openings 224 | April 17n 2013

what’s hot and what’s not?

XIIIIIIIIY
Grischuk winning 9rsnlwqkvl-tr0
9zppzp-zpp+p0

everything with Black

9-+-zp-snp+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+PzP-+-+0
9+-sN-+N+-0
9PzP-+PzPPzP0
IM Merijn van Delft & IM Robert Ris
9tR-vLQmKL+R0
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In this issue we focus on the Russian League. Svidler Frequency
(now number 9 in the live world rankings) and especially
Grischuk (now number 5 in the world) brought their good
form with them from London.

what'shot?
Score
Black did well in the 4.d3 ¥c5 Anti-Berlin this week as Svidler-Karjakin
was drawn, and in Nepomniachtchi-Grischuk Black even squeezed
out a win. Caruana handled an Anti-Marshall impressively and scored
a victory against Ivanchuk. Karjakin-Caruana was a tense draw in the
Archangelsk variation. Below we update you on the 6.¥e3 ¤g4 Najdorf
and the English Attack of the Taimanov. Karjakin achieved a winning
position against Ivanchuk in the Taimanov/Paulsen hybrid variation, but a
blunder spoiled it and it ended in a draw.

Svidler-Jakovenko was a relevant QGD (see below). Mamedyarov-

Tomashvesky and Aleksandrov-Rublevsky together form a theoretical
discussion in the Chebanenko/Semi-Slav hybrid. Grischuk played the
black side of the 4.e3 Nimzo-Indian very accurately and eventually
managed to win the endgame against Timofeev. Dreev and Landa
continued their sharp 4.£c2 Nimzo-Indian discussion from two years
ago, but the latter forgot his preparation and ended up in a lost endgame.

In our Game of the Week Caruana beat Jobava in an early sideline of the
King's Indian (4...¥f5 in the diagram position). Grischuk beat Morozevich
with Black in the same Symmetrical English line that Gelfand used to Source: Megabase + TWIC, 2500+ only
beat Radjabov in London (see CVO 221). Eljanov-Riazantsev was a long
tough draw in the Réti Gambit. Below we check out a new gambit idea for
Black in the Réti.

Last week we reported that the Grünfeld is currently suffering repercussions from its enormous popularity and Black is still not out of
the woods. White scored good wins with 1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 in Vitiugov-Timofeev, Ivanchuk-Gabrielian, Korobov-Le Quang Liem
and Postny-Mikhalevski. Svidler decided to transpose to the King's Indian with 3...¥g7 and beat Caruana
(this game will be covered in CVT). what’snot?
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 openings what’s hot and what’s not?
Beating the nameless variation
Actually, we are not quite sure what to call the 4...¥f5 variation that was played in the
following game; suggestions by readers are welcome. What we do know is that Caruana
managed to play a nice model game against Jobava.
gameoftheweek Caruana - Jobava
Caruana,F (2772) - Jobava,B (2702)
Russian league (Loo), 09.04.2013
A53, King's Indian, 4...¥f5
1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 d6 3.¤f3 g6 4.¤c3 ¥f5
An interesting alternative to 4...¥g7 which
leads to the main line of the King's Indian.
5.d5!?
An ambitious move. White has several other
possibilities:
a) 5.e3 ¥g7 6.¥d3 ¥xd3 7.£xd3 ¤bd7 8.b3
0–0 9.¥b2 e5 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.¦d1 £e7
12.0–0 ¦fd8 13.£c2 c6 with equal chances in
Kramnik-Ivanchuk, Istanbul 2012.
b) 5.£b3 b6 6.g3 ¥g7 7.¥g2 ¤c6 8.d5 ¤a5
9.£d1 ¤e4 10.¤xe4 ¥xe4 11.0–0 0–0 12.¤d2
¥xg2 13.¢xg2 c6 with a comfortable game for
Black in Pelletier-Ivanchuk, Porto Carras 2011.
c) Another main option is 5.¤h4!?.
5...¤a6
Black prefers developing his queenside first.
Also possible is 5...¥g7 6.¤d4 ¥d7 7.e4 0–0
8.¥e2 and now:
8...e5 9.dxe6 fxe6 10.0–0 e5 11.¤c2 ¥e6
12.¥g5 ¤bd7 13.£d2 ¢h8 14.f3 with an edge
for White in Gelfand-Morozevich, Monte Carlo
rapid 2006.
b) 8...¤a6 9.0–0 ¤c5 10.f3 a5 11.¥g5 h6
12.¥e3 ¢h7 13.£d2 e5 14.¤b3 (More
challenging is 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.¤db5²) 14...
b6 15.¤xc5 bxc5 16.g4 ¤g8 17.¢g2 ¥f6 with
mutual chances in Ding Liren-Jobava, Beijing
blitz 2012.
6.¤d4 ¥d7 7.e4 ¤c5 8.f3 a5 9.¥e3 ¥g7
10.£d2
Caruana opts for a flexible plan by delaying the
decision whether to castle king or queenside.
A predecessor: 10.¥e2 0–0 11.0–0 c6 12.£d2
a4 13.¦ab1 £c7 14.b4 axb3 15.axb3 ¦fc8
16.¦fc1 with a slight edge for White in Ftacnik-
Jansa, Hamburg 1993.
10...0–0 11.¥e2 e5
Also worth considering is 11...c6!? intending to
keep the e-pawn on its initial square.
12.dxe6 fxe6 13.¤db5
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9r+-wq-trk+0
9+pzpl+-vlp0
9-+-zppsnp+0
9zpNsn-+-+-0
9-+P+P+-+0
9+-sN-vLP+-0
9PzP-wQL+PzP0
9tR-+-mK-+R0
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13...e5?
After this move Black lacks an active plan due
to the weakened light squares. Better would
have been 13...¥xb5 14.cxb5 (14.¤xb5?
allows 14...¤fxe4! 15.fxe4 ¤xe4 16.£d3 £h4+
17.¢d1 d5! with a complete mess.) 14...¤fd7
even though White retains a pleasant edge
with 15.0–0.
14.0–0–0 ¤e6 15.g4 b6 16.h4 ¥e8
16...h5 doesn't stop White's attacking plans,
since after 17.¦dg1 sooner or later the kingside
will be opened up.
17.¢b1 ¢h8 18.¤d5 ¤xd5 19.cxd5 ¤c5
20.¤c3
The immediate 20.h5 also looks quite attractive,
but evidently Caruana didn't want to give Black
the additional option of taking on b5 and f3.
20...a4 21.h5 gxh5 22.gxh5 ¥f6 23.¦dg1 ¥f7
Connecting the major forces on the back rank,
though possibly 23...¦g8 would have been a
better defensive attempt.
24.¦g5!? ¦g8
Of course, 24...¥xg5? fails to 25.¥xg5 £d7
26.¥f6+ and White regains the invested
material with interest.
25.¦f5 ¦g2
Black might have tried 25...¥e8 26.¥b5! (26.
f4 ¥d7! 27.fxe5 ¥xe5 28.¦f7 ¥e8 and Black
stays alive.) 26...£e7 and although White
retains some strategical trumps nothing has
been decided yet.
26.£e1?!
White could have opened up the position with
26.f4! with the point that 26...exf4 can be met
224 | April 17n 2013
by 27.¥d4 and Black's position falls apart.
26...£e7
26...¥e8!? 27.£f1 (27.¥b5? ¥xb5 28.¤xb5
¦xb2+ 29.¢xb2 ¤d3+ illustrates the
unfortunate placement of the white £.)
27...¦xe2 28.£xe2 ¥d7 and the fight goes on.
27.¥f1 ¦gg8 28.¥b5 ¥g5?
The desirable exchange of the dark-squared
¥s fails for tactical reasons. More stubborn
would have been 28...¦g2.
29.f4! ¥f6
29...¥xf4 runs into 30.¦xf4! exf4 31.¥d4+ ¦g7
32.h6 and White wins.
30.¦f1
After 30.£f2! Black quickly collapses, e.g.
30...¥e8 (30...exf4 31.¦xf4 drops a piece.;
30...¦af8 31.fxe5 ¥xe5 32.¦f1+–) 31.¥xe8
¦axe8 32.fxe5 ¥xe5 33.¦f7 £d8 34.£f5
¦g7 35.¦xg7 ¥xg7 36.¥g5 £d7 37.h6 ¥xc3
38.¥f6+! and White wins.
30...¦af8
Also after 30...¥e8 31.¥c6! Black's forces
remain restricted in their mobility: 31...¥xc6
(31...¦b8 32.¦xf6 £xf6 33.fxe5 £xe5 34.¦f5
£g7 35.h6 and the ¥ joins the a1–h8 diagonal.)
32.dxc6 ¥h4 33.¤d5! £d8 34.£b4 and Black's
position is hopeless.
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-trrmk0
9+-zp-wql+p0
9-zp-zp-vl-+0
9+LsnPzpR+P0
9p+-+PzP-+0
9+-sN-vL-+-0
9PzP-+-+-+0
9+K+-wQR+-0
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31.¦xf6! £xf6 32.fxe5 £xe5 33.¦f5 £h2
33...£g7 can be met by 34.h6!.
34.¥d4+ ¦g7 35.£c1! ¢g8
35...¦fg8 36.h6 is quite painful, too.
36.¥xg7 ¢xg7 37.£g5+ ¢h8 38.h6! and
Black resigned since after 38...£h1+ 39.¥f1
mate will follow soon. 1–0
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 openings what’s hot and what’s not? 224 | April 17n 2013

thisweek’sharvest
Najdorf, 6.¥e3 ¤g4 1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 ¤f6 5.¤c3 a6 6.¥e3 ¤g4 7.¥c1 ¤f6 8.¥e3 ¤g4 9.¥g5 h6
XIIIIIIIIY 10.¥h4 g5 11.¥g3 ¥g7 12.h3 ¤e5 13.f3 ¤bc6 14.¥f2 ¥e6 15.£d2 £a5 16.¤b3 ¥xb3 17.cxb3 ¤g6
9r+-+k+-tr0 The game Sutovsky-Vachier Lagrave gives us a nice opportunity to update our knowledge of the 6.¥e3 ¤g4
9+p+-zppvl-0 Najdorf. The position after 15.£d2 currently seems to be critical to the evaluation of the whole opening. Vachier
9p+nzp-+nzp0 Lagrave went for 15...£a5, following the old example of Kasparov, but as we saw in CVO 209/210 White seems
9wq-+-+-zp-0 to have decent chances for an edge with the normal 18.0–0–0. Sutovsky played the unfortunate 18.g3? instead,
9-+-+P+-+0 which was countered by 18...h5! and 19...h4, giving Black good control over the position. After some tactical
complications Black came out on top. After some further research, the critical line seems to be 15...¦c8 16.0–0–0
9+PsN-+P+P0
¤xd4 17.¥xd4 £a5 (up to this point this was also covered in CVO 160) 18.a3 ¦g8 19.¢b1 ¥c4! 20.£f2 ¦c6!
9PzP-wQ-vLP+0 21.¤e2 ¥e6 22.¤g3 ¢d7! and in analysing this position we found some interesting positional sacrifices for
9tR-+-mKL+R0 Black that keep the balance. This has already been played once in a correspondence game, but could certainly
xiiiiiiiiy use some more practical tests.

1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4 ¤c6 5.¤c3 £c7 6.¥e3 a6 7.£d2 ¤f6 8.0–0–0 ¥e7 9.f3 b5 10.g4 ¥b7 11.¥f4 d6 12.¤xc6 Taimanov, English Attack
£xc6 13.g5 ¤d7 14.¥xd6 ¥xd6 15.£xd6 £xd6 16.¦xd6 h6 17.¦g1 hxg5 18.¦xg5 ¦xh2 19.¦xg7 ¢e7 20.¦d2 ¦h1 21.¦f2 ¤e5 XIIIIIIIIY
The Najdorf and the Sveshnikov are claiming most of the attention, but in fact the Taimanov Sicilian is still a fairly 9r+-+-+-+0
critical battleground as well. Ivanchuk played it with success against Carlsen in London, although the opening 9+l+-mkptR-0
phase in that game was quite puzzling. While the main line (8...¥b4 9.f3 ¤e5) is actually not very clear as we 9p+-+p+-+0
showed in CVO 117 and 200, most players actually seem more interested in trying one of the many sidelines that
9+p+-sn-+-0
Black has available. For example, in Shirov-Movsesian this week 8...¤xd4!? was tried, but it has to be said that
White was better throughout. Swiercz-Bulski saw 8...¥b4 9.f3 0–0 which also looks like an edge for White. The
9-+-+P+-+0
diagram position actually stems from Leko-Vitiugov and is an instructive example of positional compensation for
9+-sN-+P+-0
the pawn in the endgame. Two days later Leko decided to deviate from the main lines himself with 6.g3 against 9PzPP+-tR-+0
Tregubov. He actually managed to reach a winning position, but sadly spoiled it in what must have been time 9+-mK-+L+r0
trouble and drew. xiiiiiiiiy

QGD, Exchange 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.¤c3 ¥e7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.¥f4 c6 6.e3 ¥d6 7.¥xd6 £xd6 8.¥d3 ¤e7 9.£c2 b6 10.e4 dxe4 11.¤xe4
XIIIIIIIIY Last week the spectacular game Svidler-Harikrishna, which featured the Exchange Variation of the Queen's
9rsnl+k+-tr0 Gambit Declined, was covered quite extensively in CVO 223. This week the Russian GM deployed some
9zp-+-snpzpp0 excellent home preparation against his compatriot Jakovenko in a different line. In a heavily-analysed position
9-zppwq-+-+0 where the likes of Kasparov, Carlsen and Anand have attempted to prove an advantage for White, Svidler seems
9+-+-+-+-0 to come up with a significant improvement upon established theory. With 10.e4!? White immediately opens up
9-+-zPN+-+0 the centre and invites Black to take a central §. Evidently Jakovenko didn't trust the ensuing complications,
rejected the offer and suddenly transposed to a position he had played once before against Sutovsky. Finally
9+-+L+-+-0
Black succeeded in holding a draw quite convincingly, but it would be interesting to see what Black had in mind
9PzPQ+-zPPzP0 after 12.¤c3!? which seems to be a more natural square for the ¤. One of its advantages is that, after 12...¥a6,
9tR-+-mK-sNR0 White has the additional option of playing 13.¦d1, intending to activate the ¦ on the third rank.
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1.¤f3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 ¤f6 4.¥g2 ¥f5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.£b3 ¤c6 7.£xb7 ¦c8 8.0–0 e5 9.d3 ¥e7 Réti, Anti-Slav
Developments in the sharp Anti-Slav System with 4...dxc4 have been followed closely in CVO, but of course XIIIIIIIIY
Black has some possibilities of opting for a more restrained set-up. One of them is the Barcza Variation (4...¥f5) 9-+rwqk+-tr0
where Black just intends to develop his ¥ outside the pawn chain. In contrast to the line with 4...¥g4 White's 9zpQ+-vlpzpp0
most challenging continuation has been considered to be 5.cxd5, clarifying the situation in the centre, since 9-+n+-sn-+0
Black can't exchange the ¤ on f3. In the highly recommended book Grandmaster Repertoire The English 9+-+pzpl+-0
Opening Volume Two, GM Marin covered several continuations where Black defended his § on b7 after 5...
9-+-+-+-+0
cxd5 6.£b3. In Mchedlishvili-Volkov Black introduced a stunning pawn sacrifice with 6...¤c6!? and obtained
excellent compensation. Comparisons can be made with a fashionable variation in the Slav (see CVO 175 and
9+-+P+NzP-0
197) and this must have inspired the Russian GM to implement the idea in the Réti Opening. In the diagram
9PzP-+PzPLzP0
White retreated his £ to d1 (better is 10.¤c3) and eventually suffered for his lack of development. 9tRNvL-+RmK-0
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 openings what’s hot and what’s not? 224 | April 17n 2013

it’syourmove
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
O 9r+-wqkvl-tr0 o9-+r+-trk+0
9+p+-zpp+p0 9zpp+qzppvlp0
9-snpsn-+p+0 9-+nzplsnp+0
9zp-+-+P+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
9P+-zP-+P+0 9-+P+N+-+0
9+QsN-+P+-0 9+-+-sN-zP-0
9-zP-+-+-zP0 9PzP-+PzPLzP0
9tR-vL-mKL+R0 9+RvLQ+RmK-0
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lastweek’ssolutions
XIIIIIIIIY
Harikrishna-Howell, Bundesliga (Schwetzingen), 2013 9r+lwq-trk+0
White has several non-committal moves at his disposal, but he couldn't stop himself from playing the 9zp-zp-snpvl-0
adventurous 12.¦xc6!? ¤xc6 13.£c1 ¤e7 13...¥d7 14.¥xh6 £e7 looks like a healthy defensive set-up, after 9-zpn+-+pzp0
which White has compensation for the exchange, but maybe no more. 14.¥xh6 ¥xh6? Black loses control. 9+-+-zp-+-0
After 14...f6 anything was still possible. 15.£xh6 ¤f5 16.£d2 16.£c1! £e7 17.g4 ¤h4 18.¤xh4 £xh4 19.£xc7
9-+-+N+-+0
¥xg4 20.£xe5 gives White a large advantage. 16...£e7 17.g4 ¤d6? 17...¤h4 was the only move. 18.¤xd6
cxd6 19.£h6! Now White has a winning attack, which he converts nicely: 19...¥b7 20.¤g5 f6 21.£xg6+ ¢h8
9+-+P+NzP-0
22.¥xb7 £xb7 23.¤e6 ¦f7 24.¦c1 ¦h7 25.£xf6+ ¢g8 26.¤g5 ¦d7 27.£e6+ ¢h8 28.¤e4 ¦g7 29.¤xd6 £d7
9PzP-vLPzPLzP0
30.£xd7 ¦xd7 31.¦c6 ¦g8 32.f3 1–0 9+-tRQ+RmK-0
XIIIIIIIIY xiiiiiiiiy
9-+rwq-trk+0 Baramidze-Bacrot,Bundesliga (Schwetzingen), 2013
9zpl+n+pzpp0 By placing the § on a4 White has revealed his intentions of creating a weakness on the queenside. Black's
9-zp-+p+-+0 solution is quite radical and not as bad as it looks at first sight. 15...a5!? 15...¤b8 16.a5 (16.£b2!? is perhaps
9+-+-+-+-0 more accurate.) 16...bxa5! (16...¤c6? 17.axb6 ¤xd4 (17...axb6 18.£b2 favors White.) 18.¤xd4 £xd4 19.bxa7
and Black didn't manage to get rid of the § on a7 in Petrosian-Tal, Moscow 1972.) 17.£xa5 £xa5 18.¦xa5
9P+-zPP+-+0
¤c6 19.¦a4 a5 20.¤d2 ¤b4 21.¥b1 ¦fd8 and Black comfortably equalised in Sargissian-Berkes, Istanbul
9+-+L+N+-0 2012. 16.h3 h6 A predecessor: 16...£e7 17.¦ab1 ¦fd8 18.¥b5 ¤f6 19.£d3 £c7 20.¦b3 h6 21.£b1 ¥c6 with
9-+-wQ-zPPzP0 approximate equality in Beliavsky-Magem Badals, Linares 2002. 17.¦ab1 £e7 18.¥b5 ¤f6 19.¥d3 If 19.£d3
9tR-+-tR-mK-0 ¦c7, intending to double ¦s on the c-file, offers Black sufficient counterplay. 19...¤d7 20.¥b5 ¤f6 21.¥d3 ½–½
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openings
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