Kotronias KID 4

Kotronias
onthe
King's Indian
VOLUME FOUR
Classical
Systems
Tired of bad positions? Try the main lines!
QUALITY CHESS
Kotronias on the King's Indian 4
Classical Systems
By
Vassilios Kotronias
For my children, Adoria, Athanasia and Dimitrios
Quality Chess
www.qualitychess.co. uk
First edition 2016 by Quality Chess UK Ltd
Copyright © 2016 Vassilios Kotronias
Kotronias on the King's Indian- Classical Systems

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Introduction
Dear readers,
It is with great pleasure that I am able to welcome you to this fourth, penultimate volume on the
King's Indian Defence. This volume is dedicated to the rest of the systems that have a Classical
flavour, namely the Gligoric, the Makogonov, the Petrosian, the Averbakh, the Karpov, and several
types of Exchange Variations. These are obviously systems that required a lot of elaboration on my
part, endless hours of analytical work, difficult decisions and a lot of explanation. I hope that the
result will vindicate not only me, but also the faithful devotees of the King's Indian all around the
world - those who have put their faith and creativity into this wonderful opening, and supported
me with their comments and reviews along the way.
At this point, I feel the inner desire to stress something: undertaking the responsibility to write
such a repertoire was a task entailing a lot of risk, as the King's Indian has some of the richest
tactical and positional content in the whole range of chess openings. In a way I consider myself
rather brave for trying to classify and put some order in the chaos, while in another way I feel
like a pawn of fate that was destined to do just that. After all, if there is no complete repertoire
series on the King's Indian, then chess literature is lacking a vital spark. I would go as far as to
say that it is like a family which is missing one of its most charismatic children, flamboyant and
adventurous, fighting and full of creativity.
That said, I want to thank all my predecessors who tried to fill this gap. Although I don't know
him personally, David Vigorito stands out as a composed writer and analyst, whose articles and
surveys have helped me with their accuracy and evaluations. Other prominent examples who
guided me with their previous works are GMs John Nunn and Victor Bologan. I hope I will
be forgiven by those whose names I have failed to mention in this preface, but they can be sure
they have my respect and gratitude for creating the first solid ground I stepped upon in order to
explore an exotic and dangerous land.
Vassilios Kotronias
Athens, February 2016
Contents
Introduction 3
Key to symbols used & Bibliography 6
Exercises 7
Exchange Variation
1 9.ctJd5 14
2 9.ig5 - Introduction 25
3 Various 12th Moves 38
4 12.~d6!? 56
Classical Variation
5 8.dxe5 77
6 8.ie3 93
Gligoric
8 sJWd2 139
9 8.0-0 151
10 8.d5 181
11 1 I.ih4 196
12 13.a3 208
Petrosian
14 8.ig5 253
15 11.0-0 Main Line 274
Makogonov
16 Exchange Variation and 8.id3 296
17 8.ie2 and 8.ie3 317
18 8.ig5 344
6.i.e3 Systems
19 Karpov 373
20 Larsen 387
21 ie2/ie3 398
Averbakh
22 7.dxc5 407
23 7.d5 415
24 8.if4 Main Line 442
Variation Index 457

Key to symbols used
White is slightly better ? a weak move
Black is slightly better ?? a blunder
± White is better a good move
+ Black is better !! an excellent move
+- White has a decisive advantage !? a move worth considering
-+ Black has a decisive advantage ?! a move of doubtful value
equality # mate
iii with compensation
? with counterplay
CD unclear
~ with an attack
t with the initiative
Bibliography
Bojkov· Modernized: The King's Indian Defense, Metropolitan 2014
Bologan: The King's Indian, Chess Stars 2009
Gallagher: Starting Out: The King's Indian, Everyman Chess 2002
Kaufman: The Kaufman Repertoire far Black and White, New In Chess 2012
Khalifman: Opening far White According to Kramnik 1b, Chess Stars 2006
Kornev: A Practical Repertoire with J.d4 and 1.c4, Volume 2, Chess Stars 2013
Kotronias: The Grandmaster Battle Manual, Quality Chess 2011
Markos: Beat the KID, Quality Chess 2008
Nunn & Burgess: The Main Line King's Indian, Batsford 1996
Seirawan: Chess Duels: My Games with the World Champions, Everyman Chess 2009
Vigorito: Attacking Chess: The King's Indian, Volume l, Everyman Chess 2010
Vigorito: Attacking Chess: The King's Indian, Volume 2, Everyman Chess 2011
Watson: A Strategic Chess Opening Repertoire far White, Gambit 2012
Periodicals
Chess Informant
New In Chess Yearbooks
Electronic/Internet resources
ChessBase Magazine
ChessPublishing.com
Exercises
While discussing this project, Jacob Aagaard joked that there were probably only five chess
players in the world capable of memorizing the full contents of this book. However, I think his
estimate may have been too high! There may only be two - one of whom has stopped playing
competitively.
It was never my intention to give the impression that all of these complicated lines should be
remembered; rather, I was trying to get closer to the absolute truth about the theoretical status of
the King's Indian. I hope at least some of the readers will be as interested in this question as I am.
I would like this series to be read as both an opening book and a middlegame book. In many
places the analysis continues far beyond the scope of any normal opening preparation, in order
to demonstrate how the King's Indian should, or at least could, be handled. It is my hope that,
by playing through the analysis of a certain variation in its entirety, the reader will deepen his
understanding of the position and develop a better appreciation of the resources available to both
sides. With this aspiration in mind, it was quite natural to start the book with a series of exercises
taken from the text.
The exercises on the following pages are mainly intended for developing intuition. My
recommendation is for you to look at each position briefly (say for a maximum of five to ten
minutes) and try to guess the best move. A limited number of the exercises do involve some
concrete tactics and thus calculation, but I have deliberately refrained from highlighting them, as
the feeling for when calculation is necessary is, in itself, a useful skill to develop.
I have decided to go against my original intention of including extra explanations to the positions
I have chosen as exercises, as I felt it would disrupt the flow of the book without adding a great
deal of value. If for some reason you do not agree with my solution, or are unable to find the
answer to a particular question you may have, I suggest that you analyse the position yourself
with the assistance of an engine. Moving the pieces around on the board/screen is often the
quickest way to understand a position, as well as serving as a general reminder to question what
you read, and analyse independently.
I sincerely hope that you will make the effort to go through these exercises and, in doing so,
capture the dynamic spirit which is needed to play the King's Indian. But if you don't, I hope
the information contained in the other 24 chapters will serve you well for a long time to come.
In all of the exercises it is Black to play.

8 Kotronias on the King's Indian - Classical Systems
a b c d e f g h
Page 16, Chapter 1
a b c d e f g h a b c d e f g h
Page 18, Chapter 1 Page 32, Chapter 2
a b c d e f g h
Page 22, Chapter 1

Exercises 9
a b c d e f g h
Page 72, Chapter 4
~~£~",~,.-;,
8
7
3-:•~-,~
~·~
:~.,.!.•a
6
,~,-
~)'"%'.
~!diJft~~
z·"//. ~''.%'.
~~~~ctJ~
a b c d e f g h
Page 154, Chapter 9

a b c d e f g h
Page 156, Chapter 9
Page 18 5, Chapter 10 Page 199, Chapter 11
a b c d e f g h
Page 165, Chapter 9
a b c d e f g h
Page 193, Chapter 10

Exercises 11
a b c d e f g h

a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
Exercises 13
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h

Exchange Variation
a b c d e f g h
Variation Index
1.d4 tiJf6 2.c4 g6 3.tiJc3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 5.tiJf3 0-0
6 ..ie2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8JJxd8 ~xd8 9.tiJd5
9 ... tiJxd5 10.cxd5 c6! ll ..ic4 b5
A) 12..igS!? 15
B) 12 ..ib3 .ib7 13..ig5 17
Bl) 13 ... ~cS 17
B2) 13... ~d7!? 20
B21) 14.dxc6 21
B22) 14.~cl! 22
A) after 24.l"!fdl B2) note co move 14 B21) after 15.id5
si,~ ~ ~-
1f;nfnf•i
5~·-ls·
4---~
6
~,~~·it~
•• -·~
a b c d e f g h a b
":'ii•
c d e f
%.j
g h abcdefgh
24 .. .f4!N 16 .. .<~Ja6!N+ l 5.. J"1xd5!?N

Chapter 1 - 9.ltld5 15
1.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltlc3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.ltlf3 9 .. )Z~xd5 10.cxd5 c6! 11.i.c4 b5
0-0 6.i.e2 e5 This is part and parcel of Black's strategy
in this line, as he wants to gain space on the
queenside and suppress the activity of the
c4-bishop. In several cases Black will not take
on d5, but will continue with the risky ... c5,
obtaining a queenside pawn majority. Of
course this comes at a price, as then White has
a protected passed d-pawn.
8
7
6
5
7.dxe5 4
The so-called Exchange/Andersson Variation, 3
which was a trademark of the famous Swedish
grandmaster Ulf Andersson. It aims at quiet, 2
positional play, hoping to slowly outplay the 1
opponent in an ending. But against a well-
prepared Black, this should be impossible.
A) 12.i.g5!? is an alternative to the usual
7 ... dxe5 s.V:Vxd8 ~xd8 9.lt~d5 B) 12.i.b3.
This is too simplistic to cause Black any
A) 12.i.g5!? f6 13.i.b3
problems, and it is no surprise that Ulf never
played it. Its main idea is to avoid the line Black seems to experience no problems at all
9 .i.g5 c6, but Black can now obtain a free after the simple recapture:
game by relatively simple means.
13 ... cxd5 14.~cl
Principled, but Black should be able to come
out on top.
14.0-0-0 ib7 15.ie3 ltJa6t White had

played listlessly in Haritakis - Cela, Poros
1998, and was saddled with a weak, isolated
d-pawn after a string of captures on d5.
14.ie3 is hardly critical either. After 14 ...ie6

(more human than 14 ...ib7) 15.Ei:dl ltJa6
16.exd5 if7+ Black has a slight pull, as he is
excellently developed and the d-pawn is again
more of a weakness than a strength.
16 Exchange Variation
Finally, 14.i.d2 also leaves White struggling: 21...f4!? 22.lt'ib6! Elxcl 23.Elxcl E1d8 24.i.c5
14 ... i.e6 15.:1:kl a5 16.l'k5 lt'ia617.E1xb5 lt'ic7 (24.lt'ixd7 fxe3 25.lt'ib6 [25.lt'ic5? e2 26.Elel
18.E1c5 a4 19.i.c2 E1a7 i.xd5 27.lt'ib7 i.xb3! 28.lt'ixdS i.dl-+]
25 ... exf2t 26.Wxf2 e4 is better for Black but
most probably will end in a draw after careful
defending by White.)
a b c d e f g h
24 ... lt'ixc5 25.E1xc5 e4 26.E1xa5 i.d4 27.E1b5
14...i.e6 15.0-0 c!tld7 16.exdS i.f7 17.i.e3 i.xb6 28.E1xb6 i.xd5 29.i.xd5t l"i:xd5 30.h4
E1dl t 31 <iih2 e3 32.fxe3 fxe3 33.E1e6= The
ending is completely drawn.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
17... aS! 18.a3 ~dc8

With ... a5 and a2-a3 thrown in, White has
a b c d e f g h
been deprived of the move 19.E1c6 here, so 22.d6?!
Black can look forward to obtaining strong Black's persistence in keeping his winning
pressure against White's queenside. White's chances alive pays off.
next move is designed to put a halt to Black's
activity. 22.f3 i.f8 would have been better, although
even in that case the impending exchange
19.a4! b4 20.c!tid2 f5 21.t2Jc4 ~a6! of dark-squared bishops on c5 would have
Trying to maintain some tension. granted Black the more pleasant game.
Chapter 1 - 9.ltld5 17
22 .. Jkc6! 23.f3 i.f'8 24.l:Udl 13.i.gS

So far we have followed Haritakis - We have arrived at a critical crossroad. Black
Kotronias, Porns 1998, and now I should have has a clear-cut way to play, which guarantees
played: him at least equality, and a more double-edged
alternative. I have employed Bl) 13 .. JkS
in my games, but B2) 13 .. J~d?!? could be
8
objectively stronger.
7
Bl) 13.. JkS 14J~dl
6
5 This looks like the most topical.
4 An important remark for those seeking to avoid

3 a symmetric, drawish position is that placing
the rook on the c-file renders the immediate
2 capture on c6 unplayable:
1 14.dxc6? 4'lxc6 15.id5 4'la5
Black is already better in view of the pending
a b c d e f g h
~.arr~r-~~;~
i.- .,..,.
invasion on c2.
24 ... f4!N 25.i.fl .ixd6+

With an almost decisive advantage for Black. 8
7
~ ~! ~W,i; ~~
6 ,,,,%~ ~~ ~~-,~~
B) 12.i.b3
5
4 ,,,,,,;~~~if~~~
W,i; ~D ~D~D
3 ~W'" ~W,i; ~~~W'"
2 8 '1/!f;,-"~ • ;:0,m_'1/!f;,--"~
~
8 'e-~f[J
a b c d e f g h
I6.ixb7
16.1:'1:dl l:!c2 17.ixb7 4'lxb7 18.l:!d2 l:!cl t
19.l:!dl l:!xdl t 20.©xdl 4'lc5 21.4'ld2
(21.l:!el f6+) 21...l:!c8 22.©e2 lt'ia4 23.l:!bl
l:!c2+ and White loses a vital pawn.
16 ... 4'lxb7 17.0-0
a b c d e f g h 17.l:!cl 4'lc5-+
This is White's main reaction. 17.ie3 4'ld6 18.4'ld2 f5 19.f3 fxe4 20.fxe4
4'lc4!+
12 ...i.h? 17 ... l:!c2 18.b3 4'lc5+
Another advantage of the move ... b5 is the Black has a clear advantage.
obvious fact that the bl-square is vacated for
the bishop to pile up on d5. 14.l:!cl 4'ld7
This peters out to equality.
l 4 ... c5!? was my attempt to keep some

s,i·.i~ ~·
dynamic tension in Bluvshtein - Kotronias,
Gausdal 2002, but although I won the
1
6 ...
~Iu~u:~
~~ ~~
%~ -,~~
3~,.~,!~
game, there were several improvements for ~~-%~~-%~~"----
White along the way. 5 ~ l iii, ~ iii, •
4 ~~" .. i~"--.i~ 0,~
8
7
~~!~~~i
%···
~.i.·'i)·l~l
,~~
2r~~------~~r~
r=---3~"~
:~,.~,!~
6 .. 0,• • " ... %~
~~~~-,, %;3;'"
5 ~ • • ~,~ ~ a b c d e f g h
~~ ~~ • % ~ , .... ~~
16.h4! f5!? 17.h5 c4 18.i.c2 f4 19.i.d2 g5
~~ %~,,, ~~-~ Black has apparently blocked the kingside,
~Y,:-JFJjJ..tJ
~ 0 , '%
2 ~ ~;--- but White can create problems in the

~m m .1:. following manner:
20.a4! a6 2 l .i.c3!
a b c d e f g h
21.4'lh2 4'ld7 22.lt'ig4 i.f8 23.i.a5 ©g7
15.dxc6 i.xc6 16.i.e3 h6 17.4'ld2 a5 18.<;t>e2 24.g3 b4 25.gxf4 exf4 26.d6 b3 27.i.bl ©£7
a4 19 .E!:xc6 E!:xc6 20.i.d5 E!:ac8 2 l.i.xc6 E!:xc6 is a strange position which is hard to assess.
As played in Touzane - Kazhgaleyev, France 21...4'ld7
2003. Black surprisingly went on to win, but
at this point the position is dead level.
7
8 6
7 5
6 4
5
2
4
3 a b c d e f g h
2 22.0-0!N
1 This is what White should play, as Black
finds it hard to free his minor pieces from
a b c d e f g h the defence of e5.
14... cS!+! Nikcevic - Kotronias, Peristeri 1995,
I like this double-edged advance; it is well- continued 22.©e2?, when I was able to
founded strategically, as it reduces the scope of tactically exploit the positioning of the
the b3-bishop, and creates a pawn majority. white king: 22 ... E!:e8! 23.E!:al i.f8 24.axb5
Worse is: axb5 25.E!:xa8 E!:xa8! 26.b4 (26.lt'ixe5 4'lxe5
14 ... h6?! 15.i.e3 c5 27.i.xe5 E!:e8 28.i.f6 i.xd5+ illustrates
The move ... h6 inspires White to attack the the shortcomings of having the king
weakened light squares on the kingside. on e2) 26 ... E!:a2 27.lt'iel lt'if6 28.©dl i.d6
Chapter 1 - 9.lt:)d5 19
29.Wcl g4 Black's space advantage on the a) 16 ... c4 17 .ic2

kingside was soon converted.
22 ... Ei:e8
After the clumsy 22 ... E!:cb8 Black is worse, as
White has the initiative due to the possible
breaks b2-b3 or g2-g3.
23.Ei:al! if8 24.axb5 axb5 25.E!:xa8 E!:xa8
25 ...ixa8? 26.Ei:al ±
26.lt:)xe5 lt:)xe5 27.ixe5 ig7 28.ic3!? ixc3
29.bxc3 E!:a2
29 ... Ei:a3 30.d6! ic8 31.e5 Wf7 32.ig6t
We6 33.ie8±
a b c d e f g h
30.idl
Reaching a sharp position that the engines 17 ... h5!?
assess as a bit better for White, but this It is debatable whether White can profit
represents Black's best fighting chance. from the weakening of g6.
18.Ei:gl
15.h4 18.g4!? hxg4 19.lt:)h2 is not out of the
White has no other plan but to open up the question.
position or induce a weakness, as otherwise he 18.ctJgl could be best, intending 4Je2, f2-f3
is in danger of slowly getting smothered on the and g2-g4.
queenside. 18 ... Wf7 19.g4 hxg4 20.Ei:xg4 Ei:h8 21 Wd2
21 We2 4Jd7 22.E!:dgl i2Jf8 23.ic5 E!:h6
looks difficult, but Black may be okay.
8
21...ctJd? 22.E!:dgl 4Jf8 23.<iic3
7 Intending a2-a4, but Black has a fine
defensive idea:
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
1s... lt:)d71
Avoiding any weakness!
15 .. .f6 is best met by 16.ie3! (not 16.icl?!

due to 16 ... c4 17.ic2 lt:)a6! 18.h5 lt:)b4
19.ibl lt:)d3t! 20.ixd3 cxd3t) but even in
chat case things are not so clear:
b) 16 ... 4Jd7 17.h5
8
6
7
5
!;~!~~~;
,,,,%. ~.~.
~.i.·'11)· ,
:.:.,,,%~~
~~
i
~'~ 17 ... aS! 18.~h2
18.ie7 l'!e8 19.d6 (19.id6 l'%ac8 20.~e200 )
is pretty unclear after either 19 ... l'!ac8 or
19 ... ifS.
4 ~~~--,%~',,%~
~~~~~~
~lt:)-i.
r~~-- -%~~.,~----%.li
3~i_-
----~~
18 ... b4 19.~g4 a4 20.hxg6 hxg6
s i,Di."~ ~,e/~
:m,mam,trm
2
1 %%~ %%~ %%~Ft
~~~~P~%,~
a b c d e f g h
l 7 ... g5!?
s ~ m ffl8t~
This is anti-positional, but it slows down
White's attack.
17 ... c4 18.ic2 a5?! 19.4:'lh4 ~f7 20.l'!h3!
4 ,
3
_ ,%u'lrmlt5~
,,,,,%~~~ ~~
~~,~ ~~ ~~,~ ~~
allows annoying pressure on g6. After
20 ... l'!gS 21.b3! cxb3 22.ixb3 a4 23.ic2
b4 24.l'!bl if8 25.id2± Black finds himself
exposed on the queenside as well.
2
1 .,,,,%~rm,,,,,~
8f[j~~ f/l8~ M
18.4:'lh2!? a b c d e f g h
18.4:'ld2?! c4 19.ic2 a5! 20.4:'lfl ifs 21.4:'lg3 The position looks unclear but in fact I
a4!+± is too slow. prefer Black: it is not easy for White to mate
18.0-0 if8 19.4:'lh2 c4 20.ic2 a5 21.4:'lg4 a4 his opponent on the kingside, while the black
22.g3 b4 23.f4 b3 cannot be good for White. pawns look menacing on the other wing.
18 ... c4 19.ic2 a5 20.4:'lg4 a4 21.h6 ifs
22.l'!h3 b4 23.l'!f3 21..ie7 b3 22.axb3
We have reached a position where White has 22.ib 1?! a3 23.bxa3 c3 24.axb3 c2+
dangerous pressure on f6, but the queenside
pawns should not be underestimated: 22 ... axb3 23 ..ihl c3+!
23 ... ie? 24.icl b3 25.axb3 cxb3 00 With a tough struggle ahead.
16.hS c4 17..ic2 B2) 13 .. J~d7!?
7
6
5
4
3
1
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 1 - 9.tlld5 21
Black persists with the pressure on d5. I chose 20 ... h6

not to play this move because it takes away Black is planning ... f5 and to approach the
the natural square for the development of the enemy weakness on d5 with his king.
b8-knight, bur in fact the knight can also be
developed on a6 or c6. We will examine B21} B21) 14.dxc6
14.dxc6 and the more venomous B22) 14Jkl!.
14.0-0-0?! cxd5 15.ixdS ixd5
This releases the central tension and leads to

16.l::!:xdS
a slightly advantageous position for Black.
16.exdS?! l"!:c7t (16 .. .l2:la6!N+ was even
better) 17 ~bl t2:ld7 18.t2:ld2 f5 was clearly 14 .. .lLlxc6!?
better for Black in Herraiz Hidalgo - Illescas
14 ... ixc6
Cordoba, Ayamonte 2002. White can reply actively to this recapture:
16 ... l"!:xdS 17.exdS t2:ld7 18.Wbl 15.l"!:cl!
The passed cl-pawn is rather weak. Black
Disturbing the coordination of the black
could continue with:
~,~.1.,1.
pieces.
4
j.~.~-~t.
5~i·/J·'
~., ;.,;, ,i~
~-
15.t2:ld2 t2:la6 16.l"!:cl t2:lb4 17 We2 ib7
18.f3
~~~-,,)-~
6
~~ ~~ ~~
~,~~-~~
5
4
a b c d e f g h 2
18 ... l"!:c8 19.ie3 a6 20.l"!:dl

20.l"!:cl?! l"!:xcl t 21 Wxcl ~f8+ obviously a b c d e f g h
plays into Black's hands by allowing further
18 ... aS! 19.a4! bxa4 20.ixa4 ia6t 21.t2:lc4
exchanges.
l"!:d4 22.b3 t2:ld3 23.l"!:c2 t2:lc5 24.l"!:al
a b c d e f g h
This occurred in Pismany - Elyoseph,
Israel 1988, and now instead of the game
continuation 24 .. .:!:%b8 25.~f2! which
led to a draw, Black could have played: Black has other choices as well, but this
24 ... f5!N 25.exf5 gxf5 26.ie3 lt:le6! 27 'itif2 untested move seems best.
e4! 28.l:faa2 l'l:d3 With dangerous pressure.
16.exd5 ~b4 17.d6 e4 18.~d2 ~c2t
19.iie2 f6 20.ie3 ~xal 2U~xal iffi
22.ic5 l3d8 23.l3dl id5i
23 ... ixd6 24.lt:lxe4! ixe4 25.1'l:xd6 is a
draw, but after the text I don't see a clear path
to equality for White.
B22) 14.l3cl!
a b c d e f g h
15 ... h6!
15 ... ixe4?? 16.l'l:c8t if8 17.lt:lxe5+- allows
White to demonstrate the point of his last
move.
16.ie3 a5!
16 ...ixe4 17.l'l:c8t ~h7 18.h4!~ gives
White strong compensation for his pawn
thanks to the special threat of 19.lt:lg5t!.
17.h4!+±
The ending is double-edged as White intends a b c d e f g h
to follow up with h4-h5, forcing a weakening
White makes it difficult for Black to develop
on the light squares.
his knight in view of the pressure on c6.
15.id5
14... a5!
Chapter 1 - 9.lt:id5 23
I cannot see the slightest problem for Black the engines insisted that it is ';!;' and they could
after this move. be right. A bishop is a bishop, and the black
king is a worse piece than its counterpart.
14 ... cxd5 15.ixd5 l2ia6 16.ixb7 l"&xb7
17 <;tie2;!; is pleasant for White, for instance: I5.@e2
17 ... l2ic7 18.l"&hdl l2ie6 19.ie3 l"&e8 20.l"&c6t 15.a3 a4 16.ia2 cxd5 17.ixd5 l2ia6
Black has weaknesses at a7 and b5. 18.ixb7 l"&xb7= is clearly level, and was
eventually drawn in Nakamura - Ding Liren,
14 ... h6 has been common in practice, but my Beijing (blindfold) 2012.
analysis shows that White keeps an advantage.
15.ie3 i;g;>h7
8 i.a'Y
:?-- ~
~
~
~
_l.tBi.Bim•
~·%•~~ ..
1
6 8.iB Bil:
3~~- ~'LJ-
5
4
2
~~ ~~f~~~ ~~
~~
~
- \-- ~
~
~~~
~:V&'r/·-%·,
~~ ~ ~M
~
a b c d e f g h
16.h4! The point of White's strategy: trying
to stop the liberating ... cxd5 by creating
the threat of checking on g5 in reply to it.
16 ... cxd5 17.ixd5 ixd5 18.l2ig5t hxg5
19.hxg5t i;t>gs 20.l"&cSt ifs 21.exd5
Threatening b2-b4 followed by ic5.
s
7
6
i.-M~ ~·iW
, %.~.~.!~
:6'" ;~ ,~ -.~~
5
4 ~.~.
l~l~,%.m ' ,%~
3 m~m~m~
%~ ,;m---%~ M
2 ,~~-~----~~,~
a b c d e f g h
21...a5! (21. .. l"&xd5? 22.b4+-) 22.d6!? l"&xd6
23.ic5 i2id7 24.l"&xfSt l"&xf8 25.ixd6 l"&c8;!;
I think Black should be able to draw this, but
18.~xd4 exd4 19Jk5!? Conclusion

19.ixb7 d3t 20.\t>f3 l::i:xb7 21.b3 h6 22.ie3
axb3 23.axb3 ~a3 24J"k8t lt>h7 The 9.~d5 Exchange Variation is designed to
prevent any system with ... c6 that denies the
knight's subsequent entry to the d5-square.
Its downside is that White shows his hand too
early and Black can challenge his opponent
in the centre before he is fully developed.
This should normally lead to liquidations,
symmetric structures and a draw.
Still, in some positions Black has considerable
chances to play for a win, at the cost of some
risk, when he lets White have a protected
passed pawn on d5 in return for a mobile
queenside majoriry. Such positions require
25.b4 (25.:!::i:bl l::i:d7 26.l::i:c5 d2 27.~d5 ~xd5 a watchful eye on the kingside, where White
28.exd5 l::i:xb3 29.~dl ic3=) 25 .. J"~b3 26.id2 might try to infiltrate by weakening us on the
h5 27.:!:l:dl f5! 28.exf5 l::i:f7 29.l::i:c5 l::i:xf5t light squares with an advance of the h-pawn.
30.l::i:xf5 gxf5 31 lt>e3 if8 Yz-Yz was a well- I believe that the repertoire suggested offers
played draw in Le Quang - Ding Liren, Tabriz sound recommendations, leading to at least
2014. balanced play.
19 ...h6 20..id2
20.if4!? may be a better try.
Exchange Variation
9.1g5 - Introduction
Variation Index
1.d4 t2Jf6 2.c4 g6 3.t2Jc3 ~g7 4.e4 d6 s.t2Jf3 0-0
6.~e2 eS 7.clxeS clxeS 8.~xd8 ~xd8 9.~gS
9 ... c6!? 1o.t2Jxe5 ~e8
A) 11.~f4?! t2Ja6! 12.0-0-0 t2JcS 26
Al) 13.~f3?! 27
A2) 13.£3 29
A3) 13.~hel!? 31
B) 11.f4 32
Bl) 11 ... h6 32
B2) 11. .. t2JhS!? 34
A3) after l 5.l2ld3! BI) note to 14 .. .lZla6! B2) note to 12.~xh5
a b c d e f g h
15 ... g5!?N
1.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltlc3 ig7 4.e4 d6 5.ltlf3 system starting with 9 ... c6!? than the one offered
0-0 6.ie2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.'l!Nxd8 gxd8 to us by the ex-FIDE World Champion.
9.ig5
The main line of the Exchange/Andersson 10.ltlxe5
Variation. It is this line that Ulf used a lot in his Taking the bull by the horns, as otherwise
games to suck the life out of Black's position, White would simply get a strategically worse
winning several and drawing many. What position.
White really hopes for is to get slight pressure
10 ... ges
after 9 .. .2"le8 10.'Lld5 lt:lxd5 1 l.cxd5 c6 12.ic4.
Although practice has shown that Black can
also equalize in that case, why allow White to
get rid of his weakness on the d4-square?
8
7
6 _____
i.-.ti~ - ·
lfl"-'""Y,ffl
,,m _ _ _,,m : - ,.
~~
%--,~-
0,
5~fflt~~
4 r~~8%~
0,~
~~~~,~
-'.- -~~
~~-~,,,,,;%,~
~=---,,-~
3"
~~-~,,,,,;~ ~~-~ ~~-c0
~ t[j -~t[j ~ 1~
2
1 :~---%~ Now White has several continuations. We
shall examine A) I I.if4?! and B) 1 l.f4 in this
a b c d e f g h chapter, while the main line of 11.0-0-0 is the
subject of the next two chapters.
9... c6!?
Introducing a more complicated fight than A) II..if4?!
the one anticipated by White. But let me quote
Khalifman's words from his book Opening for As far as I could see in my database, White has
White According to Kramnik: "The variation never won a game with this move, and has in
7.dxe5 dxe5 8.\Wxd8 :1l'.xd8 simplifies the position fact suffered many painful losses.
considerably and is often used by White in order
to play for a quick draw. Meanwhile, he should
better continue with 9.lt:ld5 immediately in
that case." A couple of lines later he gives his
explanation for this preference: "while following:
9.ig5 c6!?, White will be too far from a quick
draw, because in order to avoid the chronic
weakness of the d4-square he has to enter the
complications after: 10.lt:lxe5 :1l'.e8 11.0-0-0
lt:la6 and Black has an excellent compensation
for the pawn with his lively piece play." I think
there could be no better advertisement of Black's
Chapter 2 - 9 .ig5 - Introduction 27
11 .. .i!th6! 12 ... 'Llb4! (rather than Nunn's 12 ... 'Llxe4<X> or

And chis is the best move for Black, after 12 ... 'Llh5 13.'Lld3 f5<X>) 13.0-0-0 (13.~f2?
which White has a catastrophic record in the 'Dh5-+ was already ripe for resignation in
ChessBase Mega Database of Yz/10! Kazakov - Manakov, St Petersburg 2000)
13 ... 'Llh5 14.g3 (14.'Llxg6 hxg6 15.id6 ifs+)
12.0-0-0 14 ... ixe5 15.ixe5 1':!:xe5 16.1':!:dSt ~g7 17.f4
The most sensible move at chis point. The 1':!:e7+ Intending ... 1':!:b8 followed by ... 'Lla6.
alternatives all lead to bad positions for the White does not have enough for the piece,
first player. and should eventually bow to Black's material
superiority.
12.0-0?! is dealt with most accurately by:
6~.,.~.t~
~ 1!1~1,1.
5
4~.,-,l~~~
~~~~----~
8
6
5
.i ~..t ~.i ~•
'l)~rm~.-,~~
7 ~ · - ~~-,-·
~~
lllllf•,3,Dllll
-~/,,,,,,~
~~
4
3
2 ~,~
~ ~ ~
~~-~----:~ ~~-%~~-';;,
~~,~~,~
~-j(cC'1"'
3 m ffl~%''%m
~ / , "//,
~~%'-~,_,,,;~
~ '{~
~%'-~
~
,,,,,~~
~--Z~
a b c d e f g h
2
1 _____ ,,~ iB"""U~
-~'{~ '{~
12 ... 'LlcS! (12 ... gS!? 13.ig3 'Llc5+ as in Gross a b c d e f g h

- M. Fischer, Germany 1995, is also possible)
12 . ..l'ikS
13.1':!:fel 'Dh5 (13 ... 'Llfxe4 14.'Llxe4 'Llxe4 Nunn considers chis to be already '+', a
15.if3=) 14.ixh5 gxh5 15.ie3! 1':!:xe5 16.f4 verdict tournament practice has supported.
1':!:xe4 17.ixc5 1':!:xelt 18.1':!:xel ie6+ Black's However, as we shall see below, White
bishop pair gives him powerful queenside can probably equalize. White's options are
pressure. Al) 13.iO?!, A2) 13.0 and A3) 13J~hel!?.
12.f3?! should be met by·
Al) 13.i.0?! g5!
White is bound to lose material. The best way

to surrender it is as follows:
14.LgS
White can only hope chat Black slips up
somewhere in the next few moves.
Instead, 14.ig3? g4 15.b4 (15.ie2 'Llfxe4-+)

15 ... gxf3 16.bxc5 'Llh5 17.gxf3 'Llxg3 0-1 was
Fenollar Jorda - Flores, Cullera 2006.
14.ie3 l"i:xe5 15.l"i:d8t ifs 16.id4 lt::lcd7 17 ... ixd8 18.l"i:xd8 l"i:e7!? (18 ... id? 19.l"i:xa8
17.ixe5 lt::lxe5+ leaves White with insufficient lt::ld3t 20.<iid2 lt::lxf4 21.c5! 00 ) 19.id6!
compensation, as the rook is soon to be (19.ig5? f6! 20.ixf6 l"i:d7! 2 l.l"i:xe8t i>f7
expelled from d8. 22.l"i:xc8 l"i:xc8+) 19 ... lt::ld3t! 20.i>d2 l"i:e6
21.c5+
14.. J:he5 15J:~d8t lt::les 18.ig4 ixd8 19.l"i:xd8 i>g7 20.ig3
20.ie3 lt::lf6 21.id4 b6-+
20.id2 l"i:g6+
20 ... lt::lf6 21.ixe6 lt::lxe6 22.l"i:dl lt::lc5 23.f3
ie6+
8
1
6
~. i.~ ~41)--~
~lm,,,,.Y,ml_,
~
,,,,,zm,,,:m,,,,,,~m~::m
s~ • ~~
4 ~~ /8,;~ ,8Y,~ ,,,,,~~
m
~~ ~~
~%'"//,
~
2
3
1
lff,,,,,;m~ ~~m
~~r~
~~,, ,%= ,.,,,,\.,,,,
16.ig4? loses immediately to 16 ... lt::ld3t!
a b c d e f g h
intending ... lt::lxf2. 16 ...iJS!?
Close study of the position after 16.l"i:hdl
16.if4 if6! convinced me that for practical purposes Black
Black holds a considerable advantage, for should prefer this path.
example:
17.l"i:hdl 16 ... ciif8
Another possibility, but I could not find a
clear-cut way to a large advantage.
17.if4! l"i:e7!?
a) 17 ... lt::le618.ixe5ixe519.ig4! (19.l"i:8d3
lt::lc5 20.l"i:d8 l"i:b8) 19 ... ic? 20.ixe6
ixd8 2 l.l"i:xd8 fxe6 22.e5! h5 (22 ... <iie7
23.l"i:d3?) 23.lt::le4 i>e7 24.l"i:d3! b6 25.l"i:h3
ia6 26.l"i:xh5 ixc4 27.l"i:h?t i>f8 28.l"i:d7?
gives White a lot of chances.
b) 17 ... <iie? 18.ixe5 ixe5 19.ig4 ixg4
20.l"i:xa8 ixdl 21.lt::lxdl+ is not what I
believed Black's position was worth a few
moves ago.
Chapter 2 - 9.ig5 - Introduction 29
17 ... ltig?! 18.if6

18.if4 l"le8 19.l"lxe8 l2'lxe8 20.l"ld8 b6!!+ (or
20 ... lt'le6!? 21.l"lxe8 lt'lxf4 22.ig4 lt'le6+)
18 .. J~e8 19.~8d2
19 .ixg7 l"lxd8 20.l"lxd8 @xg7 2 Lig4 lt'le6
22.ixe6 fxe6 23.e5 ie7-+
8
7
18.idG! 6
This is the crucial reply, when White seems
to have chances to hold.
Instead, 18.ig4?! lt'le6! (18 ... ixg4 19.l"lxa8 4
ixdl 20.idG lt'ld3t 21 cJ;,xdl lt'lxb2t
22.cJ;,c2 lt'lxc4 23.ixe7t cJ;,xe7 24.l"lxa7
l2'led6 25.lt'le2+) 19.ixe6 l"lxe6+ gives Black 2
strong winning chances. 1
18 ... lt'le6 19.ixe7t cJ;,xe7 20.l"lld7t!
20.l"18d3 ie5+ a b c d e f g h
20 ... ixd7 19 ...ie6 20.b3 a5+
20 .. .<.t>f8!? 21.l"lxf7t @xf7 22.ihSt cJ;,f6 The extra piece should somehow count in
23.l"lxe8 ih6t+ the end.
21.l"lxa8 id4 22.lt'ldl+
Black is better, but the position appears to be A2) 13.f3 ltih5!
defendable for White.
8
17.h4
17.ie3 l2'lg7+ 7
6
17.if4 l"le7 18.ig5 f6 19.ie3 l2'le6+
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
Black immediately seizes the opportunity to
attack the hanging white pieces, by utilizing
the h5-square that White's last move unwisely
neglected.
14.ie3 ttixe4! l 8.l2ic3 (A decisive positional mistake is

The point: recovering the pawn and granting 18.~hel? ixe4 19.fxe4 Sabor - Szymanski,
Black the better game. However, his advantage Krynica 1994, in view of the simple
may not amount to serious winning chances. 19 ... l2if6N+) 18 ... l2if4 19.ifl ~ae8 Black was
applying strong pressure and eventually won
14 ... ~xe5? is a bad mistake in view of: 15.~d8t in Bouaziz - Nunn, Szirak 1987
if8 16.f4 l2ie6 The only move. (16 ... t2ixf4
17.ixf4+-) 17.~xf8t @xf8 18.fxe5 l2ihf4 15 ...he5 16.i.xh5
19.ifl g5 20.h4± White's extra pawn and But not 16.id4? ixd4 17.~xd4 l2if4 18.if3
bishop pair should carry the day for him. g5 19.g3 l2ig6 20.b3 l2ie5+ with a dream
King's Indian ending for Black in Kazakov -
Gladyszev, St Petersburg 2000. Strangely, the
engines cannot appreciate how big Black's
positional advantage is.
16... gxh5 17.@c2!

A strong move, yielding some drawing
chances.
Weaker are l 7.id4? ig4-+ and l 7.h3 ie6+.
8
7
6
5
4
3
In the symmetrical structure ansmg after
15.l2ixe4?! ixe5 Black has all the play, in view 2
of his control of f4 and the hanging white 1
pieces along the e-file: 16.id4 if5 l 7.ixe5
~xe5 a b c d e f g h
17...ig4
17 ... ie6 18.b3 f5!? 19.id4 ixd4 20.~xd4
fxe4 gives Black a slight initiative but should
be a draw.
18J::!:d2 hc3 19.@xc3 i::!:xe4 20.if2 ie6

21.b3 b5;
Black only has the better side of a draw here,
with the opposite-coloured bishops denying
him any real chance to make something out of
the extra pawn.
Chapter 2 - 9.J.g5 - Introduction 31
A3) 13,ghel!? 15 ... id4 16.if3 f5 17.;ge2 b5 1S.c5!;!; Rotariu

- Ogiewka, corr. 1999.
Believing that Black already has an advantage
seemed to insult my chess logic, as I knew it 15 ... l2if6 is met by· 16.f3 b6 (16 ... l2ih5 17.igS
took two inaccuracies from White in order to h6 1S.id2=) 17.ifl i.e6 1S.l2ie5=
drift into a worse position. I then found the
current move, which I believed to be my own 16.i.e3
discovery at first. Later on, I was surprised 16.if3 ifs 17.g4 (17.ixe4!? ixe4 1S.ixg5
to find it had already been played by the ixg2 19.l2ic5 if3 20.;ggl! <;1>hS 21.;gd2 b6
correspondence player Gheorghe Rotariu on 22.l2ib7!?+±)
two separate occasions. I think that White
should be able to maintain equality, and these
games confirmed my opinion:
13 ...ttifxe4
13 ... gS? is a blunder when White has not
blocked his f-pawn, in view of: 14.J.xgS ;gxe5
15.;gdst l2ieS 16.f4rne6 17.i.g4±
14)Llxe4 c!Zlxe4 15.llld.3!

White seems to have covered everything. For a b c d e f g h
example:
17 ... ixg4 1S.ixg4 gxf4 Black has a few
practical chances.
8
16...J.e6
7
16 ... aS 17.l2ic5 l2ixc5 1S.i.xc5 ie6 19.ib6
6 a4 20.id3=
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
15 ... g5!?N
Gaining space on the kingside seems logical.
Instead, l 5... J.e6?! allows: 16.f3!?N (A slight

improvement over l 6.i.f3 l2i f6 17. b3 if5
1S.l2ie5 ifs 19.<;1>b2 ig7 20.<;1>cl ifs Y2-Y2
Rotariu - Weber, corr. 1999.) 16 ... l2if6
l 7.l2ic5;!; The bishop is pushed back.
17 .. .lllxc5 18.hc5 h6 19.~fl=

8
White has killed any possibility for creative
play. 7
6
B) 11.f4
5
8 4
7 3
6 2
5 1
4 a b c d e f g h
3 12 ... g5! 13.fxg5!
2 13.ig3
This allows Black to solve his opening
1 problems with a nice tactic:
a b c d e f g h 13 ... gxf4 14.ixf4
This move's main benefit is that it
produces unclear positions. Bl) 11 ... h6
is a fairly comfortable way to equality, but
B2) 11 .. .tllh5!? is an interesting alternative.
Bl) 11. .. h6 12.~h4

8
7
6 __
5
4
j.r.~.
.1•.i. ~.i ~-
~ •• ~.:~
~~
~~ ,~//~-~~~
~~--,;~"
3~
3 ~m~~ 1-,,-~~
12.ixf6?! ixf6 13.0-0-0 ixe5 14.fxe5 ~~ef'' ~ ~~ ~~-,,
2
1
~/ll~
~
~A,~~ ftJ
~ ~ ~:
a b c d e f g h
14 ... li::ibd7! 15.4Jxd7 4Jxe4! 16.Eldl
16.4Jxe4 Elxe4 17.ixh6 ixd7 18.ixg7
ig4 19.if6 Elxe2t 20.i;t>fl Elc2 21.h3 ie2t
22.i;t>gl ixc4 reaches an unclear ending.
l 6 ... 4Jxc3 17.bxc3 Ele7!
This enables Black to recover the piece with
a fine game.
a b c d e f g h 18.ixh6
14 ...ie6! (14 ... li::id7 15.e6!=) 15.Eld2 4Jd7 18.4Jc5? ig4+
16.li::id5! cxd5 17.cxd5 Elac8t 18.i;t>bl 4Jxe5 18.4Je5?! ixe5 19.Eld8t i>g7 20.ixe5t
19 .dxe6 White will be slightly worse after either Elxe5+ and Black threatens ... Elxe2t
recapture, but I prefer 19 ... fxe6!?+. The idea is 18 ... ixd7 19.ixg7 ig4! 20.Eld2 Elae8 21.0-0
to trade a pair of rooks, place the king on e7, ixe2 22.if6=
and then try to advance the kingside pawns.
Chapter 2 - 9.i.g5 - Introduction 33
13 ... hxgS I4.i.g3 15.0-0

15.4Jxf7? <;f;,xf7 16.e5 4Jg4-+; 15.4Jf3 4Jxe4
16.4Jxe4 El:xe4 l 7.4Jxg5 El:e8t
15.0-0-0?! 4Jc5 16.4Jf3 4Jfxe4 l 7.4Jxe4

4Jxe4+ was clearly worse for White in P. Kiss -
Feher, Hungary 1989.
I5 .. .lDc5!
8
7
6
5
4
3
14 .. .l2ibd7!? 15.4Jxd7 2
1
a b c d e f g h
16.l:'!ael!?N
Also possible is:
l 6.4Jxf7 4Jfxe4
I think this is more clear-cut than
16 ... 4Jcxe4!? 17.i.e5!? 4Jxc3 12-Y2 Bradbury
- De Wit, London 1985. Black's draw offer
was probably a result of fearing the ending
arising after 18.bxc3 <;f;,xf7 19.i.h5t <;f;,e7
a b c d e f g h
20.i.xe8!? (20.i.xf6t i.xf6 21.El:xf6 <;tixf6
15 ... 4Jxd7!N 22.i.xe8 i.e6+) 20 ... 4Jxe8 21.El:ael i.e6 00 ,
Both previous games to reach this position but the final position is merely unclear.
continued with l 5... i.xd7?!, but I consider
the text much stronger.
16.0-0-0!?
16.0-0 4Jc5!?=
16 ... i.xc3!
16 ... 4Jc5 17.i.f2 b6~ is an alternative.
l 7.bxc3 4Jc5 18.eS 4Je4 l 9.El:d3 i.fS 20.El:e3
i.g6~
This does not look too bad for Black either.
a b c d e f g h
l 7.lthe4 22.ltia4!? ltixa4 23 ..ha4 ha2 24.~c3 ~c4m

17.ihS ie6 18.lllxe4 t2:lxe4 19.ieS ixc4+ Black does not have the slightest reason to
17 ... t2:lxe4 18.id3 t2:lxg3 19.hxg3 l::le3t feel worse.
I believe the resulting position can only be
better for Black. B2) 11 ... ltih5!?
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
16... ~e6! A move that bears the stamp of approval of
16 ... g4?! l 7.t2:lxf7 t2:lfxe4 18.t2:lxe4 t2:lxe4 the great King's Indian expert Igor Glek.
19.ih4 ie6 20.id3! ixf7 21.ixe4 ixc4
22.l::lf4 ixa2 23.l::lxg4;!; is better for White. 12.~xh5
This should be the crucial response.
17.~dl ltih7!
l 7 .. J:i:ad8!= is equally good. 12.t2:ld3?!
White cannot hope for anything good here.
18.~c2 he5 19.he5 .hc4 20.l~f5 ~e6 12 ... h6 13.ih4
21.i:::l:f2 l3ad8 13.g4?! hxg5 14.gxhS ixc3t 15.bxc3 Elxe4
16Jlgl gxf4 17ciid2 ifs 18.hxg6 fxg6
19.l::lafl t2:ld7 20Jlxf4 l::lxf4 21.t2:lxf4 Szollosi
- Olah, Gyula 1997, is clearly better for
Black after 21...cJ;>f7N+.
Chapter 2 - 9 .ig5 - Introduction 35
13 ....ixc3t! 19.E!:xh5 iig7 20.E!:xh6 E!:f5 21.E!:xe6 fxe6-+

Weaker is: 13 ... lt:lxf4?! 14.l2:'lxf4 g5 15 ..ixg5! 22.lt:ld4 E!:a5 23.l2:'lxe6t Wf7 24.lt:lf4 E!:xa2t
(15.lt:lh5?! gxh4 16.l2:'lxg7 iixg7 17.0-0 25.iid3 E!:e8 26.E!:dl lt:lc5t 27 Wd4 b6
lt:ld7 18J:'ff4 lt:le5 19Jhfl h3 20.g3 .ie6 28.h3 E!:e4# A stunning checkmate in the
21.b3 E!:ad8+ is correctly assessed by Glek as middle of the board in Korpas - G. Toth,
better for Black.) 15 ... hxg5 16.lt:lh5! Hungary 2004.
14.bxc3 E!:xe4 15.l2:'lf2
After 15.Wd2?! Black should grab material
by: 15 ... lt:lxf4! (The more reserved course
l 5... lt:la6?! leads to a difficult struggle after
16 ..ixh5 gxh5 - see the note on 13.lt:ld3
below-so why not take the pawn?) 16.lt:lxf4
E!:xf4+ Reaching an ending where Black
should be able to consolidate the extra pawn
and coast to victory.
The text was Matulik - Likavsky, Bratislava
1990, and now Black should play:
16 ... lt:la6!
16 ....ifS?! 17.E!:hel l2:'ld7 18.E!:xe4 .ixe4
19.E!:dl lt:lc5 20.E!:d6 iih7 21 iie3!?±
17.E!:hel lt:lc5 18.Wgl .ie6+
13.l2:'ld3
A better choice if White feels the need to
retreat his kingside knight, as it takes c5
away from the black knight.
I3 ... h6 I4 ..ih4.ixc3t I5.bxc3E!:xe4t I6.iid2
a b c d e f g h
15 ... E!:e8!N+
12...gxh5
The threat of .. .f6 ensures that Black will
recover his pawn. White has been unable to
demonstrate any advantage from this position.
l3.i.h4
This move has been the main choice in
tournament practice.
a b c d e f g h
13.lt:lf3?! I6 ....if5!?
This leads to better positions for Black: I6 ... lt:la6!? 17.E!:hel E!:xc4 (17 ....if5?! I8.E!:xe4
13 ... h6 14 ..ih4 .ixc3t 15.bxc3 E!:xe4t 16.Wf2 .ixe4 19 .E!:e It) 18.E!:e8t (18.E!:e5!? .ie6
16.iid2?! E!:xf4 17.E!:ael .ie6 18.E!:e5? l2:'ld7 I9.E!:xh5 iig7 20.g400 ) I8 ... Wg7 I9.E!:e7 E!:a4
This looks risky, but even that might only be

8
an illusion.
17.E~hel Ei:xel 18.Ei:xel lod7= 7
With a highly imbalanced ending (due to
6
the ruptured pawn formations) where the
chances are approximately even. 5
4
s,i~.i.~.i~* 3
1 lfl,;D~Df~A 2
~~
6
•.•m•••
5
,,,,,%~ • ~
: -~,6.f/lJ
~~ ~~ /,,,,,_;~r~ ~~;;'l
'""~~
1
a
14... loxeS
b c d e f g h
2
1
io.•.t~
""'[""~~
~ ~ ~~-~~~.""
~ .i;,
14 ... h4!? is intended to keep more life
in the position by maintaining the two
bishops: l 5.ixh4 loxe5 16.fxe5 ixe5 17 lt>d2
(17.0-0-0 ie6 18.c5 b5~ was Alessandro -
Leao, Brazil 1990)
a b c d e f g h
I3 .. .llld7!
It is always nice to challenge a piece that has
moved twice with a piece that has just woken
up!
14.i.g3
Trying to ensure the exchange of the
powerful g7-bishop.
Glek also gives: l 4.loxd7 ixc3t l 5.bxc3

Ei:xe4t 16.lt>d2 ixd7+ a b c d e f g h
17 ... ixc3t 18.lt>xc3 Ei:xe4 19.if2 b5 20.b3
14.0-0 looks like a good drawing device. Ei:e2 21.Ei:hfl if5 22.id4= The result was
14 ... loxe5 15.fxe5 ixe5 16.if6 was given up nevertheless sterile equality in Bellon Lopez -
as a draw in Fries Nielsen - K. Berg, Aarhus Romero Holmes, Almeria 1989.
1993, in view of: 16 ... ixc3 (16 ...ixf6?! is
strategically worse for Black when the white 15.fxeS hes 16.heS gxeS 17.0-0-0
king is safely placed on gl, but is still tenable This option gives Black a few chances.
if someone needs to win at all costs: l 7.Ei:xf6
Ei:e5! 18.Ei:d6 ie6 19.b3 Ei:c8 Intending ... b5, 17.0-0 ie6 18.b3
and at least the game goes on.) l 7.ixc3 Ei:xe4
18.Ei:ael Black's extra pawn is doubled and
meaningless.
Chapter 2 - 9.ig5 - Introduction 37
~
6
5 ~
,,.~.,a,
r~ :~
-----%~
~~~/,'""~'
• ~~ .,
~~
19.cxbS cxb5 20J:~d4 a5 2U~hdl ©g7:i:
Black had a slight pull in Maljutin - Glek,
Moscow 1989, but the game was nevertheless
drawn.
4 ~~ r~{:~~~ ~~ Conclusion
3~~m •
~/,"//,~~~/,
2
~
: . ' , , , , , , ~ ~~ : ~ The main line of the Exchange/Andersson
1
----~
a
Y,
~~ ~~ ~~-0(""
b
~
c d
~:=
e f g h
Variation, namely 9.ig5, allows us the
interesting possibility 9 ... c6!? This is a
pawn sacrifice designed to prevent a quick
18 ... b5! (18 .. .<;t>fg 19J1f4 r:Jle7 20J1dl l::1g8 lZ'lc3-d5, as in that case Black's chances to
Sandler - Zhao Zong-Juan, Gold Coast 2001, play for a win would be rather limited. White
and now best is 21 r:Jlf2N±) 19.cxb5 cxb5 should of course accept the pawn, as otherwise
20.l::1adl Wg7 21.l::1d4 l::1c8 22.lt:'id5 l::1c2 23.l::1f2 he has nothing to show for the weakness of his
E1cl t 24.l::1fl l::1c2 Y2-Yi Duemer - Neufeld, d4-square.
Germany 1993. This repetition seems to be This chapter began by examining 10.lt:'ixe5
the natural conclusion to the struggle. l::1e8 l l.if4?!, after which White must playwith
great accuracy so as not to fall into an inferior
17 ...i.e6 18.b3 position - hardly a ringing endorsement for
the move.
l l .f4 is a better try, and I have recommended
8 two courses of action. l l ... h6 should result in
7 easy equality, while l 1...lt:'ih5 is a more dynamic
option. We followed a game by Igor Glek,
6
and the accompanying analysis shows some
5 important strategic motifs that should enrich
4 our understanding of these types of position.
Black may not objectively be able to claim any
3 advantage, but a thorough knowledge of these
2 lines will leave the reader well-equipped to
cause White niggling problems in a practical
1 game.
a b C d e f g h
18 ... bS
Glek adds an '!' to this move and his
punctuation is understandable, as ... b5 helps
increase the radius of the e6-bishop.
18 ... r:Jlffi 19.l::1hfl r:Jle7 20.l::1f4 l::1d8? 21.l::1xd8

r:Jlxd8 22.r:Jld2 We? 23.r:Jld3 b5? 24.cxb5 cxb5
25.r:Jld4 E1g5 26.g3± Casafus - Fiorito, Buenos
Aires 1993, showed what fate can befall Black
if he is late with his counterplay.
Exchange Variation
Various 12th Moves
Variation Index
1.d4 ltJf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltJc3 ~g7 4.e4 d6 5.ltJf3 0-0 6.~e2 e5
7.dxe5 dxe5 8.f:Vxd8 gxd8 9.~g5 c6!? lO.ltJxe5 ge8 11.0-0-0
11. .. ltJa6
A) 12.f4 h6! 13.~h4 g5! 39
Al) 14.~f2 39
A2) 14.~g3 41
B) 12.f3 gxe5 13.gdst ltJeS! 14.f4! ge6 15.~g4 ltJac7 42
Bl) 16.e5 43
B2) 16.~xe6!? 44
C) 12.ltJf3 ~g4!? 46
Cl) 13.~d3 47
C2) 13.~xf6 49
C3) 13.e5!? ltJd7 14.h3 ~xf3 15.~xf3 ltJxe5 16.~e2 50
C31) 16...fS!? 51
C32) 16... ltJc5! 53
Al) note to 16... ~xd4 Al) after 19.!'lgl C32) after 18.1"ld2
8 ~. ~5 ~·-
7 liR RiR
6 RiR R ~
:~~!~!~~
!tfl•.,,.,
R ~n ~
24 ... ti:lxa2t!?N 19 ... \:t>fS!N

Chapter 3 - Various 12th Moves 39
l.d4 tZ:if6 2.c4 g6 3_l[ic3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 s.l[if3 13.i.h4 gS!

0-0 6.i.e2 eS 7.dxeS dxe5 8.~xd8 !hd8 A typically strong break in this type of
9.i.gS c6!? 10.l[ixeS ges 11.0-0-0 position, weakening the white structure.
White indirectly defends the e5-knight and
develops at the same time. This is considered We will examine Al) 14.i.fl and the main
as the main line of the 9 ... c6!? system in the continuation of A2) 14.i.g3.
King's Indian Exchange.
14.fxg5 hxg5 15.ig3 4Jc5 16.E1hel ie6!
1I...l[ia6 17.ifl lt'lh5~ was excellent for Black m
In this chapter we will concentrate on Keilhack - Kupreichik, Berlin 1987
A) 12.£4, B) 12.f3 and C} 12.l[if3.
Al) 14.i.fl gxf4 IS.l[if3
12.E'1d6 is the subject of the next chapter.
l 2.E'1hel has similar reasoning to 12.f3,

but Black has an extra option in: 12 ... E1xe5
13.E'1d8t E'1e8 (13 .. .lt'le8!? would bring about
similar positions to those encountered in
variation B) 14.ixf6 E1xd8 15.ixd8 ih3
16.ig5 (16.ie7 E'1e8+) 16 ... ixg2= The rook
on el is not as useful as a pawn on f3.
A) 12.£4
This is the first move that springs to mind.

White defends his knight and keeps, at least
for the time being, the extra pawn.
15 ... lt::ig4!
Black is eyeing the weakened e5- and e3-
squares and is doing well.
l 5 ... ig4!? is also playable. Black places his

stakes on the momentum the position can
offer. 16.h3! Black stands fine provided he
chooses the following accurate move:
7~·~r~ ~., , ,.~~

8
6
5~
~~~~!~!
'I)~
~~~~',,,~,,.
~
~·~
~ ~
24 ... lbxa2t!?N (24 ... lbd3t 25.c;:t>c2 lbe5 26.c5
©g7 27 c;:t>c3 ©f6 28.l:'!gl lbg6 V2-V2 was
the game conclusion) 25.c;:t>c2 lbb4t 26.©c3
c5 27.l:'!glt ©f8 28.l:'!g4 lbc6 29.l:'!xf4 lbd4
30.j,d3 Eid6!t The black rook threatens to
penetrate via b6 or g6.
·8·8·.i.~
m %~~-~8
--j_~ 8
4
~~-~,_,,;~ ~~-%~~
3
2 ,,,%=,-,,,,,¥,~
8 f{g;, ~
~
17J~xd4 ltJ c5 18.g3!
Liquidating the cramping f4-pawn.
a b c d e f g h 18 ... fxg3 19J!gl

l 6 .. .lthe4! A typical tactic for this kind of
position. l 7.lbxe4 Eixe4 l 8.j,d3 (l 8.hxg4? 8
Eixe2 19.j,d4 Eiae8 20.j,xg7 c;:t>xg7 21.lbh4
c;:t>f6!+ was already much better for Black 7
in Hoeksema - Nunn, Groningen 1988) 6
18 ... j,xf3 19.gxf3 Eie5 20.!"ihgl lbc5+± This
5
hardly looks worse for Black. He has the dark
squares to rely upon and is a pawn up for the 4
moment, although admittedly he will have to 3
return it at some point to bail out.
2
16.Ad4 i.xd4 1
It feels like good strategy to immediately
exchange dark-squared bishops. a b c d e f g h
Alternatively, 16 ... lbe3!? is less elastic 19... @ffi!N
(because it decreases control over e5) but at the 19 ... gxh2?! 20.lbxh2 h5 21.b4 lba6 22.lbxg4
same time spicier. l 7.Eid2j,g4 l 8.h3?! (18.Eigl! j,xg4 23.l:'!d?t gave White an initiative in
is unclear) 18 ... j,xf3 19.gxf3 j,xd4 20.!"ixd4 Bellon Lopez - Lesiege, Manila (ol) 1992.
l:!ad8 21.!"ixd8 l:'!xd8 22.lbdl lbxdl 23.j,xdl
t2:i b4 24.j,e2 Bellon Lopez - Kindermann, Biel 20Ji!xg3 a5!
1991 Black stands excellently, and according Stabilizing the position of the c5-knight.
to the engines might have been better:
21.h3
The following sequence is worth studying:
21.b3 lbf2! 22.lbd2 j,e6 (intending ... l:!ad8)
23.l:'!f3 lbg4 24.l:'!h3 l:!ed8 25.l:!xd8t l:!xd8
26.j,xg4 j,xg4 27.l:'!xh6 c;:t>g7 28.!"ih4 lbd3t
29.c;:t>c2 lbb4t 30.©bl Black has a choice
between 30 ... j,eG~ and 30 ... Eixd2 31.l:'!xg4t
c;:t>f6=.
21. ..lDf6 22.e5 ltih5 23.l::~gl ltlg7 24JU4

ltJf5m
a b c d e f g h
Black stands firm due to his excellently 16...gxf3 17.i.xc5 fxg2 18Jl:hgl
placed knights.
A2) 14.i.g3 t?lc5
Now White will lose his e-pawn, and the

ensuing liquidations should lead to a draw.
a b c d e f g h
18 ... t?lh5!
The star move, hitting the flimsy construction
of the f4-pawn and e5-knight.
19.i.e3!
l 9.tt'ld3?! gives Black good chances to press
in the opposite-coloured bishop ending arising
after the accurate:
16.ie2 4Jcxe4 17.tt'lxe4 tt'lxe4 18.ixg4

(18.ih4?! h5+ left Black better in
Germanavicius - Shchekatchev, USSR 1987)
8 ~~,~!~.,~
7
6
5~
4
3
,,,,,/,~
~·-
~w~i
~
~-
~
~/,?Ji":'<i.
•
~-
•
~~ -
"//, ~/, I
·~
'~.
~~"""""0.'"-
0,-,/,~
~ -'l)~j,_~
a b c d e f g h
2 ~~ B %,B/i"~ 19 ... b6! 20.id6 ixc3 21.bxc3 1"i:xe4 The
a b
~:~
c d e f
-~:
g h
insertion of the move 19 ... b6! has driven the
bishop to the less appealing d6-square. Black
has an initiative which he slowly converted
18 ... ixe5! (18 ... lt'ixg3 19.hxg3 ixe5 20.ixc8 into a full point in Bindrich - Kamsky,
ixb2t 21 <;t>xb2 1"i:axc8= is equal according to Gibraltar 2010.
Shchekatchev and Korolev) l 9.ixc8 ixb2t
20.<;t>xb2 1"i:axc8 00 Black has better chances to 19 ...i.h3
play for a win. Now Black holds on to the pawn temporarily
as its capture is time-consuming for White, 27... cxbS 28.@e2 gc8

which will allow Black to find the required The most clear-cut.
counterplay.
29.@d.3
20J~d3 gad8 21.gxdS gxd8 22.ltidl he5 29.©f3 gel 30.a4 bxa4 31.bxa4 a5 32.gxg2
23.fxeS @h7 24.c[Hl i.e6 25.b3 ga2 33.'Lld3 gxa4 34.'Llc5 gal=
25.gxg2 i.xc4 26.lt:ig4 gg8 27.b3 i.fl
28.ggl i.h3=
8
2s ••• ggs 26.@d2 7
6
8 5
7 4
6 3
5 2
4 1
3 a b c d e f g h
2 29 ... ggs 30.@e2 gcs 31.@d.3 gg8=
1 The players shook hands in H. Olafsson -
Kindermann, Dortmund 1988.
a b c d e f g h
26... bS! B) 12.f3
Once more we have plunged into deep,
heavyweight KID theory. Black quickly creates An interesting idea which, strangely enough,
open lines on the queenside as compensation has been a rare bird in tournament practice.
for the impending loss of his g-pawn. White defends his e-pawn and prepares to
retreat the knight, so Black's next is practically
27.cxbS forced:
Nothing much has been going on in this
position for the past 25 years. A more recent
8
game continued: 27 ©c3 a5 (I also like
27 ... bxc4 28.bxc4 gg6=, simply waiting) 7
28.©d4 (28.a4 bxa4 29.bxa4 f5 30.exf6 6
lt:ixf6 31 ©d4 lt:ig4 32.'Llxg4 gxg4+)
28 ... bxc4 29.bxc4 gb8 30.'Lld3 gd8t 31 ©c3 5
gg8 32.©d4 a4 33.©c3 a3 34.i.cl gg4 4
35.'Llf2 gg8 36.lt:id3 f6 37.exf6 'Llxf6 38.lt:if4
3
'Llxe4t 39.©d4= Thorsteinsson - Schmaltz,
Reykjavik 2004. Black's safest way to draw is: 2
39 ... 'Llf2! 40.gxg2 c5t!
1
a b c d e f g h
12 .. JheS 13J~d8t ltie8! 17 ... if8

13 ... l'!e8 14.ixf6 l'!xd8 15.ixd8 ih3 17 ... ih6! is much more exact.
16.l'!dl ixg2 17.ie?t looks a little better for 18.b3?
White. 18.ixe6t was imperative.
14.£4! ~e6
The only move.
15.i.g4 ltiac7
a b c d e f g h
18 .. .f5! 19.exf5 l'!d6 20.l'!xc8 l'!xdlt 21 cj;,xdl

l'!xc8 22.fxg6 l'!a8 23.gxh?t cj;,xh7-+
After a string of mutual errors che position
has clarified and Black went on to win with
his great material advantage in B. Rodriguez -
Shchekachev, Gran Canaria 1993.
a b c d e f g h
Bl) 16.eS
Black has a slight material advantage, but
there is a problem of how to untangle. White Trying to further cramp Black.
can try Bl) 16.eS and B2) 16.i.xe6!?
8
16.l'!hdl
This is a logical alternative. However, the 7
problem with this move is similar to the one 6
after 16.e5 - Black can approach with his
king to the centre by 16 ... c;tif8!+, rendering 5
the capture ixe6 harmless as Black 4
recaptures on e6 with the knight, winning.
In that case I see nothing better for White 3
than 17.e5 when we have transposed to 2
variation B 1 below.
1
It is not surprising though, chat because of
the extreme complexity of the position Black a b c d e f g h
responded with a second best move: 16... <itifln
16 .. .f6?! 17.ih4? As already explained above, chis is the best
17 .ixe6t! ixe6 18.l'!xa8 ltixa8 would have move.
transposed to the note to Black's 18th move
in variation B2. 16 ... h6 17.ih4 g5 18.ig3 gxf4 19.ixf4
White is in difficulty, as he has no plan and

Black is gradually freeing his pieces.
18.b3
18.ih4 bxc4+ or 18.cxb5 cxb5 19.if3
!l:b8+.
18 ... bxc4 19.bxc4 h6 20.i.h4 gxe5!?

21.i.xcs
2 l .!l:xc8 !l:e3+
19 ... h5
19 .. .f6 20.exf6 ixf6 21.ixe6t ixe6 22.!l:xaS
lt:lxa8 23.ixh6 ixc4 is about equal.
19 .. .<;t>fS!? is also playable.
20.ixe6 ixe6 2 l .!l:xa8
21.!l:hdl !l:xd8 22.!l:xdS Wf8 23.it:le4 ixc4
24.e6 We7 25.ixc7 ih6t=
21...it:lxaS 22.!l:dl Wf8 23.!l:dS lt:lac7
This was Robatsch - D. Paunovic, Stary
Smokovec 1987, when instead of the careless
24.!l:bS? lt:la6!+ White should have played:
24.lt:le4
With an unclear position.
17J~hdl
I do not see anything better for White.
B2) 16.i.xe6!? i.xe6 17.gxa8 ltixa8 18.:Sdl!
Simply bad is: 17.lt:le4? h6 18.ih4 !l:xe5!-+
The really important idea, ensuring penetration
of the rook to the eighth rank.
18.e5 f6! 19.exf6 it:lxf6 20.!l:dl it:ld7 21.it:le4

h6+ is a small but enduring plus for Black, as
everything is in order in his camp.
The resulting position is rather complicated,

and even an engine can go wrong. I think Black
has nothing better than taking the c-pawn.
a b c d e f g h
17 ... b5!
22 ... cxd5 23.exd5 if7

8
23 ... ie7 24.l::1b8 ixd5 The only move.
7 25.cxd5 t2:lxd5 26.l::1xb7! (26.l::1xe8t? @£7
27.l::1xe7t @xe7+) 26 ... @£7 27.ib8;!;
6
24.b4!
5 White takes away the important defensive
4 c5-square from the c7-knight.
The rash 24.d6?! t2:le6 25.l::1c8 t2:lc5! 26.l::1xc5
3 (26.g3 @g7+; 26.b4 t2:ld3H with the idea
2 of ... ie6 followed by ... t2:lxf4) 26 ... t2:lxd6 is
worse for White.
1
Despite his great material advantage, Black
a b c d e f g h is in difficulty.
24 ... @g7!?
18 ....L:c4!
Black's advantage may not be great after 24 ... b5? 25.d6±
this move, but the alternatives look risky. For 24 ... ie7 25.l::1d7±
example: 24 ... t2:la6 25.a3t
25.l::1d7
I8 .. .f6
This can be answered dynamically·
I9.l::1d8
I9.ih4?! ih6 20.ig3 ixc4 2I.l::1d8 t2:lac7
22.l::1b8 b5+
I9 ... t2:lac7 20.f5! gxf5 2I.if4!
2I.exf5?! ixf5 22.if4 if8 23.l::1b8 b6
24.ixc7 (24.ig3 ig6! 25.l::1b7 t2:le6 26.l::1xa7
t2:ld6 27.ixd6 ixd6+ is also excellent for
Black as the white kingside pawns are
vulnerable) 24 ... t2:lxc7 25.l::1b7 t2:le6 26.l::1xa7 a b c d e f g h
t2:lf4t
25 ... b5!?
25 ... t2:lxd5 26.cxd5 ixb4 27.l::1xb7 ic5
28.l::1d7 @g6 29.@d2 igl 30.a4i may
objectively be the best try to hold.
26.ixc7 t2:lxc7 27.l::1xc7 bxc4 28.b5 @g6
29.l::1d7 ie8 30.l::1xa7 ixb5 3I.a4 ic5
3 l...ie8 32.a5
32.l::1a5 ie3t 33.@c2 id? 34.@c3
The white pawns look dangerous.
19Jl:d8 ltlac7 20.e5!?

a b c d e f g h White continues to rely on dynamic play.
2I ...if8! 22.t2:ld5!t
With some initiative for White. For example: 20.ie7 if8 2 l .ixf8 @xf8 22.e5 @e7
23.~bS ia6+ is better for Black, although it 'Y. 0, W,

~ i~'l)~·W,
r~
8
~ illf""Y,ffl'"'""~'
will be difficult to win.
7
6 ,,,,,%~ , , , , ~ ,,,,,,c~
DD Dlil ""DD
s DDJ..DDDA_D~
: ~~~~~Q~~~
2
1
!nuDu!~
~,,,,,%= ~- ~.,,,,
a b c d e f g h
22.J.xf"S!
22.id6 ti:lxd6! 23.exd6 ti:le6 24.~bS
a b c d e f g h
(24.~e8? <iif7 25.d7 ie7!+ will allow Black to
20 ... fS! surround and capture the far-advanced pawn,
Taking away e4 from the white knight. by placing a piece on d8 and then approaching
with his king.) 24 ... <iif7 25.~xb7t ci>f6
21.J.e7! 26.~xa7 (26.d7 ic5+) 26 ... ixd6+
2 l .exf6 if8+ is excellent for Black, who will
continue with ... ie6 and ... f7 22 ... xf"8 23J~d7 h6 24.h4 a5+
I think we should stop here. Evacuating the
21...J.f"S! 7th rank will make the black queenside pawns
A variation illustrating the dangers facing less vulnerable to an attack by the white rook,
Black is: 21...<iif7 22.id6 e6 (22 .. .l2ie6 yet still the position offers White considerable
23.~d7t) drawing chances.
a b c d e f g h
23.l2:la4!! ti:lxd6 (23 ... b6? 24.ixc7 ti:lxc7
25.~d6t) 24.ti:lc5t ci>d5 25.ti:lxb7!t
A move that was, for quite a while, 14.lt::id2!? ie5 15.ixg4 ixg4 16.f3 ie6
considered the main line of the 9 ... c6 variation, 17 c;t>c2 b5!?
but has now been abandoned as completely 14 ...ixc3
harmless. 14 ... lt::if6!?N= also looks viable and is actually
less risky.
12....ig4!? 15.hxg4?!
An aggressive developing move that yields l 5.bxc3 E!:xe4 16.E!:hel 4Je5 l 7.4Jxe5 E!:xe5
full equality, which has been my own choice in 18.if6 Ei:e8 19.id4 lt::ia400 was more critical.
tournament practice. 15 ...ig7 16.lt::id2 lt::ia4
Black had good chances in De Pedroso -
12 ... 4Jc5 13.4Jd2 h6! is another concrete way Peres, corr. 1991.
to equalize immediately. 14.ie3 (The only
other move allows Black strong compensation: White can respond with Cl) 13 ..id.3,
14.ixf6 ixf6 15.c;t>c2 [15.:1:!:hel id4 16.f3 C2) 13..bf6 and the main line C3) 13.e5!?
if2 17J'm ie3~] 15 ...ig7~) 14 ... lt::ifxe4
15.4Jcxe4 4Jxe4 16.lt::ixe4 E!:xe4 17.Ei:dSt c;t>h7 Cl) 13 ..id.3
18.id3 E!:e6= The d8-rook will be expelled by
...if6, completely levelling the chances This looks artificial, but it is not as bad as
I originally thought.
12 ... lt::ig4
This is a rare guest in tournament practice, 13 .. .lLlc5 14.h3!
but it is also perfectly playable. Forcing the bishop to make a decision
13.ih4! quickly before Black gets a chance to become
13.Ei:hfl?! is surprisingly the most common threatening with ... lt::ifd7, unleashing the
move employed by White, after which g7-bishop.
Black should get the upper hand: 13 ... 4Jc5
14.lt::id2!?N (14.h3?! ixc3 15.bxc3 4Jxe4 This is exactly what happened after 14.E!:hel?
16.hxg4 4Jxg5 17.4Jxg5 E!:xe2+ was clearly lt::ifd7! (intending ... 4Je5) l 5.if4 (15.h3? ixf3
better for Black in Netusil - Bauma, Czech 16.gxf3 4Jxd3t 17.Ei:xd3 4Je5+) 15 ... lt::ib6
Republic 1993) 14 ... lt::ixh2 15.Ei:hl lt::ig4 when Black had maximized the radius of his
16.ixg4 ixg4 17.f3 ie6+ pieces to the utmost. 16. c;t>c2!? (16.h3 ixf3
17.gxf3 lt::ixd3t 18.E!:xd3 4Jxc4 19.Ei:d7 ie5!+)
In Barlov - W Watson, Bor 1986, Black
should have preferred:
16 .. .f5!Nt Creating strong pressure on the 18.:Sd4

light squares. Black must now be a rather good calculator,
or intuitive enough (well, not necessarily, after
reading these lines) to choose:
7
6
5
4
2
1
a b c d e f g h
14 ...ie6!
14 ... ixf3!? 15.gxf3 'llfd7 (15 ... 'lle6 16.ie3
'llh517.'lle2ie5 18.c5!?) 16.ifl 'llf817.ie3
'tlfe600 is also possible, but why play a pawn
down?
15J"~hel l2Jxd3t!
l 5... 'llfd7 16.ifl t2:lb6 17.ie3t 18 ... b5?! is not good on account of: 19.b3!
(19.ixf6 ~xf6 [19 ... ixf6 20.e5 ids 21.b3
I 6J:hd3 ixc4 ia5 22.<;t,c2 ixc3 23.<;t,xc3 id5 24.'llg5t]
20.e5 m5! 00 ) 19 ... 'lld5!
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 20.'llbl!! 'llb4 21.bxc4 ixd4 22.'llxd4 ~d6
17.:Sd6! :Se6! 23.~dl c5 24.a3!± White wins material.
17 ... ie6 18.'lld4 h6 19.'llxe6 ~xe6 20.l:he6
fxe6 2 l .ixf6 ixf6 22.e5t 19.e5
19.ixf6 ixf6 20.e5
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h
1
20 ... ie7!? (20 ... ig7 21.'Lle4 b6 22.E!:d7 ic4!
23.'Lld6 ixa2 24.t2:lxf7 id5=) 21.'Lle4 h6 a b c d e f g h
With the idea: 22.c;t>c2!? c5! 23.E!:d7 ib5! 20 ... c5!? 2I.ttld5
24.E!:xb7 ic6 25.E!:c7 id8 00 21.if4 h6+
2I. .. h6 22.i.d2 b6 23.ttlf4 i.h5! 24.ttlxe6

hd7 25.ttlxg7@xg7=
Leading to balanced play.
C2) 13.Lf<i
This looks like a patzer's move, but there is

logic to it: White simply tries to preserve the
extra pawn.
13...LfG
a b c d e f g h
19 ... ttleS!?N
The most flexible.
Also possible is: 19 ... cS 20.E!:d6 (20.E!:ddl 'Lle8

21.if4 h6 22.'Lld5 b6! 23.'Lld2 ib7 24.t2:lc4
c;t>f8! 00 ) 20 ... 'Lle8 21.E!:xe6 fxe6 22.ie7 b6
23.'Llg5 ib700
19 ... 'LldS 20.'LlxdS (20.'Lle4 h6 2 l.id2 b6+)

20 ... cxdS 21.b3 (21.E!:xd5 ic4+ Michiels -
Mickevicius, corr. 2013, e.g. 22.E!:d7 ixa2
23.E!:e3 h6 24.if4 E!:c6t) 21...h6=
I4.ttld4!?
20.!M? 14.h3 comes to nothing after: 14 ... ixf3
20.'Lle4 b6 21.E!:ddl h6 22.if4 c5 00 15.ixf3 (15.gxf3?! ixc3 16.bxc3 'Llc5+)
50
•
Exchange Variation
15 ... ixc3 16.bxc3 lt::ic5 17.l'l:hel f5!? 18.l'l:d4 lt::ie5!? (23 ... lt::if4 24.l'l:xd8 Wxd8 25.g3 lt::ig2
l'l:e5 19.l'l:e3 26.ig4! lt:Je3t 27 Wd3 lt:Jdl 28.c5 b5 00 )
24.l'l:xdS ~xd8+
b) 18.lt::ie2 ie3= invites a draw by repetition.
18 ... ixc3!
Black should not miss his chance to play this
move.
19.l'l:xd8 l'l:xd8 20.bxc3 lt::id3 21.l'l:dl We7
22.g3 f6 23.Wc2 lt::ic5=
Black's superior structure and better minor
piece completely outweighs his pawn deficit.
a b c d e f g h
19 .. .f4! 20.l'l:el l'l:ae8~ With the idea 21 ~d2
~fl 22.g3 fxg3 23.fxg3 We7, planning ... l'l:f8.
14.. J3ad8! 15.Lg4 i.xd416.f'3 lbb4!

The game will most likely end in a draw.
17.a3
17 wb1
This is well answered by:
a b c d e f g h
17...hc3! 18Jhd8 gxdS 19.axb4
l 9.bxc3?! lt::id3t+
19 ...hb4 20,gdl=
After the exchange of rooks a dead level
ending appears on the board.
C3) 13.e5!?
a b c d e f g h
8
17 ... WfS!N
More laborious but eventually drawing was 7
17 ... h5!? 18.lt::ie2! ib6 l 9.id7 l'l:e7 20.ih3 6
lt::id3 21.icS! in Istomin - Demakov, corr.
2008. 5
18.f4 4
Apparently the only try.
a) 18.a3 ixc3 19.l'l:xd8 l'l:xd8 20.bxc3 3
lt::id3 21.l'l:dl ~e7 22.icS!? b6~ can only 2
be better for Black, for example: 23.~c2
1
a b c d e f g h
This is the only move to present Black with 18.cS!?

any problems. The idea is to force the gain The most problematic reply; trying to
of the bishop pair, and then try to exchange exploit Black's slight neglect of the c5-square
major pieces and/or open more lines on both by tactical means. Others are not worrying:
sides of the board in order to exploit this.
18.id4 Ei:ad8 (18 ... Ei:e7!?) 19.ixg7 @xg700 is a
13 .. .tLJd714.h3 Lf3 IS.La ttixe5 16.i.e2 piece trade that is not unfavourable for Black.
8 18.Ei:hel?! Ei:e7
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
An important position. I would say that the 19.g4!N

key squares on the board are c5 and e3; if Black The only move, trying to open up the
manages to settle permanently with his knight position for the bishop pair. However, I
on c5 then he will be at least equal, while if think Black stands reasonably well.
White succeeds in kicking it from there, he 19.ifl?! ixc3 10.bxc3 Ei:ae8+ gave Black
will have chances to improve the el-bishop a slight but enduring plus in Arduman -
(possibly on c4) and his control over the dark Kotronias, Komotini 1993.
squares - factors that should amount to an 19 ... fxg410.hxg4
advantage. In accordance with this reasoning, lO.ixg4 is indicated by the engines,
the e3-square is instrumental in White's fight possibly with the idea h3-h4-h5, but it looks
for the advantage, as the g5-bishop will retreat unsatisfactory for White afrer: 10 ... Ei:aeS~
there and try to make life difficult for the (weaker is instead 10 ... ihG?! ll.ixh6 Ei:xel
c5-knight. This will possibly be in conjunction 11.Ei:xel t2:lxh6 13.l':!:e7 t2:lc5 14.b4 t2:ld3t
with doubling rooks on the d-file, followed by 15.@dl Ei:d8 16.@e3t)
@cl, al-a3 and an eventual bl-b4. 10 ... Ei:aeS 11.@cl b6 ll.a3 t2:lc5
I have experimented in my tournament Houdini reconciles itself to:
practice with the refined C31) 16 ...fS!?, 13.if3 t2:le5 14.iel t2:\f7 15.if3=
though C32) 16 ... tticS! may be best.
18.Ei:dl!? defends the el-bishop more actively
C31) 16 ... fS!? 17.i.e3 ttif7! against the threat of ... ixc3 followed by .. .f4.
18 ... Ei:e7 19.c5 (19.g4!? fxg4 10.hxg4 ixc3
Immediately putting pressure on the e3-bishop
ll.bxc3 Ei:ae8 00 , with the idea of ... Ei:xe3gg,
and providing a reasonable square for the other
should be fine for Black.)
black knight.
8
~~ ~%""·
lE.t.U ~t.:
1
6 ~~
~~-~~~~~
r~
i.B'l)~i
----Y-~ - . ~ ~
:
3
~~;~~~,~~
~~~~~~8
~~ef'"'z----[""~~-0 ~~
2 8 f~ i~j,,f~ 8 ~
,,,%=----V---,%~ :s
a b c d e f g h
19 .. .f4! 20.ixf4 4Jxc5 I don't see any major
problems for Black though, for example: 21...b5 22.ib3 gives White compensation
21.ie3 ixc3 22.bxc3 4Je4 23.:1'1c2 4Jg3 due to the weakness of the a2-g8 diagonal.
(23 ... lt::ifd6~) 24.:1'\dl 4Jxe2t 25.:1'1xe2 E\ae8= 22.ixe6t Elxe6 23.:1'1xb7 4Jd3t!
Black has easily equalized as his knight is a
decent match for the e3-bishop.
8
24. <iib 1
7 24.Wc2 4Jxf2! 25.ixf2 (25.:1'\el Elae8)
6 25 ... :1'1e2t 26.Wb3 :1'1xf2 27.:1'\el :1'1xg2
28.:1'\ee7 h5 29.:1'1g7t Wh8 30.:1'1h7t <iig8=
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
18 ....ixc3!
18 ... 4Jxc5? 19.ixc5 ixc3 20.ic4!+-
18 ... b5?! 19.cxb6 axb6 20.ic4!±

24 ... f4! 25.id4!?
I9 ..ha6!? 25.ixa7 c5!~
25 ... c5 26.:1'1g7t <iif8 27.:1'1xh7 cxd4!
Definitely the most critical.
It seems that the draw is forced:
28.:1'1h8t <iif7! 29.:1'1xa8 lt::ixf2 30.:1'\fl d3
19.bxc3 4Jxc5 20.ic4! 4Je6
The only move. 31.l"!:xf2 l"!:elt 32.Wb2 l"!:e2t 33.l"!:xe2 dxe2
21.:1'1d7 34.l"!:xa7t Wf8=
19 ....ixb2t 20.@xb2 bxa6

Reaching an interesting position. Black has
won a pawn and controls the light squares
satisfactorily, two facts which should nullify 22 ... l'!d5!

the importance of the slightly stronger white 22 ... lt:Jd8!? 23.l'!xa6 tZ:ie6 24.g3! (24.l'!xc6 f4
minor piece. 25.id2 tZ:ixc5+±) 24 ... g5 25.l'!xc6 f4 26.gxf4
gxf4 27.icl tZ:ixc5 28.l'!gl t <;t>f7 29.l'!dl t
gives White attacking chances against the
black king.
7 23.l'!xa6 lt:Je5=
6
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
21.~c3!?i
The move that initially worried me the most,
because of the weakness of the knight on f7
a b c d e f g h
21.l'!d4 21..J~e4! 22.gd4
Intending l'!a4 or l'!hd 1 22.l'!d7 f4 23.id4 l'!d8 24.l'!xd8t lt:Jxd8
21...l'!e5 25.<;t>d3 l'!e7+
Another option is 2 l...l'!ab8t 22. <;tic3 a5
23.l'!hdl <;tif8= and Black stands firm. 22 ... gxd4 23.i.xd4 ltig5!~
22.l'!a4!? With sufficient counterplay for Black. Thus,
22.l'!d7 lt:Jd8!? Intending ... lt:Je6 to attack we may conclude that the move 16 .. .f5!? is
the c5-pawn, while at the same time good enough for equality.
defending the weak g7-square and preparing
... f4+±. 23.l'!hdl l'!b8t 24.<;tic3 (24.<;tial C32) 16 ... ltic5!
lt:Je6 25.l'!e7!? l'!e4! 00 , but not 25 ... lt:Jd4??
26.l'!g7t!+-) 24 ... lt:Je6+± With more than
satisfactory counterplay due to the idea .. .f4.
a b c d e f g h
Black loses no time in bringing his knight

to the centre, and this proves to be the best
strategy.
17.~e3
White does not beat about the bush and
goes straight for the realization of his plan.
17 ©c2 'ile6 18.ie3 f5 allows the second

player to coordinate his pieces harmoniously:
19.f4 'ilf7 20J!:hel ~ad8 (20 ... ixc3?! 21 ©xc3 a b c d e f g h
'ileg5 22.id3±) 21.~xdS ~xd8= The weakness 19 .. J!:e6!
of d4 equalizes the chances. Black stands fine, for example:
20.~d4
17J!:d2 is another idea, but it also allows This should be the most harmonious move.
Black easy equality· 17 ... 'ile6 18.ie3 f5 19.f4 a) 20.ig4? is a provocation that cannot be
'ilf7= With the threat of ...ixc3 followed by justified. After 20 ... f5 21.if3 ~ae8+ Black
... 'ileg5!, due to the weakness of the e3-bishop. has all the play, as 22.g4 is better for him
after 22 ... f4i or 22 ... ~xe3 23.fxe3 ~xe3i
b) 20.~hel is a passive rook placement,
in the style of Arduman - Kotronias on
page 51 above. After 20 .. J!:ae8= there is
nothing for Black to worry about.
c) 20.~d2 ~ae8 21.~hdl allows the thematic:
21.. .~xe3! 22.fxe3 ~xe3=
20 .. J!:aeS 21.~hdl ~xe3! 22.fxe3 ~xe3 23.if3
~e7
Black has set up an impregnable fortress.
The slightly more refined 18.if3, trying to save

the tempo spent on ©c2, should be answered
a b c d e f g h by: 18 ...ixc3 19.bxc3
17.. .ltled7!
Unveiling pressure along the e-file and
keeping the c5-knight in its strong position.
18.l'~d2
Black's reaction is more or less stereotyped
after other moves:
18.©c2
This does not avert the doubling of the
pawns:
18 ... ixc3 19.bxc3
19 ... l::1:e6! 20.l::1:d4 (20J"1d2 b6 21.l::1:hdl l2le5

8
22.ie2 lt:le4 23.l::1:c2 c5 allows Black to wrest
the initiative) 20 ... l::1:ae8 21.l::1:hdl lt:le5 22.W.e2 7
b6! 00 Intending ... lt:lb7 followed by ... c5 and 6
... lt:la5.
5
Finally, 18.ig4 f5 19.if3 ixc3 20.bxc3 l::1:e6! 00 4
is only a slight improvement on the line with
18.<iic2 and 20.ig4? above. White has again
3
achieved nothing. 2
1
8
a b c d e f g h
7
The position is level. If White offers an
6 exchange of rooks along the e-file, Black can
always refuse by planting his knight on the
5
unassailable e5-outpost. However, Black's
4 winning chances are slim too and may become
3 serious only after a mishandling of the white
position.
2
1 Conclusion
a b c d e f g h This chapter dealt with those lines after 9.ig5
18 .. J:~xe3!?N c6!? 10.lt:lxe5 l::1:e8 11.0-0-0 lt:la6 when White
A sound and typical sacrifice for this line. does not choose the main continuation of
Black will gain a pawn and excellent outposts l 2.l::1:d6. One of the more critical white tries is
for his knights in return for the exchange. In 12.f3 l::1:xe5 13.:!::1:dSt lt:le8! 14.f4! l::1:e6 15.ig4
addition, White will have a depressing pawn lt:lac7 16.ixe6!?, but I am satisfied my analysis
formation on the queenside, depriving him of offers Black good chances for an advantage.
winning chances. I have chosen to meet the old main line of
12.4Jf3 with 12 ...ig4, aiming to complete
18 ... l::1:e7 19.l"lhdl l::1:ae8 20.<;t>c2 ixc3 21.bxc3 development quickly. I think White's best is
l::1:xe3!? The same sacrifice occurring via a then l 3.e5!? l2ld7 14.h3 ixf3 l 5.ixf3 l2lxe5
different move order, although I consider our 16.W.e2, reaching an important position which
text move more forcing. 22.fxe3 l::1:xe3 23.if3 I have discussed extensively in the chapter.
l::1:e7 24.l::1:e2 lt:le5 25.g4 h6 26.h4 l::1:e6 27.l::1:e3 I have once again given two options, both of
<iig7= Torrecillas Martinez - G. Hernandez, which give Black at least equality. It is difficult
Benasque 1997 to create serious winning chances against such
dry play by White, but the above analysis shows
19.fxe3 hc3 20.bxc3 ge8 21.©c2 gxe3 the strongest piece formations for the black
22.~f.3 ge7 = army, giving him every chance to pressurize his
opponent while keeping a draw in hand.
Exchange Variation
Variation Index
1.d4 t2:)f6 2.c4 g6 3_t2:)c3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 5.t2:)f3 0-0 6 ..ie2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5
8.~xd8 ~xd8 9 ..ig5 c6!? 10.t2:)xe5 ~e8 11.0-0-0 t2:)a6 12.~d6!?
12... t2:)h5!?
A) 13.t2:)f3 57
B) 13.t2:)g4 59
C) 13.t2:)d3 .if8! 63
Cl) 14.~dS!? ~xd8 15..ixdS .ie6! 16..ig5 .ixc4 64
Cll) 17.b3 .ixd3 18.hd3 t2:)c5 64
Cl 11) 19.~dl 65
C112) 19..ic2!? 67
C12) 17.~dl! t2:)g7 18.b3 t2:)e6 68
C121) 19..ie3 69
C122) 19..if6! 70
C2) 14.~d4 73
A) note to 16.e5!? CI) note to 15 ... ~e6! CI2) note to 18.b3

Chapter 4 - 12Jl'.d6!? 57
l.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 19 ... c5! 20.i.f6 4Jxf2 21.i.xb? lt:ixdl 22.i.xa8
0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.~xd8 l3xd8 El:xa8 23.'iiixdl i.bl 24.El:c6 i.xa2 25.El'.xc5
9.i.g5 c6!? 10.~xe5 l3e8 11.0-0-0 ~a6 @f8 26.g4 'iiie8 27.El'.c? h6 28.h4 g5 29.hxg5
12.l3d6!? hxg5 30.i.xg5±
This was once considered a crucial test of Narkun - Baranowski, corr. 2009. However,
the 9 ... c6 variation, but I believe the analysis the final position is rather easily drawable for
provided below to be a complete answer. Black if he plays some prudent moves.
12 ... ~h5!? After the text, White has three knight retreats:
Another possibility, for those who are not A) 13.~f3, B) 13.~g4 and C) 13.~d3. All
averse to simplification and a draw, is: of them have pros and cons, but it seems that
12 .. .lLlxe4 13.4Jxe4 i.xe5 14.lt:if6t i.xf6 13.4Jd3 is the most testing for Black.
15.i.xf6 4Jc5
Still, White retains some pull:
The disadvantage of retreating the knight to f3

is that White does not threaten to capture on
h5.
13 ... ~c5
Highlighting another disadvantage of
White's last, as e4 cannot be protected in a
satisfactory manner.
8
16.i.f3! 7
16.i.d3 4Jxd3t 17.l'hd3 i.f5= was 6
abandoned as a draw in Raessler -Anderson,
corr. 2004. 5
16 ... i.f5 17.l"l'.hdl a5! 18.i.d4 4
18.b3!? a4 19.'iiib2 axb3 20.axb3 h5± is a
more critical test of Black's play. 3
18 ... 4Jd3t 19.'iiid2 2
1
a b c d e f g h
14.i.e3!
White bases his hope for an edge on this
counterattack.
14.e5?! is met comfortably with: 14 ... 4Je6

15.i.e3 (15.h4 h6 16.i.e3 lt:ief4µ changes
little)
weakening of the f4-square allows Black to

8~~.l~~~· equalize.
1 liB Bi~i
r~~'I)~ • ~
~~ ,,,,Y,~~~'I)
6 ----'-~
16.~d2? is a blunder, as after 16 ... ~f4+ the
5
~~ rook on d6 is trapped.
~~
~~,,,/,~~~
4
8)1.~~.
~ ~ti)-
0
16.~hdl as in Najgebauer - Mochalov,
. . ,,m~-· .
3~
2 !~--·-~~!~
"~]t
Litomysl 1994, allows Black the more pleasant
game after:
a b c d e f g h
15 ... ~ef4! Black is at least equal. 16.~hdl
(16J:'1gl ~xe2t 17.~xe2 i.g4+; 16.~d4 ~xg2
17.i.g5 ~gf4!+) 16 ... ~xg2 17.~d8 i.g4t
Black had recovered his pawn and taken over
the initiative in Olivier - Mathe, Montpellier
1991
Also weak is: 14.~d2?! i.e5 15.~d8 ~xd8

16.i.xd8 ~f4+ a b c d e f g h
14 ....bc3 15 ..bcS 16 ... i.c?!N 17.~6d2 ~f6!+
Finally, 16.i.e3 ~xe4 (16 ... i.c7!? 00 ) 17.~g5

8 was double-edged in Serrer - Winterstein,
7 Germany 1992, and now I like:
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
15 ... ~aS!+!
This is the star move here, with the ideas
... ~f4, ... ~xe4 and ... i.c7 The bishop also
defends the dB-square and prepares to switch
to a better diagonal with tempo. 16 ... ~f417.i.fl ~g4
17 ... i.c7!? 18.~d2 i.g4 19.i.e3 looks a bit
16.eS!? better for White, but after 19 ... i.xf3 20.i.xf4
This looks interesting. However, the
Chapter 4 _ 12J:=1d6!? 59
20.:Sd3 ~ f3 21 ·.ixf3 tof5=

20.h3 ~x
,:,,:,d4 .ixf3 21 ·.ixf3 tof5 22 .~e4 loxe3

20.1::1
23.l'he3 ~ad8 24 .~dl .ib6=
~f5 21 .if4
20... •~ 22.hf.3 ~xeS
23 ~d7 tod4!
21..ig5 Ji!, .i 3 ltlxf3 25.gx
Jl,b6=) f3
24.~xd4 (2t~; ~b8=
24 ... ~xg5 25.
8 :i U,
,,tn P:-U,.1. B1'%a
~'=' ~ -j
!'%a~
7 .,_-tr !'%a. • j ~
6 U,.1. ~111W,e'l)lffl
s ~
,,,,,~~ U,
A ffl•al-~
~ .lL
4 Bp~-~-
~ mn ~c.,z_J ~~~
3
2
P'*'1i !'%a~ i'B,8 P
A f~% , ~ -
~,,,,,%~ ~ BM .'Pr
1 ~
a b
L
c d e
f g h
••• fn+a
211h w,
.,.+ may condud, tha~ 13 cl,~tof3 poses
resuldng
us, I k althoug h es
no t h rea taretoratBher
positions
ac devoid
' . o f wm
. ning c anc
for either side.
B) 13.~g4
~
19... g71." ' of !ming ,h, ro~ k stay
Th,onchances
d6, as
Thethe...
now pomtof5 fork
al is annoymg.
are completely equ .
a b C
This was once fashionable, but after several 14... @fS

reverses White players gave it up. The truth
is that the knight is unnaturally situated
on g4, and the obvious merits of placing it
there (control of h6 and f6) are outweighed
by the quick entry of the a6-knight into the
game via c5, and the lack of harmony among
the white pieces.
13 ... ~c5!
Natural and strong: Black has excellent
counter-chances.
The only decent alternative I could find was

13 ... i.xg4!? 14.i.xg4 i.e5 15.~ddl i.xc3 a b c d e f g h
16.bxc3 ~xe4 l 7.~d4 ~e5 00 Comp Comet White has scored badly from this position,
A90 - Comp Rebel 9, Debrecen 1998. which is understandable considering the
misplaced knight on h6. Several moves have
13 ...i.xc3 14.bxc3 lt:lc5?! 15.lt:\h6t 'iig7, been tried in practice but the assessment has
which has been played in several games, can not changed - in the positions arising after
be met by· 14 ... 'iif8, Black holds the initiative.
15.i.xh5
Clearly inferior is:
15.f3? lt:le6 16.i.e3
Even worse is 16.h4? i.e5 17.~ddl Giretti -
Menoni, Bratto 1995, when 17 ... lt:lef4N!-+
gives Black the double threat of ...i.xc3 and
... f6.
14.~h6t
14.i.e3 i.xc3!? 15.i.xc5 i.xg4 16.i.xg4
~xe4+ is slightly better for Black. The
justification lies in the tactical trick: 17.i.xh5
i.e5! White must lose a pawn as he is hanging 16 .. .f5!?
all over. 16 ... lt:lhf4+
17.exf5
Chapter 4 - 12.E1.d6!? 61
17 Wc2 f4 18.1'l:xe6 Ei:xe6 19.ic5t ~e8+ 21.ixf4N

17 ... 'ilef4 18.ic5 'ilxe2t 19.~dl 'ilxc3t 2 l .ig5t f6 22.ixf4 Ei:e4! 23.ic7 ixg4!
20.bxc3 ixh6 2 l.Ei:xg6t Wf7 22.Ei:xh6 'ilf4 24.Ei:xa8 Ei:xc4t 25.Wd2 Ei:d4t 26.Wc3
23.g4 Wg8 24.id6 'ild3+ Ei:xd 1+ Maksimovic - Mozetic, Podgorica
This hardly extricates White from his 1996.
difficulties. 2 l...Ei:e4! 22.Ei:8d4 Ei:xd4 23.Ei:xd4 ixg4
24.ig5t f6 25.ixf6t Wxf6 26.Ei:xg4 We5+
15.ie3 'ilxe4 16.'ilxe4 Ei:xe4
a b c d e f g h
17.:1:1d8t?!
17.Ei:hdl? Ei:xe3! 18.fxe3 ixh6 19.ixh5
ixe3t 20.Wc2 if5t 21 Wc3 gxh5-+ was a
This is forced here, as 16.bxc3? 'ilxe4+ loses
complete disaster for White in Boguslavsky
material sooner or later.
- I. Belov, Moscow 1992.
However, the correct 17.ixh5! gxh5
18.Ei:d8t We7 19.Ei:xc8! Ei:xc8 20.'ilf5t Wf8
21.'ild6 Ei:xe3 22.fxe3 Ei:d8 23.'ilf5 ie5=
saves the day for him.
17 ... ~e718.Ei:hdl ixh619.ixh6Ei:xe220.g4!
a b c d e f g h
16 ....ieS
The picture on the board vividly represents
both sides' prospects: Black is relying on
20 ... 'ilf4! excellent piece placing and centralization,
20 ... 'ilf6? 21.if8t We6 22.Ei:ld6t We5 White on nuances and guerrilla tactics.
23.ign This position has been the speciality of
Mikhail Golubev, and his games have proven

that Black gets excellent compensation after 8 .i~..t~.i-
,,,,,%£ ~- ,,,,,u., u'
7 ~ -~ %~ ,,,,,%~
the centralizing of the bishop, so I am going to
label the position as "in practice more pleasant
for Black" 6 ~~-, , ,
~- • ~ ~ ~Wo'ef~
5~- ~ ~ ~
u
Y,~~ m,r~
16 ... ia5!?
Although it is highly unlikely anyone will
repeat this line with White, I would like to
suggest this interesting alternative, just in
case.
17.l'!hdl
4
3
2
1
•~/\%~~-!-~-~
oW~
8 ~ 8-~ ,,,,,~~
DD DD
%.~
,,,,,%~
~
%.....
1~8~
My com?uter thinks the position is equal, a b c d e f g h
but the Imes seem tricky for White. To start
17.l~ddl!?
with, it is not at all clear whether White
17.l'!d2 ie6
would even find this move:
Playing for the full point.
a) For example, White may rely on 17.ie3?!
17 ...ic7!?= is safe equality if Black wants it.
4Jxe4 18.l'!d4, when Black can choose
18.b3
between 18 ... lt:'lf6+ or 18 ... f5!?
18.ie3 b6 19.lt:'lg4 ixg4! 20.ixg4 4Jxe4=
b) Another inaccuracy is 17.e5?! l'!xeS looks like a safer option for White.
l S.ie3 lt:'le4+, when it seems that only
18 ... a5! 19.ie3 b6
White can be worse.
The threat of ... a4 gives Black an attack and
17 ... ic7 18.l'!f6! l'!e7 19.l'!f4! l'!d7! 20.l'!h4
White must be careful.
l'!xdl t 21.ixdl
8 i. ~.i.~ •
7 11.t.~ -~,,
~ .t. ~ .t.
... J~ ??,,J{
%~
6
5 ~~~~
- · ·-~ • • -~
~~-~----
4
~- ~ ~ ~
~AD A-~--·--"c·
~~~-0~ ~~
:!~.8n!~
~~-----%~---
a b c d e f g h
20.l'!hdl!N
21 ... ie6! 22.ic2!
This is probably best.
22.ie2 id8! 23.ixd8 l'!xd8 24.e5 c;t,g7
a) 20. 'it>b l!? is still answered by 20 ... a4co
25.b3 g5 26.l'!h5 4Jd3t 27.ixd3 l'!xd3
with the idea 21.b4 lt:'lb3!.
~~4 !c2 l'!d4 29.h3 c;t,g6 30.g4 c;t,g7 31.f3 b) 20.c;t,c2?! looks dangerous, but in such
a posi~on it is easy to go wrong. After
22 ... ixc4 23.b3 ie6 24.f4 ids 25.ixd8
20 ... a4oo Black has the initiative:
l'!xd8 26.f5 ic8 27.lt:'lg4=
bl) In M. Markovic - Golubev, Belgrade
1991, White chose the passive 21.l'!bl?!
Chapter 4 - 12.E!:d6!? 63
axb3t 22.axb3 E!:a2t 23.'~dl E!:xd2t

24.@xd21"1d8t 25.@c21"1a8 26 ..ixc5t bxc5
27.lt'ig4 1"1a2t 28.@d3 .ixg4 29 ..ixg4 1"1xf2
30 ..if3 .ixh2 31.1"\h 1 .ie5 32.1"1xh7 E!:b2+
and got slowly outplayed in the opposite-
coloured bishops ending.
b2) Entering the complications with
21.b4!?N lt'ia6 22.a3 c5!? (22 ....ixc4
23.lt'ig4;!;) 23.b5
::Tf!Jfa~~
8
1.-~,j,~
.i~ ~.i-
,,,%~%~~-r,,~~',,,
3
=~~~-
2 ,,,J~
a
- -~
~-Y,~ %-11
r!f~
b
~,~c d
~~~
e f g h
I9.hg4 ttlxe4 20.i.h6t i.g7 2I.i.e3 f5=
This position was reached in Kalinin -
Golubev, Minsk 1993. The activity of the black
pieces is worth as much as the bishop pair.
23 .. .lllb4t! 24.axb4 cxb4~ is depressing C) 13.ltJd.3
enough to put off any human.
20 ... a4! 21.b4 lt'ib3t! 22.axb3 axb3
This secures a draw, as White has nothing 8
better than: 7
23 ..id4 .if4 24 ..ie3 .ie5 25 ..id4=
6
An attempt to play for a win by 25.1"1b2?!
only jeopardizes the draw after: 25 ... 1"\al t 5
26.1"\bl 1"1ea8 27 ..id4 .if4t 2s.<;t,b2 (28 ..ie3??
4
1"18a2-+) 28 ... 1"1la2t 29.<;t,c3+
3
I7...i.e6 2
Trying to provoke b2-b3.
1
17 ....ic?~ is quite playable. a b c d e f g h
This move seems to be the most solid retreat
I8.ttlg4
of all, covering the critical c5- and f4-squares
White decides to play it safe.
and creating the threat of .ixh5. In addition,
White has the option of fortifying e4 with
l 8 ..ie3 would have been more ambitious.
f2-f3. However, nothing in this life comes for
free, and in this particular case the price White
has to pay is the severe lack of breathing space
for the d6-rook.
13 ....ifS! 19 ...ixd3 t!N (Burovic's reply 19 ... ie6?

Black directly highlights White's problem allowed White to set up a bind with 20 ..if6±)
and secures himself equal chances, as the 20.Wxd3 l::\e8 21..id6! (21.ia3 l::\d8H;
following variations indicate. White can try 21.if6 l2ic5t 22.'iiid4 l2id7+; 21.ih4 l2ib4t!+
Cl) 14J:!:d8!? or C2) 14J~d4. followed by 22 ... l2ixa2!) 21...l::\dS 22.e5 ifs
23.l2ie4
Cl) 14J:!:d8!? gxd8 15.hdS
8
7
6
5
4
3
a b c d e f g h
2
23 ... f5!! 24.l2if6t Wf7 25.l2ixh5 ixd6 26.exd6
1
l::\xd6t 27 Wc3 l2ic7 28.l2if4 l2ib5t=
a b c d e f g h Instead, after 19.l::\dl!N l::\e8 20 ..id6t
15 ....ie6! White has an endgame initiative which cannot
15 ....ih6t 16.@c2 .ie6 has the obvious be easily shaken, since it is difficult to carry out
disadvantage of allowing l 7.ie7 ixc4 a successful ... f5.
18 ..ixh5 gxh5±, when Black's kingside pawn
structure has been shattered. Admittedly he has 16 ..ig5 hc4
Boch Cll) 17.b3!?N and C12) 17.gdl!
two bishops and a queenside pawn majority in
return, but the overall approach is rather too lead to balanced play.
risky and I would not recommend it.
In Roeder - Burovic, Eupen 1994, White Cll) 17.b3!?N
continued with 19.b3?!, but I consider chis to
be inaccurate in view of: 8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Chapter 4 - 12.Ei'.d6!? 65
A logical try, with the clear-cut aim of ct;ifs 25.b4 axb4 26.axb4 't:'le6 27.~d? ~b8
obtaining the bishop pair. 28.ib3 't:'lf6=
20.ct;ic2 a4 and Black has strong counterplay.
17...hd3 18 ..bd3 c!bcs 20 ... a4?!
The black pieces are working effectively The tactics again do not work for Black.
together to compensate for White's bishop 20 ... b5 21.ic2 't:'lf6 22.f3 't:'lfd7 23.'t:'le2!;!; is
pair. still worse for Black, but may be tenable.
2 l .bxa4 't:'lxa4 22.'t:'lxa4 ~xa4 23.iib2 't:'lf6
White has another choice between C111) 23 ... ~b4t 24.ct;ic3 b5 25.ic2!i
19J[~dl and C112) 19.i.c2!?. 24.f3 ~b4t 25.c;t,c3 b5 26.ic2!i
With dangerous threats.
l 9.ie2 is rather easy to deal with, for example:
19 ... 't:'le6 20.ie3 't:'lhf4 21.ifl ig7= Black Black is aiming to utilize one of the traditional
stands well, due to his powerful dark-square King's Indian weapons available to him - the
control. exchange of dark-squared bishops. Someone
might ask what the advantage of the move
C111) 19.gdl l 9 ... 't:'le6! is over the alternatives? The answer
is rather easy: 90% of grandmasters, even
non-King's Indian devotees, know that in this
8
type of position the exchange of dark-squared
7 bishops relieves the pressure and creates a fine
6 outpost for the black knight on c5 - one that
can be fortified with the complementary move
5 ... a5. The secret is to go for this formation
4 as quickly as possible, before White gets
organized.
3
2 20.i.e3
There is nothing better.
1
a b c d e f g h
8
A major option, giving up the two bishops
7
in order to control the d-file. I think Black
should refrain from accepting the offer. 6
5
19 ... c!be6!
l 9 ... a5!? 4
Intending ... a4, but it does not look 3
satisfactory to me after the correct:
20.ie3! 2
Weaker is: 20.ic2 't:'le6! 2 l .ie3 ia3t! 1
Preventing the king from coming quickly
to e3 after an exchange of dark-squared
a b C d e f g h
bishops. 22.ct;ibl ic5! 23.ixc5 't:'lxc5 24.a3 20 .• .i.cS!?
Achieving the strategic aims without any 22.b4

delay. The best try, looking to penetrate on the 7th
rank.
20 .. .lllf6 is also okay: 21.f3 ic5 22.'it>d2
(22.ixc5 'Llxc5 23.ie2 a5!= with the idea Once Black succeeds in stabilizing the position
24.e5 'Llfd7 25.'Lle4 Ei:e8! 26.f4 'Llxe4 27.Ei:xd7 after 22.ie2 'Llf4 23.ifl a5! 24.g3 'Llfe6 25.f4
'Llc5+±) 22 ... Ei:d8= g5! 26.f5?! 'Llf8+ or 22.ic2 a5=, it is all over.
White cannot hope to get an edge.
21..hc5
The human move. 22 .. .l2hd3t 23J1xd3 c!tif4 24.:ad?
When I saw that the engines gave a plus for

8
White after the move 21.e5, I almost fell from
my chair. 21...ixe3t 22.fxe3 7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 24... b5!
24 ... 'Llxg2 25.Ei:xb7 is risky for Black.
22 ... 'it>f8! (22 ... 'Llc5?! 23.ic4 a5! (23 ... b5?
24.b4!±) 24.'Lla4! 'Llxa4 25.bxa4± is something 25.g3 c!tle6 26.@b2
to avoid) 23.'Lle4 'Llhg7= The engines' initial 26.e5 a5 27.a3 axb4 28.axb4 c5 is level too.
enthusiasm now fades away, giving us humans
some satisfaction for not even considering a
move like 21.e5. However, White is probably
not worse in this position. Chess has changed!
Following 21 <;f;>d2 'Llhf4, the silicon

recommendation is: 22.g3 (Not accepting
doubled pawns after 22.ifl Ei:d8t - the
engines seem to have learnt their lesson!)
22 ... 'Llxd3 23.<;f;>xd3 Ei:d8t= This clearly yields
White nothing.
2I...'Llxc5
Now Black has a pleasant ending.
Chapter 4 - 12.1"ld6!? 67
26 ... a5 27.a3 axb4 28.axb4 c5 29.l[ixb5 C112) 19 ..ic2!?
a b c d e f g h
29 .. J"~b8!? This is the most obvious response and
29 ... cxb4 30.1"ld5 1"lc8 is another safe route is treated, accordingly, in a rather prosaic
to equality. manner:
30.l[id6 ~xb4t 31.@c3 l[ig5! 32.@d3 19 ....ig?! 20.l[ie2

32.e5 4Je4t= 20.i.d2 1"ld8 21.i"ldl 4Jd3t 22.i.xd3 1"lxd3
23.'it>c21"ld8 24.i.e31"lxdl 25.lt:lxdl b6 is also
level.
8
7 20 ... ~e8 21.0 f5
6 This is what we have been aiming for, to play
.. .f5 under ideal conditions.
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
32 ... ~b3t!? 33.@c4 ~£3 34.@xc5 ~xfl
35.h4 l[ie6t 36.@d5 @g7=
The draw is inevitable after all the queenside
has been cleared up. In the final position White
dare not play 37.4Jxf7?? in view of 37 ... lt:lfS-+.
Better is: 37.e5 h5 38.1"le7 'it>f8 39.1"la71"lfl=
26.ixa? tt'if6= is fine for Black, due to the granted to bring the knight to e6. White seems
wonderfully centralized bishop on e5. to have no advantage here either.
23 ...fxe4 24.fxe4 18.b3

24.:1=1dl? exf3 25.gxf3 (j;,fs+ Again, most logical: if White can get the
bishop pair he minimizes the danger of losing.
8
I8.e5
7 This sharpens the position, as Black can now
6 utilize d5 for his pieces:
18 ... tt'le6 I9.ie3
5 I9.if6 tt'lac7=
4 19 ...ig? 20.f4 tt'lac7 2I.b3
2I.g4 l:l:d8=
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
24 ... h6 25.ie3@h7=
In view of the upcoming ... tt'lg5 or ... tt'if6,
Black faces no problems at all.
C12) 17J~dl!
a b c d e f g h
2I...tt'id5! 22.tt'lxd5 ixd5 23.g4 a5
Going on the counter-offensive in this way is
risky but possible.
23 ... ih6!? aims to freeze matters on the
kingside: 24.(j;,d2 ie4 25.tt'if2 l:l:d8t 26.(j;,c3
Elxdl 27.ixdl id5 28.g5 (28.tt'ld3 ie4)
28 ... ig?= This seems to lead to a fortress,
as I cannot see how White can improve his
position.
24.f5 tt'lc7 25.ib6 tt'lb5 26.f6 if8µ
White's overextension has helped Black
a b c d e f g h acquire counterplay.
Overprotecting the d3-knight and thus I8.tt'le5

renewing the threat of capturing on h5. This leads to a temporary initiative for White
that Black is able to defuse by centralization:
17... ~g7 I8 ...ixe2 I9.tt'lxe2 tt'lc5 20.tt'lc3 tt'lge6 2I.if6
It is natural to make use of the respite 2 I .ie3 l::i:d8=
Chapter 4 - 12JM6!? 69
s,i~
7
5
6
4
liU UiUi
~
~ . ~~-----Y-~
····~·~
~-,----u'"c0iU~~
~m~~~~
~-
:4~-1.,.~~
s,i~
7 ~lu ~ ~-
,,%~~~~~~~
·~,~~~j
~,, .. ~~. "~~
'1• ., ~ . ,
3
m
,1,~,--,%.,, ~ ~
,/,
2
~tr~----~~~-%~~-,,
8c
'1,f!J, ~ '1,f!J, '1,/j 8
3~
2 8H-·u:r~ttWJ
~~,~ .,,%~ '"'
21...a5 22.l2:ld7 l2:lxd7 23.l::1xd7 l2:lc5 24.l::1d4 20 ... ixe2!?N 21.l2:llxe2 l::1e8 22.f3 f5 23.ixc5
24.l::1d8? l::1xd8 25.ixdS l2:ld3H l2:lxc5 24.exf5 gxf5 25.l2:lg3 ig7 26.c±ic2
24.l::1dl l::1e825.f3ie726.ixe7l::1xe727 c±id2 (26.l2:lxf5 ixc3 27.bxc3 l::1e2~) 26 ... l::1f8 27.b4
f5 28.c±ie3 c±if7 29.l::1d6 fxe4 (29 ... l::1e8= with (27.f4 ixc3!? 28.iixc3 l2:la4t 29.iic2 l2:lb6=)
the idea of placing the king on e7 is another 27 ... l2:le6 28.l2:lce2 ie5 29.l::1d7 f4 30.l2:le4 l::1f7
draw) 30.l2:lxe4 l2:lxe4 3 l.fxe4 <±ieS 32.l::1d3 31.l::1xf7 (31.l::1d2 l::1g7) 31...c±ixf7 32.iid3 b5=
(32.c±id4 l::1f7=) 32 ... l::1e5 {intending ... l::1b5) With a balanced ending.
33.l::1b3 b5 34.l::1c3 iid7 35.c±id4 l::1g5! 36.g3
c±id6= 18••. l2:le6
24 ... ig7 25.ixg7 c±ixg7 26.c±id2 l::1e8 27.g3 Black restores his coordination and levels the
27.f4 l2:le6= chances thanks to this important tempo gain.
We should now consider C121) 19.ie3 and
C122) 19.i.f6!.
C121) 19.ie3 ig7! 20.bxc4 hc3

2I.ig4! id4!
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Finally, 18.ie3 l2:le6 19.iibl l2:lec5 20.lt:lcl
1
occurred in Narkun - Rodrigues, corr. 2008,
and here I prefer: a b c d e f g h
This is equal, but there are several subtle
points to be taken into consideration.
22.hd4! 25 .. J~ds 26.ia4 lLib8 27.@d2 lLibc6=

This direct move is best because it forces Black has a well-coordinated position
Black to lose control of c5. without weaknesses, and this factor outweighs
White's space advantage. Trying to undermine
22.'it>d2!?is best met by 22 ... ~d8!, so as not d5 by a combination of .. .f5 and ... lt:la5(e5) is
to not relinquish control of c5. After 23.j,xe6 not out of the question.
fxe6 24.j,g5 ~d7 the chances are equal.
C122) 19.if6!
22 .. .t2hd4 23.lLif4
8
8 7
7
6
6
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
The best move according to the computers,
23 ... c5 trying to maintain control of the d-file. I
23 .. J''ld8 24.lt:ld5! forces ... c5 anyway. consider the following variation to equalize for
Black:
24.lL\d5 @g7 25.id?!?
On 25.e5, the reply 25 ... ~d8, intending 19 ...hd3 20.hd3 lLiac5
... lt:lb8-c6, is rock solid for Black. 20 ... lt:lac7!? may also be worth testing.
21.ic4
21.j,fl a5= or 2 l.e5 lt:ld7 22.lt:le4 lt:lec5=.
21...ig?!
The key is again the exchange of dark-
squared bishops.
21 ... b5?! 22.j,xe6 fxe6!?To free f7 for the king.

(22 ... lt:lxe6 23.e5 lt:lc5 24.'it>c2 a5 may not be
out of the question, but practically speaking
this is not pleasant for humans as the black
king is suffering on g8.)
Chapter 4 - 12.Ei:d6!? 71
Black has enough activity to draw.

~ ,~~~~~-. 3I.lt:le3 Ei:xf2 32.Ei:d7 c5 33.id5 h5 34.e61"i'.e2
~~r---.,.~~
6 ,,,,,%~ , ~ , ~ , ~
35.exf7
5 ,.~~~----~~
4
3 l:ttJ
%~ %~
~mra---%.,,,,
2 ,.,,.,,;.~~,~
a b c d e f g h
23.f3! c;t>f7 24.ie5 a5 25_(j;>c2 c;t>es (25 ... b4
26.lua4! lt:lxa4 27.bxa4 (j;>es 28.(j;>b3±) 26.a4!
White fixes a weakness on a5 and makes Black's
defence difficult.
22.e5!?
22.ixg7
Black can equalize by using a beautiful tactic: 8
22 ... c;t>xg7 7
Intending ... a5.
23.b4 b5! 24.ie2 lt:lb7! 25.1=:i'.d7 6
25.ig4 lt:lbd8 26.a3 a5 27 c;t>b2 axb4 5
28.axb4 c5=
4
s~U ~ ~ 3
1 li•n•••• 2
1
:~~~~~~
6 ···'))··~
a b c d e f g h
22 ... a5!
3 :t!j ~ ~
2 ,~';,,,,~ , ~ , ~ 22 ... ixf6?! 23.exf6 1"i'.d8 24.Ei:xd8t lt:lxd8
~~~~%_3_ _ _ 25.b4 lt:ld7 26.lt:le4 lt:le5 27.ie2 lt:le6 28.(j;>d2;!;:
is uncomfortable for Black, as the pawn on f6
a b c d e f g h severely restricts his king from joining the play.
25 ... a5! 26Jhb7
23.6!
26.a3 axb4 27.axb4 lt:lbd8 28.e5 c5= and the
The only move to pose Black problems.
disappearance of the queenside pawns makes
the draw inevitable.
23.ixe6 ixf6! 24.exf6 fxe6=, intending
26 ... axb4 27.lt:ldl
... (j;>f7, is fine for us.
27.lt:lxb5 cxb5 28.ixb5 lt:lc5=
27.lt:lbl Ei:xa2 28.lt:ld2 b3= 23.c;t>c2 b5! 24.ixe6 ixf6! 25.exf6 fxe6= is
27 ... 1"i'.xa2 28.if3 lt:ld4 29.e51"i'.c2t 30.c;t>bI 1"i'.d2 similar.
23.j,xg7 <;t,xg7 24.j,xe6 fxe6! 25.ti:le2 (25J::1d4 An otherwise harmless position for Black
~f8) 25 ... ~f8 26.f4 g5 27.g3 gxf4 28.gxf4 has changed drastically with the inclusion of
<j;,f700 is merely unclear. the move 23.f3!. After the forced 26 ... ti:lxe4
27.fxe4 the threat is 28.eS, and Black can avert
it only at the cost of allowing the enemy rook
8
to the 7th rank.
7
6 24J'~d6!?
White has several alternatives, but it seems
5 he cannot prevent Black from freeing himself.
4
24.f4?! j,xf6 25.exf6 b5+ is better for Black.
3
2 24.g4 j,xf6 (24 ... gS!?~ with the idea of ... ti:lg6
looks possible too) 25.exf6 ~e8 00 is also a rock
1
solid position for the second player, and in fact
a b c d e f g h White's kingside pawns may turn out to be
23 ... ti:lf'S! vulnerable.
A strong move, found after a deep analysis
of the position. Black removes his knight 24.ti:la4 is answered solidly with: 24 ... ti:lcd7!
from capture so as to render the ... b5 move 25.j,xg7 <j;,xg7 26.e6 fxe6 27.j,xe6 ti:lf6=
stronger, and might deploy it to d7 (or even
g6) according to circumstance. Other moves 24.ti:le4 ti:lxe4 25.fxe4 j,xf6 26.exf6 ~e8~
fail to equalize:
Finally, 24.j,xg7 <;t,xg7~ is also great for Black,
23 .. ,j,xf6?! 24.exf6 ~d8 25.~xdSt ti:lxd8 who is planning ... gs.
26.ti:le4 ti:lxe4 27.fxe4± is one line where the
point of 23.f3! is shown. 8
7
23 ... bS?! 24.j,xe6 j,xf6 (24 ... fxe6 25.j,xg7
<j;,xg7 26.~d6 ~c8 27 <j;,d2 <j;,f7 28.ti:le2±) 6
25.exf6 fxe6 (25 ... ti:lxe6 26.~d6 ~c8 27.ti:le4±)
5
26.ti:le4!±
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
24...gS!
A strong and flexible idea: the knight from
f8 is destined to join the pressure against e5
viag6.
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 4 - l 2.l"i:d6!? 73
25.ixg? C2) I4J~d4 ltJg7

I also looked at: 25.lt::ie4 4Jxe4 26.fxe4 l"i:e8
27.a4 ixf6 28.l"i:xf6 l"i:e7 29.l"i:f5 h6=
25 ... @xg? 26J:U6 ltJfe6

Black looks fine, and I cannot see any
problem after the following continuation:
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
The displaced h5-knight needs no special
invitation for this, especially since the rook on
d4 and bishop on g5 now makes the e6-square
extremely appealing.
27.he6!? This is obligatory.

27.lt::ie4 4Jxe4 28.fxe4 l"i:e8 29.i;t>d2 l"i:e7
30.ixe6 l"i:xe6 15.lt::if4 ic5 16.l"i:ddl ixf2+ is better for Black,
as White has lost the extra pawn and acquired
a weak one on e4.
I5 ... gxd8 I6.hd8
a b c d e f g h
3 l.l"i:f5 (3 l.l"i:xe6 fxe6 32. i;t>c3 <;t>g6 33.g4
h5 34.h3 hxg4 35.hxg4 i;t>f7 36.b4 axb4t
37 i;t>xb4 b6 38.a4 i;t>es 39.a5 bxa5t 4o.i;t>xa5
i;t>d8=) 31...g4= (or 31...h6=)
27... fxe6 28.ltJa4 ltJd3t 29.@d2 ltJxeS a b c d e f g h

30J1ixe6 gdst 3I.@c3 gd3t 32.@c2 ge3 I6...i.h3!?
33.@dl @f734.gd6 gd3t 35.gxd3 ltJxd3=
An extra possibility awarded to Black,

arising from White's reluctance to go for an
immediate 14.l"MS.
Also possible is: 16 ... ie6 l 7.if6 ixc4= Black

has an improved version of the lines with
14.:!'MS.
17.igS
l 7.gxh3? ;gxd8+ is certainly not good for
White.
17.if6
White keeps the bishop away from possible
harassment by ... ltJe6.
17 ... ixg2 18.;gdl
18.;ggl ih3 l 9.itJf4 ic8 20.;gdl is fine for
Black afrer either 20 ... ltJe6= or 20 ... ltJc5=.
~
7
~.i~·
8.11).,~ ,,~ ~~
m,~ "'~ ··"·'
8
7
6
s
11).r. w~.-~
~~~~~-"
~·-
~~
~w ~~~~~~
~·-·
%~"'""~
:
3
~
~ ,,%~~~~~
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~~,~,~~~
~~~!~!....
~~r"'
... ·""' ,,J'..... ~~-%
~ ~j,~ 1£5
4 ~(~~~~~~
~ltJ~ ~
2
,,,%~'-""'"~,,,
3~
2 ,,,,%~,-,,,,%~ ,
~" ·d".....,~ w~r"' w~r"'
~ ~ ~j,f~.i.1£5
21...ltJc5!
a b c d e f g h
Sensible and best, removing the precious

a b c d e f g h
d3-knight.
18 ... ltJc5 19.e5 ltJge6 20.ltJxc5 ltJxc5 a) 21.. .ic8 looks like a rational human
Black just needs ... a5 to complete his move to me, yet there could be some
consolidation. difficulties after: 22.Q;>c2 (22.b4 ltJe6 23.e5
21.b4 ;gdg 24.ltJe4 ltJd4+±) 22 ... f5 23.b4±
21.;gd4 ih3 22.ltJe4 ltJxe4 23.;gxe4 if5= b) 21...ltJeG is possible according to the
21.ig4 h5! 22.ixh5 ih6t 23.Q;>bl ie4t! engines, but I am terribly worried about
24.iial ic2 25.;ggl itJd?+ the bishop on h3. Play might go on 22.ie3
2 l...ltJe6 22.a3 ;gdg 23.itJf2 ;gxdl t 24.Q;>xdl ig2, when I
22.c5 can be undermined by 22 ... b6. cannot guarantee the future of this bishop.
22 ... a5 23.c5 axb4 24.axb4 ;gal t= 22.ltJxc5 bxc5 00
With equality. It seems to me that control of d4 (the g7
knight is on its way to e6), coupled with the
l 7.ih4!? ixg2 18.;gdl possibility of .. .f5, should give Black good
Intending itJf4. counterplay. After all, White's kingside pawn
Chapter 4 - 12.:1:i:d6!? 75
structure is loose and Black will easily find 19 ...i.e6 20.b3

targets to attack there. After 20.'llf4 one way to play for Black is:
20 ... i.c5! 2 l.i.xc5 'llxc5 22.b4 'lld7 23.E'.dl
lu ~~-,,~•,
'lle5 24.c5 g5!? 25.'lld3 f6=
7~
s,i~
6 ·- :u ~./.,;~
-··
~~ ~
5 ~ . , . , . , , ', ~
4
3 ~m~~ ~~.t
- -~
~~,~,,,,,;~ ~~,~~~'c0,
8f[!j -~f[!j8f~
2
1 ,,,,,,,f0,0 i ~W"""W""
~ ~
a b c d e f g h
17 ...i.xg2 18.l:~gl!
18.E'.dl 'llc5 19.f3 'llge6 20.i.e3 'llxd3t
a b c d e f g h
21.E'.xd3 i.g7+ is perhaps even slightly better 20 ... f5!
for Black, who wishes to plant his bishop Counterattacking in the sector where Black
on e5. (21...'llc5 22.E'.dl a5+± is quite good is superior.
also.)
20 ... b6
18 ...i.h3 Black concentrates on the c5-square, an
important defensive point in his camp.
In addition, the rook is now freed from
defending a7 However, I do not like chis
move so much because it weakens c6.
a b c d e f g h
19.i.e3! a b c d e f g h
Only by preventing ... 'llc5 can White set his
21 lt>b2
opponent some problems.
2 l.'lle5?! neglects c5, and after 2 l...E'.c8 I
19.'llf4 i.d7 20.E'.dl 'lle6 21.'llxe6 (21.E'.xd7 cannot see any particular point to it.
'llxg5) 2 l...i.xe6+± is excellent for Black. 2 l.c5!? 'llxc5 22.'llxc5 bxc5 23.E'.dl E'.e8
24.lua4 c4 25.bxc4 ih3 26.if3 f5 27.exf5 Conclusion

luxf5 28.ic5 ixc5 29.luxc5 lue7 leaves
White with the more active pieces but This chapter concluded our discussion of
also more pawn islands, so the position is the Exchange Variation proper, dealing with
approximately balanced. 12.~d6, when I have recommended 12 ... luh5,
21...lub4 22.lue5 to try and keep the game as imbalanced as
22.luf4 ~d8 23.a3 lua6 24.b4t possible. As with the previous chapters in this
22 ... f6 23.luf3t section, complicated positions arise where
White has a firm initiative. Black should seek, besides recovering his
pawn, to use the dark squares (c5 in particular)
21.eS to generate pressure against the white position.
White does not do any better with: Normally the pawn will be recovered, as either
21.f3 id6!? e4 or c4 will fall, leading to structures that are
21...fxe4 22.fxe4 id6 23.h4 lub4 24.luxb4 approximately balanced but not completely
(24.luf4 ~f8= or 24.luc5 ie5 25.@b2 b6 drawish.
26.luxe6 luxe6=) 24 ...ixb4 25.~c2 ~f7t As White might be able to get the bishop
White has a tiny plus. pair during the process, it is important that
22.e5 Black players master the technique of creating
Neither 22.h4 lub4!= nor 22.luf4 ~f8!µ strong points and exchanging the right pieces
gives White any advantage. to compensate for it. I believe that the many
22 ... ie? lines I have presented give Black a concrete
This is similar to the main line. idea of how to battle White's strategies in every
situation and, considering the dry na,ture of
the line, keep a reasonable amount of winning
chances. However, one should not expect
miracles here, but rather be patient and hope
for the best by simply playing sound moves.
22.i>b2 .if7 23.a3 ~e6

With a fully playable position.
Classical Variation
a b c d e f g h
8.dxe5
Variation Index
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6 ..ie2 e5 7.0-0 ~c6 8.dxe5
8... dxe5
A) 9.ffxd8 78
B) 9 ..ie3 .ig4! 10.h3 .ixf3 11..ixf3 ~d4 12.~hS!? ~e6!? 79
Bl) 13.ffxd8 81
B2) 13.ffh3 82
C) 9 ..igS! ffxdl lOJ;fxdl h6! 11 •.ie3 83
Cl) 11 ... b6 85
C2) 11 ... ©h7!? 86
C21) 12.~d2 86
C22) 12.h3 88
B) note to 12.ltib5!? B2) after l 5.ltic3 C22) note to 13.ltid5

78 Classical Variation
1.d4 ltJf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltJc3 ig7 4.e4 d6 5.ltJf3 Chekhov's peculiar 11.idl!±, with the idea of
0-0 6.ie2 e5 7.0-0 ltJc6 8.dxe5 ia4, seems to pose problems for the second
player), as White has nothing better than
m•••
11.l"\fd 1 The only difference is that an extra
8
7 ~•w~
~~j}~~;,/;ijt
6 ,,,,,/,~
~~,ff~
41)- ~--,~~
move has been played by each side.
I0.h3 ltJc6
~.!at.~~
I also like 10 .. .llle6!? 11.tllxe5 tllxe4
5
12.tllxg6 fxg6 13.tllxe4 t2:lf4 with powerful
4 compensation for Black.
3 ~ ~~~
~~-~----,;~ ~~-%~~-c0, 11.ie3 b6
2 bf~ ~~f~bfl§
1 ~,,,,/,ffll&!~'"
a b c d e f g h
I have named this line the Delayed Exchange
Variation. It has not been very popular in
tournament practice, but it does have some
obvious merits. White is fighting for a slight
pull by utilizing the fact that compared to the
Exchange Variation, our knight stands on c6,
thus preventing us from controlling d5 with
a pawn. Also, he is already castled, enabling
his king's rook to quickly join the fight for the
central files. The obvious downside is that the a b c d e f g h
white king is far from the action, and I think 12.id3!?N
this, along with the usual weakness of the Intending tlld5.
d4-square, should be enough for us to claim
equality. 12.c5?! ib7 13.l"\acl l"\ad8= led to rather easy
equality for Black in Timoshenko - Nyzhnyk,
8 ... dxe5 Mamaia 2012.
I don't like the alternative capture 8 .. .lllxe5,
as I cannot see a concrete point to it, so I 12 ... ltJb4 13.ihl ih7 14.a3
am going to concentrate on the text. Both 14.t2:ld5 tllbxd5 15.cxd5 c6+±
A) 9.rfxd8 and B) 9.ie3 are harmless or (at
best) transpose to the main line of C) 9.ig5!. 14 ... ltJc6 15.ic2
15.l"\dl tlla5 16.tlld2 tllc6! 17.tlld5 tllxd5
A) 9.rfxd8 ltJxdS!? 18.cxd5 tlld4 19.ixd4 exd4 20.id3 f5!+±
seems at least equal for Black.
This is an interesting extra possibility.
15.tlld5 tllxd5 l 6.cxd5 tlld4 17.tllxd4 exd4
9 ... l"\xd8 transposes into variation C after 18.if4 is similarly met with:
10.ig5 l"\f8! (superior to 10 ... 2"1d7, as then
Chapter 5 - 8.dxe5 79
~/~~,~~i~i
possible, and offer his king's pawn the required
8 protection. There is probably nothing better.
,,%.,,,,%.
, % ~~.,,~~
:
6
7 ~j_f~ ·~·
~ ~
10 ...ixB 11.i.xB ~d4
~~-~~-~7~~
This should be considered as the critical
~~~!,·~i~~ ~
position for the evaluation of 9.~e3. White
3 has the following choice:
2 , ,;,~~~ ~~,~
~,~~-,~
a b c d e f g h
18 ... fS! 19.~xc? fxe4 20.~xe4 l"lf7 2 l.~g3
l"ld8 22.l"lacl ~xd5 23.~d3 ~h6= Although it
is equal, this is actually a Carlsen-like position
where White may try to squeeze something
our of nothing, and is the reason 10 .. .ltle6!?
might be preferred by some players.
I5 ... ~a5 I6.b3
l 2.lbd5?! is a shot into empty space, as the

knight will be expelled after the accurate
i~-~
12 ... lt)d?!. For example: 13.l"lcl c6 14.lt)b4
lt)c5 15.~xd4 Wi'xd4! 16.Wi'c2
8 i.8 ~
7
11.8 -·~·
6 ••• -·~
~ ~
5
~3/JJj~ ;ii:~ ~~
~.
B) 9.ie3 ig4!
Control over the important d4-square is all

~,~,.-,i,
4
,,
l ~/,,)~~-,,
,,/, ~
a b c d e f g h
that matters in the position.
16 ... lt)e6! 17.~g4 lt)g5! 18.l"lfel h5! 19.~dl?
10.h3 (19.h4N hxg4 20.hxg5 g3i is also depressing
White wishes to clarify matters as quickly as for White, but had to be tried) 19 ... a5
20.llld3 !"i:adS (20 ... !"i:fdSN+ is equally good)

21.ie2 lZlxe4 22.!"i:cdl lZld6 23.tZlcl 't'/lia7 8 ~m ~ ~~•
::;f'ff!,r/,,,,%~m "ivf~
24.id3 Schuster - Taimanov, Oberhausen 7
6 ,,,,,%.,,,,%~ ~,,-,~~
A%A::'A%
&
~AWA
,.t.•.
!••••
1961, and now Black has a choice of routes to
a clear advantage:
5
:.~.i %m/,,,,,,mtm/j
4 ••
3 ~
3 ofa
ftf 'aim,,
2
I
a b c d e f g h
12.. .llle6!?
The principled response. Black wants to
a b c d e f g h evict the b5-knight and keep d4 all for himself,
without conceding anything in return.
24 ... b6!?N (24 ... b5N+ is also strong) 25.c5
bxc5 26.lZlb3 e4 27.ixe4 c4 28.llld2 't'/lid4
12 ... c5 13.lZlc3! 't'/lib6 14.b3 !"i:adS l 5.lZld5
29.b3 c3 30.lZlc4 't'/lic5+
lZlxd5 l 6.cxd5 't'/lid600 is close to equal, although
a considerable amount of play remains.
l 2.ixd4 has been another unsuccessful
attempt by White to equalize. After 12 ... exd4
White can now play BI) 13.WfxdS or
13.lZle2 I prefer:
i~•
B2) 13.'1Wb3.
s E~ ~
,~ a Wt'{ -"~ iY,W~ a
I also looked at: 13.'t'/lic2 c6 14.!"i:fdl 't'/lie7
7
6
a%AfA%
~~~~',,,~
/ ~ - -"~
.AWA
"'•~r~ 15.lZld6 lZld4! 16.ixd4 exd4 17.c5
5~~~
4
3
2
~w-08
~b~b--~-b
b~~ -ctJ~b~
~ ~
~
~
a
~w•t~
b c d e f g h
13 ... !"i:eS!N (Instead, 13 ... c5!? 14.lZlf4 lZld7!

l 5.ig4 lZle5 16.lZld3 !"i:eS l 7.lZlxe5 !"i:xe5
18.'t'/lid3 't'/lie7 19.if3 !"i:e8 20.a3 b6 21.b4 't'/lie6 a b c d e f g h
22.!"i:ab 1+ gave White more reason to hope in
17 ... tZleS! 18.lZlxeS !"i:fxeS l 9.!"i:d3 a5+ With
Thieme - Peetoom, corr. 2006.) l 4.e5 !"i:xe5
the easier game for Black.
15.'t'/lixd4 lZle4 16.!"i:adl 't'/lie7 17.lZlf4 c6 18.g3
a5+ Black's powerful g7-bishop gives him the
edge.
Bl) 13.WlxdS gfxd8 14,gfdl An interesting practical choice, but I am not

sure this is the most accurate.
14.lilxa?? is met by 14 ... c6+.
~.~~,a,
17.a4!? may in fact be better: 17 ... l"ld2!
7 ~ ,,3~rJ'J~ ~~
6 6 r~ ~'l!ll'Y, ~
~ % ,,,/,
!a!1~{~,•~~
5 ~~~-,,;~
5
4 4
3
~ ~rf!1i.•~~fi!i
1 rd_/,___ V, _ _ _ /,~
1 a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 18.lilxc?!? (18.a5 bxa5 19.l"lxa5 l"i:xb2 20.l"i:a6
c;t;,g7+ looks preferable for Black) 18 ... lilxc?
14...i.fS!?
19.ixb6 l2:la6 20.l"i:bl l"i:c2! 21.a5 l2:lb4!+ This
Equality arises after: 14 ... a6 15.lilc3 l2:ld4
is another version of the sacrifice, with the
16.lild5 c6 17.lilb6 l"i:ab8 18.l"i:xd4! exd4
black rook placed behind the pawns. That may
19.if4 l"i:a8 20.l2:lxa8 l"i:xa8 21.l"ldl lild7=
not be to Black's advantage though, and with
15,gxdS gxd8 16.i.xa?! accurate play White should hold.
Black is better in case of: 16.lilxa??! c6 17.b4
l"i:a8 18.l"i:b 1 c5+ 17.a3 l"i:a8 18.a4 ib4+ is a small edge for
Black.
17... ltixc? 18.i.xb6 gcs

Black keeps all the chances, for example:
8
7
6
2
1
a b c d e f g h
17.ltixc7 19.a4?!
19. b3+ is more solid, but White will suffer

no matter what.
19 ... ftld7 20.J.e3
14... c6!
Of course! Black should not deviate from his
standard dark-square strategy.
a b c d e f g h
After l 4 ... c5 l 5.'1Wa3! the position is less clear.
20 .. J~b8!
20 ... l2h6 21.ig4 El:c7 22 ixd7 El: d?oo · l 15.ftlc3
clear. . x is ess
l 5.ltJd6 b6+ leaves the knight exposed in
enemy territory. (l 5... 4Jd4!? 16.ixd4 exd4
21.aS ltla6+ 17.e5 Wxe5 18.4Jxb7 Wc7 19.ltJc5 4Jd7
The blockade gives Black excellent winning 20.4Jxd7 Wxd?+ is also promising for Black
chances in the long run. al.though the f3-bishop has become a good
piece.)
B2) 13.VNb3
13...VNe7 14.l:Udl
some material by taking on f6, followed by a

knight jump to d5.
9 ...'*1xdl
This has been the main move in practice and
the focus of my own analysis.
However, when preparing the manuscript for

this book, I noticed the following interesting
idea:
a b c d e f g h 9 .. .t2:ld4!? 10.lllxeS
20 ... hS! 21.a3 ~e7 22.l:%xd8 l'!xd8 23.l'!dl
h4+± Black also had good chances in Hajek -
Skuja, Pardubice 2001
16.llle2 b6 17.'*1a4 '*1c7

17 ... Wb7!? also looks possible, and could be
a more harmonious deployment of the queen.
18.a3 i.f8 19.b4 @g7

Black has fine chances.
Another typical idea is 19 ... hS!? 20.°1Wc2 a b c d e f g h
~h7!+, intending to trade bishops via the h6-
square, accentuating White's weakness on the 10 ... 4:le6!
dark squares. This has been played twice by the Dutch
GM Robin van Kampen.
C) 9.i.g5! 11.~h4 Wxdl 12.l'!axdl 4:lxe4 13.4:lxe4 ~xe5
14.~e7! 4:ld4! 15.~d3
15.l'!fel l'!e8 16.4:lf6t ~xf6 17.~xf6 l'!xe2
18.~xd4 l'!xel t 19.l'!xel ~e6=
The most pressing move; White is

threatening to exchange queens and then win
ig7 21.:l'!xe8t ixe8 22.lt:ie?t <j;ihs 23.lt:ic8 The bishop has to retreat chis way, observing
:l'!c7 24.lt:id6 if7= was also level in S. Ernst both the queenside and the pawn on h6.
- Van Kampen, Amsterdam 2014.
17 ... lt:ie6 18.ih6 ig7 19.ixg7 r;t,xg7 20.:l'!fel 11.ih4 poses Black no problems at all, due to:
c6 21.g3 11...ie6 12.4Jd5 g5! 13.ig3 4Jxe4 14.4Jxc7
AB in E. L:Ami - Van Kampen, Reykjavik :l'!ad8 15.4Jxe6 fxe6+
2014, when most accurate appears to be:
There are two interesting possibilities for us
here: Cl) 11 ...b6 and C2) 11 ... @h7!?
11...ig4
This should lead to equality as well, even if it
is not the most harmonious way.
12.h3!
12.:l'!d3?! 4Jxe4! 13.4Jxe4 f5 14.4Jc5 e4
15.:l'!b3 exf3 16.gxf3 f4 17.fxg4 fxe3 18.fxe3
:l'!ae8 may even be a little better for Black.
12.:l'!d2 :l'!fd8 13.:l'!adl :l'!xd2 14.:l'!xd2 4Je8!?
a b c d e f g h 15.b3 ixf3 16.ixf3 lt:id4 17.idl Pesonen -
Preziuso, corr. 2006, looks about equal after
21...id?!?N 22.ifl :l'!e8 23.f4 :l'!fe7=
the simple 17 ... :l'!d8N 18.r;t,fl c6 l 9.4Je2 g5,
With a fine position for Black, offering him
intending ... 4Jc7
complete equality.
12 ...ixf3 13.ixf3 :l'!fd8 14.4Jb5
14.lt:id5 4Je8=
10JUxdl
14 ... 4Je8 15.:l'!xd8 :l'!xd8 16.4Jxa7
Black survives with the following accurate
sequence:
a b c d e f g h
16 ... lt:ib4! 17.4Jb5 4Jc2 18.:l'!dl :l'!xdlt
19.ixdl 4Jxe3 20.fxe3 if8 21.a3 ie7 22.<j;if2
<j;ifg 23.lt:ic3 c5 24.<j;if3 lt:if6
The presence of opposite-coloured bishops
allowed Black to hold the draw in Flatz -
11.i.e3 Flitsch, corr. 2011
Cl) 11 ... b6
8 ~~~-J~~ ~,.·:/
7
6
~.i..t~ ,<•.•
,Z~~~ ~ · -~~
~~_-,,,/~~-c,?-,,;~ ,,
~~~ t~ ~
5
4 ,<. ""'".i(l?:. ,<~
~~~~-~-~
~~
3 ~!9)'~---~ ~~-%
2 ~rt)
~,,,Z~ :a:nffl~~
~
~
a b c d e f g h
15 ... lZ'id4 16.lZ'ixd4 exd4 17.ixd4 lZ'ixe4

18.ixg7 <.1?xg7 19.lZ'ixe4 ixe4
This is just a tiny edge for White, which
Black should be able to neutralize in due
An important alternative, with the following course.
options for White:
12 ...i.b? I3.i.d3 cj;,h7! I4.c5
I2J~acl 14.lZ'id5 2"1ac8= reveals the idea of 13 ... Wh7!,
Designed to facilitate the transfer of the as now both c7 and h6 are safely defended.
bishop to d3, and then jump with the knight
to d5. I4 .. J:fad8 I5.h3
15.lZ'id5? lZ'ixd5 16.exd5 lZ'ib4!+
An immediate 12.lZ'id5 drops a central pawn
to 12 ... lZ'ixe4, and after 13.lZ'ixc7 2"1b8+± Black
is at least equal.
l 2.id3 fails to achieve anything due to

12 ... lZ'ib4 13.ibl Now the rook on al feels
clumsy; this is the situation 12.2"\acl wishes
to avoid. 13 ... ig4 14.lZ'id5 2"\fd8+± Black is at
least equal again.
12.c5!? ib7 13.h3

13.2"\acl 2"\fd8=
l 3 ... 2"1fd8
13 ... lZ'ib4 14.2"\acl 2"\fd8 15.a3 2"\xdl t a b c d e f g h
16.2"\xdl lZ'ic2 17.icl lZ'ixe4 18.lZ'ixe4 ixe4 15 ... cj;,g8!?
l 9.2"1d7~ is also approximately balanced Apparently odd, but now White cannot
after l 9 ... g5!. jump to d5 anymore, so the king has completed
14.ib5 bxc5 15.ixc5 its mission and returns to base.
15.ixc6 ixc6 16.lt:'ixe5 ixe4 17.ixc5 ib7
18.2"1xd8t 2"1xd8 19.ixa7 lZ'ie4+± I6.a3 ~Ue8 I7.ltlb5 ge7 I8.i.c2 ged7
19,gxd7 gxd7 20.b4
s E~.i.~ ~~
6 ,%·'I)·
~~
~.-,"~
7 , , . ~. ,(,~·
~:1rn~- --~ -
5 ~:1)'" t.l ~
~W}
4 f~8·8· ~
~ ~~~
3
2 !-.//,
~~
----~
;~ !W[f ~W/!j
~ . Jw;,j
~ ~~- ~
a b c d e f g h
12 ... 4Jxb4!N (Instead, 12 ... ie6 13.2':lacl
a b c d e f g h occurred in Gavasheli - Szczepkowska,
20 ... a6 2I.t2Jc3 b5 22.@fl :Sd8 23.g3 i.cS Tbilisi 2011, and now 13 .. .2':lfd8N 14.b5
24.@g2 i.e6= l"lxdlt 15.ixdl 4Ja5 16.'lld5 l"ld8! 17.4Jxc7
Black had solved his opening problems [17.ixa7? 'llxe4+] 17 ... ixc4 18.b6! axb6
in a splendid manner and went on to draw 19.ixb6 4Jc6 20.4Jd5 ixd5! 21.ixd8 4Jxe4
comfortably in Hirr - Beckmann, corr. 2007 22.ic7 ixa2 23.ic2 id5± would have
reduced White's advantage to a minimum.)
C2) 1I...@h7!? 13.ic5 4Jc6 14.ixf8 ixf8~ Black looks at
least equal, with a pawn and the bishop pair in
return for the exchange.
12.4Jel was played in Barbosa - Martins,

Natal 2011, bur after 12 ... ie6N 13.4Jc2 l"lfd8
14.4Jd5 4Je8= there is nothing for Black to
worry about, especially as the idea of ... 4Jd4 is
already on the cards.
C21) 12.:Sd2
The sharp 12.b4!? should be answered by·

Chapter 5 - 8.dxeS 87
Another logical move. 18 ... a4!

18 ... cj;ig8!? intending ...if8 is also possible,
I2 ...i.e6 I3J1Iad1 ltig4! I4.i.c5 l:Uc8 with one line being: 19.g4 (19.c5 lt:Jb4?)
I researched this position extensively, 19 ... if8 20.ixf8 i;t>xf8 21.g5 hxg5 22.lt:Jxg5
concluding that White's initiative is temporary. ~d8 23.lt:Jd5 tZ:ie8 24.~d3 ic8 25.a3 ~d6
For example: 26.b4 axb4 27.axb4 f6 28.c5 bxc5 29.bxc5
~d8 30.lt:Jxf6 ~xd3 31.lt:Jfh?t cj;ie7 32.~xd3
~al 33.~f3 ia6 34.m7t i;t>ds 35.lt:Je6t
8
cj;ic8 36.i;t>h2 ~xfl 37.~f8 cj;id7 38.m7t!=
7 19.b4 if8 20.c5 bxc5 21.b5 lt:Jb4 22.tZ:ixe5
6 id6!
This leads to a lively struggle. White probably
5 has to play in the following maner:
4 23.lt:Jc4
23.~xd6 cxd6 24.~xd6 tZ:lxa2 25.lt:Jxa2 tZ:ixe4
3
26.~xe6 fxe6 27.b6 ~cb8 is totally unclear.
2
1
a b c d e f g h
I5.h3
15.b3 b6 16.ia3 tZ:if6 17.h3
l 7.id3?! is well met by l 7 ... ig4!.
17 ... a5
We arrive at a position where ... a4 can be a
useful lever for Black's counterplay.
18.ifl a b c d e f g h
Weaker is instead: l 8.id3?! lt:Jd7?
18.ib2 seems natural to remove the bishop 23 ... if4! 24.~b2 ~d8 25.~bbl ~xdl 26.~xdl
from possible attacks along the a-file. Black cj;ig7 27.g3 ixc4 28.ixc4 ie5=
should still go for 18 ... a4!?, obtaining a fine This is perfectly okay for the second player.
position after: 19.bxa4 ~a5 (19 ... lt:Je8!?)
20.ifl tZ:ie8?
a b c d e f g h
15 ... b6! 18 ...i.f'S!

The point of Black's play, driving the bishop 18 ... Ct'le8?! 19.Ct'ld5 ixd5 20.cxd5 Ct'lb4
to a3. 21.b3 Ct'ld6 22.l"le2 c5 23.dxc6 l"lxc6 24.ib2
f6 25.a3 Ct'la6 26.h4! gives White an initiative.
16.i.a3
16.hxg4?! bxc5 17.g5 Ct'ld4 is better for 19.Lf'S gxf"S 20.b3 @g7 21.@g2 gac8
Black. 22.@g3 ggs 23.a3 g5+±
Black looks at least equal to me, as he may
16 .. .c!llf6 17.i.fl manoeuvre a knight to f4, or even play ... h5
17 .b3 a5 18.ifl transposes to a position that
according to circumstance.
was examined in the note to White's 15th move.
C22) 12.h3
12 ...i.e6
Alternatively, 18.c5?! Ct'lb4! 19.cxb6 cxb6
Black has completed his development
20.Ct'lxe5 Ct'lxe4 21.Ct'lxe4 ixe5+ is even worse,
harmoniously and comfortably. White
surrendering the initiative to Black.
develops a slight initiative in the next few
moves, but I am confident it can be easily
contained.
13.~dS
13.g4!?
This hyper-optimistic try can be well met as
follows:
13 .. J'.'i:fdS! 14.g5
14.Wg2! Ct'le8= is a safer move order for
White.
14 ... Ct'le8 15.Wg2
Chapter 5 - 8.dxeS 89
8
!~~J~a,w~-
7 A%AJA% ~-~YB'
6 .. z-~ni~l{i~.
~-~
! ~n!Jfn~~~
,<~ ~-'0
~ m ~lZ'ln b
0
3
2 rr1:--n1~:~
~Znl--Z~
a b c d e f g h
15 ... lt:ld4!
15 .. .f6!? 16.h4!? (16.gxf6 lt:Jxf6 00 ) 16 ... fxg5
17.hxg5h518.lt:ld5±
16.gxh6 lt:lxf3 l 7.E!:xd8 E!:xd8 18.hxg7 lt:ld4
With a complicated ending that seems to be
dynamically balanced.
13 ... lt:lxe4?! 14.lt:lxc7 E!:ad8 15.lt:lxe6 fxe6
13.b4, as played in Weetik - Korotylev, 16.~d3 lt:lf6 l 7.~c2± is just better for White.
Voronezh 2008, is strongly answered with:
8 1.~ i~
-~~?~~ -"~/~
n 14.i.d3
White has also achieved something: thanks
: ~1:nf1TI
~~ ~~-if-~·-···
to the move h2-h3 he can now deploy his
bishop to d3, defending the structure.
! ~~!Jfn~n
z zm ,;~~nb
14 .. J"ffdS 15Jfacl!
After l 5.g4 lt:ld7 the position is unclear. For
3
2 !n',. n~~,~ example, 16.E!:acl (16.c5?! f5!+) 16 ... lt:ld4 and
Black is ready to evict the knight from d5.
~~Mn'
a b c d e f g h
13 ... lt:lxb4!N (also possible is 13 ... Ei:fd8!?N
14.a3 [14.b5 lt:la5 15.lt:ld2 c6?] 14 ... lt:lh5?)
l 4.~c5 lt:la6 l 5.~xf8 E!:xf8~ Black has fantastic
compensation for the exchange.
Finally, 13.Ei:d2!? E!:fd8 14.E!:adl E!:xd2 15.E!:xd2

~f8 16.a3 (16.c5 a5 will most likely transpose)
16 ... a5 17.c5 lt:ld7 18.~b5 mg? 19.Ei:dl f6
20.lt:ld5 E!:c8 21.b4 lt:lcb8 22.~c4 mf7= is also
approximately even.
I5 .. .llld7!? Exploiting the fact that White's control over

The engines are sceptical initially, but I think d5 has been significantly reduced after the
this move is best. c4-c5 push.
The alternative 15 .. .llle8 16.g4!? (16.c5? f5+)

8
16 .. .lt:id4 17.i.xd4!? exd4 18.lLlf4 id? 19.c5
i.c6 is slightly better for White after 20.l'l:e I 7
lt::lf6 21.lt::le5t, due to his space advantage and 6
the dead point on d4.
5
I6.i.c2!? 4
Having omitted g2-g4, White has gained an
3
important tempo to control d4. Also, the idea
of ia4 starts to play a role here. 2
1
Weaker are 16.g4 lt::ld4+ or 16.b4 lt::ld4+, and
the same applies to 16.c5 f5+. a b c d e f g h
16...i.ffi!
16.i.bl Obviously Black should fight for the dark
This leads to a worse version of the positions squares.
arising after 16.i.c2!? 16 ... lt::lf8!? is another intriguing possibility,
16 ... a5 17.a3 but I believe more in the text.
l 7.g4 i.f8 l 8.c5 lt::lcb8!=
I7.i.a4
The main point of retreating the bishop
to c2.
17.a3 a5! 18.i.a4 mg?

White has the following options:
19.l'l:d2
Preparing to double rooks on the cl-file looks
like the most pressing idea.
a) 19.c5f5! 00
a b c d e f g h b) 19.b4 axb4 20.i.xc6 (20.axb4 lt::lcb8
21.i.d2 c6 22.lt::le3 f6 23.l'l:bl lt::la6=)
l 7 ... i.f8! l 8.c5 ig7!
20 ... bxc6 21.lt::lxb4 i.xb4 22.axb4 f6=
Instead, l 8 ... lt::lcb8 l 9.b4 axb4 20.axb4 c6
c) 19.g4!? f6!= or 19 .. .f5!? 20.gxf5 gxf5
21.lt::lc3 lt::la6 22.i.a2! i.xa2 23.lt::lxa2 i.e7 21.exf5 ixf5 22.mh2 cj;,f700
(23 .. .';:t>g? 24.lt::ld2t) 24.lt::ld2 l'l:a8 25.lt::lc4 In all three cases Black gets excellent
lt::laxc5 26.bxc5 l'l:xa2 27.l'l:bl l'l:c2 28.l'l:xb?
counterplay and chances to play for a win.
lt::lxc5 29.l"i:xd8 lt::lxb7 30.l'l:d7 l'l:xc4 31.l'l:xb?
l 9 ... lt::lcb8
i.f8 32.l'l:xf7t ~g8 33.l'l:c? l'l:xe4 is also
The more solid option.
equal, as White's edge is nominal
The sharp 19 ... f5 also offers Black good
19.g4 lt::lf6!= chances.
20.l'kdl f6 2l.g4
21.h4 f7! 22.h5 g5 23.l2Jh2 l2Jc6! and the
knight is heading for d4.
a b c d e f g h
l 9 ... l2Je7
Black retreats his knight to e7 all the same,
a b c d e f g h equalizing.
20.ib3 c6 21.t2Jc3 l2Jg8=
21...l"i:e8! The position is complicated, with chances
With a pleasant position for Black. for both sides.
l 7 ... @g7 18 ... f6 19.c5 t2Jdb8 20.@h2!

Bringing the king closer to the theatre of 20.l2Jh4 l2Je7 21.ib3 l2Jxd5 22.exd5 if7
action and controlling f6. It seems to me that 23.ic4 l2Ja6 24.c6 b5 25.ixb5 t2Jb4+
White has no advantage here, an assessment
based on the following analysis:
a b c d e f g h
20 ...~f7!
20 ... f7 21.l2Jh4!?oo
18.g4
The alternative is a slow build-up on the Black is ready to challenge the d5-knight by
queenside: ... l2Je7, and looks at least equal no matter what
18.a3 f6 19.b4 White plays.
Trying to create space without weakening
the d5-square. 21.@g3
19.c5 l2Jdb8! 20.b4 l2Je7 21.l2Jc3 l2Jbc6= Weaker is: 21.l2Jh4?! l2Jd4!+
21.h4 tries to exploit the bishop's retreat, as 25 ..txf7

now the g4-pawn is not hanging: 21...llle? Acquiescing to the draw.
22.t2lc3 t2lbc6= Now that the e5-pawn is firmly
defended, g4-g5 is not dangerous anymore. White is actually worse after: 25.a3? :!ixd5
26.:!'!xd5 (26.exd5 l2le7+) 26 .. Jhd5 27.exd5
21...llle7! 22.~b3 l2le7 28.l'l:dl :!'!d8+
25.:lixc6 bxc6 26.b3 a5= is typically level.
25 ... ©xf7=
Some play remains, but the game should end
in a draw.
Conclusion
The Delayed Exchange Variation contains a

certain amount of poison for the unprepared,
but if Black knows what he is doing, he is not
worse at all. The old main line starting with
a b c d e f g h 9.ig5 'IMfxdl and 10 ...:!ig4!? is quite safe but
22 ... gS! rather drawish, so I decided to make the more
This gives Black much-needed space and complicated and relatively unexplored 10 ... h6!
stops all kinds of tactics. my recommendation. I believe that this move
is quite strong, and gives Black good chances
23.h4 to play for a win in a balanced position, so I
23.l2lxe7 :lixe7 24.:Jid5 c6 25.:Jixf7 :!'!xdl included a lot of analysis to explain the main
26.l:hdl iixf7= positional motifs behind it and give the readers
confidence to adopt it in practice.
23 .. .tihd5 24.hd5! For those who are satisfied with only a draw,
24.exd5 l2la6+ Robin van Kampen's 9.:!ig5 l2ld4!? should be
rather easy and quick to learn.
24.. .lllc6! Overall a rather pleasant chapter for Black,
Getting ready to use the e7-square again! as he is not under severe pressure and has a
There is nothing for White: choice of good continuations.
Classical Variation
s.ie3
Variation Index
1.d4 ltJf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltJc3 ~g7 4.e4 d6 5.ltJf3 0-0 6.~e2 e5 7.0-0 ltJc6 8.~e3
8 .. J~e8!?
A) 9.d5 94
B) 9.dxe5 dxe5 96
Bl) 10.c5 ~g4!? 11.~b5 ~c8!? 12.h3 ~h5!
13.~xc6 bxc6 14.~g5! ~b8! 97
Bll) 15.b3 99
B12) 15.~bl 101
B2) 10.h3 ~e6 11.c5 ltJh5!? 102
B21) 12.ltJg5 105
B22) 12.~b5 ~f8! 13.~xc6 bxc614.~a4! ~e8
15.~adl! fS! 16.~fel! f4 17.~d2! ~f6 106
B221) 18.ltJbl 109
B222) 18.ltJe2! 111
B3) 10.~xd8 ltJxd8 113
B31) 11.h3 114
B32) 1 I.ltJb5!? ltJe6 12.ltJg5 ~e7 115
B321) 13.ltJxe6 115
B322) 13.~fdl 117
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 ig7 4.e4 d6 s.~f3 a result of the d4-d5 push. However, this
0-0 6.i.e2 eS 7.0-0 ~c6 8.ie3 shouldn't amount to much if White is careful.
Overprotecting the d4-square and preparing
to play d4-d5 under the best possible
conditions. Compared to the Gligoric System,
8.~e3 has the advantage that the black knight
is already on c6, and thus ... exd4 followed
by ... l'l'.e8 does not stand any real chance of
success.
8 ~~j;}~~ ~~i
7
6 ,~, ,%.t.~ i~
'I)-ffl .t. ~ .t.
~~f,~~
~~ ~
5
4 ~.!nt.~~
!%ii
~ m ~lZ:lffl
,.
~% n/0"""%~f;; ~~
3
~ D,,,,,;•ID !If!
2
1 :-,,,,%mifarm%,,,
a b c d e f g h
8.. J~e8!?
A subtle move used by the legendary Bobby
Fischer, and also one that I have used in my
own practice. Black creates indirect pressure
against the e4-pawn. Nowadays 8 .. .lt:lg4 is
more popular, but I am still a firm believer in
the value of the text. White's two main replies
are A) 9.dS and B) 9.dxeS.
A) 9.dS
This is harmless, in view of the tactical point

revealed by Black's next move:
13 .. Jhe4
9... ~d4! With three minor pieces gone, the game is
This intrusion leaves White with nothing inching closer to a draw.
better than allowing wholesale exchanges.
Black should gain a miniscule advantage. 14.id3
Trying to force the rook back.
I0.~xd4 exd4 11.hd4 ~xe4 12.ixg7 ~xg7
The reason Black enjoys the more pleasant Instead, the rather slow 14.l'l'.cl ?! \Mi'f6 l 5.~f3
position is that his bishop is a bit better as l'l'.d4 16.\Mi'b3 b6+ is already annoying for the
Chapter 6- 8.ie3 95
first player. With his next move he made 14 ... Ei:e5!? (14 ... Ei:e8 15.Wd4t Wf6 16.Wxf6t
matters worse, suffering a crushing defeat in <;tixf6 17.id3 id7 18.Ei:fel a5 19.<;tif2 is
the following game: equal)
a b c d e f g h
17 Wa4? if5 l 8.b4 a5! l 9.a3 Ei:d3! 20.ie2
Ei:d2 21.if3 Wb2! 22.c5 Ei:xf2 23.Wc6 Ei:xf3!
24.Wxa8 Ei:e3 25.Wd8 Ei:e2 26.Wg5 h6 27 Wg3
ie4 0-1 Ilivitzki - Suetin, Kiev 1954. An
accurate handling of the initiative by Black!
14.Wc2!? Ei:e8
s
7 ~,-,,,,,/,mr-,
,,,,/,- , /,~
~~.tB ~
~~
,
:~.,,,.~.
,,,,,/,~
~-l,;J~! ~~ /,: ~~,,~~~

8
7
6 ~,1~ ~·-·
zB
~
. z~ ,;,B'l"~
~
6
:~d--~~~
Z,,,,Z
~~~
~~,~~-~,%-~'~
,~
3
8 if[!y, ffl if[!y, 8 iffj
~L~-~.,~
2
2
3 rf$; %~
~ ~
8 ~'ii'~j,,~ 8 w~
%~
~.
%~
~ 1 st,,,,%mi&trilt'"
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 14.. J~d4!?
An attempt to complicate the position
15.Wc3t! (15.Ei:fel?! Wf6! 16.ifl if5 17 Wd2
somewhat. The rook does not stand badly
a5 18.Ei:acl b6 19.a4?! h5! 20.Ei:c3?! Ei:xel
on d4.
21 Wxel id7 22.b3 Ei:e8+ gave Black an
advantage which he went on to exploit in
14 ... Ei:eS 15.Wd2
Incutto - F. Olafsson, Mar de! Plata 1960.)
After l 5.Wf3?! Black gets some play with
l 5 ... Wf6 16.Wxf6t <;tixf6 l 7.id3 Black's
15 ... \Wg5!?N+, which looks like a serious
better king makes the position a trifle more
improvement over 15 ... \Wf6 16.\Wxf6t <;tixf6
pleasant for him.
17.Ei:fel id7 18.f3 h6 19,<;tif2 g5 20.Ei:e3 Ei:e5
l 4.f3 is logical, evicting the rook and giving 21.Ei:ae 1 Ei:ae8 22.g3= Y2-Y2 Cuenca Jimenez
the white king a square on f2 for the ending. - Matamoros Franco, Jaen (rapid) 2011
15 ... Wf6 16.l''lfel id7 17.ifl Weaker is 18.'&b3 b6 19.:1'1xe8?! (19.'&c3!=)

19 ... ixe8 20.:1'1el id7 21 '&c3 h5 (21...g5!?)
22.g3 as played in P. Martin - Geller, Buenos
Aires 1954, in view of:
a b c d e f g h
17 ... a5!?N 18.b3 a4 19.b4 :1'1xel! 20.:1'1xel :1'1e8
Black may have a slight initiative.
21.:1'1xe8?!
2 l .:1'1c 100 is better.
21...ixe8 22.'&cl id7 23.a3 '&d4 24.h3 h5
It is true that the second player does
not threaten anything that impressive, but
whatever chances may exist clearly lie on his 18 ....L:es 19.gel id7 20.'1Wc3 c6! 21.dxc6
side. ixc6 22.h3 dS 23.cS ga4 24.'!Wxf6t @xf6
25.a3 gas 26.gcl @e5 27.gel t! @f6=
15.'!Wc2 '!Wf6 16Jfael id7 17Ji!e3 The ending was balanced in Geller -
White is ignoring the rook on d4, correctly Bronstein, USSR 1958.
concentrating his efforts on the e-file. The same of course would have applied
after 27 ... c;t>d4 28.:1'1dl=, as the c5-pawn is
untouchable.
B) 9.dxeS
Chapter 6 - 8.ie3 97
The only move to give White any hope of an 12.ct'ld5!

advantage. The e-file should be blocked, and 12.Wfxd8 l::!,exd8! 13.ixc6 bxc6 14.ct'ld2 ct'lf4
this is the only reasonable way of doing it. is an equal position according to I. Belov.
However, the computers already consider
9... dxe5 Black to be better, and I think they are
It is best to retake with the pawn, keeping right, thanks to the weak light squares in the
a strong hold over d4. Now we are at a major White camp.
crossroads, with White having to make an 12.h3 Wfxdl 13.l::!,fxdl ixf3 14.gxf3 l::!,ed8
important decision: Bl) 10.c5, B2) 10.h3 or 15.ct'id5 ct'ld4 16 ..ixd4 exd4 17.c6 l::!,ab8
B3) 10.~xd8. 18.l::!,acl l::!,xd5! 19.exd5 bxc6 20 ..ixc6 ft'if4
2 l.b3 ct'le2t 22.Wfl ct'lxcl 23.l::!,xcl ie5= is
Bl) 10.c5 ig4!? just equal.
Black has a respectable position and aims to

take control of the d4-square.
ll.ib5
This move is almost universally adopted.
There are several replies for the second player,
but I prefer:
8
a b c d e f g h
7
12 ... l::!,e6! 13.h3 ixf3 14.Wfxf3 lt'id4 15.ixd4
6
exd4 16.ic4
5 The position was unclear in I. Belov -
Vephvishvili, Stare Mesto 1992, but rerouting
4
the fine blockading knight to d3 via b4 makes
3 it a bit more pleasant for White.
2
11...Wfe?N has not been tried, but it looks
1 like a viable option, preparing to attack
a b c d e f g h the white queen by posting a rook on d8.
A likely continuation is: 12.ixc6 (12.Wfa4
11...~cS!? ixf3 13.gxf3 Wfe6 14.Wg2 l::!,ed8 15.ixc6 bxc6
White will find it hard to break the pin on 16.l::!,fdl l::!,db8! 17.l::!,abl ct'lh5? gives Black
his king's knight. excellent play) 12 ... bxc6 13.h3 l::!,ed8 14.Wfe2
ixf3 l 5.Wfxf3 ct'ih5 Intending ... lt'if4-e6.
l l ... ct'lh5 16.g3 .if6!= The knight finds a way towards e6
A decentralization with a certain logic via g7 In combination with a timely ... ig5,
behind it; the g7-bishop helps extend Black's this should give Black equal chances.
control over d4, and at the same time the
h5-knight threatens an annoying jump to 12.h3
the f4-square. 12.ixc6 transposes after 12 ... bxc6 13.h3 ih5.
12 ...i.hS! Sterren - Smirin, Tilburg (rapid) 1992, and

Maintaining the pin keeps annoying pressure at this point it was high time to go for:
on White's position.
8
12 ... Eld8 13.4'ld5 4'lxd5 14.exd5 ie6
6
8 ~~,1~~~1 5
7
6
1%1.i~ ~·~·
_,,8'1)8.i.8.iY,~ 4
?:." .%.a
3
s ~~~~w~ 2
4 %.7: .. %~
3~~-~~~-~
2
d.%~,~%,~
~~-%
~
~~
'1/'!J •
a b c
'1/'!J
d e
~~
i.1.3~)'%
f
~~
g h
a b c d e
18 ... Elb4!?N 19.Wd3 Eld8! 20.Wc2 g4!
f
The white queen's absence from the kingside

allows Black considerable counterplay.
g h
15.dxe6! Elxdl 16.exf7t c;t,xf7 17.ic4t c;t,fg 21.4'lc4 We6 22.f3 gxh3 23.gxh3 4'ld5
18.Elaxdl~ White had strong compensation 24.Eladl! Elbb8 25.icl 4'lxc3 26.Elxd8t Elxd8
for the queen in Lukacs - Stummer, Budapest 27 Wxc3 a4 28.bxa4
1992, and this is not a line I would recommend 28.Elgl axb3 29.axb3 ig6cc,
for Black. 28 ... Eld4 29.4'lb2 f5+±
The chances are approximately balanced,
13.i.xc6 as Black's kingside activity outweighs White's
White removes a dangerous piece from outside passed pawn.
the board, but this comes at a cost: the light
squares are weakened and the b-file is opened.
These factors should be enough to grant Black 8
an equal game. 7
13 ... bxc6 14.i.gS! 6

White tries to make the posmon static 5
by 'terminating' the potentially dangerous
4
f6-knight. This comes in the form of a threat,
as the eclipse of the knight will mean that 3
g2-g4 is feasible. 2
Another possibility is: 1
14.We2 h6! a b c d e f g h
White is facing an annoying pin.
1s.c;t,h2! g5 16.Wc4! 14.. J'!bS!
16.g4? 4'lxg4t 17.hxg4 Wxg4 is of course We will check Bll) 15.b3 and B12) 15J:;gbl.
losing for White.
16 ... Elb817.b3a518.4'ld2 15.ixf6 ixf6 16.g4?! is dangerous for White,
White had coped with the pin in Van der with a likely continuation being:
Chapter 6- 8.ie3 99
8 ,J•!~!~i 8
7
6
~ f~ ~ · ~ ·
,,,,;,• •; , . ~~ · ~
7
~~'% ~~nt"'"~~ 6
: ~-~n~~~~8
3
1fn!i
%~
5
4
2 'wAi""''n~wA'%1~~
oro;, U ro, ~ 3
1 ~,%~vi~lm 2
a b c d e f g h
1
16 ... ixg4! (16 .. .1':1.d8 17We2 ixg4 18.hxg4
Wxg4t 19.<;!;>h2 Wf4t 20.c;t>g21':!:xb2! 21 Wxb2 a b c d e f g h
Wg4t=) l 7.hxg4 Wxg4t 18.c;t>hl 1':!:xb2 17 ...We6!?
19.ltlh2 Wf4t Black clearly has more than Black's strong centralization secures good
enough for the sacrificed piece. 20.Wf3 is counterplay for him:
answered strongly by the simple 20 ... 1':!:d8.
lSJ!adl
Bll) 15.b3 This is the best move according to the
engines, trying to defuse the pressure by
8 exchanging the centralized d4-rook.
7 I also looked at l 8.g4!? which is of course

6 tempting, but is extremely risky: 18 ... ltlxg4
19.ltlxd4 exd4 20.hxg4 ixg4 21.f3 We5!
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
This allows the following sequence:
15 ... 1':!:b4! 16J3el!?

a b c d e f g h
16.ixf6 ixf6 l 7.g4 is met by l 7 ... ixg4
18.hxg4 Wxg4t, with the idea: 19.c;t>h21':!:xe4!! 22.f4! (22.ih4? Wh5! 23.fxg4 Wxh4+ is
20.ltlxe4 Wxe4~ horrible for White, while 22.fxg4? Wxg5
23.ltla4 d3! 24.Wf3 d2-+ is equivalent to
16.We2?! ltld5!! l 7.exd5 e4+ is even worse capitulation) 22 ... We6 23.f5! gxf5 24.Wf2
from White's point of view. dxc3 25.exf5 Wd7 26.f6 1':!:xel t 27.1':!:xel if8~
Both kings are exposed and a draw seems to be
16 .. J:~d4! 17.~e2 the most likely outcome.
l 8.ie3 is another logical option included in my 20.i.cl a5 2I.~e3 i.f'8

old notes. When I first analysed this position Black is well placed: he is pressurizing e4 and
I considered l 8 ... ixf3 as best, but now I'd c5, and White needs to threaten g2-g4 to get
rather go for the following continuation: out of the tangle. This is what the next move
tries to accomplish.
a b c d e f g h
18 .. .:1%b4!? 19.id2 if8! 20.Wd3 ixf3 21 Wxf3
!'i:d4 22.ig5 ie7 23.li:'le2 !'i:dd8 24.ie3 li:'ld7
With approximate equality, as the c5-pawn a b c d e f g h
is weak and .. .f5 is an important option to 22.<,tJfI!? g5 23.g4 i.g6 24.i.a3
contest the centre.
Finally, 18.ixf6 ixf3 19.Wxf3 ixf6+:t is

promising for Black as he has a lot of piece
activity, which probably amounts to a slight
edge for him.
18 ... h6
A tense situation has arisen. If White retreats
his bishop, then Black will preserve the pin; if
not, the position will be cleaned up, leaving
White with no hope of an advantage.
19.i.e3
After 19.ixf6 ixf3 20.Wxf3 ixf6 21.li:'le2
!'i:dd8 the position is approximately equal, with
chances for both sides.
19 .. J~b4
Maintaining the pressure. This is the type of
situation where White would like to exchange 25.lt~d2 gd4 26.f.3 ged8
major pieces and Black logically denies him There are chances for both sides in a
the chance. complicated struggle.
B12) 15.~hl I7 ... a5! I8.h5!

After 18.a3 axb4 19.axb4 l2:lf8 20.E!:fdl l2:le6
2 l .ie3 E!:a8!+ Black is a little better, in view
of the powerful invasion possibilities along the
a-file and on d4.
I8 .. .lihc5 I9.hxc6 ltJe6 20.W!'e3!

A strange but strong move.
In case of 20.ie3?! E!:xbl 21.E!:xbl Wa6

22.l2:ld5 Wxc6 23.E!:cl Wb?+ Black is a pawn
to the good, and White has to fight for a draw.
20 ... f6 2I.ih6
a b c d e f g h A better chance seems to be 21.ih4!? E!:xbl
A reply designed to prevent any tactics 22.E!:xbl Wa6 23.l2:ld5 g5 24.ig3 Wxc6
associated with ... l2:ld5, but the rook is 25.E!:cl, although even here Black is clearly not
somewhat passive on b 1 worse after: 25 ... Wd? 26.Wc3 h5 27.f3 riif7
28.Wxa5 g4+±
15 ...La
This is not forced, but looks good enough.
I6.Wfxf3 ftld7
The knight is on its way to e6, a manoeuvre
that guarantees Black equality.
I7.b4
17.ie3 l2:lf8 18.Effdl l2:le6+± is possibly a
slightly better way for White to play, yet Black
is not worse.
a b c d e f g h
21...~xbl 22.~xhl W!'a6 23.ftld5 Wfxc6
24.~cl W!'b7! 25.ixg7 @xg7 26.Wff3 ~f'8
27.W!'g4 f5! 28.W!'g3 W!'b2!
Black displays a powerful mix of defensive
and counterattacking chess.
29.~c4?
This is not harmonious.
After 29.E!:c6! Wbl t 30.riih2 Wxe4 31.E!:xe6
Wxd5 32.E!:xe5 Wxa2 33.E!:e?t E!:f7 34.Wxc7
the game must end in a draw.
10 ...i.e6
8
Since g4 has become unavailable, the bishop
7 develops to the next best possible square.
6 White has several continuations, four of which
are analysed below:
5
4 11.cS
Giving the e2-bishop more prospects, but
3 weakening White's hold over d5.
2
1 l .lZlg5?!
1 An attempt to push back the bishop, but this
a b c d e f g h type of decentralization seldom pays off in
the King's Indian.
29 ... cS!-+
Now Black should get the full point, which
\~~-~~!~~
is exactly what happened: 8
~,1~ ~·~· ,%~
30.~a4 f4 31.~g4 ttld4 32.~xaS ~f7
33.~xcS ~alt 34.@h2 h5!
0-1 Oil - Smirin, Rostov-on-Don 1993.
White's resignation in the final position
:~.,.ir~t;)~
7
6
3
,,,%•41)•l~lf
~~
~~~~~~~
~~-~-, '% "//,
2!~--~u!~
is explained by the fact the black knight
penetrates to e2 next, creating unanswerable
mating threats.
B2) 10.h3
~w•:a:'
11...lt:ld4!
~a b c d e f g h
11...i.d7?! 12.c5 h6 13.lZlf3± is what White

8 hopes for. After 13 ... i.e6 14.'\Wa4 the first
player controls d4, as Black has wasted a
7
tempo on the useless ... h6.
6 12.lZlxe6 l"i:xe6
Black stands excellently, with a further point
5
being:
4 13.c5?!
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
We now focus on another important
continuation. This is a useful waiting move,
but Black should be able to reach an equal
game through simple development.
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 6 - 8.~e3 103
l 3 .. J:'1.c6! l 4.b4 a5 15.bS?!

15.a3 axb4 16.axb4 E!:xal 17Wxal li:Jxe2t 8 ~ ~0, .)~! ~1
18.li:Jxe2 li:Jxe4+ gives White more play, but 7 ~·-
6 . ,,,%~ · ~
~
.lit,,,~ ••
he is still worse. ~ 0 , .,, ~~-ef ,,,/,ri.%
15 ... E!:xcS 16.li:Ja4 li:Jxe4 17.li:JxcS li:Jc3!+ s ~ ~ttJW~ ~
ri.%~ .
~~~,!~~
,%~ ,,, % ~ -~
11 Wxd8
Leading to an ending where Black is likely
to experience slight pressure for a few moves,
but he should be able to neutralize it by
playing accurately.
4
~ !fffj~.iW[j,~
~L.%~
a b c
,~r,
d e
.%m
f g h
14 ... i;t>fS!N
8
~•w~
~~~,J~!~t
~••• Weaker is 14 ... i;t>f7?! due to 15.ibS!N;!;, and
~.,."ti%~"'2.~.J-~
it is not easy for Black to move the c6-knight.
1
6 ,,,,%•'))•.i~flr,~ (Instead, the inaccurate l 5.a3?! allowed
5 ~~~-,,~ Black to display the standard equalizing
method 15 ... ti:Jb8! 16.b4 c6 17.ti:Jc3 E!:xdlt
4
~ ri.1~. 7~ JI':'\~ A
~.M;
18.Ei:xdl ~f8 19.ti:Jd2 ti:Jd7 20.li:Jc4 b6!=
3 ~ ,~...J Q when chances were balanced in Polovodin -
2 ~%~,·-1.0~·~ Novik, St Petersburg 1994.)
~ .... % ~ - : ~ 15.ibS
a b c d e f g h
The correct choice of square for the king
enables the c6-knight to move:
l l...Ei:exd8! 12.Ei:fdl li:Je8! 15 ... li:Je?! 16.li:Jc3
A multifunctional move, made possible by 16.ixe8? ixd5+
the previous one. 16.li:Jxe? i;t>xe7= with the idea: 17.c6?!
13.li:JdS f6 E!:xdl t 18.E!:xdl b6+
The defender's position is solid and he should 16 ... i;t>f7=
be able, sooner or later, to push White back. The game is completely equal.
14.cS!?
This is a typical move in such positions. In the last few years there have been several
In case of 14.Ei:d2 i;t>f7! Black can apply games with 11.Ei:el, a move I analysed to some
the same equalizing method as in the main extent in The Grandmaster Battle Manual. This
line, even after the doubling of the white move is designed to render the manoeuvre
rooks on the d-file. For example, 15.E!:adl ... li:Jh5-f4 toothless, by giving the e2-bishop
tiJ b8! and the eviction of the centralized a square on fl I think Black should proceed
white knight by ... c6 will allow Black to with:
comfortably develop his queenside. Despite
the apparently impressive position of his
pieces, White cannot prevent the realization
of this plan by tactical means, for example:
16.li:Jxc??? E!:xd2 17.li:Jxa8 E!:xe2-+
a b c d e f g h
11...~xdl! (In the Battle Manual I analysed l 5.lt::lxd4
l l...a5!?, which should also be good enough Equality results from: 15.i.xe6 lt::lxf3t
for equality in the long run.) 12.:1:'!:exdl E!:ed8 16.gxf3 ~xe6 17'it>g2 c6 18.~b4 \'f'je?
Black should equalize, as the white rook has 19.:1:'!:d6 lt::lh5=
used two tempos to reach dl and this amounts 15 ... exd4 16.i.xd4
to a loss of time. 13.l2ld5 :1:'!:d7 14.i.d3 lt::le8! 16.Ei:xd4 lt::ld7 is also equal, because 17.lt::ld5
15.a3 (15.lt::lg5 E!:ad8 16.i.fl h6 17.lt::lxe6 fxe6 i.xd5 18.:1:'!:xd5 c6 forces 19.:1:'!:ddl=. (Instead,
l 8.lt::lc3 lt::ld4 19.c5 @f7 20.:1:'!:acl i.f8 2 l.b4 19.Ei:d6? would be a blunder in view of
g5 leads to approximate equality) 15 ... lt::ld4 19 ... b5!, and White loses a piece for very
16.i.xd4 exd4 17.lt::lf4 :1:'!:e7 18.lt::lxe6 :1:'!:xe6 little.)
19.c5 c6= White had nothing special and the 16 ... lt::lxe4=
position was approximately balanced in Fowler The game had petered out to complete
- Kresz, corr. 2012. equality in Garcia Gonzalez - Kasparov, Banja
Luka 1979.
s~ffl ~~m•
7
6
:irtt
ffl'l)ffl.tffl' ~
m,~,
sm/fa•~'R8M
4
- ffl'I)
/fa~
3ffl ~ ~Ll)ffl~
2
1
~ff -~~~-
:~----"mVar,
a b c d e f g h
At this point White has played B21) 12.ltlgS
and B22) 12.i.hS.
12.~a4 lt::ld4 13.:1:'!:fdl i.d7 gives Black good

counterplay.
Chapter 6 - 8.W.e3 105
B21) 12.~gS ~f4 13.~xe6 ~xe6

14.W.bS :Sffi 15.W.xc6 bxc6 8 m
i.'%~~f% ~"ilf~ir,•~
~~ ~,,A~iP';;
11~ m m.t.
15 .. .'®xdl 16.:1%fxdl bxc6 17J'ld2 !'i:fd8
1 ~
6 ,,,,,%••"~ im,,~~
~~~,%~~'% ~~
s m it!J i~8m
18.!'i:adl !'i:xd2 19.!'i:xd2 h5 20.<iifl !'i:b8 21.b3
~f8 22.<iie2 <;t>es 23,<;t>d3 a5 24.llla4 if8
25.!'i:c2 !'i:b5 26.!'i:c4 ie7 27.g3 ig5 28.ixg5 4 , ~ ';,,,,/,~ ';,,,,/,~ ~ -
~ m m8
l2ixg5 29.h4 l2ie6= was balanced in DeMauro ' ~/,"//, ~ ~ - , 0 ~ ~ / , ~
- Cutillas Ripoll, corr. 2000. 3~

2 ifl""';ffl,,,,,~W/j 8~
1 .,,,,/,~ , . , ,
s~~~ref'~~.~-;~
: l']:::T~lj
s~
~~,~~n:~~
it!J
fj
mi~ if6
a b c d e f g
18 ... gxfS 19.0 @h8 20.@hl :Sg8 21.:Sd2
h
4 ~~~r,,,,/,m"'ji/;'.~ ~~ Commenting now upon this position, I

m" "//, m~.,;; ~~ ~ would say it is as resilient as I thought it to be
d""'mm m8 a few years ago. Black has attacking chances

3~
2 8
1 along the g-file and these compensate for his
m%,,]~ : ~ inferior pawn structure.
1 :•,,,,/,~,.,,
22.'?Nc4
a b c d e f g h
Van der Sterren's choice, bringing the queen
16.'?Na4 '?Ne8! closer to the centre, but removing any pressure
Gelfand considers the position as slightly from c6.
better for Black, but I think equality would
be a fairer verdict. What follows are revised Boris Gelfand mentioned 22.!'i:fdl in his
comments which I had originally made at the Informant notes, to which I think 22 ... a5!+ is
time of writing the Battle Manual (by the way, the best reply, as I cannot see a constructive
not presented in that book or elsewhere), and follow-up for White.
form a brief outline of Black's possibilities in Instead, 22 ... ig5!? 23.ixg5 !'i:xg5 was
this structure: the Israeli GM's recommendation, but after
24.!'i:el l2if4 25.l2idl! il*'g6 26.!'i:xe5! !'i:xg2
17.:Sadl f5 18.exfS 27 il*'d4 il*'g7 28.il*'d8t! White obtains a
18.f3 f4! 19.if2 g5 20.!'i:d3 h5 21.!'i:fdl !'i:f7 slightly better ending.
22.<iifl if8+± leads to some attacking chances
for Black, but (contrary to what I thought A more logical deployment is 22.!'i:e 1, also
back then) I don't think White is worse. included in Boris's notes, but even in that case
22 ... !'i:g7!+ looks more pleasant for the second
player.
squared bishops was instrumental in giving

8
Black counter-chances once White attempted
7 to gain control over the e4-square by g2-g4.
6
B22) 12.i.bS
5
4 8
3 7
2 6
1 5
a b c d e f g h 4
22 .. .lllg7! 23.g4! ~e7! 24.ggl! 3
Gelfand remarks that 24.l"ffdl?! ~g5!
25.l"M7 Wf6 26.~xg5 (26J'H7 Wfh6 27.~xg5 2
Wxg5 28.We2 Wh6!+± is my own addition to 1
his comment) 26 ... Wfxg5 27.gxc7 Wh4--+ gives
Black an attack, and as far as I can see it is a
a b c d e f g h
very dangerous one. The start of an ambitious plan which I
slightly underestimated in the Battle Manual.
24 ...i.gS 25.f4 exf4 26.i.xf4 i.xf4 27.~xf4 The impression left there is that Black has the
fxg4 easier game, but now I think it's just equal and
27 ... Wxc5 28.Wxc7= that it is rather the second player who has to be
the more careful.
12 ... gf8!
Unpinning.
13.hc6
White must accept the challenge.
13.Wa4?! t2:ld4! is troublesome for White, as

14.'llxd4? exd4 15.l~fdl is met by 15 ... a6!
16.~e2 ~d7!+ winning material.
13 ... bxc6
a b c d e f g h Not the only move.
28.gxg4 ga_ffi 29.~d4 gds 30.ge2! ~f7
31.~fl ~xfl= 13 ... Wxdl!? is another perfectly viable, and
A draw was agreed in Van der Sterren - perhaps more practical, option. One possible
Gelfand, Biel 1993. The way play developed line of play runs 14.gaxdl bxc6 15.b3 f5
reveals that the timely exchange of dark- 16.gfel (16.t2:lg5 ~c8) 16 .. .l"1ae8 17 <;t>h2 ~c8
18.~cl h6= with equality in the ending.
Chapter 6 - 8.~e3 107
In my comments in the Battle Manual,

I considered the operation l 5.Wa6 f5 16.Wb7?!
as time-consuming due to l 6 ... f4 17.~cl h6!,
when Black obtains a strong attack in return
for the pawn: 18.Wxc7 E!:f7 19.WaS
,~~~1,r
: j.,.,.,~
8
5 ~
4 ,,,;,.,: ~
, ; · ,• : ~ ; -
~ ·
~~
m.m %~~~~
3
2 !n•~~,~
~
/
~ ~g~
%~?;,; ~ - \2,)~
a b c d e f g h
19 ... gS! 20.Ei:dl g4 21.hxg4 ~xg4 22.Ei:d3
White may also play 14.Wxd8 E!:axd8 15.E!:adl,
(22.E!:d6 ~xf3 23.gxf3 ~f8 24.E!:g6t Ei:g7
but it is clear that he enjoys no chance of an
advantage in such an ending, as we have seen 25.E!:xg?t lt:lxg7!+ leaves White's denuded
king at the mercy of the black pieces) 22 ... ~xf3
above.
23.Ei:xf3 i.f8 24.i.d2 Ei:g7 Black's attack had
already become lethal in Mikhalevski - Har
14•..WfeS
Zvi, Rishon LeZion 1995, and was expertly
converted into a full point.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
15.lii:adl!N a b c d e f g h
White should bring his rooks nearer to the
centre to neutralize the effectiveness of Black's 1S ... f5!
intended kingside pawn attack. Obviously Black, in his attempt to catch
White unprepared, should not delay this. We
15.WaS can be answered by: l 5... Wc8 have now reached an important position for
16.E!:adl f5+± the evaluation of this line.
16.l:Uel!
A move overestimated by the computers but,
admittedly, one underestimated by me in the
Battle Manual, as I had attached an '?!' sign to
it there. The truth lies somewhere in-between:
the move is quite interesting, but Black should
be able to neutralize it with accurate play.
Weaker is instead:
16.exf5 gxf5
I correctly evaluated the dynamic potential a b c d e f g h
of Black's mobile pawns as being at least as 20 ... ixh3! 2 l.exf4
relevant as White's pressure along the open 21 Wi'xc6 Wi'xc6 22.li:'ixc6 f3t is annoying for
files. The following analysis is based on my White.
notes in the Battle Manual as well: 21...Wi'g6 22.l:'l:e2 li:'ig3 23.Wi'c4t Wh8 24.l:'l:f2
17.l:'l:fel l:'l:ad8 25.f5 li:'ixf5 26.li:'ixf5 ixf5+
17.icl Wh8! 18.l:'l:fel e4 19.li:'id4 id7 In the final position Black has recovered the
20.li:'ide2 l:'l:b8! 21.b3 l:'l:g8!--+ with good sacrificed pawn, and has even obtained some
attacking chances for Black, is a thematic line. initiative, and I think this line is characteristic
17 ... e4! 18.l2ld4 of the concealed energy in his set-up.
16 ... f4
a b c d e f g h
18 .. .f4!N
18 ... id7 19.f4!:t was better for White in
Vera - Teran Alvarez, Seville 1997
19.icl
Equality results from: 19 .C:bxe6 fxe3 20.li:'ixfS
exf2t 21 Wxf2 Wi'xfSt 22.We2 l:'l:b8 23.Wi'c4t
Wh8 24.:1'1d7 li:'if4t 25.Wdl li:'id3 26.Wf7
Wi'xf7 27.l:'l:xf7 Wg8! 28.l:'l:xg?t Wxg7= This
may in fact be a reasonable way to bail out.
19 ... e3! 20.fxe3
20.li:'ixe6 Wi'xe6 21 Wi'b3 Wi'xb3 22.axb3
The only comment I had made in that
!"i:ab800 produces a complicated ending.
publication was that after "17.icl if6 18.Wi'a5
Chapter 6 - 8 ..ie3 109
E!:f7 l 9.llle2 g5 20.lllh2 lt:ig7 21.lt:ig4 ~xg4 I9 ..ic3

22.hxg4 Wc8 23.f3 lt:ie6, intending ... h5, the Starting a siege of e5 immediately.
position looks difficult for White as his king
will soon be found under attack." Looking at 19.Wfl g4! 20.hxg4 ~xg4 21.~a5 E!:f7
the commentary again, I think that Black's last 22.lt:ibd2 Ei:g7 23.lt:ic4 h6!
move should be replaced with the immediate: Designed to give the black king a flight
square on h7
24.E!:d2
24.~c3 ~xf3 25.gxf3 lt:ig3t! 26.fxg3 Wh5
27.Ei:d3 fxg3 28.We2 Wh2t 29.Wdl g2
30.Wxc6 Ei:f8 3 l .~d2 gl =°IW 32.E!:xgl Wxgl t
33.Wc2 ~g5! 34.lt:ixe5 Wg2 35.Wd5t Wh7
36.a3 h5 00 With an unclear position where
Black's passed h-pawn is a valuable asset.
\~~~!~~
0,-
8
a b c d e f g h 11%i~~~~
6 --~-.~~ ,Y.~
23 ... h5! White is indeed in difficulty, for
~ ~~
example: 24.gxh5 g4! 25.°1Wc3 lt:ixh5--+
I7....if6
Obviously Black needs to attack at all
5
3
v•ctJ•
~~,;·z---~-~
""'" ""'"
~------"~'))
""'"
8 ~.i.~
~
costs, and preparing a push of the g-pawn

2l 81~ i~ '1~8~
,,_,,____ y,~~~~
is the way. White can try B221) 18.lllbl or

B222) I8.ltle2!. a b c d e f g h
24 ... Wh7! 25.~c3
B221) 18.ltlbl g5! Approximate equality arises after: 25.@e2
Ei:d8 26.E!:xd8 Wxd8 27.Ei:dl We8 28.Ei:hl
Ei:d7 29.~c3 lt:ig7 30.Wfl ~xf3 31.gxf3 lt:ie6
32.@e2 E!:d8 33.lt:ia5 Wd7 34.E!:dl Wxdlt
35.Wxdl E!:xdl 36.Wxdl lt:id8=
25 ... E!:d8! 26.E!:xd8 Wxd8
White has another choice to make:

a b c d e f g h
27.:1%dl
The threatened intrusion to d3 must be
stopped somehow.
a) White should avoid 27.ct:lfxe5? f3-+.
b) Possible is: 27.ct:lcxe5 i.xf3 28.ct:lxf3
'1Mfd3t 29.l'l:e2 ixc3 30.bxc3 '\Mfbl t 31.l'l:el!
(31.ctlel f3 32.gx:f3 ct:lf4--t) 31...'1Mfd3t=
c) Finally, 27 'IMfdl '1Mf g8! 28.ct:lcxe5 i.e6
produces an unclear position.
27 ... '\Mf eS 28.l'l:d2
Unclear positions also arise after 28.ct:lcxe5 a b c d e f g h
i.xf3 29.ct:lxf3 ixc3 30.bxc3 '1Mf g6 or 26 ... l'l:g7! 27.ixf6 ct:lxf6 28.b3 '1Mf g6 29.ct:lh4
28.ct:lfxe5 i.xdl 29.'IMfxdl '1Mfg4 30.l'l:h3 f3 31.l'l:h2 fxg2t 32.~gl i.xc4
28 ... i.xf3 29.gx:f3 '1Mfg6! 30.'\Mfdl '1Mfg2t 31 ~el 33.bxc4 l'l:d8 34.f3 '1Mf g3 35.'IMf cl '1Mf e5 36.ct:lf5
l'l:e7 '1Mfxc5t 37 '1Mf e3 '1Mfxe3t 38.ct:lxe3 l'l:d2 39.e5
The engines consider the posmon ct:le8+±
approximately balanced, which is quite close
to the truth, in spite of its obvious complexity. 25 ...i.a6 26.'1Mfc2 gg7! 27.b3
In case of 27.l'l:edl, the incisive 27 ... '1Mfe6
19 ...g4 20.hxg4i.xg4 21.l'l:d3@h8 22.<tbd2 28.'1Mfe2 l'l:g5 29.b3 l'l:ag8 30.'1Mff3 a4! seems
ggs 23.@fl to secure enough counterplay for Black. For
example: 31 '1Mfh3
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 31 ... i.xc4! 32.ct:lxc4 '1Mfxe4 33.ct:le5! l'l:xe5
23 ... aS!! 34.l'l:el '1Mfg6 35.l'l:xe5 ct:lg3t! 36.l'l:xg3 fxg3
The star move: preparing to redeploy the 37 '1Mfxg3 '1Mfxg3 38.fxg3 l'l:d8 39.l'l:e3 i.xc3
bishop to a6 and granting Black sufficient 40.l'l:xc3 l'l:dlt 41 ~e2 l'l:al 42.l'l:c2 axb3
counter-chances. 43.axb3 l'l:bl 44.l'l:c3 'it>g7= The endgame
should easily be held.
24.tLic4 i.cs 25.lLifxeS
Less dangerous is: 25.ixe5 i.a6 26.'1Mf c2
Chapter 6 - 8.!e3 111
B222) 18.~e2!
a b c d e f g h
White is preparing to attack the e5-pawn
with all that he has.
18 ...g5 19.ic3
Removing the pressure from e5 by 19.t2:lh2
33 ...'i'e8 34.~d3 l;xg2 35.~xf4 ~xf4 would not be a good strategy for White.
36.'i'xf4 l;Sg4 37.'i'f6t @g8 38.l;ce3
38J:';:ee3 :!:l:gl t 39.<J;ie2 :!:l:xe4 40.'\Wf5 :!:l:e7
41.:!:l:xe7 '1Wxe7t 42.:!:l:e3 '\Wf7 43.'\We4 :!:l:g6= is
also drawish.
8 ~-~-/
7 ~
6 /,•
~,.rnr----~
1~
~~if
19 ... t2:lg7 20.t2:lg4 (20.ia5 :!:l:c8)
~
m~r/ m~-<;,{-----Y-~-/
a'Yi
8
6
!la?~•~
b 1~ ~ltJr~ b ~
3 ~~/-~/·~-/·-/,~
2
1 /,aii~-'-~
4 a b c d e f g h
3 20 ... i.xg4! 21.hxg4 '\We6 White's best option is
2 to steer the game towards equality by: 22.i.a5
(both 22.f3 i.e7 and 22.'1Wb3 :!:l:fb8 23.'1Wxe6t
1 t2:lxe6 allow Black good counterplay) 22 ... :!:l:ac8
a b c d e f g h 23.'1Wb3 :!::!:fl=
38 ... l;gl t 39.@e2 l;xel t 40.@xel l;xe4
4I.'i'g5t @h8 42.@d2 l;xe3 43.fxe3 'i'f7
44.@e2 'i'e8=
The queen ending should be easily drawn.
a b c d e f g h
19 ... g4! 20.hxg4 i.xg4 21..!tlcl!
24.@e2
Much weaker would be 24.lt'lb4? lt'lg3t!-+
and 24.Wxa7 We6+±.
24.lt'ldxe5!? merits attention, but Black can

continue as follows: 24 ... l"i:xdl 25.l"i:xdl ixe5
26.lt'lxe5 ixdl 27 Wxdl
a b c d e f g h
21 ... h6!
Again, this typical move is the one to give
Black equal chances. Without it he would
be worse. Now, however, there is the idea of
placing the king on h7 and putting White
under pressure on the g-file.
a b c d e f g h
22.c!tld3 ~d8! 23.@fl!?
White is not better after 23.lt'lb4 WgG!+±. 27 ... f3! 28.gxf3 Wc8! 29.diel! lt'lf4 30.Wa4
We8! 31 Wd4! lt'leG 32.Wdl (The alternative
23.lt'ldxe5 l"i:xdl 24.l"i:xdl ixe5 25.lt'lxe5 ixdl 32.Wd2 Wd8! 33.Wxd8 [33.lt'ld7 l"i:xf3=l
33 ... l"i:xd8 34.lt'lxcG l"i:g8 35.b4 h5 36.@fl h4
26.Wxdl f3! 27 Wb3t <iih7=
37.ie5 h3 38.ig3 lt'lg5 39.lt'le5 l"i:b8 is at least
equal for Black, as his passed pawn ties down
the White army.) 32 ... lt'lg5 33.Wd3 h5 34.<iifl
WeG+± Black has the better practical chances,
as the h-pawn is dangerous and the white king 30.~xc7f3

is unsafe. White probably has to take a draw now·
24.. .ltJg7! 25.lt:)b4 gxdl 26.@xdl

8
26.Ei:xd 1!? is answered strongly by
26 ... 1Wh5!=, intending a queen invasion on h2. 7
For example: 27.liJd31Wh2 28.liJdel
7~;f~~-·
6
8 ~ ~ ;. 0 5
6.%.,%~
'" ~0l~~)-\,,,,
~~----r~ 4
:1•~~1r~,~
3
~;;ii% ~0l%" ---~- "
%~,~=~%~/:~, ,
2
1
~
:n:---1~
3
2
ffl ~ltJ~ a b c d e
31.~d6 gt7 32.~dS grs 33.~d6=
f g h
a b c d e f g h Other options look dangerous for White.
28 ... '\Wgl! 29J::1d7!? (29.1Wxc6 ih4) 29 ... ih4

B3) 10.~xdS
30.Ei:xg7t <;t>xg7 3 l .ixe5t <;t>h7 32.id4 Ei:d8!
33.1Wc4 ih5 34.e5 (34.1Wd3 <;t>gs) 34 ... Ei:d5
35.1Wd3t <;t>gs 36.1We4 (36.1Wf5?? Ei:xd4; 36.e6
if6 37.e7 ixe7 38.1We4 ig5=) 36 ... ixf3t
37.gxf3 1Wg7 38.1Wxf4! (38.liJd3 1Wh7!+)
38 ...1Wg5 39.1We4 ixf2!=
The time has come to examine the old main

line, where White aims for a slight initiative in
the ending.
10 ... ttJxdS
Fischer's move has emerged as the most
flexible way to combat White's plans. We
should consider B31) 11.h3 before moving on
to the more critical B32) 11.ttJbS!?
27 ...hat 28.gxB ~xf3t 29.@cl ~xfl
11.tt:ld5 Black won the resulting ending convincingly

This is weaker than 11.tt:lb5. in Mijailovic - Kotronias, Vrnjacka Banja
~ ,,,~,,,.
l 1...tt:le6 l 2.tt:lg5
,,,,%.,,,,%.,1.,,~~
2006.
B31) 11.h3
~.,.r~~-'/,
6
5 ~~!.,,~
4 ~
.
3 m.~ m.~ m.~
2,~~~~~,~ %r"",;,,t
,,,,{
~
a
,%~ ~ . ,
b
~
c d e
.:~
f g h
12 ... tt:lf4!+
Black has marginally the better chances.
A possible continuation is:
13.i.xf4?!
13.1'fael tt:l4xd5 14.exd5 e4+ seems to be in
Black's favour as well, but it is the lesser evil.
13 ... tt:lxd5! 14.i.d2
After 14.i.g3 tt:lf4 15.i.dl h6 16.tt:lf3
f5 l 7.ia4 c6+ Black had a considerable In case of 12.l"i:fd l, my old notes recommended
advantage in Pultorak - Piotrowski, Gora 12 ... tt:ld?!? This flexible continuation assures
Sw. Anny 2014. Black of good chances, as the bishop on e3 is
14 ... tt:lf6 15.f3 tt:lh5 16.l='!fdl tt:lf4 17.i.fl vulnerable to a subsequent .. .f5-f4.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
12 .. .ltld?!?N
This appears more prom1smg than the
simplifying operation initiated with: 12 ... tt:ld4
Chapter 6 - 8.~e3 115
13.Cthd4 exd4 14.~xd4 lt:lxe4 15.~xg? ©xg7 11...liJe6 12.liJgS

16.lt:ld5! (16.lt:lxe4 :!:l:xe4+) The point, temporarily forcing the black
rook to a rather clumsy stance.
g
7
~0~t~! ~~-
~if~ • • • •
0 /,
12 .. .l:!e7
,,,,%~ ,,,,%~ ~~ ,,%~ White can exchange pieces with B321)
~~
: ~-f8iif.~~
6 ~~-';;~~ 13.liJxe6 or immediately challenge the cl-file
with B322) 13JUdl.
13.lt:lxa? can be answered satisfactorily with:
%~%~%~~
! ,~~.,~,~
st--~~%-,~
a b c d e f g h
16 ... :!:l:e5! 17.lt:lxc? :!:l:b8 18.:1:!:fdl :!:l:xc5 19.:1:i:acl
:i:l:xcl 20.:1:i:xcl id? A colourless draw was
soon the result in Staniszewski - WI. Schmidt,
Cetniewo 1991
13.h4
Neither 13.ic4?! lt:ldxc5 14.lt:lb5 :!:l:e7!+ nor a b c d e f g h
13.lt:la4 lt:ld4+ offer any improvement. 13 ... lt:lf4! Najdorf's suggestion is Black's
clearest option. 14.:1:!:fel (14.ixf4 exf4
13 ... c6!? 14.liJd2 b6m 15.lt:lxc8 :!:l:xc8+; 14.if3 ig4!~) 14 ... id?~
Black has every right to play for a win in this Black's activity compensates for his pawn
unclear ending. deficit.
B32) 11.c!iJbS!? B321) 13.liJxe6 he6 14.8 c6!
Black has a good game.
After 15.lt:lxa? :!:l:d7!, with the idea of ... :!:l:d4,

Black has nothing to fear:
a b c d e f g h
16.l"lfdl! (weaker is 16.a4? l"\d4 17.i.xd4 In case of 18 .l"\ad 1 there can follow·
exd4 18.'Llxc6 bxc6 19.a5 'Lld7+) 16 ... l"lxdl t 18 ... 'Llb6! 19.b3 (19.c5 'Llc4 20.i.xc4 i.xc4
17.l"lxdl 'Lld718.b4! (18.a3?!i.f6! 19.b4i.d8! 21.l"ld? l"\ab8+) 19 ... i.b4 20.l"ld3
20.b5 c5 21.b6 'Llxb6+ is too slow) 18 ... i.f8
19 .a3 i.e700 Intending ... i.d8-b6, when it
is Black who has the better chances, if only
slighcly.
a b c d e f g h
20 ... 'Lld?! Threatening ... 'Llc5. 21.a3 (21.'Lla4
b5 22.cxb5 cxb5 23.'Llc3 'Llc5 24.l"ld5! 4Jxb3!
25.l"lxb5 i.xc3 26.axb3=) 21...i.c5 22.mf2
(22.b4 i.xe3t 23.l"lxe3 a5+) 22 ... i.xe3t
23.l"lxe3 mf8=
8
7
6
Fischer has preferred: 15 ... l"ld? 16.l"\fdl 5
(l 6.a3!? i.f8 00 )
4
s,i~ ~ ~· 3
11.t.R.iR.t.~.t.
_jg fnfaff~
1 2
6
5 ~~ ~ . - ~ 1
a b c d e f g h
4 ~-,-~~-~.
~
~ !wJt?Jn!1!~
Z"'/, ~-;,
18 ...i.b4 19Jk2 i.e7 20J~dl .!bf8
20 ... f5!? is another move to consider.
----f /,~ ~~ ~r,,;v/ -
~ ~~~ ~ 21..!bcS i.c8 22.<t1b3 a5 23.a4 i.b4 24..!bcl
a b c d e f g h
i.e7 25 ..!bb3 i.b4 26.~cl i.e7=
16 ... i.f8! 17 mf2 b6 18.b3 l"lb7! 19.'Lla4 l2ld7 The players agreed to a draw in Shneider -
20.4Jb2 b5= With approximate equality in Khalifman, Leningrad 1990.
Reshevsky - Fischer, Santa Monica 1966.
Chapter 6 - 8.i.e3 117
B322) 13J~fdl l 7 ... l"i:e8!?

l 7 ... <iig7=, as played in Larsen - Fischer,
Monaco 1967, is also viable.
Fischer recommends: 17 ... hG 18.lDf3 <;t>g7
l 9.i.xc5 bxc5 20.i.d3=
18.l"i:xe8 lDxe8 19.lDf3
19 .i.c4 is well answered by· 19 ... lD d6
20.i.d5 (20.i.xc5?! lDxc4 2 l.i.xf8 <iixf8+)
20 ... lDd3+±
19 ... fG 20.i.c4t=
A draw was agreed in Piket - Nunn, Wijk
aan Zee 1991
14 ... c6 IS.lLJxe6
l 5.lDc3? would be pointless in view of
15 ... lDd4!+.
13 ... b6! 15.lDdG is best answered by l 5... lDd4!. After

Now chat the e4-pawn will be hanging 16.i.xd4 exd4 17.a5 (17.l"i:xd4 lDe8) 17 ... l"i:b8
temporarily after an exchange of knights on 18.axbG axb6 19.l"i:xd4 lDe8 20.l"i:ddl?!
e6, this move is feasible. (Vigorito correctly points out that 20.lDxc8=
is more prudent) 20 ... lDxdG 21.l"i:xdG i.b7
14.a4 22.l"la2 h6 23.lDf3 l"i:xe4 Black was pressing in
14.lDxeG i.xe6= is too timid, leaving Black Gonda - Gallagher, Olbia 2008, in view of his
with a good game. That said, White should bishop pair.
have no problems either, and a draw is the
expected result. IS ...i.xe6 I6.lbc3
White wants to undermine Black's structure
14.c5!? by a4-a5.
Larsen's enterprising move, which still falls
short of posing any serious problems for
Black.
l 4 ... lDxc5 15.l"ldSt i.f8 l 6.lDxa7 l"i:xa7
l 7.l"i:xc8
8
7
6
5
4
3
a b c d e f g h
~ ~
This frees the f8-bishop and discourages
White from playing a4-a5, because then Black 8 •. ~·
would get play along the b-file. 1 .l~B U.t.U.t.
6gU.t.•.i.Ui~
~~-<~<-~~
17.b4 5 ~~-···~~-
~.%~,-.%~.
l 7.f3? if8+ leads to severe dark-square 4
weaknesses for White and cannot be
m~ ~
recommended.
~ ~d··•IW/j!~
17.l"ldbl is best answered by 17 ... ifS!? 18.b4
ltld7= with the idea: 19.l"lb2?! a5!+ a b c d e f g h
22 ... ixc4!N
17.l"ld2 is another way of protecting the Black let his opponent off the hook with
b-pawn, yet after 17 ...ifS 18.a5?! bxa5 22 ... ixc3?! 23.bxc3 ixc4 24.ixc4 ltlxc4
19.l"lxa5 ib4+ Black's advantage was evident 25.ih6~ in D. Berczes - Smirin, Biel 2008.
in Eliseit - Schmitt, Germany 1989. 23.l"lxc6 ixe2 24.ltlxe2 ltlxe4 25.f3 ltld6
26.l"lcxd6 ixd6 27.l"lxd6 l"lxb2+
17 .l"\d6 ltle8 l 8.l"ld2 Black has all the chances.
White still fails to achieve anything
substantial after the simple:
8
8 ~~~~:~1 7
.~~~ 6
7
6
5
4
3
,.,.~%-~~
~·--·
~.t.U.i.U.t.~
~
~ ~ ~
~ ~
~~·c,?···· z ····r··~~·;.; ~~·;.;

'ef§; i~ ~ 1§; ~ flj
5
4
3
2
1 ~ %_.. z~ .%= . 2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
18 ... ifS 19.a5
17...~ffi
White was gradually ground down after
The customary bishop retreat. Fighting for
19.f3 ib4 20.l"ladl c;t,g7 21.g3 ltlf6 22.<;t>g2
the dark squares is the best option.
l"le8 23.h3 ltld7 24.l"lc2 ic5 25.ixc5 ltlxc5+
in Ohera - Staf, corr. 2012.
18.b5
19 ... bxa5 20.l"lxa5 ib4 21.l"la6 ltld6 22.l"ldl?!
18.l"lab 1 ltld7
22.b3 ixc3 23.l"lxd6 l"lxb3 24.h3 l"lbl t+
Intending ... a5.
may be the lesser evil, but White still looks
19.b5
worse to me.
Black eventually lost after l 9.f3 a5 20.b5
l"lc8 2 l.bxc6 l"lxc6 22.ltld5 ltlc5 23.l"lal f5=
in Krecmer - Miksatko, corr. 1992, although
his position is fine at this point.
22J~d8 ics;
Whatever chances existed were Black's in
Gause! - Hellers, Oslo 1991
Conclusion
8.ie3 often leads to symmetrical endings after

the exchange of the cl-pawns and the trade of
queens. These endings are not lifeless though;
Black can contest the dark squares successfully,
and there are many cases where White finds
19 .. .l'kS himself on the receiving end of severe pressure.
19 ... Ek7!N+ leaves Black with a tiny edge. This is the reason White players have tried to
20.ltld5?! introduce some ramifications in the form of
20.bxc6 l"i:xc6 21.a5 ltlc5 22.axb6 l"i:bxb6 10.c5 or 10.h3 (instead of 10.'®xd8) over the
23.l"i:xb6 axb6= was preferable. past two decades, but even then Black should
20 ... ltlc5 2 l.bxc6 l"i:xc6 22.a5 bxa5 23.ltlf6t have a fine game, as the reader can witness by
23.l"i:xb7 lt:lxb7 24.ixa7 a4+ consulting the relevant sections.
23 .. :;tihs 24.l"i:xb7 lt:lxb7 25.lud7 id6 26.c5!+ Overall, we don't have too many problems
White was slightly worse but eventually after 8.ie3, and I expect Black players to
managed to hold a draw in Portisch - Nunn, have reasonable chances to play for a win
Amsterdam 1990. by following my recommendations in this
chapter.
18 .. Jk8 19.ig5?!
This doesn't look right.
19.f3 mg7 20.bxc6 l"i:xc6 21.ltld5 ic5 22.mf2

ltle8 23.a5 lt:ld6= was balanced in Janwitje -
Tihi, corr. 2004.
Gligoric
Various 8th Moves
Variation Index
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6 ..ie2 e5 7 ..ie3
7 ... c6!?
A) s:~c2 121
mshl 1n
C) 8.dxe5 dxe5 123
Cl) 9.0-0 124
C2) 9.°1Wxd8 ~xd8 125
C21) 10.~xe5 125
C22) 10.h3 ~a6 11.0-0 ~e8 127
C221) 12.a3 ~h5! 13.~fdl ~f4 14..ifl ~e6
15.b4 f5 16.c5! f4 17..icl ~d4 127
C2211) 18.~xd4!? 128
C2212) 18.~d2 132
C222) 12.c5!? .if8! 13 ..ixa6 bxa6 133
C2221) 14.b4 134
C2222) 14.~fdl 135
C223) 12.~fdl 136
B) note to 10.~c2N C221 l) note to 19.12lbl!?N C223) after l 7.l"ld2
a b c d e f g h abcdefgh
20 ... ~e6!N l 7 ... a5'.:S.:

l.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltlc3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.ltlf3 In this chapter I look at the rare moves
0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 A) 8.~c2 and B) 8.h3, before proceeding to
The Gligoric Variation is a major system in the examine C} 8.dxe5.
King's Indian, liked by players of all strengths.
There is good reason for this popularity, as 8.'®d2 is covered in the next chapter, 8.0-0 in
it combines solidity with aggression. White Chapter 9, and the main line of 8.d5 is the
develops his last minor piece and would ideally subject of Chapters 10-12.
like to reach a closed central formation where
the f3-knight would be retreated to d2. This A) 8.~c2
stops any ... 'Llg4 attacks and prepares the first
player's expansion on either wing, according to As played by GM Yuri Shulman in his early
-.i.~
his style and preferences. youth. It can be dealt with in the following
ways:
78 ~Af,,m,,,,/,~
~ ,,Y,•r
~~-~ 8 ... ltlg4!?
5~~-"-~
Exploiting the weakness of the d4-square.
6 " "~ "-~-,,~
The more classical method is 8 ... exd4 9.'Llxd4
4
~
~~,~8'~~~
~i~,,,%~~!~
~e8, preparing to pile upon the e4-pawn by
means of .. YJie7 Such positions are examined
later in Chapter 9.
3 ffl ;~ ~~ffl
2 lH_,,,,;uir/j irtJ
1 :-,,,,/,u-1=,,,/,•~ 9.i.g5 f6 10.i.h4
This is the critical reply.
a b c d e f g h 1o..td2 allows: 1o... exd4 1 l.'Llxd4
j~,-~.,~
7 ... c6!?
Controlling the important d5-square
and preparing to challenge White's central
7
6
'a' ;
8 a ~ It. ;.ll1i
/~-.JL~E~
~.-~,_,,/,~ --Y-~,
;,'S'~
f~~
-
superiority by means of ... exd4 followed by

... d5. Additionally, Black keeps the option
: ~~!rn!~I~
~~--/,~,-/,~
of developing the b8-knight either to d7 or

a6. This coverage of 7 ... c6 comprises a full 3~~~------~ ~~
presentation of its current theoretical status ~~% ' ~ 0 : ~ ~ / ~~-,,
enriched by examples from my own practice.
It must be remarked that the 7 ... c6 system
has been analysed inside out by theoreticians,
2
~"----/,-, , , ~~----%-~
8f~'if~~f~8W8
a b c d e f g h
and consequently it offers Black relatively few
1 l ... f5! 00 Black is well placed. (Shulman only
winning chances. However, no assumption
mentions 1 l...'®b6, which I don't like so
should be made that this is an inferior
much in view of: 12.ixg4 ixg4 13.ie3 ~b4
variation; in fact it is an entirely sound way of
14.b3±)
battling the Gligoric.
At this point White has the following main
continuations: 8.dxe5, 8.'®d2, 8.0-0 and 8.d5.
122 Gligoric
13 ... e4 14.ltid2 e3 15 ..ixg4 exd2t 16.@xd2

.ixd4 17..ixf5 gx5 18.%Vg4
12.h3 tt'lh6 13.0-0-0 f4 14 ..ih2 Wde7 is

preferable for White according to the engines,
but what about this bishop on h2? In my
opinion Black may not be better, but there is
no question of a White advantage either. B) 8.h3
I am not impressed by this move, despite

it being introduced to tournament praxis by
12 ....ixf5 13.%Vdl! such a prominent figure as Ratmir Kholmov.
13.Wd2 allows Black to displace the knight White's problem is that Black gains too much
by 13 ... e4 14.tt'lgl tt'la6, when his chances counterplay against the e4-pawn.
are clearly superb. For example: l 5 ..ixg4
(15.h4 lt'ib4 16.0-0-0 c5t; 15.tt'lh3 h6 8 ... exd4 9 ..ixd4
16.0-0 '1Mfd7 00 ) 15 ... .ixg4 16.tt'lge2 d5? After 9.tt'lxd4 a logical continuation is:
9 ... ~e8 10 ..if3 (IO.Wc2 a6 11.~dl We7
12.if3 cS 13.4Jde2 4Jc6 14.4Jf4 i.e6 1S.b3 11.0-0

l"i:ab8 16.0-0 bS= was more or less balanced 11.0-0-0?! is dangerous for White, after
in Einarsson - Baklan, Reykjavik 2011) either l l...4Jb4t or: l 1...i.h6t!? 12.4Jd2
10 ... 4Jbd7 11.0-0 4JcS Play has transposed to (12.<;g;,bl? 4Jxe4+) 12 ... 4Jb4 13.Wb3 4Jxe4
variation B 11 of Chapter 9 - see page 163. 14.4Jcxe4 l"i:xe4 1S.i.e3
9 ... :Se8 10.'i9c2N

Inferior is 10.eS?! dxeS 11.i.xeS, as played in
Marovic - Bednarski, Amsterdam 1970, due
to the strong:
a b c d e f g h
1S ... l"i:xe3! 16.fxe3 WaS~ With tremendous
compensation on the dark squares.
l 1. .. ~c5 12.id3
12.4Jd2?! 4Jfxe4! 13.ixg7 4Jxd2+
12.eS?! ifs 13.Wcl ltJfe4+
si,-.t~i.~9~
1 ifIB
6 ,,,,,%m ,_ %-~, ~~
"af•r
:~~,d~·~
1~ [',
~(~~u~
~~ ,,,,,%~ '"""~
2!nvafD!~
3
1 ~ , ,,%ffl %=,,,,%~ n
a b c d e f g h
10 .. .c!tia6!
10 ... cS!? l l.i.e3! (l l.i.xf6 i.xf6 followed
by ... 4Jc6 is slightly better for Black, thanks
to the weakness on d4) l l...4Jc6 12.0-0 We7 C) 8.dxe5
13.igS;!; With the idea 13 ... 4Jb4 14.Wclt
which would justify White's strategy. This move has Beliavsky's stamp of approval.
It releases the central tension, in an effort to
124 Gligoric
keep things as simple as possible, and aims at

a slow manoeuvring struggle. If the queens are
exchanged White has some remote chances to
exploit the slight weakening of the d6-square.
Let us check how things might evolve:
:~,,~LJ,,j
8
:~
J;~,~J:1;~
1j T ~IJJ
~~~l~r;;~~~
8... dxe5
~ ~ ~~~~
White can play Cl) 9.0-0 or C2) 9.~xd8.
Cl) 9.0-0
3
2 ~~if~·t~!-
~· ~. ~m :fir
a b c d e f g h
13 ... li:'if4!? 14.Ei:adl (14.b4 loses time and
gives Black a target for ... a5 after 14 ... li:'ice6+)
14 ... li:'ixe2t 15.li:'ixe2 b6 16.li:'icl li:'ie6 17.li:'id3
Wi'c7+± Black is perhaps even slightly better.
10 ... 'lla6 11.~a4

l 1.h3 li:'id7 12.Wi'a4 f5 looks too slow for
White.
l 1. .. 'llg4!
White has not taken any precautions against
this, so why not?
12.ixg4 ixg4 13.f3 ie6 14.:!:Udl ~fc8

15.a3 'llc5 16.~b4 if8 17.'lla4!
9 ...~e7!
This has the additional advantage of
preventing b2-b4.
10.'lld2
Vaganian's try.
10.Wi'c2 li:'ibd7 transposes to a line featured in

the chapter on the Larsen Variation, which I
consider perfectly satisfactory for Black - see
variation A of Chapter 20, on page 390.
10.h3 weakens the f4-square as usual. Play a b c d e f g h

could continue: 10 ... li:'ia6 l l.a3 li:'ih5 12.Ei:el 17 ... 'lld3
li:'ic5 13.Wi'c2 l 7 ... li:'ixa4!?N l 8.Wi'xa4 b6 may be a slight
edge for Black.
18.'1Wc3 bS 19.'IWxd.3 bxa4 20.'1Wc2 '1Wb7 l l ... l2lc7 is less accurate.

21.~abl '1Wa6= 12.~xa6!?
A kind of status quo had been reached in After 12.~g5 f6 13.~xa6 bxa6 14.~d2 ~e6
Vaganian - Kasparov, Moscow 1988. 15.Ei:fdl sd7 16.h3 t2lh6= I prefer Black,
but objectively the chances are balanced.
C2) 9.'1Wxd8 ~xd8 12 ... l2lxe3! 13.~xb7
13.fxe3? bxa6 14.sfdl ~e6 15.l2lg5 ~g4
16.l2lf3 f6+ is almost lost for White, in view
of his pawn weaknesses and the powerful
bishop pair Black possesses.
13 ... ~xb7 14.fxe3 f6! 15.Ei:fdl ~f8 I6.b4
A third option is: 16 ... a5!

10.0-0 l2la6 l 1.c5 Black has strong compensation, but White
seems to hold after the accurate:
This looks like tempting fate, although I
haven't been able to find a refutation of it. 17.a3 Bxdlt 18.Bxdl axb4 19.axb4 Ba3
Instead, 11.Bfdl Be8 12.h3 transposes to 20.Bd7! Bxc3 21.Bxb7 Bxe3 22.'tt>fl! Bxe4
23.tiJd2 sd4 24.l2lb3=
variation C223.
C21) 10.lZ:lxeS
8
7
6
5
4
3
l l ... l2lg4! 2
This obvious move puts White under slight 1
pressure.
a b c d e f g h
126 Gligoric
White removes an important central pawn, After 16.e5?! if5! intending .. .f6, the white
but the gain is only temporary as Black's centre is soon going to crumble.
pressure on both the long diagonal and the 16 ...ixc3t 17.bxc3 if5 l8.';t,f2
e-file contribute to an easy recovery of the 18.e5!? f6 19.g4 ie6 20.~d4 if7 21.~e4
material. ~ad8+± gives White no advantage either.
18 ... ixe4 19.~d7 ixf3 20.Wxf3
10 ... ~xe4!
I consider this to be best. 8
7
However, probably almost as good is:
6
10 ... ~e8!? 1 l.f4 l2:lbd7 12.id4!
5
12.l2:lxd7?! allows the typical trick: 12 ... l2:lxe4!
13.tZle5 lZlxc3 14.bxc3 f6 15.l2:lxc6 ~xe3 4
16.l2:\d4 ~xc3 17Wd2 ~a3 18.if3 f5 3
19.lZlb5 ~a5t White has a lot of problems as 2
his a-pawn is about to fall.
12 ... l2:\h5 13.ixh5 l2:lxe5 14.ie2
a b c d e f g h
My only objection to Black's choice of
10 ... ~e8!? is that here l 4.fxe5!? gxh5 20 ... ~e6!
15.0-0-0 ig4 16.~d3 ixe5 17Wc2 20 ... b6 21.~hdU is slightly better for White
(l 7.h3? ~ad8!) l 7 ... ixd4 l 8.~xd4 ~e5 despite the doubled pawns.
looks like a slightly improved version for 21.~hdl
White of variation B2 of Chapter 2 (see After 21.~xb7?! ~d8t White falls under a
page 37), though it might still be equal. strong attack on the central files.
21...~ae8 22.~ld3 ~6e7 23.c5 h5!
As played in Stojanovic - Damljanovic,
Podgorica 1996, when White should have
restricted himself to:
24.~xe7N ~xe7 25.~d8t Wg7 26.~b8=
With a dead-drawn position, as neither side
has an active plan.
l l.~xe4 i.xe5 12.i.g5 ~d4!

This aggressive move stops any ambitions
White may have had for an advantage.
a b c d e f g h
13.~f6t
l 4 ... l2:lf3t!
13.l2:ld2 l2:la6 l 4.l2:\f3 ~g4 15.l2:lxe5 ~xg5
l 4 ... l2:ld3t?! is inferior, because after
16.l2:ld3 is approximately equal, but it is White
15.ixd3 ixd4 16.Wd2!± (intending Wc2),
who has to be more careful.
the white centre is well protected and the
king finds shelter on the queenside.
13 ... ci>g? 14.~eSt f8 15.f4!
15.ixf3 ixd4 16.~dl!
The position is complicated, bur Black has
Weaker is 16.Wd2? ie6! 17.ie2 ~ad8+
excellent chances after either of the following
with the idea 18.id3 ie5! or 18.Wc2 ie3.
continuations:
White has the following choice: C221) 12.a3,

C222) 12.cS!? or C223) I2JUdl.
C221) 12.a3
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
C22) 10.h3 a b c d e f g h
Planning b2-b4, c4-c5 and lt:Jd2-c4.
8
12 .. JDhS!
7 This was my own response when facing
6 12.a4 over the board. The main purpose is to
play ... lt:Jf4-e6, transferring the knight to a fine
5 centralized position, with a secondary point
4 of freeing the f-pawn to participate in central
affairs.
3
2 13.l~fdl
1 13.c5!? lt:Jc7
Black has an equal game.
a b c d e f g h 14.E1fd 1 lt:Jf4
Keeping the knight out of g4 is a common
sense measure if White wants to initiate play
on the queenside.
10 .. .llla6 11.0-0 ges

The rook voluntarily leaves the cl-file, but
chis is nevertheless a flexible move. Besides
granting his e-pawn much needed support,
Black toys with possibilities such as ... lt:Jd7,
... lt:Jh5, and ... if8, with all of chem being tools
for exploiting White's weakness on the dark-
square complex in the centre.
128 Gligoric
15 ..ic4
After 15 ..ifl lt:'lfe6+±, Black will secure good
counterplay by launching .. .f5.
15 ... .ie6!
This is at least equal for Black.
16 ..ixe6 lt:'lfxe6 17.l"ld7 f5
17 ... l"ledS= is also playable, with the idea
18.l"ladl f6! to be followed by ... .if8.
18.l"ladl f4 19 ..icl ciif8! 20.b4
20.lt'ig5 l"le7!+
20 ... l"le7 2I.4Je2 l"lxd7 22.l"lxd7 a5 23 ..ib2 a b c d e f g h
axb4 24.axb4 Ela2 25.l"ld2 l"la4+± 19 ... Elxe6! 20 ..ib2 b6 21.cxb6 axb6 22. ciifl
Black's counterplay against the b4-pawn The position was balanced in Handke - Maze,
arrives in time. Lille 2012, and the safest way to maintain
equilibrium is the harmonious 22 ... l"le7N=.
I3 .. .lllf4 14 ..ifl c!tle6 I5.b4 f5
18 ..ib2!? allows the white structure to be
8 weakened, but the truth is that this is something
Black can hardly exploit. After 18 ... lt:'lxf3t
7
19.gxf3 4Jc7 20 ..ic4t .ie6 2I..ixe6t lt:'lxe6
6 22.l"ld7 b6 23.cxb6 axb6 Mohamed - Noah,
Baghdad 2010, White should play·
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
I6.c5!
Harmless is 16.lt:'la4 4Jac7 17.l"lacl b6
18 ..id3, as played in Xiu Deshun - Ding Liren,
a b c d e f g h
Taizhou 2014, due to the simple 18 ... l"lf8N=.
24.b5!N 4Jc5 25.l"ld6 cxb5 26.4Jd5 l"le6
16... £4 17 ..icl c!tld4 27.l"lxe6 lt:'lxe6 28.lt:'lxb6= With equality.
White now has several critical options, with
the main ones being C2211) 18.tLlxd4!? and C2211) 18.tiJxd4!?
C2212) I8.c!tld2.
Prusikin's interesting idea.
18 ..ic4t activates the bishop to a fine square,
so I think Black should exchange it: 18 ... .ie6 I8 ... exd4
19 ..ixe6t
28.l2:lg3 ic4 29.l2:le2 d3 30.ixe5 dxe2 31.id6

g5= looks even) 22 ... a5 23.l'!bl
a b c d e f g h
23 ... d3! 24.bxa5 (24.ib2 ia2) 24 ... l2:lb5
25.l'!el ia2 26.l'!b4 ic3 27.ixd3 l'!ed8
28.ixb5 cxb5 29.l'!xb5 ixd2 30.ixd2 l'!xd2
3 l.l'!xb7 l'!xa5 32.l'!cl l'!d8 33.c6 l'!c8 34.c7
©f7= A draw is the most likely conclusion.
20.g4
Another move that fails to achieve anything
for White.
20 ... l2:lc7 21.l2:ld2!
21.ib2? l'!xe4 22.l2:ld2 l'!f4 is better for
Black.
a b c d e f g h
20 ...ie6!N= Preventing l2:lc4 and gaining time
to build counterplay by ... l2:lc7 and ... a5.
19... f3!
The play now becomes quite complicated.
20.g3
I think this is best, avoiding a weakening of
White's pawn structure.
21...d3!?
I also looked at 2 l...a5 22.ib2 h5 23.gxh5
I also investigated 20.gxf3 l2:lc7 21.l2:ld2 ie6,
gxh5 24.l2:lxf3 !!xe4 25.ti::lxd4 ©f8 26.ig2
when Black is ready for ... a5 and seems to
l'!f4 27.l'!abl axb4 28.axb4 ©f7 29.b5 ixd4
gain sufficient counter-chances. For example:
30.ixd4 l2:lxb5 31.ie5 l'!c4 00 , but this is a
22.f4 (22.ib2 l2:lb5 23.ixb5 cxb5 24.©g2
bit too risky for my taste.
ie5 25.lufl ib3 26.l:'1d2 l'fad8 27.l'!e 1 <j;,f7
130 Gligoric
22.~bl ltlb5! 23.ib2 ixb2 24.~xb2 ltlc3

25.~el ltle2t 26.g-;,h2 b6! 27.ltlxf3 ia6 28.e5
bxc5 29.bxc5 ~e7~
Black has full compensation for the pawn.
a b c d e f g h
27.~ddl axb4 28.axb4 ltle6 29.ic3
~a3 30.id2 ig7!~ Black gets sufficient
compensation for his pawn. (I prefer Black's
last over 30 ... ~xf3 3 l.ixh6 g5 32.b5!? when
White has tactical chances.)
a b c d e f g h 22 ... ltlb5
20 ... ltlc7 21.ltld2 i.e6 The knight is headed towards c3 and this,
2 l...d3!? 22.~b l ltl b5 23.ib2 ixb2 24.~xb2 in conjunction with ... a5, provides Black with
ltlc3 25.~el lt:le2t 26.g-;,h2 b6 27.ltlxf3 may be enough play to compensate for the impending
a slight edge for White, but it certainly offers loss of the f3-pawn.
the second player a lot of activity.
23.ltlx6 ltlc3 24J;el
There is no question of a White advantage
after 24.~xd4 ltla4 25.icl ~f8! 26.if4 g5!.
a b c d e f g h
22.i.b2
This is most annoying to meet, as White aims
to capture on f3 without allowing counterplay.
a b c d e f g h
24... a5
22.ltlxf3 ib3 23.~d2 ~xe4 24.~bl id5 This is a critical position for Prusikin's idea.
25.ib2 a5 26.ixd4 ih6 White is a pawn up, and would like to blockade
the d4-pawn before subsequently mobilizing

8
his kingside pawn mass by moving the
f3-knight and carrying out the f2-f4 advance. 7
My analysis indicates that Black can get
6
sufficient play by staying alert.
5
25 ..id3 4
White is now ready to carry on with his
dangerous positional idea. 3
2
25.li::ig5
1
This rash try achieves nothing.
25 ... ib3 26.id3 a b c d e f g h
26.f4?! just drops the e4-pawn after: 26 ... h6 25 ... @hS!
27.li::if3 li::ixe4 28J'he4 Sxe4 29.4Jd2 id5!= Now the h3-pawn is under attack, and Black
provides his bishop with a safe haven on g8.
26.@g2
Defending the h-pawn before anything else
looks prudent.
Again, the rash 26.li::ig5 i.gS 27.f4 fails to

achieve an advantage:
a
26 ... !l:edS!
b c d e f g h
7~·~ •.
8
6
.i ~ ~.i ~j_,Jf!
~
BiB
~~
Bi~
~--Z-~~
/ ~~'/ ~ z "/«;
Black has overprotected d4 and is ready to 5~ef~~~
,, Z~ef' ,Z~':; >%~%"'_,,,;~
target White's weakness on b4.
4 ef~ ii.% ~ ef~ ~
27.4Jf3
27.f4 fails to: 27 ... axb4 28.axb4 4Ja2!
3 %~~
2 ,,%~---~~~ ,%~
29.Wf2 4Jxb4 30.We2 h6 31.4Jf3 !l:ab8!+±

27.e5 li::ia4 28.i.cl 4Jc3 29.if4 id5 30.h4
1 ~,,,,,~~ ~i~ ~~
!l:e8~ gives Black a lot of activity in return a b c d e f g h
for the pawn.
27 ... li::ia4 28.!l:ebl (28.i.cl 4Jc3 29.id2 h6
27 ... 'it>hs 28.Wg2 igS 29.h4 li::ia2!
30.4Jf3 axb4 31.axb4 !l:xal 32.!l:xal 4Jxe4
The key idea again.
33.!l:el id5 34.i.cl !l:e6 35.ixe4 !l:xe4
30.!l:edl
36.!l:xe4 ixe4 37 Wf2 d3=) 28 ... 4Jc3 29.!l:cl
30.b5 cxb5 31.i.xb5 4Jc3 can only be (29.i.xc3 dxc3 30.e5 !l:ed8t) 29 ... h6 30.ixc3
dangerous for White.
dxc3 31.4Jf3 !l:ed8 32.i.c2 g5+!
30 ... 4Jc3=
I can't see anything of substance for White.
I also looked at: 26.h4 !l:f8! 27.4Jg5 ig4!?
28.e5
132 Gligoric
28 .. )ihl~
With the usual counterplay. Thus, Prusikin's
idea leads to an immensely complex struggle
with chances for both sides.
C2212) 18.ltid2
a b c d e f g h
28 .. .Clla4! (28 ... h6 29.lbe4 ixe5 30.lbd6 ig7
3 l.ixg6 lba4 32.icl d3 33.ie3 ixal 34.l:hal
ie2 allows White an edge in a complicated
position) 29.ixd4! (29.icl h6 30.lbe4 axb4
3 l.axb4 lbxc5!! 32.l"lxa8 lbxd3 33.l"lxfSt
ixf8 34.l"\fl ie2 gives Black chances to play
for a win) 29 ... l"lad8 30.ic2 l"lxd4 3 l.ixa4
h6 32.l"le4! l"lxe4 33.lbxe4 ixe5 34.l"lbl if5
35.ic2 id4 36.bxa5 ixe4 37.ixe4 l"lxf2
Black will hold the ending. A critical moment has been reached. White
threatens to invade with his knight on d6, so
26 .. JH-'8 27J!hl urgent measures are required to prevent this.
27.lbg5 ig8 28.f4 lba4 29.l"labl axb4
30.axb4 ia2 3 l.e5 ixb 1 32.l"lxb 1 lbc3 18 ...ie6!
33.ixc3 dxc3 34.ic4= is complicated but An important first step towards organizing
approximately balanced. a successful break by ... b6 on the queenside.
Weaker is: 18 ... b6?! 19.lbc4! bxc5 20.l2'ld6

8
l"ld8 2 l.lbxc8 lbb8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
27 ...ig8 28J!hfl
28.h4 h6~; 28.lbd2 lba4 29.icl lbc3=
22 ... li:lf3t? 23.gxf3 Elxdl 24.li:lxc5+-) C222) 12.cS!?N

23.li:lxc5± White has all the positional pluses.
19.ltk4 ~eb8
The immediate 19 ... li:lc7!? is a worthy
alternative: 20.ib2 Eled8!? 21.Elacl f3 22.g3
h5!t Black obtained a promising position in
Kosic - Damljanovic, Zlatibor 2007
20.ib2
12 ...ifB!
This is best, forcing White to surrender the
bishop pair under good circumstances for
Black.
12 ... li:ld7 13.ixa6 bxa6 14.b4± is not so good

for Black.
12 ... li:lc7!? is viable though.

I chose 20 ... b6? in Sahovic - Kotronias, Novi
Sad 1999, which could have been immediately 13.ixa6 bxa6
punished with:
134 Gligoric
An interesting position. At this point White 14 ... aS

has the following choice, both linked with the A solid and thematic choice, trying to open
idea of improving the f3-knight and trying to up the position and create prospects for the
exploit our pawn weaknesses: C2221) 14.b4 bishops.
or C2222) 14J:Udl.
The immediate I4.lud2 is answered by Also possible is:
14 ... ieG, containing the knight. 15.Effdl 14 ... l"i:bS 15.l"i:abl a5!
(Instead, 15.lub3 l"i:ab8 16.lua5 l"i:xb2 17.luxc6 With the rook on bl, a worthwhile idea
lud7 18.lua4 l"i:b7+± is hardly problematic for is 15 ... lud?!?, but after 16.lud2! the white
us) 15 ... l"i:adS 16.b4 (16.lub3 l"i:xdlt 17.l"i:xdl knight sets his sights on d6 or a5. (The idea
l"i:b8!) behind 15 ... lud?!? is well illustrated by the
line: 16.l"i:fdl f5! 17.exf5 [17.a3 l"i:b7 00 ]
17 ... gxf5 18.g4?! fxg4 19.hxg4 luf6 20.g5
lug4+ It is not easy for White to settle on e4
with his knights, in view of ... if5.) 16 ... a5!
17.b5! ib7 18.bxc6 ixc6 19.l"i:xbS l"i:xb8
After 20.luc4± or 20.lub3 l"i:c8 21.l"i:cl±
White is still pressing.
C2221) 14.b4
a b c d e f g h
8
16.b5!
7 16.bxa5?! l"i:xbl 17.l"i:xbl lud7 18.lua4 f5+±
6 leads to a complicated struggle where I like
Black's chances, as he will have a mobile
5 pawn centre.
4 16 ... cxb5 17.luxb5
17.lud5 luxe4 18.lug5 luxg5 19.lufGt c;t,hs
3 20.luxeS lue4 21.l"i:fcl b4~ looks to me like
2 a heavyweight struggle where Black is doing
fine.
1
17 ... luxe4 18.luxa7 l"i:b4! 00
a b c d e f g h With chances for both sides.
A logical and dangerous try, but Black has
enough counterplay. 15.bS! i.h7 I6J'Udl
After 16.b6 axb6 17.cxb6 I would prefer 17 ... cxbS I8Jhb5

17 ... l:l:ab8 00 , as the materialistic 17 ...~b4!?
18.:!:l:fcl ~xc3 l 9.l:l:xc3 li:'ixe4 00 seems easier to
8
handle as White.
7
8 6
7 5
6 4
5 3
4 2
3 1
2 a b c d e f g h
1 I8 ...~c6! 19.:axaS li:'ixe4 20.l2he4 he4=
Black should hold comfortably in view of his
a b c d e f g h
two bishops.
16 .. J~acS I7J~abl
Logical, but Black has a satisfactory reply. C2222) 14.:afdl
17.~g5 Wg7 18.~xf6t Wxf6 is equal after:
19.Ei:d? l:l:e7 20.bxc6 (20.:!:l:adl cxb5+) 8
20 ... ~xc6 21.li:'id5t ~xd5 22.l:l:xd5 l:l:ee8 7
23.Ei:cl l:l:ed8 24.:!:l:xdS l:l:xd8 It is not easy for
White to support his pawn on c5. 6
5
17.b6 is again an issue, but I think Black is
okay· 17 ... axb6 18.cxb6 c5 19.li:'id2 l:l:e6 4
20.:!:l:abl (20.li:'ic4?! ~a6) 3
2
8 ~.i~ • •
:~~J,,j
Wil --
5 ~----%~
1
a b c d e f g h
4 ----%a--%a"zta %~
Trying to keep as many options open as
possible. Now Black cannot play ... l:l:b8
3 ~
~~
%~ %~ %-~
~~
immediately in view of li:'ixe5!.
~B m f[g;,~~
',,,,,,;%'"/d""'~W,'/
2
r~lf~--%m 14... aS!
Black avoids blocking the c8-bishop by
a b c d e f g h ... li:'id7 and effectively isolates the c5-pawn.
20 ... c4! The pawn on b6 is not as dangerous Also, the bishop obtains an alternative square
as it seems, as the b-file can be shielded by for its development, namely a6.
placing a bishop on b4.
136 Gligoric
15.ltld2! C223) 12.gfdl

15.l"\acl h6!?+± intending ... ia6.
8
15.a3 ia6 16.tz:ld2 l"1ab8 17.b4 id3 00
7
15 ...i.e6 16.ltlb3 i.xb3! 6
16 ... a4 17.lZla5±
5
17.axb3 geb8 18.gxaS 4
Black also equalizes after: l 8.l"\a3 a4!
19.l"\xa4 l"\xb3 20.l"\a6 (20.l"\d2 a5 00 ) 20 ... l"\cS
3
21.l"\xa7 l"\xb2= With the idea 22.tz:la4?! l"1a2. 2
1
18 ... gxb3 19.gd2
a b c d e f g h
s~U
7
~ ffl*
, ~ ~~,,,~,
Now we revert to what has been the most
popular move.
6 '~ , ~ ~ - , ~ 12 ...i.ffi!
""0~~,%~~,~,,,,,;~
5
4
~ if[!J, if~/i%mffl~~
,,,,,Y,m%,,,,%m":'
It goes without saying this is essential.
13.tZ)d2
~/, "//, ~~:,r;; ~~
3~~m
2
mm~
~~,,,,,;~~f'"'~~8m
This was once believed to give White an
edge, but things have changed.
1 ,,,,,/,.,,,,,/,.,,,/,,
l 3.a3 tz:lc5 14.tz:ld2
The thoughtless 14.ixc5?! ixc5 15.b4 if8
a b c d e f g h 16.c5 b6 17.b5 ib7+ ruins White's position.
19 ... a6!= 14 ... tz:le6! 15.tz:lf3
Denying the white rook the fine entry square 15.b4 tz:ld4 16.id3 b600 is a dynamic
on a6. position with mutual chances, and I would
Weaker is instead 19 ... l"\abS?! 20.l"\a6 l"\xb2 go as far as to say that Black has a tiny pull.
21.l"\xc6±, when White has the better-placed
pieces and all the chances. Even here though,
Black should be able to draw.
a b c d e f g h
l 5... a5!?N I 6 ... 0,f4 17.ifl 0,6h5 l 8.if2 ie7 00 was

Black may cry chis instead of forcing a draw played in the stem game G. Giorgadze -
by l 5.. .tllc5. Zapata, Linares 1997, but I consider my move
Also possible is: 15 ... ic5 16.b4 ixe3 a bit better.
l 7.fxe3 @g7 l 8.c5 0,c7 l 9J:'!:d6 ~e7 20.~fl
a5 21.0,d2 axb4 22.axb4 ie6+ Black 17.:ad2
had a slight pull in Bartholomew - Maze,
Reykjavik 2013.
16.0,xe5
16.0,a4 0,d7 l 7.~xd7 ixd7 18.0,xe5 ~ad8
19.ib6 0,f4 20.ifl ie6 21.ixdS ~xd8+±
gives Black powerful compensation for the
pawn.
16 ... 0,c5 17.ixc5 ixc5 18.0,d3 id4 19.e5
0,d7 20.0,e4 ~e7~
The struggle continues.
8
7 a b c d e f g h
6 17 ... a5!N
A suggestion of Stelios Halkias.
5
4 17 ... b6!? 18.~cdl 0,dc5 19.0,xc5 ixc5
3 20.ixc5 0,xc5
2
1
a b c d e f g h
13 ...ib4!
The practitioners of the 7 ... c6 system owe
thanks to GM Alonso Zapata for discovering
this resource. In my opinion it is the best
way of playing the Black position, and offers
excellent chances of equality.
a b c d e f g h
14.:aacl .!2Jc5 21.~d6 ib7 22.b4 0,e6 23.@f2 @f8 24.ifl
Black has obtained the desired control over c5 25.a3 ~ec8 26.0,d5 ~d8 27.~xdSt ~xd8=
the dark squares, and can look forward to a With equal chances in Halkias - Kotronias,
fully-fledged battle. Moscow 2007
15.8 .!2Je6 16 ..!2Jb3 .!2Jd7! 18.a3 if8 19 ..!2Ja4

138 Gligoric
Conclusion
8
7 I have chosen to meet the Gligoric Variation
6 with 7 ... c6, and our coverage began by
examining the minor lines 8.iMfc2 and 8.h3.
5 From there we moved on to White's attempts to
4 gain an endgame advantage with 8.dxe5 dxe5,
although after 9.0-0 the reader is advised to
3 play through the game Vaganian - Kasparov,
2 since we do not allow an early queen exchange
in that line.
1
The main bulk of the chapter focused on
a b c d e f g h 9.iMfxd8 !"i:xd8, where White aims to play
19 ... cS!m against the weakened d6-square and squeeze
Black has good chances to play for a win in Black in a long, manoeuvring game. Black's
this complicated queenless middlegame. strategy is almost always to fight for control
of d4, and I believe that in doing so he not
only completely neutralizes White's attempts
to gain an edge, but in fact acquires chances
to play for a win himself. One important point
is that after 10.h3 li:Ja6 11.0-0 !"i:e8 12.!"i:fdl
j,fS! 13.li:Jd2, Zapata's move 13 ... j,b4! is
instructive, as it paves the way for the black
knight's occupation of c5 without allowing
White b2-b4.
Gligoric
8.id2
Variation Index
1.d4 ltJf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltJc3 .tg7 4.e4 d6 5.ltlf3 0-0 6 ..te2 e5 7 ..te3 c6!? 8.'!Wd2
8 ... ltJbd7
A) 9.0-0 ltJg4! 10..tgS f6 11..th4 ltJh6! 140
Al) 12J~adl 141
A2) 12.h3 143
B) 9J~dl!? ~e8!? 10.dS cxd5 11.cxdS 145
Bl) 11 ... a6 146
B2) 11 ... ltJg4!? 147
Al) after 14.~c2! A2) after 18 .f4 B 1) after l 6.~xa4
abcdefgh a b c d e f g h
14 ... g5!?N 18 .. .f5!?N

140 Gligoric
1.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltlc3 ig7 4.e4 d6 s.ltlf3 B) 9J'Ml!? is considered to offer White
0-0 6.ie2 eS 7.ie3 c6!? 8.¥9d2 nothing. However, as we shall see, things are
not so simple.
I would like to point out that 9.ih6 has rarely

been tried in practice, possibly because of
9 ... ixh6 10.~xh6 l"1e8 when Black is by no
means worse. An example from this position
continued:
A first step towards initiating pressure along

the cl-file, but the move is rather inflexible.
8 ... ltlbd7
A fighting continuation, since playing for a
win is one of the main aims behind the King's
Indian.
8 ... exd4 aims for direct counterplay by

liquidating the centre, and is fine for Black, but
A) 9.0-0 ltlg4!
I have decided to focus on the more ambitious
text move.
Black continues by trying to force the enemy

dark-squared bishop to an awkward position.
10.igS f6 l I.ih4
Chapter 8 - 8.\Wd2 141
8
7
6
.1 m .2.a
arrm'i{m
,,,,,%~ l~
i~•~
,,,,Y,IYr %~f,~~
Al) 12.:aadl
3
••"'W'•
4•aftttnl~
s
~m,,,,%~ , , , ~~
~~'ef"";"''"'·~~'/ ~ ~ ' /
8 f{j iittf{j 8 flj
, "{' %~•,,,,,%w,,,,%~,if' "
2
1
~ ~ fflM~
a b c d e f g h
l 1...ltJh6!
Black is preparing to bring the knight to the
ideal f7-square. White can respond with either
Al) 12.:aadl or A2) 12.h3.
12 ... ltJf7 13.:afel
The omission of h2-h3 is felt in the following Instead, l 3.j,g3 allows l 3 .. .f5!. One possible
variation: 12.b4?! g5! 13.lllxg5 line is: 14.exf5 gxf5 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.1Wc2 \Wf6
17_j,h4
8 .1•..t~ ~~-~
•'ll•'ll•t
1
6
5
4
3
~.,.~1.~~
Ii
~m~.~
•
-,,
~,~.,.
~ ("''; •
, !nv•J~!,.~
~ ~M·M~
a b c d e f g h
17 ...1We6! (17 ... Wi'g6?! 18.j,e? Be8 19.lt:lh4

Wi'e6 20.lt:lxf5 8xe7 2I.j,g4 unnecessarily
creates problems) 18.Bfel e4 19.lt:ld4 Wi'g6
Closing the centre is, in principle, undesirable 20.f4 lt:lc5 21.lt:lb3 (21.j,e?? j,xd4t 22.Bxd4
for White: 12.d5 lt:lf7 13.b4 (13.dxc6 bxc6 lt:le6+) 21...lt:le6 22.Wi'cl j,h6 23.Bfl lt:le5
14.b4 \We7 15.b5 j,b700 looks harmonious for Black has the initiative.
Black. If l 6.a4 then 16 ... lt:lc5 171Wc2 lt:ld8!~,
planning ... lt:le6, is promising for him.) Releasing the tension by l 3.dxe5 dxe5
l 3 ... c5 l 4.a3 a5! 00 Black has a fine game, as the 14.b4 Wi'e7 15.c5 8e8 16.j,c4 lt:lf8= caused
h4-bishop is merely a spectator. Black no problems in Todorovic - Paunovic,
Arandjelovac 1991
142 Gligoric
13.b4
Trying to generate some action in the centre.
I suggest the following idea, trying to take
advantage of both the omission of h2-h3 and
the fact that c4 has been slightly weakened:
13 ... g5!?
a b c d e f g h
14...g5!?N
This wins an exchange at the cost of some
risk. Both queen moves available allow the
a b c d e f g h c4-c5 tactic, but Black may be able to escape
unscathed if he chooses the right square for
14.dxe5!N
Her Majesty·
14.ig3 g4 15.l2:lh4 exd4 16.l2:la4 l2:lde5
17.l2:lf5 ixf5 18.exf5 l2:lh6+
l 4 ... We7?! is unpleasant for Black after:
l 4 ... l2:ldxe5! l 5.l2:lxe5
15.ig3 l2:lxf3t 16.ixf3 g4 17.ie2 f5
18.exf5 ixf5 19.id3 Wg5=
l 5... dxe5!
15 ... fxe5?! 16.ig3 ie6 17.f3±
16.Wb2 We7 17.ig3 g4 18.f3 gxf3 19.1"lxf3
l2:lg5=
Or 19 .. .l''ld8!? 20.1"lxd8t l2:lxd8 21.if2 l2:le6=
13 ... a5
Halting b2-b4.
14.Wfc2!
This is most testing in my opinion.
14.ifl ?! fails to spot Black's idea, which is to With the above line in mind, it makes more
provide his queen with a great square on a5. sense to put the queen on c7 in order to cover
Afrerl4 ... a4! l 5.h3 Wa5! 16.tZlbl 1"le8 17 Wxa5
b6, and this is what may happen if White
1"lxa5 18.d5 l2:lc5 19.l2:lfd2 cxd5 20.cxd5 b5 goes on with his plan unperturbed: 14 ... Wc7!?
2 l .b4= the result was a rather uneventful draw
l 5.c5!? dxc5 16.dxe5
in Gruenberg- Vogt, Dresden 1985.
Chapter 8 - 8.'\Wd2 143
AR 1ir,ffl
8 ~ ~z~~~~~,.
7 ~ & iii.Ii~,//,'~,,&~~
~ - ,,,/,~ ,?,:~-~
6 ~(~~~rJjB
s ~~:·~--~/,R_
:~ [&"~ fc.j R,,
I]
0
4
3 ~ m~~
~ / "//,;
~~Afi'®iB
~~~~-0
~ ~ 81~
[-";'\.
2 Q ,/,~:i~ ~
A fc.j §J R/~c:J ,,~
1 ' f g h
a b c d e t2:i 5 fxe5 19 ..ic4
16 ... lt:idxe5! 17.lt:iat b~b~:~o ::tricate himself
~b8= Black sho~ld e n serious dama?e to
h
from t . e. Pinmeamn
his posmon,
without a Y14 ... ®Bc7 ..,, is viable.
. g that
~i, ;o,
15 ..i5·gd3:5 fxe5 l 6 ..li.g3 lilcS I t2J 4 Black.
lt:ixa4
2I...~xb3
2 1 ~a7 22.
lt:id4i
1 . x h5 19 ·h3 Wf6 is accepta
l8.Wxa4 ... @hl
22.axb3 ®f6
8 23 ..if4 h5 24 ..ie3 ~b8 25.
15 ...g4 I6.~h4 exd4 I7Jhd4!
17.lt:ia4 lt:ic5oo ~es . d play.
With complicate
A2) I2.h3
.iJ~ ~~-~
~~-
g ,~,:~tJt,i
.% •
A ,\Uli
·~i- !iiii.
~i'J.r;; ~, •
"a,,• •%&"l 3J"
1
6
511.~8tfJo~ %i,,,,
4
3
•,a 'nll'lal':i
~ ~-J A~~
~ 0 , -~,,,,,;~ ~,/,,rn~ ~~ 0 ~
~ ~'f§~~£ ,,:cm,
~
A
2
1 ~ b
'•
C d
a:s:n
e
f g h
Th . ais not stnct

. 1y necessary, but it is huseful
Id
1s 5 4 1"deas. White s ou ,
d also averts ... g -g. ks to the centre
20.~b3 b6 21.'?N~ mpensation here, an~
an
in principle, b rmg· his
1 rooby means of b2 -b4
White has defimte ~o f view his game is
. 1 pomt However,
o . ly an d trY to generate P ay
from the pracnca objecnve
the more Pleasant one. and c4-c5 .
144 Gligoric
12 ... ltlf7 13Ji~adl 16 ... c5 17.~abl a6 18.a3

This appears to be the correct rook. As played in Szilagyi - Soos, Hungary 2006,
when Black would have been slightly better
13J~fdl?! 'Wc7!? after:
13 ... .ihG! 14.'Wc2 .if4 15.b4 ~e8= is another
way to play.
8 .i ~,! ~~ ~~i
14.b4
1 ~ i ~'llB'll~ i
:~Jr,r~,-1]
14 ..ig3 a5 15.'\Wc2 ~e8 16.~abl was the
continuation in Kretchetov - Griffith, Las 6 •••• ~
~.ref ~-% ~
Vegas 2012, and here 16 ... exd4N l 7.lt:ixd4
lt:ic5= seems to yield a perfectly playable
position for Black. 3
~~
~L_;~
'B~ ~?:i-'%1
-~--~
2
a
,.:i/.0,J=
,, % ~ ,,,, -
b c d e f g h
18 ... hG!?N+
Cramping both the f3-knight and the
h4-bishop. The scheme with ... We? and .. .f5 is
a typical way of countering White's set-up, and
Black only has to be careful that he doesn't fall
victim to tactics starting with c4-c5.
a b c d e f g h
14 ... f5!? 15.exf5 gxf5 16.d5?!
l 6.dxe5 dxe5 17 .c5 a5 is also excellent for
Black.
16.~ab 1! ~e8 17 .b5 would have undoubtedly
been the most critical.
a b c d e f g h
More aggressive is:
After 17 ... .ihG 18.'1Wc2 e4 19.lt:id2 lt:if8 13 ... '\Wc7!? 14.b4 f5
20.bxc6 bxc6 21..ig3 'We7 22.<iihl lt:ig6 the
position is highly unclear.
Chapter 8 - 8.\Wd2 145
a b c d e f g h
15.c5!?
15.d5 c5 16.a3 i.h6 is slightly better for a b c d e f g h
Black. 18 ... fS!?N 19.exfS ~ 20.ltixfS!
15.dxe5 lt:ldxe5 is unclear. 20.i.£2 Wb4=
15.exf5 gxf5 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.lt:lg5 lt:\f6
18.\We3 lt:lxg5 19.i.xg5 i.e6 20.l"1d2 \Wf7 20... ltixb3t 21.Wff:2 Wfxflt 22.~ hc3
21.Ei:fdl ;gfe8 22.b5 \Wg6 23.bxc6 bxc6 23.c!l)e7t @g7 24.axb3 hel 2SJ''ixel @t"B+!
24.\Wg3 h6 25.ih4 Wxg3= Reaching a complicated ending.
15 ... a5!?
White is slightly better after: 15 ... fxe4 B) 9J'idl!?
16.4Jxe4 (16.cxd6 4Jxd6 17.dxe5 4Jxe5=)
16 ... d5 17.lt:leg5 lt:lxg5 18.lt:lxg5 ;ge8
19.i.g3 Wd8 20.i.g4±
16.cxd6
16.a3?! axb4 17.axb4 exd4 18.4Jxd4 dxc5
19.4Je6 We5 20.lt:lxg7 cxb4+
16 ... Wxd6 17.b5 exd4 18.bxc6 bxc6 19.exf5
dxc3 20.Wxd6 4Jxd6 21.;gxd600
With an interesting struggle ahead.
14.b3
14.Wc2!? Wc700
14 .. J''ieS ISJUel exd4!? 16.4Jxd4 lticS

17.~fl Wfb6 18.f4
In the game Sachdev - Damljanovic,
Andorra 2011, Black should have continued
with:
9 .. Ji~e8!?
By threatening ... exd4 Black succeeds in
forcing his opponent to release the tension
in the centre, rendering White's awkwardly-
placed heavy artillery useless.
146 Gligoric
10.d5 cxd5 11.cxd5 12 ... Wc7 13.lt:ld2 b5 14.Ei:cl lt:lb6 15.Wdl!

Wb8 16.a4! bxa4 17.4Jxa4 4Jxa4 18.Wxa4
i.d7 19.Wa3 i.b5 20.f3 lt:lh5 21.i.c4!± left
8
White with a clear advantage in L.B. Hansen
7 - Wahls, Taastrup 1992.
6 13.0-0
13.g3!? b5 14.lt:ld2 lt:ldf6 l 5.h3 (l 5.f3 i.h3!?)
5 15 ... i.d7 16.Wb3 Wc8! is complicated, but
4 Black does not seem worse.
13 ... lt:lf4 14.E!:fel 4Jxe2t 15.Wxe2 f5=
3 Black has the bishop pair and enough space
2 on the kingside, so I consider the chances to
be equal.
1
a b c d e f g h
The downside to Black's 9th move is that
the rook is not well placed on e8, so he has to
immediately initiate counterplay. I looked at
BI) 11 ... a6 and B2) n .. .c!Lig4!?
BI) 11 ... a6 12.0-0
12.Wc2!?
White plans to untangle by 4Jd2 and slowly
gain the upper hand on the queenside. My
conclusion is that Black shouldn't be any
worse if he handles the issue accurately.
.I ~_.i.tj .I ~·
7~·-'I)··~·
8
~~
6
s
4
r•lfe··--~
••••~
~.~&t(a~~
0.~
~@P ~Z"/JL]~ 14.a4!
14.lt:ld2 lt:lg4 15.i.xg4 i.xg4 16.Ei:cl i.d7 is
equal in my view.
3 %,~~~
%,~ 14... bxa4
~@r~--- --~ -----"~-,, ~~-,,
~ f~ii~~f~ ~ Wl3 Kasparov considers 14 ... b4? incorrect due
2
Z~i~---Z-~ to: 15.a5! lt:lbd7 16.lt:la4 Wxa5 17.4Jd2! i.b7
18.Ei:al E!:ec8 19.Wb3±
a b c d e f g h
12 ... 4Jh5!? 14 ... 4Jxa4! is actually the most accurate way to
This move seems to be a fair solution when reach the position arising after l 6.Wxa4 below.
White plays Wd2-c2 before castling. The
idea is to hunt the el-bishop. I5.c!tlxa4
12 ... b5 13.4Jd2t is weaker. 15.Ei:al!? is certainly playable for White too.
Chapter 8 - 8.'\Wd2 147
15 ... l[ixa4 I6.~xa4 19 ..ixa6 l"le7?!

The general feeling is that White has the 19 ... Wd?!? would have been preferable.
more pleasant game due to slight queenside 20 ..ixc8 Wxc8 2 l .h3!±
pressure, but this may not be so clear. Correct The queenside had been cleared, but Black's
1s: weakness on d6 gave White a small but clear
advantage, which he converted in due course
in Kasparov - Ivanchuk, Reggio Emilia 1991
8
7 I7.~c2 l::!:c8!
6 17 ... Wb8 18.tZld2 l"lc8 is given as equal
by Kasparov, but I believe that after 19.tZlc4
5 White has a tiny pull.
4
18.~bl aS I9.l[id2 l[ig4 20.hg4 hg4
3
21.l::!:cl ie2 22.l::!:xcS ~xc8 23.l::!:cl ~d7
2 White's plus looks very small to me, and
I would expect Black to draw easily with
1
accurate play.
a b c d e f g h
I6 ...id7!N B2) 1 I. .. l[ig4!?
16 ... l"lb8!? 17.tZld2! tZlg4
18 ..ia?!!
18 ..ig5? allows Black to solve his problems
tactically by 18 ....id?! 19 ..ixd8 .ixa4
20 ..ic? .ixdl 21.l"lxdl l"lb7 22 ..ixd6~
when, according to Kasparov, White has
compensation for the exchange. I would 12.igS f6 13.ih4
agree, but also add that White has no more
than that.
18 ... l"lxb2!?
18 ... l"la8 19 ..ib6±; 18 ... l"lb? 19.Wxa6 We?
20.l"lal l"lxb2 21 Wd3± (Kasparov)
148 Gligoric
15.h3 lt:lh6 16.b4! (16.ltlg5?! does not quite

8
work in view of 16 ... b4!) 16 ... lt:\£7 l 7.a4 bxa4
7 18.lt:lxa4 lt:lb6 19.l'fal (19.ltlc3 :§:e7 20.:§:al
:§:c7 21 '1Wb2 ih600 ) 19 ... lt:lxa4 20.:§:xa4
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
13 ... a6!N
This flexible move is best here. a b c d e f g h
14.0-0 20 ... id7! 21.:§:xa6 :§:xa6 22.ixa6 '1Wb6 23.id3

14.a4 is best met by 14 ... h5!. f5 With an uneasy position for both sides, as
14.h3 lt:lh6 15.a4!? iWa5! 16.0-0 f5 looks White is practically playing without the bishop
okay for Black. on h4 while Black is a pawn down. I would
expect the position to peter out to a draw, with
one possible line being: 24.'1We3!? The engines'
8 1.m.t~1. ~-~
~~ ;,;,,,,/,~ ~~fP'~
top choice. 24 ... iWxb4 25.'1Wa7 '1Wa4 26.:§:al
7
6
~£ ~!~~rJ~£
iffl (~ (~·~
Wi'xa7 27.:§:xa7 fxe4 28.ixe4 if5 29.ixf5 gxf5
30.ie7 e4 3 l .lt:lh4 id4 32.:§:b7 f4 33.ltlf5
~~ ~,,,,/,~rl,,,,/,~ ic5 34.g3 fxg3 35.lt:lxg3 e3=
5!ll!ll !llj fl1i!ll !llW"'

: !ll~!lli
~~'ef""';'\IDJ
8 t[j
1a~
~~,~ ~~,~
1§l}~t[j 8 tlj
15 ... ltih6 16.ltic2
Beginning the trip towards c6. 16.lt:ld3 '1Wb6
17.lt:lb4 will transpose, unless White deviates
with the risky 17.b4?! f5! 18.ig5 f4?.
2
1 ,,,,,%B]i•tm,,,,
a b c d e f g h
14... b5!
With White's queen's bishop away from its
native wing, Black is entitled to get his portion
of space there. This may even be strategically
imperative.
15. lti el !?m

Black's last prepares to conquer space on
both wings, so White focuses on the weakness
at c6.
Chapter 8 - 8.'Wd2 149
16 ...'®b6 18 ... .!tlbS!?

Pinning the adverse f-pawn is Black's best Black is ready to expel the intruder by ...id7,
chance for counterplay, so as to keep the so White must act.
h4-bishop as much out of the game as possible.
19.b4!?
17.ttlb4 To create a square on a5 for the knight.
l 7.b4!? f5! 18.a4 bxa4 19.luxa4 'Wb7! 20.f3
19.'We3
(20Jkl iuf7!)
This is suggested by several engines, but it
brings White nothing.
8.i~.i.~.i~· 19 ... 'Wxe3 20.fxe3 id7 21.luxb8
6£~
5 -~·-~~"t~i%•'~', .,
7~~-41)- ~·
~~-%~~"--%~ ~~-;;,
lt:)f~~ ~~~
21.lua5 b4 22.iubl ib5 23.ic4 ixc4
24.luxc4 lud7=
21.lub4 a5 22.luc2 b4+±
21...l::1exb8 22.ixf6 b4 23.iubl
~i1,,w~
~;"'",~i ~~-,,
4
3 ~~ 8 .ii~ ~ ~·
2 1 ~ B.i.B41)~i
6 ••• "~l•"~
: ~.~1tf.~~
a b c d e f g h 0 , ~ ' ,%~'%''"""~
20 ... iuf7 21.id3 iuf6 22.if2 ih6 23.'Wel

~~ ~~
~"*
fxe4 24.fxe4 ig4 25Jhl luh5 26.iub6 iuf4 3
~~" ~~"---%~ ~~-,,
,,%~
27.l::1a3 l::1ab8! 28.ixa6 'Wc7 29.iue3 ih5

30.iu bc4 ie2 3 l.iuxd6 luxd6 32.ixe2 luxe4 2 (Ji i~~ ~ !Jif~
33.ic4 mh8 00 A typically sharp line that is lt:)~ li~ li~
hard to evaluate. a b c d e f g h
23 ...ib5!
17... ttlf7 18.ttlc6
White's extra pawn is only a symbolic plus.
18.a4 bxa4 19.luxa4 'Wa5+±
A sample line is:
24.ixb5 axb5 25.a3 bxa3 26.luxa3 l::1a4
27.ixg7 mxg7 28.l::1cl lug5!
28 ... l::1b7 29.iuxb5! l::1xb5 30.l::1c7 l::1xe4
31.E1fxf7t mh6 32.E1xh1t mgs 33_mr2
l::1xd5;!;
29.h4 luxe4 30.l::1c7t mh6 31.l::1ff7 mh5!
32.l::1xh7t mg4+±
19 ... ~d7!
But not l 9 ... luxc6? 20.dxc6 'Wxc6 2 l .iud5+-
when Black is busted.
20.ttla5
Now it is Black's turn to act, before the
b8-knight gets suffocated.
150 Gligoric
20...f5! 22.fxg6
It seems to me that the position remains 22.f6?! 1M'xh4 23.fxg? 1M'xb4 24.l2:ib3 13c8+
highly unclear, as the following lines indicate:
22 ... hxg6 23.J.g3 Yfxb4 24.~bl Yfxd2
21.exf5 25.~xd2 .if5m
This allows a typical trick. The ending is complicated, but Black has his
share of the chances.
Again, 21.1M'e3 does not offer much: 21...1M'xe3
22.fxe3 13c8 23.i3cl (23.i3d3?! 13a7! 24.exf5 Conclusion
e4!; 23.l2:Jbl 00 } 23 ... 13a7!+±
This chapter concentrated on 8.1M'd2, when
21.@hl .ih6! Intending ... g5. 22.f4 exf4 With some wildly complicated positions arose after
a real mess. One possible way out is: my suggestion of 8 ... l2:ibd7 In the variation
9.0-0 l2:ig4! 10 ..ig5 f6 l 1..ih4 l2:ih6! 12.13adl
I propose a novelty on move 14 which wins
an exchange but gives White dangerous
compensation. My analysis shows the main
ideas for both sides, and it will be interesting
to see how it fares in practical play.
9.i3dl is a move that has been unwisely
neglected in the past. White has interesting
tricks at his disposal and Black should be alert
to avoid falling into a strategically inferior
position. I have offered a couple of alternatives
after the further 9 ...13e8!? 10.d5 cxd5
l l .cxd5, with the first offering my insights
and improvements to a famous Kasparov
- lvanchuk game from Reggio Emilia. The
reader can look forward to playing for a win
21. ..Yfd4! after the slightest inaccuracy by White in these
sharp and doubled-edged lines.
Gligoric
8.0-0
Variation Index
1.d4 tZJf6 2.c4 g6 3.tZJc3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.tZJf3 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 c6!?
8.0-0
A) 8 ... exd4 152
Al) 9.i.xd4 ~e8 I0.~c2 ~e7! 11.~fel! tZJbd7 152
A11) 12.~adl!? 153
AI2) I2.h3 155
A2) 9.tZJxd4 ~e8 I0.f3 d5 l 1.cxd5 tZJxd5! I2.tZJxd5 cxd5
I3.~h3 tZJc6 14.~adl i.xd4 I5.i.xd4 156
A2I) I5 ... dxe4!? 157
A22) I5 ... tZJxd4 I6.~xd4 ~f6! 159
A22I) I7.~d2 159
A222) I7.~xd5 162
B) 8 ... tZJa6!? 163
Bl) 9.h3 exd4! 163
B11) lO.tZJxd4 163
B12) I0.i.xd4!? 166
B2) 9.a3!? 168
B3) 9.~c2!? tZJg4 lO.i.g5 ~c7!? 11.~adl! d5! 170
B31) I2.tZJxe5!? 172
B32) I2.cxd5! 173
B4) 9.~el tZJg4! I0.i.g5 f6 I1.i.h4 tZJh6 175
B41) I2.c5!? 176
B42) I2.h3 179
152 Gligoric
1.d4 t!tif6 2.c4 g6 3.t!tic3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.t!ti£3 It should be noted that avoiding liquidations
0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 c6!? 8.0-0 in this way comes at a price for White, as it will
be more difficult for him to defend his e-pawn
and coordinate his pieces.
8
7 9.. J:l:e8 10.~c2
6 I0.4Jd2 is interesting. I0 ... c5!? l l.ie3 lt:lc6
12.f3 ie6 13.:1:!:el a6 14.ifl :!:l:b8 15.:1:!:cl lt:ld7
5 l 6.f4 f5 was unclear in Mirzoev - Amonatov,
4 Elista (ol) 1998.
3
10 ...~e7!
2 I consider this best, putting more pressure
on the e-pawn in an effort to restrict White's
1
options.
a b c d e f g h
The disadvantage of this move is that it leaves 8
the e3-bishop unprotected against attacks
7
along the e-file, allowing Black to carry out
massive simplification in the centre starting 6
with A) 8 ... exd4. I also offer an alternative
5
approach in B) 8 ... t!tia6!?
4
A) 8 ... exd4
3
The simple way to reach equaliry. Now the 2
slightly unnatural Al) 9.i.xd4 is topical as
1
it prevents Black's intended simplification,
although A2) 9.t!tixd4 has established itself as a b c d e f g h
the main continuation.
11.~fel!
This indirect method of defence is imperative
Al) 9.i.xd4
if White wants to keep chances of an edge.
l l.4Jd2 is not critical in view of: l l...c5!

(l I...4Jxe4 12.ixg7 4Jxd2 13.Wxd2 Wxg7
14.:1:!:fel!;!; with the idea of lt:le4) 12.ie3 lt:lc6+±
Black has satisfactory development, with
excellent control over d4.
11. .. t!tibd?
The knight toys with the idea of ... lt:leS
or ... lt:lc5, ensuring an even game for Black.
White has the following possibilities:
All) 12.~adl!? andA12) 12.h3.
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 153
12.l2ld2 16 ..ixh6 '1.Wh4! 17.h3 Wxf2t 18.<.t>hl lt:'lxh6

This has more logic to it when Black cannot Black is clearly better.
respond with ... c5 followed by ... lt:'lc6, yet
here it is met strongly by· All) 12Jfadl!?
8
7 7
6
6
5
5
4
3 4
2 3
2
a b c d e f g h
1
12 ... .ih6!
Threatening ... c5.
a b c d e f g h
13 ..ifl The most natural choice, after which Black's
13.lt:'lfl b6 14.Ei'.adl .ib7 is fine for Black, as knight can choose a more refined route than
the fl-knight plays little part in the game. the traditional ... lt:'le5.
13 ... lt:'le5
Black renews the threat. 12 .. )£Jc5!?
14.:l'fad 1 c5!? Designed to rake advantage of the fact that
14 ... lt:'lh5 15 ..ie3 .ixe3 16.E!:xe3 .ig4 White has omitted h2-h3.
17.Ei:del a6 is also interesting.
l3.~d2
15 ..ie3?!
The most serious try for an edge, but White
Preferable is: 15 ..ixe5! '1.Wxe5 16.lt:'lf3 '1.We7
has several continuations at this point that
17.h3 .id7 18.e5 dxe5 19.Ei:xe5 .ie6 20.lt:'ld5
Black should not underestimate.
'1.Wd8=
To start with, 13 ..ifl .ig4! is good for Black.
13.h3!? is a suggestion of Kochiev, after which

the position is unclear:
a b c d e f g h
15 ... lt:'lfg4!
White is suddenly in trouble.
154 Gligoric
13 ... b6! Harmoniously completing 15 ... 4:lfd7 16.b4 4:le6 17.ie3 ixe3 18.l'l:xe3
development. (Weaker is 13 ... 4:le6?! 14.ie3 4:le5 l 9.4:le2 a5= Black has achieved all that
4:ld7 [14 ... 4:lc5 15.iflt] 15.Wfd2!± when the position could offer.
White has grasped control of the important
dark squares, and h6 in particular.) 14.ifl I4...h4! 1s.lZ~h3?!
4:le6 15.ie3 ib700 15.4:lfl!? is the critical move according to
Nikitin. 15 ... 4:le6 16.ie3 4:lh5 17.g3 hxg3
Finally, 13.e5 dxe5 14.ixe5 if5 15.Wfcl l'l:ad8 18.hxg3
·-i)~
16.l'l:xd8 l'l:xd8 17.id4 b6 18.ifl Wff8= is
drawish.
8 ~~,~,~-
13 ... hS!? 7
-,Y.~
~iB terli~
~~
6 ,, ,/,~
~
:~dd..a
'!,3~
8
7 %'"//, ~~-" ~~-,-;
3 ~ ~ ~~r~
6 2 l~ii-~---/,~
5 ---"~l~ml~
4 a b c d e f g h
3 18 ...ie5! 19.f4 4:lhxf4 20.gxf4 4:lxf4 Black

enjoys good compensation for the material in
2 a complicated position.
1
a b c d e f g h
This lively response generates interesting
counterplay based on the usual dark-square
theme.
14.£3
14.h3 ih6 yields good chances for Black
too, though he must be accurate. 15.ifl was
Pinter - Tai, Taxco 1985, when best is:
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 155
A12) 12.h3 14 ... t2:\fd7!? is logical too, as shown by the

line: 15.t2:la4!? (15.c5 dxc5 16.bxc5 t2:lxf3t
17.ixf3 t2:lxc5 18.t2:ld5 cxd5 19.ixc5 'Wc7
20.exd5 l='!xelt 21.l='!xel if5 22.'Wc3 if8= was
7 fine for Black in Smolen - Priborsky, Szeged
6 2007.) 15 ... t2:\xf3t 16.ixf3 t2:le5 17.ie2 This
was B. Lalic - McNab, Maidstone 1994, when
best would have been:
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h
A prophylactic move, but the time invested
in it allows Black to deploy his pieces with
maximum efficiency.
a b c d e f g h
12 ...i.h6!?
Cutting off the retreat of the d4-bishop 17 ... b6!N 18.c5 dxc5 19.bxc5 b5 20.t2:lb2
before embarking on ... t2:le5. a5 21.'Wc3 b4 22.'Wg3 'Wf6! 23.ie3 ixe3
24.'Wxe3 t2:lg4 25.ixg4 ixg4 26.hxg4 'Wxb2=
Instead, 12 ... t2:le5 13.ie3 may give White an
inkling of an edge. lS.cS! ~xf3t 16.i.xf3 bxcS 17.bxcS dxcS
18.i.e3
13J:~adl ~es
A finely balanced position has arisen.
7
6
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
18 ...he3 19Jhe3 '!Wes 20.~a4 c4!=
a b c d e f g h Black has secured enough time to begin his
14.b4! b6 counterplay.
156 Gligoric
A2) 9.tthd4 14.Wb3?! lt:lc6! 15.Wxd5?? i.xd4 16.i.xd4

l"\d8-+ Black was already winning in
Mikhalevski - Ubilava, Benasque 1993.
14.l"lacl i.d7 15.Wb3 lt:lc6 16.Wxd5 lt:lxd4
17.i.xd4 i.e6 18.Wc5 Wxc5 19.i.xc5 b6
20.i.e3 i.xa2 2 l .i.a6! i.b3 22. Wf2 l"le7
23.Elfel h6 24.l"le2 l"ld8 25.i.c4 i.xc4
26.l"lxc4 l"ld3 27.l"lec2 l"lb3 28.i.d4= A level
position had been reached in Zilberstein -
Portisch, USSR 1968.
14 ... dxe4 15.i.c4 exf3 16.l"\xf3 i.g4 17.i.xf7t
Wh8 18.i.xe8 i.xf3 19.l"lel Wxe8 20.lt:lxf3
lt:lc6 21 Wb3 Wd7=
The chances were balanced in Antunes -
Garcia Martinez, Bayamo 1991
10 ... dS
Black exploits the unprotected e3-bishop to
relieve his position with exchanges.
10.f3
10.Wc2 1I.cxd5 lt:lxd5!
This is no improvement for White. Thanks to this finesse, Black succeeds in
10 ... We7 11.f3 obtaining a free game.
l 1.i.f3 was convincingly dealt with by·
11...i.g4!? 12.i.g5 (12.l"ladl lt:lbd7 13.l"lfel I2.c!thd5 cxd5 I3.W!'b3
lt:lc5 14.i.g5 i.xf3 15.lt:lxf3 We6 16.b4 13.i.b5?! i.d7+
lt:lcd7 is about equal) 12 ... i.xf3 13.lt:lxf3
lt:lbd7 14.l"\fel lt:le5 15.lt:ld2 h6! 16.i.h4 13.l"lcl a5!?
We6! 17.b3 Wg4 18.i.g3 lt:lh5 19.l"le3
lt:lxg3 20.l"lxg3 Wh4+ Debashis - Kokarev,
Mumbai 2015.
a b c d e f g h
Kramnik's interesting idea seems to equalize
here. The idea is to play ... a4-a3, opening up the
a b c d e f g h file for the a8-rook, or obtaining a dangerous
11...d5! 12.cxd5 lt:lxd5 13.lt:lxd5 cxd5 14.l"\adl asset on a3 if White refuses to take. It seems
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 157
that White cannot exploit the weakening of 15.ic4! ixd4 16.Wxd4 Wxd4 17.ixd4 t2:lc6
the b5-square: 18.fxe4 ie6 19.if6 ixc4 20.E!:xc4 E!:e6 21.E!:f4
E!:ae8 22.a3 h6 23.h4 h5 24.ic3 @f8= There
a) 14.ib5 id7 15Jk5 is strongly answered by were no winning chances for either side in Xu
15 ... E!:e5!?=. Jun - Cheparinov, Gibraltar 2014.
~:ff'iti'''·
b) 14.@hl a4 15.Wd2 t2:lc6 16.t2:lxc6 bxc6
17.E!:xc6 dxe4 18.E!:d6 Wa5+ was a bit better
•.f.•j
for Black in Mons - Stellwagen, Forchheim
2012. ,,,,,%~ ~~ ~~ ,,,,,Y,~
c) 14.Wb3 a4 l 5.Wxd5 Wxd5 16.exd5 a3!
wain ffl !n
17.b3 (17.bxa3 id7!+) 17 ... t2:lc6! 18.t2:lc2
4 --~~,-·~
E!:xe3 19.t2:lxe3 t2:lb4
3
2
1
ro~n:rnfn
~~ r=""
~,,,,%~
a b c d e f g h
13 ... ftic6 14.~adl i.xd4 15.i.xd4
At this point A21) 15 ... dxe4!? is a
rather scary-looking alternative to the safe
A22) 15 ... ftixd4.
a b c d e f g h A21) 15 ... dxe4!?
20.E!:c4? (20.E!:c7!!N id4 21.E!:e7 gives White

chances of survival) 20 ... t2:lxa2+ Black had 8
a substantial advantage in Gustafsson - 7
Kramnik, Dortmund 2012, which he duly
converted. 6
5
d) 14.E!:c5! Best according to the engines.
4
14 ... dxe4 This clarification is forced now.
3
2
7
1
6
5
a b c d e f g h
4 Black wins a pawn but accepts some risk,
as White can now preserve his dark-squared
bishop.
a b c d e f g h
158 Gligoric
I6.i.c3 24.g4
Keeping the bishop on the long diagonal is 24.E!:dSt 'iiig7 25.id4t (25.g4 f5 changes
logical, and was mentioned in Dorfman's notes nothing) 25 ... Wh6 26.g4 is not a winner due
to his win over Klinger, which can be found to 26 ... f5!!=.
below on page 162. 24 ... E!:cS
White's attempts to trap the rook can be
I was surprised to find only two games in the met with this cold-blooded reply. A major
database with l 5... dxe4!?, both won by Black. point is:
One of them continued: l 6.ic4 ie6 17 .ic3
ixc4 18.Wxc4 Wb6t 19.'iiihl e3 20.Ei:d?
E!:e6 21 Wf4 'iJe7 22.Ei:el E!:e8+ White was
struggling to prove full compensation in Salo
- Matveeva, Helsinki 1992.
16.ie3
Black should react to this alternative bishop
retreat with:
a b c d e f g h
25.ig5?
25.Ei:g3? Ei:xh3!!+
25.if2! E!:h6 26.ixa? f5 27.Ei:e3 E!:c6=
25 ... ixg4!
Black suddenly wins!
8
a b c d e f g h 7
16 ... Wc? 6
I do not see anything clear for White.
l 7.fxe4 E!:xe4 l 8.if3 ie6 l 9.Wc3 E!:h4 20.h3 5
E!:c8 21.b3 4
21..ixc6 bxc6 22.Wf6 E!:xh3 23.id4 Wh2t
24.Wf2 Wg3t= leads to a draw.
3
21 Wf6 E!:xh3 22.if4 E!:xf3 23.E!:xf3 We? 2
24.Wxe? 'iJxe7 25.E!:fd3 'iJc6 can hardly be
1
considered an advantage for White.
21 ... 'iJd4!? a b c d e f g h
This attempt to bail out is not out of the I6 .•.ti'c7!?
question. The more straightforward 16 ... Wb6t
21...We? leads to a double-edged position. 17 Wxb6 axb6 is given by Dorfman, and looks
22.Wxc? 'iJxf3t 23.Ei:xf3 E!:xc7 approximately even.
White does not have a lethal blow:
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 159
17.WlbS A22) 1s •• .tZ~xd4

17.fxe4 E!:xe4 18.if3!? (18.ic4 ie6 19.ixe6
E!:xe600 ) 18 ... ie6 19.Wfb5 With this move Black practically forces a draw,
although it must be admitted that both sides
\~s~~~a
need to make some accurate moves in order
,l~j ~,, ~~ ~j ~j
~a~,~j
8 to secure it.
7
6 16.l3xd4
~1~~~~~~
:
5
~~~i,~
2 ,~,,,,~~~-,~
8
7
Y,,,,%~ , ~ !r1"" 6
a b c d e f g h 5
19 ... Ei:c4! (19 ...ic4 20.Wg5 Wf4 21 Wxf4 E!:xf4 4
22.E!:f2t) 20.Wg5 (20.id5 E!:h4! 2 I.g3 E!:h5
22.E!:fel Ei:e8 00 ) 20 ... Wf4 21 Wxf4 E!:xf4 00 It is 3
not clear if White's initiative should amount 2
to anything more than a draw. What is clear,
1
however, is that the sight of the powerful
c3-bishop has deterred Black players over the a b c d e f g h
years from entering such a line. 16 ...Wlf6!
Black manages to create enough counterplay
17... exf3 18.i.xa Wfb6t 19.Wlxb6 axb6 to draw. We will check both A221) 17.l3d2
20.a3 i.e6 21.J.f6 and A222) 17.WfxdS.
17.Ei:xd5?! spells trouble for White, because

after 17...ie6 18.Ei:d6 ixb3 19J:hf6 ie6~
Black intends ... E!:ac8-c2, and White is
effectively playing a rook down.
17 Wb4= was given up immediately as a draw

in D. Gurevich- Byrne, Berkeley 1984.
17.Ei:ddl ie6= is dead level.
A221) 17.l3d2 Wlf4!?

a b c d e f g h
I have employed this move twice, but I cannot
2I..J::fa4! 22J~f2 l3f4 23.i.c3 l3c4 24.l3e2 say I followed it up correctly.
@f'8m
It is difficult to detect a way of penetrating 17 ... dxe4! is a simple route to a draw: 18.fxe4
Black's solid defences. We7 19.ic4 ie6 20.ixe6
160 Gligoric
18 ...i.e6!
l 8 ...°1We3t?!
I played this inferior move, which allows
White a few chances for an edge. The reason
is as follows:
19.~f2 ie6
a b c d e f g h
20 ... fxe6! 21.~fdl Wc5t 22.~hl ~e7!= There
is nothing left to play for.
18.'?NxdS
18.~d4 ie6!=
18.°1Wc3 ie6 19.g3 should be met by·
8
1,~~1,a. ~~ , ~ , ~
20.°1Wd3!?
This was the German GM Jan Gustafsson's
: ~~~~,~~~
7 ,,,,,/,~
~~,~~~
idea.
My strategy was vindicated after 20.'1Wd4
Wxd4 21.~xd4 ixa2 22.~d? (22.ib5
~~j_-
4
~""'"' ~~ ,,,,,,,ir" ~ed8=; 22.ic4 ixc4 23.~xc4 ~ac8 24.~fc2
3 ~~,;lit,,,,-~ f~~'" ~xc4 25.~xc4 ~e7=) 22 ... ~ab8 23.ib5
2
,,,,%-,,,,Y,~t~''
~ effj 1~ in the game Yevseev - Kotronias, Reggio
Emilia 2005. I might have even played for
a win with: 23 ... ~ec8!?N (23 ... ~e5 24.ifl
a b c d e f g h
ib3= was the game continuation) 24.~fd2
19 ... °1Wd6!N (19 ... °1Wh6 20.e5± left Black in ie6 25.~7d6 ~f8 26.id? ~cl t 27 ~f2
a spot of bother in A. Rombaldoni - Kozul, ~d8 28.ixe6 ~xd6 29.~xd6 ~c2t 00 This is
Reykjavik 2015) 20.'1Wd4 We? 21.ib5 ~ed8 by no means a trivial draw for either side.
22.e5 ~ac8 23.ie2 Wc5 With a level game. 20 ... °1Wb6! 21 °1Wb5
21.b3 ~ed8 22.°1Wc3 ~xd2 23.°1Wxd2 a5~
gives Black strong counterplay.
21...°1We3 22.~d3
22.ifl!?± would have offered White better
chances.
22 ... °IWcl t 23.~fl
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 161
20.g3! (Instead, 20.Ei:al ?! ie6 21.Ei:ddl Ei:ed8!

22.'!Wxd8t Ei:xd8 23.Ei:xd8t c;t>g? 24.Ei:adl h5+
7
produced an imbalance that Black succeeded in
6 converting to a win in Shulman - Wen Yang,
5 Ningbo 2013.) 20 ...Wc7 21 We3 ie6 22.f4
4
3
~ ,~.~1~a
a b c d e f g h
6
'':'•1'1j
:~~~~~
23 ... Wc4! 24.a4!?
~~ ~-----"iri
Black draws in the nick of time after:
~ ~~~~:1t~f.~1.~
24.Wxc4 ixc4 25.Ei:e3 ixa2 26.b3 Ei:ed8
27.Ei:cl Ei:d2 Threatening ... ixb3. 28. c;t,n
a5 29.Ei:c7 a4 30.bxa4 Ei:xa4 31.Ei:xb7 ie6
---%~ -----Y-~ Im··
a b c d e f g h
32.c;t>el Ei:aa2 33.Ei:c7 @g7~ Black's activity
compensates for the pawn. A draw was agreed in Oliva Castaneda -
24.Ei:d5 is best answered by· 24 ... Wc2! 25.Ei:c5 Bojkov, Montreal 2012. The final position still
Wd2 White hasn't made any progress. has some fight left, as Black may try to utilize
24 ...Wxb5 25.axb5 ic4 26.Ei:d2 ixe2 27.Ei:xe2 his queenside pawn majority after an exchange
Ei:e5= of queens. Two possible continuations are
The players agreed to a draw in Gustafsson 22 ... Ei:ac8 and 22 ... a5!?
- Kotronias, Kerner 2007, as justified by the
following lines:
28.Ei:d2
28.b6 a5 29.Ei:dl Ei:b5 30.Ei:d7 Ei:xb6 31.Ei:c2
Ei:c6=
28 ... Ei:xb5 29.Ei:cl g5!? 30.Ei:c7 a5 3 l.Ei:dd7
Ei:xb2 32.Ei:xf7 Ei:c8! 33.Ei:g?t c;t>fs 34.Ei:cf7t
@e8=
With the idea of ... Ei:cc2.
19.V;Vd6
19.'!Wd4 ixa2!
a b c d e f g h
19 ...V;Vxd6 20Jlxd6 .ixa2 2UM7 .ie6
21.. .Ei:ab8= is also possible.
22Jhb7 geb8 23.gxbSt gxb8 24.gal

gxb2=
The players decided to split the point here in
Arutinian - Baklan, Denizli 2013.
162 Gligoric
A222) 17.WfxdS In this position a draw was agreed in the

game Lima - Kasparov, Rio de Janeiro (simul)
This is also drawish, but is perhaps more 1996. Let us see why·
complicated than the alternatives.
2U;fdl
17 ....ie6 Black has the better pawn structure while
White has the more active rooks, so the
8 endgame is approximately balanced.
7 2 l ...h6 22.h4!?
6 To prevent the space-gaining ... g5, freeing
the black king.
5
4 22.:!'l:d8t :!'l:xd8 23.:!'l:xd8t @h7 24.:!'l:f8 g5!= is
3 an obvious draw.
2 22 .. Jfos
1 Intending ... :!'l:ee2.
a b c d e f g h 23J;d8 @f'8 24.a4 gb4 25J:Hd4 gxd4

18.eS! 26,gxd4
The only move, which was first played in
Damljanovic - Byrne, New York 1987 8
White was swiftly outplayed after 18.Wc5?
:!'l:ec8 19.Wb4 a5 20.'Wa4 :!'l:c2!+ in Klinger - 7
Dorfman, Belgrade 1988. 6
18 ...hdS 19.exf6 gxe2 5

l 9 ...~xa2 20.~b5!? may be slightly better 4
for White.
3
20.gxdS gxh2
2
1
8
a b c d e f g h
7
26 ... b6!
6
It is Black who has to play the final accurate
5 move, intending ... :!'l:e6=.
4
27.g4 g5!=
3 Ensuring the f6-pawn remains a target; the
2 draw is now more than obvious.
1
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 163
B) 8 .. .lt~a6!? Boch recaptures are equally popular. We

will first examine BU) 10.lthd4, but White
should prefer Bl2) 10 ..L:d4!?.
BU) 10.ftlxd4 ge8 ll..tf3 tZlc5

12.~c2 ~e7 13.gfel
8
7
6
5
4
3
It is an open question whether this will
succeed in giving Black more chances to play 2
for a win. White has a wide range of options: 1
Bl) 9.h3, B2) 9.a3!?, B3) 9.~c2!? and
B4) 9.gel. a b c d e f g h
13 ....td7!
9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Wxd8 E!:xd8 11.Ei:fdl Ei:e8 After chis thematic move Black is already
12.h3 transposes to variation C223 of threatening to take the pawn on e4.
Chapter 7 (see page 136), which is satisfactory
for Black. I do not like so much the artificial l 3 ... a5
14.E!:adl a4 15.ig5 ie6 16.b3 axb3 17.axb3
9.d5 is a direct transposition to Chapters Vfic7 in view of:
10-12.
Bl) 9.h3 exd4! 7

6
8 5
4
6
2
5
4
a b c d e f g h
3 18.b4!N (18.if4?! lt'lcd7 19.g4 h5! 20.g5 lt'lh7
2 21..ig2 Wa5! 22.h4 lt'le5 23.f3 lt'lf8 24.'it>hl
lt'lfd7 25.id2 Wc7 26.ie3 lt'lc5 27.igl Was
1
28.f4 lt'lg4 29.f5 ic8 30.f6 if8 31.lt'lce2 lt'ld7
a b c d e f g h 32.Wc3 Wc7 33.Ei:al E!:xal 34.E!:xal lt'lde5+ was
164 Gligoric
White's unconvincing continuation in Aronian 16 .. .f5

- Dorfman, Gothenburg 2005. When Black The pin on the e-file cannot be exploited.
conquers g4 with his knight in this type of
set-up, he is rarely worse.) 18 .. .ltkd? 19.ie2!
Wb6 20.lt'ixe6 :!'!xe6 21.:!'!b a White has a small
but enduring plus. Having said that, Black's
position is solid, and despite the absence of a
clear plan, this factor may be sufficient for a
draw.
14.l[ib3!?
14.:!'!adl
This leads nowhere for White.
a b c d e f g h
17.tt:lxe4 fxe4 18.tt:le2 d5 19.cxd5 cxd5
20.:!'!xd5 Wf7 21.:!'!ddl ib5 22.tt:lc3 id3
23.Wd2
White has a slightly worse but solid position.
14.b4 tt:lcxe4 15.ig5 (15.if4 d5+) is

ineffective due to: 15 ... tt:lxg5! 16.:!'!xe7 :!'!xe7+
14.if4 tt:lh5 15.ie3

a b c d e f g h
15.ixh5?! ixd4 16.if3 tt:le6 17.ie3 was the
continuation in lhorhallsson - Malekian,
14 ... tt:lfxe4! 15.ixe4
Copenhagen 1997, and now 17 ... ie5N+
An attempt to bail out.
or 17 ... Wf6+, as played in the game, grants
I also looked at 15.icl?! f5 16.b4 which
Black easy play, due to his control over the
merely gives Black a pleasant choice:
central dark-square complex. Objectively,
a) Equality results from: 16 ... tt:le6 17.tt:lxe6
however, Black's plus is tiny.
ixe6 18.tt:lxe4 fxe4 19.:!'!xe4 Wf7=
b) 16 ... Wh4 17.bxc5 tt:lxc3 18.:!'!xeSt :!'!xe8
19.g3 Wds (19 ... Wxh3 20.ig2 Wg4 21.if3
Wh3 22.ig2=) 20.Wxc3 dxc5 21.tt:lxc6ixc6
22.:!'!xdS ixc3 23.:!'!xeSt ixe8 24.ixb7 if7
25.ia6! ie5! 26.ie3 id6=
c) 16 ... Wf7! Playing for a win. White should
be able to draw, but at least things are more
complicated: 17.bxc5 tt:lxc3 18.Wxc3 dxc5
19.Wb3 ixd4 20.Wxb7 :!'!xel t 21.:!'!xel :!'!e8
22.:!'!xeSt Wxe8 23.id2 g5!? With some
pressure. a b c d e f g h
15 ... tt:lxe4 16.if4 The text gives Black the option of drawing
16.icl? f5 17.f3?! Wh4!+ is the chief point by repetition with 15 ... tt:lf6=.
behind 13 ...id?!.
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 165
Instead, a winning attempt is:

l 5 .. .ll'lf4!? 16.l:'ladl ie5 l 7.ll'lce2 4Jxe2t
18.l:'lxe2 a5 19.l:'led2 'Wf6=
The position was still balanced, though
Black's ambitious play eventually paid off in
Salvador - Li Shilong, Kuala Lumpur 2011
a b c d e f g h
18 ... 'Wh4! 19.4Jf3 'Wf6 20.4Jxe4 fxe4 21.l:'lxe4
ixh3!
Black is at least equal.
15 ...i.fS 16.i.xf<i
16.4Jxe4 lt:lxe4 17.ixg7 ©xg7 18.4Jd4 d5=
16 ... c!tJxf6 17J'he7 i.xc2 18.l:hb7
8 ~~~~~,~; 6
1 ~£~z~)--iEi
~·~
:
6
~~~· -~
~
~~,~,~~~
4
3
3
2
1
:~if~~~,i
~~~ ~
,~t
~
z~
~
;f{t~t·
p~
~
-Z~
~
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
18 ... cltJe4!
16 ...ixd4! This is level, for example:
16 ... if5 leads to a tiny White plus after:
17.ixg7 ©xg7 18.4Jd4 (18.g4? lt'lg5+) 19.cltJxe4 he4 20J~dl hf3 21.gxf.3 i.fS!=
l 8 ... 'Wf6 l 9.li:lxf5t gxf5 20.4Jxe4 fxe4
21.l:'lxe4±
17.4Jxd4
l 7.l:'lxe4?! ie5 l 8.f4 if5 l 9.fxe5 ixe4 leaves
Black with an edge.
17 ... f5 18.l:'ladl
18.f3? 'Wf6+
166 Gligoric
B12) IO.i.xd4!? (16.id3 b6 l 7.l::1adl ib7 00 ) 16 ... lt'lxe4

17.lt'lxe4 Wxe4 18.id3 We7 19.ixh6±
12.id3!
This is forced, given that 12.e5?! if5 13.Wcl
lt'lfe4 14.l::1dl lt'lxc3 15.ixc3 (15.Wxc3
lt'le6+) l 5... lt'le4+ is undesirable for White.
12 ... lt'le6! 13.ie3 lt'ld7 14.l::1adl lt'le5 15.ie2
lt'lxf3t 16.ixf3
10,.,ges a b c d e f g h
When a bishop lands on d4, Black adopts a
dark-square strategy aiming at a blockade. This 16 ... We7!
16 ... lt'lg5!? is also in keeping with Black's
is the underlying logic that dictates the rest of
this analysis. strategy, for example: 17.ie2 We7 18.id3
(18.f3 f5=) 18 ... lt'lxh3t!? (18 ... lt'le6 19.Wd2
g5 20.ibl±) 19.gxh3 ixh3 00 With an
11.i.d3 unclear game.
11 Wc2 17 Wd2!
17.ie2 lt'lc5 18.f3 f5 19.b4 lt'le6 20.exf5
ti:lc5!+ is promising for Black.
l 7 ... ie5 18.ie2 lt'lc5=
With a balanced struggle.
11 ... lt'lc5
Black strives for more dark-square control.
12,gel
12.Wc2 transposes to the note on 11 Wc2
above.
a b c d e f g h
1 l...lt'lc5! 12... lt'le6 13.i.e3 lt'ld7

1 l...c5 12.ie3 (12.ixf6 Wxf6oo) 12 ... lt'lb4 White now has several moves at his disposal:
13.Wbl h6 (13 ... We7 14.a3 lt'lc6 15.ig5±)
14.a3 lt'lc6 15.Wc2 We7 The pressure on e4
does not yield any dividends, due to: 16.l::1fe 1!
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 167
in return, for example: 19.Wcl Wb6 20.;;:;:bl

8
tZ:led4+±
7
6
I4.. .ltle5 I5.lbh2!? c5!?
I also examined 15 ... g5!? f5 16.f4 tZ:lf7
5 The knight has again reached the so-called
4 Bronstein square, yet this may not be enough:
3
2
1
It is logical to clear the d-file with tempo.
Instead, 14.Wd2?! tZ:le5 15.i.e2 tZ:lxf3t 16.i.xf3

i.e5 17.;;:;:adl Wf6 18.i.g4 tZ:lc5 19.i.xc8
;;:;:axc8+ is slightly better for Black.
After 14.;;:;:cl tZ:le5 15.i.e2 tZ:lxf3t 16.i.xf3

tZ:lg5+ Black will gain the bishop pair, again
I6.lbb5 c!bc6! I7.c!bxd6 ge7 18.c!bxcS gxc8
with a slightly superior position.
19.Wfcl
19.WxdSt E!:xd8 20.Ei:abl tZ:led4=
Finally, l 4.i.e2 tZ:le5 l 5.tZ:lh2!? (l 5.Wd2
tZ:lxf3t 16.i.xf3 i.e5 is business as usual for the
second player, who firmly controls the central 8
dark-square complex) can be met with the
7
surprising:
6
5
4
3
2
1
I9 ... c!bed4!
a b c d e f g h l 9 ... Wb6?! is not so good with the bishop on
15 ... c5! 16.tZ:lb5 tZ:lc6! 17.tZ:lxd6 ;;:;:e7 18.tZ:lxcS fl, because after 20.Ei:bl tZ:led4 21.i.g5± White
;;:;:xc8 Black has given up a pawn and the bishop can easily protect his e-pawn.
pair, but has good dark-square compensation
168 Gligoric
20..ig5 This allows Black to arrange quick

20 ..ih6 .ixh6 21.~xh6 ~f8 22.~xf8t ©xf8 counterplay against e4.
23.l:facl l:!ce8 24 ..id3 f5~
9... exd410.~xd4
20...£6 21..id2 9e8! 22.ti"bl 10 ..ixd4?! l:!e8 l l.~c2 ~c5 12.e5 ~g4! left
Black with the more pleasant position in Wells
- Timoshenko, Hastings 1990.
8
7 1o... ges 11.a
6 This looks like the most natural continuation.
5 After l l.~c2 I prefer a radical solution:

4 11. .. ~e?!? (l l. .. ~c5 12.f.3 a5 13.b4±) 12.f.3
d5 13.cxd5 ~xd5 14.~xd5 cxd5=
3
2
8
1
7
a b c d e f g h
6
22 .. J:ldS! 23..ic3 9f7! 24.~g4!
5
24.f4?! f5! 25.exf5 (25.e5 g5!-t) 25 ... l:!xe 1
26 ..ixel ~xf5 and Black has strong 4
compensation. 3
24...£5 25.exf5 gxel 26..ixel gxf5 27.~e3 2

f4 28.~dS f3i 1
The dynamic elements inherent in Black's
position outweigh the pawn minus. a b c d e f g h
11. ..dS!
B2) 9.a3!? Highlighting one of the chief problems of
the Gligoric - the e3-bishop is undefended in
many lines.
12.cxdS ~xd5! 13.~xd5

Again the most natural solution.
White may try co keep a solid central skeleton

by l 3 ..if2, but chis has its disadvantages as
well: 13 ... ~f4!? (13 ... ~xc3 14.bxc3 ~c700 is
the simpler way) l 4 ..ixa6
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 169
plus; l 5.lt:'lc6?! Wd7!+ is also depressing for

White.) 15 ... ixe5 16.:!"i:el id717Wd2 Wf6
White does not have full compensation for the
pawn.
14.ib5?! id7 15.ixd7 Wxd7 16.4Jc2 Wc7!+

and 14.Wb3 4Jc5= are both okay for Black,
with the former even being advantageous for
him.
a b c d e f g h 14.Wd2 dxe4 15.:!"i:adl, as played in Krueger

14 .. .'\Wg5!?N (14 ... bxa6 15.lt:'lxc6 Wg5 - Stewart, Bonn 1998, looks a bit better for
happened in Cheparinov - Visser, Wijk aan Black after:
Zee 2000, but here 16.ig3!N Wc5t 17.l:'1:f2!±
maintains an edge for White.) l 5.ig3 :!"i:d8!
16.Wcl ixd4t 17 'iiihl lt:'le6 18.Wxg5 lt:'lxg5=
Black is not at all worse in the ending.
13 ... c:xd5
White has a relatively wide choice, but no
real chances to be better.
8
a b c d e f g h
7
l 5... exf3!N 16.:!"i:xf3 lt:'lc5 l 7.ic4 ie6 18.4Jxe6
6
4Jxe6 19.Wc2 Wc7+
5
14...i.e6!
4
This is a simple equalizer.
3
2 8
1 7
a b c d e f g h 6
I4.tZ~h5! 5
Attacking a7 is the only serious try for an
4
advantage.
3
If White chooses l 4.ixa6?! then Black is
2
probably slightly better after: 14 ... bxa6 15.e5
(l 5.Wb3?! dxe4 16.:!"i:adl happened in Schmitz 1
- Di Paolo, Genova 2004, and here the simple a b c d e f g h
16 ... We7N l 7.fxe4 Wb7!+ gives Black a large
170 Gligoric
15..id4!
le looks like a prudent measure to oppose the The ending is fairly equal, and any practical
g7-bishop. chances for White are slim. Thus, 9.a3!?, albeit
I 5.%1ld2?! dxe4 16.ltid6 l'!e7 17.l'!adl is weaker: interesting, poses no threat to Black.
83) 9.9c2!?
a b c d e f g h
17 ... exf3! (17 ... ib3?! 18.ltlxb7! [18.ltlf5ixdl
19.~xdSt l'!xd8 20.lthe7t @f8 21.ltlxg6t
hxg6 22.l'!xd 1 l'!xd 1t 23.ixd 1 ixb2+)
18 ...~b8 19.ixa6 ixdl 20.l'!xdl l'!xb7 a b c d e f g h
21.ixb7 ~xb7 22.fxe4 ~xb2 is only equal) An interesting move, against which
18.l'!xf3 ib3! 19.ltlf5 ixdl 20.ltlxe7t ~xe7
couldn't find a way co play for a win as Black
21.~xd 1 ltlc7 22.ic4 ltle6 23.b4 l'!d8 24.~fl (perhaps the readers can?). In fact, the second
id4+ White's position looks a bit shaky.
player must be careful to avoid drifting into
an inferior position. The results of my research
15 ...dxe4 16.&e4 .hd4t 17.9xd4 can be summarized as follows:
9... ~g4 IO..ig5 9c7!?

I consider chis the best choice for Black, after
which White has three options:
a b c d e f g h
17...9xd4f
17 ... l'!e7?! 18.ltld6 ltlb8 19.l'!fdl ltlc6
20.~c5 gave White a tiny pull in Pecran -
Tratar, Austria 1997 a b c d e f g h
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 171
IU~adl!N 20 .. .f4!
Black can hope to complicate matters after 20 ... E!:d8?! 21.ltld5! lt:lxe2t 22.~hl! cxd5
the alternatives: 23.ig5! (23.Wxd5t?? ie6-+) 23 ... ih6!
24.ixe7 ixd2 25.E!:xd8t ~f7 26.id6+± is
The weaker l l .dxe5 lt:lxe5! leads to a first unclear.
major subdivision: 21.if2 ie6+
Black has all the chances, due to his excellent
a) 12.lt:lxe5?! dxe5 13.ie3 We7! centralization and extra space.
A symmetrical structure that is promising
for Black, in view of the impending transfer b) 12.ltld2 ltlc5 13.b4 (13.ie3 lt:lg4?)
~ ,,,~.,,,
of the knight to e6. For example:
'1).,.,,,,/,~{iy,~
13 ... ltle6 14.ie3 a5 00 is, similarly, quite
satisfactory for Black.
c) In case of 12.E!:adl, Black should rely on
~.,.~tt•~~
6 centralization: 12 .. .f5 13.exf5 ixf5 14.Wd2
lt:\c5! 00
5 ~ ~ ~
4 d) 12.ie3 The bishop returns to its 'Gligoric'
~/,"//, ~~-~ ~~
3~ ~ ~ ~ base to control the important c5-square.
~ ~iiB:f~ lr!J A similar course of action can be applied:
2
gt,,/,~~-:='" 12 .. .f5 13.exf5 ixf5 14.Wd2 lt:lxf3t 15.ixf3
ltlc5= With balanced play.
a b c d e f g h
14.lt:la4!? I think Black gets sufficient chances to play
14.c5? lt:lxc5 15.ltld5 cxd5 16.ixc5 Wc7+ for a win after l l.d5 too: l l...f5! Letting the
just loses a pawn. bishop stay on g5, so as to attack it later on.
14.E!:fdl ltlc5t allows Black to carry out his 12.ltld2 (In case of 12.a3 ltlc5 13.ltld2 h6!
strategic idea without obstacles. [13 ... if6?! 14.h4!t] 14.ih4 g5 15.ixg4 fxg4
14 .. .f5!? 16.ig3 a5 17.b4 axb4 18.axb4 E!:xal 19.E!:xal
14 .. J"1e8! may even be better. lt:la6 20.E!:bl c5? chances are approximately
15.f3 b616.E!:adl lt:lc717.c5!? b5 18.lt:lc3 lt:le6 balanced.)
19.E!:d6 lt:ld4 20.Wd2
172 Gligoric
13 ... ~f6!? (13 ... g5 14.~xg4 fxg4 15.~g3 00 ) 15.'1Wd2 f6! 16.~h6 ~e8! is similarly unclear.
14.~xg4 ~xh4 15.~f3 c5 00
15.~d2 ~xh2t 16.©hl ~f4 17.~xf4 '1Wxf4
18.g3 '\Wh6t 19.©gl ~e6 looks level.
15 ...i.xh2t 16.@hl .if4 17..if6!

17.~xf4 '1Wxf4=
~fflj_•'~ ~~-
~,~ ~--,Y,m,
8
7
6
i)~ ~~ , %~ '-~
iliili iliili "iii
5 ~~ ~~ ~~P-0~~
4
3
~8ffl8~
~~ ~~ ,,,,,~~
~
11...d5! ~~-%,_,,,;~ ~~-0 ~~
This is what 10 ... '1Wc7 was all about.
Otherwise Black would have to take on d4 and
tolerate typical pressure on d6 for the rest of
2
1 ~,,,,,%mraim@
8t~Vm~t~8~
the game. The two pawn captures we will focus
a b c d e f g h
on are B31) 12.li:lxe5!? and B32) 12.cxd5!. 17 .. J~e8!
This gives rise to an interesting struggle. The
Black can face the future with confidence after: idea is that Black should wait for White to
12.dxe5 dxe4 13.li:lxe4 ~f5= weaken his king by g2-g3, and the text is the
best way to induce this.
B31) 12.li:lxe5!? li:lxe5 17 ... li:lc5? has a fl.aw. White plays 18.b4!
13.dxe5 d4 14Jixd4 he5 li:ld7 (18 ... li:le6 l 9.g3 ~e5 20.~xe5 '1Wxe5
21.f4 '1Wg7 22.e5 f6 23.exf6 ~xf6 24.c5± is
terrible for Black) l 9.~d4 and now l 9 ... li:le5?!
does not quite work:
7
6
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
15.l~ddl
15.'\Wdl!? f6! 16.~h6 ~e8! 00 20.~c5! ~d8 2 l .g3±
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 173
B32) 12.cxd5!
a b .
The mos t clear-cut continuauon.
12 exd4 13·i.xa6!
.•. not 13 ·lt::ibl?! exd5 and t h e queen is
But
protected!
I 4 i,f4!
13 ... cxdS. 1 . f; an advantage.
The only try or
174 Gligoric
I5Jtixd5 °1Wd6
8
_1,%m i~•
~.!~~m-,Y,-,
m t~.:~ , , ,~~
~~-:5.~,
1
6
5
4
3
2
-~·Ls·:~
~~-~m- m.tzj·m8
8f~Vffl ~8-~
l
a b
~it•t=
c d e f g h
18.°1Wd3!?
a b c d e f g h
18.Wib3 lt:ieS 19.lt:ixeS ixe5=
16.ic4!?
A drawish ending arises after 16.ie2 ie6 18 ... ~eS
17 We? l"i:ad8! 18.Wxd6 l"i:xd6 19.lt:ixd4 ixdS 18 .. .fS? 19.ib3±
20.lt:ibS l"i:b6 21.exdS tz:lf6 as White's extra
pawn is insignificant. 22.b3 (White's winning 19.~xe5 he5 20.ib3!
chances are also practically non-existent after 20.f4 ixf4 21 Wxd4 ixdS 22.ixdS l"i:c2
22.l"i:d2 lt:ie4 23.l"i:c2 a6 24.lt:ic3 l"i:c8 25.l"i:fcl 23.l"i:f2 l"i:xf2 24.Wxf2 Wb8 25.l"i:fl ieS is just
lt:id6~, although this may be a better try.) equal.
22 ... l"i:e8 23.l"i:fel (23.ic4 a6 24.lt:ic3 l"i:d6
25.a4 lt:id7~)
a b c d e f g h
23 ... if8! 24.ic4 l"i:xel t 25.l"i:xel ib4 26.l"i:e3

a6 27.lt:ic3 l"i:d6 28.a4 l"i:d7= The draw is trivial.
16...ie6 17.h3 l:fac8!

Threatening ... bS.
20 ... ixdS 21.ixdS l"i:c7 22.g3±
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 175
After 20 ... g5!? 21 °1Wb5!? i.xd5 22.i.xd5 Vitali Golod has played this worthwhile
(22.exd5 a6! 23.°1Wd3 :!::1fe8=) 22 ... E1c7= the move against me.
Black position looks defendable.
9 .. .ttig4!
21.£4 In the game against Golod, I got myself into
21 °!Wb5 is also met by 21...b6. a complete mess: 9 ... exd4 10.'tlxd4 l'l:e8 l 1.f3
2 l .a3 :!::1c5 22.lob4 a5 23.i.xe6 '!Wxe6 24.loc2 'tlc7?! 12.°!Wd2 d5 13.cxd5 (13.exd5 cxd5
l'l:e8 25.:!::1fel '!Wb6= 14.c5±) 13 ... cxd5 14.'tldb5 i.e6 15.e5 'tlxb5
21..J:UdS 22.YlribS
22.°1Wg3 ~h8 23.°!Wh4 °!Wf8! 00 intending .. .f5.
8
7
6
5
4
a b c d e f g h
3 16.exf6?! (16.'tlxb5!N 'tld7 17.f4± looks awful
2 for Black) 16... 'tlxc3 17.fxg7 'tlxe2t 18.l'l:xe2
°1Wd6! 19.i.d4 i.d7 20.l'l:ael f6 2I.E1xe8t E1xe8
1
22.l'l:xeSt i.xe8 23.i.xa7 c;t>xg7 24.i.d4 h5
a b c d e f g h 25.h4 i.d7 26.b3 b5 27 ~f2 i.c6 28.°1We3 i.d7
29.i.c3 c;t>f7 30.°1Wa7 d4! 31.i.xd4 g5 32.hxg5
22 ...h6=
fxg5 33.i.e3 g4 34.i.f4 °1Wd5 35.fxg4 hxg4±
The engines consider this as equal, a
Black was miraculously back in the game in
judgement that it is hard to challenge, despite
Golod - Kotronias, Isle of Man 2007
the fact that the white position is more pleasing
to the human eye.
10..tgs f6 11..th4 ttlh6
B4) 9.:1~el We have reached another important tabiya
for the evaluation of 8 ... 'tla6!? The position
is reminiscent of those analysed in variation A
8
of the previous chapter, but here the queen's
7 knight has been developed on a6 instead of d7
6 This slight difference is in White's favour, as
Black has lost the possibility of preparing the
5 occupation of c5 with ... a5 and, additionally,
4 would risk a lot in striving for the plan with
... ltlf7, ... '!Wc7 and .. .f5, as he controls e5 with
3
one unit less. Thus, he has nothing better than
2 taking on d4 quickly so that the a6-knight can
join the game via c5. Despite the shortcomings
1
a b c d e f g h
176 Gligoric
mentioned above, Black's game remains 8

tenable if he resorts to this measure, and he
7
can hope to equalize by exploiting the slightly
offside h4-bishop. 6
5
White's main options are the sharp B41) 4
12.c5!? and B42) 12.h3. 3
2
12.Wd2 ti:lf7 13.Eladl?! was played in Vitiugov
- Altshul, St Petersburg 200 I, when Black
missed a chance to put his opponent under a b c d e f g h
pressure: 16 ... We7!?
16 ...i.d7 might allow a subsequent Wd3 and
8 .i ~.i.~ J ~- i.d l -a4 manoeuvre.
17Wc2
'l)U :~ ~-,~ 17 Wd3 may be a slightly better try, but even
~~"--"'w "'~
7
6 ~·--·-"··~·
then Black should have no problems.
~~ ~~rd- -"'~ ~m-;1
5
: ~,~11~1]
~~-d' -\,:ui ~~-;1
~~-;1
17 ... liig? 18.Eledl i.f4!?
With an even game.
2 ~ f[j ~l§J j_ ff!j;, ~ flj

' ,/.~ ti~--%=,, B41) 12.c5!?
a b c d e f g h 8
13 ... g5!N 14.i.g3 g4 15.ti:lh4 exd4 16.Wxd4? 7
(16.ti:la4 is forced, but then 16 ... c5 17.ti:lf5
6
i.xf5 18.exf5 Wd7 19.b3 Wxf5 renders White's
compensation questionable.) 16 ... f5 17 Wd2 5
Black wins a piece with either 17 ... i.h6 4
followed by .. .f4, or with the immediate
17 .. .f4 with the idea 18.Wxf4 i.h6. 3
2
12.d5
This falls in with Black's plans; the el-rook 1
is inconveniently placed, as it stands in the a b c d e f g h
way of the f3-knight's journey towards d3.
This is an attempt to immediately tear apart
Consequently, White cannot hope to get an
Black's fortress, and has been played by one
advantage.
of the champions of this variation, the Swiss
12 ... ti:lf7 13.a3
GM Yannick Pelletier. This conception is
13.ti:ld2 h5=
noteworthy and gives Black a lot of headaches.
13.Wc2 h5 14.h3 c5 15.a3 i.d7 16.l:=1abl
i.h6 17.b4 b6 is also equal.
12 ... exd413.i.xa6 dxc3 14.i.c4t @h8
13 ... h5 14.h3 c5 15.Elbl i.h6 16.b4
14 ... d5? 15.exd5 cxb2 16.d6t! liih8 17.l:=1bl
Black still has to be accurate:
i.g4 18.l:=1xb2 ti:lf5 19.i.g3 Wa5 20.l:=1xb7±
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 177
eventually led to a White win in Pelletier - 25.ie3 (25.ixa7 ~a8) 25 ... lt:lh3t is unclear.
A. Zhigalko, Fuegen 2006, as White's 22 ...\Wxf7 23.lt:lf5 ixf5 24.exf5 ~xel t
positional advantage is indisputable. 25.\Wxel h5=
15 ... cxb2 16.1::~bl b5 17.i.h3
a b c d e f g h
15.cxd6!?
l 5.bxc3
This was Troff - Perelshteyn, Lubbock 2011, 17... a5!?N
but now instead of the dubious l 5 ... b5?!± as 17 ... g5?! 18.ig3 f5 19.ie5! ixe5 20.lt:lxe5
played by Black, there should follow: \Wf6 was Bernal Moro - Bates, Hastings 2009,
when I couldn't figure out why White rejected
the following natural continuation:
a b c d e f g h
15 ... g5!N 16.ig3 g4 17.lt:lh4 dxc5
The second player enjoys fair chances, a b c d e f g h
despite the engines' initial scepticism. 21.d7!N fxe4 22.~xe4 \Wxf2t 23.<;!jlhl ia6
18.id6 24.lt:ld3±
Unclear play arises after: 18.\Wc2 f5 19.1'fadl
Wg5 20.f4 gxf3 21.lt:lxf3 \Wh5 22.id6 ~e8 17 ... ig4!? 18.\Wd4!? (18.~xb2 g5 19.ig3 f5
23.e5 b6 00 20.e5 f4 is difficult to assess without more
18 ... ~eS 19.ixc5 Wa5! 20.id4 \Wh5 21.g3 analysis) 18 ...ixf3 19.gxf3 a5 20.a3 lhis also
lt:\f7 22.ixf7 looks reasonable, though it might be a touch
22.l.Wc2 lt:lg5 23.~adl ie6 24.ifl ~ad8 better for White.
178 Gligoric
18.:axb2 a4 23.Wdl
Preventing l'!d2 and forcing an unnatural Black has an easier time after: 23.Wd2
configuration of the white pieces. fxe5! 24.lLJxe5 ixe5 25.l'!xe5 a3! 26.l'!c2
lt'lf5 27.ig5 (27 Wel lt'lxh4! 28.l'!xe6 lt'lf5
19 .i.c2 i.e6 29.We5t Wg7=) 27 ... l'!c6! 28.l'!cxc5 l'!xd6
29.Wc3 l'!dlt 30.l'!elt r;t>g8 3I.l"i:ce5 Wd4!
32.Wxd4 l"i:xel t 33.l"i:xel lt'lxd4 34.ie?
8
l"i:a8= With a balanced ending.
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
f g h
20.e5 allows 20 ... a3 00 •
20 .•.'!Wd7 21.°1Wd4! :aac8

With a wild game where White looks better,
but Black does have certain counter-chances.
a b c d e f g h
32.l"i:e4! lt'lf5 33.f4 a3 34.l"i:a?
34.ig5 l"i:gf8 35.l"i:a4 l"i:a8 36.l"i:xa8 l"i:xa8
a b c d e f g h 37.ixf5 gxf5 38.l"i:c? ixa2 39.d? .ie6
22.°1Wc5 40.l"i:a7 l"i:xa7 4I.d8=Wt .ig8 42 ..ie7 h6
A logical reply, to stop ... c5. 43 ..ixa3 l"i:xa3 44.lt'lf7t r;t>h7 45.Wd5 ixf7
46.Wxf7 l"i:a5= is a drawn ending.
22.e5!? c5 34 ... lt'lxe7 35.dxe? l"i:ge8 36.l"i:e3 .if6 37.l"i:xa3
This seems to lead to a draw. l"i:xe7 38.l"i:axc3 l"i:xc3 39.l"i:xc3 ixa2=
Chapter 9 - 8.0-0 179
This has been the choice of no less a player

than Viswanathan Anand, and is well founded,
as it prevents surprising ideas such as ... g5-g4
as a means of hitting d4.
12 .. .ltlf7 13.l:~bl
8
7
6
5
4
3
23 ... @gs 24..ig3 2

After 24.h3 l:l:fe8 25 ..ig3 .ic4 26.l:l:d4 ~f8 1
27.4Jd2 l:l:e5!? 28.~xe5 fxe5 29.l:l:xc4 4Jxd6!
Black threatens to trap the queen, so White a b C d e f g h
must return the sacrificed material. 13 ... exd4!?N
I prefer this over: l 3 ... 4Jc7 l 4.b4 4Je6?!
24....ih6 25J~d4
25.l:l:ddl ~g4 00 is similar.
25 ....ig4co
The position remain wild and full of tactical
nuances. Pelletier's original idea deserves
further investigation, and I expect to see it
occur more often in tournament practice.
B42) 12.h3
a b c d e f g h
8
l 5.d5! lt::ld4 l 6.lt::lxd4 exd4 17 '1Wxd4 g5
7 18.~g3 f5 19.'1Wd2 f4 20.~h2 4Je5 21.dxc6
6 bxc6 22.b5!± Black didn't have enough
compensation for the pawn in Anand -
5 Topalov, Monte Carlo (rapid) 1999.
4
14.ltixd4 ltJc5 15.b4 ltJe6
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
180 Gligoric
Conclusion
8.0-0 should lead to equal positions, as Black

can initiate liquidating operations by taking
on d4 and following up with ... l:l:e8 and ... d5.
The analysis in variation A is extensive, but I
am satisfied that Black can hold his own.
The only question is whether Black can try
to play for a win himself by avoiding those
liquidations with 8 ... 4Ja6!? In my opinion
there are a few chances, but obviously in
taking them, Black should be aware that he is
burning bridges behind him, and that White's
space advantage may at some point become
a crucial factor. There is a lot to learn here,
but my analysis will give the readers a fuller
understanding of Black's typical plans and
ideas to help guide them through the stormy
waters.
The line that concerned me most was
17.f4
9.'%!fc2!? Black should be able to equalize,
but the arising positions do not offer him
8 real winning chances. This is a bit of a
7 disappointment for the staunch supporters
of attacking chess, but I am just happy that
6 9.'%!f c2!? does not refute 8 ... 4Ja6. After all, the
5 Gligoric Variation is one of the most resilient
systems against the King's Indian and it is
4
useful to have as many options as possible
3 against it.
2
1
a b c d e f g h
17....ih6!? 18.Effl
18.~g3 f5~ or 18.'%!f d2 g5! with a good
game for Black.
18 ....ixf4! 19Jhf4 g5
Black gains the e5-square for his pieces,
obtaining excellent counter-chances.
Gligoric
8.d5
Variation Index
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 c6!? 8.d5
8 ... ~a6
A) 9.~d2 ~e8! 182
Al) 10.h4?! 182
A2) 10.g4 183
A21) 10 ... @h8?! 184
A22) 10 ... cxd5! 185
A3) 10.0-0 188
B) 9.0-0 ~g4 10.i.g5 f6 11.i.d2 f5! 190
Bl) 12.~el?! ~f6 191
Bll) 13.exf5 191
B12) 13.f3 192
B2) 12.~g5 193
Al) after 12.if2 A3) note to 15.bxcS B12) after 18.®bl
a b c d e f g h
l 5... Ei:f7!?N
182 Gligoric
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 ig7 4.e4 d6 5.~£3 b) The e4-square will not be such a strong
0-0 6.ie2 e5 7.ie3 c6!? 8.d5 base as it would be in the case of a Czech
The most promising line for White after Benoni central structure.
7 ... c6!? Play will now switch to the wings, and
Black has to be careful to avoid ending up with We have reached another split: Al) 10.h4?!,
an inferior position. A2) 10.g4 or A3) 10.0-0.
8 Al) 10.h4?!
7
8
6
7
5
6
4
5
3
4
2
3
1
2
a b c d e f g h
1
8 ... ~a6
A flexible move, avoiding the dangerous line a b C d e f g h
8 .. .ltlg4 9.ig5 f6 10.ih4 4Ja6 l l.c5!?, which This is a rather poor move.
is probably bad for Black. The knight on a6 is
well placed for defensive purposes, as it holds 10 ... fS 11.£3 f4!
back White's intended pawn advance on the Stopping g2-g4.
queenside.
12.if2
White now has a choice between A) 9.~d2
and B) 9.0-0.
8
A) 9.~d2
7
White wishes to prevent ... lt:lg4 and possibly 6
gain space on the kingside by g2-g4, but this
5
move is not as effective as it would be after, let's
say, 8 ... c5?!. 4
3
9 ... ~e8!
Topalov's reply seems best, defending d6 and 2
preparing to march with the f-pawn. With the 1
centre semi-blocked Black can fearlessly opt
for .. .f5, for two reasons: a b C d e f g h
a) The white king will not be safe on the 12 ... ~f6!Nt
queenside.
Chapter 10 - 8.d5 183
The most exact, eyeing the g3-square right A2) 10.g4

away and preventing White from getting rid of
his weak h-pawn.
8
Instead, in the game S. Williams - Kotronias, 7
Isle of Man 2004, White actually failed to 6
capitalize on my inaccurate 12 ... cS?! due to his
reluctance to play 13.hS!Nt. 5
4
13.ltifl
3
13.dxc6 bxc6+ 14.cS? l2lxc5 15.ltlc4 ltlb7!+
2
13 .. .!ilh5 14.a3
1
14.'\1*'d2 c5+ is similar.
a b c d e f g h
14... c5 This is not such a bad idea, especially if
We have transposed back into the above- Black chooses A21) 10 ... @h8?!, although it is
mentioned game, when I was clearly in well met by A22) 10 ... cxd5!N.
command after the following sequence:
10 ... fS?! 11.gxf5 gxf5 12.exf5 ixf5 13.ltlde4!
15.l::!bl .id? 16.b4 b6 17 ..id3 Wle7 18 ..ic2 gives White strong kingside pressure.
~fc8 19.Wid3 13 ... ltlf6!? It seems most principled to
challenge the e4-knight. 14.ltlg3! ih3!?
15.2"1gl! <;t>hs 16.'\1*'d2 cxd5?! 17.l2lxd5! l2lxd5
8 ~ - , ~~,,-,,•;~
/,w,,,,,/,~ ,,~~
Now in Halkias - Jovanovic, Patras 1999,
~ ffl.i.~ ~,.
7
6 'l)m White could have obtained a clear advantage
5 n "W'2r•'m~~ •
~% 'if '~' "'~%"
with:
4 /, .Jfl/d ~, ~~~ f~
3 :[j
2 .....
mvm~m
%~/I;~ ~ffl
~~ ~~-~)::,,}~
t~
1 _n~ ~~~n
a b c d e f g h
19 ...WieS!+
White's position is cut in two due to the
a b c d e f g h
unfortunate position of the fl-knight. I did a
good job of exploiting this by systematically 18.11*'xd5!N±
opening lines on the queenside over the next Saddling the opponent with an additional
20 moves or so, although sadly I got careless weak point on d6, though it should be noted
towards the end and even managed to lose. that it is primarily the gruelling weakness
of the h5-square that is intolerable for the
184 Gligoric
defender, and creating a second weakness on 12.6!

d6 is merely used as a distraction. One could After this, I do not see much that Black
argue that Black can improve on move 16, but can do.
this is not a line to be recommended to the
second player. Much worse is instead: 12.gxf5?! gxf5 13.exf5
j,xf5 14.li:'lde4 cxd5! 15.cxd5
All) 10 ... 'it>hS?!
a b c d e f g h
An instructive mistake that allows White to
12.j,g5 j,f6 13.j,xf6t li:'lxf6
build a kingside pawn wall:
ll.h4!
The weaker l l.4Jb3?! allows Black excellent
counterplay after l l...'®h4! 12.dxc6 bxc6
13.li:'la5 c5 00 or 13 ... 4Jc5!?
11 ... fS
8
7
6
5
4
3
12 ...!f6!?
2 This best that I could find for Black, but it
1 still does not look sufficient.
a b c d e f g h 13.!fl!
Chapter 10 - 8.d5 185
A simple and clean solution, leaving Black A22) 10 ... cxdS!N

with a difficult task ahead.
13.exf5? ixh4t+ is most certainly not

advisable for the first player.
13.gS ie7
s ~-.i.R'll~
.1•• ----. !il
'll.,,.------~. ,~
7
6
5 ~/,
4
3 ~
2
·8··~
.,,Q·,,~-
m ~8•
8y!!f:---0~-
-~ ~~
~a b -~~ ~:i:t
c d e f g h
11.cxdS
i 4.exf5! (14.a3 l2lg7!+) 14 ... ixfS 15.lt:lde4
l l .lt:lxd5?! l2lec7+ is better for Black, as
lt:lgl l G.'1Wd2 l2lh5 17.0-0-0 '1Wa5± White is
the knight is coming to e6 to highlight the
better, but Black maintains some chances of
weaknesses at f4 and d4.
counterplay.
13 ... fxg4 14.fxg4 i.e7!?
15.gS!
15.0-0 Ei:xf2!?~
15 ... @g8 16.i.e3 t2:lg7 17.'?Nc2;!; 12.exfS gxf5 13.gxfS i.xf5

White's space advantage guarantees lasting _According to Topalov, Black is already
pressure. slightly better here. This may not exactly be
186 Gligoric
the case, but it is true that he has a pleasant position that can hardly be recommended to
game. White.
c) 15.if3 l"ic8+± can only be better for Black, as

8
he has control over the c4-square and I cannot
7 see a proper hiding place for the white king.
6
cl) 15.tZ:lg3!
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
14Jilgl
Mobilizing the rook looks like a useful
prelude to subsequent play. a b c d e f g h
14.~b3?! tZ:ic5! 15.ixc5 dxc5 16.l"igl tZ:id6 15 ...id7! 00 The advance of the h-pawn is
17.tZ:ic4e418.l"ig2<;tih819.0-0-0id4+Black not dangerous for Black, and he maintains
already has a tremendous positional advantage. the possibility of counterattacking on the
queenside if White castles long.
14.tZ:ide4!? tZ:if6 is playable, and now:
After 14.l"igl White should, in the majority
a) 15.id3?! tZ:lb4 16.ibl c.t>h8 17.ig5 of cases, be able to achieve the strategically
(17.tZ:lg5 ixbl+ followed by ... ~a5) 17 ... ~a5 desirable exchange of light-squared bishops.
Black has a strong initiative. Still, he cannot claim an advantage, as settling
on e4 with 'impunity' is an impossible task.
b) 15.f3?! tZ:ixe4 16.fxe4 For example:
14...l'ilcS 15.b4
Chapter 10 - 8.d5 187
15... c!tld7!? 16.i.g4 i.xg4 on both e6 and h7, yet by simply opposing
Chopping off the bishop is simplest. queens Black highlights his opponents
weaknesses:
I don't think there is any need to calculate the
consequences of: 16 ... ig6
a b c d e f g h
18 ... WcS! 19.Wxc8 (19.We6t!? ~f7 20.lude4
a b c d e f g h luxe4 21.luxe4 Wxe6 22.dxe6 ~e7 is not a
l 7.ie6t!? (l 7.ih5 ixh5 18.Wxh5 Wc8! great improvement for White, but it may keep
19.1:kl [19.lude4 ludf6 00 J 19 ... ludf6 20.Wf3 the equilibrium) l 9 ... ~xc8 20.lude4 luxe4
<;tihs 21.h4 e4 22.Wdl Wf5 23.lufl Wh3 00 ) (20 ... ~c4!?) 21.luxe4 ~c4 22.lug5 luc7+ Black
17 ... @h8 18.~xg6!?00 has everything under control.
17.Wfxg4 c!tldf6 18.Wg2 is not ideal either. There might follow:

It seems that every queen move has its 18 ... ~c8 19.~cl (19.lude4 ~c4!) 19 ... Wd7
shortcomings: 20.ixa7
a b c d e f g h
20 ... luh5! 21.ie3 lt:if4 22.ixf4 ~xf4
23.lude4 ~c4 24.f3 Wc7 Black has excellent
compensation for the pawn.
1s.. Jiks I9.Wfd3 @hst

Now ... e4 is already on the cards, and White's
18.Wh3 looks like a lesser evil, keeping an eye attempts to avert it run into:
188 Gligoric
20.c!Dde4 ltJxe4 21.c!iJxe4 ~h4! 13.a3

With the strategic threat of ... ~h6. Preparing the usual queenside expansion by
b2-b4. However, with the knight on d2 rather
A3) 10.0-0 than on d3, it seems to lack venom.
Alternatively, 13.g4 fxg3 14.hxg3 is an attempt

8
to prevent Black from expanding on the
7 kingside. 14 .. .lt:lf6 15.Elel
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
This less adventurous option renounces a b c d e f g h
White's intention of continuing with g2-g4.
15 ...~h6 (The immediate 15 .. .lllh5!N+± may
be even better, with an excellent game for
10 ... fS 11.f3
Black.) 16.~fl Elf7 (16 ... 0ig4!? 17.fxg4 \Wf6
1 l.exf5 gxf5 12.f4 e4 was unclear in De la
Fuente Gonzalez - Perez Tores, email 2013. is an impressive idea, but unfortunately after
18.Ele2 ~xg4 19.~g2 ~xe2 20.'.Wxe2 Wxf2t
21 '.Wxf2 Elxf2 22.<±ixf2 ~xd2 23.0ib5t White
11 ... £4 12.~f2 c5
is slightly better.) 17.~g2 \Wf8 18.We2 ~g5!+±
Black was doing rather well in Giorgadze - San
Segundo, Vendrell 1996.
13 ... b614.b4
8
7
6
5
4
a b c d e f g h 3
Now that the prospect of a kingside attack 2
has been created, it is sensible for Black to
block the queenside. 1
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 10 - 8.d5 189
14...hS! will get a strong attack by placing his rook

Black elects for the most promising pawn on g7 and marching down the board with his
push, ignoring White's demonstration and g-pawn. This key idea should be remembered,
proceeding with his own attack. as it is probably the only one that makes Black's
set-up work.
14 ... cxb4 15.axb4 lt:Jxb4 16.iWbl lt:Ja6 17.i.dl
lt:Jc5 18.lt:Jb3 l 5.lt:Jb5
I do not regard this as dangerous.
a b c d e f g h
15 .. J'l:f7!?N
l 5 ... lt:Jac7 16.bxc5 bxc5 17.l'l:b 1 g5
happened in Gavrilov - Ulko, Russia 2006,
15.bxcS and here White could try to invade c6 with
White tries to open up lines immediately in l 8.lt:Jb3!?N±.
the critical sector. 16.lt:Jb3
16.bxcS lt:Jxc5 17.lt:Jb3 leads to unclear play
The computers will tell you here that 15.1:l:b 1 according to Gavrilov, which seems to be a
is massively in White's favour, with the idea
correct assessment.
i.d3-c2-a4-c6. This happens because they
16 ... cxb4! l 7.axb4
cannot properly assess the strength of the idea:
17 iWd2 bxa3 18.l'l:xa3 lt:Jc5 00
15 ... i.h6! (15 ... i.f6 is also possible) 16.i.d3 l 7 ... lt:Jxb4 18.lt:Jcl a5!
Worse is: 18 ... lt:Ja6 19.lt:Jd3 lt:Jc5 20.lt:Jb4i
19.lt:Jd3 lt:Ja6 00
I regard the ensuing position as highly
complex, but not better for White.
15 .. .tihcS 16.a4?
A positional error, allowing Black to close all
entrances to his queenside.
Hazai correctly points out that 16.lt:Jb3N was

a better course, to which I would add: 16 ... g5
17.lt:Jxc5 (17.a4 a5!) 17... bxc5 18.l'l:bl
190 Gligoric
the game saw Black go on to press home his

advantage.
B) 9.0-0
8
7
6
a b c d e f g h 5
18 ... E1f6! 19.%°a4 (19.%°d3 E1g6 20.i.dl g4 4
21.fxg4 hxg4 22.i.a4 ia6 00 ) 19 ... E1g6 20.%°c6
3
id7 21.%°b7 g4 22.iel if6, Black intends to
put the rook on the g7-square, and he has a 2
strong attack. 1
a b c d e f g h
8
White waits for Black to unveil his
7 intentions.
6
9 ... ttig4
5 Black should, of course, take advantage of
4 the opportunity to free the way for his f-pawn
with gain of time.
3
2 I0.i.g5 f6 1 I.i.d2
1 This continuation is too passive to present
Black with real problems.
a b C d e f g h
I6... a5! The main line of l I .i.h4 is examined in the
This strong positional retort should be next two chapters.
remembered. Now White has no lever to prise
open Black's queenside, and is relegated to the 1I...f5!
role of defending. It's now or never! Black should not lose time
in carrying out this liberating thrust.
I7Jfa3?!
The rook does not have any prospects here. We will examine the dubious Bl) 12.ttiel?!
According to Topalov, White should have before moving on to B2) I2.ttig5.
challenged the c5-knight by 17.4Jb3!?
l 2.E1b 1 is a natural and logical choice, after
I7...i.f6!:i: which I recommend: 12 ... lt:lc5! (12 ... lt:lf6!?
Black was slightly better in San Segundo - 13.exf5 ixf5 [13 ... gxf5!?] 14.E1cU) 13.lt:lg5
Topalov, Madrid 1996, and the remainder of
Chapter 10 - 8.d5 191
12 .. .ttif6
8
7
6 , ,%~·~
.i~.t~ }~·
~·- • ~.~
~·
~/,'"/,}'----\,,,.,% ~/,'"//,
-~~~·~
White's knight does not seem well placed,
and Black is at least equal because White
is weak on e4. Play can continue with
: i%%
5 i%%~ B11) 13.exf5 or B12) 13.f3.
//,,,,,;~ ~- j ~ //,,, ,:~
~~~1~: B11) 13.exf5

~~'ef"" ;~%
~r~ ~1.r~~r~
~~-% ~~-%
2
t~ii-t~'"
a b c d e f g h
13 ... aS! (13 .. .l2if6? 14.b4! lt'icxe4 15.lt'igx:e4
lt'ixe4 16.lt'ixe4 fxe4 17.ie3± is what White
is angling for) 14.exfS gx:f5 15.ixg4 fxg4
16.ie3 ifs 17.ixc5 'l!Nxg5 18.ixd6 E!:f7
19.Ei:cl 'l!Ng6 20.dxc6 bxc6 21.c5 ih6 22.'l!Na4
ixcl 23.Ei:xcl 'l!Ng5 24.E!:dl Ei:c8 25.'l!Nxa5 e4~
With enough counterplay for Black.
12.exf5 gx:f5 13.lt'iel should not be met by

13 ... lt'if6, as that transposes to the Oil -
Yrjola game examined in the note to Black's I was surprised to see that White has
13th move in line B11 Instead of retreating a successful score with this move which,
his g4-knight, Black should play 13 ... lt'ic7, according to my chess understanding, is
as the exchange 14.ixg4 fxg4 is not bad for incomprehensible. I reckon the plan is to meet
him. Both his queen and bishop have valuable 13 ... gx:f5 with 14.ig5 and then organize f2-f4,
squares at g6 and f5 from which to operate. so I have an idea to unbalance White players:
Bl) 12.i!tlel?! 13 ... cxd5!?N

The idea is to deprive White of any chance
to conquer d5 with a piece in the future.
13 ... gx:f5
a b c d e f g h
This is strategically suspect.
192 Gligoric
14.~g5! 14... d4 15.gxh7t @h8 I6.llld5 ltixd5

14.c;t,hl?! was played in Sarkar - Felgaer, 17.cxd5
Gibraltar 2007, but I guess both players failed We have reached an interesting position,
to understand that l 4 ... cxd5 l 5.cxd5 f4!-+ is where Black's huge pawn centre offers
great for Black here, the point being that the sufficient compensation.
strange placement of the el-knight prevents
White from controlling e4 satisfactorily. I
8
can imagine that Joe Gallagher would have
immediately found a move like l 5... f4!, but 7
not everyone has his vast experience in the 6
King's Indian.
l 4 .. .lllc7?! 5
The knight has no future on this square, 4
but I guess the move was dictated by Black's
3
desire to take on d5 without allowing l2:lxd5.
l 5.l2:lc2 cxd5 16.cxd5 l2:lce8 l 7.f4 ~d7 l 8.l2:le3 2
'Wb6 19.'Wd2 'Wd4 20.2"1adl l2:lg4 21.~xg4
1
'Wxd2 22.E1xd2 fxg4 23.f5t
This was Oil - Yrjola, Finland 1991, and is
a good illustration of what White is aiming for 17... e4!?;;
with 13.exf5. Or l 7 ... l2:lc5 l 8.l2:ld3 l2:le4 l 9.f3 l2:lxd2
20.'Wxd2 'Wf6 with the idea of ... ~h6.
14.fxg6
This looks double-edged, but at the same B12) 13.0
time is White's only attempt to obtain any
advantage.
14.cxd5 gxf5 15.~g5 ~d7+±, intending to

follow up with ... 'Wb6 or ... 'We8, is excellent
for Black.
White tries to support his pawn chain.
13 ... fxe4!? 14.fxe4 ltic5

Black piles up on e4.
l 4 ...'Wb6t!?, intending ...Wxb2, is not out of
a b c d e f g h
the question either.
Chapter 10 - 8.d5 193
15.§'c2 cxd5 16.cxdS 19.i.e3

19.g3!? a5 20.b4 axb4 21 ~xb4
8
7
6
~·~-tr•
~-.
~~;,,.,%~--"--·
~~~
••
~~
g•~ ~
}~·
5
4
2
~
~ -~ ~&
"a'))
~t"'f'""•l•.t~
f~Mm
,~-,, , Y,~ ,~--
~Z"//,/~~
~~;~--~;,- jfj
a b c d e f g h
21... t2:\ f6+ Black is better, as he can overprotect
16...i.g4! his only weakness on b 7 by ... h6 and ... E!:£7, and
Now Black is fully developed and can look then try to pursue his aims on the kingside by
forward to at least equal chances. exploiting the weakened h3- and g4-squares.
17.ltif3 gcs 18.§'bl 19 ... ltif4 20.§'c2 §'ast

So far we have followed Lukacs - Thorsteins, Black has all the pressure in view of his
Borsodtavho 1991, and at this point Black can impressively placed pieces.
continue with:
B2) 12.ltigS
~,m~""~~~,
~- _~-,, Y,~,~~r
8 ~ ~..t~ ~~-~
~~~
i
7
6 'i'm,mv,rnm1i~
s ~ ffl8W~iW_
~~m8~.~~-~~'I)~
~~
i~ m m
4
3 ~,, -~~J~-0 ~~-0 f Wc'W
8~ m~r~ofb
2
1 st""%•v•im""
a b c d e f g h
18 ... ltihS!N
Also possible is 18 ... i.d?N 19.<;t>hl lt:lh5! The logical follow-up to White's play; the
20.b4 lt:la4 21.lt:lxa4 i.xa4 22.Ei:cl ~d7 23.b5 knight will have some remote chances of
E!:xcl t 24.i.xcl ~g4 with an initiative for exploiting the 'hole' on e6 if Black resp~nds
Black. to exf5 with ... i.xf5. Otherwise, the knight
will have to retreat to f2 (via h3) to enforce the
possibility of a potential g2-g4 - a means of
194 Gligoric
attacking the blockaded structure with pawns I4.f4 e4 I5.i.e3 c5!

on f5 and e4. Taking d4 away from the white pieces and
blocking the queenside.
I2 .. )Lif6 I3.ex5
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
I6.4Jh3!?
White is trying to bring his knight to f2.
Instead, 16.a3, as played in Korchnoi - Milov,

Switzerland 1997, is probably best answered
Instead, 13 ... ixf5 does not have such a sound by· 16 ... lt:lc?N 17Wd2 b618.b4
positional basis:
8 !.~ ~,?
~ }~·,., ,
'I).·%~ %.-,~~
~ •• ,Y,~·
:~.,.~j.;~, :~
7
6
~~~%~(im
3 ~m~~~~
~tr~ '%l"' ~~P ~~-"'
2 ~t~ ~..t1~~1~
~%~ii•i=' a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 18 ... ia6! 19.E1acl We? 20.Elfel E1ad8 21.b5
14.g4!?N (14.if3 4Jc5! was unclear in Komarov (2 l .4Jh3 lt:lg4+ is the chief point of having the
- Smirin, Vienna 1996) 14 ... id? 15.ie3i bishop on a6, as taking on g4 would leave the
White seems to have a slight edge as Black looks c4-pawn hanging.) 21...ib? 22.a4 h6 23.4Jh3
cramped on both wings. However, one should a6 24.lt:lf2 axb5 25.axb5 E1a8= Black's activity
not believe that Black's position is prospectless, should provide him with enough counter-
as the weakening of White's kingside is some chances in the event that White decides to go
sort of permanent consolation that may offer wild with g2-g4.
Black tactical chances at a later stage.
Chapter IO - 8.dS 195
16.. .lZ~g4! Conclusion

Black has spotted his opponent's positional
threat. This chapter began our discussion of the
critical 8.dS, which we will be meeting with
17.hg4 fxg4 18.lllfl 8.. .lth6. After the further 9.4Jd2 4Je8! I0.g4
I included coverage of 10 ... <;t,hS?!, as I believe
it is helpful to understand why Black ends up
8
in a difficult situation. Correct is 10 ... cxdS!,
7 when my analysis shows that Black is well on
6 his way to a fine game.
Should White continue 9.0-0 lt::lg4 10.i.gS
5 f6 l l .i.d2, we must not hesitate to play
4 11...fS and free our position. 12.lt::lgS is the
critical test, but a close study of Gelfand -
3
Topalov will show the reader the best way to
2 activate his pieces and thwart any hopes for an
advantage that White may have harboured.
1
a b c d e f g h
18 ...i.xc3! 19.bxc3 h5!
Depriving White of an active plan, due to
his inflexible pawn structure.
20.Wfe2 .if5 21..id2 lLJc7
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
22.lLJdl! gf7 23.lLJe3 Wff6 24.gabl lLJe8!=
The chances were balanced in Gelfand -
Topalov, Novgorod 1996.
Gligoric
II.ih4
Variation Index
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6 ..ie2 e5 7 ..ie3 c6!?
8.d5 ~a6 9.0-0 ~g4 10..ig5 f6 11..ih4
11...c5
A) 12.~d2 198
B) 12.~el! 200
A) after 17 .l"lb3 B) note to 20.bxcS B) after 20.bxcS

Chapter 11 - 1 l .ih4 197
1.d4 l£if6 2.c4 g6 3.l£ic3 ig7 4.e4 d6 s.l£if3

0-0 6.ie2 e5 7.ie3 c6!? 8.d5 lt:ia6 9.0-0
l£ig4 10.igS f6 11.ih4
This chapter and the next are devoted to the
examination of the important 1 l .ih4, and
should be studied carefully by those wanting
to take up the 7 ... c6 system. By maintaining
the pin on the adverse f-pawn, White slows
down Black's counterplay on the kingside and
is ready to develop his own plans on the other
wing.
~~£S~~-t
m ~,
%-lffl
,.~~
s
7 ~,~ Unsurprisingly, 12.h3?! has not been tried
6 ·-·-
5 ~ ~~ ztm,--,Y,m often as it merely helps Black bring his knight
where he wants to. Black gets a good position
~~ ;ti"~
after: 12 ... lt:lhG 13.'&d2 (13.lt:lel allows Black
~~~~!~
4 ,~ to venture 13 ... '&eS!?+±, intending .. .f5, for
3 example 14.lt:ld3 f5 15.a3 id7 16.b4 E\c8)
~~,~,,,,,;~ ~~,%~~''.0, 13 ... lt:lf7 14.a3 j,h6 15.'&c2
~r~ -~r~~r~
2
1 d,,,,Y,mV•rm,,,,
a b c d e f g h
11 ... cS
Blocking the position. A long and arduous
manoeuvring struggle now lies ahead, with
chances for both sides. Something I would
like to stress is that readers should not be
discouraged by the excessive engine evaluations
(something like +0.80 around here) in White's
a b c d e f g h
favour, as they are merely based on the bad
position of the a6-knight, underestimating the 15 ... j,d? 16.Elabl '&e7 17.b4 b6 18.@hl j,f4
fact that the h4-bishop is also, at least for the 19.j,g3 @g720.lt:lel?! A draw was agreed at
time being, a bad piece. this point in Golod - A. Vovk, Cappelle-la-
Grande 2010, although I would be tempted to
A) 12.l£id2 is the only real alternative to play on with 20 ... j,xg3 21.fxg3 f5t Of course
B) 12.ltJel!. 20.lt:lel ?! was probably not the best move in
the position.
Instead, 12.'&d2?!, intending h2-h3 followed
by lt:lg5, does not work with the knight on a6: 12.a3 does not have any particular significance,
12 ... lt:lh6! 13.lt:lg5 lt:lc7 14J'fadl and will transpose to mainstream theory
covered in Chapter 12 after 12 ... h5 13.lt:lel
198 Gligoric
A) 12.ltid2 17...id7N=
Illustrating a typical structure where it is
difficult for either side to make progress. Black's
chief defensive point on c5 looks unassailable
in the absence of pressure from a white knight
on d3, but on the other hand it is difficult for
Black to open lines of attack on the kingside.
13 ... ~d714.a3
i.ffl ~ ~~-
lftm'tm _ _
~~-l _ _
8
7 ,,Y,~
6
5 "-~-~--,~~ ,,%_,.
This move is not dangerous for Black, as the
knight's possibilities are limited on d2. The
only problem is that the resulting positions
have a drawish character.
4
3
w• fa lli'al~
~ ifJ}ii~ ifJ}ii~ ~~ .....
,,,J~,/j,,,,,)% '/ ~ ~
vtl ,ti,,Hls~
12 ... hS 13J~bl
l 3.h3 ltih6 14.a3
Worse is: 14.g4?! hxg4 15.hxg4 <ilf7 16.Wg2
2
1
a
-iavni=,,,,
b c d e f g h
ih6 17.l"lhl Wg7 Black has a fine blockade
14... ~eS
on the dark squares. 18.'ilfl (18.a3 b6
A better method for Black may be to place
19.f3?! 1"1h8 20.id3 id7+ was slightly better
his queen on e7 and knight on h6 right away,
for Black in Bitalzadeh - Kleijn, Venlo
as a combination of ... h5 and ... We8 does not
2008) 18 ...1"1h8 19.'ile3 id7 20.Wd2 We7
look natural to me. However, even if Black
21.ig3 if4 22.l"lagl 'ilg5 23.f3 <ilf7 24.a3
loses a tempo with his queen, White will find
1"1ag8 25.<ilb5+ Y2-Y2 Kaidanov - Shabalov,
it hard to breach the fortress-like structure.
Philadelphia 2012.
14 ... 'ilf7 15.l"lbl ih6 16.b4 b6 17.<ilb5
15.b4
As played in Klauser- Gallagher, Lenzerheide
Another way to evict the annoying knight is:
2006.
I5.°1Mfb3 b6 16.<ilb5 We7 17.f3 <ilh6 18.Wc3
<ilf7 19.b41"1fc8!= Nothing much has changed,
as White is unable to press the c5-point
successfully. The only idea available to White is
an attempt to exchange light-squared bishops
via a4, but Black is able to handle it: 20.°1Mf d3
ih6 21.idl Wg7 (21...ixd2 22.Wxd2 cxb4
23.axb41"1xc4 24.'ila3~ is much riskier) 22.ia4
We8 23.l"lfdl 1"1ab8 24.°1Mfb3 1"1b7 25.if2 if4
I cannot see a way out of the deadlock, unless
one side resorts to extreme measures.
Chapter 11 - l 1.ih4 199
15.h3 l2:lh6 16.l'=l:el l2:lf7 17.b4 b618.l2:lfl Wffe7 lt:lbs 24.c5 dxc5 25.d6 Wffd700
19.l2:le3 ih6 20.Wid3 @g7 21.idl is a line
which again displays the motif of exchanging
bishops via a4. Black should play: 7
6
5
4
a b C
2I...l'=l:fc8
Stopping ia4.
a b c d e f g h 22.Wfd3
2 l ... if4! With the idea: 22.ia4 ixa4 23.l2:lxa4 Black is solid after: 22.Wfe2 l'=l:ab8 23.ia4
l'=l:ac8 24.b5 l2:lb8 25.l2:lc3 l2:ld7 26.a4 ig5! ixa4 24.l2:lxa4 ixe3 25.fxe3 l2:lc7 26.l'=l:fl
27.ixg5 fxg5 28.a5 (28.g4?! hxg4 29.hxg4 l2:lg5
Wff f6+) 28 ... g4! 29.hxg4 h4 30.lt:lfl l2:lg5~ 22 ... l'=l:abS 23.ia4
23.l'=l:b2 l2:lc7 24.l'=l:ebl cxb4!? 25.axb4 b5
15 ... b6 I6)Lib5 This is only possible because the h4-bishop
This was played by Sakaev the only time this is out of play at the moment. 26.ib3 ixe3
position was reached. 27.fxe3 bxc4 28.ixc4 a6 This is another
mess worth attention, and while looking
16.l'=l:el l2:lh6 17.h3 at it, please keep in mind that Black lost a
tempo by putting his queen on e8 first.
23 ... ixa4 24.l2:lxa4 cxb4!? 25.axb4
17 ... Wffe7
Black must accept the tempo loss, as the
f6-pawn needs protection to make the
... l2:\f7, ... ih6 manoeuvre possible.
18.id3 l2:lf7 19.ic2 ih6 20.lt:lfl @g7 21.l2:le3
2I.ia4 ixa4 22.Wfxa4 cxb4!? (a crazy move;
instead 22 ... l2:lc7 would be normal) 23.axb4
200 Gligoric
16...Wl'e? 17J~b3 A powerful move, toying with the idea lt:lc2

Covering the e3-square so as to push back or, most importantly, lt:ld3 pressurizing c5. In
the g4-knight. my opinion, Black should be able to equalize
with a combination of positional and tactical
motifs, but the path is rather narrow and
8 ~ ~~ ~,-,,-,J~i!
/,-,--,,/,m,,~~
extreme care is required.
7 ~
6 ~~
ffl.i.~ ~
12 ... hS!?
~ltS•1r•----/,m,
%d1r~ li/,~ rm
12 ... lt:lh6 would be too slow, as White's
5 queenside pressure increases naturally with
4 moves like lt:ld3, a2-a3 and b2-b4.
3 ~1fn 1111.•
'""~~
1111.~J'
~~-,,,,
~/,"//,~~,~ 13.h3!?
2
1
a
~•vnim----
~
b c
f~'.ttf~81~
d e f g h
The other major option of 13.a3 is covered
in the next chapter.
13.ltld3 threatens the dangerous 14.h3 lt:lh6

17.. .lLJh6!?N 15.f4!, but Black can take the sting out of it
I cannot recommend 17 .. Jl:£7?, as played in with the typical 13 ... lt:lb4!.
Sakaev - Miroshnichenko, Panormo (blitz) However, the assumption should not be
2002, because the f7-square always belongs to made that 13 ...1Mfe7 just loses, for example:
a knight in this line. 14.h3 lt:lh6 15.f4
18.£3 ftlf7=
There is little room for progress for either
side, despite the fact that not one piece of
7~·~.~~r.-~.%~
8
6
~
'I)~
~i ~Z/.'J~;
%~f' ,%• •, ~ .
~.t?,9/5/wtj~~i·
wood has been exchanged so far. 5
4
3 ~ii
~~~--
2 ,~----.,.,~
3
~ ~v~:m
a b c d e f g h
15 ... g5! (15 ... exf4? 16.lt:lxf4 'itih7 l 7.id3
1Mfe5 18.ig3 h4 19.lt:lxg6+- was catastrophic
for Black in Flumbort - Tatar Kis, Hungary
2007.) l 6.fxg5 fxg5 17..!"lxfSt ixf8 18.iel
g4! There was still a lot of fight left in Black's
position in Hillarp Persson - D. Bekker-
Jensen, Copenhagen 1998.
a b c d e f g h 13 ... ftlh6 14.a3

14.lt:ld3 lt:lb4! will transpose after 15.lt:lel
Chapter 11 - l l ..ih4 201
\We7! (15 .. .llla6 16.l2:ld3 l2:lb4 may lead to a I5.~d3

draw by repetition) l 6.a3 l2:la6.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 15 ....id?!
I4...'?Ne7! A strong and flexible move, found by the
With this move Black keeps open the option Danish player David Bekker-Jensen. Obeying
of playing for ... g5 in reply to l2:ld3, and also the rule of flexibility in this line is important
preserves the possibility of the ... l2:lf7, ...i.h6 for Black, and he should think twice before
formation in case of l2:lc2 set-ups. playing ... g5 followed by ... f5 in these positions:
l 4 ... l2:lf7?! is an attempt to play positionally, I 5... g5?! 16.i.g3 h4!? I 7.ih2 f5 18.exf5! e4
but I believe it is too passive: l 5.l2:ld3 ih6 (18 ... ixf5?! 19.f3 i.g6 20.l2:lf2 l2:lf5 21.l2:lg4±)
19.lZlel ixf5!? (The rash 19 ... e3?! opens the
game too much, and the disadvantage of
having the knight on a6 will be keenly felt.)
20.l2:lc2 l2:lc7 21.l2:le3 id4
~ ~m1:1;
~-l;,~,.--- 0,.
8 ~%"'/,
7
6
~,a1~f't"ei.,/,~ •
% ~ ',,,
~~ ~~"
5
Y;,,,%~// ,%~:rs
4 '/ ~,,~J.tll.~~~·
a b c d e f g h
t!1 m m ~~
I 6.b4! <;t,g7 I 7.l'fo I!? b6:t Although It 1s
3
2 ,,,,j~----~'i~:~
likely Black can hold this, it is not the kind of
position I would recommend for the classical
1 ~ %~ , ~ -,=-----
King's Indian player. As the reader will notice a b c d e f g h
later on, it is better for us if the knight stands 22.\Wb3! l2:le8 23.l'fael ixe3 24.fxe3 l2:lg7
on c2 instead of d3 in this kind of 'waiting' 25.\Wa4!t Intending b2-b4, and it will be
set-up. difficult for Black to hold his own after a
second front opens up on the queenside.
202 Gligoric
l~~ ~~/.''L}-if ~
16.b4!?
Instead, 16.~g3?! allowed: 8
/,w,,,,,/,m,,~-
~iffl.i.~ ~
~~•tr•
7
8 6 'l)m
7
"ai
6
4~~KnKn~n
5
~
5
4
3
3 "a~~
,,,,,/,~ '"""~
""~J~
~~-;; ~~
2 2 ""~~-~[j~~
1 -~ fflifmM~
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
16 ... b6!
16 .. .f5! 17.exf5 4Jxf5 18.~h2 4Jd4 19.4Je4
Building a strong defensive point on c5 and
~f5 Black was at least equal in Schmied -
awaiting White's next steps. This position is
D. Bekker-Jensen, Copenhagen 2001
critical for the whole assessment of the 7 ... c6
16.f4 is not dangerous in view of: system, so we will have a dose look at it.
17.:Sbl
The Israeli GM Postny used this move
against me.
Releasing the tension with l 7.bxc5 4Jxc5

18.4Jxc5 bxc5 19.Ei:bl Ei:fb8= yields a
solid position for both players, which is
approximately balanced.
With l 7.f3 White weakens himself on the dark

squares, so I think that l 7 ... 4Jf7=, intending
a b c d e f g h
to put the bishop on h6, is fully justified.
16 ... g5! 17.fxg5 fxg5 18.~f2 g4+± Black has
excellent counterplay. The next steps could 17 Wd2 defends the c3-knight and could be
include doubling rooks on the f-file and the prelude to the typical ~dl-a4 manoeuvre.
exchanging dark-squared bishops via h6, This is how Black may play in that case:
while Black should always keep in mind the
possibility of organizing a knight sacrifice on
h4 if White manages to build a g3-h4 pawn
structure in front of his king.
16.Ei:bl allows: 16 ... g5!? (16 ... b6 is also

possible) 17.~g3 h4 18.~h2 f5 19.exf5 (19.f3
g4--+ prevents White from controlling the light
squares and yields some attacking chances)
19 ... e4 20.4Jel e3+±
17 ... g5!? 18.ig3 h4 19.ih2 f5 20.bxc5 follows: 17 ... g5!? 18.fxg5 fxg5 19.iel g4
(20.El:abl g4!? or 20.exf5 e4?) 20 .. .lthc5 20.h4 El:xfl t 21.ixfl
21.lt:lxc5 bxc5 22.exf5 ixf5! Black needs to
control e4 and g4 for his counterplay. 23.id3
(23.f3!? El:ab8?)
a b c d e f g h
21...lt:\f7 22.g3 ih6 23.id2 Wf6 24.ie2 El:c8
25.\Wcl 'it>g7 26.ixh6t This was Wang Yue -
a b c d e f g h Zhao Jun, Xinghua 2012, when the simplest
23 ... g4! 24.ixf5 (24.hxg4 ixg4 00 ) 24 ... El:xf5 equalizer would have been 26 ... Wxh6=.
25.hxg4 lt:lxg4 26.We2 El:g5 27.lt:le4 El:g6--+
With excellent attacking chances. Challenging 17 ... gS!?
the e4-knight should be the key here, as the Not the only move, but certainly the one
remaining white minor piece is bad. that aims to play for a win. In his quest to
create complications Black burns his bridges,
17.g4 looks weird, and I recommend: but this is the nature of the King's Indian.
17 ... hxg4 18.hxg4 lt:\f7 19.'it>g2 ih6 20.Wc2
'it>g7 2 l .b5 lt:lc7 22.a4 I8.ig3 h4 I9.ih2 f5
A thematic situation: Black would like to
play ... g4, and so exploits the fact that the
knight on c3 is unprotected to achieve his aim.
204 Gligoric
White wants to make use of the b I-rook. b) 27.4Jxc5!? l"l:c8!=
20.exf5!? e4! gives Black a piece, but White

gains strong activity in return:
a b c d e f g h
I would like to leave the readers to check for
t~emsel~es what is going on in this wonderfully
a b c d e f g h nch tactical position.
ZI..ixd6 Wxd6 22.4Jxe4 We7 23 ..if3 ixf5
24.l"l:el Wd8 25.bxc5 4Jxc5 26.4Jdxc5 bxc5 I
~elieve the chances are roughly balanced, for
mstance:
a) 27.d6 is answered by: 27 ... id4 28.lt::ixcS

ixc5 29.Wd5t
20 ... ltlxc5!N
Black no~ only removes the poor knight
from the nm, but also aims to exchange a
a b c d e f g h potential blockader of the e4-square, namely
the d3-knight.
Z9 ... l"l:f7!! 30.l"l:b5!? (In the variation 30.Wxc5
l"l:c8 31 Wd5 ixbl 32.l"l:xbl mf8! 33.cS l"l:fS
20 ... bxc5?
34.WeG! l"l:f6 35.Wd5 :!:l:f5= White's pawns In my game against Postny I committed
are worth a rook, but no more than that.) this instructive mistake, but luckily for me my
30 ... ixd6 31 Wxa8 Wxa8 32.ixa8 mg7= opponent quickly returned the favour. The
Black's pieces should hold the rooks in this
Israeli GM should have played:
ongoing and lively struggle.
23.Ei:el!
I made a thorough analysis of all the other
moves, and they seem to grant Black
dangerous counterplay. One typical line
runs: 23.Wa4?! 4Jc7 24.E!:b7 e4!! 25.4Jxe4
ixe4 26.fxe4 Wxe4!! 27 Wdl E!:xfl t 28.Wxfl
(28.ixfl lt'lf5! 29.Ei:xc7 id4t 30.Whl E!:f8=
with a likely draw looks like the lesser evil for
White) 28 ... E!:fs 29.if3 We3t 30.Whl ltJf5!!
31 Wdl (31.Ei:xc7 g4!--+) 31...4Jg3t 32.ixg3
a b c d e f g h hxg3 33.E!:xc7 E!:e8i Despite the extra piece,
21.exf5!N White is defenceless.
21.Ei:b7? facilitates Black's task by allowing 23 ... 4Jf5 24.4Je4 4Jd4 25.4Jdf2±
him to grab the b-file and also carry out the I would have had a hard time trying to save
... g4 advance. 21...Ei:fb8 22.E!:xb8t E!:xb8 this game, as White gets a fantastic light-
Black is fine, as White cannot play exf5 with square blockade and the strong d4-knight does
impunity anymore, and this means that the not fully compensate for that.
second player will manage to play his ... g4
advance without any problems. I managed 21.ltixc5 bxc5 22J~b7
to eventually win, although not without After 22.exf5 e4+± Black gets good
further mistakes, in Postny - Kotronias, counterplay as the ugly a6-knight has
Patras 2013. disappeared from the picture. One possible
With the text move White is able to blockade line is: 23.4Jxe4!? (23.lt'lb5 4Jxf5 24.ig4 ixb5
the light squares in time: 25.E!:xb5 e3 looks excellent for the second
21...ixf5 player) 23 ... Wxe4 24.ixd6
A sad necessity, but 2 l...e4? 22.ixd6!
Wxd6 23.4Jxe4 We7 24.if3 ixf5 25.E!:el 8
Wd8 feels ridiculous with the trade of the 7
b-pawns thrown in, as the bad a6-knight has 6
lost the chance to get exchanged. Thus, it is
5
logical that White enjoys a huge advantage
4
after 26.Wa4±.
22.f3! ih7 3
2
a b c d e f g h
24 ... ixf5! 25.ixf8 E!:xf8 26.E!:b3 Wf4i Black's
powerful pieces make the position quite
pleasant for him.
a b c d e f g h
206 Gligoric
25 ... g4! Finally the time is ripe for this advance,

yielding interesting counter-chances. 26.hxg4
fxg4!~ This recapture is best, suppressing the
bad h2-bishop. With ... lt:lf7-g5 on the way, I
see no reason for Black to be worse.
23 ...iWxd7 24.exf5
The rest of my analysis is presented with only
light comments, but hopefully the reader can
take enjoyment from the fantastic defensive
ideas on display.
8
7
6
23Jhd7!? 5
But perhaps not in the expected manner!
This move caused me some difficulty, but I 4
believe I have found a path to equality, while 3
White must also be careful so as not to end up
worse. 2
1
23J:k7 f4! is excellent for Black; look at that
a b c d e f g h
pitiful bishop on h2!
24.. .toxf51
23.iWb3 iWd8! Black wants to have his 24 ...iWxf5 25.id3 iWd7 26.lt:le4 g4 27.lt:lg5
a8-rook defended before surrendering the :1'1:f8 28.lt:le6±
b-file by exchanging rooks. 24J:'1:b 1 (After
24.exf5 ixf5= White is not at all better, as 25.i.d3
he does not have two knights controlling e4 25.ig4 iWf7 26.lt:le4 :1'1:b6 27.a4 a5 28.ih5
anymore.) 24 .. J:'1:xb7 25.iWxb7 28.lt:lxg5 iWg6 29.lt:le6 :1'1:ab8~
28 ... iWe? 29.ig6 lt:ld4 30.iWh5 if6 31.ih7t
8 31.f4 gxf4 32.ixf4 exf4 33.lt:lxf6t iWxf6
7
34.iWh?t c;g;>fg 35.iWh6t ~g8 36.iWh7t= and
Black cannot avoid the perpetual check.
6
31.g3 c;t>g7! 32.iWh?t ~f8 33.iWh5 c;t>g7=
5 results in a repetition of moves.
4 31...~f8! 32.f4
3 32.g3 :1'1:ab8+
2 32.iWg6 iWg7 33.lt:lxf6 iWxg6 34.ixg6 c;t>g7
35.lt:ld7 :1'1:b7+
32 ... gxf4 33.ixf4 exf4 34.:1'1:xf4 :1'1:bl t 35.~f2
a b c d e f g h
:1'1:b2t=
Chapter 11 - 1 l .i.h4 207
. This time it is Black who delivers the 32.fxeS

perpetual check. 32.fxgS i.g700
25 ...~f7 26.ttle4 32 ... dxeS 33.t2:lxc5 e4! 34.i.xe4
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
26 ...i.h6! 27.~g4 gf8 28.gbl 34... g4! 35.i.d6 gf6 36.i.eS gfxe6 37.t2:lxe6
28.ti:lxgS i.xg5 29.WfxgSt Wf g7= gxe6 38.gbs i.g7 39.@fl ttidlt 40.@el
gxe5 41.gxeS i.xeS 42.@xdl gxh3 43.gxh3
28.g3!? E!:ad8 29.gxh4 ti:lxh4 30.f4 Wff5 i.d6=
31 Wf xf5 E!:xf5 00
Conclusion
28 ... gadS
This chapter introduced us to 8.d5 ti:la6 9.0-0
ti:lg4 10.i.gS f6 11.i.h4 c5, and it was shown
that there is little chance of an advantage for
either side after 12.ti:ld2.
12.ti:lel! is a more dangerous try, when
12 ... hS 13.h3 brings us to the real starting
point for our analysis. The Danish player
David Bekker-Jensen deserves credit for
pioneering the correct strategy, and later on in
the chapter I took up the baton in my game
against Postny. I have spent many happy (and
sometimes unhappy!) hours analysing this
game, returning to the drawing board several
a b c d e f g h times. I have presented an extensive summary
29.f4! of my research, and am delighted with the end
29.';t>hl ti:lg7! is also fine for Black. product: Black should have nothing to fear in
the resulting endgame, and there are various
29 ... t2:le3 30.~e6 ~xe6 31.dxe6 gde8 opportunities to fight for the initiative in the
complications along the way.
Gligoric
13.a3
Variation Index
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 ~g7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6.~e2 eS 7.~e3 c6!?
8.dS ~a6 9.0-0 ~g4 10.~gS f6 l 1.~h4 cS 12.~el! hS!? 13.a3!
13.. .llMe7
A) 14.~d3 209
B) 14.~c2 ~h6 15.f3 ~f7 16.~e3 ~h6 17.~d3 ~d7 210
Bl) 18.~dl!? 211
B2) 18.~f2 b6 19.~dl ~c7 20.b4 ~e8
21.~a4 ~xa4 22.~xa4 ~g7 213
B21) 23.~abl 213
B22) 23.~c3 ~gS 216
B221) 24.~c2!? 216
B222) 24.~abl 217
C) 14.~bl b6 15.b4 ~d7 219
Cl) 16.~c2!? ~h6 17.f3 ~f7 219
Cl 1) 18.~e3 ~h6 19.~d3 ~ab8!? 220
Cl 11) 20.~f2 221
Cl 12) 20.~dl 222
c12) 18.Whl 224
C13) 18.a4!? 225
C2) 16.~d3! gS!? 17.~g3 f5 18.h3 ~f6 19.bxcS! ~xcS
20.~xcS bxcS 21.~xhS ~xhS! 22.~xhS ~e8 227
C21) 23.~dl 228
C22) 23.~f3! 230
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 209
1.d4 ttlf6 2.c4 g6 3.ttlc3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.ttlf3 b4 or his rook to bl 15.ig3 f5 16.exf5 ixf5
0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 c6!? 8.d5 ttla6 9.0-0 Kadimova - Kotronias, Athens 2007, when
ttlg4 IO.i.g5 f6 11.i.h4 c5 12.ttlel! h5!? my opponent should have chosen:
13.a3!
With this move White keeps his intentions
secret as to the way he will expel the g4-knight,
since both h2-h3 and f2-f3 (the latter after due
preparation) are kept in reserve.
13 ...Wfe?
The knight should be kept on g4 as long
as possible, so as to force White to make
some sort of concession in order to achieve
f2-f3, which is a move designed to bring the
a b c d e f g h
h4-bishop back into play.
17.'tJel!!N±
We will consider A) 14.ttld3, B) 14.ttlc2 and White is planning h2-h3 to target the
C) 14.l:~bl. weakness on h5, and it is not easy to cover all
the weak points in the Black camp.
6
7
i.~
~~.t~ i~-~
~m /,______/,m-,~~
-~
~·-
A) I4.ttld3
~L"'v(""'Y,~-~
~ •
15.b4
l 5.h3 l2:lh6 transposes to a satisfactory
position for Black, analysed in variation B of
the previous chapter, on page 201
5 ~.tr•----/,~ ,
l!Jl!J '1~{ 'l!J l!J!li"'
15 ... b6!
Still waiting for the moment where ... g5 will
: ~l!Jiiil!Ja~ C
~~-~
,,,,,/,f!/d"""';rf/f) ~~-%
have more punch.
l 5... g5 is again not as good as it seems, with

t~ fflii,t~ 8 t~
2
1,----%mvm,m---- two interesting replies being 16.h3!? and
16.ixg4!?
a b c d e f g h
This was used against me by the Azeri WGM
Ilaha Kadimova. I cannot see it making any
real difference to the positions arising from
14.Elb l, but White's tricky move order sets
Black a positional trap into which I fell:
14...i.d?!
l 4 ... g5?! I had failed to understand that this
move does not have any chance of success when
White has not committed either his b-pawn to
210 Gligoric
16.'1Wc12!?N
8
Some engines give this move, and I guess the
threat is l 7.h3 tZlh6 l 8.f4!, exploiting the fact 7
that with the queen on d2 Black does not have 6
the counterattacking 18 ... g5. Another idea is
the usual strategic motif i.dl-a4. 5
4
The most plausible alternative, namely l 6.l"1b 1,
transposes to variation C2 - see page 227 3
2
But what about 16.i.xg4, another move
1
suggested by the engines? Well, I think this
is a move the reader can try to analyse, but a b c d e f g h
devoting certain attention to it here would be 21. .. h4 22.i.h2 e4 23.fxe4 tZlxe4 24.tZlxe4
impractical, if not an admission that the whole .L:e4 25.l3ael i.g7 26.~cl2 13:xfl t 27 ..ixfl
King's Indian is rotten, so I will refrain from i.d4t 28.@hl ~f6 29.tZlfl i.f5=
doing so by simply commenting that "it leads Black's position is solid and I don't see any
to balanced play" problem with it.
8 B) 14.tZlc2
7
8
6
7
5
6
4
5
3
4
2
3
1
2
a b c d e f g h
1
16 ...i.h6!
By displacing the queen, Black prevents a b c d e f g h
White's plans. This normally introduces a plan that is
liked by the computers. Once the g4-knight
17.~b2 has been evicted by f2-f3 (or even retreated
17 'iWel should also be answered by: l 7 ... g5 voluntarily as it has no reason to stay on g4
l 8.i.g3 f5+± anymore), White will arrange his pieces as
follows: the c2-knight will go to e3, the queen
17... gS 18.i.g3 f5 19.h3 tZlf6 20.exfS i.xf5 will be posted on d3, and after b2-b4 has
21.f3 been achieved with the help of l"i:b 1, it is likely
that Black will, sooner or later, resort to ... b6
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 211
and/or ...i.d7 It is only then that White's idea 18.:1:!:abl b6 19.ltlb5

will come to the fore - he hopes to infiltrate An attempt by White to change his
or achieve a favourable exchange of bishops strategy, by trying to tie the rook down
by playing i.dl-a4. I would like to stress on a8. However, he loses his main idea of
that the main focus on this plan comes in exchanging bishops.
variation Cl 1 Here I will examine positions 19.b4 l"iab8 transposes to variation Cl 1
where White neglects or alters components of 19 ... l"ifc8 20.b4 ltlc7 2I.ltlc3
the plan as it has been outlined above.
14 .. .tllh6
Black retreats his knight with gain of time,
threatening to win a piece. The idea is of
course to put the knight on f7 and activate his
bishop via h6.
15.f3 tZlf7 16.tZle3

White starts to implement his idea.
a b c d e f g h
A relatively strange way to continue was seen
after: 16.b4 i.h6 l 7.bxc5?! (both 17.:1:!:bl and 21...ltle8!?
l 7 'r.Wd3 would transpose to positions examined Staying passive with 2 l...l"iab8 should be
below) 17 ... tZlxc5 18.@hl i.d7 19.ltlb4 i.e3! pretty safe and drawish.
20.ltlc2 i.h6 2I.ltlb4 i.e3 22.ltlc2= The 22.l"ib2 ltlg7! 23.l"ifb 1
players decided to call it a day here in Pedersen It turns out that after 23.a4 the knight
- S. Bekker-Jensen, Aalborg 2006. Needless can return in the nick of time: 23 ... cxb4!
to say, White cannot hope to challenge Black's 24.l"ixb4 ltle8 25.a5 bxa5! 26.l"ib2 ltlc7
fortress by making such concessions this early. 27.c5 dxc5 28.ltlc4 ltld6 00
23 ... i.g5! 24.i.f2 f5! 25.bxc5 bxc5 26.i.dl
26.exf5 gxf5 27 'r.Wc2 l"if8 28.@hl h400
8
26 ... f4! 27.ltlfl 'r.We8 00
7
Bl) 18.i.dl!?
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
16...i.h6 17.Wi'd3 i.d7
At this point White can continue with
Bl) 18.i.dl!? or B2) 18.i.fl.
212 Gligoric
When this is played immediately, it is 22 ... ti'Jb8! 23.b4 ti'Jd7 24.Wb3 b6 25.ti'Jc3 ti'Jf6
probably best met with: 26.g4 g7 27 g2 Elh8 28.h3 "1Wb7= White's
plus is only nominal as Black adequately
18...i.g5! defends all entrances.
18 .. .l:Ub8!? 19.i.f2! ti'Jc7 20.b4;!; is better for
White.
8
19.hg5 7
19.i.f2 h4! 20.ia4 (20J:'lbl ti'Jh6 21.b4 6
b6 22.ia4 ixa4 23.ti'Jxa4 f5 will most likely
transpose) 20 ... ixa4 21.ti'Jxa4 ti'Jh6 22.%'1:abl 5
4
3
7
2
6
5 1
4 a b c d e f g h
20 .. J:facS 21.b4 tZ)h6 22.i.a4
2 There is no other plan.
a b c d e f g h 22 ...ha4 23,tZ)xa4 b6 24,tZ)cJ tZ)bs 25.Wfc2

tZ)d7
22 .. .f5!? 23.b4 b6 24.ti'Jc3 l:'1:f7! 25.h3 l:'1:af8 00
The position is equal, as Black is ready to
The position is complicated; the computers create the fortress reached after 20.ia4 above.
like White, but this is a tough position for
silicon entities to 'understand' and I believe the 26.tZ)bs tZ)f6 27.Wfa4
unclear sign is completely justified. Yours truly White does not really have time for this
couldn't reach a conclusion after analysing for
manoeuvre because of the pending ... g4 on the
hours and hours with the computers.
other flank.
19... fxg5 20.l~bl

20.ia4 ixa4 21.ti'Jxa4 Elac8 22.%'1:abl
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 213
27.. JH7! 28.~a6 B21) 23.:13abl

28.bxcS l"i:xc5 00
28 .. JM8 29.bxcS dxcS 30.d6 ~d7 31.itJdS

g4!f!
B2) 18.~fl
23 ...~gS
Creating the option of gaining space with
... h4.
Here we will examine positions where White
24.bxcS
goes for idl-a4 without playing b2-b4 first.
The idea of taking immediately is to
discourage Black from taking back with the
18 ... b6 19.~dl
d-pawn.
A logical possibility.
I also looked at 19.itJbS, but Black is okay Instead, 24.h4 gives Black a lever to prise open
after: 19 ... l"i:fc8 20.l"i:abl 'Dc7 21.'Dc3 a5!= the files leading to the white king:
19 ... ltJc7
A risky strategy, but this is the way Black
should play if he wants to win. The knight is
being transferred to g7 to enforce ... f5.
20.b4 itJe8 21.~a4

Again, White has no other way to increase
the pressure.
21...ha4 22.ltJxa4 ltJg7

a b c d e f g h
As usual, the engines rate White's positional
superiority as more important than Black's 24 ... ixe3! 25.Wxe3 f5 (intending ... g5)
attacking possibilities, but in my opinion they 26.exfS 'iJxf5 27 We4 <;t>hs 28.'iJc3 (28.l"i:b2
should balance each other. Let us take a look at Wf6) 28 ... 'iJ7h6 29.l"i:b2 g5 30.bxc5 bxc5+±
B21) 23.:13abl and B22) 23.itJc3.
214 Gligoric
24.l::!:b2 h4 25.bxc5 dxc5! 26.l2lc3 Wf d7 27.l::!:dl is only the beginning of a complicated attack
h3 28.g3 f5 looks unclear. which contains positional elements as well.
27.~dl
27.g3?! allows:
a b c d e f g h
27 ... 'tlg5!! With the point: 28.gxh4?! fxe4!--+
27... fxe4 28.Wfxe4

In case of28.fxe4 ixf2t 29.'tlxf2 h4 30.E!:b7
Wff6 31.'tlg4 Wlg5 32.h3 'tlh5 33.'tlc3 'tlh6,
25J!b5
Black is not at all worse.
After 25.l::!:b3 El:ab8 26.l::!:fbl Wfc7 Black has
little to worry about.
25 ... fS!
Taking advantage of the strange position
of the rook on b5, Black strikes on the other
flank.
It would be bad to oppose rooks here, as after

25 ... E!:abS?! 26.E!:fbl E!:xb5 27.cxb5!± White
creates the prospect of a dangerous passed
pawn.
26J'Ubl
There is nothing to be gained from 26.exf5
ixe3 27.ixe3 'tlxf5= or 26.'tlc3 a6 27.E!:b6
E!:fb8 28.E!:fbl Wa7!, in both cases with a fully
satisfactory game for Black.
26...i.h4! After 31.<;t,h1 E!:af8! 32.g3 (32.igl iel!=),

A brilliant point, giving Black breathing Black can sacrifice his e-pawn for good
space by exchanging his bad bishop. But this compensation:
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 215
8
7
6
5
, , J~~~Lj~-,~~,~
~ ~~
~
~~J---,%~.i'"
~~t~~t~'))-i
~
'.%'
,,,,,%~
;,:
~
Y,;
,,,,,%~
}B19
%
~%'"//,
/ '.
/,,,,~-~
7
6
5
4
-~ ~%~ ~~ ~~-J.1
3 ~ miV~~t~
,,,,,%~'/,,,,,~ ~---%ff
3
2
a
,~f~~----~~~
b c d e f g h
2
a b c d e f g h
32 ... e4! 33.lt'ixe4 lt'ixe4 34.W'xe4 ~f6~ 36 ... W'c7! 37.Ei:b2 ~e7 Black has beautifully
coordinated his forces, gaining sufficient play.
For example: 38.lt'ie2 h4 39.f4 W'c8! 40.fxe5
8 \ IJjlJj IJj',; IJjl dxe5 4I.lt'i2c3 (41.d6? ~xd6 42.lt'ixd6 lt'ixd6
43.W'xd6 W°f5-+) 41. .. h3t 42.lt>gl lt'id4
: l,ll
~ l,,},,,,,%
l ~~ i !IJj 43.Ei:f2 Ei:xf2 44.lt'ixf2 W'f5=
5
~
n%11' ~1
%'i · ,i
~1 ~8 %11'%'1)~--,,//,~
% % % / ;
, , , , , , , ~ , , , , , / , ~ /,,,,,,~'0 32 ....hg3! 33.i.xg3
4 '0 ~ / , ~ ~~ ~~-J~ 33.hxg3 W'd7! is promising for Black.
3 ~ ~Vm8w~
~.,,,,,~=----
2 ,,,,,/,-/,,,,,,-~-----"~ 33 ... ltixg3 34J'~b7 ~f6 35Jhf7 ~xf7
36.hxg3 liixf3
1 ,~ Reaching a position where Black's
compensation is sufficient for a draw. One line
a b c d e f g h provided by the silicon monster is:
3l..J~af8!!
In the King's Indian, sometimes you play such
8
a move on pure intuition; the amassed troops
around the white king will offer tremendous 7
compensation in return for the piece. 6
32.@g2 5
32.gxh4 lt'ixh4 33.~xh4 lt'ih3t! 34.<iihl 4
'Wxh4 gives Black a strong attack.
3
32.hl transposes to the note to White's 31st. 2
After 32.Ei:b7 lt'ih3t 33.<iihl lt'ixf2t 34.lt'ixf2 1
~xb7 35.Ei:xb7 Ei:xb7 36.gxh4 lt'ixh4 37 W'e3 a b c d e f g h
~xf3 38.W°g5 Ei:xf2 39.W'xh4 Ei:bb2= the game
will end in a draw. 37.ltie3! ltiel t! 38.~xel ~flt 39.@h3 ~xel
40.~xg6t @h8 41.~xh5t @g8 42.~g6t
32.Ei:b8!? is answered by: 32 ... lt'ih3t 33.lt>g2 @h843.~h6t
:2lxf2 34.lt'ixf2 Ei:xb8 35.Ei:xbSt lt>g7 36.lt'ife4 43.lt'ig4!? W'fl t 44.h2 Ei:f7=
216 Gligoric
43 ... @gS 44.~g4 Wfhlt! 45.~h2 gfl

46.Wfg6t @h8 47.Wfest @g7 48.Wfe?t @g8=
8
White has nothing better than to acquiesce 7
to a draw.
6
B22) 23.~c3 5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
26 ... h3! 27.g3 i.h6!
Black does have certain counterplay, as the
f3-square is weak.
28.exf5
An attempt to shield the pressure along the
a b c d e f g h
f-file.
Dictated by a desire to control the e4-square 28.We2 ti:'lg5! 29.exf5 (29.<iihl fxe4 30.fxe4
above anything else. ti:'lh5 3 l .ie3 :1'\xfl t 32.:1'\xfl :1'\f8= gives Black
enough counterplay, in view of the unsafe state
23 ...i.g5 of the white king.)
Again this move, seeking to gain space on
the kingside, is a good way to continue.
B221) 24.~c2!? is an interesting alternative to

the obvious B222) 24,gabl.
B221) 24.~c2!?
This is designed to deprive Black of the ... ixe3

resource in some positions, and also plans the
opening oflines on the queenside by a3-a4-a5.
24... h4 25.a4 £5!?

25 ... ti:'lh5 is less impressive in my opinion.
26.a5!
26.h3 allows: 26 ... ti:'lh5! 27.a5 (27.exf5
ti:'lf4 28.We4 ih6!+±) 27 ... ti:'lf4 28.Wdl ih6! 28 ...gxf5
29.<iihl Wg5 30.l"igl ti:'lh5 With serious This leads to a mobile Black centre and good
counterplay for Black. chances, as the following lines show:
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 217
29.°We2 30 ...'Wg6 31..!tib5 ltlh5 32.@hl ltlg5 33J:fa3

.With this move White wishes to avoid being e4 34.f4 ltl£3 35.ltlc7
hu by ... e4, freeing the e5-square for the black 35.Ei:fxf3 exf3 36.\Wxf3 Ei:ae8+
pieces.
This is exactly what 29.r;t>hl allows: 29 ... e4!

30.fxe4
8
7
6
.i~ ~
~ %~
,%~~-~~1,~~
""~-)~
i~•
5 .d%
~i•lZmwn
,((fl
~'l-~%~-~,
%:,;,~ef ,%~ ~ -
,JJ~~·-
~
1,,,,
-~-~
4
3 ~-
2
-~- ~ ~ -%~r~
-~;ef" I~ b d h
~b~
a c e f g
a c d e f g h 35 ... ~ab8 36.axb6 axb6t

Black has a dangerous initiative, and I would
30 ... Ei:ae8! 31 °We2 (31.exf5 'Lle5 32.\We2 prefer his position in view of the unsafe state of
'Llxf5~ Black has tremendous compensation
the white king.
on the open files because both the white king
and the c4-pawn are weak.) 3 l...fxe4 3l.igl
B222) 24.~abl h4
(32.ie3 ixe3 33.\Wxe3 tZ:lg5t) 32 ... \We5=
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
25.~b3
29 ...°Wg5! White wishes to double rooks in dangerous
~~ queen inches closer to the white king,
fashion.
aspmng to more light-square control.
Opening the b-file is premature: 25.bxcS bxc5
30.i.el 26:Ei:b3 Ei:ab8 27.Ei:fbl Ei:xb3 28.Ei:xb3 h3 29.g3
30.tZ:lbS \Wg6! will most likely transpose. (with one pair of rooks exchanged, 29.gxh3 is
218 Gligoric
not so dangerous for Black) 29 .. .f5 30.Wfl My original idea was to suggest 25 ... :§ad8?!,
ixe3 31.ixe3 f4 32.icl fxg3 33.hxg3 lt:lg5 but then I discovered the shocking: 26.:§fb 1!
34.lt:le2 (26.bxc5 dxc5 27 We2 [27.a4 lt:le6!] 27 ... lt:ld6
28.a4 lt:lb7 is okay for Black as the knight may
8 arrive on a5 with tempo) 26 ... h3
7
6
5
4
a b c d e f g h
34 ... a5!!+± Aiming to dislodge the b3-rook.
35.a4 (35.ixg5 Wxg5 36.Wxh3 a4 37.:§d3 a b c d e f g h
:§b8+±) 35 ... h2t 36.'i:hh2 lt:lxe4 37 Wh3 lt:lf6 27.gxh3!! It is easy for a human to overlook this
38.ih6 e4 39.f4 We8 40.:§b5 e3 41.:§xa5 :§f7 move, but Komodo doesn't! (27.g3 f5! 28.exf5
42.ixg7 ciixg7oo ixe3 29.ixe3 lt:lxf5 is unclear) 27 ... lt:lh5
28.h4± Black's compensation is not so serious.
25.:§b2 does not change too much after
25 ... Wd7!. 26JUbl!
8
7
6
.i~ ~
?~~~~~~i-
i~•
•% %-,,---%m,-;m
-----%- ffl ~m1,.i-a-
26.bxc5 dxc5 27.:§dl h3 28.g3 f5 29.Wfl
lt:ld6 is totally unclear.
26 ... fS 27.bxcS
27.h3 lt:ld8!? 28.bxc5 dxc5 is unclear. Black
s ~
, , ,%r~~r~
~.ref'' '%~,%"'m
'"%~,~ plans ... lt:lh5 and ... lt:lb7
4 ~ozrm·lrm-----~~ 27... dxcS 28.a4 h3 29.aS
-----%m,_______ ,_ _ _ fflf~
trfmlm!m----· 29.g3? lt:le6!+
~~~•i=""
3
2
8
1 7
a b c d e f g h 6
2s ...Wd7! 5
Probably the only move to create counterplay
against the idea of bxc5 followed by a3-a4-a5. 4
Black wants to play ... h3 and follow up with 3
.. .f5, and he will always recapture on c5 with
the d-pawn, of course. 2
1
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 219
29 ...idS!? A crucial position for the evaluation

A key move, defending the b6-pawn and of Black's defensive system against the
vacating the g5-square for the knight. Gligoric starting with 7 ... c6. We will check
Cl) 16.lllc2!? before moving on to the critical
30.ga3 bxa5 31.exf'5 gxf5 32.Wfe2 C2) 16.c!lld3!.
32.°Wdl hxg2 33.@xg200
16.l":lb2 is a Petrosian-like move, getting the
32 .. .tllg5 33.i.h4 rook out of possible tactics on the h7-b 1
33.@hl f4 34.lt:lfl hxg2t 35.@xg2 °Wh3t diagonal. Black has now squeezed as much as
36.@hl :!3:f6 37.4Jd2 l":lh6 38.~xc5 lt:lf5 gives possible from keeping the knight on g4 and
Black a dangerous attack. does best to retreat it:
33 ... hxg2 34.lllxg2 8

After 34.~xg5 ~xg5 35.lt:lxg2 ~f6 36.@hl 7
e4 37.fxe4 l":lae8, the pressure from Black's
6
rooks compensates for his damaged structure.
5
34.. .tllh3t 35.@hl hh4 36.tllxh4 gabs 4

37.gel 3
37.l":lbal Wf7 38.Wfl lt:lg5+! 2
37 ...Wfflm
a b c d e f g h
The position remains highly unclear.
16 ... lt:lh6 17.f3 lt:\f7 18.4Jd3 ~h6 19.~f2
C) 14.gbl b6 l":lfc8 20.°Wb3 l":lab8= This position is quite
satisfactory for Black, who has erected a
Most logical. The alternative 14 ... ~d7 l 5.b4 defensive barrier on the queenside and can
b6 amounts to a transposition. look forward to slowly preparing kingside
activity by means of ... @h8(h7) and ... f5.
15.h4id7
Cl) 16.c!llc2!?
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
220 Gligoric
White guards the e3-square in order to evict

the g4-knight with the strategically desirable
f2-f3. White does not augment the pressure on
c5 by playing in such a fashion, but will try
to open lines on the queenside with a3-a4-a5
later on.
16 .. .tllh6
The knight has finished its mission on g4
and its voluntary retreat is by no means an
admission of strategic failure.
17.f3 ltlf7
s 1. m m t~•~
~~ %~ l-~.::wr Cl 1) 18.ltle3
7
6
5
'l)m /,w,,,,,/.m-,~~
a% ffli ~'e1"AIW
.,,,,/,str•,_,,/,~ , White goes for the typical set-up with the
queen on d3, which we have already partially
~~/ef""%~ ~,,,,%~ ~%-~ discussed.
4
3 ~,,,,/,~~~
r~~m~m
r;~ ~'"" 18 ...i.h6 19.~d3
19.i.f2 ;gab8 20.i.d3, intending i.c2-a4,
2 ,.~.,.,~ 20 ... ;gfc8 21 We2 looks balanced to me after
~~ ~~ -w.w~----
1 M~ii°~M~ something like: 21...'iJc7 22.i.c2 'iJe8 23.i.a4
i.xa4 24.'iJxa4 'iJg7 25.'iJc3 f5=
a b c d e f g h
think this position is approximately
balanced: White's queenside play is slow and
Black can try to counterattack on the kingside
after due preparation. There is a plethora of
ideas here, and we shall examine Cll) 18.ltle3
and Cl2) 18.©hl, though Cl3) 18.a4!? is
most dangerous.
18.b5 'iJc7 19.a4 a5! 20.bxa6 ;gxa6 21.;gb2

i.h6 22.Wd3
After 22.i.f2, with the idea of 'iJa3, the
safest course is 22...;gb8!= with a level game.
22 ...i.g5! 23.i.f2
23.i.xg5 'iJxg5! 24.mb 1 i.xa4 25.;gxb6
'iJf7=
23 .. .fs 24.mh1
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 221
19 ... Cilc7 20.1:l:b3 saw White build up pressure

8
on the b-file in Hostinsky - Malnar, corr.
2014, although Black held the draw fairly 7
comfortably. 6
Now White can choose CHI) 20.i.fl or 5

CH2) 20.i.dl. 4
After 20.Cilb5?! one of the chief points of

3
having the rook on b8 is revealed, as Black can 2
defend harmoniously with 20 .. J:'lb7!. Then
1
21.if2 can be met by· 21...icS 22.'ilc3 'ilg5
23.idl a b c d e f g h
23 ..ia4!?
23.cj;,hl 'ilg6 24.ic2 h4+± is obviously okay
for Black.
23 ....L:a4 24.c!tha4 iWgS 25.bxcS ltixc5

26.ltixcS dxc5
The plan of ... 1"1:b7-g7 should give Black
sufficient counterplay. For example:
27.iWc2
a b c d e f g h 27.d6 'iig6 28.Cild5 1"1:bd8 is hardly an
annoyance.
23 ... f5! 24.exf5 gxf5+± Black prepares to swing
his b7-rook over to the kingside, with an
27... 1"1:b7 28.cj;,hl!
excellent position.
28.a4 1"1:g7 29.a5 f4 30.h4 "1Wg6 31 °'1Wxg6
CHI) 20.i.fl 1"1:xg6 32.Cildl e4+±
The text unpins the f-pawn, which gives rise

to the following weird (but apparently okay)
idea:
20 .. .tZ~hS!? 21.i.dI
21.g4!? hxg4 22.fxg4 ixe3! 23.ixe3 g5=
21. .. £5 22.exf5
The blocked position after 22.ia4 ixa4
23.'ilxa4 ixe3 24.ixe3 f4 25.if2 g5 26J:'lb2
~d7 27.'ilc3 'iig6 28J:'Hbl 1"1:bc8 is excellent
for Black.
a b c d e f g h
22 ...gxf5
222 Gligoric
28 .. J~g7 29J"igl ltJg6 30J~bel ¥9£6 31.~dl logical that White, who can easily transfer
ge7 32.ggfl h4 33.a4 e4 34.a5 pieces to the kingside, should attack.
22.i.a4
8
Komodo suggested the following line:
7 22.h3 1Mf e8! Now this prophylactic move is
6 much stronger, as we are not in danger of
falling under a kingside attack with the pawn
5 structure stalled there. 23 ..ic2 <iig7 24.ciihl
4 1'!h8 25.l2:lg4
3
i~ ~~~ i.1
2
8
7
6 ,.
~,,(,n.lnlt1''
Y/,. Y/,-,;,~
1
,,,,,%~.ti.' '"%~,c,;1,,,,%~,;;
a b c d e f g h s ~ r~ t::i r~
Y/,fi"ti%~ '"ti%~
•~w,
,,;,,,,:, ~ ~
4
34... ~e5! 35.fxe4 f4 36.axb6 axb6 37.'?9c3
m'ii'n~~:~
t::i n t::i
";,,,
~
i.g5 38.i.gl '?9h6ii
As we can see, the idea of vacating the
3
2 ,%nin
e5-square for the knight is a recurring theme. .:t~ 9.:t~@
a b c d e f g h
Cll2) 20.i.dl i.g5 21.i.fl
25 ... .if4 26.<iigl l2:lc7 27.l2:le2 .ig5 28.1Ml'c3
l2:la6 29 ..id3 Wc8 30.1Ml'b2 l2:lc7 31.1'!fel
1Ml'd8 32.l2:lc3 1Ml'c8 33.1Ml'e2 .if4 34.bxc5 dxc5
35.!!edl l2:le8 36.a4 (36.Wel f5 00 ) 36 ... l2:led6
Black looks okay to me, although I don't quite
understand why the knight was retreated
from a6.
22 ...i.xa4 23.~xa4
8
7
a b c d e f g h 6
21...h4!? 5
This should be best!
4
At this point I had originally intended 3
21...1Ml'e8, but I now see that 22.h4! .if4 23.g3
2
.ih6 is better for White after either 24.<iihtt
or an immediate 24.g4±. The queen on e8 1
prevents the coordination of the rooks, so it's a b c d e f g h
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 223
23 .. J~bcS! a6 31.lt:le2! Most dangerous, threatening to

The right move, bolstering c5 and refraining invade via the a5-square. 31...lt:ld? 32.lt:lcl!
from opening a war front on the kingside with We8 33.lt:lb3! ~d8 34.lt:la5! ~xa5 35.~xa5
the a6-knight far from the action. El'.b8 36.Wa4± gives White the advantage, so
I decided that this line, albeit interesting, was
After the inferior 23 .. .l2ih6?! 24.ltk3 f5?! not an adequate equalizer.
White gets the advantage, although he has to
first overcome several positional pitfalls: 24)llc3
Obviously an immediate 24.bxc5?! lt:lxc5
25.lt:lxc5 El'.xc5 26.lt:lc2 El'.c7 27.lt:lb4 El'.fc8
28.lt:lc6 Wd7 is unable to threaten Black.
24.El'.b3 is logical, keeping c5 under pressure.

I like: 24 ... El'.c7 25.lt:lc3 El'.fc8
8
7
6
a b c d e f g h 5
25.Wc2! El'.bc8! 26.li:Jedl!! The fight revolves 4
around the c5-square, so the text move 3
threatens Wc2-a4 followed by b4xc5, gaining 2
the b-file. 26 ... lt:lb8 Trying to bring the
knight into play, but Black is significantly
worse due to the following accurate sequence: a b c d e f g h
27.bxc5 bxc5 26.El'.al (26.b5 lt:lb8 is considered as better
for White by the engines, but I think they are
8 wrong; White has very little space to operate.
7 27.a4 lt:ld7 28.a5 lt:lh6 29.axb6 axb6 30.El'.a3
Wh700 ) 26 ... ft:lb8 27.ft:lb5 El'.b7 28.bxc5 (28.h3
6
lt:ld7 29.lt:lc3 @g7=) 28 ... bxc5 29.El'.abl Wd8!
5
30.ft:lc3 El'.xb3 31.El'.xb3 ft:ld7=
4
3 24.. J~c7
2 Again, the standard idea, even if White can
hit the rook with lt:lb5.
a b c d e f g h
2s.«!tihs gh7 26.c!tlg4
28.©hl!! The star move, preparing exf5 under 26.Wc2 lt:lc7 27.lt:lc3 El'.fb8! 28.El'.fdl lt:le8
the best circumstances. 28 .. .f4 Blocking the 29.lt:lg4 lt:lg7 30.@hl f5 31.exf5 gxf5 32.lt:le3
position is surely not a gem of positional play, Wf6 is complicated.
but I believe Black has nothing else. 29.~el
A necessary regrouping. 29 ... lt:lf7 30.lt:lf2 26 ... @g?
224 Gligoric
Designed to guard the g6-square against C12) 18.iihl

tactics based on f3-f4.
This move occurred in one of my own games.
27.:Sb2
18 ...i.h6 19.i.fl
19.a4 4:'lxb4 20.4:'lxb4 cxb4 21.l'.'!xb4 i.e3 is
of course excellent for Black.
a b c d e f g h
28.bxcS 19 ... :SabS!N
28.4:'lc3 4:'ld7 is okay for us, as the knight has This improvement appears to lead to an
been successfully redeployed. equal position.
28 ... bxcS 29J'Ubl ~d7! 30.~d4 The rash l 9 ... f5?! should have been answered
with 20.exf5!N gxf5 21.i.d3t which, as
correctly pointed out by Vigorito, gives White
the easier game.
Instead, 20.a4 fxe4 2 l.4Jxe4?! (2 l.fxe4=)
21...i.xa4 22.bxc5 4Jxc5 23.4:'lxc5 bxc5
24.i.d3 1Wf6 25.l'.'!al i.d7 26.l'.'!a5 i.f5 27.l'.'!a6
i.xd3 28.'1Wxd3 '\Wf5 29.'1Wxf5 gxf5 30.i.e3 f4!
3 l .i.f2 l'.'!fb8 32.4Ja3 l'.'!b6 33.l'.'!a5 e4! 34.fxe4
4:'le5 35.i.el a6 36.i.c3 l'.'!e8 37.h3 iih7
38.l'.'!a4 4:'ld3+ was Fressinet - Kotronias, Aix-
les-Bains 2011, a game I went on to win.
20.~e3 ~c7
a b c d e f g h This is of course not necessary; Black can put
30 ... cxd4!! 3Uhb7 ~c5 32.:Sxe7 ~xd3 his king on g7, his f8-rook to c8, and just wait.
33.:Sxa7 f5m
2I.i.d3 ~e8!?
Black is trying to create some play by
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 225
transferring his knight to the kingside, at the 25 ... gfbs 26.axb6 axb6
cost of some concessions to his pawn structure. White looks only nominally better to me,
as Black's weakness on b6 is hard to attack,
22.bxcS! and overall Black is well-coordinated since all
Obviously a critical choice. It forces Black his minor pieces are excellently placed. The
to retake with the d-pawn as the b-pawn is engines tend to overestimate such positions for
temporarily pinned. White, but the truth is that if a pair of rooks
goes off the board there will be almost nothing
I also looked at 22.Wic2 ltlg7 extensively, with to play for.
my conclusion being that the game is unclear.
C13) 18.a4!?
22J!:b2 ltlg7 23.Wibl is quite interesting,
leading to another position that is tough to
8
evaluate:
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
18 ...i.h6!?N
An attempt to muddy the waters and play
for the full point.
I do not like: 18 ... cxb4 19.ltlxb4 ltlc5

22 ... dxcS 23.a4 ltled6 24.aS gb7 25.Wfe2 (19 ... ltlxb4 20.l:l:xb4 l:l:fb8 [20 ... lt:JdS?! 2 l.a5
25.ltlc2 l:l:c8 26.ltla3 ~e8 27.axb6 axb6 00 bxa5 22.l:l:b2±] 21 Wialt is also worse for
Black, but may be tenable.)
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h
226 Gligoric
20.l2:lc6! Wfe8 21.a5! bxa5 (2I...i.xc6 22.dxc6 19.i.f2 f5! (19 ... cxb4 20.f2:lxb4 l2:lxb4 21.l"lxb4
Wfxc6 23.f2:ld5±) 22.l2:lxa5± f5 22.a5t) 20.b5 f2:lc7 21.exf5 gxf5 00 should be
fine for Black too.
The 'passive' 18 .. .:1'1fc8 is perfectly playable:
19 .. .lllc7 20.a5 t2'.le8!
Now it's all clear, the knight is heading to g7
21.gal t2'.lg7
Black is finely coordinated; the idea is to
expel the h4-bishop by ... i.g5 and then play
.. .f5, followed by ... h4 and ... l2:lh5.
22.ga31
Preparing to conquer the a-file.
a b c d e f g h
Instead, 22.axb6 axb6 23.l"la6 does not have
19.b5!?N (19.l2:lb5 l2:ld8! 20.i.f2 i.h6 21.a5 the desired result: 23 ... l"lxa6 24.bxa6 l"la8
bxa5 22.bxa5 ltlf7 23.i.h4 'itig7 24.:1'1b3 Wf d8 25.Wfal g5 26.i.f2 i.c8 The a-pawn falls.
25.Wfel l'l:cb8 26.Wf c3 l'l:b7 27.l'l:fbl l'l:ab8= was
finely balanced in Lautier - Svidler, Tilburg 22 ...i.g5 23.i.xg5
1997.) 19 ... f2:lc7 20.a5= All entrances to the
black position seem sealed.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
19.b5!
My main idea soon becomes visible after this
move. 24.%Yal
19.lobS ig5\? (19 ... loxb4 20.loxb4 ie3t= 24.Wf d2 is a sensible alternative. Then I
is another good possibility) 20.if2 (20.ixg5 suggest that Black goes for: 24 .. .f5 25.l::1.fal
fxg5!, with ...i.xb5 to follow, is excellent for l'l:ab8 26.axb6 axb6
Black) 20 .. .f5 21.a5 fxe4 22.fxe4 i.h4!= Black
has no reason to complain.
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 227
s
7
6 ~~~---j
tB
~, ,.:~
--Y.~r----Y..
~----"
~ A %11·~ A %11''0 & ~~ &
5 ~o!i:1 ~o!i:1 ~ • • . •
~
,_?,',,,,?,
~•
~
The chances look about equal to me, but it
is difficult to be certain, since the situation is
sharp and engines are capable of uncorking
miracles in such tactical positions nowadays.
Svidler's treatment on move 18 should be
4 '0.:~i~"'•"'~"'•',... ~ enough for equality for those who don't find
~~~~~r~ the current position to their taste.
v.~--:----'~~~ ~~"
3
2 .....
----~~~~- ..~, ~~jl!J C2) 16.llld3!
~ ~ ~ ~
a b c d e f g h
27.exf5 (27.1''i'.a7 f4 00 is a position where the
engines will tell you that White is better, but
after their suggestion of 28.h4 l2lf7 29.l2le 1
it is hard for me to see any idea for White
at all. I believe that Black is at least equal.)
27 ... ixf5 28.l::la7 W'f600 With an interesting,
double-edged position. Black is defending the
b6-pawn economically and has well-placed
pieces on the kingside, but it is not easy to
make a concrete evaluation. I think the second
player should essentially try to improve the
g7-knight, perhaps by ... h4 and ... l2lh5 at a b c d e f g h
some point. Putting pressure on c5 is the best idea in the
position.
8
16... gS!?
7 After this move Black is practically forced to
6 sacrifice a pawn, but this is the nature of the
King's Indian!
5
4 17.ig3 f5 18.h3
l 8.exf5?! e4 is good for Black.
3
2 18 .. .lllf6
1 A beautiful picture of dynamic chess; both
sides have carried out their plans with great
a b c d e f g h accuracy and now the moment of direct
24.. J:fab8! 25.axb6 confrontation has arrived. The protagonists
25.h4 is designed to prevent ... h4, but after of this fully-fledged fight were Gelfand
25 ... l2lh7! 26.axb6 axb6 27.l::la7 f5+± Black has and Topalov at the Dortmund 1997 super-
counterplay. tournament.
2s ... axb6 26Jfa7 h4! 19.bxcS!

228 Gligoric
Depriving Black of possible counterplay C2I) 23.%lidl f4 24.i.h2 6!

against the c4-pawn.
As Gelfand and Huzman point out in

Informant 70, 19.ixh5 f4 20.ih2 lt:ixh5
21 ~xh5 cxb4 22.axb4 l"!ac8~ gives Black
strong compensation.
19 ... ltixcS 20.lthcS bxc5 21.i.xhS
25Jifel!
A sensible measure.
25.g4
8 !
6 ''~
7
~%.%.
~ t m, %
,%~
J~~
~~-i
%.%,_,,_
"'""~
~~-J--,%~-;,; ~~-;,;
5 ~ r~~r~ r~
22.%lfxh5 i.e8
4 %.%.~ ~%~ ~%~ ~%~
i~,.,~f"'
' / ~ % . " / / . . ~%.%. ~%.%.
An important position; Black has sacrificed

a pawn but does have certain compensation
3,~
2 m •••~
,,,;,-,,,-~~~~
for it, due to the awkward placement of the

g3-bishop. Additionally, his light-squared
a b c d e f g h
bishop is strong and can be used to exploit
the absence of its counterpart from the White 25 ... ~f6!
camp. White can retreat with C2I) 23.%lidl or Black prepares to direct his fire against
C22) 23.%lif'3!. the h3-pawn which will perish and, as a
consequence, the position of the white king
becomes perilous. A line that verifies this is:
26.@hl ~h6 27.l"!gl ~xh3 28.l"!g3
28.l"!b7 ig6 29.lt:ib5?! :!'!ads+
28 ... ~h4
28 ... ~h7!? 29.l"!b7 ig6 30.~d3 l"!f4 31 ~fl
~h4 32.l"!h3 ~xg4 33.ixf4 exf4 34.lt:ib5
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 229
ixe4 35.l='1:h2 ie5 00 is another appealing the idea of ... ih5) 28.Wg4 sf6 29.h4 gxh4
possibility. 30.Wxh4 ih5--+ grants Black a threatening
29.:1'1:b7 initiative.
The naive 29.:1'1:xf3? id7 30.sf5 (30.:1'1:g3
:1'1:xf2-+; 30.sxf8t :1'1:xf8 31.f3 a6-+) 26.:1'1:e3 Wf6 27.ig3 :1'1:f7!? 28.<iixg2 id? looks
30 ... ixf5 31.exf5 e4 32.t2he4 ie5 33.Wgl slightly better for Black.
:1'1:ae8 34.f3 sb8-+ leads to White's demise.
26 ....id7 27.~xg2
a b c d e f g h
25 ... fxg2 27 ...~£6!
27 ... sab8!? 28.Wg3 Wf6 29.:1'1:xb8 :1'1:xb8
30.sb 1 :1'1:xbl t 3 I.l2lxbl, with the slightest
edge for White, is also possible.
28.c!tlb5
28.:1'1:b7? ixh3+
28 ... sf7 29.ge3 gam 30.c!tlxa7 ~h6! 31.gb2

g4! 32.hxg4 gxfl 33.l:~xfl ~xe3 34..ig3
.ixg4 35.c!tlc6 gxfl 36 ..ixfl ~cl t 37.<it>h2
~h6t=
The complications end in perpetual check.
26.~g4
Instead, 26.<iixg2 Wf6 27.ig3 Wh6 (with
230 Gligoric
C22) 23.Wff3! 24.. JU6!?N

Intending ... ~h6 and ... ih5.
8
Topalov's 24 ...if6?! could have left him clearly
7 worse in Gelfand- Topalov, Dortmund 1997,
6 had White chosen:
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
Let us now continue with the Gelfand -
Topalov game. Gelfand thought it wise to
block the further advance of the f-pawn, and
the above analysis suggests he was right.
23 ...£4
Topalov forces White's bishop into complete 25Jl:b3
The most natural try. Let us check some
passivity.
alternatives:
24.~h2
However, the situation is still demanding 25.Wfd3?! should be answered by: 25 .. .f3!
for Black, as White has a plan to double rooks 26.g4
along the b-file while his extra pawn, after
some untangling, might prove useful in an
ending. At this point I recommend:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h 25.g4?! is also dangerous for White, due to:
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 231
25 ... fxg3 26.Wxg3
a b c d e f g h
26 ... ih5! 27.li:ldl (27.f3 l'!af8+) 27 ... l'!f3
28.Wg2 l'!xa3 29.li:le3 Wf6 30.li:lf5 if3
31 Wg3 l'!d3+
Playing 25.Wdl here does not significantly

change the assessment compared to variation
26.g4 is possible too. An interesting variation
C21, witnessed above. After 25 .. .f3 26.g4,
is: 26 ... fxg3 27.fxg3 l'!xh3 28.l'!fbl id?
Black's best is:
29.l'!b8t (29.l'!b7 l'!h7 30.l'!c7 ifs 3 l.l'!bb7
l'!f7 is a strange position which is probably
balanced) 29 ... l'!xb8 30.l'!xb8t if8 00 With the
idea:
a b c d e f g h
26 ... if8! 27.ig3 Wh7 28.<;i;>h2 id? 29.l'!b7
1"1f7 30.l'!xd7 l'!xd7 31.Wxf3 l'!f7 32.We2 White
has some compensation for the exchange, but a b c d e f g h
Black is well placed overall. 32 ... l'!b8 33.l'!bl
31.l'!a8 l'!h6 32.l'!xa7 l'!f6 33.Wd3 (33.We2
l'!xbl 34.li:lxbl Wh6 35.li:lc3 l'!h7 36.Wfl
We8~) 33 ...We8 34.li:ldl ih3 35.iLlf2 Wb8!
WI g600 With approximately even chances.
36.l'!a5 id?~ Black hopes to exploit the
weakness of the a5-rook.
26...i.h5 27.g4!?
27 Wd3 g4 28.l'!b7
28.l'!b8t l'!xb8 29.l'!xb8t c;t>h7+
232 Gligoric
28.g3!? fxg3 29.Wxg3 gxh3 30.:!:'1:b7 Wf6

31 Wxh3 :!'1:g6t 32.ig3 ig4 33.1''1:b8t if8
34.Wh4 :!'1:xb8 35.:!'1:xb8 Wg7 36.~fl if3
37Wh3 :!'1:g4~
The text move is best answered by:
8
7
6
5
8 4
7 3
6 2
5 1
4 a b c d e f g h
3 This is a crucial position for the evaluation
of 24 ... :!'1:f6!?N
2
1 29 ...Wf6!
a b c d e f g h This rather strange move looks best, despite
the fact that the queen stands in the way of
27 ... fxg3 28.%Yxg3 ~f8 29.~b7 the h6-rook. Black's major piece has to stay in
29.:!'1:b8 is rather harmless in view of contact with the g6-square in order to annoy
29 .. J'1:xb8 30.:!'1:xb8t ~h7~, intending ... g4, White on e4, while at the same time valuable
when Black has good counterattacking pressure is kept on the sensitive f2-point.
chances.
29.lZ:idl is strongly answered by: 29 ... :!'1:hf6!

30.:!'1:b7 Wd8 31.:!'1:xa7 :!'1:f3 32.Wg2
Chapter 12 - 13.a3 233
29 .. .'Wd8?!
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
30.4:'lb5!
30 ... ~g6!?
I cannot see a way to equality for Black:
Making use of the key square.
30 ...if3
30 ... Ei:f3 31 Wg2 Ei:f8 32.4:'lc7 if3 33.Wg3
30 ... if3 31.4:'lb5 was White's idea.
ixe4 34.4:'le6 just transposes.
31.4:'lc7 ixe4 32.4:'le6 Ei:xe6 33.dxe6 Wf6
31.l3bb7
33 ... ixb7 34.Ei:xb7 Wf6 35.Ei:xa7 Ei:e8 36.a4±
3 l .Ei:b3 if3 is good for Black.
34.e7 Ei:e8 35.Ei:b8±
Black is an exchange down and will struggle
31. .. l3f3!
to hold.
Simplest.
30J~d7
Best, according to some engines, but Black
is fine anyway.
30.4:'lb5?! would now be too slow, because

Black plays 30 ... ie2!--+.
30.4:'ldl?! is met by 30 ... Wg6! 31.4:'le3 Wxe4t

with strong pressure for Black.
Finally, 30.Ei:xa7?! if3 31.Ei:bb7 i.h8!+ creates

a fine aesthetic impression, as Black has
defended everything in his house, and is ready
to launch an attack with ... g4.
234 Gligoric
Conclusion
Summing up, the 8.d5 variation leads to

positions where Black has good chances to
counterattack if White presses too much. It is
important for the second player not to open
up the game on the kingside too quickly, at
least not until he makes sure that the absence
of the a6-knight from the fight will not be felt.
Generally speaking, Black's posmon
abounds in solidity and in many cases looks
like an impregnable fortress. However, one
should not think that a draw is automatic in
such situations, as there is almost the whole
set of pieces still on the board, bringing the
possibility of subtle ideas that seem to spring
out of nowhere. If I were Black, I would be
particularly worried about the White idea of
exchanging bishops via the a4-square, and this
is actually the reason I devoted a lot of energy
exploring this possibility, as well as ways to
counter it.
According to my research, the symbol '='
best represents the 8.d5 variation's current
status, and the fact that players like Topalov
have defended Black's cause with success at
the highest level speaks volumes about the
resilience and the fighting qualities of Black's
structure.
Petrosian
a b c d e f g h
Various 8th Moves

Variation Index
1.d4 lt)f6 2.c4 g6 3,lt)c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5,lt)f3 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.dS
7 ... aS
A) 8.lt)d2 236
B) 8.0-0 lt)a6 238
Bl) 9.~c2 238
B2) 9.lt)el!? 239
B3) 9.i.e3 lt)g4 10.i.gS f6 11.i.h4!? hS 12.lt)d2 ~e8 13.a3 i.d7 241
B31) 14.h3 244
B32) 14.b3 245
B33) 14J~bl!? 246
C) 8.i.e3 lt)g4 9.i.gS f6 247
Cl) 10.i.d2 247
C2) 10.i.h4 249
A) note to l 5.'l/,!i'f3 B3) note to 1O.i.g5 B32) note to 15.Eib 1
15 ... a3!N
236 Petrosian
1.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltlc3 ig7 4.e4 d6 5.ltla plan of advancing on the queenside by a2-a3,
0-0 6.ie2 e5 7 .d5 b2-b4, etc. It appears, however, that this idea
The Petrosian Variation - White prevents his should not be dangerous for Black, who can
opponent from increasing the pressure on d4 start counterplay by ... c6, exploiting White's
by ... lt:Jc6 and gains more space. On the other unnatural development and the awkward
hand, the c5-square is conceded to Black and placement of his king in the centre.
this will be a key square for the development
of his counterplay. 8... ltla6 9.h4 ltlc5 10.h5
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b C d e f g h
7 ... a5 10... c6!
Black wants to establish the c5-square as a Black employs the well-known motif of
base for his queen's knight, so the a-pawn must initiating counterplay in the centre as the
fulfil the task of preventing b2-b4. answer to a flank attack. This pawn move,
besides opening the c-file, creates an avenue
In this chapter we examine A) 8.ltld2, B) 8.0-0 for the black queen, allowing her to participate
and C) s.ie3. actively in the struggle for the initiative.
8.ig5 is covered in the next two chapters. ll.g4 a4!?

A refined plan, based on a tactical finesse.
~.a3!? should be met by 8 ..J.d7!, when play is Now the black queen is given access to a5,
likely to transpose to the main lines. (Instead, from where it will create the threats of both
8 ... lt:Ja6? is obviously a mistake in view of ... a3 and capturing on e4 with either knight.
9.b4± exploiting the pin on the a-file.) l l...'Wb6 is the alternative, intending to
answer 12.g5? by 12 ... lt:Jxh5.
8.h3 lt:Ja6 transposes to the Makogonov system
after 9.ig5 or 9.ie3-see Chapters 17 and 18.
12.g5!
This move throws caution to the wind, but
A) 8.ltld2 the truth is that it is the only continuation
consistent with White's previous play.
White introduces a plan that is slightly 12.f3 looks inappropriate as it is slow.
out of the ordinary; he wishes to start a One interesting line runs: 12 ... gxh5!?• 13.g5
kingside attack, instead of the traditional (l 3.gxh5 ih6! 14.lt:Jfl ixcl 15.'Wxcl c;t>hs
16.Wd2 cxd5 17.cxd5 id700 ) 13 ... lt:le8 14.lt:lfl 15 ... a3!N 16.bxa3!
f5 l 5.lt:lg3 f4 16.lt:lxh5 Wxg5 17 g;>d2 @h8 00 After this, the best I could find for Black is
'only' a draw:
12 .. .ltlxhS!? I3.i.xh5 l2Jd3t 14.@fl 16.ie2? axb2 17.ixb2 Wxb2-+
16.b3?! Wd4 17.lt:ldbl lt:lxcl 18.Wxcl
gxh5+ is not a serious alternative.
8
16 ... Wd4 17.lt:le2!! Wxal 18.lt:lb3 Wxa2
7 19.lt:lc3 lt:lxcl!
6 I don't like 19 ... lt:lb2 20.Wc2 Wxa3 21.ixb2
Wb4 22.ie2 f6 23.gxf6 l"lxf6 24.lt:lcl!?:;!; as I
5 believe that the pieces are stronger than the
4 rook in this position.
20.lt:lxa2 lt:lxa2 21.ig4 cxd5
3
21...b5!? also leads to equality, but in a more
2 complicated manner.
22.ixc8 l"lfxc8 23.Wxd5 l"lxa3 24.l"lh3 lt:lcl
1
25.l"lf3 !'1f8 26.Wxb7 l"lxb3 27.l"lxb3 lt:lxb3
a b c d e f g h 28.Wxb3 !'\c8=
I4...V9b6!
15 .. .ltlxcl I6Jhcl
i~•
The tactical justification of Black's play.
White is forced to defend the f2-square, which
means that one of his major pieces must, at
s K ~.i.'~%m_,Y,_,
~lm
~t'"i ~~rt ~~ ~,, :m
least temporarily, take on a defensive role. 1
I5.V9f3
Initially I thought this was the only move
6
~£z'-~~r ~j?~
,-mr~'lr~,,,,,/,~
~ ffl81~ f[j~
to
keep White in the game, but it isn't. 5
4
l 5.l"lh2!?
This was played in Aleksandrov - Kotronias,
3 ~
~/,"//,~~~/,
~
~~-d""""/,'"//,
mvm
~~ '/ ~/,
Pula 1997, and may well be best. It has 2

1
8f[j ~ ~ ~
,,,,,/,~~,,,,,,•~~ ~
the disadvantage of not embarrassing the
superbly placed d3-knight, a fact which
allows: a b c d e f g h
16... £6!
Black should not hurry to regain his piece,
as that would allow White to obtain a strong
attack. With the text, Black ensures that
the f-file will be opened, offering him good
attacking chances against the white king.
I7.V:Ve2
White tries to restore some coordination
among his forces.
238 Petrosian
17.c5!? 'Wxc5 18.'We2 (18.'Wdl!? fxg5 l 9.i.f3 i.e3 (g5) and t2:ld2 as quickly as possible. The
g4 20.dxc6 leads to wild complications which reasoning behind such an attitude is chat White
are not unfavourable to Black) 18 ... fxg5 quite often tries to get his pawn to b4 without
19.i.f3 g4 20.i.g2 delay, so as co paralyse Black's queenside. In
8
7 ~,.
6
t~•
,;,-----<~,
~~j_~
~~r~ ~~~,~
some other cases, White plays for g2-g4 and
even follows up with long castling.
8 .. .ltla6
~lit),~~~ Now 9.i.g5 h6 I0.i.h4 will transpose to the
,~~-,,~~~~~~ , ~
5
main lines, but in the present chapter we will
4
3 ~~~~~~ examine less well-trodden paths: Bl) 9.~c2,
~~\Wli~ ~~~
B2) 9.ltiel!? and B3) 9.i.e3.
~~-0,{' ''/,"//, ~~-;;
i/'>~
2 A
0
7:Q%i:t~wi, ?!
1.-, ~
Bl) 9.~c2
a b c d e f
20 ... g3 21.f3 cxd5 22.exd5 (In case of 22.b4!?

the reply 22 ... 'Wc?! maintains the pressure.)
22 ...i.f5 Black has strong compensation.
g h
8
7
6 ;~
~~..t~ i~•
~l,-,,,,,/,n-,Y,~,
,,,,./,-~11r,~~
11~~zr• ~
8
7
5
4 'a!at.~~ %~~~
~0~
3 %~
6 ~~M"~M"
5 2
1 ~
~,[j,~~JlJ~JfJ
~ mM~
4
a b c d e f g h
3
This is a logical move, supporting the e-pawn
2 and awaiting further developments. However,
1 the position of the queen and the fact chat the
f6-knighc is not pinned gives Black a chance
a b c d e f g h
to violate opening rules for the sake of gaining
17...fxgS! 18.i.f3 g4 19.i.g2 ~xb2 valuable tempos.
This position is unclear, as Black has three
pawns for the piece, and strong positional 9.. .lllh5!
pressure. By threatening to invade the f4-square,
Black gains time to play ... f5, and at the same
B) 8.0-0 time tempts his opponent to weaken his
position by g2-g3.
This is a less common move order for White
to enter the Petrosian proper, if chat is his 10.g3
intention. Normally the first player postpones White hopes chat it will not be easy for Black
castling in order to build up the formation to exploit the weaknesses around his king.
Let's see what happens if White allows the

8
knight to reach the f4-square: 10.ltlel lt:lf4
11.ie3 (1 Lif3 lt:lc5 12.ie3 b6 intending 7
.. .f5 yields us good counterplay) 6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
13.liJh4!? ~h3 14.ltJg2 ~d7 15.~e3m
a b c d e f g h The position was unclear in Miladinovic -
Markovic, Cetinje 1992, offering chances to
11...lt:lxe2t 12.Wxe2 f5 13.exf5 gxf5 14.f3 id7
both sides.
15.lt:ld3 Wh4 16.g3 Wh5 17.a3 a4 18.l'fael
E!ae8= Black was fine in Saglione - Aberbach,
corr. 2007
This move is designed to challenge the Black
8 knight when it arrives on the c5-square, and at
the same time free the f-pawn to participate in
7
central affairs.
6
5 9 ... ltJc5 10.f3
The logical follow-up to White's last move.
4
3 10.Wc2
2
1
a b c d e f g h
10 ... £5! 11.exfS ~xf5
The point of Black's play: White has to lose
time as his queen is attacked. However, the
hope that he might later be able to use the
e4-square as a base for his knights offers White
some consolation.
a b c d e f g h
12.~dl lt)f6 This somewhat artificial move does not give
The knight retreats to help Black control e4, Black any problems:
as White has difficulty organizing his troops. 10 ... lt:le8!?
240 Petrosian
A clever retreat: Black wants to utilize the

d6-square as a blockading base for this
knight in case White continues by lt:ld3xc5.
10 ... lt:lfd7 l 1.lt:ld3 f5 is another possibility,
and is perhaps just as solid, considering
that Black's proud outpost on c5 is securely
maintained: 12.exf5 gxf5 13.lt:lxc5 lt:lxc5
14.f4 id7 15.ie3 b6 Black had excellent
chances in Segal - Stekel, Fortaleza
1976.
l l.ie3
White tries to react in a flexible way, avoiding
lt:ld3 for the time being. An immediate a2-a3 a b c d e f g h
and b2-b4 is, however, not threatened, as the
12.i.e3!
el-knight interferes with the coordination of
This has to be the critical move.
the rooks on the first rank.
l l...f5 12.exf5 ixf5
Instead, 12.exf5 gxf5 13.f4 does not create any
Once more, the awkward posmons of
problems for Black:
White's queen and knight tempt Black into
an unorthodox recapture for the sake of
8
gaining time. However, 12 ... gxf5 is not out
7
of the question.
6
5
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h
13 ... e4 14.lt:lxc5 (14.lt:lf2 a4!? 15.Wc2
Wf6 16.lt:lfdl c6! should be fine for Black)
a b c d e f g h 14 ... dxc5 15.ie3 b6 16J'kl lt:ld6 17 @hl=
The players agreed to a draw in Simagin -
13.Wdl b6 14.f3 lt:lf6+± Ilivitsky, USSR 1957
In Pachman - Reshevsky, Munich (ol) 1958,
the chances were approximately balanced, as
12 ... b6 13.exfS
Black had sufficient control over the critical
Now this operation, seen just above, seems
e4-square. to have more point, but Black can react in a
different way·
10 . ..!ileS
10 ... lt:lh5!? is another interesting possibility.
13 ...gxfS 14.£4
11.lt:ld3 f5
1O.id2 does not have any particular merit, as

8 displayed by the following: 10 ... lt::ic5 11.lt::iel
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
I4 .. .lt~e4!? 15.c!tJbS! id?m l l...f5! Now Black is ready to bring his knight
The position is unclear, but much will back to f6, and increase the pressure on White's
depend on whether Black manages to turn his centre, so White is practically obliged to take
strongly centralized e4-knight into a useful on g4 to justify his opening idea. 12.ixg4 fxg4
piece. 13.ie3 b6 14.Wd2
B3) 9.ie3
8
7
6
5
4
3 a b c d e f g h
2 The position has more or less stabilized.
Black has the two bishops and chances of
1
organizing an attack by exploiting the f-file,
a b c d e f g h while White's chances on the queenside do
Now White is ready to play lt::id2(el), not look so bright in view of his reduced
achieving a highly desirable formation that control over the light squares. Therefore,
would allow him to promote his plans on the not surprisingly, White also focuses on the
queenside. kingside, seeking to free himself and push
back the Black forces. 14 ... ia6!? Black gains
9 ... c!tlg4 10.igS time to double his rooks on the f-file. 15.b3
It makes sense to attack the queen, because Wh4 16.f3 :§:f7 l 7.ig5 Wh5 18.lt::ie2?! This
after 10 ... f6 White will have more options. looks a bit rash, allowing the creation of
a weakness. (l 8.:§:f2 :§:af8 19 .ie300 would
have been preferable.) 18 ... gxf3 19.gxf3 :§:af8
242 Petrosian
Black's game looks impressive, with his rooks 11..icl ?!

piling up on the newly created weakness on f3, A strange move, but as we shall see, it has a
but in reality the position is not so easy, certain idea.
because White has amassed a lot of defensive
troops around his king. 20.lllg3 'Wh3 21.Ei:cl
.if6 22 ..ixf6 E!:xf6 23.Ei:c3! This complicated 7
position was reached in Speelman - Gelfand, 6
Moscow 1990, and now best would have been:
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
l l...f5!?
l 1...ltlc5 would be the standard reaction,
but then White might try to mix things up
with 12.ltld2 f5 13.ltlb3! when the situation
a b c d e f g h is not so clear.
23 ... .icS!N 24.ltlg2!+ Black would have 12.ltlg5 ltlf6 13.exf5 gxf5 14.f4
maintained a slight edge although, admittedly,
White's defences are hard to crack. s B*
.i ~.i.~ J
""~'?"";,~
10...£6
1~£r~W,'0 ~%,,,,}~£
64l·t~-~
,,,,Y,~0
s
4
~a"~~~,m
~,,?,ala~,,,?,~,,,,,~
~~,/j
8
3 ~~ ~~
~ ~~
,,,,%~
7
6 2 8/~~7~~,
~~'ef""
~ ~°if~~~
~~'0
5
a b c d e f g h
4
14 ... 'We7! 15.'Wc2 e4!
3 The right move order.
l 5 ... h6?! 16.ltlh3 e4 l 7.ltlf2! is unclear as
2
White has reached an optimal configuration.
1 16 ..ie3 h6 17.ltlh3 ltlg4!
a b c d e f g h A typical idea, after which Black will have
everything going his way.
1I ..th4!? 18 ..ixg4 fxg4 19.ltlf2 .if5
Retreating this way is the main point of Black was already slightly better in Jacimovic
White's last. - Strikovic, Kladovo 1991
Instead, l l..id2 ltlc5 12.ltlel f5 transposes
to Speelman - Gelfand above. ll ... h5
A typical move in such situations, and one I2 ... ~e8

that is encountered in an analogous line of A main reason for Black's reluctance to move
the Gligoric Variation examined in Chapters his knight to c5 is that he wants to keep c7
11 and 12. Black gains more space on the protected. He can then play the text move,
flank where he enjoys attacking prospects, and unpinning the f-pawn, without fearing 4:'lb5.
creates an uncomfortable atmosphere for the Some alternatives follow:
h4-bishop in the hope of forcing its retreat.
Once this happens, Black will be free to carry 12 ... 4:'lh6
out the thematic .. .f5 advance. I personally wouldn't choose this voluntary
retreat, but the following game has
I2.itid2 instructive value:
The traditional set-up for the white pieces in
,<~ ~/,-,<.,,~.
the Petrosian. s K~.i.~ ~~•
, , /,~ , .
7 ~ · - , , , . , / ,• . ,V.~
12.4:'lel 4:'lc5!? 6 , • . . . /,~

Black is able to break the rule of flexibility 5 ~
~~ ~
;
because the pawn on e4 is not so well ,.,.,%~ ,.,;'.~ ~~'0
protected.
That said, 12 ... lt:'lh6 13.f3 4:'lf7 00 is also
~~~i~~I]
~~d' ' /,"/./,
possible. 2
~L.%~~~~,m--·
~i~ ~jj~~iJ
a b c d
~~-0 ~~'0
e f g h
13.f3! Wle8 14.Wlc2 f5 15.~acl
15.4:'lb5 ii.d7 16.Wfc3 b6 00 is evaluated by
the engines as better for White, yet things
are not at all clear.
15 ... ii.d7 16.a3 fxe4 17.fxe4 ~xflt 18.~xfl
a4?!
18 ... lt:'lg4± was preferable.
19.4:'lbS ii.xb5 20.cxb5 4:'lc5
a b c d e f g h
13.4:'lc2!? 8
13.4:'ld3 b6 leads to an unclear position with 7
6
13 ... gS!? 14.h3!?
5
14.ii.g3 f5 is excellent for Black.
14 ... gxh4 15.hxg4 hxg4 16.ii.xg4 4
16.4:'le3 f5!? 17.exfS (17.4:'lxf5 4Jxe4!) 17 ... g3 3
gives Black chances to exploit his superiority 2
on the dark squares.
16 ... fS
a b c d e f g h
Black is a little better in this complicated
position. 21 Wlc3
244 Petrosian
21.bG!N ;gc8 22.lt:Jc4 Wd7 23.idl! should Black has prevented b2-b4, is now fully
have been played, when I prefer White. developed and is ready to unleash his
21...lt:Jf7 22.Wg3 @h7 counterattack on the other wing. White can
Black somehow eventually held the draw respond with B31) 14.h3, B32) 14.b3 or
in Panuzzo - Decker, corr. 1995. I inserted B33) 14J~bl!?
this game to show how annoying the idea
b5-b6 can be for Black, when it emerges as a B31) 14.h3
possibility.
This is uncommon, but in the present case
Also possible is: 12 ... id7 13.a3 We7 14.;gbl! White plays it with something concrete in
lt:Jc5 15.b4 axb4 16.axb4 lt:Ja4 17.lZ:ixa4 mind.
Speelman - Piket, Tilburg 1992.
14.. .lllh6 15.b4!?
~~~,·~·%--j_~t.,,%Ill~.
IDJ,~- This is the idea. By temporarily sacrificing
. .
8 a pawn, White wants to draw the attention of
7 ~- ~ % ~Ei{ W
his opponent away from the kingside.
6 ""'• - -
5~
~ ~8·{;, ~, 15.;gbl a4 16.lt'lb5 ixb5 17.cxb5 lt:Jc5 is fine
4q)~8·8·'1)~ for Black, as 18.b6?! cxb6+ just doesn't work
~ ~ ~
3 ~~ ~;,m.,;fA%,;fN" here for White.
~ kl .ii..z"'a o 10
2
a
ravaia
b c d e f g h
15 ... axb4 16.axb4
This position was reached in Skembris -
Mainka, Dortmund 1990. Black should have
l 7 ... ixa4!N (Piker's recapture of l 7 ... ;gxa4?! now accepted the pawn with:
looks dubious after l 8.c5!Nt) 18.Wcl g5
19.ig3 f5 20.h3 lt:Jf6 21.exf5 id7+± Black has
excellent chances.
13.a3id7
14 ... gS?!
This proves rather overambitious in view of:
15.h3!N
After l 5.ig3?! fS 16.exfS ixfS l 7.l2'lde4
~ g6 Black had excellent play in Kumaran -
Hennigan, England 1993, because 18.id3
22 ...i.xdS 23.cxdS ltif7=
(18.if3 lt'icS!? 19.lt'ixcS dxcS 20.Ei:cl
[20.Ei:el e4+] 20 ... e4t offers Black an
B32) 14.b3
initiative} l 8 ... h4 l 9.h3 lt'ih6! 20.ih2 g4
21.hxg4 l2'l xg4--+, intending ... ih6, ... <;t> h8
and ... Ei:g8, leads to a strong attack.
15 ... gxh4 16.hxg4 hxg4 17.ixg4 fS 18.exfS
ixfS 19 .ixfS Ei:xfS
7
6
5
4
This is too slow to cause Black any

discomfort, all the more so as it weakens White a b c d e f g h
on the long dark diagonal. However, there is a 20.lt'ide4±
risk of Black getting carried away if he thinks White obtains a small bind on the light
he must punish White for his passive play. squares, while Black's attack on the kingside is
not really dangerous.
14... fS!
The sensible and correct reaction. lSJ§:bl
15.igS happened in Sheldon - Noden,
England 2006, when best is:
246 Petrosian
19 ...ih6 20.exfS gxf5
8 .1m
~,~rm m"if~--~,
~
7
,m~ ,,,~m ~m,,~~
lS-·~,.
6
~ ~
5
4 'nf&tnl11
~lS~ B33) I4J'~bl!?
ffl ~:ti,,!~ lS
3 ~ ~
~~,~
rnvw,m,,,
/,,,,,/,~ //,,,,,;,, "//, ~~';,;
2 i~
1
a b c d e f g h
15 .. .lllcS 16.b4 axb4 17.axb4 ltla4 18.ltlxa4
ixa4 19.Wfel
Black's pieces look better coordinated, but
the prospect of c4-c5 followed by l2'lc4 gives
White reasonable chances coo.
14 ... a4
A logical reaction, but with the queen on e8,
Black has to deal with l2'lb5 ideas.
15.ltlbS g5!?
This looks strongest here.
a b c d e f g h
15 ... t2lh6 16.f3 ~xb5 17.cxb5 t2lc5 18.~f2;!; is C) 8 ..te3

slightly better for White.
xm ffl"ifi~•~
s
m,•rm m
8. -'
lR'• ~1f)l
7
6
5 ~~ ~ltJffl
:~·i•i•a
~~".,,,,%~".,,,,%~-~
11
~~-~
2
16.h3!?
~"t•vw,=----
" ,,/,~'% ~i;"//,; ~~-%
a
:f[!y
b c
~; .i, :f[!y 8 :ffj
d e f g h
16.~g3 f5 17.h3 t2if6 18.exf5 ~xf5 19.l=kl

leads to an unclear position that requires
further analysis, but in my view Black stands
8 .. .ltig4 9..tg5 f6
well. At this point, Cl) 10 ..td.2 is an alternative
to C2) 10..th4.
16... gxh4 17.hxg4
Cl) 10 ..td.2 f5
8 :i ~~-%~1~~i
7 ~,1~..t.~
6 , ~ ".,,,,/,-
m
~--;,,,~~
s niRtli 'n,
iffl[jffl[jffl[jwf
~-%~
4
3 ~ ~ ~ ~
2
1
a
"t•v•,~
",%~,%~i:'//,; ~~-%
:f[!y -~; .i, :f[!y 8 ~
b c
17....th6!? 18.gxhS @h8iii
d e f g h
Black has attacking chances in return for the

sacrificed pawn, and I think the opening has
been a success for him.
11.0-0
White brings his king to safety.
248 Petrosian
l l.ig5?! does not seem to have much point. 19.l"ladl Wh8 20.b3 l"lae8 21.Elfel (21 '\We4
l 1...t2:lf6 12.0-0 t2:la6 l 3.exf5 gxf5 l 4.h3?! b6 22.t2:ld5 iWh5 is not worse for Black)
'1We8 15.l"lel '1Wg6 16.icl ih6 17.ixh6 '1Wxh6 21...t2:ld4 22.t2:le4 a4! With an equal game in
18.iWd2 Babula - Y. Vovk, Slovakia 2010.
13.c5
Rather extravagant.
13.0-0 t2:la6 00
13 ... dxc5 14.iWb3
~,iJ:~t~1i~i~
f~ ••
5~~.,.,~
8
7 ~
6 ~ . , ;,~ ;,;,~ ,;,,,i~
,%~ ,%~ ,,%~ / ~
a b c d e f g h : lm~~~a ~~
18 .. .f4! 19.t2:lh2 '1Wg7 20.<iihl if5 21.id3
ixd3 22.iWxd3 t2:lc5 23.iWc2 e4+ Black
2
~,,,,%-,,,,,~~,,,,%-:
~~'0/
81!!1:.
% / ~~'/
~ j,, 11!1:. 8 1£§
'0
obtained a large advantage which he eventually

converted in Juhasz - Podgorodetsky, corr. a b c d e f g h
2010. 14 ... WhS 15.0-0 t2:lf6 16.ic4?!
16.l"lacl!? is an improvement.
l l.exf5 gxf5 12.tZlg5 16 ... a4 17 iWc2 c6!+
Black had a slight advantage in Zlotnik -
Morozevich, Moscow 1991
l l.tZlg5 t2:lf6
l 1...t2:la6 should be fine for Black: 12.t2:le6
( l 2.exf5 gxf5 transposes to the note on
l l.exf5 above) 12 ... ixe6 13.dxe6 t2:lc5
(13 ... '\Wh4!? 14.g3 '1We7) 14.t2:ld5 t2:lxe6
l 5.exf5 gxf5 l 6.ixg4 fxg4 17 '1Wxg4 '1We8=
12.exf5
12 ... iWeS
This strong reply covers the e6-square and
gives the black queen access to the kingside.
Another perfectly playable idea is: 12 ... t2:la6!?
13.t2:le6 (13.ixg4 fxg4= with the idea
14.t2:le6? ixe6 15.dxe6 '\Wf6) 13 ...ixe6
14.dxe6 t2:lc5 15.ixg4 fxg4 16.ie3 t2:lxe6
17'1Wxg4 '\Wf6 18.0-0 '\Wf7 (18 ... '1Wg6!?=
looks to be the simplest route to equality)
12 ... gxf5 C2) 10.i.h4

12 ... ixf5!? 13.ie3 CtJa6 14.0-0 e4!? is
i~i.~
not unreasonable, and after 15.Wd2 We7
16.Ei'.adl h6 17.CtJe6 ixe6 18.dxe6 mh7
19.CtJbS Wxe6 20.Wxa5 :1:i:f700 the outcome
7
R""'
~?MA~
tref,,,,,%~
8 A./~:.JL~a~
~£f~~,%~~,J~£
~~~~
/,,,,,%~iP'~
was an unclear game in Ovcharenko -

Schulz, corr. 2012. 6
~ ?/-%~%- , %~
ffl if.% if.% ' ~
%' •'• 8•'

~'L J~.•
5
13.0-0 CtJa6 14.Wc2 CtJc5 15.ie3 h6 16.ixc5
hxg5 17.ia3 We7 18.CtJbS b6 19.b3 g4
~ ~
20.:1:i:ae 1 ih6--+
4
3..
Black was more than fine in Parkes Navea - ~~,~,,,,,;~ ~~,%~~'c0,
81~ m~1~ 81!!1

Dorner, corr. 2008, as he had a smooth attack
on the kingside.
2
1 ~~,,,,%-,~--,,%-~
8
7
6
w,, w--j-~i~--
_
i.~..t.~
1
~'ri ,~~.i.r~
ji,
a b c d e f g h
The main continuation after 8.ie3. We are
already familiar with some peculiarities of the
present position from lines seen above, when
White had resorted to early castling. Now we
~.tr•fm will examine the whole idea in greater detail,
~-'LJ~
fat.:.
5 Y/~
covering all White's efforts to avoid 0-0 at
4 an early stage, which he does for the sake of
~
L ' •
achieving positional gains.
3 ~~,c0,~,,,,,;~ '.0 ~~'% ~~'c0,
2 81~ ~~1~81~ 10 ... ltla6

1 ;,~,,,,%~~~~1t.t='"'
/ ~ ffl /,
% ,,%
A tabiya for the Petrosian System; the next
few moves comprise of White's attempt to
a b c d e f g h
improve the position of his pieces before
11...lt\ a6 12.c!t~ e 1 ltl c5 committing his king.
12 ... CtJf6 13.exf5 ixf5!? is also possible and
led to unclear play in Gallego - Gallagher, l 1.ltld2
Benidorm 1991 When the white knight 11.0-0 would transpose to variation B3.
is on e 1 it always makes sense to recapture
on f5 with the bishop, as White's control over 11.h3
the e4-square is significantly reduced. A logical move, preventing Black from
gaining space by ... h5. Ir has been adopted
13.i.xg4 fxg4 14.i.e3 h6+! by the originator of the system, Tigran
We have transposed to Speelman - Gelfand, Petrosian, which should in itself be a
featured on page 241 in the note to White's sufficient reason to attract the attention of
10th move in variation B3, the only difference theoreticians.
being that an extra move has been played by 11...CtJh6 12.CtJd2
each side. 12.Wd2?! We8 13.g4 CtJf7+ was a dream
position for Black in Day - Harman, corr.
1994.
250 Petrosian
12 ... id7 13.f3 White proceeds with his preparation for

13.0-0= b2-b4.
13 ... °1We8
As usual, unpinning the f-pawn signals the An independent plan starts with: 12.li:lfl!?
beginning of Black's counterplay.
s z~ ~il}B*
~~f'' ~~ -~~/
7
6
5
'I)~
4 ...
;~ r~••-
~~i~J;,~~-J-*ll
%.,.~l%.~~
~~~tr-----%~/.
3 ~w,-~
m '/,"//,
~8~8
~~ ~~
2 8t~ m~~8~
~--Z-if~~~g a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h Aiming to evict the annoying black knight
14.b3 f5 15.l':!bl by f2-f3. After 12 ... id7 13.f3 li:lh6 14.4Je3
White is reluctant to castle, as h2-h3 li:lf7 15.b3 Black can combine .. .f5 with
has weakened him on the dark squares, the further activation of his kingside forces:
a fact Black can try to exploit by offering 15 ... ihG 16.li:lc2
an exchange of dark-squared bishops.
Therefore, White prefers to focus on s z~ s }~•
shutting Black's a6-knight out of the game
1~l•tn~n
~~~-j~-~ ~~~
.%.,.~l%.~~
(by a2-a3 and b3-b4), trusting that his ~~-/,;,
641)~ ;~ ;~,~
excellent control over the e4-square will be a
sufficient barrier to Black's kingside activity.
5 ~ 0,~ l/,- ,,/,~ .•
4
l 5... fxe4!?
Black has other moves as well, but in the 3 ~ 8m //,
~8~
~ ~
8 UltJU~U~JcJ
•:a:
present instance, this capture appears to
2
offer concrete gains.
16.li:ldxe4 4Jf5 ~ ~°iV~
a b c d e f g h
Black transfers the knight to a dominant
position. 16 ... 4Jg5! 17.if2 f5 18.h4!? 4Jh7 19.a3 4Jc5
17.ig5!? 20.b4 axb4 2I.axb4 li:la4 22.4Jxa4 ixa4 Black
l 7.if2 ih6 looks fine for Black. had the initiative in Speelman - P. Cramling,
17 ... h6 18.id2 °1We7 19.0-0 Spain 1994.
In Petrosian - Quinteros, Vinkovci 1970,
Black would have had an excellent game 12.h3 li:lh6 13.0-0 id7 14.2'3:el 4Jc5 is
after: business as usual for the King's Indian
19 ... cG!?N+± connoisseur. 15.4Jb3 li:la4 16.li:lxa4 ixa4
Or even 19 ... bGN. 17 °1Wd3 id7 18.2'3:acl b6 l 9.4Jd2 This was
Michiels - Devine, corr. 2009, when I think
11 ...h512.a3 the position was already ripe for the standard:
19 ... g5!?N 20.ig3 h4 21.ih2 g4 22.hxg4 l 3 ... tt:lc5! l 4.b3
tt:lxg4 23.ixg4 ixg4 With good counterplay, 14.b4 axb4 15.axb4 tt:la4 16.tt:lxa4 ixa4!
for example: 24.f3 id7 25.f4 We8 26.f5 17 Wcl id7! is at least equal for Black, but
ih6 27.l::k3 Wh5 28.Wf3 ieS! 29.Wf2 ixd2 may have been worth a try.
30.Wxd2 ~f7 31.~h3 ~g7 Black is not in any 14 ... g5! 15.ig3 f5 16.h3 tt:lf6 17.f3
way worse.
7~'•'•''
s ~~-m
.i~ .i.S
m,,i~ 0
17.ixh5!? tt:ld3t lS.'~fl tt:lxh5 19.Wxh5
tt:if4 20.Wdl Wes 21 Wc2 Wg6 22.c;t>g1
c6 23.~d 100 had to be preferred, with an
unclear position.
:l~mli'/,•----'/,m,
6 ~-----/,~
5
4
3
,.imt.:~
~ ~ ~ ~
,,, '/,fj/ef"'";'/, "///, ~%i''.% ~%i'~
f[j ~~f[j 8 f~
2
1 ~----'/,•vm----'/,•1t
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
12 ...id713.h3
White may well decide that castling is 17 ... We8! 1S.Wc2 fxe4 19.fxe4 Wg6 20.b4
imperative after all, as the alternatives have met axb4 21.axb4 lt:la6!?
Intending a combination of ... g4 and ... c5.
with failure. After 13.0-0, Black has a choice
Black had the initiative in Loginov - Fedorov,
between 13 ... WeS!? transposing to the main
line of variation B3, or 13 ... We7 transposing St Petersburg 1997
co the note on 12 ... id7 in variation B3, on
page 244. 13 ... ttlh6 14.ll!bl?!
14.0-0 WeS l 5.b4!? is a better try, as in
13.~bl Skembris - Mainka, mentioned earlier on
This perhaps comes a bit too early, since the page 244.
rook on the a-file prevented ... tt:lc5 in view
ofb2-b4.
252 Petrosian
17 ...ha4 18.'i'cl
a b c d e f g h
14... ltkS!
14 ... g5 15.ig3 h4 16.ih2 f5 was played
in Scoffers - Torwong, corr. 1999, but I trust
it less due to: l 7.exf5!?N 'Llc5 l 8.b4 axb4
19.axb4 'Lla4 20.'Llce4 'Llxf5 21.ig4i
15.b4 axb4 16.axb4 lDa4

The weakening caused by h2-h3 acquires Conclusion
great significance, as Black can exploit it to
start an offensive on the kingside. In our introduction to the Petrosian System,
which we are meeting with 7 ... a5, we dealt with
17.lDxa4 lines other than the main 8.ig5 continuation.
l 7 '!Wc2?! proves even worse after: l 7 ... 'Llxc3 The first of those, 8.'Lld2, saw White initiate his
18.'!Wxc3 g5! 19.ig3 h4 20.ih2 f5 21.c5 own play on the kingside, but if Black strikes
(21.l"i:al l"i:xalt 22.Wxal g4+) 21...g4! 22.c6 back in the centre with 1O... c6! then he will
8.1•
:~Nr,~.ffl~ ~ef
~- ~~-~
~·~
have nothing to fear. An interesting game ensues
where we have the opportunity to play for the
full point.
The second part of the chapter focused on
5 ~~-"if•f~',
~~~-~~.,~
8.0-0 'Lla6 9.ie3 '2lg4 10.ig5 f6 l 1.ih4!? h5
12.'Lld2 '&e8 13.a3 id7, when we saw typical
,.~
4
~~ King's Indian play - Black hopes his kingside
• .;,m!~i
~~'····
~~
/,/,~
counterattack will be more than enough to stifle
~,,,-: ..
White's queenside advances.
We finished with 8.ie3 'Llg4 9.ig5, looking
at lines where White delays castling in the hope
a b c d e f g h
of gaining some positional benefit. In the cases
22 ... ic8! 23.hxg4 fxg4 24.cxb7 ixb7 25.0-0 where White doesn't transpose into previous
'!Wg5+ With a clear advantage for Black in lines by castling, I am satisfied that my analysis
Bareev - Kasparov, Tilburg 1991 will give the reader the courage to attack on the
kingside and take the game to the first player.
Petrosian
s.igs
Variation Index
1.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltlc3 ~g7 4.e4 d6 5.ltlf3 0-0 6.~e2 e5 7.d5 a5 8.~g5
8... h6
A) 9.~e3 ltlg4!? 254
Al) 10.~cl 254
A2) 10.~d2!? 257
•
B) 9.~h4 ltla6 261
Bl) 10.0-0 262
B2) 10.ltld2 ~e8 264
B21) 11.~xf6 265
B22) 11.g4!? 265
B23) 11.a3 ~d712.b3 ltlh7 13.:Sbl h5 14.f3 ~h6 267
B231) 15.b4 268
B232) 15.~f2 ~e7 269
B2321) 16.h4 269
B2322) 16.b4 271
Al) note to 15.ixg4!? B23) note to 13.2bl B2321) note to 20.ctlb5!

254 Petrosian
1.d4 ttif6 2.c4 g6 3.ttic3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.ttio

8
0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.d5 a5 8.i.g5
The genuine Petrosian - White wants to 7
proceed with the cusromary plan of advancing 6
on the queenside, but first he pins the
enemy knight in order to slow down Black's 5
counterplay on the other wing. 4
8 ... h6 3
After examining the interesting A) 9.i.e3, 2
we shall turn to the main dish of the chapter,
1
namely B) 9.i.h4.
a b c d e f g h
A) 9.i.e3 Leading to a double-edged position, where
I believe Black has fine chances, despite mixed
8 results in practice. There are basically two
options:
7
6 14 ... e4
This has been the choice of Igor Nataf, a
5
great King's Indian connoisseur, so it is a move
4 we should treat with respect.
3
14 ... l2if6
2 Black rer~oves the knight from the firing
1 line of the e2-bishop, and this should be fine
as well.
a b c d e f g h
15.f4
A rare retreat which is, nevertheless, well- 15.'Llg2 'Llfe4 16.'Llxe4 'Llxe4 17 ~c2 ~f6
motivated, as it keeps the bishop trained on 18.f3, as played in A. Smirnov - Spasov,
Black's kingside and the potential weakness Albena 2014, doesn't bring White any
on h6. advantage after the obvious 18 ... 'Llc5N=.
9 ... ttig4!?
Opening up the way for the f-pawn, with
the following choice for White: Al) 10.i.cl
or A2) 10.i.d2!?
Al) 10.i.cl f5 11.exf5 gxf5

12.g3! ttia6 13.ttih4 ttic5 14.0-0
Chapter 14 - 8.ig5 255
15 ... e4 16.ie3 Wh7 17.h3 16 ... a4! 17.lZ:lb5! c6! 18.dxc6 Wib6! 19.Wg2
17.lt'ib5 id7 18.lt'ld4 lZ:lg8= Black had a good position in Volzhin - Nataf,
17 ... j,d? 18.:!:'ffl!? Wffe7 19.l"lg2 lZ:lg8! 20.j,hS! Koszalin 1999, and the simplest choice would
j,e8 21.lZ:lb5 have been:
This was Zvjaginsev - Cvitan, Vienna 1996,
and at this point Zvjaginsev recommended:
21 ... lZ:ld3 22.lZ:ld4?!
In my opinion, better is: 22.j,d4 j,xb5
23.j,xg? Wffxg7 24.j,g6t 'i:t>h8 25.cxb5 lZ:lxb2
26.Wffh5 lZ:ld3 27.l"ldl lZ:lf6 28.Wffxf5 lZ:lc5 00
a b c d e f g h
l 9...Wff xc6!N+±
15.lZ:lxf5 leads to excellent play for Black after

15 ... j,xf5 16.j,xg4 Wid7! 1?.j,xf5 Wffxf5, a line
recommended by Volzhin.
15 ... fxg4 16.ie3

A position has arisen where Black must tread
with care.
:ll,---.-~
%~r%,,,,,/,~ ~~-~
15.hg4!?
This move is best according to the engines. 8 ~ffl.i.~ -----"~-~
Instead, a logical alcernacive is: 15.f4 exf3!
16.l"lxf3 (16.j,xf3 j,d? 17.lZ:lg6 l"lf7 18.lZ:lf4
j,e5= is just level)
5
4
%-~?,~
~
·n2ia!a!~
~ / , "//, ~~-z;
%~~""
~W,-~""'
fil
3 ~
2
l
fj:" -m%,,Jd" Wff
f-~L,,)<m1a,m,,,, 1
~ i[!j
3
a b c d e f g h
16 ...ixc3!
A stunning move, giving up an important
defensive piece, but it seems that all Black
a b c d e f g h needs to do in this position is create a blockade,
even at the cost of a pawn.
256 Petrosian
Weaker is instead: 16 ... tiJd3?! 17.4Jxe4 4Je5 19.We2 We? 20.i.e3

18.id4!± A move designed to extinguish 20.4Jg6?? blunders away the game in view of
Black's dangerous attacking knight. White 20 ... Wf6-+.
went on ro score the full point in Kashtanov -
Armbrust, Panevezys 2015. 20 ...i.d?
20 .. J::!:h? also looked fine for Black in Voveris
17.bxc3 &tld3 18.i.xh6 -Amico, corr. 2013.
18.Wd2 Wf6 19.ixh6 is trickier, but Black
is still fine after: 19 .. J::lf7! (19 .. J::le8? 20.f3! 21.i.d4 ges 22.Wd2 @h7
gxf3 2 l.4Jxf3 exf3 22.2"lxf3± is a trap to avoid)
20.ie3 (20.ig5 We5=)
Less cunning is 23.f4 gxf3 24.tiJxf3 Elxf3

25.Elxf3 exf3 26.Wxd3t We4 27 Wxe4t Elxe4
28.<.t>f2, due to 28 ... c5! 29.dxc6 ixc6 30.Elel
Elxe 1 31 <iixe 1 <±ig6 and Black should hold the
ending.
23 ... b6 24.£4 gxf3 25.&tlxf3 gxf3 26.gxf3

exf3 27.Wxd3t We4 28.Wxe4t gxe4 29.@fl
i.g4 30.gel gxel 31.@xel @g6 32.@fl
@f5 33.@e3 a4 34.a3 fl! 35.@xf2 @e4
Again, Black should have no problems
holding the draw.
18 .. J::le8? is still bad due to 19.Wd2,

intending f2-f3.
Chapter 14 - 8.i.g5 257
A2) 10.i.d2!? Black is at least equal as a result of his

harmonious development.
8 /,,,,,,;~rf,,,,,,,~ ~~-~
i.~ti.~
~i ~i
,,,,,Y,~,~
8
7 1-'-~~t% ~~r~ 7
6 ,~~ ~~~r%~£ ~.C
5
4 , , ,%m tm~%m~~
~ -8if.% -
6
5
~
4
3 ~t2J~
~~,~
8r~ m~r~8r~
~,,,,/,•vm,,,,/,•~
~~,~,,,,,;~'0 ~~'/,
3
2
1 2
1
a b c d e f g h
A move that has been used by Kramnik,
a b c d e f g h
enabling White to attack h6 with a subsequent 1I. .. ti:)f6 12.exfS gxf5
Wcl The point of such a manoeuvre would be A critical juncture: White has several
to lure the black king to the sensitive bl-h7 possibilities, but only one that can be described
diagonal. as really dangerous.
10 ...f511.h3
Definitely the critical move, pushing the
knight back.
11.exfS i.xf5! seems weaker as White cannot

easily control the e4-square, due to the
bishop's presence on d2. 12.0-0 e4! 13.lugS
was Sveinsson - Sakic, corr. 2004, and it seems
to me that Black should prefer:
13.0-0 lua6 14.Wc2 luc5 15.i.e3 luce4

16.luxe4 luxe4 17.lud2 luxd2 18.i.xd2 f4
19 .E!:ae 1 has been tested in correspondence
chess, with satisfactory results for Black.
One example continued: 19 ...WgS 20.mh2
mhs 21.i.d3 b6 22.i.e4 i.f6 23.Wd3 Wh4
258 Petrosian
24.if5 ixf5 25.Wxf5 Wg5 26.Wd3 ~ae8 13.g3 lt:la6

27.b3 Korabliov - Kristjansson, corr. 2009, Fartootime-consumingis: 13 ... lt:lfd714.ie3
when I think best is: lt:la6 15.Wd2 Wf6 16.0-0-0 a4 (16 ... lt:ldc5
17.g4 f4 18.ixc5 lt:lxc5 19.id3t) 17.lt:lel!
8 a3 18.b3 e4 19.id4 Wxd4 20.Wxd4 ixd4
7 21.~xd4 lt:le5 22.f3! exf3 23.lt:lxf3;!; Black
was suffering due to his pawn weaknesses in
6
Soyek- Torgersen, corr. 2012.
5
4
8 I, ~.i.~ i~•
,<~r~{" ,,/,~ , , ,V,~;P"0
~£ r,~~f%
, , ;,~,~-~%-.
'!, , ;-,~-~~~' '
7 ~f""cil]j~-0
6 '1)8 ,~ ,. ii
5
4
~~~
~~
a b c d e f g h
27 ... iig?!?N= Intending to contest the light 3 ~ m ~~-%'----%~
~ / , N//,
~~-d'- --·'m·0
~ll:lr~8
~W,'0
squares by ... Wg6 next. (Another possibility is

27 ... E'!g8 28.E'!gl h5 29.a3 h4= with complete
equality, although admittedly there are no real
chances to play for a win as the position is
2
1 ~--%~-~--%~~
81~
a b
~i.r~
c d
~
e f g h
almost blocked.) 14.Wcl iih7 15.lt:lh4 lt:lc5
Black's knight is in time to reach e4 to block
A rather weird choice is 13.E'!gl which was the pressure on the bl-h7 diagonal.
tested in another correspondence game: 16.Wc2
13 ... lt:la6 14.g4 fxg4 15.ltlh2 16.ie3 lt:lfe4 l 7.lt:lxe4 lt:lxe4 could transpose.
I, ~.i.~ i~•
16 ... lt:lfe4 17.lt:lxe4 lt:lxe4 18.ie3 Wf6 19.ih5
8
7 ~r------%.----Y-~
,<•r---~~
id? 20.0-0 iig8 21 iih2
I. ~~-
6 '•-
~%-----~ ' '
;,_,_%_ ;,_,~
-%~ 8 ~w. }~"
~
_;,_,~,-~~
~ ,. f.l.i.8 ~
5 ,<~ 7
4 __
6 ~ . ' /,~ ~------~~
3 ~m~~~~8
~~-d'--- m"' ~~-"' ~/, "//,
8t~ ~.tr~ ~
: ~~~ 'lf~fl/,~]:,
~~ ~m-,,,0~~-ef'--·
2
~----%mii~----%i:r·--- 3 ~~-%~~~ ~ i~8
r~1~Ji~~
,;,,,,;,~-/ ;,W,,'0
a b c d e f g h 2
l 5... lt:lh5! 16.ixg4 lt:lf4 l 7.ixf4 E'!xf4 18.lt:le2
E'!f7 19.Wc2 Wh4 20.lt:lg3 ixg4 21.lt:lxg4 a b c d e f g h
Wg5 22.lt:le4 Wf4+± The second player had 21...c6! 22.E'!adl cxd5 23.E'!xd5 ie6 24.E!fdl!
no reason to feel worse in Hinz - Solinski, E!ac8 00
corr. 2007, and the game was drawn shortly A complex struggle was in full swing in
afterwards. Eldridge - Conterno, corr. 2012, with the
eventual result being a draw.
Chapter 14 - 8.igS 259
14... e4 15.ltJh4 e3! 16.fxe3 fxg3 17.~g6

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
13 ... f4!
This looks almost forced here.
a b c d e f g h
This is a crucial position for the whole
The problem with 13 ... Wh7?! is that it can be line starting with 9 ... lllg4!? The question is
answered with the energetic: l 4.g4! lt:la6 whether Black should move the rook, and if he
does, which is the best square for it?
17 .. JieS!
Placing the rook on the most natural square
should do the job.
l 7 ... g2? violates the rule of flexibility, and
after 18.;i";:gl ixh3 19.Wc2 lllbd7 20.0-0-0
lllg4 White's attack is accelerated rather than
slowed down. In Sabuk - Terletsky, Lviv 2015,
this would have been more than obvious had
White now chosen:
a b c d e f g h
l 5.g5! (l 5.gxf5? deprives White's position of its 8
dynamism, and after l 5 ... ixf5 16.lllh4 Wd7 7
17.illxf5 Wxf5 18.Wbl e4 19.ie3 c6 20.dxc6
6
bxc6 21 Wdl lllb4 22.Wd2 d5+ he even lost
in Agdestein - Venkatesh, Gibraltar 2015.) 5
l 5 ... hxg5 16.lllxg5t Wh8 17.;i";:gl--+ White has 4

a pleasant attacking position, although, to be
honest, one shouldn't think it is an automatic 2
win after either l 7 ... c6 or l 7 ... We7
14.g3! a b c d e f g h
White starts an undermining process which 21.;i";:xg2!!N ixg2 22.ixg4 lllc5 23.illxf8
leads to an escalation of the tension. Wxf8 24.if5+- This looks like a complete
bonecrusher to me.
260 Petrosian
Also bad is: l 7 ... El:f7?! l 8.fic2! l2lfd7? (l 8 ... lt:'la6

8
is a better chance, although the computers
are still rather pessimistic for Black after 7
19.0-0-0! b5 20.cxb5 lt:'lb4 21 fibl l2lfxd5
6
22.lt:'lxd5 lt:'lxd5 23.El:hfl j,e6 24.V!ie4 V!id7
25.l2lh4!--+) 5
4
8
3
7
6 2
5 1
4
3
18...i.5!
2 An accurate move, stopping the white queen
from controlling the bl-h7 diagonal. Most
a b c d e f g h importantly, Black's development becomes
smooth and easy.
19.0-0-0 lt:'le5 20.El:hfl El:xfl 21.El:xfl j,xh3
22.El:gl V!if6 23.El:xg3 lt:'lxg6 24.El:xg6 fif7
19.l2Jf4
25.El:g3 j,f5 26.e4 j,g6 27.j,g4 Wfl t 28.lt:'ldl
Keeping the knight on g6 by means of
j,e5 29.j,h3 V!if6 30.El:gl <;t,h7 31.j,f5!+-
19.El:xg3 lt:'lbd7 20.<;t,d1 l2lc5 looks suspect.
White scored a crushing victory in Kramnik
The only idea I can see is 2 l .lt:'lh4 j,h7 22.lt:'lg6,
- Nakamura, London 2014.
but after 22 ... c6 only Black can be better.
"Why is 17 ... El:eS! so good?" one may ask. In

19... lt:'lbd? 20Jhg3 lt:'lc5
what way is it different to Nakamura's 17 ... El:fl?
Black has reached an optimal piece
Well, in my view, the American grandmaster's
configuration, which seems to compensate
error in the above game was failing to focus
fully for the missing pawn.
all his pieces on the key e4-square, something
that 17 ... El:eS! would be a first step towards
21..ta fie? 22.V!id1 i>h7
accomplishing.
ISJ~gl
This looks like the most natural choice,
directly targeting the important g3-pawn.
Instead, l 8.lt:'lf4 will most likely transpose

after 18 ... lt:'la6 19.Ei:gl!, because 19.fic2?! El:e5!
20.lt:'le6 j,xe6 21.dxe6 is not a worthwhile
alternative. This position has been reached
in several games, but Black has yet to try
21...lt:'lb4!?N with a dangerous initiative.
Chapter 14 - 8.~g5 261
23.llle6! 25.e4
White can easily be worse ifhe does not play 25.~e2 ~xe6 26.0-0-0 !"i:e7 27.e4 ixe4
this. 28.!"i:el d5=
23 .. .lllxe6 24.dxe6
8
7
6
~~~'•Lin~,~
~,1~
~~
m•
,,,,,%m,1rm,,,,,~~ ~
~~~ "~'I~·····
'•'·=·~-
5
43
2 8D,,,,,;.,,,,%u,,,,,Y,~
~ ~ r~.i.i~ ~
1 ,d,,,,%•v~ %~
a b c d e f g h
24 ... c6!+!
The status quo is maintained, though there
is still a lot to play for.
B) 9.~h4
I would rather not choose: 24 ... ~xe6
7
6
5
4
a b c d e f g h
25.ixb7! (25.~e2 l2:le4 26.ixe4 ixe4

27.0-0-0 ixc3 28.ixc3 !"i:g8 29.!"i:dgl
The most popular continuation, maintaining
!"i:xg3 30.!"i:xg3 !"i:g8=) 25 ... !"i:ab8 26.~f3! 00
the pin.
Although the computer evaluation is equality,
playing this position requires excellent home
9 .. .llla6
preparation, as White has tactical chances due
We will consider Bl) 10.0-0 before moving
to the idea of sacrificing an exchange on g7
on to the more common B2) IO.ttld2.
262 Petrosian
Bl) 10.0-0 11...gS!?

By exploiting the fact that White's control
~~-
over the e4-square is not so good, Black
8
7
i.~.t~
~ ·-,_,,,/,-,,~~
introduces a rather forced sequence which
results in an interesting endgame.
6 , ___ ,,/,~ ~~,,,~-
5 ~~~'"Ii/,.,,,,,~""' I2.i.g3 ltJxe4!
4
3
'a!at.~~
~ ~~ ~ffl~ffl""'
Black completely changes the character of
the game with a temporary sacrifice of a piece.
~~,~----,;~ ~~,'0~~,~
~r~,~~ 8
7
a b c d e f g h
6
This should normally transpose to the
10.li::ld2 main line, but here we will examine 5
an interesting sideline for White. 4
I0 ... ~e8 3
A typical way of unpinning the f6-knight. 2
At the same time, the queen keeps an eye on
1
several critical squares on the queenside - a4
in particular. a b c d e f g h
14.i.hS!?
11.ltJel
White cannot maintain control of the light
This knight retreat was introduced by
squares (e4 in particular) with his pieces
Polugaevsky, and is the only move with
without seriously compromising his position.
independent character.
14.li::ld2 f4 15.li::le4 is dubious on account of:
8 15 ... i.f516.i.d3li::lb4! 17.i.bl
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 14- 8.igS 263
(18.f3?! fxg3 19.lllxg3 [19.hxg3 g4t] 19.Lg4Lg4 20.ti'xg4 ti'g5! 21.ti'xg5 h:xg5
19 ...i.xbl 20.gxbl t2'lxa2 simply wins Black Black recovers his pawn due to the passive
a pawn) 18 ... fxg3 19.fxg3! g4 20.a3 t2'la6 placement of the el-knight. However, he
2 I .i.d3 i.xe4 22.i.xe4 should not relax, as the endgame can be tricky
if it is not treated with accuracy.
22.ttia,
22.i.f2?! l2'lxe4 23.ie3 g4! is excellent for
~,,.~.,~
Black, for example: 24.cj;>e2 cj;>f7 25.t2'ld3
6~~';, , %.
-~~~",,,,l:~rn~~
~~ ',,Y,~
~ .lSif~ • ,<~
,~~,,.,~
5
a b c d e f g h
4 ~,~l~j
'' ,%~
,<~" ,%~
22 ... gxfl t 23.cj;>xfl gfst 24.cj;>gl Wg5

25.t2'ld3 h5 26.gfl i.h6 27.gxfSt xf8+ ~
Black is slightly more comfortable, although 1 =(,,,,%~ ~~ ~~"--
the game should ultimately be drawn.
a b c d e f g h
14...ti'e7 15.1'3 fxe4 16.fxe4 E!xflt 17.©xfl 25 ... c6! 26.t2'lf2 cxd5 27.cxdS t2'lf6 28.gdl
c!tlc5 g6+ In Huss - Cvitan, Bad Ragaz 1994,
This is the main problem with Polugaevsky's the weakness of the d5-pawn was the deciding
idea: the e4-pawn is not so well defended. factor in Black's favour.
18.ti'e2 22.cj;>e2 t2'lxe4 23.l2'ld3 c6 24.t2'lf2 t2'lf6 25.dxc6

bxc6 should be approximately equal, although
in the following game White found himself
struggling after some strange moves:
264 Petrosian
White can count himself lucky that he went B2)10.lt1d2 '11Me8

on to avoid defeat in Lugovoi - Motylev,
Kazan 2005.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Black, of course, continues with his
a b c d e f g h traditional manoeuvres: first unpinning,
22 .. J::U'S! 23.@e2 ~xe4 24.~d2 before moving the knight to h7, paving the
24.l"m should be met by 24 ... c6!+±, striking way for the f-pawn.
at the centre while the iron is hot. Black
maintains equal chances as long as he does not In the rest of this chapter we will witness a
carelessly concede control of the light squares couple of rare alternatives, B21) 1I.ixf6
to his opponent. and B22) 11.g4?!, as well as White's efforts
to save a tempo by missing out castling, in an
24... ~cS!N attempt to develop queenside play as quickly
24 .. .lllxd2 25.@xd2 e4 26.c;t>e3 gave White as possible, with B23) 11.a3.
a pleasant edge in I. Ivanov - J. Watson, Los
Angeles 1995. 11.0-0 is examined in the next chapter.
25.b3 11.l2:lb5 has no independent significance, but

25.l::'1:fl l2:la4!= is mentioned here for the sake of completeness.
11...l2:lh7 Not only allowing the f-pawn to
25 ... a4 26.l~fl advance, but also freeing the g7 -bishop from
26.b4 is met by 26 ... l2:ld3!, using a small the burden of defending the king's knight.
tactic to maintain the balance. Now the fianchettoed piece can seek a better
future on a different diagonal. 12.0-0 ii.d7
26.. J:hfl 27.@xfl axb3 28.axb3 g4! 29.ifl 13.a3 h5 A typical way of liberating Black's
~d7 30.~e4 @f7 31.~gSt play is by allowing the dark-squared bishop
31.~h4 ~f6 is also level. to spring to life via h6, and the threat of ... g5
gains time.
31...@g6 32.~e6 c6 33.~xg7@xg7 34.dxc6
bxc6 35.b4 c5=
At the end of the day, it's a draw again.
8 K ~;3P ~1i~;
t•..t.u,
13.0-0
,~cb•~~
~c-%-/, .:n/,•Y,~
13.!xc8 l2:ld3t 14.©fl Wlxc8 15.Wlf3 l2:lf4
7 ~, •'I) 16.h4 Wld7 17.g3 l2:lh5 18.©g2 ig7= looks
6 like a better try for White.
5 n,
4
~
-~-~- ~
. ·\q,p, ~
~/,"//, ~
~~-;, ~
~--Z~v-,~---
3
~~-;,
2 '1~ ~j_f~ ~ '1~
a b c d e f g h
14.f3 ih6= We have transposed to variation
C of the next chapter - see page 281 The
position is approximately balanced, although
Black will have to play some more good moves
to prove it, as we will see in due course.
B21) ll.hf6 hf612.ig4
I have faced this on a couple of occasions,

winning both games, although I reacted
differently each time.
14...ids 15.'1Wc2 f5! 16.ih3 ~c5 17.b3
12 .. .lllc5 \Wf7 18.a3 ig5 19.b4 axb4 20.axb4 :axal
12 ... ixg413.Wfxg4h5!? 14.Wfdl Wfe715.0-0 21.:axal fxe4h
!'~I~~,~
!g5 16.l2:lf3 l2:lc5 17.t?lel ©g7 18.l2:ld3 Black already had the advantage in Kostianis
- Kotronias, Greece 2012.
6
s
7 ~-~
.%.-,/,~
,1-• ---Z~r-
'" ~/, "//,;'
% ~E!?A~{
/,;3.i" ~~ ~~
B22) l l.g4!?
5 ~ ~~'1~ ~,
4 . ./ , . / ~ - - ~ %. . . . . . Y , ~
3 m~l~ m~
,~;~~~,~
2
~-/,~1-,m·--
a b c d e f g h
18 ... l2:ld7! 19.Wfe2 h4 20.1''\ael Ei:fe8 21.g3
hxg3 22.hxg3 l2:lf6 23.©g2 c6! 24.f4?! exf4
25.e5 dxe5 26.gxf4 !h4+ Black was left with
the better chances in Heyken - Kotronias,
Hamburg 2001
266 Petrosian
White wishes to stop ... f5 by increasing his 13 ... ltlg5 14.ixg5 hxg5 15.ltld2 if6 16.l':lg3
own influence over the critical f5-square. The 'itig7 17 <iifl l':lh8 18.h3 ltlc5 19.ltlb3 ltla4=
problem with White's plan is that in order to With approximate equality in Anastasian -
achieve his aims he has to weaken himself on Mariano, Dubai 2004.
the dark squares.
12.. .lllg5
11 ...lti h7 12.iirrn A crucial moment: Black is threatening to
I consider this move as the best way of obtain a big advantage by slowly infiltrating
implementing White's idea. through the dark squares, so White must make
a difficult decision.
12.ig3?! is suspect, because it allows Black
to carry on with his counterplay unhindered:
12 .. .fS 13.gxf5 gxf5 14.exf5 ltlc5!? 15.ltlb3
ltlxb3 16.axb3 ixf5 l 7.ig4?!
8 ~ ~~g;~-i~1
~:r~~r%•~~~
7
6
5
4
3
~ -~t~.A.-
'~WAr,~~~WAr,i,
, %u. ta ,%•i~
~~WA~WA~
2
~,,,%~,~,,,%-~
~%i'if'
it~
"WA
~%i'%''"""%i'"
• it~ it~
a b c d e f g h
l 7 ... ltlg5! Highlighting White's imprudence
in voluntarily giving up control of the
g5-square. 18.h4ixg419.Wxg4ltlf3t 20.<iidl
ltld4 21 J'fa3 b5+ White's position was in ruins
in Vaisman - Vogt, Halle 1976.
12.l':lgl id7 13.ltlfl can be met in several

ways, and a logical one seems to be:
7
6
5
4
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 14- 8.1g5 267
id7 Black had obtained good attacking with mutual chances had arisen in Kholmov
chances in Ornstein - Uhlmann, Polanica - Kondratiev, USSR 1967, and now instead
Zdroj 1975. After the game's 20.0-0-0 of wasting a tempo on 19 ... <;tihS?!, as the
Uhlmann chose 20 ... a4 00 , but I would have extremely talented Russian master did in that
preferred 20 .. .2"1ab8N--+ which seems to give game, Black should employ a direct blockading
Black the advantage by threatening a direct strategy:
... b5.
8
13.•. hxgS 14.c!2Je3= 7
This position, which is similar to Anastasian
6
- Mariano above, has little to offer, but
5
whatever chances exist seem to lie with Black,
who has some long-term ideas to activate the 4
g7-bishop on the a7-gl diagonal. 3
2
B23) 11.a3
a b c d e f g h
19 ... if4!N 20.h4 4:'lf6 21.4:'lfl 4:'lh5 Black has
fantastic counterplay.
13.f3 h5 14.if2 ih6 15.l:l:bl transposes to

variation B232 below.
Instead, 15.l:l:a2 is rather peculiar: l 5 ... °1Mf e7
16.°IMfbl 4Jc5 17.0-0
8 .i~ ~
~ lr~.la,Y,~'Jl
i~•
7
6
I-~
%~- "~f- ,/,~
~t-i,;"~1-~ ~~ "i'
·%~
5
This is one of the main continuations, 4 ...
z
z~,lf~'Lf~ z~
,!Jl)Q,< z ~-
lrt!s l~
,.----1~-
threatening an immediate b2-b4.
:/j
1I...1d7 l2.b3 c!iJh713Jibl
Now White is ready to get in b3-b4. Black
3
2 :~·· ·'mf~!~
f0~
usually allows it as he can later strike back with a b c d e f g h

... c5, bringing his knight into play again.
l 7 ... h4! Black already has the initiative, as all
his pieces are superbly poised for an attack on
13.°1Mfc2 is an interesting move, preparing to
the kingside. 18.l:l:dl f5 19.b4 axb4 20.axb4
castle long: 13 ... h5 14.f3 ih6 15.if2 '1Mre7
4Ja4 21.4Jxa4 l:l:xa4 22.id3
16.0-0-0 h4 Gaining space and control over
the dark squares. (16 ... 4:'lc5 17 <;:t,b2 l:l:a6!? 00
is an interesting alternative.) 17 <;tib2 4:'lc5
18.l:l:hel h3! 19.gxh3 An unclear position
268 Petrosian
8
7
6
~
·~
%
~ i~•
,.1~,,,,Y,.41)
•. ,/,~f ,,/,. ·%~
5 ~~ ~/,~ : ~ '""
~~-~~~" ,,%~ ~f*P'
4 .it~~~~~ ~·
3 ~~-;~~i:.7~·~-8%
li~ ,~'.1 ~~tJ
2
l•i-""'~~--
a b c d e f g h
22 ... h3! 23.g3 i.xd2!-+ Black demonstrated
that such an attack can be extremely hard to a b c d e f g h
withstand in Bischoff- Ghinda, Novi Sad (ol) We have reached a critical juncture. White
1990. has lost the right to castle, but his king is not
in particular danger as he is about to complete
castling in an artificial manner. On the other
hand, he is threatening to stifle us on the
queenside, so drastic measures are required
on Black's part to avoid a deterioration of his
chances.
19 ... gfbS!?N
Black wants to play ... c5 under the best
possible conditions. The other plan is to switch
his attention entirely to the kingside, but that
is more dangerous.
19 .. .'®g5 20.'®cl f5 is the riskier choice:
B231) 15.b4
A logical try, with the obvious intention of

shutting the black knight out of the game.
15 ... axb4 16.axb4 i.e3 17.i.f2 Lfit

18.@xf2 V!fe7 19.gel
a b c d e f g h
21.c5!N (21.ltlfl!?N is another possibility;
while 21.exf5 gxf5 22.lt:lfl '1Mfg6 23.f4! :!l:ae8
left the position unclear in Laketic - Lazic,
Chapter 14 - 8.!g5 269
Belgrade 1988.) 21...dxcS 22.!xa6 cxb4 In This enforces the advance b3-b4 and c4-c5,
my view both 23.!c4± and 23.~xb7 bxc3 but in return the black queen is given freedom
24.'\Wxc3 l"i:a2 25.l"i:e2 fxe4 26.d6!? seem to give of movement.
White an edge.
15 ...~e?
20. @gl c5!? Given the chance, Black improves his
coordination and enhances his dark-square
control. The ... h4 advance is already on the
cards, and this would make the g5-, h5- and
f4-squares more accessible to the black pieces.
White has the ugly-looking B2321) 16.h4

at his disposal, to prevent his opponent from
gaining more space on the kingside, and stop
queen invasions on g5, or alternatively he can
choose the direct advance B2322) 16.b4.
B2321) 16.h4
8
7
6
5
4
21...lLixc5
3
The chances are about equal, but it is White
who has to be more careful because of his slight 2
weakness on the dark squares. 1
B232) 15.ifl a b c d e f g h
A double-edged move. In my opinion, it is
8 doubtful whether preventing ... h4 is worth
the weakening of the kingside that this move
7 entails, although I can certainly understand
6 White's desire to avoid surrendering more
space. At this point I looked at two options
5
for Black:
4
3 16 .. .lt~c5!?
Now that White has weakened his kingside
2 in such a way, it looks perfectly reasonable for
1 Black to lose no further time in centralizing
a b c d e f g h
270 Petrosian
this knight and, incidentally, preventing the dxc5 21.g5 tZ:le8 22.ig4 lt:Jd6 23.ixd7 \Wxd7
solidifying id3. 24.a4
Blockading the position by 16 ... c5 is also a

perfectly acceptable continuation, its only
problem being that it is not ambitious enough.
17.id3 (17.dxc6?! bxc6 18.b4 axb4 19.axb4
~fb8! 20.b5 lt:Jc5 21.lt:Jb3 tZ:lxb3 22.\Wxb3
lt:Jf8! was better for Black in Rossiter -
Timoschenko, Hastings 1991.)
17 ... fS 18.b4
This way of handling the various issues
on the board fails to achieve the objective of
maintaining a fortress.
I think White should play l 8.id3!, a key

solidifying move, supporting the important
defensive e4-point. The position is then unclear.
18 ... axb4 19.axb4 ~a4

Black has good practical chances to seize the
initiative. The only chance of equality seems
to lie with:
17~c2
l 7.g4?! overstretches White's posmon:
l 7 ... hxg4 18.fxg4 if4 19.lt:Jfl lt:Jf6 20.ixc5
20.lllbS! 31.~a7 ie3t 32.@fl Wfxh4 33.~xb?t

20.ludl?! was played in Speelman- J Polgar, V2-V2 Patrici - De Souza, corr. 2008.
Netherlands 1991, but it looks dubious. Black
should have continued with: B2322) 16.b4 axb4 17.axb4 h4!
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h
1
20 ...i.xd2t!N (20 ... luf6!? is another interesting
way of playing, and proved successful for a b c d e f g h
Black after 2 l.i.d3?! [21.lue3! was critical] The 'usual suspect' approaches the White
2 l ... c6 22.0-0 cxd5 23.exd5 ~fc8 24.i.e3 <j;,h7
camp.
25.Wb3? luc3!!-+ Huwer - Hauff, corr. 2008.)
The text deprives the e4-pawn of a defender 18.Wfc2
and leaves White in a difficult position, for Guarding the c3-knight and enabling md1
example: 21 Wxd2 fxe4 22.fxe4 Ei:f4 t Black is
after castling, otherwise ... Wg5 becomes a
definitely for choice.
threat.
20 ...ixbS 21.cxbS ~f6 18.iufl !? looks like an interesting idea which

deserves investigation.
18.c5?!
This, however, is a rather speculative pawn
sacrifice.
18 ... dxc5
272 Petrosian
19.bS 19 ..td3?! is a pointless move, playing into

The less subtle 19.bxcS lt:ixc5 20.lt:ic4 lt:ia4 Black's hands.
21.d6?!, as in Danner - Watzka, Austria
1992, should be met with the simple 8
21...cxd6 22.lt:idS Wd8, when Black is at 7
least slightly better.
6
19 ... lt:ib4 20.lt:ic4 lt:ia2!? 21.Wc2
5
21.d6?! cxd6 22.lt:idS Wd8 23.lt:ixd6
is convincingly met by 23 ....te6!+, or 4
23 ... WaSt!? 24.~fl lt:ic3! 25.lt:ixc3 Wxc3--+ 3
with a strong attacking position for Black. 2
21...lt:ixc3 22.Wxc3 .tg7 23.b6
23.0-0 h3 24.g3 :!:l:a2+ is also better for
a b c d e f g h
Black.
19 ... WgS! (19 ... cS!? 20.bxcS lt:ixc5 21.lt:ib3
lt:ixb3 22.:!:l:xb3 :!:l:al t 23.:1:!:bl :!:l:xbl t 24.lt:ixbl
Wf6 25 ..te2 :!:l:c8+ was also good for Black in
Pereira dos Santos - Szafranski, corr. 2002, but
it is hard to believe that White resigned here,
which is what the database says.) 20.:1:!:gl c5!
21.dxc6 bxc6 22.bS lt:ic5 23.g3 hxg3 24.hxg3
lt:if8+ Black had a tremendous position in
Danner - Timoschenko, Budapest 1989.
a b c d e f g h 8
23 ... c6! 24.dxc6 .txc6 25.lt:iaS :!:l:fc8 26 ..tc4?! 7
26.0-0 lt:if8+ was the lesser evil. 6
26 ... h3 27.g3 lt:ig5+
Black had a clear advantage in Danner - 5
Enders, Budapest 1995. 4
18 .. J:HbS!?
3
A well-known motif, which we have already 2
encountered in an earlier line, preparing to put
1
a stop to White's queenside initiative by ... c5.
a b c d e f g h
18 .. .fS 19.exfS gxf5 20.0-0 :!:l:f7 21.:!:l:fel 19 ...i.f4!?N
:!:l:g7 22 ..tfl 00 was unclear in Souto - Blanco Our main idea is still ... c5, but it can be
Gramajo, corr. 2000. skipped here.
19.0-0! 19 ...WgS gave a less harmonious set-up for

This appears to be risky, but in my view it is Black in Jordan - Sawatzki, corr. 1989.
imperative.
20.l:Udl Wfg5 21.@hl ie3 22 ..be3 Wfxe3 Conclusion

23.c5
Our coverage of 8.ig5 h6 began by examining
9.ie3, which is an important variation where
8
play takes a different character to the absolute
7 main line. Kramnik used it to beat Nakamura
6 at the London 2014 super-tournament by
exploiting the weaknesses the ... h6-move
5 entails, and we must tread with extreme care.
4 I think Black's 17 ... l'l:e8! is the only way to
equalize, so please make sure that you know
3
the nuances of this line before going out
2 there to fight, as many people are inspired
by Volodya when choosing their anti-King's
1
Indian weapons.
a b c d e f g h The bulk of the remainder of the chapter was
23 ... h3! 24.ltk4 dedicated to 9.ih4 l2'la6 10.l2'ld2 We8 11.a3
24.g3 dxc5+ id7 12.b3 l2'lh7 13.l'l:bl h5 14.f3 ih6. The
readers will see that a typical idea for Black in
24... hxg2t these lines is the forward march of his h-pawn,
24 .. .'~f2 is well met by 25.l'l:gl!. aiming to wreak havoc in the White camp.
Should White prevent this manoeuvre with
25.@xg2 Wfg5t 26.@hl h2-h4, then Black can play ... l2'lc5 and obtain a
good game with this strong, centralized piece.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
26... dxc5 27.bxc5 ltlxc5 28.d6co
With chances for both sides in a complex
position.
Petrosian
11.0-0 Main Line
Variation Index
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6.i.e2 e5
7.d5 a5 8.i.g5 h6 9.i.h4 ~a6 10.~d2 ~e8 11.0-0
11 ... ~h7 12.a3 i.d7
A) 13J~bl 275
B) 13.h3 h5 14.f3 i.h6 277
Bl) 15.i.f2?! 277
B2) 15.:E!:bl 279
C) 13.~h5 281
D) 13.@hl h5 14.f3 i.h6 283
DI) 15.~h5 283
D2) 15.:E!:bl 286
D3) 15.~c2 286
D4) 15.h3 i.e3! 288
D41) 16.:E!:bl 288
D42) 16.:E!:a2 290
D43) 16.~c2 292
~-%
Dl) after 22.Wi'xc3 D3) after 21.axb4 D42) note co 18.Wi'bl
8 ~~. ~.
1 ~ I. •.i.B B'I
6 •B rl B. ii1
s I ac0i•1.•
4 . Bt0iB • ~
3 ~ t0i ~l~B t0i D .t.
2 nB B ....• ~
ii'~ ~~ei)~'@
abcdefgh
22...:i'i:a2!N 23 ... W/f6!N

Chapter 15 - 11. 0-0 Main Line 275
1.d4 ttlf6 2.c4 g6 3.l'LJc3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 s.l£if.3 13 ... axb4 14.axb4 lt:lxb4 15.1Mi'b3 lt:la6
0-0 6 ..ie2 e5 7.d5 a5 8 ..igS h6 9 ..ih4 ttla6 16.Wxb7
10.ttld2 ~es 11.0-0
This is the most popular continuation for
s K ~~-~ ~1~~-
White.
1
6
~1r~i~£•,
r~ ~iri
'I)~
11. .. ttlh7 s ~ ,<R·tr~ ,<R , , .
~~ ~~~,,}~ ~~-~
Black continues with his plan, which is co
free che f-pawn co advance and prime the
g7-bishop for action. The bishop can be
; ~8~,~~~
~~ ',,,,,,:" ,,,/, ~%i-~ ~~rn
activated via h6, which is the usual procedure
in this position.
2
~ ~~,---~-,m,,.
~ ~:1~1~ ~ r~
a b c d e f g h
12.a3
This move, which is almost universally 16 ... Wb8! (I'm not so fond of 16 ... Wc8 because
adopted, is a prelude co White's attempts it lets the white queen escape by 17 Wb2!?)
to initiate play on the queenside. There are 17.l"lfbl Wxb7 18.l"lxb7 lt:lcS! 19.l"lba7 l"lxa7
alternatives co chis continuation, but all of 20.l"lxa7 .if6! Black achieves comfortable
chem will most likely transpose back. equality.
13.f3 h5 will transpose to lines seen below after

8
either 14.b3 .ih6 or 14.lt:lb5 .ih6. Another
7 possibility is: 14.l"lbl a4 15.b4 (15.lt:lb5
transposes to variation A) l 5... axb3 16.lt:lxb3
6
5 8
4 7
3 6
5
2
4
1
3
a b c d e f g h 2
12 ....id7
Creating the positional threat of ... a4, fixing a b c d e f g h
White's queenside pawns. However, Black
16 ... b6 (16 ....ih6 17.c5!?) 17.lt:lb5 .ih6
should think twice before executing his idea,
l 8 ..if2 We have a direct transposition to
as lt:lb5 can, in some positions, be an annoying
variation A below.
reply.
A) 13J'~bl
We will examine: A) 13J~bl, B) 13.b3,
C) 13.ttlbS and D) 13.@hl.
Perhaps the most primitive option available to
13.b4 is an attempt at quick queenside
White, threatening an immediate b2-b4.
activity, but it is proven rather premature after:
276 Petrosian
13 ... a4!
When the rook leaves the a-file, the move
... a4 is even stronger than usual. The main
reason is that with the rook on al, White has
the possibility a3-a4-a5 (after b2-b4, ... axb3
and 4Jxb3), hitting the fortress Black usually
attempts to create by playing ... b6.
14.~bS hS I5.f3 i.h6

Activating the bishop and indirectly
defending the a-pawn. White has been rather
unsuccessful from this position. 23.d6!?N
23.l:hl ?! We7 24.a5 ;gxa5 25.;gxa5 bxa5
26.Wal ;gas 27.ifl lt:lf6 28.Wc3 lt:ld7+ was
practically winning for Black in Agdamus -
Tukmakov, Buenos Aires 1970.
23 ... ;gdg 24.a5 ;gxd6 25.Wc2 bxa5 26.Wxc5
26.;gal We7 27.;gxa5 ;gfd8+
26 ... We7 27.ifl ;gas 2s.;gc2 ;gd7
Black is slightly better.
16.iel!? is possible, although after 16 ... ixb5

17.cxb5 4Jc5 Black's position is pretty solid.
I6 ... b6
16 ... We7 17.b4 c6?! This wins an exchange,
but allows a terrible bind on the queenside:
18.4Jc3 Wg5 19.;gb2 ih3 20.g3 ixfl
21.ixfl±
16.b4?! axb3 17.4Jxb3 I7.b4! axb3 I8.~xb3 £5!?

This plan is not promising, for the reason 18 ... ixb5?! 19.cxb5 4Jc5 20.4Jxc5 dxc5
mentioned in the note to Black's 13th move: 21.a4± is slightly better for White as it will be
the white rook's absence from the a-file impossible for Black to stop a4-a5 in the long
means that play based on a3-a4-a5 (in reply run.
to ... b6) will be slow.
17 ... ie3t!? 18.if2 ixf2t 19J:l:xf2 b6 18 ... We7 19.a4 h4 is another possibility.
Black has a pleasant game thanks to his
control over the dark squares. I9.i.d3
20.a4 ixb5! 21.cxb5 4Jc5 22.4Jxc5 dxc5 More critical is 19.exf5!?N gxf5 20.a4
Wg6 21.a5 bxa5 22.lt:lxa5 c;t>hs 23.c;t>hi ;ggs
24.;ggl h4 25.lt:lc6, but even then Black looks
okay after:
Chapter 15 - 11.0-0 Main Line 277
B) 13.b3
s E~~r~~~ili
7 ~~~~t~~~!
~"i¥~
6
5
4
~
.8 •••
'I) ~lt)f,~
~lZJ88~·-
~~-~,, ~lj
~ ~ ~~,£·
~~~-----·\/
l % ::. ~ 'iY~ ~~@
a b c d e f g h
25 ...ixc6 26.dxc6 i2Jf6 27.id3 l2Jh5 28.1.Wc2
Ei:af8 29.cS (29.ixh4 ie3 30.Ei:gel ic5 31.g4
l2Jb4 32.ixfS l2Jxc2 33.ixg6 Ei:xg6 34.gxh5
Ei:g700 ) 29 ... dxc5 30.ic4 Ei:g7 31.ixh4 l2Jb4
32.1.Wc3 Ei:e8oo This is almost bound to transpose to
subsequent or previous lines. Here is the
evidence, including a couple of attempts by
White to avoid transpositions:
13 ... hS l 4.f3 .ih6

At this point Bl) 15 ..if2?! is a worse option
than B2} lSJ~bl.
15.l2Jb5 leads to Antoshin - Gufeld, featured

in variation C on page 281
15.<;t>hl transposes to variation 04.
Bl) 15 ..if2?! Wf e7
19... fxe4!?N
I recommend this, though 19 ... l2Jf600 is also
possible.
7
19 .. .'\We7 20.a4 (20.exfS!?N was better) 20 ... h4 6
led to a victory for Black in Gorbatenko -
Ozolin, Dubna 2007
4
20.he4 lilf6 3
With approximately equal chances.
2
1
a b c d e f g h
278 Petrosian
The queen gets access to the weak dark- I 9 ...Wf6!N 20.if2

square complex around the white king, giving 20.fxe5 Wg5 2I.tt'lf3 We3t 22.if2 Wxc3+
Black tactical chances. 20.iel exf4 21.e5 Wg5! 22.l'l:f2 if5+
20 ... exf4 21.tt'lf3 id7 22.id4 We7 23.e5
I6.1Wc2 White has some compensation, but I do not
16.l:l:bl?! believe it is sufficient after the accurate:
This loses material. 23 ... h3!+
I
~
6l•j·j·'~
:i , . , . , 'I)
:~.,,fr.~~
'% ~~" , ;,~.f% ~~ ,;,,,
~ lm ~~ l~
3
m!~!~
2 · _,,~',.
a
1-v.-1~-
b c d e f g h
16 ... Wg5! 17Jl:b2
17.f4?! was played in Markos - Stets,
Zvolen 2000, White is clearly worse after
17 ...Wxf4+. Black can also play: l 7 ... exf4!?
18.id4 We? 19.b4 axb4 20.axb4 l'l:fe8
21 'i!i'hl tt'lf6+ I can't see any serious
compensation for White.
17 ...ih3 18.ig3 17...lWgS 18.l~fdl h4
Giving up the exchange by l 8.g3?! fxfl An appealing picture for Black, whose
19.ixfl only makes matters worse for White. control over the dark squares reaches dramatic
l 9 ... h4!+ opens the h-file for attacking proportions.
purposes and consolidates the important
g5-square for use by the black pieces.
18 ... h4 19.f4 8
7
8 :i~ 6
6 5
4
4 3
2
2
1
19.@hl!? force compared to the Miles game, as 23.Wfcl?

After 19 .ifl lt:i fG t the massing of troops is a blunder in view of: 23 ... h3 24.g3 Wf f2+
in the neighbourhood of his king makes the
situation uncomfortable for White, with B2) I5J~bl ~e3t
looming ideas such as ... ie3, ... lt:ih5 and .. .f5.
(The immediate 19 ... ie3t is also good.)
8
I9 ... ~e3!? 7
A strong move by Tony Miles. 6
There have been several games where Black 5

played 19 ... lt:ifG, but White repeatedly failed 4
to find the strongest reply: 20.lt:ifl!N lt:ih5
3
2I.b4 axb4 22.axb4 I don't see much of an
attack for us, as 22 ... lt:ig3t is answered by 2
23.Wgl. This means that in order to create
1
inroads Black must first exchange the dark-
squared bishops, something that the ingenious a b c d e f g h
GM from Birmingham understood very well. 16.~fl
This is an important alternative to 16.Whl,
20.he3 Wf xe3 21.~fl which avoids the exchange of bishops at the
A crucial moment: cost of tolerating a powerful piece on e3.
Black should then play 16 ... ic5! and we have
8 transposed to variation 041
7
16...hflt I7J'hfl Wfe7
6 The exchange of bishops has created the
usual problem for White - the weakening of
5
the dark squares. Black now plans to enhance
4 his superiority on these squares by ... h4 and
3 ... lt:if6-h5, so White must take action:
2
8
1
7
a b c d e f g h
6
21. .. Wffl!Ni
2I...'iWc5?! 22.'~cl! h3 happened in 5
D. Meier - Miles, Hamburg 1995, and here, 4
instead of the game's 23.g4? f5!+, White had to
3
play 23.g3N;!; with a slight advantage.
The text looks best, with the idea being to 2
force the weakening 22.h3; if instead White
1
plays 22.id3 then 22 .. .'~c5t carries more
a b c d e f g h
280 Petrosian
I8.b4 axb4 I9.axb4 intending ... ~fa8, was unclear in Khenkin -

Bokan, Moscow 1989.
22 ... bxc5=
8
Black has the better bishop and no problems
7 with the weakness on d6.
6
2
1
a b c d e f g h
I9 ... c5!
A principled reaction, maintaining Black's
stance on the queenside.
19 .. J"1fb8!? is another possibility that looks 20 ... bxc6 2I.~a4 ~fb8

perfectly playable. Black is on the verge of becoming better as
... lt:lf8-e6-d4 is threatened, but White's next is
20.dxc6 a dynamic equalizer.
20.bxc5 lt:lxc5 21.lt:lb3
This leads to nothing for White. 22.c5!
21...b6
21...ii.a4!?N 22.lt:lxa4 lt:lxa4 may be even
stronger.
a b c d e f g h
22 ...~e6!N=
This is an improvement over 22 ... dxc5
23.ii.xa6 ~xa6 24.lt:lxc5 ~ab6± which was a
little better for White in Zlotnik- A. Kuzmin,
Budapest 1989.
23 ..ixa6 19 ..ixh5 We7 20.We2 Wg7~ leads to

23.lt:ic4 .ixc4 24 ..ixc4 dxc5 25 ..ixa6 gxa6 compensation for Black.
26.lt:ixc5 ga7=
23 .. J~xa6 24.cxd6 ~xd6 25.liJcS ifab6

26.ltifl ~e7 27.~el ltif8
With equal chances.
8
7
a b c d e f g h
6
16 ..if2
5 16.c;t>hl f5!? 17.exf5 gxf5 18.f4! exf4!
4 19 ..ixh5 We5 is unclear, because Black's
excellent centralization counterbalances his
3 pawn weaknesses.
2 16 ....ixf2t 17.gxf2 We7 18.gbl lt:if6 19.lt:ifl
h4+
1
Black had at least an equal game, thanks
a b c d e f g h to his counterplay on the dark squares, in
A radical way of stopping ... a4, and one Antoshin - Gufeld, USSR 1981
advantage of chis move is char White ties the
a6-knighc to the defence of c7 8
7
13 ... hS I 4.f3 .ih6
After Black's typical reaction, we have arrived 6
at a critical crossroads; White has no less than 5
four possible ways to prevent or ignore ... a4.
4
15.~c2 3
A clever way of playing against ... a4, which
at the same time develops the queen to the best 2
square for it in this variation. Instead: 1
a b c d e f g h
15.gbl a4 transposes to variation A.
IS ...f5!
1s.<;t,h1 is analysed in variation 01 The weaker 15 ... a4?! 16.gadl! reveals the
point behind White's last. Then 16 ... .ixb5
15.b3 .ie3t 17.cxb5 lt:ic5 fails to 18.b6!t with great
15 ... WbS!? is also possible. difficulties for Black.
l 5 .. .f5 16.exf5 gxf5 l 7.f4 lt:if6! 18 ..ixf6 gxf6
282 Petrosian
16.exf5 gxf5 20 ... ctc5!?N

Thus, Black has 'used' White's delay in Reaching a complicated position with
preparing b2-b4 to start building an attacking approximately balanced chances.
position on the kingside.
2I.ctc4!?
It is quite possible that Boris was afraid of
this exchange sacrifice, but my analysis reveals
there is nothing special for White after the
following sequence:
2I...i.a4 22.~c3 hdl 23.gxdl ~g6

24.ctb6
24.i.e7 Ei:fc8 25.Wc2 t2:ld7 26.Wa4 We8
27.i.xd6 Ei:a6!+
24... gae8 25.b4!

25.i.b5 e4+±
I7.. .i!bf6
l 7 ... Wg6!? leads to an unclear game.
I8Jfadl ctxd5!? I9.ctxd6 cxd6 20.cxd5

This position arose in Illescas Cordoba -
Gelfand, Wijk aan Zee 1993, when I think
best was the natural:
a b c d e f g h
25 ... axb4 26.axb4 cta6 27.i.b5 i.g5
28.hg5 ~xg5 29.he8 gxe8 30.g3 ~e7
31.gel
31 Wd2 <;t>h7 32.t2:lc4 Wf6 33.We2 Wg6=
3I...@h7=
It is my conviction that White cannot
make progress, in view of the weakness of his
b4-pawn.
D) 13.@hl This version of a lt'ib5 scheme is the most

dangerous, demanding a refined reply on
Black's part. By summing up White's actions
8
in the last few moves, one may notice two
7 important facts that form part of a subtle
6 strategy: firstly, he did not place a rook or
queen on the bl-h7 diagonal, which is a useful
5 step in dissuading Black from playing ... f5;
4 secondly, by electing to play a waiting move
like <j;,hl on move 13, he tempts his opponent
3
into a premature ... ie3, which would expose
2 the bishop to harassment by lt'ic4 in case Black
was later obliged to resort to ...ixb5.
1
a b c d e f g h 15 ...~bS!
This is considered the most interesting and A brilliant solution: by guarding d6 Black
flexible move. threatens to drive away the white knight with
the simple ... c6, avoiding any disturbance to
13 ... hS his harmonious piece configuration.
Black resorts to the typical activation of the
g7-bishop. Instead, 15 ... ie3 is met by 16.!'~bl!± with a
slight advantage for White. 16 ... a4 17.iel!
14.£3 i.h6 would leave Black with a weak a4-pawn and
We reach another branching point, with e3-bishop, causing him to regret his awkward
White having a choice between DI) 15.lDb5, overextension.
02) ISJ"ibl, D3) 15.~c2 and the main line
04) 15.b3. 16J"ibl
Now White is ready for b2-b4, without
DI) 15.lDbS having invested a tempo on b2-b3.
16.if2
This is not so dangerous, because it allows
Black to reactivate his king's knight:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h
284 Petrosian
16 .. .lt'if6!? 17.l:'!bl ig5!

The rash l 7 ... c6?! l 8.lllc3 cxd5 l 9.cxd5 b5?!
fails due co 20.a4!±, with a large advantage
for White.
17 ... Wg7?! 18.Wc2! c6 19.l2k3 cxd5
20.exd5! a4 21.ih4! l2:lc5 22.b4 axb3
23.l2:lxb3 if5 24.ixf6t Wxf6 25.l2:le4t Wg7
26.l2:lbxc5 dxc5 27.l"!.b3 ixe4 28.fxe4t is a
line displaying the importance of having the
h4-square covered if Black wants to place his
king on g7
18.Wc2
Black also stands fine after: l 8.b4 axb4 a b c d e f g h
19.axb4 c5!? 20.bxc5 l2:lxc5~ 19 ... c6!
The expected reaction materializes. It allows
White the prospect of a passed pawn on the
queenside, but Black gets certain positional
compensation as his displaced king's knight
suddenly obtains access to d4.
20.dxc6
I also looked at:
20.l2:lc3 l2:lxc3 21.Wxc3 cxd5! 22.exd5
18 ... a4!
Black has placed all his pieces in the best
possible way, and the time is ripe co stall
White's queenside.
19.b4! axb3 20.l2:lxb3 c6! 21.l2:lc3 Wc7 22.dxc6
ixc6 23.l"!.fdl l"!.fd8 24.l"!.d3 l2:ld7 25.lt'ld5
ixd5 26.l"!.xd5 ie7=
The structure resembles a Sicilian, where
both sides have their strengths and weaknesses.
22 ... l"!.c8!
16 ... lllcS 17.b4 Black's pressure on the c-file guarantees easy
On l 7.if2 Black has l 7 ... a4=, a traditional equality.
reaction with the rook on b 1 23.c5
23.l"!.fel is also not a problem due to:
17 ... axb4 18.axb4 ltia4 19.°1Wc2 23 ... b6! 24.c5 dxc5 25.l2:le4 f5 26.l2:lf6t
l2:lxf6 27.ixf6 cxb4 28.Wxb4 if8 29.Wxb6
Wxb6 30.l"!.xb6 l"!.a5 31.ixe5 l"!.xd5 32.f4
ie8= With a dead level position.
285
a b c d e
6 b5! 27.l2:lxe5 'Wd6=
2 .. · ht
The draw is in s1g .
... bxc6 221.tZl

20Instead, 1· tZl ac3
3 l2:lgS!+± gives B1ac k excellent
25.'Wb3!
counterplay. 25.exd5 ,,
.. l"i:c8-+
25 ...\lit
sa?..t) l"i: d2 ~xd2 27 '\1;V xd5 ~xb4
25 ... E\xd2 26. X
28.'Wxd7 'Wd6=
'Wd3 ~c8 28.bS h

26 Wfxd5 .ie6 27. mpensation for t e
Black has excellent co
~-
pawn after:
22Wit
.. J'fa2!N
. h a highly complicated situation
· . For
example:
286 Petrosian
D2) 15Jlbl a4 18 ...i.g5! .

Now that Black cannot play ... i.e3 wnh
check, followed by ... i.xb5 and ... lt:lc5, another
fine positional idea comes to the rescue.
7
6 19.i.xg5
19 .i.f2 is met strongly by 19 .. .f5 with an
excellent position for Black.
8 ~ ~'i¥~~-
.i ~~.r1; %~ ,,,Y,. . .
7 ~ f~.i..- • •
2 ~~-ef-~~ Ba~
6 'llit.l f~ fl A, ~
: ~.lt:JUb~i~.t.
1~~~~~=-=~=-:-'
A rule of thumb is that when the rook

comes to b 1 and ... a4 does not blunder away a
3
2
~ll)•
!-a'lm~
ubu .,
%U ·u.t~b~
..
1
~
pawn, then this push should b~ P,layed al~ost

automatically as it freezes Whne s queens1de. a
i~va:•@
b c d e f g h
The present instance is no exception.
20.exfS i.xf5 21.i.d3 ixd3 22.'®xd3 '®f7
16.lllb5 b6! 23.a4 h4 24.aS bxa5 25.lt:lxaS h3 26.gxh3
'®xf3t 27 '®xf3 Ei:xf3 28.lt:lc6 Ei:f4~ The
Now Black is ready to take on b5 and follow
up with ... lt:lc5 without having to worry about pressure against the c4-pawn yields powerful
a subsequent b5-b6. counterplay.
17.b4 t9 .. .itlxg5 20.YNd2 ¥Ne?

This position was, if anything, slightly better
l ?.i.el i.xb5 18.cxb5 ltlc5 is okay for Black.
for Black in Khenkin - Cvitan, Geneva 1994.
17 ... axb3 18.ltlxb3
D3) 15.Y:Vc2
The queen's entrance to the game does not

pose any pressing questions, so Black can
8 i_ ~
r.r~---(~~ ~tfi~ ;~
-~i~·-·
%~)'~~~
7
continue with his kingside counterplay: ~ ~ ' :.... ~~-0
6 ~ ~~ {·~~F ~- ~
15 ... 5 16.exf5 gxf5 17.b3 @h8!?
The race is on between Black's kingside 5
4 ~%ala·%· ~11
'0 ~~ ~~
attack and White's pawn offensive on the other
3~~m •~•
~%'"//, .....
wing.
%-iw~r-lr~
2 ...
~~/---~~,~~
A5 the reader may already be aware, 17 ... i.e3
transposes to variation 043, the ultimate main a b c d e f g h
line, but with the text Black plays for more. 18 ... E!:g8!?N 19.i.f2 (19.i.dl lt:if8! 20.i.f2
lt:ig6--+ gives Black strong attacking
18J~abl possibilities) 19 ... '1Wg6 20.E!:gl h4 With a
One would expect this to be the most complicated game.
testing continuation, preparing the thematic
b3-b4. 18 .. J:i:gS 19.b4
19.i.f2 '1Wg6 20.E!:gl 4Jc5 21.b4 axb4
Instead, 18.lt:idl looks a bit weird. 18 ... E!:g8 22.axb4 lt:ia4 looks about even.
19.'1Wc3 '1Wg6 20.E!:f2 i.g7 2I.E!:a2 e4 22.'1We3
Black had a strong initiative in Michna - 19 ...~g6 20.g3 axb4 21.axb4
Kadziolka, Czestochowa 1998, and the best This position has been reached in a couple of
way to maximize her chances was: games, and I now like:
a b c d e f g h
21. ...igS!N 22 ..ixg5 ltixg5 23.f4! ~h3
18.E!:ael was played in Ravi - Mas, Kuala
24.fxe5 h4! 25.g4! dxe5 26.c5 fxg4 27.~xg6
Lumpur 1996, but it is not thematic in my
~xg6+!
opinion. I think Black should react with:
Black retains attacking chances, even
without queens, due to the possibility of ... g3.
I believe that this factor outweighs White's
impressive queenside stance.
288 Petrosian
D4) I5.b3 Black has a range of moves available, but the

most common and best reply is:
8 i. ~ mifi~•~ 16....icS!
7
6
~i~.i.ffliffl'll
~~~,,,J~r%~~ ~~,~
With this unorthodox bishop manoeuvre,
\~~~~~f%~£1# Black grasps the opportunity to stop b3-b4,

and at the same time force the white queen to
,,,,,~m tm):i~m
~ ffl 8 ii.% ffl i
:r[jmf~f~
:~ , ,
5 a passive position.
4 ~ffl
3 ~ ~~ 17.~cl c6!
,~~-iv.,.~
2
a
,,~,,
b c d e f g
Considered as the main line of the whole
h
It is difficult for White to untangle his
pieces, so Black makes use of the chance to put
pressure on the centre.
17 .. .f5
This move does not look bad either.
18.exf5 gxf5 19.4Ja2
Petrosian System; White prevents ... a4 once 19.E1dl Wg6 20.ltJfl c;t>hs 21.t2lg3 f4!
and for all, and is now ready to continue with 22.~d3 Wg7 23.t2lge4 l"i:g8 24.~fl ~f5
the customary l"i:b 1 and b3-b4. 25.l"i:al ~e3 26.Wb2 t2lc5= was fine for
Black in Nadeev - Maslennikov, corr. 2012.
I5 ....ie3!
Given the chance, the bishop plunges in
without hesitation. Now it stands excellently on
the a7-gl diagonal, and the only problem left
to solve is the passive position of the a6-knight.
We will analyse the interesting possibilities

D41) I6J'~bl, D42) I6J'~a2 and
D43) I6.~c2.
D41) I6J;bl
a b c d e f g h
8 19 ... Wg6 20.b4

20.f4?! exf4 21.l"i:xf4 ~e3 22.l"i:fl f4 23.Wb2
7
~f5+ was better for Black in Rodriguez Rey
6 - Olano Aizpurua, corr. 2006.
20 ... axb4 21.axb4 ~e3
5
The game is approximately balanced, with
4 one important correspondence example
3 continuing as follows:
22.Wc3 Wh6 23.t2lb3 t2lf6 24.t2lacl f4 25.~d3
2 c;t>f7!?
1 I'm not sure about this, but it looks
interesting.
a b c d e f g h
26.llle2 'Wg7 27.lod2 Ei:g8 28.g3 ih3 29.ic2! knight is interesting. However, after 19 ... id4
'Wh6 30.Ei:fdl fxg3 31.hxg3 ig5 32.ixg5 (19 ... ie3!? may be even better) 20.c5!? ctJxc5
Ei:xg5 33.ctJe4 21.ctJb6 Ei:a7!? 22.ctJdc4 ie6!? 23.ctJxd6 'Wb8?
33.'We3 id? 34.Ei:fl r:J;;e? 35.Ei:b3 Ei:f8 00 Black's position looks okay.
33 ... Ei:ggS 34.c5
l 8.ctJa2!?
8 This is actually a move that has scored
7 well in practice, so I think Black players
should pay a good deal of attention to it.
6
I recommend:
5
4
3
8
~·•-*-•••'
.i~ ~~i~•
)
'JI)···~ ···~)
:ltJ•~,,~,,~I]
2 7
~-i( ;::?f'?; ~
6
5 1%''?; ~81~
'' %~ ""'"~
. ,
~~-~
.,.,%~
a b c d e f g h
34 ...id7! 35.c6 bxc6 36.dxc6 ie6 37.ti::ixf6
'Wxf6 38.ib3 ixb3 39.Ei:xb3 Ei:ab8 40.f4 e4
41 'Wxf6t r:J;;xf6=
With equality in Vinot -Amico, corr. 2011
2
a
~.t•
:~r-~:~~w~
•.,.(~
b
~%"//,
c d
~~ ~;<rn
e f
8
g h
18 ...ie3!?N
8
The position requires further analysis, but
7 is probably about equal. Strangely enough,
6 this logical move has never been tried.
Instead, Black players have concentrated
5 their efforts on 18 ... cxd5, but this gives
4 White the chance to create a rather
favourable asymmetric posmon with
3 19.b4! axb4 20.axb4 ie3 21.exd5! when
2 his queenside pawn majority looks quite
threatening. After 21.. .f5 there is certainly
1
a lot of play left, but intuitively I prefer to
a b c d e f g h avoid positions like this, where Black has to
18.ltla4 consider the unpleasant c4-c5 advance on
The knight seems to be a bit offside here, every move.
but it is difficult for White to get rid of the 19.b4 axb4 20.axb4
annoying bishop without worsening the Black can avoid 20 ... cxd5 21.exd5,
position of his pieces. This fact is also evident transposing to the line directly above, in
in the following lines: favour of:
20 .. .f5!??
18.dxc6!? bxc6 19.ctJa4 with the idea of Or 20 ... c5!? 21.b5 ctJc700 with an interesting
sacrificing a pawn by c4-c5 to vacate c4 for the blocked structure.
290 Petrosian
18 ...i.d4 19.i.fl hf2 20Jhfl D42) 16J'fa2
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
20 •••'!WdS! 21.ltlc3= This weird move should be considered too.
Black has reinforced his dark-square control The idea is to protect the knight on d2 and
and stands well on both flanks. allow the queen to switch to bl in order to
enforce the advance b3-b4.
An important remark here is that the
alternative 21.dxc6?! ixc6! can only be better 16 ... f5
for Black, and this was proven in the following The normal move. However, there is an
game: 22.'tJc3 lt:lc5 23.b4 axb4 24.axb4 lt:le6 abundance of possibilities here:
25.b5 id? 26.lt:lb3
i••
~·-.i.·i·l.i)
.i~ ~
16 ... g5!? is possible, but riskier:
·I.A)··~
8
~ ••
6 •
5~ls-
4 ~-,-~~-~~
~~
3
a
,B~rmrg
~~;"··-~ ~c
b c
%~ ; ~
d e f
~~-,,
g h
26 ... Wb6 27.Effl lt:lf6 28.Ei'.dl lt:lf4 29.ifl a b c d e f g h
ie6 30.1Mi'd2 Ei'.fc8! Black had the upper hand 17.iel!? (17.if2 ixf2 18.Ei'.xf2 f5 19.exf5
in Yusupov - Damljanovic, Saint John 1988. ixf5 20.lt:lde4 1Mi'g6 is satisfactory for Black)
l 7 ... h4 The position was highly unclear in
Norri - Hartikainen, Finland 1994.
16 ... cJ;>g?
Perhaps a more subtle way to implement
the ... gs idea, waiting for White to move his

queen to b 1 first.
17 Wbl g5 18.if2
18.iel icS should probably come to the
same thing after 19 .if2.
18 ...ixf2 19.Ei:xf2
8 Z
~@l'" ~1i~~rn/,
i·.i.~,. fi'JI)
,,%. tat%•i.,.
7 ~,.
6 , ~ ~., ,%~ 0 ~ ~-.,%~
'/ ~~ ., z@l'/ ~@l'/ a b c d e f g h

5
4
~
.. . ,%~
~8i. 18.iel! ic5 19.lt:'idl h4 20.lt:'if2 lt:'if6 21.lt:'id3
~lm ~~i~ ie3 22.b4 axb4 23.axb4 lt:'ih5 24.cS iig7

3
,~ ,.,.,-,,Y,-~
.,.,,z~ ',.,.,,,/. .,,, ~ , - ....
2 .:.~ tft:ttt~8t~
~W-" 25.lt:'ic4 id4 26.if2
a b c d e f g h
19 ... h4! 20.b4 Wb8!? 21 Wb2
21.lt:'idl c6! 22.cS!? (22.dxc6 bxc6 00 )
22 ... axb4 23.axb4 dxcS 24.ixa6 bxa6
25.bxc5 Wxbl 26.lt:'ixbl lt:'if6 27.lt:'ibc3 a5 00
is a difficult ending to evaluate.
21. .. axb4 22.axb4
8 z,%,,,J;
~ ~~
:.~-J-
~
~-~--,%~
~""~
-8~
7 ~ , . . . . . ,..'))
6
5~ ~
~~l~"t!'.~"-,!'.w,
4
3 " .. %m~~!~"--
2
~,~--
~;;
~ '.I:
,,.,/,-,,~,Y,-~
,_;,..,.,,;/.'"'/,
~
~,.,.,. ~lj'/,'/
?,~1+'1~~~A?f_~
;,~:~~~ 0 ?.O
a b c d e f g h
22 ... c5! 23.b5=
A draw was agreed in Rausch - Kurth, corr.
1998, as the blockade deprives both players of
possible winning chances.
Finally, 16 ... Wb8!? is perhaps the most subtle

of all, and a move the engines thoroughly agree
with. However, White was pressing in the
a b c d e f g h
following game: 17 Wb 1 g5
292 Petrosian
17.exf5 gxf5 18.'?Nbl 20.ltidl ~h6

White goes for his plan without any The position is quite unclear, with various
ramifications. ideas for both sides.
l 8.f4 exf4 19 .~xh5 We5 gives Black fair play.

21.c5
It is important to note that this pawn
18J"1el!? Wg6 19.~d3 Wh6 20.li:lfl ~g5
advance should be answered by:
21.~f2 h4 22.Wbl h3 23.g3 was an interesting
try by White in Granda Zuniga- Supi, Mar de!
Plata 2012, yet Black could have maintained 21 ... axb4 22.axb4
equal chances after the correct:
a b c d e f g h
23 ... Wf6!N= With the idea 24.li:lb5?! c6. a b c d e f g h
22 .. .lDxb4! 23Jha8 ~has 24.'?Nxb4 :§:a4
8 25.'?Nxb7 :§:xh4
Black is clearly not worse.
7
6
D43) 16.'?Nc2
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
18 ...'?Ng6
18 ... Wh8!? is similar.
I9.b4 c;f.ihs!
l 9 ... axb4 20.axb4 Wh8 is less exact because
it gives White possibilities to press down the Refusing to weaken the a3-pawn, but as
a-file after 21.li:ldl ~h6 22.Wal!? usual this move invites .. .f5.
I6 ... f5 I7.exf5 gxf5 I8.i.f2!? 27.bxc5 4Jxe4± Black had almost equalized in
A logical idea, seeking to exchange bishops Uusitalo - Halliwell, corr. 2011
only after Black has weakened his pawn
structure on the kingside.
8
18.~ael offered White nothing special after: 7
18 ... WhS 19.li:ldl ic5 20.°IWcl 6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
18...ixfl
Avoiding the exchange would lose valuable
time.
19 Jlxf2 ltl f6
19 ... Wg6 seems quite resilient too: 20.°1Wb2
li::if6 21.b4 °1Wg5 22.~ffl h4 23.f4! exf4 24.c5
18.id3 should probably be met by 18 ... °1Wg6! 00 • axb4 25.axb4 dxc5 26.bxc5 4Jxc5 27.~xaS
Instead, 18 ... li::ic5 19.b4 li::ixd3 20.°1Wxd3 ~xa8 28.Wb4 b6
allowed White to press for some moves in a
correspondence game, yet I am not sure there
was anything really serious in it:
a b c d e f g h
20 ...ig5 (20 ... f4!?) 2 l.ixg5 4Jxg5 22.c5
(22.f4 axb4! 23.axb4 ~xal 24.~xal exf4+±
is not better for White) 22 ... °1We7 23.li::ic4
axb4 24.axb4 ~xal 25.~xal e4 26.fxe4 dxc5 20J::~gl! @h8 2I.ti'b2!
294 Petrosian
White has configured his pieces nicely for Wg7 31 Wxf4 ~h7 32.l'!el !'!al 33.h3
both attack and defence, so Black must be
~ ~~-~ ~~ ~~""'
careful if he wants to avoid falling into an
inferior position.
6 ~,~,~-~-
8
7 :~~,1•,~j ~%
~-j~
,,,,,%
~
,,,,,,,
,;,J
6
5
~ ~~•m•~!i
~~ ~~',,,.;;'.""
~..t~m
'""
1 ~ ~@
4
a b c d e f g h
3 33 ... b5 34.<;t,h2 bxc4 35.ttJxc4 ttJxd5
2 36.Wh4 ttJf6 37.ixh5 l'!xel 38.ie2t Wh6
39.Wxel ttJe4 40.if3 Wf4t 41 ~gl ie6
1
1h-Y2 This was the conclusion of Kramnik -
a b c d e f g h Gelfand, Linares 1994.
21. •.'\We7!?
28.Wd4
Probably best, with the intention of 28.l'!gel l'!ae8=
switching the queen over to g7 In the same 28 ... b5
spirit, 21...Wg6 should be of equal value. With a complete mess. One possible
continuation is:
A playable alternative is: 29.ib3 l'!ae8
21...ltk5 22.b4 axb4 23.axb4 ttJa4 24.lt'lxa4
l'!xa4 25.idl l'!a8 26.f4 exf4!?
26 ... e4= has been the subject of several
correspondence games, with most of them
ending in a draw.
27.l'!e2
a b c d e f g h
30.l'!xe8
30.l'!eel bxc4 31.ixc4 l'!b8 32.ia2 l"i:g8
33.l'!e2 l'!g4 was approximately balanced in
Legemaat - Muneret, corr. 2005.
30 ... l'!xeS 31 Wxf4 We7! 32.Wh6t <;t,gs+±
Black had no problems in Cade - B. Benko,
corr. 2004.
22.f4 Conclusion
A thematic choice.
To sum up both the chapter and the section, the
Another idea that merits consideration is: Petrosian Variation is a dangerous positional
22.b4 axb4 23.axb4 creature where White first and foremost
tries to stifle us on the queenside, exploiting
the rather clumsy position of the a6-knight.
Black should be completely fine if he knows
how to handle the situation with the knight,
and I think I have offered a comprehensive
repertoire, revealing the way to balance our
queenside defence and our own kingside
attacking chances. As my friend GM Yannis
Nikolaidis has said, the King's Indian is a dark-
square opening, so please use the dark-square
chances the Petrosian Variation allows us!
This was overall an engrossing section for me

in both a tactical and positional sense, and I
22 ... e4 23.ltJfl ltJcS hope it will be so for the readers as well.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
24.llle3 ~g7=
The position is roughly equal according to
Bologan, and was eventually drawn in Hechler
- Lachmann, corr. 1996.
Makogonov
abcdefgh
Exchange Variation and 8.1d3

Variation Index
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 5.~a 0-0 6.h3
6 ... e5
A) 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.~xd8 ~xd8 9 ..igS ~a6 10.~dS ~d6 11..ixf6!? .ixf6 297
Al) 12.b4 298
A2) 12.~cl 300
A2I) 12....ids 300
A22) 12 ... b6! 303
B) 7.d5 a5 8 ..id3 ~a6 305
Bl) 9.0-0 ~c5 10 ..ic2 ~h5! 11..igS ~e8! 306
811) 12 ..ie3 307
812) 12.~el 309
82) 9 ..igS ~e8 10.g4 ~d7 ll.a3 ~b6!N
12 ..ie3 ~c5 13 ..ixcS dxc5 310
821) 14.~e2 311
822) 14.~c2!? 312
83) 9.g4!? 315
A) note to move 12 B2) after l l .a3 B3) after I O.a3
11...ltlb6!N 10 ... ltlac5!N

Chapter 16 - Exchange Variation and 8.~d3 297
1.d4 ltJf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltJc3 ~g7 4.e4 d6 5.ltJf.3

8
0-06.h3
This system, developed by Vladimir 7
Andreevich Makogonov, a famous Soviet 6
player and coach, has become increasingly
popular nowadays. White's aim is to play 5
on the kingside by making use of his space 4
advantage, and the move h2-h3 can be useful
in both the Benoni (6 ... c5) and the Classical 3
KID structures (6 ... e5). The latter is the set-up 2
we are going to adopt.
1
IZ$~_...<~:'...._~~==~=.J
6 ... e5 a b c d e f g h
We first have to examine the Makogonov 9 ... ltJa6 10.ltJds gd6
Exchange Variation with A) 7.dxe5, while This variation is usually regarded as a drawing
closing the centre with B) 7.d5 has been the device, but in my opinion the position is not as
main choice in practice. drawish as White players tend to believe.
A) 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Wfxd8 11.hf6!?

We will also take a brief look at the
8.i.g5 t2:la6 9.'\Wxd8 ~xd8 transposes. alternatives:
After 8.i.e3, a clean equalizer is: 8 ... t2:lc6! 11.c5?! has been untried so far, and I guess the
9.i.e2 b6! 10.0-0 i.b7 11.~el reason lies in: 11...t2:lxc5 12.t2:lxc7 ~b8 13.t2:lb5
a b c d e f g h
1 I...t2:ld4!12.t2:lxd4 exd4 13.i.xd4 t2:lxe4
14.i.xg? c;t>xg7 15.t2:lxe4 i.xe4= With a drawish
position in Rusev - Spasov, Bankya 2013.
8 .. Jhd8 9.~g5 11.t2:lxf6t releases all the tension immediately:

9.t2:ld5 t2:la6 IO.i.g5 amounts to a direct 1 l ...i.xf6
transposition.
298 Makogonov
after 16.i'xdl loc7 17 c;t>c2 a5 l8.c;t>b2 axb4

\~t~~~
: fjf~~~~,,j
8
5 ~~------Y-.,,,,,,,<~
19.axb4 Black would still have been better in
Ramirez - Gareev, Washington 2011, had he
chosen: 19 ... b6!N 20.id3 f6 2I.loc2 loe6
4
2
·8·8·lt:).~8
"'~ %~"--ii~
%!%'% ~~ ~!%-,;
3~ • •
8ftl • 1~8~
,;,,,,i~
~~
22.:!'l:al :!'l:xal 23.c;t>xal c5 Black has annoying
pressure.) 16.id3 a5 17.0-0 axb4 18.axb4
loe6+ Black is already substantially better on
the queenside, with moves like ... :!'l:a4 and
... lod4 looming.
~ ~ ~:f~:
a b c d e f g h 12.0-0-0 is too slow to be dangerous:
12.ixf6 (12.id2?! ie6 [12 ... loc5!? 13.ib4 12 ... c;t,g7 13.:!'l:d2 (The overambitious 13.b4?!
b6+ is probably even better] 13.b4 c5 14.a3 c6 14.c5 led to White's demise after 14 ... :!'l:xd5!
:!'l:c8 15.b5 lob8 16.a4 lod7 17.a5 ig7 18.ic3 15.exd5 loxb4 16.d6?! [16.dxc6+ was
iof6! was better for Black in Karklins - Byrne, preferable] 16 ... loxa2t 17 i'c2 ie6 18.iod2
New York 1986.) 12 ... :!'l:xf6 13.0-0-0 loc5!+± lob4t 19.c;t>cI id5 20.h4 b6 2I.:!'l:h3 bxc5-+
Black has fully-fledged counterplay and may in Anastasian - Akopian, Yerevan 1996.)
even be slightly better. 13 ... :!'l:d7 14.g4 c6 15.loxf6 i'xf6 16.g5t c;t>e6
17.h4 :!'l:xd2 18.i'xd2 i'd6 19.:!'l:gl c5 20.a3=
11 •••hf6 The players agreed to a draw in Ljubojevic -
We have reached a crossroads, with White Ree, Amsterdam 1981.
having to choose between Al) 12.b4 and
A2) 12J:kl. Al) 12.b4
12.:!'l:dl?! is a suspect move and after 12 ... ig7 8

Black is simply better: 13.b4?! (13.loe7t i'f8
14.:!'l:xd6 cxd6 15.lod5 loc5 16.iod2 ih6 7
17.f3+ gives White some chances to hold, 6
although Black remains markedly better.)
13 ... :!'l:d7! 14.a3 c6 15.loe3
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
This is the alternative method of threatening
c4-c5 but it feels too airy.
12 ... c6 13.•~h:f6t
a b c d e f g h
13.c5? is a dreadful howler that has been
15 ... loc7!N (15 ... :!'l:xdlt helps the white seen three times so far.
king approach the vulnerable queenside, but
Chapter 16 - Exchange Variation and 8.i.d3 299
16.. J~e6 17.0-0-0 ge8!?

17 ... @g718.a4a619.@b2Ele720.Eld6li:'le8
21.Eld5 axb5 22.axb5
7
6
5
4
a b c d e f g h
13 .. J"lxd5! The original example continued: 2

14.i.xa6 bxa6 15.exd5 e4 16.lt'ld4 i.xd4
17.0-0-0 i.xf2 18.dxc6 i.e6 19.c7 Elc8
a b c d e f g h
20.EldSt <iig7-+ White struggled on for
another fifteen moves or so before resigning in 22 ... b6 23.Elal Elxal 24.<iixal f6 25.Eld8 i.b7
Ristic - Pikula, Cetinje 1993. 26.li:'ld2 f5 27.exf5 gxf5= A draw was agreed in
Hubner - J Polgar, Biel 1993, and the truth is
I3 .. Jhf6 14.a3 c5 15.b5 t2Jc7 neither side can undertake much.
Black has the better structure on the
queenside, and in practical play he has been 18.a4
the one to collect the majority of the points. 18.Elhel?! is pointless: 18 .. .f6 19.Eld6 @f7
20.li:'ld2 @e7 21.Eld3 li:'le6 22.g3
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 22 ... h5 23.h4 li:'ld4 24.li:'lfl b6 25.li:'le3 ib7

26.f3 Elg8 27.idl @d6 28.Eld2 Elaf8 29.a4
16.i.e2 f5+ Black was dominating the ending in
16.Eldl?! Ele6 17.EldSt @g7 18.<iid2 Ele7 Skembris - Van Wely, Gausdal 1993.
19.@c3 li:'le6 20.Eld5 f6i, followed by ... b6
and ...i.b7, was better for Black in Bely - 18 ...f6
Buturin, Ukraine 1986. 18 ... li:'le6+ seems worth trying.
16.0-0-0?! a6!+ is also quite dangerous for 19.a5

White. •
300 Makogonov
(17.f3 !'1:xa2 18.b4 4:'lb3+±) 17 ... ie6

8
(17 ... 4Jxe4 18.ixf7t !'1:xf7 19.4:'ixf7 <j;,xf7
7 20.!'1:xc6 ia6= is another possibility)
6 18.0-0= The game was equal in Goritsas -
Kotronias, Thessaloniki 2006.
5 13 ... !'1:xd5! 14.exd5
4 Heavy analysis proved that White could be
slightly better, but in a practical game things
3 are complicated after:
2 14 ... e4~
14 ... cxd5!? 15.ixa6 bxa6~
1
A sample line continues:
a b c d e f g h 15.4:'ld2 cxd5 16.ixa6! bxa6
19 ...i.e6
19 ... c;t,f8!?N or 19 ... 4:'le6!N may even be
better.
20J!d.2 <j;,f'8 21J:~hdl ©e7 22.~el ged8=

White(!) had reached equality in Larsen -
Hellers, Esbjerg 1988.
A2) 12.gcl
8
7
6
5
Finally, 12 ... c5!? 13.a300 is another variation to
4
consider, although it seems a bit weird to allow
3 the knight a permanent spot on d5.
2
A21) 12 ...i.dS 13.cS ge6 14.a3
1
a b c d e f g h 14.b4? c6 15.ixa6 bxa6 16.4:'le3 !'1:b8 17.a3 a5
18.!'1:bl axb4 19.axb4 a5+
This move, intending c4-c5 has been the
most popular choice in practice. The main
14... ©g7
continuation is A21) 12 ...i.dS, but my
This is considered playable for Black by
favourite is A22) 12 ... b6!.
Vigorito in his ChessBase survey of the
Makogonov endgame, and I think this view is
12 ... c6!? 13.c5!?N
correct. Let us check a few lines:
Less lively is: 13.4:'lxf6t !'1:xf6 14.c5 b6!
15.cxb6 axb6 16.4:'lxe5 4:'lc5 17.ic4
Chapter 16 - Exchange Variation and 8.!d3 301
19.(j;;,e2 li:ld7 20.b4 li:lf8+±

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
19 ... li:lc6!
I5.b4
Instead, 15.h4?! c6 16.!xa6 (16.li:le3 b6!+) 19 ... c6?! 20.g4! hxg4 21.li:lxg4±
16 ... cxd5 17.i.d3 dxe4 18.i.xe4 happened in 20.g4
Grivas - Ilincic, Varna 1994, and here I like: 20.i.b5 ~f8 is unclear.
20 ... hxg4 21.li:lxg4 li:ld4! 22.li:lxd4 exd4
23.~xd4 f5 24.li:le5 ~xe5 25.~xd8 ~xe4t
26.i.e2 b6+±
The ending is balanced.
I5 ... c6 I6.ha6 cxd5 I7.i.d3 ge718.0-0
a b c d e f g h
l 8 ... ~e7N+ White is simply worse.
15.li:le3 li:lb8
I have checked this line extensively, and a
complicated endgame struggle ensues:
16.h4!?N
16.b4 ~e8 17.i.d3 li:lc6= is equal, and
so is 16.i.c4 ~e8 17.0-0 f6 18.~fdl c6=
a b c d e f g h
according to Bojkov. 18 ... fS 19.exdS e4
16 ... h5 Black's typical ... f5 thrust has won some
16 ... li:lc6!? is another interesting try. material, but White gets dangerous far-
17.~dl ~e8 18.i.c4 f6 advanced pawns in return.
18 ... li:ld7 19.b4 a5 00
19.~gl!? 20.d6
19.0-0 c6 20.~d2 i.e7 21.b4 b5+±
302 Makogonov
. . deed better f,or t

26 .ixb5?!, which IS I~ n of27.2"1bl!. he first
... after his suggesno
player
.
However, Black has an impr ovement:
a b C
gd71 2I.~e5 22 t2'le5 .ifG

20... . 21 itxe4 fxe4 .4 ,6 26.b5
Insce,d, · ~£ 1 !c6 25., I
23. t2'l xd7 .ixd7
b5 24. 28.
.ixb5 e l"1 xe 4 .ic6 is unc ear
axb5 27.ax .
accord.mg to Vigonto.
21 ... exd3 22. b5 d2 23,gc2 i.f6
~---,~-~~~.i.~-~~~,,~~0,r-~-i.:/,
~&
.% . m ~ffi~~~~-
8 A %%w~
A~" -~J,,,,,,~~
;~ & %%/;"'/,'~
7 ,,,,,/,~ '1[!} ~ •&
6
s
4
!vi'~•-111
ill~J'U'
~(
B,ffl111fj
%%~
(~ m'%~ffl,,?ff{~
-~ ~%%
A ~
--
3 0% ~vs%
'"""~ F? ;;:0% 0
2 ffl~J,,J~£~"~
1 d
~~~
e f g h
a b C
24.ollxd7 24 f4?! ~dB 25. l"lxd229.ixe5

~el
The we,kec . !xe6 28.c6 !l,,8 .l!lf6
26 fxe5 .id7 27.e6 2 .ixd7 32.l"le7t
<J;f7 30.d7 l"lc7_31.l"1~; a clear advantage for
33 .cxd7
. l"ldxd7+
Kukov - led_k
BoJ ov, Blagoevgrad 2009.
Black m
4 hd7 25.c6 :Sc8 26.c7

V rito as lead"ng
1 to
2 Th"'. has been given.by b1g\e only analysed
1s
an advantage f,or White, ut
Chapter 16- Exchange Variation and 8.id3 303
3I. ..f4!! A22) 12... b6!

Unveiling pressure against the h3-pawn.
The best try for a win.
32Jhd2
32.gxf4?! ixh3t 33.<;t>gI ixf4!+ 13.b4
I3.c5 lt:lxc5 I4.lllxc7 :1'!:c6 I5.lt:lxa8 lt:ld3t
32 ... fxg3 I6.<;t>d2 :1'!:xcl 17.:1'!:gl ib7 I8.ixd3 (18.lt:lxb6?
:1'!:xfl!+) 18 ... :1'!:xgl 19.lt:lxgl ixa8= should be
a draw, but obviously Black has a reason to
continue in his two bishops.
a b c d e f g h
13 ....idS!
This is the strongest move, so I will not
8
devote space to others. Black's pieces are a bit
7 passive for the moment, but he hopes that
6 soon he will be able to drive White back.
5 14.cS
4 This dynamic advance has been the main
choice in practice, but I also looked at a more
3 modest alternative employed by GM Efstratios
2 Grivas:
1
14.a3
a b c d e f g h Solidifying the b4-pawn and trying to rely
4U:U3!! ~f'8 42.~cl id7 43.~el ic6 on a space advantage.
44.~cl .id7 I4 ... c6 I5.l2le3
A draw is the most likely conclusion.
304 Makogonov
16 ...ie6! 17.l2ixb4 cxb4 18.0-0 a6 19.bxa6

f6+ Black is close to winning.
15 ... f6!
I believe that Black is slightly better, as all he
needs is to put his king on g7 and then try to
open lines on the queenside with ... c5.
16.h4N a b c d e f g h
16.c5? bxc5 17.bxc5 ia5t l8.c;t>e2 l"i:d8 15 ... i::ge6
l 9.l2ic4 ic7 20.l2icd2 l"i:b8 21 <;t,e3 <;t,fg Played by Cheparinov.
22.l"i:c2 l2ixc5!-+ 23.l"i:xc5 ib6 24.l2ib3
ixc5t 25.l2ixc5 l"i:bl 26.l2id2 l"i:el t Another interesting possibility is 15 ... l"i:c6!?
0-1 was Grivas - lvanchuk, Iraklion with the following subdivision:
2004.
16.ie2 ie7 17.0-0 l"i:d8 18.l"i:fdl ib7+ is a) 16.l2ixe5?! This attempt to clarify the issue
just better for Black, who will put his king does not entirely solve White's problems:
on f8 and bring the knight back into play.
16 ... h5!?
Black is a bit better in my opinion, although
the ending remains complex after l 7.l2id2.
14... bxc5 15.bxc5

There is no time for a 'joke' like l 5.b5? in
view of: 15 ... l2ib4 16.ic4
a b c d e f g h
16 ... l"i:xc5 17 <;t,d1 ig5! 18.l"i:xc5 l2ixc5 19.f3
ib7 20.h4 ixd5 21.hxg5 ixa2 22.<;t,c2 ie6
White is struggling an uphill fight to draw, and
it is not clear to me whether he will be able to
achieve it.
b) 16.ixa6?! ixa6 l 7.l2ib4 l"i:e6 18.l2ixa6 l"i:xa6

a b c d e f g h 19.l"i:c2 if6 20.<;t,e2 l"i:b8+ also seems weak for
the first player.
Chapter 16- Exchange Variation and 8 ..id3 305
c) However, 16.'it>d2!? should be okay; after Weaker is: 17.h4 lt:lb4! 18.lt:lxb4 :!:l:xb4
16 .. .f6 17 ..ic4 Wf8 18 ..ib5 :!:l:xc5 19 ..ixa6 19.ic4 :!:l:e8 20.0-0 ig4 21.ltlg5 22.f4 h6ms
:!:l:xcl 20.:!:l:xcl .ixa6 21.lt:lxc7 .ixc7 22.:!:l:xc7 23.ltlf3 exf4 24.ltle5
ifl = the position is close to a draw.
d) Finally, 16 ..ic4 :!:l:xc5 17. 0-0 c6 18 .ixa6

:!:l:xcl 19.:!:l:xcl ixa6 20.:!:l:xc6, as played in
Arnaudov - Bojkov, Blagoevgrad 2009, should
be balanced after:
a b c d e f g h
24 ... :!:l:xc4! 25.:!:l:xc4 ie2 26.:!:l:a4 ixfl 27 'it>xfl
:!:l:e8 28.lt:ld3 Wg7 29.lt:lxf4 ixh4 30.ltld5
:!:l:e6+ Black eventually prevailed in Can -
Cheparinov, Alhena 2014.
a b c d e f g h 17... @g?
20 ...ib7N 21.:!:l:d6 :!:l:c8 22.ltlxe5 ixd5 17 ... ltlc5 18.lt:lc3 :!:l:e8 19.0-0 is unclear.
23.:!:l:xd5 ib6=
18.0-0 :!hc6 19.lt:lxe5 ge6 20.£4 c6=
16.c6 The position was complicated in Calder -
This is intended to cut the black forces in two Littke, email 2011, but I prefer Black in view
and maintain the d5-knight in its hegemonic of his two bishops.
position, but the pawn can easily end up as a
weakness. B) 7.d5
White aspires to stifle us on the kingside by

8 g2-g4, and possibly attack us in that sector later
7 on by a further advance of his g- and h-pawns.
However, White's play can be universal,
6 involving a queenside expansion at times as
5 well. Makogonov's main positional idea was
that when Black plays .. .f5 in a structure that
4
involves g2-g4, White can obtain control of
3 the critical e4-square by recapturing twice on
f5, and then fight for the light squares on the
2
centre and the kingside, which in conjunction
1 with an open g-file should offer him some
a b c d e f g h attacking possibilities. In my view Black
should equalize, but it is obvious that this plan
16.. J~bS! 17 ..ic4 is virulent, and he should tread carefully.
306 Makogonov
9 ... ~c5 10 ..ic2 ~h5!

8
Black has some kingside pressure which
7 amounts to good counterplay.
6
11..ig5
5 This is designed to slightly displace the black
queen, but it has no serious impact on our
4
plan, as the queen can go to d7 later on when
3 our knight has reached the f4-square. This
2 rather weird configuration of pieces aims at a
knight sacrifice on g2.
1
a b c d e f g h Alternatively, there is: 1 l.i.e3 l2lf4 12.a3
(12.1Mi'd2 b6! 13.i.xf4 exf4 14.Wxf4 i.a6
7 ... a5 15.'Lld2 i.e5 16.1Mi'e3 Wf6 gives Black powerful
I like this move, trying to create a solid compensation for the pawn, and at least equal
base on c5 for our knights. This is a system chances.)
where we need to press White on e4, and the
c5-square is perhaps the most important on 8
the board from Black's point of view. 7
6
8 ..id3
Quite principled. White bolsters the 5
e4-square in anticipation of ... 'Lla6-c5. On the 4
other hand, Black should be able to gain some 3
time by hitting the bishop with his knights, 2
and this detail provides sufficient counterplay.
8.i.e2 and 8.i.e3 are covered in the next a b c d e f g h

chapter, while 8.i.g5 is Chapter 18. 12 ... Wd7!+± Transposing to the note on 13.a3
in variation B 11 below.
8.g4 'Lla6 will transpose according to White's
next move: 9.i.d3 is variation B3 below; 9.i.e2 11.~e 1 'Ll f4+± is also similar to variation B 11
and 9 ..ie3 are respectively variations A2 and B
11...'llllfeS!
of the next chapter; and 9 .i.g5 is variation A
11...1Mi'd7 is not so good, due to 12.'Lla4!;!;.
of Chapter 18.
8 .. .c!tla6 The two main tries are Bl l) 12 ..ie3 and

8 ... 'Llh5 is certainly not out of the question,
B12) 12.gel.
but we will focus on the text move. White can
12.'Llb5?!
play Bl) 9.0-0, B2) 9 ..ig5 or B3) 9.g4!?. The decentralization of the knight only helps
Bl) 9.0-0 Black.
12 ... Wd7
Castling short has of course been tried, but it An acceptable square for the queen in this
should not embarrass us. set-up.
Chapter 16 - Exchange Variation and 8.!d3 307
13.'Wd2 analysed the position, but then I found out

that Black has good tactical play after:
12 .. .ltlf4 13.~d2
White immediately puts pressure on the
knight, but of course Black will leave it there;
losing a petty pawn is a small price to pay when
we get a wonderful diagonal for the g7 -bishop.
13.l'l:el will most likely transpose to our main

line after 13 ... b6 14.Wd2.
Instead, approximate equality results from:
a b c d e f g h
14.a3 'Wd7 15.ixf4 exf4 16.e5 'We7
13 ... b6!
13 .. .lt'lf4?! does not quite work in view of:
14.ixf4 exf4 15.Wxf4! ixb2 16Jhbl ig7
17 .e5 l':1a6 18.l'l:fe 1;!; Suddenly the b5-knight
is meaningfully placed.
14.b3
14.l'l:adl ia6 15.a4 l'l:ae8=
14 ... iaG 15.a4
15.l2Jc3 t2Jf4+±
15 ... f5 16.exf5 gxf5 17.l'l:ael ixb5 18.axb5
l'l:ae8+±
Black's mobile pawn mass is at least as good a b c d e f g h
as White's bishop pair, and I prefer the second 17.exd6 Wxd6 18.l2Jb5 (18.t2Jd4 id7=)
player's position. 18 ... Wd7 19.t2Jbd4 a4=
Bll) 12.i.e3 13.a3 has the ambitious idea to play b2-b4,

but Black is right on time with 13 ... 'Wd7!. For
example:
8
7 a) 14.b4?
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
This was my main concern when I first
308 Makogonov
14 .. .ltlxg2! 15.bxc5 \Wxh3 16.cxd6 cxd6 13... b6

17.id2 l2if418.l2iel ig419.f3 '.Wg3t 20.@hl Not only solidifying the c5-knight, but
f5!!-t Leading to a strong attacking position also preparing to move the bishop to a6 and
for Black. pressurize the c4-pawn if the al-h8 diagonal
opens up.
b) The preventive 14.l2ih2 should be answered
with: 14 ... \We7 15.@hl (15.b4 axb4 16.axb4 14.:afei
l"i:xal 17'.Wxal l2ia6 18.'.Wa3 '.Wg5 19.ixf4 After an immediate 14.ixf4 exf4 15.\Wxf4
exf4=) 15 .. .f516.ixc5 (16.exf5ixf517.ixc5 ia6! Black does not face any problems, for
dxc5 18.ie4 l"i:ad8 is delicately balanced, as the example: 16.t2ld2 (16.l"i:fel ixc4! 17.e5id3!+±
follow-up 19.1Wb3 \Wg5 20.l"i:gl '.We7 21.l"i:ael is a nice tactical point justifying Black's play)
c6!?= reveals) 16 ... dxc5
c) 14.l"i:cl l2ixg2! 15.@xg2 '.Wxh3t 16.@gl
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
I4 ....ia6!
16 .. .f5! (16 ...ig4? 17.l2ig5±) l 7.l2ig5 \Wh4+± I like this move despite the awkward
Black has sufficient compensation for the appearance of the bishop on a6. It prevents
piece. White from winning a pawn.
Chapter 16- Exchange Variation and 8.i.d3 309
14 ...1Mfd7 15.i.xf4 exf4 16.Wxf4 i.a6 17.lud2 16 ... .!L)xe2t 17Jhe2 fS?
is less clear here, although Black maintains The second player has solved all his problems,
certain compensation. and has good chances to play for a win.
14 ... i.h6!? is strongly answered by· 15.<;t,hl! B12) 12J~el

With this move White introduces the threat
of g2-g3. 15 ... Wd7!? 16.:1'1gl!? (16.i.xc5 A typical reaction, but the vis-a-vis on the
bxc5 17 ..ia4 1Mfe7 18.g3 .ixh3 19.gxf4 .ixf4 e-file should not dissuade Black from carrying
20.1Mfd3 f5 00 gives Black strong compensation) out .. .f5.
16 ....ig7
12 ... b6 13.°Wd.2
8
7
6
5
4
3
a b c d e f g h
2
l 7.a3! (l 7 ..ixf4 exf4 18.Wxf4 .ia6 19.lud2 b5
1
20.cxb5 i.xb5~ is rather balanced, with the
rook strangely placed on gl) 17 ... a4 18.~dl! a b c d e f g h
.ia6 19 ..ixc5 bxc5 20 ..ixa4 1Mfc8 21..ib5i 13 ... fS!
A logical and dynamic move, leading to
15.h3 equal chances.
l 5..ixc5 bxc5 16 ..ia4 We7 l 7 ..ib5 .ic8! is
okay for Black. 14..!L)bs 'Wf7 15.i.e3 .!L)xe4 16.i.xe4 fxe4
17..!L)gS 'We7 18 ..!L)xe4
15 .. .'&e7 16 ..!L)e2
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
310 Makogonov
18 ...i.fS!N B2) 9.i.g5

I think this new move is sufficient to hold
the balance.
The unnatural 18 .. .lt'lf6?! proved time-

consuming in the following sequence:
19.lt'lec3 lt'lh5 20.Eladl Wd8 21.lt'le4 lt'lf4
22.f3 h6 23.b3 Wd7
This is a combination of two ideas: White

wants to have the e4-pawn optimally protected,
and slow down any plans based on .. .f5 as well.
a b c d e f g h Still, it looks a bit time-consuming to me.
24.E1b 1 i.b7 25.E1bcl E1f7 26.a3 E1af8 27.i.xf4

9 ...Wi'e8 10.g4 ltid7 11.a3
E1xf4 28.Wd3 E14f7 29.E'1bl 'it>h7 30.b4 axb4
31.axb4± White eventually prevailed in
Staniszewski - Canamas Soler, corr. 2011. 8
7
19.i.g5 Wi'd7! 20Jfadl
20.b3 lt'lf4+± 6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
11...ltib6!N
Stopping b2-b4 and eyeing the c4-pawn.
12.i.e3 ltic5 13.hc5 dxc5

Black has two bishops and should have a fine
game, irrespective of where White develops his
queen: B21) 14.Wfe2 or B22} 14.Wfc2!?
Chapter 16 - Exchange Variation and 8.id3 311
B21) 14.'*le2 is close to a draw, but White will be the one

calling the shots.
17.i.c2 ~b6
Black now threatens ... ~xb5 followed by
... c4.
8
7
6
abcdefgh 5
14 ...i.d7 15.0-0-0 ~a4! 4
Surprisingly, the positional l 5 .. .l2ic8 3
16Jlhgl tZ:ld6 l 7.h4;!; is worse here, as Black
finds it hard to create coumerplay in spite of 2
his impressive-looking d6-knight. 1
a b c d e f g h
18...'*lf6!
A nice nuance, introducing the idea of
... tZ:lxc4.
19.~d2 i.h6 20.©bl

20.h4 ~f4 2 l .g5 deserves some analysis,
but normally both queen moves should do,
for example: 21...We7 (21...Wd6!? 22.c;t>bl
f6 23.gxf6 :1'1xf6 24.h5 g5 25.tZ:lfl :1'1af8 is also
a b c d e f g h
possible)
17 ... h6! 18.h5g519.tZ:ld2a420.f3Wb821.tZ:lfl
Wa7 22.tZ:le3 Wa5 Still, it is tremendously
difficult for White to make progress in view of 7
the almost total blockade.
6
16.~bS
16.tZ:lxa4 ~xa4 17.~c2 ~d7 can hardly be 4
worse for Black either. 3
2
16...'*ldS!
16 ... ~xb5 17.cxb5 tZ:lb6 18.c;t>bl c6 19.bxc6
bxc6 20.dxc6 Wxc6 21.~b5 We6 22.:1'1d3;!; a b c d e f g h
312 Makogonov
22.mbl f6 23.gxf6 Ei:xf6 24.h5 g5 25.lt'lfl B22) 14.~c2!?

(25.Ei:dgl ixd2 26.Wxd2 h6+) 25 ... Ei:afS
26.Ei:el h6=
7
6
5
4
2
1
a b c d e f g h
This looks like the most intriguing, keeping
both the a4- and f5-squares covered.
14 ....id7 15.0-0-0
2I...lt'lc8 22.:!Mgl .if4 23.~el
15 ... ~c8!
Black seems to have just enough time to
a b c d e f g h carry out a push of the b-pawn, as White has
23 ... b5!! 24.cxb5 less control over the b5-square.
24.lt'ld3 b4 25.axb4 cxb4 26.lt'lxb4 a3+
Another viable possibility is l 5 ... ia4!?
24 ... ~d6i 16.lt'lxa4 Wxa4, but White has an accurate
Black has excellent counterattacking chances reply:
in return for the pawn.
Chapter 16 Exchange Variation and 8.!d3 313
8 .i~ ~ ~~-
7
6
~,•isf.f~ •
,1,. . . . . ..,/,• • ,~~
4~-b•b•b~
s -~
2
'%
~"iV-
3 -~
,,
~~%
r~ r~
-~-~-
~~-1;
~
~~
~b
~
,,,,,/,;,;;·0/,~.---·\-----
~ B ~~l:'.
171We2! c6 18.4Jd2 !h6 19.'itibl ~xd2 21.g5 4Jd8 22.4Jb6 (22.~fl ~b8) 22 ... ~a7
20J'hd2 cxd5 21.exd5 e4 22.1Wxe4 ~fe8 23.~fl ~e6 24.~g3 ~b7 25.4Ja4 ~c8 26.~h3
23.1Wf3 4Jxc4 24.~xc4 1Wxc4 25.~cl 1Wb5 ~xh3 27.~gxh3 4Je6 White's pressure along
26.h4;!; White is for choice, due to a strong the h-file amounts to nothing.
passed pawn and attacking possibilities on the
kingside. 18 ... bS!+!
A tense situation has arisen. One typical line
16JMgl t2Jd6 17.h4 c6!? is:
Preparing ... b5 is the key to a lively struggle.
19.hxg6 hxg6 20.dxc6 .L:c6 21.cxb5
However, the text is not the only move.
17 ... h6 18.h5 g5=, keeping the kingside
closed, comes strongly into consideration, and
is actually simpler.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
18.h5!
18.dxc6 bxc6! 19.4Ja4 4Jb7! 20.h5 1We7= is 22.t2Jg5!
fine for Black, whose knight is coming to the The most dangerous.
e6-square via d8! For example:
314 Makogonov
22 ..ixb5 'Dxb5 23.'Dd5 White's impressive bishop, as he cannot easily

This is met brilliantly by: attack due to the weakness along the b-file.
a b c d e f g h
23 .. .'~'d?!!
A move designed to coordinate the rooks for a b c d e f g h
the necessary counterplay along the b-file,
22 ... c4!?
possibly in conjunction with ... c4.
Given the option, Black avoids an exchange
24.'Db6
of light-squared bishops.
24.<;f;>bl :!:!fc8 25.'Dd2 c4 26.'Dxc4 'Dxa3t
I also looked at 22 ...1.Wd? but then I wasn't
27.bxa3 '.Wb5t 28.1.Wb2 1.Wxc4 29.'De?t <;f;>fg
keen on: 23.'Dh?! (23.:i:!dl .ic6 23 ... :!:!fd8 00 )
30.'Dxc8 1.Wxe4t 31 <;f;>a2 :!:!xc8 32.:i:!cl :!:!e8
can only be better for Black.
24.1.Wc4 'Dd6 25.1.We2 :!:!fb8 26.'Dg5 1.Wb7
27.f3 c4+± is sharp, but Black is in no way
worse.
24 ...1.Wb? 25.'Dxa8
Black can continue in brilliant fashion:
a b c d e f g h
24 ..ixb5! (24.g5 .ic6 25.'Df6t .ixf6 26.gxf6
1.We6 27.'Dd5 .ixd5 28.exd5 1.Wxf6 29.ixg6
<iif8 is more pleasant for Black) 24 ... 'Dxb5
25.'Dd5 'Dd4! 26.'Dhf6t .ixf6 27.'Dxf6t <iig7
28.'Dxd? 'Dxc2 29.'Dxe5 'Dd4 30.:i:!el a4
a b c d e f g h 31 <;f;>b I;!; White holds a slight advantage in the
25 ... 'Dd4! 26.'Dxd4 exd4!~ ending due to his extra pawn.
Black has dangerous attacking chances.
23.i.e2 °1Wd7 24.'Dh7 ~Uds 25.ttld5
22.'Dxb5 'Dxb5 23.ic4 'Dd4 24.'Dxd4 cxd4 25.f3 .ic6! 26.<;f;>bl :l:!ab8 27 <;f;>al 1.We6!
25.1.Wd3 '.We7 26.<;f;>bl :!:!ab8 is equal in spite of 28.1.Wcl :!:!d7 29.:i:!g2 :!:!db? 30 ..ifl
Chapter 16- Exchange Variation and 8.id3 315
8 28 ... c3!! 29.:Sh7t @f'8 30.bxc3 ic6~

Black has given up a pawn, but by now the
7
white king is the more exposed of the two. The
6
chances look balanced to me.
5
4 B3) 9.g4!?
3
A typical device, gaining the usual space.
9 .. .ltid7
a b c d e f g h Once more, our standard method of
30 .. .l2ib5! 31.tZ'igS! '®f6 32.ixc4 tZ'ixc3 33.l:'k2 counterplay involves harassing the d3-bishop
ie8 34.:!''1:xc3 Elxb2 35.ixf7t ixf7 36.Elc8t and the c4-pawn.
ifs 37.ElxfSt Elxf8 38.g:;>xb2 This line deserves
closer scrutiny, but in view of the open position 1O.a3
of the white king, the expected result is a draw.
8
7
6
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
10 .. .ltiac5!N
25 ...W!'b7! 26.ltldf6t Lf6 27.ltlxf6t @g7 We should fight for the a4-square, so this is
28.g5 the correct move.
1O.. .l2idc5 l l.ic2 f5 looks inferior:
a b c d e f g h
316 Makogonov
12.gxf5!N (12.b4?! fxg4 13.tz:lg5 h6

8
14.bxc5 hxg5 00 plunged the game into wild
complications in Ra. Hess - T. Balogh, 7
Germany 1998.) 12 ... gxf5 13.~gU:: White is 6
more harmoniously developed.
5
ll.i.c2 l2Jb6 12.~e2 4
3
8
2
7
1
6
a b c d e f g h
5
15.0-0 a4=
4 Black's queenside control assures him of full
3 equality. The alternative 15 ...We7, intending
... ~fc8 is also level.
2
1 Conclusion
a b c d e f g h
We started by looking at the Makogonov
12 ... c6! 13.i.e3 Exchange Variation, 6.h3 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5
13.i.g5 Wc7! only helps Black, for example: 8.'\Wxd8 ~xd8. After the further 9.i.g5 tz:la6
14.i.e3 i.d7 15.0-0 cxd5 16.cxd5 ~fc8 10.tz:ld5 ~d6 11.i.xf6!? i.xf6 12.~cl, I think
17.i2id2 12 ... b6! gives us chances to play for a win, and
in several cases it is White who has to play
accurately just to reach equality.
White's main continuation is 7.d5 which
we are meeting with 7 ... a5. The current
chapter focused on 8.i.d3 which, although
an interesting move, fails to give White an
edge. I am satisfied with Black's chances in all
lines, and the reader can look forward to some
exciting dashes when White chooses to castle
long.
13 ... cxdS 14.cxdS i.d7

Makogonov
a b c d e f g h
8.ie2 and 8.ie3

Variation Index
1.d4 l2Jf6 2.c4 g6 3,lt)c3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 s.l2Jf3 0-0 6.h3 e5 7.dS
7 ... aS
A) 8 •.ie2 l2J a6 318
Al) 9 ..igS 318
A2) 9.g4 319
A3) 9 ..ie3 lZlc5 IO.l2Jd2 lZle8!? 320
A31) 11.g4 f5 321
A311) 12.exfS!? 322
A312) 12.gxfS gxf5 323
A3121) 13J~gl 323
A3122) 13.11Nc2 325
A32) l 1.h4!? f5 12.hS! gxhS!? 326
A321) 13.exfS 328
A322) 13.11Nc2 328
B) 8 ..ie3 lZla6 9.g4! lZld7 330
Bl) IO ..ie2 331
B2) IO.l2Jd2 332
B21) 10... lZldcS!? 332
B22) 10... fS! 334
B3) 10.h4 335
B4) 10.~gl 337
BS) 10.a3!? l2Jb6! 338
BSI) 11.gS 340
B52) I 1.lZld2 341
318 Makogonov
1.d4 t2Jf6 2.c4 g6 3.t2Jc3 ig7 4.e4 d6 5.lllf3 transposes to the next chapter after either
0-0 6.h3 e5 7.d5 a5 I0.g4 or I0.'tld2.
This chapter will focus on A) 8.ie2 and
B) 8.ie3.
8
A) 8.ie2 7
6
8 5
7 4
6 3
5 2
4 1
3 a b c d e f g h
2 10 ... l2Jh5!
1 This move should grant Black a fine game.
a b c d e f g h 11.'?Nd2
A move that could have been examined 11.1:'1:el 'ilf4 I2.~xf4 exf4 I3.Wd2 'ilc5
under the Petrosian System, but the insertion I4.Wxf4 ~xc3 I5.bxc3 Wxe4 I6.Wh6 is met
of h2-h3 in White's set-up brings it closer to coolly by I6 ... We7= and Black is not worse.
the Makogonov family.
11.'ilel 'ilf4 I2.'ild3 'ilxd3 I3.~xd3 f5 I4.exf5
8 ... t2Ja6 gxf5 I5.~e2 (15.f4 e4+) I5 ... 'ilc5 I6.~e3
Now Al) 9.ig5 will usually transpose
to positions examined in the next chapter,
A2) 9.g4 is an enterprising advance, and
A3) 9.ie3 produces a rather strange
Petrosian-Makogonov hybrid.
Al) 9.ig5
The above comment means I will not delve

deeply into the intricacies of this move here,
bur will mainly restrict myself to saying that
it aims at provoking a potential weakness on
the light squares in our camp if we respond
with ... h6. This of course something we should
avoid, so the right response is:
9 .. JWe8! 10.0-0 11 ... £6 12.ie3 f5 13.exf5 gxf5 14.igS t2Jf6

The only really independent try, as play 15.'?Nc2 id7 16J~ael @h8 17.l2Jh4
Chapter 17 - 8.ie2 and 8.ie3 319
In any case, 10.llld2?! would be quite anti-

8
positional in view of: 10 ... ih6! 11.Wc2 if4+
7 Black was dominating matters in Meyer -
Schilling, Berlin 1994, so White actually has
6
no choice at this point but to play 10.Wc2.
5
4 8
3 7
2 6
1 5
a b c d e f g h 4
17...Wff7! 3
With balanced chances in Silva - Tiemann,
corr. 2007 2
1
A2) 9.g4
a b c d e f g h
10... c6!
This move is justified here for the following
reasons: Black wants to open the c-file quickly
to exploit the presence of the enemy queen
on c2, as well as to open the position in
general, hoping to prove that White's kingside
demonstration is a liability.
ll.ie3 a4!
The time White lost in expanding on the
kingside is exploited by Black on the other side
of the board.
The typical Makogonov move, mmating 12.0-0

the usual stifling process on the kingside. The A prudent course.
Possible but riskier is: 12.0-0-0 cxd5
difference here is that White plans to support
the e4-pawn with either his queen or knight. 13.cxd5 Wa5 14.lt:ld2 i.d7 15.lt:lc4 (White bit
the dust after the overambitious 15.g5? lt:lfxe4!
9... ltlc5 10.Wfc2 16.lt:ldxe4? [16.lt:lc4 Wd8 17.lt:lxe4 lt:lxe4
18.Wxe4 i.f5 19.Wh4 l:'!:c8 20.<.tid2 b5 21.lt:lb6
Having taken his space on the kingside,
White assigns to his queen the defence of the l:'!:c2t 22.<;tie1 l:'!:xb2+] 16 ... lt:lxe4 17 Wxe4 i.f5
e4-pawn. However, this has the drawback of 18.Wh4 l:'!:fc8 19.<;tid2 l:'!:xc3! 20.bxc3 Wxd5t-+
placing the queen on a file which is likely to in Yurtaev - Shulman, Vladivostok 1995.)
be opened. 15 ... Wc? 16.g5 lt:lh5! 17.ixh5 gxh5 18.lt:la3
l:'!:fc8t
320 Makogonov
12 ... cxd5 13.cxd5 20.f3 ih6 2I.ixh6 ©xh6 22.li:'ic4 '?Ng5t
8
7 ~,u,,,,,/,u_,Y,_,
~m-*-~ ~~·~
23.©h2 iu6 24.li:'ibxd6 li:'ixd6=
6
5
4 ,.,,.E,,•f~
~ ~ - ·~~
~.lfm'
:~vu~~
~
~-
~ fflltJU ~ 4
3
2
1 ~
a
13 ... h5!
.g,
b
-
c d e f g h
2
3
1
a b c d e f g h
The computer recommendation, and A draw was agreed at this point in Vosselman
obviously a natural choice once White has - Baranyuk, corr. 2013. This game is of
castled short. theoretical importance, as the correspondence
player Jan Vosselman is a great expert on the
14.g5 li:'ie8 15.©g2 id7 White side of this line.
I am not sure this is strictly necessary, but in
any case it is good enough. 25.li:'ixd6 '?Nf4t
The first player has to acquiesce to a perpetual
16.ib5! ixb5 17.li:'ixb5 f5! 18.gxf6 '?N:xf6 check.
19.li:'id2
A3) 9.ie3
Now the bishop is not subject to the ... lZ:lg4

harassment, but the time lost allows Black to
7
organize counterplay.
6
9... li:'ic5 10.li:'id2
5
4
3
1
a b c d e f g h
19 ... ©h7!
Preparing the exchange of dark-squared
bishops.
Chapter 17 - 8.~e2 and 8.~e3 321
10.• .ltleS!? Harmless is: 11.0-0 f5 12.exf5 gxf5 13.f4!?

With the clear-cut idea of playing .. .f5. We7! Black correctly keeps the central position
fluid. 14.li:'lf3 b6! 15.Wc2 li:'lf6! 16.ixc5
10 ... c6 is less good due to: l l.a3!:t White (16.fxe5 dxe5 17.ig5 h6! 18.ih4 id7=)
obtains the better chances, as b2-b4 can only 16 ... bxc5 l 7.fxe5 dxe5 18.li:'lh4 This was
be stopped at the cost of a pawn. Browne - J Watson, Las Vegas 1996, when
best is:
10 ...~d7
An interesting possibility, which has been
used by Nakamura.
l 1.g4 a4!?
11...c6 is interesting: 12.h4 (12.g5!? li:'le8
13.h4 cxd5 14.cxd5 f6 00 is more critical)
12 ... cxd5 13.cxd5 b5!? 14.g5 li:'lh5
15.li:'lxb5?! (15.~xc5 dxc5 16.~xh5 gxh5
17 Wxh5 00 was more testing) 15 ... li:'lf4
16.~xc5 (16.li:'lxd6 li:'lg2t 17.<iifl li:'lxe3t
18.fxe3 f6 19.<iig2 fxg5 20.Wel ia4! 00 )
16 ... dxc5 17.a4 f6! 18.h5 fxg5 19.El'.a3 gxh5
20.ixh5 Wf6 21.El'.h2 El'.ab8t Black held the
initiative in lpatov - Firman, Kharkov 2011
12.g5 li:'le8 13.h4 a3!? 14.b4
In Andreikin - Nakamura, Eilat 2012, Black
should have followed up with: A31) 11.g4 f5
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h
1
14 ... li:'la4!N l 5.li:'lxa4 ixa4 16.Wcl f5! 17.gxf6
li:'lxf6 18.h5 li:'lxh5 19.ixh5 gxh5 20.El'.xh5 ie8 a b c d e f g h
With approximate equality. White has another choice: A311) 12.exf'S!?
or A312) 12.gxf'S.
A31) 11.g4 was Makogonov's original idea,
and certainly deserves close scrutiny, though 12.f3? is a positional blunder, as after
A32) 11.h4!? is considered to be Black's 12 ... ih6!+ Black drastically improves his dark-
biggest headache in this position. squared bishop and obtains the better chances.
322 Makogonov
A311) 12.exf5!?
~ ~-~%. jl.i)~·
6,.%. -- %~
8
Makogonov has chosen this capture on f5. 7 ~·- • -.,.
12 ...gxfS 13.Wfc2
~~~
13.§:gl!? <iih8! 14.g5 5 ~% - ~ - · -
4
3 ~
--~-
m
.%w.-d"· '"',
•"it~
0 ~
--
w~
~---%--=-----~~:
i~
N/ ~-
2 %'0%
~~ di'.:.
,.~_J 1.,
M %M
~
l
a b c d e f g h
19.g5 (19.'1Wc2 e4!) 19 ... li:lc5 20.'1Wc2 a4

21.j,xc5 dxc5 22.0-0-0 li:ld6 23.li:lxa4 b6~
Computers tend to evaluate this position as
sli?htly bet.ter _for White, but in all honesty
this evaluanon is completely incomprehensible
a b c d e f g h to me: Black has fantastic pieces and good
prospects on the dark squares, and these two
14 ... a4! 15.a3 e4 16.'\Wc2 li:ld7 17_j,f4 li:le5 factors should completely outweigh the pawn
.f-'- Bl ac k.1s at 1east
18.0-0-0 li:lg6 19 · j,g3 '\We71c-t deficit.
equal.
8 .i ~.i.~'111~~-
7 ~ , . -----,/,~
6 41la~fflm
%~ m
m -~ ,.
_____ Y,_ '/ ~
,,,,,Y,~
')(~~ ,w--ef""
5 (~
4
3 ~
--~---,,,,-,,,,,%~
-~- m o w~ .. 'effj_
~
~8-~A
8 ~vm-;.t~~i
2
I l:li"•
a b c d
r~i e f g h
lS ... £4! l6.i.f2 i.xg5 17.h4 i.h6 18.li:lde4
13 ... li:la6! We have been following Makogonov -
This standard resource, threatening to trap Bole~lavs~y, Leningrad 1947' when a good
the bishop by ...f.4 ' seems to grant B1ack good contmuanon is:
chances.
18 ... 'i!?hSN 19.0-0-0 li:lg7!+!
14.f3 i.h6 15.g5 Black has at least equal chances. These guys
15.j,f2 li:lb4 16.'\Wdl li:la6 17.a3 j,g5' 18 h4 certainly knew a lot about chess, as their play
j,~ ..
up ~o move 18 is thoroughly approved by the
engmes almost 70 years later!
A312) 12.gxf5 14 ... ig6 15.l"'1gl a4! 16.li:lg5

16.ixc5? dxc5 17.li:lxa4 e4!+
16 ... Wi'f6 17 Wi'd2 e4! 18.l"'1cl
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
This is considered by the engines as strongest, 18 ... Wi'e5! 19.l"'1g3 li:ld3t 20.ixd3 exd3 21.li:le6
logically opening up the g-file. )"'1f7 22.f4
22.l"'1xg6 hxg6 23.Wi'xd3 Wi'f5+
12 ...gxf5 22 ... Wi'f5t
With yet another split: A3121) 13-':'!gl or Black eventually prevailed in Cramling -
A3122) 13.Wfc2. Djurhuus, Reykjavik 1995.
13.f3?! is weak: 13 .. .'~h4t 14.if2 Wi'f4+ A3121) 13J'!gl
13.exf5?! ixf5 8
This gives Black an easy game.
7
6
7 5
6
4
5
3
4
2
2 1
a b c d e
a b c d e f g h
This has achieved a good score in practice,
14.lllf3 but this shouldn't be the case if Black chooses:
14.lllfl? Wi'h4 15.li:lg3 ig6 16.Wi'd2 l"'1f4!+
leaves White horribly dominated. I3 ...Wfh4!
14.ixc5?! dxc5 15.ig4 Wi'h4 16.ixf5 Pressurizing both e4 and h3.
l"'1xf5 17 Wi'e2 li:ld6+ also gives Black all the
trumps.
324 Makogonov
15.Wc2!? fxe4 16.lbg5! Designed to prevent the e8-knight from

16.lbxe4 if5 l 7.lbfd2 Wh4 18.ixc5 dxc5+! coming to f6.
is excellent for Black.
Instead, 16.Wd2 Wh8 17.0-0-0 lbf6 18.ixc5
dxc5 19.Wg5 lbg8! is simply fine for us, as
20.We3 can be answered with:
a b c d e f g h
16 ... lbd3t! 17.ixd3 exd3 18.Wxd3 if5
19.We2
The queen belongs here, to prevent any ideas a b c d e f g h
associated with a later transfer of the black 20 ... l'!a6!N (I prefer this to 20 ... e4 as played in
knight to h5. JML26- Jamwan, engine game 2012) 21.lbg5
l'!g6 22.ih5 l'!h6 23.ig4 l'!h4 24.ixf5 l'!xf5
25.l'!g3 (25.l'!g2 ih6 26.l'!dgl tbf6 27 Wc2
Wg7 28.lbf3 Wxg2 29.l'!xg2 ixe3 30.lbxh4
l'!xf2t 3 l .l'!xf2 ixf2 00 ) 25 ... ih6 26.l'!dgl
a b c d e f g h
19 ... a4! 20.0-0-0 <J?h8 21.a3
21.l"ig3 a3 22.b3 l'!c8 23.l'!dgl c6 24.Wdl
Wd7! 25.lba4 We7 26.lbb6 l'!c7+! looks
excellent for Black, as there is mounting a b c d e f g h
pressure on the long diagonal with ... Wf6 26 ... l'!xh3!! 27.l'!xh3 ixg5 28.l'!xg5 Wxg5
coming. 29.Wxg5 l'!xg5+! Black's peculiar rook
21...lbf6 22.l'!g3 c6! 23.l'!dgl ih6 24.lbf7t manoeuvre has earned him well-deserved
l'!xf7 25.ixh6 ig6 counterplay.
Black is in no way worse.
15 ...hfs 16.l:'.:l:g5!?N
Chapter 17 - 8.!e2 and 8.!e3 325
This typical move is again strong, as Black

threatens to win a piece.
14.exfS !xf5 I5.~de4 Wfh4! I6.a3 ~c5

I7.hc5 dxc5 18.0-0-0
a b c d e f g h
16 .. .'it>hS! I7.~h4! !cS! 18,ghS! Wff71
I9.!xc5 dxc5 20.Wfd3 Wfxflt 2I.@d2 ~f61
22.~g6t 'itigs 23,gfl ~xhs 24.~xf'S Wfd4
25.!xhs !xf'8 26,gf7 ga6! 27.~e4 hl3
28.@c2
28.Wxd4 cxd4 29.1'hc7 Elh6=
28 ...Wfxd3t 29.@xd3 !g4! 30,gxf'St @xf'8

3I.!xg4 gg6 32.!fS gg2 33.~xcS @e7
34.l£lxh7 gxh2 35.~xaS h5 36.cS gxa2= 19,ghfl Wfe3t 20.@hl ~d6 2I.!d3
The tactical melee has led to a drawn ending. So far we have followed Hoi - Norberg,
Sweden 2008, and now best is:
A3I22) I3.Wfc2
7
6
5
4
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 2I...he4!N 22.~xe4 gxfl 23,gxfl gffi
Considered best by existing theory. 24.~xd6 gxfl t 25.i.xfl cxd6 26.WffS Wff4
27.Wfe6t W/f7 28.Wfcst Wfffi 29.Wfe6t Wff7=
I3 ... ~a6! With a dead drawn position.
326 Makogonov
A32) 11.h4!? f5 12 ... gxhS!?

I think that this counter-intuitive choice
This dynamic move should be okay. by Hans Ree has been unjustly underrated.
Black accepts a permanent disadvantage in
11.. .h5 is less thematic, but not bad. After his pawn structure and places all his hopes
12.g4! hxg4 l 3.ixc5 dxc5 l 4.ixg4 ixg4 on the dynamics of the position. I am almost
15.Wfxg4 lt:lf6 16.Wfg5 White has the slightly convinced that this is the best move for Black
easier game, but objectively the position is in the present situation, so I am not going to
equal: analyse alternatives.
We shall concentrate on A321) 13.exf5 and

A322) 13.'!Wc2. However, there are many
interesting alternatives:
13.ixh5 is most certainly the first move that

crosses one's mind, yet after the following
variation the result is a balanced ending:
13 ... lt:ld3t 14.<iie2 lt:lf4t 15.ixf4 exf4
a b c d e f g h
16 ... lt:lh5 17.0-0-0 ©h7 18.©c2 ih6
19.Wfxd8 (19.Wfxe5?? if4) 19 .. Jffxd8 20.lt:lf3
f6 (or 20 ... ig7!? 21.ltle2 l:'ld6=) 21.ltlel if8
22.ltld3 id6=
12.h5!
This is the point of White's operation,
breaking up the defensive cover of the black
king. A complicated position now arises. a b c d e f g h
16.©fl lt:lf6 17.if3 Wfe7 18.Wfe2 (18.a4
id7 00 ) 18 ... fxe4 19.lt:ldxe4 if5 20.ltlg5
8
Wfxe2t 21.lt:lxe2
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
21...<iJd7! 22.'iJxf4 ixb2 23.~el (23.~dl 13 ... dxc5 I4.ixh5 <iJd6 I5.if3
'iJe5 24.'lJfe6 'iJxf3 25.gxf3 ~f600) 23 ... 'iJeS
24.'lJfe6 'iJxf3 25.'lJxf3 ixe6 26.dxe6 ~ae8
27.~bl ia3 28.~xb7 ~xe6 29.~xc7 ~b8=
With the above line in mind, 13.<;tifl seems a

natural move - to evade the check on d3. In
that case, I recommend:
a b c d e f g h
15 ... Wff6!
A multipurpose move, pressing on the f-file
as well as preparing to improve the bishop by
posting it on h6.
I6.Wfe2 ih6!
Putting both c4 and e4 under some pressure.
a b c d e f g h 17.0-0-0
I3 ... h4!? 14.exf5 ixf5 I5.ig4 ig6 16.<;tigI 17.'lJfl if4! 18.'iJe3 ixe3 19.Wi'xe3 b6
'lJf6 17.ih3 'lJfd7! 18.f3 (18.ixd7 Wi'xd7 20.Wi'e2 a4! is also okay for Black.
I9.ixc5 dxc5 20.'iJde4 ~f4+) 17 ... Wfg6
7
6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
18 ... 'iJd3! 19.ie6t <;;tihs 20.'iJde4 <iJ7c5! 18.~h2!
2I.ig5 Wi'e8 22.~xh4 'iJxb2 23.Wi'e2 <iJbd3 Alternatives do not seem to harm Black
24.g3 b6? With a wild position where Black's either. For example, 18.<;tibl ixd2 19.~xd2
chances look okay to me. fxe4 20.ixe4 'iJxe4 21.'iJxe4 ~f4 22.f3 if5
and Black is fine.
13.ixc5 18.~hel a4! 19.<;tibl ixd2 20.~xd2 fxe4
One of the top computer choices, but it is 2I.ixe4 if5 22.<;g;lal ixe4 23.'iJxe4 b6
clear to the human eye that Black cannot be 24.Wi'd3 a3!?
worse after such a move. 18 ... fxe4 19.'iJcxe4 if5 20.~dhl ixd2t!
328 Makogonov
21.ltixd2 e4 22.ih5 Wig? 23.g4 id? 24.ltixe4

~f4 25.ltixd6 cxd6 26.~el ~af8 27 'itibl b5!
28.cxb5 ~b4~
A321) 13.exf5
A logical reply, which was played in the only

game where 12 ... gxh5!? featured.
13 ...Lfs
A322) 13.Wic2
7
6
5
4
13 .. .llla6!
2 Again, by threatening to win a piece, Black
accelerates development.
a b c d e f g h
14.6!?
17 ... ~f4! 18.ltixd6 Wixd6 l 9.~h3 e4 20.ie2
The computers like this move, once more
id4-+ White soon threw in the towel in
underestimating the 'human' element the
Burger - Ree, Lone Pine 1981
King's Indian conceals.
14...i.g6 15J~h3 ltJf6 16.'t!i>fl
Chapter 17 - 8.ie2 and 8 ..ie3 329
14.exf5 ixf5 15.ltlde4 ltlf6 16.f3 'We8 17.a3 15 ... ih4t! 16.if2 ixf2t 17 @xf2 ltlf6
'Wg6 18.id3 ltlxe4 19.ixe4 ixe4 20.ltlxe4 18.l'!g5t <iih8 19.exf5 ltlb4+±
(20.'Wxe4? 'Wxg2)
8 .i.~ i~•
~r-~---Y-~• ~
15.0-0-0 ig5! 16.if2 fxe4 l 7.ltlcxe4 if5= is
also perfectly acceptable for the second player,
7
6 r~-----%.~~ii~
'%~~".,,%~,%~~
with one important point being:
4
5 1% ~~it~
f;~tjj~~~~·
,,,,,%~
7
-,,;~~~~-,,;~~ 6
2
3
,,%~i------~-r;~
~ ~ ~~~ 5
1 ~ ~ ~ ~:s 4
a b c d e f g h
2
20 ... ih6! 21.ixh6 'Wxh6 22.'Wd2 'Wg6
23.l'!h3 m4 24.'We2 <iih8 25.0-0-0 l'!g8
26.g3 l'!f5= Black has no problems at all, as he a b c d e f g h
has exchanged dark-squared bishops without l 8.l'!xh5?! ltlb4 l 9.'Wb3 ltlxa2t+
worsening his position.
8
14 ...if6!
An accurate reply, vacating the g7-square 7
for the knight and keeping open all possible 6
transformations, including an exchange of
dark-squared bishops. 5
4
14 ... h4 15.exf5! ixf5 16.ltlde4 ltlf6
17.0-0-0± is less convincing as White keeps
3
some pull. 2
1
15.ifl!?
15.l'!xh5 a b c d e f g h
15 ... h4!
The strongest reply, revealing an important
motif of the position: vacating the h5-square
for the black knight.
16.g3!?
In case of 16.0-0-0 f4! Black stands
absolutely fine.
I also looked at: 16.exf5 ig5! 17.ltlde4
(l 7.f6 ltlxf6= does not change the picture)
a b c d e f g h 17 ... ixf5 18.a3 ltlc5 19.ixc5 dxc5 20.id3
330 Makogonov
8 B) 8.i.e3
7
6 8
5 7
4 6
3
5
2
4
a b c d e f g h 3
20 ... We7 (20 ...ie3!? 21 We2 id4 22.0-0-000 ) 2
21.lt:lxg5 ixd3 22.'\Wxd3 Wxg5 23.lt:le4 Wxg2 1
24.0-0-0 Wxf3= Black gets a quite respectable
position. a b c d e f g h
This move is of course principled, as it allows
After the computer suggestion 16.g3!?, Black White to observe the critical c5-square and
does best to ignore the pawn and play· prepare the retreat lt:ld2. After that, White can
continue his kingside expansion with g2-g4.
8.. .lLJa6 9.g4!

Gaining the usual space advantage
and denying our knight the h5-square.
Alternatively:
9.id3 lt:lh5 10.0-0 lt:lf4 1 l.ic2 lt:lc5 12.a3

Wd7 transposes to the note on 13.a3 in line
B 11 of the previous chapter, on page 307
9.lt:ld2 lt:ld7 will transpose to variation B2

after 1O.g4!. Deviating in the following ways
does not offer White anything:
a) 10.a3?! f5 1 l.f3 ih6 12.if2 lt:lac5+ is worse

for White as he cannot play b2-b4.
18.0-0-0 b) 10.h4?! is also pointless due to: 10 .. .f5 1 l.f3

18.exf5 lt:lb4 19.Wbl ig7? is hardly a (1 Lig5?! Wes 12.h5 h6+) 11...f4! 12.if2
problem for Black. lt:lf6+ The weakness of the g3-square means
that the pawn on h4 is weak as well.
18 ...f4!? 19Ji~dgl t @h8 20.i.fl b6m
The weakness of both the h4-pawn and the c) Finally, 10.lt:lb3 is viable: 10 ... b6!?
g3-square means that Black is not worse in this (1 O... lt:lac5 11.lt:lxc5 lt:lxc5=) 1 l.g4 (1 Lie2
position. f5+)
Chapter 17 - 8.!e2 and 8.!e3 331
l l...f5 (l l...if6!?=) 12.gxf5 gxf5 13.E'.gl f4 20 ... Wh7! 21.0-0-0 :!::!:gs 22.mb1 if6 23.l2:lf3
l 4.id2 E!:f6 00 The result is merely an unclear E'.xgl 24.:1:!:xgl E'.g8 25.:1:!:hl Wg7 26.We2 Wg2
position in view of the weakness of White's 27.E'.h2 Wg6 28.l2:lc3 l2:lb3 29.Wdl l2:ld4
h-pawn. 30.lZlel Wh6!+ White was being slowly but
surely outplayed in Keber - Pommrich, corr.
9 .. )Dd7 2013.
A key move. Black prepares to occupy the
c5-square and then he will make up his mind
8
about whether to push his f-pawn. Everything
depends on how White handles the situation. 7
6
There are plenty of alternatives at chis point:
Bl) 10.fe2, B2) 10.ltld2, B3) 10.h4, 5
B4) lOJ~gl and BS) 10.a3!? 4
Bl) 10.!e2 ltldc5 11.W!'d2

3
2
l l .a3?! weakens the b3-square for no reason:
1
a b c d e
7 11...i.d? 12.i:'~gl
6 Mixing the moves ie2 and E!:g 1 does not
5
look like the best idea, but I am not sure what
else co suggest for White at this point.
4
3 12... i>hs 13.h4 f5 14.i.gS?!
2 l 4.exf5 gxf5 l 5.l2:lg5 We7 00 looks preferable.
a b c d e f g h The text was played in Belous - Korobov,

Wroclaw (blitz) 2014, and Black should
l 1...a4! 12.l2:ld2 f5 13.gxf5 gxf5 14.Wc2 Wh4!
simply play·
15.:1:!:gl f4 16.ixc5 l2:lxc5 17.l2:lb5 We718.ig4
ixg4 19.E'.xg4 h5! 20.E'.gl
332 Makogonov
11.a3 id7 12.h4 Wie7 13.h5 (13.ie2 f5=)

13 ... if6! 14.Wif3 ig5 15.0-0-0 l2:la4! looks
quite manageable for Black.
11.lZlb3 lZlxb3 12.Wixb3 Wih4! 13.:!'l:gl
a b c d e f g h
14.. JWeSN;
I don't see any purpose for the white bishop
on g5. a b c d e f g h
B2) I0.tZ:ld2 13 ... ih6!! 14.g5 ig7 15.0-0-0 f5! 16.gxf6?
(16.exf5 ixf5+) 16 ... ih6+ Black had achieved
A retreat that allows Black easy play, as he can a large positional plus in San Segundo - Shirov,
successfully carry out .. .f5. I would like to Madrid 1997
examine B2I) I0 ... tZ:idc5!? before moving to
the immediate B22) I0 ... f'5!. 11 ... f'5!
Black is perfectly placed to carry out this
B2I) I0 ... tZ:\dc5!? advance, so there is no reason not to play it.
White has several options: I2.g5

1I.h4 Closing the position seems appropriate.
This looks threatening with the black
kingside relatively bare, but it is only an I also looked at:
illusion. 12.gxf5 gxf5 13.Wie2 f4!?
13 ... Wf6 is more standard. prevent the Swedish GM from obtaining the
l 4.ixc5 f3!? 00 full point.
Black obtains lively piece play.
15.We3 13.h5 gf7!
15.Lt:ixf3? ig4+ A typical move, avoiding the burial of the
15 ... 4:'lxc5 16.4:'lb3 bishop on h8.
16.0-0-0 Wf6+
16.h5 Ei:f4! 17.h6 if6 18.0-0-0 .ig5+
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
14Jiih4 c6
14 ... '1We7!? is an interesting alternative.
15.hxg6 hxg6 16.ex5 ixf5 17.lLJde4 ltJxe4

12 ...id7
18.ltJxe4 cxd5 19.Wfxd5
12 ... c6!? is also good.
12 ... fxe4 is not bad either: 13.4:'ldxe4 4:'lxe4

14.4:'lxe4 .if5 15 ..id3
8 .i.~ ~
61~ . . %~~~
7 ·-,_--,/,~
i~•v.~,.
..
,,~~
,,,, ~ ~ 7 : , .. :.~.i'" ~~-,;,

~ ~~
5
4 .... :.ala~•-?,~
i~j_i~
~
~%W[j~~~
~~ ~....if!j,• ~~
~----%~,~-?,~:
3
2
a b c d e f g h
15 ... b6! 16.h5 4:'lc5 17.4:'lxc5 bxc5 18.hxg6
hxg6 19 ..ixf5 l::i:xf5 20.'1Wg4 Ei:b8 21.0-0-0
'1Wd7 22.'1We4 The position was level in Choukri
- Berg, Tromso (ol) 2014, but that did not
334 Makogonov
B22) 10 .. .f'5! 16 ... ltJb4 l 7.h4! <;i,hs 1s.Wb3!±

With slightly better prospects for White.
8
I4.i.g2
7 l 4.ctJxc5 'LJxc5 l 5.Wd2
6
5
4
3
2
1 ~~~~=.z~=-=:...=::...,
a b c d e f g h
I see no problems after this direct advance. a b c d e f g h
l 5 ... Wh4! 16.E1g1 <;i,hs 17.0-0-0 if6 l 8.ie2
11.gxfS gxf5 I2.exf5 tiJdcS 13.tiJde4 Lf5
Bologan's choice, which leads to a good (18.ixc5 dxc5 19.id3 e4 20.ixe4 ixe4
21.E1g4 Wxh3 22.E1xe4=) 18 ... E1g8 00 I cannot
game for Black.
see any problems for Black.
Trading a pair of knights is probably less
I4.. .'1We8
accurate:
14 ... Wh4!? 15.ig5 ltJd3t!! 16.me2
13 .. .l2i xe4 14. 'tJ xe4 ixf5
(16.Wxd3 Wxg5 l 7.ctJxg5 ixd3 18.ie4 ctJc5=)
16 ... Wh5t 17.if3
8 .i ~;:,rn ~~
~&l.11 g ~-
i~i.:~m&
7
~,~ .Jtrn~~ -----~~
6 'I)~ 1,~ . ~. •;
~ • fj .... ~ii'
5
4 ·---%~
2
~t~'~'~A
fj -~
~ fe2.J•~&~LJ
~~r~'----~@~ ~
ijll~ ,_
tZJB~
.%~ ~
15.id3! a b c d e f g h
Weaker is l 5.ctJg3 ig6 intending ... Wh4.
16.h4!? ltJb4 17.l'kl Wf6! 18.a3 (18.h5? 17 ... Wxf3t! 1s.'ii,xf3 ixe4t 19.me3 ltJxf2
ih6-+) 18 ... ih6! 19.E1h2 ixe3 20.fxe3 20.Wgl ixhl 21.ih6 E1f3t 22.md2 E1f7
ctJa6 2 l .h5 ie8 00 23.ixg7 E1xg7 24.Wxf2 E1f8 25.We3 E1f3
26.Wa7 ig2= Black was fine and managed to
15 ... b5!? 16.cxb5!
draw easily in Ding Liren - Lin Chen, Jiaxing
16.ctJg5 e4! l 7.ixe4 ixe4 18.'LJxe4 Wh4+±
2014.
or 18 ... We7+±.
B3) 10.h4
8
7
8
6
7
5 6
4
5
3 4
2
3
1 2
a b c d e f g h 1
15.~xc5
a b c d e f g h
Equality results from: l 5.if3 Wg6
(15 ... ig6!? 00 ) 16.ihS Wg2 17.if3 Wg6= This direct move appears logical now that
the black knight has retreated. The idea is to
15 ... ~xc5 16.ixc5 dxc5 attack without moving the rook from hl or,
16 ... Wg6!? is also worth investigating. alternatively, to shut down the play completely
on the kingside by 4Jd2 and f2-f3, creating a
17.ie4 '1Wg6 18.'IWO kind of wall. White would then try to grind
18.We2!? looks close to equality. Black slowly on the other wing.
10... ~f6!
8 Suddenly the knight returns and the
7 exposure of the g4-pawn means that White is
forced into a concession.
6
5 11.~h2
4 The lesser evil, but the knight is of course
passive on h2.
3
2 White ends up worse after: 11.gS 4Jg4
(11...4Jh5 is also good) 12.id2
1
a b c d e f g h
18 ...ixe4 19.'1Wxe4 :Sf4 20.'1Wxg6 hxg6
21.:Sgl cj;,f7 22.0-0-0 :Sxc4 23.d6 c6
24.:Sg4 :Sd4i
Black had a trifling edge in M. Muse -
Bologan, Germany 1998.
336 Makogonov
12 ... f5! 13.4Jh2 4Jxh2 14.E!:xh2 fxe4 15.4Jxe4

4Jc5!t Black has managed to extinguish the
blockade on e4, and his better development
8
7
6
~r------%.,V,111'1)
,i W@.i_t
~~ ,,,%. 'l"~
J i~•
%%~
will be a telling factor. ~,,,,,J---"~-,;; ~~-~~
s ~l2J~
~~
8 r~ /,
r[j,,
- - - ~ ' ' , % ~ ,,,/,~-,;;
11..)Llc5
4 ·~~~~~~r,~
~--%~,~-,/,~
~iJ~
Now White needs to address the threat to ~ ~
his e4-pawn. One problem is that Wf c2 is not
available anymore.
3
2 !~~~-----"~ i
%%~
12.f3 a b c d e f g h
The natural choice, but it has its defects as 15 ... c6! 16.4Jc3
well. Sadly realizing that l 6.dxc6 bxc6 17. 4Jxd6
W!'a5t 18.W!'d2 4Jd3t l 9.me2 Wfxd2t 20.mxd2
I briefly looked at 12.Wff3, but after 12 ... a4 lt:lxb2 2 l.c5 E!:d8 22. mc3 a3 is in Black's
13.h5 c6t White's queenside is exposed, while favour, as the h7-knight is coming to e6.
he is not really getting anywhere with his 16 ... Wfa5 17 Wfd2 cxd5 18.4Jxd5 4Jd3t
kingside demonstration. 19.me2 Wfxd2t 20.ixd2 lt:lxb2 21.Ei:acl b6!?
22.E!:c2 a3 23.Ei:hcl
12.ig2 23.4Jxb6 E!:b8 24.ft:ld5 f6+
This removes a piece from controlling 23 ... lt:la4 24.ib4 E!:d8 25.ixa3?!
several important squares on the queenside, 25.E!:d2 f6+
allowing Black play all over the board:
i~•
25 ... lt:lf8!t
Black was better and went on to win a long
s .i W@.i_i
7 fWlf' I
;r111,
~~ "----\w"' ~,,-,,,,,(,;,,,"~
--%~
game in Acosta - Baranov, corr. 2012.
6
5
if~ a1,~
(~~~ifJfd)/w~t----:~
-ml- 0
Ai:'.
s
7
~~.ts }~• i
~,-,-,,,,,%-~~lfl"~
---%--.Y,~
,,,,,%~ ,,~ ~ iAi:'. •
~%~ 8%W/J
~~
4
~~ 6
3~ m
~ / , "//, ~ , 0 ' 0
~ ~
"-"
~~-Km"m
!wd··--
m--"~ vrtf --"9II
3~:~
'lf~ ·tr~
~8-
2 5
4 -----%~ 8 -~
~~ ~~-% %,,,,
m , , , -~ -~
~%'"//,
a b c d e f g h
12 ... h5! 13.g5 4Jh7 14.if3!
3~
2 8ff"""~
14.Wfd2 f6! 15.0-0-0 fxg5 16.hxg5 a4
17.E!:dgl E!:f4!+± is a typical idea in this type
of position.
I ~'~lmfn:
a b c d e f g h
14 ... a4 15.4Jb5?!
12 ... h5! 13.g5 lZ'lh7 14.tll'd2 f6! 15.0-0-0
15.Wfc2 c6 (15 ... f6? 16.ixh5!±) 16.0-0-0
fxg5 16.hxg5 i.d7 17.i.e2
Wfa5!? 17.dxc6 bxc6 18.E!:xd6 4Je6 19.Ei:xc6
We have been following J. Ivanov - Leon
ft:ld4 20.ixd4 exd4 21.4Jd5 ib7 00 is terribly
Hoyos, Balaguer 2010, and here most accurate
unclear.
is the immediate:
11.§'d2
The standard response.
After 11.h4 c6 12.h5 a4+ Black has clearly

obtained an initiative, as the absence of the
rook from the h-file means that White's attack
is too slow.
1 l.a3?! a4!+ is of course better for Black.
ll. .. c6!
A great move by Robert Markus, showing
that Black need not be afraid of pressure along
the d-file.
Also viable is: l L..j,d7 12.h4 c6 13.0-0-0

B4) lOJ~gl El:c8 14.h5 a4 15.j,e2 cxd5 16.hxg6 hxg6
17 ~xd5
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 17 ... j,c6 18.~xd6 l2'lxe4 19.l2'lxe4 j,xe4

20.lt'ig5 ~xd6 21.El:xd6 j,c6= The ending was
This is a more logical move than 10.h4, balanced in Baier - Wurschner, corr. 2002.
but it allows Black to become active on the
queenside: 12.dxc6?!
This is too risky. White should have preferred
10.. .tLJdcS! immediate castling, with hopes of keeping the
Black wishes to follow up with ...id7, ... a4 balance.
and/or ... c6. Most notably, if White focuses
too hard on his kingside operations, .. .f5 is 12 ... bxc6 13.0-0-0
not the only way for Black to proceed. At the
very least it can come at a later stage, after he
has acquired space and squares on the queen's
wing.
338 Makogonov
Black had a winning advantage, which he

8
went on to convert in masterly fashion, in
7 Tikkanen - Markus, Al-Ain 2012.
6
B5) 10.a3!?
5
4 8
3 7
2 6
1 5
a C e g 4
13 ... a4!! 3
The brilliant point - sacrificing the d6-pawn
for attacking chances. 2
1
14.\l;'fxd6 \l;'fa5! 15.\l;'fd.2
a b c d e f g h
15.Wxc6 a3! 16.Wxa8 J.b7 17 Wa7 Wb4-+
leads to a position where White cannot survive An annoying positional idea, introducing
the onslaught. the threat of b2-b4. This is the best move at
White's disposal.
15 ...J.e6 16.hc5?
16.Wbl )jfd8 17 Wcl )jxdl 18.lt'ixdl lt'ixe4 10 ... ~b6!
19.lt'id2+ was the only attempt to cling on. Defending the a8-rook so as to stop b2-b4.
Black also has the positional aim of following
I6.. .ttixc5 17.\l;'fc2 gfbs 1s.J.e2 gb7 19.gd6 up with ... J.d7 and ... lt'ic5, when he would
a3 20.b3 control the a4-square and could even consider
trading a pair of knights on that square. This
8 stratagem softens White's control over e4 and
d5 and makes the breaks ... f5 and ... c6 more
7 attractive.
6
10 ... lt'iac5
5
This is inferior, because the knights are
4 standing in each other's way and control of
the b4-square is lost. White has a couple of
3
ways to keep an advantage:
2 11.lt'id2!
1 11.)jgl!? is also possible, and has played
against me by Postny.
a b c d e f g h Weaker than both of these is: 11.b4?! axb4
20 .. .lthb3t! 21.axb3 a2 22.@d.2 al=\1;'! 12.axb4 )jxal 13.Wxal lt'ib3 14.Wdl lt'id4
23.gxal \l;'fxal 24J:l!xc6 J.l:'8!-+ 15.lt'ixd4 exd4 16.J.xd4 lt'ie5 17.J.e2 Wh4~
Black has fantastic compensation for the

pawn as .. .f5 is coming.
1 l...if6
1 l...a4 12.h4 looks better for White, as it
is difficult to see where counterplay will
come from: 12 ... f5 13.gxf5 gxf5 14.exf5
e4 l 5.Wh5! (15.lt:ldxe4 We7 is less clear)
15 ... tZle5 16.ih3!~ This is not what we
want as Black.
12.h4! ixh4 13.Wf3 g5!?
13 ... ig5 14.Wh3 h6 happened in Tomazini a b c d e f g h
- Barthel, Pardubice 2013, and here I think 13 ... ©h8
White should play: 15.t2:lf3 ixe3 16.fxe3 13 ... We7!? planning ... c6 looks perfectly
h5 17.gxh5 t2:lf6 18.Wg3!~ With dangerous okay too.
attacking chances. 14.h4 f5 15.gxf5 gxf5 16.t2:lg5
l 6.a4 is recommended by some engines,
to which 16 ... fxe4 17.tZlg5 We7 18.Wc2
l:'&f4 19.0-0-0 if5 seems to be an adequate
response.
a b c d e f g h
14.Wh3!N
Forcing the knight to f6 rather than allow
... l:'&e8 followed by ... t2:lf8-g6, which would
allow Black to consolidate. a b c d e f g h
l 4 ... t2:lf6! l 5.ie2t
16 ... a4! 17.b4
White's position is preferable as the
l 7.ih5 was nothing special in Jakovenko -
h4-bishop is a bad piece.
Kryakvin, Khanty-Mansiysk 2014, because
after l 7 ... axb3 l 8.t2:lxh7 Wxh4 l 9.t2:lxf8
There are various possibilities for White here,
l:'&xf8 20.if3 fxe4 21.l:'&hl (21.t2:lxe4 l:'&xf3!
and I will direct most of my attention towards
22.Wxf3 Wxe4+) 2I...t2:ld3t 22.©e2 t2:lf4t
B51) 11.g5 and B52) I I.t2Jd2.
23.©el t2:ld3t White must take the draw.
l 1.ie2 id7 12.b3 17 ... t2:lb3 18.l:'&a2
12.tZld2 is normal, transposing to variation 18.c5 f4!
B52. 18 ... We7 19.id3 f4 20.ixb6 cxb600
12 ... t2:lc5 13.l:'&gl Reaching a terribly complicated position.
This is a set-up that has been chosen by
Jakovenko. Black should respond as follows: Considering the above line, it makes sense to
340 Makogonov
play a la Jakovenko with 11.:1:i:gl id7 12.b3 This looks most natural. Alternatively·
ltlc5 13.h4, omitting the bishop move to e2.
A logical reaction to this could be: 12.gxf6?! Wxf6 13.ltlg5 (13.ltld2 ih6+)
13 ... ltlc5 14.ie2 h6 15.ltlf3 id7t gives Black
a strong initiative.
12.h4?! is also unacceptable due to: 12 ... ig4

13.ie2 ixf3 14.ixf3 lt:lxc4 15.icl ltlc5+
12.ie2 should be answered as follows:

12 ... ltlc513.b4(13.h4ig4) 13 ... axb414.axb4
Sxal 15.Wxal ltlb3
a b c d e f g h
8
7
~.A.~
•• - -
~% "/;,(.' -"t~~~%-,%~ i~•
.("' 1~,~
,,,Y,~i
13 .. .1.We7 (13 ... c6 14.b4 axb4 15.axb4 Sxal
16.WxaU) 14.h5 c6 15.:1:i:cl :1:!:fc8~
6
5
4
~
/,,,,~
~~,~"~%~'~~
,%
°-,%~
~
~~.r~------~~
B51) 11.g5 "--·-\·--//,, ~m. '"'

3~1j)~ ~~~~
2 w;~,/--~.f~
~~~~=-%~:
Y/,~
8
1
7
a b c d e f g h
6 16.Wa2!? (16.Wdl lt:ld4 l 7.lt:lxd4 exd4
5 18.ixd4 fxg5 looks great for Black) 16 ... lt:ld4
17.c5! lt:ld7! 18.c6 lt:lb6 19.ltlxd4 exd4
4
20.ixd4 fxg5 21.ixg7 g;>xg7 22.cxb7 ixb7
3 23.ltlb5 gf7=
2
Finally, another interesting possibility is:
1 12.:1:!:gl id7 13.h4 ltlc5 14.h5
a b c d e f g h
This attempt to attack with the knight still
7
on f3 should be challenged immediately:
6
11 ... £6! 5
Much less clear is: l l...f5 12.h4! ltld7 4
(12 ... fxe4 13.ltld2t; 12 ... ltlc5 13.h5 lt:lxe4
14.lt:lxe4 fxe4 15.ltld2 :1:!:f4!?) 13.b4 f4 14.id2
2
axb4 15.axb4 lt:lb6 16.Wbl (16.c5 lt:lxb4!)
l 6 ... ig4 l 7.ltlh2 ih5 00
a b c d e
12.Wfc2 14 ... lt:lba4!
Chapter 17 - 8.~e2 and 8.~e3 341
The idea is to defuse the pressure by 12 .. .c!tkS 13.0-0-0

exchanging the c3-knight. White wants to prevent ... c6.
15.hxg6 hxg6 16.l2:lh4!
The critical test. 13.h4 c6 allows Black great counterplay.
16 ... l2:lxc3 17.bxc3 We8! 18.gxf6 l"i:xf6 19.f3
13 ... fxgS!? 14.ltJxgS h6 15.~xcS! dxc5
16.ltJe6 he6 17.dxe6 Wh4 18.ltJdS gxf2
19.~e2
8
7
6
5
4
a b c d e f g h
19 ... l"i:f4!! 20.l2:lxg6 3
20.i.xf4 exf4 2 l.l"i:xg6 (21.l"i:cl ?! is met 2
brilliantly with: 21...g5! 22.l"i:xg5 Wd8
1
23.l"i:xg7t @xg7 24.l2:lg2 Wg5+ Black is
better) 21...We7 22.l2:lg2 ©h7 23.l"i:xg7t a b c d e f g h
Wxg7 24.Wd4 Wg3t 25.Wf2 ©g7+± Black is 19 ... geS! 20.ltJxc7 ge7 21.gd6!
not worse. 21.l2:ld5 l"i:xe6+
20 ... l"i:f6! 21.l2:lh4 Wh5!
Suddenly the attacker becomes the attacked. 21 .. ,gxc7 22,gxb6 gc6 23,gxb7 gxe6=
22.l2:\f5 i.xf5 23.exf5 l"i:xf5 24.i.e2 There is no question of an advantage for
White.
B52) 11.ltJd2
a b c d e f g h
24 ... e4! 25.fxe4 Wh4t 26.@d2 l2:lxe4t 27 @c2
l"i:e8 28.Wd3 l2:lg3 29.l"i:ael l"i:fe5 30.~d4 l"i:xe2t
31.l"i:xe2 l"i:xe2t 32.@b3 Wh7 33.l"i:xg3 Wxd3
34.l"i:xd3 i.xd4 35.cxd4 @f7=
Or 35 ... b6 36.@a4 l"i:b2=.
342 Makogonov
This move is in keeping with White's strategy 16.ixb6 cxb6 17 Wi'h6 ih5 18.!'i:xh5 gxh5
of playing on the kingside, as a push of the 19.0-o-o whs 20.!'i:hl h4! 21 iib1 Wi'e7!
h-pawn is prepared. 22.l2:Jdl !'i:g8 23.l2:Jxh4 ixh4 24.!'i:xh4 !'i:g7
25.!'i:h5 f6 26.l2:Je3 !'i:gl t 27 Wc2 Wi'g7+
ll ...i.d7 12.i.e2 15 ... ie7! 00
The immediate l 2.h4 also makes sense here.
I recommend: 12 .. .l?ic5 13.Wi'f3 l2:Jba4
8
l 4.l2:Jxa4 l2:Jxa4 15.0-0-0 (l 5.h5 l2:Jxb2
16.Wi'h3 g5) 15 ... Wi'cS 16.ie2 7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 13.b3
We have a final parting of the ways. The
16 ... b5! (16 ... c6!?) 17.cxb5 !'i:b8+± text seems logical to prevent knight intrusions
on a4.
12 ... ~cS
Also possible is: 13.Wi'c2 is typically met with 13 ... Wi'e7,
12 ... if6 13.h4 preparing to play ... c6, when Black has little to
13.l2:Jf3 l2:Jc5 is nothing for White. complain about.
13 ...ixh4 14.l2:Jf3
White can also play directly: 13.b4 l2:Jca4
14.l2:Jxa4 l2:Jxa4 15.Wi'c2 f5 16.gxf5 gxf5
a b c d e f g h
14 ... if6!?
14 ... ie7 15.Wfd2 f6 16.0-0-000 a b c d e f g h
15.g5!? 17.exf5 (l 7.l2:Jf3 Wi'e7+!) 17 ... axb4 18.axb4
15.Wi'd2?! does not work in view of: 15 ... ixg4 ixf5 19.Wi'b3 l2:Jb6 20.!'i:a5 iihs
8 8
7
7
6
6
5
4 5
3 4
2 3
2
a b c d e f g h
1
21.Ei:gl (21.id3 e4! 22.lt'ixe4 Ei:xa5 23.bxa5
lt'id7 looks excellent for Black, as his knight a b c d e f g h
has fantastic options in the centre.) 21...'il~%4 17... ~c7! 18.0-0 gfcS 19.gfcl id7=
22.c5 lt'id7 23.c6 Ei:xa5 24.bxa5 bxc6 25.dxc6 Black has a perfectly playable position, with
lt'ic5 26.ixc5 dxc5 27 Wg3 Wf6 28.Wg5 e4 level chances.
29.Wxf6 ixf6~ With an approximately level
game. Conclusion
I3 ... c6! 14.b4 This chapter saw us begin our coverage of

the Makogonov main lines, when after 7.d5
8 a5 8.ie2 lt'ia6 9.ie3 lt'ic5 I0.lt'id2 the older
10 ... lt'ieS!? is a viable alternative to Nakamura's
7 I0 ... id7 I believe I have shown that White
6 can get no advantage in either of these lines.
The sub-system involving the placement
5
of the bishop on e3 on move 8 is rather easy
4 to understand, as we will always retreat our
f6-knight to d7 and then play for .. .f5 or ... c6
3
according to circumstance. The difficult part
2 of the job comes after 8.ie3 lt'ia6 9.g4! lt'id7
1 1O.a3!? lt'i b6!, but the knight is not as displaced
as it seems; Black can try to exchange a pair of
a b c d e f g h knights on a4, to reduce White's control over
14... lt'iba4! 15.ltixa4 ltixa4 16.dxc6 e4 and d5 and facilitate his own pawn breaks.
16.Wxa4? cxd5+
16 ...hc6 17.Wc2
Makogonov
a b c ct e f g h
8.1g5
Variation Index
I.d4 lt:Jf6 2.c4 g6 3.lt:Jc3 ~g7 4.e4 d6 5.lt:Jf3 0-0 6.h3 e5 7.d5 a5 8.~g5
8 ... lt:Ja6
A) 9.g4 VNe8 10.~e2 lt:Jd7! 345
Al) 11.ggl 346
A2) 11.a3 lt:Jb6! 12.lt:Jd2 ~d7 349
A2I) 13.VNc2 350
A22) 13.h4 351
B) 9.lt:Jd2 VNes 353
Bl) 10.~e2 lt:Jd7! 353
Bll) 11.0-0 353
B12) 1I.a3 f6! 12.~e3 f5 13.f3 VNe7! 354
B121) I4.b4?! 355
B122) 14.0-0! 356
B13) 11.g4 lt:Jdc5 12,ggl @h8 357
B131) 13.lt:Jfl 360
B132) 13.a3 361
B2) 10.g4 @h8! 362
B21) 1I.a3 363
B22) 1 I.V9e2!? 365
B23) 1I.~e3 366
B24) 11.~e2 lt:Jg8! 12.h4 f5! 368
B241) 13.gxfS 369
B242) 13.f3 371
1.d4 ltJf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltJc3 ig7 4.e4 d6 5.ltJf3

0-0 6.h3 e5 7 .d5 a5 8.ig5
This has been the main continuation in
practice, with White pinning the knight in an
attempt to slow down .. .f5. The move is also
intended as a provocation, because replying to
it by ... h6 would considerably weaken the light
squares and Black's defensive skeleton.
8 a b c d e f g h
7 10 ... cj/hS!
6 This could well be the only move, in the
positional sense.
5
10 ... id? 11.lt:ld2! The threat of Wf3 is
4 annoying. 11...';tihs 12.id3! lt:lc5 13.ic2
lt:lg8 14.ie3 White has the better position.
3
1 l.b4?!
2 11.lt:ld2 transposes to variation B21
1 11...id? 12.:1:!:bl lt:lg8!?
The upcoming .. .f5 will give Black good
a b c d e f g h counterplay.
8 ... ltJa6
At this point White can play A) 9.g4 or 8
B) 9.ltJd2.
7
A) 9.g4 Wfe8 6
Now 10.Clld2 is usual, transposing to variation 5

B2, but White also has other choices. 4
IO.ie2
3
This is a serious move: White keeps his 2
knight on f3 as long as possible and wants to
1
play a2-a3 or lt:ld2 under better conditions.
a b c d e f g h
10.a3 It seems that the knight on f6 has served
This threatens the cramping b2-b4. However, its duty on that square as the g4-pawn will
in this case the threat can (and should) be soon be doubly defended (after the f3-knight
ignored: moves), and I think Black does best to retreat
immediately in search of counterplay.
10 ... ltJd7!
Now the knight is ready to move to c5.
346 Makogonov
If White tries to prevent this plan by playing Al) 11.~gl

a2-a3, then the b6-square is available, from
where the knight stops b2-b4 by defending the
a8-rook.
10 ... <iih8?! is too slow under the present

circumstances, and I do not recommend it.
11.ie3 t2:lg8 12.g5 f5 13.h4! t2:le7 14.h5 Wg8
a b c d e f g h
White prepares to push the h-pawn, but I
think it is rather slow.
a b c d e f g h 11 .. .c!LJdcS
11...wh8
15.h6!± Black's bishop was stalemated in
There seems to be no immediate necessity
Korobov - Smirin, Eilat 2012, and White
for the king move here, although Black
went on to win a brilliant positional game.
should be able to get away with it:
The main alternatives now are Al) 11.ggl and
the critical A2) 11.a3.
The immediate l 1.h4!? is designed to keep the

rook on h 1 for attacking purposes. In this case,
I recommend l 1... t2:ldc5, planning to answer
12.h5 with:
a b c d e f g h
12.a3!
This move is, as usual, the one to cause
headaches.
Black was at least equal after 12.Wd2 t2:ldc5
13.0-0-0id714.©bl! (14.h4ia4! 15.:§.dfl
t2:l b4~ gives the second player dangerous
attacking chances) 14 ... c6! 15.ih6 cxd5
16.ixg?t ©xg7 00 17 Wxd5 ic6~ in Jobava
- Nataf, Calvia (ol) 2004. The Frenchman is
I2.h4
An aggressive attempt.
The standard 12.ti:'ld2 transposes to variation

B13 below.
Vigorito does not think too highly of 12.fffd2,

and he is probably right.
.1~i~1i~t
8
7
6 ~,if~ ~·--·
;~~ , f,~
,;~
f~~i•p;\r~~w~
,<~
,~:of~ ~
'tf~ 'tr~ Ii~~
5 ._
4 - -"~
a b c d e f g h ~/.">/.~~~~
3~ ~ ~lt)~~
~~-,?"'':«''"' ~~-;, ~~
14 .. .fS?!
This is what happened in Belous - Yuffa,
2
1
~r~ ~.tr~)m~
~ /.-,,,,/.~-
Moscow 2015.
I think that Black should be trying to a b c d e f g h
exchange a knight on the a4-square with However, I intuitively don't like his
14 ... ti:'la4!?N or 14 ... ti:'lcSN~. suggestion of 12 ... ti:'lb4, because I think that
15.gxf5 gxf5 16.ti:'lg5! fffe7 17.exf5 ixf5 the knight has jumped into the White camp a
18.id3! e4 19.4Jcxe4 ixb2 20.El:a2 ie5 little too early after the correct reply 13.ie3.
21.4Jg3 Therefore I suggest: 12 ... id7!+ A move that
2 l .f4 ig7 22.El:e2± was even more effective. keeps all the advantages of the Black position
intact by obeying the rule of flexibility. Black
intends ... c6 next, and may even be slightly
better. The main problem for White is his king
- it feels unsafe in the centre and queenside
castling is hardly an ideal solution. In fact, the
immediate 13.0-0-0? as played in J Ivanov -
Brankovic, Paracin 2009, is a mistake due to:
a b c d e f g h
21...ic3t?!
21. .. ixd3 22.fffxd3 ti:'ld7±
22.'itifl ih3t 23.4Jxh3 fffxe3 24.El:e2 fffh6
25.El:e7+-
Black had no effective defence to White's
massed troops, and had to resign soon.
a b c d e f g h
348 Makogonov
13 ... ia4!N 14Jl:dfl lt:lb4 15.idl b5! The 13 ... fS I4.h6 i.f6 I5.hf6t gxf6 16.exfS!
heavy massing of troops opposite the white Without this move, White would be worse.
king grants the second player an almost
decisive advantage.
I6 ...rf e7!N
a b c d e f g h I ~anted a human move that avoids giving
I2 ... @h8! White the initiative, and here it is!
Here this move is perfectly justified, as Black
is all set to play .. .f5. 16 ... 4Jb4?? is instead a terrible blunder: l 7.a3
lt:lbd3t 18.ixd3 e4 19.ixe4 ft:lxe4
13.hS!
The crisis approaches.
l3.Wd2 f5 14.gxf5 gxf5 15.ih6 ixh6

_16.~xh6 We7 17.h5 l'!f7! 18.l'!g6 was an
mfenor continuation in J. Ivanov - Ibarra
Jerez, Mondariz 2000, and now Black's best is:
lG ... gxf5 17.g5 l'!f8 18.ft:lh4~ gives White an

annoying attack, thanks to his far-advanced
pawns.
I7.~h4
After 17 Wd2 Black may now play
17 ... lt:lb4!+±.
I7... gxf5 18.gS A2) 1I.a3
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
I8 .. Jhh6!! This move appears the most critical, forcing
The brilliant point: Black sacrifices the the knight to b6.
exchange in order to seize the initiative.
1I...c!tib6!
I9.gxh6 ~xh4 20.a3! Black is once more prepared to focus on the
20.\Wd2? f4+ suddenly leads White to a a4-square. 11...li:ldc5? 12.b4 would be suicidal.
state of disaster, as a lot of threats spring out
of nowhere. I2.ltid2
Only after causing relative disharmony in
the Black camp (the knight is on b6 instead of
c5) does White retreat his knight to d2.
12.8'.gl is answered with the customary

12 ... li:lcS, for example:
7
6
5
4
a b c d e f g h
20 ... a4! 2I.ltixa4 ltie4 22.im. id7 23.~c2 2
ixa4 24.~xa4 ~xh6i
Black has fantastic compensation for the a b c d e f g h
exchange, and is clearly not worse.
13.li:lb5 (13.h4 li:lba4+±) 13 ... \Wd7 14.\Wc2
c6 15.li:lc3 \Wc7+± Black has a fair share of the
chances.
350 Makogonov
12 ... ~d? 14.ltlb5 c!t)4c5!

White can try A2I) 13.~c2 or the direct Black brings his knight to a better position,
A22) 13.h4. after which he should be fine.
A2I) I3.~c2 15.h4

In case of 15.0-0-0 h6 16.ie3 c6! 17.4Jc3
(17.4Jxd6? We7) 17 ... cxd5 18.exd5! f5+± a
8
sharp position arises and the chances seem to
7 be approximately even.
6
15 ... 5 16.gxf5 gxf5 17.0-0-0
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
White is preparing to advance the h-pawn
under better circumstances. This move has
been quite successful in practice, but I believe
this is mere chance.
a b c d e f g h
13 ... c!t)a4!
13 ... lt:k5 14.h4! f5 (14 ... c6 15.h5:t) 15.gxf5 17... fxe4! 18.i.e3 i.5 19J::i'.dgl
gxf5 16.h5 19.<;tibl 4Jd3 20.l'l:dgl is another move
order.
:i ~~p ~1i~i I.
~----%-~~---,,"~
8
1 ~ 1.1~..i..B ~
6
~~ii"'"
•ef"";z ,,,,z,• ,,z~f''
s ~ •~r~,~~
4 .. %ntJ1~·2ru·"""~
~ ~ ~
3 ,,,/,%1~---,,,,,,,
~%1'"
~ ~~
i~ifmi.i~ ~
2
~--%···=--%~M
a b c d e f g h
16 .. .f4?! (16 ... <;tihs 17.0-0-0 lt:iba4 18.4Jb5!
Wb8 19.b3:t) 17.0-0-0 cj;ihs 18J::i'.dgl Wf7
l 9.4Jf3!± Black's position was already horrible a b c d e f g h
in Valeinis - Tiemann, corr. 2010, with the 19 ... c!t)d3t 20.©bl ©h8
white knight coming to h4. Reaching the following subdivision:
Chapter 18 - 8.i.g5 351
21J~g5 h6 28.:1:1:hl 00 ) 26.:1:1:ggl .id7= Future trades will

The move favoured most by the engines. make White's initiative dissipate.
2 l .f3?! lt'idb4 22.axb4 should probably be met 2 l .:1:1:h2 :1:1:g8 and Black has good counterplay.
with:
21. ..Wf d7 22J:~hgl i.f6 23.lhf5 Wfxf5
24.i.g4
7
6 8
5 7
4
6
5
2
4
a b c d e f g h 3
22 ... lt'ixb4 (22 ... exf3 23 ..id3 lt'ixb4 24 ..ixf5 2
lt'ixc2 25 ..ixc2 is less clear) 23.fxe4 lt'ixc2
1
24.<iixc2 .id7 25.lt'ixc7 Vfie7 26.lt'ixa8 :1:1:xa8+
Black is better, but White has his chances too. a b c d e f g h
24 ...Wf g6 25.h5 Wf g7 26.c!tlxe4 c!tif4 27.Wfdl
21.lt'ic3?! allows the typical shot: 21...lt'ixf2!
E!g8 28.f3 Wfe7"'
22.:1:1:h2 lt'ih3+ I consider this to give White sufficient
compensation for the exchange, but obviously
2 l .:1:1:g3 is the typical human move, but I don't no more than that.
believe there is much to worry about: 21...Vfif7
(21...Vfid7!?) 22.lt'ic3 (22.h5 lt'iac5) 22 ... lt'iac5 A22) 13.h4
23.:1:1:fl .if6
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h 1
24.f3 (24.lt'icxe4 lt'ixe4 25.lt'ixe4 lt'if4 26 ..ig4 a b c d e f g h
.ixe4 27 Vfixe4 .ixh4 28.:1:1:ggl Vfig6=) 24 ... lt'if4
This immediate advance puts the most
25.fxe4 .ixh4 (25 ... .id7 26.lt'if3 Vfie7 27.lt'ig5
pressure on Black.
352 Makogonov
I3 ... ~a4! I7 ... @h8

It is again this move that is the star, seeking Also possible is: 17 ... fxe4 18.h6 .if6 19.'1Wc2
to defuse the pressure by exchanging White's .if5 20.0-0-0 '1We7
precious c3-knight.
14.~bS
After 14.ltha4 .ixa4 15.b3 .id7 16.h5 f5
17.exf5 gxf5 18.h6 .if6 19 ..ixf6 E!:xf6 20.g5
Ei:f8, Black is not worse.
4
I4 ... ~4c5 15.hS
2
a b c d e f g h
21.E!:dgl t c;t>hs 22 ..ig4 .ig6 23 ..ih5 .if5
24.c;t>bl lt:ld3 25.ltlc3 lt:lac5 26.lt:lfl Ei:g8
27.ltlg3 Wd7=
I8.~c2 ~e7!?
l 8 .. .f4 19 ..ixc5 .ixb5 20.cxb5 lt:lxc5 21.h6
.if6 22.lt:lb3:t
19.0-0-0
I6 ... gx5 I7.i.e3

17.Ei:gl c;t>h8=
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h
8
7
6 ~,~1----Y-••
.I~ ~
'IB ,%_,,_ _, ______
i~ :fl! Again White has a choice: Bll) 11.0-0,
B12) 11.a3 or B13) 11.g4.
~~•zt~r~
~~
After 11.ltlb3, Black need not hurry to put

5 fj a knight on c5, but can simply build his
4 "'"~'lf~tt~~~
:<% m_;~ mW~ m_n
position with 11...b6=. A possible follow-up
3 o. ,~j M ~
is: 12.g4 f6 13.j,e3 '119e7 14.Wd2 f5 15.gxf5
2 ---Z~----~zffD ~~ gxf5 16.j,g5 (16.exf5 lt:lf6=) 16 ... Wf7 With
ii~~---%~: excellent chances for the second player.
a b c d e f g h 1 l .h4 is a rather strange move which seems to

22.f3!? (22.'119c2 lt:lb4=) 22 .. .f4 (22 ... a4 23.'119c2 violate opening principles:
j,f6 24.j,f2 j,g5 25. <;g;ib Lt) 23.j,f2 a4 24.Wc2
~g8 25.<;g;ibU; White is a touch better, as he can 8
try to target the a4- and d6-pawns in the future. 7
6
20.hcS ltlxc5 21.ltlb3 f3 22.id.3 ih6t
5
23.c;!;ibI ltlxd3 24.f«xd.3 a4 25.ltld2 ~ac8=
4
Black's two bishops offer him enough
compensation for his slightly exposed pawns 3
on f3 and a4. 2
B) 9.lt:\d2 \Wes a b c d e f g h
11...f6! 12.j,e3 f5 13.f3 f4 14.j,f2 lt:lf6!+
8 White's kingside has been weakened and the
7 initiative passes to Black.
6
Bll) 11.0-0
5
Castling short is not so common in the
4
Makogonov, but when Black plays ... lt:lf6-d7
3 it may have more point. I recommend the
2 following way of playing, in accordance with
the strategic ideas we have seen above:
1
a b c d e f g h 1I...f6!
11...lt:ldc5?! 12.b3 f5 13.a3 j,d7 is no
We now have two splits in quick succession:
good. Both 14.Wbl!?;!; and 14.f3± are better
Bl) IO.ie2 or B2) 10.g4.
for White, as the black knights are standing
miserably.
Bl) IO.ie2 ltld7!
12.i.e3 f5! 13.exfS
The threat of .. .f5 gives Black time to post his
13.f3 is nothing in view of: 13 ... lt:lf6 14.g4
knight in a decent position.
354 Makogonov
(14.a3?! id7 15.g4 a4!+ is better for Black) 15 ... ¥Ne7!

14 ... id7 15.b3 Vffe7 16.a3 Black has the following idea:
16.ti::)xa5 exf4 17.i.xf4 i.xc3!? 18.bxc3

18 ... ti::)bS! 19.i.h6 gxa5 20.i.xf"S 'iNe3t
21.@h2 @xf'8 22.'iNd4 ¥Ne5t 23.'iNxe5 dxe5
24.i.g4 @es 25.Lfs i.xf5 26.gxf5 ltibd7
27.gh5 ga4 28.gxh7 gxc4 29.gfl e4=
B12) 11.a3
a b c d e f g h
16 ... h5!? 17.g5f418.gxf6ixf619.if2ixh3~
13 ... gx5 14.f4

Both natural moves available to Black should
be okay:
14.. .lbdc5
I also like the flexible 14 ... Vff e?!?, with one
fine point behind it being: l 5.fxe5 (l 5.Cllf3
t2:ldc5 16.Vfid2 e4 l 7.t2ld4 t2:lb4+±) l 5... dxe5!?
16.t2:lb3 t2:ldc5 17.g4 (17.t2:lxc5 t2:lxc5 18.g4
:!3:a6!) l 7 ... a4 18.t2lxc5 t2:lxc5 The a8-rook is
ready to switch over to the kingside via a6.
15.ti::)bJ
l 5.a3 is well met by l 5 ... a4.
ll ... f6!
Designed to force the bishop to e3, so that
.. .f5 can be played with tempo.
12.i.e3
After 12.ih4!? ti::)b6 13.b3 ih6! Black has
a reasonable position and shouldn't be worse.
12 ...f5 13.0
A critical moment. I think that Black should
play as follows:
Chapter 18 - 8.~g5 355
The text is an improvement over: 17 .. .f4 18.g4

8
l2lg3 19.l:l:h2 (19.l:l:gl!?) 19 ... ~gS
7
6 8 i: ~~ ~,,,}~i
5 7
6
~·ef~ ~ ~·
'l)D---%~f"""D{~
4 " ~® ef ,%~.f" ~~"
5 ~ ef~8ef~ --
3 4 --%~--%u-t)1ll~~
3 ~ %m~~l%~8
~~--='"'~----
2
1 2 -----%--~
•
0
'WK -t~r
~.a!ibM ~~
- :.~
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
13 ...~e7!
20.~xa6 axb4 21.axb4 l:l:xa6 22.l:l:xa6 bxa6
Focusing on the dark squares is the key to
23.c6 h5 24.'Wa4t White was in the driver's
obtaining counter-chances.
seat in Macieja - Kanarek, Warsaw 2014, in
view of the plight of the c8-bishop.
B121) 14.b4?! is interesting, but B122)
14.0-0! is stronger.
18.ha6
A logical reaction.
B121) 14.b4?! ~h6! 15.~fl ltlf6
16.c5 ltlh5 17.g3
18.c6?! bxc6 19.dxc6 ~e6 is simply bad for
White, as his king is weak and his queenside
8 demonstration has not paid any dividends.
7
6 8
7
i: ~~-~%"}~1
~ 1.1 j~ ~ ·
5
6
5
4iJU8•.i.Ui~
~ ~~ ,%~l~ii
4
3
4 - ;,~~u"l;,U~~
2 3
2
ri
,,;,.>,~ .8W[j8 -mra- ;,~
1
a b c d e f g h
~~~ii=""'~~:
a b c d e f g h
We have a race between attacks on opposite 20.l:l:bl (20.bS l2lc5) 20 ... axb4 21.axb4 l:l:fb8
flanks. Black is at least equal if he treads with 22.bS l2lc5t The knight has been extricated
care. and White seems to be struggling.
17... ~d?!?N 18.l:l:bl?! is no improvement: 18 ... axb4

It makes sense to develop this bishop if 19 .axb4 dxc5 20.~xa6 l:l:xa6 21.bxcS
White has no refutation, and he hasn't.
356 Makogonov
22.0-0 fxe4 23.4Jxe4 cxd5 24.~xd5t .ie6

25.~d3
l5.1Wd61Wxd6 26.4Jcxd6 ~xf3 27.4Jxb7 c4t
a b c d e f g h
l l...~a3! 22.~b3 ixd2t! 23. ci>xd2 .ia4!

24.tuxa4 ~xa4+ The white monarch is in dire
straits.
18 .. Jha6 19.b5 gaas 20.4Jc4

The favourite move of the engines, but I am a b c d e f g h
not even sure it's enough for equality! 25 .. ,gadS 26.~c3 4Jf6!
The pressure persists.
The difference with 20.c6 here is that
20 ... bxc6 21.dxc6 (21.bxc6 ic8-+) ll...ieG B122) 14.0-0! 4Jf6!
leaves the bishop in excellent shape, and White
h~s no _good ~ntidote to the long-term problem
with his kings safety.
20 ... dxc5 2I.b6
This underlines the weakness of the dark

squares in the most effective manner.
15.g4!?
Stopping the knight from reaching h5.
21 ... c6!
Black obtains the better chances. One
further sample line is: 15.b4 4Jh5 16.c5
a b c d e f g h
16 .. .lllf4! 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.0ic4 Wg5 19.ixf4
exf4 20.Wd2 We7! With approximate
equality.
15 ...id?
Developing the last piece and preventing B13) ll.g4
b2-b4. I am not sure what the assessment of
this position is, but White would obviously
want to carry out the b-pawn advance, and I
cannot see an easy way for him to do it.
Obviously the critical test, trying to stop

.. .f5 and create the makings of a future attack.
11...lt~dc5
Black maintains the option of pushing the
f-pawn to f6 or f5, according to the demands
of the position. White ideally would like to
16.c;:t,g2 c5!? is another direction the game prevent .. .f5 and at the same time smother us
could take. with an advance of his kingside pawns, so let
us check if this is possible:
16 ... f4 17.ifl h5! 18.g5
1s.c;:t,g2 hxg4 19.hxg4 l2:ih7 00 12J3gl
358 Makogonov
This move aims to prevent .. .f5 and drive the if he had the same level of understanding in
enemy monarch to h8, where it takes away that other openings as well.
square from his bishop. This strategy would pay
dividends if the h-pawn already stood on h4, 12.lt:lfl
as then h4-h5 next would be difficult to meet, This is similar to a position we are going
but as things stand Black has enough time to to encounter below, with Ei:gl and ... @h8
carry out a well-timed advance of his f-pawn. thrown in. Vigorito remarks that the
Before seeing how Black achieves his aims, we position is now even more favourable for
will look at some alternatives for White: Black, something I have to agree with:
12.h4 is too direct to enjoy any real chance

of success: 12 .. .f5 13.gxf5 gxf5 14.ie3 mh8
15.a3 id7 16.\Wc2
7~·-.i.·
8
6
5
4
_i ~
~
~
~
••
/..!If,.•,~
..
,i~
~'iWi• ffl
r~
~.i'%
~ ~
~"""
ltlif~~~ ~
~
a b c d e f g h
i f"''( ~ ~
3 -~~~iiit,,//. ~~ ~~-0
16 .. .'1Wg6!?
16 ... ig6 17.h4 lt:lb4 18.h5 lt:lc2t! 19.md2
t~ m@t~ ~
2
%--~a--·'m·--~i~n was more lively in Schaefer - Kosak,
Germany 2009, and things could have got
a b c d e f g h livelier still:
23 ... c5!! 24.ixe5 ixe5 Black was dominating
in Bj. lhorfinnsson - Nataf, Reykjavik 2010.
Igor is a great expert in the King's Indian, and
I always wondered what peaks he would reach
Chapter 18 - 8.~g5 359
21...We8!N 22.E'.g2 We5+

White is denied counterplay and Black has
the better game.
12.ttJb3 is best met by:
a b c d e f g h
19 .. J:hf2!!N 20.Wgl! (20.hxg6? ttJxe3

21 'itixe3 '\Wf8-+; 20.j,xf2? j,h6t-+)
20 ... ttJxe3 2111*'xf2 j,h6! 22.hxg6 ttJg4t
23.E'.xh6 ttJxf2 24.ttJh511*'f8 25.E'.xh7 ttJfe4t
26.<iic2 11*'f5 27.E'.g?t <iih8 28.E'.h7t= The
stunning complications end in a perpetual.
17.ttJxfS Wxf5 18.j,g4 Wg6
8 .i~ ~ ~~·
~••-2.U ~,
1
6 , •.
5 ~ •1::i•l~
z~ %,···"~
4 11iufu-zru·L\~~
3 ~ltiU U t::i U t::i
t::i ~ B~-~ -~
~----"~----/,~'=
2
a b c d e f g h
1
19.E'.gl <iih8 20.Wbl! e4! 21 iifl
a b c d e f g h
We have been following Galkin -
Ibragimov, Sochi 1997, when Black would 16 ... '\Wb4!?N 1711*'xb4 (17.ttJxa5 fxe4 18.fxe4
have maintained an advantage with a fine 11*'xd2 19.j,xd2 ttJc5+) 17 ... ttJxb4 18.c5 fxe4
regrouping: 19.fxe4 a4 20.ttJd2 E'.xflt 21 iixfl dxc5
22.E'.cl j,fg 23.a3 ttJa6 24.ttJc4 E'.e8+
12 ... @hS
We will examine both B131) 13.~fl and
B132) 13.a3.
360 Makogonov
B131) 13.ltlfl f5!? l 8 .. .lt'lb4!?

I4.gx5 gx5 15.ltlg3 fxe4! Black undoubtedly saw 18 ... h6-+ but was
obviously reluctant to win a piece at the cost
of denuding his king. In any case, there is
8
nothing wrong with the game continuation.
7 19.0-0-0 lt'lxa2t 20.<~bl lt'lxc3t 21.bxc3 if5
6 22.Wf e3 Wf f7 23.:1'1:g3 ig6 24.:1'1:dgl Wfxf2 25.h4
:1'1:f3! 26.Wf xf2 e3t 27 Wcl
5 So far, this was Jovavic - Kozul, Ljubljana
4 2004, which could have ended immediately
with:
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
A tense position has arisen.
I6.i.e3!?
Clearing the g-file and defending the
f2-pawn looks best.
a b c d e f g h
16.lt'lh5?! Wf g6!
Black held an advantage which he converted 27 ... lt'ld3t!N-+
rather easily in the following game:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
l 7.4:lxg7
a b C
In case of l 7.:1'1:g3 the thunderbolt I6 ... Wfg6!N

l 7 ... ig4!!+, discovered by Victor Bologan, l 6 ... a4 17 Wd2± was better for White in
should carry the day for Black. An. Kovacevic - Marez, corr. 2007
l 7 ... Wfxg7 l 8.Wfd2?
18.:1'1:g3 W/f7 19.ie3 if5+ would have been I7.Wfd2
more resistant. 17 wd2? ih6+
Chapter 18 - 8.i.g5 361
17.i.hS Wf6 18.t2igxe4 l2:lxe4 19.l2:lxe4 Wh4 Cappelle-la-Grande 1995, looks inferior for
20.lZlgS l2:lb4 21.a3 White due to:
a b c d e f g h
21...l2:lc2t 22.Wxc2 Wxh5 23.We2 Wxe2t
24.\t>xe2 e4 25J'1:adl i.f5 26.i.d4 i.xd4
27.Ei:xd4 Ei:ae8=
14... c6! 15.h4
17... gf3! 18.ixf:3 exf3 19.0-0-0 ixh3 15.i.e3 cxd5 16.l2:lxd5 l2:le6+± and Black was
20.Wc2 i.g2 at least equal in Beinoras - Purnama, Istanbul
With a complicated game. (ol) 2012.
B132) 13.a3 15 ... cxdS 16.lLixdS
A common sense measure, preparing to 16 .. .ltie6! 17.i.e7 ggs 18.hS
develop the queen on c2. 18.i.xd6 l2:ld4 19.Wc3 i.e6+±
13.••i.d7 14.Wc2 18 .. .lllac7!? 19.lllxc7 Wxe7! 20.lllxaS gxa8;;

14.h4 f5 15.gxfS gxf5 16.hS?! (16.i.hS? The position is hard to assess, but Black
l2:ld3t 17.lt>fl Wc8+) 16 ... i.f6 l 7.i.xf6t Ei:xf6 certainly has good compensation for the
18.Wc2, as played in M. Ivanov - Cvitan, exchange.
362 Makogonov
B2) 10.g4 switch to h3, and I don't see much counterplay

for Black. If 15 ... lt'iba4? then 16.lt'ib5± almost
wms.
8
7 We will check four main alternatives here:
6 B21) ll.a3, B22) ll.Wfe2!?, B23) ll.i.e3
and the most popular B24) ll.i.e2.
5
4 1 l.id3 lt'id7!?
The presence of the bishop on d3 gives Black
3 tempos to execute his .. .f5 idea.
2
1
a b c d e
This move is tricky, as the plan with
f g h :1,r,~1~,r~
8
5
i, ~..t
~
'0
~'iVi~ ti
~~P' ~~ ,,,,<,~·ef·.,
~~ '0,,,,;,~f0 ~~. '0

~b1~ ffi
.. .l2lf6-d7 is not good against it in most cases.
4 ,,,,%• laztaif~
10 ... @hS! 3 m.i.~
~~·ef"''/,"//, ~ ~ ' 0
~
~~b
b :tf!1,, ~ :tf!1,, ~
Preparing a retreat of the knight to g8. Black
has the two-fold idea of going for ... f5 or
2
~,,.;~if=.,%~ :l:
exchanging dark-squared bishops via h6. a b c d e f g h
I don't like 10 .. .l2id7?! when White has not 12.ic2!?

spent a tempo on ie2 due to: l l.a3! lt'ib6 12.a3 f5! 13.gxf5 lt'idc5 14.ic2 gxf5 15.'1We2
(15.b4? lt'ixe4 16.lt'idxe4 fxe4 17.ixe4 axb4
18.axb4 if5+) 15 ... '\Wg6 16.h4 h6 17.ie3
f4 18.ixc5 f3!! 19.'1We3 lt'ixc5 20.0-0-0 h5
21.:!'l:dgl ig4 is just excellent for us.
12 ... lt'idc5
12 ... lt'ib4 13.lt'ib5!
13.a3 id7
Planning ... c6.
14.'1We2
14.h4 f5!+±
14 ... c6 15.ie3 cxd5 16.lt'ixd5
a b c d e f g h 16.cxd5 b5t
12.h4! f5 (12 ... id7 13.h5 lt'ia4 14.lt'ib5!t is 16 ... lt'ie6
a variation where the omission of ie2 seems With counterplay.
in White's favour. 14 ... lt'i4c5 is met strongly
with 15.h6 ih8 16.'\Wf3! and Black looks A move that does not impress me for White is
suffocated.) 13.gxf5 gxf5 14.ie3 lt'ic5 l 5.'1Wc2;!; 11.:!'l:gl The idea is to go h3-h4, but Black is
In this position the bishop is optimally placed perfectly placed to react with .. .f5, and this is
on fl, as it can go to d3 in one move or even exactly what he should do:
Chapter 18 - 8 .ig5 363
8
16 ;~,r~ ••~•
., , %~~-, ,~~
I: ~~ ~1i1t ,j,9. 12.h4 f6 13.ie3 f5 14.gxf5 gxf5 15.exf5 4:'ldc5
16.ih3 4:'ld3t 17 'it>e2 ixf5! 18.ixf5 4:'lf4t
19.'it>dl l"&xf5 20.a3
4
3
2
,,%•'m•tf•'~~~
~ ~~ 'lfS""~
~~nr,,,,, i:'//1~
~ it!J
~)9) %
~'. it!J
~~
~~
~
d' ,?,·iw~f)~
a b c d e f g h
l l...4:'lg8! 12.h4 f5 13.gxf5 (13.f3 f4!)
13 ... gxf5 14.ih3 (14.exf5?! ixf5 15.4:'lde4
lt:'lf6 16.4:'lg3 ig6 l 7.ie2 h6 18.ixf6 l"&xf6t
a b c d e f g h
and Black has obtained an advantage) 14 ... 4:'lc5
15.We2 fxe4 16.ixc8 20 ... Wd7!? (20 ... Wg6 21 Wg3) 21 We4 c6!
22.'it>c2 4:'lc5 23.ixc5 dxc5 24.l"&agl cxd5
25.cxd5 l"&d8 26.l"&g3 (26.a4 4:'lxd5) 26 ... b5!+±
With strong counterplay.
B21) 11.a3
11 Wf3 can be met by l 1... 4:'ld7 A sample line

follows:
An annoying continuation, as usual. Black

must be careful to avoid falling into an inferior
position.
11...lLigS!
Probably the only move. Now White will
not have time to post his bishop on d3, to
prevent ... f5, without allowing an exchange of
dark-squared bishops via h6.
a b c d e f g h
364 Makogonov
11.. ..id? is weaker due to: 12 ..id3! 'llc5 Finally, 12 ..id3 is answered with: 12 .. .f6
(12 ... 'llg8 13 ..ie3! is better for White, as the l 3 ..ie3 .ih6!= Achieving a favourable exchange
exchange of dark-squared bishops is prevented and obtaining equality.
and ... f5 will lead to an exchange of light-
squared bishops, something Black wishes to 12 ... fS 13.f3
avoid.) 13 ..ic2 a4
8
8 ~~ ~~iE1 ;~
~~-" ~~ ,,,Y,~·::l"
: ~~f~,~Nf~ 7
6
~~•ttw---~
4·-~-~-~~
s
3
2
~
~ m
',,,,,:
~ ~~
?,: j
--,%ff((f%1;: ';ffl ~ff~~-

W'c3di!'..,~ W'l'.3 ~
~ ,%Bi'= .%.M
~-3 5
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h 1
l 4.We2! (l 4 ..ie3 b5!? l 5.'1Mfe2 bxc4+±) a b c d e f g h
14 ... 'llg8 15 ..ie3± White was for choice in 13 ....ih6!
Roobol - Delemarre, Netherlands 2008, Again this exchange looks okay for Black.
although he eventually lost the game.
14.Lh6 lt)xh6 15.exfS gxf5
12 ..ie3 Black seems to have a fine position, but the
I also looked at 12.h4 f5 13.gxf5 gxf5 computers gave a slight edge to White, so I
14.Wc2 'llc5 15.0-0-0 'llf6+± when Black deemed it right to analyse a little further:
looks fine to me.
The direct 12.b4 is met by· 12 ....id? 13.l"ibl

axb4 l 4.axb4
Chapter 18 - 8.~g5 365
16 ... e4!? 21.@bl ~fl 22J'~gl ~f5!=

Why not? The bishop will be posted on g6, making the
Black position absolutely secure.
16 ... Ctk5 17.0-0-0 '\Wg6 18.~e2 ~d7 19.l"ldgl
could indeed be a little better for White, B22) 1I.'.We2!?
although even here Black has his chances.
17.fxe4 fxg4 18.0-0-0
An interesting choice, preparing long

castling. However, it weakens the d3-square
a b c d e f g h slightly, and this is the chief reason the
18 .. .'\We5! following knight retreat is feasible:
This fine centralization maintains equality
for the second player. The exclamation mark 11 ... ~d7 12.0-0-0
is for the aesthetic value, as the move itself is I think this is the most natural choice.
easy to find. 12.tt:ib3 tt:idc5 13.tt:ixc5 tt:ixc5 14.h4 f5
15.gxf5 gxf5 16.~h3
19.hxg4 ~xg4 20.~el ~c5
:~,~-=-=j
8 i_ ~..t.•if~~ ·lil
~~,~-,,,Y,mvl'''
5
,/,nl,nzr~,,,,,,~~
4 ,
~ •8t~iffl
m ~
2
~.
3
,~~-~d~~
.l,, %B
a b
%~
c
~?v.{,
d
~
e f
~~.i
~.:
g h
16 ... '1Wg6! 17.ie3 ih6! 18.h5 '1Wg7 19.ixc5
dxc5 20.'it>dl fxe4 21.ixc8 '1Wg2! 22.i"i:fl
a b c d e f g h 1''1axc8 23.tt:ixe4 This was Nasri - Kotronias,
Baku 2013, and now best is the spectacular:
366 Makogonov
l 3.h4 f5 14.gxf5 gxf5 transposes to the note

on 12.h4 above.
I3 ... f5 I4.gxf5 gxf5 I5J~gl Wfff'7 I6.ig2

id7
The strange placement of White's kingside
pieces makes this position balanced. A sample
line is:
a b c d e f g h
23 ... ie3!+ The bishop's position is improved,

giving Black slightly the better chances.
12.h4 should be answered with the

straightforward 12 ... f5 13.gxf5 gxf5 with an
excellent game for Black. White's best appears
then to be: l 4.ih3! Seeking to exchange
light-squared bishops. (Instead, 14.0-0-0
lt:ldc5 15.'it>bl lt:la4+± or 14.exf5 lt:ldc5 15.f6
ixf6 16.lt:lde4 ixg5 17.hxg5 if5 give Black
dangerous counterplay.) l 4 ... lt:ldc5 15.0-0-0
lt:lb4 16.'it>bl lt:lbd3! 17.exf5! (17.ixf5? Ei:xf5!
18.exf5 ixf5+)
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
I2 .. .ltidc5 13.@bl a b c d e f g h
White tries to improve his position before Black's best move is the untested:
playing h3-h4.
1I. ..ltid7!N
Chapter 18 - 8.i.g5 367
11...lt:lg8!? I6.ig5! We8 17.ih3!i

This allows White to try for a set-up with It is not easy for Black to create counterplay.
the queen on e2 as, among other reasons, his
d3-square is not an issue anymore. 12.a3!
I2.h4 f5 I3.f3 (13.gxf5 gxf5 I4.exf5 l?Jdc5+)
I3 ... fxg4 I4.fxg4 l?Jf6 I5.ie2 Wd7!+± reaches
similar positions to the text, but with the pawn
on a2.
12 ...f5! 13.f3!
I3.gxf5?! gxf5 I4.exf5 l?Jdc5 I5.b4 e4!
I6.bxc5 ixc3 17.E!:cl ig7 I8.cxd6 cxd6+ is
better for Black.
I2.f3!
I2.h4 f5 I3.f3 (13.gxf5 gxf5 I4.exf5 l?Je7
I5.f6i.xf616.l?Jde4l?Jf5=) I3 ... fxg414.fxg4
l?Jf6 transposes to the note to White's 12th
move below.
I2 .. .f5 I3.We2!? We7
I3 ... ih6 I4.ixh6 l?Jxh6 I5.exf5! gxf5
16.g5!± is a position we have seen with the
pawn on a3 instead of the queen on e2. This
difference turns the position from equal into
a better one for White, as he is now ready to a b c d e f g h
castle and attack. 13 .. J1*fe7! 14.h4!
I4.h4!? I4.We2 i.f6 15.0-0-0 f4 I6.i.f2 ih4+
14.0-0-0 i.h6 I5.ixh6 l?Jxh6 I6.exf5 looks good for us too.
gxf5 17 We3 Wh4 I8.id3 l?Jc5 I9.ic2 f4
20.We2 id7 2I.l?Jde4 b6 22.E!:dgl l?Jf7 is 14... fxg4 15.fxg4 ttlf6 16.i.e2 ~d7! 17.g5
not so bad for Black. 17.E!:gl h5! 18.gxh5 Wh3! l 9.i.f3 l?Jg4
I4 ... fxg4 I5.fxg4 l?Jh6 20.We2 l?Jh2 (20 ... Wxh4t 21 <;iidI 00 )
~i ~,-/.''J~~J•
~,1~
8
7
~
6 ; ~ ..z~f--,Z~,~·,~.
~~-"~%-~.',. . ~
5
4 ..
~
..%. i.%~%-lf!s
-z}ffl :~ B
f.~
3 ~ ,7-2.j ~ ~
2
1 _
lH···mii•
..~:~~
~~
%• • • •
a b c d e f g h
368 Makogonov
21.0-0-0 l2'lxf3 22.l"lhl t2'ld4 23.ixd4 '1Wg4 B24) ll.~e2

24.ie3 '1Wxe2 25.t2'lxe2 ig4=
17.. .lt~g4 18.~gl h5

18 ... !"lf4 19.if3 \Wf7 20.°1We2 id7 21.0-0-0
l"lf8 22.!"lfl h5 is unclear.
The most popular continuation: White

defends the g4-pawn in order to push his
h-pawn.
11. .. ttlgS!
As the reader is already aware from analogous
positions, we are after the g5-bishop - hoping
to exchange it as soon as possible! This will
19 .. JU4 20.ttle2 reduce the attacking force and lighten our
positional tasks.
8
12.h4
7 12.l2'lb3 was played in Beliavsky - Soln,
Ljubljana 2002. It looks artificial to me, and
6
after 12 ... b6= there is no question of a White
5 advantage.
4
12.l2'lfl f5 13.gxf5 gxf5 14.ih5 (14.t2'lg3
3 if6=) 14 ... °1Wd7 15.t2'lg3 if6! 16.id2
2
1
a b c d e f g h
20 ... Wff7! 21.Wib3 ttlc5 22.hc5 a4 23.Wfd3
dxc5 24.hg4 hg4 25.ttlxf4 Wfxf4i
With an extremely complex position,
although I would prefer to take Black.
Chapter 18 - 8.i.g5 369
16 .. .ltk5! 17.4Jxf5 4Jxe4 18.4Jxe4 °Wxf5 4Je7 24.l!f,f gl h6= Black's position is a fortress,
19.°We2 j,g? 20.j,g4 'Wg6 21.j,h5 (21.0-0-0 and after some more shuffling the players
j,h6=) 21...Wf5 22.j,g4 Wg6 23_j,h5 l!f,ff5 decided to call it a draw in Hauff - Canibal,
24.j,g4 A draw was agreed here in Grigoryan corr. 2010.
- Kr. Georgiev, Albena 2011. Black had made
good use of the threat to exchange dark-
squared bishops. 8
7 ~r,m-,Y,-,,
m.tm~~~'l)-
1.
,,,,,%- -.~.
The structure arising after 12.j,e3 f5 13.f3 j,h6
14.j,xh6 4Jxh6 15.exf5 gxf5 00 looks promising
for Black, who may contemplate a transfer of
the h6-knight to f4:
6 "'~
s ~
4
-~
~ ~ ~
-~t~
m
~~
~~ %,,,,%~p ~~-~
,,,,,%mtm'lrm-zr~
3
~~-~,,,,,;%"//,
?,~~~~
~~-~ ~~~
~
1 ~,,,,%-vm,,,,%~
2 A~f(~
0 %Lh~,t"'2.J: c& %C:\,,
~
a b c d e f g h
12 ... fS!
I guess that everyone who had the patience to
look at all the previous lines in the Makogonov
understands by now that this should be the
answer to h2-h4, leaving the bishop on g5 as
an object of a potential exchange.
Play can proceed with B241) 13.gxfS or
B242} 13.f3.
Alternatively, 13.h5 fxg4 14.j,xg4 4Jc5
12.a3 f6! 13.j,e3 j,h6 14.l!f,fc2 (14.j,xh6 4Jxh6 15.j,e2 j,h6 16.j,xh6 4Jxh6 17.f3 g5+ is
15.b4 j,d7=) 14 ... j,xe3 15.fxe3 j,d7 16.0-0-0 excellent for Black.
a4
B241) 13.gxfS gxf5
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
370 Makogonov
Black is harmoniously placed to start

counterplay depending on the move White
chooses:
14.Wi'c2
An obvious continuation, preparing to
castle.
Preceding this with l 4.a3 only allows Black

to start his counterplay faster, for example:
14 .. .lt:lf6 15.Wc2 ltlc5 16.exf5
14.ih5 Wd7 15.exf5 Wxf5 16.ltlde4 ltlc5

l 7.We2 ltlxe4 l 8.ltlxe4 ltlf6 l 9.ltlg3 Wd7
20.Ei:gl
l 4.exf5 i.xf5 (l 4 ... ltlc5!? could be better)

l 5.ltlde4
a b c d e f g h
20 ... b5!?N (20 ... c6 21.i.f3 cxd5 occurred in
Solomon - D. Popovic, Cappelle-la-Grande
2014, but here I slightly prefer White after
the correct 22.i.xf6 i.xf6 23.ixd5:t) 2 l .cxb5
(21.i.xf6 Ei:xf6+) 21...ltlxd5 22.i.f3 i.b7!
(22 ... Ei:xf3!? 23.Wxf3 Wxb5~) 23.i.g4 Wf7
24.ltlh5 i.f6 Black has the upper hand due to
his central superiority.
a b c d e f g h
l 5... a4!?N (l 5... ltlf6 l 6.ltlg3 Wd7 17.:1:lgl 14... <!tlb4
l2i b4 Georgiadis - Simeonidis, Rethymno l 4 ... ltlf6 15.0-0-0 ltlh5! 16.a3 ltlf4 l 7.ixf4
2013, is a tad better for White after 18.ltlxf5 exf4= is perfectly acceptable too.
Wxf5 19.Wbl e4 20.i.e3) 16.a3 (16.ltlg3 e4!)
16 ... ltlf6 17.ltlg3 i.d7 18.h5 h6 15.Wi'b3
Chapter 18 - 8 .igS 371
15.Wbl lt:lf6 16.a3 lt:la6 l 7.'1Wc2 lt:lcS 13 ... f4

18.exfS e4 19 .0-0-0 ixfS is typically excellent Cutting off the bishop from the rest of his
for us. forces. However, this is not the only way.
15 .. .lt~f6 16.0-0-0 tZld7 17.tZla4 tZla6 l 3 ... fxg4 l 4.fxg4 is also possible:
18.Wfa3 tZldc5
a b c d e f g h
14 ... lt:lf6 (or 14 ... ih6 15.ixh6 lt:lxh6 16.gS

lt:lf7 17.Wc2 Wg7 18.0-0-0 id7 19.E'i'.dfl
'1We7= with approximately level chances)
15.ie3 '1Wd7+± We are back to familiar
territory.
14.h5
To free the bishop before it is too late.
B242) 13.£3
a b c d e f g h
Threatening to bring the bishop back to e3,
building an impenetrable wall on the kingside.
372 Makogonov
Conclusion
The Makogonov System has become

increasingly popular lately, and is a tricky way
to battle the King's Indian. In the ... e5 set-up
I decided to adopt as Black, White closes the
centre with d4-d5 and then tries to stifle us on
the kingside with h2-h3 and g2-g4. However,
this is only the tip of the iceberg; White's
play can vary and be universal, and we have
to be constantly on guard as there are many
positional and tactical nuances all over the
a b c d e f g h board. I concluded that a set-up with ... a5 and
17.Wfc2!N ... ltJa6 was the best way to achieve equality,
The inferior 17.ltJb3?! was played in Lazarev when the c5-square must be turned into a base
- Cebalo, Lido degli Estensi 200 l, and should for our knights - which in many cases is what
:i,, ~ ~~~~,
have been met with: the fight revolves around.
61•;,~~~,-
Unfortunately, the main line with 8.ig5,
~ examined in the current chapter, is difficult
.J. ,.f~~~,.
to understand and requires some careful
memorization. I managed ultimately to find
5
4
:if; -~~ • complete equality, but it was by no means easy
deciding when to retreat the f6-knight to d7,
.ii',.:
2 ,~--,.~.
d
a
~~ ~~-
b c d e
17 ... h5N 18.ltJxa5 ii>g7 19.gxh5 ltJxh5~
f g h
and when to g8.
Overall, I feel very satisfied with the outcome
of my work on the Makogonov, and I hope the
readers will be able to profit from it. I am only
a little bit sceptical about the effort needed to
memorize the nuances in the 8.ig5 line, but
Black has enough compensation according to nowadays one cannot afford to play at high
Cebalo. levels without considerable preparation.
17 ... @g7 18.0-0-0 h6 19.@bl i.d7 20.a3

ggs
Black methodically prepares to play ... h5.
21.ltib3 b6 22.gdgl @f7 23.ffdl @e7=

The position is balanced.
6.ie3 Systems
a b c d e f g h
Karpov
Variation Index
1.d4 lt:Jf6 2.c4 g6 3.lt:Jc3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.h3 0-0 6.i.e3
6 ... c5!
A) 7.dxc5 374
B) 7.lt:Jf3 378
C) 7.d5 e6! 379
Cl) 8.i.d3 380
C2) 8.lt:Jf3 exd5 382
C21) 9.cxd5 ~e8 382
C2I 1) 10.lt:Jd2 382
C212) 10.i.d3 383
C22) 9.exd5 385
A) after 9.e5!? A) after l 7.f4!? C212) after l l.'tlxe4

374 6.ie3 Systems
1.d4 tiJf6 2.c4 g6 3.tiJc3 ig7 4.e4 d6 5.h3 White options are A) 7.dxc5, B) 7.tiJf3 and
0-06.ie3 C) 7.d5.
This move has been used extensively by
Anatoly Karpov, particularly in rapid chess. A) 7.dxc5
Its main virtue is keeping open the option
of developing the knight to e2 later on. This
may prove extremely helpful in a Makogonov
structure similar to the ones we've encountered
in the previous three chapters, as the set-up of
pawns on h3 and g4, and knight on g3, will
stifle Black's kingside play and offer White
long-term attacking chances.
6.ig5 and 6.lt'lge2 will be covered in

Volume 5 of this series.
6 ... c5!
The logical and best reaction. Ladies and
Gentlemen, it's time for a Benoni!
6 ... e5 7.d5 a5 (7 ... 4Ja6 8.4Jf3 takes play into a

Makogonov proper, but without the pawn on 7•..Was s.id3
a5, tricking us into a line I have chosen not to 8.id2 Wxc5 (8 ... dxc5!? 9.e5 lt::ifd7 10.f4
recommend in the present volume.) 4Jc6 l 1.4Jf3 Wd8~, intending .. .f6, should
also be fine for Black) 9.4Jf3
a b c d e f g h
8.g4! lt::ia6 9.4Jge2 h5 10.f3 4Jc5 11.Wd2
lt::ih7 12.0-0-0 h4 13.~gl The more I looked
at this, the less I liked Black's position, as he
is unable to exchange dark-squared bishops
and is reduced to passivity. Therefore 6 ... c5!
is almost forced in the strategic sense, even
though this may sound like an exaggeration on 8 ... dxc5 9.e5!?
move six. Trying to block the radius of the g7-bishop
Chapter 19 - Karpov 375
by following up with f2-f4 next, but it seems 11.gxhS? if5+ is, of course, out of the
that this plan cannot successfully materialize. question.
9.lllf3 lt:lc6 10.0-0 lt:ld7 is a typical position l l.'11Me2 is strongly answered by:
where Black's control over the dark squares in
the centre gives him a slight edge.
8
7
6
5
4
3 a b c d e f g h
2 11...ixeS! 12.id2 lt:lf4 13.it:ldS 4Jxe2
14.ixaS Ei:xd5 15.cxdS ixb2 16.Ei:bl ic3t
1
17.<;!;lxe2 ixa5+ Black has a slight advantage
a b c d e f g h in this ending.
9.. .c!tlh5!
Golod's move is the best. The knight cannot 1 l.'11Mc2 is considered by Mikhalevski, who
be captured without consequences, in view of gives the following line in his ChessBase
the mounting pressure along the d-file. commentary: 1 l...4Jc6 I2.ie4 lt:ld4! 13.Wdl
I0.g4
This move, throwing caution to the wind,
does not yield White any advantage, but is
obviously the only critical choice.
10.lt:lf3 lt:lc6 l l.g4 Ei:d8 is just a transposition

to our main line.
I0.f4? lt:lg3 l 1.Ei:h2 Ei:d8 12.Wc2? (12.'it>f2 lt:lf5

I3.'l1Me2 4Jc6+ looks awful, but had to be tried) a b c d e f g h
I2 ... lt:lc6 13.Ei:dl lt:lb4 14.Wbl Ei:xd3 15.Ei:xd3
13 ... fS! (In my view, 13 ... ixeS!? 14.gxhS ie6
if5-+ This was a complete disaster for White
I5.id2 ixc4 I6.4Jf3 Wc7 17.lt:lxeS Wxe5
in Arcuti - Gallagher, Graechen 2013.
I8.f4 We6 I9.'it>f2 Ei:d7~ deserves attention.)
14.idSt e6 I5.ig2 lt:lc6 I6.Wb3 (16.Wa4?!
10 .. J~dS!
Wxa4 17.4Jxa4 lt:lb4 18.'it>fl [18.'it>e2 lt:lc2
Fully justifying Black's unorthodox knight
I9.lt:lf3! 4Jxe3 20.'it>xe3 ih6t 21.g5 if8+]
move.
18 ... 4Jc2 I9.ig5 4Jxa1 20.ixd8 it:lf4+ is better
for Black) 16 ... lt:ld4 17.Wdl= With a repetition.
11.~6
376 6.ie3 Systems
15 ... Wh8!? is also fine, with a sample line

being: 16.We2 Wc7
a b c d e f g h
17.f4 (17.luxc8 l'l:axc8 18.l'l:adl if4=)
l 7 ... Wxe718.fxe5 Wxe5 19.l'l:f4 (19.if4 Wd4t
20.l'l:f2 ie6 2 l .ie5 Wxd3 22.ixf6t Wg8
23.ixd8 l'l:xd8=) l 9 ... h5 20.l'l:afl
12.0-0! ltlxe5!
12 .. .Cllb4?? 13.lud5+- would now be a
horrible blunder.
13.ltlxe5 he5 14.ltld5

Mikhalevski points our in ChessBase that
14.gxh5? is bad due to: 14 ... ixc3 15.bxc3
if5! l 6.hxg6 hxg6 l 7.Wf3 ixd3+ Black
has regained his piece with a considerable
advantage.
a b c d e f g h
20 ... luxg4!! 21.hxg4 ixg4 22.iWd2 ~g8
23.2"14f2 if5 24.l'l:xf5 Wg3t 25.Whl l'l:xd3
26.2"15f3 l'l:xd2 27.l'l:xg3 l'l:xb2 28.l'l:gf3 l'l:e8
29.ixc5 l'l:ee2 30.igl l'l:e4=
16.Wfe2
This move is logical, since the e5-bishop
is a bit unstable. However, it is not incisive
enough.
l 6.g5!?N luh5 l 7.L2ld5 ie6! (l 7 ... ixh3?

18.id2 Wa6 19.l'l:el± with the idea 19 ... id4
20.Wf3 ie6 21.luc7) 18.ie4 l'l:d7 19.l'l:el
l'l:e8= Black has coordinated all his pieces and'
looks equal to me, although this was the best attaches an exclamation mark), but after
possibility for White. 23.if4 Wxe2 24.l::1xe2 ia6 25.ib3 the
position is only unclear.
16 ...'?Nc7 17.f4!?
Fressinet's risky move, which should 22 ... l::1e8!? is another move I looked at, yet there
objectively lead to a slightly worse position for seems to be nothing more than a draw after the
White. following complicated sequence: 23.ia4! We4
24.Wh2 'Llxg4 25.hxg4 Wxg4t 26.cj;,f2
17.'Llxc8 l::1axc8 18.Eladl has been given as
equal by Mikhalevski, but after 18 ... if4
19 .l::1fe 1 h6 Black has a modest edge.
23.'?NO!
23.icl l::1d4! 24.ib2 Wd6 25.ixd4 Wg3t
26.Wg2 Wxg2t 27.cj;,xg2 'Lid2t 28.cj;,f2 cxd4+
gives Black the slightly better ending.
23 .. J~d7 24.fxg6 hxg6 25.icl ~es

17 ... id4? 18.g5! l2ih5 19.'Lld5;!; was slightly
better for White in Fressinet - Golod, Biel
2006.
18.'?Nxb2 '?Nxe7 19.'?Ne2 b6! 20J~ael

20.Eladl ib7 is also excellent for Black.
Mikhalevski remarks that 20.Elfe 1 cj;,g8

21.l::1adl ib7 22.g5 'Llh5+ gives Black
dangerous pressure on the a8-hl diagonal.
20 .. .'itigs 21.f5 ib7 22.ic2 lt::le4!?

My idea, and a natural move at that.
Mikhalevski gives 22 ... We5 (to which he

378 6.~e3 Systems
29.~b2 g5+ to free the d3-bishop from the burden of

Black has a tiny edge, although White defending them.
should be able to nullify it and achieve a draw.
12.b3 ~c5 13.0 e6 14.~bl
B) 7.~0 So far we have been following Karpov -
Karpov's favourite move. White is trying to Bacrot, Cap d'Agde 2013, when I think Black
keep the position fluid and avoid a Benoni should have chosen:
structure, at least for the time being.
7 ... cxd4 8.~xd4
a C d e f g h
14 ... dS!?N
Despite the fact that this entails some risk
a b c d e f g h and looks rather drastic, I am satisfied with
Black's chances.
8 ... b6!?
Black will opt for a Hedgehog set-up, trying
to take advantage of the fact that White has
15.b4! ~a6 16.bS
16.cxd5 exd5 17.e5 We7! 18.f4 li:'ixb4
played the rather useless h2-h3. That said, the
position is quite delicate and Black has to treat 19.li:'idb5 li:'ie4 is equal.
it with care.
16 ... ~cS 17.cxd5 exd5 18.e5 V/ie7
9.~d3 18 ... WeS!? is also possible.
This has been Karpov's preferred move in all
his games from this position.
Another possibility is: 9.g3!? ~b7 10.~g2
li:'ibd7 11.0-0 Elb8 12.Wc2 a6 13.Eladl ~a8
14.a4e615.b3We716.Wbl Elfc817.Eld2li:'ie5
l~.Elfdl li:'ie8= With approximate equality in
T1honov -A. Zhigalko, Minsk 2010.
9 ... ~b710.0-0 ~bd7 ll.gcl gcs

All the moves so far have been logical and
solid for both sides. White would now like to
overprotect the pawns at c4 and e4, in order
19J~el!?
8
I don't see any problems for Black after:
19.f4 t2'lfe4 20.t2'lxe4 dxe4 21.°1We2 (21.t2'lc6 7
ixc6 22.bxc6 sfd8 23.ixcS bxc5 24.Wa4 6
e3 25.We4 el 26.Wxel Bxc6 27.id3 <iih8=
should be a draw because of the opposite- 5
coloured bishops) 2 l. .. Bfd8 22.t2'lc6 ixc6 4
23.bxc6 Bxc6 24.ixe4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
7 ... e6!
Black has an excellent game and the better
practical chances.
7... a6
a b c d e f g h At first I was attracted to this move, but then
I realized that White can maintain an edge
24 ... t2'lxe4! 25.Bxc6 t2'lg3 26.Wc4 tZ:ixfl
with accurate play:
27.<iixfl if8 28.<iigl We8 (28 ... Bd7!?) 29.Bc7
8.a4!
b5 30.Wb3 a5=
8.t2'lf3 b5+ is excellent for Black.
8... e6
19 ...°1Wxe5!? 20.t2'lf5! 'Wc7 21.lt:)xg? @xg7
Despite Black's weakness on the dark
squares, there is nothing concrete.
22.i.d4
22.Wd2 me8 00 ; 22.Wd4 Wd8 23.t2'le2 se8
24.li:'if4 @g8 25.id2 Wd6 26.ic3 Bxel t
27.Bxel t2'lcd7 28.ib4 Wb8 29.id3 Be8 00
22 ...'Wd6 23.i.e5 'Wds 24.lt:)e2 lt:)cd7

25.i.d4 ges 26.lt:)f4 @g8'"'
C) 7.d5 9.t2'lf3!
The position is more appealing for White,
I was surprised to see that the 12th World who will complete his development in a
Champion has never actually chosen to play harmonious way and then try to suffocate
this supposedly critical move, and this led Black.
me to consider the possibility that it is not as The reason I initially wanted to recommend
critical as I first thought, which is indeed the 7 ... a6 was that the alternative 9.id3 exd5
case. 1O.exd5 allows Black to equalize with
380 6.~e3 Systems
10 .. .'~eS!, preparing to play ... i.h6 under

the best possible circumstances:
a) l l.'of3 i.h6 12.0-0 ixe3 13.fxe3 Wxe3t White keeps the option of 'oge2, which seems
14.l"lf2 'obd7 15.Wfl l"leS leads to a position logical.
where I couldn't see anything really scary for
Black. 8 ... exd5 9.exd5
b) 11.We2 'obd7 12.'of3 'oe5 13.'oxe5 In case of 9.cxd5, the typical strike 9... b5!
Wxe5 14.0-0 if5 15.l"lael ElfeS 16.Wc2 1O.i.xb5 'oxe4! leads to a better position for
ixd3 17.Wxd3 We7= looks quite balanced. Black.
c) If White plays l l.'oge2, then Black has
available the fine idea 1 l...'obd7 12.0-0
'oe5 13.'og3 'oxd3 14.Wxd3 'od7 15.'oge4
'oe5 16.We2 We7 17.f4 'oxc4! 18.Wxc4 if5
19.i.f2 b5! 20.axb5 axb5= which should
eventually equalize.
However, after 9.'of3! my efforts to find
complete equality came to nought, with the
main line being:
9 ... exd5 10.exd5 if5
Black, as we already know, should play for
the liberating ... 'oe4 in such structures.
1 I.i.d3! i.xd3 12.Wxd3 'obd7 13.0-0 'oh5
a b c d e f g h
9 .. .llla6!
A star move, which was first played by
Tigran Petrosian. I believe that Black has good
chances, for example:
10.~f3
10.'oge2 '2lb4 11.i.bl b5! 12.'oxb5
14.l"lael !
14.g4 Wf6! 15.Wdl '2lf4 16.'oe4 'oxh3t
17.@h2 We718.'2lg3 f5! 19.gxf5 gxf5 20.'2lh5
f4 21.i.d2 'og5 22.'oxg7 'oxf3t 23.Wxf3
Wh4t 24.Wh3 Wxh3t 25.@xh3 @xg7
26.l"lgl t @f6 27.ixf4 'oe5= is just equal.
14 ... 'oe5 15.'oxe5 ixe5 16.'oe4±
After 7 ... e6! White's options are Cl) S.i.d3

and C2) s.ttf3.
(14.cxd5 Wa5+) 14 .. .loxd5 15.Wxd5 ixb2 Black in Ju Wenjun - Huang Qian, Khanty-
16.ixg6 ixb5 l 7.ixh7t (l 7.cxb5 hxg6+) Mansiysk 2012.
17 ... @xh7 18J:l:bl ic3t 19.<;g:;,fl ia6 13 ... bxc4 14.if4
20.Wd3t f5 2 l .Wxc3 Wf@ An important line, After 14.Wd2 lod3+ Black clearly had the
at the end of which Black seems to have good upper hand in Aleksandrov - Kokarev,
compensation for his pawn. Moscow 2013.
14 ... ib715.Wd2lod316.ixd3cxd317.ixd6
10 .. .ltlb4! As played in Barbero - Forster, Switzerland
10 ... 'llc7 was Petrosian's original treatment, 1998. I would like to recommend the strong
but it may not be so good after l l.a4t. exchange sacrifice:
11. ..ifS 12J:l:cl ltle4! 13.ltlxe4 ixe4 14.a3

ltla6 15.'?Nd2 '?Nf6
8
7
6
5
4
3
a b c d e f g h 2
12 ... WaS! 13.0-0 1
13.lod2 bxc4 14.loxc4 Wa6 15.axb4 Wxal
16.b5 lod7 17.0-0 lob6 18.'llxd6 Wxb2 a b c d e f g h
19.'llce4 c4 20.ic5 id7 21.E".el ixb5 16Jk3! ;gfeg 17.0-0
22.'llxb5 Wxb5 23.ixf8 l"i:xf8 24.d6 E".d8 l 7.ig5 is well met by l 7 ... Wf5, when I
25.ia2 h6 26.Wc2 Wb2+ was better for prefer Black.
382 6.ie3 Systems
I7... .!l)c7 C21I) IO ..!l)d2 a6 1I.a4 .!l)xe4! I2 ..!l)cxe4 f5

17 ... b5!? 18.lt:lg5 if5 19.cxb5 lt:lc7 20.El:dl
h6 21.ltlf3 El:ac8 22.lt:lh2!? is double-edged,
but White might be better.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
18 ..!l)gs if5 19 ..!l)f3 ie4=
A draw by repetition should be the logical I3.ie2!?N
conclusion. This untried move, playing for positional
compensation, looks like the stiffest test of
C2) s..![lf3 Black's enterprising play.
This is what most people would play. 13.lt:lxc5? f4-+ is much weaker.
8 ... exd5 13.lt:lxd6 Wxd6 14.lt:lc4 Wf6

We will examine both recaptures:
C2I) 9.cxd5 and C22) 9.exd5.
C2I) 9.cxd5
This proved a nuisance for me, as existing

theory does not provide a convincing route
to equality for Black. The following piece of
analysis summarizes my efforts to show that
such a route exists:
a b c d e f g h
9... ges
The rarely played 9 ... b5!? may be possible, l 5.g3!N (l 5.ie2? f4! l 6.ixc5 lt:ld7 l 7.ib4 f3
when the critical test is of course 10.e5! 00 • 18.gxf3 Wxf3 gave Black a winning position in
Barria - Minzer, Torre Blanca 1998) l 5... f4!
Equally interesting are C2I 1) IO ..!l)d2 and 16.gxf4 Wxf4 17.Wb3 (17.We2 Wf6 18.ig2
C212) IO.id3. if5 19.0-0 lt:ld7+±) l 7 ... Wf3! 18.lt:ld6 c4
19.Wxc4 l:!xe3t! 20.fxe3 lt'ld7 21.lt'lxc8 Wxe3t 23.Wfg3 Wxc8 24.i.xg6!? hxg6 25.Wxg6t
22.i.e2 i.xb2 23.d6t Wg7 24.l:!dl lt'le5 i.g7 26.ga3
25.Wc7t cj:;,h6 26.Wxb7 Wg3t 27.Wfl l:!xc8 26.Wxe4?! Wf5+
28.Wxc8 Wf4t 29.Wel Wb4t 30.Wfl Wf4t=
With a draw by perpetual.
13 ... fxe4 I4.ltk4 a5! I5.i.f4 i.ffi 7

6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
26 ... Wffi 27.ge3 Wf6 28.Wxe4
28.Wxf6 i.xf6 29.l:!xe4 Wf7+ gives Black the
better ending due to the idea of ... b5
a b c d e f g h
I6.Wfh3!? 2s ... gf'8 29.gg3 Wf5
16.0-0 lt'la6 17.Wb3 lt'lb4 18.Wg3 l:!a6 The position is ultimately level, but the
19.lt'ld2= material imbalance gives rise to chances for
both sides.
I6 ... ltla6 I7.ltlb6 gb8 18.0-0 ltlb4 19.i.hS
ltld3! 20.i.xe8 ltlxf4 2I.ltlxc8 C212) I0.i.d3
2I...ltle2t! 22.@hl ltld4? This looks like the most natural reply, as now
The game is approximately equal, with a White is ready to castle.
possible further line being:
384 6.i,e3 Systems
10 .. .lLlxe4! 26.l2ig3 Elxf4 27.Ele7t <iihs 28.We3 g5 29.luhS

I have found this drastic idea to be best here, Elxg4 30.hxg4 Elf8 31.Elxh?t 1-0. Although
although other ways of playing are of course improvements may exist, White's play looks
possible. easier and smoother to me, so I decided to
I feel obliged to point out one line of play suggest the more concrete text move.
that caused me some concern, despite it
being popular in tournament chess. After the 11.ltixe4
customary 1O... c4 1 I.i,c2 b5 l 2.a3 l2i bd7 The critical response.
13.0-0 a6 14.Wd2 Wc7 15.l"\fel i,b7, Dreev
conjured up a quite brilliant idea: After 1 I.i.xe4 i.xc3t 12.bxc3 Elxe4 13.0-0
l2id7 White has some compensation, bur it
J: ~;""~i~~~
:,*'Ea~,,j
does not look fully sufficient.
8
si,~j_~i,m•m
5
4 ~,,1,~~~
~~ ,%~,,,~ 7 ~,,;.,,,,,/,m
~~ ~~~,~
:~,
:~.-,!.~~
6 /,,,,~~
3 ~ %m
%WR(~
%~~~~
'{lilit , ,,~~ffl1 ' ~
~mi'~~~~
~%a,,)m"~
2
%0% db~~1 :f0% 0 ~
~ ~
a b c d e f g h
l 6.l2ih2!? (weaker is 16.i.d4 l2ie5! 17.l2ih2
3
2 irrr.~jfj
m.,t fflt2Jm
fm
, , ,/, mv~ mM
because it allows the regrouping 17 ... l2ifd7!?)
In Dreev - Emms, Hastings 2000, Black had 1 • ffl ffl %,,,,
no active counterplay, and White's mobile a b c d e f g h

kingside pawns gave him good chances of an 11...c4!N
attack. Black went quickly downhill after: I think that this is an important ramification,
16 ... l2ic517.i.d4Elab818.l2ig4 ensuring good counterplay for Black.
Weaker is 11 ... fS?!, as played in Clery- Netzer,

Bischwiller 2007, due to: 12.l2ixd6N Wxd6
13.0-0 f4 (13 ... l2id7 14.Wcl!±) 14.i.d2 l2id7
a b c d e f g h
18 ... l2icd7 (18 ... l2ixg4!N should be preferred)
l 9.l2ie2 l2ixe4? 20.i.xe4 Elxe4 2 I.i.xg7 <iixg7
22.l2ig3 Elee8 23.l2ie4 f6 24.Wc3 Ele5 25.f4 Elf5
15.~a4! ms 16.ic3 ixc3 17.bxc3 l2'ib6 Obviously trying to keep the posmon
18.~b3t symmetrical is in White's interests, as he would
prefer not to come under pressure on e4 with
12.ic2 f5 13.ltlfd2! his kingside still undeveloped.
13.l2'ixd6 ~xd6 14.0-0 l2'ia6+ is much more
comfortable for Black compared to the line 9 ... b5!?
given above, as the pawn on c4 cramps White. A bolt from the blue, which is approved by
the engines. The idea is somewhat typical, but
13 ... fxe4 14.0-0 ltla6 15.l2'ixc4 b5 16.itld2 here it is seen in a very pure, almost primitive,
~h417.f3 form. Unsurprisingly, it is the great Dragoljub
Velimirovic who played this move first.
1O.cxb5 itl bd7!

Black is preparing to pile up on the
d5-pawn. This is an improvement over the
Serbian Grandmaster's original treatment of
10 .. .l:'1e8 l l.ie2 l2'ie4 12.l2'ixe4 :1'i:xe4 13.0-0
a6 14.a4 axb5 15.axb5 i"i:xal 16.~xalt,
which was a bit better for White in Kosic -
Velimirovic, Budva 2003.
II.Wfb3
l l.ie2 l2'ib6 12.~b3 ib7 13.i"i:dl :1'i:e8
14.0-0 l2'ie4 l 5.a4 is at least equal for Black,
for instance:
C22) 9.exd5
8
7
6
5
4
3
11. .. i"i:e8 12.ie2 ib7 13.0-0 ltlb6 14.i"i:fdl
2
Keeping the rook on al looks a good idea
1 for White, but Black's next is really shocking:
a b c d e f g h
386 6.ie3 Systems
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
22 ... ltJe5 23.ie2 Wih4 24.ltJd2 ih6 25.itJf3
itJxf3 26.~ if4 27.ltJe2 ie5 28J'fabl c4
29.1::~bdl itJb3 30.@gl ~es 3I.itJc3 @f7;;
Black's excellent compensation easily proved
I5.fxe3 Wfe716.itJh2 Wfxe3t 17.@hl Wif4 enough for a draw in Bailey - Mostowik, corr.
This is a really impressive position with wild 2012.
complications. It seems to be approximately
equal. Conclusion
I8.if3 The Karpov Variation is a rather tricky line

18.Effl Wg3 19J!f3 Wh4t where Black needs to know a few things
to avoid falling into a strategically inferior
position. I chose a system based on ... c5,
because I think Black has good chances in
either a Benoni structure or a double fianchetto
Hedgehog - which is what Karpov wants to
reach by choosing to play this fluid position.
To be honest, I believe this is practically terra
incognita, and I expect a lot of developments
in this line in the future.
6.ie3 Systems
Larsen
Variation Index
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6.i.e3
6 ... e5 7.clxe5 clxe5
A) 8.\Wc2!? ~bd7 9.i.e2 c6 10.0-0 \We7 388
Al) 11.~adl ~g4!? 390
All) 12.i.cl 390
A12) 12.i.gS 392
A2) 11.~abl 392
B) 8.\Wxd8 ~xd8 9.~d5 ~d7! 10.~xf6t i.xf6 11.c5 ~c6
12.i.bS ~d8 13.hc6 bxc6 394
Bl) 14.0-0!? 395
B2) 14.~d2 396
Al 1) after l 7.12id3!? A2) after l 5.exf5 B2) after 18.li:l b 1!
s
7
•.i.•s,.,
1,.
.i. . Y~*I"
6 llli• m,•
:~m~lll~~~lll
3~ /j mtZJlll lll /j
2 /j lllVlll ~ ~ /j lll
,~ lllnllln~
abcdefgh a b c d e f g h
l 7.. .lihh3t! 18 ... ~e7!N

388 6 ..ie3 Systems
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 8 ... c6!?N

0-06 ..ie3 This may be even more accurate, as it gives
An idea that has occasionally been adopted Black the option to first develop the queen
by the legendary Bent Larsen and also the to e7 and only then decide the future of the
Spanish GM Manuel Rivas. White reckons b8-knight.
that an exchange variation will be more 9.'llxe5
favourable with the bishop on e3, but in fact This fails to achieve anything of substance.
Black has nothing to fear by simply relying on Attempting to prevent the queen going
common sense means. to the e7-square by 9 ..ic5 is unnatural:
9 .. J~e8 10.i:l:dl lubd7 l l..ie2 luh5! 12.g3
6... e5 °Wf6! 13 ..ie3 (13.i:l:d6 i:l:e6 14J'he6 Wxe6
The standard recipe should guarantee Black 15 ..ie3 °We7 16.0-0 'llc5 17.i:l:dl .ig4=)
equal play. 13 ... °We7 14.0-0 'llf8 15.~g2 'lle6+± Black's
control over the d4-square and prospects of
7.dxe5
organizing .. .f5 offer him a fine game.
~.j.r.~.,~
7 ..ie2 transposes the Gligoric Variation.
--,, /. -,Y,~i
to
7... dxe5
7
8 .1•.t.s ~~•
~.,.~l.~.
There have been several games where White
played A) 8.f9c2!?, though B) 8.f9xd8 looks 6
,~/~.ji.~~~~..3~,f-~~
like the most principled continuation. 5 ~.~~------~
4
~~~
A) 8.f9c2!?
3
2
a b c d e f g h
9 ... i:l:e8 1O.f4
After 10.'llf3 'lla6 l l..ie2 °We7 12.i:l:dl
'llxe4! 13.'llxe4 .if5 14.lufd2 .ixe4 15.'llxe4
°Wxe4= White's bishop pair is only a nominal
advantage.
10 ... lubd7! 1 l.'llxd7 .ixd7 12.0-0-0 °Wc7!
This accurate move equalizes, as the threat of
... 'llxe4 is impossible to meet:
13.g3
13.e5?! 'llg4! 14 ..ic5 .ih6!+ or 13 ..id3
Planning to organize quick pressure along the 'llg4!+ are not solutions.
d-file, but my experience with such positions 13 ... 'llxe4! 14.'llxe4 .if5 15 ..ig2 .ixe4
tells me that this pressure is ephemeral. 16 ..ixe4 °We7=
8... ~hd7 9..ie2

Black should get an equal game, but before The alternative 9 .i:l:d 1 does not present Black
proceeding to have a look at it, I would like to with any serious problems after the cool reply
offer readers an alternative solution: 9 ... c6!, preparing to put the queen on e7,
Chapter 20 - Larsen 389
or even c7. White's best is 10.ie2, which will at this point 12 .. .lllhf6N, intending .. .t2k5,
most likely transpose to variation Al. Instead, would have simply been good for Black.
10.lbxe5 is met strongly by:
10.a3 Wie7 11.0-0 is answered strongly by
11...lbc5!, planning ... a5 or .. .tLlfd7, with
equal chances. The critical reply 12.b4 4Je6
13.4Jxe5 does not bring White any dividends
in view of:
a b c d e f g h
9 ... c6
This can be considered one of the two main 13 ... 4Jxe4! 14.Wixe4 f5 15.lt'ixc6 bxc6
tabiyas of the Larsen Variation. White now 16.Wixc6 ib7 17.4Jd5 Wif7 18.Wib5 f4 l 9.ic5
has a relatively wide choice, bur nothing really ixal 20.1::lxal a6 21.Wia5 2"1fe8 22.ifl 4Jxc5
scary in store. 23.Wixc5 ixd5 24.cxd5 Ei:ec8 25.Wid4 Wig?
26.Widl Wie5 27.Ei:a2 Ei:d8= Black was safe in
Budzyn - Wosch, corr. 2009.
Finally, 10.4Jd2 is similarly harmless due to:

10 ... Wie? 11.0-0 4Jc5 12.4Jb3 4Je6 13.Ei:fdl
h5 14.a4 (14.f3 h4~)
1O.h3 has been played several times, with one

example being 10 ... lt'ih5 11.g3 Wie7 12.4Jd2
Pieper Emden - Nunn, Germany 1990, and
390 6.ie3 Systems
10...~e7 This is slow and does not pose critical

Black's dream configuration involves a slight problems to Black.
adjustment of the one we have already on the
board - moving the f6-knight one square to 11...t2:lg4!?
the left. In doing that, however, the second The logical alternative l l ... t2:le8 00 should
player has to make sure that White's queenside also lead to a perfectly playable position.
expansion is contained at the same time.
l 1...t2:lc5?! 12.b4 t2:le6 13.t2:lxe5 Wxb4 14.f4
We will focus on Al) 11.gadl and lZlc5 15.<iihl Wa5
A2) u.gabl.
11.l::lfdl is best answered by: l 1..J?ig4! 12.ig5

f6 13.~d2 (13.~h4 t2:lh6! is excellent for Black
as the h4-bishop is out of play)
a b c d e f g h
16.~g l! l::le8 17 .~f3 Black is struggling to
solve the problem with the c8-bishop, with a
sample line being: l 7 ... ~e6? 18.f5 ~c8 l 9.~d4
t2:\fd7 20.t2:lg4! h5? 2 l.fxg6! fxg6 22.e5!! hxg4
23.Wxg6 1"i:e6 24.~d5!! cxd5 25.Wf7t <iih7
26.l::lf5+-
White has the following options: Al 1) 12.icl

or Al2) 12.igS.
Al) u.gadl All) 12.icl lbcS!
13.b3!? 17 ... Wf6! 18.Eld3 ltlf4 19.ixf4 Wxf4 20.g3

13.h3 ltlf6 14.b4 ltle6 15.ltlxe5 Wxb4+± Wf6 21.ig4 (21.'it>g2 ixc3 22.Elxc3 We6
is excellent for Black here, as (compared to 23.ig4 Wxe4t 24.Wxe4 Elxe4=) 21...ixg4
the l 1...ltlc5?! line above) the white bishop 22.hxg4 Elad8 23.Elfdl (23.ltle2 ic7 24.Elfdl
is passively placed on cl. This becomes more Elxd3 25.Wxd3 Eld8 26.Wc2 Elxdl t 27.Wxdl
than obvious after: l 6.f4 ltld7! l 7.ltlxd7 ltld4! Wf3=) 23 ... ixc3 24.ElxdS Elxd8 25.ElxdSt
Wxd8 26.Wxc3 Wdl t 27.Wg2 Wxg4 With a
13 .. .ltJe6 drawish queen ending.
This accurate retort prevents ia3 and gives
Black fine prospects. I5 ...hl6 I6.ltlxe5 ltlf4! I7.ltld3!?
17.ltlf3 ixh3!! 18.gxh3 We6 19.ltlh2 Wxh3
I4.h3 ltlh6! 20.if3
a b c d e f g h
20 ... ElaeS! 21.Whl Wh4 22.Elgl ltlh3 23.Elg2
a b c d e f g h if4+± (with the idea of ... ltlg5) Black has
tremendous compensation for the piece.
I5.hl6
Leading to a complicated struggle, with
15.Elfel f6 16.ltlbl Eld8 17.ElxdSt Wxd8= is

no improvement.
15.ltlxe5 ixe5 16.ixh6 Ele8 17.ie3

392 6.ie3 Systems
20 .. J'fadS 21.'i!lg2 f5! 22.e5 g5!f! important d4- and f4-squares outweigh the
Black opens up the white king's position, doubled pawns.
and that outweighs his slight material deficit.
13 .. .tDh6
A12) 12.ig5 I like this best.
7~·-41)~·~·
8 ~ ~~ ~ / - , , , } ~ , .
/,m ,,,~lf_ _zm-,~-
6 _____
~~m ~- ~,
5
4 %m tal%m,,~
~ ~ltJ~
3
!Hvwnfn!n
2
1 ~----Z-i•t=""
a b c d e
Designed to reduce the radius of the
f g h
g7-bishop before retreating to base.
12 ... f6 13.icl
13.~d2 puts the g4-knight under pressure
due to the Wcl idea: 13 .. .lllc5 14.Wcl! 18.h5
(14.b4 l2Je6 15.h3 l2Jh6 16.c5 l2Jf7 17.~e3 18.~e3 ~h6=
~h6=) 14 ... f5 15.~g5 Wc7 16.exf5 gxf5 17.h3
t2Jf6 18J!:fel (18.~h4 t2Jfe4 19.t2Jxe4 fxe4!+± is 18 ...ih6 19.ixh6 l2Jxh6 20.Wa4 ~ec8=
similar) 18 ... t2Jfe4 19.t2Jxe4
A2) 11.~abl
a b c d e f g h
19 ... fxe4! 20.t2Jh2 ~f5 21.l2Jg4 mhs 22.We3
l2Je6 23.a3 b6 24.h4 ~g6+± Black's harmonious
piece configuration and control over the
I think this move, with the idea of b2-b4, is typical position where Black has excellent
most likely to be encountered in practice. counterplay.
11 .. .lllh5! 12.~fdl 'iJf4 13.~fl 'iJe6 14.b4 a5 15.a3 axb4

Black threatens to plant the knight on e6 I 6.axb4 f5+± similarly offers fine counterplay.
with gain of time.
12 .. .lllc5 13.b4 ltie6 14.~fdl f5! 15.exf5
l I .. .lt:le8 is not out of the question, but after
the following variation I have a feeling White
could be a trifle better: 12.b4 f5 13.c5 'iJc7
8 :i~.A.~ i~•
/,w•a· .z~,,•~~
;&'{§ & ; ~... ~
7 • A ~~:cr.i~B1
':ff~
WA
&
: ~J~Jri~~
3~,-/,~~~~~
~% ~rn ~
2 t~:iVm:f~ if!!
a
:~
b c d
~:~
e f g h
14.~g5!? (14.Ei'.fdl 'iJf6 15.b5 <;tih8! 16.bxc6
bxc6 l 7.~d6 fxe4 l 8.'iJd2 'iJfd5 l 9.~xc6 ~d7
20.'iJxd5 'iJxd5 2 l.~a6 'iJxe3 22.fxe3 ~h6
23.'iJfl Wh4+± gives Black strong counterplay)
I4 ... 'iJf6 15.Ei'.fdl h6 I6.~xf6 ~xf6 17.~d6 19.ltie4 ~ad8 20.~xd8 ~xd8 21.i.d3 ~d4
~e6 (17 ... 'iJe8!?) 18.'iJd2 <;tig7 19.~d3± 22.ltic5
22.f3 ~xe4 23.~xe4 'iJf6+±
12.g3
12.b4 'iJf4 13.~fdl a5 14.a3 axb4 15.axb4
a b c d e f g h
22 ...i.xd3 23.ltixd3 ~e4=
394 6.i.e3 Systems
B) 8.'?Nxd8 11.tt:lxf6t
1 l.i.d3?! tt:lg4 12.i.c5 tt:ld4+ was agreed
White hopes that a quick entry of the knight to drawn here in Tai - Gligoric, Belgrade (3)
d5 will lead to disharmony in the Black camp. 1968, although Black should be a bit better
according to Gligoric.
8 .. J'hd8 9.~d5 11...ixf6 12.Ei:d5 Ei:d8 13.Ei:xd8t tt:lxd8 14.c5
i.e6 15.b3
8 As played in Pieper Emden - Bluebaum,
Lemgo 1983, when most accurate seems:
7
15 ... <it>g?=
6 However, this is certainly not the only
5 equalizing method for Black.
4 10 .id3 is well answered by: 10 ... lt:l a6

3 1 l.tt:lxf6t ixf6 12.0-0-0 tt:lb4 13.ibl a5
14.Ei:xd7 i.xd7 15.Ei:dl ig4 16.h3 ie6 17.a3
2 tt:lc6= With approximate equality in Serrano
1 Salvador - Tarrio Ocana, corr. 2007.
a b c d e f g h
10 ...ixffi 11.c5
9.. JM7! White's idea. He gains space and prepares to
Black preserves the option of developing pin the black knight once it appears on c6.
the knight on c6.
11. .. ~c6 12.i.b5 ~d8 13.i.xc6 bxc6
10.~xf6t
1O.Ct'lxe5? is a blunder due to: 1O.. .CDxd5
1 l .tt:lxd7 tt:lxe3-+ 8
7
10.0-0-0 tt:lc6
Gligoric gives 10 ... tt:lxe4 l l.4Jxc7 Ei:xc7 6
12.Ei:d8t if8 13.ih6 tt:ld7 14.tt:lxe5 tt:lec5 5
l 5.tt:lxd7 tt:lxd7 16.ie2 f6 17.if3 as better
4
for White, but after 17 ... <it>f7 18.i.d5t <it>e7
19.Ei:xd7t i.xd7 20.Ei:elt <it>d8 21.i.xf8 3
ic6 00 the position is close to equal. 2
1
a b c d e f g h
Reaching a double-edged ending, where
both sides have their strengths and weaknesses.
I believe that Black's bishop pair provides
him with full compensation for his ruined
queenside structure, and perhaps even a bit
more than that.
a b c d e f g h
Now Bl) 14.0-0!? is the main alternative to Black went on to win in Barbero - Khalifman,
B2) 14.ltid2. Plovdiv 1986, although the White position is
probably still defendable at this point.
14.ig5? is a clear mistake in view of: 14 ... ixg5
15.ltixg5 Ei:b8 16.b3 Ei:b4+ White's position is Bl) 14.0-0!? ~b8 15.b3 .ta6
already difficult.
8
14.Ei:dl?! ia6!
This also leads to some problems for White, 7
as the following lines illustrate: 6
15.Ei:xd8t?!
After the better 15.h4!? in Pranitchi - 5
Pantazi, corr. 2012, Black keeps some 4
pressure with 15 ... Ei:xdl t 16.<,hdl id3
3
17.li:ld2 ig7 18.h5 f5.
15 ... Ei:xd8 2
1
a b c d e f g h
White has two rook moves at his disposal:
16.~fel!
This is probably best.
I also looked at: 16.l"ifdl id3 17.li:ld2

(17.ig5? ixg5 18.li:lxg5 ie2! 19.l'l:xd8t l'l:xd8
20.f3 Ei:d2+ is hardly advisable to the first
player)
si~i~~-
16 _ <-9--<····
~JUrifU ~~ :~
~ ~ ------V-.
5
~."---?'·" ~?' · ~~
~~-:-,;,~
~lul.~
~r;J--3~~.
4
3
2 ,~ ,~
a b c d e f g h
17 ... ie7 (17 ... a5!?) 18.f3 f5 19.g3 Wf7+ Black
has whatever chances exist as he is the one who
a b c d e f g h can push pawns.
396 6.!e3 Systems
16 ... J.g7 14 ...J.a6 15.0-0-0 J.e2! 16.~del J.d3

l 6 ...!d3 does not achieve anything special 17.£3 a5
here due to: l 7.!g5! !xg5 18.lt:lxg5= Black would like to carry out a massive
advance of his kingside pawns to open up
17.:i~acl h6 the position for his bishops and rooks, while
17 ... i.d3!?N 18.lt:ld2 f5 could be worth White just hopes for a blockade.
trying.
18.c!tlbl!
This move enables White to untangle
somewhat, although the position still looks a
bit better for Black.
a b c d e f g h
18.c!tld2 ~b4 19.g4 J.d3!=
With equality in Renee - Su. Polgar, Brest/
Paris (1) 1987.
a b c d e f g h
B2) 14.c!tid2 18 ... J.e?!N
18 ... i.h4!? is designed to provoke a weakness
.1m.tJ~
,~Wfl,,,,,V,mm•
,.;,.~~r- lm, on the light squares: 19.g3 !e7 20.lt:lc3 f5
s
7 21.!"i:dl fxe4 This was the idea of inducing a
weakness with g2-g3, but as we shall see, Black
6 cannot hope for much.
5
4
m ~~
~-"'"~~
~.,,,,%."/i%ffl ~~
3 ~ ,,/z,,,,~~,~
~~,)~( ffl ~~ ~~,~
2
1 ,,,,%.,,,,~'ffl"'t[j,,%.It
/j t[j
/,rf /j 1/j
a b c d e f g h
A move that enables the transfer of the white
king to the queenside. However, it may not be
the best strategy to remove the king from his
native flank.
25.l::1xd8 i,xd8 26.Wc2 i,e7 27.l2ibl! White Conclusion

redeploys the knight again, as now it is needed
back on d2: to cover all the light squares and The Larsen Variation will most likely lead to an
possibly attack the a5-pawn. Both Rivas Pastor ending where Black has good chances to play
- ]. Polgar, Madrid 1993, and the subsequent for a win, especially in the positions where he
game Sinka - Szuecs, corr. 1994, went on to be gets a pair of bishops in return for a somewhat
drawn from here. damaged queenside. In those cases Black's
main aim should be to open lines by advancing
19.l2ic3 f6 his kingside pawns.
19 ... f5 20.exf5 gxf5 2 l.i,d2 i,f6 22.g4 l::1d4+ We also looked at positions where White
is also interesting. refrains from the queen exchange and goes for
8.Wc2, preparing play on the queenside by
20J~dl @f7 2I.gd2 @e6 22,ghdl i.a6 b2-b4. This leads to a typical struggle where
23,gxd8 Black would like to arrange a formation with
his queen on e7, and knights on d7 and e6,
then opt for a timely .. .f5. This is not always
attainable, but Black should not panic, as there
are always alternative ideas in such a non-
pressing situation. Sometimes .. .f5 can even be
completely avoided in favour of a strategy that
involves exchanges along the d-file or on the
h6-cl diagonal.
Overall, this is a variation that should not
cause Black players much concern, and I
believe that even a quick look at this chapter
will arm them with all they need to know in
order to get a satisfactory game.
a b c d e f g h
23 ...i.xd8! 24.b3 i.e7 25.@c2 h5 26.ltla4 f5
27.ltlb2 f4 28.i.f2 g5;
Black's chances seem slightly preferable to
me.
6.ie3 Systems
abcdefgh
ie2/ie3
Variation Index
I.d4 tZ'if6 2.c4 g6 3.tZ'ic3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 s..ie2 0-0 6..ie3!?
6... e5 7.d5 tZ'ia6 8.g4!? tZ'lc5
A) 9..iB tZ'ie8! 400
Al) 10.gS 400
A2) 10.b4 401
B) 9.B h5! 403
Bl) 10.b4 403
B2) 10.h3 404
B3) 10.gS 405
A) note co move 10 A2) after 10.b4 B 1) after 12.igS!
a b c d e f g h abcdefgh
12 ... ifS!N 12 ... c6!N

Chapter 21 - ie2/ie3 399
1.d4 ltif6 2.c4 g6 3,lt}c3 ig7 4.e4 d6 s.ie2 When writing this section, I wondered what
0-0 6.ie3!? would happen if White moves the e3-bishop
This way of developing the dark-squared again, rather than follow the standard 9.0-0
bishop may transpose to the Gligoric Variation li:'lg4 10.ig5 f6 l 1.ih4 c5 which is deeply
or to a Benoni type of structure, depending on examined in Chapters 11 and 12. I was a bit
Black's reply. disappointed to find out that Black cannot
boast an edge after such an unnatural move.
6... eS The best I could find was:
6~.r~~.,~
I believe that 6 ... c5 is also a good possibility
for Black at this point, but in principle I prefer
to play ... e5 when allowed to.
8 .i~..t~ ~~·
7.dS
7.4Jf3 c6 transposes to the Gligoric
Variation. By delaying the development of :~.,rr.m~
7 ~·-
~~
~~ ~~~~
-·~·
--"~r<?·-~-~
his king's knight, White aspires to a more

aggressive set-up.
7 ... ltia6
3
2
r~~,,~rg
~~-~-- ; ~ ~~-% ~~-'0,
a b c d e f g h
9 ... h6 10.ih4 1Wb6 1 U::1bl g5 12.ig3 li:'lc5
l 3.4Jd2 cxd5 l 4.cxd5 li:'lfxe4 l 5.li:'ldxe4 li:'lxe4
l 6.li:'lxe4 f5 l 7.4Jd2
17.li:'lc3 f4 18.0-0 fxg3 19.hxg3 e4 20.4Jxe4
if5 21.id31Wd4 22.l'l:el l'l:ae8 23.1Wc2 l'l:c8
24.1Wd2 l'l:ce8= is also equal.
l 7 .. .f4 18.li:'lc4
18.0-0 if5+
~ w,~~~~,
,,;,~~~~~~--3~
~-~•% ;,rd ;,~

6
8.g4!?
5 ffl' ,;-~~~~wi
4
~~-~.
,~,~-"-g
This is a rather strange try to gain space and
3 /,~
possibly attack later on, but I felt I should still
cover it. 2 :~~~fr~~~~
8.li:'lf3 c6 a b c d e f g h
Once more this transposes to the Gligoric
18 ...1Wb4t 19.1Wd2 1Wxd2t 20.ciixd2 if5
Variation, which was examined earlier in
21.l'l:bcl e4 22.li:'lxd6 l'l:ad8 23.ixf4 gxf4
Chapters 10-12.
24.li:'lxf5 l'l:xd5t 25.<iic2 l'l:dxf5 26.l'l:hel=
9.ig5
With approximate equality.
400 6.~e3 Systems
8 .. .lllc5 Kovari, Hungary 1996, when White could

White can choose either A) 9.~f3 or B) 9.f3. have obtained a slight edge by: 14.Wc2N c6
15.0ie2±
A) 9.~f3 13.Wc2
White has nothing better.
This has been a regular visitor in tournament 13.0ixc5? dxc5 14.~xc5 0id6 gives Black a
practice, bur it is not free of disadvantages. The strong initiative.
main problem is that the centre is not so well 13 ... c6! 14.0-0-0
defended and both the c4- and d3-squares are
weak.
a b c d e f g h
I believe that Black is for choice, by playing:
14 ... cxd5 15.Ei:xd5 0ie6 16.0ie2 Ei:c8+
White is vulnerable along the c-file and the
h7-b 1 diagonal.
Al) 10.g5 f5 11.gxf6 lt:lxf6 12.h4 h6!
White is weak on the light squares, and Black's

10.h4 f5 1 l.g5 fxe4 12.0ixe4 last deprives him of any attack, for example:
After this direct line I prefer:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
~ a b c d e f g h
12 ... £f5!N
12 ... 0ixe4?! 13.~xe4 ~f5 was Lamos - 13.~e2
Chapter 21 - ie2/ie3 401
This looks like the most logical, trying to 20.Wal (20.a3 c5!+) 20 ... £xb4 21.i.cl i.g4
cover all the weaknesses and then castle. 22.i.xg4 Wxg4 23.f3 Wd7 24.ia3 gbb8
25.Wg2 Wh7 26.lt:Je2 lt:Jh5 27.lZ:ic3 lt:Jf4+
13. Wd2 runs into 13 .. .'Ll g4+. Black went on to win in in Svenneby- Berriot,
corr. 1997.
13.b4 lt:Jcd7 14.c5 is answered strongly by:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a b c d e f g h 1
l 4 ... £f7!+ Underlining the fact that White has a b c d e f g h
overextended and that c5 is not a strong point. 18 ...VNcS! 19,ggz @h7i
A look at the position shows that whilst
I3 ...id7 14.0-0-0 a6 15.@bl b5 16.b4 White has prevented an invasion on g4, he is
ltla4 I7.ltlxa4 bxa4
tied up in doing so, and cannot really untangle.
This position can be dangerous only for
Consequently, the position is better for Black.
White; his king is rather exposed while Black's
is not. A2) I0.b4
I8J~h2!?N
18.lt:Jh3? Wc8! is pointless. White had to
retreat empty-handed and face a strong attack:
19.lZ:igl (White probably overlooked that
l 9.£dgl i.xh3 20.£xg6 fails to the tactical
shot 20 ... if5!! 2 l.£xg7t Wxg7 22.exf5
Wxf5H) l 9 ... £b8
This is natural, but it does not come free of

charge, as the c4-pawn is now weakened.
I0 ... ltld7!N
402 6.ie3 Systems
The strongest retreat.

7
After 10 ... lt:la6 l l.a3 f5 12.gxf5 gxf5 13.exf5
6
ixf5 14.lt:lge2± White had a slight plus in
Lindh - Mattsson, corr. 1973, as the a6-knight 5
is far away from the action. 4
3
11.h4 2
The most natural follow-up to White's
previous move.
a b c d e f g h
The alternative l 1.lt:lge2 is best met by either 17.lt:lf6t! lt:lexf6 18.ixc6 l'!b8 19.gxf6
l l...'~h4 or l 1...lt:lb6 12.Wd3 Wf6! 13.lt:lgl lt:lxf6 20.lt:lh3 ib7 21.l'!gl t lt:lg4 22.ixb7
Wh4 14.h3 a5 15.b5 ih6+ when, in my l"1xb7 23.Wd4 Wf6 24.f3 Wxd4 25.ixd4
view, only Black can be better in the ensuing l'!xb4 26.'iiid2 l'!xc4 27.'iiid3 l'!a4 28.fxg4
positions. l"1a3t 29.ic3 f4= With an ending that is
approximately even.
11 ... £5
12.h5 is designed to denude the black king
of his pawn cover. I like: 12 ... f4 13.id2 a5
14.a3 (14.hxg6 hxg6 15.a3 lt:ldf6 16.l'!bl
axb4 17.axb4 lt:lh7! 18.lt:lh3 if6 l 9.ie2 ih4
20.'iiifl 'iiig7 21.f3 l'!h8 22.'iiig2 id7+!- leads
to a typical formation, where Black's control
of the dark squares gives him infiltration
possibilities on the kingside, and renders the
position at least equal for him.)
a b c d e f g h
12.gxf5
This is most logical, opening up some lines.
12.g5 is certainly not out of the question, with

White's idea being to suffocate his opponent
on both sides of the board. I recommend:
12 ... c6 13.dxc6!? (13.lt:lge2 f4 14.icl l"1f7
15.ia3 lt:lb6 16.Wd3 cxd5 17.lt:lxd5 lt:lxd5
18.Wxd5 lt:lc7 19.Wd3 ie6 20.lt:lc3 l"1c8
21.l'!dl lt:la8! 22.c5 l"1d7 23.lt:ld5 lt:lc7? looks
better for Black) l 3 ... bxc6 14.exf5 e4 l 5.lt:lxe4
ixal 16.Wxal gxf5
Chapter 21 - !e2/!e3 403
B) 9.f3
This looks like the most natural continuation,

but I cannot help but disclose my feeling
that the configuration ie2/ M3 is a strange
one.
12 ... gxf5 13.ltlge2

13.exf5!? e4 l 4.l2ixe4 ixal 15.~xal 'Lle5
16.ih6 l"1:xf5 gives Black at least equal play,
with a sample line being:
0.
9 ... h5!
s .i R.i.~1.iJR• 0 This move bears the stamp of approval of
1 ,,./-
6 ,/,./, / , .
_,,R 0
• i
~
KID connoisseur GM Ilia Smirin, and seems
to be the best way to expose the shortcomings
~~ '":"//," ~~---- of White's set-up. Black attacks the enemy's
'0~/,8 ,11!~;3)''/
5 ~/,
4
•i•~
~8-~~ ¥0
~,·.-~~~~i
3 ~----• .
structure to prevent him from consolidating
a space advantage by means of h2-h4 and
'2lh3-f2, after which White would have
everything in order.
White has a range of moves: Bl) 10.b4,

a b c d e f g h
B2) 10.h3 and B3) 10.g5, but Black is doing
l 7.ie2 ~e7 18.~d4 :§:f7 l 9.'Llh3 ixh3 fine after all of them.
20.l"1:xh3 'Llg7 2 l.ig5 (2 l.l"1:g3? ~xh4+)
21...~d7 22.l"1:a3 l"1:af8 23.h5 '2lf5 24.~c3 Finally, 10.ig5 hxg4 l l.fxg4 is best met by:
h6 25.'2lf6t! l"1:xf6 26.ixf6 l"1:xf6 27.f4 l"1:f8 11...~eS 12.if3 '2lh7! 13.ie3 f5+! Black
28.fxe5 ~g7 29.exd6 ~gl t 30.c;t>d2 cxd6~ seems to have a slight pull.
With a draw as the most likely outcome.
Bl) 10.b4
13 ... f4 l 4.id2 a5~
Black has a sound position which should be This is tricky, but the following sequence of
at least equal for him; he has a safe king and moves should give Black an excellent game:
long-term chances to exploit the weakness of
White's h-pawn. 10 .. .ltla6 l 1.a3!
404 6.i.e3 Systems
l l.b5? ctJc5 l 2.h3, as played in Al Atar - 13.fxg4 cxd5 14.cxdS

Delaney, Tjentiste 1975, is positionally awful, l 4.ctJxd5?! ctJc7+
in view of the simple 12 ... a6N+.
11. .. hxg4 12.i.gS!

Much weaker is 12J&a2?! gxf3 13.ixf3 ctJg4!
14.ixg4 \Wh4t 15.2"1f2 ixg4 16.ctJf3 \Wh5
17 .h3 f5 18. md2 ixf3 19 .2"1xf3 Batsiashvili -
Ivkina, Loo 2014, due to:
a b c d e f g h
14 ...Wfb6! 15.h3
15.Elcl id7 16.h3 ctJh7 l 7.ih4 ih6 allows
Black to improve his position with gain of
tempo.
15 .. .ltlh? 16.i.h4 i.h6 17.ltlf3 i.f4 18.i.11

Wfd8 19.0-0 i.d7f!
The engines say it is equal, but in my view
8
7
6
~,w~ %~,, ~~
\~j;}~~~-;~
m,~
'l)ffi'""%-
0, ~~%,,,%%!;:;;»""'%-~
the Black side is the easier one to play, with
the strongly entrenched bishop on f4 and the
possibility to attack later on with .. .f5.
B2) 10.h3
:•o!it.Ta
3. ~lS~ ~
2, , . , . ,• • •
,,,,, ~~ ~~-;;; ~% ,,/,,z ,,,
1 ~ ~iVffl @M
a b c d e f g h
12 ... c6!N
Black is slightly worse after: l 2 ... c5 l 3.b5
'1Wa5!? 14.id2 ctJbS 15.fxg4 ih6!? 16.h3 ie3
17.ctJf3 id4 18.'1Wc2 ctJbd7 19.mfa
12 ... gxf3 13.ixf3 c6 14.h4 '1Wb6 was
Boudiba - Smirin, France 2007, when White a b c d e f g h
would have been for preference after 15.h5!--+.
Chapter 21 - !e2/ fle3 405
I~ _'White plays this it represents a small 20.0-0-0 ~d7~ gives Black fantastic dark-
posmonal victory for Black, as he can fight for square compensation.
dark-square control at his leisure.
14 ...'?Ne? 15.lllge2 !f6!=
10 ... aS 11.!gS The exchange of bishops v1·a g5 1s
. m. s1g
. ht
l l.iWd2 c6! 12.0-0-0 cxd5 13.cxd5 !d7 and equality is assured. '
l 4.!xc5 dxc5 l 5.~b5 a4! l 6.tz:lge2 '\We8
17-~~d7 '1Wxd7+± sees Black ready to attack by B3) 10.g5
pushmg the b-pawn, with excellent chances.
10 ... lllh? 11.'?Nd.2

It makes sense not to weaken Wh1't es' h -pawn
b
Y pushing it to h4.
l 1.h4 f6! 12.iWd2 fxg5 13.hxg5
~~%~~ ~~-~
8
1
6
s~
~l~I~ ~ - wii•
_;, ";, R
~ % "/
-~-
w....i
WI %~-,~~ ~I
~.~.,i- -~
4 ~i~~~%~ /,~
3~ m, " , ~~•
A ';{?(/ ~ u/' ,r.
2 ,'Fr(
0 ¥~%~,:{ ,% ~ ~
~ ~~
a b c d e f g h
13 .. .Eff4! A typical exchange sacrifice, designed
to unleash the power of the g7- b'IS h op.
406 6.ie3 Systems
The continuation l 4.ixf4 exf4 l 5.'l!tfxf4 17.. Jhf3!?

(l 5.Cllh3 ~xh3 16.Elxh3 l2ixg5 l 7.Elh2 ~e5~ is l 7 ... l2ig5 18.Eldgl 4Jxc4! l 9.~xc4 l2ixf3
also excellent for Black) 15 ... ~e5 16.1!tfe3 1!tff8 20.'l!tf c2 4Jxgl 21.Elxgl 00
17.Eldl ~g3t 18.c;t>fl ~f4~ saw Black obtain
excellent compensation in Agrest - Korsunsky, 18.ixf3 4Jxc4 19.Wfe2 4Jxe3 20.l~dgl! Wff6
St Petersburg 1992, and it is clear that only 21.Wfxe3 4Jg5
White is in danger in this type of position.
1 l. .. f6 12.gxf6 ixf6 13.0-0-0 ih4! 14.b4!
Conclusion
15.tth3 a5! 16.bS 4Jb617.4Jfl The ~e2/ ~e3 variation does not seem to be
Black has a good position, with a sample line dangerous for Black if he knows what he is
being: doing. The system proposed here, based on the
move ... e5, should lead to excellent positions
for us if White steers clear of a transposition
to the Gligoric. (Well, even there we may
obtain good positions, but it is a much more
complicated story.) That happens because the
configuration ~e2/ ~f3 is an unnatural one in
the King's Indian when the king's knight is still
on gl, and the present chapter shows readers
not only how to equalize, but also how to
obtain good chances to play for a win.
Please, dear readers, always remember the
typical .. .f6 break and the exchange sacrifice
... Elf4 when facing this system!
Averbakh
a b c d e f g h
7.dxc5
Variation Index
1.d4 tZ)f6 2.c4 g6 3,tZ)c3 .ig7 4.e4 d6 S..ie2 0-0 6 ..igS cS 7.dxcS
7 ...~aS! 8 ..id2! ~xcS 9,tZ)f3 .ig4 10.0-0 tZ)c6 11..ie3 ~aS
A) 12.tZ)d2 .ixe2 13.~xe2 tZ)d7! 409
Al) 14.tZ)b3 410
A2) 14J~fcl 411
B) 12.a3!? 412
note to s.id2! A) note to move 14 B) after 14.1!,%3

408 Averbakh
l.d4 t2Jf6 2.c4 g6 3.t2Jc3 ig7 4.e4 d6 5.ie2 8.Wd2 dxc5!

0-0 6.ig5
The Averbakh Variation is an invention of
the famous Soviet Grandmaster and endgame
specialist Yuri Averbakh. By playing 6 ..ig5,
White stops an immediate ... e5 and thus
prevents the formation tuc6/ te5, which is
the trademark reply to the Classical System.
In addition, White keeps the option of using
f2-f4 to increase control of the centre, or he
may improve his position (for example by
Wd2), before deciding on the placement of the
gl-knight. I would say that this is a chameleon
system, and that White's strategy depends very 9.tuf3!
much on Black's choice of set-up. Instead, 9.e5? l'l:d8 10.We3 tug4 l l..ixg4
.ixg4 12.h3 (12 ..ixe7? l'l:e8 13.Wxc5 tuc6
l 4.~xa5 tuxa5 was already winning for Black
in Oliveira - Cruz, Sao Bernardo do Campo
2012) 12 ... .ieG 13 ..ixe7 would have landed
White in a critical situation in Prins - Geller,
Amsterdam 1954, had Black now played:
8 .1•~1~ .~·~
Ii~ ~,lfi
1
6 ~
s~~W§,l~
a.ta,~
4 . ,;~:;t/~% %~~~·
a b c d e f g h 3 %m %SW;%~ !'3:i
2 , ~ ~/, , / ~ , ~
6... c5
I think this is a good and clear-cut solution
against the Averbakh. There are ways to prepare
.~ ~ ~·~:
a b c d e f g h
... e5, but each and every one has its defects.
13 ... tucG!! 14 ..ixd8 l'l:xd8 15.tuge2 tuxe5
The text is straightforward and well-founded,
16.0-0 tuxc4 17.Wcl b5!+
as the absence of the cl-bishop from the
9 ... l'l:d8 10.l2'ld5! Wxd2t l l.tuxd2 tuc6
queenside is likely to be felt after the opening
12.0-0-0 <;g;>f8! 13.l'l:hel
of the long dark diagonal.
13.f4 tuxd5 14.cxd5 tud4+
13 ... h6 14 ..ixf6
7.dxc5
l 4 ..ih4 g5 l 5 ..ig3 .ig4!+ is a little better for
This capture should not be underestimated,
Black.
though 7.d5 is more critical - see the next two
14 ... .ixf6 15. tfj xf6 exf6+
chapters.
With a slightly more pleasant position for
Black.
7 ...Wa5! s.id2!
Chapter 22 - 7.dxc5 409
8 ... Wfxc5 9.c!tJf3 i.g4 10.0-0 cltJc6 11.i.e3 15.iWxe2 l2la4!= and Black manages successfully
Wfa5 to trade a pair of knights, relieving his position.
A) 12.c!tJd2 i.xe2 13.Wfxe2

8
7 White develops, but at the same time alleviates
6 Black's cramp. I recommend:
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
A Maroczy type of position arises where
Black is better developed than usual, but
some work is required to achieve equality.
Pressure down the long diagonal and on the
sensitive c4- and e4-points help him reach his
target.
White can continue with the simplifying

A) 12.c!tJd2 or with B) 12.a3!?.
One might argue that a configuration with
12.1''kl leaves the a2-pawn unprotected, rooks on cl and dl is more natural, but
allowing the following equalizing method: 14.1'hcl ?! allows a Fischer-like pawn grab:
.i~ ~ )~•
%~;-----%~-,~~
8
:~.,.,.~~
7 ~·~'))-·~·
6 ...
"":~~"- .. ;,~
3~~m~11~•
~~
~~~-- .\ ../,J.L3~.l'% ~~-%

fj '!!i mv,!!i fj ,lj
2
~--··;,i:t·····•t=····
12 ... t2ld7! 13.a3 Hazai correctly points out 14 ... ixc3! White's compensation is not at all
13 ... l2lc5! as a trustworthy equalizer, with a clear. 15.2"1xc3 '1Wxa2 16.t2lb3 iWa4 17.f4 f5
possible continuation being 14.l2ld2 (14.b4 (17 ... aS!? is another interesting idea) 18.Elal
'1Wxa3 15.bxcS ixc3 16.cxd6 exd6=) 14 ... ixe2 iWb4 19.t2lcl t2lc5
410 Averbakh
2 l .~xg7 Wxg7 = was fine for Black in Uhlmann

- Zesch, Leutersdorf 2002.
15 .. Ji~acS
All attempts to press Black come to nothing:
8
7
6
a b c d e f g h
20.llld3?! (20.exf5 El:xf5 21.t2:ld3 t2:lxd3

5
22.~xd3 Ei:a5 23.Ei:ca3 Ei:xa3 24.bxa3 ~a5 is 4
more critical, but I still slightly prefer Black)
3
20 ... t2:lxd3 21.~xd3 fxe4 22.~c2 d5! 23.cxd5
t2:ld4 24.~dl t2:lf5 25.~c5 ~xb2 26.Ei:b3 ~f6
27.El:xb7 a5+ Black had consolidated and went
on to win in Saint Amour - Lorentzen, corr.
2004. a b c d e f g h
16.f4?!
Al) 14.~b3 The slower 16.a3 b6 17.t2:ld2 was safer in
Polovodin - 011, Tallinn 1983, and now the
~ ~~--
easiest equalizer is 17 ... t2:ld4N =.
8 ,iffl
(,tml&\~~ a r1Kt
7
6
•% a ~•ta% aw a
,,,,,/,~ - - , , , , / , . , , ~ ~
16 .. .ltlc5
4,.,.,.~.
2~~,,~~~
16 ... t2:lb6!?N+ looks like an improvement,
5 and I cannot even see equality for White.
3-~~ m
2
1
8~0,~'
~ ~
/,
-~~~
:/?""'·~
/•,_,,/,m /, ~
/,•r=,,
V,, , ~~0,~'%~ 8~0,~'~ c~0
/,:,,; /,
17.e5!? ~a4!
a b c d e f g h
White aims to place the a-rook on cl
without shedding the a-pawn. However, b3 is
an unnatural square for the knight and Black
should have no problems obtaining a good
position. A logical retort is:
14 .. ,'?;Ya6!? 15J:l:acl
15.t2:lb5 Ei:fc8 16.:1:i:fcl b6 17.f3 t2:lc5 a b c d e f g h
18.t2:l3d4 ~b7 19.t2:lxc6 ~xc6 20.~d4 t2:le6 18.~d5! dxe5 19.f5 e6 20.fxe6
Chapter 22 - 7 .dxc5 411
15.a3 '%Vd8
8
The queen has done her duty on a5 and
7 retreats. This is a standard set-up for Black;
6 his pieces are perfectly arranged in only three
ranks and are quite functional.
5
4 16.:Sabl
A draw ensued after 16.l2lb3 b6 17.l"labl
3 l2lce5 18.l2ld2 l2lc6 19.l2lb3 l2lce5 20.l2ld2
2 l2lc6= in Dokhoian - Loginov, Aktjubinsk
1985, but I don't believe the players were in
1
a fighting mood. 17 ... l2lc5N looks like a good
a b c d e f g h try to play for a win.
20 ... £5! 21.e7
2 l .g4!? f4 22.Ctk5 l2lxc5 23.ixc5 Ei:fe8 24.e7 16 .. .tbd4
l2l b8 25.ia3 l2lc6 is probably equal. This looks like a feasible method of
improving the position.
21 .. J:Uesoo
Black had the slightly more pleasant position 17.'%Vfl
in Petursson - Hazai, Valby 1994, a game that Keeping an eye on b5 and d3.
ended in a draw after several twists and turns.
The alternative 17.'\Wdl is answered by
A2) 14.l:Ucl 17 ... l2lc5, designed to tempt White to move
his b-pawn and weaken himself along the c-file.
Then Black will have good play as shown by
following sequence: 18.b4 (18.b3 a6 19.lt:lfl
l2lde6 20.b4 ixc3 21.bxc5 ie5 22.cxd6
1Mfxd6 23Jhb7 '\Wxdl 24.l':lxdl id6= is equal)
18 ... lt:ld? (18 ... l2ld3 19.lt:lfU) 19.l2le2 l2lxe2t
20.'\Wxe2 b6~
14 ... :SfcS
14 ... l2lc5?! aims for the thematic ... l2la4,
but after 15.l2lb3! l2lxb3 16.axb3± the idea is
prevented and White is slightly better.
412 Averbakh
17... aS!? I8.b3 15.f3 t2:ld7 16J'facl (16J"1fcl ih6= with the
18.f4 a4 19.Wf2 t2:le6+± idea 17.if2?! if4+) 16 ... t2:lc5 l ?J'!fdl ie5
18.g3 a5 19.i;t>g2 a4= White's queenside play
18 .. )Dc5 I9.h3 h6 has been stalled.
It is difficult for either side to distort the
status quo without creating weaknesses. 13 ...'11:Ms I4.Wfb3
White has to reinforce the space char he has
B) I2.a3!?
gained.
~~~·~0·t~
14J'kl!?
8
:,~•"_.iT~
5 ~ ~~
,,,,~ ffl ~
,,,,,%~,,,,,,~
~
I chink chis is best answered by:
14 ... ixf3 15.gxf3
4
~~
fflbfflbffl.i.ffl
~~
~~Jr:'\~
3 d1,
2 ID lr~ ;~j
,,,,/,~,,,,,~
~~~
1"d"nlBin""
a b c d e f g h
Designed to gain queenside space with b2-b4
and evict the black queen from its influential a b c d e f g h
position on a5. 15 ... e5!
Black's control of the dark squares outweighs
12.. .lHcS!
the bishop pair.
Black enables the queen to retreat to d8
16.f4 We7 17.fxe5
without shutting the king's rook out of play.
17.f5 t2:ld4 18.ig5 (18.ixd4 exd4 19.Wxd4
I3.b4 a5~) 18 ... Wf8! 19.Wd3 a5+± is at least equal
White continues with the original idea. for Black.
After 13.t2:ld2 ixe2 14.Wxe2 Wh5! Black is 17 ... t2:lxe5 18.c5
doing fine, with the point being: 18.t2:ld5 t2:lxd5 19.exd5 b6+± is at least equal
for the second player, who plans to annoy
the white king by planting his queen on h4
next move.
l 8 ... dxc5 19 .ixc5
At chis point Black has an appenzmg
choice between 19 .. J'hc5!?~ and 19 ... We6+±,
both of which should offer him fully-fledged
counterplay.
Chapter 22 - 7.dxc5 413
8~-~~
7
--~
,r~ ~,m, 16 .. .llld7 (16 ...ih6!= is also fine) 17.Elacl
(The alternatives 17.Elfdl?! LZlce5 18.ie2
LZlxc4! l 9.ixc4 LZleS 20.ixf7t Wxf7+
W Schmidt - Sznapik, Trnava 1984, and
6 "~~
• ' •, , ,"
,,%~ /,,,,,,~
-.('~ 17.Eladl ixc3 18.Wxc3 LZlce5+± are incapable
5 ~ ffl ffl ffl of posing us any problems.) 17 ... id4!+±
~bfflbffl.i.~
4
%~v~ ffl~ffl 15.Eladl
l~~~~•,m
3
2
a
~ £W!J lwtJ
, , , , , % ~ //,,,,,
,,,,Y,
b
~
c d
- '
e f
/,,,.
g h
This is met with the typical response:
I4 ...YNf8!
A strong move, first played by Aleksander
Sznapik. Maybe I have become boring
repeating this, but enhanced control over the
dark squares is an important theme in the
King's Indian, and the text serves this purpose
well as it introduces the possibility of ... ih6.
15 ... ih6!
I also extensively analysed 14 ... Wd7 15.Elacl
Black equalizes comfortably.
ixf3 16.ixf3 but White is better after either
16.h3
16 .. .llleS± or 16 ... We6±. Since Black's play
16.LZldS?! LZlxdS 17.exdS LZleS 18.ixh6
becomes overly risky in the resulting positions
~xh6 19.Elfel ixf3 20.ixf3 LZlxc4 21.1"lxe7
I decided to focus on the well-founded and
'lle5+ is better for Black, who has the much
universally approved 14 ... WfS!.
superior minor piece.
16.ixh6 Wxh6 17.Elfel ixf3 18.ixf3 LZle5
15.:aacIN
19 .ie2 a5+± gives an excellent game for
Apparently the most critical response.
Black. His pieces all have targets, a fact that
puts White in defensive mode.
A logical alternative is 15.h3 ixf3 16.ixf3 but
16 ... ixf3 17.ixh6 Wxh6 18.ixf3 Wf4!
Black stands fine after:
19.Elfel
This was Sorin - Cativelli, Buenos Aires
1999, and now I recommend:
19 ... aSN 20.ie2 axb4 21.axb4 We5 22.LZldS
LZlxdS 23.exdS LZld4 24.Wd3 LZlxe2t 25.1"lxe2
Wf6 26.Eldel 1"lc7=
The major-piece ending is level.
15 ... aS!
Black wishes to give breathing space to the
a8-rook, or to force a weakness.
a b c d e f g h
414 Averbakh
I6.b5 19 ... ~c5

This strange move is White's most prudent I also looked at: 19 ...J.h6!? 20.f4 e5 21.1Wc2
option, despite the weakening it entails. exf4 22.J.xf4 J.xf4 23.Bxf4
16.E!:fdl?! axb4 17.axb4 J.h6 18.J.xh61Wxh6 is

at least equal for Black.
16...J.xB 17.J.xa
After 17.gxf3 lZle5 18.f4 lt:led700 Black has
an excellent game, as he controls the c5-square
and can go for the ...J.h6, ... e5 plan.
7 ~,m
si,~i.~
--,,,m,
'ffl4i-"""--,~~
~· a b c d e f g h
23 ... Ei:e8! 24.1Wd3 E!:e6+± Black shouldn't be
6
~~ 'ffl ,,,,/,~ /,,,,,,~ ~
4""•8•' •~~
5 worse.
20.~c2 ~fd7 21.~a4 ~xa4 22.~xa4 ~c5
3
2
/,,,,,,,.,,,,,,m,,,,-~~r~
~ii°ID ffl~ffl
23.~c2 ~c7 24.f4 ~ac8=
White has more space, but his weaknesses
iM ~~ -arm,,,, along the c-file give Black sufficient counterplay

and render the position equal.
a b c d e f g h Conclusion
I7... ~e5 18.J.e2 ~ed7
I could have stopped here, adding that The system with 6 ... c5 against the Averbakh
Black has a satisfactory game, but I decided is one of the most popular and reliable ones.
to provide the readers with some illustrative Black opts for Benoni structures where the
variations: g5-bishop's absence from the queenside is
likely to be felt as the g7-bishop becomes a
powerful piece.
I9Jkdl
This chapter focused on 7.dxc5, when the
19 .lt:la4!? lZlxe4 20.J.f3 lt:lec5 21.lt:lxc5
sequence 7 ...1Wa5! 8.J.d2! 1Wxc5 9.lt:lf3 J.g4
lt:lxc5 22.J.xc5 Bxc5 23.J.xb7 Ei:b8 24.J.f3
1Wd8 25.a41Wc7 26.1Wd3 J.e5 27.g3 'it>g7 is not 10.0-0 lt:lc6 1 l.J.e3 1Wa5 is rather forced.
worse for Black. White has a Maroczy-type structure, and we
need to be careful not to slip into an inferior
position. However, the second player should
19.f4 lt:lc5 20.J.xc5 Bxc5 21.lt:la4 lt:lxe4
22.1Wd3 f5 23.lt:lxc5 lZlxc5 gives Black powerful have nothing to fear, and our usual motif of
compensation for the exchange. controlling the dark squares will lead to an
equal game.
Averbakh
7.dS
Variation Index
1.d4 l2Jf6 2.c4 g6 3.l2Jc3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 S.i.e2 0-0 6.i.gS cS 7.dS
7 ... h6 8.i.e3 e6
A) 9.dxe6 i.xe6 lOJWd2 @h7 417
Al} 11.h3 417
A2) 11.0-0-0 419
A3) 11.h4!? 420
B) 9.'!Wd2 exdS 421
Bl) 10.exdS @h7 l 1.h3 :!::!:e8 12.i.d3!? bS! 422
Bl I) 13.ltJxbS 423
B12) 13.cxbS 424
B2) 1O.cxdS :!::!:e8 11.f'3 hS! 426
B21) 12.i.gS 427
B22} 12.a4 a6 428
B221} 13.i.dl 429
B222} 13.aS 430
C) 9.h3 exdS 10.exdS :!::!:e8 I1.l2Jf'3 i.fS 432
Cl) 12.g4 433
C2} 12.0-0 433
D) 9.l2Jf'3 exdS 437
DI) 10.cxdS 437
D2) 10.exdS 439
416 Averbakh
1.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltlc3 ig7 4.e4 d6 5.ie2 9 ... a6!

0-0 6.ig5 c5 7 .d5 Black has an excellent game, as the following
This is the most critical continuation, lines show:
gaining space and hoping to slowly outplay 10.f4
Black in the Benoni structure that arises. According to the engines, this is the best try
for White.
a) 1O.li:'lf3 is a bit better for Black after either
10 ... b5+ or 10 ... li:'lbd7 11.0-0 g5 12.ig3
li:'lh5 13.~c2 li:'lxg3 14.hxg3 li:'le5+.
b) I also looked at the natural 10.a4 but
it is Black who is calling the shots after:
10 ... li:'lbd7 l l.£a3! (l l.f4?! b5! 12.cxb5
~b4 13.li:'lf3 li:'lxe4 14.li:'lxe4 ~xe4 15.0-0
li:'lf6+ soon led to White's collapse in Laczay
- Bourgault, corr. 2002) l l...£e8 12.li:'lf3
(12.f4 ~b4 13.a5 b5 14.li:'lf3 l:%b8+)
12 ... li:'lh5 13.0-0 li:'lb6 14.l:%b3 ig4?
10 ... b5! l l.e5 b4 12.exf6 bxc3 13.~xc3
~xc3t 14.bxc3 exf6 15.l:%bl £e8 16.<±>d2
7 ...h6 16.l:%b6? li:'ld7!+ was awful for White in
It is good for Black to put the question to Jensen - Fransson, Lyngby 1988, as l 7.l:%xd6
the bishop here, as I don't wish to let White succumbs to l 7 ... l:%b8.
consolidate a slight space advantage by means
of~d2.
8.ie3
The bishop observes both flanks.
8.if4 is covered in the next chapter.
8.ih4
Withdrawing the bishop to the edge of
the board leaves the queenside a bit bare,
without any apparent profit in return.
8 ... ~a5! 9.~d2
8 ... e6
We reach a Benoni structure where White
will try to develop quickly and preserve his
Chapter 23 - 7.d5 417
space advantage. Black's task is to find the right

counterattacking methods, or to make suitable
piece exchanges that relieve his cramp.
White can play A) 9.dxe6, B) 9.~d2, C) 9.h3

or D) 9.ltif3.
9.e5 is rather rash, but still playable. 9 ... dxe5

10.~xc5 l"i:e8 l l.d6 White has a 4-2 queenside
pawn majority, but the ending is still far away.
Meanwhile, Black has the c6-square for his
knight. A possible continuation is: l 1...lt:ic6
12.lt:if3 Wa5 13.~e3 l"i:d8!? 14.0-0 e4 15.lt:id4 a b c d e f g h
(l 5.lt:id2 l"i:xd6 16.Wcl Wf5 l 7.f3 is quite This can be considered as the tabiya for
complicated after 17 ... lt:id4 00 ) 15 ... lt:ixd4 9.dxe6. White has a choice between plain
16.Wxd4 lt:ie8! 17.Wd2 lt:ixd6 18.l"i:adl l"i:d7 development and aggression: Al) l 1.h3,
19.Wc2 lt:if5 20.Wxe4 lt:ixe3 21.Wxe3 We5 A2) 11.0-0-0 or A3) II.h4!?.
Black is certainly not worse here.
l l.f3?! is anti-positional: l 1...lt:ic6 12.l"i:d 1
A) 9.dxe6 (12.lt:id5 lt:id7 13.h4 lt:id4 14.h5 g5t is a
dream KID position for Black)
8 Ea ~ ~~ ~
~~-:, ,;~ '";;ii?°f'<
: ~j,~fffl
5 ~.,,,,%-,,,~%,,
~S"t/a!a~~
8{~.,,~rg
4
3 ~~8~
~~ ef', ,,, "'.' ... ~~ ~~-'0
a b c d e f g h
12 ... Wa5! 13.Wxd6? (13.lt:ih3 ~xh3 14.gxh3
This move has a character of its own, as l"i:ad8+ would have reduced the damage, but
White surrenders his space advantage in order Black's position is obviously for preference.)
to create a target on d6. But now the c6-square l 3 ... lt:id4 l 4.~d3 lt:id7! l 5.Wf4 lt:ie5-+ Black
is opened to the b8-knight, allowing Black to was already winning in Stepak- Veksler, USSR
develop efficiently and rapidly. 1965.
Al) 1I.h3
9....ixe6 10.~d2 <;tih7
A logical precaution, guarding the g4-square
against invasions. However, the time it loses
allows Black to equalize.
418 Averbakh
11 ... ~c6 12.~a ffa5 13.:!~dl!? 18 ... f5! 19.g4 ~e5 20.0-0 ~f8 21.~f4 ~ae8
I will use this at my main move, as it has 22.@~2 id? 23.~d5 ~d3+ Black had a slight
been played by the great Lajos Portisch. The edge m Kukla - Woznica, corr. 2007.
idea is to protect the queen and avoid the
tactical operation presented below.
s -.~ ~ im
After 13.0-0 Black solves all his problems with
the tactical: 13 .. .lLJd4! 14.l::ffdl! (complete
equality arises after 14.~xd4 cxd4 and either
l 5.Wxd4 ~d5= or l 5.ixd4 ~xe4=)
1
6
5 ~ ~ -·~
.1,m m·,·-·
• • -~.-~.i.%~&~f'i'\~},''l>
m.~m8m -~
,... J
...... % ~ /~~):-~
~ .. J
, , , , , . ~ .....
~ ~
,~: ~t.-z.J- 8
4
3 ~ ~~
~
~c@~-~
2 A -~«,------~-~~wm~~
1
0 i0%
..... -~
~l§J?~r.0% O ~
tr·1----%~ :
a b c d e f g h
13 ... ~d7!
A strong move, unleashing the power of
the g7-bishop and enabling Black to equalize.
a b c d e f g h The d7-knight is heading towards b6 or e5 to
put the c4-pawn under pressure, so White has
14 ... ~xe2t! 15.Wxe2 Wa6 16.b3 ~fe8 17.Wd3 practically no choice but to take on d6.
~ad8 18.~acl Wc6 19.~el ic8 20.id2 b6
21.~e3 We? 22.~cel ib7= 14.ffxd6
Black has placed all his forces excellently and This is the move Portisch played.
should not be worse.
14.0-0 ~b6!? (14 ... ~de5 15.~xe5 dxe5=)
13.~cl allows once more an immediate 15.Wxd6 ~xc4 16.ixc4 ixc4 17.~fel ~fd8
13 ... ~d4! after which White cannot aspire co 18.Wf4
much: 14.b3 ~xe2 15.~xe2 Wxd2t 16.~xd2
~fe8 17.f3 ~d7 18.~dl
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h The engines consider this position equal, but

I believe 18 ... ~d4 19.e5 ~xf3t 20.Wxf3 Wb4!
Chapter 23 - 7.d5 419
to be more pleasant for Black. 21.tZ:le4?! E!:xdl A2) 11.0-0-0

22.E!:xdl '1Wxb2 23.tZ:lfGt <iih8 does not lead to
anything concrete for White.
a b c d e f g h
A move I would rather not play as White, as
I don't think it's worth the risk.
14 .. J;fdB!?N
I like this more than l 4 ... E!:ad8, as played in 11...'iNaS 12.@bl
Portisch - Nunn, Brussels 1988. 12.'1Wxd6? tZ:lxe4! 13.tZ:lxe4 '1Wxa2 14.<iid2
'\Wa5t 15.<iicl tZ:la6+ leaves the first player on
15.0-0 the verge of collapse.
Black has the following accurate sequence to
reach equality: 12 ... ftlc6 13.f3
15 ... tZ:lceS! 16.ftlxeS ftlxeS 17.'iNxcS YNxcS

18.i.xcS ftlxc4 19Jhd8 l;xd8
13 ... a6!
This is the most natural option in my
opinion, planning ... b5.
I also looked at:

420 Averbakh
13 .. J:fabs 14.luh3
8
14.lt'ld5!? '®xd2 15.l:l:xd2 lt:ld7 is an ending
that I would gladly play as Black, as he has 7
better development and excellently placed 6
forces focusing on White's queenside.
14 ... b5!? l 5.cxb5 5
4
~
8
7 ~--Y.-
~-
' ' ,%~
><.-.Y.~·
~!'al'"
•'llr~J.ll'Y, ti
~-
~% ,,,,,<'';,,,{!'al'"
3
2
6
s E~----%~,-~----- 1
4 ,,,,%~"-,%~ ~~ ~~
~ ~~~ a b c d e f g h
3~
2
m ~~~lZJ
~%r~·--s:r~lr!!i 18 ... :SfeS!?m
Or 18 ... l:l:ab8 19.b3 (19.f4 luc4 20.ixc4
a
~-l~~-~
bc e d f g h
bxc4 2 l .e5 dxe5 22.fxe5 lud7 is too rash for
White) 19 ... l:l:fe8 20.g4 a5+±, in both cases
with a promising ending.
15 ... luh5!?N
l 5... a6 16.lt:\f4 axb5? (16 ... 4Je8!?) l 7.4Jxe6
A3) 11.h4!?
fxe6 18.'®xd6 l:l:fc8, as played in Bukhman -
Lukin, USSR 1973, seems to be inferior in
view of 19.'®xe6±.
16.g4 lud4! l 7.ixd4!
l 7.gxh5?? is a colossal blunder due to
l 7 ... luxe2-+.
17 ...ixd4 18.gxh5 ixh3 19.4Jd5 '®xd2
20.l:l:xd2 gxh5t
I consider the White position as the more
appealing, so I am not suggesting this option
to my readers.
14.ltldS
14.g4?! lud4 15.h4 lud7 16.luh3 b5--+ a b c d e f g h
14.'®xd6?! lud4 15.ixd4 cxd4 16.4Jd5 l:l:ad8 This is the aggressive continuation.
l 7.'®f4 b5!+ with the idea l 8.lt:lxf6t? ixf6
l 9.'®xf6 bxc4-+ is not a real option for White. 11. .. ltic6
l 1... lug4!? is the other possibility, but I am a
14...hdS 15.cxdS ~xd2 16.:Sxd2 ltie5 fan of quick development.
17.ltih3 bS 18.ltifl
12.hS
After 12.0-0-0?! the sally 12 ... lug4! has
more point:
Chapter 23 - 7 .d5 421
13.lt::if3 should be answered with 13 ... Ei:eS as

the sacrifice on g5 does not work: 14.ixg5?!
hxg5 15.h6 ifs 16.Ct::ixgSt <;t>hs+ White is
struggling to prove any compensation.
13 ... gxf4 14.hf4

After this, as played 10 Schoenfeld -
Schubert, corr. 1973, I like:
a b c d e f g h
13.ixg4 ixg4 14.f3 ie6+ Black gains more
time by attacking the c4-pawn, and White is
clearly on the defensive.
12 ... gS
White has several continuations in his quest
to prove the correctness of his idea:
a b c d e f g h
14.. .ttlg4!?N 15.t1Jf3 '?;VaS 16.0-0 ~g8?
Black has an excellent position with lots of
tactical play.
B) 9,'?;Vd2
13.f4
Designed to break up our defensive skeleton,
but it creates weaknesses in White's camp as
well.
13.ixg5? is an incorrect sacrifice: 13 ... hxg5

l 4.h6 ih8 l 5.lt::if3 :1'i:g8 16.lt::ixgSt :1'i:xg5
l 7.Wxg5 Wg8+ Black should consolidate his
material advantage and win. a b c d e f g h
A move used by such prominent figures as
13.lt::ih3 :1'i:e8 00 is similar to 13.lt::if3 below. Averbakh, Najdorf, Uhlmann and Seirawan.
422 Averbakh
White furthers his development with gain of

.i~ t J i~
time as he now attacks the h6-pawn.
8
~ ~~.j"?;r~
'I~~~ ~r~.
9 ... exd5
I looked at the symmetrical recapture
Bl) 10.exd5 as well as the more ambitious
:~attnfu~~
7
4
~-r~~jt•
,,,,,%~ ,;,,,i@.1'0
B2) 10.cxd5. 3 ~ %~ %~~~

~~
~ ~ ' 0 ~Z""',/''.,,A~,0
£3J
[3J f~ £3J ~
Bl) 10.exd5 @h7 2
,,,,,/,~ ~..if~
,,,,,/,~gt!~
a b c d e f g h
15 ... b5! 16.cxb5 lt:lb6
This is quite similar to a line we will
encounter later in variation C2.
17.b4! cxb4 18JWxb4 :!'l:e8 19.id4 lt:lxd5
20.Wfd2 ixd4 21.lt:lxd4
As played in Galliamova - N. Kosintseva,
Nalchik 2011. Black has a convincing
equalizer in:
s,i~
7 ~
~.i~
/,~ ,,,,,/,~ . / , ~ .
a b c d e f g h ,,,,,%~ ~@.!'% ~~ ~@.1'0
6 • t~ •it.I
~~ Y,,,,
After this simple reply, Black has easy play, as
: ~1~1,~~~
~~~,,,,%~
he can use the e4-square to achieve favourable
exchanges.
~~-/,,,,~~~
11.h3
3
~~ ~Kttti ~W'%1 ~~
£3J ~ ~~ .i. /£5% t3J ~
White wants to redeploy the bishop on d3
2
1 ,,.,,,,,,/,~gt!~
without having to worry about .. .lt'lg4. He
a b c d e f g h
plans a set-up with id3 and lt:lge2 in order to
prevent freeing exchanges, but this is slow and 21...Wff6!N=
gives Black sufficient time to generate strong This helps the d5-knight jump to either f4
counterplay. or c3, according to circumstance.
22.if3
The ease with which Black can equalize if 22.f3 id3!!+ is probably the tactic Kosintseva
White neglects control of the e4-square, is well missed.
demonstrated by: 22 ... ixf3 23.lt:lxf3 lt:lc3 24.lt:ld4 :!'l:xel 25.:!'l:xel
11.ltlf3 if5 12.0-0 lt:le4 13.lt:lxe4 ixe4 :!'l:c8 26.:!'l:e3 :!'l:c4 27.:!'l:xc3 :!'l:xd4=
14.l'hel lt:ld7 15.h3 Black has a slight initiative, but the game is
objectively drawish.
1 l.h4
This looks too risky.
Chapter 23 - 7.d5 423
11...l'!eS 12 ..id.3!?
l 1...Cllg4 12 ..ixg4 .ixg4 13.hS g5 is another Trying to prevent the black bishop from
viable possibility. reaching the f5-square.
12. 0-0-0 .if5 !
12 ... b5!? 13.h5 g5 14 ..id3t lt>g8 15 ..ixgS! Instead, 12.l2::lf3 .if5 13.0-0 l2::le4 14.l2::lxe4
unnecessarily complicates matters. .ixe4 transposes to line C2 - see page 434.
12 ... b5!
White's delay in development allows this
stroke. The first player now has no choice but
to weaken either e4 or d5 with Bl I) 13.~xb5
or B12) 13.cxb5.
Bll) 13.~xb5
8
7
13.h5!
6
13.l2::lf3 l2::le4 14.l2::lxe4 .ixe4 15.h5 g5
16 ..id3 .ixd3 17.'1Wxd3t lt>g8 18.'\Wf5 '1Wd7 5
19.'1Wxd7 l2::lxd7+ is simply worse for White. 4
13 ... g5 14.f3
14.l2::lh3 g4 15.lllf4 l2::lbd7 16 ..id3 .ixd3+ 3
14 .. .'tl/'e7! 2
Designed to avert sacrifices on g5 later on.
1
15 ..if2 lt>g8 16.l'!el l2::la6! 17.g4 .ih7~
Reaching a complicated position where I
prefer Black's prospects. Ruslan Ponomariov has preferred this
method, and it is probably the better option if
11..J~e8
followed up correctly.
Black understandably focuses on the
e4-square.
13 ... ~e4! 14..L.:e4 ~xe4 15.~cl!
15.l2::le2?! l'!xc4 16.0-0 :!:1:b4 17.l2::lbc3
8 l2::ld7 18.b3 .ia6 19.l'!acl l2::le5+ inexplicably
7 returned the extra pawn in Rukavina -
Krogius, Sochi 1973, and Black subsequently
6
converted his positional advantage.
5
4 15 ... a6 16.~a3!?
16.l2::lc3 l'!xc4 17.a3?! l2::ld7 18.l2::lf3 a5
3 19.0-0 '1Wb6 20.'1Wc2 l'!b8 21.l2::ld2 l'!h4+ was
2 better for Black in Ponomariov - Grischuk,
Beijing 2011.
1
a b c d e f g h
424 Averbakh
24.lLig3 mg8 25.Ei:bl lLid7 was balanced in

Meins - Schebler, Duisburg 2003.
19.~c2 i.xb2 20.0-0 ~d7 21.~g3 ic3

22.¥*fe2 ¥*ff6 23.:Sb3 ixc2 24.¥*fxc2 id4
The position is approximately equal, with a
sample line being:
a b c d e f g h
16 ... VBhS!
I think this is the most harmonious move,
and it has rightly been praised by Vigorito.
16 .. .fS 17.lLie2 g5! is also possible: 18.'1Wc2

(The weaker 18.f3?! Ei:e8 19.f2 Ei:a7! 20.f4
E!:ae7 21.lLic2 lLid7 22.E!:cel ?! lLif6 23.lLic3 g4
24.'\Wd3 gxh3 25.E!:xh3 lLie4t 26.@gl ixc3!?
27.bxc3 Ei:g7~ gave Black all the chances in
Frog - Bagaturov, Moscow 1991.) 18 ... '\Wf6
19.lLic3 Ei:e8 20.0-0 lLid7~ With good
compensation for the pawn.
B12) 13.cxb5 ~bd7 14.~ge2 ~e5!
a b c d e f g h
18 .. J:'!e7!?N
18 ... Ei:xe3 19.fxe3 ixbl 20.lLixbl ixb2
21.0-0 Ei:a7 22.lLibc3 ixc3 23.'1Wxc3 '1We8
Chapter 23 - 7 .d5 425
ISJ~dl
This has been the main choice in practice.
15.log3?! was better for Black after 15 ... loxd3t

16.'Wxd3 a6 17.0-0 axb5 18.loxb5 ~e5
(18 ... ib7!+ is even stronger) 19.if4 ~xd5
20.'Wc2 ia6 21.a4 'Wd7+ in Sunye Neto -
Quinteros, Sao Paulo 1986.
After 15.a4 a6 16.0-0?! Black has the tactical

shot 16 ...ixh3!, when he stands much better.
15 ... a6! a b c d e f g h
This undermining move gives Black
tremendous compensation in Benko Gambit 17.. .tLld?!?N
style. A flexible and strong move.
16.a4! 17 ... if5 18.'Wd2 loe4 19.loxe4 ~xe4 20.log3

After 16.bxa6? loxd3t 17.'Wxd3, as in Garcia ~xa4+ is also possible.
Gonzales - Sigurjonsson, Hastings 1974, it is
best for Black to play: 17 ... axb5 has been the most common choice
in practice, when a logical continuation
is: 18.axb5 lod7 (18 ...if5 19.'Wd2 id7
20.0-0 ~b8 21.'Wd3 'Wa5 22.if4 happened
in Tisdal! - Hellers, Ostersund 1992, and
here 22 ... ~xb5!t would have been great for
Black.) 19.0-0 (19.log3 loe5 20.'We2 'Wh4
21.0-0 f5--+ is unpleasant for White)
a b c d e f g h
17 ... ixa6 18.'Wc2 loh5! 19.0-0 ixc3!
20.bxc3 ic4 21.a4 'Wd7 22.~al lof6 23.~fel
loxd5 24.lof4 loxe3 25.~xe3 ~xe3 26.fxe3
@g7 27.a5 'We8 28.'Wd2 'We4+ Black holds a
considerable positional advantage.
a b c d e f g h
16 .. )Llxd3t 17.~xd3
Black has achieved his main positional aim 19 ... loe5 20.'Wc2 if5 21.loe4 ~b8 22.lo2g3
of softening up the light squares in the White ixe4 23.loxe4 ~xb5+ Black has the better
camp, and should now proceed to exploit them. chances.
There are several good ways to do so, as can be
seen below: 18.0-0 c!tleS 19.~c2 c!tlc4 20..if4 .if5
426 Averbakh
21.'?Ncl
a b c d e f g h
When there is no danger of a knight settling
a b c d e f g h
on the g5-square, this is not only viable, but
21...gS 22.i.h2 axb5 23.axbS '?Nd7t al_so ~est. White must find a way to untangle
Black is surely better as his pieces form a his pieces and finish his development. David
wonderful picture of cooperation, and the only Vigorito has made an excellent survey of
real question is the extent of his advantage. White's possibilities in his ChessBase article on
this position, and some of the comments that
B2) 10.cxdS follow are based on his remarks.
~~-
White can continue with B21) 12.i.gS or
s .i-.i.S
~,,,m,,,,,/,~m"aY,w~ B22) 12.a4.
-8~ '"~'"'
1
~
6
/,,,,,%
~
n.. ·m ~.-,~~ ~-~,
l 2.i.b5 is an untangling method used by

Fedorowicz, which was vindicated after
~
5
ffl 12 ... i.d7?! 13.id3!;1; in Fedorowicz - Bellizzi
~t"//. n. n -~
~~%,,,/,,
4 ~ Somerset 1986. '
,,,~\~r~ m
Instead I recommend:
3 ~ ~ ffl
8 ~--,,,,-.. ~" -~
2
1 ~
,,,,,t].tJ~f~8frf
~ ~"'"/~-~
~ ~ ~- ~
a b c d e f g h
Opting for an unbalanced Benoni structure.
However, it is obvious that the e2-bishop will
hav~ to move again to enable the first player to
achieve a harmonious development, and it is
for this reason that White can at best hope to
reach some sort of unclear position. a b c d e f g h
10 .. J:~eS 11.0 h5! 12 ... l"le7!?N 13.a4 (13.i.g5 a6 14.i.d3 b5+±

is fine for Black. 15.lllge2 t2:lbd7 16.0-0 '®b6
Chapter 23 - 7.d5 427
17.<;tihl :!'l:e8 18.lt:lg3 lt:lh7 19.i.h4 c4 20.i.c2 may have tasks to fulfil on the kingside. The
lt:lc5 leads to complicated play.) 13 ... a6 14.i.d3 following lines are possible:
lt:lbd7 15.ltlh3 lt:le5 16.ltlf2 lt:lxd3t 17.lt:lxd3
:!'l:e8 18.0-0 lt:ld7= Both sides have their 16.aSN
trumps in this approximately even position. This is given by Vigorito.
B21) 12,j,gs a6 13.a4 '?NaS 16.h4

This was the continuation in the only game
with 15 .. .'1Wd8! but it looks a bit too much.
7
6
5
4
3
2
16 ... '1We7!N
White's a-pawn is blocked from moving any
further, and Black threatens ... b5. 16 ... ieS?! 17.ixeS :!'l:xe5 18.f4 :!'l:e8 19.lt:lf3
ig4 20.lt:lg5 ixe2 21.'1Wxe2 lt:ld7 22.0-0±
14J'fa3! !tJh7 15,j,f4 is what actually happened in Michenka -
Neuman, Czech Republic 1997, and I must
say it's not to my liking.
17.a5 lt:ld7 18.lt:la4
18.i.g3 lt:le5+±
18 ... lt:\eS 19.lt:\b6 :!'l:b800
I think that Black has excellent play, with
one point being:
20.lt:lh3!?
a b c d e f g h
15 ...'?NdS!
Vigorito's suggestion may seem a bit weird at
first sight, but in fact it is perfectly justified, as
White isn't yet fully developed and the queen
a b c d e f g h
428 Averbakh
20 ...i.xh3!?= B22) 12.a4

Or 20 .. .f5!?=, with dynamic equality m
either case.
Instead, what Black should not do, is
fall for the time-consuming: 20 ... Wxh4t?!
21.f2if2 We7 22.b4! cxb4 23.Wxb4 f5 24.0-0
f2if6 25.f2ic4! f2if7! 26.i.xd6 f2ixd6 27.Wxd6
Wxd6 28.f2ixd6 1':i:d8 29.f2ixc8 1':i:dxc8 30.1':i:b3±
White recovers his pawn and even has a slight
initiative thanks to his strong centre.
I6...Wh4t!
An interesting move, designed to tempt
White to weaken himself with g2-g3.
Vigorito also considers 16 .. .f5 17.f2ih3 fxe4
18.l2ixe4 i.xh3 19.gxh3 as an option, but this This move has been quite a common guest
gives White too much kingside initiative in my in tournament games, and Yasser Seirawan has
view. been its most prominent practitioner.
17.i.g3 V!fe7 12 ... a6

Vigorito stops here but I will give an example Black plays a useful move, waiting with the
of how play may unfold: development of the b8-knight. This is because
he does not want to allow the consolidating
1s.tt1a4 tZ'id7 I9.ltih3 gbs 20.0-0 f5 21.ltif4 manoeuvre f2ih3-f2.
ltihf8
Now B221) 13.i.dl is not as accurate as
8 B222) 13.a5.
7
13.i.d3 is, as we already know, not
6 advantageous for White, in view of: 13 ... l2ibd7
14.f2ih3 f2ie5 15.f2if2 f2ixd3t 16.f2ixd3 f2id7=
5
4 13.h4 i2ih7
3 Black has good play.
14.l2ih3!?
2 14.g3 b6!? (I actually prefer 14 ... We7
1 15.f2ih3 f2id7 16.f2if2 l2ie5 17.0-0 f5 18.a5
f2if6~, but it is rather a matter of taste)
a b c d e f g h 15.f2ih3 i.xh3 16.1'%xh3 1':i:a7 Planning
22.b4! i.e5! 23.bxc5 V!f g5! 24.c6 h4 25.cxd7 ... 1':i:ae7. Seirawan considers Black to have
i.xd7 26.i.xh4 Vffxh4 27.g3 i.xf4 28.V!fxf4 good chances.
Vffxf4 29.gxf4 fxe4=
The ending is approximately level, but there
is of course still a lot of play left.
Chapter 23 - 7 .d5 429
7~·-
8
6
5~
4
,
-·~41)
.i.~.i.~.i. ~.
r.~,,J. r. ••
~
,,,,,,,
~~-
,,,,,/,
-·~
~~
.,
~
~?Jri"'B'";'"~ ~~
3 ~~~ct)
2 ,,/tJ~~i J!/,~~
QR~~~
a b c d e f g h
14 ... '\Wxh4t
Vigorito mentions 14 ...ixh3 15.:1'1:xh3 t2:ld7
as a sensible alternative.
15.t2:lf2 '1We7 16.0-0-0 b5!+±
Black's counterattacking chances should be
at least as good as White's kingside offensive,
although the game was shortly drawn in
Johansen - Moreno Carnero, Calvia (ol) 2004. 8
7
Finally, 13.igS '1W a5 transposes to variation
B21 above. 6
5
B221) 13.~dl ttlbd7 14.ttlge2
4
14.t2:lh3? t2:le5+ 3
a b c d e f g h
25 ... lt:lxdS!! 26.exdS?! (26.t2:lxa5!+) 26 ... l'l:xe2
27.lt:lcl l'l:e3 28.ixb4 axb4+ Black held a clear
advantage in Campos - Topalov, Palma de
Mallorca 1992, and the Bulgarian genius had
no problems bringing the point home.
19 ... ttlcS!
l 9 ... t2:lg4 20.id4± is better for White.
20.fxe5! ttlxb3 21.'1Wc2 l2Jc5 22.e6!

22.exd6 ig4i gives Black a tremendous
initiative.
22 ... ttlxe6!
The only way, but it is good enough.
430 Averbakh
23.dxe6 .be6 24J3aal i.c4! 25J~acl B222) 13.aS

25.El:abl b5?
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
Continuing with the battle of nerves; White
25 ... bS! 26.axbS axb5 27J3fdl \Wa3! 28.i.d4 does not give up on the l2:Jh3-f2 manoeuvre
i.b3 29.\Wd2 .bdl 30.l3xdl! mentioned above.
30.i.xg7 i.xe2 31.Wih6 f6 32.i.xf6 1lfia7t
33.'Jlhl Wih7+ 13 .. ,lt.)h7
It should already be clear from all the lines
8 examined so far that this move is best. It
prevents i.gS, opens up the way for the f-pawn
7 and, most importantly, prevents l2:Jh3-f2
6 under good circumstances for White. A look
at the board indicates that the chances should
5
be approximately balanced: White's plan to
4 create play on the queenside with b2-b4 can
be countered by ... f5 and pressure against the
3
e4-pawn. However, the position is delicate and
2 requires accurate handling by both sides.
1
14.i.dl
a b c d e f g h Denied the h3-square for his knight,
30...M 3Li.xg7@xg732.lt.)bs White has no option but to develop it on e2.
32.l2:Jd5 El:xe4 33.l2:Jd4 1lfia7 34.<;t>fl f6 However, the whole enterprise is artificial and
35.Wixb4 Wib8= leads to a more complex form time consuming.
of equality.
14.. ,lt.)d7 15.lt.)ge2 lt.)es
32 ...\Wa2 33.l2hd6 l3ed8 34.\We3 b3 35,lt.)fSt Now White must lose more time to defend
@g8 36.l2:Je7t @h7 37,lt.)ds b2 38.li)ec3 his c4-square.
\Wc4 39,lt.)f6t @g740.lt.)xhst gxh5 41.\Wgst
@h7 42.\WfSt @g7 43.\WgSt @h7= 16.b3
The game peters out to a draw by perpetual.
Chapter 23 - 7.d5 431
17...Y*ff6 18.Y*fe3
8
18.0-0 tt'lg5!t reveals the disadvantage
7 of recreating the bishop to f2, as suddenly a
E~,~,~i
6 dangerous sacrifice on f3 is threatened.
: ~j ~WlTu~f·~a
4 s
3
2
5
\ ~~-/'-ac/J~£
~ 1~8;~ . ,
1 4 ,,,,,%~ ,,,,,%~//,,,,,;~ ~~
a b c d e f g h ~%'"//, ~Y-f:2'.~~
3~8~ ~8-
,~~-'="•~
16 ...Y*fh4t!? 2~~//,,,,,;~~~ : ~
This is a thematic check, chosen by Garry
Kasparov. Luring the knight to g3 weakens
White on the long dark diagonal, while a
bishop retreat to f2 also has its shortcomings.
a b c d e f g h
18 ... h4 19.h3 g5 20.0-0
A playable alternative is Seirawan's 16 ... fSN. A lively position has arisen, where Black's
He gives 17.ic2 fxe4 18.ixe4 c4+:t as good for successful dark-square blockade on the
Black, and I have to agree with his assessment. kingside should give him something to work
with.
17.i.fl
17.tt'lg3 can be answered by: 17 ... fS 20 ...i.d7
(17 ... Wf6=) 18.0-0 "1We7 19.ic2 (19.h3 20 ... g4 21.f4!± is rather inconsistent.
h4 20.tt'lge2 fxe4+:t) 19 ... h4 20.tt'lge2 fxe4
21.ixe4 (21.tt'lxe4 h3t) 21...h3 22.g3 8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
22 ... tt'lf7 (22 ...if5!?) 23.tt'lf4 tt'lhg5 24J'fael 21.~hl ltlffi 22.i.gl ltlfg6=
(24.tt'lxg6?! "1Wf6!) 24 ... tt'lxe4 25.tt'lxe4 if5+:t The situation was complicated in Seirawan
With excellent play for Black. - Kasparov, Skelleftea 1989, offering rich
chances to both sides. For in-depth coverage
432 Averbakh
of this fantastic game, the reader is advised 1 I.liJf3

to consult Seirawan's Chess Duels: My Games It seems most prudent for White not to lose
with the World Champions, which was also time by trying to prevent ... i.f5.
brought to my attention by Vigorito's excellent
ChessBase comments. 11.i.d3
Once more this is well met by:
C) 9.h3 11...b5! 12.cxb5 ltlbd7 13.ltlge2
Black has two good choices:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 13 ... ltlb6!?
This is another move worth examining. It 13 ... ltle5 14.0-0 a6 is also possible, as
played in Steiner - Sznapik, Ljubljana 1981,
relinquishes the idea of an asymmetric Benoni,
but here 15.a4!N (rather than the game's
and simply prepares ltlf3 followed by 0-0.
15.bxa6? ltlxd3 16.Wxd3 i.xa6 17.Wd2
E1b8 18.E1abl ltld7 19.E1fdl Wh4t, which
9 ... exd5 10.exd5
Black should follow the standard plan of led to a strong initiative for Black) seems
to render the situation unclear. Black's
focusing on piece exchanges on the e4-square:
best is probably: 15 ... ltlfd7!? 16.i.c2 l2'lc4
10 .. J~eS 17.i.cl axb5 18.lt'lxb5 i.xb2 19.i.xb2 ltlxb2
20.Wd2 ltlc4 21.Wf4 E1xe2 22.Wxc4 E1e5 00
With mutual chances.
14.Wd2 ltlfxd5 15.ltlxd5 ltlxd5 16.i.xh6 i.xh6
17.Wxh6 Wf6 18.0-0 i.b7~
Black had clear-cut, excellent compensation
in Kamenets - Efimenko, Alushta 2000.
11...i.f5
Having fortified the e4-square as much as
possible, Black is ready to jump there with his
knight.
There have been several games where White
played Cl) 12.g4, though C2) 12.0-0 is the
safer course.
Chapter 23 - 7.d5 433
Cl) 12.g4 Black had a magnificent position in

Lputian - Gufeld, USSR 1983.
13 ...~xf3 14.~xf3 c!tlbd7 15.~g2!N

15.if4?! lt'ib6! 16.Wd3 lt'ifd7! 17.~ael
(l 7.ixd6 ie5!) 17 ... lt'ieS 18.ixeS ixe5 l 9.b3
was the course of Averbakh - Geller, USSR
1974, and at this point 19 ... lt'id7N+ would
have been better for Black according co Geller.
12 ... ~e4 13.0-0!

13.Wd2?! lt'ibd7 14.0-0
14.0-0-0?! lt'ib6! 15.b3 lt'ifxd5!! 16.lt'ixe4
(16.cxdS? Wf6-+) 16 ... lt'ixe3 l 7.Wxe3 d5
18.cxdS lt'ixd5~ gives Black tremendous
compensation for the piece.
14 ... ixf3 15.ixf3
8 ~~ ~~~-
~~ ',,,,,?,~
~£~,~zlJ~~,-;
'" ~;,:if% C2) 12.0-0 c!tle4!
~.l~.2;r-,,.~.,~
----~ ,
if~ .,.ifj
?
6 ~
5
4
3 ~~.i.~8
~~,~--,,~,,,,,7,~,i'%~~
8 ift!f:. t~ ift!f:. ~
2
~%~,,,/,-!~
a b c d e f g h
15 ... hS! 16.g5 lt'ih7 17.Whl?!

17.~ael! ixc3 (17 ... id4!?) 18.Wxc3 lt'ixg5
19.ig2 lt'ie4 20.Wcl! was the lesser evil for
White, with some compensation for the
pawn.
17 ... ixc3! 18.bxc3 lt'ie5 19.ie2 Wd7 20.Wh2
Wf5+
434 Averbakh
13)LJxe4 .he4 14.~d2 15 ... lt:ld? 16.gcl

After 14.id3 ixf3! 15.'Wxf3 lt:ld7 White 16.id3 'Wh4 17.l'kl lt:le5+ gives Black the
may have the two bishops, but Black's minor better game, if only slightly.
pieces are combining optimally. A logical
continuation is:
a b c d e f g h
16 ... b5!
a b c d e f g h
Black has at least equal chances.
16.gab 1 (harmless are 16.gad 1 ixb2 17 .ixh6 l 7.cxb5
'Wh4 18.'Wf4 'Wxf4 19.ixf4 lt:le5 20.ie2 b6= Apparently the lesser evil, although practice
and 16.'Wdl 'Wh4+±) 16 ... lt:le5 17.'Wdl 'Wh4 has shown that it is White who has trouble
18.b3 lt:lxd3 (18 ... f5!?+±, as played in Tomecek equalizing.
- Babula, Czech Republic 1996, is more An attempt to maintain the pawn chain by
interesting if one's mind is set on winning) 17.b3?! runs into: 17 ... bxc4 18.bxc4 l'!b8
19.'Wxd3 ge4 20.gbel gae8 21.id2 f5= 19.lt:ld3 'Wf6! 20.l'!fel lt:lb6+ With powerful
pressure for Black.
l 7 ... lt:lb6 18.if3!
18.ic4? a6 19.bxa6 lt:lxc4 20.l'!xc4 l'!xa6
21.f3 if5 22.b3 'Wa8 23.l'!f2 l'!e5-+ was
disastrous for White in Krouzel - Omelka,
corr. 2002.
18 ... 'Wd? 19.b4! cxb4 20.id4
We have been following Karlsson - Sznapik,
Helsinki 1981, when according to Sznapik
himself, he should have played:
a b c d e f g h
With equality in Beliavsky- Tal, Sochi 1986.
In view of the wholesale exchanges bound to
take place along the e-file the players actually
agreed to split the point right here.
14... @h7 15.:aael

15.lt:lel?!
This looks artificial to me; the e4-bishop is
in no danger of getting trapped yet.
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 23 - 7 .d5 435
20 ...ixd4!N 21.'\Wxd4 ixf3 22.lllxf3 '1Wxb5 16.if4 has been played by no less an expert
23.l:'k7 '\Wxd5 24.'\WxdS ltixd5 25.1':!:xf7t than Krasenkow, but I doubt its merits:
<iig8+ 16 ... '\Wf6 17.b3
The ending slightly favours Black.
8
7
6
5
4
3
a b c d e f g h
2
17 ... b6! (Instead, the blunder 17 ... '\Wc3? was
1
played in Krasenkow - Fier, Jurmala 2013,
f g h and here the Polish GM missed the typical
I5 .. .tZld7 I6.b3 tactic 18.ixh6!±, something that would surely
not have happened had he read the chapter
White avoids the b-pawn being a juicy
target on the al-h8 diagonal. On the other on geometrical motifs in the Grandmaster
hand, the time invested in such a choice allows Battle Manual.) 18.ltih2 '\Wd4! 19.'\Wxd4 ixd4
Black to find counterplay. 20.ixd6 ic3 21.l"i:cl ib2 22.l"i:cdl ixd5
23.l"i:d2 ic3 24.l"i:c2 ic6= The result is a
I also looked at 16.ltih2?!, which is inaccurate symmetrical structure where there are no real
winning chances for either side.
due to:
a b c d e f g h
16 ... '\Wb6! (16 ... b5 17.b3 transposes to the
note to White's 17th move below) 17.b3 '\Wb4!
a b c d e f g h
18.'\Wxb4 cxb4 l 9.ltif3 ic3+ Black held all 16... b5!
the trumps in the ending in Marinangeli - Once more this is the typical freeing
Perdomo, Olavarria 2005. thrust for Black, making the most out of the
coordination of his minor pieces.
436 Averbakh
17.cxb5
This is the move that has emerged as the
main continuation in practice. It is surprising
to me that White has a solid plus score from
this position, as Black stands extremely well,
but I think that is merely a confirmation that
games can still be won on the chessboard and
not just on the screens of a computer.
17.4Jh2
White has also had some success here,
although admittedly from a small sample of
games. I recommend: a b c d e f g h
18 ...i.xf3
This is logical, but it is not the only move.
Investigating the situation, I found that

18 ... a6!? 19.a4 4Jxc4 20.bxc4 axb5 21.axb5
i.xf3 22.gxf3 '\Wh4~ is another tempting
continuation. After all, why not have the a-file
open before attacking the white king?
19.gxf3 Wfh4 20.i.f4

a b c d e f g h A critical position, first reached in the game
Mamedyarov - Berg, Khanty-Mansiysk (ol)
17 ... 4Jb6!N
2010. In that game Black was worse after
The weaker 17 ... bxc4 18.i.xc4 4Jb6 19.i.b5
20 ... 4Jd7, but subsequently David Vigorito
ge7?! (19 ... ge5! 20.i.c6 4Jxd5 21.i.xaS
proposed an important improvement:
'1Wxa8~ was correct) 20.i.c6 gc8 21.4Jg4±
led to a White victory in Yermolinsky -
Edelman, New York 1993. 8
18.lt:lg4 h5 19.f3! 7
19.4Jh6? '1Wd7+ is of course out of the
question for White. 6
l 9 ...i.f5 20.4Jf2 bxc4 2 l .bxc4 '1Wf6+ 5
The interesting exchange sacrifice 21...gxe3!?
4
22.'1Wxe3 '1Wh4~ is also possible. Black seems to
have the more pleasant game in both cases. 3
2
17... c!Z)b6 18.i.c4!?
White's only hope for an advantage is 1
to keep the extra pawn, and for that he is a C e h
willing to allow his kingside pawn structure to
be ruined. 20 ...i.c3!
Chapter 23 - 7.d5 437
A crystal clear move as far as I am concerned, This is considered as best by the engines.
enforcing the removal of the f4-bishop which White does not take any precautions
defends the white monarch. My conviction is concerning invasions on the g4-square, and
that Black should have no problems at all, but hopes that, despite the presence of the bishop
in the following game she managed to create on e3, he will be able to develop smoothly.
them for herself, and lost:
9 ... exd5
21.¥9xc3 ¥Nxf4 22J'~e4 ¥Ng5t?! We will examine both recaptures:
This may not be so bad in itself, but it Dl) 10.cxd5 and D2) 10.exd5.
unnecessarily complicates matters.
D 1) 10.cxd5 b5!?
Vigorito's 22 ... E'.xe4 23.fxe4 ¥Nxe4 24.~f6
(24.E'.el ~f5 is fine for Black) 24 .. .';t>gs
25.~xd6 l2lxc4 26.bxc4 ~xc4= is an easy
equalizer and should have been preferred.
23J'~g4 ¥95 24.~d3 ¥Nh5?

24 ... ~e5!+! would have led to a playable
ending according to Vigorito, and I agree with
his assessment.
25.¥Nf6!+-
Black was suddenly paralysed in Fridman -
Ju Wenjun, Gibraltar 2013. A strange turn of
events, but obviously this is not damaging for
our repertoire, as the proposed improvements This typical Benoni stroke is a drastic
suggest that Black should be at least equal in solution, leading to forced play. A likely
this line. continuation is:
11.Lb5 ltixe4 12.~xe4 ¥Na5t

438 Averbakh
13.~d2 19 .. J::1axc8!N 20.a3 !'1fd8 21.!'1hdl 4:'lc7 22.d6

13.4Jc3 J.xc3t 14.bxc3 Wxb5 15.Wb3 J.a6! 4:'le6 23.!'1d5 4:'ld4t=
16.Wxb5 J.xb5 l 7.4:'ld2 J.d3t was, if anything,
slightly better for Black in Donner - Portisch, 17... ~a6!
Lugano (ol) 1968. Acs played l 7 ...J.g7!? which isn't bad either.
13.4:'lfd2 Wxb5 14.4:'lxd6 Wxb2 15.l''kl J.a6 1s.:ac1

looks excellent for the second player. 18.!'1b3!? is best answered by: 18 ... J.xd2t!
(18 ... J.g7 19.4Jxc8 Elaxc8 20.4:'lc4t is optimal
13 ...~xb5 I4.lllxd6 ~xb2 15.~xb2 ixb2 for White as his rook is well placed on the
16.:abI J.c3t b-file) 19. Wxd2 !'1d8 20.4Jxc8 E1axc8 21.Elcl
4:'lb4 22.iie2 4:'lxd5 23.Elxc5 4Jxe3 24.!'1xc8
Elxc8 25.iixe3 !'1c5= With complete equality.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
17.~d2!?
A move originally played in Korchnoi - Acs,
a b c d e f g h
Paks 2005. 18 ...J.g7!N
My improvement over: 18 ... J.xd2t 19.Wxd2
Instead, 17.<it>dl 4:'la6 (17 ...J.g4!? is worth !'1d8 20.J.f4 g5 21.J.g3 f5 22.J.e5 J.b7
investigating) l 8.'it>c2 J.g7 l 9.4:'lxc8 happened
in Osis - Brooks, corr. 1993, and at this point
a nice route to equality was:
a b c d e f g h
23.h4! g4 24.We3 J.xd5 25.f3 gxf3?! (25 ... !'1f8!?
had to be played) 26.gxf3 !'1d7 27.h5 !'1e7
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 23 - 7.d5 439
28J"~hgl t @h7 29.f4± Black did not last a whole 12.fxe3 c!tJg4! 13.Wd2
lot longer in Vodicka - Bascetta, corr. 2011.
8
7 lf,,.,,,,/,.r~
,,,/,•~-~~'I"~
.i~..t.~ ~.
:
19.hc5
19.0-0 1':!:d8 20.lt:l2e4 f5 21.lt:'lxc8 1':!:axc8
22.lt:'lxc5 lt:'lxc5= is dead level.
6
~~ref,,/,~ ~~ ,,,,,
~~r~,~~~~
19.lt:'lxc8 1':!:axc8 20.d6 1':!:fd8 21.lt:'lc4 lt:'lb4+ is
much less impressive for White when his rook 3~
~/,~~/,,,,~!
m ~~~f[,w
has moved away from the b-file. fwr<('''~"i-~~
19 ... lt:'lc7 20.lt:'lxc8 :Sfxc8 2I.d6 lt:'le6 22.i.a3
2
~,,,/,~
o ru;::
,,,,/,~ lr1""
o ru
~'f§1 dJb •
a b c d e f g h
:Sxcl t 23 ..hcl :Sd8 24.i.a3 i.f'S 25.c!tJc4 :Sc8
26.c!tJe3 :Sc3 27.i.b2 :Sd3 28.c!tJc4 i.xd6= 13 ... lt:'ld7!N
Once more, a dead-level ending has been In Valdes - Aldama, Cuba 1993, Black
reached. adopted a worse move order with l 3 .. .'\We7?!,
which could be met by 14.h3!?, not allowing
D2) 10.exd5 a black knight to settle on the e5-square.
14.1':!:ael
6
8
s
,r----,,~ i~-/
.i~.i.~
7 ,-~~~'
~m'"/,Stf~ ~~,%~~,/~',~~,.·,i·,
t~%, ,~; t~
'./'/,
, , , , , % ~ ,,,,,V,~,'l'~
/------~ - - ,
:%'.%
&
Computers give 14.h3 lt:ige5 15.b3 We7,
but I cannot see why this is an improvement
over Valdes' line. For example, after their
suggestion of 16.a4, I believe that 16 ... lt:ixf3t
l 7.1':!:xf3 lt:ie5 leads to similar positions to
those shown below.
~/JJJ,{,ll,'~~~~~
~~7~~~
4 14 ... We7 15.i.d3
~~:'//,~
~ ~0: ~~-
3
8n,_,,,;mJi~8~
2
1 g{,,,,/,~ 't!1 vm--,,/,~
a b c d e f g h
10...i.f5
This is the safest continuation, again going
for the relieving exchanges the e4-square can
offer. The fact that White did not invest a move
in h2-h3 is of course a factor in his favour, but a b c d e f g h
it is not enough to change the assessment of
15 ... h5~
the position as equal.
This line is given by Valdes. The extent of
Black's compensation is unclear, but one thing
10 ...1':!:e8!? 11.0-01':!:xe3!?
is certain: he is enjoying great control over the
An exchange sacrifice for positional
dark squares, whilst at the same time White
compensation, which may suit those wishing
lacks a concrete plan for opening lines to
to complicate matters.
440 Averbakh
utilize his material advantage. In a practical l l...g5! 12.0-0 l"\e8 13.Wfb3 l2::ibd7 Black's
game, these factors might weigh considerably, fantastic piece mobility ourweighs any
and I believe that with decent preparation the structural weaknesses he may have.
position is playable for Black.
Another possibility mentioned by Valdes 11 .. .lt~e4! 12.<~he4 i.xe4
is l 5 ... l2::ide5!? which, despite voluntarily
exchanging a knight, should also be okay. It
removes the f3-knight, which is a valuable
defending piece for the white king. The engines
give White an edge after something like 16.h3
l2::ixf3t l 7.!'1xf3 l2::ie5 18.l"\f2 id7 19.b3 a6 but,
once more, how does White break through?
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h 8 .i.~ ~ i~•
,,/,-.Y,~
;,•~w~~-~fw,
:~.r,~,~~
7 ~.---
11.0-0 6 __
If I were White, I might be tempted to try ~~rd·-%~~~",,
l l .l2::id2!?, preventing exchanging operations
based on ... l2::ie4. However, I see that no one
~,~ ~~ ~~
has played this move, and the reason probably 3 ~~-~ ~/, N/)tJ~,~ ~~-~
lies with: 2 b ttj m~ttj
~,,,,/,.,, b tt5
..•i~''''
a b c d e f g h
l 4 ... l"\e8! (l 4 ... l2::id7?! l 5.g4) 15.l"\ael l2::id7!
Black has nothing to fear. The critical 16.g4
ie4 17.idl is answered strongly by: l 7 ... b5!
18.cxb5 l2::if6 19.l2::ixe4 l"\xe4+± Black's chances
are not worse in this complicated position.
13.Wf d2 leads to positions similar to the ones

witnessed in variation C2: 13 ... c;t,h7 14.l"\ael
l2::id7 15.if4 Wff6 16.b3 (16.ig5 Wfxb2
Chapter 23 - 7.d5 441
17 ..ixh6 ~xd2 18.lt:lxd2 l"i:ae8+) 16 ... l"i:fe8

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h
The best move according to the engines,
I9.ge2 gfeg 20.gfel gxe2 2I.gxe2 b4!?
namely 17.h3, is a direct transposition to
22.lt)d2 a5=
the game Krasenkow - Fier examined on
With balanced play.
page 435. As we already know, Black should
have a satisfactory game after the correct
Conclusion
17 ... b6 18.lt:lh2 ~d4!.
The largest chapter of our Averbakh section
13.•.Ld3
saw us begin our examination of the critical
13 ... .ixf3!? 14.~xf3 'Lld7 15.~h3 'Lle5 is
7.d5. My recommendation was to immediately
also playable, and led to approximate equality
challenge the bishop with 7 ... h6, and the main
in Kholmov - Stein, Moscow 1964.
bulk of the chapter was reached after the
further 8 ..ie3 e6.
I4.Wfxd3 ~d7 I5.i.f4 ~f6 I6J'fael
Quick development is the key to combatting
9.dxe6, and I believe my analysis shows the
8 route to full equality, with the chance to play
for more if White is not careful.
7
After 9.~d2 exd5 White can recapture with
6 either pawn, and the ensuing positions are
5 rich in tactical and strategical ideas. There are
chances for both sides, but I am confident that
4 Black is in no danger of being worse.
3 White's final two options were 9.h3 and
9.'Llf3, and the arising positions share some
2
characteristics. An important idea is often
1 to use the e4-square to exchange a piece and
relieve some of White's pressure. Overall, I am
satisfied with Black's chances in these lines, and
I6 ... Wfd7 I7.h3 a6 I8.b3 b5 believe that their complex nature will allow the
I can't see any reason why Black should be typical King's Indian player to flourish.
dissatisfied with the result of the opening.
A logical continuation is:
Averbakh
abcdefgh
8.if4Main Line
Variation Index
1.d4 tbf6 2.c4 g6 3.tbc3 ~g7 4.e4 d6 5.~e2 0-0 6.~g5 c5 7.d5 h6 8.~f4
8 ...e6! 9.dxe6 .be6
A) 10.~d2!? ~b6! 443
Al) 11.tbf3 443
A2) 11.0-0-0 444
A3) 11.~xh6!? ~ 6 12.~xh6 ~xb2 13J~cl tbc6
14.h4! tbe5! 15.tbh3 b5! 446
A31) 16.cxb5 447
A32) 16.h5 448
B) 10 ..bd6 ~e8 11.tbf3 ~b6! 450
Bl) 12 ..bb8 452
B2) 12.e5 tbfd7 13.tbb5!? tbc6! 453
B21) 14.tbc7 454
B22) 14.~c7!? 455
A3 l) note to l 8.lthd5! B2) note to 13.ti:lb5!? B22) after 2 l.b3
abcdefgh abcdefgh a b c d e f g h
18 .. J'hdS!N 22 .. .'~e7!N~ 21...a5!N

Chapter 24 - 8.~f4 Main Line 443
t.d4 ltlf6 2.c4 g6 3.ltlc3 Ag7 4.e4 d6 s.Ae2 16 ... lt'ib4 17.0-0 l:!d8+± If anyone is better, it
0-0 6.Ag5 c5 7.dS h6 8.~f4 is Black.
Most testing; White wants to discourage
... e6 and complete his development, without A) 10.Wfd2!?
allowing Black counterplay.
A sharp and popular line where Black needs to
8... e6! know his theory.
White's last was supposed to prevent this, but
Black is not willing to be suffocated. Instead, 10 ...Wfb6!
he goes on to open up the position and even White can try either Al) 11.ltlf3 or
offers a pawn sacrifice. A2) 11.0-0-0, but the critical move is
A3) 11..bh6!?.
9.dxe6.be6
This can be considered as a tabiya for our Al) 1 I.t2Jf3
repertoire against the Averbakh. White has
often resorted to the refined A) 10.Wfd2!?,
8
although he can immediately grab the pawn
with B) 10 ..bd6. In either case, Black should 7
be fine after some accurate moves; he must 6
take control of the important d4-square and
utilize the powerful g7-bishop. 5
4
Instead, 10.lt'if3 does not offer White
3
anything special after the correct 10 ... Wb6!,
for example: 11.Wb3!? (11.Wd2 transposes to 2
variation Al)
1
8 a b c d e f g h
7 I faced this in one of my own games just last
6 year.
5
11 .. .l£Jc6 12.0-0 g5!
4
12 ... lt'id4 13.lt'ixd4 cxd4 14.lt'id5 ixd5
3 15.exd5 looked like a tiny plus for White in
2 Fier- Kotronias, Cappelle-la-Grande 2015, so
I would prefer to suggest the text move.
a b c d e f g h
13.~g3
11...lt'ic6! 12.ixd6 l:!fd8 13.Wxb6 axb6
13.ixd6? l:!fd8 14.e5 lt'ixe5! 15.lt'ixe5 lt'ie8+
14.~c7 l:!dc8 15.if4 (15.ixb6?? lt'id7-+) only lands White in trouble.
15 ... g5! 16.icl (16.ie3? lt'ib4 17.0-0 lt'ic2
18.l:!abl lt'ixe3 19.fxe3 lt'ig4 20.lt'id5 ixd5
13.ie3 lt'ig4+ surrenders the bishop pair
21.cxd5 lt'ixe3 22.l:!fcl l:!xa2+ was better
without any apparent compensation.
for Black in Grivas - Nowak, Athens 1989)
444 Averbakh
A2) 11.0-0-0
a b c d e f g h
This makes some sense, as the black queen
blocks an attack based on the ... b5 push,
but on the whole the conception looks more
I see no problems for Black, and he may dangerous for White than it is for Black.
even be playing for the advantage. A possible
continuation is: 11 ... @h? 12.h4 ltic6 13.ltia
13.h5!? g5 14.ixd6
I4)i:)d5 hd5 14.ixg5?! hxg5 15.h6 ih8 16.l2lf3 i::lg8!
14 .. .'®xb2!? 17.4Jxg5t i::lxg5 18.Wxg5 i::lg8 19.Wd2
lt:ig4! 20.ixg4 i::lxg4 21.f3 i::lg6+ left White
15.exd5 searching in vain for compensation in Rost
- Copie, corr. 2001.
14 ... i::lfdS
a b c d e f g h
15.e5!
The inferior l 5.We3? should have been met
by 15 ... lt:ig4!N+ in Forintos - Adorjan,
Budapest 1973.
Chapter 24 - 8.if4 Main Line 445
15 .. .llle8 16.lt:'la4 °1Wa5! 17.°1Wxa5 4Jxa5 18.b3

lt:'lxd619.exd61:'1:ac8 20.j,f3 id7 2I.j,d5
2I.4Jb2 b5+±
a b c d e f g h
14.h5 g5 15,j,g} was given a try in Rost -
2I...b5! 22.4Jb2 j,e5 23.4Je2 ©g7 24.1:'1:hel Eberl, corr. 1998, but here Black missed the
bxc4 25.lt:'lxc4 lt:'lxc4 26.j,xc4 j,g4 rather obvious:
Black recovers his pawn with a good position.
a b c d e f g h
15 ... °1Wa5!N Black should have the upper hand,
for example: 16.<;1)bl j,xc3! 17.bxc3 1:'1:ad8
a b c d e f g h 18.©al lt:'lge5+
13 .. .ltlg4!
Black has a comfortable position, as the 14...'?;YaS! 15.@bl hc3!
following variations show: Black will have a slightly better ending.
14.ig3 16.'?;Yxc3 '?;Yxc3 17.bxc3 gfd8 18.ghfli

This seems to be the most prudent course.
14.lt:'lg5t?? is what every White player would

like to play, but it does not work. After
14 ... hxg5 15.hxg5t <;1)g8 16.j,xg4 j,xg4
17.4Jd5 Louis - Heine, Germany 1988, the
most convincing is:
446 Averbakh
A3) 1I.i.xh6!? attacking and defensive tasks. Consequently,

I am not going to analyse any alternatives.
I5.ltlh3
If White wants to continue attacking, then
this is the move.
15.h5?? would be terrible: 15 .. .lt'lfg4 16.Wf4
11 ...i.xh612.~xh6~xb213Jkl ltlc614.h4!
a b c d e f g h
The point of White's operation, as now
h4-h5 becomes an annoying threat. The pawn l 6 .. .lt'lxf2!! l 7.Wxf2 Wxcl t 18.llldl ~xc4-+
move has the additional merit of allowing White suffered annihilation in Leontiev -
the gl-knight to be developed on h3 rather Gochelashvili, Voronezh 2011.
than f3, so that the g4-square is kept under
surveillance. 15.f3?? succumbs to a nice motif:
a b c d e f g h
15 ... tZld3t! 16.~xd3 Wxg2 17.Wg5 Wxhl
a b c d e f g h 18.Wxf6Wxgl t 19.ct;>d2 Wh2t 20.lZle2 We5-+
Black will win easily with his extra material.
14... ltleS!
I think that this square is best for the knight Finally, 15. lZl f3 is not that bad, yet after
under the present circumstances. From e5 it 15 ... tZlfg4 16.Wd2 Wxd2t l 7.lZlxd2 ct;>g7=
observes the sensitive c4-, d3-, and g4-squares it is rather obvious that Black is not worse in
and even defends the g6-pawn, fulfilling both
Chapter 24- 8.if4 Main Line 447
the ensuing ending. Both the c4-pawn and the 17.exd5 lt:lxd5
d4-square are valuable weaknesses that will White has several possibilities, but the best
help him find counterplay. he can hope for is a draw.
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
15 ... b5! 18.lt:lxd5!
Again, I am not going to analyse any At first sight this seems a bad move, but
alternatives, as this move is logical and objectively it is the clean way to equality.
threatening. The idea is to create tension
quickly in the centre by luring the c-pawn 18.ltldl? is inferior: 18 ... %%4t 19.@fl
away.
White can respond with A31) 16.cxb5 or

A32) 16.h5.
A31) 16.cxb5 d5!
18.Wd2?! Wxd2t 19.@xd2 E!:ad8 20.h5 lt:lf4t

21.@c2 if5t 22.@b3 ie6t 23.@c2 lt:lxe2
24.ft:lxe2 if5t 25.@b3 Ei:d3t 26.Ei:c3 Ei:d2t
The game was no picnic for White in Hoegerl-
Kondziela, corr. 2008, although he eventually
managed to draw.
448 Averbakh
18.li::ie4?! 18 ....hd5 19.0-0! Wfxe2 20)t\f4!

Another suspect move. 20.li::igS WhS 21.WxhS gxhS 22.E!:xcS .ic4
23.E!:cl f6 24.li::ie4 .ixa2 25.E!:al+ gives White
drawing chances, but it is not as clear as the
text.
20 ...Wfxa2 21.l:kel ~Ue8
a b c d e f g h
18 ... E!:ad8!N
18 .. .'•!!%4t 19.i,fl .ixh3 20.li::igS .ixg2t
21.~xg2 li::if6 22.hS 4Jeg4 23 ..ixg4 Wxg4t
24.~fl E!:ad8 25.hxg6 E!:dl t 26.E!:xdl Wxdl t
27.~g2 Wg4t 28.~fl Wdlt 29.i,g2 Wg4t
Y2-Yz was Kaidanov - Fiorito, Buenos Aires
2003.
19.hS E!:fe8 20.f3
20.hxg6? 4Jxg6!-+ looks terrible for White.
20 ... .ixh3! 21.E!:xh3
Black can follow up strongly with:
26... ci>f'8=
The players agreed to a draw in Jedrzejowski
- Weissleder, corr. 2008.
A32) 16.h5
a b c d e f g h
21...li::ig4!! 22.Wd2! Wxd2t 23.i,xd2 4Je5
24.i,c2 fS 25.li::ig3 li::if4+
Black should win material and most probably
the game.
Unfortunately, 18.li::ixdS!, shatters Black's

hopes of playing for a win:
Initially I was scared of this move, but 17.~g5

analysis showed me that Black gets quite good White's choice is reduced to this move.
play after it.
17...b4
16.. .llleg4 A climax has been reached and White is at a
This looks the more thematic of the two critical crossroads:
knight jumps to g4, keeping some pressure on
the e4-pawn, but moving the other knight is
8
also interesting.
7
16 .. .ll\fg4 17.Wd2 6
I'm not sure to whose benefit is 17.Wg5!?
after 17... f6 18.Wd2 Wxd2t 19.@xd2, but 5
here are a couple of lines that may shed 4
some light on the intricacies of the position:
19 ...ixc4!? (19 ... b4?! is not to my liking due
3
to 20.CL\d5! ixd5 2 l.exd5 g5 22.g3 l2ih6 2
23.f4t White is in the driver's seat) 20.hxg6
1
b4! Black must get rid of one of the white
knights at all costs. 21.l2id5 ixd5 22.exd5 a b c d e f g h
f5! 23.f3 l2if6 24.l2if4 Wg7! 25.l2ie6t ©xg6 18.llldl
26.l2ixf8t l"i:xf8~ This logical retreat has been played in a high-
17 ...Wxd2t 18.@xd2 level correspondence chess game, and should
8
7
6,~,i,%•~~~,• ~,~
.i~ ~ ~~·
~ ~~ ~~-,/~
~w,-ef'" \,,,/, ~~
lead to equality.
18.hxg6? is simply bad after: 18 ... bxc3
19.ixg4 Wd2t 20.Wxd2 cxd2t 21.©xd2
l2ixg4 22.gxf7t ixf7 23.l"i:c3
:'~~8~,~alt)
5
~~ ~----~~>/,,,,,·~ ~~
', , ;~'~/%'~
•8
2 0~
%~:f_,,/,~
~~£10%0~
,,,,,%~ :
a b c d e f g h
18 ...ixc4!?
Capturing this way is safest.
Vigorito thinks White is better after
18 ... l2ixc4t 19.©el, but even here I'm not a b c d e f g h
sure that is really the case. 23 ... l"i:fe8 24.l"i:g3 l"i:xe4 25.f3 l"i:d4t 26.@c3
19.f4 ixe2 20.@xe2 l2ic6 21.l2ixb5 l"i:ab8 l"i:xc4t 27.©d3 l"i:d4t 28.©c3 l"i:e8 29.l"i:xg4t
22.a4 a6 23.l2ixd6 l"i:b2t 00 l"i:xg4 30.fxg4 l"i:e3t 31.©d2 l"i:g3 32.l2if4 d5+
With an unclear game. I am sure there are even better ways to bring
Black's advantage home.
450 Averbakh
18.ixg4 is the other main possibility, when

18 ... ixg4! seems to lead to a draw after:
19.hxg6!? (19.0-0 loxh5 20.Wxg4 bxc3
21.Wf3 c2=) 19 ... bxc3 20.0-0 c2
a b c d e f g h
21.lt::lf4! idl 22.gxf7t ©xf7 23.Wg6t ©e7
24.Wg7t ~f7 25.lod5t ©e8 26.Whst ~f8
27.Wg7 ~f7=
B) IO.i.xd6
1s ...Wd4
l 8... We5 l 9.f3 loh7 00 is the other possibility.
7
19.lt)f4 lt)xe4! 20.l2he6 fxe6 21.Wxg4 Wd2t
22.@fl 6
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
The most obvious move. White captures a
pawn with gain of time, and attacks a second
one.
10 ... ges 11.lt)f'3

White seems to have nothing better than to
rely on fast development, hoping to consolidate
his extra pawn.
11 ..bc5 although at the time of writing I haven't been

We should check what happens after this able to find more than a draw for Black.
greedy move.
11...WaS 12.b4 1 l .e5!? is an interesting idea, planning to
support the e-pawn with f2-f4 in case of
11...ltlfd7.
I suggest instead the rarely cried 11...ltlg4!?
which seems co give Black equal chances.
A sample line is: 12.ixg4 ixg4 13.Wxg4
Wxd6 14.f4 Wd4 15.ltlge2
a b c d e f g h
12 ... Wa6!
Only Black can be better.
13.f3
After 13.id4 ixc4 14.e5, Vigorito's
suggestion of 14 .. .lllh5!? 15.b5 We616.ixh5
gxh5 17.ltlge2 ixe5 18.0-0 ltld7 19.l"\el a b c d e f g h
l"\ad8+± is all Black players need to know. 15 ... Wxc4 16.b3 Wa6 17.0-0 ltlc6 18.ltld5
13.l"\cl ixc4 14.f3 is just a transposition. h5 19.Wf3 l"\ac8 20.l"\fdl ltlb4!? 21.ltlec3
13 ... ixc4 14.l"\cl ltlbd7 15.id4!N (21.ltlxb4 cxb400 ) 21...ltlxd5 22.ltlxd5 c4!
15.ixc4?! Wxc4 16.We2 We6 17.ltlb5?! 23.l"\acl <iih7 24.h3 b5+±
Elec8 18.ltld4 We5 19.ltlb3 a5!t led co huge
difficulcies for White and an eventual loss in
Gerusel- Maeder, Amsterdam 1969.
a b c d e f g h
15 ... l"\ad8! 16.b5! Wa5 17.ixc4 ltlxe4!! 18.fxe4
Elxe4t 19.ltlge2 ixd4~
The position is extremely perilous for White,
452 Averbakh
White can eliminate any possible pins with Bl) 12.i.xbS ~axb8 13.V:Vc2
Bl) 12.i.xbS or may simply defend the bishop
with B2) 12.eS.
12.'1Wd2?! is inaccurate due to Vigorito's

excellent 12 .. .<~k6!, when White already seems
to have landed in trouble:
This was considered to give White an edge a

few decades ago, bur chess has changed since
then.
13 .. .t2~h5! 14.g3
14.0-0 lt:lf4t looks really dangerous for
White.
14...i.h3 15.ltid2
12.0-0 allows 12 .. J'1:d8! 13.e5 lt:le8 when 15.0-0-0 lt:lf6! 16.lt:ld2 i.g2 is better for
Black seems perfectly okay to me. Black.
i. ~
,Wli
:-~-~,~,fi
8 }~'JI)~- 8
7 ~ . - . . ----Y-. .
-- --(,,"' ~w/ ~~ ~---1~-" 7
6
4 %,•"~<•"
m~ m~l~ ,%.. %,~ 5
~~...~- ---~ ~@!'% ~@!'"

3 4
1~----"~'·'='
~r~
a b c
•~r~~rJ
d e f g h
14.lt:ld5 i.xd5 15.Wfxd5 lt:lxd6 16.l:l:adl lt:lc6
17.exd6 lt:ld4 18.lt:lxd4 l"i:xd6 19.Wfe4 i.xd4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
20.b3 l"i:e6 21.W!'c2 l"i:ae8 22.i.f3 h5+ Black 15 ...i.xc3! 16.bxc3!
possessed a slight edge in Aleksandrov - 16.Wfxc3?! is weaker: 16 ... i.g2 17.l"i:gl i.xe4
Wojtaszek, Warsaw 2009, though the game 18.0-0-0 lt:lf6+ Black has a tiny edge.
was ultimately drawn.
Chapter 24- 8.if4 Main Line 453
16.. .ttif6 17.f3 26.if3 :aes 27.i.xh? :Sde8=

The following lines prove the viability of A draw was soon agreed in Kopelevich -
Black's set-up: Kunz, corr. 2009.
17 .. .llld?!? B2) 12.eS

17 ... l"lbd8! 18.@f2 Wc6 19.l"lhel g5!?~ is
Defending the bishop before Black attacks it
an interesting suggestion by Vigorito. It may
even be best, as the undermining ... g4 seems looks normal.
to carry more force with the knight on the
12 ... ltifd?
f6-square. 20.lllfl
Now Black has a different target - the feeble
e5-pawn.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
18.@fl l"\bd8 19J~hel Wfe6! 20.@gl 13.ltibS!?
20.l"\adl!? might be a better try. Striking whilst the iron is hot.
After 13.Wb3 lt'ic6 Black has a slight edge, but

transforming it into something more is not
easy: 14.0-0 lt'idxe5 15.4Jxe5 lt'ixe5 16.ixe5
ixe5 17.if3+ White has chances to hold.
13.0-0
A logical continuation, when play will most
likely proceed as follows:
13 ... lt'ic6 14.lua4 Wa5 15.a3!?
15.b3 l"lad8 16.Wel!? b6! (16 ...Wxel
17.l"laxel lt'idxe5 18.ixc5 lt'id3~ is less
clear) 17.Wxa5 lt'ixa5 leaves Black with
chances of an edge, as 18.lt'ic3 lt'ib7! 19.ic7
a b c d e f g h
l"lc8 20.lt'ib5 l"lf8 2I.id6 lt'ixd6 22.ft'ixd6
20 ... gS! 21.ltifl f'5 22.ltie3 fxe4 23.:Sadl l"\cd8t allows him to recover his pawn with
@h8 24.fxe4 Wfxe4 25.Wfxe4 :Sxe4 an initiative due to the bishop pair.
454 Averbakh
15 ... tt:ldxe5 16.tt:lxe5 tt:lxe5 17.b4 cxb4 As was mentioned above, Black has set his
18.axb4 '\Wd8 19.~cl sights on the e5-pawn:
19.c5 tt:lc4 20.l:kl tt:lxd6 21.cxd6 ie5+ was
better for Black in Verdier - Stepanov, corr. 14.. .c!lldxeS 15.c!llxeS ~xeS
1988. I have promoted the 'rational' move as
19 ... tt:lc6! 20.tt:lc5 ic8! 21.if3 tt:ld4 22.ig3 my main line, although it is by no means an
This was Alburt - Hebden, Hastings 1983, automatic recapture.
when I suggest: The pleasantly shocking l 5 ... tt:ld4!? 16.tt:lxe8
~xe8 should also work as the bishop on d6
~~,.~,,,
cannot escape:
: tJJ~iJ~j
,,,,,%~ ~~-;, ~~ ,,,,,Y,~p
rt.
4
3
~-,,8~------'-~~
~@!'"
~~'-----~
~~
~~
~@!'" ~@!'"
~ 'effj ~~'ef[j ~ '1£5
a
22 ... '\We?!N?
b c d e f
Black is intending ... a5 and should have the

g h 2
~---"~-=----%~ -~
a b c d e f g h
more pleasant position. 17.0-0 '\Wxd6 l 8.tt:lf3 (l 8.f4!? g5~) l 8 ... '\Wf4
19.tt:lxd4 ixd4 20.'\Wc2 id?~ Black has
13 .. .tllc6! tremendous positional compensation for the
This is what one may call a principled move: exchange and will additionally soon get a
Black disregards the various intrusions on c7 pawn for it, two facts rendering his opening
and focuses instead on the weak e5-pawn. a success.
White has a choice between B21) I4.tllc7 Returning to the more pedestrian l 5 ... tt:lxe5,
or B22) 14.i.c7!?. here is how the game is likely to evolve:
B21) I4.c!llc7 16.heS

16.tt:lxe8 ~xe8 l 7.ixe5 ixe5 18.0-0 is good
for Black after:
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
Chapter 24 - 8.i.f4 Main Line 455
18 ... '\Wc7!? (18 ... '\Wxb2=) 19.h3 ixb2 20.E!:bl 20.@fl gxa8
id4 21.'1Wd2 <;t>g7 22.if3 b6 23.E!:fel E!:d8t
Black even has some initiative.
16.4JXa8? is much better for Black due to: 7
2
1
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 2I.h4 hS 22.g3 i.d4 23.@g2 ~b2 24J~hel

i.fSi
16 ... '\Wb4t! 17.©fl 4Jxc4 18.a3 4Jd2t 19.©gl
Black has slightly the better of things, but
'1Wxb2 20.4Jc7 ib3 21.4Jxe8 ixdl 22.E!:xdl normally the game should end in a draw.
4Je4 23. ©fl id4+
B22) I4.i.c7!?
7
6
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
I6 .. J~ed8!? a b c d e f g h
Equality arises after: 16 ... E!:adS l 7.'1Wb3
Driving the queen to a square where it can
ixe5 18.'1Wxb6 axb6 19.4Jxe8 ixb2 20.E!:bl
be forked later on.
ic3t 21.©fl E!:xe8 22.g4 E!:a8 23.E!:xb6 E!:xa2
24.E!:xb7 id4~ I4...~a6 15.0-0 lt:)dxeS 16.i.xeS lt:)xeS
17.lt:)c?
16 ... ixe5 17.4Jxa8 '1Wxb2 18.0-0 '\Wxal White wins an exchange, but this does not
19.'\Wa4 E!:xa8 20.E!:xal ixal 21.if3 E!:d8= mean that he is better, as the black bishops will
be fantastic in the ensuing position.
I7.\Wa4 he5 I8.4Jxa8 ~xb2 I9J':l:dl ~c3t
456 Averbakh
17 .. .c!tixBt 18.Lf.3 ~xc4 19.ltixaS gxa8 27... a4 28.~b7

20,gcl ~b4 2I.b3
a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h 28 ...~a3! 29,gcel axb3 30J!xe6 gxe6
21 ... a5!N 3I.gxe6 ~cl t 32.@h2 ~f4t 33.@hl=
Advancing the a-pawn guarantees Black
good chances, although the position will most Conclusion
probably lead to a draw.
In the system I am proposing, Black should
2 l...~d4 was soon agreed drawn in Willmann pay attention to nuances - both positional
- Gudok, corr. 2013. and tactical. There are instances, for example,
where Black should not be afraid to sacrifice
22.~e2 b5 23.h3 h5 24,gel ~d4 25.~d3 the exchange, and such is the case with the
ga6 concluding part of the chapter, where intuition
25 ... Wg7 26.Wf3 !l:f8= can help you find your way.
There are other situations, however, where
intuition may prove insufficient to get you out
of the opening unscathed. I have in mind the
sharp line arising from 8.~f4 e6 9.dxe6 ~xe6
10.Wd2 Wb6 11.~xh6 ~xh6 12.Wxh6 Wxb2
13.!l:cl. I advise the readers to memorize the
contents of that section, not only to avoid
blundering, but also in order to have good
chances of winning.
Overall, I don't think the Averbakh poses

a theoretical threat, but it should be paid as
much respect as any other major line against
a b c d e f g h the King's Indian.
26.~f.3 @g7 27,ge2
27.a4?? ~xb3 28.axb5 !l:f6-+
Variation Index
Chapter 1
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 .ig? 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6.J.e2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.ffxd8 :!'!xd8
9.~d5 ~xd5 10.cxd5 c6! 11..ic4 b5
A) 12.i.g5!? 15
B) 12.i.b3 i.b7 13.ig5 17
Bl) 13 .. .l:'k8 17
B2) 13 .. .l:'M?!? 20
B21) 14.dxc6 21
B22) 14.l'kl! 22
Chapter 2
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 .ig? 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6.J.e2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.ffxds :!'!xd8 9.i.g5 c6!?
10.~xe5 ges
A) 1 l.i.f4?! lt'ia6! 12.0-0-0 lt'ic5 26

Al) 13 ..if3?! 27
A2) 13.f3 29
A3) 13.l:'1hel!? 31
B) 1l.f432
Bl) 11...h6 32
B2) 11...lt'ih5!? 34
Chapter3
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g? 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.ffxd8 :!'!xd8 9.i.g5 c6!?
10.~xe5 geS 11.0-0-0 ~a6
A) 12.f4 h6! 13 ..ih4 g5! 39

Al) 14 ..if2 39
A2) 14 ..ig3 41
B) 12.f3 l"1xe5 13.l"1d8t lt'ie8! 14.f4! l"1e6 15.i.g4 lt'iac7 42
Bl) 16.e5 43
B2) 16..ixe6!? 44
C) 12.lt'if3 .ig4!? 46
Cl) 13 ..id3 47
C2) 13 ..ixf6 49
C3) 13.e5!? lt'id7 14.h3 .ixf3 15 ..ixf3 lt'ixe5 16 ..ie2 50
C31) 16 ... f5!? 51
C32) 16 ... lt'ic5! 53
Chapter4
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g? 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.ffxd8 gxd8 9 ..ig5 c6!?
10.~xe5 ges U.0-0-0 ~a612.gd6!? ~h5!?
A) 13.lt'if3 57
B) 13.lt'ig4 59
C) 13.l'iid3 i.IB! 63
Cl) 14.l':id8!? l:'lxd8 15.ixd8 i.e6! 16.i.g5 hc4 64
Cll) 17.b3 hd3 18.ixd3 l'iic5 64
Cl 11) 19.l:'ldl 65
Cl 12) 19.i.c2!? 67
CI2) 17.l:'ldl! l'iig7 18.b3 l'iie6 68
CI21) 19.ie3 69
Cl22) 19.if6! 70
C2) l 4.l:'ld4 73
Chapter 5
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~a 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.0-0 ~c6 8.dxe5 dxe5
A) 9.~xd8 78
B) 9.ie3 ig4! I0.h3 .hf3 l I.ixf3 l'iid4 I2.l'iib5!? l'iie6!? 79
Bl) 13.~xd8 81
B2) 13.~b3 82
C) 9.ig5! ~xdl lOJffxdl h6! l l .ie3 83
Cl) ll...b6 85
C2) 11...©h?!? 86
C21) 12.l:'ld2 86
C22) 12.h3 88
Chapter6
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~a 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.0-0 ~c6 8.i.e3 ge8!?
A) 9.d5 94
B) 9.dxe5 dxe5 96
Bl) I0.c5 ig4!? l I.ib5 ~c8!? 12.h3 .ih5! 13.ixc6 bxc6 14.ig5! l':ib8! 97 '
Bll) 15.b3 99
BI2) 15.l:'lbl JOI
B2) I0.h3 ie6 l l.c5 l'iih5!? 102
B21) 12.l'iig5 105
B22) I2.ib5 l:'!IB! 13.Lc6 bxc6 14.~a4! ~e8
15.l:'ladl! f5! 16.l:'lfel! f4 17.id2! if6 106
B221) 18.l'iibl 109
B222) 18.l'iie2! 111
B3) I0.Wfxd8 lt:lxd8 113
B31) I 1.h3 114
B32) I 1.lt:lb5!? lt:le6 12.lt:lg5 l'=ie7 115
B321) 13.lt:lxe6 115
B322) 13.l''ffdl 117
Chapter7
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~a 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 c6!?
A) 8.~c2121
B) 8.h3 122
Variation Index 459
C) 8.dxe5 dxe5 123

Cl) 9.0-0 124
C2) 9.°Wxd8 l'hd8 125
C21) IO.t2)xe5 125
C22) 10.h3 lt)a6 11.0-0 ge8 127
C22I) 12.a3 tZ)hS! 13.gfdl lt)f4 14.i.fl lt)e6
15.b4 f5 16.cS! f4 17.icl lild4 121
C2211) 18.lt)xd4!? 128
C2212) 18.lt)d2 132
C222) 12.cS!? .if8! 13.ha6 bxa6 133
C2221) 14.b4 134
C2222) 14Jlfdl 135
C223) 12.gfdl 136
Chapters
t.d4 lilf6 2.c4 g6 3.lilc3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.lila 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 c6!? s.Bd2 ~bd7
A) 9.0-0 lt)g4! 10 ..igS f6 l I.i.h4 lt)h6! 140

Al) 12.gadl 141
A2) 12.h3 143
B) 9.gdl!? ge8!? 10.dS cxd5 11.cxdS 145
Bl) l 1...a6 146
B2) l I...lt)g4!? 147
Chapter9
1.d4 lilf6 2.c4 g6 3.lilc3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.lila 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 c6!? 8.0-0
A) 8 ... exd4 152

Al) 9.!xd4 ge8 10.Bc2 Be7! 11.l'!fel! lt)bd7 152
Al 1) 12.gadl!? 153
Al2) 12.h3 155
A2) 9.lt)xd4 ge8 10.f3 d5 11.cxdS lt)xd5! 12.tZ)xdS cxd5
13.Bb3 lt)c6 14.gadl .ixd4 15.hd4 156
A21) 15 ... dxe4!? 157
A22) 15 ... lt)xd4 16.gxd4 'Wf6! 159
A221) 17_gd2 159
A222) 17.BxdS 162
B) 8 ... lt)a6!? 163
Bl) 9.h3 exd4! 163
BI I) 10.lt)xd4 163
Bl2) 10..ixd4!? 166
B2) 9.a3!? 168
B3) 9.°Wc2!? lt)g4 10.i.gS °Wc7!? 11.gadl! d5! 110
B31} 12.tZ)xeS!? 112
B32} 12.cxdS! 113
B4) 9_ge1 lt)g4! 10.i.gS f6 l I.i.h4 lt)h6 115
B41} 12.cS!? 176
B42} 12.h3 119
Chapter 10
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0--0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 c6!? 8.d5 ~a6
A) 9.llld2 ~e8! 182

Al) 10.h4?! 182
A2) 10.g4 183
A21) 10 ... @h8?! 184
A22) 10 ... cxdS! 185
A3) 10.0-0 188
B) 9.0-0 ltlg4 10 ..igS f6 l l..id2 f5! 190
Bl) 12.ltlel?! li:lf6 191
Bll) 13.exfS 191
Bl2) 13.f3 192
B2) 12.ltlgS 193
Chapter 11
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0--0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 c6!? 8.d5 ~a6 9.0--0 ~g4
IO.i.g5 f6 ll.i.h4 c5
A) 12.ltld2 198
B) 12.ltlel! 200
Chapter 12
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~f3 0--0 6.i.e2 e5 7.i.e3 c6!? 8.d5 ~a6 9.0--0 ~g4
IO.i.g5 f6 ll.i.h4 c5 12.~el! h5!? 13.a3! We7
A) 14.ltld3 209
B) 14.ltlc2 ltlh6 l 5.f3 ltlf7 16.ltle3 .ih6 l 7.\!;!fd3 .id7 210
Bl} 18 ..idl!? 211
B2} 18 ..if2 b6 19 ..idl ltlc7 20.b4 lt:le8 21..ia4 .ixa4 22.ltlxa4 ltlg7 213
B21) 23.l'fabl 213
B22) 23.ltlc3 .ig5 216
B221} 24.ltlc2!? 216
B222} 24.l'fabl 217
C) 14.E~bl b615.b4.id7 219
Cl) 16.ltlc2!? ltlh6 17.f3 ltlf7 219
Cl l) 18.ltle3 .ih6 19.~d3 l'!ab8!? 220
Cl 11) 20 ..if2 221
Cl 12) 20 ..idl 222
Cl2) 18.@hl 224
Cl3) 18.a4!? 225
C2) 16.ltld3! g5!? 17..ig3 f5 18.h3 ltlf6 19.bxcS! lt:lxc5
20.ltlxcS bxc5 21..ixhS ltlxh5! 22.~xhS .ie8 227
C21} 23.~dl 228
C22) 23.~f3! 230
Variation Index 461
Chapter 13
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~a 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.d5 a5
A) 8.ltld2 236
B) 8.0-0 ltla6 238
Bl) 9.'Wc2 238
B2) 9.ltlel!? 239
B3) 9.ie3 ltlg4 10 ..ig5 f6 l 1.i.h4!? h5 12.ltld2 Wfe8 13.a3 .id? 241
B31) 14.h3 244
B32) 14.b3 245
B33) 14J~bl!? 246
C) 8..ie3 ltlg4 9.ig5 f6 247
Cl) 10 ..id2 247
C2) 10 ..ih4 249
Chapter 14
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 s.~a 0-0 6.i.e2 e5 7.d5 a5 8.i.g5 h6
A) 9 ..ie3 ltlg4!? 254

Al) 10.i.cl 254
A2) 1O.id2!? 257
B) 9 ..ih4 ltla6 261
Bl) 10.0-0 262
B2)10.ltld2 Wfe8 264
B21) 1I.ixf6265
B22) 11.g4!? 265
B23) 11.a3 .id? 12.b3 ltlh7 13.l::lbl h5 14.£3 .ih6 267
B231) 15.b4 268
B232) l 5..if2 Wf e7 269
B2321) 16.h4 269
B2322) 16.b4 271
Chapter 15
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~a 0-0 6.Ae2 e5 7.d5 a5 s.Ag5 h6 9.Ah.4 ~a6
10.~d2 We8 11.0-0 ~h7 12.a3 i.d7
A) 13.B'.bl 275
B) 13.b3 h5 14.f3 i.h6 277
Bl) 15 ..if2?! 277
B2) 15.B'.bl 279
C) 13.ltlb5 281
0) 13.ltihl h5 14.f3 i.h6 283
01) 15.ltlb5 283
02) 15.B'.bl 286
03) 15.'Wc2 286
04) 15.b3 .ie3! 288
041) 16.B'.bl 288
042) 16.B'.a2 290
043) 16.'Wc2 292
Chapter 16
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 Ag? 4.e4 d6 5.~a 0-0 6.h3 e5
A) 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.~xd8 gxd8 9.i.g5 lt:ia6 10.lt:idS gd6 l l..hf6!? .ixf6 291
Al) 12.b4 298
A2) 12.l'kl 300
A2 l) 12...i.d8 300
A22) 12 ... b6! 303
B) 7.d5 a5 8 ..id3 lt:ia6 305
B1) 9 .0-0 ltlc5 1O.i.c2 ltlh5! 11.i.gS ~ e8! 306
Bl 1) 12 ..ie3 301
Bl2) 12.gel 309
B2) 9..ig5 ~e8 10.g4 ltld7 l l.a3 lt:ib6!N 12.i.e3 ltlc5 13.i.xcS dxc5 310
B21) 14.~e2 311
B22) 14.~c2!? 312
B3) 9.g4!? 315
Chapter 17
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 J.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~a 0-0 6.h3 e5 7.d5 a5
A) 8.i.e2 ltla6 318

Al) 9.!g5 318
A2) 9.g4319
A3) 9.i.e3 ltlc5 10.ltld2 lt:ie8!? 320
A31) l l.g4 f5 321
A31 l) 12.exf5!? 322
A312) 12.gxf5 gxf5 323
A3121) 13.ggl 323
A3122) 13.'%!fc2 325
A32) l 1.h4!? f5 12.hS! gxh5!? 326
A321) 13.exf5 328
A322) 13.~c2 328
B) 8.!e3 ltla6 9.g4! ltld7 330
Bl) 10.i.e2 331
B2) 10.ltld2 332
B21) 10... ltldcS!? 332
B22) 10... f5! 334
B3) 10.h4 335
B4) 10.ggl 331
BS) 10.a3!? lt:ib6! 338
B51) ll.g5340
B52) l 1.lt:id2 341
Chapter 18
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 J.g7 4.e4 d6 5.~a 0-0 6.h3 e5 7.d5 a5 s.J.g5 ~a6
A) 9.g4 ~e8 10 ..ie2 ltld7! 345

Al) 11.ggl 346
A2) l l.a3 ltlb6! 12.ltld2 !d7 349
Variation Index 463
A21) 13.~c2 350

A22) 13.h4 351
B) 9.lt:ld2 ~e8 353
Bl) 10.i.e2 lt:ld7! 353
B11) 11.0-0 353
B12) 1 l.a3 f6! 12.i.e3 f5 13.f3 ~e7! 354
B121) 14.b4?! 355
B122) 14.0-0! 356
B13) 1 l.g4 lt:ldc5 12J:%gl @h8 357
B131) 13.lt:lfl 360
B132) 13.a3 361
B2) 10.g4 @h8! 362
B21) 1l.a3363
B22) 1 l.~e2!? 365
B23) 1l.i.e3366
B24) 1 l.i.e2 lt:lg8! 12.h4 £5! 368
B241) 13.gxfS 369
B242) 13.f3 311
Chapter 19
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.h3 0-0 6.fi.e3 c5!
A) 7.dxcS 374
B) 7.lt:\f3378
C) 7.dS e6! 319
Cl) 8.i.d3 380
C2) 8.lt:\f3 exdS 382
C21) 9.cxdS ges 382
C211) 10.lt:ld2 382
C2 l 2) 10 .i.d3 383
C22) 9.exdS 385
Chapter20
t.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 Ag7 4.e4 d6 s.~a 0-0 6.Ae3 es 7.dxe5 dxe5
A) 8.~c2!? lt:lbd7 9.i.e2 c6 10.0-0 ~e7 388

Al) 11.gadl lt:lg4!? 390
Al I) 12.i.cl 390
A12) 12.i.gS 392
A2) 1 U'!abl 392
B) 8.~xd8 gxd8 9.lt:ldS l'!d7! 10.lt:lxf6t i.xf6 11.cS lt:lc6 12.i.bS l'!d8 13.hc6 bxc6 394
Bl) 14.0-0!? 395
B2) 14.lt:ld2 396
Chapter 21
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 Ag7 4.e4 d6 5.fi.e2 0-0 6.J.e3!? e5 7.d5 ~a6 8.g41? ~c5
A) 9.i.f3 lt:le8! 400

Al) 10.gS 400
A2) 10.b4 401
B) 9.f3 h5! 403

Bl) 10.b4 403
B2) 10.h3 404
B3) 10.g5 405
Chapter22
1.d4 ~£6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.i.e2 ~ 6.i.g5 c5 7.dxc5 Yfa5! 8.i.d2! Yfxc5 9.~a i.g4
10.~ ~c6 n.i.e3 Was
A) 12.lLJd2 .ixe2 13.'!Wxe2 lt:ld7! 409

Al) 14.lt:lb3 410
A2) 14.l"ffcl 411
B) 12.a3!? 412
Chapter23
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.i.e2 ~ 6.i.g5 c5 7.d5 h6 8.i.e3 e6
A) 9.dxe6 he6 10.'!Wd2 @h7 417

Al) l 1.h3 417
A2) 11.0-0-0 419
A3) l 1.h4!? 420
B) 9.~d2 exd5 421
Bl) 10.exd5 @h7 l 1.h3 E'.e8 12..id3!? b5! 422
Bl 1) 13.lt:ixb5 423
Bl2) 13.cxb5 424
B2) 1O.cxd5 l:!e8 11.£3 h5! 426
B21) 12..ig5 427
B22) 12.a4 a6 428
B221) 13 ..idl 429
B222) 13.a5 430
C) 9.h3 exd5 10.exd5 l:!e8 l l.lZlf3 .if5 432
Cl) 12.g4 433
C2) 12.0-0 433
D) 9.lZ\(3 exd5 437
Dl) 10.cxd5 437
D2) 10.exd5 439
Chapter24 _
1.d4 ~f6 2.c4 g6 3.~c3 i.g7 4.e4 d6 5.i.e2 ~ 6.i.g5 c5 7.d5 h6 8.i.f4 e6! 9.dxe6 he6
A) 10.'!Wd2!? '!Wb6! 443

Al) 11.lLJB 443
A2) 11.0-0-0 444
A3) l l.i.xh6!? hh6 12.'!Wxh6 '!Wxb2 13.l"kl lt:lc6 14.h4! lLie5! 15.lLih3 b5! 446
A31) 16.cxb5 447
A32) 16.h5 448
B) 10..ixd6 l:!e8 l 1.lLif3 '!Wb6! 450
Bl) 12..ixb8 452
B2) 12.e5 lLifd7 13.lLib5!? lLic6! 453
B21) 14.lt:lc? 454
B22) 14 ..ic?!? 455
Kotronias on the King's Indian
VOLUME FOUR
Classical System.s
Vassi lios Kotronias
The King's Indian Defence is one of Black's most dynamic responses to
1.d4. A favourite weapon of both Fischer and Kasparov, it remains a
popular choice at all levels of play.
In this, the fourth volume of the epic Kotronias on the King's Indian
series, Grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias tackles a variety of White's
attempts to challenge his favourite opening, starting with the
sequence 1.d4 ctJ f6 2.c4 g6 3.ctJ c3 i g7 4.e4 d6. The all-time greats
Petrosian and Gligoric lend their names to systems examined after the
further 5.ctJ f3 0-0 6.i e2 es, with 7.dS and 7.i e3 respectively, while the
dreaded Exchange Variation 7.dxeS is also discussed and dismantled.
Dynamic coverage of Makogonov's 5.ctJ f3/6.h3, Karpov 's 5.h3/6.i e3,
Larsen's 5.ctJ f3/6.i e3 and Averbakh's S.ie2 completes this extensive
work.
Throughout the work, the author shares his considerable knowledge of

typical positional motifs, while providing plenty of ammunition should
the game erupt into the full -blooded warfare that is the hallmark of the
King's Indian. A special selection of test positions is provided, enabling
the reader to sharpen his tactical skills and improve his middlegame
understanding.
Vassilios Kotronias has been Greek Champion ten times. He is feared

for his profound opening preparation, and is one of the world's
foremost experts on the King's Indian Defence.
€24.99 $29.95
ISBN 978-1-78483-019-9
5299 5
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~
QUALITY CHESS
www.q ua Iitychess.co.u k 9 781784 830199
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Kotronias

Tired of bad positions? Try the main lines!

For my children, Adoria, Athanasia and Dimitrios

Copyright © 2016 Vassilios Kotronias

Kotronias on the King's Indian- Classical Systems

Paperback ISBN 978-1-78483-019-9

All sales or enquiries should be directed to Quality Chess UK Ltd,

Distributed in North America by National Book Network

Distributed in Rest of the World by Quality Chess UK Ltd through

Typeset by Jacob Aagaard

Variation Index 457

In all of the exercises it is Black to play.

Page 16, Chapter 1

Page 18, Chapter 1 Page 32, Chapter 2

Page 22, Chapter 1

Page 41, Chapter 3 Page 58, Chapter 4

Page 72, Chapter 4

Page 154, Chapter 9

Page 156, Chapter 9

Page 165, Chapter 9

Page 193, Chapter 10

Page 237, Chapter 13

Page 218, Chapter 12 Page 248, Chapter 13

Page 330, Chapter 17

Page 315, Chapter 16

Page 427, Chapter 23

Page 435, Chapter 23

Page 386, Chapter 19 Page 408, Chapter 22

A) after 24.l"!fdl B2) note co move 14 B21) after 15.id5

24 .. .f4!N 16 .. .<~Ja6!N+ l 5.. J"1xd5!?N

14.0-0-0 ib7 15.ie3 ltJa6t White had

14.ie3 is hardly critical either. After 14 ...ie6

17... aS! 18.a3 ~dc8

22 .. Jkc6! 23.f3 i.f'8 24.l:Udl 13.i.gS

4 An important remark for those seeking to avoid

24 ... f4!N 25.i.fl .ixd6+

l 4 ... c5!? was my attempt to keep some

2 ~ ~;--- but White can create problems in the

29.Wcl g4 Black's space advantage on the a) 16 ... c4 17 .ic2

15 .. .f6 is best met by 16.ie3! (not 16.icl?!

16.hS c4 17..ic2 B2) 13 .. J~d7!?

Black persists with the pressure on d5. I chose 20 ... h6

14.0-0-0?! cxd5 15.ixdS ixd5

This releases the central tension and leads to

18 ... l"!:c8 19.ie3 a6 20.l"!:dl

18.~xd4 exd4 19Jk5!? Conclusion

A3) after l 5.l2ld3! BI) note to 14 .. .lZla6! B2) note to 12.~xh5

11 .. .i!th6! 12 ... 'Llb4! (rather than Nunn's 12 ... 'Llxe4<X> or

12 ... 'LlcS! (12 ... gS!? 13.ig3 'Llc5+ as in Gross a b c d e f g h

White is bound to lose material. The best way

Instead, 14.ig3? g4 15.b4 (15.ie2 'Llfxe4-+)

17 ... ltig?! 18.if6

14.ie3 ttixe4! l 8.l2ic3 (A decisive positional mistake is

16... gxh5 17.@c2!

18J::!:d2 hc3 19.@xc3 i::!:xe4 20.if2 ie6

A3) 13,ghel!? 15 ... id4 16.if3 f5 17.;ge2 b5 1S.c5!;!; Rotariu

14)Llxe4 c!Zlxe4 15.llld.3!

Instead, l 5... J.e6?! allows: 16.f3!?N (A slight

17 .. .lllxc5 18.hc5 h6 19.~fl=

Bl) 11. .. h6 12.~h4

13 ... hxgS I4.i.g3 15.0-0

15.0-0-0?! 4Jc5 16.4Jf3 4Jfxe4 l 7.4Jxe4

l 7.lthe4 22.ltia4!? ltixa4 23 ..ha4 ha2 24.~c3 ~c4m

13 ....ixc3t! 19.E!:xh5 iig7 20.E!:xh6 E!:f5 21.E!:xe6 fxe6-+