Cyrus Lakdawala

move by move

EVERYMAN CHESS www .everymanchess.com

First published in 2012 by Gloucester Publishers plc (formerly Everyman Publishers plc), North burgh House, 10 North burgh Street, london EC1V OAT

Copyright @) 2012 Eyrm lHdawata

The right of Cyrus Lakdawala to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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.

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ISBN: 978 1 85744 687 6

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Everyman Chess Series Chief advisor: Byron Jacobs Commissioning editor: John Emms Assistant editor: Richard Palliser

Typeset and edited by First Rank Publishing, Brighton. Cover design by Horatio Monteverde. Printed and bound by Clays ltd, St Ives pic

Contents

Series Foreword 4

Bibliography 5

Introduction 7

1 Smyslov Variation: The Quiet 5 lLlf3 18

2 Smyslov Variation 5 .tc4: The Old Line 53

3 Smyslov Variation 5 lLlg5 : Into the Abyss 101

4 Advance Variation: Nunn-Shirov Attack 153

5 Advance Variation: Short's Line 186

6 Advance Variation: Fourth Move Alternatives 228

7 Panov-Botvinnik Attack 266

8 Quasi Panov-Botvinnik 311

9 Exchange Variation 332

10 Two Knights Variation 353

11 Fantasy Variation 375

12 King's Indian Attack and 2 lLle2 398

Index of Variations 423

Index of Complete Games 431

Series Foreword

Move by Move is a series of opening books which uses a question-and-answer format. One of our main aims of the series i s to replicate- as much as possible - lessons between chess teachers and students.

All the way through, readers will be challenged to answer searching questions and to complete exercises, to test their skills in chess openings and indeed in other key aspects of the game. It's our firm belief that practising your skills like this is an excellent way to study chess openings, and to study chess in general.

Many thanks go to all those who have been kind enough to offer inspiration, advice and assistance in the creation of Move by Move. We're really excited by this series and hope that readers will share our enthusiasm.

John Emms Everyman Chess

Bibliography

Books Attacking with 1 e4, John Emms {Everyman Chess 2001) Beating the Caro-Kann, Vassilios Kotronias (Batsford 1994) Capa blanca's Best Endings, Irving Chernev (Dover 1978} Caro-Kann Defence: Panov Attack, Anatoly Karpov and Mikhail Podgaets (Batsford 2006} Chess Duels, My Games with the World Champions, Vasser Seirawan (Everyman Chess 2010) Dangerous Weapons: The Caro-Kann, John Emms, Richard Palliser and Jovanka Houska {Everyman Chess 2010) Jose Raul Capablanca: 1901-1924, Oleg Biriukov, Vladimir Ivanov, Alexander Shashin, Vladimir Shushpanov and Leonid Yudasin {Chess Stars 2004) My 60 Memora ble Games, Bobby Fischer {Simon and Schuster 1969} My Great Predecessors, Part/, Garry Kasparov {Everyman Chess 2003) My Great Predecessors, Part II, Garry Kasparov { Everyman Chess 2003) My Great Predecessors, Part IV, Garry Kasparov (Everyman Chess 2004) Opening for White according to Anand Vol.3, Alexander Khalifman {Chess Stars 2004) Petrosian vs. the Elite, Ray Keene and Julian Simpole (Batsford 2006} Play the Caro-Kann, Jovanka H ouska {Everyman Chess 2007) Play the London System, Cyrus Lakdawala {Everyman Chess 2010) Starting Out: The Caro-Kann, Joe Gallagher { Everyman Chess 2002) The Best Endings of Capablanca and Fischer, Alexander Matanovic {Chess Informant 1978} The Caro-Kann in Black and White, Anatoly Karpov and Alexander Beliavsky {R&D Publish­ing 1994) The Caro-Kann, Lars Schandorff (Quality Chess 2010) The Nimzo-lndian: Move by Move, John Emms (Everyman Chess 2011)

Electronic/Online Chess Today (with annotations from Alexander Baburin) ChessBase 10 Chesslive database Chesspublishing.com (with annotations from Gawain Jones, Tony Kosten, Andrew Martin, Alexander Volzhin and John Watson) The Week in Chess

5

Introduction

The Caro-Kann, 1 e4 c6, is a king's pawn mirror to what the Slav is to queen's pawn open­ings. Black immediately prepares to build a l ight-squared wall in the centre next move with ... ds, challenging White to tear it down. Really, this is the start of a theological dis­pute: The battle of the irresistible force versus the immovable object.

Our minds create our own demons and what I have noticed about the Caro, unlike any other opening I have written about, is that I am unafraid of a single White strategy or line. I know in my heart that if I play the position correctly, Black's position remains sound, no

matter what White throws in our direction. White has an array of strategies to choose from:

1 . White goes directly after our king, i n an effort to force i t to kneel in submission. The Mainline (Chapters 2 and 3), and the Nunn-Shirov variation (Chapter 4) represent the no­nonsense approach of playing for checkmate. The good news is our position is not so easy to overrun. Indeed, as so often happens, White shoots for the moon and misses, ending up floating in space.

2. White seizes space and squeezes. Chapters 5 and 6, the Short Variation and 4th Move Alternatives in the Advance, represent this philosophy. We are happy to engage in such wars of attrition and must patiently unravel, trusting in the inherent soundness and solid­ity of our position.

7

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M ove

3. White deliberately weakens his structure in order to increase the dynamic activity of his pieces. In Chapters 7 and 8, the Panov-Botvinnik and Quasi-Panov, White takes on an isolated queen's pawn, drastically increasing his piece activity in the short term. Often the game morphs into its cousin, the hanging pawns position. In each case our strategy is sim­ple: Blockade; swap; avoid mate! If we are successful, White's attacking forces melt away, like the remnants of snow on a warm spring day.

4. White tries to sidestep the main lines and goes rogue on us. The Two Knights, Fantasy Variation and 2 l2Je2 ! ? (Chapters 10, 11 and 12) are examples of this strategy. The Two Knights has been defanged theoretically and the Fantasy, although growing in popularity, doesn't scare me either. As for 2 tLle2 ! ?, which is somewhat dangerous, it loses its sting if we are aware of the line and ready for it.

s. Last, White lures us into a structure in which he has experience. The Exchange Varia­tion (Chapter 9) and the King's Indian Attack (Chapter 12) represent this team. Neither poses much theoretical danger. It is just a matter of us matching our opponent's knowl­edge of the structure.

How the book is structured The chapters are given in order of importance or popularity, although perhaps I could have just as easily upgraded the Advance lines, Chapters 4, 5 and 6, over the Mainline.

When you try to solve a problem, it's wonderful if you discover a solution. On the other hand, if you come up with three possible solutions, there is the danger of confusion. Some­

times too many answers can be the same as no answer at all . For this reason, I narrowed Black's repertoire mainly to my own preferences in the Caro. For instance, in Chapter 3, we exclusively cover 10 ... 'ii'c7 and ignore the older and now fading 10 ... l2Jf6 line.

This way the reader isn't confused by multiple choices in each chapter. Your lines are hard enough to remember without doubling or tripling your homework!

8

I n troduction

Many players choose the Caro simply because they think it's a conceptual opening which requires little study. Extinguish this crazy notion from your minds! Please scroll for­ward to Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 7 if you don't believe mel There are many variations where our lives depend upon our memories, as well as our understanding, so the study of the sharper chapters must be thorough.

As in all Move by Move books, after the question-and-answer theoretical opening sec­tion of each game the reader gets the opportunity to test him or herself with interactive exercises in the middlegame and ending. I realize some people buy the book solely for the opening, but why not make use of the entire book as a training tool as well? This book is written in a casual style, to resemble a chess lesson as closely as possible, including banter and debate between teacher and student.

The History of the Caro-Kann Please relax. I promise not to talk about Horatio Caro and Marcus Kann, the inventors of the opening. The opening lingered on the fringes during the late 19th Century. I assume because the idealistic romantics of the time considered it a caddish and unchivalrous opening. Capablanca was the first World Champion who perceived the true worth of our opening and began shedding light on its strategic qualities. He used it in his crushing stra­tegic destruction of Aaron Nimzowitsch in the great New York tournament of 1927 (Chap­ter 6). People began to take note. If Nimzowitsch, the high priest of positional play, could be made to look laughably incompetent against the Caro-Kann, then perhaps the opening had some merit after all. Then Botvinnik, Smyslov, Petrosian and, most importantly, Karpov took up the opening's mantle. In the present day the Caro is mainstream, with many of the top GMs in the world keeping it in their repertoires.

Game1 H.Atkins-J.R.Ca pablanca

London 1922

A mismatch can be more instructive than a game between two super-GMs. One side creates small errors while we get to watch the other exploit them. 1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es .ifs

We look at this position in Chapters 4, 5 and 6.

4.1i.d3

9

Th e Caro -Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

You should consider this l ine no less than a windfall from the heavens. Today, we un­derstand that virtually every other Advance line is an improvement for White.

Question: What is wrong with White's last move?

Answer: After the swap White remains with a bishop stuck on the same colour as his cen­tral pawns.

Question: What is wrong with that?

Answer: If his pawns are on dark squares and his bishop is also of the same breed, then who minds the store on the light squares?

4 ... 1Lxd3 5 'ii'xd3 e6 6ll'le2

Question: Why did White play the knight to a passive square, rather than f3?

Answer: White dreams of 0-0, f4 and eventually fs. He won't have time for this plan. Instead 6ll'lf3 cs (even here, there is nothing wrong with the Capa plan of swinging the

queen to a6) 7 c3ll'lc6 8 a3 c4 sees the game turn into a rotten Advance French for White. By magic, Black's c8-bishop exchanged itself for White's powerful bishop on fl. After 9 'ii'c2

ll'lge7 10 i.gs h6 11 1Lh4?! g 5 ! 12 iLg3lZ'lfs 13ll'lbd2 h s ! 14 h4 g4 15ll'lg1 1Le7 White's h4-pawn falls, De Gremont-A.Karpov, San Giorgio (simul) 1995. 6 ... 'ii'b6 1 o-o �a6!

An ending suits Black fine. Nimzowitsch actually invented this plan 10 years before this game.

1 0

I n t roduction

8 'i'd1 After 8 lL'lf4 'i'xd3 g l2Jxd3 lL'le7 10 b4? ! (he creates a gash on c4 to halt ... cs later on­

probably too high a price) 10 ... lL'lfs 11 i.b2 hs 12 lL'ld2 lL'ld7 13 a4 i.e7 14 c4?! dxc4 1S lL'lxc4 lbb6 16 l2Jxb6 axb6 17 as i.d8 18 axb6 l:tb8 19 lL'lcs i.xb6 20 .:.fd1 i.xcs 21 bxcs the dS­

square beckoned to Black's all-powerful knight, O.Duras-A.Nimzowitsch, San Sebastian 1912. S ... cs 9 c3 lL'lc6 10 lL'ld2 cxd4 11 cxd4

Answer: 11 ... 'i'd31

Exercise {planning}: Black would like an ending, preying upon White's bad bishop. How can we force one?

The queen is too powerful here. White reluctantly consents to the swap.

1 1

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

12 lLlb3 'ii'xd1 13 l:txd1 lLlge7 14 �d2 as Capa grabs some space and commences queenside action.

1S l:tac1 b6 In order to play ... 'Oti>d7 without h arassment from a knight check on cs.

16 a4 'Oti>d7 It's an ending, so there is no need to castle. The king makes himself useful on d7, cover­

ing c6 and also e6 if Black plays a future . . .f6. 17 lLlc3 lLla71

Multipurpose: He covers bs and makes room for the other knight on c6. 18 'Oti>f1

Question: Why doesn't White play ltJbs anyway and use the pawn as a way to control c6?

Answer: The pawn on b5 would be terribly insecure after 18 lLlb5? ! ltJxbs 19 axbs l:tc8. The bs-pawn is in grave danger of falling to a ... ltJc8-ltJa7 manoeuvre. 18 ... ltJec6 19 'Ot>e2l:tc8 20 �e1 �e7 21 lLlb1 fs

I would keep the pawn tension with 21...f6. 22 exf6?!

Questionable judgement. Black's e6 is not so weak, whereas now d4 will be a source of worry for White. 22 ... �xf6

Question: Doesn't this g ive Black a backward e-pawn?

Answer: Only on paper. The pawn isn't weak in the slightest since Black enjoys ample de-

12

I n troduction

fenders and White isn't even remotely close to attacking or pressuring it. 23 .i.c3 tLlb41? 24 .i.d2

White remains under pressure after 24 �xb4 axb4 25 l2J1d2 l2Jc6 26 t2Jf3 l:!.a8 27 l:!.a1 l:ta7, intending to double rooks. 24 ... tt:Jac6 25 �e3

Exercise {planning}: Black can take control over the c-file. How?

Answer: 25 ... t2Ja2! 26 l:!.c2 l:!.c7?! After ploughing the field, Capa forgets to plant the seeds. This is Black's one and only

small stumble of the game. Even in one-sided games, the favourite sometimes endures a little setback. To be consistent, Black should play 26 .. . tt:Jcb4! 27 l:!.xc8 1:!.xc8. 27 t2Ja3?1

13

Th e Ca ro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise {planning}: The idea is tUbs to harass Black's rook on c7, but as we shall see, the move is inaccurate.

How did Capa prevent White's tUbs next move?

White has missed his chance. He could have played 27 il.f4! forcing Black's rook to back up and waste time. Answer: 27 . . J:thc81 28l::tcd2

The point: 28 4Jbs? drops a pawn to 28 .. . 4Jxd4+! . 28 ... ltJa7 ! 29l::td3 liJb4 30 l::t3d2l::tc6 31 .l:tbl i.e7 32 .:tal i.d6 33 h 3l::t6c7 34l::tad1 liJa21

Playing for tricks on a3 and C3. 3S l:ta1 i.xa3 36l::txa2

This confused rook is the old man who, upon waking, discovers he misplaced his teeth. 36 ... il.b4 37 l::tdl

Martial arts training teaches that when in combat, limbs and mind must move as a sin­gle unit. Such is clearly not the case here for White. Just look at that rook on a2, and all his other pieces for that matter! White has clearly lost the battle of the queen side, although I suppose one can't lose a thing if it was never owned in the first place. 37 ... l::tc4 38 l::tc1ltJc6 39l::txc4?1

He shouldn't open the dS-square for Black. Better was the stoic 39 l::taal. 39 ... dxc4 40 ltJd2

Allowing one of the greatest endgame players of all time to reach a classic good knight versus bad bishop ending. Not much better was the line 40 ltJa1 ltJe7 41 ltJc2 ltJds. 40 ... ..txd2

Of course ! 41 'itr>xd2 'itr>d6

Now Black's king takes up a dominant position on dS.

1 4

I n t roduction

42 'iii>c3 �ds Did White's king arrive late or did Black's get there early? Bit by bit, Black's position con­

tinues to improve, almost at a glacial pace. 43 l:ta1 g6 44 f3

Answer: 44 .•. l:tb81 Here comes .. . bs.

4S l:ta3

Exercise {planning}: How can Black make progress?

White's rook must babysit the b3-square. 4S ... bs 46 axbs l:txbs 47 .if2 lDb4

Threat: . . . lDd3.

15

Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

48 b3 White gratefully eliminates one of his problems, but his troubles are far from over.

48 ••• cxb3 Now Black gets an outside passer.

49 �Xb3 49 .l:txb3li:Ja2+! 50 �c2 .l:txb3 51 �xb3li:Jc1+ 52 �c2li:Je2 wins, since �d3 is met with a

knight fork on f4. 49 .•• lt:Jc6+!

Capa prefers to keep things as they are rather than go for 49 .. . li:Jd3+ SO �a4 .l:tb2 5 1 �xd3 .l:txf2 5 2 g 4 .l:th2 53 �xas .l:txh3 5 4 �b4 hS ! when it isn't s o clear i f Black has enough to win. so �c3 .l:tb1 51 .l:ta4 .l:tcl+ 52 �d2

52 �d3li:Jb4+ 53 �e3 .l:tc3+ 54 �f4li:Jc6 is also tough on White.

52 • • . .l:tc4 53 .l:ta1 a4 54 .l:ta3li:Ja7 Capa refuses to pluck the fattest apple on the tree and prefers to destroy the blockade

on a3 rather than win d4. 55 .l:talli:Jbs 56 .l:tbl �c6 57 �d3 .l:tc3+ 58 �d2 .l:tb31 59 .l:tcl+ �b71 60 .l:tc2

White can't afford to swap rooks: 60 �c2? .l:tc3+ 61 �d2 .l:txc1 62 Wxcl �c6 63 �c2 �dS

64 �d3 a3 deflects and wins. 60 •.. a3 61 i.g3!?

We can't blame the despised and misunderstood bishop for going AWOL White loses even if the bishop faithfully fulfils his duty: 61 i.e3 �a6! 62 .l:tc6+ �as 63 .l:tc8 .l:tb2+ 64 �d3 a2 65 .l:ta8+ �b4 66 i.d2+ .l:txd2+! 67 �xd2li:Ja3 and wins. 61 ... lt:Jxd4 62 .l:tc7+ �b6 63 .l:tc4 �bS!

Capa never missed such little endgame tactics. The knight can't be touched. 64 .l:tc8 lt:Jc61 65 .l:ta8 .l:tb2+ 66 �e3 .l:txg2 67 i.f2li:Jb41 0-1

16

I n troduction

I'm not sure if the knight, the hero of this game, is keeping fit or having one. White's unfortunate rook, in a desperate and losing battle to h alt the surge of the a-pawn, reminds me of the child endeavouring to stay awake as long as possible. In the end, sleep always

overcomes.

Summary A secret loses its charm if everyone in the room knows the secret: Black achieves equality at a minimum if White goes in for the sorry 4 i.d3 line, where he simply duels with a plastic

sword.

Acknowledgements Thanks to Grandmaster John Emms, the man I turn to when all my emails end with ques­tion marks, and to International Master Richard Palliser for the final edit of this book. Thanks too to Nancy for proofreading and turning on the kettle (Lord only knows I need caffeine before writing a single word), as well as to Tim for all the comp work and also for introducing me to a bizarre new technology called a 'laptop'.

Good luck with the Caro-Kann. May your opponents grate their teeth in frustration upon seeing you play 1 ... c6!

17

Chapter One

Smyslov Variation: The Ouiet 5 4Jf3

-

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 lbc3 dxe4 4 lbxe4 lbd7 s lbf3

You face this variation from two kinds of players. The first, ignorant of Smyslov Caro­Kann theory, simply play the knight out to its natural square as a default setting. The sec­ond, having knowledge of theory, deliberately avoid the numerous sharp byways of the Smyslov Caro and, lacking ambition, play it safe with s lLlf3, perhaps hoping to draw by sucking most of the tactics from the room.

When you respond with s ... lbgf6 you must be ready for White's options 6 lbxf6+ (the first two games of this chapter) and the more complicated 6 lbg3 (the last two games). In the former you get Slav-like wars of attrition; in the latter you may end up in c3-Sicilian style po­sitions. If you play the Black side correctly, White gets a sum total of nothing. Winning,

18

Smsylo v Va riat io n: The Quiet 5 l:iJf3

though, is another matter and if you want more than a draw, you must rely on your (hope­fully) greater experience in the Caro structures to extract a full point from your opponents.

Game2 A.Mata novic-T .Petrosian

Kiev 1959

1 e4 c6 21:iJc3 ds 3 d4 dxe4 4l:iJxe41:iJd7

We return to a golden oldie, quite popular in the 1990's, the Smyslov Variation of the Caro-Kann. Black intends to develop smoothly by challenging the e4-knight next move with ... tt:lgf6.

Question: So much for the will of the people! IM Houska and GM Schandorff both advocate the more popular 4 ... -tfs line.

Why not cover this one in stead?

Answer: On occasion, nows embrace their beloved thens! Sometimes a question is its own answer. We cover the 4 ... 1:iJd7 line because it is currently out of fashion. I favour lines which are good but unpopular! The popularity of chess variations is much like women's hemlines, which go up and down each year with the random flux of fashion. Also, sometimes, through no fault of its own, a line acquires an undeserved reputation (often as the result of one spectacular game), like the upright son of the town drunk.

There is nothing wrong with the Smyslov line. It is simply not in vogue. I prefer playing out of fashion lines because my opponents are less likely to be booked up on such lines. It's simple maths: If your opponents don't bother to study your lines, they tend to goof up and correspondingly our win ratio with the unpopular line automatically goes up.

19

The Caro-Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

Question: What are some of the differences between 4 .. . 4Jd 7 and 4 ... i.fs?

Answer: In the 4 .. . ..tfs lines: 1. Black's light-squared bishop g ets chased, first to g6 then to h7. We don't have this

problem in the 4 ... ltld7 lines. 2. Black's light-squared bishop i s vulnerable to ltle2 (or ltlh3) and ltlf4 tricks. In these

lines White contrives tricky sacs on e6. We don't worry about either of these issues in the 4 .. . ltld7 lines, since our bishop can't be hunted down and sacs on e6 are very difficult with a guardian bishop watching the sac square from c8.

3 . On the downside of 4 .. . ltld7, we often voluntarily entomb our light-squared bishop inside our pawn chain once we play ... e6. But this tends to be a minor problem since the bishop is later developed on the h1-a8 diagonal, either via fianchetto or through the ma­noeuvre .. . ..td7 and .. . ..tc6.

4. In my opinion, the Smyslov lines tend to be more tactical than the 4 .. . ..tfs lines. There­fore it's more critical that you know your opening lines well by thorough study of excellent books like this one !

Conclusion : One line isn't superior to the other. It's simply a matter of preference and the whims of fashion . sltlf3

In the next couple of chapters we examine 5 i.c4 and 5 ltlgs. sltlf3 is the safest of White's fifth move choices, but we shouldn't let its placidity lull us

from vigilance. Remember, White still enjoys a slight development lead and also controls more space thanks to his pawn on d4.

Question: What is our goal as Black?

2 0

S m sylov Variat ion : The Quiet 5 li:Jf3

Answer: A three-part aim: 1. Complete our development without allowing White to gain in his development lead. 2 . Challenge White's centre with a well timed ... cs break. 3 . Most importantly, don't get mated!

s ... li:Jgf6 6li:Jxf6+ We examine too: a) 6li:Jg3 in the last two games of this chapter. b) 6 .id3li:Jxe4 7 .ixe4 li:Jf6 8 .id3 .ig4 9 c3 e6 10 h 3 .ihs 11 .if4 .id6 12 .ixd6 'ifxd6

and Black has easily equalized. After 13 'ife2 'ii'ds ! {forcing an imbalance) 14 g4 .ig6 White has more space, but also more weaknesses to worry about. I already prefer Black, B.Baker­C.Lakdawala, San Diego (rapid) 2009.

c) 6li:Jc3 g6 7 .ic4 .ig7 8 0-0 0-0 9 .l:.e1 li:Jb6 10 .ib3 .ig4 11 h3 .ixf3 12 'ifxf3 e6 is stan­dard operating procedure: Black exchanges off his bad bishop and switches the pawn structure, Y.Balashov-V.Malakhov, Moscow 2003.

d) 6 liJegS ! ? ( I don't claim to understand the motivation behind this m ove, yet here we have a F IDE 2600 player as White! ) 6 ... h6 7 li:Jh3 g S 8li:Jhg 1 e6 9 .id3 .id6 10 li:Je2 b6 11 h4 g4 12 li:Jd2 .ib7 13li:Jc4 .ic7 14 .if4 was Zhang Pengxiang-Wang Hao, JinZhou 2009. The complications favour Black after 14 .. . cs ! .

e ) 6li:Jed2 e6 7 g3 b6 8 .ig 2 i.b7 9 0-0 cs is equal, V.Zvjaginsev-R.Wojtaszek, Pamplona 2010. 6 ... li:Jxf6

7 i.c4 Other moves: a) 7 .id3 .ig4 transposes to the Baker-Lakdawala game in the above notes.

b) 7 c3 .ig4 8 h3 .ixf3 {this simple formula is an equalizer; there's also 8 .. . -ihS ! ? if you are in the mood for adventure) 9 'ifxf3 e6 10 i.c4 .id6 11-igs (or 11 o-o 0-0 12 .ib3 as 13

2 1

Th e Caro - Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

c4 e s 14 dxes .txes and if anyone stands better, it's Black due to his dark-square central control, D.Jakovenko-V.Anand, Moscow (blitz) 2009) 11 ... h6 12 .th4 'ii'e7 13 0-0-0 0-0-0 i s equal, E.Schmittdiel-E.Meduna, Passau 1998;

c) 7 .te2 i.g4 8 h3 i.xf3 9 i.xf3 e6 10 0-0 .td6 11 c4 o-o 12 �3 .l:tb8 13 .te3 .te7 14 'it'a3 'it'd6 15 'it'xd6 .txd6 16 l:tfd1 a6 was A.Rios-J .Cuartas, Sitges 2008. I g et such endings all the tim e from Caros, Slavs and Scandinavians. Don't be afraid of White's bishop pair and space. Just be patient and pile up umpteen ways on White's d4-pawn.

d) 7 h 3 (a little pathetic looking but the point is to avoid ... .tg4) 7 ... .tf5 8 .td3 .tg6 9 i.xg6 hxg6 10 0-0 e6 11 'it'e2 i.d6 12 l:td1 "ikc7 and Black has no problems, P.Zelbel­K.Sasikiran, Vlissingen 2010.

e) Next game we look at 7 lLle5 . 1 ... .tfs

Question: I s pinning with 7 ... i.g4 a better plan?

Answer: We must weed through all of White's opening traps in this line. Your suggestion loses instantly to 8 .txf7+. Don't feel bad though, as 77 players in the database also had the same notion and happily pinned with 7 ... .tg4??. let's make sure we are not number 78 !

Other 7th move tries: a) 7 .. . g6 (the position becomes similar to ones arising from Alekhine's Defence) 8 lLle5

lLld5 9 o-o .tg7 10 l:te1 o-o 11 c3 .te6 12 'it'f3 "ikd6 13 lLld3 .tf5 14 .tg5 l:tfe8 15 .th4 and White's extra central influence gives him the edge, J .Zorko-A.Simutowe, Nova Gorica 2009.

b) 7 .. . lbd5 (the point is to enable Black to play .. . .tg4 without falling for the .txf7+ cheapo) 8 0-0 .tg4 9 h 3 .txf3 10 "ikxf3 e6 11 c3 .td6 12 l:te1 was drawn in K.Georgiev­A.Karpov, Biel 1992. Of course both sides can play on. 8 'it'e2

2 2

Smsylo v Variation : Th e Quiet 5 l:U f3

Or 8 l:Ues e6 9 g4!? (I love it when White lashes out with g4) 9 .. . i.g6 10 h4 l:Ud7! 11 'ife2 ? I (she should probably just take the bishop on g6, but even then I prefer Black, who

also stands better after 11 h S tuxes) 11 .. . l:Uxes 12 dxes h s 13 g S i.cs and, behold, the clas­sic White/Caro overreach. Black stands clearly better, S.lalic-K.Arkell, Torquay 1998. 8 ... e6 9 i.gs i..e7 10 o-o-o

It's clear that White isn't intimidated by his World Champion-to-be opponent and in­tends an opposite wing attack.

Exercise (critical decision}: Petrosian was a master at snuffing out fires, even before his opponents purchased

the lighter. Find a way to kill White's attack in its crib.

Answer: 10 ... i.g4! The Snuff Master eliminates White's most dangerous piece. The ho-hum 10 ... 0-0?

quickly gets Black in trouble after 11 l:Ues ! h6 12 i..xf6 i..xf6 13 f4 'ii'c7 14 g4 when White's attack is clearly faster, R.Fischer-P.Benko, New York (blitz) 1963. 11 h3 i.xf3 12 'it'xf3

23

Th e Ca ro-Ka n n : M o ve by M ove

Question: I t looks to me like White stands better: 1. He owns the bishop pair in a semi-open position.

2. His d4-pawn gives him a space advantage. 3 . He leads in development. Is my assessment correct?

Answer: Everything you said is true, but I think the assessment is incorrect! The position is deceptive. Let's break it down point by point:

1. White's bishop pair "advantage" is in question in such a rigid, static position. 2. White owns space for now, but Black may later expand with ... bs and .. . as, taking

back some territory. 3. White's development lead fails to impress either since he has no effective method of

opening the game. My assessment is dynamic equality.

Question: How about instead 12 gxf3, intending to attack Black along the open g-file?

Answer: Who said Black would castle kingside? If Black castles the other way White is left wondering why he destroyed his own structure. 12 ... tLldS !

Principle: When the opponent has the bishop pair, swap one of them off i f possible. 13 Ji.xe7

Essentially giving up on his attacking dreams. Perhaps White was afraid of Black's at­tacking chances after 13 Ji.d2 ! ? bS 14 Ji.d3 'it'b6.

24

Smsy/o v Variation : Th e Quiet 5 CiJj3

13 .. .'.,xe7 14 l:the1 o-ol? Going opposite wings is slightly more ambitious than 14 .. . 0-0-0.

15 Wb1

Question: Doesn't 15 .txds win material due to a tactic of 'it'xds! next move?

Answer: No, Black has the in-between move 1S ... 'ii'gS+!. 1S ... l:tad8 16 i.b3 'ii'f6 17 'ii'e2?1

White begins to drift and lose the initiative. He should swap queens with 17 'it'xf6. Even then such positions are not automatically drawn. I would rather have Black, who doubles rooks on the d-file and then engineers either a ... cs, ... b6/ ... cs, or ... es pawn break when it suits him. 17 .. J:td7

25

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M ove

18 C3

Question: Why doesn't he kick the knight with his c-pawn?

Answer: 18 c4?! only weakens the d4-pawn without any benefit after 18 .. . 4Je7. 18 ... bs 19 g3 l1fd8 20 f4

Simagin suggests 20 i-xds with a claim of equality. I have a lot of experience as Black in such positions (Caro, Slav, Scandinavian, as mentioned earlier) and emphatically disagree with the GM. Black stands better after 20 .. . .l:txds. He may triple on the d-file and then later break with either ... cs or .. . es . White can only wait. 20 ... b41

This bank shot to his right undermines the base of support. This line is like the mob hitman with the manners of a lamb - deceptive and lulling to the opponent, who often misses the danger until too late. 21 'it'f3?1

Allowing a rupture to the pawn cover around his king . He had to try 21 i-xds .l:txds 22 cxb4 when Black still holds a microbe of an edge after 22 . . . h s. 21 ... bxc3 22 bxc3

26

Smsylov Va ria tion : The Quiet 5 0,j3

Exercise (multiple choice}: We reach a fork in the path. Where would you like to go? a) 22 .. . 'it'fs+, which picks off the h-pawn; b) 22 ... cs, ignoring the pawn offer and continuing to erode White's pawn cover around his king.

Answer: 22 ... cs! Playing for initiative over material. Petrosian is unwilling to hand over the initiative for

a pawn with the line 2 2 .. . 'it'fS+!? 23 <;t;al 'ii'xh3 24 i.c2 h s. 23 nes l

Principle: Counter in the centre when threatened on the wing. 23 c4 0,b4! 24 dxcs 0,d3

also puts White under pressure. 23 ... cxd4 24 i.xds l:!.xds 25 l:!.xds exdsl

He must retain rooks on the board in order to attack. If 2 S . . . l:!.xds 26 l:!.xd4! l:!.xd4 27 cxd4 "i'fS+ 28 <;t;b2 g6 and Black's edge probably isn't enough to take a full point. 26l1xd4 h6

No more back-rank tricks to worry about. As in most chess transactions, one party usu­ally walks away the worse for it. In this case it's White, whose king, somewhat undressed without full pawn cover, can't feel comfortable even after the flurry of exchanges.

27 g4 Instead 27 l:!.xds l:!.b8+ 28 <;t;c2 'ii'b6 gives Black a nasty endgame attack, as does 27 'it'd3

"i'e6 28 g4 'ii'el+ 29 <;t;c2 l:!.b8. 27 ... 'ii'e7 28 'ii'f2

Or 28 'it'd1 l:!.b8+ 29 <;t;al 'ii'a3, while 28 l:!.xds?? 'ii'h7+ pops the rook. 28 .. J�b8+ 29 �a1 'ii'a3

Black's queen and rook share the common goal: Torment White's king. 30 'ii'c2 l:!.e8 31llb4?

27

The Caro -Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

White didn't like the look of 31 �dl �e3, but his last move was an error.

Exercise (combination alert): Black has a trick, but the time to act is now. How does Black break through?

Answer: 31 ... d41 Overload!

32 .l:d.xd4 .l:d.el+ 33 .l:d.dl .l:d.xdl+ 34 'ii'xdl 'i!Vxc3+ 35 �bl 'ii'xh3 36 a4

28

Exercise {planning): The queen ending doesn't look all that easy to convert, yet Petrosian found a plan which forced his opponent's resignation in just

a few moves. Take your time. Let's see what you come up with.

S m sylov Va riation : Th e Quiet 5 liJf3

Answer: 36 ... hs l l 37 gxhs 'ii'fS+ 38 'it>b2 'ii'xf4 39 'it>b3 'i*'fs l Do you see Petrosian's idea behind 36 . . . hS ! ! now? There is no good way for White to stop

... 'it>h7-h6 and clipping the h S-pawn. 40 'it>c4

White's king walks around like a man temporarily revived from the dead, yet disori­ented and between two worlds. 40 ... 'it>h7

41 'it'd2 0-1 A blunder but it didn't matter at this point.

Exercise (calculation}: Work out the straightforward queening race line after 41 'it>b4 in your mind's eye.

Answer: 41 .. . a5+ 42 'it>c4 'it>h6 43 'it'e2 'it'xhs 44 'i*'xhS+ 'it>xhs 45 'it>bs g s 46 'it>xas g4 47 'it>b6 g3 48 aS g2 49 a6 g 1'ii'+. An impressive 18-ply if you made it to the end. For those who didn't, don't worry. We practice such exercises until we do!

Summary 7 S...c4 is too timid to produce an edge for White.

Game3

T.Wara komski-R.Wojtaszek Pardubice 2006

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 liJd2 dxe4 4 liJxe4 liJd7 s liJf3 liJgf6 6 liJxf6+ liJxf6 7 liJes

29

Th e Caro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: The point being?

Answer: White realizes that he has little hope for an opening advantage if he allows .. . i.g4. So he pre-empts Black's plan and plants his knight on es before it can be pinned. 7 ... i.e61

Divining the gist of White's plan, Black reacts with a counter-oddity. The surprising re­sponse is to double down on the pre-emption game and take the sting out of White's com­ing i.c4.

Question: Black's last move looks amateurish. He blocks the development of his dark-squared bishop doesn't he?

Answer: Ward, I think you were a little hard on the Beaver! The GM playing Black is now rated slightly over 2700 F IDE -no amateur! Black can develop his dark-squared bishop via g7. Also, by fianchettoing , Black creates a light-squared blockade on f5 in case White has attacking ideas based on f4.

Question: So is Black's last move forced?

Answer: It i sn't forced, but it is probably best. Black has two other responses: a) 7 . ..tiJd7 seems okay if a draw is all you are after as Black.

3 0

Smsyl o v Va riation: Th e Quiet 5 !D f3

For instance, 8 i.f4 (or 8 !Dd3 g 6 9 c3 i.g7 10 i.f4 'Was 11 'Wd2 o-o 12 i.e2 es and Black has equalized, A.Karpov-G.Sosonko, Amsterdam 1980) 8 .. . !Dxes 9 i.xes 'it'ds ! 10 c4 'WaS+ 11 'Wd2 'Wxd2+ 12 <Jtxd2 i.fs 13 i.d3 i.xd3 14 <Jtxd3 .l:!.d8 1S .l:!.he1 f6 16 i.g3 �f7 17 �c3 e6 18 .l:!.ad1 and the players agreed to a draw in E .Sutovsky-A.Karpov, Tilburg 1996.

b) 7 .. . i.fs 8 c3 e6 9 g4 i.g6 10 h4 was A.Karpov-V.Hort, Bugojno 1978. Perhaps this posi­tion is playable for Black, but the poor statistics in the database say otherwise. 8 .ie2

Instead 8 c3 g6 9 i.d3 i.g7 10 o-o 0-0 11 .l:!.e1 was A.Jakubiec-K.Miton, Karpacz 2008. Now I suggest a new move, 11 .. . cS ! :

1. Freeing Black's position. 2. Challenging White's central control. 3. Attempting to destabilize the es-knight. After 12 dxcs 'Wc7 we have dynamic equality.

8 .. . g6 9 0-0 i.g7 10 C4 Or 10 c3 0-0 11 !Dd3 i.c4!. Elimination of this problem piece gets Black close to equality

if not there already, F.Braga-H.Pfleger, German League 1990. 10 ... 0-0 11 i.e3 !De4!

3 1

The Caro - Ka n n: M o ve by M o ve

Karpov's move.

Question: It looks to me like the knight just shoots off into space, attacking nothing and going nowhere. What is the idea behind this move?

Answer: To the contrary, Black's knight is indeed headed somewhere. He intends to rede­ploy the knight to fS, via d6, where it pressures both d4 and bishop on e3 . 12 f4

He isn't shy and weakens a bit in order to entrench his es knight further and grab more space.

12 'Wc2 is too mild to yield an advantage: 12 ... t:Lld6 13 b3 was A.Sokolov-A.Karpov, Linares 1987, and now 13 . . . t:Llfs looks quite pleasant for Black. 12 ... tLld6 13 b3 'Wc71

Wojtaszek's specialty and an improvement over 13 ... 'Was 14 'Wc2 l:tad8 15 llad1 i.fs 16 'Wb2 i.e4 17 a4 which induced 17 ... 'Wc7 in I .Rogers-M.Wach, linz 1997. White's extra space is meaningful. 14 'Wd2llad8

Target: d4. 15 'Wb2?

He wants to keep his bishops, but ends up dropping a pawn instead. Chess is give and take. In this case he should give a little and play 1Sllad1! t:Llfs 16 'Wc3 f6 17 tLlf3 i.h6 18 g3 t:Llxe3 19 'Wxe3 i.f7. White's space looks formidable, but don't underestimate Black's bishop pair and potential on the dark squares. 1s ... t:Llfs 16 i.f2

32

Smsy/o v Variatio n : Th e Quiet 5 lDf3

Exercise {planning}: Black had his nose pressed against the candy store window, eyeing the prize on d4. Now he finds a way to seize a pawn. How?

Answer: 16 .. .f6! Step 1: Bump the knight.

17li:Jd3 He would love to play to f3. The trouble is 17li:Jf31i'xf4 drops his f-pawn.

17 ... 1i'd61 Step 2 : Pile up on d4.

Question: Something isn't right. Do the principles not state that we shouldn't place our queen in front when we double or triple on a file?

3 3

Th e Caro -Ka n n: M ove by M ove

Answer: Correct, yet here we see an exception and Black picks off a pawn in broad daylight. Nobody claimed chess was easy, or logical for that matter! 18 l:tad1 l2Jxd4 19 �xd4

I would keep my dark-squared bishop and try 19 lLlcs 'ii'xcs 20 �xd4 'ii'as. Still, White remains down a clean pawn. 19 ... 'ii'xd4+ 20 'ii'xd4 l:txd4 21t2Jcs l:txd1 22 l:txd1 ..tc8 23 fs!

A clever trap.

23 .. .'�h8 23 .. . gxfs? 24 tLld7! ..txd7 (or else he loses the exchange) 25 l:txd7 allows White to escape,

while 23 ... ..txfs? ! 24 tLlxb7 weakens the queenside pawn structure. 24 l2Je6 l:te8

He isn't tempted to take the intruder since his light-squared bishop is the gatekeeper of d7. 25 �f2 �h6 26 g3 l:tg8 27 �g4

Exercise {planning}: How to make progress for Black?

Answer: Allow the invasion to d7 anyway! 27 ... ..txe6!

Question: Didn't you just say earlier that the "light-squared bishop is the gatekeeper of d7"?

Answer: Details, details! Black finds a clever defensive anomaly. He (correctly) contradicts your confused writer by eliminating the powerful knight. 28 fxe6 fS 29 �f3 l:tb81 30 l:td7

34

Smsylov Varia t ion : Th e Quiet 5 Ci:Jf3

Black allows his opponent infiltration to the seventh rank, but White soon finds the rook can't achieve anything of significance there. Black simply plays around it.

30 ... i.f81

Exercise (multiple choice}: Find Black's most accurate response: a) 30 .. . ..tgs, protecting e7;

b) 30 .. . ..tf8, protecting e7 in an oddball manner.

Answer: Oddball it is. This is more accurate than 30 ... -tgs 31 h4 ..tf6 when Black's king doesn't have access to f6. 31 g4 fxg4 3 2 ..txg4

Question: It looks to me like Black stands worse, despite his extra pawn. Aren't all his pieces tied up?

Answer: All except one: his king ! 32 ... �g71

Watch how this guy scales the summit. 33 h4 �f6 34 :d3 hS I

Fixing a pawn target on h4. 35 i.h3 ..tg7 36 �e2

35

The Caro-Ka n n: M o ve by M o ve

Exercise {planning): How can Black make progress?

Answer: 36 ••• c.t>e51 Black's king brashly marches into enemy territory all alone. Muhammad Ali once said:

"It i sn 't bragging if you back it up!" Black threatens to go after h4 with . . . .1f6! next. 37 ..:te3+

37 ..:tg3 .1f6 38 ..:txg6 ..:th8 ! picks off h4 next, creating a passed h -pawn. 37 .•• c.t>d4 38 ..:tg3 .1f6 39 nxg6 ..:th81 40 ..:tg3 .txh4 41 ..:td3+ c.t>c5 42 ..:tf3

42 a3 as would get White nervous about ... a4. 42 .•. .1f6 43 c.t>d2 c.t>b41

Black's king is the leaf which rides the warm breezes of the dark squares. 44 c.t>c2 h4 45 ..:tf4 ..:td8 46 ..:tf5 b6

Thinking about .. . c.t>a3 ! . 47 .1g2 ..:td6 48 .1h3 ..:td81?

Black doesn't want to chance that White may hold the draw two pawns down after 48 ... nxe6 49 ..:tbs+ cxbs so .txe6 bxc4 51 bxc4. 49 .Yl.g2 ..:tc8 50 .Yl.e4 c.t>a3 51 ..:tf3

Or 51 c.t>b1 cs 52 ..:tf3 ..:tg8 5 3 ..:tf1 h3 54 ..:th1 ..:th8 5 5 .tfs h2 56 .Yl.e4 .tes and Black wins with the idea . . . ..:tg8 and . . . ..:tg1.

36

Smsylov Variation : Th e Quiet 5 I:Dj3

51 ... �b4 Rather than play this game of musical chairs around White's pawns, why not 51 ... a5 !

which looks like the quickest path to the win?

Question: Why not, though, take on a2?

Answer: Bravery is best swallowed in moderate doses ! It isn't wise to get the king cut off after 5 1 ... �xa2? ! 52 b4 with cheapo chances against Black's king.

52 nfs as 53 .tg2 cs 54 .tds �a3 The king continues his remarkable saga.

ss'>t>b1 White's pieces stand around uselessly, much like the guy whose job it was to rearrange

the deck chairs on the Titanic.

ss ... ngs s6 nf3 If 56 nfl h 3 57 nhl ng3 then Black follows with ... .te5, moves his rook, g oes ... h2 and

wins. S6 .. J:tg1+ 57 �c2 �xa2

The leach on a corpse extracts ever more blood from the dead. Remember just a few moves ago when Black's king stood cowering on h8? 58 �d3

58 nxf6?? fails to 58 .. . exf6 59 e7 ne1. ss ... .tes!

Avoiding the cheapo. 58 .. . �a3?? leaves Black begging for a draw after 59 l:txf6! exf6 60 e7 ne1 61 .te4 f5 62

e8'it' fxe4+ 63 �d2 nbl. Rybka, Fritz and Houdini all correctly assess this as drawn. I 'm sorry to report that Crafty announces imminent victory for White.

37

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

59 �e4 i.d6 0-1 Too many pawns. If White plays on he simply awaits destiny's kick in the rear end.

Summary Meet 7 tLles with the complete answer 7 ... i.e6! and you achieve dynamic equality.

Game4 N.Evseev-S.Fiohr

Odessa 1949

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 t2Jc3 dxe4 4 l2Jxe4 l2Jd7 5 t2Jf3 t2Jgf6 6 t2Jg3

Question: Why did White back down?

Answer: White reasons: 1. The player with the extra space should keep pieces on the board in order to keep his

opponent cramped. 2. The player with space usually gets to attack. If so, he should keep pieces on the board

to feed the coming attack. 6 .. . e6 You can even play 6 ... cs without preparation: 7 dxcs e6 8 c6 (8 b4! ? isn't popular, but I'm not crazy about Black's position at the end of this line: 8 ... as 9 c3 axb4 10 cxb4 b6 11 a4! bxcs 12 bS with a funky-looking reversed Noteboom; I prefer White with those two nasty queen side passers) 8 ... bxc6 9 ..lle2 i.e? 10 o-o �6 11 :b1 o-o 12 c4 :d8 13 'ii'c2 cs 14 ..lld2 i.b7 and I like Black's position, Ye Jiangchuan-A.Karpov, Shenyang 2000. White's queen side

38

Smsylo v Va riatio n : Th e Quiet 5 ti:Jj3

pawn majority may be difficult to activate if Black tosses in .. . as later on.

7 i.d3 After 7 ..tc4 ti:Jb6 ( I'm not sure if this move is a tempo gain or not since Black's knight

may need to return to d7 to challenge a white knight posted there) 8 i.d3 cS (Black's last few moves look like a l ogical response to White's development of his bishop to c4) 9 dxcs i.xcs 10 0-0 0-0 11 "ii'e2 "ii'c7 Black can be happy with the outcome of the opening, with the standard opposite-wing majority position, M.Golubev-R.Ponomariov, Kramatorsk 1996.

7 ... i.e7

Question: This looks passive. Why doesn't Black play the freeing break 7 .. . cs right away?

Answer: I would call it cautious, rather than passive. Black, slightly behind in development for the moment, prefers to complete more of his development before opening the game with ... cs . Next game we look at the more confrontational 7 .. . cs .

8 o-o o-o 9 "ii'e2 cs Now that he has castled, Black feels the time is right for his traditional freeing break. He

can stall . . . cs even longer with 9 ... b6 10 c4 i.b7 11 .1f4. I once reached a nearly identical position from a blitz gam e against Kasparov over the ICC, except it arose from a Semi-Slav! The Caro structures have intimate ties to Slav, Semi-Slav, Rubinstein French, French Tar­rasch ... "ii'xds lines and c3-Sicilian positions. Here 11 ... c s 12 dxcs ..txcs 13 l:tad1 "ii'e7 14 ti:Jgs was G.Kasparov-M.Adams, London (rapid) 1993, where Black looks fine after 14 .. . es ! .

10 c3 After the 10 l:td1 "ii'c7 11 c4 (Kasparov tended to favour his c-pawn on c4 instead of c3 in

this line) 11 .. . cxd4 12 ti:Jxd4 a6 13 b3 l:te8 14 ..tb2 b6 15 ti:Jhs ..tb7 (if Karpov feared White's sac on the next move he would have played 1S ... tt:Jcs) 16 ti:Jxe6! ? (this sac, though objec-

39

Th e Caro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

tively in Black's favour, certainly creates practical difficulties for the defence) 16 .. .fxe6 17 'it'xe6+ �f8 18 ..txh7 of G.Kasparov-A.Karpov, Amsterdam 1988, 18 .. . -tcs ! maintains the advantage by reminding White that Black's pieces are also very active.

Question: How do we develop our buried bishop and the queenside?

Answer: Simple. Like this: 10 . . . b6

As is usual in this line, Black's bad bishop turns out to be not so bad once it reaches the h 1-a8 diagonal.

Instead 10 .. . cxd4 11 l2Jxd4 (going for a c3 Sicilian set-up over the isolani is generally thought to be White's best shot for an edge) 11 ... l2Jcs ! ? (this may be too early; Black shouldn't give White free reign over es and 11 .. . a6 followed by ... l:!.e8, ... "iic7, . . . bs and ... i.b7 may be a superior way to develop) 12 ..tc2 l:!.e8 13 l:!.d1 i.d7 14 l2Jf3 (14 a4 also gives White a slight edge) 14 ... 'i*'C7 1S l2Jes l:!.ad8 16 i.f4 "ikc8 was P.Thipsay-V. Ravikumar, New Delhi 1984. Now 17 l2Jhs ! puts Black under pressure on the kingside. 11t2Jes

Or 11 l:!.e1 i.b7 12 dxcs ! ( I feel that White's best shot at an edge is to play the position c3-Sicilian style) 12 . . . l2Jxcs (I would recapture with 12 ... -txcs ! ? and keep the d7-knight eye­ing es) 13 ..tc2 'i*'c7 14 c4 l:!.ad8 15 b3 as 16 i.b2 "ikf4!? 17 ..tes i.xf3 18 ..txf4 ..txe2 19 1:!.xe2 i.d6 20 i.d2 l:!.d7 21 l2Jf1 l2Ja6! 22 a3 l:!.c7 and Black's play on the dark squares compensates for White's bishop pair, S.Tiviakov-D.Navara, Herak lion 2007.

4 0

Smsy/o v Variation : Th e Quiet 5 lDj3

11 .. . i.b7

Question: Can Black play 11. . .cxd4?

Answer: I was about to scold you and tell you that your suggestion is just asking for trouble after 12 t:Dc6 'i*'e8 13 cxd4, but then if Black plays 13 ... .td6! I don't see anything special for White. So the answer is yes, oddly enough, your move is playable. I hate it when students get the better of me! 12 f4?1

Question: White's attack looks pretty dangerous, doesn't it? fS is in the air.

Answer: White doesn't achieve the attack he imagines after this move. H e should play the calmer 12 i.e3 lDdS (Black also gets reasonable central counterplay after 12 .. . cxd4 13 i.xd4 tLlxes 14 i.xes 'ii'ds 15 f4 l:tfd8) 13 'i*'c2, as in M.Bluvshtein-H.Koneru, Oakham 2001, al­though even here Black stands better after 13 .. .f5 ! 14 .td2 cxd4 1S lDxd7 'i*'xd7 16 cxd4. 12 ... cxd4 13 cxd4

4 1

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M ove

Exercise {planning): A run-of-the-mill isolani position? Not quite. Black has an unorthodox method of seizing the initiative. How?

Answer: 13 ... ttJxes l Step 1 : De-isolating the isolani allows Black t o take over the reins o f the position.

14 dxes tDg41 Step 2: The point of his last move. It is Black, not White, who is doing the pushing, as

Flohr the technician morphs into Morphy.

15 ..txh7+ This wins a pawn, but leaves White woefully inadequately covered on the light squares.

His "attack" turns out to be no more than a reflection of a reflection. White's trouble is that it's hard to ignore that dangling knight on g4: for example, 15 �h1 i.cs and now if he tries 16 tDe4? he gets hit with 16 ... ttJxh2 ! 17 tDf6+ (17 ttJxcs tDxf1! wins material due to the fork on g3) 17 ... gxf6 18 �xh2 fS 19 g3 �h8, leaving Black up a pawn with an attack. 1S ... �xh7 16 ,.xg4 Wd4+ 17 �h1 .l::!.ac8

This is what Black had in mind for the pawn: 1. The bishop pair in an open position. 2. A development lead. 3 . Domination of the light squares. 4. The C2-square is ripe for infiltration. s. A target on g2. 6. By far the safer king. Conclusion : White sits a centimetre from busted.

18 tDhs? Still under the delusion he is attacking. It was time to sound the retreat with 18 We2

4 2

Smsylov Va ria t io n : Th e Quiet 5 lDf3

when Black continues to have more than enough compensation for the pawn. 18 ... g6 19 'ii'h3

19 . . . l:.h81

Exercise: White threatens a deadly discovery. Must Black acquiesce to the draw by perpetual by taking the knight?

Answer: Some discoveries are less deadly than others. Black once again reminds White just who does the attacking and who defends around here. Black's king, though temporarily imprisoned, continues to call the shots like the mob boss who runs his criminal empire from behind bars. 20 lDf6+

The knight drops anchor on f6, but then, so what? It becomes clear that the intruder fails utterly in disturbing Black's king in any way.

20 �e3 'ii'xb2 is also of no help to White. 20 . . . <.tg7 21 'ii'e3

4 3

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

Exercise (combination alert}: You and I both know the truth: White is crushed. How so?

Answer: 21 ••• .l:;.c21 When I was younger one of my friends jokingly nicknamed me "Salo". The reference

was to our hero playing the black pieces, GM Salo Flohr (normally a quite technical player), and the implication was that I played boring chess. I am tempted to send him this game to make him rethink my nickname ! 22 .. g3

4 4

Exercise (combination alert}: Time for another trick from Black. Do you see it?

Smsylov Va ria t ion : Th e Quiet 5 tiJj3

Instead 22 'it'xd4 :xg2 is mate in two m oves, while 22 l:tg1 'it'd1 ! ! is the cutest of the many wins Black has at his disposal. Answer: Deflection. 22 .. .'i'd31

There the black queen sits on d3, rudely pointing and laughing at White's embarrassed queen on g3. 23 'i'xd3

23 i.e3 'it'xe3 ! doesn't change a thing. 23 ... .!:1xg2

White's position finally snaps, like the cracking of an iron skillet left too long on a hot stove. 24 !iJg4 l:1gxh2+ 0-1

Summary We must treat the 6 !iJg3 line with respect since White h overs over our king side with a mob of pieces, but also have faith in our defensive resources, bolstered by our extra pawn on that flank.

Game s S. Tivia kov-M.Ada ms

1st m atchga me, New York 1994

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 tiJc3 dxe4 4 !iJxe4 tiJd7 5 tiJf3 !iJgf6 6 !iJg3 e6 7 jt_d3 cs!?

The Eli Wallach character in The Good the Bad and the Ugly said to his newly dead, gunned down rival : "When you have to shoot, shoot! Don't talk!" Here, we reach across an ideological divide. The question is not if we want to play ... cs . W e always do. The question is

4 5

The Caro-Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

when to play ... cs . In this case, Black, unafraid of White's slight lead in development, de­cides to free himself immediately, refusing to take time out for precautions like .. . i.e7, ... 0-0, ... b6, ... i.b7 and only then ... cs .

Question: I sn 't Black breaking the principle: Don't open the game when behind in development?

Answer: He does break that principle but follows one which states: If you are cramped and have a freeing break, then play it. 8 0-0

8 c3 cxd4 9 lLlxd4 (White's knight on g3 seems misplaced in the isolani positions which arise from 9 cxd4?!} 9 .. . i.cs 10 o-o o-o 11 lLle4 lZJxe4 12 i.xe4 lZJf6 13 i.c2 (the plan to pres-sure the queenside with 13 i.f3 is met with 13 ... es) 13 .. . i.xd4 14 'Wxd4 ( I would have kept queens on with 14 cxd4 i.d7 15 i.gs i.c6 16 'Wd2} 14 ... li'xd4 15 cxd4 i.d7 led to a rather lame-looking isolani position for White in S.Palit-K.Sasikiran, Mumbai 2004. 8 ... cxd4 9 lLlxd4 i.cs 10 lLlb3

He moves his knight away from Black's king, but moving the knight closer doesn't score any better: 10 lLlf3 o-o 11 'We2 b6 12 i.f4 i.b7 13 �ad1 lLlds 14 i.c1 'Wc7 15 lLlgs lLlsf6 16 �h1 l:tad8 17 lLlSe4 lZJxe4 18 lLlxe4 i.e7 19 f4! ? g6 20 b3 lLlf6 21 lLlxf6+ i.xf6 22 i.a3 �fe8 23 i.bs l:.xd1 24 'Wxd1 l:.d8 and Black already stood slightly better, thanks mainly to White's huffy f4 advance, B. lvanovic-J .Speelman, Thessaloniki Olympiad 1984.

Instead 10 c3 transposes to the Palit-Sasikiran gam e in the note above. 10 ... i.e7

I used to play the .. .'�xds line as Black in the French Tarrasch . This position is similar, but without the l oss of time incurred by Black in the Tarrasch - meaning equality. 11 �e1 o-o 12 'Wf31

46

Smsy/ov Variatio n : Th e Quiet 5 0.f3

This type of position is in Tiviakov's DNA. H e is a c3-Sicilian specialist (as of the time of

writing, a whopping 414 games in the line as White!) and this position has great similari­ties. Let's assess:

1. We have opposite-wing pawn majorities. 2. Black's kingside pawn majority makes the likelihood of a successful White attack

slim. 3. Black has only one developmental issue: how to develop his queens ide.

Conclusion: White must start trouble on the queen side, not the other wing, as most club players would do here! 12 ... asl?

12 ... .:te8 feels like a safer move, but also a more cumbersome way to develop after 13 c3 "Wc7 14 i.f4 i.d6 15 i.xd6 'ii'xd6 16 .:tad1 'ii'c7 17 i.c2 tbf8 18 0.e4 0.xe4 19 i.xe4 .:tb8 20 "Wg3 es 21 0.d4 i.d7 22 0.fs i.xfs 23 i.xfs, as in K.Aseev-A.Vyzmanavin, Riga 1988. Even here, Black equalizes after 23 ... .:tbd8. 13 a4 0.b6 14 i.d2

Question: Isn 't White clearly better? After all Black made a self-inflicted hole on bS.

Answer: I think Black is fine. True, he made a hole, but after Black's next move White, in a strange way, allows Black control over dS.

Question: How so? White can play c4 kicking out a piece on ds.

Answer: True again, but at an incredibly high cost of creating dark-square punctures on cs

and b4. Observe:

47

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by Move

14 ... lLlbds! Are you really prepared to play c4 in this position to eject the knight?

15 ..tbs

Question: Why doesn't White try to occupy bs with a knight after 1S lLld4?

Answer: He didn't want to hand over the bishop pair if Black responded with 1S ... lt:Jb4. 1S ... .i.d71?

Adams believes in the philosophy that if there is one thing we shouldn't put up with, it's comm on sense! He deliberately hangs b7 in order to provoke c4 and horrific complica­tions erupt. A chicken like me would probably go for 1S .. . lt:Jb4 16 J:Ied1 "ilc7 17 c3 lLlc6 18 lt:Je4 lLldS ! . Once again c4 comes at a high strategic risk to White. 16 C4!?

Accepting the challenge. 16 .. . ..txbs 17 axbs lt:Jb4

Threatening to fork on c2. 18 "i/xb7!?

Here we go! Neither side backs down. If 18 .i.xb4 .i.xb4 19 J:Ied1 "ile7 and b7 is still de­fended. 18 ... lt:Jc2 19 J:Ixas!

If 19 .i.xas? ! "ild3 ! 20 "ilf3 lt:Jxe1 21 .i.xe1 J:Ixa1! 22 "i/xd3 J:Ixe1+ 23 lt:Jf1 l:Id8 24 "ilh3 l:Idd1 25 g 3 l:Ie2! and White's pawns begin to drop. Black is winning according to Houdini,

Rybka, Fritz and even Crafty!

19 ... lt:Jxe1 20 J:Ixa8 "ilxa8 21 "ilxa8 Let's hope no readers contemplated 21 "ilxe7?? and fell for 21 .. . "i/xg 2 mate!

21 ... J:Ixa8 22 ..txe1

48

S m sy/ov Varia tion : Th e Quiet 5 'Df3

We reach a position very difficult to evaluate. The comps say advantage Black - but only if he finds the correct m ove.

Exercise (multiple choice): What is the right call ?

a) 22 .. . l:!.a4, provoking the pawns forward in order to weaken them; b) 22 ... 'Dd7, establishing a blockade.

Answer: 22 ••• l:!.a41! Leading the charge from behind with a brilliant, counterintuitive move. I realize this

move looks suicidal, yet according to the computers Black is winning here. However, he must continue with comp-like precision to prove it. Black only draws if he picks the safer plan after 22 .. . 'Dd7 23 'Das 'Des ! 24 Wfl 'Dd3 25 'Dc6 i.f8 26 i.c3 l:!.a4! 27 b6 l:!.xc4! 28 b7 �d6 29 b8'it'+ ..txb8 30 'Dxb8 .l:ta4 31 'Dc6 when 31 ... l:!.a2 picks off b2 with a likely draw. 23 cs l:!.c4 24 c6

4 9

Th e Caro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Scary stuff. Those pawns push forward to the surface like bubbles forming in a mud

puddle.

24 ... ttlds?

Exercise (multiple choice): Black has a hidden path to victory. It's imperative that he continues to find exclams!

a) 24 . . . ttld4, blockade; b) 24 ... i.b4 in order to weaken b4.

Answer: Adams stumbles, failing to turn the key: control over b4. Once again the illogical­l ooking, non-blockading move turns out to be correct! 24 ... i.b4! 25 i.xb4 (or 25 'Ot>fl i.xel 26 �xel ttle8 ! and there is no good defence to . . J:tb4! next) 25 .. Jhb4 26 c7 l:tc4 27 b6. Gulp! Visually, it looks like Black should resign, but instead he wins after 27 ... ttld7! since the pawns fall. 25 ttlf11

Preparing to challenge Black's powerful knight next move. Suddenly, Black's position l ooks precarious again. 2S ... 'Ot>f8

Black's king runs over to the queenside to help out as fast as his little legs will carry him! 26 ttle3 ttlxe3 27 fxe3 'Ot>e8 28 i.c3 i.csl 29 'Ot>f2 i.b6

30 '0t>f3

Question: Why isn't White taking the hanging pawn on g7?

Answer: If 30 i.xg7? Black has 30 ... l:tb4! and suddenly Black may be winning since White's

5 0

Smsylov Va ria t io n : The Quiet 5 li:Jf3

queenside pawns begin to drop. 30 ... 'iti'd8 31 i..xg7??

Tiviakov clearly didn't read your last question ! He should play 31 li:Jas! i..xas 32 i..xaS+ 'it>c8 33 b4 fS. My feeling is the position is in stasis and neither side can make progress without huge risk.

However, 31 �e2? ! looks like a false path after 31. . .:g4! 32 �d3 (not 32 g3? l:igS ! )

32 ... .:!.xg2. Maybe this is still okay for White, but I don't trust h is ability to break the block­ade on the queenside. Meanwhile Black soon creates passers of his own on the king side. 31 . . . .:!.b41

Oops! Now White's pawns slowly drain away like bath water and Tiviakov must have fought the urge to bang his head on the table! 32 lDd4?1

An inaccuracy, no doubt due to the effects of his previous blunder. This move allows more simplification and makes the mop up easy. 32 i..f6+ �c8 33 li:Jd2 .:!.xbs 34 �e4 J:.cs is also busted for White, but at least the position remains slightly more complicated with that knight on the board. 32 ... i.xd4 33 i..xd4 .:!.xbs 34 �e4 �c7 35 i..c3 �xc6

The body count continues to rise. White only has a pawn for the exchange and is vul­nerable to light-square infiltration. 36 g3 �d6 37 �d3 .:tfs 38 �e4 l:tf2 39 i..es+ �c6 40 g4

Exercise (combination alert}: Not really a combination. Let's call it a forcing line which nets Black a pawn. How?

Answer: 40 ... fS+I 41 gxfs exfS+ 42 �d4 42 �d3 �dS overloads the bishop, who must abandon either b2 or h2 .

5 1

The Caro-Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

42 .. J:.Xb2 43 i.g3 l:tb5 44 e4?! Oh my God, he drops more material ! The chess gods certainly smiled upon Adams in

this game. Still, it really didn't matter since Black was winning anyway. Let's do a couple of calculation exercises and work out both lines as far as we can if White had not dropped the pawn on the 44th move.

Exercise (calculation): Work out the following lines in your head: a) 44 i.f4 l:td5+ 45 �C3 �d7 46 i.g3 �e6 47 i.f4 �f7 48 �C4 l:tdl

49 i.es Wg6 so i.d4 l:td2 s1 .tes �h s 52 �c3 l:td7 53 ..tf4 �g4 54 �C4 �f3 55 �C3 �e4 56 �C4 l:td3;

b) 44 �d3 �dS 45 ..tf4 l:tb3+ 46 '&t>c2 l:ta3 47 �d2 �e4 48 �e2 l:ta2+ 49 �el �f3 and wins with the idea . . . !:te2 and ... l:txe3.

44 • • J:tb4+ 45 �e5 fxe4 46 i.f4 l:tc4 47 ..th6 l:tc2 48 �xe4 l:txh2 49 i.f4 !:tg2 50 �f3 l:tg6 51 i.g3 h 5 52 �f4 �d5 53 i.e1 l:tg4+ 54 '&t>f3 <&t>e6 55 i.g3 ..t>f5 56 i.b8 h4 57 i.h2 h 3 58 i.g3 l:tg6 59 '&t>f2 �e4 0-1

Summary If you don't mind playing the c3-Sicilian style positions which arise in this line then go for 7 .. . cs.

5 2

Chapter Two

Smyslov Variation 5 �c4: The Ol d Line

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 lL:!c3 dxe4 4 ttJxe4 lL:!d7 5 ..ltc4

Decades of trial and error, and the games of Anatoly Karpov, defanged 5 ..ltc4 and also clipped its nails. White can no longer expect an edge, whether he posts his bishop on d3, which aims at Black's h7 and perhaps his king later on, or posts to b3, looking for sacs in the centre. You simply need to learn a few key defensive tricks:

1. When to play ... cs . 2 . When to challenge a white knight on es {always and often !) . Learn too Black's traps and tricks, mainly involving key checks on as and b4 at the ap­

propriate moments. This is not a line you can wing and play by feel. You must study this chapter well and perhaps memorize the first 12 to 16 m oves. If you do, you can feel confi­dent about reaching dynamic equality.

53

The Caro -Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 tbd2

Game 6 V.Jansa-R.Kholmov

Budapest 1976

Question: Why do players sometimes play their knight to d2 rather than c3?

inswer: In a way it's moot since White gets 3 .. . dxe4 4 tbxe4 virtually 100% of the time. But here are three reasons White sometimes avoids the 3 tbc3 move order:

1. If Black tries to transpose to Gurgenidze Modern with 3 ... g6, then White would rather station his knight on d2, in order to play c3, backing up his d-pawn.

2. The same logic applies if Black plays 3 ... e6? ! . Here too, White would probably prefer to have his knight on d2 and pawn on c3.

3. White may not want to bother studying the rare 3 .. . bs, the best response to which is 4 a3! . In essence, playing 3 tbd2 is a practical decision since White doesn't have to study these offbeat lines. But, on the other hand, these offbeat lines are all deemed somewhat dubious for Black, so why not invite them? 3 .•• dxe4 4 tbxe4 tbd7 5 .i.c4

The old mainline. We cover 5 tbgs, the jump to nowhere, in Chapter Three.

s . . . tLJgf6 The most natural move. We won't cover the offbeat and semi-dubious lines: a) s . . . e6 6 tbf3 tbgf6 7 tbxf6+ lbxf6 8 �e2 i.d6 9 .tgs h6 10 .th4 and Black essentially

gets a position arising from Chapter One, except his light-squared bishop is hemmed in behind his pawn chain, rather than outside on fs or g4, meaning the position is in White's favour, V.Kramnik-S.Quist, Mainz (simul) 2001.

54

Smsylov Va ria t ion 5 1L c4 : Th e Old L ine

b) 5 . . .<�)df6 6 lbg5 e6 7 lbe2 ! (one of White's problems in the Smyslov Caro i s that his knights sometimes trip over each other, both wanting to play to f3; here White solves the

problem by playing one to e2, the other to f3) 7 ... ..td6 (he needs to keep e7 clear for his g 8-knight) 8 lbg3 'ikc7 9 lD5e4! lbxe4 10 lbxe4 1Le7 (like a lamb; White's point is 10 ... .i.f4?? is

met with 11 'ikg4! ) 11 'ikf3 lbf6 12 ..ltf4, V.Gurevich-5. 11jin, Alushta 1999. Black can't be too happy getting shoved around like this. 6 lbgs

Please note the mate in one threat on f7! 6 ... e6

After 6 .. . lbd5! ? (I would avoid these quirky, offbeat lines and go for the mainlines) 7 liJ1f3 h6 8 lbe4 lb7b6 9 .i.b3 .i.f5 10 'ike2 e6 11 o-o .i.e7 12 lbg3 .i.h7 13 c4 lbf6 14 .i.f4 o-o

15 .l:tad1 Black's lack of weaknesses doesn't make up for his lack of space in this rather un­inspirational position, N.Guliyev-N.Giffard, lssy les Moulineaux 2010. 7 'i'e2

With a sneaky threat. Instead 7 lbe2, mysteriously given ' ! ' by Simagin, is actually quite harmless: 7 ... h6 8 lbf3 c5 (I didn't see a reason to stall on the break; alternatively, 8 . . . fi.d6 9 o-o 'i'e7 10 lbc3?! b5 11 .i.d3 b4 12 lbe4 lbxe4 13 fi.xe4 lbf6 14 .i.d3 o-o 1 5 'ike2 .i.b7 16 .id2 c5 17 dxc5 'ikxc5 18 h3 e5 when Black's majority awakens and he stands better,

V.Simagin-V.Smyslov, Moscow 1963) 9 o-o a6 10 dxc5 i.xc5 11 a4 'ikc7 12 fi.d3 (this consti­tutes a loss of tempo since he could have played his bishop to d3 in the first place) 12 .. . .i.d6

13 h3 lbc5 14 lbc3 o-o 15 1Le3 b6 16 .i.xc5 .i.xc5 and Black already stood better with the bishop pair in the open position, I .Sterin-C.Lakdawala, American Open 1996.

7 ... lbb6 Let's all try hard never to fall for 7 ... h6?? 8 lbxf7! �xf7 9 'ikxe6+ �g6 10 .i.d3+ �h5 11

'i'h3 mate !

8 .id3

55

The Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M ove

White logically posts his bishop toward the kingside, deducing that Black's king eventu­ally ends up on that wing . We examine 8 ..tb3 in the final three games of the chapter. 8 . . . h6

Question: What am I missing? Why can't Black grab on d4?

Answer: Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should! Black fall s seriously behind in development after 8 ... 'it'xd4?! and White scores at a 2:1 ratio in this position. Af­ter 9 lLl1f3 'it'd5 (discouraging lLle5) 10 lLle5! (apparently White wasn't discouraged enough ! ) 10 ... 'it'xg 2 11 l:U1 Jl...e7 12 lLlef3! (threatening to trap Black's queen, which is even stronger than taking on f7) 12 ... 'it'g4 13 lLlxf7! :g8 (White's clever point is 13 ... 0-0?? is met harshly with 14 lLlh6+! gxh6 15 :g 1 winning the queen) 14 :g1 White had a lot for the pawn in J.Arnason-K.Helmers, Reykjavik 1982.

1. Development lead in an open position. 2. Open d-, e- and g-files for his attack. 3. A target on e6. 4. Domination over e5.

9 lLlSf3

Question: If my opponent offers the d-pawn with g lLle4 should I take it?

Answer: g lLle4?! is exactly the kind of move which would appeal to the club player who played over too many of Morphy's games! Sure, take the pawn. It's doubtful White's slim development l ead cuts it after 9 ... 'it'xd4! 10 lLlf3 'it'd8 11 ..tf4 lLlbd5 12 ..te5 lLlxe4 13 'ii'xe4 'it'a5+ 14 c3 lLlf6 15 'it'f4 Jl...e7 16 o-o o-o, D.Hoogland-P.Drenchev, French League 2006. Black remains a bit cramped, but White's full compensation for a pawn just isn't there.

56

Smsylov Va riat ion 5 i. c4 : Th e Old L ine

9 ... cs

Our freeing break and healing balm which soothes. 10 dxcs

White doesn't want to worry about protection of d4 and clears the d-file for his rook, at the cost of allowing Black to recapture without loss of tempo on cs. We look at 10 i.e3 a couple of games down the road. 10 ... -txcs

I Question: You were right about White's knights tripping over each other.

How will he develop the one on g1?

Answer: By moving his f3-knight to es next move, he clears f3 once again for the straggler on g1.

The confrontational 10 .. . l2Jbd7!? is also playable for Black, who greatly increases the scope of the complications in exchange for greater risk. This line is for the born trouble­makers out there. Black gets compensation for the pawn the following way: 11 b4 l2Jds 12 .id2 ir'f6 13 �b1 as 14 a3 g S 15 i.bs i.g7 with Catalan-like compensation in C.Baker­K.Arkell, British league 1996. All well and good, but I will take back immediately on cs in my games and I suggest you do the same! 11 l2Jes

Question: What if White tries the plan 11 i.d2, intending to castle long and attack with lLJes and g4? It looks to me like White is faster.

57

The Caro - K a n n : M ove by M o ve

Answer: GM Adams virtually refuted this plan with the trick 11 .. . 0-o 12 o-o-o lLla4! ! . Black scores just over 70% from this position ! Following 13 i.b5 i.d7 ! ! White struggles in every line after this move of remarkable sangfroid:

a) Black stands better after 14 i.xa4 i.xa4: a1) 15 'it'c4 'it'e8 ! 16 'it'xc5 .:c8 17 'it'b4 i.xc2 18 lLle2 i.xd1+ 19 �xd1 'it'd7. a2) 15 i.xh6 'ii'c7 16 i.e3 i.xe3+ 17 fxe3 l:tac8 and for the pawn Black gets a develop­

ment lead, an attack and the initiative to boot. b) After the 14 .ixd7 'it'xd7 of K.Georgiev-M.Adams, Groningen 1993, astonishingly the

natural 15 i.xh6? gives Black the initiative and attack after 15 ... 'it'c6 ! : ·

b1) 16 i.g5 lLlc3 ! 17 bxc3 lLle4 (threatening a nasty check on a3) 18 .:d3 lLlxf2 and White is in deep trouble.

b2) 16 i.e3 'it'b6 17 c3 i.xe3+ 18 fxe3 .:ac8 19 'it'C2 lLle4! . The knight is immune from prosecution and Black has a strong attack no matter how White plays it.

Returning to 11 lLle5:

58

S m sylov Va ria t ion 5 .ic4: Th e Old L ine

11 .. .t2Jbd7

Question: Violating a principle? Shouldn't Black just castle? This is the third time the knight moves in the opening.

Answer: And the fifth time for White's knight! My rule of thumb for Black: challenge the strong point on es whenever you can. Castling, although playable, leads to positions which don't appeal to most Smyslov Caro players: for example, 11 ... 0-0 12 lDgf3 "iic7 13 0-0 .id7 14 c4! .ic6 (maybe he should play 14 .. J:tfd8 intending to harmonize with .. . i..e8) 15 l2Jxc6 'i'xc6 16 .id2 aS 17 l:tad1 l2Jbd7 18 b3 .:Ue8 19 i..c3 'irb6 20 i..b1 .::tad8 21 l2Jd4. Advantage White, with the bishop pair, queenside pawn majority and control over bS in S.Movsesian­K.Miton, Bermuda 2003. 12 tbgf3 'iic7

13 0-0 Playing it safe. Next game we examine 13 i..f4.

Question: What about 13 .id2? My plan is to castle queen side and then at­tack king side with g4, h4 and gs . White's attack looks faster than Black's.

Answer: All very logical except that none of these things will happen since Black has an immediate combination in the position which wins a pawn the following way: 13 .. . l2Jxes 14 l2Jxes i..xf2+! 15 �xf2 'iixes ! and Black's queen is safe due to the knight fork on g4. Re­member this trick! I guarantee you a small percentage of your opponents will play right into it.

Instead if 13 lDxd7 i..xd7 and then White goes after the bishop pair with 14 l2Jes? we hit him with our favourite trap 14 ... i..xf2+! 15 �xf2 "iixes ! winning a pawn.

5 9

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

13 ... 0-o 14 Sl.f4 Or 14 �e1 Sl.d6 15 SLf4 lt:Jxe5 16 lt:Jxe5 b6 17 i.g3 i.b7 18 �ad1 �ad8 19 c3 i.a8 20 Sl.b1

�fe8 21 a3 SLd5 and White got nothing from the opening, G .Hernandez-I.Morovic Fernan­dez, Las Palmas 1995. 14 ... Sl.d6

Remember our rule of thumb: N ever allow a white knight to remain comfortable on e5. Constantly harass and challenge. 1S lt:Jxd7

Openly playing for the draw against his higher-rated opponent. Instead 15 �fe1 trans­poses to the H ernandez-Morovic game in the above note and observe too that Black has a strategic threat. Indeed, the careless 15 c4? is met with 15 . . . lt:Jh5 ! (this is another trick to never forget) 16 g3 lt:Jxf4 17 gxf4 when White's chances down the g-file don't make up for the damage sustained to his pawn structure. 1S ... Sl.xd7 16 Sl.xd6 'ii'xd6 17 lt:Jes �fd8

17 ... �ad8 is the safer choice, preserving the f-rook for e8 to prevent sacs, as in Aardwolf

P5-C.Lakdawala, GMs versus Machines Match (internet) 1996. Yes, I know I 'm not a GM, but they asked me to fill in when one of the GMs bailed out of the match at the last minute. Here I equalized, similar to the game continuation after 18 �fe1 'ii'b6 19 c3 Sl.c6. 18 �ad1 'ii'b6

19 lt:Jxd7

Question: What if White doesn't go for this imbalance? I see no chance of Black winning and only getting a draw at best.

Answer: There is no magic formula for Black. If you don't want a draw, just be patient and an imbalance usually arises at some point later in the game. It is very rare to go through an

60

Smsylo v Va ria t ion 5 i..c4: The Old L ine

entire game without some imbalance or tactic cropping up. Sometimes the imbalance or tactic arrives on move so, rather than 15, but arise it does. In my own games, masters rated from 2200-2350 sometimes play such boring stuff in the hope of a draw since I outrate them. I admit that it is annoying when the lower-rated opponents, intent on the draw, do everything in their power to deaden the position and it can feel like your face is slowly be­ing pushed into a lukewarm bowl of oatmeal. However, they don't always get the draw they are after for these reasons:

1. Black tends to have more experience than opponents in such structures and they make tiny inaccuracies which accumulate into subtle forms of degeneration of their position.

2. A player who is intent on drawing becomes susceptible to the disease of drifting. In­action can sometimes be as harmful as wrong action.

3. Some form of turmoil always seems to arise, creating some imbalance later on. 4. And remember, you still have one imbalance: your kingside versus his queen side

pawn majority. So a draw isn't automatic. Also, you control the black pieces. From a theoretical stand­

point, assuming your opponent is in your rating range, it is up to White to try for an ad­vantage. Black should be happy with equality. 19 .. Jbd7 20 c3 �adS 21 i..c2 g6

Most GMs won't fall for 21 ... 'ii'xb2?? 22 i..h7+.

22 .ia4 -- �

Continuing his policy of waste removal toward his g oal of a draw. 22 ... .l:.d6 2 3 .l:.xd6 .l:.xd6 24 .l:.d1 a6 25 g3 'it>g7 26 .l:.xd6 'ii'xd6

Question: Isn't Black the one fighting for the draw? After all, here are White's advantages:

1. Bishop over knight. 2. Queenside pawn majority.

6 1

The Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Answer: I agree with you on both points, except those are Black's advantages you listed! In such endings it's important to distinguish one's l eft foot from one's right:

1. An endgame principle you should be aware of is that queen/knight tag team combo outguns queen/bishop due to the attacking power of queen and knight working together.

2. If Black wants to generate an attack, then his king side pawn majority is an advantage rather than a disadvantage in this ending.

I once saw an annotated game where IM Andrew Martin criticized GM Keith Arkell for playing the Smyslov Caro against a lower-rated opponent, claiming that White had a draw anytime he wanted. I disagree. Karpov beat the tar out of most lower-rated GMs with this line in the go's and most of his opponents were very happy to take the easy draw if they could. The positions are subtle and one must possess good technical skil ls to convert in endings, but dead drawn - no. This line's elusive and deadly quality is in its sweet inno­cence and outer appearance of harmlessness. 27 'iid1

Exercise: Should Black swap queens?

27 . . . 1tcst Answer: No! Remember, queen and knight together make a powerful attacking duo. If Black trades queens he stands slightly worse due to White's bishop and queenside pawn majority. 28 'iid2

62

Smsylov Variat ion 5 i..c4 : Th e Old L i n e

28 ... lbe41

Exercise (planning}: In such positions we must be thoughtful more than forceful . Black wants to push his majority forward while stalling White's on the other wing. Find a knight manoeuvre which accomplishes both.

-----=--

Answer: Head for d6. 29 'i'e2

Question: Can White draw after 29 'i'd4+?

Answer: White sweats out a tough defence after 29 ... 'i'xd4 30 cxd4 lbd6 31 .ic2 b6 32 i..b3 tt.Jfs 33 ds es, intending .. . lbd6, .. .fs, . . . �f6, . . . e4 and .. . �es.

29 ... lbd61 This is the perfect spot for the knight: 1. It clears the way for his e- and f-pawns. 2. It covers c4 and, if need be, Black can play ... bs to slow down the creation of a passer

for White on the queenside. 3. When Black plays ... e s, the sensitive f7 point is covered by the knight.

30 i..b3 es 31 �g2 e4 Notice how Black's majority begins to roll while White can't figure out how to move his.

32 'i'd2 'i'es 33 h4 Maybe with Black's pawn on e4, the time had arrived for 33 'i'd4!? .

33 . . . gs 34 hxgS hxgs 35 'i'e3 bSI 36 'i'a7 as ! 37 a3 White wisely gives the poisoned pawn a disinterested glance and walks away. He can't

afford to put his queen out of play with the greedy 37 'i'xas?? e3 ! 38 fxe3 lbe4 39 �f3 g4+! with a winning attack. Remember the queen/knight endgame combo!

63

The Ca ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M ove

37 • • . a4 38 i.a2

Black is now effectively up a pawn. His majority is ready to move while from the queen­side there's only an angry silence from White. 38 .. .'ii'f6 39 'iii'e3 <it>h6 40 <it>f1?1

White may still hold the draw with accurate play if he activates his bishop with 40 i.ds!

'iii'es 41 i.c6 fs 42 'iii'b6 ! f4 43 i.xbs e3 44 fxe3 'iii'dS+ 45 <it>g1 fxg3 46 'iii'd8! 'iii'd2 47 'iii'h8+ and White holds the half-point. 40 •• .lbfst

This guy seems to pop up unannounced everywhere. 41 'iii'a7?

The queen is needed near her king. Of course the e-pawn is untouchable due to ye olde cheapo, the knight fork on g3. Maybe White can still hang on after 41 'iii'e1 ! ttJxg3+ 42 <it>g1 ttJhs 43 'iii'xe4 lLlf4. 41 ... e3!

6 4

Smsylo v Va ria t ion 5 i.. c4 : Th e Old L ine

Our secret recipe for success: The king side majority j oins the queen/knight team and power flows through Black's pieces with this pincer move.

42 'i'b8??

Exercise (multiple choice): White has one and only one path to continue resistance:

a) 42 'iVb8, covering g3 against ... lt:Jxg3+; b) 42 'i'xf7, indirectly covering f2;

c) 42 �e1, running away!

Answer: White puts up a fight after c): 42 �e1! 'i'd6 43 fxe3 'i'xg3+ 44 �d2 'i'f2+ 45 �d3

'lf3 ! preparing to push forward the g -pawn. Now f7 can't be touched: for example, 46 1xf7?? lt:Jd6 47 i.a2 iid1 mate.

Instead 42 iixf7?? fails miserably to lt:Jxg3+ 43 �g2 (if 43 �e1 exf2+) 43 .. . 'i'xf7 44 i.xf7 e2. 42 . . . lt:Jd61 0-1

White's king is the dying man who looks back on his life with bitterness because he fails to recall a deed of significance.

Summary The Smyslov Caro isn't an automatic draw if White wants one. Our goal should be to mas­

ter such opposite-wing pawn majority endings since they arise so frequently. Also, remem­ber the winning formula: queen + knight + kingside pawn majority > queen + bishop + queen side pawn majority. White dulls our weapons in this line, but sometimes forgets that a blunt instrument may stiJJ inflict damage.

Game 7 J.Timma n-A.Ka rpov

Worl d C h a m pionship (Ga me 1), H o l l a n d 1993

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 lZ'ld2 dxe4 4 lt:Jxe4 lZ'ld7 5 i.c4 lt:Jgf6 6 lZ'lgs e6 7 'i'e2 lZ'lb6 8 i.d3 h6 9 lDSf3 cs 10 dxcs i.xcs 11 lZ'les lZ'lbd7 12 lZ'lgf3 'i'c7 13 i.f4

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Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Why isn't this move the main line? That bishop eyeing Black's queen on c7 looks rather powerful .

Answer: White's last move, although confrontational and played quite often, allows Black a

tactic on his next m ove. Watch. 13 ... �b4+1 14 tiJd2

White is unable to block with his c-pawn due to a tactic : 14 c3? �xc3+! 15 'it>f1 tiJh5 ! 16 g3 tiJxf4 17 gxf4 and White was busted, down a pawn and with a wrecked structure in B.Loehnhardt-D.Ermel, Bockenem 2001. The open g-file and slight development lead don't compensate here.

The obvious issue with 14 'it>f1 is that it puts White's h -rook out of play for a while: 14 .. . �d6 15 .l:.d1 lDh5 ! (brand this trick into your memory bank) 16 g3 (the tricky 16 tiJxf7?! doesn't quite work: 16 .. . lbxf4 17 tiJxd6+ 'ii'xd6 18 i.g6+ 'it>e7 19 .l:.xd6 lDxe2 20 .l:.xd7+ �xd7 21 'it>xe2 and White fights for the draw with a pawn for the exchange) 16 .. . lbxf4 17 gxf4 o­O ! (a confident move; King Karpov h as faith in the fundamental soundness of Black's posi­tion and is willing to castle into an open g -file to prove it!) 18 .l:.g1 a6 19 lDxd7 �xd7 20 lbe5 i.xe5 21 fxe5? ! (he overestimates his attack and underestimates Black's defensive re­sources; paradoxically, White should take queens off: 21 'ii'xe5 'ii'xe5 22 fxe5 �c6 with only a minute structural edge to Black) 21 .. . i.c6 22 .l:.e1 f5 ! 23 'ii'h 5 'it>h8 24 .l:.e3 �e8! 25 'ii'h4 l:tf7 26 'ii'c4 (White gives up on the attack; 26 .l:.g6 l:te7 leads nowhere for him) 26 .. . .l:.e7 27 'ii'xc7 .l:.xc7 28 'it>e2 .l:.d8 29 c3? (29 f4 .l:.d4 30 l:tf1 g 5 leaves White struggling, but is superior to the game continuation) 29 ... g 5 ! 30 f4 gxf4! 31 l:th3 'it>h7 32 .l:.f1 l:tc5 and Karpov picked off a pawn and quickly converted, I .Morovic Fernandez-A.Karpov, Las Palm as 1994. 14 ... i.xd2+1

Forcing an awkward recapture.

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Smsylov Varia tion 5 ii c4 : The Old L ine

15 'it>xd2 Every other recapture drops a piece.

Question: Black just gave away his powerful dark-squared bishop. Won't White just castle by hand with �ad1 and <it>c1, and then

make Black pay for abandoning his dark squares? Also, Black must respond to the threat of discoveries like tt:Jg6?

Answer: Things are not so simple for White. The position is wide open and your plan entails more loss of time to secure his king's safety. Don't underestimate Black's development lead, which g ives him clear compensation for his swap in the form of time. Moreover, the "threat" of lt:Jg6 is only in the abstract since Black simply responds with .. . -.as+, winning material. 15 . . . 0-01 16 �hdl

Alternatively, 16 <it>c1 ! ? (the a1-rook is left out of the loop for some time to come) 16 ... l:ld8 17 �d1 tt:Jcs 18 i.c4 �xd1+ 19 <it>xd1 a6 20 lt:Jd3 -.c6! 21 tt:Jxcs -.xes 22 i.d3 i.d7 23 i.es i.c6 24 iixf6 gxf6 2S 'ii'g4+ <it>f8 26 'ii'f4 <it>g7 27 'ii'g3+ 'ii'g s 28 f3 fs 29 <it>e2 f4 30 'i'xgS+ hxgs and again Black's pawn majority was clearly more efficient than White's and Karpov managed to convert for the full point in V.Topalov-A.Karpov, 4th matchgame,

Varna (rapid} 199S.

Question: Why not play the natural 16 �ae1?

67

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Answer: White would love to but your move fail s to take into account 16 .. .'�a5+, picking off the a2-pawn. 16 .. .'ilt'b6

Harassing White on b2. 16 ... tbc5 is also an excellent response: 17 We1 tbd5 18 ..ig3 tbxd3+ 19 l:txd3 b5 ! (locking down his knight's position on d5) 20 a4 i.a6 21 'iifd2 (finally, White blocks the escape hatch move ... 'iit'a5+ and threatens a discovery on Black's queen) 21 ... b4! (allowing the discovery since it is annulled by his own attack on d3) 22 tbg6 'iit'c6 23 tbxf8 ..ixd3 24 'iit'xd3 l:txf8 25 f3 l:tc8 26 Wd2 l:td8 and White's king runs back and forth, still in grave danger, V.Topalov-A.Karpov, 2nd matchgame, Varna (rapid) 1995. 17 tbc4 'iifc6 18 'iiff3

18 ... tDdsl?

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Smsylov Va ria tion 5 i..c4 : The Old L ine

Question: Why would a technical player like Karpov avoid wrecking White's pawns and going for the ending?

Answer: It is a surprise. Karpov isn't one to turn down a nice ending too often, so his move suggests serious attacking chances inherent in Black's position. Perhaps he felt White's

bishop pair and dark-square control compensated for the broken pawns. 19 g31? lL!cs!

Once again rejecting an ending with 19 .. . lL!xf4 20 'ikxc6 bxc6 21 gxf4 which doesn't look so bad for White. Now one senses that White is on the brink and must make a key decision: Black's king lacks defenders. Should he sac on h6 or try something less radical? 20 i.xh61?

The bishop is a leaf floating on a waft of optimism. Clear proof that it's hard to reason with or save a person with suicidal/murderous inclinations. Timman, not liking the way the game is heading, hopes to blur and smear the future like an impressionist's painting. The sac is unsound, but its strength is that it offers White practical chances by greatly in­creasing Black's defensive difficulty l evel. Timman probably didn't like the l ooks of 20 i..d6 bS ! (2o .. J:td8?? 21 lLles 'ikxd6 22 'ikxf7+ <ifi>h8 23 'ikg6 ! threatens mate on h7 as well as a queen fork on f7) 2 1 i..xf8 bxc4 22 i..xcs cxd3 23 b4 dxc2 24 1:!.dc1 as 25 l:!.xc2 axb4, which is a good investment. Black gets an enduring attack for an exchange. 2o • • • gxh6 21 'ii'g4+ <it>h8 22 lL!es

22 'ikh4 is met with 22 .. . es ! 23 lLlxes 'ikf6 and Black has matters under control. 22 ... 'ika4! 23 'ii'hs <ifi>g7 24 lLlg4 l:!.h8 25 lLles l:!.f8 26 lL!g4 l:!.h8 21 lLles 'ike81 28 'ii'g4+

Exercise (critical decision): So where to run? f8 or f6? ... <it>f8 allows 'ikd4, while the dangers of playing the king to f6

are obvious. Which one would you choose?

6 9

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

There is no right or wrong answer to this one. Both moves are correct, but lead to very different positions, and are a good indicator of your chess personality. 28 ... �f81

This icily logical decision offers a glimpse of Karpov's luminous defensive insight as he weaves through the trickery to reach the most essentially survivable path. Karpov gets a technical ending he feels he can win by absorbing yet another wave of the attack, the way the sponge absorbs water.

The computers all scream for the counterintuitive 28 ... �f6 ! ? where Black's king runs forward at full speed, m essed up h air and coat-tails fluttering in the wind! 29 'ii'd4 lbxd3 30 lbxd3+ �g6 and consolidation isn't going to be as easy as the comps claim. If you picked this line, you love adventure and risk! 29 'ii'd41

Black survived the initial earthquak� and now faces the aftershock. Timman wins back some, but not all of his investment. 29 ... lbxd3 30 lbg6+ fxg6 31 'ii'xh8+ �e7 32 'ii'xe8+

Unfortunately for White, he must agree to a queen swap and put an end to his attack­ing plans. 32 'ii'g7+ 'ii'f7 doesn't change anything. 32 .. . �xe8 33 �xd3

Exercise {planning): The tides and eddies are finally under control and the technical phase begins. Find a way to improve Black's position.

Answer: 33 ... bsl There is a flashing vacancy sign over ds, which Black's knight happily occupies.

34 :e1

70

Smsylo v Variat ion 5 1L c4 : Th e Old L in e

Question: Why entrenched? Can't White simply eject the knight after 34 b3 and c4?

Answer: The trouble is this plan fails to the line 34 .. .'it>e7 35 c4 bxc4+ 36 bxc4? i..a6 37 'iii>d4 lbb6! when White must play 38 cs, returning control over ds to Black with a clear degen­eration of White's position. 34 .•. 'iii>e7 3S l:!.es gS 36 l:!.ae1 <it>f6 37 l:!.Se4 ..td7 38 h4 l:!.f8

Just testing. He eyes f2 and possibilities on f3. 39 c3 as 40 'iii>d4 l:!.c8 41 f3 a4!

Now ... a3, und7rmining c3, is in the air. 42 l:!.c1

42 a3 would fix a target on b2 in perpetuity - quite a long time ! 42 . . .ll:le7 43 <iii>d3 es

Threat: ... i..fs. 44 We2

44 ... i..e6

Exercise (combination alert}: Black has a forcing path to the win of an exchange. This one is difficult since a former world champ missed it.

Answer: 44 ... i..fS ! hunts down White's rook, no matter where it tries to hide after 4S l:!.b4

(or 4S l:!.e3 l2Jds) 4S ... l:!.cs 46 c4 l2Jc6! . This is the move Karpov may have missed. White's b4-rook is lost after all. 45 'WW2

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Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by Move

Exercise (calculation): See i f you can follow this line to the end in your mind without moving the pieces: 45 a3 i.ds 46 �g4 i.c4+

47 �f2 �d8 48 �c2 �d1 49 hxg S+ hxgs so �g2 tt::lfs 51 �e4 g4! and wins. 14-ply if you made it to the end!

45 ... i.xa2 46 �eel �c5 47 hxg5+ hxg5 48 f4 tt::lg6 49 fxe5+ tt::lxe5 50 nd4 �d51 Karpov violates an endgame principle which states: If an ending arises with two rooks

versus rook and a pair of minor pieces, the side with the minor pieces should keeps rooks on the board.

Question: Why did Karpov violate this principle?

Answer: Because he saw a concrete line that won. Principles are guidelines, not unbreak­able rules. 51 �xd5 i.xd5 52 �e3 i.c4 53 �d1 �f5

Making White nervous about his g 3-pawn. 54 �d4

Exercise: Find the breakthrough for Black.

Answer: 54 ... tt::ld31 Now b2 falls since White can't enter the king and pawn ending.

55 g4+ �e5 56 .l:te4+

72

Smsylov Va ria t ion 5 i. c4 : The Old L i n e

S6 ... �f6 0-1

Summary

Exercise (calculation}: Work this straightforward line out to the end without moving the pieces: 56 �xd3 i.xd3 57 �xd3 �f4

58 c4 bxc4+ 59 �xc4 �xg4 60 �b4 �f4 61 �xa4 g4 62 b4 g3 63 b5 g2 64 b6 g1'iV and wins by a tempo. 18-ply!

White is the one struggling for equality in the once popular 13 i.f4 line.

Game S A.Naiditsch-K.Arkel l

Europea n C lub Cup, Fuegen 2006

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 liJc3 dxe4 4 liJxe4 liJd7 5 i.c4 liJgf6 6 tt:Jgs e6 7 'ii'e2 liJb6 8 i.d3 h6 9 liJSf3 c5 10 i.e3

IM John Watson considers this move as White's most challenging in the position. The logic: why help Black develop by taking on cs? He also prepares to castle queen side.

Question: What are some of the pluses and minuses of posting the bishop on e3 when compared to 10 dxcs?

Answer: By playing 10 i.e3: 1. White doesn't help Black develop as he does with 10 dxcs .

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Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

2. White furthers his own development. 3 . White prepares the way for queenside castling . 4. On the downside, White becomes vulnerable to ... l2Jd5 and ... l2Jxe3, which deprives

him of the bishop pair.

Question: Doesn't White have a development lead here?

Answer: It's not as big as it looks. Keep in mind those jumbled white knights. 10 . . Jit'c7

Other m oves: a) 10 ... l2Jbd5 ! ? ( I like this move and am tempted to try it) 11 l2Je5 cxd4! (to seize control

over f4; I don't like taking on e3, opening the f-file for White) 12 .txd4 11t'a5+! 13 c3 l2Jf4 14 1if3 (if 14 i.b5+? .td7 15 .txd7+?? l2Jxd7 16 11t'e4 l2Jxe5 17 .txe5 11t'xe5 ! and Black wins a piece - that wonderful trap again ! ) 14 . . . l2Jxd3+ 15 l2Jxd3 and I like Black's bishop pair, W.Walka-D.Balleer, correspondence 2001.

b) 10 .. . a6 11 c3 11t'c7 12 l2Je5 l2Jbd5 13 l2Jgf3 .td6 14 o-o o-o 15 .td2 cxd4 16 cxd4 b6 17 l::!.ac1 11t'e7 18 .tb1 .ib7 with a typical isolani position, S.Rublevsky-A.Morozevich, Moscow (blitz) 2007. Get used to it. We will see more in the Panov-Botvinnik chapter.

u lZ:\es

11 . . . cxd4 Or 11 ... a6 12 l2Jgf3 l2Jbds 13 o-o .id6 14 l2Jc4 .ie7 15 dxcs .txcs 16 .ixcs 11Vxc5 17 11t'es

o-o 18 a3 l:.d8 19 b4 'iif8!? 20 l:.ad1 .id7 when Black connects rooks and develops smoothly, J.Hector-J.Speelman, Copenhagen 2001. 12 .ibS+ .id7 13 .ixd4 .ixbs 14 'iixbS+ l2Jbd7 15 o-o-o l:.c8

Threat: a mate in one! Instead 1S ... a6 16 'iie2 .ics 17 l2Jxd7 .ixd4 18 l:.xd4 l2Jxd7 19 l2Jf3 o-o 20 1;1hd1 l2Jf6 2 1 l2Jes l::!.ad8 is equal, J .Hector-E.Gausel, Reykjavik 1997.

74

S m sylov Va ria tion 5 Ji. c4 : Th e Old L ine

16 c3 a6 17 li'a4 Ji.d6 17 ... Ji.cs 18 lt:Jxd7 li'xd7 looks even too.

18 lLlgf3 GM Arkell has equalized without breaking sweat against his formidable opponent.

18 .. .'1ti>e71?

As the Monty Python crew said: "And now, for something completely different!"

Question: Why did Black place his king in the centre of the board when he could have castled instead?

Answer: The move only makes sense if you don't think about it too much ! I play Keith 'Atomrod' Arkell quite often over the ICC and I can testify that we are chess twins - both stodgy, positional players. So I have no explanation for Arkell 's uncharacteristic last move, an act of war specifically designed to taunt his powerful opponent. I certainly lack nerve and/or imagination to play such a move! 19 lLlxd71?

Question: Shouldn't he keep pieces on the board with Black's king in the middle?

Answer: Let's look: 19 l:thel lt:Jxes 20 lt:Jxes l:thd8 21 f4 c.t>f8. I doubt White has an advantage here. Arkell's 18 ... c.t>e7! ? didn't put his king at risk as much as it l ooked, since he can slip away to f8 any time he wants. 19 ••• li'xd7 20 li'xd7+

Black's 18th turned out to be a move of remarkable inconsequence, since White didn't even attempt to go after Black's king. Black is in good shape if White keeps queens on with 20 li'c2 li'e7 21 l:the1 l:thd8 22 c.t>b1 bs.

75

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

20 ... lbxd7!

Exercise: Should White accept g7 or not?

21 i.xg7?1 Answer: He should decline. White pays too high a price structurally for this move. 21 . . . ..tf4+1

Covering h6 before playing ... l:tg8. 22 �c2 l:thg8 23 g3

Too late to back down now. Black stands slightly better after 23 i.d4 l:txg2. 23 . . . 1:txg7 24 gxf4 l:tcsl

Arkell 's vast .. . lDd7 Caro experience shines as he forces White's pawn structure to break and flutter like a flag in the wind. If White drops one back, he stands worse. 25 �hel l:tfs 26 .::!.e4 l:tg4 27 l:tdd4 lDf6

76

Smsylov Va ria t ion 5 1Lc4: The Old L i ne

White's pieces walk the brink as they fend off threats the way a drunk swats away

imaginary insects, while Black's pieces pulse with significance and menace. It looks like White is on the verge of collapse.

Exercise: Find k way where he keeps his sickly (but extra !) pawn. \

Answer: 28 h3 ! Counterattack.

2s . . . l:!.g2 29 l:!.e2 l:!.hsl White's point is that 29 . . . tt:lhs?? is met with 30 tt:lh4! .

30 h4 l:!.fs 31 tt:les l:!.h2 32 a4

Exercise (multiple choice): White intends to go after b7, the weakest link in Black's position. How would you deal with this threat?

a) 32 ... b6, defend; b) 32 ... tt:lh s, counterattack; c) 32 ... l:!.xh4, eat the pawn.

32 .•. tt:lhs? This overly aggressive response gets Black into trouble. Defiant counterattack is all well

and good, but there is also something to be said for patience. Answer: The calm 32 .. . b6! 33 tt:ld3 l:!.xh4 leaves White struggling. There is no reason to take immediately with 32 ... l:!.xh4? ! and give up our b-pawn after 33 l:!.b4. 33 l:td7+?1

Letting Black get away with his last move. The tactical surprise 33 tt:lg4! throws Black's pieces out of alignment after 33 .. . l:!.h3 (33 ... l:!.g2?? 34 tt:le3 tt:lg3 3 S l:!.ed2 wins) 34 tt:le3 ! l:!.cs

35 fS ! . 33 . • • 'it>f8 34 tt:lf3 l:!.h3?

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Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

34 .. . lt::lxf4 35 ned2 ng2 36 nxb7 lt::lds 37 lt::ld4 nfxf2 38 l:xf2 nxf2+ 39 'iti>d3 nh2 leads to a crazy queening race where it's uncertain just who is winning, losing or drawing ! 3S lt::ld4 nxf4 36 nxb7 l:Ih2 37 b4

Now White looks faster in the queening race. 37 ... l:fxf2 38 :xf2 l:bf2+ 39 'iti>b3 es 40 lt::lc2 lt::lf4

This is one of those maddening situations where the correct moves l ie just out of reach of both players' consciousness. From this point the position gets so difficult that both sides continue to play second-best m oves for some time. It was Mark Twain who said the differ­ence between best and second best is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. Here is a mutual plan both sides can apply:

1. Don't putz around! 2. Queen a pawn as fast as you can. 3 . Slow down your opponent's queening attempts as much as you can. In the confusion which follows, both sides repeatedly violate all three of these sugges­

tions, especially number one! Note that Black doesn't even g et close if he races White: 40 .. .fs?? 41 as f4 42 bS wins by

a mile. 41 lt::le3?1

41 nb6 ! looks like a clear win for White. 41 ... lt::le2?1

Black may yet hold the game in the line 41 .. . l:tf3 ! going after c3. 42 lt::lds?l

Again, 42 l:tb6! . 42 . . . lt::lf4 43 nbS+?I

Handing Black a tempo. Is this microphone on? Maybe I should repeat: Don't putz around!

78

Smsylov Va r iat ion 5 i. c4: Th e Old L ine

43 .•• 'iti>g7 44 lbxf4?1

Exercise: Decision time. One recapture draws while the other loses. Can you do better than the GM and choose correctly?

44 . . Jbf4? Answer: Black holds the draw with 44 ... exf4! which gets his pawn that much closer to the queening square: 45 bS axbs 46 axbs f3 47 .l:!.d8 .l:!.e2 48 .l:!.d4 .l:!.e6! 49 .l:!.d1 .l:!.f6 so c4 f2 5 1 .l:!.fl Wf8! 52 Wb4 We7 53 cs Wd7. 45 b5 axbs 46 axbs .l:!.f1 47 b6 e4 48 b7 .l:!.bl+ 49 Wc2 .l:!.b6 so c4 1-0

White queens first.

Summary After 10 i.e3 if you accurately weave your way through the critical next ten moves or so you should see the edge of White's initiative grow dull.

Game9 A.Shabalov-A.Karpov

Ti lburg 1994

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 lDc3 dxe4 4 lbxe4 lbd7 5 i.c4 lbgf6 6 lbgs e6 7 ._e2 lbb6 8 i.b3

79

Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Doesn't White's bishop hit a pawn wall on e6?

Answer: 8 ..ib3, unlike its more subtle sibling 8 ..id3, l ooks to sacs on e6 and f7 in its future.

Question: And if the sac doesn't materialize?

Answer: There is a plan B: White may simply redeploy the bishop back to the b1-h7 diago­nal by playing c3 and ..ic2. 8 ... h6

8 . . .'iixd4? is even worse for Black than if he tries it in positions with White's bishop on d3: 9 lLJ1f3 ..ib4+ (or 9 . . .'�d8 10 l2Je5 and f7 falls) 10 c3 ! (falling for Black's would-be trap) 10 . . . ..ixc3+ 11 'it>fl! and Black is the one tricked. He loses a piece, A.Andrienko-I .Beznosov, Novokuznetsk 1996.

9 ttJsf3 cs You can also toss in 9 ... a5 before .. . c5: for example, 10 c3 c5 11 a3 'Wic7 12 l2Je5 cxd4 13

cxd4 a4 14 ..ic2 ..id7 15 l2Jxd7 l2Jbxd7 16 'Wid1 ..id6 17 l2Je2 l2Jd5 18 ..id2 b5 19 l2Jc3 l2Jxc3 20 ..ixc3 l2Jf6 and Black has decent play in this i solani position, G .Kasparov-A.Karpov, Linares 1994. White doesn't get his typical attack since his knights are gone. 10 ..if4

Most logical. White ignores the threat on d4, realizing he regains the pawn if Black cap­tures. He completes development by castling queen side and then hopes to whip up trouble attacking kingside.

In the next two games we look at 10 dxc5 and 10 ..ie3, while 10 c3 'Wic7 11 ..id2 ..id6 12 l2Je5 ..id7 13 l2Jgf3 o-o 14 o-o cxd4 1 5 cxd4 .ia4! 16 l::!.ac1 'Wie7 17 ..ixa4 l2Jxa4 saw the swaps defang the isolani's potential for attack in J .Polgar-A.Karpov, Alma-Ata {blitz) 1995.

8 0

Smsylov Variat ion 5 .i c4 : Th e Old L i n e

10 ... lbbd5 10 ... cxd4 isn 't so bad and scores rather well for Black: 11 o-o-o .id6 12 .ies .ixes 13

'i'xes 0-0 14 l:txd4 .id7 15 lbe2 as! (this kind of move should be automatic with that juicy target waiting for us on b3) 16 a4, as in A.Szieberth-E .Piankov, Budapest 1994. Here Black completes development in harmony after 16 . . .'i'e8 17 lL'lc3 .ic6 18 l:thd1 lL'lbdS. 11 .ies 'i'as+!

This annoying check throws White's pieces somewhat out of sync. 12 lL'ld2

If White g ets cute and sets a trap with 12 c3? then we get counter-cute and purposely walk right into it: 12 ... lbxc3 ! 13 'i'd2 lbfe4! and White's attempted swindle turns out a fi­asco.

Question: Can White block with his queen?

Answer: He can with 12 'i'd2, but it certainly doesn't fit with White's attacking ambitions he envisioned earlier. I doubt you will get a queen block on d2 very often. After 12 ... 'i'xd2+ 13 lbxd2 bS Black got a pleasant and equal ending in J .Siekaniec-M.Myc, Wisla 1998. 12 ... b5!

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Th e Caro -Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Dual-purpose: 1. Black ensures the knight's continued residency on dS. 2. Black threatens to smother White's bishop with ... c4 next. Instead after 12 ... cxd4 (this removes Black's threat of ... c4 and doesn't l ook as logical to

me) 13 lLlgf3 i..e7 14 lLlxd4 0-0 15 0-0-0 i..d7 16 �b1 'ii'b6 17 c4 ltJb4 18 ltJe4 ltJxe4 19 'i'xe4 i.cs 20 ltJc2 i.c6 21 'i'g4 White clearly attained the more menacing position in V.Anand­A.Khalifman, Biel 1993. 13 dxc5

Alternatives: a) The attempt with 13 c4! ? to open the position leads nowhere since White i sn't ahead

in development: 13 ... bxc4 14 i.xc4 lLlb6 15 b4! ? 'i'xb4 16 :b1 'i'as 17 .ibS+ .id7 18 .ixf6 gxf6 19 lLlgf3 cxd4 20 o-o (N.Short-J.Speelman, Hastings 1988/89} 20 ... .ixbs 21 .:xbs 'i'xa2 22 'i'e4 .Ud8 and I trust more in Black's extra pawns over White's potential for attack.

b) 13 c3 cxd4 14 cxd4 (Black is perfectly aligned to blockade dS, but 14 .ixd4 i.b7 and if 1S lLlgf3 lLlf4 i s annoying for White) 14 .. . i.b7 1S lLlgf3 .ie7 16 o-o 'ii'b6 17 a4 a6 18 as 'i'd8 19 lLle4 .Uc8 and I like Black's position, A.Doronenkov-L.Cyborowski, Polanica Zdroj 1999. 13 ... .ixc5

8 2

S m sylov Va ria tion 5 .il.. c4: The Old L ine

14 0·0·01? Castling into the storm.

Question: Why can't White take the knight on d5 and then come crashing through on g7?

Answer: This plan would cost White both initiative and l ight squares after 14 .il..xd5?! ( I can't find a single game in my database with this m ove, and for good reason: it i sn 't good!} 14 ... 4Jxd5 15 ..txg7 l:!.g8 16 ..te5 l:!.xg2 17 ..tg3 ..tb7 18 4Jgf3 'ii'a4. White faces serious trou­ble. If he gets clever and tries to trap the rook with 19 �f1 ?? he gets smacked with 19 ... 4Je3+! winning on the spot.

White's other tries: a) 14 4Jgf3 o-o 15 o-o-o ..tb7 16 g4 tbd7 17 g5 tbxe5 18 4Jxe5 was V.Anand-V.Ivanchuk,

London (rapid} 1994. The computers all like Black after 18 . . . hxg5. I, on the other hand, wasn't so confident about Black's position, so I played around with it. Sure enough, the lines kept favouring Black - as long as he continued to be aware of White's attacking ideas.

b) 14 c3 ..tb7 15 4Jgf3 'ifb6 16 o-o o-o 17 ..tc2 a6 18 l:!.ad1 1:!.ad8 and Black stood at least equal in M.Al Sayed-A.Galkin, Moscow 2003.

c) 14 a4 ..tb7 ! ? 15 �xbS+ 'iixbs 16 axbs ..txf2+ (Black has a possibly superior trick in 16 ... 4Je3 ! 17 4Jgf3 4Jxg2+ 18 �f1 tbh4} 17 �xf2 tbg4+ 18 �e2 tbxes with a sharp, unbal­anced ending, J .Polgar-P.Leko, Vienna 1996.

14 ... ..tb7 15 tbe4 ..te71? I prefer Black's position at the end of the line 15 .. . 4Jxe4 16 'ii'xe4 'ifb4! 17 'ii'xb4 4Jxb4 18

f3 as! 19 a3 4Jc6. 16 4Jd6+ ..txd6 17 .il..xd6 l:!.d8 18 ..tes o-o 19 4Jf3 tbd7 20 ..td6 l:!.fe8 21 tbd4

If White tries to pry open with pawns he finds himself slower in the hunt after 21 g4

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Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

'itb6 22 i.g3 lUes 23 lt::Jd2 lt::Jf4! 24 i.xf4 i.xhl 2S �xh1 'it'c6 ! 26 �gl lt::Jd3+! . 21 ... a6 22 'iff3 'it'b61

A multipurpose move which hits d6, adds pressure to d4 and clears the way for .. . as and ... a4. 23 "ifg3 .l:tcs 24 l:the1 tt::Jsf6 2 5 f3 i.ds

I would play 2S ... a s first to induce the weakening 26 a3 and only then 26 .. . i.ds.

26 i.xds lt::Jxds

The position looks like an Open Sicilian gone slightly wrong for White, who doesn't have much of an attack. Black, on the other hand, can generate play on the other side. 27 %:te4?1

Birth of a notion: White goes for a frontal attack with pieces. 27 • • .'iti>h71

Multipurpose: Black prepares to meet attacks on g7 with .. . l:.g8 and also reinforces h6, a sac target. 28 l:.h41?

The boat breaks its mooring and drifts out to sea. Awkward, but I suppose when one says A, then B inevitably follows. I would ask for a take-back and play the humbling 28 l:teel with the philosophy:

1. Sometimes a good exit is the solution to dealing with a shaky plan. 2. The undoing of a previous dubious plan is more significant than the continuation of

the plan itself. 28 ... %:tc41

Multipurpose, again. He follows the principle: Meet a wing attack with a central counter. Black keeps his opponent h onest by adding pressure to d4 and he prepares to double on the c-file. 29 b3?1

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Smsylov Va riat ion 5 i.. c4 : The Old L i n e

Giving away more than he gets. Yes, he kicks the annoying rook away, but at the high cost of weakening all the dark squares around his king . 29 . . . .l:.c3 30 i..f4

Eyeing h6. 30 . ..tbxf4

But not for long ! 31 'i'xf4 tbf6 32 .l:.e1

If 32 .l:.xh6+?! gxh6 33 'iixf6 'iic7 and White is too tied down to effectively attack. 32 . . . .l:.d8

33 .l:.est? Instinct urges those rooks toward the enemy king. White wants to sell these cars, but I

have a bad feeling they will never leave the showroom. His last move is a contorted at­tempt at continuing the attack which never really was. GM Shabalov is a man with a very good feel for combinations. In this case his unbridled faith in his own attack blocked his sense for a lack of one.

Question: You complain about White's plan yet refuse to give him a question mark or even a dubious mark. Why?

Answer: Because of the practical aspect latent in his plan. It's hard to fault White since brute force, even diffused and disorganized, has a habit of putting subtle defence in peril. 33 . . . 'iic7 34 �bl tL!ds 35 'iig3

85

Th e Caro -Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

3s ... lbe31

Exercise {planning): White hopes to get something going with l:tg4 next. It's time to show White just who has

the real attack. Our focal point is c2. How do we go after it?

Answer: The envenomed knight strikes by simply piling on, as well as foiling l:tg4 from White. Houdini also gives the far m ore complicated 3 S ... l:txc2 ! ! 36 lbxc2 lbc3+ 37 �b2 lbd1+ and goes on to show intricate mates after both 38 �c1 and 38 �a3. 36 'W'e1

Hopeless, as was the line 36 l:tee4 lbxc2 ! 37 'W'xc7 l:txc7 38 lbxc2 l:td1+ 39 �b2 .l:td2, re­gaining the piece with an easy win. 36 . . . lbxg2 37 'W'e4+ �g8

37 .. .fs was also winning. 38 l:tg4

86

Answer: 38 .. Jle3!

Smsylo v Varia t ion 5 j_c4: Th e Old L i n e

Exercise (combination alert): White's pieces are a mosaic of confusion. Black wins heavy material. How?

The rook enters the underbelly of White's position and White's unfortunate rook on eS hangs or White drops his queen. 38 . . . liJe3 ! also wins, but i s an incredibly convoluted inhu­man computer line. 39 �xg7+

Monsooning his deficit, but to a dying man the concept of ownership is usually moot. 39 .. .'it>xg7 40 'ii'g4+ Wf8 0-1

Summary The 8 i..b3 and queen side castling plan is one of the most belligerent you face from White. Our position can't be blown away so easily. Remain confident in our defensive resources.

Game 1 0 R.Hase-R.Servat

Santa Fe 2003

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 liJd2 dxe4 4 liJxe4 liJd7 5 j_c4 liJgf6 6 tt::lgs e6 7 1i'e2 liJb6 8 j_b3 h6 9 tt::Jsf3 cs 1o dxcs

White swaps pawns immediately.

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Th e Caro -Ka n n : M o ve by M ove

Question: Why? I t looks like a concession which gives Black a tempo.

Answer: A couple of reasons: 1. By swapping, White ends all worry about sac'ing and then winning back his d-pawn. 2. H e clears the d-file for a rook.

10 ... i.xcs 11 i.d2

A very common plan at the club level : 1. Castle queenside. 2. Play for mate on the other end of the board, based on the fact that Black weakened

with .. . h6. This may give White sacs on h6 or allow the prying manoeuvre g4-g5 .

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Smsylo v Varia tio n 5 i..c4 : Th e Old L i n e

Question: S o how does Black cope with this?

Answer: Black achieves counterplay by tossing in a quick .. . as, going after White's bishop on b3 and inducing pawn weaknesses. His attack comes surprisingly fast.

11 lt:les is more common. After 11 ... lt:Jbd7 (our guideline: Challenge an es-knight quickly and often)

12 lt:lgf3 ...

Question: Wait a minute! Why isn't Black just crushed after the stock sacrifice on f7?

Answer: A small shift in geometry changes everything. Black can accept with confidence and win after 12 lt:lxf7? �xf7 13 'ii'xe6+ �g6 when the king slips away to h7. Suddenly, White finds himself down a piece and without an attack. If his l ight-squared bishop were on the b1-h7 diagonal Black would be mated. However, this isn't the case and Black wins.

Returning to 12 lt:lgf3, be careful since if 12 ... 'ii'c7? now the sac works! Here 13 lt:lxf7! o-o (not 13 .. . �xf7?? 14 'ii'xe6+ �g6 1S lt:Jh4+ �hs 16 'ii'fs+ gs 17 i..f7+ �xh4 18 'iih 3 mate !) 14 lt:Jxh6+ gxh6 1S i.xh6 .:e8 16 0-0-0 gives White three pawns and a promising attack for the piece. Correct is the 12 .. . lt:Jxes 13 lt:Jxes 'ii'e7 ! of N .Minev- I .Radulov, Pernik 1978. Now White is denied the i..d2/queenside castling option, since 14 i..d2? is met with our familiar trap 14 ... �xf2+! 1S �xf2 'fixes ! . 1 1 . . . 0-0 1 2 o-o-o 'ii'e7 13 lt:Jes

Getting ready for g4 soon. 13 . . . ast

89

Th e Ca ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

You know the drill. Black strikes first. 14 c4!?

Question: Why voluntarily weaken like this?

Answer: Black's a-pawn battering ram creates chaos in White's camp. White must acqui­esce to some degree of weakening, no matter how he responds. For example, 14 c3 a4 15 �c2 lbbd5 (Black can also toss in 1 5 .. . a3 right away) 16 i.d3 was G.Kuba-E.Reichmann, Finkenstein 1995. Black's attack looks more menacing after 16 .. . a3 17 b3 'it'e7 ! (threat: ... ttJxc3 !) 18 'iti>b1 (White is also in trouble after 18 c4 �d4) 18 ... i.d6. Advantage Black. White's attack hasn't gotten underway while Black continues his policy of harassment.

Question: How about 14 a3?

Answer: White's last move doesn't stop you from creating trouble on the queenside: 14 ... lbbd7 15 tbgf3 b5 ! (intending to pry open with .. . a4 and ... b4) 16 'it'xb5 i.a6 17 'it'a4 i.xf2 and once again Black's chances l ook more potent. 14 . . . i.d7 15 tbgf3 i.a41

Multipurpose: 1. Black rids himself of a traditionally problem piece in this line - his l ight-squared

bishop. 2. Black eliminates a defender of White's king. 3 . Black eliminates a potential future attacker if White later posts his bishop on c2. White probably counted on 15 . . . a4 16 �c2 a3 17 b3 with a partially stabilized pawn

front around his king .

9 0

S m sylov Va ria t ion 5 i.c4: The Old L i n e

16 �xa4 lLlxa4 17 �b1 :a61? More ambitious than the alternative 17 .. . :fd8.

18 :c1 :ds 19 :c2 �b4 20 i.xb4? He underestimates Black's attack. The position looks balanced after the calmer 20 �cl .

Exercise: Which way to recapture? We can take with the queen and go for piece play against his king. Or we can accept a

pawn weakness, take on doubled b-pawns, and open the a-file for our attack. One course is superior to the other. You decide.

Answer: 20 ••. axb41 Black's coming attack down the a-file easily outweighs the slight weakness he takes on

9 1

Th e Ca ro - Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

by deliberately disfiguring his pawns. 21 l:td2

21 lLld3 (intending lLlcl) 21 .. . b3 ! 22 axb3 lLlcs 23 lLlxc5 'it'xc5 24 l:tdl :da8 25 l:tc3 'it'f5+ 26 l:tcd3 lLle4 also leaves White in deep trouble. 21 ... l:tda8 22 lLld3

Exercise: White hopes to hold things together next move with lLlcl. How do we shake him up on the queenside?

Answer: 22 ... b3! The emboldened pawn looks right, left, up and down, and decides the time is right to

cross the busy intersection. 23 lLlc1

Not 23 axb3?? lLlc3+! 24 bxc3 l:tal+ 25 �c2 l:t8a2+ 26 lLlb2 l:txhl, while after 23 a3?? lLlc3+ 24 bxc3 'ifxa3 White must resign. His best chance was 23 l:thdl, but after 23 .. . bxa2+

24 �al lLld7 White is probably still losing. 23 .. . bxa2+ 24 �a1 l:tb6

Compare the tempo of the opposite-wing attacks. White's has yet to begin. 25 l:thd17

9 2

Smsylov Va ria t ion 5 1Lc4 : Th e Old L i n e

Exercise (combination alert): White's game begins to fray and gives one a sense of unease, like a boulder out of balance atop a hill.

Let's see if you find Black's coming shot.

Answer: 2S • ..li:Jc31 Look out below! The knight falls from atop.

26 �e3

White's king is the nameless crew member who wore the red shirt on Star Trek - you know, the one who always got killed by the alien when the away team beamed down.

Exercise (combination alert): You can win an immediate exchange

by taking dl. But look around: you have something even better.

93

The Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Answer: 26 •• J:txb211 This alert shot wins the exchange with one pawn compound interest, as well as ripping

away White's pawn cover around his king. 27 l:txb2

The alarm goes off, but the old king resists getting out of bed with 27 'itr>xb2?? since this allows Black to make a new queen with 27 . . . al'i'+, while 27 'i'xc3 allows mate in one on bl. 27 • • • lZ:Jxd1 28 'i'b3 lZ:Jxb2

Wrap your mind around the spiral, MC Escher-like journey of this knight: d7-b6-a4-c3-d1-b2 ! . 29 'i'xb2 'i'c7 30 lZ:Jes lZ:ld7 3 1 lZ:Jed3 'i'xc4 32 'i'xb7

Answer: 32 ••• .::1.b81 0-1

Exercise: This one is easy. Find Black's quickest, most accurate method of forcing resignation.

The threat of mate on bl forces White to hand over his queen.

Summary Be ready for different versions of the i.d2 and o-o-o plan from White. The most effective response is a quick ... as ! which tends to create disharmony in White's camp.

Game 1 1 D.Ghosh-S.Aru n Prasad

Chenna i 2010

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 lZ:ld2 dxe4 4 lZ:Jxe4 lZ:Jd7 5 i.c4 lZ:Jgf6 6 lZ:Jgs e6 7 'i'e2 lZ:Jb6 8 i.b3 h6 9 lZJ5f3

9 4

Smsylov Va ria t ion 5 Jl.c4: Th e Old L ine

c5 10 i.e3

Based upon a similar philosophy to that which White used in the Naiditsch-Arkell game.

Question: What is different here?

Answer: In this game White's light squared bishop is posted on b3, whereas in the Naid­itsch-Arkell game White's bishop sat on d3. 1o ... lt'lbds

10 .. . 'ii'c7 threatening ... c4 is played more often. After 11 lt'les cxd4 12 i.xd4 i.cs 13 lt'lgf3 o-o 14 o-o-o as 15 a3 a4 16 i.a2 lt'lbd5 17 i.xcs 'ii'xcs 18 lt'ld3 'ii'c7 Spassky, not liking his chances in an opposite-wings attack situation and showing great respect to Black's attack­ing potential, played the humble 19 'ii'es 'ii'xes 20 lt'lfxes b6 and Black stood equal in B.Spassky-H.Pfleger, Tallinn 1973. 11 o-o-o 'ii'c7 12 lt'les

After 12 �b1 a6 13 c4 lt'lxe3 14 fxe3 i.e7 1S lt'les o-o 16 lt'lgf3 bS the players prema­turely agree to a draw in a position which slightly favours Black, G .Sax-A.Adorjan, Hungar­ian league 1993 . 12 .. . a6 13 lt'lgf3

If 13 c4 lt'lxe3 14 fxe3 i.d6 1S lt'lgf3 0-0 16 g4 (16 �b1 transposes to the Sax-Adorjan game from the note above) 16 ... bS ! when both attacks are underway, but Black has the added comfort of the bishop pair in a wide open position, D.Mihalinec-l. lveljic, Bosnjaci 2004. 13 ... bs

White's signature problem in the .tb3 lines: his bishop is in danger of getting smoth­ered by ... c4 (and .. . a4 in other positions). Black already stands better. 14 c3 i.b7 15 1:1he1

95

Th e Caro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise {planning}: The normal plan for Black in such positions is . . . J.d6 and castle king side followed by a queen side pawn storm to open lines. Do you see another plan Black has at his disposal?

Answer: 1S . . . c4! Step 1.

Question: Why did Black release the central pawn tension?

Answer: For three reasons: 1. A black piece sits unbothered on the powerful dS-square. 2. Black sets up a future lever with ... b4 in order to go after White's king. 3 . He gains a tempo on White's bishop.

16 J.c2 o-o-o!? Suddenly shifting the blade to the other hand. I was going to say: "Step 2: Play 16 ... J.d6!

and pry open the queenside, and Black looks faster after 17 g4 b4! 18 'ii'xc4 bxc3."

Question: What is the idea behind Black's queenside castling?

Answer: As chess players we all deal with dang er. The trick is to understand the intensity level. Black doesn't want to make it an opposite-wings attack game. Instead his king feels rather secure on the queen side with so many of his forces keeping him snug and secure. From this point Black feels he is the only one who has an attack. As the gam e goes on, Black's theory proves valid. So maybe his 16th move should be upgraded from ' ! ?' to ' ! ' . 17 �b1 �b8 18 J.c1

96

Smsylov Var iat ion 5 i.c4: Th e Old L i n e

18 . . .l�c81

Exercise (planning): Black would like to engineer ... b4, but this hangs his C4-pawn. How do we solve this issue?

Answer: Protect c4 in order to achieve the .. . b4 break. 19 g41?

This m ove makes little sense to me since Black's king lives on the other side of town. However, I see no reasonable plan for White besides waiting (which is certain doom in such positions}, so he may as well try to distract Black. 19 . . . b4

The logical extension of his plan. 20 cxb4

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Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise (multiple choice}: Black has three tempting moves, but two are su­perior to the alternative. You have a 66.66% chance!

a) 20 . . . .llxb4, regaining the pawn and developing with tempo; b) 20 ... lbxb4, regaining the pawn and going after

White's valuable light-squared bishop; c) 20 .. . c3, since who cares about regaining the pawn?

Black goes for a blow-out.

Answer: 20 ... lbxb41 Strong, as is c), since the blow-out attempt is justified here : 20 ... c3 ! 2 1 a3 as ! and now

White is forced into the hideous 22 b3, since 22 bS?? loses right away after 22 ... cxb2 23 .llxb2 .llxa3 ! . Following 22 . . . axb4 23 a4 .lld6 White is strategically lost (Houdini, Rybka et al, mistakenly assess as only an edge for Black}:

1. Black has a choking, entrenched passer on c3. 2. White must deal with multiple pawn weaknesses, l ike his isolani on d4, and his king-

side weaknesses, such as the one on f4. 3. Black continues to dominate dS.

4. White's hold on c4 doesn't compensate him for his other troubles; Even 20 ... �xb4, the least strong of the three picks, still gives Black a very nice game. So

really there is no way to go wrong with this exercise and this is a case of busted, busteder and bustedest! 21 h3

21 g s lbfds 22 a3 lbxc2 23 'ii'xc2 c3 24 b3 looks pretty terrible for White. 21 ... lbfdS

Better is 2 1 .. . �d5 ! 22 a3 lbxc2 23 'ii'xc2 'ii'h7 24 l:Ie3 i.xa3! and if the bait is taken then 25 l:Ixa3?? �e4 wins the house. 22 a3

22 .lla4?? loses on the spot to 22 .. . 'ii'as. 22 ... lbxc2

The light squares are the fire in which White burns. 23 'ii'xc2 C3 24 b3 aS 2S lbd3 �d6 26 lbfeS l:Ihd8?!

An inaccuracy which allows White to fight back. Better to serve an eviction notice with 26 .. .f6! 27 lbg6 (not 27 lbc4? a4!} 27 .. . l:Ihe8 when White's forces are in disarray, his weak­nesses numerous, and there's nothing but blue skies and sun for Black. 27 lbcs! �xes 28 dxcs 'ii'xcs?

There was no reason to swap off the doomed cs-pawn for a healthy base pawn on f7. Black should play down the b-file with 28 ... ..t>a8! 29 f4 i.a6 30 ..t>a1 l:Ib8 31 c6 .llbs. 29 lbxf7 l:If8 30 lbes l:Ic7 31 f4

9 8

Smsylo v Va ria t ion 5 .ic4: The Old L ine

31 • . . 'iti>a81

Exercise {planning}: Find White's most vulnerable target and come up with a plan to go after it.

Answer: b3 is White's softest target, so Black should pil e up on the b-file. 32 l2Jd3 'ii'b6 33 l:tes?l

White should play 33 �al! l:tb8 34 fs ! . Principle: Meet a wing attack with central play. n ... l:tb8 34 �a2?

Again, 34 fS ! . 34 . . . .ia61 3 5 fS

Too late!

99

The Ca ro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise: All that remains for Black is to turn the key. Work out a forcing sequence to break through.

Answer: 3S . . . a41 Forcing the bishop's entry to c4 and b3.

36 b4 �c4+ 37 �a1 �b3 38 'ifg2 'ifd41 The queen hurries forward, like a woman late to her enemy's funeral. Threat: ... c2+. This

is even stronger than grabbing the l oose rook on dl. 39 l:tde1 'it'xd3 40 fxe6 l:te8 41 e7 �b8

Black can actually ignore the pin and take anyway on e7: 41 .. . l:tcxe7! 42 l:txe7 l:txe7 43 l:txe7 'it'd1 44 l:te8+ �b7 45 l:te7+ �c8 46 l:te8+ �d7 and Black mates. 42 'ifh2 C2 43 �b2

Exercise (combination alert): What a wonderful feeling it is to unexpectedly find a $20 bill in the pocket of your jeans, just after the laundry is done.

White was losing anyway, but his last move allows mate. How?

Answer: 43 ... 'ifd1+1 0-1 White's king unexpected fall s and his next of kin are notified, in view of 44 �cl 'ii'd4+

45 �b2 cl'if+ 46 l:txcl l:txc1 mate !

Summary Be aware of the strategic idea .. . c4, which allows you to entrench a knight (or another piece) on d5.

1 00

Chapter Three

Smyslov Variation 5 ttJgs: Into the Abyss

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 lL'lc3 dxe4 4 tt:Jxe4 lL'ld7 5 tt:Jgs

I know. White's last knight move looks crazy - the homeless man who dreams of being Prime Minister one day - but beware: it carries real venom and is now considered the mainline against the Smyslov Variation. If you don't know theory up to about move 10, White is certain to hit you with an array of traps and dangerous sacs on e6 and f7. This is not the time for improvisation as Black and there is no compulsion for rash action by allowing one of the many sacs which can (and often does! } lead Black's king to be pulled squeaking from its hole, like a trapped weasel.

1 0 1

Th e Ca r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

This diagram is the "after" photo (following s ... tt::\gf6 6 .td3 e6 7 tt::\1f3 .td6 8li'e2 h6 9 tt::\e4 tt::\xe4 10 li'xe4 li'c7), which assumes you survived myriad traps over the first 10 moves ! We meet White's immediate or eventualli'g4 with ... �f8 ! . Optically, the position looks rather unappealing for Black, but I assure you this is an illusion. Take a close look at Sutovsky-Svidler to see the full force of Black's coiled spring effect in the position. White's queen g ets bounced around and Black's pieces, especially his bishops, can turn fearfully active after .. . b6, . .. .tb7 and ... cs . Theoretically, we hold our own from this position, despite appearances.

Game 12 J.Peters-C.Lakdawala

Ame rica n Open, Los Angeles 1996

My old friend, IM Jack Peters, and I co-annotate each other's games in our "Cy and Jack" column for each issue of Rank and File magazine. Our styles are polar opposites and we never seem to agree on a single assessment. If one day we annotate a game where the par­ties reach a position with two solitary kings on the board, I am certain Jack will claim an advantage for White, since he is to move. I will probably vigorously dispute his claim, tell­ing the reader Black has the edge due to a superior king position! 1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 tt::\c3 dxe4 4 tt::\xe4 tt::\d7 5 tt::\gs

1 02

S m sy l o v Variation 5 Ci:JgS: I n t o t h e A byss

Off the cliff! The lone assailant takes on Black's entire army.

Question: White's only developed piece is moved again and without provocation. Why?

Answer: White's last move looks meaningless unless it is associated with a sound sac. Right now he threatens nothing. But if Black doesn't know his theory, then White has an array of cheapos and promising sacs on e6 and f7.

Question: We covered 5 Ci:Jf3 and 5 .ic4 in the first two chapters, but what happens if my opponent plays 5 .id3?

Answer: Your simplest response would be 5 . . . Ci:Jgf6 when 6 Ci:Jg5 transposes to our game, while 6 Ci:Jxf6+ Ci:Jxf6 7 c3 (7 Ci:Jf3 .ig4 transposes to a favourable line for Black from Chapter One) 7 . . . �g4! 8 f3 .ih5 9 Ci:Jh3 �g6 saw Black equalizing by solving the eternal Caro prob­lem of what to do with his light-squared bishop in A.Safranska-R.Zelcic, Saint Vincent 2000. s ... Ci:Jgf6

Our best option is to ignore the intruder on g 5 and continue developing.

Question: Why not eject the knight with the immediate 5 .. . h6?

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Th e C a ro - Ka n n: M o ve by M o ve

Answer: Careful ! This is one of White's cheapos. White has no intention of retreating. In­stead he takes advantage of a tactical opportunity to stick a knight in our face with 6 lDe6!. At the very minimum White gets the bishop pair and displaces Black's pieces. The shocked GM playing Black in this game continued with 6 ... 'ii'as+ 7 ..id2 'ii'b6 8 ..id3.

Exercise: Can Black accept the gift on e6?

Answer: No! In the game J .Nunn-K.Georgiev, Linares 1988, Black took with 8 . . .fxe6?? and then immediately paid for his error after 9 'ii'hs+ Wd8 10 ..ias ! . Black was so focused on the kingside that he missed this trick on the other side. 6 ..id3 e6 7 'ii'e2

You need to be aware of this tricky sideline. For the remainder of the chapter we exam-

1 04

S m sy l o v Variati o n 5 t:Dg5 : I n to th e A byss

ine the main continuation 7 CD1f3 �d6 8 'ii'e2 h6 9 t:De4 t:Dxe4 10 'ii'xe4. 7 ... �d6

Question: Why didn't you just boot his knight with 7 ... h6?

Answer: I would stay away from that l ine. White had no intention of retreating his knight. He would have sac'ed: 8 t:Dxe6 fxe6 9 �g6+ �e7.

Question: He has only one pawn for the piece. Is that enough?

Answer: Probably more than enough. For the piece Black's king side is in a dreadful jumble while his king hangs around the open centre for some time to come. Maybe the position is playable for Black, but it isn't practical to take on such a high degree of defensive difficulty. In practice Black scores poorly from this position and you would be wise to keep your dis­tance from this line. We continue this discussion in more detail in the notes to the next game. 8 �d2!?

Jack is determined to veer away from established theory, which he can still enter with 8 lLl1f3 h6 9 t:De4 t:Dxe4 10 'ii'xe4 'ii'c7 which we cover in every other game in this chapter.

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Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

8 ... h6

Question: Why didn't he sac this time?

Answer: The sac is unsound for White this time after gltJxe6? fxe6 10 i.g6+ 'iii>f8. White can't take on e6 since Black would play 11 ... ltJes, winning more material. The difference is in this version Black's bishop has been developed to d6 and he isn't nearly as tangled as in the sac lines where his bishop is stuffed into the closet on f8. 9 lDSf31?

One of the ideas behind his seventh move is to deny Black any simplification by keeping all the pieces on the board.

Question: Why don't more people play this way as White?

Answer: Because in this line White's knights get somewhat tangled and his trouble is both knights want to occupy f3 - which is against the rules of the game! White's last chance at normal would be 9lLle4ltJxe4 10 iixe4 ii'c7 11 lbf3 which transposes to Sion Castro­Karpov, examined at the end of this chapter. 9 ... ii'c7

A key point in this line is to fight fiercely for the es-square. Black should avoid the rote 9 ... 0-0? ! 10 ttJes and White untangles his knights with ease. He will castle queen side and his kingside attack arrives quickly with g4 and h4, especially since Black weakened the pawn front with ... h6. 10 0-0-0 b6

As usual in this line, Black's bad bishop isn't so bad once it reaches b7. 11 h4!

1 0 6

Smsy l o v Variation 5 !Dg 5 : I n t o t h e A byss

A new move in the position and an improvement, but still with no more than equality for White.

Question: Is he beginning a kingside attack?

Answer: Not just yet. White finds a path for the undeveloped g 1 knight via h3 . In previous games White tried: a) 11ti:'Jh3, as in E .Luethgens-E.Wiemer, German League 1994, isn't very efficient since

Black can meet it with ll . . . g s ! , leaving White with awkward problems to solve. b) 11 .:tel is somewhat artificial since his other rook rightfully belongs on el. White's

idea is to reinforce es, then play !Des and ti:'Jgf3, but after the ll . . . c s ! (why not? Black im­mediately undermines es by going after d4 and White i sn 't really ahead in development anymore) 12 dxcs of M.Garcia Carbo-B.Teijeiro, Villagarcia de Arosa 199 5, Black can do even better than recapture on cs with his knight (as played) by opening the b-file for his attack with 12 .. . bxcs ! . 11 ... �b7 12ti:'Jh3

1 0 7

Th e Ca ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

12 ... 0-0-0

Question: Could you have castled king side and gone for opposite-wing attacks?

Answer: He would be the only one attacking after 12 . .. 0-0? ! 13 g4!, offering a pawn to open the g-file. 13 �he1 cs 14 ..ta6

He wants to swap in order to weaken the light squares around my king. 14 ... �he8 15 lbes

Attacking f7.

15 ... �e7

1 08

S m sy l o v Va riati o n 5 lbgs: Into th e A byss

Question: How about creating an imbalance with 15 .. . -txes?

Answer: You created an imbalance, but one which slightly helped White gain space with his es-pawn and handed him the bishop pair as well. Black's position is sound and there is no reason to give the opponent anything at all- even in the name of creating an imbalance in order to play for the win. White stands slightly better after 16 dxes lbds. 16 lbc41?

A more hard-hearted annotator would label this move with a'? ! ' mark. Jack's last move, a rather brazen attempt to vandalize the harmony in Black's position, is based on the belief that those who take the greatest risks also receive the greatest rewards. Technically, the move is somewhat dubious, but with it he hopes to complicate. The safe, equal line 16 .ixb7+ 'iixb7 17 lbc4 .te7 doesn't suit Jack's chess personality. Still, this is probably how he should have played it. 16 ... cxd4

Principle: Counter any wing action with a central reaction. Here: 1. White must work a bit to regain the lost pawn on d4. 2. Black trades a wing pawn for a central pawn.

17 .ixb7+ ct>xb7 18 .ie3?

Exercise (combination alert}: White's last move is a clever attempt to sneak the bishop under the radar.

But his move is also an oversight which loses material. How?

Black stands a shade better at the end of the line 18lbxd6+ 'iixd6 19 .te3 e s 20 .txd4 tt:lds 21 .te3 lbb8! . Black's kingside and central majority and White's poorly posted knight combine to put White at a disadvantage.

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Th e Ca ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Answer: 18 ... �b41 Black unpins, removing the targeted piece from d6, while at the same time setting up a

double attack on e3 and el. 19 .1d2

No choice. 19 ... �xd2+ 20 1:1xd2 tt:Jcs 21 tt:Jes?

Exercise (combination alert): As is often the case, the psychological residue from the shock of the last blunder produces another one.

White again violates the Hammurabic chess code and allows a double attack. Do you see it?

Answer: 21 ... tt:Jce41 22 1:1d3 'ii'xes 2 3 f3

1 1 0

S m sy l o v Variation 5 t:Dg5 : I nto th e A byss

Exercise (multiple choice}: Black must return the piece but he has a free move to try to inflict some damage upon White

before he recaptures on e4. Which one would you pick? a) 23 ... .l:tc7 (or 23 ... .l:tc8}. Either move prepares to use the leisure time to

double rooks on the c-file; b) 23 ... 'i'h s. Black is already up a pawn and will have the superior structure

as well. Why not use the time to go after his h-pawn?

23 .. .'�h57 Answer: Damn. It's a curse to be this humble ! Somehow I was under the impression that Black's needs were few, so I took only a tiny sliver of the whole. I went after a measly pawn, which Black can't even hang on to, when there was an immediate blow-out with 2 3 . . J:I.c7! or 23 . . . .l:tc8 ! . It doesn't matter which one. Following 24 fxe4 .l:tdc8 (or 24 . . . .l:tec7) 25 .l:td2 'i'as 26 �bl (now Black has a combination, but 26 a3 .l:txc2+! 27 .l:txc2 d3! changes nothing) 26 . . . .l:txc2! 27 .l:txc2 the crushing in-between move 27 . . . d3! overloads White's queen. 24 fxe4 'it'xh4 25 es tt:Jds 26 'We41

Ensuring that his deficit will be one and not two pawns. 26 ... 'Wxe4 27 .l:txe4l?Jb4 28 .l:tdxd4 .l:txd4 29 .l:txd4 tt:Jc6

My dreams of two extra pawns got downgraded to only one. Luckily, Black also retained the superior position besides the extra pawn, so conversion wasn't as difficult as I had feared. Now I realized Jack had out-calculated me when I played my 23rd move. I had probably in­tended the moronic 29 ... tt:Jxa2+?? which fails miserably to 30 �bl, trapping the knight. 30 .l:te4 .l:td7 31 tbf4

Exercise: Black can force rooks off the board next move with 31 .. . .l:td4. Should he do it?

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The C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Answer: Yes. The endgame principle which applies is: A knight ending is the closest thing to a pure king and pawn ending, so exchanging rooks helps Black, since he is up a pawn. 31 .•. �d4! 32 �xd4 tt:Jxd4

It's a nightmare to defend such an ending . Not only is White a pawn down, but al so Black eyes the slightly worn down and isolated e- and g-pawns the way a dentist would a patient's decaying molars - he hopes to remove them ! 33 'iti>d2 gs 34 lt:Jd3 'ifi>c6 3 S c4 a s 36 'ifi>e3 tt:Jc2+ 37 'iii>e4 hs 38 b3 lt:Jb4 39 tt:Jc1 'iii>d7 40 a4

In order to activate his knight at the price of impairing the efficiency of his pawn major­ity. 40 a3 tt:Jc2 forces the hole on b4 anyway. 40 ... lt:Ja6 41 'iii>d4 tt:Jcs 42 'iii> c3 h4 43 b4 axb4+ 44 'iti>xb4 'iti>c6 4S as bxaS+ 46 'iti>xas g4 0-1

Summary 7 ife2 is an attempt to confuse the booked-up Caro player with a tricky sideline. You are fine if you follow the boy scout motto: Be prepared!

Game 13 E.Sutovsky-P.Svidler

Eu ropea n Tea m C h a m pion s h i p, Novi Sad 2009

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 lt:Jd2 dxe4 4 tt:Jxe4 lt:Jd7 s tt:Jgs tt:Jgf6 6 i.d3

Question: What does Black play on 6 i.c4?

Answer: 6 ... e6 7 'it'e2. Please see Chapter Two for more on this line ! It just transposes. 6 ... e6 1 tLl1f3 i.d6

Question: I s it okay to kick the knight immediately with 7 ... h6?

1 1 2

Smsy l o v Varia tion 5 liJgS: I n to th e A byss

Answer: We touched upon an early .. . h6, which allows sacs, in our last game. Unless you are a defensive genius, you would be well advised to avoid this line, which hands Black nearly insurmountable practical difficulties after the promising sac 8 liJxe6! . Now Black has a choice of where to place his king : d8 or e7. Neither is very pleasant for Black. If you don't believe me, then just ask Kasparov! I include the two fol lowing bloodbaths in an attempt to talk you out of this line!

a) 8 . . :ii'e7 9 o-o fxe6 10 i.g6+ <iti>d8 11 i.f4 bs? ! (intending to post a knight on dS; how­ever, the move gives White opportunities at prying moves like a4 and c4) 12 a4 .llb7 13 l:te1 lLlds 14 .llg 3 <iti>c8 15 axbs cxbs 16 iid3 ..tc6? 17 ..tfs ! exfs 18 l:txe7 i.xe7 19 c4 1-0 Deep

Blue-G.Kasparov, 6th matchgame, New York 1997. Who can forget this horrible debacle for the human race? Let's not shoot ourselves in the foot and then blame others for limping ! In the Frank Herbert Dune novels, where humanity bans smart computers, the prevailing re­ligious scripture of the time states: "Thou shalt not make a machine in likeness of man's mind." I wholeheartedly agree!

b) 8 . . .fxe6 9 ..tg6+ <iti>e7 10 o-o 'iic7 11 �e1 liJds 12 c4 liJSb6 13 liJgs ! ! hxgs 14 l:txe6+! (don't look so surprised: bad things tend to happen when kings linger in the centre) 14 ... <iti>xe6 15 'iig4+ <iti>d6 16 ..tf4+! gxf4 17 iixf4+ liJes 18 'fixeS+ <iti>d7 19 iie8+ <iti>d6 20 cS+ 'it>ds 21 iie4+ <itl>c4 22 l:tc1+ <iti>bS 23 iid3+ and 1-0 in E .Berg-A.Wegerif, Norrkoeping 2010. 8 iie2 h6

The correct timing. A memory tool to avoid mistiming .. . h6 is to play .. . h6 only after you develop your bishop to d6.

8 .. . 0-0? is another trap we must avoid: 9 liJxe6! ..tb4+ 10 c3 ..txc3+ 11 bxc3 fxe6 12 liJgs l:te8 13 o-o liJf8 14 f4 and Black was strategically lost in J .Benjamin-N.Kelecevic, Cannes 1989. 9liJe4

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Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Exchanges help Black since he is the one cramped. Is 9 tbh3 worth considering?

Answer: I think the move is wrong. White's h 3-knight is out of play after 9 . . .'ii'c7. Here . . . gs is in the air and White experiences troubles similar but even worse than he did in my game against Peters. 9 ... tbxe4 10 �xe4

Question: What is wrong with recapturing with the bishop?

Answer: The move is playable, but White can't hope for an advantage. After 10 i.xe4 White loses �g4 options and 10 . . . 0-0 (10 . . . �c7 intending ... b6, . . . i.b7 and ... 0-0-0 is also fine for Black) 11 i.e3 es 12 o-o-o exd4 13 i.xd4 �as 14 �b1 (14 ..txg7?? i.f4+ wins) 14 . . . -tcs saw Black equalize in Z.Efimenko-R.Wojtaszek, Wijk aan Zee 2011.

10 ... �C7

Question: I sn't 10 . . . tbf6 also played here?

Answer: Yes. In fact, in the go's heyday of the Smyslov Caro, I exclusively played 10 . . . tbf6, which was then considered the mainline. Since then the trend slowly shifted to 10 .. . �C7. Top players began to realize that White's "threat" of �g4 wasn't as terrifying for Black as it first appears. The logic behind 10 ... �c7 is to deny White the autopilot plan tbes and f4, with an easy space advantage. With 10 . . . �c7 we fight for es and also prevent i.f4. I believe the move is a clear improvement over the automatic 10 .. . tbf6 and in this book we exclu­sively cover 10 ... �c7.

1 1 4

S msyl o v Va riati o n 5 tiJg 5 : I n to th e A byss

Question: Doesn't Black then miss out on a tempo gain if he avoids .. . tiJf6?

Answer: The tempo gain is not lost, merely delayed. White's queen is vulnerable to ... b6, . . . .ib7 and ... cs, as well as a future .. . tiJf6. I didn't say we would never play . . . tiJf6, only that we would delay it. Our tempo gain isn't running away.

Question: Why is Black so apprehensive? I would play the immediate 10 ... cs .

Answer: Your suggestion is playable, but I am quite distrustful of all early . . . c s attempts for Black in the Smyslov Caro. My philosophy is : What is the rush? Why not wait until we catch up a bit in development and only then play . . . cs? GM Khalifman says of 10 ... cs : "Black has to solve numerous defensive problems, despite the fact that his position looks solid enough." In other words, Khalifman says the move is playable, but you give yourself huge headaches if you do! After the 11 o-o tiJf6 12 �4 cxd4 131:te1 .id7 14 tiJxd4 'iias 15 .ie3 'it>f8 16 .if4 .ixf4 17 'iixf4 l:tc8 18 tiJf3 �e7 19 'iig 3 of J .Lautier-A.Karpov, Biel 1997, I am not so crazy about Black's position with his king hanging about in the open centre. 11 0-0

The old mainline, 11 'iig4, has been superseded by 11 0-0. White simply increases his development lead, goads Black into .. . tiJf6, and dares Black to castle into a mate in one on h7! Be aware that the two lines often transpose into each other later on. We look at 11 'iig4 a couple of games down the road. 11 ... b6

Once again, it may be too early to toss in 11 .. . c s ! ? and 12 l:!.e1 c4 13 .if1 tiJf6 14 'iie2 c3 (or 14 .. . bs 15 a4 .ib7 16 axbs .ids 17 b3! cxb3 18 c4 and Black's game is sinking fast,

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Th e Ca ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

R.Ponomariov-R.Antonio, Istanbul Olympiad 2000) 15 bxc3 'ii'xc3 16 'ii'b5+ We7 17 i.d2 'ir'xc2 18 .l:!.ac1 'ii'xa2 19 .ic4 'ii'a6 20 'ii'b1 'iib6 21 'ii'a1 'ii'd8 22 d5 gave White a nasty attack in A.Zhigalko-A.Peskov, Minsk 2006. 12 'ii'g4 Wf81

After 12 ... g s 13 'ii'h3 .l:!.g8 14 l:!.el ! ! (Anand nonchalantly ignores Black's ... g4 threat) 14 ... i.f8 (14 ... g4 15 'ii'xh6 gxf3 16 .l:!.xe6+ fxe6 17 'ii'xe6+ i.e7 18 'ii'xg8+ gives White an at-tack at virtually zero material cost) 15 'ii'fs ! i.g7 16 h4! Black was in deep trouble in V.Anand-V.Bologan, Dortmund 2003 . 13 b3 1

Question: I sn't White's last move rather passive?

Answer: Not at all. It answers the needs of the position. Khalifman gives White's 13th move an exclam: "White is planning to deploy his bishop on b2 in order to increase the pressure against the critical g 7-square." I would add a further benefit, that a white bishop on b2 also discourages Black from his natural freeing break .. . c5 . The natural 13 .l:!.e1 isn't as good for White after 13 ... c5 14 c3 i.b7 1 5 h4 c4! 16 i.c2 b5 17 'ii'h3 and Black's control over d5 gave him a dynamically equal position, J.Gallagher-K.Sasikiran, Torquay 2002. 13 ... i.b7 14 i.b2 lbf6 15 'ii'h3 1?

The idea is to remain clear of both . . . i.e7 and future . . . g5 tricks from Black. The trouble is .. .'!iJdS! and ... lbf4 becomes even m ore potent for Black since a black knight on f4 hits h3. Next game we look at White's main continuation 15 'ii'h4. 1s ••• lL:lds1

1 1 6

S m sy l o v Va riati o n 5 t:Dgs: Into th e A byss

Question: Moving the same piece again when down in development?

Answer: Very true, but with this move he worries White about both .. . t:Df4 and .. . t:Db4. If you lag in development and your opponent cannot effectively open the game, then don't worry too much about the lag. 16 g3

If White refuses to weaken, he must cough up the bishop pair after 16 t:Des t:Df4 17 'i'f3, as in J .Slaby-M.Dziuba, Warsaw 2005. Now, simply 17 .. . t:Dxd3 18 'ir'xd3 �d8 19 'i'e2 �g8 sees Black's bishop pair more than make up for his lack of space. 16 ... cs

Now that White weakened the light squares around his king, Black is willing to open it up. 16 ... t:Db4!? is also possible, leading after 17 ..te4 fS 18 t:Dh4! 'ir'f7 19 a3 t:Dds to:

a) 20 ..txds cxds 21 t:Df3 �c8 22 c3, D.Stellwagen-F.Berkes, European Team Champion­ship, Crete 2007. If there is such a thing as strategically unclear, then this is it.

b) 20 ..td3 g S ! 21 c4 (21 t:Dg2?? g4 wins) 21...t:Df6 22 ds cxds 23 tiJf3 �h7 ! and Houdini

gives the edge to Black. 17 dxcs ..txcs 18 t:Des

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Th e Ca ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

A theoretical novelty at the time.

Question: This is still theory!? I will never be able to remember all of this over the board.

Answer: There exists a mysterious protective mechanism that infallibly guides us to the best moves in opening. It's called study and repetition ! When well prepared theoretically through applied study and repetition, even the most baffling opening lines become routine. 18 . . .tt:Jf6 19 l:be1l::td8 20 i.g6!?

GM Golubev criticized this move, but I'm not so sure White has such great options.

Exercise: White just put his bishop en prise. What is worse is that we can't afford to take the bishop and our f7-pawn hangs.

The time for defence is over. How do we counterattack?

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Smsylov Va riati o n 5 t:iJgS: I n to the A byss

White's alternative was 20 �4 'it>g8 (20 . . . ..ta8!) 21 a3, as in K.Priyadharshan­K.Sundararajan, Mumbai 2009. Now perhaps a new idea in the position is a radical ex­change sac for the light squares, starting with 21 . . Jhd3 ! ? 22 cxd3 'ir'd6! intending ... 'ir'ds. White has tremendous practical difficulties ahead. Answer: 20 ... i.a81

We remind White that we too are capable of generating threats. Black clears b7 for the queen/bishop line-up on the long diagonal. Now Black's bishops, like insincere suitors, ooze charm.

Instead 20 . . .fxg6?? loses instantly to 21 'ir'xe6. Black has no reasonable method of de­fending against t:iJxg6+. 21 .ths?

211:td1 is better, but the advantage swings to Black after 21 . . . 'it>e7! Followed by . . . 'ir'b7. 21 ... t:iJxh5

There goes a big defender of the Jig ht squares . 22 'ir'xhs 'ir'b7

Exercise: Black's last move threatens mate in one - twice! Does White have to resign?

23lte41 Answer: No! White has a blocking tactic which keeps him alive for now. Black's queen must continue to defend f7. 23 ... 'it>g8 Black wants to play .. .fs without fear of a knight check on g6. 24l:.fe1

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Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise: Temptations, temptations ! We have two apparently crushing moves. The truth is, only one is crushing;

the other allows White to escape. Choose carefully: a) 24 .. .f5, winning the pinned rook;

b) 24 . . . l:td2, since we don't care about material. We go after f2 and White's king.

Answer: 24 ... l:td2! After the hasty 24 . . .f5? 25 'iig6 ! fxe4 26 'iixe6+ �h7 27 'iig 6+ Black wins a rook, but

White gets the draw. 25lLld3 fS

Houdini gives the more clear line 2S . . . l:txd3 ! 26 cxd3 (26 'iies ..id4! wins) 26 .. .fS, win­ning . 26liJf4!?

He issues checks without sufficient funds in his bank account. The trouble with bribery is that the bribed party tends to demand more and more. Sutovsky probably felt his chances were superior sac'ing the rook rather than submitting to 26ltJes ..ixf2+ 27 '>t>fl 'iie7 ! 28 l:tc4 ..ics when White is without hope. 26 .. . fxe4!

No more perpetual. 27 'iie8+ ..if8 28 ltJg6

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S m sy l o v Va riati o n 5 �g5 : I nto the A byss

Exercise: 28 . . .'ii'f7, returning the rook is good enough for a win in the ending. But why bargain when all the power lies

with Black? He has something even stronger. What is it?

Answer: 28 ... e31 White's attack curdles after this shot. Black is willing to give up a full rook- this time

without swapping queens in the process. 29 'ii'xf8+ Wh7 30 ir'xh8+ Wxg6 31 f3

Exercise (combination alert}: Black has a shot. Do you see it?

1 2 1

The C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Answer: 31 .. J:tg2+1 Killing his opponent with many small deaths.

32 �h1 Or 32 �xg2 'it'xf3+ 33 �h3 'it'hs mate!

32 ... .l:.e21 The most dazzling of Black's m any paths to victory.

33 llf1

Exercise (combination alert): Black mates. How?

Answer: 33 ... 'ii'xf3+1 0-1 The sweetest of Black's many finishes. I never believed Mr. Spock's hypothesis that the

absence of emotion equals greater efficiency. Svidler played with great passion in both de­fence and attack, shifting against the currents of White's surges in his frantic efforts to reach Black's king.

Summary New knowledge replaces old understanding. 10 ... 'ii'c7 ! replaces the old 10 .. . l2Jf6 as the mainline in the violent 5 ttJgs variation.

Game 14 P .Bobras-R. Wojtaszek

Polis h C h a m pion s h i p, Wa rsaw 2010

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 l2Jc3 dxe4 4 l2Jxe4 l2Jd7 s l2Jgs l2Jgf6 6 i.d3 e6 7 lD1f3 i.d6 8 'it'e2 h6 g l2Je4

1 2 2

Smsylov Variation 5 tt:J gs: Into the Abyss

tZ:lxe4 10 'ii'xe4 'iic7 11 o-o b6 12 'iig4 �8 13 b3 ..i b7 14 ..ib2 tt:Jf6 15 'ii'h4

Question: Last game White played 15 'iih3 . What is the difference between posting on h3 compared to h4?

Answer: I think 15 'ii'h4 is perhaps a tad more logical: 1. The queen aims at f6, in conjunction with the hidden bishop on b2. 2. The queen sidesteps . . . lt:Jd5-f4. If the queen were on h3 , then ... lt:Jf4 would be double

attacking queen and bishop on d3. 3 . On h4 the queen is vulnerable to both .. . j_e7 and future .. . g5 tempo-gaining moves.

1s ... tt:Jds Smyslov Caro expert GM Bologan tried the bold sacrificial idea 15 . . . c5 !? against a couple

of super GMs. After 16 dxc5 'iixc5 17 ..txf6 gxf6 18 'ii'xf6 'ii'h5 ! White has:

a) 19 j_e2! j_xf3 20 h 3 'iie5 ! 21 'ii'xe5 .ixe5 22 j_xf3 ..ixa1 23 ..txa8 j_c3 24 ie4 1;e7

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

and White's extra pawn will be very difficult to convert due to the presence of opposite­coloured bishops, S.Karjakin-V.Bologan, Tomsk 2006.

b) 19 �xh8+?! <Jite7 allows Black to train all his guns on White's king. c) 19 l:tfe1? ! was P.Leko-V.Bologan, Wijk aan Zee 2004. Now Black should have entered a

slightly superior ending with 19 .. . i.xf3! 20 �xf3 i.xh2+ 21 <Jitf1 �xf3 22 gxf3. 16 g31?

A new move in the position. As in the last game, White denies Black access to f4 at the incredibly high cost of weakening all the light squares around his king. Alternatively:

a) 16 l:tfe1 tLlf4 17 tOes g S {now we see the downside of playing the queen to h4; Black gains useful kingside space while gaining a tempo on White's queen) 18 'ii'g4 l:tg8 19 �f3 l:td8 20 l:tad1 cs 21 i.e4 i.xes ! 22 dxes l:txd1 23 l:txd1 i.xe4 24 �xe4 <Jite7 2S h4 l:td8 26 l:te1 tLlg6 27 hxgs h s ! and Black has full compensation for the pawn:

1. A good knight versus a so-so bishop. 2. Control over the d-file. 3 . Strong light-square control. In V.Anand-R.Wojtaszek, German League 2007, Anand failed to break down Black's de­

fensive barrier and had to settle for the half-point. b) 16 tOes g S ! {the tempo gain again) 17 'ii'g3 lLlf4 18 l:tae1 l:td8 19 i.c1! i.xes 20 dxes

tLlxd3 21 cxd3 fS ! {Black stands no worse in the ending; he can also try the riskier 21 ... i.a6 ! ?) 22 exf6 �xg3 23 fxg3 <Jitf7 24 h4 gxh4 2S gxh4 cs and Black's targets on d3 and g2 left him completely equal in the ending, F.Amonatov-A.Morozevich, Russian Champion­ship, Moscow 2007. 16 ... tLlb4!

Question: You gave Black's last move an exclam. Why? He is behind in development and his move sinks him further behind.

1 2 4

Smsylov Va ria tion 5 t'i:Jg5 : I n to t h e A byss

Answer: Black's holy grail in the position is the light squares, so he logically goes after a key defender of the light squares, even if it costs him time. 17 .ie21?

Daring Black to grab c2 and fall even further behind in development. Instead after 17 .ie4?! (to induce a weakness) 17 .. .fs 181i.d3 t'i:Jxd3 19 cxd3 cs Black's light-square grip ex­ceeds White's on the dark squares. 17 ... t'i:Jxc2 18 dSI

White's bishop looks upon g7 with an admonitory glare. His last move sets Black up with huge practical problems. White didn't sac his c-pawn just to allow Black the slightly better game after 18 .l::!.ac1?! t'i:Jb4 19 a3 t'i:Jds. 18 . . . t'i:Jxa1 19 dxe6 �e8

Hurrying to catch up in development. Houdini claims 19 ... c s ! ? defangs White's attack, but after having played through many scenarios, I think the true assessment is unclear. 20'i*'g41

The attack on g7 forces Black to weaken g6. 20 .. .fxe6

21 t'i:Jh41 Here g7 and g6 are the San Andreas fault lines of Black's position.

Question: The players act like material doesn't matter. White doesn't bother to take the knight on a1 and Black

refuses to move it! Can you explain?

Answer: Equation for this position: Time> material! The a1-knight, while nice to have in one's portfolio of assets, simply isn't worth the one move needed to take it - or move it away!

1 2 5

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Black won this game, but I am certain I would get crushed if I were in his place. How can I get to a point

where I can survive such a position?

Answer: Right now, it may seem inconceivable that you can successfully navigate the laby­rinth. In time though, after gaining experience and learning the typical defensive themes, you will grow comfortable in just such positions. To a fish, dry land and air are inconceiv­able. Yet they exist.

Instead of the text, GM Neil McDonald suggested 21J::!.d1! which threatens .l:!.xd6 and gives White promising attacking possibilities. For example, 21 ... .l:!.g8 (Black no longer has ... h 5 followed by ... .l:!.h6, while he is totally busted after 21 ... .l:!.e7 22 lbh4 h 5 23 tbg6+ �g8 24 'i'd4! .l:!.h7 25 'i'xd6) 22 .ixal c5 23 .ib5 h 5 ! 24 'i'xh 5 'i'f7 25 .ixe8 'i'xf3 26 'iii'xf3+ .ixf3 27 l:!.xd6 �xe8 28 .l:!.xe6+ leaves Black fighting for the draw. 21 ... �g8?1

Such positions are impossibly hard to play and it i s easy to make a slip. Black should play 21 . . . h 5 ! 22 'iii'g 5 �g8 23 .ixh5 l:!.f8 24 .ixal l:!.h6. My intuition tel ls me Black should survive the assault, but even here it won't be easy. 22 .ic4?

White loses the initiative after this very natural move. 22 l:!.dl! (threat: .l:!.xd6!) 22 ... .if8 23 'Wg6 .l:!.e7 24 lbf5! leaves Black fighting for his life. 22 ... .ic8 2 3 tbg6

1 2 6

Exercise {planning}: That knight on g 6 is the obnoxious party guest, first to arrive and last to depart. Moving the rook up

one square to h7 isn't very appealing. Find a way which both saves Black's h8-rook and also develops it.

S m sy l o v Variati o n 5 lDg 5 : I nto th e A byss

Answer: 23 ... hs ! The rook gets developed to the infinitely superior h 6-square.

24 ..,e4 �h6 The mummy finally gets coaxed out of its crypt. White works feverishly on reviving his

flagging attack the way a physician would who arrives too late to save the patient. 25 �xa1

Question: Why did he pick this moment to recapture the knight?

Answer: In a sense this is a concession and it's a bad sign for White that he took time to capture the knight.

Question: Why?

Answer: We infer that White didn't see a path to accelerate his attack. His last move shows his reservoir of attacking ideas grew shallow and seriously depleted. 2S ...... f71

It turns out g6 was just a temporary encampment for the knight. It's remarkable how effortlessly Wojtaszek put the l eash on the tiger in this game. 26 lDh4

Or 26 lDes �xes 27 'ii'xes h4 and Black takes over the initiative. 26 ... �f8 21 �f1 i.cs

Target: f2. Black is in command now. 28..,c2

Exercise {planning): It is clear that White's initiative dissipated like water through fingers. Now find an attacking plan for Black.

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Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Answer: 28 ... gsl 29 tbg2 h4! Suddenly Black's h6-rook and h-pawn are no longer defensive tools. He enjoys both the

attack and extra material. White can resign. 30 gxh4 gxh4 31 1i'd2 �hs

Both 31 .. . h3 ! and 31...�g6 ! also win. 32 tbxh4 0-1

32 . . . 'ii'f4 will end the game.

Summary So far Black continues to hold theoretically against 11 0-0.

Game 15 D.Sadvakasov-A.Karpov

Hoogevee n 1999

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 tbd2 dxe4 4 tbxe4 tbd7 5 ttJgs tbgf6 6 .td3 e6 7 ttJ1f3 .td6 8 'ii'e2 h6 9 tbe4 tbxe4 10 'i!Vxe4 'iic7 11 'iig4

White hits g7 even before castling. The two lines tend not to be mutually exclusive and often transpose since White nearly always castles kingside and nearly always plays 'ii'g4 whichever 11th move he picks first. We examine 11 it.d2 later in the chapter. 11 .. .'�f8

So by a rather uneventful transposition, we reach the same position we looked at in the past two games - but only if White castles and then Black plays 12 . . . b6. 12 0-0

1 28

Smsy l o v Va riation 5 lDg 5 : I nto the A byss

Question: Is there a line where White doesn't castle and transpose?

Answer: Yes, there are a few, none of them dangerous for Black. An example: 12 i.e3 b6 13 t/Jd2li':Jf6 14 'ii'e2 t:Dd5 15 lDc4 Ji.a6 16li':Jxd6 Ji.xd3 17 'ii'xd3 'ii'xd6 18 o-o l:td8 19 l:tad1 b5 20 a4 a6 21 c4 bxc4 22 'ii'xc4 l:ta8 23 b4 'ii'xb4 24 'ii'xc6 'it>e7! 25 Ji.d2 'ii'd6 26 'ii'h7+ 'it>f6. Black's king was perfectly safe and White had to worry about her isolated d-pawn in J.Polgar-A.Karpov, 4th matchgame, Budapest (rapid) 1998.

Be aware too of the idea 12 i.d2 cs ! ? (12 ... b6 is also playable) 13 o-o c4! ? .

Question: What is the point?

Answer: By playing ... c4, Black prepares to land a piece on dS. White has a very hard time engineering c4 himself to eject the occupier: for instance, 14 Ji.e2 b5 15 a4 b4 16li':Jes t/Jf6 !? 17 'ii'h4 .ia6 18 b3 c3 19 .ixa6 cxd2 20 .id3 g5 21 'ii'h3 .txes 22 dxes 'ii'xes 23 l:tad1 �d8 24 l:txd2 l:td4 and Black had a grip on the dark squares in M.Zulfugarli-E.Vasiukov, An­kara 1997. 12 ... c5!?

12 . . . b6 13 b3! .ib7 14 .tb2 ltJf6 transposes to the games we covered earlier in the chap-ter. 13 'ii'h4

Next game we look at 13 b3. Instead after 13 c3 b6 14 l:te1 .ib7 15 h4 c4! 16 .ic2 b5 17 id2 aS 18 h5 .td5 19 'ii'h 3 lib8 20 b3 b4! ? 21 bxc4 bxc3 22 .txc3 'ii'xc4 23 lLld2 'ii'c7 White was unable to exploit his development lead, mainly due to Black's grip on d5, in V.Anand­A.Karpov, Monte Carlo (rapid) 1998. 13 ... b6 14 .1e4 lib8!

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Th e Ca ro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

A theoretical novelty at the time and a possible improvement over 14 . . . ..ib7 15 �xb7 'ii'xb7 16 b3 �e7! 17 �g3 i.f6 18 ..ie3 g6 ! {Black completes his development) 19 l:tad1 <i>g7 when I doubt White can do anything meaningful with his tiny edge, V.Topalov-J.Timman, Elista Olympiad 1998.

Question: Why do you think Karpov's decision to avoid a trade of bishops is an improvement over 14 .. . ..ib7?

Answer: By avoiding the trade Black is in a position to gain a tempo on the bishop with a future . . . lbf6. 15 l:tdl c41

This is the plan we discussed earlier: Play . . . c4, then occupy the dS-square. 16 lbes

Question: If Black's intention is to control and occupy dS, shouldn't White play the move himself?

Answer: If White plays 16 ds Black artificially isolates the pawn by bypassing with 16 . . . es 17 i.fs �g8 18 lbd2 lbf6 19 �xc8 l:txc8 20 lbf1 'ii'd7 21 b3 cxb3 22 cxb3 �h7. I prefer Black, whose king side majority will soon roll. Meanwhile he firmly blockades White's passed (and isolated) d-pawn, P.Wells-J.Speelman, Millfield 2000. 16 ... lbf6

There is the tempo gain. 17 i.f3 i.b7

Now he plays the move, only after he gained the tempo on White's bishop which was on e4.

1 3 0

Smsy l o v Va riati o n 5 l'Dg5: I nto th e A byss

18 i.xb7l:.xb7

Question: It looks to me like White stands a shade better, mainly because of Black's awkward king on f8. Do I evaluate correctly?

Answer: I disagree and actually prefer Black for these reasons: 1 . Black's knight will soon sit on the d5-square; White's may later be ejected with a

timely .. .f6. 2. Black's awkward king isn 't too much of an issue since he will simply play ... 'iti>g8 and

... 'it>h7, or .. .f6 and .. . 'iti>f7, depending upon circumstances. 3. Black may soon chop the knight reaching good knight versus below average bishop.

19 b3 He must open lines immediately to try to exploit his slim development lead. If he

doesn't, White's position tends to drift for the worse: for example, 19 i.f4l'Dd5 20 i.g3 i.xe5 ! 21 i.xe5 'ir'd7 22 l:.e1 f6 23 i.g3 'iti>f7 24 l:.e2 b5 25 l:tael l:.b6 and I like Black, with his powerhouse knight, H .Odeev-G.Sargissian, I stanbul Olympiad 2000. 19 ... cxb3 20 cxb3

Question: Why not be bold and try 20 axb3? Can Black really get away with a pawn grab on c2?

Answer: Perhaps White should have risked it. Let's look: 20 .. . 'ir'xc2 21 i.g5 'ir'f5 22 i.xf6 gxf6 23l'Dc4 i.f4 24 g 3 l:.g8 25 'iti>f1 b5 ! and now 26 'ir'xf4 {White is busted if he gets tempted into 26l'Da5?? i.e3 27 l:ta2 l:.c7) 26 ... 'ir'xf4 27 gxf4 bxc4 28 bxc4 'iti>e7 with a dynamically balanced ending. 2 o ... !Dds 21 i.f4 'iVe7 22 'ir'g3

1 3 1

Th e Ca ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise {planning}: How would you play as Black here?

Answer: 22 ... .i.xesl Now the advantage swings to Black. He gets good knight versus not so great bishop.

23 i.xesl?

Question: This looks wrong. Why did White agree to the isolani when he could have straightened his pawns with 23 dxes?

Answer: It's a fair trade-off. In a strange way White's last move was a mini sacrifice of structure in return for greater piece activity. White wants to use the es-square for his bishop. The notion that one must never go into any form of debt in a chess game is akin to saying : Don't get a student loan. It's better not to get a college education.

Recapturing with the pawn on e s is no picnic for White either: 23 dxes g6 24 h4 l:tc7 25 l:tacl �g7 26 h s l:thc8 27 hxg6 fxg6 and the knight is distinctly superior to White's bishop. 23 ... \igs 24 'ifd3

1 3 2

Question: Why did White avoid 2 4 \ixgs hxg s and then seize the c-file (and a nasty threat on c8) with 25 l:tac1?

Smsy l o v Va riati o n 5 lUgS: I nto the A byss

Answer: Retaining the queens is logical for White, since he has the inferior structure and inferior minor piece. Here Black covers everything with the simple 2S .. . �g8! . Nobody is ea­ger to enter a slightly inferior technical ending against Karpov! 24 .. J�d7 2 5 l:tacl ft'd8 26 'ii'a6

Threatening l:tc8. 26 ... 0Je7

Karpov deftly seals all the vulnerable entry points into his position. 27 ... C4

Exercise {planning}: White can't do much and basically waits, like the bored office worker who daydreams as a way of

receding from drab reality. How do we improve Black's position?

133

The Ca ro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

27 ... 'ifi>g81 Answer: We get our king to h7 in order to activate the h8-rook. This faux castling is a stock manoeuvre in these positions and should be automatic by now. 28 �c7 'ii'a8 29 'ii'a4 'ii'e81

Feints within misdirections. He dares White to take on a7. 30 i.b81

30 'ii'xa7 fails to win a pawn after 30 ... ttJds 31 'ii'a4! 'ii'e7 32 �es :ta7 33 'ii'bs :txa2 and Black continues to retain his slight advantage. 30 ... 'ifi>h7

Exercise: Karpov just offered his opponent his a-pawn. Should White take it or not?

31 �C 7 Answer: Once again White finds himself frustrated in his attempts to breach Black's defen­sive barrier. Sensing the motive is the first step in avoiding a trap. Sadvakasov wisely de­clines, avoiding 31 �xa7?? :tb7! 32 'ii'a6 'ii'a8 33 'ii'd3+ g6 34 'ii'f3 'ifi>g7, trapping the bishop. 31 ... ttJds 3 2 �es 'ii'e7 33 'ii'c4 'ii'gs 34 'ii'd3+ 'ii'g6 35 'ii'e2

As mentioned earlier, a queen swap makes White's life that much harder. 3 s ... :thd8 36 h4?1 hs l

White grows weaker and weaker on the light squares as h is position continues to dete­riorate. Compare this position to the one about ten moves ago. 37 :td3 'ii'g4 38 'ii'd2 f6 39 i.g3

134

Smsy l o v Va riatio n 5 Cjjg 5 : I n to th e A byss

Exercise {planning}: White carries a lot of defensive weight in his backpack and must fend off threats on d4, h4, and g3 .

Find a way to improve Black's position.

Answer: 39 ... (jje71 Transfer the knight to fs and win the isolani.

40 �e3?1

When we arrive in close proximity of our wants, an uncertainty factor often arises. So far Karpov has given a clinic in how to play good knight versus bad bishop and also how to play against an isolani. He goes after the weakest pawn in the herd on d4 and reaches a position with two ways to win the pawn.

13 5

Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise (multiple choice}: Both moves pick off the pawn, but one is clearly inferior and greatly complicates Black's task. Can you find the correct move, which Karpov rejected?

a) 40 . . Jhd4, just take the pawn ! b) 40 ... es , wait to take it under more favourable circumstances.

40 ... l:txd4? Too soon. Karpov plays an inaccurate move on the last move before the time control

and nearly throws away the win. Answer: White collapses quickly after the simple 40 ... eS ! followed by .. . lbfs. 41 l:txd4 l:txd4 42 f31

Karpov may have underestimated this trick when he took on d4. 42 ... ttJfs!

Only move. 43 'ii'xe6

43 fxg4? lbxe3 44 gxhs l:td2 45 i.f4 l:txg2+ 46 �h1 l:te2 is winning for Black. 43 ... 'ii'xg3 44 'ii'xfs+ �h6! 45 'ii'c2

Instead 45 'ii'c8 'ii'xh4 46 'ii'h8+ �g6 47 'ii'e8+ �h7 avoids perpetual check and retains the extra pawn. 4S ... 'ii'xh4 46 l:td1l

White's best chance is in a pure queen ending. Black's extra pawn is not so easy to con­vert. 46 ... 'ii'f4 47 l:td3 h4 48 �h1 g6 49 'ii'c3 l:txd3 so 'ii'xd3 h31 51 gxh3 'ii'g3 52 'ii'd2+ �hs 53 'ii'e3 'ii'xh3+ 54 �g1 'ii'fs 55 'ii'e2 'ii'es 56 'ii'd1 'it>h4!

Karpov is an unchallenged ruler in such technical endings. Suddenly his king partici­pates in an attack on White's king. White doesn't have a single check at his disposal. 57 �f2

57 �g2 �2+ 58 �g1 �g3 59 'ii'el+ �xf3 60 'ii'fl+ �g4 61 'ii'c4+ �gS consolidates with two extra pawns. 57 ... 'ii'h2+ 58 �e3 'ii'eS+ 59 �f2

13 6

S m sy l o v Va riatio n 5 CiJgS: I n to th e A byss

Exercise {planning}: Find a plan for Black.

sg ... fsl Answer: Utilize the kingside pawn majority and create a passed pawn. 60 a4 'ii'g3+ 61 We3 'ii'eS+ 62 'it>f2 'ii'h2+ 63 We3 gS 64 'ii'ds 'ii'g1+ 65 'it>e2 Wg31 0-1

Exercise: Why did White just resign when he can take a pawn on fs?

Answer: 66 'Wxfs (66 'ii'eS+ 'it>g2 67 'Wxfs 'ii'f2+ doesn't change anything) 66 .. ... f2+! when queens go off the board and Black wins the f3-pawn.

13 7

The Caro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Summary 11 'i'g4 is not so different from 11 0-0, since the lines tend to merge and transpose later on. Still, be aware there are lines which veer away and know the differences.

Game 16 V.Topalov-A.Karpov

Ca n nes 2002

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 tt:lc3 dxe4 4 tt:lxe4 ti:ld7 5 tt:lgs tt:lgf6 6 .i.d3 e6 7 tt:l1f3 ..lit.d6 8 'i' e2 h6 9 tt:le4 tt:lxe4 10 'i'xe4 'i'c7 11 ii'g4 'it>f8 12 o-o cs 13 b3

Question: Why fianchetto when his bishop can develop immediately to e3?

Answer: Since Black has obliged by allowing an opening in the centre, White logically clears a line for his bishop to Black's soft spot: g7. 13 . . . esl?

In human history the impulse to engage and destroy the enemy preceded the weapons which implement the impulse !

Question: This looks very risky. Isn't Black opening the game when behind in development?

Answer: The move is indeed risky. Black played it with three ideas: 1. Challenge White's centre. 2. Open a developing line for his light-squared bishop.

138

Smsylov Variation 5 t:Dgs : I nto th e A byss

3. Uncover the c8-bishop's gaze on White's queen. 13 ... cxd4 also looks playable : 14 'ii'xd4 (14 tt:Jxd4? ..ixh2+) 14 ... t:De5 ! ? 15 ..ib2 tt:Jxf3+ 16

gxf3 f6 17 'Wh4 ..ie5 18 ..ia3+ ..t>g8 19 .l:tad1 ..id7 20 .l:tfe1 and in P.Leko-A.Karpov, Linares 2001, we reach a classic Caro ideological struggle: short-term development lead and activ­ity versus long-term structural chances. In this case the position looks interesting after 2o ... h5 ! . 14 dxcs

Question: Isn't he helping Black by handing over a tempo?

Answer: He hands Black a tempo, but he also opens the position, which his development lead demands. Your intuition may be correct though, and White may have a better shot at an edge with the more patient 14 c3 b6 15 .l:te1 ..ib7 16 'Wh3 of P.Leko-A.Karpov, Moscow (rapid) 2002. I feel Black still needs to prove he is fully equal here. 14 ... tt:Jxcs 15 ..ifs

Question: This is crazy. Once again Black is unable to castle. Can he really unravel ?

Answer: D.H. Lawrence wrote: "Genius is the ability to take great pain." Karpov, certainly a genius on the black side of the Caro-Kann, has proven again and again that the status of White's development lead is temporary if Black defends correctly. To answer the other part of your question: You don't have to be crazy to like Black's positions from this chapter - but it certainly helps! 15 ... h5

13 9

Th e Ca r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Weakening?

Answer: Yes, but also grabbing some space on the kingside. He can also delay it for one move with 1S ... ttJe6 16 .tb2 hs 17 �4 f6 ! ? 18 .txe6 .i.xe6 19 c4 .i.g4 20 h3 .tfs ! 21 ,.g3 rl,;f7 22 tLlh4 .th7 23 ,.f3 g6, D.Stellwagen-R.Nep, Wijk aan Zee 2002. I prefer Black, despite the slightly loose pawn front around his king. I like his king side majority and bishop pair, while realizing most attacking players would go for White instead.

Black may even be able to get away with the confrontational 1S ... e4! ? 16 .tb2 �h7! (a rather nifty defensive idea, which you should store in your defensive memory bank) 17 tLld4 .txh2+ 18 rl,;hl hS 19 �4 .txfs 20 tLlxfs .tes and Black looks okay. He has an extra pawn to comfort him for White's superior development, M.Geenen-A.Lepikhov, correspon­dence 2001. 16 ,.h3 tLle6

17 �d11 A theoretical novelty and an improvement over 17 �4.

Question: How is 17 �dl superior to 17 �4? I see little difference.

Answer: After 17 �4 .te7 White's biggest problem is his hounded queen: 18 ,.g3 tLlf4 19 .txf4 exf4 20 �3 and the players reached the exact position of our Topalov-Karpov game - except that White was behind a tempo, missing the move �fdl in B.Gelfand-J.Speelman, Munich 1992. Clearly Topalov's 17th move is an improvement. 17 ... .te71

Another super-accurate move by Karpov.

1 4 0

Smsy l o v Va riati o n 5 tbgS: I nto th e A byss

Question: What is the point of this move? Why not the immediate 17 . . . g6?

Answer: White still retains a nagging development lead after 18 .Jtxe6 .Jtxe6 19 'ii'h4 .lte7 20 i.gs .Jtg4 21 .l:i.dS .Jtxf3 22 gxf3 .l:i.e8 23 .l:i.ad1. My feeling is Black should still hold the game, but with a bit of strain. 18 'i'g3!

Answer: 18 . . . tbf4!

Exercise (multiple choice): White adds heat on es. How should Black deal with this problem?

a) 18 .. . .Jtf6, simply protect it; b) 18 ... tbf4, block the attack and threaten a fork on e2.

Karpov agrees to cut his own safety net and allow some damage to his structure in or­der to gain influence on the dark squares. Instead 18 ... .Jtf6? allows White to infiltrate d6 with the manoeuvre 19 .lta3+ �g8 20 .Jtd6 t'iJf4 21 .ltxc7 t'iJe2+ 22 �f1 t'iJxg3+ 23 hxg3 .Jtxfs 24 i.xes and if Black tries to regain the lost pawn with 24 ... i.xc2 then 25 .l:i.d7 puts him under heavy pressure. 19 i.xf4 exf4 20 'i'h3 .ltf6

Question: Black's kingside majority has been compromised. Was it wise for Karpov to allow this?

Answer: A willing degeneration of structure for other compensation (in this case, dark­square control} is a type of sac. Wars are expensive and Black hopes to put this one on the

14 1

The Ca r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

layaway plan and pay later, in case they enter an ending. In a middlegame the compro­mised king s ide majority won't hurt Black. In fact, it may even keep his king safer. Don't get fooled by appearances. Black's defences in this line are adequately equipped with razor­sharp teeth. 21 liac1 g6 22 .lii.xc8

22 .. .'ii'xc8?

Exercise (multiple choice}: You have a decision to make: a) 22 .. J::txc8, recapture and keep queens on the board;

b) 22 .. .'iixc8, recapture and offer an exchange of queens.

Answer: The consequences of thi s mistaken decision reverberate over the next 50 moves. Black should keep queens on the board since his kings ide pawn majority is crippled, while White's is able to produce a passer. White can't do anything of significance with his pos­session of the seventh rank after the correct 22 ... lixc8! 23 .l:id7 'ii'b6 24 c4 �g7. Now White has nothing better than to take the immediate draw with 25 J:ixf7+ �xf7 26 'it'd7+ .lii.e7 27 l2Jg5+ �f6 28 l2Je4+ �f7 29 l2Jg5+. 23 'it'xc8+!

There is no need to enter a line like 23 .l:.d7. 23 ... .:txc8 24 l:!.d7 l:!.b8

Let's assess the ending : 1. White owns the seventh rank. 2. White has a healthy majority on the queenside versus Black's off-kilter majority on

the kingside. 3 . Black's bishop is a good defender and a strong piece. 4. It isn't clear how White can improve his position.

1 4 2

S m sy l o v Va riati o n s liJgS: I n to th e A byss

Note that Black can't effectively go after c2 in the line 24 ... .ib2? 25 �el! �xc2? 26 liJg S and Black collapses.

25 c4 'it>g7 26 'it>f1 gst? Multipurpose: 1. Gaining space. 2. Clearing g6 and maybe later fs for his king. 3. Preparing to kick White's knight. 4. Black willingly weakens his kingside pawn front - d angerous if one is in a bind.

27 l:!.cd1 l:!.he8 28 �ldS 'it>g6 29 h3 a6 Black's tied up forces are in d iscord , l ike an out of tune piano. Karpov understandably

rejects loosening his pawn front further with 29 ... g4!? 30 liJel! f3 31 liJd3 ! . 3o l:!.sd6

30 h4! was a consideration. 30 ... l:!.e61 31 l:!.xe6 fxe6 32 liJd2?!

1 43

Th e Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

32 ... g4?

Exercise {planning): White's last move was an inaccuracy which allows Black to equalize. But only if you find the correct plan.

An overly ambitious attempt to play for the win. Answer: Black should hold the ending without too much trouble if he eliminates White's biggest asset, his powerhouse rook, with 32 .. . l:td8 ! . 33 lbe4 b6

Answer: 34 f3!

Exercise {planning): With one little move White can seal his winning endgame advantage. How?

Black is busted: 1. White fixed the f4-pawn on the same colour as Black's remaining bishop. 2. White tethers his knight to e4, establishing a powerful blockade which essentially

nullifies Black's kingside pawn majority. 3. White's rook is still the overlord on the seventh rank. 4. White's knight clearly outshines the bishop.

34 ... gxf3 35 gxf3 ..tb2 36 l:te7 <it>fs 37 l:ta7 as

1 4 4

S m sy l o v Va riatio n 5 t:Dg5: I n to th e A byss

Answer: 38 cS! Undermining.

38 ... bxcs 39 l:txas

Exercise {planning): White has a method of winning a pawn. See if you can find it.

The pair of jackals finally hunt down the stray c5-pawn. 39 ... .id4 40 tb.xcs l:tc8 41 b4 eS 42 tb.e4 �e6 43 �e2 l:tc2+ 44 �d3 l:th2 4S l:ta6+ �d7 46 tLlg5 l:tg2 47 h4 l:th2 48 t:De6 i..f2 49 tbf8+ �c7 so t:Dg6 i..e1

Or 50 .. . i..xh4 51 t:Dxh4 l:txh4 52 �e4 and White wins. 51 bs l:tb2 52 a4

White's passed pawns begin to roll. Black's kingside and central counterplay is too little. 52 . . . l:tb3+ 53 �e4 l:te3+ 54 �fs l:txf3 5 5 t:Dxes l:tb3 56 �xf4 .txh4

Karpov resists fiercely and continues to throw technical difficulties at White. 57 'lt>e4 i..g3 S8 l:tc6+ �d8 59 lLld3 h4 60 l:th6 .:ta3 61 !:Des .tf2 62 �ds i..xcs 63 �xcs l:txa4

64 'lt>c6 Karpov managed to win back his pawn, but is still losing due to White's dominant king

position. White's passed b-pawn soon embarks on its tortured assent up the file. 64 ... l:tc4+ 65 �b7 �d7 66 b6 .:tb4 67 �a7 l:ta4+ 68 �b8 ltb4 69 b7 l:ta4 70 l:th7+ �d8

70 .. . �d6 71 �c8 l:tc4+ 72 �d8 l:tb4 73 l:th6+ 'it>es 74 �c7 wins. 71 l:th8+1 �d7 72 l:th61

White needs to lose a tempo in order to create zugzwang . 72 ... �d8 73 l:th7!

Zugzwang ! n ... l:tb4 7 4 �a7 l:ta4+ 7 5 �b6 1-0

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The C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

One cheats death for only so long . After 7S . . . l:!.b4+ 76 'iiic6 Black soon runs out of checks and there is no good defence to l:!.h8+.

Summary The evidence suggests that Black has an excellent shot at dynamic equality after 12 .. . cs. But this is not a line you can wing . You must be thoroughly familiar with Black's defensive ideas before entering it over the board.

Game 1 7 M.Sion Castro-A.Karpov

Leon 1993

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 ltJd2 dxe4 4 ltJxe4 lLld7 5 ttJgs ltJgf6 6 i.d3 e6 7 liJ1f3 i.d6

8 �e2

Question: What about the natural move 8 o-o?

Answer: The move is too mild to pose much danger for Black: 8 ... h6 9 ltJe4 ltJxe4 10 i.xe4 o­o 11 c3 eS 12 i.c2 l:!.e8 13 l:!.e1 exd4 14 l:!.xe8+ �xe8 15 �xd4 �e7 16 i.f4 i.xf4 17 �xf4 ltJf8 18 l:!.e1 i.e6 19 ltJd4 l:!.d8 and Black successfully completed his development in G.Kasparov-A.Karpov, Amsterdam 1988. 8 ... h6 9 ltJe4 ltJxe4 10 'ii'xe4 �c7 11 i.d2

1 4 6

S m sy l o v Va ria tion 5 tDg 5 : I n to t h e A byss

Question: Is White's idea to castle queenside?

Answer: White keeps options open to castle on either wing, refusing to commit to either 11 0-0 or 11 'ir'g4.

Question: So why isn't 11 .i.d2 White's best line?

Answer: 11 .i.d2 is probably too mild mannered to produce an edge. 11 . . . b6

The c8-bishop will soon face White's queen. 12 'ir'g4

Played quite often, but White gets the same position he would from the O-O/'ir'g4 lines, except the slightly inferior .i.d2 has replaced 0-0. White doesn't, however, get anywhere with 12 0-0-0 .i.b7 :

a) 13 'ir'e2 0-0-0 14 .i.a6 �he8 15 'it>b1 .i.xa6 16 'ft'xa6+ 'it>b8 17 �he1 es 18 dxes ttJxes and Black equalized with ease in I .Smirin-V.Bologan, Paks 2011.

b) 13 'ir'g4 gS ! 14 'ifh3 o-o-o 15 �he1 cs 16 dxcs ttJxcs 17 .i.c3 ttJxd3+ 18 �xd3 .i.f4+ 19 'iii>b1 �xd3 20 cxd3 �d8 21 .i.es 'ir'd7 left White fighting for the draw in A.Shirov-A.Karpov, Wijk aan Zee 1998. 12 . . . g51

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Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: I sn 't such a move a bit optimistic on Black's end?

Answer: In this position this ambitious move is justified and in my opinion, superior to the standard .. . 'it>f8 response. As I mentioned before, White's biggest headache in the 5 ttJgs Caro is the insecure position of his often harried queen. 12 ... g 5 restricts the queen further. Moves like ... tLlf6, ... h s and . . .fs may soon become possible.

Question: You gave Black an exclamation mark for his move, yet doesn't the move violate the principle stating: Don't create confrontation if you

are the one lagging in development?

Answer: Black does indeed violate the principle, but here we have an exception to the nor­mal rules of conduct. Black's move is potent since White's queen is short on squares. His f3-knight is in the way. White scores only 41% from this position and fails to score a single win for the team. 13 'ii'h 3

Threatening t o take on g S with either knight o r bishop.

Question: Doesn't 13 h4 rip Black's position to shreds?

Answer: Just the opposite. You are not taking into account Black's idea behind 12 .. . g5 ! which is to generate threats on White's queen. After 13 .. . lbf6 14 'Wh3 g4 White reaches a new level of embarrassment since his queen gets trapped. 13 ... l:!.g81

Threat: . . . g4.

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S m sy l o v Variation 5 thg 5 : I n to t h e A byss

14 g4

Ending ... g4 ideas at the high cost of weakening f4.

Question: What am I missing? Why doesn't White take the free pawn on h6?

Answer: Few things of worth are free: 14 'ii'xh6 i.f8 15 'iVh7 (15 'iVh 5 thf6 16 'iVh3 g4 17 'iVh4 transposes) 15 ... thf6 16 'iVh3 g4 17 'iVh4 gxf3 18 'i'xf6 fxg 2 19 l:!.g1 'i'xh2 20 0-0-0 and Black stood at least equal in S.Smagin-L.Janjgava, Hastings 1990. 14 . .. i.b7 15 0-0-0

Question: Surely now White can grab h6?

Answer: Black gets a raging initiative if White takes the leisure time out to grab the useless h6-pawn after 15 'ii'xh6? c5 16 'iVh3 cxd4 17 l:!.g1 0-0-0. 15 ... 0-0-0 16 l:!.hel i.f4 17 �bl

Question: How about now? White's development is complete.

Answer: Please don't hate me. I'm only the messenger. I am sorry to report that the answer is again an emphatic no! Ex-World Champions rarely leave pawns en prise for no good reason! White once again loses the initiative if he snatches h6: 17 'i'xh6? c5 18 i.e4 cxd4 19 thxd4 l2Jc5 20 i.xb7+ �xb7 21 i.e3 'i'e5 ! {threat: ... l:!.xd4) 22 �b1 l:!.h8 23 i.xf4 'i'xf4 24 'i'g7 l:!.xh2 sees Black regain the invested pawn and it is White who soon drops one. 17 ... l:!.h8

I think Karpov got tired of having to answer for h6 ! He could even continue to let the h6-pawn hang one more move after 17 ... c5 . 18 i.c3

1 4 9

Th e Ca ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

18 ... �b81

Exercise (critical decision): With his last move White sets a minor trap. He intends dS, which uncovers on the h8-rook and also threatens

to damage Black's pawns. How would you deal with this idea?

Answer: Ignore it! Always fall into an opponent's trap if you see a hole in it. 19 d5?

Psychologically, it's hard to not play such a move after "threatening" it. Objectively, he probably should have refrained. 19 ... cxds 20 i.xh8 l::!.xh8

1 5 0

Question: What "hole" i n White's idea? What i s so wonderful about allowing 19 ds? White just bagged an exchange

for a pawn. My guess is that White stands a shade better.

S m sy l o v Variation 5 lDg5 : I n t o t h e A byss

Answer: I strongly urge you to try a back-up guess! For the exchange Black got loads of compensation:

1. One extra pawn and the possibility of a future pawn on h2 coming. 2. The bishop pair. 3. A central preponderance of pawns. 4. Domination of the dark squares. s. A gaping hole on f4. 6. Black threatens to steamroll forward with .. . es and .. . e4, which would cause havoc. 7. Black also has access to the plan ... li:Jf6 and ... li:Je4, or ... li:Jf6 and ... h s, which are both

very difficult for White to meet. Conclusion: Black's "sacrifice" wasn't so much a sacrifice as the grateful acceptance of a

strategic gift from his opponent! At this point White looks borderline busted. 21 li:Jd4 a6 22 li:Jxe6?

We enter the "why the hell not?" phase of the game. Proof that White experienced a head-on collision with his previous plan to win the exchange. He can't uming the bell by backtracking . The deed is done. Realizing that he is in deep trouble strategically, White goes haywire and lashes out with a disproportional response. He has better survival chances if he complies in obedience to necessity's request with an admittedly unpleasant move like 22 li:Je2. 22 ... fxe6 23 l:txe6

Question: If White was in trouble anyway, then why criticize his sac on e6? I would rather go out boldly if I am busted anyway.

Answer: Simply because White puts up greater resistance if he refrains from the sac. Bold risk taking is one thing and a suicidal overreaction is quite another. 23 . . . t:Des 24 i.fs

1 5 1

Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

24 ... tt:lc4!

Exercise {planning): Black's minor pieces will soon come alive with activity. But can you pinpoint a target for their aim?

Answer: Go after b2 and the dark squares around White's king in general. 25 �xh6?

Natural but he now gets buffeted around for the rest of the game. He would have been better off playing the humble 25 c3 . 25 ... �xh6 26 1i'xh6 1i'es!

Target: b2 . 27 1i'f8+ <tla7 28 1i'b4 tt:ld2+1

The skunk arrives at the garden party. This knight, along with the queen, creates chaos for White due to the weakness on his back rank. 29 <tla1 1i'e2

Now the kingside pawns drain like sand curling down an hourglass. 30 �g1

There were no good alternatives: 30 ... 1i'xf2 31 �d1 1i'e2! 32 �g1

The rook would like to be left alone in peace but after 32 �c1? Black has 32 .. . tt:lb3+! . 32 . . . 1i'xh2 33 �d1 1i'e2

Now Karpov's queen is just behaving rudely. 34 �h1 as 35 1i'c3

A blunder but it didn't matter. White was in a resignable position anyway. 3s ... d4 o-1

Summary 11 ..id2 is too meek to gain an edge. White does better with the o-o/1i'g4 ideas on his 11th move.

1 5 2

Chapter F o u r

Advance Variation: N unn-Shirov Attac k

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es �fs 4 t2Jc3 e6 s g4 �g6 6 t2Jge2

Essentially this line is favoured by what Lincoln called "rule or ruin" opponents. We must brace ourselves for White's lunge in the Nunn-Shirov Attack, first popularized in the 8o's by GM John Nunn and currently championed by Alexei Shirov. This line is the darling of type-A personalities ! White happily cuts his safety net and agrees to a controlled muta­tion of his structure in exchange for activity and open lines, by creating a self-inflicted gash in his own kingside with 5 g4. He also develops his knight to c3, ensuring that his cen­tre will eventually dissolve when Black plays ... cs, since White has no c3-pawn backup. Our position constantly finds itself on trial with each variation on the prisoner's dock, so we must be ultra prepared to face this one.

White has access to two plans after he clears the centre by exchanging his d-pawn for our c-pawn:

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

1. He plays his knight to f4, where it harasses our bishop on g6, and more importantly, White prepares a sac on dS, usually with the set-up: i.g2, 'ir'e2 and 0-0-0. Anand shows us how to deal with this plan in his game against Shirov.

2. White plays his knight to d4, in preparation for f4 and fs. The final game of the chap­ter is a good example of how to navigate as Black against this plan.

Game 18 A.Fedorov-Z.Gyimesi

C roati a n Tea m C h a m pions h i p 2004

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es .. Us 4 l2Jc3

We are about to enter White's most ambitious and violent option against the Caro­Kann, the Nunn-Shirov Variation.

Question: What is so violent about it?

Answer: Please ask me that question again after White's next few moves!

Question: I t doesn't even look logical to post a knight on c3 . This deprives White of a c3 option when Black engineers . . . cs.

How will he maintain his pawn centre?

Answer: White has no intention of maintaining a pawn centre for very long . He gladly trades his d-pawn for Black's c-pawn. In this way he allows Black greater central influence, but also opens the game and clears d4 for a white piece. Many times White is even willing

1 5 4

A dva n ce Varia tio n : N u n n -S h iro v A ttack

to give away his e5-pawn in an attempt to clear lines to Black's king, which often loiters in the middle of the board for an uncomfortably long time. Most of us think of Advance Caro lines as a closed variation, similar to the Advance French. Expunge this thought from your mind when we include the Nunn-Shirov line, which generally bursts quickly into a wide open game. 4 . . . e6

I feel we should stand up to White's attempt at intimidation and boldly challenge in the main lines. If you know what you are doing, you have more than enough resources to sur­vive the coming onslaught. However, if you are disinclined to enter these admittedly scary theoretical battles, then Black, seeing White's next move, does have a few jujitsu-like anti-94 options: 4 ... ii'b6, 4 . . . h 5 and 4 .. . a6.

Question: I understand that 4 . . . h5 prevents g4, but how do the other two lines prevent g4?

Answer: 4 .. . ii'b6 and 4 .. . a6 don't prevent g4, but do discourage it. Black responds to 5 g4 in those lines with 5 ... �d7! and follows with ... e6 and ... c5 . This leads to positions similar to the Advance French, except that White has the extra but undesirable weakening move g4 tossed in.

Exploring in a little more detail: a) After 4 ... ii'b6 5 �d3 ! (5 g4 �d7! is what I was talking about in the above note)

s .. . i.xd3 (perhaps Black can try the very risky 5 .. .'it'xd4! ? 6 lLlf3 'ii'g4 7 h3 'it'h5; sure, White has a massive development lead for the pawn, but the position is closed and Black should also have his chances) 6 'it'xd3 e6 7 lLlge2 ! even though Black managed to swap off his bad bishop for White's good counterpart, the position still slightly favours White due to his ex­tra space and his ability to advance further on the king side with lLlg3 and f4-f5 ideas.

1 5 5

Th e Ca ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

b) 4 .. . h 5 (the only real way to halt g4) 5 i..d3 i..xd3 6 'Wxd3 e6 7 ll:lf3 'Wb6 8 o-o 'Wa6 9 'Wd1 ll:\d7 10 ll:\e2 ll:\e7 11 i..g 5 ll:\g6 12 c3 c5 13 h 3 i..e7 14 .l:!.e1 .l:!.c8 15 'Wd2 and White re­tained a tiny edge due to his extra space, V.Baklan-R.Dautov, Plovdiv 2003.

c) 4 .. . a6 5 i..e3 (White simply tries to outwait Black for .. . e6; if 5 g4 i..d7!) 5 . . . e6 6 g4 i..g6 7 ll:lge2 with a position similar to the games in this chapter, except that Black has substi­tuted the less desirable ... a6 in place of ... c5, E.Sutovsky-I.Stohl, Kaskady 2002. 5 g4

A move based on the conceit that White can blow away the Caro-Kann, perhaps Black's most solid response to 1 e4. White opens a door which may never close. He accepts the risks entailed in overextension in order to seize an initiative. Most inventions have their up and down sides. Fire warms but also burns down the village. White hopes his forceful play will not later be labelled reckless. For our safety, we fasten our seat belts and enter White's joyride. We saw this coming, so please try to remain calm for the remainder of this chap­ter!

Question: Can White play calmer with something like 5 i..d3?

Answer: We would love it if White swaps away his good bishop for Black's traditionally in­ferior bishop. s ... i..g6

1 5 6

A dva n ce Va ria tio n : N u n n - S h iro v A ttack

6 ttJge2

Question: Why develop the knight on a sub-optimal square?

Answer: e2 isn't such a bad spot for the knight. White's purpose: 1. Rapid development. 2. White's knight overprotects d4 since he knows ... c s is coming. 3 . White may go after Black's bishop with the plan lL'lf4 and h4.

6 ... cs Principle: Confront a wing attack with a central counter. Here ... cs is especially potent

since White lacks a back-up c3 move and so his centre will dissolve.

Question: Does White generate enough play from the open lines and piece activity to justify such damage to his pawn structure?

Answer: My heart says no, but the people who play this line as White obviously think so! We won't be covering alternatives like 6 .. .f6, 6 .. . h6 and 6 ... lL'le7, the last a Karpov favour­

ite which he should maybe think about giving up, since he has scored a dismal 19% with it! 7 h4

15 7

The Caro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Threatening the not so subtle h s . We examine 7 i.e3 later in the chapter. 1 . . . hst

Proven best through practice. Black meets confrontation with escalated confrontation. The alternatives:

a) 7 . . . h6 ( I don't like this move as much as the text; White's gigantic space advantage must be challenged vigorously across the board) 8 i.e3 l2Jc6 9 dxcs ltJxes 10 l2Jf4 i.h7 11 i.bs+ l2Jc6 12 'ii'e2 l2Jge7 13 o-o-o, S.Pinkovetsky-H.Wunderlich, correspondence 2004. White leads in development in an open position and will soon menace dangerous sacs on dS. The computers say equal, but my intuition says stay away from Black.

b) The intention of 7 ... cxd4 is to distract White's knight, so Black can play ... h s without worrying about l2Jf4.

Now White normally goes 8 l2Jxd4.

1 58

A d va n ce Va ria tio n : N u n n -S h iro v A ttack

Question: What if White refuses to be denied l2Jf4 and recaptures with his queen?

Answer: 8 �xd4?! l2Jc6 9 �a4 h5 was tried in F.Lozano Martin-A.Gonzalez Ramirez, Pasao 1997. Now 10 lL'lf4 i.h7 11 l2Jxh5 a6 gives Black an even better version of his pawn sac than he gets in the mainline since he gained time kicking White's queen.

After 8 lL'lxd4 h 5 9 .i.b5+ lL'ld7 10 f4 hxg4 11 f5 l:txh4 12 l:tf1 exf5 13 e6 fxe6 14 lL'lxe6 iie7 15 �e2, as in A.Kovchan-l . lvanov, Tula 2007, 15 . . .'�f7 leads to a forced draw after 16 i.xd7 �xd7 17 lL'lg5+ �f6 18 lL'lge4+! dxe4 19 lL'lxe4+ �f7 20 lL'lg5+.

c) After 7 .. .f6 8 h5 .i.f7 9 f4 lL'lc6 10 .i.e3 lL'lh6 the position looks like an Advance French on steroids and Black looks okay, S.Nurkic-A.Profumo, Italian Team Championship 1995 . 8 lbf4 .i.h7!

Our anti-venom.

Question: Why did Black just give away his h-pawn for nothing?

Answer: It wasn't for nothing. He g ets to deflect White's knight away from the centre and gains considerable time. White's centre is about to crumble, so we shouldn't begrudge giv­ing him a crumb or two in return.

Question: Is the sac obligatory?

Answer: No. Black can also go for the crazy 8 .. . l2Jc6! ? 9 lL'lxg6 fxg6 10 l2Je2 ! (best according to theory) 10 ... ft6 11 lL'lf4 cxd4 12 lL'lxg6 i.b4+ 13 �e2. Welcome to a typical game in this line, A.Morozevich-E.Bareev, Sarajevo 2000. Houdini insists Black sac a rook at this point, helpfully claiming it's even after 13 ... l2Jge7! 14 lL'lxh8 lL'lxe5.

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The C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

9 lbxh 5 lbc6

Black relentlessly applies pressure to White's crumbling centre. The alternative is 9 .. . cxd4 10 'ii"xd4 lbc6: for example, 11 i.b5 lbge7 12 i.g5 (12 i.h6 is flashy, but really doesn't worry Black much after 12 ... .l:!.g8, M.Khachian-C.Lakdawala, Internet (blitz) 2003; Schandorff claims a clear advantage for Black in this position) 12 .. . a6 13 i.xc6+ lbxc6 14 'iia4 b5 ! 15 'ii"f4 (if 15 i.xd8 bxa4 16 i.g5 a3 17 b3 .l:!.c8 White has huge problems defend­ing down the c-file and on b4) 15 ... 'ii"c7 16 0-0-0 b4 17 lbxd5 (or 17 lbe2 .l:!.c8 with mounting threats on the c-file and the loose e -pawn) 17 .. . exd5 18 .l:!.d2 lbd8! , J .Ehlvest-E.Bareev, Mos­cow 2001. White doesn't get full compensation for the piece.

10 dxcs Well, there goes White's centre. Otherwise: a) 10 i.e3 cxd4 11 i.xd4 and Black stood slightly better after the trick 11 . . . i.xc2 ! in

A.Holmsten-S.Pedersen, Bergen 2001. b) 10 i.b5 cxd4 11 'ii"xd4 lbge7 yet again transposes to the Ehlvest-Bareev game men­

tioned in the above note. c) 10 lbe2?? is a big blunder. N ow instead of the rote 10 ... cxd4? of 'goodnightmrtom'-

C.Lakdawala, Internet (blitz) 2011, I should have spotted 10 .. . lbb4! which wins material. 10 . . . i.xcs!

Question: I sn 't Black going a bit crazy giving up a second pawn -and with check to boot !?

Answer: In chess, unlike the world, there is no injustice. This l ine is essentially an ideologi­cal battle between those who believe in the law (us) and those who believe in lawlessness (our misguided opponents!) . As believers of chess laws we can't be negotiated with or bribed. White violated the laws of chess with this line and we must bring him or her to jus-

1 6 0

A d va n c e Va ria tio n : N u n n -S h iro v A t ta c k

tice, even if i t means sacrifice. We offer up g7 in the name of rapid development.

11 .ig2 Schandorff considers this White's best line. I'm not so sure White has a best line avail­

able to him at this point and feel he struggles to maintain a slight disadvantage !

Question: I will ask the obvious: why didn't White take another pawn with 11 lt:'lxg7+?

Answer: White can, but Black gets a huge initiative for it after 11 .. . 'it>f8 12 lt:lhs d4 13 lt:'lbs when Black has many tempting paths at his disposal, including 13 . . . iVds, all which offer more than adequate compensation for the sacrifice since White's scattered forces are in disarray. 11 . . . .ig6 12 ..tgs

Once again White isn't tempted by the low hanging fruit on g7: 12 lt:'lxg7+ 'it>f8 13 lt:'lhs tt:Jxes (threat: . . . lt:lxg4! which undermines White's h s-knight) 14 lt:'lf4 l:.txh4 and Black stands better:

1. He has the stronger centre. 2. White's pawns are more vulnerable. 3. Black leads slightly in development.

12 . . . .ie7!? Novelty. Black wants to play . . .'iib6 in one go without a rest stop on C7 . Black also looks

good after the straightforward 12 . . .'iic7 13 o-o ..txhS 14 gxhs lt:lge7 15 :tel, as in T.Bae­E.Hermansson, Aarhus 2003, and then 1S .. . ..td4. 13 f4

As usual, the time expended to grab g 7 isn't worth it to White: 13 lt:'lxg7+ 'it>f8 14 .ixe7+ tt:Jgxe7 1S lt:'lhs .ixhs 16 gxhs 'iib6 with advantage Black.

1 6 1

Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

13 ... i.xhs Just so he doesn't have to think about l'Llxg7+ on every turn !

14 gxhs lib6 The aim of insurgency isn't so much to kill an enemy as much as harass the occupier.

The idea is to make it so costly in blood, as well as coin, that they pack up and leave. At this point Black achieved this goal and White's forces, after their initial surge, began a gradual retreat. 1S lid3 l:tc8

16 �f1?

Exercise (critical decision}: White's king feels the heat. Where to put him? White can castle queen side or he can slide his king over to fl. One leads to a dynamically balanced position, the other to disaster. Choose wisely.

Answer: Here White's king position is loose and exposed, like the lizard crossing a boulder in plain view of the birds of prey circling above. He had to enter the lair with 16 o-o-o! l'Llb4 17 lif3 d4 18 a3 dxc3 19 axb4 cxb2+ 20 �b1 lixb4 {20 .. .f6 ! ? is for the brave of heart!) 21 lixb7 lixb7 22 i.xb7 l:tc7 23 i.e4 .l:txhs 24 �xb2 with a dynamically balanced ending. 16 ... l:txhs

Simple chess: 1. White's attack is no more. 2 . White is overextended, defending his many weaknesses. 3 . White's pieces lack targets. Conclusion: White is in deep trouble. Black can also play 16 ... lixb2! 17 .l:tb1 l'Llxes ! 18 fxes lixc3 19 lixc3 .l:txc3 20 .l:txb7 f6

with advantage.

1 6 2

A dva n ce Varia tio n : N u n n -Sh iro v A ttack

17 a3? As unpleasant as it was, he had to try 17 l:tb1.

17 . . . .txgs 18 hxgs l:txh1+ 19 .txh1 tt::Jge7 Cautious. There is nothing wrong with taking on b2 either: 19 .. . 'iixb2 ! 20 l:tb1 'iixa3 21

tL'lbs (21 l:txb7? 'iic1+ wins instantly) 21 ... 'iixd3+ 22 cxd3 l:tb8 23 tt::Jd6+ 'if.?f8 24 l:txb7 l:txb7 2S tt::Jxb7 as. 20 b4?1

Marginally better was 20 'fibs 'iie3 21 tt::Je2 .

Exercise (multiple choice): Everything looks good for Black. We have a choice. Pick the most efficient method:

a) 20 ... tt::Jfs, playing for attack; b) 20 ... 'iid4, cashing out into an ending .

Answer: 20 . . :ii'd41 0-1 The simplest. White's game is like an open casket at a funeral; he doesn't want to look

inside. He can't be faulted for resigning. The ending is utterly without hope for White after 21 'iixd4 tt::Jxd4 22 l:td1 l:txc3 23 l:txd4 l:txc2 picking off a second pawn.

Summary A fearful player battles him or herself as well as the opponent. Let's boldly face White down and enter the mainlines with 4 ... e6, avoiding the chicken out, less sharp lines like 4 .. . 'iib6, 4 ... hs and 4 ... a6.

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Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M ove by M o ve

Game 19 V.Topalov-B.Gelfand

Dort m u n d Ca n d i d ates 2002

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es .Us 4 lL'lc3 e6 s g4 .i.g6 6 l2Jge2 cs Despite all my previous outrage and bluster about how strategically shaky this line is

for White, let's not forget the fact that White scores a totally normal 55% from this posi­tion. Equation: Strategically suspect aggression is not weaker than a sound base with diffi­cult practical defensive problems to solve. 7 h4

Question: Is 8 h5 truly a threat? Can't Black just move his bishop to e4?

1 . .. . hs Answer: let's find out. After 7 . . . l2Jc6 ! ? 8 h 5 .i.e4 9 �h3 ! (threat: f3; White's last move is a tempo-gaining improvement over g l2Jxe4) 9 .. . h6 10 l2Jxe4 dxe4 11 c3 I prefer White with bishop pair and target pawn on e4, D.Suarez Pousa-A.Rodriguez, La Coruna 1996. 8 l2Jf4 ..th7 9 lL'lxhs l2Jc6 10 dxcs .i.xcs 11 ..tbs

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A dv a n ce Va ria tio n : N u n n -S h iro v A ttack

White's main move in the position, but I don't think much of it.

Question: Why don't you like 11 ..tb5? It looks good to me. He develops rapidly and halts Black's threat to take on e5.

Answer: True, but earlier White weakened his light squares with the aggressive/reckless 5 g4!?. By developing his bishop to b5 White virtually ensures that he will give Black this powerful bishop. In a sense the move is positional suicide. Fans of the Nunn-Shirov line may argue: White isn't trying to win strategically in this all-or-nothing opening. Lincoln once called this the "rule or ruin" mentality. Either White will be king or will be dead! 11 .. :ii'c7

Question: Isn't 11 ... d4 strong ? If White moves the knight then Black has .. .'iia5+ picking off the bishop.

Answer: 11 .. . d4 was tested once in a high-level game. White got the better of it after 12 i.xc6+ bxc6 13 'ii'f3 ! (a key move, taking control over e4) 13 . . . 'ii'd7 14 lLle4 ..tb4+ 15 i.d2 i.xe4 16 'ii'xe4 i.xd2+ 17 �xd2 �f8 18 �ad1, since he was better developed and controlled more space in H.Nakamura-E.Bareev, Bastia (rapid) 2007.

Question: Why didn't Black play the counter trick 13 ... i.b4?

Answer: Then White has the counter, counter trick 14 ttJxg7+ �d7 15 i.g5 ! lLle7 16 0-0-0 when Black can resign. 12 i.xc6+

Best, but still a huge strategic concession. 12 ..tf4?? is quite a huge blunder for a 2600+ player, as in M.Kobalia-B.Macieja, Chalkidiki 2002. Strangely enough, Black, also rated over

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2600, blundered back by castling, missing the simple 12 ... d4! . White can't move his c3-knight due to . . .'ilr'a5+ and he can't take on c6 because then his c3-knight and h1-rook hang simultaneously after Black's queen recaptures. 12 . • .'ilr'xc6

Threat: . . . d4. Black plays on his trump, the light squares. Notice how White still lacks the time to capture g7, even though it is with check? 13 1i'f31

To deal with the ... d4 threat. 13 ... 0-o-ol?

In a position of so many would-haves and might-have-beens, perhaps Black should con­sider 13 ... �f8! .

Question: How can meekly moving the king to f8 be better than castling queen side?

Answer: By playing 13 .. . �f8, Black plans ... �c8 followed by ... i..b4 or .. . i..d4, building up pressure down the c-file. Black also protects his king side pawns. After the 14 i..g 5 �c8 15 o­

o of A.Naiditsch-A.Galkin, Moscow 2006, I like Black's long-term chances after 15 ... i..d4 16 �ae1 i..xc3 17 bxc3 i..e4.

However, 13 .. . i.b4 seems slightly less accurate: 14 0-0 (E.Wiersma-R.Ruck, Belgian League 2006) 14 ... �f8 15 i..g 5 �c8 ( I 'm not crazy about Black's game after 15 ... i..xc3 16 bxc3 i..e4 17 1i'e3) 16 tt:le2 i..e4. Perhaps even here Black has full compensation for the pawn, but I prefer Black's position after 13 .. . �f8. 14 tt:lxg7

Black is down a couple of pawns - no small matter since he is playing a future World Champion.

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Exercise (planning/multiple choice}: How should Black proceed? a) 14 ... �xc2. Black cuts his losses and regains one of his pawns;

b) 14 .. . d4. Black eliminates White's best piece by agreeing to swap queens, relying on his endgame initiative to compensate for his deficit in material.

Instead after 14 �g5 f6 15 exf6 the players agreed to a draw prematurely in this inter­esting position in A.Fier-E.l'Ami, 1-foogeveen 2008. I like Black's chances after 15 ... gxf6 16 tt:\xf6 {White completely loses the initiative if he retreats his bishop) 16 ... :f8 17 o-o-o, al­though now Black must be careful to avoid 17 .. . �e7? 18 ttJxg8 ! which favours White. Answer: 14 ... d41

Black sustains a long initiative, even with queens off the board, which is far superior to 14 ... �xc2? 15 'iixf7 d4 16 'iixe6+ 'iixe6 17 lbxe6 dxc3 18 lbxd8 �xd8 19 bxc3. A rook and four pawns is too many versus two minor pieces. 15 'iixc6+ bxc6 16 lba4 �f8 17 lDhs .llt.xc2 18 b3

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Question: I sn't it asking a lot to expect us to play a pawn-down ending?

Answer: Black is down a pawn, but he has the bishop pair and a dangerous, passed d-pawn which threatens to run up the board and strangle White. When facing the fierce Nunn­Shirov line we must shake off the Caro-Kanner's disease: excessive preoccupation with safety, which can lead to stagnation. The key to capable negotiation of traumas involved with this line is to fight ferocity with ferocity and infuse our normally rather safe Caro with an undercurrent of dynamism, if only to thwart White's intention of blowing us off the board! 1s .. J:tds 19 �f4!

19 f4? �e7! regains a pawn since 20 <;t>e2? is met with 20 . ..t2Jh6 21 <;t>f3 lbxg4! which leaves White in deep trouble, since his once impressive kings ide pawns are no longer so impressive. 19 ... �b4+ 20 <;t>e2 d3+ 21 <;t>f3 d2

The d-pawn will cost White an exchange.

Question: Does White have enough for the exchange?

Answer: I believe he does with his avalanche of king side pawns. 22 .:.ad1 lbe7 23 lbf6 .:.d3+ 24 <;t>e2 lbdst 25 �gs

25 �xd2? lbxf6 26 exf6 .:.hd8 27 �xb4 �xd1+ wins another exchange since 28 <;t>fl?? loses on the spot to 28 .. . �f3 29 .:.h 3 .:.d1+ 30 �e1 .:.xe1+ 31 <;t>xe1 .:.d1 mate! 25 ... �xd1+ 26 :xd1

A really dumb way to lose would be 26 <;t>xd3?? �f3. 26 ... .:.h3 27 h S �e7?

A parasite starves to death when removed from its host. A big part of chess is the mas­tery of consequences to actions. We must know when this leads to that. Here Black shouldn't abandon his powerful d-pawn so easily. He should have played 27 .. . lbxf6! 28 �xf6 .:.g8 29 f3. Black hangs on to the d2-pawn (for now) and it's anybody's game. 28 .:.xd2 �xf6 29 �xf6 lbf4+ 30 <;t>d1

White gets mated on any other move! 3o ... .:.gs

The g-pawn falls. Topalov proves he still has more than enough compensation for the exchange by going after Black's king . 31 t2Jcs! .:.xg4 32 .:.d8+ <;t>c7 33 .:.d7+ <;t>b6?

Black's king, feeling which way the wind blows, exits with haste more than dignity. The cocktail of time pressure, nerves and uncertainty has a way of sapping one's strength in a chess game. Black, underestimating the danger to his king, should have backed his king up to either c8 or b8 last move.

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Exercise {planning): Now come up with an attacking plan for White.

Answer: 34 .ie7! He covers his knight and sets up �b7+, with a mating attack. Now Black's king degener­

ates into a receptacle for pain as White's last move removes all limitations from his pieces as they run roughshod over Black. However, 34 b4?, intending the same idea, fail s to

34 ... �bS ! when Black's king escapes via c4 and White is the one fighting for the draw. 34 ... lLlds 3 5 �b7+ �as 36 �xa7+

Without this pawn, Black doesn't have effective .. . l2Jb6 blocks. 36 ... �bs?

He had to return an exchange and hope for the best after 36 .. . �b4 37 �a4+ �bs 38 �xg4 lLlxe7 39 b4 �xhs 40 a4+ �b6 when conversion of White's extra pawn may not be all that easy. 37 �b7+ l2Jb6

37 .. .'�as 38 .id8+ ends the game. 38 a4+ �as

If Black had tried 38 .. .'�b4 then 39 �c2 ! �a3 40 �xb6 and White easily wins.

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Exercise (combination alert): White has an endgame mating attack. He can force resignation in just one move. How?

Answer: 39 Wc211 1-0 Adding his king into the mating attack is the tipping point which forces Black's resigna­

tion. Such beautiful economy of motion. Each piece serves its function - even the king ! Black is helpless in the face of the threat: 40 l:ta7+ �b4 41 tiJd3 mate, with a double check.

A game like this makes me think that I may have been a wee bit too expansive in my con­demnation of the Nunn-Shirov line and may have understated White's practical chances a trifle ! However, my initial belief still stands. In my heart I feel this line is borderline unsound, but I admit that Black must play energetically and often brilliantly to prove it.

Summary Black's resources to 11 ..tbs look adequate. You may want to try the promising idea 13 ... Wf8 instead of castling queen side, as Black did in this game.

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es ..tfs 4 tt::Jc3

Game 20 A.Shirov-V.Anand Wij k a a n Zee 2003

To aggressive players the only criticism of the Caro-Kann may be that it is too reason­able ! 4 ... e6 5 g4 ..tg6 6 tt::Jge2 cs 7 ..te3

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Question: What is the point of playing g4 earlier but then not following through with the logical h4?

Answer: g4 sets White's aggressive tone, but he doesn't necessarily have to proceed with h4. The trouble with the h4 plan is that it is in a way a distraction from central play. 7 ..ie3 continues the rapid rate of development and covers d4. White's knight is trained on d4, but he keeps his options open for lt:Jf4 and h4, possibly for a later date. 7 • • • ti:Jc6 8 dxcs

Question: And now White also gives up the centre?

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Answer: Yes. White's plan: 1. He allows Black a big centre with ... lLlxes in exchange for Black's c-pawn. 2. White may intend 4Jd4 followed by f4, which kicks Black's knight on es, and possibly

fs, harassing Black's bishop on g 6, but at the same time keeps open the option of 4Jf4. 8 . . . 4Jxes

Threats include a mate in one on f3 next move. Decent alternatives are: a) 8 ... h s 9 4Jf4 i.h7 10 lLlbs hxg4 11 'ii'xg4 4Jh6 12 'ii'h s (threat: 4Jxe6! ) 12 ... i.fs 13 .l:!.g1

g6 14 'ii'e2 a6 15 4Jd6+ �xd6 16 exd6 'ii'as+ 17 c3 d4! and Black took over the initiative in A.Naiditsch-A.Lastin, Moscow 2008.

b) 8 .. . a6 9 4Jd4 hS 10 4Jxc6 (after 10 g S 4Jge7 11 lLla4 lLlxes 12 f4 i.e4 13 fxes �xh1 14 4Jb6 .l:!.a7 Black's awkward rook on a7 gave White compensation for his material invest­ment in P.Svidler-B.Macieja, Bermuda 2003) 10 ... bxc6 11 g S 4Je7 12 i.h3 .l:!.b8 and Black's control over fs gives him full compensation for the pawn, A.Motylev-V.Anand, Moscow (rapid) 2002.

c) 8 ... 'ii'h4!? is a radical idea. Black swoops into h4 before White plays his pawn there. Following 9 lLlbs lLlxe s (that mate threat again) 10 4Jg3 .l:!.c8 11 4Jxa7 .l:!.xcs ! (J .Klinger- ·

S.Garcia Martinez, Cienfuegos 1985) 12 i.bS+ (12 i.xcs? �xes 13 lLlbs 4Jf6 14 f3 'ii'g s gives Black a winning attack on the dark squares) 12 ... .l:!.xbs 13 lLlxbS 4Jf6 14 h 3 i.b4+ 15 'it>fl lLle4 Black gets a compensating attack for the exchange. 9 4Jf41?

He not only goes after Black's l ight-squared bishop, but also increases the likelihood of sacs on ds.

Question: You just said White's idea was 4Jd4 and f4! Why did White play his knight to f4 instead?

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Answer: I did but added: "at the same time keeps open the option of lLlf4." Don't worry, we look at the main move (and idea) 9 tLld4 next game. Shirov is mesmerized by possibilities of a knight sac on d5, so he loads up for it with 9 lLlf4!?. At the same time he keeps Black guessing if he will take the bishop on g6 or not. 9 ... tLle7

Question: Why e7? This looks like he is contorting when he doesn't need to.

Answer: Black wants to retain one knight on e5 and post the other on c6. He also has other moves in the position:

a) 9 ... tLlc6 10 �b5 tbge7 11 �e2 "ike? 12 h4!? d4 13 �xd4! (Black takes the initiative after 13 tLlxg6 tbxg6 14 �xd4 o-o-o) 13 ... "fkxf4 14 �e5 "ikh4 15 0-0-0 and White's development lead and open lines compensated for the piece in E .Sutovsky-I .Rogers, Batumi (rapid) 2001.

b) 9 . . . a6 10 "ike2 tLlf6 11 o-o-o tLlexg4 12 tLlcxd5 tLlxe3 ! 13 "fkxe3 tLlxd5 14 .l:Ixd5 was O.Renet-G.Kallai, French league 1997. Which side you prefer depends on your vantage point. A positional player like me likes Black's long-term chances after 14 ... 'iWh4, while a natural attacker would undoubtedly take White. 10 �e2

Question: Why did White block his bishop when he could have tossed in i.b5+ first?

Answer: White clearly intends to castle queenside and sac on d5. He reserves his light­squared bishop for g2 to increase sac pressure on d5. Your suggestion 10 �b5+ does seem logical though. After 10 ... tLl7c6 11 "fke2 �e4! (this move messes up White's 0-0-0 plans) 12 ltJxe4 dxe4 13 .l:Id1 "ike? 14 �f1 a6 15 �a4 �e7 both sides were probably happy with their chances in A.Shirov-Z.Gyimesi , Moscow 2001. 10 ... tLl7c6 11 o-o-o �e7

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12 ttJfxdsl? No big surprise. Everyone expected it. White gives notice that he means business. Shirov

is the most sac-happy, generous GM since Tal, another Latvian. In a 1996 ICC blitz session versus Shirov, he and I played a total of four games. Shirov found a way to sacrifice mate­rial in every game. I came away from the session with the feeling that Shirov was a creative genius with a quirk: many of his ideas were too large to fit inside anybody else's brain !

Question: Is the sac sound?

Answer: I don't know. White's philosophy behind it is: if you have the power to destroy something then you have the power to control it as well . By sac'ing, White destroys Black's central pawns - not Black himself. Perhaps it falls a touch short under the microscope of perfect defence, but this never dissuaded Shirov before! The sac is clearly a logical exten­sion of White's previous play and he certainly retains huge practical chances. Against a l esser opponent, his sac may well have worked out.

Question: How does Black proceed if White plays some move other than the sac on dS?

Answer: White could also have played a bit calmer with 12 h4, as he did in J .Kountz-H.Metz, German League 2003. Houdini now gives the line 12 . . -'ii'as 13 h S i.e4 14 ltJxe4 dxe4 15 �b1 i.xcs 16 i.d2 'itb6 17 'ii'xe4 0-0-0. I have often been on the black side of similar positions from the Scandinavian Opening. I believe Black stands at least equal :

1 He controls the central dark squares. 2. He threatens g4. 3. He attacks f2. 4 . .. J�d4 is in the air.

12 . . . exds

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13 f4?

Exercise {planning/multiple choice): How should White proceed with his attack and initiative? a) 13 f4, which attacks the es-knight and also threatens fs, smothering Black's g6-bishop;

b) 13 l:txds, picking off a central pawn with tempo.

An unlucky 13th move. Answer: Correct was b}: 13 l:txds! it'c8 14 h3 (threatening f4-f5, which regains his piece fa­vourably) 14 .. . lt:Jd7 15 f4 f6 16 �g2 0-0 17 l:thd1 which should give White close to full com­pensation.

Exercise (combination alert): Black has a hidden (and I warn you, very diffi­cult to find} idea which thwarts White's plan to regain his material. If you

find this move, then you are a Fide 2700+ player!

Answer: 13 ... d4!! Black ignores White's dual threats and answers with this strange non-threat of almost

insulting nonchalance. His play is based on the principle: If an enemy pitches a grenade at you, just toss it back! You are about to witness one of the most amazing Black Caro-Kann games played over the last decade. From this point Anand's combinations and unexpected shots fall like hail over White's position all the way to the end of the game. 14 h4

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Exercise (combination alert}: Now Black has yet another deep combination. Can you find Black's amazing interference shot?

Remarkably, all of White's normal responses fail to strange tactics. For example: a) 14 fxe5? .i.g5 ! and Black wins a piece after all. b) 14 .i.f2? .i.d3 ! ! 15 cxd3 dxc3 16 fxe5 'ii'd5 ! 17 l:.g1 'ii'xa2 18 bxc3 .i.g5+ 19 .i.e3 'ii'xe2

wins. c) 14 f5? .i.g5 ! sees Black win a piece. d) 14 .i.g1 (perhaps White's best) 14 ... .i.xc5 and White lands in an inferior position no

matter how he responds. Answer: 14 ... lDd3+!!

A fist appears from nowhere and slams into d3. 15 cxd3

If 15 'it>b1 lbxb2! 16 'it>xb2 dxc3+ 17 'it>a1 'ii'a5 18 f5 0-0! and White's hopes of a glorious attack lie on the ground like broken shards of glass. 1s ... hs !

White's forked pieces on c3 and e3 don't run away; Black's light-squared bishop does ! 16 fS .i.h7 17 .i.d2 dxc3 18 .i.xc3

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Exercise (critical decision}: Black has won a piece, but White still has hopes of whipping up an attack. Should he castle into the broken kingside or try

to engineer queen side castling to get his king out of the centre?

Answer: 18 . . . 0-0! Black's king remains surprisingly safe on the king side. White tries in vain to revive his

attack/initiative, but at this point there isn't much to resuscitate. From this point Shirov's game slowly wanes with the melancholy of sunset creeping into dusk. 19 d4 as !

White's only chance was to begin a central pawn roller with b4, ds and d6. Black's last move throws cold water on that plan. 20 a3 :es 21 �c4

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Exercise: Should Black risk taking on h4? Doing so would take the steam out of White's pawn roller, but also open lines. Make a decision.

21 ... �xh4l Answer: Capturing h4 is the correct decision since it takes the air out of White's kings ide pawn storm. Once again White is unable to do anything with the open lines. 22 i.d3

22 gxhs i.xfs would suit Black just fine. 22 ... hxg4 23 'it>b1

Exercise {planning}: Black is up a piece, but if he drifts, White may generate something with his central roller. Find a source of counterplay for Black.

Answer: 23 .. Jir'gsl The passed g-pawn will tie White up. Black intends to push it down the board as far as

it can go. 24 'it>a1 l:tad8 25 i.b1

If 25 ds <'Des 26 �xes l:txes 27 c6 bS ! 28 'ii'c3 l:.exds and wins. 2S ••• <'De71

Since White has refrained from dS, Black intends to blockade there, even at the cost of material. 26 i.xas

Possibly White's best chance to confuse was 26 dS i.xfs 27 i.d2 'it'hs 28 i.e1 g S, but it still falls short. 26 . . . �xfsl

Practicality has a way of tempering emotion, modifying it into a new form which is

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open to diplomacy. Black gives back some material in order to take the edge off White's temporary initiative. Now Black's minor pieces rule. 27 .txd8 l:txd8 28 l:thf1

28 ds? i.xbl 29 �xb1 ttJxds is also hopeless for White. 28 ... g6 29 'ir'b3 .te6 30 'ir'xb7 'ir'd51

Black's g-pawn decides in the ending. I am a firm believer that the universe always an­swers all our prayers. In this game the universe's answer to White was "No!" . 31 'ir'xd5

If 31 'ir'c7 tLlc6 and Wbite's d-pawn eventually falls, along with his king soon after. 31 ... tLlxd5 32 1:th1 .tf21

Preparing to shepherd the g-pawn forward. 33 c6 l:tc8 34 :Z.c1 g3 35 .te4

Exercise {planning}: Find a path to break White's blockade of the g2-square.

Answer: 35 . .. lLlf61 36 .tg2 .td51 o-1 The blockade is broken.

Summary Watch out for thematic piece sacs on dS, but don't be afraid of them. Black's key asset against the Nunn-Shirov Variation is his inherent stability. One sac is sometimes not enough to destabilize Black.

Game 21 Cao Sang-A.Galkin

E u ropea n C h a m pions h i p, D resden 2007

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 .tf5 4 lLlc3 e6 5 g4 .tg6 6 ttJge2 c5 7 .te3 tLlc6 8 dxc5 tLlxe5 9 tLld4

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This plan is one of White's most dangerous ideas in the position. He keeps Black guess­ing about sudden f4 and fS hits. 9 . . .tbd7!

Question: Why voluntarily retreat a centralized piece?

Answer: Two reasons: 1. Black removes the sting from �bS+. 2. Black sidesteps sudden f4-f5 ideas.

Question: Why didn't Black recapture on cs?

Answer: White's cs-pawn is indirectly protected via tactics after 9 . . . �xcS ! ? 10 i.bS+ lbd7 1 1

lbxe6! fxe6 12 i.xcs a6 13 �xd7+ 'ii'xd7 14 'ii'd4 and White's control over the dark squares gives him the edge, S.Nurkic-S.Begic, Tuzla 2003.

Other 9th move possibilities: a) 9 .. . lbc6 10 i.bs .l:tc8 11 'it'e2 lLlf6 12 o-o-o i.xcs 13 h4 (13 lbxe6?? i.xe3+ is with check,

so White loses a piece) 13 .. . h s 14 gxh s �xhs 15 f3 o-o 16 l:!.hg 1 and I doubt the open g -file fully compensated White for the missing pawn in V.Kupreichik-N .Spiridonov, Polanica Zdroj 1981. Still, players who favour the Nunn-Shirov line like such positions, simply be­cause they are on the attack.

b) 9 ... lbf6 10 f4! lbed7 (10 . . . lbexg4?! 11 �bS+ 1;e7 12 'ii'e2 obviously gives White huge compensation for just one pawn) 11 fs exfs 12 c6! bxc6 13 lbxc6 'ii'e7 14 �bS was A.Khalifman-U.Adianto, Bali 2000. Both lbxds and 'ii'e2 followed by castling queenside are in the air and Black looked distinctly uncomfortable, despite Houdini's declaration of equality.

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c) 9 . . . a6 10 f4 tbc6 11 fS exfs 12 gxfs was A.Zaitsev-A.Tsybulnik, St Petersburg 2003. Now Black should continue with the tricky 12 ... �xcs ! 13 fxg6 tbxd4 (Black's queen check on h4 saves him) 14 gxf7+ <Jo>xf7 with an unclear mess.

10 f4 Consistent. White keeps Black worried about the disruptive fs idea.

Question: Why did White give up his c-pawn without a fight when he could keep the pawn and pry open with 10 c6?

Answer: White actually wastes time in the line you give and Black repels the boarding party after 10 ... bxc6 11 tbxc6 'iic7 12 �bS a6 13 i.a4 tbe7! with the better position. Black owns the centre and also may later use the open b- and c-files against White. 1o . . . �xcs 11 �bs tbgf6!?

Question: I sn 't Black's last move a blunder? I see a combination, 12 tbxe6! , that regains the pawn.

Answer: Black's last move was a sac. He offers to return the pawn in the name of rapid de­velopment. Other ideas:

a) 11...ttJe7 12 'iWe2 (if 12 tbxe6 fxe6 13 �xes o-o Black gains time with the attack on the f4-pawn) 12 .. . 0-0 13 0-0-0 a6 14 �xd7 'ii'xd7 15 h4 and White got the standard attacking compensation for the pawn in E.Mortensen-K.Berg, Odense 1994.

b) 11...a6 12 �xd7+ 'ii'xd7 13 fs es 14 fxg6 hxg6 15 'ii'e2 tbe7 16 tDf3 �xe3 17 tbxes (17 'ii'xe3 d4 regains the piece with an equal position) 17 . . . 'ii'e6 18 'ii'xe3 d4! 19 'i!i'xd4 tbc6 20 'ii'd7+ 'ii'xd7 21 tbxd7 <Jo>xd7 was H .Stevic-R.Ruck, Neum 2002. The computers claim equal­ity, but I was sceptical. After all, White still retains a significant development lead. The

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game continued 22 0-0-0+ �e7 23 %:the1+ �f8 24 %:td7 %:txh2 25 %:txb7 lbd4 26 %:td7 lbe6. As it turns out, the computers were correct in their original assessment and Black eventually won this game.

12 'ii'e21?

Question: I really don't see why White rejected 12 lbxe6. Isn't the path he took a bit of a fishing expedition?

Answer: This is a philosophical point. No red-blooded Nunn-Shirov fan would give up the initiative just to equalize the material. When one enters such a line as White, one must understand there is no off switch. I don't believe White got full compensation for the pawn, but this line i s consistent with what Nunn-Shirov players like : opposite-wing at­tacks. White probably didn't feel comfortable lagging slightly in development in the line where he regains his pawn but gives up some initiative after 12 lbxe6 fxe6 13 i.xc5 a6 14 i.xd7+ lbxd7 15 i.e3 'ii'h4+ 16 i.f2 'ii'f6. 12 ... lbe4l

The classic central counter to a wing attack. Black hits c3 and opens up possibilities of ... 'ii'h4+. From this point on the complications clearly favour Black.

Question: Shouldn't Black just keep developing and castle?

Answer: I l ike to keep things simple and would have played it that way. I don't like White's game at all after 12 .. . 0-0 13 o-o-o i.b4! . 13 i.xd7+ 'ii'xd7 14 fsl? exfs 15 gxfs i.xd41

15 ... i.xf5?? drops a piece for nothing after 16 lbxf5 'ii'xf5 17 i.xc5. 16 i.xd4 'ii'xfs 17 i..xg71?

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White refuses to face the stark truth and bail out into a pawn down, opposite-coloured bishops ending after 17 .:tf1 'it'e6 18 fts+ 'ii'c6 19 'it'xdS o-o 20 'it'xc6 bxc6 21 ltJxe4 -txe4 22 0-0-0. 17 ... .:tg8

White's check on bS is covered by a queen block on d7. 18 .:tf1 'it'e6

White has nothing for his missing pawn. Black leads in development and his pieces are centralized and active. 19 ltJbs?

White's bishop runs in one direction and now White's knight heads the other way. I guess if two friends walking home late at night are confronted by an armed mugger, chances of survival double if both run in opposite directions! White's last move demon­strates a clear lack of contrition for past indiscretions. White hopes to allow the spirit of attack to thrive and prosper by shoehorning his attacking agenda into the position, but he should just admit he stands worse and agree to defend a pawn down ending after 19 'iVhS+ 'ii'c6 20 'it'xc6+ bxc6. 19 . . . .:tc8

Exercise: Should White take the pawn on a7?

20 ltJd4? White's entire plan smacks of an unnatural construct with so many loose pieces. A

falsely constructed plan, no matter how creative, never truly comes into existence with or without effort. To attempt to bring reason to what is essentially the unreasonable is a bit like debating the attributes of a childless couple's daughter!

He had to try 20 -td4.

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Answer: He shouldn't grab a7, since he drops his queen after 20 Ci:Jxa7? ? l:txc2 ! 21 'ii'xc2 Ci:Jg3+! which covers White's queen block on e2. 20 ... 'ii'b6!

Now White collapses quickly. Targets: g7, d4, b2 and c2. 21 ..tf6 'ii'b4+!

Even stronger than taking on b2. 22 c3 .J::txc3 1 23 �d1

Exercise (combination alert): It is clear White is crushed and there are several paths to the win. Try to find the most deadly way.

Answer: 23 ... -ths! Deflection.

24 'ii'xhs l::tc1+1 The human move is good enough . Houdini gives the far fancier line 24 .. . Ci:Jf2+ 25 �e2

'ii'xb2+ 26 �el Ci:Jd3+ 27 �dl l::tcl+ 28 .J::txcl 'ii'xcl+ 29 �e2 l::tg2+! with mate in three moves. 2S �e2

25 �xcl 'ii'd2+ 26 �bl 'ii'd3+ 27 �cl 'ii'c4+! cleans White out.

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25 . . .'ii'xb2+ A poke here, a prod there. Houdini frowns upon this move and shows a mate in five

moves.

Exercise (calculation}: Follow this line to the m ate in your mind without moving the pieces: 2 S .. .'ii'd2+! (after this Black mates in just four moves) 26 'it>f3 l:tg3+! ! (this computer shot is hard to see) 27 hxg3 �d3+ 28 'it>g4

(or 28 'it>g2 �xfl+ 29 'it>h2 �1 mate) 28 .. . �xg3+ 29 'it>fs l2Jd6 mate!

26 'it>f3 l:txf1+ 27 l:txfl 'i'g2+ 28 'it>e3 'i'd2+ 29 'it>f3 White's king lacks sufficient escape velocity and now must enter a portal to another

world. 29 . . . 'i'd3+1 30 'it>f4 'i'xfl+ 31 lDf3 'i'c1+! 32 'it>es l2Jxf6 o-1

Summary After 9 l2Jd4 be on the constant look out for fs tricks from White.

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Chapter F i ve

Advance Variation: Short's Line

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es .Us 4 lt:lf3 e6 5 i.e2

In the go's, British GM Nigel Short took this innocuous position and weaponized it into a point machine. Since then, top GMs slowly turned away from the Classical Caro-Kann to the Advance. In my opinion, this is White's most dangerous try against the Caro. A foe de­void of emotion is the most dangerous enemy. White doesn't try to blow us away, like in the last chapter. Instead, he grabs space and squeezes by increasing his territorial gains, usually on the kingside, the way an insect lays her eggs in the warm flesh of an animal's carcass.

Our dilemma: If we react by clashing early, White is better positioned for the opening of the game, since he leads in development; if we avoid a clash for too long we get strangled. Our solution is to go for the happy middle ground and avoid the early ... cs lines, which

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never looked logical to me . Why insist on opening the game, which i s White's mother's milk, when we are the ones behind in development. Instead we will frustrate with slow (but not too slow!) ... lt:ld7, ... lLlh6 ! ? and possibly ... lt:lfs manoeuvres, even allowing White to chop our knight on h6. We normally play for .. .f6, rather than the traditional ... cs break. In my experience, this system normally confounds White, who sits around waiting for the ... cs break when all the while we prepare for . . .f6.

Game 22 D.Lee-C.Lakdawala

Southern Ca l iforn ia C h a m p io n s h i p, Los Ange les 1999

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es i.fs 4 lLlf3

The system of the Advance Caro championed by British GM Nigel Short. White relies on a positional advantage based on his extra space, similar to an Advance French position.

Question: Isn't it just an inferior Advance French position for White? After all, Black's traditionally bad light-squared bishop sits

outside the pawn chain in this case.

Answer: True, but White receives two other compensations for this concession : 1. Black played .. . c6 and nearly always later plays ... cs . This means that in many cases

Black loses a tempo when compared to Advance French positions. 2. Although Black managed to post his bishop outside his pawn chain on fS, the bishop

is a potential target for White with lt:lh4 or g4 ideas, as well as lt:ld2, lt:lfl and lLlg3 or lLle3 ideas.

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4 ... e6 5 i.e2 lLld7

We concentrate on this move in this chapter.

Question: I sn 't the move somewhat passive when compared to s ... cs?

Answer: s . . . ltJd7 isn't a "make love, not war" pacifist's choice. It doesn't qualify as passivity if the fight is simply put off for a later date. You should also know that s . . . lLld7 is played nearly as often as s ... cs and isn't considered a sideline. My philosophy: Why play an early ... cs when Black lags in development? I sn 't that exactly what White wants? 6 ..lle3

This move may actually be slightly inaccurate in this position. We look at 6 0-0, the main move in the rest of the chapter.

Question: How can White's last move be inaccurate? He develops a piece, overprotects d4 and gets ready to meet ... cs .

Answer: The move is slightly inaccurate because White operates on a false assumption that Black aims for an early ... cs freeing break.

Question: But if not ... cs then what? Remain cramped?

Answer: No. We play in Guimard French style and play for .. .f6 instead.

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Question: Even so, how does that have any bearing on developing his bishop to e3?

A d va n ce Va ria tio n : S h o rt 's L i n e

Answer: Black's typical development scheme in this line i s : . . . .tg6, ... lLlh6 and .. . lLlfs. Our knight on fs has the option of ... lLlxe3 gaining the bishop pair.

Question: Wait a minute. The second you play ... lLlh6, White will chop the knight and damage our pawns, won't he?

Answer: Believe it or not, taking on h6 gives Black decent play with the bishop pair and dark squares, fully compensating for the damaged structure. Secondly, remember, White al­ready moved his bishop once to e3 . By taking on h6, White loses a tempo since he can play this way anyway with the bishop sitting on c1. 6 ... i.g6

Clearing fS for the knight. 7 0-0

Instead after 7 lLlbd2 lLlh6 8 i.xh6 gxh6 9 lLlb3 i.g7 10 'ir'd2 as 11 o-o o-o 12 lLlc1 cs 13 c3 cxd4 14 cxd4 'ir'b6 15 a4 .l::tfc8 16 i.bs .l:!.c2 17 'ir'e3 lLlb8 18 lLld3 lLlc6 19 .l:!.fc1 .l:!.xc1+ 20 .l:!.xc1 lba7 21 .l:!.cs? ! i.f8 22 .l:!.C3 lLlxbs 23 .l:!.b3 .l:!.c8 24 .l::.xbs 'ir'c7 25 h3 b6 26 lLlh2? (he hopes to land on g4, but Black's threats arrive first; better was 26 lLlf4) 26 . . .'ii'c2 27 lLlf4? 'ir'b1+! 28 4Jfl .l:!.c1 29 'ir'e2 .l:!.e1 White dropped a piece since his queen got disconnected from cover­age of f1 in N.Zhao-C.Lakdawala, San Diego (rapid) 2011. This game is something of an anomaly for this variation. Normally Black tosses in . . .f6 at some point. Here we have an example of Black avoiding the move entirely, playing the position in Advance French style with only a ... cs break. 7 ... lLlh6

Taking the knight hard to starboard with an idea borrowed from the Advance French. Now that the c1-bishop has already moved, taking on h6 costs White a tempo as well as the bishop pair. The doubled h-pawns are not as weak as they appear. Remember Fischer's

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amazing Benoni win versus Spassky in their World Championship match when he played . ..lt:Jhs ! ? allowing i.xhs, handing Black the doubled, isolated h-pawns? 7 ... li:Jh6 is played in the same spirit.

Question: This still looks like a somewhat eccentric affront to common wisdom. Why tempt fate when Black can play the knight to e7 instead?

Answer: First, as I mentioned before, Black wants White to take on h6. Second, if Black uses the move order 7 ... li:Je7 then this gives White the option of going after Black's bishop on g6 with 8 li:Jh4, as he did in A.Shirov-V.Anand, Wijk aan Zee 1996. The last reason I played the move was that when need clashes with the rule of law, it is the law which bows and gives way. This was the State Championship Final, with four players out of eight rated over 2500 USCF. My opponent, a 2 300 player, was an opponent I desperately had to beat even with Black. By allowing White to take on h6, Black creates a huge imbalance, which suited my tournament needs. 8 i.xh6

He takes up the challenge.

Question: What if he avoids taking?

Answer: Then nothing special. White will simply have .. . li:Jxe3 hanging over his head ­unless he wants to move the bishop once again and lose a tempo: for example, 8 li:Jbd2 li:Jfs 9 i.f4 i.e7 10 li:Jb3 o-o 11 �d2 l:lc8 was S.Gvetadze-B.Savchenko, Bansko 2010. Black may even stand slightly better here. He is ready for .. .f6, or ... b6 and .. . cs , or .. . cs alone. 8 . . . gxh6

I was perfectly aware that those layered h-pawns made an unappetizing looking pastry.

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9 'i'd2 A new move in the position, but perhaps not the best way to continue. White should

factor in the coming . . .f6 and play for a quick c4: for instance, g l2Jbd2 ..tg7 10 l:te1 0-0 11 ..tfl f6 12 exf6 'i'xf6 13 c4! with dynamic equality, since White's last move takes the sting out of .. . es, D.Seia-S.Slipak, Villa Maria 2003. 9 . . . ..tg7 10 lbc3

I would play 10 c4 and only then develop the knight to c3. 10 ... 0-0 11 lbd1

White plans to reroute the knight with lbe3 and l2Jg4, going after the key squares f6 and h6 and also overprotecting es . 11 ... f6

As I mentioned earlier, Black often plays for . . .f6 over the traditional . . . cs in this line. 12 exf6 'i'xf6

We need as much fire power over e s as possible to enforce the move. 13 lbe3

Exercise {planning}: White plans l2Jg4. What should Black do about it?

Answer: 13 ... h s Thwarting White's plan by taking control over g4. Black's pawn i s n o weaker on hs .

14 'i'b4?1 This expedition doesn't lead anywhere. He should once again discourage Black's coming

.. . es by pressuring the centre with 14 c4! . 14 ... l:tab8 15 'i'd6 l:tfd8 16 c3 es

Black's goal in this line. Principle: When you have the bishop pair, open the position. Also, Black deletes his once-backward e-pawn.

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17 'ilfxf6 ..txf6

Question: Why did you allow an ending with those sickly looking doubled h-pawns?

Answer: Black's stronger pawn centre and bishop pair mean more than the doubled h­pawns. Remember, pawns are only weak if they can be effectively attacked. 18 dxes lLJxes 19 lLJd4

Contemplating a possible f4-f5. 19 ... lDf7

Just in case White plays f4, the knight is redeployed to d6 where it would control the fresh hole on e4. 20 �fe1 �e8 21 ttJdfs �es 22 lLJg3?!

Now he loses the initiative. He should fight for his outpost with 22 ..td3. 22 ... �be8 23 �ed1

He contemplates c4. 2 3 ... lLJd6 24 ..tf3

His intended 24 c4? fails to 24 ... h4 25 ttJgfl �Se7! (with the dual threats ... d4 and .. . ..txb2) 26 cxds ..txb2 27 dxc6 ..txal 28 �xal bxc6 when Black should convert, despite his ragged pawns.

White realizes he stands worse and goes into a holding pattern. He sets up his forces to disallow Black any possibility of activating the queen side pawn majority with ... cs , by fo­cusing his pieces on the dS-pawn.

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Exercise {planning): How does Black make progress?

24 . . . .id81 Answer: Reroute the dark-squared bishop to aim at the tender e3- and f2-squares. 25 h3 .ib6 26 lLlgf1 ..ttg7 27 .l:.d2

In such a position the aggressor doesn't make direct threats as much as insinuate threats, like a mobster: "Nice pawn you have there on f2. It would be a shame if an unfor­tunate 'accident' were to befall it !" 27 ... ltJf7

Thinking about .. . ltJg s . The immediate 27 .. . ltJe4 was also possible. 28 h4

This weakens further, but he didn't like the look of 28 i.dl lLlgs 29 .tc2 ltJe4. 28 . . . .id8 29 g3

He doesn't get enough for the pawn after 29 c4 dxc4 30 ltJxc4 .l:.cs 31 ltJce3 i.xh4 32 l:td7 .l:.e7. 29 . . . ltJd6

Now that f3 and f2 have been weakened, Black's knight returns to its optimal post. 30 .l:.ad1

Black prepares to pressure f2 and e2. 30 ... .l:.f8

White's king side pawns, especially f2, are lined up like crows sitting on a telephone pole. 31 i.g2 i.b6

The position may still look relaxed, but in reality Black's pieces are brimming with hid­den menace, much like crocodiles sunbathing in a river. Also, be aware of the influence of

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those cocky bishops, who have had their little congratulatory joke, laughing and prodding each other in the ribs. 32 a4 a s 33 b3 lbfs

Removing a defender. 34 lbxfS+?

Time pressure. He had to try 34 lbc2. 34 .. J�exfs 35 'ito>h1

He intended 3 S lbe3? then realized mischief strolled nearby: 3S .. . .l:ixf2 ! 36 .l:ixf2 �xe3 37 .l:idfl i.d3 winning a full rook. 3S ... .l:ixf2 36 b4 �c2 37 .l:ixf2 l:txf2 0-1

White is hopelessly tied down and soon loses another pawn on the queenside.

Summary In the s .. . lbd7 line Black normally plays for . . .f6 and usually not an early . . . cs, which is tradi­tional for Black in the Short Variation .

Game 23 J.Smeets-N.Short

Kha nty-Ma n s iysk O lym piad 2010

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es i.fs 4 lbf3 e6 s i.e2 lbd7 6 o-o i.g6 7 lbbd2 Later in the chapter we examine 7 b3 and 7 c3. Instead 7 c4 loses time since White's

bishop expended a tempo to play to e2: 7 .. . dxc4 8 �xc4 lbb6 9 i.d3 lbe7 10 lbc3 lbfs 11 h3 lbxd4 (there is nothing wrong with Black's position after 11...�e7) 12 lbxd4 'iixd4 13 �xg6 'iixd1 14 i.xf7+ Wxf7 15 l:txd1 �e7 16 lbe4 .l:iad8 and Black's control over ds and his clutch

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on the light squares more than compensate for White's extra space, M.Vachier Lagrave­D.Solak, Dresden Olympiad 2008. 7 . . . lL'lh6

Now Black need not worry about the consequences of i.xh6.

8 lL'lb3

Question: Why play the knight to b3? It looks like an artificial square for the knight.

Answer: The move is played to discourage ... cs breaks, since then White would play dxc s followed by a knight to d4. But I tend t o agree with you, i n that White's knight looks some­what lost on b3 if Black delays .. . cs . The knight can be vulnerable to .. . aS-a4 and also to ... b6 and .. . cs ideas later on.

others: a) 8 c4 i.e7 9 'ifb3 l:!.b8 10 'ifc3 o-o 11 cs f6 12 exf6 i.xf6 13 b4 lL'lf7! 14 lL'lb3 es and

Black achieved the desired ... es break, S.Karjakin-M.Carlsen, Moscow (blitz) 2008. b) 8 c3 i.e7 9 lL'lb3 0-0 ! ? (obviously provocative; there was nothing wrong with the more

pedestrian 9 .. . lL'lfs) 10 �xh6 gxh6 11 'ifd2 ..tr>g7 12 lL'lc1 cs (the trick in this line is to under­stand when to play . . .f6 and when to play ... cs) 13 lL'ld3 'ifb6 14 a3 cxd4 15 cxd4 as 16 lL'lf4 l:!.fc8 17 .U.ac1 l:!.c6 and Black achieved queen side play similar to a favourable Advance French in P.Svidler-K.Sakaev, French League 2006. s . . . lL'lfs

As mentioned earlier, i.xh6 isn't necessarily a threat and Black can just leave the knight on h6 even longer with 8 .. . i.e7. Here:

a) 9 �f4. White doesn't want to take the knight and he doesn't want to play his bishop to e3 either, out of fear of .. . lL'lfs. The trouble is, by developing to f4, White's bishop gets in

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the way of a future kingside pawn storm : 9 ... 0-0 10 'ifd2 tt:'lfs 11 c3 as 12 g4 tt:'lh4 13 tt:'lxh4 i.xh4 14 i.e3 (there is the tempo loss) 14 ... a4 15 tt:'lc1 f6 16 f4 fxe5 17 dxe5 i.e7 18 tt:'ld3 'Was 19 llac1 b6 and Black's queenside pawn majority looks slightly better since White's f5 break will be difficult to achieve, D.Naroditsky-J.Granda Zuniga, Benasque 2011.

b) 9 i.xh6 gxh6 10 'ifd2 h5 11 c3 'ifh6 12 i.d3 �c8 13 llab1 c5 14 dxc5 tt:lxc5 15 tt:lxc5 i.xcs when the position is balanced, R.Edouard-T.L.Petrosian, Cappelle la Grande 2008. White's dilemma: He wants to eliminate Black's light-squared bishop, but by doing so he straightens out Black's structure.

9 g4!?

Question: Isn't this risky?

Answer: It's a gamble on White's part, who is willing to air out his king somewhat in the name of territorial gain. White can also decline the provocation with a few options:

a) 9 c3 a6 (in order to play .. . cs and recapture with the knight without worrying about i.bS+) 10 tt:'le1 cs 11 g3 .l:!c8 12 tllg 2 cxd4 13 cxd4 tt:'le7! (intending . . . i.c2; this induced White to offer a swap of his good bishop next move) 14 i.d3 tt:'lc6 1S i.xg6 hxg6 when Black achieved his strategic aims in H .Rudolf-R.Dautov, German League 2008.

b) 9 i.d2 i.e7 (Black can also keep his queen's avenue to h4 open with 9 ... .l:!c8: for ex­ample, 10 .l:!c1 i.hs ! 11 h3 i.xf3 12 �xf3 cs 13 dxcs tt:lxes 14 .l:!e1 tt:'lxf3+ 1S 'ifxf3 i.e7 16 c4 dxc4 17 .l:!xc4 0-0 looks dynamically balanced, A.Volokitin-B.Jobava, Budva 2009) 10 g4 (in this game White waits until Black plays .. . i...e7 and only then plays g4, reasoning that a black bishop on h4 is not as scary as Black's queen on that square) 10 .. . tt:'lh4 11 tt:'lxh4 i.xh4 12 f4 f5 (I like this move better than allowing White fS with 12 .. .f6 13 fS, as in S.Rublevsky­B.Jobava, Khanty-Mansiysk 2005) 13 �b4 i.e7 14 i.xe7 'ii'xe7 1S g S h6 16 h4 hxgs 17 hxg5 �f7 18 �g2 cs 19 c3 .l:!h4 20 'ii'e1 .l:!ah8 21 'ii'g 3 C4 22 tlld2 'ii'd8! 23 b4 .l:!8h7! 24 .l:!h1 'ii'h8

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25 l:!.xh4 l:!.xh4 26 ..if3 lL'lf8 27 'it>f2 'it>e7 28 'it>e3 i.e8 29 :f1 lL'lg6 and White found himself completely tied down and unable to cope with the strategic threat ... i.a4, ... i.c2 and a cor­rectly timed ... i.e4 in D.Chuprov-E.Bareev, Moscow 2009.

c) Next game we look at 9 h3 . 9 .. . lL'lh4 10 lLlxh4 'iVxh4

11 i.f4 He intends i.g3 followed by f4.

Question: Can White also begin his pawn storm right away with 11 f4?

Answer: It looks risky for White in the line 11 .. . hs ! 12 g S 0-0-0 with .. .f6 to follow. 11 ... 'iVd8

Question: Why did Black retreat his queen? Isn't 11. ..h 5 a more thematic way to continue?

Answer: Your suggestion looks promising after 12 i.g3 (or 12 f3 i.e7) 12 .. . �3 ! and I don't like White's game at all. 12 i.g3 i.e7

I would have still tossed in 12 .. . h s. 13 c3

Question: What if White tries to steam roll Black with 13 f4?

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Answer: Black can meet it with 13 .. .fs ! 14 exf6 (if 14 g S we give White the Bareev treatment from the note above with 14 ... h6} 14 ... lt:\xf6. Yes, e6 is weak, but White's king position is also somewhat open. 13 ... o-o 14 �d2 as

Short wants to start a fight on the other wing. 15 a4?1

This move weakens his queenside. Maybe he should redeploy the knight to the king side, starting with 15 lt:\c1. 15 ... f6 16 exf6

Question: It looks inconsistent for White to take on f6. Shouldn't he back up his central wedge with 16 f4?

Answer: He would like to, but in thi s line Black manages to slip his d7-knight to e4 in every line: for example, 16 .. .fxes 17 fxes (if 17 dxes �6+ 18 lt:\d4 lt:\cs) 17 .. . �6 18 lt:\c1 lt:\cs ! when the gift cannot b e accepted and Black's knight reaches its goal of e4. Now 1 9 dxcs?? i.xcS+ 20 �g2 i.e3 ! 21 �e1 l:txf1 22 �xf1 �xb2 regains the piece with compounded inter­est in a couple of pawns. 16 ... .txf6 17 l:tae1

17 f4 �6 gives Black excellent play.

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11 ... .:!.e8!?

Question: Why did Black avoid the thematic ... es break?

Answer: Short decided to play for a .. .'it'b6 and ... cs plan. He probably wanted to avoid the drawish line 17 .. . es 18 dxes lLlxes 19 f4 lLlc4 20 ..txc4 dxc4 21 ii'xd8 .ixd8 22 lLld4 i.d3 23 .:!.f3 .ib6 24 i.f2 .ixd4 25 .ixd4 nae8. 18 f4 ii'b6 19 ..td1 cs 20 fsl?

This line can be as strategically confusing as the plot of Inception. White's last move isn't a mistake, but I get a funny feeling White expends capital on sub-optimum outcomes. He creates a self-inflicted rupture in his structure in an attempt to destabilize Black's cen­tre, but in doing so, only manages to destabilize his own. Instead 20 dxcs lLlxcs 21 lLlxcs 'i'xcS+ 22 i.f2 ii'c6 23 i.d4 .ie4 24 i.f3 es retains equality. 20 ... exfs 21 dxcs ii'c61 22 gxfs l:txe1?1

Black retains the balance after the more accurate 22 ... i.f7! . 23 ii'xe1?1

Are you disoriented yet? After this move White's initiative ends abruptly, as if with a switch. He can actually recapture with the rook: 23 .:!.xe1! .if7 (Black gets into trouble if he grabs the fs-pawn: 23 ... -ixfS? ! 24 .if3 .ie4 25 .ixe4 dxe4 26 ii'd6!) . 23 . . . .if7 24 i.d6

Black begins to take the initiative after this move. White should probably go for 24 lLld4 'i'xcs 25 ii'f2 lLlb6. 24 ... ii'xa4 2S lLld4

25 ii'f2 ii'c4 26 lLld2 ii'd3 27 lLlf3 a4 intending ... a3 keeps White on the defensive. 2S ... i.xd4+ 26 �h11

Gaining a tempo.

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26 ... 'ii'c4 27 cxd4 'ii'xd4 28 i.f3? White should target g7: 28 l:tg1! l:te8 29 'ii'g3 and now Black can't take on b2, since

29 .. . 'ii'xb2? walks into 30 �a4! and if 30 ... l:td8?? 31 i.xd7 then if 31 .. . l:txd7 32 �es wins.

White's last move was not the best and his position has degenerated into a honeycomb of weak pawns. It looks like White's hopes of saving the game are zero minus one. Still, Black must proceed with great care.

Exercise (critical decision): Black can either capture the cs-pawn with his knight or capture b2 with his queen. One of the moves wins while the

other allows White to escape. Which one would you play?

28 ... 'ii'xb2? When a man has everything, then by default, he has everything to lose.

Answer: 28 ... ltJxcS ! wins since 29 i.es 'ii'd3! prevents White from sliding either rook or queen to the g-file. 29 'ii'bll

When hope runs empty and then suddenly, the losing side sees a flicker of light, it seems immense. After this move White somehow hangs on to the draw. 29 ... 'ii'b4 30 'ii'xb4 axb4 31 l:tb1 l:ta3 3 2 'it>g2

Natural, but not best. The computers point out a problem-like draw starting with 32 l:txb4! ! l:txf3 33 l:txb7 lDf6 34 l:tb8+ i.e8 35 c6 l:txfs 36 c7 l:tfl+ 37 'it>g2 l:tc1 38 c8'ii' (the sur­rogate mother rook succeeds in coaxing the c-pawn all the way to the promotion square) 38 ... .l:!.xc8 39 l:txc8 'it>f7. 32 ... b3 33 'it>g3 l:tas

No choice. Black was almost in zugzwang, despite his two extra pawns. 34 l:txb3 lDxcs 35 i.xcs l:txcs 36 l:txb7 'it>f8 37 'it>f4 �e8 38 'it>es d4+ 39 'it>xd4 l:txfs 40 l:tb31

2 00

A d va n ce Va ria tio n: S h o rt's L ine

In this game White tried to win the king side battle and Black the battle of the queen­side. It turns out neither won either! One extra pawn on the same side is not enough to secure a win for Black. Still , White must play with care here: 40 �e3 ?? walks into 40 .. Jhf3+! . 40 .. J:tf4+ 41 �e3 �h4 42 �b2 �h3

43 �f21

Exercise: Black wants to play ... i.c6 next move and take the game into a pawn up king and pawn ending. Should White prevent it or allow it?

Answer: The king and pawn ending is also drawn - if you know how. 43 ... i.c6 44 �f4 i.xf3 45 �xf3 nxf3+

4S ... �xh2?? 46 �g3+ picks off the rook. 46 'it>xf3

As the old saying goes: Be careful what you wish for - you may end up getting it! I had this exact drawn ending a few weeks ago with the pawn up side versus a 2200. During the game I was shocked to realize it was drawn. Thankfully, my opponent managed to lose it anyway. The pawn down side still needs to know how to draw from this point. 46 ... �7 47 �4 �e6 48 �e4 �6 49 �4 gS+ 50 �g3 ..ti>f5 51 �f3 h6 52 �g3 h s 53 �f3 g4+ 54 �g2 �f4 55 �f2 h4 56 h3 1

A cute trick to remember. Black can't make progress, despite the extra, protected passed pawn.

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

56 ••• g3+ 57 'it>g2 'ifi>e3 58 'ifi>g1 'ifi>f3 59 'ifi>f1 g2+ 60 'ifi>g1 'ifi>g3 1/2-Y2

Stalemates don't seem fair. Perhaps the rules should be altered so that the stalemated side gets a third of a point.

Summary

When your knight sits on fS and your opponent tosses in g4, it's better if your queen has access to h4 instead of your bishop.

Game 24

J.Timman-F.Berkes Paks 2010

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d 5 3 e5 i.f5 4 lbf3 e6 5 i.e2 lbd7 6 o-o i.g6 7 lbbd2 lbh6 8 lbb3 lbf5 9 h3

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A d va n ce Va ria ti o n : Sh o rt's Lin e

This time White is i n no hurry to toss i n an early g4.

Question: Why did White play h3 last move? It looks like there were more useful options open to him.

Answer: White's last move prevents .. . .ths ideas. 9 ... a6

Question: Why . . . a6?

Answer: Black keeps possibilities open to play . . . cs. If White takes, then Black may recapture

with his knight without worrying about .tbs+. Instead 9 . . . hs 10 .tf4 !ii.e7 11 'i'd2 cs? ! was Z.Medvegy-N.Lipcak, Aggtelek 2004. I think

such a move plays into White's hands. Now White should play 12lLlxcs ! and Black stands worse, no matter how he recaptures: for example, 12 ... l2Jxcs (if 12 ... !/Lxcs? ! Black gets all the same problems with a couple added - being deprived of the bishop pair and lacking dark­square control) 13 dxcs !ii.xcs (if Black castles then White keeps the extra pawn with b4) 14 !ii.bS+ �f8 and White plays to open the centre sooner or later with a c4 break. 10 c41?

Question: You said in an earlier game that this move l oses a tempo for White since he already moved his bishop to e2.

Why didn't you criticize the move this game?

Answer: Black should respond by taking on c4, which does indeed gain a tempo. However, then his ... a6 is rather meaningless, so both sides lose a tempo - a wash. 10 ... dxc4

Question: Does he have to take?

Answer: Usually Black should take in response to c4, otherwise it gives White added options like cxds and cs, grabbing more space. u.txc4

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Who comes out ahead in these situations when White plays c4?

Answer: It's a give and take situation. White gets the e4- and c4-squares for his pieces. A knight on e4 covers cs, d6, f6 and g s , all important dark squares. Black gets use of a huge hole on dS and also now can look forward to an endgame target based on White's weak­ened d-pawn. 11 ... a s

Highlighting one of the dangers for White when playing "bb3. Black threatens to gain time and space with ... a4.

Question: Why can't White play a4 himself to stop this plan?

Answer: Because in doing so, this would leave a gaping hole on the b4-square. 12 ..tgs?t

I have a feeling this move is the seed of White's future defeat. Desire and need are two different things. White desires to swap bishops, which would increase his hold on the dark squares. The trouble is he needs this bishop to secure d4. 12 ..te3 is better suited to the re­quirements of the position. 12 ... ..te7

A good decision which follows one principle, but breaks another. He foll ows the princi­ple stating trade when cramped, but he breaks the principle of swapping away his good bishop for White's theoretically bad bishop. In this case the principle foll owed carries more weight than the one broken. Black can also play the more complicated 12 ... 'it'b6 ! ?. 13 ..txe7 'ir'xe7 14 �c1 0-0 15 "bbd2

He gets out of the way of . . . a4 and eyes the e4-square.

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A dv a n c e Va ria tio n : Sh o rt's L ine

15 . . JHd8

16 'it'b3

Question: Why didn't White play 16 l2Je4?

Answer: White overextends in the line 16 .. . c s ! 17 dS (17 dxcs ltJxes 18 'it'b3 liJd4 19 l2Jxd4 .txe4 also favours Black) 17 .. . l2Jh4 ! 18 d6 l2Jxf3+ 19 'it'xf3 'ifh4. 16 .. J:Ia7 17 a3 a41

In order to deflect the queen to play ... liJb6. 18 'ifc3 liJb6 19 .l:!.fdl

I always prefer Black in such situations. Objectively, the position may be balanced, but White's position looks harder to navigate. 19 ... .l:!.aa8 20 .tfl liJds 21 "iics 'ifc7

21 ... 'it'xcs ! ? leads to an interesting ending after 22 dxcs .l:!.as 23 l2Je4 lLlh4 24 liJd6 l2Jxf3+ 25 gxf3 .l:!.b8. 22 g3 h6 23 .:tel?

White loses the initiative after this innocent looking move. 23 'ifc4 kept the balance. 23 ... .:tas 1 24 "iic4 liJb6 25 "iib4 ttJds 26 "iic4 "iib61

White's d4- and b2-pawns have come under fire and one of them falls. 27 'it'a2

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Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise: White just offered his d-pawn. Should Black take it?

27 ... :aa81? Black sees a ghost and declines a free meal. Why threaten to win something when you

can win it right away? Answer: 27 .. . l2Jxd4! 28 lbxd4 ii'xd4 29 lDc4 :bs 30 ltedl 'iia7 and White gets nothing for the pawn. 2s :c4

Awkward, but Timman jumps on the opportunity to hang on to d4. 28 ... ii'a7 29 lDe4?1

White had to play 29 g4 ! l2Jfe7 30 l2Je4 in order to hang on to his sickly d-pawn.

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Exercise (combination alert}: Black has a forcing line to win the d-pawn. Can you find what the GM rejected?

29 .. .lbb6 Answer: Black wins a clean pawn after 29 ... tt:Jde7 ! 30 l:td1 bS ! 31 l:tC3 tt:Jxd4 32 tt:Jd6 tt:JdfS ! . 30 l:tb4 tt:Jds 3 1 l:tc4 tt:Jb6

Again, 31 ... tt:Jde7 ! . 32 l:tb4 tt:Je7 33 tt:Jc3 .tc2 34 tt:Jd2

He begins to crack under the intense positional pressure. It feels like White's heart isn't

in it, like the people forced to participate in those rehearsed North Korean "Dear Leader" parades. He should play 34 .ic4 when, admittedly, his position still looks rather glum. 34 .•. tt:Jfsl

White's central pawns are infected with rot and unlikely to recover. 35 l:tc1

Exercise (combination alert}: Black has a forcing sequence where he gains either material or a dominating position.

Answer: 3s ... .tb31 36 tt:Jxb3 axb3 37 'i�Vbll Wearily, White perseveres in his forlorn dream of hol ding the position together with in­

sufficient glue. Instead 37 'i�Vxb3? loses an exchange to 37 . . . tt:Jxd4 38 'i�Vdl cS ! .

37 ... tt:Jds 38 tt:Jxds l:txds 39 .tg2 39 l:txb3 tt:Jxd4 40 l:te3 tt:Jfs ! wins either the es- or g3-pawn.

39 ... l:txd4 40 l:txb3 l:tad8 Now ... l:td2 is coming. White is completely lost.

41 l:tf1

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T h e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

White's pieces veer sharply right, like a school of fish that just spotted a shark to its left. 41 .. J:td2 42 �e4 tt'ld4 43 .l:.e3

White's last move walks into a combination. Also hopeless was 43 .l:.d3 tt'le2+ 44 'it>g2 .l:.8xd3 45 �xd3 'it'd4 46 �xe2 .l:.xe2 when White loses material and is hopelessly tied down as well. 43 ... tt'le2+1 44 'it>h1

Exercise (combination alert}: We have an opportunity to engage in chess by ambush. Black to play and win.

Answer: 44 ... 'it'xe31 0-1 The same queen sac worked if White had played his king to g2 instead. White either

l oses back his queen or his king is beaten into silence in the line 45 fxe3 tt.Jxg3+ 46 'it>g1 tt'lxf1 47 'it'e1 .l:.d1 48 'it'h4 .l:.8d2 49 �f3 .l:.cl.

Summary When White plays c4, it is a question of c-ore beliefs. He feels his dynamic chances will over­come his long-term weaknesses: the backward d-pawn and hole on d5. This game is an ex­ample of the consequences if those dynamic chances fail to materialize for White.

Game 25

E.Aiekseev-P .Svid ler Russ ia n C h a m pionsh i p, Moscow 2008

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 es �fs 4 tt'lf3 e6 s �e2 tt'ld7 6 o-o �g6 7 b3

2 08

A d v a n ce Varia tio n : S h o rt's L i n e

Question: What i s the idea behind 7 b3?

Answer: Multipurpose: 1. White's dark-squared bishop when developed to e3 tends to get harassed by a black

knight on fS, but if he develops his bishop to f4, it blocks his potential for a kingside pawn storm, and in the first game of this chapter we saw the dangers for White if he chopped Black's knight on h6. Based on this data, White reasons that his dark-squared bishop will be better served posted on b2, whether Black plays for a .. . cs or .. .f6 pawn break.

2. If White later plays for c4, he then has the option of recapturing on c4 with his b­pawn instead of a piece. 7 ... tLlh6

What I like about this system for Black is that we play the same plan, no matter how White sets up- perfect for someone with a barely functional memory like mine! 8 c4

Alternatively: a) 8 ..txh6 (the obvious trouble with this move is it renders his last move rather mean­

ingless) 8 ... gxh6 9 c4 ..tg7 10 tLlc3 0-0 11 'i*'d2 f6 (also to be considered was 11 ... dxc4 12 .txc4 cs) 12 cxds was E .Brestian-H.Genser, Austrian League 2006. Now Black should play 12 ... cxds with an equal position.

b) 8 .tb2 f6 9 exf6 'i*'xf6 10 tLJes tLJxes 11 dxes 'i*'h4 12 tL:ld2 .tcs 13 lLlf3 "ife7 was P.Schoenberger-F.Doettling, Schwaebisch Gmuend 2000. I have reached similar positions as Black from the Guimard French, except in this case, Black's bad bishop, normally sulking on c8, magically got transported outside the chain to the far more favourable g6-square. s ... tLlfs 9 tLlc3

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Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

9 ... ..tb4!

Question: Why not to e7?

Answer: Old understanding sometimes impedes the inauguration of new knowledge. De­veloping to e7 is playable, but developing to b4 clears the e7-square for his knight in case White opts for g4. Let's look at the development to e7: 9 .. . ..te7 10 ..tb2 0-0 11 cxd5 cxd5 12 g4 tDh6 (Black didn't like the prospectless game which arises from the line 12 ... tLlh4 13 tDxh4 ..txh4 14 f4 f5 15 g5 h6 - in order to free his dark-squared bishop - 16 gxh6 gxh6 17 'i!i>h1 when Black's pieces are misplaced and he suffers from a lack of space) 13 tDe1 f6 14 exf6 .txf6 15 f4 ..te7 16 lt:Jg2 and White's space gave him an edge in D.Rodin-A.Kornev, Vo­ronezh 2003 . 10 ..tb2 0-0 11 ..td3

11 g4!? tDe7 ! is what we discussed earlier. Black has the option of dropping the knight back to e7 and then striking back with . . .f6. White doesn't have time to engineer f4 since his f3-knight is in the way. Indeed, 12 a3 .txc3 (12 .. . .ta5 13 lt:Jh4 f6 is also horribly complex} 13 .txC3 f6 leaves White wishing his f-pawn were free to play to f4. 11 .. .f6 12 tDe2 fxes 13 dxes

Black looks slightly better in the line 13 tDxe5 tDxe5 14 dxe5 'it'b6. 13 ... tDcsl

2 1 0

14 l2Jf4?!

A d v a n c e Va riatio n : S h o rt's L ine

Question: Why did White give up the bishop pair rather than back his bishop up to c2?

Answer: I am so glad you asked! Let's do a calculation exercise from this point. I didn't really like White's last move either.

Exercise (colculotion}: Follow this zany line to its end (or as far as you can go in your head) and then the hard part lies in assessing the final

position: 14 .tc2 dxc4 15 a3 ! 'iixd1 16 �axd1 l2Jg3 ! 17 l2Jxg3 .txc2 18 axb4 .txd1 19 �xd1 l2Jxb3 20 l2Je4 as 21 bxas �xas.

21 1

Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

16-ply. Well, here we are. Flip the coin and it lands on its edge. Sometimes we visualize a position perfectly in our minds and then botch the assessment. White has two minor pieces for Black's rook and two pawns - a fair deal for both sides. The problem is the as­sessment! Black has three connected passers running down the queenside, while White has plenty of counterplay on e6 and the seventh rank. My intuition tell s me White stands better and Alekseev should have gone for this line. I played out the position with Houdini.

The result: Draw. Maybe the real assessment is unclear. 14 . . . lLlxd3 15 lLlxd3 ..th5

To rid himself of the bishop on the same colour as most of his central pawns. 16 lLlf4 ..txf3 17 �xf3 �e7 18 cxd5 cxd5

He secures a passed pawn. White's kingside pawn majority is a long way from being ac­tivated. Assessment: Black stands slightly better. Svidler therefore doesn't tempt destiny by forcing a position with queen side versus king side super majorities with 18 .. . exd5. 19 "Wg4 ..td21

Dual purpose: he prevents White from challenging the c-file and produces the sly threat .. . "Wb4! . 20 lLld3

White avoids the strategic trap 20 .l:tfdl? "Wb4! 21 g3 ..txf4 22 "Wxf4 �xf4 23 gxf4 lLlh4 24 .tel .l:tac8. White will not save this one. 20 .. Jbc8 21 �d1

Hoping to eject the intruder and covering c2. 21 ... �g51 22 g3 ..te31

Now the game takes on a new, rougher texture. 23 'it>h1

He wisely shrugs aside the provocation. Taking the bishop was out of the question: 23 fxe3? lLlxg3 24 .l:tf4 (24 hxg3 �xg3+ 25 'it>hl .l:txfl+ 26 �xfl .l:tc2 wins) 24 .. . lLle2+ 25 'it>hl �5! (threat: . . . .l:txf4 followed by ... "Wf3 mate !) 26 'ili'd2 g 5 ! ! gives Black a crushing attack: for example, 27 .l:tf6?? .l:txf6 28 exf6 'ir'f3 mate. 23 ... "Wh6 24 ..tc1 d41 25 'it>g2

The king attempts to wiggle away from his tormentors. In such tense situations it's hard to bear such suffering without at least a local anaesthetic. 2 5 . . Jlc3

According to the computers 25 . . . �g6! was the most accurate move. White feels the lick of the lash if he gets greedy with 26 fxe3?? (better to move his king to g l instead) 26 ... .l:txc1! 27 �xcl lLlxe3+ and Black wins. 26 "i*'e2

The bishop remains immune: 26 fxe3?? .l:txcl! 27 �xcl lLlxe3+ wins White's queen.

2 1 2

A dv a n c e Va ria tio n : S h o rt's L ine

26 •• Jig6?1

Exercise (multiple choice}: Svidler peppered his opponent with tactics over the last seven moves. Now he falters and

misses a knockout. Can you pick the winning move? Choose wisely: a) 26 ... .l:.fc8, attempting infiltration on c2;

b) 26 ... 'ii'g6, looking for tricks based on . . Jhd3 and . . . lLlh4+.

This keeps the pressure going, but isn't a forced win . Answer: White can't survive 26 . . . .l:.fc8! 27 ib2 .l:.c2 28 'ii'f3 .l:.f8! 29 'ii'xb7 lLlh4+! 30 gxh4 'i*'g6+ 31 'it'h1 'i*'xd3 when he collapses. 27 fxe3 .l:.xd3 1 28 'it'gll

28 exd4 lLlh4+ 29 'it'g1 .l:.xg3+ 30 hxg3 'iWxg3+ 31 'it'h1 lLlf3! (threatening mate, starting with . . . 'ii'h3+) 32 .l:.xf3 .l:.xf3 and White is helpless, despite the extra piece. 28 .•. lbxe3?

Now White should draw. Black's best practical chance to win was in 28 . . . .l:.f7 ! 29 id2 (29 'ii'xd3?? lbxe3 wins) 29 . . . lbxe3 30 .l:.xf7 'it'xf7 31ixe3 dxe3 32 'ii'f3+ 'ii'fs 33 'iit'xb7+ 'it'g6. 29 .l:.xf8+ 'it'xf8 30 ..txe3 dxe3 31.l:.c1?1

White holds everything together in the line 31 'ii'c2 ! .l:.d8 32 'ii'cS+ 'it'g8 33 'ii'xe3. 31 ••• h61

In order to escape a perpetual . 32 .l:.c8+ 'it'f7 33 g4??

White can still put up a fight with 33 'ii'f1+ 'ii'fs 34 g4! 'ii'xf1+ 35 'it'xf1 .l:.d2 36 .l:.c7+ 'it'g6 37 .l:.xb7 .l:.xa2 38 h3 . The bank forecloses on itself! White's fragile position implodes with what looks clearly to be a catastrophic time pressure blunder. He threatens to win with 'i*'f3+. Unfortunately for him it is Black to move !

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Th e C a ro - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Answer: 33 .. .'ir'e41

Exercise: How do we sidestep White's threat and create unstoppable threats of our own?

Black's king is perfectly safe hiding on g6, while White's king has no place to run. 34 l:tc4 'ii'ds o-1

Exercise (calculation}: Work out the reason White resigned in your mind.

Answer: The calculation runs: 3 5 l:tc1 l:td2 36 'ii'f1+ l:tf2 37 .:lc7+ �g6 38 'ii'h1+ �gS 39 h4+

�xh4 and White runs out of checks. 11-ply. White's king is the rotting head on the pike at the gates of the city.

2 1 4

Adva n ce Va ria tio n : S h o rt's Lin e

Summary

In the 7 b3 line, keep in mind the slight alteration to our normal development scheme. Black can develop his dark-squared bishop to b4, leaving e7 open for his knight, just in case White kicks it from fS with a g4 thrust.

Game 2 6

A. Wirig-M.Bartel French League 2010

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es .Us 4 lbf3 e6 s i.e2 lbd7 6 o-o i.g6 7 b3 lbh6 8 c4 lbfs

9 .Ue1

Avoiding the line 9 lbc3 i.b4 which we looked at last game. Others: a) 9 lba3 intending lbc2, to cover the sensitive d4-square, l ooks too slow to produce an

edge for White: 9 .. . i.e7 10 i.b2 o-o 11 'i'd2 f6 12 lbc2 fxes 13 dxes lbcs 14 lbcd4 lbe4 15 'i'd1 'i'd7 16 lbxfs i.xfs 17 lbd4 ..ltb4 (17 .. . ..ltcs, focusing on f2, also looks fine for Black) 18 lbxfs .l:txfs 19 i.d3 .l:td8 ! 20 'i'e2? ! i.cs ! and White was already under pressure in F.Handke­I .Khenkin, Stockholm 2002.

b) 9 i.b2 f6 ! ? (an interesting idea and an attempt at an improvement; Black doesn't want to play ... i.e7 and then later transfer his bishop to cs, so he tosses in an early . . .f6 and .. .fxes, and plays his bishop to cs in one go) 10 lbbd2 (maybe White should alter the normal course of events and try 10 cxds cxds 11 exf6 'i'xf6 12 i.bs) 10 .. .fxes 11 dxes i.cs 12 a3 as 13 cxds cxds 14 i.bs o-o 15 .l:tc1 b6 16 <iil>h1 i.hs and I already prefer Black, K.Spraggett­D.Solak, Vrsac 2008. 9 . . . i.b41 10 i.d2 i.e7

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Didn't White just gain a tempo?

Answer: He did, but haven't you ever received a gift you didn't want but were forced to ac­cept? White's bishop is misplaced on d2, despite the fact that the move was for free. 11.tc3

Question: Why not develop his knight to c3?

Answer: As I mentioned, White's bishop is a problem piece on d2. He insists on a pseudo­fianchetto on c3, even if it costs him some time. This idea is seen in the Queen's Indian and Bogo-lndian Defences, where Black tosses in an annoying .. . i.b4+, retreats back to e7 and then watches White's bishop on d2 squirm its way back to the fianchetto with i.c3. In the end it is Black who gains time, not White. If 11 lLlc3 .th5 and the bishop on d2 looks dis­tinctly out of place. u . . . o-o 12 tLlbd2 ncs

Question: I assume Black's last move prepares a possible .. . c5 break. Does he need ... nc8? Can he break right away with 12 ... c5?

Answer: Perhaps you hit upon a good idea since with your move order White is denied his next move which plugs things up a bit: 13 cxd5 exd5 14 tLlfl ncs and now if White insists on giving Black an isolani with 15 dxc5? ! (15 'ii'd2 l ooks better, but then White must con­tend with the complications arising from 15 ... cxd4 16 tLlxd4 .tg5) 15 ... ..txc5 ! he suddenly finds the defence of f2 rather uncomfortable. Black threatens both ... .txf2+ and ... 'ii'b6. 13 cs

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White correctly halts the coming ... cs break, hoping to grab some queenside space.

13 ... f6

Well timed, now that White released the central pressure. 14 exf6

Question: Why does White make this exchange? Shouldn't he make Black take on es?

Answer: Refusing to take on f6 leads to trouble for White after 14 b4?! fxes 15 dxes b6! (de­stabilizing White's queenside pawn wedge) 16 cxb6 axb6 17 'ii'b3 cs and Black dominates the centre with his two passers, which rob White's pieces of their best squares.

14 ... ..txf6 15 b4 'ilc7 Black's play in this line is very simple: First play for . . .f6, then for ... es .

16 �c1 a6

Question: Why did Black bother with this move?

Answer: Perhaps he feared bS at some point. I would h ave dispensed with .. . a6 and played 16 ... �ce8 followed by ... es . 17 t2Jb3 �ce8 18 'ild2 h6

Hoping to catch White in a . . . ..tgs cheapo later on. 19 �a1 tbh41

Eliminating a guardian of es . 20 tt:Jxh4 ..txh4 21 g3?

White's natural last move underestimated the dangers to his king and he should have defended his f-pawn with his rook instead. We have a m ethod of making White realize the inherent danger of his position and turn it from the abstract to the real.

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise (combination alert): Do you see a shot which could topple White? This problem has two correct answers.

Answer: 21 ... ..tgsl Variations on a theme. Black's last move works, as does 21 .. . l:txf2 ! 22 �xf2 ..tg5 23 'i'dl

l:tf8+ 24 �g2 {24 i.f3 i.e4 wins) 24 .. . i.e4+ {the bishop raises its arms in benediction in the direction of White's king) 25 �h3 l:tf2 26 l:tg1lL'lf6 {threatening .. . .if5+) 27 i.d3 ..tf3 and White can resign. 22 'i'dl

22 f4 isn't playable since Black blasts through with 22 ... l:txf4! 23 gxf4 i.xf4 24 'i'dl ..txh2+ 25 �hl 'i'g3 26 i.f3 i.gl ! ! 27 'i'e2 i.f2 and wins. 22 .. ..l::txf21

The f-file often pries open for Black in this line. A hazard of the profession, much like the unfortunate veterinarian, who in a moment lacking vigilance, is bitten by his ungrateful terrier patient. In this line we should be on constant alert for tricks on f2, based on the open file. Black's rook cares little for its own safety and cares even less about the security concerns of White's king. 23 �xf2 .l:tf8+ 24 i.f3

We have already seen the horrible fate which befalls White in the notes above if he walks into 24 �g2? or 24 �gl?. 24 ... i.e4

The bishop elongates its already considerable influence, placing White in a pin. 2SlL'ld2 i.xd2 26 'i'xd2 l:txf3+

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A d v a n c e Va ria t i o n : Sh o rt's Lin e

27We2 He gets mated if he heads the other way.

Exercise (calculation}: Work out the following line without moving the pieces: 27 Wg1? �xg3+! 28 hxg3 'i'xg3+ 29 Wfl 'ii'f3+ 30 Wg1

(or 30 'i'f2 "iVh3+ 31 Wg1 1'Vh1 mate) 30 .. . 'i*'h1+ 31 Wf2 'i'g2+ 32 We3 'iff3 mate. 12-ply, but all forcing moves.

Question: Does Black have enough attack for his sac?

Answer: Let's assess: 1. Black sac'ed an exchange for a pawn - not such a big investment. 2. White's king is a solitary island in a wide, dangerous ocean. 3. We have opposite-coloured bishops. Principle: Opposite-coloured bishops favour the

attacker - obviously Black in this case. 4. White leaks on the light squares since Black's light-squared bishop has no counter-

part. s. Black controls e4 and may plant either knight or bishop there. 6. White's bishop cannot participate effectively. 7. Black's pieces have access to d3. 8. White's entire army is essentially a shell corporation . There is nothing there. Conclusion: White reached a numeric advantage and a gigantic dynamism deficit. Black

has a winning attack. 27 ... lbf8?1

An inaccuracy which Black later corrects. The knight is better placed on f6: 27 . . . lbf6! 28

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l:tfl l:td3 29 'iixd3 (forced since White is defenceless in the line 29 'iib2? 'iif7 ! ) 29 .. . i.xd3+ 30 'iti>xd3 'iif7 and Black is winning since the queen and knight combination continues to make life miserable for White on the light squares. 28 l:tg1

Or 28 l:tf1 'iif7 29 l:tac1 'iifs and White can barely move. 28 ... l:td3 29 'iixd3

No choice. White can't tolerate such an intruder for l ong . 29 . . . i.xd3+ 30 'itxd3 'iif7 31 l:tgf1 'iig6+ 32 'itd2

Exercise (planning): How should Black continue to proceed with his attack?

Answer: 32 ... tt'lh71 The undoing of a previous poor move can be an exclam. Black realizes the knight, now

heading for e4, should have been on f6 all along. 33 l:tae1 tt'lgs 34 :e3 tt'le4+ 35 'it;c1 'iih s 36 h4 'iig4

Target: g3 . 37 llf4 'iih3

The queen weaves her way in . 38 l:tfxe4

Philosophy and ideology go out the window when the house is on fire. In desperation White sacs in the hope of creating a fortress. At least White can ponder the impossible, even if chances of achieving fruition are close to zero. Also hopeless is to try to hang on to everything - which White can't do: 38 a3 'iig2 39 .tel 'iia2 40 l:tff3 'iia1+ 41 'itc2 'iixd4 and White will be helpless against the central passers. 38 ... dxe4 39 a4 'iif1+ 40 'itc2 'iifs 41 as 'itf7 42 i.e1 'it;f6 43 'it;c3

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A d van ce Varia tio n : Sh o rt's L i n e

Exercise {planning}: Black's king needs to participate. But how?

43 ... esl Answer: Clear a path to ds. 44 dxes+ �xes 0-1

It's just a matter of time before Black infiltrates. Here is one possible future: 45 ..td2 'it>ds 46 .tel ii'f1 47 ..td2 h S 48 .tel ii'gl 49 ..td2 ii'b1 which is zugzwang since so .tel is met with so ... ii'cl+ winning the rook on e3.

Summary After g l:!.el remember the trick 9 . . . ..tb4 10 ..td2 ..te7! which throws White's bishop off kil­ter.

Game 2 7

V .Bologan-A.Dreev Poikovsky 2006

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d s 3 es ..tfs 4 tLlf3 e6 s ..te2 tLld7 6 o-o ..tg6 1 c3

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Question: What is White's plan?

Answer: In this case White is unafraid to chop a knight on h6, so he makes a sensible move which bolsters his centre and simply waits for ... ltJh6. 7 ... ltJh6

Question: I realize that this is our set-up, but somehow it feels obliging. Is there any way we can play a waiting game and deny White .txh6

or at least get a more favourable version of it?

Answer: Black can try to stall and out-wait White. The danger with this strategy is that our own waiting moves may be inferior to White's. Here are a few possibilities:

a) 7 . . . ltJe7 (the trouble with developing the knight to e7 is that it blocks our coverage of the h4-square) 8 ltJh4 (White immediately exploits this to pick up the bishop pair) 8 . . . ttJfs 9

ltJxg6 hxg6.

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Adva n c e Va ria tio n : S h o rt's Lin e

Question: But didn't we just improve our pawn structure by opening the h-file?

Answer: Yes, the loss of the bishop pair in this case may not be so bad for Black: for exam­ple, 10 lt:'ld2 f6! 11-'Llf3 'ii'c7 12 exf6 gxf6 13 g3 e5 14 dxe5-'Llxe5 15-'Llxe5 fxe5 16 i.g4 o-o-o

17 c4 �b8 18 cxd5 cxd5 (a possible improvement for Black is 18 .. . i.c5 ! ? to clear the queen's path to h7; after 19 i.g51:.xd5 20 'it'f3 'ii'h7 21 'it'g2 I wouldn't mind playing Black, whose piece activity more than compensates for White's bishop pair and slightly better pawn structure) 19 i.g5 i.e7 20 l:!.c1 'it'd6 21 i.d2 i.f6 and Black's central pawns easily compen­sated for White's bishop pair in F.Nijboer-I .Khenkin, Koszalin 1998.

b) 7 .. . a6 (this move is usually associated with .. . c5 ; the idea is to prevent i.b5+) 8-'Llbd2 (nobody has tried 8 l:!.e1 which continues to keep an eye on h6) 8 ... -'Llh6 9 g3 i..e7 10 -'Llb3 -'Llf5 11 g4-'Llh4 12-'Llxh4 i..xh4 13 f4 f5 14 i.d3 i.e7 15 i.e3 o-o 16 h3 b5 17 'it'e2 'it'e8 18 l:!.ad1 l:!.c8 19 'ii'g2 . Black's position is a bit passive, but then I 'm not sure how White can improve his position without risk, A.Morozevich-A.Dreev, Moscow 2005.

c) 7 .. . i..e7 8-'Lla3 ! ? (White uses our own trick against us! Black isn't tempted to take on a3 since he already moved his bishop to e7) 8 . . . -'Llh6 9-'Llc2 (White isn't interested in taking on h6 either) 9 ... -'Llf5 10 lt:'lce1 (intending g3 , lt:'lg2 and -'Llf4) 10 ... -'Llh4 11 lt:'lxh4 i..xh4 12 g 3 i.e7 13 h 4 h6 14-'Llg2 o-o 15-'Llf4 i.e4 16 i..d3 (this i s his good bishop, but Black's formally bad bishop exerts too much influence on e4) 16 ... i..xd3 17 'ii'xd3 c5 and Black achieved a decent Advance French position with the removal of his problem bishop in E .Sutovsky­L.Pantsulaia, Beersheba 2005. 8 i.xh6

Bologan takes up the challenge. 8 ... gxh6 9-'Llbd2

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9 ... �e7!?

Question: Why didn't Black develop h i s bishop to g7 and then play for ... f6?

Answer: That would be the standard plan. Perhaps Black plans a rather ambitious set-up of castling queenside and leaving the g -file open for a rook. 10 ltJe1

Question: Why did he retreat an already developed knight?

Answer: He may be planning ltJd3 and ltJf4, or ltJc2, lLle3, f4 and fs. 1o ... cs!

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A d v a n ce Va ria tio n : S h o rt's L i n e

Question: Aren't we supposed to play for the . . .f6 break?

Answer: Not all the time. Dreev's move is a flexible reaction to White's last move, a retreat. Black isn't so behind anymore in development and dares to open the centre, especially since he owns the bishop pair now. 11 ti:Jb3 ir'b6

Question: I would be very tempted to play 11 ... c4 followed by a queen side advance. Is there anything wrong with this plan?

Answer: I wouldn't do it. It's too risky to take pressure off White's d4 point. White's plan to enforce f4-f5 which hits Black hard after 12 ti:Jd2 bs 13 tt:Jc2 as 14 ti:Je3 ti:Jb6 15 f4. 12 dxcs .txcsl? 13 ti:Jf3

He should probably have grabbed the dark-squared bishop with 13 tt:Jxcs tt:Jxcs 14 ir'd2 o-o-o with a balanced position.

Exercise {planning): Come up with a viable plan for Black.

13 ... .tf8! Answer: Back to the drawing board! Black decides to fianchetto his bishop after all. Target: es. The bishop comes and goes as he pleases and feels the only difference between over here and over there is one's vantage point. Dreev, one of the most strategically creative players in the world, plays a dangerous game, yet shows excellent positional judgement with this backdoor strategy. Black can get away with such extravagance as long as White can't open the game too quickly. 1434

Opening the centre doesn't help White after 14 c4 dxc4 15 .ixc4 0-0-0 16 ir'e2 'ot>b8.

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Black's king i s safe, he has the bishop pair and defence of es is still a concern for White. 14 ... a6 15 c4 .ie41

Preferable to 1S ... dxc4 16 tL'lbd2 ! 'iWxb2 17 t2Jxc4 'iWc2 18 'We1 which gives White reason­able play for the pawn. 16 a s 'iWb4 17 t2Jbd2 l:td8 18 cxds .ixds 19 'iWc2 .ig7 20 l2Jc4

Heading for d6. 20 ... 0-0

Black's bishop pair and pawn target on es give him the advantage. 21 �fd1

If White tries to swing a rook with 21 �a4, Black thwarts this plan with 21 .. . 'Wcs . 21 ... �c8 22 b3?

Now White drops an important pawn without compensation. He must l ose his e-pawn, but he should make Black give up the bishop pair first with 22 �a4! 'Wcs 23 ft1! �c7 24 b3 .ixf3 25 .ixf3 ttJxes 26 ttJxes 'iWxes when Black's extra pawn could be hard to convert due to the presence of opposite-coloured bishops. 22 ... t2Jxes 23 tLlfxes .ixes 24 �a4 'ii'e7 25 'iWd2 .ig7

One senses White's reach exceeds his grasp and his attack isn't exactly on the edge of glory. Black has a bishop pair, an extra pawn and the superior position. I don't see a trace of compensation for White. 26 .if3?

The classic tennis mistake: an unforced error. There is little prospect for profit with such a move. White attempts to resuscitate the attack which never was. In fact, in the entire game White's attack simply never took on form or substance, like empty space. Now bitter times lie ahead. His best shot lay in the line 26 tL'lb6 .ixb3 27 t2Jxc8 �xc8 28 �g4 .ixd1 29 'iWxh6! f6! (29 .. .fs?? 30 %hg7+! wins) 30 .ixd1 �cs 31 .ib3 �xas 32 g3 when White's aggres­sively posted pieces give him some practical chances. 26 ... .ixf3 27 gxf3 �fd8 28 'iWe2 'iWgS+ 29 'iW1 �xd1+ 30 'ii'xd1 �d8 31 'Wc2

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A d va n ce Varia tio n : Sh o rt's Lin e

Exercise {planning): Find a forcing path to simplify and consolidate Black's advantage.

Answer: 31 .. -'ii'h sl 32 �g2 'ii'g6+1 He forces White to take the queens off the board and straighten his pawns.

33 'ii'xg6 hxg6 34 l:tb4 lid7 White is down a pawn with a bad position to boot.

35 ltJb6 White's rook and knight cohabitate without meaningful interaction, like a separated,

loveless couple, who out of economic necessity, continue to live together, yet don't speak a word to each other.

3s ... l:tc7 36 ltJaS?I

Answer: 36 ... i.c31 0-1

Exercise: Find a move which wins another pawn and forces White's resignation.

Black salts the wound. White drops more material after 36 ... i.c3 ! 37 .l:la4 lies 38 b4 .l:lc4.

Summary After 7 c3 Black can play a waiting game or just goad White with 7 .. . ltJh6, as Dreev played in this game.

227

C h a pt e r Six

Advance Variation:

Fourth Move Alternatives

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es ..tfs

This is a tough chapter to absorb since we must be ready for so many different ideas and set-ups from White. It may feel like you are studying five different chapters due to the absence of a single underlying defensive theme for Black. The last two lines will be our big­gest challenge. The line-up:

a) 4 i.d3. This old school move is based on the premise that our bad bishop is not so bad. White willingly offers a swap of his good bishop. Fine with us! The line shouldn't give us any trouble at all.

b) 4 g4, a move favoured by type-A personalities world-wide, is calculated to express contempt at the Caro defensive barrier. Anand's treatment is an effective way to tame the line.

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Adva n ce Va ria t i o n : Fo u rt h M o ve Altern a tives

c) 4 c4. This time we get a decent position quite similar to a line from the Queen's Gam­bit Accepted.

d) 4 h4. White negotiates with his thumb on the detonator, threatening to run our bishop out of squares with g4 and hs in case we get careless with 4 ... e6??. Study this one carefully since the line may be the biggest threat of the chapter. White induces the conces­sion 4 .. . h s and only then plays 5 c4! reaching a superior version of the 4 c4 line.

e) 4 .te3. Another line, growing in popularity, which we must treat with great care. White discourages the ... cs freeing break and keeps us guessing if he will transpose back into the Short line with tZ:lf3. or perhaps he will go for f4. seizing a giant centre. In either case we play for the . . .f6 ! break, rather than the traditional ... cs.

Game 28

A.Nimzowitsch-J.R.Capa blanca New York 1927

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d s 3 es .tfs 4 .td3

Bad bishop not withstanding, White endeavours to rid Black of his best piece.

Question: In exchange for his good bishop?

Answer: Yes. In my opinion, too high a price.

Question: What if White plays a neutral move like 4 c3?

Answer: Probably you will end up in a l ine from the last chapter. Sometimes, though, White

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Th e Ca r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

plays like this and refuses to transpose by avoiding lLlf3: for instance, 4 .. . e6 5 i.e3 i.g6 6 'it'b3 'irb6 7 lZJd2 lZJh6 8 h4 lZJg4 9 i.f4 (9 h5 tZJxe3 10 fxe3 i.f5 is okay for Black) 9 .. . h5 10 lbh3 c5 11 i.b5+?! (11 'ii'xb6 axb6 12 f3 lZJh6 is even) 11 .. . lZJc6 12 c4 0-0-0 and White falls behind in development and his centre looks shaky, D.Naroditsky-C.Lakdawala, Internet (blitz) 2011. 4 ... i.xd3

Question: Why do we take? In doing so we develop White's queen for free. Isn't 4 ... i.g6 a better move?

Answer: We would love to play .. . i.g6, but it just doesn't work because it allows White a promising pawn sac: 5 i.xg6 hxg6 6 e6 ! fxe6? (6 . . . lZJh6 is better, but 7 lLlf3 still leaves White with a clear advantage) 7 'ii'g4 and Black found himself in deep trouble in J .Clementsson­E.Hove, Denmark 1986. 5 'ii'xd3 e6 6 lZJc3

Blocking his c-pawn. White has a few other tries and not a single one of them leads to anything. We play exactly the same plan against all three lines !

a) 6 lLlf3 'ii'a5+! 7 i.d2 'ii'a6! was H.Weenink-R.Reti, Scheveningen 1923. Remember this manoeuvre? Black gives White a choice of going into an Advance French ending sans bad bishop or, if White moves his queen, allowing Black control over the f1-a6 diagonal.

b) 6 lZJe2 'irb6 7 0-0 'iia6! leaving White in exactly the same dilemma as in variation 'a', H .Atkins-J .R.Capablanca, London 1922. We looked at this classic game in the Introduction.

c) 6 f4 (making his bad bishop that much worse, all in the name of space) 6 ... 'iia5+! 7 c3 'iia6! (does this manoeuvre have a vaguely familiar ring to it?) 8 'ii'f3 c5 with at least equal­ity in H.Gohlke-M.Mueller, Halle 2007. 6 ... 'ii'b6 1 lZJge2

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A d va n ce Va ria tio n : F o u rth M o ve A lt e r n a tives

7 ... csl?

Capa, the godfather of the .. . 'ii'a6 manoeuvre, chooses to strike in the centre right away.

Question: Which one would you play?

Answer: I would go for 7 ... 1i'a6! if only for psychological reasons. White generally doesn't play the Advance Caro lines to win endings. Obviously such a choice should be dependent upon your own style. If you like endings (and most Caro players certainly do) then go for ... 'ii'a6.

Question: Who said White would go into an ending after 7 .. .'�i'a6? What if White plays something like 8 'Wh3?

Answer: Let's look at a situation where White l ogically keeps queens on the board: 8 . . . lt:Je7 9 iLe3 lt:Jd7 10 f4 g6 11 g4 hS 12 lt:Jg3 (the point of 'Wh3: White hopes to disrupt Black with a timely gxh S) 12 . . . cs 13 fS? ! (looks powerful, but White only manages to destabilize his own centre) 13 ... cxd4 (principle: Counter in the centre when attacked on the wing) 14 .txd4 i.h6 15 fxg6 fxg6 16 gxh s 0-0-0. Now White suddenly realized his king was in danger. He was quick to sound the retreat with 171i'f1 lt:Jc6 ! 181i'xa6 bxa6 19 lt:Jce2 gxh s 20 lt:Jxhs lt:Jdxes when Black's central pawns and superior development, as well as White's uncoor­dinated forces gave Dreev a clear advantage in A.Holmsten-A.Dreev, Ubeda 1999. 8 dxcs

Question: Why does he take on cs, unforced?

Answer: White wants to clear d4 for his pieces and activate his formally bad bishop. 8 ... .txcs 9 o-o lt:Je7

Question: Why does Black allow lt:Ja4? Black's bishop looks strong.

Answer: To hang on to it incurs loss of time. Black, already a bit behind in development, doesn't want to fall further behind. The structure is somewhat fixed, so Black's knights should be able to hold their own against White's bishop and knight team. In fact, if Black can force White into playing f4, there is danger for White to end up with a slightly bad bishop versus knight. 10 lt:Ja4 'ii'c6 ult:Jxcs 'ii'xcs 12 .te3 ii'c7

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13 f4

Question: Can White offer his e-pawn to open lines the way he does in the Nunn-Shirov line?

Answer: Sure he can offer, but Black isn't obliged to take it. Play may continue 13 lLld4 a6 14 i*'a3 0-0 15 �ac1 (1S lLlbs? axbs ! 16 i*'xa8 d4! 17 �xd4 lbbc6 turns the tables on White) 1S ... lbbc6. Now if White insists on giving away the e-pawn Black may as well take it: 16 c4? ! i*'xes and I doubt White gets much compensation since Black's king looks quite safe . 13 ... lbfs 14 c3 lbc6 15 �ad1

Notice that White isn't all that keen to hang on to his bishop and encourages Black to take it. 15 ... g6!?

Question: Why didn't Black anchor this knight with 1S ... hs ?

Answer: He encourages g4.

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A dva n ce Va ria tio n : F o u rth M o ve A lt e r n a tives

Exercise: Should White get aggressive and go for g4 or should he avoid it?

16 g4? Answer: White should have gone for 16 �f2 h S. Intimidation should only be reserved for opponents swayed by it. White senses a manifest destiny to overrun Black, but he is wrong and such a weakening thrust should be avoided. 16 g4? is like the old man who yells and shakes a fist at the bemused young man, who is in no physical danger. It's remarkable just how far our strategic understanding has altered since the time this game was played. Nimzowitsch, considered a premiere positional GM of his day, commits a strategic error which today most high-ranking club players would avoid. We take our knowledge for granted. J.G. Farrell wrote: "We look on past ages with condescension, as mere preparation for us. What if we're only an afterglow of them?" 16 .•• lZJxe3 17 'ii'xe3 hS 18 g5

The trouble i s Black's king will be quite safe on the sealed kingside. Perhaps Nimzowitsch had intended to keep the tension with 18 h3?!, but then thought better of it and avoided it due to 18 ... hxg4 19 hxg4 0-0-0 and after doubling rooks on the h -file Black obtains a very strong attack: for instance, 20 Wg2 g S ! when White's structure and his king both wobble. 18 ... 0-0

Black's king is safe. 19 lZJd4 �b6 20 Itf2 Itfc8

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T h e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

21 a3?! In such positions, structure is the coin of the realm. White devalues his position by un­

necessarily degrading his light squares. White should just sit tight and defend passively, but without weakening.

Question: You said the kingside is sealed and Black's king is safe. Is it? What if White sacs to rip it open with 21 fs?

Answer: Maybe there are some practical chances with such speculation, but Black looks to be in good shape after 21 . . . exfs 22 e6 l::te8 23 exf7+ �xf7 24 �d3 ltJes. 21 . . J1c7 22 l:.d3ltJas 23 �e2 .:es

Prophylaxis, just in case White had notions of fS exfS; e6. 24 �g2ltJc6!?

Black tacks about hoping White takes rash action. 2Sl:ted2

I would have traded knights immediately. 2S ... �ec8 26 .l:!.e2

And again here. 26 ... ltJe7

Too late now. 27 �ed2 �c4 28 �h3?!

Nimzowitsch, covering f2, mistakenly believes the paraphernalia of bureaucracy grows cumbersome with too many low level office workers duplicating each other's tasks. In this case Nimzowitsch disregards his own cherished principles of blockade and overprotect. He also fails to appreciate Black's goal: Make White recapture with a pawn on d4. He should keep all his guns trained on d4, play 28 'i¥f2 and sit tight.

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A d va n ce Varia t io n : F o u rth M o ve A lt e r n a tives

28 . • .'�g7 29 �f2?! as 30 :l.e2?!

30 J::tfd2 was imperative.

Exercise {planning): The crown prince of the hypermoderns forgets his own axiom: overprotect! In this case d4.

How can Black exploit White's last move?

Answer: 30 •.. tLlfs!

Black's plan boils down to a simple derivative: Clear the blockade of d4. 31 tLlxfS+

Or 31l;Ied2 tbxd4 32 l:!.xd4 J::txd4 and White has to recapture with his pawn, allowing Black to infiltrate down the c-file. 31 . • . gxfs! 32 'iff3

Black secures hs through the line 32 'ifxhs? l:th8 33 'iVf3 !Ih4! winning the f4-pawn with a growing attack. 32 •.. �g6

Black's oddly placed king is absolutely secure. 33 !Ied2 .l:i.e4

The rook infiltrates in style, arriving in a limo. 34 .l:td4 l!.c4 35 'iVf2 'ir'bs 36 �g3l:tcxd4! 37 cxd4

37 �xd4?? l:l.e2 wins. 37 . • . 'ifc4 38 �g2

Instead 38 �g1?? h4+ wins, while 38 lld1?? 't!rb3+ picks off the rook. 38 ... bs

Creeping forward. Capa removes his shoes and proceeds on tiptoe. In such positions the combination of patience and stealth is required.

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Th e Ca ro-Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

39 'it>g1 b4 40 axb4 axb4 41 'iii>g2 'i'c1 42 'iii>g3

Answer: 42 ... 'i'h1!

Exercise {planning}: Find a path which increases the pressure on White's position.

I hate it when flies slip into the house in the summertime. Just l ook at the activity dis­parity between White's and Black's major pieces. 4311d3

If 43li'g2 �e3+ 44 'iii>h4 (44 'iii>f2 'it'el mate) 44 . . . 'i'xg2 4Sl:!xg2 �f3 and White's pawns fall . 43 • . J:te1! 44l:tf3l:td1 45 b3

A further example of White's difficulties: 45 .l:tb3l:tf1 46 'it'e2 h4+! 47 'iii>h3 �xf4 48 l:txb4 l:tf3+ 49 'iti>xh4 'i'gl ! so 'iixf3 'i'xh2+ 51 'fj'h3 'iif4+ 52 'i'g4 'i'xg4 mate. 4S • • J�c1 46l:te3

Volzhin gives the pretty deflection line 46 'ii'e2 l1c2 ! ! 47li'xc2 h4+! (sending the ex­communicated king into exile to reflect upon his shame) 48 'iti>xh4 'ii'xf3 49 h3.

236

Answer: 46 ... l:tf1! 0-1

Adva n ce Va ria tion: Fo u rt h M o ve Alte r n a tives

Exercise (multiple choice}: One powerful move is all you need: a) 46 .. J�g1+; b) 46 ... l:!f1.

White's ailing queen finds herself flanked by silent, consoling friends who share in her grief. 47 fke21li'g1+ 48 'it>h3 l:tf2 ends it.

Summary You should equalize at the minimum in the 4 .id3 line. White's offered swap goes against the grain of the position.

Game 29

A.Shirov-V.Anand 3rd matchga me, Leon (ra p id) 2011

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es .ifs 4 g4 The Neutral Zone was deemed off limits to Federation and Romulan alike, yet Captain

Kirk repeatedly violated it, just as Shirov does here. White's last move is an open invitation for chaos to run loose through the streets. The move reminds me of a line by the poet e.e. Cummings: "The world is mud-luscious and puddle wonderful ! " Only a player with a com­bination of ambition and optimism, bordering on absolute self-assurance, is capable of favouring such a move. Remember thi s though: a confident, ambitious player is also a dangerous opponent.

23 7

Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

4 . . . i..d7

Question: Black's last move looks passive. Why not remain on the b1-h7 diagonal?

Answer: The bishop gets chased on g6 and White also gets e6 pawn sac options: for exam­ple, 4 ... i..g6 5 ti:lh3 (also possible is 5 h4 h 5 6 e6 iid6! , although here I prefer Black) 5 ... e6 6 tt:'lf4 i..e4 7 f3 �4+ 8 'it>e2 i..g6 9 i..e3 tt:'ld7 10 c3 'iid8 11 h4 i..xb1 12 l:hb1 when White's space and bishop pair carry greater significance than the inconvenience to his king, A.Morozevich-V.Topalov, Monte Carlo (rapid) 2003. 5 C4

The book move, but sometimes old books should be retired to a box in the garage. Other possibilities:

a) 5 f4 h 5 ! is similar to Black's play last game. b) 5 i..e3 e6 6 tt:'lf3 h5 7 gxh5 .l::txhs 8 h4 g6 9 i..e2 c5 10 tt:'lg5 :h8 11 h5 tt:lc6 12 i..d3 'ili'e7

13 �f3 gxh 5 14 �xh5 l:!.xh5 15 'ir'xh5 was A.Lisanti-A.Donchenko, Griesheim 2003. White's centre is falling apart after 15 ... cxd4 16 i..f4 i..h6 17 tt:'ld2 0-0-0.

c) 5 i..g2 (intending to meet ... h s with h3) 5 ... 'ir'b6 6 c3 e6 7 tt:le2 c5 8 o-o i..b5 ! (a trick borrowed from the Advance French) 9 i..e3 tt:lc6 10 tt:'la3 (A. Rodriguez Vila-G.Kanefsck, Mar del Plata 2001) 10 . . . cxd4 11 cxd4 i..a6 12 l:!b1 h 5 and White's light-squared bishop stares at a wall on d5. s . . . e6 6 tt:'lc3

Based on the evidence from this game, perhaps it is time to implement a theoretical novelty here with 6 cxd5 ! ? cxd5. Even then I don't really care for White's position. 6 . . . cs!

Religions see fit to denounce heresy when evidence contradicts their core beliefs. To

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A d v a n ce Va ria t io n : F o u rth M o ve A lt e r n a tives

Caro players, a l ine where White tosses in the galling g4 is just such a situation . We de­mand justice and the only way to get it is an energetic response involving a quick ... cs -

even if it costs us a pawn. Black's move is a clear improvement over the 6 .. . ctJe7 of D.Bronstein-T.Petrosian, Tbilisi 1959.

Question: I sn't Black opening the game when lagging in development?

Answer: Black's lag in development is an optical illusion . In a closed game, the g4 move is generally a space gainer; in an open position, g4 is a weakness that needs nursing.

Question: Doesn't Black's last move pretty much doom his d-pawn?

Answer: Essentially, 6 ... cs ! is an attempt by Black to lubricate the attack by tossing a pawn White's way. 7 cxds exds

Believe it or not a novelty. The only other game in this position went 7 .. . cxd4 8 'ii'xd4 exds 9 'ii'xds 't:Jc6 when Black got decent compensation for the pawn in M.Mukhin­V.Nasybullin, Aktjubinsk 1976. 8 dxcs?!

Moving from the cusp of optimistic into the realm of reckless. Why help Black develop? He should play more cautiously with 8 i.e3 cxd4 9 "ir'xd4 't:Jc6 10 'ir'xds i.xg4 11 'ir'e4 'ir'd7 with a complex struggle ahead. 8 . . . i.xcs

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9 .tg2

Question: Why didn't White take the ds-pawn?

Answer: Pawn grabbing adventures generally don't end well against World Champions! White falls behind in development in the l ine 9 �xdS ! ? �6 10 .tc4 .te6 11 -tbs+ tt:Jc6 12 'i!Vg2 tt:Jge7.

Question: Then how about taking with the knight?

Answer: No good either: 9 tt:JxdS?! .tc6 10 .tg2 tt:Je7 11 tt:Je3 �xd1+ 12 �xd1 tt:Jg6 13 .txc6+ tt:Jxc6 and Black regains the investment with a big development lead. 9 . . . tbe7

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A dvan ce Va ria t i o n : F o u rth M o ve A lt e r n a tives

10 h3?! He worries about his g4-pawn and wastes more resources - in this case time - into the

pawn's welfare and general health .

Question: Can he take it now with the knight?

Answer: No. It's the same problem again. After 10 lZJxdS? i.c6 11 lbe3 'ii'xd1+ 12 'it>xd1 i.xe3 13 i.xc6+ lZJbxc6 14 i.xe3 lZJxes Black regains his pawn with a development lead, similar to the variation in the note after White's 9th move.

Question: It looks like everything fails for White. What should he play?

Answer: From a vantage point of stark practicality, White should invest his g-pawn in the hopes of survival: 10 lZJge2 (time to yank out the band aid and bring the pieces out as quickly as possible) 10 ... i.xg4 11 lZJxds lZJbc6 12 i.gs. I'm not saying White saves himself, but this line is probably a better shot than what happened in the game. 10 ... 'iVb6 11 'iVe2

11 ... 0-0

Exercise (multiple choice}: Black has two clear choices. One is better than the other: a) 11 ... d4, kicking the knight;

b) 11 ... 0-0, increasing his development lead.

Answer: His position remains very good after this move, but even stronger was 11 ... d4! 12 lZJe4 i.bs 13 'iVd1 lZJbc6 14 f4 d3! which leaves White overextended and busted. If White

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T h e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

goes for adventure with 15 tt:'ld6+? ..ixd6 16 exd6 it blows up on him after 16 .. . tt:'lb4!. 12 lZ'lf3?!

Have you ever had one of those days when, no matter what decision you make, it is wrong ? Well, this is that day for Shirov. His only hope was 12 ..ig5 ! in order to meet 12 .. . d4 with 13 ..ixe7 dxc3 14 ..ixc5 cxb2 when White hangs on by his fingernails. Even here he isn't likely to survive. 12 ... d4!

It's never too late to get in on a good thing. White continuously attempts to stamp out small fires, only to watch his arsonist opponent ignite others. 13 tt:'le4 ..ibs

Tears dry quickly when we get busy with mundane tasks, like survival. White has fallen hopelessly behind in development. 14 'ii'd2

With smothered irritation, the queen grudgingly swallows the insult and makes way to a piece below her station. 14 ... tt:'lbc6 15 a3

15 tt:'lxc5 'ii'xc5 and White's e-pawn falls with his king caught in the middle. 1S ... tt:'lg6

16 b4 ..ie7 17 ..ib2 l:tfd8 0-1 The momentum of previous risky decisions surround White in the merciless present. He

is about to drop his e-pawn and his king is not going anywhere or anywhen!

Summary The rare move 6 ... c5 ! looks like the principled way to try to punish White for his glut of op­timism for choosing this line !

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Game 30

V .Nevednichy-B.Jobava Eu ropean Tea m Cham pion sh i p, Crete 2007

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es it.fs 4 c4

The positions which arise from this line look a lot like a Queen's Gambit Accepted line, stemming from 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4 3 e4 tLlf6 4 e5. 4 ... e6

Question: Is it worth it to take immediately with 4 ... dxc4 and give White a backward d-pawn, as well as secure d5 for our pieces?

Answer: It's tempting to grab all those long-term advantages, but perhaps we should wait a while before doing so. I hate the idea of giving White that free tempo when he recaptures on c4. After 5 it.xc4 e6 6 tiJc3 tLld7 7 tLlge2 tLlb6 (I remember with distinct distaste a game I lost to GM Walter Browne from the black side of such a position from a Queen's Gambit Accepted) 8 it.b3 tLle7 9 0-0 ii'd7 10 tLlf4!? (10 tLlg3 followed by a knight to e4 is the normal White plan in such positions) 10 ... h6 11 it.e3 it.h7 12 !:tel 4Jed5? ! (he allows White to seal up his hard earned hole on d5; 12 .. . tLlf5 has to be correct, where I still prefer White by a touch} 13 4Jcxd5 4Jxd5 14 4Jxd5 exd5 15 it.d2! it.e7 16 �c3 ! White had the superior major­ity and also an attack brewing on the kingside in A.Morozevich-K.Sasikiran, Moscow 2001.

Instead 4 ... it.xb1?! 5 l:txb1 eliminates his bad bishop, but only by paying too high a cost with time and the bishop pair.

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Question: Should Black go after the a2-pawn now with a queen check on as?

Answer: Avoid it. The idea is much too greedy. I say this from experience since I once lost a game in under 20 moves with a similar grab! After s .. .'ii'aS+?! 6 j_d2 'ilr'xa2? 7 cs ! bs 8 .l:!.a1! 'ilr'xb2 9 tt:Je2 (threat: j_c3} 9 . . . b4 10 'ii'a4 b3 11 tt:Jc1! e6 12 �d3 in T.Krabbe-Mirage, The Hague 1995, �b1 was coming. The human made the computer look like a damn fool ! 5 tt:Jc3 l2Je7

Black keeps options open for a recapture on dS with a piece. This looks more logical than s .. . l2Jd7 6 cxds cxds 7 j_d3 ! ? (not every principle should be followed every time} 7 ... �xd3 8 'ii'xd3 a6 9 l2Jf3 l2Je7 10 o-o tt:Jc6 11 h4 j_e7 ( I would have prevented the coming swap by tossing in 11. ..h6 ! } 12 �gS h6 13 �xe7 "iixe7 14 �ac1 White's space advantage was meaningful in E.Sutovsky-R.Ovetchkin, Internet (blitz} 2006. 6 tt:Jge2!?

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The deeds we do in the name of honour!

Question: Why did White just give away a pawn?

Answer: We, the innocent, have trouble comprehending treachery! White clearly intends to precipitate violence:

1. He wants to chase Black's bishop with tt:.lg3. 2 . He offers to gambit his c-pawn in Slav Geller Gambit style. 3 . If accepted, then White's knight heads for the powerful e4-square, via g 3.

Question: Understood, but is it worth a full pawn?

Answer: If it is your wealth, it is also your choice of how to spend it! A gambit like this should be taken seriously. One can't govern pieces without laws. Yet heavy handed laws (i.e. never sac pawns in speculation !) suppress creative freedom. All things in moderation. White's last move is a sac that increases complications and should give him reasonable chances. A couple of safer alternatives:

a) 6 a3 dxc4 (stalling with 6 ... tt:.ld7 is also possible) 7 ..txc4 tt:.ld7 8 tt:.lge2 tt:.lb6 9 ..tb3 tt:.leds 10 tt:.lg3 ..tg6 11 h4 h6 12 h s ..th7 13 tt:.lce4 f6 ! ? (this move pretty much rules out castling kingside) 14 exf6 gxf6 15 'ii'e2 'ii'e7 16 ..td2 o-o-o 17 a4 tt:.ld7 18 as a6 19 o-o with opposite­wing adventures, E .Sutovsky-I .Rogers, Calvia Olympiad 2004.

b) 6 tt:.lf3 is somewhat similar to the Short System, but with c4 thrown in: 6 ... tt:.ld7 7 h3 ! ? ( I don't get it, but a 2590-rated player i s at the helm of the white pieces) 7 ... ..tg6 8 ..te2 (8 cxds tt:.lxds frees Black's position) 8 ... dxc4 (Black's dream comes true: he gets to take on c4 only after White moves his light-squared bishop) 9 ..txc4 was at least equal for Black in J .Radulski-R.Hafner, lienz 2011. 6 . . . dxc4

A Buddhist nun and teacher once told me: "The gracious acceptance of a gift is also a form of generosity." Black is a Slav player at heart. We enter the pseudo Caro/Geller Gam­bit. To reach a bargain, both sides must own something of value. Black allows White the three advantages listed in the note above and Black gets a pawn - a mutual absence of fear. 7 tt:.lg3 bS

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T h e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Black hangs on to his gains. 8 a4 b4!

Question: This loosens his queen side pawns. Shouldn't Black try to stabilize with a move like 8 .. .'i'b6?

Answer: While it is true that one's structure is a precious commodity, in this case White would disrupt with a central skirmish with 9 axbs cxbs 10 dS ! when he looks like he gets considerable compensation for his pawn. Black is dangerously behind in development and a long way from castling. 9 tt:la2?l

This allows Black to seize the initiative. The alternative 9 ttJce4! i.xe4 10 ttJxe4 tt:lfs 11 i.xc4 'ir'xd4 12 'ir'xd4 ttJxd4 13 0-0 gives White full compensation for the pawn with a de­velopment lead, space advantage and the bishop pair.

Question: So does White stand better there?

Answer: It's dynamically equal. After all, it's an ending and a pawn is a pawn. 9 . . . b31 10 tt:lc3 i.c2

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Exercise (multiple choice}: White must make a decision of where to post his queen. He must keep guard over d4, so his choices:

a) 11 'it'g4, natural and aggressive, but keep b) in mind Black's possible response 11 ... h5 ;

c ) 11 'i*'d2, obviously passive, but he stays clear of 11. ..h 5.

Answer: 11 'it'd21 The lesser evil. 11 'it'g4? walks into 11 . . . hS ! 12 tt:lxhs tt:lfs 13 �e3 ..ltb4! (threatening to

take on c3, followed by .. . b2) 14 tt:lxg7+ 'it>d7! when Black threatens both . . . l:!.g8 and .. . ..ltxc3+. u ... tt:lds 12 ..ltxc4 tt:ld7 13 o-o tt:l7b6 14 ..lte2 as

Fixing a target on a4. 15 tt:lhsl

Very annoying. Black will find it impossible to develop his king side without weakening with .. . g6. 1S . . . l:!.b8 16 'it'e1?!

White has trouble finding a plan. Better is 16 ..ltf3 ! tt:lc4 17 'iie2 l:!.b4 18 ..ltxds cxds 19 tt:lbs when the position remains tense. 16 • . . g6

A good time to eject the pesky knight since White's last move was passive. 17 tt:lg3 ..ltb4

Beginning a bidding war for c3. 18 ..ltd2

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Exercise {planning): Come up with a way to increase Black's advantage.

Answer: 18 ... lt:ixc3! 19 bxc3

He decides to allow Black a passer, since he didn't like the look of 19 i.xc3 lt:ids 20 ..txb4?! (perhaps he should try 20 i.d1} .Uxb4 21 'ii'd2 �6. 19 ... i.e7 20 .tel

Exercise (combination alert}: We all sense a combination based on that deeply passed b-pawn. Sensing and solving

are two different things. Can you solve it?

Answer: 20 ... lt:ixa4! 21 l:Ixa4 b2 22 .i.xb2 ..txa4

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A dva n ce Varia tio n : Fo u rth M o ve A lt e r n a tives

Black emerges a full exchange up. 23 'ilr'a1 o-o

No need to move the bishop from a4, as long as we indirectly hit White's bishop on b2. 24 .i.a3 .i.xa3 25 'i!Vxa3

Exercise (multiple choice): What is Black's best move? To discover the correct answer, you must first understand

what White wants and then prevent it: a) 2S .. . .i.bs, try to swap off the light-squared bishops; b) 2S .. . .i.c2, transfer the bishop to the b1-h7 diagonal.

Answer: 25 ... i.c2!

Black must cut off the blood supply from White's dream of attack. White desperately wants to play lL'le4, with an array of juicy squares to land on. Black should prevent this move. From this point White's knight shows interest but doesn't participate, like a specta­tor with expensive seats at a football game.

26 .i.f3 Instead 26 l:lcl doesn't chase the bishop since Black responds with 26 .. J::tb1! and after

26 �a2 .i.b3 27 �a3 cS ! 28 'iVxcs l:rc8 29 i¥a3 l:rxc3 30 tbe4 �xd4! 31 tbxc3 i¥xc3 Black should be able to convert the extra pawn. 26 .. J!b1!

He temporarily sacs his c-pawn. White's only prayer in the position is an attack. Reduc­tion of material reduces chances of such an attack. 27 J:.xb1 .i.xb1 28 .i.xc6 'iVb6 29 .i.a4 �c8 30 i.d7 l:'!c7 31 .i.a4 .l::!.c4 32 h4 �c7 33 h5

33 lL'le2 i..d3 wins the c-pawn after all . 33 ... l:!.xc3 34 �b2 .i.c2! 3 5 .i.xc2 l::txc2 36 �b5 'it'd8 37 h6

White plays on the back rank.

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37 •.. l:Ic1+ 38 t2Jf1 l:tc8 39 t2Je3

Hoping to reach f6. 39 .. J:!:c1+ 40 l2Jf1

Let's hope everyone saw 40 'it>h2?? 'it'h4 mate. 40 .. J�d1! 41 g3 .Uxd4 42 t2Je3 a4 43 1i'cs .l:!e4 44 'i¥c6 l:tb4 45 'it>g2 'i¥f8 46 tt:Jc2 l:!.b2 47 'i'xa4 'ii'xh6

Removing White's final cheapo hopes. 48 tt:Jd4 11t'f8 o-1

Summary

4 c4 lines can lead to positions similar to a line from the Queen's Gambit Accepted.

Came 3 1

I .Nepomniachtchi-H.Nakamura Wijk a an Zee 2011

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d s 3 es .Us 4 h4

Question: This move looks pointless. What is the idea behind it?

Answer: This move may be White's most dangerous option in this chapter. White's idea is to leave open the option of g4 and h 5, running the f5-bishop out of room, without the weakening involved by actually playing g4. 4 ••• hs

Probably Black's best. One key point of 4 h4 is that i t induces Black to weaken, since the careless: 4 ... e6?? drops a piece to 5 g4 i.e4 6 f3 i.g6 7 h 5. On occasion I have tried 4 ... h6 which fails to contest White's territorial ambitions: 5 g4 i.d7 6 h 5 ! (so that Black can't play

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. . . hs himself) 6 . . . e6 7 f4 cs 8 c3 was D.Mastrovasilis-K.Piorun, Warsaw 2008. This position may be playable for Black and one may argue that White's monster space advantage on the kingside is also a potential for overextension. Still, that space advantage looks pretty scary.

Instead after 4 ... 'ifb6 5 tLlc3 ! (after 5 g4!? i.d7 6 lLlc3 e6 7 lLlf3 cs 8 i.g2 ttJc6 9 dxcs

i.xcs 10 o-o ttJge7 11 ltJa4 'ii'as 12 ttJxcs 'ii'xcs I don't trust White's kingside advance to nowhere, as I once faced in a blitz game) s ... hs 6 i.e2 e6 7 lLlf3 (the greedy 7 i.xh S? ! cs !

leaves White out of position to deal with the central counter) 7 . . . tLle7 8 l:!.b1 i.g4 9 ttJg 5 i.xe2 10 ttJxe2 cs 11 dxcs �xes 12 o-o ttJfs 13 i.e3! �c6 (13 ... ttJxe3? ! 14 fxe3 �xe3+ 15 Wh1 and f7 falls) 14 c4 ! Black found himself dangerously behind in development in A.Shirov-C.Lutz, Horgen 1994. Still , the computers seem to think he is okay here.

5 C4

The inclusion of h4 and ... h s helped White when compared to Nevednichy-Jobava, which we looked at last game.

Question: How does this help White?

Answer: White gets use of g S for either his knight or his bishop.

Question: But can't Black just give a white piece on gS the heave-ho with . . . f6?

Answer: He can, but this induces weakening, which White wants. s . . . e6

Black should be careful about taking too soon on c4: s .. . dxc4 6 i.xc4 e6 7 lLlc3 i.e7 8 g3 bs 9 i.b3 tLld7 10 i.c2 i.xc2 11 �xc2 i.b4 12 tLlf3 tLle7 13 o-o i.xc3 14 �xc3 .l:i.c8 15 i.gs

f6? ! (too early; Black should have settled for 1S .. . ttJds with a slight disadvantage) 16 exf6 gxf6 17 .l:tfe1! . Advantage White, who leads considerably in development. Now in T.Luther-

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A.Donchenko, Dresden 2006, Black wisely rejected 17 .. .fxg 5 18 ltJxgs which gives White a ferocious attack for the piece. 6 lbc3 lbe7

7 lbge2!? I t 's a good bet a Nepo/Naka match-up will end in a brawl. Just as last game, White of­

fers his c-pawn for Slav, Geller Gam bit-like comp. However, I prefer the annoying move 7 .igs, which tends to provoke an eventual .. .f6. After 7 ... 'iib6 8 'ii'd2 dxc4 9 .ixc4 ttJds 10 ltJge2 ltJd7 11 o-o .ie7? (he should play 11.. .f6) 12 �xdS ! cxds 13 it..xe7 �xe7 in C.Lakdawala-'theblackcrow', Internet (blitz 2011) I checked on g s, but even stronger was to first throw in 14 ltJxdS+! exds 15 'iVgS+. 7 ... .ig4

Question: I sn 't Black just walking into a temp loss now?

Answer: Yes, but he wants to provoke f3, in order to keep the pressure off his hs -pawn. Caution is a dish seldom tasted by N akamura, who normally hatches schemes to separate the gullible from their pawns. The reason for his caution: If you peek into the following lines, you see he lost to Svidler when he accepted the offer. Still, the real test of this line must be for Black to grab with 7 .. . dxc4! . The most principled move in the position. In many cultures it is considered rude to decline a host's generosity. After 8 lbg3 bs ! (or 8 ... it..g6? ! 9 it..g s 'iib6 10 'iYd2 'iYh4?! - this attempt to hang on to the extra pawn without playing ... bs proves a futile exercise - 11 a3 'iih3? ! 12 ltJge4 ltJd5 13 l:th3 ! 'iib6 14 .txc4 when White exploited Black's loss of time and went on to win in P.Svidler-H.Nakamura, Amsterdam 2010) 9 a4 b4 10 ltJa2 b3 11 lbc3 .ic2 12 'ii'd2 ltJd5 13 .ixc4 �b4 14 .id3 cs ! ! like Black in this admittedly messy position, C.Gomez Garrido-V.Burmakin, Balaguer 2011. s f3 it..fs 9 t2Jg3 �g6 10 it..gs 'it'b6

He clearly wants to provoke White into playing cs.

11 'it'd2 lbd7 12 a3 f6

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Question: Committal?

Answer: And also necessary. Black needs counterplay to dent White's space. 13 .i.e3

The central Jello has yet to harden and remains in a slushy state. Black gets a decent game after 13 exf6 gxf6 14 .i.e3 0-0-0. 13 .. .'i'b3!?

Provocation. More normal would be 13 .. . 0-0-0. 14 cxds tt:Jxds 15 tt:Jxds �xds 16 l:!.c1!?

The military term for this kind of sac is "acceptable losses". Nepo speculates with a pawn offer. If he had foreknowledge of the true cost of such a sac, he probably wouldn't be so eager to pay over the coin required, but he may not h ave liked White's game after 16

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exf6 gxf6 17 tt:'le2 jL,d6 18 tt:'lf4 jL,xf4 19 jL,xf4 0-0-0.

16 ... tt:'lb6 Abundant caution. White gets compensation, but no more for the pawn in the line

16 .. .fxes 17 jL,c4 'ii'd6 18 jL,d3 jL,xd3 19 'ii'xd3 o-0-0.

17 tt:'le2?! Threat: tt:'lf4, which forces Black to accept. White may be pushing matters too far. This

was his last chance to play 17 exf6. 17 ... fxes 18 dxes �xes 19 jL,d4 'ii'c7 20 �gs jL,fsl? 21 g41?

When it's difficult to see a clear outcome to a position, sometimes it is best to avoid rash action and continue to monitor the situation. I never really believed in White's com­pensation for the pawn, and believe even less after this weakening move. Moral: the fish­erman who fails to apply the correct bait shouldn't accuse the fish of non-cooperation. Other moves don't l ook so tempting for White either:

a) 21 tt:'lg3? jL,e7! 22 'iVxg7 0-0-0 leaves White's king in danger. b) 21 'it>f2 l::td8 22 g 3 tt:'lds sees White's position continue to deteriorate.

21 ... hxg4 22 fxg4 jL,e4 23 .l:!.h3 jL,e71 24 'iVxg7?1 Inferior is better than busted. White should settle for a slightly disagreeable position af­

ter 24 iie3 ii..ds 25 hS jL,d6 26 'figs es.

Exercise (critical decision): Evaluate 24 . . . �h7. Does it work, or should Black castle queenside?

Answer: 24 ... .Uh7!

Nepomniachtchi must have misevaluated this move. 25 'it'es

The queen is forced to leave the party muttering to herself. Unfortunately White must agree to a pawn down ending. Nakamura correctly calculated the line 25 'it'g8+? 'it>d7 26

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i.xb6 l:1xg8 27 i.xc7 rl;xc7. Suddenly White's once impressive passers begin to fall .

2S .. .'ii'xes The step sisters refuse to mask their mutual dislike.

26 i.xes i.xh4+ 27 tt'lg3 tt'ld7

Even better was 27 .. . i.gs ! . 28 i.d4?

28 i.f4 was forced.

Exercise (combination alert): When watching a three-ring circus, it's hard to know which ring to keep your eyes on .

White's last move is a blunder which costs him material. How?

Answer: 28 ... i.f3 ! Slowly unhinging White from his mooring.

29 gS 29 i.d3 i.xg4 doesn't help White.

29 ... i.g4! 30 g6 !:!.h6! White must hand over the exchange.

31 :ilxh4 l::txh4 32 .l:lc3 i.f3!? 32 .. . es is also in Black's favour.

33 !:!.xf3

Or 33 g7 rJite7 34 l:!.e3 ! �d6 3 5 .l:lxf3 .l::!.xd4 36 .l:lf7 l:!.g4 and Black has control. 33 ... .l:lxd4 34 i.h3 tt'les ! 3S l:!.f6

3S l:Ie3 l:ld3 ! 36 l:lxes l:lxg3 37 i.xe6 �f8 is hopeless for White. 3 s ... tt'ld3+!

Naka, as is his habit, continues with eerily inhuman computer moves, which look illogi­cal but work simply because the maths says they work. 36 �e2 tt'lf4+ 37 �e3

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Exercise (multiple choice}: Choose carefully. One move leads to victory for Black, while the other allows White counterplay:

a) 37 ... tbdS+, forking; b) 37 ... es, consolidating.

Answer: 37 . . . es! Double threat: a fork on dS and also the loose bishop on h3 . Black's pieces hide in plain

sight, like someone whose computer password is "password!" Instead 37 .. . tt:Jds+? allows White right back into the game after 38 �xd4 tt:Jxf6 39 'it>es

'it>e7 40 ..ixe6 tbe8 41 lDfS+ 'it>f8 when the passed g-pawn sits in Black's belly like undi­gested lunch. 38 !tf7 l::f.d3+ 39 'it>e4 l::txg3 40 ..id7+ 'it>d8 41 ..ifs tt:Jxg6

Peace of mind for a piece is a g ood deal. The continued survival of the passed g-pawn was White's last hope. 42 .l:tg7

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Exercise: White threatens not only the knight, but also to pick off the a8-rook with a check on g8. How should Black deal with this threat?

Answer: 42 ... l:!.b81

Simply slide the rook one move closer, within the king's range. 43 b4 bs 44 i.xg6 l:tgsl o-1

White is caught in an endless pin and his king is denied entry into Black's camp. Mean­while his trapped bishop mopes on g6, like a disgraced televangelist.

Summary I would try 7 . . . dxc4! rather than 7 . . . i.g4, as played in this game. Take the pawn and make White prove it.

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 es i.fs 4 i.e3

Game 32

I .Smirin-A.Dreev Moscow (rap id) 2002

Question: I sn't this breaking the principle about developing knights before bishops in the opening?

Answer: Yes, but that one i s a rather dogmatic principle. White's ideas: 1. He discourages .. . cs.

2. White leaves open possibilities of f4, backing up his big centre.

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Question: If White clamps down on our ... cs break, then how do we generate play?

Answer: Please see the previous chapter for a more detailed explanation ! Remember, we are not necessarily playing for a ... cs break versus the Advance lines. Rather we can play the plan initiated against the Short Variation from Chapter Five with .. . ..tg6, . . . lt:'lh6 ! and later .. .f6.

Question: Wouldn't 4 lt:'ld2, intending lt:'lb3, be a similar plan?

Answer: Yes, but a knight on b3 is also vulnerable to future .. . aS-a4 ideas, as well as . . . b6, . . . cs and . . . c4: for example, 4 ... e6 s lt:'lb3 lt:'ld7 6 lt:'lf3 lt:'le7 7 ..te2 lt:'lc8! ? 8 o-o i.e7 9 a4 o-o 10 as a6 11 i.e3 lt:'la7 12 lt:'le1 cs! 13 lt:'lxcs lt:'lxcs 14 dxcs lt:'lc6 (threat: . . . d4 followed by ... i.xcs) 1S lt:'lf3 i.g4 (he can also go after White's e-pawn with 1S .. .'i'c7) 16 lt:'ld4 ..txe2 17 lt:'lxc6 i.xd1 18 lt:'lxd8 i.e2 19 J::I.fe1 l:lfxd8 20 l:!xe2 d4 21 i.d2 i.xcs left Black at least equal in A.Galkin-V.Ivanchuk, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007. 4 . . . e6

Question: Wouldn't 4 .. .'Wb6, which attacks b2, exploit White's move order?

Answer: Yes and no. The move forces White into the awkward 'i*'c1. But our queen on b6 also walks into potential tempo loss ideas based on White playing c4 and cs: s 'i'c1 e6 6 c4 ..txb1! (or 6 ... lt:'le7?! 7 cs ! 'i*'aS+ 8 i.d2 'illc7 g lt:'lc3 lt:'ld7 10 ..te2 h6 11 b4 and Shirov got squeezed in G.Kasparov-A.Shirov, Moscow (rapid) 2002, since he was unable to effectively challenge White's massive space advantage) 7 I:!.xb1 i.b4+ 8 �d1 dxc4 9 lt:'lf3 lt:'ld7 10 a3 i.e7 11 ..txc4 'i'c7 12 �e2 lt:'lb6 13 i.d3 and White stood slightly better with his extra space. Black had to

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contort to develop his g8-knight in G .Kasparov-B.Jobava, Rethymnon 2003. s lbd2

5 lLlf3 lLld7 6 'Llbd2 i..g6 7 i..e2 'Llh6 ! soon transposes positions reached in Chapter Five. s ... lbd7 6 c3

Instead 6 'Llgf3 i..g 6 7 i..e2 'Lle7?! (I wouldn't allow 'Llh4; 7 ... 'Llh6 ! would transpose to Chapter Five) 8 'Llh4 c5 9 c3 'Llc6 10 'Llxg6 hxg6 11 'Llf3 .l::tc8 12 o-o a6 13 g 3 ! i.e? 14 h4! b5 15 a4 �6 16 axb5 axb5 17 Wg2 (now Black is justifiably afraid to castle since White plays �h1 and h 5, prying open the h-file} 17 . . . c4 18 'Llg5 �d8 19 i..g4! (threat: 'Llxf7 ! followed by "i'f3+ and 1Lxe6, with a crushing attack) 19 . . . 1Lxg5 20 i..xg5 �c7 21 l:th1 ! 'Llb6 22 h 5 gxh5 23 i..xh5 'Lla4 24 i..xf7+! Wxf7 25 �f3+ Wg8 26 �xh8+ Wxh8 27 �h1+ Wg8 28 � 5 l:tf8 29 i.f6! 1-0 was M.Carlsen-Wang Hao, Wijk aan Zee 2011. This is a game which got Caro play­ers very nervous about 4 i..e3 . No need for us to start ordering camomile tea in bulk just yet. We can substitute 7 ... 'Llh6 ! for 7 ... lbe7?! when we simply transpose back to a decent position from the previous chapter (see the note to White's 7th move in Lee-Lakdawala}.

6 .. .f6! Dreev isn't playing for the ... c5 break. Instead he chips away at White's pawn chain at its

head, just as we did in the last chapter.

Question: Why not play 6 .. :i'b6 and follow with ... c5?

Answer: 7 b4! would put a temporary halt to our . . . c5 plans. After 7 . . .f6 8 lbb3 fxe5 9 dxe5 �C7 10 f4 lt:Jh6 11 lbf3 i.e? 12 i..e2 o-o 13 o-o b6! 14 lbbd4 I prefer White, but maybe Black is all right here, V.Zvjaginsev-R.Dautov, Essen 2002.

Instead 6 ... lbe7 is too passive for my taste. After 7 f4 h 5 8 i..e2 h4 9 lbgf3 i..g4 10 0-0 lbf5 11 i..f2 i.e? 12 h3 1Lh 5 13 i..d3 i..g 6 14 'ike2 Black's advanced h-pawn may be a l iabil­ity later on. Also, I don't see much counterplay for Black, A.Grischuk-A.Karpov, Odessa (rapid} 2008.

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7 f4 'ii'b6!

A novelty, and a good one.

Question: You criticized my suggested .. . 'iib6 on the sixth move. Now Dreev plays it on move seven and you suddenly give it an exclam ! Why?

Answer: That was then. This is now. The poet Horace wrote: "Clogged with yesterday's ex­cess, the body drags the mind down with it." In chess, timing is everything and one move is a lifetime. The inclusion of .. .f6 changes everything due to a tactic. If White tries the squeeze play with 8 b4? then he has a surprise in store for him after 8 .. .fxes 9 fxes tt:Jxes ! , which exploits the pinned d-pawn.

If, however, you are attracted to adventure, then Khenkin's psychotic idea 7 ... g S ! ? may be just what you are looking for:

a) 8 tZ:lh3 gxf4 9 tt:Jxf4 fxes 10 'ilVhs+ rtle7 11 dxes tt:Jxes 12 .id4 ..tg7. Now, instead of the unsound 13 tt:Jc4? which, incidentally, confused Black into an overreaction in M.Golubev­I .Khenkin, German League 2002, White can instead opt for the simpler and superior 13

.ie2 with plenty of compensation for the pawn. b) 8 tt:Jgf3 gxf4 9 .ixf4 .ih6 ! 10 .ig3 'YWb6 11 'iVh3 tZ:le7 12 .ie2 0-0 13 h3? ! (a waste of

time; better was 13 exf6} 13 ... .ig6 14 .ih2 tt:Jfs and Black already stood better, with ... tt:Je3 in the air in B.Belotti- I .Khenkin, Bratto 2002. 8 'i*'b3

As mentioned in the above note, 8 b4? is simply a blunder after 8 . . .fxes 9 fxes tt:Jxes ! . s . . . gs!

The parallel evolution of the opposing pawn chains moves at different speeds: White's pawns look stiff and inflexible; Black's, aggressive and taunting. Dreev's 8 ... g s ! is the lever which bends White's massive kingside and central space advantage to his will by declaring war over the eastern reaches.

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A dv a n c e Va riation : Fo u rt h M o ve A lt e r n a tives

9 tt:lgf3 Or 9 exf6 g4! (perhaps an improvement over Kosten's suggestion of 9 .. . gxf4) 10 f7+

rti;xf7 11 tt:Je2 tt:Jgf6. Advantage Black, with a grip on the light squares.

9 ... gxf4 Little by little, Black scraps out the flesh, as one would hollow the gourd of a pumpkin.

10 i.xf4 i..h61 Single-mindedly eliminating or shooing away a defender of es .

11 i..xh6 tt:Jxh6 12 exf6 No choice. Black threatened to take on es. White's space advantage is no more and

Black has equality at a minimum. 12 ... tt:Jxf6 13 tt:Jes :gs 14 tt:Jdf3

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Isn't White clearly better? He dominates es and Black has a bad bishop.

Answer: The position is deceptive. Black stands at least equal. His unfairly maligned bad bishop is a powerful piece and White doesn't have the fire power to eternally hold es. Just watch. 14 ... tbhg4!

Notice how Dreev continually challenges es throughout. 15 tbxg4 tt:Jxg4 16 h3?!

This natural move weakens his kingside pawns. Maybe it was time for 16 1lt'xb6 axb6 17 �d2 when White should be okay in the ending. 16 ... tt:Jf6 17 �xb6

Question: Why did White blink first and improve Black's pawn structure?

Answer: White may have worried about ... �c7 ! when Black's queen may seep in through the dark squares on the king side. 11 ... axb6 18 tbes?

White should realize the danger and play 18 g4! .lte4 19 i.e2 h S ! 20 gxhs lbxhs 21 �d2 when he stands a bit worse, but probably should hold the game.

Exercise {planning}: White's very natural last move was a strategic error. First, discover White's problem, and then find a plan to exploit it.

1s ... hs ! Answer: F ix g2 and g 3 as targets. 19 a3 �e7 20 o-o-o �g3 21 i.d3!?

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White decides he can't play down a rook and bishop for the entire game, and chucks his

g-pawn into the wind. 21 ... tLle4!

Regarding the offer with disdainful indifference is even stronger than taking the g­

pawn immediately.

Question: I sn 't Black playing into White's hands by allowing a good knight versus bad bishop ending ?

Answer: The bishop i s only bad o n paper. In reality it is every bit as strong as White's knight. GM Tony Kosten, when annotating this game, referred to Tartakower's quip, that the worst

bishop is superior to the best knight! Watch how White's knight, that performed creditably so far, soon grows listless. 22 .ixe4

Exercise (multiple choice): Which recapture is better? a) 22 ... 1Lxe4, keeping his pawn structure intact and continuing to apply pressure on g2; b)

22 ... dxe4, creating a passed e-pawn.

Answer: 22 ••• dxe4! Instead 22 .. . .ixe4? allows counterplay down the f-file after 23 �hfl.

23 h4

A life fil led with options is the sign of wealth, while the single choice is usually left to the poor. White was l osing his pawn anyway: 23 �d2 �ag8 24 l::th2? e3 25 I:te2 1Le4 wins the pawn and with White totally tied up. 23 .. Jbg2 24 ttJc4

The knight slowly begins its evolution in reverse. It threatens b6 and makes ready to blockade the passer from e3.

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24 .. J:tag8! 25 !:tde1

White avoids the trap 25 t2lxb6?? e3 when his king is caught in a deadly crossfire, feel­ing the sting of the bad bishop's displeasure. 25 ... !:t8g3 26 .:!.hf1 .li:i.h2 27 t2le3 ..tg6 28 .li:i.g1 .l::!.xg1 29 �xg1 �f6 30 l:tf1+ ..tf5 31 l:tf4

White continues to feel tainted by his decision on move 18. Every repair that needed do­ing is done - unfortunately, not enough. He remains down a pawn and tangled up. 31 ... b5 32 tLlf1 l:th3 33 �d2

Exercise {planning): Find a way for Black to make progress.

Answer: 33 ... e5! 34 !:tf2 exd4 35 cxd4 Now White's d- and h-pawns stand in forlorn isolation, with few protectors.

35 ... l:tb3! Black's threat takes precedence of White's t2le3 threat.

36 t2le3 In total desperation, White agrees to go down two pawns in an ending, praying Black's

bad bishop will somehow save him. 36 �e1 �e6 is also totally hopeless. 36 ... !:txb2+ 37 �e1 !:txf2 38 �xf2 i.e6 39 �e2

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Exercise {planning}: Technically, this is a terrible bishop with all his pawns on the same colour. Of course, this is an illusion.

Once again, find a path which makes progress.

Answer: 39 . . . b6 Create another passed pawn. White can resign.

40 �d2 cs 41 �c3 .i.f7 42 lbc2 �fs 43 �d2 �f4 o-1

Summary

The 4 .i.e3 line isn't so scary if we realize we don't have to play for a . . . cs break.

26 5

C h a pt e r Seve n

Panov- Botvinnik Attack

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 exds cxds 4 c4 tt:lf6 5 tt:lc3 e6 6 tt:lf3 i.b4

In the Panov-Botvinnik White's philosophy is: Never allow caution to get in ambition's way. Those in power demand homage and in the Panov-Botvinnik we must bow (for now!} to White's long, mild initiative. Although White's fortunes rise like an arrow in the present, our job is to swap away his attackers and make White pay for deliberately taking on struc­tural weaknesses in late middlegames and endings, leaving him to deal with his isolated d­pawn or hanging b- and c-pawns, which is also a very common pawn structure in this line.

We should trust in Black's defensive resources, namely the dS-square, which is under our control early on . This square is the shield that protects us in the coming battle . The Panov-Botvinnik is nothing less than a clash of philosophies: short-term dynamism versus long-term static structural advantages. Our goal is simply to survive the middlegame by

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swapping away White's active pieces and endeavouring to keep our king safe. If you man­age to stay alive and reach move 40, odds are you will either draw or win the game.

One other thing to think about is most Caro-Kann players prefer closed and semi-closed positions. The Panov-Botvinnik is neither. These are the most open positions you may en­counter in the entire book and many of us, including myself, feel an unconscious discom­fort from the agoraphobia which may ensue. It's just a matter of getting accustomed to the positions and trusting in the inherent solidity of Black's structure.

Game 33 A.Gonzalez-C.Lakdawala Sa n Diego (ra pid) 2008

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 exds cxds 4 c4

The starting position of the Panov-Botvinnik Attack. White essentially plays a Queen's Gambit Declined Tarrasch but with an extra tempo. We must brace ourselves for a long, mild White initiative in exchange for our superior pawn structure, once we hand White an isolated d-pawn. 4 ... tbf6 5 tbf3 e6

6 i.e21?

Question: Isn't this a bit passive?

Answer: It doesn't make much difference if White plays the bishop to e2 or to d3, since Black ends up taking on c4 anyway. White isn 't interested in any theoretical disputes and chooses to play in pure QG D Tarrasch style, taking on the isolani. For the remainder of the chapter we look at 6 tbc3 i.b4.

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Question: This chapter is all about isolanis and hanging pawns. How does Black respond if White refuses to cooperate and plays 6 cs?

Answer: Chip away at his wedge immediately: 6 . . . b6 7 b4 as 8 i..bS+ (White has an interest­ing pawn sac idea with 8 'ii'c2 ! ? which no one has tried yet: for instance, 8 ... axb4 9 i..bS+ �e7 10 c6 'ii'C7 11 g3 b3! 12 'ii'xb3 t:bxc6 13 i..f4 'ii'b7 and here the computer evaluations are all over the place: Fritz likes Black, Rybka prefers White and Houdini says the game is even - please take your pick) 8 . . . i..d7 9 i..xd7+ (9 'iVa4 axb4! gives Black terrific compensa­tion for the exchange) and now in P.Novotny-M.Vrkota, Klatovy 2002, Black should have played 9 .. . 'ii'xd7 ! and if 10 t:Lles � 5 ! when White's intended pawn wedge falls apart. 6 ... dxc4 7 i..xc4 tbbd7

Question: Why develop to d7 when c6 is open to the knight?

Answer: The top priority for Black is to blockade ds as quickly as possible. Black plans a quick .. . tbb6 followed by .. . tbbds. 8 o-o i..e7

Question: I have seen Black play ... a6, ... bs and ... i..b7 in Queen's Gambit Accepted positions. Why not try it here?

Answer: Black is a bit behind in development and must be on high alert for dS, game open­ing shots. Your plan looks slow for this position. After 8 ... a6 9 tbc3 bS 10 i..b3 i..b7 I was afraid he would liquidate and also open the game favourably, with 11 dS ! . 9 tbc3

268

Question: Your opponent is lower rated. Can he get a drawish position if he dissolves the isolani immediately?

Pa n o v - Botvin n ik A ttack

Answer: After 9 d5 exd5 10 .ixd5 tbxd5 White paid a price for dissolving the isolani by handing over the bishop pair in a wide open position. 9 .. . 0-0

10 .ie3 !? Rather passive, but still okay for White if he isn't too ambitious. Ironic, since my oppo­

nent and friend Antonio calls me: "El Pollo Viejo" - the old chicken ! He continues to reject my proposal to change the nickname to "El Hombre ! " - the man !

Instead 10 'it'e2 lbb6 11 .id3 (or 11 .ib3 .id7 12 tbe5 .ic6 13 lbxc6 bxc6 14 .l:td1 tbbd5 and Black's grip on d5 gives him a good position, while the mutual infliction of isolanis cancel each other out, K.Grigorian-M.Taimanov, Riga 1975) 11.. . .id7 12 .ig5 .l:i.c8 13 .t:!ad1 lbbd5 14 tbe4 tbxe4 15 .ixe7 fl/xe7 16 fl/xe4 g6 was A.Persson-L.Hansen, Stockholm 2006. My rule of thumb for such positions: If Black manages to swap off four pieces, he stands equal or better. 10 ... tbb6

Establish a blockade of d5 as quickly as possible. 11 .ib3 lLlbdS 12 :c1 b6 13 a3

This may not be such a great move, since now he must recapture on c3 with a piece rather than a pawn. 13 ... .ib7

Remember, d5 is our fulcrum around which our pieces revolve. 14 'ii'd3 !?

This looks mistimed and I 'm aching to give him a dubious mark for this niove since it al­lows me to smash his pawn structure. The plan is to transfer his bishop to c2 in order to take aim at Black's king, but there is one clear problem with the move. He would be better off playing something like 14 lbe5 lbxc3 15 l:!.xc3 lLld5. 14 ... lbxc3

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Black's simple plan: Swap pieces and take advantage of the isolated d-pawn and the dS­

square. 15 .l:!.xc3

15 ••. .l::!.c8

Question: Incomprehensible ! Why on earth didn't you take his knight on f3, wrecking his kingside pawns?

Answer: Every student I showed this game to expressed outrage at my failure to chop on f3. I l ooked at it for a while and concluded that the end position remained hard to win for Black. let's see: 1S .. . ii.xf3 16 gxf3 lZ'lds 17 l:tc6 l4c8 18 �fc1 l::txc6 19 .l:!xc6 'ilkd7 20 ii.xds! 'i'xds 21 'i'e4! 'i'd7. I felt right or wrong that despite his ugly structure his trouble is only cosmetic and that it wouldn't be so easy to make progress from this position, since White's queen and rook remain quite active. Houdini and Rybka say the game is even, while Fritz

gives a slight plus to Black. 16 l::!.fc1!?

He continues to entice my bishop to take his knight on f3. He can still play 16 lZ'les. 16 ... J::!.xc3

The golden rule: Every trade benefits us! 17 l';lxc3

Had he gone for the hanging pawns, I was finally prepared to take on f3 : 17 bxc3 ii.xf3 18 gxf3 'i'e7 where I like Black's chances. 11 ... ii.e4

Ungratefully declining the final chance to mess up his structure in exchange for some light squares. 18 'tie2 lZ'lds 19 ii.xds?!

This impatient move is a clear strategic mistake. Black's knight was powerful, but he

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Pa n o v- Bo tvin n ik A ttack

gave away the store to eliminate it, handing over the bishop pair and the light squares. He should keep his cool with 19 l:tc1. 19 ... -txds

Exercise (calculation}: Work out the following sequence after 19 .. . �xds ! ? as far as you can without moving the pieces:

20 l:tc7 i.d6 2 1 l:txa7 i.b8 22 l:ta4 and I didn't see a way to exploit White's offside rook. If 22 .. .'it'd6 23 l:tc4 i..xf3 24 �xf3 �xh2+ 25 'itf1 � 1+ 26 'ite2 �1 27 i..c1 and White looks fine.

20 i.f4!?

Antonio is not a man who suffers a passive position meekly. I have noticed that when a normally aggressive player falls into passivity, it's just a matter of time before he lashes out. Here White, sick of nursing the d4-pawn, just offers it to free his pieces. 20 ... �a81?

Question: You keep bowing and treat his initiative with too much respect! Did you miss the simple win of a pawn with 20 .. . i..xf3 21 'iixf3 'i'xd4?

Answer: When someone bows, it is a sign of respect. If he bows too deeply, perhaps you are being mocked! I saw it and rejected it. I preferred the strategic advantages I had over just one measly pawn. 21 t2Je1?l

"Forward, he cried from the rear, as the front rank died!" The start of a bad plan, where he intends to swing his rook to g3 .

2 7 1

Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Is he defending or attacking?

Answer: Perhaps a bit of both ! Launching an attack from an inferior, passive position is generally not such a good idea. He should play 21 1:tc7. 21 ... l:tc8 22 l:tg3

Chess laws, so casually handed down in books, are hard to obey in real life. Sometimes am­bition and folly are identical twins. White just gave up the c-file to pursue his fanciful at­tacking reveries on the kingside. The truth is, the shadow of the executioner's axe isn't ex­actly l ooming large upon Black, whose king position is intrinsically solid. There is no right time to launch an attack upon an immovable object. Any time is inconvenient.

Exercise {planning): With just one move we can kill White's dream. How?

Answer: 22 ... i.e41 Airlifting a defender to g 6. The principle: Counter in the centre when attacked on the

wing . The bishop comes to the rescue, heading for g6 to gum up White's attack. 23 i.h6

Wasting time. The bishop takes a swipe at g7 and only manages to bruise his hand. 23 ... i.g6

Also effective is 23 ... i.f6 24 'it'g4 i.fs. 24 i.f4

The bishop, suddenly remembering an urgent appointment elsewhere, apologizes with a hasty retreat. 24 ... 'iie4

Forcing White into a miserable ending by utilizing the same principle of a central counter to a wing attack. Centralization and swaps are the key to defending an isolani at­tack. Black's advantages:

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1. The c-file. 2. The bishop pair. 3. An isolani on d4 to work on in the ending. 4. Control over the light squares.

25 'ii'xe4 Forced. If 25 i.e3? i.d6 26 l:th3 'ii'b1 and White can barely move.

25 ... i.xe4 26 i.d2

He correctly ejects a pawn, rather than get tangled up after 26 i.e3? i.d6 27 l:th3 i.fs 28 l:th4 i.e7 29 l:ths (29 l:tf4? g S 30 l:tf3 g4 31 l:tf4 i.d6 picks off an exchange) 29 .. . g6 30 l:!.h6 <&t;g7 31 f3 gs 32 :ths f6. 26 ... l:td8 27 l:tc3

My opponent probably felt 27 i.c3 lost in the long run.

27 ... l:txd4!

Exercise (critical decision}: White offers his d-pawn in order to infiltrate down the c-file. Do we dare take the pawn or

should we play it safe and cover with ... i.d6?

Answer: We take it. 28 l:tc8+ l:td8 29 l:txd8+

He rejected 29 l:te7 l:txd2 30 l:txe7 <it;f8 31 l:txa7 l:txb2 (if 31 ... l:td1 32 f3 ! ) 32 f3 i.b1 when Black is up a pawn and White's knight remains confined.

29 ... i.xd8 30 f3 i.b1 31 i.c3 f6 32 g3 e5

Principle: Place your pawns on the same colour as the opponent's remaining bishop. Now it's just a matter of pushing forward and creating a passer on the king side. 33 <i;f2 <i;f7 34 t2Jg2 <it;e6 35 t2Je3 i.c7 36 l2Jf1 f5 37 l2Jd2 i.c2 38 b4?1 b5

Fixing White's queenside pawns on the same colour as his remaining bishop. The re-

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mainder isn't difficult. 39 h3 <iti>ds 40 <iti>e2 g6 41 ..tb2 hs 42 lbf1

White's pieces trickle back like dew drops running down an apple. 42 . . .f4

Restricting the knight even further. 43 gxf4 exf4 44 lbd2

On 44 ..tf6 ..tes 45 i.xes <Jolxes Black infiltrates via d4: 46 <iti>d2 ..tfs 47 h4 <iti>d4 48 lbh2 ..td3 ! . Zugzwang.

Exercise: Force the win of a second pawn.

Answer: 44 ... ..tfs 45 h4 ..td8 0-1 When the battle ends, birds feed on the flesh of the dead, who have no use for it any­

more.

Summary

This game is a typical example of how to play against an isolani - just keep trading pieces, centralize and good things will happen.

Game 34

G.Kamsky-A.Karpov F I DE World Cha m pionsh ip (Game 4), E l i sta 1996

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d s 3 exds cxds 4 c4 lbf6 s lbc3 e6 6 lbf3 ..tb4 Our starting position for the rest of the chapter.

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Pa n o v- Bo t v i n n ik A ttack

Question: I am a bit uncomfortable playing the bishop to b4, in Nimzo-lndian fashion. First, I don't really want to give away

the bishop pair by taking on c3 and, second, I worry he will pin us with ..tgs. Are these valid concerns?

Answer: Here are some of the reasons I like playing the bishop to b4: 1. It is more combative than developing to e7. 2. I am not afraid of giving up the bishop pair, because I don't mind an imbalance and,

also, we reduce White's attacking force. 3. White's pin with .ltgs later on is no big deal since we play ... lbbd7, covering f6, fol­

lowed by .. .'ike7. I am just not all that comfortable as Black in the mainline position, reached after 6 ... -lte7 7 cxds lbxds 8 .ltd3 o-o 9 o-o lbc6 10 .:e1 .ltf6 11 .lte4 lbce7. 1 cxds

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Is 7 'Wb3 a good move? (see diagram above)

White not only hits Black's bishop, but also adds pressure to dS.

Answer: The move isn't so hot for White. He usually ends up losing time with the queen. For example, 7 ... tt:lc6 8 i..g s o-o 9 i..d3 (9 cxds exds opens White up for ... l:te8+} 9 ... dxc4 when the trouble is after the natural 10 i..xc4 i..e7 ! Black threatens:

1. The d4-pawn. 2 . . .. tt:Jas. 3 . A gain of tempo with . . . tt:lb4. Instead after 10 'ii'xc4 i..e7 11 o-o i..d7 (threat: . . . tt:Jas ! trapping White's queen) 12 ds?

(unsound; he should have played 12 'ii'b3) 12 . . . tt:Jxd5 13 'ii'h4 (13 tt:Jxds i..xgs and 13 i..xe7 tt:Jcxe7 both leave Black a clean pawn up} 13 .. . h6 White's symbolic initiative proved he had very little to show for his missing pawn in K.Griffith-C.Lakdawala, San Diego (rapid} 2011.

Question: What if White forces the issue and plays 7 a3? ! in Nimzo-lndian Samisch style?

Answer: The move doesn't make sense since Black often takes unprovoked on c3 in this line anyway: 7 . . . i..xc3+ 8 bxc3 o-o 9 i..d3 dxc4 10 i..xc4 'ii'c7 11 'ii'd3 tt:lbd7 12 o-o b6 with a typi­cal position, minus one tempo for White, M.Rudnicki-L.Cyborowski, Przelazy 2008.

That leaves: a) We look at 7 i..d3 a couple of g ames later. b) 7 i..d2 o-o 8 l:tc1 b6 9 cxds i.xc3 10 bxc3 and now, rather than the 10 ... 'ii'xds of

V.Hort-Z.Ribli, Manila 1976, 10 ... exds ! is a clear improvement. Black follows with .. . i..a6, eliminating White's bishop pair, weakening his light squares and also handing White a potentially bad bishop.

c) 7 i..g s 0-0 (I prefer this to the 7 ... 'ii'as 8 i.d2 tt:le4 9 tt:lxe4 dxe4 10 a3 i..xd2+ 11 tt:lxd2

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tLlc6 12 b4 'it'fs 13 tt:'lb3 of Z.Hracek-R.Dautov, German League 1997) 8 cxdS exds 9 ..txf6 'i'xf6 10 ..te2 tt:'lc6 11 0-0 l:td8 12 'it'b3 ..te6 13 l:tad1 l:tab8 and I prefer Black, who has the bishop pair, F .Hedke-A.Dreev, Bad Wiessee 1998. 7 . . . tt:Jxds 8 ..td2

We look at 8 'it'c2 in the last game of the chapter. 8 . . . tUc6 9 .id3 ..te7 10 0-0 0·0 11 'it'e2

Instead 11 a3 transposes to our next game, while 11 J:te1? ! ignores Black's strategic threat: 1l...tt:'ldb4! 12 ..tf4 tt:Jxd3 13 'iixd3 and Black removed a dangerous attacking bishop in E .Safarli-A.Dreev, European Championship, Aix les Bains 2011.

11 . . . tt:'lf6

Question: Why an unforced retreat?

Answer: This is a good moment for the retreat. Black covers e4 and adds pressure to d4. Black has, though, a choice of other plans in the position :

a) 11.. . .if6 12 'ii'e4 g6 13 i.h6 .l:te8 14 tt:Jes .id7 !15 tt:Jxds exds 16 'it'xds tt:Jxes 17 dxes

.ixes 18 .ic4 ..txh2+! 19 'iti>xh 2 'ii'h4+ 20 'iti>g1 .ie6 and Black stood slightly better in K.Szabo-D.Howell, British League 2011.

b) 1l. . .tt:'ldb4 12 .ie4 tt:Jxd4 13 tt:Jxd4 'it'xd4 14 .l:tfd1 tt:'lc6 15 .lit.xc6 bxc6 16 .igs 'it'b4 17 a3 'i'b7 18 i..xe7 'it'xe7 19 tt:'le4 and I have doubts about White's full compensation for the pawn, D.De Vreugt-V.Malakhov, Lausanne 2000.

c) 11.. .'i'b6 12 a3 .l:td8 and which side you prefer depends on who you ask in such posi­tions, A.Cherniaev-P.H .Nielsen, Hastings 2003/04.

12 tt:'le4 'it'b6 1 Improving upon 12 . . . .id7, which Karpov tried in his second matchgame versus Kamsky.

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Question: What is so good about the move? Black still can't take on d4. So why attack it from some other place?

Answer: The move fulfils several functions: 1. Black continues to pressure d4. 2. Black controls cs. 3 . Black clears d8 for a rook. 4. Black hits b2, which keeps White calculating the possibility of capture on each move.

Question: Why can't Black just take the d-pawn with 12 .. . ll'lxd4?

Answer: Unwise! White's initiative flares quickly after 13 ll'lxd4 'i'xd4 14 .ltc3 'i'd8 1S llfd1

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.td7 16 tbxf6+ .txf6 17 'We4 g6 18 .i.bs .i.xc3 19 bxc3 ! (19 l:txd7? allows Black a save with 19 . . . 'it'gs !) 19 .. .fs ?? (Black had to play 19 .. . .txb5 20 l:txd8 l:tfxd8 21 �xb7 a6 and pray) 20 �e5 l:tf7 21 ..txd7 and White won a piece in S.Khukhashvili-A.Powell, Cannes 1997.

Meanwhile after 12 . . . .i.d7 13 l:tac1 l:tc8 14 a3 �6 15 .i.e3 tbd5 16 b4 a6 17 tbc5 .J:tcd8 18 .te4 .te8 19 l:tfd1 tba7 20 .i.g5 tbc8 Black remains a bit tangled and under pressure, H.Nakamura-R.Wojtaszek, Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad 2010. 13 a3 .td7

Be very careful about taking on b2 or d4 in this line: 13 .. . 'it'xb2?? 14 tbxf6+ .i.xf6 15 'it'e4 g6 16 l:tfb1 traps the queen. 14 l:tfd1 l:tad8

Black must continue with great care: for instance, 14 . . . tbxd4? 15 tbxd4 'it'xd4 16 .tc3 �a4 17 tbxf6+ .ltxf6 18 .ltxf6 gxf6 19 .ltxh7+! 'lt>xh7 20 l:td3 ! gives White a powerful attack when 20 .. . 1:.fc8 21 �d2 ! threatens the bishop as well as l:th3+. 15 tbxf6+

Mikhail Gurevich suggested 15 b4! ? when Black looks okay after 15 .. . tbxe4 (it's impor­tant to prevent tbc5) 16 �xe4 f5 17 �f4 ..tf6. 1S . . . ..txf6 16 'ii'e4 g6

Question: I sn't Black in trouble? His kingside has been weakened and White massed his forces for an attack in that region.

Answer: You are too jittery and should perhaps pause for a cup of camomile tea! An intrin­sic part of the Panov-Botvinnik is the fact that we must endure an attack. White generally extracts this concession from Black one way or another. If we survive the middlegame, White often pays the price in endings with his looser pawn structure. 17 .te3

On 17 .lth6 tbxd4!? 18 .i.xf8 'lt>xf8 gives Black reasonable play for the exchange.

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Exercise: White threatens 'iif4, followed by dS. What should Black do?

Answer: 17 ... lt:Je7! Multipurpose: 1. Black prepares to meet �f4 with ... lt:Jds. 2 . Black blockades ds. 3 . Black clears c6 for his bishop. 4. Black has options of .. . lt:Jfs which pressure d4, as well as White's bishop on e3.

18 lDes 18 dS? ! fails to 18 .. . �xb2 ! 19 l:Iab1 �xa3 20 !:txb7 �a4 21 !:te1 lt:Jxds which leaves Black

up a pawn. 18 ... lt:Jfs 19 lDc4

19 lDxd7? ! only helps Black: 19 . . . !:txd7 and White is under pressure on b2 and d4. 19 ... �a6!

Counterintuitive and strong. Black's incredibly confident move walks into the discover­ies, correctly judging them as toothless. Meanwhile, h e threatens ... ..tbs. 20 a4

20 lt:Jes? ! ..tbs would play into Black's hands. 20 ... i.c6 21 �f4

Threat: g4. 21 ... -tds !

Karpov avoids 21 . . . ..txd4? 22 ..txfs ..txe3 23 lDxe3 exfs 24 lDxfS ! .

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22 ttJes

Exercise (colculotion): Work out the followin g line as far as you can: 22 g4? g S ! 23 'ikc7 I:!.c8 24 'ikd7 .i.xc4 25 ..txc4 I:!.xc4 26 gxfs I:!.d8

27 'ifbs 'ikxbs 28 axbs exfs 29 I:!.xa7 f4 and White is busted.

22 ... 'ikb6 23 ..txfst? Sometimes when the undone laundry piles up, we end up in mismatched clothes we

really didn't intend to wear. This is more a hope than a plan and a huge concession from Kamsky. Also a sign that he is not happy with his position. He gives away the bishop pair, weakens his light squares and perhaps even strengthens Black's defensive pawn cover. Un­fortunately, he had to deal with Black's mounting pressure on d4 and had to do something to try to alter the tide. Still, the pendulum is poised to swing hard in Karpov's favour and a

seesaw effect begins to take shape. The weaker White's non-attack gets, the stronger Black's initiative becomes.

Notice too that once again, 23 g4?? fails to 23 ... g s, trappin g the queen. Also, on 23 tbg4 ..ltg7 24 �d2 f6! the ... g S ! threat leaves White in trouble. 23 ... exfs 24 I:!.d2 ..tg7 25 h4 I:!.fe8 26 'ikg3 I:!.c8

Karpov suggested 26 ... h6 followed by ... Wh7. 27 tLld7

Karpov suggested 27 tLld3, while Ftacnik claimed 27 as was best. Instead Blatny gave 27 tLld3 and Houdini (and I) like 27 hS . We extrapolate from this data: It isn 't easy to come up with the right move for White! 27 ... 'ikc6

Karpov gives 27 ... 'ikd8 28 ttJcs b6 29 tLld3 I:!.e4 with clear advantage. 28 ttJcs b6 29 tLld3 'ikd7 30 as I:!.e41

Threat .. . I:!.g4.

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3 1 lbf4 bs 32 J:tdd1 i.c4 33 l:tac1 h61 In order to meet h 5 with . . . g 5.

34 l:tc3 b4 3 5 l:tc2 l:tc6 36 l:tdc1

Karpov's suggested 36 d5 would be met with 36 .. . �e5 ! . 36 ... .tbs 37 'it>h2

37 l:txc6 i.xc6 38 d5 i.b7 39 b3 i.e5 leaves Black in command. 37 ... �h7 38 .l:txc6 i.xc6 39 l:tc4 i.f81

Whispered threats intimidate more than those issued in belligerence. Black re-routes the bishop, which protects b4, but also swings to d6 on the same diagonal as White's knight, queen and king. Karpov avoids the complications involved with 39 .. . �xd4. 40 lbd3

Exercise: Assess the line 40 ... l:tg4 41 lbe5. Is this Black's best?

40 .. .'ii'e61

Answer: 40 ... l:tg4? 41 lbe5 ! allows White miracle counterplay after 41 ... l:txg3 42 lbxd7 l:txg2+ 43 'it>h3 �d6 44 lbf6+! 'it>h8 (if 44 ... 'it>g7? 45 lbe8+! ) 45 f4 �b7 46 lbe8 when White stands no worse. 41 d sl?

A desperate move. Kamsky probably didn't like the look of 41 l:tc1 i.d6 42 lbf4 'iVe8. 41 ... i.xds 42 l:txe41

Kamsky avoids a couple of tempting ways to l ose: a) 42 lbc5?? i.d6 43 lbxe6 �xg3+ 44 'it>xg3 �xc4. b) 42 lbf4? i.d6! 43 1:tc2 'iie5 .

42 . . . �xe4 43 �xa7? During times of famine, even a crust of bread is welcome. His only chance was 43 lbc5

'iid5 44 lbxe4 fxe4 45 a6. 43 ... �d6!

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It's always nice when the executioner l oves his work. Karpov makes conversion look as effortless as sin. He avoids two cheapos: 43 ... 'ii'a6? 44 �cs! and 43 ... 'ifd7? 44 �cS ! . 44 lLlf4

44 f4? 'ifd7! threatens bishop on a7, as well as .. . �xd3 followed by .. . �xf4+. 44 ... 'ifesl

The queen steals the day, like a woman who wears white to her rival' s wedding . 45 lLlh3

If 45 �e3 'ifxb2 and White's hopelessly tangled forces can't cope with the surging, passed b-pawn, which marches down as inexorable as truth.

Exercise (combination alert}: White is about to get a wake up call, followed by a cold bucket of water thrown at him. White's forces are arrayed in scattered fashion. You have a way to exploit the geometry.

Answer: 4S ... 'ife71 0-1 Double attack. The sincerest mourner at a funeral is one owed money from the de­

ceased. Black will not win the bishop on a7 since White won't let him, by resigning ! A model game of how to defend against the isolani.

Summary Keep in mind the . . . 'ifb6 idea versus the isolani.

Game 35

R.Cunningham-C.Lakdawala Sa n Fra ncisco (rapid 2011

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 exds cxds 4 c4 lLlf6 s lLlc3 e6 6 lLlf3

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If 6 .Jigs we develop our bishop to e7 in order to deal with the pin, 6 ... .ie7. After 7 lLlf3 o-o White has:

a) 8 .Jid3 lLlc6 9 o-o?! (natural, but it allows Black to either gain a tempo or pick off White's powerful light-squared bishop; he should play 9 a3 dxc4 10 .Jixc4 lLlds ! - every trade helps Black - 11 i...xe7 lLlcxe7 12 lLlxds lLlxds 13 o-o b6 and I already prefer Black, who managed to swap two sets of pieces, L.Shamkovich-G.Kasparov, La Valetta Olympiad 1980) 9 .. . lLlb4 10 cs (White couldn't stomach the tempo loss incurred with 10 .Jie2 dxc4) 10 .. . b6 (this breaks up White's dream of foll owing through with a future b4) 11 cxb6 lLlxd3 12 ir'xd3 'iixb6 and Black stands better with a bishop pair, a target isolani on d4, and possible queenside pressure due to the open b- and c-files, M.Nagaran-C.Lakdawala, San Diego rapid 2004.

b) If White tries to clamp you with 8 cs react energetically and chip away quickly with 8 .. . b6 9 b4 as 10 a3 (or 10 lLla4 lLlfd7 11 .Jixe7 fixe?, as in C.Ponizil-A.Pakhomov, Brno 2009; Black threatens .. . axb4 and also .. . es, opening the position when White is unprepared) 10 ... lbe4 11 .ixe7 'iixe7 12 lLla4 axb4 13 axb4 bxcs 14 lLlxcs 1:1xa1 1S 'iixal es ! which left White behind in development and struggling in V.Vulfson-A.Braslavsky, Moscow 1994. 6 . . . .Jli.b4 7 cxds lLlxds

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8 iLd2 0-0

Question: Why not 8 ... lt:Jc6 first, as in the last game?

Answer: To maximize options. Of course 8 .. . lt:Jc6 is perfectly playable, but it is certain Black will castle king side, so why not castle? In some lines the knight's services may be required on d7. Also, if you bring your knight out early to c6 it gives White iLbs options. 9 ..i1.d3 lt:Jc6 10 a 3

W e covered 10 o-o last game. 10 . . . ..11.e7 11 o-o ..tf6

A standard manoeuvre. Black adds heat to d4 and clears e7 for his knight to help out his king. Instead 11...lt:Jf6 is Karpov's plan from last game, while 11...lt:Jxc3 12 bxc3 b6 was A.Sokolovs-A.Rustemov, Morso 2002. When handing my opponent the hanging pawns, I

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find it's more flexible with my knight on d7 rather than c6. Maybe this is just a personal quirk. Strong GMs like Karpov and Rustemov don't seem to have a problem with a knight on c6. 12 'ii'e21

Daring Black to take d4. I prefer this to the alternative set-up of playing to c2, with an immediate attack on h7: 12 'ii'c2 g 6 13 ..th6 l:r.e8 14 �ad1 t2Jxc3 15 bxc3 1Ld7 16 'ii'd2 e5 ! and the central counter to the wing attack gives Black dynamically equal chances, A.Riazantsev-V.Bologan, Warsaw 2005. 12 ... g6

Question: Does White really have enough initiative for the pawn if you grab on d4?

Answer: It simply doesn't win a pawn. White regains it immediately after 12 . . . tLlxd4 13 t2Jxd4 ..ixd4 14 ..txh7+! �xh7 15 'ii'e4+ �g8 16 'ii'xd4, as in M.Adams-Speelman, Hastings 1991/92. It 's hard to see Black winning this one due to the opposite-coloured bishops. I had to play for a win versus my FM opponent, since there were two other IMs in the tourna­ment, both with perfect scores at the time. 13 ..th6 ..tg7

Question: Doesn't this trade weaken the dark squares around your king?

Answer: Yes, a bit, but as I mentioned in the previous games in this chapter, swaps are Black's healing balm in all isolani and hanging pawns positions. I could also play 13 ... �e8 14 �fd1 t2Jxc3 15 bxc3 ..td7 16 tLle5 (16 �ab1 and 16 1Lf4 are alternatives) 16 .. . t2Jxe5 ! 17 dxe5 1Lh8 when I prefer Black's long-term structure over White's immediate attacking chances, A.Collinson-J.Speelman, British League 2000. 14 1Lxg7

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After 14 'Wid2 b6 1S lbe1 f6 ( I 'm not sure he needs this move just yet; I would play

1S .. . .ib7) 16 .ixg7 �xg7 17 l:te4 l:i:Jce7 18 l:tfe1 White has the edge with a potential for an attack and endless probing of Black's weakened pawn front, V.Varavin-A.Bets, Alushta 2001. 14 ... �xg7

Believe it or not, this most natural of moves is a novelty. After 14 .. . l:i:Jxc3 15 bxc3 �xg7

16 .ie4 .id7 17 c4 'Wif6 18 l:.fd1 J:tac8 the players agreed to a premature draw at thi s point in A.Frhat-C.Nanu, Tanta 2003. White may have a shade of an edge, but the position is ac­ceptable for Black. 15 .ic4 l:i:Jxc3 16 bxc3

Question: This is no longer an isolani position, correct?

Answer: Correct. Now we get its twin, the hanging pawns structure - two pawns, shoulder to shoulder, with no pawns on either side of them. The good news is our strategy against hanging pawns is identical to isolani defensive strategy; number three is especially impor­tant:

1. Blockade them. 2. Simplify and swap pieces whenever possible. 3 . Don't get mated!

16 ... b6 17 l:tfd1 .ib7 18 ..ta2 After the game an IM observer told me I was in big trouble after 18 dS based on the

principle: Create confrontation when leading in development. Houdini doesn't agree and neither do I. Let's look at 18 ... exd5:

a) 19 ..txds 'Wif6 20 c4 J:tfe8 21 'Wic2 l:i:Jas 22 J:tac1 J:tac8 and c4 could become a target. b) 19 J:txds 'Wif6 20 l:td7 l:i:Jas 21 l:i:Jd4 J:tae8 22 'Wia2 l:te7 when I prefer Black's position,

mainly due to the superior structure. I just don't believe White's activity compensates.

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18 ... 'ii'f6

Question: Why play to f6 and not c7 to pressure his pawns?

Answer: My king is short on defenders and weak on dark squares. The queen fulfils both duties, as well as discouraging White from playing c4. 19 l:!.ac1 l:!.fd8 20 'iie3

His goal of course is to activate his central pawns with c4. The trouble with hanging pawns, though, is that the further they are pushed, the weaker they tend to get. 20 ... l:!.ac8 21 c4?

White's last move couldn't have been more natural. After all, if a player fails to act, he loses purpose and tends to drift. Yet it was mistimed.

Exercise {planning): How does Black exploit the geometry with an unctuous plan to deprive White of material?

Answer: 21 ... tLle7! An idea borrowed from Karpov from last game! Now ... ..txf3 is a serious strategic threat.

Surprisingly, White is unable to hold his centre together. 22 ttJes tLlfs 23 'iif4

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Exercise (combination alert}: Black has a trick and the maths is not difficult. Hint: It involves the subtraction of one of White's pawns!

Answer: 23 ... gs l Step One: Deflect the queen from her coverage of es .

24 'it'g4

Step Two: Removal of the defender. Cut the legs out from under the eS-knig ht. 24 ... tt:lxd41

The law of supply and demand falls apart if theft is added to the equation. When clerks fail to return the correct change after a purchase, assume larceny over simple error! 2S l:txd4 'it'xes 26 :cd1 l:txd4 27 'it'xd4

I could only dream about 27 nxd4?? 'it'e1 mate! 27 ... 'Wxd4 28 l:txd4 l:tc7

Of course we must cover the seventh rank invasion. 29 h4

A good move, following the principle: The material down side benefits if pawns are re­duced from the board. 29 ... h6 30 hxgs hxgs 31 f4 gxf4

Perhaps I should have considered 3 1 .. . g4 32 'it>f2 fS, but I was nervous about placing too many of my pawns on the same colour as my remaining bishop. 32 l:txf4

The aftermath leaves an ugly residue. White scrambles to nurse three sickly pawns. When James Bond's enemies have him at a disadvantage, they always blunder by concoct­ing convoluted methods of murder, often involving conveyor belts and lasers. The Bond villains should heed my wise council : just shoot him. It's so much simpler that way. I have a simple way to win another pawn. Instead, I get cute and allow White to live on.

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Exercise {planning): How does Black win a pawn without any fuss?

32 .. J�cs?l

Answer: 32 .. . l:.d7! . The dual threats .. . l:.d2 and ... l:.d3 force White to hand over another pawn: for example, 33 l:.g4+ �f6 34 l:.g3. I got to this point in my analysis, where White covers both g 2 and a3, but now I missed the simple 34 ... l:.d1+! 3 5 �h2 l:.a1 and White drops a3 after all . 33 �f2 .:.as 34 l:.g4+ �6 35 l:.g3 l:.gs

Perhaps technically not the best, but I saw a clear path to the win through the removal of rooks. In time trouble, the best l ine must often give way to the clearest path. Black probably wins faster with 3 S ... i.e4 36 �e2 ..t>es. 36 .l:txgs �xgs 37 g3 �5

Avoiding both 37 .. .fs? ! 38 cs! and 37 .. . es? ! 38 cs ! . 38 �e3 �g4

Just testing. 39 �f2 i.e4 40 i.b3 i.g6

Step One: Prepare to push ... es without allowing White cs ! tricks. 41 i.dl+ 'iWs

Time to regroup. Black isn't getting anywhere on the king side. 42 �e3 �es 43 i.f3 �d6 44 �d4 es+

Taking control over cs. 45 �c3 �cs

Step Two: Black's king reached cs forcing White's king into passivity. 46 i.e2 f6 47 i.f1 i.f7

Step Three: Tie White down to c4. White's bishop and king are in urgent need of a law­yer.

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Pa n o v- B o tvin n ik A ttack

48 .td3 .te6 49 .te2 fs

Step Four: Activate the kingside pawns. 50 .td3 f4

Step Five: Create a king side passer which distracts either his king or bishop from the de­fence. All my games are marathons never sprints. We stopped writing moves at this point since both of us were under the five-minute mark. I sincerely hope I am not making up the remainder of the game, reconstructed from my rather pitiable memory! 51 gxf4 exf4 52 .te2 as

Principle: Place your pawns on the same colour as your remaining bishop. 53 .td3 f3 54 .tfl f2 0-1

Zugzwang.

Summary Perhaps White gets a tiny edge in the hanging pawns position after move 15. Your under­standing of the hanging pawns positions which arise is critical to who comes out ahead in the end.

Game 3 6

B.Gelfand-A.Karpov Li n a res 1994

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d S 3 exds cxds 4 c4 tt:Jf6 5 tt:Jc3 e6 6 lDf3 .tb4 7 .td3 dxc4 8 .txc4 o-o 9 o-o b6 9 .. . tt:Jbd7 usually just transposes. White might miss out :e1, but after 10 .tg5 .txc3 11

bxc3 "ikc7 12 "ike2 b6 13 tt:Je5 .tb7 14 tt:Jxd7 tt:Jxd7 15 :aac1 1 am always happy in such hang­ing pawn situations if Black can swap away a couple pairs of pieces, M.Casella­C.Lakdawala, Costa Mesa 2002.

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10 il.gs il.b7

11 l:!.e1

Question: How to respond if White plays to load up for a future sac on f7 with 11 li:Je5?

Answer: 11 li:Je5 is tricky. Black must respond accurately. Let's look at 11 . . . i..xc3 12 bxc3 and then:

a} 12 .. . 'ii'c7 13 il.xf6 gxf6 14 'ii'g4+ 'it>h8 15 'ii'h4 fxe5 16 'ii'f6+ 'it>g8 17 'it'g5+ was drawn by perpetual check in J.Timman-A.Karpov, La Valetta Olympiad 1980.

b} 12 .. . li:Jbd7 13 li:Jxd7 (retaining the tension with 13 �e2 is also possible} 13 ... 'it'xd7 14 il.xf6 gxf6 15 d5 il.xd5 16 'ii'g4+ 'it>h8 17 'ii'h4 il.xc4 18 'it'xf6+ once again led to perpetual in K.Miton-B.Socko, Warsaw 2010. 11 ... il.xc3

Question: I keep seeing this move, but in the back of my mind I feel like Black is giving away something. Is he?

Answer: In a sense you are right. Black gives up bishop pair with an unforced capture and also looks like he may be strengthening White's pawns by un-isolating the isolani. But in truth, capturing on c3 also helps Black:

1. We reduce material, our essential E=MC squared equation for solving the Panov­Botvinnik. The more pieces traded, the more likely we won't get mated.

2. Hanging pawns are just as much a target as an isolani. We didn't improve his pawn structure - we merely altered it. H anging pawns can be a huge liability for White if we suc­cessfully reduce the number of pieces on the board. 12 bxc3 li:Jbd7 13 SLd3 'ii'c7 14 l:!.c1

Instead 14 c4 'it'd6 15 li:Je5 li:Jxe 5 ! ? {there is nothing wrong with 15 .. . h6} 16 l:!.xe5 {16

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dxes �c6 17 f3 ll'ld7 18 �c2 h6 19 i.e7 l:lfe8 20 i.d6 ll'lcs looks okay for Black.) 16 . . . l:lfd8 17 i.e3 l:lac8 18 h 3 was dynamically balanced in Yu Yangyi�Ni Hua, Danzhou 2011.

14 ... �d61?

A new move at the time.

Question: What is the idea?

Answer: Gelfand will soon play i.h4 and i.g3, harassing the queen. By playing 14 .. . �d6, Karpov leaves options of .. . �a3 and even .. . �f8 to sidestep the coming bishop manoeuvre. Not all novelties are improvements over past ideas. I actually prefer the old move 14 ... l:lfe8 15 ..th4 i.c6 ! (to make room for the queen on b7) 16 ll'les. Now, rather than 16 .. .'ifb7? ! , forking over both bishops, when Karpov stood worse in J.Speelman-A.Karpov, Roquebrune (rapid) 1992, Black is fine after 16 ... ll'lxes ! 17 l:lxes ll'lds. If White goes for it with 18 'inls h6 19 i.g3 �d7 White's pieces look ominous hovering over the kingside, but I can't find a thing for him and wouldn't mind playing Black. 15 ..th4

1S ll'les �ds (or 1s ... ll'lxes 16 dxes 'ii'ds 17 f3 ll'ld7) 16 f3 l:lac8 17 'ii'd2 'ii'd6 18 'it>h1 ll'lds? (a bad plan; these early central skirmishes generally favour White in this line) 19 c4 ll'lb4?? 20 cs ! bxcs 21 dxcs 'ii'ds 22 'ii'xb4 and 1-0 in B.Gulko-M.Morris, New York 1997, is

not what we want to do! 15 ... l:lfc8 16 i.g3 'ii'a3

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The point behind his idea on move 14. There is no need for the passive 16 ... 'iif8 just yet. 17 c41

Daring Black to take on a2. GM Dautov gives the line 17 'iib3 'iie7! 18 c4 i.xf3 19 gxf3 lbhs ( I would even consider 19 .. . l:td8! ?) 20 i.e4 lbxg3 21 hxg3 l:tab8 and claims equality with .. . lbf6 coming next. 17 ... lbf81

Karpov correctly decides to decl ine. There are some who believe that if you play .. . 'iid6 and ... 'iia3, then you are honour bound to grab a2 and run ! However, Black simply can't get away with it. Let's look at 17 ... 'iixa2? 18 l:ta1 'iib2 19 i.d6 ! :

a ) 19 .. . g6 20 i.f1 lbe4 21 l:te2 ! 'iixal 22 'iixa1 lbxd6 23 lbd2 and Black doesn't quite have enough for the queen.

b) 19 .. . i.xf3? ! 20 gxf3 ! (threat: l:te2! followed by l:tc2 trapping the queen) 20 .. . lbe8 21 i.e7 es 22 i.e4 'iixd4 23 'iie2 l:tab8 24 l:tacl when Black is busted since he has no good way to deal with the coming l:tedl. 18 lL'lesl lL'lg6

It is still too dangerous to take a2: 18 .. . 'iixa2? ! 19 .l:.a1 'iib2 20 cs ! leaves Black strug­gling. 19 l:te31

Gelfand seizes the initiative with computer-like precision, continually probing the depths of his opponent's uncertainty. I am pretty certain that at this point Karpov regret­ted his 14th move novelty. 19 ... 'iif8

Question: This seems inconsistent. Shouldn't Black take on a2?

Answer: You should not l ook at a line in the abstract, with just words and concepts. The details of the analysis overrule it. Once again, taking on a2 proves fatal for Black after

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Pa n o v - B o tvin n ik A ttack

19 . . .'ii'xa2??: 20 ..txg6 ! hxg6 21 l:ta1 'it'b2 22 l:tb3 snags the queen.

20 f41? Kharitonov suggests a consolidation manoeuvre with 20 f3 l:td8 21 ..tf1, claiming a

slight edge to White, while Dautov thinks White should take forceful action with 20 h4!?.

20 .. .'ii'd81 Karpov is as cautious in defence as the sparrow acknowledging the approaching garter

snake.

Question: Doesn't Black's rook belong on d8?

Answer: After 20 .. . l:td8? ! 21 fS ! exfs 22 ..txfs White increased his advantage since now his d-pawn is passed. 21 �b1 'De7

Dautov suggests 21 ... bs and gives it an exclam. It follows the principle of meeting a wing attack with a central counter. However, application of principle doesn't work in every case: 22 l:tb3 a6 23 fs 'Dxes 24 ..txes 'Dd7 25 ..td6 and Black is still under heavy strategic pressure. 22 ..th4 'Dg6 23 �gS bS?I

Mistimed. Black is only slightly worse after 23 . . .'ii'd6. 24 ..txg6?

So far the parties merely pecked at each other like angry geese over disputed territorial rights, but now Gelfand goes too far in his aggression, weakening his light squares and overestimating his attack. Rulers often face this dilemma: Act in the best interests of the realm and allow dissension, or pursue an increase of power by attempting to crush ene­mies immediately. Gelfand mistakenly chooses the latter in this case, as his ill -fated deci­sion subtracts from previous gains. White stands better after the simple 24 cs ! . 24 ... hxg6 25 l:th3

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise (multiple choice}: You have a choice of moves. One is a blunder, so pick carefully: a) 2S ... bxcs, taking control over dS; b) 2S .. J�C7. guarding f7.

Answer: 2S ... �c7!

Karpov's defensive tendrils immediately identify the danger. If you chose 25 .. . bxc4?? you overlooked a combination: 26 �h8+! forks and wins the queen. 26 dS I

Alternatively: a) 26 cs? �ds 27 �g3 (not 27 �c2?? l:txcs ! } 27 ... tLle4 gives Black a powerful grip on the

light squares. b) 26 cxbs? �xc1 27 �xc1 �xd4+ 28 �h1 �c8 leaves White completely out of position.

26 ... exds 27 cs! Black takes over the initiative after 27 cxbs? �xc1 28 �xc1 �6+.

27 ... .ic8 28 �b3

A practical move. Instead 28 g4!? intending �e1 and �4 looks too slow after 28 ... 'ii'e8. Now 29 �e1? fails to 29 .. . .ixg4! . 28 ... �e8 29 �d4 .ifs 30 �e3 �f8 31 .ixf6?!

I don't like this decision. Now White's knight gets ejected, but he was afraid of Black's knight reaching e4. Instead, 31 c6 retains reasonable compensation for the pawn. 31 ... gxf6 32 tLlf3 .ie4 33 tLld2

33 �xf6? �xes only helps Black, who just depleted White's main source of counterplay. 33 ... fs 34 �ec3

Here: 1. Black is up a pawn. 2. Black is tied down to the passer down the c-file. 3. White hopes to somehow finagle his knight to d4 later on.

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P a n o v - B o t vin n ik A ttack

4. Black's bishop, though impressive looking, doesn't do al l that much right now on e4.

34 ... as l

Exercise {planning): White's pieces move comfortably around the radius of the bishop's power. How can Black make progress and play for the win?

Answer: Black has a 2:1 queenside pawn majority. Mobilize it. 35 c6 'iib41?

There was nothing wrong with the simple 3S .. . b4.

36 lL'lb3l? I am not sure if White holds the ending a pawn down in the line 36 'iixb4 axb4 37 J:tcs

J:txa2 38 lL'lxe4 dxe4 39 .:lxbS l:ta6 40 l:txb4 J:taxc6 41 .:lxc6 J:txc6. In 1994 Karpov may still have been the best technical endgame player in the world, so perhaps Gelfand made a wise decision avoiding this position. 36 ... 'iid6

As much as Black would like to trade, he can't allow White's knight easy access to d4. 37 iif2 b4 38 J:tcs a4 39 lL'ld4

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Exercise: White's knight finally gets an honoured seat at the table.

Answer: 39 ... �d3 1 Dual purpose:

He threatens ll:lbs. How to deal with it?

1. Covering the fork threat. 2. The bishop participates in helping his majority down the board from c4.

40 'ii'd2 ..ic4 41 'ii'xb4 If 41 �bs? ! �xc6 ! 42 �xb4 �b6.

41 ... 'ii'xf4

So the queenside pawn majority is gone, but a kingside majority arises in its place. Now watch the Karpov magic. Mysteriously, his position gets better and better, but it's very dif­ficult to pinpoint just how he does it. 42 'ii'c3 �e81 43 �d1 �e31

Even stronger than 43 .. . ..ixa2. 44 'ii'c1 'ii'e4 45 'ii'a1 �c8 46 �as �a3!

What a remarkable strategic feel. All of Karpov's pieces are perfectly in harmony and his position continues to improve. I don't mean to be a downer, but play like this cannot be learned through study and hard work - it is simply innate in the DNA of genius. 47 'ii'b1 'iie3+

Leading the charge like a queen bee in attack mode, with her drones in tow. 48 'it>h1 �xa2

Wetting the ground with the blood of white pawns. 49 ll:lf3

49 'iib7? .l:.e8 so h3 'iig 3 mates. 49 ... ..ib3 so 'iic1 f4

298

Pa n o v- Bo t v i n n ik A ttack

Gelfand must have found it galling that his opponent, two pawns up, rejects a trade of queens, unless it is on Black's terms: another passer. 51 l:te1 l:tc2 ! 52 'it'a1

Exercise: Technically, an error, but not really. To criticize now would be like reprimanding the corpse for carelessness from

the accident which killed him. Put White away.

Answer: 52 ... 'it'b61 0-1 White's rook is trapped and he must fork over the exchange.

Summary

I don't want to mislead you and make you believe that achieving equality is easy against the Panov-Botvinnik. This game is an example of the pressure you may have to endure when facing an opponent who deeply understands the i solani/hanging pawn positions. White still had initiative around move 23 . Luckily, we don't face Gelfand too often across the board!

Exercise {homework assignment): What need is there to mention that you would benefit greatly by going over all of

Karpov's Caro-Kann games as a study project?

1 d4 lbf6 2 c4 e6 3 lbc3 J.b4

Game 3 7

E.VIadimirov-G.Kasparov Batum i (ra pid) 2001

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Th e C a r o - Ka n n : M o ve by M o ve

Question: Where are we? This is a Nimzo-lndian, not a Carol

Answer: Separate roads sometimes lead to the same city. Our line of the Panov-Botvinnik can also arise from a Nimzo-lndian. We soon transpose. 4 e3 o-o 5 ..ltd3 dS 6 tt:lf3 cs 7 o-o cxd4 8 exd4 dxc4 9 i.xc4

All is as it should be now. We transposed. 9 . . . b6 10 'ii'e2 1l.b7 11 �d1 1Lxc3 12 bxc3 'iic7

13 1Lb2

Exercise: I s 13 .. . 1Lxf3 now playable? What happens if White recaptures with his queen? You don't need to work this one out to the end.

Give an intuitive assessment of the ramifications.

Normally White offers his c-pawn for a massive development lead with 13 1Ld3 ! ? 'iixc3 ! ?.

Question: What if I don't want to go pawn grabbing ! ?

Answer: Simple. Don't accept. 13 . . . tt:lbd7 gets you back to the normal positions. After the grab, 14 1Lb2 'ii'c7 15 d5! ..txd5 16 1l.xf6 gxf6 17 'li'e3 <oti'g7 18 �ac1 gave White full compen­sation for the pawns in A.Beliavsky-G.Kasparov, 4th matchgame, Moscow 1983.

Question: I s there a way for White to avoid sac'ing his c-pawn?

Answer: Yes, he can play 13 tt:le5 tt:lbd7 14 i.f4 tt:lxe5 15 1Lxe5 'ii'c6 16 f3 tt:ld5 ! . This is better than 16 ... �ac8 17 1l.b5 'iixc3 {he wants the pawn after all, but now in a worse form for Black) 18 d5 'iic5+ 19 1Ld4 �d6 20 i.xf6 gxf6 21 dxe6 which gave White plenty of compen­sation in R.Weinstein-R.Wade, Leipzig Olympiad 1960.

3 0 0

Panov-Botvinnik A ttack

13 ... .ixf31

14 'Wi'xf3?

Answer to Exercise: If you chose to correctly capture on f3, it means your intuition is very good. Kasparov, on the other hand, may

have seen the final position on move 23 before making his move!

In past centuries, royals, accustomed to unlimited power and flanked by flatterers who dared not reveal ugly truths, were devoid of the self-preserving caution of their subjects and commoners. Not all theoretical novelties are good ones. This reminds me of the time when, with sweet innocence, I attempted to out-calculate Grandmaster Nakamura in our 2004 U.S. Championship game - it didn't work out so well for me either! Vladimirov would have been well served taking the advice of Mr. Spack's dad: "What is necessary is never unwise." White had to settle for 14 gxf3 ! tt'lc6 15 Wh1 tt'le7 16 �g1 tt'lg6, as he did in S.Guliev-S.Grigoriants, Warsaw 2005.1 prefer Black in such a dynamically unbalanced posi­tion, but maybe the true assessment is unclear. White's bishop pair and attacking chances must compensate for his inferior structure. 14 ... 'ii'xc4 15 'Wi'xa8 tt'lc6 16 'ii'b7 tt'lds!

Nimzowitsch's aspiration comes to fruition. We witness the great grandmother of all blockades. On top of it, Black just sealed off the White queen's escape route on c7.

Question: I still don't see how to trap White's queen.

If this is the case, wouldn't a practical decision to play 13 ... .ixf3 be incorrect for a player of my level ?

Answer: No. 13 .. . .ixf3 ! would still be correct and you should play it even if you don't see through the gauzy future. 13 .. . .ixf3 ! isn't such a big risk if you consider the prize is trap­ping the queen. Even if you don't trap the queen, you still get two things:

301

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

1. A draw by repetition if you want. 2. Full strategic compensation through domination on the light squares.

17l:e1l:b8 18 "iVd7l:d8 19 "iVb7 The queen, beset with difficulties, seeks absolution for past sins.

19 ... h5 No draw. There is a time to act and a time to stay silent. Kasparov creates a little back

rank air for his king before proceeding on to the business of trapping White's queen. The confederacy of the confused - Houdini, Rybka, Fritz and Crafty- all believe the position is equal. It is my unpleasant duty to inform them all that Black wins by force ! 20 i.c1

After performing the opposite of well, White tries to bribe his way out by offering c3. We don't accept bribes !

Exercise (combination alert}: This is very difficult, so take your time working this one out. White's queen finds herself dangerously low on

squares. There is a computer-like way to corner and trap her. How?

Question: How does Black trap the queen if White does nothing and waits, maybe with a move like 20 f3 ?

Answer: Black wins with 20 .. . a6 ! ! 21 l:ac1 (21 'it'h1 lbas 22 'ii'a7 'Wc8! 23 c4 lbc6 snares the queen) 21 .. . lbas 22 "iVa7 'Wxa2 ! (22 .. . "iVc8? 23 c4! isn't so clear) 23 l:e2 lbc4 (White's game is a train wreck) 24 l:a1 "iVb3 when White saves his queen but not the game. Answer to Exercise: 20 ... t:Dasl 21 "ii'xa7 'it'c61

Threat: ... l:a8. 22 "iVa6 lbc41

Oh no you don't! The scent of victory surrounds the knights like perfume, while White's

302

Panov-Botvinnik A ttack

queen can do little but glare at Black's approaching forces in sullen admonition. The game ending threat .. . .l:!.a8 looms. 23 .l:!.b1

Answer: 2 3 ... 4Jc71 0-1

Exercise (combination alert): Run White's queen out of squares and trap her.

White must hand over a full rook as ransom to save his queen. What blows my mind is that Kasparov precisely worked out the details in a 30-minute rapid game.

Summary In the hanging pawns situation, always be alert for a timely .. . i.xf3 ! when White has to recapture with his g -pawn. It crops up quite often in this line.

1 e4 c6 2 c4

Game 38 D.Andreikin-A.Dreev

Baku 2011

303

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Question: This isn't the normal move order of Panov-Botvinnik, is it?

Answer: Actually, it is the move order of our next chapter, the Quasi Panov-Botvinnik.

Question: Then why put the game in this chapter?

Answer: Because in this particular game, we get a direct transposition to the normal Panov-Botvinnik. Mainly I wanted to show you that this chapter and the next are inti­mately related and actually could have been just one big chapter. Technically, the Panov­Botvinnik move order would run: 2 d4 ds 3 exds cxds 4 c4 l2Jf6 s lLlc3 e6 6 lLlf3 i.b4 7 cxds lLlxdS 8 'iVc2 and we reach a direct transposition to our game. 2 .. . ds 3 exds cxds 4 cxds lLlf6 s lLlc3 lLlxds 6 lLlf3

Alex Baburin writes: "This position is similar to those arising in the Panov Attack, but there are some differences: White has played cxds early, but has delayed playing d2-d4." 6 ... e6

Play this move if you want to reach similar positions to the ones we looked at in this chapter. We will examine the option 6 .. . l2Jxc3 7 bxc3 g6 next chapter. 7 d4 i.b4

There we go. Now we are back in the comfort of familiar ground. 8 'iVc2

In this line White doesn't want to waste a tempo on 8 i.d2 and in some lines is even willing to sac his d-pawn. If you recall, we looked at 8 i.d2 in the Kamsky-Karpov and Cun­ningham-Lakdawala games earlier in the chapter.

304

Panov-Botvinnik Attack

8 ... tt:Jc6

Question: Doesn't 8 ... 'i'C7 force White into 9 ..li.d2 after all?

Answer: It does. After 9 .. . tbd7 10 ..li.d3 Black has: a) 10 .. . ..txc3 11 bxc3 tt:Jsf6 12 o-o b6 13J:tae1 ..li.b7 14 tt:Jes tt:Jxes 1S l:txes o-o 16 l:tfe1

l:tfc8? ! (this looks like the wrong rook, but he is under some pressure anyway) 17l:f.Se3 by when White's attacking chances on the kingside and his bishop pair outweighed Black's structural edge in E.Sveshnikov-K.Sasikiran, Dubai 2002.

b) Black can also hang on to the bishop pair at the cost of a tempo after 10 . . . tt:Jxc3 11 bxc3 ..li.d6 12 0-0 (should White attempt to punish Black with 12 ..li.xh7 !? tt:Jf6! 13 i.d3 b6 Black's open h-file, two menacing bishops and White's lack of king protection give him plenty of compensation for the pawn) 12 ... h6 13 c4 b6 which was fine for him in T.Vayserberg-M.Krottki, Internet (blitz) 2004. 9 a3

Alternatively: a) 9 ..li.d3 ..tas 10 a3 would transpose to our game. b) 9 ..li.e2.

Question: I sn't this passive?

Answer: No. White actually has three ideas behind placing his bishop on e2 over d3: 1. White can now play l:td1 when he doesn't have to worry so much about his d-pawn. 2. White intends the manoeuvre 'i'e4 and ..li.d3, placing his queen in front of the bat­

tery. 3 . Black cannot grab the pawn in this line, with White's bishop on e2. After 9 .. . 0-0 (White's bishop is no longer on d3, so whatever you do, please don't go

pawn hunting with 9 . . . tbxC3 10 bxc3 tt:Jxd4?? - this tim e the trick fails miserably to 11

305

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

tt'lxd4 'ii'xd4 12 'ii'a4+ i.d7 13 'ii'xb4) 10 0-0 i.e7 11 .l:!.d1 i.f6 12 'ii'e4 tt'lce7 13 i.d3 g 6 14 i.h6 .l:!.e8 15 h4 perhaps White had a small edge in M.Adams-J.Magem Badals, European Team Championship, Debrecen 1992. Over the board, such positions are not so easy to play as Black, who must survive many practical difficulties in the moves ahead. Ultimately, your understanding of how to survive the isolani matters more than your book knowledge. 9 ... i.asl?

Question: Doesn't Black normally take on c3 or retreat the bishop to e7?

Answer: Correct. 9 . . . i.a5 is a confident, risky move. Dreev doesn't want to go g rabbing the d-pawn. Instead, he thinks about playing ... i.b6, adding another attacker on White's d­pawn, but at the cost of losing a defender for his own king. Or perhaps even ... i.c7, aiming at White's king and the important e 5-square. In essence, Black ups the ante with his last move, increasing pressure on d4, but also increasing his risk of getting mated.

9 ... i.e7 (Black decides to keep the bishop contracted to its defensive duties) 10 i.d3 h6 11 o-o o-o 12 'ii'e2 tt'lf6 13 .l:!.d1 b6 14 tt'le4 tt'ld5 15 i.b1 i.f6 16 'ii'd3 tt'lce7 is the less risky path for Black, A.Naiditsch-O.Cvitan, Oberwart 1998. 10 i.d3

10 ... h6 A cross-roads position. Black doesn't want to back his knight up to f6 and 10 ... tt'lxc3 ! ? is

a daring pawn grab exclusively for the brave of heart. After 11 bxc3 tt'lxd4 12 tt'lxd4 'ii'xd4 13 i.b5+ i.d7 14 o-o 'ii'd5 15 c4 'ii'f5 16 i.xd7+ ..t>xd7 White has:

a) 17 'ii'b2 b6 18 c5 and White probably had enough compensation for his pawn, but I doubt he stands better, L.Aronian-K.Asrian, Yerevan 2001.

b) 17 'ii'b3 b6 18 .l:!.d1+ ..t>e7 19 a4 .l:!.hd8 20 i.a3+ ..t>f6 21 i.d6 g 5 22 'ii'h2+ ..t>g6 23 .l:!.a3 gave White an enduring attack for the pawn in R.Kasimdzhanov-B.Macieja, German League 2008, but don't believe Black's position is a forced loss. The computers say it is even and

306

Macieja drew this game. 11 0-0 0-0 12 l:td1

White backs up his d-pawn with the rook. 12 ... t2Jce7

Question: Why the retreat?

Answer: Multipurpose:

Panov-Botvinnik A ttack

1 White's d-pawn is sufficiently defended, so Black transfers his knight over to help out on the kingside . This is prudent since his dark-squared bishop is off duty on the queenside.

2. Black backs up the blockade of dS. 13 tLles .td7 14 tLle4

White's knights march ominously toward Black's king . 14 ... .tc7

Karpov, who has a sixth sense about defending such positions, tried 14 .. . tLlfs 15 tLlcs .tc8 16 b4 .tc7 17 .tb2 b6 18 tLle4 .tb7 19 g 3 l:tc8 and Black looked well placed to defend the coming onslaught in E.Ghaem Maghami-A.Karpov, Teheran {blitz) 2009. 15 �e2

The queen looks vulnerable on the open c-file and receives her reassignment to the other direction. The dream of a glorious checkmate tends to be a fevered one, but not in this case. Aiming for a goal gets one closer to the goal. Notice the deliberate shift of White's pieces kingward. 15 ... .ta4 16 l:te1 tLlfs 17 tLlcsl

No choice but to take the plunge since 17 .te3? fails to 17 .. . .txes 18 dxes t2Jdxe3 19 fxe3 fic7 with advantage to Black.

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The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

17 ... tt:Jxd41 Cowards and heroes are equally brave when there is no danger. Dreev, sensing the dan­

ger to his king, boldly reasons that if he is to suffer then at least he should be financially compensated. 18 'it'g4

White's attack has been cleared for takeoff. 18 ... tt:Jf61

18 . . . i.xes ! ? looks risky but playable after 19 l:txes tt:Jf6 20 'it'g3 tt:Jfs 21J:txfs ! exfs 22 i.xh6 tt:Jhs 23 'ii'h3 tt:Jf6 24 i.gs i.c6 2 5 i.xfs l:te8 when I'm not sure i f White has anything better than to take a draw with 26 i.h7+ 'iii>f8 27 i.c2 'iii>g8 28 i.h7+. 19 'it'g3 i.c21?

A new move in the position, but perhaps not an improvement. Black logically strives to swap off a key attacker. My head is spinning from the heated squabble of the minor pieces in the middle of the board. Depressingly enough, we are still within the narrow confines of theory. 19 .. . tt:Jc6! still may be Black's best move in the position. Here 20 i.xh6 tt:Jhs 21 'it'g4 tUxes 22 l:txes i.xes 23 'it'xhs was D .Howell-P.lafuente, La Massana 2008, and now Black should play 23 .. .fS ! with the superior chances in the chaos. 20 if..xh6 tt:Jhs?l

Too many dangling pieces. According to the computers, Black is still okay after 20 . . . tt:Je8! 21 i.f4. 21 'it'g4 i.xes 22 i.xc2

22 'ttxhS ! puts Black under pressure with 22 .. . i.xd3 23 'it'xes gxh6 24 l:tad1 i.g6 25 l:txd4. 22 ... tt:Jxc2?

Black is still alive and well after 22 ... i.xh2+! 23 'iii>xh2 'it'c7+. Instead he succumbs to temptations from misaligned interests. On the one hand, Black wants to grab material; on

308

Panov-Botvinnik A ttack

the other, he wants to keep his king safe. In this case he put too much emphasis on the former and disregards the latter.

Exercise {planning}: Let's test our attacking skills. How would you continue here as White?

Answer: 23 .l:!.xes l Who cares about the hanging rook o n al? I n one shot, White removes two black de­

fenders. 23 . . . t2Jxa1 24 .l:!.xh s 'ii'f6

Black looks for a way out, but there is none to find. The cream of Black's vanguard ran off distracted and left his king nearly alone.

309

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Answer: 2 5 il.xg71 ii'g6

Exercise (combination alert}: In one move you can sweep away all Black resistance. How?

Black can't buy his way out with 2S .. . ii'xg7 either: 26 .Ugs ii'xgs 27 'WxgS+ 'it;>h7 28 lt:Jd7 with the deadly threats of check on f6 and also the hanging rook on f8. 26 il.f61 1-0

A pretty finishing touch. Black's king is as helpless as a newborn infant and his queen can do no more than cover her mouth with hand, in shock as she helplessly watches her king get mated.

Summary The Panov-Botvinnik and the Quasi Panov-Botvinnik are related, and may even transpose into one another. Also, the 8 ii'c2 line is quite dangerous for us since White tends to keep a lot of pieces on the board. For the moment, the 9 .. . i.as line is holding up theoretically for Black, but we must be very careful with so many pieces hovering around our king.

310

Chapter Eight

Ouasi Panov-Botvinnik -

1 e4 c6 2 c4

The Quasi Panov-Botvinnik is a dangerous offshoot of Chapter Seven. White doesn't waste a tempo with d4. When you play 2 ... ds from this position, White takes twice on ds.

Now we face a dilemma: if we recapture on dS with the queen, we end up in positions from the last chapter but down a move - not such a tempting option. So, best is to play 4 .. . lbf6 (see diagram overleaf).

Now the trouble is the annoying computers have come up with a few tactical ways for White to hang on to his extra dS-pawn, the most dangerous of which is the odd looking 5 'ii'a4+. The dS-pawn proves difficult to remove, like a stubborn barnacle entrenched on the hull of a battleship. If we know our stuff and play accurately we eventually extract the pawn, but play is tricky and White's computer-generated tries are unnatural - therefore

311

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

confusing to Black. learn the theory well from this chapter or you will find yourself strug­gling, down that same pawn on move 30!

1 e4 c6 2 c4

Game 39 I.Gurevich-J.Speelman

London 1992

As a Slav player I also get this line from the move order 1 c4 c6 2 e4.

Question: Is this a Panov-Botvinnik?

Answer: Not quite. This is the Quasi Panov-Botvinnik, a hybrid line which can actually transpose. Schandorff calls it "Pseudo Panov", while Houska dubbed it "Panov's little Brother". We all give the line cute names, but don't allow this to lull you. The line is quite dangerous. In this chapter we examine lines similar to but independent of the previous chapter. 2 ... ds

Question: I s this our only response?

Answer: No, our other choice would be something like 2 .. . es 3 lLlf3 d6 4 d4 which is fine if you play the Old Indian or ... lLld7 King's Indian lines as Black. If you don't, then you need to learn the lines in this chapter. 3 exds cxds 4 cxds

Now we are independent of the Panov-Botvinnik.

312

Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

Question: What are the differences?

Answer: The main difference is that White hasn't played d4 yet, so he has a tempo in hand, which alters the position significantly from the Panov-Botvinnik. For more information on 4 d4 please consult Chapter Seven! 4 ... l2Jf6

Question: Why not play in Scandinavian style with 4 .. .'i*'xd5?

Answer: I believe the move is a mistake, even though strong players try i t from time to time. It is a very bad idea. Essentially, you give White the generous gift of a full move over the last chapter. The Panov-Botvinnik is enough of an ordeal without the loss of a tempo! 5 ..ibS+

313

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

In this game we look at an attempt to hang on to the pawn, as we do next game with 5 'i'a4+. In the final game of the chapter we look at 5 lt:\c3 with variations independent of last chapter. s ... lt:\bd7 6 lt:\c3 a6

Question: What is Black's goal?

Answer: White stole a pawn and we want our property returned! Our plan: . . . bs, . . . i.b7, ... lt:\b6 and recapture on ds. We even have ... b4 if we need it. 7 'i'a4

White gets nothing with the milquetoast retreat 7 .ie2: 7 . . . bs 8 d4 b4 9 lt:\a4 i.b7 10 lt:\f3 .ixds with easy equality, R.Ponomariov-B.Gelfand, Medias 2010. 7 ... .l:tb8

A little reminder to White that nothing lasts forever, including his pin. 8 i.xd7+

Question: This move gives away the bishop pair and some degree of control over the light squares. Isn't it more logical to retreat?

Answer: The trouble with 8 .ie2 is its passivity. Black now plays a series of moves which shove White around, as well as regain the lost pawn: 8 ... bs 9 'i'd4 b4 10 lt:\e4 lt:\xe4 11 'i'xe4 lt:\f6 12 'i'es i.b7 13 lt:\f3 lt:\xds 14 b3 f6 15 'i'g3 'i'C7 16 'i'xc7 lt:\xc7 gave Black a pleasant endgame in T.Farley-B.Gonzalez, Santo Domingo 2007. 8 ... 'i'xd71

314

Question: Why the unnatural recapture, rather than continue to develop by recapturing with the bishop?

Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

Answer: I prefer this recapture to 8 . . . .i.xd7 9 'it'f4 b5 10 a3 when White continues to hang on like grim death to his extra pawn, A.Romero Holmes-Y.Seirawan, Wijk aan Zee 1992. By recapturing on d7 with the queen, we plan .. . b5 and .. . .i.b7 when White has no way to con­tinue hanging on to the pawn. Black's bishop on d7 is in the way. 9 'it'b3

Question: How does Black regain his pawn after 9 'it'xd7+?

Answer: With patience, the pawn falls: 9 ... i.xd7 10 d4 l:.d8 11 i.f4 i.f5 12 tt:Jf3 tt:Jxd5 13 tt:Jxd5 I:txd5 14 l:.c1 f6 ! and Black stands slightly better, despite his huge lag in develop­ment. His bishop pair, control over the light squares and d5, and White's inability to infil­trate down the c-file keep him safe, L.Bergez-G.Kacheishvili, Cappelle la Grande 2001. 9 . . . bs 10 tt:Jge21?

A novelty and from the looks of it, not one which should give Black any cause for worry. White plans tt:Jf4 hoping to provoke .. . g5. Instead after 10 tLlf3 .i.b7 11 tt:Je5 'it'd6 12 d4 i.xd5 13 tt:Jxd5 'it'xd5 14 o-o e6 15 i.g5 l:.a8! (suddenly threatening to take on b3) 16J:.fc1 i.d6 Black had equality since all the entry points were covered in A.Romero Holmes­L.Yudasin, Leon 1993. 10 ••• i.b7 11 tt:Jf4?1

White should go into defensive mode with 11 o-o tt:Jxd5 12 d4 e6 13 tt:Jxd5 'it'xd5 14 'it'xd5 i.xd5 15 tt:Jf4 i.a8 16 i.e3 i.d6 17 tt:Jd3 when his control over c5 gives him reason­able chances to hold the ending, despite Black's bishop pair and White's isolated d-pawn.

u ... gsl

Exercise (critical decision}: This is an indicator of your style. Would you play it safe with 11 ... l:.d8 or weaken in order to seize the initiative with 11 .. . g5?

Answer: Excellent judgement. Black's pawn thrust is a weakness only in name since White

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The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

can't exploit it. I am ashamed to confess that I would certainly have gone for the safe 11 .. J:td8, settling for a tiny edge. 12 t2Jfe2 ttJxds 13 ttJxds 'iixds 14 'iig3 ?

The failure to comprehend a thing doesn't exclude the thing from reality. White, drunk on warlike intentions, mistakenly enters a losing battle. When a fight begins, fear and pain are forgotten and each fighter only thinks of the other's defeat. It's very difficult to realize you are losing a fight when you are one of the participants. What White wants and what he needs are at odds. In the end, need always burrows deeper. He should voluntarily bail out into an inferior ending with 14 'iixds .txds. 14 .. J:td8 15 0-0

Exercise {planning): Black has a method of initiating an attack. How?

Answer: 1S ... hs ! Threat: . . . h4 and . . . h 3.

16 h3 Further examples of White's difficulties: a) 16 tLlc3? h4! 17 'i'g4 'i'c6 18 f3 (18 h3 ?? �d4! 19 'i'xgS .th6 wins on the spot) 18 .. . h3

19 g3 �d3 and i f 20 l2Je4 fS! 21 'iixfs �dS ! 22 'i'g4 .tc8 and wins. b) 16 d4 h4 17 'i'g4 h3 when White is busted.

16 ... h4 17 'iig4

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Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

Exercise (combination alert}: Black can sweep White away. Can you find the idea the GM missed?

17 ... b4 ?1 Preventing l'Llc3, but there is no need for subtlety when you own a sledgehammer.

Answer: 17 . . .fS ! destroys White: 18 'it'xgs ..ih6 19 'it'g6+ (19 'ii'hS+ cJi>d7 20 'ii'f3 'it'xf3 is hope­less for White) 19 .. . cJi>f8 20 f3 l:t.d6! traps the queen. 18 d4 f6

Intending . . . e6, . . . ..te7 and .. .fs. However, 18 .. . e6 ! saves a tempo since White can't touch the hanging g-pawn. 19 f3 e6 20 ..id2 ..te7

Threat: .. .fs. 21 f4 fs 22 'ii'f3

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The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Exercise (multiple choice): One of the choices gives Black a winning position; the other looks good but misses the essence: a) 22 .. .'ir'xf3, break­

ing up White's kingside pawns; b) 22 ... g4, continuing the pawn storm.

Answer: 22 ... g41 It is critical for Black to plug up the f4-square. Try as he may, from this stage White is

unable to mount appreciable resistance. Believe it or not, White isn't so badly off in the visually tempting line 22 .. .'ii'xf3? ! 2 3 gxf3 gxf4 24 i.xf4. In fact, Houdini correctly assesses the position as nearly equal. White's grip on f4 and es keeps him alive and well. 23 'ii'xds

Only dust and bits of litter blow across the streets of White's old dream of attack. 23 ... i.xds 24 .l:tfc1

White is likely to get mated if he gets ambitious with 24 hxg4? ! fxg4 25 fS h3 . 24 ... gxh3 2 5 gxh3 .l:tg8+ 26 �2 .l:tg2+

It is a life-changing trauma to be awakened by an intruder in your own home. 27 'ite3 .l:th2 28 lbg1

28 ... 'itd7

Exercise (combination alert}: Black has a game ending shot which the British GM missed. Let's see if you can find it.

Answer: 28 ... e s ! ! is crushing. For example: a) 29 fxes i..gS+ 30 'itd3 .l:txd2 m ate! b) 29 dxes i.e4! mates. c) 29 .l:tel exd4+ 30 'itd3 i.e4+ wins.

29 i.e1 .l:tg8 30 i.f2 .l:tgg2 The time of reckoning draws near. The rooks, standing shoulder to shoulder, gaze upon

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Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

White's king with terrible purpose. 31:c2

Exercise: Black to play and win. Big hint: It's the same answer as the one given in the last exercise!

Answer: 31 ... esl l "Sam e as it ever was!" Now all is as it should be, like planets revolving around their

stars. I am a fan of Jon Speelman and watch him play blitz over the internet. He strikes me as a brilliant tactician who mistakenly believes himself a stodgy positional player. Also, it is incredibly difficult to predict any of his moves. When everyone else looks East, Speelman looks North. 32:f1

Nothing works: a) 32 dxe5 :xf2! 33 :xf2 i.c5+. b) 32 fxe5 i.g5+ 33 'it>d3 :xf2.

32 ... exf4+ 33 'it>xf4 i.e4 34 :e2 i..gS+ o-1 35 'it>e5 i..d3 wins everything.

Summary The 5 i..b5+ line shouldn't give us any trouble. White grabs a pawn which he can't hold on to. Then he gives us bishop pair and light-square control, all in the name of that pawn which falls in the end!

Game 40 Bu Xiangzhi-Le Quang Liem

Guangzhou (rapid) 2010

1 c4 c6 2 e4 ds 3 exds cxds 4 cxds lt:Jf6 s 'ii'a4+

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The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

I feel this is a more dangerous try than the bishop check on b5.

Question: Why? It looks like the move of an amateur. Nobody brings out a queen like this to give an ineffective check.

Answer: Don't jump to conclusions based on the external appearance of a move. We need to consider the hidden ideas. Unnatural or not, White makes it very difficult for Black to regain the lost pawn. The queen gives check to throw Black's pieces out of sync and his bishop is reserved for c4, where it fights mightily to hold the extra pawn.

Question: Even if White holds on to the extra pawn, so what? It's just a doubled, isolated, d-pawn.

Answer: It's more than that. The pawn on d5 controls key squares like c6 and e6. Also, the d5-pawn allows White to put pressure on our e7-pawn down the e-file. s .. .tt:Jbd7

If 5 .. . �d7 6 'iib3 ltJa6! 7 ltJc3 (White is just asking for it if he succumbs to greed with 7 'it'xb7?! ltJc5 8 'ii'h4 e6) 7 ... ltJc5 8 'it'd1 g6 9 �c4 �c8 10 ltJge2 iLg7 11 o-o o-o 12 a4 �g4 13 h3 and White continues to hang on to the stolen pawn, Y.Seirawan-A.Dreev, Wijk aan Zee 1995. 6 ltJc3 g6 7 lLlf3

The main move. 7 �c4 is another critical try for White, l eading after 7 ... �g7 8 'it'b3 ! o-o 9 d3 to:

a) 9 .. . b6? ! looks too passive and I never managed to regain the lost pawn in Y.Seirawan­C.Lakdawala, Internet (blitz) 2007.

b) 9 .. . a6 10 a4 ltJb6 11 �e3 ltJxc4 12 dxc4 e6 13 ltJge2 exd5 14 cxd5 and Black is just short of full compensation for the pawn, R.Dzindzichashvili-C.Lakdawala, Internet {blitz) 2005.

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Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

c) 9 ... bS ! (a promising pawn sac) 10 'ii'xbs .l::.b8 11 'ii'a4 lLlb6! 12 'ii'd1 ttJfxds and Black

had loads of Benko Gambit-like compensation and went on to win in L.Gyorkos-G.Kallai, Budapest 2000. 7 ... .i.g7 8 .i.c4 o-o 9 d3 1

White's clever point. He doesn't fear . . . l2Jb6 since he will recapture on c4 with a pawn, fixing his damaged structure. 9 ... a6 10 'ii'a3 !

Preventing . . . bs.

Question: Why not castle? Black isn't threatening .. . bs yet, due to the pin.

Answer: Yes he is ! Castling drops a piece: 10 o-o?? bS 11 .i.xbs lLlb6! and the in-between move leaves White red faced. 10 ... b6!

Black single-mindedly goes after dS.

Question: Doesn't 10 .. . l2Jb6 regain the pawn?

Answer: No. Be aware of White's hypnotic queen moves in this line. Here 11 'ii'h3 ! holds the pawn. Now Black's knight is in the way on b6 and he is unable to toss in ... bs.

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The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

11 o -o �b7 12 i..e3 More common is 12 lle1 l!e8 13 tt'lg5! ?, a move designed to get Black nervous about

sacs on f7 and also d6 tricks. After 13 .. . b5 14 �b3 llc8! (a clear improvement over 14 .. . tt:'lb6?!- later on this knight heads back to d7, so why move it in the first place? - 15 d6 e6 16 tt:'Jge4 when Black saw nothing better than to return to home base with 16 .. . tt:'lbd7 in P.Harikrishna-l.Dominguez, Bermuda 2005) 15 d6 e6 16 tt:'lge4 we revisit Harikrishna­Dominguez, except Black has the extra move .. . llc8 and he is to move - a two tempi net gain! 12 ... l!e8 13 llfe1 lieS 14 h3 ttJcs ?!

Slightly inaccurate. The simple 14 ... b5 ! looks effective: 15 �b3 tt:'lb6 when the previous loss is recouped, with four black attackers on d5 and only two white defenders.

15 �d4

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Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

Question: Why return the pawn? Doesn't 15 b4 hang on to it?

Answer: Only temporarily: 15 .. . tbcd7 16 �ac1 b5 17 i.b3 tLlb6 regains the pawn, even if White chops the knight on b6.

White should play 15 �ac1! which leaves him better at the end of the line 15 . . . tLlxd5 16 tbxd5 ii.xd5 17 b4! ii.xf3 18 bxc5 b5 19 ii.xf7+ <i;;xf7 20 gxf3 �c6. 1s ... tbxds 16 ii.xg7 <i;;xg7 17 tbxds ii.xd5 18 ..txd5

18 b4! ? tbe6 19 ii.xa6 �c2 20 �a4 .l:!.c3 21 tLle5 tLlf4 gives Black full compensation for the pawn. 18 ... �xds 19 d4 tLle6 20 �e5 ?1

My gut feeling is this is an overly optimistic decision and the seed of White's defeat. White continues to try to squeeze something out of nothing by taking an absolutist ap­proach, refusing to liquidate. By retaining the isolani, he banks on his greater central con­trol and attacking chances over the long-term problems associated with nursing an isolani late in the game. Instead 20 �xa6 tbxd4 21 tbxd4 �xd4 is even. 20 ... �d6 21 'ii'e3

Too late to turn back now. He can no longer liquidate: 21 �xa6? ! tbxd4 22 �ae1 (22 11e3?? tbc2 23 .l:.d3 �8 and on 24 �ad1 tLlb4 forks after all) 22 .. . tLlxf3+ 23 gxf3 obviously only gives Black chances to win. 21 ... tLlc7 22 l:te1 tLld5 23 'ii'b3 tLlc7 24 'ii'e3 tLld5 25 'ii'b3 �ed8

No draw! 26 a3 e6 27 h4 �c61

Intending .. . �c4. 28 �5e2

Maybe he should toss in 28 h5 . 28 ... 'ii'c4 29 'ii'd1

White needs queens on the board for any hope of attack. Of course, it is hard to attack when you keep retreating. 29 ... tbf6 30 'ii'd2 l:tds 3 1 'ii'e3 bs 32 .l:!.d2 'ii'c7 33 tLle5 �cd8 34 'ii'f4 tLlh5 3 5 �e3 tLlf6 36 l:td3 'ii'd6 37 l:ted1 tLlgS

Black intends ... tLle7 and ... tLlc6 or ... tLlf5. He probably didn't like the line 37 ... h 5 38 'ii'f4 .l:!.f8 39 .l:!.f3. 38 'ii'e4

38 h5 ! ? f6 would force White to sac with 39 hxg6, but who says Black must accept? He can just play 39 .. . hxg6! 40 tLlf3 tLlh6 when the pressure mounts on the isolani. 38 ... h5 39 g41 ?

The certainty of youth !

32 3

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Question: Is this necessary? Now White, in his attempts to attack, gives himself three isolanis.

Answer: I wouldn't play it, but perhaps it's a matter of temperament. If White sits around, Black squeezes with ... ltJh6 and ... lDfs. Bu must have believed passive defence would lose in the long run or perhaps he thought he could still play for the win. Still, you may be right in distrusting the rash pawn thrust. As it turns out White didn't get a thimble full of counter­play for the weakening of his position. 39 ... hxg4 40 'iixg4 ltJh6 41 'it'gs l:i.h8 42 l:i.c1

White rejects the critical 42 hs ! ? lDfs 43 ltJxg6 (43 hxg6?? walks into a pawn fork with 43 .. .f6) 43 ... 'ii'd8! 44 'it'xd8 l:thxd8 4S lDes ttJxd4 46 h6+ �h7. Now 47 ltJxf7?? fails: 47 ... lDe2+. 42 ... lDfs 43 l:i.c6 'ii'ds

Black defends with the weary patience of a parent with a difficult child.

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Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

44 �xd8 White did not want this and must have made the move with the taste of bile in his

mouth.

Exercise (calculation}: Try to work out the forced line in its entirety or in part: 44 �xa6? �xes ! 45 dxes 'it'xd3 46 'ii'f6+ �h7

47 'ii'xf7+ �h6 48 �xe6 'ii'dl+ 49 �h2 �g4 and Black should win. An impressive 12-ply if you made it to the end.

44 ... �hxd8 Threat: . . . �xes !

45 �f3 �xd4 The once proud isolani falls. White is busted since he is down a pawn and remains fos­

ter parent to two more isolanis. 46 �c7 �f61

Black's king proves a tough old root to unearth. The loss of f7 doesn't bother him much, as long as his king remains active. 47 lLlxf7 �g4+ 48 �fl �dl+ 49 �e2 �gd4

A mate threat arises on d2. 50 �h3 �1d2+ 51 �e1

Fearing sunrise, the vampire returns to his coffin. 51 ... �xb2 52 tt:Jgs tt:Jxh4

White's failing infrastructure, in total disrepair, now crumbles. 53 lLlh7+

53 �g3 puts up greater resistance. 53 ... �es S4 lLlgslLig2+ s s �f1 lLlf4

Threatening mate and also White's rook on h3 . 56 �e3+ �5 57 lLlf3 �dl+ S8 lLle1

White can't afford to swap rooks, since he needs to try to harass Black's king. The knight, now just a shadow of its former self, hides in shame on el. 58 . . . �f6 59 �f3 g5 60 �CC3

Have you ever had a dream of endless falling?

60 ••• �bb1 61 llce3 as The opposing army enfolds White's king like the grave. Meanwhile Black simply creates

a passer on the other side. 62 �e4 b4 63 axb4 axb4 64 �fe3 b3 65 �b4

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The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Answer: 6S ... .l:!.xe1+1 0-1

Summary

Exercise (combination alert}: Find the shot which ends the game immediately.

I have bungled too many blitz games against too many GMs to dismiss the 5 'iia4+ line. You can equalize, but only if you know exactly what you are doing. Study the opening the­ory section of this game carefully.

Game 41 A.Sokolov-A.Karpov

11th matchgame, Linares 1987

1 e4 c6 2 c4 dS 3 exds cxds 4 cxds lt.Jf6 5 lt.Jc3 lt.Jxds 6 t'Llf3

326

Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

Question: How is this any different than playing the queen's pawn up two squares?

Answer: First, White doesn't have to deal with a pin later on with ... �b4. White also reasons that a developing move may be slightly more useful than pushing the d-pawn forward. 6 ... lbxc3

Question: Oh, no! You are luring us into some strange Grunfeld. Why not 6 ... e6 which keeps us in more familiar territory?

Answer: True enough, but why not a Grunfeld if we get a nice version for Black?

Question: How so?

Answer: In normal Grunfeld positions White has an e-pawn and Black has his c-pawn. In this case it is as if Black plays .. . cs and . . . cxd4 and White, instead of recapturing with his c­pawn, plays e3 and exd4, which is almost never played in Grunfeld. So the answer is: Yes to Grunfeld when we get a good version for Black.

1 bxc3

Question: What if White is lower rated and recaptures with his d-pawn in order to get a draw?

Answer: What draw? He simply loses his castling rights if he plays 7 dxc3 'it'xdl+ 8 c;t>xdl lbc6 (8 .. .f6 ! ?}. We get an ending which looks like a very nice version of one we would get from the black side of a c3-Sicilian. White's king is in the middle and not completely safe. Also, we have opposite-wing pawn majorities, which reduce the drawing chances. 7 ... g61

327

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Question: Must I? I don't know the Grunfeld!

Answer: I encourage you to try the Grunfeld structure against this line, but if you are ada­mant, you can still play 7 .. . e6 8 d4 j_e7 9 j_d3 tbd7 10 0-0 o-o 11 1:te1 �c7 12 c4 b6 13 j_b2 j_f6 with play very similar to this and the previous chapter. The only difference being, you took on c3 with your knight, not your dark-squared bishop, M.Suba-D.Barria Zuniga, Ali­cante 2000. 8 h4! ?

A move like this can only be made by one with a huge appetite for attack. Not many were brave enough to attempt to blow Karpov away in the 1980's ! White hopes to take ad­vantage of the fact that there is no knight on f6, in order to enforce h5 to open the h-file. others:

a) 8 d4 j_g7 9 j_d3 o-o 10 0-0 tbc6 11 j_e4 tLla5 12 j_f4 j_e6 13 1:te1 l:tc8 14 �d3 j_c4 15 �e3 l:te8 16 tbg5 �d7 17 �g3 j_ds and I prefer Black's long term chances over White's immediate attacking intentions, J.Lautier-G.Sargissian, Paris (rapid) 2009.

b) 8 j_c4 j_g7 9 lLlgS ! ? (subtlety was never Moro's strong suit!) 9 .. . 0-0 10 �f3 e6 11 d4 tbc6 12 o-o tLla5 13 j_d3 j_d7 14 l:tbl l:tc8 15 tbe4 j_c6 16 �g3 j_xe4! 17 j_xe4 �d7 18 .if4 b6 19 l:tbd1. Once again, I would take Black's play against the hanging pawns and his con­trol over c4, rather than White's bishop pair, A.Morozevich-A.Karpov, Moscow (rapid) 1992.

c) 8 j_b5+ j_d7 9 a4 j_g7 10 o-o 0-0 11 .ta3 tLlc6 12 1:te1 l:te8 13 d4 (White must play this sooner or later, or risk Black taking over the centre) 13 ... l:tc8 14 1:tc1 tLla5 looks balanced, L.Vogt-R.Dautov, German League 2008. 8 ... .tg7

Question: I sn't hS a threat which Black should prevent?

Answer: Apparently Karpov didn't think so. Black can also play 8 ... h6 9 d4 j_g7 10 j_e2 tLlc6

328

Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

when White gave up on his mating ambitions with 11 o-o in A.Beliavsky-M.Tal, Moscow

1982. 9 hs l2Jc6 10 J::tb1 �c7

Question: Why does White hold back on playing d4?

Answer: The instant he plays d4, he has to worry about c3 and c4. Instead Sokolov decides to keep the baby hanging pawns just where they are. They are not as weak, but on the down side, White doesn't have much influence on the centre if he holds back. u ... .tfs 12 J::tbs l ?

I remember trying the same idea once in a similar position. To my recollection, my rook got tangled up and I had to fight for a draw. 12 ... a6 13 J::tcs 'ii'd7 14 �b3 o-ol ?

Clearly Karpov looks upon White's attack with disdain, since he refuses to swap queens with 14 .. Jie6+ 15 i.e2 �xb3 16 axb3 when White's structure has benefited from the swap. 15 hxg6 hxg6 16 i.c4 i.f61

Possibly intending ... Wg7 and ... l:th8 to take over the file White helpfully opened. 11 d4 bs 18 i.ds tDas 19 �d1 ?1

White may have been worried about the line 19 �4 l2Jb7 20 tDes lL\xcS ! when he had to calculate the ramifications of the knight fork on d3. Still, the computers say this was the better route for White. 19 ... lDb71 20 tDes

Forcing Black to part with his defensive bishop. Instead if 20 i.xb7 �xb7 21 �d2 'ii'e4+ 22 Wfl �1+ 23 tDe1 J::tfc8 and now 24 �6??, which incidentally threatens nothing, is met by 24 .. . i.d3+ winning on the spot. 20 ... -txes

329

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

One may engage in an act of bravery, even if afraid. 21 dxes tt:lxcs 22 'it'd4!

The board suddenly comes alive with pieces jumping this way and that. White's last move looks forced since 22 i.xc5? fails miserably to 22 ... l:.fd8. 22 ••. 4Jd3+ 23 'iW1

The question arises: Which side sustained the most damage? Sokolov is down material and to all appearances it looks like Karpov has been baited with the walls closing in around his king.

Exercise (critical decision}: White threatens the deadly 'ii'h4. How does Black deal with this idea?

Answer: 23 ... 'it'a71 Forcing a swap of queens. Karpov's secret superpower has always been his sangfroid,

even under the heaviest assaults. 24 i.xe7

Sokolov doles out gifts like Santa, but alternatives fare no better: a) 24 'it'h4 'it'xf2+! 25 'it'xf2 tt:lxf2 26 �xf2 l:.a7 27 i.c5 l:.d7 leaves Black up an exchange

and a pawn. b) 24 i.xa8 'ir'xd4 25 cxd4l:!.xa8 26 i.xe7 threatens i.f6 and now the simplest way to

win is 26 ... tt:lf4 intending .. . tt:lh5. 24 ... 'it'xd4

Karpov chooses the clearest path . For the record 24 .. . 'it'xe7 also wins after 25 e6 f6 26 'it'h4 'it'g7 27 e7+ l:.f7 28 ..txa8 .J::!.xe7. 25 cxd4

The king side looks to be rough terrain, packed with deep fissures along the dark squares. It looks like all the elements of White's perfect storm coalesced, but this is just not so.

330

Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

Exercise: White threatens mate with .if6 and .:th8. Find Black's defensive resource.

Answer: 25 . . . lbf41 0-1 If you desire heaven, then begin the journey by backing away from hell. Karpov has eve­

rything under control. The knight heads for h s. If 26 .if3 then 26 ... .:tac8 is terminal for White.

Summary Let's put aside our fears and boldly enter the favourable Grunfeld with 6 .. . lbxc3 and 7 ... g6! .

331

Chapter Nine

Exchange Variation

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 exds cxds 4 i.d3 lt:Jc6 5 c3 fkc7

The Exchange Variation is a harmless line which, paradoxically, many of my students say they don't like to face. We all remember when Fischer schooled Petrosian with it at the USSR versus The Rest of the World m atch. The Exchange Variation has come a long way since then for Black. The line once feared in the 1970's has of late been shorn of its power. In the words of John lennon: "No hell below us. Above us only sky."

In the diagrammed position after s ... fkc7 ! we deny White's bishop use of the f4-square. later, when White tries to punch it through with 6 tt:Je2 i.g4 7 f3 i.d7! 8 i.f4, we walk into a shocking self-pin with 8 ... es, with a favourable isolani position for us. We reach a position which at first glance looks very good for White. It isn't. White's pieces sit misplaced to deal with the isolani, and his f3-pawn especially gets in the way and weakens key squares. look carefully at Sasikiran's treatment in the first game and you will never fear the line again.

332

Exchange Variation

1 e4 c6

Game 42 B.Gonzalez-K.Sasikiran Calvia Olympiad 2004

India's number two ranked GM Sasikiran, rated nearly 2700, lives under the giant shadow of Anand, who is also currently ranked number two, but in the world! 2 d4 ds 3 exds cxds 4 .i.d3

The starting position of the Exchange Variation. White desires a fixed pawn structure, which is in essence a reversed Queen's Gambit Declined - so a move up. Unlike the Panov­Botvinnik, where the extra move counts, here the extra move fails to extract an advantage against accurate play.

Question: You say the Exchange is like a QGD, but I see that White develops his bishop to d3. When Black plays QGD the bishop is rarely developed to the corresponding d6-square. Why did White play the bishop to d3 rather

than follow normal QGD protocol with tt:lf3 and .i.e2?

Answer: For one simple reason: ambition ! White reasons that his extra move matters (he is wrong - it doesn't!} and so plays his bishop to the more aggressive square d3, where it de­nies Black's light-squared bishop access to f5. Notice also that Black can't play .. . .i.g4 since White delayed the development of his knight to f3 .

Question: How do we play if White does play it purely like a QGD?

Answer: Something like this gets you easy equality: 4 tt:lf3 tt:lf6 5 .i.e2 (5 c4 transposes to Chapter Seven) 5 ... tt:lc6 6 0-0 .i.g4 7 c3 e6 8 .i.f4 i.xf3 ! ( I like this unbalancing move; we

333

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Caro-Kanners don't always play for draws! ) 9 i.xf3 i.d6.

Principle: When your opponent has the bishop pair, trade one of them off. After 10 .txd6 'it'xd6 Black has his normal queen side minority attack, but I am not sure what White's plan is except to take measures against the coming minority attack, E .Rozentalis­R.Wojtaszek, Greek Team Championship 2006.

Question: What if White plays 4 i.f4 before Black can play ... 'ii'C7?

Answer: Then we grab the other diagonal, b1-h7, with 4 ... tbc6 5 c3 (5 c4 tbf6 gets us a Panov-Botvinnik where White's bishop may have been developed too early to f4) 5 ... i.f5: for example, 6 'iih3 'ii'd7 7 tbf3 e6 8 tbe5 tbxe5 9 .txe5 tbe7 (let's not fall for i.b5 tricks! ) 10 tbd2 tbc6 11 tbf3 f6 12 i.g3 g 5 ! 13 i.e2 h5 14 h4 g4 15 tbh2l:!.g8 16 0-0 ..th6 17l:!.ad1 i.e4! 18 l:!.fe1 f5 and Sasi had grabbed the initiative in A.Wohi-K.Sasikiran, Torquay 2002. 4 ••. tbc6

Why not? We threaten d4. 5 C3

Instead 5 tbf3 allows Black to easily solve his bad bishop problems with the simple 5 ... i.g4 and the trouble with 5 tbe2 is that it allows Black to corner White's good bishop with 5 ... tbb4 6 i.b5+ i.d7 7 .txd7+ 'it'xd7 8 c3 tbc6, as in D.Jeremic-V.Burmakin, Berlin 1997. s .. .'iit'c7

334

Exchange Variation

Houska and Schandorff both suggest this line for good reason - it is Black's best. I am convinced we get dynamic equality no matter how White responds. If the positions arising from s . . . 'it'c7 don't appeal to you, Black has a couple of l ess dynamic options:

a) s .. . liJf6 6 �f4 �g4 7 'it'b3 'it'c8 ! (Karpov's preference over 7 ... 'it'd7 when Black may ex-perience vulnerability from �bs and ttJes tricks from White) 8 liJd2 e6 9 4Jgf3 �e7 10 ttJes

.ihs 11 'it'c2 4Jd7 12 o-o liJdxes 13 .ixes ttJxes 14 dxes �g6 15 'it'a4+ 'oti>f8 16 .ixg6 hxg6 17 4Jf3 a6 18 'it'f4 'it'c7 and Black equalized in J.Benjamin-G.Kamsky, US Championship, Saint Louis 2009.

b) s ... g6 6 4Jf3 �g7 7 o-o 4Jf6 8 �e1 o-o 9 h3 .ifs ! (we will see more of this trick later in the chapter) 10 .if4 (10 �xfs gxfs is okay for Black, who may later try to drum up an attack down the g-file) 10 ... �xd3 11 'it'xd3 and Black looked fine in J .Royset-V.Burmakin, Tromsoe 2010. 6 liJe2

Later in this chapter we also examine the main alternatives 6 h3 and 6 liJf3.

335

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Question: 6lZJe2 looks rather passive. What is the idea?

Answer: Two ideas: 1. White plans to gain a tempo on Black's queen next move with .tf4. If Black responds

with ... e6 and ... .td6, White would be happy to swap off Black's good bishop and imprison the other bishop behind a wall of pawns.

2. If Black plays .. . .tg4 White meets it with f3, breaking the pin and gaining a tempo.

Question: What if White plays 6 g3 intending i.f4?

Answer: A fianchetto makes much less sense if the fianchettoed bishop is off somewhere else, in this case d3: 6 ... es ! (more dynamic than 6 ... lLlf6) 7 dxes 'i*'xeS+ (in this case Black doesn't even mind an ending with the isolani; his pieces remain active) 8 'ii'e2 .tg4 9 f3 (9 'i*'xeS+ lZJxes 10 .tbS+ lZJc6 still looks okay for Black) 9 ... .te6 10 i.f4 'ii'f6 11 lLld2lZJge7 12 h4 h6 13 0-0-0 lZJg6 with a sharp position in M.Novikov-A.Kuzin, Tula 2006.

6 ... .tg4

Question: We play the move anyway?

Answer: Yes, we have a little strategic trick awaiting White. 7 f3

7 .tf4 is met with the obvious queen "sac" 7 ... 'ii'xf4 8 lLlxf4 .txd1 9 'it>xd1 e6 when I ac­tually prefer Black because he may be able to engage a minority attack later on the queen­side, P.Postupa-E.Meduna, Pardubice 2011.

Question: What is a minority attack?

Answer: This is a complicated question and requires an entire chapter to explain ! For a

336

Exchange Variation

simplified answer, Black would play for an eventual ... �b8, . . . bs and .. . b4, which would damage White's queenside pawn structure, no matter how he responds. 7 ... i.d7!

Question: Why not the more natural 7 ... i.hs?

Answer: This is also playable, but not as dynamic: 8 lt:Jf4 lt:J f6 g lt:Jxhs lt:Jxh s 10 o-o e6 11 f4 g6. White's bishop pair is rather meaningless in such Stonewall structures and chances are balanced, M.Jurcik- I .Papaioannou, Rijeka 2010. 8 i.f4

Question: s . .. 'ir'C7 doesn't look all that appealing. White is pushing us around, isn't he?

Answer: I s he?

337

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

s ... es!

Question: A self-pinning move?

Answer: It is, but White has no good way to exploit it. We had no intention of backing down. Black gets a nice isolani position since White's f3 doesn't fit well. Now you also see one of the ideas behind 7 .. . i.d7: White can't give check on bS anymore. Also, luckily for us, we are all by now masters of either side of the isolated d-pawn positions, having thor­oughly studied Chapters Seven and Eight!

9 i.g3 Or 9 dxes tt:Jxes 10 o-o i.d6 11 tt:ld4 tt:le7 12 tt:la3 (12 tt:lbs? just drops material to

12 . . .'i!Yb6+) 12 . . . a6 13 tt:Jac2 0-0 14 'i*'d2 l:!.ac8 and Black has few difficulties associated with the ownership and care of an isolani, S.Buchal-D.Fridman, Bad Wiessee 2010. 9 ... i.d6 10 tt:la3 a6

Black isn't interested in taking on a3, which weakens his dark squares. 11 tt:lc2 tt:lge7 12 o-o

White refuses to cooperate and face the isolani position, so Black makes him! 12 ... h5!

This jarring move wakes White up and gets his attention. Black may even be thinking about castling long and attacking White's king . He also intends .. . h4, which forces White into taking on es. 13 dxes tt:Jxes 14 i.xes

White can't hang on to the bishop forever: 14 tt:led4 h4 15 i.f2? tt:Jxd3 16 'i*'xd3 i.xh2+ wins a clean pawn. 14 ... -txes 15 f4 i.d6 16 tt:Jcd4 h4 17 �h1 �h6! 18 b4?!

White, dancing on thin ice and convinced Black's king will head queen side, launches a pre-emptive strike. In reality, White tosses seeds into the wind, hoping something grows.

338

Exchange Variation

Exercise {planning}: How would you react to White's last move?

Answer: 18 ... �f8! The weapon already battle tempered is usually the most effective. Sasikiran's move is

reminiscent of Black's play in Chapter Three. Black's king is better off on f8 than on the queenside, where White can attack. Now White's last move served only to weaken c4 and give him a backward c-pawn. 19 'ikd2 l:te8 20 fs

Exercise (critical decision}: The pawn lifts a sword in salute, closes his visor and rides into battle. White, dreaming of attack,

just offered us his h-pawn. Should we take it and allow f6 from White next move? If we don't take it, how do we prevent f6?

Answer: 20 ... ttJg8! Black must bend with the wind or break. When encountering an obstacle, sometimes it

is easier to simply walk around it, rather than tear it down. This multipurpose move block­ades f6 and reroutes the knight to control e4. White continually indulges his whim of at­tack, like the parent who can never say no to the spoiled only child. From this point on, all the energy from White's position slowly drains away like wine poured in a cracked glass. However, White would get a strong attack after the greedy 20 .. . ..itxh 2? ! 21 f6. 21 ttJf4 ttJf6 22 l:tac1 bS

Clamping down on the c4 break. 23 a3 �g8 24 ..ltb1

339

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Exercise {planning): Black's position is very good, but he still must deal with a few issues. His dS-pawn may yet come under attack. Can you find a

re-routing manoeuvre to strengthen dS and improve his game overall ?

Answer: 24 ... .ic81 The b7 post is the correct placement for the bishop.

25 .id3 .ib7 Now e4 is ripe for occupation by Black's knight.

26 h3 l:tes 27 l:tf2 fie7 28 l:tcf1 .ic7 Contemplating .. . 'ii'd6.

29 l:te2 l2Je4 30 .ixe4 dxe4 31 fie3 Principle: A queen is the worst possible blockader. Yet, 31 fie3 is White's best move - a

bad sign. 31 ... .ib6 32 l:td2 .ixd4

He decides to cash out, but 32 ... fif6 looks even stronger. 33 l:txd4 l:txfs 34 l:tfd1??

White had to try 34 l:tddl figs 3 5 fia7 �h7 36 fixb7 l:txf4, although he is still losing.

340

Exchange Variation

Exercise (combination alert}: White's last move is an oversight in a difficult position. How does Black exploit it?

Answer: 34 .. .'ii'gsl 0-1 The queen plants a deadly poisoned kiss on the pinned knight's lips.

Summary Don't fear the self-pinning 8 .. . e s ! . Black achieves a pleasant isolani position.

Game 43 O.Dimakiling-Le Quang Liem

Olongapo City 2010

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 exds cxds 4 i.d3 lt:lc6 5 c3 'ii'c7 6 h 3

341

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Question: Shouldn't he be developing?

Answer: You have a point. White may not have the luxury of expending a move to halt ... ..tg4 pin ideas. 6 .. .tbf6

Best: a) Despite its defeatist appearance, 6 .. . e6 is playable. But I ask: Why submit to a poten­

tially bad bishop when there is no need? After 7 tt'.lf3 ..id6 8 0-0 tt'.lge7 9 l:te1 ..id7 10 tt'.lbd2 tt'.lg6 11 tt'.lf1 tt'.lf4 12 ..ixf4 ..txf4 13 'i*'e2 o-o Black hopes to eventually engineer .. .f6, ... l:tae8 and ... e s, A.Georgantas-A.Kharitonov, Rethymnon 2011.

b) 6 ... es?! looks too huffy, since it involves a pawn sac: 7 dxes tt'.lxes 8 ..ibS+ tt'.lc6 9 'i*'xds tt'.lf6 10 'i*'gS ! h6 11 'i*'h4 ..id6 12 tt'.lf3 ..id7 13 ..te3 o-o-o 14 tt'.lbd2 l:the8 15 o-o-o and Black didn't get enough compensation for the pawn in Y.Norowitz-E.Vicary, Internet 2009. 7 tt'.lf3 g6

Question: Why are we fianchettoing our bishop into a pawn wall on d4?

Answer: To avoid the passive alternative 7 ... e6. The fianchetto blunts White's kingside at­tacking ambitions. Also, Black can later play ... ..tfs ! hoping to unload his bad bishop. 8 o-o ..tg7 9 ..ie3

A strange spot to develop the bishop. Perhaps White thinks Black may soon play for ... es,

in which case the bishop on e3 is well posted to blockade the d4-square. 9 l:te1 0-0 10 tt'.la3 ..tfs! is similar to our game continuation, E.Romanov-A.Dreev, Baku 2011. 9 ... -ttsi

The point of the fianchetto. Black finds a path out for his troubled bishop.

342

Exchange Variation

Question: I understand that Black wants to swap

away his bad bishop, but at what price?

Answer: Perhaps slightly weakening, but you may be overstating your case. The .. . gxfs re­capture also helps Black. He opens the g-file for a potential attack on White's king and in­creases his grip on the e4-square - more than enough compensation for the minimal weakening involved. 10 tba3!?

Question: Would a move like 10 Ji.e2 be worth considering?

Answer: I wouldn't play such a passive move and tempo loss just to preserve the light­squared bishop. White didn't like the look of 10 .ixfs gxfs when Black may even consider castling queenside later on, using the open g-file against White. 10 ... Ji.xd3

Mission accomplished. No more bad bishop. Black has fully equalized. 11 'iWxd3 0-0 12 l:i.ac1!?

White, having drifted into passivity, contemplates a future c4! ? going for an isolani po­sition. 12 ... .l:!.fc8 13 'ir'e2

34 3

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

13 ... a6

Exercise {planning}: We reach one of those positions where we know we have equalized, but then don't quite know what to do next.

Can you find an effective plan for Black in this position?

Answer: Begin operations to take the initiative on the queens ide by preparing a minority attack. Black plans .. . bs, first taking space. Perhaps he will follow with .. . e6, . . . lLld7 and .. . lLlb6, playing on the C4-square, or by aiming for an eventual .. . b4. 14 C4!?

As the old saying goes, sometimes the cure may be worse than the disease. White pre­vents the minority attack, but takes on a not-so-great looking isolani position. He will miss that light-squared bishop. Without it White's attacking chances go way down and Black's chances for an iron blockade go correspondingly up. 14 ... dxc4 15 lLlxc4

White plans to annoyingly post a knight on es . Black can't eliminate it without dissolv­ing White's isolani or weakening his king side pawn front with .. .f6 later on. 1s ... lLlds 16 a3 h6 11 l:tfd1 'ii'd7 18 i.d2

After 18 lLlceS 'ii'e6 we see the idea behind 16 . . . h6. Black doesn't have to worry about lLlgS anymore. 18 ... l:tc7 19 lLlces 'ii'e6 20 'iid3 l:td8 21 1:te1 'ii'c8 22 lLlg4

As usual with a queen's pawn isolani position, the isolani side begins hostile gestures in the direction of Black's king. 22 . . .'�h7 2 3 l:te4

A move of flair and insolence. White dips a finger quickly in and out of the pot and dis­covers that the water has come to a rolling boil. Black's king looks protected by a seemingly impenetrable force field of pawns. White decides the only path is to blast through with a threat to sac on his knight on h6 followed by l:th4.

344

Exchange Variation

Exercise: Fortunately, it's Black to move. Can we get away with 23 ... fs?

23 .. .ts1 Answer: We can. White's last move was an error. That said, 23 . . . lt:Jcb4! is also strong and has the virtue of simplicity. After 24 l:he7 lt:Jxd3 25 .l:ixc8 .l:ixc8 Black wins a pawn since he threatens to fork with . . .fs and b2 also hangs. 24 lt:Jxh6

Exercise (multiple choice/critical decision): A storm arises which the weather lady didn't predict on TV. The game swings

on this next move. Which piece to take? a) 24 .. .fxe4, eating his rook;

b) 24 ... �xh6 25 .l:ih4 and now we toss in 2S ... f4.

345

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

24 ... .ixh6? Black's first step over the threshold leaves him with a rake in the face.

Answer: White's tiber-rook struts about with a sense of entitlement and the belief that it is exempt from the normal rules. The cocky rook should be punished with extermination at once. Correct was 24 . . .fxe4! 25 'it'xe4 .ixh6 26 1i'h4 'ii'f5 27 'ii'xh6+ 'it>g8 which leaves White down a rook and without a reasonable way to continue. 2 5 llh4 f4

Black counted on this move, but White has a surprise lying in wait. 26 g41

The con artist may dream of sudden wealth in the presence of innocence. Black must have missed this shot, which disrupts the smooth flow of his defence. There is no good way to avoid g 5 ! Soon all order collapses. 26 •• .l2Jxd41

Principle: Counter in the centre when attacked on the wing . 26 . ..l2Jcb4 27 .l::i.xc7 tt::ixd3 28 l!xc8 .llxc8 29 g 5 tt::if6! 30 l:txh6+ 'it>g7 31 .ic3 tt:le4 32 tt:lh4 tt::idxf2 is totally unclear.

21 tt::igs+ Black's king is still very much alive. 27 'it'xd4! forces a draw after 27 .. . llxc1+ 28 .ixc1

'it'xc1+ 29 'it>h2 'ii'c2 30 g5 tt::if6 ! 31 !Ixh6+ 'it>g7 32 gxf6+ exf6! 3 3 l:txg6+! 'it>xg6 34 tt:lh4+ 'it>f7 3 5 'it'xd8 1i'xf2+ 36 tt::ig 2 f3 37 'ii'd7+ with perpetual check. 27 ... 'it>g7

28 llxc7? He continues to presume upon his good fortune and gets carried away.

346

Exercise (calculation}: Try to work out this forcing line as far as you can in your head: 28 'ii'xd4+! tt::if6 29 l:i.xc7 llxd4 30 llxe7+! 'it>g8

31 .l:txh6 nxd2 32 :xg6+ 'it>f8 33 l:lf7+ 'it>e8 34 .l:tgxf6 'it'c1+ 35 'it>g2 .I:txf2+! and it's perpetual check. 16-ply.

Exchange Variation

28 ... lbxc7 29 l:!.xh6 The attack must be fed at any cost.

29 ... �xh6 30 i..xf4 l::td5 Now Black stands better in the complications.

31 lbe6+? A better way to conduct the attack was 31 'i1Ve3 ! es 3 2 i..xes ltxes 3 3 'i1Vxes lbde6.

31 ... �h7 32 lbxc7 l:.d7! Cutting off White's knight.

33 'i1Ve4 'ii'f8 34 �g2

Exercise {planning): Black has a path to consolidation. What is it?

Answer: 34 . • . 'i1Vf6! There is no good answer to the coming ... 'i1Vc6.

35 b4 'ii'c6 36 'i1Vxc6 lbxc6 37 lbe6 The knight got out, but at an incredibly high cost. Black managed to take queens off the

board and consolidates easily. 37 .. J:td3 38 a4 lbxb4 39 h4 .§.d5 40 �g3 lbc6 41 i..e3 l::!.d6 42 lLlg5+ �g8 43 i..b6 l::!.d3+ 44 f3 l1b3 45 i..c7 b5 46 axb5 l:i.xb5 o-1

The passed a-pawn costs White another piece.

Summary Remember the ... g6 and ... i..fs manoeuvre.

Game 44 A.Moska li k -0. Yevseev

Koszalin 1999

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exds cxd5 4 i..d3 lbc6 5 c3 fkc7 6 lbf3

347

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

The worst of White's 6th move options, which comes close to deserving a dubious mark. I feel like White is fighting for equality from this position.

Question: Why?

Answer: First, White virtually begs Black to easily solve his bad bishop problem by giving him the convenient ... .ig4. Second, White's bishop doesn't belong on d3, since it does noth­ing about the pinned f3-knight. If White wants a pure Queen's Gambit Declined a move up, he should develop his bishop to e2, not d3. 6 . . . .ig4 7 0-0

White may already stand worse after this move since Black forces a loosening of White's pawn front. Instead after 7 lt:Jbd2 e6 8 0-0 .id6 9 'i'a4 (White is justifiably nervous about creating a pawn weakness in front of his king, so he trades one problem for another: he

will inevitably lose time when Black gets around to . . . a6 and . . . bs) 9 . . . tt:Jge7 10 tt:Jes .ihs 11 l:te1 .ig6 12 i..f1 o-o 13 tt:ldf3 a6 Black's minority attack was well underway in A.Menvielle Lacourrelle-J .Magem Badals, Las Palmas 1997. 7 ••. e6 8 .!::!.e1

8 tt:lbd2 .id6 9 'i'a4 transposes to the last note. 8 . . . .id6 9 h 3

There it is, creating a weakness.

348

Exchange Variation

Question: Would 9 g 3 have been a better option?

Answer: In case of 9 g 3, Black castles queenside and follows with ... hs , with an attack. 9 . . . i..h s

Question: Didn't White just gain a tempo?

Answer: Yes, but this is scarcely a drawback for Black. The weakened pawns in front of White's king heavily outweigh the lost tempo. 10 tt:Jbd2 tt:Jge7

Question: Why not play the knight to f6?

Answer: I like playing to e7, as Black keeps open options of . . .f6 and .. . gs , or .. .f6 and ... es .

u ttJf1

349

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

11 . .. 0-0-0!

Exercise: Use your judgement. Can Black get away with castling queen side and play for an opposite wing attack?

Answer: He absolutely can, especially since White threw in h3 . Now he is vulnerable to any .. . g 5-g4 pawn break. 12 a4

White begins his own attack, but he looks tied down on the kingside. That "aggressive" bishop on d3 hurts his cause and is better off on e2, breaking the pin . I am convinced all of us possess at least one special, hidden chess gift. In the case of your humble author, my chess superpower is the intuition of knowing exactly when to grovel ! Here my finely-tuned grovel intuition screams for 12 .te2 and then doesn't even bother with a queenside attack since it is sure to be slower than Black's attack on the kingside. Just hunker down on the king side for the coming storm and pray. 12 .. .'it>b8

Question: Isn't this a waste of a tempo? We are in opposite-wing attacks and every tempo matters.

Answer: Black's move is a useful precaution. Now he doesn't have to worry about C4 on each move, when White threatens to open the c-file with Black's king and queen lined up. 13 b4 �dg8

The correct rook. He stays the course, foreseeing .. . gs and .. . hs . The chaotic 13 .. . es ! ? also looks like fun after 14 bS e4 15 bxc6 .txf3 16 gxf3 exd3 17 cxb7 �xc3. I prefer Black in this admittedly messy position. 14 a s gs!

Black is happy to give away the pawn and doesn't need .. . h6 to prepare the move.

350

Exchange Variation

15 g4?! It is difficult to outrun confusion when under assault. White's move looks too ambi­

tious. He grabs a pawn, opening lines for Black. Here I prefer the delayed grovel line 15 i.e2!, intending to meet 15 ... g4 with 16 lbh4! f5 which may have been White's best shot at

survival. 1s ... �g6 16 �xgs

The ambitious bishop is like the office worker who offers empty compliments to his

boss and superiors, aspiring to advance without merit. However, even after 16 lbxg 5 h 5 17 .txg6 lbxg6 18 b5 lt:Jd8! (18 .. . lt:Jxa5 19 lha5! 'iixa5 20 lbxf7 gives White some counterplay)

19 b6 axb6 20 axb6 'ii'xb6 Black's attack runs faster than White's non-attack. 16 ... h s

This is too easy. Black stifles a yawn and keeps attacking. 17 lbe3?

White begins to buckle under the pressure. He should sacrifice his pawn structure to save his king with the unappetizing line 17 i.xe7 lbxe7 18 g5 'Yi'xc3 19 i.xg6 lt:Jxg6 20 l:te3, although I admit his pawn structure isn't a pretty sight at this point.

17 ... hxg4 18 hxg4 i.xd3 Logically clearing the g-file for his rook.

19 'iixd3

19 .. J�h3!

Exercise (combination alert}: I state the obvious when declaring Black has a powerful attack. He has the luxury of two

different ways to win. All you need to do is to find one of them.

Answer: Attacking the defender of g 5 wins, as does 19 .. . �f4! 20 i.xe7 (20 i.xf4? 'i¥xf4 21 'i'd1 �h3 22 lDd2 l:!.h1+! 23 �xh1 'i'xf2 mates) 20 ... lbxe7 and White's defences collapse.

351

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

20 'it>g2 In an emergency, there is no time to pause for grief. White can't survive 20 i.xe7? i.xe7

21 'it>g2 'iVf4! . 20 ... l:!.xf3! 21 i.xe7?

He was better off playing 21 'it>xf3 .l::i.xgs . 21 ••. l:!.xe3 22 l:!.xe3 CiJxe7 2 3 'il'h7 l:!.xg4+ 24 'it>f3

The king comes tumbling out, as if from a burning building. 24 ... l:!.gs

White, who is down material and under attack, can rest easy and resign here. Rarely in war does only one side bleed, but such is the case here. White's attack never really got started. 2S l:!.h1 a6 26 'il'h8+ l:!.g8 27 'iih7 'il'c8 28 'il'd3 eS!

Threatening mate in one. 29 We2 e4 30 'iVd1 CiJfs 31 .l::teh3 'iVc4+ 32 'it>e1

Exercise: Find the shot which forces immediate resignation.

Answer: 32 ... e3! 0-1 After this interference trick, White's king sees he is forsaken, just by gazing into the

black queen's cold eyes.

Summary White fights for equality in the 6 CiJf3 line. If White wants to play a pure QGD a move up he should play his knight early to f3 and then develop his bishop to e2, not d3.

352

Chapter Ten

Two Knights Variation

1 e4 c6 2 lt:Jc3 dS 3 lLlf3 i.g4

Painting black stripes on a cat fails to transform it into a tiger. The Two Knights Varia­tion is one of those lines which on the surface looks good for White, but simply isn't all that hot. White, seeking to avoid a theoretical melee by simply bringing out his knights first, reasons that quick development can't be a bad way for him to open a chess game. The trouble is the plan is too simplistic to extract an edge, since it allows Black to eliminate the problem piece in the Caro-Kann, his light-squared bishop.

When White kicks our bishop from the diagrammed position we refuse to play games by backing the bishop up. Instead, we simply take the knight and then switch the pawn structure later with ... e6 to favour our remaining bishop. And why not? When you see that your opponent desires a thing not in his best interest, always grant the wish. After the cap­ture on f3, Black enjoys comfortable equality.

35 3

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Game 45 R.Fischer-T.Petrosian

Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade Candidates 1959

1 e4 c6 2 li:Jc3 dS 3 li:Jf3

The Two Knights Line. White refuses to get drawn into a deep theoretical fight in critical lines like the Main line Classical, Advance or Panov-Botvinnik. Instead, White reasons that it just can't be bad to bring out pieces quickly. After all, White has a two to zero development lead over Black right now. But this is deceptive.

Question: Why?

Answer: Because the position remains somewhat closed. In such positions quality devel­opment overrides quantity. 3 . . . i.g4

The most logical move. Black develops and prepares to eliminate his problem piece in the Caro, his light-squared bishop.

354

Question: It feels like we are getting sucked into a quirky line which White may know better than me.

Why not transpose to the Mainline with 3 .. . dxe4 4 lt:Jxe4 lt:Jd7?

Two Knights Variation

Answer: This is close to a transposition, but not quite. White hasn't pushed his d-pawn yet and instead substituted a developing move for it. This tiny change makes all the difference. After 5 .i.c4 l2Jgf6 6 l2Jeg5 e6 7 'ir'e2 suddenly White threatens l2Jxf7 and gets a super potent version of Chapter Two since 7 ... l2Jb6? fails miserably to 8 l2Je5.

Question: You convinced me on that one, but why can't Black just gain a tempo with 3 ... d4?

Answer: Perhaps it is playable, but I don't trust it. The stats favour White. For example: 4 tt:Je2 c5 5 l2Jg3 l2Jc6 6 .i.b5 (of all the nerve! White plays our trick of dumping his bad bishop before switching his pawn structure with d3) 6 .. . 1ib6 7 .i.xc6+ 'ii'xc6 8 d3 g6 g l2Je5 'i*'a6 10 f4. I am not crazy about Black's position, which looks suspiciously close to a nice Sicilian Grand Prix Attack for White, I .Drozdov-V.Bachin, Moscow 2005. 4 h3 .i.xf3

355

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Question: You are a killjoy. Isn't 4 ... .ih5 a lot more fun?

Answer: Carokannites frown upon fun in any way, shape or form when easy equality is ours without high risk. The adventurous 4 .. . .th5 does admittedly look entertaining. However, the stats suggest that just chopping on f3, where we relieve ourselves of our bad bishop, is the simplest and best path. If 4 .. . .txf3 is good enough for top Caro experts like Karpov and Dreev, then it's good enough for me !

If you insist on playing the crazy line then this is how i t runs: 4 .. . .th5 5 exd5 cxd5 6 .ib5+ ltJc6 7 g4 .ig6 8 ltJe5 !Ic8 9 d4. This is the tabiya position. White will play 'ii'e2 fol­lowed by h4, attempting to run Black's bishop off the board. Be warned: the play from here is very sharp and possibly in White's favour. 5 'ii'xf3

Question: Can White try the radical 5 gxf3 ! ? to strengthen his centre and also open the g-file for his rook?

Answer: Sometimes 5 gxf3 ! ? is played for shock value. White opens the g-file, at cost to his structure. It certainly doesn't lead to any advantage for White: 5 .. . e6 6 d4 ltJd7 7 .ie3 lbe7 8 1li'd2 (Black is fine with 8 h4 h5) 8 . . . ltJg6 9 0-0-0 .ie7 10 .id3 lLlh4 11 'ii'e2 0-0 12 !Ihg1 <ti>h8 13 f4 f5! 14 f3 bs and White's attack drops anchor and arrives at a standstill, while Black's is just beginning, S.Ter Sahakyan-F. Berkes, Martuni 2009.

s . . . lLlf6

Question: Does it make any difference if Black plays 5 .. . e6 first?

Answer: Not really. I prefer the s ... ltJf6 move order, simply because it tempts White into early (and dubious !) es-e6 pawn sacs. 6 d3

356

Two Knights Variation

The old school move allows Black equality - as does every other white try! The position is so non-confrontational that White has free reign of multiple piece set-ups. In the next two games we examine the more modern alternatives 6 d4 and 6 g 3. others:

a) 6 es tbfd7 7 d4 (7 e6? is just unsound: 7 .. .fxe6 8 d4 es 9 dxes tbxes 10 'iflls+ tbf7 when Black has an extra pawn and the big centre; he follows up with the plan ... g6, . . . ..ig7, . . . 0-0 and .. . es, with a close to winning position, T.Smith-C.Lakdawala, San Diego 1981) 7 ... e6 gave Black a favourable Advance French without the bad bishop in G .Ravenna­V.Okhotnik, Faaker See 2003.

b) 6 exds. Milquetoast. The move reminds me of those lame, reversed QGD lines White tried last chapter. After 6 ... cxds 7 ..ibS+ tbc6 8 o-o e6 9 d4 ..ie7 10 tbe2 Black was at least equal in S .Djuric-A.Vyzmanavin, Tilburg 1993.

c) 6 ..ie2 is a tricky idea. White keeps options open by holding back on d3, which allows

annoying ... ..ib4 pins, and also d4, which gives Black early ... dxe4 options, exposing White's d-pawn. Following the 6 .. . e6 7 o-o ..ics (covering against White's d4 push; there is nothing wrong with the simple 7 .. . dxe4 8 tbxe4 tbxe4 9 'it'xe4 tbd7 when Black gets a position simi-lar to those in Chapter One) 8 'i'f4 ..ib6 9 es (we should always welcome this push, getting us the favourable Advance French, with no light-squared bad bishop headaches) 9 .. . tbfd7 10 d4 o-o 11 tba4 of D.Solak-F.Berkes, Neum 2011, 11 .. .f6 looks fine for Black.

d) After 6 g4 !? (White tries to Keres Attack us!) 6 ... tbxe4 7 tbxe4 dxe4 8 'i'xe4 'i'dS ! 9 i.g2 e6 10 0-0 'it'xe4 11 ..ixe4 tbd7 White's g4 won't help him in the ending and may turn out to be a weakness later on. Black was at least equal, despite White's bishop pair in V.Vorotnikov-Mi.Tseitlin, Yaroslavl 1979.

e) 6 b3 (since White has problems with d3 and d4, he finds an alternate route out for his dark-squared bishop) 6 ... e6 7 ..ib2 lbbd7 8 o-o-o? ! (adventurous, but Black's attack is faster) 8 ... 'it'as 9 'it>b1 ..ia3 10 ..ixa3 'i'xa3 11 'it'g3 was A.Reprintsev-B.Jobava, Warsaw (rapid) 2010. Now Black can whip up a strong, perhaps winning attack with 11 ... d4! 12 tbe2 as ! . 6 ... e6

357

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

7 g3 A move favoured by King's Indian specialists. Black's next move proves that White does

indeed get a K ID, but a rather sour version. Today, most 2600+ players go for 7 i.d2. Black's choices:

a) 7 . ..lbbd7 8 g4 (be aware of this Sicilian-style Keres Attack idea from White) 8 ... h6 9 'i'g3 i.b4 10 0-0-0 i.xc3 ! ? (a daring pawn grab; Black can also go for the more positional 10 ... d4 11 tLle2 i.xd2+ 12 .l:Ixd2 'i'as 13 a3 es 14 f4 0-0-0) 11 i.xc3 dxe4 12 i.g2 (12 dxe4?! allows Black to get away with his pawn grab after 12 .. . t2Jxe4 13 'i'e3 t2Jxc3 14 'iVxc3 'tlt'f6!} 12 .. . exd3 13 l:Ixd3 tZ:ldS ! 14 i.xdS (g7 is untouchable: 14 i.xg7?? figS+) 14 .. . cxds 1S 'iVd6 tZ:lf6 16 'ilib4 gave White sufficient compensation for the pawn, but no more in D.Mastrovasilis-D.Navara, Greek Team Championship 2011.

b) 7 .. . i.b4 8 a3 i.as and now White prevented the coming bishop swap and lashed out with 9 b4!? in E .Rozentalis-V.Iordachescu, French League 2011. After 9 .. . i.b6 10 g 3 as we reach a normal reversed King's Indian position where White's queenside pawn moves can only help Black.

c) 7 ... i.e7 8 g4 t2Ja6 (instructive: Epishin leaves d7 open for his f6-knight} 9 gS tZ:ld7 10 h4 tZ:lb4! . Now White fell back with 11 'i'd1 in E.Tate-V.Epishin, New York 1993, since he didn't like the look of 11 o-o-o d4 12 tZ:le2 t2Jxa2+ 13 <it>b1 tZ:lb4 14 t2Jxd4 'i'as.

7 ... i.b4!

8 i.d2 With 8 a3 White gets both bishops at the high cost of a seriously damaged structure:

8 ... i.xc3+ 9 bxc3 'ilk as 10 i.d2 dxe4 11 dxe4 tZ:lbd7 and the players agreed to a premature draw in E .Rozentalis-P.Schlosser, Cappelle la Grande 2003, but I like Black's position here. 8 ... d4 9 tLlb1 i.xd2+

Alternatively, 9 ... 'ilib6 (inducing White's next move) 10 b3 t2Jbd7 11 i.g2 as 12 a3 i.xd2+ (there goes White's good bishop) 13 t2Jxd2 'i'cs 14 'i'd1 hS and Black maybe already stood

358

Two Knights Variation

slightly better in the later game R.Fischer-P.Keres, Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade 1959 Candidates.

Fischer received a second blow to the head in this game, losing to Keres. This prompted alle­gations of Soviet collusion, where the Russians play as a team. Paranoid as Fischer was, I be­lieve him. But perhaps Fischer's real problem in the tournament was his faith in this worth­

less line versus the Caro, coupled with the incredible playing strength of his opponents! 10 tt:Jxd2 es 11 �g2 cs 12 0-0 tt:Jc6 13 'ii'e2

Black has achieved a dream reversed King's Indian where White's attacking dark­

squared bishop got traded for Black's traditionally bad bishop. White intends the standard K ID plan of f4 next, mobilizing his kingside pawns. 13 ... gs!?

Petros ian later tried the calmer 13 . . .'ilke7 14 f4 0-0-0 15 a3 in R.Fischer-T.Petrosian, Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade Candidates 1959, where I still prefer Black after 15 ... 'iitb8.

14 t2Jf3?!

Exercise (critical decision}: Black's last move is intended to discourage f4. Should White risk playing 14 f4 anyway?

This move would give Black the e5-square and expose both kings.

Answer: The teenage Fischer is understandably intimidated by his world champ-to-be op­ponent and chickens out. He should plunge ahead with 14 f4! anyway: 14 ... gxf4 15 gxf4 tt:Jd7 16 � 5 li'f6! (stronger than 16 .. .'i*'e7 17 tt:Jc4 o-o-o? which allows White the trick 18 'i*'xf7!) 17 tt:Jc4 'i*'g6 18 'it'h4 l:!.g8 19 l:tf2 b5 with a sharp position. 14 ... h6 15 h4

White is desperate for counterplay. 15 ... 1:!.g8 16 a3 'ii'e7

The perfect spot for the queen, where it keeps an eye out for e5 , g5 and also White's b4 pawn break.

359

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

17 hxgs hxgs 18 'ii'd2 t2Jd7 19 c3 0·0-0 20 cxd4 exd4! Clearing eS for a knight.

Exercise: How can White generate counterplay?

Answer: 21 b4! White must respond quickly or get mated himself. He offers a pawn to open lines

against Black's king . 21 ... 'it>b8

In the words of Sarah Palin : "Thanks but no thanks!" 22 �fc1

I insist ! 22 ... t2Jces 2 3 t2Jxes 'ii'xes 24 �c4 �c8

Petrosian turns his gaze toward the queenside. 25 �ac1 g4! 26 'ii'b2 �gd8 27 a4 'ii'e71

Now ... tLles is in the air. 28 �b1?

Over-optimism, the birthmark of youth. Fischer overestimates his attack and decides to ladle sauce over his game, hoping to add savour to an otherwise bland defence. He should hunker down and accept 28 'ii'c2 tLles 29 �xes �xes 30 bxcs �c8 when White still stands worse, despite his temporary extra pawn, since cs is a goner. Black's knight then rules over White's bishop. 28 ... t2Jes 29 �xes J::txcs 30 bxcs t2Jxd3 31 'ii'd2 t2Jxcs 32 'ii'f4+ 'ii'c7 3 3 'ii'xg4 t2Jxa4 34 es

At last, the bad bishop begins to breathe, but the privilege cost White dearly. The re­duced material means a low likelihood of a successful attack. Black's dangerous, passed d­pawn's advance soon distracts White. 34 ... t2Jcs 35 'ii'f3 d3 36 'ii'e3 d2

360

Two Knights Variation

Principle: Passed pawns must be pushed (as long as you don't drop them) !

37 �f3 lt:Ja4 Threat: the game-ending .. . lt:Jc3.

38 'ii'e4

Exercise (combination alert}: We arrive at that nagging, familiar "almost there" point in the game. Just one little nudge is all it would take to

convince White to resign. Is Black forced to backtrack and play his knight back to cs, in order to defend b7, or does he have something better?

38 . . . tt:Jcs? The knight follows a false, trackless path and its hope for a rise to power remains

unleavened. Answer: Petrosian missed 38 .. . 4:Jb2 ! 39 �dl tt:Jxdl 40 l:.xd1 'ii'c1 which leaves White com­pletely tied down and busted. 39 'ii'e2 a6

He should once again play 39 .. . lt:Ja4! and meet 40 'ii'bs (or 40 'ii'e4 lt:Jb2 ! ) with 40 .. . 'ii'b6 ! . 40 'ito>g2 'ito>a7 41 'ii'e3 l:.d3 42 'ii'f4 'ii'd7 43 'ii'c4 b6 44 l:.d1

361

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Exercise (planning}: Black's advanced d-pawn is blockaded. How does Black make progress?

Answer: 44 ..• a5 1 Let's not forget the two other passed pawns. Black must push them with the help of his

king. White has too little force remaining on the board to scare Black away from this plan. 45 'iif4 .l:.d4 46 'iih6 b5 47 'iie3 'it>b6 48 'iih6+ 4Je6 49 'iie3 'it>a6 50 i.e2 a4 51 'iic3 'it>b6 52 'ii'e3 tLlc5 53 i.f3 b4 54 'iih6+ 4Je6 55 'ii'h8

Hoping to harass from the back rank. 55 ••. 'ii'ds 56 'ii'h7 'ii'd7 57 'ii'hs b3

White's position is nine parts anguish, one part prayer. The gravity of his earlier deci­sion to sac the pawn for his fictional attack must have penetrated Fischer about here. There is no perpetual. Black soaks up the attack as easily as sand absorbs water. Black's king soon weaves his way into the safety of White's territory! 58 'ii'b8+

This queen is no more than a toothless but mean-spirited dog who growls at any passer by who dares to try and pet her.

58 ••• �a5 59 'iia8+ 'it>b5 6o 'iib8+ 'it>c4 61 'ii'g8 'it>c3 62 .i.h5 4Jd8 63 .i.f3 a3 64 'ii'f8 'it>b2 The concept of democracy ceases to exist in the wild. The strong simply take over.

Black's king, now deep in enemy territory, takes control to lead his pack. 65 'iih8 4Je6 66 'ii'a8 a2 67 'iia5 'iia4 68 11xd2+

362

T wo Knights Variation

Exercise: Find the most precise move to finish White off.

Answer: 68 ••. 'iti>a31 0-1 The pieces formally greet one another with chilled courtesy. White finds himself

hemmed in by the mob. There are no more checks and Black soon promotes his a-pawn.

Summary This game made a deep impression on theory. Today most 2600+ players go for an early 7 i.d2 to avoid the pin problems based on Black's coming ... .ib4.

Game 46 V.Chernetsov-A.Chigishev

Correspondence 1997

1 e4 c6 2 li:\f3 dS 3 li:\c3 .ig4 4 h3 .ixf3 5 �xf3 ltJf6 6 d4

36 3

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

White refuses to pussyfoot about with King's Indian set-ups and bursts open the centre - but at a cost.

Question: What cost? The move looks perfectly natural .

Answer: Please see Black's next move! 6 ... dxe4

Double attack! White's queen is attacked, as well as his d4-pawn. Now White has a choice. He can just sac the pawn, as White did in the game, or he can meekly defend his d­pawn with his queen to e3.

Question: Can Black refuse to take on e4 by playing 6 . . . e6?

Answer: He can, but then White responds by maintaining the tension himself with 7 i.d3. So we may as well take immediately on e4. 7 tbxe41?

The boldest and most thematic move. White resolves to sac a pawn for the bishop pair and development lead. 7 'ir'e3 is the duller, safer route for White: 7 .. . tt:'!bd7 8 ttJxe4 ttJxe4 9 'ir'xe4 tt:'!f6 10 'ir'e3 e6 11 i.d2. White's loss of time via the multiple queen moves gave Black an equality similar to the positions reached in Chapter One, D.Marjan-M.Vukic, Novi Sad 1976. 7 .. .'�xd4

8 tbxf6+1?

Question: Shouldn't White retain tension with a developing move like 8 i.d3?

Answer: That is probably what I would try as White. This may give White full compensation

364

T wo Knights Variation

for the pawn, but I doubt an advantage. Perhaps White was worried about developing his bishop to d3, in fear of a future ... lUes from Black: for example, 8 .. . tt:\bd7 9 ..ie3 'iit'ds (pre­venting White from queenside castling; 9 ... 'ii'xb2 ! ? 10 o-o looks awfully g reedy but may yet be playable) 10 l:!.d1 e6 (the feared ... lUes isn't so great anymore; 10 ... tt:\es? 11 tt:\xf6+ exf6 12 'ii'xds cxdS 13 ..ibS+ regains the pawn with a clear advantage for White) 11 o-o ..ie7 12 tt:\xf6+ ..ixf6 13 ..ie4. This was R.Mamedov-S.Alavi Moghaddam, Abu Dhabi 2006, and now Black can even grab the second pawn with 13 .. .'iixa2 ! ?, leading to equality after 14 ..ixc6 bxc6 1S 'ii'xc6 0-0! 16 l:!.xd7 'ii'xb2 17 l:!.xa7 l:!.ac8 18 l:!.c7 'ii'b8. 8 . . . exf6

He chooses to develop rapidly by capturing away from the centre.

Question: Which recapture do you think is best?

Answer: I like the one Black chooses, but they all look playable. Let's look: a) 8 . . . gxf6 9 ..id3 tt:\d7 (intending ... tt:Jes)1o c3 'ii'ds 11 ..ie4 'ii'bs 12 a4 'ii'c4 13 ..if4 o-o-o

14 b3 ! 'ii'cs 1S 0-0 with an unclear position. Undoubtedly White has some compensation, but if given a choice I would take Black.

b) After 8 ... 'ii'xf6 9 ft3 b6 10 i.e2 es 11 o-o ..ics Houdini says it's even, Rybka likes White and Fritz likes Black! 9 c3 'ii'es+ 10 i.e2 ..id61

The move frustrates White's kingside castling, as well as i.f4 tempo-gainers. 11 ..ie3 tt:\d7 12 0-0-0 'ii'e61?

Black gets cute and forgets he is behind in development. The queen really doesn't threaten a2 since she is busy defending the bishop on d6. I don't believe in White's com­pensation in the straightforward line 12 ... 0-0 13 ..id3 lUes 14 ..ic2 l:!.fd8. 13 g41?

White can force a draw in the line 13 'ii'g4 ..ics (13 .. . ii'xg4?? drops a piece to 14 ..ixg4)

365

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

14 .txc5 'ii'xg4 15 .txg4 tLlxc5 16 �he1 + tLle6 17 ..txe6 fxe6 18 �xe6+ <ttf7 19 �ed6 �he8. 13 ... 0-0-01

An accurately calculated temporary pawn sac. 14 .ixa7 <ttc71 15 .ie3

15 a3? b6 shuts in the a7-bishop. 15 ... 'ii'xa2

Exercise (critical decision}: There is no right or wrong answer to this one. The exercise is more an indicator of your style and personality.

Would you sac the exchange on d6 next move or not?

16 �xd61? Answer: White did! Warriors who m eet in battle scarcely require introductions. White suc­cumbs to the allure of open lines in conjunction with a lead in development and decides upon a speculative sac which casts Black's king adrift, with the shoreline receding rapidly. We can steer our opponent into a course of action either through logical argument or, as in this case, the whip!

Question: Is this sac sound?

Answer: The sac would work a lot better in an over-the-board game. It's hard to swindle a guy who was likely surrounded by a bodyguard of computers, weaker though they may have been in 1997. Still, I can't fault White for the sac. Our tendency is to boil potentialities down to calculated formulas. Of course this is a delusion since the X-factor of entropy, mingled with the opponent's caprice, have the nasty effect of messing up our neat and tidy plans. 16 ... 'ii'a1+

Black consolidates after 16 .. . �xd6 17 'ii'f4+ tLle5 18 �d1+ <ttc7 19 .id4 �he8 20 .ic4 'ii'a5 21 .ixf7 �e7.

366

T wo Knights Variation

17 <it>c2 'ii'a4+ 18 <it>b1 <it>xd6 19 .td1 'ii'c4 20 'ii'g3+ tt:Jes 21 .tc2

21 ... <it>e7?1 Once a person experiences a trauma, the mind's eye is incapable of unseeing the or­

deal. The king recoils from the menace with a distinct absence of courtesy for his host, but in the wrong direction ! The modern-day computers give 21 ... <it>c7 22 i.d4 .l:the8 when it isn't easy for White to find a way to continue his attack. 22 .l:te1

He should probably destabilize the knight with 22 f4. 22 ... .l:tde8?1

Black should play 22 .. . .l:tds. 23 gS

Neither player seems to have a grip on the reins amidst the chaos which swirls around them. Is the unthinkable possible: could it be both correspondence players are not using computers? 23 ... h61?

Better was 23 .. . <it>d7, although White keeps some initiative after 24 f4 lt:Jg6 25 .l:tdl+ <it>c7 26 i.d4 .l:thg8. 24 f4 lt:Jd7 2s i.fs?l 'ii'ds

Black should try 2S .. . <it>f8 ! when his d7-knight isn't really hanging, since he has .. . 'ii'd3+ in response. 26 .tc2 hxgs 27 fxgs?

Neglected opportunities have a funny way of remaining in disrepair. Houdini gives the drawing line 27 c4! 'iixc4 28 fxgs 'ii'ds 29 .tb3 (now White's bishops sweep the board with a wide net) 29 .. . 'ii'fS+ 30 .tc2 'ii'ds 31 i.b3. 27 ... <ot>f8

Finally, Black's king achieves a modicum of safety by disappearing into the night.

367

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

28 !td1 'ife6 29 i.d4 !txh3 30 'iff4 fxgs 3 1 'ifxgs g6 32 !tf1 !thsl 33 'ifxg6??

Exercise (combination alert): White's last move was a game-ending blunder. How can Black pick up heavy material?

Answer: 33 ... 'ife1+! 0-1 Deflection.

Summary After 6 d4 dxe4 there are two paths before you: White either plays 7 'ife3, where you arrive at a dull equality, similar to Chapter One, or White sacs his d-pawn with 7 lLlxe4 'ifxd4, in which case you land in a mess, not unfavourable to Black.

Game 47 B.Rzayev-A.Dreev

Baku 2011

1 e4 c6 2 lLlc3 ds 3 lLlf3 i.g4 4 h3 i.xf3 5 'ifxf3 e6 Remember, the move order doesn't matter much. You can play s .. . e6 or s . .. ltJf6.

6 g3 This may be a superior way to g et the reversed King 's Indian formation, but still fails to

extract an edge.

368

T wo Knights Variation

Question: How is this move order superior to 6 d3 first?

Answer: With this move order White doesn't fear ... i..b4 pin ideas, namely because there is no pin if he keeps his d-pawn on d2. He plans to play d3 later, but only after castling. 6 . . .lbf6 1 i..g2 i..cs

Probably the best move in the position.

Question: What does the bishop do on cs?

Answer: It prevents d4 ideas from White. later on, White will want to play for f4. The bishop on cs makes White waste a tempo with �hl or �h2, in order to achieve f4. lastly, Black may later take on e4, White will recapture with his d3-pawn and then Black can play for

369

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

. . . e5 . Black's bishop is best placed on c5 in such a scenario. Black's alternatives have a tendency to merge in and out of one another: a) 7 . . .<�:Jbd7 8 'ii'e2 dxe4 9 tt:Jxe4 tt:Jxe4 10 .txe4 g6 ! ? (the pedestrian 10 .. . tt:'lf6 11 .tg2 il..e7

is also good enough for equality) 11 c3 ..i.h6! (in order to deprive White of the bishop pair) 12 h4 tt:'lc5 13 d4 (13 il..c2 'it'd5 14 o-o o-o 15 d4 ii.xc1 16 1:tfxc1 tt:'ld7 is equal) 13 ... .txc1 14 �xc1 tt:Jxe4 15 'it'xe4 'ii'd5 ! 16 'it'xd5 cxd5 gave Black a microbe of an edge due to his coming queenside minority attack in L.Ljubojevic-A.Karpov, Monte Carlo (blindfold} 1995.

b) 7 .. . .tb4 8 o-o tt:'lbd7 9 a3 (a pawn sac in order to bag both Black's bishops; White sus­tains substantial structural damage to earn the bishop pair in the line 9 d3 .txc3 10 bxc3 dxe4 11 dxe4 'ii'a5) 9 ... .txc3 10 'ii'xC3 dxe4 11 b3 'ii'e7 12 d3 exd3 13 a4 o-o 14 il..a3 c5 15 'it'xd3 �ab8 and White got compensation for the pawn, but no advantage in I .Nepomniachtchi-S.Grigoriants, Moscow 2006.

c) 7 .. . il..e7 may be the worst of Black's choices, simply because it gives White exactly what he wants, a typical King's Indian reversed position: 8 o-o o-o 9 d3 tt:'lbd7 10 'ii'e2 b5 11 f4 and I like White's king side chances, Kr.Georgiev-I .Papaioannou, Greek Team Champion­ship 2006.

d) 7 .. . tt:Jxe4 (taking with the pawn will most certainly transpose) 8 tt:Jxe4 dxe4 9 'it'xe4 'it'd5 ! (ah, yes, the old Chapter One trick, leading White by the nose into our speciality end­ing) 10 0-0 'it'xe4 11 il..xe4 tt:'ld7. As we all understand by now, White's space and bishop pair fail to constitute an advantage for him here, A.Chernuschevich-R.Dautov, Swiss League 2008. 8 0-0 0-0 9 d3 tt:'lbd7

10 'ii'e2

370

Question: It looks to me like White has a good position, with the bishop pair and a brewing king side attack with

'it>h1 and f4. How does Black get counterplay?

Two Knights Variation

Answer: Follow the principle: Counter in the centre when attacked on the wing.

Question: Even if the wing attack hasn't started yet?

Answer: The Dutch theologian/scholar Desiderius Erasmus wrote: "Prevention is better than cure."

Question: Well, where is this central counter?

10 ... il..d41 Answer: Right here! Black threatens to disrupt White's pawn chain by chopping the knight on C3.

Question: And give up both bishops for it?

Answer: Yes, the position remains somewhat rigid and at least dynamically equal if White allows that trade. 11 tt::ld1

White believes in the threat to take on C3 . Here is an example of White allowing it: 11 'it'h2 il..xc3 12 bxc3 dxe4 13 dxe4 'Was 14 c4 tt::lb6 15 .Jli.b2 l:fd8! (taking on f6 would hardly bother Black whose king would remain safe) 16 es was V.Smyslov-S.Flohr, USSR Champion­ship, Moscow 1950. Now Black can get away with 16 .. J:td2 ! 17 'ii'f3 l:lxc2 18 'Wb3 'ii'a4! with advantage. 11 .. .'ii'c7

12 il..e317 This breaks the principle: When you have the bishop pair, don't swap one of them away.

In this case Black's bishop was quite annoying on the g1-a7 diagonal and White decided it needed to go. I would have played something like 12 c3 .Jli.b6 13 �h1 dxe4 14 dxe4 es with

371

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

an equal position. 12 ... ..11i.xe3 13 tt:lxe3 as

Black begins to take ground on the queenside. 14 f4

This natural move may be a bit early. 14 ... dxe4

Black's plan remains as it was since the dawn of time: Counter in the centre when at­tacked on the wing . 1S dxe4 es

The same principle.

16 fs?l How convenient for Black. His opponent volunteers a bad bishop.

Question: I feel that you are being too positional. What is wrong with massing forces around Black's king ?

Answer: I n war, numeric advantage i s meaningless i f the other side controls the better trained military. 1,000 sheep are no match against ten wolves. White should retain the central tension with something like 16 .l:tad1. 16 ... .l:tfd8 11 �h2 lUes

Adding pressure to e4. 18 tt:lg4?1

He salts the wound further by depleting even more of his already inadequate attacking resources. Swapping knights also accentuates the strength differential between the knight and White's bishop. White should probably try 18 .l:tad1, as his e-pawn isn't really hanging yet since he wins it back if Black grabs it. 18 ... tt:lxg4+ 19 �xg4

372

T wo Knights Variation

He allows infiltration for a non-existent attack. But it's hard to believe 19 hxg4 is any better: 19 .. . h6 20 f6 g S 21 'it'e3 b6 22 l:tfs 'it'd6 and I don't see how White makes progress. Still, this looks better than the game continuation. 19 ... l:td2 20 l:tacl

White's attack goes nowhere if he tosses in 20 f6 g6 21 'it'gs l:txc2 22 'ii'h6 li::le6.

20 ... l:tad8

As simple as that. White is strategically busted as his counterplay goes from threadbare to none. Notice that Black doesn't even bother tossing in .. .f6.

21 'ikf3 Nothing unites a country faster than the threat of an invading army. White's quiver runs

empty of attacking ideas and now he concentrates on the unpleasant business of survival. 21 ... 'ikd6

Simple, powerful positional play. His game grows stronger with each centralization. 22 �hl 'ii'd4 23 b3

373

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Exercise {planning): How would you proceed as Black?

Answer: 23 • . .'i!Vb2 Let's go pawn grabbing! And why not? Weak pawns sprout like weeds in an untended

garden. 24 'iie3

Exercise: How can Black now pick up a pawn?

Answer: 24 ... J:Xxc2 Simple: take it. For those of you who chose not to take on c2: Be careful not to reject a

variation because you see a ghost in the analysis. 2 5 l::txc2 �xc2 26 f6 l:td2 27 .i.f3

The bishop, divorced from reality, wanders in a daze. 27 . . • 'ii'd3 !

Principle: Counter in the centre when attacked on the wing. 28 'iie1

White's pieces flutter about like nervous canaries in a cage, looking into the hungry gaze of the family cat. Swapping queens is also completely hopeless. 28 . • • gxf6 29 ltf2 �xf2 30 �xf2 lbxe4 31 .i.xe4

At last, White gets to unload his bad bishop. Unfortunately he remains down three pawns. 31 ... �xe4+ 32 �h2 �g7 0-1

Summary The "improvement" 6 g3 really isn't much of an improvement over the old 6 d3. White still gets nothing.

374

Chapter Eleven

Fantasy Variation

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d S 3 f3 'ii'b6!?

In this chapter we have the wind at our backs. Jobava's oddball 3 . . .'iVb6!? seems to be driving our Fantasy Variation opponents into fits of theoretical frustration. At the time of writing, they remain mute for an answer when confronted with the outlandish queen move. White continues to score below the SO% level against it.

There are two simple ideas behind 3 ... 'iib6!? : 1. White needs to play .ie3 sooner or later - in many cases it's later or never! The trou­

ble is b2 hangs if White develops the cl-bishop. 2. White must watch out for another nasty idea, namely ... es ! . If White plays dxes then

... .ics simultaneously hits the hanging knight on gl and also the tender f2-square. Another factor in our favour is that after 3 ... 'ii'b6 there are no complicated lines for us to

375

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

memorize. The position is sharp, yet conceptual. Just play the position the way a dog lis­tens to a voice: no details; the dog only hears the tone and understands.

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 f3

Game 48 I.Nepomniachtchi-V.Ivanchuk

Havana 2010

The Fantasy Variation is now the darling of extremeophiles worldwide. Nepomniachtchi may be the highest-rated GM who regularly experiments with it. Lately the Fantasy line has surged in popularity. Schandorff suggests the reason is possibly because White may be having trouble extracting an edge from the main lines. If true, this is promising news for the clan of the Caro.

Question: What is the idea behind the move?

Answer: Multipurpose: 1. By playing 3 f3 White denies Black's light-squared bishop entry to either the tradi­

tional resting spots fS or g4. 2. White avoids all swaps and maintains the central tension. 3. Many of the lines in the Fantasy reach odd, un-Caro positions. White hopes to lure us

out of our realm of understanding and into strange places. 3 . . . 1i'b6!?

Perhaps it is White who will be taken to strange destinations.

3 76

Fantasy Variation

Question: This looks like incongruously aggressive play from the black side of Caro. How can it be correct for Black

to develop his queen before any other piece?

Answer: The body of evidence on the games played so far after 3 ... 'i1Yb6 ! ?, a relatively new idea, proves otherwise. I admit that it is a disorienting m ove where the normal strategic reference points are hard to find. Let's try, though. First, the position is closed, so Black can get away with such an indulgence. Second, the Scandinavian is a perfectly sound opening where Black does just that: 1 e4 ds 2 exds 'iVxds. So there is opening precedent for such moves. GM Jobava revived this strange idea into a nasty weapon against the Fantasy line.

Question: What is the point of the move? Black can't even go pawn grabbing on b2, since White's bishop covers the pawn.

Answer: A reminder that there are two ideas behind the move: 1. The queen ties White's bishop to c1, unless White wants to sac, which looks rather

unsound in most cases. 2. In many lines Black may toss in the startling pawn sac .. . e s ! . Schandorff and Houska both give 3 ... dxe4 4 fxe4 es 5 t2Jf3 i.g4 as the main Black re­

sponse versus the Fantasy.

Question: So why don't you cover it?

Answer: I feel playing this way gives White exactly what he wants, namely a tense, open, King's Gambit style position, without even sac'ing a pawn. Let's instead lure White into our turf and avoid his.

Question: What is "our turf?"

377

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Answer: The position is blocked for now. Remember the Fantasy folk tend to want crazy, open tactical slugfests where they sac but also have the initiative. If we do later open with the ... es pawn sac idea, it is we who sac for the initiative, not White. 4 a4!?

It is the nature of youth to crave change, just for the sake of change. White tries to pun­ish the queen move, hoping to gain time and space with as next move. In the next two games we cover the critical 4 lLIC3. Others are:

a) 4 c3 looks solid enough, but doesn't address 4 ... es ! s lLle2 (needless to mention that Black gets huge compensation for the pawn in the line S exds cxds 6 dxeS? ! ..tcs 7 lLlh3 ..txh3 8 gxh 3 lLle7) s .. . dxe4 6 fxe4 lLlf6 7 �c2 ..te6, which returns the gam e to the Schan­dorff/Houska plan but with a catch: White's knight sits awkwardly on e2 rather than the normal f3-square. Essentially White has been tricked into an inferior version, I .Snape­G.Jones, British League 2010.

b) 4 c4? ! es ! (a pattern emerges) S dxes? ! (S exds exd4 also looks good for Black after 6 �e2+ ..te7 ! and now 7 d6?? fails miserably to 7 .. . l!Vb4+) s .. . ..tcs 6 lLlh3 ..txh3 7 gxh 3 ..tf2+ 8

�e2 dxe4 and White's opening has been a disaster, C.De Wit-H.Van Putten, Delft 2008. c) Every other annotator failed to criticize the not-so-great 4 a3?! . I think mainly because

lvanchuk was the one playing White! 4 a3? ! is hardly an overwhelming idea. In fact, it even fails to reach the level of whelming! White wants to play lLlc3 without fear of ... ..tb4, but the move is very slow. After 4 ... eS ! {Black engages his main tactical idea) s exds and now rather than get fancy with the s ... l2Jf6 ! ? of V.lvanchuk-B.Jobava, Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad 2010, Black gets a very nice isolani position after s ... cxds! 6 lLlc3 exd4 7 lLlbs a6 8 lLlxd4 ..tcs g l2Jge2 l2Jc6 10 c3 lLlge7. Compare this with Gonzalez-Sasikiran from Chapter Nine. This is an even better version for Black. White weakened his e3-square and also lags in development. 4 ... e6!

Question: Why does Black ignore aS?

3 78

Fantasy Variation

Answer: Gawain Jones writes of the move: "This is the new try and looks quite clever to me. The Ukrainian is basically transposing back into the 3 . . . e6 variation, but with the moves a4 and .. . 'Yi'b6 thrown in . It seems to me that there are more positions in which Black's move is useful rather than White's, as a2-a4 is not a typical theme in the French which is the open­ing the position now resembles." S C3

Holding back on as. s as is virtually a pawn sac after s .. .'iid8 6 .i.e3 .i.b4+ 7 tt:'ld2 .i.xas 8 i.d3 .i.e? 9 tt:'le2. Perhaps White has compensation for the pawn, but full compensation? I doubt it. Black's position remains very solid and White's development lead doesn't mean as much in a blocked position. s ... cs!

Black gets a nice version of the isolani now. White's a4 and f3 moves especially don't fit with the change in the position.

Question: Must we now take on an isolani?

Answer: Why not, if we get a good one? How very fortunate that we are all now masters of the isolani having gone through Chapters Seven and Eight of this book! If instead s ... tt:'lf6 6 es tt:'lfd7 7 as it'd8 8 b4! and Jones gives White the advantage. 6 exds

This move doesn't fit if White already played f3, but perhaps he has no choice since 6 es? tt:'lc6 gives White an Advanced French where he tossed in the worse than useless move pair a4 and f3. 6 ... exds 1 .i.bS+ .i.d7

I would play 7 .. . tt:'lc6. The player with the isolani should, in general, avoid swaps when­ever possible. 8 'i'e2+ .i.e7 9 dxcs 'i'xcs 10 b3?!

379

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

He weakens his queen side in order to menace .ta3 later on - too high a cost. White should keep it simple and play 10 .te3. 10 ... a6 11 .txd7+

White drops a pawn in the line 11 .ta3? .txbs.

11 . . . lbxd7

12 lbh3

Question: Why does White hold back on playing his bishop to a3?

Answer: The complications favour Black: for example, 12 .ta3 simply chases the queen to a better square. After 12 .. .'it'b6 13 lbd2 .l:!.c8 14 c4 dxc4! 1S lbxc4 'it'xb3 16 lbd6+ �d8 the trouble is that Black threatens a deadly check on c3. 12 . . . 0-0-0! 13 .te3

Now Nepomniachtchi is left wondering why he tossed in b3 earlier. Others: a) 13 b4 is suspicious since White attacks when behind in development: 13 .. . 'ii'c7 14 o-o

.td6 15 f4 lbh6 16 .te3 �he8 17 'ii'd3 '>t>b8 and now 18 bs ?? fails to 18 .. . �xe3 . b) 13 .ta3 'it'b6 is the same story. The bishop on e7 isn't hanging due to the e-file pin.

13 ... 'it'c7 14 o-o lbgf6 15 '>t>h1 l:the8 16 'iVd1 .i.d6 17 .tg1 .tcs!

380

Fantasy Variation

Question: Why an exclam? Doesn't his move violate principle? Black swaps when he has the isolani.

Answer: When one ignores or intentionally violates a principle, he must also factor in the possible painful consequences of such disobedience. However, genius lives by its own rules. In this case, lvanchuk has seen deeper than the principle and overrules it. A swap of bish­ops weakens White's control over e3 and c3. This point overrides the normal principle. 18 l:!.a2!

Nepomniachtchi finds a creative method of developing the sleeping rook. 18.A�>b8 19 �d2 h6!

He denies White access to gS and contemplates .. . g S himself. 20 ..td4 l:tc8 21 lbf2 ..txd4 22 l:txd4

22 cxd4 eliminates his weakness on c3, but keeps Black in control after 22 . .. lDf8. 22 ... tDes 23 l:td2

White's c3-pawn is clearly weaker than Black's ds-pawn. 23 ... .lite6 24 �e1 l:!.ce8 2S l:i.de2

381

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

2s .. . gs!

Exercise {planning}: White's passive pieces are tied down to weaknesses in his camp. How does Black make progress?

Answer: Open up another front on the king side. This is a move which appeals to sage and thug alike. From this point, with each territorial gain from Black, White's freedom dimin­ishes by tiny increments. 26 tiJd3 g4!?

lvanchuk, at first furtively and finally brazenly, tests the defensive barrier. I would have held off on this and played 26 .. . tiJed7. 21 ttJxes l::!.xes 28 �xes l:!.xes 29 .l:!.xes 'iVxes

Even in classless societies, some members always emerge to grab power, hoping to be a little more equal then everyone else. Despite the swaps, White is still in trouble. His knight

382

Fantasy Variation

continues to loaf on the sofa and eat potato chips on b1, and his king is not so secure. Meanwhile Black's queen and knight team radiate power in the centre of the board.

30 as

30 ... hs

Exercise (calculation}: Try to follow this 8-ply forcing line to the end: 30 fxg4?? tlixg4! 31 'i!Vg1 'i!Vf4! (threatening a deadly knight check on f2)

32 g3 'iVe4+ 33 'ii'g2 'i!Vxb1+ and wins.

The superior 30 .. . gxf3 ! 31 gxf3 'i!Ve3 leaves White tangled. 31 g3 gxf3 32 'i¥xf3 'i!Ve1+ 33 �g2 llig4 34 �f4+

34 h3 tlies 35 'i¥f4 �a8 36 llia3 'i!Vxc3 picks off a pawn. 34 ... �a8 35 tlid2 'ii'e2+ 36 �g1

36 ... 'ilt'xh2+

Exercise (multiple choice}: Black's queen and knight display a marked penchant for meddling in the affairs of other pieces' lives.

Find the one move which ends White's resistance: a) 36 ... 'i!Vxh2+, reaping the harvest;

b) 36 ... h4, never mind the harvest, we play for mate; c) 36 .. . llie3, again, we go for the kill.

Answer: b) 36 ... h4! is the immediate winner. Black toasts the kingside over, like a marsh­mallow over an open flame: 37 gxh4 llie3 38 'i!Vf2 'i!Vg4+! 39 �h1 'i!Vd1+ picking up the knight. However, c) 36 ... llie3? fails to do the job after 37 'iYf2. 37 �1 fs 38 �e1 h4 39 llif1 'i!Vb2 40 gxh4 'iVxc3+ 41 tlid2 d4 42 hS

This pawn is White's lottery ticket and lone hope. As we all know, the odds of winning the lottery are rather slim .

383

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

42 ... d3 Threatening mate on cl.

43 �fl 'ii'al+ 44 �g2 'iVxas 45 h6 'ii'dS+ 46 �g3 'it'g8 47 �f3 'it'e6! 48 tt:::lf1 If 48 h7?? 'i¥e2+ 49 �g3 'i¥h2+ SO �f3 '*lVf2 mate.

48 . . • tt:::lxh6 The game is over. Black's forces are gods reclining in the heavens, while far below on

earth, the white faithful supplicate their prayers for their suffering to come to an end. 49 '*lVd4 �e2+ so �g3 �el+ 51 �f2 f4+ 52 �f3 'it'es! 53 tt:::ld2 tt:::lfs 54 �g4

Exercise: Simplify and end White's resistance.

Answer: 54 ... 'iVe2+ 0-1 Much simpler than a knight check on e3, which also does the job.

Summary 3 .. . �b6, a relatively new line, at the time of writing looks quite promising for Black and a huge headache for the Fantasy crew.

Came 49 J.Polgar-M.Ragger

European Championship, Aix-les-Bains 2011

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 f3 'i¥b6 4 tt:::lc3 dxe4 5 fxe4!? White's most ambitious try. Instead after 5 ..ic4!? tt:::lf6 6 a3?! (White begins with a bold

Blackmar-Diemer pawn sac and then follows with a super passive move; he had to try 6 fxe4 e s !) 6 .. . ..ifs 7 fxe4 (or 7 g4 ..ig6 8 g s tt:Jds 9 tt:::lxe4 tt:::ld7 and Black's position looks like a Caro-Kann, but I don't know what to say about White's random pawn moves!) 7 ... tt:::lxe4 8

384

Fantasy Variation

lLif3 lLid6 9 i.b3 lLid7 10 'i'e2 'i'a6 11 'i'f2? ! (he had to try his luck in the ending with 11 'i'xa6) 11 . . . e6 12 l2:\h4 i.e7 13 lLixf5 lLixf5 14 lLie4 'i'b6! 15 i.d2 (15 i.e3 lLie5! 16 h3 lLid3+! wins) 15 .. . 'i'xd4 White found himself down several pawns for zero compensation in S.Kapnisis-J.Polgar, Greek Team Championship 2011.

Next game we examine the more cautious 5 tLlxe4.

s . . . es!

Question: I sn't Black opening the position when behind in development?

Answer: I am not so sure Black is behind in development. In essence Black gets a super ver­sion of the Schandorff/Houska line versus the Fantasy, with the queen posted powerfully on b6. On the other hand, White's knight on c3 actually obstructs c3, which is the normal white response to ... e5 tries. 6 dxes?l

This move goes against the spirit of the position.

Question: Why?

Answer: White grabs material when she should be fighting furiously for the initiative. White should probably continue developing, in Veresov fashion with 6 lLlf3 ! exd4 and

now: a) 7 tLlxd4 lLlf6 8 e5 l2:\g4 9 e6 i.xe6 10 i.c4 i.xc4 11 'i'xg4 with great complications in

A.Polivanov-D.Yevseev, Voronezh 2011. Now Black should continue 11 .. . tLla6! 12 'i'e4+ (12 i..g5 ! ? "it'xb2 13 'i'e4+ Wd7 14 "it'f5+ is perpetual check) 12 .. . Wd7 13 'i'f5+ i.e6! ? 14 tLlxe6 l:!e8! when Houdini claims it's equal, but I prefer Black whose king looks safer in this mess of a position.

b) 7 'i'xd4 (in principle, White should avoid an ending with his inferior pawn structure; still, he retains considerable piece activity and the move may be playable) 7 ... 'i'xd4 8 tLlxd4

385

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

i.cs 9 tt:lfs g6 (9 ... i.xfs 10 exfs tt:lf6 also looks equal) 10 i.e3 i.xe3 11 tt:Jxe3 i.e6 and the pressure is on White to do something quickly with his development lead. If Black is allowed to catch up he stands better due to his structural advantage, J .Benjamin-G.Kacheishvili, Internet 2009. 6 ... i.e6

Simple chess. Black denies White i.c4 and also avoids the complications stemming from 6 .. . i.cs 7 i.c4! (7 tt:lf3? ! i.f2+ 8 'lite2 i.cs looks good for Black) 7 .. . i.xg1 8 'iVf3 when White got sufficient attacking chances for the piece in L.Christiansen-J.Benjamin, Internet 2010. 7 tt:lf3 tt:ld7 8 i.d3

White falls seriously behind in development if she goes after the light-squared bishop with 8 tt:Jgs ! ? o-o-o.

Question: How does Black regain the es-pawn? If ... 1\Vc7, then i.f4.

Answer: 8 ... tt:le7 Plan: . . . tt:lg6 and chop on es. In this case White can't play the natural i.f4, namely due to

that annoying black queen on b6, which watches over b2. 9 1\Ve2 tt:lg6 10 i.d2

White manages to develop. 10 .. . tt:ldxes

Black came out of the opening with an edge due to his grip on the es-square.

Question: Is it worth it to disrupt and take on b2?

Answer: You may be right. Normally such a move would favour White since it activates the at-rook, but in this instance White's pawns become weak in the line 10 ... '1i'xb2! 11 l::!.bl 'ii'a3 12 .l:!.xb7 i.b4 13 tt:ldl as when both a2 and es eventually fall.

386

Fantasy Variation

11 lt:lds?!

Question: Wow, is this sound?

Answer: Polgar bets her life savings on a wild gamble, the loss of which would be ruinous. The fact is, nobody asks for Brussels sprouts for dessert. Polgar doesn't like her position and decides to throw a pebble into the smoothly running machinery. The trouble is from a pur­ist viewpoint her sac, despite practical chances, is unsound. Still, I can't bring myself to give the move a question mark. After all, the underlying justice of a cause means little to the mercenary, whose only goal is to win by whatever means necessary. For those of us who are not gamblers, 11 0-0-0 is a better shot, conceding an edge to Black due to his control over es. White may be worse, but it's not end times. 11 ... lt:lxd3+1

11...cxds 12 exds �xb2 13 .ibS+ �d8 14 o-o gives White just the kind of mess she was looking for. Black's defence grows taut as a violin string and his king feels insecure for some time to come. Consolidation isn't going to be as easy as all the computers claim, es­pecially with a formidable attacker like Judit Polgar at the helm. 12 cxd3 cxds 13 exds 1Wxb2 14 o-o

Instead 14 �d1 lt:lf4! 15 .ixf4 �xe2+ 16 �xe2 .ixds l eaves Black up a pawn and with the bishop pair in the ending.

387

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Exercise (combination alert}: This is the position both players evaluated when entering the line. White looks like she

is about to regain her piece and retain a massive development lead. Prove that White's thesis is an illusion.

Answer: 14 ... tLlf4! White learns that if you stick your hand in a wasp's nest, it makes little difference which

one stings you first. It would be very easy to miss such a move in the initial calculations. Black relies on the pinned bishop on d2. 15 �e4 tt::Jxds 16 !lab1 li'a3 17 l:!:xb7 tLlf6

Perhaps Ragger feared the line 17 .. . 'ii'a6 18 �xf7 'ittxf7 19 tt::Jgs+ 'i£tg8! , but Black is up too much material and should consolidate. However, 19 .. . 'i£te7? 20 llf7+! 'i£te8 21 tt::Jxe6! 'i£txf7 22 tt::Jg s+ 'i£tf6 23 li'f3+ 'i£tes 24 �e4+ i s drawn by perpetual check. 18 'ii'c6+ tLld7 19 d4

Intending ds, to pry open the e-file. Black's point is 19 .l::txd7 runs into 19 .. . �c5+. 19 ... li'd6 20 li'a4 li'ds

Halting the ds idea for now. 21 l:tfb1

21 l:!.bS is met with 21...'ir'c4. 21 ... i.d6 22 li'a6 i.e7!

Question: Why didn't Black simply castle here?

Answer: Polgar's idea: 22 .. . 0-0 23 l::t7bS! regaining a piece. 23 .l:hbs 'iie4 24 l:txd7!?

388

Fantasy Variation

Exercise (critical decision): White desperately hopes to keep the attack alive before Black castles. Which way should Black recapture?

Factor in 25 .l:!.es if you decide to recapture with the bishop.

Answer: 24 ... .Jtxd7! The queenside is inhospitable terrain : 24 .. .<;itxd7?! allows White's attack to flair up again

after 2S l1b7+ �e8 26 'iVbs+ �f8 27 :lxe7! when suddenly matters are not so clear. 25 �es �bl+ 26 �f2

26 l1e1 'i¥b6 27 �d3 .Jte6 ends White's resistance. 26 .. .'wi'b6 21 �e2

Or 27 �a3 .Jte6 28 'i'a4+ �f8 and the flame of White's attack gutters out.

27 ... 0-0!?

389

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Question: Why on earth did Black just give up a piece rather than block on e6 with his bishop?

Answer: This was a practical decision. All the animals have been fed and watered, and the farmer decides to go back to his house. Black, understandably, is sick and tired of defend­ing. I had almost forgotten that it was still legal for Black to castle. Ragger probably gave 27 ... .lte6 a suspicious squint before moving on. I think you are right though, the decision strikes me as overly conciliatory. I couldn't find a speck of an attack after 27 ... .lte6!, which has to be the right move. 28 l:txe7

Polgar gave generously with her left hand while stealing with the right. The trouble is she is still behind by a full exchange, with zero attack. 28 ... ..te6

28 .. . .l:!.fe8 reduces the material even further. 29 'i'es .l:lad8 30 a4 �b2 31 �g3

White loses the initiative after 31 l:txa7 ..tds.

31 ... �b3 32 l:txa7 .l:!.ds 33 'ii'f4

Exercise (combination alert): Enough of defence. The time has arrived for Black to go on the offensive and also win more material. How?

Answer: 33 ... g5! The double whammy. White's queen must move and . . . g4 follows, winning the pinned

knight. 34 'ikc7 g4 35 l:tb7 �d3

Behind the queen's veil, one senses the faintest hint of a smile. 36 .l::!.b8

39 0

Fantasy Variation

36 ... gxf31

Exercise (calculation): Can Black take the knight on f3 or will doing so endanger his king to mate or perpetual check?

Don't guess. Work out the variation after 36 ... gxf3 37 l:txf8+.

Correctly calculated. He can take the knight. 37 l:Ixf8+ �xf8 38 i.h6+ �e8 Answer: Harsh, Darwinian environments breed pragmatic survivalists. Black's king is safe, despite appearances. However, 38 ... �g8?? would be a monumental goof-up after 39 i¥h8+ when White mates. 39 �c6+ �e7 0-1

The checks soon run out.

Summary 5 fxe4 is sharp and playable, but only if it is followed up with 5 .. . e5 6 tLlf3 ! .

Game 50 A. Timofeev-B.Jobava

European Championship, Rijeka 2010

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 f3 �b6 4 tt:Jc3 dxe4 5 tt:Jxe4 White prudently avoids 5 fxe4 e5 ! which we examined last game. We arrive at a Chap­

ter One starting position with each side tossing in an extra move: White's f3 and Black's . . . 'iVb6.

391

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Question: Who came out ahead in this deal ?

Answer: I believe Black did. White's obstructionist pawn on f3 hinders development and weakens e3, while Black's queen pressures b2 and d4. Plus the thematic .. . es tricks are still in the air.

Question: But the "extra" tempo for Black is an early queen move. Won't the queen be a target?

Answer: The queen isn't vulnerable on b6 if White can't generate a good method of attack­ing her. s ... �fs

Question: Why aren't we playing our normal s ... lbd7?

392

Fantasy Va riation

Answer: By switching to .. . i.fs in this version, we keep White nervous about .. . i.xe4 and ... es ideas. We must be flexible and adapt quickly to change. Let's look at s .. . tbd7: 6 c3 tt:Jgf6 7 i.c4 e6 8 tt:Je2 i.e7 was R.Bitoon-D.Laylo, Manila 2011. Now wouldn't you rather have your bishop on fS rather than buried on c8?

6 C3

Question: You said earlier that the queen on b6 isn't vulnerable. What about 6 c4 intending cs?

Answer: Too loosening. Black reacts vigorously with 6 .. . e s ! . Now 7 cs fails to 7 .. . 'i!Vb4+ 8 i.d2 't�Vxb2 9 i.c3 't�Ya3 when White is just down a pawn for nothing and 7 dxes i.xe4 8 fxe4 also looks awful for White.

Instead 6 tt:Je2 is playable, but White has to play c3 sooner or later: 6 ... tbd7 7 tD2g3 i.g6 8 c3 tt:Jgf6 (there is no need for the huffy 8 ... e 5 ! ? 9 dxes o-o-o) 9 i.c4 e6 10 o-o i.e7 11 i.f4 o-o was equal in G .Vucinic-D.Maljevic, Paracin 2009. White's control over d6 is rather meaningless: for example, 12 tt:Jd6? is met favourably with 12 .. . 'ili'xb2! . 6 ... tDd7 1 i.d3 es!

Not only freeing Black's game, but also following the principle: Create confrontation when ahead in development. Black also gets a nice game by playing more conservatively with 7 ... i.g6 8 f4 e6 9 tDf3 tt:Jgf6 10 tbg3 i.d6 11 0-0 i.xd3 12 'ii'xd3 o-o 13 �h1 cs and Black sits on the better side of equality, V.Tseshkovsky-A.Feuerstack, Moscow 2011. 8 tt:Je2

An unfortunate side symptom of his pawn on f3. White must develop to an inferior square. 8 . . . exd4 9 cxd4!?

Question: Doesn't White get a rather lame version of the isolani position now?

393

The Caro -Kann: Move by Move

Answer: Our actions betray our secret beliefs. White takes on a pawn weakness in order to stay active. Recapture with the knight looks equally lame since White loses time. So essen­tially, White must pick his poison.

9 ttJxd4 i.xe4 10 i.xe4 ttJgf6 11 i.c2 o-o-o 12 o-o i.d6 13 i.e3 ttJds (the immediate 13 .. .'it'c7 also looks good) 14 i.f2 "fic7 induces weakening around White's pawn front, Xi an liang Xu-P.Kyas, Oberhof 2010. Perhaps this is just stylistic, but if given a choice I would take this position as White over the isolani version. 9 ... i.b4+ 10 i.d2 'De7 11 o-o o-o

Black managed to keep up with White in development. 12 'it>h1 i.xd2

As I have repeated about 300 times so far in this book, swaps favour the side playing against the isolani. 13 "fixd2 .l:!.ad8 14 .l:tac1 i.g6

Opening fs for his knight. Black's plan is simple: blockade dS, then pile up on d4 and win it. 15 i.c4 fic7 16 b4!

Clamping down on cs and eyeing bs options. 16 ... 'Db6 17 i.b3 tLlbdS 18 bS 'it'b6 19 bxc6 'Dxc6

Now White's d-pawn is a passer. 20 lies!

White chips away at the blockade. 20 ... ttJdb4 21 'it'c3 ttJa6 22 I:!.ds

22 l:!.c4 ttJas allows Black to eliminate the powerful light-squared bishop. 22 ... ttJc7 23 .l:txd8 I:txd8 24 'it'cs!?

He insulates himself from the false hope of a non-existent attack and tries his luck in an

ending. I would have retained queens on the board if playing White.

394

Fantasy Variation

24 .. .'i'xcs 25 lLlxcs 2 5 dxcs �xe4 26 fxe4 �d7 still leaves Black slightly better in the ending since White

must deal with multiple pawn weaknesses. 25 ... lLlas 26 'it>g1 b6 27 lLle4 lLlxb3 28 axb3 f6

Opening up f7 for his bishop. 29 'iii>f2 'it>fs 30 l:tc1 lbds 31 g4 'it>e7 32 h4 �f7 33 gs as!

Black refuses to allow a favourable position to morph into a self-satisfied sedative. Black continually improves his game, fixing a target on g3 for his light-squared bishop later on. 34 gxf6+ gxf6

He retains the blockader on dS. 35 l:tc6 �e6 36 lLld2 !:!.c8

Another swap. He tries his luck in a minor piece ending. 37 l:txc8 �xeS

Question: How should we assess this ending?

Answer: The ending favours Black because of the following factors: 1. White struggles with four isolanis to two. 2. Black's two-to-one queenside pawn majority is mobile and likely to create an outside

passed pawn, while White's passed d-pawn is blockaded for now. 3. Black's light-squared bishop is a potentially powerful piece, especially with a fixed

pawn target on b3.

38 lLlc4 �a6 Threatening ... a4.

39 lbc1 He dresses the wound on b3.

39 ... 'iii>d7

395

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

I would have played 39 ... a4 40 tLla3 bS 41 bxa4 bxa4 in order to create the outside pas-ser. 40 lbe3?!

The knight pair forms a questionable alliance, but a lone knight versus bishop is even worse. Now Black's superior bishop, in conjunction with the outside majority and superior king position, tilts the balance far in Black's favour. White should go into a holding pattern with 40 lbd2. 40 ... lbxe3 41 �xe3 �b7 42 �f4

White must choose between agonies, the only difference being degree. Indeed, 42 f4 is even worse, in view of 42 .. . �e6 43 tt:Je2 �ds 44 lbc1 �fs. Zugzwang. 42 ... �e6 43 �g4

Exercise (critical decision}: Are you ready to walk Occam's razor or not? Should Black play his king to dS now and make it a race?

Answer: 43 ... �d5! Black should act. With this move he bisects the board in his favour. Uncertainty can be

as dangerous as ignorance since it breeds hesitation. The endgame principle is : A bishop is of greater value than a knight in queening races because a bishop can perform both defen­sive and offensive duties, while the knight is capable of only one or the other. 44 �fs �xd4 45 f4 �c3 46 �xf6

396

Fantasy Variation

Exercise: Find Black's most accurate path to the win.

Answer: 46 . . . 'it>d2! Black's king weaves h i s way forward like a hungry garden snake after an injured bug.

White's hemmed-in knight is trapped. 47 'it>es o-1

White's king looks upon his empty kingdom with eyes which gaze upon darkness.

Question: Why didn't White move his knight away?

Answer: This is akin to asking someone with a terminal illness: "How will you spend your life after you die?" 47 tt:Ja2 fails miserably to 47 .. . ..tds 48 fS .i.xb3 49 'it>g7 .i.xa2 so f6 a4 51 f7 .i.xf7 5 2 'it>xf7 a3 and Black wins the queening race by a mile.

Summary White's position after 5 tt:Jxe4 is nothing more than a slightly inferior version of the posi­tion he gets in the first three chapters of this book. The inclusion of f3 and .. . 'iib6 is clearly in Black's favour.

397

1 e4 c6 2 d3

Chapter Twelve

King's Indian Attack and 2 'iJe 2

If an enemy silences his accuser, this fails to prove the accuser a liar. It just means the enemy is afraid of what he has to say. In the same way, opponents who play the King's In­dian Attack versus our Caro seek to silence it and steer the game in their own direction. There is nothing much we can do about it, but take solace in the fact that easy equality is ours for the asking. The positions later get a Reversed King 's Indian or Reversed Ruy Lopez flavour. Fischer once quipped that he played KIA only when he was feeling "chicken". But be warned: the KIA's meek demeanour is at odds with its secret aggressive intention, which is to mate us! Fortunately, this doesn't occur very often and theoretically the KIA is consid­ered a rather toothless animal, especially versus the Caro.

398

King 's Indian A ttack and 2 CiJe2

On the other hand, we should treat the odd 2 CiJe2 ! ? line with respect since lately it en­tered the opening stable of super-GMs Short, Gashimov and Movsesian.

2 CiJe2 ! ? is utilized mainly as a surprise weapon. We should be fine following the normal Caro-Kann path .. . ds and .. . ..tfs, if we are aware of White's strange knight gyrations to d4 and g 3 followed by pawn sacs on e6. The secret is to decline the sac, which gives us dy­

namic equality.

1 e4 c6 2 d3

Game 51 A.Morozevich-Y .Sei raw an

Amsterdam 199 5

The lazy man's paradise. We enter the King's Indian Attack versus the Caro-Kann.

Question: What is lazy about White's opening?

Answer: The KIA versus the Caro tells me White is a King 's Indian player, who willingly gives away equality to get into his comfort zone - a K ID with an extra move.

Question: What is wrong with that?

Answer: The trouble is White hands us effortless equality.

Question: Don't you play Colle, Torre and London systems as White - basically a Slav a move up?

Answer: Uhm .. .well, yes. Let's not play the blame game. I concede these reversed systems can be easier to play. Have you ever had a vivid dream, the fragile perception and memory of which frustratingly vanishes upon awakening? Attempting to remember the gargantuan

399

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

monolith of opening theory is very much like this. So many players, including me, sometimes give up equality with White simply to avoid all this theory and play in our comfort zone. 2 . . . ds 3 t2Jd2

3 . . . es On principle. Black grabs the centre because he can. 3 .. . g6 is also quite pleasant for Black: 4 t2Jgf3 i.g7 5 g3 es 6 i.g2 tbe7 7 o-o o-o 8 b4

(Black welcomes this move, since in general the queen side is Black's field of action; alterna­tively, 8 .l:!.e1 flic7 9 c3 l2Jd7 10 d4! ? exd4 11 cxd4 dxe4 12 t2Jxe4 tbds and Black is well placed to deal with the isolani, P.Chomet-F.Doettling, Le Port Marly 2009) 8 ... as 9 bxas 't!Vxas 10 i.b2 d4 (rule of thumb: play . . . d4 the moment White's bishop reaches b2) 11 t2Jb3 Wic7 12 c3 dxc3 13 i.xc3 cs ! 14 t2Jfd2 bS was T.Radjabov-I.Cheparinov, Baku 2008. Black annexes queen side space and exerts a grip on d4, as well as potential pressure on White's backward d-pawn. 4 t2Jgf3 i.d6

400

King 's Indian A ttack and 2 !De2

5 g3 The most common. White plays in pure K IA style. His other options: a) 5 d4! ? (a radical shift in the position; White doesn't mind losing a tempo to change

the nature of the position and attempt to disorient Black) s .. . exd4 6 exds cxds (we revisit the isolani position) 7 !Dxd4 !De7 8 �d3 !Dbc6 9 !D2b3 and Black gets an equal version of a French Tarrasch, V.Kramnik-P.Leko, Nice (rapid) 2008;

b) 5 �e2 is not very dynamic. White goes for a Reversed Philidor. After s ... !Df6 6 o-o

!Dbd7 7 c3 o-o (Black can also stall b4 by tossing in 7 .. . as) 8 l:te1 l:l.e8 9 'it'c2 !Df8 10 �fl h6 11 b4 as (remember, we want queenside action) 12 l:tb1 axb4 13 cxb4 !Dg6 14 a3 �d7 15 �b2 d4! Black already stands better with h i s extra space. The position now looks much like a Reversed Closed Ruy Lopez, J .Hickl-Y.Seirawan, Zagreb 1987.

c) 5 'ii'e2 (the idea is to get Black nervous about exdS) s .. . !Df6! (correctly ignoring White's "threat") 6 exds? (he should just admit it was a bluff and continue in KIA style with 6 g3 ) 6 .. . cxds 7 !Dxes 0-0 8 d4 was T.Sammalvuo-E.Hermansson, Gothenburg 2003. White is seriously behind in development and Black should continue 8 .. . !Dc6 9 c3 (9 !Ddf3 !Dxd4! is also horrible for White) 9 .. . l:te8 10 f4 !Dg4 when White h as no good answer to the coming .. .f6. s ... !Df6

Alternatively, s .. . !De7 6 �g2 o-o 7 o-o !Dd7 8 exds !Dxds 9 !Dc4 �C7 10 l:te1 l:te8 is equal, V.Pirc-N .Karaklajic, Belgrade 1954. 6 �g2 0-0 7 0-0 !Dbd7

8 'it'e2l?

Question: This is odd. Shouldn't he be playing l:tel instead?

Answer: The rook placement on e1 is more common. Perhaps Mora dreams of a future !Dh4 and f4 plan, and so retains his rook on e1. The trouble is this plan almost never gets im-

401

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

plemented since Black's rook sits waiting on e8 and f4 is often suicidal in such situations with White's queen on the same file.

White has a couple of other plans from this position: a) The normal K IA set-up: 8 l:te1 �e8 9 c3 lbf8 10 'ifc2 lbg6 11 lbf1 h6 12 i.d2 i.d7 13

�ad1 �c7 14 lbe3 �ad8. Once again, the position has a distinct Reversed lopez feel to it and Black stands no worse, M.Adams-A.Dreev, Moscow (blitz) 2007.

b) White hopes for a Reversed Benoni: 8 exds cxds (Black accepts the challenge; 8 .. . lbxd5 9 tt:Jc4 i.e? 10 l:te1 l:te8 transposes to the note to Black's sth move, above) 9 c4 d4 10 lbgs as 11 lbde4 lbxe4 12 tt:Jxe4 i.e? (intending . . .fs) 13 g4 .l::!.a6 14 f4 exf4 15 i.xf4 lbcs 16 lbxcs i.xcs is dynamically balanced, V.Savon-T.Petrosian, Moscow 1971.

c) We examine the fianchetto plan next game, 8 b3. 8 . . . .l::!.e8 9 1::td1!?

Question: What is White up to?

Answer: I have no clue. It is unfair to ask an annotator to explain just what is going on in Moro's head in a chess game! My best guess is that White discourages .. . dxe4. 9 ... as

Black gains useful queenside space. 10 lbf1 tt:Jf8

This lopez manoeuvre is very common. Black clamps down on the f4-square and leaves open possibilities of ... lbe6 as well.

11 C3 tt:Jg6 This manoeuvre discourages f4.

12 h41? h6 13 tt:'l3h2 i.e6 14 �f3 i.cs Eyeing the f2-square. However, 14 ... d4, Houdini's recommendation, gives White what he

wants after 15 cxd4 exd4 16 'ife2 cs 17 f4 and suddenly White's kingside pawns roll forward.

402

King 's Indian A ttack and 2 t'De2

15 t'De3 'iic8 16 i.f1!? Moro decides his bishop is obsolete on g2 . Perhaps White should play for the messy line

16 t'Dfs i.xfs 17 'iixfs 'iixfs 18 exfs t'De7 19 g4 hs 20 gs t'Dd7 21 i.h3 �ad8. 16 ... a4 17 i.e2!? b5 18 t'Dg2!?

We are who we are. Moro is a child of chaos. Please don't ask me to explain White's last move. I guess he bunches his pieces on the kingside hoping for something later. The Spock of the future tells the young Spock: "In this case do yourself a favour: Put aside logic and do what feels right." To Moro, his odd last few moves feel right! Once again, I would have played 18 t'Dfs. 1s ... hs !

Now ... t'Dg4 is in the air. 19 t'De3 i.b6 20 t'Def1

White doesn't know how to proceed and simply waits. Meanwhile Seirawan continues to improve his position. 20 ... d4!

Now this looks like a distinctly bad Reversed K ID. 21 l:td2

21 cxd4 allows Black to continue building pressure on the queenside with 21 .. . i.xd4 22 a3 cs. 21 ... a3!

Principle: Attack a pawn chain at its base. Seirawan does just that, challenging White's queenside chain at every possible link. Black's threats, before just a whisper in the dark, now grow louder. 22 l:tc2 t'Df8

Perhaps thinking about posting the knight on the future hole on d4 one day. 23 'iig2

403

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

White's queen sulks in silence before deciding what to do next. 23 ... tt:lg4 24 tt:ixg4 hxg4 25 'it>hl tt:ih7 26 f3 gxf3 27 ii.xf3 'i*'d7

Targeting d3. 28 ii.e2 axb2 29 i.xb2 i.xa2

As simple as that, Black wins a pawn. 30 exd4 exd4 31 ii.f3 ii.b3 32 �eel �xal 33 .l:.xa1 es

White is busted and has no good answer to the coming queenside roller. 34 tt:id2 ii.e2 35 est?

The pawn is coaxed forward with a morose grunt. White continues to dole out treats like a Pez dispenser. 3S .. J:txes

36 ii.e6 'i*'e6 37 .l:Ia8+ tt:if8 38 .l:te8 iVxe8! A good practical decision. A queen is a small price to eliminate White's most active

pieces. Now an eerie calm follows the violence and White's hopes for an attack lie on the ground. 39 ..txe8 �xeS 40 �e6 ::tel+ 41 'it>h2 .l:te2+ 42 'it>h3 J::lxd2 43 �xb6 ii.xd3 44 ii.e1 ii.fl+ 45 'lt>g4 .l:lf2! 46 'it'd8

White can't touch cs: 46 fixes?? fS+ 47 'it>hs ii.e2+ 48 'it>gs tt:ie6+ wins. 46 ... i.e2+ 47 'it>h3 i.fl+ 48 'lt>g4

The king's trek proves difficult, walking through ankle deep mud. 48 ... ii.e2+ 49 'it>h3 fS

Threatening mate in one. so hs ii.xhs 51 'it>h4 ii.f7 52 g4 fxg4

52 .. .f4 blocked White's next move, but Seirawan saw no need to do so. 53 i.gs

404

K ing 's Indian A ttack and 2 ti:Je2

Exercise: White threatens j,e7. How would you deal with this threat?

Answer: 53 ... .::te21 54 rJ;;>xg4 Black meets 54 j,e7?? with 54 ... .l:.xe7.

54 • • • .l:.e4+ 55 r,i;;>g3 Not 55 rJ;;>fs?? j,g6 mate(!), while 55 r,i;;>f3 .l:.e8 56 'iib6 ti:Je6 57 j,d2 b4 secures the pass-

ers. 55 ... .l:.e8 56 'i*'b6 ti:Je6 57 j_f4 b4 58 j,d6 d31

No need to defend cs. The queening threat takes precedence. 59 'i*'b5

If 59 �xes d2 and the pawn can't be stopped. 59 • • • d2 6o 'i*'d3 tt:Jg51 61 j_f4 o-1

White didn't want to wait around for 61 j_f4 C4.

Summary Black has two good plans versus the K IA. He can just grab the centre, as in this game, or he can play .. . ds and .. . g6, which also equalizes.

Game 52 E.Gufeld-C.Lakdawala

Los Angeles 2002

I lived in terror of the late Grandmaster Eduard Gufeld. At Los Angeles tournaments he would corner me by putting his arm around me the way a father would when reunited with his beloved only child, destroying all hopes for my escape. Then he would deliver a stirring sales pitch to get me to buy a gigantic number of copies of his last book. His theory:

405

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

The lives of my students would be infinitely enriched with a signed copy. His standard speech : "Ah ! Cyroos! My book is brrrilliant! I give you such a deal, such a deal !" 1 g3

Question: Are you on the right chapter, or even the right book?

Answer: Stop freaking out over every transposition ! We normally reach our position via the move order 1 e4 c6 2 d3 dS 3 lbd2 es 4 lbgf3 i.d6 5 g 3 lDf6 6 i.g2 o-o 7 o-o lbbd7, which transposes to our game. 1 . . . ds 2 .tg2 c6 3 d3 es 4 lDf3 lDd7 s e4 lbgf6 6 lDbd2 i.d6 1 o-o o-o

There we go. Back on track. 8 b3

Question: Why does White fianchetto? Your eS-pawn looks adequately defended.

Answer: One of the goals of the K IA side is to force the opponent to clarify the central ten­sion. A bishop posted on b2 adds another attacker on es. White hopes this will be enough to induce Black into ... d4 or .. . dxe4, in either case a resolution of central tension.

Question: How does resolution of central tension help the King's Indian Attack side?

Answer: In this case, White would love to play for f4 at some point. The trouble is f4 is not such a great idea as long as there is central tension. 8 ... l:i.e8 9 .tb2 as

Black gains space and attempts to divert White's attention to the queenside. 10 a3

He intends to meet . . . a4 with b4.

406

King 's Indian A ttack and 2 t:De2

Question: This looks quite meek. Doesn't 10 a4 halt Black's expansion?

Answer: Only temporarily. 10 a4 weakens the dark squares, especially b4: for example, 10 .. . �b4 (he wants to induce c3, which loosens White's queen side and central pawn front) 11 .l:le1 �c7 12 c3 (and there it is) 12 .. . �f8 13 'ii'c2 dxe4 14 dxe4 t:Dcs 15 t:Dc4 �e6 16 �f1 and now Black seized the initiative with 16 ... bs ! 17 axbs cxbs 18 t:Dcd2 a4! which left White on the defensive in T.Warakomski-G.Gajewski, U stron 2007. 10 . . . �c7

Tucking in the loose bishop, just in case I later play ... dxe4. 11 .l:te1 d4

Question: You said earlier that White wanted a resolution in the centre. Didn't you just help White?

Answer: My last move did help White reach his goal of clarification in the centre, but at a high cost. His bishop on b2 hits a wall on d4. If he chips away at the wall with c3, Black simply meets this with ... cs. Also, if he is going to play for f4, his rook needs to be on f1, not e1, so this constitutes another loss of time for White. Lastly, Black's move acquires a space advantage. 12 b4?!

Gufeld's idea is to play c3, without allowing Black a .. . cs response. The trouble is, White allows confrontation in the heart of Black's territory and also weakens a4.

Question: All well and good, but what plan do you suggest for White?

Answer: How about 12 �h3, hoping to swap off Black's good light-squared bishop later. Then follow with t:Dh4, t:Dg2, .l:!.f1 and only then f4 with typical king side K IA/K ID play. 12 ... t:Db6!

Strategic threat: . . . t:Da4.

407

The Ca ro-K ann: Move by Move

13 c3!? The GM elects to sac a pawn for piece play rather than endure positional pressure in a

line like 13 l:!.b1 lba4 14 �a1 axb4 1 5 axb4 �e6. 13 ... dxc3 14 i..xc3

14 ... axb4

Exercise (multiple choice}: Black has a choice here, but only one path leads to the win of a pawn:

a) 14 .. .'�xd3, grabbing the pawn immediately; b) 14 ... axb4, tying up loose ends before taking on d3.

Answer: This move must be tossed in before capturing on d3. White doesn't lose a pawn and gains piece activity after 14 .. .'�'xd3? ! 1S l:!.e3 ! �d6 16 bxas lbbd7 17 lbc4. 15 axb4 l:!.xa1 16 �xa1

408

King 's Indian A ttack and 2 t:iJe2

Exercise: White hopes to cover d3 indirectly, through pressure on es.

16 .. .'iixd3 Answer: He should. 17 t:iJb3

Should Black take d3 or not?

The es-pawn can't be touched: 17 t:iJxes?? .i.xes 18 .i.xes '\i'xd2 drops a piece. 17 ... t:iJfd7

So Black successfully absconded with a central pawn.

Question: Why the f-knight?

Answer: In order to play .. .f6 later on to secure my e-pawn. 18 :d1 �C4

I activate his pieces in the line 18 .. .'ii'xe4 19 t:iJxes. 19 t:tJas 'ii'e6 20 t:iJd2 �e7 21 iLh3!

White's last move is annoying. Black is up a pawn but tangled. I can't even move the d7-knight, since Gufeld would trade bishops on c8 and then pick off b7.

Exercise {planning}: How can Black unravel without dropping the b7-pawn.

Answer: 21 ... .i.b8! Contort some more ! This opens a line of communication between my queen and b7 once the d7-knight moves.

Question: Why didn't you play the more active 21.. ..i.d6?

Answer: The tactics forbid it: for example, 22 t:iJdc4! and now if I naively take on b4, the punishment comes swiftly after 22 .. . il.xb4?? 23 .i.xb4 "Yi'xb4 24 il.xd7! t:iJxd7 25 t:iJd6 J::!.d8 26 l:iJxc8 when White wins a piece.

409

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

22 tt:Jdb3 .1i.d6 23 'ir'a3

2 3 ... h5 !

Exercise {planning): Black is up a pawn, but White's activity makes conversion a tough job. Notice that almost all of

White's pieces are on the queenside, away from his king. Come up with a plan for Black based on this observation.

Answer: Open up a second front while his pieces are on the other wing . 24 tbd2 tDf6 25 .1i.xc8

He voluntarily exchanges a key defender. The GM didn't like the passive 2 5 .1i.g2 .1i.g4. 25 ... tt:Jxc8 26 'ir'b3

410

King 's Indian A ttack and 2 t'iJe2

Exercise {planning}: White plans a minority attack on the queen side with bS next. How can Black deal with this idea and improve his position by taking control over a key square?

Answer: 26 ... t'iJa7 The offside knight locks on to the hole on bS, where it eyes c3 and d4.

27 t'iJac4 ..ib8 The bishop is needed to cover es.

28 f3

Question: I sn 't White's last move a strategic blunder which weakens g3?

Answer: His move does indeed weaken g3 , but i f all continuations are bad, i s the move really an error? I am hard pressed to come up with a useful move for White. Let's say White simply waits: 28 ..ib2 !:td8 29 'it>g2 t'iJbs 30 ..ia1 l:iJd4 31 ..ixd4 l:Ixd4 and White's position continues to deteriorate:

1. His e-pawn is weak. 2. Black has attacking chances with ... h4 coming. 3 . Black owns the d-file and has a grip on the dark squares.

2s ... t'iJbs 29 ..ib2 h4 3o 'it>g2 30 g4? leaves gaping holes on gS and f3, as well as a weak f3-pawn after 30 .. . t'iJh7.

3o .. . t'iJhs Targeting g 3. Now ... 'ifgs is coming.

31 t'iJe3 hxg3 32 hxg3 l:iJd4 He doesn't dare chop the knight, since this would allow my dormant bishop into the at­

tack. 33 'ifc4

411

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Exercise (combination alert/multiple choice): Your positionally competent but combinationally challenged writer missed a win here. My contract

stipulates I can't give you the answer. You must decide: a) 3 3 ... lli'g s, going for the kill; b) 33 .. . bs displacing White's queen.

Instead 3 3 .ixd4? yields Black a winning attack after 3 3 ... exd4 34 tt:Jfs 'it'g s.

33 .. . lli'gs?! This natural move is second best.

Answer: I missed 33 .. . bS ! forcing the win of the b4-pawn, since if White defends with 34 1i'C3? Black has the trick 34 .. . tt:Jxg3 ! when the two black knights' trajectories overlap like a Venn diagram. 34 tt:Jg4

34 ... tt:Jxg3?!

Exercise (critical decision): White plants a scarecrow in the field to discourage the attack. Calculate the knight sac on g3 .

Should Black go for i t or hold back?

Answer: Correct was 34 ... bs ! 35 1i'a2 tt:Jf6 when Black is up a pawn and attacking. The knight may be loyal and brave, but to whom? In this case the knight works against Black's best interest. The sac is based on the belief that if you place a weapon in storage without use for a long time, it may rust. In this case, however, the hot headed sheriff, provoked by the tiniest slight decides to dole out swift justice to the offender and goes beyond the lim­its of his jurisdiction. One must cultivate that pause to reflect between desire and the reaching out to possess the desire. As is my usual habit, I sac when I shouldn't and hold off sac'ing when I should. In this case I got carried away. 35 il.c1?

412

King 's Indian A ttack and 2 tl:Je2

"Almost" is the most painful word in the chess lexicon. We were both in time trouble. Gufeld would have escaped if he had graciously accepted the gift: 3 5 �xg3 ! 'ii'f4+ 36 �f2 tl:Jxf3 37 tl:Jxf3 i.a7+ 38 �ell (only with this move does White's king survive among the ash and embers all around him; both Gufeld and I had incorrectly assumed White had to go in for 38 �e2?? 'fHxg4 39 l:tf1 when 39 .. . bs ! wins in every variation, but not 39 .. :�g2+? 40 �el 'ii'xb2 41 tt:Jgs and suddenly it isn't clear who is beating whom) 38 .. .'ilixf3 39 �d7! i.d4 40 i.xd4 exd4 41 tl:Jf2. Now Black has nothing better than to force a perpetual check with 41.. . .l::i.xe4+ 42 tl:Jxe4 11kxe4+. 3S .. .'i'h4

Now Black is completely winning, although 3S ... tl:Jxf3 ! was even stronger. 36 CLJb3

36 'ii'd3 tl:Jge2 is also hopeless.

Exercise (combination alert}: If I spotted this combination then you can too!

Answer: 36 ... tl:Jxe41 0-1 Now White's pieces scatter like pheasants sensing the presence of hunting dogs.

Summary Black's optimal timing for .. . d4 is when White's bishop sits on b2 and his rook on el.

1 e4 c6 2 tl:Je2

Game 53 S.Novikov-R.Ovetchkin

Belgorod 2008

413

The C a ro-Kann: Move by Move

Question: This looks preposterous! What on earth is the point of White's last move?

Answer: Times change, but chess players don't. This is another attempt to confuse us de­cent, hard-working Caro folk. I would take this line seriously. White has a plus score with it and GMs as strong as Gashimov, Movsesian and Short keep it in their repertoire. One of the ideas is to meet Black's ... ds and ... �fs with lbd4 and e6.

Here are a couple of other second move alternatives: a) 2 b3 is a favourite of IM Alex Reprintsev. White temporarily sacs a pawn and prepares

quick queenside castling. The trouble is Black's attack looks at least as fast as White's: 2 ... ds 3 �b2 dxe4 4 tZ:lc3 lbf6 (4 .. .fs? ! looks too greedy and weakening; I don't see a single game with it in the database and White gets terrific compensation after 5 f3} s lbge2 �fS 6 lbg3 e6 7 'ii'e2 �e7 8 0-0-0 0-0 (don't fear the opposite wings attack - we are fast in this posi­tion ! } 9 lbgxe4 lbxe4 10 lbxe4 as! was A.Sitnikov-D.Kovalev, Alushta 2009. This is the prob­lem for White. His queen side fianchetto gives us a hook to open lines quickly. Black stands at least equal, if not better here.

b) 2 lbf3 dS 3 exds (3 lbc3 would take play back into the Two Knights) 3 ... cxds 4 tZ:les which, although innocuous, was once the subject of a New in Chess 'SOS' article and has been tried by the likes of Anand, Carlsen, Morozevich and Navara. After 4 ... lbf6 5 d4 Black has:

414

King's Indian A ttack and 2 CDe2

b1} s . . . g6 {this is a good time to utilize an idea borrowed from Chapter Nine on the Ex­change Variation) 6 i.bS+ (not so scary for us; this bishop later gets booted with ... a6} 6 ... tt:Jbd7 7 o-o i.g7 8 CDf3 {White doesn't want to leave the knight too long on es and allow a swap, but this move costs him time) 8 ... 0-0 9 CDc3 iDb8 ! (a clean solution; White wasted time, so why not Black, who now clears the path for his light-squared bishop} 10 h 3 a6 11 i.d3 tt:Jc6 12 a3 i.fs ! (see Chapter Nine for more details ! } 13 i.xfs gxfs was M.Carlsen­A.Morozevich, Nice (rapid} 2008. Black looks good. He has prospects on the open g-file with .. . 'it>h8 and .. . l:tg8, as well as a potential minority attack on the other side of the board.

b2} s ... tt:Jc6, allowing the pin, is also quite playable: 6 i.bs i.d7 7 tt:Jxd7 (so White spent three moves to remove Black's bad bishop!} 7 .. :it'xd7 8 c3 e6 9 CDd2 i.d6 10 CDf3 0-0 and Black had equalized in D.Navara-Z.Izoria, Greek Team Championship 2005.

Returning to 2 CDe2: 2 . . . ds 3 es

415

The Caro- Kann: Move by Move

A turning point.

3 . . . jLfs

Question: Doesn't this move walk right into White's scheme?

Answer: It does, but I still think it i s the best move. I am not all that terrified by White's idea of l2Jd4 and e6. In many lines Black simply makes White take on f7, which gives Black a strong centre. Then White's knight leaves an odd impression floating on d4.

3 ... cs is the main line, but I just don't like the positions Black gets after 4 d4 l2Jc6 5 c3: a) s .. . jLfs 6 dxcs ! e6 (I also prefer White if Black tries 6 . . . tt:Jxes 7 lLld4 jLd7 8 f4) 7 b4 as 8

l2Jd4 axb4 9 cxb4 'fifo 10 jLbs jLxb1 11 ltxb1 iVxeS+ 12 jLe3 and White stood clearly better in N.Short-B.Gulko, Horgen 1995.

b) s .. . jLg4 6 jLe3 'ilrb6 7 1i'd2 cxd4 8 cxd4 jLxe2 (Dreev wisely eliminates his bad bishop) 9 .txe2 e6 10 lLlc3 tt:Jge7 11 l2Ja4 'ilrb4 12 1i'xb4 l2Jxb4 was N .Short-A.Dreev, Hyderabad 2002. Black is still just short of equality after 13 .l:!.c1! l2Jxa2 14 ltc7. 4 h4!?

As we saw in Chapter Six, it is the height of fashion for White to toss in h4 and induce ... hs before proceeding with his main plans. Here, however, it's worth pointing out that in fact 4 h4 isn't the height of fashion at all: one game with 4 h4, as opposed to 85 games with 4 lLlg 3 on the databases. That said, 4 h4 is likely to transpose if White follows with tt:Jg 3 later.

Black should be able to neutralize all of White's other tricky attempts: a) 4 lLlg3 (the move you are most likely to encounter) 4 .. . .tg6 (we must allow White his

e6 ideas; if 4 .. . .td7? ! White gets the advantage after 5 d4 e6 6 c4! with a clearly favourable version of lines we covered in Chapter Six, R.Felgaer-E.Ubilava, Olite 2006) 5 h4 h6 ! ? (per­haps even better than s ... h 5, which transposes to our main game) 6 h 5 .th7 7 e6 fxe6 8 d4 es ! .

416

King's Indian A ttack and 2 ti:Je2

A key move to remember. We deny White his brilliant blockade sac by returning the pawn to seal eS with a cork. This also allows us to complete our king side development in harmony. After 9 dxes e6 10 i.d3 i.xd3 11 'i'xd3 'ir'd7! (negating the check on g6) 12 o-o

i.cs 13 i.e3 ti:Ja6 14 i.xcs ti:Jxcs 15 'i'd4 ti:Ja6 16 �g4 ti:Je7! 17 �xg7 ! ? Black got terrific

compensation for the pawn with 17 ... 0-0-0 18 ti:Jd2 lldg8 19 �f6 li!.f8 20 '1!\Yh4 ti:Jfs 21 'ifh3 l:thg8 in E .Fernandez Romero-G.Ageichenko, Moscow 2005.

b) 4 l:i:Jd4 i.g6 5 e6 �d6! 6 'i'e2 ti:Ja6! (fighting for the e6-square, via c7) 7 ti:Jc3 ti:Jc7 8

exf7+ i.xf7 9 ti:Jf3 i.hs 10 d4 was B.Maddex-M.Blankenau, Chicago 1988. Now Black can destroy the last vestiges of blockade with 10 .. . g6 ! 11 h 3 i.xf3 12 'iWxf3 es 13 dxes �xeS+ 14

i.e2 i.d6 when his powerfully posted pieces and greater central influence mean more than White's bishop pair.

c) 4 d4 e6 (now it's just an Advance Caro where White developed his knight to e2, rather than the traditional f3-square, which would be the Short Variation) 5 ti:Jg3 i.g6 6 h4 h6 7 h s i.h7 8 i.d3 i.xd3 9 cxd3 (we meet 9 1\Vxd3 with the Capablanca plan 9 .. . �a5+! followed by 10 .. . 'iWa6) 9 .. . 'iib6 was A. lvanov-C.Lakdawala, Internet (rapid) 1996. Black has few prob­lems. He attacks d4, which is awkward for White to defend, and has also rid himself of his bad bishop.

4 . . . hs !?

Question: Do we have to weaken like this? It feels like we are complying with White's plans.

Answer: I think you may be right. Perhaps Black can just allow White to grab the bishop pair with 4 .. . e6!, which looks very good and may be the reason no-one else plays 4 h4. Now if White continues with 5 l:i:Jd4 ti:Jh6! (to halt g4) 6 d3 cS Black is in good shape after 7 i.xh6 (or 7 ti:Jxfs ti:Jxfs and ! like Black here too) 7 .. . cxd4 8 i.f4 h6 when he may later generate queen side pressure down the open c-file.

4 1 7

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

5 l'Llg3 i.g6 6 l'Llc3

Question: What is the point of this odd placement? The knight seems to have its prospects cut off on c3.

Answer: c3 isn't the final destination. White plans the manoeuvre l'Lle2 and l'Llf4, hitting both the bishop on g6 and also hs .

Question: Why can't White just win a pawn with 6 i.e2?

Answer: The trouble is White wins a pawn, but can't hang on to it after 6 .. . e6 7 l'Llxhs i.xhs. Remember, this is Black's traditionally bad bishop, so it's not the end of the world to swap it for a knight. Black regains the pawn with 8 i.xh s g6 9 i.f3 l:ixh4.

Instead 6 e6 ! ? fails to give White a favourable version of the l'Llg3 lines. The inclusion of h4 and hs doesn't seem to bother Black at all: 6 .. . 'ii'd6! (we decline and take a slight devel­opment lead) 7 exf7+ i.xf7 8 d4 l'Lld7 (idea: ... es ! ) 9 f4?! (White pays too high a cost to pre­vent the freeing ... es break; he should content himself with 9 i.e2) 9 ... 0-0-0 10 i.e3 l'Llh6! (leaving f6 open for the other knight) 11 i.e2 l'Llf6 and White's position was riddled with light-square holes in A.Smirnov-A.Kharitonov, Paleochora 2010. 6 ... e6 7 l'Llce2 'ii'c7 8 d4 cs

Principle: Counter in the centre when facing a wing attack. 9 l'Llf4

9 f4?! l'Llh6 clogs the f4-square and creates holes on fS and g4. 9 ... cxd4!?

Black goes for it, allowing damage to his king side light squares in exchange for the demolition of White's pawn centre. 9 . .. l'Lle7 was the safer choice. 10 l'Llxg6 fxg6 11 i.d3!

418

King 's Indian A ttack and 2 tbe2

White is willing to sac in order to open lines and gain time.

Question: I sn't White's last move more an act of impulse than objectivity?

Answer: White is justified in his decision to sac. He finds himself considerably ahead in de­velopment. So why not sac more to open lines and increase the development lead? 11 . . JIVxes+

When two parties lay claim to a single desire - domination - you can be certain war fol­lows. White believes Black has no business falling so far behind in development; Black pre­sumes White's generosity isn't backed up by the position and the facts.

Question: So who in this case is correct?

Answer: Both and neither! The position remains unclear, so both White and Black may rightfully or wrongfully claim to hold the advantage. 12 tbe2 i.b4+!?

Provoking 13 c3. I don't trust 12 .. . tbe7 13 o-o lbbc6 14 l:.e1 �f6 15 i.gs 'il¥f7 16 c3 ! dxc3 17 tbxc3 0-0-0 18 lli'a4 when White's powerful attack looks more meaningful than Black's extra pawns.

419

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Exercise (critical decision}: Can White get away with the romantic 13 c3? This involves a piece sac to increase White's development lead.

13 C3! Answer: He can. It's time to forge a sword from the plough share. How Adolf Andersse­nesque! White correctly goes for it, based on his massive development lead.

13 'it>f1 is another way to go. Then 13 .. . t:be7 14 a3 i.c5 15 b4 i.b6 16 i.g5 t:bd7 17 t:bf4 o­o! leads to a sharp and dynamically balanced position, where White gets full compensation for the pawns he sac'ed. 13 ... dxc3 14 0-0

14 .ixg6+? 'it>d7 15 o-o cxb2 16 i.xb2 'ii'xb2 simply transposes to the bad game version ! 14 ... cxb2 15 .ixb2 �xb2

420

King 's Indian A ttack and 2 Ci:Je2

Exercise (critical decision/multiple choice): White is in deep and must find the correct path toward his attack. Choose wisely: a) 16 ..txg6+, taking a

pawn with check, while displacing Black's king; b) 16 l:!.b1, gaining another tempo and forcing Black's queen offside to a3.

It almost looks like it makes no difference which move we do first, but it does! One yields White an attack for the piece; the other allows Black to escape and consolidate. 16 ..txg6+? Answer: White gets full compensation if he had played 16 l:tb1! 'iia3 (16 ... 1i'd2? 17 �a4+ Ci:Jc6 18 l1fd1 regains the piece on b4) 17 ..txg6+ 'it>d8 18 Ci:Jd4 Ci:Jc6 19 Ci:Jxe6+ 'it>c8 20 'iVxds Ci:Jge7 21 �e4 as and it's anybody's game. 16 . . . 'iiid7 17 .Ub1 �d2 !

How disconcerting to find a fly in your pudding. This is the difference in the move or­ders. In the other move order, Black's queen would be banished and irrelevant, moping on a3. Now White struggles to launch his attack, like a young bird who desires to take flight but isn't quite ready yet. He continues his feverish hunt for Black's king but soon discovers the difference between searching and finding. 18 �b3 Ci:Jc6 19 ..td3

19 l1b2 'Wh6 20 ..td3 �b8 consolidates. 19 ... �b8

No more tricks on b7. What a change of environment for Black's king, who just a few

moves ago faced a huge assault. Now he is up a piece and looking forward to consolida­tion. Once in a while the rat exits the sewers and accidentally enters the palace through the drains! 20 .U.bd1 �h6 21 f4 Ci:Jge7 22 fs

This attempt to grease the squeaky wheel of his attack goes nowhere. A forest fire is no

4 2 1

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

match for a lake. 22 ... i.d6 23 i.bs a6

There is nothing wrong with 23 ... l2'lxfs .

24 i.xc6+ bxc6 25 'i'd3 tDxfs 26 l::!.xfs exfs 27 l2'ld4 i.cs The simplest path - simplification !

28 'iixfs+ 'it>d6 o-1 White's attack is at an end.

Summary More and more strong players are testing 2 l2'le2 ! ? against me in online blitz. The move is gaining in popularity, so it's just a matter of time before people try it at club level. Let's be ready for it.

422

Index of Variations

Smyslov Variation: The Quiet 5 l2Jf3

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d S 3 lbc3 dxe4 4 lbxe4 lbd7 s lbf3 lbf6

6 lbxf6+ 6 lbg3 e6 7 �d3

7 ... �e7 - 38; 7 . . . cs - 45 6 .. . lbxf6

7 .ic4 - 19 7 lbes - 29

42 3

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Smyslov Variation 5 i..c4: The Old Line

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 tt:lc3 dxe4 4 tt:lxe4 tt:ld7 s .tc4 tt:lgf6 6 tt:lgs e6 7 'iVe2 tt:lb6

8 .i.d3 8 .tb3 h6 9 tt:lsf3 cs

10 .tf4 - 79; 10 dxcs - 87; 10 .te3 - 94 s . . . h6 9 tt:lsf3 cs

10 dxcs 10 .te3 - 73

10 • . • -txcs 11 tt:les tt:lbd7 12 tt:lgf3 'Wic7 13 0-0 - 54; 13 .tf4 - 65

424

Index of Variations

Smyslov Variation s lbgS: I nto the Abyss

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 lLlc3 dxe4 4 l2Jxe4 lLld7 5 lLlg5 l2Jgf6 6 .i.d3 e6 7 lLJ1f3 7 'ii'e2 - 102

7 ... ii.d6 8 'ii'e2 h6 9 l2Je4 l2Jxe4 10 �xe4 'ii'c7

11 'ilig4 11 ii.d2 - 146; 11 o-o b6 12 'i*'g4 �f8 - see below

11 ... �f8 12 0-0

12 ... b6 12 ... c5

13 'ii'h4 - 128 13 b3 - 138

13 b3 ii.b7 14 ii.b2 lLlf6 15 "ifh3 - 112 15 'ii'h4 - 122

Adva nce Variation : Nunn-Shirov Attack

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 ii.f5 4 lLlc3 e6 5 g4 ii.g6 6 l2Jge2 c5 7 ii.e3 7 h4 h5 8 lLlf4 ii.h7 9 l2Jxh5 l2Jc6 10 dxc5 ii.xc5

425

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

11 i.g2 - 154 11 i.b5 - 164

7 ... lt:Jc6 8 dxcs lt:Jxes 9 lt:Jf4 - 170 9 lt:Jd4 - 179

Advance Variation: Short's Line

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es ..tfs 4 lt:Jf3 e6 s i.e2 lt:Jd7 6 o-o

6 i.e3 - 187 6 . . • ..tg6

7 lt:Jbd2 7 b3 lt:Jh6 8 c4 lt:Jfs

9 lt:Jc3 - 208 9 �e1 - 215

7 c3 - 221 1 ... lt:Jh6 s lt:Jb3 lt:Jfs

9 g4 - 194 9 h3 - 202

426

Advance Variation: Fourth Move Alternatives

1 e4 c6 2 d4 ds 3 es .ifs 4 ..td3 4 g4 - 237 4 C4 - 243 4 h4 - 250 4 .ie3 - 257

4 .... ..txd3 s 'ii'xd3 e6

6 lLle2 - 9 6 lLlc3 - 229

Panov-Botvinnik Attack

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d s 3 exds cxds 4 c4 lLlf6 s lLlc3 5 lLlf3 - 267

s • . . e6 6 lLlf3 ..tb4

1 cxds 7 ..td3 dxc4 8 .ixc4 0-0 9 0-0 b6

10 .ig5 - 291 10 'it'e2 - 299

7 . • . lLlxd5 8 ..td2

Index of Variations

427

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

8 1i'c2 - 303 8 . . . lbc6 9 .id3 .ie7 10 o-o o-o

11 1i'e2 - 274 11 a3 - 283

Quasi Panov-Botvinnik

1 e4 c 6 2 c4 ds 3 cxds cxds 4 exds lbf6

5 .ib5+ - 312 5 �a4+ - 319 5 lbc3 - 326

Exchange Variation

1 e4 c6 2 d4 dS 3 exds cxds 4 .id3 lbc6 5 c3 �c7

6 lbe2 - 3 3 3 6 h3 - 341 6 lbf3 - 347

428

Index of Variations

Two Knights Variation

1 e4 c6 2 lbc3 dS 3 liJf3 �g4 4 h3 �xf3 5 'ii'xf3 liJf6

6 d3 - 354; 6 d4 - 363 ; 6 g 3 - 368

Fantasy Variation

1 e4 c6 2 d4 d S 3 f3 'ir'b6

4 lbc3 4 a4 - 376

4 . . • dxe4

429

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

5 fxe4 - 384 5 lLlxe4 - 391

King's Indian Attack a nd 2 l2Je2

1 e4 c6 2 d3 2 lbe2 - 413 2 lLlf3 - 413

2 • . • ds 3 lLld2 es 4 lLlgf3 ..td6 5 g3 lLlf6 6 ..tg2 0-0 7 0-0 lbbd7

8 -.e2 - 399

8 b3 - 405

4 30

Index of Com p lete Games

Alekseev.E-Svidler.P, Russia n C h a m pi o n s h i p, Moscow 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Andreikin.D-Dreev.A, Baku 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

Atkins.H-Capablanca.J.R, London 1922 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Bobras.P-Wojtaszek.R, Pol is h C h a m pi o n s h i p, Warsaw 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Bologan.V-Dreev.A, Poikovsky 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Bu Xiangzhi-Le Quang Liem, G u a ngzhou (ra pid) 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

Cao Sang-Galkin.A, E u ro pea n C h a m pionsh ip, Dres d e n 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 79

Chernetsov.V-Chigishev.A, Correspon d e nce 1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363

Cunningham.R-Lakdawala.C, Sa n F ra ncisco ( ra pid) 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 83

Dimakiling.O-Le Quang Liem, O longa po City 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341

Evseev.N-Fiohr.S, Odessa 1949 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Fedorov.A-Gyimesi.Z, C roatia n Tea m C h a m p i o n s h i p 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Fischer.R-Petrosian.T, B led/Zagreb/Belgrade C a n d i d ates 19 59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354

Gelfand.B-Karpov.A, Li n a res 1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Ghosh.D-Arun Prasad.S, Chen na i 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Gonzalez.A-Lakdawala.C, Sa n Diego (ra pid) 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

Gonzalez.B-Sasikiran.K, Ca lvia Olympiad 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333

Gufeld.E-Lakdawala.C, Los Angeles 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

Gurevich.I-Speelman.J, London 1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312

Hase.R-Servat.R, Santa Fe 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7

Jansa.V-Kholmov.R, B u d a pest 1 9 7 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Kamsky.G-Karpov.A, F IDE World C h a m pionsh ip (Ga m e 4), E l i sta 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 74

Lee.D-Lakdawala.C, Southern Ca l iforn ia C h a m p io n s h i p, Los Angeles 1999 . . . . . . . . 1 8 7

Matanovic.A-Petrosian.T, Kiev 19 5 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

4 31

The Caro-Kann: Move by Move

Morozevich.A-Seirawan.Y, Amsterd a m 199 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 399

Moska lik.A-Yevseev.D, Kosza l i n 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 7

Naiditsch.A-Arkeii.K, E u ropean C l u b C u p, Fuegen 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Nepomniachtchi.l-lvanchuk.V, Hava n a 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 76

Nepomniachtchi.I-Nakamura.H, Wij k a a n Zee 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

Nevednichy.V-Jobava.B, E u ropea n Tea m Cham pionsh i p, Crete 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Nimzowitsch.A-Capablanca.J.R, New York 1927 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 229

Novikov.S-Ovetchkin.R, Belgorod 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413

Peters.J-Lakdawala.C, American Open, Los Angeles 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 02

Polgar.J-Ragger.M, E u ropean C h a m pionsh ip, Aix- les-Ba i n s 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384

Rzayev.B-Dreev.A, Baku 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368

Sadvakasov.D-Karpov.A, Hoogeveen 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Shabalov.A-Karpov.A, Ti l burg 1994 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Shirov.A-Ana nd.V, 3 rd matchga m e, Leon (rap id} 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 7

Shirov.A-Anand.V, Wij k aan Zee 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 70

Sion Castro.M-Karpov.A, Leon 1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Smeets.J-Short.N, Kha nty-Ma ns iys k Olym piad 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Smirin.I-Dreev.A, Moscow (ra pid} 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

Sokolov.A-Karpov.A, 11th matchgame, Li n a res 1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326

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Topalov.V-Karpov.A, Can nes 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

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Wirig.A-Bartei.M, French League 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

4 32

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