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published in 2015 by Gloucester Publishers Limited, Northburgh

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Copyright © 2015
Junior Tay

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Everyman Chess Series
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About the Author
Junior Tay is a FIDE Candidate Master and an ICCF Senior International
Master. He is a former National Rapid Chess Champion and represented
Singapore in the 1995 Asian Team Championship. A frequent opening surveys
contributor to New in Chess Yearbook, he lives in Balestier, Singapore with
his wife, WFM Yip Fong Ling, and their dog, Scottie.

Also by the Author

The Benko Gambit: Move by Move
Contents
Series Foreword
Acknowledgments
Bibliography

Foreword (by GM Mikhail Golubev)

Introduction

1 Global Domination
2 A ‘Rook Awakening’ ...
3 Pragmatism and Precision in the Regicide Quest
4 Aggressive Defence
5 Mutanis Mutandis
6 Chucky the Closer
7 Planet Ivanchuk Immigration Visa Questions

Index of Games
Series Foreword
The Move by Move format is designed to be interactive, and is based on
questions asked by both teachers and students. It aims - as much as possible -
to replicate chess lessons. All the way through, readers will be challenged to
answer searching questions and to complete exercises, to test their skills in
key aspects of the game. It’s our firm belief that practising your skills like this
is an excellent way to study chess. Many thanks go to all those who have been
kind enough to offer inspiration, advice and assistance in the creation of
Move by Move. We’re really excited by this series and hope that readers will
share our enthusiasm.

John Emms
Everyman Chess
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the following for making this book possible:
GM John Emms and IM Byron Jacobs for their patient and encouraging
insights into how to write and edit better and, unquestionably, for giving me
the privilege of being allowed to prattle about my favourite chessplayer on
paper and in e-format in a respectable chess publication.

CC-SIM Jonathan Tait, for being such an obsessive perfectionist in

editing this book, especially with his attention to the minutest details.
GM Mikhail Golubev, for sharing his insights on the Ukrainian junior
chess scene in the early 1980s, taking the trouble to dig up his stash of
Ivanchuk material for my benefit and for his earnest yet meaningful foreword
for this book.
FM Peter Boel, New in Chess editor, for sticking his neck out in letting
my monographs appear in NIC Yearbooks, and for swiftly sending me
material on Ivanchuk the moment I told him of my plan to write this book for
Everyman Chess.
The Australian master, Anatoly Sirota (the former Ukrainian
correspondence chess champion), a contemporary and once-opponent of
Ivanchuk in their junior chess years, who painstakingly translated and
summarized twenty-two pages of Shakhovi novely: Vasylia Ivanchuka,
enabling us to learn about his chess beginnings; and for giving me his own
relevant take on Ivanchuk’s early chess development. Moreover, Anatoly
steadfastly refused to accept any remuneration for the translation work, stating
that he does not take money from his friends.
IM Kevin Goh Wei Ming, IM Erik Kislik and CM Olimpiu Urcan, for the
frequent Facebook and WhatsApp discussions on book writing approaches,
and for keeping me up to date with chess gossip that I’ve been missing while
plugging away at this book.
My chess students, Lester Teh and Wong Tian Ren, who had to ‘endure’
Ivanchuk games for their lessons and whose queries during the sessions form
the basis of some of the Questions and Answers in the games.
Finally, and most importantly, my wife WFM Yip Fong Ling, for her
unyielding support in my ‘chess-ventures’ throughout the years.
Bibliography
Books
Accelerated Dragons, John Donaldson & Jeremy Silman (Cadogan 1998)
Attacking Chess: The King’s Indian, Volume 2, David Vigorito (Everyman
2011)
Beating Unusual Chess Defences: 1 e4, Andrew Greet (Everyman 2011)
Beat the KID!, Jan Markos (Quality Chess 2008)
Chess Developments: The Pirc, James Vigus (Everyman 2012)
Chess Developments: The Sicilian Najdorf 6 Bg5, Kevin Goh Wei Ming
(Everyman 2014)
Dangerous Weapons: The King’s Indian, Richard Palliser, Glenn Flear &
Yelena Dembo (Everyman 2009)
Easy Guide to the Nge2 King’s Indian, Gyözö Forintos & Ervin Haag
(Everyman 2000)
Grandmaster Repertoire 13: The Open Spanish, Victor Mikhalevski (Quality
Chess 2013)
Ivanchuk: 222 partidas, Colección Campeones de Ajedrez no.6 (Ediciones
Eseuve 1990)
New Ideas in the Alekhine Defence, Graham Burgess (Batsford 1996)
Playing 1 d4: The Indian Defences, Lars Schandorff (Quality Chess 2012)
Play the Slav, James Vigus (Everyman 2008)
Shakhovi novely: Vasylia Ivanchuka, Volodymyr Vdovenko & Myron Kozak
(Lutsk Nadstyrya 2006)
Starting Out: 1 d4, John Cox (Everyman 2006)
Starting Out: King’s Indian Attack, John Emms (Everyman 2005)
Starting Out: The Accelerated Dragon, Andrew Greet (Everyman 2008)
Starting Out: The Caro-Kann, Joe Gallagher (Everyman 2002)
Starting Out: The King’s Indian, Joe Gallagher (Everyman 2002)
The Black Lion, Jerry Van Rekom & Leo Jansen (New in Chess 2008)
The Diamond Dutch, Viktor Moskalenko (New in Chess 2013)
The Dynamic English, Tony Kosten (Gambit Publications 1999)
The Flexible French, Viktor Moskalenko (New in Chess 2008)
The Nimzo-Indian Defence, Svetozar Gligoric (Cadogan 1993)
The Open Spanish, Mikhail Krasenkow (Cadogan 1995)
The Petroff, Lasha Janjgava (Gambit Publications 2001)
The Petroff: An Expert Repertoire for Black, Konstantin Sakaev (Chess Stars
2011)
The Philidor Files, Christian Bauer (Everyman 2007)
The Pirc in Black and White, James Vigus (Everyman 2007)
The Sicilian Accelerated Dragon, Peter Heine Nielsen & Carsten Hansen
(Batsford 1998)
The Tarrasch Defence: Move by Move, Sam Collins (Everyman 2013)
Winning Endgame Technique, Alexander Beliavsky & Adrian Mikhalchishin
(Batsford 1995)
Win with the Stonewall Dutch, Sverre Johnsen & Ivar Bern (Gambit
Publications 2009)

Chess Engines
Houdini 4
Stockfish

Databases
ChessBase Magazine
ChessBase MegaBase 2014
ChessBase Online Database
Chess Informant
Chess Today
ICCF Database
MegaCorr 4

Websites
Chess in Translation
Chess Life Online
Chess-news.ru
ChessBase
Chesspublishing.com
Grandcoach.com - website of Vladimir Grabinsky
Knowledge4IT: Web Query for Nalimov Endgame Tablebases
Live Chess Ratings 2700chess.com
The Week in Chess
Foreword
by GM Mikhail Golubev

Vasyl (which is his real first name) Ivanchuk is an outstanding grandmaster

and is often called a genius. If we talk about the highest level of creative
achievements in chess, no one can be placed higher than him. A player of the
universal style, he uses virtually every opening and has introduced an
unimaginable number of new ideas and concepts, back in the times when
novelties were prepared in a human brain, rather than with the computer
engines. Ivanchuk loves chess, particularly his chess, perhaps even a bit too
much. Otherwise, he would have been more effective in making use of the
computer (he was probably behind most other top grandmasters in this
respect) and help from other players. He never had a massive team of
assistants and always liked to find and use ideas of his own, rather than “buy”
them. Sometimes Ivanchuk gets slightly too creative and his opening
experiments are not always successful - maybe this is the only (relatively)
vulnerable area of his chess.

Ivanchuk was rated world number two in 1991 and 1992, and once
headed, for a short time in 2007, the unofficial live rating. In 2008, he won
the official world blitz championship; but at the standard FIDE time control,
he never achieved more than reaching the final of the FIDE Knockout World
Championships in 2002, which he surprisingly lost to Ruslan Ponomariov. I
was there in Moscow and afterwards reported for the British Chess
Magazine on the match between my two compatriots. After beating (and
thereby de-crowning) Vishy Anand in the semi-finals, Vasyl may have
underestimated his final opponent, perhaps not realizing that Ponomariov was
a player of comparable level. The truth is that, at that period, Ruslan was a
highly dangerous opponent for anyone. Maybe it’s just that Ivanchuk has not
had enough luck in the FIDE circles. What Artur Yusupov showed at the end
of their 1991 match was absolutely extraordinary and an exception to the
norm. That feat probably cannot be repeated.
During the later stages of his career, for some strange reasons Ivanchuk
has seldom been included in Ilyumzhinov’s FIDE tournament world
championships and vital qualifying events. He has never complained publicly,
preferring as usual to concentrate on chess. In the past, I wrote on these
situations many times in the main Ukrainian sports paper ... But what to do if
one does not wish to fight with FIDE, and just prefers to play any tournaments
available?
We do not meet often but Ivanchuk is one of the few people to whom I
really enjoy speaking about chess. We would ponder over questions such as
whether Kasparov really calculates variations faster than Kramnik. And about
openings, of course! Chess means more to Ivanchuk than any other person I
know. Many of us were chess fanatics at age 13 or so and became
grandmasters, though some eventually stopped competing actively. But he is
still the same.
For this book Junior Tay has put in what must have been a massive effort, I
imagine. I am sure that readers will learn a lot from visiting the world of
Ivanchuk’s deeply analysed chess games - and they will also, like both of us,
appreciate and applaud the genius of one of chess’ most enigmatic characters,
the one and only Vasyl Ivanchuk!
Introduction
Why Ivanchuk?
Chess lore is filled with many world champions and other colourful
personalities worthy of their feats published in game collections. Having
started playing chess in the late ’80s, I eagerly followed the major chess
publications and, apart from the drama surrounding the Kasparov-Karpov
matches, the emergence of a few young stars such as Shirov, Ivanchuk,
Gelfand and Kramnik caught my eye.

Ivanchuk, in particular, with his uncanny ability to play any opening

extremely well and handle the middlegame and endgame powerfully, made a
very strong impression on me. When I took a sabbatical from my school
teaching job two years ago, I was already planning to write a book on
Ivanchuk but was beaten to the gun by CC-GM Kalinichenko who had
published Vassily Ivanchuk: 100 Selected Games (New in Chess 2013).
Doing research for this book, I was to find out that Kalinichenko had already
written an Ivanchuk book in Russian (Killing the Champions: Vassily
Ivanchuk’s Best Games; Astrel 2009) way before that. His 100 Selected
Games was also preceded by a Russian version (Vassily Ivanchuk: 100 Wins
of a Chess Genius; Russian Chess House 2012). Thus I decided to focus
instead on writing about my favourite opening, the Benko Gambit instead -
hence authoring The Benko Gambit: Move by Move.
When I looked up Kalinichenko’s work in an ebook website
(www.eplusbooks.com) and saw the index of games in an advertisement, I
realized that many other instructive Ivanchuk games were not shown in 100
Selected Games. My dream book ambition was back on! I am very thankful
for Everyman Chess for assenting to my request to write this book.
Aside from Ivanchuk-Hector, Malmö 2003 (Game 27), which I
inadvertently worked on without realizing it was in Kalinichenko’s work, the
rest of the games from the main chapters (1-7) are not be found in his book. In
the puzzle section (Chapter Seven), six of the games (#1 Bareev-Ivanchuk,
Novgorod 1994; #3 Lputian-Ivanchuk, Montecatini Terme 2000; #4 Topalov-
Ivanchuk, Linares 1999; #6 Ivanchuk-Karjakin, Nice rapid 2008; #7
Ivanchuk-Aronian, Morelia/Linares 2007; #26 Ivanchuk-Bu Xiangzhi,
Nanjing 2008) had already been published, but if you read my annotations or
the solutions to the puzzles, you will find that I have not used any of
Kalinichenko’s analysis or his work as reference. Indeed, I have on purpose,
not read Kalinichenko’s book yet as I would like to give my own perspective
on Ivanchuk’s games. I have, however, added notes by different analysts -
from ChessBase Magazine, Chess Informant (including Ivanchuk’s own
analysis), Chesspublishing.com, Everyman Chess, and other publications -
when I find that they add much value to the reader.
Now, returning to the initial question, as to why I think Ivanchuk is a good
role model, whose games provide practical lessons to learn from (after all,
this is what the Move by Move series is about), here are my reasons:

All-round player
Our hero is an all-round chess player, strong in all aspects of the game -
equally at home in opening theory, positional manoeuvring, strategic play,
taking the opponents’ psyche into consideration, and landing tactical punches;
he has powerful endgame technique and possesses a relentless will to win.
Although he has fallen short at the very highest level due, it is generally
assumed, to his nerves or mood swings, that really has nothing to do with an
instructional book on dissecting the type of powerful chess he plays. Indeed,
Ivanchuk has been widely regarded as a genius. His own honest assessment of
the “genius” tag was that sometimes it motivates him to work harder at chess,
and yet it can make him complacent and lose objectivity, especially when he
suffers defeats, preventing him from being able to recover and adjust quickly.
Ivanchuk himself admitted that nervous tension can get to him, especially “in
the time between games, the waiting, the butterflies in the stomach,
expectations and nerves” (Chess in Translation website).

Logic, clarity and quality of play

Ivanchuk’s play is highly logical and has a distinct clarity in the ideas he
formulates and realizes, especially if one puts in the effort to study them
earnestly. My personal opinion is that the masterpieces that Ivanchuk
produces are of the highest quality (humanly) possible. Do not just take my
word for it. This is what his contemporary, GM Boris Gelfand (the 2013
World Cup Champion) thinks of him - when Gelfand was queried on the
composition of the world’s elite players, he commented: “Who plays better,
Ivanchuk in good form or Carlsen? It seems to me, it’s Ivanchuk in good
form.” Garry Kasparov considers Ivanchuk a “first class chess player”, in a
“caste” ahead of Gelfand, Topalov and even Aronian. The rationale
Kasparov proffered was that Ivanchuk has overtaken the world’s best (such
as Kasparov and Karpov) in major elite tournaments.

Practical strength
Ivanchuk might have missed the mark on the biggest chess trophy possible - at
the FIDE World Championships in 2002, he faltered at the last, losing in the
final to his compatriot GM Ruslan Ponomariov. However, in the elite events
such as Linares, Wijk aan Zee, Tal Memorial, M-Tel Masters, he had finished
convincingly ahead of the world’s best. In particular, he has won Linares
three times (1989, 1991 and 1995) and tied for first in the 2009 edition
(second to Grischuk on tie-break) and in the Amber tournament 2010
(overall) with Magnus Carlsen. He won the 2004 European Championship
title too, as well as the World Team Championships twice (with Ukraine) and
the Olympiad four times (twice with Soviet Union and twice with Ukraine)
and was World Blitz Champion in 2007.
His own perspective on not (yet) becoming World Champion can be seen
from an interview (at chess-news.ru) conducted after he had beaten Magnus
Carlsen in the 2013 Candidates event. In response to a query about his
chances for the World Championship, he said that he had already won the
World Blitz title before and ... “if I won’t win [the World Champion title],
well, there are a lot of brilliant chess players who were not the world
champions, but that didn’t make their games less interesting.”
In terms of Elo rating, he almost made it to the pinnacle, coming in at
No.2 in the ranking list for July 1991, July 1992 and October 2007. (He was
briefly the unofficial No.1 too - on the ‘live’ rating list from 10-12 September
2008 - 2700chess.com). Moreover, Ivanchuk is one of the few elite GMs who
takes part in swiss opens, risking his Elo rating at events such as the
Canadian Open and the Gibraltar Open. GM Motylev, in a New in Chess
magazine (#3/2014) interview noted: “Stars don’t take the metro - They don’t
play in open tournaments. Only Vassily Ivanchuk regularly comes down to the
people.” I always eagerly follow his exploits at these events where he
dismantles the 2500-2600+ GMs with remarkable ease. His ridiculously
spectacular TPR of 3059 at the 2014 Latvian Railway Rapid event (where his
unbeaten 13/14 score was three points ahead of a field with thirteen other
GMs rated above 2600) is another example of his sheer class.
Dedication to chess
I think Kramnik sums it up best (at grandcoach.com): that Ivanchuk’s intense
fanatic dedication to tournaments and his strong play serve as inspiration and
motivation to him. (Kramnik made this comment when Ivanchuk was 40 years
old.). I have enjoyed and learnt immensely from his games for close to 30
years, and I hope readers will be equally spell-bound by the examples I am
about to put forth in the following pages.

How did he get so good at chess?

Various factors helped to match his natural prodigious memory and incredible
knack for dedicated chess study with a highly conducive chess environment to
ensure his chess development. The information in this section is mainly
researched from the final chapter of the Ukrainian book, Shakhovi novely:
Vasylia Ivanchuka (2006) as well as Ivanchuk interviews from the Chess in
Translation website.

a) Strong family support

Ivanchuk attributed much of the credit for his chess success to his parents. His
mother, Maria Vasilievna, a teacher, and his father Michael Vasilievich, a
lawyer, managed to discover and cultivate his unique chess talent. Since
Ivanchuk’s early childhood, they sought to uncover whether their only child
possessed any special aptitude and, as it turned out, chess was his calling.
One evening, when Ivanchuk was six, his parents had returned from work and
while his mother was preparing dinner, his father tried to keep him busy by
pulling out a chess board and setting up the little wooden pieces. It was then
that he learnt the basic chess rules immediately. Ivanchuk had gotten a
magnetic set for his birthday and he liked the pieces and cajoled his father to
show him more about the game.
As his father had heavy work commitments, he asked his mother to give
him some chess lessons. She took him to the local library and he read his first
chess book, Journey to the Chess Kingdom by Averbakh and Beilin.
(Coincidentally, that was Gelfand’s first chess book too, which he received
when he was four.) They started to read that book together, and although
Ivanchuk’s mother did not understand chess notation, this did not deter her. As
she had a chess-playing student at her college, in exchange for playing chess
with Vasil for a year, Maria gave the student physics lessons.
Every evening, young Vasil planted himself in front of the chessboard and
moved the chess pieces around. He would not budge when asked to do chores
by his mother and complained that she was distracting him from chess.
However, they had realized by then that their son had a special talent for
chess, and so he was not punished.

b) Dedicated chess coaches

Ivanchuk’s father changed jobs frequently and the family had to move from
one city to another. At the age of 10, when they lived at Ternopil Vasya, Vasil
visited the local chess club together with his father. He played three friendly
games with the local regional champion, Bondarchuk, and won all of them.
Bondarchuk was very impressed with the young boy and encouraged him to
play in adult tournaments as well as recommending a professional chess
coach.
The closest city was over 70 miles from their home but they made their
way there to see Candidate Master Gennady Vasilenko, Vasilenko was
reluctant to take on a student who lived so far away and proposed that the
local master IM Oleg Kalinin play a game with Vasil first while he took a
smoke outside. Upon his return, Kalinin told him that the boy was definitely
something special. After that the coach decided to spar with Vasil himself and
Ivanchuk fought him to a draw. For the next two years, Vasil stayed with
Vasilenko and studied chess together with strong local masters such as
Kaplyn, Shepelev and Kalinin. The late Kaplyn was a strong influence in
Ivanchuk’s early chess development as he recommended relevant chess books
to read and also advised Ivanchuk to study psychology which would be useful
for future chess events.
Ivanchuk became a Candidate Master at 12 and an International Master at
19, when he finished at secondary school. His family had moved to Beregany,
a small village. There, top Ukrainian chess coaches, such as Baturin, Levin,
Nekrasov and Bandza, helped prepare him for tournaments.

c) State recognition
In 1988, Ivanchuk had become a Grandmaster and served in the Soviet Army.
When the USSR collapsed, Ukraine became an independent state and, in
1991, Vasil settled down in Lvov. As a reward for winning Linares, he
received a flat from the Governor, Vyacheslav Chernovol, who announced,
“Ivanchuk is an intellectual treasure of our country and we must be very
proud of him.” In his new five-room apartment, he studied chess with his new
coaches, Sulipa, Buturin and Gritzak. The then president of the Ukrainian
chess federation, Leonid Bodackin said that Ivanchuk had contributed more
for his country more than all the diplomats put together. In recent years, the
support from the state is more organizational in nature than financial.

d) A phenomenal memory and calculation ability

Ivanchuk, like most top GMs, has the ability to recall chess games at will.
Once, GM Igor Zaitsev (the coach of former World Champion Anatoly
Karpov) needed a text of the first game between Karpov and Kasparov in
their first match. Zaitsev did not have a database at hand and asked Vasil to
help him. As it turned out, the boy knew that game by heart as well as the
other 48 games of that match.
GM Oleg Romanishin, who had on occasion spent time training with
Ivanchuk remarked that “Ivanchuk relies on his exceptional memory and
calculation, with very deep variations, sometimes even fifteen moves ahead!”
(www.grandcoach.com)

e) Chess erudition
Ivanchuk used to study chess up to 14 hours a day. When a day went by
without being able to touch the chess pieces, he reckoned that day had been
wasted. The most important key to his success was his ability to concentrate
fully on his chess study. Interestingly, the great Victor Korchnoi had also
showed him how to approach chess, in particular imparting in him not to lose
faith in his abilities under any situation.
Ivanchuk spends a lot of time preparing for tourneys. The incredibly deep
and wide opening repertoire and novelties that we have been accustomed to
see him unleash are the result of constant dedicated chess study. In 1986,
during a visit to Paris with the Soviet Junior Squad, Ivanchuk decided to
remain in his hotel during the three-day stay in the French capital. Despite the
insistence of his coach, GM Suetin, who argued that Chess Informant would
be available anytime, whereas he might not get to see Paris in the near future,
Ivanchuk chose to remain indoors to study theoretical innovations instead of
visiting the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower.

f) A disciplined routine
During an interview with Elena Sadovnik for Sport-Express, Ivanchuk noted
that he almost always follows two rules. Rule one is to stop any work on
chess by 10pm in the evening, as if he continues working, he can have
problems sleeping. “The brain simply doesn’t switch off. And even if I
manage to fall asleep, then my brain keeps working - meaning I wake up in
the middle of the night ... No good can come of that,” Ivanchuk remarked. His
second rule is to stop any chess activity half an hour before a game,
regardless of whether preparation is complete. The discipline instilled in his
personal training regime has obviously helped him become a most fearsome
competitor on the professional chess circuit.
Physical fitness is important too. His coaches always understood the
importance of physical exercise as part of chess training and Ivanchuk used to
go mountain climbing, play soccer and ride on his bike to keep in shape.

g) Ivanchuk’s wide and tricky opening theory

One of the tough things about facing Ivanchuk is the difficulty in preparing for
him, since he plays every opening under the sun. Worse still, he is capable of
unleashing shocking novelties to catch his opponents off guard in their own
pet lines.
I feel an apt analogy to describe Ivanchuk’s opening theory is that it’s like
having a very effective tennis serve. Not the fastest booming serve but one
with unpredictable yet exceptional placement, swerving away enough to
score an ace or unsettle the opponent into making mistakes.
Here are my favourite examples of Ivanchuk’s opening novelties:

Example 1
V.Ivanchuk-P.Leko
Mukachevo (rapid; 5th matchgame) 2009
English Opening

In a relatively sedate Symmetrical English, Ivanchuk throws in a “spanner” to

ruffle Leko into conceding a slight advantage, after which Ivanchuk’s
technique is sufficient to grind him down.
1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e6 5 g3 Bb4+ 6 Bd2 Bc5 7 Nb3
Be7 8 Bg2 Nc6 9 Nc3 0-0 10 Rc1 b6
 Previously 11 Nd4 was played here to take advantage of the pin on c6, as
in S.Palatnik-P.Stefanov, Hradec Kralove 1981, which continued 11 ... Bb7
12 0-0 Rc8 13 Nxc6 Bxc6 14 e4 d6 with a Maróczy Bind/Hedgehog position.
Instead, Ivanchuk came up with ...
11 Nd5!?
Although it doesn’t lead to much with proper play from Black, the
manifold possibilities and the pressure of facing such a sharp move might
have caused Leko to drift into an inferior position.
11 ... exd5 12 cxd5 Bb7 13 dxc6 dxc6 14 0-0 Qc8 15 Nd4 c5 16 Bxb7
Qxb7 17 Nf5 Rfe8 18 Bc3 Qe4 19 Qc2 Qe6 20 b3 Bf8 21 Bxf6 Qxf6 22
Ne3 Rad8 23 Rfd1 Qe6 24 Qc4 Qe5 25 Qa6 Qb8 26 Nd5
 White has a slight but nagging plus, thanks to the excellently-placed
knight.

Example 2
V.Ivanchuk-T.Radjabov
Calvia Olympiad 2004
Sicilian Defence

Breaking the rules of opening theory, Ivanchuk’s knight went on an expedition

(moving three times in nine moves) which seemed redundant and excessive.
After Radjabov’s spirited yet inadequate reply, Ivanchuk’s riposte 10 c4!
made perfect sense of the ‘crazy’ knight manoeuvre.
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e5 5 Nb5 d6 6 N1c3 a6 7 Na3 b5 8
Nd5 Nce7
 MegaBase 2014 lists 515 games played before this one, with moves such
as 9 c4, 9 Be3, 9 Bg5 and 9 Nxe7, but no one seems to have considered
Ivanchuk’s arcane idea before.
9 Nb4!?
Moving the knight three times in the opening and onto such a weird
square? Well, it’s enough to ruffle Radjabov into making a suboptimal move.
9 ... Bd7?!
After 9 ... Bb7 10 Nxb5! the knight cannot be recaptured because Bxb5+
wins.
Radjabov decides to sacrifice the d6-pawn for activity; i.e. 10 Qxd6?!
Ng6 11 Qd2 Nf6, when White’s awkward cluster of queen and knights gives
Black excellent compensation. Instead, Ivanchuk made his concept work
marvellously with:
10 c4!
The knights loitering on the left are well placed to decimate Black’s
queenside pawns.
10 ... a5?! 11 Nbc2 Nf6 12 Nxb5 Bxb5 13 cxb5 Nxe4 14 Be3
 White already has the better game with a nice queenside majority and the
bishop pair.

Example 3
A.Delchev-V.Ivanchuk
European Championship, Istanbul 2003
Sicilian Defence

Ivanchuk refused to be bound by the Maróczy set-up (pawns on e4 and c4

against a Sicilian structure) and uncorked the spectacular 11 ... d5!, allowing
the pawn can be captured in three ways.
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 Bb5+ Bd7 4 Bxd7+ Qxd7 5 c4 Nf6 6 Nc3 g6 7 0-0
Bg7 8 d4 cxd4 9 Nxd4 0-0 10 f3 Rc8 11 b3
 Previously only 11 ... Nc6 had been played here, completing
development. Instead, with the d5-square guarded thrice, Ivanchuk unleashed
...
11 ... d5!
The pawn can be captured in three ways but none of them is good for
White: 12 cxd5?? loses the c3-knight, while after 12 exd5 Nxd5 13 Nxd5 e6
or 12 Nxd5 e6 13 Nb4 Nxe4, Black regains the pawn with at least equality.

Example 4
V.Ivanchuk-A.Shirov
Wijk aan Zee 1996
Semi-Slav Defence

To finish with, a barnstormer of a queen sacrifice TN, unleashed in the ultra-

complex Semi-Slav Botvinnik System.
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nf3 e6 5 Bg5 dxc4 6 e4 b5 7 e5 h6 8 Bh4
g5 9 Nxg5 hxg5 10 Bxg5 Nbd7 11 exf6 Bb7 12 g3 c5 13 d5 Qb6 14 Bg2 0-
0-0 15 0-0 b4 16 Na4 Qb5 17 a3 exd5 18 axb4 cxb4 19 Be3 Nc5 20 Qg4+
Rd7
 The most famous of Ivanchuk’s theoretical novelties comes on the next
move.
21 Qg7!?
The queen sacrifices itself for two pieces and a superb initiative.
21 ... Bxg7 22 fxg7 Rg8 23 Nxc5 d4?
Shirov falters and the cluster of white pieces begins to take the black
queenside apart.
Today, the line has been defused and the current World Champion,
Magnus Carlsen, demonstrated the way out: 23 ... Rxg7 24 Bd4 Rc7! 25 Nxb7
Rg6 26 Ra5 Qxb7 27 Bxd5 Qb8 28 Be5 Qb6 29 Bxc7 Qxc7 30 Rfa1 a6 31
Rxa6 Rxa6 32 Rxa6 c3 33 bxc3 bxc3 34 Be4 and the position is equal, since
White has an unbreakable fortress - after he gives up his bishop for the c-
pawn, the black king has no access points to help the queen attack the white
kingside with the rook holding firm on f4, E.Bacrot-Ma.Carlsen, Dortmund
2009.
24 Bxb7+ Rxb7 25 Nxb7 Qb6 26 Bxd4 Qxd4 27 Rfd1 Qxb2 28 Nd6+
Kb8 29 Rdb1 Qxg7 30 Rxb4+ Kc7 31 Ra6 Rb8 32 Rxa7+ Kxd6 33 Rxb8
Qg4 34 Rd8+ Kc6 35 Ra1 1-0

You can find other quirky and subtle Ivanchuk opening nuances later in the
book. For the benefit of those who want to learn about his opening
discoveries first, let me point out the more relevant ones. They are: Ivanchuk-
Xu Jun (Game 3), Ivanchuk-Ye Jiangchuan (Game 7), Ivanchuk-Vachier
Lagrave (Game 24), Anand-Ivanchuk (Game 19), Ivanchuk-Anand (Game
22), Ivanchuk-Karjakin (Question 6), and Kramnik-Ivanchuk (Question 15).

Ivanchuk’s meteoric rise to the chess elite

In 1984, Ivanchuk had tied for second in the Champigny Open (France). The
same year, he took part in his second Ukrainian Junior Championship (he
played in the 1983 edition too). GM Mikhail Golubev recalled that Stanislav
Savchenko took clear first position while himself, Ivanchuk and Brodsky (all
four are GMs now) were half a point behind.
1985 was a watershed year for Ivanchuk as he tied for second in the
Ukrainian Championship as well as the Soviet Junior Championship. He also
took first place in a World Junior Championships qualification tournament in
Klaipedia (April 1985) with an impressive 11/13 score. In 1986, he won the
European Junior Championships. The Soviet First League Championship title
followed in 1987.
1988 saw another quantum leap in terms of results. Ivanchuk tied for first
in the World Junior Championships in 1988 (second to Lautier on tie-break)
and claimed victories in the New York Open and at Debrecen (Barcza
Memorial), as well as the gold medal at the Thessaloniki Olympiad with the
Soviet team.
Finally, at the age of twenty, Ivanchuk made his mark as a member of the
chess elite by winning the prestigious Linares event with 7½/10, half a point
ahead of Karpov. Subsequently, he won Linares twice more, the most famous
occasion being the 1991 edition where he beat Kasparov in their individual
game.

World Championship cycle

By winning the 1990 Manila Interzonal (equal first with Gelfand), Ivanchuk
qualified for the knockout matches of the 1991/92 World Championship
Cycle. Ivanchuk reached the quarter-finals after crushing GM Leonid Yudasin
4½-½. However, GM Artur Yusupov fought him to a 4-4 draw, and pipped
Ivanchuk to the semi-final slot after beating him 1½-½ in the rapid tie-break.
Ivanchuk’s next chance came in 2001 when he reached the final of the
FIDE World Knockout Championship after defeating Anand 2½-1½.
Unfortunately, his compatriot Ruslan Ponomariov displayed remarkable
tenacity in his play and bested him 4½-2½ and claimed the FIDE World
Champion title.
Ivanchuk finished equal third in the 2011 FIDE World Cup (tied with
Ponomariov) and thus qualified to play a match with him again for a spot in
the Candidates. This time he got his revenge with a 2½-1½ victory. In the
2013 Candidates, five defeats put paid to his own hopes, but he was to play
‘king-maker’ when he beat former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik in the
final round, allowing Magnus Carlsen to edge Kramnik on tie-break. And as
we all know, Carlsen went on to defeat Anand in their 2013 World
Championship match in Chennai to become the World Champion.
Chapter One
Global Domination
One outstanding feature of Ivanchuk’s play is his ability to constantly increase
his positional advantage with sound strategic manoeuvres or sharp tactical
threats, and gradually expand his spatial territory from one sector of the board
to the other (for example, from the queenside to the kingside). When he
practically controls the whole board, Ivanchuk will typically switch his
attention towards his opponent’s king and go for the kill, especially when
their pieces are unable to reach the monarch in time, or the sheer congestion
in their ranks do not allow it.

Karpov, Petrosian, and the current World Champion Magnus Carlsen also
come to mind with regards to the mastery of this ‘Boa Constrictor’ type of
chess. Karpov and Petrosian, in my opinion, adopt far less risk than Ivanchuk
and Carlsen when applying this sort of global, multi-faceted strategy. The
latter two are not averse to using risky tactical measures to ‘persuade’ their
opponents into ceding territory, and are thus able to build up their spatial plus
more quickly. This style of play requires intense concentration, a very acute
sense of danger and, of course, extremely strong positional sense.
In the following games, Ivanchuk does not necessary realize his ‘grand
strategy’ all the time, as his opponents are not push-overs. Moreover, lapses
and inaccuracies do occur in the course of an intense strategic fight.
However, his prowess in building up a slight spatial edge to insurmountable
proportions cannot be denied, as you will see in the next ten games.

Game 1
V.Ivanchuk-V.Moskalenko
Lvov 1988
French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nd2 Nf6 4 e5 Nfd7 5 c3 c5 6 Bd3 b6

This is known as the Botvinnik Variation of the Tarrasch French, as the
late World Champion had used it at the GM level against Averbakh, Kan,
Ragozin and Tolush. Spanish GM Manuel Apicella has used this line
frequently and successfully against 2400/2500 level opposition. The general
idea is for Black to trade off his ‘bad’ light-squared bishop for White’s well-
placed one. After that, Black might choose to open the c-file or to close it
with ... c5-c4.
7 f4

This position is akin to a mirror-image King’s Indian where the kingside

and queenside pawn structure have swapped places. White has the spearhead
pawn on e5 (rather than d5) and, ideally, should play for the f4-f5 break
(instead of c4-c5), while Black’s activity is on the queenside instead of the
kingside.
Another option is 7 Ne2 (7 Nh3 leads to the same sort of position, as the
knight usually travels to f4 anyway) 7 ... Ba6 8 Bxa6 Nxa6 9 0-0 Nc7 10 Nf4
c4 (10 ... Be7 is inferior, being met by 11 Qg4!) 11 b3 b5 12 a4 a6 13 bxc4
bxc4 14 Qg4 g6 15 h4 Nb6 16 h5 and White has a strong initiative due to his
better-placed pieces, B.Itkis-M.Marin, Rumanian Team Championship 2012.
7 ... Ba6 8 Bb1!?
Ivanchuk keeps his king bishop to support the f4-f5 break or assist in a
possible kingside attack. He intends to ‘play around’ the strong bishop on a6
and complete castling after Ne2, or perhaps play Kf2 to connect his back
rank.
Alternatively, 8 Bxa6 Nxa6 9 Ngf3 Nc7 10 0-0 c4 11 g4 h5 12 h3 hxg4 13
hxg4 b5 14 Kg2 Qe7 15 Rh1 Rxh1 16 Qxh1 0-0-0 left White with a durable
space advantage, A.Timofeev-P.Kiriakov, European Championship qualifier
(online blitz) 2003.
8 ... Nc6
A more recent game went 8 ... cxd4 9 cxd4 g6?! 10 Ndf3 Nc6 11 Ne2 Be7
12 Kf2 b5 13 Be3 Qb6 14 Nc3 Na5 15 b3 Rc8 16 Ne2 b4 17 h4 h5 18 Bc2
Nc6 19 Rc1 Kd8 20 Neg1 Kc7 21 Nh3 Kb7 22 Nhg5 Nd8 and White is better
placed here with good prospects of improving his position on the queenside,
whereas Black remains cramped, no thanks to his passive kingside pawn
structure, B.Sambuev-J.Hebert, Montreal 2010.
9 Ndf3

Saving the other knight for the e2-square, thus allowing him to castle
kingside.
9 ... cxd4
Black has also adopted a standard kingside blockading structure with 9 ...
g6 10 Ne2 h5, hindering f4-f5 and g2-g4 pawn storms, but this set-up is quite
passive. Following 11 Ng5 Ne7 12 Ng1 Nf5 13 N1f3 Be7 14 Kf2 Nb8 15 b3
Nc6 16 Bb2 Rc8 17 a3 Qd7 18 Re1 cxd4 19 cxd4 Na5 20 Bxf5 gxf5 21 Re3
Qb5 22 Rc1 Rxc1 23 Bxc1 Nc6 24 a4, White has a space advantage,
M.Vachier Lagrave-V.Akobian, Moscow 2006.
10 cxd4 Rc8
 Moskalenko pointed out the possibility of 10 ... Bb4+ 11 Kf2! f6! with
counterplay. I agree that this is Black’s best course of action, though I think
White can still retain the advantage after 12 Nh3 and then:

a) 12 ... Qc7 13 a3 Be7 14 exf6 gxf6 15 Re1 and White is better, due to
the central pressure he exerts on e6.
b) 12 ... Qc8! (overprotecting e6 in advance) 13 a3 Be7 14 exf6 Nxf6 15
Nhg5 0-0 (after 15 ... Ng4+ 16 Kg3 Nf6 17 Re1 0-0 18 Qc2 Na5 19 Nxh7
Qxc2 20 Nxf6+ Rxf6 21 Bxc2 Bd6 22 Kf2 Rc8 23 Bd1, White retains the
superior pawn structure) 16 Re1 Nd8 17 Ne5 h6 18 Ngf3 Bd6 19 b4 Qc7 and
with his space advantage, White is still for choice.
11 Ne2
Preparing castling.
11 ... f5
Black can trade off his French bishop with 11 ... Bxe2 12 Kxe2, but after
12 ... b5 (12 ... f5 13 Ng5 Ke7 14 Kf2 g6 15 Be3 Ndb8 16 h4 gives White an
easy game too) 13 Kf2 a6 14 Rf1 f5 15 exf6 (White also has 15 Ng5 Qe7 16
a4 with better chances due to his space advantage and opportunities to open
up the game on both wings) 15 ... Qxf6 16 Kg1 Bd6 17 a4 0-0 18 axb5 axb5
19 g3, White enjoys a permanent grip thanks to the weakness on e6. The
bishops operate well from the back rank, especially the light-squared one.
12 0-0
 A.Graf-V.Priehoda, Leipzig 2002, saw 12 Ng5 Bb4+ 13 Kf2 Nf8 14 Be3
h6 15 Nf3 and here Black can consider the plan of 15 ... Be7 16 a3 g5!?. This
is a risky move no doubt, but at least Black is jostling for space rather than
waiting for White to slowly take over the kingside terrain.
12 ... Be7 13 Rf2!

Averting the gaze of the a6-bishop. This utility move also enables White
to shift the rook, either to g2 (in the event of a g2-g4 break) or c2 (if White
intends to contest the c-file).
13 ... 0-0
In the event of 13 ... h6, White should counter with 14 h3! (Black should
not be allowed to expand on the kingside with impunity; e.g. 14 Be3 g5 15
Nc3 Nf8 16 a3 g4 17 Qa4 Bb7 18 Nd2 Qd7 19 Bd3 Ng6 with even play) 14
... g5 15 g4! h5 16 Bd2 (another option is 16 gxf5 g4 17 fxe6 gxf3 18 Bg6+
Kf8 19 Nc3 Nxd4 20 exd7 Qxd7 21 f5 with a strong attack, but not 20 Qxd4
Bc5!) 16 ... hxg4 17 hxg4 Bxe2 18 Qxe2 Nf8 19 Rg2 fxg4 20 Rxg4 gxf4 21
Bd3 and White has the better game due to his strong bishop pair and easier
mobility for his pieces.
14 h3!
White prepares to expand on the kingside with g2-g4, an advance well
supported by those two bishops seemingly sleeping on b1 and c1.
14 ... Bh4!
 Moskalenko described this move as being “slightly desperate”. Having
tried to work out the alternatives, I believe his decision to trade the bishop
for the knight was correct. For example, after 14 ... h6 15 g4! g6 16 Rg2 Kh8,
White has the initiative. Instead, Moskalenko gave 14 ... Qc7 15 Be3 Na5 16
b3 Nc6 17 a3 as unclear, but I don’t see how Black can improve his position,
whereas White still can slowly build up on the c-file or play for g2-g4 again.
15 Nxh4 Qxh4

Exercise: What should White’s plan be in such
a position? What should be his focus of attack?

Answer: At this point, it’s too early to tell. The nature of the central pawn
structure (White’s pawn wedge with its spearhead on e5) dictates that White
should be aiming for a kingside attack. This is very logical as he can push the
black queen away from h4 and start a general kingside advance. On the other
hand, he can’t use the a1-rook for the attack because the b1-bishop is jammed
in the way, while exchanging the bishop on d3 would reduce his chances of a
successful attack and give up control of the key c2-square.
Ivanchuk now begins a massive regrouping and, bit by bit, improves the
position of his pieces and pawns.
16 Be3
 First of all, he clears the back rank and supports the d4-pawn. This
allows the white king to step away from g1, if required, since the bishop
defends the rook as well.
16 ... Na5
Black starts to ‘tickle’ the queenside to induce weaknesses, by threatening
to plonk the knight on c4.
17 b3
“No entry,” says Ivanchuk.
17 ... Nb8
Now the other knight threatens to go to b4.
18 Bc2!

A very strong regrouping idea. The bishop is not doing much on b1 and
Ivanchuk redirects it to a more useful diagonal.

Question: Why is c2 a more useful square?

Answer: The point is to guard the b3-pawn, in case White is forced to
play a2-a3 to prevent a knight invasion.
18 ... Nbc6 19 Qd2!
Clearing d1 for the bishop.
19 ... Rc7 20 Bd1
 This is a fine example of masterful prophylaxis. Before improving his
own position, Ivanchuk first prevents Moskalenko from doing the same.
20 ... Rfc8 21 a3
Ivanchuk has secured his queenside without allowing Moskalenko any
entry points for the rooks and knights.
21 ... Ne7
Black has to wait and see, since there is no way in on the queenside and
he has no way to induce any weaknesses.

Exercise: How should White meet 21 ... b5 with the idea of ... Qe7 and ...
b5-b4 - ?

Answer: Latch onto the hole offered up; i.e. 22 Nc1! Qe7 23 Nd3 and the
knight gets to plug the c-file with Nc5.
Note: Be careful of making an advance that gives up squares or outposts,
as pawns can never retreat.
22 Rf3
Preparing to boot the black queen from h4 with Bf2.
22 ... Ng6 23 Bf2
Thanks to his bishop pair, Ivanchuk is able to prevent Black from creating
threats on either side of the board. Now the black queen must retreat and the
pressure on f4 is alleviated, while the f3-rook helps to keep an eye on b3.
23 ... Qe7 24 Be1!
The bishop eyes an entry to d6 via b4.
Note: Bishops are long-range pieces and can be activated by taking them
outside the pawn chain.
24 ... Qf8
Moskalenko has to sit tight and make sure White cannot make inroads.
25 Qe3
 After securing all the necessary squares and pawns, it’s time for Ivanchuk
to start taking back the space that his structure affords.
25 ... Nc6?!
Moskalenko begins to go astray here, seemingly lulled by Ivanchuk’s
slow, constriction technique. Probably Black should bide his time with 25 ...
Nb7! and if 26 Bb4 then 26 ... Qd8. After 27 Rf2 Bb5 (intending ... a7-a5-a4
to grab the c4-square) 28 a4 Bxe2 (or 28 ... Ba6 29 Nc3) 29 Bxe2 a5 30 Be1
(not 30 Ba3?, as Black can play 30 ... Rc3), White’s bishop pair retains a pull
for him but nothing serious.
26 Bd2
White is now ready to advance his queenside pawns.
26 ... Bb5?!
If Black continues his waiting game, White can consolidate his position
still further; for instance, 26 ... Qe7 27 Rf2 Kh8 28 Nc3 Na5 29 Be1 Nc6 30
Rc2 Qf8 31 Rcc1, followed by Na2-b4.
27 Nc3!

Question: Why the exclamation mark?

Answer: Moskalenko’s idea was to play ... a5-a4 and seize the c4-square,
but this is quickly nixed by Ivanchuk.
Note: It is important to detect your opponent’s plan/threat and take steps
to neutralize or prevent it.
27 ... Ba6 28 Rf2 Nge7 29 Na2 Bb5?!
Once again, Moskalenko tries to set up ... a7-a5-a4, but encouraging the
response a2-a4 doesn’t improve his position at all.

Exercise: Find a plan for White after the ‘passing’ move 29 ... Ng6.

Answer: White can take over the dark squares with 30 Nb4!, intending to
trade knights and then bring the dark-squared bishop to seize the a3-f8
diagonal. For instance:
a) 30 ... Bb5 31 Nxc6 Rxc6 32 a4 Ba6 33 a5 and White has a space
advantage and the ability to dictate matters on both sides of the board, either
by shifting the f2-rook to a2 or playing for an eventual g2-g4 advance.
b) 30 ... Nxb4 31 Bxb4 Qe8 32 a4 Qd8 33 a5 is similar. Note that the
black rooks have no entry points on the c-file.
 c) 30 ... Nb8 can be met by 31 Nxa6 Nxa6 32 Be2 Nb8 33 Rff1 and Black
cannot do much to stop White from expanding extensively on the kingside,
while 33 ... Rc2 34 Bd3 Rb2? just loses the exchange after 35 Bb1! and 36
Bc1.
30 a4!
Preventing Black’s plan and seizing more queenside space. Ivanchuk
shows that he doesn’t need the c-file (yet) to annex more territory.
30 ... Ba6 31 Bc3

Question: What is the purpose of placing the bishop on c3?

Answer: Apart from the fact that Black cannot do much to stop White
from manoeuvring where he wants (unless it is tactically unplayable), 31 Bc3
achieves several things: it clears the second rank and blocks the c-file, giving
White the option of doubling his own rooks behind it, while the bishop may
drop back to b2 and reappear on a3, taking control of the diagonal.
There was no point in playing 31 Nb4?! now, as after 31 ... Bb7 and 32 ...
a5, Black has suddenly gained a knight outpost on b4.
31 ... Bb7?!
There is a snag to Moskalenko’s careless ‘pass’.

 Exercise: How can Ivanchuk take advantage of this retreat?

Answer: By advancing on the queenside, while the bishop is unable to go
to c4.
32 b4!
Now ... Ba6 is impossible due to the pawn fork with b4-b5. Ivanchuk is
slowly but surely suffocating his opponent.
32 ... a5
Moskalenko lashes out in an attempt to free his pieces. Instead, he might
have tried 32 ... Ng6 and if 33 b5 then sacrifice a pawn in another way with
33 ... Na5! (otherwise 33 ... Nd8 34 Bb4 Qe8 35 Be2 gives White a huge
advantage, who has the comfortable choice of playing for a4-a5 or preparing
at leisure to contest the c-file) 34 Bxa5 bxa5 35 Qd2 a6! 36 Qxa5 axb5 37
axb5 Qe7 38 Qd2 Ra8 39 Rb1, when White is a passed b-pawn to the good
but Black’s active pieces give him some survival chances.
33 b5 Nb4!?

Question: Why did Moskalenko present Ivanchuk with a pawn?

Answer: After 33 ... Nd8 34 Bb2 Nf7 35 Ba3, White has a substantial
advantage with the dark-squared bishop supreme on a3, while the black
bishop on b7 remains a sad spectator.
34 Bxb4 axb4 35 Nxb4 Rc3
At least Black has managed to activate his rooks with his pawn sacrifice.
36 Qd2 Ng6 37 Nd3

Question: What is Ivanchuk’s plan here?

Answer: His immediate threat is to cut off the black rooks’ connection to
each other with Nc5. The secondary idea is to return the knight to b4 later
with an eye to infiltrating at c6.
The immediate 37 Nc6!? is more complicated; for example, after 37 ...
Ra3 38 Rxa3 Qxa3 39 Rf3 Qa1 40 Rc3 Kf8 41 Rc1 Qa3 42 Kh2 Ne7 43 Rc3
Qa1 44 Qc2 g6, Black’s pesky queen hovering on the queenside gives him
chances for counterplay.
37 ... Ra3 38 Rc1
 Having lured one rook away, Ivanchuk contests the c-file at last.

Exercise: How can Moskalenko make the best out of the current
situation?

38 ... Rxc1?!
Answer: He can keep White honest with 38 ... Rc4! and then:
a) Most definitely not 39 Rxc4? dxc4, when Black’s light-squared bishop
come to life.
b) 39 Nb2 Rxc1 40 Qxc1 Qb4! (Black gets to put his queen on this
excellent square because the white knight has been induced to move from d3)
41 Bh5 (41 Qc7?! is met by 41 ... Nf8! 42 Qxb7 Qe1+ 43 Rf1 Qe3+ 44 Kh1
Qxd4 or 42 Qxb6 Qe1+ 43 Rf1 Qc3 44 Qxb7 Qxb2, when Black regains the
piece with strong counterplay) 41 ... Rb3 42 Bxg6 hxg6 43 Qd2 Qa3, White
will have considerable difficulty activating his extra pawn with Black’s
hyperactive queen and rook on the queenside.
c) 39 Ne1 looks like the best try, and if 39 ... Rxc1 (39 ... Qc8 40 Rxc4
Qxc4 41 Kh2 is similar; while 40 ... dxc4 41 Qc1! Qf8 42 Qxc4 picks up
another pawn) 40 Qxc1 Qb4 then 41 Nf3, when White can aim to consolidate
with g2-g3 and Kg2, before challenging and/or exchanging Black’s heavy
pieces.
 39 Nxc1
The difference here is that White still has control of the b4-square, so the
a3-rook is just out on a limb.
39 ... Qc8

Hoping to place the queen on c3 instead.

Question: How should White meet this threat?

Answer: By entombing the black rook.
40 Bb3!
The threat of Qb2 enables White to engineer a favourable trade into a
winning ending.
40 ... Ra1 41 Rf1 Ra3?
Putting the rook’s head back in the trap is a trifle careless. I suppose it’s
pretty demoralizing to be squeezed throughout the entire game. Anyway, even
the best defence with 41 ... Qf8 42 Qc3 Rb1 is insufficient; for instance, after
43 Nd3 Rxf1+ 44 Kxf1 Qa3 45 g3 h6 46 a5! bxa5 47 Nc5 Bc8 48 b6, the
passed pawn will cost Black a piece.
42 Qb2!
 The poor rook has been ambushed and there’s no way to extricate it.
42 ... Qf8 43 Nd3
Threatening simply Nc5, which wins the exchange.
43 ... h5 44 Rf3
The sad reality is that Ivanchuk is not even in a rush to pluck off the rook
and can carry on improving his position before unleashing Nc5.
44 ... h4 45 Kh2 Kh7 46 Nc5! 1-0
Summary: A standard French structure saw White with a typical kingside
spatial plus; whereas Black, despite having control of the c-file, had no entry
points for his rooks to invade. Ivanchuk’s prophylactic bishop moves guarded
key invasion squares, frustrating his opponent’s plans. Eventually, slight
inaccuracies by Moskalenko were sufficient for Ivanchuk to expand on the
queenside, and claim the point when Black’s rook went astray and got
nabbed.

Game 2
Pr.Nikolic-V.Ivanchuk
Tilburg 1990
Queen’s Gambit Declined

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 d5 4 Nc3 Nbd7 5 Bg5 Bb4

 Transposing to the Westphalia or Manhattan Variation of the Ragozin
Defence. This move must have surprised Nikolic, as prior to this there
weren’t any games by Ivanchuk with this opening in the known databases.
Later, Ivanchuk was to use the Ragozin Defence to defeat Grischuk (in 2008)
and Aronian (twice: in 2009 and 2011). In a sense, Ivanchuk can be
considered one of the pioneers of the Ragozin at Grandmaster level, as only
Croatian GM Vlatko Kovacevic played it regularly in the 1980s.
6 e3 c5 7 cxd5 exd5

Question: What are the plans for Black in this tabiya?

Answer: The position is quite similar to some Nimzo-Indian lines. Black
normally:
1. Unpins his king knight with the Cambridge Springs-like ... Qa5, which
allows him to play for tactics based on ... Ne4.
2. Exchange the bishop on c3 and try to force a passed pawn down the
queenside with ... c5-c4, ... b7-b5-b4.
3. Press on the e-file with his rooks to prevent e3-e4, or at least to
restrain its advance if and when White finally attains this break.

Question: How about White? What does he do in the meantime?

Answer: White can:
1. Prepare a central advance with Nd2, e3-e4 (and sometimes f2-f3 so
that he can recapture with the f-pawn after ... d5xe4), and build a central
majority pawn roller with e4-e5, f4-f5.
2. In some cases, White sets up a battery with Bd3-b1 and Qc2.
3. With his pawn reaching e5 eventually, White will try to play for a
kingside attack.
8 Bb5?!
The bishop is misplaced here due to Black’s next move. Instead, 8 Qc2
Qa5 9 Bd3 c4 10 Bf5 0-0 11 0-0 g6 12 Bh3 is considered by GM Ruslan
Scherbakov as the main line in the Ragozin. On the ChessBase website, GM
Mikhail Marin noted about this position: “White has a better development and
a generally promising plan of opening play in the centre with e4. However,
Black’s advantage of space and piece pressure on the queenside offers him
good chances for counterplay. The final evaluation of the position depends to
a great extent on White’s ability to find a useful job for his slightly
awkwardly-placed h3-bishop.”
8 ... Qa5!
Forcing White to sell his king’s bishop pretty cheaply. After 8 ... Qb6,
GM Konstantin Lerner ‘dried out’ the game against the Latvian attacking
genius Mikhail Tal and eventually won. The exchanges start with 9 Bxd7+
Bxd7 10 dxc5 Bxc3+ 11 bxc3 Qxc5 12 Bxf6 gxf6 13 0-0 Rg8 14 Qd3 Qc4 15
Qxc4 dxc4 16 Rfe1! and White has a slight edge due to his superior pawn
structure, K.Lerner-M.Tal, USSR Championship, Moscow 1983. Lerner’s
was intending to meet 16 ... Bc6 with 17 e4! 0-0-0 18 Nd4, when White gets
an enduring plus due to his well-placed knight and stronger pawns.
9 Bxd7+

Question: Wasn’t Bb5 meant to prevent Black from recapturing
on f6 with the knight? Why doesn’t Nikolic play 9 Bxf6 Qxb5 10 Bxg7
Rg8
11 Be5 and if 11 ... Rxg2 then 12 Bg3, shutting in the g2-rook?

Answer: After 12 ... Nf6, the rook on g2 proves very difficult to catch; for
example, 13 Nh4?? is met by 13 ... Bg4! and White is already in serious
trouble after the remarkable variation 14 Qc2 cxd4! 15 a3 (or 15 exd4? Rc8,
threatening ... Rxc3 with deadly effect) 15 ... Bxc3+ 16 bxc3 d3 17 a4 Qc4 18
Qa2 Ne4 19 Qxc4 dxc4, threatening ... d3-d2+ etc and Black doesn’t even
need the rook to win.

Exercise: Which way should Ivanchuk recapture now?

9 ... Nxd7!
Answer: Black gets to keep his kingside pawns intact, while the knight
can be redeployed for queenside activity.
The bishop recapture randomizes the game, requiring Black to take huge
risks. For instance, 9 ... Bxd7?! 10 0-0! Bxc3 11 Bxf6 Bb5 (after 11 ... Bxb2
12 Bxg7 Rg8 13 Rb1 Rxg7 14 Rxb2 c4 15 Rxb7 Bg4 16 Kh1, White has the
safer king) 12 Bxg7! Rg8 13 Be5 Bxf1 14 Qxf1 Bxb2 15 Rb1 Ba3 16 Rxb7
c4 17 Qb1 Qa6 18 Bf4 leaves White with tremendous compensation for the
exchange.
10 0-0 Bxc3
Initiating part one of the standard Ragozin plan: trading off the bishop for
the knight.
11 bxc3 c4!
Now part two is realized, clamping down on the queenside to create an
effective majority: Black’s a-, b- and c-pawns vs. White’s a- and c-pawns.
12 Qc2 0-0 13 Nd2 Re8
Establishing part three of the plan: restraining White’s central pawns.

Exercise: According to the Ragozin ‘directive’, Black is supposed to
advance on the queenside to try and create a passed pawn. Should White
be generous and give him what he wants? If not, what can he do about it?

Answer: The best response to Black’s plan is to play 14 a4! to restrain
the queenside pawns. After 14 ... Nb6 15 Rfb1 Bd7 16 Rb4 (preventing Black
from having designs on the white a-pawn) 16 ... Bc6 17 Bf4 (moving the
bishop off the same rank as the black queen), White can finally start preparing
for his central advance.
 Note that the immediate 14 e4 is premature, as after 14 ... dxe4 15 Bf4
(the bishop was en prise, and 15 Nxe4?! fails to 15 ... Rxe4) 15 ... Nb6 16
Nxe4 Bf5 17 f3 Re6 18 Rae1 Nd5 19 Bd2 Qa3, Black has the better-placed
pieces.
14 Rae1?!
White chooses yet another option which gives up the queenside totally in
order to concentrate on his central break.
14 ... Nb6
Seizing the a4-square for good. Black can now consider placing the knight
on a4 to hassle the c3-pawn.
15 f3
The preparation for the big central push is under way.
15 ... Bd7 16 Bf4

The text move is a necessity (if White intends to push e3-e4) because of
the black queen lurking on a5. Of course, after 16 e4 dxe4, the Bg5 is en
prise.

Exercise: Black can put either the bishop or knight on a4 now. Evaluate
both moves.

Answer: Moving the knight to a4 forces White to reposition his knight or
e1-rook in order to defend the c3-pawn. 16 ... Na4 therefore displaces a
piece from supporting the e3-e4 push, so it’s not a bad idea. Moreover, it
allows Black to start his own queenside pawn push with ... b7-b5. After 17
Rc1 (here 17 Nb1?! b5 18 e4 b4 gives Black a slight edge due to his more
active pieces) 17 ... b5 18 a3 Nb6 19 Ra1 Re6 20 e4 Rae8 21 Bc7 Qa6,
chances are about equal.
But even stronger is ...
16 ... Ba4!
Forcing White’s queen off the b1-h7 diagonal, after which Black can
retreat the bishop again.
17 Qb2 Bc6
This both guards b7 and restrains e3-e4 - a multi-purpose move indeed.
Now 18 ... Na4 is threatened after all, forking the queen and c3-pawn.
18 Qc2
White decides that his queen is best placed here, keeping control over e4.
So Ivanchuk has gained a free move, enabling him to organize his forces
faster and more effectively.

Exercise: The alternative was 18 Bc7 to pin the knight - or does it?

Answer: For the moment, yes. 18 ... Na4? would qualify as a lemon,
since the desperado queen sacrifice 19 Qxb7! Bxb7 20 Bxa5 nets a pawn for
White.
Instead, Black should continue with his plan of 18 ... Re6, and if 19 e4
(here 19 Bxb6?! axb6 just opens up an attack on the a2-pawn) then 19 ... Na4
is possible, and Black stands better after 20 Bxa5 (not 20 Qxb7?? Qxc3 and
wins, since the bishop is now defended) 20 ... Nxb2 21 exd5 Bxd5 22 Rxe6
fxe6, due again to his more active pieces.
18 ... Na4 19 Nb1
Black gets a slight edge after 19 Rc1 Re6 20 e4 Rae8 too, when he can
make his ... b7-b5 break without having to worry about being overrun in the
centre or on the kingside.
19 ... Re6
The immediate 19 ... b5 was possible, as in the note with 16 ... Na4
above, but there’s no hurry.

20 Re2!
Nikolic bides his time as well, not rushing to advance his e-pawn.

Question: Why didn’t White play 20 e4 at once?

Answer: That was the move Ivanchuk was waiting for. 20 ... dxe4 21 fxe4
Rae8 would force White to play 22 e5, when the c6-bishop has a fantastic
long diagonal to work on, combining with the king’s rook after 22 ... Rg6.
20 ... Rae8 21 Rfe1 b5
Ivanchuk finally starts his queenside pawn offensive.
22 a3?
The tempo lost is very significant now as Ivanchuk starts his ‘global
board play’. Instead, after 22 e4! b4 23 cxb4 Qxb4 24 Bd2 Qe7 25 e5 Bd7!
26 Nc3 Nxc3 27 Bxc3 Rb6 28 Rb1, White is a tad worse with an inferior
bishop, but Black would have to work his socks off to try and win.
22 ... Qd8! 23 e4 dxe4 24 fxe4

Exercise: Put yourself in Ivanchuk’s shoes. What would you do here?

Answer: Ivanchuk switches his attention to the kingside with yet another
tempo gain.
24 ... Qh4!!
Black could play 24 ... Qe7 straightaway, but then White can sacrifice the
a3-pawn for counterplay with 25 Nd2 (not 25 e5, as 25 ... Rg6 spells serious
trouble on the light squares) 25 ... Qxa3 26 Re3!, threatening 27 d5, when
White has genuine compensation with his strong mobile centre pawns. Note
that Black cannot answer d4-d5 with ... Bxd5 because the f4-bishop helps to
guard the rook.
 25 Bg3 Qe7 26 e5

White is forced to give up the light squares, after which Ivanchuk has a
comfortable choice between advancing his kingside or queenside pawns.

Question: Why can’t White just play 26 Nd2 Qxa3 27 Re3 again?

Answer: He would run into 27 ... f5! 28 Be5 (28 e5 Qb2 is good for
Black, while 28 d5? Bxd5! shows the point of throwing in ... Qh4 first: the
e3-rook is no longer defended by the bishop) 28 ... Rxe5!! (this stunning blow
ensures Black of an enduring attack) 29 dxe5 f4 30 Rf3 Qc5+ 31 Kh1 Qxe5,
when White cannot fend off the multiple threats, such as ... Nc5-d3, ... g7-g5-
g4, and ... a7-a5 followed by ... b5-b4.
26 ... a5
Ivanchuk play to organize a breakthrough on the queenside. The
alternative was to advance on the other side of the board: 26 ... h5! 27 Rf1
(27 h4? Rg6 is just asking for trouble, akin to handling the ball in the penalty
area) 27 ... h4 28 Bf4 h3! and Black’s bishop has become the absolute master
of the light squares.
27 Qc1
Freeing the knight from its defensive duties, in the hope of a Nd2-e4 sally.
27 ... Bd5 28 Nd2 b4
 The long-awaited breakthrough. Ivanchuk makes use of a pin tactic to
create a passed c-pawn.
29 axb4
Not 29 cxb4 axb4 30 Nxc4?? because of 30 ... Rc8 31 Rc2 b3! and Black
wins a piece.
Note: Tactics can be used to realize positional gains too.
29 ... axb4 30 cxb4 Qxb4

So Black gets a passed c-pawn with the better-placed pieces, whereas

White’s central pawns are firmly blockaded. Ivanchuk clearly has the
superior chances, though Nikolic puts up a tremendous fight from here
onwards. He was not ranked in the world’s top thirty back then for nothing.
31 Nf1!
Heading for e3 where it can push the black bishop off the blockading d5-
square.

Question: How should Black react to 31 Ne4 - ?

Answer: It’s simplest to eliminate the knight and play with the superior
minor piece after 31 ... Bxe4 32 Rxe4 Nc3 33 Qd2 Rb6 34 Rg4 Nd5 35 Qg5
g6! and despite the dark square weaknesses around the black king, there’s no
way for White to exploit them, while Black can work on nursing the c-pawn
home.
31 ... c3 32 Qf4!
Defending the d4-pawn while putting the queen on a more active square.
32 ... f6!

Note: If possible, try to force weaknesses in more than one sector of the
board. The theory of two weaknesses is to alternate threats between them
until the defence breaks down, due to the opponent being overburdened or
hampered by poor lines of communication. But note that this generally applies
to closed positions - in open positions, it is easier for the opponent to find
counterplay.
33 Rf2!
White stakes all on a kingside attack. If instead 33 Ne3, then 33 ... fxe5!
34 dxe5 (after 34 Qg5 Rg6 35 Qh4 Bc6 or 35 Qf5 Rf6 36 Qc2 Bb3 37 Qb1
e4, Black maintains control) 34 ... Qxf4 35 Bxf4 Bb3 and Black’s passed c-
pawn gives him winning chances.
33 ... fxe5!?
Dangerous play, opening up the f-file: now Ivanchuk has to watch out for
back rank mate themes. 33 ... Nb2 is safer, threatening a family fork on d3.
However, White can follow up with 34 Ne3! Qb7 (or 34 ... Nd3 35 Nxd5
Qc4 36 Qf5 Nxf2 37 Ne3) 35 Nxd5 Qxd5 36 Qe3 Na4 and he does have a
fighting chance here.
 34 Qf7+ Kh8

35 Bxe5??
A time-trouble blunder, which looks perfectly logical as mate on g7 is
threatened.

Exercise: How might back rank tricks have enabled White to hold the
game?

Answer: White should step into a fatal-looking pin with 35 Ne3! exd4,
since he has the resource 36 Ref1! (threatening Qf8+ and mates) 36 ... Rxe3
37 Qxd5 (threatening Bd6, followed by Rf8+ etc) 37 ... Re1 (not 37 ...
Rxg3?? as 38 Qb5! wins at once) 38 Be5! c2 and now the simplest solution is
39 Bxg7+! Kxg7 40 Qf7+ Kh8 41 Qf6+ Kg8 42 Qf7+ with a draw by
perpetual check.
The desperado 35 Rb1! was also possible, since 35 ... Qxb1?? of course
loses to 36 Qf8+ Rxf8 37 Rxf8 mate.
Note: Whenever you have a possible checkmating set-up (in this case, a
potential back-rank mate), look for moves which can deflect key defensive
pieces.

Exercise: Nikolic’s last move was a blunder. Can you find the killer
blow for Black?

Answer: A liquidating combination is possible because of the strong
passed c-pawn.
35 ... Rxe5!
The discovered attack on the white queen forces the resulting exchanges
which lead to a decisive advantage for Black.
36 Qxe8+ Rxe8 37 Rxe8+ Bg8 38 Rff8 Qxd4+ 39 Ne3 h6 40 Kf1 Kh7
41 Rxg8
The material left on the board is roughly even, but not for long, since the
black c-pawn will cost White his knight.
41 ... Qd3+ 42 Kf2 c2 43 Rh8+ Kg6 44 Nxc2 Qxc2+ 45 Kf3 Qf5+ 46
Kg3 Nc3
The queen and knight tandem is one of the most powerful pairs in
delivering mating attacks.
47 h3 Qd3+! 48 Kf2
Or 48 Kh2 Ne2!, threatening 49 ... Qg3+ 50 Kh1 Qe1+ 51 Kh2 Qg1 mate.
48 ... Nd1+ 49 Kg1 Ne3 0-1
White resigns since he must either give up a rook for the knight or get
mated; e.g. 50 Rhf8 Qd2 51 Rf2 Qe1+ and Black forces his way in.
Summary: Nikolic seemed unfamiliar with the motifs of the Ragozin
Defence, and Ivanchuk swiftly established a queenside advantage which he
later converted into a passed pawn. By pressing in all three sectors of the
board, he established key squares for his pieces ( ... Re6 and ... Bd5) before
undermining the white centre. Although Nikolic might still have defended, he
eventually went wrong in time trouble and had to give up a piece for the
passed c-pawn, after which Ivanchuk closed out with the dreaded queen and
knight duo.

Game 3
V.Ivanchuk-Xu Jun
Novi Sad Olympiad 1990
Queen’s Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 g3 Bb7

Nowadays, this variation of the Queen’s Indian is not as popular as the
counter-attacking 4 ... Ba6, although Ivanchuk and Magnus Carlsen still wheel
out it once in a while.
5 Bg2 Be7 6 Nc3 Ne4 7 Bd2 Bf6
The flank flick 7 ... f5 8 d5 Bf6 9 Qc2 Qe7 has been played by Carlsen,
Anand and Morozevich, albeit without particular success.
8 Nh4!?
Introducing a theoretical wrinkle in a well-known position. This forces
the Chinese future GM to abandon his preparation, and the myriad choices
that Ivanchuk offers with his move are a headache indeed for his opponent.
Apart from anything else, this is not easy to deal with psychologically in a top
board clash at such an early stage of the game. The standard moves are 8 0-0
(after which 8 ... 0-0 transposes to the 6 0-0 main line) and 8 Qc2.
 8 ... d5
A prudent decision, Xu Jun would be hard pressed going into unknown
territory, so it is not surprising he chose to play solidly with the text move,
which follows familiar motifs of the ... Bb7 Queen’s Indian.
On 8 ... Nxc3!?, Ivanchuk intended 9 Bxc3 Bxg2 (9 ... d5 10 cxd5
transposes to 10 Bxc3 in the notes to the game) 10 Nxg2 d5 11 0-0 0-0 12
cxd5 exd5 13 Nf4 with an edge, due to White’s better-placed knight and
prospects of play on the c-file.
9 cxd5 Nxc3
Ivanchuk considered that Black could sacrifice a pawn here with 9 ...
exd5!? 10 Nxe4 (10 Nf5 0-0 11 0-0 is safer) 10 ... dxe4 11 Qc2 Qd5 12
Qxc7.

Question: What is his compensation for the pawn?

Answer: White has a wayward knight stranded on h4, which cannot find a
decent square to move to without making concessions, while Black mobilizes
very quickly. Already there is considerable pressure on the d-file, and ... Na6
forces the queen off c7 with a black rook ready to take the c-file. For
example: 12 ... Na6! 13 Qf4 Qe6! 14 Qf5 (not 14 Nf5?? as 14 ... g5 15 Qg4
h5 or 15 Nd6+ Kd7 wins the knight) 14 ... Rd8! 15 Bc3 (after 15 Qxe6+ fxe6
16 f4 Bxd4 17 0-0-0 g6!, Black’s central control and better-placed pieces
outweigh his inferior pawn structure) 15 ... g5! 16 d5 Bxc3+ 17 bxc3 Rxd5
18 Qxe6+ fxe6 19 Bxe4 gxh4 20 Bxd5 Bxd5 21 f3 and Black has the upper
hand with bishop and knight for rook and pawn.

Exercise: Evaluate the two recaptures on c3 (Bxc3/bxc3) and explain the
rationale.

10 bxc3
Answer: This pawn recapture bolsters White’s centre at the cost of
ceding the c4-square.
Alternatively, 10 Bxc3 leaves the bishop more active, exerting more
control over e5 and a5. (This position could also have been reached via 8 ...
Nxc3 9 Bxc3 d5 10 exd5 above.) Now after 10 ... Bxh4 (or 10 ... exd5 11 Nf5
0-0 12 b4!? and White has good piece play) 11 Qa4+ Qd7 12 Qxd7+ Nxd7
13 dxe6 Bxg2 14 exd7+ Kxd7 15 Rg1 Bxg3 16 Rxg2 Bd6 17 e4, White has a
slight edge, due to his space advantage and strong centre.
Actually, both recaptures are favourable for White, so it’s a matter of
taste as to which one to choose.
10 ... exd5
Black opts to play for control of c4. Instead, 10 ... Bxh4 11 Qa4+ Qd7 12
Qxd7+ Nxd7 13 dxe6 Bxg2 14 exd7+ Kxd7 15 Rg1 Bxg3 16 Rxg2 Bd6 17 e4
is similar to the line in the previous note, and once again gives White a slight
edge.
11 Nf5
 Ivanchuk’s opening experiment has been a success. His fianchettoed
bishop has more scope than in the 6 0-0 main line and his king’s knight exerts
more pressure on the centre than usual, especially after his next move.

11 ... Nc6

Question: Why did Xu Jun place his knight there,
seeing as this blocks the advance of the c-pawn?

Answer: He was intending to meet the natural 12 0-0 with 12 ... Ne7! to
challenge White’s strong knight. If then 13 Ne3 (after 13 Qa4+ Bc6 14 Qc2
Nxf5 15 Qxf5 0-0, Black has no problems), Black can play 13 ... Qd7!,
preventing Ng4, with a comfortable game.

Question: If instead, after 11 ... 0-0 12 0-0, Black plays the
standard 12 ... c5 idea, how does White take advantage of it?

Answer: He can reroute his queen bishop to a better diagonal and control
d6 with 13 Bf4. Then a natural move like 13 ... Nd7? would land Black in
serious trouble, and in fact 14 Nd6 Bc6 15 e4 is crushing because 15 ... dxe4
16 d5 traps the Queen’s Indian bishop.
12 Ne3!
 Clever finesse play, forcing Black to put his knight on the edge. Ivanchuk
pointed out that the premature 12 e4 dxe4 13 Bxe4 0-0 14 0-0 Na5 allows
Black to equalize.
12 ... Na5
Now 12 ... Ne7 runs into 13 Ng4! and White claims the bishop pair.
13 Qa4+!?

Question: Doesn’t this just waste a move since
the queen has to relocate after Black’s reply?

Answer: Ivanchuk’s subtle plan is to ‘displace’ both black bishops to
slightly inferior squares.
13 ... Bc6
This results in Black blocking the c-pawn again.
14 Qb4 Be7
Now the dark-squared bishop sits on a less active square. It is always
pleasing to see these little nuances from Ivanchuk; collectively they add up to
help him overcome his opponents. Here 14 ... Bg5!? was suggested by
Ivanchuk, presumably with ideas of ... Bxe3, followed by ... Nc4 and ... a7-
a5, after which Black gets to castle kingside.
15 Qb1 Qd7!
 Xu Jun covers f5 before castling, showing that he is adept at opening
nuances too. Instead, 15 ... 0-0 would be met by 16 Qf5! hitting the d-pawn
and forcing 16 ... g6 17 Qf3 Bg5, when White has a hook for his kingside
initiative starting with 18 h4! (Ivanchuk).

Question: Surely Ivanchuk won’t be bested in this battle
of the light squares? What does he have up his sleeve?

16 h4!
The light-squared bishop is relocated to h3, winning the fight for f5.
16 ... 0-0 17 Bh3 Qd8 18 Qf5 Nc4?!
A logical-looking move, seeking to centralize the offside knight or trade it
for the strong piece on e3, but it’s quite risky. Ivanchuk thought that Black
should play more solidly with 18 ... Bb7, followed by ... c7-c6.

Question: What’s wrong with 18 ... Nc4 - ? Black gets to open
the long light diagonal for his bishop if the knights are traded.

Answer: By allowing his d5-pawn to be deflected, Black reduces his
influence in the centre.
19 Nxc4 dxc4 20 e4!
 Now White gains a strong centre, as well as retaining his kingside
pressure.
20 ... b5?!
Xu Jun plays to undermine the white centre at its base with ... b5-b4, but
this is rather slow and looks akin to making a pass in Othello.
Instead, Black could engage in a central tussle after 20 ... g6 21 Qf3 f5!
22 d5 Bb7 (not 22 ... fxe4? due to 23 Be6+! Kh8 24 Qxe4 and White gets a
strong attack) 23 Rd1 and now 23 ... Bf6 24 0-0 Re8 25 exf5 Qxd5 26 Qxd5+
Bxd5 27 fxg6 hxg6 (or 27 ... Bf3!? 28 gxh7+ Kxh7) 28 Bg5 Bxg5 29 Rxd5
Bf6 30 Rc1 Rad8 gives Black active play, although White’s pawn majority
looks more dangerous.
21 0-0 b4?!
Ivanchuk considered this advance to be premature, as he calmly flicked in
...
22 Rfe1!
Preparing a central pawn storm. Alternatively, 22 d5 Bb7 23 Bg2 was
good for White too.
22 ... Rb8 23 d5 Bb7 24 Bf1
Hitting c4, while avoiding Black’s threatened skewer with ... Bc8.
24 ... Ba6
After 24 ... Bf6, simply 25 Rac1 keeps a big positional edge for White as
the black c4-pawn will be indirectly under threat.
25 Rab1 c5

Exercise: Ivanchuk has a powerful centre with a protected passed-d
pawn, as well
as a space advantage on the kingside. What is the strongest continuation
here?

Answer: White increases the pressure on c4.
26 Rec1! Qa5 27 Bf4
Bringing the bishop to its best diagonal.
27 ... Rbd8
Xu Jun counters by trying to restrain the white centre.

Exercise: White to play and claim a hefty advantage.

Answer: Ivanchuk has worked it all out to a pat! Having lured the queen
to a5 and the rook to d8, he unleashes White’s potential energy with a
temporary pawn sacrifice and suddenly his initiative reaches decisive
proportions.
28 d6! Bxd6 29 cxb4
The petit combinaison is made possible thanks to the lateral pin on the
c5-pawn.
29 ... Qa4
Not 29 ... Qxa2?? because of 30 Ra1 and Black drops the a6-bishop.
30 Bxd6 Rxd6 31 Qxc5
The c4-pawn is a goner, and White controls the whole board.
31 ... Qd7 32 b5
As Ivanchuk noted later, he could have inserted the tongue-in-cheek 32
Bh3! to deflect the black queen. After 32 ... Qd8 (both 32 ... Qe7 33 e5 and
32 ... Qxh3 33 Qxd6 pick up the exchange) 33 b5 Bb7 34 Rxc4 or just 33
Qxa7, White wins another pawn without allowing Black any counterplay.
32 ... Rc8 33 Qa3?!
Ivanchuk himself criticized this plan of winning the a7-pawn, as it gives
Black a chance of fighting back. Either 33 Qb4 or 33 Qf5 keeps White on
track for a clean win.
33 ... Bb7 34 Qxa7

Ivanchuk indicated that he was in time trouble when he made this move,
and suggested 34 Rb4! instead as a safer improvement.

Question: What’s wrong with taking on a7, going two pawns up?

Answer: Objectively, there’s nothing wrong with it, except that White
now has to defend accurately. Black’s pieces become highly active and he has
a dangerous passed c-pawn. Despite his two pawn deficit, Black has definite
practical chances, and with little time to reach time control, anything goes.
34 ... c3 35 Qe3?
White goes wrong already. Having won a pawn, it looks sensible to bring
the queen back to defend, but there were more pressing matters. It was better
to play 35 a4 (or 35 Ra1 first) 35 ... c2 36 Ra1, when 36 ... Rd1 can be met
by 37 Rxd1! cxd1Q 38 Rxd1 Qxd1 39 Qxb7 Qd8 40 e5 and the well-
supported passed pawns should beat the rook, while after 36 ... Ra8 37 Qe3
Rd1 38 Kh2, Black’s counterplay is significantly less than in the game.
35 ... c2 36 Rb2?
Another nervy time-trouble move. Again 36 Ra1 Rd1 37 a4 was correct,
although here after 37 ... Re8!, Black gets strong compensation for the pawns.

Exercise: How might Black have taken advantage of White’s faulty
defence?

36 ... Rd2?
In chronic time trouble as well, Xu Jun rushes needlessly to defend his
prize asset.
Answer: 36 ... Rd1! was what he should have gone for. After 37 Rbxc2
Rxc2 38 Rxc2 Rxf1+ (38 ... Qxb5 39 Qe2 Qxe2 40 Rxe2 Ba6 was possible
too) 39 Kxf1 Qd1+ 40 Qe1 (or 40 Kg2 Qxc2 41 Kf3 Qxa2) 40 ... Qxc2 41 f3
(or 41 Qe2 Qb1+! 42 Kg2 Qxe4+) 41 ... Bc8!, White would be hard-pressed
even to draw.
37 a4? h5?
With their flags hanging both sides are oblivious to the possibility of ...
Rd1. Black should have played 37 ... Rd1! here, while White should have
taken time for 37 Kh2! or (on the next move) 38 Kh2! with a clear advantage.
38 a5? Ra8??
It is hard to imagine what the point of this move might have been.
Meanwhile, the last chance to play 38 ... Rd1! goes a-begging.
39 a6
 Now it’s too late.
39 ... Bc8 40 Rbxc2 1-0
With Ivanchuk having made the time control, Xu gave up the fight,
realizing that he had no compensation whatsoever for his now three pawns
deficit.
Summary: The nervy play in the time scramble nearly ruined the results
of Ivanchuk’s highly refined play in the opening and middlegame, but that’s
how things go in a pressure-cooker team event at the highest level.
Incidentally, this win helped the Soviet Union to a 3-1 victory over China.

Game 4
V.Ivanchuk-I.Manor
European Junior Championships, Groningen 1986
Modern Benoni

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 Nf3
The usual route to move ten below is 3 d5 e6 4 Nc3 exd5 5 cxd5 d6 6 e4
g6 7 Nf3 Bg7 8 Be2 0-0 9 0-0 Re8 10 Nd2. With the text Ivanchuk avoids the
Benko Gambit (3 d5 b5, which Manor would probably have played), at the
cost of transposing to an English Opening (after 3 Nf3 exd4 4 exd4), if Black
so chooses.
3 ... g6
Manor prefers to stay within the Modern Benoni.
4 Nc3 Bg7 5 d5 0-0 6 e4 d6 7 Be2 e6 8 0-0 exd5 9 cxd5 Re8 10 Nd2
 10 ... Na6
Conversely, this knight heads for c7 where it prepares ... b7-b5 and holds
back e4-e5 (by pressuring the d5-pawn).
11 f3
The usual move; White defends the e4-pawn in solid Sämisch style,
before continuing with his knight manoeuvre. The main alternative is 11 Re1,
after which a very famous game went 11 ... Nc7 12 a4 b6 13 Qc2 Ng4 14
h3(?) and now:

Exercise: If you haven’t seen this before, then let’s test whether you’re
as sharp as World Champion Mikhail Tal. Black to play and clobber
White.

Answer: 14 ... Nxf2!! 15 Kxf2 Qh4+ 16 Kf1 Bd4 17 Nd1 and here the
Latvian maestro played the elegant 17 ... Qxh3!!
 18 Bf3 (of course 18 gxh3? Bxh3 is mate) 18 ... Qh2 19 Ne3 f5 20 Ndc4
fxe4 21 Bxe4 Ba6 22 Bf3 Re5 23 Ra3 Rae8 24 Bd2? Nxd5! 25 Bxd5+ Rxd5
26 Ke2 Bxe3 27 Rxe3 Bxc4+ 0-1 B.Gurgenidze-M.Tal, Moscow 1957.
Unquestionably brilliant beyond words.
11 ... Nc7 12 a4 b6
This move was played almost automatically in the 1980s and ’90s, but
nowadays top players often throw in 12 ... Nd7 13 Kh1 (13 Nc4 is met by 13
... Ne5!) 13 ... b6. Then S.Mamedyarov-V.Ivanchuk, Khanty-Mansiysk
Olympiad 2010, continued 14 Ra3!? (Kramnik’s idea, aiming to utilize the
rook on the third rank) 14 ... Qe7 15 a5 Bb7 16 Nb5 Nf6 17 Nxc7 Qxc7 18
Bb5 with a strong initiative for White.
13 Nc4
 Completing the knight’s tour. In the Fianchetto Variation, White sometimes
moves the knight on to a3 to hold back Black’s ... b7-b5 break.
Another encounter in the same year against the same opposition went 13
Kh1 Rb8 14 Nc4 Ba6 15 Bg5 Qd7 16 b3 Nh5 17 Rc1 Bd4 18 g4 Ng7 19 Bf4
Bxc4 20 bxc4 Re7 21 Bd3 Rbe8 22 Ne2 Be5 23 Bd2 f5?! 24 exf5 gxf5 25 f4!
Bf6 26 g5 Bd4 27 Ng3 Be3 28 Bxe3 Rxe3 29 Qc2 Rf8 30 Rce1 Rxe1 31
Rxe1 with a great space advantage for White, while Black is tied down to
defence of the f5-pawn, V.Ivanchuk-I.Manor, World Junior Championship,
Adelaide 1988.
13 ... Ba6
The only satisfactory way to meet White’s threat of Bf4, attacking d6. In
any case, the bishop has no real future on the h3-c8 diagonal ( ... Bd7 would
just drop the d-pawn) and Black will usually trade it for the c4-knight before
advancing pawns on the queenside.
14 Bg5 h6 15 Be3
Ivanchuk found himself on the black side against Kamsky, who instead
played 15 Bd2 Bxc4 16 Bxc4 a6 17 Qe2 Nd7 18 Kh1 f5 19 Rae1 Ne5 20 Ba2
b5! and Black has equalized, G.Kamsky-V.Ivanchuk, Monte Carlo (rapid)
1994. White cannot win the b-pawn with 21 axb5 axb5 etc because his a2-
bishop would be hanging.
15 ... Bxc4 16 Bxc4 a6
 With the bishop now out of the way, Black prepares the standard Benoni
queenside advance.
17 Qd2 Kh7

Question: Black is poised to play ... b6-b5 and
utilize his majority. What can White do about it?

Answer: White can’t prevent it (18 Qe2 Rb8 19 Bxa6 fails to 19 ...
Nfxd5!, while 18 Qd3 would be met by 18 ... Nd7 and ... Ne5), so Ivanchuk
opts to blockade and immobilize the pawns.
18 Rab1 Rb8 19 b4
 Ivanchuk gave this move a dubious mark in Informant #43. Personally, I
think he was a trifle harsh on himself as it does the job of halting the black
pawn majority. By the way, this Rb1/b2-b4 idea is a standard motif in the
King’s Indian Sämisch ... c7-c5 lines too.
Instead, as Ivanchuk noted, 19 Qd3!? would discourage 19 ... b5?!
because of 20 axb5 axb5 21 Bxb5 Nxb5 22 Nxb5 Nxd5 23 Qxd5 (not 23
exd5? Qb6! with a big advantage, since 24 Nc3 runs into 24 ... Rxe3!) 23 ...
Rxb5 24 Qxf7 (Matulovic) and it’s unclear whether Black has enough
compensation. This line was actually used by Topalov to defeat Simeonov in
the 1989 Bulgarian Championship.
However, Black could resort to 19 ... Nd7 again, and if 20 Bxa6 then 20
... Ne5 21 Qe2 Nxa6 22 Qxa6 b5! leaves the white queen in difficulties; for
example, 23 b3 (not 23 axb5? Ra8 24 Qb7 Re7 or 23 Nxb5? Rb6! 24 Qa5
Nc4 25 Qe1 Nxe3 26 Qxe3 Rxb5! etc) 23 ... b4 24 Na2 (or 24 Nb5 Bf8
intending ... Ra8) 24 ... c4! 25 bxc4 Ra8 26 Qb5 Rb8 27 Qa6 Ra8 with a
draw.
19 ... b5 20 Be2 c4!?

Exercise: Assess the position and evaluate the plans for both sides here.

Answer: White has the opposing queenside majority firmly blockaded.
He can also prepare the manoeuvre Ne2-d4 with an eye to c6, though Black
probably can set up ... Nd7-e5 to oppose it. The critical question is whether
Black can generate enough play against the centre before White consolidates
and starts rolling his pawns forward. Black’s plan will have to be based on
hitting out with ... f7-f5, or sacrificial Nxd5 ideas (though the latter seems
unlikely with White’s central build-up looming).
Ivanchuk noted that if Black had captured 20 ... cxb4!?, with the idea of
getting a passed b-pawn after 21 Rxb4 a5 and ... b5-b4, White has the
exchange sacrifice 22 Rxb5 Nxb5 23 Bxb5 Re7 24 Ne2 intending Nd4. This
sequence had been played out before by the English IM and two-time British
champion George Botterill: 24 ... Reb7? 25 Nd4 Qh8 26 Rd1 Ra8? 27 Bc6
Rb4 28 Bxa8 Qxa8 29 Qc2 and White won in G.Botterill-D.Janosevic,
Birmingham 1975.
21 Bd4
Centralizing to counter Black’s strong fianchettoed bishop.

Exercise: Instead of Ivanchuk’s move, can you find a plan to strengthen
 the central pawns before eventually advancing them?

Answer: White can consider redirecting his light-squared bishop to c2.
Not only does it strengthen the centre, it also deters Black from playing ... f7-
f5. This plan saw fruition in I.Farago-J.Palkovi, Austrian Team
Championship 1996, ten years later: 21 Bd1 Re7 22 a5 Qh8 23 Ne2 Rf8 24
Bf2 Nce8 25 Bc2 Nd7 26 Bh4 Bf6 27 Bg3 Bg7 28 Rbd1 Ne5 29 Nd4 Rc7 30
Qe2 with a powerful game for White, who soon engineered f3-f4 and e4-e5.
21 ... Re7!
The exclamation mark was given by Ivanchuk. This subtle move initiates
the concept of fighting for the long dark diagonal by adding the queen behind
it from h8.
22 a5 Qh8!
The immediate threat is ... Nxe4 winning a pawn.
If Black played routinely with something like 22 ... Qd7?!, White could
return to the plan of 23 Bd1 followed by Bc2 and subsequently f3-f4,
mobilizing the pawn centre, as well as taking aim at the black king.
23 Rbd1
Guarding the d4-bishop, while d5 might also need protection later when
White eventually pushes e4-e5. This is obviously the right rook to use, since
the queenside has been firmly blockaded.
23 ... Nce8!
 Strong play by Manor who anticipates an exchange on g7, and from that
square the knight can support the ... f7-f5 break.
24 Rfe1
Continuing his policy of consolidating the centre before advancing the
pawns.
In a later game, Ivanchuk showed confidence in the black set-up when he
used it to defeat GM Igor Glek: 24 g3 Nd7 25 Bxg7 Nxg7 26 f4 f5 27 Bf3
fxe4 28 Nxe4 Nf5 29 g4 Nh4 30 Qf2?! (30 Bh1 was preferable) 30 ... Nxf3+
31 Qxf3 Nf6 (White is in serious trouble as Black’s power on the e-file
cannot be contested; Glek therefore tried to complicate by sacrificing his
knight) 32 Nxd6 Rd8 33 Rfe1 Rxe1+ 34 Rxe1 Rxd6 35 Re7+ Kg8 (White is
objectively losing but still has some practical chances after 36 Qc3; instead
he just blundered and that was that) 36 Qe3?? Nxd5 and Black wrapped
things up easily, I.Glek-V.Ivanchuk, Tashkent 1987.
24 ... Nd7 25 Bxg7 Nxg7 26 f4
 Having finally completed his optimal build-up (the bishop will go to f3),
there is no reason for White to delay this central advance any longer.
26 ... f5!
Counter-attacking the centre and, in the process, nullifying the strength of
White’s advance - well, almost, because Black needs to be accurate in his
follow-up.
27 Bf3 Rbe8?
A seemingly logical move, exerting even more pressure on the centre.
However, it would have been better to exchange on e4 first, and 27 ... fxe4 28
Rxe4 Rbe8 29 Rxe7 Rxe7 30 g4 gives equal chances. Black’s passed c-pawn
is counterbalanced by White’s space advantage.

Exercise: How should White answer Black’s immediate doubling of
rooks?

Answer: The textbook central breakthrough!
28 e5!
Ivanchuk sacrifices the e-pawn to attain a passed d-pawn and unleashes
the f3-bishop with great effect. This is a thematic-pawn sacrifice in both the
King’s Indian and Modern Benoni.
28 ... dxe5 29 d6 Rf7

Exercise: How would White continue if Black had put his rook on e6?

Answer: After 29 ... Re6, White can simply regain his pawn and obtain a
huge centre with 30 Bc6! (better than 30 Bd5 due to 30 ... e4!, when it is more
difficult for White to make progress) 30 ... Rd8 31 Bxd7! Rxd7 32 fxe5 and
Black will be permanently hemmed in, while White can keep improving his
position; for example, 32 ... Nh5 33 Qd4 Qe8 34 Kf1, followed by 35 Nd5
(but not 34 Nd5?? Rdxd6).
30 Bb7!
The bishop can afford to go cherry-picking since Black has no decent
counter to White’s central power.
30 ... exf4
30 ... Ne6 31 fxe5! is huge for White, since 31 ... Nxe5 fails to 32 Bxa6
Nd3 33 Bxb5 Qd4+ 34 Qe3, when White’s passed pawns are bound to rule.
31 Bxa6 Re3
A good try by Manor, seeking to mobilize his kingside pawns after the
trade of rooks.
32 Rxe3 fxe3 33 Qxe3 f4 34 Qd4!

Basically shutting down the g7-knight as Black cannot afford a queen

trade. Moving the queen away with 34 ... Qf8 first is futile after 35 Bxb5 Nf5
36 Qe4 Ne3 37 Bxc4.
34 ... f3
Black finally has some play, but Ivanchuk has worked out that he can
afford to let the pawn advance without consequences.
35 Bxb5!
Fearlessly allowing Black to continue his kingside attack.

Question: Why not simply capture the pawn
with 35 gxf3 since 35 ... Rxf3 doesn’t look dangerous?

Answer: Ivanchuk pointed out that 35 ... Qa8! 36 Bxb5 Qxf3 gives Black
counterchances. Indeed, White must play accurately to win: 37 Bxd7! (the
careless 37 Bxc4? allows Black to mobilize quickly after 37 ... Rf5 38 Ne2
Rg5+ 39 Ng3 Nf5, when he has serious attacking chances) 37 ... Rf4! 38 Qd2
Nf5 39 Bxf5 gxf5 40 Qxf4! Qxf4 41 d7 and White should win, but the black
queen can make herself very annoying.
Note: When one has a winning position, it is still imperative to play
carefully and deny possible counterplay.
35 ... f2+ 36 Kf1
One standard way of defending the king against a pawn storm is to hide
behind an opposing pawn on the second (or seventh for Black) rank. This
frequently occurs in kingside versus queenside attacks in the Open Sicilian.

36 ... Nf6
If Black tries 36 ... Nf5, White can calmly trade queens and swipe the f-
pawn with 37 Qxh8+ Kxh8 38 Kxf2 Nxd6+ 39 Kg1 and the queenside passed
pawns will carry the day.
37 d7!
You know what they say: passed pawns should be pushed.
37 ... Qd8
Black does no better trying to deflect the queen with 37 ... Ne6!? since, as
Ivanchuk noted, White can even allow the f-pawn to promote: 38 Qe5! Ng4
39 Qxe6! Nxh2+ 40 Ke2 f1Q+ 41 Rxf1 Rxf1 42 Qe7+ and wins.
38 Qxf2 Nf5 39 Qb6! Ne3+ 40 Kg1 Qa8?
Dropping a piece, but 40 ... Qxb6 41 axb6 Nxd1 42 d8Q Nxc3 43 Bxc4
Nfd5!? (a final trick) 44 h3 was completely hopeless anyway.
41 Qxe3 1-0

Summary: A textbook example of central White breakthrough in the

Benoni, after blockading the queenside majority.

Game 5
V.Ivanchuk-L.B.Hansen
Champigny sur Marne 1984
English Opening

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 Nf3 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e6 5 g3 Nc6

Ivanchuk’s own preference is 5 ... Qc7, which he used against Aronian
(2005), Chernin (2007), and in the following game: 6 Nd2 Bc5!? 7 N2b3 Be7
8 Bf4? e5! 9 Nb5 Qc6! 10 Bxe5 Qxh1 11 Nc7+ Kd8 12 Nxa8 Bb4+!, when
the 2004 FIDE world champion playing White couldn’t get out of the mess:
 13 Nd2 (or 13 Bc3 Bxc3+ 14 bxc3 b6 15 f3 Ne8 and the white knight on
a8 is stranded) 13 ... Ne4 with a large advantage for Black, R.Kasimdzhanov-
V.Ivanchuk, World Team Championship, Yerevan 2001.
6 Bg2 Qb6 7 Nb5
This is given as a novelty in Informant #56 (1992), though, as we see,
Ivanchuk had already played it eight years before. With much less theory on
this line back then, it’s not surprising Black played inaccurately.

 7 ... Bb4+?!
Here 7 ... Ne5 and 7 ... d5 are better tries; whereas after 7 ... Bc5?!,
Ivanchuk would probably develop nonchalantly with 8 N1c3!, when 8 ...
Bxf2+ 9 Kf1 Ng4 10 Qd6! Kd8 11 Qf4! gives White a huge advantage.
8 N1c3
Practice has also seen 8 N5c3 Ne5 9 Qb3 0-0 10 0-0 Nc6 11 a3 Bxc3 12
Qxc3? (12 Qxb6 axb6 13 Nxc3 is better, when White has the bishop pair and
can afford to sacrifice the c-pawn for a strong initiative after 13 ... Na5 14
Rd1 Nxc4 15 e4, exerting considerable pressure on the black centre) 12 ...
d5! and Black equalized thanks to his strong d-pawn, G.Gusarov-P.Ponkratov,
Belgorod 2009.
8 ... 0-0
Hitting the knight with 8 ... a6 looks critical, intending 9 Nd6+ Ke7 10
Nxc8+ Raxc8, but this doesn’t solve Black’s problems: after 11 0-0! Bxc3 12
bxc3 Na5 13 Rb1 Qc7 14 Qa4 b6 15 c5! bxc5 16 Rd1, White had strong
compensation for the pawn with two bishops and his rooks on the open lines,
Pr.Nikolic-Z.Almasi, German League 2006.
9 Be3!
This shows why ... Bb4+ was a dubious move. If Hansen doesn’t want to
risk getting pushed back, he has to trade bishops, thus wasting a tempo, while
White annexes the d6-square, causing serious development problems for
Black.
9 ... Bc5 10 Bxc5 Qxc5 11 Nd6
Applying the big squeeze on Black who, not surprisingly, tries to evict the
knight immediately.
11 ... Ne8 12 Nce4!

Strengthening the grip on d6 with another knight, with tempo.

Question: Why not win a pawn with 12 Nxc8 Rxc8 13 Qxd7 - ?

Answer: It doesn’t. Black suddenly gets the better game after 13 ... Nd6!,
since White is forced to give up his powerful g2-bishop to let his queen
escape; i.e. 14 Bxc6 Rfd8 15 Qe7 Qxc6 16 0-0 Rd7 17 Qg5 Nxc4 and Black
regains the pawn with strong pressure on the queenside.
12 ... Qe5

Question: What would be a good continuation had Black played 12 ...
Qb6 - ?

Answer: White can trade a pair of knights with 13 Nxe8 Rxe8 14 Nd6
and maintain the bind.
Note: It’s what remains on the board that matters, not what goes off the
board.
13 Qd2
Calmly defending the b-pawn.
13 ... Nxd6
Black gets nowhere with 13 ... f5?!, because of 14 f4! Qd4 15 Qxd4 Nxd4
16 Nxe8 Rxe8 (or 16 ... fxe4 17 Nc7 Rb8 18 Bxe4 and White has won a
pawn) 17 Nd6 Re7 18 0-0-0 Nc6 19 Rd2, followed by Rhd1, and White’s
bind is even stronger.
14 Nxd6 Nd4
Black must try to get rid of that pesky knight on d6, otherwise his pieces
can hardly breathe.
15 Ne4
White threatens f2-f4 to win the d4-knight, so Black’s next move is
forced.
15 ... Nf5

Exercise: Ivanchuk has the better bishop, superior development, and
pressure on the weak d7-pawn. How does he increase his advantage?

Answer: He offers a queen trade! It transpires that White’s advantage is
even bigger with queens off the board because Black is still hemmed in.
Think “Morra Gambit” without the pawn minus and you will get a sense of
the pressure that Black is facing.
16 Qc3! Qc7
Black retreats and hopes to get a decent hedgehog structure with pawns on
d6, b6 and a6 at some point. After 16 ... Qxc3+ 17 Nxc3 Rb8 18 0-0 b6 19
Rfd1 a6 20 Ne4, Black remains boxed in.
17 Rd1
Preventing Black from even thinking about the ... d7-d5 break.
17 ... Rb8 18 0-0 b6

Exercise: Black intends to complete development and set up a hedgehog
with ... Bb7, ... Rfd8 and ... d7-d6. How did Ivanchuk easily thwart this
plan?

Answer: Ivanchuk had worked out that a knight on d6 is stronger than
Black’s fianchettoed bishop.
19 Bh3!
Note: Sometimes, we have this blind spot where we don’t even consider
such minor piece exchanges as giving up a fianchettoed bishop for a knight,
basing our decisions on intuition or personal dogma rather than proper
calculation.
 19 ... Ne7
If 19 ... Bb7 20 Bxf5 exf5 21 Nd6 g6 22 Rd2 Qc6 23 f3, Black is
squelched positionally.
20 Nd6 Bb7 21 Rd2
Preparing to double rooks on the d-file.
21 ... Nc8

Black attempts to trade pieces. This is a sensible plan when one is

cramped as it frees up more space to manoeuvre.

Exercise: How should White meet this offer to exchange?

Answer: Again, it’s what remains on the board that counts.
22 Nxb7!
I hope you didn’t fall for 22 Rfd1? Nxd6 23 Rxd6 Bd5!, when White has
to give up the exchange and loses his advantage.
22 ... Rxb7 23 Bg2 Rb8 24 Rfd1
White has reached an ideal set-up for a big squeeze.
24 ... d6

Exercise: Black is poised to play ... b6-b5 to free
his queenside. What can White do about it?

Answer: Let him make the break!
25 Rd4!
Ivanchuk has worked out that, even after Black gets ... b6-b5 in, the white
pieces will still work better, as the powerful g2-bishop calls the shots from
afar and the c8-knight cuts communication between Black’s rooks. 25 a4
would have been the standard restraining move but Ivanchuk ... well, he’s
wired differently.
25 ... b5 26 Rc1
So that’s Ivanchuk’s idea: tempt ... b6-b5 and then threaten to take over
the c-file.
26 ... Qb6?!
At least 26 ... b4 gives Black the c5-square for his queen, though White is
still for choice after 27 Qd2 Qc5 28 b3 Rb6 29 Rd1 with a typically strong
Maróczy Bind.

Exercise: The text looks logical, getting the queen out of the way and
threatening to get play on the b-file, but there’s a snag which Ivanchuk
naturally exploits. How?

Answer: White gives up one advantage for another.
27 c5!
The big squeeze on d6 is transformed to heavy piece play on the c-file.
Previously, White had a spatial plus, whereas now he gets to invade into
Black’s position.
27 ... dxc5 28 Qxc5 Qa6
Trading queens is equally sad for Black, as 28 ... Qxc5 29 Rxc5 a6 30 b3
Nb6 31 Rc6 paralyzes him completely.

Exercise: Black intends to complete development with ... Nb6 while
threatening a2. What did Ivanchuk play to accelerate his initiative to
insurmountable proportions?

Answer: 29 Be4!
By threatening Bxh7 and Qxf8, White sets off a flurry of tactics which
lead to an extra pawn and continual pressure.
29 ... g6
29 ... Qb6 is met simply by 30 b4 and Black is still hemmed in, as ...
Qxc5 would allow White a strong passed c-pawn.
30 Qe5!
Now it’s chaos for Black on the dark squares and there’s no stopping the
invasion of the seventh rank with tempo. The queen calls the shots from e5,
signifying White’s dominance of the whole board.
30 ... Ne7

 31 Rd7

Exercise: Ivanchuk could have played more strongly here. After 31 Rc7,
forcing 31 ... Nf5, White has a powerful combination. Can you see it?

Answer: 32 Rxf7!! Kxf7 33 Bxf5 Rbd8 (if 33 ... gxf5? then 34 Rd7+ Ke8
35 Qg7 mates) 34 Bxg6+!! hxg6 35 Qc7+ Kg8 36 Rxd8 Qxa2 37 Rxf8+ Kxf8
38 Qc5+ Kg7 39 Qxb5 netting two extra pawns for White. On the other hand,
there’s no reason for Ivanchuk to complicate since he can win cleanly anyway
with the safer option.
31 ... Nf5
After 31 ... Rbc8 32 Rcd1, Black has to cough up a pawn anyway: 32 ...
Nd5 (not 32 ... Nf5?? 33 Bb7 and White wins a whole rook due to the weak
back rank) 33 Bxd5 exd5 34 Qxd5.
32 Bxf5 exf5

Exercise: So where’s the pawn advantage I spoke about?
For that you’ll have to find a way for White to win material.

Answer: Ivanchuk nets a pawn with a deflection motif, and still retains a
strong attack.
33 Rxf7! Rxf7
Of course Black must recapture or it’s mate on g7.
34 Qxb8+ Kg7
34 ... Rf8 35 Qe5 Qxa2 36 Qxb5 also leaves White in charge.
35 Rc8 Qa4
Here 35 ... Qe6 36 Rg8+ Kf6 37 Re8 Qd5 might make things tougher for
White.
36 Rd8 Qe4?
Now 36 ... Re7!? would put up more resistance. The rapidly approaching
time control may have had something to do with Black’s rapid decline.
37 Qxb5 Qb1+ 38 Kg2 Qxa2?!
After this, Ivanchuk wraps up the game without missing a beat.
39 Qe5+ Kh6 40 Rd4 g5 41 h4 Qb3 42 Rd6+ Kh5 43 hxg5 Qc4
 Once past the time control, Ivanchuk calculates a mate in seven.
44 g6!
The engines find an even quicker solution in 44 f4!, followed by Rh6+
and Rh4 mate.
44 ... hxg6 45 Qh8+ Kg5 46 f4+ Kg4
46 ... Qxf4 only extends the game for a couple of moves: 47 gxf4+ Kxf4
48 Rd4+ Ke3 49 Qe5 mate.
47 Qh3 mate
Summary: Ivanchuk exploited Black’s opening inaccuracies to get a
superb knight lodged on d6, cramming his opponent down. Later, he traded
one advantage for another, first exchanging the strong knight to pressurize the
black d-pawn, and then taking over the c-file after Hansen tried to break out
with ... b6-b5. Finally, with Black’s pieces shunted offside, he centralized the
queen on the majestic e5-square and a snap combination picked up a pawn;
after which an erroneous pawn grab by the black queen allowed Ivanchuk to
chase the king into oblivion.

Game 6
V.Ivanchuk-A.Zapata
Novi Sad Olympiad 1990
King’s Indian Defence
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6
Ivanchuk plays a gamut of lines against the King’s Indian Defence,
frequently alternating between the Classical (5 Nf3 and 6 Be2, or vice versa;
see Games 7 and 9), the Sämisch (as here), and the Averbakh (5 Be2 and 6
Bg5; see Game 8). He even throws in the Fianchetto (g2-g3), Makagonov 5
h3, and London System-like 4 Bf4 once in a while.
5 f3
This is the Sämisch Variation, one of the most flexible yet solid systems
for White against the King’s Indian.
5 ... 0-0 6 Be3 e5 7 Nge2
White keeps the centre fluid, so that Black cannot fully commit to flanking
moves, such as ... Nh5, ... f7-f5 or ... a7-a6 and ... b7-b5, without worrying
about White opening the centre with d4xe5 at some point.
7 ... c6 8 Qd2 Nbd7 9 0-0-0 a6 10 Kb1

White tucks his king away safely on the b-file, vacating the c1-square for
the manoeuvre Nc1-b3, and possibly the c-file later for the d1-rook, for
instance after a future ... b7-b5 by Black.
10 ... b5 11 Nc1
The modern preference, 11 c5 (to mess up Black’s centre pawns), was
analysed by GM Gallagher in Starting Out: The King’s Indian.
 11 ... Bb7?

This naïve developing move misplaces the light-squared bishop on a

square where it has no scope. Moreover, if Black is intending to attack on the
queenside, the bishop gets in the way by obstructing the b-file.
Instead, the fashionable way to play this line, after a famous Shirov-
Kasparov game, is 11 ... exd4 12 Bxd4 Re8! with the counter-intuitive idea of
retreating the Indian bishop to f8 to defend the d-pawn. Shirov therefore
grabbed it straightaway with 13 Bxf6?! (the safer 13 Nb3 and 13 Bf2 are the
standard continuations nowadays, after which Black plays 13 ... Bf8) 13 ...
Qxf6! 14 Qxd6 Qxd6 15 Rxd6 and got overpowered after 15 ... Ne5 16 f4
Ng4 17 e5 Nf2 18 Rg1 Bf5+ 19 Ka1 b4 20 Na4 f6! with superb piece play
for Black, A.Shirov-G.Kasparov, Dortmund 1992.

Exercise: How should White take advantage of Black’s inaccurate set-
up?

Answer: Trade centre pawns.
12 dxe5!
Ivanchuk has no intention of entering a contest of opposing pawn storms,
and plays instead for a simple space advantage. Now any queenside attack by
Black is unlikely to succeed given White’s activity in the centre.
 The attempt to go the whole hog with 12 h4 gave White nothing after 12 ...
exd4 13 Bxd4 Ne5 14 h5 Nxh5 15 Qf2 Qf6 16 Be3 Nf4 17 g3 Ne6, when
Black already had the better game with powerful knight play; L.Debnar-
I.Hausner, Slovakian Team Championship 2007.
12 ... dxe5
After 12 ... Nxe5 13 Qxd6 Nd5 14 Qxd8 Nxc3+ 15 bxc3 Raxd8 16 Rxd8
Rxd8 17 cxb5 cxb5 18 Nb3, Black doesn’t have enough for the pawn; while
13 ... bxc4?! can be met by the beautiful queen sacrifice 14 Qxe5 Nd5 15
Qxg7+!! Kxg7 16 exd5 and White’s three minors are preferable to Black’s
queen, especially when one of them is the superb dark-squared bishop.
J.Granda Zuniga-G.Barbero, Buenos Aires 1991, continued 16 ... cxd5 17
Bxc4 dxc4 18 Rxd8 Raxd8 19 Rd1 and White had no problems converting
this ending.

13 Nb3
The pawn exchange on e5 has left Black with weak dark squares on c5
and d6, and the b3-knight can aid in the exploitation of these weaknesses later
on. Nevertheless, White could have played more strongly here.

Exercise: Instead of Ivanchuk’s natural developing move, can you
find a more forcing way to hammer home White’s advantage?

 Answer: White has the spike 13 g4!!, with the idea of booting the f6-
knight off the defence of d7, which is simply devastating. Black must be
regretting his decision to play ... Bb7. Indeed, 13 ... Bc8 is virtually forced as
the hapless d7-knight has no squares, when White carries on with 14 g5 Ne8
(or 14 ... Nh5 15 Qd6 Nf4 16 Qxc6 Rb8 17 cxb5 axb5 18 Bxb5 Qxg5 19
Rxd7 Bxd7 20 Qxd7 with a winning position, G.Vescovi-C.Toth, Mar del
Plata 1996) 15 Bh3 f5 16 gxf6 Nexf6 17 Qd6 bxc4 18 Qxc6 Rb8 19 Qxc4+
Kh8 20 Nb3 and White is a pawn up with more active pieces, Xiu Deshun-Li
Shilong, Beijing 2009.
13 ... Qc7
Getting out of the way of those heavy pieces on the d-file, while keeping
watch on a5 where the Nb3 is poised to hop.

Exercise: Can you see how Ivanchuk makes use
of the black queen on c7 to optimize his piece play?

Answer: White has his positional advantage and easy development;
naturally, he’s not inclined to exchange queens via Qd6 as it will help Black
ease his spatial woes. Instead, he targets the queen down the c-file.
14 Rc1!
 The rook shifts to the left and threatens to win a pawn with c4xb5 and
Bxb5 (or Nxb5). The immediate effect is that Black must remove his queen
from c7 and lose control of the a5- and b6-squares too.
14 ... Qb8 15 Qf2
Further strengthening his grip on the queenside dark squares.
15 ... Re8
The following year, the late, great David Bronstein used the same
variation and established a stranglehold too after 15 ... Rd8 16 Be2 Bf8 17
Rhd1 Nh5 18 g3 Ng7 19 h4 Ne6 20 h5 g5 21 Bf1! (once White gets Bh3 in he
is surely winning, so Black sacrificed a pawn on g4, albeit to no avail) 21 ...
Nf6 22 h6 g4 23 Be2! a5? 24 fxg4 and White won quickly, D.Bronstein-
A.Webster, Rishon LeZion 1991.
Ivanchuk is famous for his ability to find ‘maximizing’ moves at the
board. Holistically, White can simply develop his king’s bishop and rook to
their natural squares (Be2 and Rhd1, as in the Bronstein game) and still keep
his sure plus. However, Ivanchuk doesn’t play natural moves just because
they are strong enough; instead, he constantly digs into his mental box of
creative goodies to pull out something different.
16 g3!?
An elegant yet astute move. Ivanchuk reserves the option to play Bh3 if
the opportunity arises.

Question: Are there other advantages to g2-g3 over Be2 - ?

Answer: White can prepare a future f3-f4 central push, while the g3-
pawn prevents Black from playing the standard ... Ne6-f4 manoeuvre.
16 ... Nf8
If Black reroutes the queen to e7 to contest the c5-square with 16 ... Qd8,
White can play 17 Bh3! and if 17 ... bxc4 then 18 Nd2 Qe7 19 Rhd1 a5 20
Nxc4 Red8 21 Qc2 with a huge positional edge.
17 Be2

Question: What’s this? Wasn’t the bishop destined for h3?

Answer: It depends on the requirements of the position. For the time
being, the bishop needs to guard the c4-pawn and, on e2, it helps to prepare
f3-f4 by preventing ... Ng4, forking the queen and e3-bishop.
 17 ... Ne6 18 Rhd1 Bf8

Fighting for control of the c5-square.

Exercise: White has more space and the better-placed pieces,
but there isn’t any concrete way to realize his advantage.
Can you guess what Ivanchuk would do in such a situation?

19 a3!?
Answer: This ‘petit’ move encourages Black to advance his b-pawn,
especially when he has just played ... Bf8. Alternatively, the backtracking 19
Bf1! maintains White’s advantage, giving him the option of either playing Bh3
or slowly advancing his kingside pawns.
19 ... Rd8
Amazingly, this was exactly the response which Ivanchuk was provoking.
Another point of 19 a3 is that after 19 ... b4 20 axb4 Bxb4 21 Na4, White’s
knights have access to the b6-square which was previously unavailable.
20 Rxd8 Qxd8 21 Na5!?
 This blatant piece offer must have stunned Zapata, who cautiously and
unsurprisingly declined to capture the en prise knight.
21 ... Qe7!
This is a strong move, giving Black the chance to exploit Ivanchuk’s 19 a3
by opening lines against the white king.
Commentators on this game (at least three) trusted that White gets a great
game after the knight capture, citing 21 ... Qxa5 22 Bb6 Bc5 23 Bxc5 Nxc5 24
Qxc5 Re8 25 Rd1 with a strong bind for White. Nowadays, with the aid of
Elo 3000+ strength engines, we can see that Ivanchuk’s creative concept is
matched by Houdini’s assessment that Black is alright after 21 ... Qxa5 22
Bb6 Bc5 23 Bxc5 Nd7!.
 The difficulty in considering this move is that our preconceived notion as
to the strength of White’s dark-squared bishop (coupled with the fact that
Black’s kingside structure is full of dark square weaknesses) makes us
automatically want to trade it off with ... Nxc5. The machines, on the other
hand, have no such prejudices and brute calculation reigns.
After 24 Be3 (24 Bb4 Qd8 25 Bd6 c5! 26 f4 Qf6 27 Rf1 exf4 28 Bxf4
Nxf4 29 Qxf4 Qxf4 30 gxf4 sees Black out of the woods) 24 ... c5! 25 cxb5
Rb8, Black has sufficient compensation for the pawn, thanks to his growing
queenside attack and the incoming ... Nd4.
In my opinion, this doesn’t lessen Ivanchuk’s creative achievement, as
chess engines today are already way beyond human strength. In 2008, GM
Jaan Ehlvest lost a match 2½-5½ against Rybka 2.3, despite being given a
pawn handicap(!) in every game (although Rybka had White each time), so
there you go.
22 f4 Nd8?
After this backtracking, Ivanchuk cements a total grip on the position
without respite. What a waste for Zapata. He had to counter-attack with 22 ...
b4! 23 axb4 (or 23 fxe5 Nd7 24 Nxb7 bxc3 25 Rxc3 Nxe5 26 Na5 c5!) 23 ...
Qxb4 24 Nxb7 Qxb7 25 f5 Rb8 26 Rc2 Nd4 27 Bxd4 exd4 28 Qxd4 Nd7,
when Black’s powerful King’s Indian bishop and the counterplay on the b-file
give him sufficient compensation for the pawn.

Exercise: How can White increase his space advantage here?

Answer: By advancing his bishop’s pawns.
23 f5!
Now that e6 is unavailable for the d8-knight, the poor steed can only
watch the ensuing proceedings from the back rank.
23 ... Nd7
Taking on f5 doesn’t help: 23 ... gxf5 is met by 24 Bg5! and Black is
trussed up.
24 c5!
Turning the screws. Now it’s the b7-bishop’s turn to be permanently shut
in.
24 ... Bc8

Question: Why can’t Black just take the pawn with 24 ... Nxc5 - ?

Answer: White has the in-between move 25 f6! and Black is well and
truly busted; for example, 25 ... Qc7 (or 25 ... Qd6 26 Rd1 and White wins a
piece at once) 26 Bxc5 Bxc5 27 Qxc5 Qxa5 28 Qe7! and the threat of Qe8
mate forces Black to play 28 ... Ne6, allowing White to collect a piece with
29 Qxb7.
25 g4

It’s Ivan-choke mode again.

25 ... Nb8
Now all that’s required is ... Qe8 and every black piece will be on the
back rank. It’s amazing how a grandmaster can be reduced to such a passive
state.
26 Rf1
Adding more pressure on the f-file, now that matters on the queenside are
settled.
26 ... Bd7 27 h4 Be8

Exercise: The maxim “improve the position of your worst-placed piece”
applies to Ivanchuk as well, even if he has an overwhelming game.
Can you see which piece needs to be rerouted and how?

Answer: The light-squared bishop isn’t contributing anything at the
moment.
28 Bd1!
Now the bishop can be redeployed to b3, when f5xg6 will become a
serious threat.
28 ... Nb7
Trying to alleviate congestion by trading pieces is nominally the correct
plan, but it’s far too late, as the remaining white army is more than sufficient
to invade the black position.
29 Nxb7 Qxb7 30 Bb3 Qe7 31 fxg6 hxg6 32 Bg5 Qd7 33 Rd1 1-0
 Zapata has taken enough punishment and decided to throw in the towel
before 34 Rd8 completes the absolute domination of the black forces.
Summary: Black’s uninspired handling of the opening allowed Ivanchuk
to gain a solid strategic foothold. With an inspired in-your-face knight
sacrifice on a5 (which was declined), he forced Black to back-pedal until
nearly all of the latter’s pieces were confined to the back rank. After securing
the queenside, Ivanchuk then turned his attention to the kingside, and Zapata
finally gave up the ghost as the white rook was about to make a decisive
entrance right down the d-file.

Game 7
V.Ivanchuk-Ye Jiangchuan
FIDE World Championship, Moscow 2001
King’s Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 Nf3 0-0 5 e4 d6 6 Be2 e5 7 0-0 Nc6 8 d5

Ne7 9 b4
 The Bayonet Attack is still one of the strongest lines against the Classical
King’s Indian, and the highest scoring (59%) according to the ChessBase
Online database. Rather than reroute the f3-knight with 9 Ne1 or 9 Nd2 (and
usually bolster the centre with f2-f3), White immediately commences
queenside action. Historically speaking, the Bayonet’s status was enhanced
when Kramnik’s virtuoso handling of the line virtually caused Kasparov to
give up playing his beloved King’s Indian Defence as Black.
9 ... a5
Black does not allow White a free hand on the queenside. The main line
is 9 ... Nh5 with Black staking a claim on the kingside after ... f7-f5 and
(sometimes) ... Nf4. Alternatively, Black can go for broke and give up the
queenside entirely with 9 ... Ne8 and ... f7-f5, a line played occasionally by
Nakamura, Radjabov and Judit Polgar.
The vogue continuation is 9 ... Nh5 10 Re1 f5 11 Ng5 Nf6 12 Bf3 (or 12
f3 Kh8) 12 ... c6, and the game hasn’t even begun yet. The theoretical
discussion in this line tends to start at around move twenty-something.
10 Ba3
White prepares c4-c5 as dictated by his pawn structure (with its
spearhead on d5).
10 ... b6
Temporarily shoring up the queenside by reinforcing the dark squares a5
and c5. The main line is 10 ... axb4 (or 10 ... Nd7 11 bxa5 Rxa5 12 Bb4 Ra8
etc) 11 Bxb4 Nd7 (11 ... b6 transposes to the game) 12 a4 Bh6 13 a5 f5, as
played by Magnus Carlsen, Topalov, Morozevich, Shirov, Polgar, and
Ivanchuk himself.
Another option is 10 ... Nd7 11 bxa5 Rxa5 12 Bb4 Ra6!? (rather than 12
... Ra8), which seems to be a Chinese specialty, with GMs Li Chao and Wan
Yunguo, and IMs Yu Lie and Zhang Ziyang having used it for a fantastic 75%
score as Black. They must have worked out that it’s pretty hard for White to
exploit the position of the black rook on a6 with c4-c5. GM Suat Atalik
attempted to do so by sacrificing the c-pawn with 13 a4 f5 14 c5!? dxc5 15
Ba3 Ra5, when White has definite compensation but failed to follow it up
precisely and suffered a bad defeat, S.Atalik-Wan Yunguo, Golden Sands
2012.
11 bxa5 Rxa5 12 Bb4 Ra8 13 a4
White plays for a4-a5, finally breaking through on the queenside.
13 ... Re8!?

A cool idea by the imaginative Latvian GM, Zigurds Lanka.

Question: Shouldn’t Black be getting on with business on the
kingside with ... Ne8 and ... f7-f5 or ... Nh5-f4 - ? Why waste a move
with the rook when White is already poised to open up the queenside?

Answer: The idea behind 13 ... Re8 is seen after 14 a5 c5! 15 dxc6 Nxc6
16 Bxd6, and because the rook is not en prise, Black can play 16 ... Nd4! 17
Nxd4 (17 Nb5 Nxb5 18 cxb5 Rxa5 19 Rxa5 bxa5 20 Bxe5 Qxd1 21 Rxd1
Nxe4 22 Bxg7 Kxg7 is certainly no worse for Black, who even has a slight
initiative) 17 ... exd4 18 Nb5 Nxe4 19 Bc7 Qh4 with a very active position.
The database shows Black scoring 3½/4 from here in over-the-board play.
14 Qd3
White connects the rooks, and by guarding the e4-pawn the queen’s knight
is freed up to go to b5.
14 ... Nd7
Black clears the way for a possible ... f7-f5 break and prepares to exploit
the white queen’s position by gaining a tempo with ... Nc5.
Armenian GM Davits Petrosian later came up with an incredible
innovation here in 14 ... Nf5!?. Accepting the knight sacrifice can give White
a big headache after 15 exf5? e4 16 Qd2 exf3 17 Bxf3 Bxf5, as in Ax.Smith-
E.Berg, Gothenburg 2011, when Black already has the better game due to his
well-placed pieces and superior pawn structure. So White should just get on
with 15 a5, and after 15 ... bxa5 (15 ... c5? 16 dxc6 is obviously no good for
Black now) 16 Bxa5 Ba6 17 Nxe5 Rxe5 18 exf5, another Armenian GM,
Tigran Koltanjan, evaluated White as being slightly better.
15 Qb1!?
A theoretical novelty by Ivanchuk.

Question: What does Ivanchuk’s move achieve?

Answer: White anticipates 15 ... Nc5, hitting the queen, which would
now be met by 16 a5! f5 (or 16 ... bxa5 17 Bxc5) 17 axb6 Rxa1 18 Qxa1
cxb6 19 Bxc5 bxc5 20 Qa7 and White has a stable strategic advantage, even
if Black’s bishop pair may prove useful later in the game, I.Farago-M.Roeder,
Le Touquet 2003.

Question: If 15 Qb1 is a good move, why not just play 14 Qb1 and save a
tempo?

Answer: Black can meet 14 Qb1 with his standard idea 14 ... c5! 15 dxc6
Nxc6 and stands well. He can’t play in quite the same way now, since the d6-
pawn would be en prise.
In previous games White had gone for 15 a5, and Black again replied
with 15 ... c5 (here 15 ... Nc5!? 16 Qb1! was the actual course of Farago-
Roeder above) 16 dxc6 Nxc6 17 Bxd6 Rxa5 18 Rxa5 Nxa5, as in
S.Bromberger-M.Golubev, Bad Wiessee 1999, which was later drawn,
although White might claim a minute advantage at this point as the c4-pawn is
stronger than the b6-pawn.
 15 ... Bh6?!
Perhaps taken aback by his opponent’s triangular queen manoeuvre, Ye
decided to play it safe and eschews 15 ... c5. His move develops the King’s
Indian bishop to a good diagonal, but it didn’t help Black’s cause very much
as all the action is on the queenside.
Ironically, the best way to meet Ivanchuk’s idea seems to be to give White
what he wants with 15 ... c5! 16 dxc6 and then 16 ... Nc5!. S.Savchenko-
O.Spirin, Metz 2009, continued 17 Rd1?! (better is 17 c7 Qxc7 18 Rd1 Rd8
with equality) 17 ... Nxc6 18 h3 Nd4 19 Ra2 and was agreed drawn at this
point, although Black stands well here with pressure on a4 and ... f7-f5 in the
works.
16 a5
Now White has a queenside offensive, which proves very tough to defend
against.
16 ... Nc5
Instead:
a) 16 ... c5? fails to 17 dxc6 Nxc6 (17 ... Nc5? 18 c7! Qxc7 19 axb6 is
even worse) 18 Bxd6 Rxa5 19 Rxa5 Nxa5 (or 19 ... bxa5 20 Nd5, threatening
Bc7) 20 Rd1 and White has a huge advantage.
b) 16 ... f5 17 axb6 Rxa1 18 Qxa1 Nxb6 19 Rb1 Rf8 20 c5! also leaves
White with the upper hand; for example, 20 ... fxe4 21 Nxe5!? Bg7 22 Nc6
Nxc6 23 dxc6 dxc5 24 Bxc5.
17 axb6
Creating a weakness on b6.
17 ... Rxa1 18 Qxa1 cxb6 19 Rb1
 White has won the opening battle as his queenside assault has made great
inroads, whereas Black has yet to do anything much on the kingside.
19 ... Qc7?!
This merely gives away a couple of tempi. Black should have tried 19 ...
f5!?, although 20 Bxc5 bxc5 21 Rb8 maintains a stable advantage for White.
20 Nb5 Qd8
20 ... Qd7 (or 20 ... Qb8) 21 Bxc5 bxc5 22 Qa5 is no better for Black.
21 Bxc5! bxc5

Question: Hasn’t White just improved his opponent’s
pawn structure and relinquished the bishop pair?

Answer: Yes, Ivanchuk has given up a good bishop to get this position,
but just look at the state of affairs. White has heaps of space on the queenside,
and his heavy pieces are poised to invade down the a- and b-files. Moreover,
Black’s structure isn’t really improved, since his d6-pawn is now exposed to
possible attack, while his extra bishop is just chilling on h6 with nothing to
aim at.
22 Qa7
Staking White’s claim to the seventh rank, and in particular the c7-square,
from which White prepares another invasion if Black plays ... f7-f5.
22 ... Bg4
A reasonable-looking plan, vacating c8 so that the knight can drop back
and protect d6. Nevertheless, it was probably better to seek counterplay with
22 ... f5 again.
 Then White has a dangerous forcing variation in 23 Nc7!? fxe4 24 Nxe5
Rf8 25 Rb8 dxe5 26 Ne6 Qd6 27 Nxf8 Bxf8 28 g4!?, threatening Rb6 with a
clear advantage; but Black can find counterplay just in time with 28 ... e3! 29
fxe3 (or 29 Rb6 Qd8 30 fxe3 Nf5! 31 gxf5 Qg5+ etc) 29 ... Bh6 30 Rb3 Qf6;
for example, 31 Qxc5 Qh4 32 d6 Qe1+ 33 Bf1 Nc6! 34 Qxc6 Bxe3+ with
perpetual check.
Instead, Ivanchuk planned simply 23 Bd3 fxe4 24 Bxe4 Nf5 (not 24 ...
Rf8?! due to 25 Nc7!, intending Ne6) 25 Qc7 and White maintains the
pressure, though Black might yet hope to survive.
It is always a difficult decision for the defender: whether to undertake
active measures before it’s too late, or would this just wreck an otherwise
defensible position. With hindsight, we can tell that Ye needed to play more
actively.
23 h3!
Ivanchuk gladly offers an exchange of minor pieces, as without his light-
squared bishop, Black’s only chance of offering resistance (based on ... f7-f5)
is shut down.
23 ... Nc8 24 Qb8 Bxf3 25 Bxf3 Bg5?!
Another passive move, after which Ivanchuk clamps down on the game,
not allowing a smidgeon of counterplay.
Black’s best chance was to complicate matters with 25 ... Nb6 26 Qxd6
(after 26 Qxd8 Rxd8 27 Be2 Bf8, Black is only slightly worse) 26 ... Nxc4 27
Qc6! (keeping an eye on the rook is better than 27 Qxc5 Nd2 28 Rd1 Nxf3+
29 gxf3 Qg5+ 30 Kf1 Qh5 31 Ke2 Ra8 and Black obtains counterplay) 27 ...
Nd2 28 Rd1 Nxf3+ 29 gxf3 Qg5+ 30 Kf1 Rb8 31 d6 Qf6 32 Ke2 Bg5 33
Qxc5 Qe6, and although White is a strong passed pawn up, it is not so easily
advanced, while Black can still hope for counterplay with queen and rook
against the exposed white king.
26 Ra1!
The rook seizes the open a-file, heading for a6 to tighten the screws
further along the sixth rank.

Question: Why not take over the light squares in the enemy camp with 26
Bg4 - ?

Answer: Black can still drum up counterplay with 26 ... Nb6 27 Qxd6
Nxc4 28 Qxc5 Nd2, when a careless 29 Rb4? would allow the queen to slip
out with 29 ... Qa5! and suddenly White must defend carefully to survive.
26 ... h5
There’s nothing much that Black can do now besides declaring the chess
version of ‘pass’.

 Exercise: If Black tries 26 ... Nb6 this time,
calculate how White can get a decisive advantage.

Answer: After 27 Qxd6 Nxc4 28 Qc6! Nd2, simply 29 Be2! is best, not
bothering about the e4-pawn, since 29 ... Nxe4 30 d6 allows White to
advance the d-pawn with tempo due to the hit on e4, and Black will not be
able to hold out for long; e.g. 30 ... Nf6 31 Nc7 Rf8 32 Bb5!, threatening Ra8
and wins.
27 Ra6 Be7

Exercise: How can White ensure the black pieces remain jammed on the
back rank?

Answer: By targeting the c8-knight.
28 Rc6!
Black is almost irretrievably paralysed now. In particular, he can’t play ...
Qa5 because the knight would drop off.
28 ... Rf8 29 Rc7
Ivan ‘the Terrible’ at his best. There’s not even a whiff of ... Qa5 now.
29 ... Bg5 30 Qb7
Reminding Ye that ... f7-f5 is not an option due to mate along the seventh
rank.
30 ... Bd2 31 h4!!

How very cruel! This almost arrogant h-pawn punt illustrates the utter
helplessness of Black’s position, who is denied even the g5-square. Of
course, Ivanchuk would never let the queen get out; for example, after 31
Rd7? Qa5! or 31 Qc6? Ba5! 32 Rd7 Qg5.
31 ... Ba5
There’s no use in playing for tricks with 31 ... Qxh4 32 Rxc8 Be3, since
33 Rxf8+ Kxf8 34 Qc8+ Kg7 35 fxe3 Qe1+ 36 Kh2 Qh4+ 37 Qh3 wins
easily.
32 Rc6
Now all White has to do is to reroute his bishop to h3 and Black can
resign with a clean conscience.
32 ... Be1 33 g3 Qa5!?
It doesn’t hurt to try a bluff in a lost game.

Exercise: Find the winning move for White please!

Answer:
34 Kf1!
I hope you didn’t fall for 34 Rxc8?? Qd2!, when Black gets an easy draw
after 35 Rxf8+ Kxf8 36 Bg2 Bxf2+ 37 Kh2 Bxg3+! 38 Kxg3 Qf4+ 39 Kh3
Qg4+ 40 Kh2 Qxh4+ 41 Kg1 Qe1+ with perpetual check.
34 ... Qd2 35 Be2
Black’s short-lived activity has been snuffed out.
35 ... Ne7 36 Qxe7 Bxf2 37 Kxf2 1-0
Summary: Utilizing an unusual triangular manoeuvre (Qd1-d3-b1),
Ivanchuk bamboozled his Chinese opponent into passivity and made a strong
trade of his ‘good’ bishop for Black’s knight in order to invade down the a-
and b-files. Securing the queenside while hampering the black queen from
slipping out, he went on to conquer the kingside space as well with the brazen
31 h4!!. When Ye’s queen finally got away from Ivanchuk’s clutches, it was
too late to save his hapless c8-knight or the game.

Game 8
V.Ivanchuk-V.Akopian
World Junior Championships, Baguio City 1987
King’s Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Be2 0-0 6 Bg5 c5 7 dxc5!?

With this sideline, White aims for a Maróczy Bind structure. 7 d5 is the
standard continuation in the Averbakh Variation.
7 ... Qa5
Pinning the c5-pawn to the g5-bishop and threatening ... Nxe4.
The pawn recapture 7 ... dxc5!? might be more difficult for Black to
handle than the text move, but GM Andrei Istratescu came up with a nice
gambit idea in this line: 8 Qxd8 Rxd8 9 e5 Nfd7 10 e6 Nf6 11 exf7+ Kxf7 12
Be3 and now 12 ... Nc6! (a strong pawn offer for rapid development and
pressure on c4 after Black’s own c-pawn has been lopped off) 13 Bxc5 b6 14
Ba3 Nd4 15 Bd1 Ba6 16 Nf3 Nxf3+ 17 Bxf3 Rac8 and Black had excellent
compensation for the pawn with his superbly mobilized pieces, H.Olafsson-
A.Istratescu, European Team Championship, Debrecen 1992.
8 Bd2 Qxc5 9 Nf3 Bg4!

10 0-0
In Attacking Chess: The King’s Indian, Volume 2, American IM David
Vigorito shows that Black gets parity after 10 Be3 Qa5 11 0-0 Nc6. For
example: 12 Nd2 Bxe2 13 Qxe2 Rfc8 14 Rac1 Nd7 15 Nb3 Qa6,
O.Rodriguez Vargas-G.Sigurjonsson, Las Palmas 1976, and now 16 Rfd1
Nce5 17 c5 Qxe2 18 Nxe2 Nxc5 19 Nxc5 dxc5 20 Bxc5 Nc6 21 b3 “with an
equal position.”
10 ... Bxf3 11 Bxf3 Nc6
The time gained on the unprotected c-pawn allows Black to develop
smoothly. Not yet 11 ... Qxc4??, as that loses the exchange to 12 e5 dxe5 13
Bxb7.
12 b3
After this move, Black can ensure that White is relieved of his bishop
pair too. 12 Be2 would keep the bishop, although Black is solid enough in
any case.
12 ... Nd4 13 Be3 Nxf3+ 14 Qxf3 Qa5 15 Rac1

Exercise: Yes, I know it’s just the opening, but can you find a way
for Black to equalize cleanly here based on trading minor pieces?

15 ... a6
Answer: 15 ... Nd7! is the simplest solution, and if 16 Bd2 Bxc3 17 Qxc3
(after 17 Bxc3 Qxa2 18 e5 Nxe5 19 Qxb7 Nd3 20 Rcd1 Qc2 21 Ba1 Rfe8,
even with the strong dark-squared bishop, White doesn’t have the
wherewithal to hunt down the black king) 17 ... Qxc3 18 Bxc3, Black can
play this position easily enough.
16 Rc2!
This is directed against ... Nd7, as the a2-pawn is now protected. But it
also allows Black to obtain his standard queenside counterplay.
16 ... b5!
Akopian doesn’t miss a beat and plays the thematic queenside break.
17 Nd5
Ivanchuk aims for a simple position with the slightest of edges. He could
try to exploit the black queen’s position with 17 Bd2, but after 17 ... Qb6 18
Bg5 bxc4 19 Bxf6 Bxf6 20 Nd5 Qa5 21 Nxf6+ exf6 22 bxc4 Rfe8, White’s
isolated pawns are just as weak as Black’s loose ones, so chances are equal.
17 ... Nxd5 18 cxd5 Rfc8 19 Qe2 Rxc2?!
Akopian underestimated the dangers of ceding the c-file prematurely.
Realizing he should either fight for the file or seal it off, he opts to do the
latter, but not in the most accurate way. Correct was 19 ... Rc3! 20 Rxc3 (or
20 Rfc1 Rac8) 20 ... Bxc3 21 Rc1 b4 22 Rc2 Qb5 with equal chances.
20 Qxc2 Bc3 21 Rc1 b4

Exercise: White has a slight weakness on a2 which ties
his queen down to the second rank. How does he remedy this?

 Answer: By exploiting his ‘control’ of the c-file.
22 a4!
Showing the difference between the game position and the line with 19 ...
Rc3! above. In the latter a2-a4 was not possible since Black could simply
have taken it en passant; whereas here 22 ... bxa3 would lose the bishop, so
the a2-pawn is transformed from a weak backward pawn to a protected one.
Note: It is easy to overlook a rare chance to convert a weak pawn to a
strong one via tactical means, because it looks so innocuous and helpless.
22 ... Rf8?
Perhaps with thoughts of ... f7-f5, but this is not a good idea. It was safer
to adopt a wait-and-see policy by putting the queen on b7 or d7; for example,
22 ... Qd8 23 Qd3 Qd7 and White still needs to find a concrete plan.
23 Qd3
Ivanchuk first improves his queen position by targeting a6, with the option
of Bd4 to remove the blockading bishop.
23 ... Rc8
Not 23 ... f5? due to 24 Bh6! fxe4 (24 ... Rf7? 25 Qc4 is even worse) 25
Qc4! Rd8 (or 25 ... Bg7 26 Bxg7 Kxg7 27 Qxe4) 26 Qxe4 and White is
clearly better.
24 h4!

Now that the black queen is tied to defending the a-pawn, White can start
kingside operations without Black being able to make trades on the c-file.
Akopian is therefore forced to weaken his king position.
24 ... h5

Question: What if Black moves the king to d7 (starting
with 24 ... Kf8) to enable the exchange of rooks on the c-file?

Answer: White continues his probing with 25 h5!. Then 25 ... gxh5 is
clearly a bad idea, as White bulldozes his way into the kingside with 26
Bh6+ Ke8 27 Qg3 and Black’s pawns are ripe for the picking.

Question: What about 25 ... f6, or does this make the light squares too
vulnerable?

Answer: Yes, White can play 26 hxg6 hxg6 27 e5! Kf7 (or 27 ... Kg7 28
Bh6+! Kxh6 29 Qh3+, winning the exchange) 28 exd6 exd6 29 Qe4! Re8 30
Qc4, followed by Qc6, and Black cannot hope to defend all his weaknesses.
25 g3
Ivanchuk continues his build-up.
25 ... Kf8
Realizing that Ivanchuk plans a general pawn advance on the kingside,
Akopian prepares to vacate his king from that sector.
26 f4 Ke8

Exercise: Find a way for White to improve his position still further.

Answer: Keep advancing on the kingside.
27 f5!
This looks like a weakening move itself, but Black is in no position to
exploit it as his pieces are pinned down or tied down to defence.
27 ... gxf5
Forced, since Akopian can’t afford for the f-file to open after 27 ... Kd7
28 fxg6 fxg6 29 Qf1!, when the queen invades on f7.
28 exf5 Rc7 29 Kg2 Kd7
It’s too late for the black king to go back: after 29 ... Kf8 30 Kh3 Rc8 (if
30 ... Be5 then 31 Rc6! ends any resistance) 31 f6! and Black is in serious
trouble since ... Bxf6 is not possible.
Okay, it’s time for Ivanchuk to make a judgment call.

Exercise: White to play and win.

Answer: Create a passed h-pawn.
30 g4!!
30 Kh3!, intending g3-g4, also wins but in a less elegant way.
30 ... hxg4
30 ... Bf6 31 Rc4! hxg4 32 h5 is much the same.
31 h5 Be5
 Hoping to trade rooks and exploit the exposed white king. 31 ... Rc8 32
h6 Rh8 33 Kg3 is clearly hopeless.
32 Rc4!
The black queen is just a spectator in the whole scheme of things. It is
still possible to lose thread of the game with 32 Rxc7+? Qxc7 33 h6 Qc3!,
when it is White who has to fight for the draw.
32 ... Rxc4 33 Qxc4
Now White threatens Qc6+ followed by Bb6, ‘checkmating’ the black
queen. So Akopian is forced to trade queens.
33 ... Qc7 34 Qxc7+ Kxc7 35 h6
The passer ties Black’s bishop down to defensive duty.
35 ... Kd7
Time to get back to the hot zone. At this point, White cannot activate the
king and capture g4 because the g3-square is covered by the black bishop.


Exercise: Find a way for White to overcome this hurdle.

Answer: Force the bishop away from e5.
36 Bg5!!
Threatening to cut off the black bishop from covering the h-pawn’s march
with f5-f6!, so Akopian is forced to retreat.
36 ... Bh8 37 Kg3
Now the white king simply saunters up the board.
37 ... e6
Black activates a passed pawn of his own, but it’s too late since White’s
h-pawn is too far advanced.
38 dxe6+ fxe6 39 Kxg4 d5 40 f6 Ke8 41 Kf4 Kf7 42 Ke5
 Black is in zugzwang and must start coughing up pawns.
42 ... a5 43 h7 Kg6 44 Kxe6 Kxh7 45 f7 Bg7 46 Kxd5 Kg6 47 Bd8 Kxf7
48 Bxa5 Bc3 49 Bb6 Ke7 50 Kc6 1-0
Seeing no way out, Akopian resigned.
Summary: A classy display of absolute domination over the entire board.
An en-passant deflection trick allowed Ivanchuk to plug his queenside
weaknesses and tie Black down to defence. Ivanchuk then switched play to
the kingside and created a passed pawn, while Black scurried his king to
safety laterally. After the heavy pieces came off, White’s passed h-pawn,
coupled with his active king, were sufficient to force the win.

Game 9
V.Ivanchuk-J.Piket
Wijk aan Zee 1996
King’s Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 Be2 e5 7 Be3

 This time Ivanchuk opts for the Gligoric System, which keeps the centre
fluid and his options flexible, at least for the moment. In particular, Black
does not get an automatic kingside attack, as often occurs when the centre is
locked with an early d4-d5.
7 ... Nbd7 8 0-0 c6
Black decides to play flexibly as well, not committing his pieces until
White supplies more information.
In Dangerous Weapons: The King’s Indian, IM Yelena Dembo makes a
case for the seemingly tempo-losing 8 ... Re8, which looks kind of ridiculous
as the rook ‘belongs’ on f8 to assist the ... f7-f5 break. Once White locks the
centre with d4-d5, she proceeded to demonstrate that ... f7-f5 could be made
after ... Nh5, ... Bg7-f8 and ... Ng7. Even GM Jan Markos (in Beat the KID!)
indicated that “this odd move is surprisingly hard to kill off”.
9 d5
Gaining central space now that Black either has to commit to ... c6-c5,
which offers White a queenside advance target (b2-b4xc5), or allow White at
some point to play d5xc6, exposing the d6 weakness.
9 ... Ng4
Earning a tempo to play the ... f7-f5 break. Ivanchuk learnt the hard way
how to handle the white side after a full-court press from Gelfand: 9 ... c5 10
Ne1 Ne8 11 g4!
 This is a Gelfand specialty, which was subsequently utilized successfully
by Kramnik. The point of the bayonet thrust is to:
1. Force Black to give up the e4-square for a knight after an eventual ...
f7-f5, e4xf5 and g4xf5.
2. Tuck the king away on h1 and use the g-file for a rook.
3. If possible, reroute the king’s knight back to f3-g5-e6, since the d-pawn
has lost its pawn support after ... c6-c5 and an eventual Ne6, ... Bxe6, d5xe6
exposes the d-pawn on the d-file.
Let’s have a look at some possible continuations:
a) The immediate 11 ... f5 has not worked out here: 12 exf5 gxf5 13 gxf5
Nb6 14 Nf3 (14 Kh1 Bxf5 15 Rg1 Nf6 16 Nf3 Ng4 17 Ng5 Nxe3 18 fxe3 also
gave Black a torrid time, with White controlling the g-file and having access
to e4 and e6, B.Gelfand-A.Romero Holmes, Wijk aan Zee 1992) 14 ... Bxf5
15 Ng5 (the same plan as in Gelfand’s earlier games: utilizing the g-file and
the e4-square for attack) 15 ... Qe7 16 Kh1 Nf6 17 Rg1 and White has a huge
advantage, due to his attacking chances down the g-file and the ease of
bringing his minors and rooks over to the kingside; V.Kramnik-R.Knaak,
Dortmund 1992.
b) Ivanchuk tried to muddle things with 11 ... Qh4?!, only to retract soon
enough after 12 Kh1 Kh8 13 Rg1!? (shutting off the queen’s return path with
13 g5! looks even more dangerous) 13 ... Qe7 (the problem for Black is that
13 ... f5?? 14 gxf5 gxf5 15 Bg5 Qxf2 16 Rf1 Qd4 17 Qc1 traps the queen in
the middle of the board after either Nc2 or Nf3) 14 a3 Ndf6 15 b4 b6 16 Nd3
Ng8 17 a4 f5 18 g5 and Black has no good way to make progress on the
kingside, now that he can’t use the f6-square for his knights, B.Gelfand-
V.Ivanchuk, USSR Team Championship 1989.

10 Bd2!

Question: Why not 10 Bg5 first to encourage ... f7-f6 and
remove this square from a black knight? What is Ivanchuk’s logic?

Answer: Ivanchuk gave a very lucid explanation in ChessBase Magazine.
He noted that after 10 Bg5 f6, Black usually plays the manoeuvre ... Nh6-f7
before flicking in ... f6-f5. In other words, by not playing Bg5, he denies
Black’s knight free use of the f7-square.
10 ... f5?!

Question: Ivanchuk considered this move dubious. Why is that so?

Answer: Let’s hear it from the man: “This break with f5 is considered
dubious a long time ago, because White can go for the move Ng5.” Ivanchuk
noted that 10 ... cxd5 11 cxd5 Bh6 may be a better option, though I think
White still retains the better chances after 12 h3 Bxd2 13 Qxd2 Ngf6 14 Qh6,
with the idea of Ng5 and f2-f4, G.Ligterink-K.Van der Weide, Leeuwarden
1997.
11 Ng5!
And just like that, Black has a poor game after conceding the e6-square
and has to spend time covering it. He can forget about developing a kingside
initiative anytime soon, while White’s queenside play rolls on unimpeded.
11 ... Ndf6 12 b4

Since Black has no good way of opening the long dark diagonal to unleash
his King’s Indian bishop, Ivanchuk continues his queenside advance with
impunity.
12 ... cxd5
It seems too early to commit to a fixed centre as this allows Ivanchuk’s
plan to work to perfection. However, other tries also look dire for Black:
a) After 12 ... Kh8, White’s attack is unsurprisingly swift: 13 Rc1 Qe7 14
c5 cxd5 15 cxd6 Qxd6 16 Nb5 with an unimpeded queenside initiative,
I.Krush-G.Buckley, Hampstead 1999.
b) If Black clarifies the centre with 12 ... fxe4, White has 13 h3 (after 13
Ne6 Bxe6 14 dxe6, Black can alter the pawn structure with 14 ... e3! and
minimizes his disadvantage) 13 ... Nh6 14 Ngxe4 (or 14 g4!, restricting the
black minors on the kingside) 14 ... Nf5 15 Bg5 Nxe4! 16 Nxe4 (not 16
Bxd8? Nxc3 17 Qd2 Nxe2+ 18 Qxe2 Rxd8, when Black’s three pieces seem
stronger than White’s queen) 16 ... Qb6 17 Nxd6 Nxd6 18 c5 Qxb4 19 cxd6
Qxd6 20 dxc6 Qxc6 21 Rc1, White has a slight edge due to his superior
development and Black’s isolated e-pawn.
13 cxd5 fxe4?
After this move, Ivanchuk takes over completely and dominates the whole
position without allowing an ounce of counterplay from Piket. 13 ... Qe7
would be more prudent - although, to be fair, after 14 f3 Nh6 15 Qb3!, White
has an iron grip on the position with Black unable to oppose his queenside
initiative satisfactorily.
14 Ne6!
An elegant solution, combining both tactical and positional elements.
Ivanchuk mused that “the discoordination of the black knights” allowed this
pawn sacrifice to work.
14 ... Bxe6 15 dxe6
Now Black has to waste a tempo retreating the knight, as the weakening
15 ... h5 allows 16 Bg5.
15 ... Nh6

Exercise: How does Ivanchuk take advantage of the
black knights to assume absolute control over the centre?

Answer: With an audacious pawn thrust, made possible by the unfortunate
placing of the knight on h6.
16 g4!!

Exercise: What is the point of this move?

16 ... d5
Answer: If your thinking revolves around forking the knights with g4-g5,
you are ... wrong! The deep strategic point of g2-g4 is to secure the f5-square
and render the h6-knight helpless, as it cannot gain access to f7 either.
Ivanchuk proceeded to bind the kingside pieces further.
17 Bg5!
If White had gone for the piece with 17 g5, Piket would have obtained
some counterplay after 17 ... Nf5 18 gxf6 Bxf6, intending ... Nd4 (Ivanchuk);
the truckload of centre pawns will provide Black with chances to complicate.
17 ... Rc8
After 17 ... Re8, Ivanchuk pointed out the classy solution 18 Bxf6 Bxf6 19
Nxd5 Rc8 20 Bb5 Rxe6 21 Bd7!, when the bishop is taboo due to Nxf6+.
Instead, Black attacks the knight, possibly with the idea of sacrificing the
exchange to maintain the central pawn mass.

Exercise: How did Ivanchuk eradicate the pawn
mass and take over the entire centre in one fell swoop?

Answer: By deflecting the queen from protection of the d-pawn.
18 e7!
After 18 Rc1 Rxc3 19 Rxc3 d4 20 Rc5!, White is still winning but the
central pawns at least accord Black some swindling chances.
18 ... Qxe7 19 Nxd5 Qe6 20 Nxf6+ Rxf6
What’s worse, Black has to give up an exchange anyway because of the
hapless knight on the rim, which 20 ... Bxf6 loses to 21 Bxh6.
21 Bxf6 Qxf6
After 21 ... Bxf6, simplest is 22 Qb3 for a casual endgame cinch.
22 Qd5+ Nf7 23 Bc4

Even after winning the exchange, Ivanchuk still wants to keep the black
pieces completely tied down. What an unrelenting tormentor! Piket decides to
play for one last flurry against the white king.
23 ... Rxc4 24 Qxc4 Qf3 25 Qe6 Bh6 26 Rad1 e3
Unfortunately , he is one move short as Ivanchuk now ends the ‘contest’.
27 Rd7 1-0
 White simply trades down to a won endgame by exchanging a couple of
bits on f7.
Summary: Taking a leaf from his loss to Gelfand, Ivanchuk seized on
inaccurate opening play to cause disarray in Black’s kingside, aided by the
Ng5-e6 excursion. He made use of the unfortunate position of the black
knights with 16 g4!!, eradicating any semblance of kingside counterplay.
Eschewing simple notions of collecting material, Ivanchuk concentrated on
decimating Black’s centre pawns and the latter was soon overpowered.

Game 10
V.Ivanchuk-P.Haba
Barcza Memorial, Debrecen 1988
Ruy Lopez

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4 6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 8

dxe5 Be6 9 Nbd2 Nc5
From the other side, Ivanchuk played 9 ... Be7 here in Game 37.
10 c3 Be7 11 Bc2 Bg4
Black puts pressure on the e5-pawn by pinning the king’s knight.
According to GM Mikhail Krasenkow, this sequence transposes into the
Berlin variation of the Open Spanish, which was popularized due to the
efforts of the late IMs (and honorary GMs) Heinz Lehmann and Rudolf
Teschner. GM Paul Motwani also noted (at chesspublishing.com) that the
bishop vacates the e6-square for the c5-knight if it gets harassed by b2-b4.
Besides the move played in the stem, the other option is to play for the
queenside majority with Capablanca’s 11 ... d4:

GM Victor Mikhalevski seems to have a soft spot for this forcing move
which he analysed in great detail for 40 pages in Grandmaster Repertoire
13. He noted that White may end up with a slight endgame edge after this
push, but Black is not really in any danger. This panned out in a recent
grandmaster game, P.Leko-L.E.Johannessen, FIDE World Cup, Tromsø 2013.
After 12 cxd4 Nxd4 13 Nxd4 Qxd4 14 Nf3 Qxd1 15 Rxd1 0-0 16 Nd4
Rfd8 17 Be3 Bd5, White only has the slightest of edges. Leko managed to
extract a little more from the position, but only after his opponent spurned a
drawing continuation: 18 Rdc1 Bf8 19 Ne2 Ne6 20 f4 c5 21 f5 Nd4 22 Nxd4
cxd4 23 Bxd4 Bxg2 24 Kxg2 Rxd4 25 Bb3
 25 ... Rf4?! (better is 25 ... Rd2+ 26 Kf3 Rad8 27 Rc7 R8d3+ 28 Kf4
Rd4+ with perpetual check, or 26 Kg1 Rad8 27 Rc7 Re2 28 Rxf7 Kh8 29
Kf1 Rxe5 with equality) 26 Rc7! Rxf5 27 Rf1 Rxf1 28 Kxf1 Kh8 29 Bxf7 and
Black faced a difficult long-term defence which eventually cracked.
12 Re1 0-0 13 Nb3
Ivanchuk has also experienced success with 13 Nf1, beating GMs
Tukmakov and Hjartarson. The general idea is to transfer the knight to g3, and
after 13 ... Bh5 and ... Bg6, Ivanchuk would soften up the black kingside with
h2-h4-h5.
13 ... Qd7
This queen shift connects the rooks on the back rank, as well as allowing
the queen’s knight to reroute to e6 via d8 in some lines.
14 Nxc5 Bxc5 15 h3!
The standard luft-creating kick is trickier than it looks in this position.
15 ... Be6
There is no good reason to give up the bishop with 15 ... Bxf3 16 Qxf3
Nd8 17 h4 Ne6 18 h5, when White’s bishop pair gives him good kingside
attacking chances.

Exercise: What’s wrong with maintaining the pin after 15 ... Bh5,
with the idea of contesting the b1-h7 diagonal by ... Bg6 - ?


(Clue: Why did Ivanchuk deflect Black’s dark-squared bishop to c5?)

Answer: Black would be hit by the good old Greek Gift sacrifice: 16
Bxh7+! Kxh7 (it is futile to play 16 ... Kh8 17 Bc2 Nd8, as after 18 Re4! Bg6
19 Rh4+ Kg8 20 Bxg6 fxg6 21 Rg4, Black has a wretched position) 17 Ng5+
Kg6 18 g4 Bxg4 19 hxg4 Rae8 20 Qd3+ f5 21 e6 Qd6 22 Bd2 and Black’s
king is precariously placed on g6, while White’s passed e6-pawn is very
secure despite being surrounded by the black pieces.
White’s position is so good that after 22 ... Ne5, he can even afford to
sacrifice an exchange with 23 Rxe5! Qxe5 24 Re1 Qd6 25 Re2! (guarding
against ... Bxf2+ tricks) 25 ... c6 26 Nf7 (cutting off the rook’s access to f5)
26 ... Rxf7, finishing with 27 Qh3!! and Black is toast.
16 Nd4

Question: What’s the purpose of centralizing the knight rather than
developing the queen bishop? How should Black react to this plan?

Answer: I’ll leave it to Open Spanish expert Krasenkow to answer this.
In his 1995 book The Open Spanish, he noted that one of White’s main plans
is playing c2-c3 followed by Nf3-d4 and, after ... Nxd4/c3xd4, to fix the
black c-pawn on c7 or c6. Krasenkow mused that Black should therefore
either avoid the exchange on d4 entirely or quickly push ... c7-c5 after the
exchange. In this game, Haba did not even get a whiff of a chance to play ...
c7-c5 without repercussions!
Another strong idea is 16 Qd3!? g6 17 Bh6 Rfe8 18 Qd2 and White
retains his spatial plus, as well as opportunities to create havoc on the
kingside with Qf4, Ng5 and h4-h5.
16 ... Nxd4
Black has to play this or risk fighting against White’s bishop pair after an
eventual Nxe6. Retreating to cover the kingside dark squares with 16 ... Be7
does not achieve much after 17 Qd3 g6 18 Nxe6 fxe6 19 Re2 Rf7 20 Qg3,
when White has a powerful grip on the position.
17 cxd4 Be7

 Question: Why not 17 ... Bb6 with the idea of lending support to the ...
c7-c5 break?

Answer: Black’s dark-squared bishop, in vacating the kingside, allows
White to take control of the dark squares there.
White can weaken the opposing king’s pawn cover with 18 Qh5 g6 19
Qh4, when Black would really wish his bishop was helping out in defensive
duties. For example, after 19 ... Rfc8 20 Bg5 c5 21 Bf6 Qe8 22 f4! cxd4 23
Bd3 Bd8 24 f5 Bd7 25 e6! Bxf6 26 Qxf6 Bc6 27 Rac1 Bb7 28 Rxc8 Rxc8 29
Qg5, Black has just about run out of moves, while White can pick and choose
whether to win by decimating the kingside or by pushing the e-pawn further,
supported by the f-pawn.
18 Be3

Strengthening his grip on c5.

18 ... f5
Black takes the chance to stake out some kingside territory - if allowed,
that is.

Exercise: If instead 18 ... Rac8, supporting ... c7-c5 again,
what can White do to prevent the threatened break?

 Answer: Contest the c-file with 19 Rc1! (it is tougher for White to make
headway after 19 Qb1 g6 20 b4 a5 21 a3 Ra8 22 Qb2 Ra6, when Black plans
to double on the a-file) 19 ... f6 (of course not 19 ... c5? 20 dxc5 Bxc5 21
Bxc5 Rxc5 22 Bxh7+ and wins) 20 exf6 Bxf6 21 Qd3 g6 22 Qd2 and White
has a persistent edge due to Black’s inability to free his game.
19 exf6
Ivanchuk wants to retain the opportunity to target and probe Black’s
kingside. Hence, he captures the pawn en passant, even if it accords Black
more space than before.

Question: Why not 19 Rc1 again, with a gradual build-up on the c-file?

Answer: In that case Black can get counterchances on the kingside with
19 ... f4 20 Bd2 f3 and probably only animals like Stockfish, Komodo, Gull
and Critter or magicians like Houdini could defend this sort of position with
impunity.
An alternative interesting plan is 19 f4 Rac8 20 Rc1 a5 21 Kh2 a4 (21 ...
c5 still isn’t possible, as it loses a pawn after 22 dxc5 Bxc5 23 Bxc5 Rxc5
24 Bxf5) 22 Rg1 with the idea of storming the kingside.
19 ... Bxf6
Black should be generally happy with how the opening turned out, as
White’s slightly superior pawn structure and better-placed pieces don’t seem
to amount to much. However, in the hands of Ivanchuk, this type of
disadvantage is extremely serious as he is phenomenal at the art of improving
such positions by annexing more and more space.
Note that 19 ... Rxf6?? is not possible, as White simply scythes down the
kingside pawns after 20 Bg5 Rf7 21 Bxe7 Rxe7 22 Qh5 g6 (or 22 ... h6 23
Qg6 Kf8 24 Re5 Rae8 25 f4 and Black is getting asphyxiated) 23 Bxg6! hxg6
24 Qxg6+ Kh8 25 Qf6+ Kg8 26 Re5 with a murderous attack.
20 Rc1
 A sneaky move, tempting Black to free his game by exploiting the indirect
hit on b2.
20 ... Rac8
Black bides his time and puts the ball back in Ivanchuk’s court. Another
possibility is 20 ... Rf7 21 Bd3 g6, intending ... Be7-d6 to protect the c7
weakness while trying to drum up play on the f-file.
Haba doesn’t fall for 20 ... c5?? 21 dxc5 Bxb2 22 Bxh7+ Kxh7 23 Qc2+
Bf5 24 Qxb2 and White is a clear pawn up with the stronger bishop and safer
king.
21 Qd3
Now we get a demonstration of how Ivanchuk applies the “tighten the
screws” technique to a ‘+=’ position. He first forces another pawn onto a
light square, making Black’s d7-bishop a sorrier-looking piece.
21 ... g6 22 Qd2
Getting out of the way of ... Bf5, as White definitely does not want to
trade light-squared bishops. He has another idea in mind though ...
22 ... c6
In order to oppose light-squared bishops, Black has to prevent a rook
invasion to c6. Not yet 22 ... Bf5?, as White can penetrate the queenside with
23 Bxf5 Qxf5 24 Rc6 and the black queenside pawns are doomed.
23 Bg5!
 Playing to trade off Black’s ‘good’ bishop which has its eye on the d4-
pawn. If these bishops are removed, the white rook will have access to the
e5-square.
23 ... Bf5
Black allows the trade, since if 23 ... Bg7, White simply piles on the e-
file with 24 Re2 Rfe8 25 Rce1 Bf8 26 Bf6 and the bishop plants itself on e5,
securing a nagging spatial plus.
If instead 23 ... Bxg5 24 Qxg5 Qf7 25 f3 Rce8, then 26 h4 Qf4 27 Rcd1
Qxg5 28 hxg5 leaves Black in a slightly inferior ending.
24 Bxf6 Rxf6
Black can lose the game immediately with the howler 24 ... Bxc2?? 25
Re7! and the fat lady is singing.
25 Bb3!
 No trade. Ivanchuk keeps the better bishop and now begins his full-court
press.
25 ... Rcf8?!
With hindsight, I believe Black should seize the chance to trade a pair of
rooks, in order to gain more breathing space for his pieces: 25 ... Re6 26
Rxe6 Bxe6 27 Re1 with only a slight edge for White; while after 26 Re5
Rxe5 27 dxe5 Qe7 28 Qd4 Be6, Black is very solidly placed. If White
invades the queenside with 29 Qb6, Black can unleash the temporary pawn
sacrifice 29 ... c5! intending 30 Qxa6 c4 31 Bc2 Bxh3! 32 gxh3 Qg5+ 33 Kh2
Qf4+ 34 Kg2 Qg5+ with a draw by perpetual check.
26 Re3
Preparing to double on the e-file.
26 ... Kg7
Now 26 ... Re6 is less effective, as 27 Re5 Rxe5 28 dxe5 Rc8 (or 28 ...
Be6 29 Qd4 and White is still in control) 29 Qd4 Qe7 30 Bd1 Be6 31 b4!
leaves him in a bind.
27 Rce1 Qd6 28 Re5
 The die is cast. Ivanchuk gets his desired slow-burn squeeze-and-choke
position. The rook on e5 discourages Black’s freeing ... c6-c5 move as it
would leave d5 en prise.
28 ... R8f7 29 R1e3
Part of the master plan to gain space. With this rook lift, Ivanchuk
prepares the general advance of the kingside pawns.
29 ... Bd7 30 f3
Slowly but surely, Ivanchuk sets his kingside pawn storm in motion.
30 ... Rf4!
Targeting White’s only weakness on d4, thus reminding Ivanchuk that
Black does have some possibilities.
31 Bd1!
 A subtle switchback which protects the f-pawn and enables the g-pawn to
advance.
31 ... Qf6?
This logical-looking move has one flaw. It does not prevent Ivanchuk
from mobilizing his kingside pawns.

Exercise: Was there a way for Haba to prevent the white invasion?

Answer: Yes. The steep and narrow path was to place the rook on a
seemingly ridiculous square with 31 ... Rh4!. This prevents g2-g3
immediately (as the h3-pawn would drop off) and keeps a lateral eye on the
d4-pawn as well. White cannot take advantage of the wayward rook as
Black’s pieces are too well concentrated on the kingside; for example, 32 b4
Bc8 33 Re1 Qf6 34 Qf2 Bd7 and White has not made progress.
32 g3
Ivan-choke in action. The f4-rook gets chased away and Black is denied
the h4-square as well.
32 ... Rf5 33 Qe1
This formation - trebling on an open file with the queen at the back - is
known as Alekhine’s Gun, after the late World Champion who used this set-up
to defeat Nimzowitsch at San Remo 1930.
 33 ... Qd6
Eyeing an opportunity to play ... c6-c5. The immediate 33 ... c5 34 dxc5
d4 35 R3e4 Rxe5 36 Rxe5 Bxh3 37 f4 allows White to retain a strong grip on
the position.
34 b4!
Ivanchuk bolts the gate shut and consigns Haba to the thankless job of
staving off the continual grind without counterplay.
34 ... Bc8

Question: Can’t Black escape the bind with 34 ... Rxe5
35 dxe5 Qe6, since he gains a tempo on the loose h3-pawn?

Answer: White keeps the lid on his activity with 36 Qc3!, and Black
can’t take on h3 due to the discovered check, while after 36 ... Kg8 37 h4,
White’s spatial edge persists.

Exercise: What is Ivanchuk’s plan now that he
has obtained his optimum heavy piece set-up?

Answer: It’s time to weaken the black kingside!
35 h4!
 Ivanchuk’s powerful grip on the whole board grants him the freedom to
make such space-gaining advances without repercussions. The white king is
perfectly safe even if his pawn cover is far flung.
35 ... Rxe5
Haba tries to alleviate the pressure with this exchange. If Black stems the
h-pawn advance with 35 ... h5, White forces him to concede more space with
36 Qc3, overprotecting f3 and pressurizing c6 at the same time, thus freeing
the bishop. After 36 ... Bd7 37 Bc2 Rxe5 (or 37 ... R5f6 38 f4) 38 dxe5 Qe6
39 f4, White keeps control of his greater territory.
36 Rxe5 Bd7 37 Kg2
There’s no hurry with those pawns. Instead, Ivanchuk simply improves his
king position and frees up his bishop for greener pastures.
37 ... Kf8
Haba readies himself for another rook exchange on the e-file.
38 Bc2!

Exercise: The move is a fairly obvious one, aiming at the kingside
pawns, but
the idea behind it is insidious. What happens if Black plays as he
intended?

 38 ... Kg7
Haba realized what White was up to and abandoned his plans.
Answer: Ivanchuk was waiting for the trade of rooks with 38 ... Re7? 39
Rxe7 Qxe7 40 Qxe7+ Kxe7, since Black is totally lost in the bishop ending
after 41 g4!. For example: 41 ... Kf7 42 Kg3 Kf6 43 Kf4 Be8 44 g5+ Ke6 45
h5! Kd6 46 Bxg6!! Bxg6 (46 ... hxg6 47 h6 is simple) 47 hxg6 hxg6 48 Kg4
Ke7 49 f4 Ke6 50 f5+ gxf5+ 51 Kf4 and Black is forced to back up and shed
all his pawns.
39 h5!
Softening up kingside pawns. Things are getting critical for Black.
39 ... Qf6 40 Qe3!
Maintaining White’s iron grip over the whole board and, in particular,
control of the c1-h6 diagonal.
40 ... Bg4??
Haba, probably in trying to make the time control, spots a trick, goes for
it, and loses on the spot.
To be fair, the options aren’t that palatable either:
a) 40 ... gxh5 41 Rxh5 h6 is met simply by 42 Re5, followed by f3-f4, and
White retains all his positional advantages.
b) 40 ... Rf8 41 g4 Rf7 42 Kg3 Qd6 43 Qg5 Rf6 44 hxg6 hxg6 45 f4 Qxb4
is also futile, since 46 Bxg6! Rxg6 47 Qe7+ Qxe7 48 Rxe7+ Kf8 49 Rxd7
gives White excellent winning chances.

Exercise: White to play and win.

Answer: Zwischenzug.
41 h6+ 1-0
Haba resigned, as the bishop is lost after 41 ... Kg8 42 Re8+ Rf8 43 Rxf8+
Kxf8 44 fxg4. But not 41 fxg4?? Qf1+ 42 Kh2 Rf2+ and Black wins.

Summary: Despite trying to play actively to counteract Ivanchuk’s whole-

board grand strategy, Haba succumbed in the end, eventually cracking under
the persistent pressure.
Chapter Two
A ‘Rook Awakening’ ...
I have noticed that Ivanchuk is particularly adept at the ‘mysterious rook
move’ - that is, developing a rook to a completely closed file, either in
anticipation that the file will open up in the near future, or to prevent
opponents from playing moves that will open the file themselves. Hence,
“intuitive prophylaxis” is a good phrase to describe this rook sortie.

However, for Ivanchuk, there may be more to it than preventing the

opposition from realizing a certain course of action. In Dorfman-Ivanchuk
(Game 11), he doubled his rooks on a closed file and used a combination of
strategic and tactical threats to prise the file open later. Zapata-Ivanchuk
(Game 12) saw him put a rook on a seemingly useless square in order to
commence an attack on the enemy king without allowing counterplay. Against
Michael Adams (Game 15), he paradoxically pulled his rook back from the
fourth rank to defend a pawn from behind, so that he could start a kingside
attack without interference. In the rest of the examples, Ivanchuk shifted his
rooks adroitly to prevent his opponents from starting aggressive overtures by
overprotecting key squares indirectly.
Of course, the ‘rook awakening’ alone cannot win games, though the
psychological impact may play a part in the final result (for example, in the
win over Zapata). All the same, they do help Ivanchuk steer towards a
situation where he is in control and hence can dictate the direction of the
game. Perhaps I’m reading too much into this concept, so if you think I’m
talking rubbish, just enjoy the way Ivanchuk scuttles his opponents’ plans
along the way to victory.

Game 11
J.Dorfman-V.Ivanchuk
Barcza Memorial, Debrecen 1988
English Opening

1 c4 e5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 0-0

This system of play against the Reversed Sicilian gained traction after
GM Tony Kosten’s advocacy of it in The Dynamic English. White holds back
his central pawns and queen’s knight, seeking to decide how best to advance
them at the most opportune time.
6 ... Be7
The following debacle actually occurred in a Singapore versus Malaysia
challenge match: 6 ... Bd6?! 7 d4! Be6?? 8 e4! and Black is bound to lose a
piece after d4-d5, J.Tay-A.Che Hassan, Singapore 2001.
7 d4
The beauty of this move order (delaying Nc3 and d2-d3) is that White
gets the d4 central advance in one move instead of two, as often seen when
White plays an early d2-d3.
7 ... e4
Black must continue actively at the cost of structural considerations. After
7 ... exd4?! 8 Nxd4 Nxd4 9 Qxd4 Nf6 10 Qa4+, White has a space advantage
and the stronger bishops, as well as mobile central pawns.
8 Ne5 f5 9 Nxc6 bxc6

In exchange for the weak doubled pawns on the c-file, Black has a space
advantage, thanks to the pawn wedge on e4, blunting the g2-bishop, and a
centralized knight on d5. Structurally, the position is pretty suspect for Black;
hence it is imperative for him to play actively before White works up enough
pressure to win the front c-pawn.
 10 Nc3
The principled continuation is 10 Nd2 to clamp down on c5 after 10 ... 0-
0 11 Nb3. Then in Wang Hao-S.Rublevsky, European Club Cup 2011, Black
went for an unsound kingside attack with 11 ... Qd6?! 12 Qc2 Qg6 13 Bd2 f4,
when the top Chinese GM coolly annexed the queenside with 14 Rfc1 Rf6 15
Na5 f3 16 exf3 exf3 17 Qxg6 hxg6 18 Bf1, reaching a positionally won game.
Instead, 11 ... Bd6! 12 Bd2 Qe8 13 e3 was N.Vitiugov-A.Motylev, at the
same event, the very next day. Here Vitiugov considered 13 ... Ba6 14 Re1
Rb8 15 Rc1 Kh8 to be slightly better for Black and hence indicated that
White should prefer 13 Qc2, although after 13 ... e3 14 fxe3 Nxe3 15 Bxe3
Qxe3+ 16 Rf2 f4 17 Qc1 Be6!?, he thought Black should hold.
10 ... 0-0 11 Qa4
White starts to put pressure on those c-file weakies.
11 ... Qd6!?

A multi-purpose move, defending the c-pawn as well as adding to the

control of b4.

Question: Doesn’t this lose a tempo after White captures d5 and plays
Bf4 - ?

12 Nxd5 cxd5 13 Bf4
 Answer: Yes, it does - but Black has the counter move:
13 ... Qa6!

Ivanchuk offers the exchange of queens as he is slightly ahead in

development and the g2-bishop is currently biting granite. Black just has
enough time to drum up enough play to eradicate his remaining c-pawn
weakness.
14 Qc2!
Declining Black’s offer. With the queens on the board, White can still
keep up the pressure on the c-file; whereas after 14 Qxa6 Bxa6, he has no
time to exploit the c7-weakness as his own e2-pawn is en prise; for example,
15 Rfe1 (or 15 Rfc1 Bxe2 16 Rxc7 Bf6 17 Be3 Rfb8 18 b3 a5 19 Rc5 a4) 15
... Rfc8 16 e3 c5 gives Black an easy game.
14 ... c6
 Now comes a series of consolidating moves by both sides, focussing
respectively on the c-file (White) and b-file (Black).
15 Rfc1 Bd7 16 e3 Qb6 17 Bf1 a5 18 Rab1
Black doesn’t seem to have much to do after this. Storming the kingside
pawns looks a trifle too loosening and his queenside play appears to have
halted.
18 ... Ra7!
 When I first looked at this game, I thought, “Whoa! A mysterious rook
move!” Then it began to make sense to me. The b8-square is off-limits,
because of the f4-bishop raking the h2-b8 diagonal. In fact it’s not obvious
where Black’s rooks should go, unless you consider placing one on the c-file
with the possibly vain hope of eventually playing ... c6-c5. Putting a rook on
e8 and transferring it along the sixth rank seems a trifle clumsy too. Thus
Ivanchuk’s little rook tuck to a7 allows Black to play ... Rb7 and apply more
pressure on b2. But in fact he has a different and more radical primary
concept.
19 Be2
German GM Christian Bauer later came up with the idea of opening the g-
file after 19 Qd1 Re8 20 Kg2 Rb7 21 Be2 Bf8 22 g4!?, when 22 ... fxg4 23
Bxg4 Qd8 24 Rc2 Bd6! 25 Bg3 Rf8 26 Rbc1 Bxg3 27 hxg3 Kh8 28 Bxd7
Qxd7 led to a nominally equal position, though White later failed to stave off
a kingside pawn storm and lost, C.Bauer-J.Smejkal, German League 1996.
19 ... Rfa8!?
 Now we’re really on Planet Ivanchuk! Why has he doubled rooks on the
closed a-file? Then it dawned on me that Black doesn’t need the rooks on the
b-file to put pressure on the queenside. With this set-up, White will have a
very hard time setting up a favourable bind on c5 with b2-b4, since that
would allow Black to open up the a-file where doubled rooks are ready to
invade.
20 Kh1
Having nothing really constructive to do on either side of the board,
White makes a pass.
20 ... Qd8!

Question: What’s with the exclamation mark?
I mean, isn’t this just undeveloping the queen?

Answer: Wait and see.
21 Be5
Improving the bishop’s position - or so it seems. Black will play ... g7-g5
to gain space and kick the bishop from f4 in the near future in any case. Trying
to maintain the bishop where it is by playing 21 h4 seems suicidal with the
white pieces bunched on the queenside.
 21 ... Qe8!
The point of Black’s ... Qd8 was to get to e8. Ivanchuk’s idea is to coax
the white bishop to e5 (or drive it there with ... g7-g5 as indicated) and then
play for ... c7-c5, exploiting the fact that d4xc5 would leave the bishop
hanging. In other words, rather than White having improved his bishop, the
e5-square is exactly where Ivanchuk wanted it to go to.
22 Bd1 Bf8 23 Qe2?!
Overlooking Black’s threat.
23 ... c5!
Black is taking over the whole queenside, and if White allows ... c5-c4,
he faces the irony of ceding more territory despite his own forces being
concentrated there.
24 b3
If White gives up the queenside in favour of a kingside assault with 24 f4
c4 25 Qg2, the game might continue 25 ... a4 26 g4 fxg4 27 Bxg4 Qg6!, when
the attack is nullified and Black can focus his attention on the weak b-pawn
with ... Rb7.
24 ... a4
Suddenly, those doubled rooks on the a-file don’t look so “mysterious”
after all.
25 f4 axb3 26 axb3 Bb5
 The bishop heads for juicy d3-square, which will cause traffic congestion
in the white ranks.
27 Qd2 Bd3 28 dxc5!

After 28 Rb2 c4, Dorfman would have to deal with the ‘lobster’ on d3, as
well as a strong c4-pawn. His only chance is to sacrifice the exchange and
hope that the connected passed pawn(s) will give him sufficient
compensation.
28 ... Bxb1 29 Rxb1 Qb5!
Unfortunately for White, the c5-pawn is untenable.
30 Be2
30 b4?? Qf1 checkmate would be an ignoble end to the game.
30 ... Qxc5 31 b4
White banks on this remaining passed pawn to give counterchances.
31 ... Qc6 32 b5 Qb7 33 Bd1?!
Probably demoralized, Dorfman allows the black rooks to come storming
in. The best chance of resistance would begin with 33 Rb2, preventing an
incursion at a2.
33 ... Ra2 34 Qd4 R2a5!
 A switchback move, bringing to mind a Nimzowitschian maxim: The
passed pawn must be kept under lock and key. Ivanchuk starts to surround the
pawn.
35 Qb2?!
Perhaps in time trouble, Dorfman just defends the pawn.

Exercise: What would have been the best way to make Ivanchuk work for
the win?

Answer: White should try 35 b6!. Then after 35 ... Bc5 36 Qc3 Bxb6 37
Qb2 Qa6 38 Be2 Ra2 39 Bxa6 Rxb2 40 Rxb2 Rxa6, Black is a pawn up, but
converting it to a win is another issue.
35 ... Bc5!
Now the b5-pawn is halted in its quest to advance.
36 Qd2 Bb6 37 g4!
Dorfman realizes that he must do something drastic before the ... Ra2
invasion commences, and tries to complicate matters by threatening to create
trouble near the black king.

Exercise: How Ivanchuk might combine defence and attack
simultaneously?

37 ... Ra2
Answer: 37 ... Qd7! allows Black to attack b5 and defend f5 at the same
time. After 38 gxf5 Rxb5 39 Rc1 Qxf5, White cannot muster up sufficient
compensation for Black’s material advantage. Ivanchuk prefers active rook
play to pilfering the b-pawn, but this allows White more counterplay.
Note that 37 ... fxg4?! would be inviting trouble, as after 38 Bxg4 Re8 39
Qc3 Qf7 40 Qc6!, it is now Black who must fight to survive.
38 Qc3! Rc8!
Accurate play. White cannot be allowed to use his queen on the c-file and
the long dark diagonal.

Question: Why not try to double rooks on the second rank starting with
38 ... Rf2 - ?

Answer: White can resist strongly with 39 Bb3! fxg4 40 Qc6! Qxc6 41
bxc6 Rd2 42 c7, giving Black a more torrid time.
39 Qb4 Bxe3?
 One move before time control, Ivanchuk falters again and nearly let
Dorfman off the hook. Either 39 ... Qd7 40 gxf5 Rc5 41 Qe1 Rxb5 or 39 ...
Nc5 40 Qc3 Ra3 41 Bb3 fxg4 keeps White honest.

Exercise: What was wrong with capturing the e-pawn?

40 Qd6!?
Answer: Dorfman had the powerful reply 40 Qb3!, forking rook and
bishop. Even so, the white king is so exposed that Black is in no danger of
losing. He can nonchalantly give up the bishop for queenside play with 40 ...
Ra5! (another tricky line is 40 ... Qa7 41 Qxd5+ Kh8 42 Bxg7+! Qxg7 43
Qxa2 with an unclear position) 41 Qxe3 Rxb5 42 Rxb5 Qxb5; for example,
43 Kg2 Ra8 44 Qc3 Qc4! (trading queens lessens the influence of White’s
bishop pair) 45 Qxc4 dxc4 46 gxf5 Ra2+ and Black has sufficient activity to
hold the balance.
However, White has strong counterplay after the text move too, and
Ivanchuk has to wend his way through the minefield to emerge unscathed.
40 ... Re8
White’s e5-bishop is a real nuisance, so Ivanchuk prepares to trade it
away and boot the queen off its active square without allowing Qe6+.
41 gxf5 Ba7
 42 Qc6!?
Trusting that his bishop pair will be enough to nullify the material deficit,
in the event that Black trades queens. Other options:
a) Stockfish suggests 42 Bb3! Rd2 43 Qb4 Rd3 44 b6! Qxb6 45 Qa4,
when Black has to give up the queen to reach a level ending after 45 ... Rd8
46 Bxd5+ R3xd5 47 Bxb6 Bxb6 48 Qxe4.
b) The careless 42 Bh5?? runs into 42 ... Bb8! 43 Qc6 Qxc6 44 bxc6
Bxe5 45 Bxe8 Bxf4 46 Bd7 Rxh2+ 47 Kg1 Rd2 and Black’s connected
passed centre pawns call the shots.
42 ... Qf7!
Playing for the win. After 42 ... Qxc6 43 bxc6 Rc8, White should be able
to hold fairly easily with 44 c7 e3 45 Bg4 Rc2 46 Rb7 e2 47 Bxe2 Rxe2 48
Rxa7 Kf7 49 Ra3 Rc2 50 Rd3, since Black cannot make progress unless he
returns the exchange with ... Rxc7 at some point, but then the ending is drawn.
43 b6 Bb8
 44 Bxb8
Dorfman seems to be playing for a win! Otherwise he could mobilize his
pieces to their best squares by 44 Bb3! Rd2 45 Bc3, when Black must take a
draw by perpetual check with 45 ... Rxh2+! (after 45 ... Rd3 46 Rg1 Rxc3 47
Qxc3 e3! 48 Qd4 Kf8 49 Bxd5, White is the only one with winning chances)
46 Kxh2 Qh5+ 47 Kg1 Qg4+ 48 Kf1 Qf3+ 49 Ke1 Qh1+ etc.
44 ... Rxb8 45 Qd6!?
White combines threats to d5 together with the passed b-pawn to unsettle
his opponent. Objectively, 45 b7 was stronger, when 45 ... Qxf5 (if 45 ... Ra7
then 46 Qc8+! Qf8 47 Qc7) 46 Qd6 h6! 47 Qxb8+ Kh7 48 Qc8 (or 48 Qc7
Qh3 49 Bc2 Qf3+ etc) 48 ... Qxf4 49 Qh3 Rxh2+! 50 Qxh2 Qf1+ 51 Qg1
Qh3+ leads to another draw.
Now Ivanchuk digs in and shows his defensive acumen. One of the
toughest aspects of chess is to adjust to a change in the game situation, as it is
psychologically very unsettling to find the initiative suddenly switching over
to your opponent.
45 ... Raa8!
 Black’s rook returns to help secure the d5-pawn with ... Rd8, nullifying
any ideas of Bb3. For instance, 45 ... Qb7? would be met by 46 Bb3 Ra5 (or
46 ... Rd2) 47 f6!, when White has very strong threats such as Rg1 or Rc1-c7.
46 Bb3?
Ivanchuk’s persistence pays off as Dorfman goes wrong. Now Black is
able to shore up d5 and Ivanchuk doesn’t let up this time.

Exercise: There was one last chance for Dorfman to equalize. Can you
find it?

Answer: White must play the Houdini-like (indeed, it’s Houdini which
showed the way) 46 Ba4! h6 (not 46 ... Rd8? because of 47 b7! Rab8 48
Qxd8+! and wins) 47 Bc6 Rd8 48 b7 (not 48 Qe6? Rab8 49 Rb5 due to 49 ...
e3! 50 Bxd5 Qxe6 51 Bxe6+ Kh7 52 Kg2 Rd2+ 53 Kg3 e2 54 Re5 Rxb6 with
good winning chances for Black) 48 ... Rab8 49 Qe5! and the strong b7-pawn
is sufficient to hold the game; for example, 49 ... Kh7 (or 49 ... e3 50 Qxe3
Qxf5 51 Rd1) 50 Rg1 Qf6 51 Rg6 Qxe5 52 fxe5 Rf8 53 Bxd5 Rxf5 54 Rg4
Rxe5 55 Bxe4+ Rxe4 56 Rxe4 Rxb7 with a book draw.
46 ... Rd8!
Forced, but also decisive. Now White’s hope of saving the game is
negligible. Note that he cannot answer with 47 b7 because the bishop is
obstructing his rook on the b-file.
47 Qe5 Kh8 48 Qxe4
A good try. Dorfman hopes that an exchange of queens will renew his
chances in the endgame. The direct 48 Qe6 was no good, since Black can go
on the counter-attack with 48 ... Qh5! and if 49 f6 Qf3+ 50 Kg1 then 50 ...
Qc3! (not 50 ... Qxf4?! as White gets back on track after 51 Bxd5 Re8 52
Qf7) 51 b7 (or 51 Qe5 Qxe5 52 fxe5 gxf6 53 exf6 Rab8) 51 ... Rab8 52 Bxd5
gxf6! 53 Bxe4 Re8 and White is lost.
48 ... Rab8!

After this, White has no more gas left in the tank. There was no need for
Black to exchange queens, especially as 48 ... dxe4?! 49 Bxf7 e3 (or 49 ...
Rab8 50 Rb4) 50 Re1 Rab8 51 Rxe3 Rxb6 52 Kg2 Rbd6 53 h4 gives White
excellent prospects for a draw.
49 Qd3
Once the b6-pawn falls and the black king is out of the glare of White’s
queen and bishop battery, Ivanchuk can counter-attack without reservations.
If White retreats the bishop with 49 Ba2, Black can play 49 ... Qd7! (still
not 49 ... dxe4?! 50 Bxf7, as even after 50 ... Rd2 51 Kg1 e3 52 Bh5 e2 53
Kf2 Rd1 54 Rxd1 exd1Q 55 Bxd1 Rxb6, it is unclear how Black makes
progress) 50 Qe6 (or 50 Qd4 Qxf5) 50 ... d4 51 Qxd7 (or 51 f6!? d3 52 f7
Qxe6 53 Bxe6 d2) 51 ... Rxd7 52 Be6 Rdb7 53 Rb5 Rxb6 54 Rd5 Rb2! 55
Rxd4 Ra8 56 Rd1 h5 and the active rooks give Black a winning endgame.
49 ... Rxb6 50 Rd1 Qh5!

There’s no need to look after d5 now, as White has no defence against the
final wave of attack.
51 Rd2 Rb4 52 Qc3 Rxf4 53 Rxd5 Rf1+ 54 Kg2 Qe2+ 0-1
White loses the queen next move or gets mated; i.e. 55 Kh3 (or 55 Kg3
Rg2+ 54 Kh4 Qg4 mate) 55 ... Rf3+ and in fact Houdini declares mate in nine
anyway; e.g. 56 Qxf3 Qxf3+ 57 Kh4 Re8 58 Rd4 Qf2+ 59 Kh3 Qxd4 60 Be6
Ra8 and ... Ra3+ etc.
Summary: A titanic struggle; even after Ivanchuk outplayed Dorfman in
the first half of the game with his unique doubled rooks on the a-file concept,
the latter fought back gallantly and took the game to him. Ivanchuk just had
enough defensive acumen to stave off the threats and start an unstoppable
attack.

Game 12
A.Zapata-V.Ivanchuk
Manila Interzonal 1990
French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nd2
 Initiating the Tarrasch Variation of the French, in which White defends the
e4-pawn without allowing the queen’s knight to be pinned by ... Bb4, and
prepares to support the d-pawn with c2-c3.
3 ... c5
Black attacks the white centre immediately.
4 Ngf3
The most common follow-up is 4 exd5 exd5, where Black frequently
accepts an isolated d-pawn after an eventual d4xc5; and if he doesn’t like
that, he can play 4 ... Qxd5 instead (as in the game).
Another possibility is 4 c3 cxd4 5 cxd4 dxe4 6 Nxe4, where it is White
who accepts an isolated d-pawn. This line is in the repertoire of Ukrainian
GM Alexey Kislinsky.
4 ... cxd4 5 exd5 Qxd5

Typically, this variation’s pawn exchanges will result in White

controlling the central squares with pieces, while Black retains a small centre
with the e6-pawn.
6 Bc4 Qd6 7 0-0 Nf6 8 Nb3 Nc6 9 Nbxd4 Nxd4 10 Nxd4
If White wants an early endgame, he can head for 10 Qxd4 Qxd4 11 Nxd4
with a slight initiative, though Black has had little trouble defending this in
practice; for example, 11 ... Bd7 12 Be2 Bc5 13 Nb3 Bb6 14 a4 a5 15 c4
Bc6 16 Bf4 Ne4 17 Bf3 Nc5 18 Bxc6+ bxc6 19 Nxc5 Bxc5 20 Rfd1 Ke7
with equality, A.Motylev-V.Ivanchuk, FIDE Rapid Grand Prix, Moscow
2002.
10 ... a6 11 Bb3

Question: Why does White sometimes move the bishop
back to b3 unprovoked? Isn’t this a waste of a tempo?

Answer: It might seem so, but in most variations where White plays 11
Re1 or 11 c3, the bishop drops back to b3 anyway. One key point is that by
retreating from c4 straight away, White can play Bg5 without losing the
bishop pair after ... Qc5 (attacking both bishops).
11 ... Bd7

Question: Why not 11 ... Qc7, giving Black’s
dark-squared bishop free reign to develop?

Answer: 11 ... Qc7 is a good line too. The difference is that 11 ... Bd7
prevents White from playing 12 Qe2 or 12 Qf3, as the queen has to protect the
d4-knight.
12 Re1
Probably not the most accurate way to handle this line. White does better
to play 12 c3! Qc7 13 Qf3! (Ivanchuk won with 13 Bg5 Ne4?! 14 Bh4 Qf4 15
g3! Qh6 16 Qe2 in V.Ivanchuk-I.Glek, Frunze 1988, but simply 13 ... 0-0-0 is
preferable, not fearing 14 Bxf6 gxf6 15 Qh5 due to 15 ... Be8) 13 ... Bd6 (or
13 ... 0-0-0 14 Bf4) 14 h3 Bd6 15 Bg5, keeping a slight spatial edge.
12 ... 0-0-0!

The conditions are right for an all-out assault on White’s kingside. Black
will set up with ... Qc7 and ... Bd6, attacking the h2-pawn, and forcing White
to weaken his king’s cover with h2-h3 or g2-g3. This will give rise to pawn
levers ( ... g5-g4 or ... h5-h4), which Black can use to attack with a kingside
pawn storm.
13 c3
The alternative is 13 Bg5 Qc7 14 Qf3 Bd6 15 h3, when we see that White
has swapped c2-c3 (in the note to move 12) for the less useful Re1. This
enabled Kramnik to come up with a nifty queen centralizing concept: 15 ...
Qc5! (hitting the knight and bishop) 16 Be3 (taking on f6 is quite risky;
indeed, after 16 Bxf6 gxf6 17 Qxf6 Rhg8, K.Shiven-P.Girinath, New Delhi
2009, White didn’t want to take any chances and went for the ending with 18
Re3 Rg6 19 Qxg6 hxg6 20 Rc3 Qxc3 21 bxc3, when Black was slightly better
with the bishop pair and superior pawn structure despite being ‘half-a-pawn’
down) 16 ... Qe5 17 g3 Qe4 and chances are equal here, S.Tiviakov-
V.Kramnik, USSR Championship, Moscow 1991.
 13 ... Qc7 14 Qe2 Bd6 15 h3
Necessary, in order to safeguard the h-pawn; g2-g3 is never played in
these positions, as it is just too weakening.
15 ... Kb8
Black tucks his king safely away, before going all guns a-blazing with the
kingside assault.
16 Bg5?!

Question: Why is the dubious mark attached to this move?

Answer: At this juncture, putting the bishop on g5 only helps Black
accelerate his attack. White can’t really consider 17 Bxf6, since 17 ... gxf6
would open up the g-file for a black rook.
Having said that, even after 16 Be3, Black’s attack is already pretty swift.
For example, 16 ... Rhg8 17 a4 (better is 17 c4! g5 18 c5 Bf4 19 Rac1 with
an unclear game) 17 ... g5 18 a5 g4 19 h4 g3 20 f3 e5 21 Nc2 Bb5 22 c4 Bc6
23 Bb6?! Qe7 24 Bxd8, G.Lawitsch-H.Dobosz, Austrian Team Championship
1998, and now 24 ... Rxd8! (threatening ... Ng4!, followed by ... Qxh4) 25
Ne3 Bc5 26 Kf1 e4! looks virtually decisive.
16 ... h6 17 Bh4
Consistent with his plan (see the next move); otherwise the bishop might
have backed up to e3, with a similar position to the previous note. The fact
that Black can then play ... g7-g5 at once makes little difference as his h8-
rook belongs on the g-file then anyway. Moreover, the text move allows
Ivanchuk’s creativity to come into play.
17 ... Rhf8!?

Another one of Ivanchuk’s profound rook moves? As we’ve just seen, this
rook seemed destined for the g-file in readiness for the line-opening advance
... g7-g5-g4. Instead, he places it behind the f-pawn on a closed file. But
here’s where his strong sense of logic and calculation prowess prevails.
Ivanchuk had worked out that 17 ... g5 18 Bg3 would have walked into
Zapata’s ploy: 18 ... Bxg3 19 fxg3 Qxg3 20 Rf1, when Black is forced to
return the extra pawn due to the skewer down the f-file, and can only get an
equal position at best; for example, 20 ... Nd5 21 Bxd5 exd5 22 Rxf7 Rhf8 23
Raf1 Rxf7 24 Rxf7 Re8 25 Nf5 Qf4 26 Qf2 Bxf5 27 Qxf4+ (or 27 Rxf5 Re1+
28 Qxe1 Qxf5) 27 ... gxf4 28 Rxf5 Re2 29 Rxd5 Rxb2 30 a4 with a drawish
ending.
However, with the rook guarding f7, Black now threatens to win a pawn
with 18 ... g5 etc, and if he ever intends to push ... e6-e5, the f-pawn cannot
be captured by the bishop on b3 either. Ivanchuk’s move must have stunned
Zapata, who responded meekly to the turn of events.
18 Rad1?!
 Now Ivanchuk comes crashing through like a T-84 battle tank.
Zapata would have done better to play 18 Qf3 at once, and if 18 ... e5 then
19 Bxf6 (not yet 19 Nf5? due to 19 ... e4 20 Rxe4 Bc6, winning the exchange)
19 ... gxf6 20 Nf5 (after 20 Nc2 f5, Black’s central pawns give him the edge)
20 ... Bc6 21 Bd5 Bxd5 22 Qxd5 Bc5 23 Qe4 Rd2 24 Re2 defends.
Another option was 18 Qc4! to deflect the black queen away from c7.
Then after 18 ... Qa5 19 Rad1 g5 20 Bg3 Bxg3 21 fxg3 e5!?, the position
remains unclear.
18 ... g5 19 Qf3?
This was the resource Zapata had counted on after the dark-squared
bishop has been deflected to g3. Instead, he could have tried 19 Bg3 Bxg3 20
fxg3 Qxg3 21 Rf1 Ng8, when Black has an extra pawn, but at least White has
counterplay with his heavy pieces on the open files.

Exercise: How did Ivanchuk deal with the threat to his f6-knight?

Answer: He blocked the f-file, but only inserting after a very important
zwischenzug!
19 ... Bh2+!
If Black plays 19 ... Bf4 immediately, then 20 Bg3 e5 21 Nc2 g4 22 Qe2
gxh3 23 Qxe5 Qxe5 24 Rxe5 Bxg3 25 fxg3 and White has good survival
chances. For example, after 25 ... Ng4 26 Re2 h2+ 27 Kh1 Bb5 28 Rxd8+
Rxd8 29 c4 Bc6 30 Ne1, White is holding on.
Instead, 19 ... gxh4!? 20 Qxf6 Bf4 21 Qxh4 Rg8 gives Black some
compensation for the pawn, but Ivanchuk’s in-between move is more
powerful.
20 Kh1 Bf4
Now White must retreat the bishop or lose a piece.
21 Bg3 e5!
Clearing the c8-h3 diagonal with tempo, so that the d7-bishop can help
out in the attack.
22 Nc2
After 22 Bxf4 gxf4 23 Nc2 e4! 24 Qe2 Rg8, Black gets an automatic
attack.
22 ... g4 23 Qe2
Trying to get the queens off the board with 23 Bxf4 exf4 24 Qd3 gxh3 25
Qd6 doesn’t help White’s defence.

Exercise: How does Black maintain the attack?

Answer: 25 ... Ng4!! (despite the exchange of queens, the white king is
still harassed no end) 26 Qxc7+ Kxc7 27 Rd4 Nxf2+ 28 Kg1 and now:

Exercise: Find the elegant winning combination here please!

Answer: The classy 28 ... Rg8!! wins beautifully after 29 Kxf2 Rxg2+ 30
Kf1 f3 and White must give up a rook to prevent the h-pawn from promoting.
23 ... gxh3 24 gxh3
The point of the earlier bishop check is seen if White plays 24 Qxe5 Qxe5
25 Rxe5 Bxg3 26 fxg3 Ng4 27 Re2 (as in the line with 19 ... Bf4), since this
time Black wins with 27 ... Bb5! 28 Rxd8+ Rxd8, followed (once the white
rook moves out of the way) by 29 ... Bc6, thanks to the pin on the g2-pawn.
24 ... Rg8
The punches keep rolling, as Ivanchuk now attacks down the g-file.
25 Kh2

Exercise: Find the most forcing way for Black to bring the bacon home.

25 ... Rg5
The rook is heading for h5 to take care of the h3 weakie. It’s a good
move, but not the strongest.
Answer: The most conclusive continuation was to clear the b8-h2
diagonal with 25 ... e4! 26 Rg1 Rg5, threatening ... Rdg8, when White has no
defence. For example:
a) 27 Bxf4 Qxf4+ 28 Kh1 (or 28 Rg3 Nh5) 28 ... Rxg1+ 29 Rxg1 e3! 30
Nxe3 Bc6+ 31 Ng2 Rd2 32 Qe3 Qxf2 33 Qxf2 Rxf2 34 Kh2 Nh5, followed
by 35 ... Nf4 and wins.
b) 27 Qc4 Qe5 28 Qd4 Qf5 29 Bxf4+ (now forced) 29 ... Qxf4+ 30 Rg3
Nh5 31 Qd6+ Qxd6 32 Rxd6 Nxg3 33 fxg3 Rg6 and Black remains the
exchange up with a winning endgame.
26 Bxf7?
Preventing ... Rh5, but this allows Ivanchuk to return to the ... e5-e4 idea.
Houdini shows that White can put up more resistance with 26 Bxf4! exf4
27 Qc4! Rh5 (or 27 ... Bc6 28 Nb4!) 28 Qxc7+ Kxc7 29 Bxf7 Rxh3+ 30 Kg2
f3+ 31 Kg1 Rh8 (threatening ... Rh7-g7 and wins) 32 Rxd7+! Nxd7 33 Nd4
Nf6 (33 ... Rh7 can be met by 34 Bg6!, since 34 ... Rg7?? loses the rook to 35
Ne6+) 34 Re7+ Kb8 35 Be6 Rh5 36 Nxf3 Re8 37 Rxe8+ Nxe8 and this time
White has a pawn for the exchange, so a lot of grinding will be required in
order for Black to win.
26 ... e4!

Adding the queen into the mix.

27 Rg1 Rf8 28 Qc4
White hopes to trade queens to slow down the attack.

Exercise: If White retreats the bishop with 28 Bb3,
demonstrate the most decisive finish please.

Answer: Black has many ways to win in that case, but the strongest is 28
... Ng4+! 29 hxg4 Bxg4 and if 30 Qe1 or 30 Qc4 then 30 ... Rh5+ 31 Kg2
Bh3+ 32 Kh1 Bf1+ 33 Bh2 Rxh2 mate.
28 ... Bc6
No deal, says Ivanchuk, while gaining another tempo with a discovered
attack by the queen on the f7-bishop.
29 Be6 Nh5
Yes, everyone is invited to the party.
30 Nb4
And now for the exquisite finish:
 30 ... Bxg3+ 31 fxg3 Rf2+ 32 Kh1 Nxg3+ 33 Rxg3

Exercise: Please deliver the coup de grâce.

Answer: It’s mate in three.
33 ... Rh2+! 0-1
Zapata resigned without seeing through 33 ... Rh2+ 34 Kxh2 Qxg3+ 35
Kh1 Qg2 mate.
Summary: The “I got your number” move 17 ... Rhf8!? seemed to unsettle
Zapata, as he did not put up the best defence to Ivanchuk’s subsequent
powerful kingside assault.

Game 13
E.Alekseev-V.Ivanchuk
FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011
Caro-Kann Defence

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7 5 Nf3

A sedate line of the Smyslov system (4 ... Nd7), as both White and Black
develop their pieces smoothly on their natural squares. In Starting Out: The
Caro-Kann, GM Joe Gallagher noted that this is “the most solid and least
ambitious variation” as “White usually develops quietly and hopes to obtain a
small advantage to take into the middlegame.”
Had Alekseev gone for the ultra-sharp 5 Ng5 continuation, he might have
had to face 5 ... Ndf6, as in A.Shirov-V.Ivanchuk, Linares 1998, which
continued 6 Bc4 e6 7 Qe2 Bd6 8 Bd2 Qc7 9 0-0-0 b6 10 N1f3 h6 11 Nh3
Ne7 12 Ne5 c5 13 Bb5+ Kf8 and Black eventually triumphed after a
complicated, fluctuating struggle. Or perhaps not, seeing as Ivanchuk has
stuck to the standard 5 ... Ngf6 6 Bd3 e6 7 N1f3 Bd6 8 Qe2 h6 line in
subsequent games, but then you never know with Ivanchuk.
5 ... Ngf6 6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 7 c3
After 7 Bc4 Bf5, another Ivanchuk game saw 8 Qe2 (the Rumanian chess
master Sergiu Samarian demonstrated more than 60 years ago that 8 Ne5 is
not to be feared either after 8 ... e6 9 g4 Be4! 10 f3 Bd5 11 Bd3 b5! 12 Bf4
Bd6 and Black has no problems, J.Pogats-S.Samarian, Bucharest 1951) 8 ...
e6 9 Bg5 Qa5+ 10 c3 Bg4! 11 Qe5 Nd5 12 Nd2 (now Ivanchuk even seized
the initiative with a space grab, exploiting the placement of White’s queen
and bishop) 12 ... f6 13 Qg3 h5 14 h3 Bf5 15 Be3 g5 16 Qf3 g4 17 Qe2 gxh3
18 gxh3 0-0-0 and Black has a structural edge, S.Tiviakov-V.Ivanchuk,
Hoogeveen 2009. Tiviakov did eventually draw the game, but only after
Ivanchuk had made him suffer for 146 moves!

7 ... Bg4

Question: Why not 7 ... Bf5 instead? Isn’t this
the natural square for a Caro-Kann bishop?

Answer: The problem in this particular position is that, as in some
versions of the Scandinavian (1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5), White can target the
bishop with 8 Ne5! e6 9 g4 Bg6 (Black often has the option of ... Be4-d5 in
the Scandinavian, whereas 9 ... Be4?! 10 f3 Bd5?? of course fails to 11 c4
here) 10 h4, achieving a spatial plus.
It is very easy for Black to go wrong; for example, after 10 ... h5? (or 10
... Bd6 11 Qe2 Qa5? 12 Rh3! Bxe5? 13 dxe5 Nxg4 14 Qxg4 Qxe5+ 15 Re3
with an extra piece, I.Rogers-G.West, Canberra 1986) 11 g5 Nd5 12 Nxg6
fxg6 13 Qc2 Kf7 14 Rh3! Ne7 15 Bc4 Nf5 16 Rf3 Qd7 17 Rxf5+! gxf5 18
Qxf5+ Ke7 19 Qe4, White had a near decisive advantage due to the terrible
placement of Black’s pieces, especially his king, A.Karpov-V.Hort, Bugojno
1978.
8 h3 Bxf3 9 Qxf3 e6

Question: Why does Black give up the bishop pair so easily and, for that
matter, in the Two Knights’ variation (2 Nc3 d5 3 Nf3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Bg4 5 h3
Bxf3) as well?

Answer: Yes, Black parts with his light-squared bishop in both lines, but
the rest of his minor pieces develop smoothly and his c6/e6 pawn structure is
‘rock solid’, as long as he doesn’t lash out with ... e6-e5 or ... c6-c5 too
early. It is not easy for White to engineer a d4-d5 break as Black usually gets
to put pressure on the d-file quickly and, in the process, overprotect the d5-
square. Having said that, GMs Nigel Short and Ian Nepomniachtchi have been
able to grind out wins on the white side of such positions, even against other
highly-rated GMs.
10 g3
The g2-square looks like the best post for the light-squared bishop,
hoping to achieve a future advantage by extending the diagonal with d4-d5 or
b2-b4-b5. However, White has failed to win a single game in the database
with this set-up.
Ivanchuk himself failed to make headway after 10 Be2 Be7 11 0-0 0-0 12
Rd1 Qd5 13 c4 Qxf3 14 Bxf3 Rfd8 15 Be3 Rd7 16 Rd2 a6 17 Rad1 Rad8 18
a3 g6 19 g4 Bd6 20 Kg2 Bb8 21 Kf1 Ba7 and White has no advantage at all,
V.Ivanchuk-Ding Liren, Beijing (blindfold rapid) 2012.
10 ... a5!
Putting a stop to any b2-b4 ideas for now. Instead, Ding has preferred
simply 10 ... Qd5 11 Bg2 Qxf3 12 Bxf3 Be7, followed by ... 0-0, ... Rfd8-d7
and ... Rad8, to neutralize White’s very slight initiative and make a draw.
11 a4
 Similarly thwarting Black’s ability to gain more queenside space.

Question: Is there any downside to this move?

Answer: It weakens the b3-square which might be exploited by a ... Qb6-
b3 infiltration, while if Black plays ... Nd5, White will be more reluctant to
boot the knight away with c2-c4, because it would then have an outpost on b4.
White doesn’t achieve much after 11 Bg2 a4. For example, 12 0-0 Be7 13
Rd1 (or 13 Be3 Nd5 14 a3 Qb6 15 Qe2 0-0 16 Rad1 Nxe3 17 fxe3 Bd6 18
Rf3 e5 with equality, T.Ringoir-B.Michiels, Belgian Championship, Lommel
2012) 13 ... 0-0 14 c4 Qb6 15 Qe2 Rfd8 16 Be3 Qa5
 (Black has a good version of the French Fort Knox: 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3
Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Bd7, followed by ... Bc6, and later often ... Bxf3 and ... c7-
c6, aiming for play against the white d-pawn) 17 Rd3 Rd7 18 Rad1 Rad8 19
a3 Ne8! 20 R3d2 Qa6 21 Bf1 Bf6 22 Qh5 g6 23 Qc5 Nd6 24 Qb4 Nf5 and
Black has a slight pull because of the pressure on d4, M.Dutreeuw-E.Meduna,
Brocco 1990.
11 ... g6
Ivanchuk decides to fianchetto his king bishop as well, and play against
the white centre.
12 Bg2 Bg7 13 0-0 0-0 14 Re1 Re8
After 14 ... Qb6 15 Bg5 Nd5 16 Rab1 h6 17 Bd2 Rad8 18 h4, White
retains a slight pull.
15 h4
 White has the bishop pair and a slight space advantage, which his last
move increases while discouraging the black knight from shifting, as that
would allow White to weaken the black kingside with h4-h5. On the other
hand, Black is extremely solid - and now comes Ivanchuk’s ‘mysterious rook
move’ ...
15 ... Rc8!?

Question: What’s the point of this move? Surely Ivanchuk isn’t going to
play ... c6-c5 as that would open up the long light diagonal for White’s queen
and bishop?

Answer: Wait and see. The specific concept behind Ivanchuk’s 15 ... Rc8
will be revealed on move 17 and 18.
Anyway, after the stereotypical ‘connect the rooks’ idea 15 ... Qb6 16
Re2 Rad8 (not the dud 16 ... h6??, as White can just take the pawn) 17 Bg5!
Rd5 18 g4! Qd8 (Black is forced to retreat, since 18 ... Nd7 loses the
exchange to 19 Qg3) 19 Rae1, White can keep pressing on the kingside.
16 Bg5 h6 17 Bd2
Do you see the point of 15 ... Rc8 yet?
17 ... Rc7!
 Here lies the logic behind Ivanchuk’s mysterious rook move. Black
prepares his desired set-up without allowing his knight to be pinned against a
rook or queen on d8.
18 Rad1 Rd7 19 Bc1
And only now does Black free up the queen to play on the natural square
b6. Immaculate timing by Ivanchuk.
19 ... Qb6 20 Rd2
Anticipating Black’s ... Qb3, which would threaten to nab the a4-pawn
unless met by Qd1.

Question: Can’t White exploit the black queen’s absence to play 20 Bxh6
again?

Answer: Yes, but this time after 20 ... Bxh6 21 Qxf6 Qxb2 22 h5 Bg7 23
Qg5 gxh5 24 Qxa5 (not 24 Qxh5?! Qxc3 and only Black can play for a win)
24 ... Red8, Black is not worse.
20 ... h5 21 Bh3
A good diagonal for the bishop, which prompts Ivanchuk to play for the
ending. If White tried to prevent ... Qb3 with 21 Qd1, he runs into 21 ... Bh6!
22 Rde2 Bxc1 23 Qxc1 Kg7 and the game is equal.
21 ... Qb3 22 Qd1 Qxd1 23 Rdxd1
 This position can be considered either equal or very slightly better for
White in view of his bishop pair. However, the initiative lies with Black for
now, as he has a ... b7-b5 break to engineer.

23 ... Nd5!
Ivanchuk sets up his queenside break with the help of this centralized
knight.
24 Bg5!?
Realizing that Black is about to embark on a queenside advance,
Alekseev frees up the rooks to use the a-file.

Exercise: Work out Black’s plan if Alekseev had restrained ... b7-b5
break with 24 Bf1.

Answer: In that case Black can try to weaken White’s queenside pawns
with 24 ... Nb6 25 b3 Nd5 26 Bb2 Rc8 27 Kg2 c5!, and although it’s not
customarily a good idea to open up the position when one’s opponent has the
bishop pair, here Black’s minor pieces are so well placed that he can do so
with impunity. After 28 dxc5 Rxc5 29 Bc4 Nb6 30 Rxd7 Nxd7 31 Bb5 Nb6
32 Rc1 Nd5 33 Bc4 Nb6, the position is equal.
24 ... b5!
 This freeing move requires precise calculation as the white pieces also
become active as a consequence. Alternatively, Ivanchuk could just sit tight
and hope for White to overextend, but he has confidence in both his position
and endgame skill.
25 axb5 cxb5 26 Ra1 a4 27 Bd2
Anticipating the ... b5-b4 push; the bishop was biting air on g5 anyway
and is better deployed here.
27 ... Rc7
Preparing his rooks for the eventual break.
28 Bf1
White marks time. There is no way for him to improve his position.
28 ... Rb8 29 Bg2
 Alekseev makes another ‘pass’ reasoning that Ivanchuk cannot play ... b5-
b4 anyway since the a4-pawn is hanging and, if necessary, Bxd5 will remove
the key piece aiding the minority attack.

Question: So how does Ivanchuk position himself
for the ... b5-b4 break? What conditions are required?

Answer: Black wants a rook on the c-file and another on the d-file,
because if he has to give up the a-pawn, he needs to hit the white b-, c- and d-
pawns in return in order to play for the win.
29 ... Rd8! 30 Bf1
Once again, making a ‘pass’. However, this allows Ivanchuk to realize his
agenda.
30 ... b4!
 31 Rxa4?
Alekseev buckles under the queenside pressure and allows Ivanchuk the
ideal result from a minority attack, as once the backward c-pawn is captured,
it leaves the d-pawn isolated and weak as well.
White should have played 31 c4! Nb6 32 Bxb4! (not 32 c5?! Nd5 33 Re4
Ra7, when Black has a good game) 32 ... Nxc4 33 Bc5 with an even position;
for example, 33 ... Nd2 (or 33 ... Bxd4 34 Bxd4 Rxd4 35 Rxa4) 34 Bb6 Nf3+
35 Kh1 Nxe1 36 Bxc7 Rd7 37 Bb6 Nc2 38 Rxa4 Rb7 39 Bxc5 Rxb2 40
Ra8+ Kh7 41 Ra7 etc.
31 ... bxc3 32 bxc3 Nxc3 33 Bxc3 Rxc3
 Black can now train his pieces on the weakened isolated d-pawn. The
pawn is toast as Ivanchuk can hit it three times while Alekseev can only
defend it twice. Nevertheless, Black is a long way from winning, especially
with opposite-coloured bishops on the board.
34 Rd1 Rc6 35 Bg2 Rcd6 36 d5 exd5 37 Ra7 Bc3!
Putting his bishop on an active square before advancing his passed pawn.
This way, the bishop can play an active role controlling key squares, as
opposed to merely defending the pawn.
38 Rd3 d4
We now bypass commentary until we reach the next critical point in the
game. White blockades the passed pawn with first the rook, then the bishop
and then the king, while Ivanchuk probes round and about, testing Alekseev’s
defences, and trying to find some way to make progress.
39 Ra8 Rxa8 40 Bxa8 Kg7 41 Bg2 Kf6 42 Bf1 Ke5 43 Rd1 Rb6 44
Kg2 Kd5 45 Bd3 Rb2 46 Kf3 Kc5 47 Rb1 Rd2 48 Rb5+ Kc6 49 Bc4 Rc2
50 Bd3 Ra2 51 Rb1 Ra7 52 Ke2 Kd6 53 Rb6+ Ke7 54 Bc4 Kf8 55 Kd3
Rd7 56 Rb8+ Kg7 57 Re8 Rb7 58 Bd5 Rb2 59 Re2 Rb5 60 Bg2 Rf5 61
Be4 Ra5 62 Kc4 Ra1 63 Bd5 Rf1 64 Bg2 Rd1 65 Bd5 Kf8 66 Ra2 Rf1 67
Bg2 Re1 68 Bd5 Re5 69 Bg2 Rf5 70 Be4 Rf6 71 Re2 Ra6 72 Bc2 Ra1 73
Kd3 f5 74 Re6 Kg7 75 Rc6 Re1 76 Rc7+ Kh6 77 Rc6 Re7
 78 Kc4?!
Alekseev finally makes a slight slip. By uncovering his bishop, White
threatens to take the f5-pawn, but it was safer to play 78 Bb3, to be able to
meet 78 ... Be1 with 79 Rc2.
78 ... Kg7!
Getting out of the way of the Bxf5 idea. Now White is forced to weaken
his kingside structure and this allows Ivanchuk to hit the pawns from behind.
79 f3
This is not a move that Alekseev would want to play, but he should still
be okay provided he plays like a machine. He can’t go back with the king,
since 79 Kd3?? Be1! would result in all White’s pawns getting cleaned out by
the dark-squared bishop.
79 ... Re2

Question: Why doesn’t Black just play 79 ... Be1 anyway?

Answer: Because of 80 g4! Bxh4 81 gxh5 gxh5 82 Kxd4 and White is
okay.
80 Bd3 Rg2

Exercise: How does White save himself here?

81 g4?
Now Ivanchuk gets another pawn for his efforts.
Answer: White should resort to tactics with 81 Rc7+! and then:
a) 81 ... Kh6 is met by 82 Rc6! Rxg3 83 Bxf5 Rg1 84 Bd3 and Black
cannot win because his rook is tied down to defending g6, while his passed
d-pawn is kept firmly under ‘lock and key’.
b) 81 ... Kf6 82 Rc6+ Kf7 gets nowhere. The white rook gives continual
checks until the black king either hides on h6 or relinquishes control of g6.
c) 81 ... Kf8 82 Rc8+ Ke7 83 Rc7+ Kd6 is no good either, as after 84
Rg7! Rxg3 85 Bxf5, the g-pawn is pinned against the rook.
81 ... hxg4 82 fxg4 Rxg4 83 h5!
 Alekseev is still fighting and by reducing the number of pawns, keeps his
drawing chances alive.
Note: In endings with rooks and opposite-coloured bishops, the side with
fewer pawns may try to reach a draw by either trading rooks, or by swapping
off all his own pawns and eventually sacrificing his bishop to reach a
theoretically drawn rook and bishop versus rook ending.
83 ... gxh5 84 Bxf5 Rg3 85 Kd5 h4 86 Ke5 Re3+ 87 Kf4 Be1 88 Re6!
A good attempt to trade rooks.
88 ... Bg3+ 89 Kg5 Kf7

Question: Why not 89 ... Rxe6 instead?

Answer: After 90 Bxe6 d3 91 Kg4 d2 92 Bb3, White can just put his king
on h1 and give up the bishop for the d-pawn with a simple draw, since Black
has the wrong bishop for his h-pawn.
90 Re4!
Alekseev’s fine endgame play pushes him closer to a draw, but Ivanchuk
insists on forcing him to work hard for it and he eventually goes wrong.
90 ... h3 91 Rxd4 h2 92 Rd7+ Kf8 93 Rd8+ Ke7 94 Rd7+ Ke8 95 Rh7
Kd8 96 Kg4??
Perhaps exhausted by all that manoeuvring under the pressure of the
clock, Alekseev finally blunders - and Ivanchuk misses it, but is given another
chance.

Exercise: Can you find the flaw in White’s move?

96 ... Be5??
Answer: Almost any retreat down the g3-b8 diagonal is decisive, apart
from this one (and ... Bf4 of course); for instance, 96 ... Bc7!, with the threat
of a devastating check on g3. If the white king is forced onto the h-file, the h-
pawn will promote; while if 97 Bc2 (making way for the king) then 97 ... Re1
wins, or if 97 Bd7 then 97 ... Re7.
97 Rd7+??
Virtually forcing Ivanchuk to win. Alekseev could have saved himself
again with 97 Bc2!.

Question: Why doesn’t 97 ... Re1 work now?

Answer: White can escape with 98 Kf5 (showing why e5 was the wrong
square for the bishop) 98 ... h1Q (or 98 ... Bd6 99 Be4 and h1 is covered for
good with a draw in the bag) 99 Rxh1 Rxh1 100 Kxe5, which is a book draw.
97 ... Ke8 0-1
 It’s futile for the rook to return to the h-file (98 Rh7 Rg3+), and 98 Rd1 is
a move too slow, as 98 ... Rg3+ 99 Kh4 Rg1 wins.

Summary: The timing of Ivanchuk’s subtle rook manoeuvre ... Rc8-c7-d7

allowed him to deploy his queen ideally on the b-file and initiate a queen
trade. Ironically, White’s bishop pair never got to exert themselves in the
whole game, as Ivanchuk used his initiative to conduct a successful minority
attack, leaving White’s d-pawn isolated. Ivanchuk nabbed the pawn
eventually, but the presence of opposite-coloured bishops gave Alekseev
enough leeway to draw - until Ivanchuk reeled in the point with Tartakower’s
maxim: “The winner of the game is the player who makes the next-to-last
mistake.”

Game 14
V.Epishin-V.Ivanchuk
Tilburg 1992
Queen’s Gambit Declined

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 d5 4 Nc3 Nbd7 5 cxd5 exd5 6 Bf4 c6 7 Qc2 Bb4

Quite unusual for a Queen’s Gambit Declined Exchange Variation. 7 ...
Be7 is more commonly played.
8 e3

Question: Surely Ivanchuk doesn’t intend to exchange his bishop for the
c3-knight? And if not, doesn’t this mean he will lose a tempo when the bishop
is chased away?

Answer: Actually, it doesn’t. The way Ivanchuk handles the opening, it
transposes back to a main line of the QGD Exchange. See the note to move 11
to find out more.
8 ... Nh5!

Typically, one doesn’t move the same piece twice in the opening without
good reason. But here, Ivanchuk has a specific purpose for moving this knight
again: to effect the following exchange. He could have played ... Nh5 on the
previous move, but then White might retreat the bishop to d2.
9 Bg5 Be7 10 Bxe7 Qxe7
Ivanchuk has steered the game into a main line of the Exchange Variation;
as played, for example, in the high-level encounter, Ma.Carlsen-E.Bacrot,
Biel 2008, which featured a more standard move order: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3
Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 e6 5 Bg5 Nbd7 6 cxd5 exd5 7 e3 Be7 8 Qc2 Nh5 9 Bxe7
Qxe7. Although Ivanchuk lost a tempo with ... Bb4-e7, he regained it by
making White waste a move with Bf4-g5. All fair and square!
11 0-0-0

Question: Is this correct? Doesn’t White usually castle short in the
Queen’s Gambit?

Answer: Don’t worry, castling long is a standard plan in this particular
variation. White will hide his king on b1 (or a1) and can then attack on either
side - or even both sides - of the board.
11 ... Nb6 12 h3 g6
Beginning a typical manoeuvre, designed to exchange off the light-squared
bishop on f5. In other lines Black has even been known to prepare it with ...
Nbd7-f8-e6-g7.

13 Bd3 Ng7 14 g4
Denying Black the use of f5 for his light-squared bishop - this is one of
the advantages of having already castled long. Ivanchuk naturally prepared
for queenside castling as well, since White’s g- and h-pawns are already
mobilized for action on the kingside.
14 ... Bd7
In Informant #56, Epishin mentions the possibility of 14 ... Be6, planning
... Rd8!? and ... Nc8-d6. A recent game by Filipino GM Julio Sadorra made a
big impression on me: 15 Kb1 h5?! (premature; the usual continuation now is
15 ... 0-0-0 16 Na4 Nxa4 17 Qxa4 Kb8 18 Rc1, which in fact transposes to
the main game)

Question: What is the problem with the h-pawn move? Doesn’t
it weaken White’s kingside pawns and fight for the f5-square?

Answer: It allows White to gain a big initiative with 16 Ne5! 0-0-0 (if
Black inserts 16 ... hxg4 17 hxg4 0-0-0, White has 18 Nb5! Kb8 19 Qxc6!,
winning a pawn) 17 Na4 Nxa4 18 Qxa4 Kb8 19 Rc1 (not now 19 Qxc6? due
to 19 ... bxc6 20 Nxc6+ Kc7 21 Nxe7 Kd6 and the knight is trapped) 19 ...
hxg4 20 Rc3 (and not 20 Rxc6? either, as Black can reply 20 ... gxh3 without
repercussions) 20 ... Qc7? 21 Rhc1 (21 Ra3! a6 22 Bxa6 is more forcing) 21
... gxh3 22 Ra3 a5 23 Nxc6+! and Black was summarily crushed in four more
moves, J.Sadorra-R.Hungaski, Middleton 2013.
15 Kb1 0-0-0 16 Qb3!
 The first new move; as Epishin explained, he planned a4-a5 here. It is at
this point I once again began to appreciate Ivanchuk’s deft handling of his
rooks, albeit in their defensive abilities.
Alternatively, White can play to place the queen on a4 at once with 16
Na4 Nxa4 17 Qxa4 Kb8 18 Rc1, but in this case the black bishop is quite
useful on d7, as it supports the c6-pawn. Ulf Andersson demonstrated its
potential after 17 ... Rc8 18 Rc3 Rc7! 19 Ne5 Be8! 20 Ra3 b6 21 Rc1 c5 22
Bb5 Bxb5 23 Qxb5 Rhc8 24 Rac3 Ne6 and Black was fine, J.Speelman-
U.Andersson, European Club Cup 1991.
16 ... Be6
The beginning of a clever restructuring of Black’s rooks to fend off
White’s queenside initiative.
17 Rc1!
Epishin is going to hoist his own rooks to the third rank to attack the black
king, and Ivanchuk has to dig in for a siege.

Question: What if White plays to boot the b6-knight away with 17 a4 and
a4-a5 - ?

Answer: Black can reply 17 ... Nc4, when 18 Bxc4 dxc4 19 Qc2 Ne8 20
e4 Nc7 gives him the better game. Black’s potential ... h7-h5 and ... f7-f5
breaks will create more scope for his bishop; whereas White’s queenside
attack has stalled and, despite his pawn centre, he now lacks a constructive
plan.
17 ... Kb8 18 Na4 Nxa4 19 Qxa4 Rd6!?
Ivanchuk had already anticipated the need to guard the a-pawn on the
seventh rank and the c-pawn on the sixth rank.
Other players have defended this position with 19 ... Ne8 20 Rc3 Nd6,
and in fact V.Ivanchuk-P.Van der Sterren, Munich 1994, ended quickly 21 Rb3
Nc4 22 Qb4 ½-½. However, 21 Rhc1! (usually 19 Rhc1 via the direct move
order) is more testing, when Black requires a computer’s nerves; for instance,
after 21 ... Nc4 22 Ne5 Nxe5 23 dxe5, as in I.Kurnosov-E.Semenova, Russian
Team Championship 2011, Houdini gives the line 23 ... d4! 24 Ra3 a6 25
exd4 h5! 26 Bxa6 bxa6 27 Rcc3 hxg4! 28 Qxa6 Qb7! 29 Rcb3 Bxb3 30 Rxb3
Qxb3 31 axb3 gxh3 and White has to take the draw.
20 Rc3 Rc8 21 Rhc1 f6
Keeping the white knight from joining in the attack from e5, at least for the
time being.
22 Ra3
Forcing Black to weaken his king’s cover further. Another interesting plan
for White is to reconfigure his pawn structure with 22 Ne1!? f5 23 f3 and
follow up with Nc2-b4, bringing the knight round another way to help with
the assault on the black king.
22 ... b6
White still has the advantage after this, but Ivanchuk has made his task
tougher with his clever defensive rook manoeuvres.
23 g5!

Question: Why did Epishin offer a pawn here?

Answer: This thematic sacrifice is aimed at reclaiming the e5-square for
White’s knight. If 23 ... fxg5?, then 24 Ne5 b5 (24 ... c5 25 dxc5 bxc5 26 Bb5
is extremely strong too) 25 Qb4 results in an untenable c6-pawn in the short
run, with the marauding white pieces ready to gun down the black king.
23 ... Rc7!
The rooks restructuring exercise has been completed. Superb defending
and prophylaxis by Ivanchuk, making it extremely tough for Epishin to find a
way through, who soon loses focus slightly.
24 gxf6
Epishin decides to wrest control of e5 outpost, even at the cost of the h-
pawn.
24 ... Qxf6 25 Ne5 Bf5!?
Ivanchuk finally gets the desired exchange, initiated back on move 12.

Question: Why not capture the loose pawn on h3?

Answer: I’m actually not very sure. Perhaps he didn’t want to lose the
option of trading the bishops after 25 ... Bxh3 26 f3 Bf5 27 e4.
 26 Bxf5 Nxf5

27 f4?!
This allows Black to use the g3-square to improve his knight position.
Epishin suggests 27 b4! as an improvement in the Informant, with the
continuation 27 ... Ne7 28 Rc2 Qf5 29 Rac3 Qxh3 30 b5 c5 31 dxc5 bxc5 32
Qf4! Rb6 and now 33 Rxc5 Qf1+ 34 Kb2 Rxb5+ 35 Ka3 Rbxc5 36 Nd7+
Ka8 37 Nxc5 Rc8 38 Qd6 as winning for White, but here Houdini spots that
after 38 ... Qb5 39 Qxe7 Qa5+ 40 Kb2 Qb4+, White can't block the checks
because the knight is pinned. White does better to play 33 a4!, when he keeps
a little something, although in that case Black can exchange the queens with
33 ... Qf5 34 Qxf5 Nxf5 35 Rxc5 Rxc5 36 Rxc5 Rd6 and should be able to
defend.
27 ... Ng3! 28 b4 Ne4
 The worst is over for Black. Ivanchuk eventually turned the game around
when Epishin over-pressed late in the ending, as I will show you in Chapter
Six (see page 376).

Game 15
V.Ivanchuk-Mi.Adams
Dortmund 1992
English Opening

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 Nf3
Once again Ivanchuk declines an invitation to the Benko Gambit (3 d5
b5), which was one of Adams’ favourite lines back then. Interestingly,
although Ivanchuk more often plays 3 d5, the database shows that from the
position after the text move, he has only failed to win once, scoring a massive
10½/11 as White.
3 ... cxd4 4 Nxd4 b6
Adams prepares to set up a Hedgehog. Instead, Hansen and Leko both
played 4 ... e6 (in Game 5 and Example 1 respectively), while 4 ... e5 5 Nb5
d5 6 cxd5 Bc5 is the Kasparov Gambit, which was recommended by IMs
Richard Palliser in Dangerous Weapons: Flank Openings and Nicolai
Pedersen in Play the Benko Gambit.
 5 Nc3 Bb7 6 f3 d6 7 e4 e6 8 Be2 a6
In the Hedgehog formation, the spines are created by the line of pawns on
the sixth rank. Black intends to try and find the right moment to hit at White’s
centre with, for instance, ... b6-b5 or ... d6-d5, while in the meantime hoping
that White will overextend or weaken his position through over-aggression.

9 0-0 Nbd7?!
The dubious mark comes from Ivanchuk himself, reiterated by GMs
Zoltan Ribli and Igor Stohl and IM John Watson. The point will be made
clear after White’s 12th move.
It is more accurate to play 9 ... Be7 10 Be3 0-0 and if 11 a4 then 11 ...
Nc6! 12 Nxc6 (12 Kh1 Nd7 13 Rb1 Nb4 14 Nc2 Nxc2 15 Qxc2 Qc7 16 Rfd1
Rac8 17 Qd2 Rcd8 is also comfortable for Black, Liang Jinrong-K.Sasikiran,
Asian Championship, Calcutta 2001) 12 ... Bxc6 13 Qb3 Rb8 14 Rfd1 Qc7
15 Rac1 Ba8 16 Rd2 Rfd8, when White’s bind no longer poses any problem
for Black, Zsu.Polgar-S.Kudrin, Salamanca 1989.
10 Be3 Be7 11 a4!
A strong move, introduced into tournament praxis by Norwegian IM Bjorn
Tiller in 1984.

Question: What’s the big deal about this a-pawn punt?

Answer: By advancing the a-pawn, White nullifies Black’s potential ...
b6-b5 break, and makes it possible to force a queenside passed pawn through
with either b2-b4-b5 or b2-b4 and c4-c5. This is why (going back to move
nine) ... Nc6 is better than ... Nbd7 in this particular variation. With a knight
on c6, the a2-a4-a5 pawn charge does not work so easily, and if the
centralized white knight is traded off (as in Polgar-Kudrin), Black’s
defensive task is made simpler.
11 ... 0-0 12 a5!

12 ... bxa5

Question: Can Adams lash out in the centre with 12 ... d5 - ?

Answer: This runs into 13 exd5 exd5 14 cxd5 Nxd5 15 Nxd5 Bxd5 16
Nf5 and one of Black’s bishops will be traded off, which is not good news on
an open board.
13 Nb3
Winning the pawn back with a nice outpost for the knight on a5.
13 ... Rb8 14 Nxa5 Ba8 15 Qd2
Ivanchuk first consolidates his queenside before advancing the pawns
there.
 15 ... Qc7 16 Rfc1

16 ... Ne5
After 16 ... Rfc8, another top grandmaster of Ivanchuk’s generation
demonstrated how to apply the big squeeze by doubling on the a-file and then
probing with the knight and bishop until his opponent blundered: 17 Na4 Nc5
(or 17 ... Qd8 18 b4 d5 19 c5 with a protected passed c-pawn which was
more than enough for a player of Kramnik’s calibre, V.Kramnik-V.Akopian,
online blitz match 1998) 18 b4 Nxa4 19 Rxa4 Qd7 20 Rca1 Rd8 21 Bf1 Qc7
22 Nb3 Bb7 23 Qf2 Nd7 24 Na5 Ba8 25 Ba7 Rbc8 26 Bd4 Rb8 27 Ba7
Rbc8 28 Nb3 Bb7 29 Bd4 Rb8 30 Qg3 g6 31 b5 e5 32 Ba7 Ra8 33 Qf2 axb5
34 cxb5 and now 34 ... d5?? was refuted by 35 Rc1! Qd6 36 Na5! and Black
lasted only four more moves, B.Gelfand-I.Smirin, Vilnius 1988.
17 Na4
 Mobilizing the other knight. Now White is ready to roll his b-pawn.
17 ... Bc6
Adams is prepared to forgo his light-squared bishop as the knight on a5 is
a real irritant and, this way, at least Black gets to activate his b8-rook.
However, the weakness of the a6-pawn is now even more pronounced. Watch
how Ivanchuk takes advantage of this bishop’s absence later on.

Question: Why can’t Black just challenge the a5-knight with 17 ... Nc6 -
?

Answer: Other players have done just that, but if we compare the position
after 18 Nxc6 Bxc6 with that in Polgar-Smirin (in the note to move nine), we
can see that White has made serious advances having weakened the Hedgehog
with a4-a5 and followed up with Na4, Qd2 and Rfc1, whereas Black only has
... Qc7 and ... Rb8. For instance, after 19 b4 Nd7 20 Bf1 Rfd8 21 b5 Bb7 22
Qf2, White is clearly better, S.Rublevsky-M.Tosic, Vrnjacka Banja 1999.
18 b4
Ivanchuk starts the process of creating a passed pawn with b2-b4-b5.
Note that White would play the same way if Adams had just sat there, hoping
to ‘rope-a-dope’ with 17 ... Rfd8 and ... Nfd7.
18 ... Bxa4
 Trading pieces alleviates the cramp in Black’s position, but it does not
help much as Ivanchuk keeps making territorial gains.
19 Rxa4 Nfd7 20 Raa1!

When it seems certain that Ivanchuk will fashion a breakthrough on the

queenside, he suddenly retreats the two active pieces there!
20 ... Rfc8 21 Nb3!

Question: What on earth is he doing? Surely he can play
for b4-b5, supported by two great bishops on e2 and e3?

Answer: Ivanchuk’s plan is to create the ideal structure to prevent Black
from obtaining counterplay. After securing his queenside, he can consider a
general advance on the kingside where, having more space, he is better
placed to manoeuvre. Without Black’s light-squared bishop, the chances of a
successful ... d6-d5 break are negligible too.
21 ... Ra8 22 g3 h5!
 Seemingly a weakening move but, under the circumstances, the best one.
Adams delays the f3-f4 advance by giving his e5-knight the g4-square.
23 Kg2
There’s no hurry. Ivanchuk moves his king forward to overprotect f3 - and
safely, because there is no opposing light-squared bishop to wreak havoc on
the long light diagonal.

Question: What’s wrong with 23 f4 Ng4 24 Bd4 - ? Wouldn’t the knight
get kicked away from g4 anyway, leaving the h5-pawn chronically weak?

Answer: No, because Black can hit back in the centre, gaining strong
counterplay with 24 ... e5! and if 25 Bb2 then 25 ... Qb6+ 26 c5 Nxc5! 27
bxc5 Qxb3.
23 ... Qb8
Moving away from the gaze of the c1-rook, and creating the potential
threat of ... d6-d5, which releases the e7-bishop to hit the b-pawn.
24 Rab1!?
Preparing greener pastures for the knight by indirectly overprotecting b4.
24 ... Nf6

Question: Why is Ivanchuk unconcerned about 24 ... d5 - ?

Answer: If Black had done that, he would only succeed in creating more
weaknesses. After 25 cxd5 Qxb4 26 dxe6 fxe6 27 Nd4 Qxd2 28 Bxd2, the
superiority of the bishop pair is bound to tell, given the black pawn
weaknesses at a6, e6 and h5.
25 Nd4
Paving the way for the queenside pawn advance. We see how Ivanchuk
patiently improves the position of his pieces before making any committal
moves. Just a short while ago, the knight was over on a5 and the rook on a4;
now they’re more centralized on optimal squares. For the time being,
Ivanchuk is content with having induced the ... h7-h5 weakness on the
kingside.

25 ... Qb7
Showing the one downside of the white knight having left a5 - the black
queen is able to take up this good post on the b7-square, from which threats
against e4 are prepared, preventing White from playing f3-f4 any time soon.
So Ivanchuk forges ahead with ...
26 c5!?

Exercise: Calculate whether 26 b5 is a good alternative to Ivanchuk’s
choice.

Answer: Yes, this works as well. For example, 26 ... axb5 27 cxb5 Bd8
28 Nc6! Nxc6 29 bxc6 Qe7 30 Rb7 Bc7 31 Bg5 gives White a solid plus;
while after 27 Nb3! (this switchback virtually forces Black to sacrifice, as
the threat of Nxa5 and b5-b6-b7 is too much to bear; alternatively, 27 b6 and
28 Nb5 is perfectly good as well) 27 ... Nxe4 28 fxe4 Qxe4+ 29 Kf2 Nxc4 30
Bxc4 Rxc4 31 Rxc4 Qxc4, Black has insufficient compensation for the piece.

26 ... d5!
Taking the pawn would be a mistake, since 26 ... dxc5 27 bxc5, followed
by 28 c6 and 29 Rb7, gives White a huge advantage.

Exercise: What should White do if Black ignores the c-pawn with, say,
26 ... h4 - ?

Answer: In that case 27 b5! is devastating. After 27 ... dxc5 (or 27 ...
axb5 28 Nxb5 and Black has no good way to prevent the discovered attack
with Nd6) 28 bxa6 Qd7 29 Rb7! Rc7 30 Qb2!, White is clearly winning.
27 Bf4

Exercise: Can you make use of the queen and
knights array to find practical chances for Black?

27 ... Ng6
This retreat deprives Black of any counterplay.
Answer: Adams could have tried 27 ... Nxf3!?, when 28 Bxf3 (28 Nxf3
dxe4 29 Nd4 comes to the same thing) 28 ... dxe4 29 Be2 e3+ 30 c6 Rxc6 31
Qxe3 Rxc1+ 32 Bf3 Rxb1 33 Bxb7 Rb2+ 34 Ne2 Rd8 gives Black
counterplay despite the material deficit. Unfortunately, Ivanchuk was
intending 28 Kxf3!, and although 28 ... Nxe4 29 Qd3 Bf6 30 c6 Qe7 31 Nb3
(or 31 b5 axb5 32 Nxb5 Nc5) 31 ... h4!? offers Black the semblance of an
attack, it probably doesn’t amount to anything. All the same, fishing in
complications might represent his best chance of survival.
28 e5!
Now White has the centre clamped down securely with a huge space
advantage. Adams can only wait and hope that Ivanchuk goes wrong.
28 ... Ne8
Possibly 28 ... Nh7!? 29 Bd3 Nhf8 would be more resilient.
29 Bd3 Nxf4+ 30 gxf4!

 Question: Why is this recapture better than 30 Qxf4 - ?

Answer: White can make use of the g-file to attack the black king, and
retains the possibility of f4-f5. Moreover, the e5-pawn wedge is now firmly
protected by a pawn.
30 ... g6

Adams goes into a defensive shell, trying to weather the incoming

kingside onslaught.
31 Rc3?!
To be honest, I cannot understand this move. Was Ivanchuk giving himself
the option of doubling rooks somewhere? Either on the a-file to attack the a6-
pawn, or even on the g-file after f4-f5 and f3-f4. If so, it didn’t come to
anything and the rook later went back to c1.

Exercise: What would you suggest instead, in order
to terminate the contest as quickly as possible?

Answer: White can go for a direct kingside hack with 31 Kh1! and 32
Rg1, to which there seems to be no defence. For example, 31 ... Ng7 32 Rg1
Bf8 (or 32 ... Kh7 33 Qg2 and the threats of Bxg6, Nxe6 and f4-f5 give White
a decisive attack) 33 Bxg6! fxg6 34 Rxg6 Rxc5 (or 34 ... Re8 35 Rbg1) 35
Nxe6 Rc4 36 Rbg1 and it’s all over.
31 ... Nc7?!
The logical follow-up to ... Ne8, protecting the a6- and e6-pawns, as well
as the b5-square, but Black should have waited with this move until it was
necessary. 31 ... Bf8 and if 32 Ra3 then 32 ... Nc7 at least keeps his king safe
for the time being.
32 Kh3?!
Getting out of the way on the half-open g-file, but not the strongest move.
The immediate 32 f5! was both correct and devastating. After 32 ... exf5 (or
32 ... Kh7 33 f6! Bf8 34 Qg5, followed by Qxh5) 33 Bxf5! gxf5 34 Kh1, the
denuded black king is just waiting for execution.
32 ... Kh7
After 32 ... Nb5 33 Bxb5 axb5, White can overload the defences by
targeting both b5 and g6; for example, 34 Qd3 Rcb8 35 Rg1 Kh7 36 Rc2 and
Black has to defend the g-pawn and lose the one on b5.
33 f5!

Ivanchuk finally makes the thematic pawn break, while Black’s pieces are
busy on the queenside.
33 ... exf5 34 Bxf5 Rg8
The sacrifice cannot be accepted, as after 34 ... gxf5? 35 c6! (not 35
Nxf5? Qc6!) 35 ... Qb6 36 Nxf5 Bf8 37 Qg5, Black is toast. So Adams
hurries to defend the g6 weak spot.

Question: How should White continue from here?

Answer: There is no immediate kingside kill after Black’s last move.
Hence, Ivanchuk decided to put his bishop on its most active square, where it
can influence matters on both sides of the board.
35 Bd7! Rad8 36 c6
The black pieces are further constricted as Ivanchuk plays to ‘anchor’ the
bishop on d7 to cause a traffic jam in Black’s camp.
36 ... Qb6 37 Rcc1

Now that the d7-bishop has sliced the board in two, Ivanchuk gets down
to business on the kingside, while Black’s queen, knight and d8-rook are
obstructed from participating in his defence.

Exercise: Given the dire situation at hand, what is Black’s best course of
action?

37 ... Rb8?!
Now in serious time trouble, Adams is no longer able to put up a proper
defence.
 Answer: Since the white bishop on d7 is the keystone to Black’s
problems, he should remove it with 37 ... Rxd7!, and after 38 cxd7 Ne6 39
Nxe6 Qxe6+ 40 Kg2 Rd8 41 Qd4 Rxd7, it won’t be easy for White to convert
this.
38 Rg1!
Going for the jugular at last.
38 ... Nb5?
38 ... Rbd8, intending ... Rxd7 again, was imperative.
39 Nf5!

An extremely strong sacrifice, blowing the king’s cover to bits. Adams’

pieces are too hemmed in on the queenside to come to the rescue of the
hapless king.
39 ... gxf5
Adams has no choice but to accept the piece sacrifice. White threatened
40 Qh6 mate; while after 39 ... Bf8, simply 40 Qxd5 is crushing.
40 Bxf5+ Rg6
Also forced, as 40 ... Kh8? walks into 41 Qh6 mate.
41 Qxd5 Rf8 42 Qe4 Rfg8 43 e6!
Ivan the terrible. There is no let-up as Ivanchuk proceeds to remove a
defender of the pinned rook.
43 ... Nd6 44 exf7! 1-0
 An elegant finish. There’s no point continuing the struggle after 44 ...
Nxe4 45 fxg8Q+ Kxg8 46 Rxg6+ Kf7 47 Bxe4; for example, 47 ... Bxb4 48
Rxb4! Qxb4 49 c7 Qf8 50 Rc6 Qc8+ 51 Kg3, followed by 52 Bf5 Qxf5 53
c8Q wins.
Summary: This was another good example of Ivanchuk’s ‘global
domination’ technique - first of all tying Black up on the queenside (with the
help of a nimble rook regrouping), and then closing the centre, before
unleashing an unstoppable kingside onslaught.

Game 16
V.Ivanchuk-K.Urban
Polish Team Tournament, Warsaw 2002
Philidor’s Defence

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Be7

This is the Antoshin Variation. Black releases the central tension and
plays with a small centre (d6 versus e4), a risky strategy against a whole-
board player like Ivanchuk. Having said that, the black structure is not easy to
breach, since it is both compact and sturdy. In some lines, Black is able to
achieve ... d6-d5; for example, after 6 g3, GM Christian Bauer in The
Philidor Files recommends 6 ... d5!.
6 Be2
A modest variation, seeking to complete development without any fuss.
The main line is 6 Bf4, intending Qd2 and 0-0-0. That might not appeal to
those who wish to apply the squeeze on Black as some of the positions in the
6 Bf4 line are ultra-chaotic. For example, after 6 ... 0-0, play can continue 7
Qd2 d5 8 Ndb5 c6 7 Nc7 d4, when one must either be a calculating monster
or über-theoretician to wend a way through the thicket of complications.
6 ... 0-0 7 0-0 Re8 8 Re1 a6
 Enabling the space-gaining ... b7-b5.
9 Bf1

Question: Should White prevent ... b7-b5 with 9 a4,
seeing as he is playing to restrain Black in general?

Answer: In that case a further point to 9 ... a6 shows itself, which is to
stop the d4-knight from going to b5 after ... c7-c5. So here the conditions are
just right for Black to play 9 ... c5! 10 Nf3 Nc6, when it’s not easy for White
to take advantage of the backward d6-pawn. In fact, in J.Brüggemann-
T.Sträter, German League 2001, White soon got into trouble: 11 h3 Nb4 12
Bc4 Bf8 13 Bg5?! h6 14 Bh4 Be6! 15 Bxe6 Rxe6 16 Re2 g5! 17 Bg3 Qe8,
when Black already had a good game; and once White decided to eradicate
his weak e-pawn, Black took over the initiative with his more active pieces
after 18 e5?! dxe5 19 Bxe5 Rd8 20 Qf1 Nd7 and went on to win.
9 ... h6
Preventing Bg5 which is an issue for Black, since he intends to drop his
bishop back to f8 to allow the e8-rook to pressurize the centre.

Question: Why not 9 ... c5 now?

 Answer: By playing Bf1, as well as clearing the e-file for his own rook,
White gave his knight another retreat square, via which it can reroute to take
control of d5. After 10 Nde2 b5 11 Nf4 Bb7 12 a4 b4 13 Ncd5, White has a
slight but nagging advantage.
10 b3!
Ivanchuk prepares to develop his dark-squared bishop to its best possible
diagonal.
10 ... Bf8 11 Bb2

11 ... Nbd7
After 11 ... b5!?, I wonder if Ivanchuk had planned the sneaky 12 Qd2!,
intending 12 ... b4?! 13 Nd5 c5 (or 13 ... Nxe4 14 Qf4! Bb7 15 Bc4 c6 16
Nb6! d5 17 Nxa8 and Black doesn’t have much to show for his material
deficit) 14 Nf5 Nxe4?? 15 Nxh6+!! gxh6 16 Rxe4 Rxe4 17 Nf6+ with a
crushing attack.
12 Qd2 Nc5
Not now 12 ... b5??, as after 13 Nc6, Black’s king becomes a widower.
13 f3 c6
A standard Philidor move. Black takes control of d5, opens up the c7- and
b6-squares for his queen, and creates the option of an eventual ... d6-d5
break, especially when he has the e5-square well covered.
14 Kh1
 Moving the king off the g1-a7 diagonal and thus avoiding any ... Qb6
tricks.
14 ... a5
Black keeps the c5 outpost for the knight by restraining b3-b4, with
options for counterplay with ... a5-a4, which Ivanchuk duly prevents.
15 a3 Qc7
Overprotecting the e5-square and getting his queen out of harm’s way in
anticipation of White’s next move.
16 Rad1 Bd7
Now we get a black set-up more commonly seen in the King’s Indian or
Old Indian Defence with ... e5xd4. The difference here is that White is still
able to make use of the c4-square. Conversely, the absence of a white pawn
on c4 should make it easier for Black to free his position with ... d6-d5, but
he has to exercise care in planning any central break, as the b2-bishop is
waiting to scythe down the long diagonal once the position opens up.
17 Qf4
The queen is pretty annoying on this square, hitting d6 and preventing ...
g7-g6 (as the f6-knight would hang), so Black tries to dislodge it.
17 ... Nh5 18 Qh4 Nf6 19 Rd2!

A multi-purpose little rook lift. White has more room to manoeuvre and
Ivanchuk does so purposefully. This move gives him the option of either
doubling rooks or using the rook along the second rank, should he get a
kingside attack running with g- and h-pawn pushes.

Exercise: However, Ivanchuk has an even more subtle
idea behind his rook move. Can you see what it is?

19 ... Rad8 20 Nd1!
Answer: The point of Rd2!. The knight gets to reroute to the excellent e3-
square, after which White can decide whether to place it on f5 (most likely)
or c4 to take aim at black targets. In some lines, the knight might also go to f2.
Instead, the doubling of rooks on the d-file with the standard 20 Red1
merely looks good. This is because White can only hit d6 properly either with
the advance e4-e5 (for which he needs the rook on the e-file) or by plonking a
knight on c4 or f5 (and the route to those squares, via d1 and e3, has now
been obstructed by the king’s rook!).
20 ... Be7 21 Qf2 Bc8 22 Rde2!

I was very impressed by this classy prophylactic move. Not yet 22 Ne3?
due to 22 ... Nfxe4! 23 fxe4 Nxe4 24 Qe2 Bh4! and Black regains the material
with interest; e.g. 25 Rb1 d5! 26 Rd3 Nf2+ (26 ... Qf4 is also good) 27 Kg1
Qb6! 28 g3 (or 28 Rd2?! Ng4) 28 ... Nxd3 29 Qxd3 Bf6 and Black is clearly
better. The Bind-like 22 c4, on the other hand, only weakens the b3-pawn and
takes the c4-square away from a light-squared bishop or a knight.
22 ... Bf8

Question: Can Black now break in the centre with 22 ... d5!?, as the
white doubled rooks do not seem to have much effect there even if the e-file
is opened up?

Answer: Says who? White can make use of the doubled rooks to damage
the black kingside pawns after 23 Nf5! (23 e5 Nh5 24 g3 g6 is okay for
Black) 23 ... dxe4 24 Nxe7+ Qxe7 25 Bxf6 gxf6 (not 25 ... Qxf6?? 26 Qxc5)
26 Nc3 Bf5 27 b4 axb4 28 axb4 Nd7 29 Qg3+ Kh7 30 Nxe4 and the tattered
kingside pawns gives White chances; or if 30 ... Qxb4 then 31 Ng5+! fxg5 32
Rxe8 Rxe8 33 Rxe8 Bxc2 34 h4 with an edge due to Black’s exposed king.
Note that 34 ... Qxh4+?! 35 Qxh4 gxh4 36 Re7 Bf5 fails to 37 Bd3! Bxd3 38
Rxf7+ Kg6 39 Rxd7 and White is clearly better.
23 Ne3 Ncd7
Defending the f6-knight so as to be able to play ... g7-g6. The immediate
23 ... g6? runs into 24 Nb5! Qe7 (or 24 ... cxb5 25 Bxf6) 25 Nd5! cxd5 26
exd5 and White regains the piece with a powerful game; while after 23 ...
d5?! 24 exd5 Nxd5 25 Nxd5 Rxe2 26 Nf6+ gxf6 27 Bxe2, Black has to cope
with a wrecked pawn structure in front of his king.
24 Rd1
With the mission of getting the knight to e3 accomplished, Ivanchuk
returns the rook to the d-file to play against the weak d6-pawn.
 24 ... g6 25 Qh4
The white queen returns to h4, free now from harassment by ... Be7 as the
black bishop has to defend the h6-pawn, weakened by ... g7-g6. Following
White’s massive central build-up (Ne3, Nd4 and Bb2), adding a queen to a
possible future kingside onslaught will be useful in general terms, but in fact
Ivanchuk has something specific in mind.
Again, the doubling of rooks by 25 Red2 would be less effective.
Although 25 ... Bg7 leaves the d6-pawn temporarily vulnerable, the d4-knight
can’t uncover the attack as it doesn’t have a reasonable square to go to. (Note
that 26 Ne2? runs into 26 ... Nxe4!.)
25 ... Bg7

Exercise: Black appears to have completed his King’s Indian style set-up
without a hitch - or has he? Can you see the devious idea Ivanchuk had
prepared against this?

Answer: Ivanchuk exploited Black’s passivity to bring the game to a
rapid denouement.
26 Ndf5!!
With this knight sacrifice - which cannot be declined - the black kingside
cover is shattered and another knight takes up the excellent f5 launching pad
to continue the assault.
26 ... gxf5 27 Nxf5 Re6
The attack is simply irresistible.
a) 27 ... Ne5 28 Nxg7 Kxg7 29 f4 Qe7 (29 ... Ncd7 30 e5 dxe5 31 dxe5
Ng8 32 Re3 is crushing) 30 fxe5 dxe5 31 Rxd8 Rxd8 32 Rf2! and White is
bound to win once the dark-squared bishop joins the kingside party from c1
(or if 32 ... Rd1, then 33 Bc3 and Bd2).
b) 27 ... Re5 doesn’t help, as White simply ignores the rook with 28 Nxg7
Kxg7 29 f4 Re6 30 g4! and g4-g5 will be devastating.
28 f4!
Ivanchuk prepares simply to heave a rook along the third rank to continue
the slaughter. There’s nothing that Black can do but see how death row pans
out.
28 ... Nf8
Losing quickly, but nothing was really any better; for example, 28 ... Kh7
29 Nxg7 Kxg7 30 g4 (threatening g4-g5 again) 30 ... Rh8 31 Bh3! is quite
decisive.
29 Nxh6+ Bxh6 30 Qxh6 N8h7 31 Re3

Ye olde rook lift. 31 Rd3 would also do the job, but using the e2-rook is
positionally more perfect, as it frees up the light-squared bishop and leaves
the back rank protected.
31 ... Ne8
Nothing works for Black here either; for example, 31 ... Kh8 32 Rh3
(threatening Qxh7 mate) 32 ... Re5 (or 32 ... Kg8 33 Rg3+ etc) 33 Bxe5 Bxh3
34 Bxf6+ is mate next move.
32 Rg3+ Rg6 33 Rxg6+ fxg6 34 Qxg6+ Ng7 35 Bc4+ d5 36 exd5 cxd5
Another way to die is 36 ... b5 37 dxc6+! (but not 37 d6+?? bxc4 38
dxc7?? Rxd1 mate) 37 ... bxc4 38 Rxd8+ Qxd8 39 Qxg7 mate.
37 Rxd5 Rxd5 38 Bxd5+ Kh8 39 Qe8+ mate

Summary: Black never had a chance in this game, as Ivanchuk kept control of
the position from start to finish. But who could have expected that the
harmless-looking rook manoeuvres behind the white e-pawn were the prelude
to a sacrificial kingside massacre?
 Chapter Three
Pragmatism and Precision in the Regicide
Quest
Whenever Ivanchuk launches an attack, it’s most likely to be in the classical
mode with a controlled build-up of pieces after much preparation. It is
unusual to see him engage in gambit openings (except in rapid or blitz games -
though he once sprung the Bishop’s Gambit on GM Piket), early skirmishes or
wild sacrifices, seeking to gun down the opponent’s king as quickly as
possible. There are exceptions, of course, especially in some of his Nimzo-
Indian games as Black, where he engages in early tactical mêlées to exploit
White’s slow development. Bareev has been upended this way three times
already (see, for example, Question #1 in Chapter Seven, which began as a
Nimzo-Indian).
In fact, I noticed that in many of the attacking games Ivanchuk has
conducted, he has not been averse to settling for a strong positional or even
slight material advantage when presented with such by his opponents, in
order to ward off his attack. This pragmatic approach can be seen in
Agdestein-Ivanchuk (Game 17) and Anand-Ivanchuk (Game 19). In the latter
game the former World Champion, facing a ferocious attack on his monarch,
sought safety by liquidating into an inferior queen and minor piece ending; but
Ivanchuk had no problems with the transition and forced a winning knight vs.
bishop ending in no time.
For the rest of the games in this chapter, one has to admire Ivanchuk’s
swift accumulation of forces marshalled against the enemy king and the sheer
precision of his attacking forays. In some cases the term “dynamic defence”
might be more appropriate, but the manner in which Ivanchuk counter-punches
is hyper-aggressive, fighting forcefully on all-fronts.

Game 17
S.Agdestein-V.Ivanchuk
World Junior Championships, Baguio City 1987
Tarrasch Defence
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 c5 4 Nf3
This move order has the advantage of sidestepping the Von-Hennig Schara
Gambit, which can be dangerous for an unprepared opponent. The gambit
occurs after 4 cxd5 cxd4!? 5 Qxd4 Nc6 6 Qd1 exd5 7 Qxd5 Bd7, when Black
will gain a tempo on the white queen with ... Nf6, followed usually by ... Bc5,
Qe7 and 0-0-0, before going for the white monarch on the kingside with ...
g7-g5-g4.
4 ... Nc6 5 cxd5 exd5 6 g3 Nf6 7 Bg2 Be7 8 0-0 0-0 9 Bg5 h6?!
Although the game now transposes to the 9 ... cxd4 10 Nxd4 h6 11 Be3
main line, Black’s move order is regarded as inaccurate.

Question: What’s wrong with it?

Answer: After 9 ... h6, White has scored heavily with 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11
dxc5!, which is akin to playing a souped-up reversed Grünfeld Defence (or
Attack?).

Let’s have a look at a couple of lines:

a) 11 ... Be6 12 Qd2 Rc8 13 Rfd1 Qe7, J.Cox-A.Moen, British League
2010, and now 14 Ne1! Rfd8 15 Nxd5 Bxd5 16 Bxd5 Qxc5 17 e4 gives
White the advantage, as well as the satisfaction of bagging the isolated
queen’s pawn.
 b) 11 ... Bxc3 12 bxc3 doesn’t help much, as after 12 ... Qa5 (or 12 ...
Be6 13 Nd4 with a squeeze, F.Marshall-Ed.Lasker, 10th matchgame, USA
1923) 13 Qxd5 Be6 14 Qd2 Qxc5 15 Nd4, White retains the pawn with a
clear edge, D.J.Strauss-E.Alsasua, Concord 1993.
10 Be3?!
Letting Black off the hook. As we have just seen, White should play 10
Bxf6.
10 ... cxd4 11 Nxd4 Re8

12 Qc2
Slightly unusual; if White wants to put the queen on c2, he generally
throws in 12 Qb3 first to deflect the c6-knight (see note ‘b’). Otherwise, the
queen can sometimes find itself misplaced on the c-file. IM Sam Collins only
briefly examines this move in The Tarrasch Defence: Move by Move.
Instead:
a) 12 Rc1 is the main line, but in Starting Out: 1 d4, IM John Cox
discounts this on the basis (partly) that after 12 ... Bf8 13 Nxc6 bxc6 14 Na4,
in his view White hasn’t found a good reply to Ivanchuk’s 14 ... Re6.
Certainly Novikov didn’t get anywhere after 15 Nc5 (15 Bc5 would be more
thematic) 15 ... Bxc5 16 Rxc5 Qe8 17 Qd3 a5 18 Rfc1 Ba6 19 Qc3 Bb5 20
Bd4 a4 and Black defended without difficulty, I.Novikov-V.Ivanchuk, Lvov
1988.
 b) 12 Qb3 Na5 13 Qc2 Bg4 14 Nf5 Rc8 15 Bd4 Bc5! was played in
S.Savchenko-V.Ivanchuk, Black Sea (rapid) 2006; and here, as noted by
Collins, Ivanchuk got the advantage quickly after 16 e3?! (16 Bxc5 is
necessary) 16 ... Ne4! (pouncing on White’s seemingly normal move to gain a
grip on the position) 17 Nh4?! (17 Nxe4 Bxf5 18 Nf6+ Qxf6 19 Qxc5 Rxc5
20 Bxf6 gxf6 21 b4 Rb5 22 bxa5 Rxa5 at least gives White chances to hold)
17 ... Bxd4 18 exd4 b5 and Black has a powerful grip on the position.
12 ... Be6
Ivanchuk adds a defender to d5, daring White to capture on e6 and gain
the bishop pair. Actually, this move is rather unusual as well; Black nearly
plays 12 ... Bg4 here.
13 Rad1 Qd7 14 Nxe6 fxe6

Question: What are the advantages for White of taking on e6?

Answer:
1. For starters, he gains the bishop pair, usually a plus in an open
position.
2. White can now pressurize the e6-pawn with Bh3, giving rise to such
tactics as Nxd5 or Rxd5 with the e-pawn pinned down.
3. Black’s e-pawn cannot advance with impunity as it will weaken d5.
 15 a3
A useful utility move, as sometimes Black plays ... Rc8 and ... Bb4 to put
pressure on c3.
In an analogous position with the white h-pawn on h3 (i.e. after 12 ... Bg4
13 h3 Be6), GM Scherbakov indicated that White should consider playing f2-
f4, followed by Bf2 and e2-e4; Smyslov tried a similar plan in his 1984
Candidates match against Kasparov.
Even without h2-h3, the idea looks interesting. For example, 15 f4 Ng4 16
Bc1! Bc5+ 17 Kh1 Qf7 (not 17 ... Nf2+?? 18 Rxf2 Bxf2 19 e3 and the bishop
is entombed) 18 e4! gives White a structural advantage; while after 15 ...
Rad8 16 Bf2 (16 Bf3!? is another option) 16 ... Ng4 17 Nxd5! exd5 18 Bxd5+
Kh8 19 Bg8 Rxg8 20 Rxd7 Rxd7 21 Qf5 Nf6 22 e4 Nd4, the position is
unclear.
15 ... Rac8

Question: Okay, what are the disadvantages for White of capturing on
e6?

Answer:
1. Black gets the centre and, with sufficient preparation, might be able to
mobilize the central pawns to gain space.
2. Black has a half-open f-file, which is usually beneficial for starting a
kingside attack.
3. The d5-pawn, which is typically weak in the Tarrasch Defence, is now
more secure.
16 Bh3 Bf8 17 f3!?
 Agdestein plays for Bf2 and, in time, to attack the black centre with e2-
e4. Surely Ivanchuk won’t sit and wait for White to do whatever he wants?

Exercise: Given that Black’s c8-rook is opposing the
white queen, can you surmise Ivanchuk’s plan?

Answer: Gain queenside space with the tactical offer of a pawn.
17 ... b5!?
As you should be able to can tell by now, Ivanchuk is at his strongest in
the department of hoarding territory.
18 Bf2
The b-pawn is not exactly palatable, as after 18 Nxb5 Nd4 19 Nxd4 Rxc2
20 Nxc2 Qa4, even though material is roughly even, Black now has a mobile
centre and active piece play.
So White continues with his general plan of preparing e2-e4, and at this
moment there’s a tactical ploy behind this bishop retreat as well.
18 ... Ne5?
Black clears the c-file and plans to increase pressure. Ivanchuk’s creative
bent can be seen in this attempt to solve his problems tactically. The knight
move also discourages e2-e4, as the f3-pawn would then be hanging.
Unfortunately, it sets Black up for a trick (which both players fail to see).
 The safest move here is 18 ... Qb7, intending ... b5-b4, though White
retains the advantage as the centre pawns remain targets for the bishop pair,
and he is still on course to play e2-e4.

Question: Can’t Black just play 18 ... b4, carrying on his queenside
expansion play?

Answer: In that case White has the nasty 19 Nxd5! Nxd5 20 e4 Nce7 21
Qd3 bxa3 22 bxa3, followed by e4xd5, when he will have easy play against
the new isolani on e6.
19 Qb3!
Getting out of the pin with tempo. The b3-square is a good one for the
white queen, both attacking b5 and adding pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal,
which is likely to be compromised if and when White achieves e2-e4.
19 ... a6?
This is a serious oversight, which allows White a winning combination.

Exercise: White to play and win.

20 Kh1??
Agdestein, the 1986 World Junior runner-up, misses his chance!
 Answer: 20 Nxd5! is virtually decisive, as after 20 ... Nxd5 21 e4 Qf7 22
exd5 Nxf3+ 23 Kg2 Ng5, White has the crushing 24 Be3!, followed by Bxg5,
which wins outright. I’d guess that both parties, in their calculations, must
have overlooked 24 Be3, without which Black has a strong initiative. This
type of ‘elfin’ move is certainly very difficult to see in advance.
20 ... Qf7
With his queen now out of danger, Black is back in business and can start
active operations with ... Qh5.
21 Na2!?
White consistently prepares for e2-e4 by defending f3 with the queen,
while attempting to activate the queen’s knight via b4 or c1.
21 ... Rc4
By bringing his rook to the fourth rank, Ivanchuk discourages White from
playing either e2-e4 or Nb4.
22 Nc1 Ned7
Now that the knight is not needed on e5 to prevent e2-e4, Ivanchuk
redirects it to begin mobilizing his own centre pawns with ... e6-e5.
23 Qd3
23 Nd3 might be met by 23 ... e5, after which Black can prepare the
further ... d5-d4 with ... Nd5 to follow.
23 ... Qh5 24 Bg2
 Ivanchuk has just evicted the light-squared bishop from h3 where it was
putting pressure on e6 and d7.

Exercise: Now look at the white pieces, evaluate which
is strongly placed and what Black can do about it.

Answer: White’s dark-squared bishop is currently his best-placed piece -
it is doing a great job on f2, controlling central squares and functioning as a
defensive piece too - and if it is removed from the board, Black will have
better chances of either advancing his central pawns or conducting a direct
kingside attack.
24 ... Bc5!
Ivanchuk therefore proposes the trade of the dark-squared bishops.
25 e3
Agdestein, unsurprisingly, declines the offer.
25 ... Bd6
Having induced White into the self-weakening e2-e3, Ivanchuk drops his
bishop back to clear the c-file and gaze at the kingside. Black looks better
here with his space advantage and active pieces; on the other hand, the white
position offers no concrete target for him to go for.
Now comes a period of manoeuvring where White rearranges his minor
pieces and continues with his knight tour.
26 Be1 Rf8 27 Nb3 Rfc8 28 Nd4

Exercise: How should Black meet the attack to the e6-pawn?
1. Play actively with ... e6-e5 at the cost of weakening the d5-pawn a
little.
2. Prudently defend the e6-pawn with 28 ... Rce8. 3. Leave the rook on
the c-file and defend the pawn by dropping the d7-knight back to f8.

Answer: While all three options are acceptable, #2 and #3 do nothing
really to improve Black’s position. Ivanchuk clearly felt it was time to take
the initiative.
28 ... e5! 29 Nf5 Bf8 30 g4
Supporting the f5-knight, booting the black queen off h5, and giving the
e1-bishop an outlet on the kingside. This is perfectly fine for White, but he
follows it up incorrectly.
30 ... Qe8
 31 h3?!
There was no need to shore up the kingside.

Exercise: Instead, White does have an interesting
possibility based on the weakness of d5. What is it?

Answer: 31 f4! is probably the best chance. The g4-pawn is taboo due to
Qxd5+ and Qxd7, while after 31 ... e4 32 Qe2, White isn’t doing too badly
with mobile kingside pawns, and has obtained the nice d4-square for his
knight if it ever gets evicted from its current square.
31 ... e4!
Agdestein’s last move weakened his kingside dark squares considerably,
and Ivanchuk seizes the chance to take over the diagonal.
32 fxe4?!
A further inaccuracy, which allows Black to plant a knight dangerously on
e4, increasing his pressure on the dark squares around White’s king. It was
safer to play 32 Qb1 g6 33 Nd4 exf3 34 Bxf3 Bd6, when Black only has a
slight plus due to his better-placed pieces.
32 ... Nc5! 33 Qb1 Ncxe4 34 Bh4

Exercise: White has managed to get his pieces to reasonably good
squares, but in
the process he has created gaping dark square holes. How can Black
exploit them?

Answer: Black should latch onto the weaknesses immediately.
34 ... Qe5! 35 Nd4??
This is way too optimistic. It seems Agdestein wants to play on the
kingside too, and given a free move he might play something like 36 Rf5 Qd6
(or 36 ... Qc7 37 Ne6) 37 Bxf6 Nxf6 38 Rxf6! Qxf6 39 Bxd5+ etc, but he
doesn’t get a free move. It was more prudent to trade a pair of minors with 35
Bxf6 Nxf6.
35 ... Bd6!
Taking decisive advantage of White’s knight retreat. There is no defence
on the dark squares now.
36 Nf3
Forced, to prevent mate on h2, since 36 Rf4 would just walk into 36 ...
g5.
36 ... Ng3+ 37 Bxg3 Qxg3 38 Qd3
 38 ... Rf8
Although the convergence of Black’s forces on the kingside looks very
daunting, there was something stronger here.

Exercise: Can you find a faster way to finish White off?

Answer: Black could have played 38 ... Ne4!, taking control of the d2-
square, after which ... Rc2 is fatal for White, and the d5-pawn is irrelevant.
Of course, with the time control looming, one is more likely to overlook the
idea of giving up a pawn with check, concentrating on safe solid moves. In
any case, even if Ivanchuk might have liked to raze the white fortress to the
ground, he is not against winning positionally too.
39 Kg1 Re4
Targeting the weakie on e3.
40 Qe2

Exercise: White has managed to hold everything together, or at
least prevented a mating attack. How does Black proceed?

Answer: Yes, I know the first move is obvious, but can you see the rest of
the follow-up which picks up two pawns?
40 ... Bc5! 41 Nd4
Defending e3 is futile, since 41 Rd3 is met by 41 ... Rxe3 42 Rxe3 Re8.
41 ... Rxe3 42 Qf2

Exercise: Okay, I’m sure you might have seen
this far, but how did Ivanchuk now clear the deck?

Answer: A temporary knight sacrifice allows Black to net two pawns and
reach an easily winning ending.
42 ... Nxg4! 43 Qxg3 Rxg3 44 hxg4 Rxg4
The white knight is a dead duck.
45 Kh2 Rxf1
It’s never too late to blunder; after 45 ... Rxd4?! 46 Bxd5+ Kh7 47 Rxf8
Rxd1 48 Be4+ g6 49 Rf7+ Kh8 50 b4, White actually has excellent drawing
chances.
46 Bxd5+ Kh7 47 Rxf1 Rxd4
White is two pawns down with no compensation. The rest needs no
commentary.
48 Bg2 h5 49 b4 Rh4+ 50 Bh3 Be3 51 Re1? g5 52 Rxe3 g4 53 Re7+
Kg6 54 Re6+ Kf5 0-1
Summary: This started off as a space-grabbing expedition (again!) by
Ivanchuk, which White could have dispelled tactically. Missing his chance,
Agdestein later tried to advance on the kingside but left too many holes,
allowing Ivanchuk to launch an attack down the weakened channels. In the
end, he chose to convert his advantage technically, cashing in on the two
pawns Agdestein shed to defend his king.

Game 18
J.Ehlvest-V.Ivanchuk
Tallinn (rapid) 1996
Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 a6 5 c4

This response is not as popular as 5 Nc3 or 5 Bd3 (Ivanchuk’s usual

choice as White) in the Sicilian Kan. The Maróczy Bind doesn’t have quite
the same bite here as in the Accelerated Dragon or against early ... d7-d6/ ...
e7-e6 set-ups, the chief reason being Black’s 6th move, which applies
immediate counter-pressure on the centre.
5 ... Nf6 6 Nc3 Bb4
Already putting pressure on the e4-pawn. If Black delays this move,
White will generally prevent it with a3-a3, leading to a variation on the Bind;
for example, 6 ... Qc7 7 a3 b6 8 Be3 Bb7 9 f3 Be7 (9 ... d6 and 9 ... Nc6 are
also played) 10 Be2 0-0 11 Rc1 Rd8 12 0-0, as in V.Ivanchuk-Ma.Carlsen,
Monte Carlo (blindfold rapid) 2011, which continued 12 ... Bd6?! 13 Kh1
Nc6?? 14 Ndb5! axb5 15 Nxb5 and White won easily.
 7 Bd3
Ehlvest develops a piece and supports his e4-pawn. This is the standard
response, although White has been experimenting with 7 Qd3!? recently. If
instead 7 f3 Qc7 8 Nc2, then 8 ... Bd6!? is an interesting idea, seeking to
weaken the white kingside before settling for a standard hedgehog set-up.
After 9 g3 Be7 10 Bf4 d6 11 Qd2 Nbd7 12 Be2 b6 13 0-0 Bb7 14 Rac1 0-0
15 Rfd1 Ne5 16 b3 Rac8, Black has a satisfactory game, G.Olarasu-
K.Berbatov, Vaujany 2011.
7 ... Nc6

The most consistent continuation; with the white queen obstructed on the
d-file, Black challenges the now unprotected white knight.
8 Nde2
Let’s have a look at some other options:
a) 8 Nxc6 dxc6 9 e5 (a forcing line, leading to an unclear position; the
straightforward 9 0-0 e5 gives Black an excellent pawn structure with control
of the d4-square) 9 ... Qd4 (or 9 ... Qa5) 10 exf6 Bxc3+ 11 bxc3 Qxc3+ 12
Bd2 Qxd3 13 fxg7 Rg8; for example, 14 Bh6 Qc3+ 15 Kf1 Qf6 16 Qc1 e5 17
Rb1 Be6! 18 Rxb7 0-0-0 19 Ra7 Qh4! 20 Qb1!? Qxc4+ 21 Ke1 Qc3+ 22 Kf1
Qc4+ with a draw, A.Petrisor-A.Kveinys, Cappelle la Grande 2009.
b) 8 a3!? Bxc3+ 9 bxc3 d6 10 0-0 Ne5 11 f4 Nxd3 12 Qxd3 e5 13 fxe5
dxe5 and now Kramnik came up with the audacious 14 Bg5!? h6 (it might be
safer to play 14 ... Be6, and if 15 Rad1 then 15 ... exd4 16 e5 dxc3 17 exf6
Qxd3 18 Rxd3 g6 19 Bh6 Rd8 20 Rxc3 Kd7 with equality) 15 Bh4 exd4 16
e5 dxc3 17 Qxd8+ Kxd8 18 exf6 g5 19 Bg3, when Black has definite
practical difficulties with his exposed king, V.Kramnik-P.Svidler, Wijk aan
Zee 2005.
8 ... d6

Question: Isn’t 8 ... d5 possible here, upending White’s bind
immediately?

Answer: Yes, but in return White gets a lead in development after 9 exd5
exd5 10 cxd5 Nxd5 11 0-0 Nxc3 12 bxc3; for example, 12 ... Bd6 (or 12 ...
Be7 13 Qc2! g6 14 Rd1 with a strong initiative, M.Kazhgaleyev-C.Marzolo,
French Team Championship 2006) 13 Bf4!? Bxf4 14 Nxf4 0-0 15 Qh5 h6 (or
15 ... g6 16 Qh6 Qf6 17 Nd5 Qg7 18 Qh4) 16 Rad1 Qc7?! 17 Nd5 Qa5 18
Rfe1 Qxa2? 19 Nf6+! Kh8 20 Nh7 Rd8? 21 Ng5! and White won, D.Kerigan-
A.Inants, Moscow 2012.
9 0-0 Bc5!

Question: Why waste a move with a developed bishop in the opening?

 Answer: The bishop is no longer doing anything on b4, so Black switches
it to a more active diagonal, where it discourages Be3 and f2-f4. Also, one of
White’s standard plans in these positions is to advance on the queenside with
a2-a3 and b2-b4, increasing his space advantage, so the bishop may have to
move in any case.
10 h3
Creating luft and preventing any ideas of ... Ng4. In a later game, White
tried 10 a3 0-0 11 b4 Ba7 12 Bf4 e5!? (12 ... Nh5 is less committal) 13 Be3
(opposing the strong dark-squared bishop) 13 ... Bxe3 14 fxe3, but after 14 ...
a5! 15 Nd5!? (15 b5 is safer and equal) 15 ... axb4 16 Nxf6+ gxf6, White’s
pawn structure was just as vulnerable as Black’s, Y.Kryvoruchko-
D.Stellwagen, World Junior Championship, Yerevan 2006.
10 ... h6!?

Preventing a pin on g5, while daring White to place his queen’s bishop on
f4. The only previous game (in the database) to reach this position saw 10 ...
Ne5 11 Bf4 Bd7 12 Qd2 Rc8 13 b3 Bc6 14 Be3 0-0 with equal chances,
J.Konikowski-I.Farago, Dortmund 1988.
11 b3
Not having castled yet, Ivanchuk might well have met 11 Bf4 with the
gung-ho 11 ... g5!? 12 Bh2 (or 12 Bg3 h5 and White is in trouble) 12 ... g4 13
h4 Nh5 and White would have a hard time fending off the attack in a
rapidplay game.
Anticipating the kingside pawn storm, Ehlvest decided to put his bishop
on b2 instead.
11 ... 0-0 12 Bb2 Bd7 13 Kh1
Unpinning the f-pawn so as to enable f2-f4 at some point.
13 ... Ne5
Ivanchuk plays to relieve White of the bishop pair and, at the same time,
prepare ... b7-b5.
14 Ng3?
Ehlvest moves the knight into position to support a kingside attack, clears
the d1-h5 diagonal, and overprotects the e4-pawn (to discourage ... b7-b5) -
and yet, amazingly, this natural move is a blunder.
It would have been better to play 14 f4! Nxd3 15 Qxd3, despite the fact
that Black then has 15 ... b5! 16 cxb5 (or 16 e5 bxc4 17 bxc4 Rb8 18 Bc1
Nh5 19 Qf3 g6 20 Be3 Bxe3 21 Qxe3 dxe5 22 fxe5 Bc6 with mutual chances)
16 ... axb5 17 a3 (not 17 Nxb5?! Bxb5 18 Qxb5 Nxe4) 17 ... Rc8 18 b4 Bb6
19 a4 bxa4 20 b5 d5!? with strong counterplay.

Question: Why couldn’t White retreat the bishop with
14 Bc2 and then play f2-f4 to drive the knight away.

Answer: That would meet with the same response as in the game.
 All of a sudden, Ivanchuk pounces on his hapless opponent and pummels
the daylights out of him with a battery of tactical blows.

Exercise: Can you find what Ivanchuk concocted here?

Answer: He uncorked a crushing attack on the white king.
14 ... Nfg4!!
This must have come as a shocker for Ehlvest, who clearly anticipated
taking the initiative on the kingside, whereas now he has to brace himself for
one almighty enemy assault in that sector.
As we’ve already noted, 14 Bc2 would have been met the same way: 14
... Nfg4!! 15 Kg1 (not 15 hxg4?? Qh4+ 16 Kg1 Nxg4 and mates) 15 ... Qh4!
16 Nd4 f5! with a powerful attack.
15 Kg1
This is the only way to defend f2. Other moves lead to swift destruction:
a) 15 Qe2?? loses to 15 ... Nxf2+ 16 Rxf2 Bxf2 as the d3-bishop hangs.
b) 15 hxg4?? again runs into 15 ... Qh4+ 16 Kg1 Nxg4 and White has to
give up his queen to prevent mate.
15 ... Qh4!
 Threatening ... Qxg3. Black’s attack keeps gaining traction.
16 Nh1
A sorry retreat, but at least this move holds the f2-square.

Question: What was wrong with 16 Nce2, just defending the
knight? How does Black continue with his attack in that case?

Answer: Black would bring his other forces into the fray with 16 ... f5!
17 exf5 exf5 18 Bd4 (18 Bc2 is met by 18 ... f4) 18 ... Rae8! 19 Bc2 Bc6,
when even Houdini can’t find a way for White to survive the onslaught.
16 ... Bc6!
Ivanchuk cranks things up a gear by posting his other bishop aggressively
on the long diagonal. This time 16 ... f5 would be premature, as 17 exf5 Nxd3
(or 17 ... exf5 18 Be2) 18 Qxd3 Ne5 19 Qg3 ends Black’s attack.
17 Bc2
After 17 Be2 Nf6, there is no way to defend the e4-pawn.
 17 ... Nf6

Question: Why has Ivanchuk suddenly retreated his knight?

Answer: It’s only temporary. Ivanchuk uses a threat to the e4-pawn to
swing his knight round to a different attacking square. But you’re right, he
could have left it where it was.

Exercise: Can you find a different - and stronger - way to hack the white
king?

Answer: Introduce a battering ram with 17 ... f5!; for example, 18 Na4
(18 exf5 loses at once to 18 ... Nf3+! 19 gxf3 Qxh3 20 Re1 Bxf2+! 21 Nxf2
Qh2+ and mates) 18 ... Bxa4 19 bxa4 f4 and there’s no way to prevent ... f4-
f3 with murderous intentions for the white king.
18 Re1 Nh5
Ivanchuk is relentless. After luring the white rook to e1, he now
introduces the threat ... Nf4 with dastardly intentions, as well as clearing the
way again for the f-pawn (and the rook behind it).
19 Ne2
Preventing ... Nf4, but there are no prizes for guessing Ivanchuk’s next
move! Using the b2-bishop is no better, as after 19 ... f5 20 Be3 Bxe3 21 fxe3
Qg5!, the f-pawn will again advance decisively. The only way to reduce the
attacking forces was 19 Na4 Bxa4 (if 19 ... Ba7 then 20 Bd4) 20 bxa4 Nxc4
21 Bc1 Ne5, but then Black has plucked a pawn and doubled another, and
still retains his attack.
19 ... f5!
Unravelling the defences on the long light diagonal as well as the f-file.

20 exf5
Life is tough when you get Ivanchuk in full metal gear. The only good
news is that White’s suffering won’t last too long. Other tries are just as
unappealing:
a) 20 Nd4 sees White get tied up in knots after 20 ... Nf4 21 Re3 Bxe4 22
Rg3 Bxg2!! 23 Rxg2 Nxh3+ 24 Kf1 Nf4 25 Kg1 Ng4 26 Qf3 Nh3+ 27 Kf1
Ng5 and Black regains the piece with a decisive advantage.
b) 20 Bd4 fxe4 21 Bxc5 dxc5 22 Neg3 (or 22 Qd6 e3! 23 f4 Nf3+! 24
gxf3 Qxh3 with a decisive attack, according to Houdini) 22 ... Nf4 is equally
unpalatable.
20 ... Qg5! 21 Neg3
Pushing the g-pawn just lets Black in on the light squares. For example,
21 g4 Nf3+ 22 Kf1 Qh4! 23 Ng1 Nf4, threatening 24 ... Nh2 mate; or 21 g3
Nf3+ 22 Kf1 Nd2+ 23 Kg1 Rxf5 24 Bxf5 Qxf5 and there is no defence to ...
Qxh3 or ... Qf3.
21 ... Nxg3 0-1

Ehlvest gave up before 22 Nxg3 Qxg3 completes the absolute rout.

Summary: At the time of this game, both players were ranked in the top
20 in the world, but it took only one mistake by Ehlvest (14 Ng3?) before
Ivanchuk’s relentless non-stop attacking play made the difference in strength
look enormous!

Game 19
V.Anand-V.Ivanchuk
FIDE World Championship (4th matchgame), Moscow 2001
Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3

Anand delays d2-d4 in order to avoid the Sveshnikov Sicilian (3 d4 cxd4
4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5). This is quite a common move order strategy
nowadays, and Ivanchuk has played the same way as White numerous times.
If the response is 3 ... d6, 3 ... e6 or 3 ... g6, White will very often relent and
play 4 d4 after all, but sometimes Black decides to eliminate this possibility
altogether ...
 3 ... e5!?
Black stakes a big claim in the centre, even if it weakens the d5-square
irretrievably. On the other hand, if Ivanchuk had planned on playing the
Sveshnikov, weakening the d5-square is par for the course.
4 Bc4
The natural and usual square for the bishop, turning the game into a kind
of Bishop’s Opening with the black c-pawn on c5 (rather than c7).
4 ... d6 5 d3 Be7 6 Nd2

Question: Why is White wasting a move and
cutting off his own dark-squared bishop’s diagonal?

Answer: Since Black has closed the centre with ... e7-e5, speedy
development is not that important in this position. This idea of Czech IM
Josef Pribyl is to reroute the knight to e3 via f1, so that if one knight reaches
the d5 outpost and gets exchanged off, another one can take its place. The
knight move also clears the way for the f-pawn to advance.
6 ... Nf6 7 Nf1 Nd7!?

Question: Ivanchuk surely can’t be planning ... Nf8-e6 mirroring Anand,
can he? But otherwise, what’s the purpose of this counter-regrouping?

Answer: This theoretical novelty is aimed at freeing Black’s f-pawn to
advance (though not until much later in the game, as it turns out). The knight
will go on to b6, from where it will harass the white bishop on c4 and help to
contest for d5. Finally, it allows Black to play the standard Sveshnikov
manoeuvre ... Be7-g5 to trade off dark-squared bishops - a logical idea, given
that Black’s centre pawns are on dark squares.
By the way, 7 ... 0-0 and (especially) 7 ... Bg4 8 f3 Be6 are the main lines
here.
8 Nd5
Immediately occupying the outpost, in order to safeguard his light-squared
bishop. Otherwise, after 8 Ne3 Nb6 9 0-0 Bg5 10 Ned5 (as in the
Sveshnikov, Black usually doesn’t seek to exchange this knight straightaway,
but rather ‘plays around it’) 10 ... Bxc1 11 Qxc1 Nxc4 12 dxc4 0-0 13 Ne2
Be6 14 Qd2 a6 15 a4 Nd4 16 a5 Bxd5 17 cxd5 f5, Black is fine,
N.Mamedov-M.Krasenkow, European Championship, Batumi 2002.
Alternatively, the natural-looking 8 f4!? was suggested by Ivanchuk in
Informant #83, though no one seems to have tested this as yet.
 8 ... Nb6 9 Nxb6

Exercise: Which way should Black recapture?

Answer: With the pawn. Although this results in Black getting doubled
and backward b-pawns, it is very difficult for White to exploit this factor (see
the note to White’s 17th move, for example).
9 ... axb6!
The ‘safer’ 9 ... Qxb6 10 Ne3 0-0 11 Nd5 gives White a stable advantage,
as Black will be unable to exchange off his bad dark-squared bishop.
10 c3
Commandeering the d4-square, as well as giving the white queen access
to b3, from where it can put pressure on the weak b6-pawn. Instead, after 10
a4 0-0 11 Ne3 Bg5 12 0-0 Bxe3 13 Bxe3 Be6 14 Bxe6 fxe6 15 c3 d5, Black
has equal chances, A.Timofeev-D.Jakovenko, European Club Cup 2004.
10 ... 0-0 11 Ne3 Bg5!
Ivanchuk has settled his opening issues and reached a good position
without the typical defects of the main line Sveshnikov, where Black usually
has a wrecked kingside pawn structure or a vulnerable extended queenside
for White to exploit. On the other hand, White does have a nice d5-square to
sit on.
 12 0-0 Kh8
Black gets his king off the c4-bishop’s diagonal and prepares to open the
f-file with ... f7-f5. Even 12 ... Bxe3 13 Bxe3 doesn’t pose many problems;
for example, 13 ... Qe7 14 f4 exf4 15 Bxf4 Be6 16 Bxe6 Qxe6 17 Qb3 Qxb3
18 axb3 Rad8 19 Bg3 Rd7 20 Rf5 Rfd8 21 b4 Ne7 with a draw, P.Leko-
V.Kramnik, Dortmund 2003.
13 Bd2?!

It transpires that this is a non-move, due to Ivanchuk’s reply.

13 ... Bxe3!

Question: Why did Ivanchuk exchange his bishop
for a knight, giving White the bishop pair in the process?

Answer: The e3-knight was a strong piece, controlling d5 and especially
f5. In order to play for the ... f7-f5 break without losing his own light-squared
bishop, Black must give up his dark-squared bishop.
Note: Keep a lookout for favourable exchanges by weighing the relative
strengths of the pieces and the resulting positions that occur at that juncture or
in the future.
14 fxe3!?
This is a double-edged decision. In return for opening up the f-file, Anand
deprives the dark-squared bishop of its natural diagonal (though it can be
redeployed later of course) and discourages Black’s intended ... f7-f5.
Instead, after 14 Bxe3, Ivanchuk planned simply 14 ... Be6 and 15 ... d5,
but he might also initiate kingside operations with 14 ... f5!? 15 f3 (15 f4!? is
worth considering) 15 ... f4 16 Bf2 Qg5 17 Kh1 Rf6, which is probably not a
position Anand would want to get in a World Championship knockout event.
14 ... Qe7

Ivanchuk prepares to contest the central light squares with ... Be6.

Question: Why not 14 ... f5 to challenge White on the f-file too?

Answer: In this case, White could reply 15 Qh5 Ne7 16 exf5! d5! 17 f6!
Rxf6 18 Rxf6 gxf6 19 Bb5 with a structural edge, as Black’s weakened
kingside can turn into an issue.
15 Bd5!
A subtle touch by Anand, with the idea of fighting for the light squares
with his next move. The immediate 15 Qb3? runs into 15 ... Na5! 16 Qxb6
Nxc4 17 dxc4 Be6, regaining the pawn with a clear advantage, since 18 Qb3
(or 18 Qb5 Qh4!) 18 ... b5! 19 Qxb5?? loses the queen to 19 ... Rfb8.
15 ... Be6 16 Qb3
So White gets to hit b6 after all. But Ivanchuk must have worked this out
or he wouldn’t have allowed this continuation. 16 c4 is another possibility.

Question: After 16 Bxe6, which way should Black recapture?

Answer: The correct reply is 16 ... Qxe6! (otherwise he could just have
played 14 ... Be6) 17 c4 Qg6 18 Rf3 f5 19 Qf1 Ne7 20 Qf2 Rf6 21 Rf1 Raf8
with equal chances; whereas 16 ... fxe6?! 17 Qb3! is quite annoying for
Black, who now has to defend two weaknesses, on b6 and e6.

Exercise: What had Ivanchuk prepared to counter the threat to his b6-
pawn?

Answer: An ‘in-your-face’ gesture to the white queen.
16 ... Na5!
After all the trouble White took to get some queenside play, it transpires
that he hasn’t really achieved anything as the b6-pawn is poisoned.
17 Qc2
The point is that after 17 Qxb6?? Ra6 18 Qb5 Bd7, the queen has
nowhere to go!
17 ... Qc7!
 A triple-purpose move which:
1. Denies White the chance to play 18 b4 due to the resulting pin on the c-
pawn.
2. Clears the knight’s path to e7.
3. Protects b6, in case the white queen should think about returning to b3
in due course.

Exercise: Examine the pawn structure. Ideally, in which sector should
White play?
1. A kingside attack based on moving the rooks up the f-file? 2. A central
break with d3-d4. 3. Start queenside play by advancing his queenside
pawns.

18 h3
Anand seems to be struggling for a plan; it is hard to see how h2-h3 helps
his position at all. Indeed, as the game progresses, the h-pawn turns out to be
a weakness on this square.
Answer: White should go for #3 and play on the queenside with 18 c4!
(as suggested by Ivanchuk) with the idea of a2-a3 and b2-b4. Then the d2-
bishop is activated, and it makes strong positional sense to put the centre
pawns on light squares with the bishop in front of them. After 18 ... Nc6 19 a3
Ne7 20 b4, White has a slight initiative.
Options #1 and #2 are less effective. The f-file idea is pointless, as after
18 Rf3 Bxd5 19 exd5 c4! 20 Raf1 cxd3 21 Qxd3 Qc4!, White doesn’t even
have time to sniff at the kingside; while 18 Rac1 (preparing d3-d4) allows
Black to start queenside action himself with 18 ... c4 19 d4 Nc6 20 b3 b5 and
Black has a comfortable game as White’s Bd2 remains a sorry-looking piece.
18 ... h6 19 c4 Nc6 20 Qd1
Once again, White should consider 20 a3.
20 ... Bxd5 21 exd5
This maintains White’s grip on the b5-square. Instead, 21 cxd5 Ne7 22 a4
(otherwise Black plays 22 ... b5 with a queenside initiative) 22 ... Qd7 23
Qb3 Ra6 gives Black a satisfactory game and a target on the a-file to aim for.
21 ... Ne7

The immediate threat now is ... b6-b5, liquidating the doubled pawn, as
22 cxb5 allows 22 ... Nxd5. Anand decides to put a stop to this idea.
22 a4
Ivanchuk demonstrated that White could have gone for broke with 22
Qh5!? f5 23 e4, intending 23 ... f4 24 g3!, when 24 ... fxg3 25 Rf7 Rxf7 26
Qxf7 gives him an edge; but Black might simply play 23 ... Qd7!, not fearing
24 Bxh6 gxh6 a5 Qxh6+ Kg8, as White has no more than a draw here.
22 ... f5 23 Bc3?
 The question mark comes from Ivanchuk.

Question: Why do you think it’s a bad move?

Answer: The bishop has no future on c3. As it is, White still needs to
play b2-b3 in order to prepare d3-d4 (the c4-pawn would require protection)
and even after achieving it, Black just plays ... e5-e4 with a passed e-pawn.
On d2, the bishop at least restrains Black’s forthcoming ... f5-f4 advance.
Kasparov, true to his style, recommended the aggressive 23 Qh5 Qd7 24
b3 Rf6 25 d4; for example, 25 ... e4 (after 25 ... cxd4 26 exd4 e4 27 Bg5 Rff8
28 Rae1!, White has the better position due to his well-placed pieces) 26
dxc5 bxc5 27 Bc3 (now that the bishop has an open diagonal) 27 ... Rg6 28
Rf4 and White has good chances.
Going back, Black should prefer the precautionary 24 ... Kg8!, the point
being that after 25 d4 cxd4 26 exd4 e4, White no longer has Bg5; while a
careless move like 27 Rf2? runs into 27 ... b5! 28 Qd1 (or 28 cxb5 Nxd5) 28
... bxc4 29 bxc4 Ng6 and Black has the initiative on both sides of the board.
23 ... Rf7

Ivanchuk starts building up on the kingside to prepare for ... f5-f4.

24 Qb3?
Another misguided move. Presumably Anand had ideas of Qb5 and a4-a5,
but White has no time to play on the queenside. Instead, Ivanchuk suggested
24 b3!, defending the a-pawn, and with the ingenious idea of Ra2-f2 to
prepare active defence.
Note: It is easy to overlook the possibility of developing a rook
horizontally behind one’s pawn chain, to be released by clearing the second
rank with an appropriate pawn advance.
24 ... Ng6!
There’s no stopping Black’s kingside advance now.
25 Rf2 Raf8 26 Raf1 f4! 27 Bd2
Showing his 23rd move to have been a waste of time.

Question: Couldn’t White have pushed past with 27 e4 - ?

Answer: That would be a possible solution, followed perhaps by Qd1-g4
to prevent Black’s kingside pawns from advancing. But White would have to
be very confident of his defence, as he now has no counterplay. For instance,
trying something like 27 Qb5 Qe7 28 e4? would allow 28 ... Qg5!, followed
by ... Nh4 and ... f4-f3, when Black has an irresistible attack.

Exercise: By defending the e3-pawn White appears to have covered all
bases.
 Can you find a way for Black to break the impasse and continue his
attack?

Answer: Ivanchuk counters with a classy pawn sacrifice.
27 ... f3!
The onus is now on White to find a defence - if he takes the pawn, Black
will have definite compensation due to the weakened kingside, in particular
the h3-pawn (thanks to White’s 18th move).
28 Rxf3?
Now White’s task becomes very difficult, whereas he might still have
defended:
a) 28 gxf3 Qd7 29 Kh2 Rf5 would require perfect computer-level
defence: 30 f4! Rh5 31 Rf3 Nh4 32 R3f2 exf4 33 Rxf4 Rxf4 34 exf4 Nf5 35
d4 Nxd4 36 Qd3, and Houdini states that the position is dead level (+0.00)
whether Black plays 36 ... Qf5, 36 ... Qg4 or 36 ... Qxa4.
b) 28 g3, bypassing the pawn, was possible too; for example, 28 ... Qd7
(the immediate 28 ... e4!? also comes into consideration) 29 Kh2 Rf5 30 g4
R5f6 31 e4 (not 31 Kg3?! e4! 32 dxe4 Ne5 33 Bc3 Qe7, intending ... h7-h5
with a dangerous attack) 31 ... Qd8 with an uneasy balance as neither side can
afford to press too hard.
28 ... Rxf3 29 gxf3
After 29 Rxf3 Rxf3 30 gxf3 Nh4 31 Qd1 Qf7 32 Kf2 (or 32 f4 Qg6+ 33
Qg4 Qxg4+ 34 hxg4 Nf3+ 35 Kf2 Nxd2 36 fxe5 Kg8! and wins) 32 ... Qf5,
Black’s queen and knight tandem makes the defence practically impossible.
29 ... Qc8
Homing in on the weak h3-pawn.
30 Kh2 Rf5!
This rook lift must have made Anand regret his Qb3 sally. With so much
action on the kingside, the queen should have been nearby to help out.
31 f4
Forced, or there would be no way to defend h3 at all.
31 ... Rh5
 32 f5
Another forced move. White has to settle for an inferior ending, defending
against the dreaded queen and knight pair.

Exercise: How would Black conclude the attack after 32 Rf3 - ?

Answer: His pieces swarm in with 32 ... Qg4! 33 Rg3 (or 33 Qd1
Rxh3+!) 33 ... Qe2+ 34 Rg2 Qf3 and if 35 Rg3 Qf2+ 36 Rg2 then 36 ...
Rxh3+! 37 Kxh3 Qh4 mate.
32 ... Rxf5 33 Qd1

Exercise: Anand seems to be almost out of the
woods. How can Ivanchuk keep up the initiative?

Answer: He forces a rook trade to bring his queen to a good square to
combine with his knight.
33 ... Qf8!
After the inferior 33 ... Rxf1? 34 Qxf1, White holds the f-file, whereas
Black’s queen is not well enough placed to make an impact.
34 Rxf5 Qxf5 35 Qe2

Exercise: How does Black improve his position still further?

Answer: With a jamming move which reduces the white bishop’s role to
that of a spectator.
35 ... e4!
Woe is the bishop’s fate! The long dark diagonal now beckons, but White
cannot find the time to use it; whereas the e5-square is cleared for Black’s
knight or queen.
36 Qg4
There isn’t much choice other than hope that the minor piece ending can
be held. After 36 dxe4 Qe5+ 37 Kg1 Qxb2, White is left in tatters, unable to
prevent the black queen from going after all those light-squared pawns.
36 ... Qxg4 37 hxg4 Ne5!
The knight will go pawn-grazing soon. Of course, White can’t take on e4
due to the fork with 38 ... Nf3+.
38 Kg3 exd3 39 b3

Exercise: Devise a winning plan for Black.

Answer: Create a second passed pawn with ... h6-h5.
39 ... g6! 40 e4 h5 41 gxh5 gxh5
The two passed pawns are decisive. White can’t take the h-pawn with his
king, as ... Nf3 would force the win of his sorry bishop. And he can’t take the
knight as the white king can’t stop both pawns on his own.
42 Kf2 h4 0-1
It’s time to throw in the towel, as after 43 Bc3 (or 43 Bf4 Kg7 44 Ke3 h3
45 Bg3 h2 46 Bxh2 Ng4+ etc) 43 ... Kg8! 44 Bd2 Kf7 45 Kg2 h3+ 46 Kxh3
Nf3, we bid the bishop farewell.
Summary: Anand’s deliberate and structurally motivated play in the
opening, seeking to create weaknesses in the black pawn structure, was
countered by Ivanchuk’s forceful kingside battering ram, with the rampant f-
pawn leading the charge. Once forced onto the defensive, Anand failed to put
up much resistance, eventually opting for an inferior ending where he was
dispatched in short order after the marvellous 35 ... e4! ensured the
superiority of Ivanchuk’s queen and knight.

Game 20
V.Ivanchuk-S.Rokhmanov
Klaipeda 1985
Petroff ’s Defence

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nf3 Nxe4 5 d4

In recent years, Ivanchuk has sometimes tried straightforward
development with 5 Nc3 Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 and then:

a) 7 Be3 0-0 8 Qd2 Nd7 (Ivanchuk has also been on the black side of this
line a few times, a recent game going 8 ... Nc6 9 0-0-0 Ne5 10 Kb1 Re8 11
Nxe5 dxe5 12 Bd3 c6 13 Qe2 Qc7 14 f3 Be6 15 h4 Rad8 16 g4 Rd6 17 c4
Red8 18 g5 b5 19 c5 Rd5 with mutual chances, A.Giri-V.Ivanchuk, Leon blitz
2013) 9 0-0-0 Re8 10 h4 c6 11 Kb1 Qa5 12 h5 h6 13 Bd3 Bf8 14 g4 and
White has a strong kingside attack, V.Ivanchuk-B.Gelfand, Nice (rapid) 2010.
b) 7 Bf4 0-0 8 Qd2 Nd7 9 0-0-0 Nc5 10 Be3 Re8 11 Bc4 Be6 12 Bxe6
Nxe6 13 Kb1 Qd7 14 Qd5 Qc6 15 Qxc6 bxc6 16 Nd4 c5! 17 Nxe6 fxe6 18
c4 Bf6 19 b3 Rf8 with an equal position, V.Ivanchuk-A.Kosteniuk, Cap
d’Agde (rapid) 2008.
5 ... d5 6 Bd3 Be7 7 0-0 Nc6 8 c4
White plays to undermine the opposing presence in the centre and in the
process gain a space advantage and free play for his minor pieces, whether
Black relinquishes it with ... d5xc4 or White captures c4xd5 eventually.
Conversely, Black will seek to pressurize and, in time, hope to win White’s
isolated d-pawn.

8 ... Nf6
A rather old-fashioned line, especially in the way Rokhmanov proceeds
to play it. Rather than try to maintain the knight on e4, Black retreats it, in
order to blockade the white d-pawn after ... d5xc4 and ... Nd5.
Nowadays, Black usually prefers 8 ... Nb4, going after the bishop pair,
and intending to use the queen as an active, if less secure, blockader. For
instance:
a) 9 cxd5 Nxd3 10 Qxd3 Qxd5 11 Re1 Bf5 12 Ne5 0-0-0 13 Qf3 g6 14
g4, V.Ivanchuk-A.Galkin, FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007, and here
Sakaev recommends either 14 ... Bb4 or 14 ... Rhg8! in The Petroff: An
Expert Repertoire for Black.
b) 9 Be2 0-0 10 Nc3 Bf5 11 a3 Nxc3 12 bxc3 Nc6 13 Re1 Re8 14 cxd5
Qxd5 15 Bf4 Rac8 (according to Sakaev, “this is one of the tabiyas of the
Petroff Defence”) 16 h3 Be4 17 Be3 Na5 18 Nd2 Bf5 19 c4 Qd7 20 Nf3 Bf6
21 Rc1 c5 and Black equalized, V.Ivanchuk-V.Kramnik, Wijk aan Zee 2008.
9 Nc3 0-0 10 h3 dxc4
In the contemporary interpretation of this line, Black plays 10 ... Nb4 11
Be2 dxc4 12 Bxc4 c6, followed by ... Nbd5.
11 Bxc4
 Interestingly, this position can also be reached from the Queen’s Gambit
Accepted, as in the game P.Ostermeyer-R.Hübner, Biel 1984, which went 1
d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 e5 4 Bxc4 exd4 5 exd4 Nf6 6 Nf3 Be7 7 0-0 0-0 8 Nc3
Nc6 9 h3.
11 ... Na5
This was theory at the time, following a game from the endless Kasparov-
Karpov match. Black temporarily sidelines his knight, so that he can develop
his c8-bishop on e6 without making structural concessions.
12 Bd3 Be6 13 Re1 Nc6
Its little mission accomplished, the knight returns to the centre.
14 a3

This enables White to play either Qc2 or Bc2/Qd3 without getting

harassed by a (now familiar) ... Nb4 sally.
14 ... a6

Question: What’s the point of this little move?

Answer: The ‘normal’ move 14 ... Re8 runs into 15 Bb5 (threatening
Ne5) 15 ... Qd6 16 Bg5! Red8 17 Bxf6 Bxf6 18 Ne4, as in E.Lobron-
E.Handoko, Zagreb 1985, and wherever the queen goes, Black will either be
saddled with weak pawns on the f-file (after Nxf6) or the c-file (after Bxc6).
Hence 14 ... a6 prevents the ‘Ruy Lopez’ pin while waiting for White to
declare his intentions.
15 Be3
Lending support to the d-pawn, though it’s not really necessary. Other
options are:
a) 15 Bf4 Qd7?! (the non-committal 15 ... Re8 looks better) 16 Ne5!
Nxe5 (not 16 ... Qxd4? due to 17 Nxc6 Qxf4 18 Nxe7+ Kh8 19 Rxe6!? fxe6
20 Bxh7! and wins) 17 dxe5 Nd5 18 Nxd5 Bxd5 19 Qc2 g6 20 Rad1 and
White has the initiative, G.Kasparov-A.Karpov, World Championship (48th
matchgame), Moscow 1984.
b) 15 Bc2 protects the d4-pawn as well and prepares for a Qd3 battery
(as indicated above). This move was the subject of a Petroff duel between
Shirov and Karpov in Bastia (rapid match) 2008. Shirov won one game and
the other two were drawn, but again White held the initiative in all three.
15 ... Nd5
Blockading the d-pawn as planned. This is a standard measure in playing
against isolated centre pawns. Black hopes then for exchanges, as with fewer
pieces on the board the isolated pawn will become harder to defend.
16 Qc2

Gaining a tempo by hitting h7 and forcing Black to weaken his kingside.

16 ... h6

Question: Why not impede White’s kingside intentions with 16 ... g6 - ?

Answer: Unfortunately, White has the vicious continuation 17 Bh6 Re8 18
Rxe6! fxe6 19 Bxg6, regaining the exchange with an extra pawn and saddling
Black with a porous kingside in the process.
17 Rad1 Bd6

GM Lasha Janjgava, in his 2001 book The Petroff, considered Black to

have equalized here, but Ivanchuk is just getting started.

Question: Is it a good idea for Black to gain the bishop pair with 17 ...
Nxe3 18 Rxe3 - ?

Answer: Not at all. Releasing the blockade would give White a huge
initiative. For one thing, there’s the immediate threat of 19 d5, winning a
piece (since 19 ... Bxd5 20 Nxd5 Qxd5? runs into 21 Bh7+ etc), while if
Black tries to reinstate the blockade with 18 ... Bd5, he gets brushed aside
after 19 Nxd5 Qxd5 20 Bh7+ Kh8 21 Be4 Qd6 22 Rc3 and his queenside
collapses.
18 Bc1!
Now is a good time to keep the bishop pair, while getting out of the way
of rook’s glare down the e-file. Otherwise Black might soon remove the
bishop after all; for example, 18 Ne4 Nxe3 19 Rxe3 Bd5 would give him
satisfactory game.
18 ... Nce7
Black overprotects d5 and will soon play for trades.
19 Ne4
Centralizing the knight and increasing the queen’s scope to include the c-
file.
19 ... Nf4

Question: Why not exchange the dark-squared bishop instead with 19 ...
Bf4 - ?

Answer: That’s certainly an option, but after 20 Nc5! Bc8 (20 ... Bxc1 is
met by 21 Rxe6! Bf4 22 Ree1 Qc8 23 Ne5 with a powerful position for
White) 21 Be4 Bxc1 22 Rxc1, Black would have to compromise his
queenside pawn structure with ... b7-b6 if he wants to expel the knight from
c5.
20 Bf1!

No trades! White has a space advantage and exchanges would only allow
Black to free up his game. So both bishops return to their original squares,
now that the rooks are centralized and connected.
20 ... Nfg6?!
This seems like a case of the ‘wrong knight’. There was no need to retreat
the one on f4, which wasn’t in any real danger, while after 20 ... Neg6, Black
could play for ... Re8 and ... Bd5 without a knight on e7 obstructing the rook.
All the same, 21 Ne5 Re8 (21 ... Qc8 22 Nxg6 Nxg6 transposes to the game)
22 b4 still looks pretty good for White.
21 Ne5!
If there are going to be piece exchanges, Ivanchuk would prefer them to
happen on his own terms. Black doesn’t want to capture on e5 unless he can
do so twice; otherwise he would convert White’s isolated d-pawn into a
strong e5-pawn wedge and increase his space advantage.
21 ... Qc8

Getting out of the way of the d1-rook and giving Black the options of ...
Nxe5 and ... Bxe5, or perhaps ... Rd8.
22 Nxg6!?

Question: Hey! Isn’t White trying to avoid exchanges and yet here he is
voluntarily trading his centralized knight for the g6 one. Why would he do this
voluntarily?

 Answer: Taking on g6 forestalls any chance of Black taking on e5, and
Ivanchuk has a concrete continuation in mind, as we’ll see. Alternatively,
defending the knight with 22 f4 looks good; for example, 22 ... Rd8 23 g4
Bxe5?! 24 dxe5 Rxd1 25 Rxd1 Bd5 26 Bg2 and White is clearly better with
the two bishops and threats of f4-f5-f6.
22 ... Nxg6 23 d5!
Gaining more space in the centre and clearing the d4-square for future
use.
23 ... Bd7?
Rokhmanov walks right into Ivanchuk’s devious trap. He had to play 23 ...
Bf5 and give up the bishop for the knight if required; for example, 24 Bd3
(threatening Nf6+) 24 ... Bxe4 (after 24 ... Nh4 25 Qc4 Be5 26 Nc5, White
has an excellent game) 25 Bxe4 (or 25 Rxe4 Ne5) 25 ... f5! 26 Bd3 Ne5 27
Bf1 f4 and Black at least has counterplay.

Exercise: Most of Black’s pieces have been shunted away from
the king. The position is ripe for a combination! Can you find it?

Answer: Crunch! The black kingside is blown apart.
24 Bxh6!!
Rokhmanov was probably regretting his ... Qc8 idea now.
 24 ... gxh6?!
Houdini suggests the unlikely 24 ... Bxh3! 25 gxh3 gxh6 as the best
defence. The reason is seen in the note to Black’s 26th move.
25 Nf6+ Kh8
25 ... Kg7?? runs into 26 Qc3 and Black has no good answer to the
impending double and/or discovered check.
26 Qd2!

The correct way to get at the black king.

Question: Why not 26 Qc3 again, setting up the discovered check?

Answer: That only threatens the d7-bishop and Black can just move it
away. After 26 ... Bb5! 27 Nh5+ f6 28 Nxf6 Qf5!, White’s attack is over and
Black gets a satisfactory game.
26 ... Bf4
Black can only defend h6 by blocking the diagonal (26 ... Kg7 27 Qc3 is
the same as 25 ... Kg7 above), but this puts another piece in danger. The
alternative 26 ... Nf4 is met the same way: 27 Qd4 and White regains the
piece with a decisive advantage; for example, 27 ... Bb5 28 Nh5+ f6 29 Nxf4
Qf5 30 Ne6 leaves Black a pawn down with a wrecked position.

 Question: So why was 24 ... Bxh3 25 gxh3 gxh6 any better for Black?

Answer: The fact that his light-squared bishop has already disappeared
from the board means that Black can answer 26 Nf6+ Kh8 27 Qd2 Nf4 28
Qd4 with 28 ... Qf5!. Yes, Black’s position remains precarious and probably
losing, but his control of the dark squares gives him some practical counter-
chances, even after 29 Kh1! Rad8 30 Nd7+ f6 31 Nxf8 Rxf8.
27 Qd4
The purpose of d4-d5 cannot be more apparent now as the queen takes up
this very juicy square.

One of the bishops is going to be swiped off, thanks to the discovered

check.
27 ... c5 28 dxc6 Bxc6 29 Nh5+ f6 30 Nxf4 Qf5 31 Ne6
There’s always one last opportunity to bungle things: 31 Nxg6+ Qxg6 32
Bd3?? Qxg2 mate.
31 ... Rg8 32 Bd3 1-0
 Black resigned, since if he moves his queen, he gets mated; for example,
32 ... Qd5 33 Qxf6+ Kh7 34 Nf8+! Raxf8 35 Re7+ etc.
Summary: It is ironic how Ivanchuk’s stunning kingside attack
commenced right after he retreated his bishops to their original squares.
However, bishops are long-range pieces and can operate perfectly from their
home base. White’s accumulated space advantage, combined with Black’s
passive piece set-up, established conditions which were perfect for Ivanchuk
to blast open the enemy king’s pawn cover and net a piece in the aftermath.

Game 21
V.Ivanchuk-T.Tabatadze
Leningrad 1985
Pirc Defence

1 e4 d6 2 d4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 f4
The Austrian Attack used to be regarded as the critical test of the Pirc,
whereas today Black’s counterplay has been well worked out. Consequently,
4 f4 features less often at the highest level and scores less well than, for
instance, 4 Be3. Ivanchuk’s own preference as White has mostly been for
quieter lines, such as 4 Nf3 or 4 g3, though he seems quite happy defending
the Austrian as Black, and even this particular variation (see the next note).
 4 ... Nf6 5 Nf3 0-0 6 Bd3 Na6 7 0-0 c5 8 d5 Bg4
In Chess Developments: The Pirc, FM James Vigus supplies an example
of Ivanchuk’s creativity in formulating the following exchange sacrifice: 8 ...
Rb8 9 f5 Nb4!? 10 fxg6 fxg6 11 Be2 Ng4 12 a3 Na6 13 h3 Ne5 14 Nxe5
Bxe5 15 Bh6 Rf6!? 16 Bg5 Bd7!! (after accepting the sacrifice, White’s
kingside action comes to a standstill) 17 Bxf6 exf6 18 Bg4 Be8! 19 Rb1 c4
20 Qf3 b5 with a strong queenside initiative for Black, D.Mastrovasilis-
V.Ivanchuk, Greek Team Championship 2011.
In his earlier book, The Pirc in Black and White, Vigus gave 9 f5 an
exclamation mark as being “the most powerful challenge to Black's 8 ...
Rb8”. Previously White had played things like 9 Kh1 Bg4 10 h3 Bxf3 11
Rxf3 Nc7 12 a4 a6 13 a5, which is very similar to the main game (see the
position at move 12), though there are a few differences. For instance, here
13 ... e6 14 fxe6 fxe6 15 f5! (Ponomariov), and 13 ... Nb5 14 Nxb5 axb5 15
Bxb5 Nxe4 16 Qe2 (Vigus) or 14 Ne2 c4 15 Bxc4 Nxe4 16 Bxb5 axb5 17
Qd3 f5 18 Qxb5 (Ponomariov) are reckoned to be good for White, whereas
the omission of h2-h3 and ... Rb8 can actually improve these lines for Black,
as we’ll see.
9 Kh1
In The Pirc in Black and White, Vigus noted that after 9 h3 Bxf3 10 Rxf3
Nc7 11 a4, Black can strike back with 11 ... e6! 12 dxe6 fxe6 13 f5!? (13 Be3
is probably better) 13 ... Nd7! (as in V.Gurevich-F.Cuijpers, German League
1999), since 14 fxe6 can be met by 14 ... Bd4+! 15 Kh2 Rxf3 16 gxf3 Ne5
with good counterplay.
 9 ... Bxf3!?
Black usually waits to be prompted into making this exchange, but taking
the knight at once isn’t necessarily bad, despite appearing to give White a
free move (who can now do without h2-h3), though it’s unlikely that
Tabatadze foresaw all the ramifications. Instead, the standard moves are 9 ...
Nc7 or 9 ... Rb8, both preparing queenside expansion, while Marin has tried
9 ... e6!?, immediately attacking the white pawn front.
10 Rxf3 Nc7
Threatening 11 ... b5, with the tactical justification that the e4-pawn hangs
if White takes the pawn. Therefore Ivanchuk opts to prevent it.
11 a4 a6
Black can play 11 ... e6 here too. H.Jonkman-D.Reinderman, Wijk aan
Zee 1994, went on 12 dxe6 fxe6 13 Qe1 (note that 13 f5 could be met by 13
... Ng4!, exploiting the absence of h2-h3) 13 ... Nd7 (13 ... d5 looks better) 14
Bd2 Kh8?! 15 Rh3 e5?? (the king had to go back to g8) 16 Qg3 Qe8 and now:

Exercise: How should White conduct the attack here?

Answer: 17 Qh4 (17 f5! is also good) 17 ... Nf6 18 Rf1! intending f4xe5,
Rxf6 and Qxh7 mate; while after 18 ... Nh5 19 g4 Bf6 20 g5 Bd8 21 f5, the
impending Be2xh5 will win a pawn with a huge position.
12 a5
Once again restraining ... b7-b5, and fixing a hole on b6. The drawback is
that it gives Black’s c7-knight an outlet.
12 ... Nb5!
A good move, played to trade a minor piece or plant the knight on d4.
13 Bd2
Ivanchuk sensibly completes development. Note that 13 Nxb5?! axb5 14
Bxb5 (which Vigus gave in the 8 ... Rb8 line) fails because the black rook is
still on the a-file; after 14 ... Rxa5 15 Rxa5 Qxa5 16 Bd3 b5, Black already
has the better game with a strong queenside initiative. Borrowing
Ponomariov’s idea of 13 Ne2 c4 14 Bxc4 Nxe4 15 Bxb5 axb5 16 Qd3 is no
good either here, for the same reason: 16 ... Rxa5! 17 Rxa5 Qxa5 and now if
18 Qxe4?? then 18 ... Qe1+ wins.
13 ... Rc8
Black sets up ... c5-c4, ... Nxc3 and ... Nxe4, attempting to force White
into trading a pair of minor pieces with 14 Nxb5 axb5 15 Bxb5 Nxe4, when
Black has good counterchances.

Exercise: Can you find a way for White to restrain ... c5-c4
satisfactorily?

Answer: With a creative response!
14 Ra4!?
The rook holds back ... c5-c4, defends e4 horizontally along the rank, and
vacates the long a1-h8 diagonal. In the equivalent position from the 8 ... Rb8
line (with the white h-pawn on h3), Seirawan played 14 b3 Nd4 15 Rf2 e6
and now 16 Qg1, but White can’t even consider that here because of 16 ...
Ng4! and if 17 Rff1? then 17 ... Nxb3! 18 cxb3 Bd4 wins.
14 ... Qd7!
Connecting the rooks with an indirect hit at the a4-rook based on ... Nxc3.
15 b3 Ne8?
A strange retreat. Centralizing the queen’s knight with 15 ... Nd4! is much
better, with ... e7-e6 to follow, when Black is fine.
16 Ne2!
If there are going to be exchanges, Ivanchuk again wants them to occur on
his own terms. If Black now plays 16 ... Nd4, White will just take it off as his
pieces are arranged for an optimal kingside attack build-up with Rh3, Qe1-
h4, f4-f5 etc. Perhaps foreseeing this, Tabatadze decides at last to make his
central pawn break. Unfortunately, it turns out to be completely mistimed.

16 ... e6?
This thematic move merely weakens Black’s kingside, and his position
disintegrates with amazing rapidity.
17 dxe6! fxe6
Removing a key pawn from shielding Black’s king, but 17 ... Qxe6 was no
better. White plays 18 f5!, followed by moves like Qe1, Bc4 and Nf4 with a
very strong attack. For example, 18 ... Qd7 (or 18 ... Qe7 19 Nf4) 19 Qe1
Qd8 20 fxg6 hxg6 21 Bc4 Nd4 (or 21 ... Nec7 22 Nf4) 22 Nxd4 cxd4 23 Rb4
Qe7 24 Rg3 and White is attacking on both sides of the board.
18 f5!
 Ivanchuk ruthlessly homes in for the kill. With this spike, he forces further
kingside weaknesses; soon even his queenside rook is able to join in the
concerted attack.
18 ... gxf5?!

Question: What’s wrong with this capture?

Answer: The exchange of pawns on f5 both enhances the strength of
White’s light-squared bishop and clears the fourth rank for the a4-rook to
swing across to the kingside.
Black’s last chance was to try and keep his position compact with 18 ...
Nf6 19 fxg6 hxg6 20 Rg3 e5, intending either 21 Rxg6?! Ng4! 22 Kg1 Nf2 23
Qc1 Nxd3 24 cxd3 Qf7 25 Qc4 Kh7 26 Qxf7 Rxf7 with some play for the
pawn, or 21 Bc4+?! d5 22 exd5 Ne4! 23 d6+ Kh7 24 Rh3+?? Qxh3! and
wins. However, 21 Be3! puts an end to the second of those ideas, and leaves
Black’s position looking very ropey.
19 exf5 e5

Question: Why not 19 ... exf5 with the idea of ... Nd4 - ?

Answer: White can reply 20 Raf4! and the f5-pawn falls with devastating
effect.

Exercise: What is the strongest continuation of White’s attack?

Answer: Return the pawn to clear the b1-h7 diagonal for the light-
squared bishop and disrupt Black’s defence.
20 f6! Rxf6
The h7-pawn is thus denied its natural defender, as 20 ... Nxf6 is met by
21 Bf5, winning the exchange and leaving Black in a hopeless position.
21 Rh3 h6 22 Rah4
The queen’s rook travels at warp speed from a1 to h4. Now the last
kingside pawn cannot be defended and, with its fall, the open h-file spells
massacre for Black.

 22 ... d5
Seeing that there is no way to defend h6, Tabatadze tries to defend his
king by introducing his own rook along the sixth rank.
23 Bxh6 Bxh6 24 Rxh6 Rxh6 25 Rxh6 Rc6 26 Rh5!

Ivanchuk keeps up the pressure by eschewing the rook trade and hitting
the e5-pawn.
 26 ... Re6?
Defending the pawn but losing the exchange. As it turns out, the pawns
can’t be defended satisfactorily:
a) 26 ... e4? is met by 27 Bxe4 or 27 Rxd5.
b) 26 ... Qe7 (or c7 or g7) allows 27 Bxb5 axb5 28 Qxd5+.
c) 26 ... Qe6 runs into 27 c4! and if 27 ... Nbc7 28 cxd5 Nxd5 29 Bc4
Rd6 30 Nc3 etc.
d) 26 ... Nf6 is relatively best, though after 27 Rxe5 c4 28 Rg5+ Kf8 29
Bf5, Black is still lost.
27 Bf5 Ng7 28 Rg5 Kf8 29 Bxe6 Qxe6

Black doesn’t even have time to advance his huge central mass, as his
king is too insecure and White’s queen and knight waltz into action for the
easy kill.
30 Qf1+ Kg8 31 Ng3 Qe7 32 h4 Nd4 33 Nh5 Qxg5 34 Nf6+ Qxf6 35
Qxf6 Nc6 36 g4 1-0
Summary: I have mentioned that Ivanchuk generally prefers to build up
his position before commencing an assault, but when his opponent voluntarily
helps out and compromises his own defences with a couple of weak moves,
Ivanchuk doesn’t hesitate to home in on the bewildered enemy king for a
quick crush.
Game 22
V.Ivanchuk-V.Anand
Thematic Tournament, Buenos Aires 1994
Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6

Initiating the Accelerated Dragon, where Black prepares a kingside
fianchetto one move sooner than in the Dragon proper (2 ... d6 3 d4 cxd4 4
Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6). One of the finesses of this line is that if White tries to
transpose into the Yugoslav Attack with 5 Nc3 Bg7 6 Be3 Nf6 7 f3?! (7 Bc4
0-0 8 Bb3! is correct) 7 ... 0-0 8 Qd2, he will be surprised by the central
break 8 ... d5!, when Black has gained a tempo by playing ... d7-d5 in one
move; while 8 Bc4 is met by 8 ... Qb6, threatening ... Nxe4 or ... Ng4.
5 c4
Ivanchuk commences the Maróczy Bind. The slight drawback to Black’s
set-up is its lack of pressure on the centre, which means that White is not
obliged to defend the e4-pawn but can first clamp down on the d5-square.

5 ... Nf6 6 Nc3 d6 7 Be2 Nxd4

Entering the Gurgenidze system, where Black takes on d4 before the white
bishop gets to e3, thus forcing White to recapture with the queen.
8 Qxd4 Bg7 9 Be3 0-0 10 Qd2 Be6
 In Starting Out: The Accelerated Dragon, IM Andrew Greet highlighted
the modern option of 10 ... a5!?, followed by 11 ... a4, when Black has
claimed some territory on the queenside. This makes ... Qa5 looks more
attractive as it is guarded by the a8-rook and less likely to succumb to a Nd5
trick, while Black can sometimes can set off tactics on the long dark diagonal
with ... a4-a3.
11 0-0 Qa5 12 Rab1!

According to my database, Austrian FM Reinhart Hanel was the first to

play this line, though its adoption by Ivanchuk changed the outlook of the
Gurgenidze System - as Donaldson and Silman indicated (in Accelerated
Dragons): “This move marked the start of the perhaps the most dangerous
treatment” against the Gurgenidze. The key idea is to gain space on the
queenside with a timely advance of the b-pawn, while the king’s rook will go
to c1 to support the Maróczy c4-pawn and counter tactics based on the c3-
knight.
12 ... Rfc8
Hitting c4 and clearing the path for the queen to return to d8 (and even to
f8 in some lines) after connecting the rooks. Now the immediate 13 b4?! Qd8
would merely give White problems with his c-pawn, and 14 c5 a5 15 a3 axb4
16 axb4 Ra3 was perfectly acceptable for Black in the original game,
R.Hanel-H.Stefansson, Vienna 1991.
 13 b3 Nd7?!
Probably taken by surprise Anand responds with a routine but passive
move, especially in comparison with 13 ... Ng4!?, which Greet gives as the
main line in Starting Out: The Accelerated Dragon. Please allow me to
elaborate on the theory here. There can follow 14 Nd5 (14 Bd4 Bxd4 15
Qxd4 Qc5 is fine for Black) 14 ... Qxd2 15 Bxd2 Kf8 16 Bg5 and now:

a) 16 ... Bxd5 17 exd5 Nf6 18 Bd3 h6 19 Bd2 Nd7 20 Rfe1 a5 was seen
in J.Rowson-V.Malakhov, Selfoss 2003, and here GM Postny (in ChessBase
Magazine) suggested 21 a4! to nix Black’s play on the queenside;
“afterwards, White can try to get active play on the kingside.” Postny
considered White to be slightly better, whereas Greet assesses this as having
chances for both sides. Personally, I think Black is holding his own. Although
White can make progress with g2-g3, h2-h3, Kg2, f2-f4 and a general
advance on the kingside, Black’s position is compact and solid, so White
would need to exert a lot of energy (and care) to try and win.
b) GM Sergei Tiviakov considers 16 ... Nf6 17 Nxf6 Bxf6 18 Bxf6 exf6
to be equal (as well), perhaps because the 2008 European Champion has the
necessary technique to hold this ending; only White has winning chances. As
it happens, Ivanchuk has defended it himself as Black, equalizing after 19 f4
Rc5 20 Rfd1 Ke7 21 Kf2 a6 22 Rd4 b5! 23 cxb5 axb5 24 Rb2 Ra3! 25 Rbd2
f5 26 exf5 Bxf5 27 b4 Rc2! 28 Rxc2 Bxc2 29 Bxb5 Bb1, P.Leko-V.Ivanchuk,
Mukachevo (7th matchgame) 2007, though it didn’t stop Leko from playing on
for another 30+ moves. That’s the degree of accuracy needed by Black - and
in a 10 min + 10 second increment game, no less!

Question: Is it possible to take advantage of the vulnerable c3-knight
with 13 ... b5 - ?

After all, 14 cxb5?? loses a piece to 14 ... Qxc3, while 14 Nxb5 Qxd2 15
Bxd2 Nxe4 looks satisfactory for Black.
Answer: Ivanchuk demonstrated the folly of this move with 14 b4 Qc7 15
e5! dxe5 16 Nxb5 Qb7 17 Rfc1, when White’s mobile queenside majority,
supported by the centralized bishops, and rooks give him a comfortable plus,
V.Ivanchuk-V.Kovacevic, Belgrade 1997.
If Black wants to play ... b7-b5, he needs to prepare it with 13 ... a6,
when 14 Rfc1 b5!? 15 b4 Qd8 16 cxb5 axb5 17 Bxb5 Ra3! 18 Nd5 (or if 18
Bf1, as in V.Ivanchuk-A.Khalifman, Yalta rapid 1995, then 18 ... Ng4! with
counterplay - Marin) 18 ... Rca8 19 Nxf6+ Bxf6 20 Bc4 Bxc4 21 Rxc4 Rxa2
22 Rc2 Ra1 23 Rxa1 Rxa1+ 24 Rc1 Qa8 is okay for Black, E.Safarli-
G.Guseinov, Nakhchivan 2013.
14 Rfc1
 14 ... Qd8
Anand retreats his queen in advance of either b3-b4 or Nd5, in order to
grit it out on the queenside with ... Nc5 and ... a7-a5, but this turns out to be
the wrong decision in practice. Instead:
a) 14 ... Qb4 got squeezed by the late Estonian GM Lembit Oll in a superb
restraint demonstration: 15 Rc2 a6 16 Rbc1 Rab8 17 f3 Qa5 18 Nd5 Qxd2 19
Rxd2 Kf8 20 Rdc2 f5 21 exf5 Bxf5 22 Rd2 Nf6 23 Nb6 Rc6 24 Rcd1 Re8 25
Bf1 Be6 26 g3 Rc7 27 Bg2 Nd7 28 Nd5 Bxd5 29 Rxd5 Nf6 30 Ra5 Nd7 31
f4 Bc3 32 Rg5 Bb4 33 f5! and after exchanging on g6, White eventually made
headway on the kingside with h2-h4-h5, L.Oll-B.Alterman, European Club
Cup 1997.
b) In Informant #62, Ivanchuk suggested the flexible 14 ... a6 15 f4 Rab8
as a better set-up. This position was reached in P.Zarnicki-H.Spangenberg,
Argentine Championship, Sáenz Peña 1995, which continued 16 b4 Qd8 17
Nd5 Nf6 18 Bf3 b6 19 Qf2 Nxd5 20 exd5 Bd7 21 Rb3, and here Houdini
recommends 21 ... e5!, when Black should be holding his own.
15 Nd5
White increases his space advantage and centralizes the knight.
15 ... Nc5

Question: If Black plays 15 ... Bxd5 at once, which way should White
recapture?

Answer: It’s a matter of taste. If you want to play on the queenside, then
16 cxd5 Nc5 17 f3 a5 18 Bf1!, intending g2-g3 and Bh3, gives White an
enduring plus. If you prefer the “whole board strategy” typical of Ivanchuk,
you might go for 16 exd5 a5 17 Bg4, tempting Black into 17 ... f5 18 Bf3 Ne5
19 Be2, when White again has the edge, this time in a position that reminds
me of Alekhine’s Defence (the Voronezh variation with 1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3
d4 d6 4 c4 Nb6 5 exd6 cxd6).

Exercise: How should White defend the e4-pawn?

Answer: With the bishop, retaining the possibility of play on the kingside.
16 Bf3!
The standard Maróczy move 16 f3 is fine of course; for instance, after 16
... a5, White might increase his space advantage gradually and carefully with
something like Bf1, Qf2, a2-a3 and b3-b4. However, Ivanchuk doesn’t
subscribe to standard stereotyped set-ups. The rationale behind the bishop
move is that Black is already tied down in the centre and on the queenside.
With his space advantage, it is easier for White to transfer his pieces to the
kingside and aim for a direct attack on the king.
 16 ... a5
As intended, Black impedes b3-b4 and secures his knight outpost on c5.

Exercise: What would you play now as White?

Answer: We’ve just answered this one in general terms. It’s time to play
on the kingside, while Black is tied down on the other flank.
17 h4!
Ivanchuk commences a kingside assault based on the opening of the h-file
with h4-h5, if the pawn is left unchecked. Let’s look at a couple of
alternatives:
a) Booting the black knight from its outpost with a2-a3 and b3-b4 is a
standard idea, but here the careless 17 a3?! runs into 17 ... a4! and White has
no good reply: 18 b4? Nb3 wins the exchange; 18 Bxc5 dxc5 19 b4 Bd4 is
easy for Black; while after 18 bxa4 Bxd5! 19 Bxc5 Bc6 20 Bb6 Qf8 21 a5?!
Bh6! 22 Be3 Bxe3 23 fxe3 Ra7, Black will pile on the a-pawn and win it
back with the advantage.
b) In a high-level correspondence game, the 11th World Champion
managed to hold a draw as Black against the 12th Championship runner-up
after 17 Qe2 Rab8 18 h4 Qe8 19 Bd2 (the immediate 19 h5 might be met by
19 ... b5!?) 19 ... b6 20 h5 Be5!? 21 g3 f5!? 22 hxg6 hxg6 23 Bg5 Bxd5 24
cxd5 fxe4 25 Bxe4 Bf6 26 Bd2 Nxe4 27 Qxe4 Kg7 28 Rc6 Qd7 29 Rbc1 Re8
30 a4 (30 g4! looks better, with ideas of Bc3 and g4-g5, and preventing
Black’s next move) 30 ... Qf5! 31 Qxf5 gxf5 32 Be3 b5 ½-½ J.Franzen-
F.Baumbach, correspondence 1996.
17 ... Bxd5
Black wants to move his queen to cover some kingside squares since his
opponent is gaining more and more space in that sector, but he cannot do so
immediately due to the family fork on b6. An alternative would be to play 17
... Rab8 and if 18 h5 then 18 ... b5!?, while 18 Qe2 Qe8 transposes to
Franzen-Baumbach.

Question: What if Black just blocks the attack with 17 ... h5 - ?

Answer: Ivanchuk intended 18 Bg5! (the exclamation mark is attached by
me; White cajoles Black into giving up the bishop pair, as defending with ...
Bf8 or ... f7-f6 would leave him even more cramped) 18 ... Bxd5 19 exd5 Bf6
20 Re1 with a good space advantage. The preliminary 18 Re1!? was also
possible.

Exercise: Which is the best way for White to recapture this time?

 Answer: Now that White is working at making inroads on the kingside, he
needs to clamp down on any black queenside play.
18 exd5!
The alternatively do not worry Black very much:
a) 18 cxd5?! allows 18 ... b5! 19 h5 b4 and Black can generate queenside
counterplay with ... Bc3 and ... a5-a4 very swiftly.
b) 18 Qxd5?! is met by 18 ... e6! 19 Qd2 Qxh4 20 Qxd6 Nxe4, when the
two bishops give White compensation for the pawn, but no more than that.
18 ... Qd7
From this square the black queen aims at f5 with the added function of
preparing ... b7-b5. Ivanchuk’s reply prevents them both.
19 Qe2
Against 19 h5, Black would play 19 ... Qf5, aiming at d3. Now 19 ... Qf5?
runs into 20 Bg4 with a skewer, so Anand moves his rook off the diagonal.
19 ... Re8?!

Question: Why is this move rated dubious? What should Anand have
played instead?

Answer: It is necessary for Black to grab some kingside space with 19 ...
h5!, even at the cost of weakening his kingside pawns. Ivanchuk intended 20
g4! hxg4 21 Bxg4 f5,
 and now 22 Bh3 Bf6 23 h5 g5 24 f3! Kh8 (or 24 ... Kf7 25 Qc2!) 25 Kh1
Rg8 26 Rg1 with a clear advantage; but Black can improve on this with 22 ...
Kf7! 23 h5 (or 23 Bxc5 dxc5 24 h5 Qd6) 23 ... Rh8! 24 hxg6+ Kxg6, when
White’s king is just as exposed as Black’s; and note that 25 Kg2? fails to 25
... Rxh3! 26 Kxh3 f4+ etc.
The solid 22 Bf3! is better: 22 ... Bf6 (22 ... Kf7 23 h5 Rh8 24 hxg6+
Kxg6 25 Kg2, followed by Rh1) 23 Kg2! Kf7 (not 23 ... Bxh4?? 24 Rh1 Bf6
25 Rbg1 with a devastating attack; or 23 ... Kg7 24 Rg1 Rh8 25 h5! as after
25 ... g5?? 26 Bxg5! Bxg5 27 Kh2! Kf6, White will terminate the contest with
28 Rxg5!! Kxg5 29 Rg1+ Kf6 30 Qb2+ Kf7 31 Qg7+ etc) 24 Rh1 Rh8 25 h5
and White is still for choice; for example, 25 ... g5 (or 25 ... Rag8 26 Rbg1
gxh5+ 27 Kf1 Rxg1+ 28 Rxg1 h4 29 Bh5+ Kf8 30 Qf3, with threats of Qg2 or
Bg6) 26 Qc2! Rh6 27 Be2 (planning to target the f5-pawn) 27 ... Rah8? (or
27 ... Ne4 28 Rbe1) 28 Bxc5! dxc5 29 Bd3 f4 30 Bf5 Qc7 31 Bg6+ Kg7 32
Rbe1 and White has a big advantage, since the black rooks are now
completely misplaced.

Question: But if 19 ... h5 gives White the better game
anyway, how can 19 ... Re8 be considered dubious?

Answer: At least 19 ... h5 gives White a chance to go wrong. After 19 ...
Re8?!, Ivanchuk gets a vice-like grip on the position which Anand cannot
wriggle out of.
20 h5 Qf5
With the ideas of ... Qd3, ... Nd3-e5, or ... Ne4-c3.
21 Rd1
“No dice,” says Ivanchuk, preventing them all. (21 ... Ne4?? loses to 22
g4! Qe5 23 Bd4.)
21 ... Be5?!

Perhaps an attempt to trade off the dark-squared bishops? According to

Ivanchuk, Black had to try 21 ... gxh5!?, though White still has the better
chances after 22 Bxh5 Ne4 23 Qd3 Qxh5 24 Qxe4.

Exercise: White to play. How does he make even more inroads on the
kingside?

Answer: Make room for the king to vacate the back rank, so that the rooks
can reach the h-file. White even gets to do this with tempo.
22 g4! Qc8
A strange-looking retreat to the back rank, but 22 ... Qf6 23 g5 Qg7 24
Kg2 is no better for Black.

 Question: Why didn’t Anand play 22 ... Qd7 instead?

Answer: He needed to defend c5, since 22 ... Qd7?? loses a piece to 23
Bxc5 dxc5 24 Qxe5. In any case, he wants to reroute the knight via d7 to f8 or
f6 to defend his king.
23 Kg2 Bg7
It’s clear that Anand has gone badly wrong, since he could have had this
set-up by playing the bizarre 20 ... Qc8. Meanwhile White has gained the
moves g2-g4 and Kg2 for free. Now some piling work begins as Black awaits
the execution.
24 Rh1 Nd7 25 hxg6 hxg6 26 Rh4 a4 27 Rbh1 axb3 28 axb3 Ra1
In the Informant, Ivanchuk suggested 28 ... b5 as a chance for Black to
complicate.

Exercise: Can you find the decisive blow for White?

Answer: 29 Qd2! (not 29 cxb5 Qc3! and Black is still in the game) 29 ...
bxc4 30 Rh7! Nf6 31 Rxg7+! Kxg7 32 Bh6+ Kg8 33 Qg5! (threatening Bg7,
Qh6 and mates; this is even stronger than 33 Bg7! Nxg4! 34 Bd4 f6 35 Rh4
etc) 33 ... Nh5 (Black has no choice but to return everything) 34 gxh5 Qf5 35
hxg6 Qxg6 36 Qxg6+ fxg6 37 Bg4 with a winning position for White, who
threatens 38 Be6+ Kh7 39 Bf8 mate.

Question: Going back to 28 Ra1, should White trade a pair
of rooks before Black takes total control of the a-file?

Answer: Generally, the attacker seeks to keep his pieces, while the
defender will try to reduce the number of attacking units. In any case,
Ivanchuk doesn’t care about the a-file, since he is already battering down the
door to Anand’s HQ.
29 R1h3! Qa8 30 Rh7
It must be unnerving for Anand to see this ‘chariot’ poised to decimate his
abode, but there’s nothing much he can do about it.
30 ... Qa2
A final attempt at making trades. After 30 ... Be5, White’s attack crashes
home with 31 Bf4! Bg7 (if 31 ... Bxf4, then 32 Rh8+ Kg7 33 R3h7+ Kf6 34
Qe4 and it’s all over; e.g. 34 ... Bg5 35 Rxf7+! Kxf7 36 Rh7+ Kf8 37 Qxg6
etc) 32 Bd2!! Ra2 (or 32 ... Nf6 33 Rxg7+! Kxg7 34 Bc3, followed by Qe3 or
g4-g5 and wins) 33 Qe3, threatening Rxg7+ etc, and even 33 ... Rxd2 doesn’t
save him, as Houdini demonstrates: 34 Rxg7+! Kxg7 35 Qh6+ Kf6 36 g5+
Ke5 37 Qh4 Rd4 38 Bg4! Re4 39 Qg3+ Kd4 40 Qd3+ Kc5 41 Qxe4 f5 42
Qe3+ Kb4 43 Qd4 Qa2 44 c5+ Ka5 45 Qc4! Qa3 (or 45 ... dxc5 46 b4+ and
47 Qxa2) 46 b4+ Qxb4 47 Qa2+ Qa4 48 Ra3 and White wins easily.

Exercise: Okay, no prizes for guessing how Ivanchuk terminated
the contest with a flourish. The rook is on h7 for a reason, isn’t it?

Answer: Crunch! The beauty of Ivanchuk’s finish was that he managed to
deliver the sacrificial blow just when Black was about to invade the back
rank via the a-file.
31 Rxg7+! Kxg7 32 Bd4+ f6
Other ways of blocking the check are no better: 32 ... Nf6 33 Qe3 Rh8 34
Qxe7! and 32 ... Ne5 33 Bxe5+ dxe5 34 Qxe5+ f6 35 Qh2! are both terminal
for Black.
33 Qe3 Nf8 34 Be4!
 What GM Yasser Seirawan would call “bringing everyone to the party”!
White now threatens 35 Qh6+ Kf7 36 Bxg6+! Nxg6 37 Qh7+ Kf8 38 Qxg6
and mates.
34 ... Kf7 35 Rh8 1-0
There’s no good way to meet Qh6, so Anand resigned.
Summary: Another impressive global domination display, with Ivanchuk
first establishing superiority in the centre, then the queenside - and, finally,
seizing the kingside and prising open the h-file to commit regicide.

Game 23
A.Shirov-V.Ivanchuk
Manila Olympiad 1992
Dutch Defence

1 d4 e6 2 c4 f5 3 g3 Nf6 4 Bg2 c6 5 Nf3 d5

 Black’s c6/d5/e6/f5 structure is known as the Stonewall for its solidity.
Gone are the days where Black would launch a direct kingside attack based
on ... Ne4, ... Qe8-h5 and ... Rf6-h6. Nowadays, the opening contains many
subtle nuances based on fighting for queenside dark squares, with decisions
to make on whether White or Black should exchange the c-pawns, and tai chi-
ing with both sides’ central knights.
6 0-0 Bd6 7 b3 Qe7
If permitted, White would be more than happy to trade dark-squared
bishops with Ba3, so Black develops his queen to prevent it. If White insists
by playing 8 a4, Black can counter with 8 ... a5!, annexing the b4-square.
8 Ne5!
Johnsen and Bern consider this knight sally as White's best try for an
advantage in Win with the Stonewall Dutch.


Question: Why not develop the other minor pieces first? Isn’t this
premature?

Answer: There are some advantages to playing an early Ne5.
1. It is aimed at nixing a quick ... b7-b6, ... Bb7/Ba6 by Black, since the
queenside fianchetto will weaken c6.
2. The knight usually drops back to d3, allowing the queen’s knight to go
to e5 after Nd2-f3, while Black’s standard ... Ne4 move can be met by f2-f3.
3. With sufficient preparation, White might be able to crack the
‘Stonewall’ with e2-e4 (after f2-f3).
8 ... 0-0
The first point of 8 Ne5 is seen after 8 ... b6?!, when White can throw in 9
cxd5! exd5 (after 9 ... cxd5?! 10 Nc4!, Black either loses the bishop pair or
allows 10 ... Bc7 11 Ba3, which is worse) 10 Bb2 Bb7 (10 ... 0-0 11 Qc2
forks c6 and f5) 11 Qc2 with a slight edge, since Black has to waste a move
defending the f5-pawn with 11 ... g6.
9 Nd2
Shirov prioritizes his knight development and maintains options with his
dark-squared bishop, which might go to either b2 or f4. More often White
plays (or has already played) 9 Bb2, after which Black has plenty of choices,
such as 9 ... Nbd7, 9 ... Bd7 (intending ... Be8-h5), and 9 ... a5!?, or even 9 ...
b6!? (when GM Gleizerov has answered 10 cxd5 exd5 11 Qc2 with 11 ...
Bxe5 12 dxe5 Ne4).
9 ... Nbd7

Ivanchuk follows suit, developing his own knights before deciding where
to deploy his light-squared bishop.
Leaving the queen’s knight at home and playing 9 ... b6!? also seems
satisfactory here. After 10 cxd5 exd5! (10 ... cxd5 runs into 11 Ndc4 again,
when Black cannot avoid the loss of the bishop pair: 11 ... Bb4 12 Nd3) 11
Ndf3 (now 11 Bb2 Bb7 12 Qc2 can now met by 12 ... c5! and if 13 Qxf5??
then 13 ... Ne4! wins) 11 ... Ne4 12 Qc2 Bb7 and Black should be alright
whether White develops with Bf4 or Bb2. It’s just like a Queen’s Indian
where Black has gotten ... f7-f5 in safely.
10 Ndf3
My take is that after 10 Bb2 Ne4 11 Ndf3 a5!? (“while Black starts a
flank attack with the a-pawn, his minor pieces are ready for central action” -
GM Viktor Moskalenko in The Diamond Dutch) 12 Qc2 a4 13 Rad1 Nxe5 14
Nxe5 Bxe5 15 dxe5 b6 16 f3 axb3 17 axb3 Nc5 18 Ra1, White maintains a
slight pull due to his bishop pair and flexible pawns, L.Ftacnik-D.Smerdon,
Istanbul Olympiad 2012. However, 13 ... Bb8!? is an interesting idea, freeing
up the queen to play on the a3-f8 diagonal; for example, 14 Nd3 (if White
bides his time and plays 14 e3, Black can react with 14 ... Ra6 15 Rd3 axb3
16 axb3 Qb4; while 14 Nxd7 Bxd7 15 Ne5 Bxe5 16 dxe5 axb3 17 axb3 Ra2
is equal, S.Genga-S.Peschardt, correspondence 2007) 14 ... b6 15 Nfe5 Nxe5
16 Nxe5 Bxe5 17 dxe5 axb3 18 axb3 Qb4 is quite playable for Black.
10 ... Ne4 11 Nd3
Clearing the way for the f3-knight, while supporting a possible Bf4,
trading off Black’s good bishop. The downside is that the temporary release
of pressure on c6, allowing Black to sort out his queenside development.
Instead, 11 Bf4 (11 Bb2 transposes to the previous note) 11 ... Ndf6 12
Nd3 Bxf4 13 Nxf4 b6 14 Ne5 Bb7 15 Rc1 Rac8?! (15 ... c5 looks better) 16
c5 kept a space advantage for White, A.Shabalov-S.Dolmatov, Manila
Olympiad 1992. Ivanchuk was considering 11 ... Nxe5 and if 12 Bxe5 then 12
... Ba3, followed by ... b7-b6 and ... Bb7; but as he notes, White might also
play 12 Nxe5, intending Nd3 and c4-c5, when Black is rather stuck for a
move unless he can get away with 12 ... c5!?.
11 ... b6

12 Nfe5
Continuing the standard plan of evicting the black knight with f2-f3. Here
12 Bf4 doesn’t seem to pose Black any problems; indeed, after 12 ... Ba6
(Ivanchuk assessed 12 ... Bxf4 13 Nxf4 Bb7 14 Rc1 as unclear) 13 Bxd6
Qxd6 14 Rc1 Rac8 15 Nf4 Rfd8, Black has already equalized, Yu Mingyuan-
Po.Carlsson, Budapest 2000. Even though his pawns are on light squares, his
bishop is operating well outside the pawn chain.
12 ... Bb7 13 Nxd7
The immediate 13 f3 would be met by 13 ... Nec5! 14 Nxd7 (or 14 dxc5?!
Bxe5) 14 ... Nxd7 and Black has no problems. 13 Bf4 is also ineffective,
since 13 ... c5! frees up Black’s game; for example, 14 cxd5 exd5 15 Rc1
Nxe5 16 Bxe5 Rac8 17 Re1 c4 18 Bxd6 Qxd6 19 Ne5 b5 with equality,
S.Klimov-A.Galkin, Russian Team Championship 2002.
13 ... Qxd7 14 f3
If 14 Qc2, intending b3-b4 and c4-c5, Black can make use of his lead in
development to sacrifice a pawn with 14 ... c5! 15 dxc5 Nxc5 16 cxd5 Rac8!
17 dxe6 Nxe6. After, for example, 18 Qd1 Bxg2 19 Kxg2 Qc6+ 20 f3 Nd4 21
Bd2 Ba3, Black has excellent compensation in terms of active piece play and
attacking chances.
14 ... Nf6 15 c5?!

This is the turning point of the game.

Question: What are the pros and cons of this move?

Answer: The good news for White is that he has gained more space on
the queenside, while Black can no longer play the liberating ... c6-c5 break.
 The bad news:
1. This move relieves the tension in the centre and the black d-pawn is
strengthened.
2. Black doesn’t need the ... c6-c5 break anymore, as White has
voluntarily given the b7-bishop a fine diagonal to operate on (a6-f1).
3. White is still behind in development, and Black is already fully
mobilized.
In conclusion, giving up the centre is premature. From this juncture,
Ivanchuk asserts his authority over the game.
Instead, 15 Bf4 Bxf4 16 Nxf4 g5 17 Nh3 h6 would be unclear according
to Ivanchuk; Black shouldn’t be worse here though.
15 ... bxc5! 16 Nxc5
On 16 dxc5, Ivanchuk intended 16 ... Bc7, followed by ... Qe7, ... Nd7, ...
a7-a5 and ... Ba6 with a very satisfactory game for Black.
16 ... Bxc5 17 dxc5 e5

Black can look forward to a comfortable game here too, with his mobile
centre pawns.
18 e4?
Ivanchuk actually gave this move two question marks.

Question: What’s wrong with counter-attacking in the centre?

Answer: It allows Black to open the f-file and obtain a strong attack,
especially with the light-squared bishop coming to usurp the a6-f1 diagonal.
Black even gets a nice passed d-pawn.
Shirov should have opted for 18 Bb2 (18 e3?! Ba6 19 Rf2 e4 gives Black
the edge, since the e3-pawn becomes a liability after 20 Bb2 exf3 21 Bxf3
Rae8) 18 ... Rae8 (not 18 ... d4?! because of 19 f4! Ng4 20 fxe5 Ne3 21 Qxd4
Qxd4 22 Bxd4 Nxf1 23 Rxf1 with good chances for White) 19 Qd2 f4 with an
unclear game; White has a strong dark-squared bishop, while Black has the
centre and more space.
18 ... Ba6!
Seizing control of the key diagonal and forcing White to relinquish the f-
file.
19 Re1
After 19 Rf2 fxe4 20 fxe4 Nxe4!, Black takes control of the file anyway
and wins; for example:

a) 21 Rxf8+ Rxf8 22 Be3 d4! 23 b4 (or 23 Bxe4 Rf1+) 23 ... Qf5 24 Qa4
dxe3 25 Qxa6 Qf2+ 26 Kh1 e2 27 Qc4+ Kh8 28 Qxe4 Rd8! etc.
b) 21 Bxe4 Rxf2 22 Kxf2 Rf8+23 Kg2 Rf1 24 Bxh7+ (or 24 Qd2 Qf7 25
Qg5 Qf8! 26 Qxe5 Rg1+! 27 Kh3 Bc8+ 28 Kh4 dxe4 27 Bb2 Rg2 etc) 24 ...
Kxh7 25 Qh5+ Kg8 26 Qxe5 (or 26 Bb2 Rf5) 26 ... Qg4! (Ivanchuk) and
White is crushed on the light squares.
19 ... fxe4 20 fxe4 d4

Black is better in all sectors of the board: the queenside (active a6-
bishop), the centre (protected passed d-pawn), and the kingside (open f-file,
with an attacking force of queen, rook and knight). It’s not surprising that
Ivanchuk terminates the contest swiftly.
21 Qd2 Ng4!
The threat of ... Rf2 forces White to pin the knight.
22 Bh3

Exercise: What should Black do now?

Answer: Secure the knight to free the queen to join in the attack down the
f-file.
22 ... h5!
Another possibility was 22 ... h6!, preventing Qg5 (as in the next note),
followed by ... Rf7 and ... Raf8, and it’s hard to see any kind of defence for
White.
23 Ba3
This seems a wayward move, but Shirov couldn’t offer much resistance in
any case; even trying for the exchange of queens with 23 Qg5 Qf7 24 Qf5!?
looks quite hopeless after 24 ... Bd3 25 Qxf7+ Rxf7 and ... Raf8.
23 ... Qf7 24 Bb4

Exercise: Find the way for Black to put White out of his misery.

Answer: The plan of tripling the heavy pieces with ... Re6-f6 is
convincing enough.
24 ... Rae8!
Houdini likes 24 ... Qg6!, threatening ... Rf2 and h5-h4, which is equally
devastating.
25 Ba5 Re6 26 Bf1
Now 26 ... Bxf1 27 Rxf1 Rf6 would win, but Ivanchuk sees no reason to
allow a white rook onto the f-file, even temporarily.
26 ... Nf2! 27 Bxa6
If the white bishop goes back to g2, Black just continues his plan: 27 Bg2
Rf6 and White has no defence to ... Ng4 and ... Rf2.
27 ... Qf3 0-1
Shirov has to give up the queen or get mated.
Summary: This is indeed a great advertisement for the Stonewall Dutch.
Who said the opening is inflexible? Ivanchuk’s mobile centre pawns proved
otherwise!

Game 24
V.Ivanchuk-M.Vachier Lagrave
Istanbul Olympiad 2012
Sicilian Defence

1 Nf3 c5 2 e4 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bg5

And so we enter the sharpest of the Sicilian Najdorf variations.
6 ... e6 7 f4 Qc7
A specialty of MVL who, according to MegaBase 2014, had won 4,
drawn 6, and lost only 1 game with this move prior to this encounter. Black
isn’t concerned with doubled f-pawns here, as he routinely leaves his king in
the centre or castles long.
8 Bxf6 gxf6 9 Qd2 b5 10 Bd3 Bb7 11 0-0!?

Traditionally, White goes long in these variations, but Bolivian GM

Oswaldo Zambrana didn’t achieve much success after 11 ... Nc6 12 Nxc6
Qxc6 13 Rhe1 0-0-0 14 a3 h5 15 Kb1 Kb8 16 Be2 Qb6 17 Bf3 h4 18 Re3
Be7 19 Rd3 Rc8 and chances are equal, O.Zambrana-M.Zuriel, La Punta
2012.
Castling short changes the play even if isn’t objectively any better. As IM
Kevin Goh noted in Chess Developments: The Sicilian Najdorf 6 Bg5, that
Ivanchuk won this game was probably due “more to the fact that the position
was in the capable hands of the mercurial Ukrainian.”
 11 ... Nc6
Goh recommended 11 ... Nd7 12 Kh1 (after 12 Qe3, I like 12 ... Qc5,
pinning the d4-knight; with his bishop pair, Black would welcome the
exchange of queens) 12 ... Qb6 13 Nf3 (13 Nb3!? h5 14 Rae1 h4 15 h3 0-0-0
is unclear) 13 ... Rc8, intending ... Nc5 with a reasonable game.
12 Nb3

Ivanchuk keeps the knights on the board in order to retain attacking

chances.

Question: Why did the knight retreat to b3 instead of f3?

Answer: For two reasons:
1. A typical square for Black’s dark-squared bishop is h6; with the knight
on f3, the f4-pawn would then require guarding by the queen (of course White
is not going to weaken the long light diagonal with g2-g3 just to guard the f-
pawn).
2. In some lines, Black castles long and it won’t hurt for White to station a
piece on the queenside to facilitate matters there.
12 ... h5
This space-grabbing move is typical in the Classical Rauzer (after 5 ...
Nc6 6 Bg5) where White usually castles queenside. Here, it has the added
advantage of being a battering ram for an eventual kingside assault.
Alternatively, Black might opt to castle long now: 12 ... 0-0-0!? 13 a4 b4
14 Nd1 and here he can unleash 14 ... d5!, which is a interesting concept from
Houdini. Black sets in motion the extension of the long light diagonal and he
already has an open g-file to play on. After 15 exd5 Rxd5 16 Ne3 Rd8 17
Qe2 Qb6 18 Kh1 f5 19 a5 Qa7 20 Nc4 Rg8 21 Nb6+ Kb8, the position is
unclear.
13 Kh1
Tucking the king out of the way is prudent in view of Black’s open g-file.
13 ... h4
Forcing White to weaken his kingside slightly, as he clearly can’t allow
the h-pawn to come any further and expose the king on the long diagonal.
14 h3

14 ... Be7?!
In this instance, e7 is not the ideal square for the bishop, even if it’s the
most natural development. I must say, Ivanchuk’s opening novelty is very
tricky indeed, when natural moves are made to look bad just because the
timing is slightly off.
Black should probably castle long, as in the later game R.Ziatdinov-
N.Shyam, Nagpur 2012: 14 ... 0-0-0! 15 a4 b4 16 Nd1 Rg8 17 Qe2 Qb6 18
a5 Qa7 19 Ne3 Kb8 20 c3 f5!? (a complicated pawn sacrifice) 21 exf5 Ne7?
(now Black goes wrong; Houdini prefers 21 ... Rg3 22 Rf3 Rxf3 23 gxf3 Bh6
and I suppose Black’s bishop pair, coupled with the wrecked white kingside,
counterbalances his pawn deficit) 22 fxe6 Rg3 23 Nd4! fxe6 24 Rf3! (a
beautiful defensive resource, after which Black is busted)

24 ... e5 (after 24 ... Bxf3 25 Nxf3, Black’s attack is over, while White’s
is just getting started) 25 fxe5 dxe5 26 Rxg3 exd4 (or 26 ... hxg3 27 Ne6 Rc8
28 Rf1 Bh6 29 Nc4 and Black’s position is a shambles - his pawns are all
isolated, to say nothing of his king) 27 Nc4 Qc5 28 cxb4 Qxb4 29 Qe5+ Ka7
30 Qc7 hxg3 31 Qxd8 Nd5 32 Qh4 Bc5 33 Qxg3 Qb3 34 Kh2 Ne3 35 Qc7
Qb4 36 Ra4 and Black resigned.
15 Rae1
Making plans to break through in the centre if the black king remains
there. 15 f5!? and 15 a4 also came into consideration, but Ivanchuk
steadfastly refuses to commit himself until he sees what Black plans to do.
15 ... b4?
 It’s probably imperative to play 15 ... 0-0-0! to get the king out of the
middle with the white rooks trained there.

Exercise: MVL tries to dislodge the c3-knight but this is practically
asking to be
blown away, especially against a consummate attacker like Ivanchuk.
Why is this so?

Answer: Ivanchuk has trained his guns on the centre and is glad to receive
an invitation to blast the e-file open.
16 Nd5!!
Clearly the most ambitious reaction to Black’s pawn push. Ivanchuk aims
for long-term compensation in the form of the open e-file and the insecure
black king. I’m not sure how much he had worked out, but this thematic
Sicilian sacrifice makes perfect sense: all White’s pieces are fully mobilized,
so it’s the ideal time to catch the enemy king in the crossfire.
16 ... exd5 17 exd5 Na7 18 Nd4
 Directing the knight towards to increase the pressure.
18 ... Bxd5
It is too late to castle long: after 18 ... 0-0-0? 19 Qxb4 Rde8 20 Rf3, the
black king is a sitting duck. At chesspublishing.com, IM Richard Palliser
suggested 18 ... Kf8 as a better try, and if 19 Nf5 Re8 20 Qxb4 then 20 ...
Bxd5 21 Qd4 Bb7 22 Nxe7 Rxe7 23 Qxf6 Rh5! “may not give White quite
enough” (Palliser).
However, instead of taking the b4-pawn here, White has the prosaic
concept of doubling (or trebling) heavy pieces on the e- or g-file at the right
time with at least equal chances; for example, 20 Re3! Bxd5 21 Rfe1 Nc6 22
Bb5! axb5 23 Qxd5 Rh5 24 g4! hxg3 25 Rxg3 Rh8 26 Reg1 Rc8 27 Nh6! Ke8
28 Nxf7 Rf8 29 Rg7 and if Black has managed to get this far, he can make a
draw after 29 ... Nd8 (or 29 ... Ne5 30 fxe5 dxe5 31 Nh6 Qc6 32 Rxe7+
Kxe7 33 Nf5+ Ke8 34 Ng7+ etc) 30 Nxd8 Kxd8 31 Re1 Re8 32 Rgxe7 Rxe7
33 Qg8+ Kd7 34 Qg4+ Ke8 35 Qg8+ etc.
19 Nf5 Nc6
It’s no good trying to block the e-file either: after 19 ... Be6 20 Nxe7
Kxe7 21 f5, White gets the invested piece back and still maintains the attack
on the king.
Houdini suggests the defence 19 ... Nc8 20 Re3 Qc6, clearing the second
rank and applying counter-pressure on g2, but the computer itself
demonstrates compensation for White. To be honest, the lines it spews out are
so arcane, I won’t dare to venture a guess. Here are a few variations which
make some sort of sense - it seems that White has at least an equal game: 21
Nxe7 Nxe7 22 Rfe1 Ra7 23 Qxb4! Rb7 (not 23 ... Bxg2+?? 24 Kh2 Kf8 25
Qd4! and White has too many threats) 24 Qd4 Rh6 25 f5 and now:

a) 25 ... Bxg2+ 26 Kh2 Kf8 27 b3 a5 28 c4 Rd7 29 Rg1 d5 30 Qf4 Qd6

31 Qxd6 Rxd6 32 Rxg2 dxc4 33 bxc4 Rh5 with a level endgame.
b) 25 ... Kf8!? 26 b4 (here 26 b3 is met by 26 ... Qc5!) 26 ... Bxg2+ 27
Kh2 Bd5 28 c4 Bxc4 29 Bxc4 Nxf5 30 Re8+ Kg7 31 Rg1+ Ng3 32 Qg4+ Rg6
33 Rg8+! Kxg8 34 Qxg6+ Kf8 35 Qh6+ Ke7 36 Re1+ Kd7 37 Qf8 Kc7 38
Re7+ Kb6 39 Rxb7+ Kxb7 40 Qxf7+ Kb6 41 Bd5 Qc2+ 42 Bg2 and the
position is about equal.
20 Be4!
Ivanchuk forces the trade of Black’s most active piece (again 20 ... Be6?
21 Nxe7 Kxe7 22 f5 is just good for White) and gains time to double his
rooks.
The flashy 20 Bb5 only looks impressive: after 20 ... axb5! 21 Qxd5 Rd8
22 Re3 Kf8, “Black must have reasonable chances to slowly consolidate”
(Palliser); for example, 23 Rfe1 Rh5 24 g4 Rxf5! (24 ... hxg3 25 Rxg3 Ne5
leads to draw: 26 Qg2 Rh8 27 fxe5 dxe5 28 Rg1 Ke8 29 Ng7+ Kd7 30 Rd3+
Kc8 31 Qa8+ Qb8 32 Qc6+ Qc7 33 Qa8+ etc) 25 gxf5 (or 25 Qxf5 Kg7) 25
... Qb6 26 Qg2 Qc5 27 Rg1 Ke8 28 Rge1 Rc8! 29 Qg8+ Kd7 30 Qxf7 Qxf5
31 Rxe7+ Nxe7 32 Qxe7+ Kc6 33 Qe4+?! Qxe4+ 34 Rxe4 Kc5! and,
surprisingly, the white pawns are weaker after 35 ... Ra8.
20 ... Bxe4 21 Rxe4

21 ... Kf8?!
It is understandable that Black wants his king off the e-file as soon as
possible; the trouble with this move is that his other pieces remain pinned
down. 21 ... Rd8 22 Rfe1 Rd7 was a safer defensive configuration, when
Black can eke his way to a drawish position; for example, 23 Rc4 (or if 23
Qd5 then 23 ... Kf8) 23 ... d5 24 Rc5 Kf8 25 Rxe7 Rxe7 26 Nxe7 Kxe7 27
Qxd5 and now Black can ‘claim’ the draw with 27 ... Qxf4 28 Rxc6 Qc1+ 29
Kh2 Qf4+ etc, or try for more (or less) after 27 ... Rc8 28 Qe4+ Kf8 29 Rh5
Ne7 30 Rh8+ Ng8 31 Qh7 Ke7 32 Qe4+ Kd7 33 Qf5+ Kc6 34 Qe4+ Kb6 35
Qxb4+ Ka7. Houdini says this position is equal, though us humans could
probably lose with either side.
22 Rfe1 Re8 23 Qe2
The trebled heavy armour on the e-file virtually forces Black’s pieces to
remain in situ (except for the shut-out rook on h8) as they are required to
defend each other.
23 ... Rh7 24 Qg4!
 The white queen takes control of the g-file, seeking greener pastures now
that Black is pinned down on the e-file and unlikely to extricate his bishop
from the bind for a quite a while.
24 ... d5
Black does better to create a counter-pin with 24 ... Qd7!. This way, when
the knight eventually captures on e7, Black can trade queens, nullifying the
attack. For instance, after 25 R4e2 Rb8 26 Kh2 Rc8 27 Nxe7 Qxg4 28 hxg4
Nxe7 29 Rxe7 Rxc2 30 R1e2 Rxe2 31 Rxe2, although it seems that the rook is
boxed in on the h-file, he can extricate himself with 31 ... f5! 32 gxf5 (or 32
g5 f6 33 Re6 fxg5 34 fxg5 Rd7! 35 Rf6+ Kg7 36 Rxf5 d5 37 Kh3 d4 38 Kxh4
d3 39 Rf1 Kg6 etc) 32 ... Rh5 33 Kh3 Rxf5 34 Kg4 Rd5 35 Kxh4 Kg7 and a
draw is the most logical result.
25 R4e2 Qb6??

Question: Moving the queen away from the danger zone
can’t be correct! What should Black have done instead?

Answer: MVL might still have played 25 ... Qd7, intending this time to
‘hoover’ most of the pieces off the board after 26 g3 Nd4 27 Nxd4 Qxg4 28
hxg4 hxg3+ 29 Kg2 Rh2+ 30 Kxg3 Rxe2 31 Rxe2, although Black has an
inferior pawn and minor piece in this endgame, so Ivanchuk could torture him
for a long time.

Exercise: Ivanchuk has ensured that Black’s bishop, knight and rooks are
jammed on their current squares. How can he initiate a decisive attack?

Answer: By prising open and playing down the g-file.
26 g3!!
MVL was probably hoping for counterplay based on ... Qf2. For instance,
26 Nxe7 Nxe7 27 Rxe7! Rxe7 28 Qc8+ Kg7 29 Rxe7 Qf2 looks quite
dangerous, though White is still winning after 30 Qg4+ Kf8 31 Rd7. The
immediate threat is 32 Rd8+ Ke7 33 Qd7 mate, and all Black can do is swap
queens off with 31 ... Qe1+ 32 Kh2 f5 33 Qg5 Qg3+ to reach a lost rook
endgame, soon two pawns down. But Ivanchuk doesn’t even allow him that
much.
26 ... Nd4
After 26 ... hxg3 27 Qxg3, followed either Rg1 or Rg2, Black is
defenceless on the g-file. At the very least, the h7-rook will drop off after
Qg8+.
27 Nxe7
MVL’s last chance was for Ivanchuk to bungle with 27 Rxe7?? Rxe7 28
Nxe7 Ne6! 29 Ng6+ fxg6 30 Rxe6 Qf2 “when Black escapes, but Ivanchuk
has seen much further” (Palliser).
27 ... Nxe2 28 Qg8+ Kxe7 29 Rxe2+ Kd6 30 Rxe8

Black’s king is so exposed, he has no chance of survival even with the

move. If the plethora of possible checks still seems confusing, notice that the
black king cannot go to the b-file without losing the queen.
30 ... hxg3 31 Qf8+
There’s no way Ivanchuk will fall for 31 Qxh7?? Qf2! and White gets
mated.
31 ... Kc6 32 Rc8+ Kd7 33 Qe8+ Kd6 34 Rd8+ Kc5 35 Qe3+ Kc6 36
Rd6+ 1-0

Summary: Ivanchuk went his own way in one of the most complex openings
in chess (the 6 Bg5 Najdorf) by castling on the kingside after opening the g-
file. When the black king dithered a trifle too long in the centre, a knight
sacrifice blew the position open, and MVL was unable to find a defence over
the board to Ivanchuk’s sustained heavy piece bombardment down the e- and
g-files. Simply awesome!
 Chapter Four
Aggressive Defence
This term, which I use to describe Ivanchuk’s way of warding off attacks,
seems to be an oxymoron, but that is exactly how he deals with such
situations. Ivanchuk does not conform to patient, passive defence where solid
barricades are set up, inviting the opponents to overreach or run out of gas, in
the hope of exploiting the weaknesses left behind. He tends towards the
counter-attack, continuing to gain space and push for the initiative, even with
his king in mortal danger. By so doing, Ivanchuk challenges his opponents to
outcalculate him, often along a narrow and steep path where highly accurate
moves are required. The risks are great, with double-edged complications
aplenty, but so are the rewards - as can be seen in this chapter’s games.
For all the talk of Ivanchuk’s nerves failing him at critical junctures, the
irony is that this sort of defensive play requires extremely strong nerves and
gumption. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt at all that Ivanchuk calculates extremely
deeply and can usually find creative ways of unsettling the opposition.

Game 25
Ma.Carlsen-V.Ivanchuk
World Rapidplay Championship, Astana 2012
Nimzo-Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Nf3 Ne4!?

According to my database, GM Géza Maróczy was the first to use this
line. Instead of playing to control the e4-square, Black occupies it directly,
intending either to support the outpost with the Dutch-like ... f7-f5 or perhaps
saddle White with doubled c-pawns without relinquishing the dark-squared
bishop.
 5 Qc2 f5
Doubling White’s c-pawns with 5 ... Nxc3 6 bxc3 Be7 gives Black a
passive yet ultra-solid structure. For example, 7 e4 d6 8 Bd3 Nd7 9 0-0 e5
10 Be3 (10 c5!? looks critical) 10 ... c5! (the position now resembles the
Hübner Variation, 4 e3 c5 5 Bd3 Nc6 6 Nf3 Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 d6 etc, with
Black’s dark-squared bishop still on the board) 11 Rab1 0-0 12 d5 Nf6 and
chances are about equal, B.Alterman-A.Kogan, Rishon LeZion 1995.
6 g3
 The logical continuation for White, as his light-squared bishop doesn’t
have much scope on e2 or d3.
6 ... b6
Contesting the long light diagonal is the most natural development. Let’s
have look at a couple of other choices:
a) 6 ... Nc6 7 Bg2 0-0 8 0-0 Bxc3 9 bxc3 Na5 10 c5! (an interesting
exchange sacrifice was played after 10 Qd3 b6 11 Nd2 Nxd2 12 Bxd2 Ba6!?
13 Bxa8 Qxa8 14 Bf4 Bxc4 15 Qc2 d6 with a pawn and strong light-square
compensation for the exchange, C.G.Ward-A.Grant, Jersey 2003) 10 ... d6 11
c4 b6 (11 ... dxc5 12 Ba3 gives White strong pressure for the pawn,
according to Kasparov) 12 Bd2 Nxd2 13 Nxd2 d5?! (13 ... Bb7 was better)
14 cxd5 exd5 15 e3 Be6 16 Qc3 Rf7 17 Rfc1 Rb8 18 Rab1 Re7 19 a4 Bf7 20
Bf1! and Black found himself being slowly squeezed to death, G.Kasparov-
A.Karpov, World Championship (19th matchgame), Moscow 1985.
b) 6 ... Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 b6 8 Bg2 Bb7 9 0-0 Nd6, and now Ivanchuk
demonstrated how to handle the white side of this line with a spiffy pawn
sacrifice: 10 d5!? exd5 11 Bg5! Qc8 12 Nd4 dxc4 13 Nxf5 Bxg2 14 Kxg2
Qb7+ 15 f3 0-0 16 Nxd6 cxd6 17 Be7 Rf7 18 Bxd6 left White with a long-
term structural edge due to Black’s backward d-pawn, V.Ivanchuk-
S.Agdestein, Tilburg 1993.
7 Bg2 Bb7 8 Nd2!
 The highest ranked player in the world (and soon-to-be world champion)
wastes no time in challenging Black’s e4-knight.
8 ... Bxc3!
Forcing White to make concessions to his pawn structure. My editor GM
John Emms explained (at chesspublishing.com) that “supporting the knight in
Stonewall fashion doesn’t work very well”. Indeed, after 8 ... d5 9 0-0 0-0 10
cxd5 Bxc3?! (10 ... exd5 11 Ndxe4 fxe4 12 a3 Be7 13 b4 gives White an easy
game, who has the nice option of further pressing on the c-file or undermining
the centre with f2-f3) 11 bxc3 exd5 12 Ba3 Nxd2 13 Qxd2 Re8 14 Qf4, White
has a clear advantage with his raking bishops and better-placed pieces,
Jon.Parker-La.Cooper, Benasque 1997.
9 bxc3 Nd6
Of course not 9 ... d5?, when 10 Ba3 gives the dark-squared bishop free
reign.

Question: Doesn’t this mean that Black has lost the fight for the e4-
square?

Answer: Emms showed that e2-e4 is not such a significant achievement
here, as Black can arrange the pawn structure to counter White’s bishops and
keep the game sufficiently closed, enabling the double knights to work better
(see the next note).
10 d5
Other moves:
a) 10 e4 0-0 11 0-0 (seizing the juicy diagonal with 11 Ba3!? Na6 12
Bxd6 cxd6 13 f4 Nc7 is slightly better for White in view of his space
advantage, though Black’s set-up is very flexible) 11 ... fxe4 12 Nxe4 Nxe4
13 Bxe4 Bxe4 14 Qxe4 Nc6 15 Ba3 Re8 16 d5 Na5 17 Rfe1 Qf6 18 Re3 Qf5
19 Rae1 Qxe4 20 Rxe4 c5 21 dxc6 Nxc6 was equal in V.Tarasova-I.Turova,
Russian Team Championship 2009.
b) 10 Bxb7 Nxb7 11 e4 0-0 12 0-0 Nc6 13 Ba3 d6 and now if 14 e5 (or
14 exf5 exf5 15 Rae1 Qd7 followed by ... Rae8, challenging on the e-file) 14
... Re8 15 f4 Qd7 16 Rfe1, then 16 ... Nca5 with the idea of ... Rac8 and ...
c7-c5 (Emms). In M.Narciso Dublan-C.Rojano Alfonso, Barbera del Valles
2014, White played to open things up with 14 d5, but then Black can simply
sacrifice a pawn (temporarily) with 14 ... Nca5 to keep things solid.
The text move is logical, as it cuts off Black’s b7-bishop and increases
White’s spatial advantage.

10 ... Na6!
Obviously this is the knight’s only square, so the exclamation mark is for
the timing of the move. Ivanchuk is not going to let Carlsen run roughshod
over the queenside, and so counterpunches aggressively in the same sector.

Question: What happens if Black tried to block the a3-f8 diagonal with
10 ... c5 - ?

Answer: That is in fact what Black played in previous games. Emms
showed that 11 e4! is then a strong possibility, aiming to open up the centre.
After 11 ... 0-0 (11 ... fxe4? 12 Nxe4 Nxc4 13 dxe6 gives White a big
advantage) 12 e5 (here 12 0-0 Qc8 13 Qd3! may be even better) 12 ... Nf7 13
f4 Qc8 14 0-0, as in A.Hovenga-S.Van Eijk, Hoogeveen 2008, White has a
slight plus according to Emms.

Question: What about 10 ... e5, with the idea perhaps of ... Qf6, ... Nf7
and ... d7-d6 - ?

Answer: That would allow White the option of a quick Ba3 and c4-c5.
For example, 11 e4 (or 11 Ba3!? at once, since 11 ... Na6? loses a pawn to 12
Bxd6 and Qxf5) 11 ... Qf6 12 Ba3 f4 13 c5!? (13 0-0 Na6 would be similar to
the game) 13 ... Nb5!? (after 13 ... Nf7 14 0-0 Na6 15 Rab1, Black has
trouble completing development) 14 Bc1 dxc5 15 0-0 0-0 16 Nf3 g5 17 gxf4
gxf4 18 Kh1 and White’s rooks will go to b1 and g1, giving him a strong
initiative for the pawn.
11 0-0 0-0 12 Ba3
Carlsen naturally puts the bishop on its best diagonal.
12 ... Qf6!
 Black develops his queen actively, applying pressure on c3 and preparing
a kingside assault, with the added advantage of defending the d6-knight after
an eventual ... e6-e5. The immediate 12 ... e5 is possible too, but with the
pressure off d5 (and c3), White can focus on his c4-c5 advance, taking the
initiative on the queenside. The key to Ivanchuk’s strategy is to stay flexible
for as long as possible.
13 e4 f4!
Of course Ivanchuk keeps the position closed, since White possesses the
bishop pair and has more room to manoeuvre. Not now 13 ... e5? because of
14 exf5! and White obtains the e4-square.
14 Rab1
Continuing his policy of playing for c4-c5 since Black’s kingside activity
is not serious (as yet).
14 ... Rae8
Ivanchuk makes it clear that White can have the queenside to himself. He
is more concerned with bringing his rook into the centre and will start a
kingside onslaught after that.

Exercise: Why would it be a horrible mistake to unpin the d6-knight with
14 ... Rf7 - ?

 Answer: Because White can unleash 15 c5! Nxc5 16 Bxc5 bxc5 17 e5!
Qxe5 18 dxe6! and snook a piece on b7!
15 Qd3
Defending c4 so that he can continue with Nb3 and c4-c5. It also helps for
the white queen to have access to the kingside since Black is planning to do
dastardly deeds there.
15 ... e5
Now that White has reinforced the centre, there’s little point in delaying
this advance any longer, and it prevents White from opening it up at an
inconvenient moment.
16 Nb3
Carlsen looks poised to break into the queenside long before Black’s
kingside action gets going, but here we see the defensive genius of Ivanchuk
as the logic behind ... Qf6 and ... Rae8 unfolds with his next move.
16 ... Nb8!!
I can’t do better than reiterate Emms’ description of this move:
“Wonderful defensive resilience from Ivanchuk. Now c4-c5 runs into ... Ba6,
and Black also has the possibility of regrouping with ... Ba6, ... Nb7, ... d7-d6
and ... Nd7, killing White’s ambitions on the queenside.”

 17 Bxd6
Gaining time for c4-c5. On the immediate 17 c5 Ba6 18 Qc2, Emms
pointed out that Black can collect the exchange and return it immediately after
18 ... Bxf1 19 Bxf1 Nf7 20 cxb6 axb6 21 Bxf8 Rxf8 22 Bg2 Ng5 with an
excellent game - but that’s not his only option.

Exercise: Can you find another strong idea for Black after 18 Qc2 - ?

 Answer: In structures where one side has doubled c-pawns, sometimes
the weakness of the remaining pawn persists even after he gets rid of the one
in front. This is especially so with respect to c4-c5 here (or ... c5-c4 if it’s
Black we’re talking about, in lines such as the Bb5 Sicilian or Grand Prix
Attack).
Hence, Black can simply ignore the f1-rook and play calmly 18 ... Nc4!
(there’s no need to claim the exchange, as Black’s minor pieces are very well
placed) 19 Bb4 (retreating the bishop with 19 Bc1 doesn’t help either as
Black has the stunning 19 ... Ne3!, when 20 fxe3 Bxf1 22 Bxf1 fxg3 sets up a
kingside kill) 19 ... d6 20 cxd6 (20 c6 Bb5! threatens the b4-bishop with ...
a7-a5) 20 ... cxd6 and White is left with a weak pawn on c3.
17 ... Qxd6

Question: Why not 17 ... cxd6 here, when the doubled
c-pawns would be exposed to attack on the open c-file?

Answer: That would be at least equal for Black, but it would virtually
force White into playing a2-a4-a5, since c4-c5 is no longer possible.
Moreover, in this position Black is left with doubled backward d-pawns,
which are next to useless even if he does somehow win a white c-pawn.
18 c5 Qf6 19 c4
 Black is okay after 19 a4 d6 20 cxd6 cxd6 21 a5 Ba6 22 c4 Rc8 23 Nd2
Nd7 24 Bh3 Nc5 25 Qc2 Rb8 26 Nb3, as Emms pointed out. Indeed, Black
gets a fair share of the queenside play. Nevertheless, White might have
preferred this course to what follows in the game.
19 ... d6
Forcing White to choose saddling himself with a weak c4-pawn or
closing up the queenside.
20 c6?
The wrong choice, spelling the end of Carlsen’s queenside excursion. It
wasn’t too late to adopt the plan of advancing the a-pawn; i.e. 20 cxd6 cxd6
21 a4, when 21 ... Ba6 22 a5 transposes to the previous note.

Exercise: Which is the best square for the black bishop?

Answer: It is obvious where Ivanchuk will be directing his attention
henceforth, since all his pieces are gravitating towards Carlsen’s king.
20 ... Bc8!

Question: Why not 20 ... Ba6 to hit c4?

Answer: In reality, the bishop is biting on granite on a6 and deprives the
b8-knight of its only square. Moreover, in such King’s Indian-type structures,
the light-squared bishop is essential in mounting a kingside attack. Carlsen
may have realized he was in some trouble here, as he cannot stop the pending
pawn storm satisfactorily.
21 c5!?
A clever idea, and the attempted justification for having closed the
queenside with c5-c6. Carlsen offers up the exchange to remove Black’s
light-squared bishop, hoping that the material deficit won’t matter since the
b8-knight is merely an onlooker in the scheme of things.
21 ... f3!?
Tit for tat, Ivanchuk reminds Carlsen that two can play the incarceration
game. White’s light-squared bishop is also made a spectator. Nevertheless,
there was a strong case to be made for simply 21 ... Ba6 22 Qc3 Bxf1 23
Rxf1 bxc5, keeping the option of opening the f-file at an appropriate moment.
22 Bh1 Ba6 23 Qe3
Here 23 Qc3 Bxf1 24 Rxf1 bxc5 25 Qa5 looks more active, attacking the
a7- and c7-pawns while keeping the black knight corralled, but Carlsen was
probably suspicious of sending his queen away from the kingside with Black
looking to engineer a breakthrough there.
23 ... Bxf1 24 Rxf1 bxc5 25 Nd2
The alternative was 25 Qd3, cutting off the b8-knight’s access squares.

Exercise: Calculate whether 25 ... g5 or 25 ... Qh6 is stronger.

Answer: Let’s examine both moves:
a) 25 ... g5 26 Nd2 g4 locks up the bishop on h1 for good, but after 27 h4!
(Emms) we have this weird position where there’s virtually nothing for Black
to do. There’s no way into the kingside unless he plays 27 ... gxh3, which
would allow White to take on f3 after all. Otherwise, the only plan is to
sacrifice the knight on c6, but in that case White’s remaining pieces become
quite active; in particular, he can claim the powerful f5 outpost for his knight.
b) 25 ... Qh6! is stronger, anticipating both h2-h4 and Nd2 by White. For
example, 26 Nd2 now runs into 26 ... c4!, followed by ... Na6-c5, freeing the
knight with a big advantage; while after 26 h4 (26 Rb1 would also be met by
... Rf6, planning ... Ref8 and ... Qh3) 26 ... Rf6 (not yet 26 ... g5?! due to 27
Qe3, pinning the pawn) 27 Rb1 Ref8, Black is ready for ... g7-g5 prising
open the kingside with the better chances. Black’s attack is far more relevant
than White’s queenside gestures.
25 ... Na6!
The knight seizes its chance to escape.
26 Qa3!
Rather than ‘zug’ the knight, Magnus encourages it forward before
attempting to trap it with a2-a3. Guarding the b4-square with 26 a3 is futile as
Ivanchuk can simply clear the c5-square instead: 26 ... c4! 27 Nxc4 Nc5 28
Nd2 Rb8 (Emms) with a huge advantage. In fact, c5 is the knight’s preferred
destination, so Black would play 26 ... c4! and ... Nc5 against almost anything
else - if White took on f3, for instance.
26 ... Nb4 27 Qb3 Rb8 28 Qc4
 Not falling for 28 Bxf3? Nxc6! and wins (Emms). Now a2-a3, trapping
the knight, is at hand.
28 ... Qg5!?
It’s not easy to crack the white position. For example:
a) 28 ... Rb6 saves the knight, but after 29 a3 Na6 30 Nxf3, it’s back on a6
with no scope, while White has made inroads on the kingside.
b) 28 ... Qf7!? is a curious idea, planning to exchange queens: 29 a3 (not
29 Bxf3? Nxc6! again, while 29 Nxf3?! Nxc6 30 Ng5 Rb4! 31 Qxb4 Nxb4 32
Nxf7 Rxf7 leaves White a pawn down) 29 ... Nxc6 30 dxc6 Qxc4 31 Nxc4
reaches a weird position. Black has rook and two pawns for the bishop and
knight, but it is difficult for him to make progress since his rooks are required
to prevent White from capturing on f3 or c7 (after Ne3-d5); for example, 31
... Rb3 (or 31 ... g5 32 g4! Rf4 33 h3 Rxe4 34 Bxf3, since 34 ... Rxc4?? loses
to 35 Bd5+) 32 Ra1 Rfb8 33 Rf1 g5 (or 33 ... Rc3 34 Ne3 Rf8 35 Nd5) 34
g4! Rf8 35 Ra1 and so forth.
Let’s go back to Ivanchuk’s 28 ... Qg5.

Question: What’s the point of this move? Doesn’t it just give up the f3-
pawn?

Answer: Ivanchuk shows that he’s no slouch in the finesse department,
returning the exchange in order to open lines for his heavy pieces.
29 Nxf3 Rxf3! 30 Bxf3 Qd2

31 a3??
Inexplicably (or perhaps in time trouble), Magnus drives the black knight
exactly where it wants to go and this is enough for Ivanchuk to wrap things
up. There were two moves that might yet have defended:
a) 31 Bg4 (activating the bishop) 31 ... g6 32 Qc1! Qxc1 (not 32 ...
Qxa2?? 33 Qg5! with a decisive attack) 33 Rxc1 and the e4/d5/c6 pawn
phalanx gives White tactical chances based on the breakthrough f2-f4!. For
instance, Black has no time for 33 ... Nxa2?? because of 34 Ra1 Rb2 35 f4!
exf4 36 e5! dxe5 37 d6! and a white pawn is poised to promote.
b) 31 Rb1 Rf8 (after 31 ... Rb6 32 Be2 Qxa2 33 Qxa2 Nxa2 34 Ra1 Nc3
35 Bf1 a6 36 f3, White will regain the pawn) 32 Qe2 Qxa2 (or 32 ... Qc3 33
Rb3 Qc1+ 34 Kg2) 33 Qxa2 Nxa2 34 Bg4 and if 34 ... Nb4, then 35 Be6+
Kh8 36 f4! with the same idea as in line ‘a’.
31 ... Nd3!
Ivanchuk targets the weakest point in White’s position: the vulnerable f2-
pawn.
32 Bg4 Rf8
 33 f3?
Defending the f-file but weakening everything else. The last chance was
33 Qb3!, hoping for either 33 ... Rxf2?? 34 Be6+ followed by 35 Qb8+ and
mates, or 33 ... Nxf2? 34 Bf5! and if 34 ... Nd3?? then 35 Be6+ mates again.
But Black has the zwischenzug 33 ... c4!, which can’t be captured due to 34
Qxc4?? Rxf2 etc, while after 34 Qd1 Qb2 35 Qe2 Qd4, he should win in the
long run.
33 ... g6
Ivanchuk prudently gives his king luft before going for the jugular.
34 Qb5
White will not last long if the black rook gets to the b-file.
34 ... c4! 35 Qb7
Of course 35 Qxc4 would be met by 35 ... Rb8.

Exercise: What is the swiftest way for Black to win?

35 ... Qa5
Ivanchuk’s advantage is so great that he can afford some safety measures.
The queen guards both a7 and c7.
Answer: As Emms demonstrated, the most efficient finish is simply to
push the c-pawn: 35 ... c3 36 Qxc7 Ne1 37 Rf2 c2! and it’s all over.
36 Kg2 Kg7 37 h4 h5 38 Be6 Kh6
 Once Ivanchuk has tucked his king away on a very safe square, he goes
for the kill.
39 Kh3 Qd2 40 Qxc7 Qe2 41 Qe7 Qxf1+ 42 Kh2 Qf2+ 43 Kh3 Nf4+!
44 gxf4 Qxf3+ 0-1
Summary: This game is a great illustration of the counter-punching
abilities of Ivanchuk, chess-wise, that is. He refused to be cowed by White’s
queenside attack, defusing it with a cunning knight retreat to b8, and
drumming up counterplay on the kingside. He later responded to a defensive
exchange sacrifice by returning the material to activate his remaining pieces.
After Carlsen went wrong, Ivanchuk’s knight found its way to the d3-square to
help deliver the final kill.

Game 26
V.Ivanchuk-G.Kasparov
Russia vs. Rest of the World (rapid match), Moscow 2002
Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Rg1!?


Question: What is Ivanchuk doing playing an innocuous sideline against
Garry Kasparov, the ultimate Najdorf adherent? Isn’t that asking for
trouble?

Answer: First of all, whenever Ivanchuk has beaten Kasparov, he’s
generally achieved it by using non-main lines (or at least unfashionable ones);
for example, 3 Bb5+ vs. the Sicilian, 4 ... b6 5 a3 Bf8 in the French Winawer,
6 f4 vs. the Najdorf, and now 6 Rg1. None of these variations are the most
popular ones in their respective openings.
Secondly, this rook shift is not as crazy as it looks. Essentially, White is
telling Black that he intends to play in Keres Attack style (g2-g4), even at the
cost of spending an extra move on Rg1 (which may or may not prove useful).
6 Rg1 was probably invented by the former Singapore National Coach,
Serbian IM Jovan Petronic (he prepared it in 1986), who pulled it off in a
draw against GM Igor Novikov in the Sibenik Open in 1989. His compatriot
GM Goran Todorovic has also used it several times with success.
6 ... g6!?
A very logical continuation, as ... a7-a6 is more useful than Rg1 in the
Dragon.
Black has plenty of other ways to react. Generally, the theory books
recommend striking back in the centre with an early ... d6-d5; for example, 6
... e6 7 g4 d5 or 6 ... e5 7 Nb3 Be6 8 g4 d5. Ivanchuk himself has played 6 ...
Nc6 7 g4 Nxd4 8 Qxd4 e5 and 6 ... b5 7 g4 e6 (both against Zvjaginsev),
while former FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov was successful with 6
... b5 7 g4 Bb7, scoring 3½/4 against 2700-level opposition in 1999.
7 g4 Bg7 8 Be3
White continues in Yugoslav Attack fashion: Be3, f2-f3, Qd2, 0-0-0, etc.
8 ... Nc6
Deviating from V.Ivanchuk-B.Gelfand, Cap d’Agde (rapid) 1998, which
saw 8 ... b5 9 f3 Bb7 10 Qd2 Nc6 11 0-0-0 0-0 12 h4 Nxd4 13 Bxd4 b4 14
Ne2 a5 15 Ng3 Ba6 16 Bxa6 Rxa6 17 h5 e6 18 Rh1 with a strong attack for
White (despite having played Rh1-g1-h1). Ivanchuk later missed a win and
then a draw as well.
A correspondence game of mine went 8 ... h5 9 h3 hxg4 10 hxg4 Nc6 11
f3 Nd7 12 Qd2 Nde5 13 Rg3 Na5 14 b3 Bd7 15 0-0-0 Rc8 16 Nd5! and
White has a developmental edge and very well-placed knights, prompting
Black to try and remove one of them with 16 ... Nac6?!.

Exercise: Can you find a killer blow for White here?

Answer: 17 Nf5!! (this is only a temporary sacrifice, since the threatened
Bb6 regains the material and more) gxf5 18 Bb6 f4 (the only way to stay in
the game) 19 Rg2 (not 19 Bxd8? fxg3 20 Qf4 Nxd8, when Black has rook,
bishop and knight for queen and pawn; while 19 Qxf4 is met by 19 ... Nb4!)
19 ... Nxf3 20 Qxf4 e5 (so Black saves the queen but gets a positionally lost
game) 21 Qxf3 Qg5+ 22 Be3 Qg6 23 Nb6 Rc7 24 Nxd7 Rxd7 25 c3, when
Black is saddled with a weak d6-pawn and White’s bishop pair and strong
central control ensure a huge advantage, J.Tay-A.Campoy Moreno,
correspondence 1999.
9 f3 e5!?

This move was given a dubious evaluation in two publications but,

personally, I feel that it’s stronger than it looks.
10 Nxc6
Accepting the challenge. 10 Nb3 would be a quieter continuation, and if
10 ... Be6 then 11 g5.
10 ... bxc6
As compensation for shutting the long dark diagonal on his Dragon bishop
and weakening his d-pawn, Black gets a big centre with the opportunity to
play ... d6-d5, as well as an open b-file against White’s queenside. The latter
factor is especially important when Ivanchuk is primed to castle long.
11 Qd2 Be6
Kasparov continues to reinforce his position in the centre. After the hasty
11 ... d5 12 g5 d4 13 gxf6 Bxf6 14 Bf2 (14 Bh6!? and if 14 ... Bh4+ then 15
Rg3! may be even better) 14 ... dxc3 15 Qxc3 0-0 16 Rd1 Qc7 17 Bc4, White
has a slight edge thanks to his superior pawn structure, K.Spraggett-A.Zapata
Madrid 2002.
12 0-0-0 Bf8
Black has to waste a move defending the weak d6-pawn, but the bishop
was biting granite on g7 in any case.
13 Na4!

Shifting the knight in advance of the pending ... d6-d5 (and ... d5-d4).
Now 13 ... d5 can be met by 14 Nc5 and if 14 ... d4 then 15 Nxe6 fxe6 16
Bg5 is better for White.
13 ... h5!
Forcing White to choose between:
1. Opening up the g-file with g4xh5.
2. Advancing the g-pawn with g4-g5.
3. Maintaining a pawn on g4 with h2-h3.

Exercise: Evaluate the three options and decide which one White should
go for.

14 h3!?
 Ivanchuk refuses to commit himself on the kingside, and elects to maintain
the tension. Instead, option #1 makes little sense, as 14 gxh5?! Rxh5 merely
weakens the h2-pawn by opening the h-file for Black.
Answer: Since the game continuation is objectively fine for Black, it was
better to go for option #2 with 14 g5 Nd7 and now 15 f4, with ideas of f4-f5
to open up the kingside; for example, 15 ... Be7 (if 15 ... exf4?! 16 Bxf4 Ne5
then 17 Nc5! is strong) 16 f5!? (or 16 Qc3, intending 16 ... 0-0?! 17 f5! gxf5
18 Bh3) 16 ... gxf5 17 exf5 Bxf5 18 Bd3! Bxd3 (or 18 ... Bg4 19 g6!?) 19
Qxd3 Qa5 20 Nc3 d5 21 g6 0-0-0 22 g7 Rhg8 23 Qf5 with the initiative.
14 ... Nd7
Covering the c5-square and preparing to break with ... d6-d5.
15 Qc3
By hitting c6, Ivanchuk tries to make it difficult for Black to advance the
d-pawn, but Kasparov is not deterred.
15 ... hxg4 16 hxg4 d5!
A brilliant pawn sacrifice to take over the centre. Kasparov is playing for
keeps.

17 Qxc6!?
Ivanchuk accepts the gambit, trusting in his defensive skills to withstand
Kasparov’s oncoming aggression. The alternative was 17 Nc5 again, but
Black still gets a lot of play after 17 ... d4! 18 Nxe6 fxe6 19 Qxc6 (19 Qc4
dxe3 20 Qxe6+ Qe7 looks equal) 19 ... Kf7! (19 ... dxe3?! 20 Bc4! is now too
risky) 20 Kb1! Be7 (20 ... Rc8 is met by 21 Bg5!) 21 c3 Rc8 22 Qa4 Nc5 23
Qc2 Qa5.
17 ... d4
By closing the centre, Kasparov ensures that his king is safe on e8 for the
time being; meanwhile he strives to open as many lines as possible on the
queenside.
18 Bd2 Rc8 19 Qb7 Rb8 20 Qxa6 Ra8 21 Qb5!?

Ivanchuk is playing for the win, a sign of confidence in his defensive skill
against one of the greatest attackers of all time. This is a gallant decision,
since there is a draw for the taking with 21 Qc6 Rc8 22 Qa6 Ra8 etc.
21 ... Bxa2?!
Having forced Ivanchuk to open all three queenside-files, Kasparov
decides to recoup some of his investment by snagging the a-pawn, while
removing one brick in the white king’s defensive wall. The drawback to this
move is that it allows White to complete development by trading off Black’s
dangerous light-squared bishop.

Exercise: Can you find a better idea for Black?

 Answer: In order to keep the initiative, White must be prevented from
playing Bc4 to trade off the strong e6-bishop. After that, once Black castles
and starts attacking the queenside with the king’s rook, White will have a
torrid time exacerbated by the bad placement of the a4-knight. Hence 21 ...
Qc7! was stronger, and then:

a) 22 Bd3? (intending Rh1) is met by 22 ... Rh2! (blatantly going after the
d2-bishop!) 23 c4 (not 23 Rh1? Rxd2! 24 Kxd2 Ra5 and the queen is
trapped) 23 ... Rxd2 24 Rxd2 Ra5 25 Qb3 Qc6 and the a4-knight is doomed.
b) 22 Bb4! is practically forced, when 22 ... Bd6 (22 ... Rb8 23 Qa5!
saves the queen) 23 Bxd6 Qxd6 24 Bc4 0-0 25 Bd5! (giving the queen an
escape square at c6; after 25 Bxe6? Qxe6 26 b3 Rfb8 27 Qe2 Qd6, White is
in serious trouble; for example, 28 Qf2 Rxa4! 29 bxa4 Qa3+ 30 Kd2 Qc3+ 31
Ke2 Rb2 32 Rc1 d3+ 33 Kf1 Rxc2 34 Rxc2 dxc2 and wins) 25 ... Bxd5 26
exd5 Rfb8 27 Qc6 Qb4 28 b3 Qa3+ 29 Kd2 Rd8! leaves Black with more
than enough for the pawn (only one because a2 will drop) due to White’s
vulnerable king, but the game is far from over.
22 Bc4 Bxc4 23 Qxc4 Qf6
Putting pressure on f3, or so it seems ...
24 g5!
Offering Kasparov the chance to capture on f3 and e4. Ivanchuk is not
cowed by Black’s strong piece activity into playing safely, and he fights for
the initiative instead.

24 ... Qd6?!
According to IM Vladimir Barsky (reporting for Chess Today newsletter),
“at the press-conference after the second round, Ivanchuk said that, in his
opinion, Kasparov didn’t understand one point here. Even though Black is a
pawn down, he will have a very good position in the endgame, after the
exchange of queens.” In other words, I think he meant that Black should play
... Qa6!, and indeed 24 ... Qa6 25 Qxa6 Rxa6 26 b3 Rh3 27 Rgf1 f6! gives
him sufficient compensation for the pawn. The black rooks are highly active
and White has to defend carefully since f3-f4 would weaken the e-pawn.

Exercise: Can you see what the follow-up would be after 24 ... Qxf3 - ?

Answer: Surprisingly, it’s not taking over the f-file: 25 Rdf1 (or 25 Rgf1
Qxe4 26 Qxf7+ Kd8 27 Qc4 Qb7 is okay for Black too) 25 ... Qxe4 26 Rxf7
Qb7 27 Qe6+ Kd8 28 b3 Rxa4 29 bxa4 Ba3+ 30 Kd1 Qb1+ 31 Ke2 Rh2+ 32
Rf2 Rxf2+ 33 Kxf2 Qxc2 34 Ke1 Qb1+ 35 Ke2 (or 35 Kf2 Qc2 again) 35 ...
Qe4+ 36 Kd1 Qb1+ only leads to a draw.
Instead, White plays 25 Qc6!! with a decisive double attack on the a8-
rook and pinned d7-knight; and after 25 ... Rb8 26 Ba5!, Black has no
satisfactory defence against the threats of Bc7 and Nb6.
 25 Kb1!
It is necessary to guard the back rank on the queenside. Ivanchuk must
remain alert to the tactical threats still dormant in the position.

Question: Why is that so? There don’t seem to be
any entry points for Kasparov to play for ... Ra1+ ideas.

Answer: After the logical 25 Rh1 Rxh1 26 Rxh1, Black has the amazing
resource 26 ... Qc5!!.

This insane idea, putting the queen en prise, allows Black to take over the
initiative:
a) 27 Nxc5?? Ra1 mate.
b) 27 Qa2 Qb5 28 b3 Qe2 sees White in serious trouble with his queen
and knight ridiculously placed.
c) 27 Qxc5 Nxc5 28 b3 (still now 28 Nxc5?? Ra1 mate) 28 ... Nxa4 29
bxa4 Ba3+ 30 Kb1 Rxa4 is the best White can do, when Black has a slight
edge going into the ending due to his superior pawn structure.
25 ... Rh3
Black might again have played 25 ... Qa6 26 Qxa6 Rxa6 27 b3 Rh3 28
Rgf1 f6! with equal chances; for example, 29 Nb2 Be7! 30 gxf6 (or 30 Nc4
fxg5) 30 ... Rxf6 31 f4 exf4 32 Bxf4 g5 33 Bc1 Rxf1 34 Rxf1 Nc5. But there’s
nothing wrong with attacking the f3-pawn first.
26 Rgf1!
The correct rook! Ivanchuk needs to set up f2-f4 in good time to make
progress, and he always retains the option of contesting the h-file via Rh1 if
the situation requires.

Question: Why can’t he do the same thing with the other rook?

Answer: In that case Black might throw in ... Rh2, attacking the d2-bishop
which the rook was defending. For instance, 26 Rdf1 Qa6 (or 26 ... Rh2
immediately) 27 Qxa6 Rxa6 28 b3 Rh2 and White either has to put the rook
back on d1, or play 29 Be1, when 29 ... Nc5 30 Nxc5 Bxc5 31 Rh1 Rg2,
when 32 Rg1 Rh2 33 Rh1 Rg2 is a draw by repetition.
26 ... Be7?
Kasparov was definitely not in form. It wasn’t too late for 26 ... Qa6 27
Qxa6 Rxa6 28 b3 f6!, transposing to 25 ... Qa6 above.

Exercise: How can Black exploit 26 ... Be7 - ?

27 b3
Ivanchuk consolidates by defending his knight, but this wasn’t the
strongest move.
Answer: White should annex the h-file with 27 Rh1! Rxh1 28 Rxh1,
keeping a safe pawn without any compensation for Black. Ceding the file with
the howler 27 ... Rg3?? runs into 28 Bb4!! Qxb4 29 Rh8+ Nf8 30 Qc6+ Kd8
31 Nb6! and the threat of Qd7 mate cannot be answered satisfactorily.
27 ... Qa3??
Now or never ... it was essential for Black to play 27 ... Qa6! 28 Qxa6
Rxa6 29 Nb2 f6, escaping into the lines after 25 ... Qa6 again.
28 Bc1?!
Ivanchuk makes a final consolidating move before resuming active play.
Black has exhausted his attacking options and now it’s one-way traffic for
White.
Nevertheless, 28 Rh1! was much stronger and would have won quite
quickly. After 28 ... Rxh1 29 Rxh1 Bf8 (otherwise 30 Rh7 wins) 30 Rh8 Rb8
31 Ba5!, Black has run out of useful moves: 31 ... Qe7 32 Nb6! Nxb6 33
Bxb6 Rxb6 34 Qc8+ Qd8 35 Rxf8+ is decisive, while 31 ... d3 fails to 32
Rh7!.
28 ... Qb4
Unfortunately for him, Kasparov is forced to offer a less favourable
exchange of queens.

Question: Why is it necessary for Black to trade queens?

Answer: If he retreats with 28 ... Qd6 instead, then 29 f4! undermines
Black’s once proud centre and the d4-pawn is ripe for plucking after an
exchange on e5; for example, 29 ... Qe6 30 Qxe6 fxe6 31 fxe5 Nxe5 32 Rxd4
and White is two pawns up.
29 Qxb4 Bxb4

Exercise: What should White play now? (If you don’t
know, you obviously haven’t been paying attention!)

Answer: Of course ...
30 f4!
It’s a struggle for Kasparov to hold this now, as Ivanchuk not only keeps
the extra pawn but plays to win another one.
30 ... Rh4
Intending to meet 31 fxe5 with 31 ... Rxe4. However, Ivanchuk is not
satisfied with being one pawn up in an ending, and he plays for more.
31 Rh1!
Forcing a rook trade and an invasion down the h-file.
31 ... Rxh1 32 Rxh1 Ke7 33 f5!
 Preventing the king from accessing e6 and, at the same time, introducing
the threat of Rh7. The alternative, 33 fxe5, leaves White with a lot of work to
do after 33 ... Rd8 34 Rd1 Nxe5 35 Nb6 Ke6 36 Nd5 Nc6 37 Rf1 Be7.
33 ... Ra6

Question: Isn’t Ivanchuk’s strategy counter-productive, as
33 ... gxf5 34 exf5 gives Black connected passed centre pawns?

Answer: No, because those pawns can hardly move without becoming
weak. After 34 ... Kd6 (or 34 ... Rb8 35 Rh7 Nf8 36 Rg7 e4 37 g6 with a win
in sight) 35 Rh7 e4 36 c3! dxc3 37 Kc2 Kc6 38 Nxc3, White has good
winning chances with the black e- and f-pawns poised to fall.
34 Rh7 Nc5 35 Bd2!
 A sudden twist; Ivanchuk forces the exchange of bishop for knight and
clears the path for his queenside pawns to advance. He has taken into account
the fact that the expected 35 Nxc5 Bxc5 36 Bd2 Ke8 is not easy for White to
convert, despite the extra pawn, as his bishop and king are not well placed.
35 ... Rxa4??
An off-form Kasparov rushes to win two pieces for the rook, but the
pieces are far inferior here. He had to play 35 ... Bxd2! 36 Nxc5 Rb6 (not 36
... Rc6? due to 37 f6+! Kd8 38 Nd3, hitting e5 and f7 simultaneously) 37 Nd3
(here 37 f6+?! can be met by 37 ... Kd6, since 38 Nb7+ is impossible) 37 ...
gxf5 38 exf5 (the greedy 38 Nxe5? allows Black to escape with 38 ... Bc3,
creating a potential mating net; for example, after 39 Rxf7+ Ke8 40 Rc7 Ra6,
White would have to give up the exchange to reach a drawn endgame: 41
Rxc3 dxc3 42 exf5 Ra5 43 Nc4 Rd5 44 Ka2 Ke7 45 b4 Rxf5 46 Kb3 Rxg5
47 Kxc3 with a draw, as confirmed by the Nalimov tablebases) 38 ... Bxg5
39 Nxe5 Rf6 40 Rh5 Rxf5 41 Nc6+ Kd6 42 Nxd4 Rf1+ 43 Ka2 Bf6 44 Nb5+
Ke6 45 b4, when White’s connected passed pawns give him some chances,
but it won’t be easy since Black has his own kingside runner.
36 fxg6!
 With this, the f-pawn goes too. There’s no need to take the rook straight
away, even if 36 bxa4 Bxd2 37 fxg6 Kf8 38 Rxf7+ Kg8 39 Ra7 should also
win.
36 ... Bxd2 37 Rxf7+ Ke6 38 Rf6+! Ke7 39 bxa4 Nxe4
After 39 ... Bxg5 40 g7, the g-pawn promotes at once (this was the point
of 38 Rf6+); while 39 ... Ne6 40 Rf7+ Ke8 41 Rf5 Bf4 42 a5 is equally futile,
as Black cannot stop both the g- and a-pawns simultaneously.
40 Rf5 1-0
It’s all over, since the g-pawn cannot be denied its promotion.
Summary: After pilfering an offered pawn, Ivanchuk defended actively
and accurately, and might have won even more quickly when Kasparov tried
to avoid the exchange of queens. As it turned out, the queens came off
anyway, giving Ivanchuk a favourable endgame, still with the extra pawn.
Once White’s kingside offence got started, Kasparov failed to find the
resources to hold and was thus dispatched.
Incidentally, can you recall an event in which Kasparov finished with a
minus score? Well, this is probably the only one - he scored ‘minus 2’ to
finish on 4/10 with only a single win, losing to Ivanchuk, Akopian and Judit
Polgar. Having said that, it took Ivanchuk’s tenacious and purposeful
defending and his sudden shift to tactics to bring down Kasparov in this game.
Game 27
V.Ivanchuk-J.Hector
Malmö 2003
Ruy Lopez

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 b5 6 Bb3 Bb7

7 d3!
GM Jonny Hector specializes in ultra-sharp variations such as the
Trajkovic Gambit, which arises after 7 Re1 Be7 8 c3 d5!? 9 exd5 Nxd5 10
Nxe5 Nxe5 11 Rxe5 Nf4. One stunning example is 12 d4 Nxg2 13 Qe2 h6 14
Qh5 (14 Rxb5 axb5 15 Qxb5+ c6 16 Qxb7 0-0 17 Qxc6 Bg5 is another
critical line, as in S.Busemann-J.Hector, correspondence 1993; but what’s the
point of fighting someone who knows this from head to toe?) 14 ... g6 15 Qh3
Qd6 16 Bg5?! (16 Nd2! is most testing) 16 ... Qxe5! 17 dxe5 Bxg5 18 e6 f5
and Jonny managed to outwit his opponent, T.Ernst-J.Hector, Swedish TV
Cup 1997. There was no chance that Ivanchuk would let Hector get his way in
the murky complications in which he excels.
7 ... Bc5
This method of developing the black bishops (on b7 and c5) is known as
the Arkhangelsk Variation.
8 Be3!
 Neutralizing Black’s most dangerous piece, the dark-squared bishop on
e5. Exchanging on e3 gives White additional pawn presence in the centre, as
well as a half-open f-file for his rook.
8 ... d6
The usual reply, though 8 ... Qe7!? is a viable alternative.
9 Bxc5
Ivanchuk gladly doubles the black c-pawns, which gives him a long-term
target to aim at. Naturally, Hector doesn’t flinch at being saddled with
weaknesses, trusting his active piece play and tactical skill to make up for it.
9 ... dxc5 10 c3
Contesting the d4-square and giving his bishop its usual bolthole on c2.
10 ... 0-0 11 Qe2
The d-pawn needs to be defended before White can play Nbd2.
11 ... Qd6
Freeing the c6-knight from holding the e5-pawn, and connecting the rooks.
12 Nbd2

12 ... Rad8
After losing this game, Hector had to face the same line twice more in
quick succession:
a) 12 ... Ne7 13 Rfe1 Ng6 14 g3 h6 15 Bc2 Nd7 16 a4 Rae8 17 Rad1
Nb6 18 axb5 axb5 19 d4! cxd4 20 cxd4 exd4 21 Qxb5 c5 22 b4! and White
had a strong initiative three rounds later in L.McShane-J.Hector, Malmö
2003.
b) The next month, he tried 12 ... Nd8 13 Qe3 Bc8 14 a4 Rb8 15 axb5
axb5 and achieved a satisfactory game, J.Moreno Carnero-J.Hector, Hamburg
2003.
13 Bc2 Bc8 14 Rfe1 Ne7
Hector directs his pieces towards the white kingside.

Question: Ivanchuk’s set-up looks very passive. Surely Black is very
comfortable here?

Answer: White’s set-up isn’t all that hot, but Ivanchuk probably took into
account Hector’s style and his penchant for accepting structural weaknesses
in return for active play.

Exercise: Can you find a plan for White to make inroads here?

Answer: As Hector vacates the queenside for the other flank, Ivanchuk
prepares to seize that sector, starting with the opening of the a-file.
15 a4!
The alternative was to break in the centre with 15 d4!?, but Ivanchuk
shows that White cannot achieve anything after 15 ... cxd4 16 cxd4 Ng6 17
dxe5 Nxe5 18 Nxe5 Qxe5 19 Nf3 Qh5 (not 19 ... Qxb2?? 20 e5 Nd5 21
Bxh7+! and wins) 20 e5 Nd5 21 a4 Bg4 22 axb5 (or 22 Be4 f5! 23 Bxd5
Rxd5) 22 ... Nf4 23 Qe4 Nxg2 24 Qxh7+ (the only move) 24 ... Qxh7 25
Bxh7+ Kxh7 26 Kxg2 axb5 etc.
15 ... Ng6 16 g3
Taking the f4-square from the pesky knight which just showed up on the
kingside, though that doesn’t stop Hector from gunning for ... Nf4 anyway.
16 ... Nh5!?

17 Qe3!
Ivanchuk is alert to Hector’s wiles.

Question: What tactical threat has he noticed here?

Answer: After 17 axb5, say, Black can sink in 17 ... Ngf4!, and the knight
can’t be taken because 18 gxf4?? Nxf4 19 Qf1 (or 19 Qe3 Qg6+ and wins) 19
... Bh3! snares the queen. White would have to play 18 Qe3 anyway, but then
after 18 ... Nh3+ 19 Kg2 axb5, Black has ideas of ... Nf6-g4 (hitting e3 and
f2) or ... Bg4, followed by ... f7-f5 or still ... N5h4+. So Ivanchuk
prophylactically moves his queen first.
17 ... Bg4 18 Qg5!
 Nipping all black knight sortie tricks in the bud. There is no rush to play
down the a-file or to attack the c5-pawn; the immediate task is to secure the
kingside. For instance, Ivanchuk would be asking for trouble if he attempted
to immobilize the queenside with 18 axb5 axb5 19 c4?, as Black again has 19
... Nhf4! 20 gxf4 (otherwise 20 ... Nxd3 follows) 20 ... exf4 21 Qe2 Nh4 with
a powerful attack. The engines barely scrape a draw for White after 22 Kh1!
bxc4 23 Ra3! Qb6 24 Rg1 Bxf3+ 25 Nxf3 Nxf3 26 Qxf3 Qxb2 27 Qxf4! Qxa3
28 Rxg7+! etc.
18 ... Qe6?
True to style, Hector keeps his pieces on the front line rather than retreat
with 18 ... Nf6 (which Ivanchuk actually regarded as equal). Unfortunately,
his pieces are now driven back anyway, as Ivanchuk removes a dangerous
piece and nullifies the attack.

Question: How does he do that?

Answer: By deflecting the defender of the h5-knight.
19 h3! Bxf3 20 Nxf3

20 ... Nf6

Question: Why not 20 ... Qxh3, winning a pawn?

Answer: Ivanchuk had prepared 21 Qf5!, which forces the queens off the
board and regains the pawn at once. Moreover, 21 ... Qxf5 22 exf5 Ne7 23
Rxe5 Nd5 24 axb5 axb5 25 Ra6 gives White an excellent position with far
more active rooks - indeed, Rc6 is imminent, hitting both c5 and c7.
21 Kh2
With the kingside secure, White can now concentrate fully on the
queenside and centre. This is a good illustration of how tactical defence is
conducted. Ivanchuk simply doesn’t allow Hector any good squares to get his
attack going.
21 ... Nd7
Hector regroups his knights in anticipation of a possible attack on his
queenside and weak c-pawns, while also clearing the way for ... f7-f5 and
counterplay down the f-file.
22 Qe3
Having done its job on g5, the queen retreats to e3 again to pressurize c5
and, in some lines, prepare d3-d4. Now 22 ... f5?! can be met by 23 Ng5!
Qe7 24 exf5 Rxf5 25 Ne4 and White is much better.
22 ... Ne7 23 Nd2
Enabling the white bishop to re-emerge at b3, a typical Lopez manoeuvre
in the middlegame. Hector responds by moving his king off the a2-g8
diagonal.
23 ... Kh8 24 Qe2!?
Very interesting: instead of making inroads on the queenside, Ivanchuk
decides to stake a claim on the kingside as well, now that Black’s pieces
have been withdrawn from that sector - or, in the case of his light-squared
bishop, removed from the board.
24 ... Rb8 25 h4!?
 A typical Ivanchuk ‘whole-board’ grand strategy, seizing kingside space.
25 ... Nc8
Rerouting the knight to the more active d6-square, where it supports both
... c5-c4 and ... f7-f5.

Question: What is your opinion of the immediate 25 ... f5,
and why do you think Hector refrained from it?

Answer: Clearly, 25 ... f5!? is very committal as the black e-pawn
becomes isolated and exposed to attack on the e-file, while the white knight
obtains the nice e4-square. Nevertheless, it might represent Black’s best
chance to find counterplay. For example, 26 axb5 axb5 27 Bb3 Qg6 28 exf5
Rxf5 29 f3?! (here 29 Ne4! Rbf8 30 Kg2 keeps an edge for White, though it’s
not so easy to increase it since Black’s pieces are very active) 29 ... Rbf8,
and if 30 Ra5 (going after the b-pawn) then 30 ... Rh5! and 31 ... Nf5 gives
Black a strong attack.
26 Nf3
Ivanchuk abandons the idea of Bb3 for the time being and returns his
knight to the centre with possibilities of playing d3-d4, now that the black
rook has left the d-file; for instance, after 26 ... b4 27 d4, White’s pieces are
better placed to take advantage of the change in central configuration. The
knight move also discourages 26 ... f5 on account of 27 Ng5 Qh6 28 exf5,
when White has a dominant position with a superbly-placed knight.
26 ... Nd6 27 axb5 axb5 28 Ra6
Tying down the d6-knight with a pin.
28 ... h6

29 Kg1

Question: Why not immediately seize the a-file with 29 Rea1 - ?

Answer: Ivanchuk is happy for Black to contest the a-file, as he can play
against the weak queenside pawns once the rooks are off the board.

Question: So 29 Kg1 is effectively just a pass? In that case,
why not put the king on g2 instead, since he plays this later anyway?

Answer: I don’t know. Perhaps Ivanchuk didn’t like the look of 29 Kg2
f5!? 30 exf5 Qd5 (both 30 ... Rxf5?! and 30 ... Qxf5?! would be met by 31
d4!), and if 31 g4 then 31 ... h5 32 Kg1 hxg4 33 Ng5 Ra8 34 Rxa8 Rxa8 35
Qxg4 Nf6 with complications, preferring to try and keep control of the
position.
29 ... Ra8?!
 Once again, Hector surprisingly refuses the chance to play actively with
... f7-f5, even though he prepared it with his last move by preventing Ng5. In
Informant #88, Ivanchuk claimed a slight advantage for White after 29 ... f5
30 exf5 Qxf5 31 Nd2, but then 31 ... c4! gives Black definite counterplay. For
example: 32 Rc6 (32 Ra7 is met the same way; or if 32 Rc1 then 32 ... Nc5!
33 dxc4 e4; while 32 Ne4 Nxe4 33 dxe4 Qf7 should be okay for Black) 32 ...
cxd3 33 Bxd3 e4 34 Bc2 (not 34 Nxe4?! Ne5; and 34 Bxe4?? Nxe4 35 Nxe4
Ne5 is even worse) 34 ... Ne5 35 Rxc7 Nd3 36 Bxd3 exd3 37 Qf1 Rbe8 with
sufficient play for the pawn.
30 Rea1 Rxa6 31 Rxa6 Rb8 32 Qd1 Qe8 33 Ra7 Rb7 34 Rxb7 Nxb7
Mission accomplished. Now Ivanchuk starts tightening the screws by
improving the position of his pieces.

35 Qa1 Nd6 36 Qa6 Nb6 37 Kg2?!

This was inaccurate according to Ivanchuk, who says he should have
played his next two moves first.
37 ... g6?!
Returning the favour. 37 ... f6! would have freed Black’s queen from
defending the e-pawn, allowing it to defend more actively.

Question: How does Ivanchuk make progress after 37 ... g6 - ?

Answer: By targeting the c5 weakie.
38 Qa3! Nd7
This retreat is forced; whereas after 37 ... f6 38 Qa3, he could have
played 38 ... Qc6!, which in turn was why 37 Qa3! was the correct move
order.
39 Bb3!

Ivanchuk’s bishop threatens to wend its way to d5 or c6, so Hector takes

the highly committal decision to clarify the matter of the weak c5-pawn.
39 ... c4 40 dxc4 Nxc4?
Hector finally makes a critical error of judgment. It was stronger to take
with the pawn: 40 ... bxc4!, when 41 Ba4 f6 42 Nd2 Qd8 43 Bc6 Nb6 44 Nf1
Kg7 45 Ne3 leaves White in control with better-placed pieces, but Black is
still hanging on.
41 Bxc4 bxc4 42 Qa5!
By attacking c7 and e5 simultaneously, Ivanchuk prevents Black’s desired
set-up with ... Nb6, which means that the c4-pawn is lost.
42 ... c5 43 Nd2 Qe6
 44 Qa4!
Netting the front c-pawn.

Question: Why not 44 Qb5, hitting both black c-pawns?

Answer: In that case Black finds counterplay with 44 ... Qd6!, and if 45
Nxc4 then 45 ... Qd3! regains the pawn with check, as 46 Kh2 Qe2 47 Qxd7
Qxf2+ leads to perpetual check.
There’s another nice draw after 45 Nf3 Qd3 46 b3 Qxe4! 47 Qxd7 cxb3
48 Qxf7 b2.

Exercise: The white queen can check her way to the b-file
and pick up the b-pawn. So how does Black survive here?

Answer: After 49 Qe8+ Kg7 50 Qd7+ Kg8 51 Qc8+ Kg7 52 Qc7+, the
king suddenly takes on an attacking role: 52 ... Kf6! 53 Qb6+ Kf5 54 Qxb2
Kg4 and Black picks up the pinned knight with a drawn position.
44 ... f5
Hector tries to find counterplay by advancing on the kingside but doesn’t
have enough time, as Ivanchuk consolidates by centralizing the queen.
45 Nxc4 f4
After 45 ... fxe4 46 Qa8+ Kg7 47 Qxe4 Kf6, White can set about realizing
his extra pawn with 48 b4.
46 Qa8+ Kg7 47 Qd5 Qe7
By now, you should be familiar with Ivanchuk’s typical space-grabbing
moves when his opponent is tied down.
48 g4!
Doesn’t this remind you of 31 h4!! in Ivanchuk-Ye Jiangchuan (Game 7)?
Once again, he flings forward the pawns in front of his king, while his
opponent can only watch and stew.
48 ... Kf8 49 Kh3 Kg7 50 f3 Kf6 51 Kg2
 Simply advancing the b-pawn should be decisive; instead, Ivanchuk takes
the opportunity to centralize the king with a different winning plan in mind.
Note: It is important to centralize the king in the endgame (assuming that it
is safe to do so), so that it can be activated quickly by moving up the board
when required. This is especially so as more pieces are traded away.
51 ... Kg7 52 Kf1 Kf8 53 Ke2 Ke8 54 Nd6+ Kd8?
Losing by force, but the stronger 54 ... Kf8 would allow Ivanchuk to
demonstrate his idea: 55 h5! places Black is zugzwang. He can’t move the g-
pawn because 56 Qa8+ Kg7 57 Nf5+ wins the queen; moving the knight drops
the c5-pawn; while 55 ... Qf6 runs into 56 g5! hxg5 (the queen can’t take
because of the mate threat on f7) 57 h6 and wins.

Exercise: Please calculate the forced win worked out by Ivanchuk.

55 Qa8+ Kc7 56 Nb5+ Kb6 57 c4 Nf6 58 Qb8+ Ka5
Instead, 58 ... Qb7 loses the knight to 59 Qd8+ etc, while 58 ... Kc6 59
Na7+ Kd7 60 Qc8+ Kd6 61 Nb5 is a mid-board mate.
59 Nd4! 1-0
 This is the classy way, leading to mate in four: 59 ... Qe8 60 Nb3+ (or 60
Qa7+ Kb4 61 Qa3+ Kxc4 62 Qc3 mate) 60 ... Ka4 61 Nxc5+ Ka5 62 b4
mate. (59 Nc7 is equally effective, but less aesthetic.)
Summary: Great active defence by Ivanchuk, brilliant space-gaining
technique, and an exquisite finish!

Game 28
V.Ivanchuk-A.Khalifman
Reggio Emilia 1991/92
Giuoco Piano

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Bc5 4 c3 Nf6 5 b4

In the Giuoco Piano (or Italian Game), White frequently elects to seize
queenside space by gaining time on the dark-squared bishop and, very often,
he uses the manoeuvre Nd2-c4 to put pressure on e5 and the bishop
simultaneously. If Black wants to avoid this version of it, he can adopt the
Two Knights’ move order 3 ... Nf6, intending 4 d3 Bc5 5 c3 a6, but of course
White has many other possibilities in that sequence (such as 4 d4 or 4 Ng5).
5 ... Bb6 6 d3 d6 7 a4
 Once again gaining space by threatening to trap the bishop.
7 ... a5

Question: Clearly Black has to advance his a-pawn to give the bishop a
retreat square. Are there significant differences between 7 ... a6 and 7 ...
a5 - ?

Answer: With 7 ... a6, Black relies on a solid position without
weaknesses, accepting the restricted space on the queenside, which White has
effectively gained ‘for free’ and may reduce further with a4-a5 at some point.
The text move is more challenging, as Black stakes a claim on the
queenside as well, and more-or-less forces White to commit to 8 b5, giving
up the c5-square. On the flipside, the b6-bishop and a5-pawn may become
targets when White executes the Nbd2-c4 manoeuvre.
8 b5 Ne7 9 0-0 Ng6
 The queen knight’s foray to g6 is thematic in this variation (irrespective of
Black’s choice with the a-pawn on move 7) and has the following purposes:
1. Overprotecting the e5-pawn, if Black decides to hit back in the centre
with ... d6-d5 or if White gets d3-d4 in.
2. Making designs on the white kingside with ... Nf4.
3. Add pressure on the kingside pin ... Bg4 with ... Nh4.
4. Meeting Bg5 with ... h7-h6, when Bh4 would result in the bishop being
traded off.
In any case, Nbd2-f1-g3 is a common manoeuvre for White in Ruy Lopez,
so Black’s ... Nc6-e7-g6 is a similar knight dance.
10 Nbd2 0-0 11 Ba3?!
The standard plan here for White is to retreat his light-squared bishop to
a2 or b3, clearing the c4-square for the d2-knight to attack b6 and a5. In that
case Black usually responds with 11 ... c6, so as to meet 12 Nc4 with 12 ...
Bc7, and preparing ... d6-d5.
With 11 Ba3, Ivanchuk anticipates that plan by applying pressure along
the a3-f8 diagonal, which can be increased by d3-d4. The drawback is that
the bishop is rather missed on the kingside. White now has less cover of f4,
which an enemy knight is poised to seize, and no longer has the option of
opposing Black’s strong b6-bishop with Be3.
11 ... Nh5!
 Khalifman immediately seizes the chance to play for an attack by targeting
the f4-square. As an alternative, Israeli GM Victor Mikhalevski came up with
an interesting concept to press White on the d-file after 11 ... Qe7 12 Re1
Bc5!? 13 Bxc5 dxc5 14 Qb3 Rd8 15 Rad1 Nd7 16 Qa3?! Nb6 17 Re3 Nxc4
18 Nxc4 b6 19 h3 Qf6 20 Qc1 Be6 21 Nb2 Nf4 with strong attacking
chances, L.Yudasin-V.Mikhalevski, Beersheba 1993.

12 d4
The most logical and consistent response; White reacts to the flank attack
with his intended break in the centre.

Question: Why can’t he play 12 Nxe5, exploiting the loose position of the
h5-knight?

Answer: After 12 Nxe5?? Nxe5 13 Qxh5? Bg4, White loses his better
half and there’s not much point playing on.
12 ... Nhf4!
A strong gambit - Khalifman offers the e-pawn to accelerate his attack.
13 Re1
Prudent play by Ivanchuk, who realizes that it is high time for him to take
defensive measures.
Three years later, German GM Christopher Lutz chose to accept
Khalifman’s sacrifice: 13 dxe5 Bg4! (better than 13 ... Nxe5 14 Nxe5 Qg5 15
g3 Nh3+ 16 Kg2 Qxe5 17 Bd5! Qxc3 18 Nc4 with strong attacking chances
for White after 19 Bb2, J.Hjartarson-N.Short, Manila Olympiad 1992)

14 g3 Nxe5! 15 gxf4 Bxf3 16 Nxf3 Nxc4 17 Qd5 Nxa3 18 Rxa3 Qf6 19 f5

g6! 20 Qxb7 gxf5 21 c4 Kh8 22 Kh1 Rae8 23 exf5 Rg8 gave Black a
powerful initiative, C.Lutz-A.Khalifman, Wijk aan Zee 1995.
Instead, 14 exd6 is possible, but Lutz was worried about 14 ... Nh4!? 15
dxc7 Qxc7 16 Bxf8 Rxf8 with a strong attack for the exchange. Alternatively,
Black could just play 14 ... cxd6, still with an impressive build-up on the
kingside, and options such as ... Rc8 or ... Ne5 (hitting c4 and adding pressure
to the f3-knight).
White might have to resort to 14 Qc2, when 14 ... Qd7 15 Kh1 Bxf3 16
Nxf3 Qg4 17 Rg1 Nh3 18 Rgf1 Nhf4 led to a draw by repetition in
G.Cardelli-M.Voss, correspondence 2004.
13 ... Bg4!
Natural and best, intending to increase the pressure with ... Nh4.
 14 h3!?
At least three publications attach the “?!” (dubious) mark to this move,
which, for the price of a bishop, allows Black to get a huge attack by
decimating the white king’s entire pawn cover.

Question: So why did Ivanchuk play it?

Answer: The alternatives aren’t that great. If White tries to dig in and
defend, Black would have an easy, risk-free squeeze. Let’s take a look:
a) 14 Bb2 Nh4 15 Bf1 Qf6 16 Re3 Rae8 17 Qe1 Nxf3+ 18 Nxf3 Nh3+ 19
Kh1 Qf4! 20 Nxe5! (after 20 Bd3, Black has 20 ... Re6!, intending ... Rh6) 20
... Nxf2+ 21 Kg1 dxe5 22 Qxf2 Qxf2+ 23 Kxf2 Rd8 and Black has the
superior game due to his strong pressure on White’s centre.
b) 14 Qc2 Nh4 15 Nxh4 Qxh4 16 Re3! (setting up a pawn sacrifice to free
his position, which Black should be decline) 16 ... h5! (keeping the pressure
up; after 16 ... exd4 17 Nf3 Bxf3 18 Rxf3 dxc3 19 Qxc3 Ne6 20 Re1 Bd4 21
Qd2 Be5 22 g3 Qg4 23 Rd3, White has good compensation for the pawn,
thanks to his bishop pair and central presence) 17 Nf3 Qf6 18 Bb2 (not 18
dxe5?? Qg6!) 18 ... c6, when Black maintains the tension with the better
chances.
14 ... Bxh3 15 gxh3 Nxh3+ 16 Kh2!?

Question: Isn’t this highly risky, since White loses the f-pawn as well?

Answer: White can play the safer, more defensive 16 Kf1, but the
resulting positions don’t give him any chances to play for the win. Ivanchuk
obviously prefers to duke it out with active defence where Khalifman has a
greater likelihood of going wrong.
After 16 Kf1 Qf6 17 Nb3! Nh4! 18 Re3 Rae8! 19 Bd5 (or 19 Qd3 h5! and
Black simply arranges to run the h-pawn down) 19 ... Qg6 20 Ng5! Nxg5 21
Qg4 Ngf3 22 Qxg6 hxg6 23 Ke2 Ng5 24 Bxb7 Ng2 25 Rg3 Nf4+ 26 Kf1 f6,
Black has an extra pawn and a slight edge.
16 ... Nxf2
This is the risk that Ivanchuk has assumed: Black has three kingside
pawns for a piece and the white king has been stripped of its entire pawn
cover. 16 ... Ngf4 is less accurate, since White can reorganize and use three
minor pieces for shielding: 17 Nf1! Qf6 18 Ng3 Nxf2 19 Qd2 Ng4+ 20 Kg1
Qh6 21 Bf1 with a defensible position.
17 Qe2?!
Ivanchuk keeps the queen near the king for defensive duties. It is difficult
to appreciate that sending the queen away from action is the stronger, but ...
well, that’s why the computer engines are Elo 3000+ strength. Houdini spews
out 17 Qc2! Ng4+ 18 Kg3 h5! 19 Nf1 Qf6 (after 19 ... exd4 20 cxd4 Qf6 21
Qd2 Nh4! 22 Nxh4 Bxd4 23 Nf3 Bxa1 24 Rxa1! Qxa1 25 Bb2 Qb1 26 Bxg7!
Kxg7 27 Qg5+ Kh7 28 Qf5+, the game ends in perpetual check) 20 Bc1 d5!
21 exd5 (or 21 Bxd5 exd4 22 Bg5 Qd6+ 23 Kg2 c6 24 Ba2 d3 and Black
keeps the edge) 21 ... exd4 22 Bg5 Qd6+ 23 Kg2 dxc3 24 Qxc3 Rae8 25
Rxe8 Rxe8 26 Re1 Rxe1 27 Qxe1 Qd7 and according to the engine, Black has
a slight edge.
17 ... Ng4+

Exercise: Where should White place his king?

Answer: The king advances fearlessly!
18 Kg3!
Instead of trying to keep the king safe on the back rank, Ivanchuk plays
actively and forces Khalifman to work for the win (if there is one). Passive
back rank retreats just hand the win to Black on a platter:
a) 18 Kh1? Nf4 19 Qf1 exd4 20 cxd4 Bxd4! and White is lost.
b) 18 Kg1?! Nf4 19 Qf1 Qf6 20 Bb2 (or 20 Ra2 Rae8 21 Nb3 Qg6 22
Kh1 Qh5+ 23 Nh2 Qh4 24 Bc1 Kg8!, intending ... f7-f5) 20 ... Rae8 21 Ba2
Qh6 and the threat of ... Re6 is impossible to meet; for example, 22 Rad1
Re6! 23 Bxe6 fxe6 24 Re2 Rf6 and ... Rg6 wins.
 c) 18 Kg2?? Nf4+ just wins the queen, of course.
18 ... Nf4?!
Ivanchuk’s brave Steinitzian king advance (“the king is a fighting piece -
use it!”) has worked! Now he gets to the time required to bring his queen over
to defend the king and even mount a counter-attack.

Question: What is Khalifman’s best way of meeting Ivanchuk’s brazen
king advance?

Answer: He should coolly secure his g4-knight with 18 ... h5! (as in
Houdini’s 17 Qc2 line above).

Let’s have a look at a few variations: 19 Qf1 (after 19 Rh1 Nf4 20 Qf1
Qf6 21 Re1 g5, the white king will always be in danger, being stuck on g3) 19
... exd4 (the immediate 19 ... Qf6 may be even better) 20 Qh3 Qf6 21 Qxh5
Qf4+ 22 Kh3 N6e5 23 Rf1 g6 (or 23 ... Nf6 24 Qh4 Qxh4+ 25 Kxh4 Ng6+ 26
Kg3 dxc3 27 e5!) 24 Qh4 dxc3 25 Nxe5 Nf2+ 26 Rxf2 Qxh4+ 27 Kxh4 Bxf2+
28 Kg4 cxd2 and at this moment Black has a material advantage of rook and
four pawns for bishop and knight, though the position remains highly chaotic
and unclear.
19 Qf1!
 Ivanchuk’s queen performs a ‘square root’ journey’ (d1-e2-f1-h1-h4)
where it shields the king from a frontal assault.
19 ... Qf6

20 Qh1

Exercise: Work out the win for Black after 20 Kxg4??.

Answer: 20 ... Qg6+ 21 Ng5 (if 21 Kh4 then 21 ... c5! and ... Bd8+ is
decisive) 21 ... Qh5+ 22 Kg3 Qxg5+ 23 Kf3 exd4 24 Qg1 Qh6! (keeping the
queens on is the simplest) 25 cxd4 Nh3! 26 Qe3 Qf6+ 27 Kg3 Bxd4 28 Qf3
Qh6 and Black wins.
20 ... Qg6 21 Qh4!
Ivanchuk’s idea is to trade queens with Qg5, but he had to work out that it
is possible to allow Black a discovered check.
Actually, there is another option in 21 Rg1! (not 21 Nh4? due to 21 ...
Nh5+ 22 Kf3 Qg5) 21 ... Nf6+ 22 Kf2 Nxe4+ 23 Ke1 Qf5 24 Nxe4 Qxe4+ 25
Kd2 exd4 26 Nxd4, when Black has four pawns for the bishop but his attack
is over.
21 ... Nh5+
After 21 ... Ne3+ 22 Qg5 Nh5+ 23 Kh2 Qxg5 24 Nxg5 exd4 25 cxd4 Nc2
26 Ndf3 Nxa1 27 Rxa1 h6 28 Nh3, it’s anybody’s game.
 22 Kg2!?
Remarkably sangfroid. Ivanchuk is not satisfied with repeating the
position after 22 Kh3 Nf4+ 23 Kg3 and plays for keeps, sacrificing the
exchange on e1.

22 ... Ne3+
Now 22 ... Nf4+ would be pointless, as the king just goes back to h1.
23 Kf2 Ng2 24 Qh2 Nxe1 25 Rxe1 Nf6

Question: How does White continue after 25 ... Nf4 - ?

Answer: By massing everything on the kingside with 26 Nh4! Qf6 (after
26 ... Qh6 27 Ndf3 Ne6 28 Bc1 Qh5 29 Qg3 Kh8 39 Kg2, White’s huge
kingside offensive outweighs his material deficit) 27 Nf5 Ne6 28 Rh1 h6 and
now, for instance, 29 Kf1!? (29 Qg3 Ng5 30 Kg2 exd4 31 cxd4 Bxd4 32 Nf3
Nxe4 33 Qf4 Qg6+ 34 Kh2 Qh5+ 35 Kg2 Qg6+ is a draw by perpetual check)
29 ... exd4 30 Nf3! dxc3 31 Bc1 Rfd8 32 Qg3 Kf8 33 Bxe6 Qxe6 (or 33 ...
fxe5 34 Nxg7!) 34 Qxg7+ Ke8 35 Rxh6 Qc4+ 36 Kg2 Kd7! 37 Qg4 with
dangerous threats. Houdini claims a draw here too, but over the board
anything might happen.
26 Qg2

Question: What do you think of Ivanchuk’s decision to go for an
endgame?

Answer: It’s a strong idea. Once the queens come off, the white minor
pieces grow in strength, while Black’s extra kingside pawns are not easy to
advance. Furthermore, the white king ceases to be a liability, harassed by the
black minors, and becomes a useful piece in the ending.
All the same, 26 Qg3! looks more accurate. Then if Black swaps queens
on g3, the white king is more active; while after 26 ... Ng4+ (26 ... Rfe8?! 27
Qxg6 transposes to the game) 27 Kg2, the king is happier off the b6-bishop’s
diagonal.
26 ... Rfe8?!
In my opinion, this is the turning point of the game. By allowing his g-
pawns to be doubled, Black’s extra ones lose their effectiveness. If he doesn’t
mind the queens coming off, Black would do better to swap them himself; i.e.
26 ... Qxg2+ 27 Kxg2, when 27 ... exd4 28 cxd4 Rfe8 29 e5 d5 30 Ba2 Nh5
31 Kh2 c6 32 bxc6 bxc6 33 Rc1 Rac8 leaves him on (slightly) the favourable
side of equal.

Question: Should Black keep the queens on the board then?

Answer: That’s a very tough question. My gut feeling is that, yes, Black’s
chances are probably better with the queens on, for the reasons given in the
previous answer. And after 26 ... Ng4+, followed by ... h7-h5, the new knight
on g4 (it’s actually the queen’s knight this time) will be a nuisance to the
white king too.
Having said that, I can’t find a line that guarantees Black an advantage.
For example, 27 Kg1 (putting the king in the middle with 27 Ke2?! looks
rather dangerous after 27 ... exd4 28 cxd4 Kh8!, followed by ... f7-f5) 27 ...
h5 28 Bb3! exd4 29 cxd4 Rac8 30 Nc4! Rfe8 31 Nxb6 cxb6 32 Bb2 Rc7 (32
... Rxe4 is met by 33 Bxf7+! Qxf7 34 Rxe4 with equal chances) 33 Nh2! Kh7
34 Nxg4 Qxg4 35 Qxg4 hxg4, and what is there to say about this position
except (cop out with) the overused term “unclear”?
27 Qxg6 hxg6 28 Bb3

Now White’s extra piece becomes more prominent, as Black’s extra f-

and (doubled) g-pawns are static and cannot be easily mobilized.
28 ... d5!?
A logical but risky policy. Khalifman seeks to open the central files in
order to utilize his extra rook. The drawback is that White’s minor pieces
now become very active. Perhaps Black should have preferred the safer 28 ...
exd4 29 cxd4 Rac8 30 Kg3 d5 31 e5 Nh5+ 32 Kg4 c6 with good counterplay
in a roughly equal position.
29 exd5 exd4 30 Rxe8+ Rxe8 31 cxd4 Rd8?
This move, regaining the front white d-pawn, was what Khalifman was
counting on, but it’s almost a losing mistake. He should have played 31 ... g5!
(threatening to push the f3-knight away from defence of the d4-pawn; 31 ...
Ng4+ and 32 ... Ne3 looks okay too) 32 Bc5 (if 32 d6 cxd6 33 Bxd6 Rd8 34
Be5 Nd7 35 Bg3 Nf6, Black’s chances are as good as White’s) 32 ... Nd7! 33
Bxb6 Nxb6 34 Nxg5 Rd8 35 d6 Rxd6 36 Bxf7+ Kf8 37 Bb3 Ke7 38 Ngf3
Rh6, when the active rook gives Black sufficient counterplay.

Exercise: How did Ivanchuk throw a spanner in the works?

Answer: A powerful rejoinder renders the black rook irrelevant.
32 d6!! cxd6
Now the rook has neither entry points into the white camp, nor targets to
aim at, so White’s minor pieces get to rule the board. It was too late to play
32 ... g5, as after 33 Nc4! g4 34 Nxb6 cxb6 35 Ne5 Ne4+ 36 Ke3 Nxd6 37
Bxd6 Rxd6 38 Nxf7 Rf6 39 Ne5+ Kh7 40 Nxg4, White has a huge advantage.
33 Nc4
How swiftly the tables turn. Black is forced to back-pedal and guard
against White’s queenside majority.
 33 ... Bc7 34 b6 Bb8 35 Nxa5 Rd7 36 d5!
Imprisoning the black bishop on b8.
36 ... Ne4+
Another option was 36 ... Re7 37 Nd4 Ne4+ 38 Kg2 Nc5 (if 38 ... Kf8
then 39 Ndc6! wins) 39 Bxc5 dxc5 40 Nb5 Rd7.

Exercise: How does White deliver the killing blow in this case?

Answer: After 41 Nxb7!! Rxb7 42 a5 Kf8 43 d6 Ke8 44 Bd5, the white
pawns cannot be denied their quest for glory.
37 Kg2 Nc5 38 Bd1
It seems that Ivanchuk is playing safely before reaching time control but
he has something up his sleeve. Alternatively, Houdini finds a nice tactic,
enabling White to trade pieces favourably: 38 Ne5! dxe5 (or 38 ... Nxb3 39
Nxd7 Nxa5 40 Bb2! and the b8-bishop is a dead duck) 39 Bxc5 Bd6 40 Bxd6
Rxd6 41 Nc6! Rd7 (or 41 ... bxc6 42 b7) 42 a5! and the pawns are
unstoppable.
38 ... Re7

Exercise: White to play and win - on move 39!

Answer: We’ve seen this trick twice already in the notes, so it shouldn’t
have been too difficult to find. Ivanchuk unleashed the whopper ...
39 Nc6!
What a move to play before the time control! This shows guts and
confidence in one’s calculations.
39 ... bxc6
Allowing connected passed pawns might seem like a mistake, but
retreating with 39 ... Re8 would just permit Ivanchuk to win even more
brilliantly: 40 Nfe5!! (putting a second knight en prise) 40 ... f6 (taking either
knight loses too: 40 ... dxe5 41 Bxc5 or 40 ... bxc6 41 Nxc6 Nd3 42 a5 Re3
43 Bb4! Nxb4 44 Nxb4 Ra3 45 a6 Kf8 46 Be2 Ke8 47 Nc6 and Black can
resign) 41 Nxg6 Nd3 42 Nxb8 Rxb8 43 Bxd6 Ra8 44 Ne7+ Kh8 45 Be2 Ne5
46 Bb5 Nf7 47 Bc7 and White nurses the d-pawn home.
40 dxc6
The passed pawns cannot be restrained.
40 ... Na6 41 Nd4 Re4 42 Be2 Rxd4 43 Bxa6 Rd2+ 44 Kf1 Rc2 45 Bb5
Kf8 46 a5 1-0
An exquisite finish by Ivanchuk.
 Summary: After being outplayed in the opening by the Russian GM (who
would be FIDE World Champion in 1999) and facing a strong attack,
Ivanchuk took the bull by the horns, conducting an extremely vigorous defence
by upping the tempo, even to the extent of using his king to help complicate
matters. Finally, the tension got to Khalifman, who allowed his extra pawns
(for the piece) to become static after trading queens and then failed the right
way to activate his rook, after which Ivanchuk’s endgame technique took
over.

Game 29
V.Ivanchuk-E.Romanov
Russian Team Championship 2011
Slav Defence

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 a4 Bf5

Commencing the Czech Variation of the Slav Defence.
6 Ne5
One of the two main lines (the other being the simple 6 e3, followed by 7
Bxc4), this continuation is usually played to prepare f2-f3 and e2-e4, shutting
down the f5-bishop’s diagonal. Another option is 6 Nh4, putting the question
to the bishop immediately.
6 ... Nbd7
 By far the most common move nowadays; Black immediately confronts
the centralized knight. The old main line of 6 ... e6 7 f3 Bb4 8 e4 Bxe4 9 fxe4
Nxe4 10 Bd2 Qxd4, sacrificing a piece for three pawns, has rather fallen into
disuse.
7 Nxc4 Qc7
Preparing ... e7-e5 to gain a foothold in the centre. The Sokolov Defence,
initiated by 7 ... Nb6 8 Ne5 a5, is preferred by FM James Vigus in Play the
Slav as it is less theoretical and the evaluations do not fluctuate so much as in
the main line. For example, 9 g3 e6 10 Bg2 Bb4 11 0-0 0-0 12 e3 h6 13 Qe2
Bh7 14 Rd1 Nfd7 gave Black a very solid game in B.Avrukh-I.Sokolov,
European Club Cup, Izmir 2004 (and many others).
8 g3
White gets ready to fianchetto the king’s bishop and reserves the f4-
square for the queen’s bishop.
8 ... e5 9 dxe5 Nxe5 10 Bf4
It seems strange for Black to walk into a voluntary pin, but it’s not easy
for White to exploit it and usually both bishops on the f-file are traded away.
10 ... Nfd7 11 Bg2 g5
 Thanks to the highly inventive GM Alexander Morozevich, who first
played it against Kasparov in 2000, this has become virtually the main line of
the 6 ... Nbd7 variation.
12 Ne3
The alternative is to take the knight. 12 Nxe5 exf4 13 Nxd7 0-0-0 14
Qxd4 Qxd7 15 Qxf4 Bd6 is known to give Black good compensation for the
pawn, but there’s a relatively recent innovation in the 12 Bxe5 line: 12 ...
Nxe5 13 Qd4 f6 and here 14 a5!? was played in I.Kovalenko-E.Romanov,
Voronezh 2012. The novelty was good enough to unsettle Romanov as he
failed to grasp the essence of Kovalenko’s idea, which is to ram the pawn all
the way to a6. After 14 ... Be6? 15 Nxe5 Qxe5 16 Qxe5 fxe5 17 a6! 0-0-0 18
axb7+ Kxb7 19 Ra5!, White attained a superb structural edge with strong
mobility for his pieces.
12 ... gxf4 13 Nxf5 0-0-0
 14 0-0
The usual continuation is to shift the queen off the d-file at once with 14
Qc2, as endorsed by Kasparov in his game against Morozevich. The queen is
well placed on c2 as it supports the a4-pawn and the f5-knight, and White
maintains the option of castling either way. There is also the indirect threat of
Rc1 and Nb5 or Nd5, playing against the c-file huddle of the biggies on c7
and c8.
The main line then is 14 ... Nc5 (Morozevich has played 14 ... Ng4?!, 14
... Ng6, and 14 ... Kb8 as well) 15 0-0 fxg3 16 hxg3 a5 17 Rfd1 (17 Rad1
comes to the same thing) 17 ... h5 18 Rxd8+ Qxd8 19 Rd1 Qf6, as first played
in V.Ivanchuk-B.Gelfand, Russian Team Championship 2005, where Ivanchuk
was unable to solve the fresh problems. After 20 e4 h4 21 f4 Ng6 22 e5 Qe6
23 Nd6+? Bxd6 24 Rxd6 Qc4 25 Bf1? Qb4 26 Na2 Qb6, Gelfand already
had a decisive attack.
14 ... fxg3
Black immediately open lines on the kingside. Instead, 14 ... Nc5 15 Qc2
would transpose to the previous note.
15 hxg3 a5!?
 Stopping the white a-pawn in its tracks.

Question: Is it a good idea, weakening the king’s pawn cover like this?

Answer: The advantage is that White will not find it easy to fashion a
queenside pawn break as the b4-square is adequately defended by the a5-
pawn and the dark-squared bishop; whereas if Black allows the white a-
pawn to advance, then a4-a5-a6 might soften up the b7- and c6-pawns enough
for White to create serious trouble on the c-file and the long light diagonal.
Having said that, Black usually prefers either 15 ... h5 or 15 ... Kb8 here,
throwing in ... a7-a5 later (if at all) or meeting a4-a5 with ... a7-a6.
16 e3!?

Question: What is the point of this move? Shouldn’t White be
getting on with business on the c-file with Rc1 and/or Qc2 - ?

Answer: Ivanchuk intends to put his queen on e2, where it may support
the central pawns to advance later, or perhaps pop out to f3, putting pressure
on c6 and f7. Safety issues may have played a part in his thinking too. Having
suffered a debacle against Gelfand in an earlier game (see above), Ivanchuk
blocks the a7-g1 diagonal with a pawn and leaves his queen nearer to the
king. Unfortunately, as we’ll see, Romanov gets a strong attack anyway.
So, yes, White probably should play as you suggest. For instance, 16 Qc2
h5 17 Rfd1 Bb4 (17 ... Nc5 transposes to the 14 Qc2 lines above) 18 Rac1
Nf6 19 Nb5 Rxd1+ 20 Qxd1 Qb6 21 Nbd6+ Kb8 22 Nc4 Nxc4 23 Rxc4 Rd8
24 Qc1 Bd2 25 Qb1 Qb3 26 Qc2 Qxc2 27 Rxc2 Bb4, when the position is
about even, K.Chojnacki-V.Malisauskas, Police 2012, though Black perhaps
has to play more carefully as his pawn structure is slightly inferior.

16 ... h5!
A thematic advance; Black hopes at some point to weaken the white
kingside with ... h5-h4 and prise open the h-file.

Exercise: If Romanov had adopted a “safety-first” policy with 16 ... Kb8,
how might White make use of 16 e3 and take advantage of the situation?

Answer: In that case White can put his queen onto a more aggressive
square with 17 Qh5, blocking the h-pawn’s advance and eyeing the f7-pawn.
After 17 ... Nf6 18 Qh4 Be7 19 Rac1 (or 19 Nxe7 Qxe7 20 Rfd1 with the
slightly better game) 19 ... Ng6 20 Qc4, White’s activity and well-placed
pieces give him the edge.
17 Qe2
Finally getting out of the way of the d8-rook. 17 Qc2 is still playable of
course.
17 ... Kb8
Tucking his king away on a safer square.
18 Rfd1
Seeing less reason to put a rook on c1 now, Ivanchuk challenges the d-
file.

Question: Why did Ivanchuk place the
king’s rook on d1 rather than the queen’s rook?

Answer: This move gives the king an escape route via f1, just in case
Black’s kingside attack proves too dangerous. In any case, the best square for
the queen’s rook is probably on c1.
18 ... Bb4!?
Romanov completes development by anchoring his bishop on b4, a
standard idea in the Czech Slav.

Question: Why not play 18 ... Ng6 with the idea of forcing ... h5-h4
through?

Answer: Romanov plays that next, but you’re right to suggest that it was
more accurate to do so at once, as it avoids White’s possibility on the next
move.
19 Ne4

Question: What are the pluses and minuses of this move?

Answer: On the plus side, it centralizes the knight, eyeing squares such as
d6, f6 and g5, as well as adding a piece to the defence of the king. The
problem is that it doesn’t help White’s own attack in any concrete way, while
Black’s attack with ... h5-h4xg3 is very swift.
Ivanchuk would actually have done better to decentralize with 19 Na2!.

This knight regrouping looks silly, but after 19 ... Nc5 20 Rxd8+ Qxd8
(20 ... Rxd8 leaves the h-pawn en prise) 21 Rd1 Qf6 22 Qc2 Na6 23 Nxb4
Nxb4 24 Qe4, White’s pieces are better and more harmoniously placed than
Black’s.

Exercise: Can you see a way for White to conduct a
strong attack if Black simply retreats the bishop to c5 - ?

Answer: After 19 ... Bc5, White can unleash the temporary pawn
sacrifice 20 b4!. For example:
 a) 20 ... Bxb4 21 Nxb4 axb4 22 Rab1 Qa5 (not 22 ... c5? 23 Nd6) 23
Rd4! c5 24 Rd5 Nc6 25 Qc2 Rhe8 26 Nd6 Re7 27 Ne4 Re5 28 Rxe5 Ndxe5
29 Nxc5 and White has a strong attack.
b) 20 ... axb4 21 Rab1 Qa5 looks better, but White has the powerful
riposte 22 Rd4!! Ka8 (after 22 ... Bxd4? 23 exd4, Black is already in serious
trouble, as White will capture on b4 with excruciating pressure down the b-
file and the long light diagonal) 23 Nxb4 Rb8 24 Re4, retaining a strong
initiative and chances to attack the black king.
19 ... Ng6!
Preparing ... h5-h4, and vacating e5 for the d7-knight. Black’s attack is
very purposeful and dangerous. It’s not too early to say that Ivanchuk is in
difficulties.
20 Rac1?!
With the knight on e4 instead of c3, the rook doesn’t do much on the c-file
as there are no Nb5/Nd5 tactics. Meanwhile Black’s attack continues
unabated.

Exercise: Can you find a way to make use of White’s
centralized knights and create some counterplay?

Answer: White might try attacking f7 with 20 Ng5!. If Black defends the
pawn with 20 ... Nde5 (20 ... Nge5 would be illogical), White can play 21
Rxd8+ Qxd8 22 f4 f6 23 Ne6 Qd3 24 Qxd3 Nxd3 25 b3 with equal chances.
Or if 20 ... Qe5 then 21 Bh3 (21 Qf3!? is possible too) 21 ... Qe8 (21 ... Qf6
22 Ne4 Qe5 23 Ng5 repeats) 22 Nf3 or 22 Rd4 regains control of the h4-
square, preventing Black from pushing his h-pawn. At this stage, keeping
Black from realizing his attacking plans seems like the best White can do.
20 ... h4!
 Ivanchuk has three choices here:
1. Allow Romanov to capture on g3;
2. Capture on h4 himself;
3. Bypass the pawn with g3-g4.
All three options look bad: in #1 and #2, Black obtains open lines on the
g- and h-file; while in #3, Black gets an advanced passed h-pawn and may get
play on the g-file as well.

Question: In accordance with Ivanchuk’s “aggressive defence”
playing style, what option do you think he would prefer?

Answer: Ivanchuk plays for activity.
21 g4!?
Giving the f5-knight support and inviting the black h-pawn forward. This
is probably riskier than allowing ... h4xg3, but if Romanov does not succeed
in his attack, Ivanchuk will have a 3 vs. 1 pawn majority on the kingside and
maybe a weakened h-pawn to play against.
IM Terry Toh, a former Singapore National Champion, often uses the term
“percentage chess” to describe this sort of move; i.e. the one that offers the
highest probability of success, even if it entails the most risk and, with best
play from the opponent, might result in a loss. I mean, pushing pawns in front
of one’s king in a wide open position? A chess coach worth his salt will
certainly raise his eyebrows if his student punts such a move.
Let’s have a look at the other options:
a) 21 Ng5?! Rdf8 22 Rc4 (after 22 g4 Nc5, Black is poised with ... f7-f6
and might even consider taking on a4) 22 ... hxg3 23 Nxg3 Nh4 and Black has
a powerful attack.
b) 21 gxh4 (probably the safest choice) 21 ... Nxh4 22 Nxh4 Rxh4 23 Qf3
Rdh8 24 Qxf7! Qh2+ (or 24 ... R4h7 25 Qf4) 25 Kf1 Ne5 26 Qf6 and
although Black still has some initiative, White should be able to defend; for
example, 26 ... Ka7 27 Ng3 Nc4 28 Rd7 Nxe3+ 29 Ke2 Nxg2 (or 29 ... Qxg2
30 Rxc6) 30 Rxb7+! Ka8 (30 ... Kxb7 31 Qxc6+ is a draw at once) 31 Rd7
Nf4+ 32 Kd1 Qg1+ 33 Kc2 Qxf2+ 34 Kb1 R4h6 35 Rd8+ Rxd8 36 Qxd8+
with perpetual check.
21 ... h3!

Not allowing White to block the pawn with Bh3, blotting out the attack.
22 Bh1
Keeping sight of the long diagonal. The problem with 22 Bf1?! (intending
to put the king on h1) is that it forces White into a defensive shell with little
chance of counterplay. Black can continue 22 ... Nh4! 23 Nfg3 Rdg8 24 Kh1
Ne5 with a powerful and ongoing attack.
22 ... Ne7!
 Romanov correctly attempts to remove White’s best-placed piece, while
clearing the g-file for the queen’s rook.
23 Nfg3
Ivanchuk retreats to add a buffer to his king’s defence. Objectively, since
the black knights are better at attacking than White’s are at defending, it was
probably correct to swap on e7. But 23 Nxe7 Bxe7 would allow Romanov a
straightforward advantage, which he can build up with fairly automatic
moves. Ivanchuk prefers to keep things complicated.
23 ... Rdg8 24 Kf1
Getting out of the way of the black rooks. Basically, Ivanchuk is going to
make it as tough as possible for Romanov to force a breakthrough.
24 ... Rg6!

A strong move, covering the f6-square and thus freeing the d7-knight to
seek greener pastures. It also allows Black to double rooks quickly on any
file which seems appropriate.
25 Rd4
Adding a potential defender to g4.
25 ... f6

Question: This seems strange, to pause and make a seemingly
meaningless pawn advance. Why did Romanov play such a move?

Answer: I suspect he is playing to win without taking any risks and, if
possible, without sacrificing bits. His little pawn move takes control of the
g5-square, so that Ivanchuk can’t set up a forward defence with g4-g5, as he
certainly would if Black played 25 ... Rhg8 immediately.
Alternatively, he might have played more directly 25 ... Ne5, intending 26
g5 f5!, but in that case he needs to work out that he can sacrifice a piece: 27
gxf6 Ng8 28 f4 Nxf6! 29 Nxf6 (after 29 fxe5? Qxe5 30 Qc2 Nd5, White’s
position is already indefensible) 29 ... Rxf6 30 Ne4 Rff8 31 Nf2 h2! 32 fxe5
Rhg8 33 Rg4 Rxg4 34 Qxg4 Qxe5 35 Qh3 Rxf2+ 36 Kxf2 Qxb2+ 37 Kf3
Qxc1 38 Qxh2+ Ka7 with a winning endgame (the a4-pawn will fall).
26 f4

Now it gets really chaotic.

Question: Why is Ivanchuk once again loosening his king’s pawn cover?

Answer: He is not willing simply to lie down on the kingside. In essence,
f2-f4 is a multi-purpose move, which gains space and combines both offence
and defence. It gives White’s queen access to the second rank, clears f2 for
the e4-knight to hold the g4-pawn, and keeps the black knight out of e5. The
long-term drawback is that it weakens the e3-pawn, but this style of play is a
hallmark of Ivanchuk’s approach to defence: active and aggressive, fighting
for the initiative, while daring his opponents to find the killer punch.
26 ... Rhg8 27 Nf2 h2

Whether Romanov likes it or not, the risks are increasing with the far-
flung h-pawn becoming a potential weakness, though White currently has too
many defensive duties to work on capturing the pawn.
28 Qf3?!
It is difficult to call this an error since Black has the better game
regardless of what White plays. However, Ivanchuk’s move gives Romanov
time to improve the position of his d7-knight, which now heads for the
excellent d5-square (with tempo) from where it pressurizes the e3-pawn.

Question: Why didn’t Ivanchuk overprotect his g-pawn with 28 Bf3 - ?

Answer: In that case 28 ... f5! is crushing, since 29 g5 is met by the line
opening 29 ... Rxg5! 30 fxg5 Qxg3 and there is no defence anymore. For
example, after 31 Qd1 Ne5 32 Bh1 f4 33 Rxf4 (or 33 exf4 Nf5 with decisive
threats) 33 ... Qxg5 34 Qd4 Nf3 35 Rxf3 Qg1+ 36 Ke2 Qxc1 and the exposed
white king won’t last long.
Not for the first time in the game, it would have been better to play 28
Qc2!, covering the a4-pawn and f5-square, and if 28 ... Nb6 then 29 Bf3,
followed by 30 Kg2 with a compact defensive formation. For example, 29 ...
R6g7 (defending the queen; the immediate 29 ... Nbd5?? loses material due to
the pin on the c-file) 30 Kg2 Nbd5 31 Qe2 Qb6 32 Nd3 and the h2-pawn is in
danger. Houdini suggests that Black might try to improve his position with 29
... Rg5!? and ... Rc5 (utilizing the tactic 30 fxg5? Qxg3), but then White can
throw in the disruptive 30 Qh7!, when the game remains very unclear.
28 ... Nb6! 29 b3 Nbd5 30 Ne2
No doubt Ivanchuk is in serious trouble here, but he digs in and defends
his weaknesses with all his might. By overprotecting f4, he gives himself the
option of playing e3-e4, or else retreat the d4-rook and place the knight on d4
where it oversees f5 and eyes the e6-square.

Exercise: We are reaching the critical point of the game.
Can you find a way forward for Black by targeting the weak e3-pawn?

30 ... Ba3
Romanov is in no rush to finish the game off and tries to displace the rook
from the c-file, perhaps to eliminate any possible Rxd5 tricks. However, he
had two stronger moves:
Answer #1: He can clear the sixth rank with 30 ... f5! (this idea was
possible on the previous move as well) 31 g5 Re6 32 Rd3 (32 Nd1 Qb6 is no
better, while 32 e4 fxe4 33 Rxe4 Rxe4 34 Nxe4 Nf5 is clearly hopeless) 32
... Qb6 33 Nd4 Rxe3! 34 Rxe3 Qxd4 35 Rd3 Qxf4 36 Qxf4+ Nxf4 and Black
has excruciating pressure, which Houdini converts into a decisive material
advantage in all lines. For example, 37 Rg3 Nh5! (simply 37 ... Bd6 is good
too) 38 Rg2 Nd5 39 Rxh2 Ng3+ 40 Kg1 Ne2 41 Rd1 Rxg5+ 42 Kf1 Rg1+ 43
Kxe2 Nc3+ etc.
Answer #2: Another option was to play 30 ... Qb6! with the threat of ...
Nf5! and wins (the immediate 30 ... Nf5?? drops the knight on d5). If White
tries to prevent this with 31 Ng3, then 31 ... f5! 32 g5 Re6 is even stronger
than before.

Question: Can’t White just play 31 e4, preventing ... Nf5
and driving the d5-knight back at the same time?

Answer: Houdini says not. Black plays 31 ... f5!! again and wins against
any continuation.

For example, 32 exd5 (both 32 gxf5? Rg1+ and 32 exf5? Nxf5 lose at
once, and 32 g5 fxe4 33 Rxe4 Nf5 34 Ng4 Bd2 wins as well) 32 ... fxg4 33
Qe4 (or 33 Qg2 Nf5) 33 ... g3 34 Nh3 g2+! 35 Bxg2 cxd5 36 Qf3 Nf5 with
decisive threats at d4, e3 and g2. Congratulations if you considered a single
move of all that!
 31 Rcc4 f5!
Romanov finally plays the required continuation to improve his chances,
but White’s chances of a successful defence (or should we say offence?) have
also improved. The alternative was 31 ... Qb6, threatening ... Nf5 again, and
if 32 e4 then 32 ... f5!! as in the previous note.
32 g5 Qb6
Romanov keeps the pressure on b3 and indirectly on e3 as well. 32 ...
Re6 is less effective now, since 33 Rd3 Qb6 34 Nd4 Rxe3 is no longer
possible (the d4-knight is protected), so Black still has a lot of work to do.
33 Rd3
Ivanchuk keeps defending the weaknesses actively and awaits his
chances.
33 ... Bc5 34 Nd4
Not allowing Black to play ... Re6 unless he gives up his dark-squared
bishop with ... Bxd4.
34 ... Re8 35 Nd1
Adding another defender to e3.
35 ... Bxd4!
A strong move, which removes the attacker of f5 and e6.
Another arrangement is to put the g6-rook on d6 and the e7-knight on g6,
when Black has pressure against f4 and d4 as well as e3. Hence 35 ... Rd6!
was also very strong, followed by ... Ng6 with a crushing attack. For
example, 36 Kf2 Ng6! (threatening ... Nxe3!) 37 Nxf5 (or 37 Kg3 Ndxf4! 38
exf4 Bxd4 39 Kxh2 Bg1+ 40 Kg3 Rh8! 41 Rxd6 Bh2+ 42 Kg2 Qg1 mate) 37
... Rf8 38 Nxd6 Ndxf4! and there is no way to defend against ... Nd3/ ... Nh3
checks.
36 Rcxd4
 36 ... Re6?!
No doubt White has a lost position but Black still needs to finish the game
off and second-rate moves won’t cut it. Ivanchuk’s resistance was perhaps
beginning to frustrate Romanov, who fixates on attacking the e3-weakness
directly and, in so doing, begins to let Ivanchuk off the hook.

Exercise: Can you find another way for Black to arrange
his pieces to exert maximum pressure on the centre?

Answer: The text has the idea of ... Ng6 (as after 35 ... Rd6 in the
previous note), but having removed the d4-knight already, it was stronger to
bring his own knights forward at once with 36 ... Nb4! 37 Rd2 Ned5. For
example, 38 Kg2 (38 Qh5 can be met by either 38 ... Rge6 or 38 ... Rgg8!? 39
Qxh2 Rh8 40 Qg1 Rh3!, coming round the side; while if 38 Qf2 then 38 ...
Rd6! 39 Re2 Qa6, threatening ... Nxe3+ or ... Nd3 etc) 38 ... Nc2! (a decisive
deflection) 39 Rxc2 Nxe3+! 40 Nxe3 Qxd4 41 Nxf5 Qg1+ 42 Kh3 Rh8+ 44
Nh4 Rg7 and Black wins.
37 Qh5!
Hitting e8 and h2 simultaneously. I suspect that Romanov was in time
trouble here (the time control was 90 minutes for 40 moves, plus 30 minutes
for the rest of the game) and Ivanchuk’s suddenly active queen move might
have rattled him.
37 ... Rd8?
The natural response, introducing the threat of ... Nxe3+ again.
Unfortunately for Black, it’s not as strong this time.
Instead, he should continue as planned with 37 ... Ng6!, when the resulting
positions, though chaotic, are better for him. For example, 38 Qxh2 Nxe3+ 39
Nxe3 Rxe3 40 Qd2 Re1+ 41 Qxe1 Rxe1+ 42 Kxe1 Qc7 and the f4-pawn
drops; while 38 Bxd5 meets with the powerful rejoinder 38 ... Rh8! (not 38 ...
cxd5?! 39 Qxh2 Rh8 40 Qd2 and White will consolidate) 39 Qxh2 (or 39
Qxh8+ Nxh8 40 Bh1 Ng6) 39 ... Rxh2 40 Bxe6 Nh4 and Black’s hyperactive
pieces call the shots.
I suspect that Romanov missed 38 ... Rh8! in trying to make the time
control, or perhaps it was something else ...
38 Qxh2

38 ... Ka7?
Romanov flicks out a safe move before reaching the time control.

Exercise: Can you see the reason why he rejected
38 ... Nxe3+ here, and what he might have played instead?

Answer: Presumably Romanov noticed that 39 Nxe3 Rxd4 40 Qh8+!
saves White, and after 40 ... Ka7 41 Qxd4 Qxd4 42 Rxd4 Rxe3 43 Kf2 Rxb3
44 Rd6!, the dangerous passed g-pawn means it is Black who has to defend
carefully.
However, he might have played the preparatory 38 ... Red6!, when 39
Kg1 (or 39 Qh7 Nxe3+! 40 Nxe3 Rxd4 41 Rxd4 Qxd4 42 Qxe7 Qxf4+ etc;
but not 39 Kf2? Nb4!) 39 ... Nxe3! 40 Rxd6 Rxd6 41 Qh8+ (and not 41 ...
Rxd6?? Ng4+) 41 ... Kc7 42 Rxd6 Nc2+! 43 Nf2 Kxd6 is just equal.
39 Qd2!
The worst is over for White and he can now play for the win without
prejudice. Injustice for Romanov? Not really, since he failed to take his
chances, even if a computer’s accuracy was required for some of them. The
text move adds a defender to e3, as well as forcing Black to keep an eye on
a5.
39 ... Rh8
Romanov isn’t finished yet and unpins the d5-knight with tempo by
attacking the white bishop.
40 Bg2?!
A slip before the time control. It was better to put the bishop on f3, where
it controls the d1-h5 diagonal, as well as leaving g2 for the king.
40 ... Nb4

41 Rd8
 Systematically reducing the pieces on the board, even at the cost of
surrendering the extra pawn on e3, to enhance his chances of pushing the
passed g-pawn. Ivanchuk doesn’t hesitate to switch from a material to a
positional advantage, if one can be found. At the moment, Black’s activity
looks pretty daunting.
For example, after 41 Rd6 Rxd6 42 Rxd6 Ned5 43 Rd7 (or 43 Re6 Rd8)
43 ... Re8 44 g6, Black can put up surprising resistance: 44 ... Rg8! 45 g7 Nf6
46 Re7 (or 46 Rf7 Rd8 47 Qc1 Ng4 48 Rf8 Rxd1+ etc) 46 ... Rd8 47 Qc1
Na2! 48 Qc2 (or 48 Qb1 Ng4) 48 ... Nb4 49 Qxf5 Rxd1+ 50 Ke2 Rg1 and so
on. Note that it would help White considerably to have his bishop on f3 in
these lines, covering g4 and defending the d1-knight.
41 ... Rxd8 42 Rxd8 Ned5
White must give up the e3-pawn and Ivanchuk went one step further to
attempt to exchange rooks.
43 Rh8

The alternative was 43 Rd7, when 43 ... Nxe3+?! 44 Nxe3 Rxe3 45 g6

Rg3 (or 45 ... Rxb3 46 g7 Rg3 47 Qf2, forcing the queens off) 46 g7 Nd5 47
Bxd5 probably wins for White; but if nothing else Black could play 43 ...
Re8!?, transposing to the 41 Rd6 lines above.
43 ... Nxe3+
Surprisingly, this natural move, regaining the pawn, allows White a
simpler path to winning.

Exercise: Can you find a way for Black to keep the initiative
and hence make it tougher for White to consolidate?

Answer: In a companion solution to the Exercise at move 38, rather than
take on e3 at once, Black does better to prepare it with 43 ... Rd6!. As
Nimzowitsch famously wrote: “The threat is stronger than the execution.”
Let’s have a look: After 44 Qe2 Qc5! (the inferior 44 ... Re6?! 45 Bxd5 Nxd5
46 Qd2 Nxe3+?! 47 Nxe3 Rxe3 48 Qf2 Rxb3 49 Qxb6+ Kxb6 50 Kf2 gives
White chances) 45 Bxd5 Rxd5 (45 ... Nxd5 is possible too) 46 Nf2 Qc3 47
Rh3 Nd3 48 Rh2 Nxf2 49 Rxf2 Qxb3, play is roughly equal or at least
unclear.
44 Nxe3 Rxe3 45 Rh3!
Ivanchuk’s technique takes over from here. With the text, he forces Black
to decide at once upon his plan of defence.
45 ... Re7?!
Romanov makes the wrong choice. It seems natural for Black to stay away
from the endgame, given the strong white g-pawn, but that was probably his
best chance. After either 45 ... Rxh3 46 Bxh3 Nd5 47 Qf2 Ne7 or 45 ... Nd5!
46 Qf2 (if 46 g6 then 46 ... Re6!) 46 ... Ka6 47 Kg1 (or 47 g6 Qxb3) 47 ...
Rxh3 48 Qxb6+ Kxb6 49 Bxh3 Nxf4 50 Bxf5 Kc5, Black should be able to
resist successfully.
46 Qf2 c5?!
Again avoiding the exchange of queens. 46 ... Rd7 was preferable.
47 Rc3 Rc7 48 Qd2 Qe6
Life is tough for Black now, as even in the endgame after 48 ... Re7 49
Bf3! Rc7 (or 49 ... Qc7 50 Rc1 Rh7 51 Rd1! Nc6 52 Qd6 Nd4 53 Qxc7 Rxc7
54 Bd5) 50 Kg2 Nc6 51 Qd6 Nd4 52 Qxb6+ Kxb6 53 Re3, White has good
winning chances due to the strong g-pawn and superior minor piece.
49 Re3!
 The rest is easy for Ivanchuk, whose technique is simply flawless. He
starts to restrict the activity of Black’s pieces and the latter’s options are
curtailed by the inability to exchange pieces due to the powerful g5-pawn
which will now dominate any type of endgame.
49 ... Qa6+ 50 Kf2 Qb6 51 Kg3!
No chance for counterplay! The king is very safe on this square.
51 ... Nc6 52 Bxc6!
One more piece goes back into the box and Ivanchuk is closer to his goal.
52 ... Rxc6 53 Qc3!
Ivanchuk keeps improving the position of his pieces and now guards the
third rank in anticipation of using the rook on the fifth.
53 ... Rc7 54 Re5 Kb8
Romanov sets a final trap.

 55 Qe3!
Which Ivanchuk avoids. Now either c5 or f5 will fall.

Exercise: Why not just 55 Rxf5, reaping the fruits of his labour at once?

Answer: Black has the stinger 55 ... c4!, after which 56 bxc4 Qg1+ 57
Kf3 Qf1+ 58 Kg4 Qg1+ leads to a draw by perpetual check - unless the white
king goes on a suicide mission with 59 Kh5 Qh1+ 60 Kg6??, when 60 ...
Qh7+ 61 Kf6 Qg7+ 62 Ke6 Qe7+ 63 Kd5 Rd7 sees him get mated
ingloriously.
55 ... Qb4 56 Rxf5 c4
Desperation - but what else is there to do?
57 bxc4 Rxc4 58 Qe5+
As accurate as a sniper. Ivanchuk’s precision is impressive indeed.
58 ... Rc7 59 g6 1-0
 The king is safe enough even on the open board and White can slowly
advance the kingside pawns to victory. Black resigned here without seeing
out something like 59 ... Qb6 60 Kf3 Qc6+ (or 60 ... Qxg6 61 Rf8+ Ka7 62
Qxa5+ Qa6 63 Qxc7 and the white king will escape eventually) 61 Qe4 Qd7
62 Kg4 Rc5 63 Kg5 Qd8+ 64 Kh5 Qh8+ 65 Kg4 (triangulating to avoid the
checks) 65 ... Rc6 66 Rf7 Qc8+ 67 Kg5 Qd8+ 68 Qe7 Rc5+ 69 f5 Qd5 and
now 70 Qxb7+ Qxb7 71 Rxb7+ Kxb7 72 g7 Rc8 73 f6 is simplest.

Summary: A difficult, fluctuating game. Romanov certainly had his chances

to win, but Ivanchuk made the task as complicated as possible, and then took
control with precise technique after Black went wrong.
If we use tennis as an analogy, it seems that when Ivanchuk is forced onto the
defensive by his opponent’s powerful drives in the rallies, rather than just
returning shots from the baseline, he keeps finding ways to charge up to the
net in order to dictate the pace, and then puts his opponent away with precise
volleys.
 Chapter Five
Mutanis Mutandis
Yes, I thought it would be cool to throw in a Latin phrase to make me look
more erudite. Or more properly, I think the chapter title, which means
“changing what needs to be changed” (as opposed to ceteras paribus - “all
things being equal”), illustrates Ivanchuk’s approach to playing for the win,
even at the expense of material loss. When given the opportunity to seize the
initiative with, for example, an exchange sacrifice, he will not hesitate to do
so fearlessly, as we will see in each of the five games in this chapter.
(Topalov comes to mind as someone who is fantastic with exchange
sacrifices as well.) After the deed is done, Ivanchuk often has no immediate
threats but proceeds to demonstrate how to utilize the initiative garnered. It is
noticeable that the dynamism in his opponents’ positions is frequently stunted,
at least temporarily, while Ivanchuk continues to reel off forceful moves.
The psychological impact of the sacrifice cannot be underestimated either,
as the recipient needs to adjust rapidly to the changing turn of events. What’s
even more impressive is that Ivanchuk’s opponents in this chapter are all
extremely strong grandmasters, who are unlikely to be easily fazed - and yet
they all succumbed to his vigorous play following his exchange sacrifice.

Game 30
V.Ivanchuk-D.Andreikin
Capablanca Memorial, Havana 2011
Modern Benoni

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 g6 4 Nc3 Bg7 5 e4 d6 6 Nge2 0-0 7 Ng3

This position can also be reached by transposition in the King’s Indian
via 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nge2 (christened the “Hungarian
Attack” in Forintos & Haag’s Easy Guide to the Nge2 King’s Indian) 5 ... 0-
0 6 Ng3 c5 7 d5.
 7 ... a6
Slightly unusual; Black mostly plays 7 ... e6 8 Be2 exd5, maintaining the
options of ... Na6-c7 or even ... b7-b6 and ... Ba6, but there’s nothing wrong
with the text. Indeed, 9 cxd5 a6 10 a4 transposes to the game anyway.
8 a4 e6 9 Be2 exd5 10 cxd5
Taking the other way with 10 exd5 seems more sedate but can still be
dangerous, especially when Black allows an h-pawn advance. For example,
10 ... Ne8 11 h4 f5 12 Bg5 Nf6 13 Qd2 Nbd7 14 a5 Rb8 15 h5 b6 16 Bh6
Ne5 17 hxg6 hxg6 18 Bxg7 Kxg7 19 Qh6+ Kf7 20 f4 Ned7? (20 ... Neg4 was
necessary), U.Bönsch-H.Bastian, Finsterbergen 1992, and here 21 Nxf5!
leaves Black busted. (The game saw 21 Qg5? bxa5? 22 Nxf5! and wins.)
10 ... Nbd7 11 0-0 Re8
 12 f3
Erecting a solid central pawn chain, typical of the King’s Indian Sämisch.
We now enter what is known as the Kapengut Variation of the Modern
Benoni, though f2-f3 is generally played at a much earlier stage.
Alternatively, GM Igor Stohl, annotating this game in ChessBase
Magazine 143, indicated the possibility of a thematic Four Pawns Attack
sacrifice with 12 f4!?, followed by 13 e5 dxe5 14 f5, as for example in
J.Dawidow-C.Spisak, Polish Team Championship 2003: 12 ... h5 13 e5 dxe5
14 f5 h4 15 Nge4 Nxe4 16 Nxe4 and for the pawn investment, White has
strong play on the f-file and an impressive blockading knight on e4,
generating threats like Nxc5, Nd6 or f5-f6.
12 ... Rb8 13 Be3
13 Bg5 h6 14 Be3 h5 comes to the same thing.
13 ... h5!
 The standard idea to try and destabilize White’s solid kingside set-up.
Generally, Black aims to push the g3-knight away with ... h5-h4 and then play
... Nh7 with the idea of ... f7-f5 to attack the white centre. Alternatively, he
can try ... g6-g5 to establish the queen’s knight on e5 without being harassed
by f3-f4. Sometimes the h-pawn goes all the way to h3, supported by the c8-
bishop, to create light square weaknesses in the white kingside. Nevertheless,
it is a challenge for Black to establish whether the h-pawn charge will render
the pawn a weakness or a strength.
14 Qd2
American GM Yasser Seirawan has also manoeuvred the g3-knight to f2
without provocation: 14 Nh1 Nh7 15 Nf2 f5 16 Qd2 Ne5 (16 ... Qe7 17 Rfe1
g5?! 18 f4! g4 19 Bd3! left Black’s kingside advance looking very
overextended, T.Raupp-B.Feustel, German League 1992) 17 Kh1 Qe7 18
Rab1 Bd7 19 b4 cxb4 20 Rxb4 Rec8 21 Bd4! Nf7?! 22 Bxg7 Kxg7 23 Rfb1
and Black’s b-pawn was seriously compromised, Y.Seirawan-J.Piket,
KasparovChess Grand Prix (online rapid) 2000.

Question: Didn’t Black voluntarily weaken his kingside, allowing
White to plant the bishop on g5, pinning the f6-knight? After 14 Bg5,
Black is prevented from playing either ... h5-h4 or ... Nh7 as planned.

 Answer: Firstly, the pin is no big deal as Black can simply move the
queen away to a good square (such as a5 or c7) and the g5-bishop would
become a target after ... Nh7. In any case, White might prefer to encourage ...
h5-h4, since he can reroute his knight to overprotect e4 with Nh1-f2 (before
eventually playing f3-f4). The pawn on h4 (or h3, if Black advances it
further) might prove to be a weakness.
Moreover, it is easy for White to get hit with a tactic. For example, 14
Bg5 Qa5 15 Qd2 Qb4!? 16 Nd1?? and now:

Exercise: Black to play and pilfer a pawn.

Answer: 16 ... Qxd2 17 Bxd2 h4 18 Nh1 Nxd5! (ouch!) and Black went
on to win, P.Valden-Sa.Velickovic, Korinthos 1997.
14 ... Nh7
 15 Bh6!?
Ivanchuk moves the e3-bishop out of harm’s way and proposes the
exchange of dark-squared bishops.

Question: Who does the exchange of bishops favour?

Answer: White would be pleased to see the bishops come off as he can
then play Rfb1 and b2-b4 without getting harassed on the long diagonal.
Conversely, Black hardly ever wants to swap his dark-squared bishop off in
these positions, since it’s a key piece in both his kingside defences and
potential counterplay.
Alternatively, 15 Nh1 is again possible, while GM Artur Yusupov once
played 15 Rae1!? to bolster the centre, and I am quite impressed with the
nuances of this move.

Question: What are the advantages of putting this rook on e1?

Answer: White’s standard ways of dealing with Black’s queenside
counterplay are either to play a4-a5 first, or else allow ... b7-b5 and then
blockade it with b2-b4. However, this second idea requires the rook to shift
from a1 anyway due to the presence of the black bishop on the long dark
diagonal. So why not move the rook to a useful square where it can help to
support the centre when White finally achieves his f3-f4 and e4-e5 break? In
that case, the king’s rook might be more useful on f1 (than e1) to help in the
attack when the f-file is open or if f4-f5 is required.
Let’s have a look at how the game A.Yusupov-S.Kovacevic, Oviedo
(rapid) 1993, progressed: 15 ... Ne5 (15 ... f5!? at once is possible) 16 h3 h4
17 Nh1 f5 18 Nf2 Bd7 19 f4 Nf7 20 Bd3 b5 21 axb5 axb5 22 b4!? c4?! (22 ...
cxb4 23 Na2 b3 24 Nb4 gives Black more chances) 23 Bc2 Ra8 24 Bd4 Bh6
25 exf5 gxf5 and now Yusupov unleashed 26 Re6!? Rxe6 (Black can hardly
accept the exchange as 26 ... Bxe6 27 dxe6 Rxe6 28 Bxf5 leaves White with
two superb bishops to gun down the black king; Kovacevic elects to claim a
pawn instead) 27 dxe6 Bxe6 28 Qe2 Qd7 29 Re1 Nf8 30 Bxf5! Bxf5 31 Nd5
Nh7? (losing quickly; but 31 ... Qe6 32 Nf6+ Kg7 33 Qd1 Qc8 34 Qh5 or 33
... Ne5 34 fxe5 d5 35 Qf3 gives White a strong attack in any case) 32 Qh5 and
there is no defence.
15 ... Bd4+ 16 Be3
Not 16 Kh1??, which is a howler because 16 ... h4 wins the g3-knight.
16 ... Bg7
Ivanchuk is playing for a win.
17 Rfd1!?

Question: What’s the rook doing on this square? Shouldn’t it
be left on f1 or e1 to help out with a future e4-e5 or other kingside
activities? Can this be another one of Ivanchuk’s mysterious rook moves?

Answer: Well, the main objective of this move is to free f1 for the king’s
knight, but the secondary idea is to prevent 17 ... f5?, which can now be met
by 18 exf5, since 18 ... Rxe3 19 Qxe3 Bd4 runs into 20 Rxd4.
17 ... h4
Black carries on with his plan of weakening the white king’s pawn cover.
18 Nf1
Ivanchuk retreats the knight as planned. White could still opt for 18 Nh1,
but then 18 ... h3 19 g3 Ne5 20 Nf2 b5! (Stohl) gives Black counterplay on
the queenside. Note that the b-pawn is safe due to 21 axb5 axb5 22 Nxb5??
Rxb5!, highlighting the weakness at f3. Actually, there’s nothing to stop Black
playing the same way in the game, but Andreikin opts for an even more
aggressive continuation.
18 ... h3 19 g3
Other choices are less appealing and don’t pose Black many problems:
19 gxh3 Qh4 20 Qe1 Qxh3 21 Qg3 Ne5 is just unclear (Stohl); while 19 g4 is
met by 19 ... Ne5, and if White goes for the h-pawn with 20 Qe1 then 20 ... b5
21 axb5 axb5 22 Qg3 b4 gives Black strong counterplay.

19 ... b5!?
Andreikin unleashes a pawn sacrifice in Benko Gambit fashion.

Question: Is it necessary to take such risks?

Answer: The sacrifice is unnecessary since Black could safely prepare
his pawn advance with 19 ... Ne5, as we have seen. On the other hand, it’s not
a bad move either, and indicates that Andreikin is also playing for a win.
Otherwise, Stohl showed two lines after 19 ... Ne5 where Black can draw
at will: 20 Bh6 Bxh6 (again 20 ... b5 comes into consideration) 21 Qxh6 Ng5
22 Nd2 Qf6 and now 23 f4 (or 23 Rf1 Ng4 24 fxg4 Qd4+ 25 Kh1 Qxd2 26
Rf6 Bxg4 27 Rxg6+ fxg6 28 Qxg6+ Kh8 29 Qh6+ with perpetual check) 23 ...
Ng4 24 Bxg4 Qd4+ 25 Kf1 Bxg4 26 Qxg5 Qd3+ 27 Kf2 Qd4+ 28 Kf1 and
this time the white king cannot escape from the checks.
 20 axb5 axb5 21 Nxb5
Ivanchuk accepts the gambit pawn, though it’s not as if he has much choice
here. After 21 Qc2 Ne5 22 Nd2 Bd7, Black has a comfortable initiative and a
strong mobile queenside majority.
21 ... Ne5

Threatening 22 ... Rxb5 23 Bxb5 Nxf3+ etc, so White has to do something

about the loose knight.
22 Nc3!

Question: Why didn’t Ivanchuk play 22 Qa5 with the idea of trading
queens? Doesn’t it gain a move and neutralize the ... Nxf3+ tricks?

Answer: Black has an extremely dangerous reply in 22 ... Qd7! and
massive complications follow; for example, 23 Nd2 Nxf3+ 24 Nxf3 Rxe4 25
Ra3 Qe7 26 Qa7 (26 Kf2? is met by 26 ... Nf6 and 27 ... Ng4+) 26 ... Qxa7
27 Nxa7 Bxb2 28 Rb1 Reb4 29 Rd3 c4 30 Rdd1 Bd4 31 Rxb4 Bxe3+ 32 Kf1
Rxb4 33 Nxc8 Bc5 34 Ne7+ Kg7 35 Nc6 Rb2 with an absolute mess.
 Although Black only has two pawns for the piece, he has a powerful
initiative which is unlikely to dissipate. The chess engines give their verdict
as ‘0.00’ here, so I suppose Ivanchuk’s sense of danger was in place.
22 ... f5
Black’s compensation looks very serious as he has play all over the
board. The pawn wedge on h3 makes White’s king uncomfortable, his centre
is under fire, and the b-pawn is being sat on.
23 Ra7!?
Posting a rook on the seventh rank is a typically strong motif - except here
it presents Black with a tempo to hit b2. However, the alternatives don’t
promise White anything:
a) 23 exf5, giving up the centre, allows Black’s tactical motifs come into
force: 23 ... Bxf5 (intending ... Rb4 and/or ... Qb6) 24 g4 Bc8 25 Ng3 Nxf3+!
26 Bxf3 Rxb2! 27 Qxb2 Rxe3 gives strong compensation for the exchange, as
Stohl showed.
b) 23 f4 can be met by either 23 ... Ng4 (or simply 23 ... Nf7 24 e5 dxe5
25 Bxc5 exf4 26 gxf4 Qc7 27 Be3 Nd6 with even chances) 24 Bxg4 fxg4
(now the e4-pawn is a target) 25 Qc2 Qe7 26 Re1 Bxc3 27 bxc3 Qxe4 28
Qxe4 Rxe4 29 Nd2 Re8 30 Nc4 Rd8 and Black should be able to ward off
White’s slight initiative.
23 ... Qb6

Question: What’s that rook doing on a7? Ivanchuk
surely isn’t going to retreat it sheepishly again, is he?

Answer: No. In fact he ‘lured’ the queen to b6 in order to play the
following exchange sacrifice.
24 Rxg7+!?
Obviously Ivanchuk had no intention of retreating the errant rook,
especially as after 24 Ra2 Qb3 25 Rda1 fxe4! 26 Nxe4 (or 26 fxe4 Nf6 27
Bh6 Bh8! 28 Bf4 Nfg4 and Black’s pieces are occupying all the best squares
on the board) 26 ... Nf7 27 Ra7 Qxb2 28 R1a2 Qb6 29 Qd1 Nf6, Black has
regained the pawn and retains strong pressure.
24 ... Kxg7 25 b4!
The point.
 Let’s assess what Ivanchuk has for his exchange sacrifice:
1. Firstly, White’s pawn structure has been improved since the backward
b-pawn has turned into a powerful attacker. It may now become a passed
pawn on b5 or help the d- and e-pawns roll after b4xc5 and ... d6xc5. Thus
the exchange sacrifice helps White create one (b-pawn moving to b5) or even
two passed pawns (the d- and e-pawns).
2. There’s the psychological angle too. Just six moves ago, Andreikin
seized the initiative with his pawn sacrifice ... b7-b5, whereas now the
attacker/defender roles have been switched, with Ivanchuk taking over the
attack.
3. Last of all, White’s dark-squared bishop has turned into a dangerous
piece, which can attack the now weak squares around the black king.
25 ... Ba6!?
This game is full of unexpected twists. Andreikin invites the b-pawn
forward.

Question: Is the b-pawn really ‘poisoned’? Should he have trusted
Ivanchuk?

Answer: Ivanchuk is not bluffing! After 25 ... Qxb4 26 Rb1 Qxb1 27
Nxb1 Rxb1, Black does have two rooks for the queen, but White is
threatening to create havoc in the centre with f3-f4 and e4-e5. Let’s examine a
few lines: 28 f4 Nf7 29 Qc2 Rb7 (or 29 ... Rb8 30 e5 dxe5 31 fxe5 Nxe5 32
Qxc5 and White’s dark-squared bishop will come into play powerfully on
d4) 30 g4! Rxe4 (not 30 ... fxg4? as 31 Bd2! followed by Bc3 and Ne3,
would be devastating; while 30 ... fxe4 is met by 31 Ng3! when White can
play g4-g5 or f4-f5, depending on circumstances or even Bd2-c3 again to take
over the long dark diagonal) 31 Qc3+ Kf8 32 Ba6 and Black has to return an
exchange with 32 ... fxg4 33 Bxb7 Bxb7, since 32 ... Rb8 33 Bxc8 Bxc8 34
gxf5 gxf5 35 Ng3 is just winning for White.
Unfortunately, there is a remarkable ‘computer’ variation that rather puts a
dampener on White’s play: 25 ... Ng5! (a stunning decoy) 26 Bxg5 cxb4+ 27
Be3 bxc3 28 Bxb6 (after 28 Qxc3 Qb2, Black has regained the initiative) 28
... cxd2 29 Bd4 Kf8 30 Nxd2 Bd7 and Black has the upper hand. It may be
possible for White to draw after, for example, 31 Bxe5 dxe5 32 Bf1 Rb4 33
Re1 fxe4 34 Nxe4, but this was hardly what Ivanchuk would have been
hoping for with his exchange sacrifice.
26 b5

26 ... Bxb5!
A variation on what should now be a familiar combination, based on the
possibility of ... Nxf3+ should White’s light-squared bishop move away.
In Playing 1 d4: The Indian Defences, GM Lars Schandorff gives 26 ...
Bc8 as better, citing 27 Bh6+ Kg8 28 Ne3 with counterchances but no more
than that. Analysing a bit further, I concur with his assessment here. For
example, after 28 ... Nf7 29 Nc4 Qc7 30 Rf1 (or 30 Be3 fxe4 31 Nxe4 Bf5 32
Nc3 Qe7 33 g4 Bd7 34 Rb1 Nhg5 and Black is not worse) 30 ... g5! 31 f4! g4
32 Bg5 fxe4, Black has a satisfactory game as it is hard for White to improve
his position further.

Question: The lines from starting with 27 Bh6+ showed that
the white bishop isn’t very effectively deployed on h6. Is there
an alternative plan White can formulate to keep the initiative?

Answer: The absence of Black’s dark-squared bishop should be
exploited, starting by booting the e5-knight off the diagonal: 27 f4! Nd7 (after
27 ... Nf7 28 exf5 Bxf5 29 g4 Bd7 30 g5 Ra8 31 Ng3, White’s g5-pawn
stymies the black knights) 28 exf5 gxf5 29 Bf2 Ndf6 30 Ne3 Qd8 31 Bd3 Ne4
32 Nxe4 fxe4 33 Be2 with advantage to White, who can reroute his dark-
squared bishop to the long diagonal for a powerful assault, whereas Black
has no points of attack.
27 Nxb5 Qxb5

Exercise: The black queen is untouchable due to the ... Nxf3+ fork trick,
but
of course Ivanchuk has taken this into account already. What did he plan?

Answer: He chases the pesky knight away.
28 f4!
Ivanchuk wins the piece back as the black queen has to move. This game
is a real stunner with both sides raining combinative blows at each other
simultaneously. But hang on, the tactical slugfest is just starting!
28 ... Qa4!
This way, Andreikin gets to munch a couple of pawns for his piece.
Instead, 28 ... Nc4? 29 Qc3+ Nf6 would be a mistake due to 30 e5! Ne4 (30
... dxe5 is equivalent to giving up, as 31 fxe5 Rxe5 32 Bxc4 Qb2 33 Qxb2
Rxb2 34 d6 is lost for Black) 31 Qxc4 Qxc4 32 Bxc4 Rb4 33 Bd3 Nc3 34
Re1 Nxd5 35 exd6 Nxe3 36 Nxe3 Rd4 37 Bf1 Ree4 (not 37 ... Rxd6? 38
Nxf5+! etc) 38 Bxh3 Rxd6 39 Bg2 and White has good winning chances with
two pieces for a rook.
29 fxe5 Qxe4 30 Bh6+ Kg8 31 Ne3
Andreikin has matched Ivanchuk’s sacrificial play with his own counter-
sacrifice. No defensive huddling for these two combatants. White now has
bishop and knight for rook and pawn and has managed to get his minor pieces
coordinating well. For his part, Black has made inroads in the centre and his
rooks have become useful on the e- and b-files.


Exercise: In this position, Black has two ways to recapture the
e-pawn - or he can ignore it! Which is the best way forward?

Answer: Black retains strong counter-attacking play after any of 31 ...
Qxe5, 31 ... Rxe5 or 31 ... g5!?, so there’s no right answer. Nevertheless, he
has to be very careful because once Ivanchuk gets his pieces on good
blockading squares, Black’s attack will be snuffed out. The subsequent
variations will show how accurate Andreikin must be in order to maintain the
balance.
31 ... Qxe5
Let’s have a look at some other possibilities:
a) 31 ... Rxe5 32 Bf4 and now:
a1) 32 ... Ree8 33 Bd3 Qd4 34 Qc1 Qf6!, when the idea of ... g6-g5 gives
Black good chances to counter-attack. For example, 35 Nc4 g5 36 Be3 f4 37
Rf1 Re7 38 Bf2 (or 38 Qc2 Rf8) 38 ... Rb3! and so on. The key is White
cannot be allowed to consolidate.
a2) 32 ... Rb3!? 33 Bd3 Qd4 34 Bxe5 Qxe5 35 Kf1 Nf6 gives Black very
strong compensation for the piece, as White cannot coordinate properly. After
36 Rb1 Rxb1+ 37 Bxb1 Qa1 38 Qd1 Qe5 39 Kf2 f4 40 Nf1 fxg3+ 41 Nxg3
Qf4+, Black shouldn’t lose.
 b) Stohl has shown that the counter-attacking 31 ... g5!? (blotting out the
h6-bishop and threatening to wreck White’s king cover with ... f5-f4) leads to
a forced draw: 32 e6 f4 33 gxf4 (33 Bh5 Nf6 34 Bf7+ Kh7! 35 gxf4 gxf4
transposes; not 34 ... Kh8?? 35 Bxg5 and White wins) 33 ... gxf4 34 Bh5 Nf6!
35 Bf7+ Kh7 (35 ... Kh8 is also okay here) 36 Bxf4 Qxf4 37 Bxe8 Rb3! 38
Nf1 (or 38 Qc2+ Ne4 39 Qxb3 Qf2+ 40 Kh1 Qf3+ etc) 38 ... Qg4+ 39 Ng3
Rxg3+ 40 hxg3 Qxg3+ 41 Kh1 Qf3+ 42 Kg1 (not 42 Kh2?? Ng4+ 43 Kg1 h2+
and Black wins) 42 ... Qg3+ with perpetual check.
32 Bf4 Qe7
Keeping an eye on the d6-pawn. Alternatively, 32 ... Qe4 transposes to
line ‘a1’ in the previous note.
33 Bd3

33 ... Nf6?!
After this natural move, the initiative shifts once again to Ivanchuk, who
establishes a strong grip on the position and puts Andreikin on the defensive.
Black should have played 33 ... Rb4!, and if 34 Nc4 then 34 ... Rxc4! 35
Bxc4 g5 (Stohl) regains the piece and maintains parity; for example, 36 Bxd6
Qxd6 37 Qc2 Re5 38 Rf1 Nf6 39 Rxf5 Ng4 40 Qb1 Ne3 41 Rxe5 Qxe5 42
Qg6+ Kf8 43 Qh6+ Kg8 44 Qg6+ etc.
34 Nc4
Now one black rook must switch from offence to defence in order to
protect d6.
34 ... Rbd8 35 Bg5
Tying the f6-knight down as well. In the time it takes for Black to
reorganize his pieces, White can target and win the stray h3-pawn.
35 ... Qf7
Reorganizing with 35 ... Rd7?! is worse, as 36 Qb2! Rf8 37 Bf1 Qg7 38
Bxh3 Ne4 39 Qxg7+ Kxg7 40 Be3 gives White good chances to play for a
win with his two bishops.
36 Qb2!
Ivanchuk is playing an impressive ‘pressing’ game, forcing Black’s pieces
onto defensive squares with tempo, while sidestepping the possibility of ...
Ne4, hitting the queen. Note that White keeps control of the g2-square,
ensuring that Black can’t play ... Qxd5 either.
36 ... Rf8 37 Bf1
Finally targeting the weak h3-pawn which cannot be defended properly.
37 ... Rb8 38 Qc1!
Ivanchuk elects to keep the pieces on the board, as it is difficult to make
headway in the ending. Simplifying with 38 Qxf6 Qxf6 39 Bxf6 Rxf6 40 Bxh3
would relinquish the two bishops, while the black rooks can make themselves
useful with 40 ... Rb3! 41 Kf2 g5 42 Bf1 g4, followed by ... f5-f4.
38 ... Ne4!
Andreikin is not going to sit back and let Ivanchuk do all the pressing. He
finds good squares for his pieces too while White recoups his investment by
cashing in on h3.
39 Bxh3 Rb3!?
I keep adding exclamation marks to all ideas of ... Rb3. The point I’m
trying to make is that the usage of the rooks along ranks other than the seventh
is often overlooked.
Nevertheless, Black might have done better to give up his strong knight
for one of the bishops here: 39 ... Nxg5! 40 Qxg5 Qf6 41 Qxf6 (or 41 Qf4
Rbd8, intending ... g6-g5 with counterplay; White can prevent that by playing
42 Rf1, but it’s not clear how he makes progress if Black just ‘passes’) 41 ...
Rxf6 42 Ra1 g5 43 Ra6 (or 43 Bf1 Kf8 44 Kf2 g4 45 Be2 Rb3 46 Ra6 Rh6!
47 Kg2 Ke7 and White cannot make headway) 43 ... Kf8 44 Rxd6 (not 44
Nxd6? g4 45 Bf1 Ke7 and the knight is lost) 44 ... Rxd6 45 Nxd6 Rb1+ 46
Kf2 (or 46 Bf1 Rd1 47 Nxf5 c4 48 Ne3 c3!, followed by 49 ... Rxd5!, since
the knight has to stop the c-pawn promoting) 46 ... Rb2+ 47 Ke1 (or 47 Ke3
f4+ 48 gxf4 Rb3+) 47 ... f4 48 Bf5 Rxh2 49 g4 and Black should be able to
hold with his active rook and passed c- and f-pawns.
40 Bf1
Guarding the knight in anticipation of 40 ... Rc3. Please note that Black is
now at the last move before the time control.

40 ... f4??
Andreikin goes for the big bolo punch at the worst moment possible. He
must have hallucinated that White cannot capture on f4 with the bishop
because of ... g6-g5.
It’s probably too much to expect a player in time trouble to calculate
Stohl’s later suggestion of 40 ... Rc3 41 Qf4 Qa7! over the board. Stohl
thought White was still slightly better, whereas Houdini shows that Black can
fight without prejudice after 42 Bh6 Qa4! 43 Rc1 Rxc1 44 Qxc1 Rb8 45 Bd3
Qa2 46 Qf1 Nf6, when his Black’s activity keeps White honest.
However, 40 ... Rfb8 would have been a solid and reasonable move to
make at the time control, since White has no obvious way in.
41 Bxf4
White not only wins a clean pawn, he ensures that the only way of denting
his king’s pawn cover ( ... g6-g5/ ... f5-f4) is gone forever. Meanwhile
Black’s own defences are seriously weakened, and his strong knight has lost
its support as well.
 41 ... g5
This only exacerbates matters. Not that anything else would make a
difference; for example, 41 ... Rc3 42 Qb2 Qf6 is met by 43 Qe2! g5 (or 43 ...
Re8 44 Bh3!, followed by Be6+) 44 Be5! dxe5 45 Qxe4 Qf2+ 46 Kh1 Rc2
47 Qg6+ and White removes the g5- and e5-pawns with check before
consolidating.
42 Nxd6!
Ivanchuk’s position is so good that he can even afford to allow a couple
of checks near his king.
42 ... Nxd6 43 Bxd6 Qf2+ 44 Kh1

We can see that Andreikin has missed the train. The smoke has cleared
and Black is the one whose king is exposed, while White’s trusty f1-bishop
suffices to prevent any more kingside intrusions.
44 ... Rf5 45 Bxc5
There’s probably only one way to mess this up ... and that’s not going to
happen: 45 Re1?? Rb2 46 g4 Qf3+ 47 Kg1 Qf2+ with a draw by perpetual
check.
45 ... Qa2 46 Bc4 1-0
Summary: Two highly imaginative players slugged out an
uncompromising tactical contest. Andreikin demonstrated that he could give
Ivanchuk a run for his money in the dynamic sacrifice department, and only
ended up second best due to an unfortunate move 40 blunder.
It’s no surprise that, just two years later, Andreikin became the revelation
of the 2013 World Cup, streaking all the way to the final where only Kramnik
got the better of him. That performance earned Andreikin a spot in the 2014
World Candidates where he finished a creditable fifth.

Game 31
V.Ivanchuk-A.Riazantsev
Russian Team Championship 2008
Caro-Kann Defence

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5 4 Bd3

Over the past ten years Ivanchuk has played, without prejudice, virtually
everything against the Caro-Kann - 4 c4, 4 Bd3, 3 Nc3, 3 Nd2, 3 e5, 3 f3, 2
c4, 2 Nc3 d5 3 Nf3 - and faced them all from the other side as well, scoring
70.5% as White and 60.3% as Black. The text move denotes the Exchange
Variation, which is regarded as fairly harmless but is still played
occasionally even at the top level.
4 ... Nc6 5 c3

5 ... Nf6
Ivanchuk tried the Exchange again two years later. After 5 ... g6 6 Nf3 Nf6
7 h3 (instead, 7 Bf4 would be similar to the main game) 7 ... Qc7 8 Nbd2 Bf5
9 Nb3 Bxd3 10 Qxd3 Bg7 11 0-0 0-0 12 Re1 Ne4 13 Ng5 Nxg5 14 Bxg5 h6
15 Bh4 e6 16 Bg3 Qd8, he managed to generate a slight initiative on the
kingside: 17 Re2 Na5 18 Rae1 Nxb3 19 axb3 Qb6 20 Qc2 a5 21 Be5 Qd8 22
Re3 b5 23 Rg3 Bxe5 24 Rxe5 Qf6 25 Qd2 Kh7 26 Rf3 Qd8 27 h4! a4 28 h5
axb3 29 hxg6+ fxg6 30 Rh3 Ra1+ 31 Kh2 h5 32 Qd3?! (here 32 Rxe6 would
give White a little something) 32 ... Rf5 33 g4? (overplaying his hand; 33
Rxe6 Qc7+ is equal) 33 ... Qg5! 34 Qe2? Qc1! and Black should have won,
V.Ivanchuk-A.Kovchan, Russian Team Championship 2010.
Alternatively, 5 ... Qc7 has been played by Anand and Karpov with
success. The direct aim is to prevent White’s natural development with Bf4,
while marking time and awaiting Nf3 or Ne2 before putting the c8-bishop on
g4. Black might also try for an ... e7-e5 break to gain space, even at the
expense of isolating the d5-pawn. One such example is 6 Ne2 (or if 6 h3 then
6 ... g6 again) 6 ... Bg4 7 f3 Bd7 8 Bf4 e5! 9 Bg3 Bd6 10 Na3 a6 11 Nc2
Nge7 12 0-0 h5 with sharp play, B.M.Gonzalez-K.Sasikiran, Calvia
Olympiad 2004.
6 h3
Preventing ... Bg4 which would be the likely reply to either 6 Nf3 or 6
Bf4. The drawback is that White has less control over the centre, allowing
Black to break immediately with ... e7-e5 (see the next note).
6 ... g6
Preparing to fianchetto the dark-squared bishop and giving Black the
option of ... Bf5 to oppose light-squared bishops.
Otherwise, if Black doesn’t mind the isolated d-pawn, he can counter
with 6 ... e5, as just explained. After 7 dxe5 Nxe5 8 Nf3 (8 Bb5+ doesn’t
achieve anything) 8 ... Bd6 (or 8 ... Nxd3+ 9 Qxd3 Be7 10 0-0 h6 11 Be3 0-0
12 Nbd2 a6 13 Rfe1 Re8 14 Rad1 Bf8 15 Nb3 Qc7 with even chances,
V.Ivanchuk-P.Leko, Moscow blitz 2008) 9 Nxe5 Bxe5 10 Nd2 0-0 11 Nf3
Bc7 12 0-0 Re8, Black’s active position and space advantage makes up for
his isolani, T.Radjabov-V.Ivanchuk, World Rapid Cup, Odessa 2008.
7 Bf4
 7 ... Bg7
Another option is to play 7 ... Bf5 at once, If White exchanges on f5,
Black can launch a kingside offensive down the half-open g-file. For
example, 8 Bxf5 gxf5 9 Nf3 Rg8 10 0-0 e6 11 Re1 Ne4 and Black has a
ready-made kingside attack, I.Krush-C.Crouch, Hampstead 2001.
White isn’t obliged to take on f5, of course. Instead, after 8 Nf3 Bxd3 9
Qxd3 Bg7 10 Nbd2 a6 11 0-0 0-0 12 Rfe1 e6 (12 ... Nd7! is better, and if 13
Ne5 then 13 ... Ncxe5 14 dxe5 Nc5 15 Qe3 Ne6 with equal chances, P.Pisk-
P.Haba, Czech Championship, Ostrava 2010) 13 Kh1 b5?! (Black starts his
queenside activity too early) 14 b4! Qb6 15 a4! bxa4 16 Rxa4 Qb5 17 Qc2,
White had a slight advantage in Vl.Sergeev-E.Meduna, Czech League 2006.
White can plant a piece on c5 and the e5-square is firmly under his control,
whereas Black will have difficulty finding counterplay here.
8 Nd2 0-0 9 Ngf3 a6 10 0-0
Generally, the structure dictates that White should play in the centre with
Re1 and Ne5 and, if possible, launch a kingside attack with his pieces (as we
saw Ivanchuk try to do against Kovchan above), while Black’s open c-file
lends itself to a queenside minority attack with ... b7-b5-b4, especially as his
last move (9 ... a6) prepared that strategy. Instead, Riazantsev somewhat
inconsistently switches to the idea of ... Bf5, staking a claim in the centre at
the expense of his kingside pawn structure.
 10 ... Bf5!? 11 Bxf5

Question: If White decides not to capture on f5 and plays
11 Nb3, can you suggest a good course of action for Black?

Answer: In that case Black gets the light-squared bishops off without any
adverse consequences. After 11 ... Bxd3 12 Qxd3, he can try to trade both
knights as well with 12 ... Ne4 13 Nfd2 Nxd2 14 Qxd2 (or 14 Nxd2 f6!?,
intending ... e7-e5) 14 ... Na5! and I think Black is slightly better with easy
play on the queenside.
11 ... gxf5 12 Ne5

This clears the third rank for the f1-rook to play on the kingside with Re1-
e3-g3, as well as the queen’s route to h5.
12 ... e6

Question: If Black plays 12 ... Nxe5, is it better
to recapture with the bishop or the d-pawn?

Answer: 13 Bxe5 is preferable, which leads to similar pawn structures as
in the game. Whereas after 13 dxe5 Nd7 14 Re1 (14 Qh5?! Nxe5 15 Qxf5 e6
is good for Black as he now dominates the centre) 14 ... e6, White has an e-
pawn to defend, while Black can play on the b-file (minority attack), c- or g-
file with his rooks. Another option is to prepare ... f7-f6 to mobilize his
central pawns.
13 Nxc6!
Ironically, this decision to trade an advanced centralized knight gives
Ivanchuk the chance to play on both sides of the board - his forte.
13 ... bxc6 14 Nb3!

Question: What’s the big deal about this move?

Answer: Apart from shielding the b-pawn from pressure on the b-file (it
helps that the bishop guards the b8-square too), the knight also targets the c5
outpost. If Black wants to oppose this, he has to retreat his own knight which
will remove a good defender from the kingside.
14 ... Nd7 15 Re1
The rook prepares to launch itself onto g3 via a rook lift. Black
anticipates this by tucking his king away in the corner, clearing the g8-square
for his own rook.
15 ... Kh8 16 Re3 a5
The threat of this pawn advancing further and gaining space more or less
obliges White to play his next move, which removes one of his knight’s
defenders.
17 a4

Question: I’ve got a feeling that Ivanchuk welcomed
... a7-a5 and was more than happy to play a2-a4. Why is that so?

Answer: White now has the chance, given sufficient preparation, to create
an outside passed pawn with b2-b4. That may sound a little far-fetched at this
point, but it transpired exactly later in the game!
17 ... Qb6
Putting pressure on the b-file and preparing a ... c6-c5 break.
18 Rg3 Rg8
Riazantsev is meeting Ivanchuk’s threats adequately and has no real
problems at the moment.
19 Rb1
Defending b2 and threatening b2-b4 in due course.
19 ... Bf6
Riazantsev goes for the rook trade, a reasonable idea given that the
remaining white rook is over on the queenside. However, he should probably
have seized the chance to break with 19 ... c5!.

Exercise: Can you find a continuation that
helps Ivanchuk keep the initiative in that case?

Answer: He might have tried another exchange sacrifice: 20 dxc5 Nxc5
21 Rxg7!? Rxg7 (not 21 ... Kxg7? 22 Qd4+, picking up the knight) 22 Nxc5
Qxc5 23 Be5 with the opportunity to advance his queenside majority.
 Then if Black tries to keep the exchange, the position can get pretty scary.
For example, 23 ... Kg8 (23 ... Qc4 24 b4 Qe4 25 Bxg7+ Kxg7 26 b5 leaves
White with a strong passed pawn) 24 b4 Qc4 25 b5!? Rg6 (returning the
exchange with 25 ... Rxg2+!? 26 Kxg2 Qe4+ 27 Qf3 Qxe5 is safer, but
White’s passed b-pawn is adequate compensation for his pawn deficit) 26 b6
Qe4 27 Bg3 f4 (or 27 ... Rb8 28 f3 Qe3+ 29 Bf2 Qg5 30 Qf1, similarly) 28
b7 Rb8 29 f3 Qe5 30 Bf2 Qg5 (or 30 ... Qg7 31 Qf1 f5 32 Qa6 Rxg2+ 33 Kf1
Rxf2+ 34 Kxf2 Qg3+ 35 Ke2 Qg2+ 36 Ke1 Qg1+ 37 Kd2 Qxb1 38 Qxe6+
with a draw by perpetual check) 31 Qf1 Qe7 32 Qb5 Qg5 33 g4!? fxg3 34
Ba7 Rh6! and Houdini says this leads to a draw as well.
It appears that Black can wend his way to equality with accurate play, but
it’s understandable if Riazantsev didn’t want to get involved in this sort of
thing. The trouble is that Ivanchuk now prevents him from playing ... c6-c5
altogether.
20 Rxg8+ Rxg8 21 Bd6! Qd8
 Changing tack. Riazantsev decides to revise his queenside configuration,
forgoing pressure on the b-file in order to plonk his knight on b6 instead,
aiming at a4 and c4.
22 Qe2
The best square for the queen, from where it eyes a6, e5 and h5, as well
as guarding the second rank.
22 ... Nb6
The discovered attack on d6 forces White to retreat his bishop.
23 Bf4

Question: Should Ivanchuk be concerned about the attack on the a4-
pawn?

Answer: No, the attack on a4 is not critical, as the resulting exchanges
will benefit White. After 23 ... Nxa4?! 24 Ra1 Qb6 25 Rxa4 Qxb3 26 Rxa5
Qb7 (otherwise White plays 27 Ra7) 27 b4 Ra8 28 Qa2 Rxa5 29 bxa5 Qa6
30 Bc7, the passed a-pawn is very strong.
Instead, Riazantsev elects to improve the position of his knight.
23 ... Nc4! 24 Nc5 Bg5
Now that e5 is covered by the knight, Black attempts to removes the thorn
in his flesh or at least deflect it to an inferior square.
 25 Bh2 Bf6

A strange-looking move. Having just put his bishop on a good diagonal,

Riazantsev suddenly retreats it again. I guess the point is to prevent White
from playing 26 b4 axb4 27 cxb4 (which would leave the d-pawn en prise),
while clearing the g-file for potential counterplay (now that g2-g3 would shut
the h2-bishop in). But there’s a drawback to withdrawing the bishop from the
c1-h6 diagonal.
Note that Black couldn’t play 25 ... Nd2? (heading for e4) on account of
26 Be5+! f6 27 Nxe6 Qe7 28 Bd6! Qxd6 29 Nxg5 and White wins a pawn. If
29 ... Qf4 then 30 Nf7+ Kg7 31 Nd6! and the threat of Qe7+ forces exchanges
after 31 ... Qxd6 or 31 ... Ne4.
26 b4
Ivanchuk finally makes his thematic advance which gives him a passed a-
pawn and play down the b-file. However, White had a stronger continuation
here.

Exercise: What might he have played instead?

Answer: White could send his queen on a pawn-pilfering mission with 26
b3! (with the bishop on the c1-h6 diagonal, Black could meet this by 26 ...
Nd2!, whereas now he has to retreat) 26 ... Nd6 27 Qa6 Ne4 (27 ... Qc7 fails
to 28 b4! axb4 29 Rxb4 with the huge threat of 30 Rb7) 28 Nxe4 fxe4 29
Qxc6.

Question: That looks rather greedy after 29 ... Qf8.
Wouldn’t he regret allowing Black to attack down the g-file?

Answer: No, because after 30 Bf4! Qg7 31 g3 Qg6 32 Kh2!, Black’s
initiative runs out of steam. For example, 32 ... Qf5 (32 ... e3 is met simply by
33 Rb2) 33 Qc7 (White does have to exercise a bit of care here) 33 ... e5 34
Be3! exd4 35 cxd4 Bg5 36 Rb2 Bxe3 37 fxe3 Qf3 38 g4!, and if 38 ... Qxe3?
then 39 Qe5+ Rg7 40 Rc2 forces mate.
26 ... axb4 27 Rxb4 Qf8

In this position, White has considerable difficulty in advancing his passed

a-pawn, due to the strong knight on c4. He must also watch out for Black’s
kingside threats starting with ... Qg7 or ... Qh6. The realist will nullify any
attacking threats by playing 28 Rb8 to trade rooks. The tactician will plunge
into complications with 28 Nd7.

Exercise: As for Ivanchuk, what will he do in such a position?

28 Rxc4!?
 Answer: Ivanchuk does neither of the above! He insists on guiding the a-
pawn home, even at the cost of giving up the exchange. The beauty of his idea
is that it doesn’t even stop Black from carrying out his kingside plans.
Ivanchuk is banking on his knight and bishop tandem to create havoc on the
a1-h8 diagonal.
Instead:
a) After 28 Rb8 Qh6 29 Rxg8+ Kxg8 30 Nd7 Bd8, Black’s position is not
easy to breach and he has the a5-square firmly covered.
b) 28 Nd7 Qg7 29 Qf1 Bd8 30 Rb7 Nd2 31 Be5 Nxf1 32 Bxg7+ Kxg7 33
Kxf1 Ba5 34 Ne5 Ra8! 35 Nxc6 (or 35 Rxf7+ Kg8 36 Re7 Bxc3 37 Nxc6
Rxa4) 35 ... Bxc3 36 Rb3 Bd2 also gives Black good drawing chances.
28 ... dxc4 29 Nd7
GM Mikhail Marin, in an excellent article in Informant #116, explained
an original concept: When sacrificing a rook for a minor piece outpost which
is held by a pawn, the doubled pawns left on the same file as the removed
piece can become subject to attack (usually by a rook) as a result.
In this instance, the weakened c-pawns are a target for the white queen.
Meanwhile, Ivanchuk’s knight move is directed at fighting for the dark
squares on the long dark diagonal. He just has to stem off a couple of
attacking threats before he can reap the benefits of his exchange sacrifice.

29 ... Qg7
 Threatening a mate-in-one, which can be parried by White’s next move.
30 Qf3
Now 31 Nxf6 Qxf6 32 Be5, pinning and winning the queen, is threatened,
so Riazantsev comes up with another tempo-gaining move.
30 ... Qh6
Once again, threatening an immediate mate, this time on the back rank (if
31 Nxf6?? then 31 ... Qc1+ etc).
31 Bd6!
White has to make room for his king on h2 and this is the most promising
square. (31 Bc7 would be met by 31 ... Bd8, and 31 Bf4 by 31 ... Bg5.) It’s is
also an interesting psychological ploy, putting the knight and bishop on the
same file and encourages Black’s next move.

Question: With the strong positional factors at hand - powerful knight,
outside passed pawn, black rook with little scope, and weak black queenside
pawns -
would it benefit White to trade bishops here with 31 Be5 Bxe5 32 Nxe5 -
?

Answer: The problem with swapping bishops is that White is then
vulnerable to checks on the dark squares. In particular, if the queen goes
pawn nabbing, Black can draw by means of ... Qc1+, ... Qf4+ etc. (This theme
soon reappears in the game.) For instance, 32 ... Qc1+ 33 Kh2 f6 34 Nd7 (or
34 Nf7+ Kg7 35 Nd6 Ra8, while 34 Nxc6?! Qb1! 35 Nb4 Qe4 is good for
Black) 34 ... Kg7 35 Nc5 Re8 36 Qxc6 Qf4+ etc.
31 ... Rd8 32 Qxc6
Now Black finally gets a chance to counter-attack and, with correct play,
draw this game.
32 ... Qc1+ 33 Kh2 Bg5
Riazantsev hopes to draw by exchanging the dark-squared bishops with ...
Bf4+. This isn’t a mistake as he can still save himself, but it requires Black to
find an “only move”.
Instead, he might have played 33 ... e5!, blocking the b8-h2 diagonal,
when 34 Bxe5 Bxe5+ 35 Nxe5 Qf4+ draws at once, or if 34 g3 then 34 ... Qf1
etc. Possibly Riazantsev was deterred by the possibility 34 Ba3!?, but 34 ...
Qf4+ is okay for Black; for example, 35 Kg1 (35 Kh1 is no better) 35 ... Bg7
36 Qc7 Rg8 37 g3 Qe4 38 Nxe5 Bxe5 39 dxe5 Rxg3+! 40 fxg3 Qe1+ etc.
 34 Qc7!

Ivanchuk prevents ... Bf4+ and hits the rook at the same time with the
threat of 35 Be5+ Kg8 36 Nf6+ Bxf6 37 Bxf6 Ra8 38 Qg3+ and wins. This is
enough to cause panic in Black’s camp.
34 ... Rxd7?
Riazantsev, probably as a consequence of time trouble, plays the natural
move to deflect the queen from defence of f4, which turns out to be a fatal
error.

Exercise: Black could still have defended here. Can you find the “only
move” to do so?

Answer: The calm 34 ... Kg8! is good enough, nullifying the threats of
Be5+ (to start with) as well as Qf8 mate (when the bishops are traded off on
d6), enabling Black to carry out his idea of ... Rxd7 after all. For example, 35
Be5 Rxd7! 36 Qxd7 Bf4+ 37 g3 Bxe5 38 dxe5 Qxc3 and White has nothing
better than to take perpetual check himself. Similarly, 35 a5 Qd2 36 f3 Rxd7!
37 Qxd7 Bf4+ 38 Bxf4 Qxf4+ 39 Kg1 Qc1+ draws; or if 35 g3 then 35 ...
Qf1.
35 Qxd7 Bf4+ 36 g3 Bxd6 37 Qxd6
Unfortunately, Black doesn’t have time to take on c3 here because of the
threat of 38 Qf8 mate. The extra tempo is sufficient for Ivanchuk to grind out a
win in the queen ending.
37 ... Kg7 38 Qe5+ Kg6

Exercise: Now comes an all-important move for White, without
which Black has excellent drawing chances. Can you see it?

Answer: By keeping the queen centralized and yet holding the c3-pawn,
White can steadily concentrate on guiding the a-pawn down the board.
39 d5! exd5 40 a5
In the famous words of MC Hammer, ‘You can’t touch this!”
40 ... Qa3
Riazantsev puts his queen behind the a-pawn at once. The alternative was
to play 40 ... Qb2 first. Then after 41 Qe3! (41 Kg2 Qb5 42 Qd6+ f6 43 a6
d4! or 43 Qb6 Qe8 44 a6 d4! gives Black more chances) 41 ... Qa3, White
wins with 42 Qb6+ f6 43 a6 d4 44 a7 dxc3 45 Qb8 c2 46 Qg8+ Kh6 47 Qf7!
c1Q 48 Qxf6+ Kh5 49 Qxf5+ Qg5 (or 49 ... Kh6 50 Qf6+ Kh5 51 g4 mate) 50
Qxh7+ Qh6 51 g4+ Kg5 52 f4+ Kxf4 53 Qxh6+ Kf3 54 Qc6+ Kf4 55 Qxc4+
etc.
However, things get more interesting if Black plays 41 ... Qa2, keeping an
eye on f2.
 White can’t play in the same way, since 42 Qb6+ f6 43 a6 d4! draws; for
example, 44 Qb7 (44 a7 allows 44 ... Qxf2+, and 44 Qxd4 just drops the a-
pawn) 44 ... Qxf2+ 45 Qg2 Qxg2+ 46 Kxg2 dxc3 and both sides promote
safely.

Exercise: Can you see the way forward for White after 41 ... Qa2 - ?

Answer: White inserts 42 h4!, threatening Qg5 mate, and it turns out that
all replies weaken Black’s king position decisively:
a) 42 ... Kg7 43 Qg5+ Kf8 44 Qd8+ Kg7 45 Kg2, followed by Qxd5 wins
easily.
b) 42 ... h6 43 Qb6+ f6 44 a6 d4 45 Qb7! now works, since 45 ... Qxf2+
46 Qg2 Qxg2+ 47 Kxg2 dxc3 48 a7 c2 49 a8Q c1Q runs into 50 Qg8+! Kh5
51 Qe8+! Kg4 52 Qe2 mate.
c) 42 ... f6 43 Qe8+ Kg7 (or 43 ... Kh6 44 Kg2! and if 44 ... Qxa5? then
45 Qf8+ Kg6 46 h5+ leads to mate) 44 Qe7+ Kg8 (or 44 ... Kg6 45 h5+ Kxh5
46 Qxh7+ Kg5 47 Kg2!) 45 Qd8+ Kg7 46 Kg2! wins, as 46 ... d4 47 cxd4 c3
fails to 48 Qc7+.
41 h4 h5
Not 41 ... Qxa5? due to 42 h5+! Kxh5 43 Qxf5+ Kh6 44 Qf6+ Kh5 45 f3
and there’s no defence to g3-g4 mate.
 42 Qxd5 Qxc3 43 a6 Qc2?!
Black’s last chance was to try and guide the c-pawn home after 43 ...
Qb2, but White can counter this with precise queen moves, once again
exploiting the black king’s vulnerability to checks: 44 Qc5! Qa2 (not 44 ...
c3? 45 a7 Qa2 46 Qc6+ Kh7 47 a8Q Qxf2+ 48 Qg2 and it’s all over) 45 a7
(threatening Qc6+) 45 ... f6 46 Qe3! (threatening Qe8+) 46 ... Kf7 47 Qd4!
(threatening Qd7+).

For example, 47 ... Kg7 is met by 48 Qd7+ Kh6 49 Kh3! c3 50 Qe7! c2

51 Qxf6+ Kh7 52 Qxf5+ Kg7 53 Qg5+ Kf8 (otherwise White takes the h-
pawn with check as well) 54 Qxh5! (anyway!) 54 ... c1Q 55 a8Q+! Qxa8 56
Qh8+ Ke7 57 Qxa8 with a winning queen endgame.

Exercise: What happens if Black hides with 47 ... Kg6
again? How does White make progress then?

Answer: White has the fabulous move 48 g4!!, destroying the black king’s
pawn cover, against which there is no defence: 48 ... hxg4 (if 48 ... fxg4 then
49 Qe4+ etc, or 48 ... c3 49 gxf5+ Kg7 50 Qd7+ Kh6 51 a8Q! Qxa7 52 Qf7,
followed by Qg6 mate) 49 h5+! Kxh5 50 Qe3! (threatening Qe8+) 50 ... Qa4
51 Qe7 (threatening Qb7) 51 ... g3+!? (the final try) 52 Kg2! gxf2 53 Qh7+
Kg5 54 Qg8+ Kf4 55 Qg3+ (not yet 55 a8Q?, as then 55 ... f1Q+! 56 Kxf1
Qd1+ draws) 55 ... Ke4 56 a8Q+ Qxa8 57 Qf3+ and wins.
44 Qc6+ Kg7
After 44 ... Kh7 45 Qf3, Black cannot hold on to his kingside pawns and
stop the a-pawn’s advance simultaneously.
45 Qc5
Ivanchuk’s queen reaches its desired square with tempo. The a-pawn is
unstoppable and there’s little chance of a hiccup now.
45 ... Qa2
It doesn’t help to play 45 ... f4!? 46 a7 fxg3+ 47 Kxg3 Qb3+, since the
white king can hide easily enough; for example, 48 f3 Qb7 49 Qe5+ f6 50
Qb8 Qe7 51 Kf2! (not yet 51 a8Q? Qe1+ 52 Kf4 Qd2+ with a draw) 51 ...
Qd7 (or 51 ... Qc5+ 52 Kg2) 52 Qg3+ Kf7 53 a8Q and there’s no perpetual
check.
46 a7 Qa1 47 Qe7 f4 48 gxf4 c3 49 Qe5+ 1-0
Black resigned, as the a-pawn promotes after 49 ... f6 (or 49 ... Kh7 50
Qe4+) 50 Qe7+ Kg8 51 Qe8+.
Summary: Just when Black seemed to have ample kingside play on the g-
file, Ivanchuk gave him a lot more to worry about with an exchange sacrifice.
A subsequent accumulation of white pieces on the sixth and seventh ranks
bamboozled Riazantsev into returning the material and entering a lost queen
ending. Ivanchuk conducted that phase superbly and coolly converted the
point.

Game 32
V.Bologan-V.Ivanchuk
PCA Grand Prix, Moscow (rapid) 1996
Sicilian Defence

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d3
No Open Sicilian today. Bologan moves into King’s Indian Attack
territory.
3 ... Nc6 4 g3 g6 5 Bg2 Bg7 6 0-0 Nge7
 This flexible method of countering the King’s Indian Attack has been used
by numerous other top players and seems to be a particular favourite with the
Russian GM Sergei Rublevsky.
7 c3
White announces his intention to build a strong centre.
7 ... 0-0
An alternative is to set-up a reversed Botvinnik System with 7 ... e5!?
(black pawns on c5, d6 and e5). Although this costs Black a tempo in the
opening (playing ... e7-e6 and then ... e6-e5), the position is relatively closed,
so it isn’t too risky. In particular, the direct 8 Be3 d6 9 d4 (which returns the
tempo, since White has already played d2-d3) 9 ... exd4 10 cxd4 Bg4! is fine
for Black. Instead, White usually starts a queenside expansion. For example,
8 a3 d6 9 b4 b6 10 Nbd2 0-0 11 Bb2 h6 12 Rb1 Be6 13 d4 cxd4 14 cxd4
Nxd4 15 Nxd4 exd4 16 Nf3 Nc6 17 Nxd4 Nxd4 18 Bxd4 Rc8 19 Bxg7 Kxg7
20 Rc1 Rxc1 21 Qxc1 Qf6! 22 Qc7 Qd4! 23 Qxa7 and ½-½ since Black has
easy equality, I.Smirin-I.Khenkin, Maalot-Tarshiha 2008. The game might
have concluded 23 ... Rc8 (threatening ... Rc2, followed by ... Bc4) 24 Qa4
Qb2 25 Qd1 Rc2 26 Qxd6 Bc4 27 e5 Rc1 28 Qf6+ Kh7 29 Qf4 Bxf1 30
Qxf7+ with perpetual check.
8 d4
 In Starting Out: King’s Indian Attack, my editor GM John Emms gave his
opinion that 8 d4 is the critical try for an advantage in this line. While that
may well be correct, Bologan clearly wasn’t happy with his resulting
position, since he has never played 8 d4 again, opting variously for 8 Re1, 8
Be3 and 8 Na3 instead.
8 ... d5
Ivanchuk counters the white centre in French Defence fashion, giving
White the option of advancing the e-pawn or exchanging in the centre.

Question: Why did Ivanchuk omit (or, as it turns out, delay) ... c5xd4
before
pushing his d-pawn? Isn’t it better to weaken the white d4-pawn first?

Answer: I defer to Emms who wrote that “the omission of the exchange
on d4 may help Black to some extent; for example, White doesn’t have the c3-
square for his knight”. Conversely, the presence of a knight on c3 means that
White can meet the natural ... Qb6 (as in the game) with Na4, booting the
queen to alleviate the pressure on d4.
9 e5
Singaporean GM Zhang Zhong has preferred 9 exd5!? Nxd5 10 dxc5 Qe7
11 Nbd2 Qxc5 12 Ne4 Qa5 13 Bg5 h6 14 Bd2 Qc7 15 c4 Nde7 16 Nc3 with
a slight space advantage for White. Zhang Zhong has scored 2/3 from this
position against Grandmasters and missed a win in the third game too, though
16 ... a6 17 Re1 Rd8 18 Qc1 Kh7, Zhang Zhong-Rublevsky, Poikovsky 2005,
is “roughly level” according to Emms.
9 ... Qb6
Encouraging White to weaken his e-pawn with d4xc5. Bologan prefers to
leave it where it is and bolster it if necessary with Nc2.
10 Na3
After 10 dxc5, Black does not have to recapture the pawn instantly but
can play the surprising 10 ... Qc7!?, focusing on the weak e5-pawn instead.
I’ve seen this idea in analogous games in the French Defence by Singaporean
IM Giam Choo Kwee, playing to whittle away White’s centre pawns and
subsequently advance his own.
10 ... cxd4!
Only now, when White can no longer play Nc3, does Ivanchuk exchange
in the centre.
11 cxd4 f6!
Immediately assaulting White’s central pawn wedge. Compared with the
standard French Defence set-up for Black (in the Tarrasch Variation, say), his
dark squared bishop on g7 is more involved in the fight to attack the d4-pawn.
White’s opening has not gone well and he has to decide whether to play with
a weak d- or e-pawn. Ivanchuk might already have the better position here
and certainly has the easier game to handle.
12 Re1
Releasing the central tension with 12 exf6 would allow Black to put
excruciating pressure on d4 after 12 ... Bxf6 13 Nc2 Nf5.
12 ... Bd7
Black completes development in the meantime.
13 Rb1
Allowing his dark-squared bishop to develop by freeing it from the
defence of b2. All the same, White’s pieces do not coordinate well and are
placed rather passively, so Ivanchuk has won the opening battle.
13 ... Rac8 14 Bf4
Strengthening his hold on e5.
14 ... fxe5 15 dxe5
 White seems to have the position under control with his e5-pawn amply
defended. However, Black’s pieces are well placed, and if Ivanchuk goes
after the a-pawn with 15 ... Nb4, White is still worse off. He can defend the
a-pawn with 16 Qb3, but then 16 ... a5 leaves him without a good plan, while
after 16 Ra1 Rc7 17 Qd2 Rfc8, Black has an easy game.
Perhaps the best try is 16 Qd2! with the following interesting
continuation: 16 ... Nxa2!? (this might seem absurd but Black seems to have
sufficient resources to grab the a-pawn and get away with it) 17 Be3! (aiming
to stop the queen from defending the a2-knight later) 17 ... Qb3 18 Nd4 Qb4
19 Ra1 Bxe5! 20 Nac2 Qxd2 21 Bxd2 Bf6 22 Rxa2 e5 23 Bb4 (or 23 Rxa7
exd4 24 Nb4 Bc6 25 Rxe7 Bxe7 26 Nxc6 bxc6 27 Rxe7 Rfe8 28 Rxe8+ Rxe8
29 Kf1 with unclear play) 23 ... Rf7 24 Bxe7 Rxe7 25 Bxd5+ Kg7 26 Bxb7
Rc7 27 Bd5 exd4 28 Rxe7+ Bxe7 29 Nxd4 and Black’s bishop pair provide
sufficient compensation for the pawn deficit.
However, it is not in Ivanchuk’s style to go pawn pilfering ...

Exercise: Rather than 15 ... Nb4, can you see what he has in mind?

Answer: You might already be a citizen on Planet Ivanchuk if you found
the following move:
15 ... Rxf4!!
 This exchange sacrifice sucks the life out of White’s position, and his e5-
pawn wedge loses its purpose of cramping Black.
16 gxf4 Qb4!

Tightening the screws on White by pressing on the f4-pawn. Let’s assess

what Black has for his exchange sacrifice:
1. White’s kingside pawn structure is permanently damaged.
2. If the isolated f4-pawn goes, the e5-pawn will be in trouble too.
3. Without its corresponding counterpart, the g7-bishop becomes very
powerful.
4. If White’s f4/e5 pawn wedge crumbles, Black’s strong central pawns
will become a force to be reckoned with.
17 Qb3
Discouraging ... Qxf4 by threatening the b7-pawn.
17 ... Rf8!
Ivanchuk is more than willing to play an endgame here as the white rooks
aren’t very effective in this position.
18 Rbc1 Qxb3
The endgame it is.
19 axb3 Rxf4
 Black already has more than enough compensation for his exchange
sacrifice, as most of White’s pawns have been isolated or weakened.
Bologan has the unenviable task of having to rely on defence from here
onwards.
20 Nc2
Guarding against ... Nb4-d3.
20 ... Nf5 21 Re2!

Question: Why did Bologan play this move?

Answer: He was anticipating that Ivanchuk might aim to remove a
defender of e5 with 21 ... Nh4, which White can now meet with 22 Nce1,
maintaining a knight on f3.
21 ... h6!?
There’s more than one way to push the knight off f3. This move prepares
the thrust ... g6-g5-g4. On the debit side, the black rook now risks running out
of squares, so it might have been better to play 21 ... Nh4 anyway, and if 22
Nce1 then 22 ... Nxf3+ 23 Nxf3 Rf5.
22 Nce1 g5 23 Nd3
Another reason for Re2 was to allow the knight to defend e5 (and hit f4)
with this move. 23 ... Re4!
 The rook aesthetically anchors itself in the centre of the board,
surrounding the weak e5-pawn. The alternative was 23 ... Rg4, and if 24 h3
then 24 ... Nfd4!.
24 Ree1?!
White obviously can’t swap on e4, so he drops his rook back to connect it
with its colleague on the back rank, but this turns out to be a critical error
since the knights hadn’t finished using the e1-square. It would have been
better to play 24 Rd2, when 24 ... g4?! could be met by 25 Ne1 and if 25 ...
Rd4 then 26 Nc2 wins a second exchange. Black doesn’t have to advance the
g-pawn, though it’s not clear what he does instead, and White might just play
25 Nce1 anyway, intending to draw by chasing the rook after 25 ... Rd4/Rh4)
26 Nf3.
24 ... g4
Ivanchuk grabs even more space on the kingside and deflects a defender
of the e5-pawn. With the rook on e1, White has no way to take advantage of
the arrogant ... Re4, so Ivanchuk gets to control the whole board once again.
25 Nd2 Rd4
The full court press is taking its toll on Bologan who realizes he has no
choice but to give up the e-pawn after all.
26 Nc5!
At least White’s pieces become active for the price of the e-pawn.

Question: What was wrong with 26 Rc3 Nh4! 27 Nf1, simply defending
everything?

Answer: Black has a tactical blow to get a strong endgame: 27 ... Rxd3!
(temporarily giving up another exchange) 28 Rxd3 Nxe5 29 Rg3 Nhf3+ 30
Bxf3 Nxf3+ 31 Rxf3 gxf3 and Black has good chances to play for a win with
his strong centre and bishop pair.
26 ... Rxd2 27 Nxd7 Nfd4
Threatening a ... Ne2+ fork trick as well as hitting the b3-pawn.
28 Nc5!?

Ignoring the threat on e2.

28 ... Nxe5
Ivanchuk reaps the fruits of his labour. The worst thing for White is that ...
Nf3+, ... Nd3 (after kicking the c5-knight) and ... Ne2+ ideas are still
looming.
Another option was 28 ... Rxb2 29 Kf1 Nxb3 30 Nxb3 Rxb3 31 Rb1 Na5
32 Rxb3 Nxb3, when Black’s queenside majority gives him excellent winning
chances.

Question: Why didn’t Ivanchuk just regain the exchange with 28 ... Ne2+
- ?

Answer: In that case White can play into a more concrete ending after 29
Rxe2 Rxe2 30 Nxe6 Rxe5 31 Nf4 d4 32 Bd5+ Kh7 33 Bxc6 bxc6 34 Rxc6
with excellent chances to hold the game, as his rook is very active.
29 Kh1?
Faced with so many threats, Bologan finally cracks, allowing Ivanchuk to
win the exchange back and keep his extra pawns as well. Instead, 29 Red1
Ne2+ 30 Kf1 Rxb2 31 Rb1 Rxb1 32 Rxb1 Nf4 33 Nxb7 would keep White’s
drawing chances alive.
29 ... b6
Forcing the knight away from the defence of d3. There’s no point in going
pawn hunting with 29 ... Rxb2?!, as White can turn his game around with 30
Nxe6! Nxe6 31 Bxd5 Kf7 32 Rc7+ Kg6 33 Bxe6 Nd3 34 Rf1 Nxf2+ 35 Rxf2
Rxf2 36 Bxg4 with a likely draw. The combination 36 ... Rxh2+ 37 Kxh2
Be5+ 38 Kg2 Bxc7 39 Bc8 b6 40 b4 a5 41 bxa5 bxa5 is easy for White, who
needs only to sacrifice his bishop for the a-pawn.
30 Nb7?!
Here 30 Nxe6 Nxe6 31 Rcd1 was objectively stronger, though after 31 ...
Rxf2 32 Bxd5 Kf7 33 Rf1 Rxf1+ 34 Rxf1+ Ke7, Black would still win in the
long run with two knights and a pawn for the rook.
30 ... Nd3
 Black’s attack will eventually net him a piece. Although Bologan fought
well and created threats along the seventh rank, Ivanchuk kept his decisive
advantage - except for a hiccup on move 55 where he almost let Bologan off
the hook. We fast forward to that critical juncture, with just one stop along the
way ...
31 Rc8+ Kh7 32 Rf1 Nxf2+ 33 Kg1 Nf5
It’s worth mentioning the nice win that Houdini points out here: 33 ...
Nf3+! 34 Bxf3 gxf3 35 Rc7 (if 35 Rxf2 then 35 ... Rd1+ 36 Rf1 Bd4+ 37 Kh1
Rxf1 mate) 35 ... Nh3+ 36 Kh1 Rg2! and there is no good defence to the threat
of 37 ... Rg1+! 38 Rxg1 Nf2 mate.
34 Rc7 Nd1 35 Nd8 Nde3 36 Rf2 Rd1+ 37 Bf1 Nd4 38 Rff7 Ndf5 39
Kf2 Rxf1+ 40 Ke2 Kg6 41 Nxe6 Bxb2 42 Nf8+ Kh5 43 Ne6 d4 44 Rcd7
Rh1 45 Kd3 Rxh2 46 Ke4 Ng3+ 47 Kd3 Ngf5 48 Ke4 g3 49 Rxf5+ Nxf5 50
Kxf5 Rf2+ 51 Nf4+ Kh4 52 Rh7
 White’s threatened mate in one presents no difficulties as Black can
simply liquidate to a won ending ... or so it seems.
52 ... Rxf4+ 53 Kxf4 Bc1+ 54 Kf3 d3 55 Rd7

55 ... d2??
At this critical juncture, Ivanchuk allowed Bologan back in the game.

 Exercise: What should Black have played instead?

Answer: The key is to march the g-pawn home, though the deflection
tactic on move 58 is difficult to see: 55 ... Kh3! 56 Rxd3 g2 57 Kf2+ Kh2 58
Rg3 (58 Rd1 g1Q+ 59 Rxg1 Be3+ is a cheeky way to finish) 58 ... Be3+! and
the pawn will promote.
56 Rd6??
A crucial miss here for Bologan, who could have drawn at this point.

Exercise: How can White survive this seemingly lost ending?

Answer: By stopping the enemy king’s advance with 56 Kg2!, when it
turns out that Black’s pawns are, by one move, insufficiently advanced to win.
For example:
a) 56 ... h5 57 Rd4+ Kg5 58 Kxg3 h4+ 59 Kf3 h3 60 Rd5+! Kf6 (or 60 ...
Kg6 61 Kg3!) 61 Ke2! Kg6 62 Rd3 h2 63 Rh3 etc.
b) 56 ... a5 57 Rd4+ Kg5 58 Kxg3 h5 59 Kf3 h4 60 Rd5+! Kf6 61 Ke2
Kg6 62 Kd1 b5 63 Rxb5 h3 64 Rb6+ Kg5 65 Rb7! and White draws! (but not
65 Rb8? due to 65 ... Bb2! and Black wins).
56 ... h5!

Now there’s no way to stop one of the pawns from promoting.

 57 Rd5

Question: Why can’t White just play 57 Kg2 again?

Answer: The extra tempo ( ... h6-h5) makes all the difference. Black
plays as in line ‘b’ above: 57 ... a5 58 Rd4+ Kg5 59 Kxg3 h4+, but now after
60 Kf3 h3! 61 Rd5+ Kg6! 62 Rd6+ Kf5 63 Kg3 b5 64 Kxh3 a4, the rook
cannot stop both the d- and a-pawns; or if 60 Kg2 then 60 ... b5 61 Rd5+ Kf4
62 Kf2 h3 63 Ke2 h2 64 Rh5 Kg3 65 Rh8 (or 65 Rg5+ Kh4) 65 ... a4 and the
a- or h-pawn will promote.
57 ... a5
White’s survival chances have been snuffed out.
58 Rd4+
Here 58 Kg2 can be met by 58 ... b5! 59 Rd4+ Kg5 60 Kxg3 a4 etc.
58 ... Kh3 59 Rd8 h4 60 Ke2 b5 61 Rg8 a4 62 bxa4 bxa4 63 Ra8 a3 64
Ra4 g2 65 Ra8 d1Q+ 66 Kxd1 g1Q+ 67 Kc2 Qc5+ 68 Kd1 Qd5+ 69 Kxc1
Qxa8 70 Kd2 Qc6 71 Ke3 a2 0-1
Summary: Save for a slip on move 55 (which Bologan failed to take
advantage of), Ivanchuk conducted the post-exchange sacrifice phase
immaculately.

Game 33
V.Ivanchuk-R.Robson
FIDE World Cup, Tromsø 2013
Queen’s Indian Defence

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 b6 3 c4 Bb7 4 g3 g6!?

Robson had lost the first game in the mini-match, and so played this
double fianchetto to circumvent Ivanchuk’s theoretical knowledge. GM Sergei
Tiviakov has essayed this line with some success. More usually, Black plays
4 ... e6, transposing into a Queen’s Indian Defence.
5 Bg2 Bg7 6 0-0 0-0
 7 d5!?
This move is interesting in the light of the tournament situation. White
rules out the possibility of Ne1/Nh4 exchanging light-squared bishops, a
strategy normally used in the Queen’s Indian to keep a slight spatial edge.
Ivanchuk was one point ahead, only needing a draw to win their mini-match
and advance to the next round, and yet chooses a line that keeps the pieces on
the board by jamming the Queen’s Indian bishop.
Instead, he could have played 7 Nc3 Ne4 (there are other options such as
7 ... d6, 7 ... c5, or 7 ... d5, but those are even harder to equalize with as they
cede even more space to White) 8 Nxe4 Bxe4 and now either 9 Ne1 (trading
light-squared bishops) 9 ... Bxg2 10 Nxg2 c5 11 d5 d6 12 Rb1 Nd7 13 b3,
C.Ficco-N.Aleksic, Napoli 1998; or 9 Be3 c5 10 Qd2 d6 11 Bh6 (trading
dark-squared bishops) 11 ... Nd7 12 Rfd1 Nf6 13 Rac1 Qc7 14 b3,
T.Radjabov-V.Kramnik, Istanbul Olympiad 2012. White retains a slight space
advantage in either case.
7 ... Na6!
The logical development for the knight, heading for c5 to help fight for the
e4-square.
8 Nc3 Nc5
 9 Re1!
Forcing Black to simplify by occupying e4 or else concede territory by
allowing White to play e2-e4.
The natural developing move 9 Bf4 was met by subtle piece jostling from
Tiviakov: 9 ... a5 10 Rc1 Nh5 11 Be5 Bh6!? 12 e3 (White might have tried 12
g4!?, when 12 ... Bxc1 13 Qxc1 Nf6 14 Qh6 d6 15 Bd4 e5 16 Bxc5 bxc5 17
Ng5 Re8 18 Nce4 Bc8 19 f4 exf4 20 Rxf4 Rxe4 21 Bxe4 Qe7 22 Qh4 gives
him a powerful attack according to Tiviakov, who was intending to avoid the
whole thing with 12 ... d6) 12 ... d6 13 Bf4 Bg7 14 g4?! Nxf4 15 exf4 e6 16
Re1 exd5 17 cxd5 Qd7 18 h3 Rfe8 and Black is already better in the light of
his bishop pair and White’s weakened pawn structure, A.Kovalyov-
S.Tiviakov, Bogota 2010.
9 ... Nfe4
Tiviakov considered the position after 9 ... e6 10 e4 d6 to be unclear, and
Black won from here in G.Sargissian-F.Vallejo Pons, World Rapid
Championship, Khanty-Mansiysk 2013 - though whether he would do so
against a player who only needed to draw as White is another question.
10 Nxe4 Nxe4 11 Qc2 f5
Giving the game a Leningrad Dutch character. 11 ... Nc5 12 e4 merely
allows White a healthy space advantage and it would be quite difficult for
Black to stir up trouble here.
 12 Ng5!

Once again forcing Black to simplify or lose ground. His centralized

knight has to leave its outpost.
12 ... Nd6
Were it not for the match situation, Robson might have gone for 12 ...
Nxg5 13 Bxg5 h6 14 Bd2 e5. Unfortunately, that invites more exchanges with
15 dxe6 Bxg2 16 Kxg2 dxe6 17 Bc3, and it would be cinch for Ivanchuk to
draw this, given the symmetrical nature of the pawns and the reduced number
of pieces.
13 Bf4!
Ivanchuk is in no hurry and continues his development.

Question: Why not 13 e4 with pressure on e7 (after the pawns
are exchanged) and gaining more space in the process?

Answer: This virtually plays into Black’s hands by allowing him to gain
the bishop pair. After 13 ... h6 14 Nh3 fxe4 15 Bxe4 Nxe4 16 Qxe4 Rf5 17
Qxe7 Qxe7 18 Rxe7 Rf7!, Black has the better game despite being a pawn
down. For example, 19 Rxf7?! Kxf7 20 Rb1 c6! 21 dxc6 dxc6 22 Be3 Bc8 23
Nf4 Bf5 and Black regains his pawn, still with the bishop pair and the
superior pawn structure.
 13 ... h6
Robson chases the knight off the dangerous g5-square.

Question: Why didn’t he start active play against the c-pawn with 13 ...
Ba6 - ?

Answer: As GM Ian Rogers reported in Chess Life Online: “all the
tactics work for White after 14 Rac1!”. Let’s look at a couple of lines. 14 ...
Bxc4 (after 14 ... Nxc4?? 15 Qa4 Qc8, disaster strikes with 16 d6! b5 17 Qd1
cxd6 18 b3 and White wins) 15 Bxd6 exd6 16 Qxc4 Qxg5 17 Qxc7 Bxb2 18
Rc2 Ba3 19 Qxd7 Bc5 20 e3 and Black has no chance at all of winning this.
14 Nf3 b5?!
Robson tries to complicate by messing with Ivanchuk’s pawn wedge. His
primary concern is that White has such natural development and a
comfortable space advantage, so if he doesn’t take action soon, he won’t be
able to rustle up any counterplay to gain winning chances. On the standard
Leningrad move 14 ... Qe8, White exchanges the dark-squared bishops with
15 Be5!, and the attempt to take kingside space with 14 ... g5 will be met the
same way.
15 c5!
Ivanchuk doesn’t bother looking for safe lines anymore and instead plays
his natural (for him, that is) ‘global domination’ style game that has made him
a fearsome elite grandmaster. His aim is to suffocate his opponent, and his
better-placed minor pieces will enable him to exploit any line opening,
should Black attempt to free his position with his pawns (e.g. with ... c7-c6 or
... e7-e6).
Conversely, 15 cxb5 Bxd5 16 Rac1 g5 17 Be5 Nxb5 18 a4 Nd6 19 Qxc7
Bc6 20 Bxd6 exd6 21 Qxd6 would give Robson the type of unbalanced
position he craves.
15 ... Nc4
 Literally a forced move, as any knight retreat would leave Black without
any play whatsoever. For instance, 15 ... Nf7 16 Rad1 (there’s nothing wrong
with 16 Red1 g5 17 Be3 either) 16 ... g5 17 Bc1 sees White in complete
control.
After the text, the b2- and d5-pawns are hit simultaneously, but Ivanchuk
has it all worked out.

Exercise: Can you spot what dastardly idea he had in
mind to counter Black’s pseudo-active knight foray?

Answer: Ivanchuk uncorked another powerful exchange sacrifice.
16 b3!!
A wonderful concept, seeking to scuttle the activity of Black’s bishop and
knight tandem and punch holes in the black king’s cover in the process.
Dynamism is favoured over safety on Planet Ivanchuk.
16 ... g5!
Robson does his best to try and confuse matters.

Question: Can Black accept the exchange sacrifice immediately?

Answer: The consequences would be devastating. After 16 ... Bxa1? 17
Rxa1 Na3 18 Qb2 b4 19 Bxh6 Rf7 (or 19 ... Rf6 20 Bg5 Bxd5 21 Bxf6 exf6
22 Rd1 Be4 23 Qd4 a5 24 Nh4! Bxg2 25 Kxg2 and Black can no longer put
up any resistance) 20 Ng5 Rf6 21 c6! dxc6 (21 ... Bc8 is met by the
wonderful 22 d6!) 22 Ne6 Qc8 23 dxc6 Qxe6 24 cxb7 Rb8 25 Qd4 Nb5 26
Qxb4 Nd6 27 Rc1 Qxe2 28 Bd5+ Kh7 29 Bg5 Rff8 30 Qh4+ Qh5 31 Rxc7,
Black is crushed.
17 bxc4 Bxa1
If 17 ... gxf4, White can just move the rook with 18 Rab1, after which he
holds all the positional trumps: central control and pawn mass, queenside
pressure, and a chronically weak black kingside.
18 Rxa1 gxf4

Let’s examine Ivanchuk’s compensation for the exchange. The plus points
are:
1. A very powerful advanced centre which restricts Black’s remaining
bishop.
2. Play against the f5-pawn with Nd4 or Nh4.
3. Chances to exploit Black’s porous kingside (the absence of his dark-
squared bishop aggravates the situation).
4. Black’s rooks will find it difficult to make an impact on the game, as
they have no relevant files or ranks to operate on.
All the same, Ivanchuk’s minor pieces can’t infiltrate the kingside very
easily without making concessions in the centre. So Robson is not entirely
without hope.
19 Rd1!
Ivanchuk doesn’t waste any time before bolstering his centre.

Question: Why not play 19 gxf4 and keep the extra pawn?

Answer: This would expose him on the g-file, giving Black strong
counterplay after 19 ... bxc4 20 Qxc4 Kh7, followed by ... Rg8.
19 ... bxc4
If 19 ... fxg3 20 hxg3 bxc4, White doesn’t have to recapture c4
immediately but can stake a claim on the kingside with 21 Nh4! Rf6 22 Nxf5.

For example, 22 ... Rb8 23 c6 Ba6 24 Qe4 Kh8 25 Nxh6! Qf8 (if 25 ...
Rxh6 then 26 Qe5+ Kg8 27 Qg5+ Kh7 28 Be4+ or 26 ... Rf6 27 Rd4 with a
decisive attack) 26 Ng4 Rd6 (26 ... d6 27 Qd4 regains the exchange with a
dominant position) 27 cxd7 Rxd7 28 Ne5 Rd6 29 Bh3 Qf6 30 Be6 Bc8 31
Bxc8 Rxc8 32 Kg2 Rcd8 33 Rh1+ Kg8 34 Rh4 and the black king is fatally
exposed.
20 Qxc4
 20 ... fxg3

Question: Why doesn’t Black play 20 ... d6 and put a stop the threat
of a discovered check on the a2-g8 diagonal once and for all?

Answer: Presumably he didn’t fancy giving Ivanchuk the c6 outpost after
21 Qxf4 Rf6 22 Nd4 Bc8 23 Nc6 Qf8 24 Rb1, when Black is still hemmed in.
21 hxg3
As Rogers noted, this is an “automatic recapture, especially with both
players running short of time”. Otherwise, Houdini’s choice (and
continuation) 21 c6 Bc8 22 cxd7 Qxd7 23 d6+ Qe6 24 Qxe6 Bxe6 25 dxe7
Re8 26 Nd4 would have been enough to send Ivanchuk into the next round.
21 ... Kh7
Nullifying the d5-d6 discovered check.
22 Nd4
 There is no need for Ivanchuk to do anything drastic; he simply improves
his piece activity and pawn structure. This centralized knight also sets up a
potential Nxf5 threat in the future, since if ... Rxf5, then Be4 now pins the
rook to the king.
22 ... Qe8
Robson anticipates the threat of Nxf5 and brings his queen over to defend.
Now 23 Nxf5 can be met by 23 ... Rxf5 24 Be4 Qg6!, although Houdini still
gives White a slight edge after 25 c6! dxc6 26 dxc6 Bc8 27 Rd7! Bxd7 28
cxd7 c6 29 Qd3 Kg7 30 Bxf5 Qd6 31 Qc4.
23 e3
Sometimes, it’s harder to react when no direct threat is made. This is one
such example; Ivanchuk just sits back and lets Robson squirm a bit.
23 ... Qh5
Trying to find activity on the kingside, but this is easily parried.
24 Bf3 Qg6

Exercise: How would Ivanchuk meet 24 ... Qf7!?, hitting the d5-pawn?

Answer: With the queen blocking the f8-rook, White can simply lop off
the f-pawn with 25 Nxf5! and then return to defend the bishop after 25 ... Kh8
26 Nh4.

Exercise: How can Ivanchuk increase his advantage here?

Answer: He has two options and he naturally went for the safer and
cleaner one.
25 Qb5!
Since 25 ... Bc8 26 d6! c6 27 Nxc6 dxc6 28 Bxc6 is catastrophic (if 28 ...
Qh5 29 Rc1 Be6, then 30 dxe7! Rfb8 31 e8Q wins), Black is forced to trade
the bishops, utilizing a little fork trick.
Alternatively, White can initiate a tactical mêlée demonstrated by Rogers:
25 c6 dxc6 26 Ne6 Rf6 27 dxc6 Ba6 28 Qxa6 Rxe6 29 Qb7 Rxe3! 30 Bg2!,
after which White can accept the rook sacrifice and head for a better ending.
After 30 ... Rg8 31 fxe3 Qxg3 32 Qb2 Qxe3+ 33 Qf2 Qe4 34 Kh1 Qe5 35
Re1 Qf6 36 Qf4 Rg7 37 Re2!, White keeps control.
25 ... Bxd5 26 Bxd5 c6
Ivanchuk now has to decide whether to keep the bishop or knight.

Question: Which way poses more problems for Black?

Answer: It seems more accurate to give up the bishop, since the knight
can function as both an attacking and defensive piece, as the game
continuation shows.
27 Bxc6!
Instead, 27 Nxc6 dxc6 28 Bxc6 retains the initiative, but Black’s
defensive task is easier after 28 ... Rab8 29 Qa4 (or 29 Bb7 Rfd8 30 Rc1
Rd5 31 Qb3 Rd7 32 c6 Rc7 and Black should be able to hold this) 29 ...
Rbc8 30 Bd5 Rfd8 31 c6 (or 31 Qxa7?! Qg7) 31 ... Qf6 32 Kg2 Kg7 and it is
difficult for White to make progress.
27 ... dxc6 28 Nxc6

The white knight will entrench itself on e5 and, with the pawn advancing
to c6, Black’s defensive task is harder than playing against a light-squared
bishop (whose main purpose is to hold c6). The howler 28 Qxc6? would
renew Robson’s hopes after 28 ... Qxc6 29 Nxc6 Rac8 30 Nd4 Rf6! 31 Nb3
Ra6 and Black can try for a win.
28 ... Qe8?
Robson pins the knight, intending to follow up with ... Rc8, but he never
gets time. Objectively, 28 ... f4! was the best move, and if 29 exf4 (or 29
Nxe7 Qc2 30 Qb3 Qxb3 31 axb3 fxe3 32 fxe3 Rf7) 29 ... Rxf4 30 Ne5 then
30 ... Qe4! 31 gxf4 Rg8+ 32 Kf1 Qh1+ 33 Ke2 Qe4+ 34 Kd2 Qxf4+ 35 Kc2
Qxe5 with a draw. But of course a draw is useless from Robson’s point of
view.
29 Qb7!
 This strong queen sortie functions as a cold shower to Black and ends all
his chances. He is forced to guard e7 and remain on the defensive for the rest
of the game.
29 ... Rf7 30 Ne5
This is the set-up Ivanchuk was aiming for when he played 25 Qb5!. The
superb outpost for the knight helps to nurse the c-pawn home, as well as
supporting a kingside attack if required.

30 ... Rg7 31 c6
Here 31 Qf3!? may have been even better.
31 ... Rb8 32 Qxa7?!
Ivanchuk stops for a snack here and allows Black another chance to draw,
supposing he wants it. Instead, 32 Nd7! Qh5 (or 32 ... Rxb7 33 cxb7) 33 Rd2
Rxb7 34 Nf8+! (not yet 34 cxb7? Rg8) 34 ... Kh8 35 cxb7 Qe8 36 Nd7 Rg8
37 b8Q Qxb8 38 Nxb8 Rxb8 39 Rd7 leaves White in a very favourable rook
endgame.
32 ... Ra8?
Robson realized he could draw after 32 ... Rb2 33 Qd4 Qh5 34 Qxb2
Qxd1+ 35 Kg2 Qd5+ 36 f3 Rg8 and, as he remarked, “the white king is too
exposed for him to make progress”, but it would have been futile.
33 Qd7!
 Now there’s no hope of saving the game, and Ivanchuk nursed the c-pawn
to promotion. 33 ... Qh5 34 Kg2 Rxa2 35 c7 Rxf2+?
A final desperate sacrifice. Even the best defence 35 ... Rc2 only
prolongs the agony after 36 Rh1 Qg5 37 Rh3! (to prevent Rxf2+) 37 ... Qf6 38
Nf3 Rg8 39 Nd4 Rc5 40 Rh5! and White has a decisive advantage.
36 Kxf2 Qh2+ 37 Kf1 Qh3+ 38 Ke2 Qg2+ 39 Kd3 Qe4+ 40 Kd2 Qb4+
41 Ke2 Qb2+ 42 Rd2 1-0
The checks have run out, so Robson resigned.
Summary: This was a great example of how to conduct a game when a
draw is as good as a win. Rather than try and halve out by exchanging pieces,
Ivanchuk played in his usual ‘whole board pressure’ style, and used the draw
to blackmail his opponent into taking risks. Robson did his best to complicate
matters, but Ivanchuk’s dynamic exchange sacrifice diffused all his
counterplay and Robson was forced onto the defensive for the rest of the
game.

Game 34
G.Kaidanov-V.Ivanchuk
Lvov 1987
Alekhine’s Defence
1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 d6 4 Nf3 Bg4 5 Be2 c6
The Flohr-Agzamov Variation is more dangerous than it looks, especially
if one is unaware of the theory. In New Ideas in the Alekhine Defence,
Graham Burgess quoted Anand describing this variation as “The Nightmare
on Elm Street Variation - if White falls asleep, he’ll be cut to pieces.”
6 0-0
In Beating Unusual Chess Defences: 1 e4, English IM Andrew Greet
noted that 6 c4 is the move he likes best, as utilized by our editor in this
game: 6 ... Nb6 7 Ng5!? Bxe2 8 Qxe2 h6 9 Nf3 dxe5 10 dxe5 e6 11 0-0 N8d7
12 Nc3 Qc7 13 Bf4 g5?! (13 ... Be7 is more solid but White still maintains a
nice space advantage) 14 Bg3 Bg7 15 Ne4 and, as Burgess said himself,
“Black is close to lost here”, J.Emms-G.Burgess, British League 1999.
6 ... Bxf3 7 Bxf3 dxe5 8 dxe5 e6
Black’s key plan is to pile everything he has on e5 and eliminate it. The
unsuspecting White player will respond by putting everything he has into
defending the pawn - and sometimes, after recapturing on e5, he falls for a
back rank mate with ... Rd1. In any case, if allowed, Black can mass up to
five pieces to hit e5; for example, knights on d7 and g6, bishop on c7, queen
on b8 and rook on a5 (after ... a5-a4 has been played). This actually happened
in one of my rapid games! Oh yes, there’s also the possibility of a ... f7-f6
break too!

 One very good illustration of how White can be ‘conned’ into losing his
e-pawn is 9 Qe2 Nd7 10 c4 Ne7 11 b3?! (incidentally, Kaidanov used with
Black and won easily after 11 Bg5 Qa5! 12 Bxe7?! Bxe7 13 Re1 Bb4! 14
Nc3 Bxc3 15 bxc3 Qxc3, R.Castaneda-G.Kaidanov, Las Vegas 1993) 11 ...
Ng6 12 Bb2 Qc7 13 Re1?! Bb4! 14 Nd2 Ndxe5! and the e-pawn gets swiped
despite being protected thrice. This has occurred 17 times in MegaBase!
9 c4
White gains space and kicks the black knight away from the centre.

Question: Black gives up the bishop pair to get a cramped position
and he’s supposed to be alright? Surely there must be a refutation!

Answer: Well, yes. In 1991, the colourful Soviet GM Eduard Gufeld
demonstrated 9 Nd2 Nd7 10 Re1 Qc7 11 Nc4 b5 (11 ... N7b6 is safer, but
then White retains his space advantage easily) 12 Bxd5 cxd5 13 Nd6+ Bxd6
14 Qxd5!!
 Only once in a blue moon can one find a TN where the queen is sacrificed
in less than 15 moves. E.Gufeld-Goh Yoon Wah, Penang 1991, concluded 14
... Rc8? (but 14 ... exd5 15 exd6+ Kd8 16 Bg5+ Kc8 17 dxc7 Kxc7 18 Re7
Rhf8 19 Rae1 leaves Black in a difficult endgame, J.Van der Wiel-M.De
Waal, Vlissingen 1997) 15 exd6 Qc4 16 Qb7 Qc6 17 Qxa7 0-0 18 Bf4 Rfd8
19 Rad1 Nb6 20 c3 1-0 since White is two pawns up.
9 ... Ne7!
 Unlike the usual Alekhine’s Defence lines where c2-c4 is met by ... Nb6,
in this variation the knight belongs on g6 to hit e5 - hence this strange-looking
retreat.
10 Qxd8+ Kxd8 11 Be4
Anticipating ... Ng6, after which Kaidanov intends to hack the knight off
to lessen the pressure on e5. This also allows White to play f2-f4 to guard the
e5-pawn if necessary.
11 ... Nd7 12 Bf4 Ng6 13 Bxg6 hxg6 14 Nc3
 Sooner or later, the black king will have to move off the d-file, either to
connect the rooks or avoid a white rook on d1.

Exercise: There are two decent squares for the king, e8
and c7. Which one do you think Ivanchuk chose and why?

Answer: Ivanchuk goes left (his left).
14 ... Ke8!
The trouble with going the other way is that, while the king is itself safe
on c7, the opposition with the bishop on f4 prevents Black from undertaking
any active play. For instance, he can’t play ... f7-f6 ever because White
would take it with check - and he can’t carry out Ivanchuk’s plan in the game.
In any case, there’s no real need to connect the rooks since the h8-rook is
already operating on the h-file.
15 Rad1 Be7 16 Ne4
White has a space advantage thanks to his e5-pawn. At this juncture,
Ivanchuk came up with an astounding idea.
16 ... Rh5!?
 What’s this? Okay, the rook attacks the e5-pawn along the fifth rank, but
surely it can be booted straight away, as Kaidanov now shows.
17 g4
In a later game, White tried 17 Nd6+ Bxd6 18 exd6, T.O’Donnell-
J.L.Fernandez Garcia, Thessaloniki Olympiad 1998, when 18 ... f6 gives
Black a good position. The d6-pawn is a long-term target after, for instance,
... Kf7, ... c6-c5, ... e6-e5, ... g6-g5, ... Rd8, ... Ke6 and so on.
As for right now, Ivanchuk’s rook is en prise ...
17 ... Rxe5!!
A brilliant concept! Ivanchuk sacrifices the exchange rather than retreat
the rook. Note that this wouldn’t have been possible with the king on c7, as
White would simply take the knight with check.
18 Bxe5 Nxe5

Exercise: Evaluate Ivanchuk’s exchange sacrifice. Is it sound?

Answer: It transpires that Black’s exchange sacrifice has swung the game
in his favour. The knight is poised to nab another pawn, after which he can
start to mobilize his infantry, while white rooks have no entry points in the
black camp. Incidentally, the king shows another quality to being on e8 - it
can it can support the kingside pawns’ eventual advance down the board,
something it couldn’t do from c7.
19 b3
Kaidanov decides to give up the g4-pawn - the lesser of the two evils.
After 19 f3 Nxc4, the black knight would reroute to the excellent d5-square;
for example, 20 Rd3 Rb8! 21 b3 Nb6 22 Nc3 Bb4 23 Rfd1 Bxc3 24 Rxc3
Nd5 with a superb game for Black.
19 ... Nxg4 20 Rfe1 g5!
Ivanchuk starts to mobilize the kingside pawns.
21 Rd3 Ne5 22 Rh3 Ng6 23 Rg3
By attacking the g5-pawn, White hopes to stall the advance of the black
kingside pawn mass.
23 ... f6 24 Rd1

Exercise: An important juncture. White has made it difficult for Black to
advance on the kingside. How does Ivanchuk plan to make progress from
here?

Answer: Ivanchuk has envisaged that a rook trade is necessary to make
inroads into the white position. Since one rook is busy curtailing the kingside
pawns, exchanging the other one will leave the black king free to roam down
the board.
24 ... Rd8! 25 Rxd8+ Kxd8 26 Kf1

Exercise: Where is the ideal placement for Ivanchuk’s
knight and how does he go about bringing it there?

Answer: The best square for the knight is e6, as it can dictate the game
from that excellent post.
26 ... e5!
Now Kaidanov has to reorganize his pieces to prevent the black knight
from gaining access to the d4-square.
27 Rd3+ Kc7 28 Ng3 Nf4 29 Rd1 a5 30 Ne2
White’s little mission to cover d4 is accomplished.
 30 ... Ne6 31 Rd3

Question: Surely, with the rook keeping the black king honest, it is hard
for Ivanchuk to play for a win here. How can he lull White into
overextending?

Answer: By defending a non-existent threat in order to encourage White
to make it.
31 ... Bf8!
Although this is a ‘nothing’ move, it serves to egg White into thinking that
he can actually invade the back rank via the h-file to try to play for a win.
This looks especially appealing since the black knight and bishop are then
stuck together, holding each other and the kingside pawns, as well as
preventing the white rook from having access along the eighth rank.
32 Rh3 Kd6 33 Rh8?
Exactly the reaction Ivanchuk wanted to provoke. In reality, the rook is
doing nothing on h8, while its absence from the queenside gives Black the
chance to advance his king down the board.
Kaidanov should have returned the rook to the middle, and if Black tries
to play for a win by advancing his king, White has just enough mobility with
the rook to hold on: 33 Rd3+! Kc5 34 Rd7 Kb4 35 Rxb7+ Ka3 36 Rb6! (36
Ra7?? Bb4) 36 ... Kxa2 37 Rxc6 Nc5 38 Rc8 Be7 39 Rc7 Bd6 40 Rc6 Be7
41 Rc7 with a draw.
33 ... Kc5!
The a2-pawn is almost a dead duck; for instance, after 34 Rh3, Black can
make tremendous progress with 34 ... Kb4 35 Rc3 Ka3 36 Rc2 Bc5 37 Nc3
Bd4. So Kaidanov tries to justify his rook deployment by eradicating his
isolated pawns on the kingside.
34 h4 gxh4 35 Rxh4 Kb4 36 f4 exf4 37 Nxf4 g5 38 Nd3+ Ka3
The net result is that White still has to deal with the two kingside passed
pawns if he wants to protect a2 with the rook from afar. For example, 39 Rh2
f5 40 Re2 Nd4 41 Rg2 g4 42 c5 Be7 43 Rh2 Bf6 (preventing 44 Ne5) 44 Rf2
Bg5! 45 Rg2 (now 45 Ne5 can be met by 45 ... g3!) 45 ... Nf3 46 Rc2 f4 and
while I’m not sure whether Black is actually winning, clearly White is
suffering here.
Instead, Kaidanov therefore opted to keep his rook active, after which we
reach another critical point in the game.
39 Rh7

Exercise: White’s rook is now poised to pluck the black pawns from
behind.
Surely Ivanchuk must have taken this into consideration. What did he have
in mind?

Answer: A trade of knights gives Black a won endgame. White cannot
deal with the mobile kingside pawns and the hyperactive black king
simultaneously.
39 ... Nc5!! 40 Nxc5
After 40 Ke2 Kxa2 41 Rf7 Bd6 42 Rxf6 Ne4 43 Re6 Nc3+ 44 Ke3 Bb4,
the white b-pawn will drop off.
40 ... Bxc5 41 Rxb7
This doesn’t help White at all, since the hungry black king is about to
feast on all the queenside pawns. But it’s too late to defend a2, as the kingside
pawns can simply march down with impunity: 41 Rh2 f5 42 Rg2 g4 43 Ke1
f4! 44 Rxg4 Kxa2 45 Rxf4 Kxb3 and Black’s a-pawn will win the game.
41 ... Kxa2 42 Rc7 Kxb3 43 Rxc6 Kxc4
The rest is, as Rambo said (with reference to killing), “as easy as
breathing”.
44 Ra6
After 44 Rxf6 a4 45 Ra6 a3, Black wins by playing ... Kb3, ... a3-a2,
Ba3, etc.
44 ... Kb4 45 Ke2 a4 46 Kd3 a3 47 Kc2 Bd4 48 Rd6 Kc4 49 Ra6 Kb4
50 Rd6 Be5 51 Rb6+ Kc4 52 Ra6 Bb2 53 Rd6 g4 54 Rd8 g3 55 Rg8 Be5
56 Rc8+ Kd5 57 Kb3 Ke4 0-1

Summary: As with all Ivanchuk’s powerful exchange sacrifices in this

chapter, this final one had to be backed up by energetic play, which in this
case included psychology (31 ... Bf8!) and superb endgame technique.
 Chapter Six
Chucky the Closer
Observing Ivanchuk’s endgame play, my take is that he is extremely dangerous
when possessing a slight initiative, with which he will patiently manoeuvre,
press, and try to wear down his opponents. This disciplined approach,
coupled with his excellent technique, makes him an extremely tough opponent
to face, especially with the clock running down in the final phase of the game.
His opponents are generally unable to survive after making a misstep due to
complacency or fatigue.
One noticeable element of Ivanchuk’s conduct of the endgame is that his
play is very concrete, with a specific set-up for his pieces in mind, either to
defend or to push for a win. In endgames where tactical complications are
few and the technical phase takes over, he shows exceptional accuracy in
placing his pieces on key squares before ‘torturing’ his opponents. I suppose
this is an extension of his ‘global domination’ middlegame style, where he
aims to restrict the opponent’s counterplay over the whole board, while being
tactically alert - and that pressure does not let up, especially in the endgame.
Although this is a chapter on Ivanchuk’s endgames, I will continue to
comment on most of the opening and middlegame phases, as I feel they still
possess instructive value. But to start with, we’ll resume Game 14 where we
left off in Chapter Two (page 155).

Game 14 (continued)
V.Epishin-V.Ivanchuk
Tilburg 1992
 Ivanchuk has just centralized his knight with 28 ... Ne4, and soon offers
the exchange of queens, taking the battle into the endgame.
29 Ka1 h6 30 Qc2 g5 31 fxg5 hxg5 32 Rb3 Re6 33 Qh2 Qf2 34 Qxf2
Nxf2 35 Rbc3 Kb7
Epishin has managed to keep up the pressure on Black’s weak c-pawn and
now secures an outpost for his knight on c6.
36 b5! c5
There’s no other way to hold on to the pawn.
37 Nc6
 37 ... Rexc6

Question: Is it really necessary to sacrifice the
exchange here? Can’t Black play around the c6-knight?

Answer: As we know from the previous chapter, Ivanchuk is not shy
about sacrificing the exchange when it seems appropriate. Another way was
37 ... Rd7 38 dxc5 bxc5 39 Ra3 Rxc6! (refusal to give up the exchange here
only gets Black into trouble; for example, 39 ... Kb6? 40 Rb1 Nxh3 41 Ra6+
Kc7 42 Rxa7+ Kd6 43 Ra6 Kc7 44 Nd4 Red6 45 Ne6+ Kc8 46 Ra8+ Kb7 47
Re8 with an overwhelming position for White) 40 bxc6+ Kxc6, except that
the black king is more exposed here.
Otherwise, he might have done as you suggest. For example, 37 ... Re8 38
dxc5 (or 38 Ra3 a5 39 dxc5 Rh7 with counterplay) 38 ... bxc5 39 Rxc5 (or
39 Ra3 c4) 39 ... Nd3 40 Nd8+ Kb6 41 Rxc7 Nxc1 42 Rb7+ (42 Rxc1 Rxx8
is equal) 42 ... Kc5 43 Rc7+ Kb6 and the game ends in a draw by repetition.
38 bxc6+ Rxc6 39 dxc5 Ne4
With this zwischenzug, Black gets to keep his c-pawn.
40 Rd3 Nxc5
 White has a slight material advantage and it seems there’s no risk for him
in playing for a win. Moreover, Black’s d- and g-pawns are isolated and thus
hard to defend. Ivanchuk applies what is termed as the “Theory of Infinite
Resistance” - a concept mooted by Australian FM Bill Jordan. The idea is
that while Black may have an inferior position, he should not lose with
‘perfect play’, and as long as he keeps plugging on, who knows what might
happen. Of course, Ivanchuk probably didn’t have that theory in mind, and
just realized that he had good chances to resist.
41 Rdd1!

Question: Why not collect a pawn with 41 Rxd5 - ?

Answer: This allows Black to draw comfortably with 41 ... Nb3+ 42
axb3 Rxc1+ 43 Kb2 Rh1 44 Rxg5 Rxh3. Epishin keeps the game going by
avoiding the fork trick.
41 ... Re6!
The most accurate move.

Question: Why didn’t Ivanchuk go after the h-pawn with 41 ... Rh6 - ?

Answer: That would give White more winning chances: 42 Rxd5 Rxh3
43 Re1 (he needs to keep the e-pawn; 43 Rxg5?! Rxe3 44 Rg7+ Ka6 would
be relatively easy) 43 ... g4 44 Rg5 Rg3 45 e4 and Black has to play carefully
to draw this.
42 Rxd5 Rxe3 43 Rh1
Keeping his minute winning chances alive. Again, 43 Rxg5 Rxh3 would
be an almost certain draw.
43 ... Rg3 44 Rd4!

Intending Rg4 to force a favourable trade of rooks.

Exercise: This position requires accuracy from Black. His rook needs
to do more than just defend g4. Any ideas to improve his position?

Answer: The knight would be nicely centralized on e4, as well as
defending the g5-pawn. So Ivanchuk must guard the square first.
44 ... Re3! 45 Rg4 Ne4 46 Rc1
Preventing the black king from activating itself via c6.
46 ... Nc5
As usual Ivanchuk is content to exchange the g5- and h3-pawns, as his
queenside is unlikely to be breached. So Epishin returns the rook to h1 and
tries a different tack.
47 Rh1 Ne4 48 Rh2 Kc6
 Ivanchuk gladly takes the opportunity to activate his king.
49 Kb2 a5

Even in the endgame, Ivanchuk plays vigorously and seizes space if

possible - and notice how active his rook and knight are. No fortress-type
draws for him.
50 Rgg2
Seeing that his rook is having little impact on the g-file from the front,
Epishin tries sending it round the back. However, this strategy is not without
risk, since the black king and queenside pawns can now advance with
impunity.
50 ... Rf3 51 Rc2+ Kb5
If Ivanchuk was worried about the rook manoeuvre, he could block it with
51 ... Nc5 52 Rc3 Rf5 53 Rg2 Kb5 54 Rcg3 Ne6, when the industrious knight
prevents White from making headway.
52 Rc8 Nd6!
Adding reinforcements to the queenside force. It’s probably time for
Epishin to think of splitting the point now.
53 Rg8
The plan of hitting g5 and holding h3 simultaneously with 53 Rh8 allows
Black to become even more active: 53 ... Kb4 54 Rh5 Rg3 55 Kc2 Nc4 56
Re2 a4, when White should bail out with 57 h4 Rc3+ 58 Kb1 g4 59 Rg5 and
accept perpetual check after 59 ... Na3+ 60 Kb2 Nc4+.
53 ... Nc4+ 54 Kc1!?

Exercise: Can you surmise what is Epishin up to with this move?

Answer: He is still trying to win. His idea is to amble the king across to
the kingside, boot Black’s rook away, and then capture on g5.
54 ... Rg3 55 Kd1 Kb4 56 Ke1 b5!
The die is cast. Ivanchuk is not going to sit back and wait. Instead, he
activates his passed pawn to remind Epishin that he, too, has chances.
57 Rh8!
Continuing with his plan of winning the g5-pawn. The rook heads for h5,
before the white king kicks the black rook off the g-file.
57 ... a4 58 Rh5 Ka3 59 Rc2!
 59 ... Nd6!

Question: Why didn’t Ivanchuk go for the a2-pawn with 59 ... Nb2 - ?

Answer: Although the a-pawn is a goner, Black has no winning chances
after 60 Kf2 Rd3 61 Ke2 Rg3 62 Kf2 etc. If Black doesn’t want to repeat
moves, he has to try 61 ... Rd5, when White’s play on the kingside comes very
swiftly: 62 h4 b4 63 Rxg5 Rd4 64 h5 Kxa2 65 Ke3 Rh4 66 Rgg2 a3 67 Rh2
Kb3! 68 Rxh4 Kxc2 69 h6 a2 70 Rh2+ Kc3 (or 70 ... Kb3 71 Rxb2+! Kxb2
72 h7 a1Q 73 h8Q+ with endless checks from a8, h8 and h1) 71 h7 a1Q 72
h8Q+ Kb3 and here, too, White can draw with 73 Rxb2+! Qxb2 74 Qg8+,
since the black king has nowhere to hide (if 74 ... Kc2 then 75 Qg6+).
60 Re2 Rg1+
Black can force a passed pawn through on the queenside with 60 ... b4 61
h4 gxh4 62 Rxh4 b3 63 axb3 axb3, but a single pawn isn’t enough to win.
After 64 Rh8, rook checks along the eighth rank will prevent Black from
making progress. Alternatively, White could give up one of the rooks for the
b-pawn, since rook + knight vs. rook is a standard draw.
61 Kf2
 61 ... Rh1!

Question: Why does this ‘obvious’ move deserve an exclamation mark?

Answer: It is useful to bring the white king over to the g-file. If the rook
had gone to the queenside at once, there was room for Black to throw it all
away. For example:
a) 61 ... Ra1 62 Rxg5 Rxa2?? (62 ... b4 63 Rg3+ b3 64 axb3 axb3 should
be drawn) 63 Rg3+! and the black rook goes off the board.
b) 61 ... Rb1 62 Rxg5 Rb2?? (again 62 ... b4 should hold) 63 Rxb2 Kxb2
64 Rd5 Kxa2 65 Rxd6 b4 66 Rd4! Kb3 (or 66 ... Ka3 67 Ke2!) 67 h4 a3 68
h5 a2 69 Rd1 Kc2 70 Ra1 Kb2 71 Re1 a1Q 72 Rxa1 Kxa1 73 h6 b3 74 h7 b2
75 h8Q and White wins.
62 Kg3?!
An over-finesse from Epishin who tries to place his king on a ‘stronger’
square. Instead, 62 Kg2 requires Black to be accurate: 62 ... Rb1 (and not 62
... Ra1 63 Rxg5 Rxa2?? due to 64 Rg3+ again, though 63 ... b4 64 Rg3+ b3
should still be okay) 63 Rxg5 Rb2! (possible now, thanks to his 61st move)
64 Rxb2 Kxb2 65 Rd5 Kxa2! 66 Rxd6 (or 66 Rd2+ Ka3 67 Rxd6 b4 68 h4
b3 69 h5 b2 70 Rb6 Ka2 71 h6 b1Q 72 Rxb1 Kxb1 73 h7 a3 74 h8Q a2 -
Epishin) 66 ... b4 67 Rd4 Ka3! and Black draws because the white king is too
far away.
62 ... Ra1!

Black can take the a-pawn straight away, because the white king is
obstructing Rg3+. The tables have turned perceptibly and now it’s White who
has to be careful.
63 Rxg5 Rxa2 64 Re6 Rd2 65 h4?
It was simpler to bail out with 65 Rxd6 Rxd6 66 Rxb5, but it seems that
Epishin is still trying to score.
65 ... Kb4?

Question: What’s the reason for this king retreat?
Why didn’t Ivanchuk just push the b-pawn?

Answer: I don’t know. 65 ... b4! 66 h5 b3 67 h6 b2 definitely offers
Black more chances, and may even be winning.

Exercise: In fact, White has only one way to put up any resistance. Can
you find it?

Answer: 68 Re3+! (shifting the black king away from defence of a4; the
immediate 68 Re1? loses to 68 ... Ne4+! 69 Rxe4 b1Q etc) 68 ... Ka2 69 Re1
and then:
a) 69 ... Ne4+ 70 Rxe4 a3 (not now 70 ... b1Q?? because 71 Rxa4+ wins
for White) 71 Rb5 b1Q 72 Rxb1 Kxb1 73 Ra4 a2 74 Kg4 a1Q 75 Rxa1+
Kxa1 76 Kg5 draws.
b) 69 ... a3 70 h7 Ne4+ (this time the trick is one tempo too slow) 71 Kf4
Rh2 72 Kxe4 Rxh7 73 Kd3 b1Q+ (or 73 ... Rc7 74 Ra5) 74 Rxb1 Kxb1 75
Kc3 and White reaches the desired draw.
However, Black can throw in a useful intermediate check as well:
c) 69 ... Rd3+! 70 Kg2 Rd4 71 Rh5 a3 72 h7 Nf7, when it’s not easy to
see a defence for White.
 For example, 73 Rf5 (or 73 Rhh1 Rd8 74 Re7 Nh8 75 Rb7 Rc8 76 Rf1
Rc2+ 77 Kf3 Rc3+ 78 Ke4 Rb3) 73 ... Nh8 74 Rf8 (or if 74 Rb5 then 74 ...
Rd2+! 75 Kg1 Rd7 or 75 Kf3 Rd3+ 76 Ke4 Rb3 again) 74 ... Ng6 75 Rg8 (or
75 Ra8 Rb4 76 Ra6 Nh8 77 Ra8 b1Q 78 Rxb1 Rxb1 79 Rxh8 Rb7 and wins)
75 ... Rg4+! 76 Kf2 (or 76 Kh3 Rh4+ 77 Kg3 Rxh7 78 Rxg6 Rb7) 76 ... Rh4
77 Rxg6 Rxh7 78 Ra6 Rh3! (this was the point of ... Rg4+) 79 Ke2 Rb3 wins.
There may be an improvement for White somewhere, but it looks very
difficult for him.
66 Rg4+ Kc5 67 Re5+ Rd5 68 Rgg5
Taking the more dangerous route. It seems Epishin would rather earn a
tempo to activate the king than to go for a clear draw with 68 Rxd5+! Kxd5
69 h5 a3 70 Rg8 b4 71 Ra8 Kc4 72 Kf4 Nf7 73 Ra7 Nh8 74 Ra8 Nf7 75 Ra7
and the point is halved.
68 ... Rxe5 69 Rxe5+ Kd4 70 Kf4 a3
 Now comes a series of mutual errors, as is common in long, protracted
battles. Given that these moves change the assessment from “drawn” to “lost”
(or “won”) and back again, they probably deserve two question marks, but
that seems rather harsh.
71 Re6?
Here 71 Re7! was correct. The players reach this position two moves
later.
71 ... Kd5?
Ivanchuk misses the (first) win. He should play 71 ... Kc5!, when 72
Re5+ sets the same question as in the game; while 72 Re1 b4 73 Ke3, trying
to use the king to stem the passed pawns (as after 72 Re1! in the next note),
doesn’t work because of 73 ... b3 74 Kd2 Kb4 75 Kc1 a2 76 Kb2 Nc4+ 77
Ka1 Ka3 and White gets mated; for example, 78 Re2 b2+ 79 Rxb2 Nxb2 80
h5 Nc4 81 h6 Ne3 82 h7 Nc2 mate.
72 Re5+?
Epishin could have drawn with 72 Re1! b4 73 Ke3 b3 74 Kd2 Kd4 75
Kc1 Nc4 76 Kb1 (the king gets to the crucial b1-square just in time!) 76 ...
a2+ 77 Ka1 Kc3 (in the previous note Black was able to play the decisive ...
Ka3 here) 78 h5 Na3 79 Re3+ Kc4 80 Kb2 Nc2 81 Re4+ Kb5 82 Re5+ with
a draw because the black king cannot leave the a- or b-file. For example, 82
... Kc6?? 83 Ra5, stopping the a-pawn, would have been a travesty.
 Putting the rook behind the a-pawn, on the other hand, loses after 72 Re7?
b4! 73 Ra7 Nb5 74 Ra5 and now:

Exercise: Can you find Black’s win?

Answer: The nonchalant 74 ... b3!! 75 Rxb5+ Kc4 76 Ra5 b2 77 Rxa3
b1Q is decisive - in fact, according to the Nalimov tablebases, it’s mate in
32.
72 ... Kd4?
Ivanchuk goes the wrong way again. He should have played 72 ... Kc4!!
73 Re1 (73 Re7 b4 74 Ra7 Nb5 is even easier than 72 Re7? above; e.g. 75
Ra4 Nc3 76 Ra8 b3 77 Rxa3 b2 and White is helpless) 73 ... b4 74 Rc1+
Kb3 75 h5 Nf7 76 Kf5 a2 77 Kf6 Kb2 (or 77 ... Ka3!? 78 Kxf7 b3 79 h6 b2
80 Rc3+ Kb4 81 h7 a1Q 82 h8Q Qa7+ 83 Ke6 b1Q and the tablebase says
this crazy position is mate in 11) 78 Re1 Nh6 79 Kg6 b3 80 Kxh6 Ka3 and
there’s no stopping a pawn from promotion.
73 Re7!
After a couple of let-offs, White is back in drawing territory, at least for
the moment.
73 ... b4 74 Ra7 Nb5 75 Ra5?
Epishin saves his rook but loses a crucial tempo. White must engage in a
pawn race in order to hold the game: 75 h5 b3 (75 ... Nxa7 76 h6 also leads
to a draw) 76 h6 b2 77 h7 b1Q 78 h8Q+ draws. If White desires, the
immediate 79 Rxa3 reaches another standard draw: queen + knight vs. queen.
Another way was 75 Ra4 Kc4 76 h5 Nc3 77 h6! Nxa4 78 h7 a2 79 h8Q
and White is even a queen up here, though the tablebases confirm the draw all
the same.
75 ... b3!
Ivanchuk hits on the winning idea. It’s the same as in the note with 72
Re7? above, except that White doesn’t even get to take the knight with check.
76 Rxb5 b2 0-1
Epishin realizes that he has been bested and so resigns.
Summary: A very tough dogfight with both players adamant on keeping
their winning chances alive. Epishin could have settled for a truce, but he was
probably too optimistic about his chances. Ivanchuk gradually turned the
tables and, despite some hiccups, eventually closed out the endgame.

Game 35
J.Moreno Carnero-V.Ivanchuk
Calvia Olympiad 2004
French Defence

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 exd5

The Exchange Winawer is an attempt for White to play for a slight lead in
development, though the symmetrical pawn structure means that it won’t be
easy to make headway. On the other hand, such issues don’t bother someone
like Magnus Carlsen, who is happy to grind away with the smallest of
advantages, or even no advantage at all.
4 ... exd5 5 Bd3
 5 c6
Ivanchuk opts for the most solid and seemingly unambitious variation.
A more recent Magnus Carlsen win with White went 5 ... Nf6 6 Ne2 Bg4
7 0-0 0-0 8 f3 Bh5 9 Nf4 Bg6 10 Nxg6 hxg6 11 Ne2 Re8 12 Bg5 Be7 13 Ng3
Nbd7 14 f4 Nh7 15 Qf3 c6 (all of a sudden, the world’s top player unleashes
a pawn sacrifice which took his opponent Vallejo Pons by surprise) 16 h4!?
(this move allows Black to attack d4 and b2 simultaneously with ... Qb6, but
Vallejo decided to trust him and played “safely”) 16 ... Ndf8?! 17 Rae1 Qc7
18 Bxe7 Rxe7 19 Re5 f6? (the unsettled Spaniard goes wrong and plays a
weakening move, allowing Carlsen to hit the light squares around the black
king) 20 Rxe7 Qxe7 21 h5! with a powerful attack for White, Ma.Carlsen-
F.Vallejo Pons, Sao Paulo/Bilbao 2012.
Another example of how White can give problems is 5 ... Nc6 6 a3 Bxc3+
7 bxc3 Nge7 8 Qh5! and White gets an edge. Black will not fancy castling
kingside with the queen and light-squared bishop staring him in the face,
while queenside castling looks daunting too with White’s open b-file at hand.
After 8 ... Be6 9 Nf3 Qd7 10 Ng5! g6 11 Qf3 0-0-0 12 0-0 Nf5 13 Rb1 h6 14
Nxe6 Qxe6 15 Bf4, White’s bishops, especially the dark-squared one, were
calling the shots here, V.Kramnik-Dauphine University, Paris (simul) 2006.
6 Qf3

 Question: We’re taught not to bring the queen out
too early in the game. So why are grandmasters doing it here?

Answer: This queen move denies Black’s light-squared bishop from
developing actively to g4 and helps to control f5 as well. In some variations,
the queen moves to g3 to attack g7, or collude with the queen’s bishop
(usually on f4) to control the central dark squares.
Routine development with 6 Ne2 Ne7 7 0-0 is less testing.

Exercise: What is Black’s best way of continuing here?

Answer: Challenging the d3-bishop seems to be best: 7 ... Bf5! (instead,
after 7 ... 0-0 8 Ng3!, Kramnik once again applied the squeeze: 8 ... Nd7 9
Bg5 Qc7 10 a3 Bd6 11 Qh5! Ng6 12 Nf5 Re8 13 Rae1 Rxe1 14 Rxe1 Nf6 15
Bxf6 Bxf5 16 Bxf5 gxf6 17 Re3 Kg7 18 Rh3 Rh8 19 Qh6+ Kg8 20 Re3 and
Black is virtually playing a rook down, to say nothing of his positional
wreckage on the kingside, V.Kramnik-M.Castells Briones, Barcelona simul
2002) 8 Ng3 Bxd3 9 Qxd3 0-0 and Black should have no problems. L.Oll-
N.Short, Parnu 1996, ended quickly: 10 Nce2 Na6 11 c3 Bd6 12 Bf4 Nc7 13
Rae1 Ne6 ½-½.
6 ... Qf6
 Ivanchuk invites an early endgame, but Moreno prefers to gambit the d-
pawn instead.
7 Bf4
In a later Elo 2700+ encounter, White took the very safe option: 7 Qxf6
Nxf6 8 Ne2 Nbd7 9 a3 Be7 10 f3 h5 11 h4 Nf8 12 Nf4 Bd7 13 Kf2 0-0-0 14
Nce2 Ne8 15 Bd2 Bf6 16 Bb4 g6 17 Rae1 Ng7 18 c3 Bf5 with absolute
equality, E.Alekseev-V.Ivanchuk, Biel 2009.
7 ... Ne7
Ivanchuk isn’t one to grab pawns and then try to cling on to them.
Nevertheless, accepting the gambit pawn has occurred in tournament praxis.

Question: Is the d-pawn taboo or can Black just grab it and bite the
bullet?

Answer: As yet 7 ... Qxd4 has not been refuted, and tournament praxis
results are pretty good for Black, although White has obvious compensation.
For example, 8 Ne2 (White can play 8 0-0-0!? Bxc3 9 bxc3 Qxc3 10 Qg3 as
well) 8 ... Qf6 9 Qg3 Nd7 10 0-0 Be7 11 Rae1 h5! 12 h4?! (12 Qe3! looks
stronger) 12 ... Qxh4 13 Qxg7 Qf6 14 Qg3 h4 15 Qe3 Kf8 16 Nd4 gives
White a strong initiative for the pawn due to his well-placed centralized
pieces, O.Annageldyev-V.Shtyrenkov, Alushta 2004.
Alternatively, Black can opt to exchange bishops with 7 ... Bd6 8 Bxd6
Qxd6 9 0-0-0 Be6? 10 Nh3! Nd7 11 Ng5 Ngf6 12 Rde1 and now 12 ... 0-0-0?
occurred in Ka.Müller-I.Farago, Hamburg 2000.

Exercise: Can you find a killer blow for White which wins material?

Answer: 13 Bf5! wins a pawn for nothing. Black can neither take on f5,
nor defend the e6-bishop, due to the weakness of f7; i.e. 13 ... Bxf5? 14 Nxf7
Qf8 15 Nxd8 Ne4 16 g4! or 13 ... Rde8? 14 Bxe6 fxe6 15 Nf7 and White is
an easy exchange up either way.
8 Qg3
Continuing to fight for the dark squares, and threatening both Bxb8 and
Be5. Black’s reply is forced, but it doesn’t hurt him to develop a piece.
8 ... Nd7 9 Ne2
Finally protecting the d-pawn.
9 ... 0-0 10 0-0-0
Castling long is perfectly safe: 10 ... Bxc3 can be met by 11 Nxc3!, since
11 ... Qxd4?? would lose the queen to 12 Bxh7+. Instead, 10 a3 Nf5 11 Qh3
Bxc3+ 12 bxc3 Nh4 13 Bg3 Ng6 14 Qh5 Re8 15 0-0 Qd8 16 Nf4 Nf6 17 Qd1
Qa5 18 Nxg6 hxg6 19 Qd2 Ne4 20 Bxe4 dxe4 was about equal in
W.Goichberg-P.Koploy, Lone Pine 1972.
10 ... Ng6
Challenging White’s control of the dark squares, while shielding the king
and clearing the e-file for the rooks. Now Moreno has nothing better than to
accept a trade of queens, to reach a totally even queenless middlegame.
11 Bg5 Qd6 12 Qxd6 Bxd6

This position is extremely equal with little for either side to ‘bite on’ -
that is before Moreno, on his next move, embarks on double-edged kingside
action which, somewhat imperceptibly, weakens the kingside pawns.
13 h4 h6
Ivanchuk needs to free his light-squared bishop and so boots the g5-
bishop before playing ... Nf6, to avoid doubled f-pawns.
14 Bd2 Nf6 15 h5

Question: Why is this plan considered double-edged?

Answer: The pawn on h5 annexes space for White, cramps Black’s
kingside, prevents ... Nh5, and makes it tough for him to play ... g7-g6, as the
h-pawn will be exposed after h5xg6. On the other hand, although the h-pawn
is currently defended twice, things might change later as pieces move around
- at some point in time, the h5-pawn might prove to be a weakness. Hence,
this sort of move, which is more pervasive in the Classical Caro-Kann (1 e4
c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Bf5 5 Ng3 Bg6 6 h4 h6 7 Nf3 Nd7 8 h5), is
considered double-edged.
15 ... Ne7 16 f3
 White prepares to support the h5-pawn with g2-g4, thus precipitating
Black’s next move before the bishop gets shut in.
16 ... Bf5!

As a general principle, it is good to exchange bishops if yours is on the

same colour as your centre pawns. So Black trades light-squared bishops,
even at the expense of ceding a tempo for White to secure his pawn structure.
This is interesting psychology: Ivanchuk is practically inviting Moreno to
play for a kingside pawn storm. The question is, will the white pawns
become weak in the aftermath, or will the black king become exposed to a
deadly frontal attack (even with queens off the board).
17 Bxf5 Nxf5 18 g4 Ng3
Going for more trades rather than create a logjam of black minor pieces
after 18 ... Ne7.
19 Nxg3 Bxg3 20 Ne2 Bd6 21 Rdg1
White continues to press for a kingside breakthrough.
21 ... Rae8 22 Kd1 Nh7
 23 Ng3

Question: Can White play on the g-file with 23 g5 - ?

Answer: Generally speaking, it’s not advisable for White to break up his
pawns (f- and h- ones) like this, but here he has just enough to hold the
balance by doubling on the g-file against the g7-pawn in exchange for the one
on f3. After 23 ... hxg5 24 Bxg5 Nxg5 25 Rxg5 Re3 26 Rhg1 Kh8 27 Rxg7
Rfe8 28 R7g2 Rxf3 29 Nc1 Rf5 30 Rg5 Rxg5 31 Rxg5 Re4 32 c3 Rh4 33
Nd3, White shouldn’t lose.
23 ... Bxg3
The knight has to be removed before it reaches the dangerous f5-square.
24 Rxg3 Re6 25 Re1
It wasn’t too late for 25 g5 hxg5 26 Bxg5 Nxg5 27 Rxg5, followed by
Rhg1 with a likely draw. Instead, either concerned about Black’s pending
control of the e-file, or wrongly assuming that his bishop would be superior,
Moreno plays to exchange all the rooks.
25 ... Rfe8 26 Rgg1?!
If Moreno thought the minor piece endgame would be in his favour, he is
soon disabused of that notion. He should have kept a rook after 26 Rxe6 Rxe6
27 Rg2, when his position is quite safe.
 26 ... Rxe1+ 27 Rxe1 Rxe1+ 28 Kxe1

Exercise: Assess this endgame please.

Answer: With pawns on both sides of the board on an open board, the
side with the bishop usually has the advantage, as the bishop is a long-range
piece. Here, on the other hand, the pawns are in symmetry, the centre is fixed
(White’s d4 vs. Black’s d5) and the queenside is static, thus the position can
be considered relatively closed.
In Winning Endgame Technique, GMs Beliavsky and Mikhalchishin
mooted that “the more symmetrical the pawns are, the better the knight.”
Hence, while this position may be objectively equal, Black has chances to
play for a win, especially when Ivanchuk is handling the knight.

Question: What’s the logic behind Beliavsky and Mikhalchishin’s
statement?

Answer: Symmetrical pawn structures seldom result in the formation of
passed pawns, so the knight doesn’t have to worry about having to be tied
down to a particular flank (i.e. where the passed pawn is).

 Question: So how does Black go about trying for a win?

Answer: By fracturing White’s kingside pawns, Ivanchuk keeps his
winning chances alive.
28 ... f5! 29 gxf5
With his kingside pawns isolated, Moreno must now tread extremely
carefully.

Question: Why would a grandmaster allow
the breaking up of his pawn chain voluntarily?

Answer: The pawns are bound to be split anyway, as after 29 Kf2 Nf6,
White is forced to play 30 gxf5 or lose a pawn. (Note that he can’t play 30
Kg3? fxg4 31 fxg4? because 31 ... Ne4+ wins the bishop.)
29 ... Kf7 30 Bf4!
The best way to play for a draw. White makes use of the pawn wedge on
h5 to remove some kingside wood stuck on dark squares.

Question: Why not advance the king with 30 Kf2 Kf6
31 Kg3 Kxf5 32 Kh4, since Black has no entry points?

 Answer: The danger in this sort of static endgame, where the pawns are
fixed, is that the player with the knight can manoeuvre around to arrange pawn
breaks or simply play for fork tricks. Although there’s probably no win for
Black in this position with best play, he can arrange for the knight to reach e6
and aim for ... c6-c5, attempting either to create a passed pawn in the centre
or isolate White’s d4-pawn on the wrong colour (a dark square).
For example, after 32 ... Nf8 33 Kg3 Ne6 34 Be3 b6, White cannot relax
and assume that he can shift his king around randomly. In particular 35 Kh4?
allows Black to make inroads with 35 ... Nf4! 36 Bd2 (or 36 Bf2 a6! and
zugzwang will soon force White to concede an entry point for the knight) 36
... c5 37 dxc5 bxc5 with chances to win, as the knight can help the mobile
centre pawns to advance.
30 ... Kf6 31 Be5+ Kxf5 32 Bxg7 Kg5 33 Be5 Kxh5
White has achieved his aim of trading his weak h5-pawn for the one on
g7, at the cost of giving Ivanchuk a potentially dangerous outside passed
pawn. In Moreno’s defence, the black king still has no entry points into his
enemy camp, while the knight is insufficient to cause serious damage by itself.
Moreover, the board is now wide open and the bishop gains in strength.

34 Bb8
Moreno force the black pawns onto light squares, so that it will be
difficult for Ivanchuk to prepare ... c6-c5 without isolating his own d-pawn.
34 ... a6 35 Kf2 Ng5 36 Kg3 Ne6
The knight finally gets to its ideal position, and now Ivanchuk can try to
wear Moreno down.
37 c3 Kg5 38 Bd6 Kf5 39 a4 b6
Preparing for ... c6-c5 at an opportune moment.
40 b4!?

Moreno doesn’t want to risk letting Ivanchuk connect the c- and d-pawns
after ... c6-c5. The drawback is that the advance b2-b4 also creates a
weakness in White’s camp.

Exercise: Can you identify the weakness and how Black can take
advantage of it?

Answer: White now has a backward queenside pawn, so Ivanchuk can
give up the h-pawn and go after the weak c3-pawn. All the same, Moreno is
not lost yet.
40 ... h5! 41 Kf2!
It’s alright for White to allow the h-pawn to run, as long as there’s no
entry point for the black king.

 Question: How would Black react to 41 Kh4 here?

Answer: The knight gallops to e2 to munch the c3-pawn: 41 ... Nf4! 42
Bc7 (not 42 Bxf4? Kxf4, which just leaves White in a losing king and pawn
endgame) 42 ... b5 43 axb5 axb5 44 Be5 Ne2 45 Kxh5 Nxc3 46 Bd6 Ne2 47
Kh4 (after 47 Bc5 Ng1, the f-pawn goes and the king will invade via e4) 47
... Nxd4 48 Kg3 Ke6 49 Bf8 Kf7! 50 Bc5 Nb3 51 Bb6 Nc1, followed by ...
Nd3 and Black should win.
41 ... h4 42 Be7 h3

This is the critical moment for White. One slip-up and the game is over.
My take is that Moreno was probably demoralized at how Ivanchuk has kept
improving his position little by little, while White can only watch out for
constant threats without any semblance of counterplay. In any event, he now
makes a fatal error.

Exercise: The h-pawn is about to reach h2 and that’s a huge no-no
for White. There are two ways to prevent it. Which is the correct move?

43 Bd6?
This wastes a crucial tempo. The bishop appears to cover h2, but that’s an
illusion as Ivanchuk cuts off its access at once with the move he wanted to
make anyway.
Answer: White should have played 43 Kg3!, when 43 ... Nf4 can be met
by 44 a5! bxa5 (or if 44 ... b5, only then 45 Bd6! Ne2+ 46 Kxh3 Nxc3 47
Kg2, and as opposed to the game, the white a-pawn is not en prise) 45 bxa5
Ne2+ 46 Kxh3 Nxc3 47 Kg2 and Black cannot win. The bishop guards d4 and
a5 adequately, while the white king can keep its opposite number at bay; for
example, 47 ... Ne2 48 Bc5 Nc1 49 Bb6 Nb3 50 Kf2.
Using the h-pawn as a decoy doesn’t work either, as after 43 ... h2 44
Kxh2 Kf4 (or 44 ... Nf4 45 Bd8 b5 46 a5 Ne2 47 Kg2 Nxc3 48 Kf2 and
White draws as before) 45 Kg2 Ke3 46 Kg3 Kd3 47 f4 Kxc3 48 f5 the white
f-pawn becomes dangerous. The best Black can do is to give up the knight for
the f-pawn while the king goes pawn plucking, but that isn’t sufficient for the
full point: 48 ... Ng7 49 Kg4 (if 49 f6?! then 49 ... Nh5+ and ... Nxf6) 49 ...
Nxf5 50 Kxf5 Kxd4 51 a5 b5 52 Kf4 Kc3 53 Ke3 d4+ 54 Ke2 Kc2 55 Bg5
d3+ 56 Ke1 Kc3 57 Be7 Kc2 58 Bg5 Kc3 59 Be7 leads to a draw by
repetition.
43 ... Nf4! 44 Kg3
So White has to play this after all, but now the game is lost because his a-
pawn falls as well. Obviously trading minor pieces is not possible, as White
loses his entire queenside.
44 ... Ne2+ 45 Kxh3 Nxc3
 46 Kg3
It is too late for 46 a5 because, compared with the 43 Kg3 Nf4 44 a5 line
above, White has wasted a tempo on Bd6, which means that his king can’t
reach f2 in time. After 46 ... bxa5! 47 bxa5 Ne2 48 Bc5 (or 48 Be5 Nc1 49
Kg3 Nb3 and White cannot defend d4 and a5 simultaneously) 48 ... Kf4, the
black king invades at e3.
46 ... Nxa4 47 Bc7 Ke6 48 Kf2 Kd7 49 Bf4 Nc3

50 Ke3?
Losing another pawn. White can put up more resistance with 50 Bd2, but
then the black king makes a winning journey back to the kingside with 50 ...
Nb5 51 Ke3 Ke6 52 Be1 Kf5 53 Bd2 (or 53 Bg3 a5!, creating a decisive
passed pawn) 53 ... Kg5 54 Kf2+ (or 54 Be1 Nd6) 54 ... Kh4 55 Be1 Kh3
(not 55 ... Nxd4?? 56 e3+) 56 Ke3 Kg2 57 f4 Nd6, and once the knight settles
on f5, White cannot prevent the king from invading on f3.
50 ... Na2 0-1
Summary: A masterful demonstration of the superiority of the knight over
the bishop in a symmetrical endgame. Ivanchuk used an outside passed pawn
to increase the pressure, while White’s bishop, despite having the run of the
board, could only scythe through thin air. In a difficult position, Moreno
eventually went wrong, and Ivanchuk’s knight was then able to infiltrate and
snaffle the fixed queenside pawns to win.
Game 36
H.Olafsson-V.Ivanchuk
Reykjavik 1990

This time we start at the endgame stage with Black to play.

A lot of manoeuvring in a Closed English Opening has led to the above

position, where White has a slight pull with the more active pieces. His rook
can invade down the a-file to a7 or a8, while his king can make its way to d4
and attempt to penetrate on the dark squares. Moreover, Black’s pawns are all
on light squares, a scenario which the white bishop relishes. Obviously,
Ivanchuk needs to improve the position of his knight which is idling on h6.
38 ... Ng8 39 Ke2 Nf6 40 Ra7 Kg6 41 Kd3 Nd7!
Can you see where this knight is going?
The alternative was to put it on e4, but Black would need to be confident
of holding the position after 41 ... Ne4 42 Bxe4 dxe4+ 43 Kc4, followed by
44 b5. For example, 43 ... Rd7 44 b5 cxb5+ 45 Kxb5 Rd3 46 Rxb7 Rxe3 47
c6 Rc3 48 Re7 Kf6 49 Re5 e3 50 Kb6 Rb3+ 51 Ka7 Rc3 52 Kb7 Rb3+ 53
Kc8 Rc3 54 c7 and now:

Exercise: The black rook will check if the white king sticks
its head out, but what does Black do in the meantime?

Answer: He should pass with 54 ... h6! 55 h4 Kg6! and White can’t make
progress. But not 55 ... h5? (or 54 ... h5? for that matter) 56 Kd7 Rd3+ 57
Kc6 Rc3+ 58 Kd6 Rd3+ 59 Rd5! Rxd5+ (or 59 ... Rc3 60 Rd1 e2 61 Rb1,
followed by Kd7-c8-b7 etc) 60 Kxd5 e2 61 c8Q e1Q 62 Qf8+ Kg6 63 Qg8+
Kh6 64 Qg5+ Kh7 65 Qxf5+ and White wins with Qe5+ or Qe6+, swapping
the queens off.
42 Ra8
Go directly to jail, do not pass ‘Go’, do not collect £200 - if you chose 42
Rxb7?? Nxc5+, when White loses the rook.
42 ... Kg7 43 Kd4 Nf8!
 Now it becomes clear that Ivanchuk’s steed is heading for the most active
square: the e6 command post. White still has the initiative, but Ivanchuk is not
going to allow himself to be tied down to torturous defence. Instead, he dares
White to walk into a tactical frenzy, a choice which Olafsson declines.
44 Rb8 Ne6+!?
This is Ivanchuk’s whole idea! He invites the king into e5 or else be
pushed back, never to return again.
45 Kd3?!
Olafsson decides to trust Ivanchuk’s calculation, and the mercurial
Ukrainian really had worked it all out! Incredibly, 45 Ke5! doesn’t win for
White.
When I first saw this game more than twenty years ago, I was very
impressed with how far Ivanchuk had seen when he uncorked 44 ... Ne6+.
Yes, he gets a discovered check after 45 Ke5, but he allows the white king to
invade his position at the same time. Now that’s some serious number-
crunching going on in Ivanchuk’s grey cells. Let’s have a look:
 45 ... Nxc5+ 46 Kd6 Rxe3 (another, perhaps safer option is 46 ... Na6 47
Kxe7 Nxb8 48 Be2! b5! 49 Bd3 Na6 50 Bxf5 Nxb4 51 Be6 Nd3 52 f5 Ne5
53 f6+ Kg6 and White has a draw at best; for example, 54 f7 Nxf7 55 Bxf7+
Kf5 56 Be8 b4 57 Bxc6 Ke4 58 Ke6 Kxe3 59 Bxd5 Kf4 and Black will reach
a draw by trading the b-pawn for White’s h-pawn) 47 bxc5 (or 47 Bxd5 Rd3!
48 bxc5 Rxd5+ 49 Ke6 Rxc5 50 Rxb7+ Kg6 and White has to force a draw)
47 ... Rxf3 48 Rxb7+ Kf6 49 Kxc6 (or 49 Rc7 Rxf4 50 Rxc6 Rf3 51 Kxd5+
Kg5 etc) 49 ... Ke6 (not now 49 ... Rxf4? 50 Kxd5 Rf3 due to 51 c6 Rxh3 52
c7 Rc3 53 Rb6+ Kg5 54 Rc6 and wins, or similarly 51 ... Rc3 52 c7 Kg5 53
Ra7! f4 54 Kd4 Rc1 55 Ra5+ Kh4 56 Rc5 etc) 50 Rxh7 Rxf4 51 Rh6+ Ke5!
52 Kd7 Rc4 53 c6 d4 54 c7 d3 55 Rd6 Ke4 56 h4 f4 57 h5 f3 58 Re6+ Kd5!
 59 Re1 (or 59 Re3 f2 60 Rxd3+ Ke4 61 Rd1 Rd4+ 62 Rxd4+ Kxd4 63
c8Q f1Q with yet another draw, according to the Nalimov tablebases) 59 ...
Kd4 60 h6 d2 61 Ra1 Ke3 62 c8Q (or 62 h7 Rc1! 63 h8Q d1Q+ 64 Ke8 Rxa1
65 c8Q Qa4+ with a draw) 62 ... Rxc8 63 Kxc8 Ke2 64 h7 d1Q 65 Rxd1
Kxd1 66 h8Q f2 and Black draws with the f-pawn on the seventh, as the white
king is too far away.
45 ... Kf6
Ivanchuk now has no fear of drifting into a worse position, and can decide
whether he wants to stay in his comfort zone and cover the bases to draw, or
play for more.
46 Bh5?
 Olafsson probably felt that his bishop, being a long-range piece should
count for something, so he puts it on the ‘most active’ square, attempting to
trade rooks on e8.

Exercise: Unfortunately, he failed to consider what
the strong knight on e6 can do. What did he miss?

Answer: The white king and bishop are set up for a knight fork, which
Black can exploit by advancing his d-pawn.
46 ... d4!!
With this sudden thrust, White’s kingside pawns are unexpectedly
weakened, and he can’t play 47 exd4?? because 47 ... Nxf4+ would win the
bishop. Thus Black gets to undermine the f4-pawn by removing its comrade
on e3, and the h3-pawn is now vulnerable too. Even in the endgame, Ivanchuk
is tactically alert for chances which allow him to saddle his opponent with
pawn weaknesses.
47 Re8 Rg7
Ivanchuk is not interested in exchanges now, and threatens to invade on
g3.
48 Bf3?
Retreating the bishop to the same rank as the h-pawn only makes things
worse. 48 Kd2 would put up more resistance, intending 48 ... Rg3 49 exd4
Nxf4 30 Rf8+ Ke6 31 Bd1, when at least White’s pieces are active.
48 ... Rg3 49 Ke2 Rxh3 50 Rb8

50 ... d3+?
Here Ivanchuk goes wrong and lets Olafsson off the hook (for the time
being).

Exercise: What had he missed?

Answer: He should have played 50 ... Rh2+!! 51 Kd3 Ra2, combining his
rook and knight to decisive effect. For example, 52 Rxb7 (not 52 exd4? Ra3+
53 Ke2 Nxd4+, winning the bishop) 52 ... Ra3+ 53 Kc2 dxe3 54 Kb2 Nd4!
55 Bh5 (after 55 Kxa3 Nxf3, the e-pawn can’t be stopped) 55 ... Rb3+ 56
Ka2 Rd3 57 Rxh7 (or 57 Rd7 Ne2! 58 Rxd3 Nc1+ 59 Kb2 Nxd3 60 Kc3
Nxf4 and wins) 57 ... Rd2+ 58 Kb1 Rh2 and the pin ensures that the game is
over.
51 Kf2
White is back in the game. His position is unpleasant, but he is alive and
kicking.
51 ... d2 52 Bd1 Rh2+ 53 Kg1 Rh3 54 Kf2
Seeing no way forward, Ivanchuk conjures up new chances by activating
his knight at the cost of the b- and d-pawns.
54 ... Nc7! 55 Rxb7 Nd5 56 Ke2 Rxe3+ 57 Kxd2 Re7!

The only way to complicate matters. (57 ... Re4 58 Rxh7 Rxf4 59 Rh6+
Ke5 60 Rxc6 is just equal.) Now Olafsson has to decide which endgame he
wants to defend - a bishop vs. knight ending where he has to watch against
knight forays, or a rook and minor piece ending where he has chances to
target Black’s remaining pawns.
58 Rb8?!
Even though this doesn’t lose, it gives Black a ray of hope as the attack on
the white king is renewed all over again. Instead, White should have
exchanged rooks with 58 Rxe7! Kxe7, when 59 Ba4! Kd7 (or 59 ... Nxb4 60
Kc3 Nd5+ 61 Kd4 Kd7 62 Ke5 and White can whittle the black pawns away)
60 Bc2 Ne7 61 Ke3 h5 62 Kf3 Ke6 63 Kg3 Kd5 64 Kh4 Kc4 65 Kxh5 Kxb4
66 Kg5 Kxc5 67 Bxf5 is a dead draw.
58 ... Re4 59 b5 cxb5 60 Bf3?!
Here Stockfish demonstrated a beautiful combinative draw: 60 Bb3 Rd4+
61 Kc2 Nxf4 62 c6 Ne6 63 Rf8+! (starting off a tactical mêlée in which the
rook remains totally untouchable) 63 ... Ke7 (not 63 ... Nxf8?? 64 c7 and the
c-pawn promotes) 64 Rf7+! Kd6 (and not 64 ... Kxf7?? 65 c7 with déjà vu)
65 Rxh7 Nc5! (touché; this time Black can allow the pawn to promote) 66 c7
Nxb3 67 c8Q Rc4+ 68 Qxc4 bxc4 with a drawn position.
 60 ... Rd4+ 61 Ke2?
A further error, perhaps due to time trouble, which allows Black to
capture the f-pawn with check. White should have gone back with 61 Ke1!,
when the passed c-pawn gives him good drawing chances; for example, 61 ...
Nxf4 62 c6 Ne6 63 Rxb5 Rd3 64 Bd5 Nc7 65 Bc4 Rd4 66 Rc5.
61 ... Nxf4+ 62 Ke3 Ne6?!
Maybe both players were in time trouble. Here 62 ... Rc4! was stronger,
and if 63 c6 then 63 ... Ne6 64 Bd5 (White can’t play 64 Rxb5?? because of
64 ... Rc3+ 65 Kf2 Rxf3+ 66 Kxf3 Nd4+ etc; we’ll see this again in the game)
64 ... Rc3+ 65 Kd2 Rc5 and Black should win with his two extra pawns.
63 Rxb5?
He had to play 63 Rb6 first, intending 63 ... Rd8 (63 ... Rc4 fails to 64
Bd5) and only now 64 Rxb5, when White is suffering but should hold with
accurate play; for example, 64 ... f4+ 65 Kf2 Rd2+ 66 Ke1 Rd3 67 Bg4 Nd4
68 Rb7 Rg3 69 Bc8 Rc3 70 Rxh7 Rxc3 71 Bg4. It is likely that this will end
up as a rook and knight vs. rook ending, which is a book draw. On the other
hand, if the king gets trapped on the edge, the defending side can be made to
suffer for a long time. and Kasparov managed to win one such endgame
against Judit Polgar in 1996.
63 ... Rc4!

Now Olafsson is forced to give up the c-pawn, as it’s either that or the
bishop. Notice that 64 c6? transposes to 62 ... Rc4! above, where the rook
and knight tandem won with 64 ... Rc3+ 65 Kf2 Rxf3+ 66 Kxf3 Nd4+ etc.
64 Rb7 Rxc5 65 Be2

Question: Couldn’t White get a pawn back by taking on h7 - ?

Answer: Unfortunately not. 65 Rxh7? loses in the same way as 64 c6?,
albeit to a different knight fork: 65 ... Rc3+ 66 Kf2 Rxf3+! 67 Kxf3 Ng5+ and
the rook gets swiped off.
65 ... Rc7 66 Rb5 Re7 67 Rb6 Kg5 68 Bc4 Nf4+ 69 Kf3 Ng6 70 Be2 h5
71 Rb8 Rg7 72 Rb5 Rd7 73 Bc4 Re7 74 Bf1 h4 75 Bh3

75 ... Re5!?
Ivanchuk has made progress slowly and now plays for the minor piece
ending, though it’s not easy to win with White’s king well placed to hold back
the pawns. Nevertheless, Olafsson’s task is unenviable, trying to hold a knight
+ two pawns vs. bishop ending.

Question: Why didn’t Ivanchuk keep the rooks on the board with 75 ...
Ne5+ - ?

Answer: The problem after 75 ... Ne5+ 76 Kf2 is that Black has yet to
resolve the pressure on his f5-pawn. If he plays 76 ... Ng4+, then 77 Bxg4!
Kxg4 78 Rb8 reaches an endgame known to be a theoretical draw, despite the
two extra pawns - and one in which Olafsson would probably have a firmer
idea of the correct defence. The tablebase declares the minor piece endgame
to be drawn as well, but it’s not so easy to prove that in a tournament
situation.
76 Rxe5 Nxe5+ 77 Ke3
White’s defence relies on preventing the black king from infiltrating,
while keeping control of the pawns. Ivanchuk tries to make progress by
bringing his king round the other side and advancing his pawns.
77 ... Ng6 78 Kf3 Kf6 79 Bf1 Ke5 80 Bb5 Nf4 81 Bd7 Ne6 82 Bc8
Ng5+ 83 Ke3 Ne4 84 Kf3 Ng5+ 85 Ke3 h3 86 Bb7 f4+ 87 Kf2 Kd4
Up to this point, White has defended immaculately (according to the
endgame tablebase) and is poised to hang on for a draw. But probably
exhausted by the tension and effort, Olafsson falters.

88 Ba8??
There is an extremely pressing need to keep the eye on the h-pawn, as the
only way Ivanchuk can make progress is to place his knight on g3 with the
idea of ... h3-h2-h1.
After 88 Bc8, Black can no longer make any headway. For instance, 88 ...
Ke5 89 Bd7 Ne4+ (or if 89 ... Kf6 then 90 Kg1 Kg6 91 Kh2 Kh5 92 Bxh3 and
draws) 90 Kf3 Ng5+ 91 Kf2 Kd4 92 Bc8 and Black has reached an impasse.
Incidentally, 88 Bc6 (or 88 Ba6) would also have drawn, since if Black
tries 88 ... Ne4+ 89 Kf3 Ke5 as in the game, White can thwart his ambitions
by playing 90 Bd7!, hitting the h3-pawn again. The problem with 88 Ba8?? is
that the bishop has no access to the c8-h3 diagonal, as there isn’t a b9-square.
88 ... Ne4+!
Now it’s all over, as the bishop can only watch helplessly from a8.
89 Kf3 Ke5!!

The idea which Olafsson probably missed in his calculations. What can I
say except that Ivanchuk has set an extremely devious ploy to entrench his
knight on g3 and cover the promotion square for the h-pawn.
90 Bb7
It’s no good taking the knight, since 90 Bxe4 h2 91 Kg2 Kxe4 92 Kxh2
Ke3 gives Black a winning pawn endgame.
90 ... Ng3 0-1
There’s no way to stop the h-pawn now, so Olafsson resigned.
Summary: Yes, he missed a couple of chances on moves 50 and 62, but
otherwise it was great endgame play by Ivanchuk!

Game 37
L.McShane-V.Ivanchuk
German League 2008
Ruy Lopez

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4 6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 8

dxe5 Be6 9 Nbd2 Be7
First played by the Dutch World Champion Max Euwe, the great Viktor
Korchnoi indicated that this move is “for simplification”. 9 ... Nc5 is the main
line here, as we saw in Game 10.
10 Re1
A very unusual move. Mikhalevski pointed out (at chesspublishing.com)
that the main purpose of this move is “to force a retreat of the knight, as in the
main line with 10 c3 Black can protect the knight by means of ... f7-f5” -
specifically, 10 c3 0-0 11 Bc2 f5, as later occurred in L.Dominguez Perez-
V.Ivanchuk, Havana 2014. Alternatively, 11 Re1 would transpose to the game.

Question: Why not saddle Black with weak e-pawns by trading on e4?

Answer: This was in fact played in the original game. Black doesn’t have
much trouble after 10 Nxe4 dxe4 11 Bxe6 fxe6 12 Ng5 Bxg5 (or 12 ... Qd5 13
Qh5+ g6 14 Qg4 Bxg5 15 Bxg5 Nxe5 16 Qg3 Nf7 17 Be3 e5 18 Rfd1 Qc6 19
Rd2 0-0 20 Rad1 Rae8 21 b4 Nd6 22 Bc5 and Black’s weaknesses balance
his extra pawn, V.Ivanchuk-A.Shirov, Monte Carlo rapid 2005) 13 Qh5+ g6
14 Qxg5 0-0! with a roughly equal position, G.Von Gelder-M.Euwe,
Amsterdam 1920.
10 ... Nc5 11 c3
Via this move order, 11 Nf1 is a possible alternative, though it’s only
rarely been tried.
11 ... d4

Question: What is Ivanchuk’s big plan here?

Answer: I defer to Mikhalevski again: “White intends to play 12 Bc2,
trying to transpose into the 9 ... Nc5 line, in which Re1 is played later, and
thus Black will find himself in a line he didn’t want to play”, so “in order to
avoid the aforementioned scenario, Black breaks through in the centre.” The
long-term idea behind this move is to try and force a three vs. two queenside
pawn majority for Black, which is considerably easier to mobilize than
White’s four vs. three on the kingside. But of course, before that can occur,
there is the middlegame - which Ivanchuk navigates superbly.

Question: Why not win the bishop pair with 11 ... Nd3
12 Re3 Nxc1 13 Rxc1 0-0, when Black seems to be alright, doesn’t he?

Answer: In that case White can fight for the initiative with 14 Nd4!. If
Black insists on keeping the two bishops, then 14 ... Nxd4 15 cxd4 is
necessary, which leaves the c-pawn backward, Wang Pin-M.Litinskaya,
Subotica (Women’s Interzonal) 1991.
12 Bxe6?!
Giving up the Lopez bishop puts an end to White’s fight for the initiative.
His e-pawn is firmly blockaded by the knight, and he has only slight chances
of using the c-file to play against Black’s c-pawn.
The standard retreat 12 Bc2! is stronger, even though 12 ... 0-0 (after 12
... d3 13 Bb1, Black would be tied down to defending d3 indefinitely) 13
cxd4 Nxd4 14 Nxd4 Qxd4 15 Nf3 Qxd1 16 Rxd1 means that White has
effectively wasted a tempo on Re1. Now Black has to decide which of his
rooks belongs on d8.

a) 16 ... Rfd8?! 17 Nd4 Bd5 (here 17 ... Bg4 looks better, intending 18 f3
Ne6) 18 Nf5 Bf8 19 Bg5 Rd7 20 Ne7+ (Mikhalevski writes that “now White
either obtains the advantage of the bishop pair or a bishop versus a knight, as
in the game”) 20 ... Bxe7 21 Bxe7 Rxe7?! (Marin suggests an improvement in
21 ... Ne6 22 Bb3 c6 23 Bxd5 Rxd5 24 Rxd5 cxd5 25 Rc1 Re8 26 Bd6 g5 27
Rc6 Kg7, when “Black has sufficient compensation for his pawn, thanks to
his powerful centralized knight”) 22 Rxd5 Ne6 23 g3 and the plan henceforth,
as Mikhalevski puts it, is “taking the important f4-square under control and
preparing the advance of the kingside pawns”. White has a slight but enduring
plus and ground out a win in A.Shirov-V.Ivanchuk, Sofia 2009.
b) 16 ... Rad8 17 Nd4 Rfe8! is preferable, when both rooks are well
placed. For instance, if White plays 18 Be3 Bd5 19 Nf5 Bf8, then 20 Bg5?!
(similarly to Shirov-Ivanchuk) gives Black no problems because after 20 ...
Rd7, as Mikhalevski points out, “there is no check on e7.”
 12 ... Nxe6 13 cxd4 Ncxd4 14 Nxd4 Qxd4

Ivanchuk has a straightforward queenside majority and will attempt to

mobilize it. Meanwhile the white e-pawn is firmly blockaded and might
become a future target as well.
15 Qc2
Here 15 Nf3 Qxd1 16 Rxd1 would be safe enough, but McShane is not
inclined to play the endgame so soon. He lines his queen up against the c-
pawn and keeps an eye on the light squares as well.
15 ... Qc5!
Inviting White to the endgame again, which McShane will no doubt
decline.

Question: What about mobilizing the queenside immediately
with 15 ... c5, since White is hardly well placed to take
advantage of Black’s uncastled king at the moment?

Answer: White can play to trade the minors and reach an equal major
piece ending: 16 Nf3 Qd5 17 Rd1 Qb7 (A.Rios Parra-Gild.Garcia,
Colombian Championship, Cartagena 1995) 18 h4!? 0-0 (after 18 ... h6 19
Qf5, White’s queen is well placed on the kingside; if 19 ... 0-0 then 20 Qg4)
19 Ng5 and whichever way Black exchanges on g5, White has a reasonable
game. For example, 19 ... Bxg5 (or 19 ... Nxg5 20 Bxg5 Rad8 21 Rxd8 Rxd8
22 Rd1) 20 Bxg5 Nxg5 (20 ... h6 21 Be3 is alright for White too) 21 hxg5 and
chances are equal.
16 Qe4
Although the white queen seems to have reached a good square, it is only
temporary as Black will continue to harass it with exchange motifs.
16 ... Rd8 17 Nf3 Qd5

Since White is disinclined to trade queens, Ivanchuk has managed to

improve the placing of his queen, while his a8-rook has got where it wanted
with tempo.
18 Qc2
Trading queens with 18 Qxd5 Rxd5 19 Be3 0-0 20 g3 Rfd8 21 Rac1 Bb4
22 Re2 c5 leaves Black with a slight structural advantage; while 18 Qf5 can
be met by 18 ... Bb4!? 19 Rf1 Bc5, as in the game.
18 ... Bb4!?
No rest for the wicked! Ivanchuk is not content with castling and seeks to
extract the maximum out of the position. In any case, Black’s king is very safe
in the middle of the board.
19 Rf1 Bc5!

Question: What’s the purpose of booting the rook off
 the e-file and then dropping the bishop back again?

Answer: For starters, the e5-pawn now has less support, while the c1-
bishop cannot develop to the natural square e3 without positional concessions
(i.e. doubled e-pawns).
20 Bg5
Since McShane’s bishop has been denied e3, he tries the g5-square
instead, only to meet with an annoying reply.
20 ... Qd3!

It seems McShane had been set up since the 15 ... Qc5!. After trying to
avoid the exchange of queens for several moves, he now feels obliged to
accept them under less favourable circumstances. There is still 21 Qc1 of
course, but after 21 ... Rd7 22 a4 h6 23 Bd2 0-0, Black has a very pleasant
game with the white pieces so passively placed.
21 Rac1 Qxc2 22 Rxc2 Rd3
So Ivanchuk has got what he was playing for - a riskless endgame with a
more dangerous pawn majority and the more active minor pieces. White can
still put pressure on the c-pawn, but with Black’s dark-squared bishop and
the superb e6-knight controlling the c7- and c5-squares, it’s impossible to
prevent its imminent advance.
23 Rfc1 Bb6
 Threatening to win two pieces for a rook with ... Rxf3 and ... Nxg5.
24 Bd2

It’s time for Ivanchuk to make a decision about his king. He can choose
between:
1. Advancing it to e7 to clear the way for the h8-rook, while retaining the
king in the centre, perhaps to hassle the e5-pawn in good time.
2. Placing the king on d7, aiming to use it to help the c-pawn’s advance.
3. Castling short to tuck the king safely away from the action.

Exercise: Which option should Black go for?

24 ... 0-0!
Answer: I believe this is the best option. The king is not required to
support the queenside majority, so there’s no point in subjecting it to
unnecessary danger and possible tactics. In any case, the black king isn’t out
of the game on g8. It still has the option of attacking the e5-pawn, by
advancing to f5 after ... h7-h6, ... g7-g5, and ... Kg7-g6-f5. If White prevents
this with g2-g4, he loses control of the f4-square.
Instead:
a) 24 ... Ke7 25 Kf1 h6 26 Ke2 Rhd8 is similar to the game, but after 27
g3 g5 28 h3, preventing ... g5-g4, Black seems to have reached an impasse, as
the king on e7 cannot progress further.
b) 24 ... Kd7 allows White to challenge rooks with 25 Rc3! Rd5 (after 25
... Rxc3 26 Bxc3 c5 27 b3, it won’t be easy for Black to convert his
queenside majority) 26 Kf1 c5 27 Ke2 Rc8 28 Be3 and although Black
retains the initiative, it’s not clear how exactly to improve his position. For
example, after 28 ... h6 29 Rd3 Rxd3 30 Kxd3 c4+ 31 Ke2, White is holding
on.
25 Kf1 Rfd8 26 Ke2 h6

Preparing ... g7-g5-g4 to try and knock the f3-knight away from defence of
e5, while clearing an access route for the black king to return to the centre via
h7 and g6.
27 Rc3!
A good move, enabling White to oppose the strong b6-bishop, after
putting the question to the rook on d3. Otherwise, he could have played 27 g3
g5 28 h3 (as in the note with 24 ... Ke7 above) and if 28 ... Kg7 29 b3 Kg6
then 30 g4. But this rules out the idea of Rc3, since 29 Rc3?? loses to 29 ...
Rxf3! 30 Kxf3 Rxd2 or 30 Rxf3 Nd4+.
27 ... R3d5!
No exchanges! Black targets the e5-pawn.

Question: Doesn’t this allow McShane to play b2-b4 and stymie the
queenside?

Answer: Advancing the b-pawn actually helps Black’s queenside assault:
28 b4 g5 29 h3 a5 30 a3 axb4 31 axb4 Bd4! 32 Nxd4 (or 32 Rd3 Bxe5 33
Rxd5 Rxd5 34 Nxe5 Rxe5+) 32 ... Rxe5+ 33 Re3 Nxd4+ 34 Ke1 Rxe3+ 35
Bxe3 Ne6 and Black has won a pawn.
28 Be3!
McShane challenges the b6-bishop as planned and is close to equality, as
his pieces are now well placed.
28 ... c5

Ivanchuk refuses exchanges again and starts mobilizing his queenside

pawn majority.

Exercise: What should McShane’s plan be here
to make things as difficult as possible for Black?

29 Ra3?
Not this, which just wastes a couple of moves. If McShane thought that
inducing ... a6-a5 would weaken Black’s queenside pawns, he was mistaken.
Answer: Instead, White can consider 29 g3 (taking the f4-square from the
black knight) 29 ... g5 30 h3 Kg7 31 R3c2! (retreating the rook out of harm’s
way and threatening b2-b4, exploiting the pin on the c5-pawn; not 31 a4?!, as
after 31 ... Ba5! 32 R3c2 Bb4, the bishop has found an even better spot to
direct the operations) 31 ... a5 (or 31 ... Kg6 32 b4! and White is out of the
woods) 32 b3 Kg6 33 a4!, when White seizes control of the c4-square,
effectively blockading the queenside majority.
29 ... a5 30 Rac3 a4!
Preventing White from undermining the pawn phalanx with a2-a4. He can
attack the frontage with b2-b3 instead, but that creates weaknesses in his own
structure. Tough times are ahead for McShane, as Black’s queenside pawns
keep trudging on.
31 b3
Apart from creating a weakness for White (as just noted), this allows the
black bishop to take up a more active position in front of the pawns.
However, McShane probably felt the need to get some activity somewhere.
He doesn’t have time to retreat the c3-rook first, since 31 R3c2 is met by 31
... Bc7, targeting the e5-pawn, and if 32 Bxc5 then 32 ... Nf4+ 33 Ke3 Nd3
wins the exchange.
31 ... Ba5
Rerouting the bishop to an active square, while keeping tabs on the c-
pawn.
32 R3c2 axb3 33 axb3 Bb4 34 Ra2
White tries to find play on the a-file.
34 ... g5 35 h3 Rd3!
 Latching onto the weak b3-pawn.
36 Rb1 Bc3
Ivanchuk has even managed to get his bishop to target e5 without
relinquishing his defence of the c5-pawn.
37 Ra6?!
Sending this rook round the back is futile. White had to dig deep into the
trenches with 37 Rc2 b4 38 Rcc1, intending 38 ... R3d5 39 Rd1 Bxe5 40
Nxe5 Rxe5 41 Rxd8+ Nxd8 42 g4, when he can still put up a proper defence,
despite being a pawn down.
37 ... R3d5
Now the e-pawn is just a dead duck.
38 Rb6 b4 39 Rc1?
Probably fatigued by the exertions, McShane removes his defence of b3,
which makes Ivanchuk’s conversion task even easier.
39 ... Bxe5 40 Nxe5 Rxe5 41 Kf3 Rd3
Now the b3-pawn falls as well and the rest is easy peasy.
42 g4
If the rook goes back to b1, then 42 ... Nd4+ wins.
42 ... Rxb3 43 Kg2 Kg7 44 Rb5
 Black has a won position. For instance, he can play ... Re4 and then
advance the passed pawns to glory. But this is insufficient on Planet Ivanchuk,
where the finishing touch must be exquisite.

Exercise: Can you figure out what Ivanchuk played instead?

Answer: Yes, it was another routine exchange sacrifice - routine for
Ivanchuk anyway.
44 ... Rexe3! 45 fxe3 Rxe3
This way the passed pawns get moving even more swiftly.
46 Rh1 b3 47 h4 c4 48 hxg5 hxg5 49 Kf2 Re2+!
It’s not fair, is it? All the tactics just fall into place.
50 Kxe2 Nd4+ 51 Kd2 Nxb5 0-1
 McShane threw in the towel, as there is no defence to 52 ... c3+ 53 Kd3
b2, followed by 54 ... Na3 and 55 ... b1Q.
Summary: The manner in which Ivanchuk asserted his authority after
establishing the queenside majority is simply sublime.

Game 38
Dao Thien Hai-V.Ivanchuk
Moscow Olympiad 1994

This time we begin in the middlegame, where White (to play) has a slight
spatial edge.
 Over the next few moves, the Vietnamese IM (and GM the following year)
systematically plays to hoover most of the pieces from the board, perhaps
signalling his willingness to accept a truce.
18 Ng4
Dao virtually forces a queen trade here since the f6-knight has to move.

Exercise: If Ivanchuk wants to try for a win, which endgame should he go
for?

Answer: The knights have to be kept on the board, otherwise the game
will be too static to unbalance things. Dao will swap the heavy pieces off in
any case.
18 ... Ne4!
By comparison, a prospectless ending occurs after 18 ... Nxg4 19 Qxe7
Bxe7 20 Bxg4, when it’s too difficult to complicate the position to try for the
win.
19 Qxe7 Bxe7 20 Rxd8 Rxd8 21 Rd1 Rxd1+ 22 Bxd1 Bc5!
Ivanchuk makes a feint towards the f2-pawn - his main intention is to
activate the bishop and mobilize the centre pawns.
 23 Bf3?!
This pin doesn’t really help White at all. The f2-pawn wasn’t in any
danger, and the black knight is quite happy where it is for the moment. In fact,
the knight is now more secure, since it can’t be driven back by f2-f3, while
taking it would give up the bishop pair. Dao soon changes his mind and
retreats the bishop again.

Question: Did he have a better option?

Answer: It made more sense to play 23 Kf1!, unpinning the f-pawn. After
23 ... f5 (or 23 ... h5 24 Ne5, counter-attacking the h5-pawn) 24 f3 fxg4 25
fxe4 g3 26 hxg3 Bxe4 27 Bf3, the knight trade has rendered the game quite
equal. Ivanchuk has to keep the knights on the board if he wants to play for a
win.
23 ... f6
Preparing to annex the d4-square with ... e6-e5, as well as giving the king
a route to the centre.
24 Ne3 Kf7 25 Nd1 e5
 26 Be2?!
White wants to bring his king to the centre, which he can’t do immediately
because of 26 Kf1? Nd2+, when Black wrecks his kingside pawns and gains
the two bishops. Hence Dao retreats his bishop again, at a net cost of having
wasted two tempi. Moreover, the black knight is no longer pinned. It would
have been better to play 26 Bc1, and then followed with Kf1-e2.
An alternative idea was to force matters by sacrificing the f2-pawn with
26 Nc3!?. Then 26 ... Bxf2+ (after 26 ... Nxf2 27 Bxb7 Nd3+ 28 Kf1 Nxb2 29
Be4 Bd4 30 Nb5 Nd1 31 Ke2 Nc3+ 32 Nxc3 Bxc3 33 g4, White is safe; and
26 ... Nxc3 27 Bxb7 Nd1 28 Ba1 Bxf2+ 29 Kf1 Bd4 30 Bxd4 exd4 31 Ke2
Nc3+ 32 Kd3 Nxa2 33 Kxd4 should also be defendable) 27 Kf1 Nxc3 28
Bxb7 (or 28 Bxc3 Bxf3 29 Kxf2 Be4) 28 ... Bd4 (28 ... Nd1 29 Ba1
transposes to 26 ... Nxc3) 29 Bxc3 Bxc3 30 Ke2 f5 reaches an opposite-
coloured bishop endgame, which White should be able to draw with some
care, though the central pawn mass means that it’s not guaranteed.

Exercise: Since his knight is now free to move,
what’s the next step in Ivanchuk’s plan?

Answer: The knight heads for e6, after which Black will attempt to
exchange bishops on d4.
 26 ... Ng5! 27 Bc1
Dao seems to have changed his mind again. After 27 Kf1 Ne6 28 g3 (to
prevent Nf4) 28 ... Nd4 29 Bd3 h5 30 Ne3, Black has the initiative but no
clear route through.
27 ... Ne6 28 Nc3 f5
Ivanchuk seizes a bit more central space and clears f6 for the king.
29 a3?!
Probably an unnecessary weakening of the pawns. I suppose it is tough to
sit back and wait passively under the circumstances. Otherwise he might have
played 29 Kf1. All the same, White isn’t losing yet.
29 ... Bc6!?

A very interesting psychological move, practically spurring White to

advance his queenside majority, in the hope that it creates more weaknesses
for Ivanchuk to exploit.
30 b4 Bd4 31 Nb5
White doesn’t mind getting doubled b-pawns if it means he gains the
bishop pair. However, Black’s active king and strong mobile centre more than
compensates for it.
31 ... Bxb5 32 cxb5 Kf6 33 Bc4 Bc3!
Ivanchuk clears d4 for his knight and restricts the movement of White’s
queenside pawns.
 34 Kf1 Nd4
After this, White’s light-squared bishop is forced to stay on the f1-c4
diagonal in order to keep tabs on b5.
35 f3!

Played to discourage Ivanchuk from playing ... e5-e4, which would gain
more space and clear the e5-square for the king.
35 ... f4!
Black doesn’t need ... e5-e4 in order to make inroads. He can slowly
prepare it by playing this first, and then he can resume seizing space on the
kingside, while waiting for his opportunity to invade. It’s noteworthy how
White’s bishop pair has been curtailed and reduced to a passive role.
Fewer winning chances are offered after 35 ... e4 36 fxe4 fxe4 37 Bf4!
Nc2 38 Bd5!, when the bishop pair conspire to prevent Black’s king from
entering the fray, as well as binding his queenside pawns. For example, 38 ...
Nxa3 39 Bxe4 Nxb5 40 Bd3 Na3 41 b5 Ke6 42 Bc1 Bb4 43 Bxa3 Bxa3
leaves an easily drawn opposite-coloured bishop ending.
36 Kf2 h5 37 g3 g5 38 Kg2 Nc2!
A tricky idea to throw in just before the time control. Ivanchuk
relinquishes the pressure on b5 and gives White something else to think about.
39 Kf1?
At this juncture, Dao was probably aiming at a safe move which doesn’t
compromise anything, but this is precisely the reaction Ivanchuk wanted to
provoke.
39 ... Bb2!

And this follow-up move, the last before the time control, must have
shocked the Vietnamese IM, who makes a fatal mistake.
40 Bxb2??
White should give up the a-pawn keep the bishop pair with 40 Bd2, when
the draw still seems the most likely result. For example, 40 ... Bxa3 41 gxf4
exf4 (or 41 ... gxf4 42 Bd3 Nd4 43 Kg2 and it is hard for Black to make
inroads) 42 Bc3+ Ke7 43 Bb3, since winning the second pawn only makes
things easier for White: 43 ... Bxb4?! (or 43 ... Nxb4 44 Ke2! Kd6 45 Bxb4+
Bxb4 46 Bf7 Kc5 47 Be8 etc) 44 Bxc2 Bxc3 45 Bg6 h4 46 h3 and so on.
40 ... Ne3+ 41 Ke2 Nxc4
Despite material parity, the clear dominance of the knight over the bishop
gives Ivanchuk a decisive advantage.
42 Bc1 Kf5 43 Kd3
Reducing the kingside pawns is no better, as after 43 gxf4 exf4 44 h3 g4
45 fxg4+ hxg4 46 hxg4+ Kxg4 47 Kf2 Kf5, the black king will invade the
queenside.
43 ... Nd6 44 a4 g4! 45 fxg4+ Kxg4
Forcing White give him a passed f-pawn. Taking with the pawn was even
stronger: 45 ... hxg4! 46 gxf4 (allowing the f4-pawn to advance is hopeless:
46 Bd2 f3 47 Be1 e4+ 48 Kd4 Nf7 49 Ke3 Ne5 50 Bf2 Nc4+ 51 Kd4 Nb2
and ... Nd1 will win the house) 46 ... exf4, when Black just needs to reassign
his knight to f3 to finish the job; for example, 47 Bb2 (or 47 Ke2 Nf7 48 a5
Ne5 49 Kf1 Nf3 50 Kg2 Ke4 and wins) 47 ... Nf7 48 Bd4 Ne5+ 49 Kc3 Nf3
50 Bf2 Nxh2 51 Bxb6! (the only try) 51 ... axb6 52 a5 g3 53 axb6 g2 54 b7
g1Q 55 b8Q Qe3+ 56 Kc2 Nf3 and Black will win eventually.
46 gxf4 exf4 47 Bb2?
This allows Ivanchuk to wrap things up quickly.

Exercise: Instead, how does Black win after 47 Ke2 - ?

Answer: With 47 ... Nc4! 48 Kf2 Kf5 49 Kf3 Ne5+ 50 Kg2 Ke4 and the
king and knight tandem will ease the f-pawn home, or pick up White’s
queenside pawns, or both.
But not 47 ... Ne4?, as after 48 Bb2 f3+ 49 Kf1, there’s no win for Black.
For example, 49 ... Kf4 50 Bd4! Nd6 51 Bf2 Nf5 52 a5 Ne3+ 53 Ke1 Ke4 54
axb6 axb6 55 Kd2 Nc4+ 56 Kc3 Kd5 57 h4 and Black has to give up the b6-
pawn, allowing White to reach the desired draw.
47 ... f3!
 After this, there’s no stopping the black king from winning on the
kingside. Unfortunately, White can’t play 48 Ke3? because of 48 ... Nc4+,
winning the bishop.
48 Bd4 Kh3 49 a5 Kxh2 50 axb6 axb6 51 Bxb6 Kg2 0-1
Summary: What else is there to say except “superb endgame technique!”
Even in such a simplified position as that after move 22, Ivanchuk was still
able nurture his slight initiative until it reached insurmountable proportions.

Game 39
P.Brochet-V.Ivanchuk
European Club Cup, Plovdiv 2010
Ponziani’s Opening

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 c3
The Ponziani used to be played by Yugoslav GMs Ljubojevic and
Velimirovic occasionally, but it has never really figured in the repertoire of
the world’s top players until Magnus Carlsen punted it against Indian GM
Pentalya Harikrishna at Wijk aan Zee 2013 and won a complicated game.
Five rounds later, against the women’s world champion Hou Yifan, Carlsen
showed that he was equally adept at handling the black side and won again.
However, French IM Philippe Brochet had used it a few times several
years earlier, scoring 3½/4 according to MegaBase 2014. Why he chose this
game and this opponent to revive it is unclear, and in an unusual version too.
3 ... Nf6 4 d3!?
If Ivanchuk had anticipated the Ponziani at all, this transposition into a
reversed Philidor’s Defence would probably have come as a surprise, since
Brochet had played the standard 4 d4 in previous games. On the other hand, 4
d3 is hardly a very dangerous move. White is essentially conceding equality
in the opening in order to transfer the battle to the middlegame - or as it turns
out in this case, the endgame.

4 ... a5
A standard reply against the Philidor, preventing the opponent from
gaining queenside space with the b-pawn. It also gives the king’s bishop a
bolthole on the a-file if required.
5 Be2 Bc5
The bishop makes its way to its most active square. Black can also play
into a reversed ‘Lion’ system (1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 Nbd7 4 Nf3 e5 is the
Lion proper, a line propagated by Jerry Van Rekom and Leo Jansen in their
2008 book, The Black Lion) with 5 ... d5 6 Nbd2. For example, after 6 ...
Bc5 (6 ... Be7 7 0-0 0-0 8 Re1 Re8 9 Qc2 Bf8 10 b3 h6 was equal in the later
game P.Brochet-J.Koch, French Team Championship 2012) 7 Qc2 0-0 8 h3
Qe7 9 g4!? Rd8 10 Nf1 dxe4 11 dxe4 Nd7, as in C.Maier-Ch.Gabriel,
German League 1998, White might continue operating in ‘Lion’ style with 12
Ng3 g6 13 Bh6, planning a gradual kingside attack.
6 0-0 d6
Of course 6 ... d5 is still playable, leading to another reversed Lion (or
Hanham Philidor), a tempo down with equal chances.
7 d4!?

Interestingly, Brochet decides to contest the centre at this point.

Exercise: Should Black exchange in the centre and then play against it, or
retreat the bishop and risk White swapping on e5 and going into an even
ending?

Answer: Ivanchuk has no concerns about entering a level endgame,
trusting that there will be sufficient chances later to complicate and test his
opponent.
7 ... Ba7!
Instead, after 7 ... exd4 8 cxd4 Bb6 9 Nc3 0-0 (or 9 ... Bg4 10 Be3) 10 h3
d5 (or 10 ... Re8 11 Bb5) 11 e5 Ne4 12 Be3, White has a slight advantage
due to his extra space, whereas Black has relinquished his e5-strongpoint.
8 dxe5
Brochet gladly accepts the invitation to trade queens.
 8 ... Nxe5 9 Nxe5 dxe5 10 Qxd8+ Kxd8

11 Bg5?!
This natural developing move hands over the initiative to Black, as the
following moves will show. Simply 11 Nd2 Be6 12 Nf3 Nxe4 13 Nxe5 is
equal, if White’s intention all along was to keep things quiet.
11 ... h6
Ivanchuk calls his bluff, checking whether Brochet really wants to give up
his bishop pair.
12 Bxf6+
It’s either capture or retreat to h4 for White, as the e4-pawn is being
attacked. Brochet prefers to double Black’s pawns rather than go backwards.

Question: Why not retreat the bishop with 12 Bh4 - ?

Answer: In that case Black can play to lock the bishop on the kingside
after 12 ... g5 13 Bg3 Nd7!, followed by ... f7-f6, when it is biting on granite
with few prospects. If White decides to trade it off on f2, he will be left with
the worse bishop, as his centre pawns will then be on f3 and e4, reducing that
bishop’s scope.
Exchanging e-pawns with 13 ... Nxe4 14 Bxe5 Re8 is less accurate, as
after 15 Rd1+ Ke7 16 Bd4, White maintains an equal game.
 12 ... gxf6

Let’s assess the position. Materially, White is doing alright and

apparently has the ‘better’ structure with only two pawn islands, but any
master would take the other side in this position. Black has the open g-file to
play on and can get his central pawns mobile with an eventual ... f6-f5 - and
don’t forget the powerful bishop pair raking the diagonals.
13 Nd2 Ke7 14 Nc4 a4
Unsurprisingly, Ivanchuk does not pass up an opportunity to gain space.
15 a3?!

Question: What’s the problem with this move, fixing
the black pawn on a4 in the hope of making it a target?

Answer: Firstly, White is hardly going to be able to find time even to
tickle the a4-pawn without worrying about the potential build-up of rooks on
the g-file. Secondly, he had a better move in 15 b4!, when Black would rather
not trade pawns as 15 ... axb3 16 axb3 develops the a1-rook is on its initial
square, but if he doesn’t the white knight will have access to a5 to harass his
queenside pawns. Last of all, White’s position becomes static after 15 a3?! -
he has no access points for his rooks to invade on the d-file, and he still has
to make preparations to defend on the g-file.
 15 ... h5!

Question: Why is Ivanchuk putting the pawn on a light
square attacked by the e2-bishop? Granted that it gains
kingside space, but why offer White an unnecessary target?

Answer: Ivanchuk is seeking to open up lines on the kingside where his
rooks can wreak havoc. He is not concerned about losing the h-pawn. For
instance, if White stops the h-pawn in its tracks with 16 h4, Ivanchuk can
nonchalantly play 16 ... Rg8!, when 17 Bxh5? runs into 17 ... Bg4 18 Bxg4!
and the black rooks will have a field day after 18 ... Rxg4 19 Rae1 (or 19
Ne3 Bxe3 20 fxe3 Rxh4, followed by 21 ... Rxe4) 19 ... Rag8 20 Ne3 (not 20
g3?? Rxg3+ 21 Kh2 Rg2+ 22 Kh3 Bxf2 and mates) 20 ... Bxe3 21 Rxe3
Rxg2+ 22 Kh1 R2g4 and White comes out a pawn down, having to decide
whether he wants to keep the one on h4 or e4.
16 Rad1
Brochet activates the queen’s rook on d1 because he anticipates that the f-
file will open after Ne3, ... Bxe3 and f2xe3, hence saving the king’s rook for
the f-file.
16 ... h4 17 Ne3?!
The knight is heading for d5 or f5, to trade itself for the light-squared
bishop, after which White is at least equal in a rook and opposite-coloured
bishops ending. If instead 17 Rd2 Be6 18 Rfd1 Rhg8 19 Kf1 Rg5, White has
reached an impasse and will have to play Ne3 anyway, as there’s really
nothing else to do.
Brochet had one last chance to equalize: 17 Rd3!, preparing Ne3, so that
if Black trades on e3, the rook can recapture and keep White’s pawn structure
intact. If 17 ... Rg8 18 Ne3 c6 (after 18 ... Bxe3 19 Rxe3, White’s solid
structure balances Black’s superior bishop) 19 Rfd1 Rg5 20 Kf1 Be6, White
can throw the spanner in the works with 21 Nf5+! Bxf5?! (Black does best to
sacrifice the exchange: 21 ... Rxf5 22 exf5 Bxf5 23 R3d2 Be6 with sufficient
compensation, even if White has no real weakness for him to aim at) 22 exf5
Rxf5 23 Rd7+ Ke8 24 f3, taking over the initiative with control of the d-file
and seventh rank, while Black’s queen’s rook is out of play.
17 ... Bxe3!
Pretty obvious but nevertheless still good. White is saddled with three
pawn islands too, the difference being that his pawn islands are static and
immobile, whereas Black still has his ... f6-f5 break and his queenside pawns
can advance in good time.
If instead 17 ... Be6 18 Nd5+ Bxd5 19 Rxd5 c6 20 Rd2, Black is virtually
forced to trade all the rooks on the d-file (for a drawn ending) to avoid an
invasion on d7.
18 fxe3

Exercise: Where’s the best place to develop the c8-bishop? 1. Rush it b3
via e6
to prevent White from doubling on the d-file; 2. Exchange it on g4 to make
it
harder for White to defend the e4-pawn; 3. Reroute it to c6 to hit e4.

Answer: The bishop belongs on c6 to hassle the e4-pawn. Ivanchuk sets
this plan going.
18 ... Bd7
Let’s look at some other continuations:
a) 18 ... Be6 19 Rf2 Bb3 20 Rd2 (not 20 Rdf1? Rad8! and Black
infiltrates on the d-file after 21 Rxf6 Rd2 or 21 Bg4 Rd6, followed by ...
Rhd8) 20 ... Rhg8 21 Kf1 and Black has nothing concrete to aim at.
b) 18 ... Rg8 19 Rf2 Bg4 is met by 20 Kf1, and trading bishops leaves
Black with too little ammunition to win. For example, after 20 ... Rg5 (or 20
... Bxe2 21 Kxe2 Rg4 22 Kf3) 21 Bf3 Rag8 22 Ke2 Bxf3+ 23 Kxf3, Black
has nothing to bite on.
19 Rd2 Be6!?

Question: Hey! Didn’t you say the bishop belongs on c6?
 What is Ivanchuk doing, shuffling his bishop to and fro?

Answer: The problem with 19 ... Bc6 immediately is that it allows White
to reroute his own prelate to an excellent post with 20 Bg4!, heading for f5,
and 20 ... Bxe4 is not playable due to 21 Rd7+. Thus Ivanchuk has to bide his
time and manoeuvre, waiting for a chance to get his bishop on the long light
diagonal.

Question: In that case, wasn’t it better to play 18 ... Be6
19 Rf2 Rhg8, followed by ... Rg5, or perhaps 18 ... Rg8 19 Rd2 Bd7
20 Rfd1 Bc6, when the bishop reaches the diagonal much sooner?

Answer: The first idea doesn’t make much difference. Ivanchuk can do
this whenever he likes - at the moment he’s just testing the waters.
(Incidentally, 20 Bf3 Rg5 21 Rfd2 Rag8 22 Kf2 transposes to the position
after 28 Bf3 in the game, though White doesn’t have to play this way.) The
second plan, on the other hand, is more interesting.

White should probably meet this by 21 Bc4! Rg4 (not 21 ... Bxe4? due to
22 Rd7+ again) 22 Bd5! Bxd5 23 Rxd5 (here 23 exd5?! Ra6 leaves White
very much tied down in the rook endgame; the d5-pawn is of long-term
concern, whereas Black’s pawns can’t be attacked at all) 23 ... Rc8 24 Rb5,
activating the rook with counterplay; for example, 24 ... Rxe4 25 Rxb7 Rxe3
26 Rb4 Re2 27 Rxh4 Rxb2 28 Rxa4, and although Black has the advantage
with his strong rook on the second rank, it’s not clear whether he can actually
win. Objectively, this course may have been better for Black, but as we see,
Ivanchuk prefers not to force matters.
20 Kf2 Ra5
Now comes a series of probing moves by Ivanchuk, waiting for an
opportunity to settle the bishop on the desired diagonal. White needs to
remain cautious to prevent that from happening.
21 Rfd1 Rc5 22 Bd3 Rg8 23 Bc2 Ra5 24 Bd3 Rg4!

A seemingly harmless but tricky move. All it appears to do is ensure that

the white bishop remains defending the e4-pawn. However, it has the
advantage of egging White to play a ‘nothing’ move such as ...
25 Kf3?!

Question: What’s wrong with using the king
to defend e4, while keeping tabs on the g4-rook?

Answer: Firstly, from a psychological viewpoint, White is lured into a
false sense of security, as Black’s manoeuvres seem purposeless. More
importantly, the subsequent loss of tempi with the king allows Ivanchuk to
whip up a strong initiative on the g-file.
Here 25 Be2! was stronger, forcing the rook to backtrack, as after 25 ...
Rxe4? 26 h3! (cutting off the rook’s return to g4) 26 ... f5 27 Bd3 Bb3 28
Bxe4 Bxd1 29 Bxf5, White is back in fray with chances to play for the win.
25 ... Rg5 26 Kf2 Ra8!
Here comes the cavalry on the g-file.
27 Be2 Rag8
Ivanchuk’s crafty and apparently pointless shuffling of his pieces has
resulted in White being forced to put his bishop on f3, relinquishing its
control of the queenside.
28 Bf3

Question: What was wrong with 28 Rg1, leaving the bishop
where it is with access to both kingside and queenside?

Answer: Ivanchuk probably planned 28 ... Bh3!, intending 29 Bf3 Bd7!,
when the careless 30 Rgd1? runs into 30 ... Bc6 and the impending ... f6-f5
break will cause White severe headaches.
After the text, Black has a tougher job in trying to get his bishop on the
prized long diagonal, and this has to be planned carefully, since he also needs
to keep tabs on the d7-square.
28 ... b6
 29 Kf1?!
An oblivious opponent makes it easy for Ivanchuk to achieve the desired
manoeuvre. Brochet probably didn’t realize that the routing of the bishop to
c6 was critical. In fact, his move encourages it.

Question: What if White simply shuffles his rooks on
the d-file instead? Can Black do anything in that case?

Answer: Even doing that requires care. For example, after 29 Rd3 Rc8!
30 R3d2 Bb3!, the rash 31 Rd7+? results in a comedic rook pursuit after 31
... Ke8 32 R1d2 Be6 33 R7d3 Bc4 34 Rd7 Bb5 35 R7d5 Bc6 and the poor
rook is snared! White has no choice other than to move his rook off the d-file,
when 31 ... Bc4 32 Rgd1 Bb5 heads for the desired diagonal, but all is not
lost for White. He can play 33 h3! and if 33 ... Rcg8 34 Bg4 Bc6, then 35
Rd7+! Bxd7 36 Rxd7+ Kf8 37 Rxc7 and White has more than enough for the
exchange with his rook amongst the pawns. Brochet tries something similar in
the game, but it doesn’t work out so well.
29 ... Bc4+ 30 Kf2 Bb5 31 h3?
The last chance was 31 Kg1 Bc6 32 Rf1, defusing the threat of ... f7-f5,
when White might still survive.
31 ... Bc6 32 Bg4
 This was Brochet’s plan, blocking off the g-file with the bishop, while
relying on the threat of Rd7+ to counteract the attack on e4. Of course
Ivanchuk was already prepared for this.

Exercise: What did he have in mind here?

Answer: With a whole chapter of this book on Mutanis Mutandis, I’m
sure you’ll be able to find ...
32 ... Rxg4!
Black gets one pawn for the exchange immediately and will swipe the e4-
pawn as well in good time.
Obviously not 32 ... Bxe4? 33 Rd7+ Kf8 34 Rxc7 f5 35 Rd8+ Kg7 36
Rxg8+ Kxg8 37 Bf3, when White has the edge with his better-placed rook.
33 hxg4 Rxg4 34 Rh1
White decides to defend g2 from h2 and exert some pressure on the h-
pawn. It would be futile to leave the rooks on the d-file with 34 Kf1, as Black
is too strong on the kingside. After 34 ... Bxe4 35 Rd7+ Ke6, White can’t play
36 Rxc7? because of 36 ... Bxg2+ 37 Ke2 Be4 and the h-pawn will trot
unimpeded to the queening square; e.g. 38 Rd8 h3 39 Rh8 Rg2+ 40 Kf1 h2
etc.
34 ... Bxe4 35 Rh2 f5
 Now White has a mobile pawn centre to deal with and only suffering in
store. There’s almost nothing for him to do, while Black keeps improving his
position.
36 Rd1 b5 37 Rg1
Rather than face a slow and protracted torture, Brochet decides to fight on
the kingside by opening the g-file.
If White tries to defend passively by shifting the d-file rook up and down,
Black will first manoeuvre his king over to b3 - for example, 37 Rd2 c6 38
Rd1 Bd5! 39 Rd2 Kd6 40 Rd1 Kc5 41 Rd2 Kc4 42 Rd1 Kb3 43 Rd2 - and
then play 43 ... f4, after which there’s no way White can deal with the black
central pawn mass, coupled with the black king ever ready to gobble the
queenside pawns.
37 ... Ke6 38 g3 hxg3+ 39 Rxg3 Kd5!

The trade of rooks on the g-file is now irrelevant, as Ivanchuk’s monarch

makes its way over to b3.
40 Rgh3 Kc4 41 Rh7
If instead 41 Kf1 then 41 ... Bd3+! 42 Ke1 Rg1+ 43 Kf2 Rb1 44 Kg3 Kb3
45 Rd2 Bc2 46 Rhh2 Rxb2 and the queenside pawns get decimated anyway.
41 ... c6
Ivanchuk doesn’t care about the f7-pawn and just carries on with his
master plan.
 42 Rxf7 Kb3 43 Kf1 Bd3+ 44 Ke1 Rg1+ 45 Kd2 Be4 0-1
There’s no stopping the queenside pawns from being eradicated, so White
resigned.
Summary: Impeccable timing and craftiness by Ivanchuk in getting his
bishop to the desired light-squared diagonal. Once White underestimated the
danger and allowed an exchange sacrifice on g4, he had no answer to the
black king’s expedition to b3.

Game 40
H.Nakamura-V.Ivanchuk
FIDE Grand Prix, London 2012
Ruy Lopez

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Bxc6

The top American Grandmaster has the broadest and most arcane opening
repertoire among his peers - and yet here he decides to test Ivanchuk in the
Exchange, a highly technical opening where manoeuvring and piece
placement figure more than tactical play, since queens are often exchanged off
early and the pawn formations are relatively static.
4 ... dxc6 5 0-0 f6
The most popular continuation. Black defends e5 and provides cover for
that square in case the pawn gets traded off after d2-d4. Incidentally, 5 ... Qd6
6 d4 exd4 7 Qxd4 Qxd4 8 Nxd4 would reach the same position as in the
game, except that the black f-pawn has remained on its original square.
Another option is 5 ... Bd6 6 d4 exd4 7 Qxd4 f6, which led to an
interesting draw in V.Ivanchuk-Ma.Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee 2008: 8 b3 Ne7 9
Ba3 Bg4 10 Bxd6 Bxf3! 11 Bc5 Qxd4 12 Bxd4 Rd8! 13 Bc5 Bxe4 14 Re1
Rd7 15 Nc3 (the bishop can’t be taken due to mate on the back rank) 15 ...
Bd5 16 Rad1 Kd8 17 Bxe7+ Rxe7 18 Rxe7 Kxe7 19 Nxd5+ cxd5 20 Rxd5
½-½.
6 d4 exd4 7 Qxd4
Inviting Ivanchuk to play a queenless middlegame. Trust Nakamura to
come up with a rare move. In MegaBase 2014, 7 Nxd4 was played in more
than 90% of the games.
7 ... Qxd4
If Black really doesn’t want to exchange queens, then 7 ... Bd6!? would
transpose to Ivanchuk-Carlsen above.
 8 Nxd4 Bd7 9 Nc3 0-0-0 10 Be3

Now the standard moves have been played, let’s have a discussion of this
structure.

Question: How would you assess this position
and what are the general plans for both sides?

Answer: Black has easy equality, with more freedom than in the main
lines after 7 Nxd4 c5 8 Nb3 (or 8 Ne2) 8 ... Qxd1 9 Rxd1 Bd7 10 Be3 0-0-0
11 Nc3. In particular, his dark-squared bishop isn’t curtailed by the c5-pawn
(yes, 10 ... c5 11 Nb3 would be very similar, but Black has no need to play
that here) and White hasn’t gotten a rook to d1 yet.
If we look at each side’s plans, in general White will try to:
1. Trade off one of the black bishops and as much other wood as possible,
to enhance his potentially more effective pawn majority.
2. Advance his kingside majority at a suitable moment to try and create a
passed pawn.
Conversely, Black will aim to:
1. Keep the bishop pair and find an opportunity to open up the game
favourably for them.
2. Attack the white e-pawn with ... Re8 and ... f6-f5.
 3. If possible, create weaknesses on the white queenside (just like in the
Berlin Defence) and make use of his queenside majority.
10 ... Bd6

A natural square for the bishop, overprotecting e5. Generally, Black’s

theatre of operations is not on the d-file but the e-file, in order to restrain
White’s kingside/central pawn majority.
11 Rfd1!?
Nakamura goes his own way here. The natural move is to put the queen’s
rook on d1, when the king’s rook can still go to e1. However, Nakamura
intends to double rooks on the d-file, so it doesn’t really matter which one he
starts with.
Before and since, tournament praxis has seen:
a) 11 Nb3 Ne7 12 Nc5 Bxc5 13 Bxc5 Rhe8 14 Rad1 b6 15 Bxe7 Rxe7 16
Rd3 Be6 17 Rxd8+ Kxd8 and a draw was agreed in V.Malaniuk-
V.Kupreichik, Minsk 1985. As might be expected, a lot of games after 7 Qxd4
have ended in quick draws, but if Nakamura was hoping for another one, he
was to be disappointed.
b) 11 Rad1 Ne7 12 Nb3 Rhe8 13 Nc5 b6 14 Nxd7 Rxd7 15 b3 Ng6 16 f3
Red8 17 g3 Kb7 18 Kg2 Nf8 19 h3 Bb4 20 Rxd7 Rxd7 21 Ne2 Bd2 22 Kf2
Ne6, M.Novikov-M.Pogosian, Donskoj 2010, was drawn shortly as well,
though White might claim a little something here with his more potent
majority. For instance, 23 Nf4 Nxf4 24 gxf4 gives White whatever chances
there are in this endgame.
11 ... Re8!
Ivanchuk starts active play immediately, putting pressure on the e-pawn.
12 Rd2 Ne7 13 Nb3
Nakamura reverts to the plan of attempting to trade minors by planting a
knight on c5.
13 ... Be6

Question: Can Black stop the knight from getting there by playing 13 ...
b6 - ?

Answer: Most definitely not. That would run into 14 Bxb6! Bxh2+ 15
Kxh2 cxb6 16 Na4! Kc7 17 Nxb6 and White snags an extra pawn thanks to
the loose bishop on d7.
14 Nc5

14 ... Ng6!

Question: Why not keep the bishop pair with 14 ... Bf7 instead?

Answer: Black isn’t afraid of 15 Nxe6 Rxe6 16 f3, since he has 16 ...
Bb4! (Mikhalevski), intending to shatter White’s pawn structure with ... Bxc3.
Imagine a black knight sitting comfortably on c4 dictating operations after
that! Any attempt to defend the c3-knight will be short-lived (i.e. 17 Rd3 Ne5
or 17 Bd4 Rd6! 18 Rad1 Rhd8, followed by 19 ... c5), while preventing ...
Bb4 with 16 a3? is met by 16 ... Ne5! and the knight will cause massive
problems on g4 or c4.
15 f3
Bolstering his centre and planning to take on e6 next move. Since Black
can’t play ... Bb4 in the meantime, he retreats after all to keep the bishop pair.
No dogmas for Ivanchuk, just flexible thinking, depending on the needs of the
position.
15 ... Bf7 16 Nd3

Black was about to drive the knight away with 16 ... b6 (when 17 Nxa6?
loses material to 17 ... Kb7), so Nakamura retreats it at once, with options to
replace it with the bishop.
16 ... b6
Ivanchuk plays 16 ... b6 anyway, removing c5 as a staging square for
White’s minor pieces, preparing a future queenside pawn advance, and asking
Nakamura what he intends to do next.
If instead 16 ... Ne5, an interesting computer variation runs 17 b3 Nxd3
18 Rxd3 Bg6 19 Na4!? (playing for Nb6+ tactics) 19 ... b5 20 Nb6+
(anyway) 20 ... Kb7 21 Nd7 f5 22 e5 f4 (after 22 ... Bxe5 23 Nxe5 Rxe5 24
Bf4, Black’s extra doubled pawn doesn’t give him any winning chances) f4
23 exd6 Rxe3 24 Nc5+ Kb6 25 Rxe3 fxe3 26 Nd7+ Kb7 27 Nc5+ Kb6 (not
27 ... Kc8? 28 d7+ Kd8 29 Rd1 and White wins) 28 Nd7+ with a draw by
perpetual check.
17 Bf2
Nakamura retreats again, this time to prevent ... f6-f5, exploiting the pin
on the e-pawn. However, it might be a trifle premature. For example, 17
Rad1 f5?! could be met by 18 Bd4! Rhg8 19 exf5 Nh4 20 Ne4 Nxf5 21
Nxd6+ Nxd6 22 b3 and White has an easy game. If Black tries to remove his
doubled pawn 22 ... c5 23 Bb2 c4, then 24 Ne5 centralizes the knight with a
comfortable spatial plus.
17 ... Rd8

Question: Why does Ivanchuk redirect operations
to the d-file, having earlier switched to the e-file?

Answer: He has already placed his minors on good squares, covering the
e5- and f4-squares to restrain White’s potentially dangerous kingside
majority. Moreover, his f7-bishop is well placed to aid a future queenside
pawn advance. He now welcomes the exchange of heavy pieces, aiming to
enhance the strength of his two bishops which are likely to exert themselves
more with fewer pieces on the board.
18 Rad1 Rd7 19 b3

Question: If White opposes bishops with
19 Bg3, what would you recommend for Black?

Answer: He should keep his bishop pair for now and play 19 ... Be7. It
wouldn’t be beneficial for White to open up the position with 20 e5?! fxe5 21
Nxe5 Nxe5 22 Bxe5 due to 22 ... Bc5+ 23 Kh1 (not 23 Kf1? Bc4+) 23 ...
Rxd2 24 Rxd2 Re8 25 Re2 g5 26 Bf6 Rxe2 27 Nxe2 Be3, when Black can
play for a win with two bishops in a wide open position.
19 ... Rhd8 20 Nb1
Nakamura continues to go backwards. This time he sidesteps the threat of
19 ... Bb4, winning the exchange, based on the pin on both white knights.
20 ... Be6!

Ivanchuk begins to seek open lines for his light-squared prelate, beginning
with ... f6-f5 to assault the white centre.
GM Lubomir Ftacnik, annotating in ChessBase Magazine, thought he
should have gone for 20 ... c5 21 c4 Ne5 22 Nxe5 Bxe5 23 Rxd7 Rxd7 24
Rxd7 Kxd7, aiming to utilize the bishop pair. However, it is hard to see how
Black makes progress after 25 Bg3! Bd4+ 26 Kf1, when White is very solid,
and the reduced material makes it hard to induce him into making a mistake.
Black’s king has no entry points, and if he tries 26 ... b5, White can just give
up a pawn with 27 Nd2 Bc3 28 Ke2 Bxd2 29 Kxd2 bxc4 30 Kc3 cxb3 31
axb3, since Black has no winning chances in this opposite-coloured bishop
ending.
21 c4?!

Exercise: White has a better way to resist here,
according to Mikhalevski. Can you see his idea?

Answer: Mikhalevski suggested preventing ... f6-f5 with 21 g4, and if 21
... c5 then 22 c4 Ne5 23 Nxe5 Bxe5 24 Rxd7 Rxd7 25 Rxd7 Kxd7. Although
Black is nominally better, as in Ftacnik’s 20 ... c5 line I can’t see how he
makes progress after 26 Bg3 Bd4+ 27 Kf1 b5 28 Nd2, since he has no good
way to invade the white position.
21 ... f5 22 c5!?
Nakamura isn’t just going to lie down. This nice idea allows him remove
Black’s dark-squared bishop, after which a lot of wood suddenly gets
removed from the board.

 22 ... fxe4
Retreating the bishop doesn’t help here, since 22 ... Be7 23 cxb6 fxe4 24
Nc5 Bxc5 25 Bxc5 exf3 26 Rxd7 Rxd7 27 Rxd7 Bxd7 28 gxf3 leads to an
equal game.
23 cxd6 exd3 24 Rxd3 c5!
The only way to retain winning chances is to mobilize the queenside
majority.
25 dxc7 Kxc7 26 Rxd7+ Rxd7 27 Rxd7+ Kxd7

As the smoke clears, we see that the game has reached a double minor
piece ending, where Ivanchuk has a slight advantage. Although he has lost the
bishop pair, his doubled pawn has also been eliminated, leaving him with the
more dangerous majority. Moreover, the opposite-coloured bishops give the
nod to Ivanchuk, as White’s queenside pawns are on light squares, which the
e6-bishop watches like a hawk.
28 Bg3?!
Nakamura surprisingly takes his eye off the queenside, allowing
Ivanchuk’s pawns to advance with impunity. Why would a top player like
Nakamura do that? Presumably he considered it necessary to control the h2-
b8 diagonal, in order to keep the black knight at bay.
For example, after 28 Kf1 a5 29 Ke1 Nf4 30 g3? Nd3+ 31 Kf1 Kc6,
White is in serious trouble. However, White can improve this line by ignoring
the attack on g2 and hitting the knight immediately: 30 Bg3 Nxg2+ 31 Kf2 Bh3
(Black is now tied down to defending the trapped knight) 32 f4 h5 33 Kf3 h4
34 Bf2 Bf5 35 Nc3 h3 36 Nd5 b5 (not 36 ... Kc6? 37 Ne7+ and wins) 37
Bxc5 Nh4+ 38 Kg3 Kc6 39 Bb6 Kxd5 40 Kxh4 a4 41 bxa4 bxa4 42 Kg5 g6
43 a3 and a draw will result.
Alternatively, Ftacnik recommended 28 Nc3!? Kc6 29 Be3 a5 30 Kf2 b5
31 Ne4 c4 32 bxc4 Bxc4 33 a3 Ne5 34 Bd2 with equality. In turn, Black
might improve on this with the temporary pawn sacrifice 32 ... b4!. After 33
Nd2 Ne5 (regaining the pawn, since 34 c5? Bxa2 just loses for White) 34
Nb3 Nxc4 35 Nd4+ Kd5 36 Nxe6 Kxe6, Black has the upper hand with his
well-placed king and more advanced majority. All the same, White should be
able to hold down the draw with careful play.
28 ... a5 29 Kf2 b5
There’s no hurry to fracture White’s queenside pawns. 29 ... a4 30 bxa4
Bxa2 would be premature, as after 31 Nd2 Kc6 32 Ke3 Be6 33 Kd3 Ne7 34
Be5, it is difficult for Black to make progress. The a-pawn is surprisingly
hard to attack and functions as a useful breakwater on the queenside.
30 Nd2 b4!

Question: In the middlegame, this sort of move would usually be
considered
 weak, as it renders the c5-pawn backward and grants the white knight an
outpost on c4. It’s as if Black has ‘fixed’ his own queenside pawns on the
same colour complex as White’s bishop! So why is this move strong
here?

Answer: This move would indeed be a liability in the middlegame,
especially with a rook on c1 restraining the c-pawn’s advance. In this ending,
on the other hand, White cannot maintain sufficient control of the c4-square,
so Black’s pawns are not fixed. Rather, White’s queenside pawns are fixed on
the light squares, and can be attacked by Black’s bishop and a-pawn.
Moreover, Black’s centralized king is well placed to aid his majority and
realize its aim of forcing one guy through.
Anyway, now it’s time for both parties to hustle over to the queenside.
31 Ke2 Kc6 32 Kd1

Question: Why not walk the king up the board with 32 Kd3 instead?

Answer: The king is vulnerable on d3 as it can be attacked by the light
squared bishop. For example, 32 ... a4 33 h4 Bf5+ 34 Kc4?! (34 Ne4 is
necessary) 34 ... axb3 35 axb3? (but if 35 Kxb3 then 35 ... Be6+ 36 Kb2 c4)
35 ... Nf8! and the knight is heading for b6 to deliver mate(!), so White is
forced to give up the b-pawn: 36 Ne4 Be6+ 37 Kd3 Bxb3 with a winning
position for Black.
32 ... a4! 33 Kc2
GM Ftacnik demonstrated that Black gets a big advantage after 33 bxa4
Bxa2 34 Kc2 c4 35 h4 Ne7 36 Bf2 Nd5 37 Bd4 g6, when the connected
passed pawns, coupled with White’s weak a-pawn, give Black good chances
to win.
33 ... a3!
 Ivanchuk fixes the white queenside for good. Nakamura now has to watch
out for ... Bxb3 sacrifices, as well as worrying about a ... c5-c4 break or a
bishop zipping round to b1 to hit the pawns from the back. Hence, the white
king is tied down to the queenside.
34 Nf1?!
Nakamura is suffering in any case, but by relinquishing control of the c4-
square he makes things easier for Black. Instead:
a) 34 Kd3 again meets with 34 ... Bf5+ 35 Ne4 (or 35 Kc4 Bc8! 36 Kd3
Kd5 37 Ne4 Bf5, transposing) 35 ... Kd5 36 h3 Ne7 37 Bf2 Nc6 38 Be3
Nd4!, when White has run out of moves. After 39 Bc1 (or 39 Bxd4 cxd4 40
g4 Bg6 with zugzwang soon) 39 ... Nb5 40 Bd2 Nd6, Black has an easy win.
b) 34 Nc4!? might be best, heading for e3 another way, and if 34 ... Bf5+
then 35 Kc1, when it’s not obvious how Black breaks through.
34 ... c4!
Ivanchuk seizes his chance. White can’t take the pawn, since 35 bxc4?
Bxc4 forks a2 and f1, and Black wins after 36 Nd2 Bxa2 37 Nb3 Nf8 38 Be5
Ne6 39 Ba1 Bxb3+ 40 Kxb3 Kb5 41 g3 Nc5+ 42 Ka2 g6 43 Bg7 Ka4 etc.
35 Ne3?!
Too ambitious. It was better to return with 35 Nd2, when White might yet
draw. For example, after 35 ... Kb5 36 Nxc4 Bxc4 37 bxc4+ Kxc4 38 h3!
Ne7 39 Be5 Nd5 (39 ... g6 40 f4 Nd5 41 g4 and 39 ... g5 40 f4 Nc6 41 g3 are
much the same) 40 Bxg7 Ne3+ 41 Kb1! Nxg2 42 Be5 Ne3 43 f4, White’s
protected passed pawn ensures that Black can never commit both king and
knight to force a win on the queenside.
Instead, Ftacnik suggested 35 ... Bf5+ 36 Kc1 cxb3 37 Nxb3 Kd5, when
Black seems clearly better, though it’s not easy to find a concrete winning
plan.

Question: What’s wrong with activating the knight on e3?

Answer: It means that White now has to recapture on b3 with the a-pawn.
35 ... cxb3+ 36 axb3

Ivanchuk has transformed his advantage from a mobile pawn majority to a

protected passed a-pawn, requiring permanent guard duty by the white king.
The weak b3-pawn is another burden for White to bear.

Exercise: Find which square the black knight would
like to find itself on, and how it might get there?

Answer: Ideally, the knight would like to get to d4, forking the king and b-
pawn, but White can easily guard against that. Otherwise, c5 is a juicy
square, tying the white knight down to defence of b3.
 36 ... Nf8!
Making its way to c5 as indicated.
37 Be5 g6 38 Bg7
There is no point in White covering c5 with 38 Bd4, since he can’t take
the knight on c5 anyway. For example, after 38 ... Nd7 39 Nf1 Nc5 40 Bxc5
Kxc5 41 Nd2 Bf5+ 42 Kc1 Kd4, the black king penetrates into the white
kingside.
38 ... Nd7 39 Nf1 Nc5

Exercise: Okay, the knight has reached c5. What should Black do next?

Answer: Invade with the king.
40 Nd2 h5 41 Bf8 Kd5 42 h3
Preparing g2-g4 in the hope of reaching a draw by trading off the kingside
pawns.
Now before Ivanchuk can advance his king further, he needs to free it
from the responsibility of defending the knight and b-pawn.
42 ... Bf5+ 43 Kc1 Nd3+
Mission accomplished. With the knight now safe and the b4-pawn
protected, Ivanchuk’s king is primed to do some harvesting on the kingside.
44 Kb1 Kd4 45 g4 Be6 46 Kc2
 After 46 Ka2 Kc3 47 Ne4+ Kc2, White is lost.
46 ... Ne1+
Ivanchuk indulges in a bit of repetition, presumably to gain time on the
clock.
47 Kb1 Nd3 48 Kc2

Exercise: Find Ivanchuk’s star move, which ensures
White’s kingside pawns are stymied completely?

Answer: Paradoxically, the way forward is to advance the h-pawn to an
indefensible square. It turns out that White doesn’t have time to pick it off,
since his bishop is required to guard the black a-pawn; whereas White’s
entire kingside pawns will be easy pickings now that the h3-pawn is
immobilized.
48 ... h4! 49 Bg7+
Going for the h-pawn 49 Be7 fails to 49 ... a2 50 Bf6+ Ke3 51 Nc4+
Bxc4 52 bxc4 Nc5 53 Kb2 b3, when 54 Bxh4 merely allows Black to force
the b-pawn through: 54 ... Na4+ 55 Ka1 Kd2 56 Bf6 (or 56 Be7 b2+ 57 Kxa2
Kc2 etc) 56 ... Kc2 57 h4 Nc3 (threatening ... b3-b2 mate; if you remember,
we saw something very similar towards the end of Game 14) 58 Bxc3 Kxc3
59 h5 Kc2 60 hxg6 b2+ 61 Kxa2 b1Q+ 62 Ka3 Qb3 mate.
 49 ... Ke3 50 Bh6+ Ke2 51 Kb1 Nf2
With White’s bishop is tied down to defending his knight, the black knight
homes in on h3.
52 Nc4

52 ... Nxh3
Ivanchuk begins the harvesting chores, but he had something even simpler.

Exercise: Can you find a swifter finish for Black?

Answer: Trade minors with 52 ... Bxc4 53 bxc4, after which the
queenside pawns go through; for example, 53 ... b3 54 c5 Nd3 55 c6 a2+ 56
Ka1 Nb4 57 c7 Nc2+ 58 Kb2 b1Q+ and wins.
53 Ne5 g5 54 Nc6 Bd5 55 Nxb4 Bxb3 56 Nc6 Ke3 57 Ne5 Kf4 58 Ng6+
Kg3 0-1
Not even allowing White the option of removing all the kingside pawns
with 58 ... Kxf3 59 Bxg5 Nxg5 60 Nxh4+ Kxg4, when the tablebase declares
mate in 14.
Nakamura has had enough and resigned before the h-pawn makes its way to
glory. A cool finish would be 59 Ne7 Nf4 60 Nf5+ Kxf3 61 Nd4+ Kxg4,
when the h-pawn cannot be denied its day in the sun.
Summary: Just as in McShane-Ivanchuk (Game 37), White’s uninspired
opening play did him no favours and Ivanchuk equalized easily. Despite the
reduced pieces on the board, Ivanchuk outplayed each opponent by strong use
of the queenside pawn majority. The difference this time round was that, once
Nakamura’s king got stuck guarding the queenside pawns, Ivanchuk made
incursions into the kingside and forced the h-pawn through.
Chapter Seven
Planet Ivanchuk
Immigration Visa Questions
Two players in the chess world (Ivanchuk and Shirov) hold the distinction of
having their own “planet” (okay, only metaphorically speaking). The notion is
that, when they play their brand of entertaining, creative chess unfathomable
to the rest of us, they are living on an elevated plane of existence, hence the
common refrain: “Planet Ivanchuk” ... with the population of one.

You’d like to visit, I’m sure - but now, hold your horses! In order to step
onto Planet Ivanchuk, you first need to answer the following Immigration Visa
Questions. If you find them too much of a challenge to decipher, well, just sit
back and enjoy the ride - as I did when I played through more than 3500 of
Ivanchuk’s games to select these 30 examples (as well as the 40 games in the
previous six chapters) for you. The solutions are given in the next section (see
page 468).

Question 1
E.Bareev-V.Ivanchuk
Novgorod 1994

Ivanchuk has sacrificed a pawn to catch the white king in the centre, so
Bareev decided to return material in order to mobilize his kingside and
complete development. However, Ivanchuk came up with a stunner here.
What is it?
 Black to play

Answer

Question 2
An.Sokolov-V.Ivanchuk
Moscow 1990
 Black to play

Black has the better game due to his superb knight on d3, supported by the
strong dark-squared bishop. Nevertheless, White has an extremely solid
structure and can start preparing to exchange minor pieces with Nd1. How
did Ivanchuk take care of matters?

Answer

Question 3
S.Lputian-V.Ivanchuk
Montecatini Terme 2000
 Black to play

Either 15 ... f5 or 15 ... Nf5 would keep an edge for Black, but Ivanchuk is
playing for keeps. A continual flurry of hammer blows floors Lputian. What
did Ivanchuk conjure up?

Answer

Question 4
V.Topalov-V.Ivanchuk
Linares 1999

In a Symmetrical English, Ivanchuk sacrificed the e-pawn for rapid

development and reached this promising position. But now he has to find
something concrete before the white king escapes from the centre. What did
Ivanchuk decide upon?
Black to play

Answer

Question 5
L.Van Wely-V.Ivanchuk
Monte Carlo (blindfold rapid) 2007
 Black to play

White has just placed the queen on c1 to prepare f2-f3, booting off the pesky
e4-knight from its excellent outpost. But Ivanchuk is not to be deterred from
seeking out active play. What arcane concept can he be concocting here?

Answer

Question 6
V.Ivanchuk-S.Karjakin
Nice (rapid) 2008
 White to play

In this Sicilian Najdorf, 14 Bxf6 gxf6 had been played previously, trying to
attack on the dark squares with 15 Ne4 or 15 Nd5 Qd8 16 Qf4. However,
Ivanchuk has a more spectacular idea in mind. What nefarious scheme had he
cooked up?

Answer

Question 7
V.Ivanchuk-L.Aronian
Morelia/Linares 2007

White has the edge, due to his control over the d4-square which stifles the
isolated black queen’s pawn. Ivanchuk now came up with a sublime way to
exert pressure on the pawn. How did he achieve it?
 White to play

Answer

Question 8
V.Ivanchuk-J.L.Hammer
Cap d’Agde (rapid) 2010
 White to play

Ivanchuk has definitely gotten the better of his opponent during the opening
stage of the game and obtained a firm central grip. He now comes up with a
‘hammer-blow’ to bludgeon the Norwegian GM - which is?

Answer

Question 9
L.Bruzon Bautista-V.Ivanchuk
Merida 2007
 Black to play

After outplaying Bruzon in a sharp variation of the Petroff Defence, Ivanchuk

now has the choice between retreating his bishop or capturing the white
knight, unless he can conjure up something else?

Answer

Question 10
V.Ivanchuk-L.Van Wely
Monte Carlo (blindfold rapid) 2006

White clearly has the advantage in this Sicilian Najdorf with his swifter
kingside assault, against which Black’s queenside counterplay pales in
comparison. Here Ivanchuk unleashes a move which practically paralyzes all
of Black’s pieces. Can you find it?
 White to play

Answer

Question 11
V.Ivanchuk-R.Wojtaszek
Istanbul Olympiad 2012
 White to play

A comparatively easy combination to find. Ivanchuk to play and force a kill.

So what are you waiting for?

Answer

Question 12
D.Shkuran-V.Ivanchuk
Ukrainian Championship, Kharkov 2004
 Black to play

By attacking the rook and bishop on the a-file simultaneously, White hoped to
find time to defend f2. But he hadn’t reckoned with Ivanchuk’s sudden force
majeure, which leads to an unstoppable kill.

Answer

Question 13
A.Beliavsky-V.Ivanchuk
Belgrade 1995

The black d-pawn is doomed and White threatens to capture it and play for
liquidation. Ivanchuk needs to combine attack and defence to keep the odds in
his favour.
 Black to play

Answer

Question 14
V.Anand-V.Ivanchuk
Linares 1991
 Black to play

White’s king is awkwardly placed in the middle of the board; the only good
thing about his position is his grip on d5. What can Ivanchuk do about that?

Answer

Question 15
V.Kramnik-V.Ivanchuk
Monte Carlo (rapid) 2007
 Black to play

White has the bishop pair, but he is a trifle behind in his kingside
development. Can Ivanchuk capitalize on this fact to seize the initiative?

Answer

Question 16
V.Ivanchuk-A.Grischuk
FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011

Black has just played ... Bc6, giving the queen access to b7, which increases
the pressure on e4 and prepares the counter-attacking ... b6-b5. What does
Ivanchuk intend to do about this?
 White to play

Answer

Question 17
V.Ivanchuk-N.Short
Euwe Memorial, Amsterdam 1994
 White to play

Having established a slight edge, Ivanchuk seeks a concrete plan to improve

his piece placement. Can you find his idea?

Answer

Question 18
R.Hübner-V.Ivanchuk
Dortmund 1997
 Black to play

With both sides in acute time trouble, Ivanchuk threw a grenade into the
position and managed to whip off a stunner as Hübner was unable to adjust.
What was Black’s blockbuster move?

Answer

Question 19
Z.Azmaiparashvili-V.Ivanchuk
Kocaeli (blitz exhibition game) 2002

Black’s e4-knight appears to be in danger: threatened by d2-d3 and with no

retreat squares. However, Ivanchuk’s subsequent continuation ensured that
White didn’t have time even to contemplate trapping the knight. How did he
pull it off?
 Black to play

Answer

Question 20
V.Gashimov-V.Ivanchuk
European Championship, Antalya 2004
 Black to play

White has just moved his rook to c1, intending to play c2-c3 and nullify the
central c5/d4 pawn wedge. Black might easily prevent this by playing ...
Reb8, but Ivanchuk instead came up with a seemingly innocuous quiet move,
allowing Gashimov to carry out his plan. What sort of sinister broth had
Ivanchuk concocted?

Answer

Question 21
V.Ivanchuk-V.Kramnik
FIDE Candidates, London 2013
 White to play

Ivanchuk has control in the centre and on the queenside; but, as we already
know, he often goes for global domination. Find a way for White to play on
the kingside as well.

Answer

Question 22
V.Ivanchuk-Mi.Adams
Linares 2002

By installing the knight aggressively on f4, Adams signalled his intention to

attack the white king with the help of the b7-bishop. However, Ivanchuk is not
one to engage in defensive huddles. How did he counter fire with fire?
 White to play

Answer

Question 23
V.Ivanchuk-J.Vila Gazquez
Benidorm (rapid) 2008
 White to play

White seems to have a slight advantage with the bishop pair and more space,
but in fact the game is practically over for Black already. What did Ivanchuk
do to pulverize his opponent into submission?

Answer

Question 24
V.Ivanchuk-Z.Azmaiparashvili
European Club Cup, Panormo 2001
 White to play

White is poised to recover his pawn by capturing on d6 and should stand

better with his lead in development. All I need you to do is to work out
Ivanchuk’s next two moves ... Pretty easy, isn’t it?

Answer

Question 25
Vi.Puri-V.Ivanchuk
World Junior Championships, Baguio City 1987

In this QGD Exchange Variation, White’s minority attack isn’t succeeding

very well, as b4-b5 would just leave the a3-pawn en prise. Actually, a
standard plan for Black would be to shut it down completely with ... b7-b5,
and White has little chance of playing e3-e4 satisfactorily given the
accumulation of black forces on the e-file. However, Ivanchuk ... well, he has
another concept in mind. What is it?
 Black to play

Answer

Question 26
V.Ivanchuk-Bu Xiangzhi
Nanjing 2008
 White to play

Bu has just played 12 ... Nb6, hitting the c4-bishop and d5-pawn at the same
time. How did Ivanchuk deal with this fork?

Answer

Question 27
V.Ivanchuk-E.Bareev
FIDE Grand Prix, Dubai (rapid) 2002
 White to play

Bareev has just played ... Rg8-f8 to put indirect pressure on f4 and threaten to
win a pawn with ... f5xg4 etc. What would Ivanchuk do in such a situation?

Answer

Question 28
L.Bruzon Batista-V.Ivanchuk
World Team Championships, Beersheba 2005

Bruzon has just played Bf3-e2, attacking the rook on c4. Once it retreats, he
will aim to castle long before resuming his kingside ambitions. How did
Ivanchuk react?
 Black to play

Answer

Question 29
V.Ivanchuk-Se.Volkov
Moscow 2005
 White to play

Seemingly not content with equality by castling short earlier, Volkov has
succeeded in unbalancing the position, at the cost of leaving his king in the
centre where the white rooks are currently trained. Can Ivanchuk do
something to exploit this state of affairs?

Answer

Question 30
P.Svidler-V.Ivanchuk
Monte Carlo (rapid) 2005
 Black to play

Final question. Black’s desires are seemingly thwarted by the trusty d3-
bishop, which holds White’s centre together and prevents any rook invasion
on the queenside. Meanwhile Svidler is getting ready to prise open the
kingside. How can Ivanchuk find counterplay?

Answer
 Solutions
Question 1
Bareev-Ivanchuk

16 ... Qc2!!

Talk about creativity. When his bishop gets hit, Ivanchuk offers his queen
instead! White has no good defence. Bareev was probably hoping for 16 ...
Nc2+ 17 Rxc2 Bxc2 (or 17 ... Qxc2 18 gxf5 dxc4 19 Bd2) 18 Bh3 dxc4 19
g5+ Kb8 20 Qxe5+ Ka8 21 0-0 with survival chances.
17 Rxd4
Taking the queen is worse: after 17 Rxc2 Nxc2+ 18 Kd1 Nxe3+ 19 Bxe3
dxc4+ 20 Kc1 Bxg4, White is the exchange and pawn down.
17 ... exd4 18 Qd2 Qxd2+ 19 Bxd2 Be4!
Making White’s light-squared bishop look as silly as possible.
20 f3 Bg6 21 cxd5 Rxd5
 Ivanchuk went on to win this exchange-up ending.

Question 2
Sokolov-Ivanchuk

24 ... g5!
 Ivanchuk forces open the g-file tactically for his rooks to invade!
25 Nd1
White can’t play 25 fxg5?? due to 25 ... Ne5, and once c4 goes, his
position collapses like a pack of cards.
25 ... Nxb2!
What’s left on the board is more important than what’s given up. Ivanchuk
ditches the pride of his position, the Steinitzian knight on d3, as this gives him
the time to utilize the g-file.
26 Nxb2 gxf4 27 exf4?!
This makes things easier for Black, since White doesn’t get any
counterplay now. 27 gxf4 was more resilient, when Black retains a pull after
27 ... Rhg8 28 Kc2 Rd6!, intending ... Rh6 or ... Rg6. Note that 29 Rg1 Rh6
30 Rg2?? fails to 30 ... Bxb2!.
27 ... h5!
Here comes the battering ram.
28 h4?! Bd4!
Controlling g1, making it impossible for White to defend g3.
29 Ra3 e3+! 30 Ke2 Rhg8 31 Kf3 Rg4 32 Nd3 Rdg8 33 Rg1 Rxh4!
The sting in the tail.
34 Ra2 Rh3 35 Rag2 h4
Ivanchuk eventually liquidated the heavy guys to reach a won bishop
versus knight ending.

Question 3
Lputian-Ivanchuk

15 ... e3!!
 Ivanchuk isn’t quite done with White’s pawn structure and proceeds to
mess it up even further.
16 fxe3
Other moves are met the same way:
a) 16 dxe3?? c5! 17 Qb3 Nxc3 18 Qxc3 cxd4 and White gets speared on
the long dark diagonal.
b) 16 Nec2 c5! 17 dxc5 Nxc3 18 dxc3 (check out White’s Irish pawn
structure) 18 ... exf2+ 19 Rxf2 Ng4 20 Re2 (or 20 Rff1 Qd2 21 Rad1 Qh6 22
h3 Ne3 - Ivanchuk) 20 ... Qd3 21 Rae1 Bxc3 22 Qb3 Rxa3! 23 Qxa3 Bd4+ 24
Kh1 Nf2+ 25 Rxf2 Qxa3 26 Nxa3 Bxf2 with a powerful bishop pair in this
wide open ending.
16 ... c5!
Here’s one more for the show. Ivanchuk first turns the white centre into
Swiss cheese.
17 dxc5
White has a wretched position after 17 Qb3 cxd4 18 exd4 Nxc3 19 dxc3
Bxd4+ 20 Kh1 Bg7, when Black’s bishop pair call the shots once more.
17 ... Nxc3 18 dxc3 Qd2
White currently has three extra pawns but the material plus is illusory as
the pawns are all extremely weak and his pieces are in disarray. In particular,
there’s no way to prevent the loss of the exchange.
 19 Nb5 Ng4 20 Nf3
20 Rf3 is met by 20 ... Bh6.
20 ... Qxe3+ 21 Kh1 Nf2+ 22 Rxf2 Qxf2 23 a4?!
Lputian, shell-shocked by the tactical blows, soon walks into yet another
one. The pawn would have been safer on a3.
23 ... Bd7 24 Nc7?
Losing at once, though 24 Nbd4 Bc6 or 24 Rf1 Qa2 is bad for White in
any case.
24 ... Rxa4!! 0-1

What an awesome finish! 25 Rxa4 Bh3! (the point) 26 Bxh3 Qxf3+ 27

Kg1 Bxc3 wins the queen, since 28 ... Bd4+ is mate.

Question 4
Topalov-Ivanchuk

18 ... Nxe2!!
 Simply breath-taking. There is no defence. Other moves, such as 18 ... f5
or 18 ... Bc4, might give Black an advantage, but are nowhere near as
conclusive. For instance, after 18 ... Bc4 19 Be3 Nxe2 20 Qb4 Qa6 21 Bf3
Rfe8 22 Rd1 Rxd1+ 23 Kxd1, despite the white king’s apparent insecurity, it
is not easy to nab the chap!
19 Kxe2 Rfe8!
This is what makes Ivanchuk’s attack so beautiful: a sacrifice followed by
a quiet rook slide.
20 Qb4
As good a try as any, which is to say no good at all. Ivanchuk had also
worked out forced wins after:
a) 20 Re1 Qh5+! 21 Kf1 Bh3+ 22 Kg1 Rxe4!.
b) 20 Be3 Bc4+ 21 Kf3 Rxe4! 22 Kxe4 (or 22 Kg2 Bd5) 22 ... Qd5+ 23
Kf4 h5! and mates.
c) 20 f3 f5 21 Bxb7 Bc4+ 22 Kf2 Qb6+ (the immediate 22 ... Re2+ is
even better according to Houdini) 23 Qxb6 (or 23 Kg2 Re2+) 23 ... Re2+ 24
Kf1 Rd1 mate. In this last line 21 Be3 is another possibility, but after 21 ...
fxe4 22 Rhe1 exf3+ 23 Kf2 Qh5, the severely weakened light squares around
White’s king make his position indefensible anyway.
20 ... Qh5+ 21 f3 f5
Topalov must have known the writing was on the wall.
 22 g4 Qh3 23 gxf5 Bxf5 24 Qc4+ Kh8 25 Re1
Here Ivanchuk finished things off gloriously.
25 ... Rxe4+!

Topalov resigned, as it is mate after 26 fxe4 (or more slowly 26 Qxe4

Bxe4 27 fxe4 Qxh2+ 28 Ke3 Qg3+ 29 Ke2 Qd3+ 30 Kf2 Rf8+ 31 Kg2 Qf3+
etc) 26 ... Bg4+ 27 Kf2 Qxh2+ 28 Kf1 (or 28 Ke3 Qg3) 28 ... Bh3.

Question 5
Van Wely-Ivanchuk

15 ... Rf6!?
 A very surprising idea! Just when White is about to hit the e4-knight with
f2-f3, Ivanchuk takes away its only retreat square.
16 f3?
The very move Ivanchuk wanted to provoke! White should have gone for
16 c5! bxc5 17 dxc5 Ndxc5 (there is no time to save the rook because of the
c5-c6 fork threat) 18 Nf3! Qg6 19 Bxf6 Qxf6 20 Nd4 with the exchange for a
pawn, though I suppose Ivanchuk would still fancy his chances in a blindfold
rapidplay game.
16 ... Qh5!
The pin on the f3-pawn (17 fxe4?! Qxe2 is good for Black) gives
Ivanchuk time to hustle the rook to h6. If White safeguards the e2-bishop with
17 Bd1, for example, then 17 ... Rh6 18 h3 Ng5 saves the knight with a strong
kingside initiative. (Note that 19 f4?? Nxh3+! is immediately decisive.)
17 g4?
Van Wely decides to win the e4-knight, but this weakens his king’s
position irretrievably.
17 ... fxg4 18 fxe4 Rh6 19 Rf2 Bxe4 20 Qd2 Qh4!
The threat of ... g4-g3 cannot be met satisfactorily.
21 Bd3 g3 22 Rg2 gxh2+ 23 Kh1 Rf8!
 Calmly bringing in more reinforcements.
24 Nc2 Rhf6
Getting ready for the killer blow. Not that Van Wely can do anything about
it.
25 d5 e5
25 ... Rf2! would win at once.
26 Qe1 Bxg2+ 27 Kxg2 h1Q+! 0-1
Yet another spectacular win for Ivanchuk. 28 Qxh1 Qg4+ 29 Kh2 Rh6
mate does not need to be demonstrated.

Question 6
Ivanchuk-Karjakin

14 Qxe6+!?
 A truly spectacular sacrifice. Ivanchuk only gets three pawns for the
queen initially, but the black king is caught in a maelstrom of attacking
possibilities from the white pieces. The engines crank out plenty of ways
from here for Black to equalize (!), but over the board in a rapidplay game
with time trickling away and myriad tactics to calculate, it is not surprising
that Karjakin eventually went wrong.
14 ... fxe6 15 Nxe6 Qe5 16 Nxg7+ Kf8 17 Ne6+ Kf7 18 Rhe1
 So far, Karjakin has defended immaculately but the task of having to work
out so many variations proved too onerous for him.
18 ... Qxe1?
In Informant #102, Ivanchuk gives 18 ... Bxf2! 19 Rxe5 Nxe5 20 Nd8+
Kg6 21 Bxf6 Kxf6 22 Nxb7 Rhf8 23 Ne4+ Kg7 24 Kb1 and Black is out of
the woods.
19 Nxc5+ Kg6 20 Rxe1 Kxg5 21 Nxb7
Now White has a material advantage, which Ivanchuk went on to convert
in 49 moves.

Question 7
Ivanchuk-Aronian

17 Rcc1!
 Rather than contest the c-file, Ivanchuk switches play to focus on the IQP.
This ‘mysterious’ rook retreat is uncannily logical, come to think of it. Why
engage Black where he is strong when you can attack his weak point instead?
Ivanchuk pointed out that after 17 Rac1 Rfc8 18 Rxc5 Rxc5 19 Rxc5 bxc5,
Black has equalized.
17 ... Rfc8 18 Rd1
White starts to exert pressure on the d-pawn. Black’s activity on the c-file
proves temporary, as a few defensive manoeuvres suffice for Ivanchuk to
nullify the activity of the black rooks.
18 ... Rc2 19 Bb5!
Gaining a tempo to cover c2 in good time.
19 ... Nf8 20 Rab1
Aronian decides to retreat his second rank rook before it gets evicted
anyway.
20 ... R2c7 21 Ba4!
Heading for b3 to pressurize the poor sod on d5.
21 ... Ne6 22 Bb3
Mission accomplished! Ivanchuk pilfered the d-pawn 12 moves later and
went on to win.

Question 8
Ivanchuk-Hammer

20 b4!!

The potential energy from White’s g2-bishop and the b1-rook is suddenly
released with this spike. Hammer has no choice other than to accept the
pawn, as 21 b5 would give White a total grip on the game.
20 ... Nxb4 21 c5!
This second pawn sacrifice destabilizes Black’s congregation of pieces
tactically.
21 ... Bxc5
None of the replies are palatable here:
a) 21 ... Qxc5?? 22 Nxd7 wins at once.
b) 21 ... Rxc5? 22 Nxd7 Qxd7 (or 22 ... Rc2 23 Bxd6 Qxd6 24 Qh5) 23
Bxd6 Qxd6 24 Rxb4 wins a piece.
c) 21 ... Bxe5 22 Bxe5 Qxc5 keeps the material balance intact but leaves
White with a superb dark-squared bishop. After 23 Qg4 g6 24 Bxd4 Qc7 25
Rec1 Qd8 26 Qe2 Nd5 (or 26 ... Qe7 27 Qe3) 27 Rxb7, I doubt anyone could
survive this position against Ivanchuk.
22 Rec1
Another option is just to win the exchange with 22 Nc4 e5 23 Bxe5 Qd8
24 Nxa5 Qxa5 25 Bxb7.
 22 ... Qd8 23 Rxc5 Rxc5 24 Rxb4 (see following diagram)
White has bishop and knight for rook and two pawns, but more
importantly, he retains his grip on the centre and queenside. Ivanchuk took
five moves to pick up the weak a- and b-pawns and just nine more to wrap up
the game.

Question 9
Bruzon Bautista-Ivanchuk

13 ... d5!
 Ivanchuk insists on maintaining his central control. It transpires that White
has no choice but to let Black keep his initiative in that sector.
14 exd6
After 14 Qxf2 exf3 15 Qxf3 Qh4! 16 Qf4 (or 16 e6 Rf8) 16 ... Bg4+ 17
Kd2 Rf8 18 Qg3 Qg5+ 19 Ke1 Qf5, Black keeps an enduring initiative.
14 ... Qxd6+ 15 Bd2 e3
The e-pawn lives and even serves as a thorn in White’s side.
16 Rf1 Ba6 17 Bc4 Bxc4 18 Qxc4 Ra7!
When it rains, it pours. Black’s attack just flows seamlessly.
19 Ke2 Re7 20 Be1 Qg6!
Forcing more weaknesses.
21 g3 Re4! 22 Qd3 Nd7 23 Rd1
After 23 Bxf2, Black has the zwischenzug 23 ... Nc5! 24 Qd1 Qe6 and if
25 Bxe3 Rxe3+ 26 Kf2 then 26 ... 0-0 27 Kg1 Re2 with an awesome grip.
23 ... 0-0!
Black has completed development, while all White’s pieces are clustered
in a little 3x3 square. Bruzon, who is lost in any case, decides to let Ivanchuk
demonstrate the finish.
24 Qxd7 Qh5 25 g4 Qh3 26 Ng5 Qg2 27 Bxf2 Rxf2+ 28 Rxf2
After 28 Kd2 Rd2+ 29 Rxd2 Qxd2+ 30 Kxe4 Qxd7, the queen will defeat
the rook and knight; though 27 ... Re5! would have prevented even this much.
 28 ... exf2+ 0-1

Question 10
Ivanchuk-Van Wely

21 Nd5!!

A brilliant concept. This knight sacrifice opens up the e-file, causing the
e7-bishop to be pinned, which in turn prevents the queen from defending the
kingside.
21 ... exd5
21 ... Qd8 is met by 22 Nf6+! and wins.
22 exd5 Rxc2 23 g6
It’s a one-way street as there’s no way for Black’s pieces to come to the
defence of their hapless king. Ironically, the queen is even required to hold
the rook on c2.
23 ... hxg6
After 23 ... fxg6 24 Qe6+ Kf8 (or 24 ... Kh8 25 h6) 25 hxg6 Bf6 26 gxh7!,
the black king becomes roadkill; for example, 26 ... Rxe6 27 h8Q+ Ke7 28
Bxf6+ Kxf6 (or 28 ... Rxf6 29 Rde1+) 29 Qh4+ Kf7 30 dxe6+ Kxe6 31 Qg4+
Ke7 32 Qxg7+ Kd8 33 Qf8+ Kd7 34 Rg7+.
24 hxg6 Rf8 25 gxf7+ Rxf7
 The accumulated force on the kingside is too much for Black to bear as
the avalanche of white pieces pours in without respite.
26 Bxg7! Rxg7 27 Qe6+ Kh8 28 Rxg7 Kxg7 29 Rg1+ 1-0
Black resigned before getting mated.

Question 11
Ivanchuk-Wojtaszek

35 Nf6+!
 35 ... gxf6
Or 35 ... Kh8 36 Ng6+! fxg6 37 Qxh6+! gxh6 38 Rh7 mate.
36 Qg3+ Kh7
Or 36 ... Kh8 37 Nxf7+ Rxf7 (or 37 ... Kh7 38 Nd6+) 38 Rc8+ with mate
to follow.
37 Rxf7+!
Even stronger than 37 Qg6+ etc. It’s mate in three: 37 ... Rxf7 38 Qg6+
Kh8 39 Nxf7 mate.

Question 12
Shkuran-Ivanchuk

A sudden knight foray starts the onslaught.

21 ... Ng4+!
 22 Kg1
Forced, since accepting the knight leads to mate: 22 hxg4 Qh4+ 23 Kg1
Bxf2+ 24 Kf1 Rae8 and ... Qh1+ is the end of the road.
22 ... Re8!
Threatening back rank mate.
23 Bd3
This doesn’t help, but 23 hxg4 Bxf2+ 24 Kh1 Qh4+ 25 Bh2 Bg3 is no
better, and 23 Rf1 Bxf2+ 24 Kh1 Rxc2 just wins a piece.
23 ... Re1+ 24 Bf1
Or 24 Rxe1 Qxe1+ 25 Rxe1 Rxe1+ 26 Bf1 Bxf2+ 27 Kh1 Rxf1 mate.
24 ... Qe2 0-1
 A picturesque final position with all of Black’s pieces contributing to the
finish.

Question 13
Beliavsky-Ivanchuk

22 ... Rae8!
 Bringing the final piece into the attack. The immediate 22 ... Qxf3? is less
effective due to 23 Qxd5+ Qxd5 24 Rxd5! h6 25 Rd6 Kh7 26 g4! and White
has counterplay.
23 Rxd5?!
23 Qxd5 was still more prudent, though after 23 ... Qxd5 24 Nxd5 (here
24 Rxd5?? would drop the knight) 24 ... Rxf3, Black is more active than in
the previous note, while White is tied down to defending the back rank.
23 ... h6!
Not 23 ... Qxf3? 24 Rxg5+ Kh8 25 Qd4+ Rf6? 26 Rf5! and Black loses.
Ivanchuk’s quiet move nullifies all the threats and, all of a sudden, White is in
serious trouble.
24 Re5?
This lapse allows Ivanchuk to capture on f3 and threaten mate without
repercussions. 24 Rd2 was the last chance, but the endgame is getting steadily
worse for White: after 24 ... b6! 25 Qd4 Qxf3 26 Qd5+ Kg7 27 Qxf3 Rxf3 28
Nd5 h5!, his pieces are reduced to total defence.
24 ... Qxf3 25 Qc4+
Now 25 Qd5+ just loses a piece, while 25 Rxe8 fails to 25 ... Qf2+ 26
Kh1 Bg2+! 27 Nxg2 Qxc5.
25 ... Kg7 26 Rxe8 Rxe8 27 Qd4+ Kg6 28 Qd3+ Re4 29 Re1 Kh5 0-1
White has no answer to 30 ... Rxe3!, winning a piece due to the threatened
mate on g2.

Question 14
Anand-Ivanchuk

29 ... d5!!

So much for White’s grip on d5. Ivanchuk opens the central floodgates to
get at the king.
30 cxd5
30 exd5 Nxd5 comes to the same thing.
30 ... Nxd5! 31 exd5 Rxd5 32 Qb3
White cannot avoid massive material losses. 32 Qe3 Qxe3+ 33 Kxe3
Bg5+ also wins hands down.
32 ... Bg5
Here Houdini throws out 32 ... Rxd2+! 33 Kxd2 Qf2+ 34 Re2 (or 34 Be2
Be4!, followed by ... Rd6+ or ... Bg5+) 34 ... Bg5+ 35 Kc2 Qxf5+ 36 Qd3
Bxa4+ etc, but Ivanchuk’s move is perfectly good.
33 Rc2 Bxd2 0-1
Anand resigned, as 34 Rxd2 Bb5+ knocks the king away from the defence
of the rook.
Question 15
Kramnik-Ivanchuk

11 ... b5!

This temporal pawn sacrifice - and theoretical novelty - really ruffled

Kramnik, who started to play sub-optimally.
12 cxb5
Asking Ivanchuk to show his cards. In a later game, 12 d3 bxc4 13 dxc4
c5 14 bxc5 Ne4 gave Black good play, E.Iturrizaga Bonelli-A.Moiseenko,
World Rapidplay Championship, Dubai 2014.
12 ... Bd7!
Now if White wants to keep his booty, he must compromise his structure,
which Kramnik agrees to do.
13 e3?!
White’s ability to keep his extra pawn is a pipe-dream after Ivanchuk’s
next move. Instead, 13 d4 e4 14 Nd2 Bxb5 (Ivanchuk was intending 14 ... d5
15 e3 Qc8, followed by ... Qb7) 15 d5 e3 16 fxe3 Nbd7 17 Bg2 Ne5 18 0-0
Bxe2 led to a quick draw in L.Ftacnik-J.Stocek, Rakovnik 2008.
13 ... Qc8!
The queen heads for b7 where it hits b5 and f3 simultaneously.
14 Be2 Qb7
 What a great diagonal to occupy.
15 d3
Trying to keep the b5-pawn with 15 Qc4 fails to 15 ... Bg4, when White is
forced to cough up the e-pawn or lose the knight; and 15 0-0 Bg4 16 Kg2?
Ne4, threatening ... Ng5, is even worse.
15 ... Bxb5 16 0-0 Nc6
Black has the advantage, having established a strong grip on the light
squares. In fact White’s position went downhill surprisingly quickly.
17 Rb1?! Qa6! 18 Qb3 Ra8 19 Nd2 Qa2 20 Bc3 Qxb3 21 Rxb3 Ra2
22 Bf1? Nd5 23 Bg2 Nce7 24 Bb2 Ba4 25 Ra3 Rxb2 26 Rxa4 Nb6
Ivanchuk slowly consolidated his extra piece. It’s a rarity to see Kramnik
losing positional control with White.

Question 16
Ivanchuk-Grischuk

22 Rg4!

Ivanchuk blatantly intends to sacrifice the exchange on f4, after which one
of his knights will reign supreme on the d5-outpost. In comparison, just
occupying that square with 22 Ned5 would be pedestrian, though clearly still
very good for White.
 22 ... Qb7
It says something about the relative strengths of knights and rooks in this
position that Houdini actually wants to play 22 ... Nh5!? here.
23 Rxf4! exf4 24 Ned5

What has Ivanchuk gained in return for his exchange sacrifice?

1. He has established a knight on a powerful centralized square.
2. He has cleared the long dark square diagonal for his bishop.
3. He threatens to regain his small material investment straight away by
advancing the b-pawn.
4. Black’s rooks are simply useless in this position, with little chance of
being utilized before he gets run over.
In short, White has an overwhelming initiative, and Black’s cramped set-
up makes it impossible for him to defend.
24 ... 0-0-0
Going the other way is no better: 24 ... 0-0 25 b4 wins the piece at once,
since 25 ... Na4 26 Nxa4 Bxa4 27 Qc3 is decisive; while 24 ... a5 allows 25
Nb5 Bxd5 26 exd5 0-0 27 f6 Bd8 28 Nxd6 and Black’s position is hopeless.
25 b4 Na4
Or 25 ... Bxd5 26 Nxd5 Na4 27 Bxh8 Rxh8 28 Qb3 and if 28 ... b5 then
29 cxb5 axb5 30 Rc1+ Kb8 31 Rc7 wins.
26 Nxa4 Bxa4 27 Rc1! Kb8
 If Black saves the h8-rook with 27 ... Rhe8 then 28 b5 traps the bishop (as
in the game), while 27 ... Bc6 loses to 28 b5 Bxd5 29 cxd5+ Kb8 30 bxa6
and Bxh8.
28 b5 gxf5
Or 28 ... axb5 29 cxb5 Rc8 30 Bxh8 Rxh8 31 Rc7 etc.
29 Qa3

Ivanchuk soon cashed in for a decisive material advantage and won

easily.

Question 17
Ivanchuk-Short

17 Qe1!
 The natural plan for White is to play f2-f4, but the immediate 17 f4 would
be met by 17 ... exf4 18 gxf4 f5 and Black seizes the initiative. Instead,
Ivanchuk comes up with a nifty idea to manoeuvre the queen to the c5-square
where it controls key diagonals and places itself in the centre of activity.
First of all, the queen threatens to go to b4, so Black needs to defend the
b7-pawn. If he tries ... Nc8 (and ... Nd6), he relinquishes control of f5
temporarily, allowing White to play f2-f4 without meeting ... f6-f5 in
response.
Note that 17 Qd2?! is a less accurate route, as 17 ... Nc8 18 f4 then runs
into 18 ... exf4 19 gxf4 Qxe4! due to the pin on the d3-pawn.
17 ... Rb8
As just explained, 17 ... Nc8 would be met by 18 f4, and if 18 ... Nd6 then
19 f5, intending g3-g4 with more space and a kingside initiative.
18 Qc3 Kh8 19 Qc5
Mini-mission accomplished! Furthermore, White threatens the disruptive
20 Qa7, so Short feels obliged to drop his knight back after all.
19 ... Nc8 20 f4
Only now does Ivanchuk make his pawn break.
20 ... Nd6 21 fxe5
Better than 21 f5, as the white queen is a long way from the kingside here.
21 ... Qxe5 22 Qxe5 fxe5 23 Raa1
 White has a slight but persistent advantage due to his more active pieces
and superior pawn structure. Ivanchuk later advanced on the kingside and
squeezed out a win as Short mishandled the defence.

Question 18
Hübner-Ivanchuk

33 ... Bxg2!
The black pieces, seemingly static on the e-file, suddenly come to life.

 34 Kxg2 Qe4+ 35 Kf1??
I suppose, with little time left, Hübner played this intuitively, Certainly f1
looks like the safest square for the king (35 ... Qh1+? 36 Ng1 just leaves
Black a piece down), but it turns out to be the losing choice. In fact, anywhere
else would probably have been okay, the best option being 35 Kh2! Qxe2 36
c6! and White maintains the balance; for example, 36 ... a5 (here 36 ... Nf4?!
37 Qxf4! Qxd1 38 Bd4 only causes problems for Black, and 36 ... Ng5?! 37
c7 Nf3+?? 38 Kg3 Ng5 39 Qc6! is even worse) 37 Rd5 a4 38 c7 Rc8 39 Re5
Qc4 40 Qd7 Qf4+ 41 Kg2 Qxe5 42 Qxc8+ Kg7 43 Qb7 Qg5+ and the game
ends in perpetual check.
35 ... Nf4!
With decisive threats: White can’t move his knight because of 36 ... Qg2
mate, while the two ways of capturing the black knight both lose.
36 Qxf4
Or 36 Nxf4 Qh1 mate.
36 ... Qxe2+ 37 Kg2 Qxd1
 White has insufficient compensation for the exchange - in particular, he
has no threats on the dark squares (compare 36 ... Nf4?! etc in the 35 Kh2!
line above) - and soon lost.

Question 19
Azmaiparashvili-Ivanchuk

12 ... b5!
 With this pawn sacrifice Black mobilizes his pieces so swiftly that White
cannot find time to snare the e4-mare.
13 Bxb5 Qb6 14 Bc4 Ba6 15 Ne3!?
Still hoping to play d2-d3 and pick up the knight. 15 d3 Bxc4 16 dxc4
Rfd8 would give Black a strong developmental edge, and of course his knight
is now safe.
15 ... Rfd8
Black takes control of d3 and nips the d2-d3 idea in the bud.
16 b3 Kh8
Not yet 16 ... Nd3? due to 17 Nxf5!. Using the other rook on the previous
move (15 ... Rad8!) would have avoided this, but it’s only a blitz game after
all.
17 g3 Nd3
The Ivanchuk constriction technique is just as effective in quick play!
18 Bb2 Rd7 19 Bc3 Rad8 20 Qc2
With hindsight White should exchange bishops on a6, as Ivanchuk now
switches his attention to the long light diagonal.
20 ... Bb7 21 Rad1?! Qc6! (see following diagram)
What an awesome show of force from Ivanchuk. White cannot cope with
the stifling pressure and the opponent’s dominance of the light squares, and he
soon blundered and lost.
Question 20
Gashimov-Ivanchuk

27 ... Ra6!

What can the rook accomplish on a6 that it could not on a8? Let’s find out!
Lulled by Black’s seemingly ‘nothing’ move, Gashimov decided to chip away
at the black centre as planned with ...
28 c3?
... only to find his queenside under severe pressure after ...
28 ... Rb8!
Not 28 ... d3?! due to 29 Rb1, when the worst is over for White.
29 cxd4
Here the f5-bishop prevents 29 Rb1, while the attempt to defend the b3-
pawn with 29 Rb2 can be nicely exploited by the deflection 29 ... h4! 30
Bxh4 Nf4, when the threatened fork on d3 enables Black to invade the
queenside; for example, 31 Rd2 axb3 32 axb3 Rxb3 33 cxd4 cxd4 34 Nc2 (or
34 Rcd1 Rc3) 34 ... Ra2 and White is in dire straits.
29 ... axb3 30 axb3 cxd4 31 Bf2
Gashimov decides to trace the b3-pawn for the d4-pawn. It is pointless to
protect b3 anyway, as after 31 Rb2 Nc5, the threatened fork on d3 forces
White to undefend it again.
31 ... Rxb3 32 Bxd4
Now, all of a sudden, the point of ... Ra6 is revealed:
32 ... Rc6!

The knight is pinned down for good and White is lost.

33 Bb2 Bd3! 34 Rxd3
 34 Ne3 gets hit by 34 ... Rxb2!, winning a whole piece.
34 ... Rxd3 35 Kf1 Rb3 0-1
Seeing no way out, Gashimov resigned. Chicanery at its best!

Question 21
Ivanchuk-Kramnik

24 g3!
Black’s best piece is pushed off its aggressive stance with this pawn
sacrifice which also opens up the h-file for the white rook.

24 ... Nxh3+ 25 Kg2 Nhg5 26 Rh1 Kg8

Kramnik could have tried 26 ... Nxe4!? 27 Qxe5 f5 with counterplay
along the long light diagonal, but he couldn’t be sure it didn’t just lose. In
turn, Ivanchuk might have avoided this by playing 26 Nxg5+ Nxg5 27 Kh1,
when 27 ... Kg8 transposes to the game.
We should note that the situation in the tournament was a significant factor
in this game. Going into this, the final, round Carlsen and Kramnik were joint
first on 8½/13, but with Carlsen holding the superior tie-break. In other
words, Kramnik had to do better in his game, which probably meant he had to
win, as Carlsen was unlikely to lose his, especially with the white pieces.
 27 Nxg5 Nxg5 28 f3!
Ivanchuk can afford to take time to consolidate his centre and blunt the
long light diagonal. Black even has to give up his bishop in order to prevent
the strong threat of Ne7+.
28 ... Bxd5 29 Bxd5 c6 30 Bc4

30 ... Qc8!?
Kramnik was in a quandary here. While Ivanchuk certainly holds the
initiative, 30 ... Ne6 would probably be enough to draw; for example, after
31 Bxe6 Rxe6 32 Qd3 h5 33 Rha1 Bf8, all White can do is regain his pawn
on a6 with a roughly equal position. However, it didn’t look like Carlsen was
going to lose, so Kramnik had to keep his own game alive, despite the risks.
31 Qb3
Turning on the screws by pressurizing f7 and allowing the c5-bishop to
drop back to harass the defender of that square.
31 ... h5
Kramnik anticipates Be3 and secures the h-pawn first. After 31 ... Rd8 32
Be3 Rd7 33 Qa2, the a6-pawn is toast and the two bishops give White the
advantage.
32 Be3 Ne6 33 Rha1
Having achieved all it can on the kingside, the white rook swings across
to the a-file to hit the weak a6-pawn. With Ivanchuk now poised to regain his
investment, Kramnik decided to make a bid for counterplay by sacrificing his
own h-pawn.
33 ... h4!? 34 gxh4 Qd8 35 Rxa6

35 ... Rc8?
At the crucial moment, Kramnik opts for passive defence and loses the
game. He might still have drawn after 35 ... Rxa6 36 Rxa6 Nf4+! (the direct
36 ... Qxh4 37 Bxe6 Rxe6 38 Ra8+ Kh7 39 Ra1 Qd8 40 c4 is better for
White) 37 Bxf4 (not 37 Kg3?? Qd1! and Black wins) 37 ... exf4 38 Bxf7+
Kh8 and now 39 Qd3 Qxh4 40 Bxe8 Qg3+ with perpetual check. Amazingly,
White can’t take the rook since 39 Bxe8?? Qd2+! is mate in six. That hardly
looks possible - how can a queen deliver mate on its own? - but it turns out
that Black’s control of the dark squares is enough, and White does indeed get
mated after 40 Kh3 Qf2, or 40 Kf1 Bd4, or 40 Kh1 Qe1+ 41 Kg2 Bd4 etc.
36 Rh1 Rc7 37 Bxe6 Bxe6 38 b5!
 Ivanchuk is now a pawn up with threats on both sides of the board, and
Kramnik went down in 47 moves.
Ironically, a draw would have been enough after all, since Carlsen lost
his game as well. As it was, Kramnik was pipped on tie-break, and Carlsen
qualified for the World Championship title match, which he went on to win.

Question 22
Ivanchuk-Adams

14 Bc1!?
 If not the best move, this is certainly the trickiest! On the surface, it seems
that Ivanchuk is merely intent on removing the pesky knight, but his intentions
are far more nefarious as he prompts Adams into playing a ‘combination’.
Ivanchuk later suggested the defensive queen manoeuvre 14 Qd2!? Qf6
(14 ... Nd4?! runs into 15 Bxf7+! Kxf7 16 Nxe5+ etc) 15 Qe3 as an
improvement, when 15 ... Nxg2?? 16 Kxg2 Nd4 fails to 17 Bxd4 exd4 18
Qxe8+ etc; but Black might simply play 15 ... h6!, renewing the threats of ...
Nxg2 and ... Nd4, and White is in trouble. For example, after 16 axb5 Nxg2
17 Kxg2 Nd4 18 Bxd4 exd4 19 Qxe8+ Rxe8 20 Rxe8+ Kh7 21 Re4 Qg6+ 22
Kf1 Bxe4 23 dxe4 Qxe4 24 Ne1 axb5, the black queen is stronger than the
uncoordinated white pieces. Interestingly, a similar situation occurs in the
game.
If White wanted to play safely, 14 Re3 was preferable, overprotecting the
f3-knight with a roughly equal position.
14 ... Nxg2
The very move Ivanchuk was trying to provoke. Adams should have gone
for 14 ... Nd4! 15 Nxd4 Nxg2 16 Nf5 Nxe1 17 Qxe1 Qf6 18 Ng3 Qf3 19 Qf1
c5! with a strong attack on the kingside light squares; for instance, 20 Be3 c4!
21 dxc4 Re6 22 cxb5 Rg6 with the decisive threat of ... Qh1 mate.
Taking on g2 first looks even better, since 15 Kxg2 Nd4 just wins for
Black - but Ivanchuk had no intention of recapturing on g2.
 15 Ng5!
All of a sudden, Ivanchuk issues his own kingside threats. Now 15 ... Nd4
is only good enough for equality after 16 Bxf7+ Kf8 17 Qh5 Nf3+ (forced) 18
Nxf3 Bxf3 19 Qxf3 Nxe1 (Ivanchuk), when a possible continuation is 20 Qh5
Qf6 21 Bxe8 Rxe8 22 Be3 Nf3+ 23 Kf1 Nd4 with equal chances.
15 ... Nxe1
Adams accepts the challenge and allows Ivanchuk to gun for his king.
16 Qh5!

16 ... Qd7
This prompts a flurry of exchanges, leading to a strange material
imbalance that turns out to be in White’s favour. According to Ivanchuk,
Black should bail out with 16 ... h6! 17 Nxf7 Qf6, which forces White to take
the perpetual check with 18 Ng5+ Kh8 19 Nf7+ etc.
17 Bxf7+ Kf8 18 Be3!
After 18 Nxh7+?! Ke7 19 Bg5+ Kd6 20 Rxe1 Nd4, the black king
escapes to the queenside.
18 ... Nd4 19 Rxe1 Nf3+ 20 Kf1
Not 20 Nxf3? Qxf7 and Black consolidates.
20 ... Nxg5 21 Bc5+ Re7 22 Rxe5 Nxf7 23 Rxe7 Qxe7 24 Bxe7+ Kxe7
 Materially, Black seems to be doing well with rook, bishop and knight for
queen and pawn. But in a mirror image of the 14 Qd2!? line above, the
hyperactive queen and exposed black king give White the better chances, as
the queen starts to snare pawns by tempo-gaining checks.
25 Qc5+ Kd7 26 Qd4+ Ke7 27 Qxg7 bxa4?! 28 Qc3!
Ivanchuk later nailed the point after decimating the black queenside and
advancing his c- and d-pawns.

Question 23
Ivanchuk-Vila Gazquez

13 dxc5!
He starts by clearing the d-file for the following deflection combination.
13 ... Bxc5 14 Bxf7+!
 Boom! The king is forcibly dragged from its bed into the firing range.
14 ... Kxf7?
Shell-shocked, Black accepts the piece. Of course, 14 ... Rxf7?? would
drop the queen, while the endgame after 14 ... Kh7 15 Qxd8 Rxd8 16 Bg5
Nc6 17 Kg2 would be a cinch for Ivanchuk to convert.
15 Qb3+
Sending the king back to its initial square. The king looked pretty cosy on
g8 three moves ago, didn’t it?
15 ... Ke8 16 Re1+ Be7 17 Bf4!
It is always a pleasure to watch games where the attacking side simply
develops normally after sacrificing. Black can do nothing about the
impending slew of pieces closing in on his king. GM Mikhail Ulibin, who
was the first to play 14 Bxf7+!, had previously won two games with 17 Qxb7
Nbd7 18 g5, but they took him considerably longer.
17 ... Rf7 18 Nb5 Kf8 19 Nc7 Qc8 20 Ne6+ Ke8
If 20 ... Kg8 21 Ng5 Qf8, White cashes in with 22 Nxf7 Qxf7 23 Qxb7
etc.
21 Ng5 Rf8
And now Ivanchuk delivered the final blow ...
 22 Rxe7+! Kxe7 23 Qb4+ 1-0
Black resigned before the other white rook gets into action.

Question 24
Ivanchuk-Azmaiparashvili

15 Bxd6
Ivanchuk captured the d6-pawn, as expected.
15 ... Bxd6
 Now the obvious 16 Qxd6 suffices for a slight edge, with White’s lead in
development more than offsetting the isolated centre pawn. In fact, after 16 ...
0-0-0, White can even win a pawn with 17 Qg3 g6 18 Qf2 (forking a7 and f7)
18 ... Nb6 (or if 18 ... Qa6 then 19 Rd4!, intending Ra4; not 19 Qxf7?? Rhf8)
19 Rxd8+ Rxd8 20 Qxf7, even if Black’s active pieces give him reasonable
counterplay for the material deficit.
However, that’s all by the by, since Ivanchuk had planned something
different ...
16 e5!!
Most players would not even flinch from recapturing the piece instantly.
However, the gravitational pull is different on Planet Ivanchuk - the surreal
becomes logical when the position unfolds. I refer you to Ivanchuk’s
compatriot and fellow GM (and political activist) Mikhail Golubev to
describe what is happening: “Sometimes Ivanchuk produces the kind of
moves that are very hard to find, understand and estimate - something
between !? and !!.”
16 ... 0-0?!
Stunned by the turn of events, Azmaiparashvili rushes his king to safety.
Ironically, it was actually safer for Black to return the pawn and go into an
ending with 16 ... Nxe5 17 Qxd6 Qe6 18 Qxe6+ fxe6 19 Rfe1 Ng6 20 Rxe6+
Kf7 21 Red6 Rhe8 22 Rd7+ Re7 23 Ne4 Ke8 24 R7d4, when White has the
initiative thanks to his more active pieces, but Black at least is compact and
the position is simplified.
17 exd6

The net result is that Ivanchuk has obtained a very strong passed pawn on
d6, which he nursed to victory later.

Question 25
Puri-Ivanchuk

16 ... Ra7!?
 Ivanchuk again shows his penchant for subtle rook shifts. Rather than
stopper White’s minority attack, he elects to defend the b7-pawn sideways (to
counter any ideas of b4xa5) and mass up potential energy on the a-file.
17 Na4
Puri sends his knight to block the battery on the a3-f8 diagonal, and
perhaps drop back to d3 later to cover b4 and c5.
17 ... Ne4 18 Nc5 Rea8!
Planning to open the a-file at the most opportune time to mobilize his
rooks.
19 Qc2 axb4 20 axb4 h5!?
Seizing kingside space as well. Instead, 20 ... f5 would discourage 21
Nxe4 on account of 21 ... fxe4 22 Nd2 Ra2, but presumably Ivanchuk was
happy for White to take on e4, since he could have done so on move 19
anyway.
21 Nxe4
A natural-looking exchange, preparing the trade of more pieces to reduce
Black’s space advantage. The solid alternative was 21 Rb2, followed by Nd3
and perhaps Nfe5, aiming to revive the minority attack.
21 ... dxe4 22 Nd2 Ra2
Not giving White time to pluck e4.
23 Rb2 Qe6!
 Keeping the pressure on. White is okay after 23 ... Rxb2 24 Qxb2 Bxb4
25 Nxe4!.
24 Rfb1 f5 25 g3
Puri counters the threat of 25 ... Bxb4, which might now be met by 26
Rxa2 Rxa2 27 Qc4!.
25 ... h4!
Black’s 20th move looks quite useful now. Ivanchuk was to nurse a slight
plus all the way and eventually won by attacking the white king in the
endgame.

Question 26
Ivanchuk-Bu Xiangzhi

13 f3!!

An incredible concept, sacrificing the bishop to open the f-file and play
against the pinned f6-knight. Actually, 13 Bb3 Nbxd5 (or 13 ... cxd5) 14 f3!
would be very strong too, but Black can disrupt this with 13 ... Qd7! and if 14
Nh6+ gxh6 15 Bxf6 Nxd5 16 Bxd5 cxd5 17 Qh5 then 17 ... Bd8. White may
still be better here, given Black’s ragged pawn structure, but Ivanchuk is not
playing for the endgame.
13 ... h6
 After 13 ... Nxc4 14 fxe4, the threat of Nxg7 cannot be satisfactorily
repelled. The best Houdini can find is 14 ... Nxb2 15 Qf3 Bxc3! 16 Bxf6 (not
16 Qxc3? Nxe4!) 16 ... Qxf6 17 Qxc3 Na4, when 18 Qa3 Nb6 19 e5! gives
White a huge advantage.
14 Bh4 e3
Bu decides to keep the f-file closed. 14 ... Nxc4 15 fxe4 is even worse
than on the previous move.
15 Qd3 Nxc4 16 Qxc4 Qd7 17 Nxe3

Ivanchuk cashes in on the pawn and eventually won in 34 moves.

Question 27
Ivanchuk-Bareev

27 Rag1!
 He ignores the threat and carries on with his kingside build-up!
27 ... fxg4?! 28 hxg4 Nxf4
After 28 ... Rxf4?! 29 Rh2 Rf8 30 Rg3, the attack down the h-file
succeeds more easily; for example, 30 ... Kg8 (or 30 ... Ng8 31 g5!) 31 Rgh3
h6 32 Qd2 Kf7 (or 32 ... Qf7 33 Ng5 Qe8 34 Nh7! Kxh7 35 Bxh6 etc) 33
Bxh6 Rh8 34 Bxg7! Rxh3 35 Rxh3 Kxg7 36 Qh6+ Kg8 37 Qh7+ Kf8 38 Nh4!
and wins.
29 Bxf4 Rxf4 30 Rh2 Ng6
Trying to hold the second rank with 30 ... g6 and ... Ng8 fails because
White can just keep piling up his pieces: 31 Nh3 Rf8 32 Nhg5 Ng8 33 Rg3 h6
34 Rgh3 Kg7 35 Qe3 and there is no defence to Kg2, followed by Nh7 and
another sacrifice on h6. Even 35 ... Rxf3 36 Qxf3 g5 doesn’t help, as White
can play 37 Rxh6! Nxh6 38 Nxg5 (threatening Rxh6 again) 38 ... Qe7 (or 38
... Nxg4 39 Qh3) 39 Nh7 Ng8 40 Nf6 and wins.
31 Rg3
 31 ... Nf8
There is nothing better: 31 ... Kg8 (or 31 ... Rf8 32 g5 Kg8 33 Ng1!,
intending 34 Qh5) 32 Rgh3 h6 33 g5 Rf8 34 gxh6 Nf4 35 hxg7! Rxg7 (or 35
... Nxe2 36 gxf8Q+, followed by Rh8+ and R2h7+) 36 Ng4! Nxe2 37 Nh6+
Kh7 38 Nf5+ Kg8 39 Nxg7 Qe7 (39 ... Kxg7 40 Rh7+ is mate in three) 40
Ne8! and the black king is defenceless against the white rooks.
32 g5 Kg8 33 Nh3 Rf5
Bareev decides to give up the exchange as the alternative looks even
worse: 33 ... Rff7 34 g6! Nxg6 35 Bxg6 hxg6 36 Nhg5 Bxg5 37 Nxg5 Rf5 38
Qg4 and there is no defence to the invasion down the h-file.
34 Bxf5 exf5 35 Nf4 Qc6 36 Rgh3 g6 37 Rh6
 Ivanchuk slowly reorganized his pieces with Qg2, Nf3-e3, Kb2 (!) and
R2h4, preparing a decisive sacrifice on h7 (or g6), and won on move 57.

Question 28
Bruzon Batista-Ivanchuk

16 ... Re4!?
 What’s this? Stuffing the rook into the centre? Chapter Five would have
told you what Ivanchuk intended.
17 Qd2 Nd7 18 Bd3 Rxe3+!? 19 fxe3
After 19 Qxe3 Bg5 20 Qe2 Bf4 21 Rh1 Qh4, Black has superb
compensation for the exchange. The white rooks have difficulty getting
activated, while Black’s minor pieces are very well placed.
19 ... Bh4+ 20 Ke2 e4!
Sacrificing more material to clear the e5-square for the steed.
21 Bxe4 0-0 22 Raf1 Re8 23 Bf5 Ne5
 Black has marvellously-placed minor pieces, whereas the white rooks
will again find difficulty in making their presence felt. Even when Bruzon did
manage to activate a rook, he couldn’t find a way past Black’s complete
control of the dark squares and eventually went wrong in a level endgame.
Ivanchuk prevailed in a protracted fight lasting 77 moves.

Question 29
Ivanchuk-Volkov

23 b5!
A powerful pawn sacrifice which suddenly makes White’s central piece
configuration increase in strength exponentially.
23 ... cxb5 24 d5
Boom! There is no real safe haven for the black king, as White’s bishop is
transformed to a howitzer with excellent range.

 24 ... 0-0-0
Trying to keep the centre closed is no safer:
a) 24 ... e5 25 d6 Qb6 26 c4 bxc4 (or 26 ... Rc8 27 c5! - Ivanchuk) 27
Qxc4 0-0 28 Qc7 sees White break through on the queenside.
b) 24 ... Nf8 25 d6! Qxc3 26 Qb1! leaves Black with serious
developmental issues; e.g. 26 ... a6 (26 ... Nd7 27 Qxb5 Rd8 28 Qxb7 Kf8 29
Qxa7 sweeps up the queenside pawns) 27 Bxb7 Rd8 28 Nb4 (not 28 Bxa6??
Qc6 and Black wins) 28 ... Bd4 29 Rd3 Qc5 30.Nd5!, followed by Rc1 with
a big plus for White (30 ... Bxf2+ 31 Kg2 Bxe1?? runs into 32 Nf6 mate).
25 dxe6 fxe6 26 Rxe6 Bd4 27 Kg2 g4?!
It’s hard to see what Volkov intended with this pawn sacrifice, but he was
in trouble in any case. For example, 27 ... Bb6 can be met by 28 Qe2! Rhf8
29 Re7 Qc4 30 Bg4 Kb8 31 Bxd7 Rxd7 32 Rxd7 Qc6+ 33 f3 Qxd7 34 Ne5
Qe8 35 Nd7+ Kc8 36 Nxb6+ axb6 37 Qxe8+ Rxe8 38 Rd5 with a winning
rook endgame.
28 Bxg4 Kb8 29 Nb4
 There soon followed mass piece exchanges. After the smoke cleared, our
hero still had his extra pawn, together with two connected passed pawns on
the kingside, and won easily.

Question 30
Svidler-Ivanchuk

23 ... Rc2!
 He simply plonks the rook on the second rank anyway.
24 Kh2
Svidler moves the king off the g1-a7 diagonal, not fearing the loss of the
b2-pawn. There was no chance of him playing 24 Bxc2? d3+ 25 Kh2 dxc2
and White will go a piece down. If instead 24 Re1, Ivanchuk was planning 24
... Rd2! 25 e5 dxe5 26 fxe5 Rxd3! 27 Qxd3 Bxe5 with sufficient
compensation for the exchange.
24 ... Rxb2 25 Rxb2 Qxb2 26 Rb1 Qd2!
Ivanchuk is not interested in plucking the a2-pawn because he has his
sights set elsewhere ...
27 Rxb7 Re5!!
As if one audacious rook dare wasn’t enough, Ivanchuk sets up another to
force the weakening of the dark squares, and there goes White’s control of the
centre.

 28 f5!
Forced, since the rook cannot be allowed to use the fifth rank. It would be
foolhardy to take it: after 28 fxe5?! Bxe5 29 Qxe5 dxe5 30 d6 Qf4+! 31 Kg1
Qc1+ 32 Bf1 Qc8 and now 33 Rc7 Qd8 34 h6! Kf8 35 Bc4 Qxd6 36 Rxf7+
Ke8 37 Rxh7, Houdini manages to put up a strong defence, but only Black can
win.
But doesn’t Svidler’s move expose the queen to a certain pin as well?
28 ... Bg5!
The bishop emerges with nice diagonals to play on. The answer to the
question just asked is “No!”. The ‘combination’ 28 ... Rxe4?? 29 Bxe4 Be5
only appears to win the queen for rook and bishop: after 30 f6! Bxg3+ 31
Kh3!, Black has to give up both his pieces to prevent mate; i.e. 31 ... Qh6 32
Rb8+ Qf8 33 Rxf8+ Kxf8 34 Kxg3.
29 Kh3 Bf4 30 Qf3 gxf5 31 g3 Be3
 The game is roughly equal, though still very complicated. Here Svidler
made an incorrect bishop sacrifice (32 exf5?) and lost, albeit after further
errors by both sides.

Index of Complete Games

Agdestein.S-Ivanchuk.V, World Junior Championships, Baguio City 1987

Alekseev.E-Ivanchuk.V, FIDE World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011
Anand.V-Ivanchuk.V, FIDE World Championship (4th matchgame),
Moscow 2001
Bologan.V-Ivanchuk.V, PCA Grand Prix, Moscow (rapid) 1996
Brochet.P-Ivanchuk.V, European Club Cup, Plovdiv 2010
Carlsen.M-Ivanchuk.V, World Rapidplay Championship, Astana 2012
Dao Thien Hai-Ivanchuk.V, Moscow Olympiad 1994
Dorfman.J-Ivanchuk.V, Barcza Memorial, Debrecen 1988
Ehlvest.J-Ivanchuk.V, Tallinn (rapid) 1996
Epishin.V-Ivanchuk.V, Tilburg 1992
Ivanchuk.V-Adams.M, Dortmund 1992
Ivanchuk.V-Akopian.V, World Junior Championships, Baguio City 1987
Ivanchuk.V-Anand.V, Thematic Tournament, Buenos Aires 1994
Ivanchuk.V-Andreikin.D, Capablanca Memorial, Havana 2011
Ivanchuk.V-Haba.P, Barcza Memorial, Debrecen 1988
Ivanchuk.V-Hansen.L, Champigny sur Marne 1984
Ivanchuk.V-Hector.J, Malmö 2003
Ivanchuk.V-Kasparov.G, Russia vs. Rest of the World (rapid match),
Moscow 2002
Ivanchuk.V-Khalifman.A, Reggio Emilia 1991/92
Ivanchuk.V-Manor.I, European Junior Championships, Groningen 1986
Ivanchuk.V-Moskalenko.V, Lvov 1988
Ivanchuk.V-Piket.J, Wijk aan Zee 1996
Ivanchuk.V-Riazantsev.A, Russian Team Championship 2008
Ivanchuk.V-Robson.R, FIDE World Cup, Tromsø 2013
Ivanchuk.V-Rokhmanov.S, Klaipeda 1985
Ivanchuk.V-Romanov.E, Russian Team Championship 2011
Ivanchuk.V-Tabatadze.T, Leningrad 1985
Ivanchuk.V-Urban.K, Polish Team Tournament, Warsaw 2002
Ivanchuk.V-Vachier Lagrave.M, Istanbul Olympiad 2012
Ivanchuk.V-Xu Jun, Novi Sad Olympiad 1990
Ivanchuk.V-Ye Jiangchuan, FIDE World Championship, Moscow 2001
Ivanchuk.V-Zapata.A, Novi Sad Olympiad 1990
Kaidanov.G-Ivanchuk.V, Lvov 1987
McShane.L-Ivanchuk.V, German League 2008
Moreno Carnero.J-Ivanchuk.V, Calvia Olympiad 2004
Nakamura.H-Ivanchuk.V, FIDE Grand Prix, London 2012
Nikolic.P-Ivanchuk.V, Tilburg 1990
Olafsson.H-Ivanchuk.V, Reykjavik 1990
Shirov.A-Ivanchuk.V, Manila Olympiad 1992
Zapata.A-Ivanchuk.V, Manila Interzonal 1990