e7 2 4 a3 .l:tb 8 25 g3 as
with equal ch an c e s , I . B al i n ov- N . S o m m erbauer, Twe n g 2007. Again we see much of the
dynamism in Wh ite ' s position di s appear with th e exch an g e of bishops.
Now let's return to th e g am e, and to th e position after Coen e n ' s 1 5 �d3 :
15 d6!
...
Question: Why the excl amation m ark for such an obvious move?
Answer: The exclam is for the timing of ".d6, wh i ch push e s th e bishop back to c 3 . If Bl ack
delays this advan ce for just o n e m ore m ove, White can i m prove h i s position with 1 5".0-0
16 b3! d6 17 .tb 2 . T h e bishop is better placed on b 2 th an on c 3 because it is less vul n erabl e
to harassment. For exampl e, 17".d5 1 8 exd5 iLlxd5 sh oul d be compared with th e m ai n l i n e ,
below, where t h e bi shop i s on c 3 . Th i s i s a favourabl e v e r s i o n f o r W h i t e , because h e doe s n 't
have to waste time moving his bishop ag ai n .
16 1C3 0-0 17 b 3
59
Exercise: One plan for Black here is 17 ... ltJd7, intending to offer a swap of
bishops with 18 ... .ll.f6. Find a g ood respon se for White to thi s plan .
Answer: We've seen m ore th an o n c e h o w th e exch an g e of dark - s quared b i s h ops h e l p s
Bl ack. So a g ood an swer to 1 7 . . . ltJ d 7 i s 1 8 'uad l ! i n t e n di n g to m eet 1 8 . . . � f 6 with 19 � a s ! .

It' s actually m ore i m portant for White t o m aintain th e b i s h op th an t o control th e l o n g
di agonal, and h e keeps a s l i g h t edg e after 1 9 . . . ,U c 6 2 0 'li'g 3 .
17 ...d S
H aba chooses t o advan ce an d m ake u s e o f h i s central pawn m aj ority. White n ow faces a
diffi cult deci sion : advan ce with e4- e S or exch an g e in th e centre ?
18 e S
Exercise: Choose between 18 ... ltJe4 and 18 ...ltJd7.
60
Wh i t e P l ay s il.e2: M a i n L i n e s
Coenen opts for th e a g g ressive 1 8 e S , g ai n i n g space and pl an n i n g kin gside action with
f2-f4. Th e altern ative is th e m ore positional 18 e x d s . White cedes som e space but ope n s
the position up for th e bishop pair an d h opes th at this w i l l give h i m a slight edg e . 18 . . . exdS
appears at fi rst sight to be th e m ost n atural recapture, but White is quickly abl e to
pressure Bl ack's centre. After 1 9 .l:i.adl d4 2 0 �as .l:i.d6 21 il.f3 Bl ack's pawns are static and
White's bishops are l ook i n g quite i m pressive. Th erefore th e more dyn am i c 18 ... 0JxdS! ,
g aining time by h itti n g th e bishop, is Bl ack's best recapture. Som e exampl es :
a ) 1 9 il.d2 �f6 2 0 .l:i.adl itJb4! (Bl ack m ust try t o cause som e disruption before White
consol idates) 21 �c4 .l:i.d8 22 �c3 (if 22 �e3 Bl ack h as 22 . . .'�JdS , intendi n g 23 �.xcS 1-1.c6 24
b4 �e7 - Del chev a n d Sem kov) 22 ... �x c 3 23 .l:i.xd8+ �xd8 2 4 �xC 3 �C7 and White's
advantage is only very s m al l , E .Gonzalez Al con -C. Fern andez Vicente, correspon dence 2008.
b) If 19 il.e s Bl ack can pl ay 1 9 ... f6, or 1 9 ... .l:i.d8 foll owed by .. .f6 . Even so, I feel th at th e
best approach m i g h t still be exch an g i n g bishops with 19 . . . �f6 20 il.xf6 itJxf6 .
White may have a very sm all edge h ere, but Bl ack h asn 't weake n e d h i mself on the
kingside and remai ns very sol i d. Let ' s fol low th e h i g h -l evel game Z. Efim enko-Bui Vi n h , Al
Ain 2008, which provi des a g ood m odel for Bl ack : 21 .l:i.adl �C7 22 .l:i.d2 h6 23 Y,fd1 as 24
1f3l:tc8! (White dom i n ates th e d-fi l e , but this doesn 't h e l p m uch because all the entry
points are covered) 2 5 �C 3 .l:i.bb 8 ( 2 S . . . .l:i.b4! ? 2 6 a3 .l:i.d4) 2 6 g 3 �b 6 27 �e 3 (27 ttd6 might
be more challenging; Bl ack can continue 27 . . . �4 28 �e s �a3! ?) 27 . . . �b4! (gain i n g
counterplay) 28 c3 � a 3 2 9 � e 2 itJd s 3 0 �e s a4! 3 1 �C4 axb 3 3 2 .�xb 3 c4! 3 3 � x C 4 �xC3
34 �d4! l:td8 35 "i'e4 .l:i.b4! 36 �d3 ( 3 6 �xdS .l:i.xd S! is a n i c e doubl e-pi n n i n g idea! ) 3 6 . . .'iVxd3
37 �lxd3 �f8 38 il.b 3 .l:i.xd4 39 .l:i.xd4 .l:i.a8 40 .l:i.a4 .l:i.xa4 41 � x a4 �e7 4 2 \itg 2 �d6 43 f4
.itC5 44 �f3 lbC3 45 .ltb 3 'It>d4 46 fS e S 47 �xf7 �d3 48 �f2 �d2 49 .� C4 e4 50 g 4 '/2-1/2.
Back to the game, an d Coen e n 's choi ce of 1 8 e S :
Answer: 18 lbd7!
...
The knight is well placed h ere, both for defe n c e (th e kin gside) and counterattack (th e
queenside).
61
The Sicili a n T a i m a n o v : M o v e by M o v e
Th e m ore active 1 8 .. .lt'\e4 i s c learly t e m pti n g , but after 19 .1La s .l:!.b S 20 jLe 1 ! th e knight is
in dan g e r of b e i n g trapped with f2 -f3 fol lowed by h 2 -h4, and Bl ack is al so vul n erabl e to (2-
C4 ideas. Activity i s g ood, but only if it i s s afe !
19 f4
Exercise: Find a way for Black to g ain immediate counterpl ay.
Answer: 19 ... e4!
Open i n g up the queen side, the area where Bl ack enjoys the advantag e .
20 bxe4 ne6 !
Th i s i s stron g e r t h a n 2 0 . . . bxc4. Bl ack use s th e pin o n the c4-p awn t o k e e p h i s option s
open as to how to recapture . I n m any cases i t ' s favourabl e to recapture with a piece (e.g .
. . . Mxc4 or . . . C/)b6 xc4) so th at Bl ack keeps a super-sol i d pawn structure.
2 1'�h 3 !
White woul d b e fi g h t i n g a losi n g battl e o n th e queen side, but of course i t ' s th e oth e r
side o f the board wh i ch i nterests h i m most !
2 1 ... C/�b6
Li n i n g up pos sibi lities of ... CtJxc4, ... dxc4 and ... 0Jd S , or even ... CtJa4.
2 2�d 3 g6 2 3 fS ! ?
62
W h i t e P l ay s iL e2 : M a i n L i n e s
Exercise (multiple choice): Should Black: a) Play 2 3 ... gxf5;

b) Pl ay 2 3 . exf5; or c) Ignore the f-pawn and pl ay 2 3 tt:Jxc4.
. . ...
White doesn't h ol d b ack on th e ki n g side. Th i n g s are look i n g dan g e rous h ere, but Sicil i an
players are used to deal i n g with such ag g re s sion, an d Bl ack i s fi n e as long as he defends
with a cool h ead.
The altern ative for White is a m ore del iberate buil d-up on th e k i n g side, although
sooner or later h e usually h a s to push with f4-fS . Play is e xtrem ely sh arp. Som e exampl e s :
a ) 23 l:!.f3l'Ie8! (a cruci al defen sive m ove, all owi n g Bl ack t o m eet 'li'h 6 with . . ..�f8! ) 2 4
:93 "le7 2Sl'If1 tiJxc4 an d now:
al) 26 iLd4? tiJd2! 27l'Ia1 (27 l'lf2 ? l'Ixc2! 28 i1Lxc2 'li'xc2 l e aves White with an
unsolvable back rank probl e m , pretty m uch of his own m aki n g ! ) 27 ... tt:Je4 28 �xe4 dxe4 29
C3 tes 30 l'Ie3 iLxd4 31 cxd4 l'lb 8 3 2 l'Ixe4 l'lb 2 33 l'lee 1 l'lcc2 3 4 �h 1 'li'C4 3 5 l'Ig 1 'li'xd4 3 6
�af1l:txa2 with a decisive advant ag e to Bl ack, B . B aroi n -C. Fern andez Vicente,
correspondence 2008. Th i s is a g ood demon stration of wh at can h appen to White if h e
dallies too much o n th e k i n g side.
b) 26 fS! (it's now or n ever) 2 6 . . . exfs 27 e6! (27 iLxf5 tiJ x e 5 ! defends an d l e aves White
without a good contin uation )
63
Th e Sici li a n T a i m a n o v: M o v e by M o v e
27 . . . � C 5 +! (watch out for 27 .. J::t x e 6 ? ? 2 8 "iVxh 7 +! - th e point of 27 e 6! ) 2 8 'IiIh 1 iLf8!

( 2 8 .. .fxe6 ? ? 29 .l:!.xg 6+! ) 29 iLxf5 iLg7 ! 30 iLxg7 'IiIxg7 3 1 "iVh 4 ( 3 1 exf7 "iVxf7 3 2 iLd3 l:tf6!
l e aves Bl ack better) 3 1 . . . ttJe 5 ! . Th e knight on e 5 i s a powerful defen der, an d White's attack
was good only for a draw after 3 2 iLh 3 "iVd8 ( 3 2 . . . "iVe7! ?) 3 3 exf7 ttJxf7 34 l:txf7+ 'IiIxf7 3 5
"iVxh7+ Wf8 3 6 "iVh 8 + �f7 3 7 "iVh7 + with perpetual , F.Mayr-G . G erh ards, correspon dence 2006.
Answer: 2 3 ... exfs !
H aba gets ri d of W h i t e ' s f-p awn wh i l e keepi n g th e three defen sive p awn s i n fron t of h i s
ki n g . 2 3 . . . e xf5 al so ope n s up th e t h i r d r a n k so th at Bl ack ' s rook on c 6 c a n defe n d l aterally.
Th i s was a wise deci sion because all owi n g f5-f6 woul d g ive White all sort s of m at i n g
pos sibiliti e s . F o r exampl e, 2 3 . . .ttJ x C 4 ? 2 4 f6! iL c 5 + 2 5 'IiIh 1 'IiIh 8 2 6 l:tf4! and l:th 4. I n stead
23 ... g xf5 ? fee l s wron g , and is wron g ! Bl ack has exposed h i s king un n e c e s s arily, and White
can take advant a g e with 2 4 l:tO! , i n t e n di n g "iVh 6 , or even 2 4 l:txf5 ! .
2 4 MxfS !
64
If 24 iLxf5 ? Bl ack can s afely g rab th e bish op: 24 . . . g xf5 2 5 Mxf5 Mg 6 an d White's attack is
nowhere near worth a piece. N ow, h owever, 24 . . . g xf5 ? 2 5 ii.xf5 doubl e attacks c8 and h7.
24 :�e6 ! ?
..
2 4... ttJxC4! is a l s o possibl e . 2 5 e 6 ! ? (th reat: 2 6 �xh7 + ! ! ) 2 5 . . .f 6 2 6 M x d 5 ttJb 6 ! 27 ii.xg 6 !

hxg6 2 8 "i'h 6 ttJxd5 2 9 �xg 6 + 'it'h 8 3 0 � 6 + 'it'g 8 3 1 �g 6 + was a draw by perpetual ch eck
in S.Zigangirova-A.5ti ri, Oropesa del Mar 2001, but th e com puter l ikes 2 5 .. .fxe6 ! wh en 2 6
"lxh7+ no l o n g e r works : 2 6 . . . 'it'xh 7 27 Mh 5 + 'it'g 8 2 8 Mh 8 + 'it'f7 2 9 Mf1 + � e 8 and th e king
escapes.
25 cxd5 CLJxd 5 2 6 � d 2 ii.C 5 +
The safest m ove h ere is probably 2 6 . . .'�Jb4 ! ? wh i ch forces W h i t e to exch an g e one o f h i s
bishops. Bl ack is a p awn down but this is o n l y temporary a s W h i t e h as so m any pawn
weakn esses, an d I feel Bl ack h as a s l i g h t edge h ere.
27 'iith l ii.e3 ! ? 2 8 .ixe3 LLlxe3 2 9 Mf3 ? !
White sh oul d try 2 9 �xe 3 ! g xf5 3 0 Mf1 �h 6 .
2 9 :�x h 3 30 Mxh 3 LLlg4! 3 1 'it'gl LLlxe5
..
Because of h i s better pawns, Bl ack h as a s l i g ht advantage i n this e n dg am e . I suspect it

should really be drawn with best pl ay, but H aba's perseveran ce an d tech n i que fi n ally
come s out on top.
32.itl Md8 33 Mel f6 3 4 Ma3 Mdd6 35 c3 'it'g7 36 Me4 Mdl 37 'it'f2 h5 3 8 h 3 Md 2+ 3 9 �gl
a5 40 Mxa 5 Mxc3 41 Mf4 g 5 4 2 Ma7+ 'it'g6 43 Mf2 Md6 44 Ma6 Mxa6 4 5 ii.xa6 Ma3 46 .ib7 g4
47 hxg4 hxg4 48 ii.e4+ 'it'g5 49 Mf5+ 'it'h4 50 Mxf6 Mxa 2
Th is is still n ot e asy for White, despite th e reducti on of pi eces on th e board.
51 llf2 Ma 3 52 .ids 'it'g3 53 Mfl Md3 54 �b7 Me3 55 Mbl LLld3 5 6 ii.c6 LLlf4 57 ii.a4 ttJe2+ 58
'it>fl CLJC3 ! 59 Mal?
65
59 ... 01xa4 !
Th e rook and p a w n e n di n g i s win n i n g .
6 0 Y.xa4 .l::!. b 3 6 1 Y.a 1 'it' h 2 ! 6 2 .l::!. a 4 .l::!. b 1+ 6 3 'it'f2 g 3 + 64 'it'f3 .l::!. b 3 + 6 5 'it'g4 'it>xg2 66 .l::!. a 2+
� h 1 0-1
After the centre closed with 1 8 eS, th e position was on a kn ife-edge. Wh ite's obvious
attack i n g chances on th e k i n g side were counterbal an ced by Black's defen sive re sources,
structural advantage and counterpl ay on th e queen side.
Game 7
A.Areshchenko-D.Brandenburg
German League 2011
1 e4 c5 2 4'Jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 ct:Jc6 5 ct:JC3 WliC7 6 Ae2 a6 7 0-0 ct:Jf6 8 �e3 �b4 9 ct:Ja4
.'iL e7 10 ct:Jxc6 bxc6 11 ct:Jb6 .l::!. b 8 12 ct:Jxc8 Wlixc8 13 �d4 Wlic7 ! ?
66
W h i t e P l ay s jL e 2 : M a i n L i n e s
This move i s a favourite of th e G reek G ran dm aster an d S i c i l i an Taim anov expert I g or

Miladinovi c. Recently it's been taken up by oth er g ran dm asters and al so recom mended in
Del chev and Semkov ' s repertoire book Th e Saf est Sicilian .
Question: Wh at's the idea behind 13 'iVC7 ? ...
Answer: By introduci n g i deas such as . . . e s , Bl ack m ak e s th e threat to th e e4-pawn real . I n

fact, 1 3 ..'i' O more o r l e s s forc e s W h i t e t o advance th e e-pawn , so we g et a different type of
.
position to the on e seen in our previous g a m e .
Question: I s 13 4:Jxe4 pl ayable?

...
Answer: I feel th at 1 3 . . . 4:Jxe4 ! ? i s ri sky, but b y n o m e a n s b a d , and it's worth studyi n g if Bl ack
wants to employ a sh arp altern ative on occasion s . It can be com pared to 13 . . . c5 14 jLes
J:tb6 15 b3 tLlxe4, alth ough perhaps Bl ack i s n 't quite as active as i n th at line. One of the
critical lines i s 14 jLxg711g 8 15 .\te s d6 i s 1 6 �d3 fS 17 .\th S + <;,i;f8 ! (th i s was an
improvement over 17 . . . <;t>d7 1 811adl l1b 5 19 .\tf411d S 20 �h 3 with advantage to White,
J.Emms-L. Fressinet, H asti n g s 1 9 9 8/99 - th i s was actually th e fi rst game pl ayed in th i s
variation ! ) 18 .\tf4 <;t>g7
and Black's king h e ads for h 8 . Th e key question i n th i s position i s wh eth er Bl ack's rol l i n g
centre will becom e powerful , or wh eth er W h i t e w i l l be abl e t o exploit B l a c k ' s weakn esses.
After 1911ae 1 (19 .\tf3 4:Jf6 2 0 l1ae l Rl1e s 21 .\txe s dxe 5 22 l1xe s i s an intere sti n g sacrifice
suggested by Ni sipeanu and Stoi cal 19 ... e5 2 0 .\tCl <;t>h 8 21 b 3 �e6 th i n g s were still very
uncl ear in A.G alki n - E . Sh aposh n i kov, R u s s i a 2 00 5 .
14eS
67
Th e S i c il i a n T a i m a n o v: M o v e by M o v e
Question: What h appen s if White just defends his e-pawn

with 14 'it'd3, as in the previous g am e ?
Answer: 14 � d 3 c a n be answered stron gly b y 14 . . . e 5 ! 1 5 JL c 3 .l¥.b4 ! .
Not only does Bl ack force the e x ch a n g e of dark -s quared bishops, h e also fi xes Wh ite's e
pawn on th e s am e colour as t h e r e m ai n i n g bishop. 16 JLf3 �a5 17 .l¥.xb4 �xb4 1 8 b3 as 19
.l::rfdl �C 5 20 �d2 h 6 2 1 h4 �e7 ! (th e k i n g is perfectly s afe h ere) 2 2 g4 d6 2 3 c3 .l::rh d 8 24
�g 2 tLlh7 ! is an excell ent e x ampl e of h ow to e xploit a good k n i g h t versus bad bishop
situation, A.5ebbar - I . M i l adinovic, M arrakesh 2 0 10. Bl ack's n ext idea is . . . tLlf8 - e 6 -f4.
Question: How about if White takes the a6-pawn ?
Answer: O n e ben efit of 1 3 . . . �C7 is th at White doesn 't seem abl e to exploit the a6-pawn
being en prise. After 14 Axa6 Bl ack can regain th e pawn with 14 . . . e5 15 AC3 tLlxe4 16 �'g4
tLlg 5 17 � d 3 tLle6, with a strong centre, L.Schut - R .5wi nkels, Maastri cht 2010. Also
interesti n g is 14 ... C 5 ! ? 15 .l¥.c3 tLlxe4 intending 1 6 Axg 7 .l::r g 8 17 .l¥.c3 ? ? tLlxc3 1 8 bxC3 �c6
th reaten i n g both m ate and th e bishop.
14 ... tLldS
Now Bl ack is threaten i n g to p l ay . . . c 5 (th at is th e answer to 1 5 JLxa6 ? ! ) , so White m ust
m ake a decision : eith er k i ck th e k n i g h t ag ain or s afeg uard th e d4-bishop.
68
W h i t e P l ay s .t e 2 : M a i n L i n e s
1SC4
Th e altern ative i s 1 5 b 3 g i v i n g the bi shop a retreat square on b 2 . H ere Bl ack fi nally
makes h i s a-pawn s afe with 1 5".a5 and again White m ust decide wh at to do:
a) 16 g3 preven t s ".<1:lf4, but now Bl ack creates more room for h i s pieces. 16".c5! solves
the probl e m of th e knight - i f attacked by c 2-c4 it can m ake its way to th e excellent c6-
square via b4. Bl ack is fi n e h ere; for example, 17 iLb2 0-0 1 8 a4 ( 1 8 �d2 a4 19 �f3 CLlb4 20
:ifdl �fd8 2 1 �'e 2 CiJc 6 22 i/.,x c6 �xc6 23 � c 3 l':1.a8 2 4 �g 4l':1.f8 25 l':1.d2 f6 2 6l':1.ad 1l':1.a7 i s a
line given by Delchev an d Sem kov, l eadi n g to an e qual position ) 1 8".<1:lb4 19l':1.e 1
19".f6! (Wh it e ' s l':1.e l inten ded to prevent t h e ".iL e 5 pl an to exch an g e bi shops after
19".d6 20 exd6 �xd6 21 �f3 ! ) 20 .1tb s <1:lc6 21 �d2 fxe 5 22 iLxc6 �x c6 23 .�.xe 5l':1.b7 24
le2 .tf6 2S l':1.adl iLxe 5 26 �xe 5 c4 with an equal position , soon drawn , in EVan den Doel
D.Brande nburg , Neth erl an d s League 2009.
b) 16 'i'd2 s i m i l arly prevents ".<1:lf4, but also activates the que en . 16".0-0 17 c4 <1:lb4 (if
69
Th e S i c i l i a n T a i m a n o v : M o v e by M o v e
17 . . . ..I1Lb4 ! ? t h e n th e cl ever 1 8 'liVc l ! still prevents .. .'!i:Jf4, and 18 . . . tLle7 19 c S ! - if 19 a3 tLlfS ! -

19 . . . tLlfs 20 ..I1Lb 2 'liVa7 2 1 g 4 tLle7 2 2 �d4 a4 2 3 a3 � a s 24 b4..11LO 2 S f4 tLlds 2 6 'liVd2 i s
prom i si n g for White, W . F i s ch er-J.5teph an, correspondence 2009} 1 8 ..I1Lc 3 c S ! (notice th at
it's t h e sam e plan as in th e previ ous example) 19 J1/.f3 (if 19 �adl then 19 . . . �bd8 foll owed
by .. .f6 or . . . d6, but th i s is m ore ch al l e n g i n g th an White's p l ay i n the g a m e ) 1 9 . . . d6 20 exd6
J1/.xd6 2 1 g 3 iL e s ! (again th i s desi rabl e m ove; Bl ack is at l e ast e qual n ow) 22 �fd l �xC3 2 3
'liVxc 3 a4 2 4 b x a 4 tLlc6 2 S � x c 6 'liV x c 6 2 6 a s 'liVa4 27 a 3 � b 3 2 8 'liVe s 'liVxa s 2 9 a 4 �b4 V2-V2
(from a g a m e quoted on th e Ch e s s Publ i s h i n g .com forum ) .
1 5 ...tLlf4
Question: I sn't thi s like the line 13 0-0 14 eS tLlds 15 c4 tLlf4,

...
the one you said that Black should be tryin g to avoid?
Answer: I t i s s i m i l ar, but Bl ack h as p l ayed ... 'liVo i n stead of . . . 0-0. We'll see l ater h ow th i s can
m ake a differen ce in th e pl an s Bl ack ch o o s e s .
16 g3
If 1 6 �f3 Black ' s plan i s to drop t h e knight back to g6 an d th en break with either . . . d6 or
. . .f6 at th e appropriate m o m e n t . For example, 16 . . . 0-0 (th e i m m ediate 16 . . . tLlg 6 ! ? i s
interesti n g - th e n atural re spon se 1 7 �e l ? i s m et stron gly by 1 7 . . . J1/.b4 ! fol l owed by 1 8 . . . cS,
so White shoul d i n stead pl ay 17 'liVe 2 ) 1 7 � e l tLlg 6 1 8 c S ! ( 1 8 g 3 ? again wal k s into 1 8 . . . ..I1Lb4!,
wh i l e if 18 b3 Bl ack can carry out the typi cal pl an 1 8 . . . c S 19 J1/.b 2 d 6 ! 20 exd6 J1/.xd6 2 1 g 3
J1/.e s ! , recom m e n de d by Kasparov) 1 8 . . .f6 19 e xf6 �xf6 2 0 � e 4 tLlf4 2 1 �xf6 �xf6 2 2 'liVc2 h6
2 3 Uadl tLldS 24 g 3 a s , G . Kasparov-V.An and, Lin ares 2 00 2 . Kasparov thought he was
sl ig htly better h ere, but I feel Bl ack has enough counterpl ay, and oth er g randm asters have
been wil l i n g to repeat An an d's pl ay in th i s l i n e .
1 6 ..( 5
.
70
W h i t e P l ays ii. e 2 : M a i n L i n e s
17 iC3
Question: Can't White win a pawn h ere with 17 gxf4 cxd4 18 'iYxd4?
Answer: He can , but Black g ai n s excel l ent compen sation afte r 18 . . . :�C5 19 .�.c3 0-0 fol lowed
by . f6! to exploit White's k i n g side w e akn e s s e s .
.. ,
17 ...tLlh3+!
This is th e differen c e from t h e 13 . . . 0-0 l i n e! I n stead of exchan g i n g on e 2 , Bl ack
maintains more t e n s ion in th e position by k ee pi n g h i s k ni g ht .
18�g2 GLlgs
Th e knight con ti n u e s to m ake a nuisance of its elf. Now White m ust deal with th e
positional threat of . . . ctJe4, and th i s g i v e s Bl ack th e tim e requi red to prevent th e knight
from being trapped with h 2 -h 4 .
71
19 f3
oth er examples ill ustrate wh at both si des are tryi n g to ach i eve in this positi on :
a) 19 'iVd3 'iVc6 + 20 f3 (or 20 .¥i.f3 ct:Jxf3 2 1 'iVxf3 'iVxf3 + 2 2 �xf3 d 5 ! ? 2 3 exd6 �f6 24
.lixf6 g xf6 2 5 �fd l �d7 with an e qual e n di n g , as White can n ot h o l d on to h i s extra pawn,
M.Nikolov- I.Miladi n ovic, Bar 2006) 20 ...f6! .
Th is is a cruci al m ove i n Bl ack's p l a n . O f course th e k n i g h t n e e ded to be s aved from h2-

h 4, but f7 is an excel l ent h o m e for it because h ere th e k n i g h t can protect th e k i n g an d
control s om e key dark s quares. After 2 1 �adl ct:Jf7 2 2 e xf6 J.xf6! 2 3 J.xf6 g xf6 24 'iVC3 �e7
2 5 �d2 h 5! a draw was agreed i n a position stil l ful l of p l ay, D.M astrovasil is-I.Mil adinovic,
Valj evo 2 0 1 1. N ote h ow Mil adi n ovi c kept his k i n g s afe in th e centre, useful ly defending d7,
and was re ady to activate h i s h 8-rook with ...h 4. Th is, of course, woul d n ot be possible if
Bl ack ch ooses 1 3 ... 0-0 i nstead of 13 ...'i'O.
b) 19 � d 3 'iVc6+ 20 f3 f6 2 1 'i'e 2 ( 2 1 e xf6 �xf6 is s i m i l ar to th e previous n ote) 2 1 . . .f5! .
72
W h i t e P l ay s .1L e 2 : M a i n L i n e s
The exchan g e of pawn s was a on e -ti m e offer! The centre i s closed, the kni ght will stil l be
well pl aced on f7, an d Bl ack c an stil l keep h i s k i n g in the centre. 22 �adl hS 23 Jtc2
(SJedorchuk-D. Bran den burg , M aastri cht 2 0 10) an d now 2 3".h4 look s th e most con si stent,
with good counterpl ay for Bl ack.
c) 19 b3 �c6+ 2 0 f3 f6 21 e xf6 Jtxf6 22 �d3 ! ? (White avoi ds chan g i n g the pawn
structure - for the moment) 2 2".tZ'lf7 (ther e ' s a case here for s i mply 2 2 ".iLxc3 2 3 �xC3 0-0)
23l:tadl ttJh6 ?! ( 2 3".Ax C 3 24 �xC3 0-0 l ook s better) 24 Axf6! (now he doe s it, with the
knight mi spl aced on h 6 ) 2 4".g xf6 2 S �C 3 0-0 2 6 Ad3! with an edg e for White, M.Adam s
H.Banikas, Porto Carras 2 0 1 1 .
1 9...f6 2 0 exf6 Jtxf6 !
Once again Bl ack wants to exchan g e those dark - s quared bi shops .
21.bf6 gxf6 2 2 �d 2
Exercise: Try t o fin d a good pl an for Black.
Answer: 22 ... h 5 !
Just like in the Mastrovasi l i s - M i l adinovic g a m e above, Bl ack seeks t o acti vate h i s rook on
its home square with ".h 4, an d the k i n g will be perfectly happy on e7. Bl ack enjoys
excellent counterpl ay in thi s position .
23l:tad1 h4 24 b3 �e7 2 5 �e 3 �e 5
The most log i c al fol low-up t o Black ' s previous p l ay woul d be 2 S".hxg 3 2 6 hxg 3 �bg 8
threatening someth i n g very n asty on g 3 : 27".�xg 3 +! ! 2 8 �xg 3 tZ'le4+ 2 9 '.t>f4 �h4 mate!
White can save the day with 27 f4! after wh i ch 27".�c 6 + 28 ..IiLf3 tZ'lxf3 29 �xf3 will re ach
an ending similar to the one in our m ai n g am e .
26 'fd 3! �C7 2 7 f4 �c6+ 2 8 ..IiLf3 tZ'lxf3 2 9 �xf3 �xf3+ 3 0 �xf3 hxg3 3 1 hxg3
73
Th e S ic i l i a n Ta i m a n o v : M o v e by M o v e
Exercise: Wh at should Black do h ere?
Answer: 3 1 ... a 5 !
Th i s i s a plan we've se en before . Th e . . . a 4 advan ce will l e ave White with at l e ast on e

weakn e s s on th e queen s i de . Bl ack h a s a s m al l edg e h ere because of h i s stron g e r pawn s, but
it's n ot serious enough to g i ve h i m any real wi n n i n g chances, at l e ast n ot ag ai n st a 2 6 64-
rated g ran dm aster.
32 IHd 3 Mb7 33 g4 a4! 3 4 bxa4 Ma8 35 M b 3 Mb4 36 M h 3 !
Th e s afest, all owi n g White t o force a draw.
3 6 ...Maxa4 37 t{h7+ �e8
3 8.l1h8+!
74
W h i t e P l ay s �e 2 : M a i n L i n e s
38 J:thxd7 �xa2+ 39 'it'fl is also okay for White, but he has to avoid 38 �dxd7?? which
loses to 38.. J:txa2+ 39 'it'f3 �b3+ 40 'it'e4 �e2 m ate.
38...�e7 39 �h7+ 'it'e8 Yz-Yz
Key Notes
1. The Sicilian Taimanov move in the .te2 variation is 8... i.b4!, attacking the e4-pawn. If
Black chooses either 8... i.e7 or 8... d6, we get a Sicili an Scheveningen in stead.
2. The natural reaction by White again st 8... jLb4 is to defend the e4-pawn, either with
the bishop or with 9 f3. This type of reaction often happens at club level, if the White player
is unfamiliar with the theory. Games 1-2 demon strate th at Black has no difficulties at all if
this happens. Indeed, he even h as good ch ances of gaining an advantage.
3.lf White exch anges knights on c6, Black usually recaptures with ... bxc6!,
stre n gthening his centre (see Game 2 as an example).
4. The outwardly surprising 9 CDa4! (Gam es 3-7) is White's best response to 8...�b4, and
the only idea th at's really ch allenging. Black must be wary of prem ature pawn grabs on e4
- see, for example, th e note on 9 ... CDxe4? in Game 3.
5. White's gambit 9 CDa4 .te7 10 c4!? CDxe4 (Gam e 3) leads to sh arp, interesting
positions in which th e chances look level.
6. Taimanov players should remember Black's effective dark-square plan which was
implemented in Game 5, with 16 ...d6!, 19 ... i.e5! and 21 ... C5!.
7. The current main line is 9 CDa4 jLe7 10 CDxc6 bxc6 11 CDb6 �b8 12 CDxc8 'iYxc8 13
1d4!. Black's most popular respon se is the solid 13 ...c5 (Game 6) but both 13 ... 'iYC7 and
13...t2Jxe4 (Gam e 7) are interesting altern atives.
75
Chapter Two
White Plays .i.e2:

Alternative Lines
Not every White player chooses the main line after 6 .�.e2, and in this chapter we'll take a
look at some other options. After 1 e4 c5 2'�jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4!�\xd4!"jc6 5'":IC3 'J!liO 6 .Z�e2
a6 7 0-0 ,'::lf6, the most important alternative to 8�e3 is 8,v3 hl, but there's also 8�_g5 and
8 c�lxc6 to consider. In addition, White can play an early a2-a3, either before or after
castling. Let's begin with the most popular alternative to 8�e3 - the 8 ,\', hl variation:
Game 8
M.Szeiag-S.Beshukov
Koszalin 1999
76
W h i t e P l ay s .Jl.e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
Question: What's the idea behind this king move?
Answer: White wants to play th e typical f2-f4 advan ce, but that's i m possible at the
moment - alth ough 8 f4 ? ? tLlxd4 9 �xd4 jLc s has cl aimed a n umber of victi m s an d is
always worth hopi n g for ! 8 �h l, just l ike 8 jLe 3 , removes th i s probl em and f2-f4 i s now on
the cards. If Bl ack responds with 8 ... jLe 7 , then 9 f4 d6 tran sposes to the Sicil i an
Scheveni n g e n Uust l i k e 8 jLe 3 jLe 7 9 f4 d6 doe s ) .
8...CLlxd4!
Black changes tack from th e fi rst ch apter. Th i s ti m e th e bishop com es to cS, an d with
gai n of tempo again st th e wh ite quee n . Of course th i s woul dn 't be possibl e ag ai n st 8 � e 3 .
Question: Can Bl ack simply play as in the l ast ch apter, with 8 ... 1i.b4?
Answer: Yes, h e can , an d th i s i s certai nly a pl ayabl e altern ative. White h a s more th an one
option against 8 ... jLb4, but to me th e m o st con si stent m ove is 9 �g 5 uti l i z i n g th e fact th e
bishop didn 't com m it to e 3 l ast m ove. Wh ite's idea i s to an swer 9 . . . jLxC 3 with 10 �xf6 !
gxf6(10 . . . .ixb2 11 jLxg 7 ! ) 1 1 bXc3 and White h a s scored well from th i s position . Taimanov
s p e c i a li s t Mil adi n ovic prefers an sweri n g
9 jLg s with 9 . . . �d6 ! ? , e . g . 10 tLlxc6 �xdl l l tLlxdl
bxc612 e5 ttJe4 1 3 jLe 3 f6 14 f3 tLlg 5 15 tLlf2 tLlf7 16 tLld3 �e7 17 f4 with a very slight edge
for White, but Bl ack is sol i d, V . K otron i as - I . M i l adi n ovic, Kall ith ea 2 00 3 .
9 'i'xd4 �c5 1 0 'tlVd 3 !
Exercise: Con sider how Black should continue h i s development.
10 'tlVd3 i s m ost l o g i cal retreat. Th e e-pawn i s protected an d in m any l i n e s the queen can
use th e th ird rank to swi n g over to th e k i n g side.
77
Answer: lo ... bS!

Typ i cal S i cil i an pl ay !
1 . Th e b i s h o p will be very actively placed o n b 7 , where i t will attack th e e4-pawn .
2 . Th e pres sure on th e e4-pawn m i g h t be i nten sifi e d by . . . b4, threaten i n g its defen der.
3. Bl ack can i n crease th e pres sure down th e h alf-open c-fi l e with .. J:tc8 .
1 0 . . . b S i s better than 1 0 . . . 0 - 0 wh i ch rath er i n vites White's attack i n g pl an s after 1 1 f40r
1 1 �g S .
1 1 f4
White carri e s on h i s plan. Th e altern ative i s 1 1 �g S .
Question: Should Black b e worried about .ltxf6, doubling the f-pawn s?
Answer: N ot really - a t l e ast h e sh oul dn 't be takin g a n y speci al precauti o n s ag ai n st it, like
m ovi n g th e b i s h op back to e 7 . After 1 1 . . .�b7 12 �xf6 g xf6 Bl ack h as very good

compen s ation for th e s l i g ht structural dam ag e : th e b i s h op pair, th e open ed g -fil e , an d of
course th e k i n g can still castl e l o n g . For exam pl e, 1 3 �h S ( 1 3 f4 h S ! ) 1 3 . . . .l:!,g 8 14 .l:!,adl .l:!,g7
1 5 a3 0-0-0 16 �f3 h S 1 7 .l:!,d2 h 4 with good pl ay for Bl ack, L . B e n sdorp - H .Van der Poel,
Di eren 2007.
After 1 1 . . . �b 7 White i s m ore likely to pl ay 1 2 f4 as i n our m ai n g am e , but with the dark·
squares bishop outside th e p awn ch ai n . Th e position after 1 2 . . . h 6 ! ? 1 3 �xf6 g xf6 still looks
pl ayable for Bl ack, despite th e tempo l o s s . 1 2 . . . �b4 i s m ore usual , and h ere 1 3 �f3 .l:!,c8 14
�xf6 g xf6 1 5 .l:!,adl �x c 3 16 b x c 3 We 7 i s TOughly equal . N ote, thoug h , th at th e tempting
12 ... b4 is well m et by 13 e s ! , and h ere 13 ... bxC3 14 exf6 cxb2 15 fxg 7 ! bxal"iV 1 6 .l:!,xal.l:!,g8
17 "iVxh 7 .l:!,xg 7 18 "iVxg 7 i s s l i ghtly in Wh ite's favour.
11 ... �b7!
Bl ack doe s n 't fear 1 2 e S , as 1 2 . . . ttJ d S 1 3 ttJ x d S ( 1 3 ttJ e 4 ? ttJb4 ! ) 1 3 . . . .ltxd S i s fi n e for him.
12 iLf3 !
78
W h i t e P l ay s .1i. e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
Szelag adds protection t o e 4 an d oppos e s Black's bishop o n th e l o n g diagon al . With

...lLldS no l onger an option, White th reate n s to drive Black ' s k n i g h t back to g8 with 13 e S .
Exercise: Beshukov's n ext m ove is a creative solution t o Black's problems.

Can you guess wh at it i s ? (Hint: Find an attractive square for the knight.)
Answer: 12 ... hS!
I f you foun d th i s m ove, you are m o st defi n itely a n atural S i c i l i an Tai m an ov pl ayer! If
you didn 't, don 't worry - th e m o st i m p ortant th i n g is to remember the con cept n ow.
Th e g4-square is an enti ci n g option for th e bl ack k n i g h t ; 1 2 . . . h S m akes th i s possibl e and
immedi ately gives Bl ack counterpl ay. It' s worth n oti n g th at, because of th e position of
White's kin g , Bl ack can still p l ay . . . ttJg4 even after h 2 -h 3 . Or he m i g h t pl ay . M i ntendi n g
..
79
Th e S ic i l i a n Ta i m a n o v: M o v e by M o v e
. . lLJh
. S and . . lLJg
. 3 + ! Bl ack coul d p l ay 1 2 . . . 0-0, inten di n g 1 3 e S lLJe8, but 1 2 . . . h S i s probably
better - and m uch m ore fun !
Question: How about driving White's knight away with 1 2 . . b4? .
Then e4-eS can be an swered by ... lLJds again.
Answer: Al ways con s i der counter-th reat s . I n stead o f m o vi n g th e k n i ght, White c a n play 13
e s ! bXc3 14 e xf6 . Bl ack c an n ot avo i d weaken i n g h i m s elf, and White h as scored well from
th i s positi on .
13 e S
Szelag conti n u e s i n th e m ost direct fash i o n , an d with th e m ost popular m ove. Th e g ame
JDegraeve -A. H orvath , Ch arl ev i l l e 2 000, i s a g ood demon strati on of Black's
counterattack i n g possibilities a g ai n st less direct p l ay by White: 1 3 iid2 h4! (idea: . . lLJh
. S,
. . lLJg
. 3 + ! and m ate) 14 e S lLJh s 1 5 ii e 3 (White stops the m ate th reat, but . . . )
l S . . . LDg 3 + ! ( Bl ack pl ays it anyway ! ) 1 6 h xg 3 h x g 3 + 1 7 'it>g l 'i¥b6 1 8 .l:1fe l ( i f 18 .l:1ae l then a

clever switchback 18 .. .'iVd8 ! ! an d White g ets m ated) 18 . . . iixf3 19 g xf3 (perh aps White sh ould
bail out with 19 iixcs 'i'xc S + 20 'i'e 3 ) and h ere Rybka g ives th e l o ng l i n e 19 . . . 'i'd8 ! (in stead of
Horvath 's 19 . . . �xe 3 +) 20 lLJe4 ( 2 0 �xcS .l:1h l+ 2 1 'it>xh l 'i'h 4+ 2 2 'it>g l 'i'h 2 + 2 3 'it>f1 g 2 + 24
�e2 g l'i'+ wi n s) 20 . . . 'i'h 4 2 1 'it>f1 'i'h l+ 22 'it>e2 .l:1h 2 + 2 3 'it>dl ( 2 3 lLJf2 .l:1xf2 + 24 �xf2 'i'g 2 )
2 3 . . . 'i'xf3 + 2 4 '.i;cl iixe 3 + 2 5 .l:1xe 3 'i'xf4 2 6 b 3 .l:1h l+ 2 7 'it>b 2 .l:1 x a 1 2 8 'it> x a l g 2 2 9 lLJd6+ 'it>e7
30 .l:1e l 'i'f2 31 'i'd1 .l:1h 8 32 lLJfS + ( 3 2 'it>b 2 is a better try, inten di n g 32 ... 'i'xe l ? 33 'i'xe l .l:1h 1
34 'i¥b4 ! wi n n i n g , but after 3 2 . . . fS Bl ack sh oul d win ) 3 2 . . . 'it>d8 ! win n in g !
Assum i n g White wants t o avoid th e s e tri cks, exch an g i n g bishops with 1 3 iie 3 i s wi s er.
An exampl e : 13 ... � x e 3 14 'i'xe3 b4 (14 . . . d6 is al s o possible) 15 lLJa4 (on th i s occasion th e
counter-th reat 1 5 e S ? i s m et by a counter counter-th reat : l S . . lLJg
. 4 ! ) 1 S . . lLJg
. 4 (Bl ack sh oul d
avoid 1 S . . . 'i'xc 2 ? 16 lLJc S ) 16 'i'b 6 'i'xb 6 1 7 lLJxb 6 .l:1b8 1 8 lLJC4 'it>e 7 19 e S iixf3 2 0 g xf3 ! ? (or
20 .l:1xf3 .l:1bc8 21 b3 f6 ! 2 2 h 3 fxe s 2 3 fxe s .l:1cS 24 .l:1e1lLJh 6 ) 20 .. .tZ'lh 6 2 1 b3 .l:1b S 22 a3 a s
80
Wh i t e P l ay s .JL e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
with an equal positi o n , c.Santag ata-A. Mastrovasil i s , correspon den c e 2 00 3 .

13...4Jg4
14 ixb7
Black has m ore th an o n e g ood way to m eet 14 ct:Je4. On e i s 14 . . . Mb8 th reaten i n g to take
on e4 an d play ... ct:Jf2 +. Bl ack is very h appy after 15 ct:Jd6+ �xd6 1 6 exd6 'iVC 5, e . g . 17 �xg4
hxg418 f5 an d now 1 8 ... Mh 3 ! ! fol l owed by ... g3 is an absolute kil l e r, D . Von Wantoch
Rekowski-V.Djuri c, B e l g rade 2 0 0 1 . 15 'iVe2 is better, and 15 ... �xe4 1 6 �xe4 'iVb 6 ! ?
(l6...ia? ! ? intendi n g . . .'iVc4) 1 7 h 3 ct:Jf2 + 1 8 'li'h 2 ct:Jxe4 19 'iVxe4 g 6 g i ve s l evel ch an c e s ,
M.Mosquera-J .Magem B adal s, B l e d Olym piad 2 0 0 2 .
14...l'xb7 15 ct:Je4
With th e l i ght-squared bi sh ops exch an g ed, th e k n i g h t is m ore secure on th i s excellent
central outpost.
lS.. MC8
.
81
Bl ack can al s o p l ay ls . . . � e 7 an d th i s often tran sposes to lS . . . Mc8, but th e rook move is

sl i ghtly m ore acti ve ..
Question: Should Black allow White to exchange knight for bishop?
Answer: He sh ould n ot only al l ow it; h e sh oul d wel come it! At th e moment at l east, White's
k n i g h t on e4 i s stron g er than Black's bish op. Likewi se, Black's k n i g h t i s stron g e r th an
White ' s bi shop. So l i n e s l i k e 16 tt'lxc S ? ! M X C S and 16 tt'ld6 + ? Jll, x d6 17 exd6 'iVb6 ! are very
m uch to Black's l i ki n g . White woul d i deally l i k e to exch a n g e bishop for bi shop, as th i s
woul d l e ave the k n i g h t fre e to j u m p i n t o th e jui cy d6 outpost.
16 h 3
Forci n g th e k n i g h t back s o th at White can pl ay Jll, e 3 n ext g o . Th i s m i g ht seem a l ogical
course for White, but in fact it doesn 't ch al l e n g e Bl ack at al l .
Question: Why i s thi s ? I t looks like a good idea

to force the knight back to h 6 .
Answer: g 4 i s a g ood s quare for th e k n i ght, but f S i s even better! Bl ack often plays . . . ttJ(g4)·
h 6 -fS of h i s own accord, so i t' s n ot such a great i de a to spend a tempo forc i n g Bl ack to do
wh at h e wants. Furth ermore, th e g 3 - s quare i s weakened, and th i s offers Bl ack tacti c al
possibil iti e s wh en . . . tt'lfS com e s .
Before m ovi n g on with th e g am e , l et ' s l ook a t som e m ore ch al l e n g i n g pl an s b y White:
a) Th e fi rst is 16 Jll, d 2 Jll, e 7 17 a3!?
Question: Ch all en g i n g ? Wh at's the point of thi s little move?
Answer: White's i de a is Jll,b 4 ! to force an exch an g e of bishops wh i c h , as m entioned just
82
Wh i t e P l ay s .:ii. e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
above, is one of h i s position al g o al s . After an exchan g e of bish ops, CLid6 i s very much on th e
cards.
Question: So wh at should Black do?
Answer: He must disrupt White ' s plan, an d one way to do so i s 1 7 ... �d S ! ?' If 18 sll. b4 there
follows 18.. .�xd3 19 cxd3 and n ow 19 .. .fS ! com e s just at th e ri ght ti m e - Bl ack i s fi ne h ere.
Instead 18 �xdS exds is no probl em, because th e c-pawn h an g s after 19 t/)d 6+ �.xd6 20
exd6l:ixc2.
b) Another opti o n for White i s to central i z e h i s forces with 16 .:ii. d 2 iL e 7 17 hrae 1 .
Exercise: Can you find a small tactical idea for

White if Bl ack pl ays 17 ... tDh 6 intending ... tDfS ?
Answer: If 17 . . . tDh 6 White h a s 1 8 �f3 ! with a doubl e threat: th e pawn o n h S and a deci sive
discovered attack o n th e queen with CLid6+ or CLlf6 +. Th i s tactic i s well worth rememberi n g
as the possibil ity o f it c r o p s up i n m any vari ati on s .
.
A wiser opti o n for Bl ack i s 1 7 . . . �c 6 ! wh ich s afeg uards th e que en a g ai n st th i s tactic and
prepares th e knight m an oeuvre:
bi) S.Movsesi an-C. Lut z, Germ an Le ague 2001, demon strates some typi c al pl ay fro m th i s
position : 1 8 .:ii. c 3 b4 1 9 .�.d2 CLlh 6 ! (here com e s th e k n i g h t m an o euvre t o f S ; 19 . . ..�xc 2 ? ! 20
iiJd6+ .lixd6 2 1 �xd6 threate n s �cl and the b4-pawn ) 2 0 c 3 bxc3 21 .:hC3 ·:;jfS 2 2 �'f3 h4
23l:idl �6 24 �fe l �C4 2S h 3, and h ere Lutz sug g e sts 2S . . . �c6 ! 26 <Jth 2 Ua4 ! 2 7 a3 0-0
with good counterpl ay for Black. N otice h ow th e k n i g h t on fS is both stro n g and secure.
b2) If Wh ite tri e s to prevent the .. .tDh 6 -fS plan, with 18 �f3 ! 7, Bl ack has an oth er
possibility: 18 .. .fS ! 19 exf6 g xf6 2 0 a 3 ? ! (Wh ite shoul d try 2 0 fS e S ! , wh en . . . dS is the pl a n )
83
20 . . . fS ! 2 1 �c 3 .l:!.g 8 2 2 tDg s �xC3 2 3 i.. x c 3 .l:!.C4 with a great position for Bl ack, Yu Sh aoteng·
Ye J i a n g ch u an , Yon g ch uan 2 00 3 . H e h a s better pieces, a 2 - 0 central pawn m ajority, and the
exch an g e of que e n s m e an s th at Black ' s k i n g i s "active" i n a g ood sen s e !
c) A third pos sibil i ty for White i s th e p awn break 1 6 a4.
White ' s idea is 16 ... b4 1 7 c4! b x c 3 (oth erwi se White pl ays b 2 - b 3 an d kil l s any queen side
counterpl ay) 18 b X c 3 0-0 and n o w 19 h 3 ! tDh6 20 �f3 ! with th e s a m e doubl e attack
mentioned above. White wi n s a p awn , but after 20 . . . �3 2 1 �xh S tDf5 22 'It>h 2 lle7, as in
N . 5h o rt - D . 5tellwag e n , H oog eveen 2 004, Bl ack g ets som e compen s ation in view of h i s active
pieces and White's queen s i de weakn e s s e s .
Bl ack c a n al so a l l o w th e a-fi l e to o p e n , and th i s al s o i n volves sacrifi c i n g a pawn for
positi o n al compen s ation . For example, 16 . . . i.. e 7 17 axb s axbs 18 .l:!.a s (White n eeds to
conti n ue e n e r g et i c ally) 18 . . . .l:!.c4 ! ? ( D e l chev a n d Sem kov sug g e st 18 . . . b4 19 i.. d 2 �c6) 19
CZlC3 0-0 20 .l:!.xb 5 �c6 2 1 h 3 CZlh6 2 2 .l:!.dl (M .Ach er-M .Corn ette, Fre n ch League 2007) and
n ow 2 2 . . . .l:!.d8 ! . Again Bl ack h a s compen s ation , with active pieces, pre s s ure on the c-file and
possibilities of . . . i..b 4, . . . CZlfS an d . . . d6.
After t h at l o n g di g r e s s i o n , l et ' s fi n ally return to th e g am e , and to 5zel ag ' s choice of 16
h3:
16 ... CZlh6
84
W h i t e P l ay s i. e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
Exercise: Why does 17 lLlfS ! slow down White' s

...
queen s i de pl ay if he tries the 17 a4 plan here?
17.ie3
Answer: If 17 a4 ct:lfS ! White doe s n 't h ave ti m e for 18 axb s because Bl ack 's previ ous move
contain s a nasty threat: 18 . . . 'i'xe4! 19 ·�he4 ct:lg 3 + with a souped-up version of the fam ily
fork - the knight captures both th e que en and th e rook!
20\t>h2 ct:lxf1 + ! 21 �h l 0Jg 3 + 22 �h2 lLlXe4 and Bl ack wi n s . Th i s . . . 'i'Xe4 tactic m ay

seem obvi ous, but I h ave seen -it m i ssed.
17....ie7
Black doe s n 't want to exch an g e b i s h ops, and obvi ously there ' s no choice h ere anyway!
85
18 �f2
A g ood s quare for th e b i s h op, wh i ch n ow covers two key di ag o n al s .
18 ...LtJfS 1 9 l:ra d l h 4
Fi x i n g th e k n i g h t o n f s .
Exercise: Evaluate the position after 20 LtJd6+ .i.xd6 2 1 exd6.
20 l:rfe l !
White k e e p s th e t e n s i o n an d u seful ly protects t h e k n i g h t a s e c o n d ti m e .
Answer: 2 0 CLld6+ ? �xd6! 2 1 exd6 0-0 g i v e s Bl ack everyth i n g h e wants:
1 . A m o n ster k n i g h t on fs .
2 . A g re at que e n , dom i n ati n g th e l o n g di agon al .
3 . A cl ear plan of doubl i n g rooks on th e c-fi l e .
4. W e a k white pawn s on d 6 an d f4.
5 . N o counterpl ay at all for White.
20...l;l. h 6 ! ?
Th e beg i n n i n g o f s o m e creative p l ay b y Beshukov wh i ch i s eventually rewarded with a
n i c e wi n . H e keeps h i s k i n g i n th e centre, beh i n d th e s ol i d f7 -e6-d7 pawn wal l , and
activates his ki n g ' s rook on th e th ird rank. Th e pl an i n volves an eventual . . .f6 and . . . ctJf7,
and of course . . . .:g6 i s al s o possible n ow.
I n truth , Bl ack h as a m ore strai ghtforward plan of 2 0 . . . 0-0 inten d i ng ...l:rfd8 and then
. . . d6 or . . . d s . For example, 21 c3 ( 2 1 �xd7 �xd7 2 2l:rxd7 l:rxc2 is good for Bl ack) 21 . . l:rfd8
. 22
Wg 1 ? ! d s ! 2 3 exd6 �xd6 24 LtJxd6l:rxd6 2 5 �e 2l:rcd8 with an edge for Bl ack i n view of his
stron g k n i g h t an d better pawn s .
White shoul d p l ay m ore a g g r e s si vely, e . g . 2 2 �f3 (in stead o f 2 2 Wg 1 ? ! ) 2 2 . . . �8 2 3 '194
b4 ! .
86
Whi t e Pl ay s iL e 2 : A l t e r n a ti v e Li n e s
This position i s dyn amical ly bal anced. White seem s t o b e well set to do som eth ing on
the kingside, but the defen sive power of Black's bishop and k n i ght m ustn 't be
underesti mated. If 24 ttJf6+ �xf6 2 5 exf6 bxc3 26 bxc3 .l::!, c 4! 27 �d4 g6 Bl ack ' s knight
remains a monster i n both defe n c e and attack.
21 t'f3 'i'b8
Remember th e threat !
22l':td2 J::td8 2 3 .l::!,e dl WiC7 24 c3 f6 !
Planning . . . �f7 .
2SliJd6+
Fin ally Szelag rel eases th e ten s i o n , but Bl ack i s n 't un h appy to see th i s knig ht check.
2s....bd6! 26 exd 6 Wib8
With th e centre s e al ed up, Black's k i n g will be very s afe on f7 . White m ust try to open
up the queen side before Bl ack assum e s control with . . . .l::!, c 8 -c4. Pl ay beg i n s to prog re s s more
87
quickly, with both s i d e s carryi n g out th e i r plan s .

2 7 a4 51 c S 2 S a x b 5 'YWx b 5 ! ? 2 9 b4 �f7 3 0 l1 a 2 � c 6 3 1 �a 5 'YW b S 3 2 �C5 'YWcS 3 3 W h 2 M g6! 34
'YWh 5 !
Oth erwi s e t h e rook l an d s on g 3 .
3 4. . :�b7 3 5 M a 2 'YWb 5 ! ?
B e s h ukov g o e s for it, possibly i n m utual t i m e troubl e, an d i s ultim ately succes sful .
36 'YWh S !
Suddenly White i s g etti n g all sort s o f counterpl ay based o n 'YWd8 ideas.
3 6 ... 'YWC4
36 . . . Mg 3 ! is better, m eeti n g 3 7 'YWd8 with 37 . . . 'YWb 7 ! .
3 7 'YWd S ! ?
After 3 7 .l:If2 ! White defe n d s , an d th e th reat of 'YWd8 still l oom s .
3 7 .. Jlxc 5 ! 3 S 'YWxd 7+ � g S 3 9 'YWeS+
3 9 bxc 5 \�ha 2 40 'YWb 7 is l i kely to end i n a draw ! One possible fi n i sh is 40 . . .'!LJe 3 41 )19 1
�f2 42 d7 (42 ·�H3 ? ? Mxg 2 + ! ) 42 . . . .�lhf4+ 43 Wh 1 CLJfl 44 d8'YW+ �h 7 45 ·�bb8 CLJg 3 + 46 Jih2
0Jfl+ 47 �h 1 CLJg 3 + with perpetual c h e c k .
3 9 ... � h 7
4 0 bXC 5 ?
Th i s l o s e s , as W h i t e g et s a m uch i n ferior version o f th e previ ous n ote. H e i s s t i l l okay
after 40 Yf2 ! .
40 ... 'YWxa 2 4 1 'YWc6 CLJe3 4 2 Mgl 'YWf2 ! 4 3 d 7 ·�xf4+ 44 � h l 0Jfl! 4 5 'YWd 6
Or 45 Jlxfl 'YWxfl+ 46 �h 2 �·f4+ 47 �g 1 'YWd2 .
4 5 ... e 5 4 6 dS'YW 'YW h 2 mate (0-1)
Th i s was an excel l e n t g a m e by Besh ukov, demon strat i n g h ow i m ag i n ative pl ay can be
rewarded i n the S i c i l i an Tai m an ov.
88
W h i t e P l ay s jL e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
Game 9
Z. Vukovic-A.Poluljahov
Cetinje 1996
1 e4 (5 2 ct:Jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tLlxd4 tLlc6 5 tLlC3 'ilC7 6 �e2 a6 7 0-0 tLlf6 8 <�g 5
Th is active devel opment of th e bishop i s seen as m uch l e s s o f a threat to Bl ack th an
ei t h e r 8 �e3 or 8 Wh 1 .
Question: W h y i s th at ? It l ooks l i k e a very n atural m ove to m ake.
Boo.i.e7!
Answer: Th i s i s th e reason ! Bl ack h adn 't com m itted his bishop yet, so an sweri n g <�g 5 with
.«i.e7 is th e n atural th i n g to do. Bl ack will foll ow up with . . . 0-0 and . . . d6, an d pl ay a Sici l i an
Scheveningen wh ere Wh ite's bishop i s sl i g htly m i splaced on g 5 .
Question: Sch even i n g e n ? I want t o pl ay a Tai m an ov !

A n d why i s White's b i s h op m i splaced on g 5 i n th e Sch even i n g en ?
Answer: Reg ardl e s s of wh i ch S i c i l i an vari ati on or structure you prefer, it al ways pays to
maintai n som e fl exibility because th i s all ows you to exploit opportun ities like th i s o n e .
We'll fin d out w h y th e bi shop i s n 't compl etely h appy on g 5 as th e g a m e prog re s s e s .
9 'iii h l
Already w e see o n e reason . W i t h th e bi shop on e 3 W h i t e coul d g o ah ead with th e
immedi ate 9 f4, but h ere a preparatory k i n g m ove i s still required - 9 f4 ? ? i!:\xd4 10 'ilxd4
1. C 5 is still on !
89
9 . . . 0-0 10 f4 d 6 11 tDf3
Let ' s take a l ook at a m ore typi cal Sch even i n g en set-up by Wh ite: 1 1 �f3 �d8 1 2 'iVd2 h6
1 3 ..1ih4.
Exercise: Can you spot a tactic for Bl ack i n th i s positi on ?
Answer: 1 3 . . . tDxe4! wi n s a cl e an p awn due t o th e di s covered attack o n th e bishop. Th i s is

an oth er probl em with devel opi n g th e bishop to g5 - White al ways h as to watch out for this
type of tactic. In fact, after 1 2 . . . h 6 th e only way to avoid l o s i n g a pawn i s by g i vi n g up the
b i s h op pair with 1 3 �xf6 �xf6, but th i s i s cl early undesi rabl e .
Question: H ow about i f W h i t e avoids 'iVd2 ?
Answer: Th e queen doesn 't n e c e s sarily h ave t o b e o n d 2 for th e tacti c t o b e effective. For
example, after 11 a4 h 6 12 �h4 Bl ack can again p l ay 12 . . . tDxe4 ! ' Th i s ti m e he doesn 't wi n a
pawn , but 1 3 �xe7 tDxC3 14 �xd6 ! 'iVxd6 1 5 b x c 3 �d7 i s stil l very n i c e for h i m . Now we see
o n e reason why Vukovi c fel t it n e c e s s ary to retreat th e k n i g h t to f3 : th e b i s h op will be
protected if it h as to go b ack to h4.
11 . . . b S !
Pol ulj ahov beg i n s typical que e n s i de counterpl ay.
1 2 � d 3 h 6 1 3 ..I1Lh4
90
W h i t e P l ay s 1l. e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
13 tlJb4!?
...
Anoth er typical m ove. Bl ack creates th e possibil ity of tradi n g off White's J i g ht-squared
bisho p , but it al so allows an i m m edi ate e4- e S by White. Even though Bl ack is fi n e in the
ensuing positi on , I woul d be tempted to pl ay 13 . . . jLb7 fi rst, an d then 14 . . . i2Jb4 after 14 �e 2 .
1 4 e 5 tlJfd 5 1 5 jLxe7 �xe7 1 6 jL e4
I think White does better with 1 6 i2Jxds i2Jxds 1 7 �d2 jLb7 wh i ch l ooks about equal .
Instead Vukovi c spots an i de a to cause Bl ack troubl e, but Pol ulj ahov com e s up with a neat
resource.
16 ib7 17 exd 6 �xd 6 18 a 3
...
Exercise: The k n i g h t o n b 4 i s attacked an d the d s -knight i s pin ned.

How does Bl ack solve h i s problem s ?
91
Answer: 18 . . :�C 7 !
Th i s s i m p l e retreat untan g l e s th e k n i g h t s . If 1 9 axb4 t h e n 1 9 . . .ct:J x c 3 2 0 b x c 3 iLxe4

reg ai n s the piece an d l e aves Bl ack with better pieces an d p awn s . But even if White doesn't
do th i s , Bl ack will enjoy an edg e due to h i s stron g e r structure.
1 8 . . .fs was al s o possible, wh i l e 1 8 . . .'�xf4 is riskier but al so seem s playabl e, e . g . 19 'i'el!
4:Je3 2 0 g3 �xe 4 ! 21 ct:Jxe4 ct:Jbxc2 22 �e 2 iLxe4 23 MaCl fS ! .
1 9 �C 1 ? ! ct:Jxc3 2 0 ,�xb7 �xb 7 2 1 a x b4 ct:Jd S 2 2 c3
Th i s i s a classic S i c i l i an gone wro n g for White. H e n o l o n g er h as a wh iff of an attack on

th e k i n g side, and i s l eft only with th e weakn e s s e s caused by th e pawn advan c e s .
2 2 .. J'!fd 8
2 2 . . Jbc 8 ! , expl oiti n g White ' s poor deci sion on m ove 1 9 , i s m uch stron g er. Th e only way
to protect both f4 an d b4 i s by 2 3 �d2 but then 2 3 . . . Mfd8 ! keeps up th e pres sure and Black
is defi n itely better h ere.
2 3 Md1 �C7 2 4 'ud4 a s
Pol ulj ah ov el i m i n ates h i s only weakn e s s . Th e probl em for White i s th at it's extrem ely
diffi cult to ever com pl etely el i m i n ate h i s own k i n g side weakn e s s e s ( s i n c e th e m ove f4-f2 is
i l l e g al ! ) . H av i ng said th at, White i s n 't s i g n ifi cantly worse in th i s positi o n , e speci ally as the
rooks are soon exch a n g e d .
2 5 bxa 5 Mxa 5 2 6 Mxa 5 �xa 5 2 7 h 3 ct:Jf6 2 8 � h 2 M x d 4 2 9 ct:J x d 4 ct:Jd 5 30 f5 ? !
White tri e s to r i d h i m self o f h i s weak f-pawn , but th i s only l eads to b i g g e r probl ems.
J udg i n g from th e sudden e n d to th e game, I suspect Vukovi c was i n severe t i m e troubl e
h ere.
92
Wh i t e P l ays :Ji e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
30 e5!
...
Th is passed pawn suddenly becom e s very stron g .

3 1 ttJf3 ?! \i'C7! 3 2 'it> h 1 e 4 3 3 I.tJd4 0-1
I'm pretty sure Vukovi c l o st on time i n th i s positi o n . Alth ough Wh ite's position is
extrem ely diffi cult, it's certainly n ot yet re s i g n abl e .
Game 1 0
V.Alexand rid is- I.Mi lad inovic
Kava la 2001
1 e4 c5 2 .:t:lf3 CL)c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Cilxd4 ''ViiC 7 S I.tJC3 e6 6 .:Ji.e2 a6 7 0-0 ·�Jf6 8 a 3
With th i s l ittl e m ove, White prevents a l l . . . :to b 4 possibilities before doi n g a nyth i n g else.
93
White i s again tryi n g to steer th e position into a Sch even i n g e n Vari ati o n , but Bl ack can still
pl ay Tai m an ov- styl e .
Question: If Bl ack does decide on a Scheveningen set-up,

won't the a2-a3 advance be a waste of a tempo.
Answer: Not really. It's true th at there are some critical l i n e s White can n o l on g er play, the
obvi ous example bei n g a 2 - a4 l i n e s . H owever, there are pl enty of l i n e s where th e a2-a3
advan ce i s useful . For example, 8 . . . � e 7 9 � e 3 0-0 10 f4 d6 1 1 "iVe l (or 1 1 �h l ) . I n these
positi o n s Bl ack n orm ally pl ays . . . b S sooner or l ater, and th en White's a 3 -pawn h ol ds back
th e . . . b4 advan ce. Of course th e s e l i n e s are perfectly okay for Sch even i n g e n pl ayers, but in
th i s book it's th e Tai m an ov way or no way !
8 ... L;iJxd4
We've seen th i s idea before, ag ai n st 8 �h l ( G a m e 8 ) .
Question: I s it worth White avoiding any ... tLlxd4 problems b y taking o n c6?
Then h e can play f2-f4 without fearing the pin on the diagon al .
Answer: 8 4:Jxc6 i s occas i o n ally p l ayed. After 8 . . . bxc6 ! White c a n a t l e ast conti n ue 9 f4 ! in
order to an swer 9 . . . dS with 10 eS tLld7.
Even so, it's widely accepted th at Black's n ewly stren g th en e d centre g ives him a
comfortabl e positi o n . An exampl e : 1 1 �h l � e 7 1 2 "iVe l 0-0 1 3 "iVg 3 fS ! ? ( 1 3 .. .f6 ! ?) 14 ctJa4 (1
prefer Bl ack after 14 e xf6 tLlxf6 15 �f3 �d6, L . Gal e g o - B . Oamlj a n ovic, Mon dari z 1 9 9 7 )
14 . . . c S 1 5 c4 d 4 1 6 �d2 �b7 1 7 b 3 a s 1 8 tLlb 2 tLl b 8 1 9 �f3 tLlc6 an d Bl ack i s fi n e , L.Galego·
K. Sprag g ett, Lisbon 1 9 9 8 .
9 "iVxd4 .� d 6 !
94
Wh i t e P l ays iL. e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
Th i s m ove underl i n e s th e fl exibil ity of the Sicil i an Tai m an ov. We've seen the bishop
developed to b4, cS, e7, an d n ow d6 ! Bl ack g ai n s t i m e by attack i n g the h 2-pawn , exploiti n g
the fact th at White's m o st desi rabl e respon se, f2-f4, i s i m po s sibl e a t t h e moment. It doesn 't
matter th at the bi s h op blocks the d-pawn , e speci ally s i n c e Bl ack plan s to devel op h i s oth er
bishop on b 7 .
Question: Can Black play 9 iL. c S just like in t h e 8 �h 1 line?

...
Answer: Yes, th i s is fi n e too. After 10 'iVd3 b S 1 1 'it>h 1 .i.b7 1 2 f4 h S ! ? it i s very s i m i l ar to

Game 8, except White h as com m itted to a2-a3 quite early. If White p l ays 1 1 i.. f3 (in stead of
11 'iit h 1) Bl ack j u st n eeds to avoid 1 1 . . . .i.b 7 ? ! 1 2 e s ! and i n stead choose 1 1 . . .I!.b8 ! .
10 g3
Assum i n g th at f2-f4 i s n 't possible, White typi cally h as three ways to m eet the threat to
the h 2-pawn . Th e o n e chosen h ere i s probably the worst opti o n , and Mil adinovic
demon strates why l ater i n th e game. First, thoug h , l et ' s take a brief l ook at oth er m oves:
a) 10 'it>h 1 ! (see following diagra m)
95
Question: Why th e excl am ation m ark ?
Answer: Th i s k i n g m ove i s fre quently th e m o st desirabl e way to m eet the threat to the h 2·
pawn . It m ay sti l l be t ak e n , but as i t ' s n o l o n g e r check White h a s tim e to trap th e bi shop
with g 2 - g 3 - after 10 . . . _�xh 2 ? 11 g 3 ,1/., xg 3 12 fxg 3 'i'xg 3 13 '�e3 Bl ack has no attack an d
Wh i t e ' s extra piece i s worth m ore than three pawn s . Furth ermore, the k i n g m ove means
th at White is ready to advan ce with f2 -f4 . In view of th i s , Bl ack plays 10 . . . � e S ! . He won 't be
abl e to prevent f2 -f4, but will be ready to take on c3 when it arri ves. After 11 '/j'd3 Bl ack
must decide h ow to develop h i s l i g h t - s quared b i s h o p :
al) l 1 . . . b S feel s the m o st n atural , b u t White h as a s n e aky tri ck: 1 2 LL'lxb S ! axb s 13 f4
(th ere ' s no l o n g e r a k n i g h t to capture ! ) 1 3 . . . it.d6 14 e S ,�e 7 1 5 exf6 ,�xf6 1 6 fS ,
S . G ri g ori an t s - A . K o g a n , Montreal 2 000. White h a s regained the piece and h a s a sli ghtly
better positi o n .
96
W h i t e P l ay s iL e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
a2) 11. . .b6 ! preven t s White's tacti c . Th ere's n o obl i g ation for Bl ack t o al ways pl ay . . . b s ;
sometim e s o n e s quare i s j ust as g ood. 1 2 f4 iJ.. x C 3 1 3 bxc3 iJ.. b 7 14 e s ttJ e 4 1 5 �f3 ttJ c s and
Black is fine, R.5lobodj a n - M . Preusch off, G e rm an League 1 9 9 2 . Or 1 2 .ll. e 3 �b7 1 3 iLd4
1xd4 14 "i'xd4 e s ! ? 15 "iVe3 0-0 1 6 J::!. a dl bs 1 7 J::!. d 2 iJ.. c 6 1 8 J::!.fdl J::!.fe 8 19 iLf3 a s ! again
with good counterpl ay, D . Li n tch evski -A. S m i r n ov, St Petersburg 2006. N otice th at Bl ack has
em ployed yet an oth er pawn structure h ere, fi x i n g th e centre to m ake White's rem ai n i n g
bisho p bad.
b) 10 h 3 bs (th ere's no n e e d to p l ay . . . iJ.. e s until White threaten s f2 -f4, wh ich he doe s
next move) 1 1 iJ.. e 3
11 . . . iLh 2+ 1 2 �h l i.e s 1 3 "iVd3 iJ.. x c 3 14 b X c 3 iJ.. b 7 1 5 iLf3 0-0 1 6 J::!.fe l ds 1 7 exds ttJxds
and again Bl ack is doi n g wel l , M . M arti c - H .Te ske, W atten s 1 9 9 8 .
Question: Why did Bl ack flick in 1 1 �h 2+ before going to es?

...
Answer: Bl ack often h a s to m ake a deci sion on th i s i n -between check. Teske felt th at
White's king was s l i ghtly worse on h i than on g l, an d l ooki n g at th e position after
17 ttJxdS, he was ri ght.
...
Let's return to th e m ai n g am e , an d to th e position after 10 g 3 :

lO bS
...
97
Exercise: Can you see a tactical possibility for White here?
1 1 Jil.f3
Answer: White can pl ay 11 Jil.xb S ! ?, s i n c e 11 . . . axb s ? 12 CL'lxb S regai n s th e piece with two
extra pawn s and a h u g e advantag e . Th i s is an appropri ate place to n ote th at Bl ack must
al ways be very wary of possible tacti c s on th e b s - s quare, especially wh en h e pl ays . . . .td6.
Th e tacti c only works h ere because after th e i n fi n itely stro n g e r 11 ... Jil.e s ! White h as the
resource 1 2 'iWa4 ! . I h ave a feel i n g th at Mil adi n ovi c al l owed th e possibil ity, because Black
g ets quite g ood compen s ation h ere.
If Bl ack wants to rul e it out, he can s i m ply pl ay 10 ... Jil.e s 1 1 'iWd3 an d only n ow 11 . . bS,
.
e.g. 1 2 f4 iLxC3 1 3 bXc3 Jil.b7 14 eS CL'le4 with a n i ce positi o n , A . Bradvarevi c - M . M atul ovic,
Sochi 1 9 6 6 . H ere we see a potential probl em with White's deci sion to p l ay 10 g 3 . Once
Black ' s bishop reach e s b7 and White advan ces h i s e-pawn to e S , th ere coul d easily be some
worri e s for White down th e ful ly opened l o n g di agon al .
11 ....� b 7 1 2 'iVd 3 MeS
Th e i m m ediate 12 ... �es al so l ooks good.
13 :tIel
I feel th at White sh oul d p l ay 13 Jil.e3 h ere, to answer 13 ... �es with 14 Jil.d4.
13 ... ,�e 5 14 il, d 2
98
W h i t e P l ay s iL e 2 : A l t e r n a t i v e L i n e s
Exercise: Find a strong plan for Black.
Answer: 14 ... hS!

A n excel l ent m ove by Mil adi n ovi c, wh ich demon strates an oth er potential probl em with
White's g 2 - g 3 move. Bl ack p l a n s . . . h4, activati n g the h 8 -rook and weaken i n g White ' s k i n g
position . Th is i s n 't the fi rst t i m e we've s e e n the h 8 -rook becom i n g active with out Bl ack
castling (rem ember G am e 8 7 ) . Tai m an ov pl ayers should al ways be look i n g out for these
possibiliti es.
An altern ative pl an for Bl ack i s 14 ... 0-0 15 �g 2 �fd8, intending ... d S .
ls xg2
White wil l fi ght fi re with fi re, by arran g i n g f2 -f4. Let ' s l ook at wh at m i g h t happen if
White tries to keep the h -fi l e closed:
a) 15 h4 succeeds i n doi n g 5 0 , but on ly at the cost of weaken i n g the g 4 - s quare. Bl ack
could even pl ay th e i m m edi ate l S . . . ctJg4, threate n i n g . . . iLxg 3 . If 16 �. xg4 h x g 4 Black ' s l i ght
squared bishop will begin to fan cy its chances of causi n g h avoc on th e long diagon al , e . g .
17 "te2 0-0 18 'i'xg 4 fS ! 19 exfs MxfS with a h u g e attack for Black.
b) 15 h3 h4 1 6 9 4 al so keeps it cl osed on th e k i n g side, but again White must accept a
weakness. Th i s t i m e i t ' s the f4- s quare.
99
Exercise: Can you fin d a manoeuvre which Bl ack should

be con sidering, either n ow o r at some moment?
(Hint: Wh ere woul d Black's knight most like to be?)
Answer: Black sh ould con sider increasing his grip on the kingside dark squares, by
manoeuvring his knight. Thi s could even be done immedi ately, e.g. 16 ...tLlh 7 ! 17l:i.adl ttJf8!
18 ..\lLg2 tLlg 6 ! .
1S...h4!
Miladinovic presses on, un afraid of White's possibility of f2-f4 an d e4-eS .
16 f4 ..\lLd6!
17 b4?
100
White Plays .ie2: Alternative Lines
White obviously wanted to prevent checks on c 5 , but Black h as many other active ideas
and 17 b4 only creates more weaknesses.
The critical move here i s 17 e5. Black gai n s a clear advantage after 17 ... .ic5+ 18 .ie3 (18
�f1? IZlg4!) 18 .. .'�Jg4! (18 ... .ixg 2 19 exf6) 19 .ixb7 .ixe3+ 20 lhe3 �xb7 2 1l:!.e2 hxg3 22
Ixg3 lZlh6! 23 tbe4 tbf5, but White i s still kicki n g .
17 hxg3 18 hxg3 tbg4! 1 9 �f1l:Ih2 20 � e2
...
Exercise: Fin d a strong move for Black.
Answer: 20...fS!
This pawn advance i ncreases the pressure on White's position, which i s almost at
breaking point. If White sits, Black might even play ... g 5! next. In stead Alexandridis tries
somethi ng desperate:
21lZldS!? 'i'C4!
Efficient and accurate play by Miladin ovic. There's n o flashy checkm ate for Black, but
White's position collapses after the queen s are exch anged. There was certainly no need to
go into 21...exd5 2 2 exf5+!.
221Zle3
Or 22 tbb6 'i'xe2+ 23 !:txe2 !:txc2 .
22...ltJxe3+ 0-1
After 23 .ixe3 .ixe4 24 �xC4 !:txc4 2 5 .ixe4 fxe4 Black will win a second pawn and keep
a dominating position .
In summary, 8 a3 i s innocuous and Black has m ore than one way of reaching a good
position .
101
Game 11
A.Polivanov-J.Geller
Moscow 2008
1 e4 cS 2 lZJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lZJxd4lZJc6 SlZJC3 'fiiC7 6 i.. e3 a6 7 i.. e2 lZJf6 8 a3! ?
Beware! This move is far more dangerous than it looks. I even suggested i t as a weapon
for White in Dangerous Weapons: The Sicilian.
Question: Wait a minute! In th e previous game you call ed 8 a3

"innocuous" an d yet h ere you claim it's "dangerous"! Why th e differen ce?
Answer: Generally speaking, a very early a2-a3 advance sh ould never strike fear into a
Sicilian Taimanov player. After all, to prevent ... i..b 4 White i s spen din g a tempo in an
opening where time i s seen as precious. Thi s particular position, however, can be viewed as
an exception to the rule, because certain factors add up to make the idea much more
ch allenging th an normal.
Firstly, even though we are focusing on Taimanov lines here, it's worth noting that if
Black chooses to adopt a Scheveningen set-up, White h as more options than n ormal
because he has played i..e 3 in stead of 0-0. Thi s allows him the possibility to castle long and
to choose violent lines such as 8 .. �e7 9 f4 d6 10 g4! ? or 8 ... d6 9 g4! ?
.
Question: So h ow does it affect Black's Taimanov option s ?
Answer: Black has fewer options than in our previous g ame, o r at least fewer good options.
With White's bishop already on e3, ... lZJxd4 possibilities are less desirable. For example,
8 ... lZJxd4 9 i..xd4 (or just 9 'fiix d4 as ... i.. c s is no lon ger possible) 9 ... i..d 6 10 'fiid 3 (in contrast
102
White Plays !il.e2: Alternative Lines
to the previous game, there i s n o threat to h2) 10 . . . b s 1 1 �dl �e s 12 .txe s "iVxe s

(T.Lematschko-A.5alvetti, Swiss League 1999) and here I feel White can keep some
advantage with the logical 1 3 0-0 .\tb7 14 f4"iVcs+ 1 5 'lith 1 0-0 16 e s tbds 17 tbe4.
Another typical Taiman ov plan is ... tbe s -c4, but h ere thi s also seem s to be pleasant for
White: 8 ... lLles!? 9 f4 tbC4 an d n ow, in stead of trading on c4, I 'm in favour of 10 .tcl!. White
aims to prove th at, far from being a strength on c4, the knight is actually a liability. For
example, 10 ... d6 (otherwise e4-es) 11 "iVd3 b s ?! 12 a4! and Black's position is falling apart,
K.Lahno-LJavakhishvili, Port Marly 2011.
Fortunately for Black, there is a Taiman ov option which i s reliabl e, and this wh at Geller
chooses here:
8 bS
...
With ... .tb4 ruled out, . . . b s i s a n atural altern ative plan for Black.
Exercise: Wh ite coul d either castl e h ere or exch ange knights on c6.
Wh i ch do you th ink i s th e best opti on ?
Answer: 9 lLlxc6!
Polivanov follows a useful guideline in Sicili an position s: as soon as Black plays ... bS.
exchange knights on c6. White is exploiting a sm all window of opportunity to leave Bl ack
with the fewest possible option s for recapture. Black can n o lon ger recapture towards th e
centre with the b-pawn , an d the bishop hasn't yet reached b7 to allow ... .\txc6.
For this very reason 9 0-0 is less accurate, and after 9 .. .\tb7! 10 tbxc6 !il.xc6! Black's
.
development is harmon i ous and his position is comfortable. If White in stead tries 10 f4,
Black can strike in typical Taim an ov style: 10 . . . !il.cs! puts White's centre under pressure.
Black intends to meet 11 es with 11 ..."iVb6! wh en the variation s favour him.
103
For example. 12 exf6 .1l.xd4 1 3 .1l.xd4lbxd4 14 fxg 7 ttg 8 1 5 'it>hlttxg7 with a clear
advantage to Black. M.Massoni -Y.Vovk. Calvi 200 5 . Thi s sort of piece play by Bl ack
(lO ... .1l.cS !. 11 .. :iVb6 ! ) often succeeds when White h an dles the open i n g inaccurately.
9 dxc6!
...
In fact. for "fewest". read "one" ! Black i s forced to capture away from the centre and
make the pawn structure symmetrical agai n . 9 .. :iixc6? is not a good idea. in view of 10 es!
lbdS 11lbxdS exdS which is clearly not wh at Black wants.
Thi s l ast variation demon strates another reason why White's a2-a3 i s ch allenging only
with thi s particular move order. Let's rewin d back the start of the g ame. and con sider
White playing a2-a3 a move earlier. After 7 a3 b S ! 8lbxc6 Black n ow has the option of
8 .. :iixc6 !. because the bl ack knight i s n 't yet on f6 and so the stin g i s taken from the e4-eS
advance. This position is comfortable for Black. who can delay the knight's develop until it
is most convenient. e.g . 9 .1l.e2 .1l.b7 10 .1l.f3 "fie? 11 0-0 .1l.d6 ! (it's still too early for 1 1 ...lbf6?
because of 12 es ! ) 12 g 3 and n ow either 12 ...lbf6 or even 12 ...lbe7.
10f4
White could castle first. but there i s n othing to g ain by delayin g thi s n atural move.
preparin g e4-eS.
lo ... iLb7
104
White Plays iLe2: Alternative Lines
This is a natural respon se by Bl ack. The bishop will be activated by ... cS, and ...l':td8 is
coming too.
The alternative strategy is to fi ght back in the centre with 10 ... eS, to g ain space and
prevent White from making the advance himself. White's best ch ance is probably to open
the position and try to exploit the lead in development, e.g. 11 fxes "iVxes 12 .ltd4! "iVe6 13
0·0 te 7 14 eS tLlg4 lS ii.f3 0-0 16"iVe2 with a slight edge for White, Y. Dembo
B Munguntu ul, Antakya 2010.

.
11 0-0
The immediate 11 eS leads to simil ar play to the main game. For example, 11 ...l':td8 12
1d3lLld7 13 "iVg4! (forcin g Bl ack to deal with the defen ce of g 7 before he can develop his
f8·bishop) 13 ... cS 14 0-0 g 6 ! lS"iVh 3 ii.e7 16 "iVg 3 (or 16l':tadl 0-0 1 7 "iVg 3 c4 18 iLe2 tLlcS)
16. . c4! 17 �e4 tLlcS 18 ii.xb7 "iVxb7 19l':tadl 0-0 20 "iVf2 "iVc6 with level chances, V.Minchev
.
J.Moucka, corresponden ce 2008.

It's worth pl aying through a crushing win for White in thi s line, to show just wh at
White is aiming for and wh at Black needs to avoid: 1 1.ltf3 cS 12 0-0 ii.e7 13 esl':td8 14"iVe2
ItJdS (14 ... tt:'ld7 shoul d be met by is ii.xb7 "iVxb7 16 fS ! ) lsliJxds ii.xds 16 .ltxds exds ? !
(16. J:!.xdS! 1 7 a 4 ! keeps White's advantage to a minimum) 1 7 a 4 d 4 18 .ltd2 "iVc6 19 fS !
.
(White's kingside pawn majority i s tremendously powerful) 19 ... c4 20 "iVg4 g 6 2 1 axb s axbs
22 e 6 ! with a decisive attack for White, V. Belikov-S.G asan ov, Czestochowa 1992.
105
The g ame concluded 2 2 ... 'iWd5 2 3 exf7+ 'iWxf7 24 f6 ..iC 5 2 5 ..ih 6 d3+ 2 6 �h 1 d2 2 7 �e4+
�d7 2 8 'iWb7+ �e6 29 l:tae1+ dxe1l:t 30 l:txe1+ �e3 3 1 l:txe3+ �f5 3 2 'iWf3 mate.
Question: Wh at else can Bl ack play again st 11 i.f3 ?
Answer: Well, the plan with 11...e5 ! ? looks more logical than before, because Black seems
better equipped to deal with the position open i n g up, e.g . 12 fxe5 l:td8 ! 1 3 'iWcl 'iWxe5 14
..if4 'iWd4 ! . This is an example of how a slight change in a position ( ... �b7 by Black and il.f3
by White) can alter the assessment of a particular plan . White can also meet 1 1 ... e5 by 12
f5 planning g 2-g4, and g5 if possible. After 12 . . .l:td8 1 3 'iWe2 c 5 14 g4! ? Black should slow
down White's play with 14 ... h 6 ! .
11 l:td8!
...
Exercise: Decide on wh at Black sh ould play if Wh ite ch ooses 12 i.d3 h ere.
106
White Plays iL.e2: Alternative Lines
12 'lei
A good steppi n g stone for the queen . From here she i s ready to jump out to g 3 .
Answer: We saw � d 3 a s a respon se t o . . .l:!.d8 in the n ote o n 1 1 e5, above, but the difference
with 12 iL.d3 i s th at Black's knight isn 't attacked. Thi s mean s Black can seize the initiative
with 12 ... C 5 ! , intending to meet 1 3 e5 with 1 3 . . . C4! 14 exf6 cxd3 1 5 cxd3 gxf6 followed by
.J1g8 with excellent counterplay. For thi s reason 1 1 . . . l:!.d8 i s m ore forcing th an 11 ... i.e7,
which would give White the option after 12 e5 l:td8 of playin g 13 iL.d3 as well as 13 'lWe1.
U ... i.e7
12 ... c5 is also possible, and might tran spose since . . . c5 i s always in Black's plan s. With
12 ... i.e7 Bl ack decides to complete his kin g si de development first.
13e5
Exercise: Bl ack now faces a tricky deci sion, as two moves looks reason able.
Weigh up th e pros and con s of 13 . 4:Jd5 and 13 . . 4:Jd7.
. . .
13 ttJd7!
...
Answer: I think that Geller m ade the right choice here. Initially it might appear th at
13. .. ttJd7Iooks more passive than 1 3 . . . 4:Jd5, and it might seem like a good idea to exch ange
knights. But crucially the knight retreat m akes it much more difficult for White to make
effective progress. The problem for Black after 13 . . . 4:Jd5 14 4:Jxd5 ! is th at none of the
recaptures are particularly appealing, for various reason s:
a) I chose 14 ... I:1xd5 (B.Green-J.Emm s, London League 2006) but didn't really like my
position after 15 'iVg 3 g6 16 c4! (an obvious and good pawn break for White) 16 ... bxC4 17
�xC4 J:!.d7 18 b4! .
107
One problem for Black here i s th at 18 ... 0-0 i s met strongly by 19 f5 ! .

b ) 1 4. . . cxd5 i s passive and rather depressing for Bl ack, e.g . 1 5 c3 � C 5 (or 1 5 . . . 0-0 1 6 .td3
�C5 17 �d4! 'iYb6 18 iYe3 �xd4 19 cxd4 - I 'm sure thi s was not the sort of life Black's b7-
bishop was envisaging after ... b 5 ) 16 .l1.d4! (preventing ... d4, and killing the b7-bishop)
16 ... 0-0 17 iYd211c8 18 .I1i.d3 f6 19 exf611xf6 20 iYe3 'iYb6 21 b4 �xd4 2 2 cxd4 'Yid6 23 g3
with a cl assic good versus bad bi shop situation, A. Brkic-J.Geller, Dresden 2007. No doubt
this earlier experience persuaded Geller to change his opinion and choose 13 .. .'�Jd7 in our
current g ame.
c) 14 ... exd5 is more ambitious - at least now Black can think about a pawn roller with C5, ...
... d4 etc. Unfortunately for him, the absence of an e6-pawn makes his kingside less secure,
and after 15 iYg 3 ! 0-0 16 f5 threats are beginning to loom. Black can defend with 16 .. .f6 but
only at the cost of allowing a protected passed pawn on the sixth rank with 17 e6 ! .
Let's return t o the g ame, and t o the position after 1 4... 4Jd7.
108
White Plays il.e2: Alternative Lines
White has more space an d e4 is a good square for the knight, but in contrast to the
positions after 14 .. .'�jd5 it's n ot entirely clear wh at his best plan i s . Crucially, Black has a
straightforward plan to improve his position by advancing with ... c 5 followed by ... c4
and/or ... b4. My feelin g i s th at Black i s okay here, as long as he i s careful of course.
14a4
With this move Polivanov attempts to stall the ... c 5 advance.
Question: Wh at h appen s if White just focuses on the kingside,

where he h as the space advantage?
Answer: It does seem logical to avoid contact on the queen side, where Bl ack is quite strong,
and instead concentrate on the kingside. However, it's n ot especi ally easy for White to
make progress on the king side. Black i s solid there and it's difficult to arrange an effective
f4-fS break with so much pressure on the e5-pawn . 14 �g 3 0-0 1 5 J::tael C 5 ! 16 ..\tf3 .1xf3 17
�xf3 'i'c6 ! (preventin g ttJe4) 18 f5 exf5 19 J::txf5 b4! 20 ttJe2 bxa3 2 1 bxa3 (D.Baramidze
Z.Ribli, Austrian League 2006) i s a good example of Black's defen sive resources.
White has man aged to play f4-f5, but Black still has no king side weaknesses and White
will have to watch his e-pawn . The chances are roughly equal.
14 liJe4 is another enticing option for White: 14 ... C 5 ! (again thi s move) 15 il.f3 0-0 16
a4!? .1d5 (16 ... b4! is also okay; but Black should avoid 16 ... c4? 17 axb 5 axb 5 18 J::ta 7 ! ) 17
axb5 axb5 18 b3 'iVb7 (or 18 ... 'iVc6 19 ..\tf2 C4) 19 ..\tf2 J::t a 8, R.Antoniewski- E . Herman sson,
Obro 2006. Ag ain Black's queen side counterplay offers him a full sh are of the ch ances.
14 0-0 15 �f2 b4
...
This is necessary if Black wants to play ... c 5 .

16l2Je4 c5 17 ..\tf3
An earlier g ame went 17 ttJd2 ttJb6 18 ttJC4 ttJd5 (or 18 ... ..\td5 ! ? 19 ttJd6 f6 ! intending 20
�xC5l2Jc8 ! 21 �e3 ttJxd6 22 exd6 ..\txd6 23 �xd6 �xd6 - Macieja) 19 il.d2 ttJb6 with an
109
equal position, B .5ocko-B.Maciej a, Krakow 2006.

17...�d5 18 tLJd2 tLJb6 19 �xd5 tLJxd5 2 0 tLJC4
2 0...tLJb6!
Question: Both knights looked strong.

Why does Bl ack want to exch ange th em.
Answer: Polivan ov's earlier 14 a4 meant th at Geller h ad to cede some control of the c4-
square with ... b4, so th at he coul d pl ay . . . c 5 . With 20 ... tLJb6 ! he is scrapping for the square
agai n .
2 1 'Yi'e2 0.JXC4 2 2 'Yi'xC4 'Yi'c6!
A strong move, for two reason s:
1. The queen hits the a4-pawn an d so .l:td1 is prevented for at least one move.
2. The bl ack queen patrol s the light squares, so she complements Bl ack's remaining
bishop which control s the other colour.
23 C3 ?!
White run s into trouble after thi s move. 23 b3 is safer, alth ough Bl ack is fine after
2 3 ... .l:td5 24 .l:tad1 .l:tfd8 .
23 ....l:tb8! 2 4 .l:tfCl?! bxc3 25 'Yi'xc3 'Yi'e4!
110
White Plays .iL.e2: Alternative Lines
Advantage Black ! Once again in the Sicilian, White's long-term weaknesses on the
kingside come back to h aunt him.
26 'ue1 Mfd8! 2 7 �XC5 �XC5+ 2 8 'YiYxC5 'YiYxf4 29 ,Uf1 'YiYd4+! 3 0 'YiYxd4 'uxd4
In view of White's pawn weaknesses, Bl ack has excellent ch ances to win th i s double
TOok endi n g .
31,Ufd1 ,Ue4! 3 2 as
Or 32 Md6 h S ! 3 3 Mxa6 'uxb2 and the rooks double on the seventh rank.
32... g5 33 Ma2 Me2 34 'liif1 Mbxb2 35 Mxb2 Mxb2 3 6 Md6 Mb5 3 7 'uxa6 Mxe5 38 'ua8+ �g7
39 a6 MaS!
The rook i s ideally pl aced - behind White's passed pawn . Geller win s by advan cing
carefully on the kingside, using his pawn s to shield his king from potenti al checks.
40 c;t>e2 Ma2+ 41 'liif3 h5 42 h3 h4 43 Ma7 'liif6 44 Ma8 'liif5 45 a7 Ma3 + 46 �f2 e5 47 <J:te2 e4
48 c;t>d2 'liif4 49 'liie2 Ma2 + 50 'liid1 f6 51 'liic1 'liig 3! 52 'liib1 Ma6 0-1
111
Key Notes
1. I n the 8 �hl vari ation (G ame 8), a key idea to remember i s 12 . . . h S ! . This crucial move
allows Bl ack's knight to jump into g4 after e4-eS. In some favourable situation s, Bl ack
might al so be able to play ... h4 an d ...CDh S . Thi s sets up a potentially devastating knight
check on g 3 .
2 . In the same variation (G ame 8), g 4 is a good square for the knight but fS is often an
even better one! Look out for opportunities to carry out the manoeuvre ...CD(g4)-h 6-fS .
H owever, al so be wary of White meetin g ...CDh 6 with the tactic �f3, th reatening both �xh5
and a di scovered attack on the queen with CDf6+.
3 . Again in the same variation (G ame 8), Bl ack i s usually very h appy to swap his dark
squared bishop for White's knight after CDd6+, since his remaining knight is normally
superior to White's dark-squared bishop. White might in stead try to force the exch ange of
bish ops, wh ich could all ow his knight to jump into d6 un opposed. Th is is something Bl ack
shoul d be tryin g to avoid.
4. 8 jLgs is not as g ood as it l ooks, because it leaves White vulnerable to ...CDxe4 tactics
after ... :1Le7 (see G ame 9 ) .
5 . In general, lines with a n early a2-a3, t o prevent ... :1Lb4, are fairly h armless because a
tempo is of con si derable significance in Open Sicilian position s. There is, however, a
notable exception . If White ch ooses the move order SCDC 3 �C7 6 jLe2 a6 7 iLe3CDf6 8 a3 !?,
it suddenly becomes a dangerous line an d a challen g i n g one to face (see Games 10-11).
112
Chapter Three
White Plays �e3 and �d3
1 e4 (5 2 tLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd 4 4 :'_lxd 4 ':;�c6 5 !.LlC 3 'W!C7 6 ��,e3 a6 7 .��d3
In this chapter we'll studyanother popular option for White, the set-up with�,e3 and
ld3.
Question: H ow does this differ from ..ie3 and �e2 lines?
Answer: One o f the keydifferences i s that White offers greater protection t o the e4-pawn,
the defence of which often caused him problems in the previous two chapters.
Since the e4-pawn is better protected, it makes less sense for Black to playas in the
Chapters 1 and 2, with 7 .. CL'lf6 8 0-0 Ji;:,b4, which would rather justifyWhite's decision.
.
113
In stead Bl ack sh oul d choose a plan wh i ch i s m ore appropri ate ag ai n st �d 3 . In fact, Bl ack
has several g ood opti ons agai n st 6 � e 3 and 7 � d 3 , but the one I 've ch osen to focus on in
th i s ch apter i s 7 . . . b S , plus the very closely rel ated and tran spositional 7 . . . tDf6 8 0-0 b S .
We've already seen, for example i n Gam e 1 1 , th at . . . b S i s som etim e s played early o n , and
it's con sidered to be a rel i able ch oice ag ai n st th e � e 3 /�d3 set-up.
Without furth er ado, let's m ove on to the first g am e .
Game 12
M.Mrdja-A.Kogan
Cannes 1998
1 e4 C5 2 t;')f3 4Jc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tDxd4 'fIiC7 5 tDC3 e6 6 �e3 a6 7 �d3 b5 8 0-0

White keeps the ten sion in th e centre for the mom ent, castl e s and g ets ready to pl ay for
f2 -f4. Th e m ai n m ove, 8 tDxc6, i s covered i n l ater g am e s .
8 ... �b7
Exercise: Fin d a good move for Black if White chooses 9 f4 here.

Try to work out some variation s.
9 ,ithl
Answer: Th e im m edi ate 9 f4 can be an swered stron gly by 9 . . . �cS ! . Thi s demon strates a
weakness of ,�d3 in compari son to � e 2 : th e e4-pawn m ay be better protected, but th e d4-
knight certai nly i s n 't ! Thi s pin on th e a7-g 1 diag on al can prove to be a powerful weapon
for Bl ack and very awkward for White to m eet. Let's l ook at a few possible variations, wh ich
demon strate some key ideas:
114
White Plays iLe3 and iLd3
a) 10 �e2 ? ? does n't solve th e probl em at all : 10 ... 'iVb6 ! inten sifies the pressure on th e
knight and White can 't avoi d losing a piece.
b) 10 tt::lc e2 does safeguard the knight, but at a cost of going backwards. Bl ack is fine
here, e.g. 10.. .'�Jf6 11 c 3 tbg4 1 2 .lic l 0-0 1 3 'It>h l e 5 ! , O.Skag e-B. Maciej a, Trom soe 2007.
e) 10 tt::lf5 ! ? Cong ratul ations if you foun d th i s tricky resource for White. Thi s idea is
actually seen in a few Taim anov lines. I n stead of tradin g on e3, Bl ack can still win a piece
with 10 .. :ib6 ! 11 tbxg 7+ (if 11 tbd6 + 'It>e7 ! ) 1 1 ... 'It>f8 12 .lixC 5 + 'iVxC 5+ 1 3 �h l �xg 7,
I.Tarasov-A.Poluljahov, Orel 1997. In similar l i n e s White sometimes has good compen sation
in view of Black's weak king, but h ere it l ooks in suffici ent.
d) 10 'i'g4! ?, h itti ng g 7, is an oth er resource worth rem embering, and in fact th i s might
even be the best of White's opti on s h ere. Th e followin g game i s entertai n i n g : 10 ... 'iVb6 ! ? 11
IiJxe6 (11 'i'xg 7 iLxd4 1 2 'iVxh 8 ! .lixe3 + 1 3 'It>h l 0-0-0 i s un clear) 1 1 . . ..lixe 3 + 12 'It>h l .lixc6 ! ?
131xg7 �d4 14 e 5 'iVb7 1 5 �g l 0-0-0 1 6 'iVxh 8 .lixc 3 1 7 bxc3 tbh 6 1 8 'iVxh 7 .l:!,g 8 19 .lifl
1:'[g6! (incarcerating th e queen) 20 a4 'It>C7 ! 2 1 axb 5 axb 5 2 2 'iVh 8 tbf5 2 3 �el? �h 6 24 'iVg 8
ib8 (24... 'i'a8 ! is even stron g e r ! ) 2 5 'iVxb8+ 'It>xb8 2 6 �e 3 tbxe 3 an d Bl ack won, R.Baxter
MJranklin, Tel Aviv Olympiad 1964.
Back to the game, an d to th e position after 9 'It>h l :
9 l2lf6
...
115
Exercise: Fin d a g ood respon se for Bl ack to 10 f4.
10 a3
Answer: Mrdja's 9 �h l was a prophyl acti c m e asure agai n st ....1i.c S . Since . . . Jtxe 3 no longer
com es with check, 10 f4 �c S ? i s no l o n g er an awkward pin . In fact it's just a blunder now,
walking into a di scovered attack with l l iLldxb S ! .
H owever, Bl ack can still seize the initiative after 1 0 f4. Kogan 's previous m ove, 9 . ..ct:lf6,
added pres sure to the e4-pawn, and th i s can be in creased to win th e pawn by 10 . . . b4! . After
11 ti'la4 tilxd4 1 2 .'ll.x d4 iLlxe4 1 3 �e2 iLlc s ! 14 iLlxc s iLxc S (M.Voigt-V.J an sa, H amburg 1995)
15 ..Qxg 7 ? walks into l S .. J�!'g 8 50 White has no real compen sation for th e 1055 of h i s centre
pawn . Th i s l i ne expl ai n s why Mrdj a spent anoth er tempo on a prophyl acti c m ove, 10 a3, to
prevent ... b4. Th e probl em i s th at it's all a bit slow. In the m eanti m e Kog an has played two
useful m oves in . . .. �.b7 and . . . Lt\f6, and now he seizes the initiative, Tai m anov styl e !
10 ... hS!
116
White Plays jLe3 and jLd3
Threatening . .. ctJg4, and of course h 2-h 3 doesn't stop it! Mrdj a decides to hold back with
the f-pawn for the mom ent in order to prevent th e knight com ing in.
1 1 f3
The altern ative plan for White h ere i s 1 1 f4 so th at the bishop can retreat to g l after
11...iZJg 4 12 �g1.
Exercise: Can you see a creative way for Black

to continue h i s activity on the kingside?
Answer: 12 ... g 5 ! , exploiti n g the fact th at th e g l-bishop is overworked, seizes th e initi ative
on the kingside. Bl ack h as been very succes sful from th is position. For example:
a) 13 �e2 g xf4 14 iLxg4 hxg4 1 5 'iYxg 4 0-0-0 1 6 ctJxc6 �xc6 17 l'!adl .�.d6 18 h3 f5! 19
117
�e2 ( 1 9 exfs �dg 8) 19 ... �e s 20 �d4 �xd4 2 1 �xd4 �e s 2 2 �fdl �dg 8 2 3 �ld2 �g 3 0-1,
A.Zozul i a-S.Ganguly, Canberra 2008 - a crush i n g win for Bl ack.
b) 13 ct:Jxc6 dxc6 14 �d4 (14 fxg s �c S 15 �f3 ! l ooks a better try) 14 . . .f6 15 eS 0-0-0 16
�g l c S 1 7 �el fS 18 b 3 g xf4 19 a4 ct:Jxes 20 �xb S axb s 2 1 ct:Jxb S �g 7 0-1, G.Antun ac
B . Kuraji ca, Yug osl avi a 1 9 6 7 .
Let's return to the g am e, and th e position after Mrdja's 1 1 f3 :
Exercise: H ow can Black follow up h i s

previous m ove n o w that ...ct:J g 4 i s prevented?
Answer: 11 ... h4!

An excellent respon se by Kog an . Th e rol e of Black ' s h -pawn i s n 't j ust to support a
possibl e . . . 41g4; it al so g ets involved in the action itself. Black's strategy incl udes ... h 3,
weakening th e defences aroun d White's kin g . N otice th at 9 'It>h l put the wh ite king in the
l i n e of fire of th e b7-bishop. For th e mom ent there are a l ot of bodies between them, but
th i s ch anges in a few m oves.
12�d2
Question: Should White block the h -pawn 's advance by playing 12 h 3 ?
Answer: Thi s woul d often b e a sensibl e i dea. But in th i s parti cul ar situation, with White
already h avin g pl ayed f2-f3, it woul d leave a big h ol e on g 3 . While it's true th at th is could
be covered after 12 .. .ct:Jh S 13 ct:Jce2, in th e long term th e weakn ess is clearly undesirabl e for
White. Even so, judg i n g by wh at h appen s to White in the g am e, 12 h 3 might h ave been the
lesser evi l .
1 2 .t:'--'Je5!
..
118
White Plays .1l.e3 and .1l.d3
Another typical Sicili an Tai m an ov i dea, an d an effective one in th i s position. Th e b7-

bishop is uncovered, and th e knight can h op into c4 to force White to trade one of h i s
bishops. For example, if 1 3 f4 ttJC4 14 .1l.xC4 'ivxc4 an d Bl ack's l ight- squared bishop i s
getting stron ger by t h e m ove. It becom e s even stronger after 1 5 e 5 h 3 !
13 .!:i:ael �c8 14 ttJde2 h3!
Here it com e s ! White h as n o ch oice but to advan ce. Exchanging pawn s woul d only
succeed in creatin g m ore weaknesses and activating Black's h 8-rook.
15 g4
Exercise: H ow should Black continue?
Answer: 1S ... dS!
119
Th e only really logi cal foll ow-up to 14 . . . h 3 . Kog an ch ips away at White 's pawn shield on
the long diag onal , and White's king i s begin n i n g to feel the presence of the bishop on b7.
Kogan correctly judg e s th at h i s own king on e8 will n ot suffer, certainly not as much as
White's, wh en the position open s up.
16 exdS itJxds 17 itJxdS?
1 7 itJe4, tryin g to bl ock the diagonal , looks m ore resilient.
17...iLxdS 18 itJd4 iLcs!
Finally the dark-squared bishop devel ops, and with an i m m ediate th reat to take on d4
and then f3 drops .
19 W9l
19 ....tth4! ?
Addi ng m ore fuel to th e fi re. Black coul d h ave cashed in with 19 . . . iLxd4 20 iLxd4 itJxf3+
21 .l::i,xf3 ii,xf3 22 'iVg s but it's un derstan dabl e th at Kog an didn 't want to rel ease th e
pressure, even for some m ateri al .
Rybka likes sim ply 19 ... 0-0 foll owed by ... .l::i,fd8 with enormous pressure on Wh ite's
position . Of course with th e temptation to use the rook on the h -fil e being so stron g, it's
som eti m e s easy to forg et th at castli n g i s still a g ood opti on !
20 iLe2 'iVb7 21 Wf2 ii,C4!
12 0
White Plays .ii.e 3 and .ii.d 3
A clever idea, threatening to sacrifice on g4 an d then . . . �g 2 m ate.

22 Wg3
2 2 .l:dl!, vacatin g e l for the king, l ooks wiser.
22 �e7...
Renewing the threat: 2 3".MXg4+ ! 24 fxg4 �g 2 + 2 5 �f4 tLlg 6 m ate. H owever, Rybka
shows that the i m m ediate 2 2".MXg4+! al so work s : 2 3 fxg 4 �g 2 + 24 �h4 .\bd4 2 5 .�xd4
.!:id8! and White i s in big troubl e despite the extra rook.
13 J:idl 'ifilC7 24 f4 �xe2 25 �xe2 tLlxg4 0-1
There's no i m m ediate win for Bl ack, and White coul d fight on for a wh ile, but Bl ack has
just won a key pawn and White 's king i s stil l all over the pl ace. A very nice game by Kogan,
and a good exampl e of h ow Bl ack can g rab the initiative wh en White's buil d-up pl ay is t o o
pedestri an .
Game 13
A.Stuerzenbaum-M.Taimanov
World Senior C h a m p ionsh i p, Ba d Zwisc h ena hn 2003
1 e4 c5 2 tLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tLlxd4 tLlc6

It's Taim anov, pl ayi n g the Sicili an Taim anov!
5 tLlc3 'ifilC7 6 .ii.e3
The actual game foll owed an unusual m ove order, with 6 f4 a6 7 0Jxc6 �xc6 8 Jl.d3 .ii.CS
(the main m ove, 8".b 5 , i s covered in Ch apter Five) 9 �e2 b 5 10 �e 3 .ii.b 7 1 1 0-0 b4 12 tLldl
IZlf6 13 .ii.x C5 �xC 5 + 14 tLlf2 0-0 15 �h l . I 've altered it h ere so th at we can study l i n e s
specific t o 6 .ie 3 a6 7 i.d3.
6 a 6 7 .id3 b 5 8 0-0 �b7 9 �e2!
...
121
Question: Why the exclamation mark?
Answer: In th e previous g a m e we l ooked at 9 'it>h l tLlf6 10 a3 h S ! . Th e queen m ove to e2 has

m ore purpose, because it both takes the stin g out of . . . � cS ideas and indirectly defends the
e4-pawn . I n effect, 9 �e2 i s tryin g to do the combined jobs of 'it>h l an d a2-a3, thus aiming
to save tim e in preparation for f2-f4.
9 ...tLlf6 10 f4
White is n ow ready to play e4- e S . Bl ack coul d prevent th e advance with 10 . . . d6, but this
woul d l ead to a Sch even i n g e n , and quite an active-lookin g one for White.
Exercise: Look at possible "Taimanov" ways for

Black to react, and decide on the best option.
If White waits with 10 'it>h l, Bl ack h as a number of opti on s. H ere are two:
a) As before, 1O . . . h S ! ? i s i nteresti n g , e.g. 1 1 f4 (or 1 1 tLlxc6 �xc6 1 2 �d4 h4 1 3 �xf6 gxf6
14 tLldS .1lLxds 1 5 exds �d6 with l evel ch ances, J.Zezulkin-O.Gritsak, Swi dnica 1999)
1 1 ...4:Jg4! ? 1 2 � g l tLlxd4 (or 1 2 ... g S ! ? ag ai n , alth ough with a queen on e 2 White can pl ay 13
tLlxc6 .11t.xc6 14 lfJd S ! ) 1 3 �xd4 �cS 14 �xcS (14 �xg 7 ? l:tg 8) 14 . . . �XC S 1 5 eS �e 3 16 �xe 3
tLlxe 3 17 Y.f2 fS 18 Ue2 4:Jd s 19 tLlxd S �xdS with a l evel position , R. Felg aer- F.EI Debs, Sao
Paul o 2006.
b) 10 . . . �b4 11 a4 �xc3 1 2 bxc3 tLlxd4 1 3 cxd4 tLlxe4 14 axb s axb s 1 5 l:txa8+ �xa8 16
.�xb5 0-0, again with a l evel position, V.Topal ov-J . Benj am i n , Gron i n g en 199 3 .
Answer: 10...cnxd4!
Bl ack enters a forcing sequence, exch an g i n g two pairs of m i n or pieces to ease h i s
position. Thi s idea i s an oth er typical resource i n th e Taim an ov, a n d worth rem embering.
Two altern atives:
122
White Plays .1i.e3 and .1i.d3
a) 10 ... b4 1 1 tLldl tLlxd4 1 2 �xd4 sh ows how 9 �e2 safeg uards th e e4-pawn . After
12...'i'c6 13 tLlf2 �e7 14 �ae l White is well coordi n ated and a bit better, S.Gligoric
A.Giustolisi, Madrid 1960.
b) 10 ... tLlb4 1 1 a3 ! tLlxd 3 1 2 cxd 3 .
Black h a s forced t h e exch a n g e o f White's light-squared bishop, but at a cost:

1. White's centre h as been stren gth ened.
2. Bl ack has l ost tim e and i s beh i n d in devel opment.
3. White may use the fully open ed c-file.
White is better h ere, e . g . 1 2 ... d6 1 3 a4! b4 14 tLla2 �d7 1 5 �ac1 �xa4 16 �C7 �c8 17 b3
las 18 �fcl with a n ear-decisive i n itiative, A.Motyl ev- B. Savch enko, Moscow 2 008.
11.bd4 �C5! 12 �xc5
Black can al ways h ope for 12 �e3 ? ? tLlg4 ! .
12...'i'xc5+ 13 �h1
123
Exercise: Sh oul d Bl ack attack th e knight with

13 ... b4 or keep th i s move in reserve ?
Answer: 13 ... b4!

Bl ack i s often faced with th i s type of deci sion in Sicil i an position s. In th i s situation
13 ... b4 is a g ood i dea, because the knight's temporary retreat (14 ttJa4? "iVc6 ! wins a pawn)
buys Bl ack som e time - en ough to consolidate h i s positi on . More con cretely, White was
ready to advance with e4- e S , whi ch woul d give White' s knight acces s to an outpost on e4.
1 2 ... b4 kicks the knight away before th i s h appen s.
For th i s reason , Bl ack sh ould avoid 1 3 . . . 0-0 ? ! 14 e S ttJdS 1 5 ttJe4! wh en White's atta c kin�
option s include ttJg s , ttJd6 , "iVh s and f4-fS .
1 3 . . . d6 i s better th an 1 3 . . . 0-0, but White can still play 14 e S ! . After 14 . . . dxe s 1 5 fxe5
ttJd7 ! (now Bl ack sh oul d defin itely avoid l S ... ttJdS ? ? 1 6 ttJe4! ) 1 6 Mael an oth er typical
Sicili an situati on ari ses.
Th e position has open ed up with White gaining attacki n g ch ances, but on the oth er
h an d the e s -pawn is a permanent weakn ess. 1 6 ... b4? is now too l ate. White gives up the
pawn because the i niti ative is worth m ore: 17 ttJe4! "iVxe s 18 "iVd2 ! "iVO 19 "iVxb4 JtXe4 20
"iVxe4 ttJb 6 21 a4 Ma7 22 as ttJc8 23 "iVa4+ ctle 7 24"iVh4+ ctle8 25 "iVd4 ctlf8 26 Mxe6 and
White soon won , H . Pesch -J . Ei s i n g , Bad Pyrm ont 1 9 6 1 .
Bl ack shoul d i n stead play 1 6 ... 0-0 ! . H ere White c a n w i n a pawn with th e l ittl e
combin ation 1 7 Jtxh 7+ ctlxh 7 18 "iVd3 + ctlg 8 19 "iVxd7 Jtc6, but Bl ack g ai n s some
compen sation because of his strong bishop. Even 50, 1 3 . . . b4! i s th e best ch oice.
14 ttJd1
124
White Plays iLe3 and Jl.d3
Exercise: Does Black n eed to guard again st e4-e s ?
With 14 ttJdl White intends t o g et t h e knight back into action via f2, after wh ich he will
be ready to continue with h i s king side acti on .
14 ct:Jbl i s very similar, th i s time th e knight rejoining th e action vi a d2. Bl ack has more
than on e good way to respon d:
a ) 14 ... ds 1 5 e s ttJe4! (th i s knight jump i s only possible because of 1 3 . . .b4) 16l1Jd2 ttJxd2
17 'fxd2 g 6 ! (to prevent th e fs break; 17 ... 0-0 18 fs ! exfs 19 l::i.x fs favours White, R. Forster
B.Larsen , Zurich 1998) 1 8 l::i. a el a s ! (to exch an g e bi shops) 19 l::i.f3 ..lta6 20 a3 ..ltxd3 21 l::i. x d3
Me8 with level ch ances, E .vorobiov-G .Vescovi Moscow 2002.
b) 14 ... d6.
125
Question: Isn 't th e position now like a Sch even ingen ?
Answer: Yes it i s . Sicili an Tai m anov pl ayers ten d to be flexible, and if th e best deci sion is to
adopt a Scheveningen structure with ... d6 they won 't avoid it just because they are
"Tai m an ov pl ayers".
I n the Taim an ov, Bl ack often pl ays ... d6 a b i t l ater on, l ike h ere, after one o r two p airs of
minor pieces h ave been exchanged. I n compari son to th e Scheven ingen proper, th ese
exch ang e s usually ease Black's defen sive task. N otice al so th at in compari son to th e note
on 1 3 . . . d6, above, White's attack i s slower because h e has to g et h i s knight back into th e
game. 1 5 Cbd2 0-0 1 6 e s dxe s 1 7 fxe s Cbd7 1 8 .l::i.a el reach ed a typical Scheve n i n g e n -type
position, offeri n g l evel ch ances, E . Wi ersm a- F . N ijboer, N eth erl an ds League 1998. Th e g ame
concluded 18 .. .'Yi'e 7 19 CbC4 .l::i.a d8 20 .l::i.f4 g6 2 1 Cbas ( 2 1 Cbd6 ? Cbxe s ! ) 2 1...�dS 22 Cbb3 as!
2 3 �c4? (missing a tactic) 2 3 .. .'Yi'g S ! 24 .l::i.g 4 iVxe s ! 2 5 Cbxa s ? �xc4 2 6 CbxC4 iVxe 2 2 7 .l::i.x e2
Cbf6 ! and White res i g ned. Bl ack kin g si de structure i s super-solid, and White 's attack is
al ways h am pered to some extent by the weakn e s s of the e s -pawn .
14...0-0!
Answer to Exercise: No, h e doesn 't, and th i s shows the advantage of pushi n g the kn ight
back with 13 ... b4. After 15 e S ? ! CbdS a key differen ce i s that Cbe4 i s n 't available to White,
an d it won 't be for the foreseeable future given th at Cbf2 leaves the f4-pawn h an g i ng . If
White conti n ue s aggressively with 16 fS exfs 17 �xfS th en 17 . . . .l::i. a e8 ! highlights the
temporary di sharmony i n White ' s cam p caused by the backward knight. 1 8 �xd7 Me7 19
�h 3 iVC7 regai n s the pawn , with some advantage to Bl ack.
Bl ack coul d al so pl ay 14 ... d S or 14 ... d6, with similar pl ay to 14 Cbb l d S (or 14 ... d6).
1 5 cnf2 e5!
We've seen Bl ack employi n g th i s idea before. Once the dark-squared bishops are
exch a n g ed, Bl ack stifl e s White's rem ai n i n g bishop by fi xing th e e4-pawn .
126
16iL:lg4?
Exercise: Black's n ext move is virtually forced,

but try to find a strong follow-up to it.
16 CLlg4 looks tempti n g , and is con sistent with White's previously play, but White clearly
overlooked Tai m an ov's respon se. A wiser option for White is 16 fxe s �xe s and only now 17
iLlg4. After 17 . . . iLlxg4 18 �xg 4 ii.c6 19 b3 the position is roughly equal . Bl ack will play . . . as
and .. .J:be8, an d the pressure ag ain st the e4-pawn will always prom ise him enough
counterplay.
Setting up a pawn wedg e with 1 6 fs, intendi n g g 2 - g 4- g s , i s more ambitious but
probably too optim i stic. With a ... ds counter in the centre impossible to prevent, Bl ack
should welcom e such m i splaced optim i s m by White ! A possible continuation is 16 . . . as 17
94 dS! (or 17 . . . h6 first) 18 g s iLlxe4 19 iLlxe4 dxe4 20 ii.xe4 ii.xe4+ 2 1 �xe4 Mac8 with an
edge for Bl ack. In th i s type of position White 's k i n g i s al ways weaker than Bl ack's.
Answer: 16 ...iLlxg4 17 �xg4 fS!
An excell ent m ove by Tai m anov. White might h ave been dream i n g of some initiative on
the kingside, but after 17 . fs ! it's Bl ack wh o seizes th e initiative.
..
18 'fe2
127
Exercise: How does Black secure his advantage after 18 'iie 2 ?
If 18 exfs (in stead o f Stuerzenbaum ' s 1 8 'i'e 2 ) th ere foll ows 1 8 . . . e 4 ! 19 iLe2 d S ! . Bl ack
m ay temporarily be a pawn down , but h i s powerful centre pawn s prom ise him a cl ear
advantag e. For example, 2 0 Uacl d4 2 1 b 3 UxfS 2 2 iLC4+ �h 8 2 3 h 3 Uaf8 24 'i'h4 'i'd6 2 5
Ucdl e 3 2 6 ,�d3 ( N . 5e dl ak-O.5toj an ovic, Suboti ca 2000) an d here 2 6 . . . 'i'g 6 ! 2 7 Ug l Uh S !
woul d h ave won for Black. White coul d h ave defended better in th i s example, but even so
he is still strug gling again st Black ' s m i ghty centre pawn s.
Answer: 1 8 fxe4! 1 9 �xe4 dS!
...
18 'i'e 2 m ade no real difference - Bl ack still g ets h i s powerful pawn s in th e centre.
20 iLf3 e4 2 1 iL g4 U f6 2 2 �d7?
128
White Plays .il.e3 and .il.d3
Wh ite wants to g et h i s poor bishop back into th e game, via a4 and b 3 , but th i s i s too
slow to have any chance of success. Besides, it all ows Bl ack to win a pawn with a double
attack. It's not easy to sug g e st a way forward for White h ere, but m aybe he shoul d try to
distract Black with someth i n g l ike 2 2 a 3 .
22 i'd6 23 �a4l:!.xf4 24l:!.xf4 'iVxf4 2 Sl:!.f1 'iVd6 2 6 .il.b3l:!.f8! 2 7l:!.d1 'iVes 2 8 h3?
...
28 i'e3, preventin g Black's next m ove, puts up m ore resi stan ce.
28 e3! 29 C3? bXc3 3 0 bxc3 l:!.f2!
...
Now Black win s easily.

31 i'd3 '>iIf8 32l:!.e1 'iVgs 3 3 l:!.g1 d4 0-1
The first time th e long di agonal has been compl etely open to g 2 , and it's immediately
decisive !
Game 14
Z.Hracek-J.Polgar
Ista nbul Oly m p i a d 2000
1 e4 c5 2 tLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tLlxd4 tL'lc6

The Sicil ian Taim an ov i s on e of Judit Pol g ar's favourite defences to 1 e4.
5 tLiC3 i'C7 6 �e3 a6 7 .il.d3 bS 8 tL'lxc6
The main l i ne. White foll ows th e guidel i n e "As soon as Bl ack pl ays . . . b S , exchange
knigh ts on c6". Thi s way Black's recapturin g opti on s are l i m ited ...
8 i'xc6!
...
...but Black can capture with the queen !

9 0-0
Question: Does White castle queenside in this line?
129
Answer: H ardly ever. H i s set-up i s n 't really con ducive to queenside castli n g , and if White
wants to do so it's m uch better to ch oose the m ore di rect 7 'ilVd2 (see Ch apter Four).
Someth i n g like 9 'ilVd 2 .¥i.b7 10 0-0-0 b4! 1 1 tLle2 tLlf6 1 2 f3 .¥i.c s looks n i ce for Bl ack. My
feel ing i s th at h i s attack on the queenside will arrive before White's does on the oth er
win g .
9 ... �b7
10 a3
Once ag ai n , White prevents Bl ack from kicki ng the knight away. Som e altern atives are
discussed i n G am e 1 6 .
lo tLlf6
...
10 . . . tLle7 ! ? used to be popular, but i s h ardly seen these days. I ' m n ot exactly sure why
it looks like a decent altern ative for Black. One of th e i deas is to m eet 11 f4 with l1...tt:lfS!
1 2 iLf2 iL c s .
11 'ilVe2
We are foll owing th e m ai n li n e . Just as in the previous game, before pl ayin g f2 -f4 White
i mproves the position of h i s queen.
Let's take a quick l ook at som e oth er possibiliti e s :
a ) 11 f4 .�c s (choosing th e s am e p l a n as in our previous g a m e ) 1 2 iL x c s 'ilVxcs+ 1 3 �hl
d6 (again we see Bl ack adoptin g a Scheven i n g en set-up, n ow th at two sets of minor pieces
h ave been exch ang ed) 14 'ilV e l 0-0 1 5 'ilVh4 'ilVh s ! ? 16 'ilV xh s tLlxh s 17 e s dxe s 18 fxe s Mad8
19 Madl fs 20 exf6 tLlxf6 with a l evel endi n g , V.Bakl an -A.lstratescu, Baile Tusnad 2005.
b) 11 'ilVf3 .�d6 ! ? As usual with ... iLd6, Black ' s pl an involves . . . .¥i.e s .
13 0
Exercise: Find a tactical idea for Black against 12 .Jtd4.
Answer: If 12 iLd4 Bl ack h a s the tactic 1 2 ... iLxh 2 + ! 1 3 �xh 2 "iVd6+ forking king and bishop.
This i sn't the en d, though , as White can keep his extra piece with 14 e5. However, after
14 . 'Ixd4 15 "iVxb7 "iVh4+ 16 �g l ttJg4! 1 7 �fe l (17 "iVxa8+?? ritJe7 win s) 17 ... "iVxf2 + 18 c,i;h 1
..
'i'h4+ 19 'it>g l Bl ack has at l east a perpetual ch eck, and coul d con sider pl aying on with
19, . 0-0 ! ?
.
Let's return t o th e position after 1 1 ... iLd6, an d s e e h o w Kram nik treated th i s variation
as Black: 12 �f4 0-0 1 3 �fe l iiLxf4 14 "iVxf4 d6 (once again, two pairs of m i nor pieces off -
and Black plays ... d6 ! )
15 J:te3 CLld7 ( I prefer 1 5 . . . "iVC 5 , keepin g th e knig h t o n f6 for th e moment) 1 6 "iVh4 L2ie 5 17
131
tLldS ! ? tLlg 6 ! 1 8 tLle7 + tLlxe 7 1 9 'iVxe7 'uae 8 20 'iVg s 'iVc s 2 1 'iVxc s dxc S was equal , an d soon
drawn, in P. Leko-V. Kram n ik, Dortmund 2 00 5 . Th e l ack of m inor pieces m ean s th at White's
attack on the kin g s i de is l e s s threate n i n g th an it m ight in itially look. For example, in stead
of Leko' s 1 7 tLlds , White could try 17 'uh 3 ! ? h6 18 f4 tLlg 6 19 'iVg4 (Shipov) but thi s position
is g enuin ely un clear after 19 . . . b4 20 tLle2 bxa3 2 1 bxa3 'uab8 .
c) 1 1 'ue l .i.d6 ! ? (th e Sch even i n g en set-up with 1 1 . . . .i.e 7 1 2 'iVf3 d6 has scored well for
Bl ack, and l 1 . . .h S ! ? i s anoth er opti on) 1 2 .i.d4! e s ! (th i s time 1 2 . . . .ltxh 2 + fail s , to 1 3 'It>xh 2
'iVd6+ 14 e s ) 1 3 .i.e 3 .i.c s 14 'iVf3 .ltxe 3 1 5 'uxe 3 'iVc s 16 'iVfs 'It>f8 ! (avoi di n g 16 . . . 0-0 17 ct:JdS!
.i.xd s 18 exds d 6 ? 1 9 'ug 3 'It>h 8 2 0 ,Uxg 7 ! ) 1 7 'ug 3 h 6 1 8 h 4 d6 19 h S 'ug 8 20 'ue l'ue8 2 1
'iVf3 , B .Maciej a-V.An and, N e w Del h i 2 000. White coul dn 't g et anyth i n g going o n th e
king side, despite Bl ack m ovin g h i s king .
Let's return t o th e g am e , an d t o th e position after H racek's 1 1 'iVe 2 :
11 hS! ?
...
Pol gar pl ays the same ambitious i dea we saw in G am e 1 2 . If Bl ack i s l ookin g for
somethi ng s afer, then 1 1 . . . .i.e7 i s a g ood option and th i s m ove i s covered in the n ext game.
Question: Even th ough White h as pl ayed a2-a3,

can Black still play 1 1...b4 h ere?
Answer: In gen eral , . .. b4 i s less attractive once White plays a 2 - a 3 . Th ere are some
exceptions, but usually the open i n g of the a-file for th e white rook i s m ore sign ificant than
Black's active bi shop devel opment to b4. H ere 1 1 . . .b4 12 axb4 .ltxb4 13 'ua4 as ( 1 3 . . . .ltxc3
14 'uC4!) 14 .ltb s 'iVo 15 .ltd4 eS 1 6 tLld s tLlxd s 17 exds f6 (A. Fern andez-B.Martinez,
Cardenas 2002) 18 f4! i s better for White.
12 f4! ?
Th e altern ative i s to prevent ... tLlg4, an d White has tried both ways of doin g so. H ere are
some possible continuati on s :
132
White Plays .1i.e3 and .1i.d3
a) 12 h3 �c8 1 3 f4 ii.C 5 14 'It>h 1 ? ! '
Exercise: Fin d a g ood m ove for Black.
Answer: 14 ... h 4 ! , with the simple plan of ... tLlh 5 , exploits the hole on g 3 and secures
excellent counterpl ay. For example, 15 ii.xc 5 'ifxc 5 1 6 'iff2 (a cl ear sign th at 14 'It>h 1 was a
mistake; White should h ave s aved time with 14 .1i.xc 5 'ifxC 5 + 1 5 'iff2, with l evel chances)
16 ... d6 17 �ae 1 'ifxf2 1 8 �xf2 'It>e7 19 'It>h 2 tLld7 ! (intending to activate the knight, either by
. ..tLlCS or ... tLlb6-c4) 2 0 tLle2 e 5 (fixing Wh ite's e-pawn ) 2 1 �ef1 f6 with an edg e for Bl ack,
!.Teran Alvarez - K . 5prag g ett, Dos H erm anas 2001. Th i s edge increased after the impatient
22 g4? resulted only i n m ore weakn esses for White, and after 22 ... h xg 3 + 23 tLlxg 3 g6 24
liJe2 �h 6 25 �g 1 tLlC 5 26 tLlC3 tLle6 27 tLle2 �ch 8 28 �g 3 .1i.c8 ! Black won a pawn and
e ven t u ally th e game.
b) 12 f3 .1i.d6 ( 1 2 . . .'ifC7 1 3 ii.d4 ii.c 5 14 'ife 3 d6 l ooks soli d en ough for Black, M. Parligras
J.Trescastro Jul i a, Barcel on a 2005) 13 ii.d4 h4! ? 14 e5 ii.C 5 15 .iLxc 5 'ifxC 5 + 16 �f2 tLlh 5 17
£e4 Cbg 3 ! ? 18 h x g 3 (18 'ifd3 tLlxe4 19 tLlxe4 ii.xe4 2 0 'ifxe4 �d8 l ooks equal ) 18 ... hxg 3 19
£xb7 gxf2+ (Rybka sug g e sts 19 .. .f5 ! ? with the idea 20 exf6 ? ? �h 1+! ! an d m ate in four! ) 20
Ixf2 �h 1+ 21 'It>xh 1 'ifxf2 22 ii.xa8 'ifxc2 with an un cle ar ending, perh aps sli ghtly better
for Black, H.5al dano Dayer-A.5trikovi c, G ranada 2007.
12...Cbg4
133
Thi s i s con s i stent, the m ove everyon e h as pl ayed, an d certainly th e m ost enticing option
for Black. But it's n ot only opti on.
I quite like 1 2 . . . jL C5 ! ? as an altern ative, especially in view of White 's probabl e
im provement l ater on in our m ai n g am e . A typical continuation coul d be 1 3 jLxC5 (if 13 h3
th en 13 . . . h 4 ! ) 13 .. .'�xC 5 + 14 �h l .
Exercise: Find a way for Black to continue.
Answer: 14 ... h4! Th i s i s a key point: the pawn advance can be stron g even if White h asn't
pl ayed h 2 -h 3 . With or with out h 2 -h 3 , Bl ack still threaten s . . . ct'lh 5 - g 3 , and . . . h 3 i s al so a
major possibility. 1 5 "iVf2 Mc8 16 "iVxc 5 MXC5 1 7 Mael ct'lh 5 ! (th reaten ing 18 . . . ct'lg 3 + ! 19 h x g3
h x g 3 + 20 Wg l �ch 5 and m ate on h i) 18 Mf3 g 5 19 fxg 5 Mxg 5 20 Mee3 f5 2 1 ct'le 2 Mh g8 22
.§.f2 0if6 ! 2 3 h 3 0ixe4 and Bl ack won in M. Kokkon e n - P. H arju, correspondence 1 9 6 5 .
134
13 �d2 iLC5+ 14 \t>h1 �d4

14 ... �6 1 5 ttJdl (is h 3 ! ?) l S . . . dS ( l S ... �d8 ! ?) 16 b4 (1 6 e s ! looks better) 16.. .�d4 17 c3
dxe4! 18 iLxe4 �f6 19 �xb7 �xb7 was roughly l evel in M . Li stmangof- E .Urjubdsh zirov, St
Petersburg 2006.
15 J;;i:ae1
Exercise: Polgar castl es n ext m ove. Wh i ch side do you th ink she ch ose?
In a later game, White came up with a m ajor i mprovement wh i ch casts some doubt on
Black's position : 1 5 a4! b4 ( l S ... �6 ! ?) 16 ttJdS ! ttJf2+? (1 6 . . . as ! ?) 17 Mxf2 ,�xf2 18 �xf2
exdS 19 exds �d6 (if 19 ... �xd S ? then 20 g,e l+ and �e4) 20 �d4, wh en White's in iti ative
outweighed Black's s m all m ateri al advantag e in V.Kotron i as- P.Cramling, Gibraltar 2003.
It's interestin g , thoug h , th at Pia Cram ling - anoth er Si cil ian Tai m anov special i st - h as
played 11 ... h S since th i s g am e, so she obvi ously believes in th e line.
Answer: 15 0-0-0!
•..
Castling queenside clearly involves some risk, purely because Black's king has only a
little bit of pawn cover, but Pol g ar correctly assesses that she will be abl e to generate
sufficient counterpl ay on th e king side. Castli n g king side woul d h ave in con sistent with
Black's previous pl ay. Th i s woul dn 't necessarily m atter if th ere were concrete reasons for
castling kin g si de at th i s m om ent - there are plenty of times when Black does castl e
kingside even after ... h S . But h ere it's actually just a bad move: l S . . . 0-0? 16 h 3 ! iilf6 17 e S
tiJdS 1 8 �xh S i s close t o win n i n g for White.
16 tiJd1?!
135
H racek seem s stran g ely reluctant to attack Black's queenside in th i s game. Even though
the rook has l eft the ai-square, White shoul d still try 16 a4! as sug g e sted by Ribl i . After the
text m ove Pol gar i s abl e to seize the initiative:
16 ...fs!
A key m ove, strivin g to open up th e l on g di agonal . If Bl ack succeeds, she will h ave two
bishops and a queen pointi n g m e n acin gly in th e direction of White' s kin g .
17..\las
White can g rab a pawn with 17 exfs exfs 18 ..llx fs , but th en 18 ... 'uh e 8 ! i s stron g .
17.. Jldf8 18 (3 .'iLa7
Exercise: White is about to make a critical decision with his e-pawn .

Should h e advance to e S or capture on fS ?
136
White Plays �e3 and �d3
19 es?
Answer: This move kil l s any possible play White had al ong th e e-file. With the centre
completely blocked, Pol gar can do virtually as she pleases on th e kingside. It's diffi cult to
understand how a strong g ran dm aster such as H racek coul d m ake th i s deci sion. Probably it
was just a bad day at th e office for h i m . 19 exf5 ! exf5 at least g ives White chan ces to create
some threats down the open e-fi l e .
Exercise: Decide on the best way fOT Black to

begin her attack on the kin gside.
Answer: 19 gS!
...
Clearly an open g -fi l e woul d h el p Black's attack en orm ously, and Pol gar real i zes th at
this desirable pawn th rust requires n o preparation. 20 fxg 5 CLlxe 5 ! i s the idea beh ind her
move - the knight can n ot be captured due to th e m ate threat on g 2 . After 21 �c2 h4! 2 2 h3
IHg8 White has no g ood defence to Bl ack simply capturin g on g5 and pili ng up the
pressure on the g 2 -pawn . I n stead H racek tries to open up th e queenside, but it's too l ittl e
too late.
20(4 bXc4 21 �XC4 gxf4 2 2 M f3
If 2 2 Mxf4 then 2 2".Mfg 8 ! an d ".CLlxe 5 i s com i n g .
22 l':thg8 2 3 b4
...
137
23 ...ct:Jxe5!
With the capture of th i s pawn, White' s position col l apses.
24 'iVxe5 'iVxC4 2 5 ct:Jb2 �xf3!
A simple tactic to win the g am e . If 2 6 ct:Jxc4 then 2 6".�xg 2 m ate.
2 6 gxf3 'iVc2 0-1
Th ere i s no g ood defence to ".'iVg 2 m ate.
Game 15
L.Fressinet-S.Rublevsky
Ae roflot Open, Moscow 2003
1 e4 C5 2 0:Jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 ct:Jc6 5 ct:Jc3 a6

Russian GM Sergei Rubl evsky is a Sicil i an Tai m an ov expert. He usually plays th e 5".a6
m ove order rather th an 5".'iVO .
6 �e3 4:Jf6 7 �d3 'iVC7 8 0-0 b5
138
Question: Black has played ... lZJf6 earlier than normal.

Is it likely to transpose to the main line?
Answer: Yes it i s . I n fact, m any Sici li an Tai m an ov pl ayers ch oose the m ove order s . . ."iHO 6
ie3 a6 7 iLd3 lZJf6 8 0-0 an d only n ow 8 ... b S . Thi s virtually always l e ads to a tran sposition .
9 tiJxc6 �xc6 10 a3
If White pl ays 10 e S i n stead of 10 a 3 , Bl ack simply replie s 10 . . . il.b7 ! . Th i s is a key point,
which justifi e s Black' s plan of answeri n g th e il.d3 l i n e with ... b S . I n general , Bl ack can
recapture on c6 with th e queen because White's bishop is l e s s abl e to harass th e queen on
d3 than on e 2 , wh en il.f3 becom e s possibl e . Compare th i s with Game 11, wh ere 9 . . ."�xc6
would have been a blun der.
Returning to th e position after 10 ... il.b7, Bl ack i s fin e , e.g. 1 1 f3lZJd S (l l ....�CS i s al so
okay) 12 iLe4 ct:Jxc3 13 il.xc6 ct:Jxdl 14 il.xb7 ct:Jxe 3 15 il.xa8 ct:Jxfi 16 Wxfi .�c S 17 c3 We7
and the series of captures h a s l e d to an equal positi on, C.Zuidema-M.Matulovic, Hamburg
1965.
lo .tb7
...
Now we've tran sposed directly to th e previous game.

1 1 "te2 ile7
This is less ambitious but al so safer than Pol g ar's 1 1 . . . h S .
Question: How about developing the bishop more actively,

as we've seen before, with 11 ... .icS ? If White trades bishops,
the f-pawn is pinned so f2-f4 is delayed.
Answer: In a stran g e way, th e f-pawn being pinned is actually a probl em for Bl ack ! After
l1....tcS?! 12 il.xc S 'iVxc s , the k ey point h ere is that th e queen i s n 't giving ch eck on c S , and
139
th i s gives White time to seize the advantage with 1 3 e 5 ! �c6 ( 1 3 . . . ct:Jd 5 ? 14 ct:Je4 and ct:Jd6+)
14 f4 ct:Jd5 15 ct:Je4. It's because of th i s and similar l i n e s th at Bl ack n orm ally waits for f2-f4
before pl ayin g . . . � C 5 .
12 f4 0-0
Question: I s 11 i.e7 really safer than 1 1 h 5 ?

. . . . . .
I t looks like Black is walkin g into a king side attack !
Answer: If you h aven't seen th i s l i n e before, it does seem a l ittl e scary. But th i s i s an old line,
and Black' s defen sive resource s h ave been kn own for a long tim e . As long as Bl ack kn ows
wh at he is doi n g , he doesn 't h ave a g re at deal to fear.
13 eS
Th e obvious continuation , and by far the m ost com mon ch oice for White. Let's look at a
few altern atives :
a ) 1 3 �f3 �C 5 ! 1 4 \t>h l (if 1 4 � x C 5 �xC 5 + 1 5 'it>h l then 1 5 . . . e 5 ! ) 1 4. . . l:.ac8 1 5 �xC5 'iVxcs
16 �g 3 .
14 0
Exercise: White i s ready to play e4-eS . What should Black do?
Answer: 16 ... d6 is pl ayabl e, but s afer and stron ger is 1 6 ... d S ! . If Black's knight had to retreat
to d7 after 17 e S th i s woul d favour White, but h ere Bl ack's knight can jump into e4:
17...lLle4! 18 �h4 fS ! 19 CDe2 d4! . Bl ack was m ore active and h ad th e edg e in A. Khalifman
V.5alov, Wijk aan Zee 1994.
b) 13 �d4 lLCS 14 lLXCS �XC S + 15 �h l d 6 ! (th i s time lS ... dS is less desirabl e, since after
16 e5 th e knight must retreat to d7) 16 eS dxe s 17 fxe s CDd7 and now:
bl) 18 �xh 7+ �xh 7 19 �d3 + is a combin ation we've seen before in a similar position,
(in the notes to Game 13), and after 19 ... �g 8 2 0 �xd7 Black has com pensation for th e
pawn because of h i s mon ster bishop. In th i s parti cul ar positi on, h e has h i s own
combinati on : 20 .. . lLxg 2 + ! 2 1 �xg 2 .s.ad8 2 2 �b7 .s.d2+ 2 3 �f3 ! (all oth er moves lose)
23.Ji'xe s wh en his attack is defi nitely worth the piece.
b2) 18 l'1ae l l'1ae 8 ! ? (intendi n g .. .fS ; i n stead 1 8 . . . �e7 19 �h S h 6 20 �e4 �xe4 2 1 CDXe4
f5 22 exf6 CDxf6 23 �e2 CDxe4 24 �xe4 .s.xf1+ 2 5 .s.xfl l'1d8 is equal , T. Dvorak-J. Bernasek,
Litomysl 1997) 19 lLXh 7+ �xh 7 2 0 �d3 + �g 8 21 �xd7 lLc6 22 �d2 l'1d8 23 �f2 �C4 with
good compensation for th e pawn , U.Ataki si-G.5ax, Chalki diki 200 2 .
c) Finally, i t ' s defin itely worth n otin g th at if 1 3 l'1ae l Bl ack h as th e ch eeky pawn grab
13... ba3 ! . White can m aintain m ateri al equil ibrium with 1 4 CDxb S ! , but after 1 4. . . axb 5 1 5
..
ixb5 �C7 (or l s . . .�xe4) 1 6 bxa3 CDxe4 White ' s centre h as di sappeared and Bl ack i s at l east
equal, if not better, K.J edryczka-A. Hnydiuk, Krynica 1997.
13 liJds
...
141
14 .!)jxdS!
Question: Why didn 't Fressinet play 14 tiJe4 h ere ?
Answer: tiJe4 i s l e s s effective h ere, with Bl ack ' s e 7-bi shop still on the board patrolling the
dark squares, n ot to m ention the knight on d5 h ittin g the bishop on e 3 . Bl ack h as m ore
th an one way to reach a decent positi on , e . g . 14 .. .f5 15 exf6 tiJxf6 or 14. . . tiJxe 3 15 'ii x e3 f5
16 exf6 j(,xf6.
14...'iixds 15 lladl
White has a m ajor altern ative with 1 5 c4 bXc4 16 .1i.xc4 'ii c 6 17 MaC1.
Question: Thi s looks a little uncomfortable for Black.

What does he do about h i s queen ?
142
White Plays .1L e3 and .1L d3
Answer: Th is i s all old theory, and Bl ack i s okay as long as he knows it. Th e only down side i s
that there are very few winning chances for Bl ack. Th e key m ove h ere i s 17 . . . j:.c s ! forci ng
the exchange of bishops and so giving th e queen some m ore squares. Th e main line run s
18 .1xcs �xcs + 19 �f2 (if 19 �h 1 .!'Iac8) 19 ... �xf2+ 20 .!'Ixf2 and now anoth e r key move:
20... J:Ifb8 ! , first played by Taim an ov expert Semkov.
Black uses all h i s forces ag ain st White's queenside pawn m ajority. He pl an s ... ii.c6 and
...as, either gain i n g pressure down the b-fi l e or forcing a pawn exch an g e if White plays b2-
b4, leavi ng White ' s rem ai n i n g pawn vuln erabl e. Anoth er idea i s to bring th e king to e7 and
then to break with ... f6 . For exam ple :
a ) 2 1 .!'Id2 .1L c 6 2 2 �f1 (or 2 2 �f2 'it'f8 2 3 .!'I C 3 , E . E rm enkov-S.5emkov, Sofia 1 9 8 9 , and
now just 23 ... �e7 or 23 ... as) 22 ... a s ! 23 g3 �f8 24 .\tg 2 �xg 2 25 <J;xg 2 .!"1.a7 with an equal
position , M.Mueller-J . Em m s , G erman League 200 3 . The game concluded 26 Ik4 ltle7 27 b4
J:IbS 28 .!'Ib2 axb4 2 9 axb4 f6 (I coul d h ave possibly m ade th i n g s slig htly uncomfortabl e for
Wh ite with 2 9 . . . .!'Ia4 3 0 �f3 f6 ! 3 1 exf6+ g xf6) 3 0 exf6+ g xf6 3 1 .!'Ic8 ltlf7 3 2 l:1h 8 �g6 3 3 g4
l:tab7 34 .!'Ig8+ �f7 3 5 .!'Ih 8 �g 7 36 .!'Id8 d s 37 fs es 38 �g 3 hs 39 h3 ltlh 6 (39 . . . d4! ?) 40
l:th 8+ �g 7 41 .!'Id8 .!'Ixb4 and a draw was agreed.
b) 21 b4 �c6 22 fs a s ! (White wi n s a pawn , but only tem porarily) 23 fxe6 fxe6 24 jL.xe6+
dxe6 25 .!'Ixc6 axb4 26 axb4 .!'Ia1+ 27 .!'If1 .!'Ixf1+ 2 8 �xf1 .!'Ixb4 2 9 gxe6 .ll b s 30 '.t>f2 ltlf7 3 1
l:ta6 V2 -%, K. Landa- P.Treg ubov, N ovokuzn etsk 2008.
l S �c6
...
White ' s position l ooks h arm onious and he has a strai ghtforward plan of attack.
However, Bl ack h a s m any defen sive resources, and the power of th e queen and bi shop
battery on the long open diagonal can n ever be overestim ated.
1 6 fS
143
Exercise: This is a critical m om ent. Try to work out the

best way to deal with White's pawn advance.
Answer: 16 ...f6!
Rublevsky fi ghts back on the king side. Bl ack certainly doesn 't want to allow f5 -f6, and
Rubl evsky correctly judg e s th at Bl ack will ben efit from the position openi n g up.
17 c4
Fressinet increases the ten sion . Let' s look at some possible vari ation s if White trades
pawn s :
a ) 1 7 fxe6 fxe 5 ! 1 8 Mxf8+ Mxf8 l e aves White with a probl e m , s i n c e 19 exd7 i s m et by
19 ... e4! trapping the bishop. Rybka shows how White can g et out of j ail : 19 �xh 7 + ! c;t>xh7
20 llxd7 ,�C 5 21 �h 5 + c;t>g 8 2 2 Mxg 7 + ! c;t>xg 7 2 3 �h 6+ c;t>g 8 24 'lig 6+ and it's perpetual
check.
b) 1 7 exf6 ,�,xf6 18 fxe 6 Mae 8 ! ? ( 1 8 ... 'lixe6 Iooks equal ) 19 Mxf6 ! ? ( Bl ack's idea was 19
exd7 Mxe 3 ! ) 19 . . . ,Uxf6 20 exd7 Md8 2 1 'lig4 Mf7 2 2 jLxh 7 + ! c;t>xh 7 2 3 'lih4+ c;t>g 6 ! 24 'lig 5+
c;t>h 7 25 'lih4+ ! and again it's perpetual check.
17... bxc4 18 �xC4 c;t>h8 19 fxe6 dxe6 2 0 exf6 Mxf6
144
White Plays jI, e3 and iLd3
Exercise: Assess both recaptures by Black after 2 1 .l:!.xf6.
Rubl evsky has m an ag e d to free his position with th e exch ange s. Th e concession fOT
doing so is an isolated e-pawn, but Bl ack still possesses th e counterbal an cing advantage of
the strong queen and bishop battery.
21 l:i.xf6 gxf6!
Answer: Rubl evsky creates an oth er i mbal ance in th e position. At th e cost of a slight
weakening to his king, Black:
1. Open s th e g -fil e , ready for ... l:tg 8 to hit White' s soft spot on g 2 .
2 . Gives som e stren gth t o h i s e -pawn , wh ich will be protected i f i t advan ces t o e S .
21...iLxf6 i s sol i d, alth ough perh aps very slightly better for White after 2 2 b4.
22 .tf4!
Fressinet h urries to deal with the .. J1g 8 th reat, with th e bishop ready to bl ock the g-file.
The down side i s th at Bl ack can now create possibilities on th e a7-g 1 diagonal .
22 l:i.gS 23 iLg3 l:tdS! 2 4 l:txdS+ iLxdS
...
145
25 �h l
Fressinet decl i n e s to take on e 6 , whi ch i s perfectly understan dable given th at White is
walking on a tightrope deal i n g with all Black ' s threats. For example, 2 5 �xe6 �b6+ 26
�h 1 ! 'liVc1+ 2 7 � e 1 'liVe s ! 2 8 'liVf1 'liVe s 2 9 �C4 'liVxb2 3 0 i.xa6 i.xa6 31 'liVxa6 'liVd4 3 2 'liVf1
'liVa1 ! 3 3 'liVe2 ! �as 3 4 'liVe8+ �g 7 3 5 'liVd7+. White survives and once again it's perpetual
check.
2S...Jt.b6 2 6 b3 �d4
Preparin g ... e S . Th e i m m ediate 26 ... e s ? run s into 27 �xe s ! .
2 7 �f4
Again Fressinet i s reluctant to take th e e-pawn . After 2 7 Jt.xe6 'liVc1+ 2 8 'liVe 1 'ilVb 2 White
can parry the m ate threat with 29 i.h 3 after whi ch 29 . . . 'liVxb 3 30 'liVe8+ 'liVg 8 3 1 'liVe7 'liVC4 is
an oth er draw.
27...eS! 2 8 i.g3 as 2 9 Jt.h4 fS
146
30 'ff3!
If 30 ... Vixf3 ? ? White doesn 't walk into a m ate in one with 3 1 gxf3 ? ? iLxf3 , but in stead
provides a minor-im ag e m ate with 3 1 iLf6 !
30 �g7! Yz-Yz
...
Draw agreed. I n the fin al position after Rubl evsky's 3 0 . . . <;t>g7, Black's g ame i s the more
comfortabl e of the two. H i s pieces are well coordin ated and the f- and e-pawn s have
become a strength rath er than a weakn ess. In conclusion, 1 1 . . .iLe7 is solid and a good
option for Bl ack if you prefer to play m ore "classically", as long as you rem em ber the old
theory and th at White's i n itiative is n ot as threateni n g as it l ooks.
Game 16
J.Cabrera Trujillo-B.Macieja
Spanish Lea gue 2010
1 e 4 c5 2 ctJf3 ctJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ViC7 5 ctJC3 e6 6 iLe3 a6 7 iLd3 bS 8 ctJxc6 'iYxc6 9 0-0
An i nterestin g altern ative which White can pl ay ag ain st the 7 ... b S move order is 9 e s ! ?
White takes the opportunity t o advan ce th e e-pawn before Bl ack can pl ay . . . iLb7, s o that
he can contest the long diagonal with h i s own bishop - obviously there's already a threat
of ke4. In thi s position 9 . . . iLb7 an d 9 ... iLb4 are both decent respon ses, and 50 i s 9 . . . fS ! ? For
example:
a) 10 exf6 ctJxf6 1 1 iLe2 iLb7 1 2 Af3 'iYo 1 3 0-0 iLe7 14 iLxb7 'iYxb 7 1 5 .�d4 0-0 16 'iYd3
'(6 17 a3 1'1ac8 an d Bl ack is fine, M.5enff-W.Hendriks, G erm an League 200 3 .
b ) 1 0 iLe2 ! ? iL b 7 1 1 iLf3 'iY o 1 2 iLxb7 'iYxb 7 1 3 0 - 0 1'1 c 8 (or 1 3 . . .ctJ e 7 ) 1 4 a3 t/'le7 1 00ks
okay for Black. 15 'iVh S + ctJg6 1 6 ctJe2 iLcS ! ? 17 iLxcs 1'1xcS was pl ayed in O.Korn eev
V. Lazarev, Assisi 200 3 . Th e g randm asters agreed to a draw at thi s point; after 18 tDf4 0-0 19
IIJxg 6 hxg6 20 'iYxg 6 1'1xc2 if anyth i n g Bl ack is better.
147
Bl ack can avoid th i s l i n e if h e wishes by adopting the 7 . J i Jf6 8 0-0 b 5 m ove order, wh en
8 ctJxc6 �xc6 9 e 5 �b 7 ! work s for Bl ack, as we saw i n our previ ous game.
9 ... ..\l.b7 1 0 <Jih1
10 llel C;�f6 11 a3 .�d6 ! ? was covered in the notes to Game 14. I n stead 11 i;_d4 �e7 12
�f3 b4 1 3 �dl d6 14 b3 0-0 1 5 �b2 was J . Pol g ar- P . Leko, Dortmund 1996, and h ere Leko
sug g e sts s i m ply 1 5 .. .lHe 8 with an equal position .
10... ctJf6 11 f3
Question: Thi s looks a little slow. What i s

White's idea with 'ith l and f2 -f3 ?
Answer: White's strategy i s n ot as tooth l e s s as it l ook s. I n stead of pl ayin g actively on the

king side, advan cing with the usual f2 -f4, White keeps it sol i d th ere. He securely defends his
e4-pawn and will seek activity by open i n g up the queenside with a tim ely a2-a4. When we
con sider th at i n th e m ain l i n e s Bl ack g ai n s con siderabl e counterpl ay on th e long diagonal,
there 's certainly some logic beh i n d bluntin g th e queen and bi shop battery with f2 -f3 .
11 . ii c5
. .
A key altern ative for Bl ack i s to keep the dark-squared bi shops on th e board and play
1 1 . . . 'llVO .
Question: Why m ove th e queen agai n ?
Answer: Gen erally speaki n g , if White blocks t h e diagonal with f2 -f3 , th e queen i s n 't s o
effective o n c6, a n d 0 i s a better square . 1 1 . . . .�·O 1 2 ·�·d2 ,ti_ e 7 1 3 a 4 b 4 14 01e 2 0 - 0 1 5 llfe l
was pl ayed in J . H ector-P.Cram l i n g , Mal m o 2001.
148
Th e game continued l S . . . ,Ufc8 ? ! 16 'uad l ? ! dS ! 1 7 e s ct:Je4! and Bl ack g ained the

advantage. H owever, lS ... d S ! a m ove earlier l ooks m ore accurate, as it doesn't g ive White
time to deal with th e idea: 1 6 eS ct:Je4! (rath er than 1 6 ... 'i'xe s ? ? 17 �f4 'liVh S 18 0)g 3 ) and
again Bl ack is fin e as 17 fxe4 dxe4 reg ai n s th e piece with advantage.
In a later g am e between th e sam e two players, Hector prevented Black's idea by pl aying
15 .tf4! an d after l s . .. 'i'as ( l S ... 'i'c S ! ?; l s ... e s ! ?) 1 6 ct:Jd4! 'ufc8 17 ,Ufdl 'i'd8 18 'iVe l dS
(18 .'ib6 ! ?) 19 eS ct:Jd7 20 a s White had an edg e in J . H ector- P.Cram l i n g , Gothenburg 2006,
..
although there are som e possible i m provements for Bl ack in th i s sequence.

12 'Ie1 d6 13 a4!
Here com es the key m ove in White ' s plan .
13 bxa4! ?
...
Sometimes you h ave to take th e "necessary" option rath er than the "desirabl e" one.
Here Maciej a judg es th at his position i s g oi n g to be okay even after ... bxa4.
149
Th e probl em with ... b4 i s th at the pawn m i g h t becom e vul n erabl e there, or White might
be able to g rab the initiative by openi n g up th e queenside. For exampl e : 1 3 . . . b4 14 tDdS !
�xe3 1 5 tDxe 3 , or 1 3 . . . �xe3 14 �xe3 b4 1 S tDa2 �c S 16 �e l a s 1 7 c 3 ! bxc3 18 �bS + ! We7
19 tDxc3 l:!.hd8 20 l:!.cl �6, D . Li m a-J .Granda Zun i g a, Evora 2 008; alth ough in th i s second
case White has only a very s m all advantage, and in fact Bl ack was fin e after th e further 21
f4 �f8 22 eS tDg4! .
Question: I s th ere another way for Bl ack to play thi s line?
Answer: Ves there i s , but we n eed to g o back quite a long way ! If Bl ack ch ooses th e m ove
order 7 . . . tDf6 8 0-0 bS 9 ct.:Jxc6 �xc6 (or even 9 ... ct.:Jf6 ! ? in stead of 9 . . . �b7 in our m ain g ame)
10 f3 there's a very subtl e differen ce. Bl ack can play as in our m ain g am e , but del ay the
developm ent of his l i ght-squared bishop. Crucially, the extra tempo gained seem s to allow
Bl ack to g et suffi ci ently org anized to be able to answer a2-a4 with a m ore favourabl e ... b4.
Let's see: 10 . . . ..IiLcS 11 �el d6 ! 12 �h l �xe3 1 3 �xe 3 O-O ! .
Com pare th i s position t o t h e o n e in our m ai n g am e . H ere Black's pieces are better

coordi nated because he has already castled, and th i s m ean s th e im pact of a2 -a4 i s
l e ssened. Bl ack will likely pl ay . . . ..IiLb7 sooner o r l ater, but in some cases h e might even
develop the bishop el sewhere, for example d7, or e 6 (after . . . e s ) . H ere are some possible
lines:
a) 14 a4 b4 1 5 4Je 2 (if 1 5 ct.:Ja2 Bl ack can utilize the om ission of . . . �b7 by protectin g the
b4-pawn with l S . . . l:!.b 8 ! ) l S ... �b7 (only now does Bl ack pl ay . . . �b7, alth ough there ' s al so an
argum ent for lS . . . es and ... �e6) 16 c3 �cS 17 �d2 bxc3 18 ct.:JxC3 l:!.fd8 19 l:!.fc l �4 20 as
,�c6 2 1 �e2 �b7 2 2 l:!.ab l ct.:Jd7 2 3 b4 ct.:Je s 24 j(c2 l:!.ac8 with level ch ances, J .5ubervi
V.Quesada Perez, Men des 2009.
b) 14 l:!,fdl iLb7 (or 14 . . . es) 1 5 �d4 �c S 1 6 �xc S dxcS 1 7 a4 b4 1 8 ct.:Jbl ct.:Jd7 19 ct.:Jd2
<1Je s 20 iLe2 as 2 1 �g l g s , again with an equal position, M.Carlsen-G. Kam sky, Kh anty-
15 0
Mansiysk 200 5 . Th i s i s certainly som eth i n g to con sider wh en deciding between the 7 . . . b5
and 7 ... ctJf6 8 0-0 b 5 m ove orders.
Back t o th e game, and to the position after Macieja's 1 3 . . . bxa4:
14 J:ixa4
14 i.xC5 looks m ore accurate. 14 ... �xc 5 1 5 ctJxa4 �C7 16 Ua3 (or 16 b3 t.;!jd7 17 f4 0-0 18
le3 J:.fe8, P.weich h old-B.Maciej a, Wrocl aw 2 0 1 1 ) 1 6 . . . 0-0 17 �C3 ,�c6 18 Ufal Ufb8 was
played in M.Carl se n - E . Paehtz, Lausanne 200 5 . Thi s feel s very sli ghtly better for White, and it
probably is, but it's n ot especially e asy for White to focus h i s attack on the a6-pawn
without allowi ng counterpl ay elsewhere. Even Carl sen wasn 't abl e to, and after 19 b3 'iVd7
(19.,.d5 ! ?) 20 �d4 e5 2 1 �e 3 �b7 2 2 ctJc3 as 2 3 �C4 �b4 24 U 3 a 2 g6 2 5 �g l <j,>g7 Bl ack
was by th i s stage fully equal .
14...ttJd7!
This position l ooks like an i m provement for Bl ack over th e previous note. Now after the
exchange of dark-squared bi sh ops, th e knight reach es a good square on the queen side and
Black can be fully s atisfi e d with h i s position.
15 .tXC5 ctJXC5 1 6 Ud4 0-0 17 e 5 ct:Jxd3 1 8 Uxd3 dxe5 1 9 �xe5 �b6 20 �d6 'iVxd6 2 1 Uxd6
.!IfeS 22 'it'gl �c6
This position can only be described as equal , but Macieja keeps plugging away an d
eventually h i s persi stence i s rewarded.
23 J:ial as 2 4 Ua2 �e8 2 5 Ud2 a4 2 6 Ua3 'it>f8 2 7 'it>f2 Uab8 2 8 ct:Jdl g5 29 �e3 ctJe7 30 c3
.!Ib7 31 ctJf2 f5 3 2 ct:Jh3 f4+ 3 3 'it>e2 h6 34 'it>dl e5 3 5 ct:Jf2 'it>e6 36 'it>cl �b5 37 t.;!Je4 Ud7 38
b3 J:ixd2 39 'it>xd2 axb3 40 Uxb3 iLc6 41 Ub6 'it>d7 42 ct:JC5+ Wd6 43 t.;!Je4+ <j,>C7 44 Ua6 Mb8
45 J:ia7+ 'it'b6 46 Ue7 Ua8 47 'it>d3 Ua2 48 ct:Jd2 iLb5+ 49 c4 Ua3 + 50 �e2 t!.e3 + 51 �f2 iLc6
52 ttJfl UC3 53 Uxe5 Uxc4
It's diffi cult to beli eve that White can lose th i s position at all , never mind in a few
moves, but that's exactly wh at h appen s !
54 J:ie6 Mc2+ 55 'it>gl 'it>C7
151
56 .l::!. e1?
White was cl earl y worrie d about losing h i s knight to . . . .l::!. c l an d . . . jLb 5 , but h e i s in
diffi culti e s n ow. Th e cal m 56 h 3 ! , all owi n g th e knight to g o to h 2 , shoul d draw comfortably.
A key point, perh aps overlooked by White, i s th at after 5 6 . . . �b 5 5 7 tLlh 2 ! .l::!. c l+ 5 8 Wf2 1"i,h l
Bl ack i s n 't actually threaten i n g to take th e knight, since Wg l woul d trap th e rook !
56 ...g4!
Suddenly it's very tricky for White.
57 .l::!. d1??
White wants to pl ay .l::!. d 2 but all ows a simple win n i n g tactic. H e h ad to try 5 7 .l::!. e 7+ 'it'd6
5 8 .l::!.f7.
57....l::!. xg2+! 58 Wxg2 �xf3 + 59 Wf2 �xd1 60 tLld2 Wd6 61 tLle4+ We5 62 tLlC3 �b3 0-1
1 52
White Plays .iL e3 and .iL d3
Key Notes
1. An effective way for Bl ack to m eet th e 6 .iLe 3 1 7 .1l.d3 set-up is with a quick . . . b S . Bl ack
often gets activity and pressure down th e long a8-h l diagonal, to a certain extent because
White can 't easily oppose bi sh ops on th e diag on al with h i s l i ght-squared bi shop on d3
rather than e 2 .
2 . G a m e 12 i s a n excellent example o f h ow Bl ack c a n s e i z e th e initiative if White pl ays
too deliberately. 10 . . . h S ! was th e star m ove to begin Black's attack on White's kin g .
3. Taimanov's pl an o f 10 .. .'!i'Jxd4 ! , l 1 . . . .iLc S ! and 1 3 . . .b 4 ! in Game 1 3 i s a typical o n e to
free Black's position . l s . . . e s ! , to fix White' s e-pawn , is an oth er key idea.
4. ln the mai n l i n e , Pol g ar's l 1 . . .h S ! ? (Gam e 14) i s ambitious and th ematic, wh ereas
11...�e7 (Gam e 1 5 ) is the m ore sol i d altern ative.
5. The 7 ... bS an d 7 ... ct:Jf6 8 0-0 b S m ove orders usually tran spose, but in a few lines there
are some subtl e differences between th e two (see Game 16).
153
Ch apte r F o u r
T h e E n g l i s h Attac k
1 e4 c5 2 CDf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 CDxd4 CDc6 5 CDc3 'J/iiC7 6 ,i1I.e3 a6 7 'J/ii d2
7 �d2 s i g n al s White's intention to play th e E n g l i sh Attack. Th e E n g l i sh Attack i s actually

a system of devel opment whi ch can be used again st m ore than on e Sicil i an Vari ation. It
fi rst cam e to prom inence in the 19 80s wh en it was utili zed with success ag ai n st th e
N aj dorf and Scheveningen Vari ation s. It took a bit longer for players to appreciate that it
can al so be effective again st th e Sicili an Taim anov, but nowadays it's a popular opti on for
White and m any experts see it as a critical test of the Taim an ov.
Question: What i s White's i dea i n th e English Attack?
1 54
The Eng lis h A ttack
Answer: In simpl i stic term s, White' s general plan in an E n g l i sh Attack i n cludes the
followin g :
1. Castle queenside.
2. Pl ay f2 -f3 and g 2-g4-g S , forcin g Black ' s defen sive knight away from f6 .
3. Continue th e kin g si de pawn storm with h 2 -h4-h S .
4 . Open u p l i n e s ag ai n st Bl ack' s castled k i n g , usually with g s -g6.
This plan might seem crude an d som eti m e s it i s , but often it involves con siderabl e
subtlety too. There ' s n o doubtin g , th ough , that th e E n g l i sh Attack can be mightily effective,
especially ag ain st the unprepared - so it's vital for Taim anov players to study it closely. Th e
good news for Tai m anov pl ayers i s th at, as in m o st opposite-side castl ing situati ons in the
Sicilian, Black's counterpl ay is as sured. N ot only will he get h i s usual action on the
queenside, th i s tim e it will be i n th e direction of White's kin g !
7 ... t21f6
The main line. I n g e n eral, I 'm n ot coverin g the older . ..tiJe7 Taim anov lines in th i s book,
but it's still worth n otin g th at Bl ack m ust be very careful if he mixes . . . CLlge7 an d .. .'VJliO .
Here, for example, 7 . .. CLlg e 7 ? ? woul d be a game-losing blunder: 8 ttJdb S ! axb s 9 CLlxb S an d
IiJd6+ wins immediately, e . g . 9 . . :VJlias 10 CLld6+ 'It>d8 1 1 'VJIixa s + ! 1:txas 12 �b6 m ate !
Question: How about playin g the same way as against

7 .i.d3 in the previous chapter, with 7 ... b S ?
Answer: The ... b7-b S advan ce i s certai nly i n Black's pl ans, a n d i n deed 7 . . . bS h a s been played
many times. H owever, it's n ot quite as strai ghtforward for Bl ack as i n the previous chapter.
The key difference is th at followi n g 8 0-0-0, White's queen an d rook battery on the open d
file gives him opportuniti es (big tactical one s ! ) which aren 't available in the 7 �d3 l ine .
For exampl e : 8 . . . JLb7 9 JLf4! e S (9 ... 'VJIIb 6 ? ? 10 CLlxe6 ! ) 10 CLlxc6 JL xc6 (if 10 . . . dxc6 1 1
ixes !) 11 CLldS ! ; o r 8 . . . CLlf6 9 JLf4! e S (9 . . . 'VJIib 6 10 e S - o r even just 1 0 l!ixc6 - i s al so
155
con si dered to be better for White) 10 ct:lxc6 exf4 (lO . . . dxc6 1 1 �xe s ! ) 1 1 e s dxc6 12 exf6
with som e advantag e to White in both cases.
Bl ack certainly does h ave oth er option s i n th i s l i n e, e.g. 8 . . . b4 9 ct:la4 ct:lf6 10 f3 ct:le5 11
ct:lb 3 .l::r b 8, but overall I prefer the m ain l i n e s with 7 ... ct:lf6.
8 0-0-0
8 f3 i s covered in Bori sek-Cvek (Game 2 3 ) .
8 ••• �e7
Question: 8 ... �b4 l ooks tempting. Shouldn 't

Black develop h i s bishop m ore actively?
Answer: I 've chosen to focus on th e 8 ... �e7 l i n e i n thi s book, for two reason s :
1. I feel th at t h e positions are easier t o understan d strateg i cally.
2. 8 . . . .0 . e 7 has arguably overtaken 8 ... 1Lb4 as the m ain l i n e . I t ' s certainly th e favoured
choice am on g st m ost of the world's leadi n g Sicilian Taim anov experts.
Th e older 8 ... �b4 rem ain s an i m portant m ove, even though it h as come under some
th eoretical pressure from a number of directi on s in recent years. Although 8 . . . �b4 is
outwardly attractive, White's system of devel opm ent i s actually quite well suited to meet
th i s bishop development. For one th i n g , 9 f3 , supporting th e e4-pawn , i s part of White's
pl an in any case. Black's m ain choice h ere is 9 ... ct:le s and th i s is an swered by an initially
stran ge-looking knight retreat 10 ct:lb 3 ! . One key factor which justifie s White's play is that
exchanges on c3 are generally un attractive for Bl ack. After, for example, 10 . . . 1LXC3 11 'i'xc3
'/I!VxC 3 12 bxc3 Black's h orribl e dark-square h ol e s on th e queen side outweigh White's
comprom ised pawn structure. In deed, Black's bishop often ends up retreating to e 7 - fOT
exampl e after 10 . . . b S 1 1 'i'e 1 ! ? (with ct:lxb S ideas) 11 . . . 1Le7 - because on b4 th e bishop gets
in th e way of Black's n atural pawn push . . . b4.
156
The Eng lis h A t tack
Question: After 8 ..ie7, is Black going to

. . .
transpose to a Scheveningen with ... d6 ?
Answer: Th ere are a few l i n e s where ... d6 n eeds to be played for a concrete reason , but in
general th e idea i s to l e ave th e pawn on d7. As we'll see, it's very useful for Bl ack to be abl e
to do so.
9 f3
Black has two m ai n opti on s h ere, and we will study both :

a) 9 ... 0-0 (or 9 . . . b S foll owed by . . . 0-0) i s covered in G am e s 17-20.
b) 9 ... h S ! ? i s covered i n G am e s 2 1 - 2 2 .
Game 1 7
M.Pa cher-S.Brunello
Liv i g n o 201 1
1 e4 c5 2 ctJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJc6 5 ctJC3 WiC7 6 .J1I.e3 a6 7 Wid2 ct'lf6 8 O-O-O � e7 9 f3 b5
Black has more often pl ayed 9 . . 0-0 10 g 4 an d only th en 10 . . . b S , but Brun ell o ' s choice of
.
move order simply tran sposes.
157
10 g4!
White gets on with h i s pl an . Th ere's no point del ayin g th i s advan ce.
Question: Wh at about 10 �f4 here ? It worked agai n st 7 . . . b S .
Answer: Th e key difference h ere i s th at Bl ack' s bishop i s already o n e 7. So Bl ack can pl ay 1 0

��f4 e S ! 1 1 0\xc6 dxc6 ! . Because the d8-square i s covered, White can't take o n e S and must
lose an oth er tempo with h i s bishop. Bl ack i s fin e .
10...0-0 11 g 5 tnh5
Exercise: Con sider the followin g three option s and try to work out which
gives Black the m ost problems to solve: a) 1 2 �h 3 ; b) 12 ttJce2 ; c) 1 2 f4.
158
Choosing between the h S - and e8-squares i s a critical deci sion for Bl ack, and not an
easy one to make. ( For h i s part, White m ust often m ake a similar deci sion after . . . b4: does
the knight g o to a4 or e 2 ?) Brun ello's choice, l 1 ...'!i:Jh s, is m ore active. It provides an
obstacle to White's pawn -storm i n g ambition s on th e kin g side sim ply by blocki n g the path
of the h-pawn , an d slowi n g down White' s attack i s certainly desirable for Bl ack. Th e
downside is th at the knight i s al so slightly vul n erabl e on h s, and Wh ite's attempts to gain
an advantag e typically focus on th i s factor. Even so, at th i s m oment in time 11 . . . 0-'lh S is
con sidered to be th e m ai n l i n e, and th e choice of m ost Tai m anov experts.
Let's take a look at how play m ay develop after Bl ack' s altern ative, 1 1 . . .'�e8:
a) 12 h4 (with n oth i n g to stop h4-h s , th i s becom es the obvious pl an ! ) 12 . . . 0Je s ! 13 �bl
.1b7 14 hS Y.c8 1 5 �g 2 b4 16 ct:Ja4, S .K arjakin -A. Morozevi ch , Wijk aan Zee 2009. At first
sight this position looks a bit g ri m for Bl ack, as White's king side attack looks far more
developed than Black ' s on the oth er win g . H owever, Morozevich demon strated th at Bl ack 's
position is quite resilient: 1 6 ... fS ! (surpri s i n g ly Bl ack fi ghts back on the king side ! ) 17 g xf6
iiJxf6 18 �d3 l:tf7 19 b 3 lIcf8 2 0 lIdg l ct:Je8 2 1 l:th 3 �f6 2 2 ct:Jb 2 .
White is a bit better h ere, but Karj akin admitted th at after 2 2 . . . 0Jxd3 2 3 cxd3 ':;)d6, or
immediately 22 ... ct:Jd6, "there is n oth i n g special , an d there i s still a lot of pl ay". I ag ree with
this. White is m ore active, an d h a s the open g -file, but g 7 is well protected, Black's pieces
are well placed an d there is defi n ite scope for counterpl ay. Unfortun ately for MOTOzevich
he chose th e unn atural retreat 22 . . . ct:Jc6? an d after 2 3 CDxc6 �xc6 24 0JC4! the assessment
had swung dram atically i n White 's favour. Karj akin quickly g ained a decisive attack:
24 . dS ? 25 exds exds 26 h 6 ! and Morozevich resi g n ed in view of 26 . . . g6 (or 26 . . . dxc4 2 7
. .
.1xh 7+ ! ) 2 7 j), x g 6 h x g 6 2 8 �xg 6+ <J;h 8 2 9 �g 7 + ! .

b ) 12 ct:Jxc6 (White stops t h e . . .ct:J e s pl an before push i n g t h e h -pawn ) 12 . . . dxc6 13 h 4 e s
1 4 h S � e 6 1 5 g 6 l:td8 1 6 g x h 7 + �h 8 ! ( a typical defen sive re source: Black's k i n g uses White 's
doubled h-pawn as a shield ag ai n st White ' s attack) 1 7 �.d 3 , C. Balog h - D . M astrovasil is, Novi
Sad 2009 .
159
I feel th at White i s slightly better h ere, but again it's certainly n ot as clear as it initially
looks. In fact, g etting to th i s stage of the attack is the easy bit. Finding a way to break down
Black 's defences on the king side is a l ot h arder, and m eanwh i l e Bl ack h as opportunities for
counterpl ay on th e oth er win g . Still , I woul dn 't di spute the fact th at White holds an e dge in
a complicated positi on .
Let' s return to th e 1 1 . . .cL'lh S :
Answer: 1 2 t;iJce2!
Thi s i s a strong plan for White. H i s idea i s to play ttJg 3 whi ch woul d l eave Bl ack with an
un enviable choice: exch ang e on g 3 and open up the h -file for White' s rook, or play . . . g6 and
allow White to sh atter h i s kingside pawn s by exch an g i n g knights on h S . G ivin g in to either
of these depressing events coul d be m ore or l e s s fatal, but fortun ately Black's position
contai n s enough resources to avoi d such a scen ario.
Th e oth er two opti ons for White are n ot as g ood:
a) 1 2 f4? actually loses a pawn to 1 2 . . .cL'lxd4! 1 3 'iVxd4 ctJxf4.
b) 1 2 .�,h 3 intends jLg4, but l e aves th e c4-square unprotected. Bl ack can exploit th is
with 1 2 . . . t;iJe s ! threate n i n g ... ctJC4 (12 ... ctJxd4 1 3 'iVxd4 ctJf4 i s al so pretty good). If 1 3 �g4
there follows 13 ... 4JC4 14 'iVf2 ctJf4 and Bl ack h a s don e m uch m ore th an solve th e problem
of h i s knight on the ri m !
16 0
12...lLlxd 4 ! ?
Brunello reacts to th e ch al l e n g e by exchan g i n g knights wh ich, as we saw in th e
previous note, cruci ally rem oves a white defender from the f4-square. In fact, Bl ack's main
choice here has been 1 2 . . . Ud8 wh i ch is covered n e xt g am e .
Question: (ouM Black play 1 2 . . .g 6 , s o that ttJg 3 can b e met by ... ttJg 7?
Answer: Yes, h e could, except th at 1 2 . . . g 6 1 3 0Jg 3 CDg7 would rather defeat th e object of
playing l1.. .CDh S in th e first place ! White will now fin d it easier to open up th e king side
with h2-M-h S (after safeg uardi n g his g 3 -knight). Basi cally, if Bl ack has to resort to th is, it
would be much better to abandon 11 . . . CDh S and ch oose Morozevich 's 1 1 . . .l,!}e8.
13 'lxd4
13 �xd4 has al so been pl ayed. For exampl e , 1 3 . . .�b7 14 4jg 3 (or 14 � h 3 Eac8
[threaten ing to win with . . . �xg Sl l S c&bl fS ! - Mekhitari an) 14 . . . 0Jf4! (14 . . . 0jxg 3 1 5 hxg3
Ixg 3 looks incredibly ri sky) 1 5 h4 Uac8 16 � e 3 (or 16 <j.>bl fS ! ? with l evel ch an ces, G . G opal
A.Diamant, Bursa 2010) 1 6 . . . 0Jg6 ( 1 6 . . . �d6 ! ?) 17 �'f2 (or 17 h 5 t;;J e S ! 18 f4 ClJg4 19 .� d4
ld6 ! 20 eS �c S ! ) 17 . . . CD e s ( 1 7 . . . fS ! al so l ooks prom i s i n g ) 18 �d3 dS (again 18 .. .fS ! ) 19 >tbl
dxe4 20 �xe4 CDC4 21 �xb7 jVxb7 22 CDe4 b4 23 Ud3 Ufd8, V.Talla-S. Brun ello, (hur 2010.
Black is fin e h ere and went on to win .
Pacher's 1 3 jVxd4 h a s th e m erit of preventi n g 1 3 . . . itb 7, so Brun ello fi nds anoth er way to
gain activity:
13 ... fS ! ?
161
Question: H ow can Black g et away with thi s advance?

It looks very risky opening up lines on the kin g side.
Answer: We've already seen i n a few exampl es, above, th at . . .fs is a key resource for Bl ack in
th i s l i n e . Of course there ' s an element of risk i n advan cing on th e king side, but . . .fs g ains
counterpl ay by activating the rook on th e f-file. Rem ember th at White ' s advan ce of the g
pawn h as l eft the f3 -pawn backward and vuln erabl e, wh ile . . .f4 foll owed simply by ... �xg5
i s an oth er i dea.
It's worth n otin g th at th i s . . .fs advance i s seen far less in Sch eveni n g en position s. By
keepin g the pawn on d7 rather than m oving it to d6, Bl ack m aintai n s a sol i d d7/e6 pawn
structure . Th e .. .fs advan ce woul d be far ri skier with Black's pawn on d6, as th e e6-pawn
woul d autom ati cally becom e vul n erabl e.
14 exfs
N atural though it looks, Black g ets an excellent position after th i s capture, so th i s is a
g ood place to l ook for a m ore ch all enging try by White:
a) 14 g xf6 i s an obvious candidate. After 14 ... .txf6 1 5 �d2 Bl ack can g et some grip on
the position with l s ....i1L e s ! ? preventi n g the f3 -f4 advan ce. If 16 .tg 2 , to defend 0, Bl ack can
continue with 16 . . . Erf7 (prepari n g ... .tb7) or 16 . . . as with . . . Ma6-d6 ! ideas.
b) An oth er possibil ity for White, and perhaps the m o st critical one in th e position, is 14
0)g 3 ! wh i ch virtually forces 14 ... ct'lf4. Th e position rem ai n s compl i cated, but I woul dn 't be
surpri sed if White h ad an edg e of som e sort h ere, for example after 15 exfs .txg s 16 ttJe4
e5 17 �d6 0)e 2 + 18 .txe2 .txe 3 + 19 'it'bl �xd6 2 0 ct'lxd6.
14 . . ,JIx f S 1 5 �g4
162
Exercise: Find a g ood move for Black.
Answer: 1S ..I1i,b7!
...
An excellent m ove by Brun ello. Bl ack doesn 't h ave to defend th e knight with . . . g6, at
least not yet.
16 tiJd4 J:tes!
Of course Black ' s previous m ove only work s because of th i s counter-threat.
17 id3
lf 1 ? "i'xh s , plan n i n g 17 .. J:txe3 18 ..I1i,d 3, Bl ack can kill White's hopes with the powerful
.
zwisch enzug 1 7 . . . g 6 ! before taking on e 3 with some advantag e.

17 g6! 18 J:the1 .Mf8
...
163
Bl ack h a s the advantage. H i s army i s perfectly coordin ated, with every single piece well
placed and h i s king secure. I n addition, White has pawn weakn esses, for example f3 and
g 5 . Fin ally, there are num erous tactical possibilities for Bl ack ( . . . l:!.xe3 foll owed by ... l:!.f4 is
just one).
1 9 �b1 tLlf4!
Thi s i s anoth er!
2 0 h4 tLlxd3 ! ? 2 1l:!.xd3 �d5
Threatening . . . 'iNa5 .
2 2 b3 iLC4! 2 3 bxc4?
The cal m retreat 2 3 l:!.dd 1 ! i s m uch m ore resilient. Pach er was probably afraid of
2 3 ... iLb4 but h ere 24 'iNg 3 ! i.xe1 2 5 'iNxe 1 i s n 't strai ghtforward for Bl ack, despite the
m ateri al advantage . He defi nitely h as th e advantage, but con si derabl e work n eeds to be
don e to convert it.
2 3 ... bxc4 2 4l:!.dd1l:!.b8+ 2 5 tLlb3
Thi s i s forced. 2 5 �c1 'iNa5 win s, as does 2 5 �a1 'iNa5 (th reaten ing . . . 'iNc 3 +) 26 tLle2
'iNxa 2 + ( . . . and th i s ! ) 27 �xa2 l:!.a5 m ate.
2 5...l:!.c8!
A surpri sing calm m ove. It seem s th at White can't do anyth ing useful to defend his
position. For exampl e : 26 tLld4 'iNb6 + 27 �c 1 'iNa 5 ! ; 26 tLld2 iLb4 27 'iNf4 l:!.b 5 ! ; or, finally, 26
l:!. c 1 cxb3 27 cxb 3 l:!.xe 3 ! '
2 6 'iNg2 cxb3 2 7 axb3
If 2 7 cxb 3 then 2 7 ... i.a3 ! th reate n s ... l:!.xe3 and sh oul d win, e . g . 2 8 'iNd2 l:!.d5 29 'iNe2 'ies
30 l:!.xdS exd5 3 1 'iNd2 'iNf5 + 3 2 �a1 l:!.c2.
2 7. . . �b4!
Now the bishop comes to c 3 , and m ate on a1 i s loom i n g .
2 8 l:!.e2 iLC3 29 b4
164
29 Jb5!
..
Another pl ayer mi g h t h ave preferred the flash ier 2 9 .. :iVa s ! .

3 0 bxa5 '*xa5 0-1
Game 1 8
R.Kazantsev-A.Terekhov
Cor respond ence 2009
1 e4 c5 2 CLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 CLlxd4 CLlc6 5 CLlc3 '*C7 6 iLe3 a6 7 '* d2 CLlf6 8 0-0-0 iLe7 9 f3 0-0
10 g4 b5 11 g5 CLlh5 12 CLlce2
1 2 'it'b1 is covered next g am e .
Question: H ow does Black recapture if White takes o n c6?
Answer: Here, and i n similar position s, Bl ack n orm ally recaptures with th e d-pawn rather
than th e queen, for three reason s :
1. I t autom atically solves any probl e m s reg ardi n g pressure o n th e d7-pawn .
2 . With a pawn on c6, coveri n g the ds-square, it suddenly becom es much more
desirable for Bl ack to play . . . e S , whi ch cl amps down on th e f4-square and all ows the bishop
to develop to e 6 .
3 . With th e d-file open , Bl ack c a n pl ay ...,U d 8 with a g ain o f t i m e on t h e white queen.
After 1 2 CLlxc6 dxc6 ! I feel th at Bl ack' s position has becom e m ore comfortable.
165
For exampl e :
a ) 1 3 f4 b4 14 ct'le 2 .l::!, d 8 1 5 �e l .l::!, x dl+ 1 6 �xdl g 6 1 7 iil. g 2 e 5 ! w a s a t least equal for
Bl ack in G . Dulic-O.Jovan ic, Bol 2 0 1 1 .
b) 1 3 'tIYf2 e 5 ! 14 h 4 iil.e6 1 5 iil.h 3 �c8 ! 1 6 �g 2 iil.xh 3 1 7 .l::!, x h 3 g 6 1 8 � g 4 .l::!, d 8 19 l:l.xd8+
�xd8 20 .l::!, h l �C7 2 1 .l::!, d l .l::!, d 8 22 .l::!, x d8+ �xd8 is slightly better for Bl ack, despite the
simpl ificati on , K.Gul am al i -A.Zapata, Chicago 2008.
Th e probl em White faces i s th at his kingside pawn s are vul n erabl e an d al so fi xed, and
it's worth pl ayi n g through the rest of the g am e to see h ow Zapata squeezed out a win from
h ere : 2 3 0idl h 6 ! 24 ct'lf2 h xg 5 2 5 h xg 5 c 5 2 6 �g l c4 2 7 ct'lg4 iil.xg 5 2 8 ct'lxe 5 ct'lg 3 ! 29 'it'bl
.�xe 3 30 �xe3 �d6 ! (winning a pawn ) 31 f4 ct'lxe4 3 2 a4? �dl+ 3 3 'it>a2 �XC2 34 axbs C3 35
ct'ld3 cxb2 36 0Jxb2 CDc3+ 37 'lii a 3 ct'lxb 5 + 38 'lii a 2 ct'lC3 + and White resi g n ed.
N ow l et's return to th e game, and to the position after 1 2 ct'lce 2 :
166
12 l:td8
...
Question: Why did Terekhov play this move? Why not just 12 ... j"b7 ?
Answer: Black wants t o pl ay . . . JLb7, but pl ays . . . �d8 first t o protect the d7-pawn . Th e
immediate 12 ... JLb7 might be m et by 1 3 tDxc6 ! . As m entioned above, Black's most desirabl e
recapture in th i s l i n e i s usually . . . dxc6, but after 1 3 . . . dxc6 White can exploit a tem porary
disharmony in Bl ack's camp by pl ayi n g 14 'iVd7 ! . Al so, if Bl ack ch ooses 13 . . ,,�.xc6 there
follows 14 tDg 3 ! and Bl ack has to m ake a con cession on the king side.
12...ttJxd4! ? was covered i n th e previous g am e , Pach er- Brun ello.
13 tLlg3
This is th e logi cal foll ow-up to 12 tDce 2 , but l et's al so take a l ook at some oth er
possibilities:
a) 13 'iitb l i s covered n ext game.
b) 13 �h 3 ! ?, intending JLg4, i s an oth er way to try to exploit th e knight's position on h S .
One possible l i n e i s 1 3 . . . g 6 1 4 JL g 4 e S 1 5 tDb 3 (if 1 5 tDfS g xfs 16 JLxh S d S ! ) l S . . . dS !
(15 .. ttJg7? all ows White to g et a bind with 16 tDc3 ! ) 16 exds tDb4 17 CLlc3 .�b7 18 'iVf2 tDxds
.
19 tLlxds �xdS 20 �xd S JLxdS 21 JLxh S g xh S .
167
Question: Why has Black allowed White to split

h i s kin g side pawn s with i.xh S ?
Answer: In some scen ari o s - a n d th i s i s on e of them - Bl ack can allow a n exch an g e on h S ,

for a number o f reason s :
1 . White h ad t o g ive u p h i s light-squared bishop t o force t h e exch an g e . Thi s i s not as
desirabl e as exch an g i n g knights on h S and gives the bishop pair to Bl ack.
2. By playin g ... dS, Bl ack m an ag e d to liberate h i s light-squared bi shop, wh ich no longer
h as an opponent after th e exch ang e on h S .
3 . Even though Bl ack ' s kingside pawn s are ugly, h i s king i s in n o i m m ediate dan ger. The
enemy pawn on g s acts as a useful shield.
c) 1 3 f4 expan ds on the king si de, but Bl ack g ai n s m ore possibiliti e s for counterplay
because the e4-pawn h a s been weakened: 1 3 ... .I1I.. b 7 ( 1 3 . . . g 6 i s al so decent) 14 .I1I.. g 2 .l:!.ac8 15
'It'bl (if 1 5 .I1I..f 3 Bl ack has the resource lS .. .cDXd4 1 6 tLlxd4 - or 1 6 .I1I.. x d4 tLlxf4! 1 7 tLlxf4 eS -
16 ... tLlxf4! 1 7 .I1I.. xf4 e S 18 .I1I.. g 3 d6 ! and if the knight m oves then 19 . . . .I1I.. x g S ! ) l S . . . g 6 ! ? (giving
th e knight th e g 7-square and al so protectin g fS ... ) 16 .I1I..f 3 (1 6 tLlb 3 ! ?) 16 . . . e s ! ( . . . in
preparation of th i s m ove ! )
168
17 tLlfs (17 tLlxc6 dxc6 18 'Yi'cl tLlxf4 19 tLlxf4 exf4 20 .liLxf4 looks equal ) 17 . . . gxfs 18
1xh5 ds (18 ... tLlas ! th reatening both ... tLlC4 and ... .liLxe4 l ooks very good for Bl ack) 19 exds ?
(White had to pl ay 19 exfs ) 19 ... tLlb4! 20 tLlC3 tLlxd s 2 1 tLlxd s �xds 2 2 'Yi'f2 �xh l 2 3 l"!,xh l
1(5 0-1, K.Ambarcum ova- K.Mekh itarian, C appel l e l a G rande 201 1 .
13 ... tLlxd4!
The only move : Bl ack h a s to divert White ' s queen or bishop so th at he can pl ay . . . tLlf4.
14 1xd4
White has two alternatives in 14 �xd4 and 14 tLlxh s . Some possible lines:
a) 14 �xd4 tLlf4 1 5 h4 .liLb7 1 6 .liLe3 tLlg 6 17 h 5 (White g ai n s time for h i s attack by hitting
the black knight; on th e oth er h and, th e knight i s being ch ased ri ght back into the game ! )
17 . . .tLle s ! 18 'Yi'f2 ! ? d s ! (th i s l eads to a forcing tactical sequen ce) 19 �b6 �xg s + 20 �b l
dxe4 21 �e2 l"!,xdl+ 2 2 l"!,xdl 'Yi'c6 2 3 f4! l"!,c8 24 c 3 tLld7 2 5 l"!,xd7 'Yi'xd7 2 6 fxg s b4,
S.Pawlowski- R . H einke, correspon dence 2009. Chances l ook roughly equal here.
b) 14 tLlxh s tLlxf3 ! is actually an exch an g e sacrifice rath er than a win of a pawn . After 15
169
'iVf2 ! ct:Jes ! (not l s . . . ct:Jxg s ? 1 6 l:!.g l ) 1 6 iLb6 'iVb8 1 7 ct:Jf6 + ! 'it>h 8 ! 18 iLxd8 iLxd8 Black's extra
pawn, bi shop pair, strong knight and dark-square control give excellent compensation.
R. Fran cisco-A.Zapata, Arlington 2010, continued tactically with 19 'iVcs ! (19 'iVh4 gxf6 gets
nowhere) 19 ... 4'lg6 20 tLlxd7 (Rybka prefers the aesthetic 20 ct:Je8, and h ere 20 ... 'iVe s 21 "i'xes
ct'lxe s 2 2 h4 iLb7 2 3 ct:Jd6 iLc6 24 iLe2 iLO l ooks roughly equal ) 20 ... iLxd7 2 1 l:!.xd7 'iVf4+ 22
rJib l 'iVxe4 2 3 iLg 2 'iVxg 2 24 l:!.hdl iLxg s (24... iL a s ? 2 5 b4! ) 2 s l:!.g l 'iVxh 2 2 6 'iVxg s h6. Black
has been forced to give back the piece, but he now has three pawn s for th e exch ange.
14 ...ct:J f4
15 h4
1 5 �bl i s an oth er critical try.
Question: It hardly looks critical. I sn 't it just a typically

cautious m ove to nudge the king to a safer square?
17 0
The Eng l i s h A t t a ck
Answer: Th at's true of m any <>tb l m oves in th e Sicil i an , but in thi s in stan ce it carries
greater signifi cance. Some of Bl acK' s tacti cal resources only worK if th e King i s on cl. A basic
example i s that, with a king on b l , a queen recapture on f4 no longer comes with check.
This mean s th at White already threaten s a tactical i dea with 16 Jl.xf4 �xf4 (no check ! ) 17
lilh S, or even 1 7 �xg 7+ and 1 8 iDh S+. Let' s look at few possibilities:
a ) Black can often g et away with taking on gs, but h ere it l ooks dubious: l S ....Jbg S ? 16
es!.
b) lS ... itb7 (ignori n g White ' s threat) 1 6 itxf4 �xf4 1 7 iDh S (17 �xg 7+ �xg 7 1 8 f;�h S +
M8 19 lLlxf4 itxg s i s n i c e for Bl ack) 1 7 ... e s ! (only m ove) 1 8 �f2 itc S ! (18 . . . �xg s 1 9 f;-'lxg 7 ! )
1 9 'fxe s �xf3 20 iDf6 + ! g xf6 2 1 � d 3 , V.Quesada Perez-A. Fier, Sabadell 2010. Despite Bl ack's
ingenious defence, I still prefer White' s chances i n view of Black's sh aky kin g .
e ) l S ... iDg 6 (deal i n g with the threat) 1 6 � 6 ( o r 1 6 iDh S e S 17 � 6 �c6 18 c 4 bxc4 1 9
·fxe6 '/2-V2, D . K okarev-J . G ell er, S t Petersburg 2010 - after 19 . . . dxc6 2 0 ,l;\.xd8+ .S;;:. xd8 2 1 iI..xC4
both sides h ave pawn weakn esses) 16 ... �xb6 17 itxb6 Ye8 18 h4 dS 19 exds exds 20 iDh S
id6 21 �d4 �es with l evel ch ances, N . H uschenbeth -A. Fier, Moscow 2011.
1 5 ... .1b7!
Question: Why the exclamation marK fOT such a natural m ove?
Answer: Because, as we'll soon see, it i s th e precursor to a very clever piece sacrifice. Black
could avoid the s acrifice, but only at a cost of accel eratin g White's attack. For example,
lS . ..lZlg 6? 16 h S ! �xg 3 (16 ... iDes 1 7 h 6 ! ) 1 7 h x g 6 fxg 6 (or 1 7 ... h x g 6 18 �h 3 �C7 19 eS
followe d by 'iVh4) 18 �h 3 'ilC7 1 9 ite2 intendi n g �ah l (Terekhov) . Th i s i s th e sort of
position that Bl ack shoul d be doi n g anythi n g to avoi d - even giving up a piece !
16 'fb6!
We've already seen th i s i dea in the notes, above . Here th e situation becomes critical
because Black can n ot exch an g e quee n s on b6 with out losing th e d7-pawn, nor can he
171
The Sicilian Taiman ov: Move by Move
allow an exch ange on C 7 with out losing th e knight on f4. So h e i s forced to m ove h i s queen.
16 ...'ilVb8!
Bl ack is ready to break out advantageously with . . . d S , but Kazantsev's next m ove is very
annoyi n g for Bl ack :
17 �bl!
Thi s king m ove agai n ! Now . . . 'ilV xf4 no longer com e s with ch eck so 17 . . . dS can be m et by
18 jLxf4 'ilVxf4 19 'ilV xb7 'ilV xg 3 2 0 'ilV xe7 and White' s a piece ah ead. Bl ack coul d retreat the
knight with 17 ... tZ'lg 6 but th en White g ai n s t i m e: 18 h S tZ'les 19 f4 tZ'lg4 20 �h 3 tZ'lxe3 2 1
'ilV xe3 a n d White' s attack o n th e king side already looks well advan ced, D.Klein
D . N aroditsky, Wijk aan Zee 2011.
Question: So what does Black do?
Answer: 17...d5!!
H e pl ays it anyway and s acrifices a piece !

18 �xf4
White h a s gone too far down th e road to turn back n ow. Any oth er m ove woul d leave
Bl ack with a g ood position (and without bei n g a piece down ) .
18 ...'ilVxf4 19 'ilVxb7 �C5!
A key m ove. White is a whol e piece ah ead but Bl ack i s abl e to exploit a temporary
dish arm ony in White ' s position :
1. Th e knight i s attacked;
2 . . . . 'ilV xf3 i s a useful tactical resource; and, most im portantly
3. White ' s queen l acks squares and is in dan ger of being trapped.
172
The Eng lis h A tta ck
20 exd s
Kazantsev decides to return the extra piece i m m edi ately. If White saves the knig ht with
2o liJe2 Black repl i e s with the calm 20 ... 'iYd6 ! . Suddenly White 's queen is th reaten ed to be
trapped with 21 . . . Ma7, an d if anyon e is better here it is Bl ack.
2o .l:th 3 al so safeguards the knight, an d n ow 20 . . J:!,db8 21 'iYc6 Mc8 22 'iYb7 i s a
perpetual attack on th e que e n . A draw was agreed h ere i n J . N eum an n - I . Bern ,
correspondence 2008 - th i s i s possibly th e first game where Bl ack pl ayed the piece
sacrifice. If in stead 2 0 ... 'iYd6 White has m ore resources to g et his queen out of troubl e, e.g.
21 1iJfS ! .
2 0...l'xg3 2 1 JLd3
If 21 f4 Bl ack can play eith er 21 ... 'iYxf4, e . g . 22 JLg 2 Mdb8 23 Mhfl Mxb7 24 �xf4 Md8, or
21...l'f3 ! ? 22 JLd3 g6 an d . . . 'iYxds , as i n dicated by Terekhov, with an equal position in both
cases.
21...J::!, d b8
Terekh ov settl es for th e draw by a perpetual attack on the queen. Bl ack could pl ay on
with 21 ... exds but White is perh aps a littl e bit better after 22 f4.
22 ixh7+!
173
Exercise: Find the best m ove for Black.
22 .:;1i.. x h 7+ is one fi n al try before bowi n g to the in evitabl e. 22 'i"c6 �c8 2 3 'ilVb7 Mcb8 24
'i"c6 (V2-'/2 , S.Ol iveira- R . Leitao, Am erican a 2009) is the "perpetual ch eck" on the queen.
Answer: 2 2 ...�f8!
One fi n al accurate m ove by Bl ack. Th e pawn g rab on h 7 m akes no difference - it will
still be a draw by repetiti on .
2 2 . ..�xh 7 ? 2 3 'i"xf7 l e aves Bl ack in som e troubl e. 'i"h s + foll owed by g s -g6 i s White's
idea, and if 23 ... 'i"e s there follows 24 �h e l 'i"fs 25 'i"xe6 (Terekh ov) wh en White h as four
pawn s for the bishop.
23 'i"e6 ;le8 24 't!Vb7 Jleb8 Yz-Yz
An entertai n i n g battl e, and one wh i ch demon strates the aston ishing depth of opening
preparation in th e m odern era of com puter-assi sted an alysi s.
Game 1 9
A.Shomoev-J.Gelier
R u s s i a n C h a m p i o n s h i p, I r k u t s k 2010
1 e4 e5 2 ':;lf3 e6 3 d4 exd4 4 iLlxd4 iLle6 5 iLl e3 'i"e7 6 �e3 a6 7 'i"d2 iLlf6 8 0-0-0 �e7 9 f3 0·0
10 g4 b5 11 g5 ':;"J h5 12 iLlee2
In th i s game we'll l ook at 12 iLlce2 �d8 13 �b l . We 've al ready seen in a few examples
the ben efit of playing Wb l, and some ch oose to play it early, before comm itting to any
parti cul ar pl an of acti on.
In fact, the king move i s som eti m e s pl ayed even before iLlce 2 , i . e . 1 2 �b l.
174
Question: Can Black play 1 2 �b7 h ere?

...
Answer: Once more 12 ... �b7 can be m et by an exch ang e on c6, m aking Bl ack recapture
with a piece rather than th e m ore desirabl e ... dxc6 : 13 CDxc6 ! �xc6 (as we've seen before,
13. . dxc6 14 I'/Vd7 ! is awkward for Bl ack) an d now White can continue with either 14 �h 3
.
planning �g4, or 14 CDe2 i ntendi n g CDg 3 .

Let's check out som e oth er possibilities after 1 2 Wb l :
a ) 12...g,d8 1 3 CD c e 2 tran sposes to our m ai n g am e . Rich ard Pal l i ser sug gests 1 3 �·f2 ! ?
with .ib6 ideas, and gives 1 3 . . .CDxd4 ( 1 3 . . .g,b8 ! ?) 1 4 �xd4 l"Ib8 1 5 �a7 g,b7 16 �e3 dS ! 17
exdS CL'lf4 and "it's quite possible th at Bl ack has en ough counterpl ay".
b) 12...ttJe s ! ? 1 3 f4 an d now:
bl) 13 ... CDc4? ! 14 �xC4 bXc4 (14 ...I'/VxC4! i s better, but White's attack i s quite advanced,
175
with f4-fS an obvious plan) 1 5 tDfS ! iL cs (if l s ... exfs then 16 tDdS 'iVd6 17 'iVe2 ! th reatening
both 'iVxh s and tDd6+) 16 �xcS 'iVxc s 17 tDg 3 ! tDxg 3 18 h xg 3 . Th e open h -fil e is going to be
deci sive: 18 .. J::t b 8 19 �al f6 20 'iVh 2 fxg s 2 1 'iVxh 7+ �f7 2 2 fS and White soon won ,
O. Kurm an n - S . Brun ello, Merl i m ont 2 0 1 1 .
b 2 ) 1 3 . . .tD g 4 ! i s better, forcing the exch an g e o f White 's light-squared bishop. After 1 4
e S ! ( 14 .ltg l ? 'iVxf4) 14. . . .ltb7 l S l:tg l tDxe 3 1 6 'iVxe 3 b4 1 7 tD e 4 .ltxe4 18 'iVxe4 d S 19 exd6
.ltxd6 20 fS White' s initiative g ives h i m som e advantag e, A.Motyl ev-V. Lazn i cka, Poikovsky
2 0 1 1 . Because of th i s , Bl ack sh oul d seri ously con si der g ambiting a pawn with lS ... b4!
(Mekh itari an) i n stead of l s ... tDxe 3 . After 1 6 l:txg4 bxc3 17 'iVxc 3 'iVxc 3 18 bxc3 l:tfc8 Black
certai n ly has reason able compen s ation for th e pawn , in view of White 's vari ous pawn
weakn esses.
c) 1 2 . . . tLlxd4 1 3 'iVxd4! (preventing ... �b7) 1 3 . . . g 6 14 iLh 3 ( 14 tDe 2 ! ?) 14 . . . b4 1 5 ttJ e 2 (15
ttJa4! ? ) l S . . . d S ! ? 16 exds l:td8 1 7 'iVb6 'iVxb6 1 8 �xb6 l:txd S 19 l:txd S exds 20 iLg4! ? (20 .ixc8
l:txc8 is equal ) 20 . . . tDg 7 (Palli ser sug g ests 20 . . . .ltd6 ! ? 21 iLxh S g xh s when Bl ack's bi shop
pair and light-square control com pen sate for h i s pawn weaknesses) 2 1 iLxc8 l:txc8 2 2 lLlf4
.ltxg s 2 3 ttJxdS with a slight edg e for White, I . S aric-S.Movsesian , Porto Canas 2011.
Let' s g et back to the g am e , and to the position after 1 2 ttJce 2 :
1 2 l:td8 1 3 e,i;b1
. . .
13 tLlg 3 was covered in our previous g am e .

13 . . . eS
Question: Thi s l ooks quite radical . Why not 1 3 ... �b7

now that the d7-square i s protected?
Answer: 13 ... .ltb7 looks okay, but it does allow White to demon strate one of th e benefits of
an early '.t>bl. After 14 tDg 3 ! (14 iLh 3 , as usual , is the oth er possibil ity) Black's n atural
reaction, as we h ave seen before, i s to play 14 ... tDxd4 1 5 'iVxd4 tDf4. H ere, h owever, White
176
can play 16 i1I.xf4! �xf4 17 ct:Jh S ! - see th e n ote on 15 �b l .itb7 in our previous game:
17 . eS 18 �f2 i1I.cs 19 �xc S �xf3 2 0 ct:Jf6+ g xf6 2 1 i1I.d3, V.Quesada Perez-A. Fier, S abadell
. .
2010. Basi cally, Bl ack has been i n duced into pl ayin g a l i n e h e might h ave oth erwi se
avoided (by answeri n g 15 �b l with l S".ct:Jg 6 ! in the previous game).
1 4 tiJfS !
Exercise: Choose between 14".3i.f8, keeping the bi shop,

and 14".dS, advancing in the centre.
14 tLlfs is obvi ously White' s most enticing ch oice, and it's al so be st:
a) 14 ct:Jxc6 ? dxc6 woul d give Bl ack everythi n g he wants, and after 15 �e l .l':rxdl+ 16
Ixdl i1I.e6 he h a s a clear advantag e.
b) On 14 ct:Jb 3 Bl ack can free h i s position with 14".dS ! 1 5 exds ct:Jb4. If 16 4'lc3 .�b7 and
Black regai n s h i s pawn with a good position .
Answer: 14 ... dS!
Once you com mit to a certain course of acti on , it usually n eeds to be fol l owed up
consi stently. Th i s i s certainly the case with 1 3".e S , which l eft big holes on fS and dS. 14".dS
is Black's only logical foll ow-up. There's simply n o tim e for l uxuries such as keeping the
dark-squared bi shop. If 14".i1I.f8 ? White return s th e knight to c 3 - 1 5 ct:JC 3 ! - with an vice
like grip on the position.
15 tiJxe7+ ct:Jxe7
177
16 ct'lg3!
If it wasn 't for th i s m ove Black would be doin g very well. It's the only m ove to cause
probl e m s .
1 6 . . . 01f4!
Once agai n, Bl ack avoids open i n g the h -fil e .
1 7 .�xf4!
Th i s forcing sequence l ooks like th e only th i n g to worry Bl ack.
17... exf4 18 ct'lhS!
Exercise: Try to fin d Bl ack' s n ext m ove. (Warning: difficul t ! )
It looks like Bl ack i s in real trouble h ere. H e desperately n eeds just one m ove t o connect
1 78
The English A ttack
his ro ok s, when everything woul d be m ore th an fine, but th ere are some threats. The main
concern isn't the attack on the f4-pawn , but the th reat of 'iVd4. For example, if 18 ... �b7 ? 19
Id4! and Black i s i n dire straits. In such position s, often th e only solution i s something
quite radical ...
18 i.g4 ! !
...
Geller pays a h i g h price - a bi shop ! - for the tempo h e n eeded to solve all his probl ems.
19 fxg4 dx e4 20 'iVe1 'uxd1+ 2 1 'iVxd1 ,Ud8 2 2 'iVe1
The forcing sequence h a s resulted in a position wh ich i s very difficult to evaluate with
any degree of certainty. Let' s begin by l i sting Black's compen sation for h i s sacrificed piece:
1. He has an extra pawn .
2. He has two mon ster passed pawn s on th e fifth rank.
3. White i s l acki n g i n development.
4. White's knight i s at l e ast temporarily sidel in ed, an d White's bi shop has very few
squares.
Does all th i s compen sation add up to be worth m ore th an , as much as, or less than a
bishop? Let's see wh at h appen s in the game. Interestingly, Rybka assesses th i s position as
completely equal !
22 :fd6
..
2 2...�d7 i s al so possible and h as been pl ayed m ore recently:

a) 23 .l¥.e2 f3 2 4 'iVC3 f6 25 .l¥.xf3 (if 25 'iVb 3 + then 25 . . .cDd 5 ! 2 6 �dl 'iVxg4 ! , or 25 'iVb 3+
iiJdS! 26 c4 'iVxg4 2 7 ct'lg 3 fxe 2 2 8 cxd5 'iVf3 2 9 d6+ 'it>f8) 25 . . .c2ld 5 2 6 'iVb 3 exf3 27 'iVxf3 fxg 5 ,
A.Chernobai - L. G al ojan, Voron ezh 20 1 1 . Bl ack h as regained h i s piece and the position i s
level.
b) 2 3 �h 3 ! ? ct'lg 6 24 a 3 and n ow:
179
bl) 24 . . . e 3 2 5 WiC3 ! Wid4 2 6 Wixd4 �xd4 2 7 �el �d2 2 8 iLfl ! (White m ust g et the bi shop
back i nto the g ame) 28 . . . l:.xh 2 was wildly unclear in A. Morozevi ch - P. Mal etin, Apatity 2011.
H ere Pal l i ser sug g e sts 29 c4! so th at White can g et going with his own pawn m ajority. One
possibl e l i n e h e gives i s 2 9 . . . �h l 30 Mcl f3 3 1 1L1g 3 5lg 1 3 2 cxb 5 ! axb 5 3 3 1L1f5 ! �xfl ! ? 3 4
YXxfl e 2 3 5 Mcl h 5 ! 3 6 0Jd 4 h x g 4 3 7 �C2 ttJf4 3 8 �d2 f6 ! ? 3 9 g xf6 g5 40 <j;e3 <j;f7 41 tZlxbS
�xf6 42 0'\C3 and "Wh ite sh oul d surely be wi n n i n g " .
b 2 ) Palli ser al so sug g e sts 24 . . . Wid4 ! ? to avoid Morozevich 's idea. Th i s m i ght i ndeed b e a
stron ger choice. White i s still tied up, and after say 2 5 WiCl e 3 2 6 �el �e 5 and .. J:(d2
Black's compen sation rem a i n s very serious.
23 .�. e 2
23 . . . ·;),)d S
Question: How about 2 3 .. .f3 h ere, like in the previous n ote?
18 0
Answer: 23 ... f3 has actually been played, but White cam e out on top: 24 "Yi'c3 f6 2 5 "Yi'b 3+
iLldS and here 2 6 A d l ! demon strates a difference from th e previous line. With th e queen
on d7, ... "Yi'xg 4 is possibl e. H ere it i sn 't, an d Black's compen sation is less clear. In J . Kotainy
N.Potpara, Alben a 20 1 1 , Bl ack lost th e thread: after 26 . . . fxg S ? 27 ct:Jg 3 "Yi'e s 28 ct:Jxe4! White
was winning in view of 28 ... "Yi'xe4 29 Axf3 an d Mdl follows.
24 t'd 2
White can try to pl ay m ore actively with c2 -c4 ideas, but I can understan d 5hom oev not
wanting to add a vuln erabl e king to h i s l i st of concern s. For example, 24 Mfl g 6 2 5 c4 bxc4
26 <ilf6+ ct:Jxf6 27 g xf6 "Yi'xf6 28 AXC4 Md4 ( Pall i ser), or 24 c4 ! ? bxc4 2 5 �xc4 e3 26 Mfl "Yi'e s
27 .bdS e2 inten din g 2 8 Mf2 O ! ; in both cases the position rem ain s very unclear.
24 g6 2 5 "Yi'xd5 "Yi'xd5 2 6 ct:Jf6+ 'itg7 2 7 ct:Jxd5 Mxd5
...
We've now reach ed an endgame and Bl ack stil l h as only one pawn for the bishop, but
those passed pawn s on e4 and f4 are ready to cause h avoc. For example, if White spends
time defending th e g s -pawn with 28 h4? there follows 28 . . .f3 , an d if 29 �dl? th en
29 . .�xdl+ ! 30 Mxdl e3 and th e two pawn s on the si xth defeat the rook !
.
28 c4!
Wisely, 5hom oev beg i n s h i s queenside counterpl ay with out further delay. He al so wants
to create more squares for h i s bishop.
28 �d 2 ! ?
...
Risky. Black coul d pl ay simply 2 8 ... MXg S ! 2 9 h 4 Mes foll owed b y . . .f3 , a n d th i s looks
stronger.
29 cxb5
29 .tfl ! f3 30 cxb5 axb s ( 3 0 . . . e 3 3 1 bxa6 Mdl+ 3 2 'itc2 Mxfl 3 3 Mxfl e2 34 Mh l f2 3 5 a7
fit' 36 a8"Yi' ! ) 3 1 Axb 5 e3 reach e s a fasci n atin g position. White now has two passed pawn s
of his own , but Black ' s f- and e-pawn s are still very stron g . 3 2 'itcl! MdS ( 3 2 .. .f2 ? 3 3 Mdl !
was White's i dea) 3 3 Aa6 ! (if 3 3 a4 th en 3 3 .. .f2 threate ns . . . Mxb S , and 34 �e2 Md2 3 5 �bS
ll,dS draws) 33 ... MaS 34 Mel Mxa6 3 5 Mxe 3 f2 36 Mf3 Mxa2 37 Mxf2 MaS 38 h4 Ma4 3 9 Mg 2 f6
181
and th i s pawn -down rook ending looks drawn .

29 . . . .l:!.xe2 30 bxa6 f3
Exercise: Thi s leads to a forced draw.

See if you can work out the rest of the game.
Answer: 3 1 a 7 f 2 3 2 a8'i' .l:!.e1+ 3 3 �c2! .l:!.xh1 34 'i'xe4 fl'i'

Bl ack is a rook ah e ad, but White h a s perpetual check:
3 5 'i'd4+ Wf8 3 6 'i'd8+ �g7 3 7 'i'd4+ �f8 3 8 'i'd8+ �g7 Yz-Yz
Game 2 0
M.Mosquera-R.Leitao
Pa n A m e rica n Tea m C h a m p i o n s h i p, M e n d e s 2009
In th i s game we'll con clude our coverag e of the 9 . . 0-0 l i n e by looking at one or two
.
oth er attacki ng possibiliti e s for White.

1 e4 c5 2 41f3 41c6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ttJxd4 e6 5 ttJc3 'i'C7
Th e game's actual move order was 5 ... a6 6 �e3 ttJf6 7 f3 'i'o 8 'i'd2 �e7 9 g4 0-0 10
0-0-0.
6 <�e3 a6 7 'i'd2 ttJf6 8 0-0-0 �e7 9 f3
Question: What should Black do if White chan g es tack and plays 9 f4?
Answer: We'll study th e m ai n f4 l i n e s next ch apter, but it's worth noting th at White can
pl ay f2 -f4 in a number of position s, n ot just on m ove six. Sch eveningen pl ayers m i ght be
182
happy to play 9 . d6 h ere, but Tai m an ov players will prefer 9 b S .

. . . . .
The . b7-bS advan ce i s especially logi cal given th at f2 -f4 disreg ards t h e defence of
. .
White's e4-pawn , and Bl ack already threatens ... b4. Let's ch eck a couple of lines:
a) 10 .id3 b4 1 1 ct:Ja4 J:1b8 (to prevent the knight com ing to b6; 1 1 . . .4Jxd4 12 �xd4 1J:,b7
13 ti:lb6 l:tb8 - Palliser - al so looks g ood) 1 2 'It>b1 d6 (Bl ack goes to Scheven ingen mode to
prepare .lid7, an d White m ust spend tim e safeg uardin g his knight on a4) 1 3 b3 0-0 14
. . .
ilxc6 'i'xc6 1S J:1h e 1 "fiC7 1 6 "fie2 .lid7 ! 17 ct:Jb2 .libs and Bl ack was fi ne, V.Gashimov
S,Movsesian, Reggio Emilia 2010.;
b) 10 eS feel s m ore ch allen g i n g .
Exercise: H ow d o you think Black

should respond to the attack on h i s knight?
183
Answer: 10 . . . b4! i s the m ove Bl ack wants to pl ay, and i n deed e4-eS i s often answered by a
counterattack with . . . b4. Bl ack's knight doesn 't want to m ove first, as th i s allows White's
c 3 -knight to win th eir m i n i -b attl e i n the centre. After, for example, 10 ... tDg4 l l tDxc6 fhc6
12 ite2 ! tDxe3 13 'lixe 3 jLb7 14 jLf3 'liC7 15 itxb7 'lixb7 16 tDe4 White's knight h as found a
n i ce outpost on e4. I n contrast, after 10 . . . b4! l l tDa4 tDds it's Black's knight who has won
the battl e .
I n vi ew o f th i s , i t ' s m ore ch al l e n g i n g for W h i t e to m e et 10 . . . b4 with 1 1 exf6 bXc3 1 2
�xC 3 jLxf6.
Bl ack will be h appy th at h e ' s swapped h i s b-pawn for a centre pawn . On the oth er hand,
White can still strive for the initiative. For example, 13 g 4 ! h 6 14 h4 itb7 1 5 Mh 2 ! (15 Jl.g2?
i s worse: after l S . . . MC8 White can't play 1 6 'lid2 as 1 6 . . . tDxd4 wins due to m ate on c2: 1 7
,Jlxd4 itxd4 18 itxb7 Jl.e 3 ! ) lS ... MC8 1 6 'lid2 ite7 ! ? (cl ever prophyl axi s; Bl ack doesn't want
to castl e and walk i nto g4-g S ) 17 �b l ? ! ( 1 7 tDxc6 l ooks roughly equal ) 17 . . . tDb4 ! with good
counterpl ay for Bl ack, J .Aag aard-A.Rasmussen, Oden se 201 1 . Th e knight m i ght come to dS,
and 18 c4 allowi n g . . . ite4+ doesn 't l ook right.
N ow l et's g et back to the E n g l i sh Attack proper, with 9 f3 :
9 ...0-0 10 g4 bS 11 h4! ?
White del ays th e g4-g S advan ce. Th i s i s n 't just a prelude to a tran spositi on . As we'll
soon real i ze, Mosquera h as a specifi c idea in m i n d.
11...Jl. b7
184
The Eng lish A t t a c k
Exercise: Can you find a way for White t o prevent

Black from playing ... tDh 5 in respon se to g4-g 5 ?
Answer: By occupyi n g t h e square !

12 hS!?
Now ... tDh 5 i s out of th e question when White plays g4-g 5 , so Bl ack must make different
arrangements. Fortun ately for Bl ack, the two extra tempi taken by h 2 -h4-h 5 have given
him time to organize h i s forces and he is ready to counterattack on the queenside and in
the centre.
12...li:Jxd4 1 3 ii,xd4 b4
Black has al so played 13 . . . e5 h ere, e . g . 14 �e3 d 5 ! (an i dea we've seen before) 15 g s ( 1 5
exdS J:!.fd8 reg ains t h e pawn ) 1 5 . . . tDxe4 ( 1 5 . . . b4! ? ) 16 fXe4 d 4 17 c;'Jd S 1.,xdS 18 exdS dxe 3 19
'fxe3 with roughly l evel chances, A. l sm ag ambetov- S . Brun ello, Khanty-Man siysk Olym piad
2010.
14 Ii:Ja4 .sacS !
185
Exercise: Leitao's 14 ... l:!.ac8 threaten s something, and it

works agai n st both 15 g5 and 15 ttJb6. Work out what it is.
is .lZ.d3
Answer: Black ' s threat is seen after 15 g 5 ttJxe4! 1 6 fxe4 .1i.xg 5 ! , winning th e queen because
of the m ate on c 2 . It al so works after 15 ttJb6 ttJXe4! 16 fxe4 1i.g 5 ! . Mosquera's move
defends c 2 and l i n e s up g4-g 5 ag ain , but on the evi dence of th e game perh aps White
shoul d prefer eith er 1 5 l:!.h 2 or 1 5 '¥i'h 2 .
lS...dS!
Leitao m akes SUTe th at White's attack i s n 't all owed to progress sm oothly. Al so, 1 5 . dS
. .
offers Black's knight a n i ce retreat square on d7, which i s m uch m ore desirabl e than e8.
186
The Eng lis h A t t a c k
Exercise: H o w does Black intend t o meet: a ) 16 g 5 ; and b ) 16 �b6 ?
16 eS
Answer: If 1 6 g 5 , a s i m i l ar tactic works for Black: 16 . . .'�Jxe4! (not 16 . . . dxe4? 17 gxf6) 17 fxe4
dxe4 an d the bishop can't m ove because . . . .ltxg 5 woul d win ag ain.
If 16 tLlb6 Bl ack coul d j ust m ove th e TOok to d8, but 1 6 . . . e 5 \ i s just th e sort of s acrifice a
Sicilian player sh oul d always be watch in g out foT.
After 17 l!jxc8 (or 17 .\lI�f2 dxe4 ! ) 1 7 ... l1xc8, bi shop retreats are m et simply by ... dxe4, e.g.
18 �e3 dxe4 19 fxe4 l!jxe4 with huge compen sation . White coul d try 18 g 5 but then Bl ack
still refuses to retreat th e knight: 18 . . . etJxe4! 19 fxe4 dxe4. Despite tem porarily being a rook
down, Bl ack has the advantage h ere, e . g . 20 Uh e l (20 ite2 .�xg 5 ! ) 20 . . . exd4 21 .� Xe4 (21
Mxe4! �xe4 2 2 J!.,xe4 i s rel atively best) 21 ... 3txe4 2 2 )lxe4 .�xg 5 ! .
16 tLld7
...
Finally the kni ght retreats, but White still i s n 't all owed to focus on where he wants to
the kingside. H i s attention i s urg ently requi red el sewh ere. 16 . . . etJd7 covers th e b6-square,
and thi s suddenly m akes the knight on a4 vul n erabl e.
17 'i'e3 �a5! 1 8 b3
Of course, Bl ack m ust an swer 18 h 6 with 18 . . . g 6 ! , h ere an d in simil ar position s.
1 8 �c6!
. . .
A key move, forcing th e knight to m ove before White h as a chance to play �b l .

1 9 tLlb6 etJxb6 20 .1Lxb6 �xa2
Black has won th e a 2-pawn an d at fi rst sight th e position just looks wi nning for h i m .
Mosquera' s next m ove, h owever, nearly turn s th e table s :
2 1 \t>d2!
187
Exercise: Suddenly White threaten s to trap Black's queen

with l1al followed by .td4. How did Leitao escape?
Answer: 2 1 ... �b5!

Th e next few m oves are forced:
2 2 11al
If 22 ,�,d4 th en 22 ... ibd3 23 'iVxd3 � g 5 + win s , as c2 drops.
22 . .:iVb2 23 .�d4 n e 3 ! 24 Mhbl
24 � xC 3 loses to 24 ... bxC 3 + 2 5 We2 'iVxc2+.
24 ...MXd3 +! 25 'iVxd3 .Jtg5+ 2 6 Wdl 'iVxbl+ 2 7 Mxbl �xd3 2 8 exd3
Bl ack h as forced a l i quidation into an endg ame wh ere h e h as g ood chances to convert
188
The Eng lis h A t t a c k
his extra pawn .

28 J1c8 29 J::l a1 g6 30 ..ib2
..
30 J::l x a6 g xh 5 3 1 gxh 5 J::l c 1+ 3 2 �e2 J::l c 2+ i s similar to th e game.

30 gxh5 31 gxh5 J::la8 3 2 ..id4 � g 7 3 3 �e2 J::l c8 ! 34 J::l xa6 J::l c2+ 3 5 �e1 l::i: d2 36 1i:b6 Axd3
. . •
37 l:l,xb4 J::lxf3 3 8 J::l b8 J::l f4 39 �C5 J::l e 4+ 40 '\t>d1 '\t>h6 41 b4 ..if4

41.. .'It>xh 5 l ooks cl eaner.
42 l:l,f8! 'It>g7 43 b5 ..ixe5 44 b6 J::l a4 45 b7?
After 45 J::l d 8 ! White's passed b-pawn offers h i m g ood drawi ng chances.
4S ... l:l,a 1+! 46 '\t>c2 J::l a2 + 47 '\t> C 1 J::l b2
Winn ing th e b-pawn , and th e g am e .
4 8 h 6 + 'It>f6 ! 0-1
Game 2 1
F.Nijboer-A.Giri
D i e re n 2009
1 e4 c5 2 lLlf3 e6 3 lLlC3 lLlc6 4 d4 cxd4 5 lLlxd4 WiC7 6 ..ie3 a6 7 Wid2 lLlf6 8 0-0-0 .Xl.e7 9 f3
hS!?
Question: An other ... h5 i n th e Taim anov! But wh at's th e i de a thi s tim e ?
Answer: In th e previ ous two ch apters w e s a w examples o f . . . h 5 as a n attacking idea, either

preparing . . . lLlg4 or . . . h 4 and even ... h 3 . Th i s time, though, it's a prophyl actic idea. Wh ite's
plan was g 2 -g4, so Bl ack simply prevents it! Chess i s just as m uch about stopping your
opponent's pl an s as it is about i m plem enti n g your own , and th i s is especially the case
when your oppon ent has only one plan !
1 89
Question: So g 2-g4 is White's only plan ?
Answer: N ot quite, but g 2 -g4 i s the plan whi ch requires th e least amount of i m agination,
and it's am azing how e asy it is for even strong players to drift wh en deprived of their main
plan. For th i s reason, I feel th at 9 ... h S is a g ood practical choice for Bl ack.
Th e fol l owi n g g am e is a g ood example of h ow Black's strategy can be successful : 10
'it'b l bS 11 gd3 CLles 12 .l:!.h e l gb7 13 'iVf2 d6 14 CLlb 3 CLlfd7 ! 15 gd4 b4 1 6 CLle2 as 17 f4
1 7 . . . a4 ! 18 0:ld2 CDxd3 19 cxd3 ga6 2 0 'iVf3 CLlc S 2 1 e s ? iLxd 3 + 2 2 'it'al d S 2 3 iLxcs �xe2
24 'iVxe2 'iVxc s and Bl ack converted h i s advantage in C . Bal og h - B .Maciej a, Warsaw 2008.
In divi dually White's m oves all l ooked okay, but he seemed to struggl e to fin d any
coherent plan and fin ally Bl ack seized th e i n iti ative on the queenside. An d it's not just club
players wh o m ay strug g le after 9 ... h S - it was a 2 6 2 4-rated gran dm aster pl ayi ng White in
th i s g am e .
Th e cost o f preventi n g White's m ain pl an i s , o f course, a slight weaken i ng t o Bl ack's
king side. Twenty years ago n o-on e dared to pl ay like th i s , but in recent years . . . h 5 has
becom e widely accepted as a seri ous opti on for Bl ack - not just i n th e Taim anov but in
oth er Sicilian l i n e s like the N aj dorf and Sch eveni n g e n . For example, 2 ... d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tLlxd4
CLlf6 S I.1�C3 a6 6 1i�e3 eS 7 CLlb 3 iLe6 8 f3 h S ! ?, with s i m i l ar m otives to 9 . . . h S in our game, has
been pl ayed succes sfully at th e very h i g h e st l evel .
10 �f2
Thi s m ove contai n s two ideas:
1 . Th e queen and bi shop battery on the g l-a7 diagon al m i ght cause Bl ack probl ems,
with �,b6 (after CDxc6 or CLlb 3 ) an obvious i dea.
2 . White ' s queen might be abl e to create threats on th e king s i de by going to 93 or h4 at
th e appropri ate m om ent.
19 0
lo ... d6
Question: Does Black n eed to play this "Scheveningen" move?
Answer: Black can som eti m e s avoi d ... d6, or del ay it for a bit (as in Balogh-Macieja, above),
but ... d6 does tend to feature quite frequently in the 9 . . . hs l i n e .
O n e point t o remember i s th at Bl ack does n 't h ave the option o f castl ing early in th i s l i n e
- lO. . .O-O? would be totally i n consistent with Black's previous m ove, a n d Bl ack woul d soon
regret th e deci sion wh en White open s th e kingside h 2 -h 3 and g 2 -g4.
The altern ative wh i ch i m m e di ately com es to mind i s 10 ... bs, as in Bal ogh-Macieja,
above. This natural m ove i s n 't bad here either, but i n some ways it's exactly the move
which 10 'iYf2 was designed foT. After 11 tiJxc6 dxc6 ( 1 1 . . . 'iVxc6 12 e s ! ) 12 ii,b6 ! 'iVf4+ 13
le3 '1C7 14 �b6 'iVf4+ 1 5 'it>b l tiJd7 1 6 �d4 e s 17 � e 3 'iVf6 1 8 h4! �b4 19 .� g s �e6 Black's
queen was rath er awkwardly pl aced, an d 20 tiJe2 f6 21 �e3 'iVe7 2 2 g4 g ave White th e edg e
in R.Edouard- B . D amlj an ovic, La Massan a 2008.
Giri's ch oice of 10 . . . d6 takes m uch of th e stin g out of th e �b6 i dea, and al so all ows Bl ack
to recapture on c6 with th e queen with out worryi n g about e4-e s .
11 h3
Nijboer decides to prepare g 2 -g4, wh ich w i ll becom e possible again once White's rooks
are connected. Altern atively:
a) 1 1 ctJxc6 bxc 6 ! 1 2 �b6 'iVb 7 achi eves littl e for White n ow, apart from givi ng Bl ack a
potentially stron g centre.
b) 1 1 'iYg 3 attacks g7 but Bl ack can reply 1 1...h4! since 1 2 'iVxg 7 allows a perpetual
attack on the queen with 12 ... .l:rh 7 13 'iVg s .l:rh s 14 'iVg 7 .l:rh 7 etc. Even though th i s i s
obviously a th eoretical success for Bl ack, it m i g h t be a practi cal probl em in certain games -
where a draw i s n ot a good result - since objectively 1 1 . . . h4 does look like Bl ack's stron gest
move, but I 've yet to see an example of th i s sequence occurrin g in a real game.
191
11 bS 12 ct:Jxc6
...
As we've seen m any times before, White exch an g e s knights on c6 i m m ediately after
Bl ack pl ays . . . b 5 and before Bl ack plays ... �b7, to m i n i m i z e Black's opti on s for recapturing.
12 ... "iixc6 13 �d3
Now White i s fin ally ready to play g 2 -g4.
Exercise: Find a g ood positional m ove for Black.
Answer: 13 ... h4!

Preventi n g White ' s idea of g 2 -g4 again, or rather m aking it m uch l e s s desirabl e because
it woul d l ead to weakn esses in White ' s pawn structure. N ow White h as to th ink ag ai n !
Allowi n g g 2 -g4 i s o f course possible, but it does m ean th at White's play i s m uch more
strai ghtforward. Th e followi n g exam pl e i s som eth i n g th at Bl ack m ust try to avoid: 13 ... b4
14 ct:Je2 e 5 1 5 g 4 ! (of cours e ! ) 1 5 . . . �e6 16 'it>b l hxg4 (open i n g the h -fi l e only helps White;
Bl ack shoul d try the i m m ediate 1 6 . . . d5 or h ol d with 1 6 ... g6 - i n either case I still prefer
White thoug h ) 1 7 h x g 4 �xh l 1 8 �xh l d5 19 ct:Jg 3 dxe4 20 ct:Jxe4 ct:Jd7 2 1 �h 8+ (now Black is
i n real troubl e) 21 ... ct:Jf8 22 �c5 a s 23 �g 8 g6 24 ct:Jf6+ �xf6 25 �xf8+ 'it>d7 26 iLe4 iLd5 27
:ilxa8 �xa8 28 "ii d 2 'it>e6 2 9 f4 exf4 3 0 "ii xf4 �e5 31 �f5+ 'it>f6 32 g 5 + 1-0, M.Vachier
Lag rave-B.Macieja, G erm an League 2008. Bl ack certainly coul d h ave defen ded better h ere,
but g iven th i s experi ence it's h ardly surpri sin g th at M aciej a decided to use the . . . h4 i dea in
l ater games!
192
Exercise: Find a g ood respon se to 14 �g 5, hitting the h4-pawn .
14 1¥tbl
Answer: Th e possibility of � g 5 com e s into play a bit m ore after ... h 5 , since Bl ack can no
longer force it back with . . . h6. H ere, thoug h , 14 �g 5 ? ! i s a m i stake. Bl ack can reply 14 . . . b4!
when White must either g ive up h i s bi shop for the knight or lose a pawn to th e tactic 15
,Cje2 ctJxe4! 16 ..ITi.xe4 �xg 5+.
After Nijboer's 14 �b l, White i s ready to pl ay � g 5 - th e . . .ctJxe4 tactic no longer works
because . . ..ITi.xg 5 doesn't com e with check.
.
14... b4 15 ctJe2 es!
Question: Why is ... e5 a g ood m ove h ere?
1 93
Answer: Th i s i s an i deal m o m ent for Bl ack to adopt a N aj dorf pawn structure :

1. With th e knight on e 2 , White h as l e s s ch an ce to exploit the hole on d S .
2 . Black ' s pawn on e S covers d 4 and f4, h e avily restricti n g White's knight.
3 . Bl ack's l i ght-squared bi shop m ig h t g o to e6, wh ere it points at White 's king. In this
position, e6 i s probably a better square for the bishop than b7, because on b7 the bishop
hits a sol i d wall on e4 and Bl ack m ust rely on ... dS to fully bri n g it to life. Th i s i s n 't the case
with .. . �e6 - the bi shop i s active reg ardl ess, wh eth er Bl ack plays . . . dS or not.
16 �g5!
Exercise: How shoul d Bl ack save h i s h -pawn ?
After 16 C4 bxC3 ! ? 1 7 CLixc3 �e6 1 8 J:r.cl 'iVb 7 19 f4 exf4 20 .�xf4 O-O! 2 1 >tal CLid7 ! 2 2 g4
t;!� c S 23 �.b l a s , Bl ack ' s attack on the queenside i s stron ger th an White's on th e oth er wing,
F . Perez Pon sap-P.Cram l i n g , G ibraltar 2009. Th i s example shows th at castl i n g king side
certainly i s n 't out of the question for Black; it's just th at Bl ack usually delays doing 5 0 for
quite a whi l e .
Answer: 1 6 .. kld7!
G i ri real i ze s th at losing castl i n g ri ghts i s not a di saster h ere. Black's king will be
rel atively, though not compl etely, safe in the centre, beh i n d the d6- and e s -pawn s.
Certainly it seem s worth doi n g th i s in order to k ee p the h -pawn an d cany out a favourable
bi shop exchange.
1 7 il.xe7 >txe7
Strategi cally Bl ack i s doin g well h ere. H e h as a strong pawn structure, a good bi shop
and a m easure of dark-square control . On th e oth er h and, Black's k i n g i s less safe th an
White ' s . Overal l , I feel the chances are bal anced.
194
Th e E n g l i s h A t t a c k
18 "e3
Some more examples from g am e s reach ing th i s position :
a) 18 f4 'Yi'cS 19 'Yi'e1 lDf6 20 �f1 as 2 1 lDg 1 (eyeing th e h4-pawn) 2 1 . . . a4! 2 2 fxe s dxe s
23 �f3 a3 ! 24 b 3 ke6 2 5 c4? bXc3 2 6 kC2 �h d 8 n lDxh4 �xd1+ 2 8 'Yi'xd1 �d8 29 'Yi'C1 �d2
was very good for Bl ack in L.Mazi-V.Mal akh atko, Feffern itz 2 0 1 1 . But even with out 25 c4
Black is doi ng wel l . Th e key point is th at 2 s lDxh4 can be m et by 2 S . . . �xh 4! 26 ·� xh4 'Yi'C 3 n
itcl ..bb3 ! with advantag e to Bl ack.
b) 18 lDc1 (White plays position ally) 18 ... aS 19 'Yi'e2 lDf6 (19 . . . a4 ! ?) 20 itbS 'Yi'o 2 1 ita4
ie6 22 �h e 1 �ad8 2 3 'Yi'd2 �C4 24 lDd3 'Yi'b6 2 s lDf2 lDh S 2 6 lDg4 lDf4 2 7 lDe3 ..\te6 28 �b3
g6 29 i.xe6 fxe6 with equal ch ances, N . Kosintseva- LJ avakh i shvili, Ohrid 2009.
c) 18 g 3 ! ? (White i g n ores positional con si deration s to g et at Black's king) 18 ... 'Yi'c S 19
·i·g2 hxg3 20 'Yi'xg 3 lDf6 21 f4 ke6 22 fxe s dxe s 23 �df1 L1Jh S 24 'Yi'f3 (S.Melia-A.Giri,
Enschede 2009) and here I woul d be tem pted to g et going on th e queenside with 24 ... aS.
18...'I"C 5 !
195
The Sici l ian Taimanov: Move by Move
Question: Why does Bl ack want to exch an ge queen s ?
Answer: A queen trade would certainly suit Black m ore than White, because at a stroke
Black's only weakness - a kin g in the centre - woul d become a stren gth ! Un surpri singly
Nijboer isn't accomm odatin g .
Exercise: Assess 1 9 'ifg S + ltJf6 2 0 'ii'x g 7.
19 'iVd2
Answer: 19 'iVg S+ ltJf6 20 'iVxg 7 ? i s n ot a wi se pawn -grab by White. After 20 ... �e6 the only
way for White to extricate h i s queen is by 21 'iVg s but then 2 1. . J:tag8 22 'iVd2 �xg 2 regains
th e pawn with Black seizing the initiative. If thi s wasn 't already enough, th ere's al so
20 ... �xh 3 ! ? - a bishop for a tempo! - 21 �xh 3 �ag 8 and thi s time the queen i s trapped.
19...tLl f6 2 0 �hf1 �e6 21 f4
Exercise: Choose between 21...exf4 an d 21...aS.
Answer: 21...aS!
Giri simply holds on the kin g side, keepin g thi n g s as closed as possible, an d begins his
own assault on the queenside. He's n ot worried about f4-fS, even though it kicks the
bi shop from its active diagonal back to d7, because thi s pawn advan ce would block things
up and White's attack would gri n d to a virtual standstill.
In contrast, Black shoul d avoid 2 1...exf4? 22 tLlxf4, which criminally bri n g s White's
knight right back to life. Suddenly White has all sorts of attacking possibilities.
19 6
22 fxe5
2 2 l:tf3 a4 2 3 g4? h xg 3 24 lLlxg 3 a3 2 5 b 3 .l:txh 3 2 6 f5 �c8 2 7 �g 2 �c3 28 �cl .l:th4 was
winning for Bl ack in M . Kan arek - B . M acieja, Ch otowa 2009 . Th e . . . a4-a3 push , forcing further
weaknesses on White's dark squares (includi n g b2 ! ) is a com mon theme.
22 dxe5 23 �g 5
...
Exercise: Fin d a g ood m ove for Black.
Answer: 23 ... .l:th5!

Even with an open f-file an d a white rook on fl, the g 7 -pawn i s poisoned. If 24 �xg 7
then 24 ... lLle 8 ! traps the queen, so White i s simply forced to retreat. Th i s means th at 2 3
·i'g s i s definitely a m i stake. O n th e other h an d, it's n ot easy t o sug g est a good altern ative
fOT White after 22 . . . dxe 5 . Perh aps h i s wh ole pl an was fl awed and he would h ave been
better off ch oosi n g another route at m ove 1 8 .
24 "i'd2 .l:td8 2 5 �Cl a4
With advantage to Bl ack, wh o h as taken over the initiative. Now it's definitely White's
king wh ich i s un der g reater threat.
26 l:tf3 .l:td6 2 7 .l:tel �f8 2 8 b3 lLld7 29 .l:tefl f6!
Planning ... �f7 and th en to bri n g th e rook back to h8 an d over to the queen side.
30 "i'el �f7! 3 1 .l:t g l .l:th8 3 2 g 3
Finally it com es, but Black' s attack i s still th e qui cker.
32 .l:tc8! 33 g xh4?
...
Missing th e threat. White h ad to protect c2 with , say, 3 3 �d2 when Bl ack's position
remains "only" very g ood after 3 3 ... axb 3 3 4 cxb 3 �c6 (or 34 ... �a5 intending ... lLlc 5 ).
H axb3 34 �g 3
. . .
If 34 axb 3 th en 3 4 . . . .l:txd3 ! 3 5 cxd3 �C2 + 3 6 �al .l:ta8 m ate.
197
The Sicilia n Ta im a n o v: Mo ve by Mo ve
34 ...l'1xd3! 0-1
An excellent game by Ani sh Giri, and a good advert for th e 9 h S line.
...
Carne 2 2
J.G uerra Mendez-E.ltu rrizaga Bonel l i
Col l a d o Vi l la l ba 2010
1 e4 c5 2 lDf3 lDc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 e6 5 lDC3 WilC7 6 �e3 a6 7 Wild2 lDf6 8 0-0-0 iLe7 9 f3 hS
10 lDxc6! ?
Question: Thi s doesn 't l ook right. Why i s White taking on c6 when Bl ack
can still recapture with th e b-pawn ?
19 8
Answer: 10 ctJxc6 is a good example of thinking outside the box. Under norm al
circum stances, exch anging knights on c6 while Bl ack still has the possibility to recapture
with the b-pawn i s something White would h ardly ever con sider in thi s type of position . It
does, after all , significantly strengthen Black's centre and give him a h alf-open file down
which to attack the white king. However, White is tryin g to reach a situation where Bl ack's
...hS is irrelevant, or, perh aps more preci sely, rel evant only because it's a weakness!
Another creative idea i s 10 �g s, moving the bishop for a second time as if to emphasize
the weakness on gs created by Bl ack's previous move. Thi s shoul dn 't worry Black a great
deal, though. For example, 10 ... b S (or 10 ... d6 1 1 h 4 ctJe s 12 �e1 �d7 1 3 'it>b 1 bS - Quesada
Perez) 1 1 ctJxc6 dxc6 12 h4 ( Palli ser suggests 12 h 3 as an improvement; Bl ack should just
play in the same way) 12 ... e s ! 13 �f2 ii.e6, S.Movsesian -A. H orvath , Ohrid 2009. Bl ack is fin e
here, and will g ain straightforward counterpl ay o n the queenside.
Exercise: Returning to 1 0 ctJxc6, use knowledge from our previous game to

find a good positional move against 1 0... dxc6.
lo bxc6
...
As usual , when there's a choice of recaptures, ... bxc6 i s the m ost desirable option .
Answer: If Bl ack pl ays 10 ... dxc6, intending th e usual follow-up ... e S , White can interfere
with Black's pl an with 11 �f2 ! , an idea which shoul d hopefully be very familiar by now. If
11 ... eS then 12 ii.b6 ! �8 13 �C4 (or 1 3 ctJa4) really ties Black up, or 11 ... ctJd7 (to prevent
.tb6) 12 f4! intending e4-eS and ctJe4. Perh aps Bl ack's best bet i s 1 1 ... bS, alth ough then 12
.ib6 ! tran sposes to th e n ote on 10 ... b S from our previous g ame.
11 �f4
Question: Why i s White encouraging Black to play ... e s ? It's n ot as though

... eS leaves a hole on dS - thi s square is n ow covered by the c6-pawn .
1 99
Th e S i c i l i a n Ta i m a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
Answer: White wants to i n duce ... e S for two reason s :

1 . It m akes it m ore diffi cult for Bl ack t o achieve th e . . . d S advance.
2 . It opens th e a2-g 8 di ag onal , th ereby giving White's l i ght-squared bishop a clear-cut
rol e in the future. Of course, a bishop on the a2-g 8 diagonal m akes . . . d S even more difficult
to ach ieve. Al so, if th e bishop drops back to b 3 it h elps to reduce Black's attacking threat by
blockin g the b-file.
I n th e g am e I .Ch eparinov- P.Cram l i n g , Zafra 2009, White fi rst threw in 1 1 h3 h4 an d only
then 1 2 �f4 e S 1 3 � g S . Cheparinov g ained th e advantage after 1 3 . . . .s.b8 14 �C4 .s.b4 (Chess
Informant sugg e sts 14 ....iVaS ! ?) 1 5 �b3 a s 16 a3 .s.xb 3 ? 1 7 cxb 3 0-0 18 f4 - Cramling's
exch an g e sacrifice was too optim i stic.
Bl ack can obviously i m prove i n thi s line, and it's possible th at h e could start at the very
beg i n n i n g by forg oing 1 1...h4 i n favour of 1 1.. . .s.b8 ! , as sug g e sted by Palli ser. He gives 12
�f4 e S 1 3 �g s 0-0 "when Black's attack com es somewhat faster" an d I agree th at Bl ack has
g ood play on the queen side. One possible l i n e from h ere is 14 g4 dS ! 15 exds tDxdS 16
�xe7 �xe7 1 7 tDxdS cxdS 1 8 'iVxds �b7 with excellent pl ay for the pawn .
11 ... e 5
Question: White was trying t o force thi s m ove. Can Black avoid playing it?
Answer: It l ooks like the stron g est option. If Bl ack avoids ... eS h e run s th e ri sk of all owing a
dark-square bind, for example after 1 1 ... 'iVb7 1 2 .¥i.d6 ! or 1 1. . .'iVb6 1 2 tDa4 'iVd8 1 3 i.d6!.
12 �g5
12 d6
...
Pl anni ng . . . �e6, but there i s m ore th an on e way for Bl ack to pl ay thi s position. For
example:
a) 1 2 . . . �b7 (intendi n g ... .s.d8 and pushi n g for . . . d S ) 1 3 � C4 .s.d8 14 �b3 ( Pikul a sug g ests
14 �f2 0-0 15 �e3 with a slight advantage for White) 14 ... 0-0 1 5 g4 dS 1 6 .¥i.xf6 .¥i.xf6 17
200
Th e Eng l ish A t tack
exd5 cxdS 18 tLlxdS ? 'uxdS ! 19 jLxds ,Ud8 and Bl ack went on to win, B. Bok- F. N ijboer,
Netherlan ds League 2009. White shoul d pl ay 1 8 jLxds in stead, and here Pikul a assesses
18".hxg4 19 'uhg l e4 20 fxe4 jLes as un cl ear.
b) 12 ... aS
Question: What's the point behind this move?
Answer: As m entioned above, one of Wh ite's i deas i s to m ove h i s bishop to b3, blocking
Black's counterpl ay on th e b-file. Black's idea is to prevent thi s plan by pl aying ... a4, but
spending two tempi to do so obviously entail s some risk and White can probably keep an
advantag e by pl ayin g actively: 1 3 jLc4 a4 14 a3 'iVb6 1 5 f4! . Th is position looks difficult for
Black, e.g. lS .. .'iVc s ? ! 16 fxe s tLlg4 1 7 jLxe7 'iVxe 7 18 e 6 ! dxe6 19 'iVd4 0-0 20 h 3 c S 21 'iVd6
"g5+ 22 'iVd2 'iVxd2+ 2 3 'uxd2 tLle s 24 jLb s and White is on top, R. Robson -T. Hughes, Saint
Louis 2010. However, Pikul a shows how Bl ack can im prove with l S ... ,Ub8 when the am azing
variation 16 tLlxa4 'iVa7 1 7 fxe s 'iVxa4 1 8 exf6 'iVxa 3 ! 19 'iVxd7+! �xd7 20 bxa3 g xf6 2 1 �f4
ixa3+ 22 �d2 restricts White to only an edg e.
13 .1C4! �e6!
201
Th e S i c i l ia n Tai m a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
Exercise: Which recapture shoul d Black m ake after 14 i.xf6 ? :

a ) 14. . .�xf6; b ) 14. . .gxf6; o r c ) 1 4. . .�x c4.
14 ii.b3
Answer: 14 ii.xf6 shoul d be m et by 14 ... g xf6 ! . Black's compromised pawn structure is
compen sated by the potential of the bishop pair and the open files for his rooks. Th e tension
between th e light-squared bishops helps Bl ack, since if White exch anges on e6 Black's pawns
are strengthened, he g ain s m ore control of the centre, and ... ds cannot be prevented.
In any case, oth er opti ons are h ardly possibl e : 14 . . . �xf6 ? 15 �xe6 fxe6 16 'iVxd6 leaves
Bl ack a pawn down and with a terrible position, wh ile if 14 . . . �xc4? ! White can al so g rab a
pawn with 1 5 �xg 7 ':h 7 16 �h 6 .
14 J�d 8
..
2 02
Th e English At tack
I won der about 14 ... as h ere. If Bl ack was wil l i n g to pl ay the position after 14�xf6 g xf6,
then logically h e sh oul d n 't fear 1 5 iLxf6 g xf6 either.
15 h3
White return s to th e g 2 -g4 plan. A slightly earl i er game continued 15 �e2 as 16 \�bl
0·0 17 h3 (Pikul a sug g e sts 1 7 ..ltxe6 fxe6 18 .l::!. h e l .l::!. b 8 19 b 3 with a slight edge for White)
17 'ib7 18 g4 d s ! ? 19 exds tt'lxds 20 iLxds cxds, P.Negi-M .Vach ier- Lag rave, Biel 2010. Here
...
White coul d h ave pl ayed 2 1 �xe s ! since 2 1 ... d4 i s m et by th e resource 2 2�e4! (rath e r than
22 tLle4? .l::!. d s ! ) an d Bl ack probably does n 't h ave quite en oug h compensation for the pawn .
Black doesn 't h ave to play 1 8 ... d s , of course, an d 1 8 . . ..l::!. b 8, a suggestion from Palli ser, is
worth con s i derati on. H e g ives th e l i n e 19 iLxf6 iLxf6 20 .l::!. x d6 iL e7 2 1.l::!. d dl cs! threatening
C 4 and i nduci n g White to sacrifice th e exch ang e with 2 2 .l::!. d s ! ?, with uncl ear
...
consequen ces.
15 ... .1xb3 16 axb3
Exercise: Find a good positional plan for Black.
Answer: 16 ... h4!

This move h as two points:
1. White's g -pawn h as becom e fi xed.
2. Bl ack plans . . . tt'lh s ! , aim i n g for a favourabl e exch an ge of bishops (White's is the more
active) and eyeing f4 as an outpost for th e knight.
17 �bl tt'lh S ! 18 ..ltxe7 �xe7 19 �f2 .l::!. b 8
To prevent �b6.
2 0 Md2 0-0 2 1 .l::!. h d l .l::!.fd 8
Black is fully org anized, d 6 is sufficiently protected, an d . . . tt'lf4 is up ne xt. White
distracts Bl ack by attacking his queen si de pawn s.
2 03
22 �f1 a s 2 3 �C4
Exercise: Black would like to play 23 . .�C7 here. Why didn 't he?
.
2 3 ... -Ubc8
Answer: Th e C7-square is th e i deal home for th e queen, but h ere 23 ... 'iVC7 ? allows the tactic
24 ct:Jd5 ! . White wi n s a pawn , since if 24 ... �7 then 2 5 'iVxc 6 ! i s still possibl e !
24 �a4 �C7 2 5 ct:Je2
Th e most con sistent and critical m ove is 25 'iVa3, targ etin g th e d6-pawn . There is no
way Bl ack woul d agree to pl ay th e disg ustin g 25 ... c5, even if 2 6 ct:Jb5 wasn't avail abl e, so
the only option is counterattack with 2 5 ... ct:Jf4 ! . After 26 -Uxd6 -Uxd6 27 'iVxd6 'iVxd6 28l'!xd6
ct:Jxg 2 White h as to pl ay 2 9 ct:Je2 ! to prevent ... ct:Jf4. Th i s endgame looks approximately level.
One possible sequence i s a knig ht dan ce and repetition of m oves with 29 . . . ct:Je1 30 CZlgl
ct:Jg 2 3 1 ct:Je2.
2 5 ... 01f6 26 (4
2 04
Exercise: Find a desirable manoeuvre for

Black's knight and a way to implement it.
Answer: 26 ctJ d 7 !
...
Th e c5-square is a wonderful outpost for Black's knight, especially after White's deci sion
to play 26 c4? Fortun ately for Bl ack, he doesn't need to protect the d6-pawn - see the next
note.
Instead of pl ayin g 26 C4?, White shoul d h ave j ust returned h i s knight to c 3 . I 'm pretty
sure he sim ply didn't realize th at Black's reply was possibl e.
2 7 b4
After 27 's'xd6? ctJc 5 ! 28 's'xd8+ 's'xd8 29 's'xd8+ 'iYxd8 the infiltration by Bl ack's queen
will prove in stantly decisive, e . g . 30 'iYxc6 'iYd3 + 31 �a1 'iYd1+ 32 �a2 'iYxb 3+ 33 �b 1 ctJd3 !
34 'i'c8+ (or 3 4 'iYb 5 'iYd1+ 3 5 �a2 'iYxe 2 ) 3 4 ... �h 7 3 5 'iYf5 + �h 6 ! ' Wh ite's checks have run
out, and Bl ack checkm ates.
White's idea with 2 7 b4 i s to create another square for the queen before taking on d6,
but 27 ctJC3 would h ave been m ore resilient. 27 ... ctJC 5 28 'iYa3 's'b8 is obviously good for
Black but White can fi ght on with the resource 29 ctJa4 ! , wh ich contai n s the tactical point
29 . l:'txb 3 ? ? 3 0 'iYxC 5 ! dxc5 31 's'xd8+ �h 7 32 ,S,ld7 trapping the queen .
. .
27. ..axb4 2 8 's'xd 6

I f 2 8 'iYxb4 th en 2 8 ... ctJC 5 foll owed b y ...'s' b 8 or ...'s'a 8 with advantag e Bl ack.
28...l2JcS! 29 's'xd8+ 's'xd 8 30 's'xd S+ 'iYxd S 31 'iYxb4
In contrast to th e 27 's'xd6 vari ation, Wh ite' s queen can help out in defence. But it
doesn 't matter - Bl ack is still win n i n g !
205
Th e S i c i l ian Ta i m a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
Exercise: Which m ove i s best: 3 1..:it'd3+ or 3 1 .. :iVd1+ ?
Answer: 3 1 ... "iY'd l+!

Correct. After 31 ... "iY'd3+ 32 �a2 ! White is survivin g - 32 . . .c2Ja6 is m et by 33 "iY'a4!.
3 2 �a2 ttJd 3 ! 3 3 "iY'b8+ � h 7 3 4 ttJC3 "iY'c2 !
Th e queen check on b 8 all owed White the ti m e to save h i s knight, but h e i s still losing -
despite the fact h e currently even a pawn ahead:

1. White's queen i s tied to th e defence of b 2 .
2 . White's knight can n ot m ove.
3. Bl ack will take on g 2 , and if h 3 drops Black's h-pawn will promote very quickly.
Let's see h ow Iturrizag a fin i sh e s th e game off:
3 5 c5 "iY'xg2 36 'iit a 3
206
Th e Eng l ish A t tack
36 :i'f2
..
36 .. .'i'xh 3 wi n s easily too.

37 'i'b6 "iVxC5+ 38 "iVxC5liJxC5 3 9liJd l �g6 40 �b4liJe6 41liJf2 �g5 42liJd 3 f6 43 �C4liJf4
44 tiJf2 ctJe2 45 �C5 �f4 0-1
White i s losing all his king side pawn s.
Game 23
J.Borisek-R.Cvek
Tu rin Olympia d 2 006
1 e4 c5 2 ctJf3 ctJc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 e6 5 ctJc3 "iiC 7 6 �e3 a6 7 "iid 2 t;i)f6 8 f3 b5
Question: Bl ack h as pl ayed bS earlier th an norm al.

...
Can h e get away with thi s ?
Answer: Y e s , h e can . Th e key difference i n thi s g am e i s th at White has chosen 8 f 3 in stead

of the more modern m ove-order with 8 0-0-0, wh i ch we saw in the earlier g ames, and this
gives Bl ack m ore options.
Previously we s aw th at 8 0-0-0 b S 9 �f4 ! i s a bit awkward for Bl ack, but in our current
position 9 �f4 ? ! is tooth le s s : 9 . e s ! 10 ctJxc6 bxc6 an d with out a rook on d1 there's no
. .
.bes trick so the bi shop has to m ove ag ain .

Simil arly, 8 . . . ctJe s would b e ri sky agai n st 8 0-0-0, a s i t invites 9 f4, e . g . 9 . 4'\C4 1 0 .5!LxC4
..
IXC4 11 eS ctJdS 12 ctJxdS "ii x ds 13 �b1 and Wh ite's development advantage is quite
serious. H owever, again st 8 f3 th e knight m ove becom es m ore attractive, as any f3 -f4 push
by White woul d ackn owl edge a loss of tempo - and th e i m m edi ate 9 f4 can even be met by
the interestin g 9 �b4 ! ? In stead White n orm ally pl ays 9 0-0-0 and now 9 . . b S t!. ansposes to
... .
207
Th e Sicilia n Taim a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
our m ai n game.
Question: Can Black just transpose to lines we looked at earlier?
Answer: Yes h e can . 8 ... j,e7 shoul d tran spose, since after 9 g 4 (9 0-0-0 tran sposes directly)
9 . . . 0-0 10 g 5 ct:Jh 5 I don 't beli eve th at White can do without castli n g queen side. However, if
Bl ack wishes to play th e ... h 5 l i n e h e shoul d do it now before White can advance his g
pawn : 8 . . . h 5 ! 9 0-0-0 j,e7 tran sposes to th e previous two games.
9 0-0-0
Question: H ow does Bl ack recapture after 9 ct:Jxc6?
Answer: With th e d-pawn . Th e position after 9 ... dxc 6 ! 10 0-0-0 j,e7 1 1 g4 O-O! 12 g 5 tLlhs
was covered with in th e n otes to G a m e 1 8 .
White coul d al so del ay castli n g i n favour o f 9 g 4 ! ?, wh ich does a t least try t o utilize t h e 8
f3 m ove-order. After 9 . . . h 6 10 ct:Jxc6 ! ? dxc6 1 1 0-0-0 it's similar to 9 ct:Jxc6 except White has
a h ook to attack on h 6 . M.Adam s-V.An and, Lin ares 1 9 9 9 , went 11 . . . e5 12 h4 iLe6 13 .lth3
.l1d8 14 jVf2 Uxdl+ 1 5 Mxdl ct:Jd7 and h ere White keeps som e initiative if h e chooses 16 f4
(Adam s). Bl ack doesn 't h ave to pl ay 9 . . . h 6 , thoug h . 9 . . .j,e7 will tran spose to the main line,
wh ile al so possible is 9 ... j,b 7 10 g 5 ct:Jh 5 1 1 0-0-0 ct:Je 5 ! ? - see 1 1 . . .j,b 7, bel ow. Finally, Black
coul d choose th e 8 . . . ct:Je 5 m ove order (see above).
9 4:Jes
...
Bl ack still h ad th e opportunity to tran spose to the m ain line (Gam e s 17-20) with 9 . ie7 ..
but Cvek ch ooses to accel erate h i s queenside devel opm ent. 9 . . .j,b7 woul d l ead to similar
pl ay.
10 g4
208
Question: Should Black be afraid of 10 f4,

hitting the knight? Or 10 .Jtf4, pinning it?
Answer: 10 f4 i s a n atural m ove. As m entioned previously, f4 becom es less attracti ve if

White has al ready pl ayed f2 -f3 , but it sh oul d still be firmly kept in m i n d. After 10 . . .'�jC4 11
iXc4 'i'xC4 it's useful for Bl ack th at 1 2 e S can be m et strongly by the typical counter
12".b4!.
10 �f4 might i nitially l ook a bit scary.
However, it's worth con sideri n g th e followi n g points:

l.1t's diffi cult for White to add further pres sure to th e pinned kni ght.
2. Bl ack i s usually h appy to break the pin with . . . d6, an d even happi er if Wh ite then
trades on es. His bishop pair an d extra central control woul d outweigh the "weakness" of
the doubl ed e-pawn s.
O n th e oth er h and, Bl ack does n eed to be wary of possible sacrifices on b S . For exampl e,
lo".ii.b7 11 �g 3l;!,c8 1 2 �b l d6 13 CDdxb S ! ? axb s 14 CDxb S 'Yi'c s 15 b4 �b 6 16 .�.f2 with
unclear pl ay, A.Gri schuk -S. Rubl evsky, Foros 2006. I woul d be tempted to pl ay 10 . . . ;i.e7 first,
50 that Bl ack is n earer to castl i n g . If 11 jLxes iVxe s 12 f4 'Yi'o 13 e S , once ag ain Bl ack h as
the resource 1 3 . . . b4 ! .
1o h6!?
...
2 09
Th i s pawn m ove has been Black's m o st popul ar ch oice h ere. Black's idea is to del ay the
g4-g s advan ce, wh ich buys h i m som e tim e to arran g e counterpl ay on th e queen side and in
th e centre. Th e price Bl ack m ust accept wh en playin g . . . h 6 i s th at if an d when g s does
arrive, it usually arrives with g reater force because th e king side open s up.
I h aven't foun d any g am e s with lo ... iLb7 11 gs iDh s but thi s doesn't l ook bad for Black
and m i g ht be worth explori n g further. 1 2 f4 can be m et by 1 2 . . . iDg 4 ! , so 1 2 iLe2 preparing
th e advan ce m akes sense. Bl ack h as to be careful , because after the n atural continuation
12 . . . B.c8 13 f4! 0\C4 14 iLxc4 "yixc4 White has 15 iDdxb s ! uncoverin g an attack on d7. For
thi s reason Bl ack shoul d in stead con sider pl ayin g 12 . . . iLb4.
11 h4 b4
Exercise: Con sider White's options and

choose the best square for th e knight.
210
Th e English A t t a ck
Answer: 12 ct'la4!
This is definitely th e best option for White. In som e lines the knight does become
vulnerabl e on a4, but m ore than anythi n g White n eeds to remain active as oth erwi se he
could easily end up worse - and 12 ct'la4 i s clearly the most active move.
Black seizes th e initiative after 1 2 ct'lb l ? ! ds ! . For exampl e, 13 exds ct'lxdS 14 �e l (th e
bl·knight must g et back into th e g am e somehow, but vacatin g d2 m ean s anoth er lost
tempo) 14 . . . ct'lxe3 1 5 �xe 3 .iLcs 16 ct'ld2 .iLb 7. Black's rakin g bishops g ave him a cl ear edg e
in O. Korn eev-S. Beshukov, St Petersburg 1996, even before White l ost a pawn to 17 C1J2b 3 ?
1xf3!.
12 CLlce2 i s n 't quite as bad as 1 2 ct'lb l, but it does rath er invite 12 . . . 0jC4, and following
13 �d3 ds 14 exds ct'lxe 3 15 �xe 3 ct'lxds I prefer Black's position.
12 dS!
...
Question: Thi s looks double-edged. Why is Black opening up

the centre when his king still rem ains there?
Answer: It ;s doubled-edg ed, but Bl ack comm itted to th is action wh en pl aying 10 . . . h 6 , and
backing out n ow woul d be i n consistent and wrong too ! If, say, 1 2 ... �b7 1 3 �e2 nc8 then
14 95! com es with som e force - th e pri ce of pl ayin g ... h 6 .
With 12 . . . ds Bl ack i s tryin g to s e i z e th e initiative before White can play g4-g s, while
fully realizing th at there might be ri sks involved. White m ust respond aggressively,
otherwise he will simply be worse. If, say, 13 <;t>b l ? then 13 . . . .iLd7 ! demon strates one of
Black's more obvious possibilities.
1 3 �f4
211
Exercise: Which m ove should Black choose h ere?

The options are a) 1 3 . ..td7; b) 13 ... dxe4; c) 13 . . ii.d6.
. . .
Pinni ng with 13 jLf4 looks logi cal now th at th e position is open ing up an d Bl ack can no
longer play . . . d6. Even so, it's very possible th at 1 3 �e2 ! , preparin g g4-g S , is m ore critical .
H ere are a few examples from g a m e s :
a) 1 3 . . ..�b7 14 gs h x g s 15 h xg s �xhl 1 6 �xh l tLlfd7 1 7 exds jLxds 1 8 b 3 ik'b 7 19 �h3 is
better for White, I .Ch epari n ov- D . B och arov, Warsaw 200 5 .
b) 1 3 . . . � d 7 i s cl early a n i m portant try, but White can i g n ore th e attack o n th e knight
and press on with 14 g S ! . Th en 14 . . . tLlh s 15 exds jLxa4 1 6 dxe6 tLlg 3 17 �h e l h xg s 18 hxgs
t2ixe2+ 19 ik'xe 211h 2 20 �f2 ! l eft White with excellent com pen sation in R. Robson
J . Fedorowicz, Ph il adelph i a 2010.
c) 1 3 . . . dxe4 14 tLlb6 ! ? �b8 ? 15 tLlxc8 ik'xc8 1 6 �f4 ! was g ood for White in A.Kovch an
A.Goloshch apov, Al ushta 1 9 9 9 . Th e critical respon se to 14 tLlb6 m ust be 14 . . . ik'xb 6 ! since
after 1 5 0Jc6 Bl ack h as th e cl ever resource l S ... tLld3 + ! 16 jLxd3 ik'C7 ! 1 7 jLf4 (or 1 7 fxe4
.;tb7) 17 . . . e 3 ! ( 1 7 . . . ik'xc6 ? ? 18 jLbS ! ) and n ow 18 jLxC] exd2+ 19 �xd2 �b7 20 tLles jLcs OT
18 �xe 3 0ldS 19 t;!Jd4 jLb7, with roughly l evel ch an ces in eith er case.
Answer: 13 jLd6 !
...
Cvek breaks th e pin and prevents some tactical possibilities. H e 's h appy to g ambit the
b-pawn as th i s woul d m ean White exch an g i n g h i s dark-squared bishop.
Opening th e d-file with 1 3 ... dxe4 ? ? j ust asks to be pun i shed, and i s with 14 tLlb S ! axb 5
1 5 .�.xes 't'fas 16 .1txb S + ! '
I f 1 3 . . . jLd7? White's a4-knight enters th e g am e with effect: 1 4 jLxe s ! ik'xe s 1 5 tLlb6 �a7
(OT lS . . J�d8 16 0lxd7 .uxd7 1 7 jLxa6 an d jLb S ) 16 exds and Bl ack i s in some troubl e.
212
The Eng/ is h A t t a ck
14 �xes !
Bori sek accepts th e challenge. In fact White doesn 't really have a great deal of choice. as
the threat of . . . �d7 still loom s.
14...�xes 1 5 'i'xb4 �d 7 ! ?
Preventin g 16 ttJb6 because o f 1 6 ... ,Ub8 . an d threaten ing t o win a piece with 16 . . . Ub8 17
la3 �d6.
16iUes ,Ub8 17 'i'a 3 �xd4
1f17 . . �d6 White escapes with 1 8 ttJxa6 ! .
.
18 Mxd4 'ue8 !
This was Cvek 's i de a beh i n d 1 7 . . . �xd4. White ca n only protect h i s c s -knight by
weakening h i s king. and thi s g uarantees Bl ack g ood compen sation for his pawn .
19 b4 as! 20 'i'b3 'i'f4+ 2 1 �b1 O-O!
Finally Bl ack castl e s ! Th e threat i s simply to capture on b4. un derm ining White's knight.
2 13
Th e S i c i l ian Tai m a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
Exercise: F i n d a strong reply for Black if White

chooses to protect the b4-pawn with 22 a3.
22 ct'lxd 7
Bori sek woul d h ave played th i s m ove very rel uctantly, as th e knight was trying to hold
White's position together. Unfortun ately, there was n o other choice, an d now White must
suffer with a weak kin g .
Answer: 2 2 a 3 loses t o 2 2 . ..l:'1:xc
. 5 ! 2 3 bXc5 .l:'1:b8 .
2 2 . . .<1Jxd 7 2 3 iL b 5
O r 2 3 b 5 <1JC 5 2 4 � a 3 dxe4 ( o r even 24 ... e 5 2 5 .l:'1:xd5 ct'lxe4) with advantage t o Bl ack.
23 ... <1Je 5 24 .1Le2?
U n der pres sure, Bori sek blunders. 24.l:'1:fl i s m ore resilient, alth ough it rem ains highly
uncomfortabl e for White after 24 ... axb4 25 .l:'1:xb4 �d2 intending ... .l:'1:c 3 .
24 ... ct'lc6
A key pawn goes, and n ow Bl ack is wi n n i n g easily.

25 Udd l0:Jxb4 26 c 3 .l:'1:b8 2 7 'It>a 1 ct'ld 3 2 8 �xd3
If 2 8 �C2 0:Jf2 .
28 .. Jbb3 29 axb3 Yb8 30 'It>b2 �xf3 3 1 exd 5 exd 5 3 2 g5 a4 3 3 b4 d4 0-1
Key Notes
1. Th e theory of th e E n g l i sh Attack i s devel opin g m uch m ore rapi dly than any oth er
Sicilian Tai m anov l i ne . For thi s reason it's a g ood idea to go through recent games
involving Tai m anov experts, to ch eck for new ideas an d to see wh ich lines remain in
fash ion.
2 . Th e m ain l i ne with 1 1 . . .tZ'l h 5 produces i n credibly sh arp positi ons with forcin g play. In
214
Th e English A t tack
Games 18 and 19, the critical l i n e s involved piece sacrifices by Black.

3. Brun ello's 13 . . .fS ! ? (Game 17) i s an idea to remember, both in th is particular position
and in gen eral . Th e risk of such a pawn m ove is offset by th e counterpl ay gained on the f
file and the pressure on White's backward f3 -pawn .
4. A m ajor plan for White after 1 1 .. .':tjh s i s tD (C 3 )-e2-g 3 ! , tryi n g to force an unfavourabl e
exchange for Black. Bl ack usually combats th i s by preparing to m eet C;;� g 3 with . . . t;!Jf4,
typically after an exch a n g e on d4.
5. White can play h 2 -h 4-h 5 before g4-g S , thus preventing ... tDh S . In th is case, Bl ack must
respond actively to utilize th e extra tim e , as Leitao does effectively in Game 20.
6. 9 ... h S ! ? (Games 2 1 - 2 2 ) i s a very interesti n g altern ative to th e m ain line. Th is
prophyl actic m ove deprives White o f h i s m ai n idea, g 2 -g4. I feel it's a good practical choice
for Bl ack because it often leaves White players g rappl i n g for a decent pl an. It's possible
that th e most ch all en g i n g opti on s are counter-intuitive ones, such as 10 f;�xc6 ! ? in Gam e
21.
215
Chapter Five
White P l a y s f4
1 e4 c5 21.)lf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 /.)Jxd4 ctJc6 5 ctJc3 'JIIiC 7 6 f4
The f4 vari ation . White can play an early f2 -f4 ag ai n st num erous Sicil ian s, and the
Taim anov i s no exception .
Question: Wh at's the idea behind playing f2-f4 so early?
Answer: If White decides to pl ay an f4 li n e , then pl ayin g it straightaway has som e

advantag es. H e can then see how Bl ack reacts and choose his devel opm ent accordin gly.
Al so, as we saw in the first two chapters, if White devel ops first before playi n g f2-f4 he
often has to m ake further preparatory m oves, such as 8 �hl (see G am e 8 ) . By pl aying f2 -f4
216
W h i t e Plays 14
early on, White is tryi n g to avoid losing any mom entum .

6... a 6
As usual , Bl ack can h ardly do with out th i s m ove. Another decent option is 6 . . . f!_lxd4 7
i'xd4 an d only n ow 7 . . . a6, but h ere we will focus sol ely on th e m ai n l i n e .
After 6 . . . a6 White h as a n umber o f choices, i n cludi n g 7 iLe2, 7 i,:e3, 7 !.I'lxc6 and 7liJf3
All these are covered with in the g ames of th i s ch apter.
Game 24
G.Kosanovic-H.Banikas
Korinthos 1999
1 e4 c5 2 LLlf3 c!:Jc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 LLlxd4 'J/JiC7 5 LLlC 3 e6 6 .iLe2
Question: I thought we were looking at 6 f4 lines?
Answer: We are, but there are n um erous tran sposition s wh ere White plays f2 -f4 on the 7th
or 8th move. Th e 6 f4 m ove order woul d be 6 f4 a6 7 i,:,e 2 .
6...a6 7 f4
Exercise: How should Bl ack develop? Decide between 7 .lbf6 and 7 bS.
.. ...
Answer: 7 b 5 !
...
We've already spoken about th e advantag es o f pl ayin g an early f2 -f4. Th e di sadvantage,

ofcourse, i s th at any pawn m ove i s committal , an d White's deci sion to pl ay f2 -f4 should
guide Bl ack towards his m ost effective way of developi n g .
21 7
Th e S i c i l ia n Tai m a n o v: M o v e by M o ve
Question: Why i s ...b S a good an swer to f4?
Exercise: An early ... hS and ... �b7 becom es a m ore enti cing option for Bl ack wh en White's
e4-pawn l acks support, and th e one th i n g White's f-pawn l unge doesn 't do is safeguard the
e-pawn - quite th e opposite in fact !
In contrast 7 . . . tt'lf6, wh ich i s fin e ag ainst 7 0-0 or 7 � e 3 , i s l e ss effective h ere because it
allows White to demon strate a positive of f2-f4 - control of e s ! After 8 e S ! tt'lxd4 9 'iVxd4
�cS 10 'iVd3 Bl ack's kn ight does n 't h ave a g ood square - 10...tt'lds 1 1 tt'lxds exdS 12 �d2
and 0-0-0, with some advantage to White.
8 CL'lxc6
White again foll ows th e pri n ci pl e "Take on c6 i m m edi ately after . . . b S " .
8 . . .'iVxc6
Bl ack keeps the diagon al open to i n crease ch ances of counterpl ay, even though White
can use th e diagonal h i m self with h i s n ext m ove:
9 _�f3 �b7 10 � e 3
Whi te c an op en up th e di agonal a t vari ous points, i n cluding as early as thi s : 10 eS "lfliC7
1 1 tt'le4.
Exercise: Find a good way for Bl ack to develop here.
Answer: 11 . . . CL'lh 6 ! We've seen before th at th i s knight likes the fs -square if White pl ays N°
e S , and on th i s occasion it g ets to fS very quickly. Bl ack g ets a full sh are of th e chances after
12 �e3 4JfS 1 3 �f2 h S ( 1 3 ...I!.d8 intendi n g 14 g4 d S ! i s al so good) 14 0-0 h4 (or 14 .. .1:1c8) 1 5
a4 b4, J . Nun n - M . 5ion Castro, Leon 1 9 9 7 .
1 0 .. ..l�c8
218
White Plays 14
Bl ack can 't yet play ... ct:lf6 because of e4-e 5 . and 10 . . . �c5 is un playabl e for the same
reason. So Banikas ch ooses an oth er useful m ove and waits to see wh at White does.
Question: How about 10 i.b4. putting

...
pressure on c3 and. indirectly. on e4?
Answer: 10 . . . �b4 h a s been pl ayed and i s n 't bad. but White does h ave a strong reply in 11
1d4! keepin g chances an edge. e.g. 1 1...ct:lf6 1 2 0-0 �xc3 1 3 �xc3 CLlxe4 14 j),.xg7 11tg 8 15
id4. as pl ayed i n a num erous g ames.
1 1 a3
Preventi n g . . . �b4 and al so di scouraging . . . b4.
If 11 0-0 it is now safe for Bl ack to play 1 1 . . . ..\1I.,c 5 ! . since e4-e 5 is impossible because
.....be3 com es with check. Bl ack is okay h ere; for example. 12 'iVe l 'iVb6 ( 1 2 ... L!jf6 ? is still
met by 1 3 e 5 ! . but 1 2 . . . ct:le7 i s a g ood altern ative) 1 3 � xc5 'iVxC 5+ 14 .th l b 4! 1 5 e 5 ! ? (after
15 ctJdl Bl ack is ready to pl ay 15 . . . ct:lf6) 15 . . . bxc3 16 ..\1I.,xb7 �b8 17 b4 (W. Un zicker
G.Franzoni . Bern 1 9 8 7 ) and h ere Un zicker assesses 17 ... 'iVC4 ! 1 8 ..\1I.,f3 t\xb4 19 .�.e2 '*Vc6 20
Mf3 ctJe7 21 �xC3 'iVe4 22 ,Uf3 as equal .
Anoth er option for White is 1 1 e 5 'iVC7 12 0-0. Just as we saw with 10 e 5 . Bl ack sh oul d be
in a hurry to occupy the f5 -square with the knight. So 12 ... CLle7 ! (or 12 ... CLlh 6 ! ) 1 3 �xb7
txb7 14 'iVd3 ct:lf5 1 5 j)"f2 h 5 ! 16 ct:le4 �e7 and Bl ack is fi ne .
219
Th e position i s very similar to th ose we studied in Ch apter Two (Gam e 8), but th is ought
to be a slightly favourable version g i ven th at Black's knight h as reach ed fS in only two
m oves. 1 7liadl �c6 1 8 c 3 0-0 1 9life llifd8 20 �e 2 g 6 2 1lid3 d6 2 2 exd6 iZJxd6 2 3 iZJxd6
lixd6 24 iiLd4 l:.dS 2 S liedllicd8 was m ore or l e s s l evel in T.Tsekouras-H.Banikas, Kallithea
2008. H owever, as usual Bl ack can point to White's f4 weakness, an d Banikas eventually
g roun d down h i s lower-rated oppon ent i n a long endi n g .
1 1 �C4
...
11 . . . 4Jf6 was still n ot possibl e, so Banikas removes h i s queen from th e l i n e of fire on the
long diagonal. Bl ack is now ready to pl ay 12 ... iZJf6, because th e queen on c4 would all ow 13
eS to be m et by 1 3 . . . LLle4 ! . U sefully, th e queen al so prevents White from castl i n g .
Bl ack has a i m portant altern ative h ere i n 1 1 . . . �C7, simil arly rem oving t h e queen and
thus takin g the stin g out of e4-e S . Som e l i n e s :
a) 1 2 0-0 iZJe7 ! (Bl ack still n eeds to avoid 1 2 .. . iZJf6 1 3 e s ! ) 1 3 �e l iZJg 6 ! 14 g 3 iiLcS is
equal , M.Matul ovi c-M. Damjanovic, Yug osl avi a 1 9 72.
b) 1 2 �d4 ! ? h S ! ?
220
Wh i t e Plays /4
Question: I realize Bl ack often plays ... h S in the Taimanov,

but h ere it looks a bit strange. What's the idea?
Answer: Someti m e s Bl ack plays ... h S even before ... CDf6, as a way of preparing the knight's
developm ent. N ow wh en the knight reach es f6, e4-e S can be m et by ... 0'Ig4 ! , as we've seen
on a number of occasions before. Here are a coupl e of possible lines:
a) 13 0-0-0 CDf6 14 e S CDg4 1 S l1d3 �xf3 16 g xf3 CDh 6 1 7 l1h dl CDfS 18 'iVb6 ! gave White
the edge in F . N ijboer- R.5winkel s, H aaksberg en 2009, but 16 . . . t1Jxe3 17 'iVxe3 dS l ooks like an
improvement for Bl ack, and earl i er on lS ... a S ! ? is al so interesti n g .
b) 13 h 3 prevents ... CDg4 a n d puts th e ball back in Black's court.
Exercise: How can Bl ack pave the way for ... CDf6 here ?
221
Th e S ic il i a n Ta i m a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
Answer: 1 3 . . . h 4 ! g ives the knight m ore squares - h S and even g 3 ! N ow Bl ack i s ready to play
... ct:Jf6 again and there i s n o g ood way for White to stop h i m . After 14 0-0 ct:Jf6 1 5 e S ct:JhS
Bl ack is fi ne, e . g . 16 �xb7 �xb7 17 �d3 ct:Jg 3 18 Mfe l �c6 19 i.f2 , L.G ofshtein- P.Tregubov,
Montpellier 1 9 9 8 . H ere Treg ubov's choice in th e g am e of 19 . . . �CS was okay, but he prefers
19 ... ct:JfS ! 20 Me2 �C4 ! ? 2 1 �f3 dS 2 2 exd6 �xd6 with a slight edge for Bl ack.
N ow l et's return to the g am e , and to th e position after Banikas's 1 1 . . .�C4:
12 �d3
Kosan ovic blocks the diag on al so th at h e can castle king side. He's n ot afraid of a queen
exchan ge, as 12 . . . �xd3 1 3 cxd3 ! would stren gth en White's centre by giving th e e4-pawn
extra support.
Even so, 12 �d4 ! is probably a m ore ch al l e n g i n g m ove. One its points is th at 12 ... ct:Jf6 is
still n ot full sati sfactory, in view of 1 3 e s ! intending 1 3 . . . �xf3 ? 14 exf6 ! and fxg 7 . An oth er
point is th at in some li n e s �b6 or �a7 m ay prove ann oying for Bl ack. Bl ack sh ouldn 't fear a
queen exchan g e thi s time, because 1 2 . . . �xd4 1 3 �xd4 does n 't im prove White's structure
like it did after 12 �d3 �xd3 ? ! 1 3 cxd3. Even so, Bl ack h as to be a bit careful in thi s
queenless m i ddlegame. 1 3 ... ct:Je7 ! ( 1 3 ... ct:Jf6 ? i s still m et b y 14 e s ! ) 14 0-0-0 and now:
a) 14 ... ct:Jc6 15 �b6 ! d6 1 6 a4! b4 1 7 ct:Jb l ct:Jb8 1 8 ct:Jd2 ct:Jd7 1 9 i.as ct:JcS 20 Wb l ct:Jxa4 2 1
�xb4 with a slight edge for White, V. Kupreich ik-M.Tal , Moscow 1981.
b) 14 . . . d 6 ! looks m ore flexible, as th e knight might still g o to g6: 1 5 Mh e l ( 1 5 a4 b4 16
ct:Jb l ct:Jg 6 ! ) lS . . . ct:Jc6 ( l S . . . ct:Jg 6 ! ?) 16 i.b6 i.e7 17 eS ( 1 7 a4 b4 1 8 ct:Jbl b 3 ) 17 . . . dxe s 18 fxes
�a8 19 1-'te2 0-0 with l evel ch ances, Llvan i sevi c- B.Abram ovic, N i s 1 9 9 5 . Bl ack h as
counterpl ay agai n st the e s -pawn , as sh own by th e g am e ' s 20 Md7 �g S + ! 2 1 Wbl i.f4.
I don 't think th at Bl ack h as to fear 12 �d4, but if he prefers to keep th e queens on the
board th en 1 1 . . . �C7, above, i s a g ood solution.
Finally, 1 2 �d4 i s al so interestin g : 1 2 ... ct:Jf6 1 3 b 3 ( 1 3 �d2 ! ?) 1 3 . ..�C7 14 e S i"xf3 1 5
�xf3.
222
Wh i t e Plays 14
Exercise: It looks like Black has to retreat the knight, which is obviously
unwanted. However, there's a better solution - can you find it?
Answer: Bl ack can create a counter-th reat on Wh ite's knight: l S . . . �c S ! 16 .�XCS 'iVxcS 1 7
exf6 (not 1 7 c;t>d2 ? ? 'iVd4+ ! ) 1 7 . . . 'iVxC 3 + 1 8 'iVxC 3 '/:'x c 3 19 fxg 7 '/:'g 8 20 0-0-0 �xg 7 2 1 g 3 cJie7
2 2 .l':[hf1 fS V2-V2, F . N ijboer-V. Lazarev, Bel g i an League 2009. Bl ack might consider pl aying on
h e re, with ... h S -h4 an obvious pl an .
12 tLlf6 !
.••
Fin ally Bl ack i s abl e to devel op h i s knight. N ow 1 3 e S can be m et by 13 . . ..lbf3 14 g xf3

ti'lh 5 ! .
1 3 0-0 �C5
223
Th e S i c i l ia n Ta i m a n o v: M o v e by M o ve
Exercise: Can you see a tactical possibility for Black if White pl ays 14 l::t a dl ?
14 JiLxc S
Answer: Remember th at w h e n th e queen and rook l i n e up on th e c-file there are al ways
tactical possibilities based on ... �xa3. If White's rook l eaves the ai-square, with 14.1:(adl,
then 14 ... iLxa3 ! becom es pos sibl e . Well don e if you found thi s idea, because psych ologically
it's not easy to con sider . . . �xa3 wh en th e bishop has only just gone to c s l ast m ove.
H owever, 14 . . . �xa 3 ! i s n 't just a simple win of a pawn . Th ere are a num ber of lines to work
out, with Bl ack j ust about com i n g out on top:
a) 1 5 bxa3 'iyxc 3 .
b ) 1 5 CLixb s axb s 1 6 'iYxa3 �xe4.
c) 1 5 e s ! �xf3 1 6 exf6 'iYxd3 ( Marj an ovic g ives 1 6 ... �xdl 1 7 fxg 7 .l:(g 8 1 8 'iYxh 7 �xb2
but Rybka spots 19 CLid s ! exds 20 .l:(e l) 17 .l:(xd3 �xb2 18 fxg 7 .l:(g8 19 �d4 �b7 20 .l:(bl
�xC3 2 1.1:(xc3 .l:(xc3 2 2 JiLxC3 fs. Bl ack i s a pawn up, but th e passed pawn on g 7 offers
White serious drawi n g chances.
14 ... 'iYxc S+ 1 5 � h l
Exercise: Find a good m ove for Black.
Answer: ls ... e s !
Typical Sicil i an Tai m an ov strategy, and an idea we've already seen m ore than once.
With the dark-squared bi shops exch anged, Black's pl an is to nullify Wh ite's rem aining
bishop by fi xing White's pawn on e4. I n fact, in thi s position l s . . . e s i s virtually a necessity,
given White's threat to advance h i s e-pawn . ls .. . d6? doesn't h elp, as 16 e s ! is still possible-
2 24
W h i t e Plays J4
and very stron g ! l S . . . 0-0 i s n 't 50 bad, but 16 e s ! jLxf3 17 Mxf3 (or 17 �xf3 ) still favours
White.
16 l:1ae1
Question: 16 lLldS looks interesting. How should Bl ack respond?
Answer: 16 ct:ldS ! ? is an active m ove and certainly should be con sidered. Bl ack needs to be a
bit careful , but h e shoul d be fi n e if h e i s . 16 ... ct:lxdS 1 7 exds �xc2 18 �e 3 O-o ! 1 9 �xes
looks roughly l evel , and Bl ack can al so play 1 6 ... jLxds 17 exds exf4! 1 8 �ael+ wf8 !
intendi ng . . . g 6 and . . . �g7, o r even . . . g s in some lines.
16 0 - 0 17 g4 ! ?
...
Kosanovi c ch arg es forward, intending g s , fS, etc. Th ere's no way back now!
After 17 fxe s �xe s 1 8 Xldll:tfe 8 I slightly prefer Bl ack 's position, although White has
good ch ances of equal i z i n g , probably by exchanging off Black's strongly placed queen by
'1d4.
17 .tLle8 ! ?
..
Banikas creatively demon strates a n advantage o f holding back o n . . . d 6 - t h e knight

wishes to use th at square ! Bl ack coul d al so employ th e same plan, but fi rst protect the d
pawn with 1 7 . . J:tfd8. For example, after 1 8 g s ct:le8 1 9 fS ct:ld6 20 f6 CilC4 ! , threaten ing
...li:lxb2, I like Black ' s positi on . N otice how he h as compl etely i g n ored White's attack on the
kingside, not even pl ayi n g ... g 6 . If 21 ct:ldl Bl ack can continue counterattacking with
21 . . d S ! .
.
1 8 fS
Kosanovi c was un derstan dably concerned about h i s queen getting trapped after 18
Ixd? tLld6 ! but th e com puter shows h ow White can escape by 1 9 gdl! l:!.cd8 20 ·Wie7 exf4
(20 . l:1fe8 2 1l:txd6 ! ) 2 1 l:!.xd6 l:!.xd6 2 2 �xb7 l:!.d2, with an uncl ear position.
..
18 tLld6!
...
2 25
19 'se2 ?
Th i s i s t o o s l o w - White simply doesn 't h ave time to m ake con sol i datin g m oves. White's
best bet i s probably 19 f6 ! . H ere 1 9 " . g 6 always carries some risk because of �h 6 ideas, 50 as
Bl ack I would choose eith er 1 9 " . g xf6 or even 1 9" .�d4 20 fxg 7 \t>xg 7. In either case, th ings
are a l ot less clear than they are in th e m ain game, wh i ch i s simply very good for Bl ack.
19 ... ct:JC4! 20 ct:Jd 1
Exercise: Bl ack counterplay i s n ow i n full swing and he enjoys the

advantage. Fin d a pl an to i ncrease thi s advantage.
Answer: 20 .. JUd 8 !
With th i s rook m ove Banikas n ot o n ly protects th e d7-pawn but al so prepares its
226
W h i t e Plays 14
advance to d S , wh i ch can't be prevented. Thi s advan ce will allow Bl ack to seize the
initiative and take full control of th e position.
21 ig2 d5! 2 2 g5 ! ?
Realizing th at h e h as lo st th e battl e for control , Kosan ovic gives u p a pawn and goes
into swindle m ode - perh aps the best practical deci sion given the other options. After 22
exds �xdS 23 AxdS 'uxdS th e position h as opened up, Bl ack i s the more active and he is
bound to catch up with Wh ite's airy king sooner or l ater.
22...dxe4 23 �h3 ttJd2 24 g 6 fx g 6 25 fxg6 h6! 2 6 ,Uf7
White i s a pawn down but at l e ast h e h as one or two attacki ng possibilities. Th e troubl e
is, Black has m ore !
26...tbf3
Threaten i n g th e knight and al so a sneaky m ate on g l . White's reply is forced.
27liJe3 'uc6 !
There was n oth i n g wron g with j ust safeg uarding the bi shop, but Banikas's move gets
full marks for creativity.
Exercise: Work out how Black wins if White captures the bishop on b7.
28l::id7!
Answer: If 28 'uxb7 Bl ack m an ag e s to g et to White' s g l-square : 28 . . . ,Ud1+! 29 �fl ( 2 9 tt'lxd1
Ig1 mate) 29 ... MXg 6 ! (th e point of Banikas' s 2 7 ... ,U(6) 30 'ug 2 'uxfl+! 31 iDxfl �g 1+! 32
ll,xg1 Mxg 1 m ate ! A l ovely checkm atin g i dea, an d full m arks if you saw it all th e way
through to th e end.
28...�b6!
Keeping cool . Th ere was still tim e to go wron g with 2 8 . . . ,Uxd7 ? ? 2 9 �xd7.
29l::ixd8+
22 7
White's l ast chance was 2 9 �ed2 ! ?, hoping for 2 9 .. .':tJxd2 ? 30 CLld5 ! an d it's game on
again. H owever, the cold-eyed 2 9 ... Uxd7 ! 3 0 'ilixd7 Uxg 6 i s good enough for Bl ack.
29 ... 'ilixd 8 30 'ilig4 Md6 31 �f2 'ilib6 0-1
Bl ack picks up the g 6 -pawn , after wh i ch all of White's swindling chances dis appear. An
excellent game by Banikas. 1 5 ... e 5 ! was a key m ove, and it's al so worth rem embering his
imaginative ...CLl (f6)-e8-d6 i dea.
Came 2S
T.Tolnai-V.Eingorn
Vienna 1995
1 e4 c5 2 CLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 CLlxd4 CLlc6 5 CLlC3 'iliC7 6 f4 a6 7 �e3

Or, altern atively, 6 �e3 a6 7 f4. I n fact, th e actual game travelled through two other
Sicil i an s before reach i n g th e Taim an ov: 1 e4 C5 2 CLlf3 a6 (O' Kelly Sicilian ! ) 3 CLlC3 e6 4 d4
cxd4 5 t!-'lxd4 (Sicil i an Kan ! ) 5 ... 'iliO 6 f4 b5 7 �d3 �b7 8 'ilif3 CLlf6 9 ..\te 3 CLlc6 (Sicilian
Tai m anov!). I 've chan g e d it to a pure Taim an ov m ove order so that we can look at
devi ation s before m ove 9 .
7 ... b 5 8 ..ll.d 3
White sets up as in th e 6 .9ie 317 ..\td3 l i n e , but with th e additi on of an early f2 -f4.
Before m ovin g ah ead with 8 �d3, l et's l ook at two oth er lines here:
a) 8 t!-'lxc6 'ilixc6 9 .9ie2 (see dia gram) 9 . . . �b7 10 �f3 tran sposes to our previous g ame.
Question: Isn't 9 b4 stronger than 9 1I..b7?

... ...
White's knight is forced back to bl, isn 't it?
Answer: If 10 t!-'lbl were forced, then 9 ... b4 woul d certainly be worth pl ayi n g . H owever,
22 8
W h i t e P lays /4
White can counter-threat with 10 �f3 ! bxc3 (if 10 . . . �b7 then 1 1 e s an d ctJe4) 1 1 e s cxb2 12
l:!.b1. Th i s line i s by n o means compl etely clear - Bl ack will g et compen sation for the
exchange - but White g ained th e advantage after 1 2 . . . �b4+ 1 3 �f2 �C3 14 iLxa8 f6 1 5
�e4 in B.5passky-A.suetin, Moscow 1 9 64, a n d Black players h ave been reluctant t o repeat
this line ever since.
However, an altern ative to 9 ... iLb7 does exist: 9 . . . iLa3 ! ?
We've already seen some tactical i deas based on . . . iLxa3, especi ally wh en White moves
the rook from al. But th e . . . iLa3 possibil ity al so exists if White h asn 't pl ayed a2-a3, and
here it actually helps Bl ack th at the rook is on al because ... iLxb2 is a serious threat. This
theme i s well worth rememberi n g , because it coul d be a real shocker for a n unsuspecting
oppon ent (it h as to work of course ! ) .
After 9 . . .iL a 3 th e "main l i n e " run s 10 �d4 �xb 2 1 1 ctJxb s �xal 1 2 �xal axb s 1 3 iLxg 7
tZJf6 ! 14 iLxh 8 ctJxe4 1 5 �d3 iLb7 with advantage to Bl ack, J . Fichtl -V.J ansa, H avirov 1970.
White shoul d i n stead try 10 iLCl or 10 ctJxb s axb s 11 bxa3 �xe4 12 �d4.
b) 8 iLe2 �b7 and now:
bl) 9 0-0 iLcs ! ? (not th e only m ove - 9 . .1:1,c8
. i s less committal - but it seems logi cal to
exploit th e pin if White doesn 't play ctJxc6) 10 �d2 (if 10 �h l then 1O . . . �b6 ! ) 10 ... ctJf6 1 1 e s
tZJxd4 12 �x d 4 ctJe4 1 3 ctJ x e 4 iLx e 4 14 c 3 0-0 1 5 �e 3 iLxd4 1 6 �xd4 �c6 17 iL O iLxf3 18
Mxf3 f6 19 exf61:1,xf6 with a l evel positi on, s.Ter sah akyan - B .Adhiban, Chen n ai 201l.
b2) 9 iLf3
229
Exercise: Find another good pl an for Black, one which doesn't involve
.. .'�Jxd4. (Hint: Thi s plan became more desirable after White's 9 i.f3 .)
Answer: 9 . . . 0\ a s ! ? intendi n g ... CLlC4 is a g ood altern ative to a sol i d m ove like 9 .. ..l:k 8 . In
gen eral th e . . . 0� a s -c4 pla n becom e s m ore entici n g for Bl ack if White's l i ght-squared bi shop
h as m oved off th e fl-a6 diagonal, (norm ally to f3 ) . When th e bi shop remai n s on e 2 , White
not only has th e option of an i m m ediate exch an g e on c4, but al so th e knight on c4 is less
stabl e if White avoids th e exchan g e . H ere 10 0-0 CLlc4 1 1 �Cl! �cS 1 2 �h l CLle7 1 3 b 3 CLld6
14 iVd3 �c8 1 5 �b2 0-0 16 Madl Ii,fd8 17 CLlce2 fS ! 18 exfs CLldxfS was TOughly l evel in
S. Pol g ar-M .Tai m an ov, Am sterdam 2001.
Let's g et back to th e g am e, an d to th e position after 8 �d3.
Exercise: How can Bl ack win a pawn h ere? Does White get compen sation ?
2 30
White Plays /4
8 ... ib7
Answer: Bl ack can snatch a pawn by pl ayin g 8 .. ,ciJ xd4 9 �xd4 �xf4, but I would advi se
against thi s. After 10.l:tf1 Bl ack suddenly l ooks to be way behind in devel opment, and
White's initiative i s pretty obvi ous.
9 'iWf3
With 9 �f3 , White adopts an ag g ressive form ation and keeps h i s option s open as to
which side he will castl e.
An important altern ative for White h ere i s 9 CiJb 3 .
Question: Thi s retreat doesn 't l ook threatening. What's the idea?
Answer: 9 CiJb3 i s n 't as toothless as it looks. An exchange on d4 i s very often a key way for
Black to m ake progress, so by removi n g th i s possibil ity White forces Bl ack to reth ink on
how he can develop h i s pieces. Furthermore, it soon becom es clear th at Bl ack wants to pl ay
... d6, so we reach a Sch eveni n g e n -type position wh i ch m ight be quite alien to a devout
Taim anov pl ayer. Th e g ood n ews is th at it's h ardly the m ost critical Sch eveningen line. I'm
suggestin g a fairly simple approach for Bl ack if White chooses th i s option : 9 . . . ttJf6 10 0-0
(10 eS b4! i s okay for Bl ack) 10 ... d6 11 �f3 �e7 and now:
a) 12 �h 3 CiJb4! (by n o m ean s th e only m ove, but simplifyi ng with ... CiJxd3 i s an easy
way for Bl ack to play) 1 3 a3 CiJxd3 14 cxd3 0-0 1 5.l:tacl �d7 (or l S . . . �d8 16 fS es 17 � g s h 6
18 Ji.h4 d S ! with g ood counterpl ay, C. Balogh - D .Mastrovasilis, Warsaw 2007) 1 6 ttJas �d8 ! ?
1 7 tLlxb7 �xb 7 1 8 f S 1i. b 6 1 9 1i.xb6 �xb6+ 20 �h l.l:tae8 2 1.l:t c 2 �d4 ! 2 2 .l:tcf2 d S ! 2 3 fxe 6
V2-V2, J . Em m s-J . G al l agh er, Catal an Bay 2004. Bl ack i s fin e after 2 3 . . ..l'h e 6 .
b ) 12 a3 b4 ! ? (again there are oth er options, but I can't s e e anything wrong with this) 1 3
axb4 CiJxb4 14 CiJ a s 0 - 0 1 5 CiJ x b 7 �xb7 1 6.l:tf2 with roughly l evel ch an ces, T.G ara- I . Farago,
Dresden 1 9 9 7 . Th e game conti nued 1 6 ....l:tfc8 1 7 g 4 ! ? d S ! 18 es CiJd7 intending ... ttJcS and
Black's queenside counterpl ay is in full fl ow.
231
Th e S i c i l ia n Tai m a n o v : M o v e by M o ve
Anoth er, rarer, idea for White i s 9 'Yii d 2, e . g . 9 . . . ctJf6 10 e 5 ctJg 4 ! 1 1 ..Itg l ctJxd4 1 2 .�xd4
.ltC5 1 3 .lte2 ctJh 6 14 0-0-0 4 xd4 1 5 'Yii xd4 .!:rc8 1 6 l:td2 ctJf5 1 7 'Yii b 4 'Yii C 5 , again with equal
ch ances, 1 . 5 m i ri n -J . Pol g ar, N etanya 2009.
N ow l et's return to th e game and 9 'Yii f 3 .
Exercise: Can Bl ack get away with playing g ctJf6 here? ...
9 ctJf6 !
...
Answer: Yes h e can ! Th e down side of White 's l ast m ove i s th at the queen i s on the same
di agonal as Black's li g ht-squared bishop, so Bl ack need n ot fear th e e4-e 5 advan ce
something he i m m edi ately exploits by devel opi n g the knight to its preferred square.
10 g4
White shows real aggression. Th e obvi ous intention i s g4-g 5 , pushing Black's kni ght
back.
Let's take a brief l ook at altern atives, all of wh i ch l ead to good counterpl ay for Bl ack:
a) If 10 0-0 then the . . . ctJa5 -c4 pl an i s effective, e . g . 10 . . . ctJa5 ! 1 1 �h l ctJC4 1 2 .� C l � C 5 13
tDde2 ctJd6 ! 14 a3 a s ! and White's e4-pawn com es under severe pressure, A.Martin
Gonzalez-V.J ansa, Bie1 1 9 8 5 .
b ) 10 (il b 3 d 5 ! (th ere's n o n e e d for . . . d6 h ere) 1 1 e x d 5 ( 1 1 e 5 d 4 1 2 exf6 dxc3 1 3 0-0-0
cxb2 + 14 �xb2 (ilb4 15 'Yii f2 g xf6 g ave Bl ack a clear advantag e in V. Popov- I .Mil adin ovic,
Korinth os 1999) 11 . . . ctJb4! 12 .ltd4 ctJxd3+ 13 'Yii xd3 ctJxd5 14 ctJxd5 ..Itxd5 1 5 0-0 l:td8 16 .!;'!,f2
.ltxb3 ! ? 17 axb 3 ..Il. C 5 1 8 c 3 Ji.xd4 19 cxd4 �6 and Bl ack i s slightly better, S. Duri c-M.Cebalo,
Bj el ovar 1979.
c) 10 0-0-0 t7-'l a 5 ! ? (again th e ... ctJa5 -c4 plan l ooks like a g ood idea) 1 1 g4? (White must
pl ay 1 1 <Ji b l ! t;�C4 1 2 Ji. c l ! Ji.b4 with roughly equal chances) 1 1 . . . ctJC4! 1 2 g 5 ?
2 32
White Plays 14
Exercise: White h as just fallen headlong into a trap. Can you see what it is?
Answer: 1 2 . . .'�Jxb2 ! ! g ives Bl ack a win n i n g advantag e : 1 3 �xb2 �a3 + ! 14 <Jibl (if 14 �xa3
then 14 . . ..ihc3 + 1 5 ct:Jb 3 ..t c 6 - threateni n g m ate - 1 6 .lii.. C 5 as and White must give up h i s
queen with 1 7 ..txb5 'iUxf3 ) 14 . . .'iYxc3 1 5 .lii.. c l .lii.. x cl 16 .u x c l ct:Jxe4 and White re signed i n
T.Tolnai-M.5j oberg , Zal akaros 1 9 9 2 : 1 7 .lii.. x e4 'iUb4+ 1 8 'iU b 3 'iUxb 3 + 19 axb 3 ..Ifi.xe4 leaves
Black two pawn s ah ead.
Back to the game, and to th e position after Tolnai's 10 g4:
Exercise: Find a good way for Black to meet the threat of g4-g5.
233
Th e S i c i l ia n Ta i m a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
Answer:10 ... h S !
Th i s pawn lunge i s a g ood idea only i f Bl ack can an swer g4-g 5 with th e di sruptive
. . . ctJg4. On g4 th e knight is viiln erabl e to h 2 -h 3 , but E i n g orn realizes th at Bl ack h as more
than enough resources for thi s n ot to become a proble m .
A n altern ative way to m eet g 2 -g4 i s b y 10 ... b4 1 1 ctJ c e 2 d5 ! wh ich follows th e principle
" Meet an attack on th e fl ank by counteri n g i n the centre". Push i n g th e knight away from (3
allows Bl ack to an swer 1 2 e 5 with 1 2 ... ctJe4, with a complex position.
Anoth er possibility i s 10 . . . h 6 but thi s does n 't feel like th e best opti on h ere. White is
pretty quick with 0-0-0 and h 2 -h4.
l1 g S
Bl ack sh oul d be very h appy to see 1 1 g xh 5 , which only h elps to activate h i s position. For
example, 1 1 . . . ctJxh 5 (or 1 1 ... ctJxd4 1 2 .itxd4 ctJxh 5 hittin g f4) 1 2 ctJxc6 'iYxc6 1 3 f5, as in
Z.An dri asian -V. Potkin, Bel gorod 2010. Potkin g ot a g ood g am e after pl ayin g 1 3 . . . ctJf6, but
h ere is a position where th e shot 13 . . . .ita3 ! (see above ! ) should al so be con sidered. If 14iLldl
Bl ack can continue with 14 . . . .itxb 2 ! - anoth er tactic for th e m e mory ban k s !
11 . . . ctJ g 4 12 .it g 1 ctJxd4 1 3 .itxd4
Exercise: H ow does Black deal with the threat of h 2-h 3 ?
Answer: 1 3 ... e S !
Th i s m ove, i n conjunction with Bl ack ' s n ext, creates a safe outpost for the knight on eS.
It's possible th at 1 3 ... .itc5 ! ? i s just as stron g . Indeed, after 14 .itxC5 'iYxC 5 1 5 'it'e2 ( 1 5 h3
ttJe3) 1 5 ... f5 ! 16 h3 b4! Black i s fine, since 17 ctJdl ? ? i s m et by 1 7 .. .fxe4 1 8 .itxe4 'iYC4+ (V. Ryan
ova- I . Korchenkova, Sochi 2007) and 1 7 ctJa4 i s answered by 17. 'iYd4 ! ' Th e other possibility to
__
con sider is 14 .itxg 7 �g 8 1 5 h 3 . Bl ack can m eet thi s with 1 5 ... ctJf2 winning the exch ange, but
White's compen sation l ooks reasonable after 16 .ite5 d6 1 7 .itf6 ctJxh l 1 8 'iYxh l.
2 34
White Plays f4
14 fxe5
After 14 �xe5 ttJxe5 1 5 fxe 5 it might be time for 1 5 . . . �a3 ! again.

14...�c5! •
This is the key fol l ow-up to 1 3 . . . e 5 . Eingorn 's idea is that after the exchan g e of dark
squared bishops the knight will sit on an i m pregnabl e outpost on e 5. H is choice is much
stronger th an 14 . . . ttJxe 5 15 �f5 ! ttJxd3 + 1 6 cxd3, wh ich looks nice for White.
15 e6?!
Tolnai uses a tacti c to disrupt Bl ack's plan, but his choice only leads him into troubl e.
After 15 �xC5 �xC 5 1 6 0-0-0 ttJxe5 Bl ack h as achieved his goal (wh ich began all the way
back with 10 . . . h 5 ! ) . Even so, th i s position i s n 't so bad for White after 17 �g 3 .
15 ...dxe6!
Bl ack is going to g et huge compensation for h i s pawn investm ent.
16 �xg7 Ug8 17 �f6 4-'1xf6
Bl ack is spoilt for choice h ere. Eingorn goes for the simplest opti on , but 17 . . . �f2+ 18
,te2 �h 4 ! (Tregubov) al so l ooks g ood.
18 gxf6
If 18 �xf6 Bl ack h a s 1 8 ... �e7.
18...'i'e 5! 19 0-0-0 � d4 20 Udf1 Ug6 2 1 ttJd 1 O-O-O!
Eingorn doesn 't even both er capturin g on f6. Bl ack is still a pawn down but he enjoys a
wonderful positi on, with two fantastic bishops, absolute control of th e g -fi le, a dominating
queen in th e centre, and white weaknesses everywh ere. Perh aps White coul d have
defended m ore resili ently from h ere, but h i s task is an unenviable one.
22 �b1 Udg8 2 3 c3 .§Lb6 24 .iLc2 Ug 2 25 ttJf2 h4!
White can h ardly m ove, an d Bl ack calmly in creases the pressure.
26 a3 h3!
235
Th e S i c i l ian Tai m a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
N ow th at th e rook on g 2 i s protected, Bl ack i s ready to pl ay . . . Md8-d2, wi nning, so

White's position col l apses.
2 7 c;JJd 3
I f 2 7 c;JJ x h 3 Mxc2 ! .
2 7 . . :�xe4 2 8 �xe4 JiLxe4 2 9 Mf4 Me2 ! 3 0 Md1 Mgg2 3 1 Wa1 Axd 3 3 2 Axd 3 Mxb2 3 3 �bl
Mb3 0-1
Black's m any threats i n cl ude ... JiLas and ... AxC3 .
Game 26
E.Ermenkov-S.Nikolov
Mizia 2002
1 e4 c 5 2 LL1f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 c;JJx d4 c;JJc 6 5 c;JJC 3 �C7 6 f4 a6
236
W h i t e Plays /4
7 i2lxc6 'iVxc6
7 ct:Jxc6 'iVxc6 is th e m ai n l i n e after 6 f4.
Question: Wait a minute ! First of all White takes on c6 before Bl ack

plays ... bS, and then Black recaptures with the queen in stead of
the b-pawn ! What's going on ? Why is this the main line?
Answer: Sigh ! Chess woul d be so m uch easier if everyone stopped breaki ng all th e rules !
To try to un derstan d th e reason i n g beh i n d 7 ct:Jxc6 and 7 'iVxc6, we n eed to go back to
...
the position after 5 ct:JC 3 .
Assum i n g Bl ack can recapture with the b-pawn, a n early trade o n c 6 is usually only
desirabl e for White if th e following two con diti on s are m et:
1. Bl ack h as spent a m ove on . . . a6 ( s i n ce thi s move's value is m inim al after ctJxc6,
... bx(6).
2. White' s piece set-up i s optim al for the resultin g pawn structure. Th is set-up usually
involves �d3, 0-0, 'iVe 2 or 'uel, an d often f2 -f4.
Now let's look at som e specifi c lines. If Bl ack pl ays s . a6, then 6 Cf'lxc6 is a good move -
..
indeed, it's actually the m o st popul ar choice for White. Both conditi on s are m et, the second
one because White h as n 't comm itted any of his pieces. Th e m ain line run s 6 ... bxc6 7 �d3
dS 8 0-0 ct:Jf6 and n ow either 9 'iVe2 or 9 'uel.
The problem for White ari ses if Bl ack i n stead chooses S . . . 'iVC], because White has t o
make a m ove before th e fi rst con dition i s m et (i .e . . . . a6 b y Black). So if 6 � e 2 a 6 7 C1Jxc6
bxc6, th e first condition is m et but th e secon d one i s n 't - White's bishop is m i spl aced e2
and woul d rath er be on d 3 . After 8 0-0 ct:Jf6 9 f4 dS we've actual ly reach ed the note t o
White's 8th m ove i n G am e 10, wh i ch i s fin e for Bl ack.
How about 6 �e3 a6 7 ct:Jxc6 bxc6? H ere th e secon d con dition again isn't m et, since
White woul dn 't n orm ally choose to devel op the bishop to e3, at least not as quid'ly as this.
237
After 8 iLd3 ct:Jf6 9 0-0 d 5 it becom es clear th at th e bishop i s n 't optim ally placed on e3. For
example, 'ii' e 2 or J:te1 n o longer directly supports a possible e4-e 5 advan ce, and also White
has to watch out for ... d4, after s ay . . . c 5 .
N ow l et's com pare 6 f4 a6 7 ct:Jxc6 bxc6.
On thi s occasion both con diti ons are m et :

1 . Bl ack has pl ayed ... a 6 .
2 . White hasn't comm itted any o f h i s pieces.
It's true he's played f2 -f4, but th i s pawn advan ce i s quite useful in thi s structure. Play
typically contin ues 8 �d3 d5 9 0-0 ct:Jf6. White can choose between positional pl ans such as
10 e5 ct:Jd7 11 ct:Ja4 followed by c 2 -c4, or m ore direct play: 10 'it'h 1 iLe7 11 'ii'f 3 �b7 12 fS.
Although 7 ct:Jxc6 bxc6 l i n e s are fully playable for Bl ack, White h as fair ch ances of
keepi n g an edge. Most Bl ack players actually prefer th e m ore "Taim an ov-l ike" 7 . . . 'ii' x c6, and
th i s is th e m ove we'll return to n ow:
2 38
W h i t e P lays 14
8 .id3
One of the m erits of capturin g on c6 i s th at White can pl ay ..id3 with out al so having to
play �e3 to protect the knight on d4.
8 �e2 b S woul d tran spose to G am e 24.
8 bS 9 �e2 .ib7 10 0-0
...
A much m ore ch allenging m ove h ere i s 10 �d2 ! , the m ain l i n e, an d thi s i s covered next
game. It will soon becom e cl ear th at Black h as no problems at all after Ermenkov's choice in
this game. Even so, it's still a bit surprising to see a g randm aster losing as White in just
anoth er six m ove s ! Read on to see h ow . . .
10 'c2Jf6 !
. .
Unlike in some other lines {for example, G am e 24}, there's n othing to stop Bl ack from
playing .. .'�Jf6 so early. N ow White m ust deal with th e threat of 1 1 . . . b4, win ning a pawn .
11 eS
The altern ative for White is 1 1 a 3 . Bl ack can continue actively by playing 1 1 . . . .tc5+ and
now:
a) 12 ..ie3 0-0 { 1 2 ... d 6 ! ?} 13 .txcS �xc S + 14 'it'h l d6 tran sposes to note 'b' to White's
13th move i n G am e 1 5 .
b } 12 'it'h l
Exercise: Find a way to i ncrease the pressure on e4.
Answer: 12 ... .td4 ! threatens ... .txc3 foll owed by .. .'�Jxe4, and it's n ot a trivial threat to deal
with :
bl} 1 3 e 5 .txc3 14 bxc3 ctJd5 {or 14 ... ctJe4} i s fin e for Bl ack.
b2} After 13 .td2 .txC 3 ! 14 .txc3 ctJxe4 White can regain his pawn with 15 �xg7, but
only temporarily: lS ... Mg 8 16 Mael { 1 6 .td4 ctJC3 ! an d som ething n asty is happen ing on g 2 }
2 39
Th e S i c i l ian Ta i m a n o v: M o ve by M o v e
16 ... 0JCS 1 7 �g4 �xg 2 + ! 1 8 'i!fxg 2 �xg 2 + 19 �xg 2 Mxg 7+ with a solid extra pawn for Black,
L.Orozco Lopez-J .Chirivi Castibl anco, Bogota 2010.
b3) 1 3 lLla2 ! i s tricky because it poison s the e4: 1 3 ... lLlxe4 ? ? i s m et by 14 cub4 ! . H owever,
the idea of CLib4 in itself is n oth i n g to fear, an d Bl ack can achieve a g ood position with the
typical Taim an ov th rust 13 . . . h S ! .
Exercise: 1 4 e S can b e met by 1 4... lLlg4, 1 4... lLle4 or 1 4 lLldS,. . .
but Bl ack h as possibly an even stronger respon se. Can you see the i dea?
Answer: If 14 eS Bl ack doe s n 't h ave to m ove the knight at al l ! 14 . . . h 4 ! , plan n i n g ... h 3 , might
be th e stron g e st choice of all . After 15 exf6 h3 16 Mf2 h x g 2 + 1 7 Mxg 2 (if 17 '-.tg l then
17 . . J;!,xh 2 ! 18 �xh 2 g l�+ 19 �xg l �h l m ate) 1 7 ... g xf6 , th reaten i n g ... Mg8, White is in
some troubl e. Th e only defence appears to be 1 8 lLlb4 but h ere the simple 1 8 ... �xg 2+ 19
�xg 2 ,:.txg 2 + 20 �xg 2 >te 7 ! foll owed by . . .l�ag 8 + leaves Bl ack well on top.
I n stead of 14 eS, White should probably play 14 cuM, e . g . 14 ... �b 6 1 5 c3 ,:\tc S with level
chances.
Let's return to the game, and to the position after Ermenkov's 1 1 e S :
240
W h i t e Plays 14
Exercise: Choose between 11 ... CLlds and 11...b4.
Answer: 11 ... b4!

Once again we see th eme of m eetin g the exf6 th reat with a counter-th reat on the c 3 -
knight. If the white k n i g h t gives way, t h e n as usual th e black knight h o p s into t h e centre.
Moreover, N ikolov al so realizes th at a capturin g "exch ange " also favours Bl ack.
There's n oth i n g wron g with Black's position after l 1 . . .'!2'lds 12 (ilxds �xds - it rem inds
me a bit of G am e 1 5 . H owever, th ere's n o reason why Bl ack shouldn't aim for more with
11...b4! - and N ikol ov is soon to be richly rewarded for doi ng s o !
1 2 exf6?!
White sh oul d probably g ive way with his knight. Th i s obviously gives Bl ack a very
comfortabl e position, but it's infin itely better for White than wh at happens in the g am e !
a ) 12 '�b 1 0_)e4 1 3 ,ii,e 3 .1i.c s 14 ,� xcs 0JXC s ! 1 5 0Jd2 CD x d 3 16 c x d 3 a n d Bl ack h as a n edge
due to his strong bishop on th e long diagonaL V,Malisauskas -V,Arbakov, Berlin 19 94,
continued 1 6 , .. �c2 ! ? 17 �e 3 0-0 18 b 3 l:tac8 19 CDe4 ,.\1i.xe4 20 �xe4 as and Bl ack was still
better, now due to his control of th e c-file.
b) 12 CDdl ! l ooks like White 's best bet: 1 2 .. ,CDe4 (or 1 2 . . ,CDd s ) 1 3 ,1l e3 and now 1 3 . . . �Cs
14 l':\,f3 0-0 1 5 c 3 bXc3 1 6 ,.\1i. xe4 �xe4 1 7 0JX C 3 , W, Rosen-M ,Tai manov, Bad Lieben zell 1996,
or 1 3 . ..ctJc s ! ? 14 �c4 d s 15 exd6 �xd6 1 6 c3 bxc 3 17 CLlxc3 0-0 18 l:tacl 11ac8, A, BoTOwi ec
M,Boccia, corre spon dence 2006; with roughly l evel chances in both cases,
12 bxc3
...
241
Th e S i c i l ia n Ta i m a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
Question: Why i s this position good for Black?
Answer: Th ere are m any Sicilian l i n e s involvi n g a knight "exch an g e " on f6 an d ( 3 , and
clearly the assessment always depends on specifics. Th i s is a good version for Bl ack because
the open i ng of th e g -fil e will only help to i n crease th e pressure on White's already sensitive
g 2 -pawn . If White were able to m ove h i s f-pawn back to f3 , the assessm ent m i ght be
different, but - unfortun ately for White - pawn s can 't m ove backwards !
13 fxg7??
Thi s m akes thi n g s ten times worse. White sh oul d pl ay 1 3 bxc3 and accept an inferior
position after 1 3 . . . � C 5 + (or 1 3 . . . g xf6) 14 'it>h 1 g xf6.
13 ... �x g 7 14 b 3
Exercise: Black has a forced win . Try to calcul ate it through to the end.
24 2
W h i t e Plays f4
Answer: 14 ... iLd 4+! 1 5 �hl Ug8 16 Uf3

Th e only m ove to shield g 2 , but...
16 :i'xf3 ! ! 0-1
. .
A shockin g end for White ! It's m ate after 1 7 g xf3 Ug l or 17 'i'xf3 iLxf3 18 gxf3 �g l .
Going back a coupl e o f m oves, 14 b x c 3 Ug 8 ! 1 5 Uf3 'i'xf3 ! ! w i n s in similar fash ion,
S.Bednikova-B.Andon ov, Borovetz 200 3 . Games l ike thi s should persuade Wh ite to pl ay the
English Attack, j ust to keep the long diag onal firmly bl ocked with f2 -f3 !
Came 27
M.Adams-H.Stefansson
I sta n b u l Olympia d 2000
1 e4 c5 2 i2Jf3 i2Jc6 3 d 4 c xd 4 4 i2Jxd4 e6 5 i2JC 3 'i'C7 6 f4 a6 7 i2Jxc6

One further option for White worth m entioni ng i s 7 i2Jf3 .
Question: Why does White retreat the knight?
Answer: Th e i2Jf3 idea i s similar to i2Jb 3 . By rem oving th e possibil ity of a knight exchange on
d4, or just an attack d4, White hopes to reduce Bl ack's counterpl ay. Wh ite intends to follow
up with iLd3 and 0-0, wh en th e knight on f3 might prove to be useful for attacki ng
purposes on th e king side. H owever, as with i2Jb 3 th e price i s a l ost tempo, and Black h as no
n eed to fear 7 i2Jf3 if h e responds positively, with 7 ... iLcs (preventi ng 0-0) 8 .Xl.d3 bS. Black
has don e well from th i s positi on . Som e exampl es:
a) If 9 'i'e2 Bl ack can exch an g e knights anyway: 9 . . . i2Jd4! 10 i2Jxd4 iLxd4 and Black is
fine, e.g. 1 1 iLd2 iLb7 1 2 e s fS ! (stopping i2Je4) 1 3 i2Jdl ! ? 0'Je7 14 c3 (or 14 �e3 � c S !
intendi ng . . .cbd S , alth ough th i s i s preferabl e for White than wh at follows) 1 4. . . iLb6 1 5 .�e 3
243
Th e S i c i l ia n Tai m a n o v: M o ve by M o v e
ctJdS ! 16 jLxb6 �xb6 1 7 .l:!,f1 0-0 and Bl ack h as a clear advantage, J . Lauridsen -A. Kogan,
Bergen 2001.
b) 9 e S (inten din g ctJe4) 9 .. .fS ! (again Bl ack prevents it)
10 exf6 (10 �e2 �a7 ! ? - preventi n g jLe3 - 1 1 g 4 ! ? fxg4 1 2 ctJg s ctJh 6 1 3 ctJce4 ctJd4 14
�d1 �b7 and White ' s aggression backfired i n J . H ector-V.Zvjagin sev, Berlin 1 9 9 3) 10 .':t:lxf6
. .
1 1 ctJg s was N . Ki rov-M .Taim anov, Wrocl aw 1 9 7 9 . Bl ack h as a few good opti on s here, one of
whi ch i s Tai m anov's suggestion of 1 1 . . .ctJb4 ! 1 2 ctJce4 (or 1 2 �xh 7 ctJxh 7 1 3 �h S + ctJe7 14
�f7+ 'it>d6 ! an d th e king escapes) 1 2 . . . ctJxd3+ 1 3 �xd3 ctJxe4 14 ctJxe4 with an edge fOT
Bl ack.
7 �xc6 8 "�d3 b S 9 � e2 �b7 10 �d 2 !
...
Th e m ain choice a n d th e m o st ch allenging m ove fOT Bl ack t o face. With 1 0 jLd2 White
does th e followi n g :
1 . H e keeps h i s opti on s open a s t o whi ch side h e will castl e.
244
. Wh i t e Plays 14
2 . He prevents Black from devel opin g as rapi dly as h e did in our previous g ame,
Ermenkov- N ikol ov.
Exercise: How should White meet 10 b4? ...
Answer: White plan s to m eet lo ... b4 with 11 ttJdS ! , expl oiti n g the potenti al di scovered
check on th e e-file. Th i s is probably a l i n e Bl ack shoul d avoi d.
lO �e7!?
...
Question: 10 . i.e7 looks strange. What's Black's idea?

. .
Why not develop the knight?
Answer: As we've seen before, if Bl ack wants to pl ay ... ttJf6 h e n eeds to get th e timing spot
on. lf lo . . . ttJf6 then 1 1 e s ! b4 1 2 exf6 bXc3 1 3 .ltxc 3 ! demon strates one of th e points behind
1 0 �d2 - the bish op can recapture on c3 and White has some advantag e. Altern atively,
l1...ct'lds (in stead of 1 1 . . .b4) 12 i.e4 'iVc s 13 0-0-0 ttJxc3 14 .ltxc3 .ltxe4 15 'iVxe4 l!c8 16 l!d4
with an edg e for White, O. Reeh -S. Polg ar, Budapest 1 9 9 1 .
T h e idea beh i n d Stefan sson ' s 10 . . . .lte7 i s to wait for th e right m oment for . . . <1:Jf6, an d i n
the meantim e pl ay oth er devel opi n g m oves. An oth er point to note is th at 10 . . . .lt e 7 usefully
blocks th e e-file. Th i s means ttJdS no longer works and so . . . b4 comes into pl ay again.
Question: Does Bl ack h ave other any other options apart from 10 i.e7? . . .
Answer: Yes h e does, an d th e m o st popul ar line h as been 10 . . . .ltcS 1 1 0-0-0 ttJe7.
Question: Why is the knight going to e7 here?
245
Th e S i c i l ian Ta i m a n o v: M o v e by M o v e
Answer: More out of necessity than anyth i n g el se. If 1 1 . . . Cilf6 there foll ows 1 2 e S tLldS 1 3
tLl e 4 ! and Black's dark-squared bishop woul d h ave been better off back on e7, out of the
knight's ran ge. I n contrast, after 11 ... tLle7 th e stin g i s drawn from th e e4-e S advan ce and
White must try to g ai n the initiative an oth er way. Th e m ost logi cal way - and th e main line
- is 12 �h S , expl oiti n g th e absence of a bl ack knight from f6 . In th is sh arp position Black
usually pl ays 12 ... g6 to attack th e queen, castl es queen side and then breaks with .. .fS or
... d S . For exam pl e :
a ) 1 3 �h4 b 4 14 �f6 ( o r 14 0-'le2 dS 1 5 tLlg 3 0-0-0 16 'litb l �b6, as in S. Drazic-B.Grachev,

Rijeka 2008) 14 . . . 0-0-0 15 tLle2 dS ! 16 tLlg 3 (if 16 exds tLlxdS 17 �xf7 ? ? then 17 .. Jld7 ! traps
th e queen) 16 . . . dxe4 1 7 �xe4 tLldS ! 1 8 �h 4 ( 1 8 �xf7 .lZd7 traps th e queen again) 18 .. .fS ! 19
.�.f3 �a4 20 �bl ii.e7 2 1 �h 3 �f6 with good play for Bl ack, M. Bezold- L.Milov, German
League 200 2 ; White 's queen i s at l east temporarily out of the g am e .
b) 1 3 �g S ! i s probably stron g er, because n ow 1 3 . . . b4 c a n be m et b y t h e trick 14 0-'la4!.
Even 50 , Black's resources h ave proved to be sufficient in th i s line. For example, 1 3 . . . 0-0-0
14 .ll h e l fS ! 15 .Qe 3 Y.de8 16 �xcS �xc S 17 exfs h6 18 �n4 g xfs with roug hly l evel chances
in th e super-G M clash S . Rublevsky-E .Al ekseev, I rkutsk 2010.
N ow l et's go back to Stefan sson ' s ch oice of 1 1...�e7:
11 a 3
With ttJ d S n o l o n g e r a certain opti on , Adam s decides to safeg uard h i s knight o n n . I f 1 1
0-0 Bl ack gains good counterpl ay with 1 1 ...b4! 1 2 tLldl tLlf6, e . g. 1 3 tLlf2 dS 14 e S tLle4 1 5
�e3 ( o r 1 5 I:!. a e l �cS) l S . . J:I.c8 1 6 .ll a el 0 - 0 1 7 � d 4 :li.cs 1 8 �e 3 �xd4 19 �xd4 �c S ,
S.Gross-M. Diekers, G erman League 2001. Or if 1 1 a 4 the n 1 1 . . .b4 1 2 tLla2 as 1 3 c3 tLlf6 ! and
Black ' s counterattack on e4 arrives just in tim e .
246
W h i t e Plays f4
11 MC8
...
Question: Why is Black still del aying the knight's development?
Answer: 11 ... CDf6 is possible here, alth ough it still run s into Wh ite's prin cipled respon se 12
es! ct'lds 1 3 iLe4 ! . I n the g am e Zhang Pen gxian g - D.Jakovenko, Taiyuan 2006, Bl ack
managed to g ai n counterpl ay with 13 ... b4 14 axb4 iLxb4 1 S CDxdS .fL xd2+ 16 �xd2 exdS 17
if3 �b6 1 8 0-0-0 0-0 19 .JlxdS .JlxdS 20 �xdS gab8 21 b 3 gfc8 with good compen sation
for Bl ack, although my feeli n g is th at White should be a touch better som ewhere in th is
line.
12 0-0
Exercise: Is it now safe to play 12 CDf6 ?

. . .
24 7
Recently som e White pl ayers h ave started to choose th e sh arper 1 2 O-O-O ! ?, and for good
reason as it m ay well be a m ore challenging opti on . For exampl e, 12 . . .lLlf6 13 g4! b4 14
axb4 Jli.. x b4 1 5 g s Jli.. x C3 16 Jli.. x c3 tDxe4 1 7 Jli.. x g 7 .l:!.g8 18 Jli.. e S l ooks slightly better for White,
M . Leon H oyos-V. H ernandez Guerrero, Toluca 2009. As an altern ative to 13 . . . b4, I feel that
Bl ack shoul d con sider 13 ... d S . For example, 14 exds (14 eS tDd7) 14 . . . tDxdS 15 .l:!.hfl (15 �e4
�C4 ! ) lS . . . tDxC3 16 Jli.. x C3 0-0 17 g s �b6 (with . . . .l:!.xc3 i deas) 18 �e s f6 19 g xf6 Jli.. xf6 20 'fhs
and h ere Bl ack has the crucial resource 20 ... Jli.. e 4! 2 1 Jli.. x e4 �e3 + .
12 tDf6 !
. . .
Answer: Ves it i s s afe. Of course . . . tDf6 was playable on th e previous m ove too, but it's
worth rem emberi n g th at after White castl es (eith er side) th e i dea of 1 3 e S tDdS 14 �e4 no
longer works, since 14 ... tDxC3 15 Jll.. x c6 tDxe2 comes with ch eck !
13 e S
1 3 .l:!.ael 0- 0 14 .l:!.f3 d S ! prom i ses Bl ack g ood counterpl ay: 1 5 e xds ( 1 5 e S tDe 4! and ( 2
drops if White keeps takin g on e 4 ) l S ... Jli.. c S + 1 6 Jll.. e 3 exd s ! 1 7 Jli.. x cs �xc S + 1 8 �f2 ? d4 ! 19
.l:!.es �C7 2 0 tDe4 Jli.. x e4 21 Jli.. x e4 tDxe4 22 .l:!.xe4 �xc2 23 �xC2 .l:!.xc2 and Bl ack went on to
win i n D.Gross-V. N everov, Prerov 2001.
1 3 tDds
...
14 tD e4
Question: Shouldn 't Bl ack be worried about 14 fS ?
Answer: Bl ack sh oul d certainly be wary of 14 fS , but doesn 't need to panic. Wh ite's
initiative looks stron g , but we m ust n ever underestim ate th e value of Black's queen and
bishop battery on th e long diag on al . After 14 fS tDxC3 1 5 Jli.. x c3 exfs ! 16 .l:!.xfS 0-0 17 .l:!.h S g6
18 .l:!.h 3 fS Bl ack h ad at l east an equal sh are of th e ch ances wh en the pl ayers prem aturely
agreed a draw in N . 5edl ak-M.Matul ovic, Budva 2002 . It's difficult for White to do anything
wh en h e h as the con stant worry of someth i n g n asty h appen ing on g 2 .
248
W h i t e Plays J4
Adam s' choice of 14 ct.:Je4 i s m otivated by the desire to keep th e diagonal as blocked as
possibl e, and of course e4 i s a n i ce outpost for th e k n i g ht.
14 fS!
...
Stefan sson fights back, forci n g th e diag onal ope n . Bl ack coul d al so play 14 . 0-0 and fS
. . . . .
next m ove.
15 exf6 ct.:J xf6 16 ct.:JgS!
Bl ack i s fin e after 1 6 ct.:Jxf6+ iLxf6 17 c3 0-0. Adam s' choice keeps much more tension in
the position .
16 0-0 17 �h1
...
Question: I s thi s king move necessary?

Can 't White just get on with his attack?
Answer: Adam s must h ave felt it was worth a tempo to el i m i n ate any tactics based on
checks on the a7-g 1 diagonal. I n deed, after 17 gael Bl ack has the opti on of 17 .. . b4 ! ?
(17 ... WVC7 ! ?) 1 8 axb4 iLxb4, a s i n V.Hort-M.Taim an ov, Moscow 1999, since 1 9 .�.xb4 ·�·b6+
regains the piece.
Ideally White woul d like to i n crease th e pressure with iLC3, but if pl ayed too quickly it
could easily backfire. 1 7 .ltc3 ? h 6 1 8 ct.:Jf3 and now 1 8 . JiJh S ! (or 1 8 . . .ci')e4! - Adam s)
demon strates som e of Black's potential for rapid counterpl ay: 19 g 3 ct.:Jxf4! 20 g xf4 )'Xxf4
and Wh ite is in huge troubl e.
17 .¥i.cS
...
Th e position i s balanced on a knife-edge, with both sides' pieces pointi n g menacingly at

each oth er's k i n g s . I n th i s type of situation one slip by either side can be fatal , as the game
demon strates.
18 l"\.ae1 .1i.. d 4!
249
Question: Doesn 't thi s m ove just lose a tempo if White pl ays 19 c 3 ?
Answer: Stefan sson i s actually en couragi n g c 2 - c 3 . It's worth spending a m ove t o prevent
�C3, wh ich is on e of White' s attacki n g i deas.
19 ..t el �ee8 20 e3 ..ta7 2 1 �e2 h 6
An oth er possibil ity i s 2 1 . . . g 6 ! ? If 2 2 ..txg6 Bl ack has th e resource 2 2 . . . �xg 2 + ! 2 3 �xg2
..txg 2 + 24 �xg 2 h x g 6 , whi le 22 �e2 gives Bl ack the time to defend ag ain st th e th reat by
pl ayi n g 2 2 . . . 'fJ.e7 as i n dicated by Adam s, who assesses th e position as unclear.
2 2 CZ'lf3 d 6 23 �g6 �e7 24 CZ'lh4 e s ! ?
It looks l i k e Bl ack i s invitin g troubl e, but h e h as m any resources in th e following
complicati ons.
2 S ..tfS �ee8 26 CZ'lg6
25 0
W h i t e Plays /4
26 ... exf4??
Unfortun ately, just as the position i s reach i n g boiling point, Stefan sson m akes a losing
blunder. As i n dicated by Adam s, after 2 6 . . JH7 ! it's very m uch game on . Th e key point i s
that 27 fxe 5 dxe 5 2 8 ctJxe 5 c a n be m et b y 2 8 ... .l:!.fe 7 ! a n d if 29 CLlxc6 there follows 29 . . . rtxe l
30 i.d3 �xc6 and all three results are still possible.
27 .se7! 1-0
A crush i ng blow. Stefan sson m ust h ave been expecting to give up an exchange and get
some action with .. .f3 , but th i s m ove kills off all hope. Th e devastating threat is .'�.e6+
followed by CLlxf8 double check, and th ere i s no g ood defence. Adam s gives 27 . . ..�c4 28
ie6+ "iYxe6 2 9 .l:!.xe6 .l:!.xe6 3 0 ctJxf8 �xf8 31 .�xf4 and White wi n s .
Key Notes
1. I n general Bl ack shoul d m eet f4 lin e s with . . . b 5 . Chances of counterpl ay down the long
a8-h l di agon al autom atically in crease after f2-f4, because e4 can no longer be protected
by a pawn .
2. In m any l i nes Bl ack m ust be very careful with th e timing of . . . 0�f6 . Th is knight
developm ent often n eeds some preparation (see G am e s 24 and 2 7 ) .
3 . Banikas's 1 5 . . . e 5 ! (in G a m e 2 4 ) , fi xing th e pawn structure after th e exch ange of dark
squared bishops, i s an idea well worth rememberi n g .
4 . Look out for tactics involvi n g both ... �xa3 ! ( G a m e 2 4 ) a n d . . . �a3 ! ( G a m e 2 5 ) . Th ese
are key weapon s for Bl ack and are often overl ooked.
5. Remember th e idea of m eetin g e4-e 5, attacking th e f6-knight, with the counter
threat ... b 5 -b4. Th i s proved to be effective (to put it m i l dly ! ) in Game 26.
6 . Th e current m ai n l i n e i s 6 f4 a6 7 ctJxc6 "iYxc6 8 iLd3 b 5 9 �e2 .¥Lb7. Here 10 .ll.d2 !
(Game 2 7) i s far m ore ch allenging than 10 0-0 (Game 2 6 ) .
7 . If White doesn 't exch an g e knights on c6, keep a n eye open for . . . 0�a5 -c4 possibil i ties
(see Game 2 5 ) .
25 1
Chapter Six
The Fia n chetto Va riatio n
1 e4 c 5 2 (ilf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJc6 5 ctJC3 'ifC7 6 g3
Th e Fianchetto Vari ati on i s n 't very popul ar at club l evel , but it i s appreci ated a bit m ore
at higher l evel s . 6 g 3 i s a very s ol i d opti o n . White shun s all-out ag gression, an d i n stead
ai m s for a s m all positi o n al edge an d to keep Bl ack ' s counterpl ay to a m i n i m u m .
I n th i s ch apter we w i l l study the m ai n l i n e , 6 ... a6 7 ii, g 2 ctJf6 8 0 - 0 ctJxd4 (and, briefly,
8 . . �_c 5 ) . Bl ack can al s o choose a Scheven i n g en set-up with 7 . . . d6 or 7 . . 4Jf6 8 0-0 d6, but
. . .
on ce again we'll be focu s in g on pure Taim an ov opti on s for Bl ack.
2 52
Th e F i a n c h e t t o Va r i a t i o n
Game 2 8
A.Kostin-J .Gel ier
Voronezh 2007
1 e 4 c5 2 0-'lf3 e 6 3 d4 cxd4 4 CLlxd4 ':Llc6 5 0_1c3 'WiC7 6 g3 a 6

It's worth playi n g th i s m ove a t t h e first opportunity. 6 . . . C;'lf6 ? ! i s in accurate because o f 7
,jdb S ! iVb8 8 .Jtf4 ! , wh ich i s m ost unwel com e for Bl ack.
7 ig2 CLlf6
Question: Can Bl ack pl ay 7 bS h ere,

. . .
to oppose bishops on the long diagon al ?
Answer: In the previ ous ch apter we saw th at 6 f4 en courag es . . . b S . In contrast, 6 g 3 very

much di s courag e s it. In theory ... b S looks like a decent plan, but Bl ack strug gles to fi nd a
good way forward after 7 . . . b S ? ! 8 0-0 i;�b7 9 Me l ! , a position from wh ich he has scored
poorly. The strength of White's rook m ove is ill ustrated by lines such as 9 . . ":-:lf6 1 0 e S ! , 9 . . d6 .
10 a4 b4 11 CLldS ! , an d even 9 . . . �cS 10 0-'lb 3 .'1Le7 l l CDdS ! .

8 0-0
8...CLlxd4
An idea we've seen before - see, for example, in G am e 8. By exch anging knights on d4
and followi n g up with ... il.cs, Bl ack can devel op h i s dark-squared bishop with a g ain of
time.
Question: H ow about just devel opi ng th e dark-squared bi shop

without exch ang i n g on d4?
253
Answer: Th i s i s possible too. 8 ... �b4, though n ot terrible, m akes less sense h ere because
White ' s e4-pawn is protected, and you can work out why 8 . . . �d6 ? ? deserves two question
m arks. But the oth er two bishop m oves h ave been played m any tim e s :
a ) If 8 . . . .ii. e 7 White c a n reply 9 �e 1 ! intendi n g ttJxc6 foll owed b y e4-e S - th i s
demon strates a n advantage o f n ot clutteri n g u p th e e-fil e with bishops o n e 2 a n d e 3 !
Bl ack rem ains sol i d after 9 .. 0 - 0 10 ttJxc6 dxc6 ( o r 10 . . . bxc6 1 1 e S ttJ d S 1 2 ttJa4 intending
.
C2 -C4) 11 eS �d8 ! 12 'ii"f 3 ttJdS, but White enjoys a s m al l but undeni able edge.
I n stead of castl i n g , Bl ack coul d try 9 ... ttJxd4 ! ? 10 'ii" x d4 �cS, like in O U T m ain g ame.
Black's clever i dea i s th at th e tempo loss ( ... �e7-c s ) , allowi n g White an extra m ove in Mel,
actually helps Bl ack because the resource ... ttJg4 will arrive with tempo by hitting the f2 -
pawn . I n deed, for a wh ile thi s was con sidered to be th e m ain l i n e but th at was before the
discovery of 10 e S ! , which i s a very dangerous pawn sacrifice con sidered to be good for
White, e . g . 10 . . . ttJc6 1 1 exf6 g xf6 1 2 'ii" g 4 an d 'ii" g 7 i s com i n g .
Question: Could Bl ack pl ay 9 . . d 6 after 8 .i. e 7 9 l::. e 1,

. . . .
and go into a Scheveningen ?
Answer: 9 . . . d6 i s certainly pl ayabl e. H owever, adopting a Sch even ingen set-up agai n st 6 9 3
i s n 't al ways quite as straightforward as it woul d be if Bl ack ch ose the proper Sch eveningen
m ove-order, where Bl ack might del ay or avoid . . . 'ii"C 7 and/or . . . a6. In thi s parti cul ar
situati on, White can alter th e position to h i s advantage with 9 . . . d6 10 ttJxc 6 ! bxc6 11 e s !
dxe s 1 2 �xe s . Bl ack can n ot take on e S , t h e g 2 -bishop h as been unleashed an d White
enjoys an edge h ere too.
b) 8 ... iLcs is logi cal and h as al so been pl ayed m any times.
254
Th e Fi a n c h e t t o Va ria t i o n
I quite l ike Black's chances in th e 9 ctJ b 3 �a7 line, but he seems t o b e having a few
problem s at th e mom ent after 9 ctJxc6, which I feel i s th e critical line. If these probl em s can
be overcom e (perh aps with 11 . . . h S ! ? - see below), then 8 . . . �cS is certainly an oth er option
for Bl ack and a worthy altern ative to 8 . . . ctJxd4. Som e lines:
bl) 9 �e3 ctJe s tran sposes to 8 �e3 ctJe s 9 0-0 �cS - see Game 30.
b2) 9 �f4 e S 10 ctJb 3 exf4 1 1 ctJxcS d6 1 2 ctJd3 fxg 3 1 3 hxg 3 and Bl ack is okay after either
13 . .te6 14 ctJdS ..\bdS 1 5 exds ctJe7 or the m ore ambitious 1 3 . . . h S ! ? 14 [;jdS �d8.
. .
b3) 9 ctJb 3 �a7 10 � g s (10 .�f4 ctJe s 1 1 �e 2 d6 is l evel) 10 . . . ctJe s 1 1 ·� e2 d6 1 2 .t h l h 6 ! ?

(it's im portant to realize th at Bl ack i s n 't afraid o f the doubl ed f-pawns, a s oth er factors -
bishop pair, in creased dark-square control etc - provide enough com pen sation) 1 3 ..!txf6
gxf6 14 f4 �C4 1 S fS ctJe3 ( l S .. .t2lxb2 16 �f3 ! ; l S . . . h S ! ?) 16 Mf3 ctJxg 2 17 <;i;xg 2 .� d7 18 fxe6
fxe6 19 Mxf6 hS and Bl ack h as decent com pen sation for th e pawn , P. Leko-J . Lautier,
Dortmund 1 9 9 5 .
b4) 9 ctJxc 6 ! dxc6 (9 . . . bxc6 i s m et in th e same way) 1 0 ctJa4 ! � a 7 1 1 c4.
2 55
Th e S i c i l i a n T a i m a n o v : M o v e by M o ve
White i s threaten i n g to create a bind with c4-c 5 . I deally Bl ack woul d like to respond
with 11 ... b 5 , but 12 e 5 ! 'iJd7 13 'iJC3 h as proved to be ann oyi n g . 11 ... 'iJd7 ! is a better option,
but Bl ack is still under some pres sure i n thi s l i n e after 12 b4, e.g. 12 ... a5 13 b5 e5 and now
eith er 14 .ll b l or 14 �a3 .l1i.d4 1 5 'iVg4.
If Bl ack wants to resurrect th i s line, m aybe th e pl ace to l ook i s 11 ... h 5 ! ? Th i s move
allows th e bind with c4-c5 but gains counterpl ay in return by open ing th e h -file. For
example, after 12 c5 h 4 1 3 � g 5 hxg 3 14 hxg 3 e5 15 Mel �e6 16 b 3 1t>f8 17 'iVe2 'iJg4 1 8
Madl f6 19 �,c l .ll e 8 2 0 f 3 'iJh 6 2 1 � e 3 'iVf7 . White m i g h t stil l be a touch better, but Black
certainly h as h i s chances too in thi s complex position, A.lvanov-J . Benjamin, Phil adelph ia
2006.
Let's return to the g am e , and to Geller's choice of 8 ... 'iJxd4:
9 'iVxd4 �C5
Question: Where sh ould the queen retreat?
10 .1Lf4!
Answer: N owh ere ! White deal s with th e threat by employing h i s own counter-th reat to
Bl ack's queen . We m ustn 't forget th at one of th e advantag es of g 2 - g 3 i s th at the bishop
m ove to f4 i s supported, and th i s i s a key resource for White in a number of positions.
10 ... d 6
Question: Why not a queen exchange?
Answer: Black's position actually becom es m ore diffi cult if the queen s are exch an g ed with
10 ....� hd4 11 �xC7. Th e probl em for Bl ack is th at his dark-square weaknesses on the
queen side h ave suddenly becom e quite prominent, an d furth ermore h e can n ot easily free
him self with . . . b5 because e4-e 5 always looms. A few games h ave contin ued 11 . . . �xc3 12
25 6
Th e Fian c h e t t o Varia t i o n
bxc3 dS 1 3 e x d s ct:l x d s 14 �es f6 i s c 4 ! with White scoring wel l .

11 �d 3
Th e altern ati ve retreat, 1 1 �d2, i s covered n ext game.
Exercise: Choose between the following three option s:

a) 11...0-0; b) l 1 . . .eS ; c) 1 1...tiJd7.
Answer: 11 . . . tiJd 7 !
Th e obvious foll ow-up for White after 11 �d3 i s 1 2 .l:!.adl, hitting th e d6-pawn , so Bl ack
needs to be ready for thi s . Th e idea beh i n d 1 1. . .ct:ld7 is to m eet 12 .l:!.adl by 1 2 " .ct:le S ,
blocking th e attack on d6 and g ai n i n g a useful te mpo on th e queen in th e process.
If Bl ack waits with 1 1 . . .0-0, after 1 2 l::t a dl ! h e i s forced to safeguard the d6-pawn in a
less desirabl e way, eith er by 1 2 " .ct:le8 messing up h i s development or by 12".eS 1 3 �g S !
leaving a hole o n d S which White i s ready t o exploit after �xf6. Unfortun ately for Bl ack,
12....l:!.d8? is unplayable, simply because of 13 e s ! . Simil arly, if Bl ack plays th e immediate
l1...eS then 12 �g S ! �e6 13 �xf6 g xf6 14 ct:lds favours White.
12 ct:la4!
25 7
Th e S i c i l i a n Ta i m a n o v : M o v e by M o ve
Kostin in creases the pressure. N ow the threat i s to win a pawn with ctJxcS foll owed by
taking on d6.
Exercise: H ow shoul d Black meet thi s threat?

Choose between a) 12 ctJe s and b) 12 e S .
. . . . . .
1 2 Y.adl (in stead o f 1 2 ctJa4) 1 2 ... ctJe s ! i s fi n e for Bl ack. We've seen in similar positions
th at Bl ack shoul d h ardly ever fear th e bishop-for-knight exch an g e with 1 3 �xes dxe s,
since the advantages h e g ai n s from thi s i m bal ance (bishop pair, dark-square control,
central control ) n orm ally outweigh the slight structural di sadvantag e. What's m ore, if
White retreats with 1 3 �e 2 thi s g ives Bl ack enough tim e to g et org anized: 1 3 . . . �d7 ! 14
iLe3 iJ..b4 i s already very n i ce for Bl ack, wh o threate ns . . . �xc3 foll owed by . . . �b S ,
W. Muell er- D. Ruzele, Berl i n 1994.
Answer: 12 ... e S !
Th i s m ove i s m ore or less forced, since 1 2 ... ctJes i s m et by 1 3 �c3 ! when Bl ack i s in some
troubl e.
Question: Weren 't we tryin g to avoid a hole on the ds-square?
Answer: True, but Bl ack has n o oth er choice. Crucially, th oug h , White cannot i m m ediately
exploit the d s - s quare because h i s knight h as wan dered to a4, an d Geller is soon abl e to
demon strate Bl ack's resources in thi s positi on.
13 �d2
After 1 3 .�e3 �xe3 14 �xe3 b S 15 ctJC3 �b7 ! Bl ack covers th e ds-square just in time,
and ends can be m et by an exch an g e .
13 �d4
. . .
25 8
Question: Why does the bishop go here,

where it can be hit by C2-C3 ? Why not 13 ... �a7?
Answer: Geller i s actually trying to provoke c2-c3 before retreating to a7, because this pawn
move would g et in th e way of Wh ite's idea of ctJc3 - d S . N ot only th at, after 14 c3 fia7 Bl ack
actually threatens to trap th e knight with l S ... b S ! ' After th e imm ediate 13 . . . fia7 White
should defi nitely choose 14 ctJC3 ! and if 14 ... ctJf6 White can follow up with 15 �g S ! .
Th e altern ative for Bl ack i s t o allow h i s bishop t o b e exch an ged o n c S . 1 3 . . .b S 1 4 ctJxcS (if
14 ctJC3 th en 14 .. . ..Il.b7) 14 ... ctJxcS looks sol i d for Bl ack, but Mickey Adam s has more than
once demon strated th at White h as lo n g -term chances to exploit h i s bishop pair. For
example, 15 �C3 .tb7 ( l s ... a s ! ? m ight be stron g er) 16 a4! �c6 17 axb s axb s 18 �xa8+
..ba8 19 f3 cj;e7 20 �e 3 f6 21 �dl ..Il.b7 22 ..Il.b4 �d8 23 c3 ..\tc8 24 �f1 ! and White is sl owly
applyin g some pressure, M .Adam s - G . H ernandez, Mallorca Olympiad 2004.
14 �C3
Kostin is l ooki ng to exch an g e bishops and at th e same time bring the knight back to c3.
Question: Wh at does Black do if White plays 14 ctJC3 ?
Answer: Bl ack responds with 14. . . ctJf6 ! coverin g d S , a n d th i s i s where w e see the value of
having the bishop on d4 in stead of a7: if White pl ays ..\tg s Bl ack can always chop the knight
off on c 3 before ..Il.xf6 and ctJdS arrives. After 15 ctJe2 .ta7 (not l S ... ..Il.xb2 16 Uabl) 16 c4
�e6 17 �acl 0-0 18 b 3 ctJd7 1 9 ctJC3 ..Il.d4 White can fin ally l and a knight on dS, but Bl ack
can eith er take it or even pl ay aroun d it with . . . �d8. In B.Firat-J .Gell er, Izmir 2011, White
instead chose 2 0 ctJe2 whi ch was foll owed by a draw agreement after 20 ... .tb6 2 1 ctJc3
�d4.
White's oth er m ai n opti on h ere is 14 c3 ..\ta7 (14 . . . ctJCS 15 ctJxc S fixcs leads to similar
259
play) 1 5 c4 (prepari n g itJc3 again, and of course deal i n g with th e threat of . . . b 5 ) 1 5 . ..ttJ C5 16
itJxC5 ..Itxc5 l eadi n g to a s i m i lar position to th e m ain ga m e :
a) 1 7 b4 ..Itd 4 1 8 ..1tc3 ..ItxC3 1 9 "ivxc 3 a s 2 0 a 3 ..Ite6 2 1 l:tfc l 0-0 i s l evel , S.Marinkovic
D . R ajkovic, Bled 1 9 8 9 .
b) 1 7 l:taC1 ..1te6 1 8 'it>h l ! intendi n g f2 -f4 i s m ore ambitious, a n d 1 8 . . . iLd4 19 b3 0-0 20
f4! f6 21 f5 iLf7 22 g 4 b 5 ! 23 cxb 5 "iVb 7 2 4 g5 fxg 5 25 ..Itxg 5 axb 5 l e aves White sli ghtly
better in a complicated positi on, D . K an ovsky-S.Milliet, Merl i m ont 2 0 1 1 . As a possible
i mprovem ent to 1 7 ... iLd4, I can sug g e st 1 8 ... 0-0 so th at f2 -f4 can be m et by ... exf4.
14 ... itJc 5 !
Forcin g th e exch ang e o f knig hts. Th e hole o n d 5 o nl y becom es a probl em i f White can
exploit it, usually by occupyin g it. By exch an g i n g knights Bl ack virtually eli m i n ates the
probl e m .
1 5 itJxC 5 ..ItxC5 16 'it> h 1 ! ?
Ambitious pl ay. White inten ds to continue with f2 -f4. H i s a i m i s to prove th at Bl ack's
dark-squared bish op, wh ile bei n g actively pl aced on c5, does l ittl e to help Black's defence
on th e kingside.
A m ore m odest contin uation i s 1 6 l:tadl ..Itg4 1 7 l:td2 0-0 ( Bl ack i s n 't afraid of b2 -b4 as
th i s l eaves th e c 3 -bishop tem porarily vul n erabl e) 18 b4 iLa7 19 ..Itb2 l:tac8 20 l:tcl l:tfd8 2 1
c 4 iLe6 2 2 ..Itfl a s 2 3 a 3 , E . M oradi abadi -J . G el l er, Moscow 2006. Th e chances are l evel here,
with th e weaknesses on c4 and d6 cancel l i n g each oth er out.
16 ... ii. d 7 !
Forcin g White to deal with th e threat of ... iLb 5 , wh ich h e does so at th e cost of leaving a
temporarily vul n erabl e pawn on a4.
17 a4 0-0 18 f4
260
Exercise: Black has a decision to m ake. Should he capture

on f4 or hold with 18 .. .f6 ? Con sider both approaches.
18 exf4
...
Answer: Th e choice certainly i s n 't easy, but I th ink I prefer Geller's deci sion to take on f4. It's
true th at White's c 3 -bi shop com es to life, but Bl ack can still parti ally blunt it with ... f6. In
any case, it's important for Bl ack to g et some counterpl ay, which he now has in the sh ape
of gan g i n g up on e4.
After 18 . . .f6 White will probably push on with 1 9 f5 and aim to combine pressure on the
d-file with a possible g4-g 5 break. Th i s position i s by n o means clear either, as Bl ack can
aim for queen side counterplay with, for example, . . . b 5 .
19 gxf4
19 .:i.xf4 i s m et in th e same way.
19 1:.ae8!
. . .
26 1
Question: Why this rook?
Answer: Th e oth er rook i s required to defend the king side an d support . . . f6. In fact, 19 JHe8 ..
20 �g 3 ! woul d l eave Bl ack in troubl e. It does n 't m atter th at the f8-rook i s hemmed in fOT
th e m om ent, as Bl ack i s probably going to doubl e rooks on th e e-file eventually.
20 �g3
Th i s i s tempti n g , but it soon turn s out that White' s " attack" i s going n owh ere. Bl ack is
certainly h elped i n th i s position by th e vul n erabl e a4-pawn , wh ich prevents White from
pl ayin g the desirabl e �adl. Perh aps White sh ould settl e for someth i n g like 20 b3 f6 2 1
�adl �f7, although even thi s i s fi n e for Bl ack. H e still h as a cl ear-cut pl an o f pil ing u p o n e 4
with . . . �fe 7 a n d . . . �c6. Meanwhile, 2 2 b4 �a7 doesn't h e l p White because c3 a n d a4
becom e l oose.
2o f6 2 1 a 5
...
Freei n g the ai-rook.

2 1 1Lc6! 2 2 �ae1
...
262
T h e F i a n c h e t t o Va r i a t i o n
Question: White has got all h i s pieces i n their

optimum position s, but what next?
Answer: Exactly - n oth i n g ! White can't im prove his position but Bl ack can - by increasing
the pressure on e4.
2 2 b5!
. . .
Prepari n g . . . �b 7 to hit e4 for a third tim e . Advantage Bl ack.

2 3 axb6 �xb6 24 b4?
Perh aps realizing th at things are getting difficult, Kostin tries to solve his probl ems with a
tactic, but Geller calculates precisely, finds a flaw and realizes th at the pawn can be grabbed.
White can't liquidate with 24 e5 since Bl ack has 24 ... fxe 5 25 fxe 5 JH2 ! . Th e best chance is 2 4
fS ! 1:!.f7 2 5 1:!.f4 to add further support to e4, but Bl ack rem ains better after 2 5 . . . .;;� d4 !
.
24 ..I1i.xb4! 2 5 abl
...
2 63
2 5 ... � xe4!
And another pawn !
26 �d 3
After 2 6 -Ilxb4 Jlxb4 2 7 �xb4 -Ilxg 2 + 2 8 �xg 2 �xb4 Bl ack i s sim ply two pawn s ahead.
26 ... �fe 8 ? !
2 6 . . . �b7 ! i s m ore accurate. If then 2 7 il.d2, pl anning c 2 - c 3 , Bl ack wins by 2 7 . . . �d4! 2 8
�xd4 �xg 2+ 2 9 �g l -Ilxfl.
2 7 �xf6?
2 7 -Ild2 ! i s m ore resilient, as then White h as � 3 checking ideas. White i s still just
about in th e g am e after 2 7 . . . '.t>h 8 2 8 �xb4 ( 2 8 c3 �e2 ! ) 2 8 . . . �xb4 29 �xb4 ..liLxg 2+ 30 �xg 2
�xb4 3 1 �xa6.
2 7 ... gxf6 2 8 c3 �h8 2 9 Y.g1
If 2 9 cxb4 then 2 9 . . . 11e 2 ! intending 3 0 -Ilf3 � 2 e 3 i s win n i n g for Black.
29 ... �e2 !
30 �g3
30 cxh4 loses to 30 . . . ii. xg 2 + 3 1 �xg 2 11e1+ ! .
3 0. . J�l.xg2 3 1 );i.xg2 ii.xg2+ 3 2 �xg2 il.C 5 ! 0-1
A nice fi nal touch .
Came 29
S.Tiviakov-P.Van der Sterren
Netherla n d s C h ampio n s hip, Rotterdam 2 000
1 e4 c5 2 0)f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJc6 5 ctJC3 �C7 6 g 3 a6 7 � g 2 ctJf6 8 0-0 ctJxd4 9 �xd4
�C5 10 .:.iLf4 d6 11 �d 2
264
Th e Fia n c h e t t o Va r i a t i o n
This time White retreats t o d2, but th e plan i s still the same: pres sure down the d-file
with .l'bd1.
Exercise: Work our whether Black's plan from our previous game,
of .. .lbd7-e s, i s affected by White's decision to pl ay 11 'tiVd2.
Answer: It is affected, and in a n e g ative way. Th e key point is th at after 1 1 . . .0_1d7 ? ! 12 Yad1
ii:Je s Wh ite's queen i s n 't under attack. Th i s extra tempo for White proves to be crucial, and
after 13 ct:la4 ! Bl ack can n ot successfully hold his position tog eth er. Th ere's also a second
and less obvious reason : White can play 12 b4! iLxb4 1 3 0'ldS ! exds 14 'iVxb4 with
advantag e.
11 h6!
...
Thi s i s Pl an B.
Question: Wh at's th e po in t beh i n d th i s pawn m ove ? Shouldn 't Black be developi n g ?
Answer: Bl ack realizes th at he will be able t o deal with the pressure

again st the d6-pawn only by blocking with ... e S . As we saw in
our previous g ame, White likes to meet ... eS with .i.g s , to allow
.i.xf6 and ct:ldS, so Black plays ... h 6 to prevent this key plan .
1 2 1Iad1 e s 13 .1i.e3
265
Exercise: Choose between one of the following three option s:

a) 1 3 ... .i.xe 3 ; b) 1 3 ... 0-0; c) 1 3 ....i.e6.
Answer: 13 �e6!
. . .
Bl ack has solved the probl em of defendi n g d6, since �xc5 can al ways be m et by . dxC 5 . . .
H owever, th e battle i s only j ust beg i n n i n g . White h as a number of plan s and Bl ack must
know the right way to deal with th em .
1 3 . . 0-0 looks perfectly n atural , but n ow White demon strates one of h i s ideas: 14 j,xC5
.
dXc5 15 'iYd6 ! 'iYxd6 1 6 .l:.xd6 and White h as a slight but unm i stakabl e advantage because
he dom i n ates the d-fi le . By pl ayin g 13 . . . �e6, Bl ack takes m easures ag ai n st the 'iYd2-d6
i dea, because after th e exch a n g e of queen s Black's king is usually m uch h appier in the
centre (see below).
1 3 . . . �xe 3 ? would be fi n e if White recaptured with th e queen, but 14 fxe 3 ! i s a m ore
than justified breakin g of the rul es. White win s a pawn by force, since 14 . . . 'lt>e7 ? ? l oses to
15 .l:.xf6 ! .
Finally, i n a n umber o f g am e s Bl ack h as tried 1 3 . . .'lt>e7. Th i s i dea certainly h as some
logic, and i n deed there are a n umber of Sici li an position s wh ere th e bl ack king is
surpri sin gly safe on e 7 (for a m odel exampl e, l ook up Bobby Fischer's game ag ai n st
Matul ovic, Vinkovci 1 9 6 8 ) . H owever, in th i s position, White h as worked out a way to m ake
life very diffi cult for Bl ack, with 14 �xC5 'iYxC 5 1 5 CLla4! 'iYc6 1 6 f4! , and thi s line i s best left
al one.
14 �xcs dxcS
266
T h e F i a n c h e t t o Va r i a t i o n
lS f4
White's oth er m ain opti on i s 1 5 LLldS . whi ch i s covered next g ame. but the two moves
often tran spose.
Question: What h appen s if White plays l s lIYd6 here ?
Answer: Th i s i s anoth er critical try. but Bl ack is m uch better placed here than he was after
1 3 . .. 0-0 because he can use h i s king in th e battl e. For example. lS .. .'Yl\Yxd6 16 tlxd6 �e7 ! 17
l:i.b6 ! (if 17 �fdl I:!.h d8). In thi s position Bl ack can play 17 . . . ,Uab8. but perhaps the best
option is 17 . . . Wd7 ! .
I f Bl ack can g et h i s king t o C7 then he i s doin g very well - th e rook m i gh t just get
trapped. Th e obvi ous question is wh at h appens on 18 :gxb7+. but after 18 . . . \tc6 the rook i s
lacking squares. 19 :te7 i s forced. wh en Bl ack ca n choose between 1 9 . . . <JJ d 6 repeati n g
267
m oves and . . . ct:Jg 8 (perh aps preceded by ".�hb8) win n i n g th e exch an ge . (It's worth
compari ng th i s l i n e to 1 3 " .�g4 14 �xcS dxcS 1 5 'iVd6 ! 'iVxd6 16 �xd6 ct;e7 17 �b6 ! , and
h ere 1 7 ".'.i;d7 ? does n 't work as th e f-pawn is unprotected after 18 �xb7+.)
Anoth er option for White i s 1 8 ct:JdS, but after 1 8".�xdS 1 9 exdS ct;o 20 �b 3 �ab8 21
a4 b6 2 2 .ll d l ct;d6 ! Bl ack's king proves to be an effective blocker: 23 �f1 as 24 �bS ct:Je8 2 5
�bd3 f S 2 6 f 3 ct:Jf6 and Bl ack i s fin e i n thi s endi n g , R.Zenklusen - E .Aranovitch , Swi ss League
2008 .
1 5 ... 0-0!
l S " .�d8 16 ct:JdS ! �xdS 1 7 exds e4 1 8 �fe l ! �xdS 1 9 �xe4+ ! ct;d8 20 'iVe2 �xdl+ 21
'iVxd1+ 'iVd7 22 'iVxd7+ ct;xd7 23 �es g ave White a long -term advantage in R . Fi scher
M .Tai m an ov, Van couver 1 9 7 1 , a fam ous endgame wh ich demon strates perfectly how to
exploit a bishop-for-kn ight advantag e on an open board. Com pare th e scope of White's
bishop h ere with th e previ ous n ote, where it was blocked by White's pawn on d S .
16 'iVd 6
N ow th at Bl ack has com m itted to castl i n g , Tivi akov logi cally goes for the queen
exchan ge. Th e altern ative i s 1 6 ct:JdS �xdS 17 exds wh ich tran sposes to oUT n ext g ame,
Bobras -Macieja.
Exercise: Choose between 16".'iVxd6 and 16".'iVas .
Answer: 16 . . .'iVa 5 !
A strong respon se by Van der Stenen, n ot givi n g White wh at h e wants. In the previous
exampl es of 'iVd6, above, Bl ack was obliged to swap queen s but h ere Bl ack doesn't need to,
and shoul dn't.
Th e key point which justifies Bl ack ' s deci sion i s th at 1 7 'iVxe s �fe 8 ! leaves White's
queen dan g erously sh ort of squares and vuln erabl e to num erous threats: 1 8 fS �C4 19 'iVf4
268
ixfl 2 0 l:txfl c 4 a n d Bl ack i s clearly better, A.5hch ekach ev-A.Fominyh , Omsk/ Perm 1998.
Simil arly, if 1 7 fxe 5 then 1 7 .. .cLlg4. Because of th e . . .l:tad8 threat, Bl ack will take the pawn
on eS and reach a fin e position.
1 7 fS?!
Tiviakov continues ag g ressively, but thi s proves to be m isguided. Perhaps White's best
option is to beat th e retreat with 17 �d2 , alth ough th i s woul d obviously accept th at th e
whole idea of 16 �d6 i s fl awed. 1 7 . . . l:tad8 1 8 CtJd5 �xd2 1 9 l:txd2 �xd5 20 exd5 exf4 2 1
l:!xf4 was M .Adam s-l Polg ar, Wijk aan Zee 2000. Here Pol g ar pl ayed the cruci al move
21...CLle8 ! intending ... CtJd6, followi n g th e pri n ciple of blockin g a passed pawn with a knight.
17 .. .i.c4! 18 l:tfe1 l:tfe 8 !
.
Now White really do e s h ave to retreat, as otherwi se . . . l:tad8 wil l trap the queen .
19 'i'd 2 l:tad8 20 �e3
Exercise: Find a good move for Black.
Answer: 20 ... l:td4!

Advantage Bl ack ! Th e rook h as found a stron g outpost and can't be captured. It's worth
compari n g thi s position to the one after 16 �d6 - Bl ack h as m ade huge progress. Ironically,
after some of th e vari ation s we s aw above, it's now Bl ack wh o will be dom inating the d-file.
Al so, White's bi shop on g2 i s now just a bad piece. Th e only concern for Bl ack is the safety
of his bishop on c4, wh i ch l acks squares after White's n ext m ove, but Van der Sterren is
able to deal with thi s skilfully.
2 1 a4 l:ted8 2 2 .I1t.f3
At th e m oment 22 b 3 ? loses to 22 ... CtJg4! 23 �f3 l:txdl 24 l:txdl l:txdl+ 25 CtJxdl �e 1+, so
Tiviakov prevents ... CtJg4.
2 2 ... � b4
269
Th e S i c i l i a n T a i m a n o v : M o v e by M o ve
2 3 .l:!.b1
If n ow 23 b 3 Bl ack has the clever resource 23 . . . �d3 ! 24 ttJa2 'iVa3 ! .
2 3 ... .l:!.d2
Conti nuing the threats. N ow 24 b 3 i s answered by 24 . . . .l:!.xC2 ! '
2 4 .l:!.ed 1 .l:!.xd 1+ 2 5 �xd1
Tivi akov wants to keep th e b 2 -b 3 idea al ive. If 25 .l:!.xdl .l:!.xd1+ 2 6 ttJxdl Bl ack can even
play 26 . . . �a2 ! ?, as i n di cated by Ribl i .
2 S ... b S 2 6 axbs
2 6 b 3 can still be m et by 2 6 ... �d3 ! .
2 6 ... iLxbS
Fin ally the bishop has escaped from any potenti al trappin g . Black's advantage remai n s,
but it won't be easy to m ake progress ag ain st accurate defence.
2 7 �f3 'iVd4 2 8 .l:!.e1 'iVd2 2 9 ttJxbS axbs 3 0 .l:!.e2 'iVd1+ 31 'itg2 c4 3 2 'iVc s
2 70
Th e F i.a n c h e t t o Va r i a t i o n
Allowi n g a tactic.
32 �d2
...
Th e shot 32 . . . tDxe4! win s a pawn :

a) 3 3 �xe4 �d2 + ! .
b ) 3 3 'iVxe s tDd2 ! 3 4 'iVe8 + ( 3 4 �f2 tDxf3 3 S �xf3 �d2+ wi n s a pawn) a n d now 34 . . . 'lith 7 !
wins, a s n oted b y Ribl i .
c ) However, White h as chances to survive in th e ending by pl aying 3 3 'iVg 1 ! 'iVxg 1+ 3 4
\t>xg 1.
33 �xd 2 'iVxd 2+ 3 4 'iVf2 'iVcl 3S c 3 'iVbl 3 6 'iVe2 tDd 7
Pl an n i n g . . . tDc s - d 3 .
3 7 "i'd 2 ! ? tD c S
Exercise: 3 7 tD c S actually allows White t o force a draw, but Tiviakov,

. . .
perh aps in tim e trouble, fails to spot it. Can you see what he missed?
Objectively 37 ... tDf6 was better, and Black starts again after 38 'iVe 2 .
3 8 "i'd S ?
Answer: White shoul d play 3 8 "i'd8+ ! 'It>h 7 a n d only n o w 3 9 'iVdS ! . Bl ack h a s various tries
but can 't seem to do anyth i n g about 'iVxf7 foll owed by perpetual check. For example,
39 ... 'iVxb2 + 40 'It>h 3 'iVf2 41 'iVxf7 .
38 tDd 3 ! 3 9 'iVxb s
•..
N o w V a n d e r Sterren i s able to demon strate th e legen dary attacking power o f the

queen and knight combination, with White' s king bei n g forced into a m ating net. Perhaps
Tivi akov h ad overl ooked th at 39 �h S can be m et by 39 ... 'iVc2 + ! 40 \iih 3 lDf2 + 41 �h4
"i'xe4+.
39 tDel+
...
2 71
3 9 :�C 2 + ! i s quicker, but it's likely th at Van der Sterren decided to repeat m oves to
..
reach th e time control .

40 �f2 ct:Jd 3+ 41 �g2 'iVc2+! 42 � h 3 ct:Jf2+ 43 �h4 'iVd 2 !
Mate can n ot be prevented.

44 'iVe8+ �h7 45 'iVe7 f6 ! 46 g4 'iVf4! 0-1
Game 30
M.Adams-V.Anand
Wij k aan Zee 2001
1 e4 c5 2 ct:Jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 ct:Jc6 5 ct:JC3 a 6 6 g 3 'iVC7 7 JLg2 ct:Jf6
8 0-0
2 72
Question: What does Black d o i f White prevents the ... ttJxd4 and
... �cS pl an, either by playing 8 �e3 or by retreating the knight?
Answer: N eith er option shoul d cause Bl ack any real worries. Let' s take a quick look at them
in turn :
a) 8 �e3 obviously m akes an exchange on d4 m uch less desirable, but Bl ack can easily
ch ange pl an s. One g ood opti on is 8 ... ttJes introduci n g ... ttJC4 and ... ttJg4 ideas: 9 0-0 .�C5 10
h3 (if 10 �f4 th en 10 . . . d6) 10 ... b5 11 b3 �b7 12 f4 was N . De Firm i an-M.5joberg , Stockholm
1998. Here Sjoberg 's 12 ... d6! i s a nice trick to remember. If White takes the knight Bl ack
regain s the piece with advantag e. I n stead th e game went 13 �h 2 z:I.d8 14 �e2 4lc6
(14 ... ttJed7 ! ?) 15 ttJxc6 �xc6 16 ttJdS ttJxe4 ! ? 17 �Xe4 exd5 18 �xd5 �xd5 19 �xC 5 + �e4 20
.!He l 0-0 2 1 �xe4 �xe4 22 z:I.xe4 dXc5 an d was soon drawn .
b) 8 ttJb3 b 5 9 0-0 �b7 10 a3 �e7 1 1 f4 d6 1 2 �e 3 . As we've seen before (in th e note on
9 ttJ b 3 in G am e 2 5) , an early ttJb3 by White usually means th at Bl ack is obliged to play a
S cheveni ng e n set-up with ... d6. Th e g ood n ews for Bl ack i s th at an early ttJb3 i sn 't usually
the most critical option in Sch even i n g en lines. H avin g said th at, th e resulting positi ons
from h ere are actually very sh arp . Let ' s see wh at Taim anov h i m self di d here: 12 ... 0-0 (th e
immediate 1 2 . . . ttJd7 and ... ttJb6 l ooks interesti n g ) 1 3 g 4 ttJd7 14 g 5 CLlb6 (th e altern ative is
14... z:I.fe8 intending the typical defensive reg roupin g with . . . �f8, . . . g 6 and . . . Jtg7) 1 5 \i;h l
i2lC4 16 �Cl, Y . H abu-M .Taim anov, Pari s 2002 . H ere Tai m anov pl ayed 16 . . . n.fd8, but I feel
th at 16 . . . z:I.fe8 i s a wiser ch oice, so th at Bl ack can m eet 17 f5 with 17 . . . J1i.f8 ! and h is rook
offers vital support to the e6-pawn .
8 ... ttJxd4 9 �xd4 �cs
10 �f4
Question: Does White h ave to play this bishop move here?

Could he reserve it for later?
2 73
Answer: Yes h e could, alth ough if h e does forgo i.f4 and retreat th e queen, th en 10 'i'd3
obviously l ooks m ore n atural th an 10 'iYd2 . Bl ack can answer 10 'iYd3 with 10 . . . d6, and here
it's l ikely th at White's m ost challenging respon se is 1 1 .i.f4, tran sposing directly to G ame
28. However, Bl ack al so h as th e option here of 10 . . ,ct:Jg4 intendi n g . . ,ct:Je s . Some examples:
a} 11 .i.f4 ttJes 12 'iYe 2 d6 is fin e for Bl ack. Here 13 1':tad1 .i.d7 ! tran sposes to Mueller
Ruzel e (see th e n ote to White's 1 2th m ove in G am e 2 8 ) .
b} 1 1 'iY e 2 i s th e m ai n choice:
b 1 } 1 1. . .ttJe s 1 2 '\t>h 1 ! (f2-f4 i s th e only test for Bl ack) 1 2 . . . d6 1 3 f4 ttJc6 14 .i.e3 (14 'i'g4! ?
0-0 1 5 fS ttJe s 1 6 'iYh 3 'iYe7 1 7 f6 ! ? g xf6 i s un cl ear, S .Tivi akov-J . E m m s, Mon dariz 2000)
14 . . . .i.xe3 15 'iYxe 3 0-0 16 a4 ! (to prevent ... b S ) 16 . . . i.d7 17 1':tad1 1':tfd8 18 'iYd2 .i.e8! 19 .!"if3,
V.Bakl an - D . Ruzel e, Berl i n 1 9 9 7 . H ere I prefer 19 ... 1':tac8 over Ruzel e's choice of 19 ... ttJb4,
because I feel it's i mportant for Bl ack to m aintain th e option of playin g . . . ttJes in answer to
f4-fS for as long as possibl e .
b 2 } Black's defen sive set-up i n th e previous n ote might n ot be t o everyone's liking, and
som e might prefer th e m ore ambitious (and m ore Taim anov-like) 1 1 . . .h S ! ?
Bl ack keeps th e knight on g4, at l east for th e tim e bei n g , an d creates th e possibil ity of
counterpl ay with . . . h4. For exampl e :
b 2 1 } 1 2 h 3 ? c a n be an swered b y 1 2 ... 'iYxg 3 ! 1 3 hxg4 hxg4 14 1':t d 1 i.xf2 + 1 5 'iYxf2 Mh 1 + !
1 6 '\t>xh 1 'iYxf2 which, although n ot com pl etely cl ear, l ooks better for Bl ack.
b 2 2 } 1 2 i.f3 ctJe s ! 13 .i.xh s bS is an i nteresti n g pawn sacrifice. Bl ack will follow up with
... i.b7 an d . . . 0-0-0, an d try to m ake someth i n g h appen down th e h -file. 14 i.f4 �b7 15 Mfel
0-0-0 16 .i.f3 l::!. d g 8 1 7 i. g 2 g S ! 1 8 i.d2 g 4 1 9 a4 b4 20 ttJd1 ttJf3 + ! 2 1 i.xf3 g xf3 2 2 'iYxf3 fS !
2 3 i.f4 e S 24 i.d2 fxe4 2 5 'iYe 2 l::!. x g 3 + (or 2 s ... e 3 ! 2 6 �xe3 l::!. x h 2 ! ) 2 6 h xg 3 e 3 2 7 f3 exd2+
28 '\t>g 2 (0- 1, T.Pen son -J . G oorm achtig h , Bel g i an League 2006) i s th e type of dream scen ario
Bl ack i s hopi n g faT. N o doubt White can defend better, but in any case thi s feel s like a
prom ising g ambit for Bl ack.
b 2 3 } 12 .i.f4 (th i s looks like the most logi cal respon se) 1 2 ... ttJes 13 ttJa4 i.a7 14 b3 (or 14
2 74
i e 3 b 5 1 5 iLxa7 l'txa7 - 1 5 .. :�'Vxa7 ! ? - 1 6 tD c 3 'YWC 5 1 7 tDdl l'tO 1 8 tD e 3 h4! with good play
for Black, J . Barl e-M.Corvi , Italy 1 998 ) 14 ... b 5 1 5 tDb2 iLd4 ( 1 5 . . . h 4 ! ?) 16 l'tabl �b7 17 tDd3 f6
18 l:'tbcl iLC3 1 9 l'tfdl h 4 20 iLd2 h xg 3 2 1 hxg 3 l'tc8 with roughly l evel chances, C.weiss
M.Schlosser, Austrian League 1994. Th e open h -file al ways gives Bl ack counterpl ay.
Back to th e g am e, and 10 iLf4:
lo d6 11 'YWd 2 h 6 12 l'tadl e 5 1 3 iLe3 iLe6 14 �XC5 dXc5 1 5 tDd 5 !
...
The m ai n choice for White. 1 5 f4 was covered in our previous game.

15 iLxd 5 16 exd 5
...
Exercise: Bfack reaffy has one onry good move nere. Wna t 15 (t?
Answer: 16 ... 'YWd6 !

Bl ack can 't allow th e passed d-pawn to m ove forward to d 6 , unleashing the g 2 -bi shop,
at least not yet. 16 ... 0-0 1 7 d6 ! is simply g ood for White. Th e queen is not the happiest
blocker of passed pawn s - a knight would be preferabl e ! - but she is the only one able to
do the job for th e mom ent. One of th e reason s Bl ack took on d5 with the bishop was to
preserve the knight for possible blockadin g purposes, alth ough a m ore imm edi ate concern
was to make sure Bl ack g ot a tempo to play . . . 'YWd6.
17 f4!
Question: Why the exclamation mark? Shouldn 't White play more slowly?
Answer: 17 f4 is a crucial m ove. White is exploiti n g his slight lead in deve lopment in order
to force th e bl ack queen from th e blockadi n g square - Bl ack can 't really allow 17 ... exf4 18
l:tde1+, an d 17 ... e4 18 l'tfe l win s a pawn . If White plays it m ore sl owly with 17 c4 0-0 18
l:tfel l:'tfe8, Bl ack has a rock-solid position and m ay continue by doubl ing rooks on th e e-file
2 75
in antici pation of f2 -f4. I n stead Bobras strikes wh ile th e i ron i s h ot.

17 ... 0-0 18 fxe 5 'ii"x e5
Exercise: Suggest options for Black after the sequence 19 c4 'ii"d 6 20 "iVf4.
19 d 6 !
Again criti cal . White i s willi n g to g i ve up a pawn in order to break th e blockade on d6.
Answer: After 19 c4 'ii"d 6 20 �f4 Bl ack sh oul d be l ookin g to m aintain the blockade on d6.
One good way to do so is by 20 . . . l:!.fd8 ! , whi ch h as th e added ben efit of vacatin g f8 for the
king on its j ourney to th e centre in an en dg am e . After 21 �xd6 l:!.xd6 22 l:!.fe 1 �f8 ! 23 �h3
l:!.e8 24 a3 l:!.xe1+ 2 5 l:!.xel as 26 l:!.e3 l:!.b6 ! (to prevent l:!.b 3 ) 27 b3 l:!.d6 28 �c8 l:!.b6 29 '<ttl
4:Je8 ! 30 �e2 4:Jd6 th e knight h as fin ally reach ed its ideal square, bl ockading th e ds -pawn,
G .Guseinov- E . H ossain, Kolkata 2009.
An oth er option for Bl ack, perh aps an even m ore logical one, i s 20 ... 4:Je8 ! so th at the
knight can g et to d6 i m m ediately after the queen exch an g e . 21 b3 �xf4 22 g xf4 ! 4:Jd6 23
l:!.fe 1 l:!.fe 8 24 l:!.es �f8 2 5 l:!.de 1 as 26 �h 3 l:!.ad8 ( 2 6 . . . a4 ! ?) and th e mon ster knight holds
Black's position together perfectly well, J . Sikora- P . H aba, Ostrava 2010. Th i s position should
probably be drawn with best pl ay, but here Bl ack g ot a helping h an d with 27 a 3 ? a4! and
White's queen side pawn s crumbled.
19 ... 'ii"x b2!
2 76
Th e Fi a n c h e t t o Va r i a t i o n
Question: Should Black really b e grabbing this pawn ?

Isn't it better to defend?
Answer: If Bl ack does n 't take the pawn then White gains something - the lifting of the d6
blockade - for n oth i n g . It's im portant to n ote that there's n o i m mediate danger of White' s
passed pawn prom otin g , so Bl ack doesn't n eed to pl ay . . .l'Id8 just yet. By accepti ng th e
gambit on b2 Bl ack at l east puts some pressure on White to utilize his positional
advantag e. In contrast, after 19 ... l'Iab8 20 C4 l'Ifd8 2 1 l'Ife 1 White is under no pressure at
all .
2 0 (4
Question: Surely White has better ch ances

to win if h e keeps the queens on ?
Answer: But al so better chances to lose! In any case, there's still a lot of pl ay left in the
position even after th e queen s come off. Th e altern ative approach is 20 t!.b1 'YWxa2 ! 2 1 l'Ixb7
Mad8, wh i ch is genuinely unclear because Black's pieces are well placed to deal with
White 's strong d-pawn . For example, 2 2 l'Id1 l'Ife8 23 'i'f2 (if 23 d7 l'Ies 24 'i'd6 then
24 .'�e 6 ! is a key resource - 2 s l'Ib8 l'Ie1+ will be perpetual check) 23 ... l'Ie s ! 24 lla7 ? !
. .
(T. Horvath -A. Fominyh , Budapest 1996) and h ere Bl ack coul d h ave played 2 4 . . . 'i'e6 !
inten din g to m eet 2 s l'Ixa6 by 2 S .. .ct'lg 4 ! . with advantag e.
2o 'i'xd 2 2 1 l'Ixd 2 l'Iab8 2 2 a4!
..•
277
Exercise: How does White intend to m eet 2 2 ... b S ?
White's best chance i n thi s endi n g i s t o keep t h e queen side pawn s o n th e board, and
Adam s ' 22 a4 is designed to do just thi s . 22 l::t b 1 is m et by 22 . . . b S ! ' For example, 23 cxbS (OT
2 3 d7 :fd8 24 il"c6 l::t b 6 2 S cxb S axb s 2 6 .I1i.xb s l::t x d7 ! 27 l::t x d7 ct:Jxd7 with a likely draw)
2 3 .. Jhb S 24 :c1 l::t d 8 2 S d 7 ? (White can draw by 2 S .I1i.c6 l::t b 6 26 l::t x cS l::t c 8 27 l::t d c2 -27 d7
ct:Jxd7 ! - 2 7 . . . :d8 2 8 l::t d 2) 2 S ... l::t b 6 2 6 l::t x cS l::t x d7 an d by thi s stage Bl ack i s simply a pawn
up, R . Kotter- R . Frombach , G erman League 2009.
2 2 l::tfd 8
. . .
Answer: The reason 2 2 a4 prevents Black from liquidating the queen side
pawns i s th at 2 2 ... b S can be an swered by 2 3 cxbS axbs 24 as ! . Black gets
two passed pawns of his own but White's second passed pawn, with the
bishop controlling its coronation square, i s the decisive one.
2 3 l::t b l
2 78
23 .. ttJd7
.
An an d g ives up th e b-pawn so th at h e can activate his knight via e 5 . Th e altern ative is

23 . b6 wh en White can contin ue to test Bl ack with 24 �e l !
..
Question: Why does White play 2 3 l:tbl b 6 and then 24 l:tel,

instead of 2 3 .l:tel immediately?
Answer: White's i dea with 23 �bl was actually to induce . . . b6, because now in some lines
it's important th at White can play .i.c6 to control d7 and e8. One possible line wh ich
demon strates th e dan g er in Black's position i s 24 . . . 'it'f8 2 5 .i.c6 ct:Jd7 ( 2 5 . . . ,Ubc8 26 .i.b7) 26
�g2 ! ? f6 2 7 'it'f3 ! ct:Je 5 + 2 8 �xe 5 ! fxe 5 2 9 'it'e4 and despite being th e exch ange down , White
is still th e one push i n g to win .
Bl ack does m uch better t o challenge i m m ediately with 24 . . .�e8 ! intending 2 5 �xe8+ (or
25 Me7 'it'f8; 2 5 �edl ! ?) 2 5 . . . �xe8 26 �b2 �b8 and . . . 'it'f8, wh en all three results are still
possibl e but m o st money woul d be on the draw.
24 Mxb7
White shoul d avoid th e self-pin 24 .i.xb 7 ? ct:Je 5 ! .
2 4... �xb7 2 5 .i.xb7 ct:Je s !
Th e point: th e a6-pawn can 't be touch ed because o f . . . ct:Jf3 +. Bl ack gets both th e c-pawn
and th e d-pawn , but it's still n ot th e end of th e story because White's a-pawn rem ai n s !
26 MdS ct:JXC4 2 7 .i.xa6
If 2 7 d7 ct:Jb6 ! 28 �d6 ct:Jc4! draws.
27 ... ct:Jxd 6 2 8 as 'it'f8 2 9 .i.fl
White's a-pawn , about to advan ce to a6, l ooks very dang erous. Th i s ending still appears
to be tricky for Bl ack, but he h as a very i m portant resource wh ich will become apparent in
a few m oves.
2 79
29 ... tLJb7!
Forcin g an exch an g e of rooks.
30 .l:!.xdS+ tLJ x d S 3 1 ..Il.g2 !
Bl ack i s going to h ave t o give u p h i s knight for th e a-pawn .
3 1 ... tLJe6 3 2 a 6 tLJC7 3 3 a 7 cj;e7 34 cj;f2 cj;d6 3 5 cj;e3 c4 3 6 aSiV tLJxa S 3 7 ..Il.xaS cj;e5 38 iLf3 fS
39 ..Il.e2 g5 !
Th i s i s i t ! T o force a draw Bl ack only n eeds t o exch ang e off Wh ite's g -pawn . Th i s would
leave White with the dreaded rook' s pawn and wron g - col oured bish op, and Bl ack draws as
h i s king can't be evi cted from h 8 . So An an d just i g n ores th e attack on h i s c4-pawn and
focuses on forcing th e exch ang e .
4 0 iLxc4 f4+ 41 cj;f2 !
Th e best chance - White keeps a g -pawn .
41 .. .fxg3+ 42 hx g3
2 80
Th e F i a n c h e t t o V a r i a t i o n
Exercise: Black t o play and draw.
Answer: 42 ... g4!

White can do n oth i n g about the plan of bri n g i n g th e king to g5 and then . . . h6-h 5 -h4.
42 . h 5 ? ?, h owever, loses: 43 �f7 ! h4 44 g4! and White keeps his fi nal pawn on th e g -file.
. .
White wi n s h ere, e. g. 44 ... 'it>e4 4 5 �g6+ Wf4 46 �f5 �e5 47 'it>e3 �d5 48 iI.c8 �e 5 49 s:..b7
�d6 50 'it'd4 etc.
43 Ji.f7 'it>f6 44 �e8 'it>g5 4 5 'it'e 3 h5 46 �xh5 'it>x h 5 47 'it>f4 \th6 48 <J,;xg4 <J,;g6 1/1-1/1
Since th i s stem game, a few players h ave repeated th i s endgame from 2 3 . . . tDd7, but all
have ended in draws. Anoth er example is 29 .l:rxc5 (in stead of Adam s' 29 .u.h) 29 . . . tta8 30
�f1 tDb7 ! 31 �g 2 ! tDxC 5 32 �xa8 \te7 33 �d5 f5 34 �C4 'it>f6 3 5 <J,;g 2 g5 36 ..l1I..e2 �e 5 3 7
Wf2 f4 3 8 a 6 tDxa6 ! 3 9 �xa6 g 4 ! 1/2-1/2, P. Bobras-B.Macieja, Poznan 200 5 . Bl ack draws i n
exactly th e same way.
Key Notes
1. Th e Fianch etto Variation i s a solid line. White tries to minim ize Black's counterpl ay
and aim s for a j ust s m all positi on al advantage.
2. Remember th at g 2 -g 3 supports �f4, so thi s bishop devel opment is much more
preval ent th an in oth er Taim an ov lines.
3. I n the m ai n line, 1 1 'i'd3 can be well m et by 1 1 . . . tDd7 ! , as in Game 28, but 1 1 �d2 is
best answered by 1 1 ... h6! (Games 2 9 - 30).
4. 1 3 . . . �e6! i s a key m ove in th e m ain line. Bl ack shouldn't castle too early, as th en �d2-
d6 becom es strong (see G am e 29).
5 . Th e l i n e with 1 5 tDd5 �xd5 16 exd5 i s th e m ost challengin g . Bl ack should, wh en
possibl e, try to bl ockade th e passed d-pawn . Th e m ost critical lines are those wh ere White
g ambits a pawn to break th e bl ockade (see G am e 30).
6. 8 . . . �c 5 (see G am e 2 8 ) i s a decent altern ative for Bl ack to 8 . . . tDxd4.
281
Chapter Seve n
White P l a ys itJ b s
1 e4 c 5 2 f;-'lf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 ct:Jc6 5 ct:Jb5
Question: Moving the knight a third time looks

a bit strange. What's the idea?
Answer: By th reaten i n g to come into the d6-square with check, White i n duces Bl ack into
pl ayi n g ... d6 an d accept i n g a Sch even i n g en pawn structure.
Question: Won't White lose time when the knight is

eventually kicked back with ... a6?
282
W h i t e P l ay s ctJ b S
Answer: I t does seem a s though White i s ignoring his development t o force ... d6, and th ere's
certainly an artificial element to White's play. However, as long as White follows up in the
correct way, m eetin g S ... d6 with either 6 �f4 or 6 c4, his early knight sally can be justified.
Th e loss of tim e m ean s that, from a theoretical viewpoint at least, S ctJb S isn't the most
critical test of the Sicilian Taiman ov. However, even if that's the case, it's hardly important.
Much m ore relevant is that fact th at S ctJb S leads to position s which are very different from
those after S ctJC3 , and the Taim an ov pl ayer needs to understand how to h andle them .
S ... d6
Question: I s thi s forced?
Answer: N ot compl etely, but it's virtually th e unan i m ous choice. Bl ack normally can't allow
IiJd6+, and ..Iif4 can al so be annoyi n g . For example :
a) If S ... d S ? then 6 e x d s e x d s 7 ..Iif4 ! i s already very b a d for Black.
b) S ... ctJf6, counterattacking on e4, is better. H owever, as well as 6 �f4 ! ? White al so has
the simple 6 ctJ1C3 whi ch tran sposes to an other Sicil i an vari ation - either the Four Knights
(after 6 ... ..Iib4) or th e Sveshn ikov (after 6 ... d6 7 ..Iif4 es 8 ..1ig S ) .
Return i ng to th e position after S ... d 6 , White's n orm al respon se i s either 6 �f4 o r 6 c4.
We shall study th e form er in G am e s 3 1- 3 2 and the l atter in Games 3 3 -34.
Game 31
Z.Medvegy-G.Vescovi
Rio de Ja neiro 1998
1 e4 c5 2 ctJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlc6 5 lLlb5 d6 6 ..Iif4

Just as with S lLlb S , White' s i dea by playin g 6 ..Iif4 is to force anoth er ch an ge in th e
pawn structure :
6 e5
...
2 83
N ow we reach a 5veshn ikov pawn structure !
Question: A 5veshnikov? Can Black avoid thi s ?
Answer: N ot really, because th e only oth er way to defend d6 i s with 6 . . .tDe s , a n d that looks
l ike a very ropey m ove. So we g et a 5veshnikov, but th e g ood n ews is th at we'll soon
di scover it's a very favourabl e version for Bl ack.
7 �e3
Question: H ow shoul d Black respond to 7 ..ig S ?
Answer: H e should take th e bishop ! 7 . . .'ihg S ! 8 lLlo+ �d8 9 lLlxa8 lLlf6.
I n return for the rook, Bl ack already has a bi shop, h e l e ads in devel opm ent and will
m ore than l ikely win the stranded knight on a8. I n fact, few are wil l ing to play thi s position
as White, an d Bl ack' s score i s excellent from h ere. Two exampl e s :
a ) 10 0')d2 '1le7 1 1 b4 (a desperate-lookin g attempt, tryin g to save th e knight) 1 1 . . .�g4
12 f3 .lte6 13 b S ? lLld4 14 b6 'iVe 3 + ! lS �e2 lLlh s ! 1 6 g 3 ( 1 6 bxa7 �h4+ ! ) 16 ... lLlf4 ! an d Bl ack
won very quickly, F.Grafl -V.Jansa, Furth 2 00 2 .
b) 10 0')c 3 l,!')d4 1 1 'iVd3 � d 7 1 2 lLle2 �c8 1 3 f4 'iV g 4 14 fxe s dxe s l S lLlxd4 exd4 16 'iVxd4
'iVxe4+ 17 'iVxe4 l,!')xe4 1 8 �d3 lLlf6 (the knight on a8 i s doomed) 19 �c4 �c6 20 �xf7 �C5
2 1 0-0-0 :tl.f8 22 iLc4 �b8 23 �h e 1 �xa8 with advantage to Bl ack, H . 5chn ei der
R . 5chien dorfer, correspondence 2007.
Back to th e game and 7 �e 3 :
7 0,)f6
. . .
Black's oth er opti ons h ere are 7 ... a6 and 7 ... �e6, and there are tran spositi on al
possibilities with th ose m oves. H ere I will focus on th e m ost com m on choice, 7 . . . lLlf6 .
8 .lU.g S !
2 84
W h i t e P l ay s b5
Question: What's going on ? Th ree moves i n a row with this bishop, and an
excl am ation mark ! Can White really hope to gain an advantage like this?
Answer: I know - it l ooks stran g e ! H owever, there is cast-iron strategical logic to justify
White 's play. Now th at th e pawn structure h as been fi xed to a Sveshn ikov one, th e d S
square becom es o f param ount i m portan ce. White can only j ustify h i s previ ous play if h e
keeps a g rip o n th i s square (for exampl e, h e sh oul d probably avoid 8 .)id 2 , allowing 8 d S ! ) ,
. . .
and i f th at i s th e case t h e bishop clearly belon g s o n g S . So White is playing a move h e

knows h e wants t o play before decidi n g o n anyth ing else - sim ply following sol id
ievel opm ent pri n cipl e s ! Of course i deally he woul d h ave l iked to h ave played .�g s a move
�aTlier, but unfortun ately fOT h i m 7 . .'tj'xg s is just too good.
.
The only altern ative wh ich m akes any real sense is 8 ClJ1C3 a6 9 Clia3 .
285
In th i s position Bl ack has several g ood opti ons, including 9 . . . iLe7, 9 . . . �e6 an d 9 . . . bS, but
perh aps the cl everest of all i s 9 . . . �b8 ! ?
Question: What's the point of thi s move?
Answer: With 9 . . . �b8 Bl ack firmly discourag es L2lC4, wh ich can now be m et by . . . b S ! and the
rook covers th e b6-square. Bl ack could of course prevent tLlC4 directly with 9 ... bS, but
9 . . . .ll b 8 does th e same with out all owing the unclear complicati ons of 9 . . . b S 9 tLldS L2lxdS 10
exds 0'Je7 1 1 c4 ! ?
Return i ng t o 9 . . . �b8, White still n orm ally pl ays 10 tLldS and here 10 . . .c;'JxdS 1 1 e x d s CiJe7
fol l owed by ... L2lfS is fi n e for Bl ack, e . g . 12 c4 L2lfS 13 iLd2 iLe7 (or 13 . . . g6 and . . . iLg7, as
played by Tai m an ov h i m self) 14 iLd3 0-0 1 5 0-0 iLg S ! 16 tLlc2 lle8 with l evel chances, G .5ax·
A.Adorjan, Hung ary 1 9 8 1 .
8 :&.e6
•••.
Question: Shouldn't Black be doing something about .ltxf6,

when h e would h ave to recapture with the g -pawn ?
Answer: No, because there i s n oth i n g really effective h e can do to stop it. 8 . . . iLe7 ? ! doesn't
do th e trick because 9 iLxf6 ! still forces 9 ... g xf6, wh ile th eory consi ders 8 . . .'�a s + 9 �d2
0)xe4 10 �xas 0'Jxas 11 .�e 3 ! to be better for White. If White wants to capture quickly on
f6 Bl ack h as to g et used to acceptin g doubled f-pawn s . Every Sveshn ikov player will tell you
th ey are an asset rath er than a burden !
Question: Why doesn 't Bl ack force the issue immediately by playing 8 a6? . . .
Answer: 8 . . . a6 9 .�xf6 g xf6 10 L2lSC3 h as been seen often, and certainly i s n 't bad. But there's
a reason behind Vescovi 's decision to hold off on ... a6, and th i s will be reveal ed n ext m ove.
9 liJlC3
28 6
W h i t e P l ay s 0'J b S
If we com pare wh at we h ave h ere with the mainline Sveshn ikov ( 1 e4 c s 2 0lf3 0'\c6 3 d4
cxd4 4 ttJxd4 ttJf6 5 ttJc3 e S 6 ttJdb s d6 7 iLg S ) we can see that Bl ack h as an extra move with
... .1e6. In such a sh arp line, thi s h as to m ake a sign ifi cant difference, and it doe s !
Wh ite's altern atives, 9 .� xf6 a n d 9 ttJ d 2 , will be covered n ext g ame.
9 ...a6!
Only now does Vescovi force th e knight to retreat, after th e c 3 -square has been
occupied by its com rade. Th at only leaves th e m i serable a 3 -square.
10 iLxf6
Sen sibly, Medvegy inflicts Bl ack with the doubled f-pawn s wh ile the opportunity exists.
Black has m ore opti ons ag ain st 10 ttJa3 . As well as 10 ... �e7 or 10 ... bs, there 's the logical
10 ... �c8 . After 1 1 ttJC4 tLJd4 ! 1 2 tLJe3 there's n oth i n g wrong with 12 . . . .�e7, but if Black i s
feeling m ore ambitious h e might try th e com puter-approved positional exchange sacrifice
12...�xc 3 ! ? 13 bxc3 �as ! , e .g . 14 iLd3 �xC 3 + 15 �f1 ttJd7 (or ls ... �e7) 1 6 �e l �a3 1 7 0Jd1
tDcs 1 8 �C 3 �a4 19 �b 2 iLe7 with g ood compen sation, S.Alonso-P. Lafuente, Buenos Aires
2006.
10... gxf6 11 ttJa3 d S !
Th i s m ove, perh aps m ore than any oth er, i s a direct attempt t o exploit Black's extra
.... �e6. It's iron i c th at White's whole g am e -plan has been to dom inate th e d s -square and
prevent th i s advan ce, and yet h ere Bl ack is pl ayin g . . . ds at virtually the earl iest possibil ity !
Exercise: Try to work out what Black's idea is against 12 exds.

The an swer i s wh at Vescovi plays !
1 1 ... b s i s th e m ain altern ative for Bl ack, preventi n g ttJC4 and threaten ing . . . b4. After 12
0lds fs 1 3 exfs �xfs we've actually tran sposed to th e Sveshnikov proper - Black has
return ed th e extra m ove with ... �c8-e6xfs . Assum ing Bl ack woul d rath er put h i s extra
287
tempo to g ood use {an d n ot h ave to le arn anoth er m ain l i n e ! } , then th e plan of 12 �g7 . . .
i nten din g to oppose White's central knight with ...eiJ e 7 m akes sense. After 13 c3 ctJe7! 14
ctJc2 �xdS {or 14 . . . ctJxdS ! ? 1 5 exds �d7} 1 5 exds fS 16 �e2 0-0 17 0-0 f4 18 f3 fS Bl ack
contin ues with . . . ctJg6 and .. .'Yig s , and g ai n s active pl ay on th e king side, D . N an cheva-
S . Nikol ov, Teteven 2010.
12 exd s
Th e obvious capture, forking bishop and knight.
Bl ack g ets g ood play after 1 2 ttJxdS �xa3 { 1 2 . . .'�'as + 1 3 'Yid2 'Yixd2+ 14 �xd2 0-0-0 also
l ooks prom i s i n g } 1 3 bxa3 fS ! , g n awin g away at th e knight's support. For exam ple:
a} 14 ctlc3 'Yia s 1 5 'Yid2 �g 8 1 6 �dl ttJd4! 1 7 �d3 �xg 2 1 8 �fl �g4 1 9 exfs ? �dS 20
�b S + 'Yixb S + ! 21 CDxb S �C4+ i s a crushi n g win for Bl ack, M . Kiran -O. Korn eev, Bal aguer
2007.
b} 14 ,�.C4 'Yia s + {14 .. .fxe4! might be even better} 15 'Yid2 'Yixd2+ 1 6 �xd2 0-0-0 17 f3
CDe7 1 8 �e3 CDxd S + 1 9 exds �xdS with an edge for Bl ack due to h i s better pawn structure,
A. Pach m an n - P. Kubal a, Prague 1 9 9 7 .
c } 14 ii, d 3 fxe4 1 S � x e 4 'Yias + 1 6 'Yi d 2 'Yixd2+ 1 7 � x d 2 0-0-0 1 8 C4 f S with advantage to
Black.
Answer: 12 ... iLxa 3 ! 1 3 bxa 3 'Yia s ! 14 'Yid 2 O-O-O!
288
W h i t e P l ays C'LJ b S
With 1 2 . . . �xa3, 1 3 .. :iVa s an d 1 4 . 0-0-0 Bl ack h as succes sfully dealt with the pawn fork.
. .
More than th i s , h e has seized th e initiative and White's position is already quite difficult.
Question: So where did White go wrong ?
Answer: 1 0 tiJa3 would h ave avoi ded th i s mess, but probably th e wi sest option of all i s to
choose 9 �xf6 - as in our n ext game - in stead of 9 tiJ 1 C3.
15 ii.C4
White tries to h ol d on to h i s d-pawn . Only Bl ack can claim an advantage after 15 .l:rdl
.ltxd5 16 tiJxds ..l:rxd5 17 'i'xa5 ..l:rxas. Depressingly for White, thi s mig ht still be his wisest
course of action !
15 .l:rhg8 !
...
If White coul d castl e king side he woul d be doi ng wel l . 1 5 . . . .l:rh g 8 ! prevents White from
289
doin g so because of 1 6 ... �h 3 ! .

16 0-0-0
So White goes the oth er way, but in view of h i s open queen side th i s is clearly far less
attractive.
Th e stem g am e for th i s whole line with l 1 . ..dS ! was a fam ous one, between Fi scher and
Petrosian ( Buenos Aires 1 9 7 1) . Fischer played 1 6 Mdl and after 1 6 . . . �fS 17 �d3 �xd3 1 8
'YWxd 3 0l d 4 19 0- 0 he'd escaped i ntact and even we nt on to win . Petrosian ' s l 1 ...dS didn't
g et th e reward it deserved, but it didn't take long for m ajor i mprovements to be found.
Probably the m ost convincing one is 1 6 ... MXg 2 ! with advantage to Bl ack, e.g. 1 7 ttJe4 'ib6!
18 'YWe 3 'YWxe 3 + 19 fxe 3 � g 4 ! , or 1 7 'YWe 3 ttJd4 18 'iitfl ttJfS ! .
1 6 .. :�'lVxa 3+ 1 7 W b l <1:Jd4
Exercise: How does Bl ack an swer 18 dxe6 ?
18 <j;a l
Answer: If 18 dxe6 then 1 8 ... 'YWb4+ ! regai n s th e piece and keeps a big advantage, e.g. 19
.�,b 3 ? ( 19 ,t>al i s m uch better, but 19 ... 'YWxC4! 20 e 7 Md6 i s still very good for Bl ack)
19 . . . 01xb3 20 �e 3 0ld2+ 0-1, M. Medi n a-J . Rodri guez, San Fern an do 1 9 9 1 .
Com puter engines sug g e st th at 1 8 f 3 i s White's m ost resil i ent m ove, but th at Bl ack
rem ai n s in control after 18 ... Md6 ! .
1 8 ... li.f5 1 9 ,I1i,d3 .�xd 3 20 'YWxd 3 'iit b 8!
Th reatening . . . Mc8. White m an age s to exch an g e queen s but h i s position still crumbles.
2 1 01e4 'YWxd 3 2 2 Mxd 3 f5 23 ttJd2 Mxd 5 24 'iit b l Mxg2 25 ttJf3 Mb5+ 26 'iit c l ttJe2+ 27 'tiJd2
01f4 0-1
290
W h i t e P l ay s lD b S
Game 32
S.Erenburg-L.Gofshtein
I s raeli League 2 004
1 e4 c5 2 lDf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lDxd4 lDc6 5 lDb5 d6 6 i.f4 e5 7 i.e3 lDf6

The game's actual m ove order was 7 ... i.e6 8 lDd2 lDf6 9 i.g s a6 10 .J1[.xf6 gxf6.
8 ..ig5 i.e6
9 ..ixf6 gxf6 10 lDd 2 !
Question: Why is 1 0 lDd2 a good move?
Answer: If White really i s a tempo down on th e Svesh nikov, h e can at lea'st m ake a virtue
out of a necessity. He can actually exploit th e fact h i s queen's knight is not yet on c3 by
depl oyi n g it to d2 in stead. Th i s means th e knights aren't steppi ng on each oth er's toes an d
the oth er one m ay retreat to c 3 . White' s position with knights on c 3 and d2 looks more
harmonious than with knights on c 3 an d a 3 .
Question: What happen s i f White del ays taking

on f6, and plays lDd2 a move earlier?
Answer: Ag ain st 9 lDd2 Bl ack can still play 9 .. a6, but I feel th at 9 . . . J1[,e7 ! avoiding the
. .
doubl ed pawn s, m ay be stron g er. Th e critical l i n e run s 10 i.xf6 (10 0_'K4? 0:Jxe4! 1 1 iLxe7
�xe 7 ! i s g ood for Bl ack) 10 ... i.xf6 1 1 CLlC4, but h ere 11 ... 0-0! i s a promi sing gambit. Play
contin ues 1 2 'iVxd 6 ! ( 1 2 LDcxd6 ? 'iVb6 leaves White strug g l i n g , wh ile 1 2 0:Jbxd6 'iVe7 1 3 LDfS
iLxfS 14 exfs l1ad8 l ooks stron g for Bl ack) 12 ... 'iVc8 ! 1 3 c 3 (both 1 3 "file? .�,xC4 14 ,J1[,xc4 lDd4 !
an d 1 3 'iVd2 l1d8 14 'iVC l lDb4 ! are good for Bl ack) 1 3 . . . iLe7 ! .
29 1
Black's devel opment le ad, coupl ed with White ' s clum sy knights, assures Bl ack of at least
en ough com pen sation for th e pawn , and probably a bit more. G am e s h ave proved to be
favourabl e for Bl ack. For exampl e :
a) 14 iVd2 � d 8 1 5 iV C l ( 1 5 iVe 3 ttJb4! ) 1 5 ... Jbc4 (or 1 5 . . . h 6 ! ? with . . . �g 5 ideas) 1 6 .bC4
a6 17 ttJa3 iVg 4 1 8 0-0 �xa3 1 9 bxa3 iVxe4 20 �b3 �d7, Z.varga-J . Borg es Mateos, Elista
Olym piad 1 9 9 8 . Bl ack h as reg ained h i s pawn and stan ds better.
b) 14 iVCl �d8 ! ? (14 ... �xc4 1 5 �xc4 a6 1 6 iVxc8 �axc8 17 ttJa3 ttJa5 1 8 �d5 �xa3 19
bxa3 �xc3 is equal ) 15 iVxc8 �axc8 1 6 ttJba3 ttJd4 ! ? 17 cxd4? (White can get away with 17
�dl ! since if 17 ... �xC4 1 8 ttJxC4 ttJc2 + 1 9 '.t>e2 �xC4 he reg ai n s th e piece with 20 �xd8+
�xd8 21 '.t>d3) 17 ... �b4+ 18 '.t>e2 �xc4+ 1 9 ttJxc4 �xc4 20 '.t>f3 �cxd4, J . Bori sek - D . N avara,
Bal atonlelle 2 00 3 . Once m ore Bl ack has reg ained h i s pawn , an d once m ore he has the edge.
Returni n g to th e g am e , and to th e position after 10 ttJd2 :
10 a6
. . .
292
W h i t e P l ays ,'!'J b 5
Question: White h asn 't kept full control of the ds-square.

Shouldn 't Black exploit this by advancing with 10 ... d S ?
Answer: 10 . . . d S i s without a doubt a logical m ove. a n d for a l o n g t i m e i t was considered to

be a complete answer to 10 ct:Jd2. H owever. the discovery of 11 exds �,xdS 12 itC4! ch anged
this assessm ent. For exam pl e : 1 2 . . . iLxg 2 1 3 ,U g l . 1 2 . . . a6 1 3 ..\lxdS axbs 14 0�e4! {Leko}. or
12 ,j:!,c8 13 �·g4 ! . L. McSh ane-J . Pl askett. H asti n g s 1997/98; with some advantage to Wh ite
..
in both cases.
11 0Jc3
Exercise: Choose between l1...bS and l1...fS .
Answer: 11 fS !
. . .
Bl ack has m any altern atives. m ost of th em decent {e.g . 1 1 . . .),;k 8. 1 1 . . .,�g 7 , 11...,:&'.,h 6 and
1 1 . ..,S,g 8}. but l 1 . . .fS is probably th e choice whi ch m ost represents typical Svesh nikov
strategy. Bl ack uses his doubl ed f-pawn positively, to nibbl e away at White's centre.
Pl ayi n g ... bS is al so a typical Sveshn ikov i dea. but usually th at's wh en Wh ite's kni ghts
are sittin g uncomfortably on c3 and a 3 . Alth ough l 1 . . . b S h as been pl ayed here, to me it
makes less sense to pl ay it when White's knight is on d2. While th e position after 12 a4! b4
13 ct:JdS fS 14 ,.\1),c4 certainly i s n 't disastrous for Bl ack, I do feel th at somehow White's pl ay
has been ful ly justifi ed. It seem s wiser to forgo ... b S an d use the extra tempo elsewhere.
As m entioned above. Bl ack h as m any opti ons h ere, and 1 1 . . .1:( g 8 ! ? looks like a g ood
altern ative. After 12 0-'lc4 .l::t c 8 13 ct:Je3 ��h 6 ! 14 ct:Jcd S �xe3 lS 0_1xe3 jVb6 Bl ack's a ctivity
and devel opment lead counterbal ance White 's structural advantages, D. Prasad-T. Luth er,
Ubeda 1 9 9 8 .
2 93
12 �C4
Exercise: Choose between 12 . iLxC4 and 12 ... 'i!Vg s .

. .
1 2 � C 4 i s a positio n ally well- m otivated m ove, for two reason s :

1 . White wants to g et rid o f o n e o f Black's bishop pair.
2 . An exch a n g e of bishops shoul d i n crease White' s control of th e l i ght squares.
Th e altern ative l i n e is 12 exfs �xfs 13 tLlC4 ( I can 't fin d any exampl es, but 1 3 ttJdS j,e6
14 �C4 l ooks i nterestin g ) 13 . . . �e6 14 tLle3, wh en White h as rearranged h i s knights i n order
to dom i n ate the d s -square. H ere 14 . . . � g 7 can be m et by 1 5 �C4, but th e stronger 14 ... �.h6!
.
prevents White's pl an, introduces th e possibil ity of ... iLxe3 an d assures Bl ack of good
counterpl ay. Som e exampl e s :
294
W h i t e P l ay s CU b 5
a) l s ltJcds �xe31 16 ltJxe3 (16 fxe3 'iii a S + l) 1 6 . . . d S an d White h as 'ost contro' of the dS
square. 17 �e2 l:!.g8 1 8 0-0 d4 19 ltJC4 'iii g s 20 g 3 0-0-0 an d it' s advantage Bl ack, C.PH aHs
KDietrich , correspondence 2000.
b) 15 ttJeds keeps a firm grip on dS, but Bl ack can play around White 's knights and gain
counterpl ay anyway: 1 5 ... 0-0 1 6 g3 fS ! 1 7 �g 2 �h 8 1 8 0-0 l:!.c8 19 �h l Ltld4 20 f4 .s1i.g 7 2 1
.!l:f2 �as with typi cal Svesh n ikov activity for Bl ack, K.5pragg ett-Y.5hul m an, N ew York 1998.
c) It m i ght be better for White to forget about occupyin g ds for the m oment, and get on
with development (remember th at?). For example, after is g 3 �xe3 16 fxe3 't'Vb6
(l6...�g s ! ?) 17 �d2 0-0-0 1 8 0-0-0 ds 19 ttJa4 �C7 th e position is compl ex and offers level
ch ances, H . E di g h offer-S. Kerr, correspondence 2002.
Fin ally, another i dea Bl ack always h as to watch out for i s �h s . In this position, 1 2 �h s
was well m et by 1 2 . . . 'iVf6 ! ? 1 3 �C4 'iVg 6 ! 14 'iVxg 6 hxg6 in J . M ercant Simon -V. Laznicka,
Ben asque 2009. Th e exchan g e of queen s h as helped Black by im proving hi3 pawn
structure.
Answer: 12 ... 'iVg5 !
Th ere was a clue i n th e m ention of pawn structure in th e previous sentence. Bl ack
cannot really avoi d th e exch an g e of bishops, but he sh oul dn't be cooperative either.
12...�XC4 13 ttJxC4 woul d only help to further White' s development, with a key tactical
point bei n g 13 . . .fxe4 14 ttJxe4 (14 'iVds is al so good in any case) 14 ... ds 15 'iVxd s ! . By leaving
the bishops as th ey are, Bl ack i s allowi n g an exchange, but only one wh ich would improve
his pawn structure an d control of key squares. Meanwhile, the threat to g2 is a real one,
and Bl ack al so prepares long castl i n g .
13 g3
1 3 �xe6 fxe6 g ives Bl ack exactly wh at h e wants.
13 . . . 0-0-0
295
14 'iYe2
White prepares to castl e queen side. I defi nitely prefer Black's position by th i s stage. H i s
pieces are really active, ... .lth 6 and ... tDd4 (with tempo) are fast arrivin g and White has to
watch out for a pawn aval anche i n th e centre too.
It's l ikely th at White can do better than 14 'iYe 2 , wh ich does rath er invite ... tDd4:
a) 14 tDf3 'iYh 5 15 .ltds fxe4! 16 tDxe4 �xdS 17 'iYxds tDb4! 18 'iYC4+ �b8 1 9 'iYxb4 'iYxf3
20 0-0 dS " i s very strong for Black" - Kosten .
b) Th e i m mediate 14 �dS i s probably White' s best bet, introducin g th e idea of Ji.. x c6.
bl) I n O. Korn eev- L.Arosh idze, Sort 2007, Bl ack all owed White to take on c6, wh ich clearly
carries some ri sk. H owever, after 14 ... 'iYg 6 1 5 �xc6 bxc6 16 'iYe 2 �b7 17 tDb 3 Ma8 ! 1 8 0-0-0
fxe4 ( 1 8 ... a s ! ?) 19 tDxe4 �C7 2 0 f3 as White h adn 't g ot anywh ere on th e queen side. Th e
pl ayers agreed a draw h ere, whi ch sug g ests th at Korn eev, the high er-rated player, was
worried about Black's long -term prospects with the bi shop pair and pawn centre.
b) A further option for Bl ack is to avoid the exch an g e on c6: 14 ... tDb4 ! ? 15 0-0 (if 15 a3
then l S ... tDxds 1 6 exds �d7) lS .. .fxe4 1 6 tDdxe4 'iYg 6 1 7 'iYd2 (or 1 7 Mel �b8) 1 7 ... �h6 18
�xe6+ fxe6 19 'iYe 2 tDc6 2 0 Madl d S 21 tDcs tDd4 looks absolutely fi n e for Bl ack, E.Mantu
G . Pogrzeba, correspondence 2008.
14 .lt h6
...
G ofshtein sug g e sts 14 ... tDd4! and th i s does l ook stronger to m e . For exampl e, 1 5 'iYd3
fxe4 16 tDcxe4 ( 1 6 tDdxe4 'iYh S ) 16 ... 'iYfs and if 17 c3 then 17 ... d S ! .
1 5 0-0-0
White shoul d try 15 tDf3 'iYh s 1 6 �xa6 ! �b8 with unclear play.
l s fxe4 16 'iYxe4 .1tfS
...
296
W h i t e P l ay s ti'J b s
17 'iVg2
Gofshtein sug g e sts 17 'i'dS ! as an i m provem ent. Bl ack can repeat moves with 17 . . . �e6
18 'iVe4, but oth erwi se it's n ot obvious wh eth er he can exploit Wh ite's centrally placed
queen.
17 . . .'iVg6 18 iL d S �C7 19 h4
Deal i n g with th e threat of 19 .. . iLxC2, wh i ch can n ow be m et by 20 h S ! .
19 ... �g4! 2 0 f3?
White h ad to try 20 iLe4.
Exercise: 2 2 f3 ? allows a tactical idea. Can you spot it?
Answer: 20 . . . tLld4! 2 1 iL e 4?
297
Best i s 2 1 �b 1 'ii x c2+ 2 2 �a1 �f5 when Bl ack h as won a clear pawn but there's still a
l ot of fi g ht l eft in th e position .
2 1 ... �xf3 !
G am e over! A classic overl oad tactic on the e4-bi shop. N ot only does Bl ack win a vital
pawn , he al so g ets a completely dom i n atin g position.
2 2 iLxg6
Or 2 2 'ii x f3 ctJxf3 2 3 �xg6 fxg 6 .
2 2 ....�x g 2 2 3 l:!,hg1 hxg6
2 3 ....�f3 al so win s, but I like G ofshtein's m ethod wh i ch m aintai n s compl ete control.
24 1b g 2 4lf3 ! 2 5 ctJcb1
Forced, but th i s i s totally grim for White, wh o wouldn 't h ave been blamed for resigning
h ere.
2 5 ... e4 26 l:!,h1 d5 2 7 �d1 ctJe5 2 8 ctJC3 fs 2 9 ctJe2 ctJg4 30 ctJf1 d4 3 1 ctJf4 �xf4 3 2 gxf4 l:1,h7
3 3 .l::!, x g4 fxg4 34 ctJ g3 e 3 35 <;t>e2 l:!,f8 3 6 c 3 dXc3 3 7 bxc3 l:!,xf4 3 8 ctJll l:!,e7 3 9 l:!,h2 l:!,a4 0-1
Game 33
J.Olivier-D.Jakovenko
F renc h C u p, C ha l lons 2 009
1 e4 c5 2 0,\f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJc6 5 ctJb5 d6 6 c4!
298
W h i t e P l ay s ct'J b 5
Question: Why i s 6 c4 a good move?
Answer: 6 c4 i s anoth er way to j ustify White's deci sion to pl ay 5 ct'Jb S . If White does
"nothing", Bl ack will simply force th e knight back with ... a6, and we end up with a
Scheveningen where Bl ack h as gained two tempi, e . g. 6 ct'J1C 3 ? ! a6 7 C1Jd4 4'lf6 8 �e2 Jie7 9
0-0 0-0 10 � e 3 . I n a typical Sch even ingen White woul d h ave pl ayed f2 -f4 and, say, �h l or
a2-a4 by now. Th e position we h ave h ere i s undoubtedly m uch m ore prom ising for Bl ack by
com pari son , an d basically very comfortable after, for exampl e, 10 . . . ,\1i,d7 1 1 f4 b S .
By pl ayin g 6 c 4 White sets u p th e so-called Maroczy Bind - pawn s o n e 4 a n d c 4 which
restrain Black's play both i n the centre and on the queenside. U sually th e Maroczy set-up
provi des Bl ack with a stiff ch allenge. Specifically h ere, though, th e key question is how
much will White's loss of time m ovin g h i s knight affect thi n g s ? Let's see r
6 ct'Jf6
...
Question: Could Black kick the knight back first, with 6 ... a6?
Answer: 6 . ./iJf6 i s con sidered to be m ore accurate. By attacking e4, Bl ack invites the bl
knight to g o to c3. Only then will h e play ... a6, when th e c 3 -square i s no longer availabl e to
the b s -knig ht. We saw virtually th e same idea in G am e 3 1.
Question: But can 't White protect th e e4-pawn with the b s -knight?
Answer: Yes he can, but in that case Black still gains out of the deal
because h e no longer needs to play ... a6. He can continue 7 ttJSC3 .i.e7
8 .YJ.. e 2 0-0 9 0-0 b6 and ... .1i.b7. Black might still play ... a6 at
some moment, but it's certainly neither a priority nor a necessity.
299
The Sicilian Taimano v: Mo v e by Mo v e
7 CD1C3 a 6
8 01a 3
Question: Four moves by this knight, and it ends up

on a3! Isn't 8 ttJd4 more natural?
Answer: I'm tempted to say that 8 ttJa3 is played more often because no-one wants to
admit to losing two tempi and would rather keep up the pretence of manoeuvring the
knight to a better square - a3! In fact on the one occasion I faced 8 ttJd4, I wondered why it
wasn't played very much and failed to come up with a convincing answer. However, there
are solid reasons why 8 0:ld4 isn't a popular choice. It does seem that Black can fairly easily
exploit his two extra moves after 8 tLld4, and in more than one way.
a) One example is a quick ... d6-dS, e.g. 8.....\te7 9 ..lte2 0-0 10 0-0 dS 11 exds exds 12 cxdS
ttJxdS 13 0lxc6 bxc6 14 CDxdS cxdS with an equal, albeit dull position, J.Ehlvest-E.Bacrot,
Dubai 2002.
b) Another, more interesting, idea for Black is a rapid counter-attack against the C4-
pawn: 8....ii_d7 9 ..lte2 llc8!7 intending 10 0-0 ttJas! 11 b3 bS!. Of course White can deal with
the threat to C4, but he has to accept some inconvenience to do so. For example, 10 tiJc2
(another knight move!) 10....�e7 11 0-0 ttJes 12 ttJe3 (12 b3 bS!7) 12 ... gS!7 (ambitious play,
securing the knight's position on es) 13 b3 bS! 14 a3 'iVb6 15 llbl ..\tc6 16 f3 g4! with very
active play for Black, P.Giusti-G.Milos, Araraqua 1999.
After seeing these two examples against 8 ttJd4, it becomes easier to appreciate the
merits of 8 CDa3.
The knight is well placed on a3 (!) to deal with both of Black's plans - it protects the c4-
pawn and doesn't block the queen's attack on dS. And this is the key point. At some
moment White will undoubtedly want to re-route the knight to a more appealing square,
but that can, and must, wait. The priority for the next few moves is to complete
development and to prevent Black from exploiting his extra time to break free.
3 00
White Plays t;'JbS
S ... b6
Black adopts the so-called Hedgehog formation, distinguished by the pawn line-up on
the third rank, e6, d6, b6 and a6. More typically Black plays 8....�e7 9 .Qe2 0-0 100-0and
only then 10...b6 but Jakovenko prefers to fianchetto straightaway. Transpositions are very
likely, and an early fianchetto might even give Black one or two more options.
Before moving on, I should mention Garry Kasparov's attempt to refute the whole line
with the amazing gambit 8 ... dS!? 9 cxdS exds 10 exdS ttJb4 11 ,�e2 ,:Ji..CS. Indeed, he was
successful with it, winning a brilliant - and famous - game against Karpov in their 1985
World Championship match. That game continued 12 0-00-013:Ji..f3 ,:US when Black has
excellent compensation in view of his active pieces and White's poorly placed knight on a3.
Later, however, the gambit was dealt a blow, by Karpov himself, with the big improvement
12 ,:Ji..e3! ..Itxe3 13 �a4+! and it hasn't fully recovered since.
9 .:Ji.. e 2 ..Itb7 10 0-0 ..Ite7 11 ii,e 3
It's impossible to sum up the vast complex of Maroczy vs Hedgehog positions in a few
lines, but here are just some factors to take into consideration:
1. White has a space advantage.
2. Black will attempt to break free and neutralize White's space advantage. He will try to
achieve this via a pawn break: ...bS, ...dS or sometimes both. White will usually try to
prevent or discourage these advances.
3. White doesn't have any obvious pawn breaks, but he can try to gain the advantage by
slowly advancing his pawns to gain more space - on the kingside, on the queenside or
occasionally on both flanks.
4. Black has weak pawns on d6 and b6, but they aren't static weaknesses - they have
the ability to advance. It's not easy for White to organize enough attacking force on a pawn
without letting his guard slip elsewhere.
5. Black will target White's e4-pawn, which may become vulnerable if White advances
with the typical f2-f4. White might decide instead to reinforce the pawn by the solid f2-f3.
3 01
This kills Black's attack on e4, but it still weakens White's kingside, something which
becomes more evident if Black can get in ...dS.
Returning to the key pawn breaks ...dS and ... bS, it's sometimes the case that Black
cannot play them, or he can but they would be premature. In these cases Black just has to
be patient (look at the diagram - Black will certainly need to be patient with ...bS!) and
wait to see what White does. It often becomes a game of cat and mouse (or "chess" as a
commentator might describe a cagey football game!). It could be said that White holds an
edge in these positions where Black's pawn breaks are prevented, because only White can
"do something". However, any edge White gets tends to be an uneasy one. Hedgehog
players are used to shuffling around and biding their time, and the onus is on White to
make progress. The problem is that White's control tends to be precarious, with so many
resources used up preventing pawn breaks. Any "progress" by White often allows Black to
gain counterplay - and that's why we see so many instances of a White aggressor being
impaled by a Hedgehog spike!
11 ..ciJe s
.
Question: Why did Jakovenko play this knight move?

Wasn't he worried about f2-f4?
Answer: There are two reasons to play l1...':tJes:

1. The e4-pawn is attacked, so White must immediately make a fundamental decision
over whether to play f3 or f4.
2. In the Hedgehog formation Black's queen's knight usually sits more comfortably on
d7 than on c6. On d7 it protects the vulnerable b6-pawn. Furthermore, it doesn't obstruct
the b7-bishop, which means more pressure against e4 and a greater likelihood of a ... dS
break. So Black is ready to meet f2-f4 because the knight will improve its position from c6
to d7.
3 02
White Plays CDbS
It's worth noting that Black can also play 11...CDb8 in an attempt to prevent the f2-f4
option, and now 12 f3 CDbd7 is the usual course. The advantage of Jakovenko's choice is
that the knight may remain on es - in some lines there's no obligation to drop back to d7
and Black can exploit this to good effect.
Question: Can Black simply castle here and keep all options open?
Answer: Yes he can and 11...0-0 is a perfectly good move. It should be noted that White can
if he wishes prevent the ... CDeS-d7 plan after 11...0-0 by hitting b6 with 12 'MVb3, but also
that 12...CDd7 - another main line - has proved to be fully acceptable for Black.
12 f3
White chooses the solid, restrained approach. Next game we'll look at 12 f4.
12 0-0
...
13 'MVel !
A typical Maroczy/Hedgehog idea. White's queen heads for f2. She's safe on that square
but still applies pressure by setting up a queen and bishop battery on the b6-pawn.
Furthermore, the dl-square is vacated for a rook, to keep tabs on Black's ... ds possibilities.
13 'MVd2 is a natural-looking alternative but this does allow Black, if he so wishes, to
break in the centre with 13...ds. For example, 14 exds exds 15 cxds (15 �fdl dxc4 16 'MVxd8
..ixd8 17 CDxc4 CDxC4 18 �xc4 �e8 19 'it>f2 �c8 with a level position, T.Fogarasi-L.Portisch,
Hungarian League 1995 ; or 15 CDxds �xds! 16 cxds CDxds 17 �f2 �gs! 18 'MVd4 4'lf4! with
an edge for Black) ls... CDxds (ls...�xds!? is also possible) 16 CDxds ..ixds 17 �fdl �e6 18
'MVxd8 �fxd8 19 �xb6 �xdl+ 20 �xdl �xa2 with equality, Z.szabo-J.Horvath, Hungarian
League 2001. In practice Black just as often refrains from playing 13 ... ds here, not because
it's bad, but because a player mig ht prefer to keep the tension with something like
13... �c8, 13... �fe8 or 13...'MVC7.
303
The Sicilian Taimanov: Mov e by Mov e
Question: Can't White just pile up on the b-pawn?

How does Black deal with 13 'iWb3 tiJed7 14 tiJa4?
Answer: Naturally Black always has to watch out for attacks against b6, but his position is
surprisingly resilient against them. The triple attack with 13 'i'b3 tiJed7 14 tiJa4 can be
rebuffed by 14.. 0<�c6! when it becomes clear that the pawn is poisoned: 15 iLxb6? tiJxb6 16
tiJxb6 .lJ:b8, or 151.tJxb6? Mb8!. In view of this, 14 tiJa4?! is actually premature and White
does better to carry on as normal, with 14 Mfdl 'i'o 15 Macl Mac8 16 iLfl Mfe8 reaching a
typical Hedgehog position.
Another way to attack the b6-pawn and therefore force ...tiJbd7 is by 13 'i'd4, and here
13 ...0:led7 14 tlJdl )le8 was played in V.Kramnik-P.5vidler, Dortmund 2005.
3 04
White Pla ys 0'Jb5
Exercise: In this position Kramnik decided to retreat his

queen back to d2, just two moves after playing 'it'd4.
Work out why he didn't play the more natural-looking 15 l:tacl.
Answer: Kramnik's sense of danger didn't escape him here. He was rightly concerned about
the pawn break ...dS and sensibly retreated his queen out of the firing line. If instead 15
l:iacl there follows lS ...dS! and suddenly White is on the receiving end of .....\hS tricks, the
most straightforward one being 16 exds exds 17 cxdS?? �cS! winning. It's not a disaster
for White if he takes some care, but after, say, 16 cxdS �cS 17 �d2 �xe3+ 18 �xe3 exds
(P.5abuk-L.Cyborowski, Gora 5w Anny 2009) he's certainly the one fighting for equality.
So, with either 13 � 3 or 13 �d4 White can force the knight back and prevent an early
...dS. But neither square is ideal for the queen: on b3 she looks a bit clumsy and gets in the
way of future queenside expansion plans, while we saw the need for Kramnik to quickly
retreat from d4 because of ... �cs tactics.
Returning to our main game, it becomes easier to see the attraction of the �el-f2 plan:
...dS is prevented for the moment at least, Black will have to retreat with ...0'Jed7, and
White's queen reaches a good, safe square.
13...�c7
13...dS 14 cxdS exds 15 �dl! looks unpromising for Black, and instead Jakovenko
focuses his attention on finalizing his Hedgehog set-up.
14 �f2 0'Jed 7 15 �acl �ac8 16 �fd l
Exercise: Choose between 16. . l::tfe8 and 16 ... l::tfd8.

.
Answer: 16 . �fe8!
..
305
I t might initially seem that d 8 i s the best square for the rook if Black is aiming for a ...dS
break, but when we take into account that the knight is likely to remain on d7 for a while,
to protect b6, the rook's value on d8 would be limited. As we saw above, the rook on e8 can
play a part in arranging ...dS, since favourable tactics might occur down the e-file once the
position is blown open.
17 W h l
Question: This looks like a "nothing" move. What's the idea?
Answer: Olivier is continuing with restraint and prophylaxis. Removing the king from gl
prevents any possible tricks on the a7-g1 diagonal; for example, the e-file opening up,
some ....l:!.xe3 and then ...�cS!. This type of tactic may appear to be a long way off, but
White prefers to eliminate it altogether while he has the time to do 50.
17 .. :�b8
Another typical Hedgehog move, with more than one point:

1. Black's queen moves off the same file as White's rook, and this increases the chances
of a successful ...dS break.
2. On b8 the queen may support a ...bS break, after say ...�c6.
3. The queen has even been known to go to a8(!) to add further support to ... dS.
There's a further idea behind ..."i¥b8 - to be revealed later!
18 ct:J a bl
Now that White has mobilized the rest of his forces, he follows the principle "improve
your worst-placed piece". Given time, White will slowly enhance his position with a mini
plan such as ct:Jd2, a2-a3, b2-b4 and ct:Jb3. Of course, all the time he has to watch out to see
whether any of these moves would allow Black to break out.
Some alternatives:
a) 18 jLxb6?! is met favourably by 18...�xe4! - this is the reason 17 ... 'i'b8 is possible.
306
White Pla ys Ci'JbS
b) 18 Ci'Ja4 hits the b6-pawn but loosens White's control elsewhere - a typical Hedgehog
scenario! 18 . . . dS! 19 exds exds 20 Ci'Jxb6 Ci'Jxb6 21.ixb6 .id6! (suddenly Black is really
active, so White sensibly bails out) 22 .ia7 lhe2! 23 .ixb8 'uxf2 24 .ixd6 �xb2 2S �bl
lhbl 26 �xbl Ci'Je8 1/2-1/2, P.Acs-Z.Almasi, Budapest 2003.
Question: What happens if White lunges forward on the kingside ,
with 18 g4? How does Black react?
Answer: I suspect most Hedgehog players are very happy to see this type of aggression on
White's part, because Black's chances for counterplay automatically increase once White
commits himself like this. Black players would be much more fearful of a slow positional
strangulation in which counterplay is non-existent.
After 18 g4 it's clear that Black must be on his guard, but it's equally clear that action
such as . . . dS potentially becomes much more rewarding given White's weakening of his
king, which suddenly feels considerably closer to Black's b7-bishop.
18 g4 was once played by Tal (who else?) against Polugaevsky, and Polugaevsky's
response is worth seeing: 18 ... h6 19 h4 Ci'Jh7 (19 ... dS! ? is interesting too) 20 �f4 gS ! 21 hxgs
hxgs 22 �g3 Ci'Jhf8 (Black has also weakened himself, but has gained a dark-square grip in
return) 23 'i¥'h2 Ci'Jes 24 'iVh6 Ci'Jfg6 2S c;t>g2 'iVo 26 �hl �f6 (Black's king is perfectly safe
because h8 is firmly under control) 27 Ci'Jc2 'iVe7 28 Ci'Je3 Ci'Jh4+! 29 c;t>f2 Ci'Jeg6 30 �cdl �g7
31 'i¥'hs �es! 32 �xh4 gxh4 33 Ci'Jg2 .ig3+ 1/2-1/2, M.Tal-L. Polugaevsky, Alma-Ata 1980. By
this stage Black is winning - 34 c;t>f1 c;t>g7 3S gs �h8 36 'iVg4 Ci'Jes - and the only reason
Polugaevsky agreed to a draw was to secure overall victory in their match.
Back to the game, and to the position after 18 Ci'Jabl:
18 ....id 8 ! ?
307
The Sicilia n Ta im a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
Question: This bishop retreat looks strange. What's the point of it?
Answer: It's actually yet another typical Hedgehog idea! Let's list what it does:
1. The bishop gives added protection to the b6-pawn.
2. lt unblocks the e-file, useful in the event of ...dS.
3. Most importantly, Black plans ...iLC7!, lining up the queen and bishop along the b8-h2
diagonal. Any ...dS would then unleash an attack against the h2-pawn, and so the chances
of a successful ...dS increase.
19 Ci'ld 2
Olivier makes good use of his previously offside knight. The idea is to meet ... iLo with
Ci'lfl, safeguarding the h2-pawn without incurring any further weaknesses.
Here's an example of what could happen if White allows ...1Lo and ...dS: 181i.fl
(instead of Olivier's 18 Ci'labl) 18...iLd8 19 �c2 iLo 20 �cd2 (201Lf4) 20...dS!? (Black goes
for it - swapping d-pawn for h-pawn) 21 cxdS exds 22 exds (or 22 Ci'lxds1Lxh2) 22 . 1i.xh2
. .
308
Wh ite Plays lDb5
23 d6 .i.g3! ? (23 . .. .i.eS 24lDc4 �xC3 2S bxc3 bS 26 .i.a7 �a8 27lDas 1:,xc3 is also
unclear, R.Vazquez-M.l11escas Cordoba, Palma de Mallorca 1991) 24 �xg3 1:,xe3 2slDc4 1:,e6
26 'i'f2 bS 27lDe3 1:,cS with a position of imbalances, A. Minasian-V.Eingorn, Lucerne 199 3.
White's passed d-pawn is well supported but also well blocked. White's king has been
weakened, and Black's pieces, especially his rooks, are active. Overall I feel the chances are
roughly level.
Another option for White is �f4 at some moment. For example, 19 iLf4 (instead of
Minasian's 19 1:,c2) 19 . . lDes. (19 ... �C7! ? intending . . lDhS)
. 20 iLxes! ? dxes 21lDc2lDhS 22
b4 �C7 23 �d2 .i.e7 24 a3 h6 2S 1:,b1 reaches another position containing imbalances.
White's queenside pawn majority provides compensation for giving up the bishop pair and
some control of the dark squares, P.Acs-J. Polgar, Hoogeveen 2002.
Back to the game, and to the position after 19lDd2:
19 .i.c7 20 lDf1 .i.c 6 !
...
Compare this position to the one we saw after 11 .i.e3. In that position the idea of ... bS
looked like pie in the sky, but now it's suddenly a reality! Olivier's play has been perfectly
logical, and yet Black is still going to achieve one of his desired breaks. It just goes to show
how difficult it is to keep the Hedgehog fully under control.
This doesn't mean that allowing ... bS is a disaster from White, far from it. The play
remains as complex as ever. Black does gain some extra space for his pieces, but he also
has to be careful that the bs-pawn doesn't become a target.
21lDg3
White could actually prevent ...bS with 21 a4, but only at the cost of creating a
weakness which Black might exploit with 21...lDcs followed by . . . as. Olivier prefers to allow
it.
21 h S ! ?
..•
A sure sign that Jakovenko is willing to take some risks - a permanent weakening of his
kingside - to create chances against his lower-rated opponent. Black might play ... h4-h3,
309
The Sicilia n Taim a n o v: M o ve by M o ve
and this possibility worries Olivier enough that he retreats his knight. The alternative was
the immediate 21...bS.
22 ttJfl
White could have tried 22 b4 intending to meet 22...h4 23 ttJfi h3 with 24 g4.
2 2 ... b 5 2 3 cxb5 axb5 24 a 3 ttJe 5 2 5 ttJ a 2 !
The b4-square will be an excellent outpost for the knight.
2 5 .. :�b7 26 ttJb4 i1..d 7 2 7 i1..d 4 i1.. b 8! 28 ttJe3 ttJg6
29 i1..f 1?
The chances in this complex position were still pretty level, but here Olivier makes his
first significant mistake. He was understandably reluctant to take on f6 - even though this
further weakens Black's kingside - because it would leave White struggling on the dark
squares. However, 29 �c3! would have prevented Black's idea and kept the game balanced.
29 .. J:1.xCl 30 I::!.x cl
310
White Pla ys Ci'JbS
Exercise: Find a strong positional idea for Black

(Hint: Think "to get something you have to give something".)
Answer: 30 ... e s ! 3 1 iLC3 iLa 7 !

Black's dark-squared bishop comes to life with a vengeance, whereas its counterpart
has been blocked firmly out of the game. Jakovenko understood that it was worth
conceding a hole on dS to achieve this...
32 �d 2 �b6!
...and this is why! The knight on e3 cannot move due to mate on gl. White gets tied up
and is in no position to utilize the outpost on dS.
33 'ue1 iLe6 34 iLd 3 ? !
It's understandable that Olivier wanted to rule out the mate on gl, but this actually
makes things worse.
34 .. Ci'Jf4 3 S iLb1 h4!
.
Black is now in complete control.

36 iLa2 iLxa 2 3 7 Ci'Jxa 2
Exercise: Find a strong move for Black.

(Hint: It's been one of his goals all game!)
Answer: 3 7. . .d S !
It's fitting that an excellent Hedgehog game by Jakovenko involves both of Black's
desirable pawn breaks, ...bS and ... dS.
3 8 0jxd S
If 38 exds, Black's initiative continues with 38 ... e4!.
311
3 8 ... tD6xd 5 3 9 exd 5 h 3 !

Jakovenko's decision to play 21...hS becomes fully justified. Black's idea is to meet 40 93
tDxdS 41 �xdS?? with 41...�f2! 42 f4 e4! mating. White should still play 40 g3 tDxds and
then try to hang on with something like 41 �e2.
40 gx h 3 ? tDxh 3 ? !
4 0...�g6! intending ...�hS o r ...�fS is decisive, e.g. 4 1 tDb4 � S 42 gf1 �xh3.
41 \t>g2 ?
41 d6 is better, although 41...ge6 42 d7 gd6 still wins for Black.
41 ... tDf4+ 42 \t>h 1 �h6!
Now he sees it! The queen creeps into White's position, with fatal consequences.
43 h4
Exercise: Black to play and win.
Answer: 43 ... �h 5 !
This is much stronger than 43...�xh4+ 44 �2, which allows White to struggle on for a
while.
44 gf1 �f5 ! 45 �h2 �d 3 ! 0-1
A wonderful game by Jakovenko. He perfectly demonstrated the Hedgehog's great
flexibility and potential for counterplay.
Game 34
V. lsupov-P.Ma letin
Sibe rian Team Champi onshi p, Be rdsk 2009
1 e4 c5 2 tDf3 tDc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tDxd4 e6 5 tDb5 d 6 6 c4 tDf6 7 tD1c3 a 6 8 tDa 3 �e7
312
White Plays Ci'JbS
Here Maletin decides to complete his kingside development before playing . . . b6 . In OUT
previous game Jakovenko chose 8...b6 9 �e2 �b7 10 0-0 �e7 11 �e3 Ci'Jes, and here 12 f4
ltJed7 13 �f3 0-0 would transpose to this game. In some ways I prefer Jakovenko's choice
because Black gets to attack the e4-pawn more quickly. Also, if 11 f4 then l1.. .dS ! is known
to be a good response, e.g. 12 cxdS exds 13 exds (or 13 eS �cS+ 14 'it'h1 Ci'Je4) 13 ... Ci'Jb4 14
1h3 0-0 lSl:!,d1 �cS + 16 'it'h1l:!,e8 with excellent play for Black, A.Nokso Koivisto-A.Pyhala,
Tampere 199 2.
9 ..Iie2 0-0 10 0-0 b6 11 �e3
11 ... Ci'Je 5
Question: Why did Maletin play this move before ... .Jtb7?
Answer: As soon as White plays �e3, Black has to be wary of attacks on tht! b6-pawn. If he
definitely wants to play the ... Ci'Jes lines, as Maletin does here, then this is the moment to
do so. Now Black is ready to meet attacks on b6 with ... Ci'Jed7, as we saw in the previous
game. If Black plays 11...�b7 he must be willing to adopt a different formation if White
chooses 12 �b3, with 12 ... Ci'Jd7. As I mentioned before, this is a perfectly acceptable line for
Black too.
12 f4
This time White takes a more aggressive approach on the kingside.
12 .. .lbed7 13 iI_f3 iLb7
313
Exercise: What tactic by White must

Black watch out for if White plays 14 'iVc2?
14 �e2
Answer: After 14 �C2 Black has to defend against the double-attack threat 15 e5! . With the
queen on dl or e2, Black is okay because e4-e5 can be met by . . . �xf3. However, after 14
�c2 it becomes a threat because 15 ... �xf3 no longer hits the queen and can be answered
by the decisive zwischenzug 16 exf6! winning a piece. The most natural way for Black to
meet this threat is by playing 14...�C7, to protect the bishop.
14 h6!
...

Doesn't it just unnecessarily weaken the kingside?
314
White Plays ':�b5
Answer: 14...h6 ! is actually a clever piece of prophylaxis. One of White's most active plans
here is g4-g5. If timed correctly, it could force Black backwards, give White a considerable
space advantage and offer chances for a direct kingside attack. The sort of thing White
might be aiming for is 14... l:1.e8 15l:1.fd1 (restraining ... d5 first) 15 ... .�0 16 Jlac1.l:\ac8 17
g4!? h6 18 h4 ! tUh7 19 'iVh2 (or 19 g5). This position is by no means completely clear, as
White always has to accept some risk when he lunges forwards on the kingside. However,
there's a danger of Black getting squashed, and defending this type of position won't
appeal to everyone, especially given that there's an enticing alternative in 14... h6.
The idea behind 14...h6 is to prevent or discourage White's pawn-storm plan. Now g2-
g4 is typically met by .. .'1Jh7!, preventing both g4-g5 and h2-h4. Crucially, ... f;jh7 isn't just a
defensive measure - Black also has the possibility to counterattack on the kingside.
Question: Counterattack? How?
Answer: By ... g5 !, fighting to gain control of the dark squares, and the key es-square in
particular, in a similar way to how Polugaevsky outplayed Tal in the notes to our previous
game.
Here's an example of Black's plan in action, taken from one of my own games, R.Eames
J.Emms, British League 2002: 14 "tIVc2!? (instead of Isupov's 14 �e2) 14... .*'*'0 (Black must
defend against e4-e5) 15 g4 h6 16l:i.ac1 (16 M!? is critical, but Black can break with 16 ... d5 !,
e.g. 17 e5 .lfi.xa3 18 bxa3 tUe4 19 tUxe4 dxe4 20 .lfi.xe4 .�xe4 21 "tIVxe4 f;JC5 with good
compensation, or 18...d4 !? 19 exf6 �xf3 20 fxg7 l'!.fc8 21 Jlxf3 dxe3) 16 ... f;jh7! (preventing
h2-h4) 17 "tIVf2 g5 !
18 ktfd1?! (18 l:1.cd1 looks more natural) 18... gxf4 19 �xf4 tUe5 ! 20 �xh6 01g5 21 �xg5
.�xg5. Black has a clear advantage here, because his active pieces and dark-square control
are worth much more than White's extra pawn. The game concluded 22 nc2 f5 !? (22... �g7!
followed by ...lih8 is safe and strong) 23 gxf5 exf5 24 �h5? {White should try 24 il.g2 or 24
315
Th e S i c i l i a n Ta i m a nov: Move by Move
ct:Jd5) 24...'ii-V g7 25 iVg2 fxe4 26 Uxd6 ct:Jf3+ 27 'it'hl ct:Jel 28 iVh3 jLc8! 29 Ue6 jLxe6 30
iVxe6+ 'it'h8 31 iVh3 iVh6 32 Ue2 Uf3 and White resigned.
Clearly there's an element of risk involved when advancing with ... g5. But we must
remember that it's a positionally well-motivated move, and that White has also weakened
himself - perhaps even more - by playing g2-g4.
15 Ufd 1
ISupov brings his rooks to the centre and focuses on restraining Black's position.
Here's another example of how Black can meet the g2-g4 lunge: 15 Uadl iVo 16 g4
ct:Jh7! 17 jLg2 (if 17 iVf2, intending h2-h4, then 17...g5 comes into consideration again)
17...Uac8 18 'it'hl Ufe8 19 h3 ct:Jhf8! 20 iVf2 ct:Jg6, H.5pangenberg-Z.Hracek, Yerevan
Olympiad 1996. On this occasion Black has gained some dark-square control without the
need for ... g5, and he stands fine here. The game continued 21 g5 (or 21 f5 ct:Jge5) 21... hxg5
22 fxg5 Uf8 23 iVg3 ct:Jge5 24 �f4 g6 and it's difficult to see past the monster knight on e5,
which does everything for Black.
1s :iVc7 16 Uac1 Mac8
..
Exercise: White could prepare g2-g4 b y first playing 1 7 h4.

Find a way for Black to prevent White's pawn storm in that case.
17 ct:Ja b1!
Excellent play by Isupov. He realizes that trying to make progress on the kingside could
easily backfire, so just as White did in our previous game, he improves his worst-placed
piece - the knight on a3.
Answer: 17 h4 was played in the game P.Nielsen-Y.Razuvaev, Valby 1991. White is ready to
play g2-g4, but Black exploited a window of opportunity to fix the kingside pawns: 17 ... h5 !
not only prevented 92-94 but also left White with a permanent weakness on that square.
316
White Plays li'Jbs
The game continued 18li'Jabl (18 .\txhsli'Jxe4 is a favourable pawn swap for Black) 18... g6
19 ct:Jd2l:tfe8 20 b4 �b8 21 �f2li'Jg4! 22 �xg4 hxg4 23 g3 iLa8 24 a3 fS 2S �h2 iLf6 26
id4 bS and Black eventually won due in no small part to his domination of the long a8-hl
diagonal: 27 cxbS axbs 28 .\txf6li'Jxf6 29l:tel fxe4 30 �d4 eS 31 fxes .l::1.xes 3 2 Mfl Mf8 33
':cel e3 34 Mxe3 �b7 3S Mglli'JdS 36 Mxes dxes 37 �xdS + �xdS 38li'Jxds iLxdS 0-1.
Perhaps White lost on time here, as his position is not yet resignable.
Back to the game's 17li'Jabl:
Exercise: Black could have captured on c4 here. Consider replies

by White and why Maletin might have rejected the pawn grab.
17 ... � b8
Answer: When considering 17...�xc4 Black has to analyse and assess discovered attacks by
White's c3-knight, especially with 18li'JdS. Black must give up his queen here, but he gets
some material in return after 18....lixdS! 19 Mxc4 �xc4 and ...iLxa2.
Black also has to consider queen moves by White, maintaining the threats. For example,
after 18 �d2! ? the idea ofli'JdS still exists, even after .. :�C7, and there's also the possibility
of e4-es, an idea we saw earlier. Here 18...�4 19 es! .\txf3 20 exf6 �xdl 21 fxe7 Mfe8 22
a3! is messy, but possibly just good for White. Overall it's quite understandable that
Maletin chose to decline the pawn grab, which feels like a high-risk and low-reward move
to me.
18 tiJd 2 Kc6 19 b4!
White begins to gain space on the queenside.
19 . :�Wa 8
.
317
Th e Sicilia n Taim a nov: Move by Move
Question: What i s Black doing here?
Answer: Not a great deal! This is one of those positions I referred to in our previous game.
Black has to show some patience and wait to see what White does.
Question: Can't Black break with 19 bs?

...
Answer: Sometimes the ... bs break is premature, even if it is possible. Maletin probably
rejected 19 . bs here on account of 20 cxbs axbs 21 lLlb3. The bs pawn is fixed and
. .
vulnerable to ideas such as lLld4 and lLlas.

2o �f2
Question: How about 20 a4 here?
Answer: It's tempting to aggressively lunge forward, but we must always remember that
pawns can't move backwards. Black can fight back on the queenside with 20...aS! which
gains control of the key cs-square after either 21 bS �b7 or 21 bxas jVxas (or 21.. bxas). In
.
the latter case it's worth giving up bs to get cs.

20 J'1.fe8 2 1 a 3 jV b8 2 2 �g3
..
White prepares a possible e4-eS break, and this is enough to stir Maletin into action.
22 es!?
...
318
White Pla ys liJbs
Question: Can Black get away with giving up the ds-square like this?
Answer: Yes he can, at least in certain situations. We actually saw something similar from
Jakovenko last game, albeit under more favourable circumstances. Still, it isn't obligatory,
and Black could continue to hold with something like 22 .. .!led8, and if 23 eS? ! then
.
2 3 ... �xf3 24 ltJxf3 ltJhS !.

23 fS b S !
Immediately loosening White's grip on dS. Maletin judges that now is the right time for
this pawn break. If Black delays it, he really does run the risk of being strangled for space.
24 �f2 MC7
Preparing to double rooks on the c-file. Another option here is 24. . 0Jh7! ? with .... .tgs or
.
... 0JgS ideas.

The position is finely balanced and decisions are becoming critical. White's next move,
tempting though it looks, is probably a mistake.
2S ltJd S ? !
31 9
The Sicilia n Taim a n o v: M o ve by Move
Exercise: Which way should Black capture: with the bishop or the knight?
2S cxbS axbs 26 ct'lb3, with ct'las ideas, looks like a better bet for White. After 26 ...Mec8
27 �d3 (not 27 4:Jas? �xe4! ) 27...ct'lf8 28 �e3 (again 28 ct'las? �xe4!) 28...ct'l8h7 29 ct'las �e8
30 h4 hS ! White might even have the edge, but all three results remain possible.
Answer: 2 S ... ihd S !
The knight is stronger than the bishop, which hits a brick wall after 2S ...ct'lxdS? 26 cxdS.
Furthermore, 26 exds ! is even better: 26 ...�a8 27 cS ! dxcS 28 ct'le4 is very strong.
26 cxd S
26 exds �ec8! sets up an annoying pin, but this is still unclear and probably a better
option for White than the game continuation.
26 ... Mec8 2 7 ct'lb3 Mxcl 2 8 Mxcl Mxcl+ 29 ct'lxCl �C7 30 ct'la2 ct'lb6
320
White Pla ys CiJbs
I prefer Black here:

He controls the only open file.
1.
2. The e4- and a3-pawns are targets.

3. White's light-squared bishop looks like a big pawn.
4. Black's only problem piece, the e7-bishop, may later be activated via gs or b6.
Let's see how Maletin converts these advantages:
31 �d 3 ? ! \li'C4! 3 2 ..liLe2 \li'xa 2 3 3 ..liLxb6 CZJd 7 34 ..liLC7
34 iLe3 is more resilient, but it's still a real struggle for survival for White after 34 ... JtgS
OT 34... Jtd8 followed by ... ..liLb6.
34 .. :iVa l+ 3 5 'It>f2 \li'cl! 36 ..liLa 5 \li'h l!

Now it's easy. With White's bishop going on a walkabout to as, Black has a power play
and makes it count on the kingside.
37 'iVg3 �g5 3 8 h 3 CZJf6 39 ..td 3 CZJh 5 40 \li'g4 \li'cl! 41 \li'xh 5 \li'e3+ 42 �f1 \li'xd 3+ 43 'iVe2
"fxa 3 44 \li'C2 \li'a 1+ 45 'It>f2 \li'd4+ 46 'It>f1 ..liLd 2 ! 47 f6
Exercise: Find the forced mate.
Answer: 47 ... \li'a 1+ 48 �f2 \li'e1+ 49 'It>f3 \li'e3+ 50 'It>g4 �f4+ 0-1
Key Notes
1. White's opening play in the 6 ..tf4 line is sophisticated, but in the cold light of day he
does make two consecutive moves with the same knight and then three consecutives ones
with the same bishop. Development matters!
2. Black should if possible wait for l1\lC3 before playing ...a6, because this then forces a
knight back to the miserable a3-square. In Game 31 we reached a Sveshnikov Sicilian
where Black was a full tempo ahead, and Vescovi was able to exploit this to the full with
321
11...dS!.
3. Erenburg's choice of 9 i..xf6 gxf6 10 liJd2! (Game 32) is more challenging than 9
ttJ1C3, but Black still gets a full share of the chances in the resulting complex positions.
4. In the Maroczy vs. Hedgehog line (Games 33-34), Black's early ...ttJes attacks the e
pawn and forces White to make a decision over whether to play f2-f3 or f2-f4.
s. In the f2-f3 lines, Black should be looking to break with ...dS or ...bS when possible, but
sometimes he needs to be patient. One key idea to remember is the manoeuvre ...i.. (e7)-d8-
C7!, as played by Jakovenko in his model handling of the Hedgehog (see Game 33).
6. In the f2-f4 lines, a crucial prophylactic move for Black is ...h6!, which has the merit of
slowing down or discouraging action by White on the kingside. Black can often meet 92-94
aggression by White with some of his own, with ...ttJh7 and ...gS!. If White plays more
deliberately, Black must be patient but always look out for possible pawn breaks: ...dS, ..bS.
or even ...eS (see Game 34).
32 2
Chapter Eight
Other Lines
In this final chapter we'll conclude our study of the Sicilian Taimanov by examining
some less common lines for White, which Taimanov players are likely to face in around
10% of their games. These include fifth-move options such as 5 c4 and s&e3, early .i�\xc6
lines and 5 CL'lc3 ·iiO 6 ·::;JdbS. In Game 39 we'll also briefly discuss the differences between
the 2 e6 and 2... 0Jc6 move orders.
. . .
Without further ado, let's move on to the first subject: 5 c4.
Game 35
M.Czerniak-J.Bolbochan
Mar del Plata 1941
1 e4 c 5 2 0Jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 tLlxd4 ·:;Jc6 5 c4 (see following diagram)

White aims for a Maroczy Bind position.
323
Exercise: Find a logical plan against 5 c4.
Answer: 5 0jf6 ! 6 ctJc3 iL b4!

...
Black develops quickly and utilizes the fact he hasn't committed to ...d6 to put White's
e-pawn under immediate pressure. It's for this reason White should prefer S ctJbS d6 and
only then 6 c4 ! if he wants to force a Maroczy/Hedgehog position.
Note that this line can also occur from the English Opening. In fact, the actual move
order of this game was 1 c4 ctJf6 2 ctJC3 e6 3 e4 cS 4 ctJf3 ctJc6 S d4 cxd4 6 ctJxd4 iLb4.
7 ctJxc6
White is more or less obliged to make this concession, which strengthens Black's
structure. The resulting positions are neither bad for White, nor lifeless, but they aren't bad
for Black either !
7 iLd3 is of course impossible, while if 7 f3 Black will just blow the position open with
...dS! '
7 bxc6
...
7...dxc6 is also possible, but most prefer recapturing with the b-pawn. A key line here is
B 'iVxdB+ �xdB 9 e s! ? 0:Je4 10 a3! ? iLxc3+ 11 bxc3 ctJxc3 12 a4 and White has compensation
for the pawn.
8 iLd3
B eS 0le4 is fine for Black, as aggressive attempts by White seem to fall short; for
example, 9 'iVg4 (or 9 'iVd4 'iVas! ) 9 . ctJxc3 10 a3 and now 10...'iVas 11 'iVxg7 ctJe4+ looks
..
good for Black, but there's also just a safer option with 10...iLfB 11 bxc3 'iVas 12 'iVg3 g6
when Black stands better.
8 0-0
••.
The move order B... eS 9 0-0 0-0 looks more accurate to me because it avoids the
324
Other Lines
possibility in the next note.

90-0
If 9 es!? Black can win a pawn with 9 ....iVas, but White gets some compensation after 10
�f4! iLxC3+ 1 1 bxc3 'iUxc3+ 12 'It>f1. After the game's 9 0-0, e4-eS is certainly a threat, so
Black must decide what to do in the centre.
9 ...e S !
Gaining a strong foothold i n the centre. This move is all the more appealing when
White has played c2-c4, as it gives Black potential use of an outpost in the centre on d4.
Question: Can Black play 9 ...dS here?
Answer: Yes, 9 ...dS is a decent alternative, even if it does seem to justify White's opening
play - as we've seen before, c2-c4 is a typical breaking move against ... dS. For this reason I
slightly prefer 9 ... es! .
10 f4
This active pawn break is an obvious course of action for White, but it's by no means the
only option.
Exercise: What idea, relating to his bishop on b4, must Black guard
against? Find it gOOQ move for White after 10 �e? d6.
Answer: Black must watch out for CLla4 possibilities, leaving his bishop hitting thin air on b4
(remember 9 CLla4! in Chapter One !). This becomes more relevant once Black has played
...d6 - after 10 iLe3 d6?!, 1 1 CLla4! is a strong move.
325
The Sicilia n Taim a nov: Move by Move
Even Kasparov failed to appreciate the idea, albeit in a rapidplay game, and after 11 . dS ..
12 exds cxdS 13 a3 Jie7 14 cxdS lLlxdS 15 Jics White enjoyed a nice edge in V.Kramnik
G.Kasparov, New York (rapid) 1994.
Question: So what should Black do?
Answer:10...Jixc3! is stronger, as Kasparov recognized after his game with Kramnik. For
example, 11 bxc3 d6 12 h 3 (to prevent ... lLlg4) 12 ...Jie6 13 f4 exf4 14 i,xf4 'iYb6+ 15 'ithl
�CS and Black is fine, M.Chandler-J.Emms, Hastings 1999/2000.
Question: Shouldn't Black be taking on c3 at the first opportunity,

giving White doubled pawns and avoiding lLla4?
Answer: No. It's better to stay flexible, as sometimes Black wants to keep his dark-squared
bishop. In my game against Murray Chandler, taking on c3 was the right idea in view of a
number of factors. For example, White's bishop on e3 isn't ideally placed if White wants to
play f2-f4 - Chandler had to spend a tempo with h2-h3 to prevent ...lLlg4 hitting the bishop.
Contrast this with 10 Jigs h6 11 Jih4. In this position Black might prefer to keep his dark
squared bishop, either retreating it to e7 or, perhaps more effectively, playing 11...JicS!.
L.Christiansen-Z.Ribli, German League 199 2, continued 12 a3 as 13 �d2 d6 14 c.t>hl �e6 15
f4? ! exf4 16 .llxf4 g5 ! 17 llafi Jid4 ! with an advantage to Black, although he was already
well placed even before 15 f4: lLla4 could always be met by ...Jid4 and there were also
...<1'Ixe4 ideas with a discovered attack on the h4-bishop.
Question: How about if White plays 10 tZJa4

preventing both ...�xc3 and ...S;(.C5?
32 6
Other Lines
Answer: If White plays GtJa4 too early, Black can strike hard in the centre. Here 10 dS! is a
...
logical response, and 11 cxdS cxdS 12 exds "ib'xds is much more favourable for Black than
the Kramnik-Kasparov game - Black is effectively a tempo up.
Now let's return to the game, and to the position after 10 f4.
lo ... d6
Black could throw i n a ...�cS+ before playing ...d6, but it's much more flexible to retain
all options.
11 '.iihl
This prophylactic move is understandable of course, but it does justify Black's decision
to avoid ... �cS + last turn. If White is going to play '.iihl anyway, why spend a move forcing
him to do so?
Question: What should Black do against 11 GtJ a4?
32 7
Answer: There's solid reasoning behind 11 tLla4 because Black has already played ...d6.
However, Black should still react by attacking the centre, and 11...Me8! is a good choice.
Now 12 'iVf3?! ds ! leaves White struggling because of forking threats with ...e4, A.van
Weersel-A.Burtasova, Kusadasi 2006. 12 'iVc2 is wiser, but even here 12 ...ds is interesting,
intending 13 fxes? dxe4!.
Moving the rook to e8 is useful against certain other moves too. For example, 11 "i'el
Me8!, and if 12 fs then Black should again consider 12 ...ds!?
Question: What about 11 fs, trying for a clamp o n the kingside?
Answer: Once more Black should look to answer in the centre, at least before White has
time to charge with g2-g4-gs. In fact, the immediate 11...ds! looks fine. For example, 12
cxds (or 12 'iVe2 jLa6 !) 12 ...jLxC3 !? 13 bXc3 cxds 14 'iVf3?! (14 exds 'iVxds 15 jLgs �b7 is
equal) 14...�b7 15 'iVg3 dxe4 16 �h6?? (R.Harper-D.Musanti, Dos Hermanas 2003) and here
16 ...tLlhs ! wins on the spot.
11 ... tLlg4!
Threatening ...'iVh4, but this isn't the only merit of the knight move.
12 'iVe1 �xc 3 !
Ideally White would like to recapture with the queen, but after 13 'iVxC3 'iVh4! 14 h3
tLlf2+ 15 'it>gl tLlxh3 + ! 16 gxh3 Black has at least a draw, and possibly more.
13 bxc3
Exercise: Find a good move for Black.
Answer: 1 3 ... exf4!

One of the points of ... tLlg4 is that the knight eyes the key es-square. Black is usually
328
Other Lines
happy to exchange on f4 if it means he can land a knight on that square, and this position
is no exception. We've seen on numerous occasions how influential a black knight can be
when safely entrenched on e5. Of course Black must capture on f4 now, before White has a
chance to drive the knight back with h2-h3 .
14 .ixf4 ttJe5 1 5 'i¥g3 C 5 !
Preventing c4-c5 and fixing the pawns. Black is already a bit better, for the following
reasons:
1. White has nothing on the kingside (.ih6 can be answered by ...ttJg6).
2. White has a typically bad bishop on d3.
3. The pawn structure is static - there are no breaks for White.
4. Once Black fully mobilizes his forces he can begin to target White's pawn weaknesses.
Let's witness how Bolbochan slowly takes control:
16 .ie2?!
I don't think White should be in a hurry to move this bishop, as it only leads to problems
with the e4-pawn. 16l:tabl 'i¥e7 17 .ixe5 dxe5 18 'i¥e3 looks like a better chance to
minimize the disadvantage.
16 .. :iie 7 17 l:tad l .ib7 18 l:td 2
329
Exercise: Decide between 18... il.xe4 and 18 ... Itad8.
Answer: lS ... M.adS!

White's weaknesses can't run away, so it's better for Black to fully consolidate before
grabbing any pawns. 18...�xe4 is too hasty, and it allows White to regain the pawn with 19
ItfdlItad8 20 �xe5 dxes 21 Itxd8Itxd8 22 Itxd8+ �xd8 23 �xes.
19 Itfd l f6 !
Black's position is rock-solid, and now he can turn his attention to the weakling on e4.
20 �e 3 ItfeS 2 1 h3 tiJf7 ! 2 2 �f3 �e6 ! 23 �e2 �xe4
Finally Black takes on N, and now he enters a pawn-up ending.
24 �xe4 �xe4 2 5 �xe4Itxe4 26 �xd6ItxC4 2 7Itd 5
3 30
Oth er Lin e
27 .. J:!c8
27...tLlxd6 28 'uxd6 .uxd6 29 .llxd6 looks tempting (if 29...1J.xC3 30 )la6 regains the pawn:
but there's constantly a danger of all the queenside pawns being exchanged to leave a
theoretically drawn rook ending. So Bolbochan decides to keep the minor pieces on.
Possibly Black's play could be improved over the next few moves, as Czerniak succeeds in
gaining counterplay by getting both rooks to the seventh rank.
28 'u1d 3 tLlg5 29 � h 2 ,Ua4 30 � g1 tLle4 3 1,Ud7 'ue8 3 2 'ub7 Y.xa 2 3 3 51dd7 f;-'Jg3+ 34 �h2
tlJf5 35 'uxa 7
Exercise: Decide between 35 J:Ixa7 and 35 . .1:[c2.

.. .
Answer: 3 5 ...,UC2 !
It might seem like a wise move to eliminate one of White's rooks on the seventh rank,
but in reality their major threat has disappeared now Black's knight has reached fS to
protect g7. Indeed, Black wants to keep both rooks on the board so he can double on the
seventh rank!
White has good drawing chances after 3S ...,Uxa7 36 'uxa7.
36 �XC 5 h 5 !
Giving the king an escape square on h7, and thus releasing the e8-rook.
3 7 h4?
White fails to spot the threat. The best chance for White is to try and block the rook's
path, with 37 �e7, when Black keeps excellent winning chances with 37 .. .'$;f7 38 .�cS+
�g6 or 37...tLle3.
3 7 ... ,Uee 2 !
This is immediately decisive.
3 8 �g1 ,Uxg2+ 3 9 '>t>f1 tLlg3 + 0-1
331
The Sicilia n Taim a nov: Mov e by Move
It's mate after 40 'it'el �cl+ 41 �dl �e2. This was a n old game, and still a very
instructive one for this line.
Game 36
Hou Yifan-M.Dzhumaev
K u ala Lump u r 2010
1 e4 c 5 2 cuf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 cuxd4 cuc6 5 cuxc6

This is not a fearsome move for Black to face because, as we already know, the change
in pawn structure after ...bxc6 normally favours Black. However, S CUxc6 is still a relatively
popular choice, especially among those who want to steer clear of more theoretical lines. If
White really wants to play cuxc6, there's certainly an argument for doing so straightaway
(see below).
5 ... bxc6 6 � d 3 cuf6
The game's actual move order was 4...cuf6 5 �d3 CUc6 6 CUxc6 bxc6.
7 0-0
7 ... d 5
Question: Is there an alternative plan to ... ds?
Answer: Yes, there is. Black can choose the same set-up as in our previous game, with 7...e5.
If White follows up with 8 c4 we have exactly the same structure as our last game, and
furthermore Black's dark-squared bishop can develop to a more favourable diagonal:
8 �cs!. Against 8 CUd2 Black could just play 8... �e7, but 8... �cs is possible here too. After 9
. . .
cub3 ,�,b6 10 Wife2 (10 c4, intending to meet 10...d6 with 11 cs!?, looks more challenging)
10 ...d6 11 �hl tZlg4! 12 h3 Wifh4 13 'it'gl cuf6 14 �e3 cuhs! 15 �xb6 axb6 Black was a shade
3 32
Oth er Lines
better in V.5imagin-D.Bronstein, Leningrad 1960.

Without doubt, if White sets his stall out with a quick c2-c4, intending 0:JC3 to add
pressure against ...dS, then ...eS becomes an attractive alternative. For example, rewinding
a move, I would be very tempted to meet 7 c4 with 7...eS!.
8 tLld 2
Exercise: This position can actually be reached via another

mainline opening. Try work out (or just guess!) what it is.
Answer: It's the French Defence, Tarrasch Variation: 1 e4 e6 2 d4 dS 3 tLld2 cS 4 tLlgf3 cxd4 S
tLlxd4 (S exds is the main line) S...tLlc6 6 tLlxc6 bxc6 7 Ad3 tLlf6 8 0-0.
The Women's World Champion demonstrates a benefit of playing tLlxc6 so early -
White hasn't committed any of her other pieces and can develop them accordingly: bishop
to d3 and knight to d2.
Question: Why did White develop the knight to d2 rather than C 3?
Answer: As we've seen before, with this pawn structure c2-c4 may be a key break for White.
If that is the case then it's logical not to block the c-pawn with the knight. Of course the
drawback is that on d2 the knight exerts less direct pressure on the centre and temporarily
blocks in the dark-squared bishop, so it's certainly not a clear-cut case of d2 being better
than c3.
Question: How should Black react if White

pushes immediately with 8 eS tLld7 9 f4?
333
The Sicilia n Taim a nov: M ove by Move
Answer: Black has more than one reasonable way to respond, but one possibility definitely
worth remembering, here and in similar positions, is 9 . .cDCS!. This knight move is nearly
.
always a good idea. White's light-squared bishop is his most active minor piece, and
exchanging it (or even just threatening to) is usually beneficial to Black. White's chances of
a kingside initiative automatically decline if this bishop is exchanged - there are no Greek
Gift sacs on h7 to worry about for a start!
8 :�C7!?
..
Question: Why did Black choose this queen move over, say, 8 iLe7?
...
Answer: 8...iLe7 is in fact Black's most popular choice here, but there's something to said
about 8...iVC7. Black prepares to develop more actively with ... il.d6, further covering the eS
square and gaining a tempo by hitting the h2-pawn.
After 8...�e7 White typically chooses either a restrained approach with c2-c4, or a quick
e4-eS and kingside action. For example:
a) 9 iVe2 0-0 10 c4 as!.
334
Other Lines
Question: What's the idea behind this pawn move?
Answer: White wants to fianchetto his dark-squared bishop, which would complete a
harmonious set-up. But now b2-b3 can be met by ... a4, which creates a weakness and
automatically gives Black counterplay on the queenside. I found this out after 11 �dl .fi.a6
12 b3 a4! 13 �b2 'ifb6 14 �abl axb3 15 axb3 �fd8 with a level position, J.Emms-O.De La
Riva Aguado, Mondariz 2000.
b) 9 �el 0-0 10 eslZ'ld7 11 c3 (to keep the bishop after ...lZ'lcs) 11.. .fs! (fighting back on
the kingside before White strengthens his attack) 12 exf6 (if White doesn't capture, the d3-
bishop is blocked out and chances to attack are minimal) 12...lZ'lxf6 13lZ'lf3 �d6! (fighting
for es) 14 'ife2? es! and Black has a clear advantage, S.Kaplan-D.Blokh, Rishon Le Ziyyon
2004, since lslZ'lxes loses to lS ... �xes 16 'ifxes �e8. White's 14th move was a blunder, as
he clearly mustn't allow ... es if he can help it. Almost anything else (e.g. 14 .fi.gs or 14 'i'c2 -
Delchev/Semkov) would have been infinitely wiser, when the chances look TOughly equal.
9 f4
33 5
The Sicilia n Taim a n ov: Move by Move
Exercise: Black can utilize a tactic here in order to achieve a

positional goal. What is it? (Hint: The tactic involves a check.)
One of the points behind 8. .'�C7 is that White finds it more difficult to force the eS
.
advance. It can be done, but only if White is willing - as Hou Yifan is here - to commit with
f2-f4.
For example, after 9 �e2 �d6 10 h3 0-0 11 Mel White is ready to play e4-eS (of course
it's a big threat!), but Black gets in first with 11 eS! and reaches a fine position with
...
control of the centre.

If White defends h2 by playing 10 ct'lf3 (instead of 10 h3) then Black doesn't hesitate to
grab the bishop pair: 10... dxe4! 11 �xe4 ct'lxe4 12 �xe4 �b7.
33 6
Other Lines
The key question here is does White's development lead compensate for Black's
potential advantage of the bishop pair in an open position? Probably it just about does,
which means the position offers levels chances. For example, 13 Udl c5 14 \'/Vg4! (White
must continue actively or else he is just worse) 14 . . . 0-0-0 (14 . . . h5 !?) 15 �e3 f5 16 \'/VC4 .1i.d5
17 \'/Va6+ �b8 (17... 1'IVb7!?) 18 b4!? cxb4 19 a3 f4 20 .1i.d4 b3 21 c4 \'/Vb7 22 \'/Vxa7+ \'/Vxa7 23
ixa7+ ci;xa7 24 cxd5 and the sharp middlegame has fizzled out into a soon-to-be drawn
position, I , Smirin-L.OII, Odessa 1989.
Another option for White is 9 C4 �d6 and now:
a) 10 h3 0-0 11 \'/VC2 dxe4! 12 CLlxe4 CLlxe4 13 ..\txe4 f5 ! .
Exchanging on e4 and then expanding on the kingside is a typical plan for Black, and
one to remember: 14 ..\tf3 (14 .1i.d3 C5!) 14...e5! 15 c5 ..\te7 16 �C4+ <j;h8 17 b3 (17 Il,dl !?)
17 ... e4! 18 iLe2 \'/Ve5 19 iLa3 ..\te6 20 \'/VC2 f4, A.Chiari-G.vescovi, Belo Horizonte 2010. Black
has a strong kingside attack here, and a rather one-sided contest finished 2'1 �ael \'/Vg5 22
,2.g4 ..\td5 23 �h2 h5 24 ,2.dl Jlae8 25 ..\tcl �d8 26 �hl \'/Vh4 27 Jlgl iLo 28 b4 LIe6 29 .l:l:efl
f3 30 ,¥Le3 Ug6 0-1.
b) 10 exds!? is critical. This led to great complications in D.Campora- M.Tissir, Dos
Hermanas 2006: 10 . . . iLxh2+ 11 'it>hl �d6 12 CLle4 CLlxe4 13 .1i.xe4 exd5 14 cxd5 \'/Ve7
(14 . . . 0-0 !?) 15 'it>gl 0-0 16 Uel (16 dxc6 \'/Ve5 !) 16 .. .f5 17 iLC2 \'/Vh4 18 f4, which looked
favourable for Black. If instead 17 iLf3 then 17 . . . �'h4 18 g3 ! (18 dxc6?? \'/Vh2+ 19 Wfl ,�a6+
mates) 18 ... ..\txg3 19 fxg3 'ii'xg3+ and White either offers a perpetual check or tries to
survive 20 .1i.g2 f4 21 1:tfl �g4, the former seeming the wiser option to me.
Back to the game, and to the position after 9 f4:
Answer: 9 ..\ta6!
...
Exchanging bishops must be to Black's benefit, because White's light-squared bishop is

usually his best minor piece. 9 ... ��e7 is certainly also possible, but it's rare for Black to be
able to utilize this ...�b6+ tactic in this line, so it seems a good idea to do so when offered
the chance. Don't forget that the opportunity arose only because White played f2-f4, which
33 7
was induced to some extent by Dzhumaev's 8 .. .'iVo .
10 eS CiJd 7 11 CiJf3 iLe7 12 b 3 iLxd 3 !

Previously there was no harm in delaying the exchange, but now after 1 2 b3 White
might prevent it with c2-C4 if Black delays any longer.
13 cxd 3 !
The usual recapture, opening the c-file and increasing White's control in the centre.
13 ... 0-0 14 iLb2 c S ! i s � h l
Exercise: Find a good plan for Black.
Answer: l s ... a s !
A simple idea, intending ...a4 to leave White with pawn weaknesses. If White prevents
3 38
Other Lines
this with a2-a4 then b3 becomes weak anyway. White's own plan is to arrange f4-fS, but
it's not as straightforward as it looks. Dzhumaev's play during the next few moves looks
convincing, and it's entirely possible that White's f2-f4 and e4-eS plan just isn't that
strong.
16 "iVe2 "iVb6!
The immediate 16...a4 was also possible, but Dzhumaev quite understandably prevents
the idea of 17 fS!? exfs 18 e6 first.
17 ttJd2 a4! 18 f5?
Any further delay to this move and White would be firmly on the defensive - Black
might continue with .. J:ta6 and doubling on the a-file. Unfortunately for White, she still
isn't completely prepared for the advance.
18 ... exf5 !
Of course this pawn must be taken when it reaches fS.
19 J::t x f5 a 3 !
This is really strong. The bishop is forced back to the first rank, which leaves White
hopelessly uncoordinated, as 20 �c3 loses a piece to 20...d4! 21 ttJC4 "iVe6!.
20 ..\tel "iVe6 !
Ideally White would want to meet this move with J::tafl. That isn't possible here, so the
rook on fS has to retreat, White loses the es-pawn and her whole position falls apart.
2 1 J::t h 5 g6 2 2 J::t h 3 "iVxe 5 2 3 "iVxe 5 ttJxe 5
A pawn up and with many other advantages, Black has a completely winning position.
Dzhumaev converts without any real difficulty:
24 ttJf1 �f6 2 5 J::t b 1 J::tfe8 26 ilLd2 ttJg4 2 7 J::tf3 ilLd4 2 8 h4 J::t e 2 29 b4 J::t b 8 30 b5 JiLb2 3 1 d4 e4
3 2 ilL b4 ttJf2+ 3 3 'It> h 2 ilLxd4 34 J::t x a3 JiLe5+ 3 5 'It>gl ttJd3 36 ilLd2 ilLd4+ 3 7 �h2 �e4 38 Wg3
ilLf2+ 3 9 'It>f3 ilLxh4 40 g3 ilLe7 41 J::t a 7 ilLe 5 42 J::t a 6 ttJe5+ 43 'It>g2 J::t e 2+ 44 � h 3 ttJf3 45 jLb4
ttJg1+ 46 'It>h4 J::t e 4+ 47 g4 jLf2+ 48 ttJg3 h 5 49 J::t x gl J::t x g4+ 50 'It> h 3 jLxgl 51 a4 .l:!,e8 52 jLd6
e3 53 J::t e 6 J::t e 4 54 J::t x e4 dxe4 55 a5 e2 5 6 �f4 ilLe3 0-1
339
Came 3 7
B.Mungunt u ul-V.Cmilyte
R u s s i a n Wo m e n ' s Tea m C h a m p i o n s h i p, Soc h i 2007
1 e4 c 5 2 f;jf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ct:Jxd4 ct:Jc6 5 ct:Jc3 �C7 6 tDxc6

Another relatively non-threatening line, similar to S ct:Jxc6 but with White's kni ght
committed to c3 and Black's queen to 0 . In this game we'll examine how this makes a
difference.
6 ... bxc6 7 �d3 f;'Jf6 8 0-0
8 . .Qe7
. ..
Question: How about the immediate 8...dS here,

so that Black can play ... .i.d6?
Answer: One difference with the knight on c3 is that Black needs to be a bit more careful
with the timing of ... dS, and here 8 �e7 is the safest option. If Black plays the immediate
...
8 dS White can try the counter-intuitive 9 exds!? cxdS. White has given up the centre, but
...
he can follow up with the crude but surprisingly effective 10 ct:JbS!.
34 0
Othe r Lin e s
This gives Black some problems because White's development lead produces an
initiative. For example, 10 .. .'�Yb8 (if 10 .. .'�'b6 1 1 �f4!) 1 1 �f3 (or 1 1 C4!?) 1 1....�e7 12 1le1
0-0 (or 12...eS 13 �g3 a6 14 tLJd4! exd4) 13 �f4 �6 14 a4 a6 15 as �d8 16 tLJd4 ..Itb7 17
�h3 l'i.e8 18 �es, A.5labek- B.5ikora Gizynska, Poland 199 1. Black's central pawns are well
and truly blockaded and White stands better here. So with a knight on c3, be wary of exdS,
... cxdS, tLJbS! ideas.
9 f4
As previously, White chooses the direct f2-f4 and e4-eS. The other main option is 9 �e2 dS.
Here 10 b3 0-0 1 1 �b2 �b7 1 2 eS tLJd7 13 tLJa4 cS 14 c4 d4! ls l'i.ael .�_c6 16 f4 g6!
(slowing White down by preventing fS) 17 �cl as reaches a roughly level position, I.Prol
Nogueira-A.Colovic, Burgas 2003.
Question: How should Black recapture if White plays 10 exds?
34 1
The Sicili a n Ta i m a nov: Move by M ove
Answer: Perhaps surprisingly (or maybe not if you read the note on 8 . . . ds), 1O . . . exds! is
probably best, even though 10 . . . cxds looks the most attractive. The problem with 10 . . . cxds
is that White can again disrupt Black with 11 ct'lbs!, on this occasion answering 11 . . :iVb8
with 12 g3!, e.g. 12 ...0-0 13 �f4 'iVb6 14 a4 a6 15 as 'iVc6 16 ct'ld4 with the type of central
bind we saw against 8... ds, D.Olafsson-B.Thorfinnsson, Bolungarvik 2009.
Black doesn't have this problem with 10 . . . exds! .
Furthermore, the pin on the e-file after 11 .l"!.el is easily dealt with by 11 ... �e6. Even
though Black has one pawn in the centre instead of two, he still enjoys considerable
presence there - he still has one more pawn than White! To me this looks like a slightly
favourable version (for Black) of the Four Knights Scotch (1 e4 es 2 ct'lf3 ct'lc6 3 ct'lc3 ct'lf6 4 d4
exd4 5 tt:ixd4 �b4 6 C!)xc6 bxc6 7 �d3 ds 8exds cxds 9 0-0 0-0 10 �gs c6), which is in itself
a solid line for Black. After 12 'iVf3 0-0 13 h3 �d6 a draw was agreed in A.Kovchan
M.Kobalia, Aix-les-Bains 2011. The final position is fine for Black, e.g. 14 �gs ct'ld7! .
9 d S 10 e S ct'ld7 11 'iVe2
...
34 2
Other Lines
Exercise: Find a good positional move for Black.
Answer: 1 1 ttJc S !
...
This again! Hopefully the idea of trading the d3-bishop should be firmly in your minds
by now.
Going back a move, it's very possible that 11 ttJa4 is a more challenging option. White's
knight move is a typical idea which:
1. Prepares a knight exchange after ...ttJcS (or ...ttJb6) thus allowing White to keep the
light-squared bishop; and

2. Creates a possible pawn break with c2-c4, so White has possibilities for action on
either side of the board.
Let's follow the game A.Nokso Koivisto- P.Cramling, Eksjo 1990, to see how Grandmaster
and Sicilian Taimanov expert Pia Cramling handled this position: 11...0'1cS (11. . . '�'lb6 !?) 12
ctJxcS �xcS+ 13 c,£;h1 as! (lining up the possibility of ....�a6) 14 �e1 g6!? (preventing, or at
least slowing down, f4-fS) 15 �e3 �xe3 16 �xe3 �a7! (a queen trade will favour Black,
who has the better structure) 17 �h3! 0-0
18 c4?! �a6 19 cxdS?! cxdS 20 ki.ac1 x:ifc8! (Black has a clear advantage now) 21 .�.xa6
�xa6 22 �e3? Mc2! 23 Mxc2 �xf1+ 24 �g1 �xf4 and Black went on to win.
White's troubles in that game really began when he started action on the queenside,
with 18 c4, which just played into Black's hands because she was stronger on that side of
the board. It would have been much wiser to focus entirely on the kingside, for example
with 18 �h6 intending Mf3-h3. However, even here Black's resources are considerable, and
the chances roughly equal. For example, 18... Mb8 19 Mab1 (after 19 .l'!f3 )1xb2 20 Mh3 Black
defends with 20.. .fS) 19 ... �a6! 20 �xa6 �xa6 21 Mf3 f6 22 exf6 11xf6 23 �h4 Ubf8.
Let's return to the game, and to the position after 11...0\cS:
343
12 �e3 g6
Question: What's going on? Why not exchange on d3?
Answer: Here the threat is stronger than its execution. The light-squared bishop can't run
away, and even if e2 were available that would clearly be an inferior square to d3. White
may trade her other bishop, and in fact this is what White chooses to do in the game, but
Cmilyte recognizes that this swap is equally beneficial to Black. All in all, there is no
requirement to take on d3 at the earliest moment. Furthermore, if Black does do this, it
might give White possibilities for a new plan. For example, after 12 ...CtJxd3 13 cxd3! 0-0 14
CtJa4! White can aim for a bind on the queenside dark squares, aided by �cl.
Returning to the game, Cmilyte chooses to wait on the exchange. White wasn't yet
threatening f4-f5, but Cmilyte decides to prevent it anyway for the foreseeable future.
13 'it>hl 0-0 14 �acl
Getting ready in case Black takes on d3, but it's not going to happen yet!
14 ... �b8 1 5 �xc5
White cracks first and exchanges. If 15 b3 Black could continue to delay ...CtJxd3 until the
time was right, with 15 ... �d8 and 15 ...�a5 possibilities for consideration.
15 ... �xc5 16 CtJa4! �e7 17 c4!
White's follow-up to 15 �xC5 is totally logical, but Black is fine anyway.
17 ... dxc4 ! ? 18 �xC4 C 5 !
Black's queenside pawns are split, but suddenly from nowhere the light-squared bishop
threatens to become a monster piece down the long diagonal. Throw in the potential for
counterplay down the d- and b-files, and I slightly prefer Black's position.
34 4
Othe r Lines
19 c'De3 iLb7 20 b3 l'tbd8 2 1 iLd3

Understandably White wants to exchange the li ght-squared bishops, but how the roles
have been reversed from move 10!
21..:�b6 2 2 �e 3 ?
22 �e4 wasn't possible, because o f 22... �a6. Instead 22 .uCdl! would have just about
kept things equal.
Exercise: White's last move allows a strong pawn sacrifice. Can you see it?
Answer: 2 2 ... e4!

Freeing the e7-bishop, forcing a queen exchange and getting a rook to the seventh rank
where it targets g2 - all for a measly pawn!
34 5
23 �xb6 axb6 24 �XC4

White could and probably should decline with 24 �e4, but 24 . . . �a6! still leaves Black in
control.
24 .. J:td 2 !
Now Black's rooks and bishops are too powerful for White to handle.
2 5 �e2
If 25 .l:tgl �C5 ; or 25 l2Je2 �a3 26 .l:tcdl .l:tfd8 27 .l:txd2 .l:txd2 and White is completely tied
up - .. . �c6 and . . . b5 is one idea.
2 5 ... �a 3 !
This wins the exchange.

26 .l:tb1 .l:tc2! 27 �f3 �a6! 2 8 l2Je4 �xf1 29 .l:txf1 .l:tfc8 30 �gl .l:txa2 3 1 .l:td1 .l:tC1
The simplest. When the exchange ahead, swapping off your opponent's remaining rook
is usually a good idea. The rest of the game is pretty straightforward for Cmilyte:
3 2 �f1 .l:txd 1+ 3 3 �xd 1 �c1 34 g3 h 5 3 5 h4 �e3 3 6 �e2 .l:tb2 3 7 �C4 �d4 3 8 �e1 �g7 39
�d1 .l:tg2 40 �e1 Itb2 41 �d1 �gl 42 �e1 �h2 43 �f1 b 5 44 �xb5 .l:txb3 4 5 �g2 .l:tb2+ 46
CL'lf2 �xg3 47 �xg3 J::!. x b 5 48 CL'le4 .l:tb3+ 49 �g2 �f8 50 CL'lf6 �e7 51 CL'le4 J::!. e 3 52 CL'lf6 J::!. a 3 53
CL'le4 J::!. a 4 54 �f3 J::!. a 1 5 5 �g2 J::!. e 1 5 6 l2Jf6 �d8 57 CL'l h 7 J::!. d 1 58 CL'lg5 J::!. d 7 59 �f3 �C7 0-1
Game 38
N.Mitkov-M. l l lescas Cordoba
S pa n i s h Lea g u e, Po nfe rra d a 1 9 9 7
1 e 4 c5 2 CL'lf3 CL'l c 6 3 d4 cxd4 4 CL'lxd4 e6 5 �e3

By playing 5 <�e3, White keeps his options open regarding the development of his
queen's knight and c-pawn. Depending on circumstances, he might choose a Maroczy Bind
set-up with c2-c4, develop with CL'ld2, or even just transpose to main lines with CL'lc3.
34 6
Other Lines
Before moving on, let's briefly look at two other tries for White where he delays 4Jc3:
a) Against 5 �e2 the most straightforward choice for Black is 5 .. .'Yi'O 6 0-0 ttJf6 when
White doesn't really have anything better than 7 CLlC3 a6 with a transposition to main lines.
Question: Why not 5 CLlf6 6 CLlC3 jLb4?

...
Answer: This is very tempting, and certainly isn't bad. However, it's possible that Black
could play this without realizing he has transposed to another Sicilian Variation, the Four
Knights: 1 e4 c5 2 CLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 CLlxd4 CLlf6 5 CLlC3 CLlc6, and now the tricky 6 _�e2!?
(instead of the more popular 6 CLldb5 or 6 CLlxc6). The idea is to meet 6 ... �b4 with 7 0-0 !
gambiting the e-pawn. Games have shown that White gets dangerous play after 7... �xc3 8
bXc3 CLlxe4 9 'Yi'd3 (or 9 �d3!?) because of his development lead and control on the dark
squares - �a3 is a key move in most lines.
34 7
b) White's idea with S g3 is to meet S...dS with 6 �g2! dxe4 7 l2Jxc6 'iVxdl+ 8 cJixdl bxc6
9 �xe4 �b7 and to claim an edge in view of Black's compromised queenside pawns. Black
has many good ways to meet S g3 - and S...dS isn't bad - but the most Taimanov-like
approach would be to carry on as normal: S...a6 6 �g2 'iVo 7 0-0 l2Jf6.
The big question here is does White have a stronger move than 8 l2JC3, transposing to
the Fianchetto Variation? I'm not convinced he has. The most obvious attempt is 8 c4, but
Black can secure a good position using similar methods to those we saw in Chapter Six:
8...l2Jxd4 9 'iVxd4 �cS 10 'iVd3 (10 ..Itf4 doesn't work this time) 1O...d6 11 l2JC3 0-0 12 ..Itf4
l2Jg4 13 l2Ja4 eS 14 ..Itd2 ..Itd4 1S h3 l2Jf6 16 l':tacl ..1te6 17 b3 'iVd7 18 cJih2 bS with good
counterplay, L.Gostisa-K.Kiik, Debrecen 199 2.
Now let's return to S ..Ite3:
5 l2Jf6!
...
By attacking the e-pawn, Black forces White to make an immediate decision over his
development plans (and exploits the fact that 6 eS is impossible due to 6 ...'iVas+).
Question: Can Black play the typical Taimanov move S 'iVC7 here?
...
Answer: Yes, it's certainly playable. In practice White has typically replied 6 l2Jc3, returning
to the main lines. S �e3 is much more popular at club level than grandmaster level, and
White might simply be focusing on developing, but in no particular order.
However, White could also answer S...'iVo with 6 c4!? setting up a Maroczy Bind. This is
of course okay for Black, but it's worth noting that the solution against S c4 (see Game 3S)
with 6 ...l2Jf6 7 l2Jc3 �b4 (7...a6! is better) looks much less attractive here in view of 8 l2JdbS!
- the extra moves �e3 and ...'iVC7 seem to help White more than Black.
6 l2Jc3 (see following diag ra m)
Another transposition! We are back in the Sicilian Four Knights, but this time with
White choosing the sideline 6 ..Ite3 (instead of 6 l2Jdbs, 6 l2Jxc6 or, as mentioned above, 6
348
Other L ines
ie2). Indeed, the game's actual move order was via the Four Knights rather than a
Taimanov with S iLe3.
Question: How should Black react if White protects

the e4-pawn with 6 .ltd3 or 6 lLid2, instead of 6 lLic3?
Answer: Black has a number of good options, including those involving Scheveningen set
ups, but probably the most logical plan is to strike in the centre with ...dS. For example, 6
�d3 dS! 7 exds lLixdS 8 ctJxc6 bxc6 gains time because White would be reluctant to give up
his e3-bishop. If 9 iLd4 Black can continue 9 .. :�gS! 10 0-0 iLd6! gaining more time in view
of ...�f4 and ...iLxh2+ threats, S.5voboda-L.Molnar, Budapest 1998.
Similarly, after 6 ctJd2 iLe7 (or 6 ...dS 7 iLbS iLd7) 7 iLd3 Black can strike with 7 ...dS!. lf
White develops with 8 0-0 Black can make further strides in the centre: 8 ..eS! 9 L2Jxc6 bxc6.
.
6 iLb4!
.
...
34 9
Th e Sicilia n Taim a nov: Move by Move
Black continues actively, attacking the e4-pawn again. This line of the Four Knights has
a good reputation for Black.
Question: Can Black transpose back to the 6 i..e3

Taimanov main lines, by playing 6 :'ikC7?
..
Answer: Not quite, because Black has committed to ...ct:Jf6 instead of ...a6. If Black chooses
6 .. :�C7 White isn't forced to play ball and respond with 7 �d3, 7 'iYd2 or 7 f3, transposing
to main lines. Instead he can try the very dangerous 7 f4! which leads to sharp play after
7 ... �b4 8 ct:JdbS! 'iYas 9 es. Similarly, 6 ...a6 can also be answered by 7 f4!? From a practical
viewpoint, 6 ...�b4 seems like a much wiser choice for Black.
7 �d3
7 f3 angles for an English Attack, but Black is well set up to meet this aggressively by
7 ... dS! when White is struggling to equalize! 8 �bS! is probably best, intending to keep
things blocked after 8 .. �d7 9 �xc6 .¥i.. xc6 (9 ...bxc6!?) 10 eS ct:Jd7 11 f4. I still slightly prefer
.
Black here; one option is 11...'iYh4+ 12 g3 'iYh3 to prevent kingside castling.

7 dS!
...
The logical follow-up to 6 ...�b4. The ...dS break is more attractive here than in mainline
Taimanov positions, because Black is quicker on the draw. No time has been spent on ...a6
and ... 'iYC7, moves which normally aren't vital for the preparation of ...dS (but of course are
vital for the Taimanov!). Now White must once again deal with the threat to his e-pawn:
8 ct:Jxc6
Against 8 exds Black has a choice of recaptures:
a) 8...ct:JxdS is logical because the knight attacks both c3 and e3: 9 ct:Jxc6 bxc6 and now:
a1) 10 �d2 0-0 11 0-0 ct:JxC3 12 bxc3 .¥i..d6 13 'iYhs fS, D.Frolov-V.Filippov, Smolensk 2000.
The chances look roughly level, with Black's better structure counterbalancing White's
edge in activity.
3 50
Oth e r Lin e s
a2) 1 0 a-a!? tLlxe3 (White gets good compensation after 10... CLlxC3 11 bxC3 ii..xC3 12 )lb1)
11 fxe3 .iLxc3 12 bXc3 0-0 13 "*,f3 with exactly the same assessment as the previous note.
b) It might just be stylistic preference, but I would probably choose 8... exds. I do enjoy
playing IQPs, and this one seems to be a nice version for Black, whose pieces are actively
developed. After 9 0-0 0-0 10 tLlce2 .ue8 11 c3 .iLd6 12 "*,C2 h6 (12 ...0'lg4!?) 13 h3 0Je4 14
.ufe1 "*,f6 15 .uad1 a6 16 a3 .iLd7 Black was fine in E.Grant-V.5alov, Groningen 1983 .
8 ... bxc6
9 eS
Question: Which way should Black recapture after 9 exds?
Answer: Let's look at all three options:

a) 9 ... tLlxds transposes to 8 exds tLlxd s 9 tLlxc6 bxc6, above.
b) 9 ... cxd s is the most natural recapture. We saw from similar positions in our previous
game that it's vitally important for White to blockade Black's centre, so 10 0-0 0-0 11 i< d4!
is best, e.g. 11....iLd6 1 2 f4! and chances look fairly equal.
c) We also realized that recapturing with the e-pawn was a good option for Black, and
it's just the same here. After 9 ... exds it's like a Scotch Four Knights where White has played
a less-than-optimal .iLe3. Black is fine here; for example, 10 �d4 0-0 11 0-0 .2.d6
3 51
Th e Sicilia n Ta im a nov: Move by Move
12 �f3? (12 h3 is better, and 12... .¥i.e6 13 t2Ja4 �e7 roughly level) 12 . . . t2Jg4! (the
beginning of a surprising and very effective attack) 13 h3 �h4! 14 .ufdl t2Jh2! 15 �e3 .¥i.f4
16 �el t2Jf3+! 17 gxf3 �xh3 18 .¥i.e3 (C. Peptan-A. Skripchenko, Moscow 2001) and here
Black could have won immediately with 18 . . . �h2+ 19 �f1 .ue8! '
9 ... 4:Jd 7 !
9 .. . d4!? i s another option, but I prefer Illescas' choice.
10 �g4!
If 10 f4 then 10 ... t2JC5! should be the first move that comes to mind by now! Mitkov's
choice, hitting both g7 and b4, provides a sterner challenge.
10 ... iLf8 !
Question: Can Black really get away with retreating the bishop
back to base? Isn't this using up two tempi?
352
Other Lines
Answer: Black wants to keep his bishop because it's such an important piece in helping to
control the dark squares. 10...iVas is another option, but after 11 O-O! Black still needs to do
something about the attack on g7.
Black can afford the time spent on ... �b4-f8 for the following reasons:
1. The centre has become blocked, so quality of development becomes more important
than quantity. Black might follow-up with ...g6 and ... �g7, adding further pressure to e5.
2. White has played e4-e5 very early on, even before castling, and this pawn requires
protection.
3. White has spent a move on �e3, but e3 is not an optimal square for the bishop now
that we've reached this structure - in fact Cl might be better! On e3 the bishop blocks the
e-file and runs into potential ...d4 tactics. Furthermore, Black can gain rapid counterplay by
attacking b2.
11 f4 .l:!.b8
Exercise: Black has a very strong response to 12 b3. Can you find it?
(Hint: the combination involves a discovered attack.)
Illescas immediately begins counterplay on the queenside. A solid alternative was

11...g6 12 0-0 �g7, and completing development before embarking on queenside action or
the .. .f6 break.
12 l2Jd1
Answer: 12 b3 runs into the tactic 12...d4! 13 �xd4 l2Jf6 !! 14 exf6 iVxd4 winning a piece.
White can avoid the piece loss with 14 iVdl! iVxd4 1 5 0:Je2 but Black has a large advantage,
e.g. 15 ...�b4+ 16 'It>f1 iVd8 17 exf6 iVxf6, S.Melia-T.Tsereteli, Batumi 2002.
I feel that White's best move here might be 12 .l:!.bl!. Although not ideal, it does
minimize White's inconveniences on the queenside. J.Kubala-R.Pokorna, Slovakian League
1997, continued 12 ...c5 (12...g6!? intending 13 �xa7 .l:!.b4!) 13 �f2 g6 14 0-0 �e7! (avoiding
353
14".�g7 15 tDb5!). If now 15 b3 0-0 16 l:l.bel Black can gain counterplay with 16,,:Y!lVa5, e.g.
17 tDe2 c4! 18 bxc4 dxc4 19 �xC4 l:l.b4 20 �b3 tDxe5!.
12 .. :�Va 5+! 13 �d2
If 13 c3 then 13 ".�a6! '
13 .. :�b6
Illescas continues to harass White. This second queen move prevents castling.
Exercise: White could offer a repetition of moves here with 14 .lte3,

but it fails to a combination. Can you see how Black wins a pawn?
14 � g3
Answer:14 �e3? �4+! 15 �d2 (or 15 c3 tDxe5!) 15 ".tDxe5! wins a pawn because the f4-
pawn in pinned, R.Gonell Aparici-J.Baron Isanta, Barcelona 1996.
14 ... lLlc 5 !
Here it is yet again! Black achieves the positional goal of swapping knight for light
squared bishop.
15 b3 tDxd 3+
Black could also consider delaying this capture, just as in O U T previous game. An
alternative is 15 ".h5!? intending ".h4, forcing the queen to either abandon the third rank or
her attack on g7.
16 cxd 3 �a6 17 l:l.Cl f5 ? !
This move doesn't feel right, even though i t works to perfection i n the game. Black has
various other options including Rybka 's first choice 17".�b4!?, which temporarily sacrifices
two pawns in return for an attack on White's king: 18 �xg7 l:l.f8 19 �xh7 and now Black
can choose between 19".�xd2+ 20 �xd2 �a5+ 21 �e2 �xa2+ 22 �f3 l:l.xb3 23 tDf2 l:l.b2
and 19".�d4!? 20 �h3 �xd2+ 21 �xd2 l:l.g8 with promising play.
354
Othe r Lines
18 �c2?
The bluff works! Perhaps Mitkov was afraid of giving Black a big centre with 18 exf6 !
gxf6. However, after 19 lLlf2! followed by 0-0 White is going to get considerable play by
attacking e6 and c6, so I'm a bit baffled by both players' decisions here.
18 .. .';t;>f7 !
Now Black's king has found a safe place, g7 is protected and White has no attacking
ideas at all. Black enjoys a clear advantage, and it is increased next move when the queens
come off.
19 �e3 ? �xe3 + 20 lLlxe3 c5 2 1 �e2 �e7 22 �hcl �hc8 2 3 g3 h6!
Planning ...g5. With Black able to play on both sides of the board, White's chances of
holding a position with so many disadvantages are slim, and so it proves.
24 �el g5 2 5 lLlg2 ? c4!
35 5
Blasting the position open for the bishop pair, after which the end comes quickly. White
had to keep his knight on e3 to prevent this.
26 dxc4 dXc4 2 7 bXc4 � a 3 2 8 I:!.d l I:!.xc4 29 I:!.xc4 �xC4+ 30 �f2 �C5+! 3 1 tDe3 I:!.b2+ 32 .ud2
.ubi! 0-1
Game 39
A. Kornev-J .Gel ier
Moscow 2007
1 e4 c 5 2 tDf3 e6
Question: Do most Sicilian Taimanov players choose 2 e6 or 2 . tDc6?

... . .
Answer: The decision on whether to play 2...e6 or 2...tDc6 all depends on which Anti
Sicilians you are willing to face or trying to avoid. If you play 2 ..tDc6 you must be ready to
.
meet the popular and quite challenging Rossolimo Variation, 3 �b5. If you play 2 e6 . . .
White has a greater choice of Anti-Sicilians, because all of 3 d3 (the King's Indian Attack), 3
c4, 3 b3 and 3 g3 are thought to be more appealing against 2...e6 than against 2 .tDc6 ..
(especially 3 d3 ). White can also revert back to the c3 Sicilian (with 3 (3 ) against 2 ..tDc6 or
.
2. e6, and in both cases Black has committed himself to some extent.
..
Looking at the statistics, it appears that 2 ..e6 Taimanov players outnumber their
.
2 tDc6 comrades by about three to one. This seems to suggest that Taimanov players like
. . .
to avoid facing the Rossolimo if at all possible.

3 d4 cxd4 4 tDxd4 tDc6 5 tDC3 "ilC7 6 tDd b 5 ! ?
We're ending this book where we started it, on the subject of why Black needn't fear
this attack on the queen - see also the introduction to Chapter One.
35 6
Other Lines
6 'Yi'b8! 7 �e3 !
...
As noted in Chapter One, White's attempt to get the knight to d6 is refuted: 7 g 3 a6 8

.ltf4 es wins a piece.
7 a4 tries to justify 6 ttJdbS by planning ttJa3 in response to ... a6. After 7 ... ttJf6 8 .JiLd3 a6
(8...�cs is a good alternative) 9 ttJa3, the most logical move to me is 9 ...ds preventing the
knight from re-entering the game via c4. Black looks fine here, e.g. 10 0-o JiLe7 11 )lei 0-0,
R.Moor-M.Klebel, German League 1999.
7 a6
...
Exercise: White doesn't retreat his knight next move!

Try to work out what Kornev plays instead.
If Black is unwilling to enter the complications and material imbalance which follows,
he could delay ...a6. Instead 7...ttJf6 8 f4! d6 (8...a6 9 es!) leads to a Scheveningen-type
position. An entertaining miniature between two 2700+ grandmasters went 9 'Yi'f3 a6 10
ttJd4 es!? (10...�e7 is more typical) 11 ttJfs g6 12 ttJg3 exf4 13 'Yi'xf4 ttJg4!? (13 ... .ltg7) 14
ttJds �h6! 15 ttJf6+! cJle7 (or ls...cJlf8 16 'Yi'xh6+! ttJxh6 17 �xh6+ with compensation!) 16
ttJds+ cJle8 17 ttJf6+ cJle7 18 ttJds+ cJle8 19 ttJf6+ V2-V2, D.Jakovenko- E.Alekseev, Jermuk 2009.
Answer: 8 �b6!
This is the only way to justify White's previous play. He sacrifices a piece to set up some
dangerous threats.
After 8 ttJd4 ttJf6 9 �e2 (or 9 'Yi'd2) Black could transpose back to normal lines by
returning the queen to c7, but it's easy to believe that he could exploit the gain in time by
doing something more energetic.
8 axbs 9 ttJxbS
...
357
White threatens 10 .§LC7, trapping the queen, and also 10 tt'lC7+ rJJe7 11 .§LCS+.
Exercise: Black finds a way to cover the C7-square a second time.

How does he do this? (Hint: think of "indirect protection".)
9 .§L b4+!
...
The alternative is 9..JbS, but 10 tt'lC7+ rJJe7 11 'Yi'd3! is a dangerous line for Black.
10 c3 .§L a s !
Covering C7! Black is willing t o give u p his queen, but h e will get three minor pieces in
return.
11 tt'lC7+ 'Yi'XC7 !
This is much better than 11...rJJf8? 12 tt'lxa8 'Yi'xa8.
3 58
Other Line s
Exercise: White can actually win a piece in this position. How does he do it?
Answer: 13 'iVd6+! tLlge7 14 'iVa3!! pins the bishop against the queen, and White then wins
it with b2-b4. Black has fallen for this trick in quite a few games.
12 iJ.. x C7 iJ.. x c7
The smoked has cleared and we've reached a position where Black has two knights and
a bishop for queen and pawn. So roughly equal in value, but I suspect that most strong
players would prefer to take Black in this position. In many situations three minor pieces
can overpower a queen through sheer weight in numbers.
Exercise: Find a good move for White.
Answer: 13 'iVg4!
White must take this opportunity, before Black has the chance to play ... tLlf6. 13 'iVg4!
forces a concession from Black, however he deals with the threat to the g-pawn.
13 'ii;>f8 ! ?
...
This move might not look very appetizing, but in the game Geller convincingly
demonstrates that the king actually feels quite comfortable on f8. And see how the h8-rook
later plays a starring role!
Both 13 ...g6 and 13 ...�e5 are good alternatives. In the latter case White gains a bit of
time with 14 f4 tLlf6 15 'iVf3 �C7 but Black hasn't weakened himself and can still castle.
14 iJ.. d 3
14 f4 d5 15 e 5 Ma4! 16 'iVf3 tLlge7 17 iJ..d 3 g5! ? 18 'iVdl!? Mxf4 19 g3 Mf5 20 .ltxf5 C1Jxf5
resulted in a crazy material distribution: two bishops and two knights (and soon a pawn)
versus queen and rook!
359
Who knows what's going on here, but the rest of the game is well worth playing
through to witness four minor pieces defeat two major ones: 21 'iVe2 hS 22 0-0-0 CLlxes 23
Mhfl 'it>g7 24 b3 f6 2S 'it>b2 ii.d7 26 a4 ii.c6 27 Md2 h4 28 g4 CLld6 29 Md4 CLle4 30 Mal �as
31 b4 .\1Lb6 3 2 bS �xd4 3 3 cxd4 CLlC4+ 34 'it>b3 ii.d7 3S 'it>b4 Mc8 36 Mcl b6 37 Mc2 eS 38
dxes fxes 3 9 h3 ii.e6 40 MCl CLlg3 41 'iVg2 e4 42 'iVa2 e3 43 'iVal+ 'it>g6 44 'iVd4 CLle4 4S Mel
CLlcd6 and White resigned, M.Kauppinen-O.strengell, correspondence 2008 - an amazing
game!
14 CLlf6 1 5 'iVe2 h 5 ! ?
...
Question: What is Black's idea with this move? Why not l S ... dS?
Answer: Despite the material imbalance, Geller is still playing in typical Taimanov style -
with ... hS! Black takes some space on the kingside, gives his h8-rook some room, and allows
3 60
Other Lines
...ttJg4 if needed. By avoiding ... dS, Black limits the scope of White's only remaining minor
piece. Having said that, lS ... dS is a natural move, and looks fully playable too. For example,
16 0-0 g6! (preparing ... '.t>g7) 17 b4! (a typical plan for White is to utilize his queenside
pawn majority) 17...�g7 18 a4 .l:l,d8 19 .l:l,fb1 (19 as!?) (I.Kurnosov-E.Vorobiov, Togliatti 2001)
and now Rybka likes 19 ... ttJes! intending 20 �c2 dxe4 21 �xe4 ttJeg4! 22 h3 0_lxf2! 23 Jtxf2 ?
.l:l,d2!.
16 0-0 gS !
I really like this move. Black prevents f2-f4, gets a grip on the kingside dark squares (es
becomes an attractive outpost) and further restricts the d3-bishop. He will develop his final
minor piece with . . . b6 and ... �b7, and follow up with ... 0Jes, after which his pieces will be
very well coordinated.
17 a4!
White gets going with his queenside pawn majority.
17 ... b6 18 b4! � b7 19 f3 ttJes 20 � b S
20 . . . h 4
Black might also consider 2 0...We7 first, especially considering the possibility White has
next move.
2 1 �e3 ?
Now Black's activity on the kingside accelerates exponentially. Rybka suggests the cold
blooded 21 h3!. Humans would be reluctant to play a move which leaves holes everywhere,
but White does succeed in blocking things up, and he can follow up with l/iVe3 and action
on the queenside.
2 1 ... h 3 ! 2 2 g3 g4! 2 3 �g S?
White needed to play 23 fxg4. Black's attack is in full swing after, say, 23.. .'1Jexg4 24
I/iVd4 �es 2S �xb6 �xe4 26 �xd7 iLxg3! but there's still a lot going on.
3 61
Exercise: Find a very strong move for Black.
Answer: 2 3 ... .l:!.h 5 ! !

If the queen takes the knight she gets trapped, but otherwise Black takes on f3 with
check and White's position collapses.
24 iYxf6
White won't last long after 24 iYe3 tDxf3+ 25 �hl tDxe4.
24 .. iLd8 2 5 fxg4
.
If 25 iYf4 then 25 ".iLg5! 26 iYxes iLe3+!, or 26 iYxgs .l:!.xgs 27 f4 tDf3+! 28 .l:!.xf3 .l:!.xb5.
2 5 ... iLxf6 26 gx h 5 iLg 5
At the moment White actually has a rook and two pawns for bishop and knight, but he
3 62
Othe r Li n e s
is still totally lost. Pawns are dropping off, Black's bishops are rampant, and there's an
immediate threat of . . . �e3+
2 7 Wf2 tDg4+ 28 We2 �xe4 29 �d3 �g2 30 Ir.fb1 tDxh2 3 1 a s bxa s 3 2 bxa s tDg4 3 3 a6 h2
0-1
Key Notes
1. With S c4 (Game 3S) White is aiming to get a Maroczy vs. Hedgehog position.
However, Black can dash White's hopes by playing S . . . tDf6! 6 tDC3 �b4! , which virtually
forces 7 tDxc6 bxc6 and a favourable change in pawn structure for Black, who can follow
up with . . . eS .
2. An early tDxc6 (Games 36-37) isn't very threatening, but it's a relatively popular
choice among White players who wish to avoid mainline opening theory.
3. Remember the idea of . . . tDd7-CS, aiming to swap off the d3-bishop which is usually
White's best minor piece. This idea occurs repeatedly in lines where White plays ttJxc6 and
Black plays . . . dS .
4. In tDxc6 lines combined with tDc3, Black needs to be a bit careful with the timing of
. . . dS . One possibility for White which should be remembered is ... dS, exds!?, ... cxdS , tDbS!,
which can prove to be awkward. Black can often meet exds with the counterintuitive
... exds! , leading to Scotch-type positions which are fine for Black (see Game 37 and 38).
S . S �e3 can be met by S . . . tDf6! 6 tDc3 �b4! , reaching a good line of the Sicilian Four
Knights (see Game 38).
6. S tDC3 'ViIo 6 tDdbS!? 'ViIb8! (Game 39) is simply bad for White, unless he follows up
with the piece sacrifice 7 �e3! a6 8 �b6! ' Even here, Black has good chances in the
resulting positions with three pieces for the queen.
We've reached the end of the book, so it only remains for me to wish you good luck in
your Sicilian Taimanov adventures!
36 3
I n d e x of Va r i a t i o n s
Note: Fig u res refer to page n u m bers of releva nt ga mes or sections.
Wh ite Pl ays ite2
1 e4 c5 2 0lf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 liJxd4 liJc6 5 liJC3 'ii C 7 6 iLe2

6 .�e3 a6 7 iLe2 - main line
6 ... a6 7 0-0
7 .�.e3 0Jf6
8 a3!? - 102
8 0-0 - main line
7 ... liJf6 8 �e3
8 �h1 - 76
8 .�.g5 89 -
8 a3 - 93
8 liJxc6 - 93
8 ... iLb4 9 liJa4
9 f3 - 13
9 .�J3 - 13
9 .�d3 - 13
9 liJxc6 - 21, 36
9 ... iLe7
9...0-0 - 27
9 ... b5 27
-
9 ....�_d6 - 27
10 t;!Jxc6
10 c4 C!jxe4 - 27
10 ... bxc6 11 CLjb6
11 .'i1I,d3 - 36
1 1 .. Jlb8 12 C!jxc8 'iix c8 1 3 iLd4
13 e5 - 44
1 3 ... c5 - 56
3 64
Index of Variati ons
13 .':tJxe4 - 66
..
13 .'tWO - 66..
W h ite Pl ays � e 3 a n d � d 3
1 e 4 c S 2 lLlf3 e 6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 '�-'lc6 5 lLlC3 '�C7 6 .ii_ e 3 a6 7 ,,� d 3 b S

7. lLlf6 8 0-0 bS 9 lLlxc6 iVxc6 - 138, 147
. .
8 C!.:Jxc6
8 0-0 ��b7
9 �hl - 114
9 iVe2 - 121
8 ... iVxc6 9 0-0
9 eS - 147
9 ... ,� b7 10 a 3
10 'it>hl - 147
10 'uel - 147
10 ... lLlf6 11 iVe2
l l 'uel - 129
11 iVf3 - 129
11 ... �e7 - 138
11 hS - 129
...
The E n g l i s h Attack
1 e4 c S 2 lLlf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 lLlxd4 lLlc6 5 lLlc3 WiC7 6 w e 3 a6 7 iVd 2 C!jf6

7. .bS - 154
.
8 0-0-0
8 f3 - 207
8 ... �e7
8...� b4 - 154
9 ... 0-0
9 bS - 157
. . .
9 hS
. . .
10 iVf2 - 189
10 'It>bl - 189
10 lLlxc6 - 198
10 g4 bS 11 gs
11 h4 - 182
l1...lLlh S
11 ..C!je8 - 157
.
1 2 lLlce2
365
12 ctJxc6 - 165
12 'it>bl - 174
12 ... l1d8
12... ctJxd4 - 157
13 ctJg3 - 165
13 'it>bl - 174
Wh ite Pl ays 6 f4
1 e4 c S 2 ctJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJc6 5 ctJc3 WiJc7 6 f4 a 6 7 ctJxc6

7 iLe2 - 217
7 iLe3 - 228
7 ctJf3 - 243
7 ... WiJxc6 8 iLd3 bS 9 WiJe2 iLb7
10 0-0 - 236
10 iLd2 - 243
The Fianchetto Va riation
1 e4 c S 2 ctJf3 e6 3 d 4 cxd4 4 ctJxd4 ctJc6 5 ctJc3 WiJC7 6 g3 a 6 7 iLg2 ctJf6

7...b5 - 253
8 0-0
8 iLe3 - 272
8 ctJb3 - 272
8 ... ctJxd4
8...iLe7 - 253
8...iLc5 - 253
9 WiJxd4 iLcs 10 iLf4
10 WiJd3 - 272
10 ... d6 11 WiJd 2
11 WiJd3 - 253
11 ... h6 12 l1ad 1 e S 13 iLe3 iLe6 14 iLxcS dxcS
15 f4 - 264
15 WiJd6 - 264
15 ctJd5 - 272
36 6
I n de x of Varia tion s
W h ite Pl ays 5 ct:JbS
1 e4 c 5 2 GLJf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 GLJxd4 GLJc6 5 GLJb5 d 6 6 c4

6 �f4 e5 7 �e3 (7 �g5 - 283) 7 . . .GLJf6 8 �g5 iLe6
9 GLJ1C3 - 283
9 iLxf6 - 291
9 GLJd2 - 291
6 ... GLJf6 7 GLJ1c3 a6 8 GLJa 3
8 GLJd4 - 298
8 ... b6
8 ... iLe7 - 298, 312
8 ...d5 - 298
9 iLe2 �b7 10 0-0 �e7 11 iLe3 GLJe5
11 ... 0-0 - 298
1L.GLJb8 - 298
1 2 f3 - 298
12 f4 - 312
Ot h e r Lines
1 e4 c 5 2 GLJf3 e6
2 ... e6 or 2 ... GLJc6 - 356
3 d4 cxd4 4 GLJxd4 GLJc6 5 GLJc3
5 c4 - 3 23
5 GLJxc6 - 33 2
5 iLe3 - 346
5 � e 2 - 346
5 g3 - 346
5 .. :�C7
6 GLJxc6 - 340
6 GLJdb5 - 356
367
Index of Games
Adams.M-Anand.V, Wij k aan lee 2001 . ... .. ........ . .. .

. .. ............. . .... ..
. .... .. ......................................... 272
Adams.M-Stefansson.H, Istanbul Olympiad 2000 ............................ . .......................... .. ............ 243
Alexandridis.V-Miladinovic.l, Kavala 2001 ................................................ . ..................................... 93
Areshchenko.A-Brandenburg.D, German League 2011 ............................................................... 66
BorisekJ-Cvek.R, Turin Olympiad 2006 ............................................................ . ............................ 207
Cabrera TrujilloJ-Macieja.B, Spanish League 2010 . . .. .. ... . ...... .. .......................... . ....................... 147
Coenen.N-Haba.P, European Club Cup, Ohrid 2009 ..... ............... ................ . ................................ 56
Czerniak.M-BolbochanJ, Mar del Plata 1941 ............................................ ... ............................... 323
Erenburg.S-Gofshtein.L, Israeli League 2004 ................................ . . .. ........................................... 291
Ermenkov.E-Nikolov.S, Mizia 2002 .................................................. ............... . ............................... 236
Fressinet.L-Rublevsky.S, Aeroflot Open, Moscow 2003 ....... ... .................................................. 138
Grodzensky.S-SoberanoJ, Correspondence 2003 .. . ... ...... . ........ . ................................................... 44
Guerra MendezJ-lturrizaga Bonelli.E, Collado Villalba 2010 .... ... .... . .
.. .. .. .................. ... .
... ...... 198
Hou Vifan-Dzhumaev.M, Kuala Lumpur 2010 ...... ................................... . ................................... 332
Hracek.Z-PolgarJ, Istanbul Olympiad 2000 ............................................ . .................................... 129
Isupov.V-Maletin.P, Siberian Team Championship, Berdsk 2009 .......................................... 312
Kazantsev.R-Terekhov.A, Correspondence 2009 ............... . ..
... ..... .. .......................... ... ............... 165
Kornev.A-GellerJ, Moscow 2007 .......................................... ............ . . ..
... ... .................................... 356
Kosanovic.G-Banikas.H, Korinthos 1999 ... . ............. . .... . . .
.. ... ........... . ..................... ........................ 217
Kostin.A-GellerJ, Voronezh 2007 .................................................... . ..
. ......... . ................................. 253
Medvegy.Z-Vescovi.G, Rio de Janeiro 1998 .......................................................... ..
. ..................... 283
Mitkov.N-lilescas Cordoba.M, Spanish League, Ponferrada 1997 ................... . .. .. . .
. . . . ............ 346
Mosquera.M-Leitao.R, Pan American Team Championship, Mendes 2009 ........................ 182
Mrdja.M-Kogan.A, Cannes 1998 .................................................... . ................................................ 114
Munguntuul.B-Cmilyte.V, Russian Women's Team Championship, Sochi 2007 ............... 340
Nijboer.F-Giri.A, Dieren 2009 ........................................................................................................... 189
OlivierJ-Jakovenko.D, French Cup, Challons 2009 ....................... . ............................................ 298
Pacher.M-Brunello.S, Livigno 2011 ................................................................................................. 157
Panagiotopoulos.O-Miiadinovic.l, Kavala 1998 ...................... . ........................................... . .......... 13
Polivanov.A-GelierJ, Moscow 2008 ..... ................. . .......... . .... .... .... ................................................. 102
Shirov.A-Anand.V, Wij k aan lee 1999 ............... .................... ...... ..... .. . .
... . ... ..................................... 36
Shirov.A-Kasimdzhanov.R, Wij k aan lee 1999 ........................................................... .
................... 27
Shomoev.A-GelierJ, Russian Championship, Irkutsk 2010 ...................................................... 174
Stuerzenbaum.A-Taimanov.M, World Senior Championship, Bad lwischenahn 2003 ... 121
Szelag.M-Beshukov.S, Koszalin 1999 ................................................................................................ 76
Tiviakov.S-Van der Sterren.P, Netherlands Championship, Rotterdam 2000 ...... .............. 264
Tolnai.T-Eingorn.V, Vienna 1995 ..................................................................................................... 228
Vilar Lopez.M-Pogorelov.R, Castellar 1995 ..................................................................................... 21
Vukovic.Z-Poluljahov.A, Cetinj e 1996 .............................................................................................. 89
368
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... � -I"'" .. - - - . - .. - - - . ... - .. . .... - - -

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-- - ... , .. - - - -. -. -� --.. - . - ..- , .. .. - -
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The Sicilian Taimanov
move by move
T h i s n e w s e r i e s p rov i d e s a n i d e a l p l atfo r m to study c h e s s o p e n i n g s . By
co n t i n u a l ly c h a l l e n g i n g t h e rea d e r to a n s w e r p ro b i n g q u esti o n s t h ro u g hout
the book, the m ove by m ove fo r m a t g reatly e n c o u ra g e s t h e l e a r n i n g
a n d p ra c t i s i n g of vita l s k i l l s j u st a s m u c h a s t h e t ra d i t i o n a l as s i m i l a t i o n
of o p e n i n g k n o w l e d g e . Ca refu l ly s e l ected q u est i o n s a n d a n swers a re
d e s i g n e d to keep y o u a c t i v e ly i n v o l ved a n d a l l o w y o u to m o n ito r y o u r
p ro g re ss a s y o u l e a r n . T h i s i s a n exce l l e n t w a y t o s t u d y a ny c h e s s o p e n i n g
a n d at t h e s a m e t i m e i m p rove yo u r g e n e ra l c h e s s s k i l l s a n d k n o w l e d g e .
I n t h i s b o o k , J o h n E m m s exa m i n e s h i s fa vou rite S i c i l i a n v a r i a t i o n , w h i c h

i s o n e of B l a c k 's m o s t re l i a b l e a n swers t o 1 e 4 . H e s h a res h i s k n o w l e d g e
fro m over 1 5 yea rs stu dy i n g a n d p l ay i n g t h e S i c i l i a n Ta i m a nov a t
g ra n d m a ste r l e ve l , exa m i n e s t h e o p e n i n g f ro m b o t h s i d e s of t h e boa rd
a n d offe rs a n s wers to t h e a l l t h e key q u est i o n s .
• E s s e nt i a l g u i d a nce a n d t ra i n i n g i n t h e S i c i l i a n
• U t i l i ze s a n i d e a l a p p ro a c h t o o p e n i n g s t u dy
• I n c l u d e s a S i c i l i a n Ta i m a n o v re p e rto i re fo r B l a c k
J o h n E m m s i s a G ra n d m a ste r a n d h a s capta i ned t h e E n g l i s h Tea m a t two

Ch ess O l y m p i a d s . H e's an ex p e r i e n ced coach w h o has w o r ked w i t h m a ny
top p l ayers, i n c l u d i n g Wo r l d C h a m p i o n s h i p fi n a l ist M i c h a e l Ad a m s . H e's a l so
a h i g h ly res p ected c h e s s w riter, with m a ny o u tsta n d i ng works to his n a m e .

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John Emms

The Sicilian Taimanov

Copyright © 2012 John Emms

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

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

ISBN: 978 1 8S744 682 1

Everyman Chess Series

Typeset and edited by First Rank Publishing, Brighton.

1 White Pl ays iLe 2 : Main Lines 9

Index of Variations 364

Electronic sources, DVDs and databases

What is the Sicilian Taimanov?

Why play the Sicilian Taimanov?

What this book covers

The Move by Move Se ries

Now let's begin our Sicili an Tai m an ov j ourn ey !

White Plays �e2:

The First Few Move s

Question: Okay, but why does Black play :ifio so early?

Question: Wait just a second! 5 "i¥C7 preventing ct:Jdb5 ?

I t looks like i t encourages it!

Th e key point i s th at Bl ack m an ages t o keep control o f th e d6-square a n d is ready t o

Question: H ow about preventing itJbs with s ...a6?

Question: Can Black g et away with avoiding th is m ove?

White defends ag ai n st the th reat to h i s e4-pawn .

Question: This m ove hardly looks worrying.

Question: H ow about if White defends the e4-pawn with his bishop?

Question: What about 1 1 �xes, doubling Black's pawns?

Exercise: Black could respond to 9 �d3 also with 9 ctJes ,

but can you see another option for h im ?

(if 12 f4 th en 1 2 ...CLJC4 13 �xC4 'iWxc4 foll owed by . . . bS or . . . d S ) 12 . . . dS (1 2 . . . d6 foll owed by

Exercise: Black h as two ways to recapture on dS. Wh ich one is best?

Answer: 10 ... exds!

Exercise: Returning to the position after 13 l:tfel, can you find

Answer: Bl ack can sacrifice the exch an g e with 1 3 . .l:txe3

retreating with 1 3 �f2 or 1 3 �g l, i n stead of 1 3 .l::tfe 1.

Exercise: Find a way for Black to increase his

Answer: 16. . . ct:J h S !

Exercise: Find Black's knockout punch after 1 9 ..tf2 .

After 19 h x g 3 Bl ack wins simply by 1 9 . . .'iVh 6+ and ... �xd2.

1 e4 e5 2 ct:Jf3 ct:Je6 3 d4 exd4 4 ct:Jxd4 Wile7

Question: Does playing 4. . Wilc7 make any difference?

for the pawn.

Question: Does Black normally recapture this way?

Exercise: Find a g ood move for Black after 10 .td3.

Two altern atives for Wh ite:

Question: Doesn't this just hang th e e-pawn?

After only 1 1 m oves Bl ack h as m an ag e d to gain 2-0 pawn m ajority in th e centre. If

Exercise: Should Black capture on h2 with check?

1 3 h 3 ? e 5 ! shows very clearly th at White can n ot afford t o play passively. H e h a s failed t o

Finally White finds the right plan .

20 ... �a7 21 c4! dXc4 22 �XC4 �c6 23 'iYas? !

Exercise: Find White's best move.

Question: What's the point of this move?

Question: What happens if Black takes on e4 here?

Answer: Th at i s a g ood pl ace to start . On e of th e m erits of 9 ctJa4 i s th at it rem oves th e

with a simple doubl e attack.

Exercise: Find a good response for Bl ack to 10 f3, protecting th e e4-pawn.

Question: Why does Bl ack retreat his bishop?

Question: In the line 9 ... 0- 0 1 0 c4, how about retreating to d6

and can't Black then grab on e4?

1O .. :i'xc6 11 4Jb6l:tb8 1 2 e s ! ) 11 �c s ! with an edge for White.

Question: Does Black have to take the pawn ?

Answer: From an objective viewpoint I feel th at th i s i s definitely a case where acceptin g th e