Contents

Title Page
Key to Symbols Used
Bibliography 4
Preface 5
Introduction 7

1.c4 e5
1 Reversed Dragon 13
Theory Section 30
2 Grischuk’s Reversed Dragon 57
Theory Section 63
3 Reversed Rossolimo 71
Theory Section 76
4 Other 1…e5 Lines 95

1.c4 c5
5 Pure Symmetry 111
Theory Section 116
6 Impure Symmetry 135
Theory Section 147
7 Hedgehog 177
Theory Section 187
8 Double Fianchetto 211
Theory Section 215

Indian Defences
9 King’s Indian 221
Theory Section 232
10 Grünfeld 267
Theory Section 279

…d5 Defences
11 Slav-Grünfeld 289
Theory Section 299

2
12 English vs Slav 321
13 English vs QGD 351
Theory Section 356
14 Catalan Transposition 383
Theory Section 7389

Other Defences
15 Dutch 411
Theory Section 415
16 1…b6 & 1…g6 427
Theory Section 427

Variation Index 436

3
 Playing the English
By
Nikolaos Ntirlis

Quality Chess
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk

First edition 2023 by Quality Chess UK Ltd

Copyright © 2023 Nikolaos Ntirlis

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored

in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without prior permission of the publisher.

Paperback ISBN 978-1-78483-184-4

Hardcover ISBN 978-1-78483-185-1

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

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Glasgow G2 6LY, United Kingdom
Phone +44 141 204 2073
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Distributed in North and South America by National Book Network

4
Distributed in Rest of the World by Quality Chess UK Ltd through
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Cover design by Kallia Kleisarchaki

5
 Key to symbols used
² White is slightly better
³ Black is slightly better
± White is better
µ Black is better
+– White has a decisive advantage
–+ Black has a decisive advantage
= equality
© with compensation
„ with counterplay
ƒ with an initiative
÷ unclear
? a weak move
?? a blunder
! a good move
!! an excellent move
!? a move worth considering
?! a move of doubtful value
™ only move
# mate
N New idea/theoretical novelty

6
 Bibliography

Aagaard & Ntirlis: Grandmaster Repertoire 10 – The Tarrasch Defence, Quality Chess
2011
Barsky: A Universal Weapon 1.d4 d6, Chess Stars 2010
Bojkov: Modernized: The King’s Indian Defense, Metropolitan Chess Publishing 2014
Cummings: Opening Repertoire: The English, Everyman Chess 2016
Delchev & Agrest: The Safest Grünfeld, Chess Stars 2011
Gallagher: Play the King’s Indian, Everyman Chess 2004
Jones: King’s Indian 1, Quality Chess 2022
Jones: King’s Indian 2, Quality Chess 2022
Kaufman: The Kaufman Repertoire for Black and White, New in Chess 2012
Khalifman: Opening for White According to Kramnik Books 1a, 1b, 2-3, Chess Stars
2006-2011
Kornev: A Practical Black Repertoire with Nf6, g6, d6 Volume 2, Chess Stars 2016
Kotronias: Kotronias on the King’s Indian Volumes 1-5, Quality Chess 2013-2017
Lysyj & Ovetchkin: The Hedgehog vs the English/Reti, Chess Stars 2017
Marin: Grandmaster Repertoire 3 – The English Opening Volume One, Quality Chess
2009
Marin: Grandmaster Repertoire 4 – The English Opening Volume Two, Quality Chess
2010
Marin: Grandmaster Repertoire 5 – The English Opening Volume Three, Quality Chess
2010
Nunn: Understanding Chess Move by Move, Gambit 2001
Palliser, Flear & Dembo: Dangerous Weapons: The King’s Indian, Everyman Chess
2009
Pavlovic: The Modernized King’s Indian Defence Mar del Plata Variation, Thinkers
Publishing 2022
Schandorff: Playing 1.d4 – The Indian Defences, Quality Chess 2012
Sedlak: Playing the Stonewall Dutch, Quality Chess 2020
Shipov: The Complete Hedgehog Volume 1, Mongoose 2009
Smirin: King’s Indian Warfare, Quality Chess 2016
Vigorito: Attacking Chess: The King’s Indian Volumes 1&2, Everyman Chess 2010-2011
Yermolinsky: The Road to Chess Improvement, Gambit 1999

Electronic Resources/Periodicals

7
Barisch & Sielecki: Lifetime Repertoires: Nimzo-Ragozin, Chessable 2019
Colovic: The King’s Indian: Simplified, Chessable 2021
Marin: Marin’s English Love Volumes 1-2, ChessBase 2019
Plichta: Too Hot to Handle: The King’s Indian Defence, Chessable 2019
Shankland: Lifetime Repertoires: Sam Shankland’s 1.d4 Part 2, Chessable 2020
Shankland: Lifetime Repertoires: Neo-Catalan Part 1, Chessable 2023
Shankland: Lifetime Repertoires: Black vs the English, Réti and sidelines, Chessable
2020
Sielecki: Keep it Simple for Black, Chessable 2021
Van Foreest: Lifetime Repertoires: Tarrasch Defence, Chessable 2023
Vigorito: Lifetime Repertoires: Symmetrical English, Chessable 2021

8
 Preface

“That’s what you should do!”

Does this kind of phrase annoy you? Maybe I am getting older and grumpier, but I feel
bombarded with advice on “what I should do” all the time. Chess coaches and authors
often fall into the trap of sounding overly confident, saying things like, “That’s what you
should play, that’s how you should study chess,” and so on.

This is not that kind of book. There isn’t just one way to play any chess opening,
especially a flexible and rich one like the English Opening.

This book isn’t about what you should do; it’s about what I did.

I am sharing my personal journey: what types of positions I studied, which books I read,
what I understood, what I learned from various GMs with whom I worked on these lines,
and so forth.

Please forgive me, dear reader, if at any point in this book, I may sound like I’m
proclaiming the one truth. I don’t believe that. Instead, imagine Nikos, expressing a point
of view with a curious tone in his voice, ending with something like, “What do you think?”

I have spent countless hours analysing the English opening for many years. My first
serious attempt was just before the 2014 Tromso Olympiad when I had to prepare a
repertoire for the black pieces for the Danish team I was coaching. What I realized back
then was that many positions seemed equal, and the engines would confirm that they
were equal. However, in a practical game between humans, the white position held more
potential.

Right after that, I started playing 1.c4 in my own correspondence games. Experienced
correspondence players will tell you how hard it is, when facing strong opponents who
know how to use their engines, to reach a position with even the potential for winning
chances with White after the opening. I am happy that I managed to get interesting
positions whenever I trusted 1.c4, and I even won some of them!

Jacob approached me with the idea to write a 1.c4 repertoire book in 2018. At that time, I
already had an English Opening file that I had been working on with some strong players

9
for some time. It seemed like I didn’t have much work to do: just update this file, fill in
what was missing, and that’s it… Little did I know!

In the last five or so years, there has been a revolutionary change in the opening. The
new neural network engines (specifically Lc0 and Stockfish NNUE) empowered us to re-
examine the theory of this opening with fresh eyes, re-evaluate many positions, and
discover a wealth of new ideas.

This doesn’t mean that I chose trendy directions dictated by modern engines. Instead, I
combined my knowledge and experience with the new practices at the top levels of
human and correspondence chess, along with the new analytical capabilities that these
engines allowed us to use. I believe the result is a classical repertoire that is approved
and enhanced by neural network engines.

And yes, believe it or not, I was working on this book continuously for the best part of the
last five years! I hope you will enjoy it.

Nikos Ntirlis
Maribor, June 2023

10
 Introduction

I will start by sharing a strong opinion: White repertoire books suck! Many of them
overpromise, only to underdeliver. Shortly after a white repertoire work is published,
many people work to neutralize the author’s recommendations, and soon enough the
databases will contain games showing the best antidotes for Black. Clearly, the game of
chess is a draw with perfect play, so if you analyse deeply enough you will always end
up with equality. This works to one’s advantage when writing a repertoire book from
Black’s perspective – but when you take White’s side, it can be a long and thankless task
to try and meet readers’ expectations of an opening advantage. So why did I even write
this book at all? Let me explain by comparing opening preparation from White’s and
Black’s perspectives.

Opening Preparation as Black

Most strong players prepare their openings using a combination of a modern chess
engine (like Stockfish and/or Leela) and a database of (mostly) human games. If you ask
an engine how it evaluates the starting position, it will typically offer an evaluation
between +0.10 and +0.15 when it reaches a high enough search depth. Clearly the
advantage of the first move counts for something, as evidenced by the statistical results
from modern databases, which shows that White scores approximately 55% in most
major openings. Still, if you choose any major, sound opening system for Black, you’ll
find that the deeper you go by following the recommendations of the engines and the
most popular moves played at a high level, the more the evaluation will gravitate towards
0.00. If you want to create a repertoire with the black pieces, the challenge is not so
much about finding equality, but more about finding paths to equality which you will be
able to remember over the board, as well as maintaining sufficient winning chances in
games where a draw is undesirable.

Now let’s switch back to White’s perspective and consider some different approaches
that one may take.

A Tempting but Flawed Approach

Some strong players reason that if the challenge for Black is to remember how to
equalize from a particular position, then why not make it difficult for Black to do so? The
way to do this is come to every game ready with either a theoretical novelty or another

11
idea which you have never played before. The opponent will likely be surprised, and thus
will find it harder to remember (or find at the board) the best response. I have worked
with many GMs and other strong players to assist them in this goal, feeding them with
ideas which are designed to be unpredictable.

Despite the obvious appeal of surprising one’s opponent, I have to say that I hate this
approach! Not only is it no fun, but it also loses some of its effectiveness at a time in
chess history when more and more players are spending excessive times looking at
openings with their pet engines. Even more importantly, there are limits to the amounts
of time and energy we can devote to chess and all its richness. If you spend so much
time on openings, how are you going to develop your tactical sharpness or study the next
900-page work by Aagaard?

A Better Way
I want to recommend a healthier and more effective approach to the challenge of building
a repertoire with White. The root of it lies in accepting two realities:

• If Black is sufficiently well prepared and continues to play accurately, White will never
get more than a draw. In other words, there are limited rewards to taking a
maximalist, labour-intensive approach to the opening with White.

• Human games are full of mistakes: even the best human players will never come close
to machine levels of accuracy. Thus, there is more than enough scope to outplay an
opponent in the middlegame and endgame, especially if we start from a comfortable
position with a healthy pawn structure and familiar plans to follow.

Let me show an example of such a structure.

12
 This is the well-known isolated queen’s pawn (IQP) structure. Such positions might
be favourable for either side, depending on the relative activity of the pieces. Let’s
suppose both sides have developed sensibly and the engine evaluation is more or less
equal. Does it really matter? Not really, in my view. White tends to have the easier
position to play and the better long-term chances, as many of the potential endgames will
be unpleasant for the side with the IQP – regardless of whether or not the engine calls it
equal.

Let’s see an even more relevant example for us.

Here White has one more central pawn, which offers certain advantages. Perhaps

13
the e- and f-pawns will advance in unison, with chances to build a kingside attack. Even
if the e-pawn only goes as far as e3, it could help to support a knight on d4 which could
work in conjunction with White’s other pieces to support a minority attack on the
queenside, to take one example of the kind of plan we will see in certain chapters of this
book. One of the first things we learn in chess is that controlling the centre of the board is
always good. Even if the above pawn structure doesn’t by itself lead to an objective
advantage, it creates favourable conditions for building an advantage as the game
progresses.

The English Opening

The above observation is the fundamental reason why 1.c4 is a good first move.
Consider the pawn structure after Black opts for a Reversed Sicilian approach.

Black often follows up with a quick …d5 to create breathing room for the pieces, after
which the exchange of our c-pawn for Black’s more central d-pawn takes us a step closer
to the aforementioned pawn structure. (Chapter 1 will show how we can carry out the
further exchange of our d-pawn for Black’s e-pawn when the time is right.)
In case it seems too cooperative of Black to trade these pawns, let’s consider a
couple of cases where Black supports the …d5 advance with a pawn.

Case 1

14
 Black would be happy with an exchange on d5, but we need not be so cooperative. I
have added a piece to emphasize Black’s problem: the light-squared bishop has been
blocked by the e6-pawn. For that reason, we should maintain the tension and develop
our kingside pieces. If Black captures the c4-pawn, we will normally win it back pretty
quickly, resulting in our desired exchange of the c4-pawn for Black’s d-pawn.

Case 2

When Black uses a pawn on c6 to support the …d5 advance, the c8-bishop is
happier but the b8-knight is the piece which suffers. So again, we will meet Black’s set-

15
up by maintaining the tension. If Black develops the knight to d7, we will often react with
a quick cxd5, and after …cxd5 the knight will wish it was on c6 rather than d7. If Black
instead takes on c4, we will look to regain the pawn to reach our desired structure with a
central pawn majority. (Black can of course try to keep the extra pawn, but this can only
be attained at a high positional cost, as we will see.)

The above diagrams are somewhat abstract, and there’s no doubt that 1.c4 e6 and 1.c4
c6 are theoretically sound ways for Black to play. Nevertheless, those minor problems
with the c8-bishop and b8-knight are exactly the things which can cause practical
difficulties for Black. Even if the engine only evaluates it as “+0.15” or whatever, the
problems are annoying enough to induce more errors for Black in practical human
games, even those involving strong GMs.

Playing Symmetrical Structures

Another modern opening trend, which we can observe in almost every high-level
tournament these days, is White players being happy to aim for positions such as this
one:

This is one of the main lines of the Berlin defence, which has become quite popular
among GMs for White. If you leave your engine running for hours, it will tell you “+0.10”
and the database tells me that White scores 52%.

Let’s see a similar symmetrical position:

16
 This one arises from a Petroff main line. It is similar to the previous example in most
respects, but this time the engine gives a healthier “+0.30” and White scores a much
more impressive 62% in the database! I have analysed both positions deeply, and
ultimately Black equalizes in both of them. However, the statistics and engine
evaluations are not wrong. Human players do make mistakes, and the cost of a slight
misstep is higher for Black than for White. This is why White scores better, especially
from the second position. It is also noteworthy that White rarely suffers a defeat from
either of these positions.

English Symmetry

17
 Here is one slightly extreme example of a theoretical English line where the position
remains symmetrical after many moves. I actually offer a different, more ambitious
approach as my main recommendation in 1.c4 c5 lines where Black opts for a kingside
fianchetto – but even in the diagram position, there are ways to pose annoying little
problems to the defence, as I will explain in Chapter 5.

How the Book is organized

Almost every chapter in this book starts with an introduction. This can include topics such
as move-order considerations, main plans and concepts, typical middlegame structures
and even thematic endgames that may arise. There will follow a “Theory Section” with a
variation tree. These two sections are organically linked with each other. If you go
straight to the theoretical section, some moves there might seem hard to understand, not
to mention memorize, without the foundational knowledge of the concepts we are trying
to satisfy.

The choice of which middlegame concepts to include is largely based on the

conversations I had over the years with the strong players (including many GMs) who I
have collaborated with when working on the English Opening. I will leave you with a brief
overview of the contents of the book, along with one or two of the core concepts for each
of the five sections.

1.c4 e5 (Chapters 1-4)

The main topic here is the Reversed Dragon, in which we have a long-term goal of
playing with a kingside pawn majority. Although we study this in the 1.c4 e5 section, the
same pawn structure appears in many other chapters as well, guiding many of my
fundamental repertoire choices.

1.c4 c5 (Chapters 5-8)

A big topic here is the discussion about symmetrical positions and how White can best
take advantage of the extra tempo. The Hedgehog is another important topic, and I am
particularly happy to present some classic lessons from Ulf Andersson’s games.

Indian Defences (Chapters 9-10)

We will dive deep into the modern theory of the King’s Indian, but relax – instead of

18
countless computer moves that try to refute this great opening, we will focus on a new,
critical plan which has produced great results in both practical and correspondence
games – including some of my own, I’m proud to say.

Next we’ll turn to the Anti-Grünfeld, where we’ll see that delaying d2-d4 yields many
tempting possibilities for White, especially when we employ the modern concept of
pushing the h-pawn up the board.

…d5 Defences (Chapters 11-14)

In Chapters 11 and 12, we’ll consider the Slav-Grünfeld hybrid with …c6, …d5 and …g6,
followed by the pure Slav approach without …g6. We’ll examine how Akiba Rubinstein
gave us an important weapon to challenge Black. We will also see that learning some
finer points of how to handle the bishop pair will pay dividends in these positions.

Chapters 13 and 14 will cover the Queen’s Gambit Declined approach of …e6 followed
by …d5. An important theme here is how to exploit the power of the Catalan bishop on
the long diagonal. We will also revisit the kingside pawn majority to dominate with
opposite-coloured bishops.

Other Defences (Chapters 15-16)

In the last section of the book we will look at the Dutch Defence and learn a key idea to
take the sting out of Black’s kingside attack long before it even gets started. Finally, we’ll
see how to deal with the English (1…b6) and Modern (1…g6) Defences, using a well-
timed move of a rook’s pawn in both cases.

Final Thoughts
Fifteen to twenty years ago, chess players were primarily focused on finding the most
optimal and objective strategies to gain an advantage in any given position and
overpower their opponents, especially when playing as White. However, a more efficient
approach is to aim for positions which we understand well and which enable us to apply
consistent pressure on our opponents. In light of this perspective, the English Opening
with 1.c4 can provide us with precisely the means to achieve such a goal. I am confident
that this book will provide all the weapons you need to accomplish that!

19
20
Kingside Majority 15
Kingside Majority 2 16
Kingside Majority 3 16
The Sicilian Minority Attack 17
Ntirlis – Elyoseph, Correspondence 2020 17
The Sicilian Minority Attack – Continued 18
An Important Rook Endgame 19
The …Be6 Set-Up 22
How to fight …Be6 23
How to arrange d3-d4 23
Agrest – Szeberenyi, Dos Hermanas 2003 24
Bareev – Tunik, St Petersburg 1998 25
The …Re8 Set-Up 26
Fighting …Re8 with d3-d4 27
Dubov – Nakamura, Internet (rapid) 2020 28
Summary 30

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7

21
A) 8.d3 31
A1) 8…Be6 32
A2) 8…0-0 9.Be3 32
A21) 9…Be6 34
A22) 9…Re8! 37
B) 8.b3! 0-0 9.Bb2 39
B1) 9…f5?! 41
B2) 9…Be6 42
B3) 9…Bf5!? 44
B4) 9…Bg4 46
B5) 9…f6!? 49
B6) 9…Re8 10.Rc1 Bf8 11.Ne4 53
B61) 11…f6 54
B62) 11…f5 55

Introduction

1.c4 e5
We will spend the first four chapters learning how to handle this popular and
principled move. First, there arises a question of move orders. My recommendation is:

2.Nc3!
The alternative move order is:
2.g3!?
Many authors over the years have recommended this move order, but nowadays
there are multiple ways for Black to get a good game against it.
2…Nf6
2…c6!? is a trendy and strong antidote as well.
3.Bg2 d5
3…Bc5!? and 3…c6!? are also respectable.
4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.0-0
I have used this move order in my own correspondence games. Now 6…Nb6 would

22
 transpose to the main tabiya of this chapter, but there is also the important option of:
6…Be7!?
This allows its own complications after:
7.d4 e4 8.Ne5 f5 9.Nxc6 bxc6

If you hold this book in your hands in the year 2035, and by that point for whatever
reason (though it’s hard to imagine what it could be) the 2.Nc3 move order has
become obsolete, then allow me to show you which line is the most promising, after
spending literally weeks trying to find an advantage from here.
10.Qc2! Qd7!
Another important line starts after 10…Bd7!? and now I believe that the most
promising is 11.f3! with the point that after 11…exf3 12.Bxf3 0-0 White can play first
13.Qc4! and then develop the knight to c3, with a slight plus.
11.Nc3 Rb8!
11…0-0 12.f3 exf3 13.Bxf3! is a bit better for White.
12.f3 Nb4
Now I think the most promising move is the new idea:
13.Qb3!
Black still has to work to prove equality.

Obviously the above presentation has only scratched the surface of one of the
independent lines that can be reached after 2.g3. I stand by the opinion that 2.Nc3 is a
simpler and ultimately stronger move order.

2…Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7

23
 This first chapter is one of the most important in the book. For many players, when
they hear “English Opening”, the first position that comes to mind is this one. As I
explained in the Introduction, I believe that a great practical way to meet theoretically
challenging variations is to deeply study one primary weapon against them, and also
have one or two back-up ideas that you know to a decent level. This will be exactly our
approach in the chapter ahead.

8.b3!
When Daniil Dubov plays a certain move, the world of chess should pay attention! In
this case, it’s not only the former World Rapidplay Champion who has used this move on
various occasions: Ding Liren, Caruana and Eljanov have also frequently sat behind the
white pieces. This particular line appeals to me for a few reasons: it can be played with
relatively little knowledge of concrete theory, while at the same time it seems to be at
least as strong as the more traditional main lines.

8.d3 is my alternative recommendation. 8…0-0 is normal, and now 9.Be3!? is a move I

hold close to my heart. We will study this as a solid, low-maintenance option. It tends to
lead to a type of position that is objectively equal, but if we know what to do, most of the
time we will be the side pushing in practical games.

Kingside Majority

24
 In my Playing 1.d4 d5 book, I discussed this type of pawn structure in the introduction
to the Catalan chapter. I feel that such a discussion is even more relevant here! Many
chapters in the book will feature some version of this structure, where we have a 4–3
majority on the kingside and Black has a 3–2 majority on the queenside. I don’t intend to
repeat too many general observations, as there are middlegame books with entire
chapters devoted to exactly this structure. Instead, I will limit myself to a few concepts
which are of particular relevance to the positions reached in this repertoire. Here is the
generic position of the kingside majority, a structure we obtain in practically every other
chapter of this book. (Obviously some minor details will change from one chapter to the
next, such as whether the white pawn stands on g2 or g3, but the general principles
remain the same.)

As things stand now, neither side has any advantage. However, if either side gains
something small, such as a superior minor piece, control of the open file or some other
type of initiative, then the fact that there is this imbalance in the structure will make this
small gain a bit more important. Why is that? The simplest explanation is that this
imbalance makes it easier to create the famous “second weakness” which many great
coaches have taught us is an important concept. The idea is that if you have an
advantage, say a weak square or a pawn that you have focused your pieces to attack,
your opponent should be able to defend it, provided there are enough defensive pieces
in that part of the board. However, once the defensive pieces are tied down, they will not
be well placed to cover a weakness in another part of the board. So, having a pawn
majority on one side of the board makes it easier to generate this second front of play.
From a practical point of view, if we can obtain this structure along with a modest
initiative, we should be pretty happy with the fact that Black will likely need to make
slightly more difficult decisions. Decisions lead to mistakes and mistakes offer chances.

25
This is all we need as White: to play positions where we will get chances.

Kingside Majority 2

This is an important branch of the discussed structure. Although the evaluation

remains the same, being roughly equal in the general sense, Black has made significant
progress:

• White cannot use the d4-outpost for the minor pieces.

• Black has the ability to quickly create a passed pawn with …b5 and …c4. On the other
hand, it is not so easy for White to push the kingside majority, as moving the e-pawn
would weaken the d4-square.
• Black doesn’t mind exchanging some pieces and in fact, in practice it is almost
impossible to avoid some exchanges. One example is the dark-squared bishops.
Imagine a black bishop on f6, with its sights aimed at our queenside dark squares. In
most middlegames, we would have little choice but to exchange our own bishop for
such a monster. According to Ivan Sokolov, in his book Middlegame Strategies
Volume 1, Black’s prospects are improved by the exchange of dark-squared bishops,
as well as by exchanging a pair of knights. Sokolov demonstrates why, with a series
of examples which fall outside the scope of this book. The important thing to
emphasize here is that it is generally easier in such a structure for Black to decide
which are the correct trades, and then to force them.
• One last thing to note though, is that too many exchanges are not good for Black.
Especially if all the knights get exchanged, it will be easier for White to blockade the
queenside majority and push the kingside pawns without the fear of a knight coming
to d4.

26
In conclusion, we generally want to avoid allowing Black to gain space on the queenside
in this way, unless we gain something specific in return, such as control over the d-file or
a particular weakness in Black’s camp.

Kingside Majority 3

This is a much better version of the kingside majority type of position we are striving
for. Consider the following points:

• It is much easier to push our pawn majority, as it will be more difficult for Black to take
control over the d4-square.
• Our central control is much better than Black’s. We have ready-made outposts on the
d4- and c5-squares, from where our pieces can exert a great influence over the
position. These factors indicate that keeping the queens on the board is favourable
for White, as we can use our active pieces and kingside majority to build a kingside
attack. With that being said, this structure also offers an additional advantage with or
without the queens on the board:
• Black’s majority is immobile and any pawn move on the queenside will create a
weakness. We, on the other hand, can push our own pawns on the queenside
whenever it suits us. The concept of a “minority attack” is usually connected with the
Carlsbad structure of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, but the overall structure is
slightly different there. Therefore I will call this plan the “Sicilian Minority Attack”.

The Sicilian Minority Attack

27
 This position demonstrates a close-to-optimal scenario for White. The extra central
pawn has been used as a base to facilitate the transfer of our bishop to the excellent d4-
square, and the knight has taken up an ideal post on c5. When this happens, we are
ready to start the second part of the plan:

1.b4!
The minority attack! We use our pawns to create a weakness in Black’s camp and tie
the black pieces to purely defensive roles. Later in the game, we will push our pawns on
the other side of the board in order to make further gains, such as creating a passed
pawn or isolating a second weakness in the enemy position. There are countless
examples of games having been won following this narrative in many openings, such as
the Sicilian, Caro-Kann and of course the English Opening.

Nikolaos Ntirlis – Harel Elyoseph

Correspondence 2020

28
 I reached this position against the Israeli IM Harel Elyoseph. White has some
advantage, and the next challenge will be to convert it to something more permanent.
Notice my knight on c5, an important asset for White in these positions.

25…Nd7
My opponent plays a natural move, to challenge the powerful knight. I spent many
days analysing the position (this may seem a lot, but it’s normal for decent
correspondence players to spend such periods making critical decisions) and I am still
not sure if I chose the best possible continuation. As we are not so interested here in
correspondence, but rather in practical human play, an easy way for a human to proceed
would be:

26.b4!N
In the game I opted for 26.Ne4!? which allowed the black queen to become annoying
with 26…Qa3. In hindsight, the best move from here would have been 27.h5! when
White maintains some pressure.

26…Ne5
26…Nxc5 27.bxc5 is also unpleasant for Black, as the three queenside pawns are
immobile and can be attacked along the b-file, or with the queen to a5 for example.

27.b5!
After this move, White gets annoying queenside pressure and stands better. For
example:

29
27…h6
27…cxb5 is well met by 28.Qb3†!? followed by Qxb5 or Nxb7.

28.bxc6 Nxc6?
28…bxc6 is necessary, but in that case Black stands permanently worse. and the c-
pawn is likely to fall in the long run.

The text move is structurally desirable but it fails to a tactic:

29.Nxb7!
And since 29…Bxb7 runs into 30.Qb3†, Black’s position collapses. This simple
sequence shows the great power of the knight on c5 alongside the bishop on g2,
combined with the minority attack and a bit of tactical awareness.

The Sicilian Minority Attack – Continued

30
 The previous examples were close to optimal cases with White having everything we
could wish for. This is a more ‘real life’ scenario and frankly, the position is close to (if not
completely) equal. As happens quite often, the dark-squared bishops have been
exchanged and there is no obvious way to transfer the knight to the optimal c5-square.
Nevertheless, White still has certain advantages. The extra central pawn provides a base
of support for our knight on its next-best square, d4. The pawn/knight duo performs a fine
job in blocking the central files, preventing the black rooks from causing any mischief.
This means we will have time to organize our position and eventually aim for the
thematic minority attack. In the meantime, there is still the question of what to do in the
short term. As discussed earlier, having one point of attack often won’t be enough to win
the game, so we should be ready to create chances on the kingside as well. Trying to
push the e- and/or f-pawns is not a great idea, at least in the short term, as this would
cause us to lose stability in the centre. Thus, the best course of action is:

1.g4!
Planning Kg3 and h3-h4. When the time is right, we can later exert pressure with g4-
g5, or simply h4-h5, gaining additional space and opening up further possibilities such as
landing the knight on f5.

1.a4 is always an option which may or may not be good, depending on the specifics of
the position. Typically, the response we need to check first is 1…a5, and in this instance
it appears that White lacks a convincing reply. If 2.b4 (2.Rc5 Re5 gets nowhere for White)
then 2…Nc4! is satisfactory. White isn’t doing badly and it may still be possible to fight
for an edge, but overall it seems better to improve our position on the kingside and keep
the queenside advance in reserve for the time being.

31
In my experience as a coach, I have observed many players easily understanding the
concept of a minority attack, but the concept of pushing the g-pawn in this type of
structure is somehow not so well advertised, although it is common knowledge among
more advanced players. Next we will reinforce this concept with an example from an
endgame position.

An Important Rook Endgame

It might seem weird to study rook endgames in an opening book, but I have seen this
type of endgame arise time and time again in games featuring the lines we are
discussing. On seeing this position for the first time, most players evaluate it as better for
White, due to the more active rook. Black has a queenside majority and has an easy plan
of …Rc7 followed by advancing on the queenside, but the white king will rush towards
the centre and any advancing pawns might prove to be weak. If you assessed the
position in the same way, then well done! You got it right, but here comes the difficult
part: how to actually play the position?

1.Kf3
The first move is easy: we centralize the king and prevent Black’s rook from getting
active. Next we can think about expanding with g3-g4, or perhaps e3-e4 followed by
Ke3. If White tries anything else, Black will obtain counterplay, either with …Re4 followed
by swinging to the queenside, or with …Rc7 followed by pushing the c-pawn.

1…f5!?
This move not only stops (or at least slows down) any advance of White’s e- or g-
pawns, but also provides support for the rook to go to e4, as well as enabling the black

32
king to approach the centre. I have used this position in training sessions with players
ranging from 2000 Elo up to GMs. The Italian GM Sabino Brunello even told me that he
had already reached this type of endgame two or three times!

1…Rc7? fails to 2.Ke4 when the king is in time to arrest the c-pawn. Black should look
for active counterplay, but needs to be more subtle about it.

1…h5!? is a subtle move which Sabino suggested. The point is that 2.e4 can be met by
2…c4! 3.Ke3 f5! with adequate counterplay.

1…Re5!? with the idea of 2.e4 f5! is another risky attempt for Black to play actively,
which might actually work, but I doubt that many players would choose this in a practical
game, as the complications after 3.Rd7† are not easy to figure out.

2.h3!
In my experience, this is usually the most difficult move for White players to find
(especially those at the range of 2000-2200 level) and this makes the whole endgame
instructive. White’s idea is to fight against the f5-pawn. Please remember this concept,
as it arises time and time again in positions featuring this kingside structure.

Most players suggest 2.Ke2 with the plan of transferring the king to the queenside, but it
fails to achieve anything against accurate defence. 2…Kf7 3.Kd3 Ke8! 4.Kc4 (If White
spends a tempo on prophylaxis with 4.a3, then 4…Rd7 5.Rxd7 Kxd7 reaches an equal
pawn ending.) Now comes the crucial defensive idea:

4…Re4†! 5.Kd5 Rb4 6.b3 a5! Black’s counterplay with …a4 comes just in time.

33
2…Kf7 3.g4 fxg4†
This is practically forced, as otherwise the f5-pawn will become terribly weak.

4.hxg4
The change in the pawn structure has benefitted White considerably. We now boast
a passed pawn on the e-file, along with the possibility of mobilizing the entire kingside
pawn mass. Another important point is that certain pawn endgames will now be winning,
as shown in the next note.

4…Rc7
Black prepares to mobilize the queenside majority.

4…Re6? 5.Rd7†! Re7 6.Rxe7† Kxe7 7.g5! wins for White. Interestingly, anything other
than 7.g5! would turn a winning position into a losing one, as Black was threatening …h5
followed by winning with distant passed pawns.

5.Ke4 Ke7
A typical mistake would be to advance prematurely with: 5…c4? 6.f4 b5 7.a3! Ke7
(or 7…a5 8.Rb6!) 8.Ra6! when Black is in deep trouble.

6.Rd5!
This is the best square for the rook. On d5 it will eventually be protected by the pawn
on e4, and in the meantime White prevents any …h5 ideas.

34
6…b5
I will take this natural move as our main line.

6…Ke6?! is pointless in view of 7.f4 followed by f4-f5† with tempo.

Sabino found the super-instructive 6…Rc8!! 7.f4 (7.g5 h5! 8.gxh6 Rh8 is okay for Black)
7…Rh8 followed by …h5, when Black obtains just enough counterplay to save the game
after further accurate play. No wonder that experienced GMs have learned that activity is
of the utmost importance in rook endgames!

7.f4
7.g5 is another idea but there’s no need to rush. By keeping the pawn on f4 for now,
we keep the possibility of f4-f5.

7…a5 8.a3!
This subtle move leaves Black’s advance at a standstill, while we have various ways
of making progress on the kingside, and we may also target Black’s queenside pawns in
some scenarios.

8.f5?! gxf5† 9.gxf5 h5 gives Black enough counterplay thanks to the mobile pawns on
both flanks.

8…Rc8
8…b4?! looks tempting but can be refuted by accurate play: 9.Kd3 c4† 10.Kc2 c3

35
11.a4! b3† 12.Kc1! c2 13.Rb5! And White wins.

8…h6! seems best, but it would be tough for a human to find and play such a move. At
least, in all the lectures in which I have shown this position, nobody has suggested this
possibility. Interested readers may wish to delve deeper into the variations for
themselves, but the overall evaluation is that Black can ultimately hold.

9.Kd3 a4
9…Rc6 (or any other waiting move) gives us the option of 10.b3!? intending a3-a4 at
the right moment.

36
10.g5 Ke6
The king should go to this square, otherwise we will have the option of e4-e5
followed by penetrating with Rd6.

11.e4
But now Black is almost in zugzwang! Pawn moves are no good, and moving the
king will allow e4-e5 or f4-f5.

11…Rc7 12.Rd8!
The rook penetrates, and the odds of Black saving the game are becoming slimmer.
Obviously there is much more that could be said about the above example and similar
types of endgame, but this should at least serve as a useful introduction to help increase
your chances of success when you reach such positions in your 1.c4 games – as well as
your chances of saving the game, in the event that you find yourself on the defending
side of such positions.

The …Be6 Set-Up

Let us now start the discussion of the different set-ups at Black’s disposal.
After Black plays the basic developing moves and castles, putting the bishop on e6 is
the most natural follow-up. (The diagram shows the position after we have played d2-d3,
but the same will be true if we leave the pawn on d2.) Black places the bishop in the
centre, and may consider …Qd7 and a rook to d8 next, perhaps including …Bh3 at some
point.
A popular plan for White is to expand on the queenside with a2-a3 and b2-b4, but
then the bishop will be excellently placed to control the light squares that have been

37
weakened on our queenside. In that scenario, an effective plan is to guard the e5-pawn
with …f6 and play a timely …a5 to counterattack on the queenside.

How to fight …Be6

In this position, the bishop proves to be ineffective on e6. The bishop finds itself
restricted by the pawns on b3 and h3, and might become a target for us. The diagram
position might look like a far-fetched scenario, but we will see that the d3-d4 break is
actually not so difficult to organize. If a position like this occurs, White can play the
important move:

1.Ne2!
The knight is heading for d4, after which f2-f4 will see us launch a powerful kingside
attack. White scores extremely well in practice with this simple approach, and has even
won a bunch of correspondence games with it.

How to arrange d3-d4

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7 8.d3!?
As I said earlier, 8.b3! is my favourite continuation but the text move is a worthy
back-up plan. It’s an easy system to have available if you feel like changing things up
and/or surprising your next opponent.

8…0-0 9.Be3!
I prefer this to the more popular plan of advancing the queenside pawns. Names like

38
Carlsen, Caruana, Ding Liren, Aronian, Giri, Anand, Grischuk and So are among the
many that have played this position multiple times for White.

9…Be6

10.d4!?
This move might not be a top choice among the names mentioned above, but it has
been tried in GM practice and a lot in correspondence chess. I believe that it is a great
line to have in our repertoire, as it is simple and safe, yet also creates quite a challenge
for Black to equalize.

10…exd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 c6 13.b3!

White stands slightly better, and Black will generally have to play better to keep the
game within the bounds of equality. For example:

13…Qc7
This move is slightly suboptimal, but it’s a natural and plausible idea to prepare to put
a rook on d8.

14.Qc2 Rfd8 15.Rad1 Rac8

We have been following M. Mueller – Donath, Hannover 2013. White’s best
continuation would have been:

39
16.e4!N
Building the position we discussed previously, with h2-h3, Be3 and eventually Ne2-
d4 on the agenda.

Evgeny Agrest – Adam Szeberenyi

Dos Hermanas 2003

What I like about these positions is that if White knows just a few key piece
manoeuvres and plans, Black can quickly come under tremendous pressure in practice.

40
The present game is an excellent example.

17.Ne2!
All according to plan. If Black plays a neutral move, h2-h3 will be the next step to
strengthen our position.

17…Bg4!
Black plays well for now.

18.f3 Bh5 19.Be3

White places the pieces exactly the way we talked about. Notice the strength of the
bishop on e3, where it puts Black’s queenside under some pressure, compared with the
b2-square for instance.

19…Bf6?!
The engines give 19…g5!? among their top choices, either now or soon afterwards. It
would be difficult for a human player to commit to such a move, and I don’t think it
equalizes here anyway. 20.Rac1 followed by Nd4 and Bh3 is one good way to play.

20.Rac1
How should Black play now? A big threat is Nf4, intending to meet …Bg6 with h2-h4.
If Black doesn’t go for the …g5 idea, the only other sensible choice is:

20…Rxd1† 21.Rxd1 Rxd1† 22.Qxd1

41
 But this is also problematic. Aside from the Nf4 threat, there is also the plan of Qd2-
a5, which would leave Black in a terrible situation.

22…Qd8?!
Unfortunately for Black, this natural-looking move does not help much.

23.Qxd8† Bxd8 24.Nf4 Bg6

25.Bh3!
Improving the bishop and dominating the black knight.

25…Kf8 26.Nd3 f6 27.Nc5

Just ten moves after we joined the game, Black is completely lost. Agrest is a strong
GM of course, but he didn’t do anything special, while Black was a 2400-rated player. If
that calibre of player can drift into a losing position seemingly out of nowhere, it says
something about the potency of our system.

Evgeny Bareev – Gennady Tunik

St Petersburg 1998

We have already seen how the bishop on e6 can be targeted after d2-d4, with a knight
eventually coming to d4. In some cases, the bishop can be vulnerable to a knight landing
on c5. In this game, we will see White combining both these ideas.

42
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7

8.b3!
This will be my main recommendation.

8…0-0 9.Bb2 Be6

This is by far the most popular move for Black, but I don’t know why! I think that other
moves like 9…Re8 and 9…Bg4 are better, and I’ll show how to meet them in the
theoretical section. Of course, I make these comments with the benefits of deep engine
analysis and observing practical results over the decades. At the time the game was
played, it was not possible to determine things in such fine detail.

10.Rc1
10.d4!? exd4 11.Nb5 is also a possibility, going directly into the type of position
where the bishop isn’t optimally placed on e6.

10…f6
Black often makes this move at some point in the 8.b3 line, in order to reduce the
scope of the b2-bishop.

10…f5?! is the alternative which is not as good, as the e5-pawn proves to be a serious
target.

10…Qd7 is a better move order for Black, when White has a choice:

43
a) 11.Ne4 allows 11…Bh3, transposing to the 9…Bg4 line which we’ll cover in variation
B4. Although we can still fight for an edge there with precise play, when the present
move order arises, we can do better.

b) 11.d4! is more precise – see pages 43-44 for the details.

11.Ne4
The knight is ready to jump to the c5-square.

11…Qd7?!
11…Qc8! is more precise.
Black’s idea is that after 12.Nc5, as has been recommended by Roiz in his Modern
Chess database, 12…Bxc5 13.Rxc5 Bh3! forces the exchange of the strong g2-bishop,
and if 14.b4 Rf7! the queenside is defended neatly, with the knight even coming to e6 via
d8 if needed. This has been tested in correspondence games where White achieved
nothing.
However, 12.Qc2! is a stronger move, as we will see in the theoretical section.

12.d4! exd4 13.Nxd4 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Qxd4

14…Rad8 15.Nc5 Qxd4 16.Bxd4 Bc8 17.e3 is almost the same illustrative position
we talked about earlier on page 17.

15.Bxd4 c6
Once again we reach the type of position that is close to equal if you’re an engine,
but much more pleasant to play as White in practice.

44
16.Nc5
16.Bc5!? is also logical and of equal merit. Instead of having the bishop pair, White
will have a powerful knight. White went on to win in Thompson – Reynolds, Leicester
2010.

16…Bxc5 17.Bxc5 Rfd8 18.Rfd1 Kf7 19.e4 Rd7 20.f4

As GM Ribli points out in his ChessBase annotations, White stands better. Bareev
utilized the bishop pair and more mobile pawn majority to exert pressure for the rest of
the game, but Tunik put up a great fight and managed to hold a draw.

The …Re8 Set-Up

45
 Another popular set-up for Black is when the rook moves quickly to e8, preparing
…Bf8. If we advance our queenside pawns, we will only succeed in driving Black’s knight
to the d4-square; and if we exchange it, then …exd4 will leave the black rook perfectly
placed. Otherwise, Black will be able to fortify the long diagonal with …c6, and a
subsequent …Bg4 will put pressure on us. After years of playing and analysing all the
lines of the Reversed Dragon for use in high-level correspondence events, it is my firm
belief that the …Re8 set-up is the most critical from a theoretical point of view. So how
should we meet it?

Fighting …Re8 with d3-d4

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7 8.d3 0-0
9.Be3 Re8!
As you can tell from the heading above, we should look for an opportunity to break in
the centre, but the timing must be correct.

46
10.Rc1!
This improving move is key.

White has tested 10.d4 in many games, but after 10…exd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4 c6
our chances for an advantage are reduced.

I will show a few more details in the theoretical section; but for now, please note the
following points:
• The c8-bishop hasn’t moved yet, so it will not be obliged to sit on the exposed e6-
square.
• The e7-bishop can drop back to f8 if it wishes, but also b4 or a3 (after b2-b3) might

47
 prove to be excellent squares depending on the circumstances.

10…Bf8
As we saw, Black’s concept is based on playing …Nd4 next, but we won’t allow it.

11.d4!?
I will discuss a few alternatives in the theoretical section, but for now we will focus on
this thematic choice.

11…exd4 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 c6 14.e4

Comparing the 10.d4 line above, we can note that Black’s bishop does not stand any
better on f8 than on e7, whereas shifting the rook from a1 to c1 is clearly a useful
addition for White.

14…Bg4 15.f3 Be6 16.b3

Notice how our pawns restrict Black’s knight and light-squared bishop.

16…Ba3
Also after 16…f5 17.f4!? we have better coordination regardless of how Black
continues.

17.Rc2
White has excellent piece coordination. The knight will go to e2 and the queen to a1,
and the rook will be useful on the second rank. With super-accurate play Black should

48
remain within the bounds of equality, as has been proven in many high-level
correspondence games. However, from a practical perspective White’s position is easier
to play and the cost of an error will tend to be higher on Black’s side. I consider this an
excellent, solid choice for human play, especially at club level.

Daniil Dubov – Hikaru Nakamura

Internet (rapid) 2020

Although I really like the above way of playing, I have found that my main
recommendation of 8.b3! offers better chances to get an objective advantage against the
…Re8 set-up. The following high-level game is an excellent example.
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7 8.b3 0-0
9.Bb2 Re8

10.Rc1 Bf8 11.Ne4

We already have a serious threat of Rxc6 followed by Nxe5.

11…f6
Nakamura defends in the most natural way.

11…f5 12.Nc3! prepares e2-e4, and if 12…e4 13.Ne1 we intend d2-d3 with a slight
edge, as seen in Van Leent – Pech, corr. 2017. We will examine this line a bit more
deeply in the theoretical section.

49
12.d3!?
12.d4!? is interesting but it wouldn’t be my first choice. 12…f5! 13.Nc5 e4 14.Ne5
Nxe5 15.dxe5 was the continuation of Caruana – Aronian, Douglas 2019, and now 15…
c6!N offers Black a rock-solid position where I couldn’t find any advantage for White.

12.Nh4! is a more critical way for White to fight for the advantage – see variation B61 of
the theory section for more details.

12…a5!
Black has to do something active, otherwise White will continue to build up with Qc2,
Rfd1 and eventually Nc5 and d3-d4.

13.Nc5!?
A couple of months before this encounter, Nakamura had faced the same system,
this time against another top English specialist, Ding Liren. That game continued:
13.a3!? Be6 14.Nc5 Bxc5 15.Rxc5

50
 We can see another characteristic of this type of position: White has an easy plan of
improvement with Qc2, Nd2 and rook to c1 or d1, whereas it’s not so obvious what
Black should be doing. Having given up the bishop pair, playing too actively could
easily backfire. Nakamura tried for concrete counterplay but soon fell into a worse
position:
15…e4?!
The engines evaluate 15…Qd6 16.Qc2 as equal, but White has the easier play. The
rook can go to c1 next, and another possible plan is Rb5 preparing b3-b4.
16.Ne1! Qd6 17.Qc2 a4 18.b4 Bb3
In Ding Liren – Nakamura, Internet (rapid) 2020, White should have played:

51
19.Qb1!N
The Chinese super-GM chose the c1-square. The advantage of the text move is
revealed after:
19…exd3 20.Nxd3 Rxe2 21.Nc1!
That’s why the c1-square needed to be vacant! White takes on b3 next, with a big
advantage.

13…a4!?
13…Bxc5 14.Rxc5 a4 15.Nd2 axb3 16.axb3 leaves White with a slight plus.

The sophisticated 13…Nb4!N 14.a3 Na6 seems to be Black’s best:

15.Nxa6 (15.Ne4!? is another approach, ambitiously avoiding the exchange. We intend

Qc2 and Rfd1, and Black still has to do some work to equalize.) 15…Rxa6 16.Qc2 We
reach another typical position where the engines give both 16…c6 and 16…c5 as equal,
but White has the easier play with Nd2-e4, Rfd1 and so on.

14.Nxa4 Nxa4
14…e4 15.Ne1 Bg4 16.Nxb6 cxb6 17.Rc2 also favours White.

15.bxa4 Be6 16.Nd2!?

16.a3!? was a decent alternative.

16…Bxa2
Here White’s best way to exert pressure would have been:

52
17.Rxc6!
17.Nb3 was Dubov’s choice and although he gained some slight advantage,
Nakamura was able to hold.

17.Bxc6!?N 17…bxc6 18.Ra1 is a good alternative but the text move is my preference.

17…bxc6 18.Bxc6
We can win back the exchange when we feel like it, and will consolidate with Qc2
and Ra1, with decent chances to convert the extra pawn.

Summary

From a theoretical perspective, Black is close to equality in these lines. However, in my

opinion and as the evidence shows, in practice Black faces a lot of challenges, due to
White’s easy plan for playing on the queenside and/or in the centre. Armed with these
ideas and directions on where we would like the game to go, let us dive into some
theoretical details.

53
 Theory Section

A) 8.d3 31
A1) 8…Be6 32
A2) 8…0-0 9.Be3 32
A21) 9…Be6 34
A22) 9…Re8! 37
B) 8.b3! 0-0 9.Bb2 39
B1) 9…f5?! 41
B2) 9…Be6 42
B3) 9…Bf5!? 44
B4) 9…Bg4 46
B5) 9…f6!? 49
B6) 9…Re8 10.Rc1 Bf8 11.Ne4 53
B61) 11…f6 54
B62) 11…f5 55

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0

54
7…Be7
7…Be6?!
This move is inaccurate in view of:
8.d4! exd4 9.Nb5
In the tactical skirmish that arises, Black will need to be extremely careful.
9…Qd7!?
This seems the best try.
9…d3 has been the most common, but White gets a big advantage with 10.Ng5! Bc4
11.exd3 Bxb5 12.Qb3 as played in Bitoon – Pham, Kuala Lumpur 2001.
9…Bc5 10.Qc2 Bc4 11.Bf4 also gave Black huge problems in Lorparizangeneh – B.
Li, Johor 2018.
10.Nfxd4 Nxd4 11.Nxd4 0-0-0

55
12.Bg5! f6N
The alternative is 12…Be7 13.Nxe6 Qxe6 14.Qc1 Rhe8 and now among several
promising moves, simplest seems to be 15.Bf4 with a clear advantage, as in
Malinowski – Fiore, corr. 2018.
13.Bxf6! gxf6 14.Nxe6 Qxe6 15.Bxb7† Kxb7 16.Qxd8
White was much better in Ohler – Kort, Willingen 2022.

We will consider the easy-to-learn A) 8.d3 followed by my main recommendation of B)

8.b3!.

A) 8.d3

We will start by considering A1) 8…Be6 where Black delays castling, followed by the
normal A2) 8…0-0.

8…h5?! achieves nothing after: 9.h4! Bg4 (One player tried 9…f6?, probably expecting
to wipe out his 200 points lower-rated opponent after …g5. Chess is a game of principles
though, so the lower-rated player played 10.d4! exd4 11.Nb5 and went on to win in
Pokojska – Grosar, Warsaw 2001.) 10.a3!?N Not the only decent move, but it seems
logical enough. 10…a5 Otherwise b2-b4 comes. 11.Be3 0-0 12.Rc1 White has an
improved version of the normal lines, and can follow up with the easy plan of Ne4 and
Bc5.

Another overaggressive try is:

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8…g5?! 9.Be3!
Once again, we intend to counter the premature flank attack with strong central play.
9…g4
9…h5? 10.d4! is perfect for us.
10.Nd2
The knight may go to b3 next, supporting d3-d4.

10…Be6
10…Nd4 11.a4! a5 12.Nb5 was great for White in Postny – Kaplan, Bad Wiessee
2006.
10…h5?! 11.a4! a5 has occurred a few times, but nobody continued with the natural
12.Nb5!N when White stands much better. An idea worth remembering is 12…h4
13.Qc1! Bd7 14.Nb3 hxg3 15.fxg3 when White is dominating.
11.Nb3 Nd5 12.Bc5 b6 13.Bxe7 Ncxe7 14.d4!
The 500-point lower-rated player had his opponent on the ropes in Omar – Amin,
Abu Dhabi 2007, but the grandmaster eventually managed to draw.

A1) 8…Be6

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 This move has been tried by such strong players as Karjakin and Ivanchuk, but
merely as a transposition to the popular …0-0 version which we will examine shortly. In
this short section we will look at some possibilities where Black tried to profit from
delaying castling.

9.Be3
All according to plan.

9…f5
Black hopes to play …g5 next and launch a brutal attack against our king.

9…0-0 transposes to variation A21 below.

9…Nd5?! seems a bizarre choice, and 10.d4! exd4 11.Bxd4! was fantastic for White in
Wolfenter – Kollowa, email 2012.

10.Rb1!
This has only rarely been played, but it seems to me like the fastest way to generate
counterplay and put Black under pressure.

10…g5
10…a5N can be met by the typical 11.Bxb6 cxb6 12.e3 followed by blasting open the
centre with d3-d4, with clearly better chances for us.
11.b4 g4 12.Nd2 0-0 13.Bc5

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 The kingside advances have done nothing except weaken Black’s position.

13…Qd7 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.b5 Na5 16.Nb3!? Nxb3 17.axb3

White had a clear advantage in Tsenkov – Onder, corr. 2008.

A2) 8…0-0

This is the normal move of course.

9.Be3
As prescribed earlier, we develop the bishop in preparation for d3-d4.

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We will examine the most popular continuation of A21) 9…Be6, followed by the more
accurate A22) 9…Re8!.

9…a5!? is a rare and quirky move, gaining a bit of queenside space while maintaining
flexibility in the rest of the position. 10.Bxb6!?N (10.d4 looks slightly premature in view of
10…Nc4! when Black gets some counterplay. Please note that this is not possible in
lines with the bishop on e6, as there will be a fork with d4-d5; 10.Rc1N is a good move
though, and if 10…Be6 we will of course revert to the normal 11.d4 plan.) 10…cxb6
11.e3 We have a slight advantage, with an easy plan of Qe2, Rfd1 and d3-d4.

9…f5?!
This premature advance allows:
10.b4!
As first played by Smyslov in 1940!
10…Bd6
Of course 10…Nxb4? 11.Qb3† Kh8 12.Nxe5 and 10…Bxb4? 11.Qb3† Kh8
12.Nxe5 are both terrible for Black.
10…f4 11.Bc5 Kh8 12.Rb1 gave White an easy advantage in Horvath – Fette,
Budapest 1991.
10…Bf6 has been the most common choice but 11.Bc5 gives us a pleasant initiative.
(11.Nd2!? is a good alternative, opening the long diagonal.)
11.b5 Ne7 12.Qb3† Kh8

13.Ng5!? Qe8 14.a4 f4 15.Bd2 h6

In Avrukh – Motylev, Biel 2007, the natural and strongest continuation would have

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 been:
16.Nge4N
Planning a4-a5 and Nxd6. White has a pleasant initiative. Black has problems to
solve.
9…Bg4
When this move is played, it is usually a sign that d3-d4 will not be so easy to carry
out.
10.a3!
Reverting to queenside play is the solution.
10…Re8
10…a5 is well met by 11.Rc1 followed either by Bxb6 and e2-e3, or by Na4.
10…Qd7 11.b4 a6 12.Bc5 Rfd8 13.Ne4 Nc8 14.Bxe7 N8xe7 15.Nc5 Qc8 is playable
but passive stuff from Black, and 16.Qb1 Rb8 17.Nb3 f6 18.Rc1 b6 19.Ra2 saw White
maintain a nice edge in Tsitsulin – Landes, corr. 2019.

11.b4
11.Nd2!? also makes a lot of sense.
11…Bf8
11…Qd7? 12.b5 exploits the loose e5-pawn.
12.h3!N
I think this is the most accurate, although there are other ways to maintain a good
position.
An old GM battle continued 12.Nd2 Qd7 13.b5 Na5 14.Nb3 Nxb3 15.Qxb3 Rab8
16.a4 with a clear plus for White in Rasmussen – Byrne, Reykjavik 1986.
12…Bf5 13.Bc5!?
We can follow up with moves like Rb1, Qc2 and Rfc1, with typical Reversed Dragon

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play on the queenside. In all these lines, we see White getting an edge with mostly
natural moves, while Black has to play accurately to avoid a serious disadvantage.

A21) 9…Be6

10.d4! exd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4

12.Qxd4 is against the spirit of the opening and Black equalizes more easily. We are
by no means fundamentally opposed to exchanging queens, but we would prefer it to be
under our conditions, i.e. with Black making a concession of some kind.

12…c6
12…c5?! 13.Be3 Nc4 appears promising at first glance, which explains why it has
been tested in a few games, for instance in Maciejewski – Piotrowski, Szklarska Poreba
2017. However, after 14.Qc1!N 14…Nxe3 15.Qxe3 our control over d5 gives us a
promising position. Next will come Rfd1, followed by Nd5 or even Bd5.

13.b3!
It’s important to restrict Black’s knight and light-squared bishop. We cannot and
should not try to cover every detail from this position, as the possible moves from both
sides are many. What is important is to have in mind the main plans and piece
manoeuvres that we should strive for, as outlined in the chapter introduction.

13…Qd7
13…Qc7 14.Qc2 Rfd8 15.Rad1 Rac8 16.e4! gives us a nice advantage, as shown in

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the introduction.

13…Nd5 is a reasonable idea to simplify, but 14.Qc2 gives us a slight initiative as we will
be first to occupy the d-file.

Another lines goes:

13…Bb4 14.Ne4 Qe7

15.Qc1!
Correspondence players tend to prefer this move, which threatens a2-a3.
15.Qc2!? cannot be bad though, and will most probably transpose.
15…Bd5 16.Bc5 Bxc5 17.Qxc5 Rae8 18.Qxe7 Rxe7 19.Nc3 Bxg2 20.Kxg2
White keeps a nagging edge. The following example is highly instructive and shows
the way we would like to play these positions.
20…Nd7 21.Rfd1 g6

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22.e3
22.g4!?N is also good.
22…f5 23.Rac1 Kf7 24.Rd4 Nf6 25.h3 Rd7 26.Rxd7† Nxd7 27.g4!
White maintained some pressure in Hassim – Opperman, corr. 2019.

14.Qd3!?
We intend Rad1 followed by Qc2, followed by e2-e4 and h2-h3, reaching the model
set-up from the introduction.

Similar is: 14.e4!? f5!? (14…Rad8 15.Ne2 f5 16.Qc2 fxe4 17.Bxe4 Bf5 18.Rad1 Bxe4
19.Qxe4 Bd6 20.Nc3 was a little better for White in Silva – Lukas, corr. 2019. White

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eventually exchanged the bishop for the knight on b6 and placed his own knight on the
excellent e4-square.) The text move was played in Conde Poderoso – Sadowski, corr.
2020. A logical novelty is: 15.Be3!?N 15…Qxd1 If Black refrains from exchanging
queens, we will proceed with Qc2 and Rad1. 16.Rfxd1

The position is close to equal, but Black can’t simply expect to be fine after any
move. For example, after 16…Rad8?! 17.Rxd8 Rxd8 18.Bh3! g6 19.Ne2 it transpires that
Black has a difficult defence ahead, as we will have a weakness on f5 to play against.

14…Bf5
If Black doesn’t try to annoy us in some way, we will have an easy game. For
example, if 14…Rad8 15.Rad1 we are ready for Qc2, e2-e4, Ne2 and so on, as
discussed in the introduction.

15.Qe3
We are not too bothered, as we can follow up with Rad1 and then withdraw the
queen to c1.

15…Qe6!
This concrete move is the strongest idea for Black.

15…Rfe8 16.Rad1 Qe6 17.Qc1 gets us closer to the model position we are aiming for.

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16.a4!
This is technically the most accurate, but it’s important to understand that we are not
solely dependent on this move to fight for an advantage.

Another game continued: 16.Qxe6 Bxe6 17.Rfd1 (17.e4 is likely to transpose, and
17.Ne4!? is also logical.) 17…Rfd8 18.e4 Nd7 19.Ne2

19…f6! Black needs this move in order to meet Nf4 with …Bf7. 20.Be3 Bf7 All this
happened in Alfaro de Hombre – Fluit, corr. 2020. A good try for White would be: 21.f4!?
N Intending to creep forwards with Kf2-f3, Bh3 and so on. Engines will defend these
positions without issue, but humans won’t find it so easy.

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16…Qxe3
16…Nd7 allows 17.Bxa7!? Qxb3 18.Qxe7 Rxa7 and now 19.Ne4! creates an
annoying threat of Nd6, which means 19…Bxe4 is practically forced, and now 20.Qxe4!
seems most precise. It may not be much, but we have some potential pressure down the
b-file along with the slightly stronger minor piece and extra central pawn.

17.fxe3!
After 17.Bxe3 Nd7 plenty of play remains, but it’s only equal.

Recapturing with the f-pawn obviously isn’t something we would usually do, but there are
concrete reasons why it works in this exact position. Specifically, the attack on the f5-
bishop wins us a tempo for the following advance of the a-pawn.

17…Be6 18.a5 Nd7

19.a6! c5!
Black should take up the challenge and trap our bishop, as the queenside is
collapsing anyway.

20.axb7 Rad8 21.Rxa7 cxd4 22.exd4 Bg5

All this happened in Berecz – Anokhin, corr. 2015. Today’s engines point out the
strongest continuation:

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23.Kf2!N 23…Nb8 24.e3 Bxb3
We only have two pawns for the piece, but the b7-pawn is huge. Play may continue:

25.Ra5 Be7 26.Bd5 Bxd5 27.Nxd5

It’s obvious that White is the only one who can press for a win.

A22) 9…Re8!

As explained earlier, I think this is Black’s best.

10.Rc1!

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 Again, we know from the introduction that this preparatory move is well worth
including.

Let us recall that 10.d4 is slightly premature in view of 10…exd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Bxd4
c6 when White doesn’t really have anything. For example: 13.e4 (13.b3 Bb4! is
annoying; 13.e3 would be a good move if we had time for Qc2, but 13…c5! 14.Be5 Nc4
15.Bf4 Qxd1 leads to equality no matter how we recapture.) 13…Bg4! 14.f3 Be6 Black is
doing fine, with …f5 or …Nc4 a likely follow-up. 15.b3 f5 Black’s position has proven in
correspondence practice to be comfortably equal.

A more tempting alternative is:

10.a4!?
I will not delve too deeply into this, but you might find it a useful option to have in your
arsenal.
10…a5
Usually this is the automatic reaction to the advance of our a-pawn – but it’s slightly
inaccurate.
10…a6?! 11.a5 Nd7 has been seen in a few games, including So – Ganguly, Kolkata
2018. The simple 12.d4!N gives us an excellent position.
10…Bb4! is Black’s best. Then 11.d4! Nc4 12.dxe5 Nxe3 13.fxe3 is the critical
continuation, as seen in the high-level game Sikorsky – Klimakovs, corr. 2018. The
tripled pawns on the open e-file are not the best sight, I know, but they provide
squares for the white pieces and the position is dynamically balanced.
11.Rc1 Bf8 12.d4!
We execute our main plan in a more favourable setting.

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12…exd4
12…Nc4 13.Nb5! Nxe3 14.fxe3 gave White some edge in Bissmann – Jenkins, corr.
2016.
13.Nxd4 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Qxd4 15.Bxd4
White had an excellent position in Bu Xiangzhi – Wan Yunguo, Chiva 2017. The
inclusion of the a-pawn moves is clearly in White’s favour, as Black cannot play …c6 and
a knight will land on b5 shortly.

10…Bf8
This is the overwhelmingly most popular choice. Other moves can generally be met
in the same manner as Black’s alternatives after 9.Be3.

11.d4!
All according to plan.

A trendy move at the highest level is 11.Bg5!? with the hope of provoking a weakening
…f6. Black’s best is 11…Qd7!, not taking the bait and following up with …h6, and later
moving the queen to a better square.

In my correspondence practice I have tested 11.Ne4!? h6 12.Ned2!?, with the idea to

play Bc5 and in some cases Nh4. This is not really suitable for humans though and I
didn’t get more than a symbolic edge in Ntirlis – Toropov, corr. 2020.

11…exd4 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 c6

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14.e4
Let me remind you that Black’s bishop does not really stand any better on f8 than on
e7, as Black no longer has the possibility of simplifying with …Bf6.

14.Qd3!? was tested in Ristea – Mihai, corr. 2019. It seems like a decent alternative, with
the idea to play Rfd1 followed by Qc2.

14…Bg4!
14…Be6 15.b3 is similar, but having the pawn on f2 should be a slight improvement
for us.

15.f3
Another line that has been tested in correspondence praxis is: 15.Qxg4!? Qxd4
16.Rfd1 Qb4! The only way to keep equal chances, albeit not a tough move to find.
17.Qe2 Rad8 18.h4!? As played in Ida – Simek, corr. 2021. This is a slightly different
concept which deserves to be investigated. White has the simple plan of Kh2 followed by
f4-f4 and e4-e5. Black will need to obtain quick counterplay to avoid being squashed.
Positions similar to this will be discussed at the start of Chapter 14.

15…Be6 16.b3
Black’s knight and light-squared bishop have been nullified, and next we can look to
improve our pieces in some way.

16…Ba3
16…f5 17.f4!? Ba3 18.Rc2 Re7! 19.Rd2 Rd7 20.Rff2 Bb4 21.Bh3 Qf8 22.Qc2 Rad8

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23.Be3 saw White making progress towards a slightly better position in Fischer –
Pawlowski, corr. 2018. Although that encounter ended relatively quickly in a draw, in a
human game it would not take much for Black’s position to become unpleasant.

17.Rc2
This is where we left things in the introductory segment, where we noted the strong
regrouping plan of Ne2 followed by Qa1.

17…Qe7 18.Ne2 Rad8

18…f6 19.Bf2!? was also a tad more pleasant for White in Serner – Betker, corr.
2019. The last move is not the only option of course, but preparing Nd4 is a thematic
idea which I like.

19.Qa1 f6
Having carried out the mini-regrouping mentioned above, the next logical step is to
reorganize the minor pieces.

20.Bf2! Bf7 21.Nd4

I like White’s prospects. The Romanian correspondence master Tudor Ristea has
played a couple of interesting games from this position. In both of them he carried out the
same plan of h2-h3, Kh2 and Nf5, followed by carefully advancing the kingside pawns.
Black, on the other hand, finds it more difficult to generate meaningful play.

B) 8.b3!

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 This is my main recommendation, as explained earlier.

8…0-0
Black almost always plays this. Let’s quickly wrap up some rare alternatives:
8…g5?! 9.d4!? exd4 10.Nb5 and White was clearly better in Djexembinov – Demensky,
Kemerovo 2011.

8…f5?! 9.Bb2 Bf6 (9…0-0 transposes to variation B1 below) 10.d3 Be6 and now 11.e4!N
is a thematic move which offers White a clear advantage.

8…Be6 9.Bb2 Qd7 has the optimistic idea to prepare long castling, but 10.d4! exd4
11.Nb5 gave White a comfortable advantage in Gongora Reyes – Blanco, Santa Clara
2007.

8…Bg4!? is the trickiest of Black’s rare alternatives. 9.Bb2 Qd7 Compared with the
8…Be6 line above, the quick d2-d4 is less appealing here because Black’s bishop is on
a better square. That’s why we should switch plans with:

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10.a4! a5 11.Nb5 Black can no longer castle on the queenside and the d2-d4 break is
coming, as seen in Giorgadze – Dautov, Tbilisi 1989.

Finally, 8…Bf5!? 9.Bb2 Qd7N was an idea of my good friend, FM Sotiris Logothetis. His
point was that after 10.d4 exd4 11.Nb5, which is White’s main idea in this line, Black has
11…Be4 which means that when White takes on d4, two sets of minor pieces will leave
the board. As in all good ideas, sometimes a little detail might spoil the fun. In this
instance, we can proceed with:

12.Rc1! 0-0 13.Nbxd4 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Qxd4 15.Nxd4 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 We have dual
threats of Rxc7 and Nf5. Therefore Black is practically forced to play 16…Rfc8 17.Nf5

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Bf8 when a good continuation is:

18.e4 (18.g4!? also looks tempting.) And now if 18…g6 19.Ne3 we have an excellent
version of the thematic pawn structure discussed in the introduction. The black knight is
far away from d4 and White’s pieces are much better placed for activity all across the
board.

9.Bb2
We will consider six options: B1) 9…f5?!, B2) 9…Be6, B3) 9…Bf5!?, B4) 9…Bg4,
B5) 9…f6!? and B6) 9…Re8.

B1) 9…f5?!

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 Even though this move feels natural and has been played by many Grandmasters
over the years, I dare to evaluate it as suboptimal. The main reason is that it gives White
a lot of play against the e5-pawn, with moves like b3-b4 and Na4 being in the air all the
time. On top of that, White has another idea, positional in nature, that further reduces
Black’s hopes of getting an equal game: the e2-e4 thrust! If timed correctly, this will fix
the e5-pawn as a permanent target, and a wonderful knight can be established on e4.

10.d3!
First things first: we should stop the e5-pawn from advancing.

10…Be6
10…Bf6?! 11.b4! is a nice little move made available to us after Black’s last. White
has an easy initiative. (11.Rc1 is also perfectly fine. In practice, Black mostly plays
11…Be6 with an immediate transposition to the main line below. If 11…Nd4 as seen in
Granda Zuniga – Lettieri, Gallipoli 2018, then 12.e4!N sees us carry out the other main
positional idea of this line.)

11.Rc1!
11.e4 is the correct idea, but the timing proves wrong after 11…Qd7 12.exf5 Bxf5
13.Ne4 when 13…Bg4! gives Black an annoying pin, as seen in Kosteniuk – Vaishali,
Douglas 2018.

11…Bf6
11…Qd7 has been played in a bunch of games, with good results for Black, but we

76
can exploit the loose e5-pawn in a remarkable way: 12.Na4!N 12…Nxa4 13.bxa4 Bf6

14.Nd2! White is transferring the knight to c5 with an excellent game. Even after
14…Bxa2 15.Nb3 Black is a pawn up, but faces many problems!

12.e4!
This thematic advance works much better, as Black has no counterplay down the f-
file.

12…Nb4!
12…f4?! has been played a few times but 13.Ne2!N is a strong response, and after
13…Bg4 (13…g5?! 14.d4 is no good for Black) 14.gxf4 exf4 15.d4 we have a powerful
initiative in the centre.

Another good example continued: 12…Qd7 13.exf5 Bxf5 14.Ne4 Once the knight gets to
this outpost, it’s “mission accomplished” in terms of securing an opening advantage.
14…Rad8 My improvement is:

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15.Nc5!N (15.Nxf6†!? gxf6 16.d4 was promising for White in Tregubov – Matlakov, Doha
2015, but the text move is even better.) 15…Qf7 (15…Qc8 16.b4! gives us an
overwhelming initiative.) 16.Nxb7!? Rxd3 17.Qe1 e4 18.Nh4! Black is in trouble.

The text move is Black’s most challenging response, and was played in Kahlert –
Siniauski, Internet (blitz) 2020. It’s useful to remember that we can maintain the upper
hand with:

13.Ne1!N 13…Bg5
13…f4 14.a3 Nc6 15.Ne2 fxg3 16.hxg3 is also good for us.

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14.Ra1!
Having been temporarily pushed back a bit, we are now ready to gain the initiative
with exf5 and Ne4.

B2) 9…Be6

This natural move has been Black’s most popular choice. It’s a reasonable move of
course, but we have good chances to gain an advantage against it with a timely d2-d4.

10.Rc1!
It’s worth comparing the alternative:
10.d4!?
This tends to lead to slightly drier positions.
10…exd4 11.Nb5 Bd5
11…d3 12.Nfd4!N 12…dxe2 13.Qxe2 gives White a dangerous initiative for the
pawn.

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12.Nbxd4
12.Qd2!? followed by bringing a rook to d1 has been tried as well. The evaluation
remains the same: White has chances for a tiny edge.
12…Nxd4 13.Nxd4
13.Bxd4 c5 was fine for Black in Nakamura – Giri, Stavanger (blitz) 2015. As
explained in the introduction, when Black is able to push the pawn to c5 in this
structure, I believe that White’s possibilities to get an advantage are reduced
significantly.
13…Bxg2 14.Kxg2 Bf6
In Borges Mateos – Zambrana, Havana 2004, White should have played:
15.Rb1N
The position is close to equal, but Black still needs to be slightly careful.

10…Qd7
10…f5 has been the most common continuation, but we already know that 11.e4! is a
highly effective counter. Play could continue: 11…f4 (Black has no time for 11…fxe4
12.Nxe4 Bg4 due to the simple 13.h3.) 12.Ne2

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12…Bg4!?N (12…fxg3 13.hxg3 Bf6 14.d4 was clearly better for White in Berezhnoy –
Poliak, Kiev 1960) 13.gxf4! exf4 14.d4 White has a promising game.

10…f6 gives us a choice. I like 11.Qc2!? with the idea of Rd1 and d2-d4, but 11.Ne4 is a
sensible alternative which also leads to thematic play.

10…Qc8!? is another typical idea in these lines. We should respond with: 11.Qc2!
Preparing Rfd1 and d2-d4. 11…Bh3 (11…f6 12.Rfd1 Rd8 was seen in Krush – Maack,
Reykjavik 2013, and now I believe that 13.d4!?N 13…Nxd4 14.Nxd4 exd4 15.Ne4 would
have been the easiest route to an edge for White.) 12.Rfd1 (Also 12.e3!?N 12…Bxg2
13.Kxg2 followed by Ne2 and d2-d4 seems to lead to an advantage for White.)
12…Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Rd8

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14.Qb1 Qd7 15.e4! This was the instructive continuation of Matozo – Bendana-Aragon,
corr. 2019. White’s plan is to follow up by moving the knight to e2 or even b5, in order to
force through d2-d4.

11.d4!
The other main line here runs 11.Ne4!? Bh3 (11…f6 12.d4 was a bit better for White
in Donchenko – Le Quang Liem, Moscow [blitz] 2019) 12.d4! Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Qg4 14.Nc5
which is examined under the 9…Bg4 move order in variation B4 below. However, when
the present move order arises, the text move is the simpler way to put Black under
pressure.

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11…exd4 12.Nb5 Bd5
12…d3?! 13.Qxd3 Qxd3 14.exd3 gives us far too much activity.

13.Nbxd4 Bf6 14.e3

As we saw in the introduction, this pawn structure gives us chances to push for an
advantage until late in the game. A practical example continued:

14…a5 15.Qe2
White was somewhat better in Lindbol – Dolzhikova, Fornebu 2017.

B3) 9…Bf5!?

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 This smart little move creates its own set of problems by preventing typical moves
such as Ne4 or Qc2. If we respond with d2-d3 and later d3-d4, Black could gain a tempo
over comparable lines involving the plan of …Qd7 (or …Qc8) and …Bh3.

10.Rc1
Our first move is easy.

10…Re8!?
It’s useful for Black to cover the e5-pawn. This position has usually arisen via the
9…Re8 move order, but I’ve chosen to analyse it here because the bishop on f5 is such
a distinctive feature.

10…Qd7 has been tried, but this allows 11.e4!N 11…Bg4 12.Nd5 when the e5-pawn
already feels the pressure. White can play h2-h3 next, and at least gain the advantage of
the bishop pair.

10…Qc8!?N is a logical idea but 11.d4! is a strong reply, and after 11…Rd8 12.d5 the
complications favour White. For example:

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12…e4 13.Nd4 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Bf6 15.Qe3 Nxd5 16.Nxd5 Rxd5 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Bxe4
We emerge with the better pawn structure and the safer king.

11.d3
There is nothing to gain from postponing this move any longer. This is a bit sad
obviously, as we’d love to be able to play d2-d4 in one go, but the fact that the bishop is
on f5 rather than e6 allows us some extra possibilities as well. For example, we might go
for a plan of a2-a3 and b3-b4 without allowing light-square counterplay on the queenside.
Also, the bishop is not ready to challenge us for the long diagonal with …Bd5.

11…Qd7
11…f6 is one of those solid moves that doesn’t really form part of a coherent plan
from Black, but still cannot be punished directly. I like the idea of 12.Nd2!?N with the
simple idea of Bxc6, or Nce4 followed by a2-a3, b3-b4 and Nc5. (Alternatively, 12.a3 a5
was seen in Mondry – Valente, corr. 2020, and now 13.Na4!?N 13…Nxa4 14.bxa4
comes with the threat of Qb3† as well as d3-d4. I don’t love the sight of our doubled a-
pawns, but this is an additional idea to keep in mind when the bishop is on f5 rather than
e6.)

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12.Ne4!?
I like this simple concept, which was first played by Dubov. It forces Black to defend
e5, thus winning us another tempo.

12.a3!?N is a decent alternative. If allowed, White will play b3-b4, so 12…a5 is natural.
We can then play 13.Ne4 and in many cases, the movement of the respective a-pawns
helps us. For example, let’s see what happens if we follow the course of the main line
below: 13…f6 14.Nc5 Bxc5 15.Rxc5 Bh3

16.Bxh3 Qxh3 17.Qc2! We have some pressure along the c-file. Without the pawn on a3,
Black would be fine after …Nb4.

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12…f6
12…Rad8!? invites us to take on e5, when tactical complications ensue. Although this
could be interesting to explore, a simpler and stronger continuation is 13.Qc2! and if
13…f6 14.Rfd1 we have d3-d4 ideas in the air.

13.Nc5!? Bxc5 14.Rxc5 Bh3 15.Bxh3 Qxh3

16.b4! a6 17.a3!? Qe6

17…Rad8 is the top engine choice, but it doesn’t change much. After 18.Qb3† Kh8
19.Rfc1 we have the idea of b4-b5, with or without a preparatory a3-a4, as well as a
knight transfer beginning with Nd2. As English players, we should be happy to reach this
kind of position where our play is simpler and easier.

18.Nd2
White has typical slight pressure on the queenside, but there is one concrete detail
left to see.

18…Rad8
We have been following Dubov – Nakamura, Internet (rapid) 2020. White’s most
accurate continuation is a prophylactic and frankly surprising retreat:

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19.Rc1!N
The point of this move is to put the queen on c2 without fearing …Nd7, which would
have left the rook feeling uncomfortable. Next comes Qc2 and Nb3, with the typical edge
we are aiming for in these positions.

B4) 9…Bg4

10.Rc1 Qd7
10…f6 11.Ne4 transposes to variation B5 below.

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10…f5 is an aggressive move which has scored pretty well in correspondence games,
albeit old ones! I like the look of 11.b4!?N, which is new in this exact position, but a
typical idea which we’ve seen many times already. (11.d3 is a decent alternative of
course.) The main point is to meet 11…e4 with 12.b5! Na5 (12…exf3? 13.exf3 is much
worse for Black) 13.Ne5 when White keeps some initiative.

11.Ne4 Bh3
11…f6 is well met by 12.d4! exd4 13.Nxd4 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Rad8 15.Bc5 with an edge
for White, as in Thompson – Graudins, corr. 2018.

The present line represents one of Black’s most fundamental plans in its purest form.
Our idea is to meet it energetically with:

12.d4!
Please note that 12.Nxe5?? Nxe5 13.Bxe5 doesn’t work due to 13…Bxg2 14.Kxg2
Qd5 when we lose a piece.

12…Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Qg4!

13…exd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Qxd4 Qxd4 16.Bxd4 gives us a pleasant edge.

14.Nc5 Bxc5
14…e4!?N should be met by 15.Nd2! (15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Rad8 seems fine for
Black) 15…Bxc5 and now 16.dxc5! is an important detail. Play continues:

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16…Nd7 (16…Nd5 looks tempting but 17.Rc4! puts Black under some pressure.)
17.Nc4! White enjoys an advantage. The tactical point is 17…Nxc5?? 18.Ne3! Qh5
19.g4 Qg5 20.h4 when Black loses a piece.

15.Rxc5

15…e4!
15…exd4 is less critical and 16.Nxd4!? followed by e2-e3 gives us a nice edge.

16.Ne5

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 I tried to make 16.Nh4!? work, but after 16…g6!? I was unable to prove an edge,
although the position remains complex and interesting.

16…Nxe5 17.dxe5 c6 18.Qc2

I like White’s prospects with the typical queenside minority attack as well as pressure
against the e4-pawn. If Black pushes …f5 to defend the e-pawn, the black kingside will
be permanently weakened and our bishop will become more powerful. Let’s see the
continuation of a correspondence game.

18…a6!?
This might seem a bit too early, but Black is anticipating that a2-a4 will come soon,
and decided to prevent a5-a6 in advance.

18…Rfe8 19.a4 a6 transposes below.

19.a4
White is also flexible. Black’s play should now be improved with:

19…Rfe8!N
19…Rae8 seems inaccurate to me. 20.Ba3! Rd8 21.a5 Nd5 22.Rc4 f5 23.exf6

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23…Rfe8! Threatening …Nf4†, but White has a clever resource. 24.Be7! Nxe7 25.fxe7
Rxe7 26.Rd1 Rf8 27.Rc5 White kept some pressure in Thompson – Voveris, corr. 2018.

Many analysis engines consider the text move to be equal, but it seems to me that White
keeps certain pressure. For example:

20.h3 Qg6

21.Rd1!
With the threat of Rd4.

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21.a5 Nd5 22.Rc4 is another idea to provoke 22…f5, when 23.exf6 gxf6 24.Kh2 is
interesting although Black seems okay.

21…Rad8 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.e6! f6

23…Qxe6 is met by 24.Re5 and we take the e4-pawn, keeping a slight edge.

24.e7! Rd7 25.b4 Rxe7 26.b5 cxb5 27.axb5 e3!

Black has to do something, otherwise White keeps a lot of pressure.

28.Qxg6 hxg6 29.bxa6 bxa6 30.f4

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 We will advance the king and eat the e3-pawn, and we can easily control Black’s a-
pawn with the bishop and rook. The engines call this equal, but in a practical game White
has excellent chances to exert lasting pressure.

B5) 9…f6!?

A flexible move. Black will need to safeguard the e5-pawn in the near future, and this
can be done either with …Re8 followed by …Bf8, or with …f6. After choosing the text
move, Black can choose next where to develop the light-squared bishop.

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10.Rc1
This is the most natural choice. Still, one drawback of Black’s last move is that it
offers us a few additional options, so let’s check them:

10.d4!? is a concrete and easy-to-remember way to play, but it entails a certain amount
of risk as White sacrifices material for the initiative. 10…Nxd4 11.Nxd4 exd4 12.Nb5 c5

13.b4! cxb4 14.Rc1 d3! 15.Nd4 dxe2 16.Qxe2 Bd6 17.Nb5 White has full compensation
for the two pawns, but not more than that, as has been proven in high-level
correspondence praxis.

I tried another interesting idea in one of my own correspondence games: 10.Qc1!? Bg4!
11.Rd1

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11…Nd4! The only way to avoid getting a bad position. 12.Nxd4 exd4 13.Ne4 d3 This
looks attractive for Black, but in fact Black is by no means out of danger in the resulting
position. 14.Re1 dxe2 15.h3 Be6 16.Rxe2

My d-pawn is not a great sight, but my knight is ready to jump to c5 and the d2-pawn
actually gives me a base on e3 to use to double my rooks on the e-file, as happened in
the game. 16…Qd7 17.h4! The h3-pawn was constantly hanging, so let’s solve this now.
Later this pawn can become an asset with a timely advance to h5 and possibly h6.
17…Rfe8 18.Ba3! The next step in White’s plan is to exchange the guardian of the dark
squares in order to install the knight on the c5-outpost. 18…Bg4 19.Re1 So far we have
been following Ntirlis – Elyoseph, corr. 2020, a game which resulted in a position which

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we examined in the chapter introduction. At this point Black’s best continuation is:

19…Bxa3!N 20.Qxa3 Qd4! White has little hope of achieving a meaningful advantage.
Although this line has certain attractive features, I have to admit that it doesn’t threaten
Black all that much. If you want to give this line a try, the best move now is: 21.Qc1! With
the idea of a4-a5. According to the engines, White has a microscopic advantage.

A similar idea is 10.Qb1!?N and if 10…Bg4 11.Nd1!? the knight can jump to e3 with gain
of with tempo, although 11.Rd1 is not bad either. This idea is completely untested, but it
is engine-approved and could be worth investigating further.

10…Bg4!
I think this is the best square for the bishop, as the possibility of …Bxf3 makes it
harder for us to carry out our desired d2-d4 break.

10…Be6 leads back to 10…f6 in the notes to variation B2.

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11.Ne4
Another advantage of …Bg4 is that 11.Qc2 can now be met by 11…Bxf3! 12.Bxf3
Nd4 when 13.Qe4 maintains equality, but this is not what we are playing for.

11…Qc8!
This way, Black sidesteps the d2-d4 possibility, as the rook is ready to go to d8 and
pin the pawn.

Compare the alternative:

11…Qd7 12.d4!
This is similar to the Bareev – Tunik game from the chapter introduction. The
presence of the bishop on g4 does not affect us.
12…exd4
Grabbing a pawn is a bad idea: 12…Bxf3?! 13.Bxf3 exd4 (13…Nxd4? 14.Bxd4 exd4
15.b4! prepares some combination of Qb3†, Nc5 and Rd1, and Black’s position is on
the verge of collapsing.) 14.Qc2 We intend Nc5, Nd2 or simply Rfd1, followed by
regaining the pawn with a clear initiative.
13.Nxd4 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Rad8

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15.Bc5! Nd5 16.Qd4! c6 17.Rfd1
Black was under pressure in Thompson – Evans, corr. 2019. (Good alternatives
include 17.Bxa7 and 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.Nc5, both of which offer White somewhat better
chances.)

12.Re1!
This takes the sting out of …Bh3, as we will now be able to keep our bishop with
Bh1.

12.Nc5 Bxc5 13.Rxc5 Bh3 14.b4 is recommended by Roiz, but after 14…Rf7! the
position was equal in Petrovic – Ritter, email 2013. The main point of Black’s set-up is

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seen after 15.b5 Nd8 when all the black pieces work in harmony.

12.Qc2!? would be my normal recommendation in such a position, but Black can keep
the balance with accurate play: 12…Rd8! (12…Bh3 13.Bxh3! Qxh3 14.b4 gave White
some pressure in Krzyzanowski – Pekin, corr. 2020.) 13.d4

13…f5! 14.Nc5 e4 15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Bxc5 17.Qxc5 Bxe2 18.Rfe1 Bd3 19.Qxc7
Qxc7 20.Rxc7 Nd5 21.Rcc1 Rac8 Black was okay in Grigoryev – Zuev, corr. 2013. It is
true that Black still has to be slightly careful, as White has the bishop pair and the
possibility of breaking with f2-f3. So, this line is by no means dead as a practical try, but
ultimately I think the main line poses Black greater challenges.

12.a3!? is a nice little move which we can play first, intending to follow up with b3-b4.
After 12…a5 all the above options are similar, but not quite the same. For example,
13.Qc2 Rd8 14.e3!? gives White more chances for an edge after 14…Bh3 15.d4! when
the inclusion of a2-a3 and …a5 helps us. I don’t want to go into lots of detail here, as I
still prefer the main line.

12…Rd8
This move is still untested in OTB play, but I faced it in an online game during the
Covid-19 pandemic.

12…Re8!? was seen in Divanbaigyzand – Sutovs, corr. 2020. A good response is:

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13.d4!?N 13…exd4 (13…Rd8 14.Qc2 exd4 15.Red1 favours White.) 14.Nxd4 Nxd4
15.Qxd4 c6 16.Qc3!? White is for choice. We have reached our desired structure, and
can look to annoy Black with ideas such as Nc5 and Qa5.

12…a5 is another reasonable option. 13.Nc5 (13.d4!? is possible here too, but I prefer
the game continuation.) 13…Bxc5 14.Rxc5 Rd8 We have transposed to the main line
below.

13.Nc5 Bxc5 14.Rxc5

We threaten b3-b4, with a strong queenside initiative.

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14…a5N
This is the top engine choice, stopping our idea.
My opponent played 14…Kh8, which also stops b3-b4, because now …Nxb4 will not
lose material to a queen fork. However, it allows a nice idea which I missed during the
game:

15.Nh4!N Threatening Bxc6. 15…Bd7 16.Be4! Suddenly we threaten Qb1 (or Qc2) with
a huge attack, which can be augmented by f2-f4.

Although the text move is a novelty, it transposes to Watson – Kamanel Zamora, corr.
2019. (The game arrives here via the 12…a5 move order as given in the notes above,
but the 12…Rd8 sequence feels more natural to me.) I recommend:

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15.Qb1!?N
Making room for the other rook to go to c1, with good chances on the queenside.
15.Qc1!?N is another attractive option, with ideas of d2-d4 or even an exchange sacrifice
on c6. The choice of queen moves is largely a matter of taste; I prefer White’s chances
after either of them.

B6) 9…Re8

This is one of Black’s most popular options, especially among strong GMs. We have
already learned a bit about it in the Dubov – Nakamura game from the chapter

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introduction, and now it’s time to explore it in a bit more detail.

10.Rc1 Bf8
10…Bf5!? leads back to variation B3.

11.Ne4
Black must make an important choice between B61) 11…f6 and B62) 11…f5.

11…Nd4? is a serious mistake here due to 12.Nxd4 exd4 13.e3, and if 13…dxe3
14.fxe3! our piece activity is overwhelming.

11…a5?! 12.Rxc6! bxc6 13.Nxe5 Bb7 was played in Robson – Aronian, Saint Louis
2022, when 14.Qc2N would have clearly favoured White.

B61) 11…f6

Black defends e5 solidly.

12.Nh4!
I like this quirky-looking move. One idea is to prepare Nc5, when the bishop will
already be ready to take on c6. The f2-f4 break is another important resource.

12.d3!? is a decent alternative which was played in Dubov – Nakamura, as discussed in

the chapter introduction.

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12…a5!?N
This is a natural attempt to find counterplay.

12…Be6 prepares to neutralize our strong bishop with …Bd5, but 13.f4! Nd7 14.Nf2
maintains some pressure.

A lower-rated correspondence game continued: 12…Bg4 13.h3 Be6 (13…Bh5 is well

met by 14.Nc5 Bxc5 15.Rxc5 when we are ready to crash though on c6.)

14.f4! Bf7 15.e3 exf4 16.gxf4 Qd7 17.Kh2 White followed up with Rg1, and Black was
unable to solve the problems in Kutlu – Beckett, corr. 2022.

13.Nc5 Bxc5
There is no time for 13…a4? on account of 14.Nxb7!.

14.Rxc5

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14…Be6
14…Bg4?! 15.Rxc6! bxc6 16.Bxc6 is a safe pawn-grab, and if 16…a4 17.bxa4! we
stand clearly better.

In the event of 14…a4 I suggest a different approach: 15.Be4! axb3 16.axb3 Bh3 (16…
g6 17.Qb1! gives us a huge attack.)

17.Qc2! Bxf1 18.Bxh7† Followed by Kxf1. Our initiative is clearly worth more than the
tiny material investment.

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15.Rxc6!
Again this seems like a safe way to grab a pawn.

15…bxc6 16.Bxc6 a4
16…Qd6 17.Qc1! keeps some advantage.

17.bxa4!
Black faces a tough defence.

B62) 11…f5

The engines scream that this move is fine for Black. From a practical perspective
though, it is not easy to keep control of the position, while White has easy play.

12.Nc3!
This knight shuffle isn’t the most obvious idea, but we already learned earlier in the
chapter that e2-e4 is a powerful idea when …f5 has been played.

12…e4
Otherwise we’ll play e2-e4 with excellent chances.

13.Ne1
Now we are ready to break up Black’s centre with d2-d3.

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13…Nb4!
This is practically the only way to oppose our plan.

14.a3 Nc6
We have been following Van Leent – Pech, corr. 2017. I propose:

15.e3!?N
A useful preparatory move before we strike at the e4-pawn.

15.d3 Be6! is okay for Black – that’s why it was worth losing time to provoke a2-a3.

15.Rb1!?N is a deep move which may also be promising. The text move feels like a more
human choice though.

15…Ne5!
According to the engines, this is the only move that keeps equality.

15…Be6?! 16.f3! is excellent for us.

16.d3!
16.Ne2!? c6 17.f3 exf3 18.Bxf3! is an interesting alternative which you may wish to
investigate more closely.

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16…c6!
I imagine this would be an extremely difficult move to find over the board.

16…exd3 is well met by the surprising 17.Nb1! followed by Bxe5 and Nxd3, when White
emerges with an excellent position despite the loss of the bishop pair.

16…Nxd3 17.Nxd3 exd3 18.Nb1 followed by Rc3 also regains the pawn, leaving us with
an enduring edge thanks to the favourable pawn structure and safer king.

17.Rc2!
The rook will go to d2 next. The engines continue to rate the position as close to
equal, but Black will have to play more carefully to keep it that way.

Conclusion

Meeting 1.c4 with 1…e5 and following up with 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5
Nxd5, reaching a reversed Dragon, is one of the old-time classic ways of meeting the
English Opening. After the standard moves 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7 we examined two
approaches.

8.d3 0-0 9.Be3 gives us the crystal-clear plan of following up with d3-d4, often after
placing our rook on c1. 9…Re8! should eventually equalize, but the resulting positions
are not always easy to handle for Black, whereas we have a straightforward way to
proceed with a timely d3-d4 followed by our thematic regrouping plans.

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8.b3! is our more ambitious and complicated way to proceed. Black has a plethora of set-
ups to choose from: developing the bishop to e6, to f5 or to g4? Placing the rook on e8 or
not? The pawn to f6 or f5? The queen to d7, or to c8? It is not clear which plan is Black’s
best, and we always have ways to apply pressure in the complicated positions that arise.

Throughout the chapter, we saw many instances of our d-pawn being exchanged for
Black’s e-pawn, leading to the thematic “Kingside Majority” pawn structure which we
discussed at the start of the chapter. What I like about this structure is that it often
enables us to put pressure on Black, despite the theoretical 0.00 verdict, sometimes
even deep into the endgame. It’s a big advantage to understand how to play such
positions, because it takes the burden away from trying as hard as possible to prove a
theoretical edge, and allows us to instead think in terms of putting our opponents under
pressure and forcing them to solve practical problems.

110
The Fork Trick 58
Kopaev (1958) 59
Tarrasch – Janowski, Ostend 1907 59
Carlsen’s Try 60
Refining the Move Order 62

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Bc5

B) 7.0-0 0-0 8.d3 65

B1) 8…Bb6 66
B2) 8…Re8 67
B3) 8…h6! 68

Introduction

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Bc5!?

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 It was not until 2017 that this move was brought into the spotlight by Alexander
Grischuk. According to him, he was looking for a weapon against the English that was
not only theoretically sound, but would also offer good chances to take over the initiative
as Black. The following year, Caruana used this idea twice against Carlsen in their World
Championship match. Although Carlsen obtained a slight edge in both games, the black
position proved resilient. Grischuk’s line remains popular to this day, and it continues to
cause headaches to theoreticians. For example, Sielecki and Hansen chose to avoid the
entire 4.g3 system in their Chessable course (they offer 4.e3 instead) because of this
variation! Despite the above, I don’t think that White should be scared of this idea at all.
As we will see, we have an easy option in the fork trick, which practically forces an
endgame where Black must play accurately to hold. After that, we’ll see how Carlsen
was able to put Caruana under a bit of pressure and how we can refine the world number
one’s play.

The Fork Trick

The engines offer Black’s last move as their top choice, rating the position only
fractionally in White’s favour. Despite this endorsement, when we look at the position in
human terms, unless you are facing a World-Championship-calibre opponent who knows
exactly how to defend and make a draw, you actually have a choice of ways to put Black
under pressure in this system. I’ll start by showing you the low-theory option.

7.Nxe5!?
7.0-0 0-0 8.Nxe5 is also possible, and 8…Nxc3 9.bxc3 Nxe5 10.d4 Bd6 11.dxe5
Bxe5 transposes to 11…0-0 in the notes below. However, I would be happy to give Black

112
the additional option of 11…Qxd1.

7…Nxc3 8.bxc3 Nxe5 9.d4 Bd6 10.dxe5 Bxe5 11.0-0

I love this continuation for White, for practical reasons: it’s quick and easy to learn,
and gives chances for an edge with minimal risk.

11…Qxd1
11…0-0 is the alternative, which will also be discussed in the theory section.

12.Rxd1 Bxc3 13.Rb1 c6 14.Ba3!

White has more than enough compensation for the pawn. Even if Black defends well
from here, we will still end up with a rook endgame with an extra pawn; it should be a
draw, but we will be the ones pressing. As we will see in the analysis section, this line
might eventually end up in a situation where we have two or three kingside passers
versus a black rook. Let’s look at a couple of potential scenarios with this material
balance.

Kopaev

1958

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 Typically in these endgames, the defending side needs to put the rook behind the
most advanced white pawn, but this study shows an exception.

1…Rf3!
1…Rg3? loses to 2.Kg7 and the f-pawn marches to victory.

2.g7
2.Ke6 Rg3! stops either pawn from advancing.

2…Rg3 3.Kf7 Kd4 4.f6

4.g8=Q Rxg8 5.Kxg8 Ke5 gets back just in time.

4…Ke5
Black’s king and rook control White’s pawns, and it’s a draw.

Siegbert Tarrasch – Dawid Janowski

Ostend 1907

114
 When the pawns are far enough advanced, they may prove impossible to stop.

1…Rf1!
Janowski must prevent either pawn from advancing.

2.Kd4 Kb3
2…Rf5? wins a pawn but loses the game after 3.Ke4 Rxg5 4.f7 followed by making a
new queen.

3.Ke5 Kc4 4.g6 Re1† 5.Kd6

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5…Rd1†?
Janowski doesn’t find the most stubborn defence and loses easily.

5…Rg1! 6.g7 Kd4 would have been a tougher defence, intending to meet f6-f7 with
…Rg6† followed by …Rxg7, eliminating both pawns. To win the game, White needs to
find an amazing motif:

7.Kc6!! (7.Ke6 Ke4 8.Kf7? Ke5 reaches the same drawing position we saw before.
However, instead of putting the king on f7, White could still win by going back with the
king to d6 and then c6.) 7…Kc4 (If 7…Rg6 8.Kb5 White promotes a pawn.) 8.Kd7 Kd5
9.Ke8 Ke6 10.f7 Ra1 Interestingly, White only has a single move to avoid losing. It’s not

116
difficult though:

11.f8=N†! Kf6 12.g8=Q Ra8† 13.Kd7 Winning easily.

6.Ke6 Re1†

7.Kf7
Janowski was a leading player of his day, so it’s not unreasonable to hope that we
can get something similar in the Fork Trick line, after sub-optimal play from our
opponents. At least we know what we are aiming for!
1–0

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 Carlsen’s Try
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Bc5
Caruana chose this against Carlsen in Game 4 of their 2018 World Championship
match. Let’s see how the game proceeded, and then we’ll look at how we can further
refine Carlsen’s play.

7.0-0 0-0 8.d3

Although the fork trick has some potential as a practical weapon, it’s safe to assume
that Caruana had a precise defence worked out at home. Carlsen’s move keeps the
game more complex.

By the way, Nakamura beat the uprising Russian star Esipenko in the 2022 FIDE Grand
Prix with 8.Qc2 but it is hard to believe that White can get anything serious after
8…Nd4!? 9.Nxd4 Nb4! followed by …exd4.

8…Re8!?
Caruana’s choice, which is pretty smart.

Most games up to this point had continued with 8…Bb6 but this reduces Black’s options
slightly. See the theory section for more details.

8…h6! with the idea of 9.Bd2 Nf6! is Black’s trendy defence, and widely considered the
most challenging approach. Again we’ll discuss this in more detail in the theoretical
section.

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9.Bd2 Nxc3
As GM Sadler points out in his YouTube channel, an interesting alternative is
9…Nb6!? planning 10.Rc1 Bf8 which transposes to a typical Reversed Dragon position
which could have arisen if Black had played …Be7 instead of …Bc5, but where White
typically wouldn’t have played Bd2. The position is still interesting, but we will soon see
how to avoid it with a timely Nxd5. For now though, let’s just see what we can learn from
the game continuation.

10.Bxc3 Nd4!
Adams points out that 10…a5 11.Nxe5! Nxe5 12.d4 favours White.

11.b4! Bd6!
Caruana played this quickly.

11…Bb6 12.a4 (Fressinet’s 12.e3!? is a good alternative, playing against the bishop on
b6.) 12…a6 13.Nd2!? would have given White some initiative.

12.Rb1!?
Carlsen makes a smart choice.

After 12.Nxd4!? exd4 13.Bxd4 Bxg3 14.hxg3 Qxd4 the engines assess the position
marginally in White’s favour, but the long-term plan of …h5-h4 offers Black excellent
counterplay.

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12…Nxf3† 13.Bxf3 a6
The other way to play for Black, maybe a more natural one, is 13…c6 14.a4 Bh3
15.Re1 Rc8 but it feels like White is slightly better here after 16.Bd2 looking at the right
opportunity to push with b4-b5.

14.a4 c6
All this was seen in Carlsen – Caruana, London (4) 2018, when the World Champion
passed on the opportunity to play:

15.b5!N
According to Peter Heine Nielsen, who spoke to Magnus about the game, the reason
he didn’t play this way was because of the response:

15…cxb5!?
A few annotators, including Matthew Sadler, speculated that Carlsen probably didn’t
think that he would have good winning chances after 15…axb5 16.axb5 Bd7 17.bxc6
Bxc6 18.Bxc6 bxc6 19.Qc2 although Sadler does admit that “this looks depressing for
Black.” Fressinet had a different opinion: “This would be a dream for Magnus!” Indeed,
it’s a safe edge, with no risk of losing and a clear plan of piling up on the c6-weakness
while looking at the opportunity to create a secondary target later. This might not get the
job done in high-level correspondence chess, but for humans doing battle across the
board, it will always be a pleasant situation to be in as White.

16.axb5 a5
Nielsen argued that both players could easily misevaluate this position, as Black

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appears to have all the weaknesses covered and the a-pawn could prove to be a long-
term asset. Only by going into the specifics can we determine that White actually stands
clearly better.

17.Qa4!
Blocking the passer and getting ready to attack it further with Ra1. Nielsen gives the
illustrative line:

17…Qb6 18.Ra1 Bc7 19.Rfc1

Followed by Bd2-e3 and Black is in trouble. As we will see, I actually recommend
deviating from Carlsen’s play several moves earlier, so don’t worry about remembering
the specific moves that led to this point. The main conclusion we should draw from this is
that if we can obtain a position with the bishop to c3 and carry out a minority attack, we
will have good chances for an advantage.

Refining the Move Order

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Bc5 7.0-0 0-0 8.d3 h6!
As mentioned earlier, I consider this Black’s best try.

8…Bb6 and 8…Re8 will be met in the same way.

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9.Nxd5!
These days, White has figured out that the best bet is to remove these knights early
and then try to get something similar to what Carlsen achieved against Caruana. Of
course, this introduces a fresh set of nuances which vary according to which option Black
chose on the previous turn.

9…Qxd5 10.Bd2
In order to get an edge, there are some subtle details that need to be remembered.
One example is:

10…Rd8 11.Qc2!
An important move, threatening Ng5. We will learn more about this and other details
in the theoretical part.

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 Theory Section

A) 7.Nxe5!? 63
B) 7.0-0 0-0 8.d3 65
B1) 8…Bb6 66
B2) 8…Re8 67
B3) 8…h6! 68

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Bc5
As promised, we will analyse the Fork Trick with A) 7.Nxe5!?, followed by the
traditional Reversed Dragon approach with B) 7.0-0 followed by d2-d3.

A) 7.Nxe5!?

7…Nxc3 8.bxc3
8.Nxc6?? Qf6! would be embarrassing.

8.Bxc6†!? bxc6 isn’t ridiculous, but Black has full compensation no matter which pawn

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we use to recapture on c3.

8…Nxe5
8…Bxf2†? 9.Kxf2 Nxe5 10.d4 Ng4† 11.Kg1 gives us a clear advantage thanks to
the bishops and strong centre.

9.d4 Bd6 10.dxe5 Bxe5

11.0-0
I love the Fork Trick for White, for practical reasons. It’s easy to learn and play, and
results in a position where we will take little to no risk, while Black still needs to play
accurately. If Black is poorly prepared or takes a wrong step, the consequences can be
severe.

Another option is 11.Qc2!? Qf6 12.0-0 0-0 13.Rb1 Rb8 (13…c6 transposes to 13…Qf6 in
the next note below) 14.e4 Bxc3 15.Be3 when White had fine compensation in
Barroqueiro – Powers, corr. 2020, and Black needs to find 15…a5! to be able to
equalize. However, I would be happy to give Black the option of exchanging queens, as
in the main line below.

11…Qxd1
The alternative is: 11…0-0 12.Rb1 c6 13.Qc2

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13…Re8 (Also after 13…Qf6 14.c4 the engines give zeros, but I prefer White on
principle. We have our beloved structure and pressure against Black’s queenside.) 14.c4
Qe7 This occurred in Fire – Ethereal, engine game 2020. After the principled 15.a4!? the
position is once again equal for engines but I like White’s chances for a human game,
thanks to our extra central pawn and pressure on the queenside. At any point we can
exchange bishops with Bb2, but I don’t see a reason to commit to it just yet.

12.Rxd1 Bxc3 13.Rb1 c6

14.Ba3!

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 Preventing Black from castling. Now there is only one move that keeps Black in the
game.

14…a5!
Black needs to return the extra pawn as quickly as possible, in order to neutralize the
mighty bishop on a3.

14…Bf6? would be a good move, if not for the fact that 15.Rd3! is crushing.

15.Rbc1 Bb4 16.Bxb4 axb4 17.Rxc6 bxc6 18.Bxc6† Ke7 19.Bxa8 Be6 20.Bd5
The last few moves were more or less forced on both sides. The endgame should be
a draw, but Black still needs to work for it.

20…Rd8
20…Bxd5 21.Rxd5 Rc8 22.Rd2 should also be a draw, but again Black will have to
defend for a long time.

21.e4 Bxd5 22.exd5 Kd6 23.Kg2 Kc5

Otherwise our king could march towards e4.

24.Rc1†!
Exploiting the fact that the d5-pawn cannot be captured yet.

24…Kd4 25.Rc7 Rxd5 26.Rxf7

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26…Ra5 27.Rxg7 h5
This seems the most practical choice, as the a2-pawn is not going anywhere.

27…Rxa2!? 28.Rxh7 b3 is also good enough though. For instance, 29.h4 b2 30.Rb7 Kc3
31.g4 Ra1 and although we are in no danger of losing, Black is drawing pretty
comfortably.

28.Rb7 Kc3 29.h3

29.h4 led to a subsequent draw in Stockfish – Stoofvlees, engine game 2020. For the
engines it makes no difference as everything is 0.00, but no human would play the way
the machine did in that game.

29…Rxa2 30.g4 hxg4 31.hxg4 b3

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32.Kg3
32.Kf3 leads to a draw in a similar way; just take care to avoid a continuation such as
32…b2 33.g5 Ra1 34.Ke4?? , when 34…Ra4† followed by …Rb4 wins for Black.

32…b2 33.g5 Ra4 34.Rxb2 Kxb2 35.f4 Kc3 36.Kg4

It’s a draw of course, but this isn’t a million miles away from the endings we saw in
the chapter introduction where Black needs to be precise.

B) 7.0-0 0-0 8.d3

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 Having acquainted ourselves with the fork trick, we will move on to the main line
where we keep more pieces on the board – although as we saw in the introduction, we
will generally look to exchange knights in the nearest future. We will analyse three
natural continuations: B1) 8…Bb6, B2) 8…Re8 and B3) 8…h6!.

B1) 8…Bb6 9.Nxd5! Qxd5

10.Bd2!?
10.b4!? is a good alternative, when 10…e4!? is the critical continuation. (10…Nxb4
11.Bb2 wins back the pawn with an excellent position.) 11.Ng5! Qd4

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12.Be3 (12.Ba3!? led to amazing complications in Dubov – Karjakin, Tbilisi 2017, and
could be fascinating to analyse and play, but the text move is simple and good.)
12…Qxb4 13.Nxe4 Bxe3 14.fxe3 Black was under some pressure in Nakamura –
Karjakin, Saint Louis 2017.

10…Qd6
Black stops b2-b4, but not for long.

10…Bg4 should be met by: 11.b4!N (11.Bc3 Qe6 12.b4 Nd4 was level in Iturrizaga
Bonelli – Sadhwani, Biel 2019.) 11…a5 12.bxa5 Bxa5 13.a4 With some initiative for
White.

11.Bc3 Re8

12.Nd2!
The threat is a2-a4, intending to meet …a5 with Nc4 and Nxb6.

12…Qh6
The queen steps away from the Nc4 attack but allows a different possibility.

13.b4! Bh3 14.b5 Bxg2 15.Kxg2

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15…Bd4!?
A witty reply, but it doesn’t equalize.

If 15…Nd4 then 16.a4 maintains some pressure.

16.Rc1 Bxc3 17.Rxc3 Nd4 18.a4

White had a pleasant Reversed Dragon position in Ding Liren – Navara, Batumi (ol)
2018.

B2) 8…Re8

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9.Nxd5! Qxd5 10.Bd2
Once again, this is the most attractive continuation.

10…Qd6
Black’s best bet is to move the queen away from the discovered attack, while
stopping the pawn from landing on b4.

10…Qd8 11.Bc3 transposes to the Carlsen – Caruana game from the introduction.

10…a5?! clamps down on the b4-square but weakens Black’s queenside. One way for
us to exploit this is with 11.Ng5 Qd7 12.Rc1 followed by Bxc6.

11.Bc3
Keeping things simple.
11.Ng5 is the older move, but 11…Qe7! has scored pretty well for Black in
correspondence play.

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11…Bg4!
Otherwise we will continue with Nd2, with straightforward play and good chances for
a queenside initiative.

12.h3!
12.Nd2 Qh6! is Black’s idea, preventing h2-h3 and preparing to annoy us with
…Qh5.

12…Bxf3 13.Bxf3 e4!

Without this, it would make no sense to give up the bishop pair. The attack on the g3-
pawn looks scary, but we can handle it.

14.Bg2 Rad8
14…Qxg3?? loses to 15.d4 of course.

14…exd3 gives us the additional option of 15.Qxd3 (15.e3!? is likely to transpose to the
main line below) 15…Qxd3 16.exd3 with some chances to press in the endgame. At the
very least, a subsequent Bxc6 will leave us with the better pawn structure.

After the text move Black’s activity appears impressive, but we have a clever resource.

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15.e3!
15.dxe4? Bxf2†! would be disastrous.

15…exd3
15…Qxd3 16.Qb3 gives us a strong initiative for the pawn. If 16…Qa6 then 17.Rfd1
gives us good chances to pick up the e4-pawn, with a lasting advantage.

16.Qb3 b6 17.Rad1 a5 18.Rd2!

White had the more pleasant position in Piaggesi – Hebrard, corr. 2022, with Rfd1
and taking on d3 being the easy plan to follow.

B3) 8…h6!

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 As mentioned earlier, this is Black’s toughest continuation.

9.Nxd5!
9.Bd2 Nf6! is the idea, and if 10.Na4 Bb6 11.Rc1 Re8 12.Bc3 e4 Black is doing fine.

9…Qxd5 10.Bd2
We proceed in the usual way, preparing Bc3 and possibly b2-b4 in some lines.

10.b3!? is possible but 10…e4! is an adequate reply. Play continues 11.dxe4 Qxe4
12.Bb2 Rd8 13.Qc1 and now both 13…Qb4!?, as played in Bobel – Cvak, corr. 2020,
and the more natural 13…Qe7N are fine for Black.

10.Nd2!? is another idea, when 10…Qd8! is most accurate, and after 11.Qc2!? Bb6
12.Nc4 Nd4 13.Qd1 Re8 Black was doing alright in Michalek – Potrata, corr. 2021.

10…Rd8
This is the main line. I checked three alternatives:

10…Re8 11.Bc3 Qe6 was seen in Sevian – Aronian, Internet (rapid) 2022. Since there is
no pressure down the d-file, White can go 12.e3!N with a slight advantage.

10…Qd6 is naturally met by 11.Bc3 Rd8 12.Nd2 Be6 and now the simplest is: 13.Ne4
Qf8 14.Nxc5 Qxc5

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15.Rc1!? Bxa2 16.b4! Qb5 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.Bd2 As seen in Obana – Andres, corr. 2021.
With such a structure, only White can push for the win.

10…a5!? is a solid way to play for Black. We will follow another correspondence
example: 11.Bc3 Qe6 12.Qc2 White is ready to improve with e2-e3, a2-a3, Rac1 and so
on. 12…Qe7! 13.e3 Nb4! Black forces the play, but it doesn’t fully equalize14.Qb1 Nxd3
15.Qxd3 e4 16.Qc2 exf3 17.Bxf3

17…c6 18.a3 Bh3 19.Rfd1 White had slightly better chances in Saglione – Hehir, corr.
2022. We have obtained our favourite structure with chances to develop a minority

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attack.

11.Qc2!
Threatening Ng5.
11…Qd6
11…Bb6 12.b4 gives us a nice queenside initiative.

12.a3
My ‘English instinct’, which was developed over countless hours studying English
opening and middlegame positions in recent years, tells me that 12.Rac1!?N 12…Bb6
13.b4 could be a decent alternative, even though the engines cruelly insist on a 0.00
verdict.

12…a5 13.Rac1 Bb6 14.Be3! Ra6!

14…Bxe3?! 15.fxe3 is much worse than it may appear for Black. We intend Nd2
next, threatening Bxc6 or Ne4, with a lot of pressure.

15.Nd2! Nd4 16.Bxd4 Qxd4

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17.Nc4
17.b3!? c6 18.Rb1 followed by b3-b4 is a worthy alternative which was played in
Vaughan – Chronopoulos, corr. 2021.

17…c6 18.b4
White had a typical small but pleasant edge in Cakl – Achim, corr. 2020.

Conclusion

After entering the Reversed Dragon with 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5
Nxd5 6.Bg2, the idea of 6…Bc5!? was always considered unnatural. That’s why you
won’t find this move mentioned in older English books, except as a sideline. We started
by analysing the Fork Trick with 7.Nxe5!?. Modern engines prove that Black can
equalize against it, but I still believe that for a practical human game, we have plenty to
play for in this line.

7.0-0 0-0 8.d3 is our main line, heading for a complex middlegame. I spent a lot of effort
analysing games such as Carlsen – Caruana and eventually concluded that the new,
improved move order with 9.Nxd5! should be played against all three of Black’s main
options. Black’s task of proving equality is not trivial; and even if Black plays all the right
moves, we will be able to get a healthy position with a clear plan to follow.

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Introduction – Black’s Ideas 72
Gelfand’s Approach vs 2…Bb4 73
What happens after …Nxd5? 75
The Main Line: 5…e4 76

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3

A) 2…Bb4 3.Nd5! 76
A1) 3…Bc5 77
A2) 3…Be7 78
B) 2…Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Nd5 79
B1) 5…a5!? 81
B2) 5…Bc5 6.Bg2 82
B21) 6…0-0?! 82
B22) 6…d6 7.0-0 83
B221) 7…Nxd5 83

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 B222) 7…0-0 85
B3) 5…e4 6.Nh4 0-0 7.Bg2 88
B31) 7…Re8 89
B32) 7…d6 8.Nxb4!? Nxb4 9.a3 90
B321) 9…Nc6 91
B322) 9…Na6 93
C) 2…Nc6 3.Nf3 Bb4 93

Introduction – Black’s Ideas

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 is the popular Anti-Sicilian weapon named after Nicolas
Rossolimo. (By the way, he and I share not only the same name, but also the same
heritage as he has Greek roots, and there is a growing community of chess players in
Greece who consider him the first Greek Grandmaster.) These days 3.Bb5 is generally
regarded as being every bit as challenging as the traditional Open Sicilian approach with
3.d4. Considering the popularity and theoretical soundness of the Rossolimo, it is only
natural that Black should seriously consider the same idea with reversed colours against
the English Opening when the knight goes to c3. There are two main ways in which
Black can try such a strategy, and we will consider both of them in this chapter.

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6

2…Bb4 is one of the biggest arguments against the 2.Nc3 move order, and with
good reason. It has proven to be theoretically sound and has been used many times by
Anand (among others) to obtain good positions at the highest level.

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3.Nd5 will be our response, avoiding Black’s thematic plan of …Bxc3 followed by …d6.

2…Nc6 3.Nf3 Bb4 is another possible version of the same idea. We will cover it at the
end of the chapter, and again 4.Nd5 will be our choice.

3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4!?

This rich and fascinating system has been tested for decades at the highest level.
Let’s see one of Black’s main strategic ideas, which I think we should avoid.

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5.Bg2
5.Qc2 is well met by 5…d6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 Bg4! when Black is getting more activity
than I would like. A good example continued 8.d3 Bxf3! 9.exf3 Nd4 10.Qd1 c6 with good
counterplay for Black, Ignatov – Pavlov, corr. 2013.

5.Nd5! is my recommendation, and we’ll discuss it shortly. But for now, let’s see what
happens if we leave the knight on c3.

5…Bxc3!?
5…0-0 6.0-0 e4 7.Ng5 Bxc3 8.bxc3 Re8 9.f3 is another major branch of theory. 9…
exf3!? (9…e3!? hasn’t been refuted, but today it is considered slightly inferior to the text
move.) 10.Nxf3 d5 (10…Qe7!? is another modern tabiya.) 11.d4 h6!? We reach a rich
and fascinating position which appears to be fully playable for Black.

6.bxc3 0-0 7.0-0 d6

Having ‘lost’ the dark-squared bishop, Black’s general plan is to put as many pawns
as possible on the dark squares: a century-old strategy which remains both simple and
effective today.

8.d3 h6
Another pawn moves to a dark square, while preventing a potentially annoying pin.

8…e4!? 9.Nd4 exd3 10.exd3 Nxd4 11.cxd4 d5 is another possibility, highlighting White’s
central inflexible pawns, as seen in, for example, Kramnik – Duda, Dortmund 2018.

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9.Rb1 Rb8 10.e4!?
A typical reaction for White in these lines, taking more space, restricting Black’s
remaining bishop and planning to play for an attack with Nh4 and f2-f4.

Lacklustre play could meet with a severe punishment. For instance, 10.Ne1 Be6 11.Nc2
Qd7 12.Re1 Bh3 13.Bh1 and now the typical idea is 13…Nh7! planning a brutal attack
with …f5-f4.

10…a6!
Black prepares to counterattack and create weaknesses.

11.Nd2!? b5!
Black had sufficient counterplay in Li Chao – Postny, Tromso 2013. This was only a
brief survey, but the general conclusion is obvious: if we allow Black to double our pawns
with a timely …Bxc3, despite getting the bishop-pair advantage, we should be ready to
accept that Black will have rich counterplay. That’s why I recommend avoiding it
whenever the bishop lands on b4.

Gelfand’s Approach – vs 2…Bb4

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 3.Nd5!

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 The first ‘rule’ of this chapter is that when the bishop lands on b4, we will use our
knight to attack it from d5, rather than allowing the exchange on c3.

3…Be7
This is Anand’s pet line and I regard it as Black’s best bet. Alternatives will of course
be examined in the theory section.

4.d4! exd4 5.Qxd4 Nf6

Anand made this line one of his main anti-English weapons in 2019. Many players
tried to find an antidote against it. This is what the great Boris Gelfand came up with:

6.Nxe7 Qxe7 7.Bg5 Nc6 8.Qc3 Ne5

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9.e3!?
Gelfand’s idea is simple: he wants to bring the knight to d5, via e2.

9…h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Ne2 d6?!

Surprisingly, this natural move is a mistake.

11…Ng4! is better; see the theoretical section for more details.

12.Nf4 0-0 13.Be2 Bf5

13…Be6 14.0-0 Rfd8 15.Rad1 gave White a pleasant edge in Vakhidov – Santos
Latasa, Internet 2021.

14.0-0
White is better, and for the purposes of opening preparation we could leave it there.
However, it is highly instructive to follow the game a bit more.

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14…Rae8 15.Nd5 Qd8 16.Rad1
16.Qa5 doesn’t win a pawn yet due to 16…Be4! (16…Bd3!? is also possible)
17.Qxc7 Qg5 with strong counterplay.

16…c6
The strong knight was hard to tolerate, but removing it weakens the d6-pawn.

17.Nf4 Qc7 18.Rd2 Rd8 19.Rfd1 a6 20.Qa3

Just like that, White is winning a pawn.

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20…b5 21.cxb5 axb5 22.Rxd6 Rxd6 23.Qxd6 Qxd6 24.Rxd6 Ra8 25.a3 Kf8
25…b4! would have given Black more concrete counterplay.

26.f3 Ke7 27.Rd2 g5 28.Nh5 Be6

I consider this the most instructive position of the game.

29.e4?!
Gelfand pushes his majority a bit sooner than needed, thus allowing counterplay.

A better approach would have been 29.Kf2! followed by patiently improving with g2-g4,
h2-h3 and possibly Ng7.

29…Ra4! 30.Ng3 b4 31.axb4 Rxb4 32.Nf1 f5!

Black was still somewhat worse of course, but at least he created enough annoying
counterplay in order to be able to draw the game eventually in Gelfand – Anand,
Amsterdam (blitz) 2019.

What happens after …Nxd5?

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Nd5!

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 This is our simple and direct way to avoid the …Bxc3 exchange. Black’s most direct
way of fighting our idea is to exchange the knight, so let’s quickly see the different ways
in which this might take place.

5…Bc5
Other moves are possible, but saving the bishop is the most natural reaction.
The immediate 5…Nxd5?! 6.cxd5 offers us a simple route to an advantage, as we’ll
see in the theory section.

6.Bg2 d6!
6…0-0 allows complications with 7.b4, so it is better for Black to defend that pawn
sooner rather than later

7.0-0 Nxd5!?
A critical choice, which might not be the most trendy nowadays, but it has been
played by giants like Korchnoi and Smyslov in the past. White can prove an advantage
against it, but only with a precise, concrete line, so it is essential to know it.
7…0-0 is the main line which we’ll cover in the theoretical section.

8.cxd5 Nd4
8…Ne7?! 9.d4! gives White an easy edge, as we’ll see later.

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9.Nxd4 Bxd4
9…exd4?! is met by 10.b4! exploiting the fact that Black has not castled yet.

10.e3 Bb6 11.f4!

This cool idea puts Black under a lot of pressure, if followed up correctly. See the
theory section for the juicy details!

The Main Line: 5…e4

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Nd5 e4!
This is the concrete line, which has been the most popular option for Black at GM
level.

6.Nh4 0-0 7.Bg2

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7…d6!
7…Re8 is more common but I think the text move is stronger.

8.Nxb4 Nxb4 9.a3

The knight may retreat to c6 or a6. Full details will be given in the theoretical
coverage below.

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 Theory Section

A) 2…Bb4 3.Nd5! 76
A1) 3…Bc5 77
A2) 3…Be7 78
B) 2…Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Nd5 79
B1) 5…a5!? 81
B2) 5…Bc5 6.Bg2 82
B21) 6…0-0?! 82
B22) 6…d6 7.0-0 83
B221) 7…Nxd5 83
B222) 7…0-0 85
B3) 5…e4 6.Nh4 0-0 7.Bg2 88
B31) 7…Re8 89
B32) 7…d6 8.Nxb4!? Nxb4 9.a3 90
B321) 9…Nc6 91
B322) 9…Na6 93
C) 2…Nc6 3.Nf3 Bb4 93

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3
As discussed earlier, there are three versions of the Reversed Rossolimo. We will
consider A) 2…Bb4 followed by the variants starting with B) 2…Nf6 and C) 2…Nc6.

A) 2…Bb4 3.Nd5!

As prescribed earlier. Black’s two main options are A1) 3…Bc5 and A2) 3…Be7. Other
options exist, but they are easy to deal with. For example:

3…Ba5?! doesn’t actually lose a piece, but that’s the end of the good news for Black.

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4.b4 Bb6 (4…c6 5.bxa5 cxd5 6.cxd5 Qxa5 7.e4 gives us a big advantage due to the
bishop pair and extra central pawn.) After the text move 5.c5 would be the maximalist
choice which leads to a clear advantage if followed up correctly, while the simple 5.e3
offers an effortless, comfortable edge.

3…Na6!? is creative but we have more than one good way to meet it. The most solid
choice is 4.a3 Ba5 5.b4 c6 6.Nc3 Bc7 7.d4 when the purpose of the knight on a6 was far
from clear in Santos Ruiz – Brochet, Brest 2019.

3…a5 is not stupid, but 4.Nf3 d6 5.a3 Bc5 6.e3 gives us an easy edge without having to
remember much.

A1) 3…Bc5

This popular move was recommended by Mikhalevski in Grandmaster Repertoire 19

– Beating Minor Openings.

4.e3!?
4.Nf3 is a good alternative which has been slightly more popular, but I prefer the text
move.

4…Nf6
4…Ne7 5.b4 Nxd5 converts to the next note.

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5.b4 Be7
5…Nxd5 6.bxc5 Nf6 7.Nf3 is somewhat favourable to White, whose dark-squared
bishop has a lot of potential.

6.Nxe7 Qxe7 7.Bb2

It’s useful that we don’t have to waste time defending the b4-pawn.

7…0-0 8.Ne2!
8.Nf3 is the only move mentioned by Mikhalevski. The idea behind the text move is
to play Ng3, followed by Be2 and castling. In this way, White will enjoy the bishop-pair
advantage and the c8-bishop will be restricted in its scope. Practical results have been
excellent for White in this line.

8…d5!
Paradoxically, Black’s best chance against our bishop pair is to open the position.

8…d6 9.Ng3 gives us an easy edge with the plan outlined above.

Another game continued 8…Re8 9.a3 a5 10.b5 d6 11.Ng3 a4 12.Be2 c6 13.0-0 and
White was better in Mchedlishvili – Godena, Terme Catez 2022.

9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.a3!

We can afford to take a moment to stabilize the queenside.

10…c6

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 Another game continued 10…Bf5 11.Ng3 Bg6 and now 12.Bc4N is the simplest way
to keep the upper hand. (The ambitious 12.h4!? is also tempting, and White had decent
attacking chances in Moroni – Barp, Chianciano Terme 2021. Engines are not too scared
by this, but for a human player the ideas of h4-h5 and Qg4 are not so easy to meet.)

11.Ng3 a5 12.b5 Rd8

13.Qh5!?
Black went on to hold a draw in Elyoseph – Galiano Martinez, corr. 2021, but I think
we should be happy to reach such a position with White.

A tempting alternative is 13.Rc1N, flexibly developing another piece.

13.Be2N followed by short castling also looks good enough for a slight edge.

A2) 3…Be7

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 I consider this Black’s most theoretically challenging option in this line, but we still
have ways of fighting for an edge against it.

4.d4! exd4
4…d6 has been a popular choice but 5.e4! Nf6 6.Nxe7 Qxe7 7.f3 is a simple
continuation leading to an edge for White, a recent example being Xiong – Mamedyarov,
St. Louis 2022.

5.Qxd4 Nf6 6.Nxe7 Qxe7 7.Bg5 Nc6 8.Qc3 Ne5

155
9.e3!?
Gelfand’s approach, as we saw in the chapter introduction.

9.Nf3!? d6 10.Nxe5 Qxe5 (10…dxe5 11.g3 also favours White) 11.Qxe5† dxe5 12.g3 is
another simple way to get a small and safe edge, as seen in Nepomniachtchi – Anand,
Amsterdam 2019. My engines say that Black’s best is the tough-to-find:

12…Ne4!N 13.Be3 (13.Bc1 b6! followed by …Bb7 and …Nd6 seems okay for Black.)
13…Nd6 The knight may go to f5 next, followed by d4. Nevertheless, after 14.b3 our
bishop pair must be worth something, and Black still needs to play accurately to prove
full equality.

9…h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Ne2

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11…Ng4!
This is more challenging than 11…d6?! 12.Nf4 0-0 13.Be2, as seen in the Gelfand –
Anand game from the introduction.

12.Qxf6 Nxf6
Despite the heavy simplifications, we can still fight for the advantage. The right way
to proceed is:

13.f3!
The f3-pawn limits the scope of both of Black’s minor pieces. A logical continuation
is:

13…d5 14.cxd5 Nxd5

And now we see another advantage of our 13th move:

157
15.Kf2!
Our king finds an ideal square, where it stays safe and is also well positioned to
support a future advance of the kingside pawns. Instead of rushing with e3-e4, I would
favour a slow build-up with moves like Rc1, Nd4 and g2-g4, with good chances to exert
lasting pressure.

B) 2…Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4

The Four Knights version of the Reversed Rossolimo has been a popular
battleground for many decades.

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5.Nd5
Again we advance our knight to menace the bishop on b4, rather than wait for
…Bxc3 at a moment of Black’s choosing.
B1) 5…a5!? is a reasonable sideline, but B2) 5…Bc5 and B3) 5…e4 are the main lines
by a wide margin. Other moves are inferior, so let’s just have a brief look at them:

5…d6?! 6.Qa4! Ba5 7.b4 Bb6 8.Nxb6 forces 8…cxb6 when Black is clearly in bad shape
due to the compromised pawn structure.

5…Bd6?! is an odd choice. 6.Bg2 We intend 0-0 and d2-d4, with an excellent game. If
Black tries 6…Nxd5 7.cxd5 Ne7 we’ll respond with:

8.e4! c6 9.d4! cxd5 10.dxe5 Bb4† 11.Bd2 Bxd2† 12.Nxd2 With a clear advantage, as
seen in Geller – Debarnot, Las Palmas 1976.

It’s too soon for Black to swap off the annoying knight:
5…Nxd5?! 6.cxd5 Nd4
6…Ne7?! runs into 7.Nxe5 Nxd5 8.Qb3 c6 9.Bg2 and White wins a pawn.
7.Nxd4
Obviously we must avoid 7.Nxe5?? Qe7 when Black wins.
7…exd4 8.Qc2!
8.Bg2 is enough for a slight edge but the text move is stronger.
8…Qe7
8…Be7 9.Qe4 wins the pawn anyway.
9.Qxc7 Why not? 9…Qe4 10.Rg1 Qxd5 11.Bg2 Qe6 12.Qf4

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 Black faced some difficult problems in Shomoev – Buchenau, St Petersburg 2012.

5…Be7
This feels a bit too passive, but it’s worth checking a few details.
6.d3
6.Bg2 e4 forces 7.Ng1, which isn’t a big deal as the knight can go to h3 next, but why
allow this at all when we don’t have to?
6…0-0 7.Bg2 Nxd5?!
After 7…d6 the simplest is 8.Nxe7† Qxe7 9.0-0 Re8 and now 10.b3! gave White a
pleasant advantage in Tomashevsky – Martirosyan, Internet (blitz) 2020. The last
move is a typical motif, placing our unopposed bishop on the long diagonal and
making it dangerous for Black to open the position.
8.cxd5 Nd4 9.Nxe5
This is a bad line for Black, but it can be tricky in practice if you don’t know the
refutation. The key continuation is:
9…Bb4† 10.Bd2 Bxd2† 11.Qxd2 Re8

12.Qf4! Nxe2 13.Qxf7† Kh8 14.Qh5!

The terrible threat of Nf7† meant that White was already winning in Timman –
Bologan, Cannes 2006.

B1) 5…a5!?

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 This is a pretty respectable sideline.

6.Bg2 0-0
6…d6 can be met in a similar fashion with 7.b3!?N 7…Nxd5 (7…0-0 transposes
below) 8.cxd5 Nd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Bb2 with an obvious edge for White.

7.b3!N
I like this idea a lot. Control over the d4-square is crucial in these lines.

7.0-0 Re8 has been seen in a few high-level games8.d3 (8.e3 Bf8! 9.d4 d6 10.h3 h6 was
also decent for Black in Inarkiev – Zhigalko, Poikovsky 2017.) 8…Nxd5 9.cxd5 Nd4
10.Nxd4 exd4 11.e4 c6 Black was doing alright in Carlsen – Naiditsch, Karlsruhe/Baden
Baden 2019. After looking at these games I concluded that the rare 8.b3!? was quite
possibly an improvement after 7.0-0 Re8, and that’s how I hit upon the idea of playing it
one move earlier.

7…Re8
7…d6 8.Bb2 is promising for White, with a2-a3 and d2-d4 coming.

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8.Bb2
8.0-0 is worth considering. (This could also arise via the 7.0-0 Re8 8.b3 move order
noted above.) 8…Bf8 9.d3!? by delaying the development of the bishop, we threaten an
annoying pin with Bg5. After 9…h6 we can play 10.Bb2 d6 11.e4, taking as much space
as possible. White’s position looks promising.

8…Bf8 9.0-0 d6 10.Nxf6†

This seems simplest.
10.Ne1!? is an ambitious alternative. The idea is to transfer the knight to c2 before
gaining space with d2-d3 and e2-e4.

10…Qxf6 11.d3
We stand slightly better. An instructive sample continuation is:

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11…g6 12.Qd2 Bg7 13.Ng5!
We intend Bd5 followed by f2-f4, with great attacking potential.

B2) 5…Bc5

This is the first of the two big main lines.

6.Bg2
We will consider the somewhat risky B21) 6…0-0?! followed by the more reliable
B22) 6…d6.

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 B21) 6…0-0?!

This slightly inaccurate move allows us to force a favourable transformation.

7.b4! Nxb4
7…Nxd5 8.bxc5 gives us a pleasant edge with the bishop pair.

8.Nxb4 Bxb4 9.Nxe5

Eliminating Black’s central pawn in return for our b-pawn is a worthwhile
achievement. Black can try to utilize the open e-file but ultimately the central pawn
majority should count for something.

9…Re8
9…d5 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.0-0 gave White a pleasant edge in Giri – Karjakin, St. Louis
2019.

10.Bb2 c6
Another example continued: 10…d6 11.Nd3 Ba5 12.Nc1!? c6 13.0-0 Bg4 14.Rb1
Bb6 15.h3 Bh5 16.d3 d5

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17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.cxd5 cxd5 19.Rb5 Black was under strong pressure in Even – Babic,
corr. 2017.

11.0-0 Qa5
11…d5 12.cxd5 cxd5 was seen in Harika – Danielian, Internet (blitz) 2019, when
13.e3!?N would have been a natural way to maintain a slight plus.

12.Nd3 Bxd2

13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.e3

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 White’s superior pawn structure and attacking chances were more important than the
missing pawn in Kurylo – Miettinen, corr. 2020.

B22) 6…d6

This is the more reliable choice, reinforcing the e5-pawn.

7.0-0
7.e3 is playable but 7…e4! offers Black sufficient counterplay. Having castled, we are
ready to play e2-e3, with a view to meeting …e4 with Ne1.
Black has two logical options. B221) 7…Nxd5 needs to be checked, but B222) 7…0-0 is
the main line by far.

B221) 7…Nxd5 8.cxd5 Nd4

8…Ne7?! 9.d4! exd4 10.Nxd4 gives us an easy positional advantage, but there is one
important point that needs to be stressed:

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 After 10…0-0 11.b3!? Nf5 it’s essential to avoid the exchange of knights with 12.Nc2!
as played in Santiago – Balabayeva, Internet (blitz) 2020.

9.Nxd4 Bxd4
9…exd4?! enables us to exploit Black’s uncastled king with 10.b4! Bb6 11.a4 when
we have an easy initiative. A sample continuation is 11…a5 12.bxa5 Rxa5 13.Ba3
followed by Qb3 and Bb4, with a clear advantage for White.

10.e3 Bb6 11.f4!

11.a4 a5 12.d3 h5! 13.h3 f5 gave Black good counterplay in Reinderman – Kotter,

167
Germany 2012.

11.b4 a5 12.bxa5! was somewhat better for White in Donner – Smyslov, Wijk aan Zee
1972, but my recommended continuation is more convincing and easier to understand.

11…0-0
11…f6?! 12.fxe5 fxe5 (12…dxe5 13.b4 gives us an even better version of the main
line below) 13.a4 a5 14.d4 leaves Black in trouble, as the king lacks a safe haven.

11…h5!?N isn’t a bad move, but 12.h3 f5 13.b4! still favours White.

12.fxe5!
12.b3 f6 13.a4 a5 14.Bb2 Bd7 was not so bad for Black in Polugaevsky – Korchnoi,
Buenos Aires 1980. Black went on to play a timely …c6 and managed to get a decent
position. White is still somewhat better of course, but it’s far from easy to break through
in this type of position.

12…dxe5 13.b4 a5!?N

This has yet to be tried in practice, but it’s the critical move to consider.
The lone game on my database continued: 13…Re8 14.a4 a5 15.b5 e4 (15…Bc5N can
be met by 16.Qb3 Bd6 17.Ba3 to force the exchange of the bishop that covers c7,
ensuring that we will be able to exert pressure along the c-file.)

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16.Qh5 f5 17.Bb2 Re7 This was seen in Kratochvil – Skalicky, corr. 2012, and now
18.g4!N would have confronted Black with big problems.

14.Ba3!
This is more accurate than 14.b5, after which 14…Bc5! leads to double-edged play.

14…Qd6
14…Re8?! 15.b5 gives Black major strategic problems, as the bishop finds itself
caged on b6.
15.Qb3

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 We maintain some pressure.

B222) 7…0-0

This is Black’s most solid continuation, and the most popular choice by a wide
margin.

8.e3!
8.d3 has been played with about the same frequency but I find it too soft, and White’s
practical results have been less impressive. A good example continued 8…Nxd5 9.cxd5
Nd4 10.Nxd4 Bxd4 11.e3 Bb6 12.b4 Bd7 13.a4 a5! 14.b5 f5 15.Bd2 Qf6 and Black was
doing well in Karpov – Anand, Frankfurt 1997. Please note that even though Black has a
weakness at c7, the bishop that protects it cannot be challenged in any obvious way. On
the other side of the board, Black will get counterplay with a timely …f4.

8…Re8
The rook supports a future …e4 advance. This is a logical choice and I don’t believe
Black has anything better.

8…Nxd5?! 9.cxd5 Ne7 10.d4 is clearly better for White.

8…Bb6 9.a4! is a nice idea, exploiting the fact that …a6 or …a5 would allow us to
damage Black’s structure by exchanging on b6. Black has nothing better than 9…Ba5,
when 10.d4 Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.g4 Bg6 converts to the analysis of 8…Bg4 below.

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8…a6 Against this thematic and popular continuation, I suggest: 9.b3!? Ba7 10.Bb2
Nxd5 Otherwise we will play d2-d4 with an excellent position. 11.cxd5 Ne7

12.Nh4! We keep the a7-bishop out of play and prepare f2-f4. 12…f5 13.f4 e4 14.g4!
White’s play is highly instructive. 14…Nxd5 15.Nxf5 Bxf5 16.gxf5 Qe7

17.Kh1! White had a clear advantage at this point in Agdestein – Topalov, Stavanger
2014, with Rg1 and Bf1-c4 the natural follow-up plan.

Another natural move is:

8…Bg4 9.h3 Bh5

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 9…Bxf3 is playable but ceding the bishop pair is a slight concession, and 10.Bxf3
Nxd5 11.cxd5 Ne7 12.b3 gave White some edge in Korchnoi – Karpov, Merano (15)
1981.

10.g4!? Bg6 11.d4 Bb6 12.a4!

This concrete approach presents Black with tough problems.
12.Nxb6 axb6 13.Nh4 Be4 14.f3 Nd7! gives Black good counterplay in Carlsen –
Duda, Internet (blitz) 2022.
12…Ba5
12…exd4?! 13.exd4 Be4 allows us to make a powerful pawn sac: 14.Bg5! Bxf3
15.Qxf3 Bxd4 16.a5!?N (16.Rad1 favoured White in Suarez – Lipsits, corr. 2018, but I
think the text move is a slight refinement.) 16…a6 17.Rad1 We have a dangerous
initiative for the pawn. For example: 17…h6 18.Bh4 Be5 19.Rfe1! The threat of c4-c5
is strong and Black will hardly ever be able to get away with grabbing the a5-pawn.
Here, for instance, 19…Nxa5?? 20.Rxe5! is game over.

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13.Nh4! Nxd5N
13…exd4 14.exd4 Nxd5 15.Nxg6 hxg6 was played in Dubov – Romanov, Sochi
2018, when 16.cxd5!N would have been great for White.
14.cxd5 Qxh4 15.dxc6 bxc6 16.f4!
Black can stay in the game with 16…h6, but it’s certainly not pleasant to allow the
bishop to be driven back to h7. The trick is that the otherwise desirable 16…f6? allows
17.b4! when White wins a piece due to the check on b3.

9.b3!
9.d4 can be met by the witty reply 9…Bg4!, when 10.dxc5 e4 11.h3 exf3 12.hxg4
fxg2 13.Kxg2 dxc5 led to unclear play in Nepomniachtchi – Vitiugov, Satka 2018.

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9…Bg4
I checked three alternatives:

9…Nxd5 10.cxd5 Nb4N (10…Ne7 11.d4 gave White an easy edge in Meskovs –
Antoms, Liepaja 2017) 11.d4 exd4 12.Nxd4 Bxd4 forces a slight compromising of our
pawn structure, but 13.exd4 Bf5 14.a3 Na6 15.Bf4 is slightly better for White. We have
the bishop pair and will look to exert pressure along the c-file.

9…Nb4 was a solid choice in Deneuville – Matusek, corr. 2022, but the simple
10.Nxb4N 10…Bxb4 11.Bb2 c6 12.Qc2 keeps a safe, small edge for White.

9…e4 was seen in Vinter Schou – Solodovnichenko, Skanderborg 2022, when the
courageous 10.Nh4! was called for.

Our last move allows 10…g5 but we are ready to meet it with 11.Bb2! Nxd5 12.cxd5
Nb4 13.f3! with a huge initiative.

10.h3 Bh5 11.g4!?

I will take this ambitious continuation as our main line.

11.d3 a5 12.Nc3 is a more patient approach, aiming to play against the bishops. If we
are given time to build up with Bb2, a2-a3 and at the right time g3-g4, we will stand much
better. 12…d5 is therefore logical, and the further 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Qxd5 15.Bb2
was seen in Gervasi – Catozzi, corr. 2021. This game was soon agreed drawn, but in a

174
practical game I would slightly prefer White, mainly because g3-g4 and Nh4 will come,
and then the bishop pair will be worth something.

11…Bg6 12.d4 Bb6

In this tense position, I have a novelty which gives White slightly better chances:

13.a4!N
Although it’s a new move here, we have already seen the same idea a few times in
the notes above.

13.Bb2?! Nxd5 14.cxd5 Nb4 was slightly problematic for White in Timman – Tjiam,
Netherlands 1996, with the knight poised to land on d3 next.

I also considered 13.Nxb6N 13…axb6 14.dxe5 dxe5 15.Qxd8 Raxd8 16.Bb2 but found
that 16…h5! offers Black sufficient counterplay.

13…Be4
This seems the most logical reply.

14.Nxb6 axb6 15.Bb2

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15…exd4
This isn’t forced but it seems logical for Black to exchange some pieces, rather than
wait and allow us to choose either d4-d5 or dxe5 according to our preference.

16.Nxd4 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Nxd4 18.Qxd4 Qe7

Black is ready to force an endgame with a check on e4, and we also have to contend
with ideas such as …Ra5 followed by …h5. It would be easy to stop here and assume
that Black is doing fine, but Stockfish offers a remarkable idea:

19.Rg1!!

176
 This deep prophylactic move is directed against both of the above ideas.

19…Qe4†
19…h5? is met by 20.gxh5! when Black has no good move.

19…Ra5 is possible but 20.Kh2 gives us a slight edge. We can improve with moves like
Rg2, Rd1 and, when the time is right, h3-h4.

20.Qxe4 Nxe4 21.h4 Nc5 22.Ra3

The rook is tied down for the time being, but Black has no way to increase the
pressure on b3 and eventually we will reorganize. Play could continue:

22…f6 23.h5
Followed by Kf3 and Rd1, with an enduring edge.

B3) 5…e4

This is Black’s most active and ambitious continuation.

6.Nh4 0-0
6…d6 7.Bg2 g5?! seems an inaccurate move order in view of: 8.Qa4! gxh4 9.Nxb4
Bd7 10.Nxc6 Bxc6

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 This occurred in Dubov – Firouzja, Khanty-Mansiysk 2019, and now the simple
11.Qc2N would have favoured White, thanks to the bishop pair and superior pawn
structure.

7.Bg2
We will consider B31) 7…Re8 followed by B32) 7…d6.

B31) 7…Re8 8.0-0

For the time being Black is still not threatening …g5, so we can stay flexible.

8…d6
8…Bc5 has been a popular choice but 9.e3! makes the bishop look silly, and a
subsequent d2-d3 or f2-f3 will give us an excellent game.
8…Bf8 is playable but a bit passive, and 9.d3 (or 9.f3!?) gives us an easy edge.

178
9.a3!?
9.d3 has been far more popular, and is a safe choice. Black should be okay, but
White still has chances for a small edge, and practice has yielded a slight plus score for
White. The text move is more ambitious.

9…Bc5 10.b4 Bd4 11.Rb1 Ne7

11…g5 is always a move to consider, but 12.e3 gxh4 (neither 12…Bb6? 13.Bb2! nor
12…Be5? 13.f4! helps Black) 13.exd4 Nxd4 14.Bb2 c5 15.bxc5 dxc5 16.d3 gives White
some initiative.

12.Nxe7† Qxe7 13.e3 Bb6 14.f3!

Opening the kingside just in time.

14…g5
14…exf3 15.Qxf3 gives us an obvious initiative, so the text move is critical. Still, it’s
hard to imagine many players being happy to weaken their kingsides like this.

15.fxe4 gxh4

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16.Rf4!
A key move!

16.Bb2 would work perfectly after 16…Nxe4?? 17.Rf4 when Black is dead lost, but
unfortunately 16…Ng4! leaves White struggling to justify the piece sac. The text move is
stronger.

16…Qe6!
Without this accurate move, Black would be in big trouble.

17.Bb2 Ng4!
Another forced move. Black appears to be defending successfully, but we have a
tactic.

180
18.c5!
Setting up a double attack.

18.h3 Ne5 19.c5 dxc5 20.bxc5 Bxc5 21.d4 wins back the piece but in a rather
uninspiring way. Black has more than one good continuation and White is playing for
equality at best.

18…dxc5 19.bxc5 Bxc5 20.Rf5

This is a much better way to regain the piece, as we retain our central pawn cluster
along with dynamism and attacking chances.

20…Be7 21.Qxg4† Qg6 22.Qf4 hxg3 23.Qe5! f6 24.Qd5† Qf7 25.Qxf7† Kxf7
All this happened in Hassim – Illingworth, corr. 2020. I think the most accurate
continuation is:

181
26.Rf4!?N 26…gxh2† 27.Kh1!
We are temporarily two pawns down, but we’ll soon collect the f6-pawn and the one
on h2 will not survive for long. Moreover, Black’s king is exposed, our central pawns are
mobile and the h7-pawn might later become a target. Overall, Black faces a tough
defence.

B32) 7…d6

Now the f5-square is covered, so we need to be ready for …g5.

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8.Nxb4!?
8.0-0 g5 9.d4 h6 10.Ne3 gxh4 11.a3 Ba5 12.b4 Bb6 13.c5 was seen in the
impressive game Caruana – Esipenko, Wijk aan Zee 2021, but it was subsequently
discovered that the paradoxical-looking 13…d5! gives Black a fine position; see Zielinski
– Ilyasov, corr. 2022.

8.b3!? is a trendy move, but Black has a solid response: 8…Bc5! (8…g5 9.Bb2 is pretty
dangerous for Black) 9.Bb2 Bd4! 10.Bxd4 Nxd4 11.e3 Nf5! White has no advantage.

8.a3!? Bc5 9.0-0 is what I tried in one of my own correspondence games. Play
continued: 9…Bg4! 10.Nxf6† Qxf6 11.Bxe4 Nd4 12.Nf3 c6 13.d3 Rae8

14.Nxd4 Bxd4 15.Bf3 Bxf3 16.exf3 h5 17.f4 Qf5 18.Ra2 Qh3 19.b4 A draw was agreed
in Ntirlis – Probola, corr. 2018. Black has excellent compensation for the pawn deficit,
and in a human game I think White would need to be more careful than Black to avoid
falling into trouble.

8…Nxb4 9.a3
We will consider the most common B321) 9…Nc6 followed by the interesting
alternative B322) 9…Na6!?.

B321) 9…Nc6

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10.d3
Preventing …g5 and challenging the strong central pawn.

10…Re8
Two other moves have been tried:

10…exd3 11.Qxd3 Be6 12.b3 d5 Black needs to create counterplay fast, otherwise
White will consolidate and enjoy the bishop pair. 13.cxd5 Bxd5 14.Bxd5 Qxd5 15.Qxd5
Nxd5 16.Bb2 White had the benefit of the strong bishop along with the central pawn
majority in Potkin – Riazantsev, Sochi 2022.

10…d5 11.cxd5 Qxd5

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12.b4 (12.Bd2!?N is an interesting alternative. My line continues 12…Qb5 13.Bc3 exd3
14.Qxd3 Qxd3 15.exd3 when our strong bishops are at least as important as the weak
d3-pawn, and Black still needs to find some accurate moves to equalize.) 12…Qe5
13.Bf4 Qc3† 14.Bd2 Qe5 15.0-0 Of course White is not obliged to settle for the
repetition.

15…Rd8!? This leads to a forced sequence, which seems to be Black’s best hope of
equalizing. 16.dxe4 Qb2 17.Nf3 Nxe4 18.Qc1 Qxc1 19.Bxc1 Nc3 20.Bb2!? (20.e3N is a
worthy alternative.) 20…Nxe2† 21.Kh1 White’s powerful bishops offered excellent
compensation for the pawn in Hering – Whaley, corr. 2021.

185
11.0-0
We are ready to advance with b2-b4 (or -b3). Black only has one way to gain
counterplay:

11…h6
Threatening to trap the knight with …g5.

12.dxe4 Nxe4 13.Qc2!

13.Be3 a5 14.b4 Nc3 15.Qd3 Qf6 gave Black decent counterplay in Hansen –
Markus, corr. 2021.

13…Nc5 14.e3 a5!

Fighting for some queenside squares.

15.Bd2!
15.b3 can be met by 15…g5! 16.Nf3 Qf6 17.Bb2 Bf5 when Black gets enough
activity.

15…a4 16.Bc3
16.Rae1!?N is an interesting alternative, intending f2-f4.

16…Qe7 17.Nf5 Bxf5 18.Qxf5 Qe6

We have been following Wolfelschneider – Pesa, corr. 2020. A logical continuation is:

186
19.Qh5!?N 19…Ne4 20.Rac1
Black will need to play accurately to equalize, as the bishops are strong.

B322) 9…Na6

This has been a rare choice, but it’s at least as good as retreating to c6.

10.d3 exd3 11.Qxd3 Nc5 12.Qc2 a5 13.Be3!?

This is the most practical choice, aiming to chop off the knight as quickly as possible.

187
13.b3 a4! 14.b4 Nb3 15.Rb1 c5 gave Black enough counterplay in Navara – Keymer,
Reykjavik 2021.

13…Re8 14.Bxc5
I suggest removing the knight immediately, as 14.0-0 Rxe3!? 15.fxe3 Qe7 is a decent
exchange sac.

14…dxc5 15.0-0
We have our favourite 4–3 kingside structure, and Black’s crippled majority on the
queenside is of no concern. Only one move allows Black to retain the equilibrium.

15…Ra6!
Black was okay in Hansen – Hannum, corr. 2021. Nevertheless, from a practical
perspective I would be happy with White’s position after:

16.Rad1N 16…Rd6 17.Rxd6 Qxd6

17…cxd6? 18.Rd1 leaves the d-pawn weak.

18.Nf5 Bxf5
Otherwise the knight will find a good square on e3.

19.Qxf5 b6 20.Qc2
The engines give their favourite 0.00, but White can calmly improve with moves like
e2-e3, Bf3 and Rd1. Black is the one who will need to play better to maintain the balance.

188
 C) 2…Nc6 3.Nf3 Bb4

To finish the chapter, we will look at this slightly unusual version of the Reversed
Rossolimo. As usual, we reply with:

4.Nd5 e4
4…Bc5 5.e3 is good for us, with d2-d4 coming next. (5.b4!? is an ambitious
alternative, trading the b-pawn for Black’s central pawn, which should also offer some
edge.)

5.Nd4!
5.Nxb4 Nxb4 6.Nd4 has been more common but the text move is a better way of
swapping knight for bishop.

5…Nxd4 6.Nxb4
White has a small but safe edge thanks to the bishop pair. Let’s see a few examples.

189
6…c6!
Black does best to stop the knight from returning to d5.

6…Nf6 has been more popular but 7.Nd5!N 7…c6 8.Nxf6† Qxf6 9.e3 Ne6 10.d3 is an
easy route to an edge for White.

7.e3 Ne6
7…a5 8.Nc2 Nxc2† 9.Qxc2 is good for us.

8.b3 Nf6 9.Be2 0-0 10.0-0 Qe7 11.Ba3 d6 12.d3

White has a pleasant edge thanks to the bishop pair, and Black was unable to hold in
Igel – Pedone, engine game 2021.

Conclusion

This has been one of the most difficult chapters to write! After 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3, the idea of
hitting our knight with …Bb4 at some point is natural and logical. The positions where
Black exchanges on c3 and doubles our pawns are quite acceptable for the second
player, and I feel it’s preferable to avoid this scenario by playing Nd5 as soon as the
bishop lands on b4.

We started by considering the ‘purest’ version of the Reversed Rossolimo, where Black
plays 2…Bb4 without delay. I like White’s chances after 3.Nd5, although it’s worth
learning some of the details, especially against 3…Be7, when Gelfand’s play makes a

190
positive impression.

Next we turned our attention to 2…Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4, which can be considered
the main theoretical battleground of the chapter. Again I suggest 5.Nd5, when the path
divides. Black can try 5…Bc5, but this bishop will get restricted by our pawn on e3, and
our own dark-squared bishop will find an excellent home on the long diagonal. The
forcing 5…e4 is much more critical. After the further 6.Nh4 0-0 7.Bg2 d6, which I have
faced in my own correspondence practice, I have chosen to recommend 8.Nxb4!? Nxb4
9.a3, a positional line which doesn’t require too much memorization. In that case, we will
generally reach a scenario with either the advantage of the bishop pair or a strong bishop
on g2 versus a knight. The resulting positions seem to me to offer more potential for
White in practical play, even if the engines show their favourite 0.00 verdict.

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1.c4 e5 2.Nc3

A) 2…d6 97
B) 2…Nc6 3.Nf3 98
B1) 3…g6 98
B2) 3…f5 100
C) 2…Nf6 3.Nf3 101
C1) 3…e4 101
C2) 3…Nc6 4.g3 104
C21) 4…g6 104
C22) 4…Nd4 105
C23) 4…Bc5 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0 0-0 7.d3 107
C231) 7…Nd4!? 108
C232) 7…a6 108

Introduction
192
In this chapter, we will examine some of Black’s possibilities which are mostly not so
popular these days (with one exception, which is super-trendy – see variation C1), but as
English players we need to have some idea of how to handle them.

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3
We will start by considering A) 2…d6, intending to follow up with a quick …f5. Then
we will look at some sidelines involving B) 2…Nc6 where Black delays moving the other
knight to f6. Finally, we will cover some lines after C) 2…Nf6 which did not fit in to the
previous chapters.

A slightly suboptimal move order is:

2…g6
This allows us to seize the initiative with:
3.d4! d6
3…exd4? 4.Qxd4 Qf6 5.Qd3 Bg7 6.Nf3N is rubbish for Black.
3…Nc6?! 4.d5 is also unpleasant, as 4…Nce7 allows us to cause serious problems
with either 5.d6 or 5.f4!?.
3…Bg7 is also unsatisfactory in view of 4.dxe5 Bxe5 5.Qc2!? followed by Nf3.)
4.h4!
This move is extremely rare as well as highly effective.

4…h5
Each of Black’s alternatives has its own drawback. For example:
4…Bg7 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Qxd8† Kxd8 7.h5 and the tension on the kingside is
unpleasant for Black.

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 4…h6 gives us more than one good option. I like the following positional plan: 5.h5
g5 6.d5!? f5 Otherwise we will continue e2-e4 and dominate the light squares. 7.e4 f4
8.f3!? (The immediate 8.g4 is also good.) 8…Nf6 9.g4 fxg3 Otherwise the kingside
remains closed and we can gradually build up on the queenside where we have a
space advantage. 10.Nge2! Followed by Nxg3 and Bh3, exchanging the defender of
the light squares in Black’s camp.
The text move was played in Ackermann – Piankov, Bad Harzburg 2012. I like the
following continuation:
5.Nf3N 5…Bg7 6.g3!
Compared with the standard theoretical position with pawns on h2 and h7, White’s
ability to use the g5-outpost is of huge importance. A sample line goes:
6…Nc6 7.d5 Nce7 8.e4 Nh6

9.Ng5! 0-0 10.f3

Followed by Bh3, exchanging Black’s good bishop. Unlike a normal King’s Indian,
Black has no prospect of counterplay with …f5, as the g5-knight will be too powerful and
the e6-square too weak.

A) 2…d6 3.Nf3 f5

194
 This space-gaining set-up is pretty respectable, but I managed to find a nice way to
cause problems against it.

4.d4 e4 5.Ng1!
5.Ng5 is the usual move but the knight will be hit by 5…Be7, whereas from g1 it can
go to h3 at a time of our choosing.

5.Nd2 has also been more popular than the text move, but the knight blocks the c1-
bishop and generally doesn’t have great prospects on d2.

5…Be7
This flexible move order is recommended by GM Barsky in A Universal Weapon 1.d4
d6.

5…Nf6 allows us the additional possibility of 6.Bg5, but we can also simply play 6.Bf4
Be7 7.e3 (or 7.h4!?) with a likely transposition to our main line below.

Black sometimes starts with 5…c6 but we can play 6.Bf4 anyway, as 6…g5 7.Bc1!?
leaves Black’s position extremely loose.

6.Bf4!?
Barsky does not mention this move but I like it – although it’s important to follow up
precisely, otherwise the bishop could become a target for Black’s kingside operations.

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6…c6
Black virtually always plays this move at some point, in order to prepare a timely …
d5.

6…Nf6 7.e3 will almost certainly transpose.

7.e3 Nf6
7…g5? 8.Qh5† isn’t exactly suicidal for Black, but after 8…Kf8 9.Bg3 we will follow
up with 0-0-0 and h2-h4, with a clear advantage – and maybe even more importantly, the
easier position to play.

8.Bg3!
8.Nh3 Na6 9.Be2 0-0 10.Bg3 Nc7 11.Nf4? g5 12.Nh3 h6 was much better for Black
in Daneshvar – Samusenko, Moscow 2020. White can of course improve on move 11,
but I prefer to develop the knight to h3 under better conditions, as shown below.

8…0-0 9.h4
The knight will be more comfortable on h3 with the pawn in front of it.

9…Be6
A plausible alternative is 9…Na6N 10.Nh3 Nc7 with the idea to support …d5, which
is one of Black’s main plans in this system. We can simply play 11.Qb3 and prevent this.
For example: 11…Kh8 12.Be2

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 We can continue with h4-h5 and perhaps even a timely d4-d5. If 12…d5? then
13.Bxc7 Qxc7 14.cxd5 wins a pawn.

10.Nh3 h6
Otherwise Ng5 could be annoying.

11.h5 Bf7 12.Be2 Nbd7 13.Nf4

Having locked up the kingside, White stood slightly better in Glatthaar – Baroin, corr.
2021. In the next few moves we may castle and commence play on the queenside with
b2-b4.

197
 B) 2…Nc6 3.Nf3

Having covered 3…Nf6 and 3…Bb4 in the previous chapters, B1) 3…g6 and B2) 3…f5
are the independent options which we should consider.

B1) 3…g6

This set-up is sensible when White has committed to g2-g3, but here it loses a lot of
punch.

4.e3! Bg7 5.d4 d6

Black could exchange on d4 at any moment, but in that case Black will simply stand
worse and have less space, so we will focus on the more ambitious treatment where
Black tries to retain space in the centre. I have fond memories of this position. During the
Baku Olympiad of 2016, I was the captain of the Danish national team. A few weeks
before the tournament, I had spent an afternoon studying this variation with GM Antonios
Pavlidis, my good friend as well as a fellow Quality Chess author who wrote an excellent
book on the Taimanov Sicilian. We were a bit annoyed that we didn’t find a big
advantage for White here, so I spent some additional time on it and subsequently found
an incredible game by Yasser Seirawan in the distant 1981. I loved this game so much
that I added it to my opening files.

During the Olympiad, I shared these files with the Danish team. Soon enough, the young
GM Mads Andersen had the opportunity to apply this knowledge in one of his games.

6.Be2 Nf6
6…Nh6 doesn’t really improve Black’s chances. White can get a nice advantage by
proceeding as in the main line below, and 7.h4!? is also tempting.

198
7.dxe5!
This is the key idea that looks innocent at first, but is actually rather poisonous.

7…Nxe5 8.Nxe5 dxe5 9.Qxd8† Kxd8 10.b3! c6 11.Ba3

At this point, I was enthusiastic that Mads remembered how to play against this
sideline. Meanwhile, Yasser Seirawan was the captain of the USA Women’s team, so I
asked him to take a look at Mads’ board and asked him if he remembered this line. He
replied with a smile, “This is how I beat Sosonko!”

11…Kc7

199
 The stem game continued: 11…Bf5 12.0-0-0† Kc8 13.h3 h5 14.g4!? (14.Bd6N is
favoured by the engines, but Seirawan’s dynamic approach makes a great impression.)
14…hxg4 15.hxg4 Bxg4 16.Rxh8† Bxh8 17.Be7 Bd7 18.Rh1 Bg7 19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Ne4
Bd8 21.Rh7

21…Be8? (21…Bf5! was better, although 22.Nd6† Kd7 23.Nxf7 wins a pawn and leaves
Black with a tough defence ahead.) 22.Bg4† Kc7 23.Be6 White had a decisive
advantage in Seirawan – Sosonko, Bad Kissingen 1981.

12.0-0-0 Rd8 13.Rxd8 Kxd8 14.Rd1† Ke8

Despite the further exchange of a pair of rooks, White’s initiative remains potent, and
it’s worth seeing how Mads increased his advantage.

200
15.Bd6! Ng4 16.Bc7! Bf5
There is no time for 16…Nxf2?, as 17.Rd8† Ke7 18.Rg8 leaves Black in a horrible
mess.

17.Bxg4 Bxg4 18.f3 Bf5 19.g4 Be6 20.Ne4 b6

21.g5
White was clearly better in M. Andersen – Juarez Flores, Baku (ol) 2016, and went
on to win in fine style.

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 B2) 3…f5

4.e3!?
I really like this rare move, the point of which will soon become clear.

4.d4 is far more common, and is the only continuation considered by Schuyler in The
Dark Knight System.

4…Nf6
4…e4 5.Nd4 Nxd4 6.exd4 Nf6 7.d3 gave White an obvious edge in Bobotsov –
Friedgood, Siegen (ol) 1970.

4…Be7 gives us a choice of options:

a) We can continue waiting with 5.Be2!?N, when 5…Nf6 6.d4 e4 7.Ne5 is similar to our
main line below, albeit with Be2 having been played instead of Bd2.

b) 5.d4!? is well worth considering. 5…e4 and now both 6.Nd2 and 6.Ng1 lead to
favourable Reversed French positions where Black’s bishop is not so well placed on e7.

5.d4 e4

202
6.Ne5!
It was vital to wait for …Nf6 to be played before going for this. Now if Black takes on
e5, the recapture will gain an important tempo.

6.Ng1 d5! 7.Nh3 Ne7 followed by …c6 was totally fine for Black in Skalkotas – Ghinda,
Athens 1988.

6.Nd2 has been tested in lots of games and although an interesting battle lies ahead,
Black seems to be doing fine. 6…Bb4 is one good option which seems reliable enough.

6…Be7N
This untested move seems the most natural to me.

6…Nxe5?! 7.dxe5 Ng4 (7…Ng8 8.b3 also gives us a clear advantage) 8.Nxe4! is a nice
tactical detail which ensures us of an easy positional plus.

6…Bb4 is met simply with 7.Bd2N when we already threaten to win a pawn with Nxc6
followed by Nxe4.

7.Bd2!? 0-0 8.Be2

Black’s problem is that taking on e5 is no good, but playing …d6 and forcing the
exchange on c6 is also problematic. Therefore Black should look for a suitable way to
move the knight away from c6.

203
8…Kh8
8…d6?! 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Qc2! leaves us with not only a positional advantage due to
the pawn structure, but also attacking chances with the tempting plan of 0-0-0 and f2-f3.

9.Qb3!?
9.f3 also looks promising.

9…b6
It’s hard to suggest another sensible way for Black to develop.
9…a5 10.a3!? maintains a pleasant edge for us.

10.0-0!
Inviting a forcing sequence.

10…Na5 11.Qc2 d6

204
12.b4! dxe5 13.dxe5 Ng4 14.bxa5 Nxe5 15.Nd5 Bd6 16.Nf4 Qe7 17.Bc3
White maintains somewhat better chances.

C) 2…Nf6 3.Nf3

We will consider the risky C1) 3…e4 followed by some sidelines after the normal C2)
3…Nc6.

C1) 3…e4 4.Ng5

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4…c6!
This is a fresh idea which has become extremely trendy in the last few years. Black
offers a pawn sacrifice for purely positional compensation. I have to admit that this is an
impressive concept!

4…b5
This has been historically the most popular choice, but the best antidote has been
known for a long time:
5.d3!
Black was hoping to build a strong centre after 5.cxb5 d5 or 5.Nxb5 c6 6.Nc3 d5.
It’s worth taking note of this position and remembering a simple rule: whichever pawn
Black captures, i.e. c4 or d3, we should capture the other pawn which has been left
hanging.

206
5…bxc4
5…exd3 6.cxb5! h6 7.Nf3 dxe2 8.Bxe2 Bb7 9.0-0 gave White an easy advantage in
Flores – Sabas, Neuquen 2022.
6.dxe4!
Staying true to the above rule.
6…h6
6…Bb7 7.e5 h6 8.Nxf7! Kxf7 9.e4!N is disgusting for Black.
7.Nf3 Bb7 8.e5 Ne4 9.Nxe4 Bxe4

10.Bd2!?N
White stands clearly better.

207
 10.Qd4 Bxf3 11.gxf3N is also strong, and 10.Qa4!?N offers a clear advantage too.

5.Qa4!
The point of this sophisticated move is to prevent Black from gaining central space
with …d5.

5.Ngxe4 is the obvious continuation, when 5…Nxe4 6.Nxe4 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 chases the
knight. The main line runs 8.Ng3 h5! 9.e3 h4 10.Ne2 Nc6 11.d4 Qf6! when Black has
annoying positional compensation for the pawn.

5…Qe7
Other moves give us an easier route to an advantage, for instance:

5…a6?! 6.Ngxe4 Nxe4 7.Nxe4 b5 8.cxb5 cxb5 9.Qb3 d5 10.Nc3 d4 11.Qd5! leaves
Black with no real compensation.

5…Be7 6.Ngxe4 Nxe4 7.Nxe4 0-0 8.d4 d5 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.Nc3 Nc6 11.e3 Black is
slightly ahead in development but it’s not really worth a pawn, Nikitenko – Ter Sahakyan,
Belgrade 2021.

5…b5!? 6.cxb5 d5 7.bxc6 Qb6 was seen in Abdusattorov – Keymer, Internet (rapid)
2022, and now a useful improvement is:

8.c7†!N A cool little idea. The point is to lure the queen to c7 so that it loses control over
b4. 8…Nc6 9.e3 Qxc7 Black cannot afford to leave this pawn alive for too long. (For

208
example, if 9…h6 10.Nh3 Bd6 11.Qxc6†! Qxc6 12.Bb5 White is clearly better.) 10.b4!
Bxb4 11.Bb5 Our extra pawn is gone, but we have a strong initiative.

6.Qc2!
Having provoked Black’s last move, our queen sets up an X-ray attack on the c8-
bishop, preventing the usual plan of …d5.

6…b5!
This seems like Black’s best chance.

6…Na6?! 7.Ngxe4 Nxe4 8.Qxe4 leaves Black with not nearly enough play for the pawn.
8…Qxe4 9.Nxe4 Nb4 10.Kd1 d5 was seen in Abdusattorov – Paravyan, Riga (blitz)
2021, when White should have continued with:

209
11.cxd5N 11…Bf5 12.d3 cxd5 13.Nc3 Black has no real compensation.

7.cxb5 d5
At least this way Black gets a pawn to d5 and defends e4, but the entire pawn chain
is rather shaky.

8.e3 h6
This is the only move to have been tested in practice so far.

8…Qe5!?N is a possible try, although 9.f4 Qc7 10.b3 still favours us.

9.Nh3 c5?!
This doesn’t help, but we’ll get an excellent game with the simple d2-d3 in all
variations. For instance:

9…Bb7?! 10.d3 is perfect for us.

9…Qc7?! 10.d3 cxb5 11.dxe4 is also poor for Black.

I think Black should try 9…Bxh3N 10.gxh3 when at least the weakened kingside gives
Black some hopes for the future. Nevertheless, after something like 10…Qe6 11.Ne2
White must be the clear favourite.

210
10.d3! exd3 11.Bxd3
Black had no compensation for the pawn in Aravindh – Adhiban, Internet (rapid)
2021.

C2) 3…Nc6 4.g3

The first three chapters dealt with the most popular continuations, namely 4…d5 and
4…Bb4. Here we will analyse the alternatives C21) 4…g6, C22) 4…Nd4 and C23)
4…Bc5.

211
 C21) 4…g6 5.d4

It’s certainly possible to develop slowly and play a reversed Sicilian, but I prefer the more
ambitious approach of seizing the centre.

5…exd4 6.Nxd4 Bg7 7.Bg2

Surprisingly, 7.Nxc6 dxc6! 8.Qxd8† Kxd8 is not so bad for Black. For example, after
9.Be3 Be6 10.b3 Nd7 11.Rc1 Re8 Black plays …Bf8 and …a5, and I couldn’t find a way
to use our central pawn majority in an effective way. This doesn’t mean that it’s not a
decent option for White, but I feel that we can exert more pressure in our main line.

7…0-0

8.Nc2!? d6 9.0-0 Re8 10.Qd2

We intend the simple plan of b2-b3, Bb2, Ne3 and Rad1, followed by plonking a
knight on d5. Black needs to search for counterplay, otherwise we will effortlessly stand
better.

10…a5
10…h5!?N is possible but the pawn can safely be ignored. 11.b3 h4 12.Bb2 h3
13.Bh1 This might seem risky to those who are aware of AlphaZero’s games, but in this
instance we will simply follow our plan with Rad1 and Ne3, and there isn’t much that
Black can do to attack our king.

10…Bf5 11.Ne3 Ne4 is another computer line which should lead to a healthy edge for

212
White without having to find anything special. We just need to know that there is nothing
scary happening after: 12.Nxe4 Bxe4 13.f3

13…Bb1!? This is the fancy engine suggestion. No problem! 14.Rxb1 Rxe3 15.f4 Bd4
16.Kh1 Qe8 17.Re1 a5 18.b3 The fancy moves are over. 18…Qd7 19.Qd1 Re7 20.e4
White stood better in Berserk – Igel, engine game 2022.

11.b3 Bf5
11…Nb4 was seen in Matlakov – Artemiev, St Petersburg (rapid) 2018, and now
12.Ne3!N would have continued White’s plan while leaving the black knight without a
clear purpose.

213
12.Ne3
Engines sometimes offer surprising concepts such as 12.Bb2 Be4 13.Bf3!?,
suggested by Lc0, but I’ll leave this for dedicated readers to investigate for themselves.

12…Be4 13.Bb2 Bxg2 14.Nxg2

The idea of this recapture is that the knight may be useful on f4.

14…Nd7
We have been following Caruana – Artemiev, Internet (rapid) 2020. I suggest:

15.Rad1N
White has a healthy small edge. We can strengthen our position with moves like f2-f3
and e2-e4, followed by putting the knights on b5 and f4.

C22) 4…Nd4

For a while this was thought to be a super-solid option, as Black manages to

exchange a minor piece pretty fast. However, in the last few years, modern engines and
GM practice have shown that equalizing is not an easy task, so Black players don’t trust
this line as much as they used to.

5.Bg2 Nxf3† 6.Bxf3 Bb4

This is the usual choice.

214
6…c6?! 7.d4 gives us an easy edge.

6…Bc5 is the other big option, but 7.Na4! is an important resource. 7…Be7 (7…Bd4 is
met by 8.e3 and Black loses the bishop pair too easily.) 8.d4 d6 9.Nc3 0-0 10.0-0 c6
(Black can hardly expect to equalize with: 10…exd4 11.Qxd4 Nd7 12.b3 Bf6 13.Qd2
Bxc3 Otherwise Bb2 comes. 14.Qxc3 Qf6 15.Qxf6 Nxf6 16.Bb2 The bishop pair gives us
a long-term plus.) This position has arisen in several games, many of them involving
GMs. Surprisingly, no one has continued:

11.d5!N With a comfortable edge.

7.Qb3! a5

215
 7…Bc5?! runs into a strong pawn sac: 8.Na4! Be7 9.d4! exd4 10.0-0 0-0 11.Rd1 c5
12.e3! dxe3 13.Bxe3 White has superb compensation. See for instance Svidler –
Sjugirov, Sochi 2016.

8.0-0 0-0

9.Na4!
Again this move plays a key role in our plans.

9…Re8
9…Be7?! runs into 10.d4! when 10…exd4 11.Rd1 gives us an even better version of
the note to move 7 above.

10.d3!? Bf8 11.Bg2!? d6 12.Be3

White can slowly build up with moves like Rad1, Nc3 and d3-d4 at the right time. A
good example continued:

216
12…Nd7 13.Nc3 Nc5 14.Qd1 c6 15.a3
White kept a slight edge in Gervasi – Piacenti, corr. 2021, with b2-b4 a natural plan.

C23) 4…Bc5

This is often referred to as the Karpov Variation. It’s a solid option but I consider it
slightly inferior to the Reversed Rossolimo. White’s main strategy is to gradually gain as
much space as possible, while restricting Black’s attempts to find counterplay.

5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0 0-0 7.d3

217
 We will analyse two main approaches. C231) 7…Nd4!? is a concrete attempt to
equalize as quickly as possible. We will then look at a slower approach with C232) 7…
a6.

7…Bg4 8.h3 doesn’t help Black.

7…Bf5 should be met by 8.h3! Qd7 9.Kh2 to limit Black’s space on the kingside,
followed by expanding with a2-a3 and so on. We will see the same idea in variation C232
below, and this can easily transpose if Black follows up with …a6.

7…Re8 8.e3 (There is also 8.Bg5!? h6 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.e3 with a slight edge; compare the
note to White’s 8th move in variation C232 below.) 8…a6 This seems most logical, and
now 9.h3 Ba7 converts to variation C232 below. Black can of course deviate in some
way, but our general plans remain the same.
7…h6
This has actually been Black’s most popular choice, but we will meet it using exactly
the same ideas as in variation C232 below, the only difference being that here Black
cannot try to save time by omitting …h6.
8.a3!
It’s best to avoid 8.Na4 Re8! 9.Nxc5 dxc5 10.b3 Qd6 when Black was doing well and
went on to win a model game in Milos – Anand, Sao Paulo 2004.
8…a6
This is Black’s usual way of safeguarding the bishop.
8…a5 stops us from gaining space, but creates potential weaknesses on the
queenside. 9.e3 should be our choice, when a natural continuation is: 9…Bf5 10.h3
Qd7 11.Kh2 Rfe8N (11…e4 12.Ne1 exd3 13.Nxd3 was excellent for White in Lautier
– Hertneck, Tilburg 1992.) 12.b3 The last move prepares the instructive manoeuvre
Ra2-d2, adding power to our future central play.
9.e3 Ba7 10.b4 Bf5 11.h3 Qd7 12.Kh2 Rab8 13.Bb2 b5

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 We have been following Tomashevsky – Svidler, Moscow 2019. In the game White
plonked the knight on d5 and stood somewhat better, but an even stronger idea is:
14.Nh4!N 14…Bh7 15.f4!
With a clear advantage. Notice that 15…Bxe3? is impossible due to 16.Qf3 and
White collects a piece.

C231) 7…Nd4!?

This is a trendy, concrete attempt to simplify the position.

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8.Na4!
Comparing the Milos – Anand game after 7…h6 8.Na4?!, the exchange of the f3-
knight for its counterpart helps us a lot.

8…Nxf3† 9.Bxf3 a5
9…Bd4N is possible but 10.e3 Bb6 11.Bd2!? c6 12.Nxb6 axb6 13.Bg2 keeps some
advantage for White.

10.Nxc5 dxc5

11.Bg2! Qe7 12.Qc2 Re8 13.b3

White had a pleasant edge in Giri – Niemann, Miami 2022.

C232) 7…a6

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8.e3!?
This is our simplest continuation. It might seem as if Black has saved a tempo by
avoiding …h6, but Black usually plays it anyway pretty soon, in order to develop the light-
squared bishop more comfortably – either to e6 without worrying about Ng5, or to f5
while having a convenient retreat square on h7.

An interesting alternative is: 8.Bg5!? h6 Otherwise Ne4 comes. 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 And now I
think White can claim a small edge with 10.e3!N intending Nd5 followed by b2-b4 after
suitable preparation. (Please note that the more obvious 10.Ne4? Qe7 11.Nxc5 dxc5
leads to a situation where the doubled pawns are not weak in the slightest, and Black
can already claim a slight edge due to excellent central control and active piece play.)

8…Ba7 9.h3!?
This is always a useful move, as we saw in the 7…h6 line in the notes above.

9…Re8
I am not sure what else to suggest for Black. Many moves are possible of course, but
each of them has a drawback of some kind.

9…Ne7 allows 10.b4, expanding on the queenside without losing time. Play could
continue 10…c6 11.a4 with a plus for White.

In the event of 9…Bf5 I like the prophylactic 10.Kh2!. (10.a3 is likely to transpose, but I’d
like to maintain the option of b2-b4 without preparation, just in case Black plays …Ne7

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as in the note above.) 10…Qd7 (10…h6 11.a3 is likely to lead to the same thing.) 11.a3
We intend b2-b4 and Bb2, followed at some point by a timely Nh4. I don’t see a better
idea for Black than 11…h6, transposing to the 7…h6 line in the earlier notes.

This position was reached in Sertic – J. Petrov, Bol 2013. Once again I like the
prophylactic move:

10.Kh2!?N
Remaining flexible on the queenside. A sample continuation is:

10…Ne7 11.b3!
A slight modification of our usual plan.

11…Ng6
11…c6 12.Ba3! shows the point of our previous move. Next we intend Ne4, with
annoying pressure on d6.

12.d4
There are other ways to maintain a slight plus, but taking space in the centre makes
a lot of sense. Notice that Black is unable to play …e4, as the pawn cannot be supported
and will soon be captured.

Conclusion

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We wrap up our repertoire after 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 by examining various systems that
became fashionable from time to time.

After 2…Nc6 3.Nf3, the systems with 3…g6 and 3…f5 have been around for a long time,
but they have always had a slightly sub-optimal reputation. Proponents of those moves
rely on understanding the resulting middlegame positions better than their opponents
who tend to face them only rarely. That’s why I think it’s important to keep things simple.
Against 3…g6, I was happy to share a story of successful preparation from the Baku
Olympiad. I find the resulting endgame fascinating, and White’s initiative remains strong
in spite of the simplifications. Against 3…f5 I like the idea of 4.e3, waiting for the enemy
knight to appear on f6, so that we can play d2-d4 followed by Ne5. The resulting
reversed French seems more pleasant for White, and there are some lines where the
placement of Black’s pawn on f5 is more of a weakening than a benefit.

We then moved on to 2…Nf6 3.Nf3, when Black has various ideas, including the
fashionable 3…e4 4.Ng5 c6! pawn sacrifice. I believe I have shown 5.Qa4! to be a
serious challenge to Black’s concept.

We ended the chapter with three rarer lines in the Four Knights Variation after 3…Nc6
4.g3. First we looked at the fianchetto approach with 4…g6, when 5.d4 leads to a King’s
Indian structure. Later our knight drops back to c2, and we can follow an easy plan of
development to obtain a positional pull. Next we considered 4…Nd4 followed by an early
knight trade. I find it fascinating that Black finds it difficult to find a good role for the dark-
squared bishop, and have shown how we can exploit this with a timely Na4. Finally we
considered 4…Bc5, when Black may suffer from a similar problem. For instance, in
variation C221 we again saw how a timely Na4 can work well. On the other hand, if
Black plays more slowly with moves like …h6 and/or …a6, we can follow a simple plan
involving gradual expansion on both flanks, and the bishop on c5 (or a7) may find itself
offside, especially after a well-timed break with f2-f4.

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Our Move Order 112
Important Considerations 113

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3! Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.0-0 0-0

A) 7.d3 116
A1) 7…d5 116
A2) 7…d6 8.Rb1 Rb8 9.a3 117
A21) 9…a5 118
A22) 9…a6! 119
B) 7.d4! 121
B1) 7…d6 8.dxc5!? dxc5 9.Be3!? 121
B11) 9…b6!? 122
B12) 9…Qa5 124
B13) 9…Be6 125
B2) 7…cxd4 8.Nxd4 126
B21) 8…Nxd4 127

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 B22) 8…d6!? 128
B23) 8…Qa5!? 131

Introduction

1.c4 c5
When thinking of the term “Symmetrical English”, most players have in mind the
position after the further moves:

2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7

So far, Black has been mirroring White’s moves. What should White do next? In
recent years, many strong GMs have been experimenting with 5.b3, and even 5.d3 with
the funky plan of Qd2!? followed by b2-b3, Bb2 and later f2-f4. Other ancient (but still
relevant) approaches exist, such as 5.a3!? intending a quick Rb1 and b2-b4.
Nevertheless, I think most analysts would agree that the soundest continuation is:

5.Nf3!
Developing another piece and preparing to castle. This is the position we will aim for,
with a slight tweak to the above move order, as will be explained shortly. Black has four
main options from here:

• Maintain the symmetry with 5…Nf6 and react to White’s intentions, which basically
means waiting to see if White will play d2-d4. If not, then Black can play …d5.

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• 5…e5 followed by 6…Nge7 – the Botvinnik System
• 5…e6 followed by 6…Nge7 – the flexible Fischer System, keeping the option of …d5
down the road
• Play 5…d6 and follow up in one of various possible ways

We will, of course, examine each of the above possibilities. In this chapter, we will focus
on the popular and sound 5…Nf6, where Black maintains the symmetry for the time
being.

Our Move Order

Having touched upon the theoretical strength of the Nf3 move in the Symmetrical
English, let’s establish our repertoire move order before we get lost in transpositions.

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3!
This move order keeps things simple for us. For example, after 1.c4 Nf6 we can play
2.Nf3 and not be ‘afraid’ of 2…c5. Fans of 1.Nf3 will also be pleased!

2…Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7

5.Nc3!
As we will touch upon briefly in the next chapter, the move order with 5.0-0 might
give us an opportunity to confuse our opponents by not playing Nc3 next (which would
normally be the best move anyway, to be honest) in favour of other ideas such as e2-e3
followed by d2-d4, or even d2-d4 at once.

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On the other hand, the advantage of delaying castling is that we can still launch our h-
pawn with h4-h5, having the rook behind it. This modern idea has given Black fresh
problems to think about in certain variations, as we will see later.

Before we discuss any further theoretical nuances, let’s cover some general themes and
concepts.

Important Considerations

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.0-0 0-0

Before we go further, I’d like to discuss three important things: two of a high-level and
one on the technical, low level.
• The ideas in the Symmetrical English are the same for both colours. You guessed why
– because there is absolute symmetry! Thus, if White plays a few weird moves, Black
can essentially start playing as White but with colours reversed.
• Being a tempo up in a symmetrical position matters – sometimes a lot! Even though we
are in an era where engines will laugh and give 0.00, we have decades of practical
evidence of such positions showing that the side making minor threats and improving
moves will fare better, on average, than the side making defensive moves to
neutralize the position.
• Lastly, if there is one idea which is dominant in these positions, it’s the b2-b4 advance,
which we can prepare with Rb1 and a2-a3. Black can meet this plan in one of three
ways:
– Restrain it with …a5

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 – Allow it and maintain the tension with …d6 or something similar
– Continue copying our moves, meeting b2-b4 with …cxb5 followed by …b5

Let’s see some examples of these themes.

7.d3!?
7.d4 is the most ambitious way to play, and we will analyse it as our main weapon in
the theoretical section.

The text move will also feature in the theoretical section, as it’s an easy-to-learn
approach which offers reasonable chances of a slight advantage. Even if you prefer to
push the d-pawn two squares, it’s well worth studying this section to gain some
understanding of the positions after d2-d3 followed by preparing b2-b4. As we will see in
the next chapter, there are various move orders where Black avoids …Nf6 and prevents
d2-d4, in which case preparing b2-b4 will tend to be our go-to plan.

7…d6
How can White make anything out of this purely symmetrical position?

8.Rb1!
Here it is! The central idea in all these Symmetrical English positions. The rook goes
out of the range of the g7-bishop and supports our intended advance after a further a2-
a3.

It’s worth mentioning the alternative move order 8.a3!? which gives White the additional
idea of sacrificing a pawn in Benko Gambit style with b2-b4 next. If Black reacts sensibly
then the pawn sacrifice is nothing special, but in the right circumstances it gains
considerable strength. For example, 8…e5?! (8…e6?! 9.b4! is similar) 9.b4! cxb4
10.axb4 Nxb4 11.Ba3 Nc6 12.Nd2 and White had a fantastic initiative for the pawn in
Dmitrenko – Sergeev, Alushta 2008.

8…Rb8
For the time being, Black sees no reason not to keep copying White.

9.a3
White is ready to play b2-b4 next, after which White may gain additional space with
b4-b5 or exchange on c5, opening the b-file and remaining with an extra central pawn.
Black must decide how to meet these ideas.

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9…a5!?
The simplest option, which I opted for in a practical game when I reached this
position with Black.
9…a6! is the most challenging approach – see the theoretical section for more about
this.

10.Bd2
In order to carry out the intended advance of the b-pawn, White needs to bring some
reinforcements into play on the queenside.

10.Ne1 is a typical idea but in this position it gives Black a chance to play 10…Be6!?
followed by …d5, as White no longer has the option of Ng5 to harass the bishop.

10…Bd7 11.Qc1?!
11.Ne1! is best. Now that Black has committed the bishop to d7 rather than e6, we
can send the knight to c2. Further details will be provided in the theoretical section.

The text move is a typical idea seen in club-level play, but it is not so well suited to the
current position. I am proud to have found a compelling argument against it in one of my
own games.

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11…Ne8!
This is the kind of situation I was talking about earlier: if White doesn’t want to play
the best plans, Black might!

12.Bh6 e5!?
This seemed like a good moment to switch to a Botvinnik central structure, now that
White has spent time arranging to exchange the dark-squared bishops.

13.Bxg7 Kxg7
White is no closer to carrying out the b2-b4 advance, while Black has a clear plan to
improve with …Nc7 and …b5.

14.e3 Nc7 15.Rd1

My opponent was ready to play in the centre, but I found a good way to nullify that
plan.

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15…f5!
Now d3-d4 is unattractive because …e4 gains more space and smothers White’s
kingside pieces. I followed up with …b5 and later …f4, and went on to win a nice game in
Tsaggaris – Ntirlis, Patras 2010. This game isn’t important in a theoretical sense, but it
allows us to see some relevant ideas in action, as well as showing why it’s generally not
worth spending time on Qc1 and Bh6 in these positions.

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 Theory Section

A) 7.d3 116
A1) 7…d5 116
A2) 7…d6 8.Rb1 Rb8 9.a3 117
A21) 9…a5 118
A22) 9…a6! 119
B) 7.d4! 121
B1) 7…d6 8.dxc5!? dxc5 9.Be3!? 121
B11) 9…b6!? 122
B12) 9…Qa5 124
B13) 9…Be6 125
B2) 7…cxd4 8.Nxd4 126
B21) 8…Nxd4 127
B22) 8…d6!? 128
B23) 8…Qa5!? 131

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3! Nc6

Let’s briefly see what may happen if Black opts for an alternative version of the set-
up from this chapter, where the knight stays on b8 for a while:

2…Nf6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d4!?

5.Nc3 is a good alternative.
5…d5!?
5…cxd4 6.Nxd4 0-0 (6…Qc7!? is possible but 7.Nb5 is a good answer, since
7…Qxc4?? 8.N1a3 would be disastrous for Black) 7.Nc2!? (7.0-0 is also possible,
when 7…d5!? transposes to the 6.0-0 line in the notes below, while 7…Nc6 8.Nc3
reaches variation B2 as covered later in the chapter) 7…Nc6 8.Nc3 d6 9.b3 offers us
a modest edge.

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6.Nc3!?
6.0-0 cxd4 7.Nxd4 0-0 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nb3 is a safe continuation, leading to another
type of symmetrical position where the cost of a mistake will be higher on Black’s
side.
6…0-0 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Nxd5! Qxd5 9.0-0 cxd4 10.Be3! Qb5 11.Nxd4
There have been only a few games in this line, with White scoring more than 70% in
my database at the time of writing. For example:
11…Qxb2 12.Bd5!?
12.Qa4 is a good alternative. In both cases, White has more than enough
compensation for the missing pawn, with Rab1 coming next.

3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.0-0

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6…0-0
6…d5 7.d4! gives us excellent prospects, for instance: 7…dxc4 (7…0-0 8.dxc5!
should yield a small but clear edge.) 8.d5 Nb4 9.Ne5

9…Nfxd5? Black should not be so greedy. With that being said, after other moves we
can simply play Nxc4 with a pleasant advantage. 10.Qa4†! Kf8 11.Nxd5 Bxe5 12.Rd1
Nxd5 13.Rxd5 Bd6 14.Bh6† Kg8 White went on to suffer a tragic defeat in Zolnierowicz
– Zaskalski, Ustron 2008, but at this stage 15.Rad1N would have confronted Black with
insurmountable problems.
I will present two ways of handling the symmetrical position. A) 7.d3 is the simple
approach and B) 7.d4! is more ambitious.

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 A) 7.d3

We will consider A1) 7…d5 followed by the pure symmetrical approach of A2) 7…d6.

A1) 7…d5 8.Nxd5

8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 Qxd5 is the same thing.

8.Bf4!? has been played by Kramnik and Grischuk recently, but it is more of an attempt
to get a good version of a reversed opening (namely the Panno Variation of the King’s
Indian), which means comfortable equality, rather than actually fighting for the
advantage. Moreover, we would have to take into account 8…dxc4 9.dxc4, which is
similar to variation B1 below, except that here White’s bishop has gone to f4 – which is
perfectly playable, but I prefer the bishop to be on e3 in this structure, as explained later.

8…Nxd5 9.cxd5 Qxd5

Later in variation B21, we will find ourselves on the opposite side of this thematic
structure. Let’s see how we can put the extra tempo to use, following the example of a
classic Karpov game.

10.Be3! Bd7
This is the most natural way of handling the threat of Nd4.

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10…Qd6 is possible but 11.Rc1 forces Black to be careful. For instance, 11…b6? 12.d4!
would lead to huge problems for Black.

10…Bxb2 is the top engine choice, and after 11.Rb1 Bf6 the machine spits zeros.
Nevertheless, after 12.Qa4 we can at least regain the pawn, and Black will need to be
careful to neutralize our queenside pressure. Computers can do it of course, but White’s
practical score in excess of 62% indicates that the chances are far from balanced in
human play.

11.Nd4 Qd6 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Bxc6 Qxc6

Despite the simplifications, White can still generate a meaningful initiative, as Karpov
masterfully demonstrates.

14.Rc1 Qe6!
14…Bxb2?! 15.Rxc5 gains a tempo against the queen, and next comes Qc2 with
tempo on the bishop.

15.Rxc5 Qxa2 16.Rb5 b6

17.Qb3!
Modern engines confirm that this is the most accurate way to offer a queen trade.

The original model game continued 17.Qa1 Qxa1?! (17…Qe6! is better) 18.Rxa1 Rfb8
19.Ra6 Kf8 20.Rb4 intending Ra4, when Black only lasted fifteen more moves before
resigning in Karpov – Ribli, Amsterdam 1980.

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17…Qa6
17…Qxb3 18.Rxb3 followed by Ra1 is similar to Karpov – Ribli.

18.Rb4
We are ready to exert pressure with Ra4, Rfa1 and so on. This is all you need to
know to play this line and reach a position where you can play for a win with little to no
risk. If you wish to study these positions in further detail, I refer you to Marin’s analysis in
his legendary trilogy.

A2) 7…d6

As discussed in the introduction, we will meet this move with:

8.Rb1
8.a3 is fine of course, but it would take quite a naive opponent to allow a favourable
version of the b2-b4 sacrifice, so by far the most likely outcome is a transposition after
Rb1 next.

8…Rb8
Other moves exist of course, but Black doesn’t really have anything better than this,
and our general plans remain the same in any case.

9.a3

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 We will consider two contrasting options: A21) 9…a5 and A22) 9…a6!.

9…Bd7?! 10.b4 b6 has been seen a few times in practice, but 11.b5 gives us a healthy
advantage. A high-level example continued 11…Nd4 12.Nxd4 cxd4 13.Na2! when the
knight continued its journey to b4 and later c6 in Bareev – Topalov, Frankfurt (rapid)
2000.

A21) 9…a5 10.Bd2

10.Ne1 is well met by 10…Be6!? intending …d5, as explained in the introduction.

10.b3!? and 10.Nb5!? are interesting alternatives which could be investigated, but the
text move is simple and good.

10…Bd7

11.Ne1!
11.Qc1?! is the wrong idea, as demonstrated by the Tsaggaris – Ntirlis game from
the introduction.

11…Ne8 12.Nc2
12.Nb5!?N is an intriguing engine favourite, which has never been tried in practice.

12…Nc7 13.b4 axb4 14.axb4 cxb4 15.Nxb4 Nxb4 16.Rxb4

238
16…b5!
Black’s hopes of equalizing are based on this break.

17.cxb5 Nxb5 18.Nxb5 Rxb5

This position seems ridiculously symmetrical and dry, but the extra tempo still counts
for something. White has scored about 54% from this position (by winning roughly 10%
of the games) which, incidentally, is the same as the first-move advantage overall.

19.Rxb5 Bxb5 20.Qb3 Bd7

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21.Qb7!?
I think this would be the most testing continuation in practice, as now Black’s queen
is unable to go to b8.

Another logical continuation is:

21.Rc1 Qb8 22.Qb7!? Bg4
22…Qxb7 23.Bxb7 h5!? 24.Bg5 kept some initiative for White in Short – Timofeev,
Sarajevo 2007. (24.Rc7N is a good alternative.)
23.Qxe7 Re8 24.Qh4 Bxe2?
24…h5!N is the only move, when Black should be okay.
In Pavlovic – Saypuri, Nova Gorica 2022, White overlooked a clever resource:

25.Bc6!N
Intending to meet 25…Rc8 with 26.Qe4 when Black loses material one way or
another. However, even after missing this opportunity, Pavlovic kept a nagging initiative
and eventually picked up the full point.

21…Qc8 22.Qa7!
Now the threat of Rc1-c7 is unpleasant.

22…Rd8 23.Bg5!
White kept some initiative in Korba – Grahl, Germany 2010.
It’s worth mentioning that 23.Rc1 is less annoying in view of 23…Qb8 when Black is
fine.

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 A22) 9…a6!

I consider this to be Black’s most reliable continuation.

10.b4
10.Ne1!? is possible, but Black has a few ways to equalize against it. 10…Bd7
11.Nc2 Ne8 (11…b5!? is a good alternative.) 12.Bd2 Nc7 13.b4 b5! White had no
advantage in Escobar Medina – Narvaez, Medellin 2021. (13…b6!? is also fine, and
14.a4 a5 was recommended by Carsten Hansen as equal; on the other hand, 13…cxb4
14.Nxb4! Nxb4 15.axb4 b5 16.Qc2! was better for White in Maghsoodloo – Tabatabaei,
Khomeyn 2017.)

10…cxb4 11.axb4 b5 12.cxb5 axb5

White has tried to utilize the extra tempo in various ways from here. A good try is:

241
13.Bg5!?
Let’s see a couple of other ideas:

13.Be3!? is possible but 13…Ng4! 14.Bd2 Nge5 seems to be equal.

13.d4
This is the usual recommendation in theoretical works. It is not possible for Black to
keep the symmetry and White seems to be on the verge of developing some initiative
with d4-d5, but an adequate solution has been discovered.
13…Bf5!
13…d5?! is bad due to 14.Ne5!.
14.Rb3 Ne4
14…Qc8!? is a good alternative.
15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.d5 Bxf3 17.exf3

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17…Nd4!
17…Ne5 18.f4 Nc4 19.f5 gives White some initiative, and even though the machine
calls it equal, Black has struggled to defend this position in practice.
The text move is much safer, due to the following tactical point.
18.Rd3
Otherwise Black will continue …Rc8-c4 with an excellent game.
18…Rc8! 19.Rxd4 Rxc1
Black had no problems whatsoever in Pohlig – Scherer, email 2011.

13…h6
This has been Black’s most common reply, but we should be happy to see it.

13…Bg4 14.Qd2 Qd7 15.Rfc1 Rfc8 enables us to break the symmetry with 16.Bxf6!N
16…Bxf6 17.Nd5 when Black will need to make a slight positional concession, as
17…Bg7 18.Qe3! is awkward.

13…Be6! is the best defence, keeping control over the important d5-square. A natural
continuation is 14.Qd2 Qd7 15.Rfc1 (15.Bxf6!? Bxf6 16.Ng5 is worth considering,
although Black should be okay) 15…Rfc8 and now 16.e4!?N prepares d2-d4. It would be
stretching things to claim a real advantage here, but the symmetry has been broken and
Black will have to decide how to deal with our advancing central pawns.

14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Qd2

Our initiative is more potent than it may first appear.

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15…Bg7 16.Rfc1 Bd7 17.d4!
17.e3 e6 18.d4 threatens d4-d5, and after 18…Ne7 19.Ne1 White kept a slight edge
in Protector – Stockfish, engine game 2015. The text move is slightly more precise.

17…Qb6 18.e3
White doesn’t really miss the dark-squared bishop, and Black has a hard time getting
coordinated. A good example continued:

18…Rfc8 19.Bf1 Qb7

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20.Ne1! Nd8 21.Ra1 Ra8 22.h4 Rcb8 23.Nc2 Rxa1 24.Rxa1 Ne6 25.Ra5 Nc7 26.Na3
White won a pawn and eventually the game in Clover – Wasp, engine game 2022.

B) 7.d4!

This is the most ambitious continuation. Black can maintain the tension with B1) 7…
d6 or exchange pawns with B2) 7…cxd4.

B1) 7…d6

This transposes to a popular variation of the King’s Indian Fianchetto System.

8.dxc5!?
I consider this a good practical way to play. There’s not much theory to learn, and we
have good chances to obtain a slight edge. I have had some experience on the black
side of this variation, so I know how annoying White’s edge can be.

8.d5!? Na5 9.Nd2 is an ambitious try, aiming for a more complicated middlegame battle.
For space reasons I won’t discuss this any further, but I would encourage ambitious
readers to investigate this in more detail and consider including it in their repertoires.

8…dxc5
Once again we find ourselves in a symmetrical position where we must decide how
to make use of the extra tempo.

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9.Be3!?
The main line is considered to be 9.Bf4 but I have my own opinion, and I consider the
text move to be more annoying for Black.

Our last move attacks the c5-pawn, so Black only has a limited number of candidate
moves. We will analyse the provocative B11) 9…b6!? followed by the more common
B12) 9…Qa5 and B13) 9…Be6.

9…Nd7 is well met by 10.Qc1! Re8 11.Rd1 Qa5 12.Bd2 when the black queen feels
uncomfortable, as seen in Rapport – Bergez, Haguenau 2013.

B11) 9…b6!?

This is an interesting attempt to solve Black’s problems by sacrificing an exchange. As a

King’s Indian player, I loved the idea and tried as hard as possible to make it work, but
eventually I was forced to accept that Black’s compensation is not quite adequate. Let’s
see some moves.

10.Ne5
Accepting the offer is the critical test, and it must be objectively the best move.

10.Qc1!? is a playable alternative though, with ideas of Rd1 and Bh6, when Black still
has to do some work before full equality can be claimed.

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10…Nxe5 11.Bxa8 Nxc4

12.Bc1 Bf5
12…Bh3 was seen in Boros – Jones, Internet (blitz) 2019, when 13.Qxd8!N
13…Rxd8 14.Bg2 would have been best. White will slowly unravel with Rd1, Rb1 and so
on, enjoying the extra exchange.

13.Bb7!
This key idea is worth memorizing. Despite being material down, one of Black’s most
effective plans is to exchange queens and mobilize the queenside pawn majority, so it’s
useful to have the option of putting the bishop on a6 to restrain those pawns – although
in some scenarios, the bishop will be better placed on the kingside, depending on how
Black proceeds.

Exchanging queens is nothing like as effective as it was in the previous note: 13.Qxd8?!
Rxd8 14.Bg2 (14.Bb7 doesn’t make a big difference here) 14…Ne8! Black has excellent
pieces and huge pressure on our queenside.

13.Bg2 Qxd1 led to complicated play in Davidov – Shabaev, corr. 2020. White eventually
prevailed, but in a practical battle Black’s queenside counterplay would be difficult to
handle. My recommended continuation is designed to avoid such a scenario.

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13…Nd6!?N
This is one of the top engine suggestions, as well as a natural human move. Let’s
see some alternatives:

13…Qb8 14.Bg2 Rd8 (14…Qc8 transposes to another game, Sargissian – Grischuk,

Dubai [blitz] 2014, at which point 15.Bg5!?N followed by Qb3 or Qc1 would have left
Black with inadequate compensation.) 15.Qe1 was better for White in Geerken –
Wittenberg, email 2015. White seems passive for now, but we will soon start taking over
with e2-e4, Nd5 and so on.

13…Bd7N is a weird engine recommendation that stops both Qxd8 and Qa4, but 14.Qc2
leaves Black with inadequate compensation once again.

The other main option is: 13…Qxd1!?N 14.Rxd1 As mentioned earlier, exchanging
queens is a logical idea, as Black’s active minor pieces and queenside pawn majority
could combine well in the endgame. However, this is where the placement of our light-
squared bishop makes a big difference.

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14…Bc2 15.Rf1 Rd8 16.Ba6! If the bishop had gone to g2 earlier, Black’s counterplay
would have been awkward to handle, but now we are fine. Here is a nice line illustrating
the strength of the bishop on a6: 16…Nd2 17.Bxd2 Rxd2 18.Nb1! The e2-pawn is
protected, and next comes Na3 followed by centralizing the rooks. Pretty soon, the extra
exchange will be felt.

14.Bf3
Once again, we can happily retreat the bishop to the kingside now that Black is
unable to exchange queens. Many moves are possible from here, but let’s follow the top
engine choice in order to see an important instructive point.

14…b5

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15.e4!
We sacrifice a pawn to fight for the initiative and free our rooks.

15…Nfxe4 16.Nxe4 Bxe4 17.Bxe4 Nxe4 18.Qxd8 Rxd8 19.Re1

Black has two pawns for the exchange and generally active pieces, but the loose e7-
pawn is a problem. Let’s continue the line a bit further:

19…f5
19…Nd2? is bad for a few reasons, the most convincing being 20.Bxd2 Rxd2
21.Rad1! Rxd1 22.Rxd1 Bxb2 23.Rb1 Bd4 24.Rxb5 with a winning endgame for White.

20.f3 Nd2 21.Bxd2 Rxd2 22.Rxe7 Bxb2 23.Rae1

We have excellent winning chances.

B12) 9…Qa5

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 This is the easiest move to understand from Black’s perspective: it defends c5 and
makes room for the rook to come to d8, while also discouraging our queen from coming
to a4, in which case Black will get a fine position by exchanging and continuing with …
b6.

10.Qb3
We anticipate the attack along the d-file and threaten to go to b5 next.

10…Qb4
Black has nothing better.

10…Ng4 11.Bd2 Nd4 12.Nxd4 cxd4 13.Qb5! favoured White in San Segundo Carrillo –
Damljanovic, Sanxenxo 2004.

11.Qxb4 cxb4 12.Nd5 Bf5

12…Nxd5?! 13.cxd5 scores horribly for Black in practice. We will follow up with Bc5,
with a big advantage.

12…Ne4 13.Nd4! also gives Black some problems.

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13.Rad1!?
As we’ll see, keeping the rook on f1 has the idea of supporting the advance of the f-
pawn a bit down the line.

13.Rfd1 is also possible. If 13…Be4 then 14.Bc5! seems a strong reply, the tactical point
being 14…Nxd5 15.cxd5 b6 16.Nd4 Bxg2 17.Nxc6! when there is no rook hanging on f1.
The position remains complicated of course, but engines clearly prefer White’s chances.

13…Be4 14.b3!
Compared to the note above, the change in rook placement means that 14.Bc5 Nxd5
15.cxd5 b6 is okay for Black, so a different approach is needed.

14…Rfd8
Black has nothing better, but we still have good chances to press.

15.Ng5! Bxg2 16.Kxg2 b6 17.Nxf6†!? Bxf6

A draw was agreed in Mercadal Benejam – Jensen, corr. 2015, but the position is far
from dead. A logical continuation would be:

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18.f4!? Bd4 19.Bxd4 Nxd4 20.e3 Nf5 21.Kf3
We have the better pawn structure, plus more space and the better king. We can
improve with moves like g3-g4 and Ne4 while taking little to no risk.

B13) 9…Be6

This is the most popular continuation, and the recommendation of Gawain Jones in
King’s Indian 2.

10.Qa4 Nd4!

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 Black has a terrible score with other tries:

10…Qa5?! 11.Qxa5 Nxa5 12.Bxc5 is great for White, as it’s not easy for Black to regain
the pawn without facing a big initiative. For example, 12…Nxc4 (12…Bxc4 13.Ne5 is
even worse) 13.Nd4! and Black is in trouble.

10…Qb6 11.Qb5 put Black under pressure in Grandelius – Markus, Sarajevo 2013.

10…Nd7 invites 11.Ng5!, and then 11…Bg4 12.h3 Bxc3!? saw Black trying to
complicate matters in Koohestani – Skoda, Vung Tau 2008, but the simple 13.hxg4N is
good for White.

10…Qc8!? 11.Bxc5 Nd7 12.Be3 also favours White slightly. For instance, 12…Nb6
13.Bxb6 Bxc3 was seen in Domagalski – McCann, corr. 2017, and now White keeps an
edge with:

14.Be3!?N 14…Bxb2 15.Rab1 Bg7 16.Rfd1 Our better-developed pieces are more
relevant than the split queenside pawns. (16.h4!? is also worth considering.)

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11.Rac1!?
11.Rad1 is a decent alternative; but please note that 11.Rfd1?? must be avoided
because 11…Bd7! wins material. That’s why we put the rook on c1 first – to enable the
queen to drop back to a3 without allowing …Nc2.

11…a6
This is Black’s best try, threatening …b5.

11…Nd7 threatens …Nb6 but 12.b3 leaves Black without a good follow-up.

11…Ng4 has also been tried, but 12.Bf4 keeps some advantage for us.

12.Qa3! Bxc4
This position was reached in J. Andersen – D. Cumming, corr. 2015. My
improvement is:

255
13.Bxd4!N
This possibility is not mentioned by Jones.

13.Rfd1!?N leads to a tactical sequence starting with 13…Nd5!, and after 14.Nxd4! Nxe3
15.Nc6 Qc7 16.Qxc5! bxc6 17.Qxe3 Rad8 Jones calls it equal. He is basically right of
course, although the difference in pawn structure means that Black will still have to be
slightly more careful to avoid problems. Still, I prefer the text move.

13…cxd4 14.Rfd1 Nd5!

Without this move, we would recapture on d4 with a rather potent initiative.

15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Nxd4

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16…e6
16…Bxg2? 17.Ne6! Qb6 18.Nxf8 Bc6 19.Nd7 leaves Black with insufficient
compensation for the exchange.

17.Nb3
Next comes Bxd5 and Black will have to defend with a weak d5-pawn. With perfect
play it will of course be a draw, but Black will likely have to suffer for a while.

B2) 7…cxd4 8.Nxd4

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 Finally we reach the big main line. Black has three main options: B21) 8…Nxd4,
B22) 8…d6!? and B23) 8…Qa5!?.

8…Qb6 has been tried by some strong players but 9.Nc2 followed by b2-b3 gives us an
easy advantage.

8…Ng4 is another move which has been played in loads of games but is not so popular
these days. It’s worth giving a few details of how to deal with it: 9.e3 Nxd4 (9…Nge5?!
10.b3 d6 has also been tried from time to time by some strong players, but if you
remember 11.h3! then you are promised a clear advantage.) 10.exd4 Nh6

Here White has several promising continuations, but the simplest is 11.Bxh6 (11.g4!?
might be an attractive option for creative spirits) 11…Bxh6 12.Qe2!? followed by
advancing the queenside pawns, with a pleasant advantage.

B21) 8…Nxd4 9.Qxd4 d6

Historically this has been Black’s main line, and it has amassed a big body of theory over
the years. Nowadays most top players regard it as a bit too passive for Black, but we still
need a decent option against it. Fortunately I was able to find a promising sideline which
cuts out the bulk of the theory, while keeping good chances for an objective advantage.

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10.Qe3!?
Preparing a simple scheme of development with b2-b3, Bb2, Rac1 (or Rad1) and at
the right time Nd5. Of course we must also be mindful of Black’s intended counterplay
with …a6, …Rb8 and …b5.

10.Bg5!? and the main line 10.Qd3 also favour White according to my analysis, but the
latter move in particular has a lot of theory attached to it.

10…Ng4
Before looking to expand on the queenside, Black should drive our queen to a
different spot.

10…a6?! is the main line in the analogous position with the queen on d3, but here it’s a
mistake. 11.c5!N is the maximalist continuation, posing Black concrete problems. (The
simple 11.Rd1N offers us an excellent position too.)

10…Qc7 11.b3 Bd7 12.Bb2 Bc6 13.Rac1 Bxg2 14.Kxg2 Qc6† was seen in Ivkov –
Gligoric, Brezovica 1988, when White offered a queen exchange which resulted in an
equal position. A simple improvement is 15.f3!N when White has a clear edge, the main
plan being Qd2 (or Qd3) followed by e2-e4 and a timely Nd5.

11.Qd2 Rb8 12.b3 a6

Here I propose a simple improvement:

259
13.h3!N
As we’ll see, this is the ideal moment to force the knight to retreat.

13.a4 b5! led to mass exchanges and a draw in Bultman – Trs, corr. 2013. Even here,
the engine shows that White can continue to pose problems, but in principle I would
rather not allow the …b5 break at all.

13…Nf6
13…Nh6?! keeps the long diagonal open but misplaces the knight, and 14.Bb2 b5
15.cxb5 axb5 16.e4 b4 17.Nd5 Bxb2 18.Qxb2 is clearly better for White; the knight is
horrible on h6.

14.a4
Now that the long diagonal is blocked, we shut down the …b5 break and maintain a
pleasant edge.

B22) 8…d6!?

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 Lovers of the Benko Gambit might be attracted by this pawn sacrifice, which has
gained some reputation in the last decade, as it used to be considered much worse than
it really is.

9.Nxc6
My favourite blitz weapon has always been 9.Bxc6?! bxc6 10.Nxc6 Qd7 11.Nd5, but
if Black plays the accurate 11…Re8! White is already slightly worse.

9…bxc6 10.Bxc6
If you don’t want to get into the complications of the gambit then 10.b3!? is a safe
alternative. 10…d5 is the best reply, when White can try 11.Bf4 or 11.Be3 with chances
for a small, safe edge.

10…Rb8
10…Bh3?! has proved to be inadequate after 11.Bxa8 Qxa8 12.f3 Bxf1 13.Kxf1!
when White stands clearly better. A good example continued:

261
13…Rc8 14.Qd3! Qc6 15.Be3! Qxc4 16.Qxc4 Rxc4 17.Bxa7 Black had no compensation
for the pawn in Harikrishna – Hambleton, Edmonton 2015.

11.b3!?
I like this rare move. It will come as a surprise to most opponents, and leads to a
position where we sacrifice an exchange for a lasting initiative, turning the tables on
Black’s sacrificial approach. It’s worth discussing a few alternatives to show why I took a
different direction:

11.Qa4 a5 gives Black good play for the pawn.

The main line is:

11.Bg2 Qa5

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12.Nb5!?
12.Qc2 Bf5! 13.e4 Be6 14.Bd2 Bxc4 leads to a concrete line which ends up in a solid
position for Black: 15.Nd5 Qa6 16.Nc7 Qc6 17.e5!? Qxc7 18.exf6 Bxf6 19.b3 Rfc8
20.bxc4 Bxa1 21.Rxa1 Qxc4 Black seems to be okay. A notable example continued
22.Qxc4 Rxc4 23.Bf3 Rb2 24.Bc1 Rxa2 25.Rxa2 Rxc1† 26.Kg2 Rc7 and Black was
able to hold the endgame in Melkumyan – Navara, Germany 2016. Minor
improvements can be found for White, but I found nothing to change the overall
assessment that Black is doing okay.
12.Qd2 is recommended for White in some repertoire works, but after 12…Be6!
13.b3 Rxb3! 14.axb3 Qxa1 15.Nb5 a6 16.Na7 Qb1! Black seems to be okay, despite
the bad statistics in practice. For instance, 17.Qb4 Qa2 18.Nc6 Re8 19.e4 Nd7 and
the position was level in Meier – Kovalev, Baku (ol) 2016.
12…Bb7 13.Bxb7 Rxb7 14.Bd2 Qa6 15.Bc3 Rc8 16.b3

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16…d5! 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Qxd5 Bxa1 19.Rxa1 Rbb8
Despite having two pawns for the exchange and a stable position, practice has
shown that White has no real advantage. See for instance Erdos – Navara, Bol 2014.
Still, strong technicians might fancy their chances from here, so this line would be my
secondary suggestion in case my main recommendation turns out to be less strong than
I believe it to be.
Alternatives can be suggested in all of the above lines, but it seems to me that Black’s
counterplay is always adequate. After the text move, however, we have more chances to
keep control.

11…Bh3

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 This is Black’s only hope for equality.

12.Bg2 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Ne4

Again Black has no real choice, as alternatives would leave us a pawn up for little, if
any, compensation.

14.Nxe4 Bxa1 15.Bh6 Bg7 16.Bxg7 Kxg7

After a forcing sequence, we reach our target position. We only have one pawn for
the exchange, but our pieces coordinate well and Black will have a hard time opening
files for the rooks.

17.Qd2!?N
An important improvement which gives White excellent chances. The idea is to
regroup with Nc3 and Rd1 before launching an attack, for example with Nd5, Qf4, Rd3
and g3-g4.

17.Qd4†!? is the only move to have been tested thus far, but I believe it to be slightly
inaccurate. Play continues 17…f6 18.Rd1 with a choice for Black:

a) 18…Qa5?! 19.Nc3 Qe5 (19…Rbc8 could be met by 20.Rd3! when White is ready to
build an attack with h2-h4, Qe4 and so on.) In Prokofiev – Bazilius, Internet (blitz) 2020,
White missed a good opportunity:

265
20.Qxe5!N 20…fxe5 21.Rd5 White follows up with Ra5, with good chances to press in
the endgame. Black’s rooks are still not that great and the knight on d5 will be a monster.

b) 18…Qb6!N is an improvement, when White will have to lose time avoiding the queen
trade, which is unfavourable at this point. White can still look to regroup in the same way
I am recommending, but it’s better to do so without losing a tempo.

17…Qb6
Obviously Black could try all kinds of moves, but our general plan remains the same.
It’s not the kind of position which can be analysed to a definite conclusion, so I will offer a
sample line consisting of engine-approved moves which are also natural for humans.

18.Rd1 a5 19.Nc3 Qc6† 20.f3 Rb7!?

The rook may prove useful for defensive purposes on this square. Our plan remains
the same against other moves anyway.

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21.Qe3
Improving the queen.

21…Qb6 22.Qf4 Qc5

It’s natural to shift the queen away from a potential Nd5 attack.

23.Rd5
Driving the queen back.

23…Qb6 24.g4!
Having improved the pieces as much as possible for the time being, it’s time to
involve the pawns.

24…Qb4 25.Qd4† Kg8 26.h4

Already White has built a dangerous initiative and Black has no counterplay in sight.

B23) 8…Qa5!?

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 This move has taken over as the absolute main line for Black.

9.e3!
This move may appear modest or even downright passive, but its merits became
clear after elite players like Caruana, MVL and Ding started using it. White has a simple
plan of Bd2 and Rc1 with healthy development, while inhibiting Black’s typical plan of
creating kingside threats with …Qh5.

9.Nb3 Qh5 has been the most popular continuation.

9…d6
9…Qh5? is bad for more than one reason. Exchanging queens is one good option,
but we can also ignore Black’s play with 10.b3, since …Ng4 will achieve nothing after
h2-h3, and the engines recommend the depressing 10…Qa5 11.Bd2 with a huge
advantage for White.

9…Nxd4?! 10.exd4 d6 11.Re1 also gave White an effortless advantage in Annageldyev

– Kunte, Kolkata 1996.

The attempt to disrupt us with 9…Qb4 10.Qe2 Ne5 gets nowhere after: 11.f4! Nc6
(11…Nxc4? loses to 12.a3! when the queen will not be able to maintain her defence of
the knight.) 12.Nc2 Qc5

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 In Oparin – Belous, Internet (blitz) 2020, the thematic 13.Rb1!N would have been
best. White avoids any accidents on the long diagonal and prepares b2-b4, with a big
advantage.

10.Bd2! Qb6
10…Bg4? is refuted by 11.Nd5! Bxd1 12.Bxa5 Nxa5 13.Nxe7† Kh8 as seen in
Adorjan – Horvath, Debrecen 1990, when 14.Raxd1N 14…Rae8 15.Nd5 Nxc4 16.Nxf6
Bxf6 17.b3 would have won a pawn (at least) while keeping a dominating position.

10…Bd7 11.Rc1 Rfc8 was seen in Aravindh – Yuffa, Abu Dhabi 2019, when 12.Nd5!?N
12…Qd8 13.Nxf6† Bxf6 14.b3 a6 (14…Nxd4 15.exd4 also leaves Black well short of
equality) 15.Bc3 would have given White a typical slight edge.

10…Qc5 can be met by: 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Rc1 Rb8 (12…Qxc4? 13.Nd5 is no good for
Black.) In Dreev – Shapkin, Internet (blitz) 2020, 13.Na4!N would have maintained a nice
edge for White.

10…Qa6!? 11.b3 Bg4 is quite a logical continuation. I like the idea of 12.Qe1 Rac8
13.Nxc6!? bxc6 followed by a small but significant improvement:

269
14.e4!N Intending f2-f4 when Black faces annoying threats in the centre.
White opted for 14.h3 Bd7 before 15.e4 in the game, but 15…c5! enabled Black to
reroute the bishop to c6 in Giri – Navara, Baku (ol) 2016. That’s why I prefer not to chase
the bishop away so soon. Another relevant point is that with the bishop still on g4, Black
has to worry about the possibility of f4-f5 trapping it.

11.Re1!
Black’s last appeared to create a double attack on d4 and b2, but White has this
clever retort. Now …Nxd4 will open an attack on e7 by the rook, and the b2-pawn is
poisoned anyway.

270
11…Bg4
11…Qxb2? 12.Bxc6! bxc6 13.Rb1 Qa3 14.Nxc6 leaves Black in a mess. A key
tactical detail is:

14…Re8 15.Nxe7†! Rxe7 16.Qf3 With decisive material gains.

11…Bd7 12.b3 Nb4 has an artificial feel to it, and Black was unable to make it work even
in a correspondence game: 13.h3 a6 14.Nde2 Qc7 15.e4

15…Qc8 16.Kh2 b5 17.cxb5 axb5 18.Be3 Despite the …b5 break, Black was still well
short of equality and White was able to convert his initiative to victory in Duiven – Taffijn,
corr. 2021.

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12.Qb3! Qc7N
This seems like an obvious improvement, avoiding a damaged structure.

12…Rfc8 13.Qxb6 axb6 14.b3 was comfortably better for White in Donchenko –
Sunilduth Lyna, Internet (blitz) 2020.

13.h3 Bd7 14.Rac1

White has stopped any counterplay and is ready to complete an instructive
regrouping by rerouting the queen to e2. A sample line continues:

14…Rab8
14…Na5 is pointless, as after 15.Qd1 the c4-pawn is poisoned.

15.Qd1 a6 16.b3 Rfc8 17.Qe2 Qd8 18.Nf3!

The last move prepares Red1, when ideas of c4-c5 or e4-e5 are in the air. Black has
a passive position and faces a difficult defence.

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The Son of Sorrow – Benoni 136
Sipila – Ax. Smith, Vaxjo 2013 137
Carlstedt – Ntirlis, Odense 2012 139
Ntirlis – Maksimenko, Odense 2012 143
Move Orders in the Botvinnik 146

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3

A) 2…Nf6 147
B) 2…Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 150
B1) 5…Nh6 150
B2) 5…e6 6.h4! 151
B21) 6…d5 152
B22) 6…h6! 7.e3 153
B221) 7…d5!?N 154
B222) 7…Nge7 156
B3) 5…e5 6.0-0 Nge7 7.a3 160
B31) 7…d6 161

273
 B32) 7…a5 8.d3 d6 9.Rb1 0-0 10.Bd2! 162
B321) 10…h6 164
B322) 10…Rb8 165
B4) 5…d6 6.0-0 167
B41) 6…Rb8!? 168
B42) 6…Bf5 7.h3! 171
B421) 7…Qd7 172
B422) 7…e5 173
B423) 7…Nf6 174

Introduction
The previous chapter was mostly devoted to the symmetrical position arising after 1.c4
c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.0-0 0-0, at which point we can push the d-
pawn one or two squares according to taste. Now it’s time to look at the various systems
where Black repeats some of those opening moves but then breaks the symmetry in
some way. The main tabiya arises after:

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3

Black has three main options:

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• 5…e6 is a popular move which is often named after Bobby Fischer, who played it
successfully. Black intends …Nge7 and later …d5.
• 5…e5 is the Botvinnik System, where the knight goes to e7 and Black hopes that the
additional central space will offset the weakness of the d5-square.
• 5…d6 rules out d2-d4 for the time being, and after 6.0-0 Black has tried various ideas
which we will discuss in the theory section. Before discussing any of the above set-
ups, let’s see how to handle an inferior option.

The Son of Sorrow – Benoni

Let’s check a hypothetical scenario, where Black fails to challenge for the central
squares and allows us to accomplish everything we would like.

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 b6?!

Not the most critical move, but in the symmetrical English we see such moves played
from time to time. If Black wishes to fianchetto both bishops, the move order of Chapter 8
should be preferred.

5…d6 6.0-0 b6? would be an even worse way of implementing the same idea, due to the
tactical problems of 7.Ne5 or even 7.d4!? with an improved version of what follows
below.

6.0-0 Bb7

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7.e3!
As a rule of thumb, whenever Black does something weird in this structure with the
knight on c6, the plan of e2-e3 and d2-d4 will be strong.

7…d6 8.d4
White has taken over the centre.

8…Nf6?!
8…Qd7 is a slight improvement. This is how Aronian plays the Symmetrical English
as White, followed typically by advancing the f-pawn. With Black though, it is not as
good. White can play d4-d5 immediately, but I prefer the patient 9.b3! as in Yuan –
Venkatesh, Al Ain 2015, followed by Bb2 and d4-d5.

9.d5 Na5 10.e4

By neglecting to castle quickly, Black allowed us this possibility.

10…0-0
10…Nxc4?? 11.Qa4† is a tactic seen in ‘Puzzle Rush’ type of applications all the
time.

11.Nd2

276
 This type of position usually arises from the Fianchetto King’s Indian, but in that
opening it would be senseless for Black to waste time developing the bishop to the b7-
square where it has zero prospects. Usually White will aim for b2-b3 and Bb2 to over-
protect c4 and neutralize the g7-bishop; but in order to avoid any accidents on the long
diagonal, it’s necessary to start with Rb1 or Qc2. I reached this position in one of my
endless online blitz games during the Covid lockdowns. The game continued:

11…e5 12.Rb1!? Bc8 13.b3 Bd7 14.Bb2 a6

You might be wondering why am I showing this game at all, but I think it is useful to
memorize the following thematic regrouping in case you ever reach such a position:

15.Qe2 Rb8

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16.Nd1!
White will follow up with Ne3 followed by f2-f4, with perfect coordination and a strong
attack.

Vilka Sipila – Axel Smith

Vaxjo 2013

The previous chapter showed how, in practical play, having a symmetrical position with
the extra move can be a great way to put your opponents under pressure by creating
mini-threats. The next game is another excellent example of the same theme.

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0

5.Nc3 e6 6.h4! is my main recommendation which we’ll see in the theoretical section,
but the present game gives you a safe and easy-to-learn way to exert modest pressure.

5…e6 6.Nc3
In one correspondence game, I experimented with the idea of not developing the
knight to c3 at all! After 6.e3 Nge7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 0-0 9.Nxc6!? bxc6 10.Nd2 I was
rewarded with a rich position – not dry or symmetrical at all. Play continued: 10…a5
11.Rb1 d5 12.b3 Qd6

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13.e4!? (A decent alternative is 13.Bb2N 13…Bxb2 14.Rxb2 followed either by Qc1 and
Rc2, or by Qa1 followed by both rooks to the c-file.) 13…Rd8 14.Qc2 Ba6 15.Re1 A rich
position arose in Ntirlis – Keber, corr. 2021, where I think White enjoys a bigger choice of
possible plans.

6…Nge7
White has tried many moves here, but the game continuation is an annoying
possibility that has been played by many English specialists for decades.

7.e3!? 0-0 8.d4

Black is supposed to equalize “easily” after the following exchanges, but matters are

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not so simple.

8…cxd4
The great majority of games continue this way.

8…d6 is a playable alternative which keeps the game more complicated. 9.Re1! is the
most accurate continuation, anticipating the likely exchange on d4. White follows up with
b2-b3 and keeps a slight edge.

9.Nxd4 Nxd4 10.exd4 d5 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Nxd5

Other specialists, like Ulf Andersson, have played 12.Qb3, while others such as
Kramnik and Meier have tried 12.Re1!?. However, our strategy here is to keep things
simple and aim for a risk-free edge. If you wish to play more ambitiously, the delayed
castling approach in the theoretical section is the way to go.

12…exd5
White can safely create a few mini-threats and hope to take the initiative, whereas
Black needs to defend carefully with no real hope of achieving more than a draw.

13.Be3 Be6 14.Qb3 Qd7

Already the symmetry had to be broken and White has the slightly better placed
queen.

15.Rfc1 Rfc8 16.a4!?

This doesn’t threaten anything directly, but it enables White to consider Qb5 in some

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lines, as well as simply pushing the a-pawn further up the board.

16…a6
The engines continue to claim 0.00 but practical results have favoured White, with a
couple of wins, a few draws and no defeats from this position.

17.Qb6

17…Bf6 18.h4 Rxc1† 19.Rxc1 Bd8 20.Qb3 h5 21.Bf4

White still only has a mild initiative, but it was enough to cause Black, a future
grandmaster rated 2461 at the time of the game, to collapse a few moves later.

21…b6 22.Be5 Ra7 23.Qc2 Bf5 24.Qc6 Be6 25.Qxd7 Bxd7 26.Bxd5 Bxa4 27.Rc8 Rd7
28.Bc4
Black’s position is even worse than it looks: +8 according to Stockfish. The rest is
easy for Sipila.

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28…Kh7 29.Bxf7 Rxf7 30.Rxd8 g5 31.hxg5 Bc2 32.Rd6 Bg6 33.Rxb6 Ra7 34.f4 a5
35.f5 Bxf5 36.Rh6† Kg8 37.g6
1–0

The next two illustrative examples will discuss some themes in the Botvinnik structure
where Black plays …e5 (instead of …e6) followed by …Nge7.

Jonathan Carlstedt – Nikolaos Ntirlis

Odense 2012

I’d like to brag a bit here and share with you a funny story involving two consecutive
games I played in the same tournament, which are also relevant for our opening study.
The 2012 Odense open tournament had already involved a couple of adventures before I
even arrived at the playing hall. A delayed flight caused me to miss my connecting flight
to Copenhagen, so I had to spend a night at the airport in Paris and fly to Copenhagen
the next day, followed by a hurried journey to Odense and immediately after arriving at
the hotel we had to play the first round. That game went pretty well for me, as I quickly
defeated a former Danish Champion, Bo Jacobsen. It was partly good luck for my 1852-
rated self, as my opponent blundered, although I already stood much better with Black
soon after the opening. Being super-tired, I woke up late the next morning with virtually
no time to prepare. I trusted my roommate, GM Jacob Aagaard, who told me I had White
against the German IM Jonathan Carlstedt (rated 2354), which seemed logical enough,
as I had been Black in the previous game. I knew that Carlstedt played the Tarrasch

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Defence, an opening I had already written a book about, so I quickly refreshed my
memory of an annoying line (yes, the same line you’ll find later in this book!) against it
and went with confidence to play my game. Arriving a few minutes late, I saw that I
actually had the black pieces and my opponent had already played…

1.c4
I shook his hand and made a mental note never to trust my roommate again with the
round pairings. Being completely unprepared, I decided to be as solid as possible.

1…c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.a3

White is getting ready for the usual stuff on the queenside with Rb1 and b2-b4. I felt
relieved that I didn’t have to face a more concrete line, as it meant I could rely on my
understanding of the main ideas of this structure for both White and Black.

5…d6
I chose a move which is always useful and avoids any major commitment. Next I can
play …e5, …e6 or …Nf6, all three set-ups being sound. Of course I had to consider the
possibility of b2-b4, sacrificing a pawn for Benko-style compensation.

6.Rb1
My opponent continued with the typical move.

The pawn sacrifice is nothing: 6.b4?! cxb4 7.axb4 Nxb4 8.Qa4† Nothing else makes
sense. 8…Nc6 I intended to play a quick …Nf6 and …0-0 and work out the details later.
Indeed, practice has shown that White doesn’t have anything more than partial

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compensation for the pawn.

6…a5!?
Let’s keep things simple and stop b2-b4. At least this is what I thought I knew back
then. Today, I know that playing …a5 is risky for Black, as it gives White the idea of
playing d2-d3, Bd2 and Nb5!, a plan that we will revisit in the theoretical section. In this
game, we will see another drawback of playing …a5: White has the possible plan of
gaining space on the kingside to create attacking chances there, followed by closing the
queenside with a3-a4 at the right moment.

7.d3 Nf6 8.e4

My opponent was waiting to see how I would develop on the kingside, intending to do
the opposite, which means I assume he would have met 7…e5 with 8.Nf3. This was a
smart way to keep some asymmetry in the position.

8.Nf3 0-0 9.0-0 Rb8 transposes to variation A21 of the previous chapter, where we saw
that Black can equalize, but will need to be careful for a few moves.

8…0-0 9.Nge2
Here we have it! The Botvinnik System, which we will encounter in our repertoire with
reversed colours. One of the main ideas of this system is that the weakness of the d4-
square is more or less an illusion. It is hard for Black to take advantage of this square, as
White has enough resources to guard it – and even if Black does manage to establish a
knight there, White can always play around it, with the b2-b4 and f2-f4 advances being
typical ideas.

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9…Ne8!
The typical manoeuvre against the Botvinnik. The knight heads for c7, from where it
supports the …b5 break and can go to e6 to clamp down on the d4-outpost.

10.Be3
White could now consider d3-d4, leading to a pleasant version of a Maroczy
structure. I responded with a typical method of countering that idea.

10…Bg4!
It’s worth provoking the following pawn move.

11.f3!
White must not allow the exchange of the bishop for the e2-knight, as the weakness
of the d4-square would be felt more strongly. It might feel strange blocking the g2-bishop
this way, but White is not too bothered, as the bishop can later be freed by f3-f4. At the
same time, it was worthwhile for Black to provoke this minor commitment.

11…Be6!?
Now d3-d4 cannot be played as the c4-pawn will be hanging.

11…Bd7 is a good alternative, with the following possibilities:

a) 12.d4? was the move that I feared, but it can be countered by 12…a4! intending
13.dxc5 (13.d5? Na5! 14.Qd3 Qb6 is horrible for White) 13…dxc5 14.Bxc5 Nd6 with a

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great initiative.

b) 12.b3 is more solid, and after 12…Nc7 White should play 13.a4! followed by
expanding on the kingside, with a complicated fight ahead. (But not 13.d4?! cxd4
14.Nxd4 a4! when White is too loose on the queenside.)

12.0-0
Please note that against 12.f4 I would happily return with 12…Bg4! to enhance my
grip over d4 and the dark squares in general.

12…Nc7 13.b3
Now White is ready for d3-d4, so my next move is practically forced.

13…Nd4! 14.b4?!
This move is rather thematic, but I knew that it was inaccurate and was happy to see
it.

14.a4! is a better idea – see the next game for some additional comments about it.

14…axb4 15.axb4 b6!?

During the game, I had a strong suspicion that 15…b5 was objectively best. I
calculated a few lines after both moves and saw nothing wrong with either, so I chose the
option which seemed to be slightly more ambitious, as now I am threatening to annoying
my opponent with …Ra3. When you face higher-rated players, it’s usually a good idea to
create annoying little threats whenever possible, to prevent them from dictating the flow

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of the game.

16.Bf2
Another thematic move by my opponent. Now he is threatening Nxd4 without
allowing a fork, so my hand is forced.

16…Nxe2† 17.Nxe2
How should Black proceed? Moves like …Ra2, …Ra3 and …Na6 all came into
consideration, but I decided on being as solid as possible.

17…Qd7!?
Now I’m ready to take over the a-file completely with …Ra2 (or …Ra3) and …Rfa8.
Also, if anything goes wrong, I can always play …Bh3 to simplify.

18.Qb3
White could have tried 18.f4!? with the idea to sacrifice a pawn with f4-f5 and put the
knight on f4, but I realized that I could maintain the better chances with the typical
18…Bg4! when I can exchange on e2 anytime I wish, and I also threaten …Ra2 with
more force.

After the move played, I knew I had a pleasant position and felt that this was a critical
moment. I had many choices, all of which looked promising. I was particularly interested
in 18…Na6 and 18…Ra4, and I was burning my time – without any special reason, as
both of those moves are strong. In the end I played something safe but uninspiring – a
typical situation when a lower-rated player faces a titled one.

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18…Qa4?! 19.Qxa4!
Somehow I hoped that my opponent would maintain tension in some way – after all,
he outrated me by more than 500 points! – but I have come to realize that good players
will usually play good moves.

19…Rxa4 20.bxc5! bxc5 21.Rb7 Rc8 22.Nf4

22…Kf8!
I only need to protect my knight with my king in order to free my rook, and then I’ll be
the one pushing for the full point. The game ended in a draw on move 55, after more
than four hours of fighting. We were left playing alone in the hall for some time, as we
were the last game of the round. And pretty soon after that, the next round was starting.
Again, I had no time to prepare and of course no time to check this game. Little did I
know about how valuable this would have been if I did! My next opponent was a tough
Ukrainian GM, rated 2554. At least I had White!

Nikolaos Ntirlis – Andrei Maksimenko

Odense 2012

I had no choice but to eat something quickly and rely on my roommate for a nugget of
wisdom about my opponent. After all, Jacob is one of the top chess coaches in the world,
so any such insight from him could prove to be a piece of gold. (I forgave him already for

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the confusion in the previous round.) Jacob was unable to offer any special advice about
the challenge ahead of me. He only recalled an older game of his against my opponent,
in which Jacob got outplayed and crushed. Not a great confidence-booster for me…

1.Nf3 c5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2

And you can see from my first few moves, I just wanted to play as solidly as possible.
At this point I already felt exhausted.

3…e5 4.0-0
A more flexible move order is 4.c4!? g6 (4…e4? 5.Nh4 leaves the e4-pawn too
exposed) 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.d3 when the fact that we haven’t castled might work to our
advantage. Here is one such scenario: 6…Nge7 7.a3 0-0 8.Nd2! d6 9.Rb1 a5 Otherwise
b2-b4 gives White an easy initiative.

10.Nf1! The knight went to e3 followed by d5 in Eljanov – Levitsky, Internet (blitz) 2021.

4…g6 5.d3 Bg7 6.c4 Nge7 7.Nc3 0-0

The Botvinnik System appears again! I felt lucky to have reached a position where I
could rely on my existing knowledge for a while.

8.Ne1!?
8.a3! is a more challenging way to play. Further details can be found in the
theoretical section, where we further tweak the move order by delaying d2-d3 a bit.

8…a6!?

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 The alternative is: 8…d6 9.Nc2 Be6 10.Ne3! Stopping …d5 and planning to continue
with Ned5, Rb1 and b2-b4. White may even save a tempo in this line by omitting a2-a3.
That being said, after 10…Rb8 11.Ned5 a6 Black is ready for …b5. If White plays 12.a4
the idea that I have come to appreciate better for Black is 12…a5!? as played in Kokarev
– Krylov, St Petersburg 2011.

After the text move, I got a bit worried that my opponent might sacrifice a pawn with …b5
and obtain Benko-style compensation. I’m not sure if it was really any good, but I decided
to stop it anyway.

9.Bg5!?
I briefly considered 9.Nc2!? when two moves are worth discussing:
a) I didn’t like 9…b5?! for what seem to be subjective reasons. 10.cxb5 axb5
11.Nxb5 d5 And now after 12.Be3! (not the only promising move) 12…d4 13.Bd2 White
is much better, as Black’s centre is not that impressive anymore.
b) A better option is: 9…Rb8 10.Rb1! Once again planning b2-b4 without spending a
tempo moving the a-pawn. A sample continuation is: 10…b5 11.cxb5 axb5 12.b4 d5 I
remember analysing this position after the game, in the “fear” that it might appear again
on my board in the same tournament later. However, I discovered that 13.a4!N gives
White the upper hand.

9…f6 10.Be3!?
As we saw in the notes to the previous game, 10.Bd2 is a decent alternative, and
after 10…d6 11.Rb1 Be6 I was delighted to discover a new idea which the modern
engines suggest: 12.a3 d5 13.Na4! b6 14.b4 This surprising suggestion from Stockfish

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promises White the better chances.

10…d6 11.Nc2
With the …d5 break prevented for now, I returned to my plan.

11…Rb8

12.a4?!
Not very ambitious.

12.Rb1! was stronger, and if 12…b5 13.cxb5 axb5 14.b4 White stands better.

12…Be6 13.Nd5
Black was not yet threatening …d5 as the c5-pawn would hang, but the text move is
pretty logical anyway.

13.a5!? is an ambitious approach, offering the a-pawn in order to arrange b2-b4. I won’t
spend any further time on this though, as we have already noted some earlier
improvements for both sides.

13…b5?!
This move appears natural, and it actually produces an exact transposition to the
previous game with colours reversed. Notice that White’s extra tempo has vanished, as
in the previous game the pawn went to b3 before advancing to b4, whereas here Black
played …b5 in one move. Nevertheless, the text move is a mistake!

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By now you can probably guess Black’s best move: 13…a5!N We have already pointed
out the same plan in a few different positions now. Black closes the queenside and will
later expand on the kingside, with a highly complicated game ahead. It is due to this idea
that I believe White should avoid committing the pawn to a4, and instead go for an early
a2-a3 as detailed in the theoretical section.

14.axb5 axb5 15.b3

At this point I left the board to get myself a coffee, and I saw my opponent of the
previous round looking at my board with great curiosity. He was wondering the same
thing as me: how had I managed to reach the identical position, with colours reversed
and no extra tempo for White, in two consecutive rounds?

15…Qd7
15…Bf7 was the equivalent continuation from the previous game.

16.Qd2?!
Unfortunately for me, superficiality started to kick in. I simply didn’t want to think!
Also, I regretted not having had time to look through my previous game with the engine.
If I had, I would have been able to confirm that one of the ideas I was thinking about in
the previous game would have worked well here.

The best continuation was 16.Nxe7†! Nxe7 17.Na3 with the following point: 17…bxc4?!
(17…b4 is the lesser evil, but after 18.Nb5 Black will have to sac the exchange and be
slightly worse; he cannot really afford to allow Ra7 [or Ra6] followed by Qa1.)

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18.dxc4! White stands clearly better after this key move which I had missed. (I
considered the ‘automatic’ 18.bxc4 Bh3 and thought I might be at some risk following the
exchange of the bishops and an attack with …f5-f4; the position is objectively balanced
though.)

16…bxc4! 17.Nxe7† Nxe7 18.bxc4 Rfc8!?

Protecting c5 in order to be able to play …d5.

18…Bh3 is the soundest move but I guess it looked too dry for my opponent, and his
choice was certainly vindicated by the further course of the game.

19.Rfb1 Rxb1† 20.Rxb1 d5 21.cxd5 Nxd5

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22.Rc1?!
22.Na3! would have kept control and challenged Black to find enough activity to
compensate for his inferior pawn structure. The text move threatens Na3, but of course
my opponent took his chance to seize the initiative.

22…Nxe3 23.Qxe3
23.Nxe3 can be met by 23…Bh6 or 23…c4. In both cases White is still not worse,
but I didn’t like the look of it.

23…c4 24.dxc4 Rxc4

Black is completely fine and even has a slight initiative. White still shouldn’t be in real
trouble, but a few moves later I foolishly sacrificed my queen for an non-existent attack,
and lost without much of a fight.

I hope that these two games showed you some useful ideas in the Botvinnik structure.
One of the important points to take away is that you don’t necessarily need to strive for
an objective advantage in these lines. Just knowing a few main plans and manoeuvres
proved to be enough for me, with my sub-1900 rating at the time, to get some advantage
against an IM and a GM. If I can put pressure on these guys, then believe me, you easily
can as well!

Move Orders in the Botvinnik

The previous examples have shown that knowledge of a few key ideas, such as Ne1-c2

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for White, and the blockading …a6-a5 for Black, can count for quite a lot in the Botvinnik
structure. However, to make the absolute best of our chances, we should consider the
optimal timing of certain moves.

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 e5

6.0-0
One could make an argument for delaying castling, but overall I’m happy with this
choice.

It’s worth mentioning an interesting alternative:

6.d3!? Nge7 7.h4!?
Roiz recommends this quirky idea. I found it intriguing but my analysis indicates that
it doesn’t quite work.
If White wishes to delay castling, then 7.Nd2 d6 8.a3! is worth considering, as in the
Eljanov game quoted earlier. However, we will see that there is a plus side to leaving
the knight on f3 for a while. (It’s also worth noting that the immediate 8.Nf1 allows
Black to obtain quick counterplay with 8…a6 9.Ne3 Rb8 followed by …b5.)
7…h6 8.h5 g5
The point of White’s move order is the following interesting sacrifice:

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9.Nxg5!? hxg5 10.Bxg5
I’d love to make this idea work, but Black should be fine with accurate play.
10…f6 11.h6 fxg5 12.hxg7 Rxh1† 13.Bxh1 Kf7 14.e3 Kxg7 15.Qh5

15…d6!
Black had a good game in Nihal – Erigaisi, Internet (rapid) 2021. (Roiz only considers
15…Qh8 as played in Christiansen – Saric, Warsaw 2021, which was not too bad for
Black, but not optimal either.)

6…Nge7
Vigorito, in his Chessable course, gives a move order with 6…d6, with the idea to

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meet 7.Ne1 with 7…Be6! 8.d3 Nge7 aiming for a quick …d5. We will see in the
theoretical section that Black’s move order is of little concern to us, as long as we keep
the knight on f3 for now.

7.a3!?
I’d like to make Black worry about b2-b4 as soon as possible.

7.d3 0-0 8.a3! is likely to come to the same thing.

7…a5
If Black avoids this, the b2-b4 sacrifice will be powerful, as shown in the theoretical
section.

8.d3 d6 9.Rb1 0-0

10.Bd2!
This is my main recommendation, although I will briefly discuss a few alternatives in
the theoretical section. The main point of the recommended move order is to gain some
value from the knight on f3. For the time being, Black cannot comfortably develop the
bishop to e6, as Ng5 could be annoying. If Black prepares the bishop development with
…h6, we can proceed with the Ne1-c2 manoeuvre, having provoked a slightly
suboptimal move by Black on the kingside. No matter how Black proceeds, we have a
simple plan of preparing b2-b4, and we will maintain at least a slight edge in all
variations.

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 Theory Section

A) 2…Nf6 147
B) 2…Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 150
B1) 5…Nh6 150
B2) 5…e6 6.h4! 151
B21) 6…d5 152
B22) 6…h6! 7.e3 153
B221) 7…d5!?N 154
B222) 7…Nge7 156
B3) 5…e5 6.0-0 Nge7 7.a3 160
B31) 7…d6 161
B32) 7…a5 8.d3 d6 9.Rb1 0-0 10.Bd2! 162
B321) 10…h6 164
B322) 10…Rb8 165
B4) 5…d6 6.0-0 167
B41) 6…Rb8!? 168
B42) 6…Bf5 7.h3! 171
B421) 7…Qd7 172
B422) 7…e5 173
B423) 7…Nf6 174

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3
We will briefly look at some independent possibilities after A) 2…Nf6, before covering
the main topic of B) 2…Nc6.

A)2…Nf6 3.g3! d5

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3…g6 was covered in the previous chapter.

3…Nc6 is discussed via 3…Nf6 in the notes to variation B below.

4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Nc6

5…e6 6.0-0 Nc6 7.d4 will be covered under the Queen’s Gambit Declined move
order in Chapter 13.

5…g6 6.d4 Bg7 (6…cxd4? 7.Qxd4 messes up Black’s coordination) 7.e4! is better for
White. A nice example continued:

7…Nb4 8.d5 f5 9.a3 fxe4 10.axb4 exf3 11.Qxf3 cxb4 12.0-0 Black had considerable
problems in Rawlinson – Higgie, England 2020.

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6.d4
A nice little move that avoids the well-developed theory after 6.Nc3 Nc7 (or 6…g6).

6…cxd4
6…e6 7.0-0 is another transposition to Chapter 13.

7.Nxd4 Ndb4
Black doesn’t have many choices: both 7…e5? 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.0-0 and 7…e6?
8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.0-0 give us a clear advantage due to Black’s weak queenside structure.

8.Nxc6 Qxd1† 9.Kxd1 Nxc6

9…bxc6 10.Bd2 Nd5 11.Nc3 gave White a pleasant structural edge in Roeder –
Bousmaha, France 2009. (11.Na3!?N is a tempting alternative.)

10.Bxc6†
This exchange should offer a small but risk-free edge.

10.Be3!? is a decent alternative, keeping the bishop pair and aiming for a slight initiative.
10…Bd7 11.Nc3 g6 (11…0-0-0 12.Ke1 e5 was seen in Kramnik – Kasparov, Frankfurt
2000, and now 13.f4!?N would have carried out White’s main strategic idea at a good
moment.)

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12.Ke1! Bg7 13.Rc1 Artemiev has recently played this position online a few times.
White’s plan is f2-f4 followed by Kf2. Black has some problems to solve, but 13…h5!
14.f4 h4 is a good antidote, as seen in Roiz – Leko, Budva 2019. The position is still
interesting but ultimately I think Black should be fine.

10…bxc6 11.Be3
The bishop pair isn’t too powerful and we have good chances to exert lasting
pressure.

11…g6

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 11…a5 12.Kd2! e5 13.Rc1 is a useful regrouping to remember. 13…Rb8 (13…Bb4†
can be comfortably met by 14.Nc3 followed by breaking the pin with a2-a3.) 14.b3 Bb4†
15.Kd1 0-0 16.Bd2 White kept a slight plus in Rakhmanov – Inarkiev, Douglas 2019.

11…e5 is a popular and logical choice but 12.f3! is a good answer, preparing to walk the
king to f2. After the further 12…Bb4 13.a3 Ba5 14.Nd2 White kept an edge in Gonda –
Wagner, Germany 2014, with Rc1 coming next.

12.Nc3 Bg7 13.Rc1 Be6 14.b3 Bxc3

14…0-0-0† 15.Ke1 was pleasant for White in Csom – Iskov, Esbjerg 1980. The king
will settle on f2 and Black’s queenside weaknesses remain.

14…h5 15.h4 doesn’t change much. For instance, 15…0-0 16.Na4 and Black was under
pressure in Petrosian – Pinter, Las Palmas 1982.

15.Rxc3 a5

16.a4
A decent alternative is 16.a3 0-0 17.Kc2 Rfd8 as played in Bernadskiy – Popilski,
Internet 2020. From here I would suggest 18.f3N when White maintains a slight pull, and
sooner or later will carry out Smyslov’s plan as shown in the main line below.

16…0-0 17.Kc2 Rfb8 18.Kb2 Rb7 19.Ka3 f6 20.Rb1 Bd5 21.Rb2 Kf7 22.Bd2 g5
23.Rc5 Rab8

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24.b4
I love the way the former World Champion prepared this advance.

24…axb4† 25.Rxb4 Rxb4 26.Bxb4 g4 27.a5

Black remained under pressure in Smyslov – Huebner, Velden 1983.

B) 2…Nc6 3.g3 g6

3…Nf6 4.Bg2 will transpose one way or another. For instance, 4…e6 (4…d5 5.cxd5
Nxd5 is variation A above) 5.0-0 d5 6.cxd5 and now both 6…Nxd5 and 6…exd5
transpose to the respective parts of our Queen’s Gambit Declined coverage.

4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3

We will cover the rare B1) 5…Nh6, followed by B2) 5…e6, B3) 5…e5 and finally the
flexible B4) 5…d6. The central theme is that if Black does something weird, White can
get a good position by seizing the centre with e2-e3 and d2-d4. Another useful move is
b2-b3, but it’s not always needed. Just keep a flexible mindset!

5…a6 6.0-0 Rb8 (6…d6 7.e3 is similar) 7.e3! b5 8.cxb5 axb5 9.d4 cxd4 10.exd4 b4
11.Ne4 was Donchenko – Storey, Internet (blitz) 2018, showing how Black’s early
queenside activity can be thwarted by central play.

5…b6 should be met by 6.0-0 Bb7 7.e3, as mentioned in the Introduction, where we saw

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White getting an effortless advantage by advancing in the centre. 7…Bxc3!? 8.bxc3 f5 is
one way for Black to take the game in a different direction, but it’s not a good idea. A
high-level example continued:

9.d4!? (9.e4 is the more common reaction, which is also highly tempting.) 9…Nf6 10.d5
Na5 11.Nd2 0-0 12.e4 fxe4 13.Re1 Black was checkmated before move 30 in
Ponomariov – Short, Madrid (rapid) 2016.

B1) 5…Nh6

6.0-0

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 6.h4!? is an interesting approach which looks tempting, as Black cannot play …h6 or
…h5, although I must point out that the engines are not impressed with White’s concept.

6.d4!? cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nxd4 8.Bxh6 Bxh6 9.Qxd4 0-0 10.0-0 Bg7 11.Qe3 is a well
established line, which is a bit more comfortable for White. However, Black has the
slightly annoying option of 11…Bxc3!? 12.Qxc3 Rb8 followed by …b6 and …Bb7, when
White only had a small advantage in Shimanov – Antipov, Sochi 2019.

6…Nf5
6…0-0 7.b3 Nf5 8.e3 transposes.

7.e3!
Keeping the knight away from the d4-square.

7…0-0 8.b3
The bishop clearly belongs on b2.

8…a6 9.Bb2 Rb8?!

9…b5 is more accurate, as the pawn clearly cannot be captured. Nevertheless, after
10.d3 Rb8 11.Qd2 White kept a slight edge in Rodriguez Cespedes – Blanco Fernandez,
Colon 1993, as the f5-knight seems misplaced. (11.Qe2!?N is also sensible.)
The present position was reached in Svidler – Al Tarbosh, Internet (blitz) 2020. A
powerful continuation is:

10.g4!N 10…Nh6 11.d4!

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 11.h3 f5 offers Black decent counterplay.

11…cxd4 12.exd4 Nxg4 13.d5

White has amazing compensation for the missing pawn.

B2) 5…e6

We already spent some time looking at this move in the Introduction, when we saw
how White could exert slight pressure in a symmetrical position. Now it’s time to look at
my main recommendation, which is more ambitious.

6.h4!
We can best understand the value of this move if we compare the alternative: 6.0-0
Nge7 7.e3 0-0 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 d5 (9…Nxd4 10.exd4 d5 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 exd5
is the Sipila – Smith game from the Introduction, where White continued with 13.Be3 –
but if Black’s pawn was on h6, White could afford to develop the queen actively on b3, as
a subsequent …Bxd4 would leave the h6-pawn hanging.) 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Nxd5 Nxd4
12.Nc3 Nc6

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 We reach a symmetrical position where the extra tempo gives White a modest edge.
13.Bd2 seems best, when 13…Rb8! is Black’s most accurate choice, as played in
Mannanov – Glushenkov, corr. 2015. I believe that Black should be okay, although the
position is hardly a dead end for White. If we imagine for a moment that White continues
with 14.h4 and Black responds with 14…h6, White is getting the most out of this pair of
moves. In this specific situation though, Black should simply ignore the h-pawn with
14…Bd7, since h4-h5 doesn’t achieve much. So, if we rewind to move 6, we can see
that we intend to provoke a slight weakening with …h6, in order to obtain a more potent
version of one of these symmetrical variations.

We will analyse two main replies. B21) 6…d5 is a principled attempt to counter in the
centre, but B22) 6…h6! is Black’s soundest reply.

6…Nge7 7.h5 gives Black nothing better than 7…d5, transposing to variation B21 below.

6…Nf6 halts the h-pawn at the cost of allowing: 7.d4! cxd4 8.Nxd4 d5 (8…0-0 gives us
the additional option of 9.c5!? with a useful pull, but we can also simply castle and
transpose below, as Black hardly has a better idea than …d5.) 9.cxd5 exd5 (9…Nxd5?!
10.Nxc6! bxc6 11.Bg5!N shows another advantage of the h2-h4 move, and after
11…Qc7 12.Rc1 White is clearly better.) In Kryakvin – Shariyazdanov, Voronezh 2019,
White should have continued with:

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10.0-0N 10…0-0 11.Be3 Reaching a typical IQP scenario which is slightly more
comfortable for White. (11.Qa4!? also deserves attention.)

6…h5 is sometimes played, but it seriously weakens the g5-square. 7.d3! It makes sense
to abandon the e2-e3/d2-d4 plan in favour of developing the bishop to the newly
weakened square. 7…Nge7 8.Bg5 d5 This is practically forced, as other moves would
allow the unpleasant Ne4. 9.0-0 0-0

10.a3!? (10.Qc1 and even 10.Rc1!? are good alternatives: in all cases, White maintains a
pleasant edge. In the game we are following, Black immediately allowed an interesting
tactic.) 10…b6 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Nxd5! Qxd5 13.Bxe7 White picked up a pawn for

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questionable compensation in Iturrizaga Bonelli – Soumya, Sharjah 2018.

B21) 6…d5

7.h5!
Black’s central play can safely be ignored. The pawn on h5 is a source of unpleasant
tension for Black, as we can take our time before deciding whether to push the pawn to
h6 or exchange and open the h-file.

7…Nge7
7…g5? 8.h6! Nxh6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.d4 is nasty for Black. (10.d3 is also strong.)

7…d4?! 8.Na4 is also problematic for Black. For example, 8…Qa5 can be met by 9.a3
followed by Rb1 and b2-b4.

7…dxc4?! is also pointless because 8.Qa4 regains the pawn with a great position for
White.

8.d3 dxc4
If Black plays something else, White will continue with moves like Bd2 and Qc1, with
the more pleasant game. Therefore Black usually chooses to remove the queens, but the
resulting position is still comfortably better for White.

9.dxc4 Qxd1† 10.Nxd1 b6

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11.h6 Bf6 12.Bg5!?
This ensures that Black will remain with long-term weaknesses on the dark squares.

12…Bxg5 13.Nxg5 Bb7 14.Ne3 Nf5

We have been following Adams – Wei Yi, Wijk aan Zee 2016. My improvement is:

15.Rd1!N
This paradoxical move leads to serious challenges for Black.

15…Nfd4

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 15…Nxe3 16.fxe3 is of no concern: the d4-square is covered and Nxf7 is a serious
threat.

16.Ng4!
Next comes e2-e3 and White enjoys a comfortable edge.

B22) 6…h6!

This is Black’s best, but now we will be able to aim for a more attractive version of
the Sipila – Smith game.

7.e3
We will analyse two continuations: B221) 7…d5!?N is untested but deserves to be
considered, while B222) 7…Nge7 is Black’s usual choice.

B221) 7…d5!?N 8.0-0!

I consider this the most ambitious move.

At first I was attracted to 8.d4!? due to some nice possibilities if Black exchanges on d4,
but 8…dxc4! is an annoying option which leaves White with little hope of an advantage.

8.cxd5 exd5 9.d4 is a natural continuation which leads to an interesting game. I found
that Black can obtain enough counterplay by sacrificing a pawn in the ensuing IQP

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structure, but Black needs to play accurately.

8…dxc4
Taking the pawn seems most natural. I considered three other options:

8…d4? 9.Ne4 hits the c5-pawn, and 9…b6 10.exd4 cxd4 11.d3 leaves White with a
dream reversed Benoni.

8…Nf6 9.d4! cxd4

9…dxc4 10.dxc5 followed by Nd2 is better for White.
10.Nxd4 0-0
10…Nxd4?! 11.exd4 dxc4 12.b3! followed by Ba3 is an instructive continuation,
highlighting the problem for Black in not yet having castled.

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11.b3!
The bishop will cause problems from a3.
11…dxc4
11…Qa5 does not help in view of 12.Bd2! when the engine finds nothing better than
retreating the queen to d8.
12.Ba3 Re8 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Bxc6 Bd7 15.Bxa8 Qxa8 16.bxc4
Black’s compensation is not enough. For instance:
16…Bc6 17.Rc1 Rd8 18.Qc2

White intends Rfd1 next, and Black doesn’t have any sort of an attack. For example:
18…Bh1 19.f3 Bxf3 20.Be7 Rd7 21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.Qf2

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 White is winning.
The other natural continuation is:
8…Nge7 9.cxd5 exd5 10.d4

10…b6!
Black has nothing better:
10…cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.exd4 favours White, as mentioned in the notes to
Black’s 10th move in variation B222 below.
10…c4?! 11.b3! is even worse for Black.
11.dxc5!?
Simplest, but not the only way to create pressure.
11.Ne2!? 0-0 also gives us good prospects after 12.Bd2 or 12.b3 followed by Bb2.
The c5-pawn is a constant concern for Black.
11…bxc5 12.Na4 c4 13.Bd2
Followed by Bd2-c3. White stands better, as Black’s pawns have lost their dynamism
and Black’s dark squares may become weak after the exchange of bishops.

9.Qa4 Qa5
9…Nge7 10.Qxc4 Qa5 is the same thing.

10.Qxc4 Nge7
Black’s position is playable, but we do have a certain practical advantage of being
able to determine the character of the ensuing battle.

11.d4!?

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 I will take this active continuation as our main line.

11.Ne4 wins a pawn and forces Black to play for compensation, which may not be
everyone’s cup of tea. 11…0-0 Obviously Black can’t afford to allow a check on d6.
12.Qxc5 Qxc5 13.Nxc5 b6 14.Ne4 Ba6 Black has enough compensation to retain the
balance, but this could still be worth considering against the right opponent. Best play
continues:

15.Rd1! Be2! 16.Re1 Bd3 17.Nc3 e5 18.Bf1 Nb4 19.b3 The position remains balanced,
but White is starting to unravel and Black needs to deal with the threat of Ba3.

11…cxd4 12.Nxd4

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 12.exd4!? 0-0 13.Bf4 is another decent option leading to equal play, but White having
more freedom. A logical continuation is: 13…Nd5 14.Be5 Bd7 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.Qe2!

White wants to play Rfc1 and Ne4. If Black gets greedy with 16…Nxc3 17.bxc3
Qxc3, then 18.Rab1! gives White enduring pressure. A sample line continues 18…Rab8
19.h5! g5 20.Rfc1 Qa5 21.Rc5 Qc7 22.Ne5 Be8 23.Qb2 which Stockfish evaluates as a
large advantage for White.

12…0-0!
12…Nxd4?! 13.exd4 Bd7 14.Bf4! gives White the freer play, and Black will need to
take great care.

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13.Rb1!
It’s generally useful to shift this rook away from the diagonal of the g7-bishop. More
concretely, b2-b4 is now a big positional threat, so Black’s next move is practically
forced.

13…Nxd4 14.exd4
These IQP positions with the strong bishop on g2 are not easy to handle for Black.
The best option given by the engines is:

14…Bd7
Sacrificing the b7-pawn would not be an easy decision to make.

15.Bxb7
Another decent option is 15.Qc5!? Qxc5 16.dxc5 with chances to utilize the mobile
queenside majority in the endgame.

15…Rab8 16.Qa6
White can claim a tiny edge. We have looked fairly deeply at this line which has
never been seen in practice and found that, although Black can more or less equalize
with accurate moves, the positions are generally more difficult to handle for Black in
practical play.

B222) 7…Nge7

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 Black develops harmoniously and prepares to castle.

8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 d5

Neither 9…0-0 10.0-0 nor 9…Nxd4 10.exd4 leaves Black with anything better than
playing …d5 in the near future, transposing to the lines below. Other moves avoiding …
d5 are legal of course, but in that case White can generally count on a pleasant game
with a strong bishop on g2 and extra central space.

10.cxd5 Nxd5
Black has a couple of playable alternatives:

10…Nxd4 11.exd4 Nxd5

It’s logical for Black to invite the exchange of the second pair of knights.
11…exd5 12.0-0 0-0 13.Bf4 gives White a pleasant edge. Black’s h6-pawn is slightly
weak, and the c3-knight is more active than its counterpart on e7.
12.0-0
12.Nxd5 exd5 13.Qb3!? is another good option.
12…0-0

13.Re1!?N
Possibly the most accurate, although White has other good options.
13.Qb3 Ne7 was seen in Carlsen – So, Abidjan (blitz) 2019. White could now try
14.Re1!?N or 14.d5!?, with a tiny edge in either case.
13.Nxd5 exd5 14.Qb3 is also fine of course, and White was eventually able to grind
out a win in Keinanen – Agopov, Sastamala 2021. It’s similar to the Sipila – Smith

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 game from the chapter introduction, but the placement of the pawns on h4 and h6
clearly helps White.
13…b6
Black has nothing better.
14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Bf4 Be6 16.Qd2 h5 17.Bf1
The bishop can jump to b5 or a6 to annoy Black. Once again, it’s the epitome of a
risk-free edge for White.

Black may also try:

10…exd5
This is Svidler’s proposal in Lifetime Repertoire: The Grünfeld Part 2.
11.0-0 0-0

12.Re1!?N 12…Re8
12…Nxd4?! 13.exd4 Be6 14.Bf4! gives us an improved version of the line below, as
Black’s rook is still on f8 rather than e8.
13.Bd2
Another interesting idea is: 13.h5!? g5 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Bd2 The position is
objectively about equal, but it seems to me that Black is the one who will have to play
more accurately to prove it. White can easily improve with moves like Rc1 and Na4,
followed by playing on the queenside dark squares.
13…Nxd4 14.exd4 Be6
Svidler assesses the position as equal and mentions that Black intends …Qd7 next. I
suggest continuing with:
15.Bf4!? Qd7 16.Be5
Black’s position is solid but White’s active pieces attack the d5-pawn while their

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counterparts defend it. Most games will end in draws with reasonable play, but White is
more comfortable and can continue to probe while taking little to no risk.

11.0-0 0-0
11…Nxd4 12.exd4 0-0 has been covered via the 10…Nxd4 move order in the notes
above.

12.Bd2
This was Carlsen’s choice. Exchanging on c6 to damage Black’s structure is less
good than it may appear, but two other moves deserve attention:

12.Re1!?N 12…Nxc3 13.bxc3 Qa5 14.c4! is a computer-generated line that ends up

being 0.00 after deep analysis, but Black has to play more precisely to reach that point.

12.Rb1!?N
This is a cool new idea, but Black seems to be able to equalize with precise play.
Still, you could certainly consider it. My analysis continues:
12…Bd7
12…Nxd4 13.exd4 is a logical alternative, when 13…Qb6! is Black’s best. Still, after
14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Be3 Be6 16.Qd2 the weakness of the h6-pawn enables White to
win a tempo in order to play Rfc1 and Rc5, putting Black under slight pressure.
13.Nxc6 Bxc6 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Bxd5

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15…Qxd5!
15…exd5 is met by 16.b3 followed by Bb2 when Black still has to work to equalize.
16.Qxd5 exd5
Black is just in time to take the c-file, so White doesn’t really have a convincing way
to exert pressure against the isolated pawn.

12…Nxd4
We are following a high-level blitz game in which Wesley So chose this natural move.

12…h5?! is too slow in view of 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.Bc3 with a pleasant advantage.

12…Nde7 13.Nxc6 Nxc6 14.Ne4!? is promising for White. Next we intend Bc3 or Qb3,
and if 14…Bxb2 15.Rb1 Bg7 16.Qe2 we have extremely strong queenside pressure. Our
ideas include Rfd1 or Rfc1 followed by Bc3 to exchange bishops and weaken the enemy
kingside.

Another instructive continuation is: 12…Nxc3 13.Bxc3 Nxd4 14.exd4! Place the c8-
bishop on d5 and Black would have a dream position, but as things stand Black is under
some pressure. Our rooks can quickly come to the centre and a timely d4-d5 will open
things up. Meanwhile, Black’s development is not so easy. For example, the natural
14…Rb8 is met by 15.Qa4 a6 16.Qa3 intending Rfd1 and d4-d5, and there are also ideas
such as Bb4-d6 that Black will have to worry about.

13.exd4!?

321
 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.exd4 Be6 15.Qb3 is another option, with the usual slight pressure
for White.

13…Ne7
The alternative is: 13…Qb6 14.h5!? (14.a4!? is another idea, intending a4-a5, and if
14…Qxd4 15.Qc1 h5 16.a5 White has a lot of pressure for the pawn, with Rd1 or Ra4
coming next.) 14…g5 15.Nxd5 exd5 16.Bc3 White is for choice, with the easier practical
play. One idea is a4-a5, and we can also play on the kingside with Kh2 followed by f2-f4.

We have been following Carlsen – So, Internet (blitz) 2020. White’s most accurate move
seems to be:

14.Re1!N
White has the initiative and Black needs to be careful. It’s the usual story where if
Black defends accurately in the next three to five moves, the resulting position will be
close to equal. We cannot avoid the nature of these positions – but in a practical game,
Black is not out of danger yet.

14…Qb6
14…Qxd4 15.Qe2 gives White tremendous compensation for the pawn.

14…Nf5 15.d5! also maintain a healthy initiative for White.

15.d5!?
15.a4!?N is a decent alternative. For example, 15…Nf5 16.a5!? (16.d5!? is another

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idea) 16…Qxd4 17.Ne4 and White is ready to develop a serious attack. A computer-
generated line goes:

17…Rb8! 18.Qf3!? Qxb2 19.Reb1 Qc2 20.Rc1 Qb2 White can continue the fight with
21.Rab1!? Qa2 22.Bb4 Rd8 23.Nc3 although the engines claim that after 23…Qc4
24.Ne4 Qa2 both sides should settle for the repetition.

15…Nxd5

16.h5! g5
16…Nxc3 17.Bxc3 g5 18.Qf3 gives White a promising initiative for the pawn.

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17.Bxd5! exd5 18.Nxd5 Qxb2 19.Rb1 Qd4
19…Qxa2 20.Bc3 Bxc3 21.Nxc3 is extremely scary for Black, with Nd5-f6† coming.

20.Ne7† Kh8

21.Nxc8
21.Qc2 also leads to interesting play. White intends either Rb3 or Re3, threatening
Bc3. The engines give their usual 0.00 but I think White has dangerous practical
compensation.

21…Raxc8 22.Be3 Qc4! 23.Rxb7 Qxa2 24.Bxa7

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 Despite the simplifications, Black remains under pressure. White intends Ree7, Qf3
and perhaps Qf5. It’s not unreasonable to imagine that the f7-pawn might drop at some
point. With careful play Black should be able to hold, but White can press without risk.

B3) 5…e5

We learned quite a lot about the Botvinnik structure in the chapter introduction, and
now it’s time to combine those concepts and thematic manoeuvres with a precise move
order.

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6.0-0
Another intriguing idea is 6.d3 Nge7 7.Nd5!? planning Bg5, and if 7…h6 8.Nd2
White has interesting prospects. Modern engines like this approach, but there haven’t
been any high-level games yet. You saw it here first!

6…Nge7
6…d6 is Vigorito’s move order but it doesn’t really change anything, as 7.a3 a5 8.d3
Nge7 transposes to variation B32 below.

7.a3
This isn’t forced, but I like the idea of forcing Black to worry about b2-b4 as early as
possible. We will analyse B31) 7…d6 followed by the more reliable B32) 7…a5.

B31) 7…d6

This allows us to offer a promising pawn sac.

8.b4! 0-0
White also gets a dangerous initiative against Black’s other tries:

8…cxb4? is not really a serious option, as 9.axb4 Nxb4 10.Ba3 gives White an
overwhelming initiative.

8…Be6?! is too risky due to: 9.Ng5! The maximalist approach is fully justified. (9.d3 h6

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10.Rb1 is the calm alternative which offers a pleasant edge.) 9…Bxc4 10.d3 Be6
11.Nxe6 fxe6 12.bxc5 dxc5 13.Bg5 Black was in trouble in Novikov – Kharlov, Moscow
2004. White follows up with Ne4 and enjoys amazing compensation for the pawn.

8…h6 can be met by 9.Rb1 (9.Ne1!? is also promising) 9…Rb8 10.d3 0-0 11.Nd2 as
seen in Bocharov – Tregubov, Riadh (blitz) 2017. White enjoys strong queenside play
and may continue with Nd5 next.

An interesting, concrete approach is: 8…e4!? 9.Ng5 (9.Ne1 f5 [or 9…d5 10.bxc5!]
10.Bb2 0-0 11.d3 is a promising alternative.) 9…h6 10.Ngxe4 f5 This is Black’s point, but
it’s no problem.

11.bxc5! fxe4 12.cxd6 Qxd6 13.Nxe4 This occurred in Wang Yue – Nepomniachtchi, St
Petersburg (rapid) 2012. The engines favour White, who will continue with Rb1 and d2-
d3. With three healthy pawns versus a piece, material is not a problem. Black has no
central pawns remaining, and Black’s open kingside could become problematic as well.

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9.Rb1!
There are other good moves, but it’s useful to exert some pressure on the b-file and
stop the c8-bishop from moving.

9…f5 10.Ne1 Rb8 11.d3

We have accomplished everything we could wish for in this system, and there’s no
need to memorize anything further. However, it’s worth playing through an example in
order to understand the position a bit more deeply.

11…h6
11…b6 12.Bg5! Qd7 13.b5 Nd4 14.a4 Ne6 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Nd5 Qd8 17.Rb3
followed later by Ra3 was the instructive continuation of Leela – Stockfish, engine game
2020.

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12.Nc2 b6 13.Ne3 Kh7
This is always a useful prophylactic move after …f5.

14.Bd2
White now is ready to play Ned5, possibly followed by b4-b5 and then pushing the a-
pawn.

14…f4!? 15.Ned5 Nxd5 16.Bxd5 Ne7

We have been following Szerlak – Simek, corr. 2019. My preference would be:

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17.Be4!?N
My idea is to follow up with f2-f3 to secure the kingside, then develop our initiative on
the queenside. Here is a sample line:

17…Ng8!?
Preparing to challenge the bishop, but we can safely ignore it.

18.f3 Bh3 19.Re1 Nf6 20.Kh1!

Threatening gxf4 or g3-g4 at the right moment, while on the other flank we can
advance with a4-a5.

B32) 7…a5

This solid move is the main line, but Black weakens the b5-square and generally
loses some flexibility on the queenside.

8.d3 d6 9.Rb1 0-0 10.Bd2!

Let me remind you that the key point here is to make a useful developing move while
leaving the knight on f3 for as long as possible, so that Black will have to spend a tempo
on …h6 in order to develop the bishop safely to e6. We will aim to carry out the b2-b4
advance, obtaining at least a small, stable edge.

10.Bg5 f6 11.Bd2 has been discussed in the notes to my game against Maksimenko.
White has reasonable chances, but the disadvantage of this move order is that it allows

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the bishop to be developed comfortably on e6.

10.Ne1 is thematic, but it also allows 10…Be6 without delay. Then 11.Bg5 f6 12.Be3 is
somewhat annoying for Black, but a path to equality exists:

12…b6! 13.Nc2 (13.Nd5 Rb8 14.b4 axb4 15.Nxe7† Nxe7 16.axb4 Qd7 also seems okay
for Black.) 13…d5 14.cxd5 Nxd5 This position has been reached in several games. The
paradoxical 15.Bxd5!N 15…Bxd5 16.b4 offers White a symbolic edge, but it’s nothing
special.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that I had great fun analysing the modern idea of 10.b3!?
Rb8 11.Bb2 (11.e3!? is also possible) 11…h6 12.Nd2! intending a flexible set-up with e2-
e3, perhaps followed by Nd5, Qe2 and f2-f4, with rich and interesting play. I explored
some lines where White allows Black to play …b5 and even provokes …b4 in order to
play along the open a-file. I wish I had enough space to analyse all the interesting
alternatives in the English Opening! But in any case, interested readers can carry out
their own investigation and practical testing of this interesting new direction.

Black has two main ideas: B321) 10…h6 and B322) 10…Rb8.
It’s also worth mentioning the possibility of:
10…Be6
Despite the presence of the knight on f3, this move is not completely out of the
question. I think the most accurate reply is:
11.Qc1!
Preventing …h6 and keeping the possibility of Ng5 in reserve.
11.Ng5 is obviously playable, and in fact Black has nothing better than 11…Bc8.

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 Then 12.Nb5 is the best try for an advantage, threatening Ne4, but 12…Nd4!?N
seems more or less okay for Black.
11…f6
Preventing Ng5, but ideally Black would prefer not to have to resort to such a move.
11…d5? 12.Ng5! would be disastrous for Black.
11…f5 allows 12.Ng5N 12…Bc8 13.f4!? with some advantage for White.
11…Nd4 was played in Varga – Kislik, Budapest 2010, when 12.Nxd4!N 12…cxd4
13.Ne4 would have been best. Now b2-b4 is coming, and Black is unable to play …
h6, so it’s necessary to chase the knight immediately with: 13…f5 14.Ng5 Bc8 15.b4
h6 16.Nf3 axb4 (16…Kh7 17.bxa5 Nc6 18.Ne1! Nxa5 19.Nc2 followed by Nb4-d5
gives White a big advantage.) 17.Bxh6! bxa3 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Rb3 a2 20.Qb2 We
will enjoy a clear structural advantage after regaining the a-pawn.

12.Nb5 Rc8 13.e4!?

Preventing …d5 once and for all.
13…Kh8 14.b4
Black was under pressure on the queenside in Feustel – Kunsztowicz, Bad Neuenahr
1980.

B321) 10…h6

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11.Ne1
There’s no reason to delay this manoeuvre any longer. The knight has done its duty
on f3, having provoked Black’s previous pawn move.

11…Be6 12.Nd5
12.Nc2?! d5 is comfortable for Black.

12…Rb8
Black has no better way of meeting our b2-b4 plan.

13.b4 axb4 14.axb4 b5!

Other moves lead to big problems for Black:

14…b6?! 15.b5! Nd4 16.e3 Ndf5 17.Nc2 (The engine likes 17.Nc3!N even more, but the
text move is simple and good.) 17…Nxd5 In Vogel – Schmoll, Hilden 2004, White could
have kept a clear advantage with 18.cxd5N 18…Bd7 19.Na3! intending Qb3, Nc4 and
Ra1.

14…cxb4 is well met by: 15.Nc2! b5 16.Ncxb4 Nxb4 17.Bxb4

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17…Nxd5 (No better is 17…bxc4 18.dxc4 Nc6 [18…Re8 19.Qd2 also maintains the
pressure for White] 19.Ba3 Rxb1 20.Qxb1 f5? 21.Rd1 and Black’s position was
collapsing in Leyva Rivera – Alvarez Pedraza, Havana 2007.) 18.cxd5 Bg4 In Daskevics
– Lafuente, Chalkidiki 2003, the simple 19.h3N 19…Bf5 20.Qb3 followed by Ra1 would
have placed Black under terrible pressure, due to the long-term weaknesses on b5 and
d6.

15.bxc5 bxc4 16.Rxb8 Qxb8 17.dxc4 dxc5

After a few forcing moves, we reach an important position where I was able to find a
useful improvement over existing practice.

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18.Bc3!N
18.Nd3 can be met by 18…Qd6! (18…Rd8?! 19.e4 Qa7 20.Qa1 Qxa1 21.Rxa1 was
great for White in Prusikin – Kordts, Nuremberg 2004) 19.e4 Nd4 and Black was doing
okay in Cutillas Ripoll – Pirs, corr. 2015.

18…Rd8 19.e4 Qd6 20.Nd3

We have a magnificent knight on d3, and whenever the black knight goes to d4, our
bishop will take it. For example:

20…Nd4
20…f5 21.f3! keeps control.

21.Bxd4 cxd4 22.c5 Qd7 23.Nb6 Qb5 24.Qc2 Bb3 25.Qe2 Be6!
Black’s last two moves were directed against Rb1. If we can activate the rook, we will
easily increase our initiative.

26.Rc1 Nc6

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27.Qd1! Bb3
Once again, anything else would allow Rb1.

28.Qd2 Be6 29.Bf1!

White continues to press.

B322) 10…Rb8

Black makes a useful move and avoids making any commitment on the kingside.
Since Black has avoided …h6, there is still some value in keeping the knight on f3 to

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discourage …Be6. Therefore I suggest playing on the queenside with:

11.Nb5! d5
11…b6 and 11…h6 both allow 12.b4 with an easy initiative for White.

12.cxd5 Nxd5
Usually Black can count on a safe position after carrying out this central break, but in
this particular situation we can cause Black some problems.

13.Qb3! Nc7
13…Be6? is obviously no good due to 14.Ng5.

13…Nde7
This is a thematic retreat in these position, but here it runs into concrete problems.
14.Qc2 b6 15.b4
Black is already under some pressure. A good example continued:
15…axb4 16.axb4 Nd4
16…Nxb4N might be the lesser evil, although 17.Bxb4 cxb4 18.Rxb4 Nd5 19.Rbb1
Be6 20.Rfc1 leaves White with lasting pressure due to the better pawn structure and
control of the important queenside squares.
17.Nfxd4 cxd4 18.Na7! Bg4?!
18…Bb7N is preferable although 19.b5 still favours White.

19.b5! Qd7 20.Nc6

White already had a winning advantage in Gukesh – Mohamed, Paracin 2018.

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14.Nxc7 Qxc7 15.Qb5!
Attacking c5 and thus gaining a tempo for the following pawn break.

15…b6 16.b4 axb4 17.axb4

One way or another, Black will be left with a long-term queenside weakness.

17…Nxb4
17…Bd7 is met by 18.Qc4! cxb4 (or 18…Be6 19.Qh4 with the threat of Ng5) 19.Rfc1
and Black remains under pressure.

18.Bxb4 cxb4 19.Qxb4

The b-pawn is a clear target for us. We are following a high-level correspondence
game in which Black was able to hold the draw by making skilful use of the bishop pair,
but this would be far from easy for practical players. Let’s see a few more moves:

19…Re8 20.Ng5 h6 21.Ne4 Be6 22.Rfc1 Qa7 23.h4 Red8

In Cakl – B. Thompson, corr. 2019, White rushed to take over the a-file. I would
prefer:

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24.Bf3!?N
Forcing Black to consider the possibility of h4-h5 to weaken the light squares. A
possible continuation is:

24…f5 25.Nc3 Bf8 26.Qb5

We maintain the better pawn structure as well as potential attacking chances against
Black’s airy kingside.

B4) 5…d6

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6.0-0
We will consider the quirky B41) 6…Rb8!? followed by the somewhat more natural
B42) 6…Bf5.

6…Nf6 is perfectly playable of course, but 7.d4 will transpose to one of the lines under
variation B of Chapter 5.

6…e5 7.a3 is the Botvinnik System which we have just covered.

6…e6 is playable but slightly illogical, as one of the attractive features of the …e6/
…Nge7 set-up is the possibility of gaining central space with …d7-d5. We could consider
trying to exploit this with a plan with a2-a3 and b2-b4, but the simplest option is our
typical 7.e3, when 7…Nge7 8.d4 0-0 9.Re1! was mentioned in the notes to Sipila – Smith
as favouring White.

6…Qd7?! This plan (with reversed colours)is a trendy way for White to play the English
these days, planning to fianchetto the second bishop as well, but playing it a tempo down
is asking too much of Black’s position. 7.e3! Bxc3 Otherwise d2-d4 gives us an effortless
advantage. 8.bxc3 f5 (8…b6 9.e4 is clearly better for us.) 9.e4! We saw something
similar in the note on 5…b6 at the start of the theoretical section. 9…fxe4 10.Ng5 White
was much better in Meszaros – Paschall, Budapest 2018.

6…Bd7 is a solid but slightly passive option. We should meet it with our typical plan:
7.e3! Nf6 (7…Bxc3?! 8.bxc3 f5 gave White a strong initiative with the typical 9.e4! in
Karlsson – Larsen, Ostersund 1992.) 8.d4 0-0 9.b3 The typical follow-up: we intend to
put the bishop on b2 and then think about d4-d5 with a good Benoni. 9…a6 10.Bb2 Rb8
Black sensibly prepares counterplay with …b5.

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11.dxc5! dxc5 12.Qe2 White had a pleasant edge in M. Gurevich – Gulko, Rockville
2012. Black has the more passive pieces and we will be first to get a rook to the open d-
file. We also have ideas such as Ng5-e4, or even Na4, to remind Black about the loose
c5-pawn.

A final alternative is:

6…Bg4!? 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Bxf3

8…e6
Trading off the bishop for the knight is one of those ideas which has been played in a
bunch of older games on the database, but I only paid proper attention to it after Vidit

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 achieved a 3/3 score with it in a match against P.H. Nielsen in an online blitz event in
2021. Soon afterwards, it was adopted by Dominguez followed by some other GMs
too. Black’s concept is interesting. Black wants to play …Nge7, 0-0 and …d5, with an
active and harmonious position.
8…Qd7 9.Bg2 e6 is a similar idea which Vachier-Lagrave tried in a blitz game in
2020. White’s best reply is 10.a3! Nge7 11.b4! as played in Taylor – J. Cooper,
Daventry 2019. Together with the e3/d4 plan, this queenside expansion is a great
weapon in these lines where Black develops in an unorthodox way. In the event of
11…cxb4 12.axb4 Nxb4 13.Ba3 White clearly has a dangerous initiative in return for
the missing pawn.
9.a3!?
Nielsen opted for the prophylactic 9.Bg2 in all three of the aforementioned games,
and after 9…Nge7 Vidit was able to carry out his desired plan of …0-0 and …d5.
There is no need to retreat the bishop so soon, and we have more productive ways
to spend a tempo.
9.d3!? Nge7 10.Bd2 was a slower approach which also gave White some edge in So
– Dominguez Perez, Internet (rapid) 2021.
9…Nge7 10.b4
White had the more pleasant game in Helis – Wojcieszyn, Katowice 2010. Notice that
the last move is not a real pawn sacrifice, as if Black takes on b4, the b7-pawn hangs.
White is now ready to continue with Rb1 and Bg2, enjoying a space advantage and the
pair of bishops.

B41) 6…Rb8!?

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 This flexible move supports future queenside play and also avoids any further
commitments on the kingside, so both …Nf6 and …e5/…Nge7 plans remain on the
table.

7.a3!?
The only drawback of Black’s last move is that Black is sacrificing development for
the sake of flexibility. White, on the other hand, is almost fully mobilized, so the Benko-
style gambit makes a lot of sense.

A natural alternative is:

7.e3!?
This was my recommendation against 6…Bd7 in the notes above. Despite the
obvious similarity between the two lines, this version is a slight improvement for
Black. Nevertheless, it is well worth considering the text move in order to have a
simple, secondary option up your sleeve.
7…Nf6 8.d4 0-0
For the time being Black is not worried about d4-d5, as counterplay with …a6 and …
b5 will come fast.
9.b3
9.d5?! Na5 10.Nd2 a6 gives Black a good version of a Yugoslav King’s Indian, as
e2-e3 is a waste of time. 11.a4?! would not help in view of 11…Bd7 when Black is
already slightly better.

9…Be6!
Without this move, Black’s position would be unsound.
9…cxd4 10.exd4!N simply gives White a pleasant advantage.

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10.dxc5!N
This improvement offers decent prospects for an edge.
10.d5 Nxd5 11.cxd5 Bxc3 12.dxe6 Bxa1 13.exf7† Rxf7 14.Ng5 Rf5 led to interesting
complications in Ding Liren – Vidit, Kolkata 2019, but objectively Black is for choice.
Another example continued: 10.Bb2 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Qxd4 (Also after
12.exd4 d5 13.c5 b6 Black should be fine.) 12…Nd5 13.Qd2 Nxc3 14.Bxc3 Bxc3
15.Qxc3 Qc7!? 16.Rac1 Rfc8 17.Qb2 Qa5 18.Rfd1 b5! Black took over the initiative in
Svidler – Vidit, Internet (rapid) 2020.
10…dxc5 11.Bb2
White’s set-up is not the most ambitious, but it’s a solid way of playing for a slight
initiative. Play could continue:
11…Qc8
Planning …Rd8. I suggest:
12.Ne1!? Rd8 13.Qe2
Intending to put the knight on d3.

Before moving on, it’s worth mentioning that 7.b3!? is another idea, when 7…e5!? is an
interesting reply, reaching a Botvinnik System with b2-b3, which I briefly discussed as an
interesting, modern way to play these positions as White. There is one key difference
though: here White didn’t play a quick a2-a3 to provoke …a5. In the present version,
Black has the additional plan of …a6 and …b5, which brings an extra dimension of
complexity to the battle. Again I leave it for interested readers to investigate these
positions in more detail should they wish to.

7…a6
Black plays consistently.

8.b4!
This dynamic move is the most interesting and challenging continuation.

8.Rb1!? is a reasonable alternative which has been tested in some high-level games.
Best play continues 8…Bf5! 9.d3 b5 10.cxb5 axb5 11.Nd5 Be6 and now a new move:

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12.Nd2!N My main line continues 12…b4 13.Nxb4 Nxb4 14.axb4 Rxb4 15.Nc4 Nf6
16.Bd2 Rb8 17.Na5 Rc8 18.b4, leading to a symmetrical position where White has a tiny
edge in activity, but Black should of course be okay.

8…cxb4 9.axb4 Nxb4

9…b5? 10.cxb5 axb5 11.d4 gives White a much-improved version of a typical
structure, as Black is well behind in development.

10.d4 Nc6
So far, this position has only been reached in a handful of games with White

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choosing various moves. My favourite idea is:

11.Bb2!?
After this simple move, Black already needs to be extremely careful.

11.Ra3!? is a tricky move but 11…b5!N gives Black adequate play. (On the other hand,
11…Bg4 was seen in Mrva – Pinter, Slovakia 2008, when 12.d5!N 12…Na5 13.c5!
would have been great fun for White; similarly, 11…Nf6?! 12.d5! gives White a strong
initiative.)

11…Bd7!
This is the only way for Black to meet the threat of d4-d5.
For instance, after 11…Nf6?! 12.d5 the knight cannot go to a5 because of the queen
fork on a4, and after 12…Na7 13.Ne4 White has a huge initiative.

12.Ne4!
12.d5? Na5 gives White nothing except a weakness on c4.

12…Na5!
12…Nf6 13.d5 Na5 14.Bxf6 (14.c5!? is also worth considering) 14…Bxf6 15.Nxf6†
exf6 16.Qd4 gives White more than enough compensation.

13.c5 d5
13…Nf6!? is possible although 14.d5 0-0 15.cxd6 Nc4 16.dxe7 Qxe7 17.Nxf6† Bxf6

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18.Bd4 leaves us with a pleasant edge due to our central majority and safer king.

14.Nc3!?N
14.Ne5!? is a decent practical try, as it forces Black to swap off the strong dark-
squared bishop in order to equalize. Instead Black opted for 14…Nc6?! in Veretennikov
– Kruimer, corr. 2021, when White missed a nice opportunity:

15.Nxf7!N 15…Kxf7 16.Ng5† Kf8 17.Bxd5 With an enduring attack against the black
king. If 17…Bf6 then 18.h4!? is an attractive reply, with excellent chances for White.

14…Nc4

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 14…Nf6?! 15.Bc1 is comfortably better for White, who intends Bf4 and Ne5.

15.Qb3!?
15.Bc1 Bc6 16.Bf4 Rc8 17.Qb3 e6 18.e4 Ne7 seems solid enough for Black.

15…Nxb2 16.Qxb2 Nf6 17.Ne5

The ruthless Stockfish settles on its usual 0.00 after reaching a suitable search
depth, but I think it’s fair to say White has the more pleasant position in a practical game.
The f1-rook will go to b1, and we’ll have healthy Benko-like compensation for the missing
pawn.

B42) 6…Bf5

7.h3!
The main point of this move is to restrict Black’s light-squared bishop. If Black places
the queen on d7 or c8, our king goes to h2 and a later e2-e4 may gain time against the
bishop. After the text move, Black will have to decide whether to revert to a Botvinnik
structure with …e5 or develop normally with …Nf6.

We will now go on to consider B421) 7…Qd7, B422) 7…e5 and B423) 7…Nf6.

7…Qc8 8.Kh2 is similar to variation B421. Here Black prefers to give the bishop an
additional retreat square on d7, but the queen feels a bit too passive on c8. 8…Nf6 9.d3
0-0 10.e4 Bd7 11.Be3

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 White has a useful space advantage and a generally more comfortable position. 11…
a6 12.Rc1 Rb8 was the continuation of Svidler – Dubov, St Petersburg 2017, and now
13.b3!N would have guarded the c-pawn in preparation for d3-d4. 13…b5 is the natural
reply, but then 14.cxb5 axb5 15.d4 gives White a nice initiative – the black queen is
clearly not comfortable on the c-file.

B421) 7…Qd7 8.Kh2

With the h3-pawn protected, the possibility of e2-e4 becomes rather annoying for
Black.

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8…Nf6
8…e5 has scored well for Black, but I think it’s a worse version of the normal
Botvinnik structure. 9.d3 h6 10.a3 Nge7 11.Rb1 a5 was seen in Harikrishna – Ragger, St
Petersburg (rapid) 2018. Compared to a normal Botvinnik, both sides have played some
unusual moves but the biggest difference is the misplaced bishop on f5. We can exploit
this with:

12.Ne1!N The knight heads for c2, where it supports b2-b4, and can continue its journey
to e3, gaining time against the misplaced bishop. Play may continue: 12…Be6 It looks
natural to remove the bishop from harm’s way while preparing …d5, but after 13.Nc2 d5
14.b4! White obtains a huge initiative.

9.d3 h6 10.e4 Be6

This position was reached in Caruana – So, Stavanger (blitz) 2018, and a couple of
other games. White has a few tempting continuations, but my favourite is:

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11.Ng1!N
Intending f2-f4, with a strong initiative.

B422) 7…e5

The delayed Botvinnik set-up does not impress me. The h2-h3 move does not weaken
the kingside too much, and Black’s bishop is clearly misplaced on f5, as Black cannot
play either …d5 or …f5 quickly.

8.a3 Nge7

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9.d3
The thematic 9.b4!? sacrifice is playable, but the bishop on f5 is not badly placed
after Black takes on b4, so I suggest preparing b2-b4 more patiently.

9…0-0
9…h6 10.Rb1 a5 11.Ne1! is excellent for White, just like in the note to move 8 in the
previous variation where the moves …Qd7 and Kh2 were included.

10.Rb1 a5
Black no longer has time for 10…Qd7?! because 11.g4! Be6 12.Ng5 gives us a clear
advantage.

11.Bd2!
I am happy to repeat the formula from variation B32, where we played this move with
the bishop on c8 and pawn on h2. Now we have a simple plan of Nb5 followed by b2-b4.
11…h6
This logical move prepares …Be6 followed by …d5.

11…Be6 is another idea. Just like in the analogous position with the pawn on h2, I
suggest: 12.Qc1! Keeping the Ng5 move in reserve, while preventing …h6. (12.e4!?N
could also be considered, as the extra h2-h3 move is quite helpful in the resulting
structure.) 12…f6 13.Kh2 Qd7

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 In Hackenberg – Whelan, corr. 2021, White tried 14.Ng1 followed by f2-f4. I prefer
the more thematic knight retreat: 14.Ne1!N White maintains an edge thanks to the typical
queenside attacking plan of Nc2 and b2-b4, and later the knight may go to e3 followed
by d5.

After the text move, we have a nice finesse available.

12.Nh2!
Exploiting the inclusion of the moves …Bf5 and h2-h3. Instead of manoeuvring with
Ne1-c2-e3, the knight finds another route via g4, from where it will gain a tempo by
attacking h6.

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12.Ne1 is still a good move of course, and 12…Be6 13.Nd5 followed by b2-b4 gave
White a slight edge in Fahrner – Tomitz, Austria 2010.

12…Qc8
12…Qd7 allows 13.Nd5! threatening a fork on b6, and 13…Nxd5?? is impossible
due to 14.cxd5 Nd4 15.g4 when the bishop is trapped. With the queen on c8, the same
sequence would leave the bishop with an escape square on d7.

13.Ne4! Bxh3
13…Rd8 is playable although 14.Ng4 maintains a nice edge for White.

14.Nxd6

14…Qc7
14…Qd7 15.Ne4! not only attacks the c5-pawn, but also threatens a Bxh6 trick.

15.Bxh3 Qxd6 16.Bg2

Black is not without chances, but the strong light-squared bishop gave White the
better game in Starodubtsev – Whittaker, corr. 2020.

B423) 7…Nf6

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 Black reverts to normal development and hopes to reach a position where h2-h3 is
not such a useful move.

8.d3
8.d4 is playable but 8…Ne4!? seems like a decent reply, justifying the early
development of the bishop on f5.

8…0-0 9.Be3! a6 10.Qd2

White simply develops the pieces to good squares, keeping d3-d4 as a possibility for
later. Before then, we have various possible improving moves such as b2-b3, Rad1 and
perhaps Bh6.

10…Rb8
10…b5?! does not seem justified, and after 11.cxb5 axb5 12.Nxb5 Qa5 13.Nc3 Rab8
14.Rfc1 Rfc8 15.b3 White went on to convert the extra pawn in Carlsen – Vachier-
Lagrave, Karlsruhe/Baden Baden 2019.

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11.Bh6
11.b3!?N could be a tiny refinement, preventing …Nd4 for the time being. If 11…b5
then 12.Bh6 transposes to the note below; or White could consider placing a rook on c1
or d1 first, maintaining a slight edge.

11…Nd4
11…b5 was seen in Kuzubov – Anton Guijarro, Minsk 2017, when 12.b3!?N would
have been most logical, simply improving and maintaining control. Our next few moves
might be Rad1, Bxg7 and e2-e3. White has the more flexible position and more potential
to take over the initiative.

12.Nh4!?
Avoiding the exchange for now.

12…Bd7 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.e3 Nf5

We have been following Vachier-Lagrave – Baron, Gibraltar 2020. My improvement
is:

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15.Nxf5†!?N 15…Bxf5 16.e4
A good alternative is 16.g4 Bd7 17.f4, with similar ideas.

16…Bd7 17.f4

White has the more comfortable game. Our likely plan is to build up on the kingside
with Rf2 and Raf1, before deciding which of the e-, f- or g-pawns to advance.

Conclusion

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If Black wants a sound position after 1.c4 c5, this could be the chapter to study! With that
being said, I am happy with the ideas I found for White after both Fischer’s favourite 5…
e6 and the Botvinnik structure with 5…e5. The flexible 5…d6 stands out for me as
perhaps the most challenging option to face, as White needs to be ready for a variety of
pawn structures that can occur after …e6, …e5 or even a quick …Rb8, …a6 and …b5. I
recommend making the effort to understand the ideas and plans associated with each of
these options, rather than struggling to memorize every move order.

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Andersson – Seirawan, London 1982 179
Carlsen – Gashimov, Wijk aan Zee 2012 181
Two pawn breaks 182
Andersson – Langeweg, Wijk aan Zee 1981 182
Andersson – Grünfeld, Lucerne (Olympiad) 1982 182
The Queen Sac Line 183
Exchanging Minor Pieces 184
Further Exchanges 185

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 e6 6.Nc3

A) 6…d6 187
B) 6…a6 188
C) 6…Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 189
C1) 8…Nc6 190
C2) 8…0-0 9.Rd1 192
C21) 9…Qc8 192
C22) 9…d6 10.Bg5! 194

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 C221) 10…h6!? 194
C222) 10…Nbd7 197
C223) 10…Nc6 199
C3) 8…d6 9.Bg5! a6 10.Bxf6! Bxf6 11.Qf4 202
C31) 11…Bxf3!? 204
C32) 11…0-0 12.Rfd1 Be7 13.Ne4 Bxe4 14.Qxe4 Ra7 15.Nd4 205
C321) 15…Qc8 206
C322) 15…Rc7 207

Introduction

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6!

This is by far Black’s most popular move and it makes a great deal of sense. Black
takes the opportunity to neutralize our bishop on the long diagonal. This is the gateway
to the famous system known as the Hedgehog.

4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0

Black has tried several moves from this position, but we can make a fundamental
distinction between two main Hedgehog variants:

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 1) with …e6
2) with …g6 (the Double Fianchetto)

The Double Fianchetto will be discussed in the next chapter. First, we will deal with the
…e6 lines. The cornerstone of our repertoire is the so-called Andersson System, which
arises after move 10 in the following line.

5…e6 6.Nc3
As I’ll reference this a lot in the upcoming pages, let me get this out of the way now. I
studied a lot of books and other resources when researching this book, and have studied
many chess books in my life. Very few of them have made such a favourable impression
on me as Sergey Shipov’s The Complete Hedgehog, published in 2009. It is, hands
down, one of the best opening books ever written. The age of the book is almost
irrelevant; it is still absolutely fantastic, even today. This is the reason why the name of
Shipov will be seen a lot in this chapter.

6…Be7
6…d6 and 6…a6 are other move orders that Hedgehog players have explored over
the decades. The three moves may all transpose to each other, but each one has its own
nuances, designed to avoid a particular set-up while allowing something else. We will
deal with these move orders a bit later. However, based on the historical popularity of
6…Be7, as well as the fact that both Shipov and Lysyj & Ovetchkin recommend it in their
respective books, I can confidently predict that this is the move you’ll face most often in
your own games.

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7.d4
7.Re1 is awarded an exclam by Shipov, and this was also Khalifman’s
recommendation in his famous Opening for White according to Kramnik series. Today
though, the consensus is that 7…d5! 8.cxd5 Nxd5 offers Black a healthy and ultimately
balanced position.

7…cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.Bg5!

9.e4 0-0 10.Qe3 a6 11.Nd4 Qc7 12.b3 Nbd7 13.Bb2 is the co-called Uhlmann
System for White. The board is full of pieces, so this might seem to be White’s most
ambitious option. It has been established though that after 13…Rfe8! followed by …Bf8,
…g6, …Rc8 and …Qb8, it is difficult for White to find a plan that will put Black under
pressure.

9…a6

10.Bxf6!
A concrete approach, luring the bishop away from the defence of d6.

10.Rfd1!? is a reasonable alternative which will be discussed in a note under variation C3

in the theoretical section.

10…Bxf6 11.Qf4!
White needs to play a multi-dimensional game, not only focusing on the d6-pawn, but
combining pressure on d6 with other things, such as playing on the light squares and
threatening to invade on c6. This is what Andersson’s system is about. Shipov writes that

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this is the most unpleasant continuation, and goes on at length to try and find a playable
defensive set-up for Black.

11…0-0
11…Bxc3?! 12.bxc3 is not something that should trouble us, as we will exert great
pressure on the b6- and d6-pawns.

11…Bxf3 12.exf3! is also excellent for White, as we will see in the theoretical section.

12.Rfd1 Be7 13.Ne4

The earlier exchange on f6 enabled us to gain time, which we can use to force the
exchange of the b7-bishop.

13…Bxe4 14.Qxe4 Ra7 15.Nd4

White has a small but safe edge, which will become greater if we manage to push a
pawn to b5 and plant a knight on c6. There is no real theory to remember by heart; just
the understanding of what we should be looking to accomplish. Let’s see two famous
examples.

Ulf Andersson – Yasser Seirawan

London 1982

In this game, Black played a popular Hedgehog manoeuvre of …Rc7-c5. From that

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square, the rook supports both of the important pawn breaks, …b5 and …d5, while
avoiding any disruption to the development of the other pieces.

17.a4
This is a key move in our system, as it’s clearly in our interest to stop the …b5 break.

17.e3!? is a small refinement, the merits of which will be explained in the theoretical
section, but the present game remains the classic example of White’s strategy.

17…Qc7
I love Shipov’s comment here: “Now, pay close attention to the shuffling of the white
pieces. Magic is about to begin.”

18.Qb1! Rc8 19.Ra2! Bf8 20.e3 Qe7 21.Rc2! g6

So far, we have seen both sides manoeuvring and nothing important has happened.
But with the next move, Andersson completes his regrouping and sets up his main
positional threat.

22.Qa2!!
Once you see this beautiful concept, it is difficult to forget. White is ready to play b3-
b4 and smash Black’s solid formation. Magic indeed!

22…Qg5
22…a5?! is a significant concession, inviting 23.Rcd2! followed by Nb5 with a clear
advantage.

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Shipov thinks that Black should consider 22…Bg7 and be ready to take on d4 when
White goes b4-b5. Indeed, the position after 23.b4 R5c7 24.b5 Bxd4 25.exd4 is slightly
better for White but it should be holdable for Black. However, going back a few moves,
White keeps a pleasant edge with 23.Rdc1, as given by Shipov, or with 23.Rcd2.

23.h4 Qf6 24.b4! R5c7

25.b5
25.a5!? was at least as good, if not better. But White’s choice was more thematic.

25…a5 26.Nc6! Nd7

26…Nxc6? 27.bxc6 would make Black’s rooks passive and the b6-pawn would be
weak. Black would probably have to resort to an exchange sacrifice, but it would not offer
much of a chance to save the game.

27.Rcd2 Nc5 28.Qc2 Qg7 29.f4

Black’s knight has found a good square, but the fact remains that almost every single
white piece is more active than its counterpart. White stands clearly better and, although
Seirawan fought valiantly until the end, Andersson went on to crown his brilliant strategic
plan by winning a nice game.

Magnus Carlsen – Vugar Gashimov

Wijk aan Zee 2012

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 The late Vugar Gashimov was an amazing Hedgehog expert. In this game, he
preferred to use his knight more actively than Seirawan. However, Carlsen was able to
demonstrate a drawback to this plan.

22.a4!
Once again, it’s important to ensure that …b5 will not work.

22…Rd8 23.Qa2
Carlsen of course knows the classics, so he is ready to go for the b4-b5 push.

23…Ne5
Gashimov stops b4-b5 by putting pressure on c4.

24.h3
Carlsen prepares for a timely f2-f4.

24.a5!N was actually even stronger.

24…Bf6
Gashimov plays as actively as possible.

24…Rc5 stops a4-a5, but White can instead go for 25.f4 followed by b3-b4 with tempo.

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25.Rcd2!
The potential in White’s position reaches a maximum. Now f2-f4 and a4-a5 are
threats.

25…Rc5 26.f4
26.Kh2!? would have been a bit more patient and at least as good as the move
played.

26…Ng6
26…Nd7? 27.Nc6! Rxc6 28.Bxc6 Qxc6 29.Rxd6 Qf3 30.Qf2 Qb7 31.Qg2 Qc7
32.Qd2 is a nice line offered by Carlsen, when White wins.

27.Rd3 h6 28.Qd2
Carlsen continues to improve his pieces.

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28…e5!?
Gashimov has been preparing this pawn break, but Carlsen is ready for it.

29.Nc2! b5 30.axb5 axb5 31.Na3! bxc4 32.Nxc4 d5 33.Bxd5 Qxh3

34.Qg2 Qxg2† 35.Kxg2 exf4 36.exf4

As Carlsen explains in his highly instructive ChessBase annotations, White’s pieces
are more active and the passed b-pawn is dangerous. White skilfully converted these
advantages into a win thirty moves later.

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 Two pawn breaks

In the Hedgehog, Black has two main pawn breaks: …b5 and …d5. In the Andersson
System, White’s position is designed to prevent or nullify both these breaks!

Ulf Andersson – Kick Langeweg

Wijk aan Zee 1981

22…d5 23.cxd5 Nxd5 24.Bxd5!

Please take a mental note of this move.

24…exd5 25.Rcd2
The d5-pawn is chronically weak and Andersson went on to convert his advantage.

Ulf Andersson – Yehuda Grünfeld

Lucerne (Olympiad) 1982

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22…e5 23.Ne2 b5
Here comes another pattern which is often seen when Black plays this break, and it
is the same with any positioning of the black knight. (It could be on f6, d7 or b8.)

24.axb5 axb5

25.Nc3! bxc4 26.b4

Andersson eventually converted his advantage. When we examine the theory of the
Andersson System, it will hardly be practical to mention these two pawn breaks on every
move. Familiarity with the above two patterns will make it much easier for you to

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determine whether or not either pawn break will work for Black, without having to
remember precise sequences of moves.

The Queen Sac Line

Another of my favourite books on this opening is The Hedgehog vs the English/Reti by

Lysyj and Ovetchkin, published in 2017. I had a great time reading the instructive
comments and variations offered by the authors. Their main recommendation was based
on a clever queen sacrifice with the idea to set up a fortress position. Not the most
inspiring choice, but still a practical way to play for Black, as their favoured move order
avoids a lot of White’s systems and leads to a relatively safe position. Their main line
goes:

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 e6 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 0-0 9.Rd1
d6 10.Bg5! Nc6
10…Nbd7 allows 11.Nb5! which we will examine in more detail later. For now, let’s
concentrate on the forcing continuation proposed by Lysyj and Ovetchkin.

11.Qf4!
To keep things simple, we always meet …Nc6 with Qf4 in our repertoire.

11…Qb8 12.Nb5!
Initiating a forcing sequence.

12…Ne5

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 12…Rd8?! 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Rxd6 is bad for Black, as 14…Bxb2? 15.Ng5! wins.

13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nxd6 Nxf3† 15.Bxf3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Bxb2 17.Rab1 Be5 18.c5 Qc7
19.Qe4 Qxc5 20.Rbc1 Bxd6 21.Rxc5 Bxc5
Shipov had already analysed this line in his impressive book from 2009, but there
were no practical examples until a couple of years later. His comment was that Black is
safe due to the secure bishop on c5. It is indeed difficult to find a way to break the
defence. Many GMs and correspondence players have tried in vain. However, I believe
there is a key move to unlock the puzzle:

22.Qh4!!
This move is not mentioned by either Shipov or Lysyj & Ovetchkin, and it is only
around the 7th-10th choice of the engines, but it is remarkably powerful. The idea is to
stop Black from exchanging a pair of rooks on either d8 or e7, while at the same time
interfering with Black’s plans to fortify the kingside with …h6, …g6 and …Kg7. This will
give us enough time to build a powerful attack by placing the rook on d7 and pushing the
kingside pawns. Full details will be given in the analysis section.

Exchanging Minor Pieces

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 Shipov claims that Black generally doesn’t want to exchange minor pieces in the
Hedgehog. This might seem counterintuitive, as exchanges tend to offer breathing room
to the side with less space. However, the latent energy of Black’s minor pieces is a major
source of Black’s counterplay potential: when minor pieces disappear, all that remains is
White’s space advantage. This following position is not taken directly from our repertoire,
but it’s a plausible situation which might occur if we exchange the light-squared bishops
and then play e2-e4. If White’s king and g3-pawn moved back to g1 and g2, with Black’s
b-pawn back on b7, we would actually get a position from the Moscow Variation of the
Sicilian Defence! The following continuation is actually inspired by Wesley’s So’s
recommendation for White in his 1.e4 Chessable course for how White should handle
these positions.

1.f4! Rac8 2.Kh1!?

Not strictly needed. White can start with 2.g4!?, but the king move is thematic and
you’ll soon see why.

2…Qc5
2…Qb7 is the alternative, but we can safely put our queen on g2 or f3 and continue
with our plan.

The text move is slightly trickier to meet, as Black keeps control over the 5th rank and
threatens to annoy us with …Qh5 in some lines. However, a good reply is:

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3.g4! h6 4.Qg2!
4.Rg1!? is also possible.

4…Nh7

5.h4!
White has a huge attack and, just as importantly, Black has no real counterplay. With
all that being said, exchanging minor pieces is not always a bad idea for Black, so each
case must be judged on its merits. It also depends on the pieces being exchanged. For
example, if you remove from the board the dark-squared bishops, White’s attack loses a
lot of sting, although it’s not so obvious how Black will accomplish that exchange. And as
we saw in the earlier examples, the main line of the Andersson System sees a
middlegame battle with opposite-coloured bishops and one pair of knights on the board,
leading to a whole different category of position.

Further Exchanges

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 e6 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 0-0 9.Rd1
d6 10.Bg5! Ne8
Let us recall that 10…Nc6 is the path to the queen sac, as discussed above.

11.Bxe7 Qxe7
White can obtain some edge by initiating further exchanges with:

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12.Qh4! Qxh4 13.Nxh4 Bxg2 14.Nxg2
14.Kxg2N is a worthy alternative, intending a similar advance of the kingside pawns
but with the knight coming back via f3 rather than g2.

14…Nc6
So far, we are following Larsen – Adams, Cannes 1989. The modern engines now
propose an instructive continuation:

15.f4!N 15…Na5
15…f5 can be met by 16.Rd2 followed by Rad1 and later e2-e4, when White remains
better.

16.b3 Nb7
Adams used this manoeuvre in the game, defending the d6-pawn to enable the e8-
knight to move. However, Black is still some way short of equality after:

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17.g4!
White continues with moves like Kf2 and h2-h4, followed by improving the knight with
Ne3 or even Ne1-f3. Such positions may not cause Black to lose sleep, but at the same
time they provide us with a systematic and safe way to press for a full point. As long as
we keep control of the dynamics of the position, especially the …b5 and …d5 breaks, we
will enjoy the better long-term chances.

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 Theory Section

A) 6…d6 187
B) 6…a6 188
C) 6…Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 189
C1) 8…Nc6 190
C2) 8…0-0 9.Rd1 192
C21) 9…Qc8 192
C22) 9…d6 10.Bg5! 194
C221) 10…h6!? 194
C222) 10…Nbd7 197
C223) 10…Nc6 199
C3) 8…d6 9.Bg5! a6 10.Bxf6! Bxf6 11.Qf4 202
C31) 11…Bxf3!? 204
C32) 11…0-0 12.Rfd1 Be7 13.Ne4 Bxe4 14.Qxe4 Ra7 15.Nd4 205
C321) 15…Qc8 206
C322) 15…Rc7 207

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 e6 6.Nc3

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 We will analyse A) 6…d6 and B) 6…a6, followed by the main line of C) 6…Be7.
Before we get started on those moves, let’s consider a few minor alternatives.

6…Ne4?! is a well-known idea but it makes more sense with the moves …Be7 and Re1
included, as here White is not even ready for e2-e4. 7.d4!N is a strong novelty proposed
by modern engines, with the idea to play d4-d5 soon. (A simple and good alternative is
7.Nxe4 Bxe4 8.d3 Bb7 9.d4!? cxd4 10.Qxd4 when White has a pleasant version of the
typical Hedgehog structure, as occurred in Barlov – Strikovic, La Laguna 2010.)
6…d5?!
This is another misguided move, which would make more sense if …Be7 and Re1
had been played.
7.cxd5 Nxd5
7…exd5?! 8.d4! is much better for White already; notice that Black cannot play 8…
c4? due to 9.Bg5 Nbd7 10.Ne5 h6 11.Bxf6 Nxf6 12.Qa4† and White won quickly in
Halkias – Veiga, Internet (blitz) 2020.

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8.Nxd5! Bxd5
8…Qxd5 9.d4 is also strong for White.
9.d4
Black’s position is already rather difficult. A good example continued:
9…Nd7 10.Qa4 Qc8 11.dxc5! Bc6
11…Bxc5 12.Qg4! is unpleasant for Black.
12.Qf4
In Serper – Yemelin, Novgorod 1995, Black had to resort to recapturing on c5 with
the b-pawn, when White had a huge positional advantage. Instead, if 12…Bxc5? 13.b4
White would follow up with Bb2 and a rook to the c-file, with an overwhelming initiative.

The most respectable of Black’s minor options is:

6…Nc6 7.d4
7.e4!? is the most ambitious move, but the lines can be a bit complicated and
irrational after 7…d6 with a choice for White:
a) 8.d4 can be met by 8…e5!? when even the engines get confused with the
resulting positions, which should nevertheless be favourable for White with best play.
(8…cxd4 9.Nxd4 would be a pleasant advantage for White.)
b) Maybe a smart practical idea is to start by playing 8.b3!? and only after 8…Be7
revert to the 9.d4 plan, as now 9…e5 can be met by 10.dxe5N 10…dxe5 11.Nh4!,
when Black would like to play …g6 but this does not combine well with the bishop on
e7.
7…Nxd4 8.Nxd4 Bxg2 9.Kxg2
9.Nxe6!? should also be slightly favourable for White.
9…cxd4 10.Qxd4

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 We have already discussed the reasons why Black does not really want to exchange
too many minor pieces. A nice example continued:
10…Be7 11.b3 0-0 12.Bb2 Qc7 13.Rfd1 Rfd8 14.Qd3!?
14.Rd3!? might be the objectively best continuation. White intends to double rooks on
the d-file, play a2-a4 to stop …b5 and shift the queen via e3 to f3.
14…Qb7† 15.Qf3 Qxf3† 16.Kxf3 d6
In Tal – Benjamin, San Francisco 1991, the magician from Riga played 17.Nb5 and
offered a draw. An instructive way to play for the win would be:

17.g4!N
We have seen many examples in this book where gaining space on the kingside
helps to ramp up the pressure on Black’s position, despite the simplifications. Play could
continue:
17…a6 18.e3!?
18.Rac1 allows 18…b5! due to the loose a2-pawn.
18…Rab8 19.Rac1
We can continue improving our position with moves like h2-h4 and Ne2, after which
the knight may go to d4, or g3. Notice that 19…b5 is of no concern here in view of
20.Ne2 when White is well placed to exploit the open c-file.

A) 6…d6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4!

A simple and strong idea, taking advantage of the premature move of the d-pawn.

8…Bxg2 9.Kxg2

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9…Qc7
Carlsen has played this, and I doubt that Black has anything better.
9…a6 runs into 10.Qa4†! Nfd7 11.f4! g6 12.Be3!? Be7 13.g4! 0-0 14.f5 with a strong
attack for White, as seen in Mareco – Zaragatski, Guatemala City 2020.

10.Bg5!?
10.Qa4† Nbd7 11.Bg5 transposes below.
Even if White forgets or doesn’t know about the concrete solution seen in the main
line, the simple 10.b3 Qb7† 11.f3 a6 12.e4 Be7 13.Qe2 0-0 14.Bb2 still yields an
excellent game. For example, after 14…Nbd7 there is 15.Rad1 or even 15.g4!?
immediately, like in the example from the introduction.

10…Nbd7 11.Qa4 Be7 12.Rfd1 0-0

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13.Nc6 Bd8 14.b4
With b4-b5 and Bf4 coming, White stood much better in Ponomariov – Carlsen, Wijk
aan Zee 2011.

B) 6…a6

Even though it does not weaken the c6-square like the previous move, this option
can be met in a similar way.

7.d4

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 7.e3!? is a promising option which is worth considering uniquely against 6…a6; but
since the text move works well, it makes sense to stick to one approach against Black’s
different options.

As Renier Castellanos pointed out to me, 7.Re1!? is an interesting alternative, as 7…d5

8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nxd5 Qxd5 10.d4 gives Black significantly tougher problems than the
analogous position with …Be7 played instead of …a6. However, on move 7 Black has
the option of normal development, allowing the plan of e2-e4 followed by d2-d4, and
although White can fight for the advantage there, the recommended continuation is much
simpler and more consistent with the way we meet other Hedgehog variants in this
chapter.

7…cxd4 8.Nxd4!? Bxg2 9.Kxg2 Qc8

Other moves are possible, but we will follow the same plan in any case. Here I
propose a promising novelty:

10.e4!N
10.b3 d5!N is fine for Black.
10.Qd3!? Nc6 11.b3 was seen in Karpov – Topalov, Zurich (rapid) 2009, but the engines
point out the possibility of the thematic pawn sac to ruin White’s fun: 11…b5!N Black
obtains enough counterplay in all variations.

10…Qxc4
After 10…d6 we can play 11.Be3 followed by Rc1 and a kingside attack, as
described in the chapter introduction.

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11.Be3
We have strong compensation for the missing pawn. Black is behind in development
and will have to lose further time relocating the queen to a less exposed square.

11…Qc7
11…Nc6? 12.Na4! Nxd4 13.Nxb6! is winning for White.

12.Qf3!? Qb7

13.e5 Qxf3† 14.Kxf3 Ng8 15.Na4

Black’s pieces make a sad impression stuck on the back rank. At the minimum, we
will be able to regain the sacrificed pawn while keeping a strong initiative.

C) 6…Be7

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 This is Black’s most popular and reliable choice.

7.d4
7.Re1 is a major alternative but 7…d5! 8.cxd5 Nxd5 seems to be a reliable antidote.
For instance, 9.Nxd5 Qxd5 10.d4 cxd4 11.Qxd4 0-0 and now 12.Bg5! is the only way to
create slight pressure, but Black should be able to neutralize it.

7…cxd4 8.Qxd4
8.Nxd4 Bxg2 9.Kxg2 is less effective here. Black has neither weakened the c6-
square nor spent an extra tempo moving another queenside pawn, and 9…Qc8! leaves
us with no advantage. Black is well coordinated and has a simple plan of …Nc6, …0-0,
…Rfd8 and …d5.

Black has three main options which we need to analyse: C1) 8…Nc6, C2) 8…0-0 and
C3) 8…d6.

An instructive mistake is:

8…a6?
The Hedgehog is a flexible opening, but not so flexible that Black can get away with
switching up the move order in any old way. This particular sequence suffers from a
major flaw.
9.Be3!
The attack on b6 means that Black’s reply is forced.
9…Bc5 10.Qf4 Bxe3 11.Qxe3

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 This position has yielded a score of almost 80% for White in my database and there
is a reason: Black’s dark squares are seriously weak.
11…0-0 12.Rfd1
12.Na4? b5 squanders most of White’s advantage, since 13.Nb6 Ng4 14.Qd4 Nc6
15.Qxg4 Qxb6 turns out fine for Black.
12…Bc6
12…Qc7 was seen in Schandorff – Karimov, Baku (ol) 2016, and now 13.Na4!N
would have been the right way to punish Black.
The text move prevents Na4, but allows another strong continuation:
13.b4!
As played in Biehler – Syska, Germany 1988. After the last move, b4-b5 is a
possibility at every turn. Black is under a lot of pressure and suffers from poor
coordination on the queenside.

C1) 8…Nc6

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 Despite the active appearance, this can be regarded as a super-solid continuation.
The ensuing positions are somewhat depressing for Black, but breaking the defence is
not an easy task.

9.Qf4
As mentioned earlier, our general rule in these positions is to move the queen to f4
whenever it gets attacked.

9…Qb8
The alternative is: 9…0-0 10.Rd1 d6?! (10…Qb8 11.Qxb8 Raxb8 12.Bf4 Rbc8 13.b3
transposes to the main line below.) 11.b3 Preparing Ba3, with strong pressure against
d6. 11…Qb8 is the usual reply, making room for the rook to go to d8. Here the modern
engines propose an excellent idea: 12.g4!N h6 13.Qg3 Preparing g4-g5, either with or
without the support of h2-h4, with a huge initiative for White.

10.Qxb8†!?
10.Rd1 is much more common, but I worked out a promising plan after the queen
exchange.

10…Rxb8 11.Bf4 Rc8

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12.b3!
In the following game, Black displayed a brilliant defensive scheme that I cannot
resist showing you: 12.Nb5 Ne4! 13.Rfd1 a6 14.Nd6† Nxd6 15.Bxd6 Bxd6 16.Rxd6 Ke7
17.Rad1 Rc7 18.b3 Black seems to be in bad shape, but found (or had prepared):

18…f6! Preparing to redeploy the knight on f7 after further preparation. 19.Ne1 Rb8!
20.Nc2 Bc8! With the b6-pawn securely defended, Black is ready to carry out the
planned regrouping. 21.f4 Nd8 22.e4 Nf7 23.R6d2 Bb7 Black had equalized completely
in Anand – Vallejo Pons, Linares 2005.

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12…0-0 13.Rfd1 Rfd8
13…Ba6 14.Bd6 Bxd6 15.Rxd6 followed by Rad1 was torture for Black in Buettner –
Mrkvicka, email 2011.

14.Nd4! a6
14…d5?! 15.Ndb5! a6 16.cxd5! led to the win of a pawn for White in Shishkov –
Chernushich, corr. 2014.

The text move was practically forced, as Black needed to stop the knight from going to
b5. However, we can now look to target the b6-pawn with Na4 and/or Be3.

15.Nc2
15.Na4!? Nxd4 16.Bxb7 Nxe2† 17.Kf1 Nxf4 18.Bxc8 Rxc8 19.gxf4 Rc6 20.f5!? also
offers some winning chances, but the text move seems simpler.

15…Na5
15…d6 16.Be3 Nd7 17.Rac1 leaves Black with a tough and passive defence ahead.

16.Be3 Bc5 17.Bxc5 bxc5 18.Rd6 Ne8 19.Rd2

White had a lasting edge in Vodicka – Cumming, corr. 2020, and a few other games.

C2) 8…0-0

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9.Rd1
We will analyse C21) 9…Qc8 followed by C22) 9…d6.

9…Nc6 10.Qf4 leads back to the note to Black’s 9th move in the previous variation.

C21) 9…Qc8

This rather solid continuation has been tried a few times by Grischuk, Fressinet and a
bunch of correspondence players. Black wants to play a quick …Rd8, maintaining the
possibility of …d7-d5. The b8-knight has different options, including going via a6 to c5.

10.b3
Another popular line goes: 10.Bf4 Nc6 11.Qd2 Rd8 12.Bd6 Usually the exchange of
these bishops is good news for White, but here it does not lead to anything special after:
12…Bxd6 13.Qxd6 Ne8 14.Qf4 h6! Stopping any Ng5 ideas, Black follows up with …d6
and practice has proven that the defence is super-solid. Most probably White remains a
bit better, but after studying a few high-level correspondence games from this position it
was not obvious to me how White can challenge Black.

10…Na6
10…d5?!
This has actually been the most popular continuation, but it’s an unfortunate choice.
11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Bxd5

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 White has various ways to apply pressure. My favourite idea is:

13.Qf4!N
13.Bb2 is a typical Ulf Andersson move, striving for a safe, slight edge in a
symmetrical structure. A game of his continued 13…Bf6 14.Qd2 Nd7 15.Rac1 Qb7
16.Ne1 Bxb2 17.Qxb2 Bxg2 18.Nxg2 Nf6 19.Ne3 Rfd8 and now the Swedish
grandmaster started to create some pressure with 20.Rd4!? in Andersson – F.
Olafsson, Buenos Aires 1980.
13.Bg5! is another good choice, but one strong continuation is enough.
13…Qb7
The human move, stopping e2-e4 and putting the queen out of harm’s way.
13…Bf6 14.Ba3! is good for White.
Engines give the crazy line 13…Qa6 14.e4 Bxb3 15.Ba3! Bxd1 16.Bxe7 Bxf3
17.Bxf8 Nd7 18.Bxg7 with some advantage for White.
Finally, 13…Nd7 14.e4 Bb7 15.Bb2 gives White an obvious edge in activity.
14.Bb2 Nd7 15.Rac1 Rac8 16.Rxc8 Rxc8

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17.Ng5!
Now we can see why the queen is well placed on f4.
17…Bf6 18.Bxd5 exd5 19.Bd4
White stands clearly better.

11.Bb2
White does not need to do anything ground-breaking. We simply develop our pieces
and play Rac1 next – and if Black does nothing, we will advance the g- and h-pawns.

11…d6

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 Black already needs to be careful.

11…Rd8?! 12.g4! is strong, as Black does not have time to play …d5 due to the prospect
of mate on g7. After something like 12…h6 13.g5 hxg5 14.Nxg5 White has a huge
initiative, with Qh4 the main threat.
11…Nc5 12.Rac1 Rd8 was played in Grigoriants – Medvegy, Hungary 2014, and a few
other games. White has a few promising continuations but 13.g4!?N seems most natural
to me.

12.Rac1
12.g4? is no longer a good idea due to 12…e5! when Black wins a pawn.

Preparing the advance with 12.h3!?N makes some sense, but it feels more natural and
correct to develop the last piece before attacking.

12…Nc5
It’s hard to offer good advice for Black at this point.

12…Rd8 is well met by 13.h3! Nc5 14.Qe3! as occurred in Livner – Solodovnichenko,

Sweden 2020. The idea of placing the queen here having prevented the annoying …Ng4
is worth remembering. Now Black must worry about ideas such as Nb5 and Nd5,
perhaps after b3-b4. There is also the familiar g3-g4 plan to consider.

13.b4!?
This concrete approach is objectively strong, but it’s not the only good option.

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13.Qe3 was slightly inaccurate in Carlsen – Grischuk, Internet (blitz) 2016, as
13…Ng4!N followed by …f5 would have given Black some annoying counterplay.

13.h3!?N is an excellent alternative, preparing Qe3 and/or g3-g4.

13…Nce4 14.Nxe4 Bxe4 15.Qe3!

Due to the threat of Bxf6, Black has to play an ugly move.

15…e5
15…Qb7 is met by 16.Bxf6 when Black must lose the d6-pawn, as …gxf6 would
weaken the kingside too much.

After the text move I think the most practical continuation is:

16.h3!N
Keeping control of the position and maintaining a pleasant edge.

16.Nh4!? Bxg2 17.Nxg2 has been played in a correspondence game but I would prefer
not to allow 17…Qh3 18.f3 h5!? when Black will be able to create some counterplay with
…Nh7 and …h4. White is objectively better, but in practice things could become tricky.

C22) 9…d6

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10.Bg5!
Black has three main options: C221) 10…h6!?, C222) 10…Nbd7 and C223)
10…Nc6.

We talked about 10…Ne8 in the introduction under “Further Exchanges”, where 11.Bxe7
Qxe7 12.Qh4! was the nice plan found by Larsen.

10…a6? has occasionally been played but after 11.Bxf6 Black must resort to 11…gxf6 to
avoid losing a pawn, and in the resulting position Black has no compensation for the
damaged structure and weakened king.

C221) 10…h6!?

Out of all Black’s options in the Hedgehog, this is the one that gave me the most
problems finding a suitable path for White. However, Black needs to play extremely
accurately to make it work, and even then Black will have to fight for a draw a pawn
down.

11.Bxf6 Bxf6

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12.Qf4!
The critical move.

12.Qxd6 Qxd6 13.Rxd6 Na6! gives Black enough compensation for the missing pawn, as
has been well established in practice. I analysed it myself and found no route to an
advantage.

12.Qe3 is the other option, but after 12…Be7! I could not find a way for White to apply
meaningful pressure.

12…Bxc3
12…Qe7!? should be met by 13.Rxd6!N and now 13…e5 was how Shipov tried to
make the line playable for Black. Play continues: 14.Qd2 e4 15.Nh4 Qe5 (After
15…Bxh4 16.gxh4 Qxh4 17.Qe3 f5 Shipov doesn’t mention 18.Qg3! but this looks the
most pragmatic option to me. Black can either exchange on g3 or retreat the queen, both
of which seem pretty depressing for Black.) The text move was Shipov’s main line, but
he did not consider our next move:

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16.Rxf6!? Another pragmatic approach to keep things simple. 16…Qxf6 17.Nxe4 Bxe4
18.Bxe4 The bishop can go to d5 and White stands better.

13.bxc3
We are happy to accept doubled pawns as we will pick up d6 next. Black has scored
atrociously in practice from this position, but the following new idea offers more chances
of survival.

13…Nd7!N
13…Na6 has been the usual choice but Black is struggling after: 14.Rxd6 Qe7

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15.Rad1 Rad8 (Shipov correctly points out that 15…Nc5 16.Ne5! Bd5 17.R6xd5! exd5
18.e3 followed by cxd5 is unpleasant for Black.) 16.Rxd8 Rxd8 17.Rxd8† Qxd8 18.Nd4
Bxg2 19.Kxg2 White was clearly better in Serper – Nepomnishay, St Petersburg 1995.
The extra pawn is more significant than it may appear, especially with Nc6 a possible
threat on the next move.

13…e5 14.Qd2 does not change much. For instance, 14…Na6 15.Qxd6 Qxd6 16.Rxd6
f6N 17.Nh4 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Rac8 19.Ng6 Rf7 20.h4!? h5 21.f4! and once again Black will
have to suffer.

14.Rxd6 Qe7 15.Rad1

15.Rd4!? is an interesting alternative which is endorsed by the analysis engines. Best
play continues: 15…Bxf3! White was threatening Qc7. (15…e5? is refuted by 16.Nxe5!;
15…Rac8 is possible although 16.Rad1 leaves White for choice.) 16.exf3! The bishop
can drop back to f1 to defend c4 when needed, and may later go to d3. White’s structure
is not pretty but a pawn is still a pawn, so one could certainly consider playing this
position and grinding away with White.

15…Nf6!
Black needs to rely on this clever move. It’s rather counterintuitive to send the knight
away from the ideal-looking outpost on c5, but there is a concrete point to it.

15…Nc5 transposes to 15…Nc5 in the analysis of 13…Na6 in the notes above.

16.Ne5!? Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Nd5!

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 Without this tactical trick, Black would face a difficult defence.

18.R1xd5!
Now it is White’s turn to be precise.

18…exd5 19.Rd7 Qg5! 20.Qxg5 hxg5 21.cxd5

White needs one more tempo to play Kf3 and dominate the position. The pawn can
then go to e4 and the knight to c6, with excellent winning chances.

21…Rae8! 22.Nc6 Rxe2 23.d6 Re6

23…Rd2 24.Nd4! and 23…Rxa2 24.Rc7 lead to more dangerous endgames for
Black.

24.Nxa7!
White wants to play a4 and Nb5. The best defence is:

24…f5! 25.Nc6 Rff6! 26.Rd8† Kf7 27.d7 Rxc6

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28.Rc8!
28.Rf8†?! Kxf8 29.d8=Q† Kf7 is totally fine for Black.

28…Rcd6 29.d8=Q Rxd8 30.Rxd8 Rc6 31.Rd3

We reach a rook endgame with an extra pawn for White. Best play should lead to a
draw, but White definitely has some practical winning chances connected with the plan of
walking the king towards the queenside.

C222) 10…Nbd7

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 This is offered by Lysyj and Ovetchkin as a solid secondary choice for Black.

11.Nb5! d5 12.cxd5 Bxd5

12…Nxd5? 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.e4 N5f6 15.Nd6 gives White a huge advantage.

13.Nc3 Bc6 14.Qh4!

The most ambitious move and the one that puts Black under pressure.

14…Qe8
Other moves are no better, for instance:

14…h6? 15.Bxh6! gxh6 16.Qxh6 Nh7 17.h4! gives White too much play on the kingside.

14…Qc7 15.Bf4 Qd8!? offers a repetition but 16.Qh3! is a nice way to play on,
threatening Ne5 and using the queen to recapture on g2.

14…Qc8 15.Rxd7!
15.Rac1 is a decent alternative but the text move is hard to resist.
15…Bxd7 16.Ne5 Qc7

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17.Ng4!
Black faces some difficulties, for instance:
17…Nxg4 18.Bxe7 Ne5 19.Bxa8!?
The simplest choice.
19.Rd1!? creates a ton of complications, which end up favouring White slightly, but
there’s no need to go down such a path.
19.Bxf8 Rxf8 20.Rd1 is a decent alternative though, keeping a modest initiative.
19…Rxa8 20.Rd1
Black’s light-squared bishop will be blocked by f2-f3, whereas our bishop will
dominate the dark squares from d6, possibly supported by Qd4. Black will have to suffer
for some time to make a draw.

15.Rxd7! Bxd7 16.Ne5

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16…Rd8!
16…Rc8? 17.Ne4! leaves Black without a good defence, for instance: 17…Nd5N
(17…Nxe4 18.Bxe7 Nc5 was seen in Tomashevsky – Kryakvin, Sochi 2022, when
19.Bf6!N would have been the most elegant way to win.) 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 (18…Nxe7
19.Nf6†! gxf6 20.Ng4 is a nice tactical point.) 19.Qxe7 Nxe7 20.Nxd7 Rfd8 21.Rd1 White
can unpin with Rd3 followed by Ne5 when needed, and the endgame should be a fairly
simple technical conversion.

17.Ng4! Nxg4 18.Bxe7 Ne5 19.Bxd8 Qxd8 20.Qd4 Qc7

We have been following Mustonen – Bartkus, corr. 2006. The most accurate
continuation is:

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21.Rd1!N 21…Bc6 22.Bxc6 Nxc6 23.Qd7! Rc8 24.Nb5!? Qxd7 25.Rxd7
White keeps some annoying pressure. The engines give an outstanding move as
Black’s best defence:

25…g5! 26.Nc3
White retains a risk-free advantage. Moves like Ne4 and Rb7 come to mind, while not
forgetting to improve the king at some point with f2-f3, Kf2 and so on.

C223) 10…Nc6

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 This move has become quite trendy in recent years.

11.Qf4
11.Qd3!? is a worthy secondary option, in case you don’t feel like entering the forcing
main line. 11…Qb8 12.Rac1 Rd8 was seen in Van der Sterren – Van Wely, Leeuwarden
2001, and now 13.Qb1!?N is a good move, not only putting the queen out of harm’s way,
but also preparing b2-b4 in many lines. 13…h6 14.Bf4 A complicated battle lies ahead,
but White can claim a slight edge and can creep forwards with b2-b3, h2-h3, Rd2 and so
on.

11…Qb8
Black usually opts to take the queen off the d-file.

11…Ne8 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 has been played from time to time. A good example continued:
13.Rd2 (13.Qh4!?N, à la Larsen, seems playable here as well.) 13…a6 14.Rad1

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14…Na5? (14…Rd8N is better but after 15.b3 we reach a typical situation where White
has contained all counterplay and is ready for Ne4 or even g3-g4.) 15.b4 Nc6 16.a3 The
last two moves on the queenside only helped White in Postny – Cmilyte, Helsingor 2009.

12.Nb5!
Initiating a forcing sequence.

12…Ne5
All other moves are worse:

12…d5?! is never played, and 13.Bxf6! gives us a big advantage.

12…Rd8?! is well met by: 13.Bxf6! Bxf6 (13…gxf6? 14.Qg4† Kh8 15.Qh5 was horrible
for Black in Krivonosov – Putka, Panevezys 2020.) 14.Rxd6 Bxb2 15.Rad1 Bf6

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 Shipov analyses this variation and correctly gives 16.Ng5! as leading to a decisive
advantage for White, with Nxf7 ideas in the air. (Stockfish has it at +5 for White.)

It’s also worth pointing out that White’s advantage does not entirely depend on fancy
tactics: for example, the simple 16.Rxd8†!? Nxd8 17.Rd7 gives White a big advantage in
activity, and Nc7 is a serious threat.

13.Bxf6! Bxf6 14.Nxd6 Nxf3† 15.Bxf3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Bxb2

Black has no real choice but to regain the pawn.
16…Qc7? 17.Qb3! leaves White a pawn up for no real compensation, with Ne4 the

407
likely follow-up.

17.Rab1 Be5
17…Bf6? 18.c5 is horrible for Black.

18.c5 Qc7 19.Qe4! Qxc5

Black has nothing better than giving up the queen for some pieces.

19…Bxd6? 20.cxd6 Qd7 21.Rbc1 Rac8 22.Rxc8 (22.Qd4!? is similarly strong) 22…Rxc8
23.h4!? is pure torture for Black, who can do nothing but sit and wait for White to creep
forward with moves like Rd3, g3-g4 and so on. Notice that 23…Rc6? is impossible due to
24.Qxc6 Qxc6 25.d7 and White wins.

20.Rbc1 Bxd6! 21.Rxc5 Bxc5

22.Qh4!!
As we saw in the introduction, this is the key move to stop Black from exchanging
rooks.
Before we go any further, let’s see an example of what Black is aiming for: 22.Qd3
Most other moves would allow Black to swap rooks along the d-file, making the defence
easier. 22…a5 23.a4 Rae8 24.Kg2 (24.h4!? is met by 24…h5.) 24…e5 25.Qe4 Re7
26.g4 h6 27.Rd5 Rfe8 28.h4 g6

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29.e3 Re6 30.h5 g5 Black is ready to meet Rd7 with …R6e7, and White soon had to give
up trying to win in Khairullin – Lysyj, Chita 2015.

22…a5
Black will need to make this move sooner or later.

23.a4!
23.Rd7?! a4! enabled the pawn to reach a3 next, and Black easily obtained enough
counterplay to hold the draw in Trs – Andersen, corr. 2017.

23…Rae8
Black aims for the defensive set-up used by Lysyj in the earlier note. Let’s see some
alternatives:

23…Rac8 24.Rd7 g6 25.e3 Rfe8? was a careless mistake in an unpromising position,

and 26.Qf6 Rf8 27.h4 h5 28.g4! hxg4 29.h5 saw White crash through in Schaffarth – Dill,
corr. 2017.

23…b5!?N is an interesting attempt to create a dangerous passed pawn on the a-file, but
we have a nice way to counter it: 24.Qh5! Rac8 25.axb5 a4 26.Ra1 a3

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27.b6! Rc6!? (Alternatives such as 27…g6 28.Qf3 will lead to the same type of position.)
28.b7 Rb8 29.Rb1 Rc7 30.Qe5 a2 31.Ra1 Rcxb7 32.Rxa2 The queenside pawns have
been liquidated and White can press for the win for a long time, by carefully advancing
the kingside pawns.
23…Rab8N 24.Rd7 b5 is similar to the line above, but it’s worth pointing out an important
nuance in the square we choose for our queen:

25.Qg5! The point is revealed after 25…Rbc8 26.axb5 a4 27.Kg2 a3 28.Qc1! when we
will soon liquidate the queenside pawns, by playing b5-b6 if necessary.

23…Ra7!?N might be Black’s best try, aiming for the same kind of fortress as in the

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Khairullin – Lysyj example that we saw earlier. 24.Qf4! would be my suggestion, so that
after 24…Re7 25.h4! White will be able to push the pawn to h5. 25…h5? is not a solution
here as after 26.Qg5 g6 27.g4! White gets a strong attack.

24.Rd7 e5

25.Qe4!
White takes the opportunity to improve the queen, now that Black cannot play …Rd8.

25…Re6 26.Qb7
By attacking f7, White prevents the defensive plan of …Rfe8 and …R6e7.

26…Ree8 27.g4! h6 28.e3 Rd8

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29.h4
In Arnold – Caron, corr. 2017, Black managed to exchange a pair of rooks, but here
the situation is different because the kingside pawns are advancing and White was soon
able to obtain a strong attack.

C3) 8…d6

9.Bg5! a6
9…0-0 10.Rfd1 is variation C22 above.

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9…Nbd7 10.Nb5 d5 11.cxd5 Bxd5 12.Rfd1 0-0 takes us back to variation C222.

9…Nc6 10.Qf4 0-0 11.Rfd1 transposes to variation C223 above.

An independent alternative is:

9…h6 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.Qd3!
A tricky move by White, looking at both b5 and h7!

11…Bxc3
This is a solid albeit passive option for Black. Alternatives carry their own problems:
11…0-0? 12.Ng5! won material for White in Illescas Cordoba – Adams, Chalkidiki
1992.
11…a6 12.Rad1 Be7 13.Nd4! Bxg2 14.Kxg2 0-0 15.f4! gave White potent attacking
chances in Drasko – Novoselski, Medulin 1983.
11…Na6!? is possible, although 12.Nb5 d5 13.cxd5 Bxd5 14.Nc3 Nc5 15.Qb5†!
Qd7 16.Nxd5 exd5 17.Qxd7† Kxd7 18.Rab1 left White with a pleasant endgame
playing against the IQP in Schuster – Loinjak, corr. 2011.
12.Qxc3 0-0 13.Rfd1 Qc7

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14.b3!?N
I find this to be a useful and flexible move, although White can preserve a slight edge
with any sensible continuation.
14…Rd8 15.Nd4 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 a6 17.a4
17.Qf3 Nd7 18.Nc6 Re8 19.b4!? is another strong approach.
17…Nd7 18.e4 Rab8 19.Qe3
Black will have to defend passively for a long time.

10.Bxf6!
We steer the game towards the Andersson System, as discussed in the chapter
introduction. The point of this quick exchange is to lure Black’s bishop to the f6-square,

414
leaving the d6-pawn short of defenders and following up with a timely Ne4 to force the
exchange of the b7-bishop.

It’s worth having a quick look at the alternative:

10.Rfd1 Nbd7!
Black is ready to recapture on f6 with the knight. In general this makes Black’s life
easier, but the position is still rich in possibilities. For example:
11.Bxf6
Decades of practice have demonstrated that it is not possible to gain anything by
attacking the d6-pawn. For example: 11.Qd2 Preparing Bf4 without allowing a fork
with …e5. 11…0-0 12.Bf4 Ne8 13.Rac1 Rc8 14.b3 h6! The final little detail, depriving
White’s pieces of the g5-square. Now Black is ready for the typical manoeuvre of
…Qc7-b8, preparing …b5, which may be further supported by …Bc6. Black’s
position is unbreakable!
Another possibility is 11.Nd2!? Bxg2 12.Kxg2 Rc8!? 13.Nde4 Rc6 when Black
defends harmoniously. Play may continue 14.Nxf6† Bxf6 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.Ne4 Nxe4
17.Qxe4 Qc7 followed by castling and preparing the …b5 break, when Black should
be fine.
11…Nxf6 12.Na4!? Rb8
Black might be tempted into 12…b5 when White has good chances for a small edge
after 13.cxb5 axb5 14.Nc3 Bc6 15.a3, although 15…Qb8!N 16.Qd3 b4! enables
Black to equalize with a few more accurate moves.

13.c5!?
This pawn sacrifice could be an excellent weapon against an unprepared opponent,
as Black needs to find a series of accurate moves. Best play continues:

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13…dxc5! 14.Qe5 Bd5 15.e4 Nxe4 16.Qxg7 Bf6 17.Qh6
As Shipov puts it, “the cost of the mistake is higher for Black.” Interested readers are
invited to explore this in greater detail for themselves.

10…Bxf6 11.Qf4
Again we choose this square for the queen. We will consider C31) 11…Bxf3!?
followed by the main line of C32) 11…0-0.

11…Be7 12.Rfd1 followed by Ne4 will transpose to variation C32 below, and 11…Ra7
12.Rfd1 Be7 13.Ne4 Bxe4 14.Qxe4 0-0 leads to the same outcome.

C31) 11…Bxf3!?

This is awarded an exclam by Shipov, which shows his urge to find a simple solution
against the Andersson system, but modern engines reveal that the position is more
dangerous for Black than was previously thought.

12.exf3!
This has been the least popular of the three possible recaptures, but it’s the strongest
choice. Our plan is to drop the queen back to e3 and attack on the kingside.

12…Ra7
12…Nc6N is Shipov’s novelty which hasn’t been tested yet in practice. 13.Rad1 Be7
14.Qe3! Shipov looks at the queen move to e4, but there is no reason for us to deviate

416
from the plan shown in the main line below. The added advantage of having the queen
on e3 is shown in the line 14…Rc8 15.f4 g6 16.Na4! when Black is already in serious
trouble.

12…0-0N 13.Rad1 followed by Qe3 and f2-f4 is the same story.

13.Rad1
13.Rfd1 has been more popular but I would prefer to keep a rook available for
kingside attacking purposes. Notice that we do not fear the exchange on c3, as Black’s
b6- and d6-pawns would be much weaker than our doubled c-pawns.

13…Be7?!
This was played by the young Carlsen in 2009.
13…Rd7 is a slight improvement although 14.Qe3 still favours White, and we can
follow up with the same ideas as in the main line below.

14.Qe3!
Preparing to push the f-pawn, activating the g2-bishop and creating threats on the
kingside.

14…0-0 15.f4 g6 16.h4

16.g4!?N is a strong alternative.

16…Nd7
16…h5 would be quite a concession and the black kingside is not really secure, as

417
White always has the possibility of f4-f5, and if …gxf5 then Ne2-f4 when Black’s position
could soon be in ruins. White can do this immediately, but the objectively strongest
approach would be to continue strengthening the position with a patient move such as
17.b3!? followed by Rfe1 and perhaps Ne2-d4. Sooner or later, White should be able to
break through with a timely f4-f5 or g3-g4 break, or even a piece sac on e6.

17.h5!N
17.Ne4!? Nf6 18.Ng5 followed by Bh3 and Nxe6 was seen in Kramnik – Carlsen,
Moscow (blitz) 2009, where Black collapsed pretty soon after the sacrifice. Engines,
being annoying as always, say that this is equal, but in a human competition, it’s obvious
that the position is more dangerous for Black than for White. Still, the text move is
objectively much stronger.

17…Nf6 18.Bf3
White’s attack is extremely dangerous.

C32) 11…0-0

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 This is the main line. Now we follow the forced sequence shown at the start of the
chapter introduction.

12.Rfd1 Be7 13.Ne4 Bxe4

13…e5? seriously weakens the light squares, and 14.Qe3 is much better for White.

14.Qxe4 Ra7 15.Nd4

As we learned in the chapter introduction, White needs to know a few key ideas to
play the position well, and doesn’t actually need to remember a lot of details. Before we
go any further, it’s useful to categorize the material according to the different ideas Black
may try. In the next few moves, Black may:

• put the queen on c5

• put the rook on c7 and queen on c8
• leave the knight on b8 for now, looking for a chance to activate it later
• consider playing …a5 when White is ready to advance the b-pawn to b4

Now let’s look at some specific lines after the two main options of C321) 15…Qc8 and
C322) 15…Rc7.
15…Rd7 can be met in a few ways, the simplest being 16.Qd3!? to rule out any …d5
ideas, followed by our usual plans. (It’s worth mentioning in passing that White was
successful with 16.Bh3!? followed by Nxe6 in Bu Xiangzhi – Pelletier, Khanty-Mansiysk
2009, but 16…d5!N 17.cxd5 Rxd5 would have been okay for Black. Pelletier gives
18.Rd3 in his annotations to the game, but Black has 18…Rd6! defending the sensitive
e6-pawn, and although Black remains a bit passive, White has no clear way to achieve

419
anything concrete. Nevertheless, the idea of Bh3 and sacrificing on e6 is worth keeping
in mind, and we will see it cropping up a few times in the lines that follow.)

C321) 15…Qc8

16.b3 Qc5
This is the top choice of modern engines, and it’s no accident that this is one of the
favourite defences among correspondence players. However, Black’s set-up does have
one drawback: Black doesn’t actually threaten …b5, so in many lines White will not be
obliged to play a2-a4, which can prove to be significant.

17.Rac1!
After 17.a4 Black showed a nice idea with 17…Qe5! 18.Qb1 a5! in Maksimenko –
Staniszewski, Katowice 2010. Black has not yet fully equalized, but it’s a bit less obvious
how we will continue our build-up.

17…Rc7
Now after 17…Qe5, as played in L. Carlsson – Morrison, Stockholm 2017, White can
simply play 18.Qb1N intending b3-b4, and if 18…a5 19.a3 White is doing well.

18.e3
This is always a useful move to strengthen our position. White is now ready for the
typical regrouping with Qb1, Rc2 and so on.

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18…Qa5
18…Rfc8?! gives us a perfect opportunity for 19.Bh3! followed by taking on e6 with
one piece or the other.

18…Re8 can be met by 19.Qb1 when we already threaten b3-b4.

After 18…Qa3 I suggest a slight modification of our plan with 19.Rc2!, keeping our queen
centralized while the black queen is situated well away from the main theatre of
operations. 19…Rfc8 was played in White – Evans, corr. 2007, and once again 20.Bh3!N
would have been strong, with a promising sacrifice on e6 coming.

19.a4!
White can also play 19.Rc2 Re8 20.Rcd2 Bf8 21.Qb1 but the issue here is that if b3-
b4 comes, Black has …Qa4 with some counterplay. Thus, the a2-a4 move is genuinely
useful here.

19…g6!
A difficult move to find, but it is absolutely needed!

After something like 19…Re8? White’s threat is revealed: 20.Nxe6! fxe6 21.Qxe6† Kf8
(21…Kh8 22.Rd5 wins after 22…Rc5 23.Qf7 or 22…Qb4 23.Be4.) 22.Rd5 Qb4 23.c5!
with a crushing initiative.

The point of Black’s last move is to make the g7-square available to the king after the

421
sacrifice. However, it invites us to soften up the kingside with:

20.h4! Rfc8
20…Re8 21.Bf3!? Bf8 22.Kg2!? Nd7 23.Qb1! seems promising to me. White may
play h4-h5 next and if 23…h5 24.Nc6! Qf5 (24…Qc5 25.b4 is worse) 25.Qxf5 gxf5 26.b4
Black remains under pressure.

21.Rb1!?
21.Bh3!?N is a worthy alternative. In general, this idea always comes into
consideration when Black has placed a rook on d7 or c8.

21…Nd7 22.Nxe6! Nf6!

22…fxe6? 23.Qxe6† Kf8 24.Bd5 Ke8 25.Qf7† Kd8 26.Qxh7 is hopeless for Black.

23.Nxc7 Nxe4

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24.Nd5! Re8 25.Bxe4
The upshot of the combination is that White has full material parity for the queen,
along with perfect piece coordination.

25…Bd8 26.Rd4 Qc5 27.b4 Qc8 28.b5 a5 29.Rbd1

White was dominating the entire board and went on to win in the high-level game
Romanov – Norrelykke, corr. 2007.

C322) 15…Rc7

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 This has been Black’s most popular choice.

16.b3
16.Rd2 was the move order of the Carlsen – Gashimov game from the chapter
introduction, based on the simple tactical point of 16…Rxc4? 17.Nxe6. White will need to
play b2-b3 at some point though, and in the game Carlsen went on to post his rooks on
d1 and c2 anyway, resulting in the loss of a tempo. Thus, there is no reason to deviate
from the simple main line.

16…Rc5
Other moves exist but they do not really change the evaluation. For instance,
16…Re8 can be met by 17.a4 or 17.e3 when White continues with all the usual moves.

17.e3!?
The advantage of this unusual move order is that we give Black an extra chance to
go wrong by taking premature action on the queenside.

17.a4 is the usual move, and after 17…Qc7 18.e3 we reach the same position as in the
main line below. (18.Ra2 and 18.Qb1 are also fine, and likely to transpose after a few
more moves.)

17…Qc7
17…d5? 18.Qg4 is horrible for Black.
17…Nd7? is also bad because 18.Nc6! Qe8 19.b4 Nf6 20.Nxe7† Qxe7 21.Qd4 wins at
least one pawn.

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17…b5? is the more plausible freeing move Black might be tempted to try. It’s a mistake
due to: 18.cxb5 axb5

19.Qb7! Bf6 20.b4! Black was losing a valuable pawn in Nikolaou – Ilandzis, Athens
2014.

18.a4
Now it makes sense to prevent …b5.

18…Re8
18…Nd7? allows a clever tactic: 19.b4! Rxc4 20.Nxe6! and White is much better.

18…d5!? 19.cxd5 Rxd5 is a possible attempt to free Black’s position, but there is still a
noticeable difference in piece activity between the two sides. 20.Bf1!? is a tricky move,
threatening Nxe6. 20…Re5 was played in Anreiter – Flitsch, corr. 2005. My suggestion
for White would be:

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21.Qa8!? White is not yet threatening Bxa6 because of …Ra5, but after Rb1 and b3-b4
the threat is there, as well as b4-b5 or a4-a5. By the way, if you prefer not to think about
the possibility of …d5 at all, you can simply opt for the 17.a4 Qc7 18.Qb1 move order
mentioned above, with e2-e3 to follow later.

Another example continued: 18…Rc8 19.Qb1 (19.Bh3!?N is also worth considering.)

19…Bf6 20.Ra2 Rd8 21.Rc2

21…d5!? Black tried to break free with this move, but 22.Rdc1! Rc8 23.cxd5 Bxd4
24.Rxc5 Bxc5 25.b4 was an instructive sequence leading to a clear advantage for White
in Matamoros Franco – Dvirnyy, Forni di Sopra 2011.

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19.Qb1
Although the …d5 break was not really a threat yet, this queen retreat is part of our
plan anyway.

19.Ra2!? gives Black the option of 19…d5, but 20.cxd5 Rxd5 21.Qb1 Rd6 22.Rc2 Qd7
23.Rdc1 intending Rc7 was good for White in Svacek – Stalmach, corr. 2012.

19…Nd7?
Activating the knight looks natural but is a big mistake. Black is also struggling after
other moves though:

19…Bf8?! 20.Bf1! threatens b3-b4, and if 20…a5 we play 21.Nb5 with gain of tempo,
followed by Ra2-d2 when Black is under significant pressure.

19…Bf6N seems like the best try although the typical plan of 20.Ra2 g6 21.Rc2 gives
White a stable advantage. Notice that we are already threatening b2-b4, as exchanges
on c4 would enable us to trap the black queen with Rc1.

The text move allows a clever tactic:

20.b4! Rxc4 21.Bf1

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21…Ne5
Black has nothing better, as 21…Rc3 22.Bxa6 gives White a huge advantage.

22.Bxc4 Nxc4 23.b5

Black had nowhere near enough for the exchange in Lipka – Zvara, Czech Republic
2008.

Conclusion
If Black wants to play a fighting game while starting from a solid foundation, the
Hedgehog is an excellent choice – especially with the excellent book by Shipov to learn
all the details from! The good news for us is that White is also assured of a rich battle.
Our weapon of choice is the Andersson System, the main line of which sees us exert
lasting pressure on Black from a position of safety. Arguably the toughest line to meet is
the queen sac line, as covered in variation C223. Here you need to be ready for a forcing
sequence, followed by the critical position where 22.Qh4!! is the key move. Obviously my
analysis doesn’t guarantee a win for White, but Black has no clear path to safety and we
can definitely put a lot of pressure on our opponents in the ensuing endgame.

428
The Quadruple Fianchetto 212
Rushing to attack with Qh4 213
A Better Approach: 9.Be3! 213
Karjakin’s Contribution 214
Back to the d5-square! 215

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4
A) 8…Nc6 215
B) 8…d6 9.Be3! Nbd7 10.Rac1 Rc8 11.b3 0-0 12.Qh4 a6 13.Rfd1 216
B1) 13…Re8 217
B2) 13…Rc7 219

Introduction

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6

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 This is an important alternative to the …e6 set-ups seen in the previous chapter. For
the next few moves, we will follow the same path as before.

6.Nc3 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4

This is the starting position of the “Double Fianchetto Hedgehog”. This is no less
sound than the …e6 Hedgehog, but it is slightly less popular. I believe there are two
main reasons why many players are less attracted by this version:

• The d5-square is unguarded, so Black will have to consider the possibility of a Nd5
jump at various points in the game
• White might try to develop a kingside attack with Qh4, Bh6 and Ng5

8…d6
8…Nc6!? 9.Qf4 Qb8! is a sound alternative, with Black getting ready to use the d8-
square for a rook or even the c6-knight! We’ll study this line in the theoretical section.

How should White play now? The following options are available:
• Develop the dark-squared bishop to b2
• Play an early Qh4 intending to start an attack with Bh6
• Develop flexibly before deciding whether to attack on the queenside or manoeuvre to
exploit the d5-square in some way

Let’s consider each of those possibilities.

The Quadruple Fianchetto

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1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.b3
Nbd7 10.Bb2 0-0 11.Rfd1 Rc8 12.Rac1

This is the tabiya of the quadruple fianchetto. Today it is known that Black is fine
after:

12…Rc5!
A manoeuvre known since Reti’s times. Black is ready to play …Qa8 and bring the
other rook to c8.

13.Ne1!? Bxg2 14.Nxg2

This is a typical way for White to play against the Double Fianchetto Hedgehog. The
idea is to manoeuvre the knight towards d5, via e3 or f4.

14…Nd5!
But this move initiates some forcing play which results in an equal position.

15.Qd2 Nxc3 16.Bxc3 Bxc3 17.Rxc3 Nf6

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18.f3 Qc7 19.e4 b5!
Black had enough counterplay in the model game Andersson – Portisch, Reykjavik
1991. White can try some other options along the way, but the bottom line is that the
quadruple fianchetto line yields no real advantage to White.

Rushing to attack with Qh4

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6
So, what about attacking with Qh4 intending Bh6? The issue here is that Black is not
obliged to castle into the attack. For example:

9.Rd1
9.Qh4 h6! is similar.

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9…Nbd7!
Black develops flexibly and has at least a couple of additional useful moves available
(…Rc8 and …a6) before committing the king. Once again, the immediate attempt to
attack on the dark squares leads nowhere:

10.Qh4 h6!
The white queen does not stand well, and can be hit by a timely …g5 or even …Rc8-
c5-h5!

A Better Approach: 9.Be3!

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.Be3!

433
 This is the best square for the bishop. From e3 it puts pressure on b6 (which could
be relevant after a subsequent …a6) and still keeps the option of Bh6 in the future. Also,
transferring the bishop to d4 may be a useful option if White starts building an attack on
the kingside later.

9…Nbd7 10.Rac1 Rc8 11.b3 a6 12.Rfd1

Both sides have made all the obvious improving moves, and now it is time for Black
to castle.

12…0-0
Black does not really have a good alternative, as 12.Bh3! will be a strong reply
against most other moves. Now that the g7-bishop is defended, Black threatens a nasty
discovered attack with …Nd5 or …Ne4, so we must move the queen to safety.

13.Qh4!
I believe that this move is the main reason why most Black players avoid this system,
despite the fact that in high-level correspondence games and engine analysis Black
doesn’t seem to have any great problems. White’s attack can be built with easy and
natural moves: Bh6, Ng5, Bh3, Nd5 and even g4-g5 can be played! We will see more
details in the theory section.

Karjakin’s Contribution

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.Be3!

434
Nbd7 10.Rac1 Rc8 11.b3 a6 12.Rfd1 0-0 13.Qh4!
In the 2012-2014 period, Karjakin played many games with the Double Fianchetto
and revealed to the chess world the correct way for Black to defend against White’s
assault.

13…Rc7
This is the most aesthetically pleasing move in such positions. Black is now ready to
put the queen on a8 or b8.

13…Re8 is another decent option which we will examine in the theoretical section.

Let’s consider White’s attempts to play actively on the kingside:

14.Bh3!?
14.Bh6 doesn’t lead to anything special after 14…Qa8 (or 14…Rc5).

14.g4 is also tempting, but 14…Rc8! was a remarkable idea used by Karjakin to defeat
Jakovenko in 2012, and later to draw with Topalov in the 2014 Candidates tournament.
The idea is that after 15.g5 Nh5 the Nd5 jump will not come with gain of tempo, and
Black seems to be doing fine.

14…Qb8!
Preparing the typical …b5 break.

15.g4

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 15.Bh6 b5! is also fine for Black, as Karjakin has shown more than once.

15…e6!
Black’s position has proven to be reliable in practice. If 16.Rxd6 then 16…Rxc4! and
White has no advantage. I was unable to find a way to break Black’s defence in any of
these lines. However, instead of trying too hard to prove something on the kingside, I
have something else in mind…

Back to the d5-square!

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.Be3!
Nbd7 10.Rac1 Rc8 11.b3 a6 12.Rfd1 0-0 13.Qh4! Rc7
We will meet 13…Re8 in exactly the same way, as shown in the theoretical section.

14.Ne1!
This is a simple, practical and objectively strong way to play. The knight will head
towards d5, via either g2 or d3, depending on whether or not Black exchanges on g2.
With the rook on c7, we have the luxury of gaining a tempo when the knight eventually
lands on d5, but the idea still works well against 13…Re8.

14…Bxg2 15.Nxg2

15…Re8
Other moves don’t change how White plays.

436
16.Nf4 Qb8 17.Nfd5
White has a pleasant advantage. For more details, see the theoretical section.

437
 Theory Section

A) 8…Nc6 215
B) 8…d6 9.Be3! Nbd7 10.Rac1 Rc8 11.b3 0-0 12.Qh4 a6 13.Rfd1 216
B1) 13…Re8 217
B2) 13…Rc7 219

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4
We will look at A) 8…Nc6 followed by the more popular B) 8…d6.

8…0-0 9.Qh4 is good for White. True, after 9…d6 10.Bh6 Nbd7 there is no direct win on
the kingside, but the simple 11.Rfd1 gives us a pleasant edge. The exchange of dark-
squared bishops should give us a slightly favourable version of normal lines.

A) 8…Nc6

9.Qf4!
Once again, we choose the typical square for the queen after …Nc6.

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9…Qb8!
This is Black’s best chance of equalizing.

Continuations such as 9…0-0 10.Rd1 and 9…Rc8 10.b3 enable us to develop smoothly,
and Black will be stuck in an inferior version of the normal main lines, as the knight would
prefer to be on d7 rather than c6 in such positions.

9…Na5? is a misguided attempt to provoke a weakening of the long dark diagonal. We

have the option of calling Black’s bluff with 10.b3, as any attempts by Black to win the
exchange or otherwise exploit the long diagonal enable White to obtain an overwhelming
initiative. We also have a simple and safe option in 10.Bd2.

10.Rd1
I also investigated 10.Qd2!? but found that Black is doing fine after: 10…0-0 11.Rb1
Other moves will be met by the same idea. 11…Rd8 12.e4 e6 Black was ready for …d5
with promising counterplay in Boonet – Velilla Velasco, corr. 2006.

10…Qxf4 11.Bxf4 Nd8!

This is the core idea for Black, intending to put the knight on e6 next. I found an
interesting new idea:

12.a4!?N
Utilizing the rook on a1 and highlighting the downside of Black’s knight manoeuvre.

12.Rac1 was played in Wei Yi – Le Quang Liem, Makati 2018, and a few other games,

439
but White was unable to obtain any meaningful advantage.

12…Ne6 13.a5
Black faces some annoying pressure on the queenside, which is not so easy to deal
with. The main threat is axb6 followed by Rxa8† and Na4 or Be3. Also, a5-a6 followed by
Ne5 and Nb5 can be an effective sequence in some situations.

B) 8…d6

9.Be3! Nbd7
9…0-0 10.Qh4 will surely transpose within a few moves.

10.Rac1 Rc8
10…a6 11.b3 0-0 12.Qh4 leaves Black with nothing better than transposing to the
main line below. Note that 12…b5? is too optimistic in view of 13.cxb5 axb5 14.Nd4!
Bxg2 15.Kxg2 when Black must lose a pawn for insufficient compensation, as the threat
of Nc6 is too strong.

11.b3 0-0
11…a6 12.Rfd1 0-0 13.Qh4 transposes below.

11…Nc5 is an independent alternative which has been played by Psakhis and Navara,
but I think it’s not so challenging for White. A strong continuation is: 12.Bh3! Rb8

440
13.b4!?N 13…Nce4 14.Nxe4 Bxe4 15.Rfd1 0-0 16.Qd2 White intends Nd4 with some
pressure, while Black has no real counterplay.

12.Qh4
Let me remind you that we need to move the queen as soon as Black castles,
because …Nd5 was a big threat.

12…a6 13.Rfd1
As we saw in the introduction, Black has two main options: B1) 13…Re8 and B2)
13…Rc7.

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13…Qc7?! allows 14.Nd5! and if 14…Bxd5 15.cxd5 Qb7 16.Rxc8 Rxc8 17.Nd4 Ne5
18.Nc6 Black is already in trouble, as occurred in Jahncke – Madrawski, Katowice 2017.

13…h5?! is a mistake. As explained in the chapter introduction, our chosen plan in the
main lines involves Ne1 followed by a positional strategy based around the occupation of
the d5-square. However, in response to Black’s last move we can change tack with
14.h3! Re8 15.g4 when the kingside tension is awkward for Black, and we have a few
ideas to increase the pressure, such as Bd4 or gxh5 followed by Nd5. In the event of
15…b5 16.cxb5 Qa5 17.bxa6 Bxa6 18.Bd2 leaves Black with not nearly enough
compensation for the pawn, as seen in Istrate – Boteanu, Baile Tusnad 2000.

B1) 13…Re8

14.Ne1!
Let us briefly see why direct attacking attempts were not to my liking:

14.g4 b5! offers Black enough counterplay.

14.Bh3 Ba8!
Karjakin has demonstrated in his practice that this move is reliable for Black. This
assessment has subsequently been confirmed in some high-level correspondence
games.
14…h5!? is riskier because Black’s kingside is slightly shakier now, White still hasn’t
demonstrated a concrete way to take advantage of it.

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15.g4
15.Bh6 Bxh6 16.Qxh6 b5! is decent for Black.
15…b5! 16.g5 Nh5
It is worth including a few more moves involving best play for both sides, to show the
great complexity of these positions.

17.c5! Rc7! 18.b4! dxc5 19.bxc5 e6! 20.Ne4 Bd5

Correspondence games and my own analysis indicate that the position should
ultimately be balanced, but in practical terms the position is unclear and challenging for
both sides in a human game.

14…Bxg2
14…Rc7 15.Bxb7 Rxb7 16.Nd3 Qa8 17.Nb4 Rbb8 was seen in Hilwani –
Magerramov, Sharjah 2014, when the strongest and most thematic continuation would
have been:

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18.Nbd5!N 18…Qb7 19.a4 The engine suggests some promising alternatives, but
stopping the …b5 break is simple and easy to understand. 19…Nc5 20.Rb1 White has a
safe advantage and can increase the pressure with Bg5 next.

15.Nxg2 Qc7

16.Nf4!
This is better and more thematic than 16.Bg5 Qb7, when Black was doing fine in
Kramnik – Kasparov, London (14) 2000.

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16…Qb7
16…e6 is given by Stohl, but after 17.Nh3!? White has pressure on the d6-pawn
which can be augmented by Ng5 and a knight to e4.

17.Nfd5!?
17.a4N is a decent alternative but we actually don’t need to prevent …b5 yet.

17…b5
If we are given time for a2-a4 next, we will enjoy a great game.

17…h5 was played in Ortmann – Schmidt, Germany 2009, when 18.a4!N would have
maintained a nice advantage for White, with Bd4 or Bg5 a possible follow-up.

17…e6 18.Nxf6† Bxf6 19.Bg5 Be5 20.Ne4 d5 also fails to equalize for Black either
21.cxd5 Rxc1 22.Bxc1! exd5 23.Ng5 followed by Be3.

18.cxb5 axb5 19.Qb4!

White was pressing and eventually won in the high-level game Van Unen – Krueger,
corr. 2008.

B2) 13…Rc7

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14.Ne1!
We have already reviewed White’s various attacking tries in the chapter introduction,
so now we’ll focus on my recommended approach.

14…Bxg2
14…Qb8 has been slightly more popular but 15.Nd3 is a good response, based on
the following detail: 15…Bxg2 16.Kxg2 b5

17.Nb4! White has a clear advantage since 17…bxc4? 18.Ncd5!N wins outright. (The

446
last move opens a line of sight for the rook on c1 to prevent Black from taking on b3, as
opposed to the incorrect 18.Nbd5? cxb3 19.Nxc7 b2! when Black was completely fine in
Yevseev – Giroyan, Cannes 2014.)

14…Qa8 is another possibility, when 15.Bh3!? becomes more tempting. White intends
Nd3 with the usual ideas, so 15…b5 makes sense, but 16.cxb5 axb5 17.Qb4!?
preserved a nice edge for White in Jirovsky – Pulpan, Prague 2017.

15.Nxg2 Re8
A logical alternative is: 15…Qb8 16.Nf4 (16.g4!?N also deserves consideration.)
16…e6 17.Nd3 Rfc8 (17…Qb7 18.Bf4 also favoured White in Vishnu – Azarov, Al Ain
2015.) 18.Bf4 Bf8 In Pigusov – Cvitan, Ohrid 2001, 19.Nb4!N would have simultaneously
attacked the pawns on a6 and d6, and after 19…Ra7 20.Bg5 White is doing well.

16.Nf4 Qb8 17.Nfd5

17.g4!? is another promising approach.

17…Rcc8 18.Bg5!
18.a4 keeps a slight plus but it turns out that we don’t need to prevent …b5 yet.

18…Qb7
18…b5? runs into the familiar 19.cxb5 axb5 20.Qb4! when Black will soon have to
lose a pawn.

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19.a4!
Black is already in some trouble, as the positional bind is not easy to break.

19…Kh8
Certainly not a move that inspires confidence! A simple improvement is:

20.Bh6!?N
White keeps a clear advantage and Black has no counterplay in sight.

20.g4?! proved to be inaccurate after 20…Nxd5 21.Nxd5 e6 22.Nf6 (22.Ne7 Rc7

23.Rxd6 b5 is pretty unclear) 22…Nxf6 23.Bxf6 d5! and Black escaped to safety in
Illescas Cordoba – Gelfand, Pamplona 1999.

20.Rd3!?N is also worth considering, as 20…Nxd5 21.Nxd5 gives White an improved

version of the above game, the main point being that Black cannot play …e6 here
because the Rd3 move is far more useful than g3-g4 in that scenario, and White would
be close to winning. Instead 21…f6 is forced, and although Black’s position looks ugly,
22.Be3 b5 does at least offer a bit of counterplay, although White remains better here
too.

Conclusion
Playing a Hedgehog with …g6 instead of …e6 opens up two fresh possibilities for White:
organizing a kingside attack with Qh4 and Bh6, or playing to gain control over the d5-
square. In return, Black counts on active and harmonious pieces to provide adequate

448
counter-chances. I was pretty happy when I discovered the recommended approach
starting with 9.Be3, followed later by the surprising 14.Ne1!. As we have seen, this
enables us to keep Black’s activity under control, while sending the knight towards d5
and keeping all our options open.

449
Giri – Korobov, Internet (blitz) 2020 222
Kramnik – Gelfand, Vienna 1996 226
Kramnik – Polgar, Vienna 1996 226
Meeting …a5 (continued) 227
A Key Positional Motif 228
Playing Ndb5! 229
Black’s Weak Queenside 229

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4

A) 4…e5 232
B) 4…d6 5.d4 0-0 6.Be2 234
B1) 6…c5 235
B2) 6…e5 7.0-0 237
B21) 7…Bg4 237
B22) 7…Qe8 239
B23) 7…h6!? 241
B24) 7…Na6 243

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 B25) 7…Nbd7 249
B26) 7…exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 254
B261) 9…c6 254
B262) 9…Nc6 256
B27) 7…Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 258
B271) 9…a5 259
B272) 9…Nh5 10.Re1 f5 11.a4! 262
B2721) 11…a5 263
B2722) 11…Nf6 264

Introduction

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3

This is our preferred move order for the purpose of meeting the Grünfeld; more about
that in the next chapter.

3…Bg7 4.e4
We intend to play d2-d4 next and take the fight to Black in the main lines of a King’s
Indian Defence, using a modern approach which takes the sting out of Black’s intended
kingside counterplay. Let’s start with a model example showing the kind of position we
hope to obtain out of the opening.

Anish Giri – Anton Korobov

Internet (blitz) 2020

As an introduction to the way I recommend that we challenge the King’s Indian, I have
selected this extremely instructive game. Don’t be fooled by the blitz time limit – Giri is
always well prepared and his play was exemplary up to a certain point.

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7

3…d5 takes us to the Anti-Grünfeld – see the next chapter.

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4.e4 d6 5.d4 0-0

6.Be2
We are entering the Classical Variation, which has fascinated generations and
generations of chessplayers. We should not be afraid to enter it. We should respect
Black’s counter-chances; but on the other hand, we should have an ambitious mindset in
order to succeed against the King’s Indian. It is not that difficult – please stay with me…

6…e5 7.0-0 Nc6

Black has tried many other options here, as well as a few on the previous move. For
now, we will focus on Black’s most popular and critical approach.

I will mention in passing that 7…exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 is a line that I rate quite highly for
Black, but in the theoretical section I will show how to cause problems against it.

8.d5 Ne7
This tabiya has been reached in countless games, with 9.Ne1 the most popular
continuation. Instead our move is:

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9.b4
If anything can put the King’s Indian under pressure, it is this move. High-level
correspondence praxis has confirmed this in recent years. Perhaps more importantly, in
contrast to some of the main 9.Ne1 lines, we have no intention of allowing Black to build
a massive kingside attack. We will still be looking to attack on the queenside, but also
playing across the whole board and sometimes seizing the initiative on the kingside
ourselves.

9.Be3!? is a sideline which offers some interesting ideas – see the theoretical section for
a few brief lines and explanations about it.

9…Nh5
This is the main line and I believe it to be Black’s best.

9…a5 is the main alternative. The topic of this pawn break will be discussed a bit later in
the introduction, as well as the theoretical section.

10.Re1!
White has tried all kinds of other ideas, but this one is the most potent. We prepare to
drop the bishop back to f1 in response to …Nf4.

10…f5 11.a4!
Since I became a King’s Indian aficionado in correspondence chess, I have been
studying this variation for both colours. Now it is time for me to reveal my secrets! It was

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both pleasant and unpleasant watching Giri playing this line. On the one hand, it
validated my opinion that this is a critical way for White to play – but on the other hand, it
will be less of a secret!

11.Ng5 is the old main line but 11…Nf4! should equalize cleanly.

11…Nf6
11…Nf4?! 12.Bf1 only plays into our hands, as the knight has nowhere to go and
Black will have to worry about g2-g3 or Bxf4 at every turn.

12.a5!
We play another useful move and return the ball to Black’s court. It took some time
for players to appreciate the power of simply leaving the knight on f3 and keeping Ng5-
e6 ideas in reserve.

12…h6!
Korobov is up to the challenge and plays the most dangerous continuation. Black is
waiting for the right moment to play …g5 and perhaps …f4.

The last move improves on 12…Nxe4 13.Nxe4 fxe4 14.Ng5, as was played a few
months prior to the present game in Giri – Safin, Internet (blitz) 2020. In the theoretical
section we will follow this example for a few extra moves to see how Giri expertly
regrouped his pieces. Black has tried some other moves as well, and we will cover them
in the theoretical section.

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13.Ra3!
There are other ways to play the position, but Giri’s approach is most practical.

13.Nd2!? Kh7 14.Bf1 is the big main line in correspondence chess and the most
ambitious choice if you want to get the maximum out of the position.

13.exf5!? is a good practical alternative which was subsequently seen in Ding Liren –
Nakamura, Internet (rapid) 2020. After Giri’s move, White retains this possibility.

13…f4
Black’s alternatives don’t look good:

13…g5 14.exf5 will give us an excellent position with control over e4.

13…Kh7 14.exf5! gives us an improved version of the Ding Liren – Nakamura game.
14…gxf5?! is the positionally desirable recapture, but 15.Nh4! gives us dangerous
attacking chances with the plan of Bd3-b1 followed by moving the c3-knight and
swinging the rook along the third rank.

13…fxe4N might be the objectively best way to reduce Black’s disadvantage, but 14.Nd2
e3 15.fxe3 Nf5 16.Nde4 maintains control for White. A good plan for the next few moves
could be Rf1, Bd3 and perhaps Ra2-f2.

14.h4!
Once again, I have to say that I love Giri’s way. Black was intending to play …g5, so
why not stop it?

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14…Rf7
Nothing is more natural than this regrouping for a King’s Indian player.

14…Kh8 15.c5 is hardly an improvement for Black.

15.c5 Bf8
Black is ready for …Rg7 and …g5. We have reached an important moment. For the
first time in the game, it is necessary to improve upon Giri’s play.

16.c6?
Sometimes this method of advancing on the queenside can work well, but in this
instance it enables Black to get too much counterplay.

16.b5! would have given White an overwhelming position. 16…Rg7 (16…dxc5 17.Nxe5
is hopeless for Black.) 17.b6 We break through to the base of the enemy pawn chain,
and Black’s position collapses. Please keep in mind this concept, as it’s the most
effective way of breaking through on the queenside when we get the chance.

The rest of the game is not so relevant for our opening preparation, but I will include
some light commentary at the key moments.

16…Rg7 17.b5 g5 18.hxg5 hxg5 19.Nh2 bxc6 20.dxc6 g4

Having played brilliantly for the first 15 moves, White made a single misstep and is
now almost lost in the practical sense. It feels a bit unfair, but sometimes the cost of an

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error can be high in the King’s Indian.

21.g3

21…Be6?
Too slow. Korobov must have miscalculated something.

21…f3! followed by …Qe8 would have been tough to defend for White.

22.gxf4 exf4
22…g3 23.fxg3 Rxg3† 24.Kh1 gives Black nothing.

23.Bxf4 Nh5 24.Bg3 Nxg3 25.fxg3 d5

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26.exd5?
26.Bxg4! was winning.

26…Nxd5?
26…Qd6!! was a winning resource which both players overlooked, as can easily
happen in blitz.

27.Bc4
White is back in business and finished off the game in great style.

27…Bf7 28.Bxd5 Bxa3 29.Nxg4 Qg5 30.Ne4 Bc5† 31.Kg2 Bxd5 32.Ngf6† Qxf6
33.Qxd5† Qf7 34.Nf6†
1–0
This game showcased White’s fantastic opening concept, which could have yielded a
winning position at move 16. At the same time, it serves as a warning: never
underestimate Black’s counter-chances in the King’s Indian!

Vladimir Kramnik – Boris Gelfand

Vienna 1996

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 Kramnik took up the 9.b4 line against the King’s Indian in the mid-1990s and
produced some masterpieces. We will see two fragments from his games that will help
us answer two important questions that frequently arise in this opening:

• How to meet …fxe4 when Black plans …Nf5-d4?

• How to meet …a5?

Let’s see Kramnik answering the first question:

12…fxe4?!
A passive line in this old-fashioned continuation. (At the time the game was played,
this was cutting-edge theory of course.)

13.Ngxe4!
The correct recapture, as acknowledged by Gelfand in his annotations.

13.Ncxe4 is the move he had faced a month earlier, and after 13…Nf5 14.Nxf6† Bxf6
15.Ne4 Nd4 16.Be3 Nxf3† 17.Qxf3 Bh4! 18.Qe2 Bf5 19.Nc3 Bg5 Black was okay in
Topalov – Gelfand, Novgorod 1996.
13…Nf5

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14.Bg5! Nd4 15.Nb5!
The knight on c3 is used to challenge its counterpart on d4 – an important pattern to
keep in mind. White is much better, but Gelfand was able to draw the game after a hard
fight.

Vladimir Kramnik – Judit Polgar

Vienna 1996

Two days later, in the same tournament, Kramnik had the chance to put another top

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player under severe pressure with his new toy: 9.b4!

13…a5
Still not knowing exactly how to counter White’s concept, Polgar plays a natural move
– but is met by a stunning reply.

14.b5!! Rb8
14…b6 would appear to close the queenside to Black’s advantage, but 15.Ne6! Bxe6
16.dxe6 Rb8 17.exf5 (or 17.Nd5) leaves Black too weak on the light squares.

15.Ne6 Bxe6 16.dxe6 Ne8

16…f4 17.c5! dxc5 18.Na4 gives White a huge advantage.

16…Qc8 17.b6! is also unpleasant for Black.

17.Qb3 c5
White was threatening c4-c5.

18.exf5! gxf5 19.Bh5 Nc7 20.Bf7 Qc8 21.Nd5 Ncxd5 22.cxd5 f4

Otherwise f2-f4 would rip open the kingside.

23.Bh5!
The bishop has served its purpose on f7, so Kramnik transfers it to e4.

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23…b6 24.Rad1 Rf5 25.Bf3 Qg8 26.Be4 Rg5 27.Rd3
Kramnik’s beautiful play has yielded a decisive advantage, which he subsequently
converted. The last move prepares Rh3, and later White can open things up with g2-g3.
The main point to take away from this example is that Black’s …a5 move can
sometimes be met by b4-b5 – but this only makes sense when Black has already
committed to …f5. If the pawn was still on f7, White’s entire light-square strategy with
Ng5-e6 and dxe6 would never have got started.

Meeting …a5 (continued)

The way Kramnik developed his pieces in 1996, in the early days of this system, was
slightly different to the way we do it today, with the benefit of engines plus decades of
practical testing. So let’s see some specific examples when …a5 might crop up in our
repertoire.

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.d4 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4

9…a5
9…Ne8 10.a4! a5 11.Ba3 axb4 12.Bxb4 b6 transposes.

9…Nh5 10.Re1 f5 11.a4! is our main line, when Black usually retreats the knight to f6 as
in Giri – Korobov. Instead, 11…a5 is sometimes played, when we can use our
knowledge of Kramnik – Polgar to respond with:

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12.b5! This works well, as Black has already weakened the light squares with …f5.
Further details can be found in the theoretical section.

10.Ba3
When Black’s pawn is still on f7, this will be our usual response to the …a5 move.

10.b5?! b6 gives Black no problems, as we have no attacking chances on the queenside

and no way of opening up the light squares.

10.bxa5!? is a valid alternative which I discuss briefly in the theoretical section.

10…axb4
10…b6 11.bxa5 Rxa5 12.Bb4 Ra8 13.a4 is another possible move order.

10…Nh5 is sometimes played, and once again we meet the knight move with 11.Re1,
preparing to drop the bishop back to f1.

11.Bxb4 b6 12.a4

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 This pawn structure is pretty common in our system. We can aim for a well-timed a4-
a5 to erode Black’s queenside, while keeping an eye out for any tricky …c5 ideas.
Further details can be found in the theoretical section. For now, I will just mention that
12…Ne8 is Black’s main move, unblocking the f-pawn while preparing to meet a
premature a4-a5 with …c5!. Fortunately, we have more than one good way to maintain
the tension, as we will see.

A Key Positional Motif

I have used this example from one of my own games as a difficult positional exercise,
which troubled some of my GM friends when I asked them to find the best continuation.

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11.dxe5 dxe5
So far, so good. During the game, I spent quite some time calculating many lines
before settling on the anaemic 12.Ne1?! in Ntirlis – Gouloutis, Greece (rapid) 2018.
Many strong players struggle to find the best move. An exception is my friend Sabino
Brunello, who came up with the right idea within seconds.

12.Nb5!!
“This is a well-known idea in the King’s Indian!” Sabino exclaimed. I find it to be a
wonderful, prophylactic positional move which paralyzes Black’s counterplay. White
stands much better: approximately +1.6 in computer lingo. Yes, no kidding! Let’s see a
position from our repertoire where we can apply this concept.

Playing Ndb5!

As we will see in the theoretical section, I actually rate a timely …exd4 as Black’s
best chance to equalize. This particular position is a nice version for White.

11…a5
This has been Black’s most popular move, but 11…c6 would be a better choice.

12.Ndb5!
Once again the knight exerts a paralyzing effect, as the c7-pawn requires defence
but at the same time it will be virtually impossible to dislodge the knight with …c6.

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 Black’s Weak Queenside

The last positional idea is one which crops up again and again in lines where Black
avoids …Nc6.

10.Rb1!?
The rook steps off the long diagonal and supports a future b2-b4 advance.

10…a5
10…c6 is a natural move but White stands clearly better after 11.d5 c5 12.a3
followed by b2-b4, when the rook proves to be well placed.

11.dxe5! dxe5 12.Qc2

I love this idea. Usually the dxe5/…dxe5 exchange structure is not considered too
threatening – but when Black’s a-pawn has moved, it’s a different story. Black will usually
need to play …c6 to guard the d5-square at some point, but now this will leave a hole on
b6 which we can look to exploit.

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12…c6
Black found nothing better than playing this move anyway.

13.Na4
White followed up with c4-c5 and won with an impressive positional squeeze in
Wojtaszek – Piorun, Legnica 2021. Keep this deferred dxe5 exchange in mind, as we
can use it to exploit Black’s weakened queenside in many lines involving 7…Nbd7 and
other alternatives to 7…Nc6 and 7…exd4.

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 Theory Section

A) 4…e5 232
B) 4…d6 5.d4 0-0 6.Be2 234
B1) 6…c5 235
B2) 6…e5 7.0-0 237
B21) 7…Bg4 237
B22) 7…Qe8 239
B23) 7…h6!? 241
B24) 7…Na6 243
B25) 7…Nbd7 249
B26) 7…exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 254
B261) 9…c6 254
B262) 9…Nc6 256
B27) 7…Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 258
B271) 9…a5 259
B272) 9…Nh5 10.Re1 f5 11.a4! 262
B2721) 11…a5 263
B2722) 11…Nf6 264

1.c4 Nf6
Let us briefly note that move orders such as 1…g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.Nf3 and 1…d6
2.Nc3 do not bother us at all. We will get either a King’s Indian or one of the various 1…
e5 or 1…c5 lines.

2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7

3…d5 is of course the main alternative, which takes us to the Anti-Grünfeld of the
next chapter.

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4.e4
We will consider A) 4…e5 and B) 4…d6.

4…0-0 tries to provoke us into advancing with e4-e5 but I suggest the simple 5.d4, when
Black usually transposes to normal lines with …d6. Instead, 5…c6!? is an independent
option associated with the name of Jobava. (5…c5 6.Be2 will soon transpose to variation
B1 below.) 6.Bd3!

6…d5?! (6…d6 is safer, although Black fails to equalize after 7.h3, or even 7.0-0 Bg4
8.Be2!?.) 7.e5 Nfd7 (7…Ne8 is met by 8.cxd5 cxd5 and now both 9.h3 and the more
aggressive 9.h4!? are excellent for White.) 8.cxd5 cxd5 White is clearly better after any
sensible move but 9.h4! is strongest, and after the further 9…Nb6 10.Ng5 h5 11.e6 f5
12.Ne2 Black’s position was disgusting in Khalifman – Rogers, Groningen 1990.

Another option is:

4…c5 5.d4
This will usually transpose to the Maroczy lines covered under variation B1 below.
5…cxd4
5…d6 can be met by 6.Be2 when 6…0-0 leads to variation B1 below, while if Black
tries something quirky like 6…Bg4 then 7.dxc5 favours White, as does any other
sensible move such as 7.d5.
5…Qa5 is another attempt to avoid theory, when 6.Bd2!? cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nc6 8.Nc2
followed by Be2 gives White a comfortable edge.
6.Nxd4 Nc6 7.Be3

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7…Ng4
This is the independent path which is available to Black via the 4…c5 move order.
7…d6 8.Be2 0-0 9.h3! takes us to variation B1 below.
8.Qxg4 Nxd4
8…Bxd4?! is met by 9.Bxd4 Nxd4 10.0-0-0! with a strong attack for White.
9.Qd1 Ne6
9…e5 is an alternative which has been considered better for White for decades,
based on some lines after 10.Nb5 or the calmer 10.Bd3. However, modern engines
have pinpointed a more serious weakness in Black’s concept. 10.h4! h5 (Black is
practically forced to weaken the g5-square, since 10…d6 11.h5 and 10…h6 11.h5
don’t make life any easier.) 11.Nd5! d6 12.Bg5 f6 13.Be3 0-0 14.Bd3 f5 This
occurred in Portych – Moujan, corr. 2020, and here I suggest:

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 15.Bg5N 15…Qe8 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.Bxf5 Nxf5 18.0-0 White will consolidate with
moves like Rc1 and b2-b3, while Black’s position is riddled with weaknesses.
10.Qd2 Qa5
White has a choice of good options but I’d like to offer a promising sideline to simplify
your preparation:

11.Nd5!?
I once played this when I was facing a strong opponent and wanted to play it safe,
but when I analysed it later, I was astonished to discover that it creates genuine
problems for Black.
The main line goes 11.Rc1 b6 when White can develop the bishop to either e2 or d3,

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 and Black usually plays …g5 at some point to control some dark squares. The
engines are screaming that White is much better, and most players have abandoned
this scheme for Black. However, in a practical game the position might prove tricky to
handle, so I will leave it for readers to decide whether to explore this in more detail
for themselves.
11…Qxd2† 12.Kxd2 Bxb2
Black should grab the pawn, otherwise after something like 12…b6 13.Rb1! White
follows up with Bd3 and b2-b4, and Black will struggle to find a decent plan.
13.Rb1 Bg7
Crucially, Black cannot exchange bishops on d4 because of the fork on c7.
13…Be5 14.c5! is similar to the main line below.

We are following an old club-level game of mine, Ntirlis – Tzolas, Patras 2008, where
I continued with 14.f4 and obtained decent compensation for the sacrificed pawn.
After the game, I discovered that an even stronger continuation is:
14.c5!N
White intends Bb5 next, with heavy positional pressure for the pawn.

A) 4…e5

Black tries to exploit our move order, but we should be happy to see this move.

5.Nxe5
Just don’t try to transpose to a normal King’s Indian with 5.d4?! because of 5…exd4
6.Nxd4 0-0 7.Be2 Re8 8.f3 c6 when Black can save a tempo by playing …d7-d5 in one

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move.

5…0-0
This is Black’s only real chance of getting a decent position.

5…Nxe4?! 6.Nxe4 Bxe5 7.d4 Bg7 8.Bg5! f6 9.Be3 0-0 10.Nc3 d6 11.g3 was great for
White in Turov – Van Kampen, Basel 2013.

5…Qe7?! 6.d4 d6 7.Nf3 Nxe4 8.Nd5 Qd8 9.Bd3 is also not nice for Black.

6.Nf3!
6.d3 Nxe4 sees Black regain the pawn with a reasonable position.

6.Bd3 is an odd choice. 6…b5!?N is an interesting idea from the engine, while 6…d5
also looks reasonable.

6…Re8

7.Bd3!
This is an excellent practical choice which guarantees some initiative for White.

7.d3 is more ambitious in terms of keeping the extra pawn, but 7…d5! 8.cxd5 Nxd5
9.Bd2 c5!? offers Black decent compensation. Future practice might demonstrate that
Black doesn’t get full equality, but I still favour the main line because the position is much
easier to play.

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7…Nxe4
Taking back the pawn is Black’s best bet.

7…b5?! is easily met by 8.0-0 (there is no need to invite complications with 8.Nxb5?!
d5!) 8…bxc4 9.Bxc4 Nxe4 10.Re1 Nd6 11.Rxe8† Qxe8 12.Bd5 when White had a big
initiative in Yermolinsky – Wolff, Internet (rapid) 2020, with d2-d4 and Bf4 on the way.

The other gambit option is:

7…d5 8.cxd5

8…c6
8…Nxd5?! 9.0-0 Nf4 10.Bc4 Be6 11.d3 Bxc4 12.dxc4 Qxd1 13.Rxd1 Bxc3?! 14.Bxf4
was close to winning for White in Lupulescu – Ponkratov, Internet (rapid) 2021.
8…Bf5 9.0-0 Nxe4 10.Bxe4 Bxe4 11.Nxe4 Rxe4 12.Qb3 also left Black in trouble in
M. Petrosyan – Fedoseev, Riga 2021.
9.0-0 cxd5
In Yoo – Dubov, Internet (blitz) 2020, White’s simplest way to keep the advantage
would have been:
10.exd5N 10…Nxd5 11.Bc4 Nb6 12.Bb5
White keeps an extra pawn and some advantage.

8.Bxe4 Bxc3 9.dxc3 Rxe4† 10.Be3

This is our target position. Material is equal but we are ahead in development and
Black will have long-term problems connected with the weak dark squares on the
kingside.

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10…Nc6
10…Rxc4? is much too greedy in view of 11.Qd5! Ra4 12.Ng5 Qf8 13.h4 with a huge
attack.

10…d6 11.c5! d5 12.h3 gave White a clear positional advantage in So – Mamedyarov,

Zagreb 2019.

11.0-0 d6 12.Qd2!
We intend Bg5 followed by Rae1, with a strong attack.

White was also successful with 12.h3 in Anand – Tari, Stavanger 2022.

12…Bf5
12…Rxc4? is again too greedy, and 13.Bg5 Qf8 14.Bh6 Qd8 15.Ng5 gives us a
strong attack, while the rook on c4 is also in trouble.

This position was reached in Nenezic – Boskovic, Vrnjacka Banja 2021. White has a few
good continuations but my preference is:

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13.Nd4!?N 13…Nxd4 14.Bxd4
We will consolidate with f2-f3 and b2-b3, and our bishop will be a monster.

B) 4…d6 5.d4

Welcome to the King’s Indian!

5…0-0
Black gains nothing by delaying castling.

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6.Be2
We will consider B1) 6…c5 followed by the more traditional King’s Indian approach
with B2) 6…e5.

6…Na6 7.0-0 and 6…Nbd7 7.0-0 give Black nothing better than 7…e5, transposing to
variations B24 and B25 respectively.

6…c6 7.0-0 a6?! Preparing …b5 in this way is a reasonable idea in certain King’s Indian
variations (the Sämisch comes in mind), but not against the Classical. 8.h3!? b5 9.e5! is
a strong antidote. 9…Ne8 White has several good continuations but 10.Bg5!? may well
be strongest. (10.Re1!? also yields a big advantage; 10.Bf4 has been the most popular
choice and is also a decent move, despite not being the engine’s favourite. The
continuation of Gulko – Speelman, Hastings 1989, was highly instructive.)

6…Bg4 has been tried by some strong players over the years but is easy enough to
meet. 7.Be3 Nfd7 (7…e5?! has been tried a few times by Hans Niemann in his online
games. 8.d5 a5 9.Nd2 Bxe2 10.Qxe2 Na6 has been played several times and now
11.g4! gives White a serious advantage.)

8.Ng1! (8.h4!? is an ambitious approach which may also be strong, but the text move is
simpler.) 8…Bxe2 9.Ngxe2 White clearly has the upper hand, and I see no need to go
any deeper. All you need to remember is that after …c5 or …e5, you don’t need to play
d4-d5 yet, as the resulting structures after an exchange on d4 are favourable for White.

B1) 6…c5

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 This seems a slightly odd choice: having started with a King’s Indian, Black offers a
Benoni structure while also preparing to switch to an Accelerated Dragon (Maroczy) in
the event that we maintain the tension. Nevertheless, it has been played in thousands of
games so we should be ready for it.

7.h3!
7.0-0 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nc6 9.Be3 Bd7 10.h3! is a trendy Anti-Maroczy continuation. I
want to aim for something similar, but there are some advantages to delaying castling, as
we will see.

7…cxd4
7…Nc6?!
This is a pretty rare continuation, and rightly so – despite having yielded a plus score
for Black so far.
8.d5 Na5
The knight looks, and is, pretty bad on a5. This sort of thing is pretty respectable in
the Fianchetto Variation of the King’s Indian, but there are two advantages to having
the bishop on e2 instead of g2: the c4-pawn is well defended, and the bishop helps to
shut down Black’s counterplay with …b5.
9.Bg5!?
By placing the bishop here we aim to provoke the weakening …h6, after which the
bishop goes back to e3 and a subsequent Qd2 will come with gain of tempo. The …
h6 move will also make any future …f5 ideas less appealing, as Black’s kingside will
be weaker.

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9…e5
9…e6 is well met by 10.Qd2! when Black no longer has the option of …h6. 10…e5
(10…exd5 11.exd5 is a fantastic Benoni type of position for White, who will castle
and bring the bishop to d3, while Black will struggle to make sense of the knight on
a5.) 11.Nh2 Black was in trouble in Grigoryan – Munoz Pantoja, Barbera del Valles
2020. The knight is heading for g4, and if Black plays 11…h5?! then 12.g4 spells
disaster already.
10.Nd2!
This is a typical regrouping for White, who now has perfect coordination and can play
on either side of the board. A nice example continued:
10…h6 11.Be3 Ne8 12.g4 Bd7 13.h4 a6 14.h5 g5
In P.H. Nielsen – Munoz Pantoja, Barcelona 2012, White’s best would have been:
15.Rb1N
Getting ready for b2-b4, which might be further prepared by a2-a3, depending on
whether or not …cxb4 is a serious option. The king can go to g2 and White will dominate
the board.

8.Nxd4

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8…Nc6 9.Be3 Nxd4
9…Bd7 10.Nf3! leaves Black short of ideas, and 10…Rc8 11.0-0 a6 12.Rc1 was
clearly better for White in Zvjaginsev – Naiditsch, Ohrid 2009.

10.Bxd4 a5!?
10…Bd7 has been the most common continuation when virtually everyone has
castled, but 11.Qd3!N is a powerful improvement. Play could continue: 11…a5 (11…Bc6
12.b4! prevents Black’s intended …Nd7 as the bishop will be trapped, and if 12…a5?!
13.b5 Black is too poorly coordinated to make good use of the c5-outpost.) 12.Qe3! Bc6

480
13.h4! Launching a dangerous attack. Black can hang on with something like 13…Nd7
14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.h5 Qb6, but after 16.Qd2! White is clearly for choice.

11.0-0 Bd7

12.b3!
12.Qc2!? leads to the trendy variation mentioned above, which has given some
headaches to Black. A logical continuation is: 12…Bc6 13.Rfd1 Threatening c4-c5 or e4-
e5. (13.Rad1 can also be played.) 13…a4!? This appears to me to be Black’s only
chance of obtaining some counterplay. (13…Nd7 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Bg4 is the main line,
which clearly favours White.) 14.c5 Qa5 15.cxd6 exd6 White is slightly better, but at least
Black has some activity.

12…Bc6 13.Qc2 Nd7 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Rad1

The position is deceptively bad for Black. None of the thematic moves work well, and
White has various ways to increase the pressure. A practical example continued:

15…Qb6 16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.exd5

481
17…Kg8 18.Qb2 Nc5 19.Rd4
White was in full control in Grigorjev – Leinov, Rogachev 2022. The other rook can
go to e1 or perhaps b1 to bolster the queenside, and we can threaten the black kingside
with h4-h5, or even Qd2 and Rh4. In some situations we can even go for a2-a3 and b3-
b4, although for the time being it looks more tempting to play on the kingside.
19.Rb1!?N is the top engine choice at a high depth, with generally similar ideas, but
the game continuation is fine and makes more sense for a human.

B2) 6…e5

482
 This is the characteristic King’s Indian move, and the gateway to the main part of the
chapter.

7.0-0
We will look at three interesting sidelines in B21) 7…Bg4, B22) 7…Qe8 and B23)
7…h6!?, followed by the better-known continuations B24) 7…Na6, B25) 7…Nbd7, B26)
7…exd4 and B27) 7…Nc6.

B21) 7…Bg4

This relatively unknown move gained some attention after Caruana won a
remarkable game with it, and it was subsequently recommended by Colovic in his
Chessable course The King’s Indian Simplified, so it’s worth knowing a bit about it.

8.dxe5!?
Simple and good.

8.d5! might objectively be best, but it leads to highly complex positions. One logical line
is 8…a5 9.Ne1 Bxe2 10.Qxe2 Na6 and now 11.g4!?N is the suggestion of Stockfish.

8.Be3 Bxf3! 9.Bxf3 exd4 10.Bxd4 Nc6 11.Be3 Re8 gives Black a decent position, but it is
understandable that Wojtaszek chose to enter this line, avoiding any possible concrete
preparation. White’s position appears safe and solid, with long-term potential due to the
bishop pair. However, Caruana went on to shock his opponent along with the entire
chess world, with an amazing concept which is worth including for its instructive value:

483
12.Qd2 Nd7 13.Rad1

13…Bxc3!! To exchange such a bishop for a knight, without at least doubling White’s
pawns, is exceedingly rare and requires deep understanding. 14.Qxc3 Qf6 15.Qc1 Nc5
Black went on to win a beautiful game in Wojtaszek – Caruana, Wijk aan Zee 2021.

8…Bxf3
8…dxe5?! 9.Nxe5 is a safe pawn grab, for instance: 9…Qxd1 10.Bxd1 Bxd1
(10…Be6 is slightly better although 11.Bf4N still leaves Black struggling to find
compensation for the pawn, and 11.Re1!?N is also good for White.) 11.Rxd1 Nxe4

12.Nxg6! Nxc3 13.Ne7† Kh8 14.bxc3 White had a big advantage in Baskin – Pranav,

484
Internet (blitz) 2021.

9.exf6!
9.Bxf3 dxe5 10.Qb3 is rated similarly by the engine, but I would rather not invite
10…Nc6!N (we would happily play the position with a slight edge after 10…Qc8 11.Be3
as seen in Dudas – Karatorossian, Budapest 1997) 11.Qxb7 Nd4 when Black has
decent practical compensation for the pawn.

9…Bxe2 10.Qxe2 Qxf6

10…Bxf6 can be met in a few ways. The easiest option for our purposes is 11.Qc2
Nd7N 12.Be3 with a pleasant edge, as this set-up can be used against either recapture
on f6.

11.Nd5
11.Be3 Qe6! is slightly annoying.

However, 11.Qc2!?N is a good alternative which Colovic does not mention. White
intends Be3, with a pleasant edge.

11…Qd8

485
12.Bf4!?
Black cannot tolerate the knight on d5 forever and will have to play …c6 at some
point, so it makes sense to put some pressure on d6.

12…c6N
Colovic recommends this novelty.

12…Nd7 13.Rad1 Re8 was seen in Thybo – Tutisani, Terme Catez 2022, when 14.f3N
would have been simple and good. There is no need to fear 14…f5?! due to 15.Qd2 fxe4
16.Bg5 when Black will have to be accurate just to survive.

13.Nc3 Be5
13…Bxc3? 14.bxc3 Qf6 is a poor version of Caruana’s idea, and Black is much
worse after 15.Bg3 followed by Rad1.

14.Bg3 Nd7
Colovic claims that Black is fine here, but I don’t see how Black can claim full equality
yet. A simple and strong continuation is:

486
15.Rad1
We intend Qc2 next, perhaps followed by Ne2 and a further regrouping of the knight,
or possibly doubling rooks on the d-file. We have long-term pressure and Black has no
counterplay in sight.

B22) 7…Qe8

This move used to be trendy for a while, but we have a convincing way to meet it.

8.dxe5!

487
 8.Re1 exd4 9.Qxd4!? Nc6 10.Qd3 Bg4 11.Bf4!?N seems slightly favourable for
White, who intends Rad1 and perhaps a timely Nd5, but I like the main line even more.

8…dxe5 9.Be3
Threatening to win the exchange.

9…Na6
9…b6 is hardly an improvement. 10.Qc2 c6 was seen in Matviishen – Sedlak,
Golden Sands 2014, and now 11.b4!N would have given White a big advantage.

10.h3!?
This isn’t forced, but it’s always a useful move.

10…b6
Black usually plays this. Other moves are no better, for instance:

10…Nh5?! is too optimistic. 11.c5 Nf4 12.Bxa6 bxa6 13.Rc1! Ne6 14.c6 Qxc6 15.Nd5
Qb7 was seen in Sadikin The – McShane, Baku (ol) 2016, and now 16.Ng5!N would
have increased White’s already clear advantage.

10…c6?! 11.c5!
We have a positional threat of taking on a6, and Black is in trouble in all variations.
11…Nh5
11…Nc7 doesn’t help due to 12.Qd6 Nb5 13.Bxb5 cxb5 14.Bg5 Be6 and now in
Ozturk Orenli – Karthikeyan, Graz 2020, either 15.Rfd1N or 15.Rfe1!?N would have

488
 given White a decisive advantage.
11…Nb8 also looks pathetic. After 12.Qc2N followed by Rfd1, b2-b4 and so on,
White has a free hand in the centre and on the queenside.
Another notable example continued: 11…Qe7 12.Bxa6 bxa6 13.Qe2!? (13.Qa4 is
more typical, but this is strong as well) 13…Rd8 14.Rfd1 Rxd1† 15.Rxd1 Rb8 16.b3
a5 17.Qd3!? Bb7 18.Qd6! Qxd6 19.cxd6 Nd7 20.Bxa7 The super-GM was unable to
rescue his atrocious position in Fier – Vachier-Lagrave, Internet (blitz) 2020.

12.Bxa6 bxa6 13.Qa4 f5 14.Rad1 Nf4

Black is in trouble positionally and tries to muddy the waters. If we keep our calm and
calculate correctly, Black should not be able to survive.
15.Bxf4 fxe4 16.Bxe5 exf3 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Rfe1 Qf7
We have been following Korobov – Khoroshev, Batumi (ol) 2018. The cleanest
winning continuation would have been:

489
19.Rd6!N
Possibly followed by g2-g4. The tactical point is seen after:
19…fxg2 20.Qh4!
Threatening Re7.
20…Re8 21.Rxe8 Qxe8 22.Qf6† Kh6 23.Rd4
Black can resign.

11.a3 Bb7
11…Nc5 can be met by: 12.Bxc5 (12.Ng5!?N is worth considering, although Whites
advantage is not so overwhelming as in the comparable position in the main line below.)
12…bxc5 In Bacrot – Kempinski, Gothenburg 2005, 13.b4N would have led to a pleasant
situation where our better pawn structure matters more than Black’s bishop pair.

12.Qc2 Nc5
White can exchange on c5 and play b2-b4 like in the note above, but there is also a
beautiful (and much stronger) idea which Renier Castellanos pointed out to me.

13.Ng5!
Defending e4 and threatening b2-b4.

13…a5
The point of White’s idea is shown after 13…h6 14.b4! Ne6 15.Nxe6 Qxe6 (15…
fxe6?! 16.c5 leads to an ugly pawn structure on top of Black’s other troubles) 16.Nd5
when our advantage should be enough to win the game.

490
14.b4 axb4 15.axb4 Na6 16.Rab1
Black’s position was horrible in Dronov – Joppich, corr. 2006.

B23) 7…h6!?

Believe it or not, this is a hot and important line right now! No wonder why – it is
Stockfish’s main suggestion if you let the engine run for long enough to reach a
sufficiently high depth.

8.Re1!

491
 This tends to be a good move when Black avoids any forcing action in the centre.

8…a5!
This was seen in Matthew Sadler’s YouTube videos on “Stockfish’s Opening
Repertoire”, where he was interested to know what several engines considered best in
main openings, if they were left running for a long time. And apparently, this is
Stockfish’s main suggestion as to how to handle the King’s Indian!

8…Nbd7 has been the most common continuation, and is covered via the 7…Nbd7
move order in variation B25.

8…Re8?! was seen in Sapunov – Caruana, Internet (blitz) 2022, when White missed the
chance to win a pawn: 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qxd8 Rxd8 11.Nxe5 Nxe4 (11…Na6 12.Nd3
leaves Black with no compensation.) 12.Nxf7! Kxf7 (12…Bxc3? 13.Nxh6† shows a
downside of Black’s 7th move!) 13.Nxe4 Black does not have much to show for the
missing pawn.

8…Nh7 is not a bad move although it doesn’t exactly put us under pressure either.
9.dxe5 dxe5 was the continuation of J.Y. Tan – A. Demchenko, Internet (blitz) 2022, and
now 10.Be3N would have been the simplest way to develop, with an obvious edge for
White.

9.a3!N
A nice little idea. Let’s take a moment to understand the problems with the
alternatives before seeing why the text move is useful.

492
First of all, I have explained how the 9.dxe5 dxe5 exchange tends to work better when
the black queenside has been weakened, but after the further 10.Qxd8 Rxd8 11.Nxe5
Nxe4 12.Nxf7 Kxf7 13.Nxe4 the difference with the 8…Re8?! line becomes apparent, as
13…a4! gives Black amazing compensation.

9.Bf1 is the other natural idea, when 9…Na6!N is a good reply. If we develop the bishop
to e3 then …Ng4 comes, and the h6-pawn stops the bishop from going to g5. If we try to
prepare this with 10.h3 then 10…exd4 11.Nxd4 Re8 followed by …Nc5 leads to
annoying counterplay. Normally we would deal with the pressure on e4 by playing f2-f3,
but this is far from attractive when we already have a pawn on h3, as the dark squares
are weakened.

9…a4!?
We are still following Sadler’s analysis.

9…Na6 can be conveniently met by 10.dxe5! dxe5 11.Qc2!? when the a3-pawn plays a
useful role in preventing …Nb4.

10.Bf1 exd4 11.Nxd4 Nc6!

If Black stops to defend the a4-pawn in some way, we will have time to set up a
powerful clamp with Ndb5.

11…Ng4? is pointless in view of 12.h3 when Black has nothing.

12.Nxc6
12.Ndb5 can be met by 12…Na5! when Black gets enough counterplay by attacking
c4.

12…bxc6 13.Nxa4 Ng4! 14.h3

14.f3? Nxh2! 15.Kxh2 Rxa4! is great for Black.

14…Ne5

493
15.c5!
15.f4 Nd7 16.Ra2 looks tempting, as it appears that White will be able to play b2-b3
and consolidate, but 16…g5! gives Black enough counterplay.

15…Be6 16.Be3
It is hard for Black to prove compensation, and White should be at least slightly
better.

B24) 7…Na6

494
 This was considered for a long time to be a better continuation than 7…Nbd7, as
Black avoids blocking the c8-bishop and will have the option of meeting a Qc2 set-up by
annoying the queen with …Nb4. However, we have something else in mind.

8.Re1!
We intend to continue developing harmoniously with Bf1, deciding later what to do
with the dark-squared bishop.

8…c6
This has been Black’s usual choice. Let’s see some alternatives:

8…exd4 9.Nxd4 Nc5 10.Bf1

This is the type of position we are aiming for.
10…Re8
a) 10…Ng4 gets nowhere after 11.f3 and now:
a1) 11…Nxh2? is a faulty combination. 12.Kxh2 Qh4† 13.Kg1 Be5 14.f4 Bxd4†
(14…Bg4 15.Nf3 Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Qxe1 17.fxe5 is also winning for White.) 15.Qxd4
Qxe1 Now White needs a big improvement:

16.b4!N Black has picked up some material but is dead lost. (It’s worth mentioning
that 16.Nd5? f6 17.Nxf6†? Rxf6 18.Qxf6 led to a quick win for White in Pino –
Roversi, Genova 2013, but Black has a few winning moves at this point, with
18…Qf2†! the most elegant.)
a2) 11…Qf6N is a reasonable move but 12.Nc2! shuts down Black’s play.
a3) 11…Ne5 12.Be3 c6 13.Qd2 a5 14.Rad1 gave White the typical edge for this

495
 structure in Gulko – Martinez, San Diego 2004.
b) 10…Ne6!? is not ridiculous, although 11.Nxe6 fxe6 (11…Bxe6 12.Bf4 gives us a
pleasant edge, and we’ll continue to build up with moves like Rc1, b2-b3, f2-f3 and so
on) 12.e5 left Black with a loose structure and problems to solve in Marez – Murden,
corr. 2019.
11.f3
White is ready to follow up with Be3, Qc2 and Rad1, with more space in the centre
and generally better prospects. Further expansion with b2-b4 might also be an option
at the right moment.

11…c6
11…a5?! has been Black’s most popular choice but then 12.Ndb5! is a wonderful
move that paralyzes Black. My good friend GM Sabino Brunello taught me about this
motif. White continues with normal development and Black will have a hard time
dislodging the knight. It should be noted that the attempt to prepare …c6 with
12…Bf8? runs into 13.e5! when White is already winning.
12.Be3 Nfd7 13.Qc2
We are following a model game where Black tried to find counterplay on the kingside,
without success.
13…f5 14.b4 f4 15.Bf2 Ne6 16.Nxe6 Rxe6 17.c5
White had a big advantage in Bareev – Damljanovic, Sarajevo 2003.

8…Qe8 9.Bf1 Bg4

Black needs to start some counterplay, otherwise Black will get steamrolled on the
queenside by d4-d5, a2-a3 and so on.
10.d5 Nb4

496
11.a3!
11.Be2 a5 might offer a slight edge, but Black’s position is playable. The text move is
more ambitious and stronger.
11…Bxf3 12.gxf3 Na6 13.b4
The doubled f-pawns are more than offset by our other positional advantages.
13…Nd7
13…Nh5 14.c5 dxc5 15.Bxa6 bxa6 16.bxc5 gave White a big advantage in Ftacnik –
Fercec, Ljubljana 1998.
14.Be3 f5 15.Kh1 Qe7 16.Rc1 Qh4
White had a serious advantage in So – Wei Yi, Internet (blitz) 2018. There are many
good options available, but the most convincing would have been:

497
17.exf5!N 17…gxf5
17…Rxf5 allows the crushingly strong 18.Ne4! followed by c4-c5.
18.c5 f4 19.c6! fxe3 20.cxb7 Rae8 21.fxe3 Nab8 22.Nb5
White is winning.

8…Bg4!?
This is what the Greek KID squad of Theodorou, Pavlidis and Halkias prefer for Black
in this line. My good friend Halkias (with whom I have worked extensively to polish
his openings) told me that he doesn’t think that Black gets equality, but a playable
position with prospects of counterplay. Let’s see:
9.Be3!
It seems to me that this move gives White a comfortable edge.

498
9…Bxf3
9…exd4 10.Nxd4 Bxe2 11.Qxe2 Re8 12.f3 c6 is solid but a bit depressing for Black.
13.Rad1 Nd7 (Black was successful with 13…Nc5? in Van Foreest – Halkias,
Internet [blitz] 2020, but 14.Nxc6!N would surely have led to the opposite result.) This
position arose in Nikolov – Theodorou, Paleochora 2018. White’s most accurate
continuation would have been: 14.Qc2!N 14…Nac5 15.h3!? Usually it’s best to avoid
the kingside structure with pawns on f3 and h3, but here Black’s pieces are unable to
exploit the weak dark squares and I want to prepare b2-b4 and f3-f4. Play could
continue 15…a5 16.b3 Qe7 17.Re2!? Na6 18.Red2 when White is certainly for
choice.
10.Bxf3 exd4 11.Bxd4 c6

499
12.g3!
The bishop will be comfortable on g2.
12…Re8 13.Qc2
Black is solid, but worse. White has scored well in correspondence praxis and has
the added practical advantage of having easy and natural play in the middlegame
ahead. For example:
13…Nc5
13…Qe7 14.Rad1 Nc5 15.Bg2 Ne6 16.Be3 h5 17.f3 h4 18.Bh3! gave White a clear
advantage in Helmer – Vodicka, corr. 2021.
14.Rad1 Qa5 15.a3 Ne6 16.Be3 Rad8 17.b4 Qc7
17…Qxa3? 18.Ra1 Qxb4 19.Ra4 traps the queen.

500
18.h3!? a5 19.Bg2
White remained in control, and was ready to expand with f2-f4 in Vodicka – Diaz
Rubi, corr. 2021.

9.Be3!
9.Bf1 has been the most popular choice and is a good move, although it allows 9…
exd4 10.Nxd4 Ng4 11.h3 Qb6 12.hxg4 Qxd4 when Black has decent counterplay. On
the other hand, White has achieved good results in recent correspondence games from
this position, which indicates that we can hope for an advantage in this line too.
Nevertheless, I would still prefer the more controlled approach of our main line for
practical play.

501
9…exd4
Again Black has some other choices:

9…Bg4 has been tried by some well-known GMs like Maze and Zhao Jun, but White has
10.dxe5!N 10…Bxf3 11.exf6 Bxe2 12.Qxe2 Qxf6 13.Rad1 with a pleasant edge.

9…Ng4 is the most popular response and a critical move to check, but we should be
happy to see it. 10.Bg5 Qe8 (10…f6 11.Bh4 Nh6?! 12.c5! saw White initiate extremely
favourable complications in Pelletier – Zhigalko, Fuegen 2006, similar to the line below.
Black should try something else on move 11, but we stand clearly better in any case.)
11.h3 f6 12.Bh4 Nh6

13.c5! The same idea. 13…exd4 (13…dxc5 14.dxe5 fxe5 15.Bxa6 bxa6 16.Rc1 gives us
a positionally won game.) 14.Bxa6 dxc3 15.Bc4† Be6 In Petkov – Jobava, Benasque
2007, 16.Bxe6†N 16…Qxe6 17.Nd4 Qd7 18.Qb3† Qf7 19.Qxc3 would have maintained
a clear advantage for White.

9…Qe7
This has been tried by some strong players, but it allows another version of the key
idea in the line above:
10.c5! dxc5 11.dxe5
A drawback of Black’s 7th move is becoming clear: after a timely c4-c5, we will be
able to destroy Black’s structure by taking on a6.

502
11…Ng4
11…Nd7?! turned out even worse after 12.Bxa6 bxa6 13.Qd6 when White was close
to winning in Sumets – Van den Bersselaar, Bad Wiessee 2013. (13.Na4!?N is
similarly strong.)
12.Bg5!
12.Bxa6 offers some advantage but preserving the dark-squared bishop is even
more accurate.
12…Qe6
Alternatives are no better, for instance:
12…Qe8 13.Bxa6 bxa6 14.Bf4 clearly favours White.
12…Qc7 13.Bxa6 bxa6 14.Qd6 is also unpleasant for Black.
13.Bxa6 bxa6
We have been following Navara – Vachier Lagrave, Internet (blitz) 2020. My
suggestion is:

503
14.Qd2!?N
One of many promising continuations.
14…Nxe5 15.Nxe5 Bxe5 16.Na4
Black’s bishop pair is not enough to compensate for such a shaky pawn structure.

9…Re8
Whenever the rook moves here, it’s a good indication that the time has come to block
the centre.
10.d5!
The rook has no real purpose on e8 in this pawn structure – it would be better on f8,
where it supports a future …f5.
10.Qc2!? is a reasonable alternative which was played in Bok – Saric, Khanty-
Mansiysk 2019. White wants to play Rad1 next, and if 10…Nb4 11.Qb1 White will
follow up with a2-a3 and Qc2. I think White can claim a slight edge here, but I still
think the main line is stronger.

504
10…Ng4
10…c5 should be met by 11.Nd2, preventing …Ng4 and intending to press on the
queenside with a2-a3, Rb1 and b2-b4. 11…Nd7N seems like a natural way to
prepare …f5, and now the modern neutral network engines love the idea of 12.g4!
intending Kh1 and Rg1 to discourage any kingside action, and later we can still go
ahead with the queenside expansion plan.
11.Bc1!
11.Bg5 looks natural but 11…Qb6! is slightly annoying.
11…f5
11…c5 12.h3 Nh6 has been played a few times and now 13.Kh1!?N looks like a
good idea to prepare g2-g4, as in the note to move 10 above. If Black rushes with
13…f5? then 14.Bg5 Qd7 15.exf5 Nxf5 16.Bd3 gives us a huge advantage.
12.exf5!?
12.Nd2N 12…Nf6 13.a3 is a sensible alternative which offers us some advantage,
but the text move is more ambitious.
12…gxf5
In Gelfand – Ding Liren, Tsaghkadzor 2015, White’s strongest continuation would
have been:

505
13.h3!N 13…Nf6 14.Bg5
We will follow up with Qd2 (or Qc2), Rad1 and Nh4. Black is under pressure in the
centre and will have to make difficult decisions.

10.Nxd4

10…Re8 11.f3
We reach a position which has been seen in dozens of GM games, but modern
engines show that White is clearly better in all lines.

506
11…d5
This is the critical continuation but we are well placed to meet it.
11…Nc5 12.Qd2 a5 13.Rad1 Nfd7 14.b3 Nf8 15.Bf1 gives White a stable advantage,
and Black eventually went down in Yunusov – Weiss, corr. 2020.

11…Nc7
Black can also prepare the central break with this move.
12.Qd2 d5
12…Qe7 13.Bf1 Ne6 14.Rad1 left White in control in Ivanisevic – Damljanovic,
Belgrade 2009.
13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Ndb5! Be6 15.e5!
Interestingly, two well-known King’s Indian specialists and authors got into trouble on
the black side of this line.
15…Nxb5
15…Nd7 16.f4 Nxb5 17.Nxb5 f6 18.Rac1! fxe5 19.Nc7 Bf7 20.Nxe8 Qxe8 21.Bb5
was hopeless for Black in Wirthensohn – Gallagher, Lenzerheide 2006.
In Golod – Kotronias, Port Erin 2007, White took on f6 and g7 and pressed for
another sixty moves, but Black was able to hold with resilient defence. A simpler
option is:

16.Nxb5!N 16…Nd7 17.f4

Transposing to Wirthensohn – Gallagher above. White’s advantage is overwhelming.

507
12.cxd5 Nxd5
12…cxd5? has been played a few times but 13.Bxa6N 13…bxa6 14.e5! is horrible
for Black.

13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Bxa6 bxa6 15.Nc6 Qf6

The engine slightly prefers other queen moves, but there’s no need to go into details
because Black is in trouble in all lines. The text move is a natural human choice but
Black soon comes unstuck.

16.exd5 Qxb2

508
17.Rb1! Qxa2 18.d6 Bd7
18…Bf6 runs into 19.Ne7† Bxe7 (19…Rxe7 20.dxe7 Bxe7 gave Black nowhere near
enough for the exchange in San Segundo Carrillo – Perpinya Rofes, Barcelona 2000)
20.dxe7 when we will soon defend the e-pawn by installing the bishop on f6, and Black
can hardly hope to survive with such weak dark squares.

19.Ne7† Kh8 20.Bd4 Qa4 21.Bxg7† Kxg7

22.Qd2
Black’s position is actually dead lost, as the king is too exposed.

509
22…Qh4 23.Rb4 Qh5 24.Qd4† f6 25.Rb7
Black soon had to resign in the wonderful model game Nyback – Bekker Jensen,
Bremen 2013.

B25) 7…Nbd7

8.Re1!
This is my favourite set-up, which is both flexible and easy to learn. Another
advantage is that we can use it against the related 7…Na6 variation as well.

8…c6
8…a5?! is an old-school move which has been played by such giants as Larsen and
Petrosian. However, we already know a good idea to counter this: 9.dxe5! dxe5 10.Be3!?
N (10.Qc2 is also good.) 10…Ng4 11.Bg5 Bf6 12.Bd2 We intend h2-h3 and Qc2, with
typical pleasant play against Black’s weakened queenside.

8…exd4 9.Nxd4 Re8 10.Bf1 Nc5 (10…c6 transposes to our main line below, where
11.Bf4! is our move) 11.f3 gives us an excellent position where Black does not have
much counterplay.

8…Re8 9.Bf1 a6 is recommended by Jones in King’s Indian 1. Once again, 10.dxe5! is a

strong retort now that Black has weakened the queenside. 10…Nxe5 (10…dxe5 11.Be3
is excellent for White.) 11.Nxe5 dxe5N (11…Rxe5 12.Bf4 Re8 13.Qd2 was clearly better

510
for White in Zavrazhnov – Rose, corr. 2011.) Jones goes on to consider the queen swap
on d8, but a stronger idea is:

12.Qc2! We have an annoying positional threat of Rd1, and if the queen goes to e7 then
Nd5 comes. If Black reacts with 12…c6 then 13.Rd1 Qe7 14.Na4 (or 14.Be3) gives us a
small but comfortable plus.

8…h6!?
This curious little move harks back to variation B23, and indeed the current position
sometimes arises via that move order. Caruana is among those who have
experimented with it. Sometimes the knight goes to g5 via h7, but the main purpose
of the move is to meet Be3 with …Ng4 without allowing Bg5 in reply. In the
meantime, Black waits for the right opportunity to open the centre with …exd4.
9.Qc2!
9.Bf1 has been more popular but I believe the text move to be the most useful.

511
9…Nh7?!
This has been Black’s most popular choice but it allows us to carry out our main idea.
9…Re8 is better, but 10.dxe5! dxe5 11.Be3 is still strong. For example: 11…c6
(11…Ng4 12.Bd2 c6 13.Na4! was good for White in Keymer – Mamedov, Reykjavik
2021. Given the chance, we will make inroads with b2-b4, c4-c5 and Nb2-c4, aiming
for d6.) 12.Na4!? (12.Rad1 is a good alternative.) 12…Qc7 13.c5 b5 14.cxb6 axb6
15.h3 White had the upper hand in Praggnanandhaa – Sindarov, Chennai (ol) 2022.
10.dxe5 dxe5
10…Nxe5?! 11.Nxe5 dxe5 12.Rd1 is even worse for Black.
11.Be3
Kozul has reached this position a few times as Black, usually obtaining terrible
positions.
11…c6
11…Re8 12.Rad1 Nhf8 13.c5 Ne6 was seen in Andersson – Kasparov, Moscow
1982, when 14.Bc4!N would have given White a huge advantage.
In Beliavsky – Kozul, Portoroz 1999, White played 12.Rad1 and was successful.
However, there is a move I like even more:

512
12.c5!?N 12…Qe7 13.b4
Black is totally passive and our pieces will enjoy the d6-outpost.

9.Bf1 exd4
9…h6 provokes d4-d5 which might be best, but another good option is 10.h3!? when
it seems to me that White is the one who has benefited slightly more from the inclusion of
the respective pawn moves.

9…a5 has been the most popular choice but it weakens the queenside. The simplest
reply is: 10.dxe5! (10.Qc2!? is another idea, and if 10…Re8 11.dxe5! we will follow up
with Na4, targeting Black’s queenside dark squares which have been weakened.) 10…

513
dxe5 11.Na4 Qe7 12.Qc2 We have an excellent version of the exchange structure. For
example:

12…Nc5 (12…b6 is well met by 13.c5! b5 14.Nb6 Rb8 15.Be3 and Black was suffering
in Epishin – Cladouras, Bad Wiessee 1997.) 13.Nxc5 Qxc5 14.h3! Nh5 15.Be3 Qe7
16.c5 White was clearly better in Letelier Martner – Panno, Mar del Plata 1958.

9…Qe7 is another move which gives us a pleasant choice. 10.h3!? (As usual, 10.d5 is
objectively strong but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. 10…c5 is the natural reply,
when 11.g3! is a good idea, having in mind to make the …f5 break ineffective, before
pushing on with the usual queenside play. A good example continued 11…Ne8 12.Bh3
f5 13.exf5 gxf5 14.Nh4 and Black was under unpleasant pressure in Gaifullin –
Ivannikau, Ahmedabad 2017.)

514
10…exd4 (10…Ne8 11.Rb1 f5? was way too optimistic from Black in Koska – Macura,
Brno 1957. White has a number of strong continuations but 12.b4!N is best. The threat is
c4-c5, and White’s forces are far better placed for the upcoming opening of the centre.)
11.Nxd4 Nc5 This position has arisen a few times. I believe 12.Nb3!?N to be the best
continuation, and after 12…Nfd7 (12…Ne6 13.Be3 gives us a nice advantage) 13.Qc2
a5 14.Be3 we are doing well.

10.Nxd4 Re8
These moves have been played in hundreds of games, many of them involving
strong players as Black. However, this kind of position is exactly what we are aiming for.
The best continuation is:

515
11.Bf4!
We start by attacking the d6-pawn, and our next move will depend on Black’s reply.

11…Ne5
The alternative is:
11…Nc5
This move offers a couple of tricks, but we should not find it difficult to avoid them
and maintain the advantage.
12.Qc2
12.f3?! Qb6! makes life far more complicated than it needs to be.
12…Ng4
12…Qb6 achieves nothing here, as 13.Rad1 leaves White in complete control.
13.Rad1
13.Qd2!? is also good, but it’s more natural to develop a fresh piece.

516
13…Qf6
Other moves make less sense, for example:
13…Be5 14.Bxe5!? (14.Bg3 is also better for White) 14…dxe5 was seen in
Sakalauskas – Nekrasova, Koszalin 1999, and now 15.Nf3N would have given White
a pleasant edge.
13…Qe7 has been seen a few times in practice. A good move is 14.Qd2 followed by
h2-h3 next. (14.h3 isn’t bad, but it allows 14…Bxd4 followed by …Ne6, which can be
messy in practice.)
So far we have followed Rychagov – Teterev, Tula 2004. The best continuation is:
14.Bc1!N
Followed by h2-h3, and White is in control. (The last move improves on 14.Bg3 h5
when Black obtains counterplay by targeting the bishop.)

12.h3

517
12…Nh5!?
Objectively this move is not great, but it’s worth seeing how to deal with Black’s
intended counterplay. First, let’s see a couple of alternative ideas:

12…a6 13.Qc2 Qe7 (13…Nh5 was played in Antova – Gledura, Chesterfield 2020, when
14.Bh2!N 14…c5 15.Nde2 Be6 16.b3 is the right way for White to maintain control.)
14.Rad1 Bd7 15.a4 Rac8 This position was reached in Postny – Demchenko, Internet
(blitz) 2020. White has many ways to keep a clear advantage but 16.Qd2!?N seems
most logical. (16.b3N is a good alternative, fortifying the queenside.)

12…Be6 13.b3 doesn’t change much. 13…Nh5 14.Be3 (Alternatively, 14.Bh2N 14…Qf6!
looks slightly annoying but 15.Qc2! Nf4 16.Re3! is a good answer, meeting 16…Bh6 with
the calm 17.Rd1 with Nce2 to follow. The text move is simpler though.) 14…Qh4 An
important improvement is:

518
15.Qc1!N We keep control and threaten Bg5 next. Black stands clearly worse, as none
of the tactical tricks are working. (15.Qd2? Bxh3! allowed Black to carry out his main idea
in Zugic – Bluvshtein, Montreal 2002. Even here, the engine shows that White can still
fight for an advantage, but we don’t need to allow such complications.)

13.Be3
Black’s play seems illogical, as f2-f4 will come, but there is one tactical idea that we
need to be aware of.

13…a6 14.f4 c5
This position was reached in S. Ivanov – Fier, Leon 2012. White has more than one
good continuation but the most convincing is:

519
15.Nb3!N
The game continuation of 15.Nf5!? is strong if followed up precisely, but it allows
unnecessary tactical complications.

15…Nc6
It appears that Black will play …Nd4 with decent counterplay, but we can keep
perfect control with:

16.Qf3! Nd4
Black has nothing better, as other moves would have allowed Rad1 with an
overwhelming advantage for White.

17.Qf2! Nxb3 18.axb3

Our passive b3-knight has been exchanged off, and our further ideas include Rad1
and g2-g4.

520
18…Bxc3 19.bxc3 Rxe4
This risky pawn grab is the only critical continuation to check.

20.g4
After the knight retreats, we will play Rad1 and f4-f5. Black is in trouble.

B26) 7…exd4 8.Nxd4

I stand by the opinion that this is objectively Black’s best way of handling the
Classical King’s Indian! I published evidence for this in two articles, in New In Chess

521
Yearbooks 135 and 136, and have played this way in my own correspondence games.
That being said, I am not entirely sure that Black can fully equalize, and I’ll show why.

8…Re8
Activating the rook and provoking a slight weakening of our kingside dark squares.
Other continuations are legal but I don’t see how Black can hope to benefit from not
including these two moves.

9.f3
Black has two main approaches: B261) 9…c6 and B262) 9…Nc6.

B261) 9…c6 10.Nc2!

Stopping …d5 for the time being.

For decades, the main line has been 10.Kh1 but I think I proved in my article that 10…d5
11.cxd5 cxd5 12.Bg5 Nc6! 13.Bb5 h6 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Bxc6 hxg5!, as first seen in Ding
Liren – Carlsen, Internet (rapid) 2020, is a good exchange sacrifice which offers Black
interesting play and objectively equal chances.

10…Na6!
This is the only move that gives Black a reasonable game.

After something like 10…Be6?! White develops with 11.Be3! when Black suffers from a

522
lack of space and a weakness on d6, and will be squeezed slowly and painfully. 11…d5
12.e5! (12.cxd5 cxd5 13.e5 Nfd7 14.f4 yields a pleasant advantage but the text move is
even better.) 12…Nfd7 13.f4 White had a big advantage in Tomic – Halasz,
Recklinghausen 2003. Black has no counterplay at all, while White can build up the
pressure with moves like Qe1, Rd1 and Nd4. It’s worth pointing out that 13…dxc4 is
nothing to fear because 14.Nd4 Bd5 15.Ndb5 gives us too much play.

11.Kh1!
This prophylactic move makes it harder for Black to carry out the …d5 break.

11.Be3 has been a popular choice but 11…d5 is a good answer, and if 12.exd5 cxd5
13.c5 Nb4! Black obtains enough counterplay.

11…Nc7
11…Nh5?! 12.g4 Nf6 was seen in Kasimdzhanov – Kazhgaleyev, Guangzhou 2010,
and now 13.Bg5!N is fantastic for White, who prevents …h5 and intends Qd2 next.
11…Be6 invites f4-f5. 12.Bg5! Qb6 (12…Qa5 was seen in Morris – Mordue, Telford
2005, when 13.f4!N would have given White a big advantage.) 13.Rb1! The bishop on e6
makes an inviting target for a future f4-f5. 13…Rad8 This position was reached in
Gagunashvili – Miguel Lago, Santiago de Compostela (blitz) 2022, and now 14.Qd2N
would have been simplest, with the unpleasant threat of Qf4. (14.f4!?N is also strong.)

11…h6!? looks strange, although there is some value for Black in stopping the annoying
Bg5 move. 12.Be3 d5 13.exd5! cxd5 was seen in Hjartarson – Warmerdam, Reykjavik
2022, and now 14.Qc1!N would have put Black under some pressure, as the h6-pawn is
under fire while Rd1 is also threatened.

523
12.Bg5!
Again this is the preferred square for our bishop.

12…h6
12…d5 is recommended by GM Bojkov in Modernized: The King’s Indian Defence,
but after 13.cxd5 cxd5 we can improve on his analysis with 14.Qe1!N. The position is
almost the same as the main line below, and I don’t see anything better for Black than
transposing to it with 14…h6 15.Bh4.
12…Ne6 13.Be3! is a useful shuffle, as Black’s knight no longer supports the …d5
break. 13…Nh5 14.g3 Be5 15.Qd2 favoured White in J. Hansen – Tunega, corr. 2016.

13.Bh4 d5 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.Qe1! g5 16.Bg3 Nh5

16…dxe4 17.Rd1 is horrible for Black.

17.Rd1 Nxg3† 18.Qxg3 d4?!

This was played against a GM who I served as a second during the 2022 Chennai
Olympiad.

18…Qe7 is a slightly better try although 19.f4 gave White a strong initiative anyway in
Kogeler – Alejos, corr. 2017. (19.Ne3!?N is also good.)

19.f4! Ne6 20.f5 Nc5

I cannot resist showing a beautiful improvement:

524
21.Nxd4!N
21.Qf3 was good enough to maintain a winning advantage in Andersen – Ashiku,
Chennai (ol) 2022.

21…Bxd4 22.e5
Black can hardly move a piece, and will soon be killed.

B262) 9…Nc6

I believe this to be Black’s most reliable continuation. With that being said, there is

525
one particular plan against it which is not only theoretically challenging, but also easy to
play for White over the board, while presenting genuine practical difficulties for Black.

10.Be3 Nh5
This is Black’s usual method of searching for counterplay.

10…Nxd4 11.Bxd4 b6 has been see quite a lot in correspondence praxis. I think that we
can play in a similar fashion as in our main line with: 12.Qd2 Bb7

13.Rae1! White’s chances lie in the centre and on the kingside, so I prefer this scheme
over the more common development of the rook to d1. Another advantage is that it
leaves space for the following bishop manoeuvre: 13…a5 14.Bd1! Nd7 This position was
reached in Blair – Pivirotto, corr. 2017. I think White’s most attractive continuation is
15.Bxg7N 15…Kxg7 16.Ba4! followed by exchanging on d7 whenever we feel like it. In
the resulting position, we will have a strong and easily manoeuvrable knight versus a not-
so-active bishop on b7, as well as strong central control plus the safer king.

11.Nxc6!? bxc6 12.Qd2

We will continue with Rae1 and Bd1, slowly building potential play on the kingside
and always being ready to react in the centre.

526
12…c5
12…f5?! has actually been the most common continuation but 13.c5! puts Black
under massive pressure in the centre. For example, 13…d5 14.Bg5 Qd7 15.Rad1 Rb8
was seen in V. Popov – Plenkovic, Budva 2009, and now the simple 16.Rfe1N would
have brought White’s last piece into play while Black suffers from poor coordination and
weaknesses in the centre.

12…Qe7 13.Rae1 f5 is no better. 14.Bd1 Be6 (In the event of 14…f4 15.Bf2 Black is
unable to do anything on the kingside and will soon be hit by Ba4 and c4-c5.) In Mai –
Doescher, Germany 1997, 15.Ba4!N would have been horrible for Black.

12…a5 13.Rae1 a4 has also been tried, and now I like the consistent 14.Bd1!N with a
typical plus for White. (It is worth noting that 14.Bg5 can be met by the surprising
14…Bxc3! 15.bxc3 f6 16.Bh6 g5 when Black had adequate play in Costa – Michalek,
corr. 2021.)

13.Rae1!
Continuing with our plan.

13…Bb7
13…a5 14.Bd1! Bd7 15.a4!? Bc6 16.b3 Be5 17.Nb5 was seen in Romm – Ludgate,
corr. 2019. Black will soon be forced to take on b5, when we will recapture with the c-
pawn. In the resulting position, we will have excellent chances with the pair of bishops
and potential pressure on the light squares.

527
13…Rb8 14.Bd1N is also promising for White.

14.Bd1! Bc6
This is the plan that makes the most sense. Black is now ready for …a5-a4, and can
also generate kingside counterplay with moves like …Be5, …Qh4 and a timely …f5.

15.Nd5!
All these plans become much less effective when there is such a powerful knight on
d5!

15.b3 is a decent alternative though. 15…Qh4 was seen in Shuler – Rakay, corr. 2019,
and now 16.Rf2N 16…Be5 17.g3 keeps some edge for White.

15…Rb8 16.b3 Qc8 17.Bg5 Bxd5

Black could not tolerate the knight forever, and Ne7† was a painful threat.

18.cxd5 Bd4† 19.Kh1 c6 20.dxc6 Qxc6 21.Be2 d5

All this happened in Grigoryev – Ludgate, corr. 2020. Black hopes for some
counterplay as soon as possible, as in the long term White’s light-square pressure could
become overwhelming. That’s why I suggest the simple continuation:

528
22.exd5N 22…Qxd5 23.Bc4 Qc6
23…Qb7 can be met in exactly the same way.

24.Re4!
White has a strong central presence and an excellent light-squared bishop, while
Black’s chances for counterplay are minimal.

B27) 7…Nc6 8.d5 Ne7

529
9.b4
The Bayonet System is our choice, as explained in the chapter introduction.

I briefly considered recommending 9.Be3!? which I will call the Georgian Variation, as it
seems to be a speciality of Georgian players like Gelashvili, Sanikidze, Margvelashvili,
Kumsiashvili and others. White has a positional threat of Nd2 with perfect piece
coordination, so 9…Ng4 is best. It seems to me that the critical continuation is: 10.Bg5!
(10.Bd2 is actually what the Georgians mostly play, but the ideas are similar.) 10…h6
(10…f6 11.Bc1 f5 12.a4 doesn’t change much.) 11.Bc1!? f5

12.a4!N This is my own interpretation of this system. If allowed, White will build up with
a4-a5 and Ra3. 12…Nf6 seems natural, and we should meet it with the thematic 13.exf5
gxf5 14.Nh4! followed by f2-f4 if allowed. Although I am confident of the soundness of
this approach, the lack of practical examples makes it hard to draw any clear
conclusions. Consider it a nice two-minute addition to your repertoire, for a day when you
feel like experimenting with something fresh.

Returning to our main system, Black has two main options: B271) 9…a5 and B272)
9…Nh5.

9…Nd7 10.a4 is similar to the next note below, and is likely to transpose after a
subsequent …f5 and …Nf6.

9…Ne8 had a brief time when it was trendy, but White figured out that 10.a4! f5 (10…a5
11.Ba3 axb4 12.Bxb4 transposes to variation B271) 11.a5 Nf6 12.Bg5! poses difficult
problems. (12.Re1!? actually transposes to the main B2722 line, but the bishop move is

530
more precise when this move order arises.) A high-level example continued: 12…Nh5

13.Nd2 Nf4 14.c5 h6 15.Bxf4 exf4 16.Rc1 fxe4 17.Ndxe4 Nf5 18.Re1 White’s queenside
initiative and more active pieces were far more important than Black’s bishop pair in
Kamsky – Nakamura, Saint Louis 2010.

B271) 9…a5

10.Ba3
Black hasn’t weakened their position with …f5, so we now meet …a5 with this solid
move.

531
10.bxa5!? is the move I have recommended in my articles and played in my own
correspondence games. This might be objectively the best and most ambitious
continuation, but a lot of theory has accumulated and some of the complications can be
hard to fathom. I will just mention that after 10…Rxa5 11.a4 the main line is 11…c5,
while 11…Ne8!? is an emerging trend. For this chapter, I have instead recommended
the more practical yet still theoretically challenging continuation, which is easier to
understand for over-the-board players.

10…axb4
10…b6 11.bxa5 Rxa5 12.Bb4 Ra8 13.a4 transposes to the main line, with one extra
move played.

11.Bxb4 b6
This is the main line, which Jones recommends.

11…Nd7 is a popular alternative but 12.a4 Bh6 13.a5 f5 14.Bd3 was clearly better for
White in Kramnik – Carlsen, Nice (rapid) 2010.
11…Re8!? has been tried by some strong players but 12.a4 must be better for White.
See the 12…Re8 line below for more detailed commentary about a similar position. (The
trick to avoid is 12.c5?! dxc5 13.Bxc5 c6! 14.d6 Qa5 when Black is doing fine in the
complications. 12.h3!? seems like a decent alternative though.)

12.a4 Ne8!
This is Black’s most reliable continuation. An important point is that Black can now

532
consider a timely …c5, as the d6-pawn is properly defended.

12…Nh5 is well met by: 13.Re1! f5 (13…Nf4 14.Bf1 f5 15.Nd2! gives White a clear
advantage. The last move takes firm control over e4, thus preparing Nb5 and a4-a5, as
seen in Persson – Palmo, corr. 2002.) My improvement is:

14.exf5!?N (14.a5 is not a bad move but I would prefer to make this well-timed
exchange.) 14…Nxf5 (14…gxf5? is impossible due to 15.Nxe5.) 15.Bf1 We control the
key e4-square and can continue chipping away at the black queenside with a4-a5 after
suitable preparation.

12…Re8!?
This mysterious rook move has the big idea of preparing …Bf8 to reinforce d6,
followed by …c5. Compared with the main line, Black hopes to use the f6-knight
more actively on the kingside, so I like the idea of the following regrouping:
13.Re1 Bf8 14.Bf1 c5 15.Ba3
Black has carried out the aforementioned plan, but suffers from a lack of piece
coordination. Black often resorts to returning the bishop and rook to their previous
squares in the next few moves.

533
15…Bg7
15…Bh6 has been tested in a few high-level games. Nobody responded with
16.Bc1!?N 16…Bxc1 17.Qxc1, intending to meet 17…Rf8 with 18.Ra3!? Ne8 19.Qh6
when White stands clearly better. Black still can’t play …f5 yet due to the weak
kingside, and we are ready to play Rb1 next.
The text move has been played by Grischuk and Black has scored well with it, but I
like White’s chances.
16.Bc1 Rf8
This position was reached in Hilverda – Choukri, Berlin (rapid) 2015. White has all
the time in the world to play:
17.Bd2N 17…Ne8 18.Ra3 f5 19.h3

534
 This is the kind of position that modern engines evaluate as much better for White,
and it seems that they are right. Black is rather stuck for ways to improve on the
kingside, whereas White can continue with moves like Bd3, Qb1 and Rb3 to exert
pressure on the queenside. Black must also watch out for a timely exf5, intending to
meet …gxf5 with Nh4, or even Ng5-e6. Here is a sample continuation:
19…f4
This seems like the only practically dangerous plan for Black, but we can claim a
clear advantage after:
20.Qa1 h6 21.Nb5 g5 22.a5
We have succeeded in opening up the queenside, and it’s still not easy to see what
Black is doing on the kingside.

13.h3!
Why this move? The first thing to appreciate is that we are not yet ready for a4-a5, so
we require a waiting move, and deep analysis indicates that this is the most useful move
available.

13.a5? runs into 13…c5! when White will be struggling to equalize.

13.Re1!? is a respectable alternative which has scored well, and feels like a more natural
choice than our main line. Let’s see how the game may continue: 13…f5 14.a5 bxa5
(14…c5?? no longer works due to the possibility of a check on d5, and 15.dxc6 bxa5
16.Ba3 is winning for White.) 15.Bxa5 Nf6 16.Nd2 fxe4 17.Ncxe4 Nf5

535
 Jones recommends this for Black and comments that the well-placed knight on d4
will give Black equal chances. However, a correspondence example shows that White
can maintain some pressure: 18.c5 dxc5 19.Nxf6† Qxf6 20.Bxc7 Rxa1 21.Qxa1 Nd4
22.Ne4 Qf4 23.Qb1 Nxe2† 24.Rxe2 Qf7 25.Bd6 Rd8 26.Bxc5 In Hengl – Gonzaga
Grego, corr. 2018, Black was able to pick up the d5-pawn but subsequently lost the
isolani on e5, and had to defend accurately for another forty moves to earn the draw.

13…f5
13…c5?! 14.dxc6 Nxc6 15.Ba3 only helps us. Black tried 15…Nd4 16.Nxd4 exd4 in
Hammerschmidt – Vyzharov, corr. 2011, and now 17.Nb5!N would have clearly favoured
White.

If Black spends an additional tempo on 13…Kh8N we can play 14.Ra3! which is a cute
developing move. For example, 14…f5 (14…c5 15.dxc6 Nxc6 16.Qb1 also favours
White) 15.a5 and we are ready to meet 15…c5 with 16.axb6! Rxa3 17.Bxa3 Qxb6
18.Bc1 with a clear advantage.

14.a5

536
14…bxa5
Let me remind you that 14…c5?? 15.dxc6 is no longer an option for Black due to the
possibility of a check on d5.

Another game continued 14…Nf6?! 15.axb6 Rxa1 16.Qxa1 cxb6 17.Qa3 and Black was
in trouble in Zaccaria – Dzugan, corr. 2020.

15.Bxa5 Nf6!?N
This seems like a natural human choice, and it corresponds with Jones’s
recommendation in the position where Re1 was played instead of h2-h3.

15…Ra7 was played in Clever – Hefka, corr. 2009, and now 16.Nd2N would be my
choice to maintain a plus for White.

16.Nd2 fxe4 17.Ncxe4 Nf5

537
18.Nxf6† Bxf6 19.Ne4
White has the better game, and it seems to me that h2-h3 is a more useful move
than Re1 here. If Black tries 19…Nd4 then 20.Bg4 is a strong move, since the
positionally desirable 20…Bf5? runs into 21.Bxf5 gxf5 22.Nxf6† followed by Bc3, when
White is close to winning.

B272) 9…Nh5

10.Re1

538
 It is well worth spending a tempo to be ready to meet …Nf4 with Bf1.

10…f5
The inclusion of 10…Nf4 11.Bf1 only helps White. For instance, 11…a5 (11…f5? is
refuted by 12.Bxf4 exf4 13.e5) 12.bxa5 Rxa5 13.a4 and the knight only gets in the way
on f4. 13…c5 14.Nb5 Ra6 15.Ra3 We have a better version of the Giri – Korobov game
from the chapter introduction, and can follow the familiar plans for this kind of structure.

11.a4!
David Vigorito does not consider this possibility and Alexei Kornev only covers it in a
brief note in their King’s Indian books which were published in 2010 and 2016
respectively.

Black may try to disrupt our queenside play with B2721) 11…a5 or ignore it with B2722)
11…Nf6.

11…Nf4 12.Bf1 a5 can be met by 13.b5!?N in accordance with our guidelines. (13.bxa5
also gives White a clear advantage though.) If 13…b6 then 14.Ra3 seems like a good
move, getting ready for g2-g3 and Ng5. White stands clearly better.

B2721) 11…a5

12.b5!
I will offer this as the main line, as it fits with our guideline of meeting …a5 with b4-b5

539
in positions where Black has played …f5.

12.Ba3!?N is a good alternative, keeping things simple and striving to either transpose or
reach something close to one of the other variations. A logical continuation is 12…Nf6
13.Bd3 b6 14.bxa5 Rxa5 15.Bb4 Ra8 16.Ra3 with a plus for White.

12…b6
Black should not try to do without this move, as 12…Nf6?! 13.b6! was clearly better
for White in Straka – Samerdokas, corr. 2020.

13.Ra3!
The rook vacates the long diagonal and prepares to swing along the third rank when
needed.
13.Ng5!? Nf4 14.Bxf4 exf4 15.Ra3 is also promising but the main line is more
flexible.

13…h6
13…Nf6 14.Ng5! was excellent for White in Ellis – Szerlak, corr. 2022. Black will face
serious trouble on the light squares, just like in the Kramnik – Polgar game from the
chapter introduction.

14.exf5!
Forcing a favourable pawn structure before Black can consolidate with …Nf6. The
point is that the normally desirable …gxf5 would leave the h5-knight hanging, allowing a
Nxe5 trick.

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14…Bxf5 15.h3 Bd7 16.Ne4
White had a pleasant advantage in Caron – Morihama, corr. 2022.

B2722) 11…Nf6

12.a5
As we saw in the chapter introduction, we can take the time to gain additional
queenside space and ask what Black intends to do.

12…c6
Alexei Kornev covers our system in a note and recommends this move with an
‘unclear’ symbol in A Practical Black Repertoire with Nf6, g6, d6.

12…h6! has already been covered in the Giri – Korobov game in the introduction. In this
section we will review Black’s alternatives.

12…f4? is a bad move for a few reasons, the most thematic being 13.Ng5 followed by
c4-c5, when …h6 will be met by Ne6 and Black will be ruined on the light squares.

12…Bd7 (or any other neutral move) can be met by the always-useful 13.Ra3 when we
stand clearly better and can continue with familiar plans.

12…Nxe4 13.Nxe4 fxe4 14.Ng5 leads to a miserable-looking situation for Black, which

541
some correspondence players used to try to defend, with progressively less success as
time went on. It’s worth seeing another of Giri’s games for its instructive continuation:
14…e3 15.Bxe3 Nf5 16.Bd2 Bh6

17.Qc1! Nd4 18.Bd1! White was in complete control in Giri – Safin, Internet (blitz) 2020.
Next comes Ra3 and if Black does nothing, we continue with h4-h5 with a huge attack.

12…fxe4 13.Ng5 e3 14.Bxe3 Nf5 is similar. A good continuation is: 15.Bd2!? Nd4 16.Bf1

White safeguards the bishop and maintains control over the key e4-square. In one of
my own games, Black tried to defend by exchanging a pair of knights on that square:
16…Bf5 17.Nge4 Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Rf7 19.Ra2! I was comfortably better in Ntirlis – Kozlov,

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corr. 2021. Usually the rook goes to a3 in these positions, but in this instance I wanted to
continue improving my pieces with Bc3 and Bd3.

A final possibility is:

12…Kh8 13.Ra3 h6
13…c6 was played in Thomas – Baranowiski Filho, corr. 2019. White has several
good continuations but I find 14.exf5!?N to be most in the spirit of our system. 14…
gxf5 can then be met by 15.dxc6! bxc6 (15…Nxc6 16.Nb5 Ne4 17.Nd2 also puts
Black under heavy pressure) 16.Bf1!? with a clear advantage. We have the more
active pieces and Black’s central pawns are rather vulnerable.
This position was reached in Schwing – Roesch, Baden 2017. Here too, it looks good
to continue with:

14.exf5!N 14…Bxf5
14…Nxf5 15.Bd3 gives us firm control over the e4-point.
14…gxf5 15.Nh4 leaves Black under unpleasant pressure.
15.Nh4!
Black is in trouble. We threaten to exchange on f5, when Black will be permanently
weak on the light squares, and if the bishop retreats then Bd3 will be unpleasant.

13.dxc6!
This is the most critical attempt to punish Black’s last move, although we have other
good options available:

13.Ra3!?N is yet to be tried but cannot be a bad move.

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13.exf5!? is another tempting options, and if 13…Bxf5 14.a6 Black will have problems on
the light squares.

13…Nxc6
13…bxc6 14.b5 (14.c5!? also seems strong) 14…fxe4 15.Ng5 cxb5 was seen in
Khismatullin – Murzin, Sochi 2020, and now 16.cxb5!N would have been best, with the
point that 16…d5 will be met by 17.Ba3 when Black’s centre collapses.

14.Bg5!
We develop as actively as possible.

14…h6
14…Nxb4? 15.c5! is nasty for Black. (15.Qb3 also yields a big advantage.)

15.Bxf6 Bxf6
15…Rxf6 16.b5! Nxa5 17.c5 gave White a big initiative for the pawn in Marez –
Pecis, corr. 2016. (Stockfish likes 17.Nh4!N even more.)

16.a6 Kh7
Obviously Black cannot touch the b7-pawn because of Qd5†.

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17.axb7 Bxb7 18.Bd3
Black was under serious pressure and did not manage to survive in Graudins – Lupo,
corr. 2021.

Conclusion
I have a special place for the King’s Indian in my heart. It is the opening that helped me
to become a correspondence IM, yielding me several important wins, and it’s also the
opening that I had the most fun analysing over the years. The time has come for me to
let it go, and I have shared the problematic set-up which has frustrated me. In the
classical main line, the Bayonet System with 10.Re1 and 11.a4! is both theoretically
critical and easy to play for White. Some King’s Indian players have shifted their attention
to other systems. Moves such as 7…Na6 and 7…Nbd7 are pretty sensible, but meeting
them with Re1 and Bf1 will always give White an edge. Alternatives such as 7…exd4 and
even 7…h6!? have also been tested at a high level. It should come as no surprise that
these lines don’t fully equalize, so long as White remains sensible and aims for a small
and safe positional edge, rather than trying to refute them.

545
The Endgame Variation 269
The ‘Almost Main Line’ Grünfeld 270
Main Line Grünfeld – 7…0-0? 272
Main Line Grünfeld – Exchange Sac 274
The Exchange Sac with …h5 276
The Exchange Sac with …h6 277
Bringing Everything Together – 5.h4! 277

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.h4!

A) 5…c5 279
B) 5…Nc6!? 280
C) 5…Nxc3 281
D) 5…h5 282
E) 5…h6 284
F) 5…Bg7 286

Introduction
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1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5!?
This move characterizes the English Grünfeld.

3…Bg7 4.e4 has been covered in the previous chapter.

4.cxd5 Nxd5

This is a natural way for Grünfeld players to meet the English, as a subsequent d2-d4
will transpose to the Grünfeld proper. Although the Grünfeld is a top-tier opening, it has a
practical drawback of giving White a great variety of options, many of which lead to
complex challenges which demand a lot of precision from Black. Take the current
position: leaving aside the transposition to the main Grünfeld with d2-d4, White can
consider 5.e4, 5.h4, 5.Qa4†, 5.Qb3 or 5.Qc2 – and even 5.g3 demands a certain amount
of accuracy from Black before equality can be claimed. It is true that if you analyse
deeply enough, Black will always end up equalizing, or coming close to do it, in all of
these lines. Soundness is not the problem of the Grünfeld. Never has been! In this
introduction I will discuss various ideas White can try. Even though I am not
recommending those exact lines, the idea is to learn about them as useful background
information because my main recommendation can often lead to improved versions of
those comparable positions.

First, I will briefly cover two interesting queen moves. These two options lead to positions
which do not really resemble those in our main repertoire, but you might want to consider
having them as backup lines to vary your repertoire.

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5.Qb3!? Nb6
This is Black’s main reply.
6.d4 Bg7 7.Bf4
7.e4 is another direction but 7…Bg4! should offer Black enough counterplay.
7…Be6
7…0-0 8.Rd1 seems to give White an edge.
8.Qa3

8…Nc6
8…N8d7!? 9.e4 c6 is a less explored alternative but I had trouble finding an
advantage against it. 10.h4!?N would be my first choice to analyse further. (10.Rd1 is
the other main option.)
9.e3
White usually follows up with Be2 or Bb5, with chances of a small positional edge.
However, a good reply is:
9…a5!
White doesn’t have much.

5.Qc2!?
This is a quirky option which enjoyed a few years of popularity after Topalov won an
impressive game with it in 2011 against Kamsky, but nowadays Black knows how to
avoid the troubles.
5…Nc6!
After 5…Bg7 6.e4 Kamsky played 6…Nb6 in the aforementioned game, but if you
want to prepare this line for White, you should focus your analytical efforts on
6…Nb4 7.Qa4† N8c6 8.d4 Bd7 9.Qb3 e5!? where White may obtain something of an

548
 edge after precise play, but Black has plenty of counterplay. In case you were
wondering, I spent a few days analysing this line!
6.Qb3 Nb6 7.d4

7…Be6!
7…Nxd4?? loses to 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 9.Nb5.
8.Qd1
The point of ‘wasting’ three tempos with the queen is Black’s minor pieces are not
well placed.
8…Bg7 9.e3 0-0 10.Be2
Modern engines claim a tiny edge for White.

The Endgame Variation

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4

We will start by checking a system which is easy to learn and play, yet still has the
potential to cause some headaches for Black.

5…Nxc3
5…Nb6?! is bad for Black after 6.h3!, intending d2-d4 without allowing …Bg4.

6.dxc3
6.bxc3!? can lead to a main-line Grünfeld but White can also choose a different path
where d2-d4 is delayed. We’ll talk about this in our next segment.

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6…Qxd1† 7.Kxd1
This variation has been debated for many decades. I think White is a tiny bit better
and, against the right choice of opponents, this line could score extremely well. On the
other hand, not everyone likes having endgame lines in their repertoires (sorry Berlin
players, we know you are special), especially with White – and with good preparation
and generally sensible play, Black will not lose this position.

7…f6!
It is important to understand that the natural-looking 7…Bg7? is actually a serious
mistake – both strategically (the bishop has no function on g7) and in the short term.
8.Bf4! hits the c7-pawn. Black could try to sacrifice it, but White can always just develop
and maintain the threat to win it later. The most instructive line runs: 8…c6 9.Kc2 Nd7
10.a4!? Nc5 11.Nd2

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 The more you analyse this position, the more you’ll realize how terrible it is for Black.
For example, the natural move 11…Be6 can be met by 12.b4 Nd7 13.Bc4! Bxc4
14.Nxc4 when Black remains with bad pieces and much less space. The engines
already evaluate the position as close to +2, which is surprising for a position with equal
material and no obvious pawn weaknesses for Black.

8.h4!
The old main line was 8.Be3 e5 9.Nd2 but 9…Nd7! is a good solution. Play could
continue: 10.Nb3 Otherwise Black continues …Bc5 with no problems. 10…h5! Planning
…Bh6. 11.f3 Preparing to avoid the bishop exchange with Bf2, but now the novelty 11…
a5!N is completely fine for Black.

8…h5
This is not the only move that keeps the game close to equal.

8…e5 allows 9.h5 which is mildly annoying for Black, but still not too serious.

8…Bg4 also keeps White’s edge to a minimum.

9.e5!
Opening a pathway for the bishop to go to d3 and attack the freshly created
weakness on g6.

9…Nc6 10.Bd3 Kf7 11.Re1

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 White intends Be4 and Kc2 with a nice advantage. However, the French number one
came up with an impressive defensive concept which shocked me the first time I saw it.

11…Bf5!
Improving on 11…Bg4 12.Kc2 when White stands well, with Be4 the likely follow-up.
12…Bxf3?! does not help Black because 13.e6† gives White a big advantage.

12.Bxf5 gxf5
This was seen in Rapport – Vachier Lagrave, Biel 2015. I spent literally days trying to
break Black’s fortress. In the end, I had to admit that this defence, while not exactly a joy
for Black, is sound and good enough to draw the game. In conclusion, the Endgame
Variation can work well and is worth having in our repertoire, but at the same time it’s not
the most punchy line.

The ‘Almost Main Line’ Grünfeld

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3!?

This is another natural and good choice.

6…Bg7

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7.Rb1!?
This move has been played by two of my opening heroes, Dubov and Gelfand, so I
had to examine it. Again, we can best understand the point of it if we start by familiarizing
ourselves with some alternatives.

7.d4 is a main-line Grünfeld. We generally don’t play 1.c4 with the aim of reaching this
position, but the option is there.

7.Bc4, 7.Ba3, 7.Be2 and even 7.Bb5†!? are all interesting moves which have their own
ideas behind them, but there are other schemes which I prefer.

One of our more venomous options is:

7.h4!?
Engines tend to like this move and some correspondence players have experimented
with it, with some success. White’s concept is simple. We all know that in the
Grünfeld proper, starting such flank attacks will not work, as Black will obtain strong
counterplay by putting pressure on the d4-pawn. With no pawn on d4, there will be
no counterplay!
7…Bg4!
7…h5N is never played here, with good reason. However, we will revisit this position
later in the theoretical section, where it can arise via a different move order.
The text move sees Black counter our plan while developing actively. The most
ambitious continuation is:
8.h5!? Bxh5 9.Rxh5! gxh5 10.d4
White has dangerous compensation but, as usual these days, engines show a path

553
 to “0.00”.
10…c5 11.Ng5

11…0-0! 12.Qxh5 h6
White has a few scary tries, but Black always has a defence. Still, the whole line is
definitely worth considering, especially as a surprise weapon.

7…0-0
Let’s see why the rook went to b1.

8.h4!
Now Black cannot develop the bishop to g4 as in the 7.h4 line because the b-pawn

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falls, right? Unfortunately, matters are not so simple.

8…Bg4! 9.Rxb7 Nd7!

So far, this position has only been reached in a couple of online blitz games. I believe
that the critical continuation is:

10.Rb5!N 10…c5 11.Be2 a6 12.Rb2

12…Qc7 13.0-0 c4!

Black has sufficient compensation for the pawn. Of course this line is computer-
generated and the whole position seems weird to human eyes. Creative players may
relish this type of challenge, but for this repertoire I prefer not to recommend lines which
are so difficult to understand. Besides, I found an objectively more promising way for
White to handle the opening, so there was no need to go any deeper here. Still, it’s worth
knowing that 7.h4!? and 7.Rb1!? are both rather challenging lines which put pressure on
Black.

Main Line Grünfeld – 7…0-0?

We are coming closer to understand my main recommendation, but before we fully get
there, let’s check again the Main Line Grünfeld.

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3!? Bg7 7.d4
I did some research in my database, checking the continuations of games in various
Elo distributions. To my astonishment, the percentage of Black players who commit the

555
next mistake is more or less stable and above 20% in all rating categories.

7…0-0?
7…c5! is of course best, and we will discuss it in the next segment.

“What’s wrong with castling?” I hear you ask. The point is that Black lacks a crucial
tempo in the fight against our strong centre.

8.Be2 c5 9.0-0
Black has already a bad position. Not losing, but bad. I remember the sensation this
caused me when I first started reading Yermolinsky’s wonderful book The Road to Chess
Improvement, which included an examination of this position in the very first chapter.

9…b6
This might be Black’s best, but now White has an improved version of a popular
theoretical position in which the rook already stands on b1. That line is actually
considered slightly better for White – and since the rook serves little purpose on b1 after
…b6 has been played, here we are essentially a tempo up!

9…Nc6 10.Be3 leaves Black with nothing better than exchanging on d4 in the near
future, transposing to the 9…cxd4 line below.

9…Bg4 10.Be3 Qa5 is well met by 11.Rb1! b6 12.h3 (12.Qc2!?N is the engine choice but
the game continuation is strong and easy to understand.) 12…Bxf3 13.Bxf3 White had a
wonderful position with the bishop pair and a strong, secure centre with e4-e5 coming

556
next in Onischuk – Puranik, Internet (rapid) 2018.

The only other critical line to check is: 9…cxd4 10.cxd4 Nc6 11.Be3 White is ready to
consolidate with h2-h3 or Rc1, and then play d4-d5 with a crushing position. 11…Bg4
(11…f5?! 12.Qb3† followed by Rad1 is even worse for Black.)

12.d5! Ne5 (12…Bxa1 13.Qxa1 Na5 14.Bh6 f6 15.Bxf8 Qxf8 gives White a choice of
strong continuations. My favourite is 16.Qb2!? with the idea to play Nd4 and recapture
on e2 with the queen.) 13.Nxe5 Bxe2 14.Qxe2 Bxe5 15.Rad1 White scores close to 75%
in my database from this position. The plan is simple: play f2-f4 and e4-e5, followed by
h4-h5 with a full-blown attack against the enemy king.

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10.Bg5 Bb7 11.Qd3 Ba6
In such positions, it is quite normal for Black to lure the queen to d3 in order to
facilitate the exchange of light-squared bishops. If Black tried something else, White
would play Qe3 followed by Rad1 with a crushing position.

12.Qe3 Bxe2 13.Qxe2

White remains clearly better, thanks to the powerful centre which Black cannot easily
challenge.

13…cxd4 14.cxd4 Nc6 15.Rad1 Qd7 16.d5 Ne5

17.Nd4!
White’s advantage was already reaching decisive proportions in Koutsin –
Gershman, Kiev 1986.

17.Nxe5!? Bxe5 was a bit less accurate, but still excellent for White in Andreikin –
Artemiev, Internet (blitz) 2020. 18.h4!N would have been strongest, and after something
like 18…Rac8 19.f4 Bg7 20.h5 White has good attacking chances as well as a dominant
pawn centre.

Main Line Grünfeld – Exchange Sac

Let’s see how we might challenge the Grünfeld when Black avoids the early inaccuracy
from the previous segment.

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1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7
Let me remind you that we are still not actually into my main recommendation against
the Grünfeld, but merely exploring interesting ideas. A tricky move order would be:

7.Be2!?
By starting with a quiet move, we hope to lull Black into carelessly castling early, after
which 8.d4 will transpose to what we just saw. But okay, let’s assume Black doesn’t fall
for the trick.

7…c5 8.d4
I want to show that even if we transpose to a normal Grünfeld, there are still ways to
cause Black real practical problems.

8.Qa4†!? can be tried, but after 8…Bd7 9.Qa3 Bc6! it seems that Black is okay.

The other possible pathway is 8.0-0 Nc6 and now Aronian has played 9.Qa4!? which is
interesting, but not especially dangerous.

8…Nc6!
Surprisingly, quite a lot of players have continued 8…0-0? when 9.0-0 transposes to
the previous segment.

8…Bg4 9.Rb1! 0-0 10.0-0 transposes to a system against the Rb1 Grünfeld which has
never caught great attention in the highest level, with the exception of a few games by
Nepo and Dubov, mainly in blitz and rapid. 10…cxd4 (10…Nc6?! 11.d5 Na5 12.Qc2!

559
seems to be much better for White, if the evaluations of modern engines are to be
believed.) 11.cxd4 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 Bxd4

White has a pleasant choice. The simple capture on b7 offers some advantage, but a
dangerous alternative is 13.e5!? Nc6 14.Bh6 Re8 15.e6! fxe6 16.Qb3 when White had a
big initiative in Pogorelov – Okhotnik, Lorca 2001.

9.d5!
This move offers an exchange sacrifice which has been well known for many years.
The rise of neural-network engines has led to new insights, enabling some players like
Andreikin to develop it into a fierce practical weapon.

560
Please note that 9.Be3 does not help, as 9…Bg4! sees Black continuing to challenge
White’s centre.

9…Bxc3†
9…Ne5?! 10.Nxe5 Bxe5 11.Qb3! is assessed by the engines as clearly favouring
White, who intends f2-f4 next. (Andreikin has tried 11.0-0!? and after 11…0-0!? 12.Bh6
Re8 13.Qd2 e6 14.f4 he developed a strong attack and won quickly in Andreikin – Jones,
Hengshui 2019.)

10.Bd2 Bxa1 11.Qxa1 Nd4 12.Nxd4 cxd4 13.Qxd4

The general assessment is that this line has proven to be okay for Black, but at the
same time it offers full compensation and decent practical chances for White. It’s worth
showing a few more ideas, as we will be able to apply some of them in a related position
which can occur in our repertoire.

13…0-0
13…f6 14.0-0 Qb6 15.Qd3! 0-0 16.Rb1 gives White a huge initiative, with Black
struggling to hold things together even in correspondence play. For example: 16…Qc7
(16…Qa6 17.Qxa6 bxa6 18.Bc4!? Kf7 19.Bf4 gave Black a tough time despite the queen
exchange in Szabo – Riemer, corr. 2009.) 17.Qb3 Kg7 18.Rc1 Qd6 19.Bb4 Qf4

561
20.Qe3!? Qxe3 21.fxe3 Rf7 22.Rc7 Here too, the queen exchange did not offer much
relief for Black in Schneider – Wilmes, email 2013.

14.0-0 Qb6 15.Qa1

15.Qc3!? Bd7 16.Bh6 f6 17.Bxf8 Rc8 was seen in Grischuk – Nepomniachtchi,
Moscow 2019, and now a possible improvement is 18.Qd2N 18…Kxf8 19.h4! planning
h4-h5 with some pressure for White.

15…Bd7 16.Rb1 Qc7 17.Bh6 f6

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18.Rc1!
18.Bxf8 Kxf8 19.Qb2 b6 20.Rc1 Qf4 was fine for Black in Andreikin – So, Internet
(rapid) 2020.

18…Qb6
18…Qa5 19.Bxf8 Kxf8 20.Bf1!? Rc8 21.Rxc8† Bxc8 22.e5 gave Black some
problems to solve in Szabo – Lahdenmaeki, corr. 2009.

18…Qd6N 19.Bxf8 Kxf8 20.Qd4 a6 21.h4 also gives White some initiative.

19.Bxf8 Rxf8 20.h4! Qd6 21.h5 b5

22.Qd4 a6 23.Qe3
White maintained a slight edge in Noboa Silva – Lafont Linares, Mayabeque 2019. I
am pretty sure that with deep preparation and good defence, Black will hold these
positions. Nevertheless, I consider this exchange sacrifice a good practical try for White.
I would have considered it as the main recommendation for our repertoire, but instead I
would like to aim for an improved version, if Black allows it. Let me insert a pawn move
for each side to show you what I mean…

The Exchange Sac with …h5

563
 If we could insert h2-h4 at a suitable moment and provoke …h5 in response, we
would have even better chances to make something out of our initiative. For example:

14…0-0 15.0-0 Qb6 16.Qc3!

This is how Grischuk played against Nepomniachtchi, but here it comes with
additional bite.

16…Bd7 17.Bh6 f6
We can now target the vulnerable g6-pawn with:

564
18.Qg3! Kf7 19.Bxf8 Rxf8 20.Bd3
With a dangerous attack. Let’s see another illustrative example where Black has
reacted to h2-h4 in a different way.

The Exchange Sac with …h6

If we add h2-h4 for White and …h6 for Black, the situation becomes horrible for
Black!

14…f6
14…Rh7 is the only other option to avoid losing the h6-pawn, but 15.0-0 Qb6 16.Qd3
Bd7 17.Rb1 Qc7 18.h5 leaves Black under severe pressure.

15.0-0 Qb6 16.Qd3 Bd7 17.Rb1 Qc7

565
18.h5!
18.e5!? Bf5 19.Qb5† leads to a clear advantage but the text move is even stronger.

18…g5 19.e5 Qxe5 20.Rxb7

White has a decisive attack.

Bringing Everything Together – 5.h4!

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5

Having absorbed all the relevant background information, the time has come to show
you my main recommendation!

5.h4!

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 This modern idea is not mentioned in either The Safest Grünfeld (2011) or The
Kaufman Repertoire for Black & White (2012). The point is that the further h4-h5 will
cause problems for Black on the kingside, but if Black tries to prevent it, we will obtain an
improved version of one of the systems we have just seen in the introduction.

Here’s a quick preview of Black’s most natural responses and how we intend to meet
them:

5…c5 6.h5 puts Black under some pressure on the kingside.

5…Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 If instead Black moves the pawn from h7, then 7.e4 will transpose to
one of the options below. 7.h5 White has done well from this position at the highest level.

5…h5 6.e4! Nxc3 7.bxc3 Bg7 gives us a pleasant choice. 8.Ba3! actually seems to be
the strongest move, but we can also play 8.d4 and aim for an improved version of the
exchange sacrifice, as discussed previously.

5…h6 6.e4! Nxc3 7.bxc3 (7.dxc3!? is a worthy alternative, aiming for an improved
version of the Endgame Variation.) 7…Bg7 8.d4 c5 9.Be2 We have seen how powerful
the exchange sacrifice will be with the pawns already on h4 and h6.

5…Bg7 is the main line. White can of course play 6.h5, but 6.e4! is my preference, with
the idea of 6…Nxc3 7.dxc3. We already know that the bishop is misplaced on g7 in the
Endgame Variation. (It wants to be exchanged on c5 or h6, as we saw). No wonder that
many top players are successfully playing this way with White these days!

567
We already have enough ideas in our arsenal to play 5.h4! with confidence. Let’s see
some more details in the theoretical section.

568
 Theory Section

A) 5…c5 279
B) 5…Nc6!? 280
C) 5…Nxc3 281
D) 5…h5 282
E) 5…h6 284
F) 5…Bg7 286

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.h4!

We will look at A) 5…c5, B) 5…Nc6!?, C) 5…Nxc3, D) 5…h5, E) 5…h6 and finally
the main line of F) 5…Bg7.

5…Bg4? is a serious mistake. White has more than one strong continuation but 6.Qb3!
Nxc3 7.dxc3! is the most accurate, and Black already faces grave difficulties.

5…Nb6?! is too passive, and 6.h5 Bg7 7.h6 Bf6 8.Ne4 gave White an obvious
advantage in Pires – Carvalho, Sao Bernardo do Campo 2015. (The simple 8.g3!?N is
also good.)

5…Nf6?! has been played in a surprising amount of games but such a passive, time-
wasting move cannot be good. 6.d4 Bg7 7.e4 c5 (7…0-0 8.Be2 c5 avoids a troublesome
check on b5 but the black king becomes a target. 9.d5 e6 10.h5 Nxh5 was seen in Piket
– Svidler, Internet [rapid] 2000, and now 11.Bg5!N would have given White a huge
initiative.) 8.Bb5† Bd7 9.e5 Nd5

569
10.Qb3! Nxc3 11.bxc3 cxd4 12.h5! 0-0 13.h6 Bh8 14.Bxd7 Qxd7 15.cxd4 Nc6 16.Be3
Black was in big trouble in Yu Yangyi – Khmelniker, Skopje 2015. The bishop on h8 is a
sorry sight, to put it mildly.

A) 5…c5 6.h5

6…Nxc3
6…Nc6?! 7.hxg6 fxg6 would be a major structural concession from Black, and after
for instance 8.Qb3 White stands clearly better.

570
6…Bg7 7.h6 Bf6 8.e4 Nxc3 9.dxc3! sees White angling for another highly favourable
version of the Endgame Variation. Black avoided that with 9…Qc7 in Theodorou –
Costello, Charlotte 2022, but White has some clear positional advantages in the
middlegame too. 10.Bc4N is a good and natural continuation, while 10.Qd2!? is another
interesting option, with the positional threat of Qf4.

7.dxc3! Qxd1† 8.Kxd1 Bg7 9.e4 Nc6 10.Kc2

White has an excellent version of the Endgame Variation. A good example continued:

10…Bg4 11.h6 Bf8 12.Bc4!? f6 13.Be3 b6 14.a3!

Preparing to gain space and exert pressure on the enemy queenside.

14…Bd7 15.b4 e6 16.Rhd1 Rc8

We have been following Reinhart – Gleyzer, corr. 2015. Many continuations are
promising for White, but I think the cutest is:

571
17.Rxd7!?N 17…Kxd7 18.Rd1† Ke7
Otherwise Black loses the e6-pawn.

19.e5!
Removing the f6-pawn in order to give a nasty check on g5. Black’s extra exchange
is of no value and White is comfortably winning.

B) 5…Nc6!?

It might seem strange to block the c-pawn, but this move has been tried by Grünfeld

572
specialists such as Svidler, Vachier-Lagrave and various other GMs. Not with great
success I should say, but we still should not underestimate Black’s concept of fast
development.

6.d4!
Seizing the centre is the best way to highlight the downside of Black’s last move.

The position after 6.h5 Bg7 is discussed briefly in the note to White’s 6th move in
variation F below.

6…Bf5
6…Bg7?! 7.e4 Nb6 8.Be3 Bg4 9.d5 Ne5 10.Be2 was unpleasant for Black in
Lorparizangeneh – Maghsoodloo, Arad 2016.

6…Bg4?! 7.e4 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Bg7 was seen in Saduakassova – Lujan, Batumi (ol) 2018.
9.Rb1N looks most logical, and after 9…Rb8 10.Qc2!? White has a big advantage.

7.Qb3!
Provoking a favourable exchange.

7…Nxc3 8.bxc3 Na5 9.Qa4† c6

10.c4!
10.h5!?N looks quite promising for White, but playing against the a5-knight is the
best and most ambitious approach.

573
10…Bg7
10…Qc7 was seen in Anton Guijarro – Krysa, Neuquen 2017, when 11.g3!N would
have been strongest, preparing Bf4 with gain of tempo.

11.Bd2 b6 12.Bxa5 bxa5 13.Qxc6† Bd7 14.Qd5

Black does not have enough compensation for the lost pawn. A good example
continued:

14…0-0 15.e3 e6 16.Qd6 a4 17.Bd3 Qa5† 18.Ke2

White was in full control in Sethuraman – Lin Yi, Tianjin 2020.

C) 5…Nxc3 6.bxc3

574
6…c5
6…Bg7 7.h5 c5 transposes to our main line below.
6…h5 7.e4 and 6…h6 7.e4 transpose to variations D and E respectively.

7.h5 Bg7
White has tried many different continuations from here, but I especially like the
following rare idea:

8.h6!?
8.e4 Nc6 9.h6!? Bf6 seems like an equally valid way of reaching our main line; this
was the sequence of the Nakamura game mentioned in the notes below.

8.Qa4†!? is an interesting alternative, which has been tested by several strong GMs as
well as correspondence players. White has scored excellently with it, but it can lead to
crazy complications, in contrast to my main recommendation which is relatively easy to
understand and play.
8.Rb1!? is another promising direction.

8…Bf6 9.e4 Nc6

575
10.Bb5!
Renewing the threat of e4-e5, while also preparing to damage Black’s structure.

10…Bd7
10…Bg4 was played in Deviprasath – Sovetbekova, Internet (blitz) 2022, and now
11.Bxc6†N 11…bxc6 12.Qe2 would have been logical. White intends Qe3 next, and play
is likely to transpose to the next note below after Black castles.

10…0-0 11.Bxc6 bxc6 was played in Nakamura – Mishra, Internet (rapid) 2021. My
improvement is: 12.Qe2!N 12…Bg4 13.Qe3! Bxf3 Otherwise Nh2 can be played. 14.gxf3

576
14…Qa5 The queen protects c5 and prevents Ba3. 15.e5 Bh8 The position looks rather
weird but the next strong move brings some clarity to White’s play. 16.Qe4! (16.f4 is the
obvious move and it offers White some advantage, as the h8-bishop has been entombed
and the doubled c-pawns will be weak in the long run. However, 16…Qa4! is a strong
move which offers Black some counterplay.) By placing the queen on e4 first, we prevent
the …Qa4 resource while maintaining our other advantages.

11.Qe2
11.Rb1!?N is a good alternative. Best play continues: 11…a6 12.Be2 Qc7 13.0-0

13…g5! Black needs to find counterplay somehow. (13…0-0?! 14.d4! gives us a serious

577
advantage.) 14.Bb2 Other moves are possible but this one is easy to understand. After
14…g4 15.Ne1 we are ready to take over the centre with d2-d4, keeping the better
chances.

11…Qc7
11…a6N 12.Bxc6 Bxc6 13.d4 looks excellent for White.

We have been following Gunina – Lagno, Internet (blitz) 2020. White could have
obtained a clear advantage with:

12.Qe3!
Attacking c5, preventing …g5 and supporting d2-d4. My sample line continues:

12…0-0 13.Rb1!
13.Qxc5 Qa5! gives Black tricky counterplay.

13…b6
Otherwise Qxc5.

14.d4
With a clear advantage for White.

D) 5…h5 6.e4

578
 Having provoked a weakening of Black’s kingside, we will be happy to convert to a
Grünfeld-like position.

6…Nxc3
6…Nb6? 7.d4 gives Black a miserable position.

7.bxc3 Bg7

8.Ba3!
I find this to be the clearest route to an edge.

579
8.d4 c5 9.Be2 is another promising continuation, intending a familiar idea: 9…Nc6
(9…Bg4!?N might be Black’s best, although 10.Rb1! still poses some problems.) 10.d5!
Bxc3† 11.Bd2

From here, Black should take the exchange and hope for the best, although we saw
in the introduction how the presence of the pawns on h4 and h5 improves White’s
chances. Instead she chose 11…Bxd2†? 12.Qxd2 Nd4 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Qxd4 Qa5† in
Vantika – Lagno, Internet (blitz) 2022, at which point 15.Qd2!N 15…Qxd2† 16.Kxd2
would have given White a near-decisive advantage in the endgame.

8…0-0
8…Bg4 9.Qb3!? looks unpleasant for Black.

8…Nd7 was seen in Cmilyte – Gopal, Gibraltar 2011, and now 9.Ng5!N would almost
certainly transpose to our main example below, as Black will surely wish to castle at
some point.

9.Ng5!
White has a dangerous initiative, the simple plan being Be2, 0-0 and later f2-f4.

580
9…Nd7 10.Be2 c5 11.0-0 Qa5?!
With hindsight, 11…b6N is a better choice, although 12.d4 Nf6 13.e5 Nh7 14.f4 still
gives White a great position.

12.Qb3 b6?
We have been following Ali Marandi – Rajesh, Dubai 2016. White has a few good
options but the cleanest is:

13.Bc4! Ne5
13…e6 14.Bxe6 is hopeless for Black.

581
14.Bb4! cxb4 15.cxb4
Black loses the queen for nowhere near enough material.

E) 5…h6

We already know from the chapter introduction how to deal with this move – and we
even have a second good option available, as shown in the next note.

6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3

7.dxc3!? is a tempting alternative, as 7…Qxd1† 8.Kxd1 gives us a significantly
improved version of the endgame.

7…Bg7 8.d4 c5 9.Be2! 0-0

9…Nc6 10.d5 Bxc3† 11.Bd2 Bxa1 12.Qxa1 Nd4 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Qxd4 gives us
our dream version of the exchange sacrifice. The only practical example on my database
continued: 14…f6 15.0-0

582
15…Kf7? (15…Qb6N is an improvement although White is still much better, as we saw
in the chapter introduction.) 16.e5 h5 17.Bc4 Kg7 18.Re1 Rf8 In Mendonca – Asif, Dhaka
2022, 19.Qf4N would have been the most efficient route to victory, although White has a
multitude of other winning lines.

9…Bg4 is another idea, when 10.Rb1! targets the pawn that Black has just weakened.
10…cxd4 11.cxd4 Qa5† 12.Qd2 Qxd2† 13.Bxd2 b6 14.Rc1 0-0 was played in
Shevchenko – Jerez Perez, Sant Boi 2022, when 15.Be3N would have kept a substantial
advantage for White.

10.0-0 Bg4

583
 10…Nc6? 11.d5! is virtually suicide for Black.

11.Rb1! b6
Two of the most powerful analysis beasts tested this position in the 2021 TCEC (Top
Chess Engine Championship) Superfinal. By the way, the engines are made to play both
sides of a predetermined opening, drawn at random, just to make it clear that no top
engine would willingly aim for this position with Black. Both Stockfish and Lc0 continued
with: 11…Qc7!? 12.d5 (12.Be3!? Nd7 13.Qc1 is another promising approach, intending
Rd1.) 12…Nd7 13.Nh2!? (13.c4!? e6 14.d6 was a less human approach seen in
Stockfish – Leela, engine game 2021.)

13…Bxe2 14.Qxe2 White has a promising position with ideas of h4-h5, Ng4 and c3-c4 in
the air. 14…e6 Stockfish “felt” the need to secure some breathing space with this move.
15.dxe6 fxe6 16.c4 White had the better chances in Leela – Stockfish, engine game
2021. In a human game, I doubt that many players would be comfortable defending
Black’s position with such a loose kingside.

12.Bf4!
12.Be3 was somewhat better for White in in Le Quang Liem – E. Hansen, Internet
(rapid) 2022, but the bishop is more active on f4.
After the text move, White has a much better version of the traditional Rb1 Grünfeld lines,
as Black has nowhere near enough counterplay against our centre. A nice example
continued:

12…cxd4

584
 12…e6?! 13.dxc5! Nd7 is a typical Grünfeld pawn sac, but here it doesn’t work
because 14.Bd6! is horrible for Black.

13.cxd4 Nc6
13…Nd7 gives us a choice of strong continuations. My favourite is 14.e5! to
dominate the knight, followed by Qd2 with a huge advantage.

14.d5 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Nd4

16.e5! Nxf3† 17.Qxf3 e6 18.d6 Qxh4 19.Rbc1

White’s active pieces and protected passer on d6 are clearly worth more than Black’s
extra pawn. In Hannum – Pisani, corr. 2020, Black lasted until move 44 before resigning.

F) 5…Bg7

585
 This is Black’s most popular continuation, and is recommended by Mikhalevski in
Grandmaster Repertoire 19 – Beating Minor Openings.

6.e4!
Having lured the bishop to g7, we can angle for an improved version of the Endgame
Variation.

The alternative is 6.h5 Nc6! (this position may also arise after 5…Nc6!? 6.h5 Bg7, but
we avoid it by playing 6.d4! as we saw in variation B) 7.g3 (7.d4 Bf5! seems to be okay
for Black) 7…Bg4 8.h6 Bf6!?, reaching a complex position where White may or may not
hold a slight edge.

6…Nxc3
6…Nb6?! is a bad option, as usual. 7.d4 Bg4 8.Be3 Nc6 (8…0-0 9.Qd2 also looks
highly unpleasant for Black.) 9.d5 Ne5 10.Be2 Black already faced difficult problems in
Kobo – Artemiev, Douglas 2018.

7.dxc3
7.bxc3!? transposes to the 7.h4!? line discussed under the ‘Almost Main Line’ section
of the chapter introduction.
7…Qxd1† 8.Kxd1
We have already seen in the introduction that the Endgame Variation forces Black to
play accurately to equalize. With the bishop committed to the suboptimal g7-square, the
task becomes more difficult.

586
8…Nd7
8…b6 is well met by 9.Bb5†! Bd7 as seen in Bok – Sorokin, Internet (blitz) 2021, at
which point 10.a4N would have been awkward for Black. The pawn on a4 is useful, and
Black will have to make a weakening pawn move to oust the bishop from b5. Meanwhile,
we are ready to increase the pressure with moves like Bf4, h4-h5 and Kc2.

8…Bg4 prevents h4-h5 for now, but after 9.Kc2 Black must worry about various knight
moves which would leave the bishop stranded on g4. A good example continued:
9…Nd7 10.Be3!? (The immediate 10.Nd4 has also scored well for White.) 10…e5 With
this, Black prevents Nd4 but allows other unpleasantness. 11.Bc4

587
11…Bxf3 Otherwise Ng5 or Nh2 will come. 12.gxf3 h5 13.Rad1 Threatening Bxf7†.
13…Nb6 14.Bb3 White was much better in Adhiban – Puranik, Doha 2015.

9.Bc4
9.h5!? is a promising alternative, but developing the bishop is simple and good.

9…Nc5
9…Nf6 10.Re1 Ng4 is an important alternative, when we should play:

11.Re2! (11.Ke2 has been played a few times and is the only option mentioned by
Mikhalevski.) 11…Bd7 12.a4 a6 13.Kc2 This is almost always the best square for the
king in these positions. 13…0-0 14.a5 Rfc8 15.Bf4 White had a clear advantage in Leisch
– Schmidek, Pardubice 2019.

588
10.Re1 Bd7
10…Be6 was played in Jumabayev – Kulaots, Tegernsee 2017, when 11.Bxe6N
11…Nxe6 12.h5 would have maintained a nice edge for White.

10…e5 is a reasonable move although we have more than one decent way to continue.
11.Kc2 (11.b4 Be6 12.Nd2!? Bh6!? showed how Black may attempt to solve the opening
problems using concrete tactics in Hassim – Mileto, corr. 2021. Still, after 13.bxc5 Bxd2
14.Bb5† c6 15.Bxc6† bxc6 16.Bxd2 White’s extra pawn is certainly not worthless, and in
a practical game White would have some winning chances.)

11…Be6 (11…f5!?N is more critical but 12.Be3! is a good answer, when 12…Nxe4

589
13.Rad1 leaves White with more than enough compensation for the sacrificed pawn.)
12.Bxe6 Nxe6 This position was reached in Raja – Khusenkhojaev, Hyderabad 2019,
and now 13.h5!N would have kept up the pressure on Black’s position.

11.Kc2 a5
11…0-0 12.Bg5 followed by Rad1 was better for White in Bu Xiangzhi – Bai Jinshi,
Shenyang (rapid) 2019.

11…Bc6 was seen in Wei Yi – Lin Yi, Xinghua 2020, and now 12.Bd5!N 12…Bxd5
13.exd5 Rd8 14.Bf4 Rxd5 15.Bxc7 would have transitioned to a favourable endgame,
where Black is structurally healthy but suffers from some coordination problems.

12.Bf4 b5 13.Bf1 0-0

I suggest continuing with:

590
14.Rad1N
Bringing the last piece into play must be a good idea, although 14.Ne5!? Be8
15.Rad1 was also slightly better for White in Bu Xiangzhi – Gao Rui, China 2016.

14…Bc6 15.e5!
White intends Nd4 and Bg5, with a lot of pressure.

Conclusion

The move order of 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 can be annoying for Grünfeld players. If they
want to get their preferred pawn structure on the board then 3…d5 must be played, but
then 4.cxd5 Nxd5 reaches a position where White has several options avoiding a quick
d2-d4, all of which lead to quite different situations from what they are used to. We
touched on several interesting possibilities in the chapter introduction before I explained
why 5.h4! is the most venomous approach of all. I believe that Black’s position is under
serious pressure in most variations, and White has the added bonus of having more than
one promising continuation in many of the lines.

591
Rubinstein’s Exchange 290
Rubinstein – Bogoljubow, Vienna 1922 291
Rubinstein’s Exchange II 292
Rubinstein’s Exchange III 292
The Slav-Grünfeld – Ideas 293
Where should the c8-bishop go? 293
Wojtaszek – Shankland, Khanty-Mansiysk 2017 294
Tabatabaei – Puranik, Sitges (blitz) 2019 295
Dubov – Paravyan, Moscow (blitz) 2019 296
Flexibility Matters! – 7…Bg4 297
Flexibility Matters! – 7…Bf5 297
Cordova – Castillo, Philadelphia 2019 298

1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0

A) 5…Nf6 6.b3! 299

A1) 6…dxc4 300
A2) 6…Ne4 301

592
 A3) 6…0-0 7.Bb2 305
A31) 7…b6!? 307
A32) 7…Bf5 309
A33) 7…Bg4 311
A34) 7…a5!? 8.Nc3 Ne4! 9.Na4! 312
A341) 9…Bxb2 313
A342) 9…b5! 314
B) 5…e5! 6.d3! Ne7 7.e4! 315
B1) 7…dxe4 317
B2) 7…0-0 318

Introduction

1.c4 c6
This is a natural choice for players who favour the Slav Defence – one of the most
solid and annoying openings that White can face after 1.d4. One of the advantages of
our 1.c4 move order is that we can hope to reach somewhat livelier positions where
Black is confronted with trickier problems than in the Slav itself.

2.Nf3
This is a good move, not only chess-wise, but also transposition-wise. For example,
after 1.c4 Nf6, we play 2.Nf3 without fearing 2…c6 which will lead here. We also keep
the option of transposing to a classical set-up with d2-d4 on the next move, in case we
feel like playing a main line Slav, or if Black does something weird.

2…d5 3.g3
3.d4 would convert to a Slav.

593
 Black has three main strategies. In all of them, Black may or may not start by playing
3…Nf6.

The Slav-Grünfeld with …g6

This set-up is popular at the higher level, but we will see that delaying d2-d4 improves
our chances compared with a normal Fianchetto Grünfeld where Black plays …c6 and …
d5. We will cover this in the theoretical section of the current chapter.

The Classical …Bf5 or …Bg4

Developing the bishop before playing …e6 is ‘old style’ chess and recommended in
several repertoire books. This also happens to be the most instinctive reaction for many
Slav players, and we will consider it in Chapter 12.

The Modern …dxc4

Grabbing the c4-pawn is a critical approach. If White takes a wrong step, Black might
keep the extra pawn and consolidate. On the other hand, in one of our critical main lines,
while we are busy regaining the pawn Black takes the opportunity to launch kingside
counterplay with …h5-h4! Such positions can be sharp and demanding for both sides,
but in Chapter 12 I will show why I still like White’s chances.

3…e6 4.Bg2 will almost certainly transpose to one of the Queen’s Gambit Declined lines,
or even a Dutch if Black follows up with …f5.

Rubinstein’s Exchange

594
A universal idea, which is present in all lines in this chapter, is what I call “Rubinstein’s
Exchange.” It occurs when White takes on d5 in a situation where the queenside knight
cannot go to c6. Let’s see one of the first games where this idea appeared:

Akiba Rubinstein – Efim Bogoljubow

Vienna 1922

7…Nbd7?!
Black’s last move is a trigger for White to play:

8.cxd5!
White will soon win the fight for the only open file due to the bad placement of the d7-
knight. In some situations Black will be able to live with it, but here Black seems to be in
bad shape after either recapture.

8…Nxd5
Black logically looks to trade a pair of knights and give the d7-knight a bit more
breathing space.

8…cxd5 is met by the strong 9.a4!, a move which is directed against the d7-knight going
to b6. (9.Qb3!? also favours White.) If the knight choses another route with 9…Nb8 (9…
a5 10.b3! followed by Ba3 looks terrible for Black) then 10.b4 comes, and the knight still

595
hasn’t solved the problem about its future!

9.Nxd5
9.e4!? Nxc3 10.bxc3 is a strong alternative leading to an improved version of a
Grünfeld, but the game continuation is ideal for illustrating the theme of exploiting the
open c-file.

9…cxd5 10.Qb3
Due to the disharmonious placement of Black’s pieces, White will be the first to take
over the c-file, the only open file at the board.

10…Nf6
Black’s best option would have been to correct the placement of the knight and block
the c-file with 10…Nb8!. Then after 11.Bd2 Nc6 12.Rfc1 White will follow up with Rc5 (or
Rc2) and Rac1 with a definite advantage, but Black will have reasonable chances to
defend.

11.Bd2 Ne4 12.Rfd1!?

The last move prepares Be1, and if Black takes on d2 (as he did in the game) White
is one step closer to doubling rooks on the c-file. Rubinstein went on to win a beautiful
game, which is well worth studying. For our purposes, we will end the segment here
because we can clearly see the value of the well-timed cxd5 exchange.

Incidentally, in a later game the more ambitious 12.Bb4 was played by Larsen, and also
preserves better chances for White.

596
 Rubinstein’s Exchange II

In this hypothetical situation I have reversed the positioning of the bishops on the
kingside while keeping all other things the same. As we will see, Black has far fewer
problems in this scenario.

1.Bd2 Nb8!? 2.Qb3

An added possibility for White, compared to the previous example, is that the e2-
square is available for the queen. In some instances this can make a difference, but on
this occasion 2.Qe2 Nc6 3.Rfc1 Bd7 is not dangerous for Black.

2…Nc6 3.Rfc1 Bd6!

Experienced Slav players know how useful this move is. The bishop controls e5 and
b8, and frees the e7-square for the other pieces. Why is this relevant for us? As the
pawn structure is symmetrical, any idea from Black’s perspective will also apply for
White. So keep in mind the possibility of improving the bishop with Bg2-f1-d3 if the
position calls for it.

3…Rb8?? 4.Rxc6 is a simple line showing the importance of the bishop on d6.

597
4.Rc2 Rb8 5.Rac1 Bd7
Black’s position seems more or less fine. It will take White some time to organize any
serious play on the queenside. The evaluation depends on timing and if White or Black
will be first to start their queenside play, suitably supported by the rest of the pieces.
Such play is usually connected with manoeuvring a knight c5 (for White) or c4 (for
Black). With that in mind, White’s best plan in the short term is to change the diagonal of
the bishop and put it on e2, before thinking about the Ne1-d3 manoeuvre. I encourage
you to analyse these kinds of positions more deeply. Before we move on, let me point
out a final related situation which is relevant for our repertoire.

Rubinstein’s Exchange III

598
 The final version of the “Rubinstein Exchange” is when White has the two bishops.
Here the situation is different, as the prior considerations about the timing of queenside
operations are no longer valid. Thanks to the bishop pair, White has much more time
available for manoeuvring, as any sudden change or opening of the position will allow
the bishop pair to shine. A logical continuation would be:

1.Bd2
With ideas of Qe2, Rfc1, Bf1 and so on. Black’s position is more passive than in the
previous examples, and the only question is how White can best improve. Transferring
the knight towards c5 remains an attractive option in the medium term. One important
detail to keep in mind in such situations is that White should avoid exchanging queens,
as it might not be possible to take advantage of the bishop pair after excessive
simplifications. If, on the other hand, the centre opens in some way, a queen exchange
might become more attractive, as the bishops may then enjoy greater scope in the
ensuing endgame.

The Slav-Grünfeld – Ideas

1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 g6

In the second volume of Marin’s English Love, the Romanian GM makes an
interesting observation about this move order. Although this sequence is theoretically
quite critical, one would not expect to find a lot of Black players who will be ready to play
both the Slav (after 3.d4 for example) and the Grünfeld (White can follow up with d2-d4,
with or without exchanging on d5.) With that being said, this is exactly what Sam
Shankland recommended in Lifetime Repertoires: Black vs the English, Réti and

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sidelines. His argument was that Black only has to be ready for this one variation of the
Fianchetto Grünfeld, and being able to do so gives Black a lot of flexibility in meeting
other move orders, one example being 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 g6!?. I can only assume that, with
Shankland’s stamp of approval, this move order is likely to occur more and more often,
so it is essential to have a good understanding of how to fight for an advantage against it.

4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 Nf6

5…e5 is an important option which is unique to this move order. (If Black plays an
early …Nf6 there is no discussion.) White has tried various ideas against it but 6.d3 Ne7
7.e4!? is my preferred approach, which will be explained in more detail in the theoretical
section. So let’s skip past this for now, and spend the rest of this introductory section
discussing the most common set-up with the knight on f6.

6.b3!
White prepares to develop the bishop to b2, retaining the advantage of flexibility
regarding the d-pawn advancing one or two squares. Let’s see why this is relevant.

Where should the c8-bishop go?

The following position can arise via various move orders, the Fianchetto Grünfeld being
the most common of them.

7.Nbd2!?
Let’s see what Sam Shankland has to say about this position: “Black needs to be
careful. I played this variation against Wojtaszek some years back. I forgot something in

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my preparation, I misremembered it, I improvised and… I got completely crushed. The
big thing in that game was that I put my bishop on g4, which is the wrong square.
Instead, Black wants to play …Bf5.”

Let’s see how that game developed.

Radoslaw Wojtaszek – Samuel Shankland

Khanty-Mansiysk 2017

9…Bg4?! 10.Ba3!?
This is a typical idea when the bishop is still on c1. White avoids exchanging rooks
along the a-file, while the bishop is well placed on a3, putting e7 under pressure and
controlling some other queenside squares. The possibility of developing the bishop to a3
rather than b2 is actually the main reason why White has recently been putting more
attention into this line of the Fianchetto Grünfeld. Unfortunately, this Ba3 detail is not so
relevant for us, as we almost always play an early Bb2 due to our chosen move order.
Still, the idea of avoiding exchanges down the a-file is something to keep in mind. Some
specialists like Gelfand have opted for Na3 ideas to accomplish specific objectives (not
applicable here, as the knight is already at d2). See the notes to Black’s 8th move in
variation A2 of the theoretical section for a great example. For now, I just want to draw
the a3-square to your attention, and I recommend keeping an open mind about such
details in your own practice.

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10…b5
An interesting idea, which is more commonly seen in positions with different piece
positioning, for instance with Black having already played …Nd7 and …Be6. The game
continuation indicates that this was not the best application of the motif.

11.cxd5 cxd5 12.Qc1 b4 13.Bb2 Na6?

Black fails to sense the danger.
13…Bf5! would have corrected the inaccuracy from move 9. Alternatively,
exchanging on d2 or even f3 would have avoided the game continuation.

14.Nxe4! dxe4 15.Ng5

The e4-pawn is doomed, and Black resigned after just ten more moves. Black often
puts the knight on e4 at some point in this system, so we should always keep in mind the
idea of a well-timed Nxe4 and Ng5. (Usually it crops up as a threat which Black must
address, but in this game it actually happened!)

Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei – Abhimanyu Sameer Puranik

Sitges (blitz) 2019

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 This is a more solidly played Fianchetto Grünfeld from Black. The bishop has gone to
the correct f5-square, the knights have just been exchanged on c3, and Black now plays
one of the main ideas in this line:

12…Be4
Before we can reroute the knight to a better square than f3, Black sets up a
favourable trade of the light-squared bishops. The way we meet this idea is thematic and
has been known for decades.

13.Bh3!
Marin says that he learned this concept from the games of Predrag Nikolic. Indeed,
this idea has been seen in many forms. In the instances where Marin shows it, the f1-
rook has been moved and White plays Bf1 instead. I tend to prefer placing the bishop on
h3 anyway, as after Nd2, Black cannot play …Bf5 without compromising the pawn
structure. After moving the bishop away White is ready for Nd2, so…

13…Bxf3 14.Qxf3 e6
Black’s defensive scheme is well known, for example from Smyslov’s old games.
Black typically plays on the light squares, for instance by manoeuvring the knight to d6
and playing …f5. White, on the other hand, will look to develop play on the queenside
and will await the right opportunity to open things up for the bishop pair.

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15.Rfd1
Played with the idea of dropping the bishop back to e1. Even more flexible would be
15.Qe2 a4 16.Rab1!? when the f1-rook can go to d1 or c1.

15…a4
15…Nd7 16.Qe2 Nb6 looks like a better idea, heading for d6.

16.Qe2 Nd7 17.Bg2

17.Bf1 was possible, but not needed yet. The bishop on g2 helps to discourage any
ideas Black might have had involving central counterplay with …e5.

17…axb3 18.axb3 Qb6 19.Qc2 f5 20.Be1 Nf6 21.Bf1 Ne4

At this point the strongest and most thematic continuation would have been:

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22.b4!N
White develops typical queenside play, and Black is clearly under pressure.

In the game White proceeded with 22.f3?? and eventually won, but only because both
players overlooked 22…Rxa1! 23.Rxa1 Bxd4! when Black wins. It’s easy to miss such
tricks in a blitz game – but still, let it be a reminder never to forget about tactics.

Daniil Dubov – David Paravyan

Moscow (blitz) 2019

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 This game tells a similar story.

12.h3
Another simple reason why the bishop is suboptimally placed on g4: it can be
attacked with h2-h3!

12…Bxf3 13.Bxf3 e6 14.Bg2 Qe7

15.Nd2! Nxd2 16.Qxd2

Had we not seen the previous example, we might have been tempted to think that

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the latest exchange of knights would impair White’s chances. In fact, it helped us to get
the exact piece distribution that we want on the board.

16…Nf6 17.Qc2 Red8 18.a4 Rac8

19.Ba3
19.Bc3!? would have been slightly more ambitious, intending to reach the familiar
set-up with bishops on e1 and f1, supporting a gradual advance on the queenside.

19…Qd7 20.Rac1 Bf8 21.Bxf8 Kxf8 22.b4

Despite the exchange of bishops, White still has the type of queenside pressure that
we want to achieve in this line.

Flexibility Matters! – 7…Bg4

After seeing the previous ideas, let’s see why I am recommending what I am
recommending.

1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.b3!

As explained earlier, this flexible move order is my recommendation.

6…0-0 7.Bb2
To get the most out of White’s position, we must avoid being dogmatic and one-
dimensional. We should take advantage of the fact that sometimes d2-d4 is good, while
in other cases d2-d3 will maximize our chances. One of Black’s most popular

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continuations is:

7…Bg4

Bearing in mind Shankland’s advice about where this bishop should be placed in the
Fianchetto Grünfeld, we should react with:

8.d4!
Many sources insist that 8.d3 is best but I am not convinced. For example, after
8…Bxf3! 9.Bxf3 Re8! (a nice recommendation of Sam Collins) 10.Nd2 e5 I was unable to
find any advantage for White. Please note that Black has avoided touching the b8-knight
so that cxd5 can be met by …cxd5 followed by …Nc6. 11.Qc2 Qe7!? 12.e3 was seen in
Heck – Bykhovsky, Dresden 2006, and now a logical continuation would be:

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12…a5!?N 13.a3 h5!? 14.Rac1 And only now 14…Nbd7 with a double-edged game. By
now Black does not care so much about the cxd5 exchange, as Black has decent
prospects for kingside counterplay with moves like …Qe6, …Bf8-d6 and …h4 in store.
Obviously the position is still interesting and could be explored further, but overall I feel
that answering …Bg4 with d2-d4 is best.

Flexibility Matters! – 7…Bf5

1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.b3! 0-0 7.Bb2 Bf5
This way, Black is perfectly placed for a Fianchetto Grünfeld, but…

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8.d3!
The bishop bites on granite and Black will have to worry about e2-e4 ideas, as well
as a timely Nd4.

I spent some time analysing 8.d4 Nbd7 9.Nbd2 a5 and I agree with Shankland’s original
assessment. This seems like the optimal deployment of Black’s pieces and White doesn’t
seem to have much. For example: 10.e3 (10.Nh4 Be6 is another main line, where a
subsequent …b5 works much better than in the Wojtaszek – Shankland game.) 10…a4
11.Qe2

11…axb3 (11…Ne4!? 12.Nxe4 Bxe4 allows White to play the typical 13.cxd5 cxd5
14.Qb5 but this is not the end of the story, as 14…Ra5! was the start of some amazing
dynamic play initiated by Black in So – Ding Liren, Tbilisi 2017.) 12.axb3 Qb6 Black was
doing fine in Nikolic – Brkic, Vogosca 2007, with …Ne4 coming next.

Emilio Cordova – Josue Natanael Castillo

Philadelphia 2019

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 Let me show you one important idea which can crop up in the 7…Bf5 variation.

8.d3! Nbd7?!
This natural-looking move is risky, as Black’s light-squared bishop is short of
squares.

9.Nbd2
9.Nd4 looks tempting but 9…Bg4 10.h3 e5! is just about okay for Black.

9…Re8?
Black would be fine if …e5 could be played, but White strikes first.

10.Nd4! Bg4
This turns out badly, but Black is in trouble anyway.

11.h3 e5
The attempted tactical justification has a flaw.

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12.Nxc6! bxc6 13.hxg4 Nxg4 14.cxd5
Black’s position is falling apart. If we had hurried with 9.Nd4 earlier, Black could have
followed the same forcing sequence and continued with a quick …Qg5, with sufficient
counterplay on the kingside. Here the knight is ready to hop to f3, so the same idea does
not work.

14…cxd5 15.Bxd5 Qg5 16.Nf3 Qh5

17.Kg2!?
There is nothing wrong with taking on a8, but the game continuation was more than

612
good enough to ensure an easy victory for White. It’s worth mentioning the brief tactical
point that 17…e4 18.dxe4 Bxb2 19.Rh1 traps the queen.

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 Theory Section

A) 5…Nf6 6.b3! 299

A1) 6…dxc4 300
A2) 6…Ne4 301
A3) 6…0-0 7.Bb2 305
A31) 7…b6!? 307
A32) 7…Bf5 309
A33) 7…Bg4 311
A34) 7…a5!? 8.Nc3 Ne4! 9.Na4! 312
A341) 9…Bxb2 313
A342) 9…b5! 314
B) 5…e5! 6.d3! Ne7 7.e4! 315
B1) 7…dxe4 317
B2) 7…0-0 318

1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0

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 We will analyse the various possibilities after A) 5…Nf6 before moving on to the
important option of B) 5…e5!.

A) 5…Nf6 6.b3!

As prescribed earlier. We will look at the sidelines A1) 6…dxc4 and A2) 6…Ne4,
followed by the most common A3) 6…0-0.

6…d4? 7.Bb2 c5 is a misplaced attempt by Black to reach a reversed Benoni, and

8.b4!N gives us an obvious initiative.

6…e5? is tricky but unsound. 7.Nxe5! Ng4 (7…Nfd7 8.Nxd7! Bxa1 9.Nxb8 Rxb8
10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Ba3 is also great for White.) In Spoelman – Giri, Eindhoven
2010, White should have played 8.Nxg4!N 8…Bxa1 9.Ne3 with a tremendous initiative
for the small material investment.

A1) 6…dxc4 7.bxc4

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7…Ne4
This is more or less forced. Against any slower move, we will simply play Bb2 when
Black will have given up the centre for nothing.

8.d4
Black hopes to transpose to a popular line of the Fianchetto Grünfeld, but spending a
tempo on …Ne4 at this early stage is quite a big concession.

8…c5?
This natural-looking move has been played at a high level but we can get close to
refuting it.

8…0-0
This is a better try, although Black still falls well short of equality after:
9.Bb2 Qb6
9…c5?! 10.Qc2! Qb6 (10…Nf6 11.d5 leaves White dominating the centre) has been
played a few times, and now 11.Ba3 is clearly better for White, while the engine likes
11.a4!N even more.
10.Qc1!
The same idea is known from the Fianchetto Grünfeld. Black is once again hampered
by the loose knight on e4, and White is well placed to complete development and
seize the initiative. A good example continued:
10…c5 11.e3 Nc6 12.Ne5! Nd6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Nd2 Nf5
Now in Drasko – Nikolic, Cetinje 2010, White could have obtained a big advantage

616
 with:

15.Ba3!N 15…cxd4 16.e4 Nh6

16…Ne3 would be a good try were it not for 17.Rb1! and White wins.
17.Bxe7 Re8 18.Qa3
White is dominating.

9.Qc2!
Exploiting the loose knight.

9…Nc6!?

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 9…Nd6N is the alternative, after which Marin concentrated his analytical efforts on
the pretty exchange sacrifice starting with 10.dxc5!?, but 10.Bb2! is a simpler and more
convincing route to a large advantage.

10.Qxe4 Bf5
In Dominguez Perez – Mamedyarov, Tashkent 2012, the most precise continuation
would have been:

11.Qf4!N 11…Nxd4
11…cxd4 12.Bb2 leaves Black a piece down with no tricks.

12.Nc3! Nxe2†
12…Nc2 13.Bb2 Nxa1 14.Bxa1 is virtually hopeless for Black, as White’s minor
pieces easily outclass the rook and pawn.

13.Nxe2 Bxa1
In his ChessBase annotations to the game mentioned in the notes to move 10, Mihail
Marin focused on 12.Nxd4 (instead of 12.Nc3!) and assessed the line as close to equal.
Presumably, both he and the engines of the time assessed the current position as being
acceptable for Black. With the benefit of the much stronger engines of today, it becomes
clear that White is winning after:

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14.Qh6!
Black is badly uncoordinated and the active white pieces will soon decide matters.
Stockfish does not take long to assess the position in excess of +5 in White’s favour.

A2) 6…Ne4 7.d4

The point of Black’s previous move was to force us to commit to this central
structure.

7…0-0 8.Bb2

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 We have reached a line of the Fianchetto Grünfeld where Black has committed the
knight to e4 a little earlier than usual, but …Ne4 is often played at some point anyway in
these positions. We will not shy away from exchanging the e4-knight, as we will mainly
be playing against the c8-bishop. At some point, Black will generally have to either
concede the bishop pair or allow us a good version of the “Rubinstein Exchange” with
cxd5.

8…Bf5
It seems most logical for Black to follow Shankland’s advice regarding the placement
of the light-squared bishop in this structure. In terms of alternatives, Black has tried
virtually every legal move at some point, but we will generally just follow our normal
plans. Here are a few brief examples:

8…Bg4 9.Nbd2!? (9.Ne5!? is an even more ambitious approach) 9…Nxd2 10.Qxd2 and
now Black faces a dilemma:

In most of the games that arrived here, Black exchanged on f3, leading to the kind of
position we saw in the introduction where White stands better with the two bishops. If
Black plays some neutral move then Ne5 will be unpleasant. 10…Nd7 defended the e5-
square in Aditya – Msellek, Internet (blitz) 2020, but 11.cxd5!N cxd5 12.Ne5 (or 12.Rfc1)
gives us a favourable position following Rubinstein’s exchange.

8…Nd7!? is a notable continuation, in the sense that the cxd5 exchange gives us
absolutely no advantage on this occasion. On the other hand, developing the knight
before the c8-bishop has some drawbacks too. I noticed that Boris Gelfand, one of our
opening heroes, played an extremely instructive game after facing this move. 9.e3 Ndf6

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10.Ne5! Playing against the ‘superfluous knights’. 10…Be6 11.Qe2 a5 And now comes a
wonderful move:

12.Na3! Preventing exchanges, both along the a-file and of either of the black knights,
which get in each other’s way. 12…a4 13.f3 Nd6 14.c5 Nf5 15.b4 White was clearly
better in Gelfand – Korobov, Poikovsky 2018.

8…a5!? has been tried by some top players. 9.Nc3 Nxc3 (9…Bf5 10.Rc1 Nxc3 11.Bxc3
Be4 12.e3 e6 13.Bh3! was seen in Grischuk – Radjabov, Baku 2014. We saw this type of
position in the introduction, where White will obtain a slight but safe edge with the bishop
pair.) 10.Bxc3 a4!? (10…Bf5 would lead to normal play.)

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11.cxd5!? cxd5 (11…Qxd5 is met by 12.e3N followed by Qc2 with an edge for White.)
12.bxa4! Bd7 13.Qb3! Bxa4 14.Qxb7 Nc6 15.Rfb1 Black did not have much
compensation for the pawn in Ding Liren – Caruana, Internet (rapid) 2020.

9.e3 Nd7 10.Qe2

An excellent square for the queen in these lines. After a timely cxd5 it can go to b5,
putting Black’s queenside under further pressure.

10…Qa5
As usual, Black has other options available in this non-forcing position. I won’t try to
analyse every possible continuation but will instead pick out a few examples to illustrate
the main themes.

10…Bg4 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 is solid for Black, but doesn’t change the fundamental
features of the position: White is happy with the bishop pair and the typical plan of
advancing on the queenside, as we saw in the introduction.

10…Re8 hints at a possible …e5, so 11.Rd1 is a sensible precaution. Then 11…Bg4

12.h3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 e6 14.Bg2 was seen in the Dubov – Paravyan game from the
introduction.

10…a5 11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.Bxc3 Nf6 (12…Be4 could be met by 13.Rfd1 followed by Bf1
with a typical slow build-up, but 13.cxd5!? cxd5 14.Qb5 is a tempting alternative: the
engine evaluates White’s advantage as modest, but practical results have been
disastrous for Black.) 13.Rfc1 We are ready for cxd5 and can retreat the bishop to e1 if

622
needed. As usual, 13…Be4 will be met by Bf1 whenever we are ready, followed either by
improving the knight or by playing with the bishop pair if Black exchanges on f3. (We
could of course move the bishop to h3 – but with the rook already having vacated f1, this
seems like the more natural place for the bishop.)

11.Rc1 Rfe8!?
11…Bg4 12.Qe1! Qd8 13.cxd5! cxd5 14.Nc3 Nxc3 15.Qxc3 is another perfect
demonstration of the power of the Rubinstein Exchange. We will follow a few more
moves of a game in which a 2700 player was unable to defend Black’s position. 15…a5
16.Qc7 Rb8

17.Ne5!? Nxe5 18.dxe5 e6 19.f4 Be2 20.Bd4 b5 21.Rc6 White’s domination over the c-

623
file was clear in Harika – Mamedov, Abu Dhabi 2017.

12.h3!N
Threatening to harass the bishop with a timely g3-g4.

12.Nc3 was played in Nikolic – Timman, Moscow 1994, when 12…e5!N 13.cxd5 exd4!
would have been critical. The position is fascinating to analyse, but the short version is
that Black seems to have enough resources, with 14.Nxd4 Bxd4 15.exd4 Nxg3 being
one key line.

12.cxd5 cxd5 13.Nc3 is a safe alternative offering chances for a small edge. 13…Rac8
was played in Donchenko – Korchmar, France (blitz) 2021, when 14.Qb5!N would have
asked some questions of Black.

12.Nh4!?N is another critical continuation which I would have recommended had it not
been for the main line which I like even more. Black can react solidly with 12…Be6 and
settle for being slightly worse, but 12…e5!? 13.Nxf5 gxf5 is more challenging. White
should be better with precise play, but Black’s pieces are active and it would not be easy
to keep the practical complications under control.

12…h5
12…e5? is senseless here because 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.g4 exd4 15.Bxd4 gives us an
overwhelming positional advantage.

The text move stops g3-g4 and returns the ball to our court, but now we can obtain an
improved version of the Nikolic – Timman game.

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13.Nc3! e5?
13…e6 is better, but we have a pleasant position and Black will have to watch out for
threats of trapping the f5-bishop which is running short of squares. 14.a4!? and 14.Nh4
both seem like decent options, with some edge for White.

After the text move, we will see why the inclusion of h2-h3 and …h5 helps us in the
ensuing tactical exchanges.

14.cxd5 exd4 15.Nxd4 Bxd4 16.exd4

16…cxd5
16…Nxg3? is the move Black would like to play but after 17.Qf3 the knight does not
have the h5-square available! So 17…Ne4 is forced, and now 18.dxc6 bxc6 19.Qf4!
gives White an overwhelming advantage.

17.Qb5
Black is under serious pressure and has no counterplay in sight.

A3) 6…0-0 7.Bb2

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 This brings us to a major tabiya, where Black has tried all kinds of ideas. We will
focus on A31) 7…b6!?, A32) 7…Bf5, A33) 7…Bg4 and A34) 7…a5!?.

7…b5?! has been see a few times in practice, but after the ambitious 8.Nc3!N I already
consider Black’s position to be slightly dubious.

7…e6 looks odd but has been tried by some strong players. I suggest meeting it with:
8.d3!? Planning Nbd2 followed by e2-e4, and a further e4-e5 if allowed. 8…b6 (8…Nbd7
9.Nbd2 b6 10.e4 was better for White in Adly – San Juan, Sharjah 2016.) 9.Nbd2 Bb7

It’s worth taking a moment to reflect on this position. The key point is that Black

626
would like to develop harmoniously with …c5 and …Nc6 if allowed. That’s why White
should play 10.b4! with a pleasant advantage, as first seen in Uzdenov – Chehonatskiy,
Kislovodsk 2010. Take a note of this idea, as some strong players have failed to find the
best move on reaching the above position with White. Moreover, we will see in variation
A31 below that Black can try to carry out the same plan a move earlier.

7…Re8
I suggest meeting this flexible move with:
8.d4!
Preventing any …e5 ideas and preparing to develop in a familiar fashion.
8…Bf5
We already know that this is the best square for the bishop in this structure.
8…c5? 9.dxc5! dxc4 10.Nbd2!? Na6 11.c6 gave White a crushing positional
advantage in Bu Xiangzhi – Jones, Hengshui (blitz) 2019.
8…Nbd7 9.Nc3 Nb6 10.cxd5! cxd5 11.Rc1 Bf5 12.Ne5 gave White a pleasant
advantage due to the misplaced knight on b6 in Demuth – Belov, Berlin (blitz) 2015.

9.Nc3 Ne4 10.e3 Nd7 11.Rc1

11.Qe2 has been played a few times but 11…e5!N offers Black enough counterplay.
11…Ndf6
11…Nxc3 would have been more solid although 12.Bxc3 keeps a typical edge for
White, as we have seen in the chapter introduction and other theoretical variations.
12.Ne2! Qa5 13.a3
Black’s pieces were left looking clumsy in Swapnil – Stark, Gibraltar 2018. White can
follow up with Nf4-d3 and later expand on the queenside with b3-b4.

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Black can also change the structure with:
7…dxc4 8.bxc4 c5

9.d3
9.d4 would transpose to a line of the Fianchetto Grünfeld where Black is completely
fine. When the present move order arises, it makes more sense to keep our pawn
structure intact.
9…Nc6
For a few years this continuation was seen in a few high-level games, but after
Carlsen lost a horrible game to Aronian it practically disappeared.
10.Ne5! Na5
10…Nxe5 11.Bxe5 Ne8 is more solid, but after 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Nc3 followed by
a4-a5, White has a lot of queenside pressure with no visible counterplay, as in
Radjabov – Gelfand, Beijing (blitz) 2014.
10…Nd4 at least provokes 11.e3 Nf5 which might lead to some counterplay along
the d-file for Black in the future. Still, Black has lost some time and the d3-pawn is
easy enough to defend. 12.Qc2 Rb8 This occurred in Giri – Negi, Linares 2013, and
now 13.Rd1!N would have been flexible and strong. White will follow up with a4-a5,
Nf3 and perhaps even d3-d4 at some point.
11.Qc1!? Qc7 12.Nd2 Ne8

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13.f4! Nd6 14.Bc3 Rb8 15.Qa3 b6 16.Bxa5 bxa5 17.Nb3
Black had a miserable position in Aronian – Carlsen, Stavanger 2016.

A final option is:

7…Nbd7
This has actually been the most popular move of all, but I have included it here
among the minor continuations because I want to meet it with a powerful new
approach which has no real theory.

8.a4!
This strong prophylactic move has been played by Grischuk, among other strong

629
 players.
8.d4 would seem like the normal choice, but in this particular position 8…b5! offers
Black nice counterplay.
8…Re8
8…a5 has been played a few times, but now 9.d4N gives us our normal type of
position while Black no longer has the option of …b5. (9.Na3!? is not necessary but it
may also offer White an edge.)
9.d4
The knight on d7 blocks the c8-bishop, and it’s also hard to see much value in the
rook on e8, as it seems unlikely that Black will be able to arrange …e5 in a desirable
way.
9…a5
9…Ne4 has been played a few times. I think the most accurate reply is 10.a5!
followed by Nbd2 at some point – perhaps after a preparatory e2-e3.
10.cxd5!?
This seems like a decent time for the Rubinstein approach, although keeping the
tension with 10.Na3!? also looks quite promising.
10…cxd5

11.Nc3 Nb8 12.Ne5!

White had a healthy advantage in Grischuk – Sarana, Internet (rapid) 2020. The new
8.a4! idea seems both objectively strong and a wonderful theory bypass!

A31) 7…b6!?

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We saw something similar in the 7…e6 line in the notes to move 7, but here Black tries
to save time by leaving the e-pawn untouched.

8.d4!
8.d3!? Bb7 9.Nbd2 (9.b4!?N is still worth considering, but it’s not quite as attractive
when Black has not spent a tempo on …e6) 9…c5! 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 gives
White an extremely comfortable version of a Hedgehog Double Fianchetto with reversed
colours – but objectively the position is only equal. Still, White’s practical results from
here have been excellent, so I wouldn’t rule this out entirely, but ultimately I preferred to
recommend a more ambitious continuation.

8…Bb7 9.Nc3 Nbd7

The position is looking more and more like a Closed Catalan. Black will play …e6,
…Rc8 and …c5 when the time is right. Compared with the Closed Catalan, Black has
two advantages:

• The queen has a natural place on e7, unlike the …Be7 Closed Catalan lines where the
queen may struggle to find a good square.
• When …c5 comes, the bishop will be excellently placed on g7.

What are the disadvantages of having the bishop on g7 rather than e7? I think the main
one is that if White can play Ne5 and f2-f4, the bishop will be inactive on g7 and we
might even launch an attack with a timely f4-f5. A secondary point is that if the c-file gets
opened, Black has a bit less power to stop White from invading there. Let’s see how we
can take advantage of the above.

631
10.e3!
A rare move, but the one that meets the demands of the position in the best possible
way.

10.Qc2 has been the most common choice, intending a rook to the d-file and e2-e4. This
is a valid way of playing, but I prefer a modified approach to take into account the
aforementioned drawbacks of Black’s set-up with the bishop on g7.

10…e6
10…Rc8 was seen in Moskalenko – Borsuk, Orsha 2019, and now the analysis
engines are screaming for 11.Ne5!N as in the main line below.

11.Ne5!N
11.Qe2 Qe7 was okay for Black in Ding Liren – Ivanchuk, Wijk aan Zee 2015. The
text move is much more ambitious. Although it’s a novelty, it immediately transposes to
another game where the knight went to e5 earlier.

11…Nxe5
Tolerating the powerful knight is not a great alternative.
11…Rc8 12.f4 seems difficult for Black. Our queen will go to e2 followed by rooks to
c1 and d1, and we’ll await the right opportunity to take on d5 or advance with e3-e4.
Here’s a sample line showing how things could unfold: 12…a6 (12…c5? runs into
13.Nb5! when Black badly misses the bishop’s ability to defend the dark squares.)
13.Qe2 c5 14.dxc5 Nxc5 15.Rfd1 Black is under heavy pressure and will soon lose a
pawn.

632
12.dxe5 Nd7 13.cxd5N
13.f4 was just as good in Talla – Lauko, Tabor 2012. Black should play 13…Qe7N
and play will almost certainly transpose after a subsequent exchange on d5.

13…cxd5
After this move, we transpose to another game.

14.f4

14…Qe7N
14…a6 was played in Melnik – Chmelo, Ruzomberok 2017, when 15.e4!N would
have exploited the slowness of Black’s last move, with a big advantage for White.

15.Rf2!
White’s advantage is obvious. A knight incursion via b5 is a major idea and the f2-
rook can go to either c2 or d2, depending on the circumstances.

A32) 7…Bf5

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8.d3!
We talked a lot in the introduction about Black’s …Bf5 move and how pleasant it is
for us to be able to meet it this way.

8…Qc8
Black usually favours this logical move.

8…Nbd7?! 9.Nbd2 Re8? 10.Nd4! is no good for Black, as we saw in the Cordova –
Castillo game from the chapter introduction.

Another possible approach is: 8…a5 9.Nbd2 Na6 (9…a4?! gives White more than one
route to an advantage but I especially like 10.a3!? axb3 11.Qxb3 when White had
excellent queenside play in Wenzel – Bayer, Bavaria 2001.)

634
10.a3!? Qb6 (10…b5 11.Rc1 was better for White in Weber – Viebahn, Tegernsee 2019.
It’s worth knowing that Rc2 followed by Qa1 is an excellent regrouping plan in these
positions.) 11.Qc2 Rad8 This position was reached in Demuth – Stefansson, Berlin (blitz)
2015, and now I like the plan of 12.Rab1!N followed by Rfc1, with ideas of a timely Bd4
and b3-b4.

9.Nbd2!
9.Re1!? has been the most popular continuation and Marin recommends it. Avoiding
the bishop exchange is ambitious and might also lead to an advantage, but it allows
more complications than I would like for such a small part of our repertoire. The text
move keeps things simple and may well be objectively strongest as well.

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9…Bh3 10.Rc1 Bxg2 11.Kxg2
White uses the time Black invested for the exchange of bishops to build a useful lead
in development. Already we have a positional threat of cxd5, with a favourable transition
to a structure where we can play for a win without risk.

11…Qd8
Black usually removes the queen from the c-file, but it loses even more time.

11…e6?! 12.Rc2! was great for White in Hausrath – Savage, Dos Hermanas 2004. Next
comes Qa1 and possibly Rfc1.

11…Qd7 tries to lure the knight to e5, but we can keep that move in reserve. 12.b4!N
followed by Qb3 is a great way to continue. (12.e4!? also gave White the better game in
Artemiev – Shirov, Moscow 2017.)

11…Rd8 is a sensible option, but it allows the favourable structure referred to above.
12.cxd5 Rxd5 13.Nc4

13…Bh6 14.Rc2 Na6 15.a3 White’s advantage may not look all that large, but Black was
unable to solve the problems in Keskowski – Mousessian, corr. 2015. In that game,
White methodically built up play across the entire board with b3-b4, e2-e3, d3-d4, h2-h4
and Rh1, and won in 45 moves.

636
12.Qc2!
A simple but strong move, preparing to take control over the c-file with a timely cxd5
if the b8-knight takes a wrong step, while also supporting a possible e2-e4 advance.

12…Na6
12…Nbd7?! invites 13.cxd5 with an unpleasant choice for Black. (13.e4!?N is also
excellent, but let’s stick with our thematic Rubinstein exchange.) 13…cxd5 (13…Nxd5?!
14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.e4 Nc7 16.d4 gave White complete domination over the centre in
Kollars – Sriram, Lueneburg 2014. Black’s position may not look all that bad, but
Stockfish evaluates White’s advantage in excess of +2.) 14.Qc7 Black faced difficult
problems in Cordova – Mulyar, Philadelphia 2019. White is already attacking b7 and
threatens to increase the pressure with Ba3 next.

13.a3 Rc8 14.b4

With no special or fancy moves, White has obtained a clear advantage. I will include
some more moves of a super-instructive game.

14…Nb8 15.Qb3!? e6

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16.e4! Nbd7 17.Rfe1
Given time, White will creep forwards with h2-h3 and sooner or later e4-e5. Black felt
that he had to do something to alter the course of the game, but this led to a fresh set of
problems.

17…b5
17…dxe4 18.dxe4 does not help Black, as White still intends e4-e5 and will now be
able to install a knight on d6.

18.exd5 exd5 19.cxb5 cxb5

638
20.Bd4! a6 21.Nf1! Re8 22.Ne3
A pretty picture! White is ready to play Qb2 and take over the c-file with Rxc8
followed by Rc1 and Qc3. Black was unable to offer much resistance in Vukic – Gligoric,
Yugoslavia 1987.

A33) 7…Bg4

8.d4! Bxf3
This surprising move has been Black’s most popular choice.

639
8…Ne4 is well met by 9.Ne5! Be6 10.e3! intending 10…Nd7 11.Nd3 – an idea we have
already seen, which favours White significantly.

8…Nbd7 9.Nbd2 a5 has been seen mainly in online games between GMs. I like the
simple 10.a4N with a typical slight plus for White, who can follow up either with h2-h3 or
with Rc1 and Ne5.

A few strong players have tried 8…Qc8 and the main reaction has been moving the rook
to e1, but I don’t think that we need to be afraid of …Bh3. The following example
confirms this assessment: 9.Nbd2! Bh3 10.Rc1 Bxg2 11.Kxg2 With the typical positional
threat of cxd5. 11…e6 12.a4! a5 (12…Nbd7 is well met by 13.b4! followed by b4-b5.)
13.Ne5! Na6 14.e3 White is already much better. The game continued 14…Ne4 15.cxd5
exd5 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Nc4 Qc7 18.Qd2 Nb4 19.Ba3 when White won a pawn and
eventually the game in Reed – Packroff, corr. 2019.

9.Bxf3 e6
Black has a super-solid position but White the bishop pair. We don’t need to
remember any concrete theory from here, but rather just have in mind the relevant plans
and concepts from the chapter introduction. Let’s see a few specific examples of how the
play may develop.

10.Nd2! Nbd7 11.e3 Qe7

11…h5 is a typical move in this system, putting as many pawns as possible on light
squares, but 12.Bg2 Nh7?! was asking too much of Black’s position, and 13.e4 was
much better for White in Fressinet – Khachiyan, Internet (blitz) 2017.

640
12.Qe2 Rfe8 13.Rac1 h5 14.Bg2 Rad8 15.Rfd1 a6

This position was reached in Meier – Reuber, Internet (blitz) 2008. White’s best
continuation is:

16.a4N 16…Nb6
A typical move, intending to manoeuvre the knight to d6.

17.Bc3! Nc8 18.Nf3 Qc7 19.Be1 Nd7 20.Qc2 Nd6 21.Bf1

We already know that the bishops are well placed on e1 and f1. White is now ready
to start pushing pawns on the queenside.

A34) 7…a5!?

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 This is one of the more interesting and better options at Black’s disposal – but only if
Black follows it up with the right choices on the next two moves.

8.Nc3 Ne4!
8…Bg4?! is too optimistic, and 9.Ne5 Be6 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nd3! created the
unpleasant threat of Nf4 in So – Laylo, Manila 2011.

8…e6 can be met by the simple 9.d4 Nbd7 10.e3!? as played in Oparin – Bartel, Internet
(blitz) 2020. The queen will go to e2 next, and later White will decide on the right time to
exchange on d5 or play e3-e4. There is also the attractive option of Ne5 and f2-f4, as we
saw in the earlier variation A31.

8…Na6?! is worth mentioning as a clever but ultimately misguided little move. Black’s
idea is to make a couple of useful semi-waiting moves, inviting us to commit the d-pawn
one way or the other before reacting accordingly. Thus, after 9.d4 Bf5 Black claims to
have ‘tricked’ us into a set-up where we would have preferred the pawn on d3.
Unfortunately for Black, the two previous moves on the queenside have cost too much
time, as becomes clear after: 10.Ne5 Ne4

642
11.cxd5!? cxd5 12.Rc1 Nxc3 13.Rxc3 Be4 14.Bh3! Black was already in trouble in
Grischuk – Tari, St Petersburg (blitz) 2018.

9.Na4!
9.d4 is not a bad move, and we actually reached this position after 8…a5!? 9.Nc3 in
the notes to variation A2. However, when the current move order arises, we can pose
more problems by offering the trade of dark-squared bishops.

Black’s most common reaction has been A341) 9…Bxb2, but I believe A342) 9…b5! to
be more challenging.

643
 A341) 9…Bxb2 10.Nxb2

The exchange of the Grünfeld bishop should favour White. Our plan is to chase the
knight with d2-d3, followed by d3-d4 and Nd3 with a comfortable edge.

10…Nd7
10…Na6 has also been tried, without much success. 11.d3 Nf6 12.d4 Bf5 13.Ne5
Qd6 (13…Nc7 14.Na4 h5 15.Rc1 Ne6 was seen in Baramidze – L’Ami, Germany 2011,
when the simple 16.e3N would have maintained a clear plus for White.) 14.e3 Rad8
15.Qe2 (15.Qd2N is also excellent.) 15…Be4 16.f3 Bf5 17.g4 Bc8 18.f4 Nd7 19.c5 A
draw was agreed here in Prusikin – Caruana, Switzerland 2011, but White stands much
better.

11.d3 Nef6 12.d4

You don’t need to know any more than this to obtain an edge from the opening, but
it’s worth following a few more moves of a famous game.

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12…b6 13.Rc1 Bb7 14.Nd3 Rc8 15.Nfe5 Nxe5 16.dxe5!?
16.Nxe5 is a simple way to maintain an edge.

16…Nd7
Should you get this far, I recommend the following simple improvement:

17.f4!N
White maintains a clear advantage.
17.Qd2!? was a tactical oversight which turned out positively after: 17…dxc4 18.Rxc4
Nxe5! The victor later admitted that he had overlooked this, but he reacted well in the

645
game. 19.Rh4 h5 20.Rd1 Nxd3 21.Qh6! In Hillarp Persson – Laurusas, Batumi (ol) 2018,
White’s attack was objectively only enough for dynamic equality, but the Swedish GM
eventually won with a king march reminiscent of Short – Timman.

17.e6!?N 17…fxe6 18.Qd2 is a pretty strong pawn sacrifice which the engine rates
favourably. The resulting positions might be harder to navigate for humans, but this
direction may nevertheless be attractive for some players.

A342) 9…b5!

This is a more challenging way to meet our previous move, but I still like White’s
chances.

10.Bxg7 Kxg7 11.cxb5

11.Nb2!? is also worth exploring, but one strong option is enough.

11…cxb5 12.Nc3!
Black needs to improve on the existing games with:

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12…b4!N
12…Nxc3?! 13.dxc3 leaves Black behind in development and facing the unpleasant
prospect of a timely c3-c4. For example: 13…Nc6 (13…Bb7 was played in Teclaf –
Meribanov, Internet [rapid] 2021, and now 14.Qd3!?N is a nice refinement, intending
14…Qb6 15.Qd4†! Qxd4 16.Nxd4 b4 17.c4 with huge pressure on the enemy centre.)
14.Nd4 Na7?! 15.c4! Black was in serious trouble in Grandelius – Tari, Internet (blitz)
2020.

13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Ne5 Bb7

Despite Black’s accurate play, we can keep some initiative with:

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15.Qb1!? Qd4 16.Nc4
We have ideas of both d2-d3 and e2-e3 on the next move. Black will need to play
accurately just to stay in the game, due to the weaknesses on e4 and, to some extent,
a5.

B) 5…e5!

Let’s be honest: this must be Black’s best move when this exact move order arises. I
have no doubt about that! However, the good news is that we still have a promising idea
offering good chances for an opening edge, without having to remember a lot.

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6.d3!
The idea is simply to play e2-e4 next, exploiting the fact that Black cannot oppose
this by playing …Nf6.

6…Ne7
This natural move is almost always played. Let’s see some alternatives:

6…f5? has been tried by a few low-rated players, but 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.Nc3N gives White a
huge advantage, with e2-e4 the likely follow-up.

6…d4N has not been tried here, although it immediately transposes to some games
which arrived here via a few different move orders. 7.b4! Ne7 8.a4 is a strong
continuation offering White a comfortable advantage, with an easy plan of playing on the
queenside with Ba3, b4-b5, Nbd2 and so on.

6…dxc4?!
It may appear tempting to clarify the pawn structure, but doing it here is premature. It
would be better for Black to wait for White to play e2-e4 before making this
exchange. In that case, at least White has lost some flexibility and Black will have the
d4-square to play for. Besides, cxd5 can hardly be classed as a positional threat, so
it’s not clear how Black can hope to benefit from rushing this exchange.
7.dxc4 Qxd1
7…Qe7!?N might be better, but 8.Nc3 still gives us some initiative. My line continues:
8…Nf6 Otherwise Ne4 will be unpleasant. 9.Bg5! 0-0 10.Ne4 With a positional threat
of Qd6. 10…Rd8 11.Qc1 Black is under pressure for a few reasons. On the tactical
front, we threaten Qe3 and a rook to the d-file, in conjunction with exchanges on f6
and taking the e5-pawn. On the positional side, we have a simple plan of c4-c5 and
b2-b4, solidifying the strong outpost on d6.
8.Rxd1 Ne7 9.Nc3 0-0

649
10.Rb1!
Planning b2-b3 and Ba3. In these positions, the weakness of the d6-square can
prove to be significant.
10…Bf5 11.e4 Be6 12.b3 f6 13.Ba3
White was comfortably better in Breutigam – Harff, Verden an der Aller 2014.
(13.Be3!?N is a good alternative.)

Finally, an untested but interesting continuation is:

6…a5!?N
Black would like to follow up with …Ne7 and/or …d4, without allowing our thematic
b2-b4 expansion.
7.cxd5 cxd5
Normally we avoid this exchange, but the …a5 move has cost Black time and
weakened the b5-square. A nice positional idea is:

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8.Bg5!? Ne7
8…f6?! 9.Be3 looks suspicious for Black; we can follow up with Qb3, targeting
Black’s queenside weaknesses.
9.Bxe7! Qxe7 10.Nc3
We have an easy strategy of attacking on the light squares.
10.Nfd2!? Be6 11.Nc3 Qd7 12.Rc1 followed by Qb3 is another, less forcing, idea.
10…Be6 11.e4 dxe4 12.dxe4 0-0 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.Qxd5 Nc6 15.Rfd1 Rfd8 16.Qb5
We are ready to improve the bishop with Bf1-c4, so Black needs to do something.
16…Nd4 17.Nxd4 exd4 18.Rd2!?
White is at least slightly better. We have a simple plan of Rad1 (or Re1) followed by
f2-f4, and Black will need to play accurately to stay in the game.

651
7.e4!
This has been a relatively rare choice but it offers us easy play with decent chances
for an edge. Black quite often replies with B1) 7…dxe4, but B2) 7…0-0 deserves to be
treated as the main line.

7…dxc4 8.dxc4 transposes to variation B1.

7…d4 is met by the thematic 8.b4 with good prospects for White. 8…a5 was played in
Yuan Qingyu – Vidit, Internet (blitz) 2022, when the simple 9.b5N would have yielded
some advantage.

B1) 7…dxe4 8.dxe4

This exchange makes more sense for Black here than on the previous move.
Nevertheless, we should be quite happy to see it. We have a space advantage and the
d6-square as a target, and Black will have a hard time making good use of the d4-
square.

8…Qxd1
8…0-0 9.Nc3 Be6 10.b3!? Na6 11.Ba3 Re8 was seen in Astaneh Lopez – A.
Smirnov, Internet (blitz) 2020. Here it is important to note that White can exploit Black’s
decision not to exchange queens by continuing:

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12.Qc2!N It will be difficult for the black queen to find a good function in a position where
Black has a significant space disadvantage and less than ideal piece coordination.

9.Rxd1

9…Be6
9…Bg4 10.h3 (10.Nc3 also makes sense) 10…Bxf3 11.Bxf3 Nd7 was seen in Amin
– Erdos, Warsaw 2021, and now 12.Nc3N followed by h3-h4 would have been
comfortably better for White.

653
10.b3 f6 11.Nc3 Kf7
Both sides have developed pretty normally so far. White’s next move begins an
instructive manoeuvre.
11…Na6 12.Be3 has also been played and is likely to transpose.

12.Ne1! Na6
We have been following Rapport – Hammer, Budva 2019. White’s simplest
continuation would have been:

13.Be3!N
Now Black cannot occupy the d-file without losing the a7-pawn. Meanwhile White has
various ways to build up, one natural option being Bf1 followed by c4-c5.

B2) 7…0-0

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 Castling and maintaining the tension seems entirely sensible.

8.b4!
This space-gaining move has been a rare choice, but it has scored excellently so far.
Given the chance, we will continue with a2-a4, Ba3 and b4-b5.

8…Na6
8…a5?! 9.b5 only helped White to take the initiative in the queenside in Repka – Ali
Marandi, Internet (blitz) 2020.

8…h6!? is not a bad move. Black prepares …Be6, so 9.Nbd2!?N looks good and
flexible. (I prefer this to 9.Bb2, when 9…d4 left the bishop misplaced in Amin – Najer,
Warsaw [blitz] 2021.)

8…d4 9.a4 c5!? was seen in Oparin – Aronian, Internet (rapid) 2022, when White could
have obtained some advantage with:

655
10.b5!N We have an excellent version of a reversed King’s Indian. Later we will prepare
f2-f4, and Black will have a harder time manoeuvring because we control so much space
on the queenside.

8…dxe4N hasn’t been tried, and it doesn’t change the fundamental characteristics of the
position. However, there is one trick that we should take notice of: 9.dxe4 Nf5!

Black takes the opportunity to bring the usually problematic knight to a more active
square. However, 10.Nbd2! is a good response, and after 10…Nd4 11.Nxd4 exd4
(11…Qxd4 12.Qc2! is an excellent move to prepare Bb2 or Nb3, since 12…Qxa1??
13.Nb3 wins the queen) 12.f4!? (or the more patient 12.Rb1) White stands better. We are

656
well mobilized, with active prospects on both flanks, as well as in the centre.

9.a3
9.b5!? Nc5 10.Ba3 was also somewhat better for White in Cvak – Janda, corr. 2019,
so you may wish to investigate this further. However, on general grounds, I prefer to
reserve the b4-b5 push for situations where Black will not be able to hit back with the …
a6 break.

9…Nc7 10.Bb2!?
10.Nbd2!N would be my preference. The knight belongs here anyway, and White can
consider Bb2 next. In the meantime, the …d4 push is unattractive for Black with the
bishop still on c1.

10…f6
10…d4!?N is more critical. After 11.Nbd2 White has ideas of c4-c5 and Nc4, and if
Black tries 11…b6 12.Nb3 White has a pleasant position, with potential pawn breaks on
both flanks. Still, I think Black should have tried this.

11.Nbd2 Be6
In Oparin – Svane, Internet (blitz) 2020, Black preferred to maintain the central
tension, but White could have exploited that decision with:

657
12.exd5!N
12.d4!?N is also promising.

12…cxd5 13.Re1
White has everything a Breyer or Benoni player could ever dream about. The main
threat is exd5 followed by d3-d4, but we can also develop play on the queenside with
Rc1.

Conclusion
The Slav-Grünfeld hybrid system, where Black combines …c6 and …d5 with an early
kingside fianchetto, is one of the most solid defences available to Black against our
repertoire. That’s why we took the time to examine some important ideas in the chapter
introduction, which White needs to know in order to fight for even a small edge. In the
main lines with an early …Nf6, it seems to me that meeting 7…Bf5 with 8.d3! and
7…Bg4 with 8.d4! is an important distinction which enables White to fight for an edge
against both moves. Sometimes the advantage might be nothing more than a pair of
bishops, so it’s important to know how to handle these typical middlegames to get the
most out of White’s position.

We ended by examining 5…e5!, which must be a sound move for Black, but I was happy
to discover the concept of 6.d3! Ne7 7.e4! intending b2-b4, which poses some
theoretical challenges to Black while giving White a pleasant position with relatively
straightforward plans to follow.

658
1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3

A) 3…Bg4 4.Ne5! 323

A1) 4…Be6 323
A2) 4…Bf5 325
B) 3…Nf6 4.Bg2 326
B1) 4…Bg4 327
B2) 4…Bf5 5.Qb3! 329
B21) 5…Qc8 330
B22) 5…Qb6 332
B3) 4…dxc4 5.0-0 335
B31) 5…Be6 337
B32) 5…Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 338
B321) 7…Qd5 339
B322) 7…Be6 8.Ne5! 340
B3221) 8…Qd4 341

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 B3222) 8…h5! 9.Naxc4 Nxc4 10.Nxc4 h4 11.Ne5 hxg3
12.hxg3 344
B32221) 12…Qc8 344
B32222) 12…Rc8 346
B32223) 12…Qd4! 347

Introduction

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

The famous New York 1924 tournament was a magnificent event, won by Lasker 1½
points ahead of the competition, which included Capablanca, Alekhine and the other top
players of that time. (Alekhine wrote a wonderful book about the tournament). In the early
rounds of the tournament, Reti defeated Capablanca, Edward Lasker and Yates with his
hypermodern 1.Nf3 move, followed by a double fianchetto and some special
manoeuvres which are considered standard procedure today, such as Rc1-c2, Qa1 and
Rfc1 – which, by the way, Reti had already played the previous year.
Later, in the 16th round of the tournament, Emanuel Lasker emphatically defeated
Reti by using a classical approach involving …d5, …Bf5 and pawns on c6 and e6. Since
then, this line bears the great champion’s name, although nowadays one could describe
it as a London System with reversed colours.
In 1925, Capablanca played a similar set-up with Black versus Reti, but opted to put
the bishop on g4 instead of f5. He neutralized Reti’s opening effortlessly and the game
was later drawn. Thus, the …Bg4 set-up bears Capablanca’s name.

660
In this chapter, we will see how to fight for the advantage against these set-ups of the
former World Champions, as well as the more modern …dxc4 system.

Theory Section

1.c4 c6 2.Nf3
Let us note in passing that 2.g3 can and probably will lead to the same thing, but
Black also has the option of 2…e5!?, transposing to the 1.c4 e5 2.g3 c6 variation which
falls outside of our repertoire.

2…d5 3.g3
We will analyse A) 3…Bg4, which has some independent quirks, followed by the
most common continuation of B) 3…Nf6.

3…Bf5
Unlike 3…Bg4, this move does not require any special consideration from us. The
best Black can hope for is to transpose to the Lasker Variation, and White is the one
who can decide whether or not to take an independent path.
4.Qb3! Qb6
4…Qd7?! misplaces the queen, and after 5.d3!? e6 6.Bg2 followed by 0-0 and Nc3
Black will soon run out of useful moves.
4…Qc7?! places the queen in the firing line after 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Nc3 followed by Bg2,
d2-d3 and Bf4.
4…Qc8 can be met by 5.Nc3 e6 6.d3!?N 6…Nf6 7.cxd5 exd5? (7…cxd5 is better,
when 8.Bg2 transposes to variation B21) 8.e4! dxe4 9.dxe4 Black is already in
trouble, since 9…Nxe4? 10.Nxe4 Bxe4 11.Bc4 gives us a crushing initiative.
5.Bg2
White can also fight for an advantage with a quick exchange on d5, either with or
without a preliminary queen trade on b6. Most strong players prefer not to allow such
options with Black, which is why this move order is such a minor option. Still, I think
it’s simplest to treat this position the same as the main Lasker Variation.
5…Qxb3N
5…e6 6.d3 followed by Be3 will convert to variation B22.
6.axb3

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6…Bxb1!?
Okay, so Black’s move order does allow this option as an independent possibility.
Stockfish sees it as the best way to minimize Black’s disadvantage, but we certainly
don’t need to fear such moves.
7.Rxb1 e6 8.0-0 Nf6 9.Ra1
White’s advantage is small but clear. A good plan for the next few moves will be d2-
d4 followed by transferring the knight to d3. White’s bishop pair and potential queenside
play definitely count for something.

A) 3…Bg4

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4.Ne5!
This is how we meet the Capablanca Variation as well. Black may respond with A1)
4…Be6 or A2) 4…Bf5.

4…Bh5?! 5.Qb3 already puts Black in danger. For instance, 5…Qb6 6.cxd5 Qxb3 7.axb3
cxd5 was seen in Riemersma – Van Wessel, Netherlands 2017, when White could have
obtained a big advantage with:

8.g4!N 8…Bg6 9.e4! e6 (9…dxe4 10.Nc3 gives us a huge initiative, with Bb5† in reserve
and h2-h4-h5 also a threat.) 10.Bb5† Kd8 11.exd5 exd5 12.Nc3 Ne7 13.d4 White
obviously has a great position.

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 A1) 4…Be6

This move is recommended by Barisch and Sielecki in their Nimzo-Ragozin Chessable

course.

5.d4!
Somehow this rare move escaped their attention. It is the top recommendation from
the strongest engines, which may not have been available when they created their
course.

5…Nd7
This is the only move to have been played.

5…dxc4?! 6.e4 Nd7 7.Nxc4 seems terrible for Black.

6.Nf3!
This strong move would be easy to miss.

6.cxd5 Bxd5 7.f3 gives White some chances for an edge, but Black should be able to live
with it.

6…Ngf6
In the event of 6…dxc4 7.Bg2 Black should transpose to the main line below with

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7…Ngf6. Instead 7…Bd5?! was played in Rezasade – Wirig, Boeblingen 2007, when
8.Nbd2N (8.Qc2!?N is also good) 8…f5 9.Qc2 would have been a simple way to regain
the pawn, with a nice edge for White.

7.Bg2 dxc4
Grabbing the pawn must be critical, although Black can also consider aiming for a
solid pawn chain with …e6 after moving the bishop away:

7…Bf5 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Nc3 e6 10.Nh4! Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.g4 Bg6 13.Nxg6 hxg6 was
played in Ter Sahakyan – Sadhwani, Internet (rapid) 2020, when 14.Qb3!?N 14…Qb6
15.g5 Nh5 16.e3 would have given White a nice positional plus.

7…Bg4 is a rare choice although it immediately transposes to several other games. We

could meet it with: 8.h3!? (8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Ne5 followed by Nc3 is another decent
continuation which should offer White a slight pull.) 8…Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Black can consider
9…dxc4 although 10.0-0 (or 10.Nd2!?) leaves us with plenty of compensation for the
pawn.

8.Qc2!
White has excellent compensation for the pawn and most probably will win it back
soon.

8…Qa5†
8…b5?! 9.0-0 Rc8 10.a4 is too risky for Black, who is way behind in development.

9.Nbd2 g6 10.0-0 Nb6

In Melkumyan – I. Schneider, Douglas 2018, White overlooked the strongest plan:

11.e4N 11…Bg7 12.a4! 0-0

And now the key move is:

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13.Nb1!
With the idea to play Bd2 and a4-a5; although we might strengthen this plan even
further by starting with h2-h3, to have g3-g4 available if the queen runs to h5.

A2) 4…Bf5

I believe that this is the toughest move to prove something against.

5.Qb3! Qb6
5…Nd7 6.d4! is promising for White.

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6.cxd5!
I also analysed 6.Qxb6 axb6 7.cxd5 Be4 8.f3 Bxd5N (8…Bxb1? 9.Rxb1 Rxa2 10.e4
was horrible for Black in Garcia Luque – Baron Rodriguez, Ayamonte 2002) 9.Nc3 f6
10.Nxd5 cxd5 11.Nd3 when an interesting position is reached:

In view of White’s bishop pair and lack of weaknesses, I really thought that the 0.00
evaluation by the engines shouldn’t be correct, at least from a human, practical
perspective. However, the mighty Stockfish convinced me. An instructive line goes 11…
e6 12.Nf4 Kf7 13.Bh3 f5 14.e4 g5! when Black gets enough counterplay.

6…Qxb3 7.axb3

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7…Bxb1!
Black needs to include this exchange to have a chance of equalizing.

7…cxd5? 8.Nc3 Nc6 (8…e6 9.Nb5 and 8…f6 9.Nxd5! are also terrible for Black) was
played in Maletin – Girya, Khanty-Mansiysk 2015, when 9.Nxd5!N would have been
winning, as 9…Nxe5 10.Nc7† Kd7 11.Nxa8 Nc6 12.b4 leaves Black with no chance of
picking up the cornered knight.

7…Be4 8.f3 Bxd5 is a semi-playable alternative although 9.Nc4 left White with a
comfortable advantage in Haldorsen – Shehzad, Oslo 2020. (9.d4!?N 9…Bxb3 10.e4 is a
tempting alternative, with excellent compensation for the sacrificed pawn.)

8.Rxb1
Please note that the common tactical motif of 8.dxc6?? is unplayable here due to
8…Nxc6! (8…Be4?? 9.Rxa7! Rxa7 10.c7 is an important motif which every player should
know about) 9.Nxc6 Be4 when Black wins material.

8…cxd5

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9.e4! e6
9…dxe4?? runs into 10.Bb5† Nc6 11.Nxc6 a6 12.Ra1! when Black can resign.

10.exd5 exd5 11.Bb5† Ke7 12.d4 f6 13.Nd3 Kf7

White has the bishop pair and should stand a bit better. I suggest a modest
improvement:

14.0-0!?N
14.Ra1 Bd6 15.Nc5 (15.Bd2!?N is another idea worth considering) 15…Bxc5

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16.dxc5 Ne7 only gave White a tiny advantage in Van Assche – Ostriker, corr. 2021.

Also after 14.b4 Bd6 15.Bd2 Ne7 White had nothing all that special in Tomashevsky – I.
Popov, Moscow (rapid) 2022.

14…a6
14…Bd6 15.Nc5 Bxc5 16.dxc5 Ne7 17.Rd1 gives White a slightly better version of
the correspondence game mentioned above, with chances to develop meaningful
pressure.

15.Ra1 Bd6 16.Nc5 Ra7!?

This way Black avoids swapping off the second bishop, but we will retain a nice edge
after:

17.Be3 Ne7 18.Rfc1

Followed by Be2 or Bf1, rerouting the bishop to the h1-a8 diagonal and keeping an
eye on the d5-pawn.

B) 3…Nf6 4.Bg2

From this important tabiya, we will consider B1) 4…Bg4, B2) 4…Bf5 and B3) 4…dxc4.

B1) 4…Bg4

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5.Ne5
This is the critical way to challenge Black’s last move.

5…Bf5
5…Bh5?! 6.cxd5 gives Black some problems: 6…cxd5 (6…Nxd5 is safer, although
7.d4!? Nd7 8.Nd3 left White with an excellent pawn centre in Hodgson – Tukmakov,
Winnipeg 1994.) 7.Qa4† Nc6 8.g4! (8.Nxc6 Qd7 is Black’s tactical justification.) 8…Bg6
9.Nc3

9…Rc8 (9…Qd6 10.d4 e6 was played in Hirschberg – Probst, Germany 2008, when

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11.h4!N would have given White a huge initiative.) 10.h4! h6 11.Nxg6 fxg6 12.g5 White
had an obvious advantage in Krassowizkij – Latzke, Illertissen 2012.
5…Be6 looks a bit odd but has actually been the most popular choice. 6.cxd5 Bxd5
7.Nf3

7…e5!? (After the more common 7…c5 8.Nc3 Bc6 9.0-0 e6 we have a few ways to
obtain an edge. Possibly the simplest is 10.Qc2!? followed by Rd1 and d2-d4.) 8.Nc3
Bxf3 9.Bxf3 The position resembles the Reversed Dragon from the start of the book, and
our bishop pair should ensure a long-term edge. A good example continued 9…Bc5
10.0-0 0-0 11.d3 Nbd7 12.Qc2 Qe7 13.a3 a5 14.Bd2 when White continued building up
patiently and went on to win a nice game in Mchedlishvili – Debashis, Dubai 2014.

6.cxd5 cxd5

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7.0-0!

It’s useful to remain flexible and decide later whether to advance the d-pawn one or
two squares.

7…Nbd7!
7…Nc6 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.d3!N seems positionally dubious for Black, but modern
engines give 9…e5 10.e4 Bg4! and indicate that Black’s position is not so bad. Still, after
11.Qe1!? Bd6 12.Bg5 White has a lot of pressure on Black’s centre, with exd5 and Nc3
coming next.

7…e6 is a natural move but we have an instructive path to an advantage: 8.d3! Nbd7
9.Nxd7 Qxd7

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10.Qb3! (The immediate 10.Nc3 allows 10…d4, so we start by putting pressure on b7.)
10…Bc5 (10…e5!?N is playable but 11.Bg5 Be6 12.d4! e4 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Nc3 gives us
some advantage.) 11.Nc3 0-0 12.e4 Bg6 13.exd5 exd5 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Bxd5 White
went on to convert the extra pawn in Ding Liren – Lu Shanglei, Hangzhou 2021.

8.d4 e6 9.Nc3 Be7

9…Nxe5? 10.dxe5 Nd7 11.e4 dxe4 12.Qa4 gives White an overwhelming initiative.

9…Bd6 was played in Gombocz – Baradaran, Internet (blitz) 2021, and now the simple
10.Bf4N would have created an annoying threat of Nxf7, which looks pretty awkward to
meet.

This position has been reached in several games, but no one found the strongest
continuation.

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10.g4!N
Quite an important novelty.

10…Nxe5
This is the top engine choice. Let’s check the alternatives:

10…Bg6? 11.h4 is horrible for Black. Notice that 11…Nxe5 12.dxe5 Nxg4 is impossible,
as 13.Qa4† picks up the knight.

10…Bxg4 11.Nxg4 Nxg4 12.e4 Ngf6 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Bxd5 forces Black
to give up the b7-pawn for questionable compensation.

Finally, 10…Nxg4 11.e4 Ngxe5 12.exf5 Nc6 13.fxe6 fxe6 14.Qh5† g6 15.Qg4 reaches a
position where Black keeps an extra pawn for the time being, but White has fantastic
compensation with the bishop pair and open attacking lines.

11.gxf5 Nc6 12.fxe6 fxe6

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13.e4! dxe4 14.Be3! 0-0 15.Nxe4
The position is interesting and both sides have weaknesses, but the unopposed
‘English bishop’ on g2 gives us the better chances.

B2) 4…Bf5

5.Qb3!
This is much better than playing a double fianchetto as Reti did. I believe that this
move puts a lot of pressure on Black, and not even Lasker would have been able to
solve all Black’s problems easily.

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A far more popular continuation has been:
5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3
This has been recommended by various authors, including Marin, and played by
many top GMs. However, Black has a key resource which was overlooked by
everyone for many decades.
6…Nc6! 7.Qxb7 Bd7!

Black gets fantastic compensation for the pawn here. I don’t usually brag, but I was
among the first to notice a similar pawn sacrifice in the Slav Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6
3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Nc6! in place of the miserable-looking
6…Bc8, which was the main theoretical continuation back then) in 2011. Immediately
I tried to convince some people that this pawn sac was not as stupid as it looked.
Only a few close friends believed me – maybe they didn’t want to disappoint me? But
they were correct to do so. Among them, Sabino Brunello won a fantastic game
against GM Horvath with this pawn sac, and Jacob Aagaard was also a believer.
Later, Boris Avrukh recommended the idea in Grandmaster Repertoire 17 – The
Classical Slav.
I showed the above line to a couple of Danish GMs who I was assisting during the
2012 Olympiad, and also pointed out that the same idea might work well in the
Lasker Variation of the English/Reti. What is the moral of this story? Mainly to believe
me when I claim that a pawn sacrifice is strong – and also to stand up for your
friends. Since we’ve come this far, let me show you a few more moves to illustrate
why I recommend staying away from the white side of this position.
8.Qb3
It might seem strange to move the queen without being provoked, but …Rb8 will

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 come anyway and at least now the queen will be able to reach the safety of her
original square.
8…e5 9.d3
9.0-0 e4 10.Ne1 Rb8 11.Qd1 h5! gives Black a strong attack, and White has scored a
miserable 28% from this position.
9…Rb8 10.Qd1 Bb4† 11.Nfd2 h5!
Black had a powerful initiative for the pawn in Ponomariov – Potkin, Khanty-Mansiysk
(rapid) 2013.

After my recommended move, Black may deal with the attack on b7 with B21) 5…Qc8 or
B22) 5…Qb6.

5…Nbd7? 6.Qxb7 e5 is an unsound sacrifice, although Black went on to score an upset

victory with it in Stefanova – Garrido Outon, Gibraltar 2020. White needs the
improvement 7.d4!N to secure a clear advantage.

5…Qc7?! is inaccurate in view of 6.cxd5 cxd5 7.Nc3 when a subsequent Bf4 will gain a
tempo against the queen. A logical continuation is 7…e6 8.d3 Nc6 9.Bf4 Qb6 10.Qxb6
axb6 11.Nb5 Bb4† 12.Bd2 when White follows up with Nfd4 and stands clearly better.

B21) 5…Qc8

The issue with this move is that the queen will eventually be exposed along the c-file
after:

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6.cxd5! cxd5 7.Nc3 e6 8.d3
This is a well-known position which has more commonly arisen via the 5.cxd5 move
order which we know to be inaccurate. For decades, it has been considered to be more
comfortable for White, but solid for Black. Our plan is to put the bishop on f4 and later a
rook to the c-file, with subsequent ideas involving Nb5, or Ne5 followed by e2-e4.
Black’s defensive task is not so easy, as we’ll see.

8…Nc6
8…Be7 9.Bf4 leaves Black with nothing better than transposing with …Nc6 in the
near future.

9.0-0 Be7 10.Bf4 0-0

11.Rfc1!
White has chosen the other rook in the vast majority of games, and although White
has some advantage there too, there are some concrete reasons for preferring this rook,
as we will soon see.

11…Qd7
Black usually responds with this move. The queen steps off the c-file and makes
room for …Rfc8.

11…Nh5?! was seen in Franciskovic – Medic, Rijeka 2003, when 12.Be3N would have
been simple and good. If 12…Qd7 13.Nd4! Nxd4 14.Bxd4 we have a better version of
the main line below, due to Black’s misplaced knight.

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11…h6?! is well met by 12.Nb5 intending Ne5 next, and if 12…Nd7 13.Nfd4 we stand
clearly better.

11…Bg6N is sometimes played in the analogous position with a rook on f1 instead of a1,
but here 12.Nb5 (12.Ne5 is also promising) 12…Bh5 13.Ne5 puts Black under
unpleasant pressure. If 13…Bxe2? 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Nd4 White is winning, as there is
no rook on f1 for the bishop to capture.

12.Ne5 Nxe5 13.Bxe5

Having exchanged off the f3-knight, we now threaten e2-e4 with a huge advantage.

13…Ng4
13…Rfc8?! 14.e4 dxe4 15.dxe4 Bg6 16.Rd1 gives Black serious problems:

16…Qc6 (16…Qe8 was played in Mueller – Dankert, Hamburg 1980, when the simple
17.Qxb7N would have given White an extra pawn for no compensation.) In Rohan –
Causo, Bangkok 2014, White should have played 17.Rac1N with an obvious advantage.

We have been following Riediger – Hitzler, Bavaria 2012. The correct bishop retreat
would have been:

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14.Bd4!N 14…Rfc8
14…e5? 15.Nxd5! exd4 16.Rc7 is Game Over.

15.h3 Nf6 16.a4!?

White is dominating. Next we can expand on the queenside with a4-a5 and Na4, or
switch to central play with Rd1 followed by e2-e4.

B22) 5…Qb6

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 This position was evaluated as safe for Black in various English books that have
been written in the past decades. However, modern engines demonstrate that an old
idea of Edmar Mednis is actually pretty dangerous.

6.d3!
Preparing Be3, when Black will have to decide what to do about the attacked queen.

6…e6
Black usually responds with this natural move. Let’s check a few alternatives:

6…Qxb3 7.axb3 Na6 8.Be3 Bd7!? was played in Timman – Karpov, Murmansk 2016.
There is some sense in retreating the bishop to preserve it, but after the simple 9.Nc3N
9…e6 10.0-0 White obviously stands better. Possible plans for the next few moves
include Ra5 and Rfa1, and/or d3-d4 and Ne5-d3.

6…Nbd7!? is well met by: 7.Qxb6! (7.Be3 Qxb3 8.axb3 e5! is Black’s main idea.) 7…
axb6 (7…Nxb6 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Nc3 leaves the knight misplaced on b6, and White has an
obvious edge.)

8.Nd4!N (8.cxd5 Nxd5! was okay for Black in Timman – Carlstedt, Helsingor 2016.)
8…Bg6 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Bxd5! cxd5 11.Nc3 e6 12.Ndb5 White stands better, as the
knights are excellent and the absence of the light-squared bishop is not really felt.

7.Be3 Qxb3
This has been the dominant choice among strong players defending Black’s cause.

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7…dxc4? 8.Qxc4! Qxb2 (8…Qb4†?! 9.Nbd2 only increases our lead in development.)
9.0-0! gives us fantastic compensation. 9…Nd5 10.Bd4 Qxe2 11.Qb3 Nb4 was played in
Tabatabaei – Mastrovasilis, Biel 2019, when White has several tempting continuations
but the strongest is:

12.Ne1!N the threats of Bf3, Nc3 and a2-a3 are too much for Black to cope with.

7…Qc7 leaves the queen vulnerable to harassment from a rook arriving on c1 later.
Before then, 8.Nh4! enables us to eliminate the light-squared bishop, with good chances
in the middlegame ahead.

7…Qb4†?! 8.Nbd2 doesn’t help Black, for instance: 8…h6 Otherwise Nh4 would be
unpleasant. The text move was played in Pollmann – Krajina, Germany 2018, and now
White’s simplest path to an advantage would have been:

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9.Qxb4!?N 9…Bxb4 10.a3 Bd6 11.Nd4 Bh7 12.cxd5 exd5 (12…cxd5?! 13.Nb5 would be
annoying for Black.) 13.b4 We have excellent control over the queenside, with good
chances of a minority attack in the future.

7…Qa6!? is an interesting alternative which has been tried by a few strong GMs. I think
our best reply is: 8.Nbd2 h6 Otherwise Nh4 comes. 9.cxd5! exd5 In Stremavicius –
Kaunas, Kaunas 2020, White could have established a pleasant advantage with:

10.Qc3!N Preventing …c5 and intending to advance the b- and a-pawns, leading to a
powerful minority attack where the placement of the queen to a6 does not help Black at
all.

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8.axb3
The threat of Rxa7 is real, so Black should spend another tempo on a pawn move.

8…a6
Let’s assess the situation after the queen exchange. White has developed one more
piece – or two, if you count the a1-rook which was activated by the axb3 capture. Among
those pieces, the e3-bishop stands out as having great potential to influence events on
both sides of the board. As for the pawns, Black’s structure is solid but rather immobile.
It’s not so easy for Black to find a plan involving a pawn break or other meaningful
advance. White, on the other hand, has prospects of b4-b5 and/or e2-e4 to work with, as
well as a gradual advance of the kingside pawns.

9.Nh4!?
9.Bd4 is a sensible alternative which was played in Nepomniachtchi – Carlsen,
Internet (rapid) 2020, but I think it’s more ambitious and principled to eliminate the enemy
bishop at the first opportunity. It’s true that the f5-bishop bites on granite and doesn’t
have many prospects, but ultimately the advantage of the bishop pair is the deciding
factor for me.

9…Bg6
9…Bb4†!?N is an untried engine suggestion which can be met by: 10.Kd1 Bg6
11.h3!? We can exchange on g6 whenever we feel like it, and will also advance our
pawns to g4 and f4, building a big initiative. The king will be completely comfortable on
c2.

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After the text move White has a small but definite edge, and the only question is how to
make the most of it. An interesting novelty is:

10.Bd2!?N
I want to exchange on g6 and place the bishop on c3.

10.Bd4 was played with the same general ideas in an interesting correspondence game,
which continued: 10…Nbd7 11.Nxg6 hxg6 12.h4!? (12.Bc3 g5 will be discussed under
our main line below.) 12…Bb4† This mildly annoying check is what I want to prevent with
the novelty on move 10. 13.Bc3 Bxc3† 14.bxc3! Ke7

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 This position was reached in Thompson – Cornelisse, corr. 2016. White no longer
boasts the bishop pair, but the bxc3 recapture has improved our pawn structure. I would
continue with 15.0-0N when the top engine line continues 15…a5 16.Nd2 b5 17.Ra2!
and White keeps at least a slight advantage.

10…Nbd7

11.Nxg6
11.Bc3 allows 11…Bh5!? when 12.h3 seems best, at which point Black should either
play …g5 immediately or prepare it with 12…Rg8!? intending 13.g4 g5.

11…hxg6 12.Bc3!?
12.h4 would mirror the course of the correspondence game above. The bishop on d2
prevents …Bb4†, but Black can play 12…Nc5 when we lack the convenient response of
Nd2. 13.Ra3 is therefore forced, and after 13…e5 14.b4 Ne6 15.Ra5 the engine prefers
White slightly, but Black’s position is playable.

Even 12.b4!? could be considered, preventing …Nc5 before deciding how to continue
developing.

12…g5!
Black should take the opportunity to gain a bit of kingside space.

13.Nd2 g4

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14.h3 gxh3 15.Bxh3 Bd6 16.e3
We will follow up with Ke2 and enjoy a lasting edge. The alternatives given in the
notes to moves 10-12 also offer White slightly better chances, and the choice between
them mostly comes down to personal taste.

B3) 4…dxc4

After Black captures the loose pawn, we will look to regain it and obtain our favourite
structure with a central pawn majority. Black needs to take a balanced approach of
creating some obstacles to stop us from regaining the pawn too easily, while avoiding

688
excessive greed, as trying too hard to retain a material advantage may lead to disaster
for Black.

5.0-0
Castling is always useful, and we don’t need to hurry to regain the pawn. We will
analyse B31) 5…Be6 followed by the main line of B32) 5…Nbd7.
5…b5? has been tried by some top players but it allows a strong and instructive
sequence: 6.d3! cxd3 7.Ne5! Bb7 8.a4! b4 In T.L. Petrosian – Anand, Berlin (rapid)
2015, White missed a powerful resource:

9.a5!N White is temporarily two pawns down, but we will recapture on d3 next and enjoy
tremendous compensation for the remaining one-pawn deficit. 9…dxe2? is unplayable
due to 10.Qxd8†! Kxd8 11.Re1 Ke8 12.a6! Nxa6 13.Rxa6! and White wins.

5…e6 is well met by 6.a4!? when a logical continuation is: 6…Na6 7.Na3 Bxa3 8.Rxa3
(8.bxa3!? is also interesting.) 8…Nb4 9.b3 cxb3

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10.a5! 0-0 11.Qxb3 Na6 This position has been reached in a handful of games, but
nobody found the best idea of 12.Qb1!N threatening Bb2 and Ng5, with a strong attack.

Black could also try:

5…g6 6.Na3 b5
6…Be6? 7.Ng5 is great for us.
6…Qd5?! 7.Qc2 Be6 8.Qc3! was also unpleasant for Black in Fressinet – Sebag,
Mulhouse 2011.
6…Bg7 has been the most popular continuation but 7.Nxc4 0-0 8.b3 gives us a
pleasant edge with our extra central pawn and more active pieces.

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7.Ne5 Qc7
No better is: 7…Nd5 8.d3! c3 (8…cxd3 9.Qxd3 is horrible for Black.) This position
was reached in Abravanel – Miralles, France 1990, and now 9.e4!N 9…Nc7 10.bxc3
Bg7 11.f4 would have offered White a big advantage.
8.d4! a6
8…Bb7 is well met by: 9.b3! Bg7 (9…c3 10.Qd3 b4 is no good after 11.Nc2 when
Black’s queenside structure will collapse.) In Pop – Pavlidis, Albena 2011, 10.Bf4!
would have accelerated White’s lead in development, causing big problems for Black.
9.b3
Many times, when we have run out of natural developing moves which threaten to
get the pawn back, playing b2-b3 will lead to excellent compensation, as is the case
here.
9…cxb3
In Pigusov – Graf, Pavlodar 1987, White’s most accurate continuation would have
been:

10.axb3!N
Threatening Nxb5.
10…Bb7
10…Qb7!? may be a slight improvement but it looks horribly unnatural, and 11.Bd2
followed by Ba5 and Rc1 is superb for White.
11.Bf4
We increase our lead in development, having the following point in mind:
11…Qb6 12.Nac4!! bxc4 13.bxc4
Despite having an extra piece, Black is powerless against the multitude of threats.

691
 B31) 5…Be6

This move has been tried by several strong GMs and correspondence players, but I
think we should be happy to meet it.

6.Na3!
We should start by putting pressure on Black’s extra pawn.

6…Bd5
6…Na6?! 7.Ng5 will see us regain the pawn under excellent conditions.

6…Qd5?! also doesn’t help Black due to 7.h4! threatening Ng5.

7.Qc2 b5 8.b3!
Once again, after making some natural developing moves and provoking …b5, we
play this dynamic pawn break.

8…cxb3 9.axb3

692
9…g6
9…e6?! 10.d3 threatens to trap the bishop, and 10…Bxf3N (10…c5? 11.Nxb5 was
horrible for Black in Radovanovic – Rihterovic, Kragujevac 2019) 11.Bxf3 leaves us with
more than enough play for the pawn.

10.Bb2 Bg7 11.Rfe1

11.d3!? is a reasonable alternative, and after the further 11…0-0 12.e4 Be6 13.Nd4
Bg4 14.h3 Bd7 15.e5 Nd5 16.Naxb5 a5 17.Qe2 cxb5 18.Bxd5 Ra6 19.Bg2 Qb6 Black
had more or less equalized in Mukherjee – O’Hare, corr. 2016. This could be an
interesting alternative to investigate, but I will focus on the more natural option of bringing
the rook into play.

11…0-0 12.e4 Be6 13.Nd4 Bc8

The fact that Black has nothing better than this move certainly feels like a promising
sign for us.

13…Qd7?! 14.Nxe6 fxe6? was played in Sega – Arni, Santos 2004, when 15.Bh3N
followed by 16.d4 would have been positionally winning for White. (Black should have
preferred 14…Qxe6N of course, but 15.d4 is still great for White.)

13…Bd7 14.e5 is also problematic for Black, as we have ideas of Naxb5 (for instance, if
the black knight goes to d5) and perhaps e5-e6 at some point.

14.Nxc6 Nxc6 15.Qxc6 Be6

693
 Black’s position feels pretty shaky and I doubt that many OTB players would relish it,
but correspondence players have defended it. You don’t really need to memorize any
further, but I will give some further moves from a correspondence game to show how
things can develop after accurate play on both sides.

16.e5 Nd5 17.Qxb5 Rb8 18.Qa4 Nb6 19.Qd4 Bxb3

20.Nb5
Next we will pick up the a7-pawn.

20…Nc4 21.Nxa7 Nxb2 22.Qxb2 Bd5 23.Qc3 Bxg2 24.Kxg2 Rb6 25.Qc5 Qa8†
26.Kh3! Qb7 27.Rec1 Rb2

694
28.Nc6 Rxd2 29.Nxe7† Kh8 30.Nc6
Black went on to hold in Martin Sanchez – Figlio, corr. 2018, but defending such a
position in a practical game would be far from easy.

B32) 5…Nbd7

This is by far the most popular continuation. Black prepares to defend the extra pawn
with …Nb6.

6.Na3 Nb6

695
 6…e5? 7.Nxc4 e4 8.Ng5 Nc5 9.Ne5 Be6 10.b4 was disgusting for Black in Wagner
– Palchun, St Petersburg 2017.
6…b5 7.d3! cxd3 8.Nd4 gave White a promising initiative in Narkun – Tanti, corr.
2014.

7.Qc2
Black has two ways of defending the pawn: B321) 7…Qd5 and B322) 7…Be6.

7…g6 is always an option for Black to reach a solid but slightly worse position. After the
further 8.Nxc4 Nxc4 9.Qxc4 Bg7 10.Re1 0-0 11.d4 White had a nice edge in Yilmazyerli
– F. Berkes, Teplice 2022.

B321) 7…Qd5

8.b3!
Yet again, this move works excellently when we time it correctly.

8…cxb3
8…Bf5 9.Qb2 cxb3 10.axb3 also favours White. Black has not really gained time by
including …Bf5, as the bishop will soon become a target for e2-e4 or a knight jump.

9.axb3 g6
9…Be6?! 10.Bb2! Qxb3 was seen in Miroshnichenko – Vuckovic, Denizli 2013, when
11.Qb1!N would have been the best way to progress White’s initiative. Black is too far

696
behind in development to get away with grabbing a second pawn like this.

10.Nc4! Qd8
10…Nxc4 11.bxc4 improves our pawn structure and leads to fantastic compensation.
11…Qd8 12.e4 Bg7 13.d4 0-0 was the logical continuation of Petrosyan – Lazavik,
Internet (blitz) 2020, and now the flexible 14.Rd1!?N would be my choice, although there
are many ways to maintain the upper hand.

11.Nfe5!
Threatening Nxc6.

11…Nbd5
11…Nxc4? was tactically refuted by 12.Qxc4! Be6 13.Nxc6! in Hesse – Thakur,
Pardubice 2019.

This position was reached in Pantsulaia – Wang Yue, Yerevan 2006. I suggest improving
White’s play with:

12.Na5!?N 12…Bg7 13.Bb2

13.Naxc6? Qc7! must be avoided.

13…0-0 14.d4
Despite the missing pawn, White’s chances are clearly higher. We will continue to
build up by placing the f-rook on d1 or c1, and advancing in the centre with e2-e4. Black
has a hard time organizing any counterplay or exchanging pieces, as there are Nxc6

697
tactics to worry about.

B322) 7…Be6

8.Ne5!
8.Ng5 has been the most popular continuation but 8…Bg4 is an adequate reply. The
critical continuation is 9.Nxc4 Bxe2 10.Ne5 Bh5 when White has some initiative for the
pawn, but ultimately Black’s defensive resources are fully adequate.

The text move is a more challenging option for Black to face. We will look at B3221)
8…Qd4 followed by the more critical B3222) 8…h5!.

8…g6 9.Naxc4 Nxc4 10.Nxc4 Bg7 is similar to the 7…g6 line in the notes above, with
Black accepting a small disadvantage. A great example continued: 11.Rd1 0-0 12.d4
Qc8 13.e4 Rd8 14.Bf4 Ne8 15.Ne5 Bh3

698
16.Qb3 Nd6 17.Rac1 White had a pleasant advantage which he skilfully converted to
victory in Karjakin – Kramnik, Zurich (rapid) 2015.

B3221) 8…Qd4

With this, Black invites us to play a middlegame with rook and two pawns versus two
minor pieces.

9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Bxc6†

This has generally been considered more comfortable for White, and both the

699
engines and the database statistics agree. With deep preparation Black can get
somewhere close to equality, but the issue for practical players is that Black will have to
suffer in an endgame with no real hope of anything more than a draw.

10…Kd8
Two other moves have been tried:

10…Nfd7?! is the worst of them. 11.Bxa8 Nxa8 12.d3! Introducing the threat of Be3, as
well as the simple Nxc4. 12…Bh3 The only move that challenges White.

13.dxc4! Bxf1 14.Be3 White has powerful compensation and has scored excellently in
correspondence games from here.

10…Bd7 11.Bxa8 Nxa8 12.Nxc4

12.Qxc4 is also fine but the text move is simpler.
12…Nb6
Otherwise d2-d3 and Be3 will come. Black needs to mobilize some pieces and
challenge White’s development somehow.
13.d3

700
13…Bh3N
A new move, but nothing else makes sense for Black.
14.Nxb6!?
14.Re1 e5 15.Be3 Qd5 16.f3 Bc5 17.b4 Bd4 18.Bxd4 Qxd4† 19.e3 Qd5 20.e4 Qe6
21.Qc3 is a computer line which results in a slight edge for White, who can improve
with moves like Ne3, a2-a4 and so on.
14…axb6 15.Qc6† Qd7 16.Qa8† Qd8 17.Qxd8† Kxd8 18.Re1 e5 19.Bd2
We are approaching the type of endgame that White is aiming for in this line. If the
pawn was on a7 instead of b6 then it would be even better – but still, White can push
safely by advancing pawns to b4, a4, e4 and f3, and Black will need to defend patiently
for a long time.

701
11.Nb5! Qc5 12.Bxa8 Qxb5
Black also needs to be careful after:
12…Nxa8 13.a4! Qd5N
13…a6? was played in Prusikin – Haas, Zurich 2016, when White pushed the d-
pawn two squares and stood clearly better, but 14.d3!!N would have been even
stronger, since 14…axb5 15.Be3 gives White an overwhelming initiative.
13…h5 14.d4! also favours White. We can follow up with f2-f3 to shore up the
kingside and be ready to meet …h4 with g3-g4 if needed.
14.Re1!?
Another line goes 14.Rd1 Bh3 15.f3 e5 16.d4 e4 17.Nc3 Qc6 18.Nxe4 Nxe4
19.Qxe4 Qxe4 20.fxe4 with another variant of the endgame with rook and two pawns
versus two minor pieces. The engines slightly favour White, but I would prefer to
reach an endgame with the kingside pawn chain intact.

702
14…Bd7!
This is the only playable move according to the engines. It’s a natural choice as well,
as it attacks the annoying knight and enables the e-pawn to advance.
15.Nc3!?
15.Rd1 Bh3 transposes to 14.Rd1 Bh3 above, with one extra move played.
15.e4 is our main line below.
15…Qd4 16.Nb5 Qd5
Black has nothing better than repeating the position, although you may not wish to
bother inserting the extra moves.
17.e4 Qd3 18.Qxd3 cxd3 19.b3 e6

703
20.Ba3 Bxa3 21.Nxa3 Ke7 22.Rac1
We will pick up the d3-pawn after Rc3, and Black faces a tough defence.

13.Bg2

13…Bd7!
13…h5 was well met by 14.a4! Qb3 15.Qxb3 cxb3 16.e4 with a favourable endgame
for White in Medvegy – Csonka, Zalakaros 2013.

14.b3!?
White can start with 14.Rb1 but it will lead to the same thing, as the last thing Black
wants to do is exchange on b3 and open the a-file for our rook.

14.Rd1 e5 15.d3 is recommended by Shankland in the first part of his Lifetime

Repertoires: Neo-Catalan Chessable course. A game continued: 15…Qa4 16.Qxa4
Bxa4 17.b3 cxb3 18.axb3 Bxb3 19.Rf1

704
 A draw was agreed here in Reuter – Wharrier, corr. 2017. A logical line continues
19…Nc8 20.Be3 Bd6 21.Bxa7 Bd5 22.e4 Nxa7 23.exd5 Nc8 24.Rfc1 Nd7, and from
here I was unable to find a winning try that puts any serious pressure on Black.

14…e5 15.Rb1 cxb3 16.Rxb3 Qxe2

17.Ba3 Bxa3
After 17…Qa6N 18.Qc3 Bxa3 19.Rxa3 Qc8 20.Qb4 Black has nothing better than
20…Qc4, when 21.Qxc4 transposes to the main line below.

705
18.Rxa3 Qc4
We have been following Aronian – Andreikin, Khanty-Mansiysk 2014. White kept the
queens on in that game, but I would prefer:

19.Qxc4!?N 19…Nxc4 20.Rxa7

Marin analysed this game for ChessBase and thought that this option wasn’t too
dangerous for Black. He might be right but, leaving aside the fact that White may have
nothing better anyway, I still think that Black needs to display a degree of accuracy to
avoid a desperate situation, and even then White will be the only side playing for a win.

20…Re8!
The only move that gets close to equalizing.

21.Ra8†!? Ke7 22.Rxe8† Bxe8

It seems to me that this endgame can still be dangerous for Black.

706
23.d4! exd4 24.Rd1 Kd6 25.Rxd4† Kc5 26.Rd8
The passed a-pawn is an obvious asset, but we shouldn’t count on it being more than
a distraction. The real danger for Black is the active rook and how it can generate play
against the clumsy black pieces, combined with threatening to wipe out the kingside
pawns. Let’s see a few sample lines.

26…Kb4
26…Bd7!? may be better, when I would suggest 27.Rb8!? following by Rb7. This
stops the black king from going after our a-pawn and puts pressure on Black’s kingside
pawns. The position is more or less equal, but only White can press for a win.

707
27.g4! h6 28.f4! Bb5 29.Bf3
Protecting g4 and preparing further advances of the kingside pawns, which can be
further supported by Kf2 etc. Black does not have time to grab the a-pawn and run back
with the king, as shown after:

29…Ka3? 30.h4 Kxa2 31.g5 Nd7 32.Bd5

Already White gets a winning position!

B3222) 8…h5!

This is the main line. Black softens up White’s kingside and makes it more difficult for
White to use the advantage in the centre.

9.Naxc4 Nxc4 10.Nxc4 h4 11.Ne5 hxg3 12.hxg3

We have regained the pawn and obtained a lead in development, but we still need to
be careful as our king can come under fire.

Black has tried three options: B32221) 12…Qc8, B32222) 12…Rc8 and B32223)
12…Qd4!.

12…Qd6? 13.d4 gives Black a much worse version of variation B32223.

B32221) 12…Qc8

708
 Black tries to develop mating threats on the kingside. It paid off spectacularly in a
high-profile rapid game, but White’s play can easily be improved.

13.Rd1 Bh3
13…Bd5 gets nowhere after 14.f3! when we are ready to advance the central pawns.

13…g6 14.d4 Bg7 15.e4 also favoured White in Maletin – Chekhov, Sochi 2022.

14.Bf3

709
14…g6
Stockfish offers 14…Ng4N 15.d4 Nxe5 16.dxe5 g6 as Black’s best, but we have a
clever way to remain in control:

17.Rd4! (17.Bf4 Bg4! is not so clear.) 17…Bg7 18.Bf4 With Rad1 coming next, White
stands well. If Black tries 18…Bg4 19.Bg2 Bh3 we have 20.Rad1! Bxg2 21.Rd8† Qxd8
22.Rxd8† Rxd8 23.Kxg2 when the queen will be more effective than the two rooks.

15.b4!? Bg7 16.Bb2 Kf8?

Objectively Black should castle and try to defend, but in that case we can obviously
be happy with the outcome of the opening.

16…Nh7? is another unsound attacking idea, when 17.Nxg6! refutes Black’s play.

710
17.b5!N
17.a4?! Nh7! 18.b5? is too late. Let me show you the rest of the game to illustrate
the danger of ignoring Black’s play: 18…Ng5 19.bxc6? Bxe5 20.Bxe5 Nxf3† 21.exf3

21…Bg2! White had to resign in Ding Liren – Dubov, Internet (rapid) 2020.

17…Nh7?
Unsurprisingly, Dubov’s idea doesn’t work when White has an extra tempo.

17…cxb5 is better although 18.Qb3 Qe6 19.Qxb5 still leaves Black with major problems

711
and no chance of breaking through on the kingside.

18.bxc6 Ng5
Black’s overoptimistic attack can be refuted in a few ways, the simplest and most
convincing being:

19.Nxg6†! fxg6 20.Bxg7† Kxg7 21.Qb2†

Followed by cxb7.

B32222) 12…Rc8

712
 Black stops Bxc6† and gets ready for …Ng4.

13.Qa4!
The drawback of Black’s last move is that we can gain a tempo against the hanging
a7-pawn. In the meantime, …Ng4 is prevented.
13.d4!? led to a quick win for White in Aronian – So, Leuven (blitz) 2016, but
13…Qxd4!N would have left White with questionable compensation for the pawn, with
14.Bf4 Bd5!? 15.Rfd1 Qe4!! a nice tactical idea to force the exchange of queens.

13…a6
In Donchenko – Mendonca, Bad Wiessee 2020, White could have advanced in the
centre without further preparation:

14.d4!N 14…g6
It’s hard to see how Black can achieve anything on the kingside, so it seems natural
to develop the bishop from f8.

15.Qb4!? Rb8 16.e4 Qd6 17.Qb6

White keeps the upper hand.

B32223) 12…Qd4!

713
 This is Black’s best move, and was recommended by Shankland in Lifetime
Repertoires: Black vs the English, Réti and sidelines.

13.Qc3 Qd6!
The point of Black’s subtle play is that our queen is worse on c3 than c2.

13…Qxc3 14.bxc3 0-0-0 gave Black a solid but slightly worse position in Dzwikowski –
Panitevsky, corr. 2018. A good practical choice would be 15.d3!?N intending to annoy
Black with Nf3-g5.

13…Rd8 14.Qxd4 Rxd4 15.d3 gives us good chances in the queenless position. A good
example continued: 15…a6 Black defends against the threat of Be3. 16.Bd2! Bh3
17.Rfc1 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 g6

714
19.Rc4 Rd5 20.Bc3 Rh5 21.f4 Nd7 22.Nf3 White systematically gained space and won a
brilliant positional game in Aronian – Mchedlishvili, Chennai (ol) 2022.

Finally, 13…0-0-0 14.Qxd4 Rxd4 15.d3 g6 16.Bd2 gave White a slight edge in Hoynck
van Papendrecht – Barber, corr. 2009. The position is similar to the Aronian game
above.

14.d4 Rd8 15.Qc2!?

This pawn sacrifice has only been seen in correspondence games so far.

Please note that 15.Rd1?? is impossible due to 15…Qxe5 16.dxe5 Rxd1† 17.Bf1 Bh3

715
and Black wins.

15.Be3? Nd5 is also clearly good for Black, and 15.e3?! is too passive to be worth
seriously considering.

A more serious alternative is:

15.Qa5!? Qxd4
15…Bh3 16.Qxa7 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Qxd4 18.Qxd4 Rxd4 was played in Ding Liren –
Giri, Internet (rapid) 2020, and now after 19.Nd3!?N White’s position is slightly more
pleasant. Next we intend Bd2-Bc3, while Black’s queenside pawns are slightly
vulnerable, so Black will need to play accurately to avoid slipping into trouble.
16.Be3 Qd6 17.f4

17…g5!
Other moves leave Black struggling to equalize, for instance:
17…Ng4 18.Nxg4 Bxg4 19.Qxa7 Qb8 20.Qxb8 Rxb8 21.Kf2 is a slight edge for
White.
17…Bd5 18.Rad1! e6 19.Bf2 Once again, White holds some initiative.
18.Bc5 Qd2 19.Nxc6!
The only chance to create some asymmetry.
19.Qxa7 Qxe2 20.Rf2 Qh5 21.Bb6 Bd5! soon resulted in a draw in Cruzado Duenas
– Efendiyev, corr. 2021.
19…Qxa5 20.Nxa5 b6
20…gxf4 21.Nxb7 gives White chances for an edge.

716
21.fxg5 bxc5 22.gxf6 exf6 23.Bc6† Ke7
24.Bf3
Although the position remains equal objectively, White can certainly keep on playing.
It is not unreasonable to think that White will develop some queenside play against the
weak pawns.

15…Qxd4
Black needs to enter this scary-looking position.

15…g6?! can be met by either 16.Bf4, when Black is practical forced to take on d4
anyway, or 16.Rd1! when the threat of Bf4 becomes even stronger.

717
16.Bf4 Nd7
This is the correspondence move, which I will take as the main line.

16…Qb6 is a reasonable alternative, when 17.Rfd1!N is most accurate. (White was

successful with 17.Rad1 Nd5 18.e4?! Nxf4 19.gxf4 in Wadsworth – Makkar, Newcastle
2022, but 19…g6!N would have been strong for Black.)

17…g6 (17…Nd5 18.a4! gives White a useful initiative, and shows why it was best to
keep a rook on a1.) 18.Be3 Qc7 19.Rxd8† Qxd8 20.Bxa7 White regains the pawn while
keeping a lead in development.

17.Rfd1 Qc5 18.Qa4! Nxe5 19.Rxd8† Kxd8

Practically by force we end up in this position.

718
20.b4
Another forced move to regain the temporarily sacrificed piece.

20…Qc4
Two other queen moves deserve a mention:

20…Qb5 21.Qxb5 cxb5 22.Bxe5 Bc4 23.Bxb7 Bxe2

24.Re1 (24.Rc1!? is also tempting.) 24…Bg4 (24…Bc4?? 25.Rd1† leads to a quick

mate.) 25.Re3 Engines can hold Black’s position, but practically it would be a nightmare

719
to defend. Meanwhile White takes no risk and can easily regain the sacrificed pawn.

The alternative is: 20…Qb6 21.Bxe5 Ke8 22.Rd1 Threatening Bd4. 22…a6 23.Qc2 f6!
Black’s position is not easy, as evidenced by the fact that the engine offers this as the
only move to maintain the equilibrium. (23…Qxb4?? 24.Bxc6† wins trivially.) 24.Qg6†
Bf7

25.Qg4! e6 26.Bc3 Qc7 27.a4 White has a dangerous initiative and is ready to open
additional lines with b4-b5. The difference in the safety of the respective kings is obvious.

21.Qa5†
21.Qxa7!?N is an interesting alternative, when Black needs to find the only move

720
again: 21…f6 22.Qxb7 Ke8 23.Bxe5 fxe5 24.Qxc6† Qxc6 25.Bxc6† Bd7 26.Bxd7† Kxd7
27.Rd1† White has two pawns plus some activity to compensate for Black’s extra bishop.
The engine calls it 0.00, but in a practical game both sides would need to be careful.

21…Ke8 22.Qxe5 f6
Again the only move!

23.Qb8† Kf7 24.Qxb7

We have restored material equality, and Black still needs to complete development of
the kingside pieces.

24…g5 25.Be3 Bd5 26.Rc1 Qxa2

26…Qxe2 27.Bxd5† cxd5 28.Qxd5† e6 29.Qb7† Be7 30.a4 Qh5 31.b5 leaves Black
under some pressure.

27.Bxa7 Bxg2 28.Kxg2 Qd5† 29.f3 Qe6 30.Qxc6 Qxe2† 31.Bf2

Black was able to hold in Dittmar – Schmidt, corr. 2021, but in a practical game the
passed b4-pawn would be a huge asset which would make the defensive task far from
easy.

Conclusion

The main topic of this chapter arises after the opening moves 1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Nf6
4.Bg2, after which the chapter told the story of two different approaches Black may try.

721
The classical, old main lines with 4…Bf5 (Lasker) and 4…Bg4 (Capablanca) receive a
heavy beating from modern engines. Neither move is outright bad of course, but in both
cases we can put meaningful pressure on Black without too much difficulty.

On the other hand, the modern lines with 4…dxc4 are engine-approved, making it harder
to find even a slight advantage. Nevertheless, after 5.0-0 Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 Black
faces something of a dilemma, as the objectively best continuation involves a timely …
h5-h4, when Black leaves the king on e8 for the foreseeable future, meaning that the
cost of a single mistake or memory lapse could be catastrophic. Even if Black plays all
the right moves, as shown in variation B32223, White still has some ways to put Black
under practical pressure.

722
Nepomniachtchi – Alekseenko, Ekaterinburg 2021 352
Nepomniachtchi – Duda, Zagreb (blitz) 2021 354

1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3

A) 3…Nf6 4.Bg2 356

A1) 4…dxc4 5.Qa4† 356
A11) 5…Bd7 357
A12) 5…c6 358
A13) 5…Nbd7 6.Qxc4 a6 7.Qc2! c5 8.Nc3 362
A131) 8…Ra7 363
A132) 8…Qc7! 365
A2) 4…c5 5.cxd5 366
A21) 5…Nxd5 367
A22) 5…exd5 368
B) 3…dxc4 4.Bg2! a6 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Qc2! 370
B1) 6…Nbd7 375

723
 B2) 6…Bd6 376
C) 3…d4 4.Bg2 377
C1) 4…Nc6 378
C2) 4…c5 380

Introduction

1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3

The Queen’s Gambit Declined (QGD) is an opening of World Champions – one of the
soundest openings, which will never be refuted. If Black plays accurately, it will be
extremely difficult for White to get anything more than a slight pull. With that being said,
our 1.c4 move order brings QGD players a different set of challenges than those they are
used to facing after 1.d4. One such problem arises after Black plays in a typical fashion
with …dxc4 followed by …c5. With the white bishop on e2 or d3, this is a well-known and
perfectly valid equalizing strategy – but with the bishop on g2, the opening of the long
diagonal could prove a recipe for disaster. Our first game shows how even a world-class
player (Alekseenko was rated 2698 at the time) can quickly fall into trouble.

Ian Nepomniachtchi – Kirill Alekseenko

Ekaterinburg 2021

724
1.c4 e6
The game actually started with 1…Nf6 but I have adjusted it to fit the main move
order given in this chapter.

2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4†

Other moves exist, but I recommend regaining the pawn as quickly as possible.

5…Nbd7 6.Qxc4 a6
Black has chosen the absolute main line of the …dxc4 variation – so at this point,
everything is good and solid. With the last move, Black prepares …b5 followed by
…Bb7.

7.Qc2!
Ensuring that …b5 will not come with tempo.

7…c5 8.Nc3 Be7?!

This is what I love about this variation. It sounds too good to be true, but this natural
developing move is actually a mistake!

Black needs to take care of the queenside first. To this end, 8…Qc7! is the main line,
and we will analyse it in the theory section.
9.0-0 0-0 10.d4!
Thanks to the delaying of d2-d4, we have arrived at an improved version of a Catalan

725
where Black will have to work harder than normal to develop the light-squared bishop.

10…cxd4 11.Nxd4 Qc7 12.Rd1 Rd8 13.Be3

Alekseenko is a super-strong GM, who at this point was clearly out of book and was
taking his time trying to play solid developing moves. Nevertheless, he is already in
trouble. Next comes Rac1 and White is fully developed, while Black still has to overcome
obstacles to develop the c8-bishop and a8-rook. Black’s position goes downhill
surprisingly swiftly from here.

13…Nb6 14.Rac1 e5
Also after 14…Bd7 15.Qb3 (or 15.Qb1) Black is in all kinds of trouble.

15.Nf5 Bxf5
15…Bf8 gives White several strong continuations, the most accurate being 16.Nxg7!
Kxg7 (16…Bxg7? 17.Ne4 wins immediately) 17.Qb3! Nc4 18.Rxd8 Nxe3 19.Rxf8 when,
one way or another, White will emerge with a material advantage as well as the more
active pieces.

16.Qxf5
Getting a winning position so quickly against a 2700-level opponent is remarkable –
but the really surprising thing is that White has not really made any difficult moves yet.

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16…Nc4 17.Bg5!
17.Nd5 is strong but Nepo’s move is the most accurate.

17…Rxd1†
17…Nxb2? loses trivially to 18.Nd5.

18.Nxd1 Rd8
By now White has at least five different winning moves. Nepo goes for the simplest,
which also happens to be the engine’s top choice.

19.Bxf6 Bxf6 20.Be4 Qa5

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21.Nc3!
Other moves also win, but the cleanest way is to improve the knight while highlighting
the fact that Black is still powerless to stop the queen from landing on h7.

21…Kf8 22.Nd5 b5 23.Qxh7

The rest is easy.

23…Rxd5 24.Bxd5 Qd2 25.Rxc4 bxc4 26.e4 Qxb2 27.Qh8† Ke7 28.Qc8 Qb6 29.Qxc4
Qb5 30.Qc7† Qd7 31.Qc5†
Black resigned in view of 31…Qd6 32.Qa7† Qd7 33.Qxa6 when White picks up a
second extra pawn and the opposite-coloured bishops offer no drawing chances
whatsoever.
Be sure to remember the ideas shown in this game. If Alekseenko can collapse so
quickly in the opening, your opponents can too.
1–0

Ian Nepomniachtchi – Jan Krzysztof Duda

Zagreb (blitz) 2021

As will become clear, I consider Nepo a model player on the white side of these
positions. Despite the fast time limit, this is another incredible game of his which
impressed me a lot.

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1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.Qa4† Bd7
This is the most obvious alternative to 5…Nbd7.

5…c6 6.Qxc4 b5 is another idea, intending …Bb7, …Nbd7 and eventually …c5. See the
theoretical section for more details.

6.Qxc4 c5 7.Ne5 Qc8

This position has become quite trendy in the last five or six years. Black says
goodbye to the bishop pair in order to ensure a sound position with easy development
and no weaknesses. I recommended this approach in Playing 1.d4 d5 and Sielecki did
the same in Keep it Simple for Black. That being said, White’s bishop pair should ensure
an edge if we organize our pieces in the correct way.

8.Qd3!?
The point of this odd-looking move is to discourage Black from recapturing on d7 with
the queen.

8…Nc6 9.Nxd7 Nxd7 10.Nc3

10.b3!? is a small refinement, as we’ll see in the theoretical section.

10…Be7 11.0-0 0-0

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12.b3!? Rd8 13.Bb2 Nf6
13…Nde5!? is a slight improvement, which was played in Anton Guijarro – Holm,
Warsaw 2021. The position is still interesting, but I would prefer the version resulting
from the move-order refinement on move 10 – see the theoretical section.

14.Qc2 Qd7
14…Nd4 does not achieve much, as after 15.Qb1 the knight will soon be driven
away by e2-e3, which White intends to play anyway.

15.Rfd1 Rac8 16.Rac1 h6 17.d3 b6 18.e3 Nd5

Duda offers an exchange of knights, but it doesn’t help him. It’s not obvious what else
Black should be doing.

18…Nd4 is of course met by 19.Qb1 when the knight must retreat.

19.Nxd5 exd5

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20.Qe2 Qd6 21.Qh5 Bf6 22.Ba3!
Avoiding the bishop exchange and threatening d3-d4.

22…Qe5 23.Qxe5 Bxe5 24.f4 Bf6?

The bishop should retreat along the other diagonal, although Black is clearly worse
anyway.

25.Bh3
The white bishops dominate the whole board.

25…Rc7

731
 Nepo continued with 26.b4?! and went on to win a well-played endgame, but at this
point 26…Re7! 27.bxc5 b5! would have enabled Black to get back into the game.
Instead, 26.d4!N would have been extremely powerful. White threatens to take on c5,
and there’s not much that Black can do about it because 26…cxd4 27.exd4 results in a
deadly pin along the c-file.

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 Theory Section

1.c4 e6
1…Nf6 is a common move order to reach these positions: after 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 d5 we
arrive at variation A.

2.Nf3
This feels like the most flexible choice, as well as a consistent one, considering that
we are meeting 1…c5, 1…c6 and 1…Nf6 in the same way. For these reasons I am
happy to keep the 2.Nf3 move order as my ‘official’ main line, but practically speaking
there is nothing at all wrong with 2.g3. (I mean specifically after 1.c4 e6; if we were to
play 2.g3 against any of the other three moves mentioned above, there might be real
consequences.)

Most of the time after 1.c4 e6 the two options of 2.Nf3 and 2.g3 will simply transpose, but
there is one place in the chapter – specifically, the 4…Nd7!? 5.0-0 Ngf6! move order in
the notes to variation B – where Black gains an extra option which would not have been
available had White preferred 2.g3. As we will see there, White can still fight for an
advantage so it’s not a major problem – but still, you might prefer to simply rule out that
option by playing 2.g3. The relevant line continues 2…d5 3.Bg2 dxc4 4.Qa4† Nd7
5.Qxc4 a6 (5…Ngf6 6.Nf3 is variation A13 of our repertoire) 6.Qc2! and now Black has
nothing better than 6…Ngf6, when 7.Nf3 converts to variation A13.

2…d5 3.g3
We will start by analysing the most popular A) 3…Nf6, followed by B) 3…dxc4 and
finally C) 3…d4.
Other moves are of course legal, but they don’t have much independent significance. For
instance, 3…c5 4.cxd5 exd5 is likely to lead to the Tarrasch of variation A22, as the
black knight hardly has a better option than going to f6 in the near future.

A) 3…Nf6 4.Bg2

We will analyse A1) 4…dxc4, as featured in the two introductory games, followed by A2)
4…c5.

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4…d4 5.0-0 will convert to one of the two Reversed Benoni lines covered at the end of
the chapter, depending on whether or not Black follows up with …c5.

4…Be7 is the other main line which will be covered in the next chapter, along with
4…Bd6.

A1) 4…dxc4 5.Qa4†

We saw these moves in the chapter introduction. Black can meet the queen check
with A11) 5…Bd7, A12) 5…c6 or A13) 5…Nbd7.

A11) 5…Bd7 6.Qxc4 c5

6…Bc6?! has been played in quite a lot of games but it leaves Black uncomfortably
cramped. 7.0-0 Nbd7 8.Qc2!? Other moves are possible but it’s useful to drop the queen
back to a safe spot. 8…Be7 9.d3 0-0 (9…Bxf3 10.Bxf3 c6 11.Nc3 gives us an effortless
advantage, with d3-d4 and Rd1 to follow.) 10.e4

734
 The bishop is far from safe on c6, and after 10…Nb6 11.Nc3 Be8 12.d4 Rc8 13.Rd1
White’s advantage in central control was overwhelming in Iturrizaga Bonelli –
Hayrapetyan, Dubai 2015.

7.Ne5 Qc8 8.Qd3

As mentioned in the introduction, this small finesse discourages Black from
recapturing on d7 with the queen.

8.b3!? Nc6 9.Nxd7 Qxd7 10.Bb2 is a valid alternative leading to similar positions to our
main line, and Nepo went on to win another excellent game in Nepomniachtchi –
Aronian, Paris (rapid) 2021.

8…Nc6
8…Bc6?! is inaccurate due to 9.Nxc6 Nxc6 10.Qb5 intending Bxc6.

9.Nxd7 Nxd7

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10.b3!?
Delaying castling is the most accurate move order, although it’s not a huge
difference.

10…Be7 11.Bb2 0-0 12.Nc3 Rd8

Black usually plays this natural move before deciding where to place the knight.

12…Nde5!? was seen in Tratar – Aczel, Gostovanja 2020, when 13.Qe3!?N would have
been logical. After 13…Qd7 14.0-0 Rfd8 15.Rad1 White will sooner or later play f2-f4,
and the two bishops have great potential.

736
13.Rd1!?
By delaying castling, we can prepare to drop the queen back to b1 without blocking
the rook in the corner.
13.Rc1 can also be considered of course.

13…Nf6
13…Nde5 14.Qb1 safeguards the queen while maintaining harmony, and we can
drive the knight away with f2-f4 if and when we feel like it.

14.Qb1 Qc7
14…Qd7 can also be played but the general character of the position remains the
same.

15.0-0 Rac8
Black has played all the automatic moves, but it’s not obvious what Black should do
from here. White can gradually creep forwards and prepare a timely pawn break.

16.d3 a6
16…Nd5?! 17.Nxd5 exd5 18.d4 puts the d5-pawn under huge pressure.

17.Rd2 b5
We have been following Oparin – Prohaszka, Charlotte 2019. Black’s queenside
expansion is natural enough, but the c-pawn might become weak. Therefore it looks
logical to play:

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18.Rc1N
White maintains an edge and can continue to manoeuvre while looking for
opportunities to open the position for the bishops.

A12) 5…c6 6.Qxc4 b5

The point of Black’s scheme is to gain time for …Bb7, …Nbd7 and, when the time is
right, …c5.

7.Qb3!
Therefore we should obstruct Black’s plan by putting pressure on the b5-pawn.

7…Bb7 8.0-0 a6
The alternative is:
8…Nbd7
This doesn’t change much, as sooner or later Black will need to play …a6 anyway.
9.d4 Be7
9…a6 10.Ne5 transposes to the main line below.
9…Qb6 10.a4 a6 11.Be3 Nd5 was seen in Vitor – Suba, Albacete 2007, when
12.Rc1!N would have been the natural way to keep Black’s queenside play under
control. The queen can recapture on e3 if needed, and 12…c5? is impossible due to
13.axb5 axb5 14.Rxa8† Bxa8 15.dxc5 when recapturing on c5 would lose a piece to
a Qa3 fork.

738
10.Ne5 Nxe5
Black cannot afford to leave the knight on e5 for too long. For instance, if 10…Rc8
11.Rd1 0-0 12.a4 Black is under significant pressure.
11.dxe5 Nd5 12.Nc3 0-0?!
That was Black’s last chance to play 12…a6, which transposes to our main line
below.

13.Nxd5! exd5
13…cxd5 14.Qxb5 leaves Black with insufficient play for the pawn.
14.Rd1 Bc5 15.Be3 Bb6 16.a4!?
Black was struggling in Anand – Meier, Dubai (blitz) 2014.

739
9.Ne5!
An important move to inhibit …c5.

9…Nbd7
9…Qd6?! allows a strong pawn sac10.d4! Qxd4 11.Bf4 Qb4 This was Jones –
Thybo, Internet (blitz) 2020, and now 12.Nd2!N would have maintained a clear plus for
White.

9…Bc5 is possible but 10.a4 applies useful queenside pressure. Play could continue:
10…Qb6!?N (10…0-0 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rxa8 Bxa8 13.Nc3 Qb6 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Bxe4
h6 16.d3 kept some advantage for White in Lemutov – Biedermann, corr. 2019.) 11.axb5
cxb5!? (11…axb5 12.Rxa8 Bxa8 13.Nc3 0-0 transposes to Lemutov – Biedermann
above.)

740
 Black’s last move looks quite logical, but 12.Nc4! Qc7 13.Bxb7 Qxb7 14.d4! Be7
(14…Bxd4?? 15.Nd6† wins the queen) 15.Na5 sees White utilizing simple tactics to
maintain a positional plus.

10.d4 Nxe5 11.dxe5

This is a trendy position in correspondence chess. Most of those games have ended
in draws, but Black is the one who must tread carefully.

11…Nd5
11…Nd7

741
 This move is less active and allows:
12.Bf4! Be7
12…Qc7 was seen in Jumabayev – Niemann, Dubai (rapid) 2021, and here I like
13.a4!?N with the idea to prevent …c5 and follow up with Nd2-e4. There is no need
to fear 13…Nc5?! in view of 14.Qc2 Nxa4 15.Nd2 followed by Ne4 with a huge
initiative.
13.Nd2 Qc7 14.Ne4 c5
14…Nxe5? is a horrible move for a few reasons, the simplest being 15.Qc3 f6
16.Ng5! with decisive threats.

15.a4!
White stands better. A good example continued:
15…Bxe4 16.Bxe4 Rb8 17.axb5 axb5
Now in Kollars – Rosen, Internet (blitz) 2022, White missed the strongest
continuation:
18.Ra6!N
White has a huge advantage. A nice tactical detail is:
18…0-0

742
19.Rxe6! c4
19…fxe6 20.Qxe6† Rf7 21.Bd5 is killing.
20.Bxh7†!
And White wins.

12.Nc3
Other moves are possible but I think this is the most challenging.

12…Be7
12…Qb8 13.a4 (13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Be3 is also good) 13…b4 14.Ne4 Qxe5 was seen
in Fressinet – Gordon, Germany 2012, and now 15.Nd2!N seems strongest, with a
serious initiative for the pawn.

13.Rd1 Qb8 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Be3 0-0

15…Qxe5? 16.Bd4 Qg5 17.h4 Qg6 18.a4 b4 19.Rac1 gives us too much play for the
pawn.

16.Rac1
16.f4 is playable but the e5-pawn is still tactically defended, so we may as well start
by taking the open file.

16…Rc8
16…Qxe5 is risky but it doesn’t lose outright, and White also needs to play

743
accurately to avoid being a pawn down for nothing. The first few moves are obvious:
17.Bf4 Qf6 18.Rc7 Rab8 and now both sides need to play accurately:

19.h4! h6 20.Qe3! Bd8 21.Rd7 Bc6 22.Bxb8 Bxd7 23.Bd6 Be7 (23…Re8?! 24.Qa7! is
problematic for Black.) 24.Bxe7 Qxe7 25.Bxd5 We regain the pawn and end up with a
risk-free initiative in a symmetrical structure.

17.Rxc8† Qxc8 18.Rc1 Qd7 19.Qd1 Rc8 20.Rxc8† Bxc8 21.Qd4

The position should be a draw, but White has a clear edge in activity. In
correspondence games Black has managed to defend with relative ease, but your
opponents (hopefully!) won’t have the benefit of silicon assistance.

744
21…b4 22.Qb6
Another valid approach is 22.b3!? followed by f2-f4 and later deciding between Qa7
and Qb6.

22…Qb7 23.Bc5 Qxb6 24.Bxb6 Bb7 25.e3 Kf8

Should you reach this position (or something close to it) in a practical game, my
suggestion would be:

26.g4!?N
A game between two 2600+ correspondence players continued 26.Bf1 f5!? 27.exf6

745
Bxf6 28.Bd4 e5 29.Bc5† Be7 30.Bb6 e4 31.g4 Ke8 32.Kg2 Bf6 33.b3 and a draw was
agreed in Kruse – Riccio, corr. 2020.

26…Ke8 27.Bf1 Kd7 28.Bd4

Obviously the endgame should be a draw, but the pawn on g4 discourages …f5, so
White can continue to build up on the kingside and ask Black some questions.

A13) 5…Nbd7

This is the most popular move, as mentioned earlier.

6.Qxc4 a6
Black prepares …b5 followed by …Bb7 and …c5.

We should be happy to see the alternative:

6…c5
To call this move a mistake would be harsh, but I feel that it makes White’s job much
easier in a practical sense.
7.d3!
A cool prophylactic move!
7.0-0 b6! is Black’s idea, and if 8.Nd4 Ne5! White has no advantage.
7…a6
Black should try to develop the bishop to b7.
7…b6? is no good here due to 8.Nd4 Ne5 9.Nc6! when White wins material.
7…Bd6 is possible but 8.a4! 0-0 9.Nc3 gives us a promising position. Now …a6 is

746
 always met by a4-a5, and otherwise a timely Nb5 can be annoying. For example, 9…
b6 10.Nb5 Ba6 11.Nd2!? Rc8 12.Qb3 Bb8 13.a5 gave White some queenside
pressure in Mondry – Maliszewski, corr. 2017, and from a practical perspective
White’s position is low-risk and easy to play.

8.Qb3!
Another prophylactic measure against …b5, which would now be met by Ne5.
8…Ra7
8…Rb8? runs into 9.Bf4.
8…Bd6 is well met by 9.a4! and later a4-a5.
9.a4 b6 10.Na3
Followed by 0-0 and Nc4, with typical safe and annoying pressure, as seen in Gonda
– Singer, Germany 2013.

7.Qc2!
By retreating the queen, we ensure that …b5 will not come with gain of tempo.

7.Qb3!? can be played with similar ideas, but after 7…Rb8! I couldn’t prove any clear
edge in my analysis.

7.0-0 is actually not a bad move either, albeit less ambitious than our main line. I will
discuss this position a bit more when we reach it via the 4…Nd7 move order in the notes
to variation B below.

7…c5

747
 This is the best way of improving Black’s situation on the queenside without creating
a weakness.

7…b5? is unplayable due to 8.Nd4 Nd5 9.Nc6 Qf6 10.0-0 when the knight on c6 causes
Black too much pain.

7…Rb8 is possible but 8.d4 gives us an improved version of a normal Catalan. If Black
proceeds with 8…b5 then 9.Bd2 and 9.Ne5!? both offer us excellent prospects.

8.Nc3
It’s still too early for Black to think about …b5 or …b6, as Ne5 will simply win
material. Therefore Black usually prepares to advance the b-pawn with A131) 8…Ra7 or
A132) 8…Qc7!.

8…Be7?! was seen in Nepomniachtchi – Alekseenko, at the start of the chapter.

A131) 8…Ra7

This move has been used by some strong players, but we’ll obtain good chances with
natural moves.

9.0-0

9…b6

748
 9…b5?! is risky because 10.d4 Bb7 11.Be3 targets the rook on a7, and after the
further 11…Ng4 12.Bg5 Be7 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.a4 Black was under a lot of pressure in
Gumularz – Socko, Elblag 2022.

10.d4 Bb7 11.e4 Be7 12.Rd1

12.a4!? is another good move.

12…Qa8 13.d5!
With Black’s king still in the centre, White senses the moment to sacrifice a pawn.

13…exd5 14.exd5 Nxd5

We have been following Zhou Jianchao – Zhou Weiqi, Danzhou 2013. This would
have been a good time to go all in with:

15.Nxd5N 15…Bxd5 16.Rxd5! Qxd5 17.Bf4!

White has a huge initiative and Black will need to take care just to survive.

17…Nf6
17…0-0? 18.Ng5 is White’s basic point, so the black king will need to stay in the
centre a bit longer.

18.Ne5 Qe6

749
19.Qa4†!?
There are several tempting options but the text move seems most precise.

19.Bc6† Kf8 20.Re1 Kg8! is okay for Black.

19.Re1 0-0 20.Qb1 is another tempting option, but 20…Nd5! 21.Nc4 Nxf4 22.Rxe6 Nxe6
23.Nxb6 gives Black an acceptable position with two rooks versus a queen.

19.Nc6 Rd7 20.Qc3 Ne4! 21.Bxe4 Qxe4 22.Qxg7 Rf8 23.Nxe7 Qxe7 24.Bh6 f6
25.Qg4!? is 0.00 according to the engine, but Black still has to take care due to the
exposed king. (White has a safe alternative in 25.Qxe7† Rxe7 26.Bxf8 Kxf8 27.Kf1 with
an equal endgame.)

19…b5 20.Qa5

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20…0-0
Black should take the opportunity to castle before something bad happens.

In the event of 20…g5? 21.Nc6 gxf4 22.Re1 Qd6 23.Nxa7 0-0 24.Nc6 Bd8 25.Qxa6 Qd2
26.Rf1 Qxb2 27.Bf3 Black is still alive and a pawn up, but the differences in activity and
king safety mean that White stands much better.

21.Nc6 Qd7 22.Nxa7 Qxa7

23.a4! bxa4

751
 23…Bd8 24.Qc3 b4 25.Qc4 also favours White.

24.Qxa4
Black has managed to castle and maintain an extra pawn for the moment.
Nevertheless, White’s bishops are monsters and the a-pawn is unlikely to survive for
long. We can secure the b-pawn with Be5-c3 if needed, and the other bishop may drop
back to f1 and later c4. Black still needs to work to secure a draw.

A132) 8…Qc7!

This is Black’s most challenging defence.

9.0-0
9.d4 is the natural alternative, when 9…b5 10.d5!? (10.Bf4 Qa7 11.d5!? also
deserves attention) 10…Nxd5 11.Nxd5 exd5 12.e4 is a modern and currently trendy line,
but the ensuing complications are too unclear for my liking. Still, perhaps this line could
serve you well in a few games if you make the effort to prepare it well.

9.d3!? is another possible approach, which may appeal to fans of super-safe and solid
positions with chances to exert nagging pressure. My main line continues: 9…b6 10.Bf4
Bd6 11.Nd2 Rb8 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.0-0 0-0

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14.a3!? Bb7 15.Bxb7 Rxb7 16.Rfc1 A timely b2-b4 might give White a weakness to play
against, while Black will always need to be on the lookout for moves like Nce4 and Qa4.
I would certainly not enjoy defending Black’s position against a strong technical player.

9…b6
9…b5 is met of course by 10.a4 when 10…b4 is practically forced, and after 11.Nb1
Bb7 12.d3 White enjoyed some edge thanks to the c4-outpost in Maletin – Nakhbayeva,
Pavlodar 2014.

10.d4 Bb7 11.Bf4

11.e4 was our choice in the previous variation with the rook on a7, but here 11…cxd4
12.Nxd4 Rc8 gives Black a harmonious position.

11…Bd6

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12.Bxd6
12.dxc5!?N 12…Bxf4 (12…Nxc5 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.Rfd1 Qe7 15.Na4 looks
promising for White) 13.cxb6 Nxb6 14.gxf4 Qxf4 15.Qb3!? leads to a fresh and
interesting position where I think White can count on some initiative. For example,
15…Nfd7 16.Qa3 Qf6 17.Na4 and Black will need to be careful.

12…Qxd6 13.Rfd1 0-0 14.e4 Qe7

15.Qe2
15.Rac1 is likely to transpose, as the queen will probably want to leave the c-file at

754
some point.

15…b5 16.Rac1
16.e5 Nd5 17.Nxd5 (17.Ne4!? is more ambitious but Black should be okay here too)
17…Bxd5 18.dxc5 Nxc5 19.Rac1 Rac8 gave Black no problems whatsoever in Radjabov
– Mamedyarov, Shamkir 2014.

16…c4!?
Black ambitiously changes the pawn structure.

A neutral move such as 16…Rfd8 can be met by 17.e5 Nd5 18.Ne4 with some edge for
White. Compared with the previous note, it helps to have the rook already on c1.

17.a3!?N
17.Ne1 Rac8 18.e5 Nd5 19.Nxd5 Bxd5 20.Bxd5 exd5 21.Nc2 f6 22.f4 was seen in
the high-level game Romm – Serner, corr. 2017. The engines slightly prefer White – but
in a practical game, the position can best be described as unclear and offering chances
to both sides.

17…Rac8 18.Rc2!?
Simple and effective.

18…Rfd8 19.Rcd2
White controls the centre and Black has no visible counterplay. White can continue
improving: for instance with Ne1-c2-e3 and h2-h4, or with h2-h3 and Qe3; and Black

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also has to consider the possibility of e4-e5 at every turn.

A2) 4…c5

I hold this move close to my heart, as I analysed it for the first book I ever wrote for
Quality Chess: Grandmaster Repertoire 10 – The Tarrasch Defence. Now that I lie on the
other side, I have to recommend something against it. That’s life…

5.cxd5
Another way to play for White was recommended by Mihail Marin, but I showed
Jacob how to deal with it and he was able to showcase Black’s chances in the following
game: 5.0-0 Nc6 6.d4 Be7 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.a3 This is similar to my recommendation
against the main line Tarrasch, except that White has delayed cxd5. Black can exploit
this and equalize with: 8…dxc4! 9.Qa4 0-0 10.Qxc4 Be7 11.Nc3 e5 12.Rd1 Be6 13.Rxd8
Bxc4 14.Rxa8 Rxa8 Black went on to make a comfortable draw after missing a chance to
gain a big advantage against his 2700 opponent in Berkes – Aagaard, Porto Carras
2011.

After my recommended move, Black has two sensible recaptures: A21) 5…Nxd5 and
A22) 5…exd5.

A21) 5…Nxd5

Sometimes this approach is known as “Semi-Tarrasch”, but it is much stronger when

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White has already committed the queen’s knight to c3. As things stand, we will soon play
d2-d4 and reach something similar to the Nepo – Alekseenko game at the start of the
chapter, where Black’s difficulty in developing the c8-bishop makes the position
unpleasant for Black.

6.0-0 Nc6
The alternative is: 6…Be7 7.d4! cxd4 (7…0-0?! gives us the simple idea of 8.dxc5!
Bxc5 9.a3 when Black’s bishop has been forced to move again, and we will follow up
with b2-b4 followed by Bb2, and/or e2-e4.) 8.Nxd4 0-0 White has a few good options but
my favourite is:

9.Qb3! Preparing to deploy the rook on d1. 9…Na6 10.Rd1 Nc5 looks logical, but after
the strong reply 11.Qf3 White stands clearly better and has scored almost 80% in my
database!

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7.d4 cxd4
7…Be7 once again gives us a favourable moment to clarify the centre with 8.dxc5
Bxc5, and now 9.a3! is strong once again. White stands better and scores between 70-
80% in my database, depending on the line Black chooses. A good example continued:
9…0-0 10.Qc2 Qe7 11.b4 Bb6 12.Bb2 Bd7 13.Nbd2 Rac8 14.Qb3 Black was under
unpleasant pressure in Lerner – Lputian, Moscow 1987. White can consider Nc4 next,
while another tempting plan is e4-e5 followed by Ne4.

8.Nxd4 Bd7
Black generally prefers to keep the queenside structure intact.

8…Bc5 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Qc2 Qb6 11.Nd2 prepares to put the knight on c4 or perhaps
b3, and White had an obvious advantage in Xiong – Mikhailovsky, Internet (blitz) 2019.

9.Nb5!?
There are other good moves but I like this one.

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9…a6
9…Ncb4 10.N5c3 Bc6 11.a3 Nxc3 12.Nxc3 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Nc6 14.Qb3 gave White
easy pressure in Grosek – Krivec, Ljubljana 1955.

10.N5c3 Nxc3 11.Nxc3

Black was suffering in Andersson – Flesch, Biel 1977. White has an excellent version
of a Catalan, with a lead in development and superb light-squared bishop.

A22) 5…exd5

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6.d4 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7
7…cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5? is an attempt to play a line known as “Dubov’s Tarrasch” – but
it only works when White’s knight is on c3! Here we can simply continue 9.Nxc6 bxc6
10.Qc2! when Black already faces serious problems.

8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.a3!

This is an attempt to improve upon a Tarrasch discovery that Jacob and I made back
in 2010.

9.Nc3 0-0 transposes to the main line of the Tarrasch. In 2010, Jacob and I discovered
that 10.a3 was rather dangerous for Black, but we also discovered that 10…Ne4! is a
decent antidote.

9…Ne4!
The only critical move.

9…a5 restrains our b-pawn but the inclusion of these two pawn moves clearly helps
White, as b5 is weakened whereas controlling b4 is useful for us. A logical continuation is
10.Bg5 0-0 11.Qc2!?N 11…Be7 12.Rd1 followed by Nc3, when the d-pawn comes under
heavy fire.

9…0-0 is met by 10.b4 followed by Bb2 and Nc3. Of course we could look at some
examples, but in general White has an excellent position with easy play ahead. Every
knowledgeable Tarrasch player will opt for 9…Ne4 in this line – guaranteed!

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10.b4!?
10.Nfd2 has been widely recommended and is also a good move, but I like the idea
of driving away Black’s active bishop first.

10…Be7 11.Nfd2!
11.Bb2 Bf6 12.Qc1 is another line which is sometimes seen in correspondence play.
Typically White continues with Rd1 and Nbd2 and obtains a small pull, which is a decent
outcome from the opening, but I’d like to try for more.

11…f5
Although we are in a fresh position, it’s safe to assume that most Tarrasch players
will play this move. Indeed, Van Foreest recommends it in his Lifetime Repertoires work
on the Tarrasch.

11…Bf6 12.Ra2 Bf5 looks active but 13.b5! Ne7 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Qa4! gives Black
serious problems.

12.Bb2 Bf6

13.Bxf6N
Van Foreest does not mention this move, but I think it’s the simplest way to maintain
an edge.

The alternative is also promising:

13.Nxe4!? fxe4

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 13…Bxb2 14.Ra2 favours White.
14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Nd2 Bf5 16.Nb3
We will continue to follow a correspondence game.
16…Rd8 17.b5 Ne5 18.Nd4 0-0

19.Nxf5! Qxf5 20.Qd4 b6N

20…Qe6 21.a4 gave White a nice advantage and Black was unable to save the
game in Mirkowski – Luzar, corr. 2022.
The text move is given as an improvement by Van Foreest, who comments: “Now
that everything in our position is well protected, we can start looking for active
counterplay. The typical plan of playing …h5-h4-h3 should be the best way of doing
so.” However, White keeps the upper hand after:
21.a4
Depending on what Black does, we may proceed with a4-a5, or a rook to the c- or d-
file, or with f2-f3. If Black tries 21…h5 then 22.f3! exf3 23.exf3 maintains a nice plus for
White, and we can follow up with moves like f3-f4 and Rae1. Of course, you don’t have to
rely on this continuation as my main recommendation is simpler, but it’s useful to know
that there is more than one good way to handle the position.

13…Qxf6 14.Nb3 0-0 15.e3

White stands well. A sample line continues:

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15…Rd8 16.N1d2 b6 17.Nf3 Ba6 18.Re1 Qb2 19.Nbd2 Rac8 20.Qb3
White has the better pawn structure and generally easy play. Aside from the weak
d5-pawn, Black also faces the strategic danger of a future bad-bishop endgame.

B) 3…dxc4

This is quite an important option, as Black may try to exploit the delayed
development of the g8-knight to gain a valuable tempo on the queenside.

4.Bg2!

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 4.Qa4† Nd7 5.Bg2 (5.Qxc4 can be met by 5…a6 or even 5…b6!?) 5…a6! 6.Qxc4 b5
enables Black to develop the bishop to b7 next. Compare the earlier variation A13,
where the inclusion of the earlier …Ngf6 gave us time to retreat the queen to c2 before
Black had a chance to play …b5.

4…a6
This is the main option which gives Black’s move order independent significance.
Now Qa4† is out of the question due to …b5, so we will need to look at other ways of
regaining the c4-pawn.

4…Nf6 transposes to variation A1 above.

4…c6 is an unimpressive QGD-Slav hybrid. 5.0-0!? is a good reply, and after 5…Nd7
(5…Nf6 leads back to 5…e6 in the notes to variation B3 of Chapter 12, where 6.a4!? is
recommended) 6.Qc2 White will recapture on c4 and enjoy a good position. If Black tries
to prevent this with 6…b5?! then 7.Ne1! Bb7 8.d3 offers White a great initiative.
A more challenging sideline is:
4…Nd7!?
Black develops flexibly and may follow up with …Nb6.
5.0-0!
After examining all the options, I think this is our best bet to gain a small edge against
Black’s tricky move order.
5.Qc2 Nb6 6.a4 a5 seems complicated but okay for Black.
5.Qa4 a6 6.Qxc4 b5 7.Qh4! is an interesting idea which presents some challenges,
but I was unable to find any advantage after: 7…Be7! (7…Bb7 8.Qxd8† Rxd8 9.0-0
Ngf6 10.d3 was more pleasant for White in Shevchenko – Lupulescu, Sebes 2023.)
8.Qe4 Rb8 9.Nd4! Ngf6 10.Qc2 Ne5 11.Nb3

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 In this critical position, Black can and must sacrifice a pawn with: 11…c5!N (11…0-
0?! 12.d4 was clearly better for White in Anton Guijarro – Tabatabaei, Almaty 2022.)
12.Nxc5 h5! Black’s initiative fully compensates for the pawn.
After we castle, Black’s best option is:

5…Ngf6!
a) 5…a6 looks natural but 6.Na3! is an excellent answer. By the way, the Na3 move
tends to work best when the black knight has already moved to d7, as now a
subsequent …b5 would leave the c6-square vulnerable. 6…Bxa3 (6…Nb6 7.Qc2
Bxa3 8.bxa3 is even worse for Black.) 7.bxa3 White has a comfortable edge and may
follow up with Qc2, or with Bb2 followed by Rc1.

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 b) 5…Nb6 6.b3! is a promising pawn sacrifice now that Black has lost time with the
knight. 6…cxb3 7.Qxb3 Nf6 8.d4N 8…Be7 9.Rd1 0-0 10.Ne5 White has plenty of
compensation for the pawn and will most likely play Na3 next before deciding what to
do with the dark-squared bishop.
6.Qa4 a6 7.Qxc4 b5 8.Qc2 Bb7
We have been lured into a slightly suboptimal version of the earlier variation A13. It’s
important to note that we can avoid this possibility with a 2.g3 move order; but still, I
think it is beneficial to understand the ways we can exert pressure in different pawn
structures and scenarios.

9.Nc3!
Our positional goal is to put sufficient pressure on the b5-pawn to provoke …b4, after
which we will utilize the c4-outpost.
9…c5
9…Be7 10.a4 poses a dilemma to Black: 10…b4 11.Nd1 gives us the pawn structure
we want, while 10…c6 blocks the b7-bishop and 11.d4 gives us a promising version
of a Catalan.
10.a4 Qb6
After 10…Bc6 11.Ne1 Bxg2 12.Kxg2!?N White continues with d2-d3 and Nf3, and
Black will continue feeling the pressure on the queenside for a long time; play is
similar to the main line below.
11.d3 Be7 12.Qb3
White has a small, safe edge, with easy play against the queenside. Whenever Black
plays …b4, that’s good news for us. I’ll show a few more moves of an instructive
example.
12…Nd5 13.Bg5! Nxc3 14.Qxc3 Bxg5 15.Nxg5 0-0 16.Bxb7 Qxb7

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17.Ne4
17.b3!?N is a good alternative.
17…c4 18.Rfd1 Nb6
In Kulon – Szczepkowska, Wroclaw 2017, White’s most accurate continuation would
have been:
19.Nd6 Qc6 20.dxc4 bxc4 21.Qd4
White maintains some pressure, with no risk.

5.0-0
We are in no hurry to restore material equality. Instead, we make a move which is
always useful and wait to see what Black intends to do.

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5…Nf6
5…b5?! looks natural but it proves to be a mistake after 6.d3! cxd3 7.Ne5 Ra7 8.Be3
c5 9.a4 b4 10.Nxd3 when White has a huge advantage, as seen in Diermair – Buhmann,
Vienna 2015.

5…Nd7 is a reasonable move but 6.a4! is a strong reply. Notice the timing of this move,
when Black no longer has the possibility of …Nc6 to exploit the b4-outpost. Black has
nothing better than 6…Ngf6 (6…Nc5? may look tempting but 7.Na3 Nb3 8.Rb1 leaves
Black in trouble) 7.Qc2 with a transposition to 6…Nbd7 7.a4! in the notes to the main line
below.
Finally, 5…Nc6 is sometimes seen but it proves to be a risky choice after: 6.Qc2 b5 (6…
e5 7.Qxc4 Be7 was seen in Iskusnyh – Predke, Kazan 2012, when 8.d3!?N 8…Be6
9.Qa4 would have given White a pleasant version of a reversed Dragon.)

7.b3! Nb4 8.Qb2 We will happily remain a pawn down in order to obtain a potent and
lasting initiative. 8…cxb3 9.Ne5 Nd5 10.a4 b4 11.e4 Nde7 12.d4 White had a clear
advantage in Prithu – Grandelius, Reykjavik 2019.

6.Qc2!
White has tried several other ideas but this is my favourite. Not only is it theoretically
challenging, but it also ties in nicely with the Catalan-style approach which features in
other variations.

Black has tried several moves here. I consider B1) 6…Nbd7 and B2) 6…Bd6 to be the

768
most important of them.

6…b5?! has been the most popular choice but 7.Ne1! Nd5 8.d3 leads to tremendous
compensation if Black tries to hang on to the extra pawn. For instance: 8…cxd3 9.Nxd3
Bb7 10.Nc3 Nd7

11.Nxd5! exd5 12.Nf4 Nf6 (12…Nb6 13.Be3 was horrible for Black in Grigoryan –
Rozum, St Petersburg 2012.) 13.Rd1 c6 14.e4 Be7 In Remensberger – Cordts, Rottach
Egern 2022, 15.e5!N 15…Nd7 16.e6 would have led to a decisive initiative for White.

6…c5
This has been tried by some strong players but I consider it slightly premature.
7.Ne5!
Black needs to find an accurate move to ensure a relatively safe position.
7…Ra7!
7…Be7 looks natural but 8.d3!N 8…cxd3 9.Nxd3 offers White a promising initiative.

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8.a4
8.d3 cxd3 9.Nxd3 does not really work here because 9…b6! defends.
However, 8.Rd1!? could be considered, with ideas of d2-d3.
8…b6 9.Na3 Bb7 10.Naxc4 Bxg2 11.Kxg2 Be7 12.b3
12.Qb3!?N followed by Qf3 also deserves attention.
12…0-0 13.Bb2 Nd5
In Wei Yi – Kramnik, Moscow 2019, White’s best would have been:

14.Qe4!N
Followed by d2-d4, keeping a typical Catalan edge for White.

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A rare but solid choice for Black is:
6…Be7 7.Qxc4
Whether or not you play this move depends on your repertoire preferences in the
main line of the Catalan, as featured in the next chapter.
7.Ne5!? is a good alternative. Black has nothing better than 7…0-0, when 8.Nxc4 c5
9.Nc3 followed by a2-a4 leads to a relatively untested position which the engines
evaluate as close to equal, but practically speaking it looks pleasant for White, due to
the strong knights and potential queenside pressure.
7…b5
7…0-0 is a move which may annoy some readers. If White wishes to play ambitiously
then 8.d4 is the move which makes the most sense, but this transposes to my back-
up recommendation in the main Catalan, which you can find in the next chapter. This
is certainly a reasonable way of playing, but if you favour my main 8.a4
recommendation in the next chapter and prefer not to be move-ordered into this
position, then you can go for 7.Ne5!? as mentioned above.
After the text move, I can present an excellent novelty.

8.Qd4!N
It is surprisingly difficult for Black to equalize against this move.
8…Bd6
Other options are no better:
8…Bb7?! 9.Qxd8† Bxd8 10.a4 0-0 11.d3 leaves Black under pressure. Among other
ideas, White may exchange on b5 and a8 before playing Na3.
8…0-0 looks sensible but after 9.Qxd8 Rxd8 10.Ne5 Nd5 11.d4 White can follow up
with the thematic Catalan plan of Bd2, Rc1 and Ba5, with good chances on the
queenside.

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9.Ne5 c5 10.Qh4 Ra7 11.d4
Next comes a2-a4. I think White can count on a small advantage, as well as a
position which is easier to play.

B1) 6…Nbd7

7.a4!
As usual, when Black no longer has the option of …Nc6, this works well.

7…Rb8
7…c5 8.a5 ensures us of at least a slight edge. For example, 8…Be7 9.Qxc4 b5
10.axb6 Nxb6 was seen in Cruz – Viswanadha, Brownsville 2015, when 11.Qb3N would
have kept some advantage for White.

8.Qxc4
8.Na3!? is an interesting alternative, when 8…Bxa3 9.bxa3!? 0-0 10.Bb2!?N gives
White promising compensation for the pawn.

8…b5 9.Qc2
9.axb5 axb5 10.Qc2 will transpose.

9…Bb7 10.axb5 axb5 11.d3 Be7

This position is sometimes reached with Black to move. (There are some lines where
White meets …b5 with Qc6, provoking …Rb8, and after ….Bb7 White drops the queen

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back to c2). In that case the chances would be equal – but with an extra move, we
unsurprisingly stand better.

12.Na3!?
12.Nc3 is a good alternative, and if 12…b4 we should play 13.Nd1N followed by
Ne3, aiming for c4.

12…0-0
This position was reached in Poch – Rodriguez Vargas, Buenos Aires 1973. White
should have continued with:

13.Bd2!N
Threatening Ba5.

13…c6
13…c5 14.Bf4 wins a pawn. After 14…e5 15.Bxe5 Bxf3 16.Bxf6 Bxg2 17.Bxe7 Qxe7
18.Kxg2 Black can claim a degree of compensation, but White is definitely better.

14.Nd4
14.b4 is similar.

14…Rc8 15.b4
White has lasting pressure on the queenside. The best that Black can hope for is to
arrange …c5, but in the resulting position the passed b-pawn is more likely to be a

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weakness than a strength.

B2) 6…Bd6

This is arguably Black’s most solid continuation.

7.Qxc4 b5 8.Qc2
You may also wish to explore 8.Qb3!? Bb7 9.a4 which has scored well for White in
practice.

8…Bb7 9.d4 Nbd7

We have reached something resembling a main-line Catalan, but this particular
defensive formation is no longer popular among strong players, as practice has shown
that White has excellent chances to obtain an edge with mostly simple moves.

10.Bg5 0-0 11.Nbd2

The knight is heading for b3, from where it will eye the a5- and c5-squares.

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11…Rc8
11…c5? runs into 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Ne5 and White was already winning in Kramnik –
Karpov, Zurich (rapid) 2009.

12.Nb3 c5
After something like 12…h6?! 13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.Rfc1 Black might be stuck with a
backward c-pawn for a long time.

13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.dxc5

14.Nxc5 Be4! 15.Qc3 e5 16.e3 Bxc5 17.dxc5 Qd5 18.Rad1 Qa8 19.Nh4 Bxg2
20.Nxg2 Ne4 21.Qxe5 Rxc5 gave Black full compensation for the pawn in Kramnik –
Carlsen, Moscow 2007.

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14…Ne4!
With accurate play, Black will reach a worse but holdable endgame.

15.Rad1!
15.Rfd1 Qf6! is okay for Black.

15…Nxc5
15…Qf6? is no good here because 16.Ne1! wins material.

16.Nxc5
I think Black’s safest continuation is:

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16…Bxf3!?N
Instead, a high-level game continued: 16…Rxc5 17.Qxc5 Bxc5 18.Rxd8 Rxd8 19.Ne5
Bxg2 20.Kxg2

20…Kf8 21.Rc1 Bd6 22.Nd3 Black went on to hold the draw without issue in Bacrot –
Navara, Warsaw 2013. Nevertheless, this feels like the kind of endgame where it would
not take much for Black to fall into real danger, whereas White risks nothing at all.

17.Bxf3 Rxc5
Despite the opposite-coloured bishops and near-symmetrical structure, there are still

777
some minor issues for Black to solve.

18.Qe4
18.Qb3!? Qc7 19.Rd2 is another idea.

18…Qc7

19.Rd3
Obviously the position should be a draw with perfect play, but White can keep trying
for a while. We have several easy moves such as Kg2, h2-h4 and Rfd1, and Black’s
loose queenside pawns are a long-term cause of concern.

19.Qb7!? is also worth considering.

C) 3…d4

Finally, we consider this space-gaining move, whereby Black opts for a reversed Benoni
structure. Aside from being a tempo down, Black has also made a slight concession by
committing to an early …e6 – so while Black’s scheme is sound, I consider it to be a
suboptimal way of playing.

It’s worth comparing another popular Benoni-like variation: 3…Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 If
White wishes to remain in English Opening territory, the main line is 6.b3, and now 6…d4
is a good move, while 6…c5 7.Bb2 d4 is also a well-known main line. Notice that here

778
Black has waited for b2-b3 to be played before committing to …d4. As we’ll see in the
next chapter, I intend to avoid that version of the Reversed Benoni by transposing to a
good Catalan with 6.d4!.

4.Bg2
Black can handle the position in two main ways: C1) 4…Nc6 and C2) 4…c5.

4…Nf6 is possible of course, but after 5.0-0 Black will have to commit to one of the two
main lines in the nearest future.

C1) 4…Nc6 5.0-0 Nf6

5…Bc5!? is playable but 6.d3 leaves Black with nothing better than 6…Nf6; this was the
move order of the Nepo – Carlsen game referred to below.

6.d3 Bc5
6…e5? is too slow. 7.b4! exploits Black’s mistake, and if 7…Bxb4 8.Nxe5 White
already has a serious advantage.

6…Be7 is playable but rather passive. 7.e3 e5 (7…0-0 8.exd4 Nxd4 9.Nc3 produces a
positional threat of Nxd4 followed by Be3, and 9…Nxf3† 10.Bxf3 left White with the
much more active pieces in Rapport – Ni Hua, China 2019.) 8.exd4 exd4

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9.Na3!? 0-0 10.Bf4!? White had the better position in Grandelius – Ernst, Wijk aan Zee
2013, with excellent prospects on the queenside.

7.Nbd2!
Nepo knows the right plan, which is to attack the bishop as soon as possible, in
preparation for e2-e3.

7…a5 8.Nb3 Be7 9.e3! dxe3 10.Bxe3

10…Ng4

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 Black has to play actively and concretely, otherwise we will obtain an easy edge with
h2-h3 or Nbd4 next.

11.Bc5 0-0
11…a4 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 was played in Grandelius – Petrosyan, Internet (blitz) 2022,
when the natural 13.Nbd4N would have kept some advantage for White.

12.d4 a4 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Nc5 a3!?

14…e5!? is a critical move, initiating complications which end up being good for
White: 15.Re1! Rd8

16.b4!N A key move to remember in this line. (16.Nxa4 was the continuation of Sarrau –
Bilovil, Terme Catez 2022, when 16…Qb4N 17.b3 exd4 would have kept things
dynamically balanced.) 16…axb3 (16…Nxb4? 17.h3 should win for White.) 17.Nxb3
White stands better. A sample continuation is: 17…e4 18.h3 Nh6

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19.Ne5! f5 (19…Nxe5 20.Rxe4 f6 21.Qe2 favours White.) 20.Nxc6 bxc6 21.a4 White
keeps a small but clear edge.

Returning to our main line, White has a big improvement, which was pointed out by
several commentators of the World Championship game that we have been following.

15.b4!
The game continued 15.bxa3?! Rd8 16.Nb3 Nf6 17.Re1 Qxa3 18.Qe2 h6!? when
Black had a fair share of counterplay in Nepomniachtchi – Carlsen, Dubai (9) 2021, and
White tragically lost later by imprisoning his own bishop.

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It’s worth briefly mentioning that 15.b3!?N is another suggestion from the engines, but
after 15…Rd8 16.Na4 Nh6! the knight comes to f5 and the evaluation is far from clear.

15…Nxb4 16.Rb1 b6 17.Rxb4 bxc5 18.Rb5

Black clearly cannot afford to take on d4, as Nxd4 would produce a double attack on
a8 and g4, so the upshot is that White will play Rxc5 next and keep some pressure.
According to the engines, best play continues:

18…Ra6 19.Rxc5 Bb7 20.Qb1 Rb6 21.Rb5 Rxb5 22.Qxb5 Bxf3 23.Bxf3 Nh6
Black can keep fighting, but is still some way from equalizing.

C2) 4…c5

5.e3
Fans of the Benko Gambit could consider 5.b4!? cxb4 6.a3 with a tempo-up version
of it, but I consider the Reversed Modern Benoni a better bet.

5…Nc6
The careless 5…Ne7?! allowed 6.exd4 cxd4 7.b4! with a clear advantage to White in
Ivanchuk – Keymer, France (blitz) 2021.

6.exd4 cxd4 7.0-0 Nf6 8.d3

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 White is playing a Modern Benoni with an extra tempo, while Black has also
committed to an early …e6, which is far from ideal. High-level correspondence chess has
demonstrated that Black can equalize with best play, but this should not discourage us at
all, as Black’s position is difficult to handle in practice.

8…Bd6!
8…Be7 is a more passive approach. 9.Na3 0-0 10.Re1 We have an active position
with a variety of ideas available. 10…Ne8 is a typical move, intending …f6 and e5, so
11.Ne5! is well timed. 11…Bd7 12.Nxd7 Qxd7 13.Nc2 Nc7 (13…f6? 14.Rxe6! would be
embarrassing for Black.) In Howell – Fodor, London (rapid) 2015, White’s best
continuation would have been:

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14.Bd2! We should advance on the queenside, having in mind a specific way of meeting
Black’s central advance. 14…f6 (14…a5 15.b3 is also clearly better for us, with a2-a3
and b3-b4 to follow.) 15.b4 e5 16.b5 Nd8 17.f4! Black has problems across the entire
board.

9.Na3!
I think this is the most unpleasant move for Black to meet.

9…0-0 10.Nc2 e5
Black does not have time for 10…a5? because of 11.Nfxd4.

11.b4
White has a strong initiative and Black needs to play accurately to hang on. Best play
continues:

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11…Re8!
11…a6 is the most popular of the alternatives, when 12.Bg5!?N looks tempting –
compare the main line below.

12.Re1 a6!
12…Bg4 13.b5 Nb4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Nxc2 16.Qxc2 Qc7 was seen in Anton
Guijarro – Eljanov, Wijk aan Zee 2020, and now 17.Kg2!N would have been the safe
way to protect the kingside against any ideas involving …e4 and …Bxg3. White
maintains the better chances, thanks to the powerful light-squared bishop.

13.Bg5 Bf5
Black needs to develop the bishop, and there is clearly no better square.

14.Nh4 Bd7 15.Rb1!

Keeping the tension is the most unpleasant approach for Black.

15.c5 Bf8 has been tested in some OTB games. One such example continued 16.f4?!
exf4 17.Rxe8 Bxe8 18.Qf3 h6 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.Qxf4 Qxf4 21.gxf4 and White went on to
win in Anton Guijarro – Sunilduth Lyna, Khanty-Mansiysk 2019, but at this point 21…
a5!N would have given Black the upper hand.

15…h6!
If Black does not resolve the kingside tension immediately, we will cause problems
with Qf3, and if …Be7 then Nf5.

786
16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.a4

17…a5! 18.b5 Nd8 19.Qf3 Qxf3 20.Nxf3

Despite Black’s accurate play, we still have an excellent Benoni position with lots of
queenside space and Nd2-e4 on the way. Black still needs to handle the position
extremely well to survive.

20…Rc8! 21.Nd2! b6 22.f4 exf4 23.Rxe8† Bxe8

24.Bh3!N

787
 This is a move-order detail which I like a lot. Although it’s technically a novelty, we
will soon transpose to a few top-level correspondence games.

24.Nxd4 Ne6 gave Black plenty of counterplay in Martin Sanchez – Teichmann, corr.
2019.

24…Rb8!
24…Rc7?! is playable but riskier in view of 25.Ne4 (25.Re1!? is another possibility
which should result in equality with best play) when Black has to find a clever resource:
25…Bd7! (25…Be5? 26.c5! is hugely problematic for Black) 26.Bxd7 Rxd7 27.Nxd6
Rxd6 28.c5 bxc5 29.gxf4 White has excellent compensation, but it’s only enough for a
draw.

25.Ne4 Be5 26.gxf4 Bxf4 27.c5!? bxc5 28.Nxc5 Nb7!

This position was reached in Even – Stockert, corr. 2019. The position is equal with
perfect, engine-assisted play. For the practical human player I can propose:

29.Nb3!?N 29…Nd6 30.Bg2

Black must find another difficult move:

30…Nxb5! 31.axb5 Bxb5 32.Nxa5 Bxd3 33.Rxb8† Bxb8 34.Nxd4

The endgame should be a draw, but we can certainly keep trying with the extra
piece.
Conclusion

788
 In this chapter we introduced the ways we will fight against the super-solid Queen’s
Gambit Declined set-up, which arises after 1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3. Avoiding a quick d2-d4
gives us the flexibility to avoid a lot of Catalan theory. Black gets some additional options
such as the Tarrasch-style approach with …c5 and the Reversed Benoni set-up with …
d4, but neither option is easy to handle for Black in a practical game. I also like White’s
chances after an early …dxc4, which can be played either with or without the inclusion of
…Nf6. Black has a few ways of playing which eventually result in equality according to
the engines, but such lines tend to be easy to play for White, with little to no risk.

While studying these lines, I was particularly impressed by Nepomniachtchi’s handling

from White’s side. He is most definitely one of our model players for these positions, and
I would advise the reader to pay attention to his future games in these lines.

789
Ki. Georgiev – Karpov, Dubai (rapid) 2002 385
Papaioannou – Kasimdzhanov, Batumi (Olympiad) 2018 386
Carlsen – Caruana, London (9) 2018 387

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

A) 6…c6 389
B) 6…dxc4 7.Qc2 393
B1) 7…b6!? 393
B2) 7…b5 8.a4 394
B21) 8…b4 395
B22) 8…Bb7!? 399
B3) 7…a6 400
B31) 8.Qxc4 400
B32) 8.a4! Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bg5! 402
B321) 10…a5 404
B322) 10…h6 405

790
 B323) 10…Bd5 406
B324) 10…Nbd7! 408

Introduction

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

In this chapter, we will consider the version of the Queen’s Gambit Declined where
Black refrains from capturing on c4 and simply develops.

6.d4!
Our best approach is to transpose to a main-line Catalan, having avoided some
major options such as …Bb4† lines, unlike if we played a Catalan using a 1.d4 move
order.

6…dxc4
6…c6 will also be given due consideration.

7.Qc2
Preparing to recapture on c4. The main line continues:

7…a6
7…b5 is a modern alternative which we’ll examine in the theory section.

791
8.a4!
8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 is an alternative which we will cover briefly as a back-up line, but
the text move is my preference.

8…Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6

This is the main tabiya of this variation. Black develops the light-squared bishop and
keeps a solid structure. Our plan from here will be to develop the bishop to g5 and
usually exchange it for the f6-knight at some point. With the knight coming to c3 and
rooks to the centre, we will soon be ready for e2-e4 and possibly b2-b4, which will leave
the c6-bishop short of squares. For that reason, Black will often play a timely …Bxf3
followed by …c6, usually just before e2-e4 is threatened. Considering the likelihood of
the respective bishops being exchanged for knights on f6 and f3, it makes sense to look
at some instructive examples involving opposite-coloured bishops with a related pawn
structure.

Kiril Georgiev – Anatoly Karpov

Dubai (rapid) 2002

792
 This type of position is quite common in our Catalan repertoire – indeed, this game
started in exactly that way. Many players might wrongly assume, based on the limited
material and certain misconceptions about opposite-coloured bishops, that a draw is
likely. True, a draw would result from perfect play, but in a practical game Black’s task is
extremely difficult, if White understands how to apply pressure.

41.f4!
White’s pieces are perfectly placed. The pawn on h5 paralyzes Black’s kingside,
while the queenside pawns and c4-bishop support each other perfectly and stop Black’s
pawn majority from advancing. The queen is great on f5 and the king is safe on e2 –
although it might be even better on h3. Everything is set for the next stage of White’s
plan: setting the kingside pawn majority in motion and causing Black further problems,
especially regarding defence of the f7-pawn.

41…Qd7??
Karpov makes a human decision but misevaluates the resulting endgame.

41…Kf8 was better. A logical continuation would then be 42.e4 Bd4 43.Kf3 Bb6 44.Kg2,
when White will shift the king to the perfect spot on h3, before deciding on Qh7 and/or
e4-e5. Engines can hold Black’s position, but for a human it would be extremely
unpleasant.

42.Qxd7†! Kxd7 43.Bxf7

White has an extra pawn and a 4–2 majority on the kingside, but the opposite-

793
coloured bishops have their drawish tendencies, especially when all the other pieces
have been exchanged. It’s worth seeing how Georgiev makes it look easy.

43…b5 44.Kd3 Bb2 45.e4 Ke7 46.Bg8 Kf8 47.Bh7 Ba3 48.e5 Bb4 49.Be4 Be1 50.g4
bxa4 51.bxa4 c5 52.Bd5 Ke7 53.Bc4 Bg3 54.Ke4 Be1 55.Kf5 Bd2 56.g5 hxg5
57.Kxg5!
57.fxg5 wins eventually, but the game continuation is much simpler.

57…Bc1 58.Kg4 Bb2 59.Kf3 Bc1 60.Ke4 Bd2 61.h6! gxh6 62.f5
1–0

794
 Ioannis Papaioannou – Rustam Kasimdzhanov

Batumi (Olympiad) 2018

GM Papaioannou is the strongest Greek player of all time, as well as a renowned

Catalan expert who has shared his understanding in a video series on Chess24. He
explains that he knew the Georgiev – Karpov game and therefore continued:

37.Bc4! b6 38.Qf5 Qe8 39.Kf1

39.Kg2 is also possible – although if the king goes to h3 and play proceeds as in the
game, Black might look for a …b5 sacrifice followed by …Qe6 to exchange queens.

White could also probe a little with 39.Bd3 Kf8 40.Qh7 Bf6, and here I found a nice way
to exploit the placement of the pawn on b6:

795
41.Be2! Be5 (41…b5 42.Bf3 bxa4 43.bxa4 does not really help Black, as Qc2 will win a
pawn soon enough) 42.Bf3 Qd7 Otherwise we attack c6 with Qc2 whenever we feel like
it. 43.Qh8† Ke7 44.Qa8 If Black does nothing, White can simply play Kg2 to avoid any
checks, followed by Bxc6 and resuming the positional torture with an extra pawn in the
bank. If Black safeguards the pawn with …c5, White will simply reroute the bishop to c4
where it will enjoy total stability, followed by the familiar plan of advancing the f- and e-
pawns.

39…Kf8 40.Ke2 Bf6

And now everything is ready.

796
41.f4!
White’s set-up is identical to the Georgiev – Karpov game, while Black’s pieces are
on slightly different squares.

41…b5!?
Kasimdzhanov is an extremely strong player who no doubt recognized the danger he
was in. Therefore he makes the smart practical decision to aim for counterplay before his
position gets any worse.

42.axb5 cxb5 43.Bxb5 Qe6

Unlike our previous example, Black can safely offer a queen exchange here,
because White’s 4–3 majority on the kingside would not be enough to win the game.
Therefore Papaioannou keeps the queens on.

44.Qc5† Be7 45.Qc7

45…g5!? 46.hxg6 Qxg6 47.Kf2

At this point the engine evaluation is not much above 0.00, but White has an extra
pawn and the much easier position. Papaioannou later carried out the e4-e5 advance
and could have won, but he slipped up and allowed Kasimdzhanov to escape with a
draw after move 80.

Magnus Carlsen – Fabiano Caruana

797
 London (9) 2018

This position actually arose from Grischuk’s Reversed Dragon but it illustrates our
current theme, and is a nice example showing how understanding of certain thematic
pawn structures can help you across different parts of our repertoire. To avoid serious
trouble in such a position, Black will need to be extremely tactically alert – and we can
expect a World Championship finalist to possess such a quality.

24.h4
While many commentators like Giri, Grischuk and Svidler thought that Caruana
would have a hard time ahead, the young American showed his class and
understanding.

24…g6! 25.h5!?
Magnus saw what was coming, but decided he had nothing better.

25.Bc6 Rf8 26.Bf3 was suggested by some commentators after the game, but after 26…
h5! White will have a hard time breaking the defence.

798
25…gxh5! 26.Qc4 f5
And with …h4 coming, Black was able to defend and a draw was eventually agreed
on move 56. The main point to take away from this example is that if we wish to exert
maximal pressure in opposite-bishop positions with a 4–3 majority on the kingside, we
should aim to carry out the cramping h4-h5 advance, like in the previous two examples.
Conversely, if Black can play …g6 and …h5, it will help the defence considerably.
Carlsen and Caruana both recognized this, which is why the former rushed with 25.h5!?
and the latter made the courageous decision to capture the pawn.

799
 Theory Section

A) 6…c6 389
B) 6…dxc4 7.Qc2 393
B1) 7…b6!? 393
B2) 7…b5 8.a4 394
B21) 8…b4 395
B22) 8…Bb7!? 399
B3) 7…a6 400
B31) 8.Qxc4 400
B32) 8.a4! Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bg5! 402
B321) 10…a5 404
B322) 10…h6 405
B323) 10…Bd5 406
B324) 10…Nbd7! 408

1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7

Before going any further, let’s consider an alternative way of developing the bishop:
4…Bd6 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4!
We follow the same recipe of transposing to a regular Catalan.
6…c6
6…b6?! 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Nc3 is clearly better for White, who intends Qb3 and Rd1. If
8…c6?! Black bolsters d5 and hopes to develop the c8-bishop to a better square
than b7, but 9.Bg5! Be7 10.Bxf6! Bxf6 11.e4 is highly unpleasant for Black.
The Closed Catalan with …Bd6 is an old system which was popular for some time,
until White discovered a great antidote against it.

800
7.Nc3 Nbd7
7…dxc4 is well met by 8.Nd2! e5 (8…b5? is useless due to 9.Nxb5) 9.dxe5 Bxe5
10.Nxc4 Bc7 11.b3 followed by Ba3, highlighting the main weakness in Black’s
position: the d6-square.
8.Nd2!
This is the key idea, preparing e2-e4. Black’s usual response has been:
8…Re8 9.e4 dxe4
9…e5 is suggested by modern engines as the lesser evil, but after 10.dxe5 Nxe5
11.cxd5 cxd5 12.exd5 Bg4 13.Qb3 Black can hardly claim full compensation for the
lost pawn.
10.Ndxe4 Bc7
White has several ways to maintain a clear advantage, but I especially like the
following engine suggestion:

801
11.a4! a5
Otherwise we will gain additional space on the queenside with b2-b4.
12.b3!
White stands much better. Black’s only hope for counterplay is the …e5 break, but
for the moment d4-d5 will be a strong answer, and if Black finds a suitable way to
prepare it then f2-f4 can be played. Other ideas include Ba3 and Ra2-d2.

5.0-0 0-0

6.d4!
Against Black’s solid, no-nonsense approach, the best we can do is transpose to a

802
proper Catalan.

6.Qc2 (or any other neutral move) can be met by 6…d4! with a good version of the
Reversed Benoni.

6.b3!? is another major line, but 6…d4! highlights the fact that b2-b3 is not such a useful
move in the Reversed Benoni. The main line runs 7.e3 c5 and now 8.Ne5!? Qc7 9.f4 is
the trendy continuation. Best play continues 9…Nbd7 10.Nd3 e5 11.Na3 a6 12.Nc2 Bd6
13.Bb2 Re8 when the position is full of life, but I was unable to find a convincing way to
put Black under pressure.
Black has two main approaches: the Closed Catalan with A) 6…c6 or capturing the pawn
with B) 6…dxc4.

6…c5 7.cxd5 will convert to variation A21 or A22 of the previous chapter, depending on
how Black recaptures.

6…b6?! is not a serious option. 7.cxd5 gives Black a poor version of a Queen’s Indian,
for instance after 7…exd5 8.Nc3 Bb7 9.Bf4 followed by rooks to c1 and d1, Ne5 and so
on. That’s why Black needs to play …c6 before …b6.

6…Nbd7 is a popular move but it doesn’t have much independent significance after:
7.Qc2 c6 (7…c5?! 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Rd1 is unpleasant for Black.) 8.b3 b6 9.Bb2 We have
transposed to variation A below.

A) 6…c6 7.b3!

The traditional method for White has been 7.Qc2 followed by Nbd2 and e2-e4, but a
recent trend seems to provide Black with a reliable antidote: 7…b6 8.Nbd2 c5!? The
knight comes to c6 and Black obtains good counterplay.

803
7…b6
Black prepares to develop the bishop on either b7 or a6. We should wait to see
where the bishop is going before we commit the b1-knight, as explained below.

7…Nbd7 8.Bb2 b6 transposes.

7…b5?! is always met with 8.c5! Nbd7 9.Nbd2 intending to prepare e2-e4, when Black
will face problems. 9…Ne8 10.Bb2 a5 was seen in Smejkal – Kurajica, Amsterdam 1971.
In the game White went for the Qc2 plan and stood clearly better anyway, but it would be
even more accurate to continue with 11.a3!N to prevent any ideas of …b4 and …Ba6,
before proceeding with Qc2.

7…a5 should be met by the equally flexible 8.Qc2!, which is always a useful move while
we wait to see Black’s intentions. If 8…a4 we will obtain an excellent position with 9.Ba3!
Bxa3 10.Nxa3 axb3 11.axb3 followed by Qb2, Rfc1 and eventually b3-b4, as seen in
Lysyj – Bocharov, Khanty-Mansiysk 2017.

8.Bb2
We continue with flexible development.

8.Nc3 allows 8…Ba6 with an annoying attack on the c4-pawn.

On the other hand, 8.Nbd2 c5!? looks reasonable for Black.

804
8.Qc2 is possible although 8…c5!? 9.Rd1 Nc6 might be okay for Black.

8…Nbd7
Black keeps the bishop flexible but commits the knight.

8…a5 keeps the queenside pieces flexible, but after 9.Qc2 the plan with …c5 loses its
value because the b5-square will be a huge hole. 9…a4 is consistent but 10.bxa4! is a
good reply. 10…Ba6 was played in Pergericht – Marinelli, Haifa 1989, and now
11.Nfd2N would have kept some advantage for White.

8…Bb7 is a popular move but now 9.Nc3! works well, as the …Ba6 plan is no longer
attractive when it loses a tempo. 9…Nbd7 10.Qd3!? White intends Rfd1 and e4, and
stands slightly better. (10.e3 followed by Qe2 and Rfd1 is another possible approach.)

8…Ba6 is conveniently met by: 9.Nbd2! Nbd7 (9…c5 10.Ne5!? Bb7 11.dxc5 bxc5
12.Rc1 was slightly better for White in Rapport – Yu Yangyi, Internet [rapid] 2021.)

10.Qc2! With this, we transpose to a well-known position which has usually been
reached via the 7.Qc2 move order. 10…Rc8 (10…c5 11.e4 also favoured White in
Bareev – Miton, Havana 2006.) 11.e4 c5 12.exd5 exd5 13.Rfd1 We could analyse this
position more deeply, but it’s not a common occurrence via our move order. In any case,
most strong players avoid this line for Black these days, as White enjoys some initiative
as well as an excellent practical score.

805
9.Qc2
We continue to keep the knight flexible. The queen move is more attractive now that
Black has lost the chance to play …c5 and …Nc6.

It’s still too early for 9.Nc3 on account of 9…Ba6 10.Nd2 b5! with nice counterplay for
Black.

9.Qd3 is also met by 9…Ba6 when our queen is less than ideally placed.

9…Bb7
9…Ba6 10.Nbd2 was discussed in the note on 8…Ba6 above.

9…a5?! is too slow, and we gain a clear advantage with 10.Nbd2 followed by e2-e4.

10.Nc3! Rc8
10…Ba6 loses a tempo but is still not ridiculous. 11.Rfd1!? seems best to me.
(11.Nd2 b5! offers Black enough play.) 11…dxc4 12.Ne5 Nxe5 (12…cxb3? 13.axb3 Bb7
14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.Bxc6 Rc8 16.Bg2 was horrible for Black in Szczepaniec – Norov,
Gdansk 2011.) 13.dxe5 Nd5 14.Ne4 White had more than enough compensation for the
pawn in Goganov – Girya, Chelyabinsk 2021.

10…Qc7!? is a reasonable move but 11.Rfd1 maintains an edge for White. (However, it
should be noted that 11.e4?! is slightly premature in view of 11…Nxe4 12.Nxe4 dxe4
13.Qxe4 c5 when Black should be fine.)

806
Finally, 10…a5 is hardly a critical move but I found an excellent game from this position
which is well worth showing. 11.e4 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Qxe4 a4 14.Rad1 Qc7
15.Rfe1 White’s rooks are perfectly placed. 15…Rfe8 Black prepares the freeing …c5
break. When this break comes, White should always look for opportunities involving d4-
d5; but even if Black is allowed to play …cxd4, this doesn’t mean automatic equality.
16.Qc2 (16.h4!?N is also possible, as 16…c5 17.d5! is strong.) 16…axb3 17.axb3 h6

18.Re2!? (I would be tempted to try 18.Bc3N with ideas of Qb2 and possibly b3-b4.)
18…Bf8 19.h4 Now Nh2-g4 becomes an idea. 19…c5 20.d5! exd5 21.cxd5 Qd6 22.h5!
White subsequently increased the pressure with Nh4-f5 in Bu Xiangzhi – Riazantsev,
Douglas 2019. What an incredibly instructive game!

11.e4 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Qxe4

We should be happy to reach this kind of position, with a slight plus and the easier
position to play in practice. Our plan is to put the rooks on d1 and e1, while looking for
opportunities to meet …c5 with d4-d5; although even if we allow …cxd4, our chances will
remain slightly better. Let’s see a few examples:

13…Nf6
13…Qc7 14.Rad1 c5 15.d5!? (15.Qe2 is also reasonable.) 15…Bf6 16.Qc2 exd5
17.cxd5 Bxb2 18.Qxb2 Qd6

807
19.Nd2! Qf6 20.Qa3!? Softening up the queenside a bit. 20…a6 This position was
reached in Csom – Verat, Budapest 1987, and now 21.Rfe1N would have been logical,
with a nice edge for White.

14.Qe2 c5 15.Rad1 cxd4

15…Qc7?! allows a nice tactical shot: 16.d5! exd5 17.Rfe1! Rfe8 (17…Bd8 18.cxd5
Bxd5 19.Bh3! is also great for White.) 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.cxd5 Black was in big trouble in
Buettner – Gnuechtel, email 2012.

16.Ne5!? Bxg2 17.Kxg2 Qc7 18.Rxd4

808
 Black is still some distance from equality. Our pieces are more active, and in some
lines we may threaten to land the knight on c6. If Black exchanges pieces too quickly
then the queenside majority may become dangerous.

18…Rfd8
18…Qb7† 19.Qf3!? Qxf3† 20.Kxf3 is a tricky endgame for Black. For example, the
natural-looking 20…Rfd8? runs into 21.Rxd8† Rxd8 22.Nc6 Rd7 23.Nxe7† Rxe7 24.Bxf6
gxf6 25.Rd1 when White should be winning.

19.Rfd1 Rxd4 20.Rxd4 Qb7†

21.Qf3!?
21.Kg1!? is possible but there’s no reason to avoid the queen trade.

21…Qxf3† 22.Kxf3
The endgame offers us realistic winning chances with little to no risk. We can creep
forward on the kingside, and at the right moment we may play Nd3 followed by
advancing the queenside majority.

B) 6…dxc4

809
 This is the big main line. Black does not intend to cling to the extra pawn. Instead, in
the time it takes us to regain it, Black will look to develop the light-squared bishop in
some way.

7.Qc2
Other options exist but I favour this one, which happens to be the main line. We will
consider three main replies: B1) 7…b6!?, B2) 7…b5 and B3) 7…a6.

7…Bd7 8.Qxc4 Bc6 simply gives us a favourable version of the later variation B32, as
our queenside structure is more flexible without a2-a4 having been played.

7…c5 8.dxc5 also gives us an effortless advantage – compare the note to variation B32
where the moves …a6 and a2-a4 have been included. It is worth adding that after
8…Bxc5 White scores best with 9.Nbd2!, although the simple 9.Qxc4 also gives White
the easier play.

B1) 7…b6!?

This is an interesting try, which became popular around 2014. I remember because I was
showing the following exchange sacrifice to the Danish team during the Tromso
Olympiad that year. At the time they were pretty sceptical (as is typical for Danish
people), but nowadays the idea is considered decent for Black. However, decent does
not mean equal!

810
8.Ne5!?
This is the most ambitious reaction, although I have an unusual follow-up in mind.

8.Bg5 Nd5 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Ne5 is a simple alternative, where White intends Nxc4 with
a small edge.

8…Qxd4

9.Nxf7!?
This small trick should cause Black some practical problems.

9.Bxa8 Qxe5 10.Bf3 Nd5 11.Qxc4 Ba6 12.Qa4 is a well-known tabiya, where it is
considered that Black has just enough compensation for the exchange, although White
has achieved a decent plus score in practice.

9…Nd5!
9…Rxf7 10.Bxa8 Nd5 11.Nd2! c6 was seen in Di Li – Zumsande, Innsbruck 2018,
and now the simple 12.Nxc4N 12…Ba6 13.Ne3 would have left Black with insufficient
play for the exchange.

10.Ng5 Bxg5
10…g6? 11.Nc3 is horrible for Black.

11.Bxg5
I think Black should look to improve on existing games with:

811
11…Bb7!N
11…c6 seems a less natural way of bolstering the knight. 12.Nc3 Nd7?! was seen in
Fiori – Franco, Buenos Aires 2016, when 13.Ne4!N followed by Rad1 would have been
problematic for Black.

11…Qg4 was seen in a later game, Rodriguez Polo – Raja, Davos 2022. 12.Qd2!N
would have been best, defending g5 while attacking d5. Play could continue 12…Nc6
(12…Bb7 13.Nc3 is unpleasant for Black) 13.Nc3! Nxc3 14.Bxc6 Nxe2† 15.Kg2 Rb8
16.Be7! and the complications favour White.

11…Na6N is another possibility, when 12.Na3! Nab4 13.Qd2 looks somewhat

favourable for White.

12.Na3
This seems simplest.
12.Nd2 Qg4!? is slightly annoying, as Black hits both the bishop and the e2-pawn.
Play could continue 13.h4 Qxe2 14.Rae1 Qd3 15.Qxc4 when White has great
coordination and full compensation for the pawn, but Black should be okay with careful
play.

12…Qg4 13.Bc1
The bishop temporarily retreats to its original square in order to keep the e2-pawn
defended.

812
13…Nc6 14.h3 Qh5 15.Qe4
The last move avoids the …Nd4 strike while preparing to restore material equality. In
the resulting position, we will have both the bishop pair and a better pawn structure.
Black’s position is not so bad according to the engine, but we have the kind of small but
lasting advantage which I believe will pay off well in human practice.

B2) 7…b5

This line became popular in 2011 due to an interesting exchange sacrifice which
brought Black some successes. Later White found a suitable antidote to that idea, but

813
Black subsequently came up with another way of handling the position, so the line
became trendier again. Nepomniachtchi played it in some games, and Carlsen avoided
the most challenging continuation because the theoretical verdict seemed okay for Black
at the time. However, it has since been demonstrated that an apparently safe engine
evaluation does not translate to safety for Black in practical play.

8.a4
8.Ne5 c6 9.a4 Nd5 10.Nc3 f6 11.Nf3 was the continuation of Carlsen –
Nepomniachtchi, Dubai (2) 2021. According to current knowledge, 11…b4! should be
fine for Black.

We will analyse the previously fashionable B21) 8…b4 followed by the most modern
treatment with B22) 8…Bb7!?.
8…c6? 9.axb5 cxb5 runs into 10.Ng5! h6 11.Nxf7!? Rxf7 12.Bxa8 when White is
winning.

B21) 8…b4 9.Nfd2!

9.Ne5 Qxd4! 10.Bxa8 (10.Nxc4 Nd5) 10…Qxe5 gives Black plenty of play for the
exchange. It was this idea which led to the 7…b5 line becoming popular in the first place.

9…Nd5
This has taken over as Black’s main attempt.

The older line is:

814
9…c6 10.Nxc4 Qxd4
Taking a pawn seems logical, but we will obtain more than enough play for it.
10…Ba6 11.Rd1 Nbd7 12.Nbd2 Rc8 13.e4 Nb6 14.a5 Nxc4 15.Nxc4 gave White an
easy advantage in Mikhalevski – Hess, Wheeling 2012.
11.Rd1 Qc5 12.Be3 Qh5

Black wants to annoy us with …Ng4, or with …e5 followed by …Bf5, but we can
nullify those ideas with:
13.Nbd2! Ng4
13…e5? 14.Ne4! Ng4 (14…Bf5 15.Nxf6† Bxf6 16.Qb3 a5 17.Rac1 is horrible for
Black) 15.h4 was close to winning for White in Bu Xiangzhi – Yang Kaiqi, China
2014.
13…Nd5 has been played a few times but 14.Nb3!N sees White take control over
the key queenside squares, with a pleasant advantage.
14.Nf3 Nxe3 15.Nxe3
White has more than enough compensation for the pawn and has achieved a healthy
plus score, a good example being Grischuk – Nakamura, Moscow 2019. In the post-
game interview, Grischuk, in his characteristically entertaining style, described how awful
Black’s position is.

10.Nxc4 c5
10…Ba6?! is too slow due to 11.Rd1! and if 11…c5 12.e4 Nf6 13.d5! Black is in
trouble, as seen in Edouard – Ladron de Guevara Pinto, Barcelona 2019.

11.dxc5 Ba6!?

815
 11…Bxc5 12.e4 should be better for White, although there are some interesting
details. 12…Nb6 13.Ncd2!? This is the maximalist try, avoiding the exchange and
intending a4-a5. (13.Rd1 N8d7 14.Nxb6 axb6 15.Nd2 is a safe alternative offering a
slight edge.) 13…N8d7!? 14.a5

14…Ba6 Black must give up material but intends to fight for the initiative. However, we
can maintain some advantage with: 15.axb6 Rc8 16.Qd1 Qxb6 17.Nb3 Bxf1 18.Qxf1
White’s extra minor pieces were worth more than Black’s rook and pawn in Pechac –
Parkhov, Terme Catez 2022.

12.Ne3!
Other moves have been tested, but this one has been pretty well established as the

816
strongest. The next few moves are either forced or clearly best for both sides.

12…Nd7 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.c6 Rc8 15.Bf4

Threatening c6-c7.

15…Nc5 16.Rd1!
This move is known to be the most challenging, although it’s worth pointing out that
even after a suboptimal continuation, Black does not have an easy life.

16.c7 was seen in the stem game which continued: 16…Qd7 17.Nd2 g5 18.Be5 f6
19.Bd4 Rxc7 20.Qd1 Ne6 21.Nb3 Bc4! Black went on to win a great game in Ding Liren
– Carlsen, Zagreb 2019, but Carlsen later admitted that he wasn’t too enthusiastic about
his position after the opening. Here White should have continued:

22.Be3!N Intending to consolidate with Nd4. Black must fight to survive with a temporary
pawn sacrifice: 22…d4! 23.Nxd4 Nxd4 24.Bxd4 Rd8 25.Be3 Qxd1 26.Rfxd1 Rxd1†
27.Rxd1 Bxe2 28.Re1 Bd3 Material is level but the position still isn’t fully equal, as Black
has some weaknesses. Play could continue:

817
29.h4!? White creates space for the king, thus preparing Rd1 followed by further
activation of the rook. Note that 29…gxh4?? loses to 30.Bf4 when Black must lose
material.

16…d4
16…Bc4?! is less accurate in view of: 17.Nd2 Bxe2 18.Nb3 Bxd1 19.Rxd1 Nxb3

20.c7! Qd7 (20…Rxc7 is better although the forcing sequence of 21.Bxc7 Qc8 22.Bxd5
Bd6 23.Bxf7† Rxf7 24.Rxd6 Qxc7 25.Rc6 Nd4 26.Rxc7 Nxc2 27.Rc8† Rf8 28.Rxc2
results in a rook endgame with an extra pawn for White.) 21.Bxd5! White went on to win
quickly in Predke – Kezin, Cheboksary 2021. The main point of White’s play is that

818
21…Nc5 22.Bxf7† Rxf7 23.Rxd7 Nxd7 24.Qe2 gives Black more than enough material
for the queen, but White is nevertheless winning due to the mighty c7-pawn and Black’s
poor coordination.

17.h4!
This move not only creates space for the king; it also makes the dark-squared bishop
more secure, as in the complications we won’t have to calculate the …g5 or …Bg5
moves any more.

17.Bf3 protects the e2-pawn, preparing Nd2. 17…Ne6 has been played in one game,
and now 18.Qe4N is a logical novelty. The engines evaluate the position marginally in
White’s favour, but 18…Bg5! is an annoying possibility which I’d prefer to avoid.

Another interesting possibility is to sacrifice the pawn: 17.Nd2!? Bxe2 18.Re1 (but not
18.Rdc1? Nd3) 18…d3 19.Qc4 I would characterize this continuation as less ambitious
than our main line, but still tricky for Black. After 19…Ne6 20.Be3 Black has a couple of
soft queenside pawns, so 20…a5 seems logical, but then 21.Rxe2! dxe2 22.Qxe2 gave
White the upper hand in Song – Yoo, Reykjavik 2022.

17…h6
Black makes sure that we will have to calculate at least the …g5 option, although
with the h-pawns disappearing in that scenario, the black king will be more exposed.
17…Re8 is met by 18.c7! Qd7 19.Nd2 Bxe2 as seen in Malka – Tica, Internet (blitz)
2022, when White should have played:

819
20.Rdc1! Our threats include Ne4, Nb3, and even sacrificing with Qxc5. Black’s best is to
sac an exchange on c7, after which White stands clearly better. Instead, if Black tries
20…Nd3? then 21.Bc6 Qh3 22.Bxe8 Nxf4 23.Qe4! wins for White.

18.Bf3! Re8
18…Ne6 was seen in Mas – Girel, Agen 2021, when 19.Qe4N would have given
White an improved version of the 17.Bf3 line noted above, as Black does not have the
…Bg5 resource available here. (19.Qf5!?N is also interesting: if Black chases the queen
with …g6, we’ll retreat to e4 with gain of time due to the attack on the h6-pawn.)

820
19.Nd2
We have completed development while keeping the c6-passer as an extra pawn.
Black must therefore seize the opportunity to create some counterplay.

19…d3!
19…Bf8? is too slow in view of 20.Nb3 d3 21.exd3 Bxd3 22.Qxc5! Bxc5 23.Nxc5
when White had too much material for the queen in T. Nguyen – Deac, Internet (rapid)
2020.

20.exd3 Bxd3 21.Qc1 Bf8 22.Re1 Qf6!

Now White has to think how to avoid a strong …g5 in the near future.

23.Rxe8 Rxe8 24.c7 Rc8

24…g5? is premature due to 25.hxg5 hxg5 26.Be3 Qe5 27.Ne4! Bxe4 28.Bxe4 Qxc7
29.Bf3 when White has a clear advantage thanks to the two strong bishops and safer
king.

25.Qe1!
The key move! Our rook can go to c1 and there is the option of Be5 available, which
Black prevents immediately.

25…Bd6
25…Qxb2?? 26.Be5 Qc2 27.Bd1 catches the queen.

821
26.Bxd6 Qxd6 27.Rc1 Rxc7 28.Qe8† Kh7 29.Qe3 Bf5!
Black removes the tactically weak bishop (30.Nb3 was the big threat), but is still not
out of danger, despite having played perfectly up to this point.

30.Nc4!?N
This is a good moment to improve on 30.a5 Ne6! when the position was equal in
Firouzja – Nihal, Warsaw 2021.

30.g4!?N is another idea, when 30…Be6 31.Ne4 Nxe4 32.Rxc7 Qxc7 33.Qxe4† g6
34.Qxb4 is close to 0.00 according to the engines, but in a human game Black would still
be under some pressure due to being a pawn down – and even if Black wins back a
pawn on the kingside, the potential for a strong queenside passed pawn offers some
winning chances.

30…Qd3 31.Be2 Qxe3 32.Nxe3 Be6 33.a5

White has the b4-weakness to play against, and can also look to gain space on the
kingside at the right moment. For example:

33…Kg6 34.f4
34.Ng2!? is another tricky option, intending Nf4†.

34…Kf6 35.Rd1
Next we intend Rd4, followed by g3-g4 to put the enemy kingside under further
pressure.

822
 B22) 8…Bb7!?

This move has become trendy at the top level, but it’s not something to worry about.
With best play, Black will merely be hoping to draw an endgame a pawn down.

9.axb5 a6 10.bxa6 Nxa6 11.Qxc4 Bd5 12.Qc3 c5

Black has a decent amount of activity, but we can follow the example of some top
players to consolidate while keeping the extra pawn.

13.Be3! Ne4

823
14.Qe1!?
14.Qc1 is possible but I would rather not leave the queen as a target on the soon-to-
be-open c-file.

14…Nb4 15.Nc3 Nc2 16.Rxa8 Qxa8 17.Qc1

An interesting alternative is 17.Nxd5!? Qxd5 (or 17…exd5 18.Qc1) 18.Qc1 cxd4
19.Bf4 when White traded the extra pawn for some initiative with the bishop pair in Royal
– Prokofiev, Miercurea Ciuc 2022.

17…Nxe3 18.Qxe3 Nxc3 19.bxc3 cxd4

19…h6 20.Ne1 led to a similar situation in Johnston – Baranowski, corr. 2021.

20.cxd4
It’s pleasing to see that our extra pawn has captured its way from b2 to d4, where it
will be much more secure.

20…Rd8 21.Qf4 h6 22.e3

White went on to win an endgame with queen and opposite-coloured bishops in So –
Nepomniachtchi, Bucharest 2022.
A previous game continued 22.h4 Bf6 23.e3 Rc8 24.Ne1 Bxg2 25.Nxg2 and again
Black had to suffer, although this time he managed to draw in Giri – Nepomniachtchi,
Warsaw (blitz) 2021.
Interestingly, some time after the Carlsen – Nepo match, Peter Heine Nielsen and Jan
Gustafsson mentioned during their podcast that they made an error in judgement by not
seriously considering allowing this endgame in the World Championship match. White is

824
playing for a win without risk, and Black’s task of drawing is far from simple.

B3) 7…a6

This is the traditional main line, and the option you are likely to face most often.

I decided to offer some brief coverage of B31) 8.Qxc4 before we turn our attention to my
favourite continuation of B32) 8.a4!.

B31) 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7

I have a soft spot for White’s set-up and I think that it makes sense to have this as a
safe, secondary weapon in your repertoire. Should you reach this position, my
recommendation would be:

10.Bf4!?
10.Bd2 is traditionally the main line.

825
10…Nc6
This has been Black’s usual choice.

10…Bd6 is sometimes played, but 11.Nbd2 keeps an edge for White.

10…Nd5 11.Nc3!? Nxf4 12.gxf4 reaches a thematic Catalan structure where White has
a firm grip on the centre and it will not be easy for Black to break free, a good example
being Kramnik – Svidler, Linares 1998. It is worth noting that 12…c5?! does not work due
to 13.dxc5, when 13…Bxc5? 14.Ng5 is a typical Catalan tactic to look out for.

11.Nc3 Nb4
Black should not delay, otherwise we will strengthen our position with a2-a3 and/or
Rfd1.

12.Qd2 c5 13.dxc5! Bxc5 14.Qxd8 Rfxd8

Usually I would rather not be the one to exchange queens and bring the enemy rook
to an open file, but we have a specific follow-up in mind.

826
15.a4! Nbd5 16.Ne5!
Like many accurate ideas these days, this continuation has mostly been tested in
correspondence games, with Black scoring the expected 50%.

16…Bd4
This is the correspondence main line.

16…Nxc3? would be a big mistake due to 17.Bxb7 Nxe2† 18.Kg2 Nxf4† 19.gxf4 Rab8
20.Nc6 when we win the exchange for insufficient compensation.

In the only human game in my database, Black immediately erred with 16…b4?!
17.Nxd5 Bxd5, and now in Valdes Romero – Lorenzo de la Riva, Sabadell 2018, White
could have put Black under unpleasant pressure with 18.Nd3!N followed by Rfc1.

16…bxa4!?N is perhaps the easiest practical way for Black to play, although after
17.Nxa4 Bd6 18.Rfd1 Black still needs to take care:

827
 Among other ideas, we have the interesting tactical possibility of playing Nxf7 next,
followed by Bxd6 and e2-e4, which could result in some positional pressure.

17.axb5 axb5 18.Nxd5 Nxd5

18…Bxd5 can be met by 19.Nc6 Bxc6 20.Bxc6 Rxa1 21.Rxa1 Bxb2 22.Rb1 followed
by Rxb5 and although the resulting position is highly drawish, White can still continue
playing with the bishop pair.

19.Rxa8 Rxa8

828
20.Nd3! Ra2 21.Rd1
We have been following Szerlak – Lubas, corr. 2020. According to the engines, only
one move leads to a ‘comfortable’ 0.00, while the other choices give White some edge.
So what’s the key move?

21…g5!
Good luck in reaching this position and playing this with confidence! Summing up,
these positions after 8.Qxc4 may not be the most dangerous for Black, but they are
relatively easy to learn and play for White, while offering reasonable chances for an
edge.

B32) 8.a4!

This is undoubtedly the most ambitious and critical continuation.

8…Bd7
Strong players have experimented with alternatives from time to time, but without
much success:

8…c5?! 9.dxc5 Nc6 10.Na3 followed by Nxc4 has scored a healthy 67% for White in
practice.

8…b6!? 9.Ne5 Ra7 10.Rd1 Bb7 11.e4 Nc6 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Nc3 Ba8 14.Qe2 saw
White regain the pawn while keeping the upper hand in the centre in Hübner – Spassky,
Bad Kissingen 1980.

829
8…Nbd7!? 9.Nbd2 b6 is another recent try at the GM level. White needs a few precise
moves to emerge with the advantage: 10.Ne5 Nxe5 11.dxe5! (11.Bxa8 Qxd4 was highly
unclear in Ragger – Nisipeanu, Zagreb 2019.) 11…Nd5

12.Qxc4! Bb7N (12…b5?! 13.Qg4 f5 14.exf6 Nxf6 was seen in Hari – Cornelisse,
Hoogeveen 2022, when 15.Qh4N would have given White a clear advantage.) 13.Qg4!
White intends Rd1, Ne4, b2-b3 and Bb2, with a big initiative.

Finally, Black sometimes tries:

8…Nc6 9.Qxc4 Na5!?
9…Qd5 10.Nbd2 Rd8 11.e3 Qh5 is an older line, but 12.h3 is clearly favourable for
White.
10.Qc2 b6

830
 Recently some cool kids like Firouzja and Caruana have tried this, but White should
be able to preserve some edge.
11.Ne5 Bb7 12.Bxb7 Nxb7 13.Nc6 Qe8
13…Qd7!? is a recent innovation. Then after 14.Rd1 Rfc8, as played in Ding Liren –
Caruana, Bucharest 2023, I recommend 15.Nd2!?N to improve White’s play. We
threaten Nf3 with a bind, so 15…Bc5!? is critical, but 16.Ne4! Qxc6 17.Nxf6† gxf6
18.b4!? enables White to regain the piece while keeping the better chances. The last
move is the engine favourite, but 18.Be3 also offers a small, safe edge for White.
14.Rd1 Bc5 15.Ne5 Bd6 16.Nd2!
This seems like the best square for the knight, which can go to f3 or c4 next. (16.Nc3
is slightly less precise, but was still quite pleasant for White in Ding Liren – Firouzja,
Khanty-Mansiysk 2019.)

9.Qxc4 Bc6

831
10.Bg5!
I consider this the easiest as well as the strongest way for White to play. Our plan will
be to exchange the bishop for the f6-knight at some point, to gain control over the central
light squares. Our ideal set-up involves Nc3, Rad1, Rfe1 and e2-e4, perhaps with a4-a5
or b2-b4 included somewhere along the way. All this could leave the c6-bishop
uncomfortably short of squares, so Black will often trade that bishop for the knight on f3
before e2-e4 can be played, thus leading to the thematic middlegames with opposite-
coloured bishops, as discussed in the chapter introduction.

We will now consider Black’s four main options: B321) 10…a5, B322) 10…h6, B323)
10…Bd5 and B324) 10…Nbd7!.

B321) 10…a5 11.Nc3 Na6

832
 This has been played in quite a lot of games, and it’s easy to see why Black would
like to fix the b4-outpost. However, we can obtain an excellent position with:

12.Bxf6! Bxf6 13.e4

Black’s bishops have some potential, but they are currently being smothered by our
powerful pawns.

13…Nb4 14.Rad1 g6
In view of the continuation of our main line below, this move might be too weakening,
but it is not easy to find a decent plan for Black.

14…b6 15.d5! exd5 16.exd5 Bb7 17.Nd4 Bxd4 18.Rxd4 Ba6 19.Nb5 left Black under
some pressure in G. Taylor – Rozentalis, Toronto 1995.

15.h4!? Bg7
Eljanov reached this position against Aronian in 2016 and continued with 16.Rfe1, but
was unable to achieve much. A more potent continuation is:

833
16.h5!
I love this idea! Let me show you what can happen if Black reacts imprecisely.

16…Qd7?!
Aronian went for this idea in the aforementioned game, but here Black ends up in
trouble.

16…Rb8 was played in Carron – Deuber, Silvaplana 2003, which is the only example in
my database. 17.Rfe1N is a logical continuation, maintaining the tension and keeping
Black under pressure. (17.b3!? is a sensible alternative, keeping everything protected.)

17.d5! exd5 18.exd5 Bxa4 19.Nxa4 Qxa4

834
20.hxg6 hxg6 21.Qh4!
Suddenly White develops a strong attack, with Ng5 coming next.

B322) 10…h6 11.Bxf6 Bxf6

It seems a little odd for Black to spend a tempo provoking Bxf6, considering that we
will sometimes make that exchange voluntarily. Nevertheless, many strong GMs have
played this way.

12.Nc3

835
 12.e3? Bb5! is Black’s tactical idea.

Even though it’s not necessary to defend the d4-pawn, it is worth pointing out that 12.Rd1
is a good alternative which offers decent chances for a slight edge, a good example
being the Papaioannou – Kasimdzhanov game from the chapter introduction.

12…Bxf3
Otherwise we’ll continue with e2-e4.

13.Bxf3 c6
The alternative is:
13…Qxd4 14.Qxc7!
14.Qxd4 Bxd4 15.Bxb7 offers a microscopic edge, but Black should be okay. The
text move is more challenging.
14…Nc6 15.Qxb7 Na5
Black has given up a pawn in the hope of making a draw, but we can be happy
playing for two results. The most accurate continuation is:

16.Qc7!
16.Qe4 has been played a few times but the text move is more challenging.
16…Qd8 17.Qf4!
17.Qxd8 Raxd8 is slightly more pleasant for White, but keeping the queens on is
more ambitious.
17…Rb8 18.Rfd1 Qe7
18…Qc8N is examined by Marin in his ChessBase annotations and he correctly

836
 thinks that 19.Ne4 Bxb2 20.Rab1 offers White some initiative.
19.Rab1
Black has no clear way to get the pawn back, and White went on to win in
Mamedyarov – Wei Yi, Wijk aan Zee 2018.

14.e3!?
I like this move, as it is not yet clear how best to arrange the rooks.

14.Rfd1 was played in the Georgiev – Karpov game from the start of the chapter.

14…a5
Otherwise we would play a4-a5 with a bind on the queenside.

15.b4!
This seems like the easiest way of exerting pressure, although White can also claim
a slight edge with slower play, as shown in the two high-level examples from the chapter
introduction.

15…axb4 16.Qxb4 Ra7

837
17.Rfb1!?
This shows why it was useful to keep the rooks flexible on move 14. Black was under
some pressure in Meins – Andre, Germany 2021.

17.a5 is a decent alternative which has yielded a couple of practical victories for White,
with some draws and no defeats.

B323) 10…Bd5

Black wishes to drive our queen to a worse square before deciding what to do next.

838
11.Qc2 Be4
This is by far the most popular continuation, for good reason.

11…Nc6? runs into 12.Bxf6 gxf6 (12…Bxf6? 13.e4 wins material) 13.e4 Nb4 14.Qe2
with a huge positional advantage for White.

11…c5?! 12.dxc5 Nbd7? 13.Nc3 left Black’s coordination in a mess in Bryakin –

Sahajasri, El Prat de Llobregat 2019, as taking on c5 leads to tactical problems due to
Black’s unstable pieces in the centre.

12.Qc1
At first glance, the last two moves have not been of much help to Black, as the
bishop will be hit by Nc3 next. Nevertheless, this is one the biggest main lines in high-
level chess today.

12…h6
12…Nc6 is a tricky option, intending quick counterplay against d4. A good retort is:
13.Nbd2!? (13.e3 is another decent option which has been played by Papaioannou, one
of the heroes of this chapter.) 13…Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Bxg2

15.Nxe6! fxe6 16.Kxg2 Qd5† 17.Nf3 We emerge from the brief tactical sequence with
the better pawn structure. A good example continued 17…h6 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Rd1 Qe4
20.Rd2 Rad8 21.Qc2 Qf5 22.Rc1 and White kept the upper hand in Poell – Budding, corr.
2021.

839
13.Bxf6 Bxf6
Black wins a tempo by attacking d4 and has created a safe square on h7 for the
bishop – although in most cases Black will prefer to trade it for the f3-knight.

14.e3!?
14.Rd1 has been more popular but I’d like to offer the d4-pawn firm support.

14…a5
Without this move, we will play a4-a5 sooner or later.

15.Nbd2!
Usually the knight goes to c3 but I think d2 is a better square, due to some concrete
ideas shown below.

15…Bxf3
15…Bh7N has not yet been played. 16.Qc3! c6 (16…Nc6?! 17.Nb3 puts Black under
pressure, with Nc5 coming next.) 17.Nc4 White has easy play on the queenside and the
bishop is not doing much on h7.

16.Bxf3 c6
This position was reached in Grischuk – So, Internet (blitz) 2020. In that game White
placed the knight on c4, but a slight improvement is:

840
17.Qc4!N 17…Na6 18.h4
We have the typical slight edge for these positions. As we already know, our plan will
be to centralize the rooks and creep forwards on the kingside with h4-h5 and Kg2. The
knight might jump to e4 or b3, and the queen may later transfer to the kingside when the
time is right. If Black ever plays …e5, it will take us closer to the type of position featured
in the chapter introduction.

B324) 10…Nbd7!

This move has been favoured by many elite players. Black would like to recapture on

841
f6 with the knight, keeping control over the e4- and d5-squares.

11.Nc3
After this natural move, Black has tried a variety of options.

11…Rc8!?
Let’s see some alternatives:

11…Ne4?! 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Nxe4 Bxe4 14.Qxc7 Rac8 15.Qf4 Nf6 16.Rfc1 left Black
with no real compensation for the lost pawn in Nogueiras Santiago – Dvoretzky, Terrassa
1996.

11…Nd5 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Nxd5 Bxd5 (13…exd5 14.Qc2 leaves Black badly
coordinated, and we have a simple plan of e2-e3 with a knight transfer to d3 followed by
exerting pressure on the queenside.) 14.Qxc7 Rac8 15.Qf4 Qb4 Here Black has given up
a pawn under better conditions than in the line above, but we can still fight for the
advantage.

16.e4 Bc4 17.Rfc1 Qxb2 18.Qd2 Qxd2 19.Nxd2 Bd3 This position was reached in
Davies – Korneev, Hamburg 1993, and now 20.e5!N 20…b5 21.a5 would have given
Black difficult problems to solve.

11…h6 is the most popular continuation, but it’s not difficult to meet. 12.Bxf6 Nxf6

842
13.a5! As played in Wojtaszek – Matlakov, Krasnaya Polyana 2021. White can continue
to build up with moves like h2-h4, e2-e3 and so on. We have a long-term edge, as it is
difficult to see how Black can break free.

11…a5 is another popular choice. White has tried several moves but I would take the
opportunity to initiate some favourable exchanges with 12.Bxf6!? Nxf6 as played in
Fridman – Naumann, Internet (blitz) 2005. My idea is to follow up with:

13.Ne5!?N 13…Bxg2 14.Kxg2 c6 15.Rfd1 We have a slight edge, and can continue to
build up with e2-e3 and Rac1, h2-h4 and so on. It is not easy for Black to break with …c5
or …e5.

843
12.b4!?
This strategically desirable move invites a forcing sequence which results in a
somewhat favourable endgame for us.

12.Rfe1 is a decent alternative.

12…Nb6 13.Qb3 Bxf3

13…h6? 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.e4 Bxd4 16.Rad1 e5 17.Nxe5 was a disaster for Black in
Bachmann – Umetsubo, Registro 2013.

14.Bxf3 Qxd4 15.Bxb7 Rb8 16.Bxa6 Qxb4 17.Qxb4 Bxb4 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Rfc1
Despite the modest engine evaluation, we should be happy to reach this type of
endgame with a slight initiative and the more dangerous passed pawn. Let’s follow an
excellent practical example by one of the role models for the white side of this variation.

844
19…Ra8 20.Bb5 f5
Otherwise Ne4 can be played.

21.Nd1!?
21.e4!?N is a good alternative which also offers some edge.

21…c5 22.Ne3 Ra5 23.Nc4 Nxc4 24.Rxc4

We reach another position with opposite-coloured bishops which engines will hold for
Black, but in a practical game Black will be suffering.

845
24…Rd8 25.Kg2 Kg7 26.e3 Rd2
And now for a plan that we have seen many times in this book…

27.h3 h6 28.Kf3 Kf6

29.g4!
White went on to win the endgame in Papaioannou – Saraci, Reykjavik 2015.

Conclusion

This chapter has dealt with Black’s ultra-solid set-up with 1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Nf6
4.Bg2 Be7 (or 4…Bd6) 5.0-0 0-0, at which point 6.d4! is our choice. The Catalan is a rich
and fascinating opening which I’m sure will continue to thrive for many years to come at
the highest levels. By delaying d2-d4 until now, we avoid a plethora of options which
would have been available to Black via the conventional Catalan move order.

We started by considering the solid Closed Catalan set-up where Black opts for 6…c6. In
that case 7.b3! is our precise move order, intending Bb2 and Qc2, delaying the
development of the b1-knight until we see where the c8-bishop is going.

We then moved on to the main topic of 6…dxc4 7.Qc2, when both 7…b6!? and 7…b5
deserve close attention, but 7…a6 is the undisputed main line, when 8.a4! is my main
recommendation. We have seen how this can result in a thematic pawn structure with a
central pawn majority for White, which is something we strive for throughout the book.

846
Psakhis – Kasparov, Murcia (5) 1990 412
B. Schneider – Short, Solingen 1986 413
Favourable Scenario 1 414
Favourable Scenario 2 415

1.c4

A) 1…d6!? 2.Nc3 f5 415

B) 1…f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 417
B1) 3…e6 417
B2) 3…g6 420
B3) 3…d6! 4.Bg2 e5 5.b4!? 422
B31) 5…e4 423
B32) 5…Be7 424

Introduction

1.c4 f5

847
 The Dutch is well known as a defence against 1.d4, and Black can play it against the
English as well.

2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3

Black has three main ways of handling this opening:

• 3…e6 is possible, but there are ways in which we can benefit from not having
committed to d2-d4.
• 3…g6 is the most popular continuation. Black intends to castle followed by …d6 and, if
allowed, …e5.
• 3…d6! is slightly more precise in my view. Black intends to seize the centre more
quickly, although Black may well follow up with …g6 and …Bg7 anyway.

We will leave aside move-order nuances until we reach the theoretical section. For now,
it’s important to appreciate that Black’s most common approach will involve the moves …
g6, …Bg7, …0-0, …d6 and …e5, in some sequence or another. The chapter introduction
will delve into this set-up in more detail, showing what we should avoid and what we
should aim for.

Lev Psakhis – Garry Kasparov

Murcia (5) 1990

848
 In order to play these positions well, we need to understand the dangers lurking. The
pawn structure makes it obvious that White’s chances lie on the queenside and Black’s
on the kingside. White’s last move was 8.Ra1-b1 with the obvious intention to advance
the b-pawn. The question is whether or not Black should play …a5.

8…h6!?
Kasparov avoids touching the queenside and prepares …g5 and …f4. He could also
have castled first – it makes no real difference.

8…a5 9.a3 h6 10.b4 axb4 11.axb4 0-0 might seem like an improved version for Black,
whose rook occupies the open a-file. However, White’s forces are better placed to do
battle on the queenside, so the open file will inevitably fall into White’s hands. Therefore
the classic advice of “Do not try to play on the side of the board where your opponent is
stronger” makes a lot of sense here. We will discuss the scenario with the open a-file in
our next example.

9.b4 0-0 10.b5 Ne7

849
11.a4?!
Psakhis shows the right concept, but the wrong execution! White wants to put the
bishop on a3 with ideas of c4-c5, or a4-a5 and b5-b6. However, Kasparov has a certain
defensive set-up in mind on the queenside, and White’s last move gives Black sufficient
time to accomplish that.

11.Nd2!? would have been better, as the attack on b7 prevents the plan used by
Kasparov in the game.

11.e4! looks like the strongest move of all. Now …g5 will always be met by exf5 when
Black fails to carry out a kingside pawn storm. If 11…f4? then 12.d4! gives White a clear
advantage.

11…Be6! 12.Ba3 Rc8! 13.Nd2 b6!

The most economical defence! Black anticipates a future opening of the a-file and
possible infiltration of a rook to a7 – and since Black’s only soft spot is the c7-pawn,
Kasparov defends it well in advance.

850
14.e3 g5
Black went on to win a great game.

Bernd Schneider – Nigel Short

Solingen 1986

Our next example shows that even when Black makes the debatable decision to
open the a-file, White may easily fall into danger.

851
8.Rb1 a5!?
The actual move order of the game was 8…0-0 9.b4 a6 10.a4 h6 11.b5 axb5
12.axb5, but I have switched it to a sequence that feels more natural to me.

9.a3 0-0 10.b4 axb4 11.axb4 h6 12.b5 Ne7

Now White cannot play Ba3, but can instead take over the a-file with:

13.Bb2!
13.Nd2 is well met by 13…c6! intending …Be6 and possibly …d5, with good central
counterplay.

13.e4 is possible but then 13…f4!? 14.d4 fxg3 15.hxg3N 15…Bg4 is far from clear. In
both cases the open a-file improves Black’s chances, compared with the analogous lines
(11.Nd2!? and 11.e4!) discussed in the notes to the previous example.

13…Be6
Now 13…c6? is no good because 14.c5! breaks up Black’s structure.

14.Ra1 Rc8! 15.Ra7 b6

Once again we see this traditional defensive scheme working well for Black.

16.Qc2
White’s plan involves Rfa1, Rb7 and Raa7, with pressure along the 7th rank.
However, in the time it takes to accomplish this, Short starts to develop his kingside play.

852
16…g5 17.Rfa1 f4 18.Nd2 fxg3 19.hxg3 Qe8
Black’s knights will jump to f5 and g4 respectively, and the queen can go to h5 or g6.
Short went on to win. The engines still favour White at this point, but I think most human
players would find it extremely scary defending against a mass of enemy pieces
swarming around the kingside. It would be great if we could gain a queenside initiative
while avoiding the same kingside scenario – but how can this be achieved?

Favourable Scenario 1

Let’s reimagine the position from the Psakhis – Kasparov game: instead of spending
a tempo on Rb1, let’s suppose White played an early b2-b4 and Bb2, and Black only just

853
developed the knight to c6. Would this make much of a difference?

10.b5 Ne7 11.c5!

Yes, the difference is huge! White forces the opening of a queenside file long before
Black can threaten anything on the other wing. For further details of how to develop
White’s advantage from this position, see the 9…Nc6 line in the notes to variation B2 in
the theoretical section.

Favourable Scenario 2

Let’s make a similar comparison to the Schneider – Short game, again supposing
that White was able to substitute an early b2-b4 and Bb2 instead of Rb1 followed by b2-
b4. As we will see in the theoretical section, the scenario with an open a-file is unlikely to
arise via my recommended move order, but it could still occur. In any case, I think it’s
useful to check what can happen in this scenario.

10.Qb3!
Defending the b4-pawn in the most active way possible.

10…h6 11.a4 Be6 12.b5 axb5 13.axb5 Ne7

13…Rxa1 14.Rxa1 Ne7 can be met by 15.Nd2!? b6 when the removal of a pair of
rooks clearly favours White. We might place the rook on a7, emphasizing the fact that
Black does not have a rook on c8 to defend c7. Another idea is 16.Ra8!? to exchange the
second pair of rooks, further reducing Black’s attacking potential and focusing the battle
on the queenside where White is stronger.

854
14.Rxa8 Qxa8 15.Ra1 Qb8 16.Ra5
Next comes Qa3, and it’s obvious that White’s queenside initiative is much faster
than Black’s kingside play. As you can see from these two examples, an early b2-b4 will
be a central part of our plans. Let’s turn to the theoretical section to see how to time this
correctly.

855
 Theory Section

A) 1…d6!? 2.Nc3 f5 415

B) 1…f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 417
B1) 3…e6 417
B2) 3…g6 420
B3) 3…d6! 4.Bg2 e5 5.b4!? 422
B31) 5…e4 423
B32) 5…Be7 424

1.c4
We will consider the tricky move order A) 1…d6!? with subsequent …f5 ideas in
mind, followed by the typical Dutch move order B) 1…f5.

A) 1…d6!?

Some Leningrad Dutch players like to switch up their move orders in this way.

2.Nc3 f5 3.d4!
I want to recommend a specific anti-Leningrad set-up which is available against
Black’s chosen move order.

3.Nf3 invites 3…e5 with a transposition to variation A of Chapter 4, but Black could play
more flexibly with 3…Nf6, when we still don’t know the timing of the …e5 move or if
Black will develop the bishop on e7 or g7.

3.e4!? is an interesting alternative though.

856
3…Nf6
3…g6? 4.e4 gives us a large advantage.

4.Bg5! Nbd7 5.e3

This is a powerful system against the deferred Dutch after 1…d6.

5…g6
Black usually opts for the Leningrad-style approach.

In the event of 5…h6 I like the idea of 6.Bxf6! Nxf6 7.f4!? as seen in Zvjaginsev –
Neverov, St Petersburg (rapid) 2012. White seizes space and has a straightforward plan
of Nf3, Bd3, 0-0, Qc2, Rae1 and, whenever the time is right, e3-e4. (It’s also worth
mentioning that 7.Nf3 is the top engine suggestion, intending Bd3, h2-h3 and e3-e4.)

6.Bd3 Bg7 7.Nge2 e5

857
8.f3!
Preventing any …e4 ideas and securing an escape route for the bishop via h4-f2, in
case Black chases it. We will generally finish developing with 0-0, Qc2 and Rad1.

8…0-0 9.0-0 c6
9…h6 10.Bh4 did not really change anything in Lorparizangeneh – Baglan, Stari
Banovci 2019, except for weakening Black’s kingside light squares.

9…b6 10.b4!? Bb7 11.Qd2 also gave White a pleasant edge in Romanov – Kamsky,
Sochi 2016.

10.Qc2 Re8?!
10…Qc7 11.Rad1 Re8? was seen in Sarana – Bortnyk, Internet (blitz) 2021, when
12.g4!N would have caused huge problems for Black.

10…Rf7!?N 11.Rad1 Qe8 is probably the best Black can do. Still, White keeps a pleasant
advantage with 12.Qd2! followed by Bc2.

The text move was played in Sarana – Nakamura, Internet (blitz) 2022. Interestingly,
Sarana missed the same opportunity as in his earlier game mentioned in the previous
note.

858
11.g4!N
Black is in trouble, as White’s forces are much better placed to exploit the
subsequent opening of the kingside.

B) 1…f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3

There are three main versions of the Dutch which we must consider. B1) 3…e6 is a
popular option which may be followed by …d5. B2) 3…g6 is the most common
continuation, which typically leads to the types of position examined in the introduction.
Finally, we will consider the flexible B3) 3…d6!, which I find to be the most testing move
order.

B1) 3…e6 4.Bg2

859
4…d5
The Stonewall is a well-established system, but it is known for being a suboptimal
choice against English/Reti set-ups where White has not committed to d2-d4.

4…Be7 is possible, but will most likely transpose elsewhere within a few moves. 5.0-0 0-
0 6.Nc3 d6 (6…d5 7.cxd5 exd5 transposes to the 6…Be7 line covered in the notes
below.) 7.b4!? (7.d4 transposes to a Classical Dutch, which should favour White, but is
beyond the scope of this book.) 7…e5 8.d3 We can stop here, as Black is a tempo down
on the later variation B32, with the e-pawn having taken two moves to reach e5.

4…c6 5.0-0 d5
This version of the Stonewall avoids the plans shown in our main line below. Now if
we take on d5, Black recaptures with the c-pawn and can play …Nc6. On the
negative side, Black spends another tempo on a pawn move in the opening.
6.Qc2!?
A smart reply, waiting to see how Black develops the dark-squared bishop before
committing to a plan.
6.d3 is a good alternative, intending Nc3 and later e2-e4.
6…Bd6
6…Be7 can be met by 7.b3 0-0 8.Bb2, waiting for 8…Nbd7 before playing 9.cxd5!
cxd5 10.Nc3N with a comfortable advantage, since …Nc6 is no longer an option.

860
7.d3!
Unlike the main Stonewall lines with the pawn already on d4, here the bishop doesn’t
stand well on d6, as we can hit it with Nc3 and e2-e4.
7…e5!?
This is the last idea that we need to be aware of.
7…0-0 8.Nc3 followed by e2-e4 is excellent for White.
8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Bg5!N
Black’s centre comes under pressure. For example:
9…Nc6 10.Nc3 Be6 11.e4 fxe4 12.dxe4 d4 13.Nd5 0-0 14.Qb3
The best that Black can do is to sacrifice the b7-pawn for less-than-full
compensation.

5.cxd5!?
5.0-0 is also fine, when 5…c6 converts to the 4…c6 line above, and other moves
allow a subsequent cxd5 with a transposition to our main line below.

5…exd5
5…Nxd5?! makes no sense, and 6.0-0 followed by d2-d4 is clearly better for us.

861
6.0-0 Bd6

The alternative bishop development leads to a different set of problems for Black:

6…Be7
Here the bishop is less exposed, but also less active.
7.Nc3 0-0 8.e3!
White has a simple and effective plan in mind: put the knight to e2, from where (if
needed) it can go to f4, in conjunction with a queenside fianchetto and d2-d3. After
this, all the main central squares will be controlled, and a minority attack on the
queenside can follow. It is hard for Black to find a good antidote against this simple
plan.

862
8…Kh8
8…c6 9.b3 is also promising for White, for instance: 9…Ne4 (9…Qe8 10.d3 Qh5
11.Rb1 Na6 12.a3 Nc7 13.b4 saw White carrying out the thematic plan, while Black
had no real prospects on the kingside in Andersen – Vojinovic, Biel 2015.) 10.Bb2
Bf6 11.Qc2 Nd7 12.Ne2 Bxb2 13.Qxb2 Ndf6 14.d3 Nd6 15.b4 White’s plan was
proceeding smoothly in Roiz – Shachar, Tiberias 2016.
9.b3 Nc6
9…Ne4 10.Ne2 Ng5!? 11.Nxg5 Bxg5 was seen in Meier – Karlsson, Vasteras 2015,
and now 12.b4!N was the simplest way to maintain some edge for White.
10.Bb2 Be6 11.Ne2! Bg8 12.d3 Qd7

863
13.a3! Bd6 14.Qc2 Rae8 15.b4
White was well on his way to building up a big positional advantage in Kasparov –
Short, Paris (rapid) 1990 – the stem game which drew attention to the effectiveness of
White’s set-up.

7.Nc3 0-0 8.d3!

The bishop on d6 is in danger of becoming a tactical liability, as White has ideas with
e2-e4, as well as the positional threat of Nb5.

8…Kh8!?
In Playing the Stonewall Dutch, Nikola Sedlak suggests this move as Black’s best try
– although his main recommendation is to avoid the Stonewall altogether when White
refrains from d2-d4. Let’s check a few other possibilities:

8…c6? has been the most popular move but 9.e4! gives Black huge problems. The key
line continues 9…fxe4 10.dxe4 Nxe4 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.Qb3† Kh8 13.Ng5 with a near-
decisive initiative for White.

8…Na6!? is the top engine choice, but we have more than one good way of meeting it.
9.Re1!? (9.e4 fxe4 10.dxe4 dxe4 11.Ng5 Nc5 is Black’s idea, although 12.Be3!? kept
some advantage for White in Ivkov – Bellin, Wijk aan Zee 2001.) 9…c6 10.e4 dxe4
11.dxe4 fxe4 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Rxe4 White has a pleasant advantage, with active pieces
and the safer king. A good example continued 13…Bc5 14.Nd4 Nc7 15.Be3 Bb6 16.Qe2
when White was ready to bring the other rook to the centre in Quinones Borda –
Loschnauer, corr. 2020.

864
9.Nb5!N
Sedlak focuses on 9.Bg5 Be7! when Black can neutralize the tactics in the centre
after a subsequent e2-e4.

9…Be7 10.Bf4 Na6 11.e3 c6 12.Nbd4

The position is similar to the Kasparov – Short game referred to in the earlier notes.
We have the simple plan of a2-a3 and b2-b4, followed by an eventual minority attack on
the queenside. Sedlak doesn’t examine this exact position, but in a similar position he
says that Black’s plan is to bring the knight to e6. Let’s see how we can meet that idea.

12…Nc7
12…Nc5 allows us to speed up our queenside play with 13.b4 Ne6 14.Nxe6 Bxe6
15.Rb1 with ideas of Be5, Qc2 and, at the right moment, a2-a4 and b4-b5.

865
13.Ng5!
Threatening Bxc7 followed by a fork on e6.

13…Bd6 14.a3
White remains in control and intends b2-b4 next. If Black makes the mistake of taking
on f4, the reply exf4 will leave Black positionally busted due to the weak e5- and e6-
squares.

B2) 3…g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0

866
6.b4!
This move order is extremely rare, but I made my case in the introduction to show
why it benefits us to advance the b-pawn sooner rather than later.

6…d6
6…Ne4N 7.d4 leaves Black in an inferior version of a normal Leningrad Dutch. The
knight has gone to e4 prematurely and we will stand clearly better after Bb2, Nbd2 and
so on.

7.Bb2 e5 8.d3 h6
8…Nc6 9.b5 Ne7 10.c5! is excellent for White. (10.Qb3!? is also strong and may
transpose.)

8…a6N 9.Nc3 Nc6 reaches ‘Favourable Scenario 2’ from the introduction, where it was
shown that 10.Qb3! is excellent for White.

8…a5 9.b5 Nbd7 10.Nc3 also gives us fine prospects.

9.Nc3 g5
Black may as well play this move and keep the queenside flexible for now.

A possible alternative is:

9…Nc6 10.b5 Ne7
We touched on this position in our ‘Favourable Scenario 1’ from the chapter
introduction. Let’s see exactly why it’s so favourable!

867
11.c5!
The most thematic, although it’s worth mentioning that we are not reliant on this trick
to obtain an advantage. Compared with the Psakhis – Kasparov game, the fact that
we have played Bb2 instead of Rb1 is useful in virtually all scenarios. For example:
11.Nd2!? g5 12.a4N 12…f4 13.a5 and White’s queenside attack is faster than
Black’s kingside counterplay.
The familiar 11.e4!? also offers some advantage.
11…Be6
Black needs to finish developing and stop the queen from landing on b3.
11…g5? 12.Qb3† Rf7 13.Rac1 was horrible for Black in C. Horvath – Dworakowska,
Skopje 2002.
This position was reached in Gogeissl – Wltschek, Germany 1998, and a few
subsequent games. White’s play can be improved with:

12.Rc1N
Placing the rook on the soon-to-be-open file is simple and strong.
12.e4!?N gives White some advantage too. However, I don’t think it’s necessary to
take countermeasures against Black’s kingside attack because we are already in a
position to create threats on the queenside.
12…g5 13.cxd6 cxd6 14.Nd2 Rb8 15.Ba3!
With the d6-pawn under pressure, Black is unlikely to be able to include many pieces
in kingside operations. A sample continuation is:

868
15…f4 16.Nce4 Ne8 17.d4!?
White is clearly better.

After the text move, I suggest playing flexibly with:

10.a4!?N
10.Nd2 is a decent alternative which gave White somewhat better chances in
Vaganian – Shabalov, Neu Isenburg 1992.

10…Nc6
It’s hard to suggest anything better for Black.

869
10…g4?! gives us the additional option of 11.Nh4! when the knight may play an active
role on the kingside, and if 11…Nc6 12.b5 Ne7 13.d4! we have a huge advantage.

10…Be6 11.Nd2! gives us an improved version of the Vaganian game above. The b7-
pawn is attacked, and after 11…c6 12.b5 we are clearly making faster progress on the
queenside than Black is managing on the other wing.

11.b5 Ne7

12.c5! Be6 13.a5!

The a-pawn plays an important role, as now Black must worry about b5-b6,
undermining the entire pawn chain, while a5-a6 may also work well in certain situations.
White is clearly for choice.

B3) 3…d6!

I think this is Black’s most accurate move order.

4.Bg2
4.d4 prevents …e5 but leads to a normal position from the Dutch Defence.

4…e5
4…Nc6!? is a possible try but we have more than one decent way of meeting it.

870
5.d4!? (5.0-0 is also possible, when 5…e5 transposes to 5.0-0 Nc6 in the next note to
the main line below. If you like the look of the pawn sacrifice covered there, this could be
a good option for you.) After the text move Black must worry about d4-d5, so 5…e5 is
most natural, but then 6.d5! Ne7 7.Ng5!?N gives us excellent chances. We have a
simple plan of Nc3, 0-0 and e2-e4, always meeting …h6 with Ne6.

5.b4!?
I like this move order the most, although the alternative is not bad at all.

5.0-0 gives Black the option of fighting against our plan with: 5…Nc6!? (5…g6 6.b4 Bg7
7.Bb2 0-0 takes us back to variation B2 above.) 6.Nc3 g6 (6…Be7 and 6…a5 can both
be met by 7.d4 with a pleasant advantage for White.) After the text move, we have an
interesting way of fighting to obtain the favourable scenario described in the introduction:

871
7.b4! Nxb4 8.d4! e4 (8…Nc6? 9.dxe5 gives us a huge initiative.) 9.Ng5 Our primary
threat is Qa4† to win the knight. Other ideas include f2-f3 to open the centre before
Black has castled, and d4-d5 to target the e6-outpost. A logical continuation would be:
9…h6 10.Nh3 Nc6 11.Nf4! Ne7 12.d5 Bg7 13.Rb1 According to the engines, we have at
least enough compensation for the sacrificed pawn.

We already know the advantages of advancing the b-pawn early in the game. We will
look at two main responses: B31) 5…e4 and B32) 5…Be7.

5…g6 6.d3 Bg7 7.Bb2 0-0 8.0-0 transposes to variation B2 above. (8.Nc3 will lead to the
same thing.)

The engines offer 5…c5!?N as a funny little alternative. Should you encounter this move,
I recommend 6.0-0!? (6.bxc5 e4 7.Ng5 dxc5 8.Bb2 is a mess) 6…cxb4 7.a3 with
excellent Benko-style compensation for the pawn.

B31) 5…e4 6.Nd4 d5

This logical move was played in the only game to reach this position.

6…c5?! is no improvement: White simply plays 7.Nc2 followed by Nc3 and d2-d3,
striking at Black’s overextended centre.
6…Nc6!?N is a reasonable try, as the doubled pawns would not be weak after an
exchange on c6. 7.Nc2! looks better, when a logical continuation would be 7…d5 8.cxd5

872
Nxd5 9.b5 Ncb4 10.a3 Nxc2† 11.Qxc2 with an edge for White.

7.cxd5 Nxd5

8.b5
I have kept this as the main line in order to show the instructive continuation of a
classic game.

The engine likes the idea of 8.Bb2!?N 8…Bxb4 9.0-0 even more. With d2-d3 coming
soon, White has a great initiative for the sacrificed pawn, so you can pick whichever
continuation you prefer.

8…Nf4?!
Black swaps a pair of knights, but loses time and gives White an open g-file to work
with.

8…c5N was better but after 9.Nc2 White maintains the upper hand.

9.gxf4 Qxd4 10.Nc3

873
10…Bc5?
Provoking a move which White wants to play anyway.

10…Be6N 11.0-0 Nd7 was better although 12.e3 Qc4 13.f3 clearly favours White.

11.e3 Qc4 12.Bb2 0-0

13.Rg1!
White quickly built up a devastating initiative in the classic game Chernin – Van der
Wiel, Slough 1997. This happens to be the first game presented in one of the most

874
influential books of recent decades, Understanding Chess Move by Move by John Nunn.
I highly recommend studying Nunn’s instructive annotations of this game if you have the
chance.

B32) 5…Be7

This is quite an important alternative to the fianchetto set-up which we discussed in the
chapter introduction. Black intends a different attacking plan, usually based on …Qe8
and …f4, often sacrificing a pawn, hoping to develop mating threats with …Bh3 and
…Ng4.

6.Nc3 0-0 7.d3 Qe8 8.0-0

I see no reason to delay castling, as we have a convincing way of dealing with
Black’s kingside threats.

8…Qh5
Black usually plays this. Let’s check a couple of other possible directions:

8…Bd8 9.a4 h6 10.b5 White advances on the queenside in classical style, intending Ba3
next. It’s worth mentioning that 10…Be6? was a blunder in Bok – Grischuk, Internet
(blitz) 2022, with both players overlooking 11.Nxe5!N in the fast time limit.

8…a6!? is a patient approach which has been tried by a few strong players. Instead of
rushing ahead on the kingside, Black hopes to dissuade b4-b5 and gradually mobilize
the queenside pieces. 9.e3 Nc6 (9…Qh5 would be met by 10.Nd2, just like in the main

875
line below.) 10.Rb1 Nd8

In Xu Yinglun – Ding Liren, Fuling 2022, the most logical continuation would have
been 11.a4! Nf7 12.Nd2 with clearly better chances for White. We have good prospects
on the queenside and can play f2-f4 at any moment to take space on the kingside as
well.

9.e3!
This is the main idea to remember! White wants to exchange queens with Nd2.

9…c6
Black has nothing better.

876
9…f4? is massively premature. 10.exf4 Bg4 (10…Bh3 11.Ng5 is also useless for Black.)
In Callicrates – Arance Gonzalez, Internet (blitz) 2004, 11.Re1N would have been the
simplest way to emphasize White’s decisive advantage.

9…g5 10.Nd2 g4N avoids the queen exchange but kills Black’s attacking chances as all
ideas involving …Bh3 and …Ng4 are blocked. White can simply continue 11.a4 with a
clear advantage.

10.Nd2! Qxd1
Black avoided the queen trade with 10…Qh6 in Wolanski – Krynicki, Mielno 2011. In
that case White can continue advancing on the queenside, but can also consider 11.f4!?
N which deprives Black of any kingside attack.

11.Rxd1

11…a5
11…Na6? 12.b5 broke up Black’s queenside in Woerdemann – Lindam, Internet
(blitz) 2004.

12.b5
White had a comfortable edge in Alikulov – Pichot, Tashkent 2022. With no kingside
attack to worry about, White is free to expand on the queenside.

Conclusion

877
This chapter has dealt with various possibilities involving …f5, starting with 1.c4 d6
2.Nc3 f5, when 3.d4! Nf6 4.Bg5! is the precise sequence that we use against Black’s
move order.
We then moved on to the main topic of the opening moves 1.c4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3.

From there, we started by checking the Stonewall formation with 3…e6 intending …d5.
The Stonewall Dutch has become more popular in recent years, with Carlsen using it
successfully and Nikola Sedlak writing a great book on it. We are privileged to be able to
use our English move order to avoid d2-d4 in favour of a timely d2-d3, when Black has
no outpost on e4 and faces unpleasant problems ahead.

The main topic of the chapter was the Reversed Closed Sicilian formation, where Black
plays some combination of …d6, …e5, …g6 and …Bg7. I am particularly happy with the
concept of playing a quick b2-b4 against this set-up. My analysis of these lines has
shown that we can put a lot of pressure on Black’s position, while Black’s kingside
counterplay is practically non-existent. Unsurprisingly, the same general idea also works
well when Black develops the bishop to e7 instead of g7. Just remember to be ready to
meet the aggressive manoeuvre …Qe8-h5 with e2-e3 followed by Nd2, when the threat
to exchange queens spoils Black’s attack.

878
1.c4

A) 1…b6 2.Nc3 Bb7 3.e4 428

A1) 3…c5 428
A2) 3…e5!? 429
A3) 3…e6 431
B) 1…g6 433

1.c4
In this chapter we will analyse A) 1…b6, the English Defence, followed by B) 1…g6,
the Modern Defence.

Options such as 1…d6 and 1…Nc6 exist of course, but after 2.Nc3 the play is likely to
transpose to one of the main systems within a few moves.

A) 1…b6 2.Nc3 Bb7

879
3.e4
I want to fight against the bishop on b7 by establishing a Botvinnik set-up with the
knight on e2 and the bishop on g2. We discussed the Botvinnik structure in Chapter 6.
Here the onus will be on Black to avoid a situation where the bishop is misplaced on b7.

We will consider three main tries for Black: A1) 3…c5, A2) 3…e5!? and A3) 3…e6.

A1) 3…c5

This is one of two ways in which Black may switch to a dark-square strategy against our
c4/e4 structure.

4.g3
4.Nf3 followed by d2-d4 looks like a promising way to reach an Open Sicilian
structure, but it’s not necessary.

4…Nc6 5.Bg2 g6 6.Nge2 Bg7 7.d3 d6 8.0-0

880
8…Nf6
8…e6 can be met by 9.Be3 preparing d2-d4, and if Black prevents it with 9…Nd4
then 10.Qa4†! is extremely strong.

9.h3
9.d4 is possible, but I’d prefer to keep this option in reserve for when Black plays …
e6 or …a6.

9…0-0 10.Be3 Rc8 11.Qd2

White’s plan is to wait for Black to make a weakening pawn move such as …e6 or …
a6, and then open the centre with d3-d4. In the meantime, we can continue building our
position for a kingside attack with Bh6 and advancing the kingside pawns. Let’s see an
example.

881
11…Re8!?
Black avoids any weakening pawn moves and prepares to meet Bh6 with …Bh8.

12.b3!?
A useful waiting move, bolstering c4 in preparation for a later d3-d4.

12.Bh6!?N is still possible, and if 12…Bh8 we can play 13.f4 intending to double rooks
on the f-file and play a timely f4-f5, with good attacking chances.

12…Nd7 13.Rac1 a6!?

Black wants to play …Nd4.

The immediate 13…Nd4? is met by 14.Bxd4! cxd4 15.Nb5 and White wins a pawn.

13…e6 14.d4! is also problematic for Black.

882
14.f4
White continued advancing on the kingside and went on to win a good game in
Harika – Hou Yifan, Douglas 2016.

I actually like 14.d4!?N even more, but the two options are equally strong and the choice
mostly comes down to personal preference.

A2) 3…e5!?

This is an interesting way to challenge our set-up. Black wants to place the knight on

883
c6 and the bishop on c5. This could work well against a Botvinnik set-up, but we can
switch plans with:

4.a3! Nc6
4…a5 5.Nf3 leaves Black with nothing better than 5…Nc6, transposing to the main
line below. (5.f4!? exf4 6.Nf3 gave White promising compensation in a sort of modified
King’s Gambit in Narayanan – Daulyte Cornette, Internet [blitz] 2023. This certainly looks
like fun, but we don’t need to rely on such ideas.)

5.Nf3 a5
5…Bc5?! 6.b4 Bd4 7.Bb2 is good for White. We can remove the dark-squared bishop
at a moment of our choosing – possibly after chasing the knight away with b4-b5.

6.Be2!
I love this sneaky move!

6…Nf6N
Black needs to improve on the following tries:

6…g6? 7.d4 exd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7 9.Ndb5 Nge7 gave White a serious advantage in
Kostenko – Divya, Internet (blitz) 2020. Out of many strong continuations, 10.h4!?N
appeals the most to me.

6…Bc5?! 7.Nxe5! Nxe5 8.d4 This fork trick is the main point of our previous few moves.
8…Bd6 9.dxe5 Bxe5 was seen in Kaustuv – Deepan Chakkravarthy, Mumbai 2020, and

884
now the only line which we should remember is:

10.Nd5!?N 10…c6 11.Bf4! The key move. 11…d6 12.Bxe5 dxe5 13.Ne3 White keeps a
pleasant advantage.

7.0-0 Be7
Putting the bishop on c5 allows the familiar fork-trick idea.

8.d3
8.d4!? could also be considered.

8…0-0

885
9.Rb1
White will follow up with Bd2 with ideas of Nb5 (or Nd5) and b2-b4, with a small but
comfortable edge.

A3) 3…e6

This has been the most popular continuation.

4.g3
4.Nf3 is a popular alternative but Black’s intended counterplay with …f5 is less of an

886
issue than you might think.

4…f5
Black has nothing better. For instance, 4…Bb4 5.Nge2 f5 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.d3 transposes
to the next note below.

5.d3 Nf6
5…fxe4 6.Bg2 will transpose.

6.Bg2 fxe4!
This is the best attempt to justify Black’s play.

6…Bb4 is well met by 7.Nge2 fxe4 8.0-0! when we exploit the pin in order to recapture
on e4 at a time of our choosing. A particularly nice example continued: 8…0-0 9.Bg5!
Be7

10.d4! Nc6 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Nxe4 Kh8 13.Rc1 White had an excellent position in Bus –
Nabuurs, Maastricht 2009, with an easy plan of completing development with Qd2 and
Rfe1 before committing to any action in the centre. It is difficult to suggest a plan for
Black that doesn’t damage or create weaknesses in Black’s own position.

After the text move, we need an amazing improvement to fight for the advantage.

887
7.a3!!N
This has only been tested in engine chess so far, so I think it’s fair to claim it as a
novelty among humans. Clearly this isn’t an obvious move for us, so we need to
understand the need for it.
The point is that 7.Nge2 is well met by: 7…Nc6! 8.dxe4 (8.d4?! does not work here due
to 8…Na5 and White will not get the pawn back.) 8…Bc5! 9.0-0 0-0

Black’s set-up is perfectly playable and White has scored pretty badly from here in
practical play. The bishop is much better on c5 than b4. White does not have time to
challenge it with 10.a3?? because 10…Ng4 wins on the spot.

888
7…d5
Defending the e4-pawn seems most logical. Let’s check some of Black’s other tries
to see why it’s so useful to have the pawn on a3.

7…Bc5 runs into 8.d4 (8.Nge2 Nc6 9.d4 is also good) 8…Be7 9.Nh3 and we will soon
regain the pawn with a clear advantage.

7…Nc6 is well met by 8.dxe4 when Black will not be able to reach the desired set-up
from the previous note. For instance, 8…Bc5 (8…a5? 9.e5 is horrible for Black) 9.b4 Bd4
10.Nge2 with great play for White.

7…e5 8.Nge2 Nc6 9.Nxe4 is also depressing for Black. For instance, if 9…Nxe4
10.Bxe4 Qf6 11.0-0 0-0-0 12.b4 we have easy play on the queenside, while it’s not
obvious how Black can create counterplay on the other wing.

7…a5!? 8.Nge2 Nc6 is a natural try: Black threatens to take on d3, and if we react with
dxe4 then Black will play …Bc5 and more or less transpose to the desired set-up shown
above, as the inclusion of a2-a3 and …a5 would not really change anything. However,
we can do better with:

9.d4! Stopping Black’s plan. The e4-pawn will be taken later. 9…a4!? (9…d5? runs into
10.Nf4 followed by Bh3 when Black’s centre comes under heavy fire; 9…Ba6 10.Qa4!
also favours White.) After the text move we can either take on e4 immediately or play
10.Bg5 intending 10…Be7 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Nxe4, with a comfortable edge in both cases.

7…Bd6!? Since the bishop was unable to go to b4 or c5, it makes some sense to direct it

889
towards e5. This was played in the other engine game, which continued: 8.Nh3! 0-0 9.0-
0 c5 10.dxe4 Be5

11.Bf4! Bxc3 12.bxc3 Bxe4 13.Bxe4 Nxe4 14.Qe2 Nf6 15.Bd6 Re8 16.g4 Kh8 17.f4
White’s initiative proved to be more valuable than Black’s extra pawn in Stockfish –
Leela, engine game 2022.

8.cxd5
Attempts to attack the e6-pawn lead nowhere, so it’s best to make this exchange and
soften Black’s pawn chain.

890
8…exd5 9.Nh3!
9.dxe4 dxe4 10.Qxd8† Kxd8 gives White adequate compensation but nothing more.

9…Nbd7!
This is Black’s best developing move. We continue to follow the two monster
machines.

10.dxe4 dxe4 11.0-0 Nc5 12.b4 Qxd1 13.Rxd1 Nb3 14.Rb1 Nxc1 15.Rbxc1

15…Rd8!
Black must play accurately to survive, and White will still keep some pressure.

16.Re1! Rd7 17.Nxe4

17.Ng5!? is another idea, leaving space for the bishop to go to h3 and keeping more
pieces on the board.

17…Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Nxe4 19.Rxe4† Kd8

891
20.Ng5 Bd6 21.Rce1 Kc8 22.f4
White had the better endgame in Leela – Stockfish, engine game 2022. Black’s
bishop is nicely restricted by White’s pawns, and Black’s queenside majority is less
mobile than White’s on the kingside.

B) 1…g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.Nf3 d6 4.d4

The Modern Defence remains fairly popular, but most of the stronger players who
use it will transpose to a King’s Indian with …Nf6 within the next few moves. Here we will
focus on a few independent possibilities.

892
4…Nd7
4…Bg4 has been played in lots of games but 5.e3! gives White good chances. The
plan is h2-h3 next, and you don’t really need to know much more.

4…c5 can be met concretely by 5.dxc5! Bxc3† 6.bxc3 dxc5 7.Qxd8† Kxd8 8.g3 when
White’s bishop pair and fast development are more relevant than the doubled c-pawns. A
good example continued:

8…Nc6 9.Bg2 Nf6 10.Bf4 Nd7 11.0-0-0 f6 12.Nd2 Black was under some pressure in
Postny – Basso, Bassano del Grappa 2020.

5.e4 e5 6.Be2
If Black plays …Ngf6, we will transpose to our King’s Indian coverage. Otherwise,
h2-h4 could be a strong candidate. For example:

6…Ne7
6…Nh6 allows an even better version of the same idea: 7.h4! f6 8.h5 g5 9.d5 a5
10.Nh2 f5 Otherwise g2-g4 could lock the kingside forever. 11.exf5 Nxf5 12.h6! Nxh6
13.Bh5† Nf7

893
 In Atakisi – Van Osmael, corr. 2000, White could have obtained a big advantage with
14.Ne4!?N intending to capture on g5, and if Black defends the pawn with 14…h6 then
15.Ng4 puts Black in a terrible bind. For example, 15…Nf6? loses immediately to
16.Ngxf6† Bxf6 17.Qf3.

7.h4! h6 8.h5 g5 9.d5 f5 10.g4!

A temporary pawn sacrifice to stifle Black’s kingside play.

10…fxe4
10…fxg4 11.Nh2! is also excellent for White.

894
11.Nd2 Nf6 12.Ndxe4
White had established a central bind while Black had no counterplay in sight in L’Ami
– Broekmeulen, Netherlands 2012.

Conclusion
We wrapped up the book by considering a few slightly less common responses to
1.c4. The English Defence with 1…b6 was a surprisingly hard nut to crack. I am happy
with the final assessment, but it took a major innovation in variation A3 with 7.a3!!N to
find an advantage for White. Readers who play related openings such as the Queen’s
Indian with Black may wish to consider meeting 1.c4 with 1…b6, as the resulting
positions are not really any worse than those in the Hedgehog for instance, or other
defences that such players tend to use.

Finally we looked at the Modern Defence with 1…g6. Generally there is nothing wrong
with this, but most 1…g6 specialists are happy enough to transpose to a King’s Indian. In
the event that Black develops the king’s knight more exotically with 6…Ne7 or 6…Nh6,
we will strike with 7.h4!, with good chances to put Black’s position under severe
pressure.

895
 Variation Index

Chapter 1
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7
A) 8.d3 31
A1) 8…Be6 32
A2) 8…0-0 9.Be3 32
A21) 9…Be6 34
A22) 9…Re8! 37
B) 8.b3! 0-0 9.Bb2 39
B1) 9…f5?! 41
B2) 9…Be6 42
B3) 9…Bf5!? 44
B4) 9…Bg4 46
B5) 9…f6!? 49
B6) 9…Re8 10.Rc1 Bf8 11.Ne4 53
B61) 11…f6 54
B62) 11…f5 55

Chapter 2
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Bc5
B) 7.0-0 0-0 8.d3 65
B1) 8…Bb6 66
B2) 8…Re8 67
B3) 8…h6! 68

Chapter 3

896
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3
A) 2…Bb4 3.Nd5! 76
A1) 3…Bc5 77
A2) 3…Be7 78
B) 2…Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Nd5 79
B1) 5…a5!? 81
B2) 5…Bc5 6.Bg2 82
B21) 6…0-0?! 82
B22) 6…d6 7.0-0 83
B221) 7…Nxd5 83
B222) 7…0-0 85
B3) 5…e4 6.Nh4 0-0 7.Bg2 88
B31) 7…Re8 89
B32) 7…d6 8.Nxb4!? Nxb4 9.a3 90
B321) 9…Nc6 91
B322) 9…Na6 93
C) 2…Nc6 3.Nf3 Bb4 93

Chapter 4
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3
A) 2…d6 97
B) 2…Nc6 3.Nf3 98
B1) 3…g6 98
B2) 3…f5 100
C) 2…Nf6 3.Nf3 101
C1) 3…e4 101
C2) 3…Nc6 4.g3 104
C21) 4…g6 104

897
 C22) 4…Nd4 105
C23) 4…Bc5 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0 0-0 7.d3 107
C231) 7…Nd4!? 108
C232) 7…a6 108

Chapter 5
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3! Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.0-0 0-0
A) 7.d3 116
A1) 7…d5 116
A2) 7…d6 8.Rb1 Rb8 9.a3 117
A21) 9…a5 118
A22) 9…a6! 119
B) 7.d4! 121
B1) 7…d6 8.dxc5!? dxc5 9.Be3!? 121
B11) 9…b6!? 122
B12) 9…Qa5 124
B13) 9…Be6 125
B2) 7…cxd4 8.Nxd4 126
B21) 8…Nxd4 127
B22) 8…d6!? 128
B23) 8…Qa5!? 131

Chapter 6
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3
A) 2…Nf6 147
B) 2…Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nc3 150
B1) 5…Nh6 150
B2) 5…e6 6.h4! 151
B21) 6…d5 152

898
 B22) 6…h6! 7.e3 153
B221) 7…d5!?N 154
B222) 7…Nge7 156
B3) 5…e5 6.0-0 Nge7 7.a3 160
B31) 7…d6 161
B32) 7…a5 8.d3 d6 9.Rb1 0-0 10.Bd2! 162
B321) 10…h6 164
B322) 10…Rb8 165
B4) 5…d6 6.0-0 167
B41) 6…Rb8!? 168
B42) 6…Bf5 7.h3! 171
B421) 7…Qd7 172
B422) 7…e5 173
B423) 7…Nf6 174

Chapter 7
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 e6 6.Nc3
A) 6…d6 187
B) 6…a6 188
C) 6…Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 189
C1) 8…Nc6 190
C2) 8…0-0 9.Rd1 192
C21) 9…Qc8 192
C22) 9…d6 10.Bg5! 194
C221) 10…h6!? 194
C222) 10…Nbd7 197
C223) 10…Nc6 199
C3) 8…d6 9.Bg5! a6 10.Bxf6! Bxf6 11.Qf4 202

899
 C31) 11…Bxf3!? 204
C32) 11…0-0 12.Rfd1 Be7 13.Ne4 Bxe4 14.Qxe4 Ra7 15.Nd4 205
C321) 15…Qc8 206
C322) 15…Rc7 207

Chapter 8
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4
A) 8…Nc6 215
B) 8…d6 9.Be3! Nbd7 10.Rac1 Rc8 11.b3 0-0 12.Qh4 a6 13.Rfd1 216
B1) 13…Re8 217
B2) 13…Rc7 219

Chapter 9
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4
A) 4…e5 232
B) 4…d6 5.d4 0-0 6.Be2 234
B1) 6…c5 235
B2) 6…e5 7.0-0 237
B21) 7…Bg4 237
B22) 7…Qe8 239
B23) 7…h6!? 241
B24) 7…Na6 243
B25) 7…Nbd7 249
B26) 7…exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 254
B261) 9…c6 254
B262) 9…Nc6 256
B27) 7…Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 258
B271) 9…a5 259
B272) 9…Nh5 10.Re1 f5 11.a4! 262

900
 B2721) 11…a5 263
B2722) 11…Nf6 264

Chapter 10
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.h4!
A) 5…c5 279
B) 5…Nc6!? 280
C) 5…Nxc3 281
D) 5…h5 282
E) 5…h6 284
F) 5…Bg7 286

Chapter 11
1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.0-0
A) 5…Nf6 6.b3! 299
A1) 6…dxc4 300
A2) 6…Ne4 301
A3) 6…0-0 7.Bb2 305
A31) 7…b6!? 307
A32) 7…Bf5 309
A33) 7…Bg4 311
A34) 7…a5!? 8.Nc3 Ne4! 9.Na4! 312
A341) 9…Bxb2 313
A342) 9…b5! 314
B) 5…e5! 6.d3! Ne7 7.e4! 315
B1) 7…dxe4 317
B2) 7…0-0 318

Chapter 12

901
1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3
A) 3…Bg4 4.Ne5! 323
A1) 4…Be6 323
A2) 4…Bf5 325
B) 3…Nf6 4.Bg2 326
B1) 4…Bg4 327
B2) 4…Bf5 5.Qb3! 329
B21) 5…Qc8 330
B22) 5…Qb6 332
B3) 4…dxc4 5.0-0 335
B31) 5…Be6 337
B32) 5…Nbd7 6.Na3 Nb6 7.Qc2 338
B321) 7…Qd5 339
B322) 7…Be6 8.Ne5! 340
B3221) 8…Qd4 341
B3222) 8…h5! 9.Naxc4 Nxc4 10.Nxc4 h4 11.Ne5 hxg3
12.hxg3 344
B32221) 12…Qc8 344
B32222) 12…Rc8 346
B32223) 12…Qd4! 347

Chapter 13
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3
A) 3…Nf6 4.Bg2 356
A1) 4…dxc4 5.Qa4† 356
A11) 5…Bd7 357
A12) 5…c6 358
A13) 5…Nbd7 6.Qxc4 a6 7.Qc2! c5 8.Nc3 362

902
 A131) 8…Ra7 363
A132) 8…Qc7! 365
A2) 4…c5 5.cxd5 366
A21) 5…Nxd5 367
A22) 5…exd5 368
B) 3…dxc4 4.Bg2! a6 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Qc2! 370
B1) 6…Nbd7 375
B2) 6…Bd6 376
C) 3…d4 4.Bg2 377
C1) 4…Nc6 378
C2) 4…c5 380

Chapter 14
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4!
A) 6…c6 389
B) 6…dxc4 7.Qc2 393
B1) 7…b6!? 393
B2) 7…b5 8.a4 394
B21) 8…b4 395
B22) 8…Bb7!? 399
B3) 7…a6 400
B31) 8.Qxc4 400
B32) 8.a4! Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bg5! 402
B321) 10…a5 404
B322) 10…h6 405
B323) 10…Bd5 406
B324) 10…Nbd7! 408

Chapter 15

903
1.c4
A) 1…d6!? 2.Nc3 f5 415
B) 1…f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 417
B1) 3…e6 417
B2) 3…g6 420
B3) 3…d6! 4.Bg2 e5 5.b4!? 422
B31) 5…e4 423
B32) 5…Be7 424

Chapter 16
1.c4
A) 1…b6 2.Nc3 Bb7 3.e4 428
A1) 3…c5 428
A2) 3…e5!? 429
A3) 3…e6 431
B) 1…g6 433

904