CATALAN OPENING MOVE BY MOVE

2.c4 and then, after 2...g6 (or 2...e6) , with moves like 3.g3 , 4 Bg2, 5 Nc3 and 6 0–0,
etc, all the time avoiding/delaying d2–d4 to keep it as an English.; Move order is
(5) Move Orders & Transpositions especially important in Chapter Two where White chooses to regain his pawn
[Neil McDonald]
after ...d5xc4 with the immediate Qa4+ and Qxc4. In that case White does best to
delay either d2–d4 or Nf3 in order to have time to keep Black bottled up on the
[I would recommend you look at some of the games in this book and get a feel for the
queenside. For example, as in Artemiev-Safarli with    1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5
Catalan before reading this section. It will help you decide what move order might be
4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 6.Qxc4 a6 and now having delayed d2–d4, White has time
right for you. ]
to play    7.Qc2! . This gets the queen out of the way of 7...b5 which would win time
for Black to equalize with ...Bb7. ; Alternatively, Grandmaster Tkachiev, who is an
1.-- [In this book I have used    1.d4 A very common alternative path is 1...Nf6 (1...d5
expert on this line, has adopted a move order which delays Nf3: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3
2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 as White and Black's standard way to reach the Catalan, but
d5 4.Bg2 You'll have to keep your eyes open as there are many quirks of move order
there are various other routes. Sometimes, but not always, I have changed the move
and unexpected transpositions in the Catalan. Notably in Chapter One    4...Bb4+
order of the actual game for the sake of clarity.    (4.--) ) 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 .; More
(4...dxc4 5.Qa4+ . If now    5...Nbd7 6.Qxc4 a6 then 7.Qc2! is the same anti-b7–b5
subtle is Kramnik's move order versus Nakamura in Chapter Seven: 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3
recipe.    (7.--) ) 5.Bd2 Be7 could well transpose to 4...Be7 if White subsequently plays
d5 3.Bg2 e6 4.0–0 Be7 5.c4 0–0 (in this sequence you'd also have to prepare for
Bf4: in the former case White has spent two moves getting his bishop to f4, but Black
moves such as 5...d4) 6.d4 dxc4 . Notice the former world champion's shrewd way of
has also spent two moves getting his bishop to e7, so tempo-wise it is quits. But
getting to the Catalan Mainline. By delaying d2–d4 he has cut out any 'nonsense'
remember if you look at some games with this line in a book or in a database you
with ...Bb4+ (Chapter Four) or ...Nc6 (Chapter Five), or an early ...dxc4 and ...Bd7
might have the same position, but the games might have different move numbers]
intending ...Bc6 (as in Chapter Six). Black has also never been given the chance to
grab the pawn on c4 and try to hold on to it (Chapter Three). Hence it saves a lot of
Line
learning of sidelines if you play like this. In the Nakamura game White then went
7.Ne5 , (avoiding the whole of the    7.Qc2 mainline. ) ; After 1.Nf3 , By starting 1
Nf3, you give yourself the option after 1...Nf6 of continuing, say,
(7) The Closed Centre [E01]
[Neil McDonald]
a) you need to be ready for 1...c5 – a natural choice would be 2.c4 , making it a
Symmetrical English (or 2.g3 .; Or maybe you could change style to confound an [In this chapter we'll look at lines in which Black maintains a pawn on d5. The typical
opponent who doesn't play the Sicilian as Black with 2.e4 !) ; sequence is]

b) Here is another tweak in move order which might have a practical value, taken
from Giri-Grischuk in Chapter One: 1...d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 (note that in this move
order you might also face the Queen's Gambit Accepted with 3...dxc4 and then, say,
4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5) 4.g3 . Giri delays putting a pawn on d4 until Black has committed
himself to 1...d5. This is useful if you like playing the Catalan, but don't want to risk 1
d4 in case Black plays the King's Indian or Grünfeld, or some other set-up
involving ...g7–g6. Maybe you are also keen to avoid mainline Queen's Indian-style
set-ups where Black has played ...e7–e6, but avoided ...d7–d5.;
1
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 [, when Black chooses between:]
4...-- [the immediate 4...Be7; and    4...Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 .Black plays in a
straightforward, classical way against the Catalan. He develops his kingside pieces,
prepares to castle his king into safety, and if necessary is ready to bolster his strong-
point on d5 by creating a triangle of pawns in the centre with ...c7–c6.Nonetheless
with correct play White is able to exert steady pressure. A key aim is to increase the
scope of the Catalan bishop with the pawn advance e2–e4. Black has to be careful not
to fall into a passive position.]

Line
(8) Naiditsch,A - Kopylov,M [A14]
1: Basel, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 [The Catalan can be reached through various move orders. ]
[A typical alternative is    1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 .; The present game actually
begun    1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.d4 c6 , but as in most cases
in this book I have standardized the move order to make things clearer. ]
1...d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 [Here, for example, White could also fianchetto at once with
3.g3 .]
3...Nf6 4.g3 [The Catalan differs from the Queen's Gambit in that the bishop is
developed to g2.]
4...Be7 [Many top players are happy to defend Black's position after this modest
move. ]
[Nonetheless, on the whole modern theory suggests that if Black intends this set-up he
might have done well to insert the moves    4...Bb4+ 5.Bd2 and only then play
5...Be7 .EXERCISE: Before reading on, can you work out why?ANSWER: Assuming
Black keeps a pawn on d5 (rather than plays a system with ...d5xc4), the consensus is
that he is being slightly generous to his opponent. He allows him to arrange a rapid
Nbd2 and e2–e4 when the plan could have been at least delayed by the interpolation
4...Bb4+ 5 Bd2 Be7. This is because on d2 the white bishop blocks the square that the
knight needs to support e2–e4.; Note too that the immediate    4...c5 to strike at White's
centre is examined in Chapter Five (this is a Queen's Gambit Tarrasch, but we need to
be ready for it if we play the Catalan).]
5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 [Later in the chapter we'll look at games where White defends the
c4–pawn either with    6.Nbd2; or 6.Qc2 .]
6...c6 [Black has achieved a lot after only six moves. His king is safe and he has a
2
solid centre with no weaknesses. ]
[In contrast, after    6...b6 hanging pawns can be inflicted on Black immediately with
7.cxd5 . Play could continue    7...exd5 8.Nc3 Bb7 9.Ne5 Na6 10.Bf4 c5 11.Rc1 with a
strong build up of white pieces in the centre. It's no surprise that Black has poor
results in this line.]
7.Qc2 [QUESTION: Is this a strong and sensible move? ANSWER: Yes! On c2 the
white queen defends the c4–pawn, ruling out any pawn snatch with ...d5xc4 followed
by ...b7–b5 clinging on to the material. Also thinking about the c-file, in this type of
structure Black's so-called freeing move is ...c7–c5. If he can carry out this pawn
break without incurring any immediate disadvantage he has good chances to equalize.
The queen's presence on c2 deters the advance. Speaking more generally, the white
queen vacates the d1–square for a rook, probably the one on f1, to support the d4–
pawn. And, finally, she also aims at the e4–square in support of White's plan which is
discussed below.]
7...b6 [With this reply Black continues his logical scheme of development: his queen's
bishop will go to b7, then the knight on b8 will be developed to d7 (jumping ahead I
should say this looks like a mistake – see the note to Black's 9th, below), and the rook
from a8 will be shifted to c8. Finally he will be ready to strike out with the
aforementioned ...c7–c5, which will be all the more effective in view of the white
queen's somewhat exposed position on c2.]
8.Nbd2! [One of the trademarks of the Catalan is that White avoids a quick
development of his queen's knight. He waits to see what is the best square for it. In
this example Naiditsch plans to use the horse to support the pawn advance e2–e4, but
doesn't want to allow ...d5xc4 without the chance to recapture. Therefore he puts the
knight on d2 rather than c3, which would interfere with his queen's defence of the c4–
pawn. We shall see that in certain variations White chooses to play Nc3 rather than
Nbd2. However, these tend to be less popular, more speculative tries for advantage. Or
perhaps White was denied the chance to be flexible as he chose c3 for the knight
before he knew for sure it was going to be a Catalan.A delayed development of the
queen's knight, which probably goes to d2 in the end, is far more characteristic of the
Catalan. ]
8...Bb7 9.e4 [QUESTION: I'm still slightly confused why 4...Bb4+ 5 Bd2 Be7 is
recommended instead as the correct procedure for Black. After all, he 'gifts' White the
developing move Bd2. How big a difference would it make to the game – a slight or
big change?ANSWER: We can debate whether the white bishop is better on d2 than
c1 – White might find a way to justify its placing on d2, or find a use for the vacated
c1–square. However, the main point is that White's smooth build-up with Nbd2 and
e2–e4 would have been obstructed because his knight is denied the d2–square. This
seems to significantly outweigh any benefits for White in having shifted his bishop to
d2 'for free'.As a rule, if White can achieve the e2–e4 advance before Black can
respond ...d5xc4 and ...c7–c5 in a safe way he will have a good game.EXERCISE:
What do you now think is the best move for Black out of the following choice:
9...dxe4, 9...Na6 and 9...Nbd7 - ?]
9...Nbd7?! [The game move 9...Nbd7 proves one routine move too many.]
[ANSWER: Here    9...dxe4 10.Nxe4 Instead, Black could play a solid move like
10...Nbd7 , hoping to get in ...c6–c5 in the future, but White could build up with
(10...c5? falls for a trap that you should always be looking out for if Black has an
undefended bishop on b7:    11.Nxf6+! Bxf6 (or equally    11...gxf6 12.Ng5!) 12.Ng5!
uncovering an attack on b7 whilst threatening mate on h7. Black loses the exchange
after    12...Bxg5 13.Bxb7 .) 11.Rd1 , exerting indirect pressure along the d-file. Then
11...c5? (of course, Black could play passively with say    11...Rc8 , but he remains
uncomfortable after    12.Bf4 , etc) , still fails: 12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 (the black queen hangs
after    12...Nxf6 13.dxc5) 13.Ng5! (our familiar trick)    13...Bxg5 14.Bxb7 Rb8
15.dxc5! Rxb7 16.c6 Rc7 17.Rxd7 Rxd7 18.Bxg5 Qxg5 19.cxd7 and White has
emerged with an extra pawn on the seventh rank. A long variation, but it flows
naturally. ; More dynamic was 9...Na6! . Perhaps it is best for White to answer 9...Na6
with the immediate    10.a3! , hoping to get in 11 e5 Nd7 12 cxd5 cxd5. Then (Then
after    10.e5 Nd7 note the knight is pleased that the d7–square is available to it,
(whereas in the game it is forced to the back rank after    10...Ne8) 11.cxd5? (instead
(after 9...Na6 10 e5 Nd7), White could try    11.a3!? to deny the black knight the b4–
square, but this seems a little late as    11...c5! then undermines the white centre and
gives Black the chance to answer c4xd5 with ...Bxd5, activating his bishop) , which
proves highly effective in the game after the recapture    11...cxd5 , (Black has the
zwischenzug 11...Nb4! to get the knight to the excellent d5–square after 12.Qb3 Nxd5
. Then 13.Ne4 c5 14.dxc5 Nxc5 15.Nxc5 Bxc5 would transpose to the game Phillips-
Kovalyov given later in the chapter. This was an excellent win by Black. ) ) 10...c5! is
still effective for Black, though maybe not as good as the similar strike at White's
3
centre with 11...c5 above. These moves have been the subject of high-level games. For
example H.Nakamura-Yu Yangyi, Gibraltar 2017, went    11.exd5 exd5 12.Rd1 Rc8
13.dxc5 Nxc5 14.b4 Ne6 15.Bb2 dxc4 16.Nxc4 Qc7 17.Rac1 Qb8 18.Qe2 Qa8 and
now    19.Ne3 with 20 Nf5 in mind might be a small plus to White. ]
10.e5 [Thanks to Black's passive ninth move, White is able to establish a stable wedge
in the centre whilst keeping Black's bishop on b7 shut in.]
10...Ne8 11.cxd5 cxd5 [The black knights are deprived of the f6–square, making the
idea of a direct kingside assault attractive to White. ]
12.Re1 [White's so-called mysterious rook move had two purposes. Firstly, the rook
deters any challenge to White's pawn dominance in the centre with ...f7–f6 by putting
indirect pressure on e6. And, secondly, it vacates the f1–square for the knight on d2,
allowing White to build up pressure on the kingside and restrain Black's activity along
the c-file.]
12...Qc8? [Naturally Black would love to exchange queens to escape the danger of an
attack on his king, but this and his next move prove an utter waste of time. ]
[He should play 12...Rc8 13.Qd1 Qc7 14.Nf1 Qc2 15.Qxc2 Rxc2 16.Ne3 Rc8 17.Bd2
is some advantage to White in the endgame as the black pieces are cramped, but at
least Black has avoided a direct kingside attack. ]
13.Qd1 [The queen doesn't mind being pushed back home as the space advantage on
e5 is permanent. Besides if the knight on f3 moves out of the way she has a direct
route into attack on the kingside via the g4– or h5–squares. ]
13...Qc6 14.Nf1 Rc8 [EXERCISE: What move thwarts Black's plans and adds vigour
to White's own?ANSWER:]
15.Ne3! [The knight not only prevents 15...Qc2, forcing the unwelcome exchange of
queens after all, but also prepares to charge to g4 to lead a kingside assault. It's
obvious Black lost a tempo with ...Qc8, ...Qc6 and ...Rc8 when he could have
gone ...Rc8 and ...Qc7 in two moves, In that case White's knight wouldn't have been in
time getting to e3 to stop Qc2. ]
15...b5 16.h4 [A move in the style of the King's Indian Attack. White's h-pawn could
be used as a battering ram to break up the black kingside with h5–h6, or remain on h4
and support the attacking move Ng5. ]
16...Nb6 [QUESTION: It seems Black is ready to eliminate White's knight with
17...Nc4 and 18...Nxe3, when the idea of ...Qc2 reappears. What measures should
White take against this?]
17.b3! [ANSWER: After this simple precautionary move Black's queenside
counterplay is hamstrung.]
17...b4 18.Bd2 Nc7 19.Rc1 Qd7 20.Ng5 [White is justified in starting an attack
against the black king with potential sacrifices as Naiditsch is rewarded for his careful
strategic play. Black is deprived of activity, which means he has a queen, three minor
pieces and a rook sitting on the left side of the board, cut off from going to the aid of
their king by the blocked centre, and unable to distract the white pieces from going all
in against the underdefended black king. ]
20...Ba6 21.Ng4 Nb5 [The last chance was    21...Bd3 to at least get a bishop involved
in the king's defence.]
[QUESTION: can you see White's winning move? ANSWER:]
22.Nf6+! gxf6 23.exf6 [Black's king will be mated in short order after    23.exf6 Bxf6
24.Qh5 More resistant is    24...h6
a) 24...Bxg5 25.Qxg5+ Kh8 26.Qf6+ Kg8 27.Bh6 and 28 Qg7 mate follows; (27.--) ;
b) or    24...Rfd8 25.Qxh7+ Kf8 26.Bxb4+ Ke8 27.Qg8# .;
25.Qxh6 Bxg5 26.Qxg5+ Kh7 , but    27.Rxc8 Bxc8 (if 27...Rxc8 28.Qh6+ Kg8
29.Re5 f5 30.Rxe6 crashes through) 28.Qh5+ Kg8 29.Bh6 f5 and now the simplest is
30.Qg6+ Kh8 31.Bxf8 with a winning attack and extra material.]
1–0
(9) Giri,A - Grischuk,A [D02]
4
2: Saint Louis, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.Nf3 [Giri's move order in this game is discussed in the Introduction to the book.]
1...d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.g3 Bb4+! [Black intends to keep a pawn on d5, but before
putting his bishop on e7 he gives a check.]
5.Bd2 [This is by far the most popular response to Black's check.]
[Instead after    5.Nc3 the position is more akin to a Nimzo-Indian rather than a
Catalan. ; Meanwhile the alternative    5.Nbd2 is discussed in Tari-Sjodahl in Chapter
Four.]
5...Be7 [The bishop could also drop back to d6. For example, 5...Bd6 6.Bg2 0–0 7.0–0
c6 8.b3 Nbd7 9.Nc3 Re8 10.Qc2 dxc4 11.bxc4 e5 . Having put the bishop on d6 and
rook on e8 this is the consistent freeing procedure for Black, but White maintained a
small advantage after 12.e3 exd4 13.exd4 in M.Bluebaum-T.Nyback, German League
2013.Looking at the Naiditsch-Kopylov game above will give us a clue as to why
4...Bb4+! 5 Bd2 Be7 is an astute positional sequence by Black. By giving a check on
b4 Black has enticed White's bishop to d2. You might think this is a free developing
move for White, but the bishop is poorly placed on d2 and will have to be reassigned
to a more active square later on, most likely f4. So White hasn't gained a move.
Furthermore, the bishop is blocking the d2–square and so preventing Nbd2 by White
which in combination with Qc2 would allow him to advance in the centre quickly with
e2–e4. This is the clever point of Black's check on b4. He has disrupted White's
smooth build-up. Looking more closely, we might say that White's bishop would be
better still on c1, so that it can be developed with b2–b3 and Bb2, which along with
Qc2, Nbd2 and e2–e4 would be White's optimum build-up.]
6.Bg2 0–0 7.0–0 Nbd7 [Instead    7...c6 is likely to transpose back to the main game:
for example,    8.Qc2 b6 9.Rd1 Ba6 (or 9...Bb7 10.Bf4 Nbd7 11.Ne5 – see the note to
Black's 10th move, below) 10.b3 Nbd7 11.Bf4 . Black develops his knight, but not to
c6 as that square is needed for his c-pawn to support the d5 point. Besides in Queen
Pawn openings it's seldom a good idea to block the c7–pawn with the knight.; Black
has to be consistent and keep the pawn on d5. If he tries to play an Open Catalan after
all with    7...dxc4? then White's Bd2 move becomes useful: for example,    8.Qc2 a6
9.Qxc4 b5 10.Qc2 Bb7 and White is a tempo up on the Catalan Mainline – see
Chapter Ten where he plays 10 Bd2. White could use the extra tempo to good effect
with    11.Rc1 , etc. ]
8.Qc2 c6 [With his previous move White defends c4, positions the queen to support a
possible e2–e4 central advance, and clears the d1–square for use by a rook to bolster
the centre. Black strengthens his centre in response and gets his c-pawn off a
potentially vulnerable square on c7. He has two basic aims: to develop his queen's
bishop, and thereafter to achieve the freeing advance ...c6–c5. He hopes to carry out
both operations without incurring any serious weaknesses in his pawn structure. In the
Catalan, this is easier said than done. ]
9.Rd1 [QUESTION: What exactly is the point of this move?ANSWER: White's move
is an example of what Nimzowitsch termed a 'Mysterious Rook Move': the rook goes
to a blocked line because White anticipates that Black will try to free himself
with ...c6–c5 or with ..d5xc4 when lines will open up. Paradoxically in the game the
rook only becomes useful on d1 thanks to Black's help. Though if Black played
passively White could always aim to lever the centre open with a well-planned e2–e4
advance.The move 9 Rd1 might also be described as a useful waiting move. White
knows that Black needs to develop his queen's bishop: therefore he makes a good
centralizing move in anticipation of Black loosening himself on the c-file. ]
9...b6 [Of course, the bishop can't sit on c8 forever, but now White has a target on the
c-file. At first glance this might seem a very simple position: White will exert some
queenside pressure with straightforward attacking moves, while Black will respond
with solid defensive moves. Common sense will prevail with both players making
decisions according to classical precepts. However, the deeper we look, the more we
realize this is actually an extremely difficult position. There are many subtle points
which have been tested in top level games. For example, Black must consider: in what
scenarios should the bishop go to a6 rather than b7? Should I play ...a7–a5 - ? When
should I concede the centre with ...d5xc4 - ? And if White plays Bf4, should I drive
the bishop back with ...Nh5 - ?And for White there are questions such as: should I put
the dark-squared bishop on c3 or f4? When is it preferable to develop the knight from
b1 to c3 rather than to d2? Should I play Ne5 - ? In what cases is it feasible to play
a2–a4 to ram the black queenside with a4–a5 - ?Any of these decisions will have an
enormous effect on the rest of the game. White will lose his advantage with a couple
of imprecise moves; Black might end up being tortured for another 50 moves because
5
he makes a passive move with his bishop. Hopefully the discussion which follows will
answer these questions. ]
10.Bf4 [The alternative    10.b3 is examined in the Giri-Topalov game below.]
10...Ba6 [Here    10...a5 is too slow as White has played the active move 10 Bf4
(rather than 10 b3), so    11.Ne5! Bb7 12.Nc3 is good for him.; However, very solid is
10...Bb7 . More fighting for White is 11.Ne5 . Let's watch in admiration as Caruana
playing White consolidates his centre position and begins to press on the queenside:
(Then with    11.Nc3 dxc4! Black doesn't expect to hold on to the pawn, but wants to
win time to free his game whilst White is regaining it: for example,    12.Nd2 Nd5 (not
12...b5? 13.Nxb5 ; instead, the black knight makes immediate use of the d5–square –
it reminds me of Capablanca's freeing manoeuvre in the Queen's Gambit Declined
with ...d5xc4 and ...Nd5) 13.Nxc4 Nxf4 14.gxf4 Qc7 15.e3 (White has a compact
centre and well placed pieces, but his opponent is free to develop and then strike
with ...c6–c5)    15...Rad8 16.Rac1 c5 17.d5 exd5 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.Rxd5 b5 20.Ne5
Nxe5 21.Rxe5 Bd6 22.Rd5 . This position has been reached 18 times in my database –
with 18 draws!) 11...Nh5 12.Bd2 Nhf6 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Nc6 (the bishop pair is worth
some inconvenience for the white queen) 14...Bxc6 15.Qxc6 Rc8 16.Qb5 Ne8 17.Qd3
Nd6 18.b3 (taking the c4–square away from the black knight) 18...Nf6 19.Nc3 Qd7
20.f3 (and now the horses are denied e4)    20...Nf5 21.e3 (the threat was 21.-- Nxd4! ,
winning a pawn, as 22.Qxd4 Bc5 is a fatal pin) You can't let someone as strong as
Caruana play 'without an opponent'. The correct approach for Black was demonstrated
in a later game. Instead, 21...h5! keeps some activity: (21...Rfd8 . About here Black
ran out of ideas and let his opponent obtain a powerful bind on the queenside after
22.Ne2 Qc7 23.Rac1 Qd7 24.Rxc8 Qxc8 25.Rc1 Qd7 26.a4 Ba3 27.Rc2 a5 28.Qa6
Rb8 29.Nf4 (the knight heads for e5)    29...Bd6 30.Nd3 Ne7 31.Bf1 (reactivating the
bishop)    31...h6 32.Ne5 Qd8 33.Nc6 Nxc6 34.Rxc6 and Black was eventually ground
down in F.Caruana-Yu Yangyi, Tromsø 2013.    (34.--) ) 22.Ne2 Rfd8 23.Rac1 and
now Stockfish wants to go the whole hog with 23...g5!? , intending 24...g4 to
undermine White's kingside; (23...a5 was played in F.Caruana-L.Nisipeanu, Bucharest
2013) . The move is justified by the tactical sequence 24.e4 (after    24.Rxc8 Qxc8 ,
25.e4? fails to    25...dxe4 26.fxe4 Nxd4! 27.Nxd4 Rxd4 winning a pawn because of the
...Bc5 pin) 24...dxe4 25.fxe4 Rxc1 26.Bxc1 Nxd4! 27.Nxd4 Bc5 28.Bxg5 Qxd4+
29.Qxd4 Rxd4 30.Rxd4 Bxd4+ and Black has fully equalized. ]
11.b3 Rc8 [Strategically speaking the position is very tense. Black is ready to advance
...c6–c5 and achieve at least equality if White plays with insufficient energy. ]
12.Nc3! [Gambiting the c4–pawn to keep Black under lock and key. Natural moves
are not sufficient. ]
[Thus after    12.Nbd2 , with the idea of gaining space by 13 e4, a strong response is
12...c5! when Black takes over the initiative – notice the awkward position of the
white queen opposite the black rook on c8 after    13.dxc5 Bxc5 .]
12...dxc4 [Jumping ahead, White plans to builds up his centre with e2–e4 and then
answer ...Nh5 with Be3.]
[QUESTION: Couldn't Black obstruct this plan with the immediate    12...Nh5
ANSWER: White would do better with 13.Bc1! keeping the way free for e2–e4. After
(and then, after 13.Be3 , continue 13...Nhf6 (or even    13...f5!? when he profits
through having stopped e2–e4 by White? ) ) 13...f5 (or 13...Nhf6 14.e4 dxc4 15.Bf4
Nh5 16.Be3 Nhf6 and we have reached the main game below after 14...Nhf6, but have
taken two moves longer!) 14.e3 he has an edge.; The attempt to break out with
12...c5? rebounds on Black because in contrast to the note to the previous move, the
white queen is shielded by the knight on c3. For example,    13.e4!? (there are other
promising moves for White),    13...cxd4 (13...dxc4 14.d5 exd5 15.e5 Nh5 16.Nxd5
gives White crushing pressure in the centre) 14.exd5! (the point)    14...exd5 (if
14...dxc3 15.d6 White regains the piece with huge pressure) 15.Nxd4 is crushing for
White as in W.So-B.Gundavaa, Guangzhou 2010, which finished 15...Bc5 (just giving
up a pawn as    15...dxc4 16.Nc6 Qe8 17.Re1 is horrible for him) 16.cxd5 Ng4 17.h3
Qf6 18.Ne4 Qg6 19.Nxc5 Qxc2 20.Nxc2 Rxc5 21.Nb4 1–0.]
13.e4! [White builds up his initiative in the centre. If you have looked at the analysis
given after 10...Ba6 above you'll be aware of the importance of the d5–square as a
pivot point for the black knight once it has been vacated by ...d5xc4. Therefore it is
important for White to rule out ...Nd5.]
[Another good point of    13.e4 is that it creates a mobile centre. Thus    13...c5? could
be answered by 14.d5 : for example,    14...exd5 15.e5 Nh5 16.Nxd5 Nxf4 17.gxf4
Qe8 18.Bh3! and Black is under terrible pressure. ]
13...Nh5 [White's gambit is built upon the fact that he regains his pawn after
6
13...cxb3? 14.axb3 Bb7 15.Rxa7 with tremendous pressure on the queenside.; If
instead    13...Bb4 Bb4, threatening to take on c3 then on e4,    14.Nd2! keeps
everything tidy for White. ; Similar to the game is    13...b5 14.bxc4 bxc4 .]
14.Be3 [Naturally White doesn't want to be deprived of his dark-squared bishop by an
exchange on f4.]
14...Nhf6 [QUESTION: Why does Black make the bishop go back to e3 and then
return the knight to f6?ANSWER: We have already seen that forcing moves such as
13...c5 or 13...cxb3 don't work for Black. There aren't any useful developing moves
for him either. And so believing that his pieces are on optimum squares already,
Grischuk stands his ground, giving up as tempo to force back White's bishop to e3
which is a worse square for it than f4. The move ...Ng4 might be handy for Black in
the future, and so Giri replies by defending this square with a pawn. The fact that this
is the best move White can come up with in reply to 13...Nh5 and 14...Nhf6 shows
that Black hasn't really lost anything by giving up a tempo.]
15.h3 b5 [Black bites the bullet and defends his c4–pawn. If he 'passes' White could
force his hand with 16 Nd2.]
16.bxc4 bxc4 [The obvious plan for White is to try to pick up the c4–pawn at some
point and leave Black with a broken queenside pawn structure. However, it is not at all
clear how this can be done without letting Black break out with a well-timed ...c6–c5
move.]
17.Rab1 [QUESTION: Isn't 17 Qa4 a good move to try to win the a7–pawn?
ANSWER: Giri activates his rook as    17.Qa4?! is rebuffed by    17...Bb5! , when
18.Qxa7 (18.Nxb5 cxb5 19.Qxb5 Nxe4 drops the important e4–pawn) 18...Ra8 19.Qb7
Qa5 leaves the white queen in trouble. As a general rule, if you play a move like 17
Qa4 and get startled by a riposte like 17...Bb5!, don't lose your head and try to be a
Hero. Nothing much has changed in the position if you just reply 18 Qc2 and try again
next move. It's slightly embarrassing, but that is all.]
17...Qa5 [Quite a good idea as it makes White's bishop retreat a further square to d2.]
18.Bd2 Qa3? [This, however, is a serious mistake. ]
[After    18...Qc7 it's difficult to see how White can improve his position. Another
repetition is    19.Bf4
a) 19.Qa4 , is still met by    19...Bb5! as in the note to 17 Rab1. Then    20.Qc2 Ba6
21.Qa4 Bb5 would be an odd draw by repetition. ;
b) Instead White could keep probing with, say, 19.Bg5 (threatening 20 e5)    19...h6
20.Bf4 Qa5 21.Bd2 Qc7 22.h4 Rfd8 23.Bh3 when a pawn thrust with g3–g4 might
work at some point. (23.--) ;
19...Qa5 20.Bd2 Qc7 , etc. ]
19.Re1! [Grischuk had been playing very slowly and was unfamiliar with all the
subtle points of this variation. He must have underestimated this quiet rook move
which will bring the rook to the third rank to terrorize the black queen. ]
19...Nb6 [After    19...Rb8 20.Re3 Qa5 21.e5 Black loses upon    21...Nd5? (but
21...Ne8 would fight on with his pieces in a jumble) 22.Nxd5 Qxd5 23.Ng5 with the
demise of either the black king or queen.]
20.Re3 Rb8? [Black's last chance to tough it out was with    20...Nfd7 , though the
following variation is highly unpleasant for him: 21.Nd5 (not    21.Nb5 Qa4) 21...Qd6
(21...cxd5 22.Rxa3 Bxa3 23.exd5 exd5) 22.Nxe7+ Qxe7 23.Bc1! (White's dark-
squared bishop is the boss; this powerful retreat introduces ideas of both 24 Ba3 and
24 Ra3)    23...Rfd8 24.Ra3 Bb5 25.Ra5! (even better than    25.Rxa7) 25...h6 26.a4
and White wins two pieces for a rook with an abiding initiative. ]
21.Rxb6! [White could try    21.Nd5 , as    21...Qd6 (however the queen sacrifice
21...cxd5! 22.Rxa3 Bxa3 gives Black a solid position with numerical compensation for
the queen and a passed pawn to get excited about. Instead, Giri wants it to be all
suffering for Black) 22.Nxb6 Rxb6 23.e5 wins material. ]
21...Rxb6 [After    21...axb6 , 22.e5 is winning for White as    22...Nd7 23.Nb1! (the
simplest) traps the black queen. ]
22.Na4 [Finally uncovering an attack on the black queen. ]
7
22...Rb1+ [Hopeless for Black is    22...Qd6 23.e5 when he loses a knight, to say
nothing of the rook hanging on b6. With the game move he hopes to escape after 23
Qxb1 Qxa4, but of course Giri doesn't oblige.]
23.Kh2 c3 [Grischuk uses all his resources to extricate himself from immediate
disaster. ]
24.Rxc3 Qb4 25.Rxc6 Qb5 [Now the Russian Grandmaster is actually the exchange
up for a pawn, but his pieces remain awkwardly placed. In particular the rook is
stranded on b1 and the queen is in grave danger of being overloaded as she has to
keep both the bishop on a6 and the rook on b1 defended. QUESTION: What is Black's
counter threat? Can White ignore it and win material at once? If not, how does he
safeguard his position and increase the pressure?ANSWER:]
26.Ne5! [Black's threat was 26...Bb7 when if the rook retreats, 27...Bxe4 causes chaos
in the white camp. The game move is excellent as it improves the coordination of the
white forces and adds the defence of the bishop on g2 to e4, so ruling out any
future ...Nxe4 tricks.]
[Instead, the tactics don't work for White for the moment: the attempted fork    26.Nc3
leaves c6 en prise;; while    26.Rxa6? Qxa6 27.Qxb1 Qxa4 is bad for White.]
26...Ra1 [If Black now plays 26...Bb7 then, because c6 is defended, White forces a
winning simplification with 27.Nc3 Rb2 28.Nxb5 Rxc2 29.Rxc2 .]
27.Bc3 Rf1 [There is no escape for the black rook after    27...Rb1 28.Nb2 (but not
28.Rxa6? Qxa6 29.Qxb1 as Black has    29...Qxa4) 28...Ra1 29.Nbc4 intending 30
Bxa1.]
28.Nb2! [A quiet move that was very hard for Grischuk to meet in his habitual time
trouble. It threatens 29 Nbc4 when Black's queen can no longer keep both a6 and f1
defended. ]
[Note that    28.Bxf1? would be a fundamental mistake as after    28...Qxf1 Black's
queen is no longer tied to the defence of the rook and the light squares around the
white king become shaky. ]
28...Qb7 [Understandably Grischuk doesn't want to exchange queens and remain a
pawn down after    28...Qe2 29.Qxe2 Bxe2 30.Bxf1 Bxf1 31.f3 , but in fact that was
the only chance when the bishop pair allows him some hope.]
[EXERCISE: How does White close the trap on the black rook on f1?ANSWER:]
29.Rxa6! Qxa6 30.Nbc4 Nxe4 31.Bxe4 [The game is most easily decided by a direct
assault on the kingside, ]
[whereas there would be a lot more work for White to do after    31.Bxf1 Nxc3
32.Qxc3 .]
31...Rb8 32.Bxh7+ Kf8 [Three minor pieces are stronger than two rooks, and here
White also has a decisive attack. To finish the game off Giri just has to get his queen
on to a square where she leads the onslaught against the black king.]
33.Qe2! Rc1 [Grischuk must have been heartily sick of shunting his rook along the
eighth rank.]
34.Qh5 [The attack on f7 is decisive. ]
[After    34.Qh5 g6 White could pick up the rook on c1 with    35.Qh6+ ; (but even
better is    35.Bxg6! threatening mate on h8. ) ]
1–0
(10) Giri,A - Topalov,V [E11]
3: Stavanger, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 0–0 7.0–0 c6 8.Qc2 Nbd7
9.Rd1 b6 10.b3 [We saw Anish Giri play 10.Bf4 in the game above. Here the Dutch
Grandmaster tries a different approach against Topalov.]
10...a5 [Now 10...Bb7 would be a passive response, allowing White to gain useful
space with 11.Nc3 and 12 e4; there is no attack on c4 to deter White's knight going to
c3, as is the case when Black has played ...Ba6.; If Black instead tries 10...Ba6 , the
8
pawn thrust 11.a4! has the idea of 12 a5 to expose the bishop on a6 to
attack.QUESTION: Has White's tempo has been much better spent on 10 b3 rather
than 10 Bf4 in this scenario?ANSWER: Well, it is to White's benefit that the c4–pawn
is already defended against ...Bxc4 by the b3–pawn and that the bishop is still sitting
on d2 supporting the pawn on a5 after the thrust. Instead, Black can try 11...c5 at once.
(Play might go 11...Rc8 12.a5 , when Black should play 12...c5 (12...b5? is a strategic
blunder as 13.c5 blocks up the queenside and leaves White with a substantial space
advantage and a grip on the dark squares; the bishop on a6 would be shut out of the
game and any Black counterplay with ...c6–c5 would be a dream of the past, while
White can build up towards a well-timed e2–e4 central advance) 13.axb6 Qxb6
14.Qa2 with a small edge to White.) White can, however, utilize another good point of
11 a4: it enables him to develop his knight with 12.Na3!? without the knight hanging
to ...Bxa3, as the rook on a1 now defends it. On a3 the knight bolsters c4, rather than
leaving it hanging after Nc3. The big name game H.Nakamura-W.So, Bilbao 2016,
continued (Then 12.a5 remains a pressing move which has been used by Caruana and
others. However, it has slightly less power as the rook on a8 would defend the bishop
after the exchange 12...-- 13.axb6 axb6 . (13...--) ) 12...Bb7 13.Qb2 Qc8 (the queen
heads to b7 to fortify the queenside) (White is also a little better after 13...Ne4 14.Be1
Bf6 15.e3 Qb8 16.Rac1) 14.Rac1 Bc6 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.cxd5 exd5 17.Nh4 (increasing
the pressure against the hanging centre pawns) 17...Re8 18.Nf5 Bf8 19.Bf4 with a
slight edge to White.; EXERCISE: Having read the note above, can you work out the
purpose of this pawn move?ANSWER: Black played 10...a5 so that if required he can
continue ...Ba6 without allowing a4–a5 by White. Also after 11.Bf4 , the riposte
(This would happen upon 11.Nc3?! , when 11...Ba6! gives Black good play;
(11...Bb7?! is still too passive because of 12.e4 .) ) 11...Ba6! is dynamic for Black. For
example,    12.Nbd2 Nh5 13.Be3 and now    13...Bd6 , guarding the e5–square, leaves
Black actively placed with ideas of 14...f5 to gain space on the kingside.]
11.Bc3 Bb7 [After    11...Ba6 12.Nbd2 b5 (or else White gets an edge with 13 e4
anyway), the advance    13.e4! is similar in style to Giri-Grischuk above. White is
ready to gambit a pawn temporarily to leave Black with weaklings on c6 and c4 or e4.
For example, 13...bxc4 14.bxc4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Ne5! with the initiative.
Therefore Topalov settles for 11...Bb7 and looks for counterplay with a quick ...c6–
c5.]
[QUESTION: Since Black puts his bishop on b7, has 10...a5 proved irrelevant?
ANSWER: Not at all! Topalov's feint to play ...Ba6 means that Giri has been
dissuaded from 11 Nc3 and opted for 11 Bc3, so his knight will be developed to the
inferior d2–square.]
12.Nbd2 [Intending 13 e4 to gain space and so provoking Black's reply. ]
12...c5 13.Ne5 [Giri clears away the centre pawns, after which Black is almost equal
but not quite equal – and we know all the suffering that means for him in the Catalan.]
13...cxd4 14.Bxd4 Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Qc8 [The queen moves away from a potential pin
on the d-file and dissolves a real pin on d5 by guarding the bishop on b7. ]
16.Rac1 dxc4 17.Bxf6 [White wants the e4–square for his queen as after    17.Qxc4
Bxg2 18.Kxg2 (the last chance for    18.Bxf6!) 18...Qb7+ and 19...Rac8 equalizes for
Black.]
17...Bxf6 18.Qxc4 Bxg2 19.Kxg2 Qb7+ 20.Qe4 Rfb8 [EXERCISE: Take the chance
to examine this position and try to list the factors that favour White. Which of these is
White's best plan? (a) Play Rc6 to double up rooks on the c-file. (b) Exchange queens
and then bring the knight into the attack with Ne4. (c) Fix Black's pawns on dark
squares with a2–a4 followed by exchanging queens then Nc4.ANSWER: White is
slightly better. First we notice that he has control of the c-file. Less obvious is the fact
that the white knight is stronger here than the black bishop.Everything else being
equal, it is usually better to have a bishop in an endgame, but here White's pawns are
solid and compact. There is nothing for Black's bishop to attack as White's queenside
pawns are safely on light squares. Meanwhile Black's pawns on a5 and b6 are slightly
fragile. Despite the knight's superiority, Giri would be more than happy to exchange
his knight for the bishop if in doing so he ties down Black's rooks to the defence of
their queenside pawns. If you put Black's pawn back on a7 then it is difficult to see
any advantage for White. If you put the pawns on a6 and b5 it also looks equal.
However, with the pawns on a5 and b6 as in the game, the b6–pawn is slightly
vulnerable. It can be attacked in the long term with Rc6 or Nc4. If Black advances it
to b5 then it remains open to attack with Rc5. Then the further advance b3–b4 would
leave Black with a weak pawn on a5 that could be attacked with Rc5 and Nc4. It
might seem a tiny, almost nebulous advantage for White in the diagram position and,
indeed, Topalov is very close to equality, but as you will see the former world number
one rated player was unable to defend it. If you play the Catalan you have to believe in
small advantages. It is a question of having patience and self-belief. ]
9
21.Rc6 [Upon    21.a4 b5 the exchange of pawns eases Black's path to equality. White
will be left with his own vulnerable pawn on b3 after    22.axb5 Qxb5 , or on a4 if he
allows an exchange there.]
21...Qd7 [An excellent riposte.]
[Now    21...Qd7 22.Rxb6? is a trick to win a pawn that rebounds after    22...Rd8 ,
leaving White in a nasty pin along the d-file. For example,    23.Rc6 Rac8 24.Rxc8
Qxc8 and White has great difficulty in untangling his pieces for if 25.Qb1 Qd7
reinforces the pin. You should always look for ways to sacrifice a pawn to gain the
initiative. ]
22.Rcc1 [Most players hate to lose face by admitting they have made a mistake or
been outfoxed by the opponent. They press on regardless with a plan, even when it
leads them into disaster or, as here, the loss of advantage. In fact this is one of the
main ways that strong players lose games. There is a proverb that Russian authors love
to quote: 'Once you've said A, you have to say B'. It is the equivalent of the English
expression 'In for a penny, in for a pound'. However, having said 'A' with 21 Rc6, Giri
has the strength of mind not to say 'B' with 22 Rxb6. ]
22...Qb7 23.Qxb7 [Correcting his imprecise 21st move. This finally confirms that in
the exercise at move 20, the right answer was 'b'. Though don't worry too much if you
didn't choose this plan as it took Giri two goes to find it!]
23...Rxb7 24.Ne4 [A paradox. The best square for the white knight is c4. Therefore
White moves it to e4! The point is the knight can take a scenic route to c4, disrupting
the Black pieces in the process.]
24...Be7 [Otherwise, White can break up Black's kingside with Nxf6+ gxf6, then put
his rook on c6, leaving Black will a gloomy defence. ]
25.Nd6 Rd7 [Likewise Black faces a miserable defence after Bxd6 Rxb6. Capablanca
said you should make your opponent use his rooks to defend pawns in endgames .]
[Likewise, Black faces a miserable defence after    25...Bxd6 26.Rxd6 as his rooks are
tied down to the defence of his b-pawn. ]
26.Nc4 [The knight arrives at c4 having cajoled the black rook into moving away
from the defence of b6.]
26...Rxd1 27.Rxd1 b5 28.Ne5 Bf6 29.Nd7 a4 [It looks like Topalov has made a lot of
progress. There isn't much to fear in the endgame after 30 Nxf6+ gxf6: Black would
exchange with ...a4xb3 and then after a2xb3 attack b3 with ...Ra3 before White can
organize an attack on the b5–pawn with Rd7 and Rb7. ]
30.Rc1 [A simple but vital move. ]
[Now after    30.Rc1 axb3 31.axb3 Black can't attack b3 with    31...Ra3 as 32.Rc8+
would mate. Therefore White would be the first to attack a pawn on the b-file with
Rc5 which would keep the initiative or even win the pawn. ]
30...axb3 31.axb3 Be7 32.Rc7 Rd8 33.Rb7 Bd6 [If Black were obliged to play ...b5–
b4, the white knight could retreat via b6 and c4, with the plan of Na5 and Nc6, picking
up the pawn. Alternatively, the white king might join the attack on the pawn,
eventually reaching c4. But as things stand, attack and defence have reached an
equilibrium on the queenside: the b5–pawn can't be directly defended. On the other
hand, the white rook has to stay guarding the knight. If the horse is moved to b6 it
blocks the attack on b4. And besides, how can the knight escape as the squares a4, c4
and d5 are all guarded by Black's pawns?EXERCISE: It looks as if Topalov has set up
an unbreakable defensive formation, but he has reckoned without Giri's plan. What
can White do to improve his position? ANSWER:]
34.g4 [It turns out that Black's set-up is impregnable to White's pieces, but not to
White's pawns. Club players are often in too much of a hurry. In looking for ways to
land blows with their pieces, they miss the chance to wear down their opponent slowly
with their pawns. And yet how often do you see a strategy that doesn't require the use
of pawns at some point?Giri plans to push his kingside pawns forward with moves
like e2–e3, f2–f4, h2–h4–h5 and g4–g5, etc. The pawns can be supported by the king.
If holes appear in the black kingside structure, such as if h5–h6 eliminates or displaces
the g7–pawn, then the white knight can escape via f6, when b5 drops or is forced to
advance to b4, after which it becomes a prey to the white knight and rook.
Alternatively, once he has a pawn on f4 and his king on e4, White has the option of
Ne5, again rescuing his knight and leaving the b5–pawn in grave danger.]
10
34...h5 [It is very unpleasant to just sit and wait for White's attack. Therefore Topalov
lashes out. With the game move he wants to reduce the pawn front on the kingside –
everything else being equal this will increase his drawing chances. He also clears the
h7–square for his king. ]
35.gxh5 [Black probably underestimated this capture. ]
35...Kh7 [If nothing happens Black will play ...Kh6 and ...f7–f5, and then ...Kxh5 (he
plays ...f7–f5 so that Rxb5+ doesn't come with check). Black would then have a good
game. White therefore needs a way to get his knight from d7 so that Rxb5 becomes
possible.]
36.b4! [A brilliant move. It looks totally counterintuitive to put a pawn on a dark
square. The point is White is creating an escape square on c5 for his knight. ]
36...Bxb4 [After    36...Kh6 37.Nc5 Bxc5 38.bxc5 it's hopeless for Black as b5 and f7
are both hanging.]
37.Ne5 [Now the threat of 38 Nc6 with a lethal fork obliges Black to give up his f7–
pawn. ]
[Instead 37.Rxb5 Rxd7 38.Rxb4 Kh6 is just equal.]
37...Rd5 [If Black could jettison the b5–pawn, but keep his pawns on e6, f7 and g7
intact he would have drawing chances.]
[Alas for him he has no good way to defend the f7–pawn, as    37...f6 38.Nc6 costs a
piece.]
38.Nxf7 Rxh5 [Black now has three isolated pawns and his rook is tied down to the
defence of b5. ]
[Nonetheless he might emerge with the better game if he is given the chance to
consolidate his passed pawn with    38...Bc3! and 39...b4, when his rook is freed from
defensive duty.]
[EXERCISE: Still on the theme of pawns, how can White energize his knight?
ANSWER:]
39.f4 [Giri makes brilliant use of his limited material resources. With this new pawn
thrust he creates a new base for the knight on e5 or on g5 from where it attacks e6 and
cuts off the rook on h5 from the defence of b5.]
39...Kg6 40.Ne5+ Kh7 [White wins upon    40...Kf5 41.Rxb5 Kxf4 42.Nd3+ .]
41.Nf7 Kg6 42.Ne5+ Kh7 43.Nf3 [White is not satisfied with 43.Rxb5 Bd2]
[Giri isn't satisfied with    43.Rxb5 Bd2 when he can't hold on to his f4–pawn without
giving up h2. Therefore he retreats his knight to f3 to defend h2.]
43...Rf5 [This leads to the loss of the e-pawn when it is hopeless for Black, ]
[but after    43...Kg6 44.Kg3 White edges forwards leaving Black with a horrendous
defence: for example,    44...Bc3 45.Kg4 b4 46.Rb6 Rd5 47.Ng5 Bf6 48.Nxe6 and
again the e-pawn has dropped. ]
44.Ng5+ Kh6 45.Kf3 Bd2 [Alternatively,    45...e5 46.Nf7+ Kh7 47.Nxe5 .]
46.e3 b4 47.Nxe6 Rh5 48.Nxg7 Rxh2 [With a little care the connected passed pawns
will decide the day for White.]
49.Nf5+ Kg6 50.Ne7+ Kf6 51.Nd5+ Ke6 52.Ke4 [But not    52.Nxb4 Rh3+ when
Black wins the e-pawn.]
52...Rh3 53.Rb6+ Kd7 54.Kd3 Bc1 55.Rxb4 Kd6 56.Kd4 [. A hard positional
struggle in which Giri showed how to carry a small opening advantage over into the
endgame.]
1–0
(11) Li Chao - Fressinet,L [E01]
4: Huai'an (rapid), 2016
[Neil McDonald]
11
1.d4 [As usual in the Catalan, transpositions are rife. For example, the Botvinnik
game in the notes to 11 Be3 began life 1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0–0 0–
0 6.d4 Nbd7 7.Qc2 c6 8.Bf4 Ne4 9.Nc3 g5 10.Bc1 f5 ;; while the game Li Chao-
Bellin in the notes to 10...g5 started as a Dutch with 1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nf3
Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.c4 d5 7.Nc3 c6 8.Qc2 Ne4 9.Bf4 Nd7 10.Rad1 g5 11.Bc1 , etc.
Notice in both cases there were no ...Bb4+ and Bd2 moves thrown in, as occur below
with 4...Bb4+ and 5 Bd2. Therefore the move numbers in the Botvinnik and Bellin
games are one behind those in the main game.]
1...d5 [I have 'tidied up' the move order for the sake of clarity. This game really began
with the sequence    1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Nf3 0–0 , etc. ]
2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Bb4+ [QUESTION: If I adopt the Catalan move order as
Black intending to reach a Dutch set-up, should I begin with ...Bb4+ to make White go
Bd2, or play ...Be7 straightaway? ANSWER: Well, in the main game Li Chao makes
White's position look good answering ...Bb4+ with Bd2 and then after the
retreat ...Be7 playing Bf4. So there's no real difference here: the white bishop could
have gone straight from c1 to f4, or via d2, while the black bishop on e7 could have
gone straight from f8 or via b4. The only difference shows up in the number of moves.
Overall I would say don't play 4...Bb4+. White probably won't gain anything from
having his bishop on d2 rather than c1, but there's no reason to give him extra
possibilities.]
[A sequence with independent value involves Black deferring castling kingside to
enhance his kingside attacking chances. The imaginative attacking player Richard
Rapport has essayed    4...Be7 5.Bg2 Ne4 6.0–0 f5 7.Nc3 c6 . Instead, the more active
8.Ne5 (If now 8.Qc2 , I assume that Rapport's idea is something like 8...Nd7 9.Bf4 g5
10.Be3 h5 11.Qc1 Rg8 with a scary-looking assault brewing on the kingside. (11...--) )
8...Nd7 9.Nxd7 Bxd7 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.Bf4 removes any danger of a black pawn
storm. After 11...0–0 12.e3 White had a slight edge in A.Ipatov-R.Rapport, German
League 2015. Notably his bishop is active on f4 outside his pawn chain and he is
ready to open the f-file with f2–f3. And again we see that White plays Bf4. The bishop
could have come directly from c1 or via d2 after the ...Bb4+ move order]
5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 0–0 7.0–0 Nbd7 8.Qc2 Ne4 [Rather than play solidly with 8...c6
Black decides on a Stonewall Dutch approach. ]

9.Bf4 [White avoids the exchange of his bishop for the knight as would occur after,
say,    9.Nc3 when    9...Nxd2 10.Nxd2 (instead he threatens to win a pawn with
10.cxd5) 10...c6 isn't much for White. ]
9...c6 [QUESTION: What happens if 9...g5 to drive away the bishop?ANSWER: The
bishop isn't going anywhere after 9...g5? – 10.cxd5! threatens 11 Bxc7, when 10...gxf4
11.Qxe4 leaves the black kingside fractured.]
10.Nc3 g5!? [Here, however, this move is tactically watertight. The first thing to note
is that 11 Nxe4?? now loses a piece after 11...dxe4.]
[Instead, supporting e4 with 10...Ndf6?! does nothing to vitalize Black's game and
gives White a pleasant advantage after    11.Ne5 .; The colourless exchange
10...Nxc3?! 11.Qxc3 also leaves Black passive. Therefore he has a choice of pawn
moves: he can either defend e4 or attack f4. The game move has been used by two
world champions (see below), but Li Chao casts the whole line in a rather dubious
light for Black. ; Li Chao has also crushed Black's other move after    10...f5 11.Rad1
g5 12.Bc1 . This is at least a moral victory for White compared to 11 Bc1 in the next
note, as he has got his rook from a1 to d1 before retreating his bishop (though 12 Be3
also has its fans, for example Eljanov). Here's a drastic example of White's attacking
chances: 12...Nd6 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Ne5 Nb6 (maybe Black should try    14...Nf7 so the
knight helps out the vulnerable kingside) 15.g4! (a strong pawn stab; Black already
looks in trouble) 15...Ne4 16.Nxe4 fxe4 17.f3 (the standard move to open lines)
17...exf3 18.exf3 Nd7 19.Ng6! (a neat tactical blow; if Black refuses the knight his
already crumbling defences will be deprived of the vital dark-squared bishop with 20
Nxe7+)    19...hxg6 20.Qxg6+ Kh8 21.f4 (intending to mate with 22 Rf3 and 23 Rh3+)
21...Qe8 22.Qh6+ Kg8 23.f5 Rf6 24.Qxg5+ 1–0, Li Chao-R.Bellin, Gibraltar 2016 (if
24...Kh8 (or 24...Kf8 25.fxe6 quickly massacre the black king) 25.Rf3]
[With the text, Black avoids 10...f5 as he wants to use the f5–square for one of his
pieces in the event of White replying with 11 Be3.EXERCISE: Can you guess which
one, and what the idea is behind putting it on that square?]
11.Be3 [An active retreat.]
[It is possible to have some sympathy for    11.Bc1 , even though it would shut in the
12
rook on a1. A 1963 world championship matchgame between Petrosian and Botvinnik
then continued    11...f5 12.b3 , and here 12...Nd6 has been suggested (the actual game
went    12...Bf6 13.Bb2 , when 13...Qe7 followed by 14...Qg7 might have been best;
Botvinnik settled for 13...Bg7 with the game drawn after mutual errors) , answering
13.Ne5 with    13...Nxe5 14.dxe5 Nf7 , which solidifies the black kingside.By the way,
if you look up this game you'll find that the move numbers are one behind those in the
present game, as Botvinnik didn't indulge in any of the 'nonsense' with ...Bb4+
and ...Be7, but rather put his bishop on e7 straightaway, and Petrosian's bishop went
express from c1 to f4 with no stopping off on d2.]
11...Nd6 [ANSWER: As White has chosen the e3–square for his bishop, Black
renounces    11...f5 . Instead he plans to reroute his knight to f5 and snaffle White's
dark-squared bishop. He hopes that the bishop pair and the resulting damage to
White's pawn structure will give him sufficient counterplay.]
12.cxd5 [When this position was reached in P.Eljanov-M.Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee 2016,
White dawdled with 12.b3 , which let the world champion complicate matters with
12...Nf5 13.g4 Nxe3 14.fxe3 b5! . Li Chao chooses a more direct plan.]
12...cxd5 13.Qc1! [A sly retreat of the queen. When he was world champion Karpov
could dominate his opponents by making little queen moves on the first rank, and it
seems some of the magic has rubbed off on Li Chao. Rather than an attacking weapon,
the pawn on g5 is exposed as a liability. ]
13...h6 [Note that after    13...f6 Black has compromised his pawn structure in the
centre;; while the pawn on g4 is out on a limb after    13...g4 14.Ne5 .]
14.h4! [White will break open the h-file in order to start a direct attack against the
black king. ]
14...Nf5 [Black plays to eliminate the bishop on e3 as    14...gxh4 15.Bxh6 , with 16
Qf4 looming, is clearly unacceptable for him. ]
15.hxg5 Nxe3 [Completing the plan begun with 11...Nd6, but White has the better
chances.]
16.Qxe3 [Another good feature of 12 cxd5 cxd5 13 Qc1, compared to 12 b3 in the
Eljanov game mentioned above, is that White is able to keep his pawn structure tidy
and centralize his queen on e3. Here she is unassailable and can support an attack on
the kingside.]
16...hxg5 17.Bh3 [Step by step White's plan unfolds on the kingside: all barriers are
removed to get a rook to h1.]
17...Kg7 18.Kg2 Nb6 19.b3 [A quiet move to stop Nc4.QUESTION: Does this slow
White's build-up?ANSWER: Maybe, but he is pleased to see the black knight head
away from the kingside.]
19...Rh8 20.Rh1 [White finally gets his rook to the open file. He is intending 21 Bg4,
followed by wresting the h-file from Black with Rxh8 and then Rh1.]
20...f5 [This looks like a strong move as a fork with 21...g4 is on the cards, and
White's bishop would be blocked in on h3 after 21 g4 f4. Instead Li Chao offered a
piece.]
21.Ne5! [I don't imagine the Chinese Grandmaster calculated this sacrifice too much,
though he had to plan it a long way in advance or else his strategy would have failed.]
21...Bf6 [After    21...g4 22.Bxg4 fxg4 an exchange of rooks on h8 and then Rh1 will
leave White with a rook, his queen and the knight on e5 all aimed at the wide open
black king, who only has the black queen to help defend him. Indeed, my computer
tells me that    23.Qd3! is then mate in eight moves, though a human doesn't need to be
that precise. ]
22.f4 Bxe5 [Again    22...g4 23.Bxg4 is bad for Black. ; Now Fressinet hopes to escape
the worse after    22...Bxe5 23.Qxe5+ Qf6 , offering the exchange of queens and
maintaining the threat of 24...g4, but Black was in for a surprise.]
23.Bxf5! [Rather than recapture a piece, White sacrifices one to clear the h-file. ]
23...Rxh1 [Black loses at once after 23...exf5 24.Qxe5+ as h8 will drop after, say,
24...Qf6 25.Qxf6+ Kxf6 26.Rxh8 .]
24.Rxh1 Bf6 25.Bb1! [The bishop retreats a long way back as White wants to set up a
13
battery with the queen in front along the diagonal aiming at g6 and h7. ]
25...Bd7? [My computer program suggests    25...g4 and claims White has no more
than equal chances after 26.Rh7+ Kf8 27.Qd3 Bg7 . I doubt any human would be able
to defend with the necessary precision against such a rampant assault. On the other
hand, the computer is indicating a valuable general principle: when attacking you need
to utilize all your resources, including pawns. And with 25...g4! Black is preventing
White from gaining a pawn on g5 which will be a dagger in the heart of the black king
– see move 27.]
26.Qd3 Kf8 27.fxg5 Bg7 28.Qg6 [With the threat of 29 Rf1+ when 29...Kg8 allows
mate in one, while 29...Ke7 drops g7.]
28...Bxd4 29.Rh7 Qe8 30.Qh6+ Kg8 31.g6! [White doesn't have to worry about his
hanging knight. His queen, rook, bishop and the pawn on g6 combine their powers
against the defenceless black king.]
31...Bxc3 32.g7 [After 32.g7 , one threat is 32...-- 33.Bg6 , cutting off the black king's
escape to f7, followed by 34 Rh8 mate. If Black responded with 33...Qxg6 , then after
34.Qxg6 he would be mated all the same on h8.]
1–0
(12) Tomashevsky,E - Jakovenko,D [E06]
5: Yaroslavl (rapid), 2014
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 [The game R.Phillips-A.Kovalyov, Tromsø Olympiad 2014, reached the
position after 17...a5 below via 1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 c6
7.Nbd2 b6 8.Qc2 Bb7 9.e4 Na6 10.e5 Nd7 11.cxd5 Nb4 12.Qb3 Nxd5 13.Ne4 h6
14.Bd2 c5 15.dxc5 Nxc5 16.Nxc5 Bxc5 17.Qa4 Qe7 18.a3 a5 .]
2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.Nbd2 [At first sight 6 Nbd2 seems a useful
and logical move. It develops and defends the pawn on c4 in a way that seems as
efficient as 6 Qc2. Indeed, it can be combined with Qc2 to gain space in the centre
with e2–e4.]
[Also worth a thought is    6.Bf4!? . It is very rare, with only eight games in my
database, but the players of White in these games include Eljanov, Adams, Tkachiev
(twice), and Illincic. This is how Karjakin responded as Black against Eljanov at
Moscow 2010:    6...dxc4 7.Qc2 c6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.0–0 Nbd7 11.Nc3 Rc8
12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 (more fighting was 13.dxe5 Nd5 14.Ne4 c5 15.Rfd1 c4 16.Nc3
Bc5 17.Nxd5 exd5 18.a4 a6 19.axb5 axb5 20.e3 with a double-edged position)
13...Qb6 14.Qb3 Rfd8 by when Black had equalized and was soon striving for the
initiative.]
[EXERCISE: Can you see the potential drawbacks to the knight move which mean it
is far less popular than 6 Qc2 as a way to defend c4?ANSWER: I recall Nimzowitsch
describing White's Nbd2 move in a similar situation as 'decentralizing'. This seems
paradoxical as the knight on d2 is definitely centralized, right? And yet it's easy to see
what the great Danish master was getting at. The white knight sits on d2 with a
circumscribed view of the world as it has access to neither of the central squares c4 or
e4. Its enemy in this respect is the pawn on d5: if that can be removed then the white
knight will have increased scope, but even then it will probably be doing less work
than on the post on c3 it spurned. We might say that Nbd2 decentralized the knight as
it denied it the influence over the d5–square it would have gained with Nc3. And as
David Bronstein suggested, we might also ask the opinion of the other pieces. What
does the bishop on c1 think about being shut in by the knight? Is the rook on a1
grumbling that it will take even longer to see daylight? Is the white queen pleased
about having her view of the d4–square blocked? Not much, probably. ]
6...b6! [In defence of 6 Nbd2, it might be said that if Black only knows the 6 Qc2
dxc4 lines, or is making up the opening as he goes along, he is likely to be taken aback
by the quiet knight move.]
[Not liking the look of    6...dxc4 7.Nxc4 , when the horse looks strong in the centre;
Black might stumble into 6...c6 , after which    7.0–0 Nbd7 8.Qc2 b6 (too late)    9.e4
Bb7 (taking on e4 activates White's knight and leaves him with a persistent edge)
10.e5 gives White a nice space advantage in the centre. ; Also ill advised for Black is
taking play into a Tarrasch style centre with    6...c5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.0–0
Nc6 , as after    10.Nb3 , the white knight is good on b3 where it fights for the key
centre post on d4.Instead, Jakovenko shows Black doesn't need to spend a move
on ...c7–c6. It is better to activate the bishop on b7 straightaway. With the white knight
on d2 rather than c3, White is unable to put pressure on the d5 point.]
14
7.0–0? [I don't like this move as it gives Black the chance to recapture on d5 with his
bishop – see move eight. ]
[After    7.cxd5 it's best to maintain the pawn bastion on d5 with    7...exd5 . Black
should then head for a set-up involving ...c7–c5. He ends up with hanging pawns in
the centre, but White's assault against them would be less potent than in normal lines
as he lacks the usual recipe of Nc3 and Bg5 to put pressure on d5.Nonetheless some
strong players have played in this fashion as White, most notably Korchnoi in a world
championship match with Karpov. This game went 8.0–0 Jakovenko avoids the
potential hanging pawns after 8...Bb7 and keeps his bishop active. The only cause for
concern is that White can quickly advance his e-pawn to e5. But as we shall see, Black
not only has enough activity to prevent White from building up a kingside attack, but
can also try for the initiative himself. 9.Ne5 (a more modest approach with    9.b3 and
10 Bb2 was also possible) In a later game the Catalan expert Bologan answered 9 Ne5
with the immediate 9...a5 , keeping the option of employing the knight on b8 on a
more active square than d7. The game I.Nikolaidis-V.Bologan, Panormo 2001, was
disastrous for White: (9...Nbd7 10.Ndf3 c5 11.b3 a5 (increasing his space advantage
on the queenside and introducing the idea of ...a5–a4 at some point to ram the b3–
pawn)    12.Bb2 Ne4 13.Rc1 Re8 14.Nxd7 Qxd7 15.Ne5 Qe6 (the black queen has
found a post controlling many centre squares), and in V.Korchnoi-A.Karpov, 19th
matchgame, Baguio City 1978, Black was solidly entrenched in the centre though
White could probe the hanging pawns. (15...--) ) 10.Qc2 (more sensible was    10.b3
and 11 Bb2) 10...c5 11.dxc5 bxc5 12.Nb3 (it was still better just to develop with 12.b3
; the attack on c5 achieves nothing) 12...Na6! (vindicating Black's decision to delay
the development of the knight)    13.Bd2 Nb4 14.Qf5 (a positionally unjustified
attempt to attack leaves the white pieces hopelessly disorganized)    14...g6 15.Qh3
Qc7 16.Ng4 h5 17.Nh6+ Kg7 0–1. There is the threat of 18...Bc8 19 Qh4 Ng4,
uncovering an attack on the white queen which leads to the loss of the trapped white
knight. White might have played on with the piece sacrifice    18.Nf5+ gxf5 19.Qxf5 ,
but Black could beat off the attack after    19...Rh8 .Despite this setback for White, if
you like playing against hanging pawns you could give this line a go. I suspect your
opponents are unlikely to defend as well as Karpov, or be as knowledgeable as
Bologan.]
7...Bb7 8.cxd5 [After the alternative    8.b3 Nbd7 9.Bb2 c5 10.Rc1 Rc8 11.cxd5 a
draw was agreed in C.Bauer-T.Gharamian, Maastricht 2016, before Black had the
chance to decide how to recapture on d5. If you've read the note above you'll know
what I think!]
8...Bxd5! [Here and in the Bauer game mentioned above, the bishop recapture looks
totally correct. ]
[Jakovenko avoids the potential hanging pawns after 8...exd5 and keeps his bishop
active. The only cause for concern is that White can quickly advance his e-pawn to e5.
But as we shall see, Black not only has enough activity to prevent White from
building up a kingside attack, but can also try for the initiative himself.]
9.Qc2 Nbd7 10.e4 Bb7 [Black has all his minor pieces in play and can't be prevented
from breaking out with ...c7–c5. The crux of the matter is whether White can land a
blow on the kingside. ]
11.e5 Nd5 [The black knight is very pleased with this central post from which he can
never be evicted by a pawn, though he might have some misgivings about leaving his
defensive role on f6.]
12.Ne4 [EXERCISE: What is the best way to defuse White's kingside initiative?
ANSWER:]
12...h6! [A key preventive move in this type of pawn centre. It takes away g5 from the
white minor pieces, after which they can no longer launch threats against the black
king.]
13.Bd2 c5 [Jakovenko achieves his freeing move. The opening has ended in fiasco for
White.]
14.dxc5 Nxc5 15.Nxc5 Bxc5 [Now Tomashevsky has to tread carefully as all his
opponent's minor pieces are on excellent squares.]
16.Qa4 Qe7 17.a3 a5 18.Rac1 [Here is a spectacular example of what happens if
White fails to respect the latent power of Black's well centralized pieces. By a
transposition (which also increased the move number), the game R.Phillips-
A.Kovalyov, Tromsø Olympiad 2014, also reached the game position. Then White
diverged with 18.Rfe1? , clearly underestimating the danger as he removes a defender
15
from the f2–square. If he wanted to play this he should at least wait until Black has
removed his own rook from f8 with Rfd8. Play continued: 18...f5! 19.Nh4 (now Black
gets a rampaging f-pawn) (but after 19.exf6 Rxf6 , Black can double rooks along the f-
file when f2 will be fatally weak) 19...f4! 20.Ng6?! Bxf2+! (it's not surprising Black
has a combination when White is so flimsy on the f-file) 21.Kh1 (upon 21.Kxf2 Qc5+
22.Ke2 f3+! 23.Bxf3 Rxf3 is crushing as 24.Kxf3 drops the queen to 24...Nc3+ 25.Kg4
Nxa4) 21...Qf7 22.Nxf8 f3! (the second wave of the attack based on the power of the
bishop on b7) 23.Bh3 (White might have thought the threat of 25 Bxe6 would slow
Black down, but...) 23...Bxe1! 24.Bxe1 (after 24.Bxe6 f2 25.Bxf7+ Kxf8 , Black
threatens to queen with mate or move the knight from d5 giving mate in two more
moves – White is helpless: for instance, 26.Rxe1 Ne3+ and mate will follow) 24...f2
25.Bxf2 Nf4+ 26.Bg2 Nxg2 (good enough, but 26...Bxg2+ 27.Kg1 Qb7! is forced
mate after 28.Qxf4 (or else the knight mates on e2 or h3) 28...Bh3 , when White can
only give up his queen to stave off mate on g2 for a move) 27.Kg1 Rxf8 28.Bxb6 Ne3
29.Bxe3 Qf3 0–1. Splendidly dynamic play from Kovalyov.]
18...Rad8 19.Qc4 [No longer fearing a ...Ba6 riposte after Black's last move the white
queen returns to e2 where she solidifies the white centre.]
19...Rc8 20.Qe2 Rfd8 21.Nh4? [Deciding to probe the kingside to persuade his
opponent into weakening his pawn structure. As we shall see White is playing with
fire.]
[Instead he should strengthen his centre standing with    21.Rfd1 .]
21...Qe8 22.Qg4?! f5! 23.exf6 Nxf6 [Now the white queen and bishop on d2 are both
hanging.]
24.Qe2 [Back again, with Black's kingside undermined.EXERCISE: Can you see the
strong reply that Jakovenko had prepared?ANSWER:]
24...Ba6! [The impossible move happens (see the comment to move 19). Black gets a
rook to the seventh rank.]
25.Qxa6 Rxd2 26.Kh1 [The king retires as Black had tactics against the f2–pawn:
either 26...Bxf2+! or 26...Rxf2! when in either case the rook on c1 would drop if
White captured on f2.]
26...Rcd8 [If    26...Bxf2?? 27.Rxc8 wins. (White also threatened    27.b4 .) ; However,
26...Rxb2! would have dealt with this, leaving Black a pawn up.]
27.b4 axb4 28.axb4 Bxf2 29.Nf3 Rb2 30.Qa1 Re2 31.Qa6 Rb2 [These moves were
evidently played in time pressure, as    31...b5 would avoid the repetition and leave
Black with good winning chances. ]
32.Qa1 Re2 33.Qa6 [. White had a lucky escape in this game.]
½–½
(13) So,W - Wojtaszek,R [E06]
6: Wijk aan Zee, 2017
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 [Note that the real move order in the game was 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 d5 4.d4
Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.Qc2 .]
1...d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.Qc2 [Quite a popular move. White
defends c4 at once;]
[and avoids the Catalan Mainline with 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 .]
6...c5 [Played in the style of the Queen's Gambit Tarrasch Defence. This ambitious
thrust is justified as White has weakened his support of d4 and slowed down his
development by putting his queen on c2. ]
[Instead, the solid 6...c6 7.0–0 b6 would transpose to the Naiditsch-Kopylov game
above with a small plus to White. ; Alternatively Black can capture on c4. Then
6...dxc4 7.Qxc4 a6 8.Bf4!? has independent value as it doesn't transpose back to the
Catalan Mainline (as would    8.0–0 b5 9.Qc2) . White seems to have a good game
thanks to the immediate pressure on c7. For example,    8...Bd6 (after    8...Nd5 9.Nc3
White isn't afraid of the exchange    9...Nxf4 10.gxf4 as it increases his grip on the
central squares) 9.Ne5 , when 9...b5?! (9...Nd5 10.Nc3 keeps up the pressure) 10.Qc2
Nd5 11.Nc3 Bb7 12.Nxd5 Bxd5 13.e4 Bb4+ 14.Ke2 Bb7 15.Rhd1 was a clear edge to
White due to his strong centre in N.Grandelius-V.Plotkin, Gibraltar 2016.]
16
7.0–0 [A sensible developing move. ]
[Black has good chances to equalize after    7.cxd5 cxd4! 8.Nxd4 Nxd5 9.0–0 Nb4 (not
giving White time to develop a stable Catalan edge; now there is an awkward double
attack on the white queen and knight on d4)    10.Qc3 (instead,    10.Qd1 would be
playing with fire for White after    10...e5 because of a potential ...Nc2 move by Black
to trap the rook on a1) 10...e5 with active play.; Instead, after 7.dxc5 , Alternatively,
the centre push 7...d4 leads us back into our main game after    (7...Qa5+ is the most
common reply for Black. He has good equalizing chances after 8.Nc3 dxc4 9.0–0
Qxc5 (or 9...Nc6!?) – all nine games in my database end in a draw after this move.
Play might go 10.Be3 Qh5 11.Bg5 Nc6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Ne4 Qg6 14.Rfd1 and now
14...Be7 15.Qxc4 e5 looks about equal. ) 8.0–0 (if 8.b4 a5 undermines the b4–pawn)
8...Nc6 9.a3 .]
7...Nc6 [Or 7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 . Here is a quick round up of the possibilities: 8...e5
(seizing space in the style of the main game)
a) 8...Nc6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Rd1 Ba6 11.b3 looks like a tiny edge for White due to the
slightly fragile black pawn structure. ;
b) With    8...Qb6 Black plays to avoids the pawn weakness on c6 that we saw in
variation 'a'. After 9.Rd1 Nc6 10.Nxc6 Qxc6 11.Bg5!? (here    11.a4!? is an interesting
move, planning b3 and Ba3) 11...h6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Na3 Bd7 14.Rab1 Rac8 15.Qd3
Rfd8 16.cxd5 Qa4 17.Rd2 b5 objectively speaking Black has enough for pawn, but
Anand couldn't defend it versus Nakamura at London 2015 and I'd rather have White.;
c) 8...Na6 9.Bd2!? prepares to fight against a knight invasion on b4. Then    9...Bd7 (or
9...e5 10.Nf5 d4 11.Nxe7+ Qxe7 12.e3 with an unbalanced game) 10.cxd5 Nxd5
11.Nc3 Nab4 12.Qb3 looked about equal, but White went on to develop typical
Catalan pressure against b7 in I.Khairullin-R.Faizrakhmanov, Sochi 2016.;
9.Nf5 d4 10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 11.b4 gains space on the queenside. After 11...Be6
(11...Qxb4? loses the exchange to    12.Ba3) 12.Nd2 Rc8 (here    12...Qxb4? is still bad
as after    13.Rb1 the b7 point falls) 13.Qd3 Nc6 14.a3!? , as in Li Chao-I.Saeed, Doha
2016, White has the two bishops and queenside pressure, but Black has a nice centre.]
8.dxc5 d4 [Black establishes a big pawn centre. This is a source of dynamism if the
advanced pawns remain strong as his pieces have a lot of squares to manoeuvre
behind them. On the other hand, it becomes a liability if the pawns or the pieces
supporting them are successfully undermined. ]
9.a3 a5! [The standard response in this type of position is to restrain the pawns from
advancing. ]
[The black pieces are disrupted from their job of defending d4 after 9...Bxc5? 10.b4
Bb6 11.b5 Na5 12.Bf4 intending 13 c5 which looks disastrous for Black. ]
10.Rd1 [Preparing his next move by pinning the d4–pawn. ]
10...e5 11.Nc3 [The most active development for the knight. ]
11...Bxc5 12.Nd5! [The knight intrudes into Black's half of the board.EXERCISE:
Can you see the trap that So has prepared if Black plays the natural 12...a4, for
example?]
12...h6 [Abysmal for Black is    12...Nxd5?? 13.cxd5 Qxd5 (or else Black must give
up a piece on c5 or c6)    14.Ng5 and the mate threat forces    14...e4 , when 15.Nxe4
wins a piece due to the double threat of 16 Nxc5 and 16 Nf6+, uncovering an attack
on the queen. ; ANSWER: The game move not only prevents a pin with 13 Bg5, but
also side-steps the line    12...a4? 13.Ng5! , threatening to take on f6 then mate on h7.
Black loses the exchange after 13...g6 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.Ne4 Qe7 (or 15...Qf5 16.g4!
winning a piece) 16.Bh6! Re8 (if 16...Rd8 17.Bg5) 17.Bg5 and 18 Nf6+. ]
13.Bd2 [A modest move, but with big dreams of gaining a lot of space on the
queenside with 14 b4.]
13...a4 [Black stops the 14 b4 advance, but White can reenergize his queenside play.]
14.Bb4! Nxb4 [If Black could safely play 14...b6 he would keep his bind on the
queenside. Alas for him (though it wasn't fate, but probably part of his opponent's
opening preparation), White then has the combination    15.Bxc5 bxc5 16.Nxe5! Nxe5
17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.Bxa8 , winning material. ; Nevertheless,    14...Bd6 looks a better
response, not giving White the chance to activate his queenside pawns or attack the
17
a4–pawn. In that case White might switch to playing in the centre with    15.Bxd6
Qxd6 16.Rac1 and then 17 e3. ]
15.axb4 Nxd5 16.bxc5 Nb4 17.Qd2 Nc6 18.b4! [I assume Black missed or
underestimated the power of this move when he played 14...Nxb4. Exploiting the pin
on the a-file, this thrust changes the nature of the queenside pawn structure. In one fell
swoop the white pawns are transformed from a random heap into a juggernaut which
has the mobility to create a passed pawn. Of course, Black is being granted an
immediate passed pawn, but it is isolated and sickly compared to White's compact
mass of pawns.]
18...Qe7 19.Qb2! [The queen vacates the d2–square for the knight. From there the
horse will defend c4 and given the chance will take part in more aggressive ventures
on the queenside or possibly in the centre with Ne4 and Nd6. At the same time
moving the knight to d2 will open the diagonal for the bishop on g2.]
19...Bg4 [Played to deter the plan of Nd2 as e2 will drop. So finds a simple solution.]
20.Re1! [Defending e2 to make his knight mobile again. ]
20...Rfd8 21.Nd2 Be6 22.b5 [Having rearranged the pieces to his satisfaction, White
now pushes forward on the queenside. It took a lot of calculation and judgement to
confirm that he isn't over extending his position as the c5–pawn becomes a target. ]
22...Nb8 23.Qb4 [Guarding c5 and attacking a4, but it takes self-belief to walk into a
pin. Now one idea for White is 24 Ne4 and 25 Nd6, which partly explains Black's next
move. ]
23...f5 [It seems as if Wojtaszek is about to take control. He only needs to play 24...e4,
shutting out the Catalan bishop, and then he is ready for 25...Nd7 without allowing
Bxb7. After that he would pick up the c5–pawn in exchange for the a4–pawn with an
excellent game thanks to his own mobile centre pawns. EXERCISE: How can White
stop this plan in time?ANSWER:]
24.Nb3! [Again So utilizes the pin on the a-file at a crucial moment in the game (see
too move 18). He defends c5 a second time and threatens 25 Rxa4 without having to
give up the strong c5–pawn. ]

[If instead    24.Rxa4 then    24...Rxa4 25.Qxa4 Qxc5 26.Bxb7 e4 gives Black lots of
counterplay due to his massive centre and the awkward position of the white bishop
on b7. ]
24...Nd7 25.Bxb7! [This capture had to be worked out precisely. ]
[Black was hoping for    25.Rxa4 Rxa4 26.Qxa4 Nxc5 27.Nxc5 Qxc5 28.Bxb7 e4
when he again has huge counterplay. Besides the c4–pawn would be hanging. ]
25...Rab8 [A tense situation as Black is attacking two pieces. ]
26.Rxa4 [Not only activating the rook and saving the knight from capture, but also
defending the white queen which makes the queenside pawns mobile again by
removing the pin on c5. ]
26...Rxb7 27.c6 [The fork comes to White's rescue allowing him to regain the piece. ]
27...Qxb4 28.Rxb4 Rc7 29.cxd7 Rxc4 [This is the move Black was relying on. He
breaks up White's queenside phalanx leaving him with apparently weak pawns on b5
and d7.]
[After    29...Rdxd7 White could play    30.c5! Bxb3 31.c6 Rd8 32.Rxb3 , winning
easily with his connected passed pawns.]
[EXERCISE: What is the winning sequence that Wesley So must have calculated way
ahead of reaching this position?ANSWER:]
30.Rxc4 Bxc4 31.Rc1! [Without this resource White's unsupported pawn on d7 would
tumble. Now, however, it wins the game after 31...Bxb3 (or equally 31...Bxb5 32 Rc8)
32 Rc8.]
31...Be6 32.Rc8! [Anyway. There are other moves that win, but this forces a simple
position where White will have an extra piece.]
32...Rxc8 33.dxc8Q+ Bxc8 34.b6 [White will win the bishop after    34.b6 Kf7
35.Nc5 and 36 b7. A wonderful positional display by the winner of the 2017 Wijk aan
18
Zee super tournament. ]
1–0
(15) Regaining the Pawn [E01]
[Neil McDonald]
[After ]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 [, Black's capture with]
4...dxc4 [and the reply]
5.Bg2 [lead to wide-ranging and complex variations which are examined from
Chapters Three to Six in this book.]
[Life would be so much easier for White if he could just regain his pawn with 5.Qa4+
and 6 Qxc4, whilst keeping a small advantage.The problem is that Black has two good
options after 5 Qa4+, namely 5...Bd7 (and, even better, 5...Nbd7 . It is difficult to see
any advantage for White against the latter move, which is why 5 Qa4+ in this move
order is a rare bird at international level.However, as we shall see, if White adopts a
more cunning sequence of moves in the opening, he can still hope to retain an edge
with the plan of Qa4+ and Qxc4 – or if not an objective advantage, then at least lay
the groundwork for a lively battle.First of all, let's see why White's usual move order
isn't effective.) ]
Line
(16) Korchnoi,V - Kasparov,G [E04]
7: 8th matchgame, London, 1983
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Qa4+ [For clarity I have changed the move
order of the actual game, which was    5.Bg2 c5 6.Qa4+ Bd7 7.Qxc4 Bc6 , etc. In this
sequence rather than give the queen check, we recommend 6 0–0! as played by
Caruana and others – see Chapter Six.Also this move order meant that Kasparov had
no option of playing 5...Nbd7 – see the next note.]
5...Bd7!? [This is not at all bad for Black;]
[but    5...Nbd7! is the most solid and is the subject of the next game. ]
6.Qxc4 c5! [Black liquidates the white centre and gets his 'bad' bishop to an active
post on c6, thereby achieving two of his main aims in the opening without much
effort. It is no wonder that world champions such as Karpov, Kasparov and Anand
have been happy to defend this line as Black. QUESTION: But hold on, isn't Black
giving up a pawn?ANSWER: As we shall see, it is only a temporary offer. White
won't be able to defend the c5–pawn in the face of pressure from the Black's bishop on
f8, a knight on d7 (after ...Bc6 vacates the square), and a black rook on c8. ]
7.Bg2 [After the immediate    7.dxc5 Black equalized in V.Topalov-V.Anand, Leon
(rapid) 2006:    7...Bc6 8.Nc3 Nbd7 9.Be3 Rc8 10.Bg2 Bxc5! (a little trick to regain
the pawn due to the awkward position of the white queen facing the black rook)
11.Bxc5 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 Rxc5 13.Qb3 b6 14.0–0 0–0 15.Rfd1 Qb8 . The game move at
least gives Black the chance to lose heart about offering a pawn. ]
7...Bc6 [Black leaves it to White to capture in the centre, as    7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qb6
9.0–0 allows White a small plus. ]
8.dxc5 Nbd7 [EXERCISE: White has to try to hold on to the pawn for a while as 9
Nc3 Bxc5 is already fine for Black. Out of 9 Be3 or 9 b4, which would you choose?
ANSWER:]
9.Be3 [If    9.b4 then    9...a5! undermines b4, and 10.b5 (the pawn can't be supported
by 10.a3 because of the pin on the a-file after 10...axb4) 10...Bd5 followed by
11...Bxc5 is excellent for Black. Therefore White should avoid weakening his
queenside pawns and defend c5 with the bishop.]
9...Bd5 [Black harasses the white queen and drives her away from the defence of the
c5–pawn.]
10.Qa4 [Five years later, after 10.Qb4 , Karpov nudged the queen again with 10...a5 ,
when upon 11.Qf4 (if    11.Qh4 a good answer is    11...Be7! , planning to embarrass
19
the white queen with 12...Ne4; there is no hurry to regain the pawn on c5) 11...Bxc5
12.Bxc5 Nxc5 13.Nc3 0–0 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Qd4 Qb6 16.0–0 , a draw was agreed in
G.Sosonko-A.Karpov, Wijk aan Zee 1988. The position is equal, though these days I
could imagine Magnus Carlsen trying to eke out an advantage for White after, say,
16...Rac8 17.Rac1 . After all White still has the 'Catalan' bishop. The age of the so-
called 'grandmaster draw' is over. ]
10...Bc6 11.Qc4 Bd5 [Offering Korchnoi the chance of a repetition. Naturally a
legendary fighter doesn't deal in 12 move draws with White.]
12.Qb4 Qc8 [Here    12...a5 would transpose to the Sosonko-Karpov game given in
the notes to 10 Qa4. ]
13.Nc3 Bxc5 [QUESTION: How should White respond to 13...Nxc5 , with the threat
of 14...Nd3+ winning the queen? In reality White has no need to try to outwit Black in
tactics (or we might call them cheap tricks!). The simple 14.Qf4! leaves White with a
good game; Black has missed the chance to develop his bishop from f8 with gain of
time with 13...Bxc5. (ANSWER: White could reply 14.Nxd5!? , when he gains three
pieces for the queen after    14...Nd3+ 15.exd3 Bxb4+ 16.Nxb4 . Taking this a bit
further, after 16...a5 he has to extricate the knight with    17.Rc1 Qd8 18.Nc2 , when
18...Qxd3 gives Black counterplay.    (18...--) ) ]
14.Bxc5 Qxc5 15.Nxd5! Nxd5 16.Qd2! [After his astute exchange on d5 White has
the advantage of the Catalan bishop versus a knight. It's not a great deal, but it can be
built upon. Korchnoi found a way to avoid the obvious 15 Qxc5 Nxc5 when Black's
knight is activated. Furthermore, after the exchange of queens the black king could
have stayed in the centre with ...Ke7 rather than castled. Korchnoi is shrewd enough to
wait until Black plays 17...0–0 before contemplating a queen exchange.]
16...Rc8 17.0–0 0–0 18.Rac1 Qb6 [According to Keene and Lawson in their book of
the Kasparov-Korchnoi match, "Kasparov started to look worried" after White's next
move.]
19.Qd4! [The offer to exchange queens is unpleasant for Black. It opens the way for
White's knight to inveigle itself into the queenside. At the same time the black knight
on d5 comes under pressure from the bishop on g2, and further down the diagonal the
b7–pawn has lost its defender. It is one of those positions where Black is about equal,
but not quite dead equal. ]
19...Rfd8 20.Rfd1 Qxd4 21.Nxd4 N7b6 [EXERCISE: What is the most vulnerable
point in Black's queenside and how can White target it?ANSWER:]
22.Nb3! [The knight retreats in order to go to c5 or a5 to attack the b7–pawn. ]
22...Rxc1 [Kasparov seeks salvation in simplification. He doesn't want to risk his
rooks being deflected from the fight for the c-file by the need to defend b7. He is
willing to pay the price of an isolated pawn. ]
23.Rxc1 Rc8 24.Rxc8+? [Missing the chance for    24.Rc5! One idea would be 24...--
(when Black would lose the b7–pawn after 24...Rxc5 25.Nxc5 . (25.--) ) 25.Ra5 a6
26.Rc5 ,    forcing the black queenside pawns on to light squares where there are
vulnerable to a future Nc5 or direct attack by White's bishop. Black would be far from
lost, but he would have to suffer.]
24...Nxc8 25.Bxd5 exd5 [Black has an isolated pawn, but his king can be rushed to its
defence. In Catalan endgames it's important to be able to distinguish between a
symbolic advantage and one that can be built upon. Black's vulnerable queenside
offered White a 'real' advantage, whereas the isolated pawn is more symbolic. Of
course, a symbolic advantage between world-class players in a Candidates match
might constitute a real advantage on a rainy night at a match between Wood Green and
the Kings Head pub in the London Chess League.]
26.Nc5 Nd6 27.Kg2 Kf8 28.Kf3 Ke7 29.Kf4 f6! [A vital move to keep White's king
out of e5. Black has no problems in holding the draw.]
30.h4 g6 31.g4 b6 32.Na6 Ne4 33.f3 Nc5 34.Nc7 d4 35.Nd5+ Ke6 36.Nb4 a5
37.Nd3 Kd5 38.g5 f5 39.Kg3 Nxd3
½–½
(17) Kasimdzhanov,R - Dizdarevic,E [A13]
8: European Club Cup, Eilat, 2012
[Neil McDonald]
20
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7! [Black's best reply after which
after which it is difficult to prove any advantage for White.]
[QUESTION: How should White respond to 5...Qd7 6.Qxc4 Qc6 , forcing the
exchange of queens? ANSWER: Undoubtedly the best move is 7.Nbd2!
a) White missed the point entirely in R.Morales Romero-L.Llaudy Pupo, Havana
2011, and played 7.Qb3?? (and 0–1 when he realized what he'd done). ;
b) Instead, 7.Qxc6+ Nxc6 would sort out Black's development. ;
c) I have more sympathy for    7.b3 planning to build a centre after    7...Qxc4 8.bxc4 ,
but then    8...c5 undermines it. ;
d) If    7.Na3 Bxa3 8.Qxc6+ Nxc6 9.bxa3 leaves White with the bishop pair, but also
doubled pawns. (9.--) ;
7...Qxc4 8.Nxc4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ , and now 10.Ncxd2 (as played by Alekhine)
(or 10.Nfxd2 (Botvinnik!) both give White a slight edge due to his potential pressure
along the c-file and against b7 after Bg2. ) ]
6.Bg2 [Note that    6.Qxc4 would transpose after 6...a6 7.Bg2 b5 .]
6...a6! [A common motif which we'll also see in the Catalan Mainline with 7 Qc2 in
Chapters Nine and Ten. Black wastes no time in arranging ...b7–b5 to clear the way
for his bishop to get to b7.]
7.Qxc4 b5 [EXERCISE: Before reading on, how would you assess the position after 8
Qc2 – equal or a tiny edge for White or for Black? What are the factors that influence
your verdict?]
8.Qc6!? [ANSWER: After    8.Qc2 Bb7 9.0–0 , then 9...c5 is rock solid for Black. He
has successfully deployed his bishop to b7 and played the freeing move ...c7–c5
without incurring any weaknesses or falling dangerously behind in development. One
line is    10.a4 Rc8 11.axb5 axb5 12.Qb3 Qb6 13.Na3 Bc6 and White has nothing. If
anyone has the better chances to win I'd pick Black, but it looks very drawish.With the
game move Kasimdzhanov wants to make Black work harder.]

8...Rb8 [After    8...Ra7 9.Qc2!? Bb7 10.0–0 , White can try to prove the rook is
misplaced on a7.]
9.Bf4 Bb7! [Gambiting the c7–pawn for a strong initiative.]
[Another line is    9...Nd5? 10.Bg5! Be7 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.Nc3 In this sequence
12...Nb4 looks tempting for Black as the white queen and a fork on c2 are both
threatened, but White wins the battle of the knights:    (and now    12...Bb7 13.Nxd5
Bxc6 14.Nxe7 Kxe7 15.0–0 Rhc8 16.Rfc1 Bd5 17.b4 looks like a slight edge to
White.    (17.--) ) 13.Qxc7! Nc2+ 14.Kd1 Nxa1 15.Ne5!! . The key point, easily
missed if Black is unprepared for the variation. Black is in deep trouble after 15...0–0?
(alternatively, if    15...Qd8 then    16.Qxd8+ Kxd8 17.Nc6+ Kc7 18.Nxb8 Kxb8 19.Kd2
Rd8 20.Rxa1 Nb6 21.e3 e5 22.Kd3 exd4 23.exd4 and despite his somewhat awkward
king, White can consolidate his extra pawn) 16.Nc6 Qe8 (16...Qf6? 17.Ne4! drives the
queen away from the attack on d4 before capturing on b8) 17.Nxb8 . It's still a bit
messy, but White is a pawn up and Black has a knight buried on a1. ]
10.Qxc7 Bb4+ 11.Nbd2 Qxc7 12.Bxc7 Rc8 13.Bf4 Rc2 [Kasimdzhanov has handed
Black a strong initiative for his pawn.]
14.Rb1 0–0 15.0–0 Bxf3? [This, however, is very serious mistake. Dizdarevic is in a
rush to get his pawn back, but only ends up with his rook trapped on e2.]
[He should keep the initiative with    15...Nd5 : for example,    16.Rfc1 Rfc8 17.Nb3
Nxf4 18.gxf4 Bd5 , when his bishop pair and active rooks supply full compensation
for the pawn. (Notice that the e2–pawn is poisoned here as well as if    18...Rxe2
19.Rxc8+ Bxc8 20.a3 Bd6 21.Ne1 Bxf4 22.Bf3 traps the rook. ) ]
16.Nxf3 Rxe2 [The best chance was    16...Nd5 .]
17.a3 Be7 18.Rfc1 [Now Black has no defence against White's next move.]
18...Nd5 19.Kf1 [The hunter hunted. White's king has been terrorised by the black
rook, but now it has trapped it.]
19...Rxb2 [After this it won't be difficult for a former FIDE World Champion to
21
exploit his extra piece.]
[EXERCISE: Black might have tried 19...Nxf4 20.gxf4 Re4 . Can you then work out a
win for White?ANSWER: This is also hopeless; a nice winning sequence is 21.Rc7!
Rd8 22.Ne5 Rxd4 23.Nc6 Bd6 24.Ra7 Bc5 25.Nxd4 Bxa7 26.Nc6 Ra8 27.Rd1! (it's
interesting that the painfully obvious move    27.Ne7+? may be good enough to win,
but would be much more laborious after 27...Kf8 as White only wins the exchange)
27...Nf6 28.Nxa7 , exploiting the back rank to win a piece.]
20.Rxb2 Bxa3 21.Ra2 Bxc1 22.Bxc1 Rc8 23.Bd2 b4 24.Ne1 N7b6 25.Rxa6 b3
26.Bxd5 Nxd5 27.Ra1 Nb6 28.Ke2 b2 29.Rb1 Na4 30.Nd3 h5 31.Nc5
1–0
(18) Artemiev,V - Safarli,E [A13]
9: Tashkent, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.Nf3 [An example of a delayed d2–d4. White will use the tempo to deter an
ultrafast ...Bb7. If you adopt this move order, remember that Black has options which
are out of the scope of this book. ]
[You might prefer to play 1.d4 , but leave the knight undeveloped on g1 in favour of
Bg2. Tkachiev has played the Catalan many times and his preferred move order is
1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ . And if    5...Nbd7 (Because he has chosen
4 Bg2 over 4 Nf3, if now    5...Bd7 then 6.Qxc4 and Black is deprived of    6...c5 , as
7.Bxb7 would follow as quick as a flash.    (7.--) ) 6.Qxc4 a6 , the subtle move 7.Qc2
(if    7.Nf3 b5 and we are back in the Kasimdzhanov game) , leaves Black unable to
play    7...b5 .]
1...Nf6 [Of course if you chose this move order as White, you'd have to reckon with
Black depriving you of a Catalan at various points, even as early as move one with
1...c5 .]
2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ [Having mobilized his kingside pieces quickly to
oppose a future ...b7–b5, White regains his pawn.]
5...Nbd7 6.Qxc4 a6 [EXERCISE: Having read the discussion above can you guess
White's high-class positional move?ANSWER:]
7.Qc2! [Exactly.]
[Also good is 7.Qb3! . There are lies, damned lies and statistics, but it noteworthy that
in my database White scores about 58% with the game move, 62% with 7 Qb3, and
only 40% with 7 0–0 and 41% with 7 d4 (the unlucky souls who ended up in the
positions after the latter two moves had no chance to show better judgement as they
had mostly committed themselves by playing 1 d4 or castling at an earlier point in the
game).; By retreating the queen White doesn't give his opponent an easy queenside
deployment as occurs after, say,    7.0–0 b5 8.Qc2 Bb7 .; If now    7.Qc2 b5? , then
8.Ne5 Nd5 (ever the optimist, Stockfish thinks 8...c6 9.Bxc6 Rb8 is 'only' half a pawn
up for White) 9.Nc6 Qf6 10.0–0 leaves Black in a bind.]
7...c5 [White's astute move order has cajoled Black into what is very much Plan B for
him in this set-up.]
8.d4 [Finally we are in Catalan territory. ]
[Here    8.0–0 allows    8...b5 9.a4 (crucially    9.Ne5 can be answered by 9...Nd5)
9...Bb7 and White has very little, if anything. Artemiev plays more vigorously. ;
Another approach was    8.Nc3 to control the d5–square a second time; Instead
8...Qc7!? (so that after 8...b6? 9.Ne5 , Black's ...Nd5 block fails. (9.--) ) 9.d4 b5
10.Bf4 (now if 10.Ne5 Bb7 defends) 10...Qa7 looks okay for Black who is ready
for ...Bb7. ]
8...b6 [QUESTION: I understand Black wants his bishop on b7, but what are the
merits and drawbacks of pushing the b-pawn one or two squares to clear the way?
ANSWER: In general, advancing ...b7–b5 is almost always better than ...b7–b6 if it
gains time by hitting the white queen. In this case she is evacuated to c2 so it loses
most of its sting. Nonetheless on b5 the pawn keeps the b6–square vacant for the black
queen (she might also use the a5–square in an emergency). On the other hand, on b5
the pawn is exposed to attack by a2–a4 and doesn't protect the potentially fragile c5–
pawn.]
[Here's an example of Black getting into trouble after    8...b5 , though his 13th move
22
deserves most of the blame:    9.Ne5 Nd5 10.Nc3 (White can't punish 8...b5 with
10.Nxd7 Qxd7 11.dxc5 as after    11...Bb7 12.0–0 Rc8 Black regains his pawn with
easy equality) 10...Nxe5 11.Nxd5 exd5 12.dxe5 Bb7 13.0–0 Instead,    13...Be7
(13...Qb6 . Black's queen utilizes the b6–square as a route to e6 where she guards d5.
However, this plan is unsatisfactory as the black queen no longer holds everything
together on the queenside. After 14.Rd1 Qe6 15.Be3 Rc8 16.a4 Be7 (letting White
penetrate on the queenside) (nonetheless, after    16...b4 17.Qd2 , attacking d5 and
planning 18 Rac1, Black's position remains uncomfortable) 17.axb5 axb5 18.Ra7 Qb6
19.Rda1 0–0 20.b4! , Black's position was tottering due to the enormous pressure on
the queenside, though he unaccountably won in V.Tkachiev-A.Ismagambetov, Astana
(rapid) 2012.) 14.Rd1 Qd7 keeps everything solid. Note that    15.Bxd5? fails to
15...Bxd5 16.e4 Bxe4! and Black wins]
[After the game move the pawn is safer on b6 and bolsters the c5–pawn.]
9.Ne5 [This attacking move is necessary as otherwise ...Bb7 would equalize at once
for Black. ]
9...Nd5 [Black is obliged to block the diagonal with his knight.]
10.Nc3 [The bold    10.Nc6 Qc7 11.e4 is interesting.    So Black should decline the
pawn with    11...N5f6! . K.Landa-G.Meier, Copenhagen 2010, continued    (White gets
an initiative for his pawn after    11...Qxc6 12.exd5 exd5 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.Bg5
(threatening to take on f6 then d5) 14...cxd4 (if 14...Be6 then 15.Bxf6 breaks up the
black kingside) 15.Bxf6 dxc3 16.Bxc3 . The pressure on g7 is awkward for Black as it
stops him develop his bishop from f8.) 12.d5 Bb7 13.0–0 Bd6 (at various moments
Black could have tried ...e6–e5 and then won a pawn, but White would obtain nagging
light-square pressure: for example, if    13...e5 then    14.Rd1 Bxc6 15.dxc6 Qxc6
16.Nc3 and White can build up with moves like Bh3 and b2–b3 and Bb2, keeping Nd5
for the right moment) 14.Nd2 (or 14.Nc3 0–0 15.Rd1 Rae8 which looks solid for
Black, but there is still lots to play for) 14...0–0 15.Nc4 exd5 16.exd5 Nxd5 17.Bxd5
Bxc6 18.Rd1 Bxd5 19.Rxd5 Be7 20.Rxd7 Qxd7 21.Nxb6 Qe6 22.Nxa8 Rxa8 23.Be3
Rc8 24.a3 ½ ½. I know it's equal, but Catalan players really ought to try to make
something from microscopic advantages such as Black's split queenside pawns.]
10...Bb7 [Instead    10...Nb4 forces the exchange of queens if Black wishes:    11.Qd1
Nxe5 (after the tricky    11...Ra7 , a simple reply is 12.Nd3 : for example,    12...Bb7
13.Bxb7 Rxb7 14.Nxb4 cxb4 15.Ne4 and White can claim the superior structure)
12.dxe5 Qxd1+ 13.Kxd1 Ra7 14.a3 Rd7+ 15.Bd2 Nd5 16.Nxd5 exd5 17.b4 Rd8 . So
far this is L.Fressinet-E.Bacrot, French Championship, Caen 2011, and now instead of
18.Bg5 , (18.e3!? clears the way for 19 Ke2 with an interesting position. White can try
to put pressure on Black's centre. ) ]
11.Nxd5 exd5 [Black's pawns remain a bit shaky after    11...Bxd5 12.Bxd5 exd5
13.Bf4 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 .]
12.0–0 Nxe5 13.dxe5 [A familiar type of pawn structure for this variation. For
example, it occurred in the Tkachiev game mentioned in the notes after 8...b6 above.
Here Black adopts the same queen manoeuvre. ]
13...Qd7 [The queen heads to e6 where she attacks e5, helps defend b6 and d5, and is
away from any pin on the d-file.]
14.Rd1 Qe6 15.Be3 Be7 [EXERCISE: Our e5–pawn is hanging. We should do
something to undermine Black's pawn structure, but what?ANSWER:]
16.b4!? [A very logical 'human' move to weaken the black pawn front. ]
[The weird computer approach would be    16.Qa4+! b5 (White's move looks pointless
until you see that 16...Bc6? 17.Qb3! leaves both b6 and d5 hanging) 17.Qa3 c4 (after
17...b4 18.Qa5 the c5–pawn is very weak) 18.Qa5 , when White can play a2–a4 to
stab at the b5–pawn. Note that 18...Qxe5? isn't good for Black as    19.Bd4 Qg5?
(better to give up the g7–pawn by retreating to e6)    20.Qc7! suddenly wins a bishop. ]
16...0–0 [It is understandable that Black didn't want to give away dark squares with
16...c4 17.Qd2 b5 , but after    18.a3 Rd8 19.Bd4 0–0 , he looks very solid and has the
plan of ...f7–f6 to liquidate White's kingside space advantage.]
17.bxc5 [White finds it easier to attack Black's hanging pawns because he avoided
16...c4.]
17...Bxc5 [If    17...bxc5? 18.Rab1! leaves Black in terrible trouble (also good but not
quite as crushing is    18.Qb3!? to win the d5–pawn) , as 18...Rab8 allows    19.Rxb7!
Rxb7 20.Bxd5 .; QUESTION: I see Black intends after    17...Bxc5 18.Bxc5 to use the
23
pin with    18...Rfc8 to avoid losing material. Can White to keep an edge after this?
ANSWER: White would have a pleasant advantage after 19.Qb2 Rxc5 20.Rab1 b5
21.Rbc1 . Black has an isolated pawn and a bad bishop. Nonetheless, he is far from
lost. In the game Safarli is able to avoid ...b6–b5, which would loosen his dark
squares, and even liquidates the isolated pawn. Though it's true he needs some help
from his opponent to achieve the latter objective.]
18.Qb3?! Bxe3 19.Qxe3 Rac8 20.Rac1? [A little too routine.]
[After    20.Rab1 (hitting b6 so Black's next move fails)    20...Rc5 21.Qd4 , White
keeps a small edge.]
20...d4! [Getting rid of the isolated pawn and the bad bishop in one stroke.]
21.Qxd4 Rxc1 [EXERCISE: Would you assess the position after    21...Rxc1 22.Rxc1
Bxg2 23.Kxg2 Qxa2 as equal, good for Black, or good for White?ANSWER: I like
White here. but    24.e4! builds up an imposing centre. It is important that White's rook
and queen are better placed than their opposite numbers. Black's passed pawns aren't
far advanced enough to be dangerous, and instead are vulnerable. For example,
(After 24.Qxb6 Qxe2 , it's equal; (24...--) ) 24...b5 (or 24...Qe6 25.Qd5 Rb8 26.Rc6
Qxd5 27.exd5 and Black has been bullied into giving White a strong protected passed
pawn. White wouldn't have risked anything playing on and would have set Black
some problems) 25.Rc7 a5 26.Ra7 a4 27.Qd5 Qe2 28.Ra8 with ideas of 29 e6, as well
as a back-rank mate.]
½–½
(20) Black Holds on to c4 [E04]
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 [.In this chapter Black snatches the pawn
on c4 and then prepares to defend it in Slav-style with ...b7–b5. The resulting
complications are one of the reasons that players of White often choose a move order
that avoids the possibility. Perhaps they fear their opponent's preparation or just want a
quieter life. However, as we shall see it is a risky approach for Black. If White is
prepared to enter the maelstrom he has good chances. ]
Line
(21) Kantor,G - Rydstrom,T [E04]
10: Budapest, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.Bg2 b5?! [A delayed version with    5...a6 6.0–
0 b5 is considered in the next game. Jumping ahead, it also looks very risky for Black.
The main problem with both lines is that a vigorous response by White virtually forces
him to play ...Nd5. ]
[EXERCISE: Can you work out why ...Nd5 is an undesirable move for Black and how
can White force Black into playing it?ANSWER:]
6.Ne5! [Exactly. The threat to a8 virtually obliges Black to block with the knight on
d5.]
[Notice that    6.a4! c6 7.Ne5 Nd5 would amount to the same thing.]
6...Nd5 [If you aren't prepared then    6...c6 might upset you.    However,    7.Nxc6 is
actually quite promising: (The simplest is to play    7.a4!? Nd5 8.0–0 , transposing
back to the main game.    (8.--) ) 7...Qb6 8.Na5! (Black is happy after    8.Ne5 Bb7)
8...Nd5 (upon    8...Qxa5+ 9.Bd2 c3 – or else he loses the exchange –    10.bxc3 Nd5
11.c4 is good for White) 9.Bd2 Nc6 10.Nxc6 Qxc6 11.0–0 Bb7 12.e4 Nf6 13.d5! and
now White is winning after    13...exd5 (Black tried    13...Qa6 in C.Hanley-J.Hawkins,
British Rapidplay, Leeds 2012, when    14.Bc3 would have given White some
advantage) 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Re1+ Be7 , when 16.Bb4 is a pretty double pin; (but
16.Nc3 is simplest. ) ]
7.a4 [This quick pawn stab doesn't give Black time to develop with ...Bb7 and ...a7–
a6, as after 7...a6? 8 axb5 the rook on a8 isn't yet defended by the bishop on b7. We
begin to see why 5...b5 has led to a struggle on the queenside that Black isn't ready
for.]
7...c6 [White has extracted the moves ...c7–c6 and ...Nd5 from Black. With the pawn
on c6, the bishop won't enjoy an open diagonal on b7, and the knight on b8 is denied
its optimum square. Well, you expect that in a Slav set-up: it's a price you have to pay
24
for having an extra pawn. Of much more significance is that the king's knight has been
more or less forced to d5. Not only has it cost Black a tempo to put it there, but it is a
target for an e2–e4 advance. This bolsters White's chances of a central breakthrough
with the follow up move d4–d5, as occurs in the game.As a general rule, the knight
being on d5 without White having gone Nc3 is usually bad news for Black. With Nc3
played, he can always meet e2–e4 with ...Nxc3, not losing time and reducing the
pressure on his queenside.]
8.0–0 Bb7 [Instead    8...a6 9.axb5 cxb5 10.b3 cxb3 11.Qxb3 Bb7 would transpose. ]
9.b3!? [QUESTION: What is the point of this move? ANSWER: All will become
clear after move 11 below.]
[The direct    9.e4 also sets Black problems. That said, I spent a long time examining
this line, but I couldn't find anything clear for White after    9...Nf6 10.Nc3 (or 10.d5
Be7!?) 10...a6 11.d5 Be7 .]
9...cxb3 [Black also fails to equalize after    9...Nd7 10.axb5 Nxe5 11.dxe5 cxb5
12.bxc4 bxc4 13.Qa4+ Qd7 14.Qxd7+ Kxd7 15.Rd1 Kc7 16.Rd4! Nb6 17.Rf4 Bxg2
18.Kxg2 and the f7–pawn drops with an edge to White. ]
10.axb5 [This increases the scope of Black's bishop on b7, but it is positionally correct
as it makes way for the central advance d4–d5 by removing Black's pawn from c6. ]
10...cxb5 11.Qxb3 [We can now see that with 9 b3 White has secured the b3–square
for his queen. Here she attacks the b5–pawn and exerts pressure along the a2–g8 in
support of a d4–d5 advance in the centre. Another good point of 9 b3 is that the rook
on f1 can in some cases be deployed to d1 in support of the central break now that the
square has been vacated. ]
11...a6 12.e4 Nf6 13.d5! [White powers forward in the centre. Note that the
move ...Bb7 has weakened the e6– and f7–pawns by denying them the support of the
bishop on c8. This will become of significance due to Black's lagging kingside
development.]
13...exd5 [After    13...Bd6 , White won in sacrificial style with 14.Nxf7! (also very
strong is    14.Nc4!?) 14...Kxf7 15.dxe6+ Ke8 in A.Giri-A.Morozevich, Beijing (rapid)
2012. Here the quiet 16.Bb2 looks most convincing as Black can't castle and
meanwhile White can build up with moves like Rd1 and Nc3, to say nothing of the
deadly threat of e4–e5. (In the game the immediate    16.e5 eventually lead to victory,
though it seems unnecessarily forcing in view of Black's helplessness. ) ]
14.exd5 Bd6 [EXERCISE: What happens if Black develops now with    14...Be7 , or
takes the pawn on d5 with his knight or bishop?ANSWER: After 15.d6! the game
ends at once due to the mate threat on f7. ; Not much better is 14...Nxd5 as White will
win a piece with    15.Rd1 as the knight hangs three times; (or 15.Nc3 pinning the
knight against the threat of mate on f7;) ; while upon    14...Bxd5 15.Qe3! , the threat
of 16 Nc6+ is fatal: while 15...Qe7 (for example, 15...Be7 16.Rd1 , intending 16...--
17.Nc3 (or 17.Bxd5 Nxd5 18.Qb3) ) 16.Rd1! leaves Black's kingside development
clogged up by the queen, and the attempt to extricate himself with    16...Bxg2
17.Kxg2 Qb7+ just leads to a neat finish:    18.Nc6+ Be7 19.Rd8#]
15.Nc6 Qc7 [The opening has been a disaster for Black. He has no time to whisk his
king from the centre as 15...Bxc6 16.dxc6 0–0 17.c7 costs him a rook.]
16.Re1+ Kf8 17.Ba3! [The black king and queen will be targeted. ]
17...Nbd7 18.Rc1! [An unexpected change of front which is immediately decisive. It
shows the strength of White's pieces that he is able to establish a winning position
despite having a rook on a1 and a knight on b1 doing very little.]
18...Ne8 [Black has no good defence against the threat of 18...-- 19.Na5! Qb6
20.Bxd6+ Qxd6 21.Nxb7 , winning a piece;; as d6 drops after 18...Bxc6 19.Rxc6; and
18...Kg8 19.Ne7+ wins the black queen.]
19.Na5! Nc5 [Or    19...Qb6 20.Nxb7 Qxb7 21.Bxd6+ Nxd6 22.Qb4 Qb8 23.Rc6 and
White wins a knight.]
20.Qc3 Rc8 [EXERCISE: What is the winning move?ANSWER:]
21.Bh3! [The Catalan bishop breaks the deadlock on the c-file. The black rook has to
save itself, but then c5 drops, leaving White with an extra piece.]
21...Rd8 22.Nxb7 Qxb7 23.Bxc5 Qxd5 24.Bxd6+ Qxd6 25.Qa3 [The win is very
25
simple. Black's bad development means that he loses the a6–pawn as well.]
25...h5 26.Qxa6 h4 27.Qxd6+ Nxd6 28.Bf1 Rh5 29.Rd1 Ke7 30.Nc3 Rc5 31.Ra7+
Ke6 32.Ne4 Rc6 33.Rxd6+ Rcxd6 34.Nxd6 Rxd6 35.Bxb5 h3 36.Bc4+ Kf6
37.Rxf7+ [I guess Black was hoping for    37.Bxf7?? .]
37...Kg6 38.Re7
1–0
(22) Eljanov,P - Novikov,I [E04]
11: Israeli League, 2011
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 a6 [This pawn move might indicate that
Black is preparing to defend c4 with 6...b5 on the next move, as is the case here. Or,
alternatively, he might be planning to put his knight on c6.]
6.0–0 [The alternative    6.Ne5 is analyzed in the game after next. ; Naturally
6.Qa4+? would fail to 6...b5 .]
6...b5?! [Black has delayed this pawn advance for a move compared to 5...b5 in the
game above. This means he has gained a tempo to fortify his queenside. Nonetheless
this line is still fraught with danger for him. ]
[The more solid    6...Nc6 is discussed in the next game. ; Inferior for Black is    6...c5?
7.dxc5 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Bxc5 9.Ne5 and White regains his pawn with 10 Nxc4 whilst
keeping pressure on b7.]
[EXERCISE: What now is White's best attacking move?ANSWER:]
7.Ne5! Nd5 [As in the Kantor game, Black's problem is that he is more or less obliged
to put his knight on d5, wasting a tempo and leaving it as a target for an e2–e4
advance.]
[After    7...c6 Stronger is 8.b3! with the curious intention of winning the b3–square
for the white knight:    (8.Nxc6? Qb6 looks okay for Black.    (8...--) ) 8...cxb3 9.Nxc6
Qb6 10.Na5! Ra7 11.Nxb3 (the knight has been like a merry-go-round horse, but it is
well placed now)    11...Rd7 12.a4 and White has some pressure. Black caved in with
12...bxa4? in R.Buhmann-T.Gharamian, German League 2011 (12...Bb7 was a better
try, though White has some advantage due to the weakness of the b-pawn after
13.Bxb7 Qxb7 14.axb5 axb5 15.Qd3 b4 16.Bg5) , where after    13.Nc5! (that knight
again!)    13...Bxc5 14.dxc5 Qxc5 (or 14...Rxd1 15.cxb6 Rxf1+ 16.Kxf1 with a strong
passed pawn for White) 15.Qxa4 White was winning as there was no good way to
evacuate the black king from the centre in view of    15...0–0 16.Ba3 .]
8.a4 [Beginning the process of undermining Black's queenside. ]
[Also good is the immediate    8.e4 .]
8...Bb7 [After    8...c6 we are back into the territory of the Kantor game, where Black
was obliged to go ...c7–c6 right in the opening. However, as we shall see, Novikov
ends up playing ...c7–c6 anyway to try to hold back White's central breakthrough. ]
9.axb5 axb5 10.Rxa8 Bxa8 11.e4 [QUESTION: If White's plan is to attack in the
centre, why did he first open lines on the queenside?ANSWER: In fact Eljanov's
preliminary campaign on the queenside abets his coming attack in the centre. For
example, White will be able to exploit the fact that the knight on b8 is no longer
defended by a rook on a8 in a key variation given in the notes to 14...Bxd5. Loose,
undefended enemy pieces and pawns tend to help an attack in unexpected ways, even
if they are far from the apparent scene of action.]
11...Nf6 12.Nc3 c6 13.d5! [Also    13.Bg5 keeps up the attack.]
13...cxd5 [Alternatively, 13...Bd6 14.Ng4 with an enduring initiative: for example,
14...0–0 15.dxe6 fxe6 16.Nxf6+ gxf6 17.Bh6 , etc. ; Meanwhile, after 13...Be7 , I
would suggest the piece sacrifice 14.Nxf7! as offering excellent practical chances:
14...Kxf7 15.dxe6+ Kxe6 (15...Ke8 16.Bd2! leaves Black facing the threat of 17 e5
and with trouble ever developing his game) 16.Qf3 Nbd7 17.Bh3+ Kf7 18.Rd1 Ke8
19.Qf5 and it will be very difficult for Black to defend. Stockfish thinks it is equal
after    19...b4 20.e5! Nd5 (forced)    21.Ne4 . It is cheering to know that White doesn't
stand objectively worse, as a human will make a lot more mistakes in defending as
Black than an emotionless computer playing perhaps 400 points stronger than
Carlsen.]
26
14.exd5 Bxd5 [After    14...Nxd5 an important tactical line is    15.Qh5 g6 16.Nxg6!
(an unexpected blow to say the least!) 16...fxg6 17.Qe5 . The point: not only is h8
hanging, but there is a threat to take twice on d5 when if the black queen recaptures
Qxb8+ will bag a knight. Black is helpless: for example,    17...Nxc3 18.Bxa8 , leaving
both c3 and h8 en prise.]
15.Bxd5 exd5 [If    15...Nxd5 the    16.Qh5 tactic still works for White:    16...g6
17.Nxg6 fxg6 18.Qe5 when if    18...Nf6 19.Qxe6+ Be7 20.Rd1 Qa5 21.Re1 Qd8
22.Bg5 with a decisive attack on f6.]
[EXERCISE: How do we catch the black king before he has the chance to castle?
ANSWER:]
16.Ng4! [Undermining the defence of d5 and clearing the way for a rook check before
Black has time for 16...Be7 and 17...0–0.]
16...Be7 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Re1+ Kf8 19.Nxd5 Nc6 20.Be3 [The awkward position
of the rook on h8 means that White can develop a winning attack on the black king. ]
20...h5 21.Bc5+ Kg8 22.Be7! [A neat tactic to force a breach in Black's kingside
fortress.]
22...Qc8 [If now    22...Bxe7 23.Nxe7+ Kf8 (other moves either lose the queen or the
king to a mate on h5) 24.Nxc6 and White wins a piece.; Even worse is    22...Nxe7
23.Nxf6+ winning the queen.]
23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.Nxf6+ Kg7 25.Nxh5+ Kh6 26.Qd6+ Kxh5 27.Re4 [Most precise
was    27.Qf6! Rg8 (or 27...Qd8 28.g4+ Kxg4 29.Re4+ Kh5 30.Rh4#) 28.Re4 Rg4
29.Qxf7+ Kh6 30.Re8 Qc7 31.Re6+ Kg5 32.Qg6# .]
27...Kg5 [Black could linger on by giving up his queen with    27...Qd8 28.Rh4+ Qxh4
29.gxh4 , although there's not much hope after say 29...Rg8+ 30.Kf1 Nd8 31.Qe5+
Kh6 32.Qxb5 .]
28.h4+ Kh5 29.Qf6 Rg8 30.Qxf7+ [It's a massacre after    30.Qxf7+ Rg6 (or
30...Kh6 31.Re6+) 31.g4+ Kh6 32.g5+ Kh5 33.Qh7+ and mate next move. ]

1–0
(23) Grischuk,A - Potkin,V [E04]
12: Villarrobledo (rapid), 2009
[Neil McDonald]
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.d4 [A somewhat curious choice of move order. ]
[Having shown his willingness to delay playing d2–d4, you would have imagined that
White would have continued    3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 and only then    5.d4 , thereby side-
stepping any chance of Black playing an early ...d5xc4. But as we shall see, Grischuk
isn't afraid to face these lines. ]
3...Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 a6 6.0–0 Nc6 [More sensible than    6...b5 as it restricts
White's dynamism. Potkin avoids committing himself to the queenside pawn
advance ...b7–b5 for the moment, which means he isn't shaky along the a8–h1
diagonal. Developing the knight also fights against White's Ne5 move which often
proves effective in this variation.QUESTION: What is the difference between Black
developing his knight immediately with 5...Nc6 and as here after the moves 5...a6 6 0–
0 have been thrown in?ANSWER: Black has side-stepped the line 5...Nc6 (as covered
in our next chapter) 6 Qa4 as here 7 Qa4+? b5 leaves the white queen red faced.
Therefore White has no ready method to regain his material.]
7.Bg5 [Other moves for White leading to a sharp game are    7.Nc3; and 7.e3 .]
7...Be7 [White has a lead in development. After the deflection of the important black
pawn from d5 he has looming pressure along the h1–a8 diagonal. This will increase
further once Black plays ...b7–b5 to hold on to the c4–pawn. He also has more space
in the centre and potentially mobile pawns there. In return Black has an extra pawn.
He has the chance to build up on the queenside with moves like ...b7–b5 and Rb8. ]
8.e3! [An example of a concrete handling of the problems of the opening. It seems
strange that Grischuk would want to defend the d4–pawn again instead of, say,
developing his queen's knight. In fact the modest looking-pawn move is a clever
prophylactic stroke. ]
27
[As    8.e3 b5 (Black would like to begin 8...Rb8 and only then 9...b5) , loses the
exchange after    9.Ne5 Nxe5 10.Bxa8 for insufficient play.; This plan would have
worked well after the routine    8.Nc3 by White.EXERCISE: How does Grischuk's
little pawn move in the game spoil this ...Rb8 and ...b7–b5 plan for Black?ANSWER:
If 8...Rb8 White can unexpectedly reply    9.Nd2! . Then    9...b5 would leave c6
hanging; (while    9...Na5 is useless after    10.Qa4+ Nc6 11.Qxc4 . Therefore Black
would be unable to defend the c4–pawn. White would regain it with some edge after
10 Nxc4, when Black has conceded the centre and put the rook on b8 for no good
reason.) ]
8...Bd7 [With the game move Potkin defends c6 at once, making ...b7–b5 possible.
This, however, is a little victory for White as Black would rather have left the bishop
on c8 for the time being or else played it to b7 after ...b7–b5. On d7 it is passively
placed and blocks the queen's influence on the d-file. ]
9.Nc3 [Only now, after White has extracted the move ...Bd7 from Black. ]
9...0–0 10.Rc1 Rb8 [At first glance it looks like Black is doing well as he is ready to
support his extra pawn with ...b7–b5. Meanwhile nothing is happening in the centre to
scare him. The way Grischuk gains control of the position will therefore come as a
surprise to those not acquainted with this type of pawn structure. ]
11.Bxf6 Bxf6 [A difficult decision. ]
[There is a lot to be said for    11...gxf6 as the pawn on f6 keeps e5 guarded and the
dark-squared bishop remains on e7 where it controls some important squares.
However, White could try to exploit the evident damage to Black's kingside structure
with 12.Nd2!? b5 13.Qh5 when his king is uncomfortable and the white queen very
well placed. Still, I think I prefer 11...gxf6 as it offers more counterplay in this line
after    13...f5 than Black achieves in the game. ]
[EXERCISE: After the bishop recapture can you work out White's strategy? Where is
he going to attack – on the queenside, in the centre or on the kingside?]
12.Ne4 [The knight enters the fray and uncovers an attack on c4. ]
12...b5 [Black holds on to his pawn, but now Grischuk's plan is revealed.]

13.b3! [ANSWER: This is it! In answer to the question above about where White is
going to attack, the answer is everywhere: on the queenside, in the centre and on the
kingside. However, first of all he undermines Black's queenside pawns. Imagine if
Black now plays 13...cxb3. After 14 axb3 in reply we have the diagram position
below. It's important to grasp the nature of White's strategic pawn sacrifice, as it will
occur in various lines where Black has played an early ...d5xc4 and held on to the
pawn. Black is still a pawn up. However, his queenside structure has lost almost all its
dynamism with the disappearance of the c4–pawn. Instead of threatening to roll
forwards en masse, the pawns are a liability and will need defending by the pieces.
Things are particularly awkward as White has a rook bearing down along the c-file at
the vulnerable knight and beyond it the backward pawn on c7.There is also a nasty
hole on the c5–square which is inviting for White's knight. However, Black can play
14...Be7 and be ready to exchange off the knight for his bishop when it sets foot on c5.
So we could refine White's play after 13...cxb3 with the interpolation 14 Nxf6+ Qxf6
and only then 15 axb3. Then Black's defences along the c-file have been weakened as
the black queen has been deflected from d8 where it defended c7.A case could also be
made for 14 Nxf6+ Qxf6 15 Qxb3. White could then follow up with Rc5 and double
rooks along the c-file, with the white queen perhaps going to a3 to attack a6. A
possible drawback to retaking on b3 with the queen is that the c4–square isn't
defended, so White would have to watch out for ...Na5 and ...Nc4 by Black. Whether
White recaptures with the queen or pawn, or interposes 14 Nxf6+ Qxf6 or not, he has
full compensation for the pawn deficit. In fact his game is preferable, or at least easier
to play, as sooner or later he is likely to regain his pawn whilst keeping the initiative. ]
13...Be7 [Rather than assume a defensive attitude Potkin decides to return the pawn.
He hopes that the activity of his rook on b8 and minor pieces will compensate for the
inferiority of his pawn structure. ]
14.bxc4 bxc4 15.Rxc4 Nb4 [EXERCISE: How can White meet the double threat of
15...Nxa2 and 16...Bb5, winning the exchange?ANSWER:]
16.a4! [Killing two birds with one stone. But Black persists in attacking a4. ]
16...Qe8 17.Nc3 Nc6? [Black goes passive at the wrong moment. ]
[He should have persevered with his attack on a4 with 17...Nd5! . Then after
28
18.Nxd5! (White might also try    18.Qa1; or 18.Ne5) 18...exd5 19.Rxc7 Bd6 20.Ra7
Bxa4 21.Qa1 Rb6 22.Ne5 an unbalanced situation arises. White is attacking d5 and
has the initiative in the centre, but Black's bishop pair shouldn't be underestimated.My
computer program suggests the following sequence: 22...Bb5 23.Nxf7! Qe6! (not
23...Rxf7 24.Bxd5 , when f7 can't be defended in a safe way: for example, 24...Bd7
(or 24...Be7 25.Rc1 with the threat of 26 Rcc7 and a decisive initiative) 25.Qa2 ,
intending to take twice on f7 then on d7) 24.Nxd6 Bxf1 25.Bxf1 Qxd6 26.Qa2 and
White has a pawn and pressure for the exchange. The computer then wants to call it a
draw with 26...Rf7 27.Ra8+ Rf8 28.Ra7 Rf7 , etc. ]
18.d5! exd5 [Black can't prevent a white knight taking up a commanding centre
position, as if    18...Nb4 19.Ne5! follows.]
19.Nxd5 Bd6 20.Qc2 Na5 [EXERCISE: How should White pursue his attack?
ANSWER:]
21.Rh4! [Exactly. It seems that Potkin was so focused on the queenside and how to
gain counterplay to offset the weakness of c7, he forgot he had a king. It is very
logical for White to switch to a direct kingside attack, as Black's three minor pieces,
especially the knight, are a long way off and his queen isn't well positioned for the
defence either. It turns out Black's last move was a mistake. He should have played
20...h6!, when 21 Rh4 Qd8 leads to nothing clear for White. Therefore White should
continue more modestly with 21 Nd4, when 21...Nxd4 22 Rxd4 leaves Black suffering
because of the weakness on c7.]
21...h6 [Black has no good way to shield h7. For example,    21...g6 loses the queen to
a fork on f6;; while if    21...f5 22.Qc3! (gaining time to set up a winning sequence by
attacking the black knight) 22...Nc6 23.Ng5 h6 24.Nxc7! Bxc7 25.Bd5+ Kh8 (losing
at once, but interposing on f7 loses oodles of material)    26.Rxh6# .]
22.Rxh6 [Exploiting the potential fork on f6. Black's position is falling apart all over
the board. His king's defences are full of holes and his pawns and pieces are mostly
hanging. ]
22...f5 23.Rh4 Nb3 24.Nxc7 Qe7 25.Ng5! [The most energetic way to finish the game
is to clear the way for the Catalan bishop to join in the attack.]
25...Qxg5 26.Bd5+ Rf7 27.Qc4 Rbf8 [If    27...Qf6 28.Bxf7+ Qxf7 29.Rh8+ wins the
black queen. ]
28.Qxb3 Bxc7 29.Rd1 [More accurate was    29.Bxf7+ Rxf7 30.Rh8+ Kxh8 31.Qxf7 ,
when Black loses a bishop, leaving him far too much material down – 31...Qd8
32.Rd1 wouldn't help him. ]
29...Be8 30.Qc4 Be5 [Anyhow Black drops the bishop, but after, say, 30...Bd8
31.Qxa6 White is still winning.]
31.f4 Qe7 32.fxe5 Qxe5 33.Qd4 [Grischuk can take it easy as he will be the exchange
and a pawn up. ]
33...Qe7 34.Rf4 g6 35.e4 [It's hard to criticise a move that makes your opponent
resign, though it should be mentioned that    35.Rh4 would force Black to give up his
queen at once to avoid mate on h8. Nonetheless this was an excellent game by
Grischuk who combined queenside pressure with a kingside attack in masterly style.]
1–0
(24) Smirnov,P - Kosyrev,V [E04]
13: Chelyabinsk (rapid), 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 a6 6.Ne5 [Since 6 Ne5 gets an
exclamation mark in games in this chapter versus 5...b5 and 5...c6, it certainly
deserves to be considered here. The obvious good point is that it stops both 6...b5 and
6...Nc6.]
6...c5!? [However, this is a somewhat annoying reply. Black renounces the plan of
holding on to the c4–pawn with ...b7–b5 in order to counterattack against the white
centre. It is all the more effective as White's previous move has delayed his
development and removed a defender from d4.]
[A sharp alternative for Black is    6...Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nd5 8.Bd2 b5 . The pressure on c3
has allowed Black to consolidate his extra pawn. However, White gains compensation
in the shape of the two bishops and a mobile centre:    9.0–0 Bxc3 10.bxc3 0–0 11.a4
29
f6 12.Ng4 Bb7 13.Qb1! (a neat way to put pressure on b5)    13...Qe8 14.e4 Nb6
15.Ne3 Bc6 (thanks to the queen on b1 if    15...Nxa4? 16.Rxa4 bxa4 17.Qxb7 wins
material for White) . So far this is A.Huzman-O.Dancevski, Skopje 2015, and now
16.d5 would have given White a strong initiative.]
7.Be3!? [An awkward-looking, but effective move. Again and again in the Catalan we
see White lavish time and care on his favourite light-squared bishop, while leaving the
dirty jobs to his dark-squared bishop. Here it guards the d4–pawn and shows a
willingness to exchange for a knight.]
[A major alternative is    7.Na3!? which gambits the d4–pawn to keep up the pressure.
Then after 7...cxd4 8.Naxc4 Black has two ideas: 8...Bc5 is the most natural move.
This line became well known when it was adopted by Anand as White versus Topalov
in their world championship match in 2010. After    (8...Ra7!? is distinctly odd, but by
breaking the pin on b7 Black introduces the idea of ...b7–b5: If instead    9.Bd2 (for
example, 9.0–0 b5 10.Nc6 Nxc6 11.Bxc6+ Bd7 12.Ne5 Qb6 13.Bf3 Bd6 and Black
looks comfortable as White will have to concern himself with regaining the pawn
rather than developing an initiative.    (13...--) ) 9...b6! shows another benefit of his
eighth move – Black blocks the terrible threat of 10 Ba5. After 10.0–0 (or 10.Qb3
Bb7! 11.Bxb7 Rxb7 which defends b6) 10...Bb7 11.Bxb7 Rxb7 12.Rc1 Bc5 13.b4
Be7 , White has two options: 14.Be3!? . That bishop move to e3 again! Here it looks
like a misprint or a mistake in inputting the game, but yes, the bishop really can go to
e3 as    (14.Qb3 0–0 15.Rfd1 Rc7 16.Bf4 was A.Volokitin-D.Navara, Wijk aan Zee
2009, and now Stockfish thinks 16...Nd5! returning the pawn gives Black a slight
edge after    17.Rxd4 Qc8 due to the pin on the c-file. (17...--) ) However, if Black
declines the offer he more or less equalizes: for example, 14...0–0 (14...dxe3
15.Qxd8+ wins for White after 15...Kxd8 (or 15...Bxd8 16.Nd6+ and 17 Nxb7)
16.Nxf7+ Ke8 (if    16...Kd7 17.Nce5+ Ke8 18.Rc8+ and wins) 17.Ncd6+ , etc. )
15.Bxd4 Bxb4 16.Bxb6 Qd5!) 9.0–0 0–0 10.Bd2 Nd5 11.Rc1 Nd7 12.Nd3 Ba7
13.Ba5 Qe7 14.Qb3 Rb8 , Black is a bit bottled up (his bishop on c8 has no moves!),
but remains with an extra pawn and has no real weaknesses. Here Anand came up with
15.Qa3 Qxa3 16.bxa3 , evidently with the idea of opening up the d6–square for his
knight now that the queens are exchanged. Nevertheless, after    16...Nc5! (rather than
Topalov's    16...N7f6) 17.Nd6 b6 and then 18...Rd8 Black looks at least okay.]
7...Nd5! [Black has to go hunting the bishop on e3. If he develops quietly White will
recapture on c4 at some point and have all the benefits of unrestrained pressure on b7
in the Catalan.]
8.Nc3 [Instead    8.dxc5!? has been much investigated when    8...Nd7 leads to
complications with balanced chances.]
8...Nxe3 [If    8...b5 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.dxc5 is good for White. ]
9.fxe3 Be7 [EXERCISE: Assess the position and decide what benefits White has
gained through the exchange on e3. And what possible disadvantages? ANSWER:
Firstly, we see that White has gained the open f-file for his rook. In conjunction with
the knight on e5 this gives him attacking chances against f7. He has also strengthened
his hold on the d4 point by transferring his f-pawn to e3. Furthermore, the
sequence ...Nf6, ...Nd5 and ...Nxe3 has taken three moves, giving White a lead in
development. His bishop on g2 enjoys an open diagonal and his knight on e5 is well
centralized. It will be difficult for Black to shake off White's grip in the centre. The
drawbacks for White of the exchange are that everything else being equal it is
normally unwelcome to have to exchange a bishop for an enemy knight. Though
compared to most opening lines White is more willing than usual to swap his dark-
squared bishop for a knight in the Catalan.Of more concern for White is that the e3–
pawn looks vulnerable. It can't be defended by another pawn unless it can advance to
e5, which is unlikely. Meanwhile it can be targeted by Bg5. Finally, White is likely to
spend a move regaining his pawn on c4, which could dissipate his initiative.]
[Upon    9...Nd7 10.Nxc4 Be7 11.dxc5 Bxc5 (11...0–0 12.b4) 12.Nd6+ Bxd6 13.Qxd6
Qe7 14.Qd4 (in Y.Pelletier-A.Kveinys, Reykjavik 2011, White's advantage faded away
after 14.0–0–0 Qxd6 15.Rxd6 Ke7) 14...0–0 15.0–0 , followed by putting the white
rooks on d1 and c1, makes it hard for Black to neutralize the lasting pressure. White's
doubled pawns are far from pretty, but they are difficult to attack as they aren't on an
open file. Besides the exchange of Black's dark-squared bishop has made them less
vulnerable.]
10.0–0 0–0 11.d5! [Maintaining White's initiative is more important than keeping a
compact pawn centre.]
11...Bf6 [If now 11...exd5? , the weakness of f7 becomes apparent: 12.Nxf7! Rxf7
13.Bxd5 and Black can resign.; He should play more aggressively with    11...Bg5 ,
although after    12.Nxc4 (regaining the pawn and defending e3)    12...Ra7 (getting the
30
rook out of the way of the bishop on g2 in order to threaten 13...b5 – compare the
game continuation) 13.a4 , White keeps his ascendancy in the centre with a small
advantage.]
12.Nxc4 b5? [Black collapses under the pressure. Or perhaps he had underestimated
White's initiative and thought the dark-squared bishop gave him good counterplay? ]
[In any case he should fight it out after, say,    12...Bxc3 13.bxc3 exd5 14.Qxd5 Qxd5
15.Bxd5 . You will see that Black's holes on b6 and d6 and the weakness of the pawns
on b7 and f7 are of far more significance than White's doubled pawns. ; If 12...Ra7
then    13.a4! is still a good response.]
13.dxe6 [Not only uncovering an attack on a8, but gaining access for White's knights
to the d6– and d5–squares. ]
13...Ra7 14.exf7+ Kh8? [Black could resist with    14...Raxf7 : for example,    15.Nd6
Rc7 (Black is being squashed after    15...Rd7 16.Qd5+ Kh8 17.Rad1) 16.Nxc8
(sharper moves are also possible)    16...Rxc8 17.Ne4 Qe7 (if    17...Bxb2 18.Qb3+
wins a piece; while    17...Qxd1 18.Nxf6+ Rxf6 19.Raxd1 is also bad for Black) 18.a4
and White has enduring pressure with more active pieces and an extra pawn that might
be useful in the future, but there would still be a lot of fight ahead. ]
[EXERCISE: Can you see White's winning idea after 14...Kh8 - ?ANSWER:]
15.Qxd8 Rxd8 16.Nd6! [Exploiting Black's weak back rank to launch a deadly
invasion. ]
16...Be6 17.Bd5 [The white minor pieces swarm into Black's half of the board.]
17...Bxd5 18.Nxd5 Nd7 19.Ne8 Nf8 20.Ndxf6 gxf6 21.Rxf6 [With the f7–pawn
defended and Black's king cut off from approaching it, all that remains is for White to
bring his queen's rook to the g-file to threaten Rg8 mate.]
21...Rd2 22.Raf1 Rd5 23.R1f4 Rg5 [Preventing an entrance to the g-file, but now the
d-file becomes an avenue for the other white rook. ]
24.Rd6 Re7 25.Rd8 Rge5 26.Nd6 [26.Nd6 Kg7 27.Rg4+ is bedlam. By the way, the
two black rooks are lined up against the doubled and isolated e-pawns, but it doesn't
matter at all. ]
1–0
(25) Perez Ponsa,F - Quintiliano Pinto,R [D30]
14: Cappelle la Grande, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 [I've followed the standard move order for this chapter,
However, Black is more likely to adopt this line if he has already invested in 2...c6,
3...c6 or 4...c6. Thus this specific game actually began 3...c6 4.g3 Nf6 5.Bg2 dxc4 – a
typical sequence of moves via a Slav triangle centre.]
4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 c6 [Here Black begins his possible queenside expansion with his c-
pawn rather than the b-pawn or a-pawn which were used in the games above. A
drawback to the move is that the pawn on c6 takes away the best square from the
black knight on b8.]
[It also does the bishop on c8 no favours: it can be developed to b7, but even then it
will be shut in, in contrast to the open diagonal it enjoys in the Catalan mainline after
5...Be7 6.0–0 0–0 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 .]
6.Ne5! [QUESTION: Why is it better for White to act immediately rather than play
6.0–0 to safeguard his king?ANSWER: After 6 0–0 there is no immediate pressure on
the c6–pawn, so Black can respond 6...b5 . This enables him to not only defend c4, but
also clear the b7–square for his bishop. Nonetheless play remains sharp: for example,
7.a4 (or equally    7.Ne5 Bb7 8.a4) 7...Bb7 8.Ne5 and play has transposed to the note
on 8 a4 in Game 15. Complicated, isn't it?; Another option is    6.a4 A final choice is
6...c5 (a radically different approach, switching from a Slav set-up to an attack on d4)
a) when after    6...b5?! 7.Ne5 Nd5 (to meet the double threat of 8 Nxc6 and 8 axb5),
White has a favourable situation whereby the black knight has been enticed to d5
without Nc3 having been played. See, for example, the Kantor-Rydstrom game above.
The knight can be driven back after 8.0–0 with a well-timed e2–e4, without Black
having the option of a timesaving ...Nxc3 exchange.    (8.--) ;
31
b) Alternatively, Black can try 6...Bb4+ 7.Bd2 (in contrast to the main game there is
no option of ...Qxd4 for Black)    7...a5 8.Qc2 Bxd2+ 9.Qxd2!? and we have
transposed to Hammer-Carlsen given in the note to 7 a3 in Wagner-Brkic in Chapter
Four.;
7.0–0 Nc6 . White doesn't have the option of Qa4 to put pressure on the knight on c6
in the style of Caruana-Naiditsch in Chapter Four as the a4–pawn blocks the square,
but after 8.dxc5 Qxd1 (perhaps    8...Qc7 should be preferred) 9.Rxd1 Bxc5 10.Nbd2
c3 (White also regains the pawn upon    10...Na5 11.Ne5) 11.bxc3 0–0 12.Nb3 Be7
13.Nfd4 Bd7 14.Ba3 Bxa3 15.Rxa3 White has a small plus. The variations in this
game, with their references to other chapters, illustrate the many transpositional
possibilities in the Catalan.]
6...Bb4+ [Black seeks to disrupt White's build-up with a bishop check in the style of
Chapter Four.]
7.Bd2 [Showing a readiness to sacrifice a couple of pawns for an attack. I think
White's chances are excellent. ]
[Also possible was    7.Nc3 Nd5 8.Bd2 which also looks pretty good for him.]
7...Qxd4 [The consistent move. ]
[After    7...Bxd2+ 8.Qxd2 followed by Na3 and Nxc4 White has the edge. Instead
Black grabs a second pawn. ]
8.Bxb4 Qxe5 9.Na3 b5 10.Bd6! [QUESTION: Could you use this drawing method
versus Kramnik!?ANSWER: No. Better to play a full length game and savour the
chance to play a former world champion even if you lose.]
[Here    10.f4!? is a strange-looking move which aims to drive away the black queen
so that the knight can capture on b5. However, after an exchange sacrifice Black looks
okay:    10...Qc7 11.Nxb5 cxb5 12.Bxa8 Bb7 13.Bxb7 Qxb7 14.0–0 Qb6+ 15.Kh1 and
here Stockfish suggests 15...Ne4!? intending ...a7–a5 (to drive away the white bishop
to be able to castle) as unclear.; Meanwhile Grischuk has used this peaceful sequence
versus Kramnik:    10.Bc3 Qc5 (here the black queen has to stay on a square where she
rules out Nxb5)    11.Bd4 Qb4+ 12.Bc3 Qc5 13.Bd4 with a repetition. ]
10...Qxb2 11.0–0 [EXERCISE: Assess the size of White's compensation for the three
pawns. What are his threats?ANSWER: White has a sizeable lead in development. His
king is safely castled whilst its opposite number is stuck in the centre. This wouldn't
matter too much if lines were closed, but here the d-file is open. Already Black has to
contend with ideas such as Bxb8, removing the defender of c6 and clearing the way
for both Bxc6+ and Qd6; not that White would hurry to exchange off his fabulous
bishop which keeps the black king stranded on e8. The black queen is also an
attractive target, with ideas of Rb1 and then Nxb5 afoot. Hence Black blocks the d-file
and the long diagonal towards c6 and a8 with his knight. This is the only way he can
hope to survive. ]
11...Nd5! 12.e4 [Driving away the knight. ]
[Stockfish prefers to delay this for a move to allow the white queen to infiltrate on the
dark squares via d2 and g5:    12.Nc2!? Bb7 13.e4 Nc3 14.Qd2 c5 (the threat was 15
Ba3 winning a knight)    (14...h6 15.Ba3 win) 15.Qg5 Nc6 16.e5 (intending 17 Bxc6+
Bxc6 18 Qe7 mate)    16...Ne2+ 17.Kh1 and here after    17...Qxc2 (so 17...h6 is
needed to dislodge the white queen, when 18.Qxg7 0–0–0 19.Qxf7 Rd7 20.Qg6 looks
like excellent practical chances for White due to the weaknesses on e6 and Black's
disjointed queenside) 18.Bxc6+!! Bxc6+ 19.f3 , rather surprisingly White mates in
nine moves at the latest!]
12...Nc3 13.Qh5 [Also possible was    13.Qg4 ;; but not    13.Qd4?? due to an
unpleasant check on e2. ]
13...h6 14.e5 Bd7 15.Rae1 [White has no need to hurry. The black king won't find a
safe refuge in the centre or on either wing.]
15...Na6 16.Qf3 Nd5 17.Qg4 Nab4? [It's no surprise that Black collapses in such an
unpleasant position. ]
[More tenacious was    17...Rg8 holding on to the g7–pawn, though it's not much fun
for Black after, say,    18.Rb1 Qc3 19.Rfc1 Qa5 20.Nc2 intending 21 Nd4, when he is
under permanent pressure.]
18.Qxg7 0–0–0 [Perhaps Black thought he had escaped the worst here, but:]
32
19.Nxc4! [I feel a cliché coming on: a knight on the rim isn't always dim. ]
[This is a crushing move as    19.Nxc4 bxc4 20.Rb1 leads to fatal threats of mate along
the open b-file: for instance,    20...Qc3 21.Bxd5 exd5 (or    21...Nxd5 22.Rb8#)
22.Rxb4 and Black has to give up his queen to avert mate, as after 22...Be6 23.Rb8+
Kd7 24.Qf6! Rxb8 (or    24...Rhe8 25.Rxd8+; or – the nicest –    24...Rde8 25.Rd8+
Rxd8 26.Qe7+ and mates) 25.Qe7+ Kc8 26.Qc7# .]
19...Qxa2 20.Ne3 [With ideas of 21 Ra1 and 22 Rxa7. The fact that White's 'bad'
knight is now fully involved in the struggle tilts the game decisively in his favour. ]
20...Nxe3 21.Rxe3 Nc2 22.Rd3 [Planning 23 Rfd1 combined with Qxf7 and Be7 to
put fatal pressure on d7.]
22...b4 23.Qxf7 Qc4 24.Rfd1 b3 25.Qf3 [Going after the indefensible b3–pawn. ]
[Black's last hope was a swindle with    25.Be7 b2 26.Bxd8? (though even in this
sequence    26.Bf1 wins for White) 26...Qxd3! .]
25...Nb4 26.Rd4 [. Winning the knight followed by a quick mate. An example of the
extreme dangers Black faces in this line.]
1–0
(26) Kramnik,V - Giri,A [D43]
15: Doha, 2014
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 [I should point out that I have changed the move order for the first ten
(!) moves.]
[Another move order for Black to avoid being forced into ...Nd5 is to delay the pawn
move ...e7–e6. Thus S.Mamedyarov-A.Beliavsky, Reykjavik 2016, went    2...c6 3.Nf3
Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 b5 6.b3 (getting the pawn stab in early)    6...cxb3 7.axb3 e6 8.0–
0 Be7 9.Ne5 Bb7 10.Nc3 and we have reached the position in the main game.; Finally,
here is a third move order which was the way the Kramnik-Giri game actually began:
2...c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.g3 dxc4 6.Bg2 b5 7.Ne5 a6 8.0–0 (8.Nxc6? Qb6 9.Ne5
Bb7) 8...Bb7 9.b3 cxb3 10.axb3 Be7 . Because the game begins as a Slav with 4 Nc3
thrown in, White is slower getting in the move Ne5 to put pressure on Black's
queenside. Giri for his part leaves c6 hanging for a move with 7...a6 (as he doesn't fear
the line 8 Nxc6? Qb6 which is good for Black after 9 Ne5 Bb7, etc), Kramnik replies
8 0–0 and then Black defends c6 with 8...Bb7. The changed move order I have given
has been used in top-class games, such as the Eljanov-Tomashevsky game in this
note.]
3.Nf3 c6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 b5 [Black begins the game with a series of pawn moves. By
delaying ...Nf6 he gets in ...dxc4 and ...b7–b5 before White has the chance to play
Ne5. This means that he isn't obliged to put his knight on d5 to block the long
diagonal, as was the case in the Kantor and Eljanov games. This is of great
significance since not only did the knight's move use up a precious tempo, on d5 it
became a target for White's e2–e4 centre push. ]
6.Ne5 [Our familiar knight move to begin an assault on c6.]
6...Bb7 7.0–0 Nf6 [Black finally develops the knight having used the delay to bolster
his queenside defences. Nonetheless he still has an uncomfortable position after
White's next move.]
8.b3 [A typical motif in this variation: White prises open the a-file and c-file so that he
can put pressure on the fragile black queenside structure. He has good compensation
for his pawn. In fact when Kramnik is White it feels like a forced loss for Black. Such
is the power of the former World Champion's technique.]
[We should also take a look at 8.a4 . This isn't so much fun for White as in the Kantor
and Eljanov games as Black hasn't got a vulnerable knight on d5 to hit by e2–e4. Also
with no knight on d5 the d4–pawn isn't sheltered, so that if White plays b2–b3 and
answers ...c5xb3 with Qxb3 Black sometimes has the option of ...Qxd4.Eagle-eyed
readers will have noticed that play has transposed to a note in Game 14 above where
play began 3...Nf6 4 g3 dxc4 5 Bg2 c6 (see the comments to 6 Ne5 and the line 6 0–0
b5 7 a4 Bb7 8 Ne5).Let's examine some of the possibilities after 8 a4: 8...a6!
a) 8...Nd5 would just be poor for Black, when    9.b3 cxb3 10.axb5 cxb5 11.Qxb3 a6
12.e4 is Game 10 all over again.;
33
b) 8...Qc8 9.b3!? (similar to the main game; Black's last move means that ...Qxd4 is
no longer an option for him in reply to Qxb3, so this standard clearance move wins the
b3–square for the white queen change to: and in the long term facilitates Rfc1 to strike
at the c6–pawn)    9...cxb3 10.Qxb3 and White has pressure: for example,    10...a6 (or
10...b4 11.a5 which cuts off any defence of b4 with ...a7–a5) 11.Nd2 b4 (if    11...Nbd7
12.Ba3 is a typical idea for White to exchange off Black's 'good' bishop and weaken
his dark squares) 12.Ndc4 and Black remains uncomfortable on the queenside. ;
c) 8...Qb6 9.b3 cxb3 10.Qxb3 and now so the key question is can Black get away with
10...Qxd4 - ? (10...Nbd7 11.Be3! just looks good for White: Black's queenside is under
heavy siege and his queen herself a target of the bishop after 12 d5) . The answer
seems a resounding 'no!': for example, 11.Bb2 Qb6 12.Nd2 Nbd7 13.axb5 cxb5
14.Ndc4! , and if    14...bxc4 15.Qxb6 axb6 16.Bxb7 Rxa1 17.Rxa1 is a winning attack
for White;
d) 8...Qc7 9.b3 (no surprise anymore!) 9...cxb3 10.Qxb3 a6 11.Bf4 Bd6 12.axb5 axb5
13.Rxa8 Bxa8 14.Nc3 b4 (if 14...0–0 15.Nxb5! and, for instance,    15...Qb6 16.Rb1)
15.Ra1! with an initiative for White.;
Perhaps more testing is 9.b3!? in the style of line 'a' above: for example,    (Now 9.Nc3
(threatening to win a pawn back with 10 axb5 axb5 11 Rxa8 Bxa8 12 Nxb5) can be
met by 9...Nd5 (9...Qc8; or 9...Qb6 with unclear play. ) ) 9...cxb3 10.Bb2 (guarding d4
before recapturing on b3 with the queen) 10...Nbd7 11.Qxb3 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Nd5
13.Rd1 Qb6 14.Nd2 and White intends to build up with Ne4 and Nd6. He has (just)
enough pressure for his pawn]
8...cxb3 9.axb3 [Simple and good as it guarantees long-term pressure on the
queenside. ]
[Not    9.Qxb3? when    9...Qxd4 10.Bb2 Qb6 is at best a dubious second sacrifice for
White.]
9...Be7 10.Nc3 a6 [Instead, Black gave back the pawn at once but never quite
equalized after 10...0–0 11.Nxb5 Nd5 12.Na3 c5 13.Bb2 Nd7 14.Nac4 cxd4 15.Bxd4
Nxe5 16.Bxe5 in P.Eljanov-E.Tomashevsky, Tsaghkadzor 2015.]
11.Bb2 [A natural move. ]
[An alternative way to develop the bishop was    11.Bg5 .]
11...0–0 12.Qc2 [Kramnik begins his campaign of exerting piece pressure on the
backward pawn on c6 and the vulnerable square in front of it.]
12...Nfd7 [Giri challenges the white knight. ]
[Putting the queen's head in a lion's mouth doesn't turn out well for Black after
12...Qxd4 13.Nd5 Qc5 14.Nxf6+ gxf6 15.Qxc5 Bxc5 16.Ng4 Be7 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6
18.Bxf6 Nd7 19.Bc3 . White has one bishop dominating the dark squares, the other
one tying Black down to the c6–pawn. This is more than enough compensation for a
pawn.; Black could have offered back the pawn with    12...Nbd7 , when after 13.Nxc6
(instead    13.Nd3!? Qb6 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4 Rfd8 16.Rfc1 Nf6 17.Bg2 a5 18.Nc5
maintains a similar edge to that in the game) 13...Bxc6 14.Bxc6 Rc8 15.Bxd7 Qxd7
16.Qd3 Qb7 and 17...Rfd8, Black had freed his game in A.Onischuk-T.Roussell
Roozmon, Montreal 2009. I can't imagine Kramnik letting his opponent escape so
easily.]
[EXERCISE: Which square does White want to dominate and how can this be
achieved?ANSWER:]
13.Nd3! [Kramnik doesn't want to ease his opponent's game by exchanges. Instead he
retreats his knight in order to gain control over c5. The square in front of a backward
pawn is always very attractive for a knight if it can be established safely there, as no
enemy pawn can drive it away.]
13...Qb6 14.Ne4 a5 15.Ndc5 [Mission accomplished.]
15...Bc8 [QUESTION: Can we make Black weaken his queenside pawns?ANSWER:]
16.Qc3! [Remember Bobby Fischer's maxim 'Look at the whole board!'. This
threatens 17 d5 when mate looms on g7.]
16...b4 [If    16...Nf6 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Ne4! is strong for White as 18...Be7 19.d5 f6
20.d6 creates a strong passed pawn. Black's reply obliges the queen to retreat, but
34
leaves his pawn structure disfigured. ]
17.Qe3 Na6 18.Rfc1 Nc7 [It is normally a good idea when you have a backward
pawn to plug the square in front of it with an enemy pawn. By the same logic the
opponent wants to occupy the square with a piece, not a pawn. However, after
18...Naxc5 19.dxc5 Black doesn't escape the pressure because of    19...Qc7 20.Nd6! ,
using the c5–pawn as the support for a knight outpost deep in Black's territory. The
knight can't be removed as White's bishop pair would become devastating: for
example, 20...Bxd6? 21.cxd6 Qxd6 22.Bxc6 Ra6 23.Bb5 Ra8 24.Rd1 Qe7 25.Bxd7
Bxd7 26.Qd4 (threatening d7 and g7)    26...f6 27.Qxd7 and wins.]
19.Nxd7 Bxd7 20.Nc5 Be8 21.Ra2 [A useful move with no definite plan in mind.
Perhaps White will double up rooks along the a-file, or drop his bishop back to a1 and
then switch his rook from a2 to c2 to add to the pressure on c6. In any case it keeps
Black guessing about where the attack is going to come from.There is no need to
hurry when your opponent's pieces are tied up defending pawns. If you wait a while he
might become reckless and do your work for you by staging an unsuccessful break
out.]
21...Qb5 22.Qd3! [An excellent stroke which combines a fine positional sense with
remarkable patience. Kramnik sees that his opponent's queen is holding together his
queenside and so offers its exchange. He is confident that in the endgame he can not
only regain his pawn, but retain enough pressure to cause Giri serious problems.]
22...Qxd3 23.Nxd3 Nd5 24.Ne5 Ra6 [EXERCISE: Study this position and see if you
can find Kramnik's clever way of increasing the pressure.ANSWER:]
25.Bf1! [A precise move. ]
[If White had begun with    25.e4 to push back the knight, then after 25...Nc7 or if
White switched to the plan of capturing on a5 then his d4–pawn would be slightly
fragile. For example,    26.Rca1 (, Black can meet 26.Bf1 with 26...Nb5! ; (26...--) )
26...Nb5 27.Rxa5 Rxa5 28.Rxa5 f6 29.Nd3 Bf7 and 30...Rd8 will follow, threatening
the pawn.]
25...Nc3 [Giri despairs of a successful defence and so gives up a couple of pawns in
search of activity for his bishops. ]
[After    25...Ra8 White can play in the style of the game with    26.e4 Nc3 27.Bxc3
bxc3 28.Rxc3 with a crushing advantage. ]
26.Bxc3 bxc3 27.Rxc3 c5 28.dxc5 Bf6 29.f4 Bb5 [Black intends to complete his
piece deployment with 30...Rc8 to oppose the advance of the c-pawn and even win it,
but Kramnik defeats this plan.]
30.Bg2! [The e2–pawn is irrelevant. By returning the bishop to the Catalan square
White forces the advance of the c-pawn. If 30...Rc8 then the fork 31 Bb7 wins at once.
] 16: Biel, 2015
30...Ra7 31.c6 [Here the pawn is defended three times and can also be supported by
Rac2. There is no talk about it being a target now.]
31...Be7 32.Be4 f6 33.Nf3 Rd8 [EXERCISE: How does White get his knight into the
attack again?ANSWER:]
34.e3! [A simple move, but easily overlooked. White creates a post on d4 for his
knight.]
34...e5 [Keeping out the white horse, but creating another weakness on e5.]
35.fxe5 fxe5 36.Rc1 [The rook retreats to threaten 37 Nxe5 without any pin with
Bf6. ]
36...a4 [If now    36...Bf6 then 37.Rc5 wins the bishop upon    37...Ba6 38.Rcxa5 ;; or
if    36...Bd6 37.Ng5 (intending 38 Bxh7+ amongst other things)    37...h6 38.Bd5+ and
there will be a knight fork on f7 or e6 next move.]
37.bxa4 [It's the end of the line for Black after    37.bxa4 Rxa4 38.Rxa4 Bxa4 39.c7
Rc8 40.Bf5 .]
1–0
(28) 5...Bb4+ or 5...Nc6 6 Qa4 Bb4 [E04]
[Neil McDonald]
35
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Bb4+ [.Here we investigate Black's
bishop check on b4. The aim is to drain the energy from White's position by making
him work hard to regain the pawn on c4, or in some cases hold on to his material in
Slav-style with ...b7–b5. However, as we shall see White has some promising
resources. ]
Line
(29) Wagner,D - Brkic,A [E04]
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 a5 [QUESTION: What are
the good features of 6...a5 as played in the game?ANSWER: The obvious point of this
move is to defend the bishop rather than smooth White's development by capturing on
d2. However, it has another more subtle value once Black plays ...b7–b5 to defend his
c4–pawn and get the queenside pawns rolling. Thanks to the addition of ...a7–a5, if
White responds with Ne5, uncovering an attack on a8, Black isn't obliged to
answer ...Nd5 to block the diagonal as his rook could go to a7 or a6.]
[White would stand better after    6...Be7 7.Qa4+ and 8 Qxc4 due to his space
advantage and the fairly useful tempo he has been presented with to get his bishop to
d2. If Black wants to play ...Bb4+ and answer Bd2 with ...Be7, he shouldn't combine it
with the capture ...d5xc4. He should leave his pawn on d5 as a bastion. ; Instead, the
seemingly passive    6...Bxd2+ can get tricky after    7.Nbxd2 (I think White should
avoid this scenario in favour of the recapture    7.Qxd2 ; if then 7...b5 , the curious
move 8.Qg5!? prevents Black consolidating on the queenside as g7 is hanging as well
as b5 – after 8...0–0 9.Qxb5 White has a small plus) 7...b5!? , Grandmaster Grigory
Serper has defended this line three times as Black, drawing all three including against
Nakamura. If 8.a4 then    8...c6 preserves the extra pawn. ]
7.a3 [Nimzowitsch used to call such a move 'putting the question to the bishop' as it
has to choose which diagonal it wants. ]
[Upon    7.Qc2 Therefore 7...Bxd2+ is the best response.    (Black might get into
trouble after    7...b5?! 8.a4 c6? (a poor move) (but after    8...bxa4 Black's pawns are
fragmented and    9.Ne5 followed by 10 Qxa4+ gives White the initiative) 9.axb5
Bxd2+ (9...cxb5? 10.Bxb4 wins a piece for White) 10.Nfxd2! and the pin on c6 means
Black is under the cosh. ) So in J.Hammer-M.Carlsen, Norway 2013, White preferred
8.Qxd2 . This game continued (If then    8.Nbxd2 b5 9.a4 (instead    9.b3 in this
sequence is similar to the game, but with White having lost time after    9...cxb3
10.Qxb3 – he would rather have played 7 a3 than 7 Qc2 and then 10 Qxb3) 9...c6
holds firm on the queenside.) 8...c6 9.a4 Ne4 10.Qc2 Nd6 11.Nbd2 Na6 12.Nxc4 Nb4
13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.Qd2 (more active was    14.Qe4!?; or 14.Qc3 making it harder for
Black to get in the pawn break ...c6–c5, although after the latter move    14...0–0 15.0–
0 b6 , intending 16...Ba6, looks okay for him) 14...0–0 15.0–0 Rd8 16.Rfd1 b6 17.Qc3
Ba6 18.Rd2 Rac8 19.Rad1 Qe7 20.h4 c5 21.dxc5 Rd5 22.Rxd5 Nxd5 23.Qe5 Qxc5
and the reigning world champion gradually outplayed his opponent from this equal
position.]
7...Bxd2+ [After    7...Be7 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Nc3 Black is, of course, far
from lost, but White has that little Catalan edge to build upon. ]
8.Nbxd2 b5 9.b3!? [White makes his pawn sacrifice of a permanent nature. ]
[QUESTION: Did Black have a good way to respond to the alternative    9.Ne5 ,
attacking the rook? Instead, after 9...Nd5? the d4–pawn isn't hanging, so White could
continue    (ANSWER: If you recall the comment to 6...a5 above you'll realize that 9
Ne5 is well met by    9...Ra7! , moving the rook out of danger and forcing White to
worry about the defence of d4. 10.-- (10.--) ) 10.0–0 , intending 11 e4 to hit the black
knight.    (though the immediate pawn sacrifice 10.b3 still looks best: for example,
10...Bb7! (planning 11...Nc3 tricks)    11.Qc1 with unclear play.) ]
9...cxb3 [After    9...c3 10.Nb1 White captures on c3 with the better pawn structure, as
10...b4 just loses a pawn to    11.axb4 .]
10.Qxb3! [A cruel decision for the white knight as it is denied a sight of the c5–
square. On the other hand, by attacking b5 the white queen provokes Black's next
move, after which his bishop on c8 will be shut in;]
[whereas after    10.Nxb3 Bb7 , the bishop has an open diagonal. Besides, recapturing
with the queen clears the way for the rook to go from f1 to c1 after castling.]
36
10...c6 [White's compensation for his material will depend on his pressure against the
c6–pawn which is backward and on an open file. It can be assailed by the bishop on
g2, a rook or doubled rooks on the c-file, and in some cases Ne5. The c5–square
would be an excellent outpost for a white knight if White gained stable control over it.
If the c6–pawn falls, then White will not only restore numerical equality, but leave
Black with a vulnerable pawn on b5.]
11.0–0 0–0 12.Rfc1 Bb7 13.Qb2! [The queen retreats to defend the d4–pawn so that
the knight on f3 is free to manoeuvre. She also vacates the b3–square to allow the
other knight to utilize it.]
13...Na6? [A typical example of loss of patience under long-term Catalan pressure. ]
[If Black had now played    13...Nbd7 then    14.Ne1! would be a strong reply. Not only
is the bishop on g2 uncovered against c6, but the white knights can aim at the c5–
square with Nd3, Nb3 and Nbc5. Let's see how this plan turned out in practice: after
More resilient for Black was 14...Qb6! (14...Nb6?! 15.Bxc6 Bxc6 16.Rxc6 Rb8
17.Qxb5 Qxd4 18.Nb3 , White won the a5–pawn though it took a lot of effort to
subdue Black in A.Giri-D.Fridman, Rosmalen 2014. (18.--) ) 15.Nd3 Rac8 16.Nb3
Qa7 17.Qd2 a4 18.Nbc5 Ba8 . White had carried out the appropriate knight
manoeuvres and reduced Black to passivity on the queenside, but was still a long way
from winning in A.Goryachkina-I.Osmak, Mamaia 2016. This game actually ended in
a draw as the strong Russian WGM was unable to find a breakthrough.]
14.Ne5 Nd5? [The most stubborn defence was    14...Nb8 , when the computer
suggests 15.Nb3 (rather than regaining the pawn with 15.Nxc6) 15...Nfd7 16.Nd3! , to
gain control over the c5–square. Of course, no human player could bear to play
14...Nb8 as it would indicate a beginner-like confusion.]
15.Nxc6 [The c6 point collapses in a very favourable way for White.]
15...Bxc6 [After 15...Qb6 16.Ne5! , Black can't deal with the double threat of 16...--
17.Nec4 (and 17.Nd7 , winning the exchange) 17...Qa7 18.Qxb5 , winning a pawn. He
therefore has to grit his teeth and exchange on c6, leaving White with an unopposed
Catalan bishop.]
16.Rxc6 b4 17.axb4 Naxb4 18.Rc5 [Black's position is highly unpleasant as the a5–
pawn can be attacked a third time with Nc4 when appropriate and the knight on d5 can
be undermined by a future e2–e4.]
18...a4?! [Black should be patient and wait with 18...g6 . If and when the a5–pawn
drops he could try to fight it out a pawn down, but with a compact mass of pawns on
the kingside.]
19.Rc4! ['Passed pawns should be pushed' is a venerable adage, but not when (a) the
pawn is deprived of one of its defenders and becomes a weakling, and (b) the pawn
relinquishes a vital role in defending a piece.After Wagner's simple retreat of the rook
one square, 20 Rxb4 or 20 e4 are suddenly deadly threats. At the same time the rook
on c4 indirectly attacks the a4–pawn.]
[Here    19.e4? would be a blunder because of    19...Nd3 . I hope you saw this fork –
sadly for Black he did as well, otherwise he wouldn't have been tempted to blunder
with 18...a4.]
19...Qa5 [Still trying to play actively, but the black knights get into a fatal tangle. ]
[I guess Brkic had no stomach for    19...Rb8 20.Qa3 Na6 21.Rxa4 Nac7 22.Ne4 ,
when he is a pawn down for nothing with a passive set-up to boot.]
20.e4 [White should always carefully consider whether to play e2–e4 in the Catalan as
it gains space, but shuts in the bishop and loosens the centre. Here there is no dilemma
for White as it leads to a win of material.]
20...Nd3 [If    20...a3 21.Qb3 changes nothing. ]
21.Qc2 N5b4 [Equally hopeless is    21...Nb6 22.Qxd3 Nxc4 23.Nxc4 when White's
minor pieces can spearhead the advance of the d-pawn whilst keeping the a4–pawn
under restraint. ]
22.Qc3 [EXERCISE: Can you see White's unstoppable threat?ANSWER:]
22...e5 23.Bf1! [The bishop changes diagonal to gobble up a black knight. ]
23...exd4 24.Rxd4 [A somewhat simpler way to win for White was    24.Qa3 , and if
37
24...Nxf2 25.Rxb4 .]
24...Rad8 [If    24...Rfd8 25.Bxd3 Rxd4 26.Qxd4 Rd8 , it looks as if Black will
recover the piece on d3, but 27.Rxa4! kills him due to his weak back rank:    27...Rxd4
28.Rxa5 g6 (there's no time to take on d3)    29.Bc4 Rxd2 30.Ra8+ Kg7 31.Ra7 and f7
drops with an easy win for White. ]
25.Rxd3 [. The pin on b4 means Black stays a whole piece down. ]
1–0
(30) Ragger,M - Haba,P [E04]
17: Austrian League, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 c5 [QUESTION: What's the
point of this move?ANSWER: Without wasting time Black defends his bishop and
attacks the d4–pawn. After White exchanges bishops the black pawn on b4 will stop
the natural development of White's knight to c3. On the other hand, we all know about
the importance of the ...c7–c5–pawn stab in challenging the white centre, and after the
exchange on b4 this resource is no longer available. Furthermore, Black's queenside
pawns may look imposing, but they are actually vulnerable.]
7.Bxb4 cxb4 8.Ne5! [Nowadays chess has moved a long way from old precepts such
as 'Don't move a piece twice in the opening before developing all your other pieces'.
In fact even when Emanuel Lasker and Capablanca were espousing such rules to
beginners, they were quick to point out there were lots of cases when you should
break them. For example, positional play is about preventing your opponent playing
good moves, as well as making good moves yourself, and sometimes you have to
move a piece twice to deny your opponent's pieces options. If Black is left in peace for
only one move he could develop with 8...Nc6, with at least an equal position.
Therefore White unleashes his king's bishop and knight straightaway to deter ...Nc6
and make the development of the bishop on c8 more awkward.This position has been
reached 66 times on my database. White has tried 8 Ne5 56 times;]
[8.Qa4+ 8 times; and    8.Nbd2; and    8.a3 once.; He (or she) has never settled for the
routine developing move 8.0–0 .]

8...0–0 9.a3!? [In order to break up Black's queenside pawns and open lines for the
white pieces.]
[After 9.a3 bxa3 10.Nxa3 , White's pieces are coming alive. Then, as usual,
simplification doesn't help Black to escape from a Catalan bind: 10...Qa5+? 11.Qd2
Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2 . White's rook on a1 has an open file, his bishop on g2 a clear
diagonal, and his knights are about to join up with central domination after 13
Naxc4. ; White steers clear of the sharp line 9.Nxc4 Nc6 10.e3 e5 , but 11.dxe5 (11.d5
b5! 12.dxc6 Qxd1+ 13.Kxd1 bxc4 14.a3 Bg4+ 15.Kc1 b3 is good for Black)
11...Qxd1+ 12.Kxd1 Ng4 13.Ke2 Ngxe5 14.Nbd2 Bg4+ 15.f3 Bf5 16.Nxe5 (Black
has counterplay after    16.e4 Bd7 17.Rac1 Rad8 18.Rhd1 f5) 16...Nxe5 17.f4 Bd3+
18.Kf2 Ng4+ 19.Kf3 Nf6 20.Rac1 might be a decent try for White despite his weird
king, if he manages to get in e3–e4 and e4–e5 in a safe way. ]
9...c3? [A poor reaction as it gives back the pawn without causing any disruption to
White's build-up.]
[Black should challenge the white knight with 9...Nc6 . I think White should prefer the
capture with the bishop:    10.Bxc6 (Then    10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.axb4 Rb8!? activates the
rook and after 12.Qd2 Qb6 , as well as attacking b4, Black has ideas of 13...Rd8
putting pressure on d4. (12...--) ) 10...bxc6 11.axb4 , when he has the makings of a
grip on the dark squares. However, there is no longer a bishop on g2 to afflict Black,
who can seek counterplay with 11...Qb6 , attacking the b4–pawn (or maybe
11...Nd5!?) . For example, 12.0–0 Qxb4 Instead, 13.Qd2 looks a better try in this
sequence: (and now 13.Nd2 c5 14.Ndxc4 Bd7 15.b3 (15.dxc5 Bb5 16.c6 Bxc4 17.Qd4
Qb5 18.Nxc4 Qxc6 looks equal) 15...cxd4 16.Qxd4 Bb5 looked fairly equal in
I.Cheparinov-A.Smith, Gibraltar 2015, though White somehow ground out a win here
after 17.Rfd1 .) 13...c5 14.Qxb4 cxb4 15.Rc1 Bd7 16.Nd2 c3 17.bxc3 bxc3 18.Rxc3
would be some advantage to White as he can put pressure on the a7–pawn and try to
win it.]
10.bxc3 bxc3 11.Nxc3 [EXERCISE: How big do you think is White's advantage –
small, large, or decisive?ANSWER: Among strong human players of a similar level I
would expect White to win this position maybe seven times out of ten. After all, he
has everything he hopes for in the Catalan: pressure on b7 that keeps the enemy
bishop on c8 tied down, control of the c6–square preventing ...Nc6, an open c-file that
38
his rooks will get to first and no weaknesses in his own camp. He also has the
advantage of an extra centre pawn which is not typical of the Catalan.]
11...Nbd7 [The last chance for a semblance of counterplay was    11...Qa5 12.Qd2 Rd8
.]
12.0–0! [White isn't afraid of simplification. One thing we learn in the Catalan is that
exchanges often clarify White's advantage rather than dissipate it. Of course, the
bishop on g2 tends to be an exception to this rule. As we shall see, White guards its
life carefully in this game. ]
12...Nxe5 13.dxe5 Qxd1 [Equally unpleasant for Black is    13...Ng4 14.Qxd8 Rxd8
15.Rfd1 Bd7 16.Rab1 .]
14.Rfxd1 [Black is rid of White's dominant knight, but at the cost of conceding the d-
file to White's rook.]
14...Ng4 [QUESTION: What should White do about the attack on e5?ANSWER:
Counterattack against b7!]
15.Rab1! [After    15.f4 Black can escape a lot of the pressure by exchanging off
White's bishop: thus    15...Ne3 16.Rd6 Nxg2 17.Kxg2 b6 and 18...Bb7+, etc. ]
15...Nxe5 16.Nb5 [Black's game is considerably eased after    16.Bxb7 Bxb7 17.Rxb7
a5 with ideas of ...Nc4.To play the Catalan well you have to believe in the value of
long-term advantages. Here White has two rooks on open files and a powerful bishop
versus passive black pieces. He shouldn't relinquish most of this superiority through
fear of being a pawn down for a couple more moves. Instead, Ragger brings his knight
into the attack, increasing the squeeze on the black queenside.]
16...a6 17.Nd6 g6 18.f4 [Ragger is still in no hurry to get back the pawn. Instead he
dislodges the one active black piece from its central post. ]
18...Ng4 19.Rdc1 [The rook gets out of the range of 19...Ne3, which would otherwise
force the exchange of his strong bishop, and intends to seize the seventh rank.]
19...Rd8 20.Rb6! [White is still in no hurry to regain his pawn.]

20...Nf6 [EXERCISE: How do we keep Black under restraint?ANSWER:]
21.e4! [White prevents 21...Nd5 which would force him into the unwelcome exchange
22 Bxd5 exd5 as the rook needs to stay on b6 to defend d6. White might expand with
e4–e5 at some point to increase his dark-squared control and support the knight,
though this would have to be carefully judged as it allows ...Nd5 again. More likely
White would play 22 Rc7. Instead, the game came to an abrupt end. ]
21...e5? [A good positional move as it stops White's further central expansion and
shuts in the bishop on g2. If now 22 fxe5 Ng4 and the e5–pawn is very weak. But as
Réti remarked, tactics always come before strategy in chess.]
22.Nxc8 [. The knight on f6 is hanging so Black loses a piece. A drastic finish, but
don't expect any gifts like this from strong opponents unless you keep them under lock
and key with a series of accurate pressing moves. ]
1–0
(31) Tari,A - Sjodahl,P [E10]
18: Vasteras, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Bb4+ [Black keeps the option of answering 5 Bd2
with 5...Be7, maintaining the pawn on d5 as in Chapter One. ]
[Our usual move order for the present chapter is    4...dxc4 5.Bg2 Bb4+ .]
5.Nbd2 [It is somewhat against the spirit of the Catalan to put the knight on d2 as
White shuts in the bishop on c1 and loses the flexibility inherit in delaying the
development of the horse. ]
[The other way to avoid the natural 5 Bd2 is with    5.Nc3 . Then the position is akin to
a Nimzo-Indian. Black looks comfortable after 5...dxc4! 6.Bg2 Nc6 7.0–0 0–0 . The
game A.Onischuk-S.Karjakin, Baku 2015 (which indeed began as a Nimzo-Indian
with the sequence 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 g3 0–0 5 Bg2 d5 6 Nf3 dxc4 7 0–0
Nc6), continued    8.a3 Be7 9.e4 Na5 10.Be3 Rb8 11.Qe2 b5 when Black had
39
consolidated his extra pawn and was at least equal. ]
5...dxc4 6.Bg2 b5! [Bold and best. With his knight committed to the passive d2–
square White isn't able to exert enough energy to make the black queenside pawns
tumble.]
[After    6...c3 7.bxc3 Bxc3 8.Rb1 Another line is    8...Nc6
a) note that    8...Bxd4? 9.Qa4+ Nc6 10.Nxd4 wins at once for White. ;
b) Against more sensible moves he may temporarily gambit a second pawn to increase
the pressure. For example, consider    8...0–0 9.0–0 Bxd4 (or 9...Nc6 10.e3) 10.Ba3
Re8 11.Nxd4 Qxd4 12.Qc2 . White has typical Catalan compensation for his material:
open lines for his queen and rooks to help the minor pieces besiege the black
queenside structure; black pieces meanwhile undeveloped or on rubbish squares,
including in this instance an exposed queen. ;
9.Qc2! Bxd4 10.Ba3! and this time Black has to worry about the king stuck in the
centre as well. ]
7.0–0 [EXERCISE: Now 7...Bb7 looks very natural. Can you see why it is actually a
mistake?]
[ANSWER: Capablanca once said that every move has to be checked to see if it was
sound, no matter how obvious. After 7.0–0 Bb7? , 8.Nxc4! is a nice trap. White will
regain his piece with a good game upon 8...bxc4 (or 8...Nbd7 9.Nce5 with good
central control) 9.Qa4+ Nc6 10.Ne5 Nd5 11.Nxc6 Qd7 12.Bxd5 exd5 13.Qxb4 Qxc6
14.b3 . Black can't castle kingside, his pawns are disjointed and his bishop shut in.]
7...0–0 [The game move also looks like an imprecision. ]
[After    7...a5! Therefore a better plan for White would be to aim directly at the pawns
with 8.a3!? (Black would be able to answer    8.a4 (I regard 8 a3 as a better move – see
below) 8...c6 9.Ne1 , threatening 10 cxb5 in the style of the game, with 9...Ra7!
getting the rook off the long diagonal (in contrast, in the game Black feels obliged to
answer 9 Ne1 with    9...Nd5 , when his knight becomes a target of e2–e4) . The battle
remains complex: for example, White could try to exploit the rook being on a7 in a
sequence like 10.Ndf3 (I would prefer the approach 10.Nc2 Be7 11.e4 for White,
although again after    11...0–0 12.e5 Nd5 13.Ne4 b4 , while White has space on the
kingside and can try to attack, in the Catalan we want Black's queenside pawns to be a
liability, not a powerful mass) 10...0–0 11.Ne5 Bb7 12.Nc2 Be7 13.e4 Nbd7
14.Be3!? , but after    14...Ra8 15.f4 while White has a central build-up, Black's
queenside pawns are strong. ) 8...Be7 9.b3 cxb3 10.Qxb3 . However, Black can play
10...0–0 leaving the b5–pawn hanging. (Now    10...c6 11.Ne5 Bb7 12.Bb2 0–0
13.Rfc1 leaves White with queenside pressure typical of that after a b2–b3 pawn
sacrifice in Chapter Three – see, for example, the game Kramnik-Giri. (13.--) )
Instead, in S.Vidit-S.Shyam, Thiruvarur 2015, White took on b5: 11.Qxb5 (Then
11.Ne5 leads to a curious draw after    11...Qxd4 (if    11...c6 12.Bb2 is an edge for
White) 12.Bb2 (after    12.Bxa8 Qxe5 13.Bf3 a4 (the material imbalance after
13...Qxa1 14.Bb2 Qxf1+ 15.Kxf1 rather favours White ) 14.Qb1 Nbd7 , Black has two
pawns for the exchange and a compact structure) 12...Qxd2 13.Bxa8 a4 14.Qxb5 Ba6 .
It looks as if White might be dropping a piece as his queen is crowded out of
defending b2, but he has    15.Nf3 Qc2 16.Nd4 Qd2 17.Nf3 , etc, with a repetition. )
11...c5! (if    11...Ba6 White can get away with    12.Qxa5) 12.dxc5 Ba6 (now the black
queen guards a5) 13.Qb2 , and after    13...Nc6 (in the game Vidit was able to
consolidate his pawn on c5 after    13...Nd5!? 14.Ne4 Nd7 15.c6 N7f6 16.Nd4 Nxe4
17.Bxe4) , White would only have a tiny, if any, advantage upon    14.Qc3 Bxe2
15.Re1 .]
8.a4 [Our standard move to put pressure on the queenside pawns.]
8...c6 [After    8...c3 9.Nb3 cxb2 10.Bxb2 bxa4 11.Ne5 Nd5 in V.Artemiev-N.Vitiugov,
Chita 2015, with 12.Nc5 (rather than 12.Rxa4 as played) 12...Bxc5 13.dxc5 f6 14.Nd3
c6 15.Qxa4 , White has an edge due to his space, bishop pair, lead in development and
the chance to kick back the knight from d5 with e2–e4.]
9.Ne1 [More direct was    9.axb5 cxb5 10.Ng5 Nd5 11.e4 Objectively speaking Black
is at least okay in this line, but it is no surprise that in practice he has mostly opted for
11...Qxg5 , when    (when after 11...Nc7 , Black has to reckon with the sacrifice
12.Nxh7!? Kxh7 13.e5 . If then    13...Nd5?! (another line is    13...Rh8 14.Bxa8 Nxa8
15.Rxa7; while    13...g6 14.Bxa8 Nxa8 15.Qf3 is unclear) 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Ne4 ,
menacing 16 Ng5 is dangerous for him.) 12.exd5 exd5 13.Nxc4 Qd8 14.Ne3 Be6
15.Bd2! looks a slight edge for White. Following    15...Bxd2 16.Qxd2 Nc6 17.Ra6
Rc8 18.f4 , despite his extra pawn Black was in a bind in P.Haba-A.Horvath, Austrian
40
League 2014.Instead, in our main game we have the surprising retreat. In order to
launch an attack White puts his knight not on e5 but on e1!]
9...Nd5 [Blocking the long diagonal and so meeting the threat of 10 axb5;]
[which would be a possible reply to 9...Qxd4 . Though in fact White should keep it in
reserve and grab Black's important dark-squared bishop with    10.Nc2 Qc5 11.axb5
Qxb5 12.Nxb4 Qxb4 13.b3! (threatening 14 Ba3)    13...Rd8 14.bxc4 when he has a
clear plus.]
10.e4 Nf6 [If    10...Ne7 , which on the face of it looks good as the knight retreats to a
sheltered centre square, we see the value of the knight being on e1: after    11.Nc2! the
bishop on b4 can no longer retire to e7. Black has nothing better than to hand over the
'good' dark-squared bishop with 11...Bxd2 (as    11...Ba5?! 12.axb5 cxb5 13.Qh5! with
the threat of 14 Qxb5 or 14 Nxc4, exploiting the bishop on a5, works out well for
White; as does    11...Bd6?! 12.axb5 when Black dare not recapture    12...cxb5 on pain
of    13.e5) 12.Bxd2 .; Nonetheless, 10...Nc7 was a serious alternative, not getting in
the way of the bishop's retreat to e7 or becoming a target for e4–e5.However,    11.e5! ,
renewing the idea of 12 axb5, seems to leave Black with no better option than
11...Nd5 , transposing back to the main game; (as    11...Qxd4? fails to    12.Nc2 Qc5
13.Ne4 Qe7 14.Bg5 (in her need to defend b4 the black queen ends up harassed on all
sides of the board) 14...f6 15.exf6 gxf6 16.Nxf6+ Rxf6 17.Nxb4 and White wins. ) ]
11.e5 [If White had played 9 Ne5 then the chance to gain space with 11 e5, driving the
enemy knight from f6 and clearing the e4–square for his other knight, would have
been unavailable. The e4–square is actually a superior post for a white horse in the
centre, as on e5 it can more readily be dislodged by the pawn move ...f7–f6.
Furthermore, from e4 the knight can swing to g5 to aid a kingside attack. ]
11...Nd5 12.Ne4 a5 [Or    12...Be7 13.Qg4 Kh8 14.Nf3 and White builds up his
kingside initiative.]
13.Qh5 [Here we can conclude that Tari has reasonable practical chances. Even if the
computer programs like Black's extra pawn, you aren't likely to get a perfect defence
on the kingside from a human player. ]
13...Ra7 14.Nf3 f5 [Understandably Sjodahl wants to challenge White in the centre
before the attack gets any nearer to his king.]
15.exf6 Nxf6? [In effect the decisive mistake as Black's defence now becomes very
difficult. ]
[He should play 15...gxf6! to avoid exchanging off his excellent knight, keep the e5–
square guarded and bring the rook on a7 into the battle. If you have a strong centre
your king can live with some damage to his cover. ]
16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 17.Ne5 Qf5 [EXERCISE: What is White's best response to the offer
to exchange queens?ANSWER:]
18.Qe2! [Of course, he is having none of it! You can see the damage done to Black's
game by 15...Nxf6? – White's knight is sitting pretty on e5 and the c6–pawn is a
target. White intends to build up with Bf4. How Black misses the knight on d5!]
18...c3 19.Be4 Qh3 20.Bg2 [Since his opponent collapses in short order Tari was
justified in focussing on a kingside attack.]
[The clinical way to win the game was to exploit Black's weaknesses on both sides of
the board with    20.axb5 cxb5 21.Nd3! cxb2 22.Qxb2 Bd6 23.Qxb5 . Black's pieces
are disorganized and the a5–pawn very weak. With her opposite number entombed on
h3, the white queen is the star of the show. ]
20...Qf5 21.h4 [After a little repetition White threatens to win the queen with 22 Be4
Qf6 23 Bg5.]
21...cxb2 22.Qxb2 h6 23.Be3 [Already very strong was    23.g4 Qf6 24.g5 .]
23...bxa4 24.g4 Qf6 25.Qc2 Qxh4 [Now it's simple for White;]
[but in any case White was all set to launch a big attack after 25...Ba6 26.Be4 g5 (or
26...Bxf1 27.g5 Qd8 28.Kxf1) 27.hxg5 hxg5 28.Kg2 Bxf1+ 29.Rxf1 Bd6 30.Rh1 , etc.]
26.Be4 g5 [Instead, after 26...Qf6 27.f4 and then 28 g5, the attack would be
irresistible.]
41
27.Kg2 [There's no good way to stop 28 Rh1 winning the queen. ]
27...Rf4 28.f3 [Here    28.Rh1 Rxg4+ 29.Kf3 Rf4+ 30.Ke2 Ba6+ 31.Kd1 wins, but
why allow any complications? ]
1–0
(32) Evdokimov,A - Harutyunian,T [E04]
19: Moscow, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Nc6 [EXERCISE: You might like to stop
and have a think about the good and bad points of this move, which are?ANSWER: It
is certainly a fighting move. Black rapidly mobilizes his queenside pieces with the aim
of holding on to the c4–pawn. This involves delaying the development of the bishop
on f8 to see if it can be deployed more actively on b4 rather than its usual e7–square.
The drawback to Black's set-up is that the typical attack on White's centre with ...c7–
c5 is blocked, and also the bishop on c8 remains boxed in for the time being.]
6.Qa4 [I believe this is the best approach for White: he plays to regain the pawn at
once;]
[rather than permit the variations 6.0–0 Rb8 7.Nc3 b5; or 6.Nc3 Rb8 7.0–0 a6 , in both
of which Black has achieved good results by keeping his extra pawn on the queenside.
After the game move Black has to reckon not only with the capture on c4, but also 7
Ne5 when c6 is attacked three times. ]
6...Bb4+! [Obstructing the white queen's attack on c4 whilst developing the bishop
with check. ]
7.Bd2 Nd5! [QUESTION: What is the purpose of this move?]
[ANSWER: Very lame would be 7...Bxd2+? when after    8.Nbxd2 White would
regain the c4–pawn with a pleasant 'Catalan' edge. Instead, with 7...Nd5 Black
supports his bishop on b4 and blocks the action of the bishop on g2, thereby taking the
sting out of White's Ne5 move. At the same time the idea of 8...Nb6 is introduced,
hitting the queen and adding a defender to c4 while uncovering an attack on d4, or
8...Bd7, planning a discovered attack on the queen with 9...Nxd4. ]
8.Bxb4 [In P.Harikrishna-Bu Xiangzhi, Danzhou 2016, White played    8.Qb5 to attack
the c4–pawn at once. This amounted to a positional pawn sacrifice: 8...Bxd2+
9.Nbxd2 c3 10.bxc3 Nxc3 11.Qb2 Na4 12.Qc2 Nb6 13.e3 0–0 14.0–0 Qe7 15.Rac1 .
White's pressure on the queenside, which he can strengthen with Nb3 and Nc5, gives
adequate compensation but probably no more than that.]
8...Ndxb4 9.0–0 [If    9.a3 then    9...b5! is a good reply, as 10.Qxb5 Nc2+ would lead
to complications which are at least okay for Black. But now 10 a3 to drive back the
knight followed by 11 Qxc4 is a positional threat. ]
9...Rb8 [Preparing to answer    9...Rb8 10.a3 with    10...b5 to defend c4, when after
11.Qd1 Nd5 Black keeps his extra pawn. ]
10.Na3 [Stopping 10...b5 and developing the knight. ]
[An alternative method is    10.Nc3 , though after    10...a6 11.Ne5 0–0 12.Nxc6 Nxc6
13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Qxc4 and now    14...Qd6 (or 14...Rxb2 seems okay for Black.) ]
10...0–0 [In contrast to the previous note, if now    10...a6 11.Ne5 0–0 12.Nxc6 Nxc6
13.Qxc4 Qxd4 14.Bxc6 (White utilizes the knight being on a3 rather than c3 in a neat
way)    14...Qxc4 15.Nxc4 bxc6 16.Rfd1!? (to stop ...Rd8), followed by Rac1 and b2–
b3, Black is left with the laborious task of holding together his queenside.]
11.Qb5! [Of course, not    11.Nxc4? losing a piece to    11...b5 . Instead, the white
queen steps around the black knight to regain the pawn.]
11...b6! [White will be forced into a pin. ]
12.Qxc4 [Another way to lose a knight is after    12.Nxc4? Ba6 .]
12...Ba6 13.Nb5 [Things look awkward for White, but if he is allowed to play 14 Rfc1
followed by 15 a3 it will be the black pieces in trouble. Black therefore has to
continue actively. ]
13...Qd5! 14.Qxd5 Nxd5 [After    14...exd5? 15.Nc3 Black is left with weak pawns on
42
c7 and d5 and facing the threat of 16 a3. ]
15.a4 [Now    15.Nc3 is no good for White as    15...Nxc3 16.bxc3 Bxe2 costs him a
pawn. ]
15...Na5! [Once again, Black has to strive for tactical counterplay. He can't afford to
play slowly or else 16 Rfc1 will leave him in trouble along the c-file. At the same time
Black has cleared the way for 16...c6, driving the knight from b5 when the e2–pawn is
lost.]
16.Ne5! [The best riposte. White threatens 17 Nd7.]
[Note that 16.Nxa7?! Bxe2 would be a fine swap for Black;; while 16.Rfc1? would
lose the exchange to 16...Nb3 .]
16...Rbd8 [Dealing with White's threat. ]
[If 16...c6 17.Nxa7 Bxe2 18.Rfe1 followed by capturing on c6 leaves White a pawn
up.]
17.Nxa7 Nb4! [Once again Black has to avoid falling into a positional bind. ]
[After    17...Bxe2 18.Rfe1 Ba6 19.Nac6 Nxc6 20.Nxc6 Rd6 21.Rac1 , White has
consolidated and is ready to win a pawn with 21...h6 22.Bxd5 exd5 23.Ne7+ Kh7
24.Rxc7 . The game move fights for the c6–square and uncovers an attack on the d4–
pawn. ]
18.Rac1 [Moving the other rook out of the way of Bxe2 with 18.Rfc1? fails to
18...Nb3 .]
18...Rxd4 19.Rxc7 [White can try to get a bind on the position with    19.Nb5 Bxb5
20.axb5 , but here is an example of precise defence in a heavyweight encounter:
20...f6 21.e3 Rdd8 22.Nf3 Rf7 23.Bh3 Re7 24.Rc3 Kf7 25.Ra1 Rd3! (the exchange of
rooks eases the tension)    26.Bf1 Rxc3 27.bxc3 Nd5 28.c4 Nc3 29.c5 Rd7 30.Nd4
Ne4 (the knight heads for c5)    31.cxb6 cxb6 32.Rc1 Nc5 and Black held the draw in
V.Kramnik-H.Nakamura, London 2011.]
19...Bxe2 20.Rfc1 f6! 21.Nec6 [White is obliged to simplify since 21.Nd7? Rd8
leaves him in trouble as    22.Nxb6 loses a piece to    22...Rd1+ .]
21...Nbxc6 22.Nxc6 Nxc6 23.R7xc6 Rfd8! [Winning time to coordinate the rooks as
if 24 Rxb6 Rd1+ wins a piece.]
[It seems like White is going to win a pawn after, say,    23...Rxa4 24.Rxe6 Bh5
25.Rxb6 . However, Black still has the trick of the last note.]
[EXERCISE: White needs to make a hole for his king on h2. Should he play 24 h4 or
24 h3 to achieve this? (Warning: the answer is very deep!)]
24.h4 [ANSWER: One good feature of 24.h3 is that it would rule out ...Bg4 as an
option for Black, so is it better than the game move? Let's take a look:    24...R8d6
25.Rxd6 Rxd6 . The other move for White is    26.b4 in the style of the main game.
(Now in V.Anand-V.Kramnik, Bilbao 2010, White entered a bishop endgame with
26.Rc6?! Rxc6 27.Bxc6 , but Black held the draw:    27...e5 28.f4 (I don't think you or
me would be granted an effortless draw by Anand here) (after    28.b4 Kf7 29.Bb7 Ke6
30.a5 bxa5 31.bxa5 Kd6 , the king stops the pawn and stands to win it after 32.a6?!
(but White might play on a bit with    32.f4 exf4 33.gxf4 Kc7 34.Be4 h6 35.Kf2 , etc)
32...Kc7) 28...exf4 29.gxf4 Kf7 30.Kf2 Bc4 31.b4 g5 32.fxg5 fxg5 33.h4 (not
necessary, but avoiding any danger of Black getting an edge from ...h5–h5, fixing the
h3–pawn)    33...gxh4 34.a5 and draw agreed.) Instead, 26...e5! gets the kingside
pawns moving. Then after (Then Black got into trouble after    26...Rd4? (not best –
see below)    27.Re1 Instead, 27...Rd2 is a tougher defence:    (27...Bd3 28.Rd1
(pinning the bishop)    28...e5 29.a5 bxa5 30.bxa5 e4 (losing a pawn, but otherwise the
a-pawn is marching forwards)    31.Bxe4 Rxe4 32.Rxd3 Ra4 33.Rd5 and White won in
A.Gupta-M.Venkatesh, Delhi 2014. (33.--) ) 28.Ra1! (behind the looming passed
pawn is exactly where the rook wants to be) 28...Kf7 29.Bf1! (after    29.a5 bxa5
30.bxa5 Ba6 31.Bf1 Rd6 Black has blockaded the pawn one file further back)
29...Bxf1 30.Kxf1 Ke7 31.a5 bxa5 32.bxa5 Rd7 33.Ke2 and White has good practical
winning chances.Having looked at these lines closely, we realize that Black has no
reason to play 26...Rd4?.) 27.b5 (fixing the b6–pawn as a target) (instead we could
have the bishop endgame with 27.Rc6; or try    27.a5 bxa5 28.bxa5 , but the passed
pawn will struggle to get any further as a6 is well guarded) 27...Kf8 28.Rc8+ Ke7
29.Bc6 f5 However, 30.f3! keeps some chances of advantage.Thus, we can't conclude
that 24 h3 is superior to 24 h4: both moves keep a slight edge. (Black is ready to
43
answer 30.Rb8 with 30...e4! , when White is even mated after 31.Rxb6?? Rd1+
32.Kh2 Bf3 33.g4 f4 intending 34...Rh1.    (33...--) ) ]
24...R8d6 25.Rxd6 Rxd6 26.b4 [As in the Anand-Kramnik game given in the notes to
24 h4 above, White might have considered taking the game into a bishop endgame
with    26.Rc6 Rxc6 27.Bxc6 . The black king can rush over to stop the advance of
White's queenside majority, but nonetheless I could imagine Magnus Carlsen grinding
away for a win after, say, 27...Kf7 28.b4 Ke7 29.f4 Kd6 30.Kf2 Bc4 31.Be4 h6 32.Bc2
and 33 Ke3. ]
26...Rd4 27.Re1 [EXERCISE: Try now to decide if Black's bishop should run away to
c4 or g4. How big is the difference?]
27...Bc4? [ANSWER: A serious mistake. Black plans to exchange bishops with ...Bd5
(after the preparatory move ...Kf7), based on the principle that all rook and pawn
endgames are drawn. Well, getting rid of the white bishop which controls key squares
on the queenside is by no means a bad idea.]
[Here's a demonstration of the bishop's power:    27...Rd1?? 28.Rxd1 Bxd1 29.a5 bxa5
30.bxa5 Be2 and White can win a piece with    31.Bb7 followed by 32 a6 (when Black
must play 32...Bxa6) (but even better with    31.Bf1! Bf3 32.a6 , followed by 33 Bg2,
when White can queen the pawn.The problem with 27...Bc4 is that the important
threat of ...Rxb4 is blocked. This means that White has the freedom to create a passed
pawn without the black rook being able to attack the pawn from behind. Indeed, White
himself succeeds in getting his rook behind the pawn.) ; Instead, after 27...Bg4
Finally, note that if    28.Re4 , Black doesn't exchange rooks but defends adequately
with
a) 28.a5? bxa5 29.bxa5 Ra4 , the passed pawn drops off. (29...--) ;
b) White could try to preserve his chances with 28.Rb1 Kf7 29.Rb2 , defending the
second rank and keeping the option of a4–a5, but Black shouldn't have too much
trouble.;
28...Rd1+ 29.Kh2 h5 .]
28.a5 bxa5 29.bxa5 Kf7 30.Rc1 [White cajoles Black into an exchange of bishops as
he sees that the rook endgame offers offers him good prospects of victory. ]
30...Bd5 31.Ra1 [There are various ways to cause Black discomfort, such as
31.Bxd5; or 31.Rc7+; or 31.a6 , but putting the rook behind the passed pawn is very
principled. ]
31...Bxg2 32.Kxg2 Rd7 33.Kf3 [We won't look at the rook endgame in exhaustive
detail. Suffice to say that the outside passed pawn imperils Black's survival. ]
33...Ke7 34.Ke4 h5 35.Kf4? [Here 35.f4! would supply good winning chances. The
white king can make a feint to support the passed pawn, which would oblige the black
king to follow it towards the queenside. Then the black pieces would be ill placed
when White reverts to action on the kingside.For example,    35...Ra7 36.Kd4 Kd7
37.a6 (after    37.Kc5 Black can get some activity with    37...Rc7+ 38.Kb6 Rc6+ , etc)
37...Kc6 38.Kc4 Kb6 39.Kb4 . The key point of the position is that Black loses in
almost every scenario in which rooks are exchanged. Thus after    39...Rxa6 (39...Ra8
40.a7! again exploits the key point; while after    39...e5 40.fxe5 fxe5 41.Ra3 e4
42.Kc4 Rc7+ 43.Kd4 Ka7 , Black has blocked the passed pawn with his king, but after
44.Kxe4 White should win) 40.Rxa6+ Kxa6 41.Kc5 , White wins as his king will eat
all the black pawns.]
35...Ra7 36.a6 Kd6 37.g4 g6 38.gxh5 gxh5 39.Ra5 Kd7 40.Ke4 Kc6 41.Kd4 Kb6
[White has played according to the winning plan outlined in the note to 35 Kf4, but he
hasn't created the right disposition of pawns on the kingside. The fact that he has a
rook's pawn allows Black to escape by the skin of his teeth. ]
42.Rxh5 Rxa6 43.Rh6 Ra4+ 44.Ke3 Kc5 45.f4 [Black also holds the draw after
45.Rxf6 Rxh4 46.Rxe6 Kd5 .]
45...e5! [Correctly calculating that the black king will be close enough to stop the h-
pawn after simplification.]
46.Rxf6 Rxf4 47.Rxf4 exf4+ 48.Kxf4 Kd6 49.Kf5 Ke7 50.Kg6 Kf8
½–½
(34) Black Plays in the Centre [E01]
44
[Neil McDonald]
[In this chapter we'll survey two variations with a quick ...c7–c5 by Black.]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 -- [Firstly, there is a Tarrasch approach with 4...c5 .
Black is prepared to accept an isolated pawn in return for an active development of his
pieces and equality in space in the centre. On the other hand, few Catalan players can
be unhappy at already having a target on d5 for their bishop.; Secondly, after    4...dxc4
5.Bg2 , Black can strike with 5...c5 , aiming to liquidate the white centre and thereby
equalize in terms of space. The drawback is that he is delaying his development and so
leaving himself vulnerable to a quick attack by the white pieces. Looking at the games
in this chapter we might conclude that the ...c7–c5 break doesn't quite equalize for
Black. It often frees Black's game in the Queen's Gambit Declined, but is less effective
in the Catalan as White always retains pressure on b7.]
Line
(35) Korobov,A - Ermeni,A [D34]
20: Gjakova, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 [For the sake of clarity I have changed the move order of the game, which
actually began    1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 e6 3.c4 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 .
Here you can see that a very early 3...c5 meets the same general response from White:
you get to play g2–g3 and Bg2. ; The opening in this game is strictly speaking a
Queen's Gambit Tarrasch Defence. Nonetheless, we need to have some idea of what
we are doing as you can't really avoid it if you play the Catalan. For example, if you
begin 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 e6 4.Bg2 you can congratulate yourself on having side-
stepped lines where Black plays ...Bb4+ or makes an early ...d5xc4 exchange, but all
the same he can continue 4...c5 5.0–0 Nc6 , when after 6.c4 (what else?) Notice also
that if Black plays    6...dxc4 in this sequence, then we reach other games in this
chapter where you can choose between (6...Be7 you have a popular position in the
Tarrasch. Then 7.cxd5 exd5 (if 7...Nxd5 8.Nc3 Nxc3 9.bxc3 0–0 10.Rb1 gives White a
slight edge due to his pressure on b7 and strong centre) 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Nc3 0–0
reaches the position in the main game.) 7.Qa4 (and 7.Ne5 .) ]
1...d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 c5 [Black immediately challenges the d4–pawn. White's
opening build-up is very natural, but have a close look at the previous note as it
discusses transpositions/the effect of Black playing a later ...c7–c5.]
5.cxd5 exd5 [The pawn sacrifice    5...cxd4 is a rare bird but has featured in some top-
level games. White should accept the gambit and then give back the material at an
opportune moment to escape the pressure and emerge with a positional advantage.
Thus 6.dxe6 Bxe6 7.Qxd4 Nc6 8.Qxd8+ Rxd8 9.Bg2 with sensible development so far
by White. Similar, but with the dark-squared bishops still on the board (which seems a
worse version for Black) is 9...Nb4 (Now after    9...Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Ne4 , I prefer
11.Bxb4 (rather than 11.a3 , as in A.Giri-L.Aronian, Beijing (rapid) 2013) 11...Nxb4
(Black threatens mate in three moves, but stay calm!) 12.Na3 Bxa2 13.0–0 and White
is ready to play 14 Rfd1 and then 15 Nd4 with the initiative in the centre. Black's
pieces are somewhat over stretched and his queenside vulnerable.) 10.Na3 Bxa2 (or
10...Bc5 11.Bg5 with pressure for White) 11.0–0 a6 , as in S.Sjugirov-V.Zvjaginsev,
Sochi 2015, and now 12.Be3 Bd5 13.Rfc1 Be7 14.Bb6 Rb8 15.Bh3! (White ensures
he has unchallenged control of the open c-file; at the same time as a preliminary to his
next move he avoids the exchange of bishops so as not to give Black's knights access
to the d5–square)    15...0–0 16.Nd4 with a nice edge for White. ]
6.Bg2 Nc6 7.Nc3 Be7 [Black's bishop is misplaced on b4 after 7...cxd4 8.Nxd4
Instead, 8...Be7 (8...Bc5?! 9.Nb3 Bb4 10.0–0 , as giving up the bishop pair with
10...Bxc3 11.bxc3 is not appealing.    (11.--) ) 9.0–0 0–0 leads to a mainline of the
Tarrasch    where    10.Bg5 (and    10.Be3 are the main moves; while    10.b3!? is an
interesting sideline: for example,    10...Re8 11.Bb2 Bc5 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Na4 , aiming
to play against the hanging pawns with Rc1 next move.) ]
8.dxc5!? [Now that Black has spent a tempo on ...Be7, and so can't play ...Bf8xc5 in
one go, White exchanges on c5 to clear a way for an attack on d5.]
[I've taken another move-order liberty: the game actually went    8.0–0 but taking on
c5 immediately cuts out the option of Black answering 8 0–0 with 8...cxd4 (8...0–0 ,
and then    9.dxc5 ; (9.--) ) 9.Nxd4 0–0 , although you could then try 10.b3!? as
suggested in the previous note.]
8...Bxc5 9.0–0 0–0 10.a3!? [QUESTION: What are the reasons for this little pawn
move?ANSWER: In a position with an isolated pawn, control of the square in front of
the pawn is of serious strategic value. In this specific case the d4–square would be a
45
great outpost for a white knight as it would be immovable by an enemy pawn and
have important influence over the centre. However, at the moment Black's bishop on
c5 and knight on c6 are keeping out the white knights. With 10 a3 the fight begins to
wrest the square from Black. White intends to play 11 b4 to discomfort Black's bishop.
It would like to stay on the a7–g1 diagonal where it watches over d4, but then it loses
the option of retreating to e7 to defuse the move Bg5, which would otherwise pin the
knight which defends the d5–pawn. Furthermore, White might go the whole hog and
advance b4–b5, to force the black knight away from c6, when it also loses contact
with the d4–square. This would have to carefully judged as White doesn't want to
loosen his queenside pawns too much. At the same time 11 b4 will give White's dark-
squared bishop the chance to go to b2 where it enjoys an open diagonal, aiming at
Black's kingside and adding its weight to the battle for d4.]
10...a6 [Here are some other options for Black:a) 10...Re8 guards e4 so that after
11.b4 Bb6 Nonetheless, the alternative 12.Bb2 (the pin with    12.Bg5 is less effective
because    12...d4 doesn't allow 13 Ne4.    (12...--) ) 12...Bg4 13.Rc1 h6 14.Na4 gives
White a good game. Black can't avoid 15 Nxb6 gaining the bishop pair as 14...Bc7?
allows    15.Bxf6 , forcing the ghastly    15...gxf6 (since    15...Qxf6? drops material to
16.b5 .) ; b)    10...Ne4 is a fighting move. Instead, he might consider 11.Qc2 : for
example,    (After 11.Nxd5 White should be better, but 11...Be6 gives Black a lot of
play for the pawn.    (11...--) ) 11...Nxc3 12.Qxc3 Be7 13.Nd4 Bg4 (not allowing
White a quiet positional advantage)    14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Qxc6 Bxe2 16.Re1 Bc4 17.Bf4
Bf6 18.Rad1 and White has some edge.; c) 10...a5 restrains b2–b4, but after 11.Bg5 d4
12.Bxf6 (12.Ne4 Be7 isn't much for White.) 12...Qxf6 13.Ne4 (here    13.Nd5!? is also
interesting) 13...Qe7 14.Nxc5 Qxc5 , the neat pawn thrust 15.b4! sets Black problems.
Following 15...Qb6 (if    15...axb4 16.axb4 Rxa1 17.bxc5 Rxd1 18.Rxd1 leaves d4
desperately weak) 16.b5 Qxb5 17.Nxd4 Nxd4 18.Qxd4 Qxe2 19.Rfe1 Qa6 and then,
rather than the 20.Rab1 of C.Kuberczyk-J.Carlstedt, German League 2016; (I like
White's position after 20.Re7 , despite the missing pawn due to his active room on e7,
lead in development and the target on b7. Though the computers don't agree with me!)
]
11.b4 Be7 [After    11...Ba7 the pin with    12.Bg5 causes problems for the defence of
the d5–pawn, as 12...d4 allows    13.Ne4 when Black's kingside pawns will be broken
up. ]
12.Bb2 Re8 [At some point over the next few moves Black should play ...Bg4 to
activate his bishop and gain counterplay. His overly passive approach lets White build
up pressure in peace.]
13.Rc1 Bf8 [The best move was still    13...Bg4 .]
[EXERCISE: Can you see a good plan for White to increase the pressure on the d5–
pawn? Clue: think of a way to redeploy the knight from c3.ANSWER:]
14.e3! [White fixes the d5–pawn by increasing his grip on the d4–square. At the same
time he clears the way for a brilliant knight manoeuvre via e2 to f4. On its new
kingside post the horse will attack d5 just as it did on c3, but with more potency as the
bishop on b2 has an open diagonal and so there is a threat of Bxf6 followed by Nxd5.
On f4 the knight will also be able to join in a direct kingside attack if that becomes the
best strategy. ]
14...h6 15.Ne2 Ne4 16.Nf4 Be6 17.Nd2! [QUESTION: Why does White avoid 17
Nd4 which looks very natural and seems to be tactically sound?]
[ANSWER: An interesting moment. White could, indeed, play 17.Nd4! , when after
17...Nxd4 18.Qxd4 with 19 Rfd1 to follow attacking d5, he has good winning
chances. However, Korobov, rated 2674 at the time of this game, wasn't satisfied with
this simple approach. Indeed, his knight can go to d4 any time: why clarify the
position when you can keep your opponent guessing?Therefore White probes with his
king's knight, eventually making Black weaken his queenside. He succeeds in wrong
footing his opponent to such an extent that his knight eventually gets full possession
of d4 without having to be exchanged off.]
17...Bf5 18.Nb3 Ne7 19.Nc5! [After    19.Nd4 Bh7 , the knight is sitting pretty on d4,
but the attack on d5 is blocked.]
19...b6 [Instead, Korobov wants to force Black to loosen his queenside pawns, as after
19...Nxc5 20.Rxc5 the d5–pawn is becoming indefensible. ]
20.Nb3! [If you want to play the Catalan well you have to play manoeuvres of this
type to weaken the opponent's pawns. The knight goes forward; a pawn attacks it; then
it retreats. The quiet nature of the position makes the loss of time in White's
manoeuvre of little importance. On the other hand, the fact the pawn can't return to b7
46
means that the a6–pawn and the c6–square have both permanently lost a defender. ]
20...Rc8 21.Qe2 [Already the a6–pawn has become a target.]
21...Rxc1 [Now Black should play 21...b5; or 21...a5 with a markedly inferior game in
both cases after 22.Nd4 . In the game he prefers to give up control of the c-file to clear
the way for his queen to defend a6 and d5. Of course it is almost always a terrible
strategy to make the queen the servant of pawns.]
22.Rxc1 Qa8 [Casting our minds back to the 17th move, we can see that Korobov has
been vindicated in his decision to avoid the simplifying 17 Nd4 Nxd4 18 Qxd4. By
keeping the play complex he has allowed his lower-rated opponent the opportunity to
make some doubtful decisions. ]
23.Nd4 Bd7 [The knight lands on a beautiful blockade square with the immediate
threat of    23...b5 24.Nxf5 Nxf5 25.Qd3 Ne7 26.Nxd5 Qxd5 27.Qxe4 and White has
won a pawn. ; In view of Black's next move    23...Bh7 looks a better way to resist,
when the bishop helps defend the king rather than go on a fool's errand to a4.]
24.Rc7! [Korobov sends his rook to the seventh rank not to capture pawns, but to
break the coordination of the black pieces and thus facilitate an attack on the kingside.
Black's next move is helpful to say the least. ]
24...Ba4 [The bishop abandons the fight. ]
[Black had to defend stoutly with    24...Rd8 . If that loses then everything loses. ]
25.h4 [QUESTION: What is the purpose of this move?ANSWER: When carrying out
an attack you shouldn't just move the big pieces. By putting the pawn on h4 White
rules out any defence of the black king based on ...Ng5. ]
25...Qb8 [EXERCISE: Now it looks as if the rook must retreat back to c1. Can you do
better?ANSWER:]
26.Rxe7! [Having to respond to White's play on the queenside and against d5 has
caused a disharmony in Black's position that makes a kingside attack decisive. The
first blow is to remove the knight on e7 from the defensive equation. ]

26...Bxe7 [Or    26...Rxe7 27.Nf5 Rd7 28.Qg4 , attacking g7 and threatening 29
Nxh6+, which is crushing for White.]
27.Nf5 [QUESTION: Why did Black resign?ANSWER: At first glance White's
advantage in firepower on the kingside might not look decisive. However, he has three
minor pieces (two knights and the bishop on b2) all aiming at the black king, and his
queen is ready to join in the action with Qg4.Meanwhile Black's queen and bishop on
a4 are out of things, while the knight on e4 can be exchanged off with Bxe4, removing
a key defensive piece. The rook on e8 doesn't do much to protect its king, so that
leaves only the bishop on e7 and the pawns on f7, g7, and h6 to resist an attack by the
white queen and three minor pieces. It's hopeless odds. White can always give up a
minor piece to fragment the black kingside pawns and still have more than enough
material to force a mate.]
[After 27.Nf5 , the immediate threat is to g7. Let's look at a couple of lines to show
how the attack might be brought home: Finally, if 27...f6 then
a) 27...Bf8 28.Qg4 f6 (28...g6 29.Nxg6 crashes through) 29.Nxh6+ Kh8 30.Ng6+ Kh7
31.Qf5 gxh6 32.Bxe4 dxe4 33.Ne7+ Kg7 34.Qxf6+ Kh7 and you have a choice of
three mates in one. ;
b) 27...Nf6 28.Nxd5 Nxd5 29.Bxd5 Qd8 30.Qh5! with threats including 31 Qxf7+ and
31 Nxh6+ with a quick mate. Black has nothing better than to give up his queen with
30...Qxd5 31.Nxe7+ Rxe7 32.Qxd5 .;
28.Qg4 wins.]
1–0
(36) Caruana,F - Naiditsch,A [E04]
21: Dortmund, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 c5 [A natural counterattack against d4,
but of course any loosening of the black queenside is welcomed by the white bishop
on g2. Even if Black succeeds in completing his development, it will be difficult for
47
him to shake off the pressure against b7. Before making this type of pawn thrust in
one of your own games, try to decide in which of the following categories it belongs:
a) It is a freeing move that disposes of the enemy centre – a good thing.b) It opens
lines for the better developed enemy pieces – a bad thing.Of course the value of a
positional decision is usually debatable. In a lot of cases it is the superior precision,
knowledge and imagination of one player during the rest of the game that will
retrospectively assign the idea to 'a' or 'b'.]
6.0–0 [White gets his king out of the centre before deciding on his plan.]
[Instead, after 6.Qa4+ Bd7 7.Qxc4 Bc6 , we have reached a variation regarded as not
very promising for White – see, for example, the Korchnoi-Kasparov game in Chapter
Two.; More challenging is the line    6.Nc3 Nc6 7.Qa4 Bd7 8.Qxc4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Rc8
10.0–0 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qh4 0–0 (or    12...Bc6 13.Bg5 Bxg2 14.Kxg2 and Black
isn't yet out of the woods as    14...Qd4 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.e4! looks good for White)
13.Bxb7 Rb8 14.Bf3 Rb4 15.Qg5 Bd4 16.Qd2 , as played in V.Kramnik-A.Naiditsch,
Dortmund 2010. It looks like Black is active enough, but Kramnik (not for the first
time!) consolidated his extra pawn and won. ]
6...Nc6 7.Qa4 [Caruana aims to regain the pawn on c4 whilst forcing Black to
confront the threat of 8 Ne5 when the pinned knight on c6 will be attacked three
times. ]
[The alternative    7.Ne5!? is seen in the next game. ; White might also try the quieter
7.dxc5 with perhaps a small plus after    7...Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Bxc5 9.Nbd2 c3 (I should
mention if    9...Ng4 in this sequence Black is first pushed back with    10.Ne4 Be7
11.h3 Nf6 then    12.Ned2 c3 13.bxc3 follows) 10.bxc3 , etc. Despite being isolated the
c3–pawn is a useful support for a white knight on d4.]
7...Bd7 [Meeting the threat to the knight whilst preparing a discovered attack on the
white queen with 8...Nxd4.]
[After    7...cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 9.Bxc6+ Bd7 10.Rd1 Qxd1+ (if    10...Bxc6 11.Qxc6+
bxc6 12.Rxd4 and then 13 Rxc4 leaves White with a structural advantage) 11.Qxd1
Bxc6 it's always nice to sacrifice your queen, but White is looking like a spoilsport:
for instance,    12.Nd2 b5 13.a4 bxa4 14.Nxc4 when he has good chances. ]
8.Qxc4 [Regaining the pawn and attacking c5.]
8...b5 [QUESTION: Why does Black play this seemingly loosening pawn move?]
[ANSWER: After 8...cxd4 9.Nxd4 , the pawn on b7 is a potential target. Therefore
Black gets the pawn out of the range of the bishop on g2 with gain of time by hitting
the white queen.]
9.Qc3 [Caruana prefers this retreat to    9.Qd3 as he wants to keep pressure on the c5–
pawn. ; 9.Qxb5? Nxd4 10.Qd3 Bb5 is best avoided by White as e2 will drop.]
9...cxd4 [Black has a choice of moves here.]
[If    9...Rc8 10.dxc5 Nd5 11.Qd2 Bxc5 12.Nc3 Bb4 13.Qd3 Bxc3 14.bxc3 is some
plus to White despite the weakling on c3. He has the bishop pair and the chance to
expand in the centre with e2–e4 at the right moment.; Risky for Black is    9...Qb6
10.Be3 c4 (or    10...b4 11.Qc1 with an edge to White) 11.Ne5! (not so clear is    11.d5
Nxd5 , etc.) ; Finally,    9...b4 10.Qd3 Rc8 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Bg5 0–0 13.Nbd2 Be7
14.Rfd1 leaves Black feeling boxed in. ]
10.Nxd4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Rc8 [QUESTION: How would you assess the position?
ANSWER: Black has evacuated all his pieces from the h1–a8 diagonal. He would
have preferred to have exchanged off light-squared bishops rather than have his
bishop sitting on d7, so he hasn't yet equalized. Nonetheless, White's advantage is
minimal.]
12.Bf4 [QUESTION: But can't White grab the pawn on a7 now?]
[ANSWER: After 12.Qxa7 Bc5 White's queen is in jeopardy:    Alternatively,    13.Qa6
(for example,    13.Qb7 Nd5! (the key move to cut off a retreat to f3)    14.Bxd5 Rc7
and White can't escape a draw by repetition after    15.Qa8 Rc8 16.Qb7 Rc7 , as
17.Qa6? Ra7 traps the queen. (17...--) ) 13...Nd5 14.Bxd5 (the queen falls after
14.Nd2 Ra8 15.Qb7 Ra7) 14...exd5 15.Nd2 0–0 leaves the white queen shut in and in
danger of being lost. Black has at least a draw.Therefore Caruana develops and keeps
the attack on a7 as a latent threat.]
12...Bc5 [A very natural reply. Black develops with gain of time and deals with the
48
attack on a7.]
13.Qd3 [Notice how White's unobtrusive 12th move gained power after Black's reply,
because 14 Bb7 now threatens to win the exchange. The bishop didn't threaten
anything at the time it went to f4, as Black had the option of ...Rc4. But that is the way
it sometimes happens in chess: a move gains strength after the opponent's best reply.
In reality White exchanged one threat (13 Qxa7) for another (14 Bb7). And after
Black's next move – which is again 'best' – we see another chance for White to
increase the pressure suddenly appear. ]
13...Qb6 [Black meets the threat of 14 Bb7 and puts the queen on an active square
where she ties down the rook on f1 to the defence of f2. She also solidifies the
queenside in general. On the other hand, the bishop on d7 is left somewhat hanging
and Black's kingside is short of defenders.QUESTION: But the bishop on d7 is
defended twice! How is it somewhat hanging? And where are the white pieces to
attack the supposedly under-defended black kingside? ANSWER: Patience! As after
12 Bf4 we have to look beyond the present position to see White's chances. Black is
going to castle, after which the bishop on d7 loses one defender, and then White will
challenge its other defender. This will lead to the black kingside becoming depleted of
defenders. Let's see how the game unfolded.]
14.Nd2 0–0 15.Ne4 [Here we are: White threatens to win a piece by capturing on f6. ]
15...Nd5 [Instead, after 15...Nxe4 16.Bxe4 both d7 and h7 are hanging. ; Or if
15...Rfd8 16.Nxf6+ gxf6 17.Qf3 , White can work on the fractured black kingside.
Therefore Naiditsch blocks the attack on d7 while preventing damage to his kingside,
but now all Black's minor pieces and his queen are on the queenside.]
16.Ng5!? [Caruana aims to exploit his advantage in firepower on the kingside. ]
[In fact    16.Nxc5!? Qxc5 17.Be5 Rfd8 18.Rfd1 would leave him with a small but
enduring edge because of the bishop pair. Evidently the American Grandmaster
preferred to play a more lively game.]
16...g6 [Upon    16...f5 17.Bxd5 Black can resign as he drops a piece;; while if
16...Nf6 the simplest way to win a pawn is 17.Nxh7! Nxh7 18.Qxd7 .]
17.Be5 [White continues his kingside build-up. ]
17...Be7 [Naiditsch might have sought counterplay against f2 with    17...f6 18.Bxd5
fxg5 19.Bf3 Bc6 with unclear play. Of course it would have been difficult to switch to
aggressive play at the cost of a broken pawn structure when he has played a solid
opening so far. ]
18.Nf3 Bc6 19.Qd2 [EXERCISE: Can you see White's threat? And what happens if
Black plays 19...Bf6 or 19...Rfd8 to meet it?]
19...f6 [Finally Caruana has extracted a long-term structural advantage through his
positional (we might say tactical) pressure on the kingside. ]
[ANSWER: The threat was 19...a6 20.Qh6 f6 (20...Nf6) 21.Ng5! , when taking the
knight allows mate on g7, so to defend h7 Black must give up the exchange with
21...Rf7 22.Nxf7 .; If    19...Bf6 then    20.e4! wins a piece after    20...Bxe5 21.exd5 ,
as both black bishops hang;; or 19...Rfd8 20.e4! (if    20.Qh6 Black has    20...Bf8)
20...Nf6? (Black has to defend a lousy position with    20...Nc7 21.Qh6 Ne8 22.Ng5
Bxg5 23.Qxg5 , though the bishop on e5 dominates the dark squares) 21.Qg5! Nd5
22.Qh6 Bf8 23.Qh4 Be7 24.Ng5 Bxg5 25.Qxg5 f6 (if the knight retreats to c7 then 26
Qf6 decides)    26.Bxf6 Nxf6 27.Qxf6 and White has won a pawn.]
20.Bd4 Qb7 [He prefers not to let the white knight get to a strong central post after
20...Bc5 21.Rac1 Bxd4 22.Nxd4 .]
21.Rac1 [After    21.Bh3 , 21...e5!? 22.Bxc8 Rxc8 would be an interesting exchange
sacrifice as White is weak on the light squares and his bishop passive on e3. ]
21...Rfd8 22.Bh3 [Aiming the bishop at the undefended pawn. ]
22...Bd7 [If now    22...e5 23.Bxc8 Rxc8 , White can take the sting out of Black's
sacrifice with 24.Bc5! .]
23.Rxc8 Bxc8 [QUESTION: Why did White give up the c-file and Black not reply
23...Rxc8 to take control of it? ANSWER: After 23...Rxc8 White would focus on
playing on the d-file, either with the immediate 24.e4 (or more likely with    24.Rd1 ,
planning e2–e4 as appropriate (the threat is stronger than the execution!), so Naiditsch
49
keeps his rook on d8 to bolster his defences there. ) ]
24.Rc1 Bd7 25.Bc5! [Black's pawn structure is entrenched on the light squares, but
not guarding central dark squares like c5 and d4. The exchange of bishops emphasizes
Black's fragility whilst vacating d4 for White's knight or queen.]
25...Bxc5 26.Rxc5 Rc8 [Black is aiming to draw through simplification, but there is a
favourable way for White to exchange rooks.]
27.b4! [So far Caruana has shown restraint in the use of his foot soldiers, but now is
the moment for his pawns to get involved in the struggle. The exchange of rooks will
yield him a passed pawn. If Black refuses then 28 Nd4 will increase the pressure. ]
27...Rxc5 28.bxc5 Qc7 29.e4! [The threat of this advance has hung over Black's
knight for many moves. Now at last it is time to strike. ]
29...Ne7 30.Qd4! [Not only defending the c-pawn, but more importantly attacking f6.
Black can't reply 30...e5 without dropping his bishop, and so he has to allow the
further advance of White's e-pawn.]
30...Kg7 31.e5 f5 32.Bg2! [The bishop has performed its role on h3 and now returns
to g2 to fight for the crucial d5–square.]
32...h6 [EXERCISE: How should White reply to 32...Nd5 , planning 33...Bc6 with a
blockade on the light squares?ANSWER: An example of Tartakower's dictum that
chess is the tragedy of one tempo. Black wants to play ...Nd5, but this fails as he
doesn't have the g5–square guarded by a pawn: 33.Ng5! (threatening 34 Bxd5)
33...Qc6 (Black has no time for 33...Bc6 as e6 drops) 34.Kf1! (why not gain a tempo
to centralize the king rather than take on d5 straightaway?)    34...h6 35.Bxd5 Qxd5 (if
35...exd5 36.e6+ and wins) 36.Qxd5 exd5 37.Nf3 Kf7 38.Nd4 . White has every
chance to win: his knight is on a superb blockade square and he has two advanced
passed pawns which can't be approached by the black king or attacked by the 'bad'
bishop. ]
33.Qd6! [An offer to exchange Black can't refuse.]
33...Qxd6 [33...Nd5 34.Nd4; and 33...Qd8 34.Nd4 with ideas of 35 c6 or 35 Nxe6+
are both fatal for Black.]
34.exd6 [Only this way: White wants two passed pawns and access to e5 for his
knight. ]
34...Nc6 [Naiditsch's minor pieces are now blocking the pawns and his king is ready
to join in the action. White has to act fast before Black plays moves like ...Kf6, ...e5–
e4, ...Ke6 and ...Kd5 to attack the c5–pawn.]
35.Ne1! [Also good was    35.Nd2! , planning Nb3, Bxc6, Na5 and c5–c6 to force the
pawns forwards. With the game move White prepares Nd3 followed by either Bxc6
and then Nb4 and c5–c6 or Bxc6 and Ne5 followed by a pawn advance. If Black plays
...Kf6 White can if necessary play Bxc6 and then f2–f4! followed by Ne5. ]
35...a5 36.Nd3 b4 [Black has guarded against Nb4, but an approach via e5 is still
available to the white knight.]
37.h4 [If    37.Bxc6 Bxc6 38.Ne5 a4! and Black has the chance to escape, as he should
draw after 39.Nxc6 b3 40.axb3 axb3 41.d7 b2 42.d8Q b1Q+ 43.Kg2 Qe4+ 44.Kf1
Qxc6 . Caruana therefore prepares to put his king on h2 so that he would win in this
variation as it would no longer be check when Black promotes. ]
37...Nd4 38.Kh2! [Steering clear of    38.Ne5? a4 39.Nxd7 b3 and Black will queen. ]
38...Bb5 [Or    38...Kf6 39.f4 Be8 and White is ready for    40.Ne5 .]
39.Ne5 Kf6 40.c6! [A neat finish;]
[though 40.f4 also wins.]
40...Bxc6 [If now    40...Kxe5 41.d7 Nxc6 42.Bxc6 and the pawn gets to d8. ]
41.Nxc6 [After    41.Nxc6 Nxc6 42.Bxc6 , White's bishop will hold back the black
queenside pawns whilst defending his passed pawn on d7. A brilliant game by
Caruana who showed enormous skill and determination. It's no wonder he was rated
2805 at the time of this game.]
50
1–0
(37) Laznicka,V - Kobo,O [A05]
22: Jerusalem, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.0–0 d5 5.d4 e6 6.c4 dxc4 7.Ne5 [An aggressive and
tricky move that is likely to upset an unprepared opponent. However, if he defends
well Black has more chances to equalize than after the more positional 7 Qa4 of the
previous game.]
7...Bd7! [The best reply. Black develops a piece, meets the threat to c6 and deters
White from trying Qa4.]
[QUESTION: How does White respond to 7...Nxd4 grabbing a second pawn?
ANSWER: 7...Nxd4? is disastrous after    8.e3 Nc6 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8
11.Nxf7+ , when Black could resign.]
8.Na3 [This isn't the moment to back down as White is already worse after    8.Nxd7
Qxd7; or 8.Nxc6 Bxc6 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 . Instead Laznicka rushes with his queen's
knight to recapture the pawn on c4 and link it with its brother-in-arms on e5. The offer
of the pawn on d4 is now a genuine gambit. However, White hopes to regain it in the
future whilst maintaining an initiative thanks to his lively knights. ]
8...cxd4 [As former world champion Wilhelm Steinitz would say, 'A centre pawn is
worth a little trouble.']
9.Naxc4 Bc5 [More modest was    9...Be7 . For example,    10.Bf4 and now:    10...0–0
(10...Nd5 11.Nxd7 Nxf4 (after    11...Qxd7 12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 0–0 14.Bxd4 ,
White's bishop pair gives him a slight edge) 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Nde5 Nh3+ 14.Kg2
Ng5 15.f3 Qd5 (in B.Avrukh-A.Grischuk, Calvia Olympiad 2004, Black blundered
with    15...Rc8? 16.Nxc6! ; it takes a nice tactic to catch out a player of Grischuk's
calibre and White had a clear advantage as 16...Rxc6 17.Qa4 would pick up the
exchange because    17...Qc8 fails to    18.Ne5) . Now    16.e4! is good for White, as
Black's pawns are wrecked after 16...dxe3 17.Qc2 f6 18.Rad1 Qb5 19.h4 fxe5 20.hxg5
Qc5 21.Rfe1 0–0 22.Rxe3 .) 11.Qb3 Qc8 12.Rac1 Nd5 13.Rfd1 Nxf4 14.gxf4 Rd8 .
One way to keep the tension instead of cashing in on the pressure on c6 is    15.Be4 :
for example,    (Now after    15.Bxc6 Bxc6 16.Na5 Rd5 17.Naxc6 bxc6 18.Rxc6 Qe8
19.Rdc1 Bd6 20.Qb7 Rd8 , White's advantage evaporated in M.Andersen-
A.Maksimenko, Aarhus 2014. (20...--) ) 15...Qc7 (or if    15...g6 even    16.Qh3)
16.Qf3 . The idea of these queen moves is to get off the b3–square in order to
introduce the idea of Na5 without allowing ...Nxa5 in reply. With the game move
Black develops and adds a defender to d4. The drawback is that the bishop could itself
become a target on c5. With this in mind White responds by clearing the c1–square for
the rook. He chooses f4 for his bishop to support his advanced knight.]
10.Bf4 [Alternatively,    10.Qb3 0–0 (or 10...Qc8 11.Bf4 0–0 12.Rac1 Nd5 13.Nxd7
Qxd7 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Bb6 16.Rfd1 Ne7 17.a4 and White has the initiative)
11.Bf4 (if    11.Qxb7 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Rb8 13.Qf3 Nd5 is comfortable for Black) 11...Rc8
(11...Qc8 12.Rac1 Nd5 13.Rfd1 keeps Black tied up) 12.Qxb7 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Rb8
14.Qf3 (Svidler tried    14.Qxb8 twice against Naiditsch at Khanty-Mansiysk in 2009,
but with little success; after 14...Qxb8 15.Nxd7 Qb5 16.Nxf8 Bxf8 , Black's strong
centre pawns balanced the nominal superiority of having two rooks versus the queen)
14...Rxb2 15.Rfc1 Bd6 16.Nc4 Bxf4 17.Qxf4 Rb4 18.Qxd4 Bb5 19.Qc5 Rxc4
20.Rxc4 Bxc4 21.Qxc4 . If you play the Catalan you have to try to squeeze out wins
with microscopic advantages. In K.Sasikiran-E.Bacrot, Moscow 2010, White tried
hard to exploit his superior minor piece, but had to concede a draw in the end.]
10...0–0 11.Rc1 [The rook not only makes the black bishop uneasy, but adds to the
pressure on c6. ]
11...Nd5 [Blocking the attack on c6, as well as introducing the idea of ...Nxf4. ]
[If now    11...Nxe5? 12.Nxe5 leaves both b7 and the bishop on c5 hanging, after
which an attempt to create counterplay with an exchange sacrifice fails utterly:
12...b6? 13.b4! Bxb4 14.Bxa8 Qxa8 15.Nxd7 Nxd7 16.Qxd4 and White stands to win.
; If instead    11...Rc8 12.Nd3 Be7 and now    13.Nd6 (perhaps White should keep the
tension with 13.Qd2!?) 13...Rc7!? seems okay for Black. ]
[EXERCISE: How can White keep on setting Black problems?ANSWER:]
12.Nxd7 [In general White is reluctant to exchange his knight for Black's awkwardly
placed bishop, but here he needs to clear a way for his bishop on f4 to the e5–square.
This will involve the exchange of both white knights. ]
51
[Besides, there is nothing to be gained by 12.Bxd5 exd5 If instead in this sequence
13.Na5 , uncovering an attack on c5, then    (when if    13.Nxd7 Qxd7 14.Ne5 Qe7! , it
is difficult for White to get his pawn back. (Note that Black should avoid    14...Nxe5?
15.Bxe5 , making it easy for the white bishop to attack d4.) ) 13...Nxa5 14.Rxc5 Bh3
15.Re1 b6 16.Rc1 Rc8 17.Rxc8 (or 17.Qxd4 f6! 18.Nd3 – taking on c8 transposes to
the main variation –    18...Nc6 and White has nothing) 17...Qxc8 18.Qxd4 f6 19.Nd3
Qc4! and Black is at least okay. ]
12...Qxd7 13.Ne5 Qd6?? [A serious mistake. ]
[Instead, after 13...Nxe5 14.Bxe5 , Black must save the bishop on c5. After the quiet
14...Bb6 (but    14...Qb5! looks dead equal upon    15.Bxd5 exd5 16.Bxd4 Bxd4
17.Qxd4 Qxe2 18.Rfe1 Qa6 19.Qxd5 Rad8 , etc) 15.Bxd4 , White can claim a tiny plus
due to the bishop pair.]
14.Nxc6 Nxf4 15.Na5! [A decisive move. Because the black knight is hanging on f4
there is no time to deal with the threat of 16 Nxb7.]
15...Nxg2 [If 15...b6; or 15...Bb6 , White wins a piece with 16.Nc4 and 17 gxf4.]
16.Nxb7 Qd5 17.Nxc5 [Material is equal, but the black knight won't be getting out of
g2.EXERCISE: can you see the best way for White to go about winning the trapped
horse?]
17...Rfc8 [ANSWER: White planned 17...-- 18.Qb3 to crowd out the black queen
from the defence of her knight or else exchange her off. (The pretty tactical shot 18.e4
to cut off the defence of the knight or exchange queens after 18...dxe3 19.Qxd5 was
also available.) ]
18.b4 a5 19.Qb3! [This is now lethal. ]
19...Nf4 [Also hopeless was    19...Qc6 20.b5 Qd6 21.Ne4 Qe5 22.Qf3 , when the
knight perishes.]
20.gxf4 Qh5 21.f3 axb4 22.Nd3 h6 23.Rxc8+ Rxc8 24.Qxb4 Rc2 25.Re1 Qg6+
26.Kh1

1–0
(39) Black Counterattacks [E04]
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Bd7 [.I would recommend this line to
players of Black who are looking for a hard fight. If White plays in a slow, elaborate
style he can find himself crushed by a kingside attack in about 30 moves. And how
often does that happen to him in other lines of the Catalan? It is only in this variation
that Black sends his king to the queenside, into the jaws of the bishop on g2. And
remarkably he (or she) often lives to tell the tale. The drawback to having 5...Bd7 as
your repertoire move is that which afflicts most enterprising lines against the Catalan:
with a crafty move order White can avoid it along with other lines that emanate from
4...dxc4.]
Line
(40) Sharevich,A - Nemcova,K [E04]
23: U.S. Women's Ch, Saint Louis, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Bd7 [The aforementioned provocation:
the bishop heads for c6 to challenge White's control of the long diagonal. Black will
forfeit the bishop pair, but achieve a powerful concentration of pieces in the centre.
Black's manoeuvre reminds me of the Fort Knox variation of the French Defence
which begins 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Bd7 5 Nf3 Bc6. In both cases Black
gives priority over development to the problem of the bad bishop on c8. However, the
two lines are temperamentally unrelated: in the French Black is looking for a peaceful
life through conceding some space, whereas here the aim is to start a hard fight.]
6.Ne5 [Sharevich unleashes the bishop and attacks b7, thereby ensuring she gains the
bishop pair.]
[EXERCISE: Back in the 1980s Karpov and Kasparov both faced this line as White.
They settled for 6.Qc2 , after which what should Black play?ANSWER: One of the
52
good things about 5...Bd7 is that White has little choice but to accept the challenge
with 6 Ne5. After 6...c5! 7.Qxc4 Bc6 in A.Karpov-G.Sosonko, Wijk aan Zee 1988,
and G.Kasparov-V.Korchnoi, 7th matchgame, London 1983, White had been 'tricked'
into a position which normally arises after 4...dxc4 5 Qa4+ Bd7 6 Qxc4 c5!. White
can't count on an advantage in this line, as we have seen in Chapter Two.]
6...Bc6 [It's too late for    6...Nc6 as after    7.Nxc4! Black has a cramped game because
the knight on c6 is blocking in the bishop on d7 and also obstructing the freeing
advance ...c7–c5. (Note that    7.Nxd7 would be a poor reply to 6...Nc6, as    7...Qxd7
accelerates Black's plan in the main game; while giving Black tripled pawns with
7.Nxc6 Bxc6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 misses the mark. Even if White regains the pawn White
has been deprived of her king's bishop, leaving her weak on the light squares.
Meanwhile the exchanges have uncluttered Black's position, ensuring an easy
development. You might like to compare the damage to Black's queenside structure
with that seen in the Catalan 7 Ne5 mainline. In both cases Black's activity ensures an
acceptable game. ) ]
7.Nxc6 Nxc6 8.0–0 [Instead, 8.Qa4?! is in too much of a hurry to get the pawn back:
i.e.    8...Qd7 9.Qxc4 Nxd4 10.Bxb7 Rb8 11.Bg2 Bb4+ 12.Bd2 0–0! and Black has the
initiative. If now    13.Bxb4 Rxb4 14.Qxb4?? Nc2+ 15.Kf1 and Black has one of those
delightful positions where nabbing the queen straightaway isn't the best move. ;
Meanwhile 8.e3 Qd7 9.0–0 0–0–0 would transpose, which is in fact was Sharevich's
move order which I've amended to be consistent with other games in this chapter. ]
8...Qd7 [Preparing to castle queenside. ]
[Instead    8...Qxd4?? would lose the queen. ; Nor is    8...Nxd4 attractive after
9.Bxb7 when White has the initiative. ; Finally, if Nemcova delays deploying her
forces White's mobile centre pawns become a danger to her:    8...Nd5 9.e3 (intending
to regain the pawn with Qa4 or Qc2 then Qxc4 as appropriate) 9...a6 10.Nc3 Nxc3
11.bxc3 Na5 12.f4! planning f4–f5, etc.]
9.e3 [Guarding the d4–pawn. ]
[After    9.Nc3!? but the pawn snatch    9...Nxd4 might be superior:    (Black could
follow the general plan with    9...0–0–0 ; 10.-- (10.--) ) 10.Bxb7 Rb8 11.Bg2 Be7
12.e3 Nb5 13.Qc2 and now    13...Nxc3 (or 13...0–0!?) 14.Qxc3 Qb5 15.b3 0–0 and
Black was safe in A.Yusupov-A.Karpov, Belfort 1988; (returning the pawn as
15...cxb3? 16.Bc6+ won't do. Notice that Karpov got involved on the black side of the
argument – a good validation of the 5...Bd7 line.) ]
9...0–0–0 [Nemcova completes a plan that is astounding in the Catalan. Normally
Black is trying to withstand pressure on his queenside pawns from the bishop on g2 –
you would imagine the last thing she wants is her king sitting on b8.EXERCISE: What
positional factors do you think justify Black's plan of castling queenside? You might
like to make a list. ANSWER: Firstly, Black is solidly centralized and actually has a
lead in development. Secondly, at the moment White's queenside pawns are passive on
a2 and b2. They are a long way from being utilized as battering rams against the black
king. This gives Black time to organize counterplay and fortify her defences. The
pressure from the bishop on g2 can be plugged with ...Nd5. Because Black has
played ...d5xc4 the horse can't be driven back by c2–c4. Alternatively if White tries
e3–e4 to evict the knight then d4 becomes weak and the bishop on g2 is shut in by its
own pawn. Of course, the knight won't be entirely stable sitting on d5, but it is a
serious obstacle to White's attack.Aggressively speaking, Black has a source of
counterattack on the kingside. It transpires that with 4 g3 White has created a hook for
the pawn advance ...h5–h4. The disappearance of the knight on f3 facilitates this
ramming move. Furthermore, the situation in the centre isn't entirely fixed. If White
tries a one-sided plan of attack on the queenside she has to watch out for an ...e6–e5
break-out by Black. Nonetheless, this is a double-edged plan for Black full of danger
as well as opportunity. Castling queenside into the fire of the bishop on g2 isn't asking
for a quiet life.]
10.Qa4 [The most aggressive approach. White not only aims to regain her pawn on
c4, but also threatens to smash up Black's queenside with 11 Nxc6. ]
10...Nd5 [Nemcova blocks the attack on c6 and puts her knight on a central square
which has the status of a 'pseudo outpost': if White tries to eject it with e3–e4 she
undermines her centre. ]
11.Qxc4 h5! [The advance of the h-pawn aims to make White regret she ever
weakened herself by playing the Catalan move 4 g3.]
12.Bd2 [White vacates the c1–square for the rook so it can exert pressure along the
half open file. At the same time the bishop positions itself to support a counterattack
53
on the queenside with b2–b4, etc. ]
[QUESTION: 12.h4 would block the h-pawn. Does that stop the attack?ANSWER:
The vigorous 12...g5! (instead GM Ganguly has tried    12...f6!? and then 13...g5,
which on the face of it also looks promising) 13.hxg5 h4 gives Black a pleasing
initiative. ]
12...h4 13.Rc1 hxg3 14.hxg3 f5! [With the pawn thrust Black stabilizes the knight on
d5 as now e3–e4 will no longer dislodge it. The pawn can support a second wave of
attack against the g3–pawn with ...g7–g5 and ...f5–f4. And, finally, the pawns are
being cleared out of the way of the black queen so that she can go to h7 to lead the
assault on the white king. ]
15.Nc3? [This feels too slow. ]
[The immediate thrust    15.b4 will be discussed in the next game. ]
15...g5! 16.Qa4 [EXERCISE: What is White's threat and how should Black prevent
it?ANSWER:]
16...Kb8 [Black guards the important a7–square. ]
[White's threat was    16...-- 17.Nb5 , when Black could resign as after 17...a6 (or
17...Kb8 18.Rxc6!) , there is    18.Rxc6! . If    18...Qxc6 (while    18...bxc6 allows mate)
19.Na7+ wins the queen.]
17.Nxd5 exd5 18.b4 Bd6 [Also possible is    18...f4!? as played in the later game
Y.Fang-Goh Weiming, Kecskemet 2016. In contrast    19.b5? leads to trouble assuming
Black plays with vigour:    (Then White probably does best to simplify with    19.exf4!
Nxd4 20.Qxd7 Rxd7 21.Kf1 (stopping a fork on e2) 21...gxf4 22.Bxf4 with about
equal chances. (22.--) ) 19...Nxd4! a piece sacrifice to buy time to demolish White's
kingside defences;    (the slow retreat    19...Ne7 is insufficient as    20.exf4 is just good
for White) 20.exd4 fxg3 21.Qb3 (Black's attack is irresistible after 21.fxg3? due to the
open f-file and h-file which prevent the white king from escaping: 21...Qh7 22.Rc3
Bd6 23.Re1 Rdf8 and the threat of mate on h2 is decisive) 21...gxf2+ 22.Kf1 Rh2! .
Following 23.Rc3? (White had to try    23.Rab1 Qh7 24.Qc2 Rh1+ 25.Bxh1 Qxh1+
26.Ke2 Qh5+ 27.Kd3 Bd6 , which is supposedly equal according to the programs as
Black has enough for perpetual but not mate; suffice to say that most human players
would be quaking in their boots at having to defend this as White) 23...Bb4! 24.Rd3
(after    24.Qxb4 Qg4 there's no good way to defend g2 as the white queen has been
deflected from supporting the blocking move Rg3) 24...Rxg2 25.Kxg2 Qg4+ 26.Rg3
Qe2 27.Rf1 Bxd2 28.Rxf2 Qe4+ 29.Qf3 Bf4 30.Qxe4 dxe4 31.Rc3 e3 32.Rfc2 Rxd4
and Goh Weiming converted his big endgame advantage as Black and won on move
51.]
19.b5?! [As so often this proves a naive attacking gesture because Black's initiative on
the kingside carries a lot more punch.]
[Critical was    19.Bxd5 So Black should try 19...f4 (when 19...Bxg3 , seems to be a
forced draw after    20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.Qxc6 (not    21.fxg3 Qd5 22.Qxc6 Rh1+ 23.Kf2
Qxc6 24.Rxc6 Rxa1 and Black wins the exchange) 21...Bxf2+ 22.Kxf2 Rh2+ 23.Kf3
Qxc6+ 24.Rxc6 Rxd2 25.Rc5 f4 , leading to a drawn rook and pawn endgame.)
20.Bxc6 bxc6 21.exf4 gxf4 22.Qxc6 fxg3 23.Qxd7 Rxd7 24.f4 Rh2 25.Be3 Re7 .
Despite being a pawn down, Black retains a strong initiative in the endgame thanks to
his active rooks, the strong passed pawn on g3 and the awkward position of the white
king.]
19...Ne7 [Such is the power of Black's looming attack that she might already be
adjudged to have a winning position.]
20.f4 [A radical way to stop the ...f5–f4–pawn thrust.]
20...Ng8! [The knight moves out of the way of the queen to allow her to go to h7 to
lead the attack down the h-file. At the same time the horse heads for e4, a marvellous
outpost in the centre created by White's previous move. ]
21.Qb3 [After    21.Bxd5 Nf6 22.Bg2 gxf4 23.exf4 Rdg8 24.Be1 Ne4 Black's pieces
exert intolerable pressure on the white kingside. ]
21...Nf6 22.fxg5 [Seeing no long-term answer to her opponent's build-up Sharevich
tries to counterattack which leads to a speedy collapse. ]
22...Ne4 [The knight finds a commanding square after a journey from b8 via c6, e7,
g8 and f6.]
54
23.Be1 Qh7 24.Qxd5 Bxg3 25.Qe6 Nxg5 [Now the horse removes the last pawn
barrier on the kingside.]
26.Qc4 Bxe1 27.Rxe1 Ne4 28.Qc2 Rdg8 29.Rac1 Qh1#
0–1
(41) Veinberg,N - Baron,T [E04]
24: Jerusalem, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Bd7 6.Ne5 Bc6 7.Nxc6 Nxc6 8.0–0 Qd7
9.e3 0–0–0 10.Qa4 Nd5 11.Qxc4 h5 12.Bd2 h4 13.Rc1 hxg3 [I have tweaked the
move order from    13...f5 14.b4 hxg3 15.hxg3 to be consistent with the Sharevich-
Nemcova game. ]
14.hxg3 f5 15.b4 [More direct than    15.Nc3 in the game above. ]
[EXERCISE: Here Black has four ways of handling the position. What do you think is
best? (a) Eliminate the pawn on b4 before it can advance further with 15....Ncxb4; (b)
Look for counterplay immediately with 15...g5; (c) Consolidate his queenside with
15...Kb8; (d) Develop with 15...Bd6.ANSWER:]
15...g5! [My computer program is content to defend the black position after
15...Ncxb4 16.a3 Nc6 17.Qb3 Kb8 18.Nc3 Nce7 19.Rab1 b6 20.a4 , though for a
human it's a little uncomfortable. ; Black is also being attacked after    15...Bd6 16.b5
Nce7 17.a4 with no counterplay in sight.; And here is what happened to a very strong
GM when he permitted himself the luxury of the consolidating move    15...Kb8? in
E.Postny-S.Movsesian, Teplice 2015:    16.b5 Nce7 17.a4 Nc8 18.Qb3 Nd6 19.Nc3
Nxc3 20.Bxc3 Ne4 21.a5 Qd5 22.Qb2 Bd6 23.b6 Rh6 24.Bb4 Rdh8 (Black's build-up
on the h-file looks impressive, but his whole strategy has a fatal flaw: he is attacking
with pieces, but not pawns; it is rare for an attack to succeed without the help of the
foot soldiers in breaking open the enemy's fortress)    25.Bxd6 Rh2 (Black's king is
indefensible after 25...cxd6 26.a6) 26.Bxc7+ Ka8 27.Qa2 1–0. Sergei Movsesian has
an enterprising chess style. His aggressive approach with the black pieces wins him a
lot of games, but occasionally leads to a sharp reverse. Nonetheless, he maintains an
Elo rating around the 2700 level.Most of us prefer to have counterplay rather than
passively face an attack, even if we are a pawn up; and every plan needs pawns at
some point. Put these two ideas together and we have the game move 15...g5!.]
16.b5 Nce7 17.a4 f4! [In a battle between advancing pawn fronts every tempo is
crucial. Baron strikes at e3 to deflect White from his queenside assault. If he had spent
a move on 15...Kb8 he wouldn't have been in time to hit White with this
counterstroke. Whatever the verdict of the computer programs, Black is having the fun
here in a game between humans. He gets to aim his pieces at a white king who is
rapidly denuded of pawn cover, while his own monarch can seek sanctuary on d7 in
key lines given below. White will have a nominal material advantage, but his rook on
a1 and knight on b1 don't contribute much to the struggle.]
18.a5? [In a straight race between attacks White will prove second best. ]
[After    18.e4?! Black can't afford to retreat his knight, but can continue his kingside
initiative with the piece sacrifice    18...fxg3! : for example,    19.exd5 exd5 20.Qd3
gxf2+ 21.Kf1 Nf5 with the intention of ...Bd6 followed by ...Ng3+.; A better line for
White is 18.gxf4! gxf4 19.e4 Rg8! (gaining time by threatening 20...f3)    20.Kf1! Nb6
21.Qc2 Rxg2!? (or 21...Bh6!?) 22.Kxg2 e5 (clearing the way for the queen)    23.Qc3
Ng6 , when Black has excellent attacking chances upon 24.a5? (so White should try
24.Qh3 exd4 25.Rh1 which is still unclear) 24...Qg4+ 25.Kf1 Na8 (notice how this is a
depressing square for the knight, but it performs a useful role in taking over from the
black queen in defending c7 against mate).]
18...fxg3 19.fxg3 Nf5!? [Also very strong was    19...Qd6! , aiming at g3, when if
20.b6 Qxg3 21.bxa7 Kd7! gives Black a winning attack. ]
20.e4? [It's no surprise White crumbles quickly. ]
[A better chance was    20.b6 , but    20...Qh7 21.Kf2 Bd6! (if    21...Qh2 , which on the
face of it looks winning, White can escape with perpetual check by 22.Qxc7+! Nxc7
23.Rxc7+ Kb8 24.Rxb7+ Kc8 – going to a8 allows mate in two –    25.Rc7+ Kb8 , etc)
22.bxa7 Kd7! leaves Black with a continuing initiative. ]
20...Nde3 21.Qc3 Qh7! [The open lines are fatal to the white king.]
55
22.exf5 [If    22.Bxe3 Qh2+ 23.Kf1 (after    23.Kf2 Qxg3+ either g2 or e3 falls)
23...Nxg3+ 24.Ke1 (now going to f2 loses the queen to a fork on e4)    24...Bb4!
(meeting the threat of mate on c7)    25.Qxb4 Qxg2 and Black has a decisive attack:
one threat is mate on e2 in one move, another is mate in two beginning 26...Rh1+.]
22...Qh2+ [Frustratingly for Veinberg his king will be chased all the way to c4,
without a moment's respite to carry out his threat of mate on c7. ]
23.Kf2 Qxg2+ 24.Kxe3 Qxg3+ 25.Ke2 Qg4+ 26.Kd3 Qxf5+ 27.Kc4 Rh3 28.Be3
Qe4 [The most precise winning method was    28...e5! (remember every attack needs
the help of pawns at some point!)    29.Kb3 Qf7+ (stopping the mate threat on c7)
30.Qc4 (or    30.Kb2 exd4 and wins) 30...Rxe3+ 31.Kb2 Qxc4 32.Rxc4 exd4 and
Black is three pawns up in the endgame. ]
29.Re1 [White could linger on in a hopeless position with    29.Nd2 Qxe3 30.Qxe3
Rxe3 31.Re1 .]
29...Qd5+ 30.Kd3 Qxb5+ 31.Kc2 Bb4 32.Na3 Qf5+ [The white queen is lost after
32...Qf5+ 33.Qd3 Rh2+ .]
0–1
(42) Ulibin,M - Brkic,A [E04]
25: Biel, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Ne5 Bc6 7.Nxc6 Nxc6 8.0–0 Qd7
9.e3 0–0–0 10.Nd2! [An important alternative to 10 Qa4 in the games above. The
knight will be much better posted on c4 than on c3.EXERCISE: Do you think Black
should persevere with the idea of attacking on the kingside with 10...h5 in the style of
the games above, or should he try 10...e5 to counterattack in the centre?ANSWER:]
10...e5! [This seems a necessary change of plan. ]
[After    10...h5 11.Nxc4 , followed by Bd2 and b2–b4, White's queenside attack
proves superior. He hasn't wasted time with Qa4 and on c4 the white knight proves
well placed to go to e5 or a5 once the black knight has been evicted by a b4–b5–pawn
stab. For example, 11...Nd5 12.Bd2 h4 13.b4! (a pawn is a small price to pay to open
lines of attack) 13...hxg3 14.hxg3 Bxb4 (this is not appetising for Black, but otherwise
White's attack trundles on with moves like b4–b5, Rb1 and Qa4, etc; notice how much
slower Black's kingside counterplay is compared to the games above) 15.Bxb4 Ndxb4
16.Qb3 Rh5 17.Rab1 Rdh8 18.Ne5! (demonstrating the superiority of having the
knight on c4 rather than c3) 18...Nxe5 19.Qxb4 Ng4 20.Qxb7+ Kd8 21.Rfc1 . This
position is reminiscent of the Postny-Movsesian extract above. Black has doubled
rooks on the h-file and an active knight, but they can't strike a deadly blow whilst
Black is annihilated on the queenside: 21...Qd6 22.Rc6 Qd7 23.Rbc1 e5 24.Rxc7 and
1–0 in P.Prohaszka-B.Takacs, Heviz 2010. Not a great defence by Black, but it shows
the danger he faces after 10 Nd2 if he fails to counterattack in the centre. It has to be
done at once with 10...e5 as next move after 11 Nxc4 it would be too late. ]
11.Nxc4 exd4 12.exd4?! [For the superior    12.Qa4; and    12.Qb3 see the next game. ]
12...Qe6! [QUESTION: Why is this a better move than capturing the pawn on d4
straightaway?]
[ANSWER: White would have a huge attack after 12...Nxd4 13.Be3; or    12...Qxd4
13.Qa4 . Therefore Black attacks the knight and prepares to capture on d4 with the
rook to embarrass the white queen. He keeps his own knight on c6 to help block
White's initiative against a7 or b7. Essentially Black is provoking a quick action in the
centre before White can aim his big guns at the black king. ]
13.Qa4 [The white queen runs from danger on the d-file whilst defending her knight
and putting pressure on the queenside. ]
13...Rxd4 [Black wins a pawn whilst pinning the white knight.]
14.b3 [White threatens not only 15 Bxc6 followed by capturing on a7, but also the
simple 15 Be3 when he drives back the black rook and coordinates his pieces. This
would leave Black facing a massive attack on his king, but Brkic can seize the chance
to play in the centre.]
14...Ne4! [EXERCISE: The knight blocks the attack on c6 and introduces a strong
tactical threat. Can you see it?ANSWER: The threat was 15...Nc3 trapping the white
queen. The game move stops it whilst hitting the black rook. Nonetheless the white
56
queen is still short of squares.]
15.Bb2 Nc5! 16.Qxc6! [If now    16.Qa3 Nd3 wins for Black after    17.Qa4 (or    17.b4
Bxb4 when c4 will drop) 17...Nxb2 . White is therefore obliged to make a positional
queen sacrifice. ; If    16.Qb5 then 16...a6 forces White into    17.Qxc6 bxc6 . He
prefers to play the sacrifice straightaway so that the pawn on a7 will be potentially
hanging to White's bishop on d4. ]
16...bxc6 17.Bxd4 Ne4 [EXERCISE: Evaluate the position! What do you think of
White's queen sacrifice?ANSWER: The knight has returned to e4 to block in the
bishop on g2 and put a barrier against a white rook on e1– not that it is a very secure
barrier, as we shall see. If a positional queen sacrifice for a rook and bishop is going to
work then the giver needs a safe king and a solid pawn structure. Above all, the
opponent mustn't have a strong passed pawn, which doesn't apply here. So on the
whole White is looking at least okay. The problem will appear when in order to get rid
of the knight on e4 he is obliged to compromise his kingside, after which his king
becomes a strategic factor – not what you want when your opponent has an unopposed
queen. So the verdict seems to be White has sufficient compensation for the queen, but
not more. ]
18.Rae1 f5 19.g4 [With the laudable aim of eliminating the defender of the knight, but
White is taking liberties with his kingside. ]
[More precise is    19.f3 Qd5! (breaking the pin on the knight and attacking d4)
20.fxe4 Qxd4+ 21.Kh1 Bb4 22.Rd1 Qc3 23.Rc1 Qd4 (after    23...Qf6 24.Rxf5 Qh6
25.Rcf1 Black shouldn't lose, but it's difficult to see any winning chances for him
against White's well-coordinated pieces) 24.Rcd1 Qc3 25.Rc1 Qd4 26.Rcd1 and a
draw was agreed in A.Giri-P.Harikrishna, Biel 2014.]
19...Bd6!? [Aiming straight at h2. ]
[Also possible were    19...Qd5; or 19...Qd7 with unclear play. ]
20.gxf5 Qh6 [The threat of mate saves the black knight. ]
21.f4 [There is a hair-raising drawing sequence after 21.Nxd6+ Nxd6 22.Rc1 Nxf5
23.Rxc6 Qf4 24.Bxa7 Nh4 (the queen and knight are a formidable attacking duo, but
in fact it is Black who has to be careful)    25.Rfc1 Nxg2 26.R1c4 Qe5 (after    26...Qf3
27.Rxc7+ Kd8 28.Bb6! Ke8 29.Ra7 White's threat of mate on c8 is decisive) 27.Bd4
Qh5 (Black would be mated after    27...Qg5 28.Rxc7+ Kb8 29.R7c5 Qg6 30.Rb5+)
28.Rxc7+ Kb8 29.Kxg2 Qg4+ 30.Kf1 Qd1+ 31.Kg2 Qg4+ and Black gives perpetual
check. ]
21...Bxf4 22.Rxe4 [White is uncomfortable due to his king's vulnerability after
22.Rxf4 Qxf4 23.Rxe4 Qc1+ 24.Kf2 Rf8 25.Ne3 Rf7 , etc.]
22...Qxh2+ 23.Kf2 Qg3+ [Black calls it a draw too soon. ]
[After    23...Rf8! White has a material advantage, but his king's awkward situation
would cause him anxiety. His best move would be    24.Rg1 . (If instead 24.f6 , which
looks plausible to block the f-file, then 24...gxf6 is a case of out of the frying pan and
into the fire: 25...Rg8 next move would start a strong attack down the newly opened g-
file. ) ]
24.Kg1 Qh2+ 25.Kf2 Qg3+
½–½
(43) Postny,E - Nakar,E [E04]
26: European Club Cup, Skopje, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Ne5 Bc6 7.Nxc6 Nxc6 8.0–0 Qd7
9.e3 0–0–0 10.Nd2 e5 11.Nxc4 exd4 12.Qa4 [In my opinion White needs to sacrifice
the d4–pawn if he wants to try for advantage as the line 12.exd4 Qe6! in the previous
game is too convincing for Black.; We should also examine the alternative way to
gambit a pawn with    12.Qb3!? .QUESTION: What's White's idea? A better defence is
12...Nd5! , blocking the potential attack on b7. (ANSWER: After, say,    12...h5? Black
would be hit by    13.Ne5! , when 13...Qe6 (while 13...Nxe5 allows mate) Note this
mercenary approach is stronger than 14.Nxc6 (14.Nxf7 wins the exchange and a
pawn.    14...-- (14...--) ) 14...bxc6 , though Black would still be busted.    (There is a
cute point that    14...Qxb3 would be answered by 15.Nxa7+ Kb8 16.axb3 when the
rook on a1 suddenly defends the white knight on a7.) ) Critical, though, is 13.Bd2!?
planning Rac1 or Rfd1 as appropriate. For example: (Now E.Vorobiov-D.Raznikov,
57
Pardubice 2015, burnt out to a tame draw after 13.Rd1 Bc5 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.exd4 c6
16.dxc5 Qf5 and ½ ½. The position is fairly equal after    17.Bxd5 Rxd5 18.Rxd5 cxd5
19.Bf4 Nc6 . (19...--) ) 13...Bc5!? (After    13...dxe3 14.Bxe3 Nxe3 15.fxe3! f6 (fatal
for the black king is 15...Kb8? 16.Ne5) 16.Rad1 White has a dangerous initiative.)
14.Rac1 (Black should hold the endgame without too many problems after    14.Rad1
Qe6 15.Na5 Nxa5 16.Bxa5 Bb6 17.Bxb6 Nxb6 18.Qxe6+ fxe6 19.exd4 Rhe8 , etc)
14...dxe3!? (usually a concession, but here it is the best way to deal with the threat of
15 Ne5 Nxe5 16 Rxc5 with decisive pressure)    15.Nxe3 (if    15.Bxe3 Nxe3 16.Nxe3
Bb6 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.Nc4 Rhe8 , Black is solid and well centralized enough not to
lose because of the doubled pawns) 15...Bxe3 16.Bxe3 Qe6 17.Bxa7!? (sacrificing a
piece for the attack) (it's unclear after 17.Bc5 Rhe8 18.Qc2) 17...Nxa7 18.Rfe1 Qf5
19.Rc5 (White could force a draw straightaway with    19.Be4 Qh5 20.Bf3 Qf5 21.Be4)
19...c6 20.Bxd5 Rxd5 21.Re7 Qb1+ 22.Kg2 Rd7 23.Rxd7 Qe4+ 24.Kh3 Kxd7
25.Qxb7+ Kd6 26.Qxa7 Qe6+ 27.Kg2 Qe4+ 28.Kh3 with a draw by perpetual check.
This line beginning 13...Bc5 is my untested analysis. ]
12...Nd5 [Instead, 12...dxe3? 13.Bxe3 is abysmal for Black as all the white pieces are
line up against his king. ; Meanwhile after 12...h5 the onslaught with    13.b4! is much
too hot to handle: for instance, 13...Kb8 14.b5 (or    14.Bxc6!?) 14...Nb4 15.exd4 h4
16.Ne5 with an overwhelming advantage for White; note especially the weakness of
f7 that hampers the defence. ; Finally,    12...d3 has been tried: Instead, 13.b4! would
still be the best response – Black has no answer to the disruptive 14 b5 as (when
White showed too much respect for the d3–pawn with 13.Rd1 . 13...-- (13...--) )
13...Nxb4 (while 13...Bxb4 loses a piece to 14.Bxc6) 14.Qxa7 is curtains. The pawn on
d3 is irrelevant.]
13.exd4 Kb8 [Of course, a7 drops after 13...Nxd4.]
14.Rd1 [A simple move to consolidate the centre before the next wave of attack is
launched on the queenside. Black has been unable to disrupt White's build-up by a
counterattack along the d-file. ]
14...Be7? [A rather routine move. The bishop takes away the e7–square from the
knight on c6, from which it could help defend the vital d5–square. ]
[Because he was more or less obliged to answer 10 Nd2 with 10....e5, Black has been
denied the chance to start a kingside attack of the kind that occurs after 10 Qa4 Nd5
11 Qxc4 h5!. If he had played    14...h5 here, for example, the reply    15.h4 looks
good. The exchange ...e5xd4 and recapture e3xd4 has removed pawns from e3 and e6,
which undoubtedly favours White. His dark-squared bishop sees daylight and deters
Black from ever playing ...g7–g5. At the same time the black knight on d5 has lost the
support of the e6–pawn, which helps White undermine it. In general the open e-file
prevents Black from focussing on a one-sided attack on the white king.; If you want to
play like this as Black I would recommend    14...f6 (guarding the e5–square against
Ne5) 15.Qb3 Nce7 (strengthening the knight on d5)    16.Bd2 h5 17.h4 c6 18.Rac1 g6 .
Black has consolidated his queenside as the knight is no longer on c6 where it is a
target of b4–b5 and d5 is bolstered. Counterplay might come from ...Nf5 at some
point. ]
[EXERCISE: How should White now set about removing the barrier to his attack on
d5?]
15.Ne3? [An obvious bid to evict the knight from d5, but it lets Black gain
counterplay in the centre after all.]
[ANSWER: Instead, the circumspect 15.Qb3! and only then 16 Ne3 would be the way
for White to conquer the d5 point when he has a very good game. ]
15...Nb6 16.Qc2 [After    16.Bxc6 Black he can reply 16...Nxa4 (he doesn't have to
accept doubled pawns with 16...Qxc6 17.Qxc6 bxc6) 17.Bxd7 Rxd7 , when it is White
who has to worry about his isolated queen's pawn.]
16...Bf6? [Black wants to put his knight on d4 and so prepares to support it with the
bishop. He is happy to entice White's pawn to d5 where it blocks an attack on b7 by
the Catalan bishop. ]
[Nonetheless, he should prefer the bold    16...Nxd4 17.Qe4 c5 . More careful is
18.Kh1 , which side-steps a potential knight check on e2 so that (If then    18.a4?! f5!
19.Qb1 f4 20.gxf4 Qe6 gives Black the initiative.    (20...--) ) 18...f5? (instead, after
the superior    18...Qc7 the position remains unclear) , can be answered with the
tactical shot    19.Nxf5! as 19...Qxf5 allows mate on b7. ]
17.d5 [As we shall see in the game, White's pawn at d5 proves a powerful support of
his queenside attack rather than a hindrance. It also takes away retreat squares from
58
the knight on d4.]
17...Nd4 18.Qd3 a6 [Evidently Black was afraid of his knight on d4 being surrounded
by a move like a2–a4 and then attacked with Bd2 and Bc3 without having a safe flight
square. And so he prepares to retreat it to b5.]
19.Nc2 Nb5 20.a4 Nd6 21.Nd4 Ndc8? [It is baffling why Black would withdraw the
horse from its excellent blockade square. ]
[He should trust in centralization with 21...Rhe8 , when if    22.a5 Nbc4 stays active. ]
[EXERCISE: Can you see a way to immediately exploit Black's disastrous decision?]
22.Nb3? [Postny builds up his game confident that his initiative will eventually lead
to a strong attack.]
[ANSWER: He probably didn't look too deeply at the immediate    22.Nc6+! bxc6
23.Qxa6 . or 23...Nxd5 (Actually this wins quickly as there is nothing to be done
about 24 a5. If the knight then retreats from b6 ideas like Rd3, intending Rb3+, or Bf4
and then dxc6 will follow. For example, 23...cxd5 24.a5 Nc4 (or 24...Na8 25.Rd3)
25.Rxd5 wins ) 24.Bxd5 cxd5 25.Rd3 Nb6 (if    25...g5 26.a5) 26.Bf4 , when 27
Qxb6+ is one murderous threat. It would have taken some effort to find 22 Nc6+!. On
the other hand, it would have saved White a lot of effort that was needed in the game
to finally subdue Black in an endgame.]
22...Nxa4 23.Qc2 Nd6 24.Be3 Rhe8 [After    24...Nb6 25.Rdc1 White will eventually
break through the black king's defences, possibly with a sequence involving Nc5 and
Bf1 followed by a piece sacrifice on a6 or b7. ]
25.Na5 Nb6 26.Nc6+! [With all his pieces well placed for the attack, Postny decides it
is time for a sacrifice to break up the black king's pawn wall. It involves a very neat
piece of calculation. ]
26...bxc6 [EXERCISE: As a test of your analytical powers, you might like to see if
you can work your way through to a queen and opposite-colour bishop endgame
where White is winning despite equal material.]
27.Bxb6 [The only move.]
[If    27.Rxa6 Black has time for    27...Rxe3!; or if    27.dxc6 Qf5! .]
27...cxb6 28.dxc6 Qc8 [Here    28...Qa7 meets the same reply.]
29.Rxa6! [Again the only move for White. One of the many threats is 30 c7+ Qxc7 31
Ra8 mate. ]
29...Qxa6 30.c7+ Ka7 31.cxd8Q Rxd8 32.Rxd6! [A crucial move that White had to
see at the start of his combination. ]
[If instead    32.Qc7+ Nb7 holds everything together for Black. ]
32...Qa1+ [It is necessary to force the bishop to f1 as    32...Rxd6 33.Qc7+ mates. ]
33.Bf1 Rxd6 34.Qc7+ Ka8 35.Qxd6 Bxb2 [It might appear that Black has escaped
the worst, but in fact his terrible king position leads to a loss of a couple of pawns. ]
36.Qc6+ Kb8 37.Qe8+ [Stronger was    37.Qxb6+ at once, as if the black king heads
to e8 to try to save his f7–pawn there will be mate threats based on Kg2, unpinning the
bishop on f1. ]
37...Kc7 38.Qxf7+ Kd6 39.Qf8+ Kc7 40.Qe7+ Kc8 41.Qe6+ Kc7 42.Qc4+ Kd6
43.Qd3+ Bd4 44.Qxh7 Qe1 45.Qg6+ Qe6 46.Qd3 [And draw agreed (½–½)
according to the database. ]
[White obviously has good winning chances after    46.Qd3 Qf6 47.Qd2 , etc. Perhaps
a draw suited Postny as this was a team game?]
½–½
(45) The Main Line: 7 Ne5 [E05]
[Neil McDonald]
[The subject of this chapter is the variation]
59
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Ne5 [.Instead of the
usual 7 Qc2, White advances his knight. The shadow boxing is over: Black has to
decide how to meet this intrusion into his half of the board. In his book 'Common
Sense In Chess', which was based on a series of lectures he gave in 1895, the great
world champion Emanuel Lasker says there are three types of move: developing,
which bring new forces into play; moves which increase the work rate of your own
pieces; and, thirdly, moves which undo the work of the enemy pieces.With 7 Ne5
White unleashes the bishop on g2 and puts the knight on a central square. But his
main concern is with undoing the potential work of the enemy pieces by making it
hard for Black to develop his bishop from c8. He also denies the black knight the
chance to go to c6 except at the penalty of broken up pawns.]
7...-- [Black's best response is almost certainly 7...Nc6! , refusing to be cowed into
playing passively. It then becomes difficult to judge correctly the various material,
structural and dynamic factors that govern the position. White has to be prepared to
come under attack in the 8.Bxc6 variation and at the time of writing Black is doing
pretty well here. (In contrast, Wesley So scores a win over Nakamura with 8.Nxc6 . I
have analyzed the opening here in detail as I think it is White's most promising try. ) ;
We'll also look at    7...c5 which makes some sense as White has removed a defender
of d4 with his knight move. However, as so often in the Catalan, the ...c7–c5 freeing
move which works so well for Black in the Queen's Gambit is no recipe for easy
equality when White has a bishop on g2. ]
Line
(46) Wang Hao - Hou Yifan [E06]
27: Danzhou, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Ne5 Nc6! [Anyway.
Black favours activity over a solid pawn structure. White has played a slow opening
(g2–g3, Bg2, moving the knight twice) and so the women's number one player seeks
to grab the initiative from him.]
8.Bxc6 [White gets his pawn back and leaves his opponent with a broken queenside
structure. Indeed, the weakness of the c4–pawn in what follows means that Black is
virtually forced to gambit it, meaning that White is going to be a pawn up. On the
other hand, giving up the 'Catalan' bishop is a serious concession. Black's light-
squared bishop suddenly has no rival, which means that Hou Yifan will always have
counterplay, despite the pawn deficit. ]
[The alternative    8.Nxc6 is considered later in this chapter. ]
8...bxc6 9.Nxc6 [Beginning a forcing sequence which will end with White picking up
the c4–pawn.]
9...Qe8 10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 11.Qc2 [White puts the queen on a square where she attacks
c4 and keeps e2 defended.]
[The alternative 11.Qa4 is examined in the next game. ; Another way of attacking c4
was with    11.Na3 . Then    11...Rd8 was played in the big name game Wei Yi-W.So,
Bilbao 2016:    12.Qc2! Ba6! (instead    12...Rxd4? 13.Be3 Rd8 14.Nxc4 leaves White
developed and with the better pawn structure) 13.Nxc4 c5 14.dxc5 Qxc5 15.b3 Bxc4
16.Bb2 Rac8 17.Bxf6 (Black is suddenly winning after    17.Rfc1? Ng4! 18.e4 Qh5;
meanwhile    17.Rac1 Qa5 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.bxc4 Rd2 picks up the a2–pawn, but maybe
White has a very tiny advantage after 20.Qe4) 17...gxf6 18.Rfc1 Qe5 19.bxc4 Rd4
20.Rab1 (White can't save the c4–pawn – if 20.c5 Rd5 21.c6 Rd6 22.c7 Rd7)
20...Rdxc4 21.Qxc4 Rxc4 22.Rxc4 Qxe2 (at first you might imagine the two rooks
would overpower the queen in the endgame, but in fact they can't coordinate to attack
a7 or f7 without allowing a perpetual check)    23.Ra4 a6 24.Kg2 Qe5 25.Rd1 h5
26.Rd3 Qb5 27.Raa3 Qc6+ 28.Kg1 Qc1+ 29.Kg2 Qc6+ 30.Kg1 Qc1+ 31.Kg2 ½–½.]
11...c5 [Black jettisons c4 in order to be rid of the sickly pawn on c7 and break up
White's centre. ]
[Instead    11...e5 12.Rd1!? supports the d4–pawn However,    12...Bb7!? aiming for a
kingside attack leads to double-edged play. For example, (when 12...Rb8 13.Nc3
turned out well for White in V.Kramnik-M.Carlsen, London 2013. (13.--) ) 13.Nc3
Qe6 14.dxe5 Ng4 (14...Qh3 15.e4 Ng4 16.f4 Rad8 17.Nd5 f5! 18.Re1 was complex in
R.Svane-T.Beerdsden, USA 2017) 15.Bf4 h6 16.e4 g5 17.h3 gxf4 18.hxg4 fxg3 19.f3
Qxe5 (maybe    19...f6!?) 20.Kg2 , as in J.Hawkins-S.Collins, Dublin 2013, and now
Black should play 20...h5 , the point being that if 21.gxh5?! (White should try 21.Nd5
hxg4 22.f4 instead with a murky position) 21...f5! gives good pressure. 22.Nd5 .]
60
12.Qxc4 cxd4 13.Qxd4 [EXERCISE: Can you work out which of 13...Bb7, 13...Rb8
or 13...e5 is the best move for Black?ANSWER:]
13...e5! [Chess strategy is not only about putting your pieces on good squares – that is,
making them work harder. You also need to think about how to undo the work of the
opponent's pieces. ]
[If here    13...Rb8 then    14.Qe5! follows and the white queen gets to sit on a good
centre square where she incidentally attacks the rook on b8. If then    14...Bb7 White
could continue    15.Nc3 and 16 Bg5, when Black's compensation for the pawn is fast
fading. When you see how the white queen is pushed around by Hou Yifan in the
game you'll realize you don't want her sitting with impunity on e5.; The other
possibility is    13...Bb7 . The bishop is, indeed, well placed on b7, but the rook on a8
is annoyed that it is deprived of its open file. Because there is no pressure on b2 White
can play 14.Bg5 at once and answer 14...Rfd8 with    15.Qh4 . Again Black's
compensation for the pawn is vanishing. In the game after 13...e5, the white queen is
chased from the centre. Black gets her rook on to the open file and also plays ...Bb7
without the pieces obstructing each other. Furthermore, the e6–square proves useful
for the black queen not only to break a pin after Bg5, but also as an avenue of attack
on the white king via the light squares. And to add to all these goodies, in the game the
e5–pawn will prove a battering ram against the white kingside.]
14.Qh4 Rb8 [The white queen is dislodged and the black rook eyes the b2–pawn.]
15.b3 [After    15.Nc3 Black had better do something fast or else 16 Bg5 is good for
White. The vigorous response    15...Rb4 16.e4 h6 is called for. The pin is prevented
and White's queen finds herself stalemated. ; If 15.Bg5 Rxb2 . Perhaps White should
play like this anyway, to be equal after 16.Nc3 Qe6 17.e4 .]
15...Qe6 [Note that    15...Rb4 would fail to    16.Ba3! and Black loses material. Hou
Yifan therefore breaks the pin on her knight and brings her queen on to a light square
as a prelude to an assault on the kingside. ]
16.Na3 [If    16.Bg5 Nd5 , etc.]
16...Rd8 17.Qc4 Qh3 [The threat of 18...Ng4 forces White to weaken his king's
defences. ]
18.f3 Bb7 19.Qc2?! [After this Black will get a fearsome initiative, even if objectively
speaking White can still defend. ]
[White had to reduce the potential pressure on his kingside, either with    19.Bg5 to
eliminate the black knight;; or with    19.e4 , which would prevent Black's next move. ]
19...e4! [Using the f3–pawn as a lever for opening up the long diagonal. Black has
bags of play for a mere pawn. ]
20.Nc4 Rbc8 21.Rf2 Qh5 [EXERCISE: Try to work out if it is better for White to
play 22 Bb2 or 22 Be3.]
22.Be3? [ANSWER: White had to play    22.Bb2! in order to eliminate the f6–knight
before it can land on the g4–square giving Black a decisive initiative. Instead, Black
could try 22...Ba6!? to keep up the initiative and reserve the threat of invading
with ...Rd2. This would leave White with a badly placed rook on g2.It would require a
cool head to play 22 Bb2 and not fear 22...Rd2, but I could imagine a great defender
like Capablanca seeing through the position and concluding 'My main enemy is the
knight, I must get rid of it at all costs'.After the game move White's defences crumble.
There is no defence against the fearsome light-squared bishop. (Naturally Wang Hao
was loathe to allow the black rook to penetrate after 22...e3 23.Rg2 Rd2 , but in fact
after 24.Qc3 Rxe2 (which looks crushing), White can hold on by defending f3 with
25.Rf1 (it is mate in two upon 25.Rxe2 Qxf3 , as with    26.Qxe3 Qh1+ 27.Kf2 Ng4#) .
If then    25...Bxf3? White can turn the tables with 26.Rxe2 Bxe2 27.Rxf6! gxf6
28.Qxf6 with a winning attack. Incidentally, this line demonstrates the influence of
opposite-coloured bishops on scenarios where a king is vulnerable. If Hou Yifan
relinquishes the initiative then it is her king who can suddenly become a target.After
the game move White's defences crumble. There is no defence against the fearsome
light-squared bishop.) ]
22...exf3 23.exf3 Bxf3 24.Bg5 Be4 25.Qc1 Ng4 26.Re2 [The rook chooses e2 to stop
26...Ne5, planning 27...Nf3+, with a crushing attack.]
26...Bf3 [White's rook is hanging. It has to stay on the second rank to guard h2. If it
goes to d2 the bishop is lost, while other safe squares allow 27...Rd1+ winning
material.]
61
[Meanwhile 26...Bf3! 27.Bxd8 Bxe2 28.Bh4 Qc5+ 29.Kg2 Qf2+ leads to mate.A fine
attacking display by the women's world champion.]
0–1
(47) Kramnik,V - Nakamura,H [A14]
28: Paris (blitz), 2016
[Neil McDonald]
[This is a heavyweight game which illustrates the depth of an elite player's preparation
which extends well into the middlegame. On the other hand, it was a blitz game, so we
have to excuse the inevitable mistakes in the later stages. Kramnik's refined move
order here was discussed at the start of the book.]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 e6 4.0–0 Be7 5.c4 0–0 6.d4 dxc4 7.Ne5 [It's worth noting
that if you play Kramnik's move order to get to the Catalan mainline and then choose
7 Ne5 as here, you cut out a lot of theory. ]
7...Nc6 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Nxc6 Qe8 10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 11.Qa4 [Diverging from    11.Qc2
in the game above.]
11...e5! [It is useful to compare the current situation with that after 11 Qc2. As
mentioned in the previous game, with the white queen on c2 guarding the e2–pawn,
after 11...e5 a decent idea is It is useful to compare the current situation with that after
11 Qc2. As mentioned in the previous game, with the white queen on c2 guarding the
e2–pawn, after 11...e5 a decent idea is 12 Rd1!? as 12...exd4 wouldn't uncover the
threat of 13...Qxe2.In the present game, however, with the queen on a4, 12.Rd1? exd4
would just be bad for White. Therefore the e-pawn central break becomes more
attractive for Black.; At the same time 11...c5 has become less appealing than in the
game above.    Alternatively,    12.Qc6 wins the c5–pawn because of the threat to a8:
for example,   
a) Rather than transpose with Wang Hao's    12.Qxc4 , White has extra options due to
the more flexible position of the white queen on a4.;
b) Firstly,    12.Qa3 pins the c5–pawn. Then, for example,    12...Qb7 13.Qxc5 e5
14.Rd1 Bh3 15.d5 keeps an edge for White.    (15.--) ;
12...Bb7 13.Qxc5 Qxc5 (usual) (keeping the queens on with    13...Qd7!? might be a
better approach) 14.dxc5 Rfc8 15.Be3 Ng4 16.Bd4 e5 17.Bc3 Rxc5 18.Rd1 followed
by Na3 and again White has the better chances.]
12.dxe5 Qxe5 13.Qxc4 [After    13.Nc3!? Ne4!? 14.Qxc4 Nxc3 15.bxc3 (not
15.Qxc3 Qxe2) 15...Be6 16.Qd3 Rad8 17.Bf4 Qc5 18.Qc2 Qc6 , Black's light-square
superiority means that any attempt at exploiting his extra pawn by White with an
eventual f2–f3 and e2–e4 advance would leave him fragile. For example, if 19.f3 Bh3
20.Rfd1? (instead    20.Rf2 is required, but awkward for the rook) 20...Qc5+ , when
21.Kh1 (21.e3 White loses a piece upon 21...g5) 21...Qf2 22.Rg1 Rfe8 23.Rae1
(otherwise e2 drops)    23...Bg2+! 24.Rxg2 Qxe1+ wins for Black.]
[QUESTION: After the game move not only is Black down a pawn, he also has
broken queenside pawns. If everything else were equal, this would surely be more
than enough for an arch-strategist like Kramnik to bag the point as White. So what is
Black's compensation?ANSWER: It is imperative for Black that he gains time by
hitting the white queen. Not only the bishop, but also the black rooks can be mobilized
with gain of time by harassing her. She is obliged to defend the e2–pawn and shouldn't
wander too far from the kingside as her assistance is needed in thwarting any attack
led by the black queen. This explains her tortuous manoeuvres. On the other hand, the
prize is worth a lot of suffering. If White can escape the pressure then he has enough
material advantage to win the game.]
13...Be6 [If Black settled for    13...Bb7 , then the bishop looks pretty on the long
diagonal, but White can develop with 14.Nc3 and play f2–f3 if the black queen made
threatening noises with ...Qh5. With the bishop coming out to f4 White would be in
command. ; Likewise, if    13...Bh3 14.Re1 (it's kind of Black to drive the white rook
to e1 where it defends e2 and frees the queen of the task) leaves White free to develop.
] with ...Nd5 as in the game. ; So White wants his queen on f2, but    18.Qf2 Nd5 keeps
14.Qd3 [White's queen is also pushed about after 14.Qc2 : for example,    14...Bf5
15.Qd2 Bh3 16.Re1 Rad8 17.Qe3 Qd5 18.f3 Ng4 19.Qc3 Instead, 19...Rfe8 sets up a
brilliant trap: (and here 19...Qb7 20.Bf4 was draw agreed in Wen Yang-P.Leko, Baku
2015, but White looks a bit better.    (20.--) ) White should therefore develop with
20.Na3 , when Black has enough counterplay for the material, but no more than that
62
after (namely 20.Bf4? Rxe2!! 21.Rxe2 Qc5+! (the point: White is mated if he takes
the queen) 22.Be3 Rd1+ 23.Re1 Rxe1+ 24.Qxe1 Nxe3 25.Kh1 (getting away from the
discovered attack) (if 25.Qf2 Qc1+ will mate) 25...Nc2 26.Qe8+ Qf8 and after all his
attacking moves, Black wins in prosaic style by taking the rook on a1.) 20...Qb7
21.Bf4 Qb6+ 22.e3 Qb7 23.e4 Qb6+ 24.Be3 Nxe3 25.Rxe3 Be6 26.Kg2 Rd4 27.Re2
Red8 , etc]
14...Rad8 15.Qe3 Qh5 [Of course, the exchange of queens is anathema for Black.
Now White meets the threat of 16...Ng4, which would win at once, and creates a
hideaway for his queen on f2. ]
[Meanwhile, if instead 15...Qa5 16.Qa3 (getting the queen out of the way of potential
attacks after Rfe8)    16...Qh5 17.Nc3 and White has some edge. ]
16.f3 Bc4 [Black wastes no time in aiming at e2, the weakest square in White's
centre.]
[After    16...Rfe8 White has the chance to play the manoeuvre    17.Qg5 Qh3 18.Qc5
(possible now that the black queen has been driven away from h5). As the sacrificial
line 18...Bd5 (say,    18...h5 , but then    19.Qf2 looks good for White) 19.e4 Nxe4
20.fxe4 Bxe4 21.Qf2 fails for Black, he has to make do with.You will notice both here
and in the subsequent analysis that the h3–square is a good attacking post for the black
queen as long as there is a dynamic variation to justify it. Otherwise she can end up
entombed on that square whilst the battle rages elsewhere. ]
17.Nc3 Rfe8 18.g4! [QUESTION: This seems subtle! Why did Kramnik prefer this to
moving his queen to g5 or f2?]
[ANSWER: If 18.Qg5 the white queen has abandoned her defensive role: upon
18...Qh3 the e2–pawn is hanging and besides Black is ready to increase the pressure
up Black's attack, with e2 vulnerable. White would then have to defend, such as with
19.Re1 ; (as if    19.Ne4? Black pushes the knight away with 19...f5 .) ]
18...Qg6! [Now compare the situation after 18 g4 if Nakamura had played    18...Qh3 .
Then after    19.Qf2 Nd5 White suddenly has the option of    20.Ne4! , when his knight
is well centralized and blocking Black's attack on e2. It can't be evicted by 20...f5 due
to the interpolation of the 18 g4 move. White then has the better game not least
because the black queen is 'stalemated' on h3. Evading the positional trap, the
American Grandmaster puts his queen on g6 instead where she remains active. As we
shall see he maintains equal chances assuming he finds a combination at move 22. ;
Finally, it should be pointed out that after    18...Rxe3 19.gxh5 Re6 , Black will pick up
the h5–pawn after White guards e2 with 20.Kf2 . He is then close to equality, though
his attack has receded and White can try to exploit his better queenside structure.]
19.Qf2 Nd5 20.Nxd5 Rxd5 [Upon    20...Rxe2 21.Qxe2! Bxe2 22.Ne7+ and 23
Nxg6+ White will end up with an extra rook. ]
21.Re1 h5 22.g5 f6? [EXERCISE: Can you make 22...Bxe2 work for Black?
ANSWER: Indeed, the e2–pawn is no longer poisoned, so Black misses a tactical
chance to equalize with 22...Bxe2! 23.Rxe2 Rd1+ 24.Kg2 Rxe2 25.Qxe2 Rxc1! (the
point, setting up a fork on g5)    26.Rxc1 Qxg5+ and 27...Qxc1.]
23.h4 Rde5 24.e4 f5 25.Bf4 R5e7 26.Rac1 [A blitz game inaccuracy. ]
[White could keep a solid queenside structure with    26.b3 and, after 26...Bf7 , close
the centre with 27.e5 . He would then be well on top.]
26...Bxa2 27.Qxa7 Bf7 28.Rxc7 [Again    28.e5 was the right idea. It would concede
the d5–square to Black's bishop, but his rooks remain boxed in. ]
28...Rxc7 29.Qxc7 fxe4 30.Rxe4 Rxe4 31.fxe4 Qxe4 [Black has broken out and has
enough for a draw due to the exposed white king. ]
32.Qe5 Qf3 33.Bg3?? [Don't judge Kramnik on this howler played in a blitz game.]
[Instead, White could draw easily with 33.Qe3 which prevents Black from setting up a
deadly queen and bishop battery against his king. ]
33...Bd5 [Suddenly there is no good way to stop mate on g2.]
34.Qe8+ Kh7 35.g6+ Kh6 36.Qh8+ Kxg6 37.Qe8+ Kh7 [. White's attempt at a
perpetual has fizzled out. ]
63
0–1
(48) So,W - Nakamura,H [E05]
29: Saint Louis, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Ne5 Nc6 8.Nxc6 [In
contrast to the    8.Bxc6 variation above, here White doesn't emerge with an extra
pawn from the opening. On the other hand, he keeps his Catalan bishop so isn't
afflicted by the light-square malaise of the previous games in this chapter. ]
8...bxc6 [EXERCISE: Black's queenside pawn structure is now wrecked, with tripled
pawns along the c-file. Assuming he hasn't gone mad, can you think of some reasons
why Nakamura would let his opponent smash up his queenside?]
9.Na3!? [ANSWER: Consider the position after    9.Bxc6 Rb8 . First of all it just looks
horrible for Black. But notice that his rook on a8 is on an open line, putting pressure
on b2 and tying down the bishop on c1 to its defence. How often in the Catalan do we
see this rook get so active so quickly? Secondly, White's bishop is loosely placed on
c6. Black could force its exchange with a quick ...Bb7, thereby solving the problem of
the bad bishop on c8.Once the light-squared bishops are exchanged, Black can do
something to improve his queenside pawn structure: namely arrange the ...c7–c5
advance and liquidate by exchange White's d4–pawn. Black will have achieved a lot:
he is rid of his bad bishop, has an active rook on b8 and can dissolve White's pawn
centre. Of course, he would remain with split queenside pawns, and a rather
vulnerable pawn on c4, but you can't have everything. Black looks comfortable.Let's
see an example of how things might unfold: 10.Nc3 Bb7 11.Bxb7 Rxb7 12.e4 c5
13.dxc5 (we see another use of the rook on b7 after    13.d5 Rd7! winning the d5–
pawn) 13...Qxd1 14.Rxd1 Bxc5 15.Kg2 and now Black found a nice move:    15...e5! ,
securing the d4–square for his bishop where it adds to the pressure on b2 and blocks
under counterplay along the d-file. After    16.Rd2 Bd4 17.Rc2 Rfb8 , Black had a
good game in M.Elgabry-M.Kravtsiv, Al Ain 2012.; Another try for White is    9.Qa4 ,
but    9...Qxd4 (a centre pawn is worth a little trouble as Steinitz would say!) 10.Rd1
Qb6 11.Be3 Qa6 (11...Qxb2!? was also worth the trouble, with good chances for
Black) 12.Qxc6 Qxc6 13.Bxc6 Rb8 14.Bxa7 Rxb2 and Black's activity gave him the
better game in Vo Thanh Ninh-Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Ho Chi Minh City 2016.;
Alternatively, White could defend his d-pawn with 9.e3 to free his queen for action:
9...Ba6 10.Bxc6 Rb8 11.Nc3 (If    11.Qa4 Rb6 holds everything together for Black)
11...Nd5! 12.Nxd5 (this straightens out Black's pawns, but otherwise the bishop on c6
is stranded)    12...exd5 13.Qf3 Bb7 (defending d5) (notice that    13...c3 wins the
exchange after    14.bxc3 Bxf1 , but after    15.Kxf1 the d5–pawn will drop leaving
White with enough material and a strong centre) 14.Bxb7 Rxb7 15.b3 and now
15...c3!? was the dynamic try (rather than 15...cxb3 in V.Ivanchuk-Y.Seirawan,
Tilburg 1992) ; for example, 16.e4 dxe4 17.Qxe4 c6! (a cute way to get the rook to c7
to defend c3; if White refuses the pawn then 18...Qd5 centralizes the queen strongly)
18.Qxc6 Rc7 19.Qe4 Bd6 20.Bf4 Re8 21.Qf3 c2 and Black's dangerous passed pawn
supplies strong counterplay for the material. ]
9...Bxa3 [QUESTION: Why does Black give up his excellent dark-squared bishop?
ANSWER: In some positions even a powerful bishop has to be exchanged for a
galloping horse. If White is allowed to play 10 Nxc4 unopposed the knight could then
go to e5 or a5 to conquer c6. White would have a crushing game.]
[For example, 9...Rb8 10.Nxc4 c5 11.Na5 Bd7 12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Nb7 Qe7 14.Nxc5
Qxc5 15.Be3 leaves White with the two bishops and split pawns to target on a7 and
c7.; Also    9...Ba6 doesn't help much as, after 10.Qa4 Qc8 11.Nxc4 , Black is in deep
trouble due to the weakness on c6. Instead, with the game move Black inflicts doubled
pawns on White and turns the c4–pawn into a passed pawn.]
10.bxa3 Ba6 [Black develops his bishop to an active square and defends the pawn that
matters – the passed pawn. He doesn't have to worry about jettisoning the c6–pawn as
after 11 Bxc6 Rb8 he will generate a lot of play with ...Nd5, etc, in the style of the
Seirawan and Kravtsiv extracts above. ]
[If instead    10...Rb8 , White has the chance to get rid of Black's advanced passed
pawn with    11.Qa4 Qxd4 12.Be3 Qe5 13.Qxc4 whereupon he has two powerful
bishops pointing at the crumbling black queenside pawns. ; A foray with the knight is
possible,    10...Nd5 11.Qa4 and now:    11...Nc3 (11...Nb6 12.Qa5 Rb8 (bad for Black
is    12...Qxd4 13.Be3 Qf6 14.Bc5 Rd8 15.Bxc6 Rb8 16.Qxa7) 13.e3 when White has a
stable position and pressure on the queenside.) 12.Qc2 (White had better avoid
12.Qxc4? as    12...Qxd4! exploits a potential fork on e2) 12...Nb5 (not    12...Qxd4?
13.Bb2 and White wins a piece) 13.e3 Nd6 14.a4!? gives White good chances.;
Alternatively,    10...a5 occupies the a5–square and so rules out the plan we'll see in the
main game.    So in V.Kramnik-L.Bruzon Batista, Baku 2015, White tried a somewhat
64
riskier approach: 11.Bxc6 (Now after    11.Qa4 Ba6 12.Bxc6 Rb8 13.Qxa5 Bb7
14.Bxb7 Rxb7 15.Qc3 Qd5 16.f3 Rd8 , Black had enough play in B.Gelfand-
L.Aronian, Tsaghkadzor 2015. (16...--) ) 11...Rb8 12.Qc2 Ba6 13.Rd1 Nd5 14.e4 Ne7
15.Ba4 . White's Catalan bishop has ended up on a weird square, but if left in peace
his two bishops and better centre will give him a clear plus. Therefore Bruzon tried to
exploit the absence of the bishop from g2 with 15...f5? Kramnik cut across this plan
with    16.d5! , blocking the d5–square, when    (when if 16.exf5? , Black can choose
between    16...Nxf5 (or    16...Qd5! , with the chilling threat of 17...Bb7 and mate
along the diagonal. ) ) 16...exd5 17.exd5 left the pawn untouchable:    17...Nxd5?
18.Bc6 returns to the diagonal in style as White wins a piece. White therefore
maintained his edge and won after a hard struggle.]
[EXERCISE: After 10...Ba6 what is White's best way to get his queen into the attack?
ANSWER:]
11.Qd2! [With this move White intends to put his queen in the thick of the queenside
attack on a5, whilst temporarily keeping d4 defended.]
[It looks superior to    11.Qa4 , when after 11...Bb5 12.Qa5 Qxd4 the pawn snatch
looks risky, but Black doesn't lose a piece to a future a3–a4:    13.Be3 Qd6 , and if
14.a4 (Black is also okay after 14.Rfd1 Nd5; or    14.Bf4 e5 15.Rfd1 Qe6 , etc)
14...Qa3! pins the pawn and is good for Black.; Delaying the queen's journey with
11.Bxc6 Rb8 12.Qa4 allows    12...Rb6 , when the rook on b6 is a stout guardian of the
black queenside.]
11...Rb8 [The rook gets off the danger diagonal, seizes the b-file and intends to bolster
the queenside third rank with ...Rb6.]
12.Qa5 [As planned.]
12...Qc8 [Nakamura defends the bishop and moves his queen on to a light square,
where she can't be harassed by White's dark-squared bishop in the future. ]
[Black would lose a piece after 12...Qxd4 13.Be3 , guarding a1 with gain of time,
followed by 14 Qxa6.; However, perhaps she should have headed straight into conflict
with the bishop after the moves    12...Rb6 13.a4 , clearing the way for Ba3, and now:
13...Qd6!?

a) 13...Qxd4? 14.Be3 picks up the exchange on b6 immediately; (and a slower
approach with    14.Ba3 Ra8 15.Rfd1 Qg4 16.Bc5 and 17 Bxb6 looks even more
effective. ) ;
b) Imprecise is    13...Qe7 as after    14.Qc3 Rfb8 15.Ba3 Qe8 , as in Wen Yang-Xiu
Deshun, Zaozhuang 2015, White can play 16.e4 , ruling out ...Nd5 ideas and keeping a
bind.;
14.Qc3 Nd5 15.Bxd5 Qxd5 (if Black takes back with a pawn 16 Ba3 costs him the
exchange; notice that in variation 'b' with the queen on e7 Black didn't have this
recapture available, so couldn't play 14...Nd5 without dropping material) 16.Ba3 Re8
17.Bc5 Rbb8 and Black is ready to play 18...e5 to break up White's centre. while Li
Chao-S.Ganguly, Ningbo 2011, continued 18.f3 (ineffective for White is 18.Bxa7 Ra8
19.Bc5 e5) 18...e5 19.e4 exd4 20.Bxd4 Qg5 with balanced chances.By the way, the
game Li Chao-Ganguly lasted 159 moves, even longer than the 117 moves of
Kramnik-Bruzon cited above. They both reached the famous rook and bishop versus
rook endgame without pawns. White had the bishop. Kramnik managed to win, Li
Chao only to draw. I wonder if there is something about this variation that increases
the chance of this endgame?]
13.a4 [Not only preparing to develop the bishop to a fine post on a3, but also denying
the black pieces the b5–square, so that the queen can never be evicted by ...Rb5. ]
13...Rd8 14.Ba3 Rxd4 [If Black doesn't take the chance to dissolve White's centre he
ends up in a stranglehold after 14...Rb6 15.e3 planning 16 Bc5, etc.]
15.Rfb1! [This was Wesley So's improvement on theory at the time of this
game.QUESTION: What is White's idea and why did he chose 15 Rfb1 over 15 Rab1,
which looks more natural?ANSWER: All will be explained in the notes to Black's
17th, below.]
15...Rb6 [The threat was 15...-- 16.Rxb8 (or 16.Qxa6! , exploiting the back rank at
once) 16...Qxb8 17.Qxa6 winning a piece.; Nakamura gives up the exchange rather
than acquiesce in 15...Rxb1+ 16.Rxb1 , when White is in total control with ideas of
Bxc6 or Bc5 and Ba7;; and    15...Nd5 loses at once to 16.Qxa6! .]
65
16.Bc5 Rd7 [It was possible to give up two exchanges with    16...Rd5 17.Bxd5 cxd5
18.Bxb6 axb6 . In a similar situation in Z.Efimenko-K.Sakaev, Vrnjacka Banja 2010,
with 15 Rab1 rather than 15 Rfb1 played, White tried 19.Qb4 , but this seems to allow
Black to gain time to advance his pawns with ...c7–c5 when appropriate.    (Instead,
19.Qd2 looks more sensible. It also seems preferable to have a rook on a1 here rather
than on f1, as White can try to puncture holes in Black's queenside pawn mass with
19...-- 20.a5 b5 21.a4 c6 22.Qe3 , followed by Ra2, a4xb5 and Rab2, building up
towards an exchange sacrifice with Rxb5. White's has good chances to win.) ]
17.Rd1! [One of the golden rules of chess is: do not rush. ]
[After    17.Bxb6 cxb6 18.Qe5 h6 19.Rd1 Nd5 , Black has an array of pawns on the
queenside and active pieces. If 20.e4? then    20...Nb4 gives him a lot of counterplay.
So's idea is that the rook on b6 most likely won't run away, which means first of all he
can arrange an exchange of Black's other rook along the d-file, and force the black
knight to a less active square. ]
17...h6 [Let's try and work out why So preferred 15 Rfb1, so that besides a rook on d1
he has a rook on a1 rather than f1 in the game position. ]
[I suspect the main reason is that if now    17...Rb2 18.Rxd7 Nxd7 , he can chase the
black rook with 19.Bd4! Rxe2 20.Bf3 Rc2 21.Be4 Re2? (here    21...c5! 22.Bxg7!
Rxf2! 23.Kxf2 Kxg7 is given as equal by Stockfish, but Black looks ragged to my
human eyes) , and now    22.Bxh7+! exploits the rook on e2    or 22...Kf8
a) as after    22...Kxh7 23.Qh5+ Kg8 24.Qxe2 wins it, with a clear plus to White.
(24.--) ;
b) If Black declines the piece then    22...Kh8 23.Qh5;
23.Qg5 are decisive: for example, 23...f6 (23...g6 24.Bxg6! fxg6 25.Qxg6 gives White
a winning attack) 24.Bc5+! Nxc5 25.Qxc5+ Kf7 26.Qh5+ wins the rook after all.None
of this would be possible if the white rook were on f1 rather than a1, as Black's rook
could escape the attentions of the white bishops with ...Rxa2.; Another useful aspect
of having a rook on a1, rather than f1, is that after 17...Nd5 White can utilize the f2–
square with 18.e4 (an even better approach for White is to build up pressure along the
d-file with    18.Bf3 answering    18...c3? with    19.e4 , whereas with a rook still on f1
Black would have ...Bxf1) 18...Nf6 19.Bf1 – not possible with a rook on f1.Nakamura
therefore 'passes' with the game move 17...h6, allowing So to carry out a favourable
exchange of pieces along the d-file. Perhaps he should have taken his chance in the
line 17...Nd5 18 Bf3, though it's a grim defence.]
18.Rxd7 Nxd7 19.Bxb6 [Finally it is time to cash in the exchange. ]
19...cxb6 20.Qd2 c5 21.Rd1 [White has managed to coordinate his pieces along the d-
file. Once he has forced the exchange of queens, his king will be able to rush over to
the queenside and obstruct the onrush of Black's pawn mass. White is not only the
exchange up, he is in effect a king up as well, as Black's king can only watch events
from a distance.]
21...Nf6 22.Kf1! [A vital move in White's plans. Black can only mark time with his
king, whereas the white monarch edges over to c1.]
22...Kh7 23.Qc2+ Kg8 24.Qd2 Kh7 25.Qd8 Qxd8 26.Rxd8 c3 27.Ke1 [Just in time
to head off the c-pawn. There is a well-known rule that if you are the exchange up in
an endgame, you should try to exchange off the opponent's remaining rook. Here we
see that once the passed pawns are neutralized the black minor pieces are no match for
the wide ranging white rook.]
27...Bc4 28.Kd1 Bxa2 29.Kc2 Bc4 30.e3 [The c3 pawn is doomed – there's no need
to give Black the e2–pawn. ]
30...b5 31.Kxc3 a6 32.Ra8 Nd5+ 33.Bxd5 exd5 34.a5! [Fixing the a6–pawn as a
target and maintaining a potential outside passed pawn.]
34...b4+ 35.Kd2 Bf1 [EXERCISE: What is the correct technique to decide the game?
ANSWER:]
36.Rc8! [The passed pawns have to be forced on to light squares where they can be
totally blocked by the white king.]
36...c4 37.Rb8 b3 38.Kc3 [After    38.Kc3 Bd3 39.Rd8 (White has to avoid being
swindled with    39.Rb6 g6 40.Rxa6? b2! 41.Kxb2? c3+ , when he loses his rook and
possibly the game) 39...Be4 40.Rd6 Bd3 41.Rxd5 , White wins easily; (or else
66
41.Rxa6 wins) ]
1–0
(49) Kelires,A - Villegas,P [E06]
30: Luxembourg, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Ne5 c5 [Black avoids
the damage to his queenside pawns that would occur after    7...Nc6 . Ignoring the
white knight he strikes at d4, a plan which is all the more attractive as the white pawn
has lost one of its defenders after 7 Ne5. Once it is liquidated, there will be an almost
symmetrical pawn structure. Surely it can't be that difficult for Black to neutralize
White's pressure and offer a draw?As we know it is never that easy for Black in the
Catalan. If Black achieves the ...c7–c5 advance in the Queen's Gambit without
incurring any weaknesses or danger to his king, he often equalizes. However, the
white bishop being on g2, rather than d3 or e2 as it would be in the Queen's Gambit,
makes a huge difference. The bishop points inexorably at b7, so that even if the
freeing advance ...c7–c5 is carried out, Black remains with problems developing his
bishop from c8. White is usually pleased to see Black's 'freeing' advance ...c7–c5 in
the Catalan.Strong players often flounder in slightly worse positions where they have
no constructive plan. Generally speaking, players love to have something to do. If
there is nothing good to do they'll find something bad. Perhaps that is the secret of the
Catalan.; Also after 7...Nbd7 8.Nxc4 c5 9.dxc5 Bxc5 (or 9...Nxc5 10.Nc3) 10.Nc3 Nb6
11.Nxb6 Bxb6 12.Bf4 , White's pressure on b7 won't go away.]
8.dxc5 Qc7 [The exchange of queens doesn't help Black:    8...Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bxc5
10.Nc3 Nc6 11.Nxc4 , when he can't shake off the bind;; or    8...Bxc5 9.Qxd8 Rxd8
10.Nc3 Nc6 (an attempt to break free by returning a pawn on c6 rather than allowing a
recapture on c4)    11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bxc6 Rb8 13.Bf4 Rb4 (not    13...Rxb2 14.Na4
with a winning fork) 14.Rfd1 Rf8 15.Na4 . Black is disorganized, passive and with a
weakness on c4. ]
9.Nxc4 Qxc5 [EXERCISE: How can White meet the threat to the knight whilst also
continuing to build up the pressure?ANSWER:]
10.b3! Rd8 [If now    10...Nc6 11.Ba3 Qh5 12.Bxe7 Nxe7 13.Nc3 and White's queen
controls the d-file. Furthermore, the exchange of dark-squared bishops has weakened
Black's hold on d6 – imagine the havoc if White managed to land a knight or his
queen on that square after suitable preparation. ]
11.Nbd2 Qc7 [The queen goes back to help defend the queenside. Black is almost
equal, but in the Catalan there is a big difference between 'almost equal' and
completely equal. ]
[QUESTION: After 11...Qh5?! , is 12 e4 or 12 e3 a better way for White to offer the
exchange of queens? ANSWER: Both pawn moves seem good for White: However, I
think 12.e3 is a better way to start: White reserves the option of moving the pawn to
e4 and meanwhile gives his opponent the chance to go wrong. For example, (More
aggressive is 12.e4 as it controls space and gives White an edge after    12...Qxd1
13.Rxd1 Nc6 14.e5 Nd5 15.Ne4 . (15.--) ) 12...Qxd1 13.Rxd1 Nd5 (one such way to
go wrong is    13...Nc6? , when 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Na5 Bd7 16.Ndc4 Be8 17.Ba3 Bxa3
18.Nxa3 leaves Black with a horrible weakness on c6) 14.Bb2 Nc6 15.Nf3 Bd7 16.e4
(only now)    16...Nf6 17.Nfe5 Nxe5 18.Bxe5 Bb5 (similar is    18...Be8 19.Bd6 Bxd6
20.Nxd6 Bc6 21.e5) 19.Bd6! (clearing the way to advance the e-pawn when the bishop
on g2 comes alive) 19...Bf8 20.e5 and Black's position is creaking.There is no need to
hurry to clarify an advantage when the opponent is in a bind.]
12.Bb2 Nc6 13.Rc1 Bd7 14.e3! [At the moment both queens are uncomfortable as
they stand on the same file as an enemy rook, but White is able to create an excellent
central post on e2 for his queen. Meanwhile his opposite number slinks away on to the
back rank on the queenside. ]
14...Rac8 15.Qe2 Be8 16.Rfd1 Qb8 17.Nf3 Rxd1+ 18.Rxd1 Rd8 19.Rc1?! [Instead,
19.Nfe5 is a small advantage for White. Understandably he wishes to avoid the
exchange of rooks as he has more space.]
19...Nd5?! [Black could have achieved counterplay with    19...Nb4 , attacking the a2–
pawn and with ideas of ...Nd3. After    20.Be5 , the natural reply 20...Qa8 buries the
black queen and is good for White. (However, the 'computer' move 20...Qc8! , putting
the queen opposite the white rook and threatening 21...b5, is suddenly a good idea for
Black. Naturally a human player is unlikely to look beyond 19...Nb4 20 Be5 and think
20...Qa8 is forced. Therefore we can't really blame either Kelires or Villegas for their
oversight. ) ]
67
20.Nfe5 [The game reverts to its normal flow. ]
20...Bf6? [These type of positions are very hard to defend for humans as they get
restless and don't like to wait passively. We could make this comment about the
Catalan as a whole. White's modest aim is to put a little pressure on his opponent,
whilst depriving him of winning chances. This approach often works spectacularly
well as Black loses patience and 'inexplicably' falls apart.]
[Here Villegas is in too much of a hurry to equalize by neutralizing the pressure from
the bishop on b2. After    20...Nxe5 21.Bxe5 Qa8 , Black's queen has been pushed into
darkness, but on the other hand there are no obvious weaknesses in his pawn structure
and his other pieces are centralized. White would have to prove he can exploit his
active queen beginning with 22.Qg4 to try to soften up Black's kingside
defences.Things change after the careless game move as Black can't avoid his pawns
being split up.]
21.Nxc6 Bxc6 22.Bxf6 gxf6 [Black has the choice of losing on the kingside or the
queenside.]
[After    22...Nxf6 23.Bxc6 bxc6 , the fatal weakness in on c6 rather than f6. White
would have every chance to win in the endgame after 24.Na5 Qb5 (or else c6 drops
for nothing)    25.Qxb5 cxb5 26.Nc6 Rd2 (unfortunately for Black if    26...Rc8
27.Ne7+ costs a rook) 27.Nxa7 g5 28.a3 , etc. ]
23.Qg4+ Kh8 24.Qh4 [If Black's queen were on a square where she had contact with
the kingside, say e7, a successful defence might still be possible. However, as things
stand the white queen is able to run amok with no restraint from her opposite
number. ]
24...Kg7 25.e4! [A golden rule of chess strategy is that you have to utilize your pawns
at some point if you want your plan to be successful. Black's knight is evicted from its
central post.]
25...Nb4 [Notice that if the black knight retreated with 25...Ne7 , then 26.e5 would
have won material at once: f6 can't be held as 26...Ng8 27.exf6+ Nxf6 28.Qg5+ costs
Black a piece.]

26.e5! [White wins the g5–square for his queen and e5 for his knight, which makes
the rook on d8 and the pawn on f7 into tactical targets.]
26...fxe5 27.Qg5+ Kf8 28.Nxe5 [If    28.Nxe5 Qc7 (28...Bxg2 29.Qf6 decides at once
as Black has no good way to defend to defend f7 with his queen) 29.Qf6 threatens 30
Nxf7!, when 30...Qxf7 would drop the rook on d8. White has a decisive attack: for
example, 29...Rd6 30.Qh8+ Ke7 31.Qxh7 with fatal pressure on f7.]
1–0
(51) Main Line: 7 Qc2 b6 & 7...b5 [E05]
[Neil McDonald]
[In this chapter we'll look at two ways for Black to avoid the Catalan mainline after]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 [A refinement to
avoid the 7 Qc2 b5 line is 7.Qa4!? , when Black will almost certainly continue 7...a6
(meanwhile, for a note on 7...b6 see Game 32) , after which    8.Qxc4 reaches positions
examined in Chapter Ten. ]
7...a6 [.]
[These are 7...b6; and 7...b5 .]
Line
(52) The Bukavshin Variation [E05]
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 [.Ivan Bukavshin
was an enormous chess talent from Russia. He died from a stroke in 2016 at the
tragically young age of 20. His rating was already 2658, and his games were full of
interesting concepts. One of these was]
7...b6!? [in the Catalan, which he championed versus Artemiev and Leko and others
68
without suffering any defeats. It is certainly an intriguing idea.Trying for an outright
refutation with]
8.Ne5 Qxd4 9.Bxa8 [doesn't seem to lead to more than a balanced position where
Black has lots of activity for the exchange. More challenging for Black are lines
where White is content for a small positional plus. On the other hand, these can hardly
be called refutations of the system. ]
Line
(53) Michalik,P - Hansen,SB [E06]
31: German League, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 b6!? [Here it is.
Bukavshin's bold move leaves Black open to attack down the long diagonal, but can
White exploit his audacity?]
8.Ne5 [The critical test of course. Other (quieter) moves for White are examined in the
next game.]
8...Qxd4! [The consistent move; Black will obtain a healthy pawn for the exchange
and also break up the white pawn centre.]
[8...Nd5 9.Qxc4 Bb7 10.Rd1 leaves White with a comfortable plus.]
9.Bxa8 Qxe5 10.Bg2 [When Bukavshin first essayed 7...b6 his opponent was so
surprised that he blundered with 10.Nd2 , just giving up the precious e-pawn for the
sickly one on c4. Black was doing well after    10...Qxe2 11.Bf3 Qd3 12.Qxc4 Ba6
13.Qxd3 Bxd3 14.Re1 Na6 (planning 15...Nb4) 15.a3 Rd8 and went on to win in
A.Goganov-I.Bukavshin, Ugra 2015.; Instead    10.Bf3 Nd5 11.Qxc4 Ba6 12.Qa4 c5
13.Rd1 Bf6 is unclear, with similar ideas to the main game. ; Finally, if    10.Bf4 Qh5
gives Black a kingside initiative:    or 11.Bf3 (for example,    11.Bxc7 Na6 12.Bf3 Ng4
13.h4 e5! (but not 13...Nxc7 14.Qxc4 , hitting both c7 and g4) ) 11...Ng4 12.Bxg4 (if
12.h4 e5) 12...Qxg4 13.Nd2 Qxe2 and Black was better in A.Hilverda-R.Buhmann,
Austrian League 2016. ]
10...Nd5 [EXERCISE: Can you see some good positional reasons for this move?
ANSWER: Most importantly, the black knight stops the strong developing move 11
Bf4 which would harass the queen. At the same time it clears f6 for the bishop to
attack b2. The knight may in some cases go to b4 to attack the white queen.]
[Thus the response 10...Nd5 11.e4? would invite    11...Nb4 straightaway, when
12.Qxc4 Ba6 costs White the exchange, while otherwise the knight invades on d3
supported by the c4–pawn. Furthermore, on d5 the horse blocks in the bishop on g2,
allowing a development of the queenside with ...Nc6. ; QUESTION: Leaving aside the
value of 10...Nd5 in itself, why does Black give up the c4–pawn when 10...b5 is
possible to defend it?ANSWER: An important consideration in Black's exchange
sacrifice is that there is only one open file on the board. White's rooks are passive, and
if Black plays precisely, they are likely to stay that way for a long time. This is
because the black kingside is solid and free of weaknesses. Likewise, after ...c7–c5 it
will be difficult for White to puncture any holes in the black queenside to create
targets for the rooks. That is why 10...b5 would be fundamentally wrong. It exposes
Black's pawn structure to attack by 11.a4 , which would also open up a line for
White's rook on the a-file. Black wants to keep his queenside solid and White's rooks
shut behind pawns.]
11.Qxc4 Ba6 [Black's bishop seizes an active diagonal and puts pressure on e2. ]
12.Qe4 Bf6?! [Black supports the queen and puts the bishop on a strong diagonal.
Nonetheless this wasn't the best idea for him. ]
[EXERCISE: What's your verdict after 12...Qxe4 13.Bxe4 The best course was
probably 13...Rd8! (13...Bxe2 , grabbing the e2–pawn? Does Black lose a piece, is it
about equal, or does Black win an important centre pawn?ANSWER: After 14.Re1 it
looks like White wins a piece, as if 14...Ba6 (however, Black can actually avoid losing
material with 14...Bc4 15.Nd2 Bb4 16.a3 Bxd2 17.Bxd2 , though in doing so he has
lost his initiative) 15.Bxd5 exd5 16.Rxe7 follows. ) 14.Bf3 Nd7 , planning 15...Ne5 to
put the bishop on f3 which has to guard e2 under pressure. So the middle answer is
closest to the truth: the game remains balanced.]
13.Qxe5 Bxe5 14.Rd1! [Remember what we said about keeping the white rooks
passive? Thanks to Black's imprecise 12th move, White's rook seizes the d-file.]
69
14...Nc6 [Naturally, 14...Bxe2 15.Re1 costs Black a piece.]
[EXERCISE: Black's minor pieces look imposing. How can White take away some of
their energy and give it to his own pieces?]
15.Bxd5? [ANSWER: With 15.e4 the pawn which was a liability on e2 becomes an
attacking weapon. It drives the black knight from its centre post and opens the d-file to
the benefit of the white rook. White has the better game after 15...Ndb4 16.Nc3 . He
could challenge the bishop on e5 with a subsequent Bf4, not fearing doubled pawns
after ...Bxf4 and the recapture g3xf4 as the way would be opened for e4–e5 to bring
the bishop on g2 into the game.]
15...exd5 16.Rxd5 Bxe2 [Black only has a pawn for the exchange, but his light-
squared bishop has no rival.]
17.Nc3 Bc4 18.Rd1 Nb4 19.Bf4 Bxc3! [After    19...Bxf4 20.gxf4 White has doubled
pawns on the f-pawn, but that is of little significance compared to the fact that White's
rook can't be prevented from invading down the d-file. If    20...c5 21.Rd7 and 22
Rad1 already follows. In this type of set-up the exchange of Black's remaining rook
would leave him hopelessly outgunned in a battle that would range over the two
flanks. It is therefore vital for Black's safety that he plug the d-file to keep out the
white rooks. This can be done with the game move which secures the d5–square as an
invincible base for the knight. ]
20.bxc3 Nd5 21.Bd2 [White should prepare to open a line for his other rook with
21.Rd4 b5 (Black is forced to create a target on the queenside)    22.Bd2 , defending
c3, and then 23 a4. ]
21...f6 22.Re1 Kf7 [Sometimes a natural move can jeopardize the game.]
[Instead,    22...c5! would enable Black to answer 23.Re4 with    23...Bd3 24.Re6
Rd8! , which keeps Black rock solid. Then    25.Rae1 Kf7 gets nowhere for White. ]
23.Re4! b5 [Now Black is obliged to weaken his pawns after all,]
[because in contrast to    23...Bd3 in the note above, here it loses a piece to 24.Rd4 .]
24.a4! [At last White activates his rook on a1. ]
24...a6 25.axb5 axb5 26.Ra7 Rd8 27.h4 h5 28.Kh2? [White could build up with
28.f3 and 29 Kf2, centralizing his king. If necessary he could play Rd4. Black's set-up
is probably impregnable, but White could make it a little uncomfortable for him. ]
28...Rd7 29.Ra3 [White is drifting. ]
[The only constructive plan was to prepare a kingside pawn advance with    29.f3 and,
when appropriate, g3–g4. ]
29...Nb6 30.Be1 [For no good reason the white rook and now the bishop have
retreated to passive squares.]
[Instead    30.Be3 held the balance. ]
30...Bd5 [Black could activate his queenside with    30...c5 , but he prefers to swap his
bishop and knight around to complete his bind on the light squares. ]
31.Rd4 c6 32.Ra1 Nc4 [The light-square holes around the white king have become
alarming. Already 33...Ne5 is looming. If White had kept his bishop on an active
square he could have stopped this with Bf4. ]
33.g4? [Evidently White didn't want to complete the retreat of all his pieces with
33.Rdd1 , but this was the best chance to hold the game. ]
33...hxg4! [Good judgement. ]
[Black prefers to keep up the pressure rather than cash in with    33...Ne5 , when
34.gxh5 Nf3+ 35.Kg3 Nxd4 36.cxd4 would be hard to win despite Black's big
structural advantage. ]
34.Rxg4 Ne5 35.Rf4 Re7 [Threatening a fork on d3. ]
36.Bd2 Nf3+ 37.Rxf3 Bxf3 [So Black has won the exchange back after all, and in a
manner more favourable than in the previous note: he is a pawn up to boot.]
70
38.Kg3 Bd5 39.Be3 Re4 40.Ra7+ Kg8 41.h5 [Surely it was better to wait with
41.Rc7 Rc4 42.Bd2 and force Black to find a winning plan. The pawn soon drops off
on h5. ]
41...Rc4 42.Bd2 Bf7 43.Rc7 Bxh5 44.f4 Bg6 [Two pawns up, Hansen's excellent
technique now wraps up the game.]
45.Kf2 Be4 46.Rd7 Bd5 47.Rc7 Kh7 48.Rd7 Kg6 49.Rc7 Ra4 50.Ke2 Ra8 51.Be3
Rg8 52.Re7 Kf5 53.Kf2 Kg4 54.Rd7 g5 55.fxg5 fxg5 56.Bd4 Rf8+ 57.Ke2 Rf7
58.Rd6 Rh7
0–1
(54) Maletin,P - Goganov,A [E06]
32: Khanty-Mansiysk, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 [EXERCISE: Try to
work out if 7.Qa4 deters 7...b6 .ANSWER: It's your chance to create some new theory
as there is only one example in my database. That continued 8.Ne5 Qxd4 9.Bxa8
Qxe5 . White's queen is more of a nuisance for Black on a4 than it is on c2, as she can
snaffle a pawn with    10.Qxa7 . Objectively White looks slightly better, but it remains
double-edged after    10...Na6 (maybe    10...Bd7!?) 11.Nc3 Nd5 12.Bd2 , etc. ]
7...b6 8.Bg5 [After many hours of consideration I finally decided I liked this move
best for White. I checked on the database, and the first game with 8 Bg5 was played
by a certain young boy called... Magnus Carlsen! He wasn't yet 12 years old when he
tried it versus Arngrimsson in a junior event in Norway in 2002. Did Magnus know
everything about chess even then?]
[Alternatives for White are worth examining too: a) Premature is    8.e4?! as White
doesn't have enough for the pawn after    8...Bb7 9.Nbd2 b5 10.b3 cxb3 11.axb3 (if
11.Nxb3 Bxe4) 11...Nc6 .; b) Meanwhile, Black is equal after 8.Nbd2 Bb7 9.Nxc4 Be4
10.Qb3 Nc6; or 8.Qxc4 Bb7 9.Nc3 (or    9.Bf4 c5 10.dxc5 Qc8 11.Nbd2 Qxc5) 9...c5
10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Bf4 Qe7 12.Rad1 Rc8 .; c) More challenging for Black is    8.Rd1 :
Not recommended for Black is 8...Ba6 because of    (For example, 8...Bb7 9.Qxc4
Nbd7 10.Nc3 Qc8 11.Bg5 (here    11.Bf4 c5 12.Rac1 cxd4 13.Qxc8 Raxc8 14.Nxd4
Bxg2 15.Kxg2 a6 16.e4 is perhaps a very slight edge for White) 11...c5 12.Rac1 h6
13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.dxc5 Bxc5 15.Qf4 Rd8 with about equal chances in V.Erdos-
M.Bartel, Polish League 2016, although this may be a practical chance for White to
exert some pressure.) 9.Ne5 Nd5 10.a3! with the idea of playing e2–e4 without
allowing ...Nb4; 10...Nd7 (after 10...b5 11.a4; or 10...Bf6 11.e4 Black is struggling)
11.Nc6 Qe8 12.e4 N5f6 13.Nc3 leaves Black in a stranglehold.]
8...Ba6 [Black develops and defends c4. On the other hand, the bishop doesn't contest
the h1–a8 diagonal which means that White can try for an initiative in the centre.]
[If    8...Nbd7 9.Ne5 wins material for White. This isn't difficult to see. ; More subtle is
8...Bb7? 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.Ng5! (our familiar trick attacking b7 and h7)    10...Bxg5
11.Bxb7 Nd7 12.Bxa8 Qxa8 13.Qxc4 and White wins. It is one of the attractions of 8
Bg5 that it prevents the natural development of Black's bishop to b7, and forces it to
go 'offside' on a6. ]
9.Rd1 [Alternatively,    9.Nbd2 Nd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.e4!? (if 11.Nxc4 c5 looks equal)
11...Nb4 12.Qc3 c5 13.a3 N4c6 14.d5 Na5 15.Rfe1 Nd7 is a typical Slav-style mess,
with White strong in the centre, but Black will a clump of queenside pawns as
compensation. ; If    9.Ne5 After 9...Qxd4 White has the annoying desperado move (I
think Black should settle for 9...Nd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Nd2 Rc8 , when he is about
equal. (11...--) ) 10.Nxf7! (10.Bxa8? Qxe5 would be our usual fun) ; for example,
10...c6 11.Be3 Qg4 12.Ng5 and the knight gets out, leaving Black weak in the centre.]
9...Nd5 [QUESTION: Is this a good move?ANSWER: Black plugs the long diagonal
to avoid the tactical threats, offers the exchange of bishops to ease his game, and
prepares to answer the centre expansion e2–e4 with ...Nb4.]
10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Ne5 Rc8 [Black wants to free his game with ...c7–c5 which would
break up the white centre. ]
[The immediate    11...c5 would be premature as White's pieces could exploit the open
lines with    12.dxc5 followed by 13 Nc3. And so Goganov decides to support the
pawn advance with his rook, which will bolster the d5 point after the exchange on c5
and also help to defend the c4–pawn.As we shall see this plan isn't without drawbacks.
It is always dangerous to leave your knight sleeping on b8 when the game is opening
up.]
71
12.Nd2 [Note that    12.Nxc4? hands the initiative to Black after    12...c5 , when the
white knight and queen are awkwardly lined up with the rook on c8.]
[EXERCISE: What do you think is Black's best plan? Should he continue with ...c7–
c5 or switch to ...b6–b5 to hold on to the c4–pawn?]
12...c5?! [ANSWER: As stated this is a risky plan as White's pieces are well placed to
exploit the opening of lines in the centre.]
[A better approach was    12...b5! to protect the c4–pawn. Instead, 13.a4 (For example,
13.Ne4 f6 (to evict the knight) (the immediate 13...Nd7? allows    14.Nxd7 Qxd7
15.Nc5) 14.Nf3 Nd7 looks okay for Black. ) 13...c6 leaves Black solid on the
queenside, after which Stockfish suggests the quaint plan of    14.Be4 g6 15.Bg2 to
advance e2–e4 having provoked a weakening in Black's kingside. Chances look
balanced, with the game having a feel of the Slav.]
13.dxc5 Rxc5?! [Developing with    13...Nc6! gives better chances of equality. For
example,    14.Nxc6 Rxc6 15.Ne4 Rb8 16.Rd2 h6 with a small edge to White. ]
14.Ne4! [White drives back the black rook that defends d5 and prepares to attack the
key central point with his next move.]
[Instead,    14.e4? would be a truly rotten move, as it blocks in White's bishop on g2
and denies the knight the e4–square. Even worse it fails tactically after    14...Ne3
15.fxe3 Rxe5 leaving White's centre in ruins. ; QUESTION: But what if Black tries
the same trick with 14.Ne4 Ne3 15.fxe3 Rxe5 now?ANSWER: White triumphs along
the diagonal with 16.Nc3 when there is no good way to protect a8, as if 16...Bb7
17.Bxb7 Qxb7 18.Rd8# .]
14...Rc8 15.Nc3 [Now the d5 point falls and White gains control of the d-file. ]
15...Bb7 16.Nxd5 exd5 17.Bxd5 Bxd5 18.Rxd5 Nc6 [At last Black completes his
development.]
19.Nxc6 Rxc6 20.Rad1 g6 21.Rd7 [The obvious move, but it lessens his grip
somewhat. ]

[Instead, 21.R1d4! Qe6 (if    21...Rac8 22.Rd7 is now more awkward for Black as a7 is
hanging) 22.Qc3 (not    22.Rxc4 Qxd5 23.Rxc6 Qxa2 , when Black has avoided the
worst) 22...Re8 23.e3 leaves Black tied up. He isn't necessarily going to lose, but he
faces a passive defence. If Black tries    23...a6 intending 24...b5 then 24.a4! stamps on
that plan, leaving the c4–pawn in need of defence by the rooks. ]
21...Qe6 22.e3 b5 [Compared to the line in the note above, Black is able to gain space
with his queenside pawns and secure the defence of c4. Nonetheless the position
remains difficult for him.]
23.Qc3 Qf6 [Guarding against the threat of 24 Rd8+. ]
24.Qb4 a6 25.R1d4 Rf8 26.Qd2 Qf5 27.Kg2 Qb1 [Black should play    27...Qc5 ,
keeping his queen centralized and with ideas of 28...c3.]
28.Rd8 [Giving up his winning attempt.]
[Instead, 28.Rf4! targets f7. After 28...Re6 (if 28...Qxa2 then 29.Qd5 is decisive as
both c6 and f7 are attacked) 29.Qd4 , Black is in trouble as 29...Qxa2 still loses: for
example,    30.Rd8 Ree8 (or    30...Rxd8 31.Qxd8+ Kg7 32.Qd7 Rf6 33.Qd4 and wins)
31.Rxf7 Kxf7 32.Rd7+ Re7 33.Qd5+ Kg7 34.Rxe7+ Kh6 35.Qd4 and the black king
is mated in a couple of moves. ]
28...Rc8 29.Rxc8 Rxc8 30.Rd8+ [Forcing a draw by perpetual or else Black might
find a way to utilize his strong queenside pawns (pawns which just a few moves ago
were weak because they were targets for white's rooks).]
30...Rxd8 31.Qxd8+ Kg7 32.Qd4+ Kg8 33.Qd8+ Kg7 34.Qd4+ Kg8 35.Qd8+
½–½
(55) Smith,A - Munkhgal,G [A15]
33: Kecskemet, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Be7 4.Bg2 0–0 5.d4 d5 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 b5 [Black holds on
72
to the c4–pawn and threatens 8...Bb7, solving the problem of his 'bad' bishop and at
the same time neutralizing the enemy bishop on g2. White has to respond vigorously.]
8.a4! [EXERCISE: How should White respond to 8.a4 c6 , holding on to the c4–
pawn?ANSWER: After 9.axb5 cxb5?? White can win material with    10.Ng5! as
10...Nd5 (to save the rook on a8) allows mate on h7. Therefore in the game Black
gives up the c4–pawn and does so in a way that causes the least damage to his other
pawns.]
8...b4! [There is some positional justification for Black's two moves with his b-pawn
even if he has to return the pawn. The pawn on b4 takes way the c3–square from the
white knight on b1. It has cleared the way for ...Bb7 to deploy the bishop, or in the
event of 9 Qxc4, 9...Ba6, developing with gain of time – though the bishop will
probably retreat to b7 in short order.White has less flexibility on the queenside as he is
already committed to the pawn move a2–a4. For example, he can't undermine the b4–
pawn or try to open the a-file as a2–a3 is no longer available. Furthermore, in contrast
to the structure in the mainline after 7...a6 8 Qxc4 b5 9 Qc2 Bb7, White can't try to
exploit the dark squares with 10 Bd2 intending Ba5 in some cases – the b4–pawn is in
the way. Meanwhile the b4–pawn is well defended and difficult to attack.]
9.Nbd2 [The appraisal above begs the question why 7...b5 isn't a more popular move.
I guess the slight lack of appeal arises because of the modest but irritating approach
adopted by White in the present game. With his queenside pawns dislocated, Black is
slightly loose on the light squares: this means the white knight finds a good post on
the c4–square, from which it can no longer be driven by a black pawn on the b-file or
on the d-file. Nor has Black solved the perennial problem of the backward pawn on
c7.]
[Instead,    9.Qxc4 Ba6 10.Qc2 Nbd7 is already fine for Black. If then    11.Ne5 Nxe5
12.Bxa8 (if    12.dxe5 Nd5) 12...Qxd4 13.Bg2 c5 gives Black a strong initiative for the
exchange due to his mass of queenside pawns and pressure on e2. ; Black's queenside
pawns are also irritating for White upon 9.Bg5 Ba6 10.Nbd2 b3 11.Qc1 Nc6 12.Nxc4
Rc8 13.Rd1 Nb4 . The attempt to round up the b3 pawn left White worse after
14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Qc3 Nc2 16.Rac1 c5 17.Qxb3 Nxd4 in P.Bjarnehag-R.Stern, Berlin
2012.; White can play more sharply with 9 Ne5 or 9 Nfd2 uncovering an attack on
a8:After 9.Ne5 Qxd4! , it is bad for White to take on a8: After    10.Nxc4
a) 10.Bxa8? Qxe5 11.Bf4 (after 11.Bf3 Ba6 12.Bf4 Qa5 13.Nd2 b3 14.Qc1 Qb4 ,
Black has a strong initiative for the exchange with active pieces and threatening
queenside pawns) 11...Qh5 12.Bf3 Ng4 13.Bxg4 (or if    13.h4 e5 with an attack)
13...Qxg4 is promising for Black as White misses his light-squared bishop;
b) Instead, 10.Nd2 is a tricky move: it is best answered by    10...Qxe5 when    11.Nxc4
(not    11.Bxa8 Qxe2) 11...Qh5 12.Bxa8 c6 is unclear. White is the exchange up, but his
bishop is awkwardly placed on a8. ;
but he has an extra option of    10...Nd5 : for example,    (Black could transpose with
10...c6 to 9 Nfd2 c6 10 Nxc4 as discussed below; 11.-- (11.--) ) 11.Be3 (if    11.e4 Nb6
looks good for Black) 11...Qf6 (or maybe    11...Qg4) 12.Nbd2 . White's pressure is
balanced by the extra black pawn. ; 9.Nfd2 looks a more precise move order, but again
Black seems okay after    9...c6 10.Nxc4 (White should avoid    10.e3 b3! 11.Qd1 Ba6 ,
holding on to the c4–pawn) 10...Qxd4 11.Rd1 Qc5 Or 12.Be3 (12.Nbd2 Ba6 13.b3
Nbd7 14.Bb2 Rad8 15.Rac1 Nb6 . Now the game seems to burn out to a draw with a
more or less forced sequence: 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Ne4 Qf5 18.Nxb6 axb6 19.Qxc6
Rxd1+ 20.Rxd1 Bxe2 21.Re1 Bf3 (also    21...Rc8 led to a quick draw after    22.Qxb6
in L.Aronian-H.Nakamura, Saint Louis 2014) 22.Nxf6+ Qxf6 23.Bxf3 Qc3 24.Re3
Qxc6 25.Bxc6 Rc8 26.Bb5 Rc2 27.Re2 ½–½, I.Enchev-K.Anagnostopoulos,
Heraklion 2016.) 12...Qh5 13.Nbd2 (after    13.h3 Nd5 14.Nbd2 Ba6 Black is doing
well, so White has to allow the exchange of his dark-squared bishop for a knight )
13...Ng4 14.Nf3 Nxe3 15.Nxe3 a5 with unclear play in B.Gelfand-R.Ponomariov,
Olginka 2011]
9...Bb7 [White has a grip on the centre which prevents the freeing move ...c7–c5 after
9...b3 10.Qxc4 Ba6 11.Qxb3 Bxe2 12.Re1 Ba6 13.Ne5 Nd5 14.Ne4 .]
10.Nxc4 Be4 11.Qb3! [It takes both courage and calculation for White to walk into a
potential pin and leave the d4–pawn precariously placed when the retreat 11 Qd1 was
available, but you don't become a grandmaster by playing safe moves which allow
your opponent to equalize without any trouble.]
[Here 11.Qd1 c5 12.dxc5 Nbd7! , planning to recapture on c5 with the knight, looks
comfortable for Black, so Smith puts his queen more actively on b3 and keeps the d1–
square for his rook, making the freeing move ...c7–c5 less attractive for Black. ]
73
11...Nc6 12.Rd1! [Again White avoids being bullied into making a lame move to
defend d4 with 12.e3?! .]
12...Bd5 [If instead    12...Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Nxd4 , then 14.Qd3! is both necessary and
strong (White will be mated upon 14.Qxa8 Nxe2+) , leaving him material up after
14...Nf5 15.Bxa8 Qxa8 16.Bf4 .; Meanwhile, if 12...Qd5 the pin on b3 has less
potency so White can develop with 13.Bf4 and 14 Rac1 and look for pressure along
the c-file.]
[EXERCISE: What is Black's threat with 12...Bd5 and how should White meet it?
ANSWER:]
13.a5! [Stopping 13...Na5 which would have won a piece.]
13...Rb8 14.Be3! [A calm move not afraid of ghosts. White wants to break the pin on
c4 before Black has time to play 14...Rb5 reigniting the threat to the white horse with
15...Nxa5. ]
[After    14.Qc2?! b3 15.Qc3 Nb4 , intending 16...Nc2, Black has a big initiative.;
Alternatively, if 14.Nfe5 , White loses a pawn to 14...Bxg2 and 15...Nxd4. Therefore
Smith bolsters the d4–pawn as a preliminary to his next move. ]
14...Rb5 [Black's initiative has reached its peak with the renewed threat of 15...Nxa5,
but White is just in time with his counterattack in the centre. ]
15.Nfe5! Bxg2 [QUESTION: But why not 15...Nxa5 - ?ANSWER: The neat 16.Qa4! ,
attacking the black rook and knight, wins at least the exchange, as 16...Bxc4 17.Nxc4
leaves Black unable to defend a5 and b5 at the same time.; Meanwhile, 15...Qa8
16.Nxc6 Qxc6 17.Ne5! (breaking the pin in style) keeps a solid plus for White, as
17...Bxb3? (he should move the queen to a6 or e8) 18.Nxc6 Bd6 (Black loses material
after    18...Bxd1 19.Nxe7+) 19.Rdc1 leaves White in total control with a7 hanging.;
Perhaps Black should try to tough it out after    15...Nxe5 16.Bxd5! Nxd5 17.Nxe5
Qe8 , though he is worse because of the hole on c6.]
16.Kxg2 Qd5+ 17.f3 Re8 [This inert rook move shows that Black's bag of tricks is
finally empty. ]
[EXERCISE: How does White meet 17...Nxa5 , grabbing the a-pawn?ANSWER: It
turns out that Black loses a piece after 18.Rxa5! Rxa5 19.Nxa5 Qxa5 20.Nc6 , as he
can't save his queen and guard e7.]
18.Nxc6 Qxc6 19.Ne5 Qd5 [After the exchange of queens it's easier for White to
exploit the holes in Black's queenside. ]
[He should have tried    19...Qa8 .]
20.Qxd5 exd5 21.Nc6 [This reminds me of Kramnik's knight sitting nonchalantly on
c6 in a game at Dortmund 2007 – see the note to 14...Qd6 in Evdokimov-Abdyjapar in
Chapter Ten. His young Norwegian opponent went on to become number one in the
world, but he couldn't save Black's position either. Losing control over the square in
front of the backward c7–pawn is often disastrous, and especially so if White can turn
it into a comfortable stable for his horse.]
21...a6 22.b3 [Fixing the b4–pawn as a target, rather than allowing Black any chance
of counterplay with ...b4–b3 and maybe ...Bb4 in the future.]
22...Bd6 23.Kf2 Nd7 24.Rdc1 Kf8 [QUESTION: White has control, but how does he
make progress?ANSWER:]
25.Bf4! [Sometimes a 'bad' bishop is performing an important defensive role. Smith
exchanges off Black's dark-squared bishop so that the b4– and c7–pawns become ripe
for the harvest.]
25...Re6 26.Nd8 Re8 27.Nc6 [We're allowed a little fun in a winning position. ]
27...Re6 28.Bxd6+ Rxd6 29.Ra4 [Perhaps White should be more patient with 29.Rc2
to avoid Black's next move. ]
29...Nc5! [A commendable attempt to break out from the bind. ]
30.Rxb4 Rxb4 31.Nxb4 Nxb3 32.Rxc7 Nxa5 [A far better fighting chance was
32...Nxd4 .]
33.e3 Rb6 [Blundering the rook, but the weak pawns on a6 and d5 seal Black's doom
74
anyway.]
34.Rc8+ [After    34.Rc8+ Ke7 35.Nxd5+ Kd7 36.Nxb6+ , White's rook is guarded.]
1–0
(57) Main Line: 7 Qc2 a6 8 a4 [E05]
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 [.We are
now well into Catalan mainline territory. The move 8 a4 is popular among the world
elite at the time of writing. It has a good track record, with former world champion
Anand losing twice against it, and Adams and Nakamura among the other victims.
Therefore we should investigate it carefully in this chapter.]
Line
(58) Damljanovic,B - Cvetkovic,N [E06]
34: Paracin, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4
[QUESTION: What are the pros and cons of playing 8 a4 rather than 8 Qxc4,
recapturing the pawn at once?ANSWER: White delays the recapture of the c4–pawn
as he doesn't want to give Black the chance to develop his bishop to the long diagonal
in the line 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 . He makes the pawn thrust ...b7–b5 problematical, as
8...b5? now just drops a pawn to 9 axb5. If Black is careless, then White might be able
to regain the pawn in a more profitable manner with Nbd2 and Nxc4 when he
activates his knight rather than moves his queen again.On the other hand, in some
lines after 8 Qxc4 the pawn move a2–a3 guards the b4–square and might be followed
by b2–b4 to gain space. Here there is no going back for White's pawn after 8 a4, so the
b4–square remains a hole in White's queenside structure.]
8...c5 [Black's main approach is to refuse to take no for an answer and develop the
bishop anyway on the long diagonal with 8...Bd7 and 9...Bc6. This will be the subject
of the other games in this chapter. ; Instead,    8...Nbd7? plays straight into White's
hands as    9.Nbd2! c5 10.Nxc4 brings the white horse to a good square where it puts
pressure on the queenside. ; Another idea is    8...Nc6 . Then after    9.Qxc4
Alternatively, 9...Qd5 (Black can consolidate his hold over the hole on b4 with 9...a5
10.Nc3 Nb4 , intending 11...c6 with a solid game, though    11.Rd1 (or 11.Bg5 is a
slight plus to White due to his unchallenged space advantage.) ) 10.Nbd2 (if there is
going to be an exchange of queens White wants it on his terms with his knight getting
to the good c4–square)    10...Rd8 11.e3 Qxc4 12.Nxc4 Bd7 13.Bd2 and again White
has a small edge, though Black's position is difficult to crack.With the game move
Cvetkovic argues that White has spent a tempo on the wing move 8 a4 and neglected
to control the c5–square with 8 Qxc4, so the freeing thrust ...c7–c5 is both natural and
logical.Indeed, in any Queen's Pawn Opening the advance ...c7–c5 deserves attention,
both from White who should consider whether to allow it, and Black who should
check if he can carry it out without being punished. It might be said that the freeing
move ...c7–c5 is on the whole less assuring of a safe game for Black in the Catalan
than in the Queen's Gambit. The pressure from the bishop on g2 doesn't go away.Here
the drawback is that Black has to move his bishop from e7 to recapture his pawn,
losing time and leaving his kingside slightly under protected. He is also opening up
the c- and d-files which is always a little dangerous if the opponent's rooks are going
to arrive first at the scene.Nonetheless, it is by no means easy for White to keep an
edge after 8...c5.]
9.dxc5 Bxc5 [Black doesn't want to be saddled with broken pawns after    9...Nbd7
10.c6! (a typical example of a desperado move)    10...bxc6 11.Qxc4 .]
10.Qxc4 [Instead    10.Nbd2 aims to regain the pawn in a superior manner by bringing
the knight to c4. Black can avoid the (often fatal) little disadvantage with the dynamic
10...b5!? . Black plays the 'impossible' move as a gambit in order to activate his
bishop on b7. After    (After    10...Nc6 11.Nxc4 Qe7 12.Nfe5 , we have the supposedly
'small' edge for White that has led to countless defeats for Black in similar Catalan
scenarios. It's hardly ever good news for Black to have the bishop stuck on c8 when
the centre is open. (12.--) ) 11.axb5 Bb7 12.bxa6 Nxa6 13.Qxc4 Bd5 14.Qh4 Be7
Black is a pawn down, but his pieces are very well coordinated in contrast to White's
scattered army. A draw was agreed after    15.Qf4 Bd6 16.Qh4 Be7 17.Qf4 Bd6
18.Qh4 in A.Donchenko-I.Lysyj, Warsaw 2016. (18.--) ]
10...Qe7?! [Black defends the bishop and evacuates the queen from d8 where she
might be a target for a future Rd1. He also keeps the option of using his b-pawn
75
actively. Nonetheless the queen isn't entirely happy on e7 because of a possible Bg5
pin in the future. ]
[Instead, 10...b6!? is a tough nut to crack. It has been used in blitz games by Topalov
and Kramnik. Then 11.Nc3 (after 11.Ne5 Ra7 Black gets in ...Bb7 quickly) 11...Bb7
12.Bg5 Nbd7 also looks very solid for Black, though White can probe with    13.Rfd1
Qc8 (threatening to win the white queen!)    14.Qf4 intending Rac1, etc]
11.Nc3 b5 12.Qh4 b4?! [Helping White build up his initiative. ]
[If you have looked at the notes to 10 Qxc4 you might be inspired to make the pawn
sacrifice    12...Bb7! . As in the Lysyj game it would be very difficult for White to
make progress upon 13.axb5 axb5 14.Rxa8 Bxa8 15.Nxb5 Nbd7 16.Nc3 Rb8 as his
pieces are ineffective compared to the Black's well-organized forces.]
[EXERCISE: We don't often get to attack the king in the Catalan, so let's try to get it
right. What is the strongest attacking move?ANSWER:]
13.Ng5! [Now the rook on a8 is en prise.]
[Much better than    13.Ne4 , when 13...Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Bb7 is just fine for Black.]
13...Bb7 14.Nce4 [White has a fearsome attack with the threat of mate in two. Black
dare not exchange on e4 as 14...Bxe4 15 Bxe4 leaves both a8 and h7 hanging. The
upshot is that White is able to eliminate the defender of the black queen with his next
move and so win a pawn. ]
14...Nbd7 15.Nxc5 Nxc5 [Hopeless for Black is 15...Bxg2 16.Nxd7 .]
16.Nxh7! Bxg2 [EXERCISE: Which of these options is the best way for White to
continue? (a) Pin the black knight with 17 Bg5; (b) Recapture his piece with 17 Kxg2;
(c) Exchange with 17 Nxf6+ then recapture on g2.ANSWER:]
17.Bg5! [The correct approach is to keep up the attack on the kingside.]
[Too insipid is    17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.Qxf6 gxf6 19.Kxg2 Nb3 and Black has significant
counterplay in the endgame: we might continue    20.Rb1 Rfd8 21.Be3 Rac8 and the
rook will invade with 22...Rc2.; The other problem for White is that he loses a piece
after    17.Kxg2? Qb7+ and 18...Nxh7.; Therefore with 17.Bg5 he threatens 17...--
18.Nxf6+ gxf6 19.Bxf6 ,    when Black must part with his queen to stop mate on h8.
This forces Black to add a defender to f6, either with his actual move or 17...Nbd7. In
either case White can then safely recapture on g2 as the unpinning move ...Qb7+ is no
longer available to Black. Thus White achieves his aim of avoiding simplification.]
17...Nce4 [The best way to defend f6 as it allows an exchange on g5 to ease the
pressure.]
18.Kxg2 Nxg5 19.Nxg5 Rfd8 20.Rfd1 Qc5 [It looks at first glance as if Black has
avoided the worst. He is a pawn down, but the white queen and knight are 'offside'
whereas his own queen can terrorize White's queenside with ...Qc2. However with his
next couple of moves Damljanovic shows that his kingside attack is still alive and
well. ]
21.e4! [All the better for being delayed for 21 moves. Hardly any attack can succeed
without the help of pawns. It isn't enough to push the big pieces around and expect the
opponent's defences to cave in: they have to be undermined by pawns.EXERCISE:
Can you see a clever way for White to simplify the position if given the chance?]
[ANSWER: After 21.e4 , White intends 21...-- 22.e5 Qxe5 23.Qh8+! Kxh8 24.Nxf7+
Kg8 25.Nxe5 , when he remains a pawn up in the endgame having weakened Black's
kingside to boot.]
21...Rxd1 22.Rxd1 Qc2 [Still trying to distract White from his initiative by widening
the struggle.]
23.Re1! e5 [Black must stop 23...-- 24.e5 when, after 24...Nd5 , 25.Re4! is a key
move which blocks the black queen's defence of the h7–square so that 26 Qh7+
becomes a lethal threat.]
24.Re3! [Gambiting the b2–pawn to gain a decisive attack.]
24...Qxb2 [QUESTION: It looks like Black has serious counterplay with his passed
pawn, doesn't he?ANSWER: There is a move that gives vital energy to White's attack.
The b-pawn won't matter.]
76
25.g4 [The game move clears the way for the rook to combine its power with the
queen on the h-file.]
[Perhaps Black only reckoned with 25.Rf3 -- (but 25...Ra7! fights on by defending the
f7–square) , which threatens 26.Rxf6 gxf6 27.Qh7+ Kf8 28.Qxf7# .]
25...Qc2 26.Rh3 Kf8 27.Qh8+ Ng8 28.Rh7 [Now there is no way to defend g7 as
28...g6 allows mate in two moves.]
28...Ke7 29.Qxg7 [. With the f7– and e5–pawns both hanging, Black has no time to
utilize the b-pawn before his king is butchered.]
1–0
(59) Nakamura,H - Anand,V [E06]
35: Saint Louis, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 Bd7 [The
main move. The bishop heads for the long diagonal to challenge its counterpart on
g2.]
9.Qxc4 Bc6 [Mission accomplished. ]
[In contrast to the 7 Qc2 a6 8 Qxc4 b5 line, here    9...b5 doesn't make much sense
when there is no bishop to go to b7. After    10.Qc2 bxa4?! 11.Ne5 Nd5 12.Nc3 ,
White will quickly regain the pawn with Nxa4, leaving Black with weaknesses.]
[EXERCISE: Before reading further, can you see any drawbacks for Black to having
his bishop on c6?ANSWER: Here are some possible minus points to the bishop being
on c6:a) It blocks the c7–pawn, thus ruling out a quick freeing ...c7–c5 advance.b) The
bishop takes away the c6–square from the knight on b8.c) If White arranges e2–e4
then Ne5 could be strong for him as the exchange with ...Bxg2 won't be possible in
reply.]
10.Bg5 [The alternative    10.Bf4 is the subject of the next game. ; After    10.Nc3
Black has    10...b5! , exploiting the fact that upon 11.axb5?? (White would have to
settle for 11.Qd3 b4 12.Nb1 Be4 , when he is pushed backwards without causing any
damage to Black's pawn structure; or similarly    11.Qa2 b4; or    11.Qb3 b4)
11...axb5 , White can resign as both his rook on a1 and queen are hanging.I recall Lev
Polugaevsky falling for this trap versus Braga in Mar del Plata 1982. He lamented in
Grandmaster Preparation, "Suddenly I mechanically picked up the wrong piece. The
saddest thing is that I not only knew all the consequences of this incorrect move, but
had even pointed them out myself in the notes to one of my games." Polugaevsky was
more sanguine than you might expect, because he somehow turned the game around
and won (with some help from his opponent, it must be admitted.).]
10...Bd5 [Black prepares his freeing move ...c7–c5 with gain of time by hitting the
white queen. ]
[If    10...Nbd7 11.Nc3 h6 12.Bxf6 Nxf6 , White can play 13.Rfe1 , looking to expand
in the centre with 14 e4; (or else gain space on the queenside with    13.b4 : for
example,    13...Bd5 14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Qb3 Bd6 16.e3 planning an eventual b4–b5
minority attack. ) ; Alternatively,    10...a5 clears the a6–square for the black knight (or
rook!) and fixes the pawns on the queenside, preventing White gaining space with b2–
b4. After    11.b4 Na6 (the strange-looking    11...Ra6 has been used a couple of times
by Aronian, with the idea of ...Rb6 to attack the b2–pawn) 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.e4 Nxb4
14.Rd1 , White has built a centre, but Black has the two bishops.]
11.Qc2 Be4 [Driving the queen back even further. ]
12.Qd1 [Instead, 12.Qc1 deters the ...c7–c5 advance (though Nakamura in the main
game and Leko in the notes to 14 Qxd8 seem to welcome this move!). For example,
12...h6 (a solid alternative for Black is    12...Nc6 13.e3 Nb4 14.Nc3 Bc6 , though
White has a small plus) 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Rd1 a5 15.Nbd2 Bh7?! (the bishop ends up
out of things on h7) (it was better to play 15...Bxf3 16.Bxf3 c6 to fortify the centre,
though    17.Nc4 is some edge for White) 16.Nb3 c6 17.Qc3 Be7 18.Nc5 Qc7 19.Ne5
Na6 20.Nxb7! (a strong breakthrough)    20...Qxb7 21.Bxc6 Qc7 (a better defence was
21...Qb8! 22.Bxa8 Bb4 23.Qc6 Qxa8 24.f3 , though White has the superior chances
because he has a rook and two pawns for two pieces, and White is never mated in the
Catalan!) 22.Bxa8 Qxc3 23.bxc3 Rxa8 24.Nc6! and White went in to win in
P.Eljanov-H.Nakamura, Baku 2015. ]
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12...c5 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Qxd8 [Back in the 1980s such play would indicate the
likelihood of a 20–move draw, but nowadays top players believe in the tiniest of
advantages. Here is another example:    14.Nbd2 Bc6 15.Ne5 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Be7
17.Rc1 Nbd7 18.Nxd7 Qxd7 19.Nf3 Qxd1 20.Rfxd1 Rfc8 21.Ne5 and White ground
out a win in this equal-looking position in A.Giri-P.Leko, Baku 2015. ]
14...Rxd8 [Black has liquidated White's pawn centre without incurring any obvious
weaknesses in his own pawn structure. His pieces are on active squares and he has
brought his 'problem' bishop to c6 to contest control of the long diagonal. It feels like
Black has solved most of his problems and yet Anand, a world champion at many time
controls, won't be able to hold Black's position against Nakamura's probing. Such is
the difficulty of defending very slightly worse positions in the Catalan
endgame.QUESTION: Should White continue with 15 Nbd2 or 15 Nc3 to develop his
queenside?]
15.Nbd2 [ANSWER: After 15.Nc3 Bc6 , the white knight on c3 doesn't have much to
do, whereas from d2 it can leap to b3 and a5 if allowed to put pressure on Black's
queenside.]
15...Bc6 16.Nb3 Be7 [Breaking the pin on f6.]
[Instead, 16...Bb6 prevents White's next move, but Black hasn't shaken off White's
slight edge after    17.Ne5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Nbd7 19.Nd3 Rac8 20.Rfc1 , etc. ]
17.Na5 h6 18.Be3 [If 18.Bd2? he loses a piece to 18...Bxf3 , so first of all the bishop
goes to e3. ]
18...Nd5 19.Bd2 Nb6 20.Bf4 [White's bishop plays cat and mouse with the black
knight.]
20...Nd5 21.Ne5 [At last the bishop stops running. ]
21...g5 [One more kick at the cleric. ]
[After    21...Nxf4 22.gxf4 Bxg2 23.Kxg2 Nd7 24.Nd3 Rab8 25.Rfc1 Bd6 26.Rc3 ,
White can still keep on prodding the black queenside, hoping his opponent loses
patience and weakens himself.]
22.Bd2 Bf6 23.Nd3 [EXERCISE: How would you assess the position after
23.Nexc6 Nxc6 24.Nxc6 bxc6 - ?ANSWER: White would gain the bishop pair and
leave Black with broken queenside pawns. On the other hand, Black's knight is well
placed on d5 and White has a weakling of his own on b2. Nonetheless, after 25.Rab1
intending 26 Rfc1 White looks on top. Perhaps Nakamura didn't like the variation
25...Be7 26.Rfc1 Nb4 27.Bxb4 (here    27.Be1!? intending 28 Rc4 might offer more
chances) 27...Bxb4 28.Rxc6 a5 , when with the black bishop stopping b2–b4 forever it
is very unlikely White could win.]
23...b6 24.Nc4 [White's knights are going backwards and forwards, not landing any
strong blow, but not allowing Anand to kill off the game either and forcing him to be
vigilant. ]
24...b5 25.Bxd5 bxc4 [I guess    25...Rxd5 is the worst of the four recaptures, losing
the exchange to    26.Nb6 ;; while not far behind is    25...Bxd5 26.Nb6 Ra7 27.axb5 ,
losing a pawn;; but we should take    25...exd5 seriously. It looks wrong at first glance,
but it has the good point that it virtually forces White to activate the black knight on
b8 in the sequence    26.Nce5 bxa4 27.Nxc6 Nxc6 28.Rxa4 Nd4 and Black has
counterplay.Anand saw he was okay after the game move and so probably didn't think
much about alternatives.]
26.Bxc4 Bxb2 [The idea is that Black gets his piece back after 27 Nxb2 Rxd2 with
even chances. Nakamura finds a way to keep the tension. ]
27.Ra2 Bg7 [A more active retreat was    27...Bd4 which would prevent White's 29th
move. ]
28.Rc1 Be8 29.Nc5 Bf8 [EXERCISE: What is the best way to meet the threat to c5?
ANSWER:]
30.Bd3! [White defends his own knight and regroups his bishop to e4, where it will
hassle the black knight on c6.]
30...Nc6 31.Be4 [Prudent. ]
[Both    31.Bxa6? Bxc5; and    31.Nxa6? Rxd3! win material for Black. ]
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31...Rdc8 32.Kf1 [Nakamura edges his king nearer to the attack and prevents
any ...Nd4 move coming with the threat of a fork on e2. ]
32...Ra7 33.Nb3 [The knight retreats to facilitate a pin by White's rooks along the c-
file.]
33...Rac7 34.Rac2 Bd6 [EXERCISE: Nakamura has kept the game alive by avoiding
exchanges, retreating when necessary and regrouping his pieces, but it seems that
Black has successfully survived the 'interrogation' on the queenside. Can you see how
the American Grandmaster added one more bit of pressure to finally make his
renowned opponent buckle?ANSWER:]
35.f4! [Opening a second front on the kingside. ]
[It also has the excellent point that after    35.f4 gxf4 36.Bxf4 Black has to give up a
pawn with    36...e5 (as after    36...Bxf4 37.gxf4 the rook on c7 is no longer defended
twice so there is no good way to stop 38 Nd4, winning the exchange)
37.Bxh6 .Perhaps in time trouble and weary of his endless defence Black immediately
blundered.]
35...f5?! [Black would be okay with 35...Ba3 to alleviate the force of the pin on the c-
file, when after 36.Rb1 Be7 Nakamura would need to find fresh winning chances. ]
36.Bd3 [In an interview after the game Anand was disappointed with himself and said
he had suffered "a one-move loss". He said he had forgotten that White's bishop could
go to d3, thinking it could only retreat down the long diagonal. ]
36...Nb8? [Actually it is only here that Black loses the game. ]
[With    36...Rb8! he is still defending: for instance, 37.Rc3 (or 37.Nc5 Nb4) 37...Bb4
38.Rc4 Ba3 .]
37.Rxc7 Rxc7 38.Rxc7 Bxc7 39.fxg5 hxg5 40.Nc5 [White's persistence is rewarded
with the win of a pawn.]
40...Bd6 41.Nxe6 Bxa4 42.Nxg5 Bd7 43.Bc3 [. White can advance his h-pawn up the
board. ]
1–0
(60) Giri,A - Aronian,L [E06]
36: Wijk aan Zee, 2014
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 Bd7
9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bf4 [QUESTION: Why does White put the bishop on f4?ANSWER:
Black wishes to arrange the freeing advance ...c7–c5. A possible plan for him is to
play ...Bd5, getting the bishop out of the way of the pawn with gain of time by
attacking the white queen. Putting the bishop on f4 prevents, or at least delays, this
plan as ...Bd5 would allow Qxc7.]
10...Bd6 [A natural response, guarding the c7–pawn and challenging White's bishop. ]
[Another possible sequence is    10...a5 11.Nc3 Na6 (Black fortifies the queenside)
12.Ne5 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Nd5 14.Rad1 Nxf4+ 15.gxf4 Bd6 16.e3 . At first you might
think Black has achieved a lot through gaining the bishop pair and in the process
splitting the white kingside pawns. In reality, White has a grip on the centre which has
been increased by the transfer of the pawn from g3 to f4. His king is in little danger
and it is Black, not White, who has to fear a possible attack down the g-file if White
plays Kh1 and Rg1 in the future.As a rule, in this type of structure the exchange of a
knight on d5 for a bishop on f4 and pawn recapture g3xf4 usually gives White lasting
pressure, though it's not that special as Black remains solid. On the other hand, you
might win some games as White if your opponent isn't well acquainted with the
Catalan and wastes too much time or weakens himself in pursuit of the ...Nxf4
exchange.]
11.Bg5 [Here    11.Nc3 Bxf4 12.gxf4 gives White some edge;; or if you are squeamish
about doubled pawns then    11.Qc1!? Bxf4 12.Qxf4 is also a bit better for him.After
the game move White's bishop has taken two moves to reach g5, but the pin on f6 is
awkward for Black, who would be left a tempo down after 11...Be7, and so he
completes his development instead.]
11...Nbd7 12.Nc3 [EXERCISE: What is White's positional threat? ANSWER: White
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mustn't be allowed to play 13 e4 unchallenged. If he does then he denies Black's
pieces any influence over the e4– and d5–squares, rendering Black's plan of ...Bd7 and
...Bc6 useless. There would also be a threat of 14 e5 winning a piece, or in some cases
14 d5 with the same effect. Black's pieces would be badly bunched together.]
12...h6 13.Bxf6 Nxf6 [Black must recapture this way or White plays 14 e4 after all.
White is often content to give up the fabled bishop pair in the Catalan, although first
of all, we should be more precise: White is seldom happy to swap his light-squared
bishop for a knight in the Catalan. His bishop on g2 is often key to his strategy, and in
such an exchange, he would like to have an extra pawn to cheer himself up (see the 7
Ne5 Nc6 8 Bxc6 bxc6 9 Nxc6 line). We might add though that White is often happy to
exchange it off in return for Black's light-squared bishop.In contrast, it is often even
desirable for White to swap his dark-squared bishop for a knight. This is because the
light-squared bishop has a nice haven from the bustle of the centre on g2 and a clear
strategic role. In contrast the bishop on c1 normally has no safe and useful square
away from the centre – apart from in the 8 Qxc4 mainline, where it sometimes finds
its nirvana through the manoeuvre Bd2 and Ba5. White's pawn on d4 helps to clutter
the dark squares, reducing the options for his bishop. And generally speaking the
blocked nature of the struggle – there are still seven pawns on the board in both armies
– reduces the value of the bishop over the knight. Furthermore, Bg5 and Bxf6 often
has the good point of deflecting the other black knight from the build-up to a
freeing ...c7–c5 or ...e6–e5 advance. In fact it not only slows down Black's preparation
of ...c7–c5, but also clears the c1–square with gain of time, thereby facilitating a Rac1
move to obstruct ...c7–c5.EXERCISE: White wants to advance on the queenside.
Should he play 14 a5 or 14 b4?ANSWER:]
14.a5 [A move needs to be judged on what it does for a player's strategic chances, and
also on what it takes away from the opponent. Everything else being equal, being one
square forwards makes a pawn more valuable in an endgame. The reason is simple: it
is one step closer to being a queen.Here the pawn physically blocks Black from
advancing 14...a5 himself. This would equalize space on the queenside and make the
b4–square a strong point for Black – or if you prefer a hole in White's pawn structure.
White no longer has a dark-squared bishop to fight for the b4–square, and the b2–
pawn remains restrained.By advancing 14 a5 White fixes a space advantage for
himself on the queenside, rather than having his own b-pawn restrained by ...a6–a5.]
[After    14.b4 Black has the concrete reply    14...Bd5! . Now if the white queen
retreats b4 drops, so we have the sequence 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.Qb3 c6 . Black's
structure on the queenside might remind you of a Queen's Gambit Declined, where the
minority attack with the pawn thrust b4–b5 is a promising idea for White. However, in
the Queen's Gambit White would typically have a set up with a pawn on e3 and the
bishop on e2 or d3, rather than a pawn on g3 and the bishop on g2.This is a vital
difference. In the Catalan version of this structure White's bishop is sadly ineffective.
It is blocked in by a solid barrier on d5 and can't contribute anything to the pressure on
Black's queenside.; Giri doesn't want to be forced into this change of pawn structure.
And so he plays    14.a5 , keeping the option of answering    14...Bd5 with    15.Qd3 ,
as there is no pawn on b4 that needs defending. ]
14...Qe7 [A useful prophylactic move. ]
15.Nd2 [If now    15.Rfe1 , with the plan of 16 e4, Black can be annoying with
15...Bb4! , when 16.Ne5 (16.e4? drops a pawn to 16...Bxc3 and    17.bxc3 Bxe4)
16...Bxg2 17.Kxg2 c5! frees Black's game.]
15...Bd5 [Trying to create some imbalance. ]
[Instead, 15...Bxg2 16.Kxg2 c5 looks fairly equal. ]
16.Bxd5 exd5 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.Qxd5 Qxe2 19.Ne4 [Black looks very close to
complete equality, but as so often in the Catalan, precision is required to remove
White's lingering edge.]
19...Rab8? [A routine passive move. ]
[Instead, 19...Bb4! stops the black queen being driven from e2. Then 20.Qxb7 Rab8
21.Qc6 (the queen has to keep e4 defended)    21...Qxb2 is equal, because of the fine
point that    22.Qxa6? Qxd4 leaves the white knight trapped in the centre of the board
with no save way to defend it – if    23.Qc6 f5 wins it. ]
20.Rfe1 [White gains time to activate his rooks by harassing the black queen.]
[Much better than simplifying with    20.Nxd6 cxd6 21.Qxd6 .]
20...Qxb2 [There is no joy for Black in    20...Qb5 21.Qxb5 axb5 22.Nxd6 cxd6 ,
80
when White has the pleasant choice between a rook on the seventh rank with 23.Re7 ;
(and the more subtle    23.Re3 aiming to win the b5–pawn with 24 Rb3 – note that
23...b6 24.a6 doesn't help Black at all.In what follows you'll notice the latent strength
of White's pawn on a5.) ]
21.Rab1 Qc2 22.Rec1 Qe2 23.Re1 Qc2 [Giri now decides he wants his rooks on b1
and e1, and so...]
24.Nxd6 cxd6 25.Rb6! [A classy move. Giri isn't afraid to be a pawn down as he sees
that his winning chances depend on keeping the black pieces boxed up. ]
[Instead, after 25.Rxb7 Rxb7 26.Qxb7 Qc3 White loses his a5–pawn. ; Meanwhile, if
25.Qxd6 then    25...Rfd8 activates a black rook and puts pressure on the d4–pawn.]
[EXERCISE: Black wants to challenge White's control of the open file by putting a
room on e8. Well, which one would you choose?]
25...Rbe8 [Throughout chess history a lot has been written about players putting the
wrong rook on an open file. As White's last move indicated he was going after the d6–
pawn rather than the b7–pawn, Aronian decided to push the passive one on b8 to the
open file. He might also have thought the rook on f8 was doing a good job defending
f7 and in fact he probably assumed that White would exchange on e8 whichever rook
he put there, so it didn't matter much...]
[ANSWER: Black should use the other rook with    25...Rfe8! . After    26.Rxe8+
(alternatively, if 26.Rf1 then    26...Re6! 27.Rxd6 Rxd6 28.Qxd6 Rc8 is equal – now it
is Black who has the active rook to offset his slightly worse pawn structure) 26...Rxe8
27.Rxb7 , then 27...Re6! breaks the attack on f6 and keeps the rook active. White has
no advantage in view of Black's threat of counterplay with, say, ...Qd3
intending ...Re1+.You might wonder why I praised 25 Rb6 when Black can equalize
against it. Well, Aronian is world-class player and it made him go wrong! That is quite
good enough in the Catalan. You have to keep pressing, not releasing the tension, and
trust that your opponent will play over passively or inaccurately.]
26.Rf1! [After this quiet move Black is left with a hanging pawn on b7 and an
inactive rook on f8.]
26...Qe4? [His inaccuracy on the previous move seems to have flustered Aronian.]
[Instead, 26...Re7 27.Rxd6 Rfe8 leaves him with active rooks and not much to fear,
despite his worse pawn structure. ]
27.Qxb7 Qxb7 [After    27...Qxd4 28.Rxa6 the passed a-pawn is a nuisance for Black
to defend against. ]
28.Rxb7 Re4 29.Rd1 Rc8 30.Rb6? [White's winning chances depend on undermining
Black's kingside pawns whilst at the same time ensuring that f2 is adequately
defended if Black's rooks are doubled against it. This can be achieved by bringing the
rook on d1 into an attack on f7. ]
[Therefore 30.Ra7! was the correct approach: for example,    30...Rc2 31.Rb1! That
means    31...Ra2 is the last try for Black, but he ends up under intense pressure after
a) and now Black's doubling of rooks on the seventh rank fails after 31...Ree2
32.Rb8+ Kh7 33.Rxf7 , etc. White's king remains secure whilst the black kingside will
be decimated.;
b) Likewise, if    31...Rxd4 then    32.Rb8+ Kh7 33.Rf8! and White will conquer on the
f-file (not so clear is    33.Rbb7 g5) , when 33...g5 (if 33...f6 , simply 34.Rxf6)
34.Raxf7+ Kg6 35.Rf6+ Kg7 36.R8f7+ Kg8 37.Ra7 leaves Black helpless.;
32.Rb8+ Kh7 33.Rbb7 Rxa5 34.Rxf7 Rg4 35.Kg2 : for example,    35...Ra4 36.h4 h5
37.d5 a5 38.Rad7 Rg6 39.Rd8 Ra2 40.Rf5 Rh6 41.Rff8 Rf6 42.Rxf6 gxf6 43.Rxd6
and White should win the endgame.Notice that despite the seeming complexity of the
endgame if White played according to the simple aim 'get the rooks doubled on the
seventh rank with the rook now on d1 attacking f7', it would have guided him to most
of the moves that get exclamation marks above (30 Ra7, 31 Rb1 and 33 Rbb7), though
the superiority of 33 Rf8! to the direct 33 Rbb7 in the third variation shows we
shouldn't be too dogmatic. The important thing to realize is that safeguarding f2 whilst
breaking up the black kingside is more important than the fate of the pawns – white or
black – on the queenside.]
30...Rc2! [Now White won't have time to double his rooks on the seventh rank as
Black would get in first against f2.]
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31.Rd3 [If    31.Rxd6 , 31...Ree2 forces the passive    32.Rf1 . Black should then hold
the endgame after    32...Ra2 33.Rxa6 Red2 34.h4 g6 35.h5 gxh5 36.Rxh6 Rxa5 .]
31...g5! [Thanks to White's imprecise play, Black's kingside pawns aren't victims, but
rather stakes he wishes to drive through the heart of the white king. ]
32.h3 [QUESTION: What happens, though, after 32.Rxa6 , creating a queenside
passed pawn? ANSWER: Black actually wins: 32...Re1+ 33.Kg2 g4 34.h3 h5! and
there is no good defence against 35...Rcc1 followed by 36...Rg1+ and mate in two
moves. ; If    32.Rxd6 Re1+ 33.Kg2 g4 34.h3 h5 , White can save himself with
35.hxg4 hxg4 36.Rd5! , though 36...Kh7 leaves Black with enough play for a draw;
(36...Rcc1 is answered by 37.Rg5+ and 38 Rxg4 destroying the mating net; or if
36...Ree2 37.Rf5 .) ]
32...h5 33.Rf3 g4 34.hxg4 hxg4 35.Rf4 [Giri is obliged to exchange rooks in order to
keep f2 guarded and meet the threats to his back rank mentioned in the previous note.
He wins a pawn or two, but now that there is only one white rook, the black king is
able to be strongly activated. ]
35...Rxf4 36.gxf4 Ra2 37.Rxa6 Kg7 38.Kg2 Kg6! [Giving up the d6–pawn with
check is a small price to pay for getting the king to the f5–square.]
39.Rxd6+ Kf5 40.a6 [If    40.Kg3 , 40...Ra3+ forces back the white king. ]
40...Kxf4 41.Rf6+ Kg5 42.Rb6 Kf4 43.d5 Ke5 [Stopping the white passed pawns is
more important than going after the f2–pawn, as Black would be unable to restrain
their advance upon    43...g3 44.d6 Rxf2+ 45.Kg1 .]
44.d6 Ke6 45.Kg3 f5 46.d7+ [White can't make any progress, as 46.f3 Ra3 wins the
f3–pawn. ]
46...Kxd7 47.Rf6 Ke7 48.Rh6 [The black king is on hand to stop the queening of the
f-pawn after    48.Rxf5 Rxa6 49.Kxg4 Ra8 .]
48...Kf7 [. If you want to play the Catalan you have to believe in small endgame
advantages. It took some astute defence by Aronian and a couple of imprecisions by
the Dutch Grandmaster to let Black off the hook.]
½–½
(61) Khamitskiy,S - Rawicz,K [E05]
37: Chojnice, 2010
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Rd1
[QUESTION: Why is White declining to recapture on c4? ANSWER: White plans a
strong build up in the centre with moves like Nc3 and e2–e4. Having played his
bishop to c6, which is the only purpose behind 8...Bd7, Black faces being hit at some
inconvenient moment by a centre-smashing d4–d5. Not only has White avoided losing
a tempo with 9.Qxc4 , he has also kept his queen on a post where she supports the e2–
e4 advance.]
9...Bc6 [After    9...Nc6 10.Qxc4 while there is a tricky line with 10...b5 , but White
emerges with a small edge after    (White has lasting pressure upon    10...Nb4 11.Nc3
Bc6 12.a5 ; (12.--) ) 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rxa8 Qxa8 13.Qxb5 Qa1 (not    13...Nxd4?
14.Nxd4 Bxb5 15.Bxa8 when White wins a piece) 14.Nc3 Nxd4 15.Qb7 .; Meanwhile
9...c5 looks risky for Black as his queen is pinned. Play could go    10.dxc5 Bxc5 (if
10...Nc6 11.Qxc4) 11.Ne5 Qc8 12.Qxc4 Bb5 (a flashy move based on 13 axb5? axb5,
when White has a rook on a1 and queen both hanging) 13.Qb3 Bc6 (if    13...Bxe2
14.Re1 when e2 and b7 are attacked) 14.Nxc6 Nxc6 15.Na3 with White enjoying the
better game thanks to the bishop pair.]
10.Nc3 [This is a very dangerous line for Black to face. Routine developing moves
will quickly lead to disaster. ]
10...Nbd7? [Just what White was hoping for. Black innocently brings out his knight,
not realizing that a cataclysm is going to hit his centre. ]
[If instead he tries to exploit the hole on b4 by inserting a knight on d3 he is driven
back:    10...Nd5 11.e4 Nb4 12.Qe2 Nd3 13.Be3 Bb4 14.Ne1 (the simplest riposte)
14...Nxe1 15.Rxe1 a5 16.Qxc4 with the better game for White due to his excellent
centre, though Black can resist with    16...Qe7 .; A better approach for Black is to
exchange off his loose bishop at once with    10...Bxf3 , as we shall see in the next
82
game. ]
11.e4 b5 [EXERCISE: If you were playing White how would you handle the
breakthrough in the centre? What would be your next two moves?ANSWER:]
12.d5! exd5 13.e5! [It isn't always right to recapture. ]
[After    13.exd5 Bb7 , the centre remains stable: White's advance has stalled. The rook
on d1 and the bishop on g2 would be angry at having their view of the board
obstructed by their own pawn on d5. In contrast, after the game move the black knight
is driven from f6, the black pawn on d5 falls to the white knight, and White's rook on
d1 and bishop on g2 are happy with their lives again.]
13...Ne4 [Black could try to make the best of it with a piece sacrifice for a few pawns,
but he is unable to hold his centre together after    13...Nc5 14.Nd4 Bb7 15.exf6 Bxf6
16.axb5 axb5 17.Rxa8 Bxa8 because of    18.Nxd5! Bxd5 19.Nc6 when either his
queen or d5 falls off the board. ]
14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Rxd5 Nec5 16.axb5 axb5 [Former world champion Anatoly
Karpov once stumbled into this position as Black, though to be fair it was in a
blindfold game. His intuition or calculation allowed him to avoid the worst with
16...Qe8 , although 17.Ng5! still leaves Black in desperate trouble; (instead of the
17.bxa6? of J.Piket-A.Karpov, Monaco (blindfold) 1996.) ]
[EXERCISE: Can you see a winning combination for White?ANSWER:]
17.Rxa8 Qxa8 18.Rxd7! [Setting up a discovered attack on the black queen. ]
18...Nxd7 19.Ng5 [A hyped-up version of a familiar tactical motif in the Catalan and
Queen's Indian set-ups. Normally it's a black rook that's the victim on a8, but here it's
the queen.]
19...g6 [There's no way to stop mate on h7 and save the queen. ]
20.Bxa8
1–0

(62) Khenkin,I - Rozentalis,E [E06]
38: Belgian League, 2014
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Rd1
Bc6 10.Nc3 Bxf3 [Black exchanges off the bishop before 11 e4 leaves him facing the
d4–d5 advance that proved so powerful in the previous game. At the same time the
c6–square is cleared for the black knight.]
11.Bxf3 Nc6 [After the passive    11...c6 , White could clear the way for his queen to
capture the c4–pawn whilst restricting Black's queenside with 12.a5! : for example,
12...Nd5 (or 12...Nbd7 13.Qa4 and 14 Qxc4) 13.Qa4 Nb4 14.Ne4 , when White is
ready to cut off the protection of the knight on b4 with 15 Nc5.]
12.Bxc6 [QUESTION: Why does White exchange off his bishop for the knight rather
than attack it with 12 d5 or at least play 12 e3 to secure the d4–pawn?]
[ANSWER: Well, 12.d5? fails utterly after    12...Nb4 , when White loses the pawn on
d5.; Meanwhile, if 12.e3 then    12...Na5! leaves White a pawn down with not much to
show for it.As played we can talk about White giving up his good bishop, but Khenkin
can point to the tripled black c-pawns.]
12...bxc6 13.a5 [Clearing the a4–square for White's rook or queen, after which the c4–
pawn looks doomed. Nonetheless, the Lithuanian Grandmaster Eduardas Rozentalis
manages to survive the pressure, which no doubt encouraged him to try his luck again
with this line versus Barnusz in the 2016 Austrian League. The trouble is that an
opponent rated over 2600 is likely to have devised some fresh instruments of torture.]
[Barnusz came up with 13.Bg5 Rb8 , as in V.Kramnik-S.Karjakin, Moscow 2011 (the
closest you get to an irresistible force meeting an immovable object in a chess game)
Instead, Barnusz wanted to hang on to his a4–pawn to keep more tension and so chose
14.e3!? , not committing his rook to the c1–square. After (which went    14.Rac1 h6
15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.e3 Qe7 17.Ne4 Rb4 18.Qe2 Rxa4 (Black's salvation lies in reducing
the number of pawns to limit White's chances in the endgame)    19.Rxc4 Rxc4
20.Qxc4 e5 21.Qxa6 exd4 22.Nxf6+ Qxf6 23.Rxd4 . Black had an unpleasant task due
to the doubled pawns, but he managed to hold the draw. (23.--) ) 14...Rb4 15.Rab1 a5
83
16.Na2 Rb6 17.Bxf6 (not    17.Qxc4 Qd5! when g5 is hanging so White has to
straighten out Black's pawns with 18.Qxd5 cxd5) 17...Bxf6 18.Qxc4 Qd5 19.Rdc1
Qf3? (Black should have tried    19...Rfb8 in order to capture the b2–pawn: for
example    20.Qxd5 exd5 21.b4 Kf8 22.b5 Ke7 23.Ra1 cxb5 24.Nc3! Ke6! (stopping
the fork on d5 without giving himself more weaknesses with 24...c6?) 25.axb5 Ra8
26.Na4 Rxb5 27.Rxc7 when Black is still somewhat boxed in, but after    27...Be7
should hold the draw) 20.Rc2 Rfb8 21.Nc1 (for the moment the black rooks are
stopped from taking on b2 thanks to some dainty footwork by the knight; this will
give Barnusz the time to utilize his kingside pawn majority) 21...e5 22.dxe5 Bxe5
23.Nd3 Bd6 24.e4! (in the absence of the black rooks White will be able to create
direct threats against the underdefended black king)    24...Rb3 25.Rd2 g6 26.Rbd1
Qg4 27.Qxc6 h5 28.e5 Bf8 29.Nf4! (at last the b2–pawn can be jettisoned in favour of
building up the kingside attack) 29...Rxb2 30.h3 Qf5 31.Rxb2 Rxb2 32.h4 Rb1
33.Rxb1 Qxb1+ 34.Kg2 Qb6 35.Qa8 (the perfect square for the queen from where she
attacks a5 and is ready to switch to the kingside)    35...Qb4 36.e6! (the white queen
and knight are a potent attacking force against the black king)    36...Kg7 37.exf7 Kxf7
38.Qd5+ Ke8 (Black's defences crumble) (as shown too by 38...Kg7 39.Qe5+ Kh7
40.Qe6 Qb1 41.Qf7+ Bg7 42.Ne6 Qb2 43.Ng5+ Kh6 44.Qg8 with the deadly threat of
mate on h7) 39.Nxg6 Bd6 40.Qe6+ Kd8 41.Nh8! (a knight on the rim is dim? – here
the threat of mate on f7 allows the knight to get to the dominant e5–square with gain
of time) 41...Be7 42.Nf7+ Ke8 43.Ne5 Qd6 44.Qf7+ 1–0. After    44...Kd8 45.Qg8+
Black loses his queen to a fork. ]
13...Rb8 [The best defensive move. Black prepares to challenge the white rook before
it can begin chomping through the black pawns with Ra4 and Rxc4, when c6 would
soon drop. ]
14.Ra4 Rb4 15.Na2! [Carefully does it – after    15.Rxb4 Bxb4 the a5–pawn would
hang, so White forces the black rook into making the exchange. ]
15...Rxa4 16.Qxa4 Qb8 17.Qxc4 [Awkward for White is    17.Qxc6? Qb3 18.Nc3
Bb4 , when Black threatens to win a piece.]
17...Qb7 [Rozentalis has managed to secure his flimsy queenside structure, albeit at
the cost of the c4–pawn. His queen is active, eyeing the b2 pawn, and in the long term
the white pawn on a5 might become a target of his bishop. ]
18.Bg5 [The bishop doesn't want to remain tied to b2. White therefore sacrifices a
pawn for a second time in order to try for the initiative. ]
18...Qxb2 19.Nc3 [EXERCISE: After 19.Bxf6 , how should Black recapture?
ANSWER: In contrast, after 19...gxf6! the horse is denied the b4–square. A possible
continuation would be    (Then 19...Bxf6? allows    20.Nb4 , when the white knight has
come to life and attacks both a6 and c6. (20.--) ) 20.Nc3 Qb4 21.Qxc6 Qxa5 , when
White has the initiative after 22.Rb1 , but Black remains a pawn up.]
19...Nd5 20.Bxe7 Nxc3! [Khenkin could still play for advantage after    20...Nxe7
21.Rb1 Qc2 (or 21...Qa3 22.Na4 , etc) 22.e4 , when White can always negate the pin
with 23 Qc5.]
21.Bxf8 [Acquiescing in a draw.]
[21.Re1 Rb8 22.Qxa6 h6 leaves the white pieces scattered. The pawn on a5 would
become a target after    23.Qd3 Ra8 , etc. ]
21...Nxd1 22.Qxa6 [Instead, 22.Bb4 Qb1 looks dangerous for White. ]
22...Ne3! [A pretty move to force a draw. ]
[All roads lead to perpetual check, with White having the privilege of doing the
checking after the alternative    22...Kxf8 with    23.Qc8+ Ke7 24.Qxc7+ Kf6 25.Qf4+
Kg6 26.Qg4+ Kh6 27.Qh4+ Kg6 28.Qg4+ , etc.]
23.fxe3 [Mate was threatened. ]
23...Qb1+ [The players could shake hands here, but Khenkin wants to make sure his
king can't escape. Or perhaps they are keen to play a few more moves to show some
fighting spirit as it was a team competition? In fact the game had already been played
before up until the first drawing sequence in P.Leko-L.Aronian, Istanbul Olympiad
2012.]
24.Kf2 Qf5+ 25.Ke1 Qb1+ 26.Kd2 Qb2+ 27.Kd3 Qb3+ 28.Kd2 Qb2+ 29.Ke1
Qb1+ 30.Kf2 Qf5+ 31.Kg2 Qe4+ 32.Kh3 Qf5+ 33.g4 Qf1+ 34.Kg3 Qg1+ 35.Kf3
Qf1+ 36.Kg3
84
½–½
(64) Main Line: 7 Qc2 a6 8 Qxc4 [E05]
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 [.After White
recaptures the pawn with ]
8.Qxc4 [, Black is able to put his light-squared bishop on the long diagonal with]
8...b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 [. He is very close to equality, which is why the Catalan mainline is
popular as Black among the world's best players. All that remains is to be rid of the
weakness on c7 with a well-timed ...c7–c5 advance.Of course, White must prevent or
render ineffective the ...c7–c5 break if he wishes to keep an advantage. It was
dissatisfaction with his chances of doing so after 10 Bf4 or 10 Bg5 that made attention
focus on 10 Bd2. All three bishop moves are analyzed here. As we shall see, White
maintains a slight plus after 10 Bd2, though Black has good chances of a successful
defence.]
Line
(65) Zaja,I - Blagojevic,M [E06]
39: Bosnjaci, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 [Now
with his queen hanging White has no time to stop the black bishop reaching a
delightful diagonal.]
9.Qc2 [The most sensible reply. On c2 the queen White keeps an eye on c7, the main
weakness in Black's camp, and also has influence over the e4–square. Also on c2 the
queen can be used with one of the rooks to exert pressure on c7 and help restrain ...c7–
c5 after a future Rc1.]
9...Bb7 [In old books Black's light-squared bishop is described as his problem child in
the Queen's Gambit. In contrast, once it sits on b7 it is the pride of the Catalan family.
It is in no whit inferior to White's bishop on g2. In fact, White frequently makes an
effort to exchange off the bishops for each other, as Black's is a source of counterplay
and prevents White establishing a bind on the queenside.QUESTION: But I've heard it
said that that 'if Black manages to exchange off light-squared bishops he will ease the
pressure on the queenside.'ANSWER: Well, let's hope your future opponents believe
that is true as you'll win a lot of games! Though jumping ahead it must be admitted
that in the present game Black would have been delighted if his light-squared bishop
wasn't on the board...]
10.Bd2! [Other moves are analyzed later in the chapter.QUESTION: What is the point
of this move and why has it got an exclamation mark?ANSWER: In the Catalan
White's bishop on f1 has a lot of care lavished on it. Right at the beginning of the
game two moves are spent on establishing it in a safe and comfortable residence on
g2. Not so the bishop on c1. It finds its activity circumscribed by its own pawn on d4
and sometimes on e3 as well. And so it is frequently sent off to f4 or g5 where White
is somewhat relieved when it is exchanged off for a knight.However, then another
route for the bishop was discovered: it could go to d2 and shoot off to a5, where it has
a key role in attacking Black's backward pawn on c7. The circumstances have to be
right for Ba5 to be a good idea, but even if they aren't, the latent threat of Ba5 is
annoying for Black.]
10...Nbd7 [Blagojevic develops and pointedly ignores the idea behind his opponent's
last move. ]
[We'll look at the alternatives    10...Bd6; and    10...Nc6 in subsequent games. ]
11.Ba5 [Here attacking c7 is a good idea. Naturally if Black had played 10...Nc6 (as in
Evdokimov-Abdyjapar below), the bishop's visit to a5 would be ruled out, at least
temporarily. Though as we shall see ...Nc6 is a problematical move for Black: the
knight is active, but it blocks the freeing advance of the c-pawn. Instead, Black might
have delayed ...Nbd7, say with 10...Bd6 (Caruana-Karjakin below). Then the bishop's
foray 11 Ba5? could be rebuffed by 11...Nc6, gaining time to develop and forcing the
cleric into shamefaced retreat. In fact as long as the black knight is on b8 playing Ba5
looks dubious, but of course the black knight can't remain forever on b8. A situation
might arise where both players are looking around for useful waiting moves, White
not wanting to play Ba5 and Black not wanting to play ...Nbd7 or ..Nc6.If White is
85
unable to land his bishop on a5, it still has a possible role on d2 in supporting the
pawn advance b2–b4, to put a clamp on the c5–square. In this type of centre Black, of
course, dreams of playing ...c7–c5 in a safe way. It would rid him of the only serious
weakness in his camp, the backward pawn on c7.]
11...Rc8 [Black defends his pawn and completes the development of his queenside.]
12.Nbd2 [EXERCISE: Give some reasons why this is a better square for the knight
than c3.ANSWER: From d2 the knight has the option of going to b3 to add its weight
to the fight for the c5–square. At the moment this square is a hole in Black's queenside
pawn structure, but the defect would vanish should Black be able to advance ...c7–c5.
Therefore it is critical that all the white pieces contribute to restraining this freeing
move. On c3 the knight wouldn't have access to any useful squares and blocks the
white queen's pressure on c7. Even worse, it cuts off the retreat of the bishop on a5.
Black could change his mind about developing his knight and respond 12...Nb8! with
the threat of 13...Nc6, attacking both the bishop and the pawn on d4. White has no
good way to meet this. If, for example, he plays 13 b4 then 13...Nc6 and 14...Nxa5
will smash up his queenside pawns.]
12...Qe8 [Breaking the pin on c7 and so clearing the way for 13...c5.]
[Black could still respond 12...Nb8 , but it doesn't have the same power as White's
bishop can still use the c3–square: 13.a3!? Nc6 14.Bc3 leaves the black knight on the
rather awkward c6–square and the ...c7–c5 advance a long way off.]
13.b4! [Exactly. White must stop Black from freeing his game. ]
13...Bd6 [Black switches to the plan of 14...e5 followed by 15...exd4. This would
weaken White's grip on the c5–square, whereupon 16...c5 becomes possible again.]
14.e4! e5 15.Rfe1! [Defeating Black's plan, or rather delaying it, as if 15...exd4 16 e5
wins material due to the fork. ]
15...Qe7 16.a3 [Not letting the b4–pawn be captured. ]
16...Rfe8 17.Rad1 [White has found time to bring up all his pieces into the battle.]
17...Qf8 [EXERCISE: Having evacuated the queen from e7, Black is once again ready
to play 17...exd4 and then 18...c5. How can White nip this plan in the bud?
ANSWER:]
18.dxe5 Nxe5 19.Nxe5 Bxe5 20.Nb3! [At last the knight gets to b3 to prevent Black's
freeing move. There is also the threat to win a piece with 21 f4 Bd6 22 e5.]
[If 20.f4 at once, Black has 20...Bd4+ .]
20...c6? [A horrible-looking move that shuts in the bishop on b7. Black also makes the
bishop on a5 a stronger piece by allowing it control of the d8–square. ]
[Admittedly, Black wants to open up a line of retreat for the other bishop on e5, but a
much better try was 20...Bd6 , getting the bishop out of the way of 21 f4 and putting
up some sort of fight for the c5–square. ]
21.Nc5 [Winning the battle for the c5–square in decisive style. ]
21...Re7 22.Bh3! [The Catalan bishop has the last word.]
[If 22.Bh3 Rce8 then 23.Nxb7 Rxb7 24.Qxc6 wins a clean pawn.    (A computer will
tell you that White has even stronger moves: for example, in this line    24.f4 and 25 e5
before capturing the pawn.The black queenside pawns lose all vitality once ...c7–c5 is
stopped. They are of no attacking value and have to be defended by the black pieces.
In contrast White's centre majority is dynamic – as we see in the lines above, the
possibility of e4–e5 prevents Black from playing ...e5xd4 and then ...c6–c5 to free his
game. In effect, White has an extra pawn. His pawns help his pieces rather than
hindering them.Nimzowitsch stated that when a pawn majority is prevented from
expanding, the blockade square often becomes of great value to an enemy piece. .In
this position, c5 is the blockade square: Black has been restrained from playing ...c7–
c5. You can see how valuable it is to the white knight.) ]
1–0
(66) Caruana,F - Karjakin,S [E06]
40: Wijk aan Zee, 2014
[Neil McDonald]
86
[The previous game was fairly one-sided. Next we see a heavyweight clash between a
player who has studied his opening lines in enormous depth and a player who hardly
ever loses in the Catalan. An immovable object gives way when it meets an irresistible
force.]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qa4 a6 8.Qxc4 b5
9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Bd6 [Diverging from    10...Nbd7 in the previous game.]
[EXERCISE: Before reading on, would you like to suggest some reasons for putting
the bishop on d6?ANSWER: There are many reasons for Black playing 10...Bd6.
Firstly, it adds a defender to c7. It positions the bishop ready to contest the e5–square
should a white knight invade with Ne5. It clears the e7–square for the black queen.
The move ...c7–c5 isn't the only pawn break in town: Black could build up
towards ...e6–e5 with ...Nbd7 and ...Qe7.If White decides to play Bf4, he now has to
reckon with doubled pawns after the exchange ...Bxf4 and recapture g3xf4. We could
debate who profits the most from the exchange, and Black probably wouldn't
play ...Bxf4; but in any case Bf4 is no longer a free ride for White in putting pressure
on c7.When you assess a move you also have to ask yourself what hasn't the player
done in choosing the move? With 10...Bd6 he has avoided committing the knight on
b8. This means that the idea of Ba5 is unavailable for White as ...Nc6 chases the
bishop away. Leaving the knight on b8 also means that the c6–square is better
defended for now.EXERCISE: So much for the good points of 10...Bd6. Can you see
a drawback and how can White try to exploit it?ANSWER: An obvious disadvantage
to 10...Bd6 is that the bishop and the knight on f6 are now lined up for an e4–e5 fork.
In other games White has tried to exploit this with ideas such as Nh4 or Ng5,
exchanging the light-squared bishops, and then e2–e4; or Re1 and e2–e4; or Nc3 and
e2–e4: or by pinning the knight on f6 with Bg5 and then Bxf6 and e2–e4. Black, for
his part, has defensive resources based on arranging ...e6–e5. Instead Caruana settles
for 'normal' queenside pressure, planning b2–b4 to bolster his control over the c4–
square. Any e2–e4 advance will come later (jumping ahead it will come on move
40!).]
11.a3 Nbd7 12.b4 [Black has achieved good results after 12.Ba5 Qb8 13.b4 e5! . The
centre is dissolving and White's bishop on a5 seems somewhat shut out of things.
Therefore Caruana renounces the plan of Ba5. He puts a pincer grip on the c5–square
and develops his pieces with Bc3 and Nbd2, looking to restrain Black in the centre or
at least derive maximum benefit from the opening of lines if Black arranges ...e6–
e5.Notice also that the bishop on d2 deters an attempt to loosen the hold on c5 with
12...a5, as after 13 bxa5 it would be difficult for Black to get his pawn back.You might
be asking yourself why a top-class player like Karjakin would aim for a position
where he is under pressure with not much by way of activity to show for it? Surely
there are easier ways to play as Black?Well, first of all we shall see that Black has
more chances for activity than is apparent at first glance, but in any case Black has
only one real weakness in this position, the c7–pawn, and if you are a top player you
don't lose because of one weakness. Karjakin and other super-GM defenders of Black
in the mainline Catalan have confidence in their powers. They believe they will be
able to contain White's advantage, and most of the time they are right.As I said above,
Karjakin hardly ever loses in the Catalan. And a look at the results of games between
2700 players in this variation conforms that he is right to trust this variation as Black.
Of course, it is different with the players you and I face in tournaments. They don't
want a prospectless defence. To most of them chess is a hobby and (I know it sounds
extraordinary) they actually want to enjoy playing it!]
12...Ra7 [QUESTION: What is the point of this distinctly non-classical move?
ANSWER: It defends b7 against a surprise attack;]
[for example, if 12...Ne8 (I know, a dumb move) then 13.Ng5! and Black can't stop
mate on h7 and defend b7 at the same time. ; Here is a more sophisticated form of the
hanging bishop theme: if    12...e5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Bxg2 15.Nxf7! Rxf7
16.Kxg2 and White has won a pawn. The rook move also indirectly defends c7 and by
vacating the a8–square prepares the queen manoeuvre in the game. ]
13.Bc3 [Caruana's plan unfolds. He deters ...e6–e5 and clears the way for Nbd2
followed by either Nb3, aiming at a5 or c5, or perhaps e2–e4, gaining space.]
13...Be4 [A common idea in the Catalan mainline. The bishop forces the white queen
to an inferior square.QUESTION: I can see that, but after the queen retreats isn't
White going to play Nbd2, forcing the black bishop to go away, and then Qc2,
recouping the time he has lost? So Black hasn't profited by the manoeuvre, except by
gaining time on the clock?ANSWER: Well, the bishop will go back to d5, where it is
slightly better placed than on b7. So Black has achieved something.]
14.Qc1 [If    14.Qb3; or 14.Qa2 , the queen becomes a target of ...Bd5;; while after
87
14.Qd2 she gets in the way of Nbd2.; If    14.Qb2 , which is perhaps the most natural-
looking square, then 14...Nb6! and we see a drawback to the b2–b4 move: Black's
knight aims at the a4– or c4–squares, where it gains time by attacking the queen. So
the queen retreats to the back rank, with c1 seeming preferable as it reserves d1 for a
rook. ]
14...Qa8! [EXERCISE: Try to work out why Karjakin prefers a8 for his queen rather
than e7.ANSWER: The queen takes possession of the square vacated by 12...Ra7.
Notice that in terms of influence she is just as centralized here as on e7, or even more
so, as she looks down the long diagonal at some key light squares. She adds her
weight to that of the bishop on e4 and knight on f6 in restraining a future e2–e4 space
grab by White. Furthermore, she pins the knight on f3 which reduces White's freedom
of action and might facilitate a ...e6–e5–pawn break to liquidate the white centre. The
black queen also adds a defender to the sensitive c6–square and in some cases will
support an ...a6–a5 freeing advance.]
15.Nbd2 Bd5 16.Qc2 [The queen returns to c2, clearing the c1–square for the rooks
and lending a hand to a future e2–e4 advance. ]
16...Nb6 [Black rules out any chance of White nibbling at his queenside with a3–a4
and plans counterplay along the a-file himself if given the chance. ]
17.Ne1! [QUESTION: What does White achieve with this knight retreat?ANSWER:
First of all, White escapes the pin on f3 in a way that defends his bishop. He threatens
to gain space with 18 e4 – in fact this would win a piece in view of the potential 19 e5.
Meanwhile the white knight can re-emerge from e1 on d3 where it controls the c5–
and e5–squares, or on g2 after an exchange of bishops there.The exchange of light-
squared bishops often facilitates White exploiting the weaknesses in Black's queenside
structure. As a rule White doesn't need to be concerned about being mated in the
Catalan mainline, whereas Black has to worry about losing the defender of c6.]
17...Na4! ['The best answer to a threat is to ignore it'.]
[If Black had played the obvious    17...Bxg2 then after    18.Nxg2 White would have
occupied the centre with 19 e4, then continued 20 Ne3, etc, with a strong build-up. ;
But after the game move    17...Na4 18.e4? fails to    18...Nxc3 , when 19.Qxc3 (or
19.exd5 Ncxd5) 19...Nxe4 wins a pawn for Black.At the same time Black activates his
knight and looks to utilize his pieces on the a-file after ...Nxc3 and then ...a6–a5, or
maybe ...a6–a5 without the immediate exchange on c3.]
18.Nb3 [White deters the ...a6–a5 break. Notice that Caruana waited until it was
necessary to play this move as it loosens his hold on the c4– and e4–squares. ]
18...Be4 [Karjakin seizes the chance to exchange off bishops on e4 rather than g2 in
order not to reactivate White's knight after    18...Bxg2 19.Nxg2 . At the same time he
brings his queen into the central struggle.; Instead, 18...Ne4 achieves nothing for
Black after    19.Bb2 , as 20 f3 threatens to push back the knight from e4.]
19.Bxe4 Qxe4 [Threatening 20...Qxc2 21 Nxc2 Nxc3, winning a piece.]
20.Ra2! [The only good move. ]
[After    20.Rc1 Nxc3 21.Qxc3 Qxe2 , White has dropped a pawn;; while    20.Qxe4?
Nxe4 21.Bd2 allows Black to break out with    21...a5! 22.bxa5 (not    22.Nxa5? Nxd2)
22...Nxd2 23.Nxd2 Rxa5 , when in view of the weakness on a3 White would be trying
to draw.]
20...Nxc3? [Despite the expression 'a knight is grim on the rim', Karjakin should avoid
this exchange in order to keep an imbalance in the position. He plans to free his game
with ...e6–e5, but it backfires and he ends up in a bleak endgame.]
[He should wait instead with    20...Raa8; or 20...Re8 , though White undoubtedly has
the better of it as Black hasn't resolved the problems of his queenside structure.]
21.Qxc3 e5 22.Nf3! exd4 23.Nfxd4 [The only thing that has been freed by 21...e5 is
White's knight, which has gone from obscurity on e1 to a starring role on d4. ]
23...Raa8 24.Rc2 [In the absence of any counterplay, the backward pawn and hole on
c6 are looking ominous for Black. ]
24...Nd5 [Perhaps 24...Qg6 was Black's best chance. At least it keeps the queens on
the board.]
25.Qf3! [The art of exchanging wisely. Black's weaknesses on the c-file are fixed
88
forever, so the exchange of queen's clarifies White's advantage. Most crucially,
Caruana will be able to use his king to support an advance of his 4–3 kingside
majority without any worries about his safety.]
25...Qxf3 26.Nxf3 Rfe8 27.Rd1 Nb6 [EXERCISE: How do we stop Black's knight
going to c4 and attacking a3?ANSWER:]
28.Na5! [It's the turn of the white knight to go to the edge of the board.]
28...g6 29.e3 [The first sign of life from White's kingside pawns. It is their advance
combined with the pressure on the queenside that will overwhelm the black defence. ]
29...Kg7 30.Rd3 Rac8 31.Rc6 [Crushing any hope of Black ever advancing ...c7–c5.]
31...Rb8 [The threat was 32 Rdxd6 cxd6 33 Rxb6 winning a piece. ]
32.Kf1 h5 33.h3 [White wants to manoeuvre his knight from f3 to b3 to strengthen his
queenside grip;]
[but if he had played 33.Nd2 at once then    33...h4 gives Black a semblance of
counterplay. And so he prepared to answer ...h5–h4 with g3–g4 without
allowing ...Bxh2. ]
33...Kf6 34.Nd2 Kg7 35.Ndb3 Re6 36.Kg2 Kf8 [EXERCISE: How should White
increase his advantage?ANSWER:]
37.f4! Ree8 38.Kf3 Red8 39.Rc2 Rd7 40.e4 Ke8 41.e5 Be7 42.Rxd7 Kxd7 43.Rd2+
Ke8 44.Nc6 Ra8 45.Nba5 [The white knights assume the role of blockading Black's
queenside pawns, freeing the rook to support White's pawn advance on the kingside. ]
45...f5 46.g4 hxg4+ 47.hxg4 fxg4+ 48.Kxg4 Kf7 49.Rh2 Bf8 50.f5 [It's all too easy.
White's pawn majority plays a decisive role on the kingside, whereas Black's
queenside pawns are paralyzed by the white knights. ]
50...Nd5 [Karjakin prepares to give up a piece rather than wait for White to shepherd
home his passed pawn with the help of his king and rook and knights after    50...gxf5+
51.Kxf5 , etc. ]

51.f6 [The black bishop is now as blocked in as his pawns. ]
51...Nxf6+ 52.exf6 Kxf6 [Black's knight sacrifice allows him to extend the game a
long time. He 'only' has to exchange rooks and eliminate every pawn on the board,
throwing in his bishop as a gift, when it is well known that two knights can't force
checkmate against a lone king. Naturally there is more chance of you or me beating
Magnus Carlsen than Caruana allowing that to happen.The remaining moves were:]
53.Rf2+ Ke6 54.Re2+ Kd5 55.Rd2+ Ke4 56.Nb7 Ke3 57.Rd7 Re8 58.Rxc7 Bh6
59.Nc5 Rf8 60.Re7+ Kd2 61.Re6 Rf1 62.Na7 Be3 63.Rxa6 Ke2 64.Rxg6 Rf4+
65.Kh3 Rf3+ 66.Rg3 Rf7 67.Nxb5 Bf2 68.Rb3 Rf4 69.Nc3+ Kf1 70.Rb1+ Be1
71.Rxe1+ [. There is a fork on d3 coming. A fine example of Caruana's relentless
technique. ]
1–0
(67) Evdokimov,A - Abdyjapar,A [E05]
41: Moscow, 2015
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 dxc4 6.0–0 0–0 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5
9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Nc6 [Black prevents any Ba5 ideas and attacks d4, but of course
the knight is now in the way of the ...c7–c5 advance.]
11.e3 [EXERCISE: Can you suggest a good plan for White if Black plays passively?
ANSWER: After White's modest pawn move defending d4, the black knight is
awkwardly placed on c6. Given the chance White will play moves like Rc1 and a2–a3
(to stop ...Nb4) then Ne1, attacking c6 and with the plan of Nd3 aiming for control of
the c5–square. If White can arrange Nc5 in this type of structure and oblige Black to
respond with ...Bxc5 then after Qxc5 he will be close to winning from a positional
viewpoint due to Black's weak dark squares and the continuing pressure along the c-
file. However, if after Nc5 and ...Bxc5 White was obliged to recapture d4xc5, then
most of his advantage vanishes: the attack along the c-file is blocked and Black is
entrenched on the light squares. White might still have some edge, though, on account
of exchanging a knight for Black's prize bishop. In such situations White should
almost always recapture with a piece, queen or rook, rather than pawn: and he
89
shouldn't rush to occupy c5 with the knight if he ends up with a pawn on that
square.Returning to the game, to add to Black's problems if left unanswered there is
12 Ne5 winning the exchange. If you suggested that as White's best plan, well done –
a threat is also a plan!]
11...Nb4 [The horse therefore leaps forward again and attacks her Majesty. ]
12.Bxb4 [Since his centre pawns are on dark squares, White isn't adverse to
exchanging his 'bad' bishop for a knight. The lack of pawn exchanges and White's firm
structure means that Black's bishop pair doesn't have much to attack. Meanwhile the
white knights can dream of exploiting the holes on a5, c5 and c6 in Black's
queenside.]
12...Bxb4 13.a3! [QUESTION: Why not 13.Nbd2 , developing the knight? ANSWER:
Black has the energetic response 13...c5! which at least equalizes. After 14.dxc5 Rc8
15.Nb3 Be4! , Black soon regains his pawn after 16.Qc1 (while 16.Qd1 Bd3 wins the
exchange for Black) 16...Qe7 . It's not totally clear as White has a passed pawn, but
Black is at least equal.If you are White in the Catalan you must always make sure that
Black can't break out with ...c7–c5. It might ruin your whole strategy of pressure along
the c-file. And conversely when Black you have to strive to make it work, even when
it looks like it shouldn't! In this example you'll notice how Black's bishop pair
becomes a factor in his favour once White's strong centre has been broken up and the
bishops have something to target.]
13...Be7 14.Nbd2 [Only now. The knight plans a journey to the c5–square where it
will loom menacingly over the queenside, unless Black eliminates it with ...Bxc5, but
then after the recapture Qxc5 White will dominate the dark square holes in Black's
structure. ]
14...Qd6 [If Black plays 14...c5? , White can take the pawn and support it with b2–b4.
Instead, Black decides on a set-up involving ...Rfc8 and ...Qb6 to bolster his
queenside.; The young Carlsen came to grief playing Black against Kramnik after
14...Rc8 15.b4 a5 16.Ne5 (aiming to gain control over the c6–square)    16...Nd5 (he
should try    16...Bxg2 17.Kxg2 c6! , to stop the white horse landing on c6, as
obviously 18.Nxc6? fails to 18...Qd5+ ; White could keep some edge with 18 Rfb1)
17.Nb3! (White can ignore the attack on b4, gaining vital time to consolidate his grip
on the queenside)    17...axb4 18.Na5! Ba8 19.Nac6 . This is already positionally
decisive:    19...Bxc6 20.Nxc6 Qd7 21.Bxd5! (Kramnik is more than happy to give up
the Catalan bishop to make permanent his stranglehold on c6)    21...exd5 22.axb4 (a
perfect situation for White in the Catalan; Carlsen must have been in despair as he can
never free his queenside and b5 is a ready target)    22...Rfe8 23.Ra5 Bf8 24.Ne5 Qe6
25.Rxb5 Rb8 26.Rxb8 Rxb8 27.Qxc7 Bd6 28.Qa5 Bxb4 29.Rb1 Qd6 30.Qa4 and 1–0
in V.Kramnik-M.Carlsen, Dortmund 2007. ]
15.Rfc1 [It is possible that White will play b2–b4 in the future to increase his control
of c5, when Black might try to undermine the pawn with ...a6–a5. Then the a-file
becomes open after ...a5xb4 and the recapture a3xa4. Alternatively, White himself
might open the a-file by playing a3–a4 to target b5. Therefore it is sensible to keep a
rook on a1 and move the other one to c1. In the Catalan mainline Rfc1 seems White's
default choice of rook to play to c1. There is normally a reason specific to a particular
position when he prefers Rac1.]
15...Rfc8 16.Nb3 Be4 [Deflecting the white queen to a less active square.]
[EXERCISE: What happens if Black plays 16...Nd7 to prevent the white knight
invading on c5?ANSWER: There is a typical trick to exploit the undefended bishop on
b7: 17.Ng5! (threatening mate in two) 17...Bxg5 18.Bxb7 and White wins the
exchange.]
17.Qe2 Qb6 18.Nc5 Bxc5 19.Rxc5 [Black is far from lost, but the opening has clearly
been a success for White. He has restrained Black from breaking out with ...c7–c5 and
can double his rooks against c7. Abdyjapar disagrees with this verdict and soon gets
into hot water. ]
19...Nd7 20.Rc3? [The undefended bishop motif strikes again in a more sophisticated
form after    20.Ng5! . That leaves only    20...Bg6 , but then White's pressure along the
c-file is supercharged with
a) Then acceptance of the material with    20...Bxg2 21.Qh5! is fatal for Black: for
example,    21...Bc6 22.Qxh7+ Kf8 23.Qh5! and there is no good way to defend f7 for
if    23...g6 24.Qh7 and the white queen crashes in.    (24.--) ;
b) If instead    20...Nxc5 21.dxc5 Qxc5 22.Nxe4 and White's minor pieces are worth
much more than the rook and pawn. ;
90
21.Rc6 Qb8 22.Rac1 .]
20...c5? [Black makes another positionally desirable move that is tactically unsound.
If carried on too long this approach is bound to lead to disaster, if not in one game
then in the next one. As the renowned strategist Reti affirmed the foundation of
positional play is control of tactics. ]
21.Rac1 [The    21.Ng5! recipe still works: 21...Bxg2 22.Qh5 Qc6 23.Qxh7+ Kf8
24.Qh5! g6 25.Qh7 and the black king will be eviscerated. The game move isn't so
strong, but gives White a good game because of the awkward pin on the c5–pawn. ]
21...h6? [If Black had tried    21...c4 instead, then 22.b3 would win the c4–pawn, but
22...Qd6! counterattacking against a3 helps Black resist strongly. ; Meanwhile,
21...Bb7 22.Ng5! Bxg2 23.Qh5! gives White a decisive attack of the kind discussed
above at his 20th and 21st moves.]
22.Ne5! [Winning the c5–pawn with a simple combination. ]
22...Bxg2 23.Nxd7 Qb7 [Black's attempt to gain counterplay by sacrificing the
exchange is doomed if White plays steadily. ]
[However, the alternative    23...Qd6 24.Kxg2 Qxd7 25.Rxc5 is a slow but sure
defeat. ]
24.Nxc5 Rxc5 25.dxc5 Qc6 26.Rd3 Bf3 27.Qf1 [Here the queen guards the g2–
square and also protects the rook on c2, ruling out any back-rank tricks.]
27...Rc8 28.Rd6 Qb7 29.b4 Qa8 30.Qd3 Be4 31.Qd4 e5 32.Qxe5 Bh1 33.c6 [Giving
back one of his extra pawns to kill off Black's activity.]
33...Bxc6 34.Qd4 Qb7 35.Rc5
1–0
(68) Feller,S - Perez Ponsa,F [E06]
42: Cappelle la Grande, 2016
[Neil McDonald]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qa4 a6 8.Qxc4 b5
9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bg5 [A direct move;]
[but    10.Bd2 as above has been shown to set Black more problems and has therefore
become the main line.]
10...Nbd7 [Black hopes to equalize with a quick ...c7–c5, ridding himself of the
backward pawn on c7 and dissolving the white centre. ]
[After    10...Nc6 White has more chances for advantage. For example,    11.Rd1 ,
when upon 11...Nb4 (after    11...Rc8 12.a3! restrains the black knight from going to
b4) 12.Qc1 Rc8 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 , White has a pleasant choice: and allowing the freeing
move, but carrying a small plus over to the endgame with 14.Nc3 (between 14.a3 Nd5
15.Nbd2 Nb6 16.b4 , when he has stopped ...c7–c5; (16.--) ) 14...c5 15.dxc5 Qe7
16.a3 Bxc3 17.Qxc3 Nd5 18.Qd4 Qxc5 19.Qxc5 Rxc5 20.Rac1 Rxc1 21.Rxc1 Rc8
22.Rxc8+ Bxc8 23.Ne5 . Black's queenside looks vulnerable; Another option is
10...Be4!? with good chances for equality: for example,    11.Qc1 Nbd7 12.Nbd2 Bd5
13.Nb3 Rc8 14.Nc5 Nxc5 15.dxc5 c6 16.Rd1 Ne4 17.Be3 Qc7 18.b4 a5 looks safe for
Black. ]
11.Bxf6 [As we shall see, the key strategic theme in what follows is: can Black break
out with ...c7–c5 without being punished? If he can then he should be equal, but there
are some cases where even after achieving his aim he remains under irritating
pressure. ]
[After the immediate    11.Nbd2 , the 11...c5 stab already equalizes:    12.Bxf6 Bxf6
13.dxc5 Rc8 14.Nb3 Bd5 15.Rfd1 Qe7 16.e4 Bxb3 17.axb3 Rxc5 , etc. Therefore
White deflects the black knight from d7 so that it no longer supports the ...c7–c5
thrust.]
11...Nxf6 [After    11...Bxf6? 12.Ng5! (threatening mate)    12...Bxg5 13.Bxb7 is an
unfortunate swap for Black as he is left with light-squared holes on the queenside.
Always watch out for the Ng5 trap!]
12.Nbd2 [An arms race: White wants to get his knight to b3 before Black can arrange
91
12...Rc8 and 13...c5.]
12...Rc8 13.Nb3 [Just in time to stop ...c7–c5 – maybe not!]
13...Be4 [Black still hopes to drive the white queen from the c-file in order to facilitate
the freeing move ...c7–c5. For this purpose he utilizes the e4–square which is left
undefended after White's last move, and also the d5–square with his knight. ]
[EXERCISE: What happens after 13...c5 now? ANSWER: 13...c5!? looks possible,
with Black being okay at the end of this sharp clash:    14.dxc5 (not    14.Nxc5? Bxf3
15.Bxf3 Qxd4 16.Nb3 and now the desperado    16...Qxf2+! followed by 17..Rxc2 wins
a pawn for Black) 14...Be4 15.Qc3 Bd5 16.Rfd1 (White has nothing after 16.Rac1
Bxb3 17.Qxb3 Bxc5 18.e3 anti xf2 18...Qb6 19.Rc2 equal) 16...Ne4 17.Qe1 Bxc5
18.Nxc5 Rxc5 19.Ne5 f5 20.f3 Nd6 21.e4 fxe4 22.fxe4 Bb7 23.Qb4 Rxe5 24.Rxd6
Qc7 25.Rad1 Bc8 with equal chances.]
14.Qc3 Nd5 [Notice that with d4 defended by the white queen,    14...c5? now just
drops a pawn to 15.Nxc5 .; Alternatively,    14...Qd5 15.Rfc1 Rfd8 16.Qa5 Qb7
17.Nc5 Bxc5 18.Rxc5 Nd7 19.Rcc1 looks slightly better for White. ]
15.Qc6 [The c6–square looks like a risky place for the white pieces to have a picnic,
but both the queen and a rook will utilize it over the coming moves. The stakes are
high. Black can unleash a dangerous discovered attack from the bishop on e4 (once it
is guarded of course), but if this fails to give enough dynamism then he will be left
with weak pawns and squares on the queenside.]
[There's not actually a great deal of choice for White. After    15.Qc1 Nb4 16.Ne1 Bd5
17.Bxd5 Qxd5 18.Qc3 c5 , it looks at least equal for Black;; or if    15.Qd2 the freeing
move    15...c5 again solves Black's problems after    16.dxc5 Bxc5 17.Nxc5 Rxc5
18.Rac1 Rxc1 19.Rxc1 Qa8 20.Qd4 Nf6 .; A sharp alternative is    15.Qa5 to attack the
a6–pawn. It is risky, but gives White some chances if Black is imprecise. Play could
go 15...Bb4 (cutting off the white queen from retreating) (instead, 15...c5!? is double-
edged, as White wins a pawn with    16.Qxa6 , but    16...c4 gives Black a lot of
counterplay) 16.Qxa6 c6 17.Ne5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Ne7 (18...Qc7 19.Rfc1 is bad for
Black) 19.e4 f6 20.Nd3 Ra8 . Here White could draw by repetition with    21.Qb7 , etc.
(He preferred to sacrifice his queen with    21.Nxb4 Rxa6 22.Nxa6 and probably had
enough compensation. However, he eventually lost after a hard fight in E.Bacrot-
R.Stern, German League 2012. ) ]
15...Qd6 [EXERCISE: What are the good points of this move?ANSWER: With his
last move Black defended his a6–pawn and challenged the white queen. Now 16
Qxd6? cxd6 would be a miserable exchange for White – the weakling previously on
c7 now defends the c5– and e5–squares, and the black rook on c8 is presented with an
open file. Therefore in order to assert his control over the c-file White is obliged to
allow the exchange of queens when he has a rook on the c6–square. This is worse than
having the queen there, as Black is free to move his knight from d5.]
16.Rfc1 Qxc6 17.Rxc6 [Beginning a long tactical sequence. ]
17...Nf4 [There was no time to be lost in attacking the rook, as White was intending
17...-- 18.Rxa6 (or else 18.Nfd2 Bxg2 19.Kxg2 with a positional advantage.) ;
Nevertheless,    17...Nb6!? 18.Rcc1 Na4 also looks okay and less complex. After
19.Nfd2 Bxg2 20.Kxg2 Nxb2 21.Rc6 White has enough pressure to regain his pawn,
but it is doubtful if he can achieve more. ]
18.Rxa6 Nxe2+ 19.Kf1 Bd3 [A series of precise moves will prevent White from
exploiting the awkward position of the black knight and bishop on d3.]
20.Ne5 Nxg3+ 21.Ke1 [It seems as if Black must lose a piece as he has two hanging,
but...]
21...Bb4+ 22.Nd2 [If    22.Kd1 then    22...Be2+ wins time to avoid dropping
material. ]
22...Be4! 23.f3 [Again two of Black's pieces are en prise, but there are more tactical
blows to come.]
23...f6! 24.hxg3 [We see Black's extraordinary resources after 24.Ng4 Bb7! 25.Ra7
Nf5 (the beginning of a remarkable knight manoeuvre) 26.Rxb7 Nd6 27.Ra7 Nc4
28.Rd1 . The knight has ridden all over the board attacking the white pieces, and the
horse should keep going with 28...Nxb2 (28...Bxd2+ 29.Rxd2 Nxd2 30.Kxd2 looks
like an edge for White) , when after 29.Rb1 Bc3 30.Bf1 Rfd8 intending ...Rxd4 Black
is at least equal]
92
24...fxe5 25.fxe4 Bxd2+ 26.Ke2 [White has a bad endgame after    26.Kxd2? Rf2+
27.Ke3 Rxg2 .]
26...Rcd8 [It's pretty much equal after, say,    26...Rcd8 27.Bh3 Rxd4 28.Bxe6+ Kh8
29.Rd1 Rfd8 30.Bd5 Be3 31.Ra5 Rxd1 32.Kxd1 b4 33.Ke2 Bb6 34.Rb5 Rf8 35.Rxb4
h5 36.Rb3 , but they might have played on. ]
½–½
(69) Anton,T - Kravtsiv,M [E06]
43: Kazan, 2013
[Neil McDonald]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.d4 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5
9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bf4 [In contrast to the subtle    10.Bd2 , here White aims the bishop
straight at the c7–pawn. ; Note that the natural plan to stop ...c7–c5 fails:    10.Nbd2
Nbd7 11.Nb3 Be4 12.Qd1 (best avoided by White is 12.Qc3 Nd5 13.Qe1 Nb4) 12...c5
and Black frees his game. ]
10...Nc6 [Black meets the threat and counterattacks against the d4–pawn. This might
be regarded as the 'modern' move. ]
[After    10...Nd5 (not recommended for Black) 11.Nc3 (he doesn't fear the exchange
on f4)    11...Nxf4 12.gxf4 Nd7 13.Rfd1 , White has a bind in the centre, as in
V.Kramnik-P.Svidler, Linares 1998.; Upon    10...Bd6 Black seems okay if he is
careful:    11.Bg5 (Black has a swarm of active pieces in the centre after    11.Nbd2
Nbd7 12.Nb3 Be4 13.Qd2 Nd5) 11...Nbd7 12.Nbd2 . In contrast, if Black had played
12...Rc8! he should equalize. The game E.Bacrot-D.Navara, Warsaw 2013, burned out
after some sharp exchanges: (Here in V.Kramnik-A.Karpov, Zurich (rapid) 2009, the
former world champion thought he could equalize with    12...c5? , but missed the
strength of 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 (after    13...Nxf6 White wins a pawn for nothing with
14.dxc5) 14.Ne5! . I guess Black overlooked in his earlier calculations that after
14...Bxg2 15.Nxd7 Qe7 16.Nxf8 he couldn't play    16...Bxf1 as h7 is hanging to the
white queen. ) 13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.Nb3 c5 15.dxc5 Ne4 16.Rad1 Nxc5 17.Nxc5 Rxc5
18.Qxc5 Bxc5 19.Rxd8 Rxd8 20.Ne5 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 with equality. ]
11.Rd1 [Defending d4.QUESTION: Is that because after 11 Nbd2 or 11 Nc3 can
Black play 11...Nxd4 to nab a pawn?]
[ANSWER: Firstly, consider 11.Nbd2 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Bxg2 13.Nxe6 (a desperado to
avoid going a pawn down) 13...fxe6 14.Kxg2 c5 . Black has a safe game as the e6–
pawn is difficult to attack and he has a good post on d5 for his knight. It only remains
for him to get his queen to a good square and this can be done with 15.Nf3 Qe8!
16.Rad1 Nd5 17.Qe4 Qc6 , and after    18.Kh1 Rac8 it is equal. ; In contrast,    11.Nc3
Nxd4? (here Black should prefer 11...Nb4 , when 12.Qc1 Rc8 13.Rd1 Nbd5 is the
Carlsen-Anand extract mentioned after 12...Nbd5 below) 12.Nxd4 Bxg2 13.Rfd1!
costs Black material because of the double threat of 14 Kxg2 and 14 Nxe6. If
13...Bd5 , then    14.e4 b4 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.Nc6 is crushing, as 16...Qd7 fails to
17.e5 Nh5 18.Rxd5 utilizing a fork on e7. ]
11...Nb4 [After White defends d4, Kravtsiv moves his knight to b4. Strategically
speaking it is not comfortable for Black to have his knight in front of the backward
pawn, as ...c7–c5 is his key freeing advance. That is why he is in a hurry to move the
horse again. He reroutes it to d5 before White has the chance to restrict it and fix it as
a target on c6 with 12 a3.]
12.Qc1 [The queen retreats, keeping c7 under attack. ]
[Of course,    12.Qxc7? Qxc7 13.Bxc7 Nc2 loses material for White. ]
12...Nbd5 [The knight defends c7 and attacks the white bishop on f4. ]
[Another approach is    12...Rc8 13.Nc3 Nbd5 . In M.Carlsen-V.Anand, Mainz (rapid)
2008, Black soon equalized and went on to win after    14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Be3 Ng4
16.Ne1 Bxg2 17.Nxg2 Qd5 18.h3 Nxe3 19.Qxe3 c5 , etc.Perhaps Kravtsiv wanted to
play a more double-edged game against his lower-rated opponent. He entices him to
spurn queenside development in favour of the attractive-looking idea of establishing a
knight on c6. Alas for White it turns out to be an illusion.]
13.Ne5?! [The best move seems to be    13.Nbd2!? , not fearing    13...Nxf4 as after
14.gxf4 White has a grip on the centre and is ready to play 15 Nb3 to hinder Black's
freeing move ...c7–c5. Black normally tries a break out straightaway with    14...c5
15.dxc5 Qc7 . Then after    16.Nb3 Rac8 17.Ne5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 , he has the interesting
counterattack 18...g5!? (this is a better idea for Black than recapturing on c5 which
93
leads to an unpleasant endgame for him after    18...Bxc5? 19.Nxc5 Qxc5 20.Qxc5
Rxc5 21.Rac1 Rxc1 22.Rxc1) , which is best answered by    19.Nd3 .]
13...Rc8 [Continuing his provocative strategy.]
[Black could already equalize with    13...Nxf4 (threatening a fork on e2 so b7 is
untouchable)    14.Qxf4 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 c5 : for example,    16.Nc6 Qd7 17.Nxe7+
Qxe7 18.Nc3 cxd4 19.Qxd4 Rfd8 , etc.]
14.Nc6 [The knight would be brilliant on c6 if it could be maintained there. As this is
not the case, the plan began with 13 Ne5 looks suspect. ]
14...Qd7 15.Nxe7+ Qxe7 16.Bg5 [EXERCISE: You might like to have a go at
analyzing the freeing advance 16...c5 by working out the variations after 17 Bxf6.]
16...c5! [This is the correct decision though you have to be ready to make a pawn
sacrifice.]
17.Bxf6 Qxf6 [Instead 17...gxf6 keeps c5 guarded, but leaves the kingside
weakened. ; Meanwhile, less good for Black is 17...Nxf6 18.Bxb7 Qxb7 19.dxc5 .]
18.dxc5 Qe7 [Forcing White's hand by attacking c5.]
19.Bxd5 exd5! [Did you find this important recapture?]
[In contrast, after 19...Rxc5? 20.Qxc5 Qxc5 21.Bxb7 , White has a rook and two
minor pieces for the queen;; while    19...Bxd5 20.b4 is a safe pawn up for White. The
game move gets the black queen into the attack.]
20.b4 d4! [Clearing the way for the bishop and at the same time stopping White
developing with 21 Nc3. ]
[This is much better than regaining the pawn with    20...Qxe2 , when    21.Nc3 , to
answer    21...Qf3 with    22.Rd4 (or maybe    22.Qe3 , allows White to consolidate and
obtain a grip on the dark squares. ) ]
21.Rxd4 Qxe2 22.Qe3? [This leads to a forced loss.]
[The computers suggest    22.Nd2 Rfd8 23.Qc3 as giving White a good game. Of
course, they are immune to the blunder-inducing discomfort and fear that afflicts
human players in such situations. With a strong bishop lurking on b7 Black doesn't
have to prove any immediate compensation. There is still a place for positional
sacrifices in chess.]

22...Qb2 23.Qc3 Rfe8! [Anton must have missed the strength of this developing
move. White is mated on e1 if he takes the queen, which means he cannot get his
queenside pieces into the game. The immediate threat is 24...Qxa1 which would still
be the answer to 24 h4 as 25 Qxa1 then allows mate in two. ]

24.Rd1 Rcd8 25.Rxd8 [If    25.Rf1 Qe2 (threatening 26...Qxf1+! then mate in two)
26.c6 (or    26.Na3 Rd3 27.Qc1 Qf3) 26...Bc8 27.Na3 Rd3 28.Qc1 Qf3 and 29...Bh3
wins. ]

25...Rxd8 26.c6 Rd1+ [If    26...Rd1+ 27.Kg2 Qxc3 28.Nxc3 Bxc6+ , then 29...Rxa1
wins for Black.]

0–1

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