Table of Contents

Title page
Bibliography
Key to Symbols Used
Preface

Part I: Neo-Catalan (1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3)

Chapter 1 – Early Deviations

Chapter 2 – Systems with ...dxc4
Chapter 3 – Black plays with ...d4
Chapter 4 – Tarrasch Defense & Systems including ...c5
Chapter 5 – Main Line of the Neo-Catalan with 6.b3

Part II: Slav Structures (1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3)

Chapter 6 – Early Deviations (Black delays or avoids 3...Nf6)

Chapter 7 – Various 4th Moves
Chapter 8 – Variations with 4...dxc4
Chapter 9 – Semi-Slav 4...e6

Part III: 1...d5 – Other Systems (1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 --)

Chapter 10 – QGA-like 2...dxc4

Chapter 11 – Advance Variation 2...d4 (3.b4 --)
Chapter 12 – Advance Variation 2...d4 (3.b4 f6)

Part IV: Symmetrical English (1.Nf3 c5 2.c4)

Chapter 13 – Lines without ...Nf6 & Botvinnik

Chapter 14 – Every System with 2...Nf6

2
Part V: Other Systems (1.Nf3 --)

Chapter 15 – The Hedgehog

Chapter 16 – The Romanishin Defense
Chapter 17 – The Anti-King’s Indian Defense
Chapter 18 – The Anti-Grünfeld Defense
Chapter 19 – The Dutch Defense
Chapter 20 – Various First Moves

Swipe left for next chapter

3
 The Modernized Reti, a Complete Repertoire for White

By
Adrien Demuth

Thinkers Publishing 2018

www.thinkerspublishing.com

Second extended edition 2018 by Thinkers Publishing

Copyright © 2018 Adrien Demuth
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission from the publisher.
All sales or enquiries should be directed to Thinkers Publishing, 9850 Landegem, Belgium.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.thinkerspublishing.com

Managing Editor: Romain Edouard

Assistant Editor: Daniël Vanheirzeele
Software: Hub van de Laar
Proofreading: Ian Marks
Graphic Artist: Philippe Tonnard
Cover Design: Iwan Kerkhof
Backcover Picture: Pierre Textoris (CAPECHECS)
Production: BESTinGraphics
ISBN: 9789492510365
D/2018/13730/18

4
 Bibliography

Books

Hedgehog vs the English/Reti, Igor Lysyj and Roman Ovetchkin, Chess Stars 2017
Beating Minor Openings, Victor Mikhalevski, Quality Chess 2016
Attacking the English/Reti, Alexander Delchev and Semko Semkov, Chess Stars 2016
The Diamond Dutch, Viktor Moskalenko, New in Chess 2014
The Leningrad Dutch, Vladimir Malaniuk and Petr Marusenko, Chess Stars 2014
The Modern Reti – An Anti-Slav Repertoire Alexander Delchev, Chess Stars 2012
The Tarrasch Defence, Nikolaos Ntirlis and Jacob Aagaard, Quality Chess 2011
The English Opening, Volume 2, Mikhail Marin, Quality Chess 2010

Electronic/Periodical

Megadatabase, Chessbase
Corr Datatabase, Chessbase
New in Chess Yearbook, Interchess

5
 Key to Symbols Used

! a good move
? a weak move
!! an excellent move
?? a blunder
!? an interesting move
?! a dubious move
™ only move
= equality
∞ unclear position
² White stands slightly better
³ Black stands slightly better
± White has a serious advantage
µ Black has a serious advantage

+– White has a decisive advantage

–+ Black has a decisive advantage
‚ with an attack
ƒ with an initiative
„ with counterplay
… with the idea of
¹ better is
≤ worse is
N novelty
+ check
# mate
© with compensation for the sacrificed material

6
 Preface

Contrary to what critical pessimists might say, the Reti opening is an ambitious weapon for White. By
avoiding the main theoretical debates, White tries to reach an unbalanced position from an early stage
of the game, with many different plans available. This is exactly what I found attractive when I started
to play the Reti.
Because, of course, I didn’t always play the Reti. At first, I was a pure 1.d4 player, but on numerous
occasions, during my preparation, I felt as if I was stuck and caught in a dead end, for instance when I
had to investigate very complicated lines such as you encounter in the Slav Defense, and in many
others as well. I thought that I was far from getting any advantage in these openings, and even if I could
manage, the positions reached were very classical, and my opponents most likely understood them
well. That’s why I started to play 1.Nf3 from time to time, but at first without knowing much theory. It
really came as a breath of fresh air to my games, and I enjoyed it. In 2013, I decided to go one step
further and build a complete repertoire for my games with 1.Nf3. I did that with my friend, IM Romain
Picard. We were in the same spirit (even if he is a 1.e4 player, we found much common ground with
our Reti). Of course, when you leave the center to your opponent, you must be very careful not to end
up worse after the opening, but I was satisfied with most of the work we did together.
About one year ago, Romain Edouard offered me the opportunity to write this book. It was a real
challenge for me. There was no real book available with a complete repertoire for the Reti. Even more
challenging, some recently published books included the Reti in refutable ‘side lines’ for White, but I
have always been confident that I could manage to overturn these opinions and write an interesting
book with many new lines and underestimated possibilities.
My first principle was, even if White is playing a rather ‘slow’ opening and doesn’t take full control
over the center, that he shouldn’t leave Black’s hands free by allowing him to play both ...d5 and ...c5
or ...d5 and ...e5 (you won’t meet many lines where ...e5 is played by Black). If Black can manage that,
I believe he will hardly be worse. That’s why I decided to concentrate on the different move orders
where White plays 1.Nf3 and 2.c4 against most black moves, putting immediate pressure on d5. It’s
also why I consider the most critical debate in this book to be the ‘Advance Variation’, where Black
plays 2...d4, because he will try to take some space, following up with 3...c5, heading for a reversed
Benoni.
In most of these cases, I have been looking for lines clearly in keeping with the Reti spirit, but I
sometimes transposed into some 1.d4 lines when I felt that it was needed or clearly the best choice. So
the first point is that I have chosen lines where White plays a kingside fianchetto in most cases
(especially when Black starts with 1...d5), and this first fianchetto is often followed by another, if
possible. My goal was to reach a middlegame full of subtle resources where White has various ways to
react in the center, and his main weapon would be his pair of powerful bishops.
It also seemed important to mention that your opponent might not feel that confident in these kinds of
middlegames that he might not be so used to meeting. He might also feel that ‘everything is playable
against such an opening’, but that would be a rather naive and dangerous way of reasoning.
Recently, most of the top grandmasters have included the Reti in their repertoire. It is not necessarily

7
their main weapon, but we can’t say that players such as Kramnik, Aronian, Grischuk, and even
Carlsen (to name a few), play it ‘only rarely’, and that is an excellent sign.
Our present book aims at providing you with a complete Reti repertoire for White. The only variations I
haven’t covered in detail are those few which transpose quickly into other main lines that are not
related to the Reti, such as the Maroczy or the King’s Indian (although I have offered an alternative).
Of course, I have explained these different transpositions and suggested different types of set-up for
you to choose from. When I felt it was needed, I analyzed thoroughly, explaining all the main plans in
detail.
My aim was to write a book which would be helpful to players of all strengths, from club player to
strong grandmaster, who want to start playing the Reti or improve their understanding of it. It has been
a difficult though enjoyable task, but I think I have achieved my goal!
I hope you will enjoy reading it, and it would be great if you can score some nice wins and have
excellent results with our ‘Modernized Reti’!

Adrien Demuth
Barcelona, November 2017

Many thanks to my good friend Pablo Ollier for his help with this second edition.

8
 Part I
Neo-Catalan 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3

Chapter 1
Early Deviations

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3

Chapter guide
Chapter 1 – Early Deviations
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3
a) 3...--
b) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 Nbd7

a) 3...--

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3

9
Position after: 3.g3

We are only at the beginning of the theory of the Neo-Catalan, which is the equivalent of the Queen’s
Gambit Declined set-up for Black, but we aim for a ‘Modernized Reti’ system for White. Before
entering into various variations that we can consider as being the main lines, we will take a look at
different set-ups starting from the third or fourth move. Many possibilities have no real independent
value, as they will most probably transpose into the main lines, but we can try to be exhaustive about
the other ideas. It seems fair to say that most of the lines that are presented in this chapter are rather
dubious and we can be quite happy to meet them.

3...Nf6

This is obviously the main move. Let’s see other possibilities and possible transpositions to other
chapters:
A) 3...g6 This doesn’t seem logical. It’s even against the principles we all know (don’t put all your
pawns on the samecolored squares, otherwise it will leave many holes in the position), but at least it
prevents us from playing b3 so easily and reaching a Reti set-up with a double fianchetto. 4.Bg2 Bg7
5.0-0 Ne7 6.d4 0-0 7.Qc2!? This seems to be the best way to defend the center properly. 7...Nbc6
8.Rd1 b6

10
Position after: 8...b6

And here I prefer to follow another path than in the game Yuffa, D (2534) – Motylev, A (2663) Sochi
2016 by playing 9.b3 Bb7 10.Bb2. I am not sure what Black’s intentions could be. 10...Nf5 11.e3!
Re8 12.a3 Qe7 13.Nbd2 and White’s play is much easier: 13...Rad8 14.b4².
B) 3...dxc4 – see chapter 2.
C) 3...d4!? – see chapter 3.
D) 3...c5 – see chapter 4.
E) 3...c6 – see chapter 6.
F) 3...Nd7 This unusual move can threaten to take on c4 in some lines. Even if we have a few good
options, the easiest solution seems to be simply tlo protect the pawn. 4.b3!? Ngf6 (4...a5!? 5.Nc3! It’s
important to stop the advance of the a-pawn. 5...Ngf6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.Bb2²) 5.Bg2 – see 4...Nbd7.

4.Bg2 Nc6

At first glance, this move may seem weird, but it actually prepares the advance of the d-pawn. Again,
many transpositions are possible:
A) 4...dxc4 – chapter 2.
B) 4...d4 – chapter 3.
C) 4...c5 – chapter 4.
D) 4...Be7 – chapter 5.
E) 4...Bd6 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3 Nbd7 transposes into the next subchapter.
F) 4...a6

11
Position after: 4...a6

This reminds us of Romanishin’s line, treated in chapter 16. Black is more or less saying, “I am now
threatening to take on c4, and you need to do something about it. And I’m fine if you take on d5, as
it’s not logical to release the tention so early”.
F1) 5.d4 This is of course one of the main possibilities. We can decide to transpose into a real
Catalan, where Black doesn’t really have a choice because he has already played ...a6. He needs to
enter a tricky variation 5...dxc4 6.0-0 Here you need to know both 6...b5 and 6...Nc6, but they are
not the topic of this book, and you can find all the material about this Catalan in, for example,
Avrukh’s excellent books.
F2) 5.b3!? This is the move closest to the spirit of the Reti! Play might continue logically with 5...b5
6.0-0 Bb7

12
Position after: 6...Bb7

And here I prefer to clarify things in the center, and take advantage of the early development of the
bishop on b7. 7.cxd5!? exd5 8.d4 Bd6 9.Nc3 Nbd7 10.Nh4!?².

Position after: 10.Nh4!?²

I don’t see the point of Black’s queenside development (e.g. he can’t really play ...c5 any more as it
would create a rather weak isolated pawn on d5) and White’s chances look preferable.

5.0-0

13
 A) 5.d4!? dxc4 transposes again into a Catalan.
B) 5.b3?! is not so great; after 5...d4 I will explain in chapter 3 that b2-b3 sometimes doesn’t really fit
in well against a Benoni set-up. This is the case here, where this pawn should try to reach the fourth
rank.

5...dxc4

Position after: 5...dxc4

A) 5...d4 This is simply a transposition into chapter 3 when Black plays with 5...Nc6.
B) 5...Be7 has no real value because after 6.d4 Black needs to explain what the knight is doing on c6.
Black needs to explain that... 6...dxc4 7.Qa4 0-0 8.Qxc4² And we have reached an easy Catalan set-
up, where Black clearly lacks counterplay.

6.Qa4

White’s real threat is 7.Ne5. What happens if Black tries to keep his extra pawn?

6...Qd5

6...Bd7 7.Qxc4 Na5 8.Qc3!

14
Position after: 8.Qc3!

This is my recommendation, even if c3 is an unusual spot for the queen. The fact that it’s also the
computer’s move might have something to do with it. The queen keeps an eye on the a5-knight, as well
as on the g7 pawn. (≤ 8.Qc2 c5 9.Ne5 Bd6 10.Nxd7 Qxd7 Even if we have gained the bishop pair, this
position looks rather equal and a bit dry.) 8...c5 9.Ne5 Bb5N (9...Bd6? 10.Nxd7+– This is the
difference with 8.Qc2: Black has no good way to take back; 9...Rc8 10.Nxd7 Nxd7 11.d4²) 10.Na3!

Position after: 10.Na3!

15
A strong sacrifice. 10...Bxe2 11.Re1 Ba6 (11...Bh5 12.Nac4! Nxc4 13.Qxc4 Bd6 14.Bxb7 0-0 15.Bxa8
Qxa8 16.b3±) 12.d4! Files needed to be opened. 12...cxd4 13.Qc2± This position is pretty sharp, but
Black is really suffering on the light squares, and he won’t have time to castle because of Qa4!

7.Nc3 Qc5 8.b3!

Position after: 8.b3!

This enables us to develop our pieces super swiftly!

8...cxb3

And here I recommend leaving the interesting game Lushenkov, M (2387) – Ivanov, A (2425) Sochi
2007 (1-0) by playing the strong...

9.Nb5!N 9...Nd5

Black can’t solve the problems that easily by playing 9...Bd6?! as White would answer 10.Ba3 (the
hidden threat behind 9.Nb5) 10...Qb6 11.Nxd6+ cxd6 12.Bxd6±.

10.e4 Nb6

10...a6? 11.exd5 Qxb5 12.Qxb5 axb5 13.dxc6+–

11.Qxb3

Black still needs to defend the c7-pawn.

11.Nxc7+? Kd8µ

16
11...Na5

11...Bd6? 12.Ba3!+–

12.d4!

Position after: 12.d4!

This is the point!

12...Qc6

12...Nxb3? is of course bad: 13.dxc5 Nxa1 14.Nxc7+ Kd7 15.cxb6+– with too many threats to deal
with for Black.

13.d5! Qc5

13...Nxb3 14.dxc6 Nxa1 15.Nxc7+ Kd8 16.Bf4!±

14.Qd3±

Black’s huge lack of development will prove to be much more important than his extra pawn.

b) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 Nbd7

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2

17
Position after: 4.Bg2

4...Nbd7

It might feel weird to you, but I actually think that this move is a commitment. Black decides too early
where his knight should go, as it might be better placed on c6 in some lines. Also, as ...d4 is no longer a
threat, White can simply proceed with...

5.b3 Bd6

At least the bishop finds a slightly more active square.

A) 5...Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Bb2 is covered in the fifth chapter.
B) 5...b6 Even when Black tries to be creative, it has no real independent value, as it will eventually
transpose into one of the other lines: 6.0-0 Bb7 7.Bb2 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.e3 and we finally transpose
into the 6...b6 line of chapter 5.

6.0-0 0-0 7.Bb2 b6

A) 7...c6 We can’t really say that this is an important theoretical position, but it can be reached
through several different move orders, and you can find the theory in chapter 9, the Semi-Slav.
B) 7...Re8 8.Nc3 c6 Black is unable to dispense with this move, which transposes into chapter 9, the
Semi-Slav.

8.cxd5 exd5 9.Nd4!

18
Position after: 9.Nd4!

This strong manoeuvre allows White to fight for an advantage.

9...Bb7

9...Nc5?! 10.b4 Ncd7 (10...Nce4 11.d3 Ng5 12.Nc6!±) 11.Qb3²

10.Nf5! Re8?!

10...Bc5 11.d4 Be7 12.Nc3²

11.Nxd6 cxd6 12.d3±

White may already be technically winning as in 1-0 (41) Martinovic, S (2445) – Paunovic, D (2320)
Vrnjacka Banja 1983.
This was really a short chapter, but don’t get used to it, it was only our warm-up!

19
 Chapter 2
Systems with ...dxc4

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3

Position after: 3.g3

Chapter guide
Chapter 2 – Systems with ...dxc4
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3
a) 3...dxc4 4.--, 4.Qa4+ --
b) 3...dxc4 4.Qa4+ Nbd7 5.--, 5.Bg2 c5
c) 3...dxc4 4.Qa4+ Nbd7 5.Bg2 a6
d) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ --
e) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ c6 with 9...a6
f) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ c6 with 9...Rc8
g) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 dxc4?!

a) 3...dxc4 4.--, 4.Qa4+ --

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3

20
Position after: 3.g3

In the first chapter we didn’t discuss the most obvious question, the one everyone must have asked
himself: it’s one thing to sacrifice a pawn, BUT what happens if Black simply decides to take it? How
to deal with that? Do we try to recover it at once, or do we stick to quick development and keeping our
initiative?
Actually, both approaches are possible, and it merely depends on your personal temperament.
Positional players will prefer to restore the material balance as soon as possible, whereas more active
and bolder players will prefer the more dangerous paths. My preferred choice? Hmmm, it was a tough
one, but I went for the positional path (even if I have only tried the bold option myself).
In this chapter, generally speaking, White is going to expose his queen near the center. In exchange, he
obtains the better pawn structure, because he has more pawns on the central files, and his g2-bishop is
more active. Black must try to take advantage of the exposed queen by quickly developing his
queenside when he could possibly take over the initiative.

3...dxc4!?

21
Position after: 3...dxc4!?

First of all, we need to know what happens if Black takes as early as on the third move. Why aren’t we
actually considering 2...dxc4 first? Simply because it’s absolutely not the same kind of position than in
this present chapter. But don’t worry, this is covered in chapter 10, the more ‘Queen’s Gambit
Accepted’ types of position. The main difference is that after 2...dxc4, White will most probably take
back with his bishop from f1, whereas here, White is already committed to g3, so the bishop will hardly
leave his beloved fianchetto position. To take on the third move is a rather concrete and interesting
option for Black. White needs to have an adequate response. I will call it ‘The Sveshnikov Variation’,
as Evgeny and Vladimir Sveshnikov have played it almost twenty times according to the databases,
which is impressive for a rare sideline. I do apologise in advance in case this variation already has
another name.

4.Qa4+

As in the main line 4...dxc4, my advice is to take the pawn back straight away. Does White have
additional ideas? We will try to find out.
A) 4.Na3?!

22
Position after: 4.Na3?!

In this position (in contrast to the main line), this move is not really feasible. Even if I played it once
(it transposed to the normal position after 3...Nf6 4.Bg2, quite a weird move order), Black has strong
options to meet this move.
4...Bxa3! The strongest, I believe, is to give up the bishop pair in order to damage White’s pawn
structure. 5.Qa4+ A logical move if White is not happy about having doubled a-pawns, but Black is
resourceful. (The issue with 5.bxa3 is that Black can keep a healthy extra pawn: 5...b5! 6.Bg2 Bb7!
Black has already covered the long diagonal, and White’s compensation is dubious. 7.Bb2 Nf6 8.0-0
0-0 9.a4 a6³) 5...b5!

23
Position after: 5...b5!

Easy to miss! Black takes over the initiative. 6.Qxa3 (6.Qxb5+?? c6–+) 6...Bb7 7.Bg2 Nd7 8.b3 cxb3
9.Qxb3 Rb8!³ White’s play lacks bite, and I prefer Black here.
B) 4.Bg2 may be an option, but among Black’s possibilities, one of them really annoyed me, 4...a6!

Position after: 4...a6!

And none of the following tries seems attractive to me: 5.Nc3 (5.0-0 Nf6 6.Na3 b5 7.Ne5 Ra7 8.d3
cxd3 9.Be3 c5³ I prefer Black’s extra pawn rather than White’s pseudo-initiative with 10.b4; 5.Ne5
against this move, Black can always respond with 5...Qd4! 6.f4 Nd7 7.e3 Qc5 8.d4 cxd3 9.Nxd3
Qa7³; 5.a4?! Nc6 6.Na3 Na5 7.Qc2 Qd5∞) 5...Nf6 6.Ne5 Qd4!ƒ

4...Bd7!?

24
Position after: 4...Bd7!?

This is actually a smart try. Black tries to get a better version of the main line. How?
4...c6 is possible as well, but it has no independent value. 5.Qxc4 b5 6.Qc2 Bb7 7.Bg2 Nd7 8.0-0
Finally, Black doesn’t really have other options than transposing into the main line with 5...c6 by
playing 8...Ngf6.

5.Qxc4 c5

The classical manoeuvre 5...Bc6 which reminds us of some Catalan lines for instance, is not
particularly strong here. The following correspondence game shows the main difference: as White has
not yet played d4, it will be easier to play with e4, and fight against the c6-bishop. 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.0-0
Nbd7 8.Nc3 Be7 9.e4!

25
Position after: 9.e4!

9...0-0 10.Rd1 a6 11.Qe2 b5 12.Nd4 (12.d4!? was straightforward and strong enough to obtain a simple
advantage: 12...b4?! 13.d5!±) 12...Bb7 13.e5! Bxg2 14.Kxg2 Nd5 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.Nc6 Qe8 17.d4±
1-0 (66) Karacsony, E (2340) – Puoli, H (2350) corr Argentina – Romania 2008.

6.Bg2

Position after: 6.Bg2

26
6.Ne5 doesn’t work as well as in the variation with 4...dxc4 and 5...Bd7 of this current chapter. 6...Nc6
7.Nxd7 Qxd7 8.Bg2 Nf6=. What happened? We are a full tempo down compared to the classical line.
Why? Black didn’t spend a tempo playing ...Qc8. Thus, I think Black is fine.

6...Nc6

The Sveshnikov approach. Here I would like to advise you to use a novelty for White (even if it
transposes into a few new games).
6...Bc6 This looks to me like the most natural continuation, otherwise the bishop on d7 doesn’t make
much sense. However, White gets a pleasant position: 7.0-0 Nf6

Position after: 7...Nf6

8.b3! I believe that White can keep an edge with this move. At least he has a simple plan. 8...Be7 9.Bb2
0-0 10.d3 Nbd7 And here, I want to improve on the game Movsesian, S (2705) – Grachev, B (2672)
Sibenik 2012. 11.Qc2!?N 11...b5 12.e4 a6 13.Rc1 Qb6 14.Qe2! The queen can prove to be better here,
that’s why I prefer to delay Nbd2. 14...Rfd8 15.Nbd2 Bb7 16.a4ƒ

7.d4!?

27
Position after: 7.d4!?

White tries to be smart. OK, but what happens if Black reacts as usual?
The line 7.0-0 Nf6 8.d4 b5 9.Qd3 transposes into a Catalan variation. Sure, you can check, but I don’t
like it!

7...b5

This seems to be the logical follow-up.

7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nxd4?! (8...Rc8 9.0-0 Nf6 10.Nc3 Be7 11.Rd1²) 9.Qxd4 Bc6 10.Bxc6+ bxc6
11.Be3²

8.Qxb5!N

We are trying to make a difference.

8...Nxd4

8...cxd4 may look as the safe option, but things are not so simple: 9.Ne5! Nxe5 10.Qxe5 Rc8 11.0-0
Qb6 12.e3!

28
Position after: 12.e3!

Black has a difficult choice: give up a pawn or concede his activity? 12...Nf6! (12...dxe3?! 13.Bxe3
Qa6 14.Nd2± Black is too far from castling to be fine) 13.Qxd4 Bc5 14.Qh4 0-0 15.Nc3² Black has
some compensation, but he is definitely the one playing for a draw here, and he will need to be very
accurate.

9.Qd3

Position after: 9.Qd3

29
9...Bb5

9...Bc6 10.Nbd2 Ne7 (10...Nxf3+?! 11.Bxf3!²) 11.Kf1!! OK, two exclamation marks may seem too
much.

Position after: 11.Kf1!!

It’s not like White is crushing his opponent, but this mind-blowing move makes life difficult for him!
(11.0-0 Nxf3+ Check, sir! 12.Nxf3 Qxd3 13.exd3 Rd8= was too simple for Black) 11...Rc8 This semi-
waiting move seems to be the most accurate answer. (11...Nxf3?! 12.Qxd8+ Rxd8 13.Bxf3 Nd5 14.b3
Be7 15.Bb2² and White keeps the advantage of a better structure. He will try to grab the c-pawn and
win the endgame.)
A) 12.e3 Bb5 13.Nc4 Ndc6!ƒ (13...Nxf3 14.Nd6+ Qxd6 15.Qxb5+ Qc6 16.Qxc6+ Nxc6 17.Bxf3²)
B) 12.Nxd4! Qxd4 13.Qxd4 cxd4 14.Nb3 e5 15.f4 Even if the position is close to equal, White has
ideas to play on and create problems.

10.Qd2 Nxe2

10...Rc8 11.Nc3 Bc6 12.0-0 Nf6 13.Rd1 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 Bxf3 15.exf3² Black will suffer because of
his isolated c-pawn.

11.Bf1!

30
Position after: 11.Bf1!

Suddenly we understand why we did not insert 0-0 and ...Nf6 in our line.

11...Nd4

11...Qxd2+ 12.Nbxd2 Nd4 13.Nxd4 Bxf1 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Kxf1±

12.Nxd4 Bxf1 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Qxd8+ Rxd8 15.Kxf1!²

31
Position after: 15.Kxf1!²

With clearly the better structure and more pleasant endgame for White. The first step for White will be
to put some pressure on the c5-pawn.

b) 3...dxc4 4.Qa4+ Nbd7 5.--, 5.Bg2 c5

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 dxc4!? 4.Qa4+ Nd7

Position after: 4...Nd7

5.Bg2!

For some reason, I prefer to delay the capture on c4, as Black has no way to prevent it.
As a matter of interest, let’s see how Black should react after 5.Qxc4. 5...b6!? is pretty interesting here,
whereas it is obviously impossible in our mainline. (5...c5 6.Bg2 b6!? transposes into 6...b6 of our main
line; 5...Ngf6 6.Bg2 transposes into the main line as well.) 6.Bg2 Bb7 7.0-0 Ngf6

32
Position after: 7...Ngf6

Black has easily brought his bishop into play, and the game seems roughly balanced: ½-½ (45) Ibarra
Chami, L (2477) – Gonzalez Garcia, J (2497) Merida 2012.

5...c5

5...Ngf6 6.Qxc4 transposes into the main line.

6.Qxc4!

6.0-0 a6 7.Qxc4 b5 8.Qf4!?N

33
Position after: 8.Qf4!?N

This is an interesting try, threatening both Ne5 or Ng5, with a mating threat and attacking the a8-rook.
But unfortunately the simple 8...Rb8! solves the problems: 9.d4 Ngf6 10.Rd1 Bb7 11.dxc5 Bxc5=.

Position after: 6.Qxc4!

6...a6

6...b6?! Black steps into the lion’s den, but it’s actually not so easy to punish him: 7.Nd4!? Ne5! The
point, preventing Black from being lost at once. 8.Nc6! (8.Nxe6!? is not so bad either, but Black will

34
get some compensation after 8...Bxe6 9.Qe4 Rc8 10.Qxe5 Nf6 11.d3 Bd6 12.Qc3 0-0©) 8...Nxc4
9.Nxd8 Rb8 10.Nc6

Position after: 10.Nc6

10...Bb7 (10...Rb7?! 11.Nc3 Ne7 12.d3 Nd6 13.Bf4 Ndf5 14.Nb5!±) 11.0-0 Ra8 The only move to
keep the balance, even if it’s unappealing. 12.d3N Strangely enough, this is a new move. White takes
the upper-hand after 12...Nd6 13.d4! We open the center with a nice initiative.

Position after: 13.d4!

35
For example 13...cxd4 14.Nxd4 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 Nf6 16.Nc3 Be7 17.Bf4! 0-0 18.Nc6 Nf5 19.Nb5²
and White has good chances to win a pawn or achieve a positional plus.

7.Qb3 Rb8

7...Ne7?! I don’t like this move as this plan looks really slow. White is able to open the center anyway:
8.0-0 Nc6 9.Rd1 Nf6 10.d4!

Position after: 10.d4!

This move works, and there is nothing Black could do to prevent it. 10...cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Qa4+
b5 13.Qxd4 Qxd4 14.Rxd4 Ra7 And now we can improve on the game Seifert, D (2125) – Genser, H
(2332) St Veit 2006, ½-½ (22), by playing 15.a4!².

8.d4 cxd4 9.0-0!

36
Position after: 9.0-0!

I love this strong idea of Wang Yue. He prefers to put his rook on d1 before retaking the d4-pawn. If
Black tries to protect his pawn, his lack of developpment will prove dangerous for him.

9...Nc5

9...e5 10.e3! Nc5 11.Qd1 The center finally collapses. 11...Bg4 12.exd4 exd4 13.Bf4 Rc8 14.Qxd4!±
with a huge lead in development.

10.Qd1 d3

White won in Wang, Y (2718) – Barsov, A (2460) Abu Dhabi 2016, but I would now make a different
choice than the Chinese grandmaster by playing...

11.Nc3!N

37
Position after: 11.Nc3!N

11...dxe2?!

11...Nf6 12.exd3! Nxd3 13.Bg5 Be7 14.Qe2 Nc5 15.Rfd1 Qa5 16.Bf4 Ra8 17.Ne5+– With Nc4
coming, when Black’s queen is in great danger.

12.Qxe2 Qd3 13.Qe1!‚

The black queen is far too exposed and we will play Bf4 and Rd1 with tempo each time. If 13...Nf6?
then 14.Bf4+–.

c) 3...dxc4 4.Qa4+ Nbd7 5.Bg2 a6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 dxc4!? 4.Qa4+ Nd7 5.Bg2 a6!

38
Position after: 5...a6!

In my opinion this is one of the main reasons why Black should play ...dxc4 as early as possible. In our
main line with ...Ngf6 and Qxc4 included, White can anticipate ...b5 by moving the queen back to c2.
Here it’s obviously not possible, and White has to allow ...b5.

6.Qxc4 b5!

This is one of the advantages of this move order when Black delays ...Nf6. He is ready to play ...b5
with a direct attack on the queen, followed with ...Bb7.
In the main line, we have time to retreat the queen once ...a6 has been played, so ...b5 is met with nasty
ideas on the long diagonal. Here we don’t.
We are left with a choice for our queen’s retreat, and none of the possible moves has made a great
impression on current theory. This is considered as a more or less equal line, and I won’t tell you that I
have an advantage in each variation.
Indeed, I am not a magician, but I can provide you with some interesting ideas and tell you why Black
has some chances to misplay if we follow the correct plans.
6...Ngf6 is again a transposition into the main variation.

7.Qb3!?

39
Position after: 7.Qb3!?

This move has the best overall score (in fact it’s the only one with more than 50% here).
7.Qc2 is the main move. Each side develops his pieces, but I think the follow-up is quite easy to play
for Black.

7...Bb7 8.0-0 Ngf6 9.Nc3!?

Position after: 9.Nc3!?

40
9.d3 also makes a lot of sense, but I prefer to put immediate pressure on b5, in order, if possible, to play
a2-a4 already on the next move.

9...c5

9...Be7 10.d3 0-0 (10...c5 transposes into 9... c5) 11.a4 b4 12.Nb1 Nc5 13.Qc2

Position after: 13.Qc2

Again we have provoked ...b4 in order to obtain full control over the c4-square for our knight. Even
Kramnik did not really know how to handle the position, and was outplayed by his Russian team-mate,
Svidler. 13...e5 14.Be3 e4 Looking for complications before White has time to play Nbd2. 15.Bxc5
Bxc5, and now I would avoid the great complications of the game Svidler, P (2755) – Kramnik, V
(2800) Moscow 2011, even if it went well for White, by playing the quiet 16.Ng5!?N 16...Bd4
17.Nxe4 Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Nxe4 19.dxe4 Qf6 20.Ra2 Qe6 21.b3² and we keep a healthy extra pawn.

10.d3

41
Position after: 10.d3

This time we have to prevent ...c4.

10...Be7 11.a4 b4

11...c4!? has been tried a couple of times, and is actually quite interesting. Black is objectively fine, but
he has to be very accurate. Play may continue: 12.dxc4 Nc5 13.Qd1! (13.Qc2? b4 14.Nb1 Be4µ)
13...b4 14.Nb1 Qxd1 15.Rxd1 Nb3 16.Ra2 Rc8

Position after: 16...Rc8

42
We are a pawn up, but under some pressure right now. 17.Be3!
A) 17...Rxc4?! 18.Nbd2 Nxd2 19.Nxd2 Rc7 20.Bxb7 Rxb7 21.Rc1²
B) 17...Bxf3 18.Bxf3 Rxc4 19.Nd2 Nxd2 20.Bxd2 Rc2 21.Raa1 0-0 22.b3„ The position is more or
less balanced, but we have managed to keep the bishop pair, whereas Black has the more active rooks.
The next moves will be very important in order to know if White can get a real advantage.
C) 17...0-0 18.Nfd2! Na5! A really hard move to find. (18...Bxg2? 19.Nxb3! Bb7 20.N1d2 Rfd8
21.Raa1±) 19.b3 Bxg2 20.Kxg2 Rc6© This move prevents Bb6 and enables Black to maintain the
balance, something really hard to understand!

12.Nb1!

Position after: 12.Nb1!

We have obtained what we wanted: at the price of a few tempi, a knight is going to reach the c4-square
soon.

12...0-0 13.Nbd2N

This logical move is no longer a novelty since it was used by Romain Edouard at the 4NCL.

13...a5

Romain had to face the move 13...Ne8 in his game, 1-0 (63) Edouard, R (2619) – Longson, A (2317)
England 2018, but I would now recommend (instead of trading knights on c4) slowly developing the
queenside: 14.Qc2!?N 14...Nd6 15.b3 Rc8 16.Bb2 Bf6 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.e4ƒ.

43
14.Qc2

It’s quite hard for Black to find an effective plan. The game might continue...

14...Nd5 15.Nc4 Qc7 16.e4! N5b6 17.Bf4 Qd8 18.Rad1ƒ

Position after: 18.Rad1ƒ

d) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ --

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4

44
Position after: 4...dxc4

This is the most usual moment for Black to take on c4. Theory has developed extensively and you may
expect many complicated lines.

5.Qa4+

I favoured this line, as it’s the simpler and more positional one, but not necessarily the best. Black will
get the opportunity to achieve a balanced position and the plans are easy to understand for both sides.
5.Na3 is actually the only line I have played, and it’s critical. We are giving up our pawn structure in
order to get the bishop pair, and soon we will have a shining bishop on b2. But our compensation might
be insufficient if White doesn’t play perfectly, whereas sometimes Black’s play feels easier. I saw no
reason to investigate this complicated line too much, as I am not even sure that I can provide you with
some promising positions!

5...Nbd7

5...Bd7 6.Qxc4 c5 (6...Bc6 is already discussed in the line starting with 3...dxc4 4.Qa4+ Bd7) 7.Ne5
Grabbing the bishop pair is the easiest way to get a slight edge. (7.b3 is possible as well, and would
transpose into chapter 2a, when Black started 3...dxc4)

45
Position after: 7.Ne5

A) 7...Qc7?! 8.d4!? Bd6 9.Na3!N White is intending Nb5. (≤ 9.Nc3 is less effective because of
9...cxd4 10.Qxc7 Bxc7= and we don’t have time to take on b7 because our two knights are under
attack.) 9...a6 The only way to parry the obvious threat... (9...Bxe5 10.dxe5±; 9...cxd4 10.Qxc7 Bxc7
11.Bxb7 Bxe5 12.Bxa8±) ...but we still have some nice pressure after 10.0-0 b5 11.Qc2² … 11...Nc6?
12.Nxd7 Nxd7 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Bf4 Qb6 15.Bxc6 Qxc6 16.b4+–.
B) 7...Qc8! Black has to spend a move in order to prepare ...Nc6. 8.Qd3 Among the multiple possible
moves we have at our disposal, this seems like an interesting try. 8...Nc6 9.Nxd7

46
Position after: 9.Nxd7

9...Nxd7 (9...Qxd7?! 10.Qxd7+ Kxd7 11.Nc3 Bd6 12.d3² These endgames are always in White’s
favour thanks to the bishop pair.) 10.Nc3! (≤ 10.Qb5 I recently discovered that this move order has a
major issue: 10...Nd4! 11.Qa4 Be7 12.Nc3 0-0 13.0-0 b5!

Position after: 13...b5!

This strong blow enables Black to seize the initiative, even if it costs him an exchange. 14.Qd1 b4
Accepting the exchange sacrifice would be very dangerous for White, as ...Qe4 would follow. 15.Nb1
c4 16.e3 Nf5 17.d4 cxd3 18.Qxd3 Rb8³ And White suffered, but achieved a draw in Banusz, T (2617)
– Fedorovsky, M (2478) Hockenheim 2017.) 10...Be7 11.Qb5

47
Position after: 11.Qb5

B1) 11...0-0 12.0-0 (12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Qd3 Nb6 14.b3 c4! Black gets enough counterplay and soon
regains the pawn: 15.bxc4 Qa6 16.0-0 Bf6 17.Rb1 Rfd8 18.Qf3 Nxc4 19.Ne4 Be7 20.Qc3= 0-1 (66)
Edouard, R (2612) – Akobian, V (2640) Saint Louis 2018) 12...Nb6 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Qa5 c4 15.b3!
ƒ White can try to keep the better pawn structure.
B2) 11...Nd4?! 12.Qxb7! Now this works because the b1-square is free! 12...Qxb7 13.Bxb7 Rb8
14.Be4 f5 15.Bb1²
B3) 11...a6 12.Qa4 Nd4 So Black manages to put a strong knight on d4, but he had to spend a tempo
playing ...a6 to do so. 13.0-0 0-0 14.d3 Nb6 15.Qd1 Rd8 16.Bd2 Qd7 17.Rc1 Rac8

48
Position after: 17...Rac8

This kind of position is really interesting. White has the bishop pair, but the fight against the strong
knight on d4 is hard. Aronian’s plan is very instructive. 18.b3! First, he stops any ...c4-idea. 18...h6
19.Kh1 Then he slowly prepares f2-f4. 19...Nd5 20.Nxd5 exd5 21.e3 Now he chases the annoying
knight before starting expansion on the kingside. 21...Nc6 22.Qh5 Qd6 23.f4!² 1-0 (33) Aronian, L
(2797) – Sethuraman, S (2646) Gibtaltar 2018.

6.Qxc4

49
Position after: 6.Qxc4

Black’s play is now divided into two ways of playing the position which may sometimes transpose into
each other. Let’s have a look at both of these options, ...c7-c5 or ...a7-a6.

6...c5

6...a6 This aims at playing ...b5 as soon as possible. 7.Qb3

Position after: 7.Qb3

A good repertoire is also a repertoire that is easy to learn. That’s why I prefer the same queen retreat on
both possible moves for Black. Instead, Qc2 is actually the main move, but our move is not inferior,
and with slightly different ideas.
A) 7...b5?! loses material after 8.Ne5!±.
B) 7...c5 It is usually an inaccuracy to start with this move, as we are able to stop Black’s queenside
expansion with 8.a4! Bd6 (8...Rb8 9.a5! is the automatic follow-up after ...Rb8) 9.d3 Very precise, to
continue with 9...Rb8 10.a5! Bc7 11.Bd2! and our pawn is safely protected. Now if Black wants to
push ...b5 at some point, it will be at the cost of his pawn structure.

50
Position after: 11.Bd2!

11...0-0 12.0-0 Nd5 13.Rc1 b5 Without any useful move available, Black finally cracks. 14.axb6
N7xb6 [1-0 (49) Romanov, E (2594) – Yevseev, D (2520) St Petersburg 2010] 15.Qa3!?N 15...Bd6
16.Ba5²
C) 7...Rb8 8.0-0 b5 9.a4 Bb7 10.axb5 axb5 11.d3

Position after: 11.d3

11...Be7 (11...Bd6 12.Nc3!?N 12...0-0 13.Qc2! Attacking ‘b5’ for good. 13...b4 14.Nb1 Once again

51
 we have to lose a couple of tempi in order to take control over the c4-square, but we are quite happy
to do so... 14...c5 15.Nbd2 Nb6 16.b3 Qc7 17.Bb2²) 12.Bf4 Nd5 13.Bd2 We have allowed the knight
to come to d5; however, this hampers the bishop on b7 and sometimes allows the possibility of
playing e2-e4 with an attack. From d2 the bishop is heading to a5, as in the following game: 13...0-0
14.Rc1 c5

Position after: 14...c5

15.Ba5! Qe8 16.Nbd2 N5f6 Here it is, the knight has to move by itself. I think we even became more
optimistic than Levon in his game, Aronian, L (2812) – Anand, V (2773) Zurich 2014, that he finally
won, by playing 17.e4!² Black keeps a really solid position, but with very limited resources.

7.Qb3!?

52
Position after: 7.Qb3!?

7...Rb8

A) 7...Bd6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nc3 a6 10.a4 Rb8 11.a5 We know this idea from the same structure after
6...a6. We still want to prevent an easy ...b5 at all costs. 11...b5 It’s probably best to play this move.
(11...Bc7 12.Qa2 b5 13.axb6 Nxb6 14.d3²) 12.axb6 Rxb6 13.Qc2 Bb7 14.d3 Qa8 15.Na4 Rb5 16.e4
Ng4 17.Nd2 Nge5 18.Nc4 Be7 19.Bd2² 1-0 (51) Naiditsch, A (2707) – Greenfeld, A (2573) Rogaska
Slatina.
B) 7...a6 8.a4 transposes to a sideline of 6...a6.

8.d3

Intending Bf4.

8...Bd6 9.a4 b6!

53
Position after: 9...b6!

This is why Black did well to wait before playing ...a6.

When Black starts with ...a6 he has some problems on the long diagonal, because of the remaining rook
on a8.
I think that the game is pretty close to equality, and practice shows that Black does not experience too
many problems in those kinds of positions. However I would continue with...

10.Na3 a6 11.0-0 0-0 12.Nc4 Bc7 13.Bd2 Bb7

The previous moves were pretty logical.

14.Qa3!?

14.e4?! b5 15.axb5 axb5 16.Na5 Ba8 17.Rfe1 c4!µ was good for Black even if he finally lost in Ju, W
(2526) – Zhai, M (2303) Wuxi 2014.

14...b5 15.axb5 axb5 16.Na5

54
Position after: 16.Na5

16...Bd5

16...b4 17.Qa4 Bxa5! 18.Qxa5 Qe7 (18...Qxa5 19.Rxa5² would be easier for White thank’s to the a-
file) 19.Rfc1 Rfc8 20.Qa4„ White has the bishop pair, but for now it’s hard for him to get an
advantage. But the game is still full of resources; I still prefer White.

17.b4!

55
Position after: 17.b4!

17...c4

White failed to achieve enough winning chances in Rausis, I (2520) – Drasko, M (2540) France 2008; I
now would prefer...

18.Rfd1!?N 18...cxd3 19.Qxd3ƒ

Position after: 19.Qxd3ƒ

...with some initiative for White, who wants to put a knight, at some point, on c6. By grabbing the
bishop pair, White would keep a long-term advantage.

e) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ c6 with 9...a6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ c6

56
Position after: 5...c6

Black plays in the spirit of the Semi-Slav, with a queenside expansion that works thanks to our exposed
queen, but the major difference is that we have not yet placed a pawn on d4, and this gives us more
possibilities.

6.Qxc4 b5 7.Qc2 Bb7

Despite what we may think, we have reached a really tricky position. Black’s play is quite simple; his
next moves are (whatever the order), ...a6, ...Nbd7, ...Be7, ...Rc8, ...c5 and ...0-0. His position is healthy
and active at the same time. Actually, it scores pretty well for Black, and it was a challenge for me to
find a valuable line for White, but I think what I’ve found is quite good and easy to understand. Let’s
have a look!

8.a4!?

The aim of this move is to provoke an early ...b4, which would be really satisfying for us, as it leaves
the c4-square free. It also prevents Black from playing ...c5 for now.
Even if it wouldn’t necessarily be bad news, the move order starting with 8.0-0 leaves Black the extra
possibility of playing with 8...c5.

8...Nbd7

8...a6 9.0-0 Nbd7 transposes into 9...a6.

9.0-0

57
Position after: 9.0-0

Now Black has two main moves: 9...a6 or 9...Rc8 (next subchapter).

9...a6 10.Nc3 Be7 11.d3!?

I’ll now will show you another possibility for White, as I am not fond of playing d2-d4.
11.d4 failed to convince me because of 11...c5 or on the next move, after castling, when Black surely
has nice play.

11...0-0 12.e4 Rc8

This is the most active plan. The idea is to be able to play ...a5, as it virtually protects the b5-pawn.
12...b4 13.Nb1! c5 14.Nbd2 a5 15.b3N 15...Nb6 16.Bb2²

13.h3

58
Position after: 13.h3

Obligatory, in order to play Be3 without being annoyed by ...Ng4.

13...a5

13...Qb6 This natural move is easily met with 14.Be3 c5 15.axb5 axb5 16.b4! Qc6 (16...Qd8N might
be better, but after 17.Nxb5 cxb4 18.Qd2² White keeps the upper hand) 17.Qb1!

Position after: 17.Qb1!

59
17...cxb4 18.Nd4 Qb6 19.Nf5 Qd8 20.Nxe7+ Qxe7 21.Nxb5± and White took his time, but managed
to convert his position in Delchev, A (2643) – Nisipeanu, L (2674) Bad Wiessee 2013.

14.Be3 Ba6!?

Black is seeking counterplay.

15.Rfd1 b4 16.Nb1 c5

16...Nb6 17.Bf1! c5 18.Nbd2 Nfd7 19.Nb3²

17.Nbd2 Nb8

All this appeared in the game won by Black, Kaidanov, G (2569) – Bruzon Batista, L (2679) Praia da
Pipa 2014, but we really need to play the strong...

18.Nb3!N

Position after: 18.Nb3!N

Putting both pawns under attack and preventing ...Nc6. Black will have to worry about his c5-pawn in
particular.

18...Qc7 19.Rac1 Nfd7 20.Bf1!?²

White keeps an eye on both the a5 and c5-pawns. He also has the c4-square at his disposal, and can
open the position with d3-d4 whenever he wants.
This pressure ensures that he can keep the upper hand.

60
 f) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ c6 with 9...Rc8

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ c6 6.Qxc4 b5 7.Qc2 Bb7 8.a4!? Nbd7 9.0-0 Rc8!?

Position after: 9...Rc8!?

When Black plays this move quickly, he shows that he wants to push ...c5 as soon as he can.

10.Nc3 a6

In case of 10...b4 we are happy even if we must lose a couple of tempi as we get exactly what we want:
11.Nd1 (11.Nb1!?) 11...Be7 12.b3 0-0 13.Bb2 c5 14.Ne3ƒ.

11.Rd1!

11.d4?! would be premature because of 11...b4 12.Ne4 c5ƒ.

11...Qb6

11...Be7 12.d4! b4 (12...0-0 13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Nd5 15.axb5 axb5 16.Ne4 c5 17.Nc3!²) 13.Ne4 c5
As Black is ready to open files, he shouldn’t wait. 14.Nxf6+! Nxf6 (14...Bxf6 15.dxc5 Rxc5 16.Qb3²
Black needs to solve his problems of hanging pawns, pins, and the hazardous placing of his rook.)
15.dxc5 Qa5 16.Be3!

61
Position after: 16.Be3!

A) Black can’t wait to capture the c5-pawn: 16...0-0?! 17.Nd2! Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Ng4 was seen in the
game Berczes, D (2550) – Venkatesh, M (2480), 1-0 (48), Dresden 2011, and we can improve White’s
play with 19.Nb3!N 19...Nxe3+ 20.fxe3 Qc7 21.Rac1. We have damaged our structure, but we now
have an extra pawn that Black needs to take back by means of 21...Qc6+ 22.Kf2 Qxa4 23.Qc4!±.
Now Black’s pieces are going to be dominated by the strong c-pawn which will not stand still! His
queenside also feels fragile, with Ra1 coming.
B) 16...Bxc5 17.Bxc5 Rxc5 18.Qd3 0-0 19.Nd4! This pretty strong move allows White to keep a
decent edge in each of the following lines: 19...Bd5 (19...Bxg2? 20.Nb3 Qb6 21.Nxc5+–) 20.Bxd5
Rxd5 21.Nc6!

62
Position after: 21.Nc6!

21...Qc5 (21...Rxd3 22.Nxa5 Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1±) 22.Qxa6±

12.d4 c5!

This is the logical follow-up.

12...Be7?! 13.Ne5! Nxe5 14.dxe5 Nd5 15.Ne4 0-0 16.Bg5±

13.axb5 axb5 14.Be3! Ng4

63
Position after: 14...Ng4

Even if White played really well and scored a good win in Artemiev, V (2671) – Bukavshin, I (2648)
Sochi 2015, we could try two different ideas here, both crushing if Black fails to understand the
position.

15.dxc5!N

This is my favourite, as it seems completely stupid at first!

15.Ne5!?N 15...Nxe3 (15...Ndxe5 16.Bxb7 Nxe3 17.fxe3 Qxb7 18.dxe5 Be7 19.Qe4 Qb6 20.Ra8 0-0
21.Rxc8 Rxc8 22.Rd7²) 16.Nxd7 Nxc2 17.Nxb6 Rb8 18.Bxb7 Nxa1 19.Bc6+ Ke7 20.Nd7 Rd8
21.dxc5 Nc2 22.Bxb5±

15...Nxe3?

A mistake, but tempting, right?

15...Bxc5 is the only move to survive 16.Qd3 0-0! 17.Bxc5 Qxc5 18.Qd4!² Black is still under
pressure with his hanging knights and b5-pawn.

16.cxb6 Nxc2

Position after: 16...Nxc2

Did we really just blunder a piece?

17.Ra7!

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Certainly not!

17...Rb8

17...Bxf3 18.Raxd7! Bxg2 19.Kxg2 Be7 20.b7 Rb8 21.Nxb5 Nb4 22.Nc7+! Kf8 23.Ra1+–

18.Rxd7 Kxd7 19.Ne5+ Kc8 20.Nxf7 Rg8 21.Nxb5+–

Position after: 21.Nxb5+–

Black is helpless against Nbd6+.

g) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 dxc4?!

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 dxc4?!

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Position after: 5...dxc4?!

This is clearly the worst moment to take on c4. Whereas we have only played useful moves, Black just
moved his bishop to a square which is not necessarily the best one, and we can take advantage of that
immediately by playing...

6.Na3!

On the previous move, after 4...dxc4, I rejected this move because of the complications after 5...Bxa3,
but now we are a full tempo up and it makes some difference.

6...0-0

A) 6...Bxa3 7.Qa4+!? Keeping our good pawn structure. (7.bxa3² is also more than fine, but I prefer
to offer a variation that is easy to understand. It’s up to you if you prefer to work a bit extra for this
one.)
A1) 7...Bd7 8.Qxa3 Bc6 (8...Nc6 9.Qc5 Qe7 10.Qxc4 0-0 11.d4²) 9.Qc3 0-0 10.Qxc4 Nbd7
11.Qc3² White prevents ...Bxf3 followed by ...Ne5 and stands better.
A2) 7...b5!N

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Position after: 7...b5!N

A smart way to play this move, and probably an improvement for Black. 8.Qxa3 Bb7 9.b3! cxb3
10.axb3 Nbd7 11.Bb2 a5 (11...Qe7? 12.Qa5±) 12.Rfc1© Black’s queenside has many holes and we
obtained good chances to take our pawn back soon.
B) 6...c5 doesn’t change much, and play must transpose after 7.Nxc4 Nc6 8.b3 0-0.

7.Nxc4

Position after: 7.Nxc4

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7...c5

7...b5 8.Nfe5 (8.Nce5 was tried recently, and even if White is still better, the move is objectively
inferior 8...Bb7 9.d4 a6 10.Bd2 c5 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Rc1² 1-0 (30) Gonda, L (2499) – Marosi, L (2293)
Hungary 2018) 8...Nd5 9.Ne3 Bb7 10.Nxd5 Bxd5 (10...exd5?! 11.d4² What exactly is the pawn on b5
doing here?) 11.e4 Bb7 12.d4 c5 13.d5!²

8.b3 Nc6 9.Bb2

Marin states about this position very correctly: “White has very active development and the possibility
of neutralising Black’s space advantage with d2-d4 at the most convenient moment.” Now we have to
look at a few alternatives.

9...Bd7

A) 9...Nd5 10.d4

Position after: 10.d4

A1) 10...cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Bf6 13.Qd2! Bxb2 14.Qxb2 In this almost symmetrical
position, Black is ‘almost’ close to equality, but is actually in huge trouble already as his pieces
remain inactive. 14...b5 15.Rfd1! bxc4 16.bxc4 Qb6 17.Qa3 Rb8 (17...Nc7 18.Rab1 Qa6 19.Qe7+–)
18.cxd5 exd5 19.Bxd5±
A2) 10...b5 11.Nce5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bb7 13.Rc1!? I prefer this less common move, instead of
trading on c5, to keep some pressure. 13...Rc8

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Position after: 13...Rc8

14.Qd2! cxd4 15.Qxd4 f6 (15...Qb6! 16.Qxb6 axb6 17.Nd7 Rxc1 18.Rxc1 Rc8 19.Kf1!²) 16.Qxa7
Rxc1 17.Rxc1 Qa8 18.Qxa8 Rxa8 19.Nc6 Bxc6 20.Rxc6 Kf7 21.Bxd5 exd5 22.a3 Bxa3 23.Rc7+
Be7 24.Bd4± White has played a close to perfect game and managed to win in Sadorra, J (2473) –
Yang, D (2417) Richardson 2010.
B) 9...Qc7 It doesn’t seem a great idea to put the queen on this file. 10.Rc1 Rd8 11.Nfe5 Nxe5
12.Bxe5 Qd7 13.Bb2²

10.d4

White clearly has the more active pieces and has obtained a nice advantage already.

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Position after: 10.d4

10...Rc8?!

In a recent top-level game, Black com-pletely messed up his opening.

10...cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Bc6 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Rac1± This being a kind of endgame, without
any hope to improve his position. The c6-pawn is a long term weakness, and our pieces are already well
placed to attack it.

11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Nd6 Rc7

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Position after: 12...Rc7

Black insists on keeping the bishop pair, so had to play this ugly move.

13.Rc1 b6 14.Ng5! Qe7 15.Nge4 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Rd8 17.Nxc5 bxc5 18.Qe1±

White has an overwhelming advantage that he converted with ease in Grischuk, A (2795) – Inarkiev, E
(2688) Moscow 2014.

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 Chapter 3
Black plays with ...d4

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3

Chapter guide
Chapter 3 – Black plays with ...d4
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3
a) 3...d4, 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 d4 5.--, 5.0-0 Nc6
b) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 d4 5.0-0 c5 6.e3 Nc6 7.exd4 Nxd4, 7...cxd4 8.d3 --
c) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 d4 5.0-0 c5 6.e3 Nc6 7.exd4 cxd4 8.d3 Bd6

a) 3...d4, 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 d4 5.--, 5.0-0 Nc6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3

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Position after: 3.g3

In this chapter, we focus on Black’s possibility of advancing ...d5-d4 early in the opening. If we have to
give it a name, this might be the ‘Reversed Benoni’. True, it is similar, but what are the main
differences? Of course we are playing the Benoni as White, so we have an extra tempo, and Black has
only played ...e6, whereas White usually doesn’t hesitate to push e4, and has sometimes to spend
another tempo in order to play ...e6-e5. So if you like the Benoni Defense, this surely won’t be a
problem for you
But it has to be said that things are not so bad for Black. From an objective point of view, he is actually
trying to get an edge by having more space in the center and easy development besides. How should
White proceed? As we will see, it seems more promising to play with a classical plan borrowed from
the Benoni than some Benko ideas...

3...Nf6

3...d4 A quite unusual move order, but it can sometimes help Black to keep the possibility of playing
...Ne7. 4.Bg2
A) 4...Nc6!? 5.0-0

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Position after: 5.0-0

A1) 5...Nf6 – see 5...Nc6.

A2) 5...e5 6.e3 Bg4 This move is overoptimistic and Black will regret it once we can open the
center. (6...Nf6 – see 5...Nc6) 7.d3! First we need to prevent ...e4. 7...Nf6 8.exd4 Nxd4 9.Nbd2 Bd6
10.h3 Nxf3+ (10...Bh5?! 11.g4 Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3 Bg6 13.Qxb7±) 11.Nxf3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 c6 13.b4!ƒ
With some initiative on the queenside and in the center.
A3) 5...Bc5

Position after: 5...Bc5

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 A3.1) 6.e3 Nge7! All this might be the best idea for Black if he wants to advance his pawn to d4.
(6...Nf6 7.b4! – see again 5...Nc6) 7.b4?! doesn’t work as well as in the main line because of (7.d3
0-0 8.Na3 e5 9.Nc2 Bf5 10.exd4 Nxd4) 7...Nxb4 8.exd4 Bxd4 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.Qa4+ Nbc6!³
and you can see that the knight on e7 is essential.
A3.2) 6.d3! (I had to change my mind concerning the move order as 6.e3 couldn’t satisfy me.)
6...Nf6 Black finally plays ...Nf6 but we cannot transpose to 5...Nc6 any more as we generally
avoid playing d3 there. However the position is still fine. (6...Nge7?! 7.Nbd2 Suddenly the c5-
bishop feels a bit exposed. 7...a5 8.Nb3 Bb6 9.e3! dxe3 10.Bxe3ƒ) 7.Nbd2 0-0 8.Nb3 Be7 9.e3 e5
10.exd4 exd4 11.Re1!ƒ
B) 4...c5 5.0-0 Nc6 6.e3 Bd6 7.exd4 cxd4 8.d3 Nge7

Position after: 8...Nge7

In this case, I don’t think Black’s knight is doing a great job on e7. (8...Nf6 – see the main line)
9.Nbd2! 0-0 10.Re1 h6 11.a3 a5 12.Ne4 Bc7 13.Rb1! It’s hard for Black to stop b4. 13...f5 (13...a4?!
14.Nc5! Bd6 15.Nxa4 Qa5 16.b3±) 14.Nc5 Qd6? This mistake occurred in Karavade, E (2398) –
Kiselev, A (2204) Golden Sands 2013, but White was unable to spot the tactic... (14...e5 15.b4!ƒ)
15.Nxe6!N 15...Bxe6 16.Bf4 Qd7 17.Bxc7+– winning an important pawn.

4.Bg2 d4

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Position after: 4...d4

5.0-0

As other ideas were not suiting me, it seems logical to go for the main theoretical line.
A) 5.a3 was an interesting try by Aronian in 2015, and has been followed by a couple of grandmasters
since. The Armenian managed to score a nice win, but his followers were not as lucky, as Black came
up with a strong improvement (line A2).
A1) Facing this novelty, Ponomariov preferred the logical idea 5...a5 but there are some advantages
in having included a3/...a5. 6.e3 c5 7.exd4 cxd4 8.d3 Nc6 9.Bg5!

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Position after: 9.Bg5!

This is the point. Compared to our main line, a3/...a5 has been included, preventing Black from
giving checks or other annoying ideas.
So White can delay castling, enabling Black to obtain easy development. 9...Be7 (9...Bd6 10.Nbd2²
gives Black some trouble) 10.Nbd2 h6 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 This position is not awful for Black, but White
can apply some pressure! 12.0-0 0-0 13.c5 Be7 14.Rc1!ƒ 1-0 (49) Aronian, L (2770) – Ponomariov,
R (2713) Tsaghkadzor 2015.
A2) 5...c5! 6.b4 White plays in the spirit of the Benko Gambit, but Black can simply prefer to
decline the offer with 6...a5! and I couldn’t find any real chances for an advantage here, as shown in
the following game: 7.bxc5 Nc6 8.d3 Bxc5 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.0-0 a4 12.Nbd2 Qe7 13.Qc1
f5!?ƒ 0-1 (64) Romanov, E (2586) – Fridman, D (2639) Liepaja 2015.
B) It’s very sad for White that the aggressive 5.b4? is over-optimistic.

Position after: 5.b4?

5...Bxb4! It’s true that it would have been nice. White can be satisfied after any other moves, but this
is simply strong. 6.Qa4+ Nc6 7.Ne5 Is Black in trouble? Losing something? No! 7...Rb8!µ So close,
but this simple defensive move enables Black to hold the initiative with better development.

5...Nc6

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Position after: 5...Nc6

This is a principled move, simply protecting the important d4 and e5 squares in the center, but I think
that White can easily take the upper hand.
5...c5 will be examined later.

6.e3 Bc5

The tempo lost with the e-pawn after 6...e5 will become rather important. We can compare it with the
line 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.g3 (in this book we will consider 3.b4 in chapter 11) 3...Nc6 4.Bg2 e5 5. 0-0
Nf6 6.e3, and we reach the same position with Black to move! 7.exd4 exd4 (7...e4 8.Ng5 Nxd4
9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4² a pawn is a pawn) 8.d3 Be7 9.Na3!?

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Position after: 9.Na3!?

9...0-0 10.Nc2 a5 11.Re1² White will have many plans available (attacking d4, trading knights on e5,
pushing on the queenside by means of a3 and Rb1), whereas Black will always need to keep an eye on
his weak d4-pawn.

7.b4!?

Position after: 7.b4!?

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This wins a pawn in the center!

7...Bxb4

7...Nxb4?!N 8.exd4 Be7 (8...Bxd4?? 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.Qa4+ And Black will lose some material
whatever he plays. For instance 10...Kd8 11.Qxb4 Qxa1 12.Ba3! Re8 13.Nc3+–) 9.Bb2± is even worse
for Black.

8.exd4 0-0 9.Bb2 Rb8

Up to this point, things were going fine for White in the game Caruana, F (2805) – Hammer, J (2677)
Stavanger 2015.

Position after: 9...Rb8

Black’s threat is to push ...b5 in order to weaken our center. Now White lacked precision in the game,
so we’re going to improve!

10.Qe2!?N

10.Na3 Bxa3 11.Bxa3 Re8 12.Bb2 b5∞ was played in the game.

10...Re8!

A useful waiting move.

11.d3

11.Rd1!?

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11...b5 12.Nc3²

Position after: 12.Nc3²

With a complicated but very active position.

b) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 d4 5.0-0 c5 6.e3 Nc6 7.exd4 Nxd4, 7...cxd4 8.d3 --

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.c4 d4 5.0-0 c5

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Position after: 5...c5

This is surely the most logical move and the most similar to the Benoni.

6.e3

You can have a look at 6.b4, but I don’t really believe that it can be so strong.

6...Nc6 7.exd4 cxd4

7...Nxd4?! Trading knights opens the long diagonal for our g2-bishop, and surely helps White. 8.Nxd4
Qxd4 It’s true that positionally, Black has managed to create a big hole in White’s center. It seems
more logical to put a piece there instead of a pawn, in order to keep some pressure on our d-pawn, but
dynamically, this simply doesn’t work, as Shirov experienced. (8...cxd4 9.d3 Bd6 10.b4!² This
additional idea is now strong, and this kind of position is every Benoni player’s dream.) 9.d3 Be7
10.Nc3 0-0 11.Be3 Qd6

Position after: 11...Qd6

A) 12.Qe2 e5 13.h3 Be6 14.Rfe1² Shirov could have reached a close to equal position, but fell into a
nice trap: 14...Rfd8?! 15.Bxb7 Rab8 16.Bg2 Qxd3? 17.Nd5! Qxe2 18.Nxe7+ Kf8 19.Rxe2+– and
White eventually managed to win in Aronian, L (2792) – Shirov, A (2684) Zurich 2016.
B) 12.d4!? If you don’t like the game, you should know that you can already fill the hole on d4. And it
might be even better than what happened in the game 12...cxd4 13.Qxd4! Qxd4 (13...Qc7 14.Nb5!
Qa5 15.Nxa7± Gluttony must be the way... sometimes, that is!) 14.Bxd4 Rd8 15.Rad1± Black needs
to address a serious question: how will he develop his queenside, as both a7 and b7 are hanging?

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8.d3

Position after: 8.d3

We finally reach the standard Benoni, with a tempo up for White, and the e6-pawn (instead of the usual
e5) for Black, as discussed in the introduction.
Now the different plans for White are:
• advance on the queenside by means of a3/b4, or sometimes Na3-c2 (or the other knight with Ne1-
c2), in order to help the pawns to advance;
• take control over the e4-square, by trading the f6-knight with the g5-bishop, followed by Nbd2 and
Re1;
• sometimes, play f4 in order to prevent ...e5.
On the other hand, Black will try to:
• get a strong center with ...e5, then put his f6-knight on c5, and either play ...f5, or put pressure on d3
with the help of ...Bf5;
• anticipate b2-b4, and try to play ...Rb8 followed by ...b5 in order to open the queenside. Whoever is
able to reach his goals has good chances of getting an advantage.

8...Be7

With this move, Black doesn’t understand that he needs to take a grip on the e5-square, and find a more
active square for his bishop. For 8...Bd6, see the next subchapter.
8...h6 Indeed, what happens if Black prevents Bg5 (as in the classical line of the Benoni, when White
plays with h3/e4/Bd3/Nf3)?

83
Position after: 8...h6

A) 9.Bf4 is obviously more common, and interesting as well. For instance, the main game here
continued 9...Bd6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 11.a3 (11.Na3!? 0-0 12.Rc1 preparing the classical ‘c5’ expansion
is interesting as well) 11...a5 12.Nbd2 0-0 13.Qc2 a4 14.c5 Qc7 15.Rfe1ƒ 1-0 (69) Fressinet, L (2709)
– Parligras, M (2572) Yerevan 2014.
B) 9.Bd2!?N This smart novelty is not typical of the Benoni, but it contains some venom and it seems
an interesting practical try.

Position after: 9.Bd2!?N

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 B1) The main idea becomes obvious after 9...Bd6?! 10.b4! Bxb4 (10...0-0 11.c5 Be7 12.Qa4 a6
13.Na3²; 10...Nxb4?? 11.Bxb4 Bxb4 12.Qa4++–) 11.Ne5!

Position after: 11.Ne5!

A surprising blow! 11...Nxe5 (11...Bxd2 12.Nxc6 Qc7! 13.Nxd2 bxc6 14.Qa4 Bd7 15.Qa3© Black
is in trouble) 12.Bxb4 Nc6 13.Bxc6+ bxc6 14.Nd2² Black is far from castling, and we have huge
compensation.
B2) 9...a6 10.b4 Bxb4 11.Ne5 Bxd2 12.Nxc6 Qc7 13.Nxd2 bxc6 14.Qa4 Bb7 15.Nb3 0-0 16.Nc5©
B3) 9...a5 You need to remind me of something... Why does Black prefer to wait for a3 before
preventing b4 with ...a5? 10.Na3 Oh yes, now I remember, because of the b5-square! 10...Bd6
11.Nb5 Bb8 12.Ne1 0-0 13.f4! e5 14.fxe5 Bxe5 15.Nf3 Bb8 16.Qc2ƒ

9.Na3!?

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Position after: 9.Na3!?

9.Re1 is also pretty interesting and might amount to the same.

9...0-0 10.Re1

Preventing ...e5 seems important.

10...Re8

A) 10...Bxa3?! This is so ugly strategically, but who knows, sometimes it can be strong. No, just
kidding. Here it only opens the b-file (where a rook can have a great influence, and can even aim at
the b5-outpost) and throws away the bishop pair (actually the more active bishop). 11.bxa3 Re8
12.Bf4 Bd7 13.Rb1 b6 14.Qd2²
B) 10...Nd7 11.Nc2 e5

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Position after: 11...e5

This is the situation when you understood that you need a pawn on e5, but it’s too late... (I think a
lesser evil was 11...a5 12.Nfxd4 Nxd4 13.Nxd4 Nc5 14.Be3 e5 15.Nb5 Nxd3 16.Rf1² White has the
more active minor pieces and a pleasant position.) 12.b4! a6 occured in Michalik, P (2570) –
Cyborowski, L (2530) Schwäbisch Hall 2015 where White won convincingly. (12...Nxb4 13.Nxe5!
Nxe5 14.Rxe5 Nxc2 15.Qxc2± Black is soon going to experience major troubles on the long
diagonal, and will most probably lose either the b7 or d4 pawn.) 13.b5!?N An improvement over the
above-mentioned game! 13...axb5 14.cxb5 Nb4 15.Ba3! Nxc2 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Qxc2±

11.Bf4 Bb4 12.Re2

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Position after: 12.Re2

The rook is slightly awkward here, but White has managed to prevent ...e5.

12...Nh5

12...Nd7 13.Nc2 Bc5 14.a3 e5 15.Bd2² Black will have to stop the plan of expansion starting with b2-
b4.

13.Bg5! Be7

13...f6 14.Bd2 Bxd2 15.Nxd2 e5 16.c5!±

14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Qd2 Rd8 16.Nc2 a5

This is necessary in order to avoid b4 but has the usual drawback: it weakens the b5-square and allows
the strong manoeuvre...

17.Ne5!

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Position after: 17.Ne5!

The knight is untouchable!

17...Nb4

17...Nxe5? 18.Rxe5 Nf6 19.Rxa5+–

18.Nxb4 axb4 19.c5! Qxc5 20.Qg5 Nf6 21.Nxf7!±

1-0 Wang Hao (2737) – Xu Shijiazhuang (2331) China 2013.

c) 3...Nf6 4.Bg2 d4 5.0-0 c5 6.e3 Nc6 7.exd4 cxd4 8.d3 Bd6

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.c4 d4 5.0-0 c5 6.e3 Nc6 7.exd4 cxd4 8.d3 Bd6

89
Position after: 8...Bd6

Nowadays this has become the main move, and I’m pretty sure it’s the best try for Black.

9.Bg5!

It is not without reason that in one of the main lines, White plays h2-h3 against the Benoni, in order to
avoid the equivalent ...Bg4 pin. Indeed, it is sometimes good to give up the bishop pair! Here it is
motivated by the possibility of putting a knight on the central e4-square.
9.Na3 has been tried recently in high-level games, and offers some good ideas too, but Black should be
able to achieve equality.

90
Position after: 9.Na3

A) 9...e5 seems over-ambitious for Black, and Giri scored a nice win with 10.c5! Bxc5 11.Nc4 Nd7
(11...Bg4 12.Qb3 Qe7 13.Re1²) 12.Re1

Position after: 12.Re1

12...0-0 (12...f6?! 13.Nh4! is quite annoying: if Black responds carelessly with 13...0-0 14.Bd5+!
Kh8? 15.Ng6+! hxg6 16.Qg4+– decides the game quickly) 13.Nfxe5 Ncxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Rxe5
Qb6 16.a4! a5 17.Qc2 Bb4 18.Rb5 Qe6 19.Bf4± With strong pressure that the Dutch prodigy

91
 converted into a win in Giri, A (2784) – So, W (2762) Wijk aan Zee 2015.
B) 9...0-0 10.Nc2 e5 11.b4 This is the point, but Black can keep a level game with 11...a6 12.Re1 Re8.
Now White can improve on the game Bulski, K (2547) – Banusz, T (2580) Germany 2013 with the
new move 13.Bg5N (which had already been tried in a correspondence game).

Position after: 13.Bg5N

But still 13...Bf5! enables Black to reach an interesting position. (13...h6? was a terrible blunder
(unusual in a correspondence game, but it can still happen) 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.c5 Bc7 16.Nfxd4± 1-0
(48) Reinhart, K (2475) – Pierzak, R (2490) POL – USA 2015; 13...Bg4 14.c5 Bc7 15.a4²) 14.c5 Bf8!
15.Nh4 Bd7= And I couldn’t find any interesting ideas here to keep playing for an opening advantage.
However the position remains full of resources, and can be played by both sides for a win.

9...h6

It’s hardly any better to wait before playing this move.

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Position after: 9...h6

10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Nbd2 Qe7

A) 11...Qd8 It’s difficult to say where the queen is best placed. Both have pluses and minuses. 12.a3
a5

Position after: 12...a5

A1) The only time I encountered this opening, I had no real knowledge, except some ideas and plans
against the regular Benoni. I decided to choose a plan I knew from the Pawn-Storm System (with f4)

93
 where the knight reaches c7 (here c2), to help White in pushing b4. It also frees the way for the
bishop and sometimes allows some extravagance with f4. 13.Ne1 0-0 14.Nc2 e5 15.Rb1 a4 16.b4
axb3 17.Rxb3= And even if I eventually won this game, and think it’s quite interesting, the position
is objectively balanced: Demuth, A (2550) – Delabaca, R (2344) Drancy 2016.
A2) 13.Rc1! I like this idea of MVL (OK true, he’s not the first player who employed this move, but
it’s thanks to him that I got interested in it). White uses his plan B, trying to push c5 and get some
nice squares for his knights. 13...0-0 14.c5 Be7 By some magic trick, we have again the game
Aronian – Ponomariov seen in the line 5.a3 of our present chapter. Really? All that for this? Actually
you should remember we considered that this was not the best for Black. And another small
difference: here it’s even White to play! 15.Qa4!?N

Position after: 15.Qa4!?N

A new idea, and perhaps the best move. It’s actually really hard to find an active move for Black.
(Maxime preferred 15.Re1 Bd7 16.Ne4 Qc7 17.Nfd2ƒ with an active position that he won
convincingly Vachier Lagrave, M (2811) – Antic, D (2455) Novi Sad 2016) 15...Rb8 (15...Bd7?!
16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.Qxd4 Bc6 18.Qc4²; 15...e5? doesn’t parry the obvious threat 16.b4!±) 16.Nc4!
Bxc5 17.Nxa5 Nxa5 18.Rxc5 Bd7! (18...Nc6 19.Rfc1±) 19.Qd1 Nc6 20.b4²
B) 11...0-0 With this careless move, Black gives back the bishop pair. Moreover it leaves Black with
his less active pieces, which is most important here! 12.Ne4 Qe7 13.Nxd6 Qxd6 14.Re1!

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Position after: 14.Re1!

This sets a trap that we have already met on numerous occasions in this chapter. 14...e5?! 15.b4! Bg4
16.c5 Qf6 17.b5± Black was in huge trouble and soon collapsed in Mkrtchian, L (2449) –
Tscharotschkin, M (2144) Gibraltar 2015.

12.a3

12.Nb3 deserves some attention as well.

12...a5 13.Ne4 Bc7 14.b4!

This usual strong blow has scored really well for White.

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Position after: 14.b4!

Svidler preferred 14.Qa4 but after 14...Bd7 15.Qb5 a4 16.b4 Georgiadis could have improved his play
in the game Svidler, P (2739) – Georgiadis, N (2490) Gibraltar 2015 by playing 16...axb3 17.Qxb7 Ra7
18.Qxb3 0-0© with strong compensation. Instead, he preferred to keep the material balance, and even if
the game was really interesting, he was finally outplayed by the Russian top-GM.

14...axb4

14...f5 15.Nh4! A huge upset for Black. The only game with this position highlighted Black’s
difficulties. 15...Qf7 (15...fxe4 16.Ng6 Qf6 17.Nxh8 g6 18.Nxg6! Qxg6 19.Bxe4 Qf7 20.Qa4+–;
15...0-0 must be the best continuation, but White keeps the upper hand 16.Ng6 Qf7 17.Nxf8 fxe4
18.Nxe6 Bxe6 19.Bxe4²) 16.b5! White enters a more or less forced line and after 16...Ne5 17.Nc5 Bd6
18.Nb3 g5

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Position after: 18...g5

19.Nf3 (19.c5!?) 19...Nxf3+ 20.Bxf3 g4 21.Bg2 a4 22.Nxd4 Be5 23.Nc6! Bxa1 24.Qxa1 0-0 25.Ne5
Qf6 26.d4+– had wonderful (and decisive) compensation for the exchange in Grunberg, M (2380) –
Csatari, M (2125) Harkany 1997.

15.axb4 Rxa1 16.Qxa1

Position after: 16.Qxa1

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The smoke is soon going to clear with the better position for White.

16...f5

A) 16...Qxb4 17.Rb1 Qe7 18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Qxd4² occurred in the game Gual Pascual, A (2416) –
Raghunandan, K (2403) Barbera del Valles 2016, which White managed to win with fine technique.
B) 16...Nxb4?!N 17.Qa4+!

Position after: 17.Qa4+!

White needs to find (or remember, I hope, for you) this move to keep an edge. 17...Bd7 (17...Nc6
18.Nxd4 Bd7 19.Nb5 Bb8 20.Qa8 0-0 21.Qxb7±) 18.Qa8+ Qd8 (18...Bd8 19.c5! 0-0 20.Qxb7 Nc6
21.Nd6±) 19.Qxb7 Nc6 20.Nc5 0-0 21.Ra1²

17.Nc5 Nxb4!

17...0-0 18.Rb1! Nxb4 19.Rxb4 Qxc5 20.Rb5 Qd6 21.Qxd4²

18.Qa4+ Kf7!

This is the best continuation for Black, as found by the strong young German grandmaster, Bluebaum.
Here you can choose to play the same way as his opponent, which leaves Black in a difficult practical
position.

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Position after: 18...Kf7!

19.Qxb4 Bd6

This is of course the point.

20.Qe1

20.Ne5+ only leads to equality: 20...Bxe5 21.Qb5 Bd6 22.Nxb7 Bxb7 23.Bxb7 Rb8 24.Rb1=

20...Bxc5 21.Ne5+ Kf6 22.f4! h5

22...Bd6 23.h4 Bxe5?! 24.Qxe5+ Kf7 25.Rb1ƒ

23.h3 Bd6 24.g4

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Position after: 24.g4

Even if the game was far from perfect, I will leave you with the moves of this fine win by White.
24.Nf3!² might be a nice improvement, taking the pawn back.

24...hxg4 25.hxg4 g6 26.c5 Bc7 27.Qb4 Bxe5 28.fxe5+ Kg7 29.gxf5 Qh4 30.f6+ Kf7 31.Rf2 Qh2+
32.Kf1 Qh5 33.Re2 Qf5+ 34.Ke1 Qxd3 35.c6 Qg3+ 36.Kd1 Kg8 37.cxb7 Bxb7 38.Qxb7 Qd3+
39.Rd2

1-0 Mesaros, F (2390) – Bluebaum, M (2589) Karpacz 2015.

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 Chapter 4
Tarrasch Defense & Systems including ...c5

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 c5

Chapter guide
Chapter 4 – Tarrasch Defense & Systems including ...c5
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 c5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.d4 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.dxc5
a) 5...Nxd5 alternative
b) Earlier alternatives & 9...d4?!
c) 9...Bxc5 10.a3 --
d) 9...Bxc5 10.a3 Re8
e) 9...Bxc5 10.a3 Ne4

a) 5...Nxd5 alternative

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 c5

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Position after: 4...c5

Before writing this book, I was not sure whether I should include a complete chapter on the Tarrasch
Defense, since it is an important opening that has nothing to do with the Reti. But practice has shown
me that it is quite common to meet it even if you vary with 1.d4, 1.c4 or 1.Nf3.
During his preparation, your opponent might come to think, “OK, he plays too many different lines,
let’s find something where his move order has no impact”. Not that many openings achieve this goal,
but the Tarrasch is one of them (like, in most cases, the Dutch Defense and the King’s Indian).
Also some players naively think, “If my opponent isn’t taking the center, then I must take it”, and later
transpose into the Tarrasch Defense without knowing much about it.
That’s why I decided to dedicate a full chapter to the Tarrasch, covering the sidelines for Black and
presenting an interesting variation for White in the main line. The main aim in these lines is to reach a
position where Black has an Isolated Queen’s Pawn (IQP, also called isolani) which we are able to take
advantage of.

5.cxd5

As soon as Black plays ...c5, there is no reason to refrain from this move. First of all, what happens if
Black avoids a (probable) isolani in the center?

5...Nxd5

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Position after: 5...Nxd5

This looks a lot like some lines of the Symmetrical English Opening, except that Black decided to play
...e6, which has the drawback of locking in the bishop on c8. In the move order 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3
d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2, you can’t imagine 5...e6 being the main move. However, that is the position we
have on the board. How can we deal with it?

6.0-0 Nc6

The alternative 6...Be7 doesn’t make much difference, as it is likely to transpose: 7.Nc3 0-0 (7...Nxc3
8.bxc3 Nc6 9.d4 transposes into the main continuation, with the inferior 8...Nxc3) 8.d4! cxd4?!
(8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 Nc6 again transposes) 9.Nxd5 Qxd5 (9...exd5 10.Nxd4 Nc6 11.Be3² leads to a good
version of the IQP for White) 10.Nxd4

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Position after: 10.Nxd4

The pawn structure is pretty symmetrical, but White has some pluses in his position: a clear lead in
development (as the b8-knight and the c8-bishop will have some trouble finding a nice spot), a very
strong g2-bishop, and the queen will easily find a safe place to let the rooks come into play. This is
definitely like a Catalan opening that has gone really well for White. 10...Qd7 is the most-played queen
retreat. Others are possible, but similar, and we won’t be exhaustive about this line. 11.Be3 Rd8?!
12.Qb3! Na6 13.Rfd1 Qe8 It’s quite easy to compare both positions. 14.Nb5 Bd7 15.Nd6 Bxd6
16.Rxd6 Bc6 was reached in Lengyel, L (2415) – Sapi, L (2420) Budapest 1977, and White can now
improve his play with 17.Rxc6!N 17...bxc6 18.Qb7+– winning the poor a6-knight.

7.Nc3

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Position after: 7.Nc3

7.d4 is pretty good too, with slightly different ideas. I preferred the text move because it fits best with
every move order.

7...Be7

A) 7...Nf6 is acceptable for Black. Despite having lost two tempi with the knight, it prevents d4. I
recommend a simple plan as in the following game: 8.d3 Be7 9.Bf4 0-0 10.Rc1 Bd7 11.d4! b6?!
12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Na4 Be7 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.Bxa8 Qxa8 16.Bxe5± 1-0 (67) Macieja, B (2639) –
Adamski, J (2287) Warsaw 2010.
B) 7...Nc7 8.d3 Be7 9.Be3 0-0 10.Rc1 e5 11.Nd2²

8.d4!

The IQP arising after 8.Nxd5 exd5 9.d4 0-0 10.dxc5 Bxc5 is not so problematic for Black (the trade of
knights actually helps him, as there is now less pressure on d5, and the missing f6-knight can’t be
pinned as it is missing)! 11.Bg5 Qd7 12.Ne1 h6 13.Bf4 Rd8 14.Nd3 Bb6 15.Bd2 Qe7= 1-0 (38) Boger,
R (2475) – Sowden, E (2360) Bernard Partridge Memorial Final (corr.) 2000.

8...0-0

Keeping the tension is Black’s best chance.

A) 8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 0-0 10.Rb1

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Position after: 10.Rb1

A1) 10...Qc7 11.Bf4 Bd6 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.Qa4!± It’s important to keep an eye on the c6-knight in
order to avoid any ...b6-idea.
A2) 10...cxd4 11.cxd4 These kinds of positions, which look rather simple, are really tough to play
for Black. It’s no coincidence that Black couldn’t find a way to handle the pressure in the following
game: 11...Qa5 12.Qc2 Rd8 13.Rd1 Bd7 14.Rxb7± 1-0 (30) Van Wely, L (2689) – Bellahcene, B
(2355) Haguenau 2013.
A3) 10...Qa5 11.Qc2 h6 12.Rd1 Rd8 13.e4 cxd4 14.cxd4 Qh5 15.h3 a5 16.Bf4 Bd6 17.Bxd6 Rxd6
18.g4 Qg6 19.Qc5 Rd8 20.d5+– 1-0 (38) Avrukh, B (2653) – Kinopoulos, A Kalamata 2005.
B) 8...cxd4?! is clearly inaccurate here: 9.Nxd5

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Position after: 9.Nxd5

B1) 9...exd5 10.Nxd4 0-0 11.Be3² As said (in the 6...Be7 line), this is good for White. I said two
variations earlier that the trade of knights favours Black. Here, it’s not the same, because the dark-
squared bishop is less active on e7 than c5, and the knight on d4 is already a good blockader.
B2) 9...Qxd5?! 10.Nxd4! Qc4 (of course not 10...Qxd4?? 11.Bxc6++–) 11.b3 Qa6 12.Nxc6 bxc6
13.Qc2± With pretty easy play for White.

9.e4!

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Position after: 9.e4!

9...Ndb4

This move recently enjoyed the favour of the living legend Vishy Anand, with two fine draws as Black.
We can bet it will become more popular soon.
A) 9...Nxc3 10.bxc3 cxd4 11.cxd4 b6 (11...Bf6 12.Bb2 b6 13.Rb1! Bb7 14.d5! exd5 15.exd5 Na5
16.Ne5 Bxe5 17.Bxe5 Rc8 18.Rc1± 1-0 (31) Christiansen, L (2515) – Portisch, L (2650) Linares
1981) 12.d5!? exd5 13.exd5 Nb4 14.Nd4 Ba6 15.Re1

Position after: 15.Re1

A1) 15...Bc5!?N 16.Nc6 Qf6 17.Be3 Bxe3 18.fxe3 (18.Rxe3? Nc2µ) 18...Nd3 19.Rf1ƒ
A2) 15...Bf6 16.Ba3 Bxd4 17.Qxd4 Nc2 18.Qa4 Nxa3 19.Qxa3± 1-0 (31) Iturrizaga Bonelli, E
(2653) – Hansen, E (2584) Dubai 2014.
B) 9...Nb6 10.d5 exd5 11.exd5 Nb4 12.Ne1!

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Position after: 12.Ne1!

Only this strong move allows White to play for an opening advantage.
B1) 12...Nc4 seems quite artificial to me, but the idea is rather simple, to put a blockading knight in
front of the passed and isolated d-pawn. 13.a3 Na6 14.Nc2! Nc7 15.Qe2 Nd6 16.Bf4 Re8 17.Ne3²
1-0 (52) Papp, G (2584) – Priyadharshan, K (2484) Philadelphia 2016.
B2) 12...Bf6 13.a3!? has only rarely occurred, but I trust this move. 13...Bxc3 The move that worries
White, but he has a way to get great compensation. (13...Na6N 14.Nc2 Nc7 15.d6 Ne6 16.Ne4²)
14.axb4 Bxb4 15.Nc2! The following line is only an example: 15...a5 16.Nxb4 cxb4 17.Qd4 Nd7
18.Bf4 b6 19.Bd6 Re8 20.Bxb4± and White got an ideal position that he converted into a win in
Ghaem Maghami, E (2603) – Adhiban, B (2486) Kolkata 2009.

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Position after: 9...Ndb4

10.dxc5

The move preferred by both Aronian and Giri, but neither of them could manage to beat Anand.
10.d5!? exd5 11.exd5 Nd4 12.Nxd4 (12.a3 Nxd5 13.Nxd4 Nxc3 14.bxc3 cxd4 15.cxd4 Bd6=)
12...cxd4 13.a3 dxc3 14.axb4 Bxb4 15.Qd4 Bd6 16.bxc3 b6² With a holdable position for Black.

10...Bxc5 11.a3!?

This would be my preference if I had to play this position.

It’s far from being a novelty, Tal and Vaganian already played this position as White back in 1979!
11.e5 Bb6 happened in both of Anand’s games.

11...Nd3

11...Qxd1 12.Rxd1 Nc2 13.Rb1 e5 14.b4 Bb6 15.Nd5 Bg4 16.h3²

12.b4 Nxc1 13.Rxc1 Bb6 14.e5²

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Position after: 14.e5²

We have given up the bishop pair, but managed to put the pawn on e5, preventing the c8-bishop from
developing to a nice square, and creating a great outpost on d6 for our knight.

b) Earlier alternatives & 9...d4?!

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 c5 5.cxd5 exd5

Position after: 5...exd5

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6.d4 Nc6

Is it worth a try playing without ...Nc6? Yes, but it’s hard to give this as real advice and it doesn’t
change the situation much for us. 6...Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nc3 Be6 9.dxc5 Bxc5

Position after: 9...Bxc5

10.a3!N We can actually play the same plan, and Black more or less has to play 10...Nc6 which
transposes to the 10...Be6 variation of our main line.

7.0-0 Be7

The move everyone is playing, and definitely the one making the most sense.

8.Nc3 0-0

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Position after: 8...0-0

So the question is: what to do in this main line?

A few years ago, Jacob Aagard and Nikolaos Ntirlis did a great job and wrote a very good book on the
Tarrasch Defense. Almost every line starting from this position was covered in their work. I will try to
suggest some improvements.
I actually played the Tarrasch on numerous occasions, thanks to their excellent work, but most
annoying for me was to play an IQP in the first place. Firstly, because it’s generally hard to achieve
more than a draw as Black; secondly, because it’s possible to endure a long agony without much play
until a cruel defeat brings an end to the suffering...

9.dxc5 d4?!

This move needs to be taken seriously, even if the antidote had already been revealed some time ago.
9...Bxc5 became the main line later on.

10.Na4 Bf5 11.b4!?

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Position after: 11.b4!?

Among many possible moves, I would like to propose this one, quite forcing, interesting, and less
played than the other ones.

11...d3!

Trying to disrupt White’s harmony.

11...Nxb4?! 12.Nxd4 Be4 13.f3 Bc6 14.Nxc6 Nxc6 15.Be3± is just a safe pawn up for White.

12.e3! Nxb4 13.Rb1!?N

No-one has ever tried this simple move, but it is actually quite good.

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Position after: 13.Rb1!?N

13...Nxa2

13...Nc2 14.Rxb7 Be4 15.Rb3! Rc8 16.Bb2±

14.Nd4 Bd7 15.Bd2 Qe8 16.Rxb7 Bxa4 17.Rxe7 Bxd1 18.Rxe8 Raxe8 19.Rxd1±

Position after: 19.Rxd1±

With an overwhelming advantage for White.

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 c) 9...Bxc5 10.a3 --

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 c5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.d4 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.a3!

Position after: 10.a3!

This timid-looking move is actually not lacking in venom. The idea is simple: to play a double
fianchetto position (with the formation a3/b4 instead of b3, which sometimes allows b5, chasing the
knight) in order to get an active position, thanks to the two strong bishops.
The answer given by Aagard and Ntirlis did not satisfy me fully for Black, and it’s exactly the type of
position from the Reti opening (some slow play against an IQP is often the main goal in the Modern
Reti) we like. Now Black has many moves.

10...Be6

A solid-looking move.
A) 10...a6 gives a safe spot to the bishop (on b6 it can easily be attacked with Na4), and prevents b4-
b5, chasing the knight, but Black had to spend a tempo! 11.b4

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Position after: 11.b4

A1) 11...Be7 has to be played, but after 12.Bb2 Be6 13.Rc1 Rc8 14.e3! White will play the classical
manoeuvres Ne2-Nfd4-Nf4 and get amazing knights thanks to his control over the dark squares.
14...Ne4 15.Ne2! Bf6 16.Nfd4± And long suffering is a fact for Black.
A2) 11...Ba7?! Objectively bad, but it was basically the idea of ...a6 12.Bg5!

Position after: 12.Bg5!

This was the main move on move 10. Since then, White has played a3/b4, and Black ...a6/...Ba7.

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 That means that Black is not able to go back to e7 with his bishop any more to unpin the knight.
Thus Black is in trouble! 12...Be6 (12...d4 13.Ne4 Bf5 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Nh4 Bg6 16.Rc1±
Sometimes having the bishop pair can’t help you. This is the case here for Black.) 13.Bxf6 Qxf6
(13...gxf6 14.Qd2 Kg7 15.Rfd1 d4 16.Ne4 Re8 17.Qf4 Black was not able to avoid a quick defeat in
Gonda, L (2540) – Lauber, A (2441) Germany 2015) 14.Nxd5± Of course, it’s just a pawn, and
Black has no way to get enough compensation.
B) 10...a5?! We just included a3 and ...a5. But who stands to gain more? Most probably White (Black
weakened the b5-square, always critical when faced with an IQP type of position) 11.Bf4!?

Position after: 11.Bf4!?

(11.Bg5!? is interesting as well, but does not necessarily transpose into a better version of the usual
main line – 10.Bg5 – 11...d4 12.Ne4 Be7 and some games have shown that it’s not such a big deal for
White).
B1) 11...Be6 12.Rc1 Rc8 13.e3 setting an obvious trap, but in the only game I found here, Black was
caught! (13.Nxd5?! does not work well now 13...Bxf2+ 14.Rxf2 Nxd5=) 13...h6 was seen in Levin,
E (2512) – Vunder, A (2248) St Petersburg 2012 (13...Ba7 was a lesser evil 14.Nb5 Bb8 15.Bxb8
Trading the dark-squared bishop is usually in favour of White in a IQP. White has definitely
achieved something here: 15...Rxb8 16.Nfd4!²) and now I don’t understand why White refrained
from 14.Nxd5!N

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Position after: 14.Nxd5!N

14...Nxd5 15.Rxc5 g5 Maybe he missed something here? 16.Be5! Nxe5 (16...g4 17.Nh4 Nxe5
18.Rxc8 Qxc8 19.Bxd5 Rd8 20.Bxe6 fxe6 21.Qa4±) 17.Rxc8 Nxf3+ 18.Bxf3 Qxc8 19.Bxd5±
B2) 11...d4 12.Nb5 Perfect timing, exactly where White was wanting to go. 12...Nd5! 13.Qc1!

Position after: 13.Qc1!

B2.1) 13...Nxf4 14.Qxf4 White decides to part with his bishop pair. To compensate, the queen is
doing a great job on f4. 14...Re8 (14...Qb6?! 15.Nc7 Rb8 16.Rac1!± Having the bishop on c5 as a

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 target is really annoying for Black) 15.Rac1 Bb6 16.Rfe1!²
B2.2) 13...Qb6 14.Nc7! Nxc7 15.Bxc7 Qb5 (15...Qxc7 16.Qxc5 leaves the d4-pawn poorly
protected: 16...Rd8 17.Rfd1 Qd6 18.Qxd6 Rxd6 19.Rac1± intending Nd2 with a difficult endgame
coming for Black) 16.a4 Qb4 17.Ne1 Ba7 18.Nd3 Qe7 19.Bxc6 Qxc7 20.Bf3²
C) 10...h6?! must definitely be wrong somehow. It prevents Bg5 (which pins the f6-knight), and Ng5
(threatening the future e6-bishop), but White’s idea is just to proceed with 11.b4 Bb6 12.Bb2 Be6
13.Na4 Ne4 14.Qd3!?² with an indisputable advantage.
D) When I used this system at the World Blitz Championships in Berlin (2015), my Greek opponent
tried this move. It actually makes White’s life even easier! 10...d4?! 11.Na4 Be7 12.b4!

Position after: 12.b4!

Black needs to find a way to protect d4, and it’s not easy. 12...Bg4 (12...Qd6 13.Bb2 Rd8 14.Rc1±)
13.Bb2
D1) 13...Qd7 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Rad8 16.Bb2 Qe6 (16...Qxd1 17.Rfxd1 Bxe2 18.Re1 Rd2
19.Bxb7±) 17.Qc1± It’s not clear whether Black is able to take the pawn back or not. Most probably
not!
D2) 13...d3 14.Qxd3 Qxd3 15.exd3 The d3-pawn is not really weak, and it’s definitely a healthy
pawn up for White. 15...Rfd8 16.Rfe1 Bf8 17.d4 Nd5 18.Ne5+– And my opponent only got his
salvation thanks to an incredible mistake in the endgame: ½-½ Demuth, A (2545) – Halkias, S
(2534) Blitz, Berlin 2015.

11.b4! Be7 12.Bb2 Rc8

It is time to find a decent square for the queen, in order to create space for the rooks. What is the best

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square?
A) 12...Ne4 13.b5!

Position after: 13.b5!

This is a complicated position, where Black has a choice of taking on c3 or not.

A1) The choice of Tarrasch himself was 13...Na5, but Rubinstein played a really nice game and won
against the creator of this opening: 14.Nxe4! dxe4 15.Nd4! Qd5 16.Qc2 the e4-pawn is about to fall
and if Black wants to keep it with 16...f5? then 17.Qc3! Nc4 18.Nxf5!+– and White was already
winning in Rubinstein, A – Tarrasch, S Teplitz-Schönau 1922.
A2) 13...Nxc3N 14.Bxc3 Na5 Black will get the c4-square for the knight, something we usually
want to avoid when we play a3/b4, but which does not have great significance here. 15.Nd4! Rc8
16.Qd3!± White will follow with Rfd1 and try to play e4 and Nxe6 in order to leave Black with a
really poor structure.
B) A correspondence game showed us 12...a6 13.Rc1 Ne4 14.Na4 Rc8 15.Nd2! A key move.

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Position after: 15.Nd2!

It is important to trade or chase this annoying knight which is the pride of Black’s position. 15...Nd6
16.Nc5 The first point: we gain the c5-square. 16...Bf6 17.Qb3 Re8 18.Nxe6 fxe6 19.e4!± A typical
way to proceed. Whatever happens, Black ends up with a horrible structure: Fister, B (2370) –
Brindza, I (2320) corr. 2011, 1-0 (42).

13.Qb1!!N

Position after: 13.Qb1!!N

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I don’t often give two exclamation marks to a move. Here, it might be slightly exaggerated. Firstly,
because White doesn’t necessarily need to find this move to have the better game. Secondly, it’s not a
novelty, but it has only been played a couple of times in unimportant (no offence to the players) games.
Why are the other squares weaker? On c2 and b3 it’s obvious that the queen can easily become a target.
On a4, the queen’s influence is almost non-existent. On d2 or d3, it prevents the future Rd1 to pin the d-
pawn (and try to win it). Instead, on b1, it keeps an eye on e4, preventing the knight from arriving
there. It can reach a2 in case of ...Bf5. And of course, it does not interfere with Rd1 (which will
certainly be our next move).
The natural move 13.Rc1 also provides White with an edge, but it leaves Black with some options in
the center, as happened in this recent encounter: 13...Qd7 14.Qa4?! d4 15.Nb1 d3? (15...a6! 16.Rfd1
Rfd8=) 16.exd3 Qxd3 17.Rfd1 Qb3 18.Qxb3 Bxb3 19.Re1± 1-0 (48) Goganov, A (2563) – Balashov,
Y (2434) Taganrog 2018.

13...Qd7

13...h6 Black may be afraid of Ng5. 14.Rd1 Qc7 15.Nh4 Rfd8 16.Nf5!² This underlines why b1 was
the right square for the queen.

14.Rd1 Rfd8

14...Bf5 15.Qa2 Be6 16.Ng5! We now need a clear shot at the e6-bishop.

15.e4!

Position after: 15.e4!

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15...d4

15...Qe8 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 Bxd5 18.Ng5 Bxg5 19.Rxd5 Rxd5 20.Bxd5± Black can only hope for
a draw, but the road will be long and hazardous

16.b5 Na5!

16...Qe8?! 17.Nd5! Bxd5 18.exd5 Na5 19.Nxd4±

17.Nxd4 Bg4 18.Nf3 Qe8 19.Rxd8 Rxd8 20.Qc2 Nc4 21.Nd5²

Black has compensation, but White remains better.

d) 9...Bxc5 10.a3 Re8

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 c5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.d4 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.a3
Re8

Position after: 10...Re8

This is usually an acceptable waiting move, always useful in the Tarrasch. Playing it now allows the
bishop to go back to f8, from where it can’t be attacked, and does not interfere with other pieces.
However, I think that it is a bit too slow here, and that’s why I did not present it as the main line
(despite having been played much more often than the other moves). I believe that Black should look in
another direction.
10...Ne4 is our main line, and will be analyzed in the next subchapter.

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11.b4 Bb6

Even if it seems logical 11...Bf8 has been less tried in pratice. It is true that it looks less active here.
12.Bb2 Bg4 13.h3!

Position after: 13.h3!

This is a good zwischenzug: Black now has to decide if the bishop remains on g4 from where it attacks
the knight (and prevents it from moving because of the hanging e2-pawn), or goes to e6, from where it
will safely defend d5. It also avoids ...Qd7 and ...Bh3, which Black might be tempted to try to trade the
strong g2-bishop.
13...Be6 (13...Bh5 14.Qb3! keeping the d5-pawn will be a tough mission 14...Qd7 15.Rad1 Bxf3
16.Bxf3 Qxh3 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.Bxd5 Re7 19.Rd2±) 14.e3 I am not always fond of playing this move
against an IQP. It weakens the e4-square (because f2-f3 more or less won’t be playable anymore,
because of the e3-pawn), and every light square in general. But as we have already played h3, ...Bg4 is
not possible any more, so preventing ...d4 (and allowing Ne2-f4) looks like a fine option. 14...Qd7
15.Ne2!N

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Position after: 15.Ne2!N

No need to spend a tempo with Kh2! 15...Ne4 (15...Bxh3? 16.Bxf6 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 gxf6 18.Rh1±
Black’s kingside is a disaster, and the knights are going to be monsters!) 16.Nf4! Rad8 17.Nd4± White
has reached the perfect set-up for the minor pieces. He will most probably win the d5-pawn once the
rooks come into play.

12.Bb2

Position after: 12.Bb2

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12...Bg4

12...Bf5 13.Na4 Be4 14.Rc1 Qe7 15.Nxb6!N 15...axb6 16.Re1 Rad8 17.Qd2± White has played really
simple chess and achieved a great position.

13.Rc1

13.Na4!? is more than fine for White (and actually played much more often), but I prefer Bacrot’s
move. Only because he’s French, yes ☺.

13...h6 14.Na4

Position after: 14.Na4

When the bishop is on b6, it’s always nice to chase it. It will either stay en prise, or will go back to c7,
leaving the c5-square available for the knight.

14...Qe7 15.Nxb6 axb6 16.Re1 Rad8 17.Qd3 Bxf3 18.Qxf3 Ne5 19.Qf4±

White’s advantage was undisputable in Bacrot, E (2692) – Berelowitsch, A (2521) Mulheim 2016, and
he won convincingly.

e) 9...Bxc5 10.a3 Ne4

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 c5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.d4 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.a3!
Ne4!?

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Position after: 10...Ne4!?

Aagaard and Ntirlis explained in their book (2011) that this was the best chance for Black, and I agree.
It sacrifices the d5-pawn, but White does not necessarily need to grab it. Let’s investigate the different
options.

11.Nxd5!

I have the feeling that this move is still the most annoying for Black, at least from a practical point of
view. White has various ways to play, and Black will have to respond precisely in order to make a
draw.
A) As Aagaard points out, 11.Qxd5 doesn’t give White real chances: 11...Nxc3 12.Qxc5 Nxe2+
13.Kh1 Nxc1 14.Raxc1 Qf6 15.b4!? Bg4= and Black should be able to hold the balance.
B) 11.Qc2!? is a move that was not considered in their book. It has gained some popularity in recent
times, especially from 2012 to 2014. Despite a great score for White, it’s not played as often any
more. Having played this position with both colours, I believe that Black has a few ways to be safe.

128
Position after: 11.Qc2!?

11...Nxc3 12.Qxc3
B1) 12...Be7 seems somehow inferior, as White can settle a strong knight in front of the IQP. I
recently played a game in a rapid that continued: 13.Be3!? Bf6 14.Nd4 Ne5 15.Rad1 (15.b3!² was
actually much simpler, with a good edge) 15...Nc4 16.Bc1 Bg4 17.b3?! Nb6? (17...Nd6!
complicates the game) 18.Rfe1 Rc8 19.Qd2 Re8 20.Bb2± with a difficult position for Black in
Demuth – Barbero, Sendic Catalan team rapid 2017.
B2) 12...Bb6 13.b4 d4!? The most direct and concrete way to play.

129
Position after: 13...d4

Already blocking the a1-h8 diagonal. (13...Bf5!? is interesting as well as are a few other moves)
B2.1) 14.Qd2?! Be6!N is a strong and logical novelty from the correspondence game Kahl, F
(2470) – Privara, I (2515) ICCF email 2013. The basic idea is to annoy White with ...Bb3 whenever
a rook tries to reach d1, and ...Bc4 might sometimes be an option. 15.Bb2 Re8 16.Rfe1 a6 17.Rac1
(17.Rad1 Bb3!=) 17...Qd7ƒ and I like Black here.
B2.2) 14.Qd3!? is definitely the best try. Black should try to chase this queen. 14...Qf6!?N 15.Bg5!
An important move, far from being artificial, because it avoids ...Bf5. (15.Bb2 Rd8 16.Rfd1 Bf5
17.Qb3 Rd7!„ The d4-pawn is well defended, and really annoying for White.) 15...Qe6! (15...Qf5
is somehow inferior, because Black can’t really take on d3: it would leave a weak d4-pawn and a
b6-bishop which does not do much. 16.b5! Na5 17.Be7! Re8 18.Bb4 Qxd3 19.exd3 Bf5 20.Bxa5
Bxa5 21.Nxd4 Bxd3 22.Bxb7² White keeps an edge here.) Here I couldn’t find a better move than
16.b5 Ne5 17.Nxe5 Qxe5 18.f4 Qd6 19.f5

Position after: 19.f5

19...a6! With some cold-blooded defence, Blacks gets decent counterplay on the a-file (also, f6 is
not so threatening, as it’s hard for White to start an attack on the king). 20.Rab1 Bd7 21.bxa6
Rxa6∞

11...Be6

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Position after: 11...Be6

12.Nc3

12.Ne3?! f5!©

12...Nxc3

12...Qxd1!? has occurred only once, but it’s not clear that it’s inferior to the text move: 13.Nxd1
Na5!N

131
Position after: 13...Na5!N

(13...Bc4?! 14.Re1 Rfe8 15.Be3 Bxe3 16.Nxe3± 1-0 (29) Berry, N (2355) – Cafolla, P (2067) Douglas
2015) 14.b4 Nb3 15.Rb1
A) 15...Nxc1?! 16.Rxc1 Bb6 (16...Be7? 17.Nd4+–) 17.Ne5 Nd2 18.Re1 Nb3 19.Rb1 Rab8 20.Nd7!
Bxd7 21.Rxb3±
B) 15...Be7! 16.Rxb3!? The beginning of a long forced line. 16...Bxb3 17.Nd4 Bxd1 18.Bxe4 Ba4
19.Bxb7 Rad8

Position after: 19...Rad8

20.Nc6 (20.Bc6 Rxd4 21.Bxa4 a5 22.Be3 Re4 23.Bc2 Rxe3 24.fxe3 axb4 25.a4² is also no walk in
the park for Black.) 20...Rd7 21.Nxe7+ Rxe7 22.Bf3 Rc8 23.Bg5 Rec7 24.Be3² This kind of position
is really unpleasant to defend, and needless to say Black already had to find many critical moves to
survive.

13.bxc3

132
Position after: 13.bxc3

13...Qxd1

13...Re8 Black has got good results with this move, but they are not so representative as we have only
three games available. 14.Qxd8!?N Probably the simplest. It may seem like an improvement for Black
as we have lost a few tempi compared to the main line, but the rook on e8 is not really useful (as after
e3 its activity is questionable), and our rook is not so bad on f1, as it won’t be attacked by any future
...Bb3 or the opposite rook on d8. 14...Raxd8 15.e3! Na5 16.Nd4 Bc4 17.Rd1 and I think that White
keeps a slight edge, even if Black has compensation for the pawn. For instance: 17...Bb3 18.Rd2 Ba4
19.Rb1 Nc4 20.Ra2 b6 21.Bf1 b5 22.Bxc4 bxc4 23.Rab2² Bishops are strong, but so is our d4-knight.

14.Rxd1 Rad8!

≤ 14...Rfd8 is slightly imprecise: 15.Bf4! Rxd1+ 16.Rxd1 Bxa3. We have returned our extra pawn, but
in exchange regained some activity.

133
Position after: 16...Bxa3

17.Nd4! Rd8 (17...Nxd4?! 18.Rxd4!± The b7-pawn is lost.) 18.Bxc6 bxc6 19.Ra1 Bc5 20.Nxc6 Rc8
21.Nd4² Is this endgame enough to play for a win? The Dutch prodigy proved so in Giri, A (2730) –
Kopylov, M (2473) Germany 2012, even if it took him 81 moves to convert.

15.Re1!?

I like this quiet move. We keep the rooks on the board, and intend either a4-Ba3 to trade our useless
bishop, or e3-Nd4 to get a really strong knight in the center. Black has compensation, but we keep the
better chances.

134
Position after: 15.Re1!?

A) 15.Bf4 Rxd1+ 16.Rxd1 Bxa3 17.Nd4 Nxd4 18.cxd4 b5! is a major difference to the line 14...Rfd8.
B) 15.Bb2 was the main line in the book by Aagard and Ntirlis, where they explained that Black
achieves enough compensation after 15...Na5 16.Nd4 Bb3! 17.Nxb3 Nxb3 18.Rxd8 Rxd8 19.Rb1
b5© and White’s queenside is paralyzed.

15...Na5

≤ 15...Rfe8 is too slow because of 16.a4! Na5 17.Ba3 Bxa3 18.Rxa3 b6 19.Nd4 Rc8 20.e3 g6 21.Bf1².

16.a4! Nb3

16...Rfe8 17.Ba3² This trades our worse bishop and secures the d4-square for our knight.

17.Rb1 b6 18.e3 Rfe8 19.Nd4! Nxd4 20.cxd4 Bf5!

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Position after: 20...Bf5!

If we move the rook, Black intends to take on d4.

21.e4! Bxd4 22.Bg5! f6 23.Bxf6 Bxf6 24.exf5 Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1²

We have kept an extra pawn, and even if opposite-colored bishops appeared on the board, our 4 v 2
majority on the kingside may be difficult to stop in an actual game.

136
 Chapter 5
Main line of the Neo-Catalan with 6.b3

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3

Chapter guide
Chapter 5 – Main line of the Neo-Catalan with 6.b3
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3
a) 6...a5
b) 6...d4
c) 6...b6
d) 6...c5 7.Bb2 Nc6 8.e3 --, 8...b6 9.Nc3 --
e) 6...c5 7.Bb2 Nc6 8.e3 b6 9.Nc3 Bb7

a) 6...a5

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3

137
Position after: 6.b3

After dealing with various black systems in the previous chapters, it’s now time to face the main line.
You should note that if you are a fan of the Catalan, you could still transpose with 6.d4 (with this move
order you did not allow the lines with 4...dxc4, which are tricky and full of theory). I have played it
myself a couple of times. But we are here to discuss the Reti opening, what we will call the Neo-
Catalan, and 6.b3 seems like the best option in this spirit. We can mention that 6.Qc2 is played quite
often, but it seems less flexible, and it’s not clear whether the queen is well placed there.
This is also an important moment for Black. We will try to cover the most plausible systems, but you
need to remember that Black can mix up some move orders, and you need to be care-ful about the
possible transpositions. For some Black players, facing 6.b3 might come as a big disappointment, and a
logical reaction, trying to ‘punish’ White for this double fianchetto, is to rush in playing...

6...a5

6...c6 would transpose into chapter 9 on the Semi-Slav with 5...Be7.

7.Nc3

A smart move, preventing a further push of the a-pawn.

7...d4

A) 7...b6

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Position after: 7...b6

A1) 8.cxd5 is another way to play the position, but I don’t see why we should take such an early
decision. 8...exd5 9.d4 Bb7 10.Bb2 Nbd7 11.Rc1 Re8 12.Ne5 Bd6 13.f4!² White keeps the better
position, and eventually won in Pantsulaia, L (2607) – Bersamina, P (2404) Subic Bay 2016.
A2) 8.Bb2 Bb7 9.e3 Nbd7 (9...Na6 10.d4!² is simply better for White, as pointed out by Delchev)
10.Rc1² Black still needs to show why he played 6...a5.
B) 7...a4? 8.Nxa4 dxc4 (8...Rxa4? 9.bxa4 dxc4 10.Qc2+– is over-optimistic for Black) 9.bxc4± with a
healthy extra pawn.

8.Nb5!

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Position after: 8.Nb5!

This move underlines the drawbacks of 6...a5.

Black has to defend his d-pawn, and he can no longer chase the intruder.

8...c5

8...Nc6 9.Bb2 e5 10.e3 Bc5 11.exd4 exd4 12.Re1² Black will always have to worry about his weak d4-
pawn.

9.Ne5!?N

This interesting new move might even be an improvement over the classical and logical 9.e3. White
prevents ...Nc6 and already blocks any ...e5 idea.
9.e3 Nc6 10.exd4 cxd4 11.Re1!² The knight is perfect on b5, and White has the better game.

9...Ra6!?

9...Nfd7 10.Nd3 e5 11.f4!ƒ We have reached quite an unusual pawn structure, but have managed to
arrange our knights perfectly, while Black still has to catch up with his development.

10.e3 Nc6!

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Position after: 10...Nc6!

11.exd4 cxd4 12.Re1 Nxe5 13.Rxe5 Nd7 14.Re1 e5 15.d3ƒ

We are ready to follow with f2-f4 on the next move, in order to put some pressure on Black‘s center.

b) 6...d4

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3 d4

141
Position after: 6...d4

We ignored that move order in the first chapter, as it’s not in the same spirit. It’s not really a reversed
Benoni, as White has already played b3, but we can still try to make use of the extra move.

7.e3 c5

The principled move. Black obviously wants to keep a central pawn on d4, in order to keep the a1-h8
diagonal closed.
7...Nc6 8.exd4 Nxd4 9.Bb2

Position after: 9.Bb2

Black seems to have the upper hand on the d4-square, but things are not that simple for him.
A) 9...Bc5 10.Ne5! (10.Na3!? is interesting too but I prefer the text move.) 10...c6 11.Nc3 Qd6
12.Re1 Black’s development is far from obvious, and a recent game continued 12...Ba3 13.Bxa3
Qxa3 14.Ne2! Rd8 15.Nxd4 Rxd4 16.Qc2 c5 17.Qc3 Rb8 18.Rad1 Rd8 19.d4!± White converted his
advantage quite easily in the game Lubbe, N (2490) – Skytte, R (2412) Kolding 2016.
B) 9...c5 10.d3!N 10...Re8 11.Re1 Qb6 12.Nbd2² What kind of development is this for Black?
C) 9...Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Rb8 11.Qe2!? b6 White can push d4 more or less whenever he wants, which
gives him the better game, with more space and strong central pawns. An old game of Botvinnik
(where he took his time), continued 12.Nc3 Bb7 13.Rad1 Bxg2 14.Kxg2 c6 15.Ne4 Rb7 16.Ng5 Nd7
17.Nf3 Bf6 18.d4² Botvinnik – Stahlberg Amsterdam 1954.

8.Bb2 Nc6 9.exd4 cxd4

142
9...Nxd4 is analyzed briefly via 7...Nc6.

10.Re1!

Position after: 10.Re1!

This natural move prevents Black from pushing ...e5. This is actually the start of the strategical fight in
the position. Black will try to play either ...Re8 or ...f6, to continue with ...e5, and White must try to
prevent that and obtain some play on the queenside (playing b4 under good conditions would be an
accomplishment).
We again stand at an important crossroads of different moves.

10...Ne8

A) 10...Re8 makes a lot of sense to me: 11.d3

143
Position after: 11.d3

A1) After 11...Bf8 I prefer 12.Ne5! Nxe5 13.Rxe5 Nd7 14.Re2! As often, this is the best square, as
it frees the e1-square for the second rook or the queen. 14...e5 15.Qe1! Black must protect the d4-
pawn... or the e8-rook. This not being easy, the best is to opt for a third option: 15...Be7! (in a recent
blitz game, my opponent clearly failed to solve his opening issues: 15...Re7?! 16.b4 a5 17.a3 Qc7?!
18.Bxd4! exd4 19.Rxe7 Bxe7 20.Qxe7 axb4?? Black regains his pawn, but... gets mated quickly
21.Bd5 h6 22.Qxf7+ Kh7 23.Be4+ 1-0 Demuth, A (2538) – Sonis, F (2420) Cap d’Agde 2017) but
after 16.b4!ƒ White gets the initiative on the queenside.
A2) 11...Bc5 12.Ba3!? Nd7 I believe this is the best for Black; it’s no surprise that Wesley So played
it a few months ago. (12...Bxa3?! 13.Nxa3 e5 14.c5! Qe7 15.Nb5!±; 12...Qe7?! 13.Bxc5 Qxc5
14.a3!² and Black can’t prevent b4, because 14...a5?! 15.b4!± is still met with b4, thanks to the
hanging a8-rook.) 13.Nfd2!? Nb4 14.Ne4 a5 15.f4

144
Position after: 15.f4

The game continued with 15...Be7 16.Bb2 Nc6 17.a3 b6 18.Nd6 Bxd6 19.Bxc6 Ra7 20.Bxd4 e5 ½-
½ (54) Robson, R (2668) – So, W (2822) Saint Louis 2017, and now 21.Bf2!² would have enabled
White to keep his edge.
B) Strangely enough, I met the same move twice back in 2014, whereas it’s actually a rare guest in
recent games. Despite two winning positions, I had to settle for two draws... 10...d3 11.Nc3 Nd7 It
seems logical to relocate the knight to c5 in order to protect d3. (We don’t really see how 11...Nb4
will help Black 12.Rc1!²) 12.a3 a5 13.Qb1! improving on an old game of Andersson, I found this idea
(the first time) over the board. 13...Nc5 14.b4!

145
Position after: 14.b4!

White gains the advantage thanks to the poor coordination of Black’s pieces: 14...Nb3 15.Ra2 Ncd4
(15...axb4 The second time, I also won a pawn straight away after 16.axb4 Rxa2 17.Nxa2 Nbd4
18.Nxd4 Nxd4 19.Qxd3± ½-½ (78) Demuth, A (2488) – Aubry, Y (2255) Rennes 2014.) 16.Nxd4
Nxd4 17.Qxd3 Nb3 and now my game Demuth, A (2476) – Zilka, S (2549) Ruzomberok 2014, ½-½
(45), can even be improved upon with 18.Qc2!N 18...Nd4 (18...Qxd2 19.Qb1! Qh6 20.Rd1±)
19.Qe4±.
C) 10...Bd6

Position after: 10...Bd6

Not fearing the loss of the pawn, Black is trying to play ...e6-e5 directly, but we can actually take up
the challenge: 11.Nxd4! Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bxg3 13.hxg3 Qxd4 14.Nc3 Rd8 15.Qe2 Rb8 (Of course not
15...Qxd2?? because of 16.Rad1!+–) 16.Rad1 b6 17.Nb5 Qd7 18.d4² Our impressive center enables
us to play for two results (1-0 or ½-½!).
D) After 10...Bc5, 11.Ne5!? is one of the various ways of playing: 11...Nxe5 12.Rxe5 Nd7 13.Re2 e5

146
Position after: 13...e5

Black manages to get an apparently strong pawn on e5, but White can deal with it pretty well. 14.d3.
The following game is not perfect, but it shows how Black can quickly face important problems.
14...Rb8 15.Nd2 (15.Na3!N is quite similar, but a slightly better way to play 15...b6 16.Qd2 a5
17.Rf1 Bb7 18.Bxb7 Rxb7 19.f4²) 15...b6 16.Qf1!? A rare but interesting manoeuvre. 16...Bb7
17.Bxb7 Rxb7 18.f4! exf4 19.Qxf4 Bb4 20.Nf3 Nc5 21.Qxd4 Qxd4+ 22.Bxd4² And Black even
blundered now. He was far from lost, but still slightly inferior 22...Nxd3?? 23.Re3! 1-0 (23)
Mikhalevski, V (2545) – Bruzon Batista, L (2643) Calgary 2016.

11.Ne5!

147
Position after: 11.Ne5!

11...Nxe5 12.Rxe5 f6 13.Re1

This time 13.Re2 would sometimes be met by ...Bg4, so it doesn’t seem so great.

13...e5

If Black takes his time with 13...Nc7 we can leave him regretting it after 14.f4 a5 15.d3 Rb8 16.Nd2 b5
17.Rb1 Bb7 18.Bxb7 Rxb7 19.Qf3² And White won a fine game in Reinderman, D (2591) – Sonntag,
H (2364) Germany 2016, 1-0 (37).

14.Ba3!

It’s important to understand that our bishop is not doing much, whereas his bishop can protect the
center, so it is essential to trade them.

14...Bxa3

A) 14...Nc7 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.f4! Qd6 17.fxe5 fxe5 18.d3 Bf5 19.Qe2 Rae8 20.Nd2 b6 21.Ne4²
White is obviously better thanks to his excellent control over the e4-square.
B) 14...Nd6 was tried in a top-level rapid game by Nakamura, and deserves a mention here. Black
wants to keep his bishop on the board, and sometimes relocates the knight back to f7 in order to
protect the e5-pawn better.

148
Position after: 14...Nd6

B1) 15.f4!N The most direct approach is probably best. 15...Nf7! (15...exf4? 16.Qf3! Kh8 17.Qxf4±
We get a lot of play, and keep some threats, starting with Rxe7.) 16.Qe2 Bxa3 17.Nxa3 Qe7 18.Nc2
Bf5 19.d3² We can take on e5 whenever we want, and the e4-square is ours.
B2) 15.d3 Nf7 (15...Rb8 16.Nd2 Bf5 17.Qc2 Qd7 18.f4 occurred in a rapid game of my own, and I
soon won after 18...Bh3? 19.fxe5 fxe5 20.Nf3! Bxg2 21.Nxe5 Qc7 22.Qxg2+– and my opponent
resigned already: 1-0 Demuth, A – Fernandez, D Sabadell rapid 2017.) 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Nd2 Qc7
18.b4 Bd7 was still the game Giri, A (2782) – Nakamura, H (2787) Paris 2016, and now 19.a4²
seems more adequate in order to get a massive pawn advance on the queenside.

15.Nxa3 Nc7

149
Position after: 15...Nc7

16.Qe2!?

This move has been tried in a corres-pondence game. 16.Rc1 is also interesting 16...Rb8 17.c5! b5
(17...Be6 18.Qe2! Bd5 19.Nc4 Bxg2 20.Kxg2 Qd5+ 21.Qf3! Qxf3+ 22.Kxf3² and White keeps some
pressure in this endgame.) 18.cxb6 axb6 19.f4! After opening the queenside, White tries to open every
file. 19...exf4 20.Qf3‚ And White has good prospects both on the queenside and in the center. Black’s
pieces lack harmony, and it could soon end in disaster.

16...Kh8?!

150
Position after: 16...Kh8?!

Maybe a bit too slow, 16...Rb8 should have been preferred, even if it doesn’t change the essence of the
position.

17.c5 Ne6 18.Rac1 Qa5 19.Nb5 Qxa2 20.Nd6 Qxb3 21.f4!±

And White’s activity completely destroyed Black’s position, despite being two pawns down: Ludgate,
A (2490) – Kudela, S (2345) corr. 2007, 1-0 (61).

c) 6...b6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3 b6

151
Position after: 6...b6

One of the best systems for Black, solid and reliable!

7.Bb2 Bb7 8.e3 Nbd7

A) Black has no reason to rush with 8...dxc4: 9.bxc4 c5 10.Nc3 Nbd7 11.Qe2 and we are going to
transpose into our main lines.
B) We can mention that 8...c5 does not have any independent value, as after 9.Nc3 Black has a choice
between 9...Nbd7 and 9...dxc4, which are examined here, and 9...Nc6 transposing into 6...c5.

9.Nc3! c5

A) Another try is 9...Ne4

A1) 10.Ne2 was seen is a recent high-level game. Even if White won convincingly, I don’t think it’s
the strongest option: 10...Bf6 11.d4 c5?! (The right way to play for Black is 11...dxc4 12.bxc4 c5!=)
12.cxd5 exd5 13.Nf4!

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Position after: 13.Nf4!

13...c4 14.Nd2 cxb3 15.Nxd5! Bxd5 16.Bxe4 Bxe4 17.Nxe4 bxa2 18.Rxa2± 1-0 (34) Wei Yi (2734)
– Bacrot, E (2718) Liaocheng 2018.
A2) 10.Qe2! Bf6 Black is trying to trade some minor pieces in order to reach clear equality. 11.cxd5

Position after: 11.cxd5

A2.1) 11...exd5 is met with 12.d4 in order to keep the bishops on the board. 12...Qe7 13.Rfd1 c5
14.Rac1 Rfd8 15.dxc5 Ndxc5 16.Nd4² White reaches a nice IQP, and definitely has the better

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 chances; he eventually managed to win in Tikkanen, H (2566) – Brynell, S (2489) Tylosand 2012.
A2.2) 11...Nxc3 12.dxc3!N I prefer this novelty, in order to retain as many pieces as possible.
12...exd5 (12...Bxd5 13.e4 Bb7 14.e5 Be7 15.Nd4²) 13.Rfd1 Qe7 14.Nd4! The threat is c4, so
Black has to protect his b7-bishop. 14...Nc5 15.Ba3! An annoying pin. 15...Rfd8 16.Rac1 Qe8
17.Nb5! Qd7 18.c4²
B) Sometimes Black tries 9...Nc5 in order to try to reach the nice spot d3. Of course White can’t
allow that. 10.d4 Nce4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Ne5² White is slightly better.

10.Qe2

Position after: 10.Qe2

10...Rc8

This position has been reached almost 200 times. I myself experienced it once. I would like to suggest
an interesting improvement that came to my mind during this game (but only after I played the classical
move), but first, let’s have a look at Black’s other possibilities:
A) I had an interesting game against Pogonina after 10...Ne4 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Rfd1 Bf6 13.d4!

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Position after: 13.d4!

I more or less knew the position up to this point, and it’s quite easy to put some pressure on Black:
13...Nxc3 14.Bxc3 Qe7 15.Rac1 Rac8 16.Qb2 Rfe8 17.Ne1! d5 is in danger, so Black has to accept
an IQP. 17...cxd4 18.Bxd4 Bxd4 19.Qxd4 Nf6 20.Nd3² And again (at that time, it was quite usual for
me to miss wins in my games resulting from the Reti) I had to settle for a draw after a long game (½-
½, 80) Demuth, A (2535) – Pogonina, N (2454) Gibraltar 2016.
B) 10...Qc7 11.Nh4!? with similar ideas to our main lines.
C) 10...a6

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Position after: 10...a6

I would like to tell you a short story about this line. During summer 2017, I was the second of my
friend, the French talent and grandmaster Maxime Lagarde, for the French Championships.
He had a tough game to prepare against the super-solid (and our team mate) Tigran Gharamian, who
plays many openings and is always really well-prepared. We finally decided that the Reti was quite a
clever opening choice, and we especially prepared this line with 6...b6. But Tigran managed to
surprise both of us with this semi-waiting move 10...a6. It worked quite well in the game, as White
couldn’t get the attack he wanted, and had to settle for a draw.
I think we can improve Maxime’s play by starting with 11.cxd5. Indeed, as ...a6 was not really useful,
we can react in the center with ease. (11.Nh4 was interesting in the game, but a bit too early as the
queen is still on d8: 11...g6 12.f4 Ne4 13.d3 Nxc3 14.Bxc3 Bf6„ ½-½ (22) Lagarde, M (2607) –
Gharamian, T (2616) Agen 2017.) 11...exd5 (11...Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Bxd5 13.d4 cxd4 14.Nxd4 Bxg2
15.Kxg2² In addition to having wasted a tempo with 10...a6, the pawn now becomes a target that
prevents the a8-rook from moving. White is better thanks to his more active pieces.) 12.d4 Rc8
13.dxc5

Position after: 13.dxc5

We have to take as soon as we can in order to prevent c4-ideas, 13...bxc5 14.Rfd1! Qc7 15.Nh4! Nb6
16.Nf5 Rfe8 17.Rac1² White not only has good prospects against the hanging pawns in the center, but
also sometimes on the kingside with the help of the knight on f5 and bishop on b2.

11.Rad1!N

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Position after: 11.Rad1!N

This has been played a couple of times, but escaped the attention it deserves, which is why I kept the
novelty mark. White has nothing to do on the c-file, thus it’s better to start both offensive and defensive
ideas on the d-file.
A more natural move is 11.Rac1 Qc7 12.Nh4!? with similar ideas to our main line:

Position after: 12.Nh4!?

A) 12...Rfd8?! 13.cxd5 Nxd5 (13...exd5?! is simply quite bad: 14.d4! Qb8 15.dxc5! with a great

157
 position.) 14.Nf5! This is the point of White’s strategy. 14...N7f6 (14...Bf6 15.Bxd5 Bxd5 16.Nb5
Qb7 17.Bxf6 Nxf6 18.Nfd6±; 14...Bf8?? 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Nh6++–; 14...exf5 15.Nxd5 Bxd5
16.Bxd5²) 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Be5 Qb7 17.Bxd5 (17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.e4 Bb7∞) 17...Rxd5 18.Nxe7+
Qxe7 19.d4²
B) 12...dxc4 13.bxc4 Bxg2 14.Nxg2 Rfd8 15.f4 Nb8 16.d3 During my game, I started to wonder
around here, “Why did I put this rook on c1, it’s complete nonsense. I need a rook on f1 to attack, and
one on d1 to defend the d-pawn...”.

Position after: 16.d3

16...Nc6 17.g4 Qd7 18.Rcd1 And finally I had to spend a tempo playing this defensive move.
18...Ne8 19.Ne4 Nd6 20.Ng3 f6 21.Nh5 Rf8 22.g5² And somehow (once in a while, this can
happen), I scored a fine win in the game Demuth, A (2544) – Zhai, M (2382) Cannes 2016, 1-0 (34).

11...Qc7 12.Nh4!

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Position after: 12.Nh4!

The ideas are similar to my game against Zhai Mho.

12...dxc4

After 12...Rfd8 we can even prefer 13.f4! which ‘forces’ Black to take a decision in the center if he
doesn’t want to wait for White to attack. 13...dxc4 14.bxc4 Bxg2 15.Nxg2 a6 16.g4 b5!?

Position after: 16...b5!?

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It is always quite logical for Black to sacrifice a pawn in this area. This is the quickest way to get
counterplay. 17.g5 Ne8 18.cxb5 axb5 19.Nxb5! Anyway, we should take it. 19...Qb7 20.Bc3 Ra8
21.h4!‚ As we don’t really care about our a-pawn, it’s time to get on with the attack.

13.bxc4 Bxg2 14.Nxg2 Nb8

Position after: 14...Nb8

This move shows why we play this kind of plan (with Nh4, f4, g4), only when the knight arrives on d7
(where it was doing nothing), and not on c6. With two tempi up, Black could manage to get some
active counterplay, but here he is going to be a bit too late.

15.f4 Nc6 16.g4 Rfd8 17.d3‚

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Position after: 17.d3‚

After some natural moves, we have reached a plausible position. White can sometimes opt for g5, but
f5 is interesting as well (as it would weaken the d5-square for a knight). That’s why I call this kind of
position a ‘positional attack’, because the goal is not only to mate the king. Black needs to take the
positional threats really seriously as well. This is definitely the kind of positions that needs to be
played.

d) 6...c5 7.Bb2 Nc6 8.e3 --, 8...b6 9.Nc3 --

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3 c5

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Position after: 6...c5

This is the most played move. You will already certainly have noticed that ...c5 is played in many other
variations, which is quite logical as White decided to delay d4. Thus Black can still transpose into the
other lines. Here, we are going to go deeper into the systems where Black tries to control the center.

7.Bb2 Nc6 8.e3

As usual, it’s good to start with this move in order to prepare Nc3.

8...b6

Black opts for a fianchetto, as in the line 6...b6, but the knight is now on c6. This makes the plan with
Nh4, f4, g4, starting a positional attack, less effective because the center is also less well defended.
A) 8...dxc4 9.bxc4

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Position after: 9.bxc4

A1) 9...Qb6!?
A1.1) 10.Qb3 Na5! I met this line in a friendly blitz game with the Egyptian grandmaster Ahmed
Adly. As my position soon collapsed, I had to take a serious look at it. 11.Qxb6 axb6 12.Na3
(12.d3?! Rd8 13.Rd1? Nxc4–+) 12...Rd8 13.Rfd1 Ne4 14.d3 Nd6=
A1.2) 10.Qc2! much less played, but we don’t have to fear ...Nb4: 10...Rd8 (the threat is now
...Nb4 to go to d3) 11.d4! cxd4 12.exd4 Qc7 13.Nc3² and White gets an active position.
A2) 9...Qd3 As White has made a hole on d3, it’s quite logical to try to exploit it. 10.Qb3! Rd8
11.Rd1 Black will soon be pushed away. For instance: 11...a6 12.Qxd3 Rxd3 13.Nc3 Rd8 (13...Rb8
14.Na4! b5 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Ne1±)

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Position after: 13...Rd8

So far we have followed the game won by White Neverov, V (2572) – Efimenko, Z (2643) Rivne
2005, but we can improve White’s play with... 14.Na4!N 14...Rb8 15.Ne5!².
B) 8...d4 transposes into 6...d4.
C) 8...Re8 might be an interesting waiting move, waiting for Nc3 in order to push ...d4. 9.d4!

Position after: 9.d4!

A good move in order to show that the move ...Re8 was useless. (9.Qe2?! d4 10.exd4 cxd4 11.d3

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 a5„) 9...dxc4 (9...cxd4 10.Nxd4! Bd7 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Nd2² Which do you prefer, White’s bishops
or Black’s bishops?) 10.bxc4 cxd4 11.exd4 Rb8 12.Qe2N 12...b6 13.Nbd2 Bb7 14.Rac1 Qd7
15.Rfd1² White gets a mobile pair of pawns in the center, and Black is not fully ready to handle them.

9.Nc3

9.cxd5?! Releasing the tension already is not a good idea, Black can capture with the knight, reaching
an easy game: 9...Nxd5 10.d4 (10.Nc3 Ndb4!³) 10...Ba6 11.Re1 Ndb4!³.
If Black doesn’t want to enter the main line, this is the last chance!

9...dxc4

9...Ba6 10.Qe2

Position after: 10.Qe2

A) 10...Qd7?! is slightly inaccurate: 11.d4! cxd4 12.exd4

A1) 12...Rac8 13.Ne5! (After the less precise 13.Nb5 the following game soon became complicated
13...dxc4 14.bxc4 Na5 15.Ne5 Qe8 16.a4 Nd7∞ ½-½ (54) Pantsulaia, L (2613) – Haznedaroglu, K
(2494) Gjakova 2016) 13...Qc7 14.Nb5!²
A2) 12...Rfd8 13.Ne5 Qe8 14.Nb5! Energetic play is needed here. 14...Bxb5 (14...Rac8 15.Nxc6
Rxc6 16.Nxa7 Rxc4! A quite unusual sacrifice. 17.bxc4 Bxc4 18.Qc2 Qd7 19.Rfb1 Qxa7 20.a4²)
15.cxb5 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Nd7 17.a3 White tries to take the c5-square away from Black’s light pieces.
17...Rac8 18.b4²
B) 10...Rc8 11.d3 Qd7 12.Rfd1 Rfd8 13.Rab1!?

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Position after: 13.Rab1!?

After a few natural moves, I offer an interesting continuation. The idea is not obvious. 13...Qe8 The
logical move. 14.Nb5! Rd7 (14...Bxb5?! 15.cxb5 Na5 16.a4! Nxb3?? 17.Bxf6+– Here is the point of
Rab1.) 15.Rd2 Rcd8 16.Rbd1 Bb7 17.Ne1 dxc4 18.bxc4 Rb8 19.g4 Qc8 20.g5 Ne8 21.f4² With some
decent play in this game White eventually managed to win in Dolezal, C (2417) – Molina, J (2163)
Pinamar 2012.

10.bxc4 Bb7 11.Qe2

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Position after: 11.Qe2

Black has a big choice of continuations. What is the best way for him to bring his rook into play?

11...a6!

Not so obvious, is it? It’s actually important to prevent Nb5 in some lines. It can also be good to
prepare ...b5!
A) 11...Nb4?! is obviously quite bad as the knight will never reach the dream d3-square: 12.d4! cxd4
13.exd4 Rc8 14.Rfd1².
B) 11...Qd7 12.Rfd1! Rfd8! (12...Rad8 is the wrong rook: 13.d4! cxd4 14.exd4 Na5 15.Ne5 Qc8
16.d5!

Position after: 16.d5!

This strong breakthrough brings White a serious advantage. 16...exd5 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.cxd5±)
13.d4 cxd4 14.exd4 Bf8! (14...Na5? 15.d5!± is again pretty strong for White.) 15.Ne5 (15.a4!? is
interesting as well.) 15...Qc8 16.Nxc6 Bxc6 17.d5 exd5 18.Nxd5!²
C) 11...Rc8 12.Rad1!?

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Position after: 12.Rad1!?

White can opt for several plans, depending on where Black puts his queen. 12...Qc7 (12...Qd7?! Here
the pawn on c4 is less vulnerable, and the queen seems a bit misplaced on d7. 13.d4 cxd4 14.exd4
Bb4 15.d5 Na5 16.Ne5²)
C1) 13.Ne1 a6 14.f4!

Position after: 14.f4!

I stated before that this plan is not perfect with the knight on c6. True, but sometimes, if Black plays

168
 too slowly, it can still work (and Black also needs to spend some time with the knight in order to
trade the light-squared bishops). 14...Na7 15.f5!N 15...Bxg2 16.Nxg2 Nc6 17.Nf4!² White
threatens the e6-pawn, in order to invade the important d5-square.
C2) In the same spirit, Cordova tried 13.Nh4 Ne8 14.f4 Bxh4 Probably this looks quite dynamic for
White, still I prefer to put the knight on e1! 15.gxh4 Ne7 16.h5 Bxg2 17.Qxg2 Qc6 18.e4 f5 19.d3„
1-0 (96) Cordova, E (2609) – Lopez Martinez, J (2548) Catalonia 2014.
D) What happens if Black doesn’t play ...a6? I found the response myself in a recent game: 11...Qc7

Position after: 11...Qc7

D1) Here 12.Rad1 is a bit careless if Black is precise: 12...Rfd8 13.Ne1 a6 14.f4 b5! (14...Nb4!?
15.d3 Bxg2 16.Nxg2 b5!ƒ) 15.cxb5 axb5 We notice that it’s not really possible if Black delays
...Rac8.
D2) 12.Rfd1 Rac8 13.Rac1 Rfd8 After some careless play by Black, we have the right to open the
center. 14.d4! Na5 This is the logical response. Black keeps the center closed for now, and tries to
get some counterplay on the c4-pawn. 15.Nb5 Qb8 16.d5!

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Position after: 16.d5!

A really strong breakthrough, which needs to be well calculated. 16...exd5 17.Be5 Qa8 18.Nc7 Rxc7
19.Bxc7 White has won an exchange. The question now is: can Black get enough compensation with
his queenside pawns? 19...Rc8 20.cxd5! A nice intermediate move. 20...Rxc7 (20...Bxd5?! 21.Be5
Qb7 22.Nh4 Bxg2 23.Nxg2± and I converted quite easily in Demuth, A (2529) – Donchenko, An
(2284) Grenke Open 2017) 21.d6 Rd7 22.dxe7 Rxe7 23.Nh4 Bxg2 24.Nxg2 Nc6 25.Qf3² Black can
organize some reasonable play, but White keeps the advantage.

12.Rfd1!?

I found a nice idea after 12.d4 Na5 13.d5!? (temporarily sacrificing a pawn) 13...exd5 14.Nxd5!N

170
Position after: 14.Nxd5!N

14...Nxd5 15.Rad1! Nxc4! This is best. If we can just take back on d4, then White is better. 16.Qxc4
Now Black has to find a way to save his knight, and it’s quite tough. 16...b5™ 17.Qg4 Bf6™ Again the
only move to keep the balance. (17...g6 18.Ne5! Bf6 19.Rxd5! Bxd5 20.Rd1 Qc7 21.Nxg6!± hxg6?
22.Bxf6+–) 18.Ne5! Qd6! 19.Qd7 Qxd7! (19...Bxe5 20.Qxb7 Bxb2 21.Rxd5 Qb8 22.Qxb8 Raxb8
23.Rxc5²) 20.Nxd7 Bxb2 21.Nxf8 Kxf8 22.Bxd5 Bxd5 23.Rxd5 c4!

Position after: 23...c4!

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And unfortunately all these forced moves only lead to a draw. Of course it can be tried in a game; you
can imagine how hard it is to find these moves for Black. The game might continue: 24.Rfd1 (24.Rc5
Rd8 25.a4 Rb8 26.Rd1 c3 27.axb5 axb5 28.Rd7 Ke8 29.Rcc7 c2 30.Re7+ Kd8 31.Red7+ Ke8
32.Re7+=) 24...Rc8 25.Kf1 c3 26.Rd8+ Rxd8 27.Rxd8+ Ke7 28.Rc8 Kd7 29.Rc5 Kd6 30.Rc8 Kd7=

12...Qc7 13.Rab1! Rab8 14.Ba1 Rfd8 15.d3

Position after: 15.d3

White tries a solid set-up, preventing many strong Black ideas. If the queenside is locked, then we will
be able to think about action on the kingside.

15...Ba8

15...Na7 An interesting try, intending to play ...b5 at some point.

A) 16.d4 was tried in, for instance, in the game Korchnoi, V (2635) – Georgiev, K (2545) Lugano
1986. White tries to take advantage of the knight that just landed on the edge of the board, but it can
actually be met with 16...b5!N

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Position after: 16...b5!N

and I don’t see how White can get anything in the center: 17.cxb5 axb5 18.dxc5 Qxc5=.
B) 16.Qc2!? My advice! This often enables our knight on c3 to find a better square on e2, and then f4.
16...Bc6 17.Ne2 Nd7 18.Nf4 We have managed to find a great spot for our knight. 18...Qb7 19.Qe2
b5! 20.d4 Be4 21.d5!? And White found this interesting exchange sacrifice that brought her victory:
Kovalevskaya, E (2417) – Zhao, X (2556) Jermuk 2012.

16.Ne1

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Position after: 16.Ne1

16...Na7

16...Ne8 17.f4! was played in Zaichik – Tiviakov, Moscow 1994: 17...Nd6 18.a4!? Nb4 19.Bxa8 Rxa8
and here I prefer 20.Nf3ƒ with interesting dynamic play.

17.Bxa8 Rxa8 18.g4!ƒ

White takes over the initiative.

18...Rab8 19.g5 Ne8 20.h4 b5 21.Qg4 bxc4 22.Rxb8 Qxb8 23.Qxc4 Nb5 24.Ne4²

Position after: 24.Ne4²

White couldn’t win in Bukavshin, I (2648) – Lysyj, I (2677) Sochi 2015, but he has kept the better
position, thanks to the pawn structure.

e) 6...c5 7.Bb2 Nc6 8.e3 b6 9.Nc3 Bb7

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3 c5 7.Bb2 Nc6 8.e3 b6 9.Nc3 Bb7

174
Position after: 9...Bb7

10.cxd5!

Usually, in this kind of structure, it’s useful to know that White will get a good position if Black takes
back with a pawn (especially with the knight on c6, from where it does not protect c5, and obstructs his
own bishop on b7).

10...Nxd5

Now let’s see why it’s pretty dubious to take with the pawn: 10...exd5?! 11.d4
A) In case of 11...Ba6?! we can even play the intermediate move 12.Ne5! Nxe5? (12...Rc8 13.Re1±)
13.dxe5 Bxf1 14.exf6 Bxg2 15.fxe7 Qxe7 16.Kxg2±
B) After 11...Ne4 the following game of Kramnik popularized White’s system: 12.dxc5 Nxc3
13.Bxc3 bxc5 14.Qe2 Re8 15.Rfd1 Bf8 16.Qb5!

175
Position after: 16.Qb5!

16...Qb6 17.Qxb6 axb6 18.Rxd5 Nd4! 19.Nxd4 Bxd5 20.Bxd5 cxd4 21.Bxd4 Ra5 22.e4± You can
imagine what kind of nightmare it is to defend this endgame against the Russian former World
Champion. It’s no coincidence that Jones could not save the game in Kramnik, V (2795) – Jones, G
(2644) London 2012.
C) 11...Rc8 12.Rc1 Ba6 13.Re1 cxd4 14.Nxd4 Nb4 In Akopian, V (2688) – Iakymov, V (2463)
Rijeka 2010. Black goes ‘all-in’; if his counterplay collapses, he will get an awful IQP. 15.Bh3!N
would have been best: 15...Rc7 16.Bf5! (in order to simply protect the weak square, before chasing
the annoying knight) 16...Bc5 17.a3 Nc6? 18.Nxc6 Rxc6 19.b4+–.
D) 11...Re8 12.Rc1

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Position after: 12.Rc1

12...Bf8 13.Ne2! This has been played only once (but by Vitiugov), and it’s simply the best. 13...Ne4
14.Nf4! This is the right square for the knight, both attacking d5 and freeing the way for the bishop on
b2. 14...Ba6 15.Re1 c4 This is still the game Vitiugov, N (2720) – Frolyanov, D (2610) Olginka 2011,
and even if White won, we can improve his play with 16.Ne5!N 16...Rc8 17.Nxd5!

Position after: 17.Nxd5!

17...Qxd5 18.bxc4 Qa5 19.Bxe4± with at least a pawn up for White.

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11.Nxd5!

Position after: 11.Nxd5!

11...Qxd5

In order to avoid having a pawn on d5, Black has to put the queen in the center. How do we make use
of that?
11...exd5?! Again this move doesn’t ask much from White in order to take the initiative. Of course
Black has multiple ways to play; we can simply say that White has the easier game, and only needs to
exert some pressure in the center: 12.d4! Bf6 13.Qd2 Qe7 14.Rfd1 Rfd8 15.Rac1

178
Position after: 15.Rac1

The only time I faced this line, I scored a fine win. The position is already tough for Black, and he even
helped me to realize my edge with 15...cxd4?! which has to be seen as a concession: 16.Nxd4 Nxd4
17.Bxd4 Bxd4 18.Qxd4 h6 Here I only remembered the advice of Fischer against an isolated d-pawn,
which is more or less “put everything you can on it, and then grab it”. 19.Rc2 Rac8 But my opponent
decided to give it up right away. 20.Rxc8 Rxc8 21.Bxd5 Bxd5 22.Qxd5± 1-0 (53) Demuth, A (2516) –
Kundt, K (2293) Pfalz Open 2015.

12.d4!

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Position after: 12.d4!

This simple move undermines Black’s center and threatens 13.Ne5. Black needs to figure out what to
do with his queen. He has experimented with many moves here.

12...Rad8

A) 12...Rfd8?! has been known to be dubious for a long time: 13.Ne5 Qd6 14.Qf3! As f7 is also under
attack, Black has no other choice but to give up the bishop pair: 14...Nxe5 15.Qxb7 Nd3 16.Ba3±
Pigusov – Dzuban, Riga 1988.
B) 12...Qd8 This can’t be good enough for equality. 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Ne5 Nxe5 (14...Qc7 is well
met with 15.Nd7! Rfd8? 16.Qg4 e5 17.Rfd1± and White is almost winning.) 15.Bxb7±
C) After 12...Nb4 we have major trades: 13.Nh4 Qd7 14.dxc5 Qxd1 15.Rfxd1 Bxg2 16.Kxg2

Position after: 16.Kxg2

Are we going to accept a sad draw? Of course not, as now both recaptures have their drawbacks!
16...Bxc5 (16...bxc5 17.Nf3 Rfd8 18.Rxd8+ Rxd8 19.Bc3 Nc6 20.Kf1² White keeps the better
endgame thanks to his better structure, and Black is still far from achieving a draw.) 17.a3 Nc6
(Obviously 17...Nc2 is too risky: 18.Rac1 Nxa3 19.Rxc5 bxc5 20.Bxa3±.) 18.b4 Be7 19.Rac1² Black
is deprived of activity and will soon be suffering.
D) 12...Na5 13.Rc1 Rac8 14.Ba3!²
E) 12...Qf5 Now we have two ways to try to disrupt Black’s coordination:

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Position after: 12...Qf5

E1) 13.dxc5!? Rad8! (13...Bxc5? 14.Nh4 Qg5 15.b4! Bxb4 16.Qd7 Na5?! 17.Bxb7 Rad8
18.Qa4+–) 14.Qe2 Bxc5 15.a3 a5 16.Nh4 Qg5 17.Rac1²
E2) 13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.Bxb7

Position after: 14.Bxb7

14...Rab8 (14...Rad8 15.Qe2 Qd3 1-0 (99) So, W (2788) – Dominguez Perez, L (2739) Saint Louis
2017 16.Qh5!N 16...Qc2 17.Ba3 Nd3 18.Qd1!²) 15.Bg2 cxd4 16.Bxd4 Rfd8 17.Qe2 Bf6 Black

181
 compensates for the absence of the bishop pair with some activity, but in the long term, White
remains better 18.Rfd1 Rbc8 19.Rac1 Rxc1 20.Rxc1 h6 21.Rc7² 1-0 (53) Loeschnauer, R (2455) –
Kirchshofer, E (2095) 29th Austrian CC Championship 2007.

13.Ne5

Position after: 13.Ne5

13...Qd6

Black wants to keep the material balance, but he will soon find himself in a difficult position.
As our main move fails to achieve equality, it’s legitimate to have a good look at 13...Qxg2+!?. This
could come as a shock to many players, but it might be the best practical choice. Even if White scores
five points out of the six games in this position (of course he has almost no losing chances), we have to
say that the great Vladimir Kramnik failed to convert his advantage against an Egyptian 2400 player.
14.Kxg2 Nxe5+ 15.f3 cxd4

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Position after: 15...cxd4

Marin summarizes the situation really well: “The good thing when playing this variation with Black is
that the computer’s evaluation has little to do with the reality. Black only gets two minor pieces for the
queen, but has good chances to build a reliable fortress. Moreover, during an over the board game
White’s weaknesses may look a bit more worrying than they objectively should”.
A) If White prefers 16.Bxd4 Black has a choice of two ways to try to achieve a draw: 16...Nxf3!?
(16...Nc6 17.Qe2 Nxd4 18.exd4 Bf6 19.Rac1 Rd7 20.Rfd1 Bxd4±) 17.Rxf3 e5 18.Rc1 exd4 19.exd4
Bxf3+ (19...Bc5 20.dxc5 Rxd1 21.Rxd1 bxc5 22.Rd7 Bxf3+ 23.Kxf3² leads to a difficult endgame for
Black, even if he is temporarily a pawn up) 20.Kxf3! Rd7± White will of course push very hard, but I
feel Black can sometimes get close to a fortress.
B) 16.exd4 Nc6 17.Rc1

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Position after: 17.Rc1

B1) 17...Rd7 was played in the above mentioned game Kramnik, V (2793) – Ezat, M (2454) Antalya
2013. 18.Rc4!?N The move I’d like to suggest. The rook most probably won’t be able to stay here
for too long, but it will provoke some weaknesses in Black’s camp. 18...b5 (18...Rfd8 19.Qc1 Nb4
20.Rc7! When we are able to trade a pair of rooks, it helps us a lot! 20...Nxa2 21.Qf4 Bd6 22.Rxd7
Rxd7 23.Qd2 Nb4 24.Ba3+–) 19.Rc2! Nb4 20.Re2 Rfd8 21.Qb1 Nd5 22.Rc1±
B2) 17...Rd5 has been tested as well, as the rook can find an active square on f5: 18.Rc4 b5 19.Rc2
Bd6 20.Qe2 Ne7 21.Rfc1 Rf5 and even if White eventually won in the top level game Morozevich,
A (2719) – Bologan, V (2655) Poikovsky 2014, maybe he should prefer the computer-like move
22.d5!?N 22...Bxd5 23.Kg1. The point of giving up these two pawns is that White will get some
play, now that all of his pieces are playing. If Black doesn’t take on f3, then f4 is coming. 23...Bxf3
(23...Rxf3 24.Qxb5+–) 24.Qd3 And suddenly (and strangely enough) Black’s camp lacks harmony.
24...Bd5 (24...Bb8?? 25.Ba3+–; 24...Nd5 25.Rc8! h5 26.Rxf8+ Kxf8 27.Rc8+ Ke7 28.Qxb5+–)
25.Qxb5 Be4 26.Qa6! Rd5 27.Rf2+–

14.dxc5 Qxc5 15.Nd7!

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Position after: 15.Nd7!

Now Black needs to move the queen and prevent Qg4, otherwise he will lose on the spot.

15...Qf5!

15...Qg5?! 16.h4! (16.Rc1!?±) 16...Qh6 17.Rc1 e5 18.Qg4 Rfe8 19.Rfd1+– White had complete
domination in Flores, D (2568) – Hoffman, A (2488) Buenos Aires 2017, 1-0 (28).

16.e4 Qg5 17.h4 Qh6 18.Bc1 g5 19.hxg5

185
Position after: 19.hxg5

19...Qg7!

19...Bxg5 20.f4 Qg7! (20...Nb8?? 21.fxg5 Qg7 22.Nf6++–; 20...Be7?! 21.Qg4+ Qg6 22.Qxg6+ hxg6
23.Nxf8 Bc5+ 24.Kh2 Kxf8 25.Bb2+– left Black without much hope in Malakhov, V (2712) –
Savchenko, B (2550) Konya 2012.) 21.fxg5 Qxa1 22.Nf6+ Qxf6 (22...Kg7 23.Qh5+–) 23.gxf6 Rxd1
24.Rxd1 Rd8 Black keeps approximate material equality, but the resulting endgame is going to be a
slow, painful affair. 25.Rxd8+ Nxd8 26.Ba3±

20.e5! Kh8

20...Nxe5 21.Bb2! Bxg5 (21...Rxd7 22.Qxd7 Nxd7 23.Bxg7 Kxg7 24.Bxb7+–) 22.Bxe5 f6 23.Nxf8
Rxd1 24.Rfxd1 Qxf8 25.Bxb7±

21.Bf4

Position after: 21.Bf4

Black has been totally dominated on the kingside and is still pinned along the light-squared diagonal...

21...Bxg5 22.Bxg5 Qxg5 23.Nxf8 Rxd1 24.Raxd1±

This has all been played, and White went on to win in Miroshnichenko, E (2618) – Nakhbayeva, G
(2378) Al Ain 2014.

186
 Part II
Slav Structures 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3

Chapter 6
Early Deviations (Black delays or avoids 3...Nf6)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3

Chapter guide
Chapter 6 – Early Deviations (Black delays or avoids 3...Nf6)
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3
a) 3...Bf5 & 3...g6
b) 3...dxc4
c) 3...e6 (with and without ...f5)
d) 3...Bg4 4.Bg2 --, 4...e6 5.Qb3
e) 3...Bg4 4.Bg2 e6 5.cxd5 exd5 6.0-0 --, 6...Nf6 7.d3 Nbd7 8.Nc3 --
f) 3...Bg4 4.Bg2 e6 5.cxd5 exd5 6.0-0 Nf6 7.d3 Nbd7 8.Nc3 Be7
g) 3...Bg4 4.Bg2 e6 5.cxd5 Bxf3 6.Bxf3 cxd5

a) 3...Bf5 & 3...g6

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1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6

Position after: 2...c6

By playing 2...c6 your opponent shows his Slav Defense spirit. If he is not a Slav player, playing 3.d4
of course makes a lot of sense. Even if he is, you can still choose to enter the complex Slav, although
theory shows that it’s really tough to get an advantage because of its solid nature.
That’s why playing a Modern Reti against the Slav makes a lot of sense to me. It may only lead to
equality in some lines, but at least it’s less theoretical, and is a fresher approach. As usual, in order to
stay in the spirit of our repertoire, 3.g3 seems like the right way to start.

3.g3

This chapter is a prequel to the next one (which starts after the inclusion of ...Nf6 and Bg2). We will
have a look at many moves and explore Black’s choice of different variations to those in the next
chapter. Beware of transpositions! I have chosen a different method of classifying the variations than in
the first part.
Whereas for the Neo-Catalan, I decided to devote one chapter to each idea (for instance, a chapter on
every move and possibilities of Black playing ...dxc4), here I am going to spend a full chapter
analyzing every third move other than 3...Nf6, even if I have to look at these same moves in the next
chapter with ...Nf6 and Bg2 included! I hope that you, being test subjects, will help me to decide which
presentation is best.

3...g6!?

This asks a good question: “If you can’t play b3 that easily, what are you going to do?”. True,

188
compared with the next chapter where Black plays 4...g6 (where b3 will be possible because the knight
is already on f6), White needs to find another set-up.
3...Bf5?! Strangely enough, this move order has rarely been used. Whereas it can be useful to delay
...Nf6 in order to start with ...e6, and eventually take back on d5 with the e-pawn, I consider it a
drawback that Black has already decided where the bishop goes.
A) The move order 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Qb3 is less appealing to me because of 5...Nc6! and, as we will see
in the next chapter with Bg2 and ...Nf6 included, this gambit is pretty interesting for Black: 6.Qxb7
Rc8! The threat is now ...Na5, winning because of the hanging bishop on c1. (6...Bd7!? allows the
surprising 7.Bh3!? which forces 7...e6 8.Qb3© Black will get some compensation, but at least he
couldn’t push ...e5.) 7.Nc3 e5 8.Qb5 Bd6! 9.Nxd5 Nf6© The lead in development clearly allows
Black to dream of a great initiative.
B) 4.Qb3! Keeping the option of taking on d5 later, depending on how Black defends the b7-pawn.

Position after: 4.Qb3!

4...Qb6 (4...Qc8 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Nc3 e6 7.d3 Nf6 8.Bg2 once again transposes into the next chapter.)
5.Qxb6 axb6 6.cxd5 cxd5 Usually Black avoids this structure by taking back on d5 with the f6-knight.
As it’s not possible here, we can assume that 4...Qb6 was simply dubious, and the following endgame,
which will be analyzed in the next chapter in the ...Bf5 line, is unpleasant for Black: 7.Nc3 e6 8.d3
Nc6 9.Bg2.

4.Qa4!?

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Position after: 4.Qa4!?

This is an interesting way to head for a complex position. If White wants to try a different line, he can
continue 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d4 (5.0-0 e5∞) 5...Nf6 6.0-0 0-0 which leads to a Grünfeld Defense, where
White has played g3, and Black has defended with the solid ...c6/...d5 set-up. It’s playable of course,
but not in the same spirit, and White has some difficulties in proving an advantage.

4...d4!?

A) 4...e6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.0-0 Ne7 (6...Nf6 7.d4 Nbd7 8.Qc2 0-0 9.Rd1 b6 10.Nc3 Bb7 11.a4 c5 12.a5!
ƒ) 7.d4 0-0 8.Qc2 This looks like a weird Catalan. At some point, White should be able to to open the
center favourably, especially since Black has no knight on f6.

190
Position after: 8.Qc2

8...b6 9.Rd1 Ba6 10.b3 White quietly secures his queenside before acting in the center. 10...Nd7
11.Bb2 Rc8 12.Nc3 (12.e3!?N 12...c5?! 13.dxc5 Bxb2 14.Qxb2 Nxc5 15.Nc3±) 12...Qc7 13.e4 dxc4
14.Ne2!? Even in a blitz game, Grischuk plays inventive chess, and it worked well: 14...cxb3 15.axb3
Qb7 16.h4 Nf6 17.Nf4ƒ 1-0 (72) Grischuk, A (2792) – Fressinet, L (2717) Dubai 2014.
B) 4...Nd7?! 5.cxd5 cxd5 (5...Nb6? is a classical idea, but not possible here: 6.Qd4! Nf6 7.dxc6+–)
6.Nc3 Ngf6 7.Bg2 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0 9.d4!

Position after: 9.d4!

191
 After some natural moves, we can pause here. The position is symmetrical, except for the knights. The
c3-knight is much more active than its counterpart on d7, so Black must try to activate this knight:
9...Nb6! 10.Qb3 Bf5 11.Bf4 Rc8 12.Rac1 Black’s play is not easy. We can also compare the queens;
the one on d8 clearly lacks good squares, as d7 would be of a temporary nature. 12...Ne4 13.Nb5! a6
14.Na3!?² We can see that the knight is clearly misplaced on the b-file.
C) 4...dxc4 is of course absolutely playable: 5.Qxc4 Bg7 6.Bg2. Black has several options now.

Position after: 6.Bg2

C1) 6...Nh6!? is quite sound. The knight will find a more active square on f5. 7.0-0 Nf5 8.d3 0-0
9.Qc2 a5 10.Nc3 Na6 11.Rd1 Qb6 12.e3 Objectively the position is more or less balanced, but I like
White in this kind of position. It looks a lot like a good reversed Sicilian Defense. In the game
Bocharov, D (2597) – Korchmar, V (2437) Kazan 2016, Black misplayed with 12...h6?, allowing the
strong 13.e4! Nd4 14.Nxd4 Qxd4 15.Be3 Qd6 16.d4± and suddenly White’s center is really
impressive.
C2) 6...e5 This prevents d4. Now the idea to reach a Sicilian pawn structure is pretty clear. 7.0-0
Ne7

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Position after: 7...Ne7

These kinds of positions are really difficult to analyze. There is no clear plan, and various set-ups for
both sides are possible. A recent game between two strong young players continued: 8.Nc3 0-0 9.d3
Nd7 10.Ne4 Nb6 11.Qc5 Nbd5 12.Nd6 b6 13.Qa3 Bd7 14.Nc4 f6 15.Bd2 c5 16.e4 Nc7 17.b4!

Position after: 17.b4!

White is finally taking the lead and he went on to win in Artemiev, V (2663) – Bajarani, U (2509)
Baku 2016.

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5.Bg2 Bg7 6.d3

Position after: 6.d3

6...e5

6...Nh6 makes some sense as well. As we have already seen, the knight heads to f5, from where it has
good control over the center. 7.b4! White starts a nice expansion on the queenside. 7...0-0 8.0-0 Nf5
9.Nbd2 Nd7

Position after: 9...Nd7

194
 A) The specialist in the 4.Qa4 line, Markowski, decided to play 10.Ba3 Re8 11.Ne4 Nd6 12.Nxd6
exd6 13.Rfe1 but failed to achieve an advantage here as the bishop is pointless on a3: 13...a5 14.Rab1
Nb6 15.Qc2 axb4 16.Bxb4 Na4!³ and even if White finally won, I prefer Black here in Markowski, T
(2592) – Lautier, J (2658) Ohrid 2001.
B) 10.Rb1 Re8 11.Ne4 Nd6 12.Nxd6 exd6 13.Qc2 Qc7 happened in Kramnik, V (2812) – Topalov,
V (2761) Leuven 2016, and here Kramnik could have improved his play, for instance with 14.Bb2!?N
14...c5 15.e3 dxe3 16.fxe3±.

7.0-0

Position after: 7.0-0

7...Ne7 8.Nbd2 0-0 9.b4 Nd7

The game is objectively balanced, but nevertheless White has reached a nice reversed Benoni-type
position, and I am confident in his chances here. For instance

10.Rb1

10.Bb2 a5 11.a3 b6 12.Qc2 Bb7 13.Rfe1 Qc7 14.e3 dxe3 15.fxe3² White has the better game and won
in Khairullin, I (2630) – Svane, R (2509) Moscow 2015.

10...b5

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Position after: 10...b5

I think that this move is over-ambitious.

10...b6 11.Ne4!N 11...Nf6 12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13.Bh6 Re8 14.Nd2²

11.Qa5?!

11.cxb5! is the right move order, transposing into the game we are following after 11...Nb6 12.Qa5.

11...Nb6?!

11...a6!=

12.cxb5 cxb5 13.Qxb5 Ned5 14.Bb2 Nc3 15.Bxc3 dxc3 16.Ne4 f5 17.Nc5²

White clearly has the better chances, even if he failed to convert his advantage in Artemiev, V (2691) –
Shirov, A (2631) Moscow 2017.

b) 3...dxc4

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 dxc4

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Position after: 3...dxc4

This makes a lot of sense as ...c6 has already been played. The bishop is not yet on g2 in order to
control the long diagonal, which can discourage Black from playing ...b5.

4.Bg2 Nd7

This has two aims: firstly, the knight is heading to the b6-square in order to protect the c4-pawn, and
secondly, it can help in playing ...e5.
A) 4...Nf6 is deeply analyzed in the next chapter with 4...dxc4.
B) 4...b5 This is the most natural continuation considering the previous moves, but is not necessarily
the best. 5.a4 Bb7 6.axb5!N It was really strange to discover that no-one has ever played this move.
6...cxb5 7.b3!

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Position after: 7.b3!

7...e6 As the logical continuation fails, Black has to settle for this kind of move! (7...cxb3?! 8.Qxb3
a6?? and now 9.Ne5!+– might be what several players have missed, with disastrous consequences for
Black.) 8.bxc4 b4! The only way to get a double-edged position. (8...bxc4 9.Na3 Nf6 10.Nxc4±)
9.Bb2 a5 This reminds us of the Noteboom line of the Slav Defense, which is complicated as well.
10.0-0 Nf6 11.d4 Be7 12.Nbd2 0-0 13.Re1² With a complicated middlegame to come, but preferable
for White.
C) 4...g6 5.Na3!?

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Position after: 5.Na3!?

C1) After the dubious 5...Qd5?! 6.Qc2 Be6 a good game by Delchev continued 7.Qc3 Nf6 8.0-0
Bg7 9.Nd4! Ne4 10.Nxe6! Nxc3 11.Nxg7+ Kf8 12.dxc3 Qe5 13.Bh6 Kg8 14.Rfd1+– and White is
already completely winning, despite having lost the queen (for a few things, I agree): 1-0 (24)
Delchev, A (2619) – Kostic, V (2447) Valjevo 2011.
C2) 5...Bg7 6.Nxc4 Nf6 7.0-0 0-0 8.d3² This leaves Black with a passive position where it’s
impossible to create a pawn break. Thus White is definitely better.
C3) 5...b5!?N 6.Nxb5

Position after: 6.Nxb5

We don’t necessarily have to enter this variation, but as it seems good for White, I see no reason to
refrain from the complications. 6...cxb5 7.Ng1! Sad but true, this is the only safe square available for
the knight. 7...Bd7 One of the few ways to get the light-squared bishop, White’s most important
piece. 8.Bxa8 Nc6 9.Bxc6 Bxc6 10.f3 Bg7 11.d3! I’m aware that some people may dislike this
position for White, but it seems easier for us, as we need to develop our remaining pieces and try to
trade most of them! Of course nothing is simple, but I prefer White. For instance, after 11...cxd3
12.Qxd3 Qxd3 trades queens, which is normally not Black’s aim, but damages White’s structure:
13.exd3 h5 14.h4 Kd7 15.Kf2 Nf6 16.Rb1² and I still prefer White.

5.Na3

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Position after: 5.Na3

5...Nb6

5...e5 This move has been played twice by Jobava, so it deserves attention.
A) I don’t like the continuation of the game Nepomniachtchi, I (2732) – Jobava, B (2707) Leuven
2017, ½-½ (41): 6.Nxc4 e4 7.Nd4 because of the surprising 7...Ne5!N 8.Nxe5 Qxd4. Is the knight
trapped? Not completely, but the solution is not really appealing: 9.f4 f6 10.e3 Qd5 11.Ng4 Bxg4!
12.Qxg4 f5µ.
B) 6.Qc2 b5 (6...Bxa3 7.bxa3 Ngf6 8.Qxc4² The bishop pair compensates for the damaged pawn
structure.) 7.0-0 Ngf6

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Position after: 7...Ngf6

8.d4!N Black will face some serious trouble after the opening of the position. (8.b3 creates a wild
position and after 8...Bc5 9.bxc4 b4 10.Nb1 e4 11.Ng5 Bd4ƒ I prefer Black in Jones, G (2654) –
Jobava, B (2713) Minsk 2017, 0-1 (25)) 8...cxd3 9.exd3 Bxa3 10.bxa3 0-0 11.Bb2© With some strong
compensation.

6.Qc2 Qd5 7.b3!

Position after: 7.b3!

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A classical pawn gambit (that we will meet in many occasions). Black spent some tempi (...Nd6-b6 and
...Qd5), with non-developing moves. It is logical to open the position as soon as possible.

7...cxb3

7...Bf5 8.Qc3 cxb3 9.d3² The threat of e2-e4 questions the usefulness of 7...Bf5.

8.axb3 Be6 9.b4!N

My preference over the move 9.Rb1, played in the game Nikcevic, N (2395) – Bartha, S (2330) Paris
1993, 1-0 (28).
9.Nc4!? is interesting as well in order to open the b-file: 9...Nxc4 10.bxc4 Qxc4 11.Qb1!©.

9...Nf6 10.0-0 Qb3 11.b5 Qxc2 12.Nxc2 cxb5 13.Ncd4 Bd7 14.Ne5©

Position after: 14.Ne5©

White enjoys great compensation.

c) 3...e6 (with and without ...f5)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 f5

202
Position after: 4...f5

The Stonewall has always been considered a reliable defense for Black. However, we are quite happy
to meet it with our move order, because not having put our pawn on d4 yet will help us to open the
center by means of d3 and e4.
A) 4...Nf6 will be the subject of chapter 9, the Semi-Slav formation.
B) 4...dxc4 5.a4

Position after: 5.a4

203
 B1) 5...Nf6 After this move, White has often transposed to chapter 9 (with 5...dxc4) by playing 6.0-
0. However this move order also gives him the option of playing 6.Na3!? right away.
B2) 5...Na6 is one of the uncommon ideas here; it makes some sense and has actually attracted a few
grandmasters: 6.Na3!? (6.Qc2 Nb4 7.Qxc4 Nf6 Black has got what he wanted (a strong and
entrenched knight on b4), and the queen might prove misplaced here, for instance if Black continues
with ...a5/...b6/ ...Ba6) 6...Qd5 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Qc2 transposing to our chapter 9 again (the main line of
the 5...dxc4 variation).

5.0-0 Nf6 6.d3

Position after: 6.d3

6.b3!? leads to interesting play as well, with a slower e4 to come.

6...Be7

This move has been the trend in recent games, and I believe that it is significantly better than the other
moves.
A) 6...Bd6!? This is the most played move. It helps in playing ...e5, but the bishop can become a
target after White manages to push e4, when it can be attacked either by the queen on d1, or by a
nasty fork with e4-e5. That’s why I feel it’s inferior to ...Be7. 7.Nc3 0-0 (If Black goes for the fast
7...e5? he is going to be punished by means of 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Bg5! d4 10.Nb5 Nc6 11.Qb3±.) 8.e4!
Here Black has tried many moves, but it would be too laborious to explore them all. We just need to
understand the main ideas.

204
Position after: 8.e4!

A1) 8...Bb4 9.exd5 cxd5 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Qb3 Nc6 12.Be3!± White prepares Nd4 which will exert
pressure on Black’s weak central pawns.
A2) 8...Bc7?! 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bg5!N 10...dxe4 11.Qb3+ Kh8 12.dxe4± You just need to glance at
the position to understand that Black has gone too far in playing non-developing moves.
A3) If Black plays 8...dxe4 he will sooner or later face something like 9.dxe4 fxe4

Position after: 9...fxe4

205
 10.Ng5! and White regains the pawn with advantage. For instance 10...e5 11.c5! Be7 12.Qb3+ Nd5
13.Bxe4! Sometimes precise calculation is needed. The Chinese grandmaster decided on a great
sacrifice and eventually won easily after 13...Bxg5 14.Bxg5 Qxg5 15.Nxd5 cxd5 16.Bxd5+ Kh8
17.Bxb7 Bxb7 18.Qxb7+– leaving Black in a lost position in Bu, X (2691) – Sang, T (2287) Las
Vegas 2014, 1-0 (33).
B) 6...dxc4?! A move that most Stonewall players won’t ever think of playing because it is usually
awful. Here it’s playable, but dubious, as the resulting endgames are difficult for Black. 7.dxc4 Qxd1
8.Rxd1

Position after: 8.Rxd1

B1) After 8...Bc5 it seems logical to prevent ...e5 for a while with 9.Bf4 which is an improvement
over grandmaster games. 9...Ne4?! 10.e3 Nd7 11.Nbd2 Ndf6 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Bc7! 0-0 14.Ne5±
Black is already struggling to survive as he is unable to develop his light-squared bishop.
B2) 8...Nbd7 9.Nd4!? (9.Bf4!? is still interesting, but Ragger’s idea seems good.) 9...Kf7 10.Nc3 g6
11.e4! (11.Nf3!?) 11...Bb4 12.exf5 exf5 13.Bf4 White’s lead in development allows him to keep the
edge in this ending, where Black eventually collapsed in the following game: 13...Nb6 14.Nf3 Bxc3
15.bxc3 Ne4 16.Ne5+± 1-0 (34) Ragger, M (2689) – Bern, I (2314) Norway 2016.
C) 6...Bc5 This is an unusual spot for the bishop in this opening (obviously, as the pawn is usually on
d4). It may seem like an active square, but Black could be confronted with the immediate 7.Qc2!,
preparing e4 and creating a direct threat against the bishop on c5 that he needs to parry:

206
Position after: 7.Qc2!

C1) 7...Nbd7?! 8.cxd5! cxd5 (8...exd5?! 9.d4! was the sneaky surprise behind the last move 9...Bd6
10.Qxf5±) 9.Nc3! 0-0 10.e4!N Black’s center is going to explode. A logical continuation may be
10...fxe4 11.dxe4 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Ng5!± Black has a really weak structure and worse
development, which gives us an overwhelming advantage.
C2) 7...Qe7 8.Bg5 0-0 9.Nc3!?N

Position after: 9.Nc3!?N

207
 I don’t see any reason why everyone has preferred to put the knight on d2, as ...d5-d4 at once is not
fully playable: 9...Nbd7 (9...dxc4?! 10.d4! Bb6 11.Qa4²; 9...d4 10.Na4 e5 11.Nxc5 Qxc5 12.e3!±)
10.cxd5! cxd5 (10...exd5 again fails to 11.d4 Bd6 12.Qxf5±) 11.e4!²

7.Nc3 0-0

Position after: 7...0-0

At this stage I would like to offer a rare possibility for White compared to 8.e4 (which makes a lot of
sense and scores wonderfully, but something doesn’t appeal to me).

8.b3!?

The slow way.

8.e4 Almost everything works perfectly here, but Black has never managed to use the full potential of
his position: 8...dxe4 9.dxe4 fxe4 10.Ng5 and the thematic way to regain the pawn does not impress me
because of 10...Qxd1 11.Rxd1 e3!

208
Position after: 11...e3!

12.Bxe3 Ng4! with threats on f2 and g5 that overload the e3-bishop, which is also under attack:
13.Nge4 Nxe3 14.fxe3 Nd7= and there is no reason why Black should fear this position.

8...Nbd7

A) 8...d4 9.Na4 c5 10.e3! Nc6 11.exd4 cxd4 12.Re1!

Position after: 12.Re1!

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 This reminds me of the fifth chapter on the Queen’s Gambit, where Black pushed 6...d4, transposing
to some kind of reversed Benoni, except that the black f-pawn is already on f5, which considerably
weakens the e5-square. 12...Bb4 13.Bd2 Bxd2 14.Qxd2 Re8 15.b4!±
B) 8...Bd7 9.Bb2 Be8 10.e4!± has been played a few times, but I don’t need to explain why it will be
a worse version for Black than before.

9.Bb2 Qe8 10.e4!N

We don’t need to wait any longer to push in the center.

Position after: 10.e4!N

10...dxe4 11.dxe4 f4!

This is a classic sacrifice, made possible by Bc1-b2, but we can be pleased to accept it.

12.gxf4 Nh5 13.Ne2 Nxf4 14.Nxf4 Rxf4 15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.Bxe5 Rf7 17.Qg4²

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Position after: 17.Qg4²

d) 3...Bg4 4.Bg2 --, 4...e6 5.Qb3

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Bg4

Position after: 3...Bg4

In my opinion this is the most interesting move we will be looking at. There are some good reasons for
Black to start with this move. First, he wants to hurry in playing ...e6, in order to be able to take back

211
with this pawn. Once the f8-bishop is developed, the g8-knight can also reach e7, from where it can be
more flexible. And finally, it deprives White of a few possibilities (such as Ne5 ideas; we will explain
this point later).

4.Bg2

4.Ne5 loses most of its point since after 4...Be6! 5.cxd5?! (5.Bg2 Nd7!= doesn’t allow any
transposition) 5...Bxd5 6.Nf3 Bxf3! is something that is not possible after the inclusion of ...Nf6 and
Bg2. This is discussed briefly in the next chapter.

4...e6

We have reached a pretty important crossroads. This is the beginning of a reliable system for Black
(and one of the very best) if he wants to play for a slightly passive but equal position.
I am going to show you two completely different systems. One is well known, and has occurred in
some high-level games, and the alternative aims at slowly outplaying your opponent.
I must admit that they should be objecttively equal with adequate play by both sides, but we should still
know some plans in the position and possibilities to outplay our opponent.
A) 4...Nd7 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Nc3 (6.Qb3?! Nc5!=) 6...e6 (6...Ngf6 is less precise as it allows an extra
possibility: 7.Qb3! Nc5? 8.Qb5+ Nfd7 9.d4!± was already known to be bad for Black back in the
game Andersson – Tal, Stockholm 1976.) 7.Qb3

Position after: 7.Qb3

A1) 7...Qb6 8.Qxb6

A1.1) 8...Nxb6 9.Ne5 Bh5 10.Nb5 Kd8 11.d4² We are not winning, as the king on d8 is not

212
 necessarily a big deal, but we still have the better position, thanks to the weird position of the b6-
knight. The e4 push can come as a threat, but White generally intends to continue with g4 and h4 in
order to grab the bishop pair in favourable circumstances (as ...fxg6 will be needed once Black has
advanced his h-pawn to save the bishop).
A1.2) 8...axb6 9.Nd4 Ngf6

Position after: 9...Ngf6

Black has tried to defend this endgame ten times, but has only managed to escape once (in a
completely lost position, by the way). (9...Nc5 10.Ndb5 Kd7 11.d4±) 10.Ndb5 Rc8 11.d4 This is a
simpler way to play the position, but it’s by no means worse than other possibilities. As you can
see, the following game was easy for White: 11...Be7 12.Bf4 0-0 13.f3 Bh5 14.0-0 Ne8 15.e4 dxe4
16.fxe4 e5 17.Nd5 Bc5 18.dxc5 Rxc5 19.Bd2 Rxb5 20.Ne7+ Kh8 21.b4+– The rook is trapped,
and the game lasted only three more moves. 21...Nd6 22.a4 Re8 23.Nf5 Nc4 24.Bc3 1-0 Almasi, Z
(2717) – Robson, R (2562) Paks 2010.
A2) 7...Bxf3 That might be the best in order to prevent nasty Nd4 or Ne5 ideas. 8.Bxf3 Qb6 9.Qxb6
Nxb6

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Position after: 9...Nxb6

White enters an endgame with a symmetrical pawn structure, with the edge of the bishop pair. This
is not necessarily significant as the position remains closed, and White needs to come up with an
idea of how to play it. Theoretical dogma tells you that when you have the bishop pair, you need to
open the position. True, but it’s not at all easy here, as the only way is to push e4, when Black will
either be able to advance to d4 to keep the position closed, or take on e4, in order to create a
weakness in White’s camp (our isolated d-pawn).
The decision will depend on the exact position. In terms of good ideas, I like the way Petrosian (the
strong grandmaster, not the former World Champion) treated it: 10.Nb5!? First, he forces the king to
move, which can sometimes be useful. 10...Kd7 11.0-0 Ne7 12.d3 Nc6 13.Be3 (simply developing
the pieces) 13...Nc8 14.Nc3 Nd6 15.Bg2 (preparing to push pawns) 15...Be7 16.f4

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Position after: 16.f4

And now White launches some action in the center, by preventing any kind of ...e5. He may threaten
f5, which helps in building an impressive center should White manage to play e4. 16...Nf5 17.Bf2
d4 This is required in order to prevent e4, but the d4-pawn is now a weakness. 18.Nb5! Bc5 19.Rfc1
Bb6 20.Rc4 Rac8 21.Rac1 Ne3 22.Bxe3 dxe3 23.Bxc6+ Rxc6 24.Rxc6 bxc6 25.Na3± And after
massive exchanges, Black remained with a bad bishop and many weaknesses in Petrosian, T (2629)
– Raznikov, D (2500) Warsaw 2014, 1-0 (51).
B) 4...Nf6 transposes into the next chapter with 4...Bg4.

5.Qb3

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Position after: 5.Qb3

This is what I call the ‘non-theoretical line’. This surprising move simply wants to lure the queen to b6,
where it does nothing and can sometimes become a target.

5...Qb6

This is of course the natural answer, even if it plays into White’s hands.

6.Qc2 Nd7 7.b3!

I like this idea.

7.d3 can transpose, but it gives the additional possibility 7...dxc4 8.Qxc4 (8.dxc4 would lead to quite a
dry middlegame) 8...Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Ne5 10.Qf4 Nxf3+ 11.Qxf3=.

7...Ngf6

7...h5 Engines suggest this move, but I don’t believe it can be too dangerous: 8.Bb2 Ngf6 9.0-0 h4
10.Nxh4! Bxe2 11.Re1 Bg4 12.h3 Bh5 13.Nc3² with good play for White.

8.0-0 Bd6 9.Bb2 0-0 10.d3

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Position after: 10.d3

This middlegame is nearly balanced, but Black needs to react before White can push in the center. That
is why the next move is completely logical.

10...e5

10...a5 11.Nbd2 a4 12.Rfc1„

11.e3!

It’s important to prevent ...e4 from happening.

11...Rfe8 12.Nc3 Rac8 13.h3 Bh5 14.Nh4!

217
Position after: 14.Nh4!

14...Qd8

The queen finally retreats, which justifies our 5.Qb3 inclusion.

15.Rae1 Nf8

This was played in the game Movsesian, S (2677) – Debashis, D (2494) Gibraltar 2014, won by the
first player.

16.Qd2!

This simple move attacks the d5-pawn, and improves White’s game.

16...dxc4 17.dxc4 e4 18.Nf5!ƒ

e) 3...Bg4 4.Bg2 e6 5.cxd5 exd5 6.0-0 --, 6...Nf6 7.d3 Nbd7 8.Nc3 --

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Bg4 4.Bg2 e6 5.cxd5

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Position after: 5.cxd5

In order to enter this theoretical line, some would prefer to castle first, but I would rather start with this
move, forcing Black to choose how to take back.

5...exd5

This is generally the pawn structure we are aiming at. Although it is not necessarily bad for Black, it
creates an imbalance that we do not get after ...Bxf3 followed by ...cxd5 (subchapter ‘g’). Our plan is to
expand in the center by means of d3 and e4, but this has to be well prepared, and we shouldn’t give
Black time to centralize all of his pieces nicely, otherwise he will be in time to deal with it.
5...cxd5?? Black can’t take back this way! 6.Qa4++–

6.0-0 Nf6

If Black wants to delay ...Nf6, a logical continuation might be 6...Nd7 7.d3 Bd6 8.Nc3 and now after
8...Ne7 9.Qa4!?

219
Position after: 9.Qa4!?

This move makes a lot of sense. It not only attacks g4, it also helps in playing e4. That’s why the
continuation of the game is interesting: 9...Bh5 10.e4! 0-0 (10...dxe4 would be a difficult solution, as it
makes White’s center mobile: 11.dxe4 0-0 12.h3! Qc7 13.Qc2² and we can start some action on the
kingside) 11.Be3 Nc5 12.Qc2 Ne6 13.exd5 cxd5 14.d4!
The game has proceeded logically, and White now fixes the weakness on d5 and gets the possibility of
planting a knight on e5. 14...Qb6 15.Ng5 (15.Nh4!N was actually even stronger: 15...Rac8 16.Nf5±)
15...Bg6 16.Qd2 Nc7 17.Nh3 Rfd8 18.Nf4 Bxf4 19.Bxf4² 1-0 (49) Zherebukh, Y (2605) – Shabalov,
A (2556) Saint Louis 2017.

7.d3 Nbd7 8.Nc3

220
Position after: 8.Nc3

Black has three possibilities to develop his bishop.

8...Bc5

8...Bd6. The main idea of this move is to be able to play ...Ne5 at some point, also it doesn’t interfere
with a rook coming to e8. 9.Qc2!? I had played h3 in rapids, but I actually prefer this move. It unpins
the f3-knight, protects e4, and leaves room for a rook to come to d1. 9...0-0 10.e4 Re8 (≤ 10...dxe4
11.dxe4 Re8 12.Nd4!? is an extra possibility, not allowing the trade of our knight.) 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Bxf3
dxe4 13.dxe4 Qe7 14.Bg2

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Position after: 14.Bg2

14...Bc5 This is a fine manoeuvre; the bishop finds a good spot on d4. 15.Kh2 Bd4 This more or less
attacks our central pawn. Here I think we can improve on the game Rapport, R (2720) – Gretarsson, H
(2572) Reykjavik 2016, 1-0 (42) with 16.Bd2! Rad8 17.f4!? (17.Rae1! is pretty strong as well in order
to prepare our invasion) 17...Bxc3 18.Bxc3 Nxe4 19.Rfe1 f5 20.Bxe4 fxe4 21.Qb3+ Kh8 22.Qxb7².

9.Qb3!?

Position after: 9.Qb3!?

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This simple move asks some good questions, and it’s not so easy to answer them all for Black.

9...Bb6

This has been the most common reply, but White will simply grab the bishop pair. The alternatives are:
A) 9...Qb6?! 10.Qc2! The Na4 fork forces Black to go back. 10...Qd8 11.e4!² We don’t have to
analyze this position to know that it’s good for us, as we are virtually a tempo up.
B) 9...Nb6 10.e4 0-0 11.h3 Bh5 and here we can improve on the game Schandorff, L (2519) – Svane,
R (2543) Denmark 2016, by playing 12.Bf4!N 12...Re8 13.Rac1 dxe4 14.dxe4 Bf8 15.Rfd1 Qe7 16.g4
Bg6 17.Ne5±.

10.Na4 0-0 11.Nxb6 axb6 12.Qc2 Re8 13.b3!

Position after: 13.b3!

There is no need to hurry. As Black is missing his dark-squared bishop, we fianchetto ours.

13...Bxf3

Black decides to trade his bishop in order to gain some space (this is Mikhalevski’s recommendation in
Beating Minor Openings).
13...b5 14.a3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Ne5 16.Bg2 Qd6 17.Bb2 h5 18.a4 bxa4 19.Rxa4 Rxa4 20.bxa4² The
bishops will soon rule the board, and White easily converted his advantage in Svidler, P (2743) –
Tomashevsky, E (2714) Sochi 2014.

14.exf3!?N

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The move I like!

14...d4 15.f4!

Position after: 15.f4!

We use our f-pawn to deprive Black of the e5-square.

15...Nc5 16.Qc4

16.Bb2 Nd5! 17.Bxd4 Nxf4 18.Bxc5 Ne2+ 19.Kh1 bxc5=

16...Ne6

16...Qd6 17.Bb2 Rad8 18.Rfe1ƒ and Black always faces some problems with the d4-pawn.

17.Bb2 b5 18.Qc2 Nd5 19.f5 Nec7 20.Qc5²

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Position after: 20.Qc5²

f) 3...Bg4 4.Bg2 e6 5.cxd5 exd5 6.0-0 Nf6 7.d3 Nbd7 8.Nc3 Be7

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Bg4 4.Bg2 e6 5.cxd5 exd5 6.0-0 Nf6 7.d3 Nbd7 8.Nc3 Be7

Position after: 8...Be7

At first sight, this seems passive, but it’s always a logical square, as the bishop is not exposed. It’s no
surprise that it is the main move here.

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9.h3!

9.e4?! allows Black to trade enough pieces for equality: 9...Ne5!=.

9...Bh5

9...Bxf3 10.Bxf3
A) 10...0-0 allows White to start kingside and central expansion: 11.e4!

Position after: 11.e4!

A1) 11...d4 12.Ne2² would be hard for Black, as there is no opposition against the coming f4.
A2) 11...Ne5 12.Be2! We temporarily leave our fianchetto spot to protect the d3-square. As f4 is
coming, the knight won’t stay here too long. 12...d4 13.Nb1²
A3) 11...dxe4 12.dxe4 Bb4 This is one of the possibilities; we logically react with 13.Qb3!

226
Position after: 13.Qb3!

13...Qe7 (13...a5 14.Be3 Nc5 15.Bxc5 Bxc5 16.e5! Nd7 17.Rad1 Qc7 18.Ne4 Ba7 19.e6!²;
13...Ne5 14.Qxb4 Nxf3+ 15.Kg2 Ne5 16.Rd1 Qc7 17.f4± Who will stop White’s central
expansion?) 14.Bg2 a5 15.Qc2 Rad8 16.f4!ƒ
B) 10...d4 11.Ne4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 a5 13.Bd2 0-0

Position after: 13...0-0

B1) It was even possible to start the plan with 14.Rb1 Re8 15.Bf3 Bb4 16.a3 Bxd2 17.Qxd2 Black

227
 can’t prevent b4 any more and will remain slightly worse: 17...Ne5 18.Bg2 a4 19.b4 axb3 20.Rxb3±
1-0 (27) Ragger, M (2628) – Gonda, L (2550) Germany 2011.
B2) 14.Qc2 Qb6 15.Bf3 Rfe8N 16.Rab1 Ne5 17.Bg2 Bb4

Position after: 17...Bb4

When you are playing against the bishop pair, it’s better to try to exchange the remaining bishop, to
get a knight versus bishop middlegame. This is what Black is doing here. 18.Bc1! Nd7 19.a3 Bf8
20.Re1„ The idea is still to push b4 and to weaken the queenside by means of a minority attack with
b5.

10.e4

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Position after: 10.e4

10...dxe4

A) 10...Ne5 doesn’t work any more as 11.g4! is possible. This is exactly why we included the move
9.h3. 11...Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3 Bg6 13.exd5!±.
B) 10...0-0 11.exd5! White easily creates a symmetrical pawn structure where he gets an initiative:
11...Nxd5 12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Be3 Bc5 14.d4 Bd6 0-1 (56) Meier, G (2650) – Karjakin, S (2760)
Riyadh 2017, and now 15.Qb3!N 15...Nb6 16.Ne5².

11.dxe4 Nc5

11...0-0 12.Qc2! Re8 13.Rd1 Bf8 14.Bf4 This underlines the fact that the Qd8 faces difficulties in
finding a safe haven. 14...Qa5 15.a3 Rad8 16.b4 Qb6 17.g4 Bg6 And even if White eventually won in
Velikov, P (2430) – Daurelle, H (2223) Evry 2005, I would prefer to play 18.Nh4N 18...Ne5 19.Rxd8
Qxd8 20.Rd1±.

12.Be3!

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Position after: 12.Be3!

Despite the e4-pawn being under attack, I would like to suggest this simple developing move.
12.Qe2 Qd3!=

12...0-0

12...Nfxe4?! is pretty dubious: 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.g4 Bg6 15.Ne5! Nd6 16.Nxc6!? This move is not
forced at all, but this continuation seems pretty annoying for Black:

230
Position after: 16.Nxc6!?

16...bxc6 17.Bxc6+ Kf8 18.Bxa8 Qxa8 19.Bc5 Ne4 20.Bxe7+ Kxe7 21.Qb3± with a huge attack
coming.

13.Qc2! Qd3

Otherwise White puts a rook on d1 next and Black’s concept is nonsense.

14.Ne1!

The best way to enter the endgame.

14...Qxc2 15.Nxc2 Bg6 16.f3 Rfd8 17.Rfd1 a5 18.Nd4 Nfd7 19.f4!²

Position after: 19.f4!²

White can start the desired expansion, and managed to win in Meier, G (2669) – Prusikin, M (2541)
Austria 2011.

g) 3...Bg4 4.Bg2 e6 5.cxd5 Bxf3 6.Bxf3 cxd5

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Bg4 4.Bg2 e6 5.cxd5 Bxf3!

I believe this is the most annoying system in this position.

6.Bxf3 cxd5

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Position after: 6...cxd5

Once again, we have gained the bishop pair, but Black’s position is super-solid. I consider it one of the
most reliable systems for Black if he wants to fight for equality.
Of course he can’t really dream of more, but who could turn down an easy draw with Black? We must
be ready for a long fight to make Black suffer as much as possible (and prevent players from entering
such a dry opening).

7.Nc3 Nc6 8.0-0 Nf6

Here we have a choice between two different set-ups.

9.d4

This has been chosen by most of the top players, including Carlsen (albeit without success, as he lost to
Caruana).
Before, my preference was 9.d3, to get a more flexible pawn structure, but my results (two sad draws
with White, and a painful loss against the strong GM Anton Korobov as Black – I must confess I used
this system as well), made me realize that I did not fully understand the position.

232
Position after: 9.d3

White can sometimes try to push e4, but he will need to worry about the weak point it creates on d4.
9...Be7 10.Qa4!? The main aim of this move is to allow the f1-rook to come to c1. 10...0-0 11.Bf4

Position after: 11.Bf4

A) 11...Nd7!? This manoeuvre makes a lot of sense since the queen is exposed on a4, and it allows
Black to dream about the ...e5 push (even if it’s usually too weakening for its colleague on d5).
12.Rfc1 a6 13.Qd1 Rc8 14.Bg2 b5 15.h4!?N This kind of move is pleasant, to prevent ...g5-ideas. We
have not discussed this yet, but it can be strong for Black to start with ...g5 and then ...f5 if he can. It

233
 also starts expansion on the kingside, before playing e4, trying to open files.
B) When Caruana was a youngster, he suffered a defeat against his former national team colleague
Daniele Vocaturo, and it gave some popularity to this line. 11...a6 12.Rfc1 b5 13.Qd1 Rc8 14.e4

Position after: 14.e4

Vocaturo opens the center, which was maybe a bit premature, but Black had to show why. 14...d4
(14...dxe4 15.dxe4 Qb6 16.Be3 Qb7„) 15.Nb1 Nd7 16.Bd2 Nc5 17.Be2 Na4?! 18.b3 Nb6 19.a4
Now White starts his expansion and grabs the important c4-square. 19...b4 20.Be1 Qd7 21.a5 Na8
22.Nd2 Na7 23.Nc4 Nb5 24.f4² And White went on to win in this complicated middlegame:
Vocaturo, D (2500) – Caruana, F (2652) Reggio Emilia 2009, 1-0 (45).
C) 11...Qd7 12.Rfc1 Rfc8 If Black does the same with his rook, we can try 13.Bg2 a6 14.e4!?N

234
Position after: 14.e4!?N

which actually works pretty well here. For instance 14...dxe4?! (14...d4 15.Ne2 e5 16.Bd2 b5 17.Qd1
White is temporarily on the defensive, but he will start a classic King’s Indian expansion with f4)
15.dxe4 Bc5 16.Rd1 Qe7 17.e5 Ng4 18.Ne4!² giving White a good outpost on d6 for his knight.

9...Be7 10.e3 0-0

Position after: 10...0-0

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11.Bd2

11.b3 was chosen by Carlsen, but it’s probably dubious, as it clearly weakens the queenside, especially
the a3-square: 11...Qa5 12.Bb2 Ba3 13.Qc1 Bxb2 14.Qxb2 Rfc8= 0-1 (62) Carlsen, M (2864) –
Caruana, F (2774) Moscow 2013.

11...Rc8 12.Rc1

And among the many plans at his disposal, Black can play...

12...Nd7

12...Ne8 makes a lot of sense too: 13.Ne2 Nd6 14.Nf4 Qb6 15.Bc3

Position after: 15.Bc3

This position reminds us of the 23rd game of the Botvinnik – Bronstein match, that Botvinnik managed
to win in order to keep his crown. 15...Rfd8 16.a3 Nb5 17.Bd2 Bg5 18.Nd3² 1-0 (53) Howell, D
(2682) – Saric, I (2664) Gibraltar 2018.

13.Qe2 Nb6„

236
Position after: 13...Nb6„

...and White can obtain different kinds of play. Sometimes he will try to expand on the kingside, putting
a pawn on h5 if he can, where it can help a future attack. After that he will be able to push e4 (as we
already know, when we have an isolani on d4, it’s recommended to prepare a kingside attack), or he
can prefer to push both pawns on the queenside, to repel the black knights. However, in general, this
weakens the c4-square, which can be invaded, so we have to be pretty cautious. I won’t analyze too
deeply; it would be a complete waste of time because of the multiple set-ups that Black can choose.
Knowing and understanding the different plans seems more useful to me.

237
 Chapter 7
Various 4th moves

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2

Chapter guide
Chapter 7 – Various 4th moves
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2
a) 4...Nbd7
b) 4...g6
c) 4...Bf5 5.--, 5.Qb3 --
d) 4...Bf5 5.Qb3 Qb6 6.d3 --
e) 4...Bf5 5.Qb3 Qb6 6.d3 e6
f) 4...Bg4

a) 4...Nbd7

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2

238
Position after: 4.Bg2

In general, most of your games against a Slav Defense player will start here, especially since the
position can also arise via the move order 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2.
The Slav is one of the most resilient systems against 1.d4, so we can assume it will be the same against
the Reti, otherwise it would be too easy.
In this important chapter, therefore, we will go deeply into some of the systems you will encounter
most frequently, especially the reversed London with 4...Bf5, 4...Bg4, which we have already covered
in detail in the previous chapter, and 4...dxc4, which simply asks, “Why are you giving me a pawn?”.
We will also look at two less important systems: 4...Nbd7 (in order to push ...e5), and 4...g6, which
more or less transposes into Grünfeld systems.
I’ll be honest with you: don’t expect me to give you a clear plus in every line, I didn’t refute the Slav,
and I apologize for that! J However, some clever ideas are hidden in the following pages!

4...Nbd7

I don’t like this move for Black; I find it too compromising, as the knight prevents the c8-bishop from
developing easily, and if the c-pawns are traded it can no longer go to the natural c6-square. But the
threat can sometimes be to push the pawn to ...e5, and we must take care of that.

5.cxd5

Taking advantage of the drawbacks we just mentioned, and trading when the knight can’t reach c6 so
easily. You can also choose to castle first, but it gives more possibilities to Black.
5.d4 e6 transposes to some kind of Semi-Slav with g3, which is interesting too, but I don’t want to

239
analyze these kinds of variations, as they have not-hing to do with the Reti.

5...cxd5 6.0-0 e5

This is the principled move, to justify starting with 4...Nbd7.

6...e6 7.d3 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.e4! (again, a classical pattern, which aims at opening the long diagonal)
9...dxe4 10.dxe4 e5 (otherwise White will play e5 himself) 11.Qe2 b6 12.Rd1 Qc7 13.Nh4!±

7.d4!

Position after: 7.d4!

It was possible to leave the center to Black, and try for instance to play some kind of Pirc a tempo up,
but this reaction is actually quite sound.

7...e4 8.Ne5! Bd6 9.Bf4

The previous moves were pretty forced. Now the threat is Nxf7, winning at least a pawn, so Black must
react!

9...Qe7 10.Nc3!

This is not a sacrifice, as ‘d5’ will be hanging, and it’s more efficient than simply trading knights.

240
Position after: 10.Nc3!

10...0-0

10...Nxe5 11.dxe5 Bxe5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Qxd5 Bxf4 14.gxf4 This has occurred only once, and
Black misplayed the position in the game in question.

Position after: 14.gxf4

14...f5!N This doesn’t help Black to castle, but it limits the range of the g2-bishop. (14...e3?! 15.Qb5+!
± This nasty intermediate move was a source of problems in Tomerlin, S (2282) – Pavlovic, V (1923)

241
Osijek 2004.) 15.Rac1 Be6 16.Qe5 0-0 17.f3! e3 There is nothing better than to give up the pawn.
18.Qxe3² White has a long-term advantage thanks to the extra pawn, but if Black defends precisely, he
can hope for a draw, because of the ugly bishop on g2.

11.Nxd7

As we don’t have any useful moves, it’s time to swap and find a new target.

11...Bxd7

Position after: 11...Bxd7

11...Qxd7 Black wants to avoid being pinned and be able to protect the f6-knight with ...Be7, but we
can play 12.Be5! Be7 13.f3!. We have a huge lead in development and far better pieces, so we open the
center. Chess is sometimes simple! 13...exf3 14.Bxf3±

12.Bg5! Bc6

12...Qe6 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Qb3 Bc6 15.Bxe4! With this move, White opens the position, underlining
the weaknesses in Black’s camp.

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Position after: 15.Bxe4!

15...dxe4 16.d5 Bxd5 17.Nxd5 Kg7 18.Rfd1²

13.f3 e3

Sadly, this is forced, as the other moves were not really appealing.
13...exf3?! 14.Rxf3 Rfe8 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Qd2+–

14.Qd3 Rfe8 15.f4!±

243
Position after: 15.f4!±

The d5-pawn comes under attack and it will be pretty hard to keep defending it. However, Black fought
like a lion and eventually made a draw in Kokarev, D (2616) – Ponkratov, P (2589) Izhevsk 2012.

b) 4...g6

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg2 g6

Position after: 4...g6

This mixture of Slav and Grünfeld is usually called the Schlechter Defense. It can be both solid and
active, as various pawn breaks are possible. Compared to the 1.d4 lines, we are more flexible, and will
decide later the correct square for our d-pawn.

5.b3!

We have to play this move at once, before Black has time to put his bishop on g7.
5.d4 If you are not worried about deep theoretical lines (granted, this book is quite theoretical, but
about less theoretical lines, if I may say so), I suggest you work on this line. Who knows if White has a
real edge here?

5...Bg7 6.Bb2 0-0

I don’t see much reason for the move 6...Qb6,

244
Position after: 6...Qb6

but I guess Black is simply trying to disorganize White’s pieces – which is not so easy to manage.
7.Qc2. In many cases, White prefers to put the queen on c1, preventing any tricks on the b1-h7
diagonal, but as these threats are not really scary, I don’t see any problem with the c2-square. 7...0-0
(7...Bf5?! 8.d3 Nbd7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nd4! e6 11.Nd2² We will simply take the bishop pair and try to
push e4 at some point; 7...Na6 8.0-0 0-0 9.d3 Nb4 10.Qd2 Rd8 11.a3 Na6 12.Qc2² What exactly is the
knight doing on a6?) 8.0-0

Position after: 8.0-0

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8...Bg4 9.d3 Bxf3 Black clearly wants to trade the knight, and doesn’t wait for White to play Nbd2.
10.Bxf3 e6 11.e3 Nbd7 12.d4² The position has changed a bit (...Bf5 is no longer possible), so we can
allow ourselves to push d4. Later on we will open the center with e4. Pantsulaia, L (2567) – Kozul, Z
(2617) Reykjavik 2015, 1-0 (41).

7.0-0

Position after: 7.0-0

This is the real starting point of the variation. Black has various plans at his disposal: he can play in the
center with ...e5, or for a flank attack with the ...a5-a4 push, or even just develop his pieces in various
ways.
Things seem a bit simpler for White, as he will wait until Black shows his hand before deciding
between d3 or d4. Then he will slowly make progress, sometimes trying to push b4-b5, or more
commonly e2-e4.

7...a5!?

Some players don’t like to face systems with two fianchettoes. If they want an original set-up, they
might like to play moves like ...a5 in order to annoy the bishop on b2.
A) 7...Qb6 – see 6... Qb6.
B) 7...Nbd7 8.Qc2

246
Position after: 8.Qc2

I like this waiting move. Of course it is possible to play d2-d4 straight away, transposing into
theoretical lines of the Grünfeld Defense. The idea of our move is to improve on these lines. Black
should continue logically with 8...Re8 9.d4 Ne4 (9...Nb6 10.Nh4 It’s important to prevent ...Bf5.
10...a5 11.Nd2 a4 12.e4!²) 10.e3 Ndf6 11.Ne5 Bf5 12.g4! Nxg4 (12...Be6 13.f3 Nd6 14.c5 Nb5
15.Nd2²) 13.Nxg4 Ng3 14.e4! Nxe4 15.Ne3±.
C) 7...b6 Black also decides to play with two fianchettoes, but as he is a tempo down and unable to
expand in the center, he won’t be able to play for full equality at present.

247
Position after: 7...b6

8.d4 Bb7 9.Nc3 Nbd7 10.Qc2 Qc7 11.e4 We follow the straightforward plan, but some strong players
have tried a slower plan with e2-e3, rooks to the c- and d-files, and some knight manoeuvres. This is
of course possible as well, but I prefer clear paths: just open the position. 11...dxe4 12.Nxe4

Position after: 12.Nxe4

12...Rab8?! This was played once, but is too passive, and White has time to exert some more pressure.
(12...Nxe4 13.Qxe4 c5 14.Qe2 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Bxg2 16.Kxg2² Even if Black is solid, White keeps the
better position and will try to make progress on the queenside with his pawn majority.) 13.Rad1 Rfe8
14.Nxf6+ Bxf6 15.Rfe1² 1-0 (29) Idani, P (2543) – Naghdiyev, N (2366) Baku 2016.
D) 7...b5 This strange-looking move is one of the computer’s preferences (it says about 0.20, so it’s
not crucial). The idea is merely to open the b-file and disturb our bishop. 8.d3

248
Position after: 8.d3

D1) Even if the c4-pawn becomes weakened in the event of pawn exchanges after 8...bxc4 9.bxc4
dxc4 10.dxc4, the key element is that our g2-bishop can now breathe and express itself. 10...Nbd7
(10...Bb7 11.Qb3 Qb6 12.Nbd2 c5 is pretty symmetrical, but we will make use of our extra tempi.
13.Qc2! Nbd7 14.e4!²) 11.Nd4 Bb7 12.Bxc6²
D2) 8...Bb7 9.Nbd2 This allows White to finally recapture on c4 with the knight, which is a clear
improvement! 9...Nbd7

Position after: 9...Nbd7

249
 was seen in the creative game Fioramonti, H (2325) – Shirov, A (2677) Novi Sad 2016, 0-1 (41).
Here instead of the timid move chosen by Fioramenti, 10.Qc2!N continues in similar vein: 10...Re8
11.Ne5! An important move, preventing ...e5. 11...Nxe5 12.Bxe5 Qd7 13.a4!? b4 14.a5!² Cutting
off the a-pawn, the potential defender of the b4-pawn. White is definitely better here.
E) 7...Bg4 8.d4

Position after: 8.d4

(8.d3 is clearly the main move, but going one step further makes a lot of sense, as the f5-square would
be a better spot for the bishop when the pawn is on d4.)
E1) 8...a5 This is a rare move that I had to face the only time I encountered this variation. It may
seem a reasonable choice, but I doubt if it can be any good as Black’s last two moves don’t really go
together. I decided to proceed with a straightforward line: 9.Ne5 Bf5 10.Nc3 Ne4 (the natural move;
unfortunately it is impossible for Black to play 10...Nbd7?! 11.cxd5! cxd5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Bxd5
Nxe5 14.dxe5±) 11.Nxe4

250
Position after: 11.Nxe4

11...dxe4 (11...Bxe4 12.f3 Bf5 13.e4 Be6 14.exd5 cxd5 15.f4²) 12.g4 Be6 13.Bxe4 f6 14.d5! cxd5
15.cxd5 Bc8 16.Nc4 Bxg4 17.Bg2± And even if I couldn’t win a pawn, I did manage to get an
overwhelming advantage that I converted in Demuth, A (2537) – Charochkina, D (2395) Sitges
2015.
E2) 8...Nbd7 9.Nbd2 (9.cxd5!? is interesting as well in order to define the pawn structure in the
center: 9...cxd5 10.Ne5 Bf5 11.Nc3².) 9...a5 10.Re1 a4 (In case of 10...Bf5 11.Nh4! we can take the
bishop pair, and will try to open the center.) 11.e4! dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Rxe4 Bf5 14.Re3!²
F) 7...Bf5 is one of the lines that makes us glad we haven’t played d2-d4 yet as we can take measures
against the light-squared bishop: 8.d3

251
Position after: 8.d3

F1) 8...Nbd7 Black tries to improve on the 7...Nbd7 line as he has developed the bishop first, but we
can take the bishop pair. 9.Nd4! e5?! 10.Nxf5 gxf5 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.d4!? A positional approach,
fixing Black’s pawn structure. 12...e4 13.e3± Black is already struggling, and eventually lost in
Moskalenko, A (2490) – Lugovskoy, M (2436) Sochi 2016.
F2) 8...Qc8 9.Re1 Of course we don’t want to trade our g2-bishop! 9...Bh3 (9...Rd8 10.Nbd2 dxc4
11.Nxc4 Na6 12.Qc1!N 12...Nc7 13.e4 Bh3 14.d4²) 10.Bh1 Qf5! I consider this best for Black, to
organize pressure on our kingside. The idea is to put the queen on h5 and the knight on g4, perhaps
with some mating ideas.

252
Position after: 10...Qf5!

11.Na3!?N This move serves two purposes: (1) developing our queen-side, and (2) not obstructing
either the b2-bishop or the d2-square for the queen, which we can now trade on g5. Of course we
will soon mobilize the knight via the c2-square. 11...Qh5 12.Qd2 The threat, if we can call it a
threat, is Qg5, but it’s not the only trick. 12...Nbd7 (12...h6?! 13.Qb4!± simply wins a pawn, as we
are unlikely to get mated any time soon) 13.Qg5 h6 14.Qxh5 Nxh5 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.cxd5 cxd5
17.e4! dxe4 18.Rxe4 e6 19.Rc4 Rac8 20.Nb5± Black’s pieces are too uncoordinated.

8.Nc3!

Position after: 8.Nc3!

Best, waiting to decide between d3 or d4, and preventing ...a5-a4.

8...Ne4

This is always logical as Black will be happy to trade a few minor pieces. That’s why we must choose
which ones we want to trade.
A) 8...Re8 9.cxd5! cxd5 (9...Nxd5 10.d4!² We control the center and it won’t be simple for Black to
create counterplay.) 10.d4N

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Position after: 10.d4N

10...Ne4?! When you are behind in development, you can’t just do what you want. (10...Nc6 11.Ne5
Bf5 12.Rc1² Our idea is to follow up by trading on c6, and bringing the knight to a4. This will create
threats against the weak c6-pawn, and the c5-square is an ideal outpost for our knight.) 11.Nxe4! dxe4
12.Ne5 Bf5 13.g4! Be6 (13...Bxe5 simply loses a pawn: 14.gxf5 Bg7 15.fxg6 hxg6 16.Bxe4±)
14.Bxe4 Bxe5 15.dxe5 Bxg4 16.Bxb7±
B) 8...d4?! doesn’t turn out well, so Black should prefer another move here. 9.Na4! The knight is
amazingly safe here. Both ...e5 and ...c5 are impossible, so Black must find another way to defend
‘d4’. 9...Ne8 (9...b5?? 10.cxb5 cxb5 11.Nxd4!+– and Black’s position collapses) 10.e3 e5 11.exd4
exd4 12.Re1² This is a great Benoni-type position, where Black has lost many tempi.

9.Na4!?

254
Position after: 9.Na4!?

Keeping the knights on the board and trading the bishops to weaken Black’s kingside.

9...Bxb2 10.Nxb2 d4 11.Nd3

This is a pretty good square for the knight, preventing ...e5 and helping to push b3-b4 at some stage.

11...Na6 12.a3 Nec5 13.Nxc5 Nxc5 14.b4! Na6 15.d3²

Position after: 15.d3²

255
The b4-pawn is not hanging and White enjoys a space advantage: Dizdarevic, E (2509) – Kuzmanovic,
S (2146) Zenica 2016, 1-0 (51).

c) 4...Bf5 5.--, 5.Qb3 --

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bf5

Position after: 4...Bf5

This is a natural move, and amongst the most frequently played. It’s highly likely that you will face this
system in your games from time to time. Your opponent might not be aware that it’s a London system
with reversed colors, so with an extra tempo for us. That’s not of great importance, as it’s a slow
opening. Still, we have to take advantage of that extra tempo!

5.Qb3!?

This is not the usual move order, and at first sight it doesn’t look that great, but you can’t judge a book
by its cover, and you’ll soon change your mind. Before we have a look at the side lines, I’d like to
discuss the main move (according to theory) and explain why I don’t like it. There are pluses and
minuses compared to our line, and I believe the minuses predominate.
≤ 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3
A) 6...Qb6?! Even if this is the main line (I would have chosen 5.cxd5 if this was the best for Black!),
it will soon be clear that it’s not the best, even if it’s tenable for Black. 7.Qxb6 axb6 8.Nc3² This
gives us a good endgame!
B) 6...Nc6!

256
Position after: 6...Nc6!

This gambit has been played in many games recently. I have felt it was a really strong move from the
first time I saw it. Then there were only a dozen games; now we have almost a hundred.
It is the reason why I prefer to start with 5.Qb3 – ...Nc6 is not possible! If White does nothing, Black
will simply play ...e5, so he needs to justify 6.Qb3 by taking on b7: 7.Qxb7 Bd7!
Now the queen is in danger, so we must retreat. 8.Qb3 e5 9.d3 Rb8 10.Qd1 Bb4+ 11.Nfd2
(11.Nbd2?! e4!µ) 11...h5!‚ and I won’t continue with the line, as Black’s compensation is
indisputable. We don’t have to enter this variation.

257
Position after: 5.Qb3!?

5...Qc8?!

Here the queen is not a target for our pieces, and it is less exposed than on c7, but it’s also more
passive.
5...Qc7?! As we will find out, this move is probably worse than ...Qc8. Our bishop will soon arrive, as
usual, on f4, gaining another important tempo. 6.cxd5 cxd5 (6...Nxd5?! 7.d3±) 7.Nc3

Position after: 7.Nc3

A) 7...Nc6?! This is the preference of some engines, but it’s already an all-in gambit which clearly
fails: 8.Nxd5 Nxd5 9.Qxd5 e6 (9...Nb4?? 10.Qb5++–) 10.Qb3 Be7 11.0-0 0-0 12.d3± with a healthy
extra pawn.
B) 7...e6 8.d3

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Position after: 8.d3

B1) 8...Nbd7 This is not a logical square, as c6 was now available. The idea is simply to recapture
with the knight when the queen goes to b6. 9.Bf4! Qb6 10.Qxb6 Nxb6 Black avoids an endgame
with doubled b-pawns, but this one is not appealing either. 11.0-0 a6 12.Rac1 Be7 13.e4!N

Position after: 13.e4!N

There always comes the right moment to open the center, even if it involves sacrificing a pawn, and
this is exactly that right moment, as all our pieces are ready, and Black still needs another move to
escape from the danger zone with his king. 13...dxe4 14.dxe4 Bxe4 (14...Bg6 15.Ne5±; 14...Nxe4?!

259
 15.Nd4 Nxc3 16.Rxc3±) 15.Nxe4 Nxe4 16.Nd4! Nc5 Black is a pawn up, has everything protected
and is threatening ...Nd3 – but it is all an illusion: 17.Rfd1! We first prevent ...Nd3. 17...Nd5 (17...0-
0 18.b4! Nca4 19.Bxb7 Ra7 20.Bf3±) 18.Bxd5 exd5 19.Re1± Black has to give up material.
B2) 8...Nc6 9.Bf4

Position after: 9.Bf4

9...Qd7 (9...e5? 10.Nxe5! Nxe5 11.d4! We will regain the knight with interest, for instance 11...Bd6
12.Nb5 Qa5+ 13.Bd2 Qd8 14.Nxd6+ Qxd6 15.Bb4 Qc7 16.dxe5 Qxe5 17.0-0+– and Black’s king
is too far from safety.) 10.0-0 We have transposed into a 5...Qc8 line where Black finally decided to
put the queen back on d7 without really having achieved anything. 10...Be7 11.Ne5

260
Position after: 11.Ne5

(11.e4!? is certainly better for us, but why would we want to complicate the game?) 11...Nxe5
12.Bxe5 0-0 13.e4!±

6.cxd5 cxd5 7.Nc3 e6 8.d3 Nc6 9.Bf4

Position after: 9.Bf4

9...h6

261
 A) After 9...Nh5 10.Be3 Be7 11.Rc1 0-0 12.0-0 Black has nothing better than to come back. 12...Nf6
13.Nb5 Qd7 14.Nbd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4² The knight comes to e5, and we keep our great initiative.
B) 9...Be7 10.Nh4 Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.g4 Bg6 13.Bg3 0-0 14.0-0²

10.Rc1 Be7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Nb5!

The idea is not really to go to c7 or d6, even if it sometimes works. We would prefer to go to d4 in
order to create a weakness on c6.

Position after: 12.Nb5!

12...Qd7 13.Ne5!N

This new move opens the c-file by force.

13...Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Rfc8 15.Nc7 Rab8 16.e4!±

262
Position after: 16.e4!±

It’s easy to understand that even if we sac a pawn, this can’t be good for Black.

d) 4...Bf5 5.Qb3 Qb6 6.d3 --

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bf5 5.Qb3!? Qb6! 6.d3!

Position after: 6.d3!

263
6...Qxb3

Black could have waited for Be3 before playing this move.
6...Nbd7 7.Qxb6 A nuance and additional possibility that makes a lot of sense. (7.Be3 Qxb3 8.axb3 a6
9.Nh4 Bg6 10.Nc3 e6 11.h3 transposes into our main line.)
A) 7...Nxb6?! 8.cxd5 cxd5 (8...Nbxd5 9.e4! Nb4 10.exf5 Nc2+ 11.Kd1 Nxa1 12.Be3±) 9.Nc3² The
b6-knight is completely misplaced, as it has no effect on the center and will become a target for the
bishop on e3.
B) 7...axb6 8.Nd4 Bg6 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Bxd5!

Position after: 10.Bxd5!

We have to give up the bishop, but have achieved what we wanted: Black has two weak, isolated
pawns. 10...cxd5 11.Nc3 e6 12.Ndb5 Rc8 13.0-0 Be7 14.Be3²

7.axb3 Na6

The knight tries to reach the b4-square, our weak spot, but we won’t give him time for that!
7...h6?!N

264
Position after: 7...h6?!N

In our main line, Black can never keep his light-squared bishop alive, so what do we play if he wants to
save it? 8.cxd5! cxd5 9.Be3 a6 (9...Nc6?! 10.Nd4 Nxd4 11.Bxd4± Both a7 and d5 – because of the
possibility of Bxf6 – are under attack, and Black has to lose a pawn). 10.Nc3 Nc6 11.Nd4 Nxd4?!
12.Bxd4 e6 13.e4!±

8.Be3 Bd7

Position after: 8...Bd7

265
In the hands of Karpov, this mysterious bishop retreat reminds us of the legendary game Janowski –
Capablanca, New York 1916 (a game you definitely need to know if you don’t already), where the
Cuban former World Champion found the exact same move with similar ideas: not to leave the bishop
in a useless position and try to help push on the queenside. However in this particular position, ...Bd7
seems less impressive.
8...Nb4?! 9.Rxa7 Rxa7 10.Bxa7± A pawn is a pawn, and it’s not an insignificant one, as the a-pawn
was supposed to come to a5 to protect the knight.

9.Ne5 e6 10.0-0 Bd6 11.f4!

Position after: 11.f4!

A classical move in order to gain some space. It’s usually the start of a pawn storm on the kingside.
11.d4!? makes sense as well.

11...Ke7 12.Nd2 Rhc8

We can now vary from the fighting game Timman, J (2565) – Karpov, A (2628) Murmansk 2016,
which was eventually drawn, by playing a move that helps with the queenside advance...

13.Ra4!?N 13...Be8?! 14.b4!±

266
Position after: 14.b4!±

White is much better as the pawn is not hanging:

14...Nxb4??

14...Bxb4?? 15.Rxb4 Nxb4 16.Bc5++–

15.c5+–

e) 4...Bf5 5.Qb3 Qb6 6.d3 e6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bf5 5.Qb3!? Qb6! 6.d3! e6

267
Position after: 6...e6

Finally we come to the most logical move, which gives the additional possibility of taking back on d5
with the e-pawn.

7.Be3!?

Forcing our opponent to decide whether to trade queens now, but Black can also take the view that we
have misplayed the position, which is what happened the only time I reached it.
7.Nh4!? is another way to play for an edge, but it seems less concrete.

7...dxc4

A surprising intermediate move that, at first, seems to solve Black’s problems. If we simply take back
with the pawn, then Black exchanges queens in dream conditions, because once the d3-pawn
disappears, the bishop on f5 gets a new lease of life. But we have another surprise in store for our
opponent.
A) 7...Qxb3 Not the most challenging – but it might be the most reasonable choice. 8.axb3 a6 9.Nh4!
This bishop cannot stay alive. 9...Bg6

268
Position after: 9...Bg6

A1) The creative Russian player Alexander Morozevich came up with a really original plan
(although I still prefer my move): 10.f4 Nbd7 11.h3 Bb4+ 12.Kd1 He brings his king to c2, where it
protects the queenside, and will then try to advance his pawns on the kingside. 12...0-0 13.Nd2 Rfd8
14.Kc2 b5 15.Rhd1 a5 16.Nxg6 hxg6 17.Nf3² White has good squares for his pieces and the better
position, even if he finally lost in Morozevich, A (2711) – Bologan, V (2607) Poikovsky 2015.
A2) 10.Nc3!?N Strangely enough, none of the players tried this logical move in the few games that
reached this position. 10...Nbd7 11.h3! This is a preventive move, avoiding any ...Ng4 ideas and
stopping the bishop from escaping via h5. 11...Bd6 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.0-0 0-0 14.d4!²

269
Position after: 14.d4!²

With the bishop no longer on on f5, we can finally open this diagonal and prevent ...Nc5. In this
endgame, we will try to relocate our dark-squared bishop to clear the way for our e-pawn to reach
the fourth rank. As usual, with the pair of bishops, opening the position is to our advantage.
B) Against a slow retreat like 7...Qc7 we can simply grab the bishop pair before doing anything else:
8.Nh4! Bg6 9.Nd2! Nbd7 10.Rc1.

Position after: 10.Rc1

The threat is now to take everything on d5 because of the pinning issue. 10...Bd6 11.0-0 0-0 12.Nxg6
hxg6 13.Nf3² This is a solid position for Black, but pretty passive.

8.Qxc4!N

270
Position after: 8.Qxc4!N

I have called this move a novelty, al-though it actually isn’t, because I’ve already played it myself! I
was proud and pleased to be able to test this move in practice, and it brought me success.

8...Qxb2

This is the most principled move, as White’s play is not obvious yet, but Black can also reject the gift:
8...Qc7 9.Bf4 Qa5+ 10.Bd2 Qc7 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.e4 Bg4 13.Qc2 e5 14.b4². White wants to continue
pushing his b-pawn, and Black cannot stop this minority attack in any reasonable way.

9.Bd4! Qb4+

A) 9...b5? 10.Qxe6+! One of the many ways to get the pawn back and reach a better endgame.
10...Bxe6 11.Bxb2±
B) 9...Qb5? 10.Qxb5 cxb5 11.Ne5!±
C) 9...Bb4+? 10.Nfd2! Bxd2+ 11.Nxd2 Qa3 12.Rb1 Qe7 13.0-0± Black has some problems, initially
having to deal with the nasty Bc5, and it’s already probably too much.

10.Nbd2!

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Position after: 10.Nbd2!

10...Qxc4

10...Nbd7?! This move is probably inferior, as it gives Black fewer possibilities after White’s obvious
next move, but it was the move chosen by my opponent. 11.Rb1 Qxc4 12.Nxc4 There is no good way
to protect the b7-pawn. Reshef decided to return his extra pawn by trading a piece and opening the a-
file with 12...Nb6 13.Nxb6 axb6 14.Rxb6 0-0-0.

Position after: 14...0-0-0

272
The threat is ...Rxd4 followed by ...Bc5, so we have to go back. 15.Rb3! Bg4 All this was played in my
game Demuth, A (2541) – Reshef, O (2425) Llucmajor 2016, 1-0 (50), and now it’s easy to improve on
my play with 16.e3±, keeping the bishop in the center, before castling and bringing the other rook to
the b-file.

11.Nxc4

Position after: 11.Nxc4

11...Bb4+

The most human move, I believe.

A) 11...Nbd7 – see 10...Nbd7.
B) 11...Na6 was also tried in a recent game, but Black failed to solve his problems: 12.0-0! Bc5
13.Rab1 Bxd4 14.Nxd4 0-0-0

273
Position after: 14...0-0-0

In Hillarp Persson, T (2537) – Alekseenko, K (2590) Stockholm 2018 White started to lose the thread
here, but he could have kept a huge edge with 15.Bxc6! bxc6 16.Nxc6 Rd7 17.N6e5 Rhd8 (17...Rc7
18.Nd6+ Kd8 19.Ndxf7++–) 18.Nxd7 Rxd7 19.Rfc1 Rc7 20.Nd6+ Kd7 21.Nxf7±. White is probably
already winning here.

12.Nfd2!

Position after: 12.Nfd2!

274
The most ambitious reply. 12.Kd1, not wanting to pin our knight, makes a lot of sense too, but the king
can sometimes be a bit awkwardly placed in the center.

12...b6!?

This is played by engines, not so surprisingly, as it solves the issue of the b-pawn before a rook arrives
on this file. However it weakens the c6-pawn.
12...Na6 13.a3! Be7 14.Rb1 0-0-0 15.Nb3!±

13.a3 Be7 14.Ne5 0-0 15.Bxc6!

Position after: 15.Bxc6!

The correct way to take, as the knight will be more effective on c6 than the bishop.

15...Nxc6 16.Nxc6 Bd6 17.Nc4²

Black has plenty to worry about as he attempts to hold this endgame.

f) 4...Bg4

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bg4

275
Position after: 4...Bg4

Like 4...Bf5, this is a system Black uses frequently, as it is as solid as a rock. We talked about the ideas
in this line in the previous chapter after 3...Bg4. Here I will just add a few differences and
transpositions.

5.0-0

A) 5.Ne5 is a critical line I originally wanted to analyze in this book, but I’m afraid it should be about
equal. I’ll just give one of the main lines, which I consider to be fine for Black: 5...Be6! By far the
best move. 6.cxd5 Bxd5 7.Nf3 A few unusual moves have led to a normal position. 7...c5! 8.Nc3 Bc6
9.0-0 e6 10.d3! Be7 11.e4 0-0 12.Qe2 If Black does nothing, d3-d4 will soon be a huge threat, but
here comes the strong move: 12...b5!

276
Position after: 12...b5!

The most testing move. 13.a4! b4 14.Nb1 We have gained the c4-square at the cost of a few tempi.
14...Bb7! 15.Nbd2 Nc6 16.Nc4 Nd7= and in this interesting position I could not find any good way
to fight for an edge, as Black is both solid and active. It’s up to you if you want to enter this kind of
line, if the position doesn’t feel like a problem to you, but I wanted to offer a simpler way to play,
especially since 3...Bg4 doesn’t allow the possibility of entering these variations.
B) 5.Qb3 is less impressive here, as Black can continue with 5...Qb6 6.Qc2 Nbd7= and it’s clearly an
improvement that ...e5 is possible in one move.

5...Nbd7

A) 5...e6 is the main and most logical move to get more active play in the center, but after 6.Qb3!? (an
idea that we have already met several times now) 6...Qb6 7.Qc2 Nbd7 8.b3! we transpose to the
previous chapter on 3...Bg4.
B) 5...dxc4 is closely related to the 4...dxc4 lines, so a transposition is likely.

6.cxd5 cxd5 7.Nc3

277
Position after: 7.Nc3

7...e6

7...e5?! is too early and Black will suffer because his bishop is on g4: 8.d4! e4 9.Ne5 Be6 10.Qb3².

8.Qb3²

And we have the same themes as in the 3...Bg4 4.Bg2 Nd7 line of the previous chapter.

278
 Chapter 8
Variations with 4...dxc4

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4!? 5.0-0

Chapter guide
Chapter 8 – Variations with 4...dxc4
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.0-0
a) 5...--
b) 5... Be6
c) 5...Bf5
d) 5...Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 --
e) 5...Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 Be6 8.Ng5 & 8.Ne5 --
f) 5...Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 Be6 8.Ne5 Qd4

a) 5...--

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4!?

279
Position after: 4...dxc4!?

I think this simple move is the critical test for the Reti against the Slav Defense. There’s no apparent
reason why it shouldn’t be good, and it has has been played only a bit less than 4...Bf5.
In contrast to other moves, if you are not well prepared, you can soon end up with a clearly inferior
position. We are a pawn down, which we will try to regain, keeping chances for a small plus. With our
extra pawn in the center we do keep that advantage in most cases.

5.0-0

This is already an important position – decision-making time! Black can choose between doing nothing
to protect his extra pawn and simply develop his pieces, protecting it with pieces or using the b-pawn
for consolidation.
5.a4?! I tried to make this move work, but I found a line that simply refutes it: 5...Be6! 6.Na3 Bd5!
7.Qc2 (7.0-0?! would be too slow as 7...Na6µ prevents Qc2-ideas) 7...e5!

280
Position after: 7...e5!

This strong move doesn’t allow us to fight for an edge: 8.Nxc4 e4 and for instance the game 1-0 (70)
Vallejo Pons, F (2711) – Short, N (2646) Madrid 2016 continued with 9.Nh4 but the strong
improvement 9...Be6!N already puts White in bad shape: 10.Ne3 Qd7 11.Bxe4 Nxe4 12.Qxe4 Na6³
Black will get huge compensation and I don’t want to defend this position.

5...b5

This seems like a logical continuation, but things are not so simple for Black.
A) 5...e6!? is analyzed in the next chapter about the Semi-Slav.
B) 5...g6 6.Na3

281
Position after: 6.Na3

B1) 6...Be6? would now be too slow because of 7.Ng5! Bd5 8.e4 h6 9.exd5 hxg5 10.dxc6 Nxc6
11.Nxc4 Bg7 12.d4!±.
B2) 6...Bg7 7.Nxc4 0-0 There is no doubt that we have the upper hand. We simply need to choose
the way we want to proceed. 8.d3 (8.d4!?²) 8...Nbd7 (8...Be6 9.Qc2 Nbd7 10.Bd2²) 9.Bd2 Nd5
10.Qc2² Dzindzichashvili.
B3) 6...b5 Black has waited for Na3 before pushing ...b5. This seems reasonable thinking as a2-a4 is
no longer possible, but in this case, we can take advantage of the weakened long diagonal by playing
7.Ne5!

282
Position after: 7.Ne5!

7...Qc7?! (7...Bb7? 8.Nxb5±; 7...Qb6?! 8.d3 cxd3 9.Be3 Qc7 10.Bf4! Qb6 11.Rc1!+– and the
pressure is already mounting beyond salvation.) 8.d4! a6 (8...cxd3 9.Bf4!+– transposes into the
7...Qb6 line that we know to be bad.) 9.b3! Once again, we open the position. 9...cxb3 10.Qxb3!
Be6 11.Qc2

Position after: 11.Qc2

11...Nd5!N This is probably the most resistant, but I still don’t like Black here. (11...Bg7 12.Bf4

283
 Nh5 13.Nxg6 Nxf4 14.Nxf4 Bxd4 15.Rad1 Bf6 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Qb3+– 1-0 (58) Pigusov, E
(2520) – Graf, A (2415) Pavlodar 1987) 12.e4 Nb4?! 13.Qb1 a5 14.Bf4!± Black’s position is about
to crack under the pressure.

6.a4

We directly attack the queenside.

6...Bb7 7.d3!

I like this recent idea! Most games have continued with 7.b3 which is interes-ting too... but less than
our move!

Position after: 7.d3!

7...cxd3 8.Ne5 Qc7

8...b4!? 9.a5! If we want to grab the b4-pawn, we have to prevent ...a5. We also threaten a6 with some
problems on c6! 9...Qc8! (9...dxe2? 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.Re1 Ke8 12.a6+–) 10.Nxd3 e6 11.Qa4 Be7
12.Bd2 0-0 13.Rc1² Next we take on b4 and keep the better pawn structure and our advantage.

9.Nxd3 e5

284
Position after: 9...e5

This position occurred in the game Stella, A (2447) – Banusz, T (2588) Fano 2013.
Now I believe it’s really important to improve White’s play with...

10.Qc2!N 10...b4

This is more or less forced if Black wants to keep his queenside closed.

11.Nd2 Nbd7 12.Nc4 Rd8

12...a5?! 13.Ndxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5!±

13.Bg5 Be7 14.Bxf6!

285
Position after: 14.Bxf6!

There is no good way for Black to take the bishop.

14...gxf6

A) 14...Bxf6 15.Nxb4²
B) 14...Nxf6 15.Ncxe5²

15.Ne3‚

The knight goes to f5 with great demolition power in mind.

b) 5... Be6

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4!? 5.0-0 Be6

286
Position after: 5...Be6

The other way to defend the c4-pawn right away.

6.Na3!

First I worked on the move 6.Ng5!?. I even played it once, and it is not necessarily bad, but I am not
fond of it due to the following line: 6...Bd5 7.e4 h6! 8.exd5 hxg5 9.dxc6 Nxc6 10.Na3 Qd3! 11.Qa4 0-
0-0=.

Position after: 11...0-0-0=

287
This position is really complicated, and will most likely end in a draw by perpetual (as in the only time
I played it).

6...Bd5

A) 6...Qd5 This seems surprising at first sight, as it puts the queen on the radar of the g2-bishop, but
you will soon understand that it’s a pretty common move as there is no real satisfactory discovered
attack on the queen, but... 7.h4!

Position after: 7.h4!

I like this move, played only once. We want to play Ng5 by force, and Black has to worry about it.
7...Qa5 (7...Qc5 seems more reasonable than the game, but it is difficult to play as well: 8.Ng5 Bg4?!
9.d4! cxd3 10.Qb3! dxe2 11.Re1+– and with both f7 and b7 en prise, we are already winning.) 8.Ng5
Bg4 And here we can easily improve on the game Berkovich, M (2366) – Thormann, W (2251)
Kaunas 2012, 0-1 (31), with 9.Nxc4! Qc7 10.d4±.
B) 6...Nbd7?!N 7.Ng5! this would be a much better version than the line we talked about after 6.Ng5
because 7...Bd5? 8.e4 h6 9.exd5 hxg5 10.dxc6± simply destroys Black.

7.Qc2! b5

288
Position after: 7...b5

On other moves, we would simply take our pawn back and start advancing by means of d3/e4, chasing
the bishop away.

8.b3!

This is a highly thematical move. We waited for Black to weaken his queenside, and sacrifice a pawn to
get rid of this annoying c4-pawn. Play should continue with...

8...cxb3 9.axb3 Qb6?!

9...g6 should be better, even if we get good prospects in the center: 10.Bb2 Bg7 11.Rfe1 0-0 12.e4 Be6
13.Nd4ƒ.

10.d3

289
Position after: 10.d3

10...c5?!

This is too ambitious, but Be3 was coming anyway.

11.b4!

This nice move is possible thanks to the vulnerability of the c8-square. Now we put all our forces on
the c5-pawn.

11...e6 12.Be3 Nbd7 13.Rfc1 Rc8 14.bxc5

290
Position after: 14.bxc5

The pawn seemed protected, but it was actually impossible to take it back.

14...Qb7

14...Bxc5?? 15.d4+–

15.d4 Be7 16.Qb2+–

Hard to believe, but White did not manage to transform his huge advantage into a win and had to settle
for a draw in Pantsulaia, L (2591) – Mikadze, M (2240) Poti 2014.

c) 5...Bf5

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4!? 5.0-0 Bf5

291
Position after: 5...Bf5

One of the ideas of this move is to prevent Qc2, but the bishop can sometimes be exposed here, as we
will see!

6.Na3 b5

This might seem dubious as the bishop can’t reach b7 any more in order to protect the long diagonal,
but ...Be4 can sometimes solve that issue.
A) 6...Qd5?! 7.Ng5! Qc5 (7...Qd4 8.d3 cxd3 9.Qb3 dxe2 10.Re1 Nbd7 11.Qxf7+ Kd8 12.Ne6+
Bxe6 13.Qxe6±) 8.d4! cxd3 9.Qb3!

292
Position after: 9.Qb3!

9...dxe2 10.Re1+– We have already met this pattern and know we are completely winning.
B) 6...e5 7.Nxc4 (7.Nxe5?? Bxa3 8.bxa3 Qd4–+ was the obvious trick hidden in Black’s sixth move)
7...e4 8.Nfe5 Nbd7 9.d4! exd3 10.Nxd3 Be7

Position after: 10...Be7

This was played in Movsesian, S (2695) – Tregubov, P (2610) Russia 2013, 1-0 (44). We can easily
take advantage of the adventurous f5-bishop by playing 11.Ne3!N 11...Bg6 12.Nf4 Nb6 13.Nxg6

293
 hxg6 14.Qc2². You should know by now that the bishop pair in an open position smells good for us.

7.b3!

Position after: 7.b3!

7...cxb3

We have a choice between two kinds of positional compensation.

7...e5?! 8.bxc4 e4 (8...b4? 9.Nc2!±) 9.Nh4!N

294
Position after: 9.Nh4!N

9...Be6 The move ...g5 is a threat we have to worry about. 10.d3! We have to open the center now, even
if our knight on h4 is in danger. 10...g5 (No better is 10...Bxa3 11.Bxa3 g5 12.dxe4 gxh4 13.cxb5 hxg3
14.hxg3 Qxd1 15.Rfxd1+– Even in the endgame, Black can’t move most of his pieces and should be
lost.) 11.Bxg5! Bxa3 12.cxb5! Only two pawns for the piece, but our many threats and the weaknesses
in Black’s camp compensate more than enough. For instance: 12...Be7 (12...Rg8 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qa4
Bc5 15.Rac1 Qd4 16.Qxd4 Bxd4 17.Bxe4±; 12...Bb2 13.dxe4 Qxd1 14.Raxd1 h6 15.Bf4±) 13.dxe4
Qxd1 14.Rfxd1 Rg8 15.Nf3 Nxe4 16.Bxe7 Kxe7 17.Rac1!± Even this kind of endgame does not save
Black here.

8.Qxb3!?

8.axb3!?©

8...e6

8...a6 9.Ne5 e6 10.Nxc6 Qc7 11.Nxb8 Rxb8 12.Bb2²

9.d3

Position after: 9.d3

9...Bc5N

9...Bg6?! 10.Ne5 Nd5 11.Bb2 a6 12.Nc2 Ra7 13.a4!± 1-0 (40) Skoberne, J (2547) – Gheng, J (2319)
Böblingen 2015.

295
10.Ne5 Nfd7!

10...0-0?! 11.Nxb5±

11.Nxc6 Nxc6 12.Bxc6 0-0 13.Bxa8 Qxa8 14.e4 Bh3 15.Qxb5²

Position after: 15.Qxb5²

Black keeps some compensation, but he needs great precision if he wants to survive in this game.

d) 5...Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 --

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4!? 5.0-0 Nbd7

296
Position after: 5...Nbd7

6.Na3

6.Qc2 doesn’t change much, as it should merely transpose.

6...Nb6

6...b5!? has only been tried three times, but can we refute this move? 7.Nd4!? a6! 8.Nxc6 Qc7 9.Nxe7!

Position after: 9.Nxe7!

297
9...Bb7 10.Bxb7 Qxb7 11.Nf5 g6 (11...Ne5 seemed inferior in Georgiev, K (2626) – Varga, Z (2459)
Palic 2014 and we can even pose more problems for Black with 12.b3!N 12...cxb3 13.d4!±) 12.Ne3
Bg7 13.b3! Ng4 14.Nxg4 Bxa1 15.bxc4 Bg7 16.Qc2© Even if the game is still complicated, two
pawns for the exchange in addition to a massive center is more than enough.

7.Qc2

Position after: 7.Qc2

7...Qd5

This has been played almost as often as 7...Be6, but it is no longer fashionable due to White’s next
move.
7...g6!? This is not the most ambitious decision, as Black simply offers his pawn. He will only fight for
equality, but it’s still quite a sound system. 8.Nxc4 (8...Bg7 9.b3 Bf5 10.d3 Qc8 11.Bb2 Bh3 12.e4
Bxg2 13.Kxg2 0-0 14.d4± And even if White lost, he was clearly better in Margvelashvili, G (2530) –
Dreev, A (2653) chess.com 2018.) 8...Nxc4 9.Qxc4 Bg7

298
Position after: 9...Bg7

(9...Be6 has no real independent value as after 10.Qc2 Bg7 11.e4 we transpose to 9...Bg7.)
A) When I faced this position in a classical game, without knowing much about it, I chose the main
move, but I now feel that it’s not so dangerous for Black. The game continued 10.d3 0-0 11.Be3
(Aronian recently managed to keep some activity by playing 11.Bd2, but the position remains
objectively about equal: 11...Nd5 12.Qc1 a5 13.Bh6 Bg4 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Ne5 Be6 16.d4 Nf6
17.Rd1ƒ ½-½ (40) Aronian, L (2794) – Vitiugov, N (2735) Baden Baden 2018) 11...Nd5 12.Bd4 Nb6
13.Qb4 Bxd4 14.Qxd4 Qxd4 15.Nxd4 a5 and here we signed a quick draw Demuth, A (2529) –
Banusz, T (2613) Karlsruhe 2017.
B) 10.e4!? The main debate in this position is whether White will be able to set up a strong center
with both pawns on the fourth rank. There are a few technical problems, but we have to give this a
decent try.
B1) 10...0-0 11.Re1 Nd7 12.e5!? (12.d4 e5 13.Be3² was possible as well) 12...Nb6 13.Qh4 f6
14.d4„ We have interesting prospects on the queenside, even if our opponent might be able to keep
the balance. Black did not manage to find the right moves in Zhigalko, A (2610) – Bulmaga, I
(2383) Kavala 2016, 1-0 (39).
B2) 10...Be6

299
Position after: 10...Be6

This was the choice of GM Banusz, who I believe is the specialist in this line. When we were
analysing our game (with 10.d3), it became clear that he had worked quite a lot on the position, and
even played it with both colors. So let’s follow what he played a few months after our encounter:
11.Qc2 Ng4?! I don’t like this move even if it’s really hard to refute properly. (11...Bg4!N is
actually more annoying for us. I believe that 12.Rd1 e5! 13.d3 is playable, but it’s Black’s best
chance. 13...0-0 14.Be3 Re8 15.h3 Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Nd7 17.h4ƒ) 12.Rd1! Ne5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.d4!
Bg4

300
Position after: 14...Bg4

This was seen in the drawn game Iturrizaga, E (2662) – Banusz, T (2611) Linares 2017, and now I
propose the incredibly strong improvement 15.Bh6!N which our silicon friends found in less than a
second. We just give up an exchange, but the remaining bishop is going to be a source of worries for
Black. 15...Bxd1 16.Rxd1 Bxd4™ (16...Bc7 17.d5!+–) 17.Qa4! e5 18.Bg7! Rg8 19.Bxe5 Bxe5
20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.Qxa7± It is not clear if we are winning, but White is definitely better because of
the uncoordinated pieces in Black’s camp.

8.b3! cxb3

8...Bf5 9.Qb2 cxb3 10.axb3 e6 11.d3 We had to take the b2-square away from our own bishop, but the
other bishop on f5 is misplaced, and Black must move it in order to parry the e4-fork. 11...Qd8 12.Nc4
Be7 13.Be3 0-0 14.Rxa7! Rxa7 15.Bxb6 Qa8 16.Bxa7 Qxa7 17.Ra1 Qb8 18.b4²

9.axb3

Position after: 9.axb3

Black is now a clear pawn up, but has played some strange moves, such as putting the knight on b6 and
exposing the queen on d5. In addition to the open files, this provides us with clear compensation.

9...Be6

9...g6 10.Nc4! Regrouping our pawns in the center and opening lines is worth the trade of a knight.
A) 10...Qd8 11.Nfe5! Nbd5 This position has appeared twice over the board. (11...Bg7? 12.Nxc6
bxc6 13.Nxb6! Qxb6 14.Bxc6+ Nd7 15.Bxa8 Bxa1 16.Qxc8+ Qd8 17.Qxd8+ Kxd8 18.Ba3+–)

301
 12.Qd3!?N

Position after: 12.Qd3!?N

A nice improvement. White wants to continue with 13.e4 against almost any move. For instance
12...Be6 13.e4! Nc7 14.Qxd8+ Kxd8 15.d4 Black is in an awkward position. 15...Ke8 16.Na5 Bc8
17.Bb2²
B) 10...Nxc4 11.bxc4 Qh5 (11...Qd8 12.Bb2 Bg7 13.Bd4 a6 14.Rfb1 0-0 15.d3© was obviously fine
for White in Arun Prasad, S (2514) – Vorobiov, E (2584) Moscow 2013) 12.d3 Bg7 13.Ba3 c5
14.Bb2 0-0 15.Ra3

302
Position after: 15.Ra3

The position looks a bit like a Benko, except that we have no annoying pawn on d4 in front of our
pieces. We simply need to reinforce the pressure on the open files. 15...Bd7 16.Rfa1 a6 17.Ne5 Rab8
18.Rb3!N An improvement on the game Adams, M (2725) – Kanep, M (2512) Gibraltar 2013 which
also ended well for White. 18...b5 19.Rxa6 bxc4 20.Rxb8 Rxb8 21.Qxc4!²

10.b4! Qb3

Position after: 10...Qb3

When Black played ...Be6, this was his idea.

11.Qxb3 Bxb3 12.b5!

We want to open the long diagonal and Black can’t really keep it closed.

12...c5

The attempt to install a blockade on the diagonal gives us some useful tempi: 12...Bd5 13.d3! c5 14.e4
Be6 15.Be3 Nfd7 16.d4!±.

13.d3 Nfd7 14.Nd2 Bd5 15.e4 Be6

303
Position after: 15...Be6

16.f4!

Black has to save the exhausted bishop.

16...f6

16...g6!N must be an improvement but we keep the upper hand with 17.Bb2! Rg8 18.Nac4!².

17.e5!

And if Black wants to close the diagonal again, see what happens...

17...Bd5 18.e6!

A nasty surprise.

18...Bxe6 19.Bxb7±

Timman, J (2571) – Ernst, S (2606) Wijk aan Zee 2012.

e) 5...Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 Be6 8.Ng5 & 8.Ne5 –

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4!? 5.0-0 Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 Be6!

304
Position after: 7...Be6!

This is the line that gave me the most problems; in my opinion it can sometimes result in a pretty
unclear position.

8.Ne5!

8.Ng5?! was my first intention and the main move, but there is a major problem after this move.
8...Bg4! (8...Qd7 9.b3! cxb3 10.axb3 Bg4 11.d4!∞; 8...Bd5 9.e4±) 9.f3 This was Marin’s advice, but I
don’t think there’s enough play here. (9.Nxc4 Bxe2 10.Ne5 Bh5! White fails at tricking Black on his
weak f7-pawn 11.Re1 h6 12.Ne4 e6∞) 9...Bh5 10.Nxc4 Qd4+! 11.Ne3 White has scored well recently,
but not thanks to his opening. In almost every game, things were going quite sadly for him at some
point.

305
Position after: 11.Ne3

11...h6! 12.Nh3 Bg6 13.Qc3 e5. Our pieces are far too ugly in this line. 14.Qxd4 exd4 15.Ng4 Nxg4
16.fxg4 Bc5³

8...h5!?

This interesting attempt was tried twice by Wesley So against none other than Aronian and Adams. He
only scored half a point but got two fine positions.
It’s a classical pattern to attack our fianchetto once our f3-knight has left his post.
8...g6?! This is a bit too much, as we can easily get the better game. 9.Naxc4 Nxc4 10.Nxc4 Bg7
11.b3! Bd5 12.Bb2 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Qd5+ 14.e4 Qh5 15.f3 0-0 16.d4. We have a strong center, and it’s
no big deal that we traded our fianchettoed bishop as our king is well protected. Black won shortly after
in Kravtsiv, M (2641) – Skawinski, A (2367) Zalakaros 2016.

9.h4!

306
Position after: 9.h4!

I needed some help from correspondence games to understand how important it is to prevent Black
from playing ...h4 himself, even if we need to play a slightly weakening move. This is probably better
than 9.b3 as played by Adams, and 9.Naxc4 by Aronian.

9...Qd4

This is similar to our main line, but with h4/...h5 included. Whom does it help more?

10.Nf3!

The answer is White, but not for the reason you may think! We don’t take on c6 any more as in the
main line, but we manage a clever retreat.

10...Qe4

A) 10...Qd8? makes no sense as it’s not a repetition and after 11.Ng5! Bg4?! 12.Nxc4 Bxe2

307
Position after: 12...Bxe2

13.Ne5!+– Now ...Bh5 is not possible in order to protect f7, which is a major difference compared to
the line 8.Ng5. White wins.
B) 10...Qd5 11.Ng5 Qe5 12.d4 cxd3 13.exd3 Bd7 14.Bf4©

11.Qd1!N

Position after: 11.Qd1!N

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A novelty, at least in classical games, as it has appeared on few occasions in correspondence chess.
11.d3?! is the only practical try but it’s not really convincing: 11...cxd3 12.exd3 Qg4 13.b3 Bd5
14.Qe2 e6 15.Nc4 Bc5³ 0-1 (41) Almasi, Z (2694) – Oparin, G (2540) Linares 2014.

11...Bg4 12.b3! cxb3 13.axb3 g6!

Position after: 13...g6!

14.Nc4!

14.Bb2 was chosen in another correspondence game and resulted in some fire on the board: 14...Bg7
15.Ne5 Qf5 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Bxc6+ Kf8 18.Bxa8 Nxa8 19.Nc4„ ½-½ (34) Philipps, R (2440) –
Tauber, H (2525) WS/GMN/047 ICCF 2015.

14...Nxc4 15.d3!?N

This is ‘my’ novelty (if we take the correspondence games into account). The position is probably
level, but from a practical point of view this seems less easy to play for Black than the other lines.
Black gets decent compensation for the two pawns after 15.bxc4 Qxc4 16.d3 Qb5 17.Nd4 Qb6 18.Be3
Qc7 19.Qc1 Bd7 20.Nb5 Qb8 21.Nxa7 Bg7 22.Bf4 e5 23.Nxc6 Rxa1 but it was soon a draw in Pligin,
S (2495) – Evtushenko, S (2540) CL/2017/Champ 2015, and there is no real way to improve White’s
play.

15...Ne3!

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Position after: 15...Ne3!

Not to allow the reinforcement of the structure by White.

16.Bxe3 Qe6 17.Ng5 Qd7 18.Bxa7 Bg7 19.d4 0-0 20.Qd3=

The position is objectively equal, but with lots of play left on the board!

f) 5...Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 Be6 8.Ne5 Qd4

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4!? 5.0-0 Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 Be6! 8.Ne5! Qd4!? 9.Nxc6!

310
Position after: 9.Nxc6!

This has been played a few times, and most likely analyzed in depth by the best players. We can’t give
a definite assessment before we check this deeply!

9...bxc6 10.Bxc6+

In his analysis, Marin wrote: “White will get a rook and a pawn for a knight and bishop, a complex
material balance, which could favour either side, depending on the concrete circumstances. For White it
will be essential to speed up his development with either b2-b3 or d2-d3, otherwise Black would have a
comfortable position.”. This sounds like a good explanation of the position. Now, Black has a choice of
three moves, but none of them has scored positively for him.

10...Kd8!

This has been played most times. Black decides to leave the pawn in the center, but on the other hand,
the other pieces are at their maximum capacity.
A) 10...Bd7?! This already gives back a second pawn, so we don’t have to worry about material any
more. 11.Bxa8 Nxa8 12.Nxc4 (12.Qxc4 is fine as well; it’s a matter of taste.) 12...Nb6

311
Position after: 12...Nb6

White won in Brunello, S (2537) – Korneev, O (2573) Otranto 2011, but I even prefer to improve the
game with 13.d3!N 13...Bh3 14.Nxb6 axb6 15.Qc6+ Qd7 16.Qa8+ Qd8 17.Qxd8+ Kxd8 18.Rd1²
B) 10...Nfd7 11.Bxa8 Nxa8 12.d3! Development is of course the key factor here. 12...Bh3
(12...cxd3?? would be a nice misclick: 13.Qc8#.)

Position after: 12...Bh3

B1) 13.Rd1 is playable too, but Black gets good play after 13...Qd5! 14.f3 (14.e4N 14...Qh5

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 15.Nxc4 e5!³ with a long term attack thanks to the weak light-squares) 14...Qd4+! 15.e3 Qf6
16.Qxc4 Nab6! 17.Qf4 Qxf4 18.exf4 Nd5³ and I prefer Black in this awkward endgame.
B2) 13.dxc4!N 13...Bxf1 14.Be3! Qf6 15.Rxf1

Position after: 15.Rxf1

White has two pawns for a piece. It’s usually not enough, but in this case the lead in development
and the weak a-pawn are more than enough for White. 15...e5! (15...a6? loses by force after 16.Qe4!
Nc7 17.Rd1 Qe6 18.Qb7+–) 16.Nb5 We don’t want to allow ...Bxa3. 16...Be7 (16...a6? 17.Qe4!+–)
17.Nxa7 0-0 18.Rd1² The position is still complicated, but it seems easier to have three passed
pawns here!

11.Nb5!

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Position after: 11.Nb5!

11...Qc5 12.Bxa8 Qxb5!

12...Nxa8 13.a4 a6 14.d4!

Position after: 14.d4!

This is the point behind 11.Nb5, it allows quick development! 14...Qc6N (14...Qf5?! 15.Qxf5 Bxf5
16.Na3 Be6 17.f3 Nd7 18.Rd1± In this difficult position, Black strangely blundered with 18...Bd5
19.e4 Be6 20.d5 Bh3 21.Nxc4+– 1-0 (26) Prusikin, M (2535) – Haas, C (2211) Zurich 2016.) 15.Na3!

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Nb6 16.f3!± White’s center is starting to advance, and there is nothing that can stop it.

13.Bg2

Position after: 13.Bg2

13...Bd7

This was the novelty played in Aronian, L (2830) – Andreikin, D (2709) Khanty-Mansiysk 2014. Here
I prefer to disturb Black’s pieces right away once again.
A) 13...h5 does not seem like a dangerous attack and 14.a4! disturbs Black’s pieces straight away
14...Qb3 15.Qxb3 cxb3 16.e4 Bd7 17.a5 Nc4 18.d3 Ne5 19.d4± 1-0 (41) Medvegy, Z (2552) –
Csonka, B (2354) Zalakaros 2013.
B) 13...Bf5 was tried recently, but I don’t see why it could be disturbing. 14.e4! Bd7 Black won in the
actual game, but I would now improve over White’s play in Haria, R (2374) – Volkov, S (2645)
Stockholm 2018, with 15.a4!N 15...Qa5 16.b4! cxb3 17.Qxb3 e6 18.d4± and White has a huge
initiative.

14.a4!N 14...Qb3!

14...Nxa4 15.d3 cxd3 16.exd3 e6 17.Bf4 Bb4 18.Rfc1 Ke7 19.Bc6!

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Position after: 19.Bc6!

An endgame is arriving, with a nice initiative. 19...Qxc6 20.Qxc6 Bxc6 21.Rxc6 Nxb2 22.Rxa7+ Nd7
23.Rxd7+ Kxd7 24.Rc7+ Kd8 25.Rb7 Bf8! 26.Rxb2 f6 27.Rb8+ Ke7 28.Rb7+ Ke8 29.Kg2²

Position after: 29.Kg2²

You may say, “Such a long line for so little result?”. I can understand.
Sometimes in these kinds of forced tactical lines, there is nothing better than a draw if your opponent
does not commit any mistake. Here you can still try to make him crack, because it is not clear how he

316
reorganizes his pieces.

15.Qxb3 cxb3 16.a5 Nbd5 17.Ra3

Position after: 17.Ra3

We take the important b3-pawn, but the line does not stop here.

17...e6 18.Rxb3 Bb4 19.e4!

19.Bxd5 Nxd5 20.e4 Ba4 21.Rf3 Ne7 22.Rxf7 Rg8=

19...Ba4! 20.Rf3 Ne7 21.d3

21.e5 Nfd5 22.Rxf7 Rg8 23.Bxd5 exd5 24.Rf4 Nc6 25.Rf7=

21...Be8 22.Be3 Nc6 23.d4!

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Position after: 23.d4!

And I would prefer to play White, even if it’s still really complicated. For example, in the event of...

23...Nxe4

White opens some files and gets some play against the black king:

24.d5 exd5 25.Rd1ƒ

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 Chapter 9
Semi-Slav 4...e6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 e6 5.0-0

Chapter guide
Chapter 9 – Semi-Slav 4...e6
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 e6 5.0-0
a) 5...--
b) 5...Bd6
c) 5...Be7

a) 5...--

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 e6

319
Position after: 4...e6

Among the many theoretical debates a 1.d4 player has to face, the Semi-Slav Defense is one of the
most complicated. Against the Reti, this is less the case. We are playing quite slowly, and Black
doesn’t seize the opportunity to take more space in the center, as he has played both ...c6 and ...e6.
Nevertheless, it is without doubt one of the most solid systems.

5.0-0 dxc4!?

This is not the main move in this exact position, but it can transpose into 4...dxc4 5.0-0, which is
covered in chapter 7 if Black plays 5...e6. I consider it here, as I feel it’s more about a Semi-Slav
variation than a real Slav.
5...Nbd7 This move is not particularly useful, as Black will play ...Bd6 or ...Be7 on the next move.
Let’s see what happens if he tries to play differently after 6.b3:
A) 6...a5 We have already met this move on several occasions, and have learned by now that the best
is to prevent ...a4 if we can. 7.Nc3 And we easily manage to, as ...d4 is not playable for Black here.
7...Bb4 8.Bb2 0-0 9.a3! Bxc3 10.Bxc3 a4 11.cxd5! Nxd5?! 12.Bb2 axb3 13.Qxb3±.
B) 6...e5!? We are a tempo up compared to the line with 4...Nbd7 of chapter 7, but this extra tempo is
the move b3, so we have to play differently. 7.d4!

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Position after: 7.d4!

7...e4 8.Nh4!? I like this idea. We keep the tension in the center until Black can find a way to develop
his bishop on f8 without fearing Nf5. It leaves only a few choices. 8...Bb4 (8...g6 9.Nc3 Bg7 10.Ba3!
It’s not so bad to have this extra b3, is it?) 9.a3 Ba5 10.b4 Bc7 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.f3!² White opens the
position, and will be able to bring his knight into battle via the f5-square.

6.a4!

Position after: 6.a4!

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It is necessary to start with this move if we want to get our pawn back. It is a bit weakening, especially
the b4-square, but it prevents ...b5. Also, after Na3/...Bxa3, it allows the recapture with the rook, which
is an important difference. Black can’t really allow White to retake easily on c4, otherwise he will have
problems with his development as he has already played ...e6.
If I haven’t mentioned it yet, it must be said that these variations have already been treated in another
book. Of course, it’s Volume 2 of the trilogy Mihail Marin wrote on the English Opening. Theory
hasn’t changed much until now, and although I haven’t compared our two works, I can imagine that
there are most probably some similar lines in this book. It’s hard to argue against a great theoretical
analyst like the Romanian chess trainer Marin!
6.Na3?! now fails because of 6...b5! 7.Ne5 Bxa3 8.Nxc6 Qb6 9.Nxb8 Bb7 10.bxa3 Rxb8µ with
clearly the better game for Black.

6...Na6!

Black immediately takes advantage of the weakness we just created.

A) 6...b6?! is too slow to be strong. 7.Ne5! Bb7 8.Nxc4 Be7 9.Nc3 0-0 10.d4 Qc8. This occurred in
the quite old game Vanderwaeren, S (2252) – Goloshchapov, A (2574) Leuven 2003, where Black
struggled to survive, and we can even improve now with 11.e4!N

Position after: 11.e4!N

A1) 11...c5?! 12.d5 Rd8 (12...exd5 13.exd5 Rd8 14.Re1±) 13.d6!?± e5?! 14.f4!+– There is no way to
stop White’s massive advance in the center.
A2) 11...Rd8 12.Bg5! (e5 now comes as the threat) 12...Qc7 13.e5 Ne8 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Ne4±
Trading the dark-squared bishops was very important in terms of being able to use the d6-square.

322
 B) 6...a5!? Black has a pawn majority on the queenside, and already improves his pawns there. It also
secures the weakness on the b4-square. 7.Na3

Position after: 7.Na3

B1) 7...Na6 8.Nxc4 Be7 9.d4 0-0 This all appeared in Tomashevsky, E – Sjugirov, S Budva 2009.
It’s possible to play in a different manner than ‘the Professor’ with 10.Bd2!?N 10...Nb4 11.Qb3 Ne4
12.Bxb4. We are giving up the bishop pair, but have also taken care of the annoying knight.
12...Bxb4 13.e3² White will slowly increase the tension and try to advance in the center. Black
doesn’t have any counterplay at his disposal.
B2) 7...Bxa3!?
B2.1) 8.Rxa3 does not satisfy me here. The issue is that after 8...0-0 9.Qc2 b5! is surprisingly
strong. (9...Qd5?! 10.b3! cxb3 11.Rxb3 Na6 12.Ba3 Re8 13.d4© with serious compensation.) After
10.axb5 cxb5 11.Nd4 Black takes over the initiative with the strong intermediate move...

323
Position after: 11.Nd4

11...b4! 12.Ra1 Ra7 13.Qxc4 Ba6³

B2.2) 8.bxa3!

Position after: 8.bxa3!

8...0-0 9.Qc2 Nbd7N (9...b5?! was refuted by White in the following game: 10.Rb1! Ba6 11.axb5
cxb5 12.Nd4 Qxd4 13.Bxa8 Nd5 14.Bb2 Qa7 15.Bxd5 exd5 16.Qf5± Tomashevsky, E – Korneev,
O Dresden 2007) 10.Qxc4 Qe7 11.Bb2 e5 12.d3! Re8 13.Rac1² Black is already missing his dark-

324
 squared bishop.
C) 6...Nbd7 7.Na3! Bxa3 8.Rxa3 a5 (8...e5 9.Qc2 Qe7 10.Qxc4 e4 was given by Watson, but Black
has some problems here too: 11.Ng5! Nb6 12.Qc2 Bf5 13.a5 Nbd5 14.Ra4 Nb4 15.Qc4 c5 16.f3!²)
9.Qc2 Nb6 10.b3!

Position after: 10.b3!

Black managed to defend his pawn quite safely, but with awkward moves. Thus we can give up a
pawn and open the position. 10...cxb3 11.Rxb3 Nbd5 (11...0-0 12.Ba3 Re8 13.Rfb1 Nbd7 14.d4! e5
15.e4!±; 11...Nxa4?? 12.Rd3+–) 12.Ba3! Nb4 A sad necessity to be able to castle. 13.Bxb4 axb4
14.Rxb4 0-0 15.Rfb1 Qe7 16.d4!± and I don’t see what Black will do with his poorly placed pieces.
D) 6...Be7?! obviously lacks sense as after 7.Na3!² Black should normally take on a3.
E) 6...Qd5!? This surprising move has appeared in a dozen games, especially in one by the top GM
Hikaru Nakamura. 7.Na3! (After 7.Nc3?! Qa5!= is stronger than Nakamura’s ...Qh5. Even if Black
has lost some time, his c4-pawn is now difficult to attack.) 7...e5! This is the logical continuation, but
after 8.Ng5! White’s activity is going to increase:

325
Position after: 8.Ng5!

E1) 8...Qd4 9.d3! cxd3? (9...Bxa3 10.Rxa3 0-0 11.Nf3 Qc5 12.Rc3 Qe7 13.Rxc4²) 10.Qb3! Qd7
11.Bh3!+–
E2) 8...Qc5 9.d3! cxd3 10.Qxd3 h6 11.Rd1 Qe7 12.Ne4© We have a great lead in development, and
thus fine compensation!

7.Na3

Position after: 7.Na3

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7...Bxa3

7...Qd5?! 8.Qc2 Bxa3 (8...Nb4 9.Qxc4 Qxc4 10.Nxc4 Be7 11.d4² As the bishop on c8 seems poorly,
this kind of endgame is always undoubtedly good for White.) 9.bxa3! This prevents the knight from
coming to b4, and accelerates our development. 9...0-0 (9...Qe4 10.Qd1! We don’t trade here!

Position after: 10.Qd1!

10...0-0 11.Bb2±) 10.Bb2 Qc5 11.Qc3! Rd8 12.Rfc1 b6 13.Rab1 Bb7 14.Ne5² Black still has problems
in activating his pieces.

8.bxa3!?

8.Rxa3 is also correct, but White’s play seems less straightforward in that case.

8...Nc5

The move that has been played in all three games with this position.
A) 8...Qa5N 9.Qc2

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Position after: 9.Qc2

A1) 9...Nc5?! is too naive: 10.Qxc4! Nxa4 11.d3 Nb6 12.Qc2 0-0 13.a4!±. It has taken some time
for Black to capture one of the doubled a-pawns. Our counterplay on the b- and c-files will be really
powerful, in addition to our two strong bishops. White can look forward to a great game.
A2) 9...c3! Black surrenders his c-pawn but tries to damage White’s pawn structure. 10.d4! (10.dxc3
e5!=) 10...c5 Trying to free the c5-square for his knight. 11.Be3!

Position after: 11.Be3!

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 A2.1) 11...Nd5 12.Rac1 Nxe3?! This is surprisingly bad. (12...Bd7 13.Ne5 Bxa4 14.Nc4 Bxc2
15.Nxa5 Ba4 16.dxc5 c2 17.Nxb7 Ke7 18.Bd4 Rhc8 19.e4!ƒ) 13.fxe3 0-0 14.Qxc3 Qxa4
15.dxc5± Our structure is damaged, but Black’s pieces clearly lack activity and we will soon obtain
a strong initiative.
A2.2) 11...Bd7 12.Ne5! Bxa4 13.Nc4 Bxc2 14.Nxa5 Nd5 15.Rfc1! (An improvement over the line
11...Nd5 12.Rac1 Bd7, where we got the same position with the a-rook on c1.) 15...Ba4 16.dxc5 c2
17.Bd4!© The position is still rather complicated, but engines prefer White. If he can get rid of the
annoying c2-pawn, he will be able to make good use of his two bishops.
B) A correspondence game continued as follows: 8...Qb6 9.Qc2 Qb3 10.Qxb3 cxb3 11.a5!? e5
12.Nxe5 Be6 13.Rb1 0-0-0 14.d3² where White finally managed to win the b3-pawn and the game
Konstantinov – Mokeev CP 2015.

Position after: 8...Nc5

9.Qc2!N

9.Rb1 0-0 (9...Qa5 10.Rb4 c3 11.dxc3 0-0 1-0 (28) Hillarp Persson, T (2596) – Dreev, A (2660)
Helsingor 2009 12.Rh4!?N gives some interesting play, as the rook surprisingly finds a safe place in
order to launch the attack.) 10.Qc2 has appeared twice, but if Black plays 10...Qa5!N this is a slightly
better version for him than our main line.

9...0-0

9...Qa5?! 10.Qxc4 Nxa4 11.d3 0-0 12.Bd2!

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Position after: 12.Bd2!

The black queen must go to an exposed square. 12...Qb5 13.Qh4 Nb6 14.a4! Qh5 15.Qxh5 Nxh5
16.a5 Nd5 17.Ne5!± With more than enough compensation, thanks to the huge pressure on the
queenside.

10.Qxc4

Position after: 10.Qxc4

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10...b6

10...Qd5 11.Qc2 e5 12.Bb2 e4 13.Nd4 Re8 14.f3!± opens everything in White’s favor!

11.d3 Ba6 12.Qc2 Nb7

12...Rc8?! 13.a5!² trades one of our weak a-pawns.

13.Bd2

13.Qxc6?? Rc8–+

13...Rc8 14.a5! Nxa5 15.Bxa5 bxa5 16.Qc5²

White has given up a pawn, but he is now the one with the better structure, and will most likely regain
his pawn soon.

Position after: 16.Qc5²

b) 5...Bd6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 e6 5.0-0 Bd6

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Position after: 5...Bd6

This is the most common place for the bishop in the Semi-Slav lines.
As Black doesn’t need to unpin the knight on f6, the bishop is not doing much on e7, and some players
prefer to have it on d6, in order to help play ...e5 at some point.

6.b3

Once again, this move fits perfectly with our Reti set-up!

6...0-0

6...e5 is a move we have to consider:

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Position after: 6...e5

7.Bb2 Inviting Black to keep advancing his pawns. 7...Qe7 (7...e4?! 8.Ne1!N 8...0-0 9.cxd5 cxd5
10.d3! Re8 11.dxe4 dxe4 12.Nd2 Bf5 13.Nc2² Our knights are finding nice squares on e3 and c4.) 8.d4
e4 9.Ne5 Nbd7 10.f4! We must keep our strong knight at any price. 10...exf3 (10...0-0 11.e3²) 11.exf3
0-0 12.f4 Ne4 13.Nc3 Ndf6 14.f5!?ƒ With promising pressure on the kingside.

7.Bb2 Nbd7 8.Nc3!

Position after: 8.Nc3!

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8.d4!? At this point, you can still return to a ‘d4’ set-up if you wish. The aim is to quickly play Nbd2,
Qc2 and e4, in order to open the center.

8...e5

Of course, Black has many other moves, but this looks the most principled to me.
A) 8...Re8 9.Qc2! e5 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Nb5! Bb8 12.Rfc1±
B) 8...Qe7 9.Qc2 Ba3 Black tries to simplify the position. 10.Bxa3 Qxa3 11.d4 b6 12.e4

Position after: 12.e4

Of course, we want to open the long diagonal. 12...dxe4 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Bb7 15.Rfd1. In the
following instructive game, White used a really simple plan which worked very well: 15...Rfd8
16.Rd2 a5 17.Qf4 Rac8 18.Rad1 a4 19.Ne5!±. You definitely need to have a look at the game Filip, M
(2510) – Liljedahl, L (2260) Skopje 1972 (1-0).

9.cxd5

334
Position after: 9.cxd5

9...cxd5

9...Nxd5 a strange decision, as Black doesn’t keep his strong center. I believe White can keep the upper
hand here. 10.Ne4! This resembles a Sicilian structure with reversed colors; White wants to keep as
many pieces as possible. 10...Bc7 11.d3 f5 (11...Qe7 12.Ned2 Rd8 13.a3 Nc5 14.Qc2ƒ) 12.Ned2 Qe7
13.Qc1² … 13...Re8?! 14.e4!±

10.Qc2!

The queen finds a good square here, both eyeing the c-file and the f5-square. The c-file doesn’t seem
that important, but it gives White some options.
Black might already feel comfortable, but that’s not the case and he must be very precise now.

10...a6!?

A) 10...e4?! 11.Nh4
A1) 11...Ne5 12.Nb5 Bb8 13.Rac1² … 13...g5?! 14.Nc7!+– (14.f4!?±)
A2) 11...Nb6 12.f3!

335
Position after: 12.f3!

12...g5?! 13.fxe4 gxh4 14.Rxf6!! Qxf6 15.Nxd5 Qg6 (15...Nxd5 16.Bxf6 Nxf6 17.d4± This
completely unbalanced position looks great for White thanks to his strong center.) 16.Nf6+ Kh8
17.Rf1± White will regain some material and keep the better position.
B) 10...Nb8!?N Hard to believe, but playable. The knight finds a much better square on c6, where it
closes the c-file, lets the c8-bishop breathe, and protects the center. White needs to use these two
tempi in an active way.

Position after: 10...Nb8!?N

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 11.Nh4! Be7 (11...Be6 12.d4 e4 13.f3 exf3 14.Nxf3 Ng4 15.Qd2 Nc6 16.Ng5²; 11...d4 12.Nb5²
This is simply good for White.) 12.d4 e4 13.f3ƒ The opening of the center favors White, and once
again Black can’t really try to grab the lonely h4-knight. 13...g5?! 14.fxe4 gxh4 15.e5 Ng4 (15...Ne4
16.Nxd5! Qxd5 17.Bxe4 Qe6 18.d5+–) 16.Nxd5±

Position after: 16.Nxd5±

White has more than enough compensation. His center is mobile and strong, and the bishop on b2 will
soon become an aggressor versus the black kingside.

11.Nh4!

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Position after: 11.Nh4!

11...Nb6 12.Nf5 Bb8 13.d4!N 13...e4 14.Ne3 Bd6 15.f3! exf3 16.exf3 Re8 17.Rfe1²

Position after: 17.Rfe1²

And White has the more active pieces.

c) 5...Be7

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1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 e6 5.0-0 Be7

Position after: 5...Be7

6.b3 0-0 7.Bb2 Nbd7

7...b5 An interesting try that has been played a few times recently. 8.Qc2

Position after: 8.Qc2

A) 8...a5 This is a really concrete approach. This time, ...a4 is coming, and we won’t be able to

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 respond with b4, as c4 must still be protected. 9.c5! Closing the center is not usual in our Reti lines,
but it’s the best option. Of course, we will try to advance e2-e4 in the near future. 9...Nbd7 10.d4
Ne4! This is the best way to prevent e4-ideas. 11.Nbd2 f5 The game transposes into different set-ups.
For instance, the following game was actually reached through a Catalan move order. White wisely
reorganized his pieces with 12.Ne1! Bf6! 13.Nxe4 fxe4 14.f3 exf3 15.Nxf3 a4 16.b4 Rf7?! 17.e4!±.
As predicted, we now open the center. White got an overwhelming advantage that he converted in
Kohlweyer, B (2420) – Spraggett, K (2565) Metz 1993.
B) 8...Bb7 9.d3 a5 10.Nc3 a4

Position after: 10...a4

B1) 11.cxd5 has been played once, but there is a problem:

B1.1) 11...exd5 12.bxa4 b4 13.Nd1 Qa5?! (13...c5 14.Ne3 Re8 15.a3! Nc6 16.d4!ƒ) 14.Ne3 Qxa4
15.Qc1 Bc8 16.Nd4 occurred in Flores, D (2567) – Kovalyov, A (2643) Medellin 2017, and White
is much better.
B1.2) 11...a3! 12.dxc6?! Unfortunately, this doesn’t work. The nice refutation is 12...axb2 13.cxb7
bxa1=N!

340
Position after: 13...bxa1=N!

14.bxa8=Q Nxc2 15.Nxb5µ

B2) 11.cxb5!N 11...a3 12.Bc1 cxb5 13.Nxb5 Nc6 14.Nfd4²

8.e3

Position after: 8.e3

8...b6

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8...a5 9.Nc3 b6
A) 10.Qc2 is a bit timid and too classical: 10...Ba6 11.d3 Rc8 12.Rfd1 Qc7 13.Rac1 Qb8 14.e4 b5
15.exd5 cxd5 16.Nd4?! bxc4 17.dxc4 and now my opponent missed his chance by playing 17...Bb7?
(17...dxc4! 18.Nc6 Rxc6 19.Bxc6 Ne5µ) 18.cxd5 Bxd5? 19.Nxd5! Rxc2 20.Nxe7+ Kh8 21.Nxc2+–
1-0 (25) Demuth, A (2529) – Nasshan, D (2345) Karlsruhe 2017.
B) 10.Nd4!? My favorite idea. 10...Bb7 11.f4!N

Position after: 11.f4!N

Quite strange, but the knight is actually stable on d4 (...c7-c5 is ugly because of the b5-square and
...e7-e5 only helps White right now). 11...Nc5 12.d3! Qd7 13.g4!?ƒ I like White’s prospects on the
kingside, and the fact that Black is quite unable to react in the center right now.

9.Nc3 Bb7 10.Qe2

Black is playing exactly the same system as in the 6...b6 lines of chapter 5, the Neo-Catalan, except that
his c-pawn is on c6 instead of c5. Of course it looks less logical, and ...c5 is always a logical
continuation here, accepting being a tempo down.

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Position after: 10.Qe2

10...Rc8 11.d4 Qc7 12.Rfd1 Rfd8 13.Rac1 Qb8 14.Ne1!?N

A possible improvement, relocating the knight to better squares (sometimes d3 and then f4, depending
on what happens in the center).

14...a5 15.Nd3ƒ

Position after: 15.Nd3ƒ

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White is ready to meet ...c5 with cxd5, leaving Black with a weak d-pawn. He is well organized in the
center, and intends to continue with e4 at the correct moment!

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 Part III
1...d5 – Other Systems 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4

Chapter 10
QGA-like 2...dxc4

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4

Chapter guide
Chapter 10 – QGA-like 2...dxc4
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4
a) 3.--, 3.e3 --
b) 3.e3 Nc6
c) 3.e3 c5 4.Bxc4 Nf6 5.0-0 e6 6.Qe2 --
d) 3.e3 c5 4.Bxc4 Nf6 5.0-0 e6 6.Qe2 a6 7.Rd1 Nc6
e) 3.e3 c5 4.Bxc4 Nf6 5.0-0 e6 6.Qe2 a6 7.Rd1 b5
f) 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.0-0 a6

a) 3.--, 3.e3 --

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4

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Position after: 2...dxc4

For a player who prefers the Queen’s Gambit Accepted against 1.d4, our move order is quite tricky. He
can’t really play 2...c6 or 2...e6, as 3.d4 will force him to enter lines that he is not used to playing.
That’s why he will probably turn to one of the two moves 2...dxc4, which I cover here, or 2...d4, which
will be covered in the next chapter. Of course other players might also want to enter these variations,
especially the 2...d4 line.

3.e3!

This move doesn’t lack ambition. It’s similar to the main lines of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted, but
doesn’t necessarily transpose (if we were to play d4).
We will choose whether to play d3 or d4, depending on which set-up Black uses. It also prevents a few
variations for Black. First, let’s check why other options are not perfect for White:
A) 3.Na3 a6! 4.Nxc4 b5!ƒ Unfortunately, e5 is not safe, and we have to find an ugly square for our
knight.
B) It’s not easy to play in the spirit of the Neo-Catalan because Black can respond 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2
Nc6!=, intending to play ...e5 in one move, and he has a comfortable game.
C) 3.e4 is possible, but there is one major problem: 3...Bg4! 4.Bxc4 e6. This prevents any tricks with
Bxf7+, and White has some problems with the d4-square. The principled move is 5.Qb3 but Black
can sacrifice his b7-pawn: 5...Bxf3! 6.gxf3

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Position after: 6.gxf3

6...Nc6!? (6...Bc5!?N is probably even stronger, but needs analysis) 7.Qxb7 Nd4 8.Bb5+ Ke7 9.b3 f6
10.Bc4 Kf7ƒ with good play for Black in Cornette, M (2579) – Stevic, H (2607) Drancy 2016, 0-1
(62).

Position after: 3.e3!

3...Be6!?

This always deserves attention, as it’s sometimes not so simple to get the pawn back.

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 A) 3...b5?! 4.a4! c6 (4...b4² looks like the lesser evil, but it proves that 3...b5 isn’t great.) 5.axb5 cxb5
6.b3ƒ cxb3 7.Bxb5+ Bd7 8.Qxb3±

Position after: 8.Qxb3±

This position is typically good for White. He has good chances to win the a-pawn in the middlegame,
and his extra pawn in the center is very important.
B) 3...Bg4 4.Bxc4 e6 Black tries the Romanishin Variation of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. (3.Nf3
Nf6 4.e3 Bg4), but there is a concrete problem with this move order: 5.Qb3! Bxf3 Black hasn’t any
other choice, otherwise Ne5 is coming. 6.gxf3

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Position after: 6.gxf3

B1) 6...Nd7?! simply doesn’t offer Black enough compensation: 7.Qxb7 Rb8 8.Qxa7 Rb4 9.Be2
Ne7 10.Nc3 Nc6 11.Qa6 Rb6 12.Qd3 Qg5 13.f4 Qg2 14.Qe4+– appeared in Fridman, D (2635) –
Efroimski, M (2316) Douglas 2014, which was easily won by White thanks to his two extra pawns.
B2) 6...b6 is quite ugly, e.g. 7.d4 Nf6 8.Nc3 transposing to a dubious line of the Romanishin
Variation: 8...Be7 9.d5!? exd5 10.Nxd5 0-0 11.Nxe7+ Qxe7 12.Bd2².
B3) 6...Qc8 White has the bishop pair, a mobile and strong center, and a lead in development. He
has many ways to continue, for instance Sjugirov decided to start with 7.f4!? (7.Nc3, as a friend of
mine played recently, is playable as well: 7...Nd7 8.f4 Ne7 9.Qc2 Nf5 10.b3 c6 11.Bb2². White has
a nice position and won convingly in Libiszewski, F (2530) – Alekseenko, K (2594) chess.com
2018) 7...c6 8.d4 Ne7 (8...Nf6 9.Nc3 Be7 10.e4!? is pretty similar) 9.e4! g6 10.Nc3 Bg7 11.Be3

Position after: 11.Be3

White is ready to castle on opposite wings and launch an attack with f4-f5 or h4-h5. 11...b5 12.Bd3
Nd7±. Seeing the previous moves, White should have changed his mind (even if he eventually won
after 13.f5?! in Sjugirov, S (2678) – Asgarizadeh, A (2424) Moscow 2015), and played 13.a4!N
13...a6 14.axb5 cxb5 15.Qa3‚.

4.Ng5!

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Position after: 4.Ng5!

The critical move!

4.Na3 c5 5.Nxc4 Nc6 6.b3 Nf6 7.Bb2 g6„ was seen in Larsen, B (2565) – Ljubojevic, L (2620)
Brussels 1987. This is playable of course, but it seems that White lacks enough activity to cause Black
any trouble.

4...Bd5 5.e4! e6!

This is not the main move, but I think it’s the most interesting one.
A) 5...Bc6 6.Bxc4 e6 7.d3!

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Position after: 7.d3!

Of course we have a hole on d4, but Black’s bishop on c6 is completely misplaced, preventing both
...c5 and ...Nc6. We will push d4 later in order to dominate the center. 7...Nf6 (7...Be7 8.Qg4!? Nf6
9.Qh3!‚ Grandelius, N – Sokolov, I, Stockholm 2010 9...h6?? 10.Nxf7! Kxf7 11.Qxe6+ Ke8
12.Qf7+ Kd7 13.Be6+ Kd6 14.Bf4+ Kc5 15.Be3++– The black king won’t survive very long.) 8.Nc3
h6 9.Nf3 Be7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Qe2± White is finally ready to advance to d4 on the next move: Van der
Sterren, P (2520) – Flear, G (2495) Wijk aan Zee 1987, 1-0 (31).
B) 5...h6 isn’t great, even if we get a strange structure: 6.exd5 hxg5 7.Bxc4² (the g5-pawn is weak as
well, and we should be able to force Black to play ...c6 at some point) 7...Nf6?! 8.Qb3! Qc8 9.d4 g4
10.Bf4±

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Position after: 5...e6!

6.d4!N

A smart way to improve the position and protect the g5-knight!

A) 6.Nxf7?! Kxf7 7.exd5 exd5µ
B) Delchev’s recommendation 6.exd5 Qxg5 7.dxe6 has been played a few times, but I think there are
different paths to equality:

Position after: 7.dxe6

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 B1) 7...Qe5+!? 8.Qe2 Nc6! (8...Bd6? 9.Qxe5 Bxe5 10.exf7+ Kxf7 11.Bxc4+±; 8...Qxe2+ 9.Bxe2
fxe6 10.Bxc4 Nf6 11.Nc3 Kf7 12.0-0 Bd6 13.f4²) 9.exf7+ Kxf7 10.Kd1!

Position after: 10.Kd1!

Even if it might seem crazy, this move is clearly the best, but Black can still keep the balance by
means of 10...g6! (10...Re8 11.Qf3+ Ke7 12.Bxc4 Kd8 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.d3ƒ; 10...Qxe2+ 11.Bxe2
Ne5 12.b3!©) 11.Qxc4+ (11.Qf3+ Kg7 12.Bxc4 Nf6 13.Nc3 Bd6ƒ) 11...Kg7 12.f4! Qd6„.
B2) 7...fxe6! is probably simplest. 8.d4! Qg6 9.Be2! White needs to spend this tempo if he wants to
castle and not allow ...Qxg2. 9...Nf6 10.0-0 Nc6 11.Bxc4 0-0-0 Black has a good lead in
development, and d4 can’t be saved any more. 12.Be3 (12.Bxe6+ Kb8 13.d5 Bc5! 14.Nc3 Nd4³)
12...Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Qe4„ with a complicated game where Black is not inferior.

6...Bb4+

6...Bc6 7.Nc3! (7.Bxc4 Be7 8.h4 h6 9.Nxe6 fxe6 10.Qh5+ Kf8 11.Bxe6 Qe8!∞) 7...Be7?! (7...b5?!
8.d5 exd5 9.exd5 Bd7 10.a4 b4?! 11.Qf3! is even worse for Black than 7...Be7 11...Nf6 12.Nce4! c3
13.bxc3 bxc3 14.d6!±; 7...Bb4 transposes into 6...Bb4) 8.Nf3 b5 9.d5 exd5 10.exd5 Bd7 11.a4 b4
12.Nb5 a6 13.Nbd4 Nf6 14.Bxc4 0-0 15.Bf4²

7.Nc3 Bc6 8.Bxc4 h6

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Position after: 8...h6

9.Nf3!

A necessary pawn sacrifice that gives White nice activity.

9.Nxe6!? fxe6 10.0-0 Qe7 11.d5! Bd7 12.e5© is pretty interesting according to our engines, but there is
no need to enter these complicated lines.

9...Bxe4

9...Nf6 10.e5! Nd5 11.Bd2 Nb6 12.Be2²

10.0-0 Bxc3!

Black doesn’t have time to retreat the bishop.

A) 10...Bc6?! 11.d5!

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Position after: 11.d5!

11...Bxc3 (11...exd5? 12.Nxd5+– is devastating) 12.dxc6 and Black has only one way to continue
playing: 12...b5! (12...Qxd1?? 13.cxb7!+–) 13.Qxd8+ Kxd8 14.Bxb5 Bf6 15.Bf4±
B) 10...Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Nc6 12.d5! Ne5 13.Qh5!

Position after: 13.Qh5!

13...Bxc3 14.bxc3 Nxc4 15.dxe6 Qe7 (15...Nd6 16.exf7+ Nxf7? 17.Ba3!+– White follows with Rfe1
and wins on the spot.) 16.Qb5+±

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 C) 10...Nf6?? 11.Qa4+ Nc6 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Bb5+– Black has to give up a piece.

11.bxc3

Position after: 11.bxc3

11...Ne7

11...Nf6 12.Ba3! This is Black’s problem. He has won a pawn, but given White this possibility,
preventing him from castling. 12...Nbd7 13.Re1 c5! 14.dxc5 0-0 15.c6! Bxc6 16.Bxf8 Qxf8 17.Nd4²
Even if Black has compensation, we obviously have the upper hand.

12.Re1 Bd5 13.Bd3 0-0 14.Nh4!‚

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Position after: 14.Nh4!‚

White follows with Qg4 and gets a dangerous attack thanks to the two strong bishops.

b) 3.e3 Nc6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Nc6?!

Position after: 3...Nc6?!

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I think this move should objectively be dubious, but if you want to refute it, your play must be quite
accurate.

4.Bxc4 e5 5.d4!

In many lines, it transposes into a bad version for Black of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted with 3.e3 e5,
because the knight went to c6 too early.
Playing as if it was a Sicilian is possible, although I prefer the text move: 5.Qc2!? Bd6 6.a3 Nf6 7.Nc3
0-0 8.b4„.

5...exd4

5...e4?! Against this move, it’s strange that almost none of the games has continued with 6.Qb3!
(6.Nfd2 Qg5 7.g3 Nf6 8.Nc3 Qg6„)

Position after: 6.Qb3!

A) 6...exf3? 7.Bxf7+ Ke7 8.Bxg8 fxg2 9.Rg1± Rxg8 10.Qxg8 Bh3 Black manages to find some
tricks, but is helpless if we find a few cold-blooded moves: 11.Nc3! Qd6 12.Qxh7 Qxh2 13.Ne2+–.
B) 6...Qf6 7.Ne5! is possible now: 7...Nxe5 8.dxe5 Qf5 9.g4! Qf3 (9...Qg6 10.Nc3±) 10.Rg1±.
C) 6...Nh6! 7.Nfd2 Qg5

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Position after: 7...Qg5

(7...f5 8.Nc3 Bd7 9.Be2 Bd6 10.Nc4±) The inclusion of Qb3 and ...Nh6 clearly favors White. Even if
playing Bf1 is possible, I would rather continue with 8.g3! Na5 9.Qb5+ Qxb5 10.Bxb5+ c6 11.Be2 f5
12.b3 Bd7 13.Bb2². White clearly has the better minor pieces and keeps the better endgame.

6.0-0!

Position after: 6.0-0!

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Castling avoids unpleasant checks, and it’s hard for Black to take advantage of this move order.

6...Nf6

If Black wants to take a pawn with 6...dxe3, we can play 7.Qb3! exf2+ (7...Qd7 8.Qxe3+ Be7 9.Qb3!
Qf5 10.Nc3±) 8.Rxf2 Bc5 (8...Be6 9.Qxb7! Na5 10.Bb5+ c6 11.Bxc6+ Nxc6 12.Qxc6+ Bd7 13.Qe4+
Be7 14.Bg5±) 9.Bxf7+ Kf8 10.Be3!

Position after: 10.Be3!

10...Bxe3 11.Qxe3 Qe7!? (11...Nf6 12.Bb3 Ng4 13.Qc5+ Qe7 14.Qxe7+ Kxe7 15.Re2+ Kd8
16.Nc3ƒ; 11...Kxf7?? is obviously met by 12.Ne5+ Ke8 13.Nxc6+ Ne7 14.Nxd8+–) 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7
(12...Ngxe7 13.Bb3! g6 14.Ng5+ Kg7 15.Rf7+ Kh6 16.h4+– White is still a pawn down, but is
completely dominating the position.) 13.Ng5 Nf6 14.Nc3 Bg4 15.Nd5+ Nxd5 16.Bxd5±

7.exd4!?

This is possible now, and provides us with a strong isolated pawn which will soon advance to disrupt
Black’s harmony.
7.Qb3!? might be even stronger than the classical way. Black has no reasonable way to protect f7, so he
should go for 7...Na5 8.Bxf7+ Ke7 9.Qa3+ Kxf7 10.Qxa5 dxe3 11.Bxe3 Bd6 12.Nc3² when White
keeps the initiative.

7...Be7

7...Bd6?! 8.Re1+±

8.d5!

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Position after: 8.d5!

8...Na5 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Be2! 0-0 11.Nc3²

Position after: 11.Nc3²

White has a space advantage even if Black is solid. He will put his rooks on the open files and most
probably try to play Qc2 and Nd4-f5.

c) 3.e3 c5 4.Bxc4 Nf6 5.0-0 e6 6.Qe2 --

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1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 c5

Position after: 3...c5

This is inferior to the main line, but the reason why is not obvious at all! It’s essential to have a deep
look at this line, as it’s probably the most popular move, either now or at the fifth move.

4.Bxc4 Nf6 5.0-0 e6

Black simply plays the moves he is used to playing when he plays the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. We
can transpose into this opening right now by playing 6.d4, but we want more than that!

6.Qe2!

6.b3 is also possible, more or less transposing into the main line.

6...Nc6

6...Nbd7?!N seems a bit strange now, even if it’s possible. For instance we can play:
A) 7.e4!

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Position after: 7.e4!

intending to play e5 on the next move, and Black can’t prevent it. This move is strong in this case as
Black’s f6-knight is deprived of the d7-square. 7...Qc7 (7...a6 8.a4 Qc7 9.e5 Nd5 10.Bxd5 exd5
11.Nc3!±; 7...e5?? 8.Ng5+–) 8.e5 Nd5 9.Bxd5 exd5 10.Nc3 Nb6 11.d4!±
B) Also very thematical is 7.d4 a6 8.a4! cxd4 (8...Qc7 9.e4! cxd4 10.e5 Nd5 11.Bxd5 exd5
12.Nxd4²) 9.exd4 Be7 10.Nc3 0-0 11.Rd1 Nb6 12.Bb3 Nbd5 13.Ne5 Bd7 14.Rd3!‚ This classical
manoeuvre works well here, in order to start the attack.

7.Rd1!

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Position after: 7.Rd1!

7...Be7

7...a6 transposes into 6...a6 7.Rd1 Nc6.

8.Nc3 0-0 9.d4! cxd4

9...Qc7?! 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.a3! In this quite symmetrical middlegame, White has a good lead in
development, and his queen is slightly better placed. 11...a6 (11...a5 12.b3 Rd8 13.Bb2 Rxd1+ 14.Rxd1
Qe7 15.Nb5 b6 16.Ne1!²) 12.b4 Bd6 13.Bb2 Rd8 (13...b5? 14.Bxb5!±) 14.Rac1±

10.Nxd4!

It’s quite unusual, but here I like to trade knights before accepting an isolani. It allows us to transfer the
queen more easily to the kingside.

10...Nxd4 11.exd4!

Black has tried many moves, but the most logical (and most played) is...

364
Position after: 11.exd4!

11...Nd5!?

A) 11...Qe8?! 12.Nb5 (starting with 12.Bf4 might be even stronger) 12...Qd8 13.Bf4! Bd7 14.Nc7
Rc8 15.d5! Rxc7?! (15...exd5 was probably better, but the position is hard to understand for Black.
16.Nxd5 Re8 17.Qd3 Ba4 18.b3 Bc6 19.Nxe7+²) 16.d6± Rc6 17.dxe7 Qxe7 18.Bb5 Rb6 19.Bxd7
Nxd7 20.Qd2!

Position after: 20.Qd2!

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 Black is a pawn up, but has concrete problems on the d-file. 20...e5?! 21.Be3 Nc5 22.b4 Ne4 23.Qc2
Rxb4 24.a3+– And Black finally loses material: Topalov, V (2707) – Kharlov, A (2627) New
Delhi/Tehran 2000, 1-0 (41).
B) 11...Qc7 Putting the queen on an open file is probably not that great. 12.Bg5! a6 13.Rac1² Ng4?!
Trying to solve the problems tactically, but it fails: 14.Qxg4 Bxg5 15.Qxg5 Qxc4 16.Ne4 Qb5
appeared in Libiszewski, F (2505) – Brethes, F (2254) Pau 2012, which White managed to win, but he
could have been faster if he had played 17.Rc5!N

Position after: 17.Rc5!N

17...Qe2 18.Nf6+ Kh8 19.Rdc1!‚ with a crushing attack!

12.Qf3!

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Position after: 12.Qf3!

White follows his plan which has scored well in practice.

12...Nxc3 13.bxc3 Qc7 14.Bb3 Bd6

14...Rb8 is a bit slow, and we have the time to play 15.Rd3!N which was already analysed by Delchev,
and seems strong: 15...Bd6 (15...b6?! 16.Qh5‚) 16.Qh5 h6 17.c4 b6 18.Rh3‚.

15.c4!

White is not afraid of losing the h2- pawn as he gains some tempi.

15...Bxh2+

15...Bd7 16.c5! Be7 17.Bf4 Qc8 18.Be5²

16.Kh1 Bd6 17.c5 Be7 18.Bf4!

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Position after: 18.Bf4!

18...Qc6

Black collapsed quickly after 18...Qd8 19.Rab1 Bg5 20.Bd6 Be7 21.Be5 Bf6 22.Bh2± and even if he
stands clearly inferior, it’s quite strange that he blundered with 22...Bxd4?? 23.Qe4 1-0 Glavina, P
(2434) – Ivanov, J (2461) Ferrol 2000.

19.Qxc6 bxc6 20.Ba4 Bd7 21.Rab1 Rfd8 22.Rb7 Kf8 23.Rxd7!²

1-0 (36) Gelfand, B (2675) – Adianto, U (2610) Cap d’Agde 1998.

d) 3.e3 c5 4.Bxc4 Nf6 5.0-0 e6 6.Qe2 a6 7.Rd1 Nc6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 c5 4.Bxc4 Nf6 5.0-0 e6 6.Qe2! a6 7.Rd1!

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Position after: 7.Rd1!

Once again, we don’t want to transpose into the main lines for now. Instead, we prepare d4.

7...Nc6

7...b5 will be covered in our next subchapter.

8.d4!

Now Black has a choice between three moves.

8...cxd4

A) 8...b5?! is easy to meet, as everything is more or less forced: 9.dxc5! Qc7 10.Bd3 Bxc5 11.a4!

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Position after: 11.a4!

This is one of the typical ideas of our opening. We wait for ...b5 before provoking a weakness on the
queenside, when it is clear that Black must advance with ...b4. 11...b4 (11...bxa4 12.Rxa4 Nb4
13.Bb5+! Nd7?! 14.Bd2 Rb8 15.Bxb4 Rxb5 16.Qc2!± Black has some problems and couldn’t escape
in Krasenkow, M (2633) – Shirov, A (2723) Wijk aan Zee 2003.) 12.Nbd2 Bb7 13.Nb3 Na5
(13...Bd6 is probably better, but it’s not enough for equality: 14.e4! 0-0 15.Bg5 Ng4 16.h3 Nge5
17.Nxe5 Nxe5 18.Rac1ƒ) 14.Nxc5!

Position after: 14.Nxc5!

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 14...Qxc5 15.e4 Nb3 16.Rb1 0-0 17.Be3± We have the bishop pair, and have managed to advance the
e-pawn, gaining some play in the center. White eventually won in Ivanchuk, V (2699) – Ponomariov,
R (2734) Wijk aan Zee 2003.
B) 8...Qc7?! seems to be dubious, as the main line reveals some problems: 9.Nc3 b5 (9...Be7 10.dxc5
Bxc5 11.b3 White is better thanks to a few extra tempi in this symmetrical position: 11...0-0 12.Bb2
Qe7 13.Bd3 Ba3 14.Bxa3 Qxa3 15.Ne4 Nd5 16.Rac1² 1-0 (32) Andreikin, D (2708) – Timofeev, A
(2549) Sochi 2017) 10.Bb3

Position after: 10.Bb3

B1) 10...Na5 This might seem strong, in order to prevent the d4-d5 advance, but by simply playing
11.e4!N (11.Bc2?! Bb7=) 11...Nxb3 12.axb3 Be7? 13.d5! exd5 14.e5!+– we already have a decisive
advantage.
B2) 10...Bb7 11.d5 exd5

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Position after: 11...exd5

12.e4! A beautiful move! (The simpler 12.Nxd5!? has worked well in practice too. It’s good to know
if you are not particularly prepared for a game, but is less fun.) 12...d4 (Black is obviously crushed if
he plays 12...dxe4? 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4+ Be7 15.Bf4! Qc8 16.Bd5+–; 12...0-0-0?! 13.Nxd5
Nxd5 14.Bxd5±) 13.Nd5 Qd8™ (13...Nxd5? 14.exd5+ Ne7 15.a4! c4 16.Rxd4 cxb3 17.d6+–)
14.Bf4 Rc8™

Position after: 14...Rc8™

Again the only move, but White has at least two good options.

372
 B2.1) 15.Rac1!?N 15...Be7 16.Nxf6+ gxf6 (16...Bxf6 17.Rxc5±) 17.Bd5 Qd7 (17...0-0?
18.Nh4+–) 18.a4 bxa4 19.Qc4 0-0 20.Bh6²
B2.2) 15.a4!? Na5 (15...c4 16.axb5 axb5 17.Nxd4! Nxd4 18.Rxd4+– and White should win soon,
as he has overwhelming play.) 16.axb5! Nxb3 17.bxa6 Bc6 18.Ne5 Nxa1 19.Nxc6 Rxc6
20.Rxa1+– Even a rook down, White is completely winning, mainly thanks to his passed a-pawn.

9.exd4 Be7 10.Nc3

Position after: 10.Nc3

This is a classical perfect isolated pawn: White didn’t spend a tempo by moving the bishop before
taking on c4 (compared to some Panov lines for instance), and didn’t have to play a4 (compared to a
Slav variation). He usually continues with Bg5, or Ne5 and Rd3.

10...0-0

White has a choice between opening the center and keeping the pieces.
A) 10...Nb4?! allows us to start our attack with 11.Ne5 0-0 12.a3 Nbd5 13.Rd3. Our d-pawn is
blocked (one of Black’s aims), but we have gained many tempi for the attack. 13...b5?! 14.Bxd5!
Nxd5 15.Rg3 Bb7 16.Bh6 Bf6 17.Ne4+– with an already a decisive edge, as we win material.
B) 10...b5? is well known to be a mistake: 11.d5! bxc4 12.dxc6 Qc7 13.Qxc4 e5 14.Nd5 Nxd5
15.Qxd5+–.

11.d5

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Position after: 11.d5

11.Bg5!?²

11...exd5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Bxd5 Qc7 14.Qe4!±

Black is unable to develop his c8-bishop, thus we have a great advantage.

e) 3.e3 c5 4.Bxc4 Nf6 5.0-0 e6 6.Qe2 a6 7.Rd1 b5

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 c5 4.Bxc4 Nf6 5.0-0 e6 6.Qe2! a6 7.Rd1! b5

374
Position after: 7...b5

8.Bb3 Bb7

8...Nc6 9.a4 Rb8 10.axb5 axb5 11.Nc3 c4 12.Bc2 Nb4 13.d3!² Rasmussen – Pina Vega, Havana 2011.

9.a4!

Here we are: Black has executed his logical plan and we start to provoke a weakness on the queenside.

9...b4

A) 9...c4?! 10.Bc2 Nbd7 (10...Qb6 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rxa8 Bxa8 13.d3! cxd3 14.Bxd3 b4 15.Nbd2²)
11.d3 cxd3 12.Bxd3 b4 13.e4!²
B) 9...Nbd7 In a sense Black is right, as we are unable to take the pawn here. 10.axb5 axb5 11.Rxa8
Qxa8

375
Position after: 11...Qxa8

Targeting the knight on f3, but we have the strong 12.Na3! b4 13.Nc4 Be7 14.d3!². Now we don’t
intend to advance with d4, but prefer to block the battery on the long diagonal. Nevertheless, White
had to settle for a draw in Bellahcene, B (2438) – Guliyev, N (2573) Wasselonne 2015.

10.d3!

Position after: 10.d3!

376
Once again our plan no longer includes d2-d4. We prefer to block the action of the bishop on b7 by
playing e3-e4 soon.
The c4-square is ours, whereas Black has no clear plan available.

10...Be7

This has been Black’s choice in most games.

10...Nc6 11.Nbd2 Na5 (11...Qc7 12.Nc4 will normally transpose into our main line.) 12.Bc2 Be7
13.e4 Qc7 14.Nb3 Nxb3 15.Bxb3 h6 16.Nd2² (16.h3 0-0 17.Be3²)

11.Nbd2 0-0

Position after: 11...0-0

12.Nc4!

12.a5 Bc6 13.d4?! was quite dubious for White, as it’s normally not the basic plan, and Black managed
to win the high-level game Kramnik, V (2791) – Karjakin, S (2760) Moscow 2010.

12...a5

12...Nbd7?! The knight is quite misplaced here. 13.e4! Qc7 14.g3 Nb8 15.Bf4 Qd8 16.d4!± Black has
been doing nothing on the previous moves, and logically lost in Plischki, S (2436) – Zieher, H (2300)
Saarbrücken 2013.

13.e4 Qc7 14.g3 Nc6! 15.Bf4 Qd8 16.Rac1²

377
Position after: 16.Rac1²

White is going to build pressure against the c5-pawn by means of Be3 and one of the knights going to
b3 at some point. He may also try to push d3-d4 and enjoy a nice space advantage.

f) 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.0-0 a6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Nf6

Position after: 3...Nf6

378
Even if the reasons aren’t obvious, this is the best move order.

4.Bxc4 e6

4...Bg4?? is a classical blunder: 5.Bxf7+! Kxf7 6.Ne5++–.

5.0-0 a6!

Even if 5...c5 is clearly the main move (it transposes into 3...c5), I believe that this move is stronger, as
there is no real reason to place a pawn on c5.

6.b3!?

This should be seen as a viable alternative to the more usual plans, as 6.Qe2 doesn’t satisfy me:
A) 6.Qe2 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7

Position after: 7...Bb7

A1) 8.Rd1 is the only move that has been tried, but it doesn’t help much, as after 8...Nbd7! we still
don’t know which plan we should choose. 9.d4 (9.d3 c5! 10.a4 doesn’t provoke anything any more)
9...c5! 10.a4 Be7 and Black seems fine.
A2) 8.a4N If we want to be logical, we can play this line, applying the same ideas as in the 3...c5
main line. However there is a major difference: Black doesn’t need to do anything to defend his b5-
pawn. 8...Nbd7! I believe that Black is fine here. 9.Rd1 (9.d4 c5! 10.axb5 axb5 11.Rxa8 Qxa8
12.Na3 b4 13.Nc4 Be7³ Black has full control over the long diagonal, and is more than fine now;
9.axb5 axb5 10.Rxa8 Qxa8 11.Na3 Bxa3!? 12.bxa3 c5 13.Bb2 0-0„) 9...Be7 10.d3 0-0 11.e4 c5=
White has followed his plan of playing d3/e4, but didn’t manage to create a weakness on c4, so

379
 Black’s queenside pawns are still mobile and strong.
B) 6.d4 c5 is a way to transpose into the classical Queen’s Gambit Accepted.

6...c5

Black can even wait before deciding what he wants to do about his queenside. 6...Be7 7.Bb2 0-0 8.d4

Position after: 8.d4

A) 8...c5 would now be met with 9.dxc5 Bxc5 with a symmetrical, but preferable middlegame:
(9...Qxd1 10.Rxd1 Bxc5 11.Ne5! b5 12.Be2 Bb7 13.a4!²) 10.Nbd2!?N 10...b5 11.Be2 Bb7 12.a4!
Qb6 Black looks fine, but we retreat our bishop with 13.Bd3! and intend to place unpleasant pressure
on the b5-pawn: 13...Rd8 14.Qe2 b4 15.Nc4 Qc7 16.Be5 Qe7 17.Na5±.
B) 8...b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.a4 b4 11.Nbd2 Nbd7 12.Nc4 c5 13.Rc1 Bd5 14.Nfe5² White is slightly
better, and has even managed to increase his advantage. I still don’t really understand how he
managed to lose in Gelfand, B (2741) – Karjakin, S (2760) Moscow 2010.

7.Bb2

380
Position after: 7.Bb2

7...Nc6

7...Be7 8.d4 cxd4 (8...0-0 9.dxc5 See 6...Be7) 9.Nxd4 0-0 10.Nd2 b5 11.Be2 Bb7 12.a4!?

Position after: 12.a4!?

A) 12...b4?! 13.Bf3 Nd5 14.Rc1 Nd7 (this will be necessary at some point) 15.Nc6 Bxc6 16.Rxc6±
B) 12...Nc6!?N This new move might be the best, simply developing the last minor piece and

381
 virtually protecting b5. 13.Nxc6 Bxc6 14.Nf3!ƒ White has a small initiative, but the game is still
more or less balanced.
C) 12...bxa4 13.Rxa4! Our objective is to put pressure on the a6-pawn. 13...Nbd7 14.Qa1 Nc5
15.Ra5ƒ

8.d4

Position after: 8.d4

This transposes into the classical line of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted with 7.b3, which is an
interesting side line.
8.Be2!? Be7 9.d4 is similar to the main line (9.d3 0-0 10.Nbd2 b5!„).

8...cxd4

8...Be7 9.dxc5!
A) 9...Bxc5?! 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.Nc3 Ke7 12.Na4 Bd6 (12...Ba7 13.Ba3+! Ke8 14.Rac1±)
13.Nb6±
B) 9...Qxd1 10.Rxd1 Bxc5 11.Nbd2 0-0 12.Rac1 Be7 13.Be2² White is clearly better thanks to his
lead in development and Black’s weakness on b6, which is easy to exploit.

9.Nxd4 Nxd4

9...Bd7 is logical too, intending to develop the bishop swiftly: 10.Nd2 Be7 11.N4f3!? is a possible way
to handle the position. Black still lacks activity. 11...b5 12.Bd3 Nb4 13.Be2 Bc6 14.a3 Nbd5 15.Ne5
Bb7 16.a4!² 1-0 (32) Iturrizaga, E (2664) – Sprenger, J (2514) Leiria 2017.

382
10.Bxd4

Position after: 10.Bxd4

This may seem like an arid middlegame. It’s true that it is quite symmetrical, but it’s always easier to
play for White, as the bishops are occupying the center.

10...Bd7

10...Bd6 11.Nd2 e5 12.Bb2 Qe7 (12...0-0 13.Bd3 Bg4 14.Qb1!²) 13.Be2 Be6 (13...Ba3?! is not really
possible yet because of 14.Bxa3! Qxa3 15.Nc4 Qe7 16.Nd6+ Kf8 17.Nc4²) 14.Nc4 Bxc4

383
Position after: 14...Bxc4

15.bxc4! 0-0 (15...Ba3?? 16.Qa4++–) 16.Qb3 Ne4 17.Rfd1 Nc5 18.Qc2² We have had to accept an
isolated c-pawn, but have managed to keep the bishop pair in this open position. We will try to place
our bishop on the central d5-square, from where it will dominate the position.

11.Nd2 Be7 12.Be2 Bc6 13.Nc4 0-0

Position after: 13...0-0

14.Qc2

The most natural move.

14.Rc1 is of course also playable, and I have added a complete game (the only one in the book!) which
shows how a former World Champion can misplay this kind of position: 14...Nd5 15.Qd2 Bb4 16.Qb2
Qg5 17.Bf3 Ne7 18.Ne5 Bd5 19.Rfd1 (19.e4!±) 19...Rfc8 20.Rxc8+ Rxc8 21.e4 Bc6 22.Be3 Qf6
23.Qd4 Ba5?! 24.Qd6 Ng6 and he decided to resign already 1-0 Koneru, H (2545) – Karpov, A (2668)
Cap d’Agde 2006.

14...Rc8 15.Qb2 Bc5!

384
Position after: 15...Bc5!

16.Rfd1

16.Bxc5!? Qd5 17.e4 Qxc5 18.e5 Nd7 19.Rac1!ƒ

16...Bxd4 17.Rxd4 Qe7 18.Rad1!ƒ

It’s not that much, but White has kept the initiative and eventually won in the game Dreev, A (2644) –
Abreu Delgado, A (2450) Merida 2015.

385
 Chapter 11
Advance Variation 2...d4

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4

Chapter guide
Chapter 11 – Advance Variation 2...d4
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4
a) 3.--, 3.b4 a5
b) 3.--, 3.b4 c5
c) 3.b4 Bg4 4.Qb3 --
d) 3.b4 Bg4 4.Qb3 Nc6 & 4...Nf6
e) 3.b4 g6
f) 3.b4 g5

a) 3.--, 3.b4 a5

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4

386
Position after: 2...d4

We may have reached the critical chapter of our book – we will find out if our move order with 1.Nf3
and 2.c4 is viable or not. However, this is not so obvious. White seems to play something like a
reversed Benko or Benoni and, being White, is simply a tempo up. It doesn’t seem to be a problem, but
being a tempo up doesn’t always ensure you an advantage. And the fact that, lately, analysts
recommend this line for Black is not something we should dismiss lightly. Before heading to our main
theory, let’s see the other possibilities we have instead of 3.b4, although I do not believe that they are
sufficient to play for an edge.

3.b4

We are playing in the spirit of the Benko, but it can actually lead to various types of play. We start to
expand on the queenside as soon as the tension in the center is released (with 2...d4) in order to prevent
...c7-c5, which would give Black a fine space advantage. The next move is usually e3, in order to start
attacking d4. This is actually a reversed line of 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 b5, where 4.Bg5 is the most
common move. Here Black has the same position without ...Nf6, but he can make use of that, for
example by playing 3...f6, which is actually the main move, in order to take control over the center.
First, let’s have a close look at the different sidelines:
A) 3.c5?! This strange move has attractted some followers. The idea is simply to prevent ...c7-c5, but
it can’t be good. 3...Nc6 (3...e5!?) 4.Qa4 Bd7! 5.Nxd4 e5 6.Nxc6 Bxc6 7.Qc2 Qd4ƒ
B) 3.e3 White either wants to enter a Benoni (3...c5) a tempo up, or a Blumenfeld (3...c5 4.b4, which
actually transposes to our analysis), but Black has the possibility of playing 3...Nc6!.

387
Position after: 3...Nc6!

This line exists with reversed colors after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3, so Black gets the same
position, with the knight still at home on g8. This is actually not bad news, as it will head for a better
spot. 4.exd4 (4.b4?! dxe3 5.fxe3 Nxb4 6.d4 is well met by 6...e5!³) 4...Nxd4 5.Nxd4 Qxd4 6.Nc3 e5
7.d3 Ne7!

Position after: 7...Ne7!

This is a major difference. The knight goes to f5, where it prevents Be3 and stops any d4-ideas. 8.Be2

388
 (8.Be3 Qd6 9.d4 Nf5³) 8...Nf5!? 9.0-0 c6!ƒ
C) 3.g3 White can try to delay e3, but it doesn’t really help and Black can take a firm grip on the
center after 3...Nc6! 4.Bg2 e5 5.d3 (5.0-0 can be met with 5...e4! 6.Ne1 h5! 7.Bxe4 Bh3!?‚ with a
very dangerous attack for the pawn.) 5...Bb4+!? An annoying check that blocks most of the play on
the queenside and forces us to put a piece on d2 that we don’t necessarily want or need there. 6.Bd2
a5 This is analyzed by Delchev, and is quite safe for Black.

3...a5!?

Position after: 3...a5!?

You will soon get acquainted with this idea. Black wants to provoke b4-b5 in order to use the c5-
square, for example for his b8-knight.

4.Qa4+!

This pins the a-pawn and intends to continue with Bb2 on the next move, grabbing the d4-pawn.

4...Bd7!

Other moves are too slow, for example 4...c6?! 5.Bb2!².

5.b5

389
Position after: 5.b5

5...c5!

5...Bg4!? A recent game soon became crazy after 6.Ne5 Bf5 7.g4! Be4 8.f3 f6! 9.fxe4 fxe5

Position after: 9...fxe5

10.c5!! Brilliant. The idea is to free the c4-square for the queen. 10...e6 11.Qc4 Nd7 12.c6 bxc6
(12...Qh4+!?N 13.Kd1 bxc6 14.Qxe6+ Be7 15.Qxc6 Rb8 16.d3 Ngf6 17.Nd2 Nxg4 18.Nf3 Qf6
19.Kc2!²) 13.Qxe6+ Qe7 14.Qxc6 Qh4+ 15.Kd1 Rb8 16.d3 Bb4 17.Nd2! Ne7 18.Qc4² This is

390
messy, but White keeps the upper hand thanks to his radiant queen on c4, and finally won in Howell, D
(2671) – Brunello, S (2573) Gjakova 2016.

6.g3

6.e3 Qc7!= prepares ...e5, and indirectly defends the d4-pawn because of the nasty ...Qe5+ at the end.

6...Qc7 7.Bg2 e5 8.0-0 Nf6

Position after: 8...Nf6

9.e3!N 9...Bd6 10.exd4 cxd4 11.Ba3!

It’s incredibly important to trade these bishops. Doing so weakens the e5-pawn and the dark squares on
the queenside.

11...0-0 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.Qa3! Qc7 14.d3²

391
Position after: 14.d3²

b) 3.--, 3.b4 c5

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 c5

Black accepts being a tempo down. It’s a tough choice to make, and I don’t think it would be mine. I
have always considered the best answer to be...

4.e3!?

392
Position after: 4.e3!?

Intending to play a Blumenfeld Gambit a tempo up after 4...dxe3 5.fxe3 cxb4 6.d4, with lots of play
and compensation. Even if Black can try to fight back, I think he actually has a stronger continuation at
his disposal. 4.g3!? Bauer, C (2623) – Lampert, J (2461) Skopje 2015, 1-0 (59), is also really
interesting, in order to play a Benko a tempo up. Of course, the choice depends on your style!

4...dxe3

The main line.

A) 4...f6 transposes into the main line with 4...c5.
B) 4...Nf6!?

Position after: 4...Nf6!?

This is only the ninth most played move in this position! But it was actually quite hard to find an
answer that fully satisfied me.
B1) 5.bxc5 Nc6! 6.exd4 Nxd4 7.Nc3 e5!ƒ
B2) 5.b5 Nbd7 6.exd4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nc5 8.Bb2 (8.Nb3 Nd3+ 9.Bxd3 Qxd3 10.Qe2 Bf5 11.Bb2
Rc8 12.Na3) 8...e5 9.Nb3 Bf5!©
B3) 5.exd4 cxd4 6.Bb2 (6.a3 a5 7.b5 Bg4 8.d3 e5 9.Be2 Nbd7 10.0-0³; 6.d3?! was severely
countered in the recent game Mareco, S (2635) – Vidit, S (2689) Doha 2016: 6...e5! 7.a3 a5 8.Nxe5
axb4 9.Qe2 Be7µ 0-1 (35)) 6...e5! Once again, this strike is really strong for Black.

393
Position after: 6...e5!

7.Nxe5 Bxb4 8.Qa4+ Black loses a piece? No! 8...Nfd7! 9.Bxd4 (9.Nxd7? Qe7+!µ) 9...0-0!
10.Qxb4 Nxe5 11.Bxe5 Nc6! 12.Qc3 Nxe5 13.Be2 Nc6 14.0-0 Nd4= White is a pawn up, but he
has huge trouble getting rid of the annoying d4-knight. Black is not worse at all.
B4) 5.Bb2 dxe3 6.fxe3 cxb4 We have a slightly different version of the Blumenfeld we wanted, as
the bishop doesn’t necessarily belong on b2, but it’s not bad at all, and I think is White’s best
chance. 7.d4 g6 8.Bd3 Bg7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nbd2ƒ
C) 4...g6?! I met this move in a rapid game, but I don’t think it can be good, as Black prevents his
own bishop from taking back on c5. 5.bxc5 Nc6 6.Bb2 Bg7 Now I prefer to improve on the game
Demuth, A (2470) – Tregubov, P (2625) Le Port Marly 2014 (1-0, 49), with 7.Na3!²

394
Position after: 7.Na3!²

with the idea that 7...e5? is bad in view of 8.Nb5±.

D) 4...Bg4?! 5.exd4 cxd4 6.h3 Bxf3 (6...Bh5 7.Qa4+ Nc6 8.g4 Bg6 9.Bg2 Nf6 10.Ne5²) 7.Qxf3 Qc7
8.Na3 e5 9.c5 Nc6 10.Rb1²

5.fxe3 cxb4 6.d4

Position after: 6.d4

395
The Blumenfeld is a tricky gambit to meet, especially if one doesn’t really know how to respond. Being
a tempo down definitely doesn’t help Black.

6...Nf6

6...e6 will transpose into 7...e6 once Black plays ...Ng8-f6.

7.Bd3

7.a3!?N is slightly different, but also interesting: 7...bxa3 8.Be2 e6 (8...g6 is a bit too slow, as we can
take control of the center with 9.Nc3 Bg7 10.e4!²) 9.0-0 Be7 10.Bxa3 0-0 11.Nc3ƒ

7...g6

A) 7...e6 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Bb2 Be7 10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Qe2! b6 12.e4! Bb7 13.e5 Ne8 14.Rad1ƒ
B) 7...Bg4 8.0-0 e6 9.a3!?N

Position after: 9.a3!?N

White has other choices, but this seems quite promising, with the idea 9...Nc6 10.Qa4!, putting some
pressure on the queenside as well. 10...Be7 (10...Bxf3 11.Rxf3 bxa3 12.Nxa3 Be7 13.Bb2 0-0
14.Raf1ƒ) 11.axb4 Bxf3 12.Rxf3 Bxb4 13.Bb2ƒ.

8.a3 bxa3 9.Nc3 Bg7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Bxa3 Nc6

Even if it was an online rapid game, White got a good scalp in Mareco, S (2664) – Nakamura, H (2793)
chess.com 2017. I would even improve on his play with...

396
Position after: 11...Nc6

12.Qe1!?N

A few days after finishing this book, I got this position against the strong Chinese grandmaster Yu
Yangyi. I remembered the main ideas of my analysis, but unfortunately in the wrong move order, and I
repeated the next move of Mareco’s game: 12.h3 This move isn’t bad, as it prevents any nasty ...Bg4,
or even ...Ng4, ideas, but I feel now that it’s a bit too slow. He continued logically with another
fianchetto: 12...b6 13.Qe1 Intending either Qf2 or Qh4. (13.Qe2 was Mareco’s move.) 13...a5!

Position after: 13...a5!

397
This enables the knight to reach the b4-square, but the bishop can also to come to a6, without fearing
the rook on a1. I decided to enter the complications, but my opponent simply played better. 14.d5 Ba6!
15.dxc6 Qxd3 16.Ne5 Qd8 17.Rd1?! (17.Rxf6! Bxf6 18.Nd7ƒ was probably the best chance but I
didn’t spot it.) 17...Qc7 18.Nd7 Qxc6 19.Rxf6 exf6 20.Bxf8 Rxf8!µ and Black was better in Demuth,
A (2538) – Yu, Y (2743) Turkey 2017.

12...Re8 13.Rd1!

Position after: 13.Rd1!

This move prevents most of the ...e5-ideas, but also prevents ...Nxd4, which can sometimes be a
problem for White.

13...Bg4

13...a5 14.Bc2! Nb4 15.Bb3 Bd7 16.Ne5ƒ

14.h3 Bxf3 15.Rxf3©

398
Position after: 15.Rxf3©

I am not sure whether we can state that White has an edge here, but it seems easier to play for him, and
he definitely has enough compensation.
He has good prospects in the center if he manages to advance his pawns in the most accurate way.

c) 3.b4 Bg4 4.Qb3 --

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 Bg4!?

399
Position after: 3...Bg4!?

This is a really serious alternative. Black attacks our knight, in order to be able to push ...e7-e5. Shortly
before writing this book, New in Chess asked me to write a survey about this exact opening. (This was
published in Yearbook 123 if you want to read it in full.) Here I will only highlight the main ideas and
recent improvements that have occurred in the most recent games.

4.Qb3!

It’s a strange feeling, but not unpleasant, to quote myself: “What are the basic ideas? First, White wants
to have the option to take back on f3 with the queen if needed. The queen also protects the b4 pawn, but
we might sometimes be forced to play c4-c5, so that the bishop on f8 doesn’t attack it. This will allow
us to play Bf1-c4 which is even stronger if Black decided to play ...f7-f6 to follow-up with ...e7-e5. The
a2-g8 diagonal might become really weak. White’s aim is to put pressure either on the center, by means
of e2-e3 and Bc1-b2, or play along the diagonal h1-a8 after a fianchetto and b4-b5 at some point in
order to attack the c6-square. On the other hand, Black may try to weaken White’s queenside with ...a7-
a5, in order to obtain the c5-square, or place a strong center with ...e7-e5”.

4...g6?!

Position after: 4...g6?!

This is already quite a serious mistake, but none of the White players was able to spot the refutation.
A) 4...Bxf3 5.Qxf3 c6 6.b5!N This is actually an improvement over many of the games played, and
what I analyzed in the Yearbook earlier this year. I now think that it is crucial to put some pressure on
the c6-pawn straightaway, preventing ...Nb8-d7.

400
Position after: 6.b5!N

6...Nf6 (6...e5 7.g3 Bb4 8.Bg2 Ne7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Na3!ƒ) 7.g3! e5 8.Bg2 Be7 9.d3 0-0 10.0-0² How is
Black going to develop his queenside?
B) 4...f6 It seems less sound to play this move now than on the third move, because the queen is
already on b3, and can take advantage of the weakened light-squared diagonal. 5.e3!

Position after: 5.e3!

This is the right reaction. We attack the center and clear the way for the bishop on f1.

401
 B1) 5...dxe3?! I really don’t like this move. It is absolutely antipositional, as it seems important to
keep this pawn, which limited White’s pieces. Now everything will get steadily worse. 6.fxe3!N
Completely in the spirit of the Blumenfeld Gambit, but without having to sac a pawn. 6...e5 7.Bb2
Nd7?! 8.c5 c6 9.Bc4 Nh6 10.0-0 Be7 11.d4±.
B2) 5...Bxf3 This move makes sense, as the queen can’t take back any more. 6.gxf3 e5 7.f4! With
the bishop pair, White needs to open the position, even if it costs him a pawn. 7...Nc6 (7...exf4?!
8.Bg2! c6 9.0-0 and it’s already hard to find a useful move for Black; he will be unable to keep the
position stable and closed.) 8.c5! exf4 9.Bg2 Qd7 10.0-0 0-0-0 11.b5!‚
B3) 5...e5 6.Be2² makes Black feel a bit stupid as he has to parry the obvious threat Nf3xd4, which
is not so easy.
C) In the recent European Club Cup, I had to face the move 4...c6 that I had covered in the Yearbook.
I had proposed an interesting novelty, but despite the article being quite recent... my brain hadn’t
stored it and I couldn’t figure it out over the board!
C1) 5.e3 was my choice during the game, and a novelty at the time as well: 5...Bxf3 6.gxf3 g6 7.Bb2
Bg7 8.Na3 Nh6 9.Nc2 e5= The game became really complicated and ended in a draw after some
drama, but White doesn’t have anything special here: Demuth, A (2538) – Rodshtein, M (2699)
Antalya 2017, ½-½ (44).
C2) 5.Ne5!

Position after: 5.Ne5!

The move I had prepared, and probably the best, underlining that Black is playing a bit slowly with
4...c6. It is no longer a novelty, as Eljanov played it a few days before this book went to print.
However, he did not continue in the best way. 5...Bf5 6.e3!N (6.Bb2?! f6 7.Nf3 e5 8.e3 c5! 9.bxc5
Nc6! 10.exd4 exd4 11.Bd3 Qe7+ 12.Kd1 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 0-0-0 was great for Black in Eljanov, P

402
 (2720) – Edouard, R (2607) Hersonissos 2017, 1-0 (52)) 6...f6 7.Nf3 e5 8.c5! The a2-g8 diagonal
becomes weak. 8...Nh6 9.Bb2 dxe3 10.dxe3²

5.Nxd4!N

Position after: 5.Nxd4!N

Not so hard to see!

5...Bg7

5...Qxd4? is simply a mistake: 6.Bb2 Qd6 7.Bxh8. Even if the bishop is going to be blocked in for a
while, or lost after great efforts by Black, White will clearly stay in the driver’s seat. For instance: 7...f6
8.e3 (the threat is c5) 8...Nh6 9.c5 Qd8 10.d4 Nf7 11.Bxf6 exf6 12.Bc4± with an almost winning
position thanks to the impressive center.

6.e3! Bxd4

Otherwise we are just a pawn up.

7.exd4 Qxd4 8.Qc3!

403
Position after: 8.Qc3!

This may be the hardest move to find.

8.Bb2 is tempting, but only leads to a perpetual: 8...Qe4+ 9.Qe3 Qc2! 10.Nc3!? (10.Qb3 Qe4+=)
10...Qxb2 11.Rb1 Qa3= White has compensation, but only enough for a draw.

8...Nc6!

Best.
A) 8...Qxc3 9.Nxc3 Nc6 10.Bb2! 0-0-0 (10...Nxb4?! 11.f3 Bf5 12.g4 Bd7 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.Bxh8
Nb4 15.Rb1 c5 16.Kf2±) 11.f3 Bf5 12.Nd5 e5 13.0-0-0²
B) 8...Qe4+?! 9.Qe3 Qxe3+ (9...Qc2? 10.Nc3!+– This is the difference with 8.Bb2: the bishop is not
hanging.) 10.fxe3± This is a much better endgame for White.

9.f3

404
Position after: 9.f3

9...Qxc3

9...Bf5 10.Bb2²

10.Nxc3 Be6 11.Bb2 Nf6 12.b5 Nd4 13.Nd5! Bxd5

13...Nc2+ 14.Kd1 Bxd5 15.Kxc2 Be6 16.a4ƒ

14.Bxd4 Be6 15.Kf2²

405
Position after: 15.Kf2²

The kind of endgame in which White can quietly push for a win. The bishop pair is really important.

d) 3.b4 Bg4 4.Qb3 Nc6 & 4...Nf6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 Bg4 4.Qb3

Position after: 4.Qb3

406
4...Nf6

4...Nc6 This looks like a strange move, but it shouldn’t be underestimated. 5.b5! Na5 6.Qa4

Position after: 6.Qa4

A) 6...c5 7.Ne5 Bf5 (The idea 7...Bc8 8.b6+ Nc6 9.Nxc6 Qd7? is nicely refuted: 10.Qxa7!+–) 8.g4!
(8.b6+?! Nc6 9.Nxc6 axb6! 10.Nxd8+ Rxa4 11.Nxb7 e5!³ The knight on b7 is trapped, and Black
will soon get his piece back with benefits.) 8...Be4 9.f3 f6 10.fxe4 fxe5 11.d3² The light-squared
bishop will find a nice spot on h3 and will have no opposition!
B) 6...Bxf3 7.gxf3! I think the easiest way to develop a nice initiative. 7...c5 (7...c6 8.d3 e6 9.Nd2
Nf6 10.Nb3! Nxb3 11.axb3 Qb6 12.f4!²) 8.f4 e6 9.Bg2 Bd6 10.d3 White’s threat is Bd2, and Black
was already in danger in Kanep, M – Sveshnikov, E Talinn 2015.

5.g3 a5

As we have already found out, this move is often useful in order to gain control over the c5-square.

6.b5 a4!

407
Position after: 6...a4!

It seems like a good idea to nudge the white queen to an odd square.
6...e6 7.Bg2 Bc5 8.Ne5! a4 9.Qd1 Ra7 10.Nxg4 Nxg4 11.0-0²

7.Qd3 c5!

Motylev’s choice, and probably best.

7...Bxf3?! This feels illogical to me as it allows White to relocate the queen straight away. 8.Qxf3 c6
9.Bg2 e5 10.0-0

408
Position after: 10.0-0

A) 10...e4? doesn’t help: 11.Qf5! Be7 (11...g6 12.Qe5+ Be7 13.Ba3! Nbd7 14.Qxd4±) 12.d3 0-0
(12...exd3 13.Qxd3 0-0 14.Bb2 Bc5 15.Rd1±) 13.dxe4 Nbd7 14.Rd1±
B) 10...Be7 11.d3 0-0 12.Nd2² Here is Black’s problem: he won’t be able to move the knight and
finish his development for a long time.

8.Bg2 Nbd7 9.h3 Bh5

White’s development is quite ugly, but I would like to solve this problem, and improve on the game
Bologan, V (2640) – Motylev, A (2663) Sochi 2016, with...

10.Qc2!N

Position after: 10.Qc2!N

10...e6!

10...e5 is now well met by 11.Nh4! Ra7 12.b6! Nxb6 (12...Ra6 13.d3 Be7 14.g4 Bg6 15.Bxb7 Rxb6
16.Nxg6 hxg6 17.Bg2²) 13.Na3!².

11.d3 Be7 12.Nbd2 0-0 13.g4 Bg6 14.Nh4ƒ

409
Position after: 14.Nh4ƒ

White will soon get the bishop pair, already has a great bishop on g2 and will try to expand on the
kingside. Another problem for Black: he always has to keep an eye on the a4-pawn (endgames will be
hard to save, if not lost).

e) 3.b4 g6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 g6

410
Position after: 3...g6

Black figures that this is going to be an important diagonal, and he is partly right. It is hard to know
where this bishop is going to be most efficient, as it can also be useful in order to attack the b4-pawn.

4.g3!

When I met this move for the first time, in blitz against a strong GM, I naively played 4.e3?!, but an
unpleasant surprise was uncorked after the strong 4...e5! 5.Nxe5 Bg7! with some problems on the long
diagonal. I managed to win (blitz is blitz...), but Black is not worse at all! Demuth, A (2545) –
Romanov, E (2573) Berlin 2015.

4...Bg7 5.d3 e5 6.Bg2 Ne7 7.0-0 0-0

Position after: 7...0-0

Black can do whatever he wants in the center. It’s time to improve on the queenside now.

8.a4! a5

This is by far the main move, in order to block the queenside, but practice has shown that it doesn’t
really help Black.
8...Nbc6 9.b5 Nb4 This was Black’s idea, to settle the knight on b4, but it’s not exactly what we can
call a safe square. 10.a5!

411
Position after: 10.a5!

Preventing ...a7-a5 to keep the knight on b4. 10...c5! (10...a6?! 11.Ba3 c5 12.bxc6 Nbxc6 13.Nbd2 Bf5
14.Qa4 Re8 15.Rfb1± gives a lot of play for White. Black has lost precious tempi in order to open the
queenside for White 1-0 (30) Howell, D (2678) – Can, E (2555) Dubai 2016.) 11.a6! (11.bxc6? Nexc6!
³) 11...bxa6 12.Nxe5 Rb8 13.Nc6! Nexc6 14.bxc6²

9.b5 c5

Position after: 9...c5

412
10.Ra2!

We are going to open the center. This move allows to transfer the rook to the ‘e’ or ‘f’ file if needed,
and it’s no longer a target for the bishop on g7.

10...Ra7

In the same spirit, Black brings his own rook into play.

11.e3 dxe3

11...b6?! 12.exd4 exd4 13.Re1 Nd7 14.Rae2 Nf5 15.g4! Nh6 16.h3!± No real harmony can be seen
amongst Black’s pieces.

12.fxe3 b6 13.Nc3 Rd7

Position after: 13...Rd7

While all five games that reached this position continued with 14.Ne1, with great results for White, I
prefer the move...

14.Rd2!?N 14...Nf5 15.Qe2 Re8 16.Nd5²

For example if...

16...Bb7?! 17.e4! Nd4 18.Qd1!±

The second rook is coming to the f-file with great effect and excellent attacking chances for White.

413
 f) 3.b4 g5

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 g5!?

Position after: 3...g5!?

This is a super-interesting and inventive idea. It doesn’t surprise me that it was first played by the chess
genius David Navara in 2011. Since then it has gained some popularity, and should really be considered
a serious weapon for Black. He sacrifices a pawn in order to develop super-quickly and keep control
over the center.
Actually, a strange thing happened to me last summer. I was having lunch with my friends IMs Loiseau
and Barbot, and GM Lagarde, and we were talking about the Reti, which I was going to play in my
afternoon game. One of them mentioned this line with 3...g5, and I told him that I still had to work on it
for my book, but that White should still keep an edge somehow. And that same afternoon, this is what I
got on the board. It took me twenty minutes to decide on my next move...

4.Bb2

This was my final choice, and I think it’s among the best moves.
4.Qb3 I really like this practical move.

414
Position after: 4.Qb3

A) 4...g4?! falls into the trap 5.Nxd4! A pattern we have already met in the 3...Bg4 line: 5...Qxd4
6.Bb2 Qd8 7.Bxh8 f6 8.h3!+–.
B) 4...f6 5.e3 e5 6.h3! A complicated position arrives on the board. If we are able to open the center,
Black will soon regret his early pawn advances.
C) 4...Bg7! 5.Nxg5 e5! 6.Qg3!?N

Position after: 6.Qg3!?N

415
 This can be an annoying surprise for Black. 6...Ne7! 7.Ne4! (7.Ne6?! Bxe6 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxe5
Nbc6 10.Qf6 Nxb4 11.Na3 Qd7∞) 7...Ng6 (7...0-0?! 8.Nf6+ Kh8 9.Qh4 h6 10.Nh5!±; 7...Rg8
8.Qh4 f5 9.Nf6+ Bxf6 10.Qxf6²) 8.h4 A very tricky position where Black needs to find the following
continuation if he wants to get a decent position: 8...f5! 9.h5 fxe4 10.hxg6 h5!

Position after: 10...h5!

White is a pawn up, but it’s easy to understand that a pawn doesn’t matter so much in this kind of
position. 11.d3 e3! (11...Nc6 12.a3 e3 13.fxe3 transposes) 12.fxe3 Nc6! Definitely a hard move to
find for Black. 13.a3 Bg4! (13...dxe3? 14.Nc3 Nd4 15.Ra2 Bg4 16.Qxe3±) 14.e4! It’s now two extra
pawns, but the game is objectively quite complicated and the position is difficult to evaluate. For
instance, play might continue 14...Qd7 15.Bg5 Ne7 16.Nd2 Nxg6 17.Nf3„.

4...Bg7 5.Nxg5 e5

416
Position after: 5...e5

6.Ne4

6.h4!?N This is an interesting try, to weaken the g6-square (yes, you will see that when the knight
arrives on f4, it can be useful!). 6...h6 7.Ne4 f5 8.Nc5

Position after: 8.Nc5

A) 8...b6 9.Qa4+!? Kf7 (9...c6?! 10.Nd3 e4?! 11.Nf4± I told you that h2-h4 could be useful, didn’t
I?) 10.Nd3 Ne7 11.Na3 c5 12.bxc5 e4 13.Nf4²

417
 B) 8...Qe7 9.e3 a5 10.exd4 exd4+ 11.Be2 axb4 12.Nd3 Nc6 13.a3„

6...f5 7.Nc5! Nf6

Position after: 7...Nf6

7...b6 8.Qa4+!? Kf7 This might be best, but it’s quite hard to play such a move. (8...c6 appeared in
Iturrizaga, E (2653) – Sulskis, S (2544) Tromso 2014, and now I suggest the following novelty:
9.Nd3!N 9...Ne7 10.e3 0-0 11.exd4 exd4 12.Na3².) 9.Nd3 Ne7 10.Na3!?N This is an unusual way to
continue our development, but it seems quite logical. We are ready to castle long and open files by
means of e3, c5 and even f4 in order to disrupt Black’s center. For instance, play might continue
10...Re8 (10...a5 11.f4! Nd7 12.fxe5 Nxe5 13.Nxe5+ Bxe5 14.0-0-0ƒ) 11.f4 e4 12.Ne5+ Bxe5 13.fxe5
Ng6 14.c5 Nxe5 15.cxb6 cxb6 16.b5!².

8.g3!N

Simple and strong. This move prevents any ...b7-b6 ideas.

8.e3 0-0 9.exd4 exd4 10.Be2 a5 11.0-0 axb4 12.a3 b6 13.Nb3 d3 14.Bf3 Ne4∞ was my game Demuth,
A (2540) – Midoux, S (2321) Agen 2017. I eventually won, despite neither of us understanding that
White is still fine here, so I consider that it was some kind of luck.

8...Qe7 9.Bg2 Nbd7 10.Nd3!

418
Position after: 10.Nd3!

Black’s center doesn’t actually prove to be so impressive, and we retain the possibility of opening files
after e2-e3.

10...0-0 11.0-0 c6 12.b5 c5 13.e3 e4 14.Nf4² … 14...d3?! 15.f3±

419
 Chapter 12
Advance Variation 2...d4 (3.b4 f6)

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 f6

Chapter guide
Chapter 12 – Advance Variation 2...d4 (3.b4 f6)
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 f6 4.e3 e5 5.c5 a5 6.Qa4+
a) 4th move alternatives for Black
b) 5th move alternatives for Black
c) 6.-- alternatives, 6...Nc6
d) 6...Qd7 7.Bb5 c6 8.Bc4 --
e) 6...Qd7 7.Bb5 c6 8.Bc4 dxe3
f) 6...Bd7 7.b5 Bxc5 8.Bc4 --, 8...Ne7 9.exd4 exd4 10.Ba3 Bxa3
g) 6...Bd7 7.b5 Bxc5 8.Bc4 Ne7 9.exd4 exd4 10.Ba3 Na6

a) 4th move alternatives for Black

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 f6!

420
Position after: 3...f6!

The main and most important reply, and probably the strongest. In this set-up, Black, a tempo down,
takes advantage of not having played ...Nf6 yet, and aims to gain space in the center by playing ...e5.

4.e3

4.Na3!? is an interesting way to play and scores really well in recent games. I considered analyzing it
as well for this book, but still prefer the text move. Nevertheless, it’s another path, leading to
interesting positions, and if the main lines don’t satisfy you, you may find it an interesting alternative.

4...c5

4...dxe3?! 5.fxe3 e5 6.c5

421
Position after: 6.c5

6...Be6 (6...Bg4 7.Bb2 Nc6 8.b5 Nb4 was seen in the game Shoker – Yu Yangyi, World Team
Championships 2015, and I would now play 9.Qa4!N 9...Bxc5 10.a3 Nd3+ 11.Bxd3 Bxf3 12.Qc4
Bxg2 13.Rg1 Qd5 14.Nc3 Qxc4 15.Bxc4 Bh3 16.Rxg7²; 6...a5!?N 7.Bc4 axb4 8.0-0 Nc6 9.d4 Nh6
10.Nbd2ƒ) 7.d4! e4 8.Nfd2 f5 9.Nc3N 9...Nf6 10.Bc4 Bxc4 11.Nxc4±

5.bxc5! e5 6.Ba3!?N

Position after: 6.Ba3!?N

422
Not common; we simply try to defend our extra c5-pawn.
6.exd4 is a decent alternative, with the following plan: 6...exd4 7.d3! Nc6 8.Be2 Bxc5 9.0-0 Nge7
10.Nbd2 0-0 11.Nb3!².

6...Nc6

A) 6...Nd7? 7.exd4+–
B) 6...Nh6?! 7.exd4 exd4 8.Bd3! Na6 9.0-0 Bxc5 10.Re1+ Kf8 11.Be4±
C) 6...Na6 seems like the logical follow-up, simply attacking the pawn, but 7.Nxe5! is misery for
Black: 7...fxe5 8.Qh5+ Kd7 9.c6+!

Position after: 9.c6+!

9...bxc6 (9...Ke6 10.Qf3!! attacking the f8-bishop, and after 10...Bxa3 11.cxb7! Bxb7 12.Qxb7 Bc5
13.Qxa6+ Qb6 14.Qxb6+ axb6 15.Be2± White keeps two extra pawns, and should be able to win the
endgame, even if Black has chances.) 10.Qf5+ Kc7 11.Qxf8±.

7.exd4 exd4 8.Bd3!?

423
Position after: 8.Bd3!?

White plays actively on the light squares and frees the e-file for the rook.

8...Qe7+ 9.Qe2²

It’s still not clear how Black is going to regain the c5-pawn. White will put the bishop on e4, then
develop the knight to d2, and should be able to exert some pressure on the b-file.

b) 5th move alternatives for Black

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 f6! 4.e3 e5

We have already seen that other moves would come as a pleasant surprise for us. This is definitely the
most logical continuation.

5.c5!

424
Position after: 5.c5!

We are at the beginning of a weird but also very exciting line! We protect our b4-pawn and leave the
c4-square free for our bishop, where it will be a monster on the weakened a2-g8 diagonal.
5.Nxe5? doesn’t work at all here: 5...fxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke7 7.Qxe5+ Kf7 8.c5 Be6µ.

5...d3?!

This seems a bit too compromising. White could suffocate on the two first ranks if he doesn’t play
actively, but he has possibilities to escape:
A) 5...Nh6?! has been tried a couple of times. The idea is to develop the kingside to be able to castle
short soon, and eventually put the knight on f7 in order to protect the weak a2-g8 diagonal. 6.Bb2!?N

425
Position after: 6.Bb2!?N

This seems simple and strong. Black must make a decision regarding his d4-pawn. 6...d3 (6...dxe3
7.fxe3 a5 8.a3! is now possible thanks to Bb2 8...axb4 9.axb4 Rxa1 10.Bxa1 Be6 11.Qc2! Nc6
12.Bb5². d2-d4 will come at the right moment, with a perfect initiative in the center.) 7.Qb3 e4 8.Nd4
f5?! 9.f3!± And Black can only regret placing the knight on h6, as it would be perfect on f6.
B) 5...Nc6 6.Qb3 (6.b5!? Nb4 7.a3!N 7...Nd5 8.Qc2² is another path to a good position) 6...a5 7.b5
a4 I would now improve on the game Lokander, M (2309) – Louis, T (2249) Paris 2014, 1-0 (51),
with 8.Qc4!?N

426
Position after: 8.Qc4!?N

which forces the knight to go to the edge of the board: 8...Na5 9.Qc2².

6.Qa4+!

Position after: 6.Qa4+!

I like this move, tried only by Adhiban.

6...c6

6...Bd7 7.Qb3 e4 8.Nd4 Nc6 9.Nxc6 Bxc6 10.Nc3 b4-b5 comes as a threat 10...a6 11.g3 f5 12.Bb2
Qd7 13.a4!²

7.Qb3 e4 8.Nd4

427
Position after: 8.Nd4

Black now has a choice as there is no direct attack on his e4-pawn.

8...a5

8...f5 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.Ba3! Qe7 (10...a5 would now be met with 11.b5! a4 12.Qc4 The pressure on e4 is
going to increase and Black still doesn’t seem to have a way to develop his pieces and castle. 12...Ng4
13.f4!±) and White won in Adhiban, B (2671) – Raetsky, A (2384) Abu Dhabi 2016, but I now prefer
to deviate with 11.f3!±, and it’s already hard to find a move for Black.

9.Nc3 f5 10.b5!

428
Position after: 10.b5!

This sacrifices a pawn, but we do have an idea!

10...Bxc5

10...Nf6 11.Ba3 a4 12.Qc4 transposes into 8...f5 and then 10...a5.

11.Ne6! Qe7

11...Bxe6?! 12.Qxe6+ Ne7 13.g4!± Black’s center is collapsing.

12.Nxc5 Qxc5 13.g4!

429
Position after: 13.g4!

Once again we have to attack the base of the chain if we want to destroy the center.

13...Nf6! 14.Na4!

The knight tries to reach b6.

14...Qxb5

A) 14...Qe7?! 15.Ba3 Qe5 16.Bb2 Qc7 17.gxf5! Bxf5 18.Rg1± We can easily sense that something
has gone wrong with Black’s position.
B) 14...Qe5 15.Bb2 – see 14...Qe7.

15.Nb6! Qxb3 16.axb3 Ra6 17.Nxc8 Kd7

430
Position after: 17...Kd7

Our knight is trapped, but it gives us some time to counterattack on the kingside.

18.gxf5! Kxc8!

18...Rxc8? is bad in view of the simple 19.Rg1 Rg8?! 20.f3 exf3 21.Bxd3 Rb6 22.Bc4+–

19.f3! exf3

19...Nbd7 20.fxe4 Ne5 21.Bb2 Nfd7 22.Bc3 b6 23.Rg1!

431
Position after: 23.Rg1!

23...Nf3+?! (23...g6 24.0-0-0 Rf8 25.h4!±) 24.Kf2 Nxg1 25.Bxd3!±

20.Bxd3 b5 21.Bc2 Rd8 22.Rf1²

Position after: 22.Rf1²

The bishop pair and center give White the upper hand in this double-edged endgame.

c) 6.-- alternatives, 6...Nc6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 f6! 4.e3 e5 5.c5! a5

This is clearly the most natural move, in order to destroy our queenside.

6.Qa4+!

432
Position after: 6.Qa4+!

This recent idea is the only decent try. I was actually the third player to try it in 2014 (a draw against
Duda), and I had the chance to repeat it against Wesley So, who won an impressive game.
A) 6.Nxe5?! doesn’t even lead to a perpetual after 6...fxe5 7.Qh5+ Kd7 8.Qf5+ Ke7 9.Qxe5+ Be6
10.Bc4 Qd7³.
B) 6.Bb5+ was considered the main line, but Black found some solutions.

6...Nc6!?

This interesting move was first played in my game against So. Play is more or less forced after...

7.b5 Nb4 8.a3 Nd5

433
Position after: 8...Nd5

9.Qc2!

I believe that this move should be stronger, and more difficult to face as Black.
9.exd4!? is the most natural continuation, but maybe not the best: 9...exd4 10.Qxd4 Qe7+ 11.Be2 Qxc5
12.0-0 Qxd4 13.Nxd4 Bc5

Position after: 13...Bc5

434
Three months after my game the Argentinian GM Mareco improved my play with 14.Nb3! (14.Bb2?!
Nge7 15.Bc4?! Bd7 16.Re1 Nb6 17.Bb3 0-0-0³ Black has the more comfortable game and converted
nicely in Demuth, A (2515) – So, W (2778) Montpellier 2015) 14...Bd6 15.Nc3!N (15.Bf3 Nge7
16.Re1 Nf4 17.d4 Nd3 18.Rd1 Nxc1 19.Rxc1 Be6 20.Nc5 Bxc5 21.Rxc5 0-0-0 22.b6 c6 23.Nc3² 1-0
(55) Mareco, S (2599) – Ni, H (2704) Baku 2015) 15...Nxc3 (15...Nge7 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.Bf3 c6
18.Bb2ƒ) 16.dxc3 Ne7 17.Rd1ƒ With good play on the queenside and a slightly preferable endgame.

9...Nh6

9...Qe7!? has been tried once. Black attacks our exposed c5-pawn, but I think that development is more
important here than a single pawn:

Position after: 9...Qe7!?

10.Bc4!N (10.c6 dxe3 11.dxe3 Qc5 12.Qxc5 Bxc5 13.cxb7 Bxb7 14.Bb2 Nge7 15.Be2= ½-½ (54) Di
Benedetto, D (2183) – Aakanksha, H (2183) Khanty-Mansiysk 2016) 10...Qxc5 11.exd4 exd4 12.0-0
Nb6 13.Re1+ Be7 14.Bd3 Qxc2 15.Bxc2² We will regain the d4-pawn, and get the more active
position.

10.Bb2

435
Position after: 10.Bb2

10...Bf5

10...Qe7 is again too slow: 11.Bc4 c6 12.exd4! exd4+ 13.Kd1‚ The white king is safe on d1 and Re1
is coming, while the d4-pawn will fall.

11.e4 Bg6 12.c6 b6 13.g3! Bc5 14.Bh3 Ne7 15.Bd7+ Kf8 16.a4

Position after: 16.a4

436
This unusual position was reached in a correspondence game.
Even though it’s really complicated, White seems to be better thanks to his space advantage and
potentially dangerous pawns on the queenside.

16...Be8 17.Bxe8 Qxe8 18.d3 Qh5 19.Qe2 Qh3 20.Nbd2 g6 21.0-0-0²

And White eventually won in Oreopoulas – Helbich, ICCF Elmars Zemgalis Memorial 2015.

d) 6...Qd7 7.Bb5 c6 8.Bc4 --

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 f6! 4.e3 e5 5.c5! a5 6.Qa4+! Qd7!?

Position after: 6...Qd7!?

This is a really serious alternative. It has only been played a couple of times in classical games (with
two crushing defeats for Black, which is maybe why it’s not the main line), but it is generally the
preference of correspondence players. No doubt many improvements are possible here, and it needs
more practical games.

7.Bb5 c6 8.Bc4

At this important crossroads, Black soon collapsed in the two games played. We have three moves to
consider: 8...Na6, which should be dubious, 8...Ne7, and 8...dxe3!?N, which we will cover in the next
subchapter.

8...Ne7!?

437
8...Na6?!

Position after: 8...Na6?!

I believe this is the worst option; it had already been deeply analyzed after Hillarp Persson’s game.
9.exd4! e4! (9...Nxb4? 10.0-0 exd4 11.Re1+ Be7 12.Ba3 Black has too many problems. 12...Nd5
13.Nxd4+–; 9...exd4 10.0-0 axb4 11.Re1+ Kd8 12.a3 Nc7 13.Qxb4‚ It’s hard to believe that Black
can survive in the long term.) 10.b5

Position after: 10.b5

438
 A) 10...exf3!N must be the best continuation, but Black still needs to find an important move on move
12: 11.bxa6 fxg2 12.Rg1
A1) 12...Qh3? 13.axb7 Bxb7 (13...Qxh2 14.Qxc6+ Ke7 15.Rxg2+–) 14.Nc3 Qxh2 15.Ne2+– The
pawn on g2 isn’t that dangerous, and White will continue with Ra1-b1 and d4-d5, with an
overwhelming advantage.
A2) 12...b5!!

Position after: 12...b5!!

The only saving resource. 13.cxb6 Bxa6 14.Rxg2² White keeps the upper hand, but anything could
happen in this kind of crazy position.
B) 10...Nb4?! 11.a3!?

439
Position after: 11.a3!?

At first, the engines are not fond of this move, but they finally understand that it should win by force
for White. (11.bxc6!? bxc6 12.a3 exf3 13.axb4 fxg2 14.Rg1± is also very good for White, and can be
regarded as a simpler alternative) 11...exf3 12.axb4 Qxd4 (12...fxg2 13.Rg1 Ne7 14.bxa5! Nf5
15.Bb2 Nh4 16.Kd1!±) 13.d3!!

Position after: 13.d3!!

B1) 13...fxg2N doesn’t really help Black after 14.Rg1 Ne7 15.Be3 Qg4 16.Nc3ƒ (Hillarp Persson)
16...Bd7 17.bxa5 Our queenside majority is hard to stop. 17...Qh3 (17...Ng6 18.a6+–) 18.a6! Qxh2

440
 19.Rxg2! Qxg2 20.axb7 Rb8 21.Ne4 We could stop here, as Black is clearly being crushed, but the
end of the line is nice: 21...Nf5 22.bxc6 Nxe3 23.cxd7+ Ke7

Position after: 23...Ke7

24.d8=Q+! Rxd8 25.b8=Q!! A double promotion sacrifice in order to deliver mate. 25...Rxb8
(25...Qf1+ 26.Kd2 Nxc4+ 27.Qxc4+–) 26.Qa7++–
B2) 13...Qe5+ 14.Be3 fxg2 15.Rg1 Qxh2 White looks in trouble but he simply continues his
devastating plan. 16.bxc6!!

Position after: 16.bxc6!!

441
 16...Qxg1+ (16...b5 17.cxb6 Bxb4+ 18.Nc3 Bxc3+ 19.Ke2+– Black is defenseless against b6-b7
and c6-c7 with check; 16...Kd8 17.Nc3 Qxg1+ 18.Kd2 Qh2 19.Nd5 bxc6 20.Qxc6 Ra7 21.Qb6+
Ke8 22.Qxa7+–) 17.Kd2
B2.1) 17...b5 18.cxb6 Bxb4+ 19.Nc3! Qh2

Position after: 19...Qh2

And the amazing game Hillarp Persson, T (2547) – Hector, J (2503) Denmark 2014, 1-0 (33) could
have finished much sooner if White had played 20.c7+!N 20...Kf8 21.Qc6 Bxc3+ 22.Kxc3+–.
B2.2) 17...Kd8 18.Nc3 Qh2 (If 18...Qxa1 we continue the attack with 19.c7+! Kxc7 20.Nd5+ Kd8
21.Qxa1+–.) 19.Nd5! Ne7 (19...g1=Q? 20.Rxg1 Qxg1 21.c7#) 20.c7+ Qxc7 21.Nxc7 Kxc7
22.Qe8+–. So many beautiful lines!

9.b5!

442
Position after: 9.b5!

This is an excellent improvement over the game Christiansen, J (2411) – Gretarsson, H (2550)
Helsingor 2016, 1-0 (38). It has only been played once, in a correspondence game.

9...Nd5 10.exd4 Nf4!

The best way to continue for Black, as White has some trouble to properly defend his kingside.

11.Kf1!

443
Position after: 11.Kf1!

11.0-0? Nxg2!³ is obviously pretty dangerous with ...Qg4 coming.

11...Qf5!

This is more or less the only move.

11...Nxg2?!

Position after: 11...Nxg2?!

This is wrong now because of the quiet 12.h3!! e4 (12...Nh4? 13.Nxh4 Qxd4 14.Nf3 Qxa1 Black has
won material, but his queen is going to be trapped. 15.Qc2! cxb5 16.Bxb5+ Bd7 17.Bxd7+ Nxd7
18.Kg2! Bxc5 19.Nc3 0-0 20.Bb2+–; 12...Nf4 13.dxe5 Be7 14.d4 Nd5 15.bxc6 bxc6 16.Kg2±)
13.Ne1 Nxe1 14.Kxe1 Be7 15.Nc3² White’s center is really strong, and d4 is untouchable because of
Bf7+.

12.Qb3

The human move, and my preference.

12.h3 is rather complicated to justify now. A game continued 12...exd4 13.d3 Nxd3 14.Nbd2 Nxc5
15.Qd1 Qh5 16.Nb3!ƒ when White had some good compensation, but had to settle for a draw in
Oreopoulas – Esposito CCF 2017.

12...Be6

12...exd4 13.Nxd4 Qg4 14.Rg1 Bxc5 15.Nf3²

444
13.Bxe6 Qxe6 14.dxe5 Qxb3 15.axb3 Nd3! 16.Ke2²

Position after: 16.Ke2²

e) 6...Qd7 7.Bb5 c6 8.Bc4 dxe3

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 f6! 4.e3 e5 5.c5! a5 6.Qa4+! Qd7!? 7.Bb5 c6 8.Bc4 dxe3!N

Position after: 8...dxe3!N

445
9.fxe3!

Correspondence games have witnessed this position already several times (with only draws and wins
for White), and a kind of special theory has developed here.
9.dxe3!? might be interesting, but there is (at least) one small problem after 9...Na6! 10.a3 axb4! 11.0-0
Nh6 12.axb4 Nc7! 13.Qxa8 Nxa8 14.Rxa8.

Position after: 14.Rxa8

Black seems to be crushed, but he has the resource 14...b5!!= allowing the transfer of the queen to b7 to
get rid of the annoying rook. The game is objectively about equal.

9...Qg4!

9...Na6?! fails after 10.d4!

446
Position after: 10.d4!

10...Nxb4 (10...axb4 11.0-0 e4 12.Nfd2 f5 13.Bxg8 Rxg8 14.Nc4 Nc7 15.Qxb4²) 11.Nc3! Ne7
12.Qb3 Ned5 13.a3 Nxc3 14.axb4 Nd5 15.bxa5²

10.b5!

10.d4?! Qxg2!µ

10...e4

10...Qxg2?! seems too artificial, and White got a great position after 11.Rf1 Bg4 12.Be2!

447
Position after: 12.Be2!

12...Bd7 (12...f5?! 13.Nc3! Be7 14.Bb2 Nf6 15.0-0-0±) 13.Nc3 Ne7 (13...Bxc5 14.Rg1 Qh3
15.Rxg7±) 14.d4! exd4 15.exd4 Qh3 16.Bd2 g6 17.d5± Black is about to collapse, and eventually lost
in Havumaki, A (2415) – Ruokokoski, H (2225) FIN/C67 2016.

11.Nd4 Qxg2 12.Rf1 Bxc5

Position after: 12...Bxc5

448
Black is temporarily two pawns up, but his king will never find a safe spot. It’s no accident that both of
the following correspondence games were won by White.

13.Ba3! Bxa3

13...Bxd4 14.exd4 Bg4 15.bxc6 bxc6 16.Rf2 Qg1+ 17.Bf1 The threat is Rf2-g2. 17...Bh3 18.Nc3! e3
19.Rf3 Kd8 20.0-0-0 and Black resigned already in Claridge, J (2230) – Sage, F (2340) FRA – WLS
2015, 1-0.

14.Qxa3 Qxh2 15.Nc3 Ne7 16.Nxe4 Qh4+ 17.Nf2 cxb5 18.Nxb5 Kf8 19.Rc1©

Position after: 19.Rc1©

With tremendous compensation for White in the game Ilyushchenko, Y (2300) – Simmelink, J (2340)
corr CP – LSS ICCF 2013.

f) 6...Bd7 7.b5 Bxc5 8.Bc4 --, 8...Ne7 9.exd4 exd4 10.Ba3 Bxa3

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 f6! 4.e3 e5 5.c5! a5 6.Qa4+! Bd7

449
Position after: 6...Bd7

This has been the most problematic move in practice.

7.b5

This is the natural continuation after 6.Qa4+; we are ready to give up a pawn in exchange for quick and
active development.

7...Bxc5 8.Bc4

450
Position after: 8.Bc4

8...Ne7

Even if correspondence players all agree that this is the best move, over-the-board players don’t seem
to feel the same, and a few mistakes have appeared instead of this move.
A) 8...Qe7?! 9.0-0 dxe3 10.fxe3!N (10.dxe3 Be6 White couldn’t achieve enough counterplay in
Mareco, S (2635) – Anand, V (2779) Doha 2016) 10...e4 11.Nd4! Bxd4?! 12.exd4± The annoying
Ba3 is coming, and we have a crushing initiative.
B) 8...c6? 9.Bxg8 Rxg8 10.Qc4±
C) 8...Bg4? is like 8...c6, and Anand himself couldn’t spot (or simply forgot and played too fast) that
White has the trick 9.Bxg8! followed by Qc4, winning a piece.

Position after: 9.Bxg8!

The game continued 9...Nd7 10.Qb3 Qe7 11.Bc4 a4 12.Qc2 0-0-0±. White failed to convert his
advantage in Caruana, F (2804) – Anand, V (2770) Leuven 2016, but obviously only because it was a
rapid game.
D) 8...Nh6? is far too slow to be convincing: 9.exd4 exd4 10.0-0 Nf5 11.Re1+ (11.Qc2!?N is even
stronger, to annoy the c5-bishop: 11...Nd6 12.Bd5 Bb6 13.Re1+ Kf8 14.Ba3+–) 11...Kf8 12.Ba3 Na6
13.Nxd4 Nb4 14.Nb3± 1-0 (30) Rasmussen, A (2517) – Farago, I (2428) Amantea 2014.

9.exd4 exd4

451
Position after: 9...exd4

10.Ba3!

10.Bb2?! is clearly inferior, and Black has the better game after 10...Bg4 11.Nxd4 as played in the
game Ramirez, A (2587) – Edouard, R (2639) Arlington 2015, which Black easily won. But as my
good friend Romain mentions in his analysis (I have actually written this book thanks to him –
sometimes I have to admit he is right), he could have improved his play with 11...Nd7!N

Position after: 11...Nd7!N

452
because 12.Ne6 doesn’t work: 12...Bxe6 13.Bxe6 Bxf2+! 14.Kxf2 Nc5 15.Qg4 Nd3+ 16.Kg1 Nxb2
17.Qxg7 Qd4+ 18.Kf1 Rf8µ.

10...Bxa3!?

Position after: 10...Bxa3!?

Now we need to improve over previous games with...

11.Qxa3!N

This is counterintuitive, as it doesn’t develop the knight, but it’s actually more important to protect the
f3-knight, keep an eye on the knight on e7, and move the queen now in view of ...Nb8-d7-b6.
≤ 11.Nxa3 Bg4 12.Nxd4 Nd7 13.Nac2 Nb6 14.Qb3 Qd6! 15.0-0 a4 16.Qc3 0-0-0³ Black has the
initiative, even if he finally couldn’t win in Caruana, F (2823) – Topalov, V (2760) Saint Louis 2016.

11...Bg4 12.0-0 Nd7 13.Re1

We follow active and straightforward development.

13...Nb6 14.Bf1!

453
Position after: 14.Bf1!

We don’t need our bishop to prevent Black from castling, as the black king must defend the knight, so
it’s better to bring the bishop back home to f1, from where it defends b5 and can sometimes be a good
companion for its king.

14...Kf7 15.Re4!?

I prefer this move to the one played in the correspondence game Zawadski, A (2180) – Frijling, J
(2215) WS/M/578 ICCF 2016: 15.Nxd4 Re8 16.Qb3+ Kf8 17.Re4 Bf5 18.Nc3 Qd7 19.Nxf5 Nxf5
20.Rae1 Nd6 21.R4e3² ½-½ (55).

15...h5

15...Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Re8 17.Na3! Kg8 18.Rae1 Qd7 19.Nc4²

16.Nxd4 Qd6 17.h3 Bd7 18.Qf3!ƒ

454
Position after: 18.Qf3!ƒ

White has activity in the center and Black still has concerns about his king. He can’t castle ‘by hand’
because he also has to worry about his hanging h-pawn.

g) 6...Bd7 7.b5 Bxc5 8.Bc4 Ne7 9.exd4 exd4 10.Ba3 Na6

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.b4 f6! 4.e3 e5 5.c5! a5 6.Qa4+! Bd7 7.b5 Bxc5 8.Bc4 Ne7 9.exd4 exd4 10.Ba3!
Na6!?

455
Position after: 10...Na6!?

An ingenious way to bring the knight into play and protect the bishop.

11.0-0 Nb4

In the latest theoretical books, this position is the recommendation of both Delchev (with Semkov), and
Mikhalevski.
There is no doubt that this is a really important position. While 12.d3 is analyzed quite deeply by the
authors, and I agree with them that the game is more or less balanced (I even prefer Black in most of
the lines as his position seems simpler to play), I turned once again to correspondence games, and they
all agree on 12.Re1.

12.Re1!N

It’s quite strange that no one has tested this move in a real game, as it seems natural.
12.d3 can be well met with two different moves:

Position after: 12.d3

12...Bf5! (12...c6!? 13.Nbd2 Qb6 14.bxc6 Bxc6!N 15.Qd1 0-0-0∞) 13.Re1 (I tried the slightly dubious
13.Rc1 against the Polish prodigy Duda, and after a crazy game was quite lucky to draw.) 13...Bxd3
14.Bxd3 Nxd3 15.Bxc5 Nxc5 16.Qc4 Qd6! 17.Nbd2 0-0-0 18.Rac1 b6 19.Ne4 Nxe4 20.Rxe4 Rd7
21.Rxd4= We regain our pawn, but have no attack left; it is simply equal.

12...Bg4

456
The most logical continuation, as White does not have any natural move to protect his knight.
A) 12...Bf5?! is well met with 13.Nh4!

Position after: 13.Nh4!

A1) 13...Kf8 14.Qd1 Qd7 15.Nxf5 Qxf5 16.Be6 Qg5 17.d3± The bishop on e6 is a real monster.
A2) 13...Bc2? is refuted 14.Bxb4!! Bxa4 15.Bxc5, leaving Black in an awful position. He needs to
prevent Nf5 with 15...g6 16.Nf3!, but the king can’t hide anywhere and we can take on e7 whenever
we want. 16...c6 17.Na3! Kd7 18.Rxe7+ Qxe7 19.Bxe7 Kxe7 20.Nxd4+–.
A3) 13...Bg6 14.Qb3 Qd6 15.Qh3!‚ preventing the king from castling, and now threatening
16.Nxg6.
B) 12...b6 can be quite logical, but now I like 13.Nc3!

457
Position after: 13.Nc3!

The knight is heading to e4, which more or less forces 13...dxc3 14.dxc3 Nc2 (14...Kf8 15.Rad1 Nc2
16.Qxc2 Bxa3 17.Rxd7! Qxd7 18.Nd4 Ke8 19.Qe2!‚ It seems a bit early to stop the analysis, but as
this position is unlikely to occur, I will just say that White has wonderful compensation for the rook.)
15.Qxc2 Bxa3 16.Qb3! Bd6 (16...Bc5 is similar: 17.Bg8 Bg4 18.Qf7+ Kd7 19.Rxe7+! Qxe7
20.Qd5+ Qd6 21.Qxa8 Bxf3 22.Qxf3±) 17.Bg8!!

Position after: 17.Bg8!!

458
 17...Bg4 18.Nd4!± This position requires some calculation, but Black is objectively already lost.

13.d3

13.Qb3? Since the first edition of the book, the following game Perez Ponsa, F (2553) – Ramirez, A
(2568) chess.com 2018, 0-1 (23), was played on the internet. However, White’s idea is pretty bad, and
we can even improve Black’s play with 13...Qd6! 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 0-0-0µ.

13...Bxf3 14.gxf3

Position after: 14.gxf3

White is a pawn down, and his kingside is damaged, but he has the bishop pair, and as Black has had to
give up his light-squared bishop, our bishop on c4 is really dominating.

14...Kf8

Of course, Black has other moves but it’s not easy to castle long, so this seems like the easiest way to
bring the e7-knight back to life.
14...b6 doesn’t really help Black, and gives him fewer options: 15.Nd2 Kf8 16.Ne4 Ng6 17.Qd1!

459
Position after: 17.Qd1!

We transfer our queen to the kingside, even if the way seems blocked right now. 17...Qd7 (17...Be7 is
no longer logical as Black has played 14...b6. We can open the way for our queen with 18.f4! Qd7
19.Qh5+–. Black has been completely outplayed; 17...Nf4 18.Bc1 Nbd5 19.Bxd5 Nxd5 20.Nxc5 bxc5
21.Ba3 Kf7 22.Bxc5ƒ) 18.f4 h5 (18...Nxf4?? 19.Qf3 Ng6 20.Nxf6+–) 19.Nxc5 bxc5 20.Bxb4 axb4
21.Be6! Qxb5 22.Qf3² Despite his efforts, Black is unable to bring the h8-rook into play. White is
about to play a2-a4, to either open the queenside or create a strong passed pawn. He easily won in the
correspondence game: Oreopoulos, K (2490) – Szczepanski, Z (2520) WS/ GMN/047 ICCF 2015.

15.Nd2 Ned5

15...Ng6

460
Position after: 15...Ng6

A) 16.Ne4 Be7 (16...b6 – see 14... b6) 17.Ng3 Ne5 18.Rxe5! A necessary exchange sacrifice.
18...fxe5 19.Re1 g6 20.Rxe5 White has good compensation, but two correspondence games soon
ended in a draw. No doubt though that it is still interesting for a practical game. 20...Kg7 21.Bb2
(21.Bc1 Bf6 22.Bf4 Rf8 23.a3 Bh4 24.Bd2 Bf6 ½-½ Martín Sánchez, C (2450) – Jensen, E (2450)
WS/GMN/050 ICCF 2016) 21...c5 22.bxc6 Nxc6 ½-½ Torsteinsson (2455) – Biedermann, T (2420)
ISL/OPC/2016 (corr.) 2016.
B) 16.Nb3!? This might be stronger than coming to the center. 16...b6 (16...Be7? 17.Re4+–) 17.Nxc5
bxc5 18.Qd1! Ne5 19.Bxb4 axb4 20.Bb3 g5 21.f4 gxf4 22.Qh5 Kg7 23.Kh1‚

16.Ne4 Be7 17.Qb3

461
Position after: 17.Qb3

17...c6

17...Nf4 18.Ng3! Bd6 19.Re4‚

18.Ng3 Qd7 19.Re4 Kf7 20.Ne2

20.Rae1 is of course logical as well.

20...Rhd8 21.Nf4‚

462
Position after: 21.Nf4‚

Black has finally been able to use his h8-rook, but White’s initiative is hard to neutralize, and he
eventually won in Oreopoulos, K (2445) – Ruefenacht, M (2455) Champions League 2012, 1-0 (34).

463
 Part IV
Symmetrical English 1.Nf3 c5 2.c4

Chapter 13
Lines without ...Nf6 & Botvinnik

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4

Chapter guide
Chapter 13 – Lines without ...Nf6 & Botvinnik
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.b3 e5 4.Bb2
a) 2.--, 2.c4 --
b) 4...e4
c) 4...d6 5.Nc3 --
d) 4...d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.g3 Bg7 7.d3 Nge7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 --
e) 4...d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.g3 Bg7 7.d3 Nge7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 h6

a) 2.--, 2.c4 --

1.Nf3 c5

464
Position after: 1...c5

This is nothing less than the third most played move at this early stage (after 1...Nf6 and 1...d5). It’s
perhaps even the most important, as after 1...Nf6, players usually transpose to ...c5-systems (after 2.c4
c5). We will start our investigation of these systems with ...c5 on move one, as it is the most flexible
more order for Black. It’s important to mention that only Sicilian players can logically play 1...c5 as it
would transpose after 2.e4, but as I am not really willing to refute the Sicilian, I prefer to analyze only
2.c4.

2.c4

This transposes to the Symmetrical English, which has been covered in many books, but not with the
system I have chosen for you! It was already a tough choice for me on the second move, as I have
played 2.b3 in most of my games.
Both move orders have drawbacks and advantages, and I had to balance the pros and cons. I finally
preferred the text move. In this chapter, we will have a closer look at some minor systems that Black
may want to play.
These systems have one thing in common: the knight on g8 doesn’t go to its natural square on f6. We
will study the possibilities after an early ...Nf6 in the next chapter.
2.b3!?

465
Position after: 2.b3!?

The main advantage of starting with this move is that it prevents Black from playing an early ...g7-g6,
which is annoying if we want to play b2-b3 later. It can transpose to our text move on many occasions,
but the main problem in my view (even if no one has played it against me, maybe because Black
completely changes his set-up) is 2...d5!, when we can’t play c2-c4 as ...d5-d4 would be quite annoying
now that b3 has been played (and doesn’t make much sense in these pawn structures). So it’s
impossible to try to transpose into the chapter on the Neo-Catalan, while after 3.Bb2, among Black’s
good options, he can continue with 3...f6!?, which is quite annoying as he simply tries to occupy the
center.
But if for any reason you would like to play this move order, my advice is to have a look at the rare
move 4.Nc3!? which is almost a novelty, but was seen in Nakamura – Caruana, Saint Louis rapid 2017
(and also Edouard, R – Demuth, A Llucmajor blitz 2016, but you won’t find this one in the databases).
The position is already quite strange, but White is ready to meet 4...e5?! with the central reaction 5.e4!
ƒ.

2...b6!?

A) 2...g6 prevents us from playing our Reti-like system with b2-b3 so easily. None of the options
really has anything to do with a Modern Reti, so I prefer not to cover it in depth. I have made some
suggestions on how to meet it below. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ll leave the choice (and all the
work!) to you!

466
Position after: 2...g6

A1) 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 Nc6 5.Nc3 is a tabiya of the Symmetrical English, where Black now has
various choices leading to several systems, but we generally can’t transpose into the lines I am
covering here.
A2) 3.e3 aims to advance with d2-d4, but avoiding the Maroczy. Black can respond quietly with
3...Bg7 4.d4 Nf6 and White still needs to justify his early e2-e3.
A3) 3.d4 leading to a Maroczy system is usually the reason why people don’t play 2...g6: 3...cxd4
4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.e4 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6 and this is only the beginning of the theory. Maybe you
already have some knowledge of the Maroczy if you are used to facing it in the Sicilian, or in some
lines of the King’s Indian. It has already been covered in books, and there are many ways to play for
both sides.
B) 2...e6 This is quite a compromising move. Firstly, because Black can’t play any system where the
pawn advances to e5 any more, without being a tempo down.
Secondly, because ...g7-g6 is not really an option any more, as it would be too weakening. And last,
because it can only transpose into other systems. 3.g3!

467
Position after: 3.g3!

There is no reason to hurry in playing b2-b3 now. 3...d5 (3...b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 Nf6 transposes into
chapter 15 on the Hedgehog; 3...Nc6 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.b3 0-0 7.Bb2 d5 finally transposes into
chapter 5 on the Neo-Catalan) 4.cxd5 exd5 5.d4 is chapter 4 on the Tarrasch.

3.g3

Position after: 3.g3

468
We have to hurry in playing this move, otherwise Black would have the possibility of taking on f3 once
we play g3, with some positional compensation in the d4-square. If you want to play a kingside
fianchetto, it’s now or never.

3...Bb7 4.Bg2 g6!?

After 2...g6 Black is first to place a bishop on the long dark-squared diagonal. When I faced this last
year, I decided to play...

5.Nc3

5.0-0 is a bit too slow for my taste because of 5...Bg7 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.b3 and Black can take advantage of
the pin on the long diagonal with 7...d5!ƒ, when he is the first to strike in the center. (7...Ne4!?= is also
fine, if allowing too many trades).

5...Bg7 6.b3

Position after: 6.b3

6...Nh6!?

This is more or less the only independent idea.

6...Nf6 7.Bb2 transposes into the symmetrical double fianchetto system that we will analyze later in
this chapter.

7.Bb2 Nf5

469
This thematic manoeuvre fights against the possibility of d2-d4, and the knight is quite difficult to
remove.

8.0-0 0-0 9.e3 Nc6

Position after: 9...Nc6

This position was reached in my game Demuth, A (2545) – Edouard, R (2647) Agen 2016, which I
won after surviving some trouble in the middlegame.
I consider it a reliable system for Black. I won’t spend too much time on it, as you will most probably
never face this variation (as the move order is really unusual, especially 2...b6), and will simply
recommend the following plan...

10.Rb1!?N 10...Rb8! 11.Ne2 e5

This might be best.

11...Bxb2 12.Rxb2ƒ seems quite promising as the logical continuation d2-d4 will follow.

12.d3 d6 13.a3ƒ

470
Position after: 13.a3ƒ

This is similar to the main line of the Botvinnik system. White should bring a knight to/towards the d5-
square, and then try to advance b3-b4. In addition the knight on f5 is somewhat misplaced: it prevents
...f7-f5 and will be necessary on e7 to fight against a potential white knight on d5.

b) 4...e4

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6

471
Position after: 2...Nc6

We will now focus on this critical move. Black intends to play 3...e5, which is why White often reacts
with 3.d4. It’s true that it should be the most ambitious move, but I prefer to avoid a clash in the center
for now, and develop with the double fianchetto system.

3.b3!? e5!?

We will concentrate only on this move for now, as others have already been covered or will transpose
into the next chapters.

4.Bb2!

Strange, but very interesting! White chooses not to prevent the annoying-looking ...e4.

4...e4

4...d6 is the main move – see the next subchapters.

5.Ng1

Position after: 5.Ng1

5...Nf6

5...f5?!N Black takes as much space as possible, but it is not really effective as it also creates some
weak spots. 6.d3! Nf6 7.e3 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Nh3! In order to prevent a knight from coming to d5,
Black has to hurry with 9...d5. but after 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.dxe4 Nxc3 12.Bc4+ Kh8 13.Qxd8 Rxd8

472
14.Bxc3 fxe4 15.Nf4± White stands much better.

6.Nc3

Black has to worry about his e4-pawn. Like Black in Alekhine’s Defense, White encourages his
opponent’s pawns to advance, in order to destroy his center more easily later. It’s actually quite strange
that of the three games that reached this position, two were played by the Russian super-GM Peter
Svidler in blitz games.

Position after: 6.Nc3

6...Bd6!?

This move was played by Radjabov in the first encounter against Svidler. His idea is to put the bishop
on e5 in order to pin our knight.
A) 6...Be7?! 7.Qb1!N

473
Position after: 7.Qb1!N

I don’t see any reason why we should refrain from trying to take the pawn. (7.g3 0-0 8.Bg2 Re8
9.Nh3 d5 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Nxe4 Bf5 12.Nc3 Bf6© MVL had great compensation for the pawn and
eventually won in Svidler, P (2759) – Vachier-Lagrave, M (2798) Biel 2016) 7...0-0 (7...d5 8.cxd5
Nb4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4 0-0 11.a3! Nxd5 12.Nf3²) 8.e3! We have to be cautious and prepare the
capture of the e4-pawn. (8.Nxe4?! Nxe4 9.Qxe4 Bf6 10.Qb1 d5! 11.cxd5 Bxb2 12.Qxb2 Qxd5© and
Black’s initiative is not easy to handle.) 8...Re8 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4² … 10...Bf6? 11.Bxf6+–
B) 6...d5N 7.cxd5 Nb4 8.e3! Nbxd5 9.Nge2! Nxc3?! 10.Nxc3 Be7 11.Qc2 Bf5 12.Bb5+!±

7.Qb1!?N

474
Position after: 7.Qb1!?N

7.e3 as played by Svidler is interesting too. 7...0-0 But I would now advise 8.f4!N, actively preventing
...Be5.

7...0-0!

It seems best for Black to sacrifice the pawn in order to create some counterplay. We have to be
accurate.
A) 7...Be5? 8.Nxe4 Bxb2 9.Nd6+ Ke7 10.Nxc8+ Rxc8 11.Qxb2±
B) 7...Qe7 8.e3 0-0 9.Nge2 Re8 10.Ng3² Black’s development isn’t great and he needs to worry
about his e4-pawn for a while.

8.Nxe4! Nxe4 9.Qxe4 Re8 10.Qb1 Be5

475
Position after: 10...Be5

Black wants to continue with ...d7-d5 and open lines since we still need some time to castle.

11.e3!

This important move provides some options. For instance play might continue...

11...Qf6 12.Bxe5 Nxe5 13.f4! Ng6 14.Be2!²

Position after: 14.Be2!²

476
As Black is lacking clear counterplay here, I think we are simply better.

c) 4...d6 5.Nc3 --

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.b3 e5 4.Bb2 d6

Black’s central pawn structure indicates the start of the Botvinnik System, which often appears in the
English opening, and can be played by either side. This is a solid choice, the only drawback being that
it clearly weakens the light squares, especially d5.

5.Nc3

Position after: 5.Nc3

As we said, d5 is a really important square in this opening, thus it’s logical to develop our knight here.
It also prevents ...e5-e4, which we have no reason to allow any more.

5...Nf6

This is played from time to time, but it’s not great.

A) 5...f5?! This would be too early, as we can still strike in the center with 6.e3!, intending d2-d4,
which is hard for Black to meet.

477
Position after: 6.e3!

(6.d3 Nf6 7.g3 Be7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0²) 6...Nf6 (6...e4?! is similar to the line we saw earlier with: 4...e4
7.Ng1 Nf6 8.d3 Be7 9.Nh3!±; 6...g6?! 7.d4! exd4 8.exd4 cxd4 9.Nxd4±) 7.d4!
A1) 7...cxd4?! is even worse: 8.exd4 e4 9.d5! exf3 10.dxc6 Qe7+ 11.Kd2! Once again, we are
following a blitz game by Peter Svidler. We can be concerned about our king being so exposed, but
it will soon be safe, whereas Black has to do something about the e-file. 11...bxc6 12.Qxf3 Ne4+
13.Kc2! Be6 14.Nxe4 fxe4 15.Qxe4+– 1-0 (25) Svidler, P (2753) – Caruana, F (2791) Stavanger
2014.
A2) 7...e4 8.d5!

478
Position after: 8.d5!

This is obviously the idea. 8...Nb4 (8...exf3?! 9.dxc6 bxc6 10.Qxf3±) 9.Ng5² h6?! 10.Ne6 Bxe6
11.dxe6± The pawn on e6 is poisoned, as it will be untouchable after Nc3-d5.
B) Our main move, 5...g6, will be covered in the following subchapters.

6.d3 Be7

Position after: 6...Be7

479
Another way to develop the kingside, but clearly inferior. Black can’t play ...f7-f5 any more, and his
bishop does nothing on e7. Of course, the position is still playable, but I don’t know why Black should
enter this passive system. It’s no accident there are only a few games played this way.
6...g6?! 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 This is like our main line except that the knight is not on e7. The
difference doesn’t help Black at all, so we won’t take it any further.

7.g3 0-0 8.Bg2 Bg4?!

8...a6 9.0-0 Rb8 10.Nd2 Bd7 11.e3!? b5 12.Nde4² Black hasn’t achieved much on the queenside, and
we are ready to continue with Qe2 and f4 soon.

9.h3 Bh5 10.g4 Bg6 11.Nh4²

Position after: 11.Nh4²

By collecting the g6-bishop, White will get some advantage thanks to the light squares.

d) 4...d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.g3 Bg7 7.d3 Nge7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 --

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.b3 e5 4.Bb2 d6 5.Nc3 g6

480
Position after: 5...g6

6.g3 Bg7 7.d3

We can start with 7.Bg2, but it seems even simpler to prevent any ...e5-e4 ideas.

7...Nge7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0

Position after: 9.0-0

We have reached one of the tabiyas of our system against the Symmetrical English, where Black has

481
decided to head for a pure Botvinnik formation.
Black generally has two major plans:
1) Expand on the queenside by means of ...a7-a6, ...Ra8-b8 and ...b7-b5. Of course, opening the b-file
would be great for Black, but it’s not so easy, as we prefer to take back on c4 with the d-pawn in order
to open our own lines.
2) Build an initiative on the kingside with the battery ...Be6/...Qd7 (al-though he’ll have to start with
...h7-h6 to prevent any annoying Ng5-ideas), then try to trade our g2-bishop by playing ...Be6-h3, and
most probably start an expansion with ...f7-f5.
On the other hand, we have attractive plans of our own:
1) We can also start an expansion on the queenside, with a2-a3 and b3-b4, even if we sometimes have
to sacrifice a pawn. This will open files and we always get good compensation.
2) Using the weakness of the light-squared diagonal, put our knights on d5 and e4, and then advance in
the center with e2-e3 and f2-f4.
Objectively, in these kinds of positions, chances are balanced, and I can’t say that White has the
advantage, but if we understand the position well we can outplay our opponents, as often happened in
my games. Let’s start our analysis. We have four moves to consider!

9...a6

Black starts plan one, expansion on the queenside

A) 9...Rb8 gives Black fewer options than 9...a6 (as ...b7-b5 can’t be played right now). We will
concentrate only on the other move order.
B) 9...f5

482
Position after: 9...f5

This is less usual, as Black is now unable to trade the light-squared bishops with ...Bh3. Still, the idea
is not bad, simply developing the pieces with the idea to keep advancing with ...f5-f4 at some point.
10.e3 h6 11.Qe2!?
B1) Our last move had the nasty idea to meet 11...Be6?! with the strong... 12.d4!

Position after: 12.d4!

The exposed bishop on e6 is a source of problems for Black. 12...Bf7?! 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Rfd1 Qa5
15.Nd5± with a great position for White in Frouth, N (2225) – Cebalo, M (2425) Zagreb 2014.
B2) 11...g5!? 12.Nd2 Be6 13.Nd5 Qd7 (13...g4!? 14.Nb1!? The d5-square is so important that we
are ready to spend a couple of tempi to use it properly. 14...Qd7 15.Nbc3 h5 16.f3!ƒ Timing is
important, and we are ready to open the position.) 14.f4!

483
Position after: 14.f4!

This is always a nice move. It prevents any further advance of the f-pawn, so blocks the bishop e6.
14...g4! (14...exf4 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.gxf4 g4 17.a3! Ng6 18.b4ƒ) 15.a3 As the kingside is blocked
for now, we turn our attention towards the queenside. 15...Rf7 (15...exf4?! 16.Bxg7 f3?! This idea
doesn’t work. 17.Bxf8! fxe2? 18.Nf6+ Kf7 19.Nxd7 exf1=Q+ 20.Rxf1 Bxd7 21.Bxh6±) 16.Rab1 h5
17.b4!ƒ Once again I prefer White who has the initiative on the queenside.
C) 9...h6 is our main move, and will be covered in the next subchapter.

10.Ne1

484
Position after: 10.Ne1

10...Be6

As already explained, when our knight has moved from f3, the bishop can come to e6 without fearing
Nf3-g5.
10...Rb8 is slightly less precise, as after 11.Nc2 b5 12.Ne3 Be6 White can either transpose to our main
line with 13.Ncd5, or can try to improve by using the other knight. Both make a lot of sense and Black
shouldn’t leave us this choice.

11.Nd5!

485
Position after: 11.Nd5!

If we wait, Black will react in the center: 11.Nc2 d5! 12.cxd5 Nxd5ƒ. Black is happy about the opening
of the center: the weakness of the d5-square belongs to the past now.

11...Rb8 12.Nc2

12.Qd2!? is also interesting for White. In the game Velikov, P (2431) – Parmentier, X (2348) Clichy
2002, play continued 12...b5 13.f4! f5 14.Nxe7+ Nxe7 15.Rc1 Qd7 16.Nf3ƒ, and the knight found a
quicker way to come back into play. We retain promising pressure in the center and don’t fear anything
on the queenside.

12...b5 13.Nce3

486
Position after: 13.Nce3

We are ready to continue with f2-f4, and Black still needs to find a plan, as his action on the queenside
was neither a huge nor clear success.

13...Kh8

13...Qd7 14.f4 bxc4 15.dxc4 Nd4 16.fxe5 dxe5 17.Qd2 f5 18.Nxe7+ Qxe7 19.Nd5 Qd7 20.e3²

14.f4 f5 15.Qd2 Bg8 16.Rac1

Black finds himself without a real plan, and played really slowly in the following game...

16...Rc8

487
Position after: 16...Rc8

17.Nxe7

17.fxe5!? is another path to a better position: 17...Nxe5 (17...dxe5 18.cxb5±) 18.a4! bxa4 (18...b4
19.d4²) 19.bxa4 Rb8 20.Rb1².

17...Qxe7 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.cxd5 Nb8 20.e4!?

20.fxe5N 20...Bxe5 21.d4!?ƒ

20...exf4 21.gxf4 Bxb2 22.Qxb2+ Qg7 23.Qxg7+ Kxg7 24.e5ƒ

488
Position after: 24.e5ƒ

Even if he failed to convert his edge, White still had the upper hand in Soppe, G – Adla, D Cordoba
1994.

e) 4...d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.g3 Bg7 7.d3 Nge7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 h6

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.b3 e5 4.Bb2 d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.g3 Bg7 7.d3 Nge7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 h6

Position after: 9...h6

489
In my opinion this definitely has to be considered the main move. Black keeps his options open and
wants to continue with 10...Be6 no matter what.

10.Nd2

10.Ne1 is also possible, but I prefer to have the opportunity of bringing the knight to e4.

10...Be6 11.a3!

We have reached the last crossroads of our present chapter. Black has various ways to continue, and I
have already met two of these possibilities in my own games.

Position after: 11.a3!

11.Nd5 You need to be cautious with this move, as Black can sometimes play 11...Bxd5 12.cxd5
Nb4∞ and we can’t defend d5 without losing the d3-pawn. Things are not so clear, but there is no
reason to allow these kinds of tricks.

11...Qd7

This is the logical continuation.

A) 11...d5?!

490
Position after: 11...d5?!

In 2012, this move occurred in two blitz games between Radjabov and Grischuk. Surprisingly, neither
of the two moves tried by Radjabov is the best!
A1) 12.cxd5!N This very logical move is actually a novelty, but I don’t understand why. 12...Nxd5
13.Rc1!

Position after: 13.Rc1!

Here is the problem. Black must defend his c5-pawn, and will have some problems on the c-file.

491
 13...Nde7 (13...b6 is not good enough as the c6-knight is the source of many problems. 14.b4!±)
14.Na4! b6 15.b4! Black must lose a pawn. The best way seems to be 15...Rb8 16.bxc5 b5 17.Nc3
f5² where he gets some compensation, but not enough.
A2) 12.b4!? I also like this counter-strike, even if it’s probably inferior to our move 12.cxd5.
12...cxb4! (12...dxc4 13.Nxc4 Bxc4 14.dxc4 cxb4 15.axb4 Nxb4 16.Qa4ƒ Nbc6?! 17.Ba3±;
12...d4?! 13.Na4 cxb4 14.axb4! Nxb4 15.Nc5±) 13.axb4 Nxb4! The only problem I could find, but
it’s quite a significant one. (13...dxc4 appeared once, but White has a strong intermediate move at
his disposal: 14.b5 Nd4 15.dxc4 Qc7 16.e3 and White already had an overwhelming advantage in
Markowski, T (2475) – Huster, M (2255) Biel 1994; 13...d4 14.Na4! transposes to 12...d4?!) 14.Ba3
a5 15.cxd5! Nexd5 16.Nxd5 Nxd5

Position after: 16...Nxd5

Black sacrifices the exchange and gains some activity. 17.Bxf8 Nc3! (17...Kxf8 18.Qa4±) 18.Qe1
Bxf8© Black is going to put the bishop on b4, with good compensation, and it’s no accident that he
won in Keene, R – Timman, J Reykjavik 1972.
B) 11...Rb8

492
Position after: 11...Rb8

If Black changes his mind in order to start some action on the queenside, you have a choice: you can
either first advance with b4, or you can quietly improve your center. I don’t know which one I would
pick right now.
B1) 12.b4!?N This is no longer a sacrifice, as the a7-pawn would be en prise. Black must keep the
tension in the center and also react on the queenside with 12...a6! 13.Nd5 b5 14.Bc3!„ Many things
could happen, but White is making good use of the d5-square here.
B2) 12.Nd5 b5!? 13.e3 f5 14.Qc2

493
Position after: 14.Qc2

14...Qd7 (14...a6?! 15.b4!ƒ uses the fact that the c6-knight is quite exposed) 15.f4!? Rf7 16.Rf2!?„
The fight is tense in every sector of the board!
C) 11...a6N 12.Nd5 Rb8 13.b4 transposes to 11...Rb8.
D) 11...f5 This is always possible, but it’s probably not the best moment for it. It’s actually quite
similar to 9...f5 (subchapter D), except that a3 and ...h6 have been included.

Position after: 11...f5

I think overall this helps White as it gives him possibilities of playing b3-b4 at any moment, so you
can follow the same plan as after 9...f5 and play with e2-e3, Qd1-e2, and f2-f4 at some stage. In a
blitz game, I chose a different path to obtain the initiative. Objectively it might be inferior, but it
shows some of the problems that Black might face: 12.b4!? cxb4 13.axb4 Nxb4 14.Ba3 (14.Bxb7
probably didn’t suit me because of 14...Rb8 15.Bg2 Nxd3! 16.exd3 Rxb2 17.Rxa7ƒ even if White
objectively keeps some initiative.) 14...Nbc6 15.Nd5 Bxd5? (Black should have kept the tension with
15...Rc8, even if we can mount pressure on the queenside: 16.Qa4 Rf7 17.Rfb1©) 16.cxd5 Nd4
17.Rb1 Qd7 18.Nc4!

494
Position after: 18.Nc4!

The d6-pawn is too weak. My opponent failed to defend it properly and played 18...Nb5? 19.Qa4! a6
20.Nxd6 Rfd8 21.Nxb5 axb5 22.Qb3+–. I was close to converting this winning position in the blitz
game Demuth, A (2545) – Volokitin, A (2639) Berlin 2015, 0-1, until a nasty knight fork came along
to ruin my day!

12.Nd5

Position after: 12.Nd5

495
Contrary to 11.Nd5, this doesn’t lose a pawn, so the knight is virtually untouchable for now. You will
notice that if Black had already played ...a6, it would be less easy to play a plan including ...Qd7
because of the weakness of the b6-square.
12.b4!? This novelty was used in March 2018 by no one else than Kramnik. It seems really interesting
and ambitious, playing in a Benko spirit, but it’s probably only about equal. 12...cxb4 13.axb4 Nxb4
14.Ba3 a5! (14...Nbc6?! 15.Nde4 Nc8 16.Nb5 Rd8 17.Nbxd6²) 15.Rb1 e4 16.Na4!

Position after: 16.Na4!

16...Ra6 (16...exd3!? is one of the moves which can keep the balance 17.Nb6 Qc7 18.Nxa8 Rxa8
19.exd3 Nec6©) 17.Nxe4 b5! 18.cxb5 Qxb5 19.Bb2ƒ ½-½ (56) Kramnik, V (2800) – Gelfand, B
(2695) Moscow 2018.

12...Bh3

A) 12...f5 You won’t find this game in the databases, but I faced this move a few months ago against a
friend of mine. 13.f4!?

496
Position after: 13.f4!?

It’s also possible to start more slowly with 13.e3, but I wanted to stop any attempts at ...f5-f4 right
now. 13...Rae8 14.e3 Kh7 15.Qc2 (15.b4!? seems promising since the rook has left the a8-square – as
we already said, there is no longer a sacrifice as the a7-pawn is now a target – but things are going to
be quite complicated after 15...b5?! which is why I was still wanting to improve my position.
Actually, I could have played 16.Nb3! which is quite annoying for Black as he is unable to protect the
c5-pawn. He has to play 16...cxb4 17.axb4 Bxd5 18.cxd5 Nxb4 19.e4!± when White gets a serious
advantage thanks to the exposed b4-knight.) 15...Rc8 My opponent changed his mind, and started to
prevent the b2-b4 idea. 16.Rae1 b5

497
Position after: 16...b5

We’ll now leave my game Demuth, A (2547) – Bedouin, X (2329) Mansle 2017 which I finally won
after a tough fight. Now I prefer the strong 17.Nxe7 Nxe7 18.cxb5 Qxb5 19.Nc4!² that allows White
to keep some pressure in the center, as both d6 and e5 are under attack, and it seems possible to
handle Black’s counterplay on the b-file.
B) 12...Bg4?! appeared once, but it really seems too slow: 13.b4!?N 13...cxb4 14.axb4 Nxd5 15.cxd5
Nxb4 16.Nc4ƒ with some counterplay on the open files on the queenside.

Position after: 12...Bh3

13.Bxh3!N

White has no qualms about attracting the queen into his camp. His activity on the queenside is going to
be more important.
13.Ne4!? I have always thought that this was the only way to try to play for an advantage here, but
computers actually prefer our text move! White is threatening the deadly Nf6+, but he can also take on
h3 and grab the pawn on d6. Thus the only move is 13...Nxd5! 14.Bxh3! (14.cxd5?! is a bad move
order as Black can play 14...Bxg2! 15.dxc6?! Qh3! 16.cxb7 Rad8! 17.Re1?! f5–+ when he already has
a winning position) 14...Qxh3 15.cxd5 Ne7! (15...Nd4 16.e3 Nf5 Black has protected d6, but has some
coordination problems. For instance, we are better after 17.b4 b6 18.Qe2²) 16.Nxd6 Qd7! This strong
queen retreat saves Black as we can’t keep the extra pawn.

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Position after: 16...Qd7!

A) 17.Ne4 has been played in two games that reached this position, but Black is fine after 17...Qxd5
18.Rc1N (18.Qc2 is even worse: 18...Rac8!N and White no longer has any b4-ideas) 18...Rac8! 19.b4
cxb4 20.axb4 f5„.
B) 17.Nc4! Qxd5 18.b4 cxb4 19.axb4ƒ Even if the game is balanced, it seems more promising for
White. For instance, he has the possibility of playing Ra1-a5 to chase Black’s queen and attack the e5-
pawn. Still, it is certainly less promising than the main line.

13...Qxh3 14.b4!

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Position after: 14.b4!

14...Qd7!

This prevents b4-b5 as the knight on e7 is now protected.

A) White’s idea is clear here, when Black is not careful: 14...Rfd8?! 15.b5! Nxd5 16.cxd5 Ne7 17.e4
We have gained the c4-square for our knight and Black has no real counterplay.
B) 14...b6 15.e4! Now the positional idea is that we are always happy if our opponent takes on d5, as
we will get either the c4 or the e4-square for our knight. (15.Ne4?! f5! 16.Nxd6 Rad8ƒ) 15...f5
16.Qf3!

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Position after: 16.Qf3!

16...f4 17.Qg2 (17.b5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Na5 19.Rae1²) 17...Qd7 18.b5!²

15.Qa4!? Rad8 16.e3ƒ

The time that Black spent in trading the light-squared bishops can be seen as an achievement, but in
compensation we have taken over the initiative on the queenside and still have some ideas in the center,
starting with f2-f4.

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 Chapter 14
Every System with 2...Nf6

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.b3

Chapter guide
Chapter 14 – Every System with 2...Nf6
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.b3
a) 3...--, 3...b6
b) 3...d5
c) 3...Nc6 4.Bb2 --
d) 3...Nc6 4.Bb2 d5
e) 3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 --, 5...b6
f) 3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 --
g) 3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.d4 --
h) 3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 -- 9...Bd7 10.Nc3 --
i) 3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bd7 10.Nc3 Qa5

a) 3...--, 3...b6

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6

502
Position after: 2...Nf6

Here comes the time to study every system that arises after this logical move. Of course, it gives Black
plenty of options, and the only one we are not going to analyze here is the Hedgehog (as in my opinion
it doesn’t belong to the Symmetrical English).

3.b3!?

I don’t really want to enter the classical lines, so once again I am willing to start playing in Reti-style,
with a double fianchetto in most cases. Among the set-ups we are going to see, the two most important
are the reversed double fianchetto, where Black wants to keep the symmetry, and the kingside
fianchetto. We will also try to explore every possibility for Black to advance his d-pawn to the fifth
rank, defended by an e6-pawn or not.
For obvious reasons, many transpositions appear, both within this chapter and to other chapters. Let’s
now have a look at some third moves for Black.

3...b6

3...e6
A) 4.Nc3 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.e3 might be another way to play, but I’m not so confident with this one, as
it seems a bit early to put the knight on c3.
B) 4.Bb2 is not really an option, as after 4...b6 we must face the Hedgehog, and we usually put the
bishop directly on a3...
C) 4.g3! d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg2 Nc6 7.Bb2 – see 3...Nc6 4.Bb2 e6.

4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 e6

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Black is playing as if he wants to play a Hedgehog, but we have already played b3. It’s not really a big
deal if we don’t hurry in putting the bishop on b2. It is a bit strange, as we played b3 on the third move,
but the bishop should go to a3 later. In most cases, this will indeed transpose into the Hedgehog, but we
are going to discuss some slight differences you might encounter when you start with 3.b3.
5...g6 6.Bb2 Bg7 is the reversed double fianchetto system, which we cover later in this chapter.

6.0-0 Be7 7.Nc3 0-0

7...d5 8.e3 As soon as Black castles, this will transpose to chapter 5 on the Neo-Catalan with 6... b6.

8.d4

Position after: 8.d4

In most cases, this will transpose to the classical Hedgehog line covered in the next chapter. Here we
will investigate the few differences connected to this move order (where we played b3 quite early).

8...d5!?

A) 8...Ne4 is an attempt to simplify the position by trading a minor piece, but it accelerates White’s
development. 9.Bb2!
A1) 9...Nxc3 was played by Karjakin himself, and although he eventually won, he was not at all
convincing. 10.Bxc3
A1.1) 10...d5!?N is probably much better than Karjakin’s choice: 11.dxc5 dxc4! 12.Qb1!

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Position after: 12.Qb1!

A sneaky move! 12...Qc8! (12...cxb3? 13.Ng5! Bxg5 14.Bxb7+–) 13.bxc4 Nd7 (13...Bxc5 14.Ng5
g6 15.Ne4‚) 14.cxb6 axb6 15.Rd1² White has managed to grab a pawn, but in this kind of
structure Black usually keeps good drawing chances.
A1.2) 10...cxd4?! 11.Qxd4 Bf6 12.Qd3 Bxc3 13.Qxc3

Position after: 13.Qxc3

Karjakin’s plan of trying to trade a few minor pieces has worked, but the resulting position is

505
 passive, and White easily kept the advantage. The game continued 13...Qe7 14.Rfd1 Rd8 15.Rd2
Na6 16.Nd4 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Rac8 18.Qf3 d5 19.Rad1 Nb8 20.cxd5 Rxd5 21.e4 Rdc5 22.b4

Position after: 22.b4

Both players had played well in Navara, D (2707) – Karjakin, S (2723) Khanty-Mansiysk 2009,
until 22...Rc1?!, when White could have won by playing 23.Rxc1!N 23...Rxc1 24.Nc2!. Black has
too many problems on the eighth rank and with his exposed rook. 24...h5 25.Qa3 Rb1 26.b5!+–.
A2) 9...Bf6 10.Qc2! Nxc3 11.Bxc3 Nc6 12.Rad1!

Position after: 12.Rad1!

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 We are of course happy if major trades happen with 12...cxd4?! (12...Rc8!? 13.dxc5 Bxc3 14.Qxc3
bxc5 15.Ne5 Nd4! 16.Rd2 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 d6 18.Nf3 e5 19.e3 Nxf3 20.Kxf3²) 13.Nxd4 Bxd4
14.Bxd4 Nxd4 15.Rxd4 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 because Black will soon lose his d-pawn: 16...Qc7 17.Qd3
d5 18.cxd5 exd5 19.Rxd5+– 1-0 (35) Iljin, A (2481) – Evstratov, O (2249) Dagomys 2004.
B) 8...cxd4 9.Qxd4 d5

Position after: 9...d5

This is another difference to the Hedgehog. The ‘danger’ is to get a completely equal and quite
symmetrical middlegame, but White can generally keep an edge quite easily (for instance by
provoking an isolated d-pawn). We must start with 10.Ne5!
B1) 10...Nc6 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Bb2! Black can’t solve his problems with the d-pawn, and the best is
to concede an isolani. (12.cxd5?! Nxd5 13.Nxd5 Bxd5 14.Bxd5 Bf6!=) 12...Rc8 13.cxd5 Bc5
14.Qd3 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Bxd5 exd5 17.Rfd1²
B2) 10...Nbd7 11.Bb2 Bc5 (11...Nxe5 12.Qxe5 Bd6 13.Qe3 Bc5 14.Qf4 Qe7 15.cxd5 Nxd5
16.Nxd5 Bxd5 17.Bxd5 exd5 18.e3² and now “Put everything on the d5-pawn!”) 12.Qf4 Nh5
13.Qf3! Nhf6 It’s really strange that the game Szuhanek, R (2504) – Derakhshani, D (2386) Novi
Sad 2016 ended in a draw right now, for White can easily keep playing, for instance with 14.Nxd7!?
Qxd7 15.Rfd1 Rfd8 16.cxd5 exd5 17.Rac1².

9.dxc5

507
Position after: 9.dxc5

9...Bxc5

Generally, the safest choice for Black is always to take back with a piece, to keep a symmetrical pawn
structure, but other options are worth a look:
A) 9...dxc4!?N 10.cxb6 axb6 (10...cxb3?! 11.bxa7 Rxa7 12.Qxb3²) 11.Qxd8 Rxd8 12.bxc4² We have
already met this pawn structure. Once again, it offers Black decent drawing chances, but only White
can play for a win, thanks to his extra pawn.
B) 9...bxc5 10.cxd5 exd5 11.e3! It’s essential to prevent ...d5-d4, which would give Black some
activity.

508
Position after: 11.e3!

11...Nbd7 12.Bb2 Re8! (12...Rc8?! is already met with 13.Nh4! Nb6 14.Nf5²) 13.Qc2!? Rc8 14.Rfd1
Qc7 15.Rac1 Qb8 16.Qf5ƒ White tries his best to disrupt Black’s hanging pawns.

10.Ne1!N

Position after: 10.Ne1!N

I like this move. (I was actually inspired by the classical game Ding, L – So, W Tbilisi 2017, played

509
three days before I started to write.) White wants to take on d5 and create an isolated pawn, but in the
meantime he brings the knight to d3, and sometimes even f4, to reinforce the attack on the d-pawn.

10...Qd7

10...Qe7?! 11.cxd5 Nxd5 (11...exd5 12.Bg5!² We can still change our mind and deviate from the
double fianchetto system that we seem to be playing.) 12.Nxd5 exd5 (12...Bxd5 13.Bxd5 Rd8 14.Bg5!
Qxg5 15.Bxa8 Rxd1 16.Rxd1± Only White can win here. A long and tough defense awaits Black.)
13.Bb2 Rd8 14.Nd3²

11.cxd5

11.Bg5!? Ne4 12.Bxe4! dxe4 13.Qxd7 Nxd7 14.Nc2²

11...Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Bxd5 13.Bxd5 exd5 14.Nd3²

Position after: 14.Nd3²

White has a long-term edge.

b) 3...d5

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.b3!? d5

510
Position after: 3...d5

This move generally transposes to the lines we analyze after 3...Nc6 4.Bb2 d5. The only difference
appears after...

4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bb2 f6!?

5...Nc6 is the main move, but it transposes into 3...Nc6 4.Bb2 d5.

6.e3!

6.d4?! is clearly too soon because our king is unsafe: 6...cxd4 7.Nxd4 e5!³ and we must protect
ourselves against 8...Bb4+.

6...e5

6...Nc6 7.Nc3 e5 again transposes to 3...Nc6 4.Bb2 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nc3 e5 7.e3 f6?!.

7.Bb5+!

511
Position after: 7.Bb5+!

I like the idea of trying to disrupt Black’s coordination.

7...Nc6!N

Sadly, taking on c6 would be a great concession to our light squares, especially since both ...Bc8-a6 and
...Nd5-b4 are playable.
7...Bd7?! seems structurally logical, but White takes over the initiative after 8.Bc4 Be6 (8...Bc6?! 9.0-0
Be7 10.d4!± is even worse for Black) 9.0-0 Nc6 10.d4!

512
Position after: 10.d4!

Black doesn’t have any satisfactory way to react to this clash in the center.
A) 10...e4 11.Nfd2 cxd4 12.Nxe4 (12.exd4 leads to 10...cxd4, but we have something even better and
I think we should go for it.) 12...dxe3 13.fxe3 Qd7 (13...Nxe3 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qf3+–) 14.Qh5+ Bf7
15.Qf3! 0-0-0 (15...Be7? 16.Rd1+–) 16.Rd1 Qe8 17.Nbc3‚
B) 10...cxd4 11.exd4 e4 12.Nfd2 f5 13.Nc3!

Position after: 13.Nc3!

13...Qd7 (13...Be7? falls into our trap: 14.Ndxe4! fxe4 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Qh5+ g6 17.Qxd5+–)
14.Bxd5 (14.Ndxe4? doesn’t work any more: 14...fxe4 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Qh5+ Bf7–+) 14...Bxd5
15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.Nc4!‚ It’s usually quite bad to reach this structure for White, but here he has some
activity thanks to his lead in development.

8.0-0 Be7 9.Nc3

513
Position after: 9.Nc3

Black is unable to castle right now, so he must find something else.

9...Nxc3

9...Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 11.d4 Nxc3 12.Bxc3 transposes into 10...Bg4.

10.Bxc3 0-0

Things can get really tense in the center after 10...Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.d4 e4 (12...exd4 13.exd4 cxd4
14.Bxd4 Bxf3! 15.gxf3 0-0 16.Be3!² The bishop pair is more important than the structure on the
kingside here.) 13.d5!

514
Position after: 13.d5!

13...a6! (13...exf3? 14.dxc6 fxg2 15.Qxh5+ g6 16.c7++–) 14.dxc6 axb5 15.cxb7 Rb8 16.Qxd8+ Bxd8
17.Nd2. Black has the bishop pair but can’t make great use of it right now.
That’s why he is quite happy to offer the e4-pawn as a gift. 17...Rxb7! (17...Bg6 18.b4! cxb4 19.Bxb4
Rxb7 20.Rfd1²) 18.Nxe4 Be7© The idea would be not to trade the queenside pawns, and play any 4 v 3
endgame on the kingside for ages. Of course, Black should be able to hold a draw if he defends
correctly.

11.d4!

515
Position after: 11.d4!

11...e4 12.Nd2 cxd4 13.exd4 f5

13...Nxd4 14.Bc4+ Kh8 15.Re1!

Position after: 15.Re1!

Once we regain the e4-pawn, Black will clearly regret the weakening move ...f7-f6, mainly because of
which he has a slightly inferior position. (15.Nxe4 b5 16.Qxd4 Qxd4 17.Bxd4 bxc4 18.bxc4 Ba6©)
15...b5 (15...Bf5 16.Nxe4 Nc6 17.Ng3±) 16.Bf1±

516
14.d5! Nb4 15.Nxe4! fxe4 16.Qd4 Rf7 17.Bxb4 Bf6 18.Qxe4 Bxa1 19.Rxa1ƒ

Position after: 19.Rxa1ƒ

It might not be so easy to convert this into a win, but I would definitely pick White here.

c) 3...Nc6 4.Bb2 --

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.b3!? Nc6

517
Position after: 3...Nc6

This move is actually quite compromising. Black can no longer enter a Hedgehog or the reversed
double fianchetto (as in both cases the knight has to go to d7), but it retains the possibility of reacting in
the center with ...d5.

4.Bb2 e6!?

Black is aiming at pushing ...d7-d5, with the idea of taking back with the e-pawn. He can decide later
when to do so, and we must consider this on every move.
A) 4...d6?! 5.g3 e5 We have already discussed this possibility in the previous chapter. The assessment
is that in this kind of Botvinnik system, Black should prefer to have the knight on e7.
B) 4...g6 is a strange move order, but it will normally transpose into our main line. It simply gives
White the possibility of playing 5.Bxf6, but that doesn’t seem so dangerous here: 5.g3 Bg7 6.Bg2 0-0
7.0-0 – see the main line.

5.g3

Position after: 5.g3

5...d5

5...Be7 6.Bg2 d5 (6...0-0 7.0-0 d5 8.e3 transposes into the chapter on the Neo-Catalan with 6...c5)
A) White doesn’t have time for 7.0-0 as Black can respond with 7...d4! 8.e3 e5!³ which makes a
major difference to the Neo-Catalan, as Black is able to take back with the e-pawn and doesn’t have to
worry about the development of his c8-bishop.

518
 B) 7.cxd5! exd5 8.d4! transposes to the main line: Novikov, S (2514) – Kim, A (2434) Moscow 2005,
1-0 (33).

6.cxd5 exd5

6...Nxd5?! doesn’t make much sense now, as playing ...e6-e5 at any time would lose a full tempo
compared to 4...d5. Black is unable to develop his f8-bishop properly because the g7-pawn is hanging.

7.Bg2!

Position after: 7.Bg2!

This is an important position for finding out if our move order is valid. In fact, it can arise by many
transpositions, and we don’t really have an adequate way of avoiding it.
Now Black must choose: he can either allow d2-d4, and most probably accept an isolated d-pawn, or
prevent it by playing ...d5-d4 himself. This latter possibility is probably the more critical one.
7.d4?! is too early, and we soon face ‘king issues’ after 7...cxd4! 8.Nxd4 Bb4+!, when the only way to
survive is to play the ugly 9.Bc3™ 9...Qe7³.

7...Be7

7...d4!? This move frees the way for our bishop on g2. However, it also blocks our bishop on b2, and
prevents d2-d4. We need to make this d4-pawn our new target. 8.0-0 Be7 9.Na3!

519
Position after: 9.Na3!

Before playing e3, we must bring our knight into play. (9.e3 is slightly inferior, as Black has the
pleasant option of pinning our Nf3 after 9...0-0 10.Na3 Bg4! and I couldn’t find a way to get an
advantage here.) 9...0-0 10.Nc4 Black must make a decision with his c8-bishop as he can’t pin our f3-
knight!
A) 10...Bg4?! 11.Nfe5! Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Qb6 13.Nxg4 Nxg4 14.e3 Ne5 15.exd4 cxd4 16.Re1 Bf6 (Of
course not 16...Nd3?? 17.Rxe7 Nxb2 18.Qc2+–.) 17.d3²
B) 10...Re8 11.e3 Be6 12.Re1!? Rc8 13.Nfe5 (13.Rc1? Nb4!ƒ and the knight can either jump to d3 or
grab the a2-pawn) 13...Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Qb6 15.Rc1ƒ
C) 10...Be6 11.e3 (11.Ng5 appeared in an old game between two of the best players of the mid-20th
century, but after many trades, White loses the possibility of pressurising the d4-pawn: 11...Bd5 12.e4
dxe3 13.dxe3 Bxg2 14.Kxg2= and the game was balanced in Keres, P – Kotov, A Moscow 1949)
11...Bd5N 12.exd4 cxd4 13.Re1ƒ As usual, Black is the one who must be careful as his d4-pawn is
now clearly a weakness.

8.d4!

520
Position after: 8.d4!

8...0-0

A) 8...cxd4?! is obviously no longer a problem: 9.Nxd4 Bb4+ 10.Nc3² and Black doesn’t have time
to continue his attack as we are ready to castle.
B) 8...b6!? An unusal move at this stage of the game, but it’s the only way to avoid playing with an
isolani. 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nc3 Ba6 has been played in several games. This is probably the best way to
activate the bishop. Only a few players could find the best way to continue for White. 11.Re1 Rc8

521
Position after: 11...Rc8

B1) 12.e3!? Qd6?! I think this is already a serious imprecision by Black, and White took advantage
by playing 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.Nh4! Qd7 15.Bxd5± and Black was unable to get enough compensation
to save himself in Movsziszian, K (2525) – Siegel, G (2490) Germany 1994.
B2) 12.Ne5!?N I like the idea of putting some pressure on the slightly exposed d5-pawn. 12...Nxd4
13.e3 Nc6 14.Nxc6 Rxc6 15.Nxd5 Nxd5 (15...Rd6 16.Nxe7+ Qxe7 17.Qc2 Rfd8 18.Rad1² This
will require good technique if to win, but at least we have almost no losing chances.) 16.Bxd5 Rd6
17.e4ƒ gives us a dangerous initiative in the center.

9.0-0

Position after: 9.0-0

Black has actually transposed into a variation of the Tarrasch Defense not considered to be dangerous
for him, but he still has to feel comfortable with it (which I doubt, since although our opponent is a
1...c5 player, he has no reason to be a Tarrasch Defense specialist). A lot of games have reached this
position, but I won’t go into details, as it’s not really the subject of the chapter. What you need to know
is that the main move is...

9...Ne4 10.Nc3!

The move I like.

10...Bf6 11.Na4!

This has given White great practical results, with good reason, I think. We are going to trade a few

522
minor pieces and most probably create an isolated d-pawn in our opponent’s camp.

Position after: 11.Na4!

11...b6

Black prefers two weak hanging pawns instead of the isolated pawn.
11...Re8 12.Rc1 cxd4 13.Nxd4 Ne5 14.Nb5 Nc6 and now I would improve on White’s play, even if he
won in Zhou, J (2607) – Xiu, D (2534) Xinghua 2013, by playing 15.Bxe4!N 15...dxe4 16.Qxd8 Bxd8
17.Nd6 Re6 18.Rfd1±.

12.dxc5 Bxb2 13.Nxb2 bxc5 14.Na4

Black is struggling to defend his c5-pawn.

14...Ba6 15.Rc1 Re8 16.Re1 c4! 17.Nd2

523
Position after: 17.Nd2

This position is actually a tabiya of the Tarrasch, as it has appeared more than a hundred times. Black
has only one way to play, namely...

17...Qf6!

17...cxb3?! 18.Rxc6 Bb5 19.Nxe4 Bxc6 (19...dxe4?? 20.Rd6+–) 20.Nec3 bxa2 21.Nxa2±

18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.bxc4 Rad8! 20.Qb3

524
Position after: 20.Qb3

After so many moves, Black still needs to find...

20...e3 21.f4!? Nd4!N 22.Qa3„

The position is objectively quite complicated, but Black is the one who is a pawn down, and has to be
accurate to keep the balance.

d) 3...Nc6 4.Bb2 d5

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.b3!? Nc6 4.Bb2 d5

Position after: 4...d5

5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nc3!

A) 6.e3?! Ndb4 7.d3 Bf5!³

B) 6.g3?! is definitely too slow, and allows Black to get a huge center that gives us the worse position
after 6...f6! 7.Bg2 e5 8.0-0 Be6³, with a kind of reversed Maroczy where White has played the rather
strange b2-b3.

6...e5!?

Definitely the most ambitious move for Black. We have to hurry in creating our counterplay.
6...Bg4 7.e3 e6 (7...Ndb4 isn’t a problem any more, as we can protect the d3-square with 8.Qb1! e6
9.a3 Nd5 10.Qc2²) 8.Nxd5!? Qxd5 (8...exd5?! 9.Be2± How does Black plan to castle with the hanging

525
g7-pawn?) 9.Bc4 Qd6 10.0-0 Be7 11.h3! Bf5 (11...Bh5 12.Bxg7 Rg8 13.Bc3²) 12.d4²

7.e3

Position after: 7.e3

7...Nc7

In my opinion this is the most logical move. It prevents Bb5; also in the other lines Black is often in
trouble because White has the possibility of taking on d5. However I’m not sure it’s really the best, due
to White’s next move.
A) 7...Ndb4?! 8.Qb1! Once again, this is the reason why we played Nc3 before e3. 8...Be6 9.a3 Nd5
10.Bc4!ƒ
B) 7...f6N secures the e5-pawn, but gives us a few tempi after 8.Nxd5 Qxd5 9.Bc4

526
Position after: 9.Bc4

B1) 9...Qd6 10.d4! cxd4 11.exd4 Bg4 (11...exd4?! 12.Nxd4±) 12.0-0‚

B2) 9...Qe4 This is the best, but it’s quite a weird move! 10.Rc1 Qg4! 11.0-0 e4 12.Ne1 Qxd1
13.Rxd1ƒ White will continue with d2-d3, and even if it’s not such a big deal, it can still be annoying
to play with Black.
C) 7...Be6N 8.Nxd5 Qxd5 9.Ng5!ƒ The bishop can’t move because of the deadly Bf1-c4, so we first
take the bishop pair, then see what we can do with our light-squared bishop.

8.Rc1!

527
Position after: 8.Rc1!

Directly targeting the c5-pawn.

8...b6

This logical move will be met with a surprising and incredibly strong answer.
8...f6 9.Ne4! Qd5 (9...b6?! is obviously bad in view of 10.d4±) 10.Qc2 Nb4 11.Qb1 Nxa2 Our queen
can’t do everything, but our other pieces are doing great. 12.Bc4 Qc6

528
Position after: 12...Qc6

13.Qxa2! (13.Nxf6+ gxf6 14.Qxa2²) 13...Qxe4 14.0-0± White continues with d2-d4 on the next move,
and Black is about to collapse.

9.b4!!

Position after: 9.b4!!

It’s quite rare that I use the ‘!! excellent move’ symbol, but I believe it is deserved here, as this is quite
surprising.

9...Bb7

9...cxb4? 10.Nb5!+– There are too many problems on this file...

10.bxc5 Bxc5 11.Ne4!±

White is much better since Black can’t retreat his bishop:

529
Position after: 11.Ne4!±

11...Be7?! 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 Bxe4 14.Qa4++–

e) 3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 --, 5...b6

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.b3!? g6

Position after: 3...g6

530
Now let’s have a look at some set-ups where Black decides to play with a kingside fianchetto.

4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3

Black needs to decide which system he wants to employ.

5...b6!?

This system can arise from various move orders. It’s also a test of our own system because, even if we
don’t really run much risk of being worse, we must show that Black can’t hope for easy equality by
using a mirror set-up – this would be too simple. In general, White will be the first to push d4 (...d5 for
Black), and this makes a major difference – if we can take advantage of Black’s trying to keep the
symmetry!
A) 5...d6 6.Bg2 e5 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nc3 Nc6 9.d3 We already discussed this set-up in the previous chapter,
where we said that it’s a Botvinnik system with the knight misplaced on f6 (it should have gone to
e7). So it’s not a problem for us.
B) 5...0-0

Position after: 5...0-0

Normally this won’t change anything compared to the more usual move order. 6.Bg2
B1) 6...d6 7.0-0 e5 – see 5...d6 (7...Nc6 – see the main line).
B2) 6...b6 It seems dangerous for Black to delay playing this move, but we most probably have
nothing better than to transpose into 5...b6.
B3) 6...d5 7.cxd5

531
Position after: 7.cxd5

B3.1) 7...Qxd5 8.Nc3 Qf5 (8...Qh5?! 9.h3!± is why we started with 8.Nc3 instead of castling;
8...Qd6 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Rc1 b6 11.d4!² White retains an excellent game thanks to his lead in
development.) 9.Na4!N Black has problems with his c-pawn! 9...Nc6?! 10.Nh4! Qh5 11.Rc1±
B3.2) 7...Nxd5 8.Bxg7 Kxg7 9.0-0 and Black has nothing better than 9...Nc6 which transposes to
the main line with 7...d5.

6.Bg2 Bb7 7.0-0

532
Position after: 7.0-0

7...0-0

A) If Black tries to be the first to advance in the center, he can experience some problems: 7...d5?!
8.cxd5
A1) 8...Qxd5 has been tried a couple of times, but seems easy for White: 9.Nc3 Qd7 (9...Qh5?!
doesn’t help Black because his queen is in danger here. 10.h3! The threat of 11.g4 forces the queen
to go back. 10...Qf5 11.d4! cxd4 12.Nxd4 Qd7 13.Nf5! gxf5 14.Qxd7+ Nbxd7 15.Bxb7 Rb8
16.Bg2²) 10.d4 cxd4 11.Qxd4

Position after: 11.Qxd4

11...0-0 (11...Qxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxg2 13.Kxg2² We are clearly ahead in development, and Black even
has problems in developing his b8-knight as he needs to protect the c6-square.) 12.Qh4!? Na6
13.Ne5 Qc8 14.e4ƒ 1-0 (32) Foygel, I (2462) – Karatekin, T (2309) Boston 2001.
A2) 8...0-0 9.Bxf6!

533
Position after: 9.Bxf6!

This is quite a surprising move. We surrender the bishop pair, but Black must give it back if he
wants to regain his pawn. 9...Bxf6 (9...exf6N has never been tried yet, maybe because after 10.Nc3
f5 11.d4! Na6 12.Qd2² it’s still not clear how Black can regain his pawn.) 10.Nc3 Bxc3
(10...Bxd5?? obviously doesn’t work: 11.Nxd5 Bxa1 12.Qxa1 Qxd5 13.Ne5+–) 11.dxc3

Position after: 11.dxc3

A2.1) 11...Bxd5?! 12.Qd2! It’s impressive to see that Black is already in huge trouble. The first

534
 threat is Rad1, simply winning the bishop. 12...Nc6 (12...Bc6 13.Qh6! f6 14.h4! Qe8 15.Rfd1 a5
16.Rd2 Ra7 17.Rad1± White has a great position and won in Barle, J (2425) – Cekro, E (2435)
Brezovica 1988.) 13.Rfd1!N This is the correct rook, as after 13...Bxf3 14.Qf4 Nd4 we have the
possibility of playing 15.cxd4! Bxg2 (15...Bxe2? 16.Rd2+–) 16.dxc5 Qc8 17.Kxg2 Qxc5
18.Rac1².
A2.2) 11...Qxd5! 12.Qxd5 Bxd5 13.Rfd1 Even in such a simple position Black has problems in
equalizing. 13...Be4 14.Ne5 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 f6 16.Nd7 Rc8 17.Nxb8 Rcxb8 18.Rd7 Kf7 19.Rad1²
If Black defends well, he should be able to draw, but things are not that easy: Speelman, J (2578) –
Contin, D (2394) Catalan Bay 2004.
B) 7...d6

Position after: 7...d6

This move is a bit committal as it deprives Black of the possibility of playing ...d5, but in general it
transposes into our main line: 8.d4! cxd4 9.Qxd4 Nbd7 (9...Nc6 10.Qd2 0-0 11.Nc3 Qd7 12.Rad1²
followed by e4, and it’s not easy to find a useful task for the c6-knight.) 10.Nc3 0-0 finally
transposing into our main line.

8.d4!

A) 8.Nc3 is supposed to be the main line, but it really looks like a comfortable draw for Black in the
event of 8...d5! 9.Nxd5 Nxd5 10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.cxd5 Qxd5 12.d4 Na6!= and I don’t see any way to
fight for a real edge.
B) Playing quite slowly in the center is always possible as well, but in general Black is able to get a
nice middlegame: 8.e3 d6 9.Nc3 Nbd7 10.Qe2 Ne4= was more or less equal in Dzindzichashvili, R
(2560) – Rohde, M (2585) Philadelphia 1992.

535
8...cxd4

8...Na6!? was seen in some games.

Position after: 8...Na6!?

In this variation, the knight often goes to a6, where it cannot be pinned, and doesn’t get in the way of
other pieces. 9.e3 e6 (9...d5 10.Qe2 e6 is a way to transpose, as Black doesn’t have anything better to
do in the center) 10.Qe2 Qe7 (10...d5 11.Rd1! Qe7 transposes too) 11.Rd1 d5 12.cxd5! This breaks the
symmetry.

536
Position after: 12.cxd5!

A) 12...Nxd5?! 13.e4 Nf6 14.Nc3 This is still very symmetrical, but White is the one who takes over
the initiative. He soon had a great position in this game: 14...cxd4 15.Nxd4 Rfd8 16.Ndb5 Nc5 17.b4
Na6 18.a3 Ne8 19.Rxd8 Qxd8 20.Rd1 Qe7 21.e5± 1-0 (41) Froewis, G (2452) – Gaehwiler, G (2359)
Bad Ragaz 2016.
B) 12...exd5 13.Nc3 Rfd8 14.Ne5! Nc7

Position after: 14...Nc7

15.dxc5!?N This move is tactically justified, and actually quite strong. (15.f4!? Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4
17.dxc5 Qxc5 18.Rac1 Qe7 19.Ba3 Qxa3 20.Rxc7‚ White has kept the initiative and won quickly in
Iturrizaga Bonelli, E (2649) – Dragnev, V (2344) Gibraltar 2015.) 15...bxc5 (15...Qxe5? 16.Nxd5 and
Black can’t protect ev-erything. The best is probably 16...Nfxd5 17.Bxe5 Bxe5 18.Rac1± and the
material balance is clearly in White’s favor.) 16.Na4! Ne6 17.Rac1 Rac8 18.Ba3 Ne4 19.Nd3ƒ

537
Position after: 19.Nd3ƒ

We concentrate all our forces on the c5-pawn, which should enable us to capture it soon.

9.Qxd4

Position after: 9.Qxd4

9...d6

A) 9...d5 This move doesn’t have many adherents, but Wesley So played it in 2017 in a blitz game

538
 against Grischuk. It might appeal to some players, but I don’t think it’s too dangerous (in terms of
conceding a draw, I mean...). 10.Rd1 (More sensible than Grischuk’s 10. Na3.) 10...Nc6N 11.Qc3!?
e6 12.Qe1! We put the queen on a safe square, and are going to start attacking the d5-pawn. 12...Rc8
13.Nc3²
B) 9...Nc6 In general, the knight is misplaced on this square if Black can’t react with ...d5, which is
normally the case here. 10.Qc3 I like this clever manoeuvre by Aronian, as in the previous line.
10...Rc8 (10...Qc7 11.Rd1 Rad8 This set-up with the rook on d8 instead of c8 was recently also tried
by MVL, but I don’t think it makes any major difference. 12.Na3!? a6, 0-1 (46) Hou Yifan (2654) –
Vachier-Lagrave, M (2789) Karlsruhe 2018, and now 13.e4!N would give White some advantage:
13...d6 14.Qe1 Rfe8 15.Rac1 e6 16.Nd4².) 11.Rd1 Qc7 12.Qe1 Qb8 13.Nc3 Rfd8 14.Rac1 e6

Position after: 14...e6

Black is unable to react in the center, and it’s even easy to improve on White’s play in Aronian, L
(2793) – Vachier- Lagrave, M (2796) Leuven 2017 by playing 15.e4!N 15...d6 16.Qe2 a6 17.Rc2².

10.Nc3

539
Position after: 10.Nc3

10...Nbd7

We have arrived at a position we are likely to meet often. White has many moves at his disposal, but
my preference is to retreat the queen.
White is generally happy to see 10...Ne4 as it’s easy for him to control the center: 11.Qe3 Nxc3
12.Bxc3 Nd7 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Rad1 Rc8

Position after: 14...Rc8

540
and now White can start an attack on the kingside after exchanging the minor pieces. For instance, we
can leave the game Aronian, L (2803) – Dominguez Perez, L (2754) Beijing 2013 with 15.Ne1!? Bxg2
16.Nxg2 Nf6 17.Nf4 Qc7 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.Rxd5‚ We can launch an attack with the h-pawn and
easily transfer the rook. This is the kind of middlegame where Black has to be very careful.

11.Qd2

A) 11.Ne1 is a recent try by Meier that I quite like, but I prefer the version with Qd2 first. 11...Bxg2
(11...Ne4 12.Qe3 Ndc5 13.Rd1 Bxc3 14.Bxc3 Nxc3 15.Qxc3 Qd7 16.Nc2 Bxg2 17.Kxg2²)
12.Nxg2 Qc8 13.Nd5 Re8 14.Rac1 Qb7 15.Nge3 Rac8 16.Rfd1 a6 17.Qd2 Rc5 18.Bd4 Rc6 19.a4² 1-
0 (34) Meier, G (2648) – Baldauf, M (2431) Dudenhofen 2017.
B) 11.Rac1 Rc8 12.Rfd1 Rc5 13.Ne1 The Chinese grandmaster follows the same plans as in our main
line. This is also very instructive, even if I prefer our main continuation. 13...Bxg2 14.Nxg2 Re8
15.Nd5 b5 16.Nge3 bxc4 17.Rxc4 White is happy to trade a few pieces, so that there are fewer
defenders around the black king.

Position after: 17.Rxc4

17...Qb8 18.Rxc5 Nxc5 19.Nxf6+ Bxf6 20.Qd2 Bxb2 21.Qxb2 a5 22.Nd5 Qb7 23.Qc3 Ra8 24.h4!‚
1-0 (48) Bu Xiangzhi (2725) – Dubov, D (2696) Liaocheng 2018.

11...Rc8

I now like the new move:

12.Ne1N

541
12.Nd4 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Nc5 14.f3 d5!= is the reason why we put the knight on e1!

12...Bxg2 13.Kxg2!

Position after: 13.Kxg2!

It’s true that we expose our king with this move, but it won’t be for long as we plan to continue with f3
and e4.
The knight will head for d3 to be traded, freeing the way for the rook to come to h1 once we decide to
start our attack.

13...Nc5 14.f3 Qc7 15.e4 Qb7 16.Nd3 Nfd7 17.Rad1 Nxd3 18.Qxd3 Nc5 19.Qd2 a6 20.Nd5 Bxb2
21.Qxb2 b5 22.cxb5 axb5 23.h4‚

542
Position after: 23.h4‚

And we finally launch the attack.

f) 3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 --

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.b3!? g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0

Position after: 7.0-0

543
7...d5?!

This is the second main move, but I believe that it’s simply wrong.
7...b6?! This basically leads to a bad version of the reversed double fianchetto, as the knight has
nothing to do on c6. 8.d4! cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bb7 10.Nc3² Here, I would only mention a trick that worked
in one game where my opponent wanted to trade the minor pieces: 10...Qc8?! 11.Rc1 Nxd4 12.Qxd4
Ne4 This seems to solve most of the problems, but we have the surprising 13.Nd5! The mating threat
forces 13...Bxd4 14.Nxe7+ Kg7 15.Bxd4+ f6 16.Nxc8 Raxc8 17.Rfd1+– 1-0 (56) Demuth, A (2600) –
Dubessay, B (2360) Chalons-en-Champagne rapid 2015.

8.cxd5 Nxd5

8...Qxd5? 9.Ne5 Qd6 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Nc3± is obviously pretty bad for Black.

9.Bxg7 Kxg7 10.d4!

Position after: 10.d4!

It seems like White is trading too many pieces, but Black is actually in trouble.

10...cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4

A) 11...e5 doesn’t help: 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Nd2 Qc7 14.Rc1 Rd8 15.Qc2± We have obtained the
perfect pawn structure where the c-pawn has no chance of being traded and will be a long-term
weakness.
B) 11...Ndb4 12.Nxc6 Nxc6 13.Bxc6! Probably the strongest and simplest path to an advantage.

544
Position after: 13.Bxc6!

This is one of the rare cases where we are happy to trade our fianchettoed bishop for a knight as we
want to enter a good knight versus bad bishop endgame with the better pawn structure. 13...bxc6
14.Nc3² The c6-pawn is weak, and we have a perfect square on c5 for our knight. Black obviously
has no way of launching an attack against our king, even if he still has his light-squared bishop, and if
he wants to free his c-pawn now, he will most probably lose it. For instance 14...c5?! 15.Rc1 (15.Qc2
is fine as well 15...Bf5 16.e4 Bg4 17.f3 Be6 18.Rfd1²) 15...Be6 16.Ne4 c4 17.bxc4 Rc8 and despite
his win in the game Granda Zuniga, J (2665) – Salgado Lopez, I (2624) Camarinas 2013, White
should now prefer 18.Qd3±, keeping everything under control.

12.Qxd4+ Nf6 13.Qe5!

The queen is perfectly placed here. This is a pretty important move to remember. It pins the knight,
keeps an eye on the e7-pawn and on the b8-square so that Black can’t put his rook there in order to
protect b7. Black has scored terribly in this line.

545
Position after: 13.Qe5!

13...Qd6

Maybe the least of the evils, but Black is going to suffer in the endgame.
A) 13...Qb6 14.Nc3 Be6 Black seems to have solved his development problems, but he certainly
missed 15.Na4! Qb4 16.Nc5

Position after: 16.Nc5

546
 which wins at least a pawn: 16...Bd5 17.Qxe7 Kg8 18.Qxf6 Bxg2 19.Ne6!+– and even two in Meier,
G (2656) – Reich, T (2406) Germany 2015.
B) 13...Kg8 14.Nc3 Ng4 (14...Nd7 15.Qg5 Nf6 16.Rfd1 Qb6 17.Na4 Qa6 18.Bf3±) 15.Qc5± Once
again, Black doesn’t have any useful move.

14.Qxd6 exd6 15.Nc3 Rd8 16.Rfd1 a6 17.Rd4 Rb8 18.Rad1±

Position after: 18.Rad1±

Black has complicated his task but it was already tough for him:

18...Bf5 19.e4 Bg4?! 20.e5! Bxd1 21.exf6+ Kxf6 22.Rxd1+–

With a technically won game for White, Karjakin, S (2756) – Ponomariov, R (2731) Beijing 2013.

g) 3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.d4 --

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.b3!? g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d6

547
Position after: 7...d6

Again, it’s important to mention that this position can arise through various move orders. For instance,
I also reached this position after a King’s Indian move order (where I decided not to transpose into the
main line with d4).

8.d4!

The time has come to open the center. Most of the time Black simply takes, but he also has other
interesting possibilities.

8...Ne4!?

A) 8...Bg4?! The moves that allow d4-d5 aren’t great for Black. 9.d5 Bxf3 10.Bxf3! (10.exf3?! would
be great if 10...Nd4! wasn’t possible: 11.f4 Nd7 12.Nc3 Rb8 13.Re1 a6∞) 10...Nd4 11.Bg2

548
Position after: 11.Bg2

11...Nd7 (11...Nf5 12.Nc3 White has the bishop pair, and a free hand in the center. Black is only
fighting for survival in this game 12...Qa5 13.e3 a6 14.Qd3±) 12.Nc3 Qa5 13.Rc1 a6 14.Bh3! Nf6
15.g4! Black has not been careful enough, and his knight is now trapped in the center. 15...b5 16.e3
b4 17.exd4 bxc3 18.Bxc3 Qb6 19.Re1+– 1-0 (29) Ivanov, M (2403) – Afanasiev, N (2131) Kaluga
2012.
B) 8...Bf5?! 9.d5 Nb8 10.Nc3 Ne4 (10...a6 11.Nd2!? Qc8 12.e4 Bh3 13.f4!±) 11.Qc1±

9.h3!?

This has been played by Kramnik himself. It seems a bit slow, but it’s quite clever, as it prevents ...Bg4
and makes ...Bf5 weaker (as g4 would follow). It’s clearly more forcing than the other moves and
Black has to change his plan as Qc2 now comes as a threat.
A) 9.Nbd2!? Before writing this book, this was my main move and I even played it, but it doesn’t
satisfy me any more because of one of Black’s possibilities (see A3):

549
Position after: 9.Nbd2!?

A1) 9...Nxd2?! 10.Qxd2 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4²

A2) 9...f5?! 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.Ng5 Nxd4 12.Bxe4 e6 13.e3 Nf3+ (13...Qxg5 14.exd4 Qf6 15.Qd2
cxd4 16.f4!± followed by Rad1) 14.Nxf3 Bxb2 15.Rb1 Bg7 16.h4!‚
A3) 9...Bf5! 10.Nh4 This is the only way to try something against the threat to the d4-pawn.
10...Nxd2! 11.Qxd2 Nxd4! (≤ 11...Bd7 12.e3 cxd4 13.exd4 e5 14.d5² 1-0 (45) Demuth, A (2542) –
Burnier, D (2305) Flims 2016) 12.Nxf5 Nxf5 13.Bxg7 Nxg7 14.Bxb7 Rb8 15.Bf3= I don’t think
White is better here. We can try to launch an attack, but it’s unlikely to work well, whereas Black
can start a breakthrough on the queenside by means of ...a5-a4, and exert some pressure on b3.
B) 9.e3 is met by 9...Bg4 10.Qc1 Bxf3 11.Bxf3 Ng5 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7²
White is obviously better, but objectively it’s not so easy to win, and Black can hold by means of his
activity.

9...Bf5

9...Qa5?! 10.Qc2! Bf5 11.g4! Nb4 12.Qc1 Bd7 13.d5±

10.e3

550
Position after: 10.e3

10...Rc8

10...Nf6?! This shows that Black has played the opening incorrectly. 11.Nc3 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Bd7
13.Qe2± White is many tempi ahead compared to the main line, and he won convincingly in Kramnik,
V (2783) – Caruana, F (2811) Zurich 2015.

11.Qe2 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Bxd4²

551
Position after: 13.Bxd4²

h) 3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 --, 9...Bd7 10.Nc3 --

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.b3!? g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4

Position after: 9.Nxd4

9...Bd7

9...Nxd4 Black shouldn’t hurry in taking because after 10.Qxd4 he has trouble developing his
queenside: 10...Qa5 (10...Ne8 11.Qd2 Bxb2 12.Qxb2 Rb8 13.Nc3 b6 14.e4 Bb7 15.Rad1± with a huge
space advantage for White) 11.Nc3 Ng4!? Black sometimes decides to start this primitive attack.
12.Qd2 Qh5 13.h3 Nf6

552
Position after: 13...Nf6

A) 14.g4?! might be too weakening: 14...Qh4∞ and ...h5 is a threat. (14...Bxg4?! 15.hxg4 Nxg4
16.Rfd1±)
B) 14.h4! h6 15.Bf3 Bg4 16.Bxb7 Rab8 17.Bg2 g5 18.hxg5 hxg5 19.f3 Be6 20.Kf2± and Black’s
attack was finally turning against him in Sharif, M (2463) – Edouard, R (2221) Cannes 2005.

10.Nc3

Position after: 10.Nc3

553
We have reached one of the main crossroads. Black can take now on d4, or wait for a better occasion.
His long-term plan is usually to play ...b5 to start a kind of minority attack on the queenside. It’s going
to be very important to keep this in mind and prevent that. We have a spatial advantage, but Black
remains really solid. The aim is to make him suffer, by improving our position littly by little.
10.e3 is not so strong here, because of 10...Nxd4 11.exd4 d5„

10...Nxd4

This has been played almost as often as 11...Qa5, but I think it’s less ambitious, and we don’t have
much difficulty achieving the better position.
A) 10...a6 11.e3 I don’t see any real way for Black to avoid the main line.
B) 10...Rc8 11.Qd2?! (11.e3 Qa5 transposes into the next subchapter) justifies Black’s ...Nxd4, so I
don’t think it’s the best. If I had known the right plan before, I wouldn’t have played as in the
following game: 11...a6 12.Rac1 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 Bc6 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.Bxd5„ 0-1 (39) Demuth, A
(2545) – Adhiban, B (2674) Berlin 2015.
C) 10...Qc8 Black once tried to trade the light-squared bishops in one of my games, but it’s easy to
avoid: 11.Re1 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Bc6 13.e4!

Position after: 13.e4!

This is a trick I’ve already mentioned, and even if my opponent didn’t choose the most logical way,
he still stumbled : 13...Nd7? (13...Nxe4? 14.Nd5 works the same way 14...Bxd4 15.Nxe7+ Kg7
16.Bxd4+ Nf6 17.Nxc8 Raxc8 18.g4! g5 19.h4 h6 20.f4 Kg6 21.h5+ Kg7 22.fxg5 hxg5 23.Rf1+–)
14.Nd5!

554
Position after: 14.Nd5!

14...Bxd4 15.Nxe7+ Kg7 16.Bxd4+ f6 17.Nxc8 Rfxc8 18.Rad1+– 1-0 (23) Demuth, A (2600) –
Sauviat, T (2320) Chalons-en-Champagne rapid 2015.

11.Qxd4 Bc6 12.Nd5

Position after: 12.Nd5

We are quite happy to keep our fianchettoed bishop, as long as we don’t have to take on d5 with the

555
pawn.

12...Bxd5!?

12...Ne8 13.Qd2 Bxb2 14.Qxb2

Position after: 14.Qxb2

A) In case of 14...Nc7 I would suggest 15.Nc3!N 15...Bxg2 16.Kxg2². We have already discussed
this kind of structure. We have good control over the center, which allows us to think about a kingside
attack starting with h4. Black will have to organize counterplay by means of ...b5 at some point, but I
prefer White.
B) 14...e6 This gives us a chance to target the d6-pawn! 15.Nc3 (15.Nf4!? Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Qe7 17.e4
Nf6 18.f3 a6 19.Rfd1 b5 20.Qa3 bxc4 21.e5! Nd5 22.Nxd5 exd5 23.Qxd6 Qxd6 24.exd6 cxb3
25.axb3± 1-0 (27) Tarasov, A (2342) – Dvalishvili, P (2421) Moscow 2016) 15...Bxg2 16.Kxg2 f5

556
Position after: 16...f5

This can look frightening, but it’s simply too artificial, and our king is safe. 17.Rad1 Qf6 18.Rd3 a6
19.Qd2 Rc8 20.a4! Preventing ...b5 for good. 20...Rf7 21.f4!? Rfc7 22.e4 Qf7 23.Re1± with an
overwhelming advantage for White in Landa, K (2626) – Fejzullahu, A (2367) Skopje 2015.

13.Bxd5!

13.cxd5!? was played in a top-level game, but I find it quite surprising as it renders the g2-bishop less
effective, and I don’t really like to play with such a piece! 13...Qa5 14.Bc3 Qa6 15.Qd2 Rfc8 16.Rfc1
Qb5 17.Rab1 a5 18.e4 Nd7= and the American won in So, W (2779) – Grischuk, A (2771) Saint Louis
2015, but I don’t feel too confident about reaching an advantage.

13...Nh5

557
Position after: 13...Nh5

“When you are playing against the bishop pair, trade your own bishop to transpose into a bishop versus
knight position” is advice I have always kept in mind. That’s why I think it’s the right choice for Black.
In the same spirit: 13...Ne8 14.Qd2 Bxb2 15.Qxb2 Qb6 and the players decided to agree a draw now in
Bachmann, A (2649) – Vitiugov, N (2728) Biel 2016, but White can safely keep playing. It’s similar to
13...Nh5.

14.Qd2 Bxb2 15.Qxb2 Qb6 16.Bf3 Nf6 17.Rfd1 Rfc8 18.Rd4!

This protects c4, prepares to double the rooks, and creates the possibility of going to h4 to put some
pressure on the kingside.

558
Position after: 18.Rd4!

18...Rc5 19.Rad1 Nd7 20.Qd2 a5 21.Rh4!?ƒ

1-0 (37) Bernadskiy, V (2527) – Borovikov, V (2556) Paleochora 2016

i) 3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bd7 10.Nc3 Qa5

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.b3!? g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.d4! cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bd7 10.Nc3
Qa5!?

559
Position after: 10...Qa5!?

This move contains several ideas:

1) it helps with playing ...b5;
2) it frees the way for the f8-rook to come to c8 (as the two most important files for Black are the b-
and c-files);
3) it allows a possible ...Qh5 to disrupt White’s harmony on the kingside;
4) it keeps an eye on the c3-knight which can become under attack both on the c-file and the long
diagonal.
All of which explains our next move...

11.e3!

Preventing ...Qh5, because we would be happy to trade queens, and allowing us to put our queen on e2,
from where it helps prevent ...b5 and eyes the e7-pawn in the event of Black taking on d4. It’s hard to
be exhaustive in these kinds of positions, as there are many basically equivalent possibilities.

11...Rfc8

A) 11...a6 12.Qe2 Rab8 13.Rfe1 Nxd4 14.exd4 Rfe8 15.a3!?

Position after: 15.a3!?

If it’s possible to chase the queen, we should try to do it! 15...Qb6 16.b4 Qc7 17.Rac1 Rbc8 18.Nd1!
e5?! (18...Bc6?! 19.d5 Bd7 20.c5±) 19.dxe5 Ng4 20.Nc3 Qxc4 21.Bxb7²
B) 11...Bg4?! I faced this move once, but it’s not a problem at all, as Black doesn’t have time to

560
 follow up with ...Qh5 (because of the problem on c6). 12.Qd2 Rac8 13.h3 Be6 Objectively my
opponent should put his bishop back on d7, but I don’t think he wanted to admit that 11...Bg4 was a
bad idea. 14.Rfd1 Kh8 15.Rac1 a6 16.Nce2!? Qxd2 17.Rxd2 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Rc7 19.Bb6!± with a
great endgame that I converted after almost wasting it: Demuth, A (2521) – Puccini, J (2322) Brisbane
2017.
C) 11...Rac8 The wrong rook! Now Black is unlikely to manage ...b5 under favorable conditions.
12.Rc1 a6 13.a3 b5 (13...Nxd4 14.exd4 b5?! 15.b4! Qc7 16.c5ƒ justifies our last two moves) 14.cxb5
(Better than 14.Nxc6 as played in Mikhalevski, V (2504) – Raptis, N (2262) chess.com 2017, 1-0
(35).) 14...Nxd4 15.Qxd4 axb5 16.Nd5! Qd8 17.Rxc8 Bxc8 18.Nb4²

12.Qe2

12.Re1 I once started with this move because I didn’t want to lose a tempo in case of ...Bg4. It’s
probably equivalent. 12...Rab8 13.Rc1

Position after: 13.Rc1

My opponent was already out of useful moves here, and played pretty badly with 13...Qd8?! 14.Qe2 a6
15.h3 Bf8 16.Nc2 Bg7 17.Red1 Rc7 18.e4! Rcc8 19.Ne3± 1-0 (28) Demuth, A (2545) – Weller, M
(2181) Germany 2017.

12...Rab8

561
Position after: 12...Rab8

12...Bg4 is not particularly good as the bishop is not great on g4, and we can meet the idea of ...Qh5
with 13.Qd2 Qh5?! 14.Nde2! Qa5 Drygalov, S (2400) – Fedorov, A (2565) Samara 2016. I now prefer
15.h3! Bd7 16.Rfd1±.

13.Rac1

Even though he was getting on in years, Smyslov came up with another interesting plan: 13.Rfd1 a6
14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.e4!? b5 16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.cxd5 Nd7 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Bh3 Rb7 and got a solid
advantage in Smyslov, V (2550) – Relange, E (2460) Cannes 1996, with 20.Rac1! Rxc1 21.Rxc1 Nc5
22.Qb2+ f6 23.b4 Nd3 24.bxa5 Nxb2 25.Rc6².

13...a6 14.Rfe1!²

562
Position after: 14.Rfe1!²

Black is unable to push ...b5 now, so he still needs to find a plan. He soon collapsed in the following
game:

14...Bg4 15.Qf1 Bd7 16.h3 Qc5? 17.Nd5! Re8 18.Red1 Qa5 19.Nxf6+ exf6 20.Bc3±

1-0 Smyslov, V (2620) – Stull, N (2255) Skopje 1972.

563
 Part V
Other Systems 1.Nf3

Chapter 15
The Hedgehog

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0

Chapter guide
Chapter 15 – The Hedgehog
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 c5 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4
a) 5.-- & 6.-- alternatives
b) 8...Nc6
c) 8...0-0 9.Rd1 Qc8
d) 8...0-0 9.Rd1 d6
e) 8...d6 9.Rd1 --, 9...a6 10.b3 Nbd7 11.e4 Qb8, 11...Qc7
f) 8...d6 9.Rd1 a6 10.b3 Nbd7 11.e4 0-0
g) 8...d6 9.Rd1 a6 10.b3 Nbd7 11.e4 Qc8

a) 5.-- & 6.-- alternatives

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3

564
Position after: 3.g3

In this chapter and the next we are going to focus on two systems generally played by Nimzo-Indian
players. As they are unable to play a real Nimzo against our move order, and may dislike 3...d5 (for
instance because White can transpose into a Catalan), they have to turn to one of the following two
systems.

3...b6

Before entering the main theory of the Hedgehog, it is worth mentioning that Black can’t start with
3...c5 4.Bg2 b6? 5.Ne5 d5 6.Qa4+!

565
Position after: 6.Qa4+!

6...Nbd7 (6...Bd7?! 7.Nxd7 Qxd7 8.Qxd7+ Nbxd7 9.Nc3± White gets the bishop pair already, and
now grabs a pawn. He should win quite easily.) 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Nc3 Bb7 9.d3 Bd6 10.Nc4! Bc7
11.Ne3±

4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0

Position after: 5.0-0

5...c5

5...Be7 might seem a smart move order, but we have an answer for everything. 6.Nc3 0-0 (6...c5 just
transposes into the 6...Be7 line of the Hedgehog.) 7.b3! (7.d4 would be a classical line of the Queen’s
Indian. You can of course transpose into this, but that’s not our objective.)

566
Position after: 7.b3!

A) 7...c5 We already discussed this position in the previous chapter, in the line with 3...b6. It
generally transposes into the Hedgehog, but we explained other possibilities for Black (mainly based
on ...d5).
B) 7...d6 8.Bb2 Nbd7 9.d4²
C) 7...d5 8.e3! This is going to transpose into chapter 5 on the Neo-Catalan (8.Bb2 d4 is possible as
well, but is a new line).

6.Nc3

567
Position after: 6.Nc3

We are at the beginning of the Hedgehog Defense. This has always been a very reliable system for
Black, and I don’t pretend that I am going to refute it.
In my first years of chess, I never liked to play against the Hedgehog, or these kinds of set-ups. This is
probably the case for other players too. Black follows a simple plan, with a lot of obvious moves,
whereas White must find useful ideas, and might even feel quite frustrated if he doesn’t find anything
concrete.
So I tried to find a way to get a straightforward plan, no matter what Black plays. I think I am offering
an easy-to-play and positionally tricky repertoire against the Hedgehog. The result for me is that I am
now happy to face this defense, and have enjoyed some good results as well.
I also need to explain why this opening is covered here, and not in Part 4, the Symmetrical English. It’s
mainly because experience has shown me that the Hedgehog is generally played by Nimzo-Indian
players, as they can often get a classical structure as in the Nimzo and the move order is perfect for
them, so I preferred to include it here. Black can now start with different move orders but it doesn’t
change much for us as we are using the double fianchetto systems in any case.
We’ll have a look at the differences offered by the other move orders, but in most cases, they will
simply transpose into the main line.

6...a6

A) 6...d6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4

568
Position after: 8.Qxd4

A1) 8...Be7 – see the main line.

A2) 8...Nbd7? Not everything is permitted! 9.Nb5! d5 10.Bf4! Rc8 (10...Bc5 amounts to the same
after 11.Nd6+ Bxd6 12.Bxd6 Rc8 13.cxd5 Bxd5 14.Rfc1±) 11.cxd5! Bxd5 12.Rac1 Bc5 13.Nd6+
Bxd6 14.Bxd6±
A3) 8...a6 – see 6...a6.
A4) 8...Nc6 This move isn’t great, no matter the move order (6...a6, 6...d6 or 6...Be7). However, in
each of the three versions, we must face it differently. 9.Qf4!

569
Position after: 9.Qf4!

Taking advantage of the fact that the d-pawn is already on the sixth rank. 9...Be7 (9...Ne7?! is too
slow here: 10.e4! Ng6 11.Qe3 Be7 12.Rd1 0-0 13.b3± and d6 is in danger.) 10.Rd1 We transpose to
8...Nc6 in the main line (subchapter ‘b’).
B) 6...d5?!

Position after: 6...d5?!

This is a rare guest in practice. We won’t transpose into a Neo-Catalan. 7.cxd5

B1) 7...exd5 8.d4 Nbd7! (8...Be7?! 9.dxc5! bxc5 10.Qb3 Qb6 11.Ne5± Black is going to lose the
d5-pawn in the next few moves.) 9.Bf4 Be7 10.Nh4 g6 11.dxc5 Nxc5 12.Bh6² Black’s kingside is
already weak, he is unable to castle, and he has an isolated d-pawn. Even if we had to put our knight
on h4, Black is clearly not doing great.
B2) 7...Nxd5 keeps a healthy pawn structure, but we can make use of our lead in development to
open the center: 8.d4 Nd7 (8...Nxc3 9.bxc3 Be7 10.Re1 0-0 11.e4²) 9.Nxd5 Bxd5 10.Re1! Be7
11.e4 Bb7 12.d5²

7.d4

570
Position after: 7.d4

Those who want can start with 7.b3, but starting with this move generally gives us more options.

7...cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6

A) 8...Nc6?! 9.Qd3! (And not 9.Qf4 as we played in the same position with ...d6 included, instead of
...a6. 9...Ne7!? 10.Rd1 Ng6 11.Qd2 Rc8„.) 9...Rc8 (9...Be7 10.Bf4 0-0 11.Rfd1²) 10.e4 d6 11.b3 Be7
12.Rd1

Position after: 12.Rd1

571
 As usual, we attack Black’s weak pawn on d6. In the main line, when the knight is on d7, Black can
always meet Ba3 with ...Nc5, but it’s not possible here. This makes a major difference. Another
difference is that when Black plays ...Qc7, he normally has to face Rac1, threatening thematic patterns
like Nb5 or Nd5. 12...0-0 13.Ba3 Ne8 This is the only way to defend the pawn. 14.e5!±

Position after: 14.e5!±

In this precise line, it’s not so hard to crack Black’s nut. 14...dxe5?! 15.Qxd8 Rxd8 16.Bxe7 Rxd1+
17.Rxd1 Nxe7 18.Nxe5 Bxg2 19.Kxg2+– Our control over the d-file gives us a decisive advantage
already.
B) 8...Be7? 9.Be3!

572
Position after: 9.Be3!

9...Bc5 This is the only way to avoid losing a pawn, but Black cannot be happy about trading the
dark-squared bishops, because it weakens the d6- square, one of the key points in his position. 10.Qd2
Bxe3 11.Qxe3 0-0 12.Rfd1 Nc6 13.Na4! b5 14.Nc5±

9.Rd1

Position after: 9.Rd1

573
9...Nbd7

Black varies from the main line by delaying ...Be7.

9...Be7 10.b3! Nbd7 (10...0-0? 11.Ba3 Ne8 12.Ne4 Nc6 13.Qe3²) 11.e4 transposes into the main line.

10.e4 Qc7!?

A) 10...Be7 11.b3 transposes again.

B) 10...Nc5?N 11.e5! dxe5 12.Qxd8+ Rxd8 13.Rxd8+ Kxd8 14.Nxe5 Ke8 15.Bf4± is almost the
worst version of this endgame that Black can get.

11.b3 Rc8

Position after: 11...Rc8

12.Ba3!?

12.Bb2 Be7 13.Qe3 0-0 14.Rd2² You can always prefer a slow positional plan, arguing that Black is
simply worse, and there is no need to hurry. But I prefer this straightforward plan.

12...Nc5

This is always the way to protect the d6-pawn, but Black doesn’t control the e5-square any more, so
White can directly go...

13.e5! dxe5 14.Qxe5

574
Position after: 14.Qxe5

14...Ncd7!

A) 14...Qxe5 15.Nxe5 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Be7 – see subchapter ‘e’.

B) 14...Be7 also transposes to subchapter ‘e’.

15.Qxc7 Rxc7 16.Bb2!

Position after: 16.Bb2!

575
16...Be7 17.Nd4

17.Ng5!? Nc5 18.Rd2 h6 19.Nf3 0-0 20.Rad1 Rd7?! This move fails tactically as White will keep a
good endgame. 21.Rxd7 Ncxd7 22.Ne5 Bxg2 23.Nxd7 Bf3 24.Nxf8 Bxd1 25.Ng6 fxg6 26.Nxd1² and
White won in Espig, L (2460) – Ortel, E (2295) Harkany 1989.

17...Bxg2 18.Kxg2 0-0 19.Rac1 Rfc8 20.f4!ƒ

Position after: 20.f4!ƒ

We keep the better endgame thanks to our space advantage and the permanently weak c6-square for
Black.
White can follow up with Rd2, Rcd1, as ...b5 will hardly work.

b) 8...Nc6

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 c5 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4

576
Position after: 8.Qxd4

Of course, we don’t want to trade any pieces. This invites Black to play ...Nc6, but in general that’s not
great for him. We now consider three moves, the main one (8...0-0) being the subject of the next two
subchapters.

8...Nc6?!

Maybe I’m being too pessimistic for Black, but I have never liked this move, which I feel spoils
Black’s harmony. It’s also more difficult for Black to defend d6, as normally the knight should go to c5
when our bishop arrives on a3.
8...a6?! 9.Be3!± was already shown to be bad for Black in 6...a6.

9.Qf4 0-0 10.Rd1 Qb8

This is a way of defending the d-pawn: Black frees the d8-square for his rook and tries to trade one of
the attackers of d6.
10...d6 11.b3 Qb8 12.Bb2 (In the event of 12.Ba3 Black is happy to play to equalize with 12...d5 and I
am not sure we get much here.) 12...Rd8

577
Position after: 12...Rd8

13.Rd2 I played this move without knowing any theory last year, and still feel it’s the easiest way to
increase the pressure. (13.e4 a6 14.Qe3 Qc7 15.Rac1 Ne5 16.Nd4 Rac8 17.Qe2 Bf8 18.f4 Ned7² Even
if he has lost a few tempi, Black has reached a standard Hedgehog position: Meier, G (2648) –
Perunovic, M (2429) Batumi 2018.)
A) 13...h6 14.Rad1 Ne8 appeared in one of my (numerous) short draws: Demuth, A (2546) – Papin, V
(2466) Melbourne 2016, but I could have continued with 15.g4!, starting the attack and giving my
queen a retreat square. 15...Bf6 16.g5! hxg5 17.Nxg5± with a huge initiative.
B) 13...a6 14.Ne4!N A well-timed move. (14.Rad1?! is met with 14...b5 15.cxb5 axb5ƒ Unfortunately
our a2-pawn is hanging.) 14...Nxe4 15.Qxe4 and now for instance 15...Ne5 16.Qd4, taking advantage
of all the weaknesses in Black’s camp. 16...Bf6 (16...Qc7 17.Nxe5 dxe5 18.Qxe5 Qxe5 19.Rxd8+
just wins a pawn.) 17.Qxb6 Bxf3 18.Qxb8 Rdxb8 19.Bxf3 Nxc4! 20.bxc4 Rxb2 21.Rxd6± Black
must fight hard for a draw.

11.Qxb8!?

578
Position after: 11.Qxb8!?

You can play differently. White has other good options (for example, Carlsen played 11.e4), but the
endgame is excellent. It all depends on your style. I like endgames!

11...Raxb8 12.Bf4 Rbc8 13.b3

I like this quiet move, simply protecting our c-pawn and avoiding any nasty surprises.
13.Ne5 has brought White some success after 13...d6 14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.Bxd6 Bxd6 16.Rxd6 Bxg2
17.Kxg2 Rxc4 18.Rad1.

579
Position after: 18.Rad1

This is actually a tabiya as twenty-six games have reached this endgame. Even if White has scored
60%, Black is objectively fine: 18...g5!=.

13...Rfd8

Position after: 13...Rfd8

After a few logical moves, I think I would now improve on my own games with...

14.Nd4!?

The move I played, 14.Bd6, is interesting too, and brought me two fine wins, but our text move is
actually very clever.
We want to bring the knight to b5 and then d6, but we couldn’t play 14.Nb5 because of the obvious
counter-strike 14...d5„.

14...a6

This seems like the most logical move, but we can simply come back with the knight, glad that it
managed to provoke Black into playing ...a6, which weakens b6.
14...d5 15.Ndb5! gives Black some concerns:

580
Position after: 15.Ndb5!

(15.Nxc6?! Bxc6 16.cxd5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.Bxd5 Rxd5 19.Rxd5 exd5 20.Rc1 ½-½ Stanec, N
(2490) – Teske, H (2510) Austria 1996) 15...dxc4? 16.Nxa7! Nxa7 17.Bxb7 Rxd1+ 18.Rxd1 Rd8?!
19.Rxd8+ Bxd8 20.Bb8+–

15.Nc2! d6 16.Be3 Nd7 17.Rac1²

Position after: 17.Rac1²

581
We keep the better endgame, and I am already waiting to try this one!

c) 8...0-0 9.Rd1 Qc8

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 c5 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 0-0!?

Position after: 8...0-0!?

This is another possibility for Black which has gained some popularity in recent years. He must
understand, however, that he shouldn’t play ...a6 any more, otherwise he is going to transpose into
subchapter ‘f’ (11...0-0), which is bad for him. So the idea is basically to try to avoid the loss of the
...a6 tempo in order to take other measures against future problems with the d6-pawn (e.g. by placing a
rook on d8, and sometimes advancing the d-pawn to the fifth rank in one move).

9.Rd1! Qc8!?

Modern chess allows many things, sometimes even the strangest moves. It’s hard to believe, but this is
interesting, and I am not surprised that Laurent Fressinet (one of Carlsen’s seconds), has played it a
couple of times. The queen runs away from the d-file, allowing ...Rd8 and sometimes even ...d5 in one
move. It also keeps all options open, not only for the b8-knight, but also for the e7-bishop which might
want to come to c5. As I don’t really like existing theory here, I had to look for a new idea.
9...a6?! 10.Be3±

10.Nb5!?N

This is a concrete move, as we want to put a knight on d6. Black doesn’t have time to spend on ...Rd8.

582
 A) 10.b3 allows a simple equalizer: 10...d5! 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Bxd5

Position after: 12...Bxd5

13.Bg5 (13.Qf4 Nd7! 14.Bb2 Bf6 15.Rac1 Qa6„; 13.Bb2 Bf6 14.Qd2 Nd7 15.Rac1 Qb7= and as
soon as Black trades every minor piece, I can’t see how White is able to take advantage of his rooks
already placed on the open files.) 13...Nc6 14.Qg4 Bxg5 15.Nxg5 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 h6 17.Nf3 Ne7= In
these kinds of positions, engines always give White a slight edge because of his better rooks and
knight. For example, White can manoeuvre his knight to target squares such as c6 or d6, while Black
finds it difficult to do so in the white camp. Having said that, I would feel guilty if my advice was to
enter this endgame, but it’s up to you if you want to give it a try.
B) 10.Bf4 is the main move but Black can play 10...Rd8!

583
Position after: 10...Rd8!

B1) 11.Rac1 d6 12.Qd2 Na6 13.Nb5 Ne4 14.Qe1 Nac5 15.b4 Na4= 1-0 (35) Kovalenko, I (2668) –
Fressinet, L (2687) Almaty 2016.
B2) 11.e4 is also interesting, but it only reaches a standard Hedgehog scheme after 11...d6
threatening ...e5. 12.Qd3 Na6! 13.Qe2 Nc5 14.Nd4 a6„
B3) 11.Nb5 d5 12.Ne5 (12.cxd5 Nxd5 13.Rac1 Nc6 14.Qe4 a6„) White managed to win in So, W
(2770) – Fressinet, L (2687) Paris 2016, but I am not sure it would have been so simple after...

Position after: 12.Ne5

584
 12...Nc6!N 13.Nxc6 Bxc6= with an objectively equal position.

10...d5

A) 10...Bc5!? 11.Qh4 Nc6

Position after: 11...Nc6

A1) 12.Bf4 is interesting too, but Black is fine after 12...Ne7! 13.Nd6 Bxd6 14.Bxd6 Nf5 15.Qf4
Nxd6 16.Qxd6 Qxc4! 17.Ne5 Qa6 18.Bxb7 Qxb7 19.Nxd7 Qxd7 20.Qxd7 Nxd7 21.Rxd7= We
have a micro-advantage, but Black should draw quite easily after a few precise moves.
A2) 12.Bg5! Ne8 13.Rac1 f6 14.Bd2 a6 15.Nc3² We are glad to see the appearance of ...f7-f6 on the
board.
B) 10...Nc6 11.Qh4 Rd8 12.Bg5! (12.Nd6?! Bxd6 13.Rxd6 Ne7„) 12...d6 13.Qf4! e5 14.Qc1!²
Black did something he should never do in the Hedgehog: push ...e6-e5. We had to spend a few tempi,
but it was worth it.

11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Bg5!

585
Position after: 12.Bg5!

We have found another way to make the d6 square available for our knight.

12...Nc6

12...f6 13.Bd2 a6 14.Nc3 Bc5 15.Qg4² Our pieces have been repelled, but Black has a new weakness
on e6, and is still behind in development, so there is no doubting our advantage.

Position after: 15.Qg4²

586
13.Qg4!?²

Now Bh6 becomes a threat, and White remains better. If Black wants to keep the bishop by means of...

13...Nf6? 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nd6 Qc7 16.Nxb7 Qxb7

Then...

17.Ne1!+–

Position after: 17.Ne1!+–

...with the idea Rac1, and Black is defenseless against it.

d) 8...0-0 9.Rd1 d6

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 c5 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 0-0!? 9.Rd1! d6

587
Position after: 9...d6

10.Bg5!?

The threat is simply to take on f6, then on d6.

10.b3 Nbd7 11.e4 Qc8! 12.Bb2 (12.Ba3 is not that strong any more: 12...Nc5 13.e5 dxe5 14.Nxe5
Bxg2 15.Kxg2 Qb7+ 16.f3 Rfd8„) 12...a6 13.Qe3

Position after: 13.Qe3

588
Stohl says about this kind of position: “White’s plan is to avoid exchanges, keep the tension and
prevent any liberating breaks by concentrating his forces in the center, followed by gradually expanding
and building up a kingside initiative. However, successfully implementing this demanding strategy in
practice is much harder than just describing. The reason is that Black’s position is very flexible.” I
think it’s a clear statement about players’ feelings on the Hedgehog. You can enter these lines, but I
won’t go any deeper here.

10...Nbd7

10...Nc6 Kramnik played this move twice during the 2016 Tal Memorial. The second time he had to
face 11.Qf4 Qb8. (11...Ne8 is somewhat illogical, because generally Black shouldn’t trade this bishop,
the best protector of the d6-pawn. Postny, E (2647) – Cmilyte, V (2470) Helsingor 2009, continued
12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Rd2 a6 14.Rad1² Na5?! 15.b4 Nc6 16.a3 Rd8 17.Qe3 Qc7 18.Na4 b5 19.cxb5 axb5
20.Nc3± 1-0 (51).).
Now we have a choice of three approximately equivalent moves, but I feel I would play the least
forcing one.

Position after: 11...Qb8

A) 12.Nb5 was a kind of theoretical debate which Black seems to have won, because after the forcing
line 12...Ne5 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nxd6 Nxf3+ 15.Bxf3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Bxb2 17.Rab1 Be5 18.c5! Qc7!
19.Qe4 Qxc5 20.Rbc1 Bxd6 21.Rxc5 Bxc5² although White is obviously the only one playing for a
win, he didn’t manage to do so in any of the six games which reached this position.
B) 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Rxd6 was tried by Nepomniachtchi, but Kramnik had done his homework and
improved on a game of Nakamura: 13...Na5!

589
Position after: 13...Na5!

(13...Nd4?! 14.Nxd4 Bxg2 15.Nc2 Bb7 16.Rad1± with a healthy extra pawn for White in Nakamura,
H (2816) – Gurevich, D (2472) Las Vegas 2015) 14.Rad1 Qc7! 15.Rd7 Qxf4 16.gxf4 Bc6 17.Ng5
Bxd7 18.Bxa8 Bxc3 19.Rxd7 Bxb2 and even if White managed to win, I think he has a difficult task
here: Nepomniachtchi, I (2740) – Kramnik, V (2808) Moscow 2016.
C) 12.Rd2! Ne5 13.Rad1

Position after: 13.Rad1

590
 Black has faced some difficulties in finding an effective plan, and lost the three games that got this
far. For example 13...Rc8!? This is recommended by Lysyj and Ovetchkin in their book on the
Hedgehog and is probably objectively best, but I don’t think it totally equalizes the game. (13...Ng6
14.Qe3 Rd8!?N Improving on a game Benidze, D (2476) – Solodovnichenko, Y (2586) Cubuk 2017,
1-0 (35): 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Nd4² and White keeps an edge thanks to his pressure on d6.)
C1) 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.Qh4 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Qb7+ 17.Kg1 (17.f3 e4 18.b3 exf3+ 19.exf3 h6 20.Bxf6
Bxf6 21.Qe4 Qxe4 22.Nxe4= This endgame looks promising, but as Lysyj and Ovetchkin explain in
their book, Black should be able to maintain the balance with accurate play.) 17...Rd8 18.Bxf6 gxf6
19.Rxd8+ Rxd8 20.Rxd8+ Bxd8

Position after: 20...Bxd8

All this is analyzed by Lysyj and Ovetchkin in their book. They assess this kind of position as
roughly equal, but I don’t see why we couldn’t play on for a while. Firstly, we have the queen and
knight, which is generally stronger than queen and bishop, and secondly, we have a potential passed
pawn on the queenside, whereas Black is clearly unable to get one in the center. The objective is to
find a way to effectively block these pawns, and then choose between advancing the c-pawn, and
bringing the knight to the kingside to get some play against the black monarch. 21.Qg4+ Kf8
(21...Kh8 22.e4 Be7 23.Qf3 Kg7 24.Qd3ƒ) 22.Qh3 Kg7 23.g4!ƒ
C2) 14.b3!? is possible too if White wants to keep more pieces on the board: 14...Ng6 15.Qe3 d5!
16.cxd5 Bc5 (16...Nxd5?! 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.Qd4 Qc7 20.e4²) 17.Qd3 Nxd5
18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.e4 Bb7 20.Qe2ƒ

11.Nb5! d5 12.cxd5

591
Position after: 12.cxd5

12...Bxd5!

Black is willing to settle for a draw with a symmetrical (boring) game. But we can keep the upper hand.
A) 12...exd5?! reaching an isolani is just what we want! 13.Nh4! h6?! has been played in a few
games, even by Mickey Adams! But we have a winning tactic: (13...g6 14.b4! a6 15.Nc3²)
14.Bxh6!!N

Position after: 14.Bxh6!!N

592
 14...gxh6 15.Nf5 Re8 (15...Nc5 16.Qh4 Re8 17.Nxh6+ Kf8 18.Nf5 transposes) 16.Nxh6+ Kf8
17.Nf5 Black doesn’t have any defensive move. 17...Nc5 18.Qh4 Ng8 19.Qh7 Bf6 20.Nbd6 Qd7
21.Nxb7 Nxb7 22.Bxd5+– Black shouldn’t survive for long.
B) 12...Nxd5? 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.e4 a6 15.Nc7! Nxc7 16.Qxd7±

13.Nc3

Position after: 13.Nc3

13...Bc6

A) 13...Bb7 14.Qa4!ƒ Black has some problems with his knight on d7.
B) 13...h6?! This is way too easy for White: 14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Bf4 Rc8 was played in Bauer, C (2625)
– Gunina, V (2502) chess.com 2018, 1-0 (65), and now for example 16.Qa4! is an easy plus for
White.

14.Rac1 Qb8

14...Rc8 15.b4!² I like this move, just taking away the c5-square from Black’s minor pieces.

15.Qf4!?N

593
Position after: 15.Qf4!?N

We have some other moves, but keep the advantage in the endgame, thanks to our better coordination.
And Black should watch out for a little trick:

15...Qb7? 16.Rxd7 Bxd7

16...Qxd7 17.Ne5 Bd6 18.Nxd7 Bxf4 19.Nxf6+ gxf6 20.Bxf4 Bxg2 21.Kxg2+–

17.Ne5 Qc7 18.Bxa8 Rxa8 19.Ne4+–

e) 8...d6 9.Rd1 --, 9...a6 10.b3 Nbd7 11.e4 Qb8, 11...Qc7

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 c5 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6

594
Position after: 8...d6

This has always been the main move, and still is nowadays.

9.Rd1!?

9.Bg5 is the other classical main line. If you want to know more about this line, I recommend having a
look at the game Carlsen, M (2835) – Gashimov, V (2761) Wijk aan Zee 2012, analysed by Magnus
himself!

9...a6

This is why this opening is called the Hedgehog. Black puts all his pawns on the sixth rank looking like
multiple spines.
A) 9...0-0 – see 8... 0-0.
B) 9...Nbd7?! is a bad move order because we have an extra possibility: 10.Nb5!? d5 11.Bf4! 0-0
12.Bc7 Qc8 13.Bd6! Qd8 14.Rac1ƒ.

10.b3 Nbd7

10...0-0?! 11.Ba3! Black is unable to play with ...Nbd7 any more, and must play passively.

11.e4!

595
Position after: 11.e4!

We have reached an important position where Black has often failed to understand what is happening.
He has four main moves at his disposal, two of them fine, the other two rather dubious, and Black
chooses the wrong solution in 50% of the games.
White is planning to decoy the knight to c5 by playing 12.Ba3, and then open the position with 13.e5.
These are White’s next two moves, no matter which of the four moves Black chooses.
In this subchapter we will study the first two options, 11...Qc7?! and 11...Qb8!?, the next subchapter
will be about 11...0-0?!, and then finally we will analyze 11...Qc8, which I consider to be the main line.

11...Qc7?!

This move is dubious, despite being the most frequently played here!
11...Qb8!? is a reliable move. But I won’t go too far into the analysis, not only because it’s played less
often, but also because the arising endgame is very similar to the main line we examined in the 6...a6
variation. 12.Ba3 Nc5

596
Position after: 12...Nc5

13.e5 dxe5 14.Qxe5 Ncd7! 15.Qxb8+ Rxb8 16.Bb2! 0-0 17.Nd4 Rfc8 (17...Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Rfc8 is
similar, but more or less helps us) was played for instance in the game Kopylov, A (2438) – Ftacnik, L
(2568) Khanty-Mansiysk 2010, but I would now rather play 18.Rd2!?N Intending to double rooks.

Position after: 18.Rd2!?N

18...Nc5 19.Rad1 Kf8 20.f4!ƒ As I said, it’s similar to the main line with 6...a6. This move stabilizes
the position, as it prevents any ...e5-ideas. Black’s position is not so simple, and we can keep playing,
intending to advance our queenside majority at some point.

597
12.Ba3 Nc5

Position after: 12...Nc5

13.e5! dxe5 14.Qxe5!

Again Black has a choice, but none of them gives him an easy game.

14...Qc8

If Black understands that endgames are not great for him, he might want to play this move.
A) 14...Rc8 15.Bc1!

598
Position after: 15.Bc1!

I believe in this strong retreat. The bishop is going to be useful on f4. 15...Qxe5 16.Nxe5 Bxg2
17.Kxg2 0-0 18.Be3!² Rfd8?! 19.Rxd8+ Bxd8 20.Bxc5!N

Position after: 20.Bxc5!N

A1) 20...Rxc5?! 21.Rd1 Be7 22.Nd7! Rc6 (22...Nxd7 23.Rxd7 Bf6 24.Na4+–) 23.Nb8!±
A2) 20...bxc5 Awful for the structure, but taking with the rook is even worse. 21.Rd1± Black has
long-term weaknesses on the queenside, and we keep the initiative.

599
 B) 14...Qxe5?! is probably the worst for Black, making White’s life even easier: 15.Nxe5 Bxg2
16.Kxg2 Rc8 (16...0-0?? 17.Nc6 Bd8 18.Na4+–) 17.Rd4!?

Position after: 17.Rd4!?

B1) 17...0-0 18.Rad1± Again a nice tactical trick awaits Black: 18...Rfd8? 19.Nc6! Re8 (19...Rxd4?
20.Nxe7+ Kf8 21.Nxc8+–) 20.Nxe7+ Rxe7 21.Rd6+–.
B2) 17...Ncd7 Black manages to trade a few more pieces, but obviously remains worse: 18.Nxd7
Nxd7 19.Rad1! Rc7 (19...Bxa3?! 20.Rxd7 0-0 21.Ra7 a5 22.Rb7 Rb8 23.Rdd7!+– Black is too
dominated to hold this one.) 20.Bb2 Nc5 21.b4 Nd7 (21...Nb7 22.b5 a5 23.Na4 Bc5 24.Nxc5 bxc5
25.R4d3+–) 22.b5! Bf6 23.R4d2 a5 24.f4 Nc5 25.Rd6 Rb7 26.Ba3 Nd7 27.Rc6 1-0 Edouard, R
(2619) – Sarakauskas, G (2416) England 2018.

15.Na4!

600
Position after: 15.Na4!

15...Ncd7!

15...Nfd7 (15...Nxa4? 16.Bxe7!±) 15...Nfd7 16.Qxg7! Much stronger than my move. I didn’t want to
complicate the game, but it is just crushing. (After 16.Qf4 my opponent quickly collapsed: 16...Bc6?
17.Bxc5 Bxc5 18.Nxc5 bxc5 19.Rxd7!

Position after: 19.Rxd7!

19...Bxd7 20.Ne5 f6 21.Nxd7 Kxd7 22.Rd1+ Ke8 23.Bxa8 Qxa8 24.Qc7 1-0 Demuth, A (2550) –

601
Haubro, M (2345) Ballerup 2016.) 16...Bf6 17.Qh6 Bxa1 18.Rxa1 Qc7 19.Nxc5 bxc5 20.Bb2 Rg8
21.Qxh7± 1-0 (29) Stean, M (2505) – Ligterink, G (2455) Marbella 1982.

16.Qb2 Bxa3 17.Qxa3

Position after: 17.Qxa3

17...Qc7

The text move is probably the best continuation, but White is still ahead in the game with, for
instance...
17...b5 18.Nb2 Qc5 19.Qxc5 Nxc5 20.b4 Ncd7 21.c5±

18.Rd2!?N 18...Nc5 19.Nxc5 bxc5 20.Qb2²

f) 8...d6 9.Rd1 a6 10.b3 Nbd7 11.e4 0-0

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 c5 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.Rd1!? a6 10.b3
Nbd7 11.e4! 0-0?!

602
Position after: 11...0-0?!

This might look like the logical move, but it’s probably the worst of the four options.

12.Ba3 Nc5 13.e5! dxe5 14.Qxd8!

Position after: 14.Qxd8!

Not giving the black queen a chance to run away.

14...Rfxd8

603
Taking with the other rook doesn’t make sense, as it will be needed to protect the c6-square.

15.Nxe5 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Bf8

A) 16...Rac8?! 17.Na4!

Position after: 17.Na4!

17...Bd6™N The only move that doesn’t lose right now. (17...Nxa4? 18.Bxe7 Rxd1 19.Rxd1 Nc3
20.Rd6! Nxa2 21.Rxb6 a5 22.Nc6 Nd7 23.Ra6+– Black loses the a-pawn, and soon the game.)
18.Bxc5 bxc5 19.Nd3± with lots of suffering to come for Black.
B) 16...Rdc8 17.Na4 Rab8 18.Bxc5! Bxc5 19.Nxc5 Rxc5 20.f4² with a stable advantage for White.

17.Bxc5 Bxc5 18.Na4!

We want this bishop!

604
Position after: 18.Na4!

18...Rac8

18...Kf8?! is the most frequently played move here but 19.b4! is a painful surprise: 19...Bxb4 20.Nxb6
Rxd1 21.Rxd1 Re8™ (21...Ra7?? 22.Rd8+ Ne8 23.Nbd7+ Ke7 24.Nc6++– An aesthetic finish!) 22.c5±

19.Nxc5 bxc5 20.a3!²

Position after: 20.a3!²

605
White is aiming to start pawn expansion on the queenside, and managed to win in Obolenskikh, D
(2513) – Khantuev, A (2342) Angarsk 2015.

g) 8...d6 9.Rd1 a6 10.b3 Nbd7 11.e4 Qc8

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 c5 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.Rd1!? a6 10.b3
Nbd7 11.e4! Qc8!

Position after: 11...Qc8!

12.Ba3!?

12.Bb2 is the most frequently played move, but I prefer a forced line!

12...Nc5 13.e5!?

This move was long considered to be a mistake, but theory is continually evolving.
13.Qe3!? offers a few tricks and was my choice the only time I encountered this position. I already
knew that our main line was possible, but I changed my mind a few minutes before the round, fearing
that my opponent was a specialist in the opening. As I said, White has a few tricks in this line, but
Black should be able to deal with them. I will provide you with a few variations, just to give you some
inspiration in case the main line doesn’t suit you.

606
Position after: 13.Qe3!?

A) 13...Qc7 14.Nd4 (14.e5!? doesn’t work any more because of 14...Ng4∞) 14...0-0 15.h3 (I would
also definitely advise 15.Rac1!? Rac8 16.f4 Qb8 17.b4 Ncd7 18.Qe2ƒ.) 15...Rac8 16.Rac1 Qb8 17.g4
I think this is the kind of attack you must launch. Black can respond in the center at some stage, but
it’s really interesting to play. 17...Qa8 18.Re1 g6 19.Bb2 Rfe8 20.Rcd1 Bf8 21.g5 Nh5 22.Bf3 Ng7
23.h4 d5!? 24.cxd5 exd5 25.e5„ 1-0 (56) Adly, A (2599) – Mchedlishvili, M (2601) Doha 2016.
B) 13...Nfxe4?! 14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Qxb6 Rb8 (15...0-0 16.Nd2 Rb8 17.Nxe4 Bxe4 18.Qa7 Bxg2
19.Qxe7 Re8 20.Qa7 Bf3 21.Rxd6±) 16.Qe3

607
Position after: 16.Qe3

16...Qc7 (16...0-0? 17.Ne5! Nc5 18.Bxc5 dxc5 19.Nd7+–) 17.Nd4 Nc5 18.b4 Nd7 19.b5 Bxg2
20.Nf5!‚
C) 13...0-0! 14.Nd4

Position after: 14.Nd4

C1) 14...Rd8?! 15.Rac1 Bf8 (15...Qc7? 16.b4 Ncd7 17.Nd5! exd5 18.cxd5 Qb8 19.Nc6±) 16.Bb2
Qc7 17.b4 Ncd7 18.Nd5! exd5? 19.cxd5 Qb8 20.Nc6 Qc8 21.Bh3+–
C2) 14...Re8! 15.Rac1 Qc7 16.h3 (16.Bb2 Rac8 17.h3 I decided to agree a draw here, mainly
because I was having a pretty bad tournament and didn’t want to play this kind of Hedgehog against
a specialist: Demuth, A (2546) – Kasparov, S (2464) Melbourne 2016) 16...Rac8 17.g4!?ƒ White
starts an attack on the kingside, intending to disrupt Black’s harmony.

608
Position after: 13.e5!?

13...Bxf3!

13...dxe5 is easier to meet, but we still need to be precise: 14.Nxe5 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 Qb7+ (15...0-0
16.Na4 more or less forces 16...Qb7+ 17.Kg1 which transposes) 16.Kg1! (16.f3 has been played too,
but it’s more weakening for our king, especially the second rank, which makes a major difference)
16...0-0

Position after: 16...0-0

609
17.Na4!?N This is a new move, even if I feel it’s thematic. (17.Qe3 has brought White good results,
but it should be objectively fine for Black) 17...Nxa4 (17...Qc7 is always possible, but it leaves Black
with a bad structure after 18.Bxc5 bxc5 19.Qe3²) 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 19.bxa4 White accepts a dubious
structure, but has some activity. His powerful knight completely dominates its counterpart and helps
him target the b6-pawn which will soon fall. The mission is then to advance the passed c-pawn.
19...Qb4! As the b6-pawn is lost, Black counterattacks. 20.Rdb1! (20.a3 Qxa4 21.Qxb6ƒ is playable as
well) 20...Qxa4 21.Rxb6! Rab8 22.Rxb8 Rxb8 23.Rd1 h6 24.Rd2² We have a stable position where it’s
not so easy for Black to organize counterplay.

14.Bxf3 dxe5

Position after: 14...dxe5

15.Qe3!?

I like this move which came to my attention in a game that was played right next to me in the
Australian Open by Grandmaster Ahmed Adly.
15.Qxe5 This was losing, but White has a way to force a draw, a possibility you should be aware of if
you’re playing against a much stronger opponent. 15...Ncd7! 16.Rxd7! Nxd7 17.Qxg7 Bf6 All this was
forced, and now 18.Ne4!?

610
Position after: 18.Ne4!?

saves the day for White: 18...Bxg7 19.Nd6+ Kd8 20.Nxf7+ Ke8 (20...Kc7?? 21.Bd6# Oops!)
21.Nd6+= ending the game with a pleasant repetition which has already occurred in five games.

15...Ra7!

15...Rb8

Position after: 15...Rb8

611
This is the other continuation, but the rook makes less sense here, as it cannot come into play that
easily. 16.Bb2 Ncd7! (16...Qc7? 17.Nd5! exd5 18.Bxe5 Qa7 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.cxd5 0-0 21.b4!± Na4?
22.d6 Bd8 23.Be4+–; 16...e4 17.Nxe4 Ncxe4 18.Bxe4 Nxe4 19.Qxe4 0-0 20.Be5 Rb7 21.Rd3ƒ)
17.Ne4! Qc7 18.Nxf6+ Bxf6

Position after: 18...Bxf6

19.Rd2!? (Very interesting too is 19.Ba3 Be7 20.Bxe7 Kxe7 21.Qg5+ Kf8„ 1-0 (41) Anic, D (2415) –
Sallen, L Lyon 1993.) 19...0-0 20.Rad1 Nc5 21.Rd6² White is about to regain his pawn on e5, retaining
some initiative.

16.b4!

16.Bb2 Rd7!=

16...Ncd7 17.Na4

612
Position after: 17.Na4

17...e4!N

This move, a novelty at the time of the first edition of the book, seems necessary for Black because the
bishop on f3 was way too strong, but it’s still not so easy to achieve equality.
17...Qc7 seems inferior since White can advance his c-pawn and protect it easily: 18.c5 bxc5 19.bxc5
e4 (19...0-0? would be met with 20.c6! Bxa3 21.cxd7 Be7 22.Rac1 Qb8 23.Rc8!+– The rook on a7 is
hanging, and this detail decides the game.) 20.Bxe4 Nxe4 21.Qxe4 0-0

613
Position after: 21...0-0

This position occurred in Adly, A (2597) – Kasparov, S (2470) Brisbane 2017. I think that White could
play the simple 22.Rac1! Nf6 23.Qf3 Qa5 24.Nb6² with a comfortable edge.

18.Bxe4 Nxe4 19.Qxe4 0-0!

Black has finally managed to castle, but White has a pawn majority on the queenside, and can try to
create a passed c-pawn.

Position after: 19...0-0!

19...b5?! This move is attractive for Black, and it was my opponent’s choice after a long thought.
20.cxb5 axb5
A) 21.Rac1!?N This move could be my choice if I face this position again. 21...Qa8! (21...Qb8?!
22.Bb2 0-0 23.Nc5 Nxc5 24.Qg4! g6 25.bxc5²) 22.Qxa8+ Rxa8 23.Rc7 Rxa4 24.Rdxd7

614
Position after: 24.Rdxd7

This position seems very dangerous for Black, even if he can probably hold with precise play 24...Bf6
(24...Bd8 25.Ra7 Rxa3 26.Rxd8+ Kxd8 27.Rxa3 Ke7™ 28.Ra7+ Kf6 29.Ra5 Rb8 30.Kg2ƒ) 25.Bc1
Rxb4 (25...0-0? 26.a3±) 26.Be3 0-0 27.Bc5 Rb1+ 28.Kg2 Ra8 29.Rb7ƒ
B) 21.Bb2!? I still think that this move, which I suggested in the first edition, is very interesting, but
maybe objectively equal if Black plays correctly.

Position after: 21.Bb2!?

615
 B1) 21...bxa4 22.Bxg7 Rg8 23.Qxh7 Rxg7 24.Qxg7 Bxb4 25.Rac1 Rc7 26.Rxc7 Qxc7 27.Qd4 Bc5
28.Qxa4² These kinds of endgames are difficult for Black. White has two separate passed pawns,
and is the only one playing for a win.
B2) It’s a bit late to castle: 21...0-0?? 22.Qd4!+–.
B3) 21...Rxa4 22.Bxg7 Rf8 23.a3!

Position after: 23.a3!

This is strong! White simply protects his queenside pawns before restoring the material balance.
23...Qa8 24.Qxh7² Black’s king isn’t safe, and we have managed to create a passed h-pawn. Thus,
we keep the upper hand. 24...Rxa3?? 25.Qd3+– A quite beautiful trap.
B4) 21...Qb7! This is the move I had to face recently, and it’s probably about equal. 22.Qxb7
(22.Nc3!? Qxe4 23.Nxe4 0-0 24.a3 is probably equal but still playable for White.) 22...Rxb7
23.Rac1 (23.Nc5 Nxc5 24.bxc5 f6 25.Bd4 Kf7 26.Rdc1=) 23...bxa4 24.Rc8+ Bd8 25.Bxg7 Rg8
26.Bf6 Nxf6 27.Rdxd8+ Ke7 28.Rxg8 Nxg8 29.Rxg8 Rxb4 30.Ra8 ½-½ Demuth, A (2543) – Papin,
V (2453) Adelaide 2017.

20.Rac1 Rc7

616
Position after: 20...Rc7

21.Qe3!

21.c5 doesn’t work if Black is precise: 21...bxc5 22.bxc5 Nxc5! 23.Qf4 Black looks in trouble on the
c-file, but he is not in danger: 23...h6 24.Rc4 Rd8! 25.Rxd8+ Qxd8 26.Bxc5 Bxc5 27.Rxc5 Rxc5
28.Nxc5 Qd1+ 29.Kg2 Qd5+ 30.Qe4 Qxc5 31.Qa8+ Kh7 32.Qxa6 Qd5+= and the passed a-pawn is
not enough here to cause Black trouble.

21...Qb7

21...b5?! 22.cxb5 axb5 23.Nc3²

22.Rxd7! Rxd7 23.Nxb6

I like this position. Engines are not afraid and assess the position as being fully equal, but White’s
prospects on the queenside seem quite promising. I don’t think it would bother me to play this position
in practice.

23...Rd6 24.c5 Rc6 25.h4

25.Bb2?! White doesn’t protect b4 any more, and this gives Black the possibility to force him to take a
perpetual after 25...Bd8! 26.a3 Bxb6 27.Bxg7! Kxg7 28.Qg5+ Kh8 29.Qf6+ Kg8 30.Qg5+=.

25...Rd8 26.Bb2ƒ

617
Position after: 26.Bb2ƒ

618
 Chapter 16
The Romanishin Defense

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 a6

Chapter guide
Chapter 16 – The Romanishin Defense
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 a6
a) 4.--, 4.Bg2 --, 4...b5 5.b3 c5
b) 4.Bg2 b5 5.b3 Bb7

a) 4.--, 4.Bg2 --, 4...b5 5.b3 c5

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 a6!?

619
Position after: 3...a6!?

Here we look at the second option available to Nimzo-Indian players, the Romanishin Defense, which I
think is quite an underestimated line. Black is aiming to disrupt our center by attacking the c4-pawn.
Unfortunately, there is no effective way to prevent ...b5.

4.Bg2

We can start with 4.b3, but in general, it makes little difference.

If 4.Nc3?! d5! is quite strong. We can’t really allow ...dxc4 as 3...a6 would prove useful. 5.cxd5 (5.b3?
d4³) 5...exd5 6.Bg2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.d4 c6= The pawn on a6 isn’t useful but this is the kind of position
where we could regret having taken on d5. Black has easy development, and in contrast to the Catalan
(where we usually want to push e4 at some point), we don’t have any plan here as it would create a
weak d-pawn.

4...b5

Black doesn’t fear any discovery on the long diagonal as he would happily play ...d5.
A) 4...c6

620
Position after: 4...c6

I’ll just mention that Mamedyarov tried this move twice at the same blitz event, but after two defeats,
he never tried it again, and no-one has followed in his footsteps. 5.0-0 b5 6.d3 d5 7.Qc2 Be7 8.b3
Nbd7 9.Bb2 0-0 10.Nbd2 Rb8

Position after: 10...Rb8

I would now deviate from Carlsen, M (2775) – Mamedyarov, S (2742) Moscow 2008 with 11.e4!N
11...Bb7 12.Rfe1² and Black’s pawn structure makes little sense.

621
 B) 4...d5 If you are reading this book from the beginning to the end, you might remember that we
checked this move long ago... in the first chapter about the sidelines of the Neo-Catalan!

5.b3!

Position after: 5.b3!

Simply protecting our pawn. Black now has a choice between two more or less equivalent moves.

5...c5!?

This anticipates the attack of the b-pawn.

6.0-0 Bb7 7.Nc3! Qb6

A) 7...Qa5?! The queen seems less natural here, and it does nothing special on the a-file. 8.Bb2 Be7
9.e4!

622
Position after: 9.e4!

A1) 9...d6 10.e5 dxe5 11.Nxe5 Bxg2 12.Kxg2 Qc7 (12...0-0N 13.cxb5! axb5 14.a4 b4 15.Nb5² We
have great minor pieces and a protected passed a-pawn already. The only problem in our position is
our isolated and potentially weak d-pawn.) 13.f4!N

Position after: 13.f4!N

13...Qb7+ (13...Nbd7?! 14.Qf3 Rb8 15.Nc6 Rb6 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.d3²) 14.Qf3! Qxf3+ 15.Rxf3
bxc4 16.bxc4 Nfd7 17.Nxd7 Nxd7 18.Na4²

623
 A2) 9...Nxe4? 10.Nxe4! Bxe4 11.Re1 Bb7 12.Bxg7 Rg8 13.Bb2±
A3) 9...b4 10.e5! An important move.

Position after: 10.e5!

10...bxc3 11.Bxc3 Qd8 12.exf6 Bxf6 The strong Chinese grandmaster understands the position
perfectly, and forces Black to enter a difficult endgame after 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.d4! cxd4 15.Nxd4
Bxg2 16.Kxg2 0-0 17.Qf3! Qxf3+ 18.Kxf3² and he managed to win in Ni, H (2689) – Cheng, B
(2436) Sydney 2015.
B) 7...b4 8.Na4 d6 is similar to the ...b4-ideas in the line with 5...Bb7.

8.Re1!

This is clearly not the main move, but I think it’s pretty strong, and is definitely my choice.

624
Position after: 8.Re1!

8...d6

A) 8...Ne4?! 9.Nxe4 Bxe4 10.d3 Bb7 11.Bb2± is difficult for Black because he can’t develop his
bishop without losing his g7-pawn.
B) 8...Nc6?! 9.e4! d6 (9...Nd4?! fails because of 10.e5! Ng4 11.Nxd4 cxd4 12.Qxg4 dxc3 13.dxc3±)
10.Nd5!!

Position after: 10.Nd5!!

625
 This is an amazing piece sacrifice. Unfortunately, it’s not a novelty, but Black has already suffered a
couple of losses here.
B1) 10...Qd8 11.d4! cxd4 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Qxd4± exd5? now loses to 14.e5! with a completely
crushing attack: 14...dxe5 15.Rxe5+ Kd7 16.Bf4 Bd6

Position after: 16...Bd6

All this was seen in the game Santos Ruiz, M (2331) – Illingworth, M (2450) Budapest 2014 where
White collapsed completely, whereas he could have kept a winning position with 17.Rae1!N
17...Kc7 18.Re7+ Kb8 19.c5! Bxf4 20.Qxf4+ Ka7 21.c6+–.
B2) 10...exd5 11.exd5+
B2.1) 11...Ne5 12.d4! cxd4 13.Bb2! Be7 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15.Rxe5 Qd6 (15...Qc7 16.d6! Qxd6
17.Bxb7 Rb8 18.Bc6+!!

626
Position after: 18.Bc6+!!

18...Qxc6 19.Qxd4‚ with excellent compensation for the piece) 16.Bxd4 0-0 17.c5! Qd8 18.Be3±
White’s position is crushing.
B2.2) 11...Ne7 12.d4!±

Position after: 12.d4!±

It’s hard to believe, but Black is actually defenseless. The only game to reach this position
continued 12...0-0-0? 13.Ng5! winning back some material: 13...Nexd5 14.Nxf7 Nc3 15.Bxb7+

627
 (15.dxc5! is even stronger: 15...Qc7 16.Bxb7+ Qxb7 17.Nxd8 Kxd8 18.Qd4+–) 15...Qxb7
16.Nxd8 Kxd8 17.Qd3 b4 18.dxc5 d5 19.Be3+– 1-0 (24) Sadorra, J (2577) – Iotov, V (2568)
Dallas 2013.
C) 8...Be7 is maybe best, but it’s a pretty dismal move: 9.e4 0-0 10.e5 Ne8 11.d4!N 11...cxd4
12.Qxd4 Qxd4 13.Nxd4 Bxg2 14.Kxg2².

9.e4 Be7 10.d4

Position after: 10.d4

10...cxd4

In the event of 10...Nc6 11.d5!N looks like a strong continuation: 11...Nd4 (11...Nd8? 12.e5 dxe5
13.Nxe5 0-0 14.Bg5+–) 12.Be3 Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 0-0 14.b4!± with an overwhelming advantage.

11.Nxd4 bxc4?!

11...Nc6 Black should prefer to keep the position as closed as possible, but he’s in trouble anyway:
12.Be3 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Qc6 (13...Qa5 14.e5! dxe5 15.Bxb7 exd4 16.Bxa8 dxc3 17.Bc6+ Kf8 18.cxb5
axb5 19.a3±) 14.cxb5 axb5 15.Rc1±.

12.bxc4 Nc6

628
Position after: 12...Nc6

White won easily in Filippov, V – Atalik, S Bled 2001, but it seems fair to mention that he has the
stronger...

13.e5!N 13...dxe5 14.Rb1 Qxd4 15.Rxb7 Rc8 16.Qa4 0-0

16...Qxc3? 17.Bxc6+ Kf8 18.Rd1+– White is winning. Bb2, bagging the queen, and Rxe7 are two
threats hard to parry.

17.Ne2!+–

629
Position after: 17.Ne2!+–

And White wins either the c6-knight or e7-bishop.

b) 4.Bg2 b5 5.b3 Bb7

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 a6!? 4.Bg2 b5 5.b3! Bb7

Position after: 5...Bb7

630
6.Nc3!

Forcing our opponent to make a decision about his b-pawn. He has many choices at his disposal.

6...b4

This releases the pressure, but it’s probably the least of the evils.
A) 6...bxc4?! I haven’t a clue why this has been played so many times as it makes little sense.
Opening the file is clearly pretty bad news for the bishop: 7.bxc4 c5 8.Rb1! Bc6 9.0-0

Position after: 9.0-0

9...Be7 (9...d6N isn’t better because d6 will soon become a target 10.d4! cxd4 11.Qxd4 Nbd7 12.Ba3
Qc7 13.Rfd1± Nc5? 14.Bxc5 dxc5 15.Qe5 Qxe5 16.Nxe5 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Be7 18.Nc6+– Black is
completely lost.) 10.Qc2! (10.d4!? cxd4 11.Qxd4 0-0 12.Rd1 Qa5 13.Bd2 Qc5 14.Be3 Qxd4
15.Nxd4 Bxg2 16.Kxg2± 1-0 (33) Laznicka, V (2676) – Akobian, V (2635) Baku 2015) 10...0-0
11.e4

631
Position after: 11.e4

Black has huge trouble developing his pieces. 11...Ra7 (11...Qc7 12.d4 cxd4 13.Nxd4 Rc8 14.Rd1± 1-
0 (32) Ribli, Z – Fedorchuk, S Germany 2006) 12.d4 cxd4 13.Nxd4 Ba8 14.Rd1 Black has solved his
problem with the b8-knight (the c6-square is free), but he remains passive. White won in Korchnoi, V
– Tisdall, J Copenhagen 1996.
B) 6...Bb4 protects b5, but gives up the bishop pair: 7.cxb5! Bxc3 8.dxc3 axb5 9.Qd3!².
C) 6...c5?! I don’t feel Black has enough counterplay after this sacrifice. 7.cxb5 axb5 8.Nxb5 d5
(8...Qb6 9.a4 Nc6 10.0-0 Be7 11.d4!±) 9.0-0 Nc6

632
Position after: 9...Nc6

10.Bb2N (Better than 10.d3 as played in Goldin, A (2585) – Lugovoi, A (2490) Elista 1995, because
we keep the idea of playing d2-d4 at any moment.) 10...Be7 11.a4 0-0 12.d4!±

7.Na4

Position after: 7.Na4

7...d6

A) 7...Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.d4 d6 10.Bb2 is similar to the main line.

B) 7...c5 is bit committal, and Black should wait to play it. 8.d4 cxd4 (8...d6? 9.dxc5 dxc5 10.Qxd8+
Kxd8 11.0-0±) 9.Qxd4 Nc6

633
Position after: 9...Nc6

10.Qb6!? This kind of endgame is actually quite bad for Black. (10.Qf4! d6 11.Bb2 Be7 12.Rd1± is
probably even stronger than the endgame) 10...Qxb6 11.Nxb6 Rd8 12.0-0 Ne4 13.Bb2 f6 14.Rad1
Nc5 (14...Bc5 15.Na4 Ba7 16.Ne1! Nc5 17.Nxc5 Bxc5 18.Nd3 Be7 19.Bc1!± Black’s queenside
pawns are weak) 15.Ne1 Na5 16.Nd3 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Nxd3 18.exd3 Rb8 19.Bd4 Nc6 20.Be3² 1-0
(43) Mareco, S (2655) – Flores, D (2568) Buenos Aires 2017.

8.d4 Nbd7 9.0-0 Be7

If 9...c5 White gets an advantage with 10.dxc5 dxc5 11.Qd3! Be7 12.Rd1 0-0 13.Bf4². Black needs to
find a way to get some activity, but it’s not so simple.

634
Position after: 9...Be7

10.Bb2 0-0

After some natural moves, I like the thematic pseudo-sacrifice...

11.d5!? exd5

11...e5?! 12.Nh4! is strong because Black can’t prevent Nf5. 12...g6 13.c5! Black is crushed:
13...Nxc5? (13...dxc5? 14.d6+–; 13...Bc8 is the only move that doesn’t lose on the spot: 14.c6 Nb8
15.f4!‚) 14.Nxc5 dxc5 15.d6! Bxg2 16.dxe7 Qxe7 17.Nxg2+–.

12.Nh4!?

12.Nd4!?N

635
Position after: 12.Nd4!?N

White can also play a real sacrifice, as Black is able to keep his extra pawn. The knight is heading for
c6, and we are going to have compensation.
A) 12...c5!? is always possible and might be better than keeping the pawn, because at least the knight
can’t find a good spot on c6: 13.Nf5 was another idea 13...Re8 14.cxd5 Bf8 15.Ne3 and I think the
best practical choice is to sacrifice the exchange with 15...Rxe3 16.fxe3 Qe7©.
B) 12...Rb8 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Rc1! Bf6 15.Nc6 Bxc6 16.Rxc6 Bxb2 (16...Ne7 17.Bxf6 Nxf6
18.Rxa6²) 17.Bxd5 Bf6 18.Qc2© I definitely prefer White here.

12...Ne4 13.cxd5

636
Position after: 13.cxd5

13...Bxh4!N

13...Nec5 14.Qd4 Bf6 15.Qxb4 a5 was clearly worse for Black in view of 16.Qd2!N (16.Bxf6 axb4
17.Bxd8 Rfxd8 18.Nxc5 Nxc5© 1-0 (65) Bogosavljevic, B (2551) – Rajkovic, D (2453) Cetinje 2010)
16...Nxa4 17.bxa4 Bxh4 18.gxh4 Qxh4 19.Rac1²

14.Bxe4 Bf6 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.Bg2ƒ

We have the upper hand but Black is still solid.

637
Position after: 16.Bg2ƒ

638
 Chapter 17
The Anti-King’s Indian Defense

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.b3 Bg7 4.Bb2

Chapter guide
Chapter 17 – The Anti-King’s Indian Defense
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.b3 Bg7 4.Bb2
a) 4...--, 4...0-0 5.g3 --, 5...d6 6.d4 --
b) 4...0-0 5.g3 d6 6.d4 Nbd7 7.Bg2 --, 7...e5

a) 4...--, 4...0-0 5.g3 --, 5...d6 6.d4 --

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6

639
Position after: 2...g6

The King’s Indian and Grünfeld Defenses have always been highly popular, both among top players
and amateurs. White can easily occupy the center, and Black readily agrees to this. In the following two
chapters we are going to examine two possibilities for White. First, a pure Reti system, starting with
3.b3. Of course we will keep in mind that if Black plays ...c5 at some point we transpose into the
Symmetrical English.
We will focus mainly on the possibilities of Black playing in King’s Indian spirit (with ...e5), whereas
we will be playing with two fianchettoes. On the other hand, Grünfeld players may try ...c6/ ...d5,
which transposes into chapter 6, the Slav Defense with 4...g6.
Then we will consider the main lines, where we more or less transpose into 1.d4 systems, but against
the Grünfeld we will examine a system specific to our move order.
The King’s Indian is another subject, as starting with 1.Nf3, 2.c4 and 3.Nc3 doesn’t change much. It’s
up to you to pick the system which suits you best.

3.b3!?

This approach is in the spirit of the other lines presented in this book. It can transpose to lines that were
covered in the previous chapters (for instance if Black plays with ...c5, it will transpose to the
Symmetrical English, chapter 14).

3...Bg7 4.Bb2 0-0

A) 4...d6!? If Black starts with this move, it’s important to remember that we must prevent ...e5 for
now. That’s why, before developing our kingside, we should start with 5.d4! c5. It’s un-usual for
Black to start with this move, as he hasn’t castled yet. We must remember that we can’t play our usual

640
 g2-g3 obtaining the double fianchetto. (5...0-0 6.g3 – see the main line)

Position after: 5...c5

A1) 6.g3?! is a position known to be bad for White because of 6...Ne4! 7.Bg2 Qa5+! 8.Nbd2
(8.Nfd2 Nxd2 9.Qxd2 Qxd2+ 10.Nxd2 Bxd4! 11.Bxd4 cxd4³ White’s opening has been a disaster
and he is fighting for a draw.) 8...Nc3! 9.Bxc3 (9.Qc2?! cxd4µ) 9...Qxc3 10.0-0 Nc6³
A2) 6.Nc3 is not ideal for us either: 6...cxd4 7.Nxd4 0-0 8.g3?! d5!N 9.Bg2 e5 10.Nc2 d4 11.Nd5∞.
A3) 6.dxc5 Entering the following endgame is a good practical choice. 6...Qa5+ 7.Qd2! Qxd2+
8.Nfxd2!N

641
Position after: 8.Nfxd2!N

(You will understand the big difference with 8.Nbxd2 in a moment.) 8...dxc5 9.Ne4 Nbd7
(9...Nxe4?! 10.Bxg7 Rg8 11.Bb2 Nc6 12.f3! This is why we prefer to have a knight on b1 and not
f3, the difference with 8.Nbxd2. 12...Nd6 13.Nc3²) 10.g3! 0-0 11.Nxf6+ Nxf6 12.Bg2 Things are
not that simple for Black. Play might continue 12...Rb8 13.Be5!? Nd7 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Nc3 Nf6
16.0-0-0 Be6 17.Kb2² with the preferable endgame for White.
B) 4...c5 5.g3 transposes into chapter 14 on the Symmetrical English.
C) 4...c6 might be the choice of Grünfeld players. After 5.g3 d5 6.Bg2 it actually transposes into
chapter 7 on the 4...g6 line of the Slav. It also made sense to cover this line here, but I preferred to
include it in the Slav section.

5.g3

Position after: 5.g3

5...d6

The typical move of the King’s Indian’s player.

A) 5...c6!? Again, this might be the Grünfeld player’s choice. 6.Bg2 d5 transposing to chapter 7 with
4...g6.
B) 5...b6 6.Bg2 Bb7 7.0-0 c5 is chapter 12 on the reverse double fianchetto of the Symmetrical
English.
C) 5...d5!? is a minor side line which I wasn’t planning to analyze, but it’s Mikhalevski’s
recommendation in his last book. 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Bxg7 Kxg7

642
Position after: 7...Kxg7

C1) 8.Bg2 (as well as 8.Qc1) is well analyzed in the book, where Mikhalevski reaches equality of
sorts after some accurate moves. For example, he analyzes 8...Nc6 9.d4 Bg4 10.0-0 Qd6! 11.e4
Ndb4 12.d5 Ne5! 13.Nbd2 c6 14.Nc4 Nxc4 15.bxc4 e5 16.Qb3 Bxf3! 17.Bxf3 b6 where he stops
and says, “Black will exchange on d5 and bring his knight to c5 via a6”. Well, we can try 18.Qa3ƒ
which may be a bit annoying for Black. He can hardly play with ...a5 because of b6, which will
remain weak, but he can probably get a position close to equal.
C2) 8.d4!? This is not analyzed in his book, but it contains some venom. 8...Nc6 9.e4 Nf6
(9...Ndb4?! 10.a3! f5! 11.axb4 fxe4 12.Ne5 Nxd4 13.Bg2 Qd6 14.Nc4 Qxb4+ 15.Nbd2±) 10.d5

643
Position after: 10.d5

C2.1) 10...Nxe4!? Interesting in practice, but objectively a bit dubious. 11.Qd3! Bg4 12.Nh4! Only
this strong move enables White to grab a piece. Black gets some compensation, but it won’t be
enough: 12...Nxf2 13.Kxf2 Ne5 14.Qd4 f6 15.Nc3 c6 16.h3 Be6 17.Be2!±.
C2.2) 10...Bg4 11.Be2! Bxf3 (11...Nb8 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 e6 14.0-0 exd5 15.exd5²) 12.Bxf3
Ne5 13.Bg2 e6 14.0-0 exd5 15.exd5 Qd6 16.Nc3 a6 17.Rc1ƒ White keeps the easier position.

6.d4!

Once again we prevent Black’s intended ...e5. The downside of our system (yes, there has to be a limit
to things!) is that Black is still able to play this move, but he must know what he is doing.

Position after: 6.d4!

6...e5!?

This is far from being the main move, and I have never met it myself over the board.
6...c5 7.Bg2 In case of classical moves like 7...Nc6 or 7...cxd4, we will easily transpose into the main
line of chapter 14 about the Symmetrical English. The only line that might seem dangerous is 7...Qa5+
(7...d5 8.dxc5 Qa5+ 9.Nbd2 dxc4 10.0-0! c3 11.Nc4 Qxc5 12.Bxc3 Nc6 13.Rc1ƒ) 8.Nc3!

644
Position after: 8.Nc3!

A) 8...Ne4 9.Rc1! Black’s activity runs out of steam because we are ready to castle on the next move.
We will attack the e4-knight, and if he trades we will gain a tempo on his queen (only a kamikaze
would take on a2). 9...Nc6 (9...Bf5 10.0-0 Nxc3?! 11.Bxc3 Qxa2 12.Ne1! Qa6 13.Ra1 Qb6 14.Ba5
Qa6 15.Bc7+–) 10.0-0 Nxc3 11.Bxc3 Qa3 12.e3²
B) 8...Nc6 9.0-0 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Bd7 This transposes directly into the main line of chapter 12.
(10...Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Nd5 12.Qxd5 Bxc3 13.Bxc3 Qxc3 14.Rfc1 Qf6 15.c5!² It won’t be easy for
Black to get any activity as his b7-pawn is hard to protect.)

7.dxe5 dxe5

A) 7...Nfd7!? This is another decent move for Black, but I think White can still fight for an edge.
8.Nc3!

645
Position after: 8.Nc3!

8...dxe5! (8...Nxe5?! 9.Bg2! Nxf3+ 10.Bxf3 Nd7 11.0-0 Ne5 12.Bg2² Even if this has occurred in a
hundred games, I’m going to stop the analysis here. It is really easy to play for White. We will
continue with Qd2 and then Nd5. Trading the dark-squared bishops will be great for the attack along
the diagonal, and ...c6 is hardly playable for Black because of the weakening of the d6-pawn.) 9.Qd2!
It’s very important to prevent ...e5-e4 (which we did by protecting our b2-bishop), and it can also
allow White to castle long quickly.
A1) 9...Nc6?! 10.Rd1! Re8 11.h4! e4 12.Ng5ƒ
A2) 9...Re8 Most players have chosen this move. 10.h4!

646
Position after: 10.h4!

I like this approach. When Black’s threat is e4, we secure the g5-square for the knight. 10...e4
11.Ng5 Nc5 (11...Nf6 12.Qxd8 Rxd8 This occurred in Kurajica, B (2518) – Kozul, Z (2620)
Sarajevo 2015, and I think it’s now better to improve on White’s play with 13.Bg2!N 13...Re8 14.0-
0-0 Bf5 15.f3 exf3 16.exf3²) 12.0-0-0 (12.Qe3!? Nbd7 13.0-0-0 Qe7 14.Nd5 Bxb2+ 15.Kxb2 Qe5+
16.Qc3 c6! 17.Qxe5 Rxe5 18.Ne3²) 12...Qxd2+ 13.Rxd2² h6? (13...f5?! 14.Nd5 Nba6 15.h5!±)
14.Ngxe4! Nxe4 15.Nxe4+–
A3) 9...Nc5!N A difficult move from a human point of view, but probably best. 10.0-0-0 Qxd2+
11.Nxd2 f5!

647
Position after: 11...f5!

12.h4!?ƒ White keeps some initiative in this endgame, and it’s easy for Black to go wrong.
12...Nc6?! 13.Bg2 e4 14.Nd5 Rf7 15.f3²
B) 7...Ng4?! This move is clearly less flexible than 7...Nfd7 since Black will have to take back with
the knight: 8.Nc3 Nxe5, transposing into 8...Nxe5 of the 7...Nfd7 line.

8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Nxe5

Position after: 9.Nxe5

It’s now important for Black to know (or find) the next move, otherwise he may not be able to prove he
has enough compensation.

9...Na6!

The knight is heading to the b4-square.

A) 9...Nfd7? 10.Nd3! Bxb2 11.Nxb2±
B) This position actually occurred in one of my recent blitz games, and my opponent now took the
wrong path: 9...Ne4?! 10.Nd3 Bxb2 11.Nxb2 Nc6?! (¹11...Na6 12.Bg2 Nec5 13.Nc3 Nb4 14.0-0
Rd2 15.Nba4±) 12.Bg2 Nc5 13.Bxc6! bxc6 14.Nc3 Bf5 15.Rd1!+– and Black was already
objectively lost in Demuth, A (2538) – Yuffa, D (2527) Cap d’Agde 2017.

10.Nd3

White was clearly dominated after the quite logical developing move 10.Nc3 Nb4! 11.Rc1 Bf5 12.Bg2

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Nd7 13.g4 Bxe5 14.gxf5 Nxa2 15.Nxa2 Bxb2³ 0-1 (46) Kurajica, B (2528) – Kozul, Z (2617) Mali
Losinj 2017.

10...Bf5

Both games in which this position occurred continued with this active move.
Even if we’re aiming at an advantage, it’s still relevant to point out that the two games ended in a draw,
despite Black having a much higher rating.

11.Nc3! Bxd3

11...Ng4!? 12.h3 Ne5 13.0-0-0 Nxd3+ 14.exd3 Nb4 15.a3

Position after: 15.a3

15...Bxc3 (Black has played accurately. Sometimes White has to accept that a draw is the logical result
after sensible play by both sides. This is what might have happened if Black had played 15...Nxd3+!
16.Bxd3 Bxd3 17.Rd2 Bf5 18.Nd5 Bxb2+ 19.Kxb2 Kf8 20.Rhd1 c6=.) 16.Bxc3 Nxd3+ 17.Bxd3 Rxd3
18.Rxd3 Bxd3 19.Rd1² White kept a small edge in Barbosa, O (2550) – Ding, L (2679) Ho Chi Minh
City 2012.

12.exd3

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Position after: 12.exd3

12...Nb4!N

This should give Black enough compensation to draw.

12...Ng4?! 13.h3!N (13.Be2 Nb4! 14.Rd1 Ne5 15.d4 Nc2+ 16.Kf1 Nxd4 17.Nd5= In the end, the
game was logically drawn: Genov, P (2463) – Sutovsky, E (2700) Arvier 2012.) 13...Re8+ 14.Be2 Ne5
15.0-0-0 Nxc4!

Position after: 15...Nxc4!

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This is the last chance for Black to take his pawn back. 16.dxc4 Bxc3 17.Bxc3 Rxe2 18.Rd2² We can
still try for something in this endgame, with a bishop v knight and the weaknesses on the dark squares.

13.0-0-0 Ng4! 14.Rd2 Re8! 15.Be2

15.Ne4 Nxa2+ 16.Kb1 Nb4=

15...Nxf2 16.Rf1 Nfxd3+! 17.Bxd3 Bh6

We have some problems, but have created just enough counterplay to reach a drawn position.

18.Kd1 Rad8 19.Nd5!

Position after: 19.Nd5!

19...Bxd2 20.Nf6+ Kf8 21.Nxh7+ Kg8 22.Nf6+ Kf8=

As explained earlier, with perfect play from both sides it seems that a draw is a fair result...

b) 4...0-0 5.g3 d6 6.d4 Nbd7 7.Bg2 --, 7...e5

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.b3!? Bg7 4.Bb2 0-0 5.g3 d6 6.d4! Nbd7 7.Bg2 e5!?

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Position after: 7...e5!?

If Black doesn’t have to prepare this move, he shouldn’t hesitate.

7...c6 is possible too, but it helps White: 8.0-0 Re8 (8...Qc7 is less precise. After 9.Nc3 e5 10.e3 Re8
11.Rc1ƒ Black doesn’t have the option of advancing to e4, because he cannot defend the pawn later
with ...d5 due to the problems on the c-file.) 9.Nc3 e5 10.Qc2 e4 11.Ng5! Entering the complications is
the way to fight ...e5-e4.

Position after: 11.Ng5!

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 A) In the event of 11...d5?! our previous moves are fully justified by 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.Nb5! Rb8
(13...h6? 14.Nc7 hxg5 15.Nxa8± Our knight easily finds an emergency exit.) 14.Nd6 Rf8 15.f3!ƒ
This move is perfectly timed in order to open the center.
B) 11...e3! 12.fxe3 One of the best practical decisions; we are better developed, so open the f-file,
even if it allows some counterplay.
B1) 12...Bh6?! 13.Nge4! Bxe3+ 14.Kh1 Bxd4 15.Nxd6±
B2) 12...Rxe3 13.Qd2 Qe7 (13...Re8 14.e4±) 14.Rf4!?ƒ
B3) 12...Qe7!N Black must bear in mind that we also have an active position, thanks to the open f-
file, and the possibility of forming an impressive center. Thus, he has to be really careful. 13.Qd3
Ng4! 14.Nxf7! Going for it!

Position after: 14.Nxf7!

14...Ndf6 (14...Nxe3?! 15.Ne4 Nxf1 16.Nfxd6 Rf8 17.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 18.Bxf1± White’s impressive
center makes all the difference.) 15.Nxd6 Qxd6 16.e4„ The position is still really complicated, but I
like White’s prospects in the center with his three pawns for the piece.

8.Nc3!?

We have other tries, but this is my preference.

8.dxe5?! is the principal move, but its main point is that it gives Black the chance to make a bad
decision.

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Position after: 8.dxe5?!

A) ≤ 8...Ng4?! is the thematic reply, but it’s exactly what we wanted. 9.0-0 Ngxe5 10.Nc3 Nxf3+
11.Bxf3 Ne5 12.Bg2² White has good prospects in this position. He will continue with Qd2, Rad1
and then Nd5. Black can’t chase the knight with ...c6, because the d6-pawn would become too weak,
and White aims to trade the dark-squared bishops to take advantage of the weaknesses around the
black king. You can, for instance, look at the classic game Polugaevsky, L – Janosevic, D Skopje
1968, 1-0 (51).
B) 8...dxe5! is correct:
B1) 9.Nxe5?! is strongly met by 9...Ng4! 10.Nd3 (10.Nxg4 Bxb2 11.Nd2 f5!µ) 10...Bxb2 11.Nxb2
Qf6–+.
B2) 9.0-0 e4! I dislike this line. Black seems to have the more attractive position, even if we can try
to play against the e4-pawn. 10.Ne1 Qe7 (10...Re8 11.Nc2 c6 12.Qd2 Qe7„) 11.Nc3 c6 12.Nc2
Nc5ƒ

8...Re8

8...e4?! is too early at present: 9.Nd2 e3 10.fxe3 Ng4 11.Nf1!².

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Position after: 11.Nf1!²

We prevent ...Nxe3 and are going to play e4 or chase the knight with h3, depending on Black’s move.
Besides, a pawn is a pawn.

9.0-0 e4

Position after: 9...e4

If this move is not satisfactory, Black must look for another try, and, as you will see, one might be

655
needed.
9...c6 has been the most played move, but it simply transposes to 7...c6.

10.Ng5 e3

Black does not have any satisfactory way to defend the pawn, so he has to go for this move.

11.fxe3!

Position after: 11.fxe3!

This is similar to the line we examined after 7...c6. It seems simplest to open the f-file.

11...Bh6

This can be considered the main move, forcing White to make a decision. I think we have an excellent
solution and a novelty in store!
11...h6 12.Nge4 Ng4 appeared in Mastrovasilis, A (2537) – Ladopoulos, D (2138) Thessaloniki 2017,
1-0 (26): (12...Nxe4! is probably best, in order to attack the e3-pawn 13.Nxe4 Qe7 14.Bc1! f5 15.Nc3
Nf6 16.Rf4© White keeps his extra pawn, but he must advance to the fourth rank if he wants to claim a
real advantage.) 13.Qd2! f5 14.Bf3!

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Position after: 14.Bf3!

14...h5 15.Bxg4 hxg4 16.Nf2 Bh6 17.Nd5² The position is rather strange, but Black still has to prove
enough compensation.

12.h4!N

Position after: 12.h4!N

This is surprisingly good, even if it looks too weakening at first sight.

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12...Bxg5

12...Rxe3 13.Qe1! Bg7 14.Qf2 Re8 15.Rae1±

13.hxg5 Ng4

This looks rather dubious for us, as we have a couple of pawns hanging. That’s why we must play
actively.

14.Bd5 Rf8

Black pauses before collecting our pawn.

14...Kh8 15.Rxf7 Qxg5 (15...Nxe3? 16.Qd2 Qxg5 17.Rf3! Nf6 18.Ne4 Nxe4 19.Qxe3 Qxe3+
20.Rxe3 Nf6 21.Rxe8+ Nxe8 22.Rf1+–) 16.Qf1!! This is an effective way to protect our king and start
counterplay on the f-file. Our rook is very important on the seventh rank, both attacking, and preparing
for the endgame.

Position after: 16.Qf1!!

Furthermore, the vis-à-vis between the b2-bishop and the black king might prove dangerous for Black
at some point.
A) 16...Qxe3+ 17.Kg2 c6? fails to 18.Rxh7+ Kxh7 19.Qf7+ Kh8 (19...Kh6 20.Rh1+ Kg5 21.Bc1+–)
20.Rh1+ Nh6 21.Qxg6+–
B) 16...Ndf6 17.Qf4! Qxf4 18.exf4 Nxd5 19.cxd5±

15.Rxf7!!

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Position after: 15.Rxf7!!

A nasty surprise for Black!

15...Rxf7 16.Qf1 Qe7 17.Qxf7+ Qxf7 18.Bxf7+!

18.Rf1?! would be even stronger if Black didn’t have the strong resource 18...Nde5! 19.dxe5 Be6
20.Rxf7 Kxf7 21.exd6 Bxd5 22.Nxd5 cxd6³ where he even seems to be better.

18...Kxf7 19.Nd5!

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Position after: 19.Nd5!

With this precise line, we achieve great compensation.

19...c6 20.Rf1+ Kg7

20...Kg8?! 21.Ne7+ Kg7 22.e4! Black is completely dominated.

Position after: 22.e4!

White is going to use the bishop b2 with great effect, as the black king can’t escape anywhere. 22...Nf8
(22...a5 23.Rf4 h5 24.gxh6+ Nxh6 25.c5! dxc5 26.d5+ Kh7 27.Rh4 cxd5 28.exd5+– Black can’t
protect himself against 29.Bc1.) 23.Rf4 Bd7 24.d5+ Ne5 25.c5!+–

21.Nc7 Rb8 22.Rf4 Nf8

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Position after: 22...Nf8

23.Re4!

23.Ne8+ is also possible: 23...Kg8 24.Nxd6 Nxe3 25.Rf3 Nf5 26.Ne8² Once again, we only have two
pawns for the piece, but will soon get the steamroller in the center moving.

23...Kf7 24.Ne8 Bf5 25.Nxd6+ Kg8 26.Re7±

Black needs to be very accurate if he wants to survive here.

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 Chapter 18
The Anti-Grünfeld Defense

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3

Chapter guide
Chapter 18 – The Anti-Grünfeld Defense
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3
a) 3...--, 3...d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3 Nb6 6.d4 Be6
b) 3...d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3 Nb6 6.d4 Bg7 7.Bf4 --, 7...Be6 8.Qa3 --
c) 3...d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3 Nb6 6.d4 Bg7 7.Bf4 Be6 8.Qa3 c5

a) 3...--, 3...d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3 Nb6 6.d4 Be6

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3

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Position after: 3.Nc3

As I explained in the previous chapter, we are focusing on a more classical idea here (compared to 3.b3
of chapter 17) where White intends to play 4.e4, preventing the Grünfeld Defense.
If our opponent plays a King’s Indian, see 3...Bg7, but if he wants to play a Grünfeld, he will have to
enter our line, which is normally only possible with this move order.

3...d5

Black can’t delay ...d5, but we can use our clever move order to enter a slightly advantageous line of
the Grünfeld.
A) 3...c5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.e4 transposes into the Maroczy system, as in the Symmetrical
English with 2...g6.
B) 3...Bg7 This move order is no problem for King’s Indian players who will normally play this
move, but Grünfeld players can’t put off playing ...d5 as we would play 4.e4, preventing them from
doing so. 4...d6 (4...c5 once again goes straight to the Maroczy system: 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nc6 7.Be3)
5.d4 0-0 You can now choose your own system against the King’s Indian.

4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3

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Position after: 5.Qb3

White has other options that don’t transpose into the main lines. 5.Qa4+ is probably the most important
of them, and 5.h4 has gained some popularity recently.

5...Nb6!

5...Nxc3? is obviously not possible here: 6.Qxc3! Rg8 7.e4 Bg7 8.d4±.

6.d4

So we have reached a Grünfeld set-up. What was the point of our move order exactly?
The answer is that after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3, Black has the excellent option
of 5...Nxc3, reaching classical positions where the queen is not particularly well placed on b3.

6...Be6?!

If Black tries to take advantage of the position of our queen, he should hurry because after 6...Bg7 7.e4,
...Be6 doesn’t make any sense because of the possibility of d4-d5. Nevertheless, this move is premature
and rather dubious.

7.Qc2! Bg7

A) 7...Nc6 8.e4!

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Position after: 8.e4!

Once again, Black never really threatens to take on d4, and now needs to solve his immediate
problems.
A1) 8...Nxd4?? 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.Nb5+–
A2) 8...Bg4? 9.d5! puts Black in huge trouble: 9...Nb8 (9...Bxf3? 10.dxc6 Bg4 11.cxb7 Rb8
12.Ba6+–) 10.Ne5 Bd7 11.Bf4±.
A3) 8...Nb4 9.Qd1!± c6 (9...Bg4 10.d5 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Bg7 12.Qb3 a5 13.Be3± 1-0 (31) Greenfeld, A
(2571) – Groszpeter, A (2495) Panormo 2001) 10.a3 Na6 11.Ng5 Bc8 Black’s opening has
obviously gone badly and he must retreat. 12.Qb3 e6 13.Be3 Bg7 14.Rd1± 1-0 (34) Fridman, D
(2670) – Giemsa, S (2267) Bad Wiessee 2012.
B) 7...Bg4 might be the lesser evil, but White easily keeps an advantage, for example by taking the
two bishops:

665
Position after: 7...Bg4

8.Qe4!? Bxf3 9.Qxf3ƒ Qxd4?! 10.Qxb7 Bg7 11.g3!?²

8.e4!

We are not afraid of losing the d-pawn.

Position after: 8.e4!

8...0-0

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 A) 8...Bg4 9.Ne5! Bxe5 This avoids losing time, but it’s not great. Don’t forget that this is supposed
to be Black’s better bishop, and its disappearance will weaken his kingside. (9...Be6 10.Be3 0-0
11.Rd1± Black has already lost many tempi!) 10.dxe5 Nc6 (10...0-0 11.f3 Be6 12.Bh6! Re8 13.Qf2!
±) 11.Bb5! Bd7 12.Bxc6 (12.e6!? is also interesting, destroying Black’s pawn structure) 12...Bxc6
13.Be3! Qd7 (13...0-0 will most probably transpose: 14.Rd1 Qc8 15.0-0 Rd8 16.Bd4±) 14.Rd1 Qe6
15.0-0 0-0 16.f4 Rad8 17.Bd4± This position is obviously difficult for Black, and he did not defend
well enough to escape in Gelfand, B (2723) – Shirov, A (2740) Dagomys 2008.
B) 8...Bxd4?? 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.Nb5 Qb4+ 11.Bd2+– wins on the spot.

9.Be3

Position after: 9.Be3

9...c6

9...Nc4 (9...Bc4 10.Rd1!?N 10...Bxf1 11.Kxf1 e6 12.g3±) 9...Nc4 10.Bf4 We have let the knight come
to c4, but will soon repel it. 10...c6 (10...Bxd4?? 11.Nb5+–) 11.Rd1 Qb6 12.b3 Na3 13.Qc1 Nb5
14.Nxb5 cxb5 15.Be2²

10.Rd1 N8d7 11.Be2 Bg4 12.0-0 Qc7 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Bxf3±

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Position after: 14.Bxf3±

Black has reached a typical passive position, and it was no surprise that White won quite easily in
Mamedyarov – Areshchenko, European Club Cup, Eilat 2012.

b) 3...d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3 Nb6 6.d4 Bg7 7.Bf4 --, 7...Be6 8.Qa3 --

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3 Nb6! 6.d4 Bg7 7.Bf4!?

Position after: 7.Bf4!?

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This is the positional approach. I also like 7.e4, the other critical line, and have played some games
with it, but I feel it’s a bit too dangerous and complicated for the book. Still, some wonderful games
have been played with this move, have a look for example at Cheparinov, I (2678) – Sutovsky, E
(2660) Poikovsky 2013.

7...Be6!

7...0-0 is a bit too slow, as White will now be able to meet ...Be6 with d5, saving some tempi. 8.Rd1!
This move restricts Black’s possibilities. For instance, it’s harder for him to make the thematic move
...c5 work.

Position after: 8.Rd1!

A) 8...Be6 9.d5! Bd7 (9...Bxc3+!? 10.bxc3 Bxd5? 11.c4 Bxc4 12.Rxd8 Bxb3 13.Rxf8+ Kxf8
14.axb3+–) 10.e4!N

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Position after: 10.e4!N

The simplest. (10.Ne5 c6 11.dxc6 Nxc6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.e4 Qc8 14.Be2 Be6 15.Qc2² occurred in
the drawn game Xiong, J (2641) – Lin, Y (2276) China 2016) 10...c6 11.Be2 cxd5 12.exd5 Na6 13.0-
0² White has a very active position, full of possibilities.
B) 8...a5 9.h4!?N

Position after: 9.h4!?N

This move makes a lot of sense as most of Black’s pieces are on the queenside and we have already

670
 stabilized the center. (9.e3 a4 10.Qc2 Nc6 11.Be2² is obviously good for White; it’s hard for Black to
find counterplay) 9...Bg4?! (9...h5 10.e4 Bg4 11.Be2‚) 10.Ne5! Bxe5 11.dxe5 Qc8 12.h5! Be6
(12...Bxh5 13.f3!+–) 13.Qc2 Rd8 14.Rxd8+ Qxd8 15.hxg6 hxg6 16.e3‚ Black will hardly survive the
coming storm.
C) 8...c6 9.e4 Be6 10.d5!?

Position after: 10.d5!?

10...cxd5 11.exd5 Bg4 12.Be2 N8d7 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Rc8 15.0-0 Nc5 16.Qb4² White has the
bishop pair and an isolated but strong d-pawn, so remains better: Ribli, Z (2554) – Tazbir, M (2555)
Germany 2013, 1-0 (29).

8.Qa3

Black has a choice. Grandmasters generally head for great complications, but two other moves which
make some sense have been played more often.

8...0-0

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Position after: 8...0-0

Here I am not sure which line is the best, so I will leave the choice to you.
8...Nc6 9.e3 a5 is the logical follow-up, to bring the knight to b4.

Position after: 9...a5

A) 10.Bb5 is very logical as well, but Black has a straightforward way to complicate the position.
10...0-0 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.0-0 Nc4! 13.Qc5 Nxb2 14.Qxc6 Nd3 15.Bg3 Nb4 16.Qc5 Na6 17.Qb5 c5!
18.Rfd1„ White managed to win the top-level game Jakovenko, D (2713) – Navara, D (2715) Achaia

672
 2013, but I feel that Black should be fine if he keeps playing well, with 18...Qd7 for instance.
B) 10.Qc5!?N 10...0-0 11.Be2 Nd5 (11...a4!? Brings the rook into play. 12.Bg3!? Keeps the bishop
away from any possible threats. 12...Ra5 13.Nb5 Bd5 14.Qc3 Bxf3 15.gxf3 Nd5 16.Qd2²) 12.Nxd5
Qxd5 13.Qc3² Black lacks pawn breaks, and generally remains inferior in these kinds of positions.

9.e4

9.e3!? N8d7

Position after: 9...N8d7

A) 10.Be2 You must be careful. This move is well met with 10...c5! 11.dxc5 (11.0-0 Nc4 12.Qa4
Ndb6 13.Qc2 Bf5„) 11...Nc4 12.Qb4 a5 13.Qb5 Rc8!„ and Black has gained some activity.
B) 10.Rd1 Threatening d5 and preventing ...c5 ideas. 10...c6 11.Ng5!

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Position after: 11.Ng5!

(11.Be2?! Nc4 12.Bxc4 Bxc4=)

B1) 11...Bc4 12.Bxc4 Nxc4 13.Qb3 b5 (13...e5 was tried in Wang, H (2715) – Li, C (2613) China
2010, but it’s not enough for equality: 14.dxe5 Ncxe5 15.0-0 Qb6 16.Qc2! Nc5 17.Nce4 Nxe4
18.Nxe4² Black has some problems on the dark squares, 1-0 in 62 moves.) 14.0-0 e5?! (14...Qa5
15.Nge4 e5 16.dxe5 Ndxe5 17.Bg5ƒ) 15.dxe5 Qe7 16.e6 fxe6 17.Nge4! Rf5 18.Qc2 Be5 19.Ne2
Bxf4 20.Nxf4± Black’s pawn structure is really weak, and his pieces are not active enough to
compensate for these weaknesses: Sargissian, G (2676) – Le Roux, J (2538) Aix-les-Bains 2011, 1-0
(36).
B2) 11...Bd5 12.e4 e5 13.dxe5 Re8!

674
Position after: 13...Re8!

14.Nf3 (14.exd5? Bxe5 15.Be3 Qxg5! 16.Bxg5?? Bxc3#) 14...Nxe5 15.Nxe5 Bxe5 16.Bxe5 Rxe5
17.Bd3 Qe7 18.Qxe7 Rxe7 19.f3 f5 20.Kf2 fxe4 21.Bxe4 Bxe4 22.Nxe4 White has a slight
initiative, but it might not be enough to win without some help from Black. The game Jakovenko, D
(2709) – Grischuk, A (2742) Sharjah 2017 ended in a draw.

9...c6 10.Rd1

Position after: 10.Rd1

675
10...N8d7

10...Nc4 11.Bxc4 Bxc4 12.h4!?N 12...h5 13.Ne5 Ba6?! 14.g4!± The attack comes fast.

11.h4 h6

This position occurred in the game Bacrot, E (2692) – Ivanchuk, V (2710) Ashdod 2015, 0-1 (44). We
can play an interesting new move here.

12.b3!

Preventing ...Nc4 and intending the following sequence:

12...Bg4 13.Qc1!

Reactivating the queen.

13...h5 14.Be2 Rc8 15.Qe3!ƒ

Position after: 15.Qe3!ƒ

White has a stable center and his advantage is indisputable.

c) 3...d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3 Nb6 6.d4 Bg7 7.Bf4 Be6 8.Qa3 c5

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qb3 Nb6! 6.d4 Bg7 7.Bf4!? Be6! 8.Qa3 c5!?

This move is the choice of grandmasters. So far only titled players have used it, and in very few games.

676
Although it is unlikely that club players will play such a strange-looking move, it is important to know
it, as it contains a lot of venom.

Position after: 8...c5!?

9.Qxc5!

The most principled move, I believe. We spend a few tempi to win the pawn, even if it opens the c-file
for Black. Our opponent has to prove compensation. We are not risking much here, and in the worst
case we will have to settle for a draw, as our position is solid anyway.
A) 9.dxc5?! is dubious due to 9...Nc4! 10.Qb4 0-0 11.Qxb7 Qa5‚.
B) 9.e4 was played by Grünfeld specialist David Navara; play soon became wild: 9...cxd4! 10.Nb5 0-
0 11.Nc7 Nc6 12.Nxa8 Qxa8 13.Rc1 f5!

677
Position after: 13...f5!

14.e5 Nd5 15.Bd2 Nxe5 16.Nxd4 Bf7∞ White’s preparation stopped on the 27th move, but it’s
definitely too complicated: Navara, D (2729) – Wei, Y (2675) Wijk aan Zee 2015, ½-½ (66).

9...Nc6

Position after: 9...Nc6

10.e4!

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This move was a novelty when I first worked on this line in 2014, but not any more. I am not sure
which of Black’s moves now should be the main line, so I decided to follow the engine’s preference.
10.e3 Let’s explain the complications after this more natural move: 10...Rc8 11.Qa3 0-0

Position after: 11...0-0

A) 12.Rd1 fails because of the powerful 12...a5! (12...Nc4?! 13.Bxc4 Bxc4 14.d5 Qa5 15.Qxa5 Nxa5
16.Be5²) 13.Rd2 (13.Ne5 Nb4!N 14.Qxa5 Nc2+ 15.Kd2 Nxd4 16.Kc1 Ra8 17.Qb4 Nd5 18.Qxd4
Nxc3 19.bxc3 Qa5‚) 13...Nc4 14.Bxc4 Bxc4 15.Ne2! Nb4 16.0-0 Qb6!© All these moves are hard
to find for Black, so it may be possible to try this line in a real game.
B) 12.Be2 This is the main move here. 12...Nc4 13.Qa4 Nxb2 14.Qb5 Qb6! (14...Nc4?! 15.0-0 Qa5
16.Rfc1 Na3 17.Qxb7 Nb4 18.Ne1!² 1-0 (30) Le, Q (2703) – Navara, D (2706) Belfort 2012)
15.Qxb6 axb6 16.Rb1 Na5! 17.Rxb2 Rxc3 18.0-0

679
Position after: 18.0-0

Three games have reached this position, with good results for White (two wins and a draw). Black
should have enough compensation for his poor structure, but he still has to play very accurately.
B1) 18...Bc4 19.Rfb1 Ra8 and in the game Kovalyov, A (2616) – Troff, K (2532) Greensboro 2015,
it now seems more simple to start with 20.Kf1 Bd5 21.Nd2².
B2) 18...Rfc8 19.Rxb6 Ra3 20.Ne5² Rxa2?! 21.Rxe6! fxe6 22.Bg4 Rcc2 23.Bxe6+ Kf8 24.Bxa2
Rxa2 25.h4± 1-0 (43) Zhou, W (2616) – Robson, R (2628) Ningbo 2013.
B3) 18...Nc4!?N might be the best way to play: 19.Rb4 Rc8! 20.h3 Bd5 21.Ne5 Nxe5 22.dxe5
R8c5!=.

680
Position after: 10.e4!

10...Rc8

This has been tried by MVL. My advice is to take the logical step of removing the queen from the
dangerous c-file.
A) 10...Nd7 This is a solid alternative. Black cedes the initiative to his opponent, but regains the pawn
immediately. 11.Qa3 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 13.Bb5! 0-0 14.0-0

Position after: 14.0-0

681
 14...Qb6?! (14...Nf6!? is really a computer move: 15.Bh6 Qb6 16.Bxf8 Rxf8 17.Be2 Bc5 18.Qa4
Bxf2+ 19.Rxf2 Qxb2 20.Rd1 Qxc3 21.Bf3²; 14...Bc5 15.b4! Bd6 16.Bxd6 exd6 17.Rfd1²) 15.Bxd7
Bxd7 16.Nd5! Qxb2 17.Qxb2 Bxb2 18.Rab1 Ba3 19.Rxb7 Rfd8 20.h4! White has managed to keep
the initiative, and won easily in Xiong, J (2641) – Troff, K (2543) Saint Louis 2016.
B) 10...Nxd4?! I don’t like this move, which regains the pawn, but loses time with the king. 11.Nxd4
Bxd4 12.Bb5+ Kf8 13.Qa3 a6 14.Be2 Qc8 (14...Nd7?! 15.0-0 Qb6 16.Bh6+ Bg7 17.Be3 Qd6 This
occurred recently, and among White’s good options, he chose 18.Qxd6!? exd6 19.Rfd1± 1-0 (57)
Banusz, T (2616) – Sutovsky, E (2689) Austria 2017) 15.Rc1 Qc5™ 16.Bh6+!N

Position after: 16.Bh6+!N

This is an improvement over the game Vazquez Igarza, R (2592) – Wei, Y (2675) Gibraltar 2015.
16...Kg8 17.Qxc5 Bxc5 18.0-0² with an unpleasant endgame for Black.

11.Qa3! Nxd4

11...Nc4 12.Bxc4 Bxc4 13.Qa4 Ba6 14.0-0-0±

12.0-0-0!?N

682
Position after: 12.0-0-0!?N

Time to castle, even if we put the king on the dangerous c-file. It’s more important to generate play
against the d4-knight.
12.Nxd4 Qxd4 (12...Bxd4 13.Bb5+ Nd7 14.Rd1 Qb6 15.Qa4!²) 13.Bb5+ Bd7 14.Be3 Qd6 15.Bxd7+
Qxd7 16.Qxa7 Rxc3 17.Qxb6 Rc2=

12...0-0!

All this is Mikhalevski’s recommendation for Black.

13.e5

13.Be3 is interesting, but Black is resourceful: 13...Nc4™ 14.Bxc4 Rxc4 15.Bxd4 Bxd4 16.Nxd4 Rxd4
17.Qxa7 b6! 18.f3 Black still has to prove his compensation, but it seems that he should be OK:
18...Bc4!=.

13...Nc4! 14.Qxa7

683
Position after: 14.Qxa7

14...Qc7!

14...Nb5?! This clearly leads to an edge for White. 15.Rxd8 Nxa7 16.Rxc8 Rxc8 17.Nd4! Giving the
pawn back is necessary to stop Black’s initiative, but I think it’s quite easy to understand if you face it
over the board. 17...Nxe5 18.Nxe6 fxe6 19.Kb1² And White managed to convert in Wang Hao (2711)
– Mikhalevski, V (2538) Gibraltar 2018.

15.Rxd4

A) 15.Bxc4 doesn’t work due to 15...Nxf3 16.Bxe6 fxe6 and the bishop on f4 is hanging.
B) It would be nice if we could play 15.Qxd4, but after 15...Rfd8 16.Qe4 Rxd1+ 17.Kxd1 Nxb2+
White’s position is collapsing.

15...Ra8 16.Rxc4 Bxc4 17.Qe3 Bxa2

White has two knights for a rook, but as Mikhalevski states, this is a kind of ‘dynamic equality’.
However, I think that White can keep the upper hand with accurate play.

18.Bd3 Rfd8

18...Bc4 19.Rd1! Ra1+ 20.Kc2 Rxd1 21.Nxd1!²

19.Bb1!

684
Position after: 19.Bb1!

It took me a while to find this move!

19...Bxb1

Other moves are no better:

A) 19...b5 20.Bxa2 Rxa2 21.Kb1! Ra6 22.Rc1 Rda8 23.Qd4 Black needs to bring his bishop into play
in order to advance with ...b4. 23...e6 24.Be3 Bf8 25.b4!² This strong (and surprising) resource allows
us to get the better position.
B) 19...Be6 20.Nd4 Bc4 21.Rd1 b5 22.e6!²

20.Kxb1 Qa5 21.Rc1! Rdc8 22.Nd4²

685
Position after: 22.Nd4²

Even if it’s still complicated, I prefer White who has two knights for a rook, and his task of exchanging
pieces seems easier.

686
 Chapter 19
The Dutch Defense

1.Nf3 f5 2.d3

Chapter guide
Chapter 19 – The Dutch Defense
1.Nf3 f5 2.d3
a) 2...d5, 2...Nf6
b) 2...d6 3.e4 g6, 3...e5 4.Nc3 c5
c) 2...d6 3.e4 e5 4.Nc3 Nf6
d) 2...d6 3.e4 e5 4.Nc3 Nc6
e) 2...Nc6!

a) 2...d5, 2...Nf6

1.Nf3 f5

687
Position after: 1...f5

The Dutch Defense merits a full chapter to itself. It is a serious weapon for Black, and I even play it
myself quite often. I will concentrate on the move 2.d3, which is interesting and is in keeping with the
spirit of this book as it fully justifies our move order with 1.Nf3.
I will also indicate the best move order to enter the main lines against the Dutch. This shouldn’t be
much of a problem; the Dutch is not difficult to face when White is playing for an opening advantage
as there are several ways to achieve one.
What is difficult in the main lines of the Dutch is to convert this advantage. Your job is to work on your
own repertoire against it if this is your choice.

2.d3!?

The is the start of the Lisitsyn Variation. For the whole story, 2.e4 is the Lisitsyn Gambit. We are
playing in the same spirit as we want to follow up with 3.e4, but without necessarily playing a gambit.
If you are willing to enter the main lines of the Dutch, many move orders are possible, but I prefer the
following one, which avoids having to work on a new line against the Stonewall Defense: 2.c4 Nf6
3.g3 g6 (3...e6 has already been discussed via 1...e6) 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0. It’s now clear that Black is
aiming for the Leningrad Dutch. White has many options, but playing with d4 at some point seems like
the right decision since we can’t let Black advance with ...e5 so easily.

2...Nf6?!

By far the most common move, but not particularly good. Black wants to prevent e4, but it’s not very
effective.
2...d5 also aims at preventing e2-e4, but will most likely transpose to the Stonewall Defense (which

688
was probably not Black’s intention): 3.c4!

Position after: 3.c4!

A) 3...dxc4?! 4.d4! Nf6 5.e3 We are playing a Queen’s Gambit Accepted, where Black has an extra
tempo, but this extra tempo is ...f5, probably the ugliest move in the position. White has no problem in
securing an advantage: 5...Be6 6.Nbd2!² b5? 7.a4 c6 8.axb5 cxb5 9.b3±.
B) 3...e6 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg2 c6 (5...dxc4?! 6.Qa4+ Bd7 7.Qxc4² Now it’s a Neo-Catalan with an early
...dxc4, where Black has advanced ...f5, and once again it’s not great at all!) 6.0-0 This transposes into
Chapter 6, where we covered the Stonewall.

3.e4!

689
Position after: 3.e4!

3...d6

3...fxe4?! is not great: 4.dxe4 Nxe4 (4...d6 5.e5! Nfd7 6.Nc3 dxe5? 7.Ng5!+–) 5.Bd3! Nf6 (5...d5
6.Bxe4! dxe4 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 8.Ng5 Ke8 9.Nc3² We have given up the bishop pair, but kept the better
structure and lead in development, especially since Black has lost the right to castle.) 6.Ng5!

Position after: 6.Ng5!

Reminiscent of From’s Gambit (1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6), but clearly a better version. White’s threat is simply

690
to take on h7, as the following lines illustrate:
A) 6...d6? 7.Bxh7! is crushing: 7...Nxh7 8.Qh5+ Kd7 9.Nf7! Qe8 (9...Nf6 10.Qg6 Qe8 11.Nxh8+–)
10.Qg4+ Kc6 11.Qc4+ Kd7 12.Nxh8±
B) 6...e6? 7.Bxh7! Black is busted. 7...Nxh7?! 8.Qh5+ Ke7 9.Nxh7+–
C) 6...g6 This seems like the only viable move, but White gets a strong attack. 7.h4! d5 (7...c6 8.h5
Qa5+ 9.Nc3 Qe5+ 10.Kf1!+–) 8.h5! Black has no good way of stopping White’s initiative. 8...Bg4
9.f3 Bxh5

Position after: 9...Bxh5

10.g4 (10.Nc3!N is actually even stronger according to computer reasoning, but from a human point
of view, the text move is of course more logical) 10...Qd6 11.gxh5 Nxh5 12.Nc3+– occurred in
Kazakovskiy, V (2323) – Kantans, T (2496) Stockholm 2016, which White won easily despite his
lower rating.

4.exf5 Bxf5 5.d4

691
Position after: 5.d4

We have entered the Janos Balogh Gambit (1.e4 d6 2.d4 f5 3.exf5 Bxf5 4.Nf3 Nf6) a tempo up for
Black, but still not particularly effective, even if it’s probably Black’s best in the 2...Nf6 line.

5...Qd7

Among the many possibilities at Black’s disposal, this has been played recently a few times, and it’s
probably the most resilient. At least it protects the weak light squares, and anticipates Bd3.
A) 5...c6?! 6.Bd3 Bg4 7.0-0! Nbd7 8.Re1± is already quite bad for Black.
B) 5...e6 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 Qd7 8.Re1 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Nc6 11.c3± 1-0 (48) Mamedyarov, S
(2479) – Dovliatov, S (2360) Baku 2001.

6.Nc3

Following in Magnus’s footsteps is quite safe!

6...Nc6

6...g6?! 7.Bd3 Bg7 8.0-0 Nc6 9.d5!

692
Position after: 9.d5!

9...Nb4 10.Bxf5 gxf5 11.a3 Na6 12.Nd4± Black has played poorly and is already in massive trouble
because of the giant hole on e6. Of course, White won easily in Carlsen, M (2881) – Rodriguez Vila, A
(2437) Caxias do Sul 2014.

7.Bb5!N

Position after: 7.Bb5!N

693
7...a6

7...e6 8.d5 exd5 9.0-0! is similar to the main line.

8.Ba4 e6 9.d5!

Position after: 9.d5!

This temporary sacrifice frees the d4-square for our knight and opens the e-file. Black has to find a safe
spot for his king, but it’s not so simple.

9...exd5 10.0-0! Be7

10...0-0-0? 11.Nd4! b5 12.Ncxb5!+–

11.Nxd5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5 Be6 13.Qe4²

b) 2...d6 3.e4 g6, 3...e5 4.Nc3 c5

1.Nf3 f5 2.d3 d6!?

694
Position after: 2...d6!?

This was Malaniuk’s recommendation in his last book on the Dutch Defense. As in the main line,
Black’s aim is to advance ...e7-e5. Even if it’s played more often than 2...Nc6, I don’t think it’s the
strongest move.

3.e4! e5

3...g6?! lacks logic: 4.exf5 Bxf5 5.d4! Preventing ...e5 and allowing the trade of the light-squared
bishops, underlining Black’s weakness on e6. 5...Bg7 6.Bd3 Qd7 7.0-0 Nf6 8.c4 0-0 9.Bxf5 Qxf5
10.Nc3 Nbd7 11.h3!N

695
Position after: 11.h3!N

This is an improvement on the game Tate, A (2332) – Ringoir, T (2448) Istanbul 2012. 11...e5
12.Be3±. White has a good, stable position.

4.Nc3! c5

Position after: 4...c5

This prevents us from undertaking any action in the center, but weakens the d5-square.

696
Our goal now is to force Black to take on e4, opening the d-file.

5.g3! Nc6

If Black prevents us from playing Nh4, we have an extra card up our sleeve: 5...Be7 6.Bh3! fxe4™
(6...g6? 7.exf5 gxf5 8.Nh4!+–) 7.Bxc8 Qxc8 8.dxe4

Position after: 8.dxe4

Now, to establish full control over d5, we need to trade our bishop for the knight when it appears on f6.
A) From this point of view 8...Nf6?! simply helps us: 9.Bg5! 0-0 10.Nh4 The f5-square is weak as
well. 10...g6 11.Nd5 Qd8 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Ng2± The other knight goes straight to e3, with a strong
grip on the position, even if Black managed to escape in Fressinet, L (2693) – Vaisser, A (2548)
Haguenau 2013.
B) 8...Nc6 9.0-0N White is waiting for Black to play ...Nf6, which will happen sooner or later.
9...Qd7 10.Qd3 Nf6 (10...0-0-0 11.Nd5! Nf6 12.c3 Rhf8 13.Bg5²) 11.Bg5! 0-0-0 12.Bxf6 Bxf6
13.Nd5² Our next moves are probably c3 and b4, in order to start the attack, whereas Black’s play is
not obvious.

6.Nh4!

6.Bh3 is possible too, but if we can keep the light-squared bishop for now, so much the better.

697
Position after: 6.Nh4!

6...fxe4

6...Nd4? has been played twice to protect the pawn, but is rather dubious. 7.Nd5! fxe4 8.dxe4 Be6
occurred in the game Le Roux, J (2571) – Rendle, T (2384) England 2013 which White soon won, but
even stronger is 9.c3! Nc6 (9...Bxd5? 10.exd5+– Oops, the knight is trapped.) 10.Bc4± with an
overwhelming advantage.

7.dxe4 Be7 8.Bc4!

698
Position after: 8.Bc4!

8...Bxh4 9.gxh4 Nd4 10.Bg5 Qd7 11.Nd5 b5 12.Be2²

Position after: 12.Be2²

With c2-c3 coming and our great knight on d5, there is no doubt that we are better.

c) 2...d6 3.e4 e5 4.Nc3 Nf6

1.Nf3 f5 2.d3 d6 3.e4 e5 4.Nc3 Nf6?!

699
Position after: 4...Nf6?!

Strangely enough, this is clearly the most frequently played move, but I believe that it’s quite bad.

5.exf5 Bxf5 6.d4! e4

This is the principled move to keep the position closed, but we gain an important tempo. I think this
line is rather dubious for Black.
A) 6...Nbd7 7.Bc4 Qe7 8.0-0 h6 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Be3±
B) 6...Nc6 transposes to 4...Nc6.

7.Nh4

700
Position after: 7.Nh4

7...Bg4

A) 7...Be6 8.d5! Bf7 9.Bc4 Nbd7 10.Nf5²

B) 7...Bd7 8.Bc4!?N After this logical novelty, I don’t see any good plan for Black except 8...Bg4
(8...c6 9.d5! c5?! 10.Qe2!±) 9.Be2 which transposes to 7...Bg4.

8.Be2! Bxe2 9.Qxe2 d5 10.Bg5!

701
Position after: 10.Bg5!

Black has some problems with the d5-pawn. It seems that the only playable move is to pin our knight,
but we keep a great position.

10...Bb4

10...c6 11.f3! Be7 12.fxe4 dxe4 13.Nf5 0-0 14.0-0+– White will win a pawn at least, with a crushing
initiative.

11.Qb5+! Nc6 12.Qxb7 Nxd4 13.0-0-0!

Position after: 13.0-0-0!

13...Rb8

13...Bxc3 14.bxc3 Rb8 15.Bxf6 gxf6 transposes.

14.Bxf6 Bxc3 15.bxc3 gxf6

15...Rxb7 16.Bxd8 Nb5 17.Bg5 Nxc3 18.Rde1± Black has compensation, but not enough.

16.Qa6! Rb6 17.Qa4+ Nc6 18.Rhe1! 0-0 19.Rxe4!±

702
Position after: 19.Rxe4!±

White was almost winning in Cabrera Trujillo, J (2353) – Saumweber, W (2108) Santa Cruz de
Tenerife 2011.

d) 2...d6 3.e4 e5 4.Nc3 Nc6

1.Nf3 f5 2.d3 d6 3.e4 e5 4.Nc3! Nc6

Position after: 4...Nc6

703
This is probably better than 4...Nf6 even if it has been played less often. Anyway, we play the same
idea:

5.exf5

5...Nge7!? I didn’t know about this interesting try until GM Axel Delorme told me about it
(unfortunately too late for the first edition of the book).

Position after: 5...Nge7!?

A) 6.f6 This was my initial idea, but I don’t feel that White gets any advantage if Black is precise.
6...gxf6 7.d4
A1) 7...Bg4 8.Be2 Ng6 (8...Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Nxd4 10.Bxb7 Rb8 11.Bd5!² I don’t really see how Black
is going to find a safe haven for his king.) 9.0-0 Bg7? (9...Qd7 10.Ne4 Bg7 11.dxe5 fxe5 12.h3 Bf5
13.Ng3² Be6?! 14.Ng5±) This was played in the game Ganguly, S (2657) – Kindermann, S (2502)
Solingen 2017, and surprisingly, White now missed...

704
Position after: 9...Bg7?

10.Nxe5! Bxe2 11.Nxc6 Bxd1 12.Nxd8 Rxd8 13.Rxd1±

A2) 7...d5!N 8.dxe5 fxe5 9.Ng5 Bf5= And Black even takes over the initiative.
B) 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Nxf5 It’s not so simple to keep the initiative in this position, and
I think the best is to enter an endgame. (8...Bxf5? 9.Bg5±) 9.Qe4+ Qe7

Position after: 9...Qe7

(9...Be7? 10.g4! Nh4 11.Nd5± 12.Bg5 is a big threat) 10.Bd3 Qxe4+ 11.Nxe4² I think White keeps

705
 the upper hand, even if he finally had to agree a draw in Pelletier, Y (2563) – Borisek, J (2571)
Zillertal 2015.

5...Bxf5 6.d4! Nxd4

A) 6...Nb4?! is too artificial: 7.Bb5+ c6 8.Ba4±

B) 6...Nf6 7.Bb5! puts Black in trouble. Trying to keep the position closed fails: 7...e4? 8.d5!

Position after: 8.d5!

8...exf3?! (8...a6 9.Bxc6+!? bxc6 10.Nd4 Bd7 11.dxc6+–) 9.dxc6! bxc6 10.Bxc6+ Bd7 11.Bxa8 Qxa8
12.Qxf3+–

7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Qxd4

706
Position after: 8.Qxd4

Black is again left with a difficult choice.

8...c6

This is a logical move which anticipates problems on the light-squared diagonal and tries to castle
kingside.
A) 8...Bxc2?!N leaves White in control: 9.Bc4 Qf6 chases White’s queen, but doesn’t necessarily
help. (9...c6 10.0-0 Nf6 11.Re1+ Be7 12.Bg5±) 10.Qd2 Bg6 11.0-0

707
Position after: 11.0-0

11...c6 (11...0-0-0? 12.Nd5 Qh4 13.Bb3 Nf6 14.Qa5 Nxd5 15.Bxd5+– Black is helpless on the
queenside, and should soon resign.) 12.Re1+ Be7 13.Qd1!± The queen is heading to b3, with many
threats.
B) 8...Nf6
B1) 9.Bg5 was my try the only time I got this position, and it’s a strong move. 9...Be7 10.Bc4! h6
11.Bh4 d5 happened in my game Demuth, A (2541) – Dionisi, T (2371) Saint-Quentin 2015, and
now it’s even simpler to play 12.Bxd5! Nxd5?! 13.Nxd5 Bxh4 14.Qe5++–.
B2) 9.Bc4 c6 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 d5 12.0-0-0!

Position after: 12.0-0-0!

12...Be7 13.Rhe1 0-0 14.Qe5± With a great advantage that MVL converted with ease in Vachier-
Lagrave, M (2758) – Vaisser, A (2531) Saint-Quentin 2014.

9.g4!N

An improvement on previous games, and needed, as the other lines didn’t fully satisfy me.

708
Position after: 9.g4!N

9.Bf4!? Even if this has scored well, I don’t think it gives an advantage, but Black must improve on
previous games. 9...Bxc2!

Position after: 9...Bxc2!

First, he needs to be greedy and prevent 0-0-0. (9...Nf6 10.0-0-0±)

A) 10.Rc1!?N 10...Bg6 11.Nb5 Nf6 12.Bxd6 Bxd6! (12...Nd5?! 13.Qe5+ Be7 14.Nc7+ Nxc7
15.Bxc7 Qd5 16.Qxd5 cxd5 17.Bb5+ Kf7 18.Bd7²) 13.Nxd6+ Kf8„

709
 B) 10.Kd2!? A nice move, allowing fast development. 10...Bg6! (10...Bf5?! 11.Re1+ Kd7 12.g4! Bg6
13.Kc1 Qb6 14.Qd2 Qc5?! 15.g5!+–) 11.Re1+

Position after: 11.Re1+

11...Be7!N The perfect developing move that Black was in need of. Of course, the critical move is to
take material on g7. (11...Ne7?!N 12.Kc1 Qb6 13.Qxd6 Rd8 14.Qe5±; 11...Kd7 12.g3!? Qb6
13.Bh3+ Kc7 14.Bxd6+ Bxd6 15.Qxg7+ Kb8 16.Kc1!² The position is still complicated, but was
better for White in Fressinet, L (2718) – Malaniuk, V (2527) Bastia 2010, 1-0 (21)) 12.Qxg7?!
(12.Bxd6? Qd7! Simply intending ...0-0-0 next move, taking advantage of the exposed white king.
13.Be5 Qxd4+ 14.Bxd4 0-0-0–+) 12...Qb6!

710
Position after: 12...Qb6!

Black gets strong counterplay against the white king, attacking both the b2- and f2-pawns. 13.Rxe7+
(13.Kc1 Qxf2 14.Bd2 0-0-0µ 15.Qxh8? Bf6–+) 13...Nxe7 14.Qxh8+ Kf7 15.Qxa8 Qxb2+‚ I won’t
go any further. Despite being at least a rook down, Black has more than enough compensation and a
continuing strong attack.

9...Bxc2

Position after: 9...Bxc2

This seems like the principled move, otherwise White develops his kingside quicker, disturbing Black’s
pieces.
9...Be6 10.Be3 Nf6?! 11.g5 Nd5 12.0-0-0±

10.Bg2! Qf6

The only move, trying to chase our queen.

10...Nf6 11.0-0 Be7 12.g5! Nh5 13.Bf3±

11.Qc4

We see why our bishop is useful on g2 as the threat is now Bxc6.

11...d5

A) 11...Ne7 12.0-0 d5 13.Qe2 Bg6 14.f4 0-0-0 15.f5 Bf7 16.Bf4±

711
 B) 11...0-0-0 12.Bxc6! is crushing for White: 12...bxc6?! 13.Qxc6+ Kb8 14.Be3+–

12.Nxd5 cxd5 13.Qxc2 Bb4+ 14.Kf1!±.

Position after: 14.Kf1!±

White has many threats, such as Qa4+ and Bxd5 to mention the most obvious ones, the bishop pair, and
a fine structure. Even if his king still needs to find a safe haven, he is much better.

e) 2...Nc6!

1.Nf3 f5 2.d3!? Nc6!

Black wants to play ...e5 on the next move, the only problem being that this move is quite committal.
White has various options. I hesitated a long time over which variation is best, but finally decided on
3.d4!?.

712
Position after: 2...Nc6!

3.d4!?

What a stunning turnaround – White moves his d-pawn for the second time in only three moves! He
changes his mind and decides to enter the classical lines of the Dutch Defense, considering the extra
tempo ...Nc6 a drawback. The immediate threat is d4-d5, which Black normally prevents.
What happens if we follow the same plan as in the previous subchapters (...d6 instead of ...Nc6)? 3.e4!?
e5!
A) 4.d4!? Against 2...Nc6, my second choice is this line, actually transposing into a Vienna Game
with reversed colors: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5. You may ask why we would want to enter this
system as if we had the Black pieces? Firstly, it is unlikely that our opponent plays the Vienna Game
as White (because almost no-one plays the Vienna Game any more...), secondly, because in the
Vienna Game, it’s not so easy for White to achieve equality if we play correctly. You can have a look
at any 1.e4 e5 book if you want to know the theory of this line.
B) 4.Nc3

713
Position after: 4.Nc3

Compared to 2...d6, Black now has two valid options.

B1) 4...Bb4!? was discovered recently, and is simply good for Black as he gets easy play: 5.Bd2
(5.d4 fxe4 6.Nxe5 Nf6 7.Be2 Qe7 8.Nxc6 dxc6 9.0-0 0-0ƒ) 5...Nf6 6.Nd5?! (6.Be2 d6 7.exf5
Bxf5ƒ) 6...Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 0-0 8.0-0-0 d6³ White lacks activity; I definitely prefer Black here: Vegh,
E (2293) – Hoang, T (2509) Zalakaros 2014, 0-1 (24).
B2) 4...Nf6!? 5.exf5 d5!

Position after: 5...d5!

714
 This is a major difference. The pawn reaches the fifth rank and we don’t have any ideas to counter it.
6.d4 exd4! 7.Nxd4 Nxd4 8.Qxd4 Bxf5 9.Bg5 This was considered to be good for White for a long
time because of the game Taimanov, M (2495) – Zaichik, G (2500) Leningrad 1989, but it’s an
illusion. 9...Bxc2! 10.Rc1 (10.Kd2 Bg6 11.Re1+ Kf7³) 10...Bg6 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Qe3+ Qe7!N

Position after: 12...Qe7!N

The strong move that Zaichik failed to find, but this line was spotted by Moskalenko is his book The
Diamond Dutch. 13.Qxe7+ Kxe7! 14.Nxd5+ Kd7!³ Nothing really works for White, and he will
have to defend against the bishop pair in an open position.

3...e6 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg2

715
Position after: 5.Bg2

5...Be7

A) 5...d5!? transposes to a weird Stonewall where Black has the extra move ...Nc6 which prevents
him from playing ...c6, but it’s quite acceptable for him: 6.c4!?N The right move order, I believe.
(6.0-0 is generally met by the surprising 6...Rb8!? which prevents c4 because of 7...dxc4 and 8...b5,
and it’s not so simple to find a good plan for White) 6...Be7 (6...Rb8 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Nc3²; 6...dxc4
7.Qa4 Rb8 8.Qxc4 Bd7 9.0-0 Bd6 10.Bf4!?N) 7.0-0 0-0 8.b3!?ƒ I still believe that White is
preferable.
B) In the summer of 2017, I had to face the move 5...d6, aiming to continue with ...e5, which we can’t
stop. 6.c4 e5 7.Nc3! (I don’t like the way I played in the game with 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8
9.Ng5?! Nd4³ Demuth, A (2558) – Ekstroem, R (2376) Graechen 2017) 7...e4 8.Ng5

716
Position after: 8.Ng5

White generally keeps the advantage in this kind of structure. For instance, it’s quite logical for Black
to continue with 8...h6 9.Nh3 g5 10.0-0 Bg7 11.f3! exf3 12.exf3 0-0 13.f4 g4 14.Nf2².

6.c4 0-0 7.0-0

I actually met this position once... with Black! I like to play the Dutch sometimes, and chose this line
because I felt it was the best chance for Black. My opponent didn’t want to enter the classical lines,
being down the Nc6-tempo, so he tried 7.d5, but I don’t think it can bring White an edge: 7...Bb4+

717
Position after: 7...Bb4+

(7...Na5!? 8.Qd3 b6„) 8.Bd2 Bxd2+ 9.Qxd2 Ne4 10.Qc1 exd5 11.cxd5 Ne7 12.Qc4 After a few
logical moves, I played a pawn sacrifice to alleviate the possible pressure on the c-file: 12...c6!
13.dxc6+ d5
A) 14.cxb7 dxc4!

Position after: 14...dxc4!

(I was not sure about this move, and should probably have played 14...Bxb7 15.Qb4 Rb8©)
15.bxa8=Q Qb6 16.0-0 Ba6 17.Qxf8+ Kxf8© With lots of play for Black, which might give him the
better chances.
B) 14.c7 My opponent rejected the offer: 14...dxc4 15.cxd8=B Rxd8 16.Nbd2= and the game quite
quickly ended in a draw: Petrov, N (2573) – Demuth, A (2547) Bad Ragaz 2018.

7...d6

718
Position after: 7...d6

Black has transposed into the Classical Variation with the extra move ...Nc6.
This is quite interesting, as the line with ...Nc6 exists in the Classical Dutch, but it is probably not
enough for Black to claim equality. It took me a long time to choose a line against 2...Nc6.

8.d5! Ne5 9.Qb3!

I like this positional approach, simply defending c4 and keeping an eye on the b7-pawn.
9.Nd4

719
Position after: 9.Nd4

This is a thematic pattern, but in the Classical line, White has already played Nc3. Of course, it’s an
important difference. 9...Nxc4! 10.dxe6
A) 10...d5! 11.Nxf5 Bxe6 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7„ This is the simpler way for Black, with a roughly
balanced position.
B) 10...g6!? 11.Bh6 Re8 12.Bc6!

Position after: 12.Bc6!

is a nice line for White, even if it’s still complicated: 12...Rf8!N 13.Bxf8 Bxf8 14.Bg2 d5!∞ Black
will soon get some compensation.

9...Nxf3+ 10.exf3

720
Position after: 10.exf3

10...e5N

10...Nd7 was tested in the only game that reached this position, but I think that White can play
11.dxe6!N 11...Nc5 12.Qc2 Bxe6 13.Be3 c6 14.f4² and I like our prospects on the queenside.

11.f4!

It’s essential to prevent Black from playing ...f5-f4, and this is the only way to do so. We are trying to
suffocate Black, starting with his c8-bishop, which does not have great prospects.

11...exf4

11...e4 12.f3! (12.Nc3 gives Black the possibility to play 12...c5!? 13.Bd2 Rb8 14.f3 exf3 15.Bxf3 Re8
16.Rae1 Bd7„) 12...exf3 13.Bxf3 Re8 14.Nc3 Bf8 15.Bd2² White has more space and keeps the upper
hand.

12.Bxf4 Nh5 13.Bd2 f4 14.Nc3

721
Position after: 14.Nc3

Black has gained some space and activity for his pieces, but is still worse, mainly because of his
awkward knight on h5.

14...Bg5!? 15.Qd1! fxg3

15...Nf6?! 16.Ne2!±

16.hxg3 Bd7 17.Re1²

722
Position after: 17.Re1²

723
 Chapter 20
Various First Moves

1.Nf3

Chapter guide
Chapter 20 – Various First Moves
1.Nf3
a) 1...--
b) 1...b5
c) 1...b6
d) 1...Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.g3 --, 3...Bf5 4.Bg2 Nf6
e) 1...Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.g3 Bf5 4.Bg2 Nb4
f) 1...Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.g3 Bg4

a) 1...--

1.Nf3

724
Position after: 1.Nf3

Here we are, at the final chapter. It has gone so quickly. I hope it was faster for you to read than for me
to write!
We have covered every major system that you are likely to meet, but we’re not finished yet. We need to
have a look at various systems starting with first moves other than ...Nf6, ...d5 and ...c5. And there are
quite a lot!
In general, these systems all have something in common: in most cases, my advice is to transpose into
either a 1.d4 or a 1.e4 system. The reason is quite simple: if we decide to learn and play the Reti, it’s
partly (or even chiefly!) because we are tired of the main lines after 1.d4 or 1.e4, where it’s hard to get
an advantage anyway, as Black is generally well prepared.
With the Reti, we have other, more off-beat, ways of fighting the Slav or the Queen’s Gambit Declined,
for example, but fighting against lines such as the Modern, the Owen, or even the Chigorin has never
been a big issue for White, so we don’t necessarily need to play in the spirit of the Reti. However, it’s
sometimes important to use a clever move order, or a good system that can be different from the main
lines.
Sometimes in this chapter I might stop the analysis at an early stage, claming that it’s fine and still
theoretical, but has nothing to do with our Reti. In that case it’s your job to find the exact line you want
to play, depending on your style and feelings. That is why all these various systems are contained in
only one chapter.

1...d6

This move clearly intends to continue with ...e5 on the next move. You should already know that we
usually prevent this.

725
Of course, you can play 2.g3, in Reti spirit, and treat it as more or less a Pirc Defense with an extra
tempo, where Black has played the harmless ...d6, or play 2.c4, transposing to some favorable (we
hope!) reversed Sicilian a tempo up. What I offer here is a way to keep it logical. I will explain, without
going too deeply into details – it’s not a three- volume repertoire! – some systems where you can
transpose into what you already know, and also, most importantly, the tricks to avoid.
A quick look at some other pawn moves:
A) 1...e6 This flexible move can lead to many systems we don’t have any problem transposing into,
including the Hedgehog and the Neo-Catalan, but more annoyingly, it can transpose into the Classical
or Stonewall variations of the Dutch Defense, which forces us to know how to deal with that
eventuality. Of course the line we examine in this chapter with 1.Nf3 f5 2.d3 is of no help against this
move order. My advice is to start with 2.c4 f5 (2...b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 should transpose into the
Hedgehog; 2...Nf6 has already been examined) 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2

Position after: 4.Bg2

Black can still play either a Stonewall or Classical Dutch, but in the end he will have to choose.
4...Be7 (4...d5 is examined in chapter 6, the Slav side lines) 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3!? This is the most flexible.
6...d6 As usual, we should prevent ...e5. (6...d5 7.Bb2 c6 8.d3 Nbd7 9.Nc3 is not a problem for you,
as it transposes into the line we gave against the Stonewall in chapter 6) 7.d4 I suggest you have a
look at this line, which is pretty good against the Classical Dutch, but is not the subject here.
B) 1...g6 It’s not the first time in this book that Black prevents us from playing with two fianchettoes.
Again, we can stick to some kind of Reti, but you would need to adapt your repertoire compared to
the one I offer here. I would prefer to play 2.e4

726
Position after: 2.e4

which gives Black a choice of Pirc, Modern or Sicilian! But don’t worry; since Black has already
played ...g6, we can enter the Maroczy variation. 2...Bg7 (2...c5 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.c4 Nc6
6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 is the Maroczy variation) 3.d4 d6 Now I will leave the choice of which set-up to
choose against the Pirc/Modern complex to you. There are many possibilities, and it mainly depends
on your style of play.

2.d4

727
Position after: 2.d4

2...f5?!

This is playable, but it’s not a safe way to transpose into the Leningrad Dutch, because with this move
order, White has a nasty surprise for Black.
A) 2...g6 At first sight it looks like Black is willing to play a King’s Indian, but he can also still
transpose into the Leningrad. 3.e4!? (3.b3 Bg7 4.Bb2 f5 Black can be happy to enter the Leningrad
here.) 3...Bg7 4.c4 transposing into a King’s Indian. (4.Nc3 transposes into 1...g6, where I leave the
choice of system to you.)
B) 2...Nf6 3.c4 Now that Black has already played ...d6, the only main system he can still play is the
King’s Indian, but if you want a complete repertoire, you will have to work on ...Nbd7 and other side
lines by yourself. (3.g3 is slightly less precise because Black can play 3...g6 4.b3 c5! 5.Bb2!? cxd4
6.Nxd4 d5 7.Bg2 e5 8.Nf3 e4 9.Nd4 Bg7„) 3...g6 4.b3!?

Position after: 4.b3!?

4...Bg7 (4...c5 5.Bb2 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Bg7 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.g3 0-0 9.Bg2 Bd7 10.0-0 transposes into the
Symmetrical English with 2...Nf6, chapter 17) 5.Bb2 0-0 6.g3 transposes into chapter 14 with 3.b3.
C) 2...Bg4 This move, the Wade Defense, has some adherents, but White usually picks up the bishop
pair or gets a strong center and again I leave the choice of continuation to you.

3.Nc3!

728
Position after: 3.Nc3!

White intends 4.e4, and will do everything he can to reach that goal.

3...Nf6

3...d5?! can’t be good, as the line 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 d5 already exists and is fine for White, and here he is
even a full tempo up.

4.Bg5 Nbd7

4...e6?! 5.e4 fxe4 6.Nxe4 Be7 7.Ng3!

729
Position after: 7.Ng3!

I prefer this less usual move which keeps more pieces on the board. (After 7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.Bd3 White
usually gets good prospects on the kingside. His next moves are probably h4, Qe2 and 0-0-0.) 7...0-0
8.Bd3± Black has problems finishing his development, e.g. the c8-bishop can’t go to b7 because it has
to defend e6, and White clearly has the better chances.

5.Qd3!

Position after: 5.Qd3!

730
5...g6 6.e4 fxe4 7.Nxe4 Bg7 8.0-0-0±

Position after: 8.0-0-0±

White has scored pretty well in this line. I will stop the analysis here, as Black has many possibilities,
but I should just point out that Black won’t be happy that he allowed e4 (normally in the Leningrad, it’s
not that simple), and our attack on the kingside is quite obvious.

b) 1...b5

1.Nf3 b5?!

731
Position after: 1...b5?!

This is quite a thematic move when White plays Nf3, but in general Black should wait for White to
play g3 before playing this move. For instance after 1...Nf6 2.g3, b5 is a reliable system for Black, but
here we can play in the center.

2.e4!

This transposes into a classical system against ...b5. We will only have a brief look, as it’s not hard to
draw conclusions. Black has a choice between defending his pawn or counterattacking our central
pawn.

2...Bb7

≤ 2...a6 3.d4 Bb7 4.Bd3 e6 (4...Nf6 5.e5 Nd5 6.0-0 e6 transposes) 5.0-0 c5 6.c3

732
Position after: 6.c3

A) 6...d6 7.a4! Thematically provoking Black to advance on the queenside. This is Black’s problem
after advancing with ...b5 so early in the game. 7...c4 (7...Qb6?! 8.axb5 axb5 9.Rxa8 Bxa8 10.dxc5
dxc5 11.Qb3+–) 8.Bc2 Nd7 9.d5!± White won convincingly in the game Nisipeanu, L (2661) –
Carlstedt, J (2383) Germany 2013.
B) 6...Nf6 Black challenges our center, but we are happy to advance here. 7.e5! Nd5 8.dxc5 Bxc5
9.a4!

Position after: 9.a4!

733
 Once again, we want to provoke some weaknesses on the queenside. 9...Qb6N (9...Nc6?! 10.axb5
axb5 11.Rxa8 Qxa8 12.Bxb5±) 10.Nbd2! Nc6 11.Nb3 Be7 12.axb5 axb5 13.Rxa8+ Bxa8 14.Qe2±

3.Bxb5!?

Position after: 3.Bxb5!?

This is a well-known way to play against this system. We agree to the trade of pawns, which is
apparently not great because the e-pawn is generally more important than the b-pawn, but in return we
gain time for development and get interesting play in the center.

3...Bxe4 4.0-0 Nf6

4...c6?! 5.Be2! Nf6 6.d4 e6 7.c4 Be7 8.Nc3!N

734
Position after: 8.Nc3!N

8...Bxf3 9.Bxf3 d5 10.c5!? Nfd7 11.b4 0-0 12.a4 e5 White now found the strong and quite obvious
sacrifice 13.Nxd5! cxd5 14.Bxd5+– with an overwhelming advantage: Konopka, M (2453) – Obsivac,
J (2309) Pardubice 2000.

5.d4 e6 6.c4! Be7 7.Nc3

Position after: 7.Nc3

735
7...Bb7

7...0-0?! Conceding the bishop pair isn’t a great idea, and saving a tempo is not a good argument to
justify this move. 8.Nxe4 Nxe4 9.Qe2 f5 10.c5!?± The bishop will come back to d3 in order to chase
the knight.

8.d5!? 0-0 9.Ba4

After blocking Black’s play on the light-squares, it makes sense to bring our own bishop back into play.

9...Na6 10.a3 Nc5 11.Bc2 a5 12.Be3 exd5 13.cxd5²

Position after: 13.cxd5²

White keeps the upper hand in this semi-open position, and eventually won in Wojtkiewicz –
Bronstein, Reykjavik 1994.

c) 1...b6

1.Nf3 b6

736
Position after: 1...b6!?

It’s quite amusing that I’ve been writing this section on the very day that Carlsen decided to play this
move, with success, against Pavel Eljanov. The move is obviously playable, and actually quite
annoying if we want to play a Reti (for instance, after 2.g3 Bb7 3.Bg2 g6!? we can’t play a double
fianchetto system). That’s why I prefer to enter the classical lines of Owen’s Defense.

2.e4 Bb7

2...c5 is playable, but is far from being a Sicilian main line. We won’t go into the theory, as it depends
mainly on your style. Anyway, I feel it’s pretty unlikely to happen, as it would be weird for a player
who had just played 1...b6 to enter a strange side line of the Sicilian Defense.

3.Nc3 e6 4.d4

737
Position after: 4.d4

We have transposed into a normal Owen’s Defence. I don’t think it’s the best one for White as we
started with 1.Nf3 (for instance, after 1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7, playing 3.Bd3 and 4.Nge2 is pretty strong), but
it should still be enough for an opening advantage.

4...Bb4

4...Nf6 is less frequently played, and makes less sense, as we can advance in the center: 5.e5 Nd5
(5...Ne4 6.Nxe4 Bxe4 7.Bd3 Bxd3 8.Qxd3²) 6.Nxd5 Bxd5 7.Bf4!?N

738
Position after: 7.Bf4!?N

7...Be7 (7...c5 8.c4! Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nc6 10.d5!± fully justifies our new move 7.Bf4) 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.0-0 c5
10.dxc5 bxc5 11.Re1± Our space advantage is clear, and we have good prospects on the kingside.

5.Bd3 Nf6

Position after: 5...Nf6

6.Nd2!?

I like this interesting move, rather than 6.Qe2, keeping the option of playing the interesting push e4-e5
at some point. It feels a strange move and clearly has the status of a side line.
6.Qe2 is the main line, and the move Eljanov chose, but it fails to convince me because of Magnus’s
move 6...d5! 7.exd5 (7.e5?! Ne4=) 7...Nxd5! (7...Qxd5!? was preferred by Carlsen, who won
convincingly, but I don’t believe it’s the best: 8.0-0 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Nbd7 10.c4 Qh5„ Eljanov, P –
Carlsen, M Isle of Man 2017, 0-1 (29)) 8.Bd2 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Be7 10.0-0 Nd7 11.a4 a5„. This is close to
equality, as White lacks activity.

6...d5

This has been the most played move by far.

A) 6...c5?! This move creates a weakness on d6, and we should be able to take advantage of it.
7.dxc5!

739
Position after: 7.dxc5!

7...Bxc5 (7...bxc5?! 8.e5 Nd5 9.Nxd5 Bxd5 10.c3 Ba5 11.Qg4!±; 7...Bxc3?! 8.bxc3 bxc5 9.e5! Nd5
10.Nc4 0-0 11.Nd6±) 8.e5 Nd5 9.Nce4 0-0 10.0-0 Nc6 11.c4 Nf4 12.Nxc5 bxc5 13.Be4±
B) 6...Nc6?! 7.Ne2! Strange play with our knights, but it’s quite effective. 7...0-0 8.c3 Be7 9.e5 Nd5
10.Nf3 f6 11.Qc2!ƒ
C) 6...d6 This was tried recently, but I am not sure it’s advisable for Black. 7.0-0 Bxc3 8.bxc3 Nbd7
9.f4! e5 10.Ba3 c5 11.Nc4± 1-0 (46) Lomasov, S (2551) – Yuksel, A (2237) Batumi 2018.

7.e5

740
Position after: 7.e5

7...Ne4

7...Nfd7?! 8.Qg4 puts Black in trouble: he can’t really castle because of 8...0-0 (8...g6 9.Nf3±) 9.Nf3
Intending Bh6. 9...Re8 (9...Kh8? 10.Qh3 h6 11.Bxh6+–) 10.Bh6 Bf8 11.Be3± White’s threat is now to
take on h7, followed with Ng5, a classical mating pattern.

8.Qg4!

This was one of the ideas when we played 6.Nd2: the queen comes to the kingside.

8...Kf8

Filipovic, a specialist in this position with Black, has defended it three times, in fact the only three only
games in the database.
8...Nxc3? 9.Qxg7 Rf8 10.a3! puts Black in trouble: 10...Ba5 11.b4!

741
Position after: 11.b4!

Of course we prefer to take the bishop, not the knight. 11...Nc6 12.bxa5 Nxd4 13.a4!± This enables
White to play Ba3, and prevents the knight from finding a shelter on a4. (If 13.Bb2?! Nf5! 14.Bxf5
Na4!² and Black miraculously escapes.)

9.Bxe4!

9.Ncxe4 dxe4 10.Bc4 Be7! (10...Bxd2+ 11.Bxd2 Qxd4? would be bad because we can play 12.0-0-0
Qxc4 13.Bh6!+–, with a decisive attack as Black can’t parry every threat) 11.c3 c5„

9...dxe4 10.Ncxe4

742
Position after: 10.Ncxe4

10...h5

A) 10...Qxd4?! 11.c3 Qd3 12.cxb4 Nc6 13.Qe2±

B) 10...Nc6!? is really a computer move... 11.c3 Nxd4! 12.Qd1!

Position after: 12.Qd1!

A strong retreat. For instance: 12...Qh4 13.0-0! Bxe4 14.Nxe4 Qxe4 15.cxd4±. White will soon put

743
 pressure on the c7-pawn.

11.Qf4! Bxd2+ 12.Nxd2 Nc6 13.c3±

Position after: 13.c3±

Black cannot be happy with his position here, even if he managed to draw in Buss, R (2318) –
Filipovic, B (2425) Switzerland 2004.

d) 1...Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.g3 --, 3...Bf5 4.Bg2 Nf6

1.Nf3 Nc6!?

744
Position after: 1...Nc6!?

This move tries to take advantage of our move order by intending to advance ...e5 on the next move.
Obviously we can’t let that happen (unless we want to transpose into an English, a reversed Pirc a
tempo up or a 1.e4 e5 opening), as we play the Modernized Reti to get away from big theory in other
openings.

2.d4

Of course this doesn’t transpose into regular 1.d4 systems, as Black has already committed his knight to
c6. He has a number of moves here, such as 2...Nf6 or 2...e6, but we will concentrate on the main one.

2...d5

This transposes into Chigorin’s Defense. We can’t play Avrukh’s recommendation (1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6
3.Nc3), but we have other ways to treat the position. The one that corresponds most with our repertoire
is...

3.g3

...but keep in mind that 3.e3 is another interesting way to make use of our move order, and of course
3.c4 transposes into the main lines. In general, in our line, Black develops his queenside quickly, in
order to castle long and launch an attack on the kingside. In general, we can either react in the center
with c4, or start an attack with c3 and b4-b5.

3...Bf5

This has been played less than 3...Bg4, but has recently gained in popularity. White must always bear in

745
mind that ...Nb4 might feature in Black’s plans, but he should also understand that it doesn’t always
work well!
3...Nf6 gives Black fewer options, as he usually likes to play ...f6 at some point, and then choose
between ...e5 and ...g5. 4.Bg2 e6 For any light-squared bishop move, see the two main lines, 3...Bf5
and 3...Bg4. 5.0-0

Position after: 5.0-0

A) 5...Be7 6.b3 0-0 7.c4 b6 8.Bb2 Bb7 9.Nbd2² We won’t go too deeply into these lines. Compared
to some lines of the Neo-Catalan, we have played d4, but on the other hand, Black has committed his
knight to c6 and can’t advance his c-pawn any more, which deprives him of activity. Our plan is to
play e2-e4 at some stage.
B) 5...Bd6 6.c4 0-0 (6...dxc4 7.Nbd2! b5?! 8.Ne5! Nxd4 9.Ndxc4! bxc4 10.Qxd4±) 7.Nc3 dxc4
8.Qa4!ƒ With a comfortable game in the center.

4.Bg2

746
Position after: 4.Bg2

4...Nf6

The other main move, 4...Nb4, will be covered in the next subchapter, while 4...e6 5.0-0 Nb4 (5...Nf6
– see 4...Nf6) 6.Na3 transposes into it.

5.0-0 e6

5...Nb4?! no longer makes much sense because of 6.c3! which is, strangely enough, almost a novelty:

747
Position after: 6.c3!

6...Bc2N (6...Nc2?! 7.Nh4! Nxa1 8.Nxf5 e6 9.Nh4± Of course, the a1-knight won’t survive long, and
White already has a great advantage.) 7.Qe1! (7.Qd2 Bxb1!∞) 7...Nc6 8.c4!² It’s not exactly clear
what Black is doing.

6.c4! dxc4

A) 6...Be7 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Ne5!

Position after: 8.Ne5!

Black is in trouble. For example: 8...Nxe5 (8...Ne4 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Qa4!? Qd7 11.f3 Nxc3 12.bxc3
Rfd8 13.e4 Bg6 14.Be3² 1-0 (39) Kengis, E (2575) – Serper, G (2490) Gausdal 1991) 9.dxe5 Ne4
(9...Ng4 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Nxd5 Nxe5 12.Qb3!±) 10.cxd5 Nxc3 11.bxc3 exd5 12.Qxd5 Qxd5
13.Bxd5 c6 14.Bg2²
B) 6...Nb4?! 7.cxd5!N

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Position after: 7.cxd5!N

This simply refutes Black’s idea. 7...Nc2 (7...exd5 8.a3!² Nc2? 9.Nh4!+– Again, this is great for
White.) 8.Ne5! Nxa1 (8...exd5 9.e4! Bxe4 10.Bxe4 Nxa1 11.Bg2± The knight is trapped on a1.)
9.Qa4+ Nd7 10.dxe6 Bxe6 11.Bxb7+– White will soon win back his material.

7.Qa4!

Position after: 7.Qa4!

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Not only can White take back on c4, his obvious threat is Ne5.

7...Nd7

7...Bd6 8.Ne5! Bxe5 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.dxe5 Nd7 11.Nc3 0-0 (11...Nxe5?! 12.Rd1 Qc8 13.Bf4 Nd7
14.Qxc6±) 12.Rd1² Black’s structure is a mess and White will probably soon be a pawn up.

8.Qxc4 Nb6 9.Qb3 Be7 10.Nc3 0-0 11.Rd1²

Position after: 11.Rd1²

e) 1...Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.g3 Bf5 4.Bg2 Nb4

1.Nf3 Nc6!? 2.d4 d5 3.g3 Bf5 4.Bg2 Nb4

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Position after: 4...Nb4

This move has become quite popular recently. Black knows that c3 is coming, chasing the knight, but
our knight on a3 will also have to relocate to find better prospects. The point is that we have to play c3
(whereas we would have preferred to play c4 at once), and Black’s knight sometimes goes back to a6,
then to c7.

5.Na3 e6 6.0-0

Position after: 6.0-0

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Black has various choices, but he should keep in mind that we can try to get the bishop pair by means
of Nh4.

6...Be7

I think this is the best move. It prevents Nh4 and develops the bishop.
A) 6...Nf6 7.c3 Nc6 8.Qb3 Rb8 9.Bg5!

Position after: 9.Bg5!

The idea is to trade our bishop at some stage, then play Nd2 in order to advance e4. It’s clear that we
need to open the center in order to bring the g2-bishop into play. 9...Be7 (9...h6?! 10.Bxf6 Qxf6
11.Nd2!²) 10.Nd2! Ne4 (10...0-0 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.e4 dxe4 13.Nxe4 Be7 14.Nc4²) 11.Bxe7 Nxe7
12.Nxe4 Bxe4! 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.Nb1 0-0 15.Nd2 Qd5 16.e3²
B) 6...c6?! Black clearly aims at bringing the knight back to a6, and then c7, but it’s too slow. 7.c3
Na6 8.Qb3 Qb6 9.Nh4 Bg4 10.e4! Nf6 11.h3 Bh5

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Position after: 11...Bh5

appeared in the game Sharafiev, A (2433) – Artemiev, V (2692) St Peters-burg 2017, and although
Black won, he would have been clearly worse if White had played 12.exd5!N when Black has no
good way to take back on d5:
B1) 12...exd5? is obviously bad because of 13.Re1++–.
B2) After 12...cxd5 White has many good continuations, e.g. he can simply play 13.g4 Bg6 14.Nxg6
hxg6 15.Bf4± and the knight on a6 seems clearly misplaced as c7 is not available any more.
B3) 12...Nxd5 13.Nc4 Qxb3 14.axb3±
C) 6...h6 This makes a square available for the bishop, but like 6...c6 it’s a bit slow, and we will soon
be ready to act in the center. 7.Ne5! Depriving Black of the possibility of bringing the knight back to
c6. 7...Bd6 (7...c6 8.c3 Na6 9.f3! Nf6 10.e4! Black can’t take on e4, otherwise the f7-pawn will
eventually fall. 10...Bh7 11.Qe2²) 8.c3

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Position after: 8.c3

C1) 8...Na6?! 9.Qa4+! Kf8 (9...c6? 10.Nxc6! Qd7 11.Nb5!+– and Black doesn’t have any good
move at his disposal) 10.Qb3 Rb8 11.Nb5±
C2) 8...Bxe5 This is needed, but we have already gained the bishop pair, whereas 6... h6 tried to
keep it. 9.dxe5 Nc6 10.Qb3! An important move to misplace the black queen. (MVL started with the
wrong move order: 10.c4 Nge7 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Nb5 0-0 13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Qd7= 0-1 (54)
Vachier-Lagrave, M (2789) – Bosiocic, M (2624) Riyadh 2017.) 10...Qc8 11.c4!ƒ

7.Ne5!?

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Position after: 7.Ne5!?

This is the same idea as against 6...h6, preventing ...Nc6 and clearing the way for f3/e4.

7...Nf6

In the event of 7...c6 8.c3 Na6 we have the following strong move at our disposal: 9.e4!

Position after: 9.e4!

and Black is unable to equalize because he can’t develop his kingside. 9...dxe4 (9...Bxe4! is probably

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better, but after 10.Bxe4 dxe4 11.Qg4 Bf6 12.Qxe4² we have the more active development and more
space in the center, so are definitely slightly better) 10.Qh5! Bg6 (If 10...g6, then 11.Qe2 threatening
g4, simply winning a piece. 11...h5 12.Nxc6! bxc6 13.Qxa6±) 11.Nxg6 fxg6 12.Qh3± White won
convincingly in Ravi, L (2419) – Xie, G (2340) Hyderabad 2005.

8.c3 Na6 9.Qb3

9.Qa4+ c6 10.Nxc6?? doesn’t work because of 10...Qd7–+.

Position after: 9.Qb3

9...Qc8

9...Rb8N 10.f3 0-0 11.g4 Bg6 12.h4! h6 13.Nxg6 fxg6 14.Qc2²

10.f3! h6 11.e4 Bh7

Again, Black can‘t exchange everything on e4, as f7 is hanging at the end. Now I suggest bringing the
queen to the center.

12.Qb5+!?N 12...c6 13.Qe2 0-0 14.Bf4²

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Position after: 14.Bf4²

We keep the slightly better position thanks to our strong center, even if Black is still solid.

f) 1...Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.g3 Bg4

1.Nf3 Nc6!? 2.d4 d5 3.g3 Bg4 4.Bg2

Position after: 4.Bg2

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4...Qd7

This is one of the critical lines. Black intends to castle long and start action in the center or on the
kingside.
4...e6 5.0-0 Bd6 6.c4 Nf6 7.Nc3 0-0 8.cxd5! Nxd5 (8...exd5 would be too passive for Black; we would
continue with 9.Bg5 Be7 10.Ne5!²) 9.h3 Bh5 10.e4 Nb6 This position is well-known to be dangerous,
and Black scores well.

Position after: 10...Nb6

I now prefer to start with the new move 11.Re1!?N, slowly preparing action in the center (11.g4 Bg6
12.Qe2 f5 13.gxf5 Bh5 14.Rd1 Qe8∞ is pretty unclear), for instance 11...e5 12.d5 Nd4 13.g4! Nxf3+
14.Qxf3 Bg6 15.Bf1!ƒ Black’s bishop is buried on g6. It’s time to advance on the queenside in order to
create some initiative there. Only White can be better here.

5.h3!?

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Position after: 5.h3!?

A good zwischenzug. Black needs to choose the correct diagonal now for his bishop, or decide if he
wants to trade it.

5...Bxf3!?

A) 5...Bf5 Black keeps an eye on the h3 pawn and prevents us from castling, but we can react in the
center: 6.c4! e6 (6...Nb4? 7.Ne5 Qd6 8.0-0 Nc2 9.e4+–) 7.Nc3 Bb4 (7...0-0-0 8.Qa4 Bb4 9.0-0 Bxc3
10.bxc3 Be4 11.Nd2 Bxg2 12.Kxg2²) 8.0-0

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Position after: 8.0-0

8...Bxc3 (8...Nf6 9.Ne5! Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bxc3 11.bxc3 Ne4 12.Qb3²) 9.bxc3 Be4 This has been
played a few times, and the best seems to get rid of the bishop with 10.Nd2! Bxg2 11.Kxg2 Nge7
12.Rb1ƒ.
B) 5...Bh5?! doesn’t help Black’s attack since neither ...Bh3 nor the advance ...h5-h4 is possible any
more. 6.c3!? Getting the attack under way. A logical continuation is 6...f6 7.b4 0-0-0 8.Nbd2 e5 9.b5!

Position after: 9.b5!

9...Nb8 (9...Na5 10.Qa4 b6 11.dxe5 a6 12.Qh4!²) 10.dxe5 Qxb5 11.0-0! fxe5 12.c4 dxc4 13.Qc2
Bg6 14.Qxc4 Qxc4 15.Nxc4± White is temporarily a pawn down, but should soon be able to regain
it: Heberla, B (2536) – Raetsky, A (2431) Bugibba 2012, 1-0 (24).

6.exf3!

I like this move, as it deprives Black of any ideas involving ...e5. We have arrived at a complicated
position; the following games should give you some ideas.
6.Bxf3 keeps a good structure, but cedes the initiative to Black: 6...0-0-0 7.Bg2 e5 8.dxe5 Nxe5„.

6...e6

6...Nf6 This doesn’t really change the position and White gets similar play to the main lines. 7.0-0 e6
8.c3 Bd6 9.Qe2 0-0 10.f4 Ne7 11.Nd2ƒ 1-0 (40) Gordievsky, D (2630) – Bellahcene, B (2488)
Karlsruhe 2018.

7.f4

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Position after: 7.f4

7...0-0-0

7...Nge7 8.c3 Nf5 9.Nd2 h5 10.h4 Be7 11.Nf3 g6 12.0-0 White has a stable advantage, and it is no
surprise that he soon got a great position in the following game: 12...a5 13.a4 0-0 14.Re1 Bf6 15.Bf1
Nce7 16.Ne5 Bxe5 17.fxe5 b6 18.Bg5 c5 19.Bb5 Qc7 20.Bf6± 1-0 (47) Baumegger, S (2447) –
Jurkovic, H (2405) Austria 2009.

8.0-0 Kb8 9.c3 h5 10.h4 Nge7 11.Nd2 Nf5 12.b4!

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Position after: 12.b4!

White’s play is clearly easier.

12...a6 13.a4 a5 14.b5 Nce7 15.Nb3!‚

1-0 (27) Tukmakov, V (2581) – Raetsky, A (2460) Geneva 1999.

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Table of Contents
Title page 4
Bibliography 5
Key to Symbols Used 6
Preface 7
Chapter 1 – Early Deviations 9
Chapter 2 – Systems with ...dxc4 20
Chapter 3 – Black plays with ...d4 72
Chapter 4 – Tarrasch Defense & Systems including ...c5 101
Chapter 5 – Main Line of the Neo-Catalan with 6.b3 137
Chapter 6 – Early Deviations (Black delays or avoids 3...Nf6) 187
Chapter 7 – Various 4th Moves 238
Chapter 8 – Variations with 4...dxc4 279
Chapter 9 – Semi-Slav 4...e6 319
Chapter 10 – QGA-like 2...dxc4 345
Chapter 11 – Advance Variation 2...d4 (3.b4 --) 386
Chapter 12 – Advance Variation 2...d4 (3.b4 f6) 420
Chapter 13 – Lines without ...Nf6 & Botvinnik 464
Chapter 14 – Every System with 2...Nf6 502
Chapter 15 – The Hedgehog 564
Chapter 16 – The Romanishin Defense 619
Chapter 17 – The Anti-King’s Indian Defense 639
Chapter 18 – The Anti-Grünfeld Defense 662
Chapter 19 – The Dutch Defense 687
Chapter 20 – Various First Moves 724

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