The Modern French Volume 2 Advance and Winawer - Dmitry Kryakvin PDF

Contents
Title Page and Bibliography

Preface 7
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5
Part 1. The Advance Variation

3.e5 c5
1 A) 4.dc; B) 4.Qg4; C) 4.Nf3 10

Main Ideas; Step by Step
2 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 Rare; A) 6.Na3; B) 6.Be2; C) 6.Bd3 22
3 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 c4 53
4 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 Bd7 75
Part 2. The Winawer Variation

3.Nc3 Bb4
5 A) 4.Bd3; B) 4.Qd3; C) 4.Bd2 96
6 4.a3 113
Step by Step
7 4.ed5 118
Step by Step
8 4.Ne2 125
Step by Step
9 4.e5 c5 A) 5.Nf3; B) 5.dc; C) 5.Qg4; D) 5.Bd2 134
10 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 A) 6.Qg4; B) 6.Nf3; C) 6.Bd2 151
11 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cd 7.Nb5 163
Step by Step
12 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cd 7.Qg4 171
Step by Step
13 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bc Qa5 7.Qd2 183
14 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bc Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 A) 8.Bb1; B) 8.Nf3; C) 8.h4 197
2
Step by Step
15 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bc Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qb1 211
Step by Step
16 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bc Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qg4 223
Step by Step
Complete Games 237

Index of Variations 257
3
The Modern French
Advance and Winawer
Volume 2
Dmitry Kryakvin
Chess Stars Publishing
www.chess-stars.com
Copyright © 2020 by Dmitry Kryakvin
Cover by Rustam Taichinov
Bibliography
Books
1.e4 vs The French, Caro-Kann&Philidor by P.Negi, Quality Chess 2014

Playing the French by J.Aagaard & Ntirlis, Quality Chess 2013
The Flexible French by V.Moskalenko, New in Chess 2008
The French Defence by E.Berg, Quality Chess 2013
The French Defence Reloaded by N.Vitiugov, Chess Stars 2012
Electronic/Periodicals
Chess Informant
New in chess Yearbook
Bestlogic Database
Chessbase online database
ChessOK Correspondence Database
Correspondence Database
FICGS DataBase
GameKnot Database
4
ICCF Database
LSS Database
Mega Database
5
PREFACE
I devote this book to my beloved wife – International chess grandmaster Elena Tomilova
It often happens during the career of a chess player that his passion towards some opening has its
ups and downs. I have been playing the French Defence ever since my childhood and there came a
moment when I began to obtain bad positions in it and I became disappointed for a while with its
magical effect.
I was playing in a tournament and I happened to be together on a table with the twice champion of
the USSR Vitaly Tseshkovsky. I shared my “French” mishaps with him and he looked at me like a
father looks at his son.
“Dima – he said. You play the French Defence...In fact you play at first with your e-pawn and then
with your d-pawn. What do you know about this opening after that? You know almost nothing except
the main ideas. If you play an opening and if you wish it to become your favourite defence, then you
have to learn it perfectly! You have to know it in details better than everybody else! You must
literally burn with its ideas! Some day, even if you play against the World Champion, even if you
lose, you should not allow him to obtain an advantage against you in the French Defence. This is
going to be your victory!”.
The words of this classic chess player provided me with optimism and all my life later I was
burning with the ideas of the French Defence.
I went to bed with the French and rose up in the morning thinking about the French defence, about
its counter attacking possibilities, its fortresses and defensive set-ups. Naturally, I had some other first
moves in my opening repertoire like 1...e5, 1...c6, 1...c5, but numerous times, in some critical
moments of the fight in the tournaments, my inner voice was telling me to choose my most tested
weapon.
This is how I spent hundreds and thousands hours in analysis. I do not regret all this spent time,
since these were some of my happiest hours of my life. This book became one of the results of this
and I hope it would become for you a universal help in every possible tournament situation.
I would like to mention here that the book is about something like “An alternative French
Defence...”. You will not find in it numerous main lines of the Winawer variation, or the standard
responses to the move 3.Nd2. All the variations in it have some common general strategical ideas and
in all the lines I have shared with you some of my valuable novelties and what is most important –
you would not need to memorise zillions of computer variations.
6
What is the essence of the concept of this book?
1. If You encounter on the board a player who is an expert in the theory of the openings, it would
be quite reasonable to assume that he has devoted many hours to the analysis of the main lines of the
type 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bхc3 6.bхc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 and 7.h4, or 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5
3.Nd2 c5 4.eхd5 Qхd5 5.Ngf3, or 3...Nf6 4.e5. He comes to the board burning with desire to crush
you with all the power of his endeavours in the opening theory and...suddenly you encounter him
with a not so popular system. He would hardly remember all the intricacies in this particular position,
but if he is principled he would have the feeling that you are not following the right path and he must
punish you. He would go forward to prove this and we will catch him successfully unaware...!
2. If, on the contrary, you will meet with a purely practical player, who prefers to rely on his habits
and not so much on his knowledge, the situation would be even better. We have analysed in our book
numerous strategically original positions, which would be very difficult to play over the board
without detailed knowledge. Suppose there arises a position with an isolated pawn. Your opponent
would expect to obtain a stable plus, promised by the classics, and will be on the alert only when your
pieces with Black have occupied dominant positions beginning an overwhelming offensive against
White’s king.
3.There can be expected very good results as well when after the drawing of lots you will have to
play against someone who prefers super-reliable schemes. In all the main lines there have been found
move-orders for more than decades in which White can restrict all his opponent’s active possibilities.
In the lines, we recommend to you, we plan to force the opponent to solve numerous problems over
the board with his own capabilities.
4.It is essential that against all three main lines for White (3.e5, 3.Nd2, 3.Nc3) I recommend to you
the choice between some solid lines, as well as some really fighting variations. For example, after
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2, you can choose between 3...Nc6!?, with quite possible wild complications, as
well the more solid, but still very poisonous line: 3...c5 4.eхd5 eхd5. In the first case Black plans after
4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nd7, to begin an immediate fight for the centre with f7-f6, followed by e6-e5. He
would not mind even an eventual sacrifice of his pawn on d5. If all Black’s pieces enter the actions
the f-file will be opened for his major pieces and White would be in trouble! If he manages somehow
to parry our general plan, then Black would have numerous interesting possibilities to develop his
initiative on the queenside. With a white bishop on d3, Black would have the possibility Nc6-b4,
followed by c7-c5, while if White’s knight is on b3, then Black would have the aggressive pawn-
advance a7-a5 and after a2-a4, he would gradually exchange his bishop on c8 via the a6-square,
exploiting later the vulnerability of the b4-square.
In the second variation, with the help of the smart check 3...c5 4.eхd5 eхd5 5.Ngf3 Nc6 6.Bb5
Qe7+!, if White avoids entering an equal endgame and retreats 7.Be2, Black would manage to obtain
easily the ideal set-up for positions with an isolated pawn. His king’s knight will go to the active
position on f6 and from there to e4 exerting powerful pressure against White’s king shelter, or will go
via the d6-square to the c4-outpost in order to create trouble for White’s queenside.
7
As for the variation 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3, we give valuable advice to the fans of the
solid positions how to outplay the opponent in a fight with mutual pawn-chains after 6...c4. Black
should castle queenside, block it later and then prepare a conflict on the kingside. Some other more
aggressive players with Black may prefer the line: 6...Bd7 7.b4 cхd4 8.cхd4 Rc8. He plans to attack
immediately the b4 and d4-squares thanks to the active placement of his pieces.
Still, in general, the most unpleasant move for the fans of the French Defence has always been
3.Nc3. White is in a mood to go only forward. I will not be forcing you to choose just one line here.
In our book we have made an attempt to revive an old receipt of the World Champion Mikhail
Botvinnik – 3...Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5. As well as I know, this variation is not analysed thoroughly in
the popular opening books, so White is only very seldom well prepared for similar developments.
Here, contrary to the capturing on c3, Black does not plan to fortify his opponent’s centre and on the
contrary, he plans to remove White’s pawn from d4 and then to attack its neighbour – the pawn on e5
with all his forces! If White wishes to avoid all these developments he must play very carefully. After
the move 6.b4, (Remember that pawns do not go backwards...), Black will have counter attacking
possibilities. He can undermine the enemy pawn (after 6...cхd4 and the retreat of the bishop) with a7-
a5, or he can transfer his bishop along the route Bc8-d7-a4.
Finally, our book is crowned by the analysis of one of the most original contemporary variations –
5...Bхc3 6.bхc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4!?. White has tried numerous times to refute this system! No matter
what interesting inventions have been found the Hook-Portisch variation is alive! What is most
important is that Black’s play in it is quite simple and practically identical with the ideas which I
suggest in this book as a counter measure against the Advance variation – 3.e5.
I would like to number them for you: 1) Black must squeeze the enemy queenside, 2) He must
evacuate urgently his king to the queenside, 3) If White tries to achieve some progress on the
kingside, Black must open quickly the game with pawn counter strikes and organise an attack against
the king of the surprised opponent, who will be completely unprepared for such developments,
contrary to his expectations!
5. Finally, about the essence of all, the French Defence is in fact a counter attacking opening and
the book I am offering to your attention would enable you to have a feeling about its rather
extraordinary philosophy without the necessity to memorise long forced lines! Our aim would be to
provoke the opponent to be aggressive and then Black would rise to a bayonet attack right up from
the trenches and there would arise not the desired Waterloo by the opponent, but real Austerlitz!
The author would like to express his sincere thanks to his assistant during numerous years – the
International master Mikhail Popov for his invaluable help during the work on this book.
Dmitry Kryakvin,
Rostov-on-Don 2020
8
Chapter 1
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5
Main Ideas
Black has allowed his opponent to occupy space but is attacking the base of his pawn-chain – the
pawn on d4 and plans to organise counterplay on the queenside. In chapter five we will analyse the
basic lines of White’s system with which he wishes to fortify his central pawn-chain. Here, we will
analyse lines with which he ignores Black’s threats against his pawn-chain and dreams only about an
attack against the enemy king.
Here is the first principle. If Black’s bishop is on the a5-square, this would facilitate considerably
his active actions. The queen-sortie to the b6-square includes an attack against the b2 and f2-squares,
while the pawn-advance f7-f6 would open the f-file and would help Black to create new threats.
4.dxc5 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bxc5 6.Bd3 f6 7.Qe2 (Following 7.exf6?! Nxf6 8.0-0 0-0, Black plans to
advance e6-e5 and then he will begin an attack with all his army.) 7...fxe5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.Qxe5 Nf6
9
It might seem to White that he has done everything correctly. His queen has entered the actions and
after 10.Bb5+, Black cannot interpose with his bishop, since he would lose his pawn on e6. Still, all
White’s achievements are just illusory, because after 10...Kf7!, Black will play Rh8-f8 and Kf7-g8,
accomplishing an artificial castling. Now, his pieces will concentrate around the enemy f2-square and
White’s queen will hardly manage to prevent for long Black’s pawn-break е6-е5.
The second principle is that you have already understood that White’s early queen-sortie has its
serious drawbacks and Black must exploit this. After 4.Qg4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qc7
White might even lose his bishop on c1, for example after 6.c3?! cxd4 7.cxd4? Nxd4–+
If White retreats his queen in order to protect his central pawn with the move 6.Qg3?, Black’s
10
knight would attack it immediately 6...Nge7 and White’s bishop would be ousted from the protection
of the f5-square: 7.Bd3 c4 8.Be2 Nf5 9.Qf4 g5! Now, no matter how White captures the brave enemy
pawn, he would lose his pawn on d4 and later its neighbour – the pawn on e5 might be endangered as
well. Flank strikes of this type should be included in the arsenal of all the fans of the French Defence,
because the exchange of the g-pawn for White’s central pawn might be very advantageous for Black
even in much calmer situations.
We have to deal now with the line: 6.Bd3 Nxd4! 7.Nxd4 Qxe5+ 8.Ne2 c4 9.Bxc4 dxc4 10.Qxc4
Bd7³
Black has reached by force a position with a bishop-pair. His light-squared bishop, which has no
opponent, will occupy the long а8-h1 diagonal, while his rook on c8 may exert pressure on the c-file.
It would be essential that it would be much easier for Black to advance е6-е5, than for White to
activate his pawn-majority on the kingside.
White can also try to realise the same idea but without his early queen-sortie 4.Nf3 cxd4 5.Bd3
Nd7 6.0-0 Ne7, but with this he would not be threatening Black’s kingside. 7.Bf4 Nc6 8.Nbd2 Be7
11
Now, White must still regain the pawn on d4, while Black will advance f7-f6, or will deflect the
defenders of White’s key e5-pawn with the pawn-march g7-g5-g4!
Black often initiates a conflict on the kingside and then castles queenside in order to begin an attack
before his opponent. If he manages to capture the enemy pawn on e5 with his knight, this would be
the ideal situation for him enabling him to deploy a powerful formation of pieces and pawns in the
centre.
Theoretical Resume
The gambit variations after 1.е4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5, have been analysed very precisely and
thoroughly in Berg’s book. This work of the Swedish grandmaster has inflicted a serious blow against
the adherents to the gambit approach for White in the French Defence. Still, plenty of time has passed
and the analytical modules have improved and there are of lot of lines which must be reconsidered
form the point of view of the year 2020. Having this in mind, in some variations, which are 5-6 years
old after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Nf3 cxd4 5.Bd3 Nd7 6.0-0 Ne7 7.Bf4 Nc6 8.Nbd2, it would
seem attractive for Black to choose the pawn-advances 8...h6 9.Nb3 g5 10.Bg3 Bg7 11.Re1 h5 12.h4
g4, while the contemporary computer programs do not approve at all the idea suggested by Emanuel
Berg in his book – 13.Ng5! Ndxe5 (13...Ncxe5 14.Nxd4‚) 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxe5 Bxe5 16.Rxe5
Nc6 17.Bb5‚ and White exerts very powerful pressure, moreover that the position of Black’s king
has been seriously weakened.
Therefore, I recommend another line for Black in my own book – 8...Be7 9.Nb3 g5 10.Bd2 g4
11.Nfxd4 Ndxe5 12.Bc3 Bd6 13.f4 gxf3 14.Nxf3 Rg8„ This position is also very complicated, but
here Black’s king is quite reliably protected and he has dangerous counter threats.
12
Chapter 1
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5
Step by Step
We will analyse now: A) 4.dxc5, B) 4.Qg4 and C) 4.Nf3.
The move 4.Bb5+?! would only help Black to solve his main problem – to exchange his bishop on
c8. 4...Bd7 5.Bxd7+ Qxd7 6.c3 Nc6 7.f4 h5³ Sahvit – Nabaty, Israel 2013. Black’s king’s knight will
be headed for the f5-outpost.
After 4.f4?! Nc6, White loses valuable time and Black will attack immediately his opponent’s
central pawn. 5.Nf3 Nh6 6.Bd3?! (following 6.c3 Qb6³, White will hardly manage to hold on to his
central pawn) 6...cxd4 7.a3 a5 8.b3 Bc5 9.0-0 Nf5µ Dutina – V.Kovacevic, Bol 2015.
A) 4.dxc5
White’s decision has some logic – if there is no tension on the board, there will be no problems for
him. Still, Black’s bishop comes to the excellent c5-square at once and he begins to exert pressure on
the а7-g1 diagonal.
4...Nc6 5.Nf3
5.Bb5?! This development of the bishop is a bit premature. 5...Bxc5 6.Nf3 (6.Qg4 Nge7 7.Qxg7
Rg8 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.Qxh7 Qb6 10.Nh3 Ba6‚ White is incapable of protecting his light squares
against the crushing attack of Black’s pieces.) 6...Nge7 7.0-0 Bd7 8.Bd3 Ng6³
13
After White’s rather slow reaction 5.Bf4?! Bxc5 6.c3, Kosanski – Marovic, Osijek 1978 (6.Qg4
Nge7 7.Qxg7? Rg8 8.Qxh7 Qb6–+) 6...Nge7 7.Nf3 0-0 8.Bd3 f6ƒ the f-file would be opened and
White might fail to protect his f2-square.
5...Bxc5
6.Bd3
6.Nbd2. White is playing again slow moves and he has already helped his opponent to develop
harmoniously his pieces. 6...f6! 7.Nb3 (Following 7.Bb5? Bxf2+ 8.Kxf2 Qb6–+, Black wins a key-
pawn and after 7.exf6 Nxf6 8.Nb3 Bb6ƒ he will soon organise a crushing attack on the f-file.)
7...fxe5 8.Nxc5 Qa5+ 9.c3 Qxc5 10.b4 Qd6!³ White has no compensation for the lost material.
6.Nc3 a6! (White’s knight on c3 is a bit misplaced and it would be essential for Black to avoid the
simple trap 6...Nge7 7.Na4!?÷ and his bishop would lose the control over the important а7-g1
diagonal.) 7.Bd3 f6
14
Black eliminates White’s pawn on e5 and plans to use the opened f-file in order to organise an
attack and to advance his pawn-centre.
8.Bf4 fxe5 9.Nxe5? (If he evacuates his king to the kingside, he would not solve his problems at
all. 9.Bxe5 Nf6 10.Qe2 0-0 11.0-0-0 b5ƒ, because Black will manage to organise an attack before his
opponent, while the attractive capturing for White would lead to the loss of a pawn for him.) 9...Qf6!
10.Nxc6 Bxf2+ 11.Kxf2 Qxf4µ Kett – Schaefer, Plovdiv 2010.
It is probably a bit more accurate for White to choose here 8.Qe2!? Qc7 9.Bf4 Nge7 10.0-0 0-0
11.Rae1 f5³, but Black’s king would be reliably protected against the pressure of the enemy bishop on
d3, while he plans to oust gradually the other enemy bishop on f4 with the help of the moves h7-h6,
g7-g5 and Ne7-g6, after which White will have problems with the protection of his pawn on е5.
6...f6
15
7.Qe2
7.Bf4?! fxe5 8.Bxe5 (8.Nxe5?? Qf6 9.Nxc6 Qxf4 10.Qh5+ Kf8 11.Ne5 Bd4–+) 8...Nxe5 9.Nxe5
Qg5. White’s position begins to crumble. 10.Bb5+ Ke7 11.Nf3 Qxg2 12.Rf1 Nf6µ
7.exf6?! Nxf6 8.0-0 0-0
9.Re1? e5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 Ng4–+

9.Qe2? e5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Qxe5 Ng4 12.Qh5 g6 13.Bxg6, Lanc – Bombek, Slovakia 2012,
13...hxg6 14.Qxg6+ Kh8 15.h3 Qh4!–+
9.c4. This is in fact the only possibility for White to contain the uncoiling spring of Black’s pawn-
16
centre. 9...dxc4 10.Bxc4 Qxd1 11.Rxd1 Ng4!
The queens have been exchanged indeed, but White’s pieces are again squeezed with the protection
of his pawn on f2, while Black’s powerful bishop on c5 is directing the actions of his army. 12.Rf1
Nd4 13.Nbd2 b5! 14.Bd3 (Following 14.Nxd4 Bxd4 15.Bxb5 Bxf2+ 16.Kh1 Ne3–+, Black will trap
the enemy rook.) 14...Bb7. He has brought into the actions all his forces and they are eyeing the
position of the enemy king from all the sides of the board.
White loses immediately after 15.Be4 Ne2+ 16.Kh1 Bd5! 17.Bxd5 exd5 18.g3 Nxf2+ 19.Kg2
Ng4–+ Barlov – Ambroz, Prague 1981.
15.Ne4 Bb6 16.Nxd4 Bxd4 17.Bd2 Rad8µ and White will soon suffer material losses.
About 15.Nxd4 – see the game 1, p. 237.
17
7...fxe5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.Qxe5 Nf6
White prevents by all means the activation of his opponent’s forces, but his queen is not a good
blocker, so his strongest piece would hardly remain on the e5-square for a long time.
10.Bb5+
If Black’s king is evacuated away from the centre, White’s pawn-break there would be
unavoidable. 10.0-0 0-0 11.c4 (After 11.Nc3 Bd6 12.Qg5, Black will begin an offensive 12...e5ƒ; and
following 11.Bg5, Zambor – Krak, Slovakia 2015, he would have the powerful resource 11...Ng4!
12.Bxd8 Nxe5 13.Bc7 Nxd3 14.cxd3 b6 15.Nc3 Ba6µ).
18
The wonderful knight-sortie 11...Ng4! has been recommended by Berg. Black’s pressure against
the f2-square is more dangerous than White’s counter threats. 12.Qh5 Rxf2 13.Rxf2 (White’s checks
are harmless and can only postpone his demise: 13.Qxh7+? Kf8 14.Qh8+ Ke7 15.Qxd8+ Kxd8
16.Rxf2 Nxf2–+) 13...Bxf2+ 14.Kh1 Nf6 15.Qe2 Bb6³ Black has an extra pawn and he only needs
to develop accurately his light-squared bishop on c8 to free diagonals. It also deserves attention for
him to play dхc4, followed by the queen-sortie Qd8-h4, creating a checkmating threat.
10...Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8!
Black makes an artificial castling and his rook frees the g8-square for his king.
12.Qe2
After 12.Bd3 Kg8 13.Nc3 Bd6ƒ Black advances е6-е6 and begins an attack.
12...Kg8 13.Nd2?!
Following 13.Bg5 Qc7 14.Nc3 a6 15.Bd3 Bd7³, or 13.Be3 Bd6 14.Nc3 a6 15.Bd3 Qc7 16.f4
Bd7³, Black’s offensive would be running effortlessly. He only needs to deploy his rook on the e8-
square and to advance е6-е5.
19
13...e5! Black must be on the alert for the possibility to accomplish this pawn-break after which his
pieces would become tremendously active! 14.h3 (Black’s pawn is poisoned 14.Qxe5? Ng4–+, or
14.Nb3 Bb6 15.Qxe5? Ng4–+) 14...a6 15.Ba4 e4 16.c4 b5! Black prevents the breaking of his
centre, Now, with its support, he will develop a crushing attack against White’s king. 17.cxb5,
Westermeier – Darga, Germany 1981, 17...Qd6! 18.Nb3 Ba7 19.Be3 Bb8‚
B) 4.Qg4
White’s centre will be broken, but he plans to squeeze the enemy bishop with the protection of the
pawn on g7. Still, an early queen-sortie of this type always seems to be dubious.
4...Nc6 5.Nf3
20
Now, it is too late for White to play 5.c3?, because 5...cxd4 6.cxd4 Qb6 7.Nf3 Nh6 8.Qf4 (8.Bxh6
Qxb2) 8...Nf5µ with powerful pressure against the pawn on d4.
5...Qc7
Black’s queen is threatening with a rather unpleasant X-ray juxtaposition on the c-file and is also
eyeing the enemy e5-pawn.
6.Bd3
6.c3?! cxd4 7.cxd4? Nxd4–+
After 6.Qg3?, White’s queen will come under a series of strikes by the enemy pieces. 6...Nge7
7.Bd3 c4 8.Be2 Nf5 9.Qf4 g5! 10.Nxg5 (10.Qxg5 Nfxd4µ) 10...Nfxd4 11.Bh5 Qxe5–+ Biolek –
Kuijf, Buekfuerdo 1995.
Following 6.Bb5?! cxd4 7.0-0 a6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.Nxd4 c5µ Black would only need to transfer his
bishop on c8 to a striking diagonal.
21
6...Nxd4! 7.Nxd4 Qxe5+ 8.Ne2 c4 9.Bxc4 dxc4 10.Qxc4
10.Nbc3 Qc7³ White is already rather unlikely to manage to regain the sacrificed pawn.
10...Bd7 11.Nbc3. Black has a bishop-pair and his light-squared bishop, which has no opponent,
would be deployed on c6 from where it would create threats against White’s king. 11...Rc8 12.Qb3,
Montavon – Kruppa, Berlin 1998, 12...Bc6³ Black only needs to complete his development and to
castle.
С) 4.Nf3 cxd4
22
5.Bd3
After 5.Nxd4, Black will try to realise a plan consisting of three steps, which is typical for positions
in which White has already occupied the d4-square with his knight. So, Black must exchange this
centralised knight, later he must oust White’s centralised bishop on d3 and then Black will develop
his bishop on c8 to the freed diagonal: 5...Ne7 6.Bd3 Nbc6 7.Nxc6 Nxc6 8.Qe2 Qc7 9.f4 Nb4
10.Be3 Nxd3+ 11.Qxd3 Be7 12.0-0 Bd7=
5.Qxd4 Nc6
If White develops his bishop and exchanges it 6.Bb5 a6 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.0-0, Tasoko – Matsuura,
23
Sao Sebastiao 2001, Black will again obtain an edge by taking the control over the important а8-h1
diagonal. 8...c5 9.Qd3 Ne7 10.c4 Bb7³
6.Qg4?! Qc7 7.Bb5 (7.Bf4 Qb6 and White will have problems with the protection of his pawn on
b2.) 7...Bd7 8.Bxc6 bxc6³ White’s queen has been isolated on the kingside, while Black plans active
actions on the other side of the board.
6.Qf4 Nge7 7.Bd3 Ng6 8.Bxg6 (In the variation 8.Qg3 Qc7, White will have to exchange his
bishop anyway. 9.Bxg6 hxg6 and he would not be able to play 10.c3? Nb4 11.Nd4? Qxe5+ 12.Qxe5
Nd3–+) 8...hxg6 9.0-0
9...Rh5! 10.Qg3 Be7 11.h3 b6³ Black’s king is quite safe in the centre and his pieces would
encircle the enemy forces on both sides of the board.
5...Nd7 6.0-0 Ne7
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The dance of Black’s cavalry is aimed at fulfilling several purposes. He wishes to support his pawn
on d4, to attack the pawn on e5 and eventually to trade the powerful enemy bishop on d3, with which
White plans to develop his initiative on the kingside.
7.Re1
White is fortifying his centre.
7.Bf4 Nc6 8.Nbd2 (about 8.Re1 Be7 – see 7.Re1) 8...Be7 9.Nb3 (9.Bg3 0-0 10.Nb3 f6! Once
again, Black’s opening of the f-file ensures a reliable control over the centre for him 11.exf6 Bxf6³).
9...g5! 10.Bd2 (The other retreat of White’s bishop 10.Bg3, Hodgson – Bischoff, Germany 2000,
10...h5ƒ would endanger it.) 10...g4 11.Nfxd4 Ndxe5 12.Bc3 Bd6 13.f4 gxf3 14.Nxf3 Rg8„ Black’s
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king is reliably protected by his central pawns and his counterplay on the g-file is very dangerous. He
only needs to castle queenside and concentrate all his pieces against the shelter of the enemy
monarch.
7...Nc6
8.Nbd2
After 8.Bf4 Be7 Black can try an offensive on the flank with the idea to oust his opponent’s pieces
protecting the pawn on e5. 9.h3 (9.Nbd2? g5 10.Bg3 g4–+; after 9.Bg3?! Nc5! White’s bishop would
come under an attack by the enemy knight. 10.Bb5 Qb6 11.Nxd4 Ne4³) 9...Nc5 10.Bb5 Qb6
11.Nxd4 0-0³, White must worry seriously about the protection of his central pawn on d4 as well as
about his pawn on b2.
8.a3. White prevents the development of the enemy bishop to the b4-square. 8...a5 9.Nbd2, Laurent
– Barsov, Bethune 1998 (The move 9.a4 would present important squares to Black’s knights. 9...Nc5
10.Bb5 Bd7 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Bxb5 13.axb5 Ne4 14.Be3 Bc5 15.Qd3 Rc8³ Now, the most
important factor in this position is Black’s pressure on the c-file.) 9...a4! 10.b4 axb3 11.Nxb3 Be7=
In the future battle Black plans to attack with all his forces the vulnerable enemy pawn on а3.
8...Bb4 9.a3 Ba5
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10.b4
After 10.Re2 Bc7 11.Qe1, Berg recommends the exquisite move 11...Bb8! All Black’s pieces are in
an attack against White’s central pawn. 12.Nb3 (12.b4 Qc7 13.Bb2 0-0µ) 12...0-0. White cannot
protect his central pawn on e5 with his bishop 13.Bf4? f6–+
10...Bc7 11.Bb5
11.Bb2? Ndxe5µ Sygnowski – Merry, Telford 2018.
11...0-0 12.Bxc6 bxc6
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The fight for the central squares is very sharp now. The basic resources in Black’s arsenal are the
opening of the f-file and the pawn-advance c6-c5. 13.Bb2 (White should better refrain from the line:
13.Nb3 f6 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Bg5 Qf7³) 13...Bb6 14.Nb3 c5 15.bxc5 Nxc5 16.Nxc5 Bxc5 17.Bxd4
Be7!= It is essential for Black not to exchange his bishop; otherwise, White deprive him of his main
advantage – the bishop-pair and will fortify his position in the centre. Black’s prospects in all kinds of
endgames would be clearly superior thanks to his powerful long-range bishops.
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Chapter 2
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6
Main Ideas
There have appeared new and original ideas in the 21st century in the variation 3.е5 in the French
Defence as well. For example, after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6, there have
appeared adherents to the move 6.Na3!?,
which might seem rather strange from the point of view of the 20th century. Black must play very
precisely against this knight-sortie to the edge of the board.
So: 6...cxd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Bd2 Nge7
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Black has developed quickly his pieces and dreams about playing rapidly 0-0, f7-f6, followed by
the transfer of his bishop on c8 on the route d7-e8-g6. He will open the f-file and will attack the d4
and f2-squares and his bishop will exert pressure against the enemy pieces which protect these
squares. If White plays indifferently or even follows with the seemingly active line: 9.Nb5 0-0
10.Bxb4 Nxb4 11.Qd2 Nbc6 12.Be2 f6!, this would not change Black’s general plan. Accordingly,
White has focused his attention on the sacrifice of his pawn on b2. Now, contrary to the sacrifice of
his central pawn in the previous chapter, White can rely on obtaining meaningful compensation.
9.Nc2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 Qxb2 11.Bd3 h6 12.0-0 Qb6
It would be too risky for Black to castle under a possible attack by the enemy pieces, so his task
would be to develop quickly his queenside and to prepare exchanges with the idea to diminish the
attacking potential of the enemy forces. It is important to pay attention to the zigzag manoeuvres of
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Black’s queen. If White places his queen on the f4-square, then if Black’s queen is placed on c7, he
would have the excellent resource f7-f5! White would not be able to capture en passant and Black’s
king would be reliably protected by its pawn-shelter.
If White brings his knight closer to the field of his future offensive with 13.Rab1 Qd8 14.Ne3
then Black’s main task would be to try to exchange his opponent’s active bishop on d3 with b7-b6,
Nc6-a5, Bc8-d7, a7-a6 and Bd7-b5! He would have to return the extra material, but would manage to
castle calmly and his pawn on b6 would be much easier to protect in the forthcoming middle game
than White’s pawn on a2, which would soon come under an attack by all Black’s major pieces.
White has a more flexible move here and it is still fashionable – 6.Be2. After 6...cxd4 7.cxd4
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and 7...Nge7, he can play 8.Na3! and will manage to fortify his pawn on d4 with his knight from c2
under the most favourable circumstances, depriving his opponent of counterplay against it. Therefore,
it would be much more principled for Black to play here 7...Nh6! – his knight is under an attack there
by White’s bishop, but Black would preserve more active possibilities, including the important check
Bf8-b4.
For example, after 8.b3?! Bb4+ƒ, White would have to lose his castling rights; otherwise, he would
have to part with a pawn without obtaining any pluses.
There arises an almost identical situation after the line: 8.Nc3 Nf5 9.Na4 Qa5+ 10.Bd2 Bb4
11.Bc3 Bxc3+ 12.Nxc3 Qb6 13.Bb5 Bd7 14.Bxc6 Bxc6
It might seem that White’s knight on c3 is good, while Black’s bishop on c6 is “bad”. This is not
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true at all, because after 15.Qd2 Qa6! Black would control the а6-f1 diagonal and his seemingly bad
bishop would be ready to occupy it. White’s knight is not stable on the c3-square and can be ousted
from there at an opportune moment with the pawn-advance b7-b5-b4ƒ The seemingly active move
g2-g4 in similar positions would only lead to the weakening of White’s position. After Black’s knight
retreats, he would counter White’s pawn-advance with the rather unpleasant resource h7-h5, gaining
again the access to the f5-square.
The most solid and popular version of the gambit is reached after 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bd3 cxd4
7.cxd4 Bd7 8.0-0 Nхd4 9.Nхd4 Qхd4 10.Nc3 a6
It would not be so easy for White to attack the enemy queen on the d4-square, because after Bc1-e3
it would retreat back into his own camp, having captured on the way the pawn on e5. Meanwhile,
Black plans to attack this pawn anyway, transferring his knight on the route e7-c6.
It would not be so attractive for White to choose here 11.Kh1?! Qxe5 12.f4 Qd6, since he would be
two pawns down and the line: 11.Qf3 Ne7 12.Rd1 Qxe5 13.Bf4 Qf6 14.Re1
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would be countered by Black with the exchange-sacrifice 14...g5! 15.Be5 Qxf3 16.gxf3 Rg8
17.Bxh7 Rg7 18.Bd3 f5 19.Bxg7 Bxg7µ Black has just one pawn for the exchange, but he has built a
position which is practically untouchable by his opponent. In addition, after Ke8-f7, Ng6-f4, Bd7-c6,
Ra8-h8, White’s kingside would become an easy prey for Black’s pieces.
We have here another recommendation. If White tries some seemingly spectacular tactical strikes,
this may only enhance Black’s development. He must be ready to give back one of his extra pawns in
order to transfer quickly to a better endgame. This is what would happen in the variation 11.Re1 Ne7
12.Be3 Qxe5 13.Bc5 Qc7 14.b4 Bc6 15.Rc1 Ng6 16.Nxd5 Qd8!
The absence of a pawn on the d5-square would just help Black. His bishop on c6 would be eyeing
the position of White’s king and the queen and the knight on g6 would join into the attack against the
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enemy monarch. It would be too difficult for White to hold the d5-outpost because after the
seemingly attractive line: 17.Bхf8 Kхf8, Black’s king would be quite safe behind its pawn-shelter.
It is much more popular for White to protect in advance his central pawn. 11.Qe2 Ne7 12.Kh1 Nc6
13.f4 Nb4! 14.Rd1 Bc5!
White should better avoid the line: 15.Bb1?! Qf2, 15.Bb5 Qf2 16.Bxd7+ Kxd7, while following
15.Bxh7 Qf2 16.Qxf2 Bxf2 17.Bb1 0-0-0, Black would organise a checkmating attack on the h-file.
Now, White can regain his pawn with 15.Bxa6 Qf2 16.Qxf2 Bxf2
Still, after this Black’s rook on a8 will enter the actions right from its initial square and his knight
on b4 would be threatening to penetrate inside the enemy camp along the route b4-c2-d4. All Black’s
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pieces are much more active than their white counterparts and even Black’s king would be a
considerably better fighting unit than White’s monarch on h1.
Theoretical Resume
The development of the contemporary computer technology during the last several years has
changed dramatically the number of the playable variations. Black does not enjoy good statistical data
in the line: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 7.0-0 Ng6 8.g3 Be7 9.h4 cxd4
10.cxd4 0-0 11.h5 Nh8, which has been recommended in the book “Playing the French” by Jacob
Aagаard and Nikolaos Ntirlis. After 12.Nbd2 f6 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Nb3 Nf7 15.Bf4² Efimenko –
Gorodetzky, Netanya 2019, during the time that Black loses to bring back his knight into the actions,
White develops reliably his pieces and consolidates a slight but very stable advantage.
I would also like to mention another important moment, which is treated in the book of E.Berg
“The French Defence”. After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Be2 cхd4 7.cхd4 Nh6
8.Bхh6 Qхb2 9.Nbd2 gхh6 10.0-0, it was considered for a long time that Black could capture
bravely a second pawn with the move 10...Nxd4, but after 11.Rb1 Nxe2+ 12.Qxe2 Qa3 13.Nd4 a6
14.Rfc1 Bg7 15.Nf1! Qe7 16.Ng3 f6 17.Qh5‚ Jones – Howell, London 2019, with the idea
17...Qf7? 18.Rc7+– this evaluation was refuted. Therefore, on the pages of this book I recommend to
Black to play the calmer move 10...Bd7 without subjecting his king to additional dangers.
Black’s correct reactions against the gambit 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bd3
cxd4 7.cxd4 Bd7 8.0-0 Nхd4 9.Nхd4 Qхd4 10.Nc3 have been analysed in details in numerous
theoretical books. Still, the computer programs are becoming stronger and stronger and in some old
lines White, thanks to the power of the new electronic devices, manages to obtain periodically very
good compensation for the sacrificed material. In this book the author has checked and rechecked the
classic examples with the help of the new computer programs and has given useful advice to Black.
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Chapter 2
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3
Step by Step
4...Qb6!
This immediate queen-sortie reduces White’s choice of moves, because after 4...Nc6, he would
have the variation 5.Be3.
5.Nf3 Nc6
We will analyse now: A) 6.Na3, B) 6.Be2 and C) 6.Bd3
The move 6.a3 will be analysed in details in next chapters.
6.b3? cxd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Bd2 Nxd4µ Nakayama – Beliavsky, Teeside 1974.
6.g3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Nge7 8.Bh3 (8.Bg2? Nf5µ) 8...Nf5 9.Bxf5 exf5 10.0-0 Be6 11.Nc3 Be7 12.Na4
Qd8 13.Be3 0-0 14.Rc1, P.Popovic – Damljanovic, Skender Vakuf 1980, 14...f4! 15.Bxf4 Bg4ƒ
Black’s pieces have been so powerfully placed that he is likely to regain the sacrificed material with
an interest.
6.dxc5 Bxc5. White enables the powerful enemy bishop to occupy an important diagonal with
tempo 7.Qc2 Qc7 8.Bf4 (8.Qe2?! Nge7 9.Be3 Bxe3 10.Qxe3 Nf5 11.Qe2 0-0 12.Na3 f6ƒ Stoltz –
Bronstein, Helsinki 1952. White has played only with his queen, while Black’s pieces have been
developed and are ready to attack.) 8...Nge7 9.Bd3 f5! Now, White is faced with a difficult choice; he
must either comply with the opening of the f-file, or forget about the attack against Black’s king.
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10.0-0, Okhotnik – Zaid, Kiev 1986 (10.exf6? Qxf4 11.fxe7 e5µ) 10...Ng6 11.Bg3 0-0³ Black is
attacking consistently the enemy pawn on e5 and plans a chase after White’s dark-squared bishop.
After 6.Qb3 Qxb3, there arises immediately an inferior endgame for White, because he would have
to protect his queenside. 7.axb3 cxd4 8.cxd4 (8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.cxd4 Ne7 10.Nc3 Nc6 11.Be3 Bd7
12.Bd3 f6³ It is favourable for Black to provoke an exchange on f6 in order to obtain a mobile pawn-
mass in the centre, which he would advance after е6-е5.) 8...Nb4.
9.Na3. This knight is misplaced at the edge of the board. 9...Ne7 10.Bd2 Nec6³
9.Bb5+. The trade of the light-squared bishops is in favour of Black. 9...Bd7 10.Bxd7+ Kxd7
11.Ke2 Ne7³
9.Kd1 Ne7 10.Nc3 Nec6 11.Nb5 Rb8! Now, White cannot capture the pawn on a7, because of the
deadly pin on the a-file and is doomed to defend a clearly inferior position.
A) 6.Na3
This is a witty move. White wishes to fortify his central pawn with the move Na3-c2 and suggests
to Black to give up his important bishop for the knight on c2. Naturally, Black should better not do
that and should complete at first his development.
6...cxd4 7.cxd4
7.Nxd4? Nxe5µ
7...Bb4+ 8.Bd2 Nge7
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9.Nc2
This is a principled line for White. He is ready to sacrifice his pawn on b2 for initiative.
After White’s alternatives it would be sufficient for Black to open the f-file for his rooks and to
accomplish the transfer Bc8-d7-e8, solving the problem with his worst piece. In addition, White will
have problems with the protection of his pawn on d4. For example: 9.Bc3 Bd7 10.Qd2 0-0 11.Bd3 f6
12.exf6 Rxf6„ Ottesen – St-Pierre, ICCF 2016, or 9.Bxb4 Qxb4+ 10.Qd2 Qxd2+ 11.Kxd2 a6
12.Nc2 f6= N.Steinberg – Vaisser, St Petersburg 2018 and in the endgame White will have to worry
about the safety of his pawn on f2, while the exchange on f6 would fortify Black’s centre.
9.Nb5 0-0 10.Bxb4 Nxb4 11.Qd2 Nbc6 12.Be2, Ponkratov – Mokshanov, St Petersburg 2017.
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Now, Black must play very energetically; otherwise, White will stabilise his position and will begin
to occupy squares in Black’s territory. 12...f6! 13.exf6 Rxf6
After 14.0-0?!, Black can continue with the typical exchange-sacrifice: 14...Rxf3! 15.gxf3 a6
16.Nc3 Bd7 17.Rad1 Nf5‚ The position of White’s king is in ruins, while Black’s cavalry dominates
in the centre.
I would like to mention an important variation, quoted from the book of Emanuel Berg 14.Rd1?!
Bd7 15.Nc3 Raf8 16.0-0 Ng6‚ and Black can not only exert pressure against the pawn on d4, but
can also penetrate via the f4-square.
14.Nc3 Bd7 15.0-0 Be8= After the inclusion of the bishop into the fight all Black’s pieces are in
action. He has a clear-cut plan to exert pressure against the f3 and d4-squares.
9...Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 Qxb2 11.Bd3 h6 12.0-0 Qb6
40
White’s pawn on b2 is not his central d4-pawn from the previous chapter. Now, Black’s queen
might get trapped so it must retreat urgently.
13.Rab1
13.Qf4, Predke – Vitiugov, St Petersburg 2018, 13...Qc7. Black’s queen is in ambush. 14.Rab1
(14.Qg4 0-0 15.Ne3 f6 16.exf6 Rxf6° and he is threatening е6-е5) 14...f5° Here, under the cover of
the reliable pawn-chain, Black’s king is safe and he still preserves his extra pawn.
In the rest of the variations Black also does not need to be in a hurry to castle and must first develop
his queenside. 13.Rfc1, Sokolovsky – Peng, Petah Tikva 2019, 13...Qa5 14.Qe3 Rb8 15.Rab1 Bd7°
With a queen on e3, it would be difficult for White to transfer his reserves to the kingside.
13...Qd8 14.Ne3
41
This position was reached in the game Volokitin – Vitiugov, Wroclaw 2014.
White’s knight is ready to go to the g4-square and to capture on h6, but Black should better prevent
this possibility.
14...b6 15.h4 Na5 16.Rfc1 Bd7 17.h5
17...a6!°
This is a key moment in Black’s strategy. He wishes to capture material to be able later to give it
back advantageously. He plans to continue with Bd7-b5. White will then regain his pawn, but Black
would castle comfortably and later will attack the enemy pawns on a2 and d4, which would be much
easier than White’s attack against the pawn on b6.
42
B) 6.Be2
This system has been tested at the top level mostly thanks to the efforts of grandmaster Sergei
Movsesian. White plans to fortify maximally his pawn on d4 and to begin active actions only later.
6...cxd4 7.cxd4 Nh6!
This is a very precise knight-move, because it does not cover the bishop on f8 and poses a question
to White – how to solve the problem with the protection of the pawn on d4.
In the line: 7...Nge7 8.Na3! White has achieved numerous successes. His knight on c2 protects
reliably the pawn on d4 and he preserves his space advantage.
He has at his disposal the following possibilities: B1) 8.b3, B2) 8.Bd3, B3) 8.Nc3 and B4) 8.Bхh6.
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White loses a pawn after 8.0-0? Nf5µ
The move 8.Na3?! enables Black to compromise his opponent’s pawn-structure. 8...Bxa3 9.bxa3 (It
would be bad for White to choose here 9.Bxh6? Bxb2 10.Bxg7 Rg8–+ and he would fail to regain the
lost material: 11.Rb1 Rxg7 12.Qd2 Bc3.) 9...Nf5 10.Be3 Nxe3 11.fxe3 Qa5+
12.Qd2 Bd7 13.0-0 Qxd2 14.Nxd2 Rc8 15.Nb3, Topalov – Barcelo Pujadas, Palma de Mallorca
1992. White’s pawn-structure has been destroyed and Black must gradually attack his opponent’s
weaknesses. 15...Rc7 16.Rac1 Ke7³ 17.Nc5 Rhc8. Black plans to continue with Nc6-a5 and b7-b6,
while White’s move 18.Nxd7? would be countered by Black with 18...Nxd4!–+
B1) 8.b3?! Bb4+!

Black’s bishop is not covered by his knight and can give a rather unpleasant check.
9.Kf1
After 9.Bd2? Nf5µ White would lose a pawn, so his king must retreat.
9...0-0
44
10.Bxh6
White should better refrain from 10.Bb2?! f6 11.exf6 Rxf6ƒ Carame Gonzalez – Getz, Caleta 2010.
His bishop on b2 is isolated from the actions, while all Black’s pieces are ready to attack the enemy
king. His initiative is very powerful and White fails to organise any meaningful counterplay.
10.a3 Be7 11.Nc3 f6 12.Na4?! Qc7 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.Qc1 (14.exf6 Bxf6µ) 14...fxe5 15.dxe5,
Inkiov – Labat, Condom 2009 (15.Nxe5 Bf6µ). Here, the most precise reaction for Black has been
recommended by Berg: 15...Bd8! 16.Qxh6 Nxe5 17.Rc1 Qf7!µ He has created threats against the f2-
square and exerts pressure on the f-file, so Black has consolidated his advantage.
10...gxh6
45
11.a3
White’s attempt to organise counterplay would not work 11.h4 f6 12.Rh3? (12.exf6 Qd8! 13.Qd3
Qxf6 14.Nc3 Bd7³) 12...fxe5 13.Rg3+ Kh8 14.Qc1 Nxd4–+ Lapite – Jessel, chess.com 2017.
Black’s knight manages to protect his king 15.Qxh6 Nf5 and he remains with a decisive material and
positional advantage.
11...Be7 12.Nc3 f6 13.exf6 Bxf6
This is an important rule in the French Defence. Black’s powerful dark-squared bishop, remaining
without an opponent, usually compensates with an interest the slight weakening of his castling
46
position. 14.Rc1 Kh8!³ This is important prophylactic after which White will not manage to
complicate easily the position, while his weak d4 and f2-squares would require permanent protection.
B2) 8.Bd3 Bd7
9.Bc2
After the gambit move 9.Nc3!?, Black’s knight on h6 is under an attack by White’s bishop, but
Black wins a tempo for his development and this enables him to parry easily his opponent’s attack.
9...Nxd4 10.0-0, Movsesian – S.Ivanov, Kallithea 2002, 10...a6 11.Be3 Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3 d4 13.Bxh6
dxc3 14.Be3 Bc5 15.Bxc5 Qxc5 16.Rac1 Bc6 17.Be4 (After 17.Qg3 0-0 18.Rxc3 Qb4=, Black has a
very powerful bishop, while White must try to protect all his pawns.) 17...Bxe4 18.Qxe4 Qb5
19.bxc3 0-0= Black’s prospects in this endgame may turn out to be preferable mostly due to his
superior pawn-structure.
9...Nf5 10.Bxf5 exf5
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This situation is tremendously important for the understanding of numerous positions in the system
with the move 3.е5. White wishes to restrict the enemy bishops and later to try to attack his
opponent’s compromised pawn-structure. Black wishes to find the right moment to activate his long-
range pieces. In many variations he would be ready to activate his bishop on e6 even at the price of
the pawn-sacrifice f5-f4!
11.Nc3
About 11.0-0 Be6 12.Nc3 – see 11.Nc3.
11...Be6
12.0-0
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Following 12.h4 h6, Black has excellent attacking prospects. 13.Kf1 Be7 14.Kg1 0-0-0„ Ivanchuk
– S.Martinovic, Batumi 2018. After the preliminary moves Kc8-b8 and Rd8-c8, he will begin a pawn-
offensive on the kingside.
The move 12.Ne2 seems to be rather artificial. 12...h6 13.h4 Be7 14.Kf1 (14.Nf4?! g6! Now,
White is incapable of playing the blocking move h4-h5. 15.Rb1 0-0-0 16.b4 g5ƒ) 14...f4!? 15.Nxf4
Bg4° Black’s freed light-squared bishop is tremendously powerful, so he will easily restore the
material balance and will preserve his initiative.
12...h6
13.Qd3
This is an accurate move with which White prepares the further exchanges.
He should not slow down with the line: 13.h4 Be7 14.Ne2 0-0 15.b3 Rfc8 16.Bb2 a5! 17.a3,
М.Socko – Sedina, Warsaw 2013, 17...a4 18.b4 Na5 19.Qxa4 Nc4 20.Qb3 g5° (recommended by
E.Berg). Black has sacrificed a pawn and has begun an attack on both sides of the board.
See another attractive tactical motif: 13.Na4 Qa6 14.Ne1, Golubenko – Gataullin, email 2010,
14...Rc8„, with the idea 15.Be3?! f4! 16.Bxf4 Nxd4 17.Qxd4 Rc4³ White’s pieces on the fourth rank
of the board have come under an attack by the enemy rook.
13...Be7 14.Bd2 Rc8 15.Na4 Qd8 16.Rac1 0-0 17.a3
49
This position was reached in the game Areshchenko – Tomczak, Germany 2014.
Now, Black only needs to parry accurately his opponent’s activity on the c-file. 17...Qd7 18.Nc5
Bxc5 19.Rxc5 (We remember that Black’s light-squared bishop dreams to be freed: 19.dxc5? d4µ)
19...Ne7 20.Rfc1 b6= After the trade of the rooks Black has no problems whatsoever.
B3) 8.Nc3 Nf5
9.Na4
Black would be more than happy if he obtains the two-bishop advantage in the line: 9.Bb5?! Bd7
10.Bxc6, L’Ami – Shirov, Douglas 2019 (following 10.0-0? Nxe5µ, Black wins a pawn) 10...Qxc6
50
11.0-0 Rc8³ Now, besides all his positional pluses, he is ready to begin a fight for the c-file.
White must be careful not to fall into the trap – 9.Kf1?! Nfxd4!
10.Be3. The chase after the enemy rook would not be good for White. 10...Qxb2 11.Nxd5
(11.Nxd4 Qxc3µ) 11...Qxe2+ 12.Qxe2 Nxe2 13.Nc7+ Kd7 14.Nxa8? (14.Nb5 Nc3! 15.Nxc3 Bb4µ
Black manages to complete his development and to preserve his material advantage.) 14...Nc3.
White’s attempt to get free from the positional bind with 15.Bxa7 Nxa7 16.Nb6+ Kc7 17.Nxc8
Kxc8 18.Rc1 Bb4µ would lead to the material ratio of two minor pieces against a rook with a clear
advantage for Black.
10.Na4 Qb4 11.Bd2 Qe7 12.Bg5 f6 13.exf6 (13.Nxd4 fxg5µ) 13...gxf6 14.Nxd4 fxg5, Zenker –
Rustler, Bayern 2012, 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Rc1 Qf6 17.Bh5+ Kd8³ Black’s king is quite safe behind his
pawn-chain and after 18.Rxc6 Bd7, his powerful bishop-pair would control the entire board.
9...Qa5+
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We will analyse now: B3a) 10.Kf1 and B3b) 10.Bd2.
Naturally, White will try all these lines not with the idea to make a draw 10.Nc3 Qb6 11.Na4
Qa5=, with repetition of moves.
B3a) 10.Kf1
White’s king has lost its castling rights, so Black must play very energetically and aggressively in
order to exploit his advantage in the coordination of his forces.
10...b5! 11.Nc3
11.Nc5. With a king on the f1-square, White cannot afford an exchange of strikes. 11...Bxc5
12.dxc5 (12.Qc2? Nfxd4 13.Qxc5 Qb6µ) 12...b4 13.g4 (13.Bd2? Ba6!µ) 13...Nfe7³ Bermejo –
Martinez Reyes, Collado Villalba 2015. Black’s light-squared bishop will be deployed on the
wonderful active a6-square.
11.g4?! Nfxd4 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 bxa4 14.Bd2 Qb6³ Now, Black has an extra pawn, despite
its being doubled, and has no problems to castle.
11...b4 12.Nb5
It would be too passive for White to opt here for 12.Nb1 Qb6 13.Be3 Be7 14.Bd3 Ba6µ Runic –
M.Vukic, Neum 2011.
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12...h5!
This is precise prophylactic instead of the straightforward approach 12...a6 13.g4 axb5 14.gxf5 exf5
15.h4°
13.Bf4, Pastor Alonso de Prado – Iagar, Madrid 2018, 13...a6 14.Nd6+ Bxd6 15.exd6 Qb6³
White’s pawns are horribly endangered and Black will soon begin to collect material.
B3b) 10.Bd2 Bb4
11.Bc3
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This is the only move for White.
11.Nc3? Ncxd4µ
11...Bxc3+ 12.Nxc3 Qb6 13.Bb5 Bd7 14.Bxc6 Bxc6

White was forced again to trade his bishop and helped Black in the process to solve the problem
with his bishop on c8.
15.Qd2
15.0-0? Qxb2 16.Qd3 Qa3µ
15.b3?! Bb5 16.Nxb5 Qxb5 17.Qe2, Natacheev – Mokshanov, Samara 2007, 17...a6 18.Qxb5+
axb5³ This endgame is definitely in favour of Black, because he exerts pressure against the enemy
pawns on d4 and а2.
The move 15.Rb1?! would lead to a better endgame for Black. 15...Bb5 16.Qb3 Bd3 17.Qxb6
axb6³ Narayanan – D.Shubin, Costa Mesa 2018.
15...Qa6
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Here, according to the quite interesting analysis by Berg, Black is better after 16.0-0-0, Saglione –
Luzuriaga, corr.2013, 16...b5ƒ, or 16.Qe2 Qc4! After the trade of the queens in this variation the a8-
h1 diagonal will be opened and Black’s bishop will control it.
So, White should better avoid exposing his king under a strike 16.a4!? 0-0 17.b4 Bd7 18.b5 Qa5„
Black’s pieces are perfectly mobilised and are much better prepared for the forthcoming conflict.
B4) 8.Bхh6 Qxb2
9.Nbd2
Black will be always ready to capture the enemy rook: 9.Be3?? Qxa1 10.Qb3 Bb4+ 11.Kf1 a5–+
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Golovan – Beliakov, Moscow 2007, or 9.Bd2? Qxa1 10.Qb3 Nxd4 11.Nxd4 Qxd4 12.Bb5+ Kd8
13.0-0, Lyrberg – Ask, Stockholm 2004, 13...Bc5 14.Qf3 Ke7 15.Qg3 Bd7 16.Qxg7 Rhf8–+
It is also bad for White to choose 9.Bxg7? Bxg7 10.Nbd2 Nxd4 11.Qa4+ Nc6 12.Rb1 Qc3 13.0-0
0-0µ Vastrukhin – Erashchenkov, Krasnodar 2005.
9.Nc3 Qxc3+ 10.Bd2 Qa3 11.0-0 a6 12.Qc2, Durarbayli – Jumabayev, Saint Louis 2018, 12...Bd7
13.Rfb1 b5 14.Rb3 Qa4! 15.Bd3 b4³ The readers should remember that until Black’s extra pawn
remains on its initial position, it would be practically irrelevant! It would be only when it would be
close to the square of promotion that the opponent with White would be sorry that he has given it to
you.
9...gxh6
10.0-0
10.Rb1. This is a rather questionable sacrifice of a second pawn. 10...Qxa2 11.0-0 Nb4!° and again
Black should not retreat his queen, losing tempi. The seemingly attractive line for White: 12.Bb5+?!
Bd7, would only enhance Black’s development.
After 10.Nb3, it would be good for Black to continue with 10...Nb4! (E.Berg), with the idea to try
to trade the queens 11.0-0 (White’s relatively best line here is: 11.Rc1 Bd7 12.0-0 b6°) 11...Qc2
12.Qxc2?! (12.Qe1 Bd7³; 12.Bb5+?! Bd7 13.Bxd7+ Kxd7 14.Qe1 Rc8µ) 12...Nxc2 13.Rac1 Na3!
14.Rc7 Be7 15.Rfc1 Kd8µ Black is threatening 16...Nc4, trapping the active enemy rook.
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10...Bd7!
After capturing on d4, White has achieved numerous successes during the last several years, but
Black does not need to hold on to his extra pawn.
11.Rb1 Qxa2 12.Rxb7 Rb8
13.Rxb8+
White can restore the material balance with the line: 13.Qa1 Qxa1 14.Rxb8+ Nxb8 15.Rxa1 Nc6
16.Bb5 Bb4=,
or 13.Qb1 Qxb1 14.Rfxb1 Rxb7 15.Rxb7, Gyori – Bodrogi, Nyiregyhaza 2001, 15...Be7 16.Bb5
a6=, and it all ends in an approximately equal endgame.
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13...Nxb8 14.Nb3 Bb4 15.Nc5 Ke7= White’s activity would be only sufficient for him to regain
the a-pawn.
C) 6.Bd3 cxd4
We will analyse now: C1) 7.0-0 and C2) 7.cxd4.
C1) 7.0-0 Bd7 8.Re1
White ignores the protection of his pawn on c3 and wishes to develop his pieces as quickly as
possible. Naturally, Black is not obliged to capture on c3, enabling the enemy knight to enter the
actions quickly.
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About 8.cxd4 Nxd4 – see variation C2.
8...Nge7 9.h4
About 9.cxd4 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 Qxd4 – see variation C2.
Following 9.Na3 a6, Black parries the immediate threat, while White’s knight would remain
misplaced at the edge of the board. 10.Nc2 dxc3 11.bxc3 Ng6³
9...Rc8
This is a very useful move for Black. His rook would be useful on the c-file and he does not touch
for the moment his kingside and wishes to see how his opponent plans to attack.
10.a3
10.h5 h6 11.Bc2 (about 11.a3 a6 – see 10.a3) 11...dxc3 12.Nxc3, Hector – Roiz, Helsingor 2008.
Black has a very beautiful manoeuvre now – 12...Qb4! 13.Be3 Qg4 14.Nb5 Nf5„, which
emphasizes the vulnerability of the enemy pawn on h5.
10...a6 11.Bc2
11.h5 h6 12.b4 dxc3 13.Nxc3 Nxb4 14.Na4 (14.Be3 Qd8 15.axb4 Rxc3³) 14...Bxa4 15.Qxa4+
Nbc6 16.Rb1 Qc7° White has given up too much material and is unlikely to obtain sufficient
compensation for it.
11...dxc3 12.Nxc3 Na5
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White has achieved his purpose and has forced his opponent to capture the gambit pawn.
13.Rb1, Hector – Vaganian, Germany 2007.
White’s direct attack against Black’s king can be easily parried by him 13.Ng5?! h6 14.Nh7 Rxh7!
This exchange-sacrifice is like a cold shower for White’s attacking ambitions and it is one of the
favourite resources for the adherents to the French Defence. 15.Bxh7 Nb3 16.Rb1 (16.Be3 d4 17.Ne4
Nd5µ White’s bishops have lost their way and one of them will be lost.) 16...Nxc1 17.Bc2 (17.Qxc1?
d4; 17.Rxc1 Qxb2µ) 17...Nc6 18.Qxc1 Qd4µ Black regains the pawn on е5, or the pawn on h4 and
this would provide him with full compensation for the exchange-sacrifice. Meanwhile, on his next
move, his bishop will go to the c5-square and it would become very difficult for White to protect the
compromised position of his king, because his pieces are scattered all over the entire board.
13...h6
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14.Bf4
The lines: 14.h5 Nec6° and 14.Bd3 Nc4 15.Re2 g6³ are too slow, because after Black develops his
bishop to the g7-square, White will have problems with the protection of his e-pawn.
14...Nc4 15.Bd3 g6° White has some compensation here, but Black has a solid position with extra
material and exerts pressure against the enemy pawn on e6, which provides him with better chances
in this situation.
C2) 7.cхd4 Bd7
Now, Black is threatening to win the pawn on d4, which was impossible a move earlier due to the
line: 7...Nхd4? 8.Nхd4 Qхd4?? 9.Bb5+–
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8.0-0
About 8.Nc3 Nxd4 9.0-0, or 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.0-0 – see 8.0-0.
White’s attempt to save his central pawn would provide his opponent with a comfortable game.
8.Bc2 Nb4! If Black manages to exchange the powerful enemy bishop and deploys on this diagonal
his own bishop, this can be considered as a clear victory for him in the opening battle.
9.Bb3 Qa6‚ White’s king cannot castle, just like after 9.Ba4, Glek – Y.Atabayev, Moscow 2014
9...Qa6 10.Bxd7+ Kxd7µ
Following 9.Nc3 Nxc2+ 10.Qxc2 Qa6 11.Qe2 Qxe2+ 12.Kxe2 Ne7³ Black will enter a very
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comfortable endgame with a bishop-pair, attacking the enemy d4-pawn.
9.0-0 Nxc2 10.Qxc2 Rc8 11.Nc3 Ne7 12.Be3 (12.Rd1 Nc6 13.a3 Na5³ N.Savic – D.Antic,
Kragujevac 2013) 12...Nf5 13.g4 Nxe3 14.fxe3 Be7³
The retreat of White’s bishop 8.Be2 would provide Black with an important extra tempo after
8...Nh6!
Following 9.Bxh6 Qxb2 10.Nbd2 gxh6 11.0-0 Be7, White has no compensation for the sacrificed
pawn.
After the line: 9.b3 Nf5 10.Bb2 Bb4+, White loses his castling rights after which Black would seize
the initiative by opening of the f-file. 11.Kf1 0-0 12.g4 Nh6 13.Rg1 f6! 14.exf6 Rxf6 15.g5 Rxf3!
This standard exchange-sacrifice enables Black to occupy all the key-squares on the board. 16.Bxf3
(16.gxh6 Rf7µ) 16...Nf5 17.Rg4 Rf8 18.Kg1 Be8ƒ
9.Nc3 Nf5 10.Na4 Qa5+ 11.Nc3 (11.Bd2? Bb4µ) 11...Bb4 (There arises a draw after repetition of
moves after 11...Qb6=, but Black can try to grab a pawn.) 12.0-0 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Qxc3 14.Bd2 Qa3°
Black’s queen plans to retreat to his own camp, while White’s d4-pawn is hanging and he must still
prove that his initiative compensates the sacrificed material!
8...Nxd4
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We will deal now with: C2a) 9.Nbd2 and C2b) 9.Nхd4.
White should not be too energetic in his gambit style 9.Be3?! Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Qxb2 11.Nd2 Qxe5
12.Bf4 Qf6, Black’s queen has captured all the enemy pawns like in the game of checkers and not
chess. 13.Qe3 (13.Rab1 b6µ) 13...Qd8 14.Rab1 Bc6 15.Rxb7!? Bd6! (15...Bxb7? 16.Bb5+ Ke7
17.Qa3+ Kf6 18.Qg3‚) 16.Bxd6 Qxd6 17.Rxa7 Ne7µ Black has given back a part of the extra
material, but has still preserved a solid extra pawn.
9.Nc3 Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Ne7
White fails to keep the enemy king stranded in the centre 11.Qg3!? a6 12.h4 Nc6 13.Re1 Be7!,
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with the idea 14.Qxg7 0-0-0‚
11.Be3?! After the premature attack against the enemy queen, there arises a short tactical conflict,
which leads to an endgame with a material advantage for Black. 11...d4 12.Bxd4 (12.Ne4 Ng6
13.Bf4 Bc6µ) 12...Qxd4 13.Qxb7 Bc6 14.Bb5 Qd7 15.Qxa8+ Bxa8 16.Bxd7+ Kxd7 17.Nb5,
S.Solovjov – Pen, St Petersburg 2011, 17...a6! 18.Nd6 Bd5 19.Nxf7 Rg8 20.Rac1 Nc6 21.Rfd1 Be7µ
9.Ng5 Nc6. Black’s knight on d4 might come under a dangerous pin, while from the c6-square it
attacks the enemy pawn on d4 and is ready to attack White’s bishop on d3 as well.
After 10.Bf4?! Nge7 11.Nc3 Ng6 12.Bxg6 hxg6µ White’s initiative reaches its dead end.
Black’s pawn on h7 turns out to be poisoned. 10.Qe2 Nb4 11.Bxh7 (11.Nc3 Nxd3 12.Qxd3 h6µ)
11...Nh6 12.Rd1 (12.Na3 Qa6µ) 12...g6µ
10.Re1 Bc5 11.Qf3 Nh6 12.Nc3 Nd4! 13.Qf4 (13.Qd1 Nhf5 14.Na4 Bxa4 15.Qxa4+ Nc6µ;
13.Qh3 Nhf5 14.Rb1 Be7³) 13...Nhf5
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If Black manages to develop all his minor pieces he would not need to be afraid of anything as the
following variations would confirm: 14.Nf3 Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Ne7µ
14.Bxf5 Nxf5 15.g4 h6! 16.Nxd5 exd5 17.e6 fxe6 18.Nxe6 Qb4! 19.Re2 Qxf4 20.Bxf4 Bxe6
21.gxf5 0-0 22.Rxe6 Rxf5µ (Berg).
14.g4? h6 15.Nxe6 g5! 16.Nxd5 gxf4 17.Nec7+ Kd8 18.Nxb6 Nf3+ 19.Kf1 Nxh2+ 20.Kg1
(After another retreat of White’s king, Black’s knights will manage to capture more material than
their white counterparts 20.Kg2 Nh4+ 21.Kxh2 Nf3+ 22.Kh1 Nxe1–+) 20...Nf3+ 21.Kf1 axb6
22.Nxa8 N5d4 23.Bxf4 Bxg4–+ White’s knight on a8 is trapped and his king is horribly endangered.
C2a) 9.Nbd2
White’s queen’s knight wishes to replace its colleague on the f3-square.
9...Bc5
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10.Nхd4
10.Rb1 Bb5 11.b4?? Bxd3 12.bxc5 Ne2+. White suffers now decisive material losses. 13.Kh1
(13.Qxe2 Qxb1–+) 13...Qa6–+
10.b4 Nxf3+ 11.Nxf3 Qxb4
If White fails to organise pressure on the b-file 12.Ng5 Qa4 13.Qh5 Nh6 14.h3 (14.Nxh7,
Smerdon – Zhao Zhu, Queenstown 2006, 14...Qd4 15.Qe2 Nf5 16.Bxf5 Qxa1 17.Bh6 Qd4 18.Bxg7
0-0-0 19.Bxh8 Rxh8µ), then Black will evacuate safely his king to the queenside. 14...0-0-0 15.Be3
(15.Nxf7? Nxf7 16.Qxf7 Rhf8 17.Qxg7 Rxf2 18.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 19.Kxf2 Qd4–+) 15...Bxe3 16.fxe3
Kb8µ
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12.Rb1 Qa4 13.Qxa4 (13.Qe2 b6 14.Ng5 Nh6µ Licardo – Lalic, Mali Losinj 2019; 13.Bc2 Qc6³;
13.Rxb7 Qxd1 14.Rxd1 Ba4 15.Re1 Ne7³) 13...Bxa4 14.Rxb7 Ne7 15.Be3?! (15.Bb2!? Bc6 16.Rb3
Bb6 17.Rc1 Ba4 18.Ra3 Bd7³) 15...Bxe3 16.fxe3 Bc6 17.Rb3 0-0 18.Nd4, Rubil – Krassowizkij,
Austria 2018, 18...a6! 19.Rc1 Bb5µ Black has no more weaknesses in his position.
10...Bxd4 11.Nf3
It would be too slow for White to play here 11.Qe2 Ne7 12.Nf3 Nc6³ Smerdon – D.Antic,
Canberra 2007. If Black succeeds in developing calmly his pieces, he would simply remain with an
extra pawn.
11...Ne7
12.Nxd4
12.Bxh7 Bxe5!³
After 12.Bd2, Black can again force his opponent to make a rather unpleasant choice – to open the
f-file, or to forget about his plans to organise an attack against Black’s king. 12...f5! 13.exf6
(13.Nxd4 Qxd4³) 13...Bxf6 14.Ne5 Bb5³
White’s gradual preparation of an offensive would not provide him with sufficient compensation
for the sacrificed material. 12.Qe2 Nc6³, or 12.Rb1 Nc6 13.Bf4 a5! 14.a3 Bc5 15.Ng5 Be7 16.Qh5
g6 17.Qh3 h6 18.Nf3 Nd4!³ Black’s knight has been centralised again with a great effect and it
restricts the actions of the enemy pieces.
12...Qxd4 13.Re1
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13.Kh1 Qxe5 14.Re1 Qf6 15.Qg4 h6µ
13...Rc8 14.Be3 Qxe5 15.Bxa7
15.Bc5?! Qxb2µ
15...Qc7 16.Bd4
White has some compensation for the material deficit, but all Black’s pieces have entered the
actions and after he castles and brings his queen to the defence he would solve all his problems in the
opening. 16...0-0 17.Qh5 h6 18.a4 Qf4 19.Be5 Qg5³
C2b) 9.Nхd4 Qxd4
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10.Nc3
This is White’s most principled move. White has provoked the early enemy queen-sortie and plans
now to win tempi by attacking it with his pieces. Black should not think about retreating now, but on
the contrary he should try to bring all his forces to support his queen.
About 10.Re1 Ne7 11.Nc3 a6 – see 10.Nc3.
10.Qe2 Ne7
About 11.Nc3 a6 – see 10.Nc3.

After 11.Rd1?, White would simply lose another pawn. 11...Nc6 12.Re1 Nxe5µ
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11.Kh1 Ng6 (11...Nc6!?) 12.f4 Bc5 13.Nc3 0-0 14.Bd2 f6! 15.exf6 (15.Rad1?! fxe5 16.Bc1 Nxf4
17.Bxf4 Rxf4 18.Bxh7+ Kxh7 19.Rxd4 Rxf1+ 20.Qxf1 exd4µ Meduna – Jirovsky, Prague 1996)
15...Qxf6³ Black has deployed harmoniously his pieces and has preserved his extra pawn.
11.Nd2 Nc6. After White’s move Nd2, instead of а7-а6, Black develops a piece and completes
quickly the mobilisation of his forces. 12.Nf3 Qb6 13.Be3 (13.a3 Bc5 14.Bf4 Nd4 15.Nxd4 Bxd4
16.Qg4 g6³ Black’s king is quite safe in the centre.) 13...Bc5 14.Bxc5 Qxc5 15.Rac1 Qb6
White should better refrain from the line: 16.Ng5 h6 17.Qh5? Nxe5 18.Nxe6 Qxe6 19.Rce1 Nxd3
20.Rxe6+ Bxe6–+
Following 16.Rfe1!? h6! 17.Rc3 Nb4 18.Bb1 Rc8³, Black does not castle for the moment and tries
to weaken the dynamics of White’s pieces by counter actions on the queenside.
16.Bb1 h6³ S.Nikolov – Dochev, Varna 1995. Black’s king is safe, while White’s attack can be
countered by Black’s counterplay on the b and c-files.
10...a6
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11.Qe2
It would be too passive for White to play here 11.a3?! Qxe5 12.Re1 Qd6 13.Qf3 Be7µ as well as
11.Ne2?! Qxe5 12.Bf4 Qf6 13.Qb3 Bc6µ
Following 11.Be3?! Qxe5 12.Re1 Nf6 13.Bc5 Qc7 14.Bxf8 (14.Bd4 Be7µ) 14...Kxf8µ White
would not have compensation for his considerable material losses.
11.Kh1?! Qxe5
Black can often accomplish an artificial castling under the cover of his powerful centre. 12.Re1
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Qd6 13.Qf3 Bc6 14.Bf4 Qd7 15.Rad1 (15.Qg3 Ne7µ; 15.Be5 f6 16.Bd4 Kf7µ) 15...Nf6 16.Be5 Be7
17.Qh3 h5!µ Later, Black’s king will be evacuated to the reliable f8-square.
12.f4 Qd6 13.Qe2 (after 13.f5 e5µ he would have a very powerful centre) 13...Be7 14.Be3 Bf6
15.Rad1 Ne7µ Domnin – Polivanov, Mariupol 2003. Black has taken complete control over the
position and has two extra pawns.
11.Qf3?! Ne7
About 12.Re1 Ng6 – see 11.Re1.

12.Bf4 Ng6 13.Bxg6 (13.Bg3 Be7 14.Rfe1 Rc8µ) 13...hxg6 14.Rfd1 Qb6µ
12.Rd1 Qxe5 13.Bf4 Qf6 14.Re1 (14.Qg3? Ng6 15.Bg5 Qe5–+; 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.Re1+ Be6
17.Bg5 Qd4–+).
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Now, Black can solve immediately all his defensive problems by sacrificing the exchange. 14...g5!
(This move is recommended by Berg.) 15.Be5 Qxf3 16.gxf3 Rg8 17.Bxh7 Rg7 18.Bd3 (18.Bxg7
Bxg7µ) 18...f5 19.Bxg7 Bxg7µ Black has a pawn for the exchange and his dark-squared bishop is
very active on the long diagonal. His knight on g6 might go to f4 or h4, while White’s kingside
pawns are hopelessly weak.
11.Re1 Ne7 12.Be3 (We have already seen that White’s early queen-sortie can only create
additional problems for him 12.Qf3?! Ng6 13.Qg3 Be7µ; 13.Bxg6 hxg6 14.Bg5 Rc8 15.Rad1 Qb6µ)
12...Qxe5
13.Qf3?! This move is again not good for White. 13...Bc6 14.Bf4 Qf6 15.Qg3 (15.Rad1 h5!
16.Qg3 Nf5µ) 15...Ng6 16.Bg5 Bd6! Black also attacks in response and transfers into an endgame
giving back one of his extra pawns. 17.Bxf6 Bxg3 18.Bxg7 Rg8 19.Bf6 (19.hxg3 Rxg7µ) 19...Bd6µ
Perez Mitjans – Silva Rodriguez, Barbera del Valles 2011.
13.Rc1 Qd6 14.g3 14.b4?! Qxb4µ; 14.Na4 Bxa4 15.Qxa4+ Qd7 16.Qg4 Nc6 17.Bd4. I would like
to turn your attention to Black’s resource 17...h5! 18.Qf4 Qd6 19.Qe3 Rh6!µ He has developed his
rook in the way analogously to the famous game Keres – Fischer and his king is reliably covered by
his extra pawns.) 14...Rc8 15.Bf4 Qb6 16.Qd2 f6µ Now, Black’s king can be reliably sheltered on the
f7-square.
13.Bc5 Qc7 14.b4 Bc6 15.Rc1 Ng6 16.Nxd5.
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Black can easily parry White’s strike in the centre. Without the pawn on d5 Black’s bishop on c6
becomes tremendously powerful. Here again, the important rule how to play against gambits works
very well again. You capture material in order to give it back advantageously at some moment!
16...Qd8! 17.Be4 (17.Bxf8 Kxf8µ) 17...Bxc5 18.bxc5 exd5 19.Bxg6+ Kf8 20.Bh5 Qf6³ All Black’s
pieces protect reliably each other and after g7-g6 and Kf8-g7 he can already think about how to
realise his extra pawn in the best possible way. Presently, Black’s bishop on c6 is just a defensive
piece, but on the other hand its white counterpart is incapable of protecting the c5-pawn against the
attack of Black’s pieces.
11...Ne7
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12.Kh1
White’s queen is better placed on e2 than on the f3-square, but Black is still threatening the enemy
pawn on e5.
12.Re1?! Ng6µ
12.Be3?! Qxe5 13.f4 Qd6 14.f5 (White would not obtain compensation after 14.Rad1 g6 15.Bd4
Rg8 16.Qe3 Nf5 17.Bxf5 gxf5µ) 14...e5 15.Rad1 Bc6 16.Bc4 d4 17.Bg5? (Following 17.Kh1, Black
should give back a part of his extra material and should begin a counter attack: 17...0-0-0! 18.Bxf7
g6‚) 17...f6 18.Qh5+ Kd8 19.Be3 Qc5 20.Be6 Kc7–+ Plenca – Can, Sibenik 2007.
12.Rd1 Nc6! 13.Bxa6 (13.Bb5?! Qb6 14.Be3 Bc5 15.Na4 Qxb5 16.Qxb5 axb5 17.Nxc5 Nxe5µ
Gordeev – Pozdeev, Khanty-Mansiysk 2013) 13...Qxe5 14.Bxb7 (14.Qxe5? Nxe5 15.Bxb7 Ra7
16.Bxd5 exd5 17.Re1 f6 18.f4 Bc5+ 19.Kh1 d4 20.Nb1 0-0 21.fxe5 fxe5 22.Nd2 Bb4–+) 14...Qxe2
15.Nxe2 Rb8
White has restored the material balance, but Black’s central pawns are ready to advance, while
White’s passed pawns are still static.
16.Ba6?! Nb4 17.Bd3 Nxd3 18.Rxd3 Bd6µ
16.Bxc6 Bxc6 17.Nd4 (17.Bf4 Rxb2 18.Nd4 Bd7 19.Rab1 Rxb1 20.Rxb1, Iodo – M.Sukhareva,
Kazan 2003. Black will gradually regroup accurately his pieces. 20...f6 21.Rb8+ Ke7 22.Bd2 e5
23.Nb5 d4 24.a4 Kf7 25.Rb7 Ke6 26.Rb8 Rg8³) 17...Bd7 18.a4 (18.b3 f6³) 18...f6 19.a5 e5³
Capellades Subirana – Yapar, Barcelona 2014.
12...Nc6
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13.f4
13.Be3. This is White’s last possibility to sacrifice his central pawn. 13...Qxe5 14.f4 Qd6 15.Rad1
(15.f5 Qe5! 16.Qf3 Bd6 17.Bg1 Qf6µ) 15...Be7 16.f5 d4 17.Ne4 (17.Bf4!? e5 18.Ne4 Qc7 19.Bd2
h5!³ Black usually advances his rook-pawn with the idea to develop later his king’s rook, but here, he
wishes to play f7-f6 and to ensure the safety of his king without being afraid of the check on the h5-
square.) 17...Qd5 18.Bf4, Pacal – Kabai, Hungary 2013 (18.Bg5 exf5 19.Bxe7 Nxe7 20.Ng5 h6µ)
18...Nb4! 19.fxe6 Bxe6 20.Bg5 Qd7µ
13...Nb4! 14.Rd1
White’s alternatives would create havoc in the placement of his pieces: 14.Rf3?! Rc8 15.Bd2 Qb6
16.Re1 Nxd3 17.Qxd3 Qc6µ or 14.Bb1? Qc4 15.Qd1 (15.Qf3? d4 16.Ne4 d3–+; 15.Qf2? d4 16.Ne4
d3–+; 15.Qxc4 dxc4µ) 15...d4 16.Na4 Bb5 17.Re1 Nd3–+
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14...Bc5!
Black continues with his development and ignores his opponent’s threats. If he manages to trade the
queens after Qd4-f2, White would have nothing else to do except to count his losses.
15.Bxa6
15.Bb1?! Qf2 16.Qg4, Temi – Todorov, Cannes 1996, 16...0-0-0µ 17.Qxg7?? Rhg8–+
15.Bxh7 Qf2 16.Qxf2 Bxf2 17.Bb1, Blasek – Kishnev, Gelsenkirchen 1991, 17...0-0-0 18.h3 Bb6³
The dominance over the open file emphasizes Black’s positional pluses, because White would have to
parry unpleasant threats.
His attempt to open the position of the enemy king would fail after 15.Bb5 Qf2 16.Bxd7+ Kxd7
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17.Qh5? Nd3 18.Qxf7+ Kc8 19.Be3 (19.Qxe6+ Kb8–+; 19.h3 Ne1–+) 19...Qxe3–+ Arman –
Brynell, Ballerup 2015.
17.Qg4? Nd3 18.h3 (18.Rxd3 Qg1#; 18.Bd2 Qg1+! 19.Rxg1 Nf2#) 18...h5 19.Qxg7 (19.Qg5
Be7–+) 19...Rag8 20.Qxf7+ Kd8, Van Splunter – Garcia Roman, La Massana 2008, 21.Qf6+ Be7–+
17.Qxf2 Bxf2 18.Ne4 Ba7 19.Nd6 f6 20.Nxb7 fxe5 21.fxe5 Rhf8µ Black maintains the advantage
thanks to the powerful centralisation of his forces.
15...Qf2 16.Qxf2
About 16.Bb5 – see the game 2, p. 238.
16...Bxf2
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The queens have been exchanged and White has regained his pawn, but Black will have the
initiative in this endgame. His pieces are obviously more active than their counterparts and his king is
closer to the focus of the conflict.
17.Bb5
This move is forced, because White’s bishop, being in his half of the board, is hampering his pieces
to defend his position.
17.Be2 0-0 18.Bd2? (It would be more accurate for White to play here 18.a3!? Nc2 19.Rb1 Nd4³)
18...Nc2 19.Rab1 (19.Rac1 Ne3 20.Bxe3 Bxe3–+) 19...Ne3 20.Rdc1 Bc6 21.Bd3 (21.Bf3 Nc4,
Milesi – Apicella, Cap d’Agde 2003, 22.Rd1 Nxd2 23.Rxd2 Be3–+) 21...Nc4 22.Bxc4 dxc4 23.Nd1
Rfd8–+
17...Bxb5 18.Nxb5 Rxa2 19.Rxa2

19.Bd2?! Rxa1 20.Rxa1 Na6 21.Nd6+ Kd7 22.Nxb7?! (22.Nxf7 Rc8µ) 22...Rb8 23.Rxa6 Rxb7
24.b4, Chua – Dokoutchaev, Dallas 2002, 24...Rc7! (Berg) 25.Ra2 Ra7 26.Rxa7+ Bxa7 27.b5 Kc7
28.Ba5+ (28.Be1 Kb6 29.Bf2+ Kb7 30.Be1 Be3–+) 28...Kb7 29.g3 Bb8 30.Kg2 Bc7–+
19...Nxa2
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20.Bd2
Black’s pieces are better prepared for the forthcoming conflict and White’s attempts to organise
active counterplay are doomed to failure. 20.Nd6+ Kd7 21.Bd2 (21.Nxb7 Rb8 22.Nd6 Nxc1
23.Rxc1 f6–+; 21.Nxf7 Rf8 22.Ng5 Nxc1 23.Rxc1 Be3–+) 21...f6 22.g3 Ra8 23.Ne4 (23.Nxb7 fxe5
24.fxe5 Rb8 25.Rf1 Rxb7 26.Rxf2 Rxb2µ) 23...dxe4 24.Be3+ Ke8 25.Bxf2 Nb4µ
20...Kd7 21.Ra1 Rc8 22.Na3

22.Rxa2 Rc2–+
22...Bc5! 23.Rxa2
23.Nc2 Be7–+
23...Bb4 24.Bc3
24.Be3 d4 25.Bxd4 (25.Bg1 Rc1 26.b3 d3–+) 25...Rc1+ 26.Bg1 Bc5 27.h4! (27.h3?! Rxg1+
28.Kh2 Rf1 29.g3 Rf2+ 30.Kh1, Aryanejad – Potkin, Abu Dhabi 2005, 30...h5 31.h4 Kc6–+)
27...Kc6µ Black’s rook and bishop are more active than White’s rook and knight and his king is
prepared for a march inside his opponent’s camp.
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24...d4 25.Nb5 dxc3 26.bxc3, Toufighi – J.Gonzalez Garcia, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010, 26...Bxc3
27.Nd6 (27.g3 Bb4µ) 27...Rb8! 28.Ne4 (28.Nxf7? Rf8 29.Ng5 Rxf4–+; 29.Ra7 Kc6! 30.Ng5 Rxf4
31.g3 Rf1+ 32.Kg2 Ra1 33.Rxa1 Bxa1 34.Nxe6 Bxe5–+ Black’s bishop is much more powerful than
the enemy knight in this open position.) 28...Bb4µ
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Chapter 3
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3
Main Ideas
After White’s main line in this position 6.a3,
I recommend to Black to play 6...c4. It is essential that the position would remain closed and the
fight would be focused on planning. It would not be necessary for you to memorise numerous long
and forced computer lines.
It is essential for Black to know several simple rules to play correctly this variation.
The first is that after any not too concrete actions by White, it would be very purposeful for Black
to open the f-file: 7.Qc2 f6 8.exf6 (8.Bf4? g5! 9.Bg3 g4ƒ) 8...Nxf6 9.Bf4 Be7 10.Nbd2 Bd7 11.Be2
0-0 12.0-0 Be8=, or 7.h4?! f6 8.Be2 (8.exf6?! Nxf6 9.Nbd2 Bd6µ) 8...fxe5 9.dxe5 Bc5 10.0-0 Nge7
11.h5 Bd7ƒ
The second rule is that the knight on c6 must be placed on a5 immediately in order not to blunder
after 7.Nbd2
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7...Nge7?, the crushing strike 8.Bхc4!+– and not to allow 7...Bd7 8.b3ƒ
So, the move 7...Na5! cements immediately the queenside and Black plans to find a safe shelter for
his king there.
The third rule is that if White breaks immediately on the queenside with 8.b4 cхb3
and is not in a hurry to regain his pawn, Black must try to mobilise very quickly his forces in order
to neutralise the activity of his opponent. He must be very precise in the fight against White’s light-
squared bishop! It would be his main weapon in an eventual attack.
9.Bb2 Bd7 10.c4 dxc4 11.Nxc4 Nxc4 12.Bxc4 Rc8
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Black attacks immediately the enemy bishop having in mind that after 13.Bxb3?! Bb5 14.d5 Bc5ƒ,
White’s king has not castled yet, while following 13.Qxb3 Qxb3 14.Bxb3 Ne7³, the endgame is
obviously in favour of Black with an outpost on d5.
After 13.Nd2 Ne7 14.0-0 Nd5° Shirov – Kryakvin, Finland 2019, Black has two important
possibilities – to transfer his bishop to the b5-square, or even the exchange-sacrifice on c4! His
remaining pawn on c4 would dream to promote and guarantees for him full compensation for his
minimal material deficit.
The fourth rule is that against the four basic set-ups for White Black must have a specific plan for
actions and it would be essential for him not to mix them up.
1) If White builds up the pawn-formation g2-g3 and h2-h4 in any move-order and intends to occupy
additional space on the kingside with the idea to continue later with an offensive with his f-pawn, he
would weaken his kingside king’s shelter and Black might begin a deadly counter attack. 8.h4 Bd7
9.g3 0-0-0 10.Bh3 f5!
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The exchange on f6 would opens files for Black to begin a crushing attack against the enemy king
11.exf6?! gxf6 12.0-0 Nh6 13.Re1 Nf5ƒ He plans to place his rook on g8 and to sacrifice a piece on
g3 concentrating later all his forces on the kingside. It would be very difficult for White to bring
pieces for the protection of his king. The moment he removes his knight from the d2-square, Black
will play Na5-b3, exchanging White’s dark-squared bishop and Black will also have the idea e6-e5,
opening the position for his bishop-pair.
It is more reliable for White to choose here 11.0-0 Nh6 12.Ng5,
but even then Black will obtain a very promising position after for example: 12...Be7 13.Rb1 Bxg5
14.hxg5 Nf7ƒ His task would be to exchange White’s blocking pawn on g5. Its accomplishment may
turn out to be a bit slow, but the result after Rd8-g8, g7-g6, Qb6-d8 and h7-h6, followed by an attack
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by Black, may justify all his efforts. In situations like this White’s pieces may come under direct
attacks by the advancing black pawns and his position may become very difficult.
2) White plays g3, but later acts very cautiously. He does not follow with h4 and places his bishop
on g2, waiting for better times. 8.g3 Bd7 9.Bg2 Ne7 10.0-0 h6
This is the first fine point. Black does not allow his opponent’s manoeuvre Ng5-h3-f4, after which
White’s knight would exert pressure against Black’s pawn-chain. His further plan should include the
transfer of his knight to the b6-square!
11.Rb1 Qc7 12.Re1 Nc8 13.Nf1 Nb6 14.Ne3 0-0-0 15.h4 Be7 16.h5 Kb8 17.Bh3 Rdg8„
Some of Black’s pieces would be ready to occupy additional squares on the queenside (Bd7-a4, or
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even try to penetrate to the c2-square, Na5-b3) and some other of his pieces will be ready to counter
White’s kingside actions after f7-f6 or g7-g6.
3) White tries against to continue with a pawn on g3 in this position, but plays wittily and places his
bishop on h3 without a pawn on h4, in order to avoid coming under a pawn-offensive. Here however,
Black can make use of the fact that his opponent does not have a pawn on h4 and begin a dangerous
pawn-offensive! 9.Bh3 Be7! (This idea would work only after this move order.) 10.0-0 h5 11.Ne1
g5ƒ It would be important for Black not to focus only on the pawn-offensive! His pawns would be a
key-factor only if they are supported by Black’s pieces!
4) White often develops in practice his bishop to the e2-square. The influence of his long-range
pieces is concentrated on the queenside and Black must play very carefully not to allow the pawn-
breaks there b2-b3 and c3-c4. He must deploy his knight on the b6-square in order to counter this!
8.Be2 Bd7 9.0-0 (After 9.Rb1 Ne7 10.b3 Nxb3 11.Nxb3 cxb3 12.Rxb3 Qc7, Black will play against
the weak enemy pawn on c3.) 9...Ne7 10.Rb1 Qc7 11.Re1 Nc8 12.Nf1 Nb6
13.Bf4 (White’s attempt to prevent his opponent’s castling with 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 Be7ƒ
would only lead to a situation in which Black’s pawns would advance and occupy space attacking in
the process the enemy bishop!) 13...f5!ƒ Black plans to continue to attack his opponent’s bishop and
the threat of the pawn-offensive h7-h6 and g7-g5 seems to be quite effective!
Theoretical Resume
There has happened a real break in the line: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 Nh6
7.Bd3 cxd4 8.0-0 Bd7 9.b4 Rc8, recommended by Emanuel Berg, 10.h3
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10...Nf5 11.Bxf5 exf5 12.cxd4 a5?! (12...Be6 13.Nc3 Be7 14.Qd3²) 13.Nc3 Be6 14.Na4 Qb5
15.Nc5 axb4 16.axb4 Be7 (16...Nxb4 17.Rb1ƒ) 17.Bg5ƒ Alekseenko – Lomasov, Sochi 2019 and
White won this game with a direct attack.
Black has also tries in practice here 10...dxc3 11.Nxc3 Nd4 12.Be3 Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 d4 14.Bxh6
Rxc3?! (It would be more tenacious for him here to defend with 14...dxc3 15.Be3 Qc7 16.Rfc1ƒ)
15.Bd2 Rc8 16.Rfc1 Bc6 17.Qg4‚ Yeritsyan – D.Pavlov, Moscow 2019. Black is squeezed to defend
the g7-square and White plans to increase his pressure on the c-file.
Some tome ago I was trying to learn the variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6
6.a3 c4 according to the book of Victor Moskalenko “The Flexible French”, but too much time has
passed since its publishing and not all the variations in it are applicable in practice. For example, the
line: 7.Nbd2 Na5 8.Be2 Bd7 9.0-0 f6?! can be countered by White with 10.Re1 Nh6 11.Rb1 Nf7
12.b3 cxb3 13.exf6 gxf6 14.c4 0-0-0 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Nxb3 Ba4 17.Qc2+ Kb8 18.Nfd2 Bd6
19.Qd3ƒ Tomazini – Herzwurm, Caleta 2019 and his king is quite safe in this position which cannot
be said about its black counterpart.
In the variations of our book I am concerned with the safety of Black’s king to the highest possible
degree!
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Chapter 3
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3
Step by Step
White plans to advance b2-b4, occupying space and reducing partially the pressure against his
pawn on d4. Having in mind the contemporary tendency to evaluate highly the space advantage this
idea has become very fashionable and creates new challenges to Black.
6...c4
He clarifies the pawn-structure and plans to evacuate his king to the queenside. With a pawn on a3
White will have difficulties to open the position there.
7.Nbd2
He will have to play this move sooner or later anyway: 7.g3 Na5 8.Nbd2, or 7.Be2 Na5 8.Nbd2 –
see 7.Nbd2.
7.h4?! f6 8.Be2 (8.exf6?! Nxf6 9.Nbd2 Bd6µ Black develops his initiative, while White’s pawn on
h4 cannot go back.) 8...fxe5 9.dxe5 Bc5 10.0-0 Nge7 11.h5 Bd7ƒ Ruzele – Weiss, Regensburg 1998.
White’s pawn on a3 impedes his queenside counterplay, while Black will begin successfully his
offensive attacking the enemy pawn on h4.
If White slows down Black can begin an immediate fight for the central squares. 7.Qc2 f6
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8.Bf4? g5! 9.Bg3 g4 10.Nh4 fxe5 11.dxe5 Bg7µ White will lose his pawn on e5.
8.Be3 fxe5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bc5= Black has developed his pieces and has opened the f-file.
He only needs to develop his bishop outside of his pawn-chain with the manoeuvre d7-e8-g6 to be
completely happy.
8.exf6 Nxf6 9.Bf4 Be7 10.Nbd2 Bd7 11.Be2 0-0 12.0-0 Be8= Once again the transfer of Black’s
bishop would change radically the evaluation of the position and might be a nasty surprise for the
players with White.
7...Na5!
This is an important point, since it would not be so precise for Black to play here 7...Bd7?! 8.b3ƒ
and White will manage to open advantageously the position.
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White has tested in practice several different in their essence plans in this key position: A) 8.b4, B)
8.g3, С) 8.h4 and D) 8.Be2.
About 8.Rb1 Bd7 9.b4 (9.Be2 – see 8.Be2; 9.g3 – see 8.g3) 9...cxb3 – see 8.b4.
Following 8.Ng5, D.Maximov – Diermair, Germany 2019, Black has all the reasons to counter the
enemy knight-sortie with the powerful argument 8...f6! 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.g3 Bd6 11.Bg2 0-0 12.0-0
Bd7 13.f4 Rae8 14.Kh1 Re7 15.Ndf3 Be8„ He has won tempi to accomplish the key transfer of his
light-squared bishop to a powerful position. Now, White will have great difficulties to cover the
important complex of squares – b3, c2 and d3.
A) 8.b4 cxb3
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9.Bb2
White postpones the regaining of the pawn on b3 and relies on his lead in development.
9.Rb1. He is trying to regain immediately his pawn. 9...Bd7
It would be insufficient for White to sacrifice the exchange with the line: 10.Nxb3 Ba4 11.Nxa5
(11.Nfd2 Rc8³) 11...Bxd1 12.Rxb6 axb6 13.Bb5+ Ke7! 14.Kxd1 bxa5 15.a4 f6³ Black’s king will be
evacuated to the f7-square.
10.c4 Ne7 11.c5 (11.Bd3 dxc4 12.Nxc4 Nxc4 13.Bxc4, Knoppert – Farago, Dieren 1988, 13...Rc8
14.Bxb3 Qa6³ Black wishes to build up a reliable blockade on the d5-square, while White will have
problems with his castling.) 11...Qc7
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The pin of the enemy knight is Black’s main weapon: 12.Nxb3 Ba4 13.Nfd2 Nec6 14.Qg4 Nxb3
15.Nxb3 b6³
12.Bd3 Ba4 13.Qe2, Fingerov – Jinova, Pardubice 2004. Now, Black should play again 13...b6!
14.Bb5+ Bxb5 15.Qxb5+ Qc6, since the simplifications would be in his favour. 16.Qxc6+? Nexc6
17.Nxb3 bxc5 18.Nxc5 Bxc5 19.dxc5 Kd7µ White has too many pawn-weaknesses in this endgame.
9...Bd7 10.c4 dxc4 11.Nxc4 Nxc4 12.Bxc4 Rc8
13.Nd2
After 13.Bxb3?! Bb5 14.d5 Bc5ƒ, White’s king will remain stranded in the centre.
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13.Qxb3 Qxb3 14.Bxb3 Ne7³ Black has built up a reliable blockade on the d5-square.
13...Ne7 14.0-0 Nd5 15.Rc1
15.Bxb3 Be7 16.Ne4 0-0 17.Rb1 Bb5³ Black has developed all his pieces and his position is
preferable thanks to his future outside passed pawn on the queenside.
15...Be7 16.Qg4 g6 17.Ne4
This position was reached in the game Shirov – Kryakvin, Finland 2019.
Black’s choice here must be between the prophylactic move 17...h5, or the idea to create an outside
passed pawn with the move 17...a5. Still, I was very sorry that when I encountered a classic player of
the aggressive gambit style, I refrained from a very attractive exchange-sacrifice. From the human
point of view, Black would have obtained a very comfortable position.
17...Rxc4!? 18.Rxc4 0-0 19.Rfc1 Bb5
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20.Rc8 (White can give back the exchange with the line: 20.Rc5 Bxc5 21.dxc5 Qa5° but even then
Black’s actions would be much more comfortable, for example: 22.Qf3 Bc6 23.Qxb3 Nf4 24.Qe3
Bxe4 25.Qxf4 Bc6³ His bishop is much more active.) 20...Bc6 21.Rxf8+ Kxf8° Black has preserved
his pawn on b3 as compensation for the exchange and it is very close to the square of promotion. His
pieces have occupied excellent positions and what is most important White has no chances of
organising any pressure against Black’s king.
B) 8.g3 Bd7
White plans to bring his bishop on f1 to take part in the preparation of the pawn-break f2-f4-f5 and
in connection with this chooses between: B1) 9.Bg2 and B2) 9.Bh3.
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About 9.h4 – see 8.h4 Bd7 9.g3.
After 9.Rb1, you should remember the standard regrouping of Black’s forces and we will still
encounter it numerous times in this chapter. 9...Ne7
It would be worse for White to opt here for 10.Bg2 Qc7 11.0-0 Nc8 12.Ng5 h6 13.Nh3 Nb6
14.f4?! (14.Qe2 Ba4 15.Nf3 0-0-0„) 14...Ba4! 15.Qe2 Bc2. Now, he must sacrifice the exchange:
16.Nxc4 Bxb1 17.Nxa5, Zherebukh – Socko, Lublin 2012, 17...Be7³, without obtaining full
compensation for it.
10.h4 Nc8 11.Bh3 Qc7 12.0-0, Idani – Akobian, chess24.com 2020, 12...Nb6 13.Ne1 0-0-0
Black’s pieces protect reliably his king and are perfectly prepared to counter White’s attempt to
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prepare and realise the pawn-break b2-b3. Now, Black only needs to open files on the kingside and to
begin an offensive there. 14.f4 f5„
B1) 9.Bg2 Ne7 10.0-0 h6
Black applies some prophylactic in order to deprive his opponent of the manoeuvre Ng5-h3-f4.
White acts patiently, so Black can also follow with calm lines.
11.Rb1
About 11.Re1 Qc7 12.Rb1 Nc8 – see 11.Rb1.
In the variations above I was trying not to place the knight on the f5-square and was transferring it
to the queenside, but if White would attack the pawn on f7 with: 11.Ne1 0-0-0 12.Qf3 (12.f4 f5„),
then it would be reasonable for Black to react with 12...Nf5, since capturing material here would be
tremendously dangerous for White. 13.g4 Nh4 14.Qxf7 Be8 15.Qf4 g5 16.Qg3 Be7 17.f4 Bg6ƒ
White’s pieces have been paralysed, while Black controls the key squares and will concentrate
patiently his pieces in the vicinity of the enemy king.
11...Qc7 12.Re1 Nc8
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13.Nf1
White usually transfers his knight on the e3-square in advance from where it would help in the fight
on the kingside and will cover the c2-square.
If he is too much in a hurry to prepare his offensive, this would be in favour of Black. 13.h4 Nb6
14.Nf1 Ba4 15.Qe2 0-0-0 16.Bf4 Be7 17.g4, Tan Zhongyi – Ni Hua, Makati 2018. Now, Black can
open files even at the price of a pawn. 17...g5! 18.hxg5 Rdg8 19.Qd2 Qd8 20.gxh6 Rxg4 21.N3h2
Rgg8„ Now, Black is threatening Na5-b3 and Be7-g5 and the material balance would be restored
and his king would be covered much better in the forthcoming battle than its counterpart.
13...Nb6 14.Ne3 0-0-0 15.h4 Be7 16.h5, Alvarez Pedraza – Rakhmanov, San Cristobal 2012,
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16...Kb8 17.Bh3 Rdg8„ Black has played all his useful moves and is ready to counter White’s
offensive with an advance of his g-pawn. If White slows down, Black can penetrate to the b3-square
preparing an advance of his queenside pawns.
B2) 9.Bh3 Be7!
White had in mind an offensive with his f-pawn after the retreat of his knight from the f3-square.
Black is aware of this and plans to counter this with a pawn-offensive of his own.
10.0-0
10.Rb1. It would be risky for White to lose tempi. 10...h5 11.0-0 g5 12.Bg2 (The doubtful piece-
sacrifice 12.Nxg5?! Bxg5 13.Nxc4 dxc4 14.Bxg5 Bc6³ would lead to a position in which Black can
only win or draw.) 12...g4 13.Ne1 0-0-0ƒ Palchun – Bajarani, St Petersburg 2016 (see the game 3, p.
239).
White accomplishes a fortifying manoeuvre with his knight in the line: 10.Nf1 Nb3 11.Rb1 Nxc1
12.Qxc1 Ba4 13.Ne3 Qc7 14.0-0 h5ƒ Gaujens – Stoyanov, ICCF 2014, but even then Black would
be the first to begin active actions.
10...h5
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11.Ne1
The move 11.Qe2, Movsesian – Radjabov, Sarajevo 2002, would not impede Black’s plans:
11...g5ƒ
11.Bg2 g5 12.h3 0-0-0 13.Rb1 g4 14.hxg4 hxg4 15.Nh2, Kamsky – Panchanatham, Las Vegas
2015, 15...f5! 16.exf6 Nxf6. Capturing the pawn 17.Nxg4 Nxg4 18.Qxg4 e5 19.Qg7 Bf6‚ would
subject White to the strike of all Black’s pieces.
11...g5
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12.Bg2
12.f4? g4 13.Bg2 Nh6‚ Laurent – Apicella, Bethune 2000. Black’s knight will occupy the
excellent f5-square and after this he will open the h-file.
12...0-0-0 13.h3 Nh6ƒ Black is about to begin a decisive offensive on the kingside and his king is
perfectly safe on the queenside.
С) 8.h4
It is amazing but this plan used to be considered as one of the most popular for White, although the
Hungarian grandmaster Lajosh Portish showed how Black should counter it back in the year 1986.
8...Bd7 9.g3
White’s h-pawn turns out to be a target for Black’s counterplay on the kingside, moreover that its
advance has weakened the g3-square in White’s camp.
He can try to advance the h-pawn even further, but this would not change anything in Black’s
future actions. 9.h5 0-0-0 10.g3 Kb8
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11.Bh3 f5! 12.Rb1 (12.exf6 gxf6ƒ) 12...Rc8 13.0-0 Be7 14.Re1 g5ƒ Hebert – Cuartas, Biel 1980.
11.Bg2, Anand – Knaak, Manila 1990, 11...f5 12.Rb1 (The opening of files would be too dangerous
for White: 12.exf6 gxf6 13.Rb1 Bd6 14.0-0 Ne7ƒ Black wishes to advance е6-е5 and White would
fail to do anything to prevent this: 15.b4? cxb3 16.Nxb3 Ba4 17.Nfd2 Nxb3 18.Nxb3 Nc6µ and
Black has a very unpleasant pin for his opponent.) 12...Nh6 13.Nf1 Nb3 14.Bf4 Ba4„ Now, White
must fight against the blockade on the queenside, while Black will gradually prepare g7-g5 on the
kingside.
9...0-0-0 10.Bh3
10.Rb1. White’s counterplay against the enemy pawn on e6 would not be effective. 10...Kb8
11.Bh3 f5 12.exf6 gxf6 13.0-0 Bd6 14.Re1, Samsonkin – Zhou, Toronto 2008, 14...Qc7 15.Kg2
(15.Bxe6?! Bxe6 16.Rxe6 Bxg3ƒ White cannot capture the enemy bishop, because he would lose his
rook on е6.) 15...Qc8! 16.b3 Ne7. This is a beautiful blocking resource for Black. 17.bxc4 Nxc4
18.Nxc4 dxc4 19.Nd2 Nd5„ White’s g3-square is weak, while Black has deployed a powerful
knight on the d5-outpost.
10...f5
103
Now, White must choose whether to capture С1) 11.exf6, or not С2) 11.0-0.
С1) 11.exf6?! gxf6 12.0-0 Nh6

Black concentrates all his forces for a strike against the g3-square. His attack is running effortlessly
and unopposed.
13.Re1
White could have tried to bring his knight into the defence with the line: 13.Rb1 Nf5 14.Ne1
(14.b4, Iwanow – Sieciechowicz, Erice 2014, 14...cxb3 15.Nxb3 Bd6ƒ Black’s pieces are about to
crush the g3-square.) 14...Nd6 15.Ng2 Re8 16.Nf4 Rg8 17.Re1 f5ƒ Volodarsky – Dobrica, ICCF
2014. He maintains very powerful initiative.
13...Nf5
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14.Rb1
14.Nf1. White’s knight fails to join into the defence. 14...Nb3 15.Rb1, Garcia Castro – Patino
Romaris, Villagarcia de Arosa 2002, 15...Bd6 16.Ne3 Qc6! 17.Ng4 (17.Nxf5?! exf5‚) 17...Rdf8ƒ
14...Bd6 15.Nf1
In mutual attacks on both sides of the board 15.b4 cxb3 16.Nxb3 Rhg8ƒ, Black’s offensive is much
faster than White’s actions.
15...Rhg8
16.Bxf5
105
White’s king’s position is terribly endangered and if he ignores the threats of his opponent this
might lead to a catastrophe for him: 16.Ne3? Nxg3 17.fxg3 Rxg3+ 18.Bg2 Rdg8 19.Rf1 Be8!
This is a very important nuance! Do not forget the principle “to play with all your pieces in
attacking”, moreover that Black includes in his actions the bishop that we keep reminding you about
on almost all the pages of this book. 20.b4 (White is desperate, but it would be also hopeless for him
to continue with 20.Ne1 Bg6 21.Ra1 Be4–+) 20...cxb3 21.Ne1 Bg6 22.Rb2 Bxa3–+ Svidler –
Fedoseev, Berlin 2015.
16...exf5 17.Ne3, Eriksson – Antonsen, Helsingor 2015, 17...f4!, and if White is greedy and tries to
gobble material with 18.Nxd5 Qb5 19.Nxf6 Qf5! 20.Nxg8 Rxg8, then Black will create quickly
decisive threats 21.Bxf4 Bxf4–+, or 21.Ra1 fxg3 22.Bg5 Qg4 23.Re3 gxf2+ 24.Kf1 Nb3–+ and
Black will soon win.
С2) 11.0-0 Nh6
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12.Ng5
White is trying to block his opponent’s possible break.
After his alternatives Black’s task would be much easier. 12.Ne1 Nf7 13.Ndf3 (13.Ng2 g5ƒ
Klinger – Portisch, Dubai 1986) 13...Be7 14.Qe2 Nb3 15.Rb1 Nxc1 16.Rxc1 Rdg8ƒ Garbisu de Goni
– Istratescu, Bergara 2012. After the exchange of the bishop on c1, White will hardly manage to
prevent g7-g5.
12...Be7 13.Rb1
Following 13.Ndf3, Shabalov – Bluvshtein, Chicago 2003, Black will combine the activation of his
light-squared bishop with an attack against White’s knight on g5. 13...Be8 14.Re1 Nf7ƒ
13...Bxg5 14.hxg5 Nf7 15.Nf3 Rdg8 16.Bf4 g6 17.Qd2 Nb3 18.Qe3
107
White has ensured maximal protection of his pawn on g5 and has attacked the h6-square. Black can
counter this with a well-known weapon – a temporary pawn-sacrifice. 18...Qd8 19.g4, Thipsay –
Hariharan, Calicut 2003, 19...h6! Now, if White is too curious 20.gxh6? g5 21.Bh2 Nxh6–+, he
would suffer material losses.
D) 8.Be2
In this variation White castles quickly, develops his pieces and his light-squared bishop protects
important squares on the queenside and can support the pawn-breaks b2-b3, c3-c4. On the other hand
he postpones his kingside actions for better times and Black has also sufficient time to improve his
position.
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8...Bd7
We will analyse now: D1) 9.Rb1 and D2) 9.0-0.
9.Qc2. White’s attempt to attack the enemy rook-pawn would not end up well for him. 9...0-0-0
10.Rb1 Kb8 11.Ng5?! Nh6 12.Nxh7 Be7 13.Nf3, Nozdrachev – Bryakin, Orsha 2020, 13...Nf5.
Black begins actions on the opened files. 14.Nhg5 Rdf8 15.g4 (15.Bf4 Ka8 16.0-0 f6°) 15...f6!
16.gxf5 (Even after an eventual trade of the queens 16.Nxe6 Qxe6 17.gxf5 Qxf5 18.Qxf5 Bxf5
19.Bf4 Ka8 20.Rd1 Be4µ, Black’s pieces would dominate all over the entire board.) 16...fxg5 17.Rg1
Qd8ƒ with dangerous threats.
D1) 9.Rb1
White is trying to open the queenside.

9...Ne7 10.b4
About 10.0-0 Qc7 – see variation D2.
Black would be happy after the line: 10.Nf1 f6 11.h4 h5 12.Bf4 0-0-0 13.Ne3 Be8! 14.0-0 Bg6„
Haba – Shulman, Yerevan 1996. He has solved the problem with his “bad” bishop.
10...cxb3 11.Nxb3
11.c4? Ba4µ
109
11...Nxb3!
Black avoids the insidious trap 11...Ba4?! 12.Nxa5 Bxd1 13.Rxb6 axb6 14.Bb5+ Kd8 15.Nxb7+
Kc7 16.Kxd1 Kxb7 17.Ng5ƒ and White would have very powerful initiative for the exchange-
sacrifice, Rapport – Apicella, Haguenau 2013.
12.Rxb3 Qc7
Black begins active actions against the weak enemy c3-pawn and he only needs to bring the rest of
his pieces.
13.0-0
110
13.Qd3 Nc6 14.0-0 Na5 15.Rb1, Skawinski – Osmak, Chervonograd 2013, 15...Rc8„
13.Qd2 Nc8 14.0-0 Nb6 15.Qf4 Ba4„ Black has established a reliable blockade on the queenside,
Tokhirjonova – Nguyen Thi Mai Hung, Ashgabat 2017. It happens very often in similar positions that
Black is not in a hurry to capture the pawn on c3, since this would present his opponent with the
initiative. Instead, he delays capturing the pawn for the final stages of the game.
13...Ba4 14.Bb5+ Bxb5 15.Rxb5 Rc8 16.a4 Nc6 17.Re1 (Black is not afraid of the knight-sortie
17.Ng5 h6 18.Nh3 Na5„) 17...Be7 18.Bf4 b6„ Gierden – Ludevid Masana, ICCF 2016. White will
hardly manage to create threats against the enemy, while the vulnerability of his pawn on c3 would
hurt him even more with every exchange of a piece (see the game 4, p. 240).
D2) 9.0-0 Ne7
10.Rb1
We know already how to fight against White’s set-up including the move g2-g3.
10.Ne1 0-0-0 11.g3 f6 12.f4 (12.exf6 gxf6ƒ) 12...Be8 13.Ng2 h5 14.Ne3 Bg6ƒ Skliar – Karyaka,
Alushta 2008. Black’s bishop has occupied a striking position and he begins an offensive.
10.g3 Qc7 11.Nh4 Nc8 12.f4 g6 13.g4 Be7 14.Ng2 Nb6 15.f5 (15.Ne3 0-0-0 16.f5 f6! 17.exf6
Bd6 18.Rf2 exf5 19.gxf5 Rdf8ƒ) 15...exf5 16.Ne3 fxg4 17.Bxg4 Be6³ Volzhin – Kholmov, Orel
1992. The opening of the position on the kingside has turned out again to be in favour of Black.
White has tried in practice some too exotic ideas in order to contain his opponent’s activity on the
queenside. 10.Qc2 Nc8! 11.Bd1 (It would be premature for White to try the line: 11.Ng5 h6
111
12.Nh7?! Be7 and his knight will be endangered.) 11...Qc7 12.Qb1 Nb6 13.a4 Be7 14.Bc2 h6 15.g3
0-0-0 16.Qa2, Kovalenko – Meier, chess24.com 2020, 16...g5ƒ With a white queen on the a2-square,
Black’s kingside offensive would be even stronger.
10.a4 h6 11.Ne1 (It would be too slow for White to play here 11.Qe1?! 0-0-0 12.Bd1, Aravindh –
Erigaisi, New Delhi 2017, 12...Kb8 13.Bc2 Nec6 14.Qe2 f5 15.exf6 gxf6ƒ) 11...Nf5. The knight-
sortie to the f5-square is very good for Black now, since it does not allow White to play f2-f4 because
of the knight-fork. 12.Nc2, Romanishin – Vaisser, Tallinn 1988, 12...Be7, with the idea 13.g4
(13.Ne3 Nxe3 14.fxe3 0-0 15.e4 f6„) 13...Nh4 14.f4 f6 15.Ne3 0-0-0„ and once again in this
position it is much easier for Black to play and to attack.
10.Re1 Qc7 11.Bf1 (Following 11.h4 Nc8 12.Nf1, Corrales Jimenez – Kryakvin, lichess.org 2020,
Black should not go astray with some sidelines, because he has a clear-cut plan to occupy the a4 and
b3-squares: 12...Nb6„) 11...Nc8 12.Ng5 h6 13.Nh3 (After the line: 13.Qh5 g6 14.Qh3, Erichsen –
Feng, Vancouver 2012, 14...Be7 15.f4 Nb6„ White’s queen would be misplaced.) 13...Nb6 14.Nf4
Ba4 15.Qe2, Thipsay – Kamble, New Delhi 2007.
15...g6!„ This is a very important resource for Black. Now, White’s knight cannot occupy the h5-
square. Naturally, Black is deprived of the resource f7-f5 at the moment, but he can continue with his
plan (Nc8-b6 and Na5-b3), while White would be incapable of countering this.
10.Ng5 h6 11.Nh3 0-0-0 12.Nf4 (12.Rb1 Nf5 13.Nf4 Be7 14.Bg4 g6 15.Bxf5 gxf5 16.Nh5 Rdg8
17.Nf3 Qb3 18.Qe2 Ba4 19.Be3 Qc2= Sax – Hort, Novi Sad 1976. White has stopped his opponent’s
attack, but has lost his control over the light squares.)
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12...g6! Black prevents again the appearance of the enemy knight on the h5-square and White will
have problems to find any constructive idea. 13.Rb1 Kb8
14.h4?! It is again too risky for White to advance his h-pawn. 14...Nf5 15.g3, Kristjansson –
Likavsky, Fuegen 2006, 15...g5ƒ
14.g4 Bb5 15.Re1 Nc8 16.Bf1 Be7 17.h3 Qc6³ I.Zaitsev – Petrosian, Moscow 1969. Black plans to
play Ba4-c2 and to occupy the entire complex of light squares.
14.Re1, Gdanski – Owczarzak, Poland 2002, 14...Nf5 15.Bg4 Be7= Black is well prepared for the
exchange on f5 in order to begin later active actions on the light squares.
10...Qc7
113
11.Re1
11.b3? cxb3 12.Nxb3 Ba4 13.Nfd2 Qxc3µ
11.Qc2 Nc8 12.b4 cxb3 13.Nxb3 Ba4 14.Nfd2 Nc4 15.Qd3 N8b6³ Marez – V.Ivanov, ICCF
2014. Black has an easy plan for actions on the weakened squares in the enemy position.
He does not need to be afraid of 11.Ng5 h6 – see the game 5, p. 242.
11.Nh4, Dvoiris – Vaganian, Izmir 2004, 11...0-0-0 12.f4 Ng6. Black exchanges a couple of
knights and solves the problem with having insufficient space. 13.Ndf3 (13.Nxg6 hxg6 14.Nf3 Be7
15.Be3 Kb8= Now, Black’s a and b-pawns will advance under the cover of his knight on b3.)
13...Nxh4 14.Nxh4 Be7 15.Nf3 f5„
Following 11.g3 Nc8, Black has a very simple plan. He transfers at first his knight and follows this
with the pawn-advance f7-f5. 12.Nh4 Be7 13.Ng2 Nb6 14.f4 0-0-0 15.Ne3 f5 16.g4 (16.exf6 gxf6ƒ)
16...g6 17.Kh1 Rdf8 18.Bf3 Kb8 19.Qe2 Ba4 20.gxf5 gxf5 21.Rg1 Rfg8 22.Rxg8+ Rxg8 23.Ndf1
Nb3³ Grandelius – Kryakvin, Helsingor 2019.
11.h4 Nc8 12.h5 h6 13.Qe1 Nb6 14.Bd1 Be7 15.Nh2 (15.g3 Ba4 16.Bxa4+ Nxa4 17.Qd1 Qc6
18.Nh2 0-0-0„ S.Zhigalko – Akobian, Riyadh 2017) 15...0-0-0 16.f4 Rdg8 17.Bc2 g6 18.Qd1 Qd8
19.Kh1 Qe8„ Black is ready to organise counterplay on the kingside and to occupy the light squares
on the queenside after the manoeuvre Bd7-a4.
It is strange but White has tried only very seldom in practice the quite logical idea to develop his
dark-squared bishop outside of his pawn-chain with the idea to exchange it. 11.Ne1 Nc8 12.f4 Nb6
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13.Bg4 (After White’s risky line: 13.g4 f6 14.Ng2 0-0-0„ Black would organise counterplay
immediately.) 13...g6
14.Qe2 0-0-0 15.Ndf3 Be7 16.Be3, Yilmaz – Kanmazalp, Porto Carras 2010, 16...Rdg8 17.Bf2
Qd8= Black has managed to establish control over the h4-square and has prevented the exchange of
his bishop.
It would be more precise for White to play here 14.Ndf3!? 0-0-0 15.Be3, Jones – Nihal, Douglas
2018, 15...Be7 16.Bf2 Rdg8 17.Bh4 Bxh4 18.Nxh4 Qd8=, but even then White would have sufficient
counter chances on the kingside.
11...Nc8 12.Nf1
12.Bf1?! Nb6 13.Ng5 h6 14.Qh5 g6 15.Qh3 Be7 16.f4 Ba4³ Lagno – Ju Wenjun, Huai’an 2017.
Black’s plan gradually triumphs.
12...Nb6
115
13.Bf4
13.Bg5. White is incapable of preventing his opponent from castling queenside. 13...h6 14.Bh4 g5
15.Bg3 Be7. White’s bishop-sortie has only helped Black to play several useful moves. 16.N3d2
(16.h4 g4 17.N3h2 h5 18.f3 0-0-0ƒ It would be too risky for White to capture a pawn.) 16...Ba4
17.Qc1 h5 18.h3 0-0-0 19.Ne3, Stany – Kamble, Panaji 2012, 19...Rdg8ƒ
Sometimes it happens that White’s queen goes to the front of the actions in order to command the
rest of his forces. 13.Qd2 Nb3 14.Qf4 Nxc1 15.Rbxc1 (15.Rexc1, Skuhala – Akobian, San Francisco
2018, 15...f6„ The position is opened and Black has two powerful bishops, while White’s rook has
abandoned the e1-square.) 15...Be7 16.Qg3 (White prevents 16.Ne3 f5„) 16...g6 17.Ne3 0-0-0
18.Ng4, Blomqvist – Admiraal, chess.com 2020, 18...h6 19.h4 Rdf8 20.Nf6 Ba4„ White has
managed to block the position on the kingside, but now Black has all the chances of improving his
position on the opposite side of the board.
Finally, after 13.Ng3 Ba4 14.Qd2 0-0-0, White will manage somehow to establish his knight on a
dominant position. 15.Nh5, Corrales Jimenez – Harmon Vellotti, Las Vegas 2018, but in response
Black can sacrifice a pawn in order to organise an attack. 15...Be7, and if White’s knight falls into the
trap 16.Nxg7 (16.Bd1 Rdg8 17.Bxa4 Nxa4 18.Qc2 Nb6=), then after 16...h5! 17.Qf4 Rdf8 18.Nd2
Bc2 19.Nxh5 (19.Ra1? Bg6–+), besides the standard possibility 19...Bxb1, Black would have the
resource 19...f6!? 20.Ra1 Nd7ƒ with powerful initiative for the sacrificed pawns. The files against
White’s king are opened for Black’s rooks.
13...f5!
116
Now, once again because of the pin, White cannot capture en passant and his bishop on f4 might be
endangered.
14.Qd2
White’s defensive fortifications would be only temporary 14.h4 h6 15.h5 Be7 16.Qd2 (16.g4 fxg4
17.N3h2 0-0-0 18.Bxg4 Kb8 19.Ng3 Rdg8„) 16...0-0-0 17.Ng3 Be8= Black transfers his forces to
the kingside and is prepared for a decisive battle there.
14...h6
Black has prevented the trade of his dark-squared bishop and has created the threat to win a piece,
but White also has some tactical resources.
15.Nh4!?
117
This position was reached in the game Stany – A.Moskalenko, chess.com 2020.
15...Nb3!
This is an important win of a tempo and in addition White’s queen on e3 will be also attacked by
Black’s pawn.
16.Bh5+ Kd8 17.Qe3 g5 18.Ng6
White plans to penetrate inside the enemy camp at the price of a bishop.
18...gxf4 19.Qxf4
19...Be8!
It would be bad for Black to play here 19...Rg8? 20.Nхf8 Rхf8 21.Qхh6+–, since he would have to
give up his rook, but he has something else in mind.
20.Nxh8 Qg7÷
White’s knight on h8 has been trapped! After Black captures it he will deploy his second knight on
the f6-square and will follow this with an advance of his kingside pawns. Black must evacuate safely
his king on the queenside and all his other pieces are perfectly placed and are likely to bring him
success in the forthcoming sharp battle.
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Chapter 4
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 Bd7
Main Ideas
In this system Black does not plan to wait behind the pawn-chains, but wishes to find the right
moment to begin a counter attack. His main idea is while White plays with his pawns to develop
quickly as many pieces as possible and to provoke favourable complications!
After White’s most popular try 7.b4 (This is the way for him to justify the move а2-а3.) and the
moves 7...cxd4 8.cxd4 Rc8, we come to a very important moment.
119
Black wishes to attack the enemy d4-pawn with all his forces, so he wishes to deploy on the f5-
outpost his king’s knight. It would be wonderful for him if White does not prevent that.
9.Be2 Nge7! 10.0-0 Nf5 11.Bb2 h5!?
If White’s reaction is too slow Black’s attack will become tremendously powerful! He will advance
his g-pawn with the idea to oust White’s main defender of his pawn on d4 – the knight on f3. For
example: 12.Qd2 g6!? 13.Rd1 Bh6 14.Qd3 g5!? 15.Ne1 g4µ, or 12.h3 Be7 13.Qd2 (13.Qd3 g5µ)
13...g5! 14.g4 hxg4 15.hxg4 Nh4 16.Rd1 f6!µ
If White’s d4-pawn may turn out to be weak, maybe he should better protect it in advance with his
bishop. So, we can encounter here very often in practice the move 9.Be3.
120
This would change radically Black’s plan. He must exchange with his knight the enemy bishop on
e3 and then try to exploit the power of his two bishops.
9...Nh6!
Black sets up his first positional trap. If White captures naively the enemy knight 10.Bxh6 gxh6
11.Be2, then the g-file is opened for Black’s rook 11...Rg8 12.0-0 Rg4! 13.h3 Rf4 14.g3
Now, Black has a typical exchange-sacrifice, which you will meet numerous times on the pages of
this book and it enables him to destroy completely White’s centre and to seize the initiative for long.
After 14...Rxf3! 15.Bxf3 Qxd4 16.Qxd4 Nxd4 17.Bh5 Bg7³, White’s central e5-pawn is hanging and
he has no open files for his rooks in the endgame, while Black’s doubled pawns are practically
121
irrelevant. This endgame is like a dream for the adherents to the French Defence!
In general, the main conflicts in this line arise after the moves 10.Bd3 Ng4! 11.0-0 Be7 12.Nbd2
Nxe3 13.fxe3
It might seem at first sight that White’s pieces have been deployed more harmoniously and he has
good attacking prospects on the opened f-file, but Black has the possibility to regroup his forces in a
way which is worth remembering. 13...Nb8!? 14.Qe2 Ba4! Now, Black is ready to organise
counterplay against his opponent’s queenside and this diminishes considerably White’s possibilities.
15.Rac1 0-0 16.Nb1 Rc6!? 17.Qd2 Bb5 18.Bxb5 Rxc1 19.Rxc1 Qxb5= Remember that Black would
definitely not be checkmated after the trade of the light-squared bishops! Meanwhile, in the future
endgame, which would be a long story though..., Black’s dark squared bishop might attack White’s
pawns which have all been deployed on dark squares without any caution.
Finally, Black’s dream to penetrate with his knight to the c4-outpost is realised in the line: 9.Bb2
Na5!?
122
White cannot afford to ignore the threat of the appearance of the enemy knight on the c4-square:
10.Nc3 Nc4 11.Bxc4 Rxc4 12.0-0 Nh6 13.Na4 Qa6 14.Nc5 Bxc5 15.dxc5 Ba4 16.Qe2 Nf5 17.Rac1
Bb5 18.Qd2 0-0³ Black has exchanged his opponent’s light-squared bishop and his own light-squared
bishop controls all the important squares at the centre of the board.
After 10.Nbd2!, Black will play anyway 10...Nc4 and the seemingly attractive line: 11.Bxc4 dxc4
12.Rc1 Qa6. would be favourable for him. His bishop on c8, which has the reputation of being
chronically passive and “bad” will be dominant now on the long а8-h1 diagonal. Besides that, Black
will be able to support his passed c4-pawn with the move b7-b5. 13.Ne4 Bc6
Black is clearly better after 14.Nc5 Bxc5 15.dxc5 Ne7 16.0-0 b6³ thanks to the placement of his
123
powerful light-squared bishop, so White is practically forced to begin an attack.
14.Nfd2
In general, Black’s further plan is quite simple:
1) He must protect his pawn on c4 with the idea thanks to this powerful protected passed pawn and
his light-squared bishop to win the game later;
2) Black must complete urgently his development; otherwise, he might come under an attack.
14...b5 15.0-0 Nh6 16.Qh5 Rd8 17.g4 Be7 18.f4 Qb6! 19.Nc5 0-0µ
White’s bishop on b2 is forced to protect his pawn on d4 and without it he would be completely
incapable of creating any meaningful threats! Black only needs to build the battery queen + bishop on
the long diagonal and to develop his knight on the h6-square.
Theoretical Resume
It was for many years that the variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 Bd7 was
considered to be a sideline in the shadow of the more fashionable moves 6...c4 and 6...Nh6. The
variations below prove this evaluation to be quite unjust and Black’s consistent piece-play, focused
on quick development, should provide him with really good counterchances.
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Chapter 4
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 Bd7
Step by Step
This is a principally different system for the mobilisation of Black’s forces in comparison to 6...c4.
He is not afraid that White will seize additional space on the queenside, since he has made 6 out of
his first seven moves with his pawns and this would lead to a lag of his development..
We will analyse now: A) 7.Be2 and B) 7.b4
7.Ra2, Fedorchuk – Alsina Leal, Aix les Bains 2011, with the idea b4, Rd2. This plan is rather
awkward and requires plenty of time to be accomplished. 7...Nge7 8.b4 cxd4 9.cxd4 Nf5 10.Rd2
Rc8³
7.b3, Chernov – Ganichev, Kemerovo 2014. This is unnecessary prophylactic against the move c5-
c4. If Black wanted to play like this, he could have done that on his previous move. 7...Nge7!?³ He is
preparing an attack against the pawn on d4 and White will have serious problems to counter that.
7.Bd3. This sacrifice of the central pawn does not combine well with the move a2-a3. 7...cxd4 8.0-0
(Following 8.cxd4 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.0-0, Black can capture bravely another pawn. 10...Qxe5!
11.Re1 Qf6 12.Nc3 Bc5. He is threatening to capture on f2 and with this Black wins an important
tempo to complete his development. 13.Qc2 Ne7µ Potapov – Shimanov, Khanty-Mansiysk 2013)
8...dxc3 9.Nxc3 Nge7 10.Na4 Qc7³, followed by Ng6, Be7, 0-0. White has not obtained sufficient
compensation for the sacrificed pawn.
125
7.g3. This plan with the development of White’s bishop on the f1-h3 diagonal is much more
effective when Black plays c5-c4. 7...Rc8 8.Bh3 cxd4 9.cxd4, Marcussi – Giaccio, Buenos Aires
1991,
9...Nxd4! 10.Nxd4 Rxc1! 11.Qxc1 Qxd4. This exchange-sacrifice is quite typical for this variation
of the French Defence and with it Black destroys completely the enemy pawn-centre. 12.0-0 Qxe5
13.Re1 Qb8 14.Qc3. White is incapable of preventing the development of Black’s kingside pieces.
14...Nf6 15.Nd2 Bd6. This is the best square for Black’s bishop. From here it would prevent the
penetration of the enemy major pieces to the c7-square. 16.Nf3 0-0³ White can hardly find useful
utilisation of his rooks, because the central e and d-files are closed by pawns and the squares to
penetrate with them on the c-file have been reliably protected by Black’s pieces.
A) 7.Be2
This move has some venom.
7...Nge7
126
8.dxc5!?
This is White’s most precise move. He exploits the fact that the enemy knight has covered the
diagonal of the bishop on f8 and begins active operations on the queenside.
About 8.b4 cxd4 9.cxd4 Rc8 – see variation B1.
After the careless move 8.0-0?!, White would lose a pawn. 8...cxd4 9.cxd4 Nf5
10.Nc3 Nfxd4 11.Nxd4 Qxd4µ

After 10.b4, there would arise a difficult endgame for White. 10...Ncxd4 11.Nxd4 Qxd4 12.Qxd4
Nxd4. He is a pawn-down and his queenside has been weakened by the pawn-advance b2-b4. 13.Bd3
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Nb3 14.Ra2, Gallini – Leconte, France 1990, 14...a5!?µ
10.Be3. White wishes to preserve his central pawn, but this plan is bound to backfire. 10...Qxb2
11.Nbd2, Markova – Kottnauerova, Turnov 1995, 11...Ncxd4!? 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Rb1 Nxe2+
14.Qxe2 Qxe5 15.Rxb7. White’s pieces are active and he leads in development, but this can hardly
compensate his two missing pawns, moreover that his bishop on e3 would immediately come under
an attack. 15...d4 16.Rxd7!? dxe3 17.Nc4 exf2+ 18.Qxf2 Qc5! Now, in order to avoid the exchange
of the queens, White must remove his rook away from the seventh rank after which it becomes
obvious that his attack has reached its dead end. 19.Rd4 f6 20.Rc1 Be7 21.Nd6+ Bxd6 22.Rxc5 Bxc5
23.Rd8+ Rxd8 24.Qxc5 Rf8 25.Qxa7 Rd1+ 26.Kf2 Rd7–+
8...Qc7!
9.0-0
9.Bf4 Ng6 10.Bg3 Bxc5³
9.b4. White protects his pawn on c5, but after 9...Ng6, he would be incapable of preventing his
opponent from the restoring of the material balance. 10.0-0 Ncxe5 11.Nxe5, Leuenberger –
Reutimann, Zuerich 2014, 11...Qxe5!?÷ Later, Black will at first evacuate his king away from the
centre Be7, 0-0 and then will trade the enemy pawn on c5 which cramps his position with the move
b7-b6.
9...Nxe5 10.Nxe5 Qxe5 11.Nd2 Ng6 12.Nf3 Qc7 13.b4 Be7 14.c4. White wishes to get rid of his
doubled pawns on the c-file. 14...dxc4 15.Bxc4 Bc6 16.Be3 Bf6 17.Ra2 0-0= Carrettoni – Torgersen,
ICCF 2006. White’s pawn-majority on the queenside cannot provide him with much, because Black
has managed to castle and his pieces have occupied very active positions.
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B) 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 Rc8
We will deal now with: B1) 9.Be2, B2) 9.Bb2 and B3) 9.Be3.
Following 9.Ra2?!, Black can exploit the insufficient protection of his opponent’s bishop on c1with
the line: 9...a5! 10.b5 Nxd4! 11.Nxd4 Rxc1! 12.Qxc1 Qxd4 13.Qe3 Qxe3+ 14.fxe3 Bc5µ Eames –
Cannon, Torquay 2008. He has only a pawn for the exchange, but his powerful bishop-pair and also
the numerous pawn-weaknesses in White’s position provide Black with a stable advantage in this
endgame.
B1) 9.Be2 Nge7!
If Black tries to sacrifice the exchange, analogously to the line after the move 9.Ra2, he may have
serious difficulties 9...a5 10.0-0! White sacrifices a pawn and seizes completely the initiative, forcing
his opponent to defend passively. 10...axb4 11.axb4 Bxb4 12.Na3! Nge7 13.Rb1² Black’s position is
still defensible, but playing it with his pieces would be tremendously difficult in a practical game,
because the activity of White’s forces increases with every move.
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10.0-0
About 10.Be3 Nf5 – see variation B3a.
10.Qd2? Westerinen – Lahlum, Gausdal 1992, 10...g5! This is a standard pawn-advance for the
French Defence. Black wishes to exchange his flank g-pawn for his opponent’s central d4-pawn.
11.h3 Nf5 12.Bb2 h5µ with the rather unpleasant threat Bh6(g7), g5-g4.
10.Bb2 Na5! 11.Nbd2 Nc4 12.Bxc4 dxc4. There has arisen on the board a position, which will be
analysed in Chapter 12, but without a tempo for White, because his bishop has captured on c4 not
from f1, but from the e2-square. 13.Rc1 Qa6 14.Ne4 Nd5 15.0-0, Thybo – Sjodahl, Helsingor 2015,
15...Ba4!? 16.Qe2 Bb5µ Black’s knight has occupied a powerful position at the centre of the board,
while White must worry about the vulnerability of the light squares in his camp.
10...Nf5 11.Bb2
About 11.Be3 Be7 – see 9.Be3.
11...h5!?
Black is not in a hurry to accomplish the standard manoeuvre Na5-c4 and wishes at first to fortify
his knight on f5, preventing the enemy pawn-advance g2-g4. Besides this, the placement of a pawn
on the h5-square would be very helpful for him if after the preparatory move Be7, he manages to
advance g7-g5.
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12.Kh1!
After White’s alternatives, the maximum that he might dream about would be to fight for equality.
12.h4. After this move White would not be worse, because he deprives his opponent of plans
connected with the pawn-advance g7-g5. 12...Be7 13.g3 Na5 14.Nbd2 Nc4 15.Nxc4 dxc4 16.Rc1,
Jigjidsuren – Batchuluun, Ulaanbaatar 2011, 16...Qa6!? 17.d5 (17.Nd2 b5 18.Bxh5 Qb6 19.Re1
Rd8©) 17...exd5 18.Qxd5 b5÷ Black lags a bit in development, but his protected passed pawn on c4
would prevent the appearance of any difficulties for him.
12.h3. White is preparing g2-g4, but this would only lead to the weakening the shelter of his king.
12...Be7 13.Qd2? (13.Qd3?! g5µ) 13...g5! 14.g4 hxg4 15.hxg4 Nh4 16.Rd1, Puranik – Grover,
Mumbai 2014, 16...f6µ Black plays very actively and forces his opponent to begin defending
passively.
12.Qd3 g5! 13.b5!? White weakens his queenside, but ousts the enemy knight on c6 away from
attacking the pawn on d4 (about 13.Rd1?! g4 14.Ne1 Bh6 – see 12.Qd2). 13...Na5³
12.Qd2. On the c1-h6 diagonal White’s queen will soon come under an attack by the enemy bishop.
12...g6!?
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Black would not mind advancing g5 in two moves, because later he will regain this tempo after
attacking the enemy queen with the move Bh6. 13.Rd1 (13.Bc3 Bh6 14.Qb2 g5 15.b5 Nce7 16.a4,
Braubach – Hamann, Germany 2007, 16...Ng6!?µ, followed by g5-g4, Nf4. Black’s attack on the
kingside is running obviously faster than White’s initiative on the queenside.) 13...Bh6 14.Qd3 g5!?
15.Ne1 g4µ Dkhillon – Soroka, Evpatoria 2008. The main defect of White’s position in similar
situations is that he would lose his d4-pawn if he develops his knight on the c3-square.
12...Na5!?
The routine move 12...Be7 would not promise equality to Black. 13.Nc3! Na5 (13...Ncxd4?
14.Nxd5!± Here, the idea behind the move 12.Kh1 becomes obvious. White’s king has run away in
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advance against the possible checks in the future.) 14.Na4 Qc6 15.Nc5 Nc4 16.Bc1 b6 17.Nxd7
Qxd7 18.Bd3² Areshchenko – Merenciano, Grosseto Prugna 2016. White has more space and a
couple of powerful bishops. Black is incapable of achieving anything concrete out of the placement of
his knight on the c4-outpost.
13.Nbd2
White should not allow the enemy knight to penetrate to the c4-square.
13.Nc3 Nc4³
13...Nc4 14.Nxc4 dxc4 15.Rc1 Qa6 16.d5 exd5 17.Qxd5, Rutten – Scott, Paracin 2018, 17...b5÷
We will analyse in details similar positions in variation B2. Here, we would like to mention that
despite Black’s slight lag in development, he can be quite optimistic about the future thanks to his
powerful protected passed pawn on c4.
B2) 9.Bb2 Na5!?
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Black exploits the unprotected placement of the enemy bishop on b2 and begins the immediate
transfer of his knight to the c4-square.
10.Nbd2!
White increases his control over the c4-square.
After his alternatives he might even fail to equalise.
About 10.Bd3 Nc4 11.Bc3 Nh6 – see 10.Bc3.
10.Nc3 Nc4 11.Bxc4. This bishop covers the light squares in White’s camp, but Black’s knight on
c4 was too powerful to be left on the board. (11.Qb3 Qc7³) 11...Rxc4 12.0-0 Nh6 13.Na4 Qa6
14.Nc5 Bxc5 15.dxc5, Kreiman – Seirawan, Seattle 2003, 15...Ba4!? Black’s further plan is
connected with utilising the vulnerability of the light squares in White’s camp. 16.Qe2 Nf5 17.Rac1
Bb5 18.Qd2 0-0³
10.Bc3. White removes in advance his bishop from its vulnerable position. 10...Nc4 11.Bd3 Nh6
12.0-0 Be7
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13.Nfd2?! This move only helps Black to trade advantageously the light-squared bishops. In
addition, White has a space advantage and should avoid exchanges favourable for the defending side.
13...Nxd2 14.Qxd2, Nun – Vera Gonzalez, Timisoara 1987, 14...Bb5!µ
13.Qe2 Nf5 14.g4. White’s attempts to organise active actions on the kingside would only lead to
the weakening of his own position. 14...Nh4 15.Nxh4 Bxh4 16.Kh1, Klinger – Arencibia Rodriguez,
Gausdal 1986, 16...f6! 17.f4 0-0µ White has too many weaknesses in his position and his queenside
pieces have not been developed yet.
13.Re1 0-0 14.Nbd2 Bb5=
10...Nc4
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11.Nхc4
11.Qb3 Nxd2 12.Nxd2 Bb5³ Black’s bishop on f8 is much more active than its white counterpart,
which is severely restricted by his own pawn on d4.
11.Bxc4?! This exchange is bad for White from the strategical point of view. 11...dxc4
12.Bc3?! This move is too slow. Now, Black will transfer his knight without any problems to the
centre of the board and will complete the development of his pieces. Following 12...Ne7 13.Ne4 Nd5
14.0-0 Be7 15.Qc2 h6µ it would be useful for Black to deprive his opponent of any counter chances,
connected with the move Neg5, Afek – Huzman, Berlin 1990.
12.Ne4 Bc6 13.Nfd2 Qd8!? Now, if necessary, Black will be able to protect his pawn on c4 with
the move b7-b5. 14.0-0 Nh6 15.Qe2 Be7 16.Rac1 b5 17.Nf3 0-0µ Nugaev – Toder, St Petersburg
2008.
12.Rc1 Qa6 13.Ne4 (about 13.0-0 b5 14.Ne4 Bc6 15.Nfd2 Nh6 – see 13.Ne4) 13...Bc6.
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The move 14.Nc5 will only help Black to complete the development of his kingside pieces.
14...Bxc5 15.dxc5 Ne7 16.0-0 b6³ White’s pawn on c5 impedes Black’s rook on c8 to support the
advance of his pawn on c4. 17.cxb6?! Buchal – Lang, Germany 1994, 17...Bxf3! 18.Qxf3 axb6µ,
followed by Nd5.
14.Nfd2 b5 15.0-0 Nh6 16.Qh5 Rd8 17.g4, Shilin – Goloshchapov, Alushta 1999. White is trying
to organise an attack on the kingside, but he would badly miss the absence of his bishop on b2, which
is severely restricted by the pawns on a3, b4 and d4. 17...Be7!? 18.f4 Qb6! 19.Nc5 0-0µ, followed by
Ba8, Qc6, creating an attacking battery on the long light-squared diagonal.
11...dxc4
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12.Rc1
White wishes to squeeze the enemy pieces with the protection of the pawn on c4.
12.Qc2 Qc6µ, followed by Qa4, c4-c3, Ne7-d5.
12.Qd2 Qc6 13.Bc3 Ne7µ Black transfers his knight to the centre of the board and consolidates his
advantage.
12...Qa6!
12...a5?! 13.Nd2! axb4 14.Nxc4 Qd8 15.a4!± White maintains powerful initiative because Black
cannot play Ne7, in view of the checkmate.
13.d5!
White must play energetically and should try, after the opening of the position in the centre, to
exploit his lead in development; otherwise, Black would obtain a stable advantage thanks to his
powerful knight at the centre of the board and his passes c4-pawn.
13.Ng5 b5 14.Qh5. The attack against the f7-square can be easily parried by Black. 14...Nh6
15.Be2, Pina Sierra – Alvarez, Madrid 2003 (White’s attempt to bring his rook into the attack against
the enemy pawn on f7 would not work. 15.Rc3?! Bc6!µ) 15...g6. Black should better oust
immediately the enemy queen away from the h5-square. 16.Qf3 Be7 17.Ne4 Nf5 18.Nc5 Bxc5
19.dxc5 Bc6 20.Qg4 Rd8³ White’s two-bishop advantage is irrelevant in this position, since it is
rather closed, while Black’s bishop on c6 exerts powerful pressure against White’s kingside.
The move 13.Nd2 looks too slow. 13...b5 14.Ne4 (14.Be2 Ne7 15.0-0 Nd5 16.Ne4 Bc6 17.Nc3.
White is still trying to organise counterplay against the d5-square, but he is too late and Black parries
138
that easily. 17...Qb7 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.f3 Be7 20.Bc3 0-0µ Druchenko – Bezhenar, Voronezh 2019)
14...Bc6 15.Qg4 Nh6 16.Nd6+ Kd7 17.Qh5 Bxd6 18.exd6 Bd5. White has managed to deprive his
opponent’s king of its castling rights, but his pawn on d6 is too far away from his forces and is
doomed to perish. 19.Rc3 Qxd6 20.Bc1, Sveshnikov – Szymanski, Warsaw 2005, 20...Rhe8!?
21.Bxh6 gxh6 22.Qxh6 Rcd8–+
13...exd5 14.Qxd5 Ne7!
Black develops his knight with tempo.

15.Qe4
15.Qd6. The position would be simplified quickly after this move. 15...Qxd6 16.exd6 Nf5 17.Bxc4
Nxd6 18.Bd5 Rxc1+ 19.Bxc1 Be7 20.0-0 0-0 21.Re1 Bf6= Sedina – Batkovskyte, Tromsoe 2014.
15.Qd4. On this square White’s queen will be again attacked by the enemy knight. 15...Nf5!?
16.Qf4 Be6 17.g4. White ousts his opponent’s knight, but it will go to the d5-square and again with a
tempo. 17...Ne7 18.Be2 b5 19.0-0 Nd5 20.Qe4 Be7 21.Rcd1 Rd8 22.Nd4 0-0÷ Black has completed
his development and has castled.
15.Qd2. Here White’s queen will be not so actively placed as on the e4-square. 15...Be6 16.Be2
Rd8
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17.Qf4 b5 18.0-0 Ng6. Black attacks his opponent’s queen and gains an important tempo for the
development of his pieces. 19.Qe3 Be7 20.Nd4, Cravens – Borgbjerg, IECC 2016, 20...0-0=
17.Qg5 h6 18.Qf4 g5 19.Qf6 Ng6 20.Nd4 Rxd4! Black equalises completely with this exchange-
sacrifice. 21.Bxd4 Qxa3 22.0-0 Be7 23.Qf3 Qxf3 24.Bxf3 Bxb4. It is essential for him to exchange
White’s pawns on the queenside, which might become dangerous passed pawns after a while.
25.Bxa7 Nxe5 26.Bxb7 0-0= Black’s passed pawn on c4 guarantees for him the absence of any
difficulties later in this position.
Following 17.Qc2 b5 18.Nd4 Nd5 19.0-0 Be7 20.Qe4 0-0. Black must try to trade all the pawns on
the queenside. 21.Rcd1 Rc8 22.h4 Qb6 23.g3 g6 24.Ba1 c3 25.Nxb5 Rfd8 26.Rc1 a5 27.Nxc3 axb4=
White has an extra pawn indeed, but this would not bring him any dividends.
15...b5
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The passed pawn on c4 would be Black’s best trump in the forthcoming battle, so he should better
protect it immediately and reliably with his other pawn.
16.Nd4
16.Be2 Qc6 17.Qxc6 Nxc6=
16...Qg6 17.Qb7
17.Qxg6?! Nxg6³ Now, White will have to consider permanently Black’s possibility Nf4.
The move 17.Qe3?! would enable Black to seize the initiative. 17...Nf5! 18.Nxf5 Bxf5 19.h4 Be7
20.h5 Qc6µ
17...Nc6 18.Nxb5
Following 18.Be2, Black can at least force a draw: 18...Rb8 19.Qc7 Rc8=
18...Rb8 19.Qa6 Qe4+ 20.Be2
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20...Nxb4! 21.Nc7+ Kd8 22.axb4 Bxb4+ 23.Kf1 Bd2 24.f3 (The line: 24.Rхc4 Qb1+ is obviously
in favour of Black.) 24...Qb7 25.Rc2 c3! 26.Bxc3 Bxc3 27.Qd6. White is trying to exchange the
queens under favourable circumstances; otherwise, his position would remain to be almost hopeless.
27...Qb4 28.Rxc3 Qxd6 29.exd6 Rb1+ 30.Kf2 Rxh1. Black has won the exchange and has good
chances of realising his material advantage. 31.Ra3 Rb1 32.Rxa7 Rb6= In the final position he can try
to play for a win without any risk.
B3) 9.Be3
White fortifies his pawn on d4, but his bishop on e3 would not be reliably placed and will be soon
attacked by the enemy knight.
9...Nh6!
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It would not be precise for Black to choose here 9...Nge7, because after that his knight would be
able to attack the enemy bishop only from f5, since it would not have access to the g4-square.
We will analyse now: B3a) 10.Be2 and B3b) 10.Bd3.
About 10.Nbd2 Ng4 11.Bd3 Nxe3 12.fxe3 Be7 13.0-0 – see 10.Bd3.
10.Ra2?! White should better not slow down the development of his kingside pieces. 10...Nf5
11.Rc2, Czakon – Miton, Poland 2015 (11.g4?! This move only weakens White’s position. 11...Nxe3
12.fxe3 f6! 13.exf6 gxf6µ Knoppert – Goormachtigh, Vlissingen 1995. Almost all White’s pieces are
not developed yet and his e3-pawn will be soon attacked by the enemy pieces.) 11...f6!? White’s
pawn on e5 cramps Black’s position, so he tries to exchange it immediately. 12.exf6 gxf6³
10.Bxh6 gxh6. White is incapable of exploiting the vulnerability of his opponent’s kingside pawns
and Black will have the possibility now to bring his rook on h8 into the attack against the enemy
pawn on d4. 11.Be2, Pospisil – Boukal, corr. 1985, 11...Rg8!? 12.0-0 Rg4! 13.h3 Rf4 14.g3 Rxf3!
Black sacrifices the exchange and seizes the initiative completely. 15.Bxf3 Qxd4 16.Qxd4 Nxd4
17.Bh5 Bg7³
B3a) 10.Be2
White’s bishop would not be so active here as on the d3-square.
10...Nf5 11.0-0 Be7
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12.Qd3
White increases his control over the b5-square and prevents in this fashion the possibility for Black
to exchange the light-squared bishops via the b5-square, but he has some other plans at his disposal.
12.Kh1 0-0 13.Bd3 Nxe3 14.fxe3 Nb8!? This move prepares the trade of the light-squared bishops
and we will encounter it numerous times later. The fact that Black loses tempi for the retreat of his
knight is not so important because the position is closed. 15.Ra2? (15.Qe2 a6=) 15...Bb5µ Rozentalis
– Johansson, Gothenburg 2016.
12.Nbd2 Nxe3!? 13.fxe3 Nb8!? 14.Nb3 Bb5³ Almost all White’s pawns have been deployed on
dark squares, so it would be advantageous for Black to trade the light-squared bishops.
12.g4?! Nxe3 13.fxe3 0-0 14.Nbd2, Nikolic – Stamenkovic, Sibenik 1986, 14...Nb8!? 15.Nb3.
White wishes to close the c-file after the move Nc5, but following 15...Bb5! 16.Nc5 Qc6³ and then
b7-b6, Black will oust the enemy knight away from the c5-square.
12.Qd2. Now, Black’s plan, connected with the moves Nb8 and Bb5 becomes senseless, because
White would simply play Nc3 taking the b5-square under control. 12...f6 (12...g5!? 13.g4 Nxe3
14.fxe3 h5 15.h3 hxg4 16.hxg4 f6÷ If the position is opened, Black’s bishops would turn into
powerful force.) 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Rd1 0-0 15.Nc3, De Kerpel – Sambuev, Ottawa 2013, 15...Nce7!?
³, depriving White of the possibility Na4-c5. Black’s prospects seem preferable now, since White’s
pieces have been squeezed with the protection of the pawn on d4.
12...f6!
This move is energetic and strong!
144
13.exf6
13.Nbd2. After this move there will appear a weak pawn on e3 in White’s position. 13...fxe5
14.dxe5 Nxe3 15.fxe3 0-0³ Seid – Dormio, IECG 2001.
13.b5. White ousts the enemy knight on c6 away from the centre, but weakens his own queenside.
13...Na5 14.g4?! White’s position was already worse, but still, he had better refrain from playing this
move weakening the shelter of his own king. 14...Nxe3 15.Qxe3, Langner – Kosic, Arnhem 1987,
15...f5! Without the knight on c6 Black’s fight for the e5-square would not be effective at all. 16.gxf5
exf5 17.Kh1 0-0µ
13...Bxf6 14.Rd1 0-0 15.Nc3 Nce7!
145
Black prevents the move Na4-c5. 16.Rac1, Dreyer – Steinert, Germany 1993, 16...Nxe3!? He has
only one good square for his knights, so he should better trade immediately one of them. 17.Qxe3
Nf5 18.Qd2 a5!? 19.bxa5 Qxa5³ Black’s pieces exert powerful pressure against the weak enemy
pawns on d4 and a3.
B3b) 10.Bd3 Ng4! 11.0-0 Be7
12.Nbd2
12.Qe2 Nxe3 13.fxe3 Nb8 14.b5. White does not allow the enemy bishop to occupy the a4-square,
but now his queenside pawns would need permanent protection. (about 14.Nbd2 Ba4 – see 12.Nbd2)
146
14...0-0 15.a4. White protects his pawn on b5. 15...a6= Suarez Rodriguez – Ribes Colom, ICCF 2017.
12.Qe1. White’s queen does not take part in the protection of his d4-pawn from the e1-square.
Black can exploit this immediately. 12...f6! 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Nc3. Now, there arise quite interesting
tactical complications. 14...Nxd4 15.Nxd5 Nxf3+ 16.gxf3 Qd6 17.fxg4, Mokshanov – Bykov, Sochi
2016, 17...Bxa1!? 18.Qxa1 0-0. Here, White is incapable of preserving his material advantage due to
the lack of protection of his bishop on d3. 19.Nf4 Rxf4 20.Qd1 Bc6!? This is the simplest move for
Black. Now, there arises a completely equal endgame with rooks and bishops of opposite colours.
21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qxd6 Rxg4+ 23.Qg3 Rxg3+ 24.hxg3 a6=
12.Qd2!? White’s positional threat Nc3-a4-c5 forces Black to play energetically. 12...f6 13.exf6
Bxf6 14.Nc3 Nxe3 15.fxe3 0-0
16.Rf2 Nd8!?=
16.Rac1 Ne7 17.Bb1, Buchnicek – Vrana, Czech Republic 2013, 17...a5!? 18.b5 Qd6 19.a4 Qb4=
16.Na4 Qd8 17.Nc5 b6. Black canno put up with the enemy knight on c5, because it exerts
powerful pressure against his position. 18.Nxd7 Qxd7 19.Rac1, Djurhuus – Heim, Bergen 2001
(19.Ba6 Rc7=) 19...Qd6!?= Later, Black can begin active actions on the queenside, or in the centre
after the moves: a6-a5, e6-e5, as well as simply trade the rooks on the c-file: Ne7.
12.Ra2!? This is an interesting idea. After the exchange on e3 the f2-square would be freed and
White prepares in advance the transfer of his queen’s rook to the kingside. 12...Nxe3 13.fxe3 0-0
147
14.h4 f6 15.exf6, Fedoseev – Goganov, St Petersburg 2011, 15...Bxf6!?=
14.g4 f6 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.g5 Be7 17.Raf2, Sedina – Ottavi, Palermo 2000, 17...g6!?=
Following 14.Rc2, White must play very carefully, because Black would have dangerous tactical
possibilities, connected with the fact that the e3-pawn would be captured with a check. 14...f6=
15.b5? Nxe5! 16.dxe5 fxe5 17.Re2 e4µ Czakon – Miton, Poland 2015.
14.Raf2 Nb8!? It is not clear now how White can increase his pressure on the f-file, so Black will
be capable of preparing patiently the trade of the light-squared bishops. 15.Qe2 a6 16.Ne1 g6. He
should not allow White’s queen to occupy the h5-square. 17.g3 Bb5÷ Somkin – Nozdrin, Sterlitamak
2012.
12...Nxe3 13.fxe3 Nb8!?
148
14.Qe2
White prevents Bd7-b5.
After 14.a4, he would lose a pawn. 14...Qxb4! 15.Rb1 Qc3! The unprotected white bishop is the
culprit... 16.Rb3 Qc7µ
14.Qb1 Bb5=
14.Ne1 g6!? Black prevents the move Qh5. 15.Rf3 Bb5 16.Bc2, Wen – Sengupta, Belfort 2005,
16...0-0³ White will have great difficulties to transfer his rook on a1 to the kingside and without it he
can hardly manage to organise an attack against the enemy king.
14.Rc1. This is a calm move. White is reluctant to give up to his opponent the dominance on the c-
file, but he does not prevent the move Bb5, so Black equalises effortlessly. 14...Rxc1!? 15.Qxc1 0-0
16.Qb1, Tekielak – Kadziolka, Koszalin 2003, 16...h6!? 17.Nb3 Bb5=
14.Nb3 Bb5 15.Nc5. White’s knight would not be stable on this square, because Black would be
able to oust it later with the move b7-b6. 15...0-0
149
16.Ne1 Qc6!?÷
16.Rc1 Bxd3 17.Qxd3 Qc6= Peng Xiaomin – Yu Shaoteng, Beijing 1996.
16.Rb1. White ignores the fight for the c-file, but this would lead to difficulties for him. 16...Bxd3
17.Qxd3 Qc6 18.Rbc1, Kontic – Kosic, Herceg Novi 2005, 18...Nd7!?³, followed by Nb6-c4 and b7-
b6.
16.h4 Bxd3 17.Qxd3 Qc7 18.Rac1 b6= 19.Na6? Qxc1 20.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 21.Kh2 h6µ Petrov –
Minasian, Ohrid 2001.
14...Ba4
Black prevents the move Nb3–c5.
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15.Rac1
15.h4. White is preparing the move Ng5. 15...0-0 16.Ng5 (About 16.Rac1 Nd7 – see 15.Rac1.)
16...Bxg5 17.hxg5 Bc2= Sozin – Chernov, Novokuznetsk 2013.
15.Rfb1. White will not manage to transfer his knight to the c5-square anyway, because Black
would exchange it immediately when it comes to the b3-square. 15...0-0 16.Nb3 Bxb3 17.Rxb3,
Gdanski – M. Socko, Cappelle-la-Grande 1999, 17...a5!?=
15.e4. These active actions in the centre would not achieve much for him, since Black can simply
avoid exchanging on e4. 15...0-0 16.exd5 (16.Qe3 Bc6=) 16...exd5 17.Rfc1, Kristjansson – Rajlich,
Budapest 2006 (17.Rac1 Rxc1!? 18.Rxc1 Nc6=) 17...Nc6 18.Qe3 f6 19.exf6 Bxf6= Black’s prospects
are at least equal thanks to his bishop-pair.
15...0-0 16.Nb1
16.h4 Nd7 17.Ng5 Rxc1 18.Rxc1 h6 19.Nh7 Re8
His pieces cannot support the aggression of his knight. 20.g3 (20.g4 a6 21.Qf2 Bb5 22.Bb1 Nf8
23.Nxf8 Rxf8=; 20.Rf1 Bxh4 21.Qh5 Nxe5 22.Qxh4 Nxd3 23.Nf6+ gxf6 24.Qxh6. White’s threats
against the enemy king compensate for him the sacrificed piece, but not more than that. 24...e5 25.Rf3
Nf4 26.exf4 exf4 27.Rh3 Qxd4+ 28.Kh2 f5 29.Nf3 Qg7 30.Qxf4 Kf8 31.Rg3 Qh8+ 32.Rh3 Qg7=)
20...a6!? Black’s idea is to exchange White’s bishop which protects his knight on h7. 21.Qh5? Nxe5!
This is a well-calculated piece-sacrifice. 22.Qxe5 Bb5 23.Bb1. White preserved his bishop, but after
23...f5!µ, his knight on h7 would be lost anyway, Hala – Svoboda, Czech Republic 2003.
16...Rc6!?
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Black prepares the doubling of his rooks on the c-file.
17.Qd2
White brings his queen into the fight for the open file, but loses in the process his control over the
b5-square.
17.Nc3 Qc7. Now, his rook on c1 is not sufficiently protected, so he cannot exploit advantageously
the placement of Black’s bishop on the a4-square. 18.Qd2 Rc8=
17.h4 a6 18.Ng5 Bxg5 19.hxg5 Bb5 20.Bxb5 axb5= 21.Rc5 Nd7 22.Rxb5 Qa6 23.a4 b6!= White
has managed to win a pawn, but his rook on b5 is isolated from the actions.
17...Bb5 18.Bxb5 Rxc1 19.Rxc1 Qxb5= Nogal – Szczepankiewicz, ICCF 2013.
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Black’s queenside counterplay is very dangerous in similar positions, because after the
undermining move a7-a5, White’s pawns might become victims to Black’s raging dark-squared
bishop on e7.
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Chapter 5
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4
Main Ideas for Chapters 5-8
I began to play the French Defence with both colours at the end of the 90ies of the past century.
The computers were already able to calculate decently, but were rather inadequate to grasp the
positional intricacies and there was no one yet to help the players to find the best moves at home. I
was already very much impressed with the way the World Champion Garry Kasparov was treating
with White the Winawer variation in his games against Nigel Short and some other adherents to the
French Defence. Still, when you sit on the board and the well familiar moves of Kasparov were over,
White’s straightforward play on the kingside was often reaching its dead end and the weaknesses on
the queenside remained to worry about.
Therefore, I used to avoid with White the main variations with 4.е5 and preferred to choose the
simplifying line: 4.eхd5 eхd5 5.Bd3,
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because this variation was creating serious problems for me when I was Black. White follows the
principle to play simply and prevents the exchange of Black’s bishop on c8, since this is one of his
main strategical tasks. After 5...Nc6 6.a3 (White would not achieve much with 6.Nge2, or 6.Nf3,
because these moves do not prevents Black’s main idea.). 6...Bхc3 7.bхc3 Nge7, Black’s bishop is
ready to occupy the f5-square, neutralising his opponent’s powerful bishop on d3, so White must find
some strong counter measures to fight against this. Black should not be afraid of 8.Qf3, because after
8...Be6 and 9...Qd7, he will manage to accomplish the exchange of the bishops anyway. It would be
much more dangerous for him if White chooses 8.Qh5!? and I was really worried about this some 15
years ago.
Later however, the computer programs made everything clear and in all the variations in which
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White attacked the f7-square, Black obtained excellent compensation sacrificing all his kingside
pawns! 8...Be6 9.Rb1 b6 10.Nf3 Qd7 11.Ng5 0-0-0 12.0-0 Bg4 13.Qxf7 h6 14.f3 Rdf8 15.Qxg7 Bf5
16.Nf7 Rhg8
Black’s major pieces are tremendously active and White is faced with great problems with queens
present on the board, but even if the strongest pieces are exchanged after 17.Ne5 Rхg7 18.Nхd7
Rfg8„, Black’s rook penetrates to the g2-square and he will have powerful counterplay in the
endgame. In principle in this ending he would have to try to win his opponent’s lonely a-pawn and to
promote later his outside passed pawn to a new queen.
In this line Black has an interesting resource. If White delays his development, then Black can
castle quickly queenside and can begin a crushing attack on the kingside,
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for example: 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.Bg5 f6 8.Bf4 Bf5 9.0-0 Qd7 10.Re1 0-0-0 11.Be3 g5„;
or 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Nge7 8.Qh5 Be6 9.Ne2 Qd7 10.Ng3 0-0-0 11.h3 g6 12.Qf3 h5 13.a4 Rde8
14.0-0 h4 15.Ne2 Bf5= Black’s prospects are not worse and he has all the chances of organising
quickly active actions against White’s king.
We have to remember several important principles:

1) In all the lines of the French Defence, even in some very rare and seldom played, Black should
not forget that he should solve the problem with the development of his light-squared bishop.
2) The exchange of the light-squared bishops weakens an entire complex of squares in White’s
camp and Black will obtain good chances of transferring of one of his knights to an important outpost
– the perfect square for this would be – c4!
In general, in the mind of every Russian player the French Defence is often firmly connected with
the World Champion number 6 – Mikhail Botvinnik, who has contributed greatly to the development
of the theory of this not so popular opening back in the past. Almost all the Russian players have
studied the games of Botvinnik against his historical adversary Vasily Smyslov. They have played
three World Championship matches and Smyslov has tried to break his opponent’s fortress in the
French Defence in an attempt to prove that in the variation with the exchange of the bishop on b4 for
the knight on c3, the dark-squared complex in Black’s position has been horribly weakened.
Having this in mind Vasily Smyslov has tried even the rather irrational move 4.a3!? – White is
ready to exchange his central pawn for Black’s pawn on g7 with the idea to emphasize the power of
his dark-squared bishop. Later, Robert Fischer used to play like this, since he was famous for his
attraction to the bishop-pair. Some players try this line even nowadays.
So, the developments are forced 4.a3 Bхc3 5.bхc3 dхe4 6.Qg4 Nf6 7.Qхg7 Rg8 8.Qh6 c5!
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White wishes to stabilise gradually his position and to deploy his two bishops on good squares
exploiting the weaknesses in Black’s position. Still, there are some dynamic factors! Fischer himself
stopped playing the system with 4.а3 for White after he was crushed in a spectacular fashion by the
grandmaster from Croatia Vlatko Kovacevic. He attacked bravely the position of the chess legend
with all his pieces and destroyed him. Therefore, Black must play very energetically while White’s
queen is on h6 and his forces have not entered the actions yet.
Black should not be afraid of 9.dхc5 Nbd7, because White compromises irrevocably his pawn-
structure.
Black would not mind entering the line: 9.Bg5 Rg6 10.Qh4 Bd7 11.Ne2 Bc6 either.
He wishes to sacrifice the exchange, to castle queenside and to organise an attack against the enemy
king.
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12.Rd1 Nbd7 13.Nf4 Rxg5! 14.Qxg5 Qa5 15.Ne2 0-0-0 16.dxc5 Nd5 17.Nd4 e3!ƒ White’s king
has not castled yet, while with coordinated actions Black’s pieces are ready to crush White’s
queenside.
It would be more interesting for him to try the variation 12.d5 exd5 13.Nf4, but Black can counter
that with an exchange sacrifice: 13...Rxg5! 14.Qxg5 Nbd7 15.Be2 Qa5 16.Qg3 0-0-0 17.0-0 Qc7!ƒ
Now, he has numerous threats: an attack on the g-file, the transfer of the knight on d7 along the route
b6-a4 and if White’s queen runs away from the attack of the enemy pieces to the e3-square – then
Black has the crushing break in the centre – d5-d4!
White’s most popular move here is 9.Ne2, so I recommend to Black to force an immediate conflict
in the centre: 9...cхd4 10.cхd4 (After 10.Nхd4 a6, White’s queenside pawns are again hopelessly
weak.) 10...Nc6 11.Bb2 Bd7
White has a great problem here to find a good move. After 12.0-0-0?, Black has the resource
12...Ng4! 13.Qf4 Qg5µ and he regains advantageously the pawn on f2 paralysing his opponent’s
pieces.
White has no time to play 12.h3? Rc8 13.Qd2 because of 13...Ne7! 14.Nc3 Qb6 15.Rb1 Ned5
16.Nхd5 eхd5µ and his forces are squeezed with the protection of his weak squares.
After 12.Ng3, it would be essential for Black not to be tempted by the exchange of the queens
12...Qa5+?! 13.Qd2, enabling White to hold the position somehow. Instead, Black should continue to
increase the pressure 12...Rc8, followed by the transfer of the knight to the a5-square.
In some correspondence games White preferred the line: 12.Rd1 Rc8 13.d5, opening the diagonal
for his main bishop: 13...Nxd5 14.c4 Rg6! 15.Qxh7 Qa5+ 16.Rd2 Nf6=
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After the retreat of White’s queen Black plays simply 17...e5 and then exploits the pin along the d-
file, while after the exchange 17.Bxf6 and the following simplifications, the weakness of White’s
pawns on а3 and c4 becomes more and more obvious. This is the special attraction of the Winawer
variation in the French Defence – there do not arise dull endgames. Black always dreams about
capturing White’s weak queenside pawns and to try to promote his passed pawns there before his
opponent does! White can hold the position with the help of computer moves, but in a practical game
Black has all the chances.
There is another principle in this position:
3) If the opponent has fallen behind in development in an attempt to achieve some strange aims in
the opening, then Black can punish that only with an energetic play seizing the initiative! If he
remains passive he would hardly manage to checkmate his opponent.
White can try some early queen-sorties, but they are all in favour of Black 4.Qg4, 4.Qd3, or 4.Qf3.
The French Defence is a counter attacking opening and Black should try to build a solid position, but
should be ready to punish immediately his opponent for his imprecisions in the opening. Following
4.Qd3 dхe4 5.Qхe4 Nf6 6.Qh4
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Black must take immediate measures against the annoying white queen – 6...Nc6 7.Nf3 Ne7!
8.Bd3 Nf5 9.Bхf5 eхf5
After 10.Bg5, Black plays 10...Qe7+ 11.Ne5 Qe6. He wishes to exchange on c3 and to follow this
with Nf6-e4, beginning a counter attack.
It is essential that White’s seemingly attractive gambit attack turns out to be incorrect.
10.0-0 0-0 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Rfe1 c6 13.d5 h6 14.Rad1?! hxg5 15.Nxg5 Re8! 16.dхc6 Bd6 and White
is incapable of increasing the pressure 17.Qc4 (17.Nd5? Bхh2+ 18.Kхh2 Qхd5–+) 17...Rхe1
18.Rхe1 Qf8 with excellent chances for Black to realise his extra piece. It is an important principle in
the process of defence – to protect the weak squares and to exchange the active enemy pieces!
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There are some gambit lines for White which are still very popular in club tournaments. Among the
possible moves 4 with the bishop (The moves 4.Bd3 and 4.Be3 are not so dangerous for Black.) the
most poisonous is 4.Bd2. It was introduced in the tournament practice at the highest level by the
World Champion number 4 Alexander Alekhine and was then tested in the last round of the match-
tournament for the title World Champion back in the year 1948. Later, this gambit played an
important role in the final match of the contenders for the world title in the year 1950 between David
Bronstein and Isaak Boleslavsky. It was David Bronstein who was the first to show the correct
defensive line for Black and because of that he qualified for the World Championship match against
Botvinnik. Let us refresh some of the experience of the classics – 4.Bd2 dхe4 5.Qg4 Nf6 6.Qхg7
Rg8 7.Qh6 Qхd4 8.0-0-0 Bf8 9.Qh4 (After 9.Qh3, Black can capture another pawn for free
9...Qхf2.) 9...Rg4! 10.Qh3 Qхf2
Bronstein’s adversary was completely surprised by his new strategic idea for Black’s defence and
after 11.Nb5? Na6 12.Kb1 Bd7 13.Be3 Qf5–+, it turned out that White was two pawns down
without any compensation for them Boleslavsky – Bronstein, Moscow 1950.
Following 11.Be3 Qh4, it would be a real achievement for White if he manages to regain the
sacrificed pawns, but it would be much more principled for him to choose 11.Be2!?, as Boleslavsky
recommended after the game. In the line: 11...Rh4 12.Qхh4 Qхh4 13.g3, White can trap the enemy
queen, but he would have to pay a very dear price for that – 13...Qh6! 14.Bхh6 Bхh6+ 15.Kb1
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The evaluation of this position during the 90ies of the past century, during my childhood, was that
Black had full compensation for the exchange. Nowadays, the compute evaluation turns out to be
much more pessimistic for White, because after 15...Nc6!µ, Black’s powerful bishop, in combination
with his mobile pawns, turns out to be much stronger than a rook. White has great problems to
complete his development, while Black is threatening e6-e5, or Nf6-d5-e3, after which White’s
pieces would remain arrested inside his own camp.
Rule 4) “Capture first!” works in general very well against gambits. You should not be afraid to
capture material, but with the idea to give it back after a while and to inflict a strike ahead of your
opponent!
The move 4.Nge2 has a long history too, since it was played by Lasker against Capablanca as well
by Alekhine in his match against Euwe. Black has played most often the move 4...dхe4, but I suggest
to the readers to take White away from his habitual schemes and to play 4...Nc6.
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What is the idea behind this seemingly extravagant move? White’s knight on e2 restricts the
movements of his bishop on f1, so why Black should help his opponent to solve his problems with the
development – let him find a way during the game how to unwind the pile of his pieces on the
kingside!
5.a3 (Following 5.e5 f6, Black can tempt his opponent into an attractive trap – 6.Nf4? fхe5 7.Qh5+
g6 8.Nхg6 Nf6 9.Qh3 eхd4! 10.Nхh8 e5 11.Qg3 dхc3 12.bхc3 Be7µ and White’s knight will not run
away from the exile on the h8-square.) 5...Ba5
Black’s play is quite simple. After е4-е5, he will undermine immediately White’s centre with the
move f7-f6 and the seemingly active move b2-b4 will only force Black’s bishop to occupy the active
placement on the b6-square.
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White will fail to hold on to his centre after 6.Qd3 dхe4 7.Qхe4 Nf6 8.Qh4 0-0 and Black will be
perfectly ready to accomplish the freeing brake е6-е5.
White’s rather indifferent reaction 6.eхd5 eхd5 7.g3 would enable Black after 7...Nce7! to regroup
harmonious his pieces after c7-c6.
Following 6.Be3 Nge7, Black will be ready to castle, while White would be still too far from the
safe evacuation of his king.
Well, after 6.e5 f6 7.Nf4, it would be essential for Black to remember that if White has included the
move a2-a3, then the variation with the sacrifice of the rook on h8 would not be so effective.
Fortunately for Black White’s centre is rather vulnerable and Black should simply defend against the
direct threats and the rest would be quite simple for him! 7...Qe7! 8.Bb5 fхe5 9.Qh5+ Qf7 10.Bхc6
bхc6 11.Qхe5 Ne7 12.0-0 Bb6 13.Re1. Here, your opponent would suspect rather naively that he
would win easily the pawn on e6, while he would be surprised by a cold shower, since he would have
to fight really hard for equality in an endgame: 13...Qf6!= Black’s pieces are much more active and
he will have a very promising pawn-structure in the arising endgame. He will capture advantageously
the pawn on d4 in exchange for his weak pawn on e6.
It may seem attractive for White to isolate Black’s bishop from the play with 6.b4 Bb6, but this
would be too risky for White, because Black would obtain excellent prospects for effective
counterplay. 7.Bb2 (Black can counter 7.e5 with the already familiar resource 7...f6, while after
7.Be3 Nge7, he would be ready to castle.) 7...Nge7
After 8.g3, Black’s counter attacking spring uncoils: 8...e5 9.dхe5 Nхe5 10.Nf4 Ng4ƒ
Still, even after White’s more solid line: 8.e5 0-0 9.Na4 Bd7 10.Nхb6 aхb6 11.Ng3 f6=,
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Black would have a promising game. This is because White has lost too many tempi in the opening
in order to exchange the enemy bishop on b6. All Black’s pieces are in action and the f-file is opened
on which he can operate effectively.
Rule 5) Do not allow your opponent to develop according to a well-familiar scheme and when you
choose a move – try to divert him from a well-trodden path.
I used to be very disappointed when I was young when my opponent, for some reason, after the
moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4, avoided the line with the move 4.e5 against me. This seemed to be
unjust to me, since I lost the opportunity to demonstrate all my analyses and had to enter a sideline!
Only later I understood that in all these sidelines, in which there were not sufficient tests in the games
between chess-professionals, Black would obtain plenty of possibilities for organising effective
counterplay. The contemporary theory confirms that all these lines provide the adherents to the
French Defence with an excellent game at the level of club tournaments, as well as in the grandmaster
games.
Theoretical Resume
In the variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.Qg4 Nf6 7.Qxg7 Rg8
8.Qh6, Berg recommends a line which was popular some time ago: 8...Rg6 9.Qh4 Rg4 10.Qh3 Nc6.
Still, the opening theory, during the time that has passed since the book was published, made a step
forward. In one of the latest games in the variation 11.Bb2! e5 12.0-0-0 Qd6 13.Ne2 exd4 14.cxd4
Bd7 15.c4 0-0-0 16.Qc3 Re8 17.h3 Rg5 18.Qe3 Ra5 19.Nc3 Ne7 20.g4² White obtained a stable
edge thanks to his powerful bishop-pair and his flexible pawn-structure, Vovk – Grinev, Cappelle-la-
Grande 2016.
This is why in this chapter I recommend to Black not to lose a tempo for the move Rg8-g6, which
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only helps White to coordinate his pieces and to bring his queen back into the actions. The suggested
strategy includes exerting pressure against White’s centre, while his strongest piece is isolated at the
edge of the board.
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Chapter 5
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4
Step by Step
We will analyse: A) 4.Bd3, B) 4.Qd3 and C) 4.Bd2
About 4.Qf3 dxe4 5.Qxe4 Nf6 – see variation B.
Black would be quite happy if White’s queen advances a square further on the diagonal. 4.Qg4 Nf6
5.Qxg7 Rg8 6.Qh6 Rg6 7.Qe3 (7.Qh4 Nxe4 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nge2 b6 10.a3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Ba6
12.f3 Nd6= The endgame is very promising for Black, since he has occupied the weak c4-square.)
7...c5 8.Bd2 (He destroys the vulnerable white centre in all the lines: 8.a3 Ba5 9.b4 cxd4 10.Qxd4
Bb6 11.Qd3 a5³) 8...Nc6 9.Bb5 Bd7 10.Nge2 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Ng4 12.Qd3 Qf6 13.Be3 e5ƒ Black has
utilised very advantageously the tempi that the opponent has lost on moves with his queen,
Kunzmann – Pospisil, ICCF 2017.
Just for the same reason White plays only very rarely the line: 4.Be3 dxe4 5.Qg4 Nf6 6.Qxg7 Rg8
7.Qh6 Rg6 8.Qh4 Rg4 9.Qh3 (9.Qh6 Rg6 10.Qh4 Nc6 11.Nge2 Ne7 12.Bg5 Nf5 13.Qf4 Bd7=)
9...Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Nc6 11.Ne2 Qe7 12.Ng3 e5ƒ The moment Black evacuates his king to the
queenside and inflicts a strike against the enemy centre, White will have immediate problems.
A) 4.Bd3 dxe4 5.Bxe4
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The motives behind this variation are very similar to the line with 3.Bd3, in which White wishes to
establish control over the long h1-a8 diagonal, but the inclusion of the moves Nc3-Bb4 is obviously
in favour of Black here, because he is ready to castle and to begin operations in the centre.
5...Nf6 6.Bf3
Black can cope easily with the pin 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Qd3 (About 7.Nge2 h6 – see the game 6, p. 244)
7...c5 8.Nge2, Schebler – Sengupta, Bangkok 2019, 8...cxd4 9.Qxd4 Qa5 10.Bd2 0-0= White’s queen
will be attacked by the coordinated enemy pieces.
6.Bd3. It is not so logical for White to leave the long diagonal here. 6...c5 7.a3 (In the variations
7.Nf3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 e5, Renet – Ivanchuk, Izmir 2004, or 7.dхc5 Nbd7, Boleslavsky – Botvinnik,
Moscow 1941, Black destroys the enemy centre and obtains a quite comfortable development.)
7...Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Qc7 9.Nf3 0-0 10.0-0 c4 11.Be2 Nd5 12.Qe1 Nd7 13.a4 a5³ Djuric – S.Ivanov,
Stockholm 2009. Black will attack his opponent’s doubled c-pawns and will restrict the enemy
bishops.
6...0-0 7.Nge2
In this way White develops and tries to avoid the destruction of his centre, which would happen
after 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 c5 9.a3 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Nbd7 11.dxc5 Qa5³ Gunnarsson – Van Kampen,
Reykjavik 2016.
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White needs just one move to complete his development and then his bishop on f3 would be much
stronger than its opponent on c8. You have to remember that in order to activate his light-squared
bishop in the French Defence Black should not be afraid of sacrificing even a pawn!
7...e5!
8.dxe5
After 8.0-0?! Bxc3, in view of the threat of losing a piece, White is forced to sacrifice a pawn
9.Nxc3 exd4 10.Nb5 c5 11.Bf4 Ne8, but he does not obtain any compensation for it. 12.Re1 Nc6
13.c3 a6 14.Rxe8 Rxe8 15.Nc7 Qf6³ Kuipers – Peng, Wijk aan Zee 2010.
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8.Bg5 exd4 9.Qxd4 Qxd4 10.Nxd4 Re8+=
8...Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1 Ng4 10.Bxg4 Bxg4
Black’s bishops are very powerful and compensate his minimal material deficit and even after the
computer recommendation for White 11.h3 (Following 11.f3 Bf5 12.g4 Be6 13.a3 Bxc3 14.Nxc3
Nc6= Black regains advantageously the lost material, M.Martinez – Bhat, ICC 2013.) 11...Rd8+
12.Bd2 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Be6 14.Nf4 Bc4 15.Re1 Nc6 16.Re4 Na5 17.Ke1 b6= Black has excellent
compensation for the pawn. He will soon double his rooks on the d-file and his minor pieces will
attack the enemy queenside pawns.
B) 4.Qd3 dxe4 5.Qxe4 Nf6
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6.Qh4
The idea of grandmaster Kuzmin was to transfer his queen to the kingside in order to organise an
After any other retreat there would arise a question – why did White’s queen advance to the centre
so early? 6.Qd3 c5 7.a3 (Following 7.dxc5 0-0 8.Nf3 Nc6= Black has completed his development
and is about to capture the pawn on c5, because he can counter 9.Be3 with the move 9...Ng4.)
7...Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Bd7!? White’s queenside pawns would require protection after a while and his
attempt to organise a direct attack would not work 9.Qg3 cxd4 10.cxd4 0-0 11.Bh6 Qa5+! 12.Bd2
(12.c3?? Nh5!–+) 12...Qd5³ Black has solved the problem with his “bad” bishop and is ready to
attack White’s weaknesses.
6...Nc6 7.Nf3 Ne7!
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This is a timely reaction. Black should not allow his opponent to create an attacking formation on
the kingside! Remember that when the opponent has dangerous troubling pieces you must fight
against them in the most resolute way!
8.Bd3 Nf5 9.Bxf5
After 9.Qf4, White’s queen will be attacked with tempo 9...Nd5.
9...exf5
Black has a powerful bishop-pair and one of his doubled pawns would help his knight on f6 to
occupy the e4-outpost.
10.0-0
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10.Bg5 Qe7+ 11.Ne5 Qe6!? 12.0-0 (12.Bd2 Qa6!?„) 12...Bxc3 13.bxc3 Ne4 14.Bc1 0-0= In all
the variations Black has a quite simple and interesting play. He exchanges on c3, his knight occupies
the e4-square and he would have excellent chances of seizing the initiative in this position with
bishops of opposite colours. Therefore White must be in a hurry to place his rook on the e-file.
10...0-0 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Rfe1 c6
13.d5
This activity is forced. After the routine line: 13.Qg3 Be6 14.Rad1 Re8 15.Ne5 Qa5= Black will
have a bishop-pair and good prospects to organise pressure against the enemy pawn on d4, while
White’s play has reached its dead end.
13...h6 14.Rad1?!
White’s alternative here is to bring his rook into the actions with the move 14.Re3, but Black can
parry this activity of the enemy pieces with the line: 14...f4! 15.Bхf6 Bхf6 16.Qхf4 Bхc3 17.Rхc3
Qхd5= This move would be very useful for Black after 14.dхc6 hхg5 15.Nхg5 Be6 16.Re3 f4! and he
parries the enemy attack. The move in the text is quite attractive, but Black has all the chances of
creating great problems for his opponent!
14...hxg5 15.Nxg5
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This position was reached in the game Votava – Bures, Luhacovice 1993.
White’s piece-sacrifice seems to be quite threatening, but Black must have in mind one of the main
principles in the game of chess. You must try to play with all your pieces not only in attack but also in
defence! 15...Re8! 16.dxc6 Bd6 17.Qc4 (White’s direct attack would not work 17.Nd5? Rxe1+
18.Rxe1 Bxh2–+) 17...Rxe1+ 18.Rxe1 Qf8µ Black has managed to exchange plenty of material and
has preserved his extra piece.
C) 4.Bd2 dxe4
5.Qg4
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5.Nxe4? This super adventurous action would not work for White. 5...Qxd4! 6.Bd3 Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2
Qxb2 8.Rd1 Nf6. Black has captured two pawns and after 9.Bb5+ Nfd7!, he parries easily White’s
checkmating threats. 10.Nc3 a6 11.Bd3 0-0µ Stocek – Tibensky, Litomysl 1997.
5...Nf6 6.Qxg7 Rg8 7.Qh6 Qxd4
Here, contrary to Chapter 6, as compensation for his destroyed kingside Black has an extra pawn
and centralised pieces. It will be essential for him not to allow his opponent to make use of the fact
that it is only Black’s queen which protects the knight on f6.
8.0-0-0
8.Nge2 Qe5 9.Bf4?! (It would be better for White to continue his development here: 9.0-0-0 Rg6
10.Qh4 Be7„) 9...Qf5 10.Nd4, Drill – Galchenko, Jyvaskyla 2019, 10...Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qc5 12.Bd2
Nbd7µ Black has preserved his extra pawn and all the pluses of his position.
8...Bf8
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9.Qh4
White must play here practically only moves, because every imprecision may lead him to a loss as
it happened in the following game: 9.Qh3 Qxf2 10.Nge2 Bd7 11.g4 Rxg4 12.Ng3 e3 13.Be1 Qf4
14.Bg2 Qh6 15.Qxh6 Bxh6 16.Bxb7 Bc6 17.Bxa8 Bxa8–+ Bezgodov – Kornev, Krasnoyarsk 2003.
9...Rg4 10.Qh3 Qxf2
11.Be2?!
Black’s queen penetrates bravely into the enemy camp collecting in the process another pawn and
in the game Boleslavsky – Bronstein, Moscow 1950, after 11.Nb5 Na6 12.Kb1 Bd7 13.Be3 Qf5–+
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Black soon claimed a victory in the final match of the candidates for the world title.
It was only many years later when White managed to hold this position in a correspondence game:
11.Be3! Qh4 12.Be2 Qxh3 13.Nxh3 Rxg2 14.Nf4 Rg7 15.Nh5 Nxh5 16.Bxh5, Spoor – Galje, ICCF
2017. He has real compensation for the lost pawns, but Black can simply get rid of the extra material:
16...b6!? 17.Nxe4 (17.Rhf1?! Ba6 18.Rf2 Nd7³) 17...Nd7 18.Rhf1 h6! 19.Nf6+ Nxf6 20.Rxf6 Bd7=
After White’s most popular move, it would be sensible for Black to fall with his queen into a trap!
11...Rh4! 12.Qxh4 Qxh4 13.g3
Black’s queen has been trapped! In fact, as a result in this line he ends up with a powerful bishop
for the exchange and dangerous mobile pawns.
13...Qh6! 14.Bxh6 Bxh6+ 15.Kb1 Nc6!

This powerful move leads to an advantage for Black.
16.Nh3
After 16.Nb5 Ke7 17.Nxc7 Rb8 18.Nb5 Nd5µ White’s development is completely paralysed,
Cabanas Bravo – Suarez Gomez, Sanxenxo 2016. Black plans to deploy his knight on the e3-square
and to follow this with е6-е5, while White does not have any reasonable idea to rely on.
16...e5 17.Nf2 Nd4
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18.Nfxe4
Following 18.Rhe1 Nxe2 19.Rxe2 e3µ Black regains the exchange and obtains a great advantage.
18...Nxe4 19.Nxe4 Nxe2 20.Rhe1 Kf8 21.Rxe2 Bg4 22.Ree1 Bxd1 23.Rxd1 Ke7µ L.Hansen –
Kapusta, ICCF 2017. White has failed to regain the gambit pawn, while Black only needs to realise
the extra pawn with an accurate play and not to allow the enemy knight to inflict some double strike.
Conclusion
The is an ideal variation for games with a rapid time-control and blitz when the opponent might try
to trick you and would end on the losing side! This shows the best receipt against the gambits – you
should try to capture some material and then return it at an opportune moment, developing your
pieces in the process and beginning then a decisive counter attack!
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Chapter 6
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4
Step by Step
6.Qg4
Among White’s alternatives here the move 6.f3?! should be mentioned. Black should better not
accept this gambit. Having compromised his opponent’s pawn-structure he should continue to rely on
a quick development 6...c5.
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The move 7.Bb5+ would only help Black to mobilise faster his pieces. 7...Bd7 8.Qe2 cxd4. White
cannot capture on d4 because of the check on a5 and he loses a piece.
Black develops quite comfortably after 7.Be3 Qa5, attacking the enemy pawn on c3.
Therefore White usually protects this pawn immediately 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.Bb2 0-0 9.fxe4 (White
cannot refrain for long from capturing the pawn 9.0-0-0 Nbd7 10.Qe1 Qc7 11.fxe4 Qf4+ 12.Kb1
Qxe4µ) 9...Nxe4 10.Qe3 Nd6 11.Nf3 Nd7 12.a4, Vogel – Reinecke, ICCF 2019, 12...Nf5 13.Qf2
Qc7µ White has no compensation for the pawn and his pawns and his king are vulnerable.
6...Nf6 7.Qxg7 Rg8 8.Qh6 c5
This is a principled position. The dark squares in Black’s position have been weakened, but his
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rook has entered the actions from the g8-square and his queenside pieces will be developed to
attacking positions with every move. It is essential for him not to allow White to stabilise his position,
because after that his bishops would become powerful force and particularly his dark-squared bishop.
9.Ne2
This is the strongest move for White. He fortifies his centre and brings his knight into the actions. It
is essential for Black here not to try to oust immediately the enemy queen with just a routine move
like Rg8-g6. Remember that he should play this move only if it is necessary, because White’s
strongest piece would be much better placed on d2 or e3 than on the h6-square.
Now, it would not be so simple for Black to remove his king away from the centre with tempi,
because White has protected reliably his pawn on c3. Black can weaken the enemy centre however
and then attack it with all his forces.
9.dxc5 Nbd7
White has compromised voluntarily his pawn-structure and after 10.Bg5?! Rg6, Agamalian –
Petrosian, Tbilisi 1944, he ended up in a very unpleasant position. With his next moves Black’s queen
and his other pieces will attack White’s tripled pawns.
It seems better for White to follow here with a symmetrical bishop-sortie 10.Bb5, Gunina –
Kashlinskaya, St Peterburg 2017, but Black can protect his knight in advance 10...Rg6 11.Qd2
(11.Qe3 Qa5³) 11...a6 12.Ba4 and only then try to trap the enemy queen 12...Qe7 13.Ne2 Qxc5
14.0-0 b5 15.Bb3 Bb7= Black has good counterplay and his bishop and rook are aimed at the g2-
square.
10.Ne2 Nxc5 11.Be3 Ncd7! It is not a pleasure to retreat from the psychological point of view, but
in this line it is essential for Black to have a stable and protected couple of knights d7+f6. It defends
reliably the king and at an opportune moment the mobile knights will begin a counter attack. 12.Ng3
Ng4!
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In this position if a computer plays with White, it may hold the balance. 13.Qxh7 Ndf6 14.Qh4
Qa5 15.Bd2 Qc5 16.Be2 Qxf2+ 17.Kd1 e3 18.Rf1 Qxg2 19.Be1 Qd5+ 20.Kc1 Qg5=, but in a
practical game White’s task would be difficult. His king is in the centre, while Black’s queen and
knights would create plenty of dangerous tactical threats.
13.Qf4 f5 14.Rd1 Qa5 15.Nh5 Rg6 16.h3 Nxe3 17.Qxe3 e5„ Black’s pieces have been deployed
much more harmoniously than their counterparts. White’s king is rather unsafe and this would hurt
him in the forthcoming battle.
9.Bg5 Rg6 10.Qh4 Bd7 11.Ne2 Bc6
Black is just a few moves away from the triumph of his plan. If he manages to evacuate his king to
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the queenside then he will organise a powerful attack against the enemy centre with all his forces. He
would be ready to sacrifice the exchange with that aim eliminating White’s dark-squared bishop.
White cannot continue the game without this strike in the centre, since it impedes the regrouping of
Black’s pieces.
See a very instructive variation 12.Rd1 Nbd7 13.Nf4 Rxg5 14.Qxg5 Qa5 15.Ne2 0-0-0. Black has
removed his king away from the centre and practically his every subsequent move would attack
something. 16.dxc5 Nd5 17.Nd4, Wang – B.Savchenko, Riadh 2017, 17...e3! 18.fxe3 Nxc3 19.Nb3
Qxa3 20.Rd4 a5ƒ Half of White’s pieces are isolated from the actions and there may soon appear on
the board a second black queen.
12.d5!? exd5 13.Nf4 Rxg5 14.Qxg5 Nbd7 15.Be2 (It would be difficult for White here to prevent
the realisation of Black’s plan: 15.Nh5? Nxh5 16.Qxh5, Kosteniuk – Harika, Beijing 2014, 16...Qa5
17.Qh3 d4 18.Rd1 d3!–+ and later the coordinated black forces will soon checkmate White’s lonely
king.) 15...Qa5 16.Qg3 0-0-0 17.0-0
This position was reached in the game Savchenko – Ponfilenok, St Petersburg 2017. White has also
mobilised his forces and if he manages to deploy his rooks in the centre and then to undermine the
enemy centre, the outcome of the game might become unclear. Therefore Black must act urgently. In
fact, the rule to play energetically and to fight for the initiative is valid for him in all the lines in this
chapter. 17...Qc7!? 18.Qe3 (Following 18.Rfd1 Nb6!, Black’s knight attacks the enemy queenside
pawns. Therefore White’s queen is eyeing the enemy c5-pawn, but the energy of Black’s pieces is
quite sufficient to realise a break in the centre.) 18...d4! 19.cxd4 cxd4 20.Qd2 Ne5 21.Rab1 Rg8.
Black has powerful initiative and our analysis confirms how dangerous his threats are. 22.Rb4 d3
23.cxd3 exd3 24.Bd1 Ne4 25.Qe3 Nc3ƒ
9...cxd4 10.cxd4
After the capturing with the knight 10.Nxd4, White will still have doubled pawns moreover that his
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knight might come under an attack. 10...a6 11.Bb2? (11.Nb3 e5=) 11...e5 12.Nb3, Lu – Ganguly,
Douglas 2019, 12...Be6 13.Qe3 Nbd7 14.0-0-0 Ng4! 15.Qe1 Qb6µ
10...Nc6 11.Bb2 Bd7
12.Rd1
About the move 12.c4 – see the game 7, p. 245.
White has faced numerous dangers in this position in practical games. For example: 12.0-0-0? Ng4
13.Qf4 Qg5 and he loses material. 14.Re1 Nxf2 15.Rg1, Jobava – Sutovsky, Novi Sad 2009,
15...Ne7 16.Kb1 Qxf4 17.Nxf4 Nd5µ with a solid extra pawn for Black.
12.h3? Rc8 13.Qd2, Belyakov – M.Popov, Khanty-Mansyisk 2017, 13...Ne7 14.Nc3 Qb6 15.Rb1
Ned5 16.Nxd5 exd5µ all White’s pieces are isolated from the actions.
12.Ng3 Rc8
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After 13.0-0-0?! Na5ƒ, Black’s bishop on a4 joins into the attack against White’s king.
In the variation 13.d5 Ng4 14.Qxh7 Qa5+ 15.c3 Nf6 16.Qh6, Black can inflict a beautiful tactical
strike 16...Nd4! with the idea 17.Qxf6? Rxc3–+
Following 13.Be2 Rg6 14.Qd2 Na5 15.0-0 (After 15.d5 Nxd5 16.Nxe4 Ba4ƒ Black manages to
attack effectively the enemy pawn on c2.) 15...Nc4 16.Bxc4 Rxc4 17.Rfe1 Bc6³ In this position with
bishops of opposite colours Black has all the chances of organising an attack against White’s
monarch, since his bishop is much more active than its white counterpart on b2.
12...Rc8
13.d5!?
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White activates his dark-squared bishop, which was tremendously passive in all the variations that
we had analysed before.
13...Nxd5 14.c4 Rg6 15.Qxh7 Qa5+ 16.Rd2 Nf6 17.Bxf6
The pin of the rook on d2 is rather unpleasant for White after 17.Qh4 e5 and he would have
problems to find good moves, so he should trade the enemy bishop.
17...Rxf6 18.Ng3 Qe5 19.Be2 Ke7 20.Qxe4 Rf4
21.Qe3!?
In the variation 21.Qxe5?! Nxe5³ Black captures the pawn on c4 and obtains a very promising
endgame thanks to his active pieces and the potential passed pawn on the queenside.
21...Qxe3 22.fxe3 Rh4 23.0-0 Ne5= Mujunen – Kuusela, ICCF 2015. White managed to draw this
position somehow in a correspondence game, but in a practical game Black has all the chances to win
this position due to White’s numerous weaknesses!
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Chapter 7
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5
Step by Step
5.Bd3
About 5.Nf3 Ne7 6.Bd3 Nbc6 – see 5.Bd3.
White can defend against the doubling of his pawns after the exchange on c3 but this would be
completely harmless for Black. 5.Bd2 Nf6 6.Nf3 0-0 7.Be2 c6=
Among the other alternatives for White it deserves attention to try the ancient receipt by Bent
Larsen – 5.Qf3!?, who wanted in this way to prevent the development of his opponent’s bishop on c8.
Black found however about half a century ago a very precise check after which White cannot
complete harmoniously his development 5...Qe7+.
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After 6.Be2, Black attacks the enemy pawn on d4 with the move 6...Nc6.
Following 6.Be3 Nf6, Black is threatening Nf6-e4, while White cannot play 7.0-0-0??, because of
7...Bхc3 8.bхc3 Bg4–+
6.Nge2 Nc6 7.Qe3 (This move is necessary; otherwise, after 7.Be3 Nf6 8.h3 Bхc3+ 9.bхc3 Ne4ƒ
White would not be able to develop his pieces.) 7...Bf5 8.a3 (8.Kd1?! 0-0-0 9.Qxe7 Bxe7³) 8...Qxe3
9.Bxe3 Bxc3+ 10.Nxc3 Bxc2 11.Nxd5 0-0-0 12.Nb4 Ba4 13.Nxc6 Bxc6= In this endgame with an
isolated pawn, it would be White who must play precisely in order to maintain the balance.
5...Nc6
6.a3
It is essential for White here to clarify immediately the intentions of Black’s bishop on b4. The
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centre is not stable and White cannot attack with his queen, while his standard developing moves
would not prevent Black from exchanging his bishop on c8.
6.Nf3 Nge7 7.0-0 0-0 8.a3 (8.Ne2 Bf5=; 8.Re1 Bf5=) 8...Bxc3 9.bxc3 Bf5= Black obtains a
position without any defects in all the lines.
6.Be3 Nge7 7.Qf3 Be6 8.Nge2 Qd7. Now, White cannot prevent the move Be6-f5 with 9.Ng3?!,
because of 9...Bg4 10.Qf4 Ng6 11.Bхg6 hхg6³
6.Nge2. Now, Black’s correct reaction would be a bit more difficult. 6...Nge7 7.0-0 (About 7.Bg5
f6 – see the game 8, p. 247; it would not work for White to play here 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3, Vachier
Lagrave – Ivanchuk, Beijing 2014, in view of 8...Nxd4 9.0-0 c6³) 7...0-0 8.Ng3 Nxd4 9.Bxh7+
Kxh7 10.Qxd4, Alekseev – Goganov, St Petersburg 2018. Black’s powerful central pawns
compensate the relative vulnerability of his king. 10...c5 11.Qd3+ Kg8 12.Bg5 f6 13.Bf4 Be6=
6...Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Nge7
Now, White must prevent the development of the enemy bishop with the moves A) 8.Qf3, or B)
8.Qh5.
8.Nf3 Bf5=
A) 8.Qf3 Be6 9.Ne2
White’s possible knight-sorties would not be effective: 9.Nh3 Qd7 10.Ng5 Bf5 11.0-0, Damen –
Grigorov, Riga 2019, 11...f6 12.Nh3 0-0-0³
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I would like to mention that after the exchange on c4, besides the trade of the bishop on c8, Black
has another useful strategical idea – to transfer his knight to the c4-square. For example: 9.Qg3 0-0
10.Ne2 Bf5 11.0-0 Na5= and there arises again an equal position, which is more pleasant to play with
Black.
9.Rb1. White is trying to prevent his opponent from castling queenside. 9...b6 10.Ne2 Qd7 11.Ng3.
Now, Black is quite free to castle kingside: 11...0-0. He has two main ideas at the moment: Nc6-a5-
c4 and f6-Bf7-Bg6. White cannot prevent his opponent from realising at least one of them. 12.Qh5
(12.h3 Na5 13.0-0 f6=) 12...Ng6 13.Nf5 Bxf5 14.Bxf5 Rfe8+ 15.Kf1 Qe7 16.g3 Qe1+ (Black could
have played here the calm move 16...Na5=) 17.Kg2 Qxc3°
9...Qd7
10.0-0
10.Ng3. White wins the battle for the f5-square in order to prevent the development of Black’s
bishop there, but pays a dear price for that. 10...0-0 11.h3 Na5 12.a4 Ng6 13.0-0 Nc4= Now, White’s
bishop on c1 does not have access to a good square to be developed to and Black has occupied the c4-
square, while the line: 14.Bхc4 dхc4 15.Qхb7 Bd5° would be tremendously dangerous for White.
10...0-0 11.Nf4
He wishes to correct his pawn-structure.
White cannot organise a checkmating attack 11.Ng3 Na5 12.Qh5 Ng6 13.Nf5 Bxf5 14.Bxf5
Qc6=, while his pawn on c3 may turn out to be a real weakness.
11...Bf5 12.Re1 Rae8 13.Bd2 Bxd3 14.cxd3
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Remember that when Black’s knight on c6 does not have good prospects (In this case the c4-square
is attacked by White’s pawn.), then Black must try immediately to find another good square for it!
14...Nd8 15.h3 c6 16.Qg4 Qxg4 17.hxg4, Brkic – Saric, Bjelovar 2019, 17...f5= Black intends to
play 18...Ng6 on his next move and to prove that in this endgame with a rather non-standard pawn-
structure his knight will find more objects to attack that White’s bishop on c1.
B) 8.Qh5 Be6
If White has already developed his queen to the h5-square, then it would be best for him to develop
his knight to f3 in order to be able later to attack the f7-pawn with the move Ng5. This can be realised
with, or without the inclusion of the move Rb1 and the variations include an interesting tactical
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nuance.
So, White can play: B1) 9.Nf3, or B2) 9.Rb1.
I have interesting recollections about the variation 9.Ne2 Qd7 10.Ng3 0-0-0
After the beginning of the pandemic with the coronavirus the Russian club “Molodezhka”, for
which I am playing, had a series of matches on the Internet. One of teams which became our
adversaries was from Israel and Boris Gelfand was heading it. In the final round the “Molodezhka”
club managed to win the match and my game became one of the decisive. 11.0-0 g6 12.Qh6 Nf5
13.Nxf5 Bxf5 14.Bg5 Rde8= Steinberg – Kryakvin, lichess.org 2020. Black wishes to exchange on
d3 and then to occupy the f5-square with his queen attacking the enemy pawn on d3. My opponent
was helpless against this plan and there soon appeared other pawn-weaknesses in his position and I
won in the endgame. This variation is an excellent possibility for you to play the game of your life in
this position!
11.h3 g6 12.Qf3 h5 13.a4 Rde8 14.0-0 h4 15.Ne2 Bf5= A.Petrossian – Bauer, Montpellier 2014.
Besides the danger to end up in an inferior endgame, White must consider the possibility that Black
might begin a direct attack on the kingside.
B1) 9.Nf3 Qd7 10.Ng5 0-0-0
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11.0-0
After the blunder 11.Nхf7??, White loses because of 11...g6–+ and Black wins a piece, while
following 11.Nxe6 Qxe6+, Black has an excellent position without queens 12.Qe2 Qxe2+ 13.Kxe2
Na5=, as well as with queens present on the board: 12.Be3 g6 13.Qe2 Nf5 14.0-0 Rhe8= Kosteniuk –
Harika, Lopota 2014. He has quite clear strategical ideas for his knights (at first the c4-outpost!),
while White will hardly manage to activate effectively his bishops.
11...Bg4!?
This is a very attractive idea! Black sacrifices a pawn and provokes an immediate conflict.
12.Qxf7 h6 13.f3
13.Nf3?? Rdf8–+
13...Rdf8!?
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14.Qxg7
Black played enterprisingly after the queen-sacrifice 14.fxg4 Rxf7 15.Nxf7 Re8 16.g5 hxg5
17.Bxg5 Kb8! 18.Rab1 Ka8 19.Rbe1 a6= Brendel – Jussupow, Stockholm 2002. His king was safe,
since he had provided a leeway for it and after the exchange of the rooks on the e-file his queen was
after White’s weak pawns.
14...Bf5 15.Nf7
15.Bхf5? Qхf5 16.g4 Qd7 17.Nf7 Nf5 18.Qxh8 Rxh8 19.Nхh8 Qg7³ White’s king is in the open,
his knight is isolated from the actions and his pieces are dis-coordinated, so his prospects are very
poor.
15...Rhg8
White’s queen and knight were nearly trapped, but he had the possibility to force a transition into
an endgame.
16.Ne5 Rxg7 17.Nxd7 Rfg8! 18.Bxf5 Nxf5 19.Nf6 Rxg2+ 20.Kh1
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After an exchange of strikes White has preserved his extra pawn, but Black’s rook has penetrated to
the penultimate rank. 20...R8g6 21.Nxd5 Rxc2 22.Bf4 Nce7!° Brendel – Rueetschi, Switzerland
2008. Now, it would be tremendously dangerous for White to opt for 23.Nхc7 a6!, since his knight
might remain trapped there, while following 23.Nхe7 Nхe7, Black would have excellent counterplay
thanks to his active rook and the threat to penetrate with his knight to the d5-outpost.
B2) 9.Rb1 b6
10.Nf3
The inclusion of the moves Rb1-b6, would present Black with another possibility to transfer his
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knight to the c4-square: 10.Ne2 Qd7 11.Ng3 0-0-0 12.0-0 Kb7 13.h3 Nc8 14.Qf3 Nd6=
10...Qd7 11.Ng5 0-0-0 12.0-0
Black can feel again quite confident in a fight between knights and bishops. 12.Nxe6 Qxe6+
13.Be3 (After 13.Qe2, it would be interesting for Black to try 13...Nf5!? 14.Qхe6 fхe6= Ravichadran
– Potkin, Goa 2002.) 13...g6 14.Qf3 Nf5 15.0-0 (15.Bxf5? Qxf5 16.Qxf5+ gxf5µ If White loses his
bishop-pair his position would become very difficult due to his numerous weaknesses.) 15...Nxe3
16.Rfe1 Qg4 17.Ba6+ (17.Qxe3 Kb7=) 17...Kb8 18.Rхe3 Qхf3 19.Rхf3 f5= Libiszewski –
Spiridonov, France 2007. It is now essential for Black to build pawn-chains against the enemy
bishops and to transfer his knight to an outpost.
12...Bg4 13.Qxf7 h6 14.f3 Rdf8 15.Qxg7 Bf5 16.Nf7 Rhg8
17.Ne5
17.Ba6+ Kb8 18.Ne5 Nхe5 19.Qхe5 Ng6. Black has a powerful attack for his sacrificed pawns.
20.Qe1 (20.Qg3 Bхc2ƒ; 20.Qe2 Bh3! 21.Rf2 Nh4 22.g3 Rf6! 23.Be3 Qf7ƒ) 20...Bh3! 21.Bхh6
(21.gхh3?? Qхh3 22.Kh1 Nf4 23.Qf2 Rg2–+) 21...Bхg2 22.Kхg2 Nf4+ 23.Kh1 Qh3 24.Qd2 Qхh6
25.Rg1 Nh3! 26.Rg2 (26.Qхh6?? Nf2#) 26...Qe6ƒ His king is quite safe now, while White’s
monarch is under an attack by Black’s pieces.
17...Rхg7 18.Nхd7 Rfg8 19.Bхf5 Rхg2 20.Kh1 Nхf5 21.Nf6 R8g6 22.Nхd5 Rхc2
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23.Rb2!? White is trying to exchange the active enemy rook in an attempt to realise some pluses
out of the inclusion on move nine. 23...Rgg2 24.Rхc2 Rхc2 25.Bf4 Ra2 26.Bхc7 Rхa3 27.Bf4 Rb3=
Black’s passed a7-pawn is very powerful and this can be best illustrated by the variation 28.Rg1 a5
29.Rg8+ Kb7 30.Rf8 a4! and White fails to play 31.Rхf5, due to 31...a3 32.Rf7+ Ka6–+ and Black
would promote a new queen.
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Chapter 8
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Ne2 Nc6
Step by Step
Now, Black has all the chances of forcing an immediate conflict on move 4! How can White
continue with his development now?
5.a3
About 5.exd5 exd5 6.a3 Ba5 – see variation B.
Following 5.e5, Black should inflict an immediate strike against the enemy centre 5...f6!
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The move 6.exf6 would only enhance the mobilisation of Black’s forces 6...Nxf6.
After 6.Nf4?, Black can set up an insidious trap: 6...fxe5! 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Nf6 9.Qh3 exd4
10.Nxh8 e5 11.Qg3 dxc3 12.bxc3 Be7µ and White ends up in a desperate situation, since his knight
on h8 is likely to be captured.
It would be more solid for him to play here 6.f4, but Black can continue easily with his
development attacking the enemy centre. 6...Nh6 7.a3 Ba5 8.b4 Bb6 9.Na4 fxe5 10.dxe5 0-0 11.g3
(After 11.Nxb6 axb6 12.b5 Na5 13.Nd4 Nf5= Black’s knight would be headed for the c4-square.)
11...Bd7 12.Bh3 Nf5 13.Nxb6 axb6 14.Rb1 Nce7 15.0-0, Ponkratov – Maier, Tallinn 2016,
15...Bb5³ All Black’s pieces are in action, while White is squeezed by the pin and the protection of
the pawn on a3.
5...Ba5
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We will analyse now: A) 6.Qd3, B) 6.eхd5, C) 6.e5 and D) 6.b4.
6.Be3 Nge7 7.e5 Nf5 8.Ng3 Nхe3 9.fхe3, Berg – Potkin, Oropesa 1999, 9...Bхc3+! 10.bхc3 0-0
11.Bd3 f5!³ It is not good for White to open the f-file; otherwise, Black will play Nc6-a5, will
advance c7-c5 and will attack the enemy weaknesses.
A) 6.Qd3
This plan is very similar to the idea of Gennady Kuzmin. Black’s knight on c6 is placed at least as
well as White’s knight on e2, so Black should not be afraid of this plan.
6...dxe4
7.Qxe4
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White should better avoid here gambit play: 7.Qg3?! Nxd4 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 9.Bf4 e3! Black gives
back one of his two extra pawns and begins the process of realisation of his second extra pawn.
7...Nf6 8.Qh4 0-0

Black can exploit the fact that White’s knight on e2 has closed the way of his bishop on f1 and
should not be in a hurry to transfer his knight from c6 to f5.
9.Bg5 h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Qxf6 gxf6 12.0-0-0 Rd8 13.Ne4
White has redeployed his knight with tempo and plans now to attack the enemy bishop on a5 with
c2-c4 and b2-b4. Black has two powerful bishops and exerts pressure against the pawn on d4, so he
can ignore this threat.
13...Bb6! 14.Nxf6+
About 14.c3 e5 15.Nxf6+ Kg7 16.Nh5+ Kf8 – see 14.Nxf6.
14...Kg7 15.Nh5+ Kf8 16.c3 e5 17.d5

Black can counter 17.dхe5? with 17...Rхd1 18.Kхd1 Bхf2³, regaining the e5-pawn on his next
move and ends up in an endgame with a powerful bishop-pair.
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17...Bxf2!
Here, White cannot capture the enemy knight 18.dхc6??, since he would lose his rook 18...Be3+
19.Kc2 Bf5–+, therefore Black regains advantageously his pawn.
18.Neg3 Bg4 19.Be2 Bxe2 20.Nxe2 Ne7= Black has active bishops and exerts pressure against the
pawn on d4, so he has all the chances of playing for a win in this endgame.
B) 6.exd5 exd5
7.Ng3
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There has arisen once again a fight “pros and cons” the development of Black’s bishop on the f5-
square.
After White’s alternatives Black develops easily his pieces to active positions. 7.g3 Nce7 8.Bg2 c6
9.0-0, Thiel – Wolf, Germany 2003, 9...h6 10.Bf4 Nf6=
7.Bf4 Nge7 8.Qd2 0-0 9.Ng3?! Gubanov – Polivanov, Lvov 2003. This is another position which
is worth remembering. White is trying to prevent the development of Black’s light-squared bishop,
but deploys badly his pieces and will be punished immediately now. 9...Ng6 10.Be3 Qd6 11.Be2 f5
12.f4 Bхc3 13.bхc3 (This move is forced; otherwise, White would lose his pawn on f4.) 13...Na5!³
His bishops are severely restricted now, the c4-square is vulnerable, while Black’s position is
strategically perfect.
7...Nge7
This development of the knight is more purposeful than 7...Nf6.
8.Be3
Afte8.Qd3 0-0 9.Be2, Dobrovolsky – Vysochin, Kiev 1998, Black forces his opponent to weaken
the e4-square and will then deploy his knight there. 9...f5! 10.f4 Nb8! 11.b4 Bb6 12.Na4 Nd7= This
is an approximately equal position, but it is much more pleasant to play with Black.
8...Nf5
9.Nxf5?!
After 9.b4 Bb6 10.Nхf5 Bхf5 11.Na4 0-0= Black leads in development and the capturing in the
game provides him with an additional possibility to create more weaknesses in his opponent’s
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position.
9...Bxc3+! 10.bxc3 Bxf5 11.Bd3
The dream of every fan of the French Defence is to obtain a position with a knight against a bishop
when his opponent’s pawn-structure has been compromised! 11...Qd7 12.c4 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 0-0 14.0-
0 dxc4 15.Qxc4 Rad8 16.Rab1 b6 17.Rfd1 Na5 18.Qd3 Qd5³ Pandurevic – Nikolic, Tuzla 2019.
White is doomed to a long and laborious defence.
C) 6.e5 f6
7.Nf4
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About 7.b4 Bb6 – see variation D.
Following 7.exf6?! Qxf6 8.Bf4, Belyakov – Е.Romanov, Cheliabinsk 2019, 8...Nge7 9.Qd3 Nf5³
Black attacks his opponent’s centre and enjoys a lead in development.
7...Qe7!
After the inclusion of the moves a3 – Ba5, the attractive exchange-sacrifice does not work any
more, but Black has some other possibilities as well.
8.Bb5
After 8.eхf6?! Nхf6³ Black is threatening to play Nf6-e4, so White must fight for the centre with
all his forces.
8...fxe5
Black has opened the f-file and plans to exert pressure against the enemy position thanks to that.
9.Qh5+
9.dхe5 Qf7! 10.Bхc6 bхc6 11.0-0 Ne7„ Black will castle on his next move and will deploy his
bishop on the a6-square. The active play on the f-file is one of the most effective weapons in the
arsenal of the adherents to the French Defence!
9...Qf7 10.Bxc6+
White cannot continue the game without the exchange: 10.Qxe5?! Nge7 and his queen will be
forced to retreat. 11.Qh5, Saptarshi – Aulia, Albena 2014, 11...Qxh5 12.Nxh5 0-0µ Black will break
easily his opponent’s position in the centre.
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10...bxc6 11.Qxe5 Ne7 12.0-0 Bb6 13.Re1
As it often happens in the French Defence White has occupied the e5-square but will fail to hold on
to it. 13...Qf6! 14.Qxf6 (There may arise another advantageous endgame for Black, due to his
superior pawn-structure after 14.Nxe6?! Qxe6 15.Qxe6 Bxe6 16.Rxe6 Kd7 17.Re2 Nf5³) 14...gxf6
15.Nxe6 Bxe6 16.Rxe6 Kf7 17.Re1 Bxd4= Here, you can see a rule in the endgames in the French
Defence. It is much easier for Black to play any non-standard endgames. In this case, this is because
his most important piece – the dark squared bishop on d4 is present on the board.
D) 6.b4 Bb6
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Black has concentrated his pieces on the d4-square and White is faced with a serious question –
what to do with his centre?
7.Bb2
The move 7.eхd5 only facilitates the development of Black’s bishop on c8. 7...eхd5.
After 7.b5?! Na5, Black will control the c4-square.
Following the tricky line: 7.Na4?! dхe4 8.Bb2, Guseinov – Bauer, Heraklion 2007 (or 8.c3 Nge7!
with the idea 9...е5!) the best for Black would be to follow with 8...Nge7! 9.c4 a6. After 10.Nхb6
cхb6° or 10.g3 Ba7 11.Bg2 f5° White will have some compensation for the lost material, but Black
preserves his extra pawn after all.
The move 7.Be3 does not contribute to the development of White’s kingside. 7...Nge7 8.exd5
(8.b5?! Na5³ ; 8.Na4 dxe4 9.c4 a6°) 8...exd5 9.Ng3 Nf5 10.Nxf5 Bxf5=
Following 7.e5 f6, White’s knight belongs to the f3-square and it is on e2 impeding the
development of his own pieces and is not fighting for the e5-square. 8.Na4 (Black has no problems at
all after 8.b5 Nce7 9.Na4 Ba5+ 10.Bd2, K.Grigoryan – Bernadskiy, Ahvaz 2019, 10...c6=, but he can
also play 8...Na5=) 8...fxe5 9.dxe5 Nge7 10.Nxb6 axb6 11.Bb2 0-0 12.g3
Black has achieved a lot. He has opened the f-file, his rook on a8 has entered the actions from its
initial square and here, if he manages to activate his bishop on c8, then he would have a wonderful
position. 12...Bd7 13.Bg2 (White cannot impede the regrouping of the enemy forces: 13.Nf4 Qe8!
14.Bd3 Nd8 15.0-0 Bb5=) 13...Qe8 14.0-0 Nd8 15.Re1 c5 16.Nf4 Ng6= White’s bishops have been
restricted, while Black’s bishop will soon occupy the c6-square and he will advance d5-d4 with an
208
7...Nge7
White can refrain from closing the centre D1) 8.g3, or still advance his pawn D2) 8.e5.
D1) 8.g3 e5!

This is a surprising strike! It turns out that White cannot win the central pawn, due to the threat of a
checkmate.
9.dxe5
9.exd5 Nxd4 10.Bg2 Bg4 11.Qd3 0-0= Rogulj – B.Kovacevic, Zagreb 2006. Black has already
completed his development and is ready to begin an attack.
9...Nxe5
209
10.Nf4
White opens the way for his bishop on f1, so that it can control the c4-square.
10.Bg2 Nc4 11.Bc1 a5ƒ Black is already attacking!
10...Ng4! 11.Nd3 0-0 12.Bg2

After 12.Be2 Nf6 13.exd5, Mitkov – Matsenko, Chicago 2017, 13...Bd4!? White is forced to
choose between entering an endgame 14.Nf4 Bxc3+ 15.Bxc3 Nexd5 16.Nxd5 Qxd5 17.Qxd5 Nxd5
18.Bd4 Re8 19.Kd2 Bf5= in which on his next move Black will place his second rook on d8 in order
to create trouble for the enemy king and the line: 14.Nc5 Bxc3+ 15.Bxc3 Nexd5 16.Bb2 Bh3„ after
which his king might be facing even more serious threats.
210
This position was reached in the game Gilevich – Apicella, Cannes 2019. It may seem that White
has fortified reliably his position, but Black can inflict a beautiful strike right at this moment!
12...Bxf2+!? 13.Nxf2 Ne3 14.Qf3
After the other retreats of White’s queen 14.Qd3 Nxg2+ 15.Kf1 Ne3+ 16.Qxe3 d4ƒ Black restores
the material balance and continues his attack against the enemy king.
14...d4 15.Ne2 c5!
Here naturally Black does not capture the rook on a1, since his beautiful knight on e3 paralyses
completely White’s forces.
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16.c3
Following 16.Rc1 Ng6 17.Nd3 Bg4ƒ or 16.bхc5 Nc6 17.Nd3 Bg4ƒ Black’s pieces are centralised
like in a schedule in order to crown the attack against White’s monarch.
16...Nc6 17.cxd4 cxd4 18.Nf4 a5ƒ White’s defence is tremendously difficult after 19.b5 Ne5, as
well as following 19.N2d3 aхb4 20.aхb4 Rхa1 21.Bхa1 Nхb4! 22.Nхb4 Qa5ƒ
D2) 8.e5 0-0 9.Na4 Bd7
10.Nxb6
Black can counter the routine move 10.Ng3? with 10...Bхd4! 11.Bхd4 Nхd4µ and White would
end up a pawn down.
10...axb6 11.Ng3 f6 12.Bd3
Without this move Black will simply exchange his “bad” bishop: 12.exf6 Rxf6 13.Bd3 Be8 14.0-0
Bg6= As a rule in the French Defence White often has the feeling that he has the advantage due to the
temporary passivity of his opponent’s light-squared bishop. Black’s chance is when he manages to
trade this bishop, or to activate it, White has a problem to begin defending. This is the opportunity for
Black to convert his active actions into a victory!
212
This position was reached in the game Stojanovic – Predojevic, Zadar 2011.
12...fxe5 13.dxe5 Ng6 14.Qh5
White defends actively his pawn on e5, but Black is not obliged to protect his knight on g6.
14...Rf4!?
15.Bxg6
After 15.0-0?! Rh4 16.Qe2 Qg5ƒ White risks coming under a dangerous attack out of the blue...
15...hxg6 16.Qxg6 Qh4 17.Nh5!

Following 17.f3 d4, Black captures advantageously the enemy pawn on е5.
213
17.0-0 Ne7 18.Qd3 Rc4 19.f3 Bb5° with excellent compensation for the pawn for Black.
17...Qxf2+ 18.Kd1 Rf7 19.Nf6+ Kf8 20.Nh7+ Kg8

Unfortunately quite often it happens that the most beautiful variations in the game of chess end up
in a draw. Still, if the opponent has found all these strong moves, then he deserves to share the point
in the scoreboard! White cannot achieve more than that.
21.Ng5 Rf5 22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Qh8+ Ke7 24.Qxg7+ Kd8 25.Nf3
After 25.Nh3 Qh4 26.Kd2 Qc4, Black’s threats turn out to be much more dangerous. His king,
contrary to its counterpart, is well protected by his pawns and pieces.
25...Rxf3! 26.gxf3 Qxf3+ 27.Kd2 Qf4+!= with a perpetual check.
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Chapter 9
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5
Main Ideas
White’s attempts to avoid the well trodden paths and just to reduce the tension, or to attack the g7-
square are always something Black should be waiting for. His pieces will enter the actions with
tempo and he will organise a dangerous counter attack against the b2-square.
After the seemingly aggressive attempt 5.Qg4, it would be good for Black to play 5...Ne7.
215
You should not be afraid when you play the French Defence to sacrifice your pawns on g7 and h7
in order to seize the initiative. Black’s offensive on the queenside is very likely to provide you with
the chance of regaining your material losses with an interest. Now, White will have a problem to find
a move which would not lead to material losses for him. Black’s main motif here is to try to trap the
enemy rook 6.Qxg7 Rg8 7.Qxh7 cxd4 8.a3 Qa5 9.axb4 (9.Rb1? dxc3 10.axb4 Qa2–+) 9...Qxa1
10.Nce2 Bd7 11.Nf3 Na6³
6.a3 Qa5 7.Nge2 (White should better avoid here 7.axb4 Qxa1, or 7.Bd2 cxd4 8.axb4 Qxa1+
9.Nd1 0-0µ) 7...cxd4
Black must play energetically; otherwise his queen might be trapped inside the enemy camp.
8.Rb1 (After 8.axb4 Qxa1 9.Nb5 0-0 10.Nc7, Black must play aggressively in order to help his
216
queen: 10...d3! 11.cxd3 Bd7 12.Nxa8 Rc8 13.Qf4 Nbc6‚) 8...Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 0-0 10.Nxd4 Nbc6³
White has managed to avoid material losses, but his position remains with a complex of weaknesses.
Having seen all these variations, it may seem that if White wishes to continue with a queen-sortie,
he might do it better after the reduction of the tension in the centre. 6.dxc5 Nbc6 7.Bd2 Ng6 8.Nf3
Bxc5
The development of the bishop to the active а7-g1 diagonal in just one move is a great achievement
for Black. Now, for example after 9.0-0-0, he can simply capture a pawn – 9...Bxf2!
9.Bd3 0-0 10.Qh5 (10.Qg3 f5! This is one of the main resources for Black in the French Defence.
He will be happy after the opening of the f-file, as well as after the kingside gets completely blocked
and the focus of the actions would be turned to the queenside.) 10...Nb4 11.0-0 Nxd3 12.cxd3 Be7
217
This is a key-position. White has concentrated his forces on the kingside, but Black has neutralised
his opponent’s sniper on d3 and plans to open the position with the idea to utilise the power of his
bishop-pair. After 13.Rae1 Bd7, it is important to know that the following line would not work for
White: 14.Ng5 h6 15.Nxf7? Kxf7 16.Re3. The threat of a check from f3 seems to be very unpleasant
for Black, but he can remedy the situation with 16...Bg5! 17.f4 Bh4! 18.Ref3 (18.g3 d4–+) 18...Qb6+
19.Kh1 Qxb2–+ Black’s defensive fortress seems to be quite reliable, but he should better organise
rapid active actions on the opposite side of the board in order to parry White’s offensive radically.
There are still theoretical disputes in a line, introduced into the practice by Alexander Alekhine.
5.Bd2 Ne7. The idea of the World Champion number 4 was best seen in the manoeuvre 6.Nb5
Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 with the idea to penetrate to the d6-outpost.
218
In this line White lags in development and Black can obtain easily a very good position by breaking
his opponent’s centre with pawn counter strikes. 7...0-0 8.f4 Bd7. White has managed to fortify his
centre, but Black solves the key-problem with his light-squared bishop and sets up several insidious
traps in the process. 9.dxc5 (It would be too risky for White to choose here 9.Nd6 cxd4 10.Nf3 Nbc6
11.Nxd4 f6ƒ, after 9.Nf3? Bxb5 10.Bxb5 c4!, his bishop gets trapped, while after 9.a4?! a6 10.Nd6
Qb6 11.c3 cxd4 12.cxd4 Nbc6 13.Nf3 Nc8³ Black gets access to the important b4-square.) 9...Bxb5
10.Bxb5 Qc7
This is a standard situation. Black has managed to solve his main problem and now White must
choose whether to begin defending after 11.Nf3 Qxc5 12.Bd3 Nd7 13.0-0-0 Nb6 14.Kb1 Nc4, or to
capture rather riskily a pawn 11.b4 a5 12.c3 b6! 13.cxb6 Qxb6 14.a4 axb4 15.cxb4 Rc8 16.Rd1 Na6
219
17.Nf3 Nf5ƒ, after which he might come under a very dangerous attack. In both cases it would be
quite interesting to play this position with Black!
220
Chapter 9
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5
Step by Step
We will analyse now: A) 5.Nf3, B) 5.dхc5, C) 5.Qg4 and D) 5.Bd2.
A) 5.Nf3 cxd4
White complies with the destruction of his centre and despite the free development of his pieces, he
would have to consider the fact that in the future his pawns on c2 and е5 may become weak.
6.Qxd4
Black will also be happy after the line: 6.Nxd4 Qc7 7.Bb5+ Bd7 8.0-0 Nc6„ White’s pawn on e5
will be hanging.
6...Nc6
221
7.Bb5
7.Qg4. In its chase after the enemy pawn on g7 White’s queen leaves his entire queenside
unprotected. 7...Nge7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qh6 (White will have even greater problems after 9.Qxh7 d4
10.a3 Qa5!ƒ) 9...d4 10.a3 Ba5 11.b4 dxc3 12.bxa5 Qxa5„ Black can attack quite easily his
opponent’s numerous weaknesses.
7...Qa5 8.Bd2
Following 8.Bxc6+?! bxc6³, Black will oust easily his opponent’s pieces away from the d4-square.
8...Nge7
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9.0-0
9.Qg4 0-0 10.Bd3, Hodgson – Ravi, London 1987, 10...Ng6 11.Bxg6 (11.a3 d4!ƒ) 11...fxg6³ This
is an important idea. Black opens the f-file for his rook and his king will be quite safe.
The change of the pawn structure will be favourable for Black in the variation 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.0-
0, Hodgson – Saether, Gausdal 1990, 10...c5 11.Qg4 Nf5 12.a3 Bxc3 13.Bxc3 Qc7= After the pawn-
advance d5-d4, Black’s light-squared bishop will be potentially dominant on the а8-h1 diagonal.
9...Bxc3 10.Bxc6+ Nxc6 11.Qxc3 Qxc3 12.Bxc3 Bd7= Hodgson – Saether, Stavanger 1989.
In this objectively equal endgame Black can create pressure on the c-file, but before that he would
have to develop his bishop on d7 to an operationally active diagonal.
B) 5.dxc5 Ne7 6.Nf3
About 6.Qg4 Nbc6 – see variation C.
6...Nd7
223
7.Bd3
7.Bb5 0-0 8.0-0 Nxc5 9.Qd4 a5„
7.Qd4 Bxc5 8.Qg4 0-0 9.Bd3 f5 10.Qg3, T.Horvath – Jurek, Pontresina 2000, 10...Bb6„ Black’s
bishop is well placed on the а7-g1 diagonal and it frees an important square for his knight, from
where it would fight effectively for the central squares. On c5 it controls the important d3 and e4-
squares and impedes the enemy pieces to be deployed comfortably in the centre.
In order to place his bishop on the а6-f1 diagonal and to open the f-file, while White’s king is
stranded in the centre, Black is ready to sacrifice a pawn. 7.Bd2 Nc6 8.Bb5 0-0 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Na4
Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Qc7 12.Qc3 Ba6 13.b3 f6„ Sigurjonsson – Agdestein, Oslo 1983.
7...Nxc5 8.0-0 Nxd3
224
9.cxd3
The capturing with the queen 9.Qxd3 Bd7 would not impede Black to undermine the enemy centre.
10.Nb5 (10.Nd4 Ng6 11.f4 0-0 12.Nce2 f6ƒ Antal – Erdos, Budapest 2002) 10...0-0 11.Nbd4 Ng6
12.c3, Kiefer – Kaufmann, Switzerland 2001, 12...Bc5 13.Be3 Bb6 14.Nb3 f6„ Have in mind that
White’s pieces are often placed very attractively in the centre, but they are not stable and Black only
needs to attack them a bit in order for them to be ousted away from there!
9...Bd7 10.Ne2, Dominguez Perez – Ivanchuk, Doha 2016, 10...0-0 11.a3 Ba5 12.Be3 Bb6
13.Qd2 (13.Ned4 Ng6ƒ, with the idea f7-f6) 13...Nf5=, followed by simplifications on the d4-
square.
C) 5.Qg4 Ne7
225
The loss of the g7-pawn is much less dangerous than Black’s threats against White’s queenside.
6.dхc5
6.Qxg7 Rg8 7.Qh6 (White would not obtain sufficient compensation for the exchange after 7.Qxh7
cxd4 8.a3 Qa5 9.axb4 Qxa1 10.Nce2, Arakeljan – Pourramezanali, Dubna 2015, 10...Bd7 11.Nf3
Na6³) 7...cxd4 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qc7 10.Ne2 dxc3 11.f4 Bd7 12.Rb1 Nbc6 13.Ng3 0-0-0 14.Bd3
Nd4³ Sigurjonsson – Uhlmann, Hastings 1976. Black has entered a very favourable version of a
standard position in the Winawer variation. He has managed to castle and to begin active actions in
the centre, while White has nothing to brag about.
6.a3 Qa5. This is a trap which would work very effectively in the club tournaments! White has
suddenly come under a deadly pin.
226
7.axb4 Qxa1 8.Kd1 cxd4 9.Nb5 0-0 10.Nc7 Bd7 11.Nxa8, Cuijpers – Jussupow, Netherlands
2009, 11...Rc8 12.Nf3 Ba4 13.Nxd4 Nbc6 14.Nxc6 Bxc2+! 15.Kxc2 Rxc6+ 16.Kb3 Rxc1–+
7.Bd2 cxd4 8.Qxd4 (8.axb4 Qxa1+ 9.Nd1 0-0µ Grischuk – Shipov, chessassistantclub. com 2004;
it would be slightly better for White to play here 8.Nb1 Bxd2+ 9.Nxd2 0-0 10.Bd3 Nbc6 11.Ngf3
Ng6³ – see the game 9, p. 249) 8...Nbc6 9.Qg4 (9.Bb5 0-0 10.Bxc6 Nxc6µ) 9...d4µ
7.Nge2 cxd4 8.Rb1 (After White’s alternatives his centre will crumble: 8.Qxd4 Nbc6 9.Qf4 d4ƒ
Mokshanova – Kovalevich, Rybinsk 2010, or 8.axb4 Qxa1 9.Nb5 0-0 10.Nc7 d3! 11.cxd3 Bd7
12.Nxa8 Rc8 13.Qf4 Nbc6‚) 8...Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 0-0 10.Nxd4 Nbc6³ Lobanov – Schekachikhin, St
Petersburg 2017. If Black has managed to destroy his opponent’s centre, then he must bring the rest
of his forces in order to collect the pawn remains!
6.Nf3 cxd4 7.Nxd4 0-0 8.Bd3 Ng6. In White’s plan (an aggressive deployment of pieces and
control over the d4-square) there is a certain drawback – his e5-pawn would be hanging.
227
9.Bxg6 (It is always in favour of Black to have transformation like 9.Nf3?! Nc6 10.0-0 Bxc3
11.bxc3 Ncxe5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.Bxh7+ Kxh7 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Qxe5 f6³ Dragojlovic – Naumkin,
Padova 2006. The pawn in the centre is very important and Black’s pawn structure is preferable.)
9...fxg6!
This is an important resource! Now Black is safe against any attacks and his rook is active on the f-
file. 10.0-0 Be7 11.Be3 (11.Nxe6?? Qd7–+) 11...Nc6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Na4, Aleksic – Kovacevic,
Spilimbergo 2017, 13...Rf5! (Berg) 14.Qd4 Qc7 15.f4 a5 16.Nc5 Rb8„ Black’s pieces are very
active and White will have great difficulties to preserve his pieces on the blocking squares.
6...Nbc6
228
7.Bd2
7.Qxg7?! Rg8 8.Qxh7 d4 9.a3 Qa5 10.Rb1 dxc3 11.Be3 (11.axb4? Qa2–+) 11...Bd7 12.Ne2 cxb2+
13.axb4, Azarya – Nguyen, Fano 2016, 13...Qxb4+ 14.Bd2 Qa3ƒ Black’s b2-pawn is still alive and
he is ready to castle queenside followed by the development of his initiative.
7.Bb5?! Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Qa5 9.Bxc6+ (9.Qb4 Qc7 10.Nf3 0-0ƒ) 9...bxc6 10.Ne2 0-0 11.0-0 Ba6ƒ
Black’s bishop has occupied an active diagonal squeezing the enemy pieces, Keough – Andersen,
Koge 2010.
It is in favour of Black to destroy his opponent’s queenside. 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Qa5 9.Bd2 0-0
10.Nf3, Sorochan – Rozhko, Samara 2012, 10...Qc7 11.Qh5 Ng6³
7.Nf3 d4 8.Bb5 (8.a3? Qa5) 8...Qa5 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Qxd4 Nf5 11.Qc4 Ba6 12.Qb3, Banas –
Prandstetter, Marianske Lazne 1978, 12...0-0 13.Bd2 Rfb8ƒ
7...Ng6 8.Nf3
8.f4 0-0 9.Bd3 f5! This is another very interesting resource for Black. White’s queen is under an
attack and this enables Black to provoke advantageous changes of the pawn structure in the centre.
10.Qg3, Edwards – Thompson, England 1998 (10.exf6 e5ƒ) 10...d4 11.Nb5 Bxd2+ 12.Kxd2 Qa5+
13.Kd1 Bd7© Black’s king is much safer than its counterpart.
8...Bxc5
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9.Bd3
After 9.0-0-0, Black would have the tactical strike 9...Bxf2!, ending up with an extra pawn.
9...0-0 10.Qh5
The other retreat of White’s queen would not be good for him 10.Qg3 f5 11.0-0, Adler – Vinke,
Germany 2011 (11.exf6 Qxf6„) 11...Nd4„
10...Nb4
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In similar pawn structures, White’s bishop on d3 is Black’s main enemy and he should try to
exchange at the first possible moment!
11.0-0
11.Ng5?! This move is a loss of time. 11...h6 12.Nf3 Nxd3+ 13.cxd3 Qe8 14.d4 Be7 15.0-0 Bd7
16.Rfe1 f5 17.exf6 Rxf6 18.Re2 Qf7³ Al Modiahki – Tukmakov, Yerevan 1996. Black has a
powerful bishop-pair and has opened advantageously the f-file for his major pieces.
11...Nxd3 12.cxd3 Be7
13.Rae1
After White’s alternatives Black’s task would be quite simple. He should open the f-file and fight
against White’s pieces trying to control the d4-square.
13.d4 f6 14.exf6, Tischbierek – L.Hansen, Warsaw 1990, 14...Rxf6 15.Rfe1 Rf5 16.Qg4 Bd7„
13.Be3 Bd7 14.Rae1, S.Chekhov – Nosenko, Elets 2014, 14...f6 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.d4 Rc8³
13.Rfe1 Bd7 14.Nd4?! Meister – Kropman, Berlin 2013, 14...Qb6 15.Nb3 d4 16.Ne4 Bb5µ
Black’s light-squared bishop is tremendously powerful and has no opponent.
13...Bd7. Black is again ready to open the f-file and to activate his bishops. It is essential that it
would not work for White to follow with the aggressive line: 14.Ng5 h6 15.Nxf7? Kxf7 16.Re3 Bg5!
17.f4 (17.Rf3+ Kg8–+) 17...Bh4! 18.Ref3 (18.g3 d4–+) 18...Qb6+ 19.Kh1 Qxb2–+
D) 5.Bd2 Ne7
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We will deal now with: D1) 6.a3 and D2) 6.Nb5.
Thanks to the variations, we have already analysed, we understand perfectly how dangerous it
would be for White to ignore the measures concerning the fortifications of his centre. 6.f4?! cxd4
7.Nb5 Bc5 8.b4 a6 9.bxc5 axb5 10.Bxb5+ (10.Nf3 Bd7 11.Nxd4 Na6³) 10...Bd7 11.a4, Papp –
Erdos, Budapest 2004 (11.Bd3 Na6 12.Nf3 Nc6 13.Bxa6 Rxa6³) 11...Na6³ White has more
weaknesses than his opponent and Black only needs to develop his pieces combining this with the
attack against White’s pawns.
Black will be happy even after transformation in which White makes a more useful move. 6.Nf3
cxd4 7.Nb5 Bc5 8.b4 (8.Nbxd4 Nd7 9.Nb3 Qb6 10.Nxc5 Nxc5„ with the idea to win a pawn after
11.Be3 Qxb2!) 8...a6
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9.Nbxd4 Bxd4 10.Nxd4 Ng6. Black counter attacks the enemy e5-pawn. 11.Qg4 (Remember the
possible spectacular strikes after 11.f4? Nxe5! 12.fxe5 Qh4µ, or 11.Qh5 Qc7 12.f4? Nxf4!–+; Black
would continue his pressure against the enemy central pawns even after 11.Nf3 Nc6 12.Bc3 Qc7ƒ)
11...0-0 12.Qg3 f6ƒ
9.bxc5 axb5 10.Bxb5+ Bd7 11.a4 Na6 12.Nxd4 Nxc5= Black must mobilise rapidly his forces and
exert pressure against his opponent’s pawns.
It would not be logical for White to choose here 6.Nce2 Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 Nbc6 8.f4 Qb6 9.0-0-0
(9.c3 cxd4 10.cxd4 f6„) 9...c4 10.g4 Qa6! 11.Kb1 b5
He has lost too many tempi and Black’s attack will begin faster.
233
12.Ng3, Ardelean – Khalifman, Legnica 2013 (12.Nf3 Bd7 13.Rg1 b4 14.Nc1 Qb6 15.Qe3 a5ƒ
Gevorgyan – Hakobyan, Yerevan 2015) 12...b4 13.Nh5 Rg8 14.Ne2 Kd8! 15.Rg1 Kc7„ Now,
Black’s king is completely safe, which cannot be said about its counterpart.
6.dxc5 Nbc6
About 7.Qg4 – see 5.Qg4.

7.f4 Bxc5 8.Nf3 (8.Na4 Bxg1 9.Rxg1 Bd7„) 8...a6 9.Bd3. Here, Black can follow the useful
receipt to trade White’s most active piece. 9...Nb4 10.Qe2 Nxd3+ 11.Qxd3 Bd7 12.0-0-0, Zelcic –
Dimitrov, Star Dojran 1996, 12...Qb6 13.g4 Bb5 14.Nxb5 Qxb5= After the exchange of the queens
Black already exerts pressure on the queenside.
7.Qh5 Bxc5 8.Nf3 Ng6 9.0-0-0 (9.Bd3 Nb4 10.0-0, Jasny – Wiley, Frydek Mistek 2010, 10...Bd7
11.Rac1 Nxd3 12.cxd3 Be7 13.Qg4 0-0=) 9...Bd7 10.Bd3, Babujian – Hakobyan, Yerevan 2018,
10...a6 11.Rde1 Nb4 12.Bxg6
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12...fxg6! This type of capturing “away from the centre” enables Black to parry the threats against
his king. 13.Qg4 0-0 14.h4 Rf5 15.h5 Rxh5 16.Rxh5 gxh5 17.Qxh5 Qe8ƒ The endgame is in favour
of Black due to his bishop-pair and if White is reluctant to enter it, he might come under a dangerous
attack.
D1) 6.a3 Bxc3 7.Bxc3
7.bxc3. White has already developed his bishop on d2, so it would be illogical for him to double his
pawns. 7...Nbc6 8.Nf3, Sindarov – Travadon, Sitges 2019, 8...Qc7 9.Bd3 Bd7 10.0-0 c4 11.Be2 f6„
7...b6
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8.Bb5+!
Black wishes to trade the light-squared bishops and then to exert pressure against the d4-square, or
to prove that his knight is stronger than the passive enemy bishop on c3. White’s alternatives would
not preclude Black from fulfilling his task.
8.Nf3 Ba6 9.Bxa6 Nxa6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Re1, Spassky – Bauer, Paris 2001, 11...Nb8! 12.Qe2 Nbc6³
This is a key-manoeuvre for Black ensuring the pressure against the d4-square.
It would not be natural for White to try here 8.Ne2 Ba6 9.Ng3 Bxf1 10.Kxf1 Nbc6³ Fontaine –
Luther, Dresden 2004.
8.Qg4 0-0 9.Nf3 Ba6 10.Bxa6 Nxa6 11.Bd2 (11.0-0 Nf5„; 11.0-0-0 Rc8 12.h4 b5ƒ Black’s
initiative is developing faster.) 11...cxd4 12.Bg5 Qc7 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Nxd4 Rac8³ De la Villa –
Bareev, Leon 1995. He has completed his task to attack the d4-square and now will develop his
pressure on the c-file.
White’s attempt to open the position for his bishops fails after 8.b4 Qc7 9.Nf3 cxb4! 10.Bxb4 Ba6
11.Bd3 (11.Nd2 Nf5³ Emanuel – Lomasov, Israel 2020) 11...Bxd3 12.cxd3 (12.Qxd3 Nbc6 13.Bd6
Qd7 14.0-0 Na5 15.Nd2 Rc8³ Black will oust the enemy bishop away from the d6-square sooner or
later, while his dominance over the c4-square would be much more important.) 12...Nbc6 13.Rc1
Qd7 14.Bd6 0-0 15.Qa4, Pachman – Uhlmann, Dresden 1957, 15...Qb7³ Black has in fact an extra
pawn on the flank and he only needs to prepare accurately exchanges on the c-file.
8...Bd7 9.Bd3 Nbc6
10.Nf3
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After 10.Qg4 c4 11.Be2 0-0 12.Nf3 f6„, White’s queen will turn out to be his only battling unit in
action on the kingside and will come under an attack by the enemy pieces.
The move 10.f4 is too slow and weakens important squares. 10...c4 11.Be2 Nf5. Black is
threatening to give a check from the h4-square. 12.g3 b5 13.b4 (13.Kf2 0-0 14.Nf3 f6ƒ White’s king
may soon become a target to be attacked.) 13...a5 14.Qd2 (14.bxa5 Rxa5ƒ M.Bartel – Vallejo Pons,
Germany 2016, 15.Bxa5? Qxa5+ 16.Qd2 Qa7 17.c3 b4 18.cxb4 Ncxd4 19.Bd1 Ba4‚ This is an
excellent example how to play with Black. He sacrifices the exchange in order to capture his
opponent’s central pawn and to organise an attack against the enemy king.) 14...axb4 15.axb4 Rxa1+
16.Bxa1 0-0 17.Nf3
17...f6! Black will develop his bishop outside his pawn-chain, while White cannot even dream
about something like this for his bishop on a1. 18.g4 Nfe7 19.exf6 Rxf6 20.Ne5 Be8 21.0-0, Navara
– M.Bartel, Lublin 2016, 21...Bg6³
10...Qb8!
237
This original transfer of Black’s queen is completely justified. From here it would attack the b2 and
e5-squares.
11.dxc5
The following pawn-sacrifice would be insufficient for White 11.0-0 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Nxe5 13.f4
Nxd3 14.Qxd3 0-0 15.Rae1 Re8³ I.Malakhov – Ovchinnikov, St Petersburg 2016.
11.Bd2 Nxd4! 12.Nxd4 Qxe5+ 13.Ne2 c4 14.Bc3 Qc7 15.Bxg7 Rg8 16.Bf6 cxd3 17.Qxd3,
Svetushkin – Kazhgaleyev, Saint-Quentin 2014, 17...Rg6³ Black has managed to destroy successfully
the enemy centre.
11...bxc5 12.0-0 h6 13.b4 cxb4 14.axb4 Nxb4 15.Rb1 a5© Morozov – Martirosyan, Tarvisio 2017.
White will succeed in regaining the lost material thanks to the activity of his pieces, but Black has no
weaknesses in his position and later he may try to attack effectively his opponent’s c-pawn.
D2) 6.Nb5 Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 0-0
238
The knight-sortie to the b5-square is the idea behind the development of White’s bishop on d2. The
dark-squared bishops have been exchanged and his knight is about to occupy the d6-outpost. Still, if
Black reacts correctly, having in mind that he leads in development, White’s knight might turn out to
be in a trap there! It may even perish after the disappearance of its support – the pawn on e5 off the
board, or might be forced to exchange Black’s “bad” bishop on c8.
8.f4
8.Nf3 a6 9.Nd6 (After the move 9.Nc3?!, White’s centre is destroyed 9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nbc6
11.f4, Folk – Cvek, Ceska Trebova 2008, 11...Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Nf5 13.Qd2 d4 14.Ne4 Bd7³ Black’s
bishop will be developed on the long diagonal.) 9...cxd4
239
After 10.Bd3?!, Black’s position would be quite solid and White’s tactical attempts against it would
be easily parried by Black. 10...Nd7 11.Ng5 Nxe5 12.Bxh7+ Kh8 13.Nxc8 Rxc8 14.0-0 Ng8 15.f4
Ng4µ
10.Nxd4 Nbc6 11.f4 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Nc6
White’s pieces are ousted away from the d4-square and this enables Black to equalise comfortably.
13.Qe3 (13.Qd2? f6 14.Nxc8 fxe5µ and White’s knight is encircled, so his queen must control the
e5-square.) 13...Qa5+ 14.Qd2 (14.c3 d4 15.Qg3 f6ƒ) 14...Qxd2+ 15.Kxd2 f6 16.exf6, Liardet –
Ostenstad, Geneve 1990, 16...Rxf6 17.g3 e5= Black’s pieces have been deployed harmoniously,
while White must still be on the alert to parry his opponent’s little tactical threats.
8.c3 f6!?
240
Black does not give respite to his opponent and begins to open the position. This is a typical
situation for the French Defence. Do not allow your opponent to build comfortably his position!
9.exf6 (9.f4 cxd4 10.cxd4 Nbc6 11.Nf3 Bd7 12.Bd3 Qb6„ White’s d4-pawn is unlikely to withstand
the pressure of the enemy pieces; 11.exf6 Rxf6 12.Nf3 Bd7 13.Ne5, S.Marjanovic – Nogueiras,
Reggio Emilia 1985. Now, Black solves the problem with his “bad” bishop: 13...Be8 14.Bd3 Rc8=)
9...Rxf6
10.dxc5. Capturing this pawn provides Black with powerful initiative. 10...Nd7 11.b4 b6! 12.cxb6
Qxb6 13.Nf3 a6 14.Nbd4 e5. White lags in development, while Black’s pieces occupy striking
positions with every move. 15.Nc2 (15.Nb3 Bb7 16.Be2 Raf8 17.0-0 Ng6ƒ) 15...Bb7 16.Be2 Raf8
17.0-0 Ng6ƒ Przewoznik – Malaniuk, Lvov 1986.
241
10.Nf3. White hopes gradually to occupy the important e5-square. 10...a6 11.Na3 Nbc6 12.Nc2
cxd4 13.cxd4 Bd7= Black’s bishop will be transferred to g6 or h5 via the e8-square. Then he will
double his rooks on the f-file and this would provide him with excellent possibilities to develop his
initiative.
8.dxc5 Nd7
9.Nf3 Nxc5 10.Bd3 Qb6 11.Rb1 Nxd3+ 12.Qxd3 Bd7 13.Nc3 Rac8³ Landa – Naiditsch,
Haguenau 2013. Black already exerts pressure on the c-file.
9.Qc3. White has captured a pawn and it would be logical for him to try to preserve it; otherwise, it
would turn out that he has just helped his opponent’s knight to occupy an excellent position. 9...f6!?
10.Nf3 (10.exf6 Nxf6 11.Bd3 Bd7 12.Nd6 b6ƒ) 10...fxe5 11.Nxe5, Solozhenkin – Konaplev, St
Petersburg 2017, 11...b6! 12.c6 (Now, White is forced to give back the pawn in order not to come
under a crushing attack: 12.cxb6 Qxb6ƒ) 12...Nxe5 13.c7 Qd7 14.Qxe5 a6 15.Nc3 Ra7= Black will
restore the material balance on his next move and his major pieces have entered advantageously the
actions.
There would arise a sharp, but very advantageous position for Black after 9.f4 Nxc5 10.Nd4 (10.0-
0-0 Ne4 11.Qe1 Bd7 12.Nd4 Qb6ƒ White’s king risks coming under an attack; 10.Bd3 Nxd3+
11.Qxd3 Qa5+ 12.c3, Vyparina – Michalik, Slovakia 2006, 12...f6 13.exf6 Rxf6 14.Ne2 Ng6 15.0-0
Bd7 16.Nbd4 Raf8 17.Qe3 Qb6„ White will be forced to protect his pawn on f4.) 10...Qb6 11.0-0-0
Bd7 12.Ngf3 Rfc8
242
13.g4 Nc6 14.Qe3 Na4ƒ Now, all Black’s pieces will be ready to take part in exerting positional
pressure.
13.Qe3 Rc7 14.Kb1 (14.g4 Rac8 15.h4 Ba4 16.Rh2 Nc6ƒ Magem Badals – Anguix Garrido,
Almeria 1989) 14...Rac8 15.Rc1 a6 16.g4 Nc6 17.h4, Karpov – Nogueiras, Rotterdam 1989,
17...Nxd4 18.Qxd4 (18.Nxd4? Na4! 19.b3 Nc3+ 20.Kb2 a5‚) 18...Bb5ƒ After the exchange of the
bishops Black will exert pressure on the c-file and will have the excellent central outpost on e4 for his
knight.
8...Bd7
This is a very purposeful move. If White is building fortifications on the f-file, Black should use the
time to solve the problem with his bishop on c8! He creates positional and tactical traps in the
process.
243
9.dxc5
Following 9.Nf3?! Bxb5 10.Bxb5 c4!, White’s bishop falls into a trap and its salvation may
become a very difficult problem for him. 11.Ba4 (11.c3? Qa5–+) 11...b5 12.Bxb5 Qb6 13.Qb4 Nf5
14.Qc5 Qb7ƒ
9.a4?! a6 10.Nd6 Qb6 11.c3 cxd4 12.cxd4 Nbc6 13.Nf3 Nc8³ Black has obtained the excellent b4-
outpost for his knight.
See a very important idea for Black in the variation 9.Nd6 cxd4 10.Nf3 Nbc6 11.Bd3 (11.Nxd4
f6ƒ) 11...f6 12.0-0 (All the adherents to the French Defence should learn to use the resource to
sacrifice the exchange in order to destroy the enemy centre: 12.0-0-0 fxe5 13.fxe5 Rxf3 14.gxf3
Nxe5©) 12...Qb6=
244
13.a4, Kokol – Harika, Pardubice 2013, 13...a5 14.Kh1 Be8„ Black manages to activate
advantageously his bishop.
13.Rae1, Chyzy – Vysochin, Warsaw 2019, 13...Nb4 14.a3 Nxd3 15.cxd3 Ng6, with the idea
16.h4?! fxe5 17.fxe5 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Qxd6³
9...Bxb5 10.Bxb5 Qc7
11.Nf3
11.b4 a5 12.c3 b6! 13.cxb6 Qxb6 14.a4 axb4 15.cxb4, Milosevic – Lundin, Belgrade 2019,
15...Rc8 16.Rd1 Na6 17.Nf3 Nf5ƒ White has failed to complete his development.
245
11...Qxc5 12.Bd3, Priasmoro – Short, Bangkog 2018, 12...Nd7 13.0-0-0 Nb6 14.Kb1 Nc4=
Black will soon begin an attack and it would be much more attractive to play this position with his
pieces. The actions in a position with opposite sides castling would always enable him to begin an
offensive on the c-file.
246
Chapter 10
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5
Black wishes to avoid the complicated variations, connected with the sacrifice of his kingside
pawns. The theory of the main lines of the variation 5...Bxc3 6.bxc3 has developed tremendously and
is still the most popular branch in the system with 3.Nc3 Bb4. Recently however, it is becoming even
more popular to play the variation with the careful retreat of Black’s bishop to a5 and if you analyse
the games many elite grandmasters do not consider seriously this variation with White and lose points
regularly in it.
After the retreat of the bishop to the a5-square, Black does not allow his opponent to stabilise the
pawn-structure in the centre. White’s pawn on d4 will almost certainly abandon this square.
Following this, he will often have problems with the central squares and in particular with the
weakened e5-pawn, which would become a target for Black to attack in many variations. In his fight
for the centre, his dark-squared bishop, which is saved form an exchange on the c3-square, often
plays an important role.
Another plus of this variation is that the arising positions are often rather irrational and the players
who are not well acquainted with the intricacies of this line may fall under the illusion that they have
a great advantage. Meanwhile, the players with Black, having studied thoroughly this variation, will
understand the hidden springs of this position and will manage to find the right plan for their further
actions.
247
Once again it would be useful to remember that Black would be happy to give up his pawns on g7
and h7 in order to organise a counter attack on the queenside. Naturally, it would be safer for White to
include the moves a3 – Ba5, but even then Black would have quite effective counterplay.
6.Qg4 Ne7 7.Qxg7 Rg8 8.Qxh7 (After 8.Qh6 cxd4 9.b4 Bc7 10.Nb5 a6 11.Nxc7+ Qxc7 12.Ne2
Qxe5 13.Bb2 Nf5ƒ, Black develops with tempo all his pieces to very active positions.) 8...cxd4
9.b4 Bc7 10.Nb5 a6 11.Nxc7+ Qxc7 12.Ne2 Qxe5 13.Bb2 Qc7„ He has captured the important
enemy pawn on e5 and his centre is ready to advance with the support of his pieces, while White has
quite evident problems with the coordination of his pieces.
It would be useless for him to try here the line: 6.Bd2 Nc6 7.Nb5 Nxd4! 8.Nxd4 cxd4 9.Bb5+ Bd7
10.Bxd7+ Kxd7
248
Black’s king is in the centre indeed, but it is completely safe behind his pawn-chain! He has an
extra pawn and has no problems with the development of his pieces. 11.Nf3 Bb6 12.a4 a6. Black
needs to make only several developing moves and there would arise the question why White has
sacrificed his central pawn after all?
The main line arises after: 6.b4 cxd4.
After the rather modest attempt 7.Nb5 Bc7 8.f4, Black’s main idea would be again to activate or
exchange his bishop on d7: 8...Bd7! 9.Nxc7+ (Following 9.Nf3 Bxb5 10.Bxb5+ Nc6, Black would
not have any “bad” pieces on the board. ) 9...Qxc7 10.Nf3 Ba4
249
The essence of Black’s idea is to attack with his bishop the enemy pawn on c2 and not to allow
White to play a3-a4, activating his dark-squared bishop. Black will soon follow this with a7-a6 and
Ba4-b5. White will be incapable of preventing this manoeuvre 11.Ra2 Ne7 12.Nxd4 a6 13.Be3 Nbc6
14.Bd3 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Bb5, with an excellent game for Black, or 11.Bd3 Ne7 12.0-0 a6 13.Nxd4
Nbc6 14.Bb2 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Bb5=
It would be much more aggressive for White to play here 7.Qg4 Kf8
Even after an exchange of strikes 8.bxa5 dxc3 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.Bd3 Nge7 11.h4 Qxa5 12.h5 h6
13.Rh3 Nf5„, or 9.Qb4+ Ne7 10.Qxc3 Nbc6 11.a6 d4 12.axb7 Bxb7 13.Qc5 Rc8„ Black will have
very powerful counterplay and excellent centralisation of his forces. His king on f8 closes temporarily
250
his rook on h8 indeed, but his other forces are perfectly prepared to begin active actions.
Black should not be afraid of long theoretical variations with numerous branches – his strategy in
many lines is quite similar and often he can find the right way even without memorising the computer
analyses. He can concentrate on the standard ideas: the trade of the light-squared bishops, the attack
on the c-file etc. The move 5...Ba5 is played with the idea that Black would not need to study and
learn anything obsolete and can just try to play chess over the board...
This variation is much rather based on positional understanding and strategical resources in
positions with French pawn-chains, so it would be very useful for the readers to study the other
chapters of this book and to play some training games to be able to master the typical ideas.
Theoretical Resume
The variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 lost its popularity in the past, because
White began to choose the move-order 6.b4 cхd4 7.Qg4! Kf8 8.Nb5 Bb6 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.Bb2 Nge7
11.Nbхd4 h5 12.Qf4 Ng6 13.Nхc6 Nxf4 14.Nхd8 Bхd8 15.g3 Ng6 16.Bd3
16...Ne7 17.b5, with a stable pressure for him in the endgame as it was pointed out in the book of
grandmaster Parimarjan Negy “1.e4 vs The French, Caro-Kann&Philidor”.
Still, after some time it became evident that although this way of playing with White was the most
principled, Black’s position remained solid enough. This endgame was held by him even in
correspondence games. I suggest here a valuable improvement for Black 16...h4!?, which would help
him to force quick simplifications and to reach a reliable draw. If White tries to capture this brave
pawn then Black might even try to seize the initiative.
251
Chapter 10
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5
Step by Step
White has four main alternatives in this position: A) 6.Qg4, B) 6.Nf3, C) 6.Bd2 and 6.b4 (see next
chapters).
Some grandmasters have tried, but very seldom, the variation 6.dxc5 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3, but this
approach is quite harmless for Black. White’s pawn-structure is horribly compromised: 7...Qc7 8.Nf3
(At the World Blitz Championship Levon Aronian began with the move 8.Be3, Aronian – Vitiugov,
St Petersburg 2018, but this would not influence Black’s main concepts. He develops his knights and
attacks the enemy pawns: 8...Nd7 9.Nf3 Ne7 10.Bb5 0-0=) 8...Nd7 9.Bb5 Ne7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Bxd7
Bxd7 12.Be3 Rfc8=, followed by b7-b6 with actions against White’s doubled pawns, Khruschiov –
Belov, Moscow 2008.
A) 6.Qg4
This is an attempt by White to reach a position in the style of the popular variations in which Black
sacrifices his kingside pawns. Here however, his dark-squared bishop is still alive and this provides
him with many more options.
6...Ne7
252
7.Qxg7
Following 7.dxc5, it is already possible for Black to continue with 7...Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 0-0 and thanks
to his control over the e5-square he would not come under a checkmating attack: 9.Nf3 Nd7 10.Bd3
(After 10.c6 bxc6 11.Bd3 f5 12.exf6 Nxf6=, Black will be ready to advance his central pawns.)
10...Nf5 11.0-0 Nxc5 12.a4, Leko – Grischuk, Beijing 2013, 12...Bd7 13.Ba3 Rc8 14.Qh5 Nxd3
15.cxd3 Ne7 16.Rfc1 h6= and Black has a very good game on the queenside.
7...Rg8 8.Qxh7
White has also tried in practice the move 8.Qh6, but practically he reaches almost the same
position, except that he has a pawn less: 8...cxd4 9.b4 Bc7 10.Nb5 a6 11.Nxc7+ Qxc7 12.Ne2 Qxe5
13.Bb2 and here, besides everything, Black has a powerful resource with tempo 13...Nf5 14.Qd2
Nc6 15.0-0-0 Bd7= and equalises. There will be plenty of exchanges soon on the d4-square and this
would lead to a good endgame for Black.
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8...cxd4 9.b4 Bc7 10.Nb5 a6 11.Nxc7+ Qxc7 12.Ne2 Qxe5 13.Bb2
This is a very interesting position and it promises complicated developments – for example: Black
has the possibility 13...Nbc6!?÷ with mutual chances, but I think it would be even better for him to
continue here with 13...Qc7 14.Ng3, Timman – Khalifman, Bali 2000 (White would not achieve
much with 14.Nxd4 e5 15.Ne2 Bf5³ – Black’s pieces are developed with tempo.) 14...Nbc6 15.Nh5
Qe5+ 16.Kd2 Kd8 17.Re1 Qd6„ Now, Black is threatening to capture on b4 with his knight and it
also deserves attention for him to prepare the pawn-advance...e6-e5, which proves that his position is
very promising.
B) 6.Nf3
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White is trying to complete his development, but this is absolutely harmless for Black, since White
fails to establish control over the centre.
6...Ne7
7.b4
White’s alternatives would even enable Black to rely on obtaining an advantage:
White’s rather timid line: 7.Be2 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nbc6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.0-0 Bc7 11.f4 0-0³ is also in
favour of Black. White’s development is too slow and he will have certain problems with the central
squares.
White has also tested in practice the check 7.Bb5+, but after Black’s simple reaction 7...Bd7 8.0-0
Bxc3 9.Bxd7+ Nxd7 10.bxc3 h6 11.a4 0-0 12.Ba3 Qc7 13.Qd3 Rfe8³, White has no constructive
plan, while Black is ready to exert pressure on the c-file.
White’s best line here is: 7.Bd3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nbc6 9.Nxc6 Nxc6 10.Qg4 (After 10.f4, Black has
the response 10...d4 and following 11.b4, he has the concrete reply 11...Nxb4 12.axb4 Bxb4 13.0-0
dxc3µ White does not have sufficient compensation.) 10...Kf8 11.f4 d4 12.b4 h5 13.Qf3, but even
now, after 13...Nxb4 14.axb4 Bxb4 15.0-0 dxc3 16.Be3 (Following 16.f5, Black can play 16...Qd5=)
16...Qe7 17.f5 exf5 18.Bxf5 Bxf5 19.Qxf5 Kg8= He has parried his opponent’s attack and if White
plays too optimistically, Black has good chances of realising the extra material.
7...cxd4 8.Nb5 Bc7 9.Qxd4
About 9.Nxc7+ Qxc7 10.Qxd4 a6 – see 9.Qxd4.
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9...a6 10.Nxc7+ Qxc7
11.Bb2
After 11.Bd3 Bd7= Black will be ready to accomplish the standard exchange of the light-squared
bishops with the move Bb5, therefore White must enlarge the field of actions.
11...Bd7 12.c4 dxc4 13.Bxc4 Bc6
Black’s “French” bishop has found a good square. It covers the queen against threats on the file and
exerts pressure on the long diagonal. 14.Be2 Nd7 15.0-0 0-0= Half of White’s pieces are restricted by
the pawn on e5, while Black’s rooks are ready to enter the actions and his knight will be headed for
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the d5 and a4-squares.
C) 6.Bd2
This move may not seem so dangerous for Black, but is in fact insidious. White plans to continue
with Nb5 without sacrificing anything and has also the idea to castle queenside after the queen-sortie
Qg4.
6...Nc6
7.Nb5
White has tested in practice 7.dxc5 Nxe5 8.Nb5 Bc7, but this variation does not create any serious
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problems for Black.
Following 9.Nf3, he overcomes any difficulties after the simple development 9...Nf6 10.Nxc7+
Qxc7 11.Nxe5 Qxe5+ 12.Be3 Qc7 13.f4 (Black must occupy the centre after 13.Bd3 e5 14.0-0 0-0=,
since his central pawns provide him with an excellent game.) 13...0-0 14.Qd4 Nd7 15.Bd3 b6
16.cxb6 axb6 17.0-0 Ba6= and after the exchange of the light-squared bishops White is deprived of
any attacking prospects.
9.f4 Ng6 10.Bc3, Jakubowski – Zamarbide, Brno 2006.
After 10...Nf6, White’s best chance is to compromise his opponent’s pawn-structure: 11.f5 exf5
12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Nxc7+ Qxc7 14.Bb5+ Kf8 15.Qd4, but here, Black can exploit the circumstance
that his f6-pawn is untouchable because of the check on a5 and succeeds in completing his
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development. 15...f4 16.0-0-0 Kg7 17.Ne2 Bg4 18.h3 Bxe2 19.Bxe2 Rhe8= Naturally, White has
compensation for the pawn, but Black has good counterplay due to the vulnerability of White’s pawn
on c5.
At the beginning of this century the variation 7.Qg4 Kf8 8.dxc5 Nxe5 9.Qg3
became very popular, mostly due to the game between Garry Kasparov and Alexander Khalifman
in Linares in the year 2000. Nowadays, this line is encountered only very seldom, so if your opponent
tries to surprise you with some rarely played variation, you can do the same to him.
9...Nc6!? Black’s knight goes to the g6-square much more often, but I believe it is not doing much
there. On c6 it controls many more central squares and will be helpful to support Black’s queenside
pawn-offensive. 10.0-0-0 Nf6
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This position, with a knight on c6, has been tested several times in practice, so we will have a look
in short at White’s possible plans.
After 11.f4, Black should try to continue with active actions on both sides of the board. 11...Bd7
12.Nf3 h5 13.Bd3 b6 14.cxb6 (It is bad for White to choose here 14.b4? bxc5 15.bxa5 Qxa5 16.Nb1
Qb6‚ and Black has a crushing attack.) 14...h4! (Black restricts temporarily the enemy pieces.)
15.Nxh4 Qxb6 16.Nf3 Rb8 17.b3 Nd4 18.Nxd4 Qxd4 19.b4 Bc7 and in the endgame after 20.Qe3
Qxe3 21.Bxe3 a5 22.Bc5+ Kg8 (23.Ne2 axb4 24.axb4 Bb6 25.Bxb6 Rxb6 26.c3 Ng4 27.Rdf1 Rxh2
28.Rxh2 Nxh2 29.Rh1 Ng4= Black has regained his pawn.) 23.g3 axb4 24.axb4 e5„ He has a very
good position thanks to his active pieces and the vulnerability of White’s king.
If White tries to hold on to his pawn 11.Nge2 Qe7 12.Be3, Black’s plan, connected with the
development of his queenside, would not change. 12...h5 (This is an all-purpose useful move and he
should include it in his play.) 13.f3 Bd7=, Black is preparing the typical undermining move b7-b6.
After 11.Bd3, Black can react in the same fashion: 11...h5 12.Nf3 h4 13.Nxh4 e5 14.Nf5 Nh5
15.Qh3 Kg8© He is a pawn down at the moment, but has full compensation with a powerful pawn-
tandem in the centre, while White’s pieces are squeezed.
7...Nxd4 8.Nxd4 cxd4
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9.Bb5+
The inventive grandmaster Levon Aronian tried a novelty in this position – 9.f4, with the idea to
confuse his young opponent with his preparation for the game. Still, the American grandmaster coped
perfectly with the situation: 9...Ne7 10.Bd3 Bd7 11.Nf3 h6 12.0-0 (Following 12.Nxd4 Bxd2+
13.Qxd2 Qb6 14.c3 Nc6 15.Nf3 g5„ Black breaks his opponent’s pawn-chain in the centre.)
12...Bxd2 13.Qxd2 Qb6 14.Qb4 (After 14.Rab1 Bb5=, the position becomes completely equal.)
14...Nc6 15.Qxb6 axb6
White has not restored the material balance yet. After 16.g4, Black has the resource 16...g5!=,
breaking White’s pawn-chain, while after what happened in the game 16.b4 Ra4 17.Bb5 Ra7 18.Bd3
0-0= Aronian – Sevian, Douglas 2018, Black could have even tried to play for a win in this endgame
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thanks to the vulnerability of his opponent’s a-pawn.
9...Bd7 10.Bxd7+ Kxd7

Black has lost his castling rights indeed, but has captured his opponent’s d4-pawn in the process
and White must lose several valuable tempi in order to regain it.
11.Nf3 Bb6
12.a4
After the rather patient move 12.0-0, Black can begin to prepare the evacuation of his king:
12...Rc8!? 13.Bb4 (In the game Abdullah – Hug, Biel 1990, White gradually lost after 13.Rc1 Kc7
14.Bg5 Ne7 15.Nxd4 Kb8 16.c3 h6 17.Bxe7 Qxe7³ Now, Black can play on the queenside, doubling
his rooks on the c-file, as well as on the kingside advancing his pawns there.) 13...Nh6 14.Nxd4 a5
15.Bd6 (This is an attempt by White to restrict the enemy king.) 15...Bxd4 16.Qxd4 Rc4 17.Qd2 Nf5
18.b3 Rd4 19.Qc3 b6= and Black has the same ideas. He can advance his h and g-pawns and can also
play Qc8 with actions on the other side of the board.
12...a6
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13.c3!?N
The correspondence players have tried the line: 13.a5 Ba7 14.Ra4 Rc8 15.0-0 Kc7 16.Nxd4 Qd7
17.b3 Ne7 18.Bb4 Kb8= Forisdahl – Barreas Garcia, ICCF 2007 and it leads to familiar positions in
which Black’s king is safe on the queenside. Still, it seems to me that it would be more reasonable to
analyse a move which has not been tested in practice yet, but as the contemporary grandmasters say
“Nowadays, the first line of the computer is already not a novelty...”.
13...dxc3 14.bxc3 Ne7
15.c4
White is trying to create maximum difficulties for his opponent.
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After 15.Rb1 Qc7 16.0-0 h6 17.c4 Rhc8 18.cxd5 Nxd5 19.a5 Bc5 20.Qa4+ Ke7 21.Qe4 Rab8=,
Black manages to bring all his pieces into the action and despite the fact that his king is rather
uncomfortable in the centre, the game is likely to end in a draw following a repetition of moves after
22.Qh7 Rh8 23.Qe4.
15...Rc8 16.cxd5 Nxd5 17.Rb1
17...Rc6
This is a simple road for Black to equality although it is not the shortest. White does not have any
dangerous variations.
18.a5
Following 18.0-0 Kc8³, White loses the initiative and fails to regain his pawn, while Black’s king
is already safe.
18...Bxa5 19.Rxb7+ Kc8 20.Rxf7 Nc3 21.Bxc3
White cannot avoid entering an endgame 21.Qb3 Nb5 22.Bxa5 Qxa5+ 23.Ke2 Nc3+ 24.Ke1
Nb5+= and he would have to comply with a perpetual check, or still trade the queens but in a worse
version.
21...Qxd1+ 22.Kxd1 Rxc3 23.Rxg7 Rd8+ 24.Ke2 Bb6
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25.Ra1
White’s attempt to win another pawn with the line: 25.Ng5 Rc2+ 26.Kf3 Rxf2+ 27.Kg3 Rdd2
28.Nxe6 Rxg2+ 29.Kf3 Rgf2+ 30.Kg4 Rg2+= ends up in a repetition of moves, because White’s king
on the h-file would be too far and Black would even be able to try to play for a win.
25...Rc2+ 26.Kf1 Rxf2+ 27.Ke1 Rb2 28.Rxh7 a5=
White has an extra pawn indeed, but still, he is not better. His pawns are too weak and he has
problems with the first rank (For example, Black has now the idea to advance his rook-pawn to the
a3-square and after its eventual capturing he would have the resource Bf2+ and Rd1+ with a
checkmate.) so, Black has sufficient counterplay at least for a draw.
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Chapter 11
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4
Step by Step
This is White’s most popular and principled line and it enables him to get rid immediately of the
unpleasant pin.
6...cxd4
White will be quite happy to sacrifice a pawn in order to preserve his control over the centre, so
Black should better destroy immediately his opponent’s pawn-tandem in the centre.
7.Nb5
About 7.Qg4 Kf8 or 7.bxa5 dxc3 8.Qg4 Kf8 – see Chapter 12.
7...Bc7 8.f4
White has protected his pawn on e5 and the capturing of the enemy pawn on d4 can be postponed,
since it would not run away. Black must try to prevent the complete occupation of the centre by the
enemy and also must act in a way not to make the bishop on c8 useless.
It would be harmless for Black if White chooses 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.Nxc7+ (He has also tried in practice
9.Bf4 Nge7 10.Bd3 Ng6 11.Bxg6 fxg6 12.0-0 0-0 13.Bg3, T.Kosintseva – Lagno, Beijing 2013, but
after Black’s simple reaction 13...Bb6=, followed by a7-a5, he cannot be worse at all.) 9...Qxc7
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Following 10.Bb2 Nxe5 11.Qxd4 Nxf3 12.gxf3 f6 13.Rg1 Nh6=, Black creates a barrier against
the enemy bishop on b2.
10.Bf4 Nge7 11.Bd3 Ng6 12.Bg3 a5 13.0-0 (After 13.b5, Black can capture comfortably a pawn
13...Ncxe5=) 13...axb4 14.axb4 Rxa1 15.Qxa1 Nxb4 16.h4 Ne7 17.Nxd4 0-0= Gdanski –
W.Schmidt, Augustow 1996. White has some compensation indeed, but not more than that and the
opponents soon agreed to a draw.
8...Bd7
This move is an integral part of Black’s plan. Now, his light-squared bishop would be either
exchanged for the enemy knight on b5, which is very important for White in this pawn-structure, or
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will be deployed on a4 in order to exert pressure against the pawn on c2.
White’s main lines here are: A) 9.Nf3 and B) 9.Nxc7+.
The immediate capture 9.Nxd4 enables Black to solve immediately all his problems in the opening:
9...Nc6 10.Ngf3 (White should better avoid 10.Nb5 Bb8 11.Bb2 Nge7 12.Bd3 Qb6 13.Nc3 a6= and
Black’s bishop will be soon placed on the a7-square.) 10...Nxd4 11.Nxd4
Black’s plan includes the undermining move f7-f6, therefore, it would be reasonable for him to
develop his knight in a bit non-standard fashion: 11...Nh6!? 12.Be2 f6 13.0-0 0-0 14.exf6 Qxf6 15.c3
and in this situation Black has the pleasant choice between the immediate move 15...e5!?÷ and the
thematic try 15...Rae8= and in both cases he has no problems whatsoever.
A) 9.Nf3
White allows his opponent to exchange one of his knights, but leaves his light-squared bishop in
action, since it would not have an opponent.
9...Bxb5 10.Bxb5+ Nc6
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11.Bd3
White’s bishop is doing nothing on b5, while the capturing 11.Nxd4 turns out again to be
premature: 11...Nge7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Bd3 a5=, Black has again targets to attack on the
queenside (see the game 10, p. 250).
11...Nge7 12.0-0
White might try here the aggressive move 12.Bb2, with the idea to castle queenside, but the
analysis shows that Black has quite sufficient counterplay: 12...Bb6 and after 13.Qd2, as well as
following 13.Qe2, Black would continue with 13...g6 14.0-0-0 h5!÷, preparing the excellent f5-
square for his knight and parrying his opponent’s kingside attack.
12...Nf5 13.Bxf5 exf5
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Black is not afraid of the disruption of his pawn-structure, because the vulnerability of his pawn on
d5 is compensated by the weakness of White’s pawn on c2.
14.Kh1
It would be more or less the same after 14.Bb2 0-0 15.Qd3 g6=, preserving almost the same
situation on the board.
14...0-0 15.Bb2 Bb6
We have already mentioned that Black should be happy with this pawn-structure. For example, as
compensation for White’s dominance over the d4-square, Black can deploy his knight on c4. In the
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game Lindberg – Berelowitsch, Altenkirchen 2012, White played 16.b5 Na5 and after 17.Bxd4
Nc4=, Black’s knight occupied its perfect position. The opponents soon agreed to a draw.
B) 9.Nxc7+ Qxc7 10.Nf3

This is a much more dangerous line for Black. He will have problems with his light-squared bishop,
while the enemy bishop will go to the d3-square at once.
About 10.Bd3 Ba4 11.Nf3 Ne7, or 11.Bb2 Nc6 12.Nf3 Nge7 – see 10.Nf3.
10...Ba4
11.Bd3
Vishvanathan Anand, having faced a surprising opening variation, chose here the typical move for
similar positions 11.Ra2, but this provided Shakhriyar Mamedyarov with several tempi for the
consolidation of his position: 11...Ne7 12.Nxd4 a6 13.Be3 Nbc6 14.Bd3 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Bb5, Anand
– Mamedyarov, Moscow 2018.
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In that game Anand failed to find the best move 16.a4 (Later, we will discuss again this idea for
White...) and Black managed to solve easily his problems with the development: 16...Bxd3 17.cxd3
Nf5 18.Rc2 Qd8 19.Bc5 b6 20.Bf2 Qe7 21.Qd2 d4 22.0-0 0-0= After 23.g4, Black has the resource
23...Ne3; otherwise, he will be ready to play the prophylactic move h7-h5, after which he can begin
an attack on the queenside.
11...Ne7
12.0-0
He does not need to be in a hurry to castle here 12.Bb2 Nbc6
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About 13.0-0 a6 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 – see 12.0-0.
13.Qe2 a6 14.0-0 Qb6 15.Qf2 Bb5 – see 13.Qd2.
Following 13.Nxd4, Black can exchange several minor pieces 13...Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Nf5 15.Bxf5
exf5 16.0-0 0-0 and the arising position with major pieces and bishops of opposite colours is safe for
Black after, for example: 17.Rf2 Qd7 18.Qh5 Rfc8 19.c3 Rc6=, as well as following 17.Rc1 Rfc8
18.Qh5 Qd7 19.Rf3 Qe6= Barnsley – Volovici, ICCF 2009. He can transfer his major pieces on the
sixth rank, as well as on the opened c-file and his position is quite acceptable.
13.Qd2 a6 14.0-0 (After the immediate capture 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4, Black manages to trade
the light-squared bishops under very favourable circumstances 15...Bb5 16.0-0 Nf5 17.Bc5 b6 18.Bf2
0-0= and equalises.) 14...Qb6 (Following 14...Bb5, it would be very good for White to play 15.a4!ƒ,
so Black has to prepare the trade of the light-squared bishops.) 15.Qf2 Bb5 16.Nxd4 Bxd3 17.cxd3 0-
0 18.Rac1
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White seizes the initiative on the queenside (Black has lost the fight for the c-file.) so, it would be
reasonable for Black to turn his attention to the other side of the board. 18...h5!? 19.Rc5 (The
endgame after 19.f5 Nxf5 20.Nxf5 Qxf2 21.Rxf2 exf5 22.Rxf5 g6 23.Rf6 Rae8= is quite acceptable
for Black.) 19...Rac8 20.Nb3 Nf5 21.Rfc1 Qc7. Now, White must lose several important tempi in
order to prepare his offensive: 22.h3 Qd7 23.g4 Nh6 24.Qg3 Ne7= and Black succeeds just in time in
regrouping his forces and in exchanging the rooks.
12...a6
It is also very popular for Black to play here the move 12...Qb6, but after 13.Rf2!? Bb5 14.a4!
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White builds a solid positional bind on the queenside. There might follow: 14...Bxd3 15.cxd3 0-0
16.a5 Qd8 17.b5 a6 18.b6 Nbc6 19.Ba3 Rc8 20.Rc1 Qd7 21.Rfc2² It is still possible that Black might
hold this position, but he must be reluctant to enter it voluntarily. The move 12...a6 seems to me
much more logical. His queen is well placed on c7 and the threat to trade the light-squared bishops
would be created anyway.
13.Nxd4
About 13.Bb2 Nbc6 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 – see 13.Nxd4.
Krishnan Sasikiran showed an interesting plan for White at the Olympiad 2018: 13.f5 Nxf5
14.Bxf5 exf5 15.Nxd4 0-0 16.Bb2 Bd7 17.Nxf5 Bxf5 18.Rxf5
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Black’s pawn on d5 is weak, but after 18...Nc6, it is untouchable because of the fork on the e7-
square. In the game Sasikiran – Stocek, Batumi 2018, there followed 19.Qd3 and here Black could
have entered his last piece in action 19...Rae8= with the idea Re6 and soon the pawn on d5 would be
exchanged for the enemy c, or e-pawn.
13...Nbc6 14.Be3 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Bb5
Now, if Black manages to castle, he would not be worse at all. After the trade of the bishops White
would not have an attack, while Black would be ready to exert pressure in the files on the queenside.
So, we will analyse White’s most principled reaction:
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16.a4 Bxd3 17.cxd3 Nf5 18.Rc1 Qd8
19.Bc5
After the immediate retreat 19.Bf2, Black would need to change his plan a bit and play 19...h5!?
(This is because in response to 19...d4, White has the powerful resource 20.Qf3, attacking the pawn
on b7, while in the variation 19.Bc5 b6 20.Bf2, Black’s b-pawn would be safe.).
White manages to deprive his opponent’s king of its castling rights with 20.a5 d4 21.Qa4+ Kf8, but
Black’s monarch may go to the g7-square later and his rook on h8 will be ready to enter the actions
from its initial position.
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For example, there may follow: 22.Rc4 (If White does not attack the enemy pawn and plays instead
22.Rc5, then Black can organise a counter attack with the move 22...Rg8! and here, after 23.Rfc1 g5
24.Qd1 g4„, White will have to consider an eventual pawn-offensive by the opponent, while
following 23.Qd1 g6 24.Qf3 Rb8 25.Rfc1 Kg7= and later b7-b6, Black will be out of danger.)
22...Rc8 23.b5 g6 24.b6 (White’s rook on f1 cannot abandon the file, because after 24.Rfc1 Rxc4
25.Rxc4 Kg7 26.Qb4 g5!?ƒ, Black suddenly breaks White’s pawn-wedge in the centre and begins a
counter attack.) 24...Kg7 25.Rfc1 Rxc4 26.Qxc4 h4 27.h3 Ng3
28.Re1 (After 28.Rc2 Qd7=, White’s first rank is weakened, so he defends against the check in
another way.) 28...Qd7 29.Qxd4 (Following 29.Bxd4 Rc8 30.Bc5 Qc6, White cannot improve his
position, since afte31.d4 Nf5 32.Kh2 Qd7=, as well as in the line: 31.Be7 Qd7 32.Bf6+ Kh7 33.Qb4
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Qd5 34.Qd2 Nf5= he has no good prospects. His a and d-pawns are weak and his bishop is horribly
restricted by the pawn-chain.) 29...Qxd4 30.Bxd4 g5! Black not only destroys his opponent’s pawn-
chain but also enlarges the scope of action of his king and protects his pawn on h4. Now, White
cannot attack it with his bishop from the e7-square. 31.fxg5 (If White refrains from capturing the
pawn 31.Bc5 gxf4 32.Kf2 Rd8 33.Bd6 Nf5 34.Re4 Nxd6 35.exd6 Rxd6 36.Rxf4 Rd5=, it would all
come to a king and rook ending, which will soon end in a draw.) 31...Rd8 32.Bf2 Rxd3 33.Kh2 Nf5
34.Rc1 Rd2 35.Bg1 Ng3=, White’s king is vulnerable (If he removes his rook from the first rank,
Black will give a perpetual check on the f1 and g3-squares.), so White has no chances of winning the
game.
19...b6 20.Bf2
This position was reached in the game Zaskaite – Mammadova, Porto Carras 2011.
After White has provoked a weakening of Black’s queenside, he will have to try to capture White’s
bishop on f2 even at the price of a pawn.
20...d4! 21.g4 Ne3 22.Bxe3 dxe3 23.Qf3 0-0 24.Qxe3
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So, White has won a pawn after all, but he is not better at all. His pawn-structure is far from being
perfect and he must watch carefully about the safety of his king.
24...Qe7 25.Rb1
In the variation 25.Qxb6 Rab8 26.Qxa6, White has temporarily three extra pawns, but after
26...Rxb4 27.Qc6 Qd8 28.Rc4 Rb2=, Black combines his threats against the enemy pawns and his
king and equalises effortlessly.
25...Rfd8 26.f5
This is an attempt by White to break his opponent’s kingside. The best for Black is not to react to it,
because if White risks too much, he would create even more weaknesses in his position.
26...b5 27.a5 h6
This is a useful move for an eventual endgame, as well as in a hard-fought middle game. After
28.f6, Black has the resource 28...Qa7!=, while after the waiting move 28.Rf4, he can try 28...Rac8=,
having in mind the variation 29.f6 Qd7, after which White’s weaknesses will hurt him seriously.
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Chapter 12
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cxd4
7.Qg4
Step by Step
7...Kf8
There were times when the gambit move 7...Ne7 used to be considered as Black’s only variation,
but during the middle of the 2010 years this knight move lost its popularity altogether. Nowadays, the
main line for Black is the modest move with the king.
This variation has been encountered in the tournament practice of grandmasters with rating over
2700 like Vallejo Pons, Dubov, Andreikin, Mamedyarov and Riazantsev and in the year 2018, at the
round-robin tournament in Biel Switzerland, the king move was tested by Magnus Carlsen.
We will deal now in details with: A) 8.bxa5 and B) 8.Nb5.
A) 8.bxa5 dxc3
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9.Nf3
Several grandmasters have tried 9.Qb4+ Ne7 10.Qxc3, but White has no chances of obtaining more
than equality: 10...Nbc6 11.a6 (After 11.Bd2 d4 12.Qg3 Qd5 13.f4 Nxa5÷, Black ends up with an
extra pawn and his king will be safe in the nearest future, Bezgodov – Akkozov, Almaty 2016, see the
game 11, p. 251) 11...d4 12.axb7 Bxb7 13.Qc5 Rc8= Kostenko – Stupak, Almaty 2019. White’s
queen is his only piece in action, while Black’s entire queenside has been developed.
It seems attractive for White to try here 9.a4 Ne7 10.Ba3 Nbc6 11.Nf3 Kg8 12.Bd3 Ng6 13.Qg3,
but in this particular position he is much likely to have problems than an advantage: 13...f6
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14.Bxg6 hxg6. The least of evils for him would be the line: 15.0-0 (15.exf6?! Qxf6³) 15...Nxe5
16.Nxe5 fxe5÷, but even then he would need to make several very precise moves in order to succeed
in equalising.
The position after 14.Bd6 Ngxe5 15.Bxe5 fxe5 16.Nxe5 h5 17.f4, seems very promising for White,
but if we continue the variation – 17...h4 18.Qg4 Bd7 19.0-0 Rh6 20.Rab1 Rb8 and after the patient
move 21.h3, Black will regroup his pieces 21...Be8 22.Qe2 Qd6 23.Qe3 Nxa5 24.Qxa7 b6 25.Ng4
Rh5÷ and will hold on to his extra pawn. He has isolated the enemy queen from the rest of his forces,
while following 21.a6 b6 22.Rb3 Rc8 23.Rxc3 Nxe5 24.Rxc8 and the precise check 24...Nf3! 25.Rxf3
Qxc8=, preventing the opening of the f-file, Black will reach an equal major pieces endgame.
9...Nc6 10.Bd3 Nge7
11.h4
The manoeuvring game is in favour of Black due to his more flexible pawn-structure, so we will
analyse White’s typical attempt to organise a checkmating attack tried by grandmaster Salem.
11...Qxa5
Black is reluctant to give up the g5-square after the move 11...h5, so he simply captures material.
12.h5
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This position was reached in the game Salem – Dubov, Doha 2016.
12...b6!?
After 12...h6 13.Rh3 Nf5 14.Rb1!ƒ, White prevents his opponent’s idea to trade the light-squared
bishops, so Black should advance his b-pawn immediately.
13.h6 gxh6
14.Bxh6+
14.Rxh6 Ba6 15.Bxa6 (Following 15.Qf4 Ke8 16.Ng5 Rf8 17.Nxh7 Kd7 18.Nxf8+ Rxf8, White
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wins the exchange, but Black has sufficient time to stabilise his position: 19.Bxa6 Qxa6 20.Rh7 Ke8
21.Be3 Ng6 22.Qf6 Qc4© and he has full compensation thanks to White’s vulnerable king.)
15...Qxa6 16.Ng5 Ng6 17.Qf3 Qb7
18.Nxe6+ (After 18.Nxh7+, Black’s king finds a safe haven on the queenside: 18...Ke8 19.Bg5
Ncxe5 20.Qxc3 Kd7 21.Nf6+ Kd6 22.f4 Nc4 23.0-0-0 Kc6÷ Black’s knight has an outpost on c4
and provides the safety of his king.) 18...Kg8 19.Nf4 Ncxe5 20.Qxd5 Re8! (The queen is
untouchable due to the double check.) 21.Kf1 and here, besides the equal endgame after the move
21...Qxd5, Black can try to continue the game with queens present on the board: 21...Qa6+ 22.Kg1
Ng4 23.Nd3 Qc8„, preserving his extra pawn and good attacking prospects.
14...Ke8 15.Bg7
The direct knight-sortie 15.Ng5 ensures for White only a perpetual check: 15...Ba6 16.Nxf7 Bxd3
17.Qxe6 Nd4 18.Nd6+ Kd8 19.Nf7+ Ke8= and here, he has nothing better than a repetition of
moves.
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15...h5!
This important move disrupts the coordination of White’s pieces.
16.Rxh5
If White refrains from exchanging the rooks 16.Qg5 Rg8, Black’s light-squared bishop enters the
actions very effectively: 17.Bh7 (White should better refrain from 17.Rxh5 Ba6 18.Bh7 Qb5 19.Bd3
Qb2 20.Bxa6 Qxa1+ 21.Ke2 and after Black’s best line: 21...b5! 22.Bxb5 Rb8‚, he will be ready to
begin a checkmating attack.) 17...Ba6 18.Bxg8 Nxg8 19.Qxh5 Rc8 20.Bf6 Qb5 21.Ng5 Kd7
22.Qxf7+ Nge7 23.Qxe6+ Kc7 24.Qg4 Nd4! 25.Qd1 Nec6© Black’s king is so active that he has at
least a draw in this position.
16...Rxh5 17.Qxh5
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17...Kd7 18.Qxf7 Ba6 19.Bxa6 Qxa6 20.Bf6 Re8= Black’s king is completely safe, so White must
play very accurately.
B) 8.Nb5 Bb6 9.Nf3 Nc6
10.Bb2
Here, besides the direct attack against the pawn on d4, White has tried in practice 10.Qf4, but in
this line Black manages to obtain a comfortable position. 10...a6 11.Nbxd4 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Qc7
13.Bb2, Dourerassou – Bauer, Nice 2014 and following 13...Ne7 14.Qg3 Bd7 15.Bd3 Bxd4 16.Bxd4
Bb5=, the fact that Black has lost his castling rights does not influence the evaluation of the position.
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In this pawn-structure, with material ratio of a dark-squared bishop against a knight, White cannot
create any serious problems for his opponent.
10...Nge7
Now, two moves for White deserve thorough attention: B1) 11.Bd3 and B2) 11.Nbxd4.
B1) 11.Bd3
The main idea of this bishop-move is to stop the possible development of Black’s knight to the g6-
square, but Black ignores that.
11...Ng6 12.Qg3 f6 13.Bxg6 hxg6 14.Nbxd4 Nxe5 15.Nxe5 fxe5
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16.Qxe5
White could have also placed his knight on e5. 16.Nf3 e4 17.Ne5 Kg8
After 18.Nxg6 Bc7 19.Be5 Bxe5 20.Nxe5 Qf6=, having in mind the threat Rh5, Black obtains a
very good position.
It deserves attention for White to try here 18.0-0-0. Black can counter this in many different
attractive ways and I recommend the following line: 18...Rh5 19.h4 Bc7 20.f4 Bxe5 21.Bxe5 Bd7
22.Qxg6 Rxe5! 23.fxe5 Qc7 24.Kb1 Rc8 25.Rc1 and here, the most reliable way for him to reach a
draw is 25...Qc4 26.Rh2 Ba4 27.Qxe6 Kh8 28.g4 Bxc2! and White cannot avoid the perpetual check:
29.Rcxc2 Qb3+ 30.Rb2 (Following 30.Kc1 Qxa3 31.Kb1 Qb3+=, White’s king cannot hide
anywhere.) 30...Qd1+ 31.Ka2 Rc1= Now, White must comply with the draw, because of the
checkmating threat.
18.Qxg6 Qe7
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The game Grischuk – Mamedyarov, Saint Louis 2018 ended in the following way: 19.Ng4 Bd7
20.Nf6+ Kf8 21.Nh7+ and White gave a perpetual check.
Naturally, it may seem that Black has problems and White must continue the fight. But Alexander
Grischuk made up his mind prudently that White’s further actions would be much more difficult:
19.0-0-0 Rh6 20.Qg4 a5 21.b5 and here, after Black’s simple reaction 21...Bc7 22.h4 Bxe5 23.Bxe5
Qxa3+ 24.Kb1 Qb4+=, White would have to comply with the repetition of the position in order to
avoid the worst.
16...Rh5
17.Qg3
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The endgame arising after 17.Nxe6+ Bxe6 18.Qxe6 Qe8 19.Qxe8+ Rxe8+ is completely harmless
for Black.
White’s king has three possible retreats, but neither of them provides him with an advantage:
20.Kf1 Rf5 21.f3 Rc8= Now, in order to avoid the worst White must part with his pawn on c2.
20.Kd2 Bxf2 21.Rhf1 Rf5 22.Rad1 Re4. Black has restored the material balance and the logical end
of the game would be, for example, the repetition of the moves 23.Kc3 Re3+ 24.Kd2 Re4=
Finally, after 20.Kd1, Shankland – Ashwin, Atlantic City 2016, 20...Bxf2 21.g4 (White would not
achieve much with 21.Rf1 Rf5=) 21...Rh3 22.Rf1 Rxh2 23.Bd4, White wins the exchange, but not the
game: 23...Re1+ 24.Rxe1 Bxd4 25.Rb1 Bc3= and the activity of Black’s pieces would be quite
sufficient to maintain the balance.
17...Qc7
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18.0-0-0
White should not avoid the trade of the queens here, because after Black castles, he would refrain
from exchanging the queens (The file would be opened.), while following 18.f4, Black would enter
an endgame: 18...e5 19.fxe5 Qxe5+ 20.Qxe5 Rxe5+ 21.Kd2 Re4= and White would be incapable of
coordinating his pieces.
18...e5 19.Qf3+
Now, White can preserve the queens, if he so wishes, with 19.Nf3 Bf5 20.Rd2 e4 21.Ne5 Kg8÷,
but despite the fact that the position would remain unclear, Black’s prospects would obviously be at
least not worse having two powerful bishops and the opened c-file.
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19...Qf7 20.Qxf7+ Kxf7 21.Nf3 e4 22.Ne5+ Kg8 23.Rxd5
White has managed to win a pawn, but Black’s bishop-pair is sufficient for him to equalise easily:
23...Be6 24.Rd6 Re8 25.g4 Rh3 26.Re1 e3 27.fxe3 Bxe3+ 28.Kb1 Bf4=, he regains one of the pawns
on the kingside, Morozov – Henderson, ICCF 2013.
B2) 11.Nbxd4 h5
Black ousts the enemy queen from its comfortable square where it was safe.
12.Qf4
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After the retreat 12.Qh4, Black succeeds in simplifying the position: 12...Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Nc6
14.Qxd8+ Bxd8 15.Bb2, Sprenger – Zhukova, Caleta 2019 and here, the simplest decision for him
would be to activate his light-squared bishop: 15...Bd7 16.c4 dxc4 17.Bxc4 Ne7 18.0-0 Bc6= Black’s
bishop has occupied the long diagonal and is ready to be deployed the d5-outpost at an opportune
moment.
It is a bit more promising for White to play here 12.Qg3, but even there his queen would not be
safe: 12...Nxd4 13.Nxd4 h4 14.Qe3 (The move 14.Qf4 provides Black with an extra tempo for free:
14...Ng6 15.Qe3 Bd7 16.Bd3 Kg8 17.0-0 a6 18.a4 Qe8 19.a5 Ba7=) 14...Qc7 15.Bd3 Nf5 16.Bxf5
exf5 (We have already seen that a pawn-structure of this type suits Black perfectly, so this variation is
no exception...) 17.0-0-0 (After 17.h3 Qc4!=, White fails to castle kingside and the game is likely to
continue in the following way: 18.0-0-0 Be6 19.Rd3 Rc8 20.Qd2 Bxd4 21.Rxd4 Qb5= and Black has
quite sufficient counterplay.) 17...Be6 18.Rd3, Lindberg – Tikkanen, Vaxjo 2016. Here, the simplest
way for Black to organise effective counterplay would be 18...a5 19.Bc3 axb4 20.Bxb4+ Kg8„ Now,
White’s king is much more endangered that its counterpart.
12...Ng6
Black continues to win tempi by attacking the enemy queen.
13.Nxc6 Nxf4
It would be too risky for him to continue the game with queens present on the board: 13...bxc6
14.Qg3 h4 15.Qg4 h3 16.g3 c5 17.Bd3 Ne7 18.bxc5 Bxc5 19.0-0² Dominguez Perez – Shubin, Sochi
2019. White’s game is much easier in this position.
14.Nxd8 Bxd8 15.g3 Ng6
The computer programs do not approve of Black’s set-up and promise White a slight but solid plus.
In fact, there is nothing critical in this position. The tournament practice confirms this evaluation,
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since most of the games have ended in a draw and Black has even managed to win some...
16.Bd3
White may try to build a positional bind against his opponent on both sides of the board
immediately with 16.h4 Bd7 17.a4 (After 17.Bd3 Ba4 18.Ke2 Ne7 19.Nd2 b5!?, Black manages to
block the position: 20.Bd4 Nc6 21.c3 g6= and White cannot break anywhere.) 17...Be7 18.b5, Predke
– Riazantsev, Kaliningrad 2015, ends up after Black succeeds in breaking in the centre: 18...f6!?
19.Be2 (19.Bd3 Kf7) 19...Rc8 20.Rc1 a6 and here, Black equalises after 21.0-0 axb5 22.axb5 Kf7=,
as well as following 21.bxa6 bxa6 22.Bxa6 Ra8 23.Bd3 Kf7 24.Ra1 Rxa4= In both lines White’s
hands are tied up, since he must control the e5-square.
16...h4!?N
The analysis shows that White’s most dangerous plan in this endgame is to attack with all his
pieces on the queenside. Black may decide to defend passively for a long time with 16...Ne7 17.b5,
but can also try to organise counterplay immediately and his next move, which has not been tested in
practice yet, is aimed just at that.
White has two attractive moves here: B2a) 17.0-0 and B2b) 17.Ke2.
It is possible that many players refrained from the immediate march of the h-pawn because of the
line: 17.Bxg6 fxg6 18.gxh4, but Black does not need to regain material immediately, but can defend
against his opponent’s rook-sortie to the g1-square: 18...Rh5 19.Rg1 (After 19.0-0-0, Black can
already capture the pawn: 19...Bxh4 20.Rhg1 Bxf2 21.Rxg6 Rh3 22.Rd3 Bd7=, bringing also some
reserves into the actions.) 19...Rf5! and suddenly it becomes evident that White will be incapable of
protecting all his weaknesses: 20.Ke2 Bd7 21.Bd4 Rc8 22.Rac1 Bb6 23.c3 Kg8=, followed by the
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doubling of the rooks on the f-file.
After 17.0-0-0, Black can regroup his forces, which will be encountered again in numerous versions
of this endgame: 17...Bd7 18.Bd4 Rc8 19.b5 Be8 20.a4 f6 and if White tries to capture the pawn on
a7 with 21.exf6 gxf6 22.Bxa7, then after 22...Ne5 23.Nxe5 fxe5 24.Be3 Bf6=, he will have to part
with his a4-pawn in order to avoid the worst.
B2a) 17.0-0 hxg3
18.hxg3
White would not achieve much if he tries to organise an attack on the f-file. 18.fxg3 Ne7 19.g4
Kg8 20.Ng5 (It is useless for him to mix plans 20.a4 Bd7 21.Kg2 Nc6 22.Bc3 Rc8= Black is ready
to seize the initiative.) 20...Nf5! and the best line for White here is the rook and pawn endgame after
21.Nxe6 fxe6 22.gxf5 exf5 23.Rae1 Kf7 24.e6+ Bxe6 25.Bxf5 Bxf5 26.Rxf5+ Bf6= with definite
drawish tendencies in this ending.
18...a5!?
Now, White cannot place his pawns on the b5 and a4-squares. If he advances his b-pawn, then
Black would cut it off immediately from the rest of his forces with the move a5-a4.
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19.Rfb1
It is not so good for White to play here 19.Rfc1 Ne7 20.c4 dxc4 21.Bxc4 Bd7 – and he would need
to be constantly on the alert about the possibility of Black’s light-squared bishop occupying the long
diagonal. 22.b5 a4 23.Rd1 Nd5 24.Rac1 Rc8= and all Black’s pieces are in action.
19...Bd7 20.Bd4 a4
White was already threatening 21.bxa4.
21.Kg2
After the move 21.b5, Black can regroup his pieces 21...Ne7 22.Kg2 Nf5 23.Bc3 Be7=, attacking
in the future the enemy pawn on a3.
21...Be8 22.Rh1 Rxh1 23.Rxh1 Kg8 24.Kf1
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White wishes to bring his king closer to the centre and to begin active actions, but Black has
sufficient time to realise his standard plan: 24...f6 25.Ke2 Nf8 26.Kd2 Bg6= After the trade of the
bishops and several pawns Black will hold his defence without any problems.
B2b) 17.Ke2 Bd7
18.Bd4
Now, White cannot advance his kingside pawns just like this: 18.b5 hxg3 19.hxg3 Rxh1 20.Rxh1
Kg8 21.Bd4 and exploiting the fact that White’s rook has temporarily abandoned the queenside,
Black can use the perfect moment to accomplish the typical undermining operation: 21...Be8 22.Nd2
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f6 23.f4 Bb6 24.c3 Rc8= , followed by Nf8 and Bg6.
After 18.a4, Black can capture bravely a pawn 18...hxg3 19.hxg3 Rxh1 20.Rxh1 Bxa4 21.Bxg6
fxg6 22.Rh8+ Ke7
The position may seem promising for White, but he cannot realise anything really meaningful in
this situation in the endgame, arising after 23.Bc1 Rc8 24.Bg5+ Kd7 25.Bxd8 Rxd8 26.Rxd8+ Kxd8
27.Nd4 Bd7= His knight is no doubt stronger than his opponent’s bishop, but Black has an extra
pawn after all and should not lose, while following 23.Bd4 b6! 24.Be3 Be8 (Here, after 24...Rc8,
White has the resource 25.Nd4.) 25.Bg5+ Kf7 26.Bxd8 Rxd8 27.Ke3 Ke7 28.Nd4 Rc8 29.b5 Kf7=,
he can simply play passively and his position would be unbreakable.
18...Kg8 19.Rhc1
There may arise another variation, which shows very instructively the main idea behind the move
16...h4, after 19.b5 Be8 20.a4 hxg3 21.hxg3 Rxh1 22.Rxh1 a6= and Black manages to simplify the
position quite comfortably.
19...hxg3 20.hxg3 Be8 21.c4
Black is ready to follow with his standard plan, connected with f7-f6, therefore, White begins an
immediate assault.
21...dxc4 22.Be4!?
Naturally, Black would not mind entering the line: 22.Bxc4 Bc6=
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22...Bb6 23.Bxb6 axb6 24.Bxb7 Ra7 25.Be4
Now, Black is close to equalising. He only needs to preserve his c-pawn, or if he has to give it up –
to do that for something and also not to forget about his kingside pieces.
25...Ne7 26.Nd2 b5 27.a4 bxa4 28.Nxc4
The first part of Black’s plan has been realised. He has managed to exchange his c-pawn for the
enemy a-pawn, which is also likely to be traded soon for its neighbour. Now, he must decide what to
do on the kingside.
28...f5! 29.Bf3
Following 29.Nd6 fxe4 30.Nxe8, Black’s most precise reaction would be 30...e3! 31.Kxe3 Nd5+
32.Kf3 Rh5=, restoring the material balance.
29...Bb5 30.Kd2 Bxc4 31.Rxc4 Kf7=
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The advance of the queenside pawns would gradually lead to their exchange, after which there
would arise a drawish endgame of three pawns against three pawns on the same side of the board.
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Chapter 13
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3
Qa5
Black’s queen is headed for the a4-square. From there it would block White’s queenside and will
squeeze the enemy forces to protect his weak pawns and particularly the key-pawn on c2. After the
evacuation of his king to the static queenside and the mobilisation of his forces, Black will be ready
to advance f7-f6 and to begin a fight on the flank on which White’s king is placed. This idea was
analysed many years ago by master Hook and grandmaster Portisch.
If the outcome of the game is not decided in the middle game, Black will have more guidelines in
an eventual endgame. His bishop may replace his queen on the a4-square and his knight on c6 may go
to the wonderful b5-square via a7.
If White does not play precisely, Black usually manages to trade the light-squared bishop via the
a6-square. With this he weakens the entire complex of light squares in White’s camp. If he plays
correctly it would be important for Black at some key-moment to evacuate his king to the queenside,
followed by opening of files on the kingside.
The variation with the move 7...Qa4 is attractive for Black with its rather unusual pawn structure
and also with its standard strategical resources for him. He must try to exchange the light-squared
bishops via the a6-square. He should also avoid the trade of the queens under favourable
circumstances for White. Black must think about counter attacking with his pawns on the kingside
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after evacuating his king to the queenside with or even without castling there.
In the majority of the lines White must play very inventively and enterprisingly, but he must also
know very well the theory of the variation, move by move, while Black can sometimes play just
“common sense” moves, because the computer evaluation of this position +0.5, according to the
analysis of the program Leela Zero, does not guarantee for White a sure success in practice...
So, after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5, White can protect his pawn
on c3 with his queen 7.Qd2, with the idea later to deploy his dark-squared bishop to the promising
position on the a3-square. 7...Nc6 8.Nf3 Nge7
This is a very important position. In our study of the Portisch-Hook variation we will repeat again
that the two most important moments in Black’s plans are to evacuate his king to the safe queenside
and to follow this with opening of files on the kingside in order to create threats against White’s king.
After 9.Bd3 c4 10.Be2 Qa4 11.0-0 Bd7 12.Ng5 h6 13.Nh3 0-0-0, this plan is realised quite
effectively and even White’s attempt to prevent the advance of his opponent’s f-pawn 14.Nf4 f5
15.exf6 gxf6 16.Bg4 e5 17.Ne6 Bxe6 18.Bxe6+ Kb8 19.dxe5 fxe5 20.f4 Ng6! 21.fxe5 (21.f5?!
Nf8³) 21...Ngxe5ƒ would not create any problems for Black.
You would need to remember that all types of complications on the kingside would suit Black
perfectly in positions with approximate material equality! His king, protected by his pieces, is quite
safe, while White’s king will be seriously endangered.
9.Rb1 0-0! 10.Rb5 Qc7 11.Rxc5 b6 12.Rb5 Ba6 13.Rb1 Bxf1 14.Kxf1 Na5© Black is completely
dominant on the light squares only at the price of a pawn and the trade of the light-squared bishops is
one of the thematic ideas in this variation. After this the transfer of Black’s knights to some perfect
outposts will enable him to regain the sacrificed material with an interest.
White usually prefers to force the exchange of the queens in this position 9.a4 Bd7 10.Ba3 cxd4
11.cxd4 Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2 Nf5
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This is a precise move by Black which forces White to lose a tempo for the protection of the pawn
on d4. Following 13.Bb2 Na5, 13.c3 Na5, or 13.Rb1 b6 14.c3 Na5, Black’s knight controls the
important c4-square. After an exchange on c4 with Na5-c4 Bхc4 dхc4, the important a8-h1 diagonal
is freed for his light-squared bishop. I would like to emphasize an important circumstance here.
White’s king remains in the centre and Black must act against it maximally energetically. He should
castle queenside, deploy his rooks in the centre and advance f7-f6, breaking the barricades!
Naturally, White plays much more often 7.Bd2 Qa4 and after that he must make a principled
choice.
Black can be very happy after 8.dxc5 Nd7. White’s pawn structure has been disrupted and Black
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can begin attacking it immediately.
It happens often in the contemporary tournament practice, like a main rule, that if you have a
position with a space advantage you should advance your rook-pawn. 8.h4 Ne7 9.h5 b6 10.Nf3
(White must also take care about his development, because after 10.h6 gxh6 11.Bxh6 Ba6 12.Qd2
Bxf1 13.Kxf1 Nf5 14.Ne2 Nc6„, Black exchanges the bishops, organises pressure against the
enemy centre and his queen on a4 is perfectly placed.) 10...Ba6 11.h6 gxh6 12.Bxa6 Nxa6 13.Bxh6
cxd4
Black destroys completely his opponent’s pawn structure and plans to organise an attack 14.Nxd4
Rc8 15.Qf3? Nc5 16.Bg7 Rg8 17.Rxh7 Nc6 18.Bh6 (18.Nxc6 Rxc6 19.Bh6 Qe4µ) 18...Nxe5
19.Qh5 Ng6 20.Qf3 Rc7µ This line turns out to be something like a boomerang for White. If Black’s
knights have been deployed timely in the centre and have attacked in the process important strategical
points, then as a rule in the French Defence this is much more important than any negative
developments for him on the kingside! I would like to emphasize once again that the spirit of the
French Defence is counter attacking and Black should follow its philosophy!
After the moves of Black’s queen White usually reacted with 8.Qb1 forcing his opponent to close
the centre. 8...c4. From the b1-square White’s queen attacks the enemy pawn on b7 and he plans to
reconstruct harmoniously his set-up on the kingside and to prevent the enemy pawn-advances f7-f5,
or f7-f6. Still, Black has the possibility to castle quickly with the help of a typical trick and to begin
rapidly active actions! 9.Ne2 Nc6 10.g3 (10.Nf4 Bd7 11.h4 0-0-0 12.g3 f6 13.Bh3 Re8 14.exf6 Nxf6
15.0-0 Qa5 16.Qd1 Re7 17.a4 Rhe8 18.Re1 e5= Black has accomplished the freeing pawn-break.)
10...Bd7
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11.Nf4 (This is an important moment. Black’s pawn is poisoned: 11.Qxb7? Rb8 12.Qc7 Qxc2µ)
11...0-0-0 12.Bh3 (Black can be happy after the line: 12.Bg2 f6 13.exf6 Nxf6.) 12...h5!
White has chosen the most clever move-order, emphasizing on the weakness of the enemy pawn on
c6, but Black can counter this with a flank attack with tempo! 13.0-0 (After 13.Qd1 h4 14.g4 Kb8
15.0-0 Rf8 16.Nh5 Rh7„, the kingside will be opened sooner or later.) 13...Nge7 14.Ng2!? (14.Qb2
g5! 15.Ne2 Rdg8ƒ) 14...Ng6 15.Qb2 Rdf8 16.Rab1 b6 17.Rbe1 Kb7 18.Re3 Nce7 19.Rf3 f6ƒ Black
has managed to realise both parts of his classical plan – to remove his king to the queenside and to
begin a counter attack!
Therefore, the contemporary theory recommends to White to play here 8.Qg4, forcing Black to
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make a difficult choice. He would weaken too much his dark squares with the move 8...g6?!, so he
should better play 8...Kf8. White has lost tempi on the moves with his queen, so Black will have
effective counterplay against White’s pawns. It is however essential for Black to watch carefully for
the possibility for his king to come under an unpleasant attack.
After White’s aggressive pawn-advance 9.h4 Nc6 10.h5, Black should at first develop his pieces,
then he should cover his vulnerable squares (With a king on f8, Black should better not allow the
move h5-h6.) and refrain from capturing pawns. 10...h6 11.Qd1 (Following 11.Bd3?! Nxe5 12.Qf4
Nxd3+, Black already wins a pawn and also succeeds in trading the important enemy bishop. After
11.Qf4 Qxc2 12.dxc5 Nge7 13.Be2, Black will have another classical resource – to bring his rook on
a8 into the actions. 13...b6! 14.cxb6 axb6=) 11...b6 12.Nf3 Ba6 13.Bxa6 Qxa6 14.dxc5 bxc5
15.Qe2. Black has exchanged the bishops, but White wishes in response to trade the queens as well,
in order to penetrate on the b-file. Black should not allow this and must place safely his king on the
d7-square, connecting again the rooks. 15...c4 16.a4 Rb8 17.0-0 Nge7 18.Nh4 Ke8! 19.Bc1 Qa5
with the idea 20.Qe1 Kd7 21.Ba3 g5„, or 20.Qe3. White is ready to begin to advance his f and g-
pawns, so Black must begin active actions before his opponent 20...g5! 21.hхg6 fхg6„ His king has
found a safe shelter behind his pawns.
The developing move 9.Nf3 cuts off the way back for White’s queen. The guiding rules for Black
remain the same. He should not try to win immediately material and should not allow the opening of
the game, since his king might suffer seriously then. 9...Ne7
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After the move 10.h3, with the idea to capture on c5, Black can follow with the simple response
10...Qxc2, as well as following 10.h4 h6 11.h5 Qxc2.
After 10.Qf4, it would be sufficient for Black to parry the threat against the f7-square, then to
capture a pawn and to trade the queens. 10...h6 11.dxc5 Qxc2 12.Nd4 Qe4+ 13.Qxe4 dxe4 14.Bb5
Nd7 15.Bxd7 Bxd7 16.Rb1 b6 17.cxb6 axb6 18.Rxb6 Ng6=
10.Bd3 c4 11.Be2 Qxc2 12.0-0 Nbc6 13.Bd1 (This move is forced; otherwise, Black would obtain
an excellent position, by provoking the opponent with an advantageous exchange of the queens at the
centre of the board. 13.Qf4 h6 14.Rfb1? Qe4!; 13.Rac1? Qe4!µ) 13...Qg6 14.Qh4 (After 14.Qh3,
Ahn – Kryakvin, Budva 2019, the simplest for Black would be to play 14...h5! with another threat to
trade the queens.) 14...Bd7 15.Rc1 Nf5 16.Qf4 h5. Black is building a reliable barricade on the
kingside and then plans to accomplish an important manoeuvre. 17.h3 Na5 18.Bc2 Nb3. Try always
to find the best place for your knight! If White wishes to regain his pawn, he must part with a very
important attacking piece.
Now, in order to avoid the loss of his pawns on e5, or c2, it would be reasonable for White to return
with his queen after it has accomplished the task to de-stabilise the situation in Black’s camp. 9.Qd1
Ne7! (Following 9...b6 10.dxc5 bxc5 11.c4, there may arise variations which would be quite
acceptable for Black in correspondence games, but they would be very difficult for the practical
players, so I recommend another line to Black.)
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The move 10.Bd3 would not impede Black’s plans. 10...b6 11.Nf3 Ba6 12.dxc5 (We must also
remember the standard pawn-sacrifice 12.Bxa6 Qxa6 13.dxc5 Nd7! 14.cxb6 axb6© with the idea to
activate all Black’s pieces and to attack White’s queenside.) 12...bxc5 13.0-0 Nd7„
It would be better for White to follow the same idea, but without losing a tempo for a move with
the bishop 10.Nf3 b6 11.dxc5 bxc5 12.Rb1 Ba6 13.Bxa6 Qxa6 14.Qe2. Black should better avoid
again the exchange of the queens! In fact, his defensive lines are solid and all his weak squares are
quite defensible and his king has a safe haven on the h7-square. 14...c4 15.0-0 Nbc6 16.Nd4 Kg8
(Black should not allow the activation of his opponent’s bishop: 16...Nxd4?! 17.cxd4 Nf5 18.Bb4+).
Black plans to advance h7-h6, followed by Кg8-h7 and his queen squeezes the enemy forces on the
queenside.
The main line here is: 10.Qb1 Nbc6 11.Nf3 (Grandmaster Nagy recommends the variation 11.Bb5
Qa5 12.a4 and against that it would be interesting for Black to try to trap the enemy bishop. 12...Qc7
13.Nf3 Kg8 14.0-0 c4 15.Bc1 Nb8 16.a5 a6. Now, White is forced to give up his a-pawn in order to
avoid the loss of a piece.) 11...c4. White has forced his opponent to close the centre, but now Black’s
king can follow the saving marathon march to the queenside. 12.h4 (12.Be2 Ke8! 13.h4 h6 14.h5
Kd8 15.g4 Kc7 16.g5 Nf5„) 12...Ke8 13.h5 h6
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14.Rh4. White fails to prevent the march of Black’s king. 14...Bd7 15.Rg4 (15.Qxb7? Rb8 16.Qc7
Qxc2–+) 15...Rg8 16.Rf4 Kd8!= It would be too risky for White to capture the f7-pawn here, because
Black would regain advantageously the pawn on h5.
Theoretical Resume
The variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 was studied
by me with the book of Viktor Moskalenko “The Flexible French” which was published in the year
2008, long before the variation had become very popular again. Many lines there, analysed by the
author, are still worth studying today, but in one of the variations White inflicted a deadly strike
against Black’s defensive concept. After 8.h4 Nc6 9.h5
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among the three recommendations in the book only the move 9...h6!? has withstood the test of time.
Black suffered a real crush after the line: 9...cxd4 10.Qg4 Kf8 11.h6! g6 (It is relatively better for
him to choose here 11...gxh6 12.Bd3 Nxe5 13.Qh5‚, but even then White’s threats are very
dangerous.) 12.Nf3 Qxc2 13.cxd4 f6 14.Be2 Qe4 15.Qg3 Nxd4 16.Nxd4 Qxd4 17.Bc3 Qb6
18.exf6+– Kurnosov – Istratescu, Abu Dhabi 2013,
Following 9...Nge7 10.h6 gxh6 11.Rb1! a6 12.Nf3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nxd4 14.Bd3 Ndc6, Karjakin –
Atabayev, Baku 2016, 15.Rxh6‚, Black will have great problems with his development, while White
is about to organise a very dangerous attack against the enemy king.
Therefore, in my book I have recommended to Black 8...Ne7 9.h5 b6
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It would be better for him to exchange this bishop, forced to protect the pawn on b7, than to leave it
on the board as it happened in the game from the Olympiad in Baku.
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Chapter 13
Qa5
Step by Step
7.Qd2
The move 7.Bb2?! looks rather questionable A.Kovalev – Hasangatin, Karvina 2003, because
White’s bishop does not have good prospects on this square. 7...Ne7 8.Nf3 Nbc6, following 9.dxc5
Ng6³, Black would regain advantageously his pawn.
7.Nf3 cxd4 (Black cannot capture his opponent’s poisoned pawn 7...Qxc3+?? 8.Bd2 Qb2 9.Rb1
Qxa3 10.Rb3! Qa2 11.Qc1+–) 8.Bd3!? After the d4-pawn, White gives up his c3-pawn as well.
(8.Qxd4?! Nc6 9.Qd3 Nge7³ and Black has a clear-cut plan to attack White’s weak pawns on the c-
file.) 8...Nc6 9.0-0 dxc3 10.Re1 Nge7 11.Ng5 Ng6 12.f4, Sokolovsky – Duzhakov, Voronezh 2011,
12...Nce7! 13.Rb1 Qc7÷ White’s concrete tactical strikes would not work, while Black will preserve
his extra material and will hope to neutralise gradually his opponent’s initiative.
7...Nc6 8.Nf3 Nge7

There has arisen after a repetition of moves an old variation in which during the past century the
World Champion number six Mikhail Botvinnik scored numerous successes with Black.
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9.a4
White is trying to activate his main trump in this position – the dark-squared bishop.
It is interesting that Black would be ready to sacrifice a pawn in order to dominate on the light
squares. 9.Rb1, B.Socko – M.Bartel, Warsaw 2001, 9...0-0! 10.Rb5 Qc7 11.Rxc5 b6 12.Rb5 Ba6
13.Rb1 Bxf1 14.Kxf1 Na5© with pressure against White’s c-pawns and domination over the c4-
outpost.
See some classical examples in the brilliant career of Botvinnik: 9.Bd3 c4 10.Be2 Qa4 11.0-0
(11.h4 Bd7 – see the game 12, p. 253) 11...Bd7 12.Ng5 h6 13.Nh3 0-0-0
After the move 14.f4?!, 80 years ago the grandmaster demonstrated the classical plan for Black –
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blockade, the evacu ation of the king to the queenside and then decisive opening of the game on the
kingside. 14...f6 15.Nf2 h5 16.Nd1 Nf5 17.Nb2 Qa5 18.a4 g5!µ Pogrebissky – Botvinnik, Leningrad
1939.
14.Nf4! f5 15.exf6 gxf6. Now, White’s pieces are perfectly prepared for the sharpening of the
game, but Black’s resources are quite sufficient. 16.Bg4 (16.Nh5 Rdf8 17.Re1 e5 18.Bf1?! Bf5ƒ
Wisniewski – Istratescu, Warsaw 2012; it is more accurate for White to choose here 18.Bf3÷) 16...e5
17.Ne6 Bxe6 18.Bxe6+ Kb8 19.dxe5 fxe5 20.f4, Gaprindashvili – Zatulovskaya, Tbilisi 1976,
20...Ng6! 21.fxe5 (21.f5?! Nf8³) 21...Ngxe5÷ White’s bishops are powerful indeed, but Black’s king
is much safer than its counterpart, so this about balances the chances in the forthcoming complicated
battle.
9...Bd7
We will deal now with: A) 10.Bd3, B) 10.Be2, C) 10.Ba3.
10.dxc5?! Qc7 11.Qg5 Ng6 12.Rb1 (12.Bb5 Ncxe5 13.Bxd7+ Nxd7µ; 13.Nxe5 Qxe5+ 14.Qxe5
Nxe5³) 12...0-0 13.Nd4. White has compromised his pawn structure in his attempt to capture a pawn
and his weaknesses can be emphasized by Black with a classical resource. 13...b6!? 14.Ba3? (White’s
relatively best line here is: 14.cxb6 axb6ƒ) 14...bxc5 15.Bxc5 Rfb8 16.Nb5, Massoni – Moskalenko,
Barbera del Valles 2009, 16...Qa5 17.Qc1 a6–+
A) 10.Bd3 f6
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11.0-0
Following 11.Ba3?! fxe5 12.dxe5 0-0 13.0-0, Black can sacrifice the exchange in a typical fashion
for the French Defence: 13...Rxf3 14.gxf3 Nxe5ƒ Kravtsiv – Vernay, Sibenik 2007.
11.exf6 gxf6 12.dxc5 (12.0-0?! c4! 13.Be2 0-0-0 14.Ba3 Nf5 15.Rfe1 Rdg8³ Reeh – Arkhipov,
Kecskemet 1990. Black has blocked reliably the centre and is ready to begin an offensive on the
kingside.) 12...e5
13.Be2 0-0-0 14.0-0 Rhg8 15.Kh1, Tringov – Vaganian, Vrnjacka Banja 1971, 15...Be6 16.Ba3
Kb8 17.Rfb1 Ka8 18.Bb4 Qc7 19.a5 a6ƒ Black has ensured the safety of his king and is ready to
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begin an attack against the enemy monarch.
13.c4 dxc4 14.Bxc4 Qxc5 15.Bb3 Na5! 16.Ba3 Nxb3 17.cxb3 Qd5= Gallagher – Hawksworth,
London 1985. After the opening of the centre Black has deprived his opponent of his two-bishop
advantage and his prospects are not inferior at all.
11...fxe5 12.Nxe5
The move 12.dxe5?! is not so flexible. 12...0-0 13.Re1 h6 14.Nh4 (14.Ba3 Be8 15.Qe3 b6 16.Nd2,
Smyslov – Uhlmann, Havana 1964, 16...Bg6³) 14...Be8 15.c4 Qxd2 16.Bxd2 Rd8 17.cxd5 Nxd5³
Mariano – Wang Hao, Kuala Lumpur 2005. Once again the activation of Black’s “bad” light-squared
bishop has provided him with an excellent position.
12...Nxe5 13.dxe5 0-0 14.c4 Qc7
15.Qg5 (Now, Black’s bishop will be deployed to the long diagonal no matter what. 15.Re1 Bc6
16.Qe2 dxc4 17.Bxc4 Bd5= Tringov – Korchnoi, Skopje 1972.) 15...Bc6 16.Re1 Nf5 17.Ba3 b6
18.a5, Zuckerman – Vaganian, Vrnjacka Banja 1971, 18...dxc4 19.Bxc4 Qf7= White’s dark-squared
bishop has been severely restricted by pawns, while Black has created timely threats on the kingside.
B) 10.Be2
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On this square White’s bishop would not come under an attack with tempo by Black’s c-pawn.
10...Rc8 11.Ba3
Black would be more than happy to enter an endgame in which White’s dark-squared bishop has
failed to occupy the a3-f8 diagonal, for example; 11.Bd3 cxd4 12.cxd4 Qxd2+ 13.Bxd2 b6 14.Ra3 0-
0 15.0-0 Rc7 16.Rb1 h6 17.Kf1 Nf5 18.Bc3 Rfc8 19.Ke2 f6!= Timman – Korchnoi, Nice 1974.
White cannot obtain any advantage after 11.dxc5 Ng6 12.0-0 Ngxe5 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 – the power of
his bishop-pair is neutralised by the vulnerability of his tripled pawns on the c-file.
14.Qe3 Ng6=
The trap 14.Qg5 Ng6 15.c4 can be best avoided by Black with the prophylactic move 15...h6! (He
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would lose a piece after 15...dxc4? 16.c6! Qxg5 17.cxd7+ Kxd7 18.Bxg5+– Gligoric – Moles,
Groningen 1966.) 16.Qe3 dxc4 17.Ba3 Bc6 18.Bh5 0-0 19.Bxg6 fxg6 20.Qxe6+ Kh7 21.Qxc4
Rce8© This type of a middle game with bishops of opposite colours is usually in favour of Black,
since he has more objects to attack.
14.Ba3, Tisdall – Ogaard, Oslo 1986, White develops his bishop to the a3-square with the idea to
thwart his opponent’s castling, but Black can ensure the safety of his king in another way. 14...f6
15.f4 (15.Bb4 Qc7 16.a5 Nc6÷) 15...Nc6 16.Rab1 Qc7 17.c4 d4 18.Bh5+ g6 19.Bf3 0-0 20.c3
(20.Bxc6 Bxc6 21.Qxd4 Rcd8 22.Qe3 e5© Once again White’s extra pawn might become for him a
cause of trouble.) 20...dxc3 21.Qxc3 Rf7 22.Rbe1 Ne7=
11...cxd4 12.cxd4 Qxd2+ 13.Kxd2 Na5
In this version of the endgame, White’s bishop has turned out to be on the a3-square, but Black is
saved by his control over the c4-outpost.
14.Rhb1 f6. Black ensures the safety of his king and the development of his king’s rook. 15.Bb4
(15.c3 Nec6 16.Ke1, Abramovic – Maksimovic, Vrnjacka Banja 1983, 16...Kf7 17.Bd6 b6=; 15.Bd3
Kf7 16.g3 h6= Cabrilo – Levitt, Germany 1992) 15...Nec6 16.Bd6 b6 17.Ba6, G.Hernandez –
Rahman, Novi Sad 1990, 17...Rd8 18.Bc7 Ra8=
C) 10.Ba3 cxd4 11.cxd4 Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2 Nf5
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This is a very important position. White’s d4-pawn is hanging and all its possible defences would
somehow worsen the placement of his pieces. Meanwhile, Black has again in mind to penetrate to the
c4-outpost.
13.Bb2
After 13.Rb1 b6 14.c3 Na5 15.Bb4 Nc4+ 16.Bxc4 dxc4, there arises a position with bishops of
opposite colours in which Black’s bishop will play the most important role, since it has occupied the
long diagonal. 17.a5 Bc6 18.Ne1 f6 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Rg1 Kf7= Morovic Fernandez – Shaked,
Groningen 1997.
Following 13.c3 Na5, Black is threatening a double attack, so White must lose a tempo for a move
with his rook. 14.Ra2 Rc8 15.Bb5 a6 16.Bxd7+ Kxd7 17.Kd3, Schmittdiel – Vanheste, Ostend 1991.
White has weaknesses on the queenside, so despite his space advantage he would fail to develop
effectively his offensive on the other side of the board 17...b6 18.g4 Ne7 19.Rb1 Rc6=
13...Na5 14.Bc3
White wishes to clarify immediately the intentions of the enemy knight.
14.Ba3 Nc6=
14.Ke1 Rc8 15.Bd3 Nc4 16.Bc1, Kurajica – Cuartas, Biel 1981. White is trying to ignore the
powerful enemy knight, so Black should better provoke an immediate conflict in the centre: 16...f6
17.g4 Ne7=
14.Bd3 Nc4+ 15.Bxc4 (15.Kc1 Rc8 16.Re1 Ne7 17.Nd2 Nxb2 18.Kxb2 Nc6 19.Nb3 Nb4=
Westerinen – I.Farago, Balaguer 2005) 15...dxc4 16.Kc3! Svetushkin – E.Lukin, Netanya 2019. Here,
Black can organise very effective counterplay by sacrificing his c4-pawn for the sake of the activation
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of his pieces. 16...Bc6! 17.Kxc4 Rc8 18.Kd3 f6 19.c4 Kf7 20.Rhe1 Rhd8. White’s king is not safe at
all at the centre of the board, so his forces would be incapable of preserving the material gains 21.a5
Bxf3 22.gxf3 Nh4„
14...Nc4+ 15.Bxc4 dxc4
16.Bb4
16.d5?! exd5 17.Nd4 h5³ Cabrilo – Lalic, Yugoslavia 1989.
16...Bc6 17.Kc3
It is hardly advisable for White to play 17.c3 Bxf3 18.gxf3 Kd7=, because Black’s c4-pawn is
completely safe.
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This position was reached in the game Hazai – Psakhis, Sochi 1982.
Black must again play very energetically with full mobilisation of his forces and should be ready to
part with his pawn on c4 if this becomes necessary. 17...0-0-0 18.Rhd1 Rd7 19.a5 (Black’s pawn is
protected indirectly at the moment: 19.Kxc4? Bd5+! 20.Kc3 Bxf3 21.gxf3 Rhd8µ He regains the
sacrificed material with an interest.) 19...Rhd8 20.Bc5 Kb8 21.Kxc4 f6„ Black’s pieces are acting
with 100% coefficient of effectiveness, so White will hardly manage to preserve his minimal material
gains.
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Chapter 14
Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4
Step by Step
Black’s queen has occupied its desired position having blocked his opponent’s queenside and he
only needs to bring his reserves. It is now White to move so he should choose a plan for his further
actions.
We will analyse: A) 8.Rb1, B) 8.Nf3, C) 8.h4.
About 8.Qb1 and 8.Qg4 – see next chapters.
After his alternatives Black solves easily all his problems in the opening.
8.Be3?! This move is a loss of a tempo. 8...Ne7 9.dxc5, Novikova – Bivol, Moscow 2019, 9...Nd7.
White has won the pawn on c5 but this cannot make him happy, since his pawn structure has been
completely compromised on the left side of the board. 10.Nf3 Nf5 11.Bd4 Qa5 12.Rb1 (12.Qd2
Nxc5³) 12...0-0 13.Bb5 (13.Rb5 Qxa3³) 13...Nxc5!³
After 8.Bd3, it would be essential for Black not to succumb to provocation and not to be in a hurry
to play c5-c4, because White’s knight has not been developed yet to the f3-square. 8...Ne7 9.Nf3 b6
10.Be3?! Romanishin – Uhlmann, Tallinn 1977 (Here, White should better play the typical move:
10.h4, or 10.Qb1.) 10...cxd4 11.cxd4 Ba6³ Black exchanges comfortably his “bad” bishop.
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8.c4 Ne7 9.c3 (9.dxc5 dxc4 10.Qg4 Qxc2 11.Rc1 Qf5! 12.Qxg7?! Rg8 13.Qf6 Qe4+ 14.Be2,
Alekseenko – Savchenko, Batumi 2018, 14...Nbc6! 15.Qf3 Qxe5 16.Rxc4 Qg7!µ; 12.Qxf5 Nxf5
13.Bxc4 Bd7 14.Nf3 Bc6³ Leviczki – Rajlich, Budapest 2008. White is forced to protect his
weaknesses in this endgame.) 9...Qxd1+ 10.Rxd1 cxd4 11.cxd4, Carlstedt – Mueller, Schwaebisch
Gmuend 2016, 11...dxc4 12.Bxc4 b6= Black has excellent squares for his knights and this position is
much easier for him to play from the human point of view.
A) 8.Rb1
White is threatening to give a check from the b5-square winning the enemy queen, so Black is
forced to close the centre giving up the idea to trade the light-squared bishops. Still, White’s pawn on
a3 has remained under an attack, so after Black would feel relatively safe, he might try to capture it
obtaining an outside passed pawn.
8...c4
9.Qc1
After 9.Nh3, Black can follow a line which would force immediately his opponent to make a draw.
9...Qxa3 10.Ra1 Qb2 11.Rb1, Motylev – Savchenko, Skolkovo 2019, 11...Qa3=
9.Ne2!? Ne7 (Following 9...Qxa3, White can begin an immediate pawn-offensive, which would
provide him with compensation for the sacrificed pawn: 10.g4 Nc6 11.Ng3 f6 12.f4 fxe5 13.fxe5ƒ
Paravyan – Short, Moscow 2018) 10.h4 Nbc6 11.h5 h6 12.Qc1 b6 13.Rh3 Bd7 14.Rf3 Rf8=
Schoppen – Grooten, Hoogeveen 2019. Black is ready to counter his opponent’s pawn-offensive with
a one of his own...
9.Ra1 Nc6 10.h4 Nge7 11.h5 h6 12.Ra2 Bd7 13.Qg4 Nf5 14.Nh3 0-0-0 15.Qd1 f6ƒ Gajewski –
Kryakvin, lichess.org 2020.
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9.h4 Nc6 10.h5 h6 11.Rh4 (11.Nh3 b6 12.Nf4 Nge7 13.Rh3 Bd7 14.Re3 0-0-0 15.g3, Kalegin –
Gonzalez Valenzuela, Barcelona 2006, 15...Kb8 16.Bh3 Bc8= Black has completed a classical re-
grouping of his pieces.) 11...Nge7 12.Rg4, Kayumov – Dobrov, Abu Dhabi 2005, 12...Nf5 13.Qc1 b6
14.Ne2 Bd7 15.Ng3 Nce7= White can try to break his opponent’s position only after a pawn-
offensive, but it might involve certain risks for him as well.
If White insists on preserving his extra pawn Black will gain tempi for his development. 9.Bc1 Nc6
10.g3 (10.Nf3 b6 11.g3 Bd7 12.Bh3 h6 13.0-0 0-0-0 and after the careless move 14.Nh4?! Black can
seize the initiative with the line: 14...g5 15.Ng2 f5! 16.exf6 Nxf6³ Hovhannisyan – Fedoseev, St.
Petersburg 2012.) 10...Qa5 11.Ne2 f6!
It would be in favour of Black to undermine immediately his opponent’s centre making use of the
fact that most of White’s pieces have remained on their initial squares. 12.Bg2 (12.exf6 Nxf6 13.Bg2
0-0 14.0-0 Ne4= Black’s knight is transferred advantageously to the centre.) 12...fxe5 13.dxe5 Nge7
14.f4 Nf5 15.0-0 h5 16.Bf3 g6 17.Qe1 b6 18.Qf2 Bd7= Khalifman – Rustemov, Dos Hermanas
2003. Black has managed to build an unbreakable position.
9...Nc6
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10.Be2
After 10.h4 b6 11.h5 h6 12.Nf3 Nge7 13.Rh4 Bd7 14.Rg4, Sanchez Aller – Suarez Gomez,
Sanxenxo 2014, Black should build his defence around the f5-square as we already know: 14...Nf5
15.Nh4 Nce7=
White does not have sufficient time to play inventively, because Black is perfectly prepared for
counter operations. 10.Nh3 f6 11.f4 (11.Be2. The sharpening of the situation on the kingside can only
be in favour of Black. 11...fxe5 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Bh5+ g6 14.Bd1, I.Saric – Egle, Deizisau 2013,
14...Ne7 15.0-0 0-0 16.Re1 Nf7 17.Ng5 Nxg5 18.Bxg5 Nf5ƒ). Now, Black can block completely the
kingside. 11...f5 12.Be2 b6 13.Bh5+ g6 14.Bf3 Bd7 15.Nf2 0-0-0 16.h4 h5 17.Nd1 Nh6 18.Ra1 Be8
19.Nb2 Qa6 20.a4 Qb7 21.Nd1 Ng4= Fedoseev – Andreikin, Dortmund 2017.
10.Ne2 f6 11.exf6 Nxf6 12.Ng3. Black’s position is so comfortable that he can even afford to
castle kingside, which happens only very rarely in this variation. 12...0-0 13.Be2 b6 14.0-0 Bd7
15.Re1, Moreno Carnero – Pogorelov, Dos Hermanas 2003, 15...Rae8 16.Bf4 Rf7= The active
placement of Black’s pieces guarantees the safety of his monarch.
10...b6
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11.Bh5!?
White is attacking the pawn on f7 in order to force the advance of the enemy g-pawn weakening the
dark squares on Black’s kingside.
11.Nf3 Bd7 12.h4 h6 13.Rh3 Nge7 14.h5 0-0-0 15.Kf1 Rdf8 16.Bf4 f6 17.Bh2 Kb7 18.Kg1 Rf7
19.Qb2 Rg8= Quesada Perez – Moskalenko, Barcelona 2011. Black is well prepared to begin his
counterplay on the kingside.
11...Bd7 12.Ne2 g6 13.Bf3 0-0-0 14.h4
14.Bg5 Rf8 15.h4 f6„
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White has realised his plan, but Black relies once again on the freeing advance of his pawn. 14...f6!
15.exf6 Nxf6 16.0-0 Rdf8 17.Bh6 Rf7 18.Re1, Saric – Kovalenko, Almaty 2016, 18...Re8 19.Bf4 e5
20.dxe5 Nxe5„ Black’s pieces are very well placed and his king is completely safe, so this
compensates the absence of the defender of his dark squares.
B) 8.Nf3 b6
9.dxc5
9.c4?! This attempt by White to open the position for his bishop is rather risky. 9...dxc4 10.dxc5,
Lalic – Pert, Scarborough 2001 (White cannot develop a successful attack with just two pieces:
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10.Ng5 Bb7 11.Qh5 g6 12.Qh4 Nd7 13.Ne4 Bxe4 14.Qxe4 0-0-0 15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.Qxc4 Qxc4
17.Bxc4 Ne7³ Black has parried the enemy attack and has reached a better endgame.). Here, once
again he should use the possibility to develop his rook on a8 right from its initial square and to attack
with it White’s pawn-weaknesses: 10...Ne7! 11.cxb6 axb6 12.Be2 0-0 13.0-0 Rd8³
The rather slow move 9.Bd3?! would enable Black to accomplish his main strategical idea. 9...Ba6
10.0-0 Ne7 11.dxc5 (11.Be3, Guliev – Pourramezanali, Nakhchivan 2019, 11...cxd4 12.cxd4 Bxd3
13.Qxd3 Nbc6³ Black’s pawn structure is obviously more promising.) 11...bxc5 12.Be3 Nd7 13.Rb1
h6 14.Bxa6 Qxa6 15.Qd3, Landa – Shipov, playchess.com 2004. Here, it is essential for Black not to
exchange on d3, correcting his opponent’s pawn structure in the process. 15...Qa4! 16.Qb5 Qxb5
17.Rxb5 Nc6! Black’s pawn on c5 is indirectly protected, while White’s rook would be forced to
retreat back into his own camp. 18.Rfb1 (18.Bxc5? a6!–+) 18...a6 19.R5b2 (19.Rb7 Na5µ) 19...Ke7³
With every exchange Black would be coming closer to the situation in which he would begin to
attack White’s weaknesses.
The same can be said about the line: 9.Rb1?! Ba6 10.h4 Ne7 11.h5 h6 12.Rh4 Bхf1 13.Kхf1 cхd4
14.cхd4 Nbc6³ Piscopo – Kryakvin, lichess.org 2020.
White can force the exchange of the queens and with this he would correct his pawn structure:
9.Qb1 Ba6 10.Qb3 (10.Bxa6?! Nxa6 11.0-0 Ne7³), but he would not obtain with this more than
equality. 10...Qxb3 11.cxb3 Bxf1 12.Rxf1 Ne7= Schoene – Rudolf, Chalkidiki 2003.
After the trade of the light-squared bishops 9.h4 Ba6 10.h5 (10.Bxa6 Qxa6=) 10...Bxf1 11.Kxf1,
Black might afford to ignore the advance of White’s rook-pawn. 11...cxd4 12.cxd4 (12.h6 Nxh6
13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.cxd4 Nc6 15.Rxh6 Rc8„; 12.Nxd4 Ne7 13.h6 gxh6 14.Rxh6 Nbc6„ Black’s
counterplay on the c-file is often much more dangerous than White’s pressure on the h-file.) 12...Nc6
and if White insists 13.Kg1? (13.c3=), then he might have serious difficulties: 13...Nxd4 14.Bb4,
Piscopo – Sulskis, Ravenna 2011, 14...Nf5! 15.g4 Nfe7 16.Nd4 Rc8µ
9...bxc5 10.c4
10.Rb1 Ba6 11.Bxa6, Radovanovic – Pesotskiy, Veliko Gradiste 2018, 11...Nxa6 12.0-0 Ne7=
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10...Ba6 11.cxd5 Bxf1 12.Kxf1 exd5
There has arisen an exchange of strategical advantages. White has obtained free operating space in
the centre, while Black has deprived his opponent of his two-bishop advantage and of his castling
rights.
13.h4
In the variation with the pawn-sacrifice 13.e6 Qa6+ 14.Qe2 Qxe2+ 15.Kxe2 fxe6 16.Rhb1 Nf6
17.Rb7 Nbd7 18.Bf4 0-0© White has compensation for the pawn but not more.
13...Ne7 14.h5 h6 15.Rh4 Qc6 16.Qe2 Qe6! 17.Ne1 Nd7 18.Nd3 0-0 19.Re1 Nf5 20.Rg4 Rae8=
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Inarkiev – Demchenko, Ekaterinburg 2013. Black’s pieces have occupied excellent blocking
positions and would not allow the enemy pieces to come closer to his king.
C) 8.h4
The advance of White’s rook-pawn is a popular resource for him with the help of which he wishes
to occupy space on the kingside. It is quite interesting that nowadays the advances of the rook a and
h-pawns are often on the first lines of the recommendations of the computer analytical modules.
8...Ne7
We will analyse now: C1) 9.h5 and C2) 9.Nf3.
9.Qb1 Nbc6 10.Bb5 (about 10.Nf3 c4 – see variation C2) 10...Qa5 11.dxc5?! It is too risky for
White to compromise his pawn structure (Following 11.Nf3 Bd7 12.a4 c4=, Black will manage to
exchange one of the enemy bishops.). 11...Bd7 12.c4 Qc7 13.cxd5 Qxe5+ 14.Ne2 Qxd5³ T.Smirnov
– Lugovskoy, Moscow 2020. Black is about to begin attacking his opponent’s weaknesses.
After 9.Qg4, Black can accept bravely the pawn-sacrifice. 9...Qxc2 10.Nf3, Yuffa –
Dilmukhametov, Sochi 2018 (10.Qxg7 Rg8 11.Qh6 Nbc6„) 10...Qg6! 11.Qxg6 (After 11.Qf4?! h6
12.dxc5 Qe4+!³, the queens are exchanged and Black’s king is safe, while the weaknesses in White’s
position remain on the board.) 11...hxg6 12.dxc5 Nec6 13.Be3 Nd7 14.Bb5 Ke7 15.Bd4 f6= There
has arisen an endgame which is much easier to play with Black since he has more objects to attack.
After 9.Rb1 Nbc6 10.Bb5 (about 10.Nf3 c4 – see variation C2) Black’s queen will be forced to
capture the pawn. 10...Qxa3 11.Rh3, Vonthron – Duebon, Baden-Baden 2002 (11.Ra1 Qb2 12.Rb1
Qa3=) and if White is reluctant to comply with the triple repetition 11...Qa5 12.h5 h6 13.Qg4 Nf5
14.Bd3 Rg8÷, then Black will manage to hold the pawn and can be optimistic about the future.
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C1) 9.h5 b6
Black plans to exchange the light-squared bishops and is ready, in order to accomplish this, to
ignore the advance of his opponent’s rook-pawn.
10.Nf3
About 10.Rh4 Ba6 11.Nf3 Bxf1 – see 10.Nf3.
10.h6 gxh6 11.Bxh6 (about 11.Nf3 Ba6 – see 10.Nf3) 11...Ba6. Black’s strategy is quite simple.
He should trade the bishops and deploy his knights on the best squares. 12.Qd2 Bxf1 13.Kxf1, Gopal
– A.L’Ami, Jakarta 2015, 13...Nf5 14.Ne2 Nc6„
10...Ba6 11.h6
11.Rh4 Bxf1 12.Kxf1, Grischuk – Kamsky, Beijing 2011, 12...cxd4 13.Nxd4 Nbc6„
11...gxh6
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12.Bxa6
White must capture the pawn on h6, because after 12.Rh4?! Bxf1 13.Kxf1, Kosteniuk – Harika,
Sochi 2015, 13...cxd4 14.cxd4 Nf5 15.Rf4 Nc6³, on top of all the pluses in his position, Black would
still have his pawn on h6.
12.Rxh6, Olszewski – Kus, Katowice 2017, 12...cxd4 13.Nxd4 Bxf1 14.Kxf1 Nbc6„
White can try to capture not only the pawn on h6 but its neighbour as well. 12.Bxh6 Bxf1 13.Kxf1
Nd7 14.Bg7 Rg8 15.Rxh7 Nf5 16.Bf6 Rc8„ Black has good counterplay on the c-file and if White
plays inaccurately 17.Kg1?! cxd4 18.Nxd4 Nxf6 19.exf6 Nxd4 20.Rg7 Rh8 21.cxd4, Akash –
Harsha, Mumbai 2014, 21...Rh6! 22.Rg8+ Kd7 23.Rxc8 Kxc8³, he would have excellent chances of
capturing one of his opponent’s weak pawns.
12...Nxa6 13.Bxh6 cxd4
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14.Nxd4
After 14.cxd4 Rc8 15.Rc1, it would be essential for Black to prevent the appearance of the enemy
knight on the g5-square with the move 15...Rg8.
16.Bd2 Rxg2 17.c3 Qxd1+ 18.Rxd1 Rg7 19.Ng5 h6 20.Rxh6 Kd7= Lane – Ellis, ICCF 2016.
16.Ng5. White’s direct assault would lead only to a draw. 16...Nf5 17.Nxh7 Rxg2 18.Bg5
(18.Nf6+?! Kd8³) 18...Qc4! 19.Qd3 (19.Nf6+?! Kd8ƒ) 19...Qxd3, Draw, Tocklin – Kuusik, ICCF
2014, in view of the variation 20.Nf6+ Kd8 21.Rh8+ Ke7 22.Nxd5+ Kd7 23.Nf6+ Ke7=
16.g3 Rc3! 17.Ng5 Nb8! 18.Nxh7 Nd7. Black has protected the f6-square and will regain the pawn
on his next move. 19.Bd2 Rxa3 20.c3 Qxd1+ 21.Kxd1 b5 22.Kc2 Ra2+ 23.Kd3 Nc6 24.Ra1 Rxa1
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25.Rxa1 a5 26.Rb1 b4 27.cxb4 Nxb4+ 28.Ke2 (Following 28.Bxb4 axb4 29.Rxb4 Rg7 30.Nf6+ Nxf6
31.exf6 Rg6= Black would restore immediately the material balance.) 28...Nc6 29.Be3 Rg7 30.Rh1
Kd8 31.Kd3 Kc7 32.Ng5 Nb6= Barreras – Bohak, ICCF 2014.
14...Rc8
The next example shows convincingly that Black’s threats might be very dangerous. 15.Qf3?
(White could have maintained the material balance with the move 15.Qh5÷) 15...Nc5 16.Bg7 Rg8
17.Rxh7, Smirin – Berg, Minsk 2014, 17...Nc6 18.Bh6 (18.Nxc6 Rxc6 19.Bh6 Qe4µ In this
endgame White’s pawns would be easy targets for Black’s pieces.) 18...Nxe5 19.Qh5 Ng6 20.Qf3
Rc7µ Black has protected reliably the f7-square and he is about to penetrate with his knight to the c4-
outpost.
C2) 9.Nf3 Nbc6 10.h5
About 10.Rb1 c4 11.h5 h6, or 10.Qb1 c4 11.h5 h6 – see 10.h5.
10...h6
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We will analyse in details here: C2a) 11.Rh4 and C2b) 11.Qb1.
Afte11.Rb1, Black should better postpone the capturing of the pawn on a3 and should better focus
on the mobilisation of his forces. 11...c4 12.g3 (12.Nh4 b6 13.Rh3 Bd7 14.Rg3 Rg8= Abdumalik –
Zhukova, Doha 2016) 12...b6 13.Bh3 Bd7 14.0-0 0-0-0 15.Nh4 Rdg8 16.Ng2 Kb8 17.Re1 Bc8
18.Kh2 Ka8= Karjakin – Radjabov, Baku 2016. Black’s king is completely safe and his forces on the
kingside are well prepared for the forthcoming conflict.
11.Bd3. White will develop his rook a move later and loses a tempo with this. 11...b6 12.Rh4 c4
13.Bf1 Bd7 14.Rf4 0-0-0!
15.g3 (15.Rxf7. Capturing this pawn provides Black with dangerous initiative: 15...Be8 16.Rxg7
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Nf5 17.Rg4 Bxh5©) 15...Rdf8 16.Bh3, Van Riemsdijk – Juarez Flores, Manila 1990, 16...Kb8
17.Nh4 Ka8= Black has managed to regroup advantageously his forces. I would like to mention that
he has chosen in different games between Kb8-a8 and b7-b6, followed by Kb7. There is no
principled difference. He manages only very seldom to transfer his knight to the b6-square, so the
problem of choice depends on the preferences of the player.
11.dxc5. Capturing this pawn is not the best idea for White. 11...Qe4+
12.Be2 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Qxe5 14.Rb1 0-0. White’s insistence on creating threats against the enemy
king with the help of his rooks: 15.Rh3? (15.0-0=) 15...b6! 16.Rb4? (16.cxb6 axb6µ) 16...bxc5
17.Rg4 f5–+ led to a catastrophe for him in the game Rudolf – Wirig, Germany 2014.
Black would be happy to enter an endgame in which he would attack White’s weak points.
12.Be3?! Kuybokarov – Papin, Melbourne 2017, 12...Nf5 13.Qd3 Nxe3 14.Qxe3 Qxe3+ 15.fxe3
Bd7 16.Rb1 Nd8³
12.Qe2 Qxc2 13.Qd3, Stets – Aghamir Alrobiai, Agneaux 2015 (After White’s alternatives he
would have problems with the safety of his king: 13.Qb5 Qe4+ 14.Be2, M.Bartel – Kjartansson, El
Prat 2019, 14...Nf5 15.Kf1 Bd7 16.Qb1 Na5„; 16.Qxb7 Rb8 17.Qa6 0-0©). Now, Black is not
obliged to exchange, because he can try to win the enemy c5-pawn. 13...Qa4 14.Be2 Qa5 15.0-0
Qxc5 16.Nd4 0-0 17.Rfb1 Nf5÷ White has some compensation for the sacrificed material indeed, but
has no direct threats.
C2a) 11.Qb1
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White forces his opponent to close the centre several moves later than in the Chapter 15, making
use of the fact that his knight is already on the e7-square, but this does not change much the character
of the fight.
11...c4 12.g3
12.Be2 Bd7 13.0-0 (about 13.Nh4 0-0-0 14.g4 g5 – see 12.g4) 13...0-0-0 14.Nh2, E.Alekseev –
Bauer, Eilat 2012. Now, Black can change advantageously the situation on the kingside after an
interesting manoeuvre with his knight: 14...Ng8!? 15.Ng4 f5 16.eхf6 Nхf6 17.Nхf6 gхf6 18.Qc1
Qa5„ White has more important tasks than to try to capture the enemy pawn on h6.
12.g4 Bd7 13.Be2 (We would like to repeat an important nuance: 13.Qхb7? Rb8 14.Qc7 Qхc2µ)
13...0-0-0 14.Nh4, Pruijssers – Romanov, Stroebeck 2013. It is essential for Black to have in his
arsenal another resource to organise counterplay on the kingside 14...g5!? 15.Ng2 f5! 16.eхf6 Ng8
17.f7 Nf6 18.f4 Ne4 19.fхg5 hхg5 20.Qd1 Rh7 21.0-0 Rf8„
12...Bd7 13.Bh3
It is again bad for White to play here 13.Qхb7 Rb8.
13...0-0-0
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14.0-0
After White’s alternatives Black’s plan would be quite easy to fulfil – he must find the best version
of how to open the kingside.
14.Qc1 Kb8 15.Nh4 Ka8 16.0-0, Van Haastern – Visser, Hilversum 2008, 16...Rdf8 17.Kh2 (17.f4
Nf5=) 17...f5 18.eхf6 Rхf6„
14.Nh4 Kb8 15.0-0 (The advance of White’s pawns without good preparation would usually end in
difficulties for him: 15.f4?! g6 16.g4 gхh5 17.gхh5 Rdg8 18.Kf2, Swinkels – Al Modiakhi,
Amsterdam 2006, 18...Qa5ƒ) 15...Rdg8 16.Qc1, Grandelius – J.Rapport, Reykjavik 2014.
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Here, Black can demonstrate again a very attractive resource for the realisation of his general plan.
16...g5! 17.hхg6 fхg6 18.Nf3 (18.Bхh6?! Qa5 19.Kg2 Rхh6! 20.Qхh6 g5 21.Nf3 g4³ Two minor
pieces are stronger than a rook in this position.) 18...g5 19.Nh2 Rg7 20.Ng4 Be8ƒ White’s lonely
knight on f6 would not be sufficient to contain the striking force of Black’s pieces.
14...Rdg8 15.Qd1
15.Nh2 Kb8 16.Qd1 Ka8 17.Ng4 Nf5=

15...Kb8 16.Ra2
White is not threatening yet to organise a pawn-offensive, so Black is planning to replace his
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blocking queen on a4 with his knight. 16...Nc8 17.Nh2 Nb6 18.Qf3 Be8= Caruana – Cheparinov,
Dos Hermanos 2006.
C2b) 11.Rh4
The march of White’s rook-pawn has freed the way for his rook to join into the actions with the
idea for it to try to keep the enemy king in the centre from the f4-square.
11...c4 12.Rf4
The line: 12.Rg4 Rg8 13.Rf4 would not be so logical for White. Black’s rook would be more
functional in this case. 13...Bd7 14.g3 (14.Nh2 Rf8 15.Ng4 0-0-0 16.g3 Nf5 17.Bh3, Aroshidze –
Krishna, Barbera del Valles 2012, 17...b6=) 14...0-0-0 15.Bh3 (15.Rxf7?! Be8ƒ) 15...Rdf8 16.Kf1
Kb8 17.Kg1 Ka8 18.Nh4 Bc8= Andriasian – Khegay, Minsk 2017.
White cannot create problems for his opponent by avoiding any direct contacts. 12.g3 Bd7 13.Bh3
(13.Rf4 Rf8 – see 12.Rf4) 13...0-0-0 14.Kf1 Rdf8 15.Kg2 Nf5 16.Bxf5?! The transfer into a position
with bishops of opposite colours is obviously in favour of Black. 16...exf5 17.Ng1 Nd8 18.Ne2 Ne6³
Maze – Ider, Caleta 2017.
12...Bd7
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13.Nh4
13.Be3 Rf8 14.Kd2 0-0-0 15.Nh4 Nf5 16.Nxf5 exf5 17.g4, Khalifman – Shulman, Khanty-
Mansiysk 2005. Here, Black can create excellent counterplay after: 17...f6! 18.exf6 Rxf6 19.Bh3
Rdf8ƒ
13.g3 Rf8 (It would not be always correct for Black to sacrifice a pawn, for example after 13...0-0-
0?! 14.Rxf7 Be8 15.Rxg7 Nf5 16.Rg4 Bxh5 17.Rf4± White would regroup advantageously his forces
preserving all the pluses of his position.) 14.Bh3 0-0-0
15.Kf1 Nf5 16.Nh4 Nxh4 17.Rxh4 Ne7 18.Kg1 b6 (In the game Leko – Romanov, Berlin 2015,
Black was already reluctant to leave his queen on the blocking square and he played 18...Qa6?!,
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which enabled White to advance his a-pawn. Black needs solid nerves and patience in order to play
well this variation and sometimes it might be better not to play anything special than to make an
unnecessary move.) 19.Rf4 Kb7 20.Ra2 Nf5!? It is sometimes useful for Black to provoke the
advance of the enemy pawn to the g4-square, for example: 21.g4 Ne7 22.Qf3 Be8 23.Kh2 Ng8
24.Qg3 f6„ and his counterplay becomes even more effective.
15.Nh4. Black must regroup harmoniously his forces and wait for the right moment to organise
counterplay on the kingside. 15...Rde8 16.Kf1 Nd8 17.Kg1 Rg8 18.Rf3 Ref8 19.Kh2 Ndc6 20.Ng2
Kb8 21.g4 Rh8 22.Be3 Nc8 23.Rg3 a6 24.Qd2
Here in the game Caruana – Bruno, Perugia 2011, Black played a bit inattentively 24...Nb6?!
25.Nf4 Bc8 26.Ne2 Na7 27.f4!ƒ, while instead of this his knight could have helped him to change
advantageously the pawn structure after 24...N8e7 25.f4 g6!„
13...Nf5 14.Nxf5 exf5
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15.g4
Now, White must use some radical means to create problems for Black: 15.Rf3, E.Hansen – Zierk,
Victoria 2012, 15...0-0-0 16.Rg3 Rdg8„, or 15.Be2 Ne7 16.Rh4 0-0-0 17.Qc1 b6 18.Rb1 Kb7
19.Rb4 Qc6= and here White would lose a pawn after the line: 20.a4? a5! 21.Rb1 Qxa4µ Lagno –
Hoang, Belgrade 2013.
15...fxg4 16.Be2 Nd8 17.Bxg4 Ne6!
This important transfer of the knight would help Black to create counter chances. 18.Rf3 Ng5
19.Rg3 0-0-0 20.Bxg5 hxg5„ 21.Kd2?! White is playing with fire! 21...f5!ƒ Khalifman – Shulman,
Khanty-Mansiysk 2005.
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Chapter 15
Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qb1 c4
Step by Step
Both sides have obtained several positional pluses. White is happy that the centre has been blocked
and his opponent is not threatening to trade the light-squared bishops. Black bases his hopes on the
fact that the enemy queen is misplaced on the b1-square. Still, we know well his thematic program –
to evacuate the king to the queenside and to undermine his opponent’s pawn structure on the other
side of the board. Now, White must decide what piece to develop where, because he has too many
possibilities to choose from.
We will deal now with: A) 9.h4, B) 9.Nh3, C) 9.Nf3, D) 9.Be2 and E) 9.Ne2.
9.Qd1 Ne7 10.Nh3 (10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.Ng3 Bd7 12.Nh5 Rg8 13.Be2 0-0-0 14.0-0 b6 15.h3 Kb7
16.Kh2 Rdf8=) 10...Nbc6 11.Nf4 Bd7 12.g3 0-0-0 13.Bh3 Kb8 14.0-0 Ka8 15.Nh5 Rhg8 16.f4 Rdf8
17.g4, Baklan – Piorun, Wroclaw 2010 (17.Kh1 f5?! 18.exf6 gxf6 19.f5ƒ; 17...Be8=) 17...f5„ Black
accomplishes successfully the classical regrouping of his pieces.
9.g3 Nc6
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About 10.Ne2 Bd7 11.Bg2 0-0-0 – see variation E.
After 10.Bh3 Nge7 11.f4, Black will have an excellent positional idea – to transfer his knight to the
key e4-outpost. 11...Bd7 12.Nf3 0-0-0 13.0-0 f5 14.exf6 gxf6 15.f5!? (15.Nh4?! Aravindh –
Artemiev, Kirishi 2013, 15...f5 16.Nf3 h6 17.Bg2 Ng8! 18.Ne5 Rh7³ Black’s plan, connected with
the transfer of his knight, is about to be crowned with success.) 15...Nxf5 16.Bxf5 exf5 17.Nh4,
Przybylski – Moskalenko, Banyoles 2007, 17...Ne7 18.Qb4 Rhe8= White’s initiative compensates
the sacrificed pawn but not more than that.
10.Bg2 Bd7
About 11.Ne2 0-0-0, or 11.Nh3 0-0-0 12.Nf4 Nge7 13.0-0 b6, or 12.0-0 Nge7 13.Nf4 b6 – see
variation E.
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In the line: 11.f4 Nge7 12.Nf3 0-0-0 13.0-0, Black will prepare again the transfer of his knight to
the centre of the board. 13...f5! 14.exf6 (14.Qb2 h6 15.Rab1 b6 16.Rf2 Be8ƒ) 14...gxf6 15.Nh4 f5
16.Nf3, Poehr – Silva, ICCF 2012, 16...h6 17.Ne5 Rh7 18.Re1 Nxe5 19.fxe5 Rg8ƒ
A) 9.h4 f6
White’s queen is on the b1-square at the moment and instead of developing his pieces, he has
advanced his rook-pawn, in order to acquire more space. This enables Black to provoke an immediate
conflict in the centre.
10.Nf3
After 10.f4, Amonatov – Zemtsov, Moscow 2007, the simplest for Black would be to close the
kingside altogether. 10...f5 11.Be2 Nc6 12.h5 Nh6 13.Nf3 b6 14.Ng5 Bd7=
The move 10.h5 forces Black to begin immediate active actions. 10...fxe5
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After 11.h6?! Nxh6 12.Bxh6 gxh6, it would be sufficient for Black to evacuate timely his king to
the queenside. 13.dxe5 (13.Qc1? Nc6 14.Qxh6 Bd7 15.dxe5 Qxc2µ Corrales Jimenez – Moskalenko,
Sitges 2007) 13...Nc6 14.Nf3 (14.f4 Bd7 15.Ne2 0-0-0 16.Rxh6 Qa5ƒ) 14...Qa5 15.Qb2 Bd7
16.Rxh6 0-0-0ƒ Van den Doel – Ostenstad, Oslo 2007. White’s offensive might turn into a
boomerang for him.
11.dxe5 Nc6 12.f4 (about 12.Nf3 – see 10.Nf3) 12...Nh6 13.Ne2 Bd7 14.Qb2 0-0-0 15.Nd4,
Jakovenko – Zhang, Ergun 2006. Here, it would be again a very good decision for Black to open files
for his rooks: 15...Rdg8 16.Be2 Nxd4 17.cxd4 g6 18.hxg6 Rxg6„
10...Nc6
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11.h5
11.Bf4, Kobalia – Andreikin, Moscow 2018. White fails here to maintain his control over the e5-
square. 11...Nge7 12.h5 fxe5 13.Bxe5 Qa5 14.Qb2 Nxe5 15.Nxe5 Nc6 16.h6 g6= and Black
exchanges the powerful enemy knight on e5.
He should not be worried about White’s modest move: 11.g3, Palac – Rustemov, Germany 2012,
11...fxe5 12.dxe5 Nge7 13.Bg2 h6 14.0-0 b6„, or 11.Be2 fxe5 12.dxe5 Nge7 13.h5 h6 14.0-0,
Szelag – Gumula, Krakow 2007. After Black castles kingside his rook will appear immediately on the
f-file: 14...0-0 15.Qb2 Qa5 16.Rae1 Qc7 17.Bd1 Bd7=
11...fxe5
12.Nxe5
12.h6 Nxh6 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Bd7= Yagupov – Nikitin, Saint Peterburg 2000.
12.dxe5 h6 13.g3 Nge7 14.Bh3 0-0 15.Qd1 (15.Bf4? Qa5 16.Qb2 d4µ Polzin – Bednarek,
Katowice 2017) 15...Bd7 16.0-0 Rf7 17.Nh4 Rd8 18.f4 Nf5 19.Nхf5 eхf5 20.Be3 Be6=
12...Nf6 13.h6 g6
White wishes to establish maximal domination on the dark squares, but in response Black’s knight
would occupy the key c4-outpost and this would provide him with equal chances.
14.g3 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Ne4
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16.Bg2, Aroshidze – Lopez Martinez, Barcelona 2017, 16...Nxd2 17.Kxd2 b6 18.f4 Bd7„ In this
rather complicated middle game White will be forced to consider Black’s threat to advance d5-d4
after he castles queenside.
B) 9.Nh3 f6
The development of White’s knight to the h3-square would not be so flexible as on e2, because we
will see that it can often come under an attack by Black’s pieces on this square.
10.Be2
The move 10.exf6 would enable Black to deploy advantageously his knights in the centre.
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10...Nxf6 11.g3 Nc6 12.Bg2, Acs – Pert, Oropesa del Mar 1998, 12...0-0 13.0-0 e5 14.dxe5 Ne4
15.Qd1 Bxh3 16.Bxh3 Nxe5 17.f4 Nd7 18.Be6+ Kh8 19.Bxd5 Ndf6 20.Bxe4 Nxe4© The powerful
knight on c4 and the weakened squares in White’s camp provide Black with excellent compensation
for the sacrificed pawn.
10.Nf4. It is already not so easy for White to centralise his knight. 10...fxe5 11.dxe5 (After the
tactical strike 11.Nxe6?!, Black is not obliged to capture the enemy knight: 11...Qd7! 12.Ng5, Sorgic
– Stojkovska, Skopje 2015, 12...exd4 13.cxd4 Nf6 14.Be2 0-0 15.0-0 Nc6³) 11...Nc6 12.Be2 Nge7
(It is essential for Black not to make a blunder here 12...Nxe5? 13.Nxe6! Bxe6 14.Qxb7 Rc8
15.Qxg7 Nf7 16.Bh5+–) 13.Bg4, Blomqvist – Piorun, Chotowa 2010, 13...Nxe5 14.Bxe6 Qc6
15.Bxc8 Rxc8 16.0-0 0-0 17.Re1 N7g6= This is one of the rare positions in which it can be proven
that the knight would turn out to be stronger than the bishop.
After the move 10.f4, the pawn-chains would be dividing the board in two parts. 10...Nc6 11.Be2
(11.Nf2?! Konguvel – Moskalenko, Andorra 2006, 11...Bd7 12.Be2 0-0-0 13.0-0 Nge7 14.Qd1 Nf5
15.Kh1 Rdf8³) 11...f5 12.0-0 Nge7 13.Bh5+ g6 14.Be2 Bd7 15.Qb2 (15.Qxb7?! Rb8 16.Qc7 Qxc2³)
15...0-0-0 16.Rfb1 b6 17.Qc1 h6 18.Be1 Rdg8 19.Kh1 Be8= Short – Akopian, France 2004. Now,
White must be constantly on the alert about Black’s possibility to organise a pawn-break in the
centre.
10...fxe5 11.dxe5 Nc6
12.f4
After the gambit line: 12.0-0 Nge7 13.Be3 Nxe5 14.Bd4, Zigangirova – Dobrov, Sochi 2005,
Black can give back advantageously the extra pawn. 14...N5g6 15.Bxg7 Rg8 16.Bf6 e5ƒ
351
12...Nge7 13.Bh5+
White provokes a weakening of the f6-square in order to deploy there his knight, but this transfer
would take several moves and Black would complete his development during that time.
13...g6 14.Bf3 Bd7
15.0-0 (15.Qxb7?! Rb8 16.Qc7 Qxc2µ) 15...0-0-0 16.Qb2 h6 17.Rfe1, Timman – Jacimovic,
Gothenburg 2005, 17...Nf5 18.Nf2 Nce7! 19.Ng4 Bc6 20.Nf6 Kb8„ Black is planning to deploy his
knight on the h4-square and to follow this with d5-d4, but at the moment he would be happy with the
temporary defensive position after the prophylactic move h6-h5.
C) 9.Nf3 Nc6
352
10.h4
About 10.Be2 Bd7 – see variation D.

10.g3 Bd7 11.Bg2 (11.Qxb7? Rb8 12.Qc7 Qxc2µ) 11...0-0-0 12.0-0. Here, it would not be so easy
for White to bring his f-pawn into the actions (After the seemingly active line: 12.Ng5?! Rf8 13.0-0
h6 14.Nh3, Black would have the resource 14...g5 15.f3 f6ƒ Timman – Vaganian, Bazna 2007.)
12...h6 13.h4 (13.Ra2 Nge7 14.h4, Voitsekhovsky – Mihajlovskij, Minsk 2000, 14...b6 15.Qd1 Kb7
16.Nh2 Rdf8=) 13...Rf8 14.Qb2 Nge7 15.Rae1, Srebrnic – Tratar, Ljubljana 2011, 15...b6 16.Nh2
Kb7 17.Ng4 Nf5= Black’s position is unassailable.
10...Bd7 11.h5
11.Qxb7? Rb8 12.Qc7 Qxc2µ
11...0-0-0
12.Be2
The move 12.h6 can only make Black happy. 12...Nxh6 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.Rxh6 Rdg8 15.g3 Rg6
16.Rh4 (16.Rxg6 fxg6 17.Bh3 h6 18.Qb2, Weichhold – Sieciechowicz, Rewal 2013, 18...g5=) 16...h5
17.Kd2 Qa5 18.Bg2 Rg4„ with excellent counterplay for Black.
The line: 12.g3 h6 13.Bh3 Nge7 14.Nh4 (About 14.0-0 – see 8.h4 Ne7 9.Nf3 Nbc6 10.h5 h6
11.Qb1 c4 12.g3 Bd7 13.Bh3 0-0-0 14.g3.) 14...b6 15.0-0, would enable Black to counter it with the
aggressive reaction 15...g5!? 16.Ng2, Preuss – Menon, Merlo 2008, 16...f6! 17.exf6 Ng8 18.f7 Nf6.
White cannot support his pawn, which is too far way from the rest of his forces. 19.Ne3 Rdf8„
353
12...Rf8
13.h6
White is trying again to crush the enemy kingside, but Black is perfectly prepared to counter that.
13...Nxh6 14.Bxh6 gxh6 15.Rxh6 Rfg8 16.Kf1
This position was reached in the game Movsesian – Istratescu, Plovdiv 2012.
After the disappearance of White’s dark-squared bishop off the board his pawn on c3 would
become vulnerable. After that a part of Black’s plan would be the transfer of his knight to the b5-
square and operations on the g-file. 16...Qa5 17.Qe1 Rg6 18.Rh5 a6 19.g3 Na7„
D) 9.Be2 Nc6
354
10.Nh3
10.Nf3 Bd7 11.0-0 (Black can make a draw after 11.Qxb7 Rb8 12.Qc7 Rc8 13.Qb7 Rb8=;
13.Qd6?! This move would be too risky for White, since his queen might get trapped there. 13...Nge7
14.g4 h5.) 11...0-0-0 12.Ng5 (12.Qb2, Arakhamia-Grant – Spence, Gibraltar 2009, 12...Nge7
13.Rab1 b6 14.h4 f6„) Black can parry easily his opponent’s attack against the f7-square. 12...Rf8
13.Bh5 Be8 14.Qd1 Nge7 15.Ra2 h6 16.Nh3, Yu Yangyi – Fedoseev, Moscow 2012, 16...f5 17.exf6
Rxf6=
White can make another attempt to attack the f7-pawn in the variation 10.Bh5 Nge7 11.Ne2, Adair
– Merry, Harrogate 2018, 11...Bd7 12.0-0 b6 13.Qd1, but Black should better react against this with
the move 13...Ng6, avoiding the weakening of his dark squares. 14.Ng3 0-0-0 15.Bg4 Nce7 16.Nh5
Rhg8 17.f4 Kb7 18.Bh3 Rdf8= with the idea 19.g4 f5„
10.h4 Bd7 11.Bh5 (11.h5 h6 12.Nf3 0-0-0 13.Qd1 Nge7 14.Bf4 Kb8 15.Qd2 Ka8 16.g3 Rde8
17.Bf1 f6 18.Bg2 f5= Kobalia – Lugovskoy, Sochi 2018) 11...Nge7 12.Nf3 Rf8 13.0-0 0-0-0 14.Qb2
h6 15.Bf4 Kb8 16.Rab1 b6 17.Bg4 Ka8= Rybko – Rajlich, playchess.com 2008. White’s attack
against the enemy pawn with the bishop from h5 has been parried calmly by Black.
10...Bd7 11.Nf4
11.0-0 0-0-0 12.Re1 (It is better for White to play here 12.Nf4 f6 – see 11.Nf4.) 12...Nge7 13.Nf4
Kb8 14.Nh5 Rhg8 15.Bd1 Rdf8 16.Re3. Now, Black begins active counterplay. 16...f6 17.exf6 gxf6
355
18.Rg3 Rg6 19.Bg4 Bc8 20.Qd1 e5 21.Bxc8 Nxc8„ Huebner – Curien, Switzerland 2013.
11...0-0-0
12.0-0
12.Qb2 f6 13.Rb1 b6 14.exf6 Nxf6 15.0-0 Ne4. Black’s powerful knight at the centre of the board
restricts the mobility of both White’s bishops and he must lose plenty of tempi in order to exchange
it. 16.Be1 Rhf8 17.Nh5 g6 18.Ng3 Nxg3 19.hxg3 e5= Enchanter – Rybusia, playchess.com 2008.
Following 12.Bg4 Black will continue with a thematic undermining move: 12...Re8 13.Nh5 g6
14.Ng3 f6ƒ
White cannot stop this with the line: 12.Nh5, Kriebel – Kulhanek, Ostrava 2019, 12...f6! 13.Nxg7
fxe5 14.dxe5 Nge7 15.Nh5 Rhg8 16.0-0 Nxe5 17.Nf6 Rg7„
12...f6
356
13.Bg4
After 13.exf6 Nxf6=, Black’s knight would be helped to occupy a powerful placement.
Following 13.Re1 fxe5 14.dxe5, Sethuraman – Harikrishna, Tbilisi 2017, Black should better
postpone a bit capturing his opponent’s central pawn. 14...Nh6 (14...Nxe5 15.Bh5ƒ) 15.Nh5 Nf5
16.Bg4 (16.g4 Nfe7 17.Nxg7 Nxe5„) 16...Rdf8 17.Bxf5 Rxf5 18.Nxg7 Rxe5 19.Rxe5 Nxe5„
13...f5 14.Be2 Nge7 15.Qc1!?
After 15.h4 g6 16.Nh3 h6 17.Qc1 Ng8 18.Re1 (18.g4!? fxg4 19.Bxg4 Re8„) 18...Rf8 19.Rb1 Rf7
20.Qb2 b6=, it would not be easy to see how White can break his opponent’s unassailable position.
357
This position was reached in the game Bortnyk – Rakhmanov, Minsk 2017.
White’s last exquisite manoeuvre was aimed at preventing the move g7-g5, but Black realised his
purpose despite the fact that White’s knight would occupy a powerful position on the f6-square at the
end of the variation.
15...g5! 16.Nh5 h6 17.h3
17.f4 g4 18.Be1 Be8 19.Nf6 Ng6!=, Black has prevented the appearance of the enemy bishop on
the h4-square.
17...Be8 18.Nf6 f4 19.g3

White opens the f-file for his rooks, but Black solves in return the problem with the activation of
his bishop.
19.Bg4 Bf7 20.Qd1 Kb8„
19...fxg3 20.fxg3 Bg6 21.Bg4 Nf5„ Black’s bishop on g6 is eyeing the enemy pawn on c2 from a
distance, so that White’s king cannot be quite safe.
E) 9.Ne2 Nc6
358
White can continue with the mobilisation of his forces by a transfer of his knight E1) 10.Ng3, or by
placing on the same square his pawn E2) 10.g3.
10.Nf4 Bd7 11.h4 (About 11.Be2 0-0-0 – see variation D; 11.Nh5 g6 – see variation E1; 11.g3 0-0-
0 – see variation E2) 11...0-0-0 12.g3 f6 – see variation E2.
E1) 10.Ng3 Bd7
11.Be2
Black’s pawn on b7 is poisoned: 11.Qxb7? Rb8 12.Qc7 Qxc2µ
359
The immediate diversion of White’s knight 11.Nh5 would only enhance Black’s development.
11...g6 12.Ng3 (12.Nf4 0-0-0 13.Be2 f6 14.exf6 Nxf6 15.0-0 Rhf8ƒ A.Kogan – Kovalenko, Corsica
2015; 12.Nf6+ Nxf6 13.exf6 0-0-0 14.Be2 e5 15.dxe5, Nijboer – Visser, Hilversum 2008,
15...Nxe5ƒ Black is eyeing the enemy pawn on f6.) 12...0-0-0 13.Be2 f6 14.exf6 (14.f4 f5=)
14...Nxf6 15.0-0
The next few moves will illustrate the fact that the potential dynamics in Black’s play can
compensate all the strategical defects of his position. 15...h5! 16.h4 Qa5 17.Bg5 Rdf8 18.Qb2 Nh7
19.Bh6, Jakovenko – Zhang, Taiyuan 2006, 19...Rfg8 20.Rab1 Qc7 21.Rfe1 g5ƒ with a dangerous
offensive by him.
11...0-0-0 12.0-0
About 12.Nh5 g6 13.Ng3 f6 – see 11.Nh5.
12.f4 f5 13.h4 Nge7 14.h5 h6= Li – Asrian, Moscow 2007.

12...f5
360
13.exf6
13.Nh5?! g6 14.Nf6 Nxf6 15.exf6 h6 16.h4, Spoelman – Hou, Wijk aan Zee 2008, 16...Qa5!
17.Qc1 g5ƒ Black has serious counter threats, moreover that White’s pawn on f6 will be soon lost.
13...Nxf6 14.Re1
About 14.Qc1 Be8 15.Bf4 Bg6 – see 14.Bf4.
After 14.Bf4, Black’s “bad” bishop will suddenly turn into a dangerous attacking unit. 14...Be8!
15.Qc1 Bg6 16.Bd1 Rhe8„ King – Redmond, Hinckley Island 2009.
14...Rde8 15.Qc1 Qa5. White wished to thwart Black’s plans and to create a reliable blockade on
the e5-square, but it turned out to be impossible to do that. 16.Bd1 e5 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.h3 h5„
S.Zhigalko – Stupak, Minsk 2017.
E2) 10.g3 Bd7
361
11.Nf4
After 11.Bh3 0-0-0 12.0-0 (about 12.Nf4 h5 – see 11.Nf4) the simplest for Black would be to reply
with 12...f5 13.eхf6 Nхf6 14.Bf4 h6„
11.Bg2 0-0-0 12.0-0 (about 12.Nf4 f6 – see 11.Nf4) 12...Nge7
13.f4?! f5!
13.Re1 Kb8 14.Nf4 g6 15.Qc1 h6 16.Bh3 Nc8 17.Bg4 Nb6 18.h4 Qa5 19.h5 g5 20.Ne2,
362
Predojevic – Asrian, Moscow 2007. Black begins a counter attack with the line: 20...f5! 21.exf6 e5ƒ
13.Nf4. White’s somewhat slow strategy can be justified only if he manages to transfer his knight
to the h5-square with the idea to squeeze Black’s forces. 13...b6 14.Nh5 Rhg8
If White slows down his offensive with the move 15.Qb2, then Black would not need to be in a
hurry and can bring some reserves. 15...Kb7 16.Rae1 Rdf8 17.f4, A.Fedorov – Asrian, Bled 2002,
17...Nf5 (He is not ready yet to open the position: 17...f5?! 18.exf6 gxf6 19.f5ƒ) 18.Bh3 (18.g4?!
Nh4 19.Bh3 f5ƒ) 18...f6„
15.f4 Rdf8 16.g4 f5 17.exf6 gxf6 18.g5 fxg5 19.fxg5 Rxf1+ 20.Kxf1 Nf5 21.Nf6 Rg7„ Black is
threatening to sacrifice a piece with 22...Ncхd4, followed by c4-c3 and White can hardly find counter
measures against this.
11...0-0-0
363
12.Bh3
He is eyeing the e6-square.
12.h4 f6 13.Bh3, Barbosa – Rodi, Cuiaba 2012, 13...Re8 14.exf6 Nxf6 15.0-0 Qa5 16.Qd1 Re7
17.a4 Rhe8 18.Re1 e5=
12.Bg2 f6 13.exf6 Nxf6 14.h4 (After 14.0-0, Black will develop his offensive on the kingside.
14...g5 15.Ne2 h6 16.Qb2, Potkin – Moskalenko, El Sauzal 2008, 16...Rdg8 17.Rae1 Ne7 18.h3
Ne4ƒ) 14...Qa5 15.0-0 Nxd4 16.cxd4 Qxd2 17.Qb2 Rhe8 18.Rfe1 Kb8 19.Rab1, Willemze – Van de
Griendt, Netherlands 2010, 19...Bc8÷ White has some compensation for the pawn, in view of his
superior pawn structure, but a pawn is a pawn...
12...h5!
Now, Black is incapable of advancing f7-f6, but he can emphasize the defects in White’s placement
of the pieces in another way.
364
13.Qd1!?
This move leads to a position with mutual chances.
The move 13.Ng2 is too passive. 13...f6! 14.Nf4 (14.f4 Nh6 15.Nh4 Ne7 16.Qb4 Nef5. After the
total exchanges on the f5-square, White might end up in a very unpleasant position for him with
bishops of opposite colours.) 14...Re8 15.Ng6 Rh7 16.0-0 Nge7ƒ
13.0-0 Nge7 14.Ng2!? (Black’s attack is already practically impossible to parry: 14.Qb2, Felgaer –
Azambuja, Montevideo 2013, 14...g5! 15.Ne2 Rdg8ƒ) 14...Ng6 15.Qb2 Rdf8 16.Rab1 b6 17.Rbe1
Kb7 18.Re3 Nce7. He has ensured the safety of his king, has concentrated his forces on the kingside
and now brings his f-pawn into the attack. 19.Rf3 f6ƒ Pogorelskikh – Tomilova, Ekaterinburg 2018.
13...h4 14.g4, Kruppa – Krivoshey, Nikolaev 1995.
365
14...Kb8 15.0-0 Rf8 16.Nh5 Rh7„
366
Chapter 16
Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qg4
Step by Step
This is White’s strongest and most principled move.

8...Kf8
8...g6 weakens critically the dark squares in Black’s position, moreover that White’s queen is quite
close to these vulnerable points. It would be more accurate for Black to protect the pawn on g7 with
his king, but then its way to the queenside would be lengthy and difficult. It is good for Black that
White’s c2-pawn is hanging and the provides Black with chances of organising counterplay.
We will analyse now: A) 9.h4, B) 9.Nf3 and C) 9.Qd1.

It would be too slow for White to choose here 9.Ra2 and this move would not prevent Black’s
plans. 9...b6
367
10.Nf3 Ba6 11.Bd3 Bxd3 12.cxd3 Ne7 13.Qf4 Ng6 14.Qe3, Micottis – Narciso Dublan, Barcelona
2015, 14...cxd4 15.Nxd4 Kg8 16.0-0 Nc6 17.Nxc6 Qxc6 18.a4 h6=
About one of the basic possibilities for White to play 10.Qf4, with the idea to trade the queens and
to enter a favourable endgame, having in mind that Black’s king is on the f8-square – see the game
13, p. 255.
9.c4 Nc6 10.dxc5 (In this variation Black often tries to capture the pawn on c2 and then to trade the
queens on the c4-square. 10.Nf3 Qxc2 11.dxc5, Stankovic – Sitnikov, Chelyabinsk 2017, 11...Qe4+
12.Qxe4 dxe4 13.Ng5 f5 14.exf6 Nxf6 15.Bc3 e5 16.f3 Bf5=) 10...Nxe5 11.Qf4 Nxc4 12.Nf3,
Janiashvili – Ponfilenok, St Petersburg 2016, 12...f6 13.Bxc4 Qxc4 14.Qc7
368
Now, Black prevents White’s bishop from joining into the attack in a very elegant fashion 14...a5!
15.Rb1 (15.Qd8+? Kf7µ; 15.Bxa5? Ne7! 16.Qd8+ Kf7 17.Qxh8 Rxa5 18.Qxh7 Qc3+ 19.Ke2 b6!–
+) 15...Qa4 16.0-0 (16.Qd8+?! Qe8³) 16...Ne7 17.Bf4 Qc6 18.Nd4 Qxc7 19.Bxc7 Kf7 20.f4 Ra6=
There have arisen well-known tendencies in this position with bishops of opposite colours. White’s
pieces are active, but Black has an extra pawn.
A) 9.h4 Nc6
White’s pawn on c2 will not run anywhere and it is much more important for Black to develop his
pieces, to exert pressure against the enemy centre and to prepare the trade of the light-squared
bishops.
10.h5
10.Nf3 Nge7
369
After 11.Qf4, Savchenko – Bharat, Hyderabad 2019, Black can capture bravely the enemy pawn
having in mind the exchange of the queens. 11...Qxc2 12.dxc5 Qe4+ 13.Qxe4 dxe4 14.Ng5 Nxe5
15.Nxe4 Bd7 16.Rb1 Bc6 17.f3 (17.Nd6?! Nd7!³ White’s pawn-weaknesses already hurt him
seriously.) 17...Nd7=
11.Ra2 b6 12.h5 h6 13.Qf4, Abdumalik – Mammadova, Moscow 2019, 13...Rb8! Black occupies
an important file in advance. (It would be premature for him to choose 13...Ba6?! 14.dxc5 Qxf4
15.Bxf4 Bxf1 16.Kxf1 bxc5 17.Rb2² and Black’s king on f8 cannot help in the fight for the b-file.)
14.dxc5 (14.Be2 Ba6=) 14...Qe4+ 15.Kd1 bxc5÷ with a very complicated position.
11.h5 h6 12.Be2 (After 12.Qf4, Black will have a clear-cut plan for his actions. He must capture
the pawn, exchange the queens and accomplish the thematic pawn-break b7-b6. 12...Qxc2 13.dxc5
Qe4+ 14.Be2 b6! 15.cxb6 axb6= Axarlian – Zapata Charles, Buenos Aires 2019.) 12...b6 13.0-0 Ba6
14.Bxa6 Qxa6 15.a4 Qc4 16.Qf4 Kg8= Kornilovich – Savchenko, Skolkovo 2019. If Black manages
to exchange the places of his king and rook, then White’s pawn-weaknesses would become the most
important factor for the evaluation of this position.
10...h6
When Black’s king is on the f8-square, the choice between winning a pawn, or playing in a reliable
fashion should be more often made by him in favour of the second possibility. 10...Nxe5?! 11.Qf4
Nc6 12.h6ƒ Sychev – Savchenko, Sochi 2018.
370
11.Qd1
Following White’s alternatives, after Black has made the necessary prophylactic moves, he can
already capture one of his opponent’s pawns. 11.Rh3 Nxe5 12.Qf4 Nc6 13.Qd6+ Nge7 14.Qxc5 f6³,
ensuring the safety of his king.
11.Bd3?! Nxe5 12.Qf4 Nxd3+ 13.cxd3, Tsydypov – Savchenko, Moscow 2019 and here once
against the best for Black would be to take care about the safety of his king with 13...f6! 14.dxc5
(14.Qd6+ Ne7 15.Qxc5 Kf7³) 14...Qxf4 15.Bxf4 Ne7³
11.Qf4 Qxc2 12.dxc5, Vaibhav – Krishna, Abu Dhabi 2019, 12...Nge7 13.Be2. Now, Black can
reach a comfortable position with the already familiar line: 13...b6 14.cxb6 axb6=
11...b6 12.Nf3 Ba6
371
13.Bxa6
13.Rh4 Bxf1 14.Kxf1 Qa6+ 15.Kg1, Siva – Devereaux, Hillerod 2020, 15...Nge7=
13...Qxa6 14.dxc5
After the trade of the queens 14.Qe2 Qxe2+ 15.Kxe2, White will manage to correct his pawn
structure on the kingside. 15...cxd4 16.cxd4, Ress – Powers Roibal, ICCF 2018, 16...Ke8 17.a4 Nge7
18.Rhb1 Kd7 19.a5 bxa5 20.Bxa5 Nxa5 21.Rxa5 Rhc8= and Black will have nothing to complain
about.
14...bxc5 15.Qe2
372
Black cannot afford to exchange the queens here, because his king will fail to go back to the
queenside. 15...c4 16.a4 Rb8 17.0-0 Nge7 18.Nh4 Ke8 19.Bc1 Qa5 20.Qe3, Vaibhav – Omar, Biel
2019 (20.Qe1 Kd7 21.Ba3 g5„). White is already well prepared to advance with his f and g-pawns,
so Black must begin active actions before his opponent. 20...g5! 21.hхg6 fхg6 22.Ba3 (Black’s king
has found a safe shelter in the centre behind his pawn-chain 22.Nf3 Nf5 23.Qd2 Kd7 24.Ba3 g5„)
22...g5 23.Bхe7 Nхe7 24.Rfb1 Kd7 25.Nf3 Nf5„
B) 9.Nf3 Ne7
Now, in comparison to the previous variation, White’s knight is in action and after 9...b6?!, he
would have the powerful resource 10.c4ƒ, opening the centre.
373
10.Bd3
White gives up his pawn on c2, but forces his opponent to close the centre.
The move 10.Kd1?! seems to be too exotic. 10...b6 11.h3, Yurtaev – Russek, Istanbul 2000 (After
11.Qf4, Ivanovic – Chernin, Pula 1988, Black should oust the enemy queen avoiding the exchange of
the strongest pieces: 11...Ng6 12.Qe3 Ba6 13.dxc5 Bxf1 14.Rxf1 Nd7 15.cxb6 axb6„). Here, it is
again necessary for Black not to trade the queens in an advantageous version for White: 11...Nd7!
(11...Ba6?! 12.dxc5²) 12.Bd3 h6 13.dxc5 Nxc5³
10.Be2 h6 11.0-0 (11.c4 Qxc2 12.dxc5 Qe4=) 11...b6 12.Qf4 Ba6 13.Bd3, Oparin – Fedoseev,
Sochi 2012, 13...Bxd3 14.cxd3 c4 15.dxc4 Qxc4=
10.Rc1 b6. Now, once again the exchange of the “bad” bishop would be much more important than
the immediate win of the pawn on a3. 11.h4 h6 12.h5 Ba6 13.Bxa6 Nxa6 14.Nh4. White cannot
afford to wait any more and he begins an energetic attack, because all the strategical pluses in this
position are in favour of Black. 14...cxd4 15.Rh3, Vila Gazquez – Narciso Dublan, Barcelona 2007.
374
Black must ensure the evacuation of his king away from the kingside. 15...Rg8 16.Rf3 Ke8 17.cхd4
(17.Qf4 Kd7 18.cхd4 Raf8=) 17...Rc8 18.Qf4 Kd7 19.g3 (19.Qхf7?! Rcf8! 20.Qхf8 Rхf8ƒ The
queen is stronger than the rook.) 19...Rcf8=
10.Ra2. This is a patient move. 10...h6
Black should not be afraid of a transfer into an endgame with a white rook on the a2-square. 11.Qf4
b6 12.dхc5 (12.h4 Ba6 13.dхc5 Qхf4 14.Bхf4 Bхf1 15.Rхf1 Nd7! 16.cхb6 aхb6©) 12...Qхf4 13.Bхf4
bхc5 14.Be3 (14.Kd2?! Nd7 15.Bb5 M.Nuzychuk – Hoang, Budapest 2005. Now, Black can
exchange one of his opponent’s bishops 15...g5! 16.Be3 Nf5³; 14.h4, Tseskovsky – Fomichenko,
Krasnodar 1999, 14...Bb7! 15.Rb2 Bc6 16.h5 Nd7 17.c4 Ke8=, Black prevents the enemy pieces
from squares to penetrate on the queenside.) 14...Nd7 15.Rb2, T.Ernst – Eingorn, Tallinn 1989,
375
15...Nc6„, eyeing the pawn on e5.
11.Bd3 b6
12.h3 Nd7 (12...Ba6?! 13.dxc5 Qxg4 14.hxg4 bxc5 15.Rb2²) 13.0-0 Ba6=
12.Qf4 Nd7 13.0-0 Ba6 14.Bxa6 Qxa6 15.a4, L’Ami – Bartel, Peniscola 2002, 15...Qc4 16.Ra3
a5= Black has exchanged the light-squared bishops and has taken the control over the light squares.
After 10.Qf4 h6 11.dxc5, Black follows the already familiar scheme: winning the pawn on c2 and
exchanging queens. 11...Qxc2 12.Nd4 Qe4+ 13.Qxe4 dxe4 14.Bb5 Nd7 15.Bxd7 Bxd7 16.Rb1 b6!
17.cxb6 axb6 18.Rxb6 Ng6= Moura – Sandstroem, ICCF 2016.
Following 10.h4 h6 11.h5 Qxc2 12.dxc5, Kosteniuk – Dzagnidze, Doha 2016, White’s pawns are
again endangered. 12...Nd7! After this the logical end of the game would be the repetition of moves:
13.Nd4 Qb2 14.Qd1 Nxc5 15.Rb1 Qxa3 16.Ra1 Qb2 17.Rb1=
10.h3. White plans to counter 10...b6 with 11.dхc5, entering an advantageous endgame, so Black’s
reaction is forced. 10...Qxc2
376
For moves of the type 11.Qf4?! h6 12.dxc5, White does not have time already. 12...Nd7 13.Be2
Nxc5³ Cori Quispe – Gorti, Montcada i Reixac 2018.
Following 11.Rc1, Papp – Dzagnidze, Riga 2017, in some variations White’s rook does not protect
the pawn on a3, so it would be even stronger for Black to continue with 11...Qg6 12.dxc5 Nd7
13.Be3 Qxg4 14.hxg4 b6! 15.cxb6 axb6=
11.dxc5 Nd7 12.Be2, Papp – Szalai, Hungary 2018. (After 12.Rc1?! Qe4+ 13.Qxe4 dxe4 14.Ng5,
Kantor – Moiseenko, Batumi 2018, 14...Nxc5 15.Be3 Nd3+ 16.Bxd3 exd3 17.Ne4 b6 18.Nd6 Nf5³,
Black can play for a win in this endgame without any risk right after the opening.) 12...Nxc5 13.0-0
Qe4 14.Be3 Na4= This is the computer evaluation of this position, but if we ignore it, this position
would be much more comfortable for Black to play it. He has a clear-cut strategical concept to attack
and capture White’s pawns.
10.c4 Qxc2 11.dxc5 Nbc6 12.Be2 (Here, White begins the direct fight in the centre without having
lost a tempo for the move h2-h3 and thanks to that there would arise an equal endgame. 12.Rc1 Qe4+
13.Qxe4 dxe4 14.Ng5 Nxe5 15.Nxe4 Bd7 16.Nd6 Bc6 17.f3, A.Brkic – Cebalo, Stari Mikanovci
2009, 17...Nd7 18.Be3 Nf5 19.Bf2 Ke7 20.Nxf5+ exf5=) 12...h6 13.h3. White is trying to open the
h-file for his rook. (He should better avoid the line: 13.0-0?! Qe4³, or 13.Qh5?! Qe4! 14.Ng5 Qg6³
Voracek – Boukal, Czech Republic 2011. If Black manages to trade the queens under favourable
circumstances he would maintain an advantage.) 13...Qe4 14.Bc3 Qxg4 15.hxg4
377
It might seem at first sight that White has an edge, but after several typical resources Black
succeeds in equalising. 15...b6! 16.cxd5 Nxd5 17.Bd2 Kg8! He will bring very soon into the actions
his rook on h8, while White does not have sufficient resources on the queenside in order to
accomplish a decisive offensive. Black’s position is protected by his powerful centralised knights.
18.Rc1, Nora – Trasciatti, ICCF 2017, 18...Bb7 19.Bb5 Rc8 20.g5 hxg5 21.Rxh8+ Kxh8 22.Bxg5
Kg8=
10...c4 11.Be2 Qxc2
Black can try to sharpen the fight here. 11...h6!? 12.0-0 Nbc6 13.Bd1 Bd7 14.Nh4 Rh7 15.Qh3,
followed by the typical evacuation of his king to the queenside, as we often see this in the chapter.
15...Ke8!? 16.f4 Kd8 17.g4 g6 18.f5 gxf5 19.gxf5 exf5 20.Bf4?! (White would have preserved good
compensation for the pawn after the move 20.Ng2÷) 20...Be6³ Sadhwani – Kryakvin, chess.com
2019.
12.0-0 Nbc6
378
13.Bd1
13.Rac1? Qe4!µ
Following 13.Qf4 h6 14.Rfb1? Qe4!, it would be in favour of Black to exchange the queens.
15.Qxe4 dxe4 16.Ne1 Na5µ Yoo – Checa, chess.com 2019. Black’s knight is headed for the b3-
square.
13.Rfe1 Na5 14.Rac1, Vega Gutierrez – Osmak, Vysoke Tatry 2018, 14...Qf5 15.Qg3 h6 16.Bd1
Bd7 17.Bc2 Qh5÷ White has managed to avoid the exchange of the queens, but Black’s strongest
piece is away now from the attack of the enemy pieces.
13...Qg6
379
14.Qh4
After 14.Qh3, Ahn – Kryakvin, Budva 2019, Black can force his opponent either to repeat the
position, or to exchange the queens. 14...h5! 15.Nh4 Qd3 16.Nf3 Qg6 17.Ng5 Qd3=
Black’s queen can be tremendously mobile in this position. 14.Qf4 Na5 15.Ra2 Qf5 16.Qe3 Qb1
17.Rc2 Nf5 18.Qf4 h6 19.Bc1 Bd7 20.Nd2 Qb6 21.Rb2 Qc7 22.Bc2 Kg8 23.Rb1 b6÷ Stone – Stolz,
ICCF 2014.
14...Bd7 15.Rc1 Nf5 16.Qf4 h5 17.h3 Na5 18.Bc2 Nb3 19.Rb1 b6 20.Rfe1 Nхd2 21.Qхd2,
Kryvoruchko – Mehmeti, Baku 2016, 21...Kg8 22.Qf4 h4 23.a4 Rb8÷ Black has built a real fortress
on the kingside, has preserved his extra pawn and can be optimistic about the future.
C) 9.Qd1
380
This is White’s most popular move at a grandmaster level. He has made several moves with his
queen forcing his opponent’s king to occupy an unfavourable position and now plans either to open
the position in the centre for his powerful bishops, or to force the transition to a favourable endgame.
9...Ne7!?
Black has an alternative here – 9...b6, but after 10.dxc5 bxc5 11.c4, he would have to study
numerous concrete variations, thanks to which his king might survive in a fight with an open centre.
This line is quite acceptable for correspondence games, but in practical games solving Black’s tasks
would not be so easy at all.
Therefore in our book we choose different lines for Black which are gradually becoming popular in
which the character of the strategical resources is similar to what we have already analysed above.
We will deal now with: C1) 10.Nf3 and C2) 10.Qb1.
About 10.Bd3 b6 11.Nf3 Ba6 – see variation C1a.
C1) 10.Nf3 b6
We will deal now with: C1a) 11.Bd3 and C1b) 11.dxc5.
After White’s aggressive attempt 11.h4 Ba6 12.h5 h6 13.dхc5 bхc5 14.Rh4 Qc6 15.c4, Quesada
Perez – Kryakvin, lichess.org 2020, Black should better react with the calm move 15...Nd7!=
With a knight on e7 Black can capture bravely the enemy pawn. 11.c4 dxc4 12.dxc5 bxc5 13.Be3
(After the trade of the queens 13.c3 Qxd1+ 14.Rxd1 Nd7 15.Bxc4 Bb7 16.Be2 Bc6 17.0-0 h6 18.c4
Ng6 19.Be3, Hermansson – Ostenstad, Oslo 2008, 19...Ke7=, Black would have no problems at all.)
13...Nd7 14.Qd6 Bb7
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15.Bg5 (15.Rd1?! Black’s king is relatively safely placed, so White’s direct attack is likely to fail.
15...Bd5 16.Rxd5? exd5 17.e6 fxe6 18.Ng5 Qc6 19.Nxe6+ Kf7 20.Ng5+ Ke8–+ Bodnaruk –
Goltseva, Yaroslavl 2019.) 15...Re8 16.Be2 h6 17.Bxe7+ Rxe7 18.0-0 Bd5=, with the idea to
exchange the queens with the move Qa4-c6.
C1a) 11.Bd3 Ba6 12.dxc5
Black would be completely happy after 12.Bxa6 Qxa6 13.dxc5 Nd7! 14.cxb6 axb6© Van Kampen
– E.Hansen, Korinthia 2012, or 12.0-0 Bxd3 13.cxd3 Qxd1 14.Rfxd1 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nbc6=
12...bxc5
382
13.h4
13.0-0. White’s simple decisions usually lead to a situation in which Black’s plan triumphs.
13...Nd7 14.Rb1 (14.Re1?! Rb8 15.Rb1 Rb6!³ Beliavsky – Nikolic, Tilburg 1993; 14.Bxa6 Qxa6
15.a4 Nc6 16.Be3 h6³ Ubiennykh – Trapeznikova, Prokopevsk 2012. The light-squared bishops are
absent from the board, so Black will easily manage to exchange the places of his rook and king.)
14...h6
15.Bc1? Nc6 16.Re1 Ke7 17.Qd2 Rab8µ Al Sayed – S.Matveeva, Moscow 2004.
15.Be3 Nc6 16.Bxa6 Qxa6 17.Qd3 c4! 18.Qd2 Kg8³ Bjornsson – Kjartansson, Hafnarfjordur
2017.
383
15.Re1, Gajwa – Vaibhav, New Delhi 2018, 15...Nc6 16.Bxa6 Qxa6 17.Bf4 Qc4³
13...Nd7 14.h5 Bxd3 15.cxd3 Qxd1+ 16.Kxd1 h6 17.Rb1 Nc6
18.Kc2
Following 18.Rb7 Ke7, the penetration of White’s pieces might backfire. 19.Be3?! Rhb8!
20.Bxc5+ Ke8 21.Rxb8+ Rxb8 22.Be3 Rb3³ Minasian – Vareille, Paris 1994. Black regains
advantageously the sacrificed material.
It is not so clear where White’s rook will go after the move 18.Rh3, Saric – Kovalenko, Gjakova
2016, 18...Rb8 19.Rxb8+ Ndxb8 20.Kc2 Nd7 21.Be3 Kg8=
18...Ke7 19.Be3 Rab8 20.g4, Kurnosov – Ustinov, Cheliabinsk 2005, 20...Rb6!= This is an
important move. Black does not give up the crucial b-file and the trade of the rooks would only
fortify his pawn-chain.
C1b) 11.dxc5 bxc5
384
12.Rb1
White has opened the b-file and plans to occupy it with his rook; otherwise, it would be quite
unclear why he has exchanged the pawns at the first place.
About 12.Bd3 Nd7 13.0-0 Ba6 – see variation C1a.

12.c4 dxc4 – see 11.c4.
12.Be2 Ba6 13.Bxa6 (13.0-0?! Nd7 14.Rb1 h6 15.Re1, Bosiocic – Wadsworth, Helsingor 2017,
15...g6 16.Bd3 Kg7 17.Qc1 Rab8 18.Rxb8 Nxb8³ Black has completed a successful regrouping of
his forces, while White still has his weaknesses to worry about.) 13...Qxa6 14.Qe2, Illingworth –
Cheng, Sydney 2015, 14...Nec6 15.Rb1 Qxe2+ 16.Kxe2 Nd7. Black has sufficient resources to oust
the enemy rook. 17.Rb7 Ke7! 18.Bg5+ Ke8 19.Rhb1 Na5 20.R7b5 (Following 20.Rc7, it becomes
evident why Black has provoked the enemy bishop to occupy the g5-square: 20...h6! 21.Rb5 hxg5
22.Rxa5 g4 23.Ng5 Nxe5³) 20...Nc4 21.Rb7 Na5=
12...Ba6 13.Bxa6
About 13.Bd3 h6 14.0-0 Nd7 – see variation C1a.
13...Qxa6 14.Qe2
385
14...c4
Black plays this move with the idea not to allow c3-c4, as well as the transfer of White’s bishop to
the a3-f8 diagonal.
Now, Black must play very accurately, because after 14...Qc6?! 15.c4 Nd7 16.cxd5 exd5 17.h4ƒ
Piorun – Stupak, Hersonissos 2017, or 14...Nec6?! 15.Be3 c4 16.Bc5+ Kg8 17.0-0ƒ Ter Sahakyan –
Kovalenko, Martuni 2017, White’s initiative would be running effortlessly.
15.0-0 Nbc6 16.Nd4
Black can accept easily all kinds of sacrifices here 16.Be3 Qxa3 17.Qd2 (17.Ra1 Qхc3 18.Rfb1 d4
19.Bc1 Rd8 20.Ra3 d3©) 17...Qa5 18.Rb7 Nd8!©, because he would manage to protect his f7-square
reliably.
386
16...Kg8!
16...Nxd4?! 17.cxd4 Nf5 18.Bb4+ Kg8 19.Bc5ƒ Hague – Croad, Auckland 2015. It would be too
risky for Black to allow the activation of the enemy bishop.
17.Nb5
In the variation 17.Qh5 h6 18.Nb5 Rf8 19.Nd6 Nc8 20.Bf4 Nxd6 21.exd6 Kh7„ Black succeeds
in trading the enemy knight and in accomplishing an artificial castling.
He parries White’s threats in the line: 17.Nxc6 Qxc6 18.Rb4 Rd8 19.Rfb1 h6 20.Qh5 Ng6=
17...Qa4 18.Bg5
Black’s king is safe so he should not be afraid of the line: 18.Be3 h6 19.Bc5 Kh7=
387
18...Ng6! 19.Be3
White’s attempt to organise an attack by sacrificing pawns would be rather questionable. 19.Nd6
Qxa3 20.Bc1 Qxc3 21.Rb7 Nd8© Black has collected all the sacrificed material and has defended
successfully.
19...h6 20.Nd6 Qxa3 21.Bd4

After 21.f4 Qxc3 22.Bc5 Nge7 23.Rb7 h5©, Black ensures the safety of his king and the placement
of his knight on the f5-outpost.
Now, having in mind that White would be obliged to sacrifice his knight on d6 after capturing en
388
passant, Black creates a safe fortress around his king.
21...f5! 22.Ra1
There would arise an equal endgame after 22.eхf6 Qхd6 23.Rb7 gхf6 24.Qg4 Nce7 25.Bхf6 Kf7
26.Qf3 Qf4! 27.Qхf4 Nхf4 28.Bхe7 Rhb8=
22...Qb2 23.Qd2
White fails to trap the enemy queen with 23.Rfb1?! Nxd4µ
23...Qb8 24.Rfb1 Qf8 25.Ra6 Nb8 26.Ra2
After 26.Rxa7?! Rxa7 27.Bxa7 Nc6³ Black maintains an advantage because his knights are
centralised and his pawn structure is preferable.
26...Kh7 27.f4 a5= Schumacher – Myers, ICCF 2010. White will manage to regain his a-pawn
thanks to his active pieces.
C2) 10.Qb1 Nbc6
11.Nf3
In the book of grandmaster Parimarjan Negy “1.e4 vs The French, Caro-Kann&Philidor” he

recommends the line: 11.Bb5!? Qa5 12.a4 (following 12.Nf3 c4= Black will manage to trade the
enemy bishop).
389
Here, it would not be so precise for Black to play 12...c4 13.Bxc6 Nxc6 14.Ne2² Jedinger –
Cumming, ICCF 2015. White has managed to play in this line without developing his knight to the
f3-square and here, in this position with bishops of opposite colours, he can advance his f and g-
pawns without any counterplay by Black.
Therefore, it would be more precise for him to remove his queen away from the X-ray juxtaposition
with the enemy bishop and to postpone the pawn-advance c5-c4: 12...Qc7 13.Nf3 Kg8 14.0-0 c4
Black should not be afraid here of the line: 15.Bxc6 Nxc6= 16.h4 h6 17.h5 Qd8 and he will be
ready not only to ensure the safety of his king, but also to reply to 18.g4 with the counter strike
19...f5!?
After 15.Bc1 he would have the witty response 15...Nb8!? 16.a5 (16.Ba3 a6 17.Bd6 Qd8 18.Bхb8
390
aхb5 19.Bd6 bхa4 20.Qb5 Nf5 21.Bc5 Ra6÷) 16...a6 17.Be8 Qd8! 18.Ba4 Qxa5 19.Ba3 Qxa4
20.Bxe7 Qe8÷ White must still work hard in order to prove compensation for the sacrificed pawn.
11...c4 12.h4
After White’s alternatives Black’s strategy is quite simple. He must evacuate his king to the
queenside and attack on the kingside. 12.g3 h6 13.Nh4 Ke8 14.Bh3, Nisipeanu – Ivanchuk,
Bucharest 2012, 14...Kd8 15.Qd1 Kc7 16.Ng2 Bd7=, or 12.Be2 Ke8! 13.h4 h6 14.h5 Kd8 15.g4
Kc7 16.g5 Nf5 17.Nh4, Antal – Muha, Slovenia 2019, 17...Nxh4 18.Rxh4 hxg5 19.Bxg5 Bd7„
12...Ke8 13.h5 h6
14.g4
The move 14.g3 is too slow and enables Black to evacuate immediately his king. 14...Kd8 15.Bh3
Kc7 16.0-0 Bd7 17.Nh4 Raf8„ Gross – Pilaj, Austria 2004.
White would not achieve much with an indifferent play.

14.Nh4 Bd7 15.g4 Kd8 16.f4 Kc7 17.Bh3 g6=
14.Rh4 Bd7 15.Rf4 (It is again bad for Black to play here 15.Qxb7? Rb8 16.Qc7 Qxc2–+; 15.Rg4
Rg8 16.Rf4 Kd8! 17.g4 Be8 18.Nh4 Kc7=) 15...Rf8 16.g3 Kd8 17.Bh3 Kc7= and he has managed to
evacuate advantageously his king and is preparing to organise counterplay.
391
After the move White plans to inflict a strike against the enemy g-pawn and the seriousness of his
intentions is illustrated by the developments in the game Karjakin – Nikolic, Wijk aan Zee 2005,
which followed with 14...Kd8?! 15.g5ƒ
14...Bd7! 15.Rg1 (15.Be2 Kd8 16.g5 hхg5 17.Ng5 Be8= and after 15.g5 hхg5 16.Nхg5, Black
may even decide to follow with the brave line: 16...Nf5 17.Be2 f6 18.eхf6 gхf6 19.Nf3 Kd8÷)
15...Kd8 16.g5, Solozhenkin – Yakimenko, Prague 2018. Now, Black has sufficient resources to
protect his kingside pawns. 16...hxg5 17.Nxg5 Be8 18.Be2 b6 19.Bg4 Ng8= Black has evacuated his
king and plans to block reliably with his knights the possible enemy pawn-advance f2-f4-f5.
392
COMPLETE GAMES
1 Feoktistov – Driamin
Saratov 1999
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.dxc5 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bxc5 6.Bd3 f6 7.exf6 Nxf6 8.0-0 0-0 9.c4 dxc4
10.Bxc4 Qxd1 11.Rxd1 Ng4 12.Rf1 Nd4 13.Nbd2 b5 14.Bd3 Bb7 15.Nxd4 Bxd4
16.Be4
White cannot save the game with the line: 16.Nf3 Bxf3 17.gxf3 Rxf3 18.Be4, because of the well-
familiar motif 18...Rxf2! 19.Rxf2 Rf8–+
16...Bxe4 17.Nxe4 Nxf2! 18.Nxf2
About 18.Rxf2 Rxf2 19.Nxf2 Rf8 – see 18.Nxf2.
18...Rxf2 19.Rxf2 Rf8 20.Bd2 Rxf2 21.Bc3 Bb6 22.Kh1
393
22...b4! 23.Bxb4
Black is playing in this endgame very energetically. It is bad for White to play here 23.Be5 Re2
24.Bd6 Rxb2–+, so he is forced to exchange pawns losing the base for his bishop.
23...Rxb2 24.a3 e5 25.Bc3 Re2 26.g3
White has no chances of saving this king and bishop ending. 26.Re1 Rxe1+ 27.Bxe1 Kf7 28.g3
Ke6 29.Kg2 Kd5 30.Kf3 e4+ 31.Ke2 Kc4–+
26...Kf7
27.Rf1+?
White’s last chance here was the line: 27.Rd1 Ke6 28.Bb4, containing somehow the activity of
Black’s king and choosing the right moment to attack the enemy pawns with his rook.
394
27...Ke6 28.Rf8 Rc2 29.Bb4 e4 30.Re8+ Kd5
Black’s pawns are safe, because White’s rook and bishop are forced to restrict the powerful enemy
passed pawn.
31.g4 a5 32.Be7 Bc7 33.Kg1 Bxh2+
Black has already two extra pawns, so the realisation of his advantage was not connected with any
problems.
34.Kf1 Ra2 35.Bf8 g6 36.Rd8+ Kc4 37.Rc8+ Kd3 38.Bc5 Ra1+ 39.Kg2 Bf4 40.Rd8+ Kc4
41.Ba7 Ra2+ 42.Kf1 Rd2 43.Rc8+ Kb3 44.Re8 Kxa3 45.Rxe4 Bd6 46.Be3 Rd5 47.Re8 Bc5 48.Bf4
Kb4 49.Ke2 a4 50.Rb8+ Kc3 51.Bc1 a3 52.Ra8 Kb3 53.Ra5 a2 54.Ra8 Bb4 0–1
2 Arni – D.Schneider
Botucatu 2003
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Bd7 8.0-0 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 Qxd4
10.Nc3 a6 11.Qe2 Ne7 12.Kh1 Nc6 13.f4 Nb4 14.Rd1 Bc5 15.Bxa6 Qf2 16.Bb5 Qxe2 17.Bxe2
Nc2 18.Rb1 Bc6³
Black’s pieces have been perfectly deployed and White failed to find the right time to fight against
his opponent’s powerful knight.
19.a3
It is more accurate for White to choose here 19.Rd2 Nd4 20.Bd3 0-0³, after which Black sill
preserves a better position, planning to advance f7-f6, opening a file for his rook.
19...d4! 20.b4?
After White’s correct reaction 20.Nb5 0-0ƒ Black will have a powerful active bishop and White’s
attempt to inflict a counter strike is refuted convincingly by Black.
395
20...Nxb4! 21.Nb5
It is obvious that White has overlooked that after 21.axb4? dxc3 22.Rb3 (22.bxc5? c2–+) 22...Ba4
23.Ra3 0-0 24.Rxa4 Rxa4 25.bxc5 Ra1–+, the pin on the last rank and Black’s powerful passed pawn
on c3 decide the outcome of the game in his favour.
21...Nd5 22.Bf3 Rc8 23.Bxd5 Bxd5 24.Bb2
After 24.Nxd4 0-0µ Black would maintain a great advantage thanks to his powerful bishop-pair.
24...Ke7
25.Rd2?
Following 25.Bxd4 Bxd4 26.Nxd4 Rc5 27.Rdc1 Rhc8 28.Rxc5 Rxc5 29.Kg1 Rc3µ Black would
have very good winning chances, combining threats against the pawns on а3 and g2. Now, he wins by
396
force.
25...d3! 26.Re1
White has ignored this pawn for a long time and here it settles the issue.
26.Rxd3 Bc4–+
26...Rhd8 27.Nd6 (27.Rxd3 Bxg2–+) 27...Bxd6 28.exd6+ Rxd6 29.Bxg7 f6 30.Bh6
30...Be4!
Black’s bishop is untouchable due to the vulnerability of White’s first rank and he would be
incapable of holding for a long time the blockade of the enemy passed pawn on the d2-square.
31.Kg1 Rc2 32.f5 Bxf5 33.Rb1 Be4 34.Rb4 f5 35.Kf2 Kf6 36.g3 Ra6 37.Rxc2 dxc2 38.Bc1 Rd6
39.Rc4 Rd1 40.Bb2+ Kg5 41.Be5 Rd2+ 42.Ke3 Rd5 43.Bb2 Rd1 44.h3 Rb1 0–1
3 Palchun – Bajarani
St Petersburg 2016
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 c4 7.g3 Bd7 8.Bh3 Na5 9.Nbd2 Be7 10.0-0 h5
11.Ne1 g5 12.Bg2 0-0-0 13.Rb1 g4
397
14.f3
White cannot free his position on the other flank: 14.b3 cxb3 15.Nxb3? Ba4–+
14...f5!
Now, no matter how White reacts, he would come under a crushing attack. 15.Rf2 Kb8 16.fxg4
hxg4 17.Nf1 Nh6 18.Bf4 Bc6 19.Ne3 Nf7 20.N1c2 Bg5‚ Black’s positional bind becomes even
more threatening. His knight will go to b3 and he will double his rooks on the h-file.
15.exf6 Nxf6 16.f4
After 16.fxg4 hxg4 17.Rf2 e5‚, Black opens the centre and penetrates on the h-file.
16...h4 17.Qe2 hxg3 18.hxg3
18...Nh5!
398
Black’s knight is transferred to the ideal f5-square after which White’s defence crumbles.
19.Qe3
White could have tried here the move 19.Qf2, but then the transfer of Black’s bishop would have
become even more effective 19...Be8‚
19...Ng7 20.Nc2 Ba4 21.Nb4 Nf5 22.Qf2 Nb3 23.Nxb3 Bxb3 24.Ra1 Bf6 25.Re1 a5!
Now, the unfortunate white knight will have to retreat to the edge of the board.
26.Na2
26...Qc7!
Black forces the win in the fastest possible way. White cannot defend against the penetration on the
h-file.
27.Rxe6 Qh7 28.Kf1 Qh2 29.Ke1 Nxg3 30.f5 Bh4 31.Bf4 Ne4 0–1 This is a very instructive
game and it shows how easy Black’s task is when he knows what to do and White does not!
4 Gierden – Ludevid Masana

ICCF 2016
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 c4 7.Nbd2 Na5 8.Rb1 Bd7 9.Be2 Ne7 10.b4
cxb3 11.Nxb3 Nxb3 12.Rxb3 Qc7 13.0-0 Ba4 14.Bb5+ Bxb5 15.Rxb5 Rc8 16.a4 Nc6 17.Re1 Be7
18.Bf4 b6 19.Nd2
It is not easy to do nothing in a situation like this, at least from the psychological point of view:
19.Re3 Na5³ and White will be squeezed to protect his weakness on c3. The removal of his knight
enables Black to realise a quite standard idea for the French Defence.
399
19...g5! 20.Bg3 h5 21.h3
The advance of Black’s h-pawn 21.f3 h4 22.Bf2 h3 23.g4 Na5³ provides him with new pluses in
this position. After some time he will manage to organise an attack with his pieces against the enemy
monarch.
21...Na5 22.Re3 Qc6 23.Bh2?!
After 23.f4, Black will realise a great idea: 23...g4! 24.hxg4 hxg4 25.Qxg4 Kd7 26.Be1 Rcg8
27.Qe2 Kc7ƒ – his king will go to safety to the queenside and he will begin an attack on the kingside.
White failed to understand his opponent’s idea and ended up in a horrible situation in the worst
possible version.
23...Kd7! 24.Bg3 Kc7 25.f4 g4 26.h4 Kb7
400
White has blocked temporarily the kingside, but now, besides the weaknesses on а4 and c3, he has
also the weak h4-pawn to worry about, while Black has the dangerous resource g4-g3 up his sleeve.
27.Qb1 a6 28.Rb2
After 28.Rxa5 Ka7µ, White’s rook is trapped.
28...Rc7 29.Bf2 Rhc8
30.c4
This move has been played following the principle “It is better to die standing than to live on your
knees...”
After 30.Kh2 Ka7 31.Be1 Bd8µ, Black will gradually break his opponent’s defence.
30...Nxc4 31.Nxc4 dxc4 32.Rc3
401
32...g3! 33.Rxg3
It would be even worse for White to play here 33.Bxg3 a5 34.Rb5 Bb4–+
33...Qd5 34.Rc3
34.Rxb6+ Ka7 35.Rc3 Rg8 36.Rg3 Rxg3 37.Bxg3 c3 38.Rb8 Rb7 39.Rxb7+ Qxb7–+ Black’s
passed pawn settles the issue.
34...Rc6 35.Qh7 Bxh4! 36.g3
36.Bxh4 Qxd4–+
36...Be7 37.Qxf7 R8c7 38.Qxh5
White has even won a pawn, but he is helpless against Black’s main trump – the connected passed
pawns on the queenside. 38...b5! 39.f5 exf5 40.axb5 axb5 41.Qf3 Rd7! 42.Qxf5 b4 43.g4 Ka8! The
402
pawns are promoting, so 0–1.
5 Zude – Vaganian
Bundesliga 2004
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 c4 7.Nbd2 Na5 8.Rb1 Bd7 9.Be2 Ne7 10.0-0
Qc7 11.Ng5 h6 12.Nh3 Nc8 13.Nf4 Nb6 14.Nf3 Ba4 15.Qd2 g6
16.h4?!
This is a very risky move. White could have played instead 16.Bd1 Bxd1 17.Qxd1 0-0-0³, after
which his position would have been inferior, but still solid enough.
16...0-0-0 17.g3 Be7
403
18.Bd1
He cannot counter for long Black’s pawn-break g6-g5: 18.Nh3 Rdg8 19.Bd1 Bxd1 20.Qxd1 Qd8ƒ
18...Nb3 19.Qe2 Rdg8 20.Be3
White will have to accept the fight, since he cannot block the flank: 20.Ng2 g5 21.h5 Be8ƒ and
Black will begin an offensive with his f-pawn.
20...g5 21.Ng2 f5! 22.exf6 Bxf6 23.Bc2 Be8!
Black brings into the action his last reserve – the “French” bishop.
24.hxg5?
After the opening of the h-file, Black’s attack will be running unopposed.
It would have been an interesting chance for White to try here 24.Nd2!?, with the idea 24...gxh4
404
25.Bf4÷, but Black would have the more accurate response 24...Na5!ƒ, preparing gradually his
decisive offensive.
24...hxg5 25.Nh2 Bd8 26.Bc1 Qe7 27.Ne3 Rh3
28.Re1
White cannot counter his opponent’s plan with any blocking mechanisms. Black will simply double
his rooks on the h-file and will realise the decisive penetration 28.Neg4 Rgh8 29.Re1 Bh5, for
example: 30.Qxe6+ Qxe6 31.Rxe6 Nxc1 32.Rxc1 Bxg4 33.Nxg4 Rh1–+
28...Bg6! 29.Nef1 Bxc2 30.Qxc2 Rgh8
After the trade of the bishops, the light squares in White’s camp are horribly weak.
31.Be3 Qf7 32.Re2 Nd7 33.Bd2?
This is the last mistake, but even after 33.f3 e5‚, White’s position would be hopeless.
405
33...Rxh2 34.Nxh2 Rxh2 35.Bxg5
35.Kxh2 Qh5–+
35...Qh5 36.Bh4 Rxh4 37.gxh4 Qg4+ 38.Kf1 Qxh4 39.Re3 Bg5 40.Rbe1 Qh1+ 41.Ke2 Qh5+
42.Kf1 Bxe3 43.Rxe3 Nf6 44.Kg1 Ng4 45.Rxe6 Qh2+ 46.Kf1 Nc1 0–1
6 Romanishin – Beliavsky
Belgrade 1993
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd3 dxe4 5.Bxe4 Nf6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Nge2 h6 8.Bxf6 Nxf6 9.Bf3
0-0 10.0-0 c6
In this variation, Black does not need to play for a checkmate right after the opening, for example in
406
this classical game he obtained the two-bishop advantage. In response White relies on his bishop on
f3 which exerts pressure on the long diagonal and prevents for the moment the actions of its black
counterpart. With his next moves Beliavsky solves this task with energetic actions.
11.Ne4
After this move White only forces the enemy bishop to occupy the best diagonal for it.
11.a3 Bd6=
11...Nxe4 12.Bxe4 Bd6! 13.Qd3 f5 14.Bf3 e5! 15.dxe5 Bxe5
The general rules of the fight of a bishop against a knight are the following: the bishop needs good
diagonals for its operations, while the knight needs an outpost. In this aspect Black’s position is very
promising. His long range bishops, after the opening of the centre will be aimed at the position of the
enemy king and will support the advance of his kingside pawns. White will have a hard task to find a
good square for his knight.
16.Qc4+
The endgame is obviously in favour of Black thanks to his bishop-pair: 16.Qxd8? Rxd8µ
16...Kh7 17.Rad1 Qf6 18.Nd4
Romanishin takes the e6-square under control and prevents 18.c3 Be6³
18...Bd7
407
19.c3
Here, from the point of view of the chess strategy, it would be reasonable for White to build up
pawn-barricades against Black’s dark-squared bishop and to ensure the position of his knight with the
line: 19.a4 Rae8 20.a5 a6 21.b4 Re7ƒ, although even then Black will create numerous problems for
his opponent with his powerful bishop-pair.
19...Rae8 20.Qa4?!
It was still not too late for White to play 20.a4. His tactics to inflict strikes with his queen fails and
Black will soon organise a crushing attack against the enemy king, while White fails to do anything to
counter it.
20...a6 21.Nb3 Bc8 22.Qb4 Re7 23.Na5
23...g5! 24.g3
408
After 14.h3 Bc7ƒ the b8-h2 diagonal is vulnerable in White’s position.
24...g4 25.Bg2 f4 26.Rfe1 c5!
This is an ideal situation for Black. His pawns advance with the support of his long range bishops,
while White’s knight remains stranded at the edge of the board.
27.Qc4
27.Qxc5? b6–+
27...Kg7?!
It was more precise for Black to play 27...Kh8!, because here White could have played 28.gxf4
Bxf4 29.Qxc5!, regaining at least his pawn on c5. Black continued with his attack however and won
the game in the mutual time-trouble.
409
28.Nb3? b6 29.Kh1 h5 30.Nd2 f3 31.Bf1 h4 32.Re4 hxg3 33.fxg3 Kh8 34.Bd3 f2! 35.Rxg4 Bxg4
Black could have won beautifully here after the move 35...Bd4!
36.Qxg4 Qh6 37.Nf1 Rg7 38.Qe4 Bxg3 39.Nxg3 Rxg3 40.Qe5+ Rg7 41.Rf1 Qh4 42.Be2 Qh3 0–
1
7 Lubbe – Stocek
Germany 2015
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.Qg4 Nf6 7.Qxg7 Rg8 8.Qh6 c5 9.Ne2
cxd4 10.cxd4 Nc6 11.Bb2 Bd7 12.c4!?
White is trying in a rather unusual way to counter the penetration of the enemy pieces on the c-file.
His lag in development however even increases in the process.
12...Na5 13.Nc3 Nb3!?
It would be simple and strong for Black to play here 13...Rc8 14.c5 Rg6 15.Qe3 Bc6= with an
excellent play on the vulnerable squares and a future castling queenside. Still, the Czech player
decided to organise a direct attack against the enemy king.
14.Rd1 Rg6 15.Qe3 Qa5
410
16.Be2
White was afraid of the overburdening of his pieces on the c-file and gave up an important pawn. In
this way he lost the possibility to ensure a reliable shelter of his king to the end of the game.
After 16.g3, Black can exploit immediately the pin of the knight on c3: 16...Rc8 17.Be2 Bb5!„
Here, White loses after 18.cxb5? Nd5–+, while following 18.d5 Bxc4 19.Bxc4 Rxc4 20.dxe6 fxe6
21.0-0 Nc5÷, there would arise a complicated fight in which he had somehow managed to castle.
16...Rxg2 17.Kf1 Ng4!?
Here, it deserved attention for Black to have continued with the calm move 17...Rg6, but in this
game he was only playing in the most aggressive fashion.
18.Qxe4?!
411
The best line for White here was: 18.Bxg4 Rxg4 19.h3 Qh5„ The computer gives a quite
satisfactory evaluation for White in this position, but still it seems more promising for Black from the
human point of view. He plans to castle queenside and to bring his reserves to the field of action.
18...Rxf2+ 19.Ke1 Qh5!
20.Rg1
The knight on b3 accomplishes several functions at the same time. It weaves a checkmating net
around White’s king and ensures Black’s domination in an eventual endgame.
After 20.Bxg4 (20.Qxg4 Qxg4 21.Bxg4 Rxb2µ) 20...Qh4 21.Bf3 Qxe4+ 22.Nxe4 Rxb2µ White
will hardly manage to hold on to his weak pawns.
The computer programs recommend to White the line: 20.h4! Qf5 21.Rd3 Na5ƒ, but even then
Black would continue with his attack.
20...f5 21.Qxb7?
White’s alternative is not so promising for him either: 21.Rxg4 Rxe2+ 22.Qxe2 Qxg4 23.Qxg4
fxg4 24.Ne4 0-0-0µ Black has remained with an extra pawn and more active pieces.
21...Qxh2
412
22.Rxg4
Following 22.Qxa8+ Kf7–+, White cannot save his king, because his knight has occupied the d2-
square – the eventual leeway for his king. He would have to lose plenty of material in order to avoid
being checkmated and Black finishes the game off in a very energetic fashion.
22...fxg4 23.Qxb3 Rb8 24.Qc2 g3 25.Bc1 g2 26.Kd2 Rf1 27.Kd3 Rxd1+ 28.Qxd1 g1Q 29.Bh5+
Kd8 30.Qf3 Qgg3 31.Bg5+ Kc8 0–1
8 Bortnyk – Akobian
Saint Louis 2019
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.Bg5 f6 8.Bf4 Bf5 9.0-0 Qd7
413
10.Re1
If White begins immediate actions on the queenside 10.Na4!?, then Black can evacuate his king to
the other side of the board 10...0-0=
In the game, we are following, the grandmaster from Ukraine mobilises his pieces a bit carelessly
and this enables Black to begin an immediate pawn-offensive.
10...0-0-0 11.Be3 g5 12.a3 Bxc3 13.Nxc3 Bxd3 14.Qxd3 Nf5
Black’s knight is perfectly placed on this square. It attacks the d4 and e3-squares and supports the
advance of his pawns.
15.Na4
Black does not need to play for a checkmate and this circumstance is in his favour. After the trade
414
of the light-squared bishops he can continue playing in a positional fashion, deploying one of his
knights on an outpost, as it happens after 15.b4 h5 16.b5 Na5³
15...b6 16.b4 Rhe8 17.Rab1
17...Kb8!
After this accurate move the possible sacrifices of White’s knight on the c5-square would not work.
Black should not fall into a trap if he tries to capture a pawn 17...Ncxd4?! 18.Bxd4 Rxe1+ 19.Rxe1
Nxd4 20.Nxb6+ axb6 21.Qxd4= and he loses all his advantage. Whenever you attack on the
kingside, in a position with opposite sides castling, do not forget about prophylactic!
18.Nc3
It would not work for White here to play 18.Nc5? bxc5 19.bxc5+ Ka8–+, therefore he is forced to
retreat with his knight.
18...h5 19.a4 h4
415
20.f3?
This is a mistake after which White cannot protect all his weaknesses
See an instructive line: 20.a5 h3! 21.g3 Re7ƒ The dangerous black pawn on h3 requires the white
pieces to protect permanently the g2-square, while Black will exploit the e-file to continue with his
20...h3 21.g3 Nxe3 22.Rxe3 Rxe3 23.Qxe3 Qf5 24.Rb2
Black ends up with an extra pawn in this endgame 24.Qd3 Qxd3 25.cxd3 Nxd4µ
With queens present on the board, thanks to the power of his pawn on h3, Black manages to inflict
a very attractive tactical strike. It is amazing to notice that all White’s queenside actions have only led
to the appearance of additional weaknesses in his position.
416
24...Nxd4! 25.Kf2
White loses after 25.Qxd4 Qxf3 26.Qd2 Re8 27.Rb1 d4–+, while in the game numerous more move
were played rather unnecessarily. Black realised easily his extra pawns
25...Nxc2 26.Qe7 Rc8 27.Nb5 a6 28.Qe2 axb5 29.Rxc2 bxa4 30.Ra2 Qd7 31.b5 Re8 32.Qf1 Qe7
33.Qxh3 Qe1+ 34.Kg2 Re2+ 35.Rxe2 Qxe2+ 36.Kg1 Qxb5 37.Qh8+ Kb7 38.Qxf6 a3 39.Qa1 Qb2
40.Qd1 a2 0–1
9 Sipila – S.Ivanov
Stockholm 2011
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.Qg4 c5 6.a3 Qa5 7.Bd2 cxd4 8.Nb1 Bxd2+ 9.Nxd2 0-0
10.Bd3 Nbc6 11.Ngf3 Ng6 12.0-0-0 Qc7
13.Qh5
White protects indirectly his e5-square, because 13.Bxg6 fxg6³ would open files for Black’s rook.
13...h6?!
Black begins an exchange operation in order to bring all his reserves into the fight.
It was stronger for him to choose 13...b5! with the idea to exploit the target on a3, while the line:
14.Bxb5? Rb8 would have enabled Black to begin a crushing attack: 15.Bxc6 (15.Bd3 Qb6‚)
15...Nf4 16.Qg4 Ne2+ 17.Kb1 Nc3+ 18.Ka1 Nxd1–+
14.Bxg6 fxg6 15.Qxg6 Nxe5 16.Nxe5 Qxe5 17.Nf3 Qf4+
417
18.Kb1
White relies on the presumption that his knight might turn out to be stronger than the enemy bishop.
He had better choose here 18.Rd2!? e5 19.Qg3©, neutralising his opponent’s initiative in an attempt
to attack later Black’s central pawns. Now, his bishop enters the actions with a great effect. Having a
light-squared bishop on a promising diagonal is a good bet to win the game up your sleeve!
18...e5! 19.Qd6!
19.Qg3? Bg4–+
19...Bg4 20.Qxd5+ Kh7
21.Rd3?
White endangers his bishop.
418
21.Rhe1 Bxf3 22.gxf3 Rae8³ Black usually has very good winning chances in endgames of this
type. He collects quickly his opponent’s pawns on the kingside and begins the race between the
passed pawns before his adversary.
21...Bf5 22.Rd2 Rfe8 23.Re1 Rad8 24.Qb3
24...d3
24...e4–+
25.cxd3 e4! 26.Rde2 Rxd3 27.Qb4 Rxf3! 28.Qa4 e3+ 29.Qe4 Bxe4+ 30.Kc1 exf2+ 31.Re3 Rxe3
32.Kd1 Rxe1# Black’s “bad” bishop has occupied a striking diagonal and amazingly for the opponent
has turned into a deadly weapon!
10 Safarli – Kazhgaleyev
Al Ain 2012
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cxd4 7.Nb5 Bc7 8.f4 Bd7 9.Nf3 Bxb5
10.Bxb5+ Nc6 11.Nxd4 Nge7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Bd3 a5 15.Rb1 axb4 16.axb4
419
16...f6?!
This is a rare case when the straightforward opening of the f-file could have presented White with
an advantage. Still, the opening of the f-file would be good for Black when it would help his “French”
bishop on c8 to be freed.
Black has two basic possibilities in a fight against White’s bishop-pair. Black can try to restrict
with his pawns the active possibilities of the enemy bishop which has no opponent 16...g6!? 17.Kh1
(17.g4 d4„ or, if possible, to try to establish his knight on a good basic outpost if the opponent is
careless.) 17...h5.
It deserved attention for Black here to simplify the position in a straightforward fashion 16...Bb6+
17.Kh1 Qc7 18.Qf3 c5=
17.exf6 Rxf6
420
18.Bb2?!
White chooses a seemingly aggressive line, but Black succeeds in trading a couple of bishops.
18.Kh1! Qd7 (After 18...e5 19.fxe5 Rxf1+ 20.Qxf1 Bxe5 21.Be3², White’s two bishops are
powerful, while Black’s knight on e7 is misplaced.) 19.g3 Nf5 20.Qf3² with a stable positional plus
for White.
18...Rxf4 19.Rxf4 Bxf4 20.Qg4 e5 21.Bxe5 Bxe5 22.Qe6+ Kh8 23.Qxe5
23...Ng8!=
After this excellent stabilising move the position remains completely balanced.
24.Qd4 Nf6 25.Re1 Qd7 26.h3 Re8 27.Rxe8+ Qxe8 28.Qf4 Kg8 29.Kf2 Qe7 30.Qb8+ Kf7
31.Qf4 Kg8 32.Qb8+ Kf7 33.Qf4, Draw.
421
11 Bezgodov – Akkozov
Almaty 2016
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cxd4 7.Qg4 Kf8 8.bxa5 dxc3 9.Qb4+ Ne7
10.Qxc3 Nbc6 11.Bd2 d4 12.Qg3 Qd5 13.f4 Nxa5 14.Bd3
14...Kg8
In positions of this type it is usually essential for the safety of Black’s king and also for his entire
position to trade the light-squared bishops. If he manages to do this it would become very difficult for
White to create threats and he would have problems to protect his queenside weaknesses. This is why
I would prefer for Black here the line: 14...Bd7 15.Ne2 Bb5 16.Bxb5 Qxb5 17.Nxd4 Qd5„ and the
evacuation of the king would be accomplished just then, freeing the rook on h8.
15.Nf3 Nc4 16.0-0 Bd7 17.Qf2 Rd8 18.Rfe1
White seizes the initiative like without any efforts.
18.Bb4!?©
18...Bc6?
Black is careless.
18...Nxd2 19.Nxd2 Bc6©
19.Bb4 Ng6 20.Rad1‚
422
You can see here a good example – what Black should not do. White’s pieces have been
concentrated on the decisive part of the front, while Black’s rook on h8 is isolated and is incapable of
helping in his defence.
20...Ne3? 21.Bxg6 Nxd1 22.Rxd1 a5!?
This is an inventive resource for Black. He is ready to give up his queen in order to complete his
development.
22...hxg6 23.Rxd4+–
23.Rxd4 axb4 24.Rxd5 Bxd5
25.Bd3?
White was winning here easily with the move 25.Qb6!+–
423
25...bxa3 26.Qa7!? a2 27.c4 Bxf3 28.gxf3 g6
White’s queen and bishop are stronger than Black’s two rooks, but White needs to capture the pawn
on a2, while Black’s rooks manage to penetrate to the penultimate rank.
29.Bc2! Kg7 30.Qxa2 Rd2 31.Qb3 Rhd8 32.h4?!
After 32.Qb1=, White would not risk anything, but it would not have been easy for him to win this
position.
32...Re2!
33.Kf1?
He was reluctant to defend with a queen against two rooks in the line: 33.Bd1 Re1³, but after this
move his king came into a checkmating net.
424
33...Rdd2 34.Bd1 (34.Bd3 Re3–+) 34...Rh2 35.Kg1 Rdg2+! 36.Kf1 Rb2 0–1
What can this game teach us? It is never too late to resign and if you have good positional
compensation when you have lost your castling rights, you can often sacrifice the exchange, or even
your queen in order to coordinate your forces on the kingside.
12 Smyslov – Botvinnik
Leningrad/Moscow 1941
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Nf3 Nbc6 8.Bd3 Qa5 9.Qd2 c4
10.Be2 Qa4 11.h4 Bd7 12.h5 h6 13.Nh4 Nf5! 14.Nxf5 exf5
After the exchange on f5 Black has obtained a very reliable position and White will hardly manage
to break it.
15.Rg1
White will not succeed in doing anything constructive without a pawn-offensive. 15.Bd1 0-0
16.Rb1 b6 17.Rh3 Kh8 18.Rg3 Rg8 19.Qf4 Rae8 20.Kf1 Nd8÷, therefore Smyslov opens files for his
rooks.
15...Ne7 16.g4 fxg4 17.Bxg4 Bxg4 18.Rxg4 Nf5!
425
This is an essential part of Black’s plan. His second knight on the f5-square is untouchable and
White can eliminate it only at the price of an exchange-sacrifice.
19.Qe2 Qd7 20.Rf4 Qe6 21.Qf3
There arises almost the same position after 21.Qg4 g6 22.a4 0-0-0 23.Ba3„ Black will place a
pawn on the b6-square anyway and will find a safe shelter for his king behind his pawn-mass in the
centre. Later, he will look for the right moment to activate his rooks.
21...g6 22.a4 0-0-0 23.Ba3 b6 24.Kd2 Rhg8 25.Rb1 Kb7 26.a5 Rc8 27.axb6 axb6 28.Qg4
It would not be good here for White to play 28.Bc5 Rc6=
426
28...Kc6! 29.Rh1 Kd7
Black has managed to defend accurately, but the illusion of the safety of White’s position played a
bad joke with Smyslov.
30.Rh3 Rce8 31.Rhf3 Kc7 32.Qh3
After the exchange-sacrifice 32.Rxf5!? gxf5 33.Qxf5 Rg7= White has full compensation indeed,
but Black does not need to risk at all. His rooks are ready to become very active at any moment.
32...Rg7 33.Qh1 Ra8 34.Qc1
White is playing with fire.
34.Bb4=
34...Rgg8 35.Qb2?
35.Qg1=
35...Ra4!
427
The counter attacking spring of Botvinnik’s position is uncoiling and White’s queen has suddenly
fallen into a deadly trap.
36.Bd6+
36.Bb4 Rga8 37.Qc1 Ra1–+
36...Kc6 37.Qb1
White can cover his first rank 37.hxg6 fxg6 38.Rg4 Rga8 39.Rg1 Ra2 40.Qb1 g5µ, but then Black
will continue with his offensive on both flanks and White would be practically paralysed.
37...Rga8 38.Qh1 Ra1 39.Qh3 Rg1!
40.hxg6
There would arise beautiful and simple variations after 40.Rxf5 Raa1 41.Rxf7 (41.Rf6 Rge1!–+)
428
41...Rad1+ 42.Ke3 Rge1+ 43.Kf4 Qxf7–+ After several energetic moves Botvinnik checkmates the
king of his historical adversary.
40...Raa1! 41.Re3 Rad1+ 42.Ke2 Nxd4+! 0–1 This is a timely decision because of the variation
43.cxd4 Rge1+ 44.Kf3 Qxh3#
This game shows that when Black does not have any straightforward ideas, it would be useful for
him to try to diminish the alertness of his opponent. The French Defence is a counter attacking
opening and sometimes his offensive against the weakened shelter of the enemy monarch might be
deadly!
13 Baron – Soffer
Tel Aviv 2011
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qg4 Kf8 9.Ra2 b6
10.Qf4 Ba6 11.dxc5 Qxf4 12.Bxf4 Bxf1 13.Kxf1
There often arises an endgame right after the opening. White has potentially more weaknesses on
the queenside, but Black must still solve problems with the coordination of his pieces and the safety
of his king.
13...Nd7!
After 13...bxc5 14.Rb2² White’s rook would penetrate on the b-file, so Black sacrifices a pawn to
prevent this.
14.cxb6 axb6„
429
In the arising pawn structure White’s pawns on а3, c2 and c3 are broken and weak. He would often
dream about getting rid of them in order to improve his position.
15.Ke2 Ne7 16.Be3 Nf5
In a fight of a knight against a bishop, Black must try to keep the position static and not to allow its
opening like after 16...Nxe5 17.Bxb6÷
17.Bd4 h5 18.Nf3 Ke7 19.Rb1 Ra6 20.Rb3 Rha8
Black is exerting pressure against the enemy weaknesses and is about to restore the balance in the
quantity of the pawns...
21.Kd3
After 21.Rab2 f6 22.exf6+ gxf6 23.Bxb6 e5 24.Be3 Rxa3=, White did not give the pawn
430
immediately, but only two moves later he had to understand this to be unavoidable.
21...f6 22.h3 h4 23.Rab2
It is rather unpleasant for White to do nothing and to watch how the opponent is improving his
position.
23...Rxa3 24.exf6+ gxf6 25.Bxb6 Rxb3 26.Rxb3 Rg8! 27.Ne1 Kd6 28.Ke2 Ra8 29.Be3 Ra1
30.Nf3 Ra2 31.Ne1 Ra1 32.Nf3 Ra2
33.Kd2
White is reluctant to repeat the moves, without good reasons, 33.Ne1= and as it often happens in
similar “French” endgames, there would be more targets for an attack in his position.
33...Nxe3! 34.Kxe3
It would be too risky for White to compromise even more his pawn structure with the line: 34.fxe3
Nc5 35.Rb6+ Kd7„
34...Rxc2 35.Nxh4 Ne5³
The subsequent fight was full of mistakes but Black was victorious at the end.
36.f3
36.Nf3 Nc4+ 37.Kf4 Rxf2 38.Kg3 Ra2³
36...Kc5! 37.Kf4 Nd3+ 38.Kg4 (38.Kg3? Nc1µ) 38...Kc4 39.Rb6 Nc5 40.f4 f5+
431
41.Kh5
It was more accurate for White to make a draw here with 41.Kg5! Kxc3 42.g4.
41...Kxc3 42.g4 d4! 43.gxf5 d3 44.Rd6?!
He could still save the game in a beautiful way after 44.f6! d2 45.Rd6 Ne4 46.Rxd2 Kxd2 47.f7
Nf6+ 48.Kh6 Nd7 49.Ng6=
44...exf5 45.Nxf5 Re2! 46.Ng3?
White could have played here 46.Nd4=, trying to reach an ending of a rook and a knight against a
rook.
46...Re3? (46...Re1–+) 47.Nf5? (47.Rc6!=) 47...Re1! 48.Rc6 Kc4 49.Rd6 Ne4 50.Rc6+ Kb4
51.Rb6+ Kc5 0–1
432
Index of Variations
Chapter 1 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5

Main Ideas 10
various 13
A) 4.dxc5 Nc6 13
B) 4.Qg4 Nc6 17
C) 4.Nf3 cxd4 18
Chapter 2 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6

Main Ideas 22
various 28
A) 6.Na3 cxd4 29
B1) 6.Be2 cxd4 7.cxd4 Nh6 8.b3 Bb4+ 32
B2) 8.Bd3 Bd7 33
B3) 8.Nc3 Nf5 35
B4) 8.Bxh6 Qxb2 38
C1) 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.0-0 Bd7 40
C2) 7.cxd4 Bd7 42
Chapter 3 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 c4

Main Ideas 53
various 58
A) 7.Nbd2 Na5 8.b4 cxb3 59
B) 8.g3 Bd7 61
C) 8.h4 Bd7 64
D1) 8.Be2 Bd7 9.Rb1 Ne7 68
D2) 9.0-0 Ne7 69
433
Chapter 4 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 Bd7
Main Ideas 75
various 79
A) 7.Be2 Nge7 80
B1) 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 Rc8 9.Be2 Nge7 82
B2) 9.Bb2 Na5 84
B3) 9.Be3 Nh6 89
Chapter 5 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4

Main Ideas for Chapters 5-8 96
various 106
A) 4.Bd3 dxe4 106
B) 4.Qd3 dxe4 108
C) 4.Bd2 dxe4 110
Chapter 6 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4
6.Qg4 Nf6 113
Chapter 7 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5
various 118
A) 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Nge7 8.Qf3 Be6 119
B) 8.Qh5 Be6 121
Chapter 8 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Ne2 Nc6
various 125
A) 5.a3 Ba5 6.Qd3 dxe4 126
B) 6.exd5 exd5 127
C) 6.e5 f6 128
D) 6.b4 Bb6 130
434
Chapter 9 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5
Main Ideas 134
A) 5.Nf3 cxd4 137
B) 5.dxc5 Ne7 138
C) 5.Qg4 Ne7 139
D) 5.Bd2 Ne7 various 143
D1) 6.a3 Bxc3+ 144
D2) 6.Nb5 Bxd2+ 146
Chapter 10 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5

6.dxc5 Bxc3+ 155
A) 6.Qg4 Ne7 155
B) 6.Nf3 Ne7 157
C) 6.Bd2 Nc6 158
Chapter 11 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cxd4 7.Nb5 Bc7
8.Nf3 Nc6 163
A) 8.f4 Bd7 9.Nf3 Bxb5 164
B) 9.Nxc7+ Qxc7 165
Chapter 12 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cxd4 7.Qg4 Kf8
A) 8.bxa5 dxc3 171
B) 8.Nb5 Bb6 174
Chapter 13 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5
A) 7.Qd2 Nc6 8.Nf3 Nge7 9.a4 Bd7 10.Bd3 f6 193
B) 10.Be2 Rc8 194
C) 10.Ba3 cxd4 194
435
Chapter 14 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4
various 197
A) 8.Rb1 c4 198
B) 8.Nf3 b6 200
C) 8.h4 Ne7 202
Chapter 15 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qb1 c4
various 211
A) 9.h4 f6 212
B) 9.Nh3 f6 214
C) 9.Nf3 Nc6 215
D) 9.Be2 Nc6 217
E) 9.Ne2 Nc6 219
Chapter 16 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 7.Bd2 Qa4 8.Qg4 Kf8
various 223
A) 9.h4 Nc6 224
B) 9.Nf3 Ne7 226
C) 9.Qd1 Ne7 230
436
Table of Contents
Title Page and Bibliography 4
Preface 7 6
Main Ideas 9
Step by Step 13
Complete Games 237 393
Index of Variations 257 433
437

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Contents

Title Page and Bibliography

Part 1. The Advance Variation

1 A) 4.dc; B) 4.Qg4; C) 4.Nf3 10

Part 2. The Winawer Variation

Complete Games 237

Chess Stars Publishing

Copyright © 2020 by Dmitry Kryakvin

Cover by Rustam Taichinov

1.e4 vs The French, Caro-Kann&Philidor by P.Negi, Quality Chess 2014

We will analyse now: A) 4.dxc5, B) 4.Qg4 and C) 4.Nf3.

7.exf6?! Nxf6 8.0-0 0-0

9.Re1? e5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 Ng4–+

10...Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8!

6.c3?! cxd4 7.cxd4? Nxd4–+

8...Bb4 9.a3 Ba5

11.Bb2? Ndxe5µ Sygnowski – Merry, Telford 2018.

11...0-0 12.Bxc6 bxc6

We will analyse now: A) 6.Na3, B) 6.Be2 and C) 6.Bd3

The move 6.a3 will be analysed in details in next chapters.

7...Bb4+ 8.Bd2 Nge7

9...Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 Qxb2 11.Bd3 h6 12.0-0 Qb6

B1) 8.b3?! Bb4+!

11...Be7 12.Nc3 f6 13.exf6 Bxf6

B2) 8.Bd3 Bd7

9...Nf5 10.Bxf5 exf5

About 11.0-0 Be6 12.Nc3 – see 11.Nc3.

13...Be7 14.Bd2 Rc8 15.Na4 Qd8 16.Rac1 0-0 17.a3

B3) 8.Nc3 Nf5

B3b) 10.Bd2 Bb4

11...Bxc3+ 12.Nxc3 Qb6 13.Bb5 Bd7 14.Bxc6 Bxc6

B4) 8.Bхh6 Qxb2

We will analyse now: C1) 7.0-0 and C2) 7.cxd4.

C1) 7.0-0 Bd7 8.Re1

About 9.cxd4 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 Qxd4 – see variation C2.

11...dxc3 12.Nxc3 Na5

C2) 7.cхd4 Bd7

About 8.Nc3 Nxd4 9.0-0, or 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.0-0 – see 8.0-0.

9.Nc3 Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Ne7

13...Rc8 14.Be3 Qxe5 15.Bxa7

C2b) 9.Nхd4 Qxd4

About 10.Re1 Ne7 11.Nc3 a6 – see 10.Nc3.

About 11.Nc3 a6 – see 10.Nc3.

About 12.Re1 Ng6 – see 11.Re1.

17...Bxb5 18.Nxb5 Rxa2 19.Rxa2

20...Kd7 21.Ra1 Rc8 22.Na3

After White’s main line in this position 6.a3,

9.Rb1. He is trying to regain immediately his pawn. 9...Bd7

9...Bd7 10.c4 dxc4 11.Nxc4 Nxc4 12.Bxc4 Rc8

13...Ne7 14.0-0 Nd5 15.Rc1

15...Be7 16.Qg4 g6 17.Ne4

B1) 9.Bg2 Ne7 10.0-0 h6

11...Qc7 12.Re1 Nc8

B2) 9.Bh3 Be7!

С1) 11.exf6?! gxf6 12.0-0 Nh6

С2) 11.0-0 Nh6

13...Bxg5 14.hxg5 Nf7 15.Nf3 Rdg8 16.Bf4 g6 17.Qd2 Nb3 18.Qe3

We will analyse now: D1) 9.Rb1 and D2) 9.0-0.

White is trying to open the queenside.

About 10.0-0 Qc7 – see variation D2.

D2) 9.0-0 Ne7

11.b3? cxb3 12.Nxb3 Ba4 13.Nfd2 Qxc3µ

He does not need to be afraid of 11.Ng5 h6 – see the game 5, p. 242.