The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan: A Popular Chess Opening Explained by a Top Player

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Victor Bologan

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

New In

Chess 2 0 08

© 2 0 0 8 New In Chess Published by New In Ches s , Alkmaar, T he Netherlands www.newi..nchess.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher. Cover design: Steven Boland Supervisor: Peter Boel Translation: Steve Giddins Proofreading: Rene Olthof Production: Anton Schermer ISBN-13:

978 -90-56 9 1 - 246 - 8

Author - Grandmaster Victor Bolog a n Editor - International Master Vladimir Barsky

Consult ant - Grandmaster Victor Komliakov For more information about the author, see the website www. bolo ga n . m d

The author would like to express his grati tu d e to Garry Kasparov, Mark Dvoretsky and Viktor Gavrikov for allowing him to use their

texts in the Introduction . His sincere gratitude al so g oes out to Nikolay Popov for his com­ ments

quoted in the Introduction, and to Alexey Shirov for writing

his very special Foreword to this book.

Contents

Foreword by Alexey Shirov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . .

9

. . . .

11

Part I - Various Replies on Move 5 .

29

.

Chapter 1 : The Exchange 5 . cxd5 . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 Chapter 2: The Cunning 5 .h3 . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 Chapter 3 : The Uncommon 5 .1fi'c2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Chapter 4: Pressure on Black 's Pawns: 5 .'¥Yb3 . . . . .. . . . . . . 48 Chapter 5: Catalan-Style: 5 .g 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Chapter 6: Developing: 5 .ii.f4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2 Chapter 7 : The Rare 5 .�g5 . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 7 6 Part II - Inserting S.a4- e6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

81

Chapter 8 : Catalan-Style: 6 . g3 . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 8 2 Chapter 9 : The Timid 6 . e 3 . . . . . . .. . . .. . .. .. .. . . . . . . . , 93 Chapter 10: Pinning: 6 . .i1lg5 . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Part III - The Insidious 5.ttJe5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 17

Chapter 1 1: The Forcing 5 . . . b5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 8 Chapter 1 2: The Main Move: 5 . . . e6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 1 Chapter 1 3 : The Exchange 5 . . . dxc4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 5 Chapter 14: Chebanenko's Favourite: 5 . . . �bd7 . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 9 Part IV - The Solid 5.e3 . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.

135

Chapter 1 5: Minor Replies: 6.cxd5 , 6 .b3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 6 Chapter 1 6: Seizing Space: 6.c5 Various . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 6 Chapter 1 7: Seizing Space: 6.c5 ttJbd7 . . . . . . . . ... . . .. . . 1 5 9 7

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan Part V - The Strategic 5.c5. .

165

.

Chapter 1 8: The Provocation 5 Chapter 1 9: The Rare S

. . .

. . .

. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. 1

66

g6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 170

Chapter 20: The Sortie S .�f5 . .

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1 73

Chapter 21: Flexibility:

5 JZlbd7 6.h3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 0

Chapter 22: Flexibility:

5 tLlbd7 6.�f4

. .

...

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190

Practical Examples.

213

Index of Variations.

225

Index of Players.

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

New In Chess Code System . . . . .

8

�g4.

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238

Foreword by Alexey Shi rov

We all know chess theory nowadays.

will be able to. Therefore it's important

Some of us know less, others more. But

for me to see

do

wards his former trainer and spiritual

we

really know the history of chess

that Viorel has done so to­

I should say that the 4 ... a6 Slav

theory, its development? And, of course,

guru. And

the next question would be - is it impor­

is still only a small part of Chebanenko's

tant at all? Judging by my personal expe­

contribution to chess, his other system

rience the answer is positive. Many teen­

l.c4 e5 2.lbc3 �b4 3.ttJd5 �e7!? imme­

agers of today want to know how chess

diately comes to mind as

was before they were born.

weeks

ago against

I

played it a few

Levon Aronian

in

Morelia 2008 and achieved a better posi­ Our generation (Viorel Bologan is just

tion! His old ideas

half a

ation (l.e4 c5

year older than me) have enjoyed

in the Rossolimo Vari­

2.lbf3 lbc6 3.�b5 g6

in

4.�xc6 dxc6 S.d3 etc.) are very impor­

chess. We were still very young and fresh

tant too," practically the whole modern

when the use of databases and analysis

theory of that system is Just the continua­

engines became the

tion of old Moldavian investigations.

all the benefits of 'technical progress'

most convenient

form of working on chess and the experi­ ence we had before prevented us from

I £lrst heard the name of

underestimating the human touch, so the

cause of the 4... a6 Slav. A Latvian of my

Chebanenko be­

work with new technologies could be­

age, Kaspars Ramma (he was a fine posi­

come especially effective. But

think the

tional player in his youth but then sud­

nostalgic memories of times when every­

denly stopped competing), successfully

thing was done with the desire to dis­

employed it in the second half of the

cover new things , when the search for the

eighties and once he annotated his best

I

truth in chess was sometimes absorbing,

effort for the Riga magazine Shakhmaty

those memories simply can't be taken

or Sahs, mentioning the author of the

away. As well as memories of people who

opening, of course, and also referring to

never knew the modern times.

Viktor Gavrikov's article. When those comments

The

year

1997

was sad for both Viorel

I

saw

I distrusted everybody

involved, as I dogmatically thought that

and me. The chess community lost two

a tempo could not be wasted like this. I

all their

still needed to meet Chebanenko and be­

life into chess investigation - the Latvian

come Viorel's friend to change my opin­

personalities who had devoted

Alvis

Vitolinsh

and

Vyacheslav Chebanenko.

the

Moldavian

ion!

I was supposed

to write a tribute to my countryman but haven't done it yet - who knows when

I I

At the beginning Vyacheslav Chebanenko was like a ghost for me. He never left his

9

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan hotel room. During some junior

compe­

tition I even mistook Boris Itltis for him, because Boris was visible

with Moldavian

S .£H4 tZJc6 6.e3), so the Moldavian school definitely had a certain impact on my chess.

youngsters but he was unknown to me, while Chebanenko's name would always

So,

should

say

that

Vyacheslav

be mentioned when one was preparing

Chebanenko was

against the Moldavian players. I got to

in

know Vyacheslav Andreevich personally

chess research,

in 1988 when he was helping Oratovsky

markable trainers of his time. He left

in his match versus Kramnik in Moscow

world too early but

and I attended the meeting of Botvinnik

alive. Even though he was not a tactician

daily life and

a

nice and a quiet

and one oT the most

re­

this his systems are still

all, his chess strategy has passed the test

with Jeroen Piket at the same time and

at

venue. Of course, the place I first met

of time and technology.

Chebanenko was his hotel room and

man

a true workaholic in

we

immediately started analysing the Slav

Finally I should thank Viorel Bologan

with 4 . a6 which I tried to 'refute', but

a tremendous job of unifying the modern

..

in vain.

discoveries in the 4 . a6 system . .

with

for its

historical background. Now the reader

the

Vyacheslav Chebanenko would normally

has everything he needs to know

try not to let his knowledge be spread

old strategic ideas and the latest concrete

outside the !v101davian chess school, but

nuances. And the fact that sometimes

exception, perhaps

pieces don't get exchanged before move

with me he made an

-

because I was Viorel's friend. He also in­

20 shows how fascinating and complex

troduced me to his girl students and one

the opening is.

of them was my girlfriend for while.

a

short

I wouldn't mention this if it were

not for the fact that later on in some of

Play 4 . a6 .

.

in the Slav! I used to think it

was a loss of tempo butitis not!

my games I employed a move that he had taught the girl (6 ... �g4 after l .d4

Alexey Shirov

dS 2.c4 c6 3/tJc3 ttJf6 4.cxdS cxdS

Tarragona, 16th ofMarch 2008

10

Introduction Containing extractsfrom the books'Revolution in the 1970s' by Garry Kasparov and 'School of Chess Excellence 4 Opening Developments' by Mark Dvoretsky, and the article 'A New Sys­ tem in the Slav Defence' by Viktor Gavrikov -

This book is dedicated to Vyacheslav Andreevich Chebanenko, the patriarch of Moldovan chess , and my trainer and teacher. In working on tills book, I was gready as­ sisted by my long-time friends and col­ leagues , 1M VladimIr Barsky (editor) and GM Victor Komliakov (consultant) , to whom I offer my warmest regards and heartfelt gratitude. Without them, I could not even have begun work. Doctor Chebanenko's

thing else, I'll just work something out over the board. That was all the prepara­ tion one did. That is assuming one was a professional, and analysed other people's games , and studied good books - if you were a complete lazybones , then better not to play chess at ail! But we liked to play! It is not only a ques­ tion of enjoying the process itself, but also , if things go well , there are material rewards - a stipend from the state, for­ eign travel, dining coupons , lectures, simuls . ..

Philosopher's Stone

It was all a long time ago. Back in the days when people wrote letters to each other on paper, and a telephone in one's apart­ ment was regarded as a luxury; when a Simple IBM electronic calculator took up most of my father's office, and bigger mainframe computers occupied whole floors in the Moldavian Soviet Republic's 'Gosplan' planning institute ; back in the days when Fritz was still just a glint in Frederic Friedel 's eye, and MIkhail Moiseevich Botvinnik was still struggling with the problem of constructing artifI­ cial intelligence. Back in those days, people , chess players included, used to use their own heads to think.

One used to sit down before a game and decide - OK, if he plays this, I will choose that plan ; if h e does this, I'll follow that well-known game , and if he does any-

- OK, you win, said the maestro of Moldavian chess, Vyacheslav Andreevich Chebanenko, stretching himself out on his sofa. - I'll show you something. It is time to introduce the Doctor, as Vyacheslav Andreevich was called by the older generation of his pupils. Not only did he come up with a miraculous solu­ tion to all the problems of the idle chess players of Moldavia , by creating for them a unique opening repertoire , contained within a couple of exercise books. He also managed to interest the whole chess world in his ideas, even such grandiose figures as Tigran Petrosian and Garry Kasparov. In order to avoid the inaccuracies that are inevitable when re-telling a story, I will let you hear it 'from the horse's mouth' as it were , in the wor ds of the 13th World Champion himself 11

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan Extract from Garry Kasparov's book Revo­

lution in the 1970s, pages 324-32 6:

Or4.e3 a6.

4.

...

a7-a6

And from the mid 1970s, the various

The Chebanenko Line

Moldovan masters began to use the sys­

When speaking of the founders of the

tem in practice.

modern opening, one cannot omit the name of the Kishinev master Vyacheslav Chebanenko (1942-1997), a noted theo­ retician and trainer, who brought on a whole generation of grandmasters and Gavrikov,

masters Bologan,

Komliakov,

Iordachescu, Rogozenko,

V

Nevednichy, Oratovsky and many others. His opening 'bomb' in the Sicilian De­ fence is well-known, after being used by Petrosian in the first game of his match against Fischer.

Today it is one of the main opening sys­ tems against 1.d4, but 30 years ago, only

Slav with 4...a6

a small number of players knew about it

But what is rather more important is that

and it seemed quite an exotic idea. Chess

Chebanenko invented and worked out in

ideas were still dominated by relatively

detail the 4... a6-system in the Slav De­

classical principles. and the apparently pOintless loss of

fence:

a

tempo had trouble

1.

d2-d4

d7-d5

2.

c2-c4

c7-c6

. .. It is worth seeing how it changed the

3.

lLlg1-f3

lLlg8-f6

e valuation of the Exchange Variation of

4.

lLlb1-c3

being accepted.

the Slav Defence.

The author with the inventor.

12

Introduction 1.

d2-d4

d7-d5

5.

e2-e3

b7-b5

2.

c2-c4

c7-c6

6.

b2-b3

ii.cS-g4

3.

lLlg 1 -f3

lLlgS-f6

7.

h2-h3

4. c4xd5 5. �b1 -c3 6.

c6xd5 lLlbS-c6

In the main line-7.iLe2 e6 8.0-0 ttJbd7 9.h3 �h5 - Black has a solid position, whilst the bishop retreat to f5 is also not

ii.c1 -f4

bad.

7.

...

�g4xf3

7 ...�hS 8.g4.

S.

'iYd1 xf3

Chebanenko's

e7-e6

pupils

preferred

9.dxeS (9.c5 ttJbd7) 9...�b4 �x c3

11.�xc3

13.bxc4

ttJe4

(13.e6

1 0.�d2

12.�b4

l:ta7;

13 ...'iYb6 14.a3 as

8...eS!

13.'iVg4

bxc4 cS!)

IS.cxdS cxdS \\-ith

good play.

9. For a long time, the main methods of de­

ii.c1 -d2

9.�d3!?

fence Were confined to be either 6 ...e6 or

9.

6 ... �fS. But then it turned out that, by

1 0.

...

ii.fS-b4

'lWf3-d 1 ?!

analogy with 4.ttJc3 a6 S.cxdS cxdS

The natural 1 0.�d3 is better, since White

6.i.f4lLlc6. in the diagram position the

has no objections to either 10... ttJbd7

move

11.0-0 intending a2-a3, and 10...'iYaS

6.

...

a7-a61?

11..!:!'cl

�xc3

12 Jhc3

(12.�xc3!?)

go od with the idea of 7.e3 �g4 !,

12 . 'i' xa2 13.'iVd1 with obvious com­

whllst7.lLleS can bernet by 7...'i'b6, and

pensation for the pawn (Sadler-Levitt,

on 7.!tel Black equalises with 7...�f5

Dublin Zonal 1993).

was

,

..

8.ltJesllc8.

1 0. 11.

ii.f1 -e2

b5xc4

There is no sense in giving a complete

12.

b3xc4

c6-c5!

overview of all the possible variations of

0-0

An energetic move!

the Chebanenko System, especially as I only really became acquainted with it quite late on, in the 199Os, when it began to b ecom e a bigger and bigger part of the repertoire of top players. Viktor Gavrikov passed the baton to Victor Bologan. Alexey Shirov and other young grand­ masters.

I remember being struck by the ease with

which Black won in the game OIl-Anand (Biel Interzonal

19 9 3) :

1 3.

d4xc5? 13

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan of course,

13.0-0 cxd4 14.tt:lxdS! was

correct, with equality - Anand.

13. 14.

e3xd4

'to date, White has not found any advan­ tage here, and the main lines remain

d5-d4!

those that were written in our notebooks

'iWd8xd4

all those years ago'.

(End of extract)

15.

�d1-c2

tLlb8-c6

16.

0-0

�d4-e5!

17.

,*,c2-a4?! Ua8-d8

1 8.

�d 2-e1

***

tLlc6-d4!

The

title

of

'Doctor'

was

given to

19.

'i'a4xb4

tLld4 xe 2 +

Vyacheslav Andreevich for

20.

tLlc3xe 2

� e5xa1

opening experiments, many of which he

21.

tLle2-c3

'l1l:i'a1-c1!

used even with very young players.

and Black won (0-1).

his tireless

First the idea would be born, then the details would be worked

out

on his

Having looked at the details of the sys­

handheld 'Riga' magnetic chess set (by

tem, I included it in my repertoire, and

using such a set, Chebanenko did not

achieved good results, never experiencing

have to get up from the sofa on which he

any problems. In the words of Bologan,

always lay full-length), and then dictated

A page from the author's notebook during his Chebanenko days.

14

Introduction

to his pupils. who wrote them down in their exercise-books. And then the pupil. faithfully believing that he had in his hands a super-novelty. would be sent off to his game. It 15 only fair to say that the Doctor's ope­ ning experiments were usually success­ ful. although that success was not always carried over to the latter part of the game. A typical picture for the Moldavian team in national competitions would go some­ thing like this - after the opening. we would have a large advantage. then the position would gradually level out. and in time-trouble. everything would be turned on its head. One of his 'victin1S' was his young girl pu­ pil Tanya Derid. She did not have a very good memory. so Vyacheslav Andreevich drean1ed up for her the following opening variation: l .e4 c6 2.d4 ds 3 .cuc3 a6!? Black gives his opponent the move. with­ out clarif)'ing the situation ill the centre. and in answer to the most natural move 4.0.£'3. he continues 4. . . itg4. It may very well be by analogy with this that the move 4 . a6!? in the Slav was found. .

***

Nikolay Popov recalls (Popov was the first Moldavian IM, and is now a sports commen­ tator on Russian TV): - Chebanenko was born in Kishinev. but later studied in Leningrad. at the institute of optics and mechanics. However. this did not prove to be his vocation. and he left Leningrad and continued his stumes in Odessa. at the institute of maths and physics. After finishing hIS studies. he spent two years working in the distribu­ tion business. in a village somewhere in

Moldavia. and then returned to Kishinev and devoted himself to chess. He worked as a trainer at the chess club and contin­ ued his own playing career. He always had his own approach to chess. his own way of looking at things. This at­ tracted me and I decided to study with him. We spent a lot of time analysing the most varied positions. although I have to say that I always felt a little uncomfort­ able. I have a very open, dynamic sty Ie, whereas he tended to look at the sort of positions that I could not really get on with, and this put me off somewhat. Maybe I could outplay him in analysis, simply because I was the stronger practi­ cal player. but we always had differences of principle in relation to positions. For example, Chebanenko really liked the line l .e4 cs v'bf3 tLic6 3 .�bS and on the next move, regardless of what Black did. taking on c6. Nowadays this is considered a maj or variation. but I just could not ac­ cept that it should be possible to play like this. I remember that we even played a match. where I answered 3 .�b s with 3 . . . a6 and forced him to take on c6. I do not recall the result of the match. but he got the advantage in the opening. Up to a certain level (let us say against candidate masters) he scored vIrtually 100% with this opening. because his opponents simply did not how to play against it. He also spent a great deal of time on an­ other opening. wruch did not become so popular. but in which he very fi=ly be­ lieved: l .e4 d6 2 . d4 cuf6 3 . tLic3 c6 !? Here he investigated a whole mass of po­ sitions. Thanks to Chebanenko I played a lot of games. and very successfully at that. with the Black line l.c4 es 2 . tLic3 �b4!?, and 15

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Vyacheslav Andreevich Chebanenko (below, centre): a key figure of Moldavian chess.

if 3. ttJd5, then 3 ... �e 7. And if the knight

Doctor. He had a deep knowledge of

did not come to d5, then Chebanenko did

chess strategy. He was a great researcher,

exactly what he did in the Sicilian, and

although it was not only opening ideas

took immediately on c3, carrying out the

that interested him, but chess strategy in

same plan that he loved - the battle

general. He had studied Nimzowitsch's

against doubled pawns.

theories very deeply and built his own

Petrosian described in detail in 64, the

conception. In any opening, the Doctor

magazine that was around at the time,

always strove first and foremost to iden­

one of Chebanenko's novelties. After he

tify its strategic basis.

beat Kortchnoi and qualified for the final

At the start of the 1970s, Chebanenko

Candidates' match against Fischer, he was

was the trainer of the Moldavian school­

passed a letter, addressed to the winner of

children. He never cared about who was

the Kortchnoi-Petrosian match, in which

in front of him, a schoolboy or a master­

there was analysis of the variation later

he always wanted someone on whom to

seen in the first game of the Fischer­

test his ideas. W hen you analyse on your

Petrosian match . Later, Tigran Vartano­

own, it is not always possible to retain

vich was very upset that he had wasted

one's objectivity. At first, he tested his

such

an

innovation, by failing at the cru­

cial moment to follow the analysis.

stuff on other Moldavian masters, who also worked as trainers - Nikolay Popov and Boris Itkis (he, in particular, analysed

***

a

great

deal),

and

then

Chebanenko

started to include in the analysis his own Grandmaster Victor Komliakov recalls:

pupils - Gavrikov, me, Titov, and others.

- We, his pupils, used to call Vyacheslav

All of his ideas, Vyacheslav Andreevich

Andreevich Chebanenko the

first tested on us.

16

Guru,

or

I

Introduction I remember that at a session in 197S, we

find his ideas. Chebanenko would come

spent about 10-12 days polishing up the

to a training session and say 'Look, I have

variation, and then wrote it an out in

a

a new idea' , and would set up on the

notebook. Unfortunately, I no longer have

board the critical position, which would

the notebook. One of the first to try it was

usually be the product of a night-time

Popov, but he was not very successfuL

vigiL He would then start to check it, re­

Then there was a lull for about S years, be­

gardless of whether the pupil played this

fore Gavrikov started to use the variation.

variation or not. Over time, his pupils

In those days, in the main, we played the

grew up, and became strong opponents,

King's Indian, and only rarely the Slav:

who had from the beginning developed

Later, when we found some problems

the art of analysis. In those days, there

with the King's Indian, we returned to the

were no computers, and we all moved the

Slav. There are many openings, after all,

and one should not spend all one's time

pieces by hand. Chebanenko worked a great deal, and the pieces on his magnetic

on the same one! Chebanenko, for exam­

chess

ple, spent a lot of time on the Modern

moving around the board!

set

covered

many

kilometres

Defence with c6-d6, and with white opened l.e4- more often than 1 .d4. He

***

played the Slav with 4- .. a6 from time to time, in competitions,

the games of

'The Chebanenko Line' (to use Kasparov's

which have not made it into contempo­

apt expression!), as well

rary databases, such as the Moldavian

amined in this book, also included l.c4

championships, for example.

eS 2.tLJc3 �b4 3.tLJdS �e7

Then Gavrikov took up the baton. He

Opening, and all kinds of King's Indian

played the Chebanenko Variation t wice

as

the a6-Slav ex­ ill

the English

ill

set-ups, particularly with the knight on

the 1981 USSR Championship (against

d7. To avoid the Four Pawns, Sarnisch and

Beliavsky and Tukmakov), and made two

Averbakh

draws. In December 1983, in the maga­

with

zine Shakhmaty

v

SSSR

he published

an

l.e4-

variations,

we often started

1 ...d6. Correspondingly, we

were

prepared to

by

against

play

the

article, entitled 'A new system in the Slav

Philidor, reaching it either

Defence', At the beginning of the 1990s, Viorel

Chebanenko handled the pawns in virtu­

3.ttJc3

eS,

or

by

2.M lLlf6

3... c6,

where

Bologan asked Chebanenko's permission

oso style, playing either ...dS, ...cS, or

to show the variation to Shirov. Alexey

...eS, depending on circumstances.

started playing the line very successfully,

As White we all played l.e4, although

and being a generous and well-brought

V yacheslav

up young man, he later went out of his

looked at lines after l.d4; in particular

way

against the Dutch Defence he worked out

to

express

his

gratitude

to

Andreevich

occaSionally

Chebanenko.

a system involving a pawn sacrifice with

It was very lillportant to Chebanenko that

h2-h3 and g2-g4. It is interesting to note

he had a suitable opponent (albeit only

that this motif appears nowadays

a

candidate master), in order that he could

ill

most all closed openings. 17

al­

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Needless to say, we did not get mixed up in Open SicIlians, but faithfully employed the Doctor's prescription: against 2 ... d6 and 2 ...tLlc6 - 3 .£Lb 5 , whilst after 2 . . . e6 we had the choice between 3 . c4 or 3 . d3. Against the French it was only 2 .d3 , 1 . . .e5 we happily met with the Italian, whilst if we thought the Petroff/Russian Game was likely, we would play the bishop to c4 at move 2 . The main thing that links all the above­ mentioned lines is the restrained pawn structure, usually involving d3 -c3 as White and d6-c6 as Black. The pieces would then be placed very harmoniously within that pawn structure. The typical plan of preparing either . . . b5 or . . . d 5 , and also the overall conception, made the whole system easy to remember and play. The strange thing is that the main varia­ tion of Chebanenko's whole life, the Slav with 4 . . . a6, is somewhat outside the gen­ eral opening conception of the 'Chebanenko Line ', because the pawn structure in the centre is determined al­ ready at move one. This exception to the general rule allowed Chebanenko to demonstrate his strategic talent. The move . . . d5, compared vvith . . d6, gives Black more room to manoeuvre. It may seem that Black is going to play quite normally, but the originality of the Chebanenko Variation is that it is still in accord with Chebanenko's principal ope­ ning credo - preserving the maximum number of options. So who £lrst played the move 4 ... a6 in the Slav? In this regard, the article by Rene Olthof in Yearbook 8 1 is extremely inter­ esting, in whIch he refers to the game Reginald Pryce Michell versus Mir Sultan Khan, British Championship 1 9 2 9 . 18

The £lrst serious opponent, and, there­ fore, the £lrst person to put the Chebanenko Variation to a serious test, was Nikolay Popov, from whom we have already heard above (incidentally, he also at one time spent a month training me) . Nikolay Popov: , . . . And then he developed his variation of the Slav, with 4 . . . a6, a move he was very proud of Once again, he and I ar­ gued over the merits of this line, because the move breaks many of the general rules of opening play. Nowadays this line has become widely-accepted, and even Kasparov devoted a whole chapter to it, in his book Revolu tion in the 1970s. At a certain level, such as in Moldavian tournaments, this opening scored well. But in 19 7 5 , I played two games against Leonid Zaid, and he twIce defeated me with the move 5.iLg5. As far as I know, however, nowadays Black is OK in this variation. Also in 19 7 5, I tried the varia­ tion against Dorfman, and as early as move 1 5 , he (as White) offered me a draw. I refused and went on to lose. Even so, deep-down, I did not really believe in the Chebanenko System, which to a sig­ ni£lcant extent was the antithesis of my style. On the other hand , Victor Gavrikov be­ lieved much more in Chebanenko's sys­ tems. He lived in a town about 50 km from Kishinev, and every day, he would catch the bus into the capital, to work with Chebanenko. In the early 1980s, Gavrikov had a golden period, first quali­ £)ring for the USSR First League, then the Super League, and in one Super League dividing 1- 3 places , thereby g e tting into the Interzonal.'

Introduction In the chapter 'How a chess player devel­

***

ops' I described the preparation of Alexey It was Victor Gavrikov, the first 'home­

Dreev, who took the prestigious utle of

grown' Moldavian

World U-16 Cadet Champion in 1983.

grandmaster,

who

first gave the Chebanenko Variation its

The

name, and developed its reputation as a

(France), Alyosha repeated his success

following

year

in

Champigny

serious opening. This was all done in his

and became a double champion. And

article in the highly-respected magazine

nally, in the world U-20 championship in

fi

Shakhmaty v SSSR in December 1983. It

Kiljava (Finland), the IS-year old Dreev

was on the basis of this article that I de­

scored 10/13, to take the silver medal

cided to give a short history of the varia­

ahead of a host of players several years

tion, in this book. I hope readers will find this small historical journey of

in­

terest; it can be found at the end of this

older than himself (the winner, with 10. S. was Curt Hansen). Remarkably, Dreev did not lose a single

Introduction.

game in any of these three tourna­

After the publication of Gavrikov's article,

ments!

the variation finally ceased to be purely a Moldavian specialIty, and began, at first quietly. and later with greater publicity. to enter the realms of the top of world chess. One of the first practitioners was still a young talent,

the 16-year-old

Alexey

o •

Thorsteins,Karl Dreev,Alexey World ]Wlior Championship, KIljava 1984

Dreev.

1.

d2-d4

d7-d5

2.

c2-c4

c7-c6

School of Chess Excellence 4 Opening Developments by Mark Dvoretsky,

3.

tLlg1 -f3

tLlgS-f6

4.

tLlb 1 -c3

a 7-a6!?

Extract from

pages 134-138.

Black chooses a system suggested by the

What is Meant by High Class

Vyacheslav Chebanenko. Nowadays it is

I hear the speech not ofa boy, but ofa man.

mir Epishin. Julian Hodgson and other

well-known

trainer

from

Kishinev,

played regularly by Alexey Shirov, Vladi­

-

Alexander Pushkin

well-known grandmasters, but then, it had not yet become fashionable.

Almost every talented young player can

When preparing for the world junior

carry out energetic attacks . filled with

championship, Dreev and I decided to

combinational blows. Such games indi­

widen his opening repertoire. to include

cate the player's talent, but not his matu­

several such lesser-known lines. The ad­

rity or the high class of his play. The truth

vantages of this approach are obvious -

the class of a player is about all-round versatility, the ability to take independent de­ cisions in the diff e rent situations arising during the course of the battle.

we would not need to spend so much

is that

time studying the new schemes, whilst Dreev's opponents were unlikely to be well-prepared for them. 19

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan Generally speaking, such an approach to

In round 8, Dreev again played the varia­

one's opening repertoire is questionable,

tion, thIS time against the future bronze

and should not

become one's main

medal winner, Karl Thorsteins.

method, but as a temporary measure

We managed to guess what the opponent

when preparing for a specific event, it has

would play. It was not hard to imagine

its merits.

that in looking for a weapon against

4.. a6, the Icelandic player would rely on .

T he first time the system with 4. .a6 was

the latest

tried in the event was the game Wells -

he would be familiar with Gavrikov's re­

.

Informant (it was unlikely that

Dreev. At that moment, both players had

cent article in

3/3. Their game, although it ended in a

had served as our main source of infor­

qUick draw, was quite tense:

mation). In

Shakhmaty

v

SSSR, which

Informant 36, Tukmakov had

5.cxd5

annotated a game where he had won as

7...tne4! 8.a3!?

White,

the variation 8.e3 �xc3 9Jhc3? eS! fol­ lowed by 10 ... i.M. In the game

T horsteins decided to follow.

Beliavsky-Tukmakov

(USSR

and

it

was

this

game

that

Studying the game Tukmakov - Bagirov

Champion­

(USSR 1983), Dreev and I came to the

ship, Frunze 1981) White preferred 8.�eS, but after 8... �xc3 9.Uxc3 �d7

conclusion that Black could achieve satis­

10.�b3 f6! 11.�xc6 i.xc6 12.e3 e6 13.i.d3 i.e7 14.0-0 Wf7! Black equalised.

factory play. As a result, an interesting opening duel arose in the game against T horsteins.

8 ...

S.

j,c1 -gS

tbf6-e4

1 2.tb d2 £!.f5 1 3 Jb c6!? If 13.i.e2 the game

6.

j,gS-f4

tbe4xc3

is about even. Instead, the young English­

7.

b2xc3

dSxc4

man strives for complications.

S.

g2-g3

b7-bS

13.

9.

il.f1 -g2

i.cS-b7

1 0.

tbf3-eS

1 6.�b7 l:ta7 1 7.0-0 17 .i.c7? � e8 18.� b6 'iWd7!. 1 7...'iI'a5 1 8.tbb3

queen exchange leads to a superior end­ ing for White: 19.'liVxa4!? .l:!.xa4 20 ..l:!.c1 20 ...i.d3 llc4 (20 ....l:!.a7 21.'uc7; 21.�cS) 21.1hc4 dxc4 22.�aS. 19 ... £!.d8

20.£!.c7 £!.xc7 21 .'i'xc7+ wg 6

22.�g3+ '.t>f7 23 .'tWc7+ Draw.

Actually, Peter Wells was in slightly too much of a hurry to agree a draw - he could still fight for a win by: 23. ..�g6 24. �cS! 'iVaS 2S.�c6! nb8 26.M! (but not immediately 26.i.c8? nc7 27 .'liVe8+

Tlus move proves to b e the prelude to

in­

terestmg tactical complications. White goes into them, since otherwise Black will play 10 .. .tud7 and White's compen­ sation for the pawn is questionable.

1 0.

...

f7-f61

Black takes up the gauntlet. On 10 ...l{irc8 Tukmakov gives the line 11 . .l:!.b 1 tbdl 12.� xc4! bxc4 13.'iVa4 eS 14.dxeS lLlcs 15."iYxc4, and now it is bad to play 15 ...'iVe6? 16.'iVxe6+ fxe6 17 Jhb7.

11.

tbeSxc4!

�h6) 26..:tWxa3 27.i.c8 "iYx M 28.i.xe6 i. xe6 29.'l!¥xe6, and White's position re­

In the above-mentioned source

mains preferable.

12 ..l:!.b1 eS 13.l:f.xb7 exf4, and after

20

game, Vladimir Bagirov continued 11 .. bxc4?! .

Introduction

14.'i'a4?! Vi'c8 I S .l':i.b6 �d6 1 6.'ii'x c4 We7 he managed to beat off the first wave of the attack and obtain a promising posi­ tion. However, as Tukmakov pointed out, White could play more strongly : 14.'i'bl! �e7 ( 1 4 . . . �d6 I SJhg 7 ) lS.'iVe4! 'i'd6 1 6 . 0 - 0 ti:ld7 ( 1 6 .. .fxg3 17 .hxg 3 g 6 1 8 .Itfb 1 is hardly any better) 1 7.'fiNxc6 'li'xc6 1 8 .�xc6 0-0-0 1 9 .l:tfb 1 .id6 20 . .!::!. a7 with advantage. Black also has a diffl.cult position after l 1 . ..eS?! 1 2.dxeS 'ii' xd 1 + 1 3.l:txd l bxc4 1 4.e6 ! �c8 I S .l':i.b l . It turns out that here, just as in the critical position of the game Wells-Dreev, seen earlier, the key to the position is the zWischenzug . . . g7 -gS ! , which improves Black's chances in the subsequent struggle. 11.

...

1 2.

�f4xb8

g7-g5!!

Many years later, Vishy Anand chose against Dreev 1 2 .�e3! bxc4 1 3 . nb l 'JIii c 7 1 4 . h4 with good compensation for the sacrificed piece. 12.

'"

b5xc41

Suddenly the white bishop is trapped. How can it sell itself as dearly as pOSSible? Sergey Dolmatov suggested the paradoxi­ cal move 1 3 . .I1I.. e S ! with the idea of avoid­ ing further exchanges and weakening the enemy king 's hiding place on the kingside. For example 1 3 . . . fxeS 1 4.nb 1 �c7 IS.�a4 \t>f7 (or I S . . . l:tc8 1 6 .dxeS) 16.'i'xc4+ e6 1 7 .dS! exdS 1 8 .�xdS + 'it'f6 1 9. f41. It is hard to say where White's attacking chances are better, here or in the Anand-Dreev line; only further practical expenence can answer thIS question. 1 3.

J::r.a 1 -b1

1 4.

l:lb 1 xb7

�a8xb8 l:!.b8xb 7

1 5.

�g2xc6+ l:!.b7-d7

1 6.

'i'd 1 -a4

1 7.

0-0

e7-e6

In his commentary, Tukmakov looked at this variation and continued it as follows: 1 7 . . . \t>e7 1 8 .�xd7 'i'xd7 1 9 .'ii'x a6 �g7 2 0 .'li'xc4 .!:!.c8 2 1 .Vi'd3 . In preparing for this game, we decided that the final posi­ tion is satisfactory for Black, and we also noticed that he could develop the bishop on a another diagonal: 1 9 .. . 'it'fl ! ? (in­ stead of I 9 . . . �g7) 2 0J'l:b l �e7. However, at the board, Dreev did not blindly follow what we had analysed at home. Instead, he thought further and found the most preCIse way to develop his pieces. 1 7.

...

�f8-d6!

Such decisions show not only good posi­ tional understanding, but also the ability to think independently. and belief in one's own ability. 1 8.

'iYa4xa6

White could instead choose 1 8 .nb 1 r:J;; e 7 1 9 .�xd7 'iWxd7 2 0 .'i'xa6 I!.c8 2 1 ..!lb7 ! ? l:tc7 nJhc7 'fixc 7 . Now the direct B . a4? is bad because of B . . . �b4!! 2 4 .cxb4 c3 2 S .dS ( 2 S .'li'd3 c2 2 6.�xh 7 + <;;!;>d 6) 2 S . . . exdS 2 6 .iVd3 c2 27.'JIii e 3+ 'It>d7 2 8 .'li'cl 'i'c4, and the pawn soon promotes. Instead, White 21

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

must play 2 3 .'ii'b 5 !. Then it makes sense for Black to harass the enemy king by means of 23 . . .h 5 ! 24.a4 h4 (preparing ... h4-h3 and . . . '!Wb8) . If 2 5 .r;;i;> g 2 , then either the immediate 2 5 .. .'iVb8 2 6 .'llfxc4 'i'b I , or first 2 5 . .. f5 - in both cases, it is not easy for White to defend. 1 8.

...

�e8-f7!

From here, the king can defend the h7 pawn in case of necessity. In the variation 1 8 . . . r;;i;>e7 1 9 .�xd7 "'iWxd7 2 0 .'ihc4 tl.b8 (or 20 . . . tl.c8) 2 1 .'iVd3 �f8 2 2 .c4 the black queen is tied to the pawn instead. 1 9.

iLc6xd7

20.

'i'a6xc4

'iV d8xd7

We have already looked at the position arising after 20.tl.b 1 tl.c8 2 1 .tl.b7 tl.c7 2 2 .tl.xc7 'iYxc7 , only with the king on e7 , where he is slightly better placed. The difference is apparent in the variation 2 3 .a4t? �b4?! 2 4.cxb4 c3 (not 24 . .. 'it'g7? because of 2 5 .b 5 c3 2 6.b6 'iVc6 27 . 'Ii'a7+ 'it'g6 2 8 .'Ii'c7 ) 2 S .'iVd3 �g7 2 6 .'iVc2 'iVc4 27.b5 (27 .r;;i;>f 1 ? 'iVxb4 28 .'it'e l 'iVb2 29 .'it'dl 'iVa 1 + 3 0 .'iVc l 'iVxa4+ and 3 1 . . .'iVxd4) 27 .. :iVxd4 2 8 .'jib 3 with a probable draw. 20.

...

21 .

a2-a4

Uh8-b8

The other possibility was 2 1 .'iWd3 �g7 2 2 . c4, as was played nine years later ill the game Rashkovsky-Rublevsky (Kurgan 1 99 3 ) . Black will probably Will the a2 pawn, but it is hard to say if this will give him realistic winning chances. The white pawn chain h2-g3 -f2.-e3 -d4-c5 restricts the activity of the black bishop. �d 7-c8

21 . 22.

'i'c4-d3

23.

f2-f4?

�f7-g7

Here, at last, is a positional error. White is afraid of 23 . . . .llb 3 and prepares to defend 22

the pawn b y lif3 . However, the text move weakens the king's position and gives Black the chance for an attack. He should have played to use the a-pawn: .2 3 .l:!.al tl.b3 2 4.aS , or 2 3 .c4 'iWa6 (this is the point of 2 1 ...'iYc8) 24.tl.d l 'iYxa4 2 5 .c5 . 23.

...

24.

g 3xf4

g5xf4

Subsequently, Dreev confidently realised his extra material. (End of extract) ***

So it was that the wind got in the sails. Af­ ter Popov, Gavrikov and Dreev, many other players started playing the a6-Slav: Milorad Knezevic, Vladimir Bagirov, and, of course, Chebanenko's pupils - Victor Komliakov, German Titov, Georgy Orlov, Vasily Sanduliak, Dom Rogozenko . . . Your humble servant played his first game with the variation in 1 9 8 9 . Even so, with Megabase showing just 1 0 0 games in the variation, the 1 9 80s are more like just the prelude to the full sym­ phony of the 1 9 9 0 s , where we find some 2 0 0 0 games. Probably the most interest­ ing time for the variation was the turn of the third millennium. The move 4 ... a6 attracted both question marks and 'dubi­ ous' signs. Variations were 'closed' (for instance, the move 5 .�g5 ) and new ones opened. Amongst the top 10 players, the first to include the variation in his reper­ toire was Alexey Shirov. He played fear­ lessly, with an abundance of risk-taking and passion, and I decided to introduce my friend to Vyacheslav Andreevich, who in turn, via me, showed Shirov many of the subtleties of the variation. Thanks to Shirov, the Chebanenko Varia­ tion began to appear in all of the capitals

Introduction

of the chess world - Linares, Biel, Tilburg, Monaco. To the honour of both Shirov and Chebanenko himself, the variation achieved a 5 0% score, 1 4- 1 4. And this was against the very best players in the world. Shirov, along with Chebanenko's pupils, like me, Komliakov and Rogozenko, both promoted the name of Chebanenko, and at the same time influenced other, inde­ pendent schools of players, taking up the 4 . a6Ime. One who greatly enriched the theory of the variation was Ivan Sokolov, who not only won many fine games in the line, with some beautiful combinative blows, but also brought to it a dose of aggres­ sion. I was not surprised when, af ter a pause, Ivan returned to the variation and again scored extremely well with it. It is no coincidence that in the test positions, you will find a number of examples from Sokolov's games. Of the generation of Dreev, Sokolov and Shirov, two others who played the varia­ tion are Bareev and Khalifman. But the only ones who made it a permanent fea­ ture of their repertoires were all born in the 1 9 7 0s, and funnily enough, were all called Sergey - Movsesian, Rublevsky and Volkov. Apart from the a6-variation, they have little in common. Movsesian is sharp, temperamental and talented (in 20 0 8 , he qualified for the A group at Corus) , Rublevsky - strong and confi­ dent, Volkov - original and creative, but they all found something they could re­ late to in the a6-system. InCidentally, Rublevsky (with some help from me! ) has also been successful with another of Chebanenko 's ideas, namely on the white side of the Sicilian. .

.

In the new millennium, the line started appearing at every level. After its suc­ cessful use by Kasparov (in games against Kramnik, Ivanchuk and Khalifman) , it was taken up by Morozevich , Bacrot and the young Carlsen. At a certain moment , the Moldavian Variation (as it is sometimes also known) also received a helping hand from the Bulgarian school. First it was the highly experienced Kiril Georgiev, and then world champions Antoaneta Stefanova and Veselin Topalov. As well as Gavrikov's article, a Significant role in the popularisation of the variation was played by the New In Chess Yearbook Series. Time after time, it carried articles devoted to the variatlOn. And for every ar­ ticle, the line had another name! It was the ' chameleon' , the 'modern a6', the Chebanenko, and simply 'the a6 Slav' . Largely thanks to these articles, people began to start belieVing in the variatlOn. In preparing this book, I of course con­ sulted not only these articles, but also the only book devoted to the line, Grandmas­ ter Flear's 1 9 8 3 publication The a6 Slav. Despite the high quality of all the above material, I nonetheless decided to put pen to paper. It may appear that everything has already been played and written about the varia­ tion. Nothing of the sort! Recently, Kamsky has produced some new ideas, and again White must search for an ad­ vantage. Every time one prepares against the a6-system, one experiences a definite feeling of discomfort. I have had prob­ lems preparing as White against Malakhov (another major practitioner of the variation) , Movsesian and Stefanova. . . .

23

The Chebanenko Slav Accordmg to Bologan Nikolay Popov:

tests, and it became clear that he was very

- In the mid-1980s, I moved away from Kishinev and Chebabenko acquired some new pupils - Bologan, Rogozenko, Nevednichy, Iordachescu . .. By nature, Chebanenko enjoyed excellent health. But chess obsessed him, and he could spend hours on end absorbed in analysis, without even getting up from his sofa. His favourite pose was lying on the sofa, smoking, and constantly analys­ ing some position or other. He smoked a Moldavian brand of cigarette called 'Li­ ana' , whICh were extremely strong and rough. The fIrst thing he did after waking up each day was to light up. I remember that I once tried to talk him into taking some exercise: - You never go anywherel You should go for walksl He asked: -W hat for? - Because when you walk, it gets your heart pumping and the blood flowing. - My heart pumps faster when I have a cigarette. It's just the same! He died aged j ust 55, his health wrecked. After he was divorced from his wife, he lived alone, and never looked after him­ self properly. I remember that he used to buy some sort of strange and disgusting preserve, made from whale meat, which he would eat with eggs! He did not eat like a normal person, with a flISt course, and a second course, etc. Occasionally, he would visit his mother and eat a decent meal, but generally, his diet left a great deal to be desired. Eggs and preserve and that was about it. I was told that he became ill in 1995 and was taken into hospital. They tested his blood pressure and did various other

ill. He was put on a drip. of course, at that

24

moment, he wasn't able to smoke. Two days later, the doctors repeated their tests, and could not believe their eyes. in 48 hours, his system had completely cleaned itself out! Unfortunately, after this experi­ ence, Chebanenko came to believe that any time he wished, he could put his health right in a couple of days. But of course, this was just an illusion, and he died of a heart attack two years later. Our mutual friend Slava Kokhlov told me that he was at home with Chebanenko at the time. The latter stood up, went into the bathroom, then suddenly cried out and that was that. An ambulance was called, but it was already too late ... ***

... on that very day, 1 August 1997, I was supposed to fly from Moscow to Kazan, on business. But for the first time in my life, the flight was cancelled because of a technical problem with the plane, and I had to return home. There I received the sad news from Komliakov. We went to the funeral together. But it was a silent fare­ well, I had missed the chance to say goodbye to him. Maybe that is why, for a long time afterwards, I used to dream about Vyacheslav Andreevich, and he used to appear to me, alive, talking to me, offering advice, asking how I was ... The following year, thanks to my brother and several Moldavian chess enthuslasts, we managed to organise the first Chebanenko Memorial, which was won brilliantly by Alexander Mo rozevich, who scored 8.5 out of 9. He went on to win six tournaments in a row, and entered the

Introduction world elite. The memorials became an annual event, but quickly deteriorated into a modest tournament, offering only an 1M norm. But we believe that the day will come when famous GMs will once again come to Kishinev, to celebrate the memory of the great trainer. He may be gone, but his chess ideas are very much alive, as the book now before you testifies ! Instead ofa Guide-Book The first

real guide to the system was grand­ master Victor Gavrikov's article 'A New System in the Slav Defence', published in Shakhmaty v SSSR No. 12, 1983. I think the reader will find it interesting to see how the theory of the variation looked a quarter of a century ago. In italics you will find com­ ments by the present author, updating for the present-day state of theory in the Chebanenko System.

The inventor of this continuation is the Moldavian master V Chebanenko. Several of his other ideas have gained general ac­ ceptance. 1 could mention for example his ideas in the Sicilian Defence: l . e4 cS 2 .tDf3 e 6 3 d4 cxd4 4.tDxd4 tDc6 S . tLlbS d6 6 .iif4 eS 7.�e3 tDf6 8.�gS �e6 9 .tD l c3 a6 1 0. �xf6 gxf6 1 1 .tDa3 ds ! . And in the King's Indian: l .d4 tDf6 2 .c4 g6 3 .g3 �g 7 4.�g2 d6 S . tDc3 0- 0 6 .tt:lf3 tDbd7 7 .0- 0 eS 8.e4 c6 9 .h3 'tWb6 1 0 . .l::te l exd4 1 1 .tt:lxd4 - 1 1 ...tDe8! , whIch was first seen in the game Artamonov-Chebanenko ( 19 68) . The system under discussion here first began to be worked out in 1 9 7 2 . Later it was subjected to practical tests, Initially in Moldavian, and later in All-Union tourna­ ments. A certain amount of material has thus been gathered, which I aim to sum­ marise here. I

In our day, it is difficult to invent a wholly new opening system. Nonetheless, the search goes on, and 1 would like to ac­ quaint the reader with one such unusual system. 1.

d2-d4

d7-d5

2.

c2-c4

c7-cS

3.

tLlg1 -f3

tLlgS-fS

4.

tLl b 1 -c3

a7-aSl?

5.

c4xd5

One of the main lines, since in the Ex­ change Variation of the Slav, the move a6 looks like a loss of a tempo. � S.

-

cSxd5

�c1 -f4

This positlon is often reached by a different move-order: l .d4 ciS 2 .c4 c6 3 .cxdS cxdS 4.tDc3 tDf6 S .�f4 tDc6 6 .e3 . A typical ex­ ample was the game Zllltkus-Chebanenko (VI USSR People's Spartakiad 19 7 5) : 6 . . .a6 7 .�d3 �g4 8.£3 � 9 .tt:lge2 e6 1 0.0- 0 �e7 1 1 .�g3 0- 0 ( 1 l ...� g6 is also good) 12 .tDf4 �g6 1 3 .tt:lxg6 hxg6 , and Black had no problems. S.

...

7.

e2-e3

tLlbS-cS

Magerramov, against Popov (Beltsi 19 79) played 7 .tDe5. There followed 7 . ..e6 8.e3 25

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan �xeS 9 .dxe S �e4 ! ? 1 0 .ikd 3 ? ! �xc3 1 1 .bxc 3 ikd7 1 2 . 'i¥c2 ikc6 with a splen­ did position for Black. In the game Beliavsky-Gavnkov (49th USSR Championship, Frunze 1 981 ) W hite preferred 7 . .l:!.c 1 , but after 7 . .. �e4 ! ? 8. �eS (or 8.e3 �xc3 9 . .l:!.xc 3? eS t ; 9 . bxc3 �g4 ) 8. . . tUxc3 9 . .l:!.xc3 �d7 1 0.'iWb3 f6! 1 1 . tbxc 6 (worse is 1 1 .tbxd7 lJ:!Vxd 7 , threatening .. . e7 -e S) 1 1 .. .ikxc 6 1 2 .e3 e6 1 3 .�d3 ike7 1 4 .0-0 Wf 7 ! Black 's chances were n o worse. 7.

...

S.

�f1 -e2

�cS-g4

1 1 .tbxc6 ikxd l 12.�xd8 l:1xd8 1 3 Jl.fxd 1 �k8 1 4.Sac 1 0-0 "'ith a qUick draw. 1 0. 11.

a2-a3

0-0 l:laS-cS

1 2.

tUc3-a4

tUf6-e4

Black has sufficient counterplay. The theory of this popular variation grew continually, with both sides looking for im­ provements on almost every move. I will mention in particular the plan connected with developing White's king's knight to e2: 3.tbc3 tUf6 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.ikf4 tUc6 6.e3 a6 7.iLd3 or 7. Sc1 followed by tbge2J2-f3 and later, depending on circumstances, either g2-g4 or e3-e4. Personally, it seems to me that the most unpleasant plan for Black is the set-up 7.f'I.c1, as tried by Beliavsky in the above�mentioned game with Gavrikov. Even so, the critical positions remain the same, and the assessment 'Black has sufficient counterplay' has survived the test of time II

On 8.h3 both 8. . . �hS , and 8. . . ikxf3 are possible. Also seen is 8.ikd3 e6 9 .h3 ikhS 10 .g4 ikg6 11.ikxg6 hxg6 12 .tbeS .l:!.c8 13 . Wf l ike 7 , and Black did not experi� ence any difficulties (Vladimirov­ Gavrikov, Moscow 1 981 ) . Instead of 9.h 3 , worse is 9 .'iVb3 because of 9 .. . �xf3 ! 1 0.gxf3 tbaS 11 .lJ:!Vc2 .l:!.c8 1 2.0-0 �e7 with the better prospects (Azmaiparashvili-Itkis, Dinamo Champi­ onship 1980 ) . S.

...

e7-e6

9.

0-0

�fS-e7

1 0.

�c1 -g5

6.

�g 5-f4

tUf6-e4

Nothing better is apparent. 6. 7.

tUe4xc3 b2xc3

d5xc4

.l:!.a1 -c1

Nothing is promised by 1 0.tbeS , after which in the game Platonov-Gavrikov (Beltsi 19 7 7 ) there followed: 1 0 . . . Le2 26

5.

This position was met in the game Zaid -Popov (Daugavpils 19 7 4 ) , where

Introduction there followed 8.e4 b5 9.tbe5!? g6 I O .'iYf3 f6 1 1 .'iYg3 ! with the initiative for White. The move 9 ... ,i,e6, followed by . . . £7-f 6 , deserves attention, where it is hard for White to justify the sacrifice in concrete

8.

�f1 -d3

tUb8-d7

9.

f2-f4

�c8-b7

1 0.

0-0

terms.

In the later game Tukmakov-Bagirov (VIII USSR Spartakiad 1983 ) W hite preferred . . . 8.

g2-g3

. . . but after 8... b5 9 . �g2 �b7 1 0 . tLle5 f 6 ! I I ,ciJxc4?! bxc4 1 2 .Mb 1 e5! 13 Jhb 7 exf4 did not obtain sufficient compensa­ tion for the sac..:rificed material. The move 5..�g5 was at first regarded as a virtual refutation of the Chebanenko System, but nowadays is rarely seen. The main reason is the move shown by Gavrikov in his notes 9. . �e6, after which it is very diffic ult for White to show that he has sufficient compen­ sation for the pawn. Also not bad is 9 .'iYas, and even the previously rejected move 9. . g6 was rehabilitated, with the help of the com­ puter. White in turn has tried to strengthen his play with 6.�h4, 6.e3 and even 6.h4!?, butwithout particular success. -

.

..

.

This position was reached in the games Kharitonov -Gavrikov (MoscoW 198 1 ) and Tukmakov-Gavrikov (49th USSR Championship, Frunze) . The weakening of the e4-square gives Black adequate counterplay. These games continued as follows : Kharitonov-Gavrikov: 10 ...Ilc8 1 1 .a3 Jl..e 7 1 2 .f5! �c7! 1 3 .i2Jxd 7 �xd 7 14.�f3 g 6 ! 1 5.fxg6 fxg 6 1 6 ..lt d 2 0-0

are not worse. Tukmakov-Gavrikov : 1 2.i2Jxe4

dxe4

Black's chances

10 ... i2Je4 1 1 .a4!? b4

1 3.�c4

fie7

1 4.a5

0-0

1 5 .i2Jxd 7 'i'xd7 1 6 .�e2 f5 1 7.fid2 llfc8

III S.

1 8JHc1

The natural continuation; W hite aims to develop his kingside pieces qUickly. 5.

...

6.

c4xdS

b7-bS

On 6.c5 a good reply is 6 . . . �g4, followed by . . .tLl bd7 and . . . e 7 -e5. 6.

...

c6xdS

7. tLJf3-eS

In the event of 7 .�d3 , both 7 . . . �g4 and - 7 ... e6 are possible, leading to positions examined later. 7.

fi d5! wi t h equality.

e2-e3

...

e7-e6

This line has seen theory develop especially fast, and the developing move S.e3 is consid­ ered one of the principal replies to the Chebanenko System. Both the line mentioned by Gavrikov (6. cS) and one not mentioned by him (6.b3) deserve separate chapters, so con­ siderable is the information available on them. In concluding his short article, Victor Gavrikov summarised things asfollows:

I believe that the material presented above gives a good impression of the character 27

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan of the new system. Without doubt, subse­ quent practice will bring improvements for both sides, but one can already con­ clude that Chebanenko's idea deserves at­ tention.

It certainly does! A quarter of a century later, whole new systems have grown up, which have been developed by the best players and analysts. White has tried all of the following moves: 5:�c2, 5.iYb3, 5.h3 ! ? , 5.g3, 5.§i.f4, 5.a4, 5. lue5, 5.c5, but in every case, Black has sooner or later found reliable responses. The early knight jump into the centre has caused Black to shed a fair bit of blood, and he has had to rack his brains over how to meet the Catalan-style 5.g3. The battle between 'sword and shield' continues in almost every serious tournament, and the Chebanenko System remains popular with black players who wan t a solid position with counter­ chances. The system still lives and grows, as bring the white queen into the centre by means of 4 . . . dxc4 S . 'lWxc4 §i.f s 6. tU d e6

this book will show.

(End of article)

with good play for Black . I should add a word or two about things

which are not covered in the book, but

T h e other way to avoid t h e Chebanenko System is by 3. tLl c3 tLlf 6 4 . e3 after which

which may be of interest to practical play­

Vladimir

ers. The real Chebanenko System starts after

move 4 . . . a6! as adequate. If White then sticks to his guns and continues S .'�i c2

4 . . . a6 and does not include lines arising af­

Andreevich

considered

the

( 5 . tUf3 transposes back into lines covered

ter White's other fourth moves. Thus, lines such as 4. iY c2 and 4.e3 after 3. tD f3 , and

in the book, beginning with 5 . e3) , then

also 4.e3 after 3. luc3. A detailed analysis of

Black does best to answer .. e6 followed .

these lines would require another book,

by . . .cS . The white queen turns out to

and for the moment, I would just offer the

have gone to c2 rather prematurely. For

follOwing brief advice: Af ter 3. tUf3 tUf 6 4.e3 Black is best ad­ vised to continue 4 . . . §i.f s S . tD c3 e6 6. tU h4 §i. g6 after which he has a very solid position, which does not require deep opening knowledge. The picture after 3.tLl f3 tLlf 6 4. iY c2 is completely 28

different .

Here

Black

can

absolute confidence, I would recommend you to consult a database, collect together the games of the strongest players in this line, and study them, before going into battle.

Victor Bologan April, 200B

Part I

-

Various Replies on Move 5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 1 : The Exchan g e 5 . cxd 5 Chapter 2 : The Cunnin g 5 . h3

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Chapter 3 : The Uncommon 5 . 'iVc2

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Chapter 4 : Pressure on Black's Paw ns : 5 . 'iVb3 .

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41

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· 44

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. 48

Chapter 5 : Catalan-S tyl e : 5 . g 3 · . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 0 Chapter 6 : Develop in g : 5 . itf4 · Chapter 7 : The Rare 5 . jl, g 5

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72

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76

Chapter 1 The Exchange S.cxdS 1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.tt'lg1 -f3 tLlg8-fS 4.tLlb1 -c3 a 7-aS 5.c4xd5

In this firs t chapter, we will consider the Exchange Variation of the Slav, but not all variations; only those in which Black plays . . . a7-a6. Instead of the usuaI 4.tDgl-j3, which we will come to later, it also makes sense to con­ sider another move-order, in which White puts his king's knight on e2. In this line too, advocates of the Chebanenko system usually play the useful prophylactic move . . . a7-a6. ••• 1.

d2-d4

d7-d5

2.

c2-c4

c7-cS

3.

tLlb1 -c3

tLlg8-fS

4.

c4xd5

cSxd5

5.

�c1 -f4

tLlb8-cS

S.

e2-e3

6 .llc 1 a 6 7. tDf3 leads to the position which we will examine under the normal move-order with 4.tDf3 . S.

...

a 7-aS

Generally speaking, the threat tLlc3:.. b 5 is not all that dangerous, but experience with the Chebanenko shows that the move .. .a7 -a6 turns out to be useful in a 30

number of different situations, and not merely for defending against the ' crude' threat of a fork on c7.

Chapter 7. i.f1 -d3

Alexander Morozevich handled thIS posi­ tion in very original fashion: 7 .l::i'. c 1 �g4 8.f3 £l,d7 9.g4 e6 10.14 Jl.e7 11.Jl.d3 0-0 12 . .ib 1 �b6 1 3 . l::i'.h 2 l::i'. fc8 14.h5 J[e8 . White has seized space on the kingside, but Black has no weaknesses and is well mobilised, therefore it is ex­ tremely hard to break his position down (Morozevich-Sakaev, Moscow 2 0 07 ) . 7. ...

�c8-g4

8. tbg1 -e2

9.

e7-e6

0-0

A) Now, after remain:

The Exchange S . cxdS

13 .'ihe2 0- 0 14 .l::i'. ac 1 'iYd7 1 5 .l::i'. c 2 l::i'.fc8 16 . lHc 1 CLJc4 17 .CLJb 1 CLJd6 (draw, Van der Stricht-Dautov, France tt 2 0 05) 18.'llVf 3 , and 10.iLg3 0- 0 I 1.f 3 Jl.h5 1 2 .tZlf4 Jl.g6 13 .t2:lxg6 hxg6= (Bunzmann-Postny, France tt 2 0 07 ) are harmless for Black. 1 0 ... 1 2.lLla4 CLld7 1 3 .b4

Black can hardly count on counterplay, but now he gets an isolated pawn on d5, which can cause him some headaches. 1 4.dxeS CLlcxeS 1 S .'@b3 CLlc4 1 S.

As the following game shows, W hite can­ not just play 'how he likes' in this posi­ tion, since in the event of careless play, he can unexpectedly find himself facing diffi­ culties: 8.f3 �h5 9. CLJge2 e6 10.0- 0 �e7 1 1.:c l 0- 0 12 .tZla4 tZld7 13 .�b3 (equal­ ity results from 13 .a3 �g6) 1 3 ...l::i'. a 7 14 ..ig3 (more accurate is 1 4.a3 �g6 1S ..Lg6 hxg6 16 .'iYd3 CLJb6 17 .CLJxb6 'tWxb6 18.b4, draw, Doric-Ruck, Vogosca 2007) 14 ... �g6 15 .Jl.xg6 hxg6 16 .e4?! �6 17 .l/i'c2 l::i'. a8 18.tZlc5 ::I.c8+ Stefanova-Svetushkin, Athens 2 0 06 . a ...

I:

1 7.CLlac3 CLlfS 1 8.h3 .l1i.eS 1 9.CLld4

B) 9 ....l1i.hS 1 0 .l:!.c1 In the following game, W hite fell for a tempting combination, wluch turned out to be unfavourable for him: 10.'i'b3 t\a7 11 .l::i'.fc l �e7 12 .t2:lg3 �g6 13 .�b5? axbS 14.CLJxb5 'il'a5 15.�c7 'i'a4 16 .CLJxa7 'il'xa7 17 .�b6 'il'a6+ Nlkolic-Bareev, Saraj evo 1998. 1 0.. .l1i.gS 14.CLlf4 .l1i.xd3 1 S .CLlXd3 CLlXCS 1 7.CLlxCS CLlaS 18.'ii'a4 �a5 20.b3

to full equality Lausanne 2 0 06) . C) 9 ..

(Gerber-Liblszewski,

9 ...

1 0.

the' advance of the b-pawn. Both 10.'iYb3 ttJaS 11.'i'a4+ b5 12 .'iI'c2 Jl.xe2

1 1 .lk

vantage after 11.�xd6 'iYxd6 12 .tZlf4 �g6 , for example : 13 .l::i'.c 1 0- 0 14.�xg6 hxg6 15.tZld3 tZld7 16 .f4 l::i'. ac8 17 .tZla4 31

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

ttJM I S .ttJ dc5 ( I S .ttJac5 ttJxd3) I S . . . b 6 1 9 .ttJxd7 1:rxc l 2 0 .'ilhc l 'l!!Vxd7 2 1 . ttJxb 6 'ili'b 7 2 2 . ttJa4 ttJxa2 2 3 .�d2 ttJb4=. 1 1 ...� g 6

1 2.lZla4

�xd3

1 3.'iVxd3

On 6. (7 .�f4 ttJc6)

0-0

1 4.�xd6 'IlUxd6 1 5.'\Wb3

and thanks to his control over (he break­ through points e4 and f5 Black's chances are, at a minimum, not worse (Zakharchenko-Novltsky, St Petersburg 2006).

1 7.f4 lZla5 1 S.'\Wd3 lZlc4 1 9.b3 lZld6,

1.

d2-d4

d7-d5

2.

c2-c4

c7-c6

And now, both 7 . :�i'as and 7 . . . ttJc6 are possible : A) 7..

3.

tUb1 -c3

tUg8-f6

1 0.'iV b3

4.

tUg1 -f3

a 7-a6

1 2.exd4 �d6 1 3.�g3 �xg3 1 4.hxg3

5.

c4xd5

c6xd5

Equality results also from 1 4 . . . �f5 1 5 .lIh5 ttJe7 1 6 .�e2 0-0 1 7 .'li'b2 'fic7 I S :>t>f1 .l::i. feS 1 9 . <>t>g 1 'if d7 2 0 . ttJfl £g6 2 1 ..l::i. e S f6 = , Ionov-Volkov, Elista 2 0 0 1 .

Now for the 'Chebanenko'move order.

.

1 5 .'lWc2 h6 1 6�e2 b6 1 9.�

This position is the start of the ' refuta­ tion' of the Chebanenko system. Cer­ tainly, we have before us the tabiya for the Exchange Slav, in which the move a7 -a6 was for a long time considered little more than a waste of a tempo. However, Chebanenko 's work changed this assessment. 6.

£c1 -f4

It is considered that in the Exchange Vari­ ation, the cl bishop stands best on this square, where it controls the squares e5 and c 7 . 32

hard for either player to improve the po­ sition of his pieces. B) 7...lLlc6 S.e3 �f5 Black may also force transposition into a slightly worse end­ game, in which he should gradually be able to equalise: S ... '/Wa5 9 .�b3 'ifM 1 0 .�e2 �f5 1 1 .'li'xM ttJxM 1 2 .0-0 e6 1 3 .ttJxe4 �xe4 1 4.a3 ttJc6 I S .ttJd2 �g6 1 6 .nfcl �d6 (the move 1 6 ... <>t>d7 1 7 .M �e7 l S.�g3 I'!.hcS 1 9.ttJb3 b6=, Iskusnikh­ Burmakin, Tomsk tt 2 0 0 1 has also been seen) 1 7 . .1':tc3 <>t>d7 I S .ttJb3 b6 1 9 .1d.acl :l:!.hcS 20 . ttJd2 CiJe7 2 1 .:l:!.xcS ttJxc8=, S. Savchenko-Delchev, Ohrid (play-off rapid) 2 00 1 . 9. .be4 1 2.0-0 lLla5 1 3.'/lIYd1 �d6 1 4.lLld2 �g6 1 5.�g3 0-0 1 6.ihd6 '/lIYxd 6 ; the position has simplified and is equal (Aseev-Kir Georgiev, Paris rapid 1 9 9 5 ) .

Chapter 1 : The Exchange 5. cxdS 6.

...

tZJb8-c6

A) The immediate 7J:Ic1 has its plusses.

A I ) 7...eS!? The main move, the only drawback of which is that the bishop on c8 remains locked in behind the pawns. 8.e3 fle7 9.�d3 0-0 1 0.0-0 ti.Jh5 The fol­ lOwing was only a blitz game, but still has some significance for the theory of the variation: 1 0 . . . �d7 1 1 .tLleS Uc8 1 2 .'iWf3 .ie8 1 3 .'i'h3 Wh8 1 4.�gS g6 I S .�h6 J:!.g8 1 6.f4;t Kramnik-Kamsky. Moscow 2 0 0 7 . 1 1 .jLe5 fS 1 1 . . .tLlf6 1 2 .�g3 tLlhS 1 3 .�eS �d7 1 4.a3 f6 1 S . �g3 tLlxg3 1 6.hxg3 fS 1 7 .tLla4 �e8 18 .tLlcS �xcS 1 9.Ihcs �hS 2 0 .'iWc2 �xf3 2 1 . gxf3 'i'd6 22.f4 - White retains a small initia­ tive, although it is far from easy to break down the black position, of course, Chernin-M. Gurevich, Venacu 2 0 0 6 . 1 2.ilg3 ti.Jxg3 1 3.hxg3 f5

14.g4

the centre. A piece attack on the queenside looks fairly harmless , for ex­ ample : 1 4.tLla4 �d6 I S .tLlcS gS 1 6 .'iVb3 g4 1 7 .tLlh4 (the h-file must be closed, else White may face conslderable difficul­ ties , for instance : 1 7 .tLle 1 W6 1 8 .�e2 Uh6 1 9 .tLled3 (Grabarczyk-Jelling, Gothenburg 1 9 9 3 ) , and here Black could have seized the advantage by 1 9 . . . �gS 2 0 . tLlxb7 �xg3 ! (20 . . . �hS 2 1 .f4 gxf3 2 2 . l'1xf3 ;t) 2 1 .fxg3 'l!'xe3 + 2 2 .tLlf2 'iWxb3 2 3 .axb3 tLlxd4=t=) 1 7 . . . tLlaS 1 8 .�d l b6 1 9 .tLlb 3 oo) 1 4. ..fxg4 1 5 .ti.Je5 ti.Jxe5 1 S.dxe5

extra pawn, but wishes to sell it back as dearly as possible. In the following game, White seized the chance to force perpet­ ual check: 1 7.'lWh5 gS 1 S..bgS hxgS 1 9.'iiVx gS+ whS

20.fxg3 �d7 2H �'hS+,

draw (Sulava- V Georgiev, Nice 2 0 0 3 ) . A2) 7...i1tl51? looks logical, but slightly weakens the queenside, and Wmte can de­ velop some initiative there: S.e3 comphcations after 8 ... Uc8 favour White: 9.�e2 e6 1 0. 0-0 �e 7 1 1 .'iWb3 (it is pre­ cisely the unfortunate position of tlle c8 rook that prevents Black from defending the b7 pawn conveniently) 1 1 ...tLlaS 1 2 .�a4+ tLlc6 1 3 .La6! Ua8 1 4. Lb 7 ! Iixa4 I S .�xc6+ �f8 1 6.tLlxa4± Krarnnik-Anand, Moscow 2 0 0 7 . 9.'lWb3 �b4!

It is essential somehow to break

down Black's powerful pawn set-up in

33

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

In this 'impudent' fashion, Black not only completes his development, but also de­ fends his pawn. 9 .. Jb7 1 0 .it.e2 it.e7 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2 .tLla4 tLld7 1 3 . a3 4JaS 1 4.'i'a2 bS ( 1 4 . . . tLlc4!?) I S .4JcS 4JxcS 1 6 .dxcS tLlc6 1 7 JHd 1 favours White. 1 0.�gS 1 0 .tLleS 'iVe 7 ; 1 0 .a3 �xc3 + I l .bxc3 'iVd7 ; 1 0 . �e2 0-0 1 1 .0 - 0 'iVe7 1 2 .a3 �xc3 1 3 Jhc3 tLle4 14 . .l'!cc1 gS I S .�g 3 .l:'I.fc800. 10...0-0 1 1 �e2 1 2.0-0 �e7 1 3.1ija4 �g4

14.'iVbS

( 1 6 .it.xd8 .l:'I.fxd8 1 7 .tLlcS tLlxcs 1 8 . .l:'I.xcS g6 1 9 .h3 �xf3 2 0 . it.xf3 tLlb4 2 1 .a 3 4Jd3 n .l:'I.c2 .l:'I.bc8 23 . .l:'I.d2 4J c l =) 1 S ...ScS 1 7.�dS .&\eS 1 S .'t!lVxdS .bdS 1 S.�f4

1 S.lLlcS

ZbxcS

1 9.1:!.

�e7=

(Nogueiras-Harikrishna, Merida 2 0 0 7 ) . A3) Chebanenko considered 7...'t!lVbS dubi­ ous because of the pawn sacrifice 8.e3 (8 .tLla4! ? 'i'aS + 9.�d2 'i'd8 1 0.'i'b3t; not dangerous is 1 0 .e3 tLle4 1 1 .'i'b3 4Jxd2 1 2.tLlxd2 e6 1 3 .4Jb6 .l:'I.a7 1 4.tLlxc8 'iVxc8 I S .�d3 �d6 1 6 .0-0 0-0 1 7 .£4, draw, Andersson-Bologan, Manila 1 992) 8 .. 'i'xb2 9.�e2 e 6 1 0.0-0 �a3 1 1 . .l:'I.c2 'i'b6 1 2 .tLla4 'i'aS 1 3 ..l:'I.xc6 bxc6 1 4.'i'b3 t. A4) 7.. As they say, in for a penny, in for a pound! Black continues to break the classical principles of development, this time moving again an already-developed piece. A4 1 ) S.lLleS

34

A s the classics taught us : complications should favour the b etter-developed side. But in this variation, complications of­ ten lead only to mass exchanges. and the equalisation of the position : S.. .ttJxc3 9.l:1xc3 ii.d7 1 0.e3 On 1 0 . 'i'b3 Black has the reliable answer 1 0 . . . f6 ! , for exam­ ple : I l .tLlxc6 it.xc6 1 2 . e3 e6 1 3 .it.d3 �e7 1 4 . 0 - 0 �f7 I s . .l:'I.fc l 'iVd7 1 6 .a3 .l:'I.hc8 1 7 .'li d l g6 1 8 .'lifl �d8 1 9 .h4 it.a4 2 0 .'lie l it.b S 2 1 .it.xbS ab S n .'iVe2 l"rc4 with mutual chances, Beliavsky-Gavrikov, Frunze 1 9 8 1 . 1 0.. 1 1 .a3 :&!.cS 1 2.ltJ d 3

1 2 . 4Jxc6 .l:'I. x c 6 1 3 . .l:'I.xc6 �xc6 1 4 .�d3 'iVaS + I S .'iVd2 'l&xd2+ 1 6 .�xd2 �d7 , N. Garcia Vicente-Kadimova , Pula 1 9 9 7 ; Black also faces no problems after 1 2 .� c 2 4JxeS 1 3 . �xeS .l:'I.xc3 1 4 . 'iYxc3 WVc8 I S .�d2 'i'xc 3 + 1 6 . �xc3 f6 1 7 .�g3 �e7 1 8 . �d3 , Marin­ Iordachescu, Bucharest 2 0 0 l . 1 2 ... 1 3.l:!.xcS

lLlxcS

1 4.J1l.e2 'li'aS+

1 S.'Ii'd2

Or 1 7 . . . it.xg3 1 8 . hxg3 tLld6 1 9 . tLlcS it.c6 2 0 . .l:'I. c l as 2 1 .b 3 = , Computer 'Nimzo 8 ' -Computer ' Gambit T' , Ca daques 2 0 0 1 . 1 S.l:!.c1 J1l.xg3 1 9.hxg3 ItJdS 2 0.I1c7 �dS 21 .Sc 1 = . It is not obvious how White can break thro ugh, and there are few pieces left on the board. A42) S.lLlxe4 dxe4

'li'xd2+

1 S.�xd2 J1l.dS 1 7.�g3 �e7

Chapter 1 : The Exchange S.cxdS

9.t2Je5 On 9 dS Black has the excellent counter-blow 9 . . . eS ! , for example : 1 0 .dxc6 �xd l + 1 1 .�dl exf4 1 2 .�gS JtlS l 3 .c7 I:tc8 1 4.g4 fxg 3 I S .hxg3 .i.e7 1 6.�h3 �xh3 1 7 .�xh3 �d7 + , Gonza­ lez Garda-Antunes , Matanzas 1 9 94. A4 2 1 ) In the event of 9. .:�a5+ 1 0 . .i.d 2 ( 1 0 .�d2 �xd 2+ 1 1 ..i.xd2 �xd4) 1O ... 'i'xa2 1 1 .�xc6 hxc6 1 2 .e3;!; White has a considerable advantage in develop­ ment and excellent compensation for the sacrificed pawn, A422) Black has a slightly worse end­ game after 9 ...'lWxd4 1 0 .�xc6 (m the vari­ ation 1 0 .'i'xd4 ? ! �xd4 1 1 . �c4 there is the interesting counterblow 1 1 . . . eS ! ? 1 2 .�xeS .i.b4+ l 3 .�d2 �fS 1 4 .I:tc4 hdH I S .Wxd2 .i.e6 1 6 . I:txe4 0-0 with the initiative for the sacrificed pawn (Kaidanov-Sherzer, New York 1 9 9 0 ) 1 0 . . .'iVxd l + 1 1 .Ii?xd l bxc6 1 2 .I:txc6 f6 1 3 .g3 eS 1 4 . .i.e3;!;; A42 3) 9. ..ti.lxe5 1 0 . .i.xeS (bad is 1 0 .dxeS �aS + 1 1 .'iYd2 'iYxa2+) 1 0 . . . 'i'a5 + 1 1 .�d2 �xd2+ (winnin g the a2 pawn is qUlte risky, even though an im­ mediate refutation is not obvious : 1 1 . ..'iVxa2 1 2 .e3 e6 1 3 ..i.e2 �b3 1 4.I:tc3 'i'b6 I S .�c7 'iYb4 1 6 .0-0) 1 2 .�d2 f6 1 3 .�g3 �d7 . Black wants to put the bishop on c6 , equalising the chances. Of course, White can now enter the enemy position with his rook - 1 4.I:tc7 , but then he is forced to sacrifice the exchange within a few moves: 1 4 ... .i.c6 I S .e3 �d8 1 6.'ltt c2 eS 1 7 .I:txc6 bxc6 1 8 .dxeS . His compensation is probably adequate only to maintain dynamic equality. A43 ) 8. change on c3, followed - if White takes with the rook - by . . . e 7-eS and . . . .i.b4.

Also fully possible is 8 . . . �xc3 9 .I:txc3 �b 6 1 0 .iI'd2 .i.g4 1 1 .�eS �xeS 1 2 . .i.xeS nc8 1 3 .e3 f6 14.�g3 nxc3 I S .'iYxc3 .i.d7 1 6 . .i.d3 e6 1 7 . 0 -0 .i.e7 1 8 . .i.c7 VWc6 1 9 .I:tcl VWxc3 2 0 . MXc3 .i.c6 2 1 .h4 �d7 , and Black gradually equalised, Dautov-Dreev, Essen 2 0 0 0 .

8...�f5

9.e3 e 6 1 0.�e2 !Ji e7 1 1 .4:lxe4 0-0 1 3.41e5 J:rfc8 1 6.MC3 �c6 1 7.:llfc1 l:tac8 1 8.h3 h6 1 9.b4

!Jig6

2 0.!Ji d1

'lWb5

21 .!Jie2

'ifb6

22.!Jid1

portunely agreed a draw (Krivonosov-Oll, Tallinn 1 99 8 ) ; A44) 8.e3 4:lxc3 9 .bxc3 (the positional exchange sacrifke scarcely poses serious danger to Black: 9 . MXc3 eS 1 0 .�xeS .i.b4 1 1 . �xc6 .i.xc3 + 1 2 .bxc3 bxc6 1 3 . �d3 = , Barsky)

9 ..

tention is concentrated. But in VIew of the 35

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan fact that it is hard to equalise completely in this line, it is worth considering 9 �f5 1? 1 0 .�d3 �xd3 1 1 ."iVxd3 e6 1 2 . 0-0 �d6 ( 1 2 . . .ttJ a 5 1 3 .e4 �e7 1 4. exd5 exd5 1 5 .14 0-0 1 6 .�f5 g6 1 7 .�h3 'li'cs I S .�g3 .l::!: e S 1 9 . .l::!: ce l ttJc4 20 .�h6 �d6 2 1 .�g5 �f5 ! - Black is even a little better, Rodshtein-Vallejo Pons, Pamplona 2 0 0 7 ) 1 3 .�xd6 �xd6 1 4.c4 dxc4 1 5 . .l::!: xc4 0-0 1 6 .ttJg5 f5 ( 1 6 . . . g 6 1 7 .tUe4 'fie7 l S .'fic3 :t) 1 7 .'fib l ( 1 7 . tUB .l::!: a dS I S .'fic3 deserves attention) 1 7 . . J:tadS l S . l:tc5 �e7 1 9 .LDf3 h6 wlth mutual chances, Agamaliev-Vysochin, Swidnica 2 0 0 0 . Slightly passive, but also possible i s 9 . . . e 6 1 0 .�d3 �a3 1 1 ..l::!: b l b5 1 2 .0-0 f5 :t, Czech Kubecka-Fuksik, Republic 1 995/96. ...

Back to 9. 1 0.�d3 The cautious move 1 0 .�e2 does not pretend to much: 1 0 . . . e6 1 1 .c4 ( 1 1 . 0 - 0 �a3 1 2 .�bl b5 1 3 .'fib3 'fie7) 1 1 . .�b4+ 1 2 .'lt>fl dxc4 1 3 . Lc4°O . 1 0 ...e6 1 1 .0'

Now Black should play very carefully, to neutralize his opponent's initiative: A44 1 ) Interesting, but insufficient for equality, is 1 1. ..�a3 1IJfIe7 1 4.e4 ( 1 4.tLJe5 tLJxe5 1 5 .�xe5 0-0 36

1 6 .�c2 f5 °o , Computer ' Francesca '­ Computer 'Zugzwang ' , Paderborn 1 9 99) 1 4 .. �xf3 1 5 . gxf3 �d6 1 6 .�g3 tLJa5 1 7 .'iVc2 :t ; A442) Excessive enterprise can also backfire on Black: 1 1 . �a3 1 3 . �c3 �b4 1 4 . .l::!: b 3 dxc4 1 5 .�xc4 b5 1 6 .�d3 0-0 1 7 ."iY b l �xf3 I S .gxf3 �d6 ! ? - Barsky ( I S . . . g5 1 9 .�g3 fS 2 0 . .l::!: c l f4 2 1 .�xh7 + 'It>hS n .�e4 fxg3 2 3 .hxg3 ±) 1 9 .�xh 7 + 'It>hS 2 0 . �xd6 'fixd6 2 1. �d3 e5=) 1 2 . . . �h5 1 3 .�b1 'fid7 1 4.llb 6 ! (Black usually starts to suf­ fer after such moves) 1 4 . . . .�xf3 1 5 .'fixf3 tLJ a 5 1 6 . 'fie2 �xc3 1 7 .�xa6 bxa6 I S .'iVd2 'fidS 1 9 . .6i:bS .l::!:cs 2 0 . �xc8 'fixcs 2 1 .'fixaS ± ; A44 3 ) 1 1 ...�d6 1 2 .�xd6 'fixd6 1 3 .c4 ladS 1 4.c5 'fie7 1 5 . lab l .l:I.d7 (for com­ plete happiness, Black needs to realise the plan . . . 0 -0 , . . .f6 and . . . e 5 ) 1 6 .'iVa4 (White cannot gang up on the b7 pawn, because Black qUickly achieves . . e6-eS and creates pressure against the d4 pawn: 1 6 . .l:I.b6 �c7 1 7 .h3 �xf3 I s .'fixf3 0-0 1 9 . .l:I.fb l .l:I.dS 2 0 .'fid l e5 2 1 .'fia4 exd4 n .exd4 1IJfId7=) 1 6 . . . �xf3 1 7 .gxf3 0-0 I S . f4

I S . . . f6 (other lines also deserve close at­ tention: I S . . . 'fih4 1 9 .'fi d 1 f6 2 0 . 'fif3 or I S . . . f5 1 9 .'lt>h l 'It>hS 2 0 . .l:I.g l 'fiM

Chapter 2 1 .l:i:g3 e5 2 2 . dxe5 ii'lxe5 2 3 .�e2) 1 9 .f5 e5 20 .iha6 exd4 ( 2 0 . . . .!::!. c 8 2 1 . .!::!. b 6 exd4 22 .�xb7 Rxb 7 2 3 Jhc6 .llx c6 24.'il'xc6 dxe3 2 5 .'il'xd5 + 'it>f8 2 6 . .!::!. e l or 20 ... tt'lxd4 2 1 .exd4 bxa6 22 ..!::!. fe l , fa­ vouring White) 2 1 . exd4 l:ia8 2 2 .l'hb 7 Zhb7 23.'il'xc6 ± .

1:

The Exchange 5 .cxd5

1 5 . '!::!' fc l Rfc8 1 6 .'iVe2 'i'b 6 = , and Black's chances are in no way worse, Nedela-Dobrovolsky, Czech Republic 1 99 3 . B ...

B 1 ) The endgame after

9.

1 0.4.:!xe4

White has more than sufficient compen­ sation for the exchange, and Black should g o over to defence.

B) In case of 7.4.:!e5 Black quietly con­ tinueshis development.

7..

dangerous for Black, because White does not manage to fix the -...veakness on c6 : 8.lLlxc6 bxc6 9 .e3 (little is promised by 9. tt'la4 ii'le4 1 0 .a3 c5 1 1 .f3 'i'a5 +) 9 . �d6 l o .ihd6 'ii'x d6 1 1 .�d3 0 - 0 1 2 .0-0 c 5 1 3 .dxc5 'il'xc5 1 4.'i'c2 �d7 ..

1 O . �d3 ttJxc3 l 1 .bxc3 �d7 1 2. 0-0 �c6 1 3 .�c2 h6 followed by . . . 'il'a5 , . . . �c5 , . . . 0 - 0 - 0 ) 1 0... 1 2. 0-0-0+ IS fully defensible for Black, for example 1 2 . . .�d7 (also possible is 1 2 . . . 'it>e8 1 3 . .!::!. d4 b5 1 4 . .llxe4 �c5 1 5 .�g3 h5 followed by . . . �b7) 1 3 .nd4 (also seen here is 1 3 .Wb l Wc7 1 4.�e2 �e7 1 5 . .!::!. d4 �c6 1 6. l:k l Wb 6 1 7 .�h5 g6 1 8 .�d l l:lhd 8 . This position is equal. A couple of careless moves followed and already the advantage went to Black: 1 9 . �c2 g5 2 0 .�g3 h5 2 1 h3 l:ixci4+ , Coppini -N aumkin, Toscolano 1 9 9 5 ) 1 3 . . . l:I.c8+ 1 4.Wb l �c5 1 5 J:txe4 b5 1 6 .�g3 �c6 1 7 . .ll g 4 h5 1 8 . �h4+ (thanks to this check, White can retain the rook but he cannot count on any ad­ vantage - the difference in development and piece activity is too great. Note, for example, that 1 8 . l:tx g 7 ? loses to 1 8 . . . �e4+ 1 9 .Wa l �f8+) 1 8 . . . W e8 1 9 . .!::!. f4 l:lg8 2 0 .�g5 �e7 2 1 .�xe7 Wxe 7 2 2 . l:ld4 llgd8 B . l:lxd8 llxd8 24.c l 37

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan ndS=. Black's chances are at least no worse. B2) 9.�xe5 �e7 Black also has another plan - he can transfer his bishop to c6 and drive the enemy bishop from eS : 9 . . . �d7 1 0 .�d3 �c6 1 1 .�f3 tOd7 1 2 .�g3=, Hodgson-SadJer, Ischia 1 99 6 . 1 0.�d3 The assessment is not changed by 1 0 .'iYb3 bS 1 1 .�d3 0-0 1 2 .0-0 �d7 1 3 .a4 b4 14 . .itxf6 gxf6 I S .tOe2 fs 1 6 .aS �d6 = , Khalifman-M. Gurevich, Reggio Emilia 1 9 9 1 1 9 2 . 10 .. 12. 1 4 .�g3 �h4 l S .�e2 �xg 3 = (Zagorskis-M. Gurevich, Bad Godesberg 1 9 9 6 ) . 12 .. 15.a3 tLJe4 1 S.r! 1 8J:tfc1 tlxc3= (Ziiger-Gavrikov, Bern 1 992).

A I ) The shortest path to equality is 1 1 .�xdS A2) 1 1 .0-0 0 - 0 (fully possible is 1 1 . . .�xf4 1 2 .'iYxf4 0-0 1 3 . ,gac l :Sc8 1 4 .,gfd 1 'iYe7 l S .e4 dxe4 1 6 .�xe4 tOxe4 and Black has equalised, Agamaliev­ Shabanov, Moscow 1 9 9 1 ) 1 2 .,gacl (also not dangerous is 1 2 .�gS tOb4 1 3 .�b 1 �e7 1 4 .a3 tiJc6 l S .�e2 tOe8 1 6 .�d 3 fs 1 7 .�f4 tOd6 1 8 .�a2 :C:c8 1 9 .,gac 1 tiJe4 20 .tOa4 'iYaS 2 1 .tOc3 lbxc3 2 2 .�xc3 'iYxc3 2 3 . lhc3 with equality, Kamsky-Gelfand, Tilburg rapid 1 9 92) 1 2 . . . ,gc8.

Now for the main line after 6 . . / b c 6 . 7.

e2-e3

.\tc8-g4

A) Now, scarcely dangerous for Black is B.h3, since in many lines he voluntarily exchanges on f3 , and sets up a solid barri­ cade on the light squares: 8 ... eS Active play on the queenside is o ut of place here: 9 .. . Wfb6 ! ? 1 0 . ,gb l e6 1 1 . �d3 lbb4 1 2.. � e 2 tOc2+ ( 1 2 . . .�d6;t) 1 3 .�d2 tiJb4 1 4.,ghc l ± . 1 0.il.d3 and now: 38

I n this symmetrical position, the chances of the two sides are approximately equaL The following game underlined this as­ sessment: 1 3 .�gS h6 1 4.�h4 �e7 I S .�b l tOe8 1 6 .�g3 tOd6 1 7 .11fd 1 fs 1 8 .4Ja4 tOe4 1 9 .�xe4 dxe4 20 .'ile2 tOb4 2 1 .tOcS �xcS 2 2 .dxcS with equal­ ity, Lopatin-Shabanov, St Petersburg 1 99 8 . A3) 1 1 .�g5 h 6 1 2 .�h4 (or 1 2 .�xf6 'ilxf6 1 3 .ihf6 gxf6 1 4 . .ll c l �e7 I S .�e2 = , Abramovic-Akopian , Biel 1 9 9 3 ) 1 2 . . . �e7 1 3 . 0-0 0-0 1 4.'fie2 ,gc8 l S .,gacl lbe4 1 6 .�xe 7 4Jxc3 1 7 .bxc3 'iYxe7 1 8 .c4 dxc4 1 9 .�xc4 bS 20 . �d3 lbb4= Naumkin-Conquest, Palma de Mallorca 1 9 8 9 .

Chapter 1 : The Exchange S . cxdS

B) The line B.�d3 1 0 .j,xd6 �xd6 1 1 .h3 il.xf3 1 2 .�xf3 = is extremely peaceful. C) The complications after B.l:!:c1 are in­ teresting, but not very favourable for White. B e6 Black has another, sufficiently reli­ able path to equality - 8 . . . �xf3 9 .�xf3 e6 1 0 .i.d3 i.d6 1 1 . 0-0 i.xf4 1 2 .�xf4 0-0 1 3 .tLla4 Mc8 , Geller-Smyslov, Elista 1 9 9 5. 9.�b3 �xf3 1 0.gxf3 does not work because of 1 0 . . . tLla5 . ...

1 0 .. .

1 0 . . . tLla5 1 1 .�a4+ b5 1 2 .tLlxb 5 +- . 1 1..�.d3 In reply to 1 1 . M g 1 Black can simply continue developing, leaving the g7 -pawn under attack: 1 1 . . . i.e 7 ! 1 2 . .!::!. x g7 ! ? tLlh5 1 3 . .ll g 4 f5 +. 1 1 ...�d6 Also not bad is 1 1 . . . i.e7 , intending . . . ttJh5 and . . . f5 . 1 2 �xd6 .

B.

�f1 -e2

9.

0-0

e7-eS

If 9 .�b3 i.xf3 1 0 .gxf3 ( 1 0 .i.xf3 tLla5) , Black maintains equality with 1 0 . . . Sa7 . 9.

...

�fB-e7

9 . . . �d6 1 0 .�xd6 �xd6 l 1 .tLle l �xe2 1 2 . �xe 2 = Miles-Smyslov, Amsterdam 1981. 1 0.

.!::!. a 1 -c1

Or 1 0 .h3 �h5 1 1 .Sc l 0-0 1 2 ,tb e 5 �xe2 1 3 .�xe2 tLlxe5=. 1 0.

...

11.

a2-a3

0-0

Only equality results also from 1 1 .tLle5 i.xe2 1 2 .�xe2 tLlxe5 1 3 .i.xe5 tLld7 14 .�g3 �a5 1 5 .a3 gfc8 and . . . b5 . 11.

...

1 2.

<1:Jc3-a4

.ll a B-cB

If 1 2 . b4 tLle8 followed by . . . i.d6 . 1 2.

...

<1:J fS-e4 �e7-dS

1 4/2Ja4 'it>hB.

1 3.

b2-b4

Black has good counterchances. In the following game, he even managed to ob­ tain some advantage:

14.

�f4xdS

<1:Je4xdS

1 5.

<1:Ja4-c5

�g4xf3

1 S.

�e2xf3

as-a5 b7-bS

1 7.

'i'd1 -b3

1 B.

<1:Jc5-d3

<1:JdS-c4

1 9.

.!::!.f 1 -d1

a5xb4

20.

a3xb4

�dB-dS=

Black follows up WIth . . .!::!. a 8 . .

1 5 .'iYb6 tLld7 1 6 .�b3 .ll g 8 1 7 .tLlc5 tLlxc5 1 8 .l:lxc5 g5 1 9 fxg5 .!::!.xg 5 20.f4 Sg7 2 1 .<;tJf1 �f8 22 .Sg 1 .!::!.xg 1 + 2 3 .\t>xg l 'i'g7 + 24.\t>f2 ga8=+' Lasanta Rica-Magem Badals, Zaragoza Open 1 994.

A position from my oid notebook. Black

Back to the main line after 7 . . . il.g4.

has occupied the weak square c4, whilst the modest pawn on b6 stops White's 39

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

knight from occupying the analogous square on c5 . Conclusion

The Exchange Variation of the Slav is em­ ployed by White in two circumstances: when he wants to draw, and when h e is confident in his technique (Ponomariev, Morozevich) . In the first case, the varia­ tion with . . . a6 is not so bad, since the symmetry is broken, and Black has chances to play for a win. When it comes

40

to playing against super-grandmasters, firsdy, one does not meet them so often, and secondly, the basic defensive ideas are well-known, so things are not easy for White either. It seems to me personally that White's most promising continuation is 7 Jlc l , after which Black should either play his knight to e4, followed by 9 . . �f5, or play the bishop to f5 immediately. The varia­ tion with 7 .:.tg4 is experiencing diffi­ culties at the present time. .

. . .

Chapter 2 The Cunning S . h3 1 .d2-d4 d7-dS 2.c2 -c4 c7-c6 3.<1:Jg1 -f3 <1:Jg8-f6 4.<1:Jb1 -c3 a7-a6 S.h2-h3

5.h3 ! ? is a cunning move, in the spirit of the Chebanenko school. I first faced it in the

decisive game of the 1997 New York Open, against Zviagintsev. White makes a use­ ful move and invites Black to reveal his plans . •••

First we examine Black's minor alterna­ to equal­

tives. These do not allow Black ise: A) 5 .. A I ) 6.exdS exdS 7�f4 This is

the most attractive point of the move S .h3. In nor­ mal lines where Black plays . . . b7 -b S , such as S .e3 , for example, this bishop ends up on the much worse square c l . 7. ..e6 8.e3 .ib 7 I wasn't very happy about exchanging the dark-squared bishops: 8 . . . ii.d6 9 . .ixd6 'iVxd6 1 O.ttJeS;l;) 9 � d3 it.e7 .

10.0-0 0-0 1 1 .a4! 1 2.1iJb1

A standard

idea) 1Lb4

as , from where it takes under control the two important squares b3 and c4.

is

13.ttJbd2

tage for White, Zviagintsev-Bologan, New York 1 99 7 ; A2) 6.eS! It is in precisely this variation that the full potential of the move h3 is revealed. 6 ... the move h2-h3 . The bishop, which ap­ pears to have found an active position, now comes under attack. 7.. 8 .ii.g2 tbe4 9 . tbeS tbxc3 1 0 .bxc3 �. 8.it.g2 it.xf3, and here. as my friend and fellow Chebanenko pupil Doru Rogozenko quite correctly noted, White should

recapture with the piece:

9.jo,xf3

(instead of 9.exf3 e6 1 0 . f4 g6 I US exfS 1 2 .gxfS ii.g7 1 3 .ii.e3 0-0, P.H.NielsenBundesliga Rogozenko, Germany 2 0 0 0 / 0 1 ) 9 .. 41

The Chebanenko Slav AccordIng to Bologan

7.

l S . . . <1Jf6 1 6.�gS h6 1 7 .�h4, then after 1 7 . . . b S ( 1 7 . . . gS ? ! l S . <1JxgS hxgS 1 9 .�xgS �g7 2 0 .�fS with a dangerous attack for White) the position takes on a forcing character, which does not allow White to increase his advantage quietly: l S .axbS axb S 1 9 .�xbS 1lxa 1 20.a.xal �xdS 2 1 .fi.d 1 �xf3 2 2 gxf3 'ill!' e7=.

1 0 .dxcS 0-0 1 1 .e4 hcs 1 2 .eS tDd7 1 3 .�f4 �e7 1 4.'ill!' e 2± Ivanisevic-Sedlak, Mataruska Banja tt 2 0 0 7 ) 10.exd4

8... b5 9.�d3 c5 1 0.a4 b4 1 1.QJe4 i.b7 1 2.QJxfS+ 1 5.0-0 0-0 1 S.�

1 1 .J:l:e1 14.'I1\II b 3

(Ivanisevic-Roiz, Valj evo 2 0 0 7 ) . B ) S. the move h2-h3 will prove all that useful in the Exchange Variation. However, it does not spoil anything, and -as my game with Zviagintsev showed, it is too early for Black to relax. After S ... tDxc3 9 . bxc3 tDc6 1 0 .�d3 �d6 1 1 .�xd6 �xd6 , draw, Henrichs-Kritz, Osterburg 2 0 0 6 ; 7 . . . tDc6 S .e3 �d6 9.�d3 0-0 1 0 .0-0 bS 1 1 .11c1 �b7 1 2 .�b 1 fi.cs 1 3 .'iYe2 1lc7 1 4. :t:I.fd l �xf4 l S .exf4 iVd6 l 6.'iYe3 :t:I.fcs 1 7 .<1JeS, draw, Timman-Laznicka, Carlsbad 2007.

cxdS 1 2 .�xdS 1la7 1 3 . c 6 �b4+ 1 4. �f1 t (Rogozenko) B) 5... Queen's Gambit Accepted, where White has an extra tempo (Black has played cS in two moves instead of one) in the form of the move h3 . Play may continue: S.

A. Braun-Le Quang bern, Budapest 2 0 0 6 . Now for the main move. 5.

...

e7-e6

The most solid and also the most popular. Black argues that in a Meran structure, the move . . . a6 will be more useful than the move h 3 . A ) S.e3?! One o f the ideas o f the move h2-h3 was to lengthen the diagonal h2-bS for the c1 bishop. After e3 , one can legitimately ask why White bothered . . . S ...

in his commentary in Chess Informant 1 0 0 , considers that White obtains the ad­ vantage after S . a4 cS 9.hc4 b6 1 0 .dS exdS I 1 .tDxdS �b 7 1 2 .e4 tDxdS 1 3 .exdS �d6 1 4.0-0 0-0 I S .1le 1 , but if we make a couple more natural moves like 42

8.�xdS 'I1\II xdS 9.e3 QJcS 1 0.�d3 �d7! 1 1 .0-0 6.

c4-c5

b7-b6

7.

c5xb6

ttJb8-d7

7 . . . 'iYxb 6? S . <1Ja4 �b4+ 9 .�d2 'i!aS 1 0 .a3 hd2+ 1 1 .<1Jxd2 ± (Rogozenko) .

Chapter 2: The Cunning S .h3 8.

g2-g3

The bishop could also be developed to d3 , but this would not change the charac­ ter of the struggle. Black WIll advance ... c6-cS , and White will try to use his de­ velopment lead to develop an initIative on the queenside: A) 8.e3 �xb6 9 .�d3 cS 1 0 .0-0 �e7 1 1 .
'tifd8xb6

8 ...ttJxb6 9.�g2 cS 1 0 .0-0 �e7 l 1 . b 3 ;1; . 9 . �f1 -g2

ttJe4 1 9 .�xe4 dxe4 20 .�xd6 'iYxd6 2 1 .1Hd 1 �b7 22 .ttJfS ;1; . 1 2.

QJf3xd4

13.

QJc3-a4

0-0

1 3 .�e3 �b7 1 4.ttJa4 ttJeS I s .11e l �d7= . 1 3.

'i¥b6-b8

14.

�c1 -e3

a6-a5

1 5.

llb1 -c1

�c8

-

a6 =

Without doubt, the position is fresh, and with a board full of pieces, there is much of interest to be found for both sides. But all the same, the chances are about equaL White has active pieces , Black the pawn centre.

c6-c5

1 0.

0-0

�f8-d6

11.

l::t a 1-b1

c5xd4

1 1 ...0-0 1 2 .ttJa4 �b5 1 3 .b 3 llb8 (13 ...i.b7 1 4.dxcS ttJxcS 1 S .ttJd4 'ife8;1; followed by . . . 'ife 7, Rogozenko) 14 .�a3 �e4 (Knaak-Rogozenko, Germany Bundesliga 1 9 9 6 / 9 7 ) 1 S .dxcS ttJdxcS 1 6.
Conclusion

This line with h2-h3 is not without its sense for White. Sometimes he simply wishes to play chess , avoiding all theory and sharp lines. Black should certainly not allow his attention to slacken, but should concentrate on IDS main task, namely equaliSing accurately.

43

Chapter 3 The U ncommon 5.iVc2 1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.lb.b1 -c3 tUg8-f6 4.tUg1 -f3 a7-a6 5.'lWd 1 -c2

5.Wc2 is a rare move, which can be recommended to those who do not like 'memory con­ tests', and prefer to fight over the board. But, as usual in such situations, if White wishes to play this way himself, he must also allow his opponent to do so. Therefore Black hils many reasonable continuations and may choose in which direction to direct play. •••

A) The 5. dxc4.

sharpest play arises after

..

6.e4 6 .a4 is not dangerous for Black after

6 . . . i1Lg4 (also possible is 6 . . . e6 7 .i1LgS 'iVaS 8 . e4 b S 9 . �xf6 gxf6 1 0 .i1Le2 i1Lb7 44

1 1 . 0-0 'iVb6 1 2 .Mad l tLld7 1 3 .dS i1LeS 1 4.b3 exdS (worse is 1 4 . . . exb3 l S .'iVxb3 rJ;; e 7 1 6 .dxe6 fxe6 1 7 .eS!± Korobov­ Kobalia, Amman tt 2 0 0 6) l S . exdS b4 1 6 .dxe6 fxe6 1 7 . tLle4 cx b3 1 8 . 'iYc4 i1Ld5 1 9 .J:lxdS exdS 2 0 .'iYxdSGG) 7.e3 tLlbd7 (White has a small advantage after 7 . . . �3 8 . gxf3 e6 9. be4 cS 1 0 .dxe5 �xeS 1 1 .l:lg 1 0-0 1 2 .�d2 'iYe7 1 3 .lOe4 �e7 1 4.�e3 tLlbd7 l S .0-0-0�) 8 .i1Lxe4 e6 9 . tLleS tLlxeS 1 0 .dxeS tLld7 1 I .f4 'iYh4+ 1 2 .'iYf2 ifxf2 + 1 3 .\t>xf2 0-0-000. In the ending, Black has fully adequate play 6 . b5 We will examine several options for White: ..

Chapter 3 : The Uncommon 5.�c2

A I ) 7.eS tLld5 8 .tLl e4 �f5 9 . t21d6+ exd6 1 0 .'ifxf5 dxe5 1 L � g 5 �b4+ 1 2 .<J,(d l f6 +; A2) 7.a4 .lll. b7 Practice has also seen 7 . . e6 ! ? 8 . axb5 ( 8 .kg5 �b7 9 .�e2 tLlbd7 1 0 . 0-0 draw, Shinkevich-Akimov, Ufa 2004) 8 . . . cxb5 9 . e5 tLld5 1 0 / uxb5 axb 5 ! 1 1 .J:1.xa8 �b 7 VVl th more than enough compensation, 5 th match game Gelfand-Bacrot, Albert 2 0 0 2 . S.eS ttJdS 9.e6 fxe6 The 'bone' cannot be left on e 6 : 9 .. .f6 1 0 .tLle4 g 6 l 1 .tLlc5 �c8 1 2 .axb5 cxb5 V Kiselev-Vysochin , Lugansk 2 0 0 7 ; 1 3 . .ixc4 bxc4 1 4.'ifa4+ tLld7 1 5 .�d2 fie7 1 6 .�a5 'il'd6 1 7 .tLld2±. 1 0.ttJe4 1 0 ..ie2 ct:Jd7 1 1 .0 - 0 ct:J 7 f6 1 2 .t!.e l � . 1 0 e5 1 1 .ttJcS .lll.c S 1 2 ..lll. e 2 1 2 .axb5 cxb5 ; 1 2 .tLlxe5 tLlM 1 3 .iI'd2 �xd4 1 4.'iixd4 tL!cH. 12 ...exd4 13.ttJxd4 �d6 14.ttJe4 'i"e5 (Bareev-Kir. Georgiev, Halkidiki 2002) 1S . .lll.e3 ttJxe3 1 6 .fxe3 g6 1 7.ttJf3 'fic7 1S:iVc3 ttgS 1 9.0-0 .lll.g7 20.ttJd4oo. A3) 7..lll.e2 .

...

7 e6 The move 7 . . . �g4 has almost never been met in practice. In some games played more than 2 0 years ago, White seized the initiative: 8.a4 (less dangerous for Black is 8 ..ie3 e6 9.0-0 �M 1 0 .J:1.ad l 0-0 I l .h3 (l l .tzJe5 Le2 1 2 /uxe2 'il' c7 1 3 .b3 cxb3 1 4.axb3 as +) 1 1 ... �5 1 2.g4 Lc3 1 3 .gxh5 �b4 1 4.tLle5 Piket-Hodgson, ...

Netherlands tt 1 9 9 6 / 9 7 ; 14 .. . 1Wc7 00) 8 . . . tLlbd7 (also deserving of attention is 8 . . . e6 9.axb5 cxb5 1 0 .ttJxb5 tLlc6 1 1 1Wa4 l/i'd7 1 2.tLle5) 9.e5 tLld5 1 0 .axb5 axb5 1 1 .t!.xa8 �xa8 1 2.tLlg5 tLlb4 1 3 .iYe4 f5 1 4.�f4 t , Ehlvest-Dreev, Lvov 1 9 8 5 . S.O-O Neither 8 . a4 � b 7 9 .e 5 tLld5 1 0 / ug5 ttJb4 1 1 .�e4 �xd4+, nor 8.e5 ttJd5 9 .lue4 tLld7 1 0 .tLlfg 5 h6 1 1 .ttJf3 c5 1 2 .b3 ttJb4 1 3 .�b l cxb 3+ Utnasunov­ Volkov, Elista 2 0 0 0 , work out very well for White. S ... .lll.e7 9.b3 cxb3 (9 . . . M 1 0 .ttJd l c3 I I . a3) 1 0.axb3 �b7 ( 1 0 . . . ttJbd7 l 1 .e5 ttJd5 1 2 .ttJxd5 cxd5 1 3 .�x b 5 ;!; ) 1 1 .eS ttJdS 1 2.ttJe4 ttJd7 13 .�a3�. White has good compensation for the sacrificed pawn , although he can scarcely count on a real advantage. B) S ... g6 Chess is not just a game of pawns! Black's position IS very solid, but rather passive.

6.�gS White also has another reliable route to a small, but long-lasting advan­ tage· 6.cxd5 cxd5 (6 . . . ttJxd5 does not solve all the problems either: 7 .e4 ttJxc3 8.bxc3 �g7 9 .�e3 0-0 1 0 .�e2 c5 l 1 .d5 �a5 1 2. 0 - 0 �g4 1 3 .lhb l �c7 1 4.h3 �xf3 1 5 .�xf3 ttJd7 1 6 .�e2;!; Cs. Horvath-Krutti, Hungary tt 2 0 0 2 / 0 3 ) 7 .�g5 ttJ c 6 8. �xf6 exf6 9 . e3 (or 9.g3

45

The Chelxmenko Slav According to Bologan

i.b4 1 0. �g2 0-0 1 1 .0-0 ne8 1 2 .e3 �fS 1 3 .'i'b3 �xc3 1 4.'i'xc3 �e4 I S JUcl 'iYb6 1 6 .l2:l d2 �xg2 1 7 .'Jfxg2 llad8 1 8 .lLlb 3 ;!; Ivanchuk-Nikolic . Monaco (rapid) 1 9 95) 9 . . . £.e6 1 0 .£Le2 iLd6 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2 . nfc l nc8 1 3 .�d l 'il!e7 ( 1 3 . . . bS 1 4 .l2:le l l2:le7 I S .l2:ld3) 1 4.tt=Je l nfd8 I S .�f3 �b8 1 6 .lLld3;!;. Ivanchuk-­ Speelman. New York 1 9 9 5 . 6 .. dxe4 After the incautious 6 . . . £Lg7? Black loses a pawn: 7 .ihf6 £Lxf6 8 .cxdS cxdS 9 . ttJxdS . 7.a4 The alternative is 7 .e4. for example: 7 . . . bS 8 .a4 �b7 (8 . . . b4 9 .�xf6 exf6 1 0 .lLld l ) 9.eS h6 (9 . . . l2:ldS 1 0 . lLle4 'il!c7 (1 0 . . . £Lg7 loses to 1 1 .l2:ld6++-) I l .b3 cxb3 1 2 :tWxb 3�) 1 0 .£.d2 lLldS l 1 .e6 ( l 1 .lLle4� ; 1 1..� e2� with the idea of 1 1 . . . £Lg7 1 2 . e 6 ! ) I L .�g7 ( 1 1 . . . fS 1 2 . �e2 ( 1 2 .b 3 ! ?) 1 2 . . . 'il!d6 1 3 . 0 - 0 £Lg7 1 4. Mfe I 0 - 0 1 S .lLleS 'iVxe6+ Zakharevich -Bryzgalin. Krasnodar 2 0 0 3 ) 1 2 .exf7 + 'it'xf7 1 3 .h4 cS 1 4.hS cxd4 1 s :ihg6+ �8 1 6 .lLlxdS 'il!xdS 1 7 .axbS axbS 1 8 . Mxa8 £Lxa8 1 9 .Mh4- and White's attack is very dan­ gerous. 7...ilg 7 Or 7 . . . £Le6 8.e4 lLlbd7 9 .as;!;) 8.e4 as 9. be4;t.

C 1 ) On 6.e5 Chebanenko considered the best response to be 6 . . . g6 (With the idea . . . £LfS and . . . lLle4) 7 . e4 dxe4 8. lLlxe4 lLlxe4 (8 . . . £Lg7 9 . l2:lxf6 + £.xf6) 9 .ihe4 �g7 1 0 .£Le2 0 - 0 1 1 .'il!h4 eSoo; C2) The exchange 6.exd5 i n this ver­ sion is not especially dangerous to Black:. 6 ... exd5

.

.

C) 5 . e6?! In this position . the move . . . a7 -a6 turns out to be a loss of tern po. . .

46

7.ilgS 7 .e4 dxe4 8 .lLlxe4 .�b7 9 . �d3; lLlc6 or 9 . lLlxf6+ gxf6°O Chebanenko. 7...iilb7 White has a small advantage after 7 . . . e6 8 . e3 (or 8. �xf6 gxf6 9 . e 3 �b7 1 0 .£.e2 l2:ld7 1 1 . 0 - 0 Mc8 1 2 .'il!b3 I1c7 1 3 ,l'Hc l 'l:Wc8 1 4.'il!d l £.b4 I S .a4::t, Malinin-Karalkin . Novaya Ladoga 2 0 0 6) 8 . . . £.e7 9 .£Ld3 l2:lbd7 1 0 . 0 - 0 £Lb 7 I I .a4 b4 1 2 . l2:lb l as 1 3 .lLlbd2 l:tc8 1 4.'il!dl lLle4 I S . £Lxe 7 rJ;; x e7 1 6 ,tt=J b 3 ::t , Bocharov-Burmakin. Nefteyugansk 2002. 8.e3 tlJbd7 In the event of 8 . . . tLle4 9 .£Lf4 (9 .£.h4 lLld7 1 0 .£.d3 l!c8 1 1 . 0-0 lLlb6 1 2 .i!'b 3 tLlxc3 1 3 .bxc3 'Vic7 l 4.nfcl e6) 9 . . . tLld7 1 0 .£Ld3 l!c8 1 1 . 0 - 0 e6 1 2 :iVb3 tLlxc3 ( 1 2 . . . gS 1 3 .£.eS f6 1 4.£.g3 lLlxg3 I S .hxg3 £Ld6 1 6 .e4 b4 1 7 .z:rae I tLlb6 1 8 .eS fxeS 1 9 .dxeS �e7 2 0 .lLld4::t) 1 3 . bxc3 lLl b6 White has the unpleasant advance 1 4 . a4 ! . thanks to which he seizes the initiative. 9.Jld3 e6 1 0.0-0 Jle7 1 1 .l:!.ae1 0-0. The chances are approximately equal;

Chapter 3 : The Uncommon S .1{irc2

C3) 6.e4! (also not bad is 6 ...tg5, whilst in the event of 6.e3 tLlbd7 7 .b3 �d6 play transposes into the Anti-Meran with �c2 , where the move . . . a7 -a6 is useful for Black) 6 . . . dxe4 7 . tLlxe4 tLlxe4 8 .1{irxe4 �b4+ 9.�d2 �xd2 + 1 0. i2Jxd2 l2Jd7 1 L�e2 0-0 1 2 . 0 -0 cS 1 3 .dxcS tLlxcs 14.'i'e3 ;!; (Sysoenko-Soldatov, Evpatoria 2006). Now for Black's main move in this line. 5.

...

b7-b5

1 4.bxa 6 ± (Ksieski-Seifert, Porabka tt 1 986) ; C) White is also better after 6 ...e6 7 .e3 l2Jbd7 8.�d3 �e7 9 . 0-0 �b7 1 O .�b2 0-0 1 1.tI ad l .tIc8 1 2 .cS 1{irc7 1 3 .b4 g6 1 4.a4 eS 1 S .dxeS l2Jg4 1 6.h3 l2JgxeS 1 7 .l2JxeS tLlxeS (1. Timoshenko-Shemeakin, Sevastopol 2 0 0 0) 1 8 .axbS axbS 1 9 .e4!±. 7.

e2-e4

7 .e3 �fS ; or 7 . cxdS cxdS 8 .�gS �S 9 . 1{irb 2 l2Je4 (Matveeva-Stefanova, Hyderabad 2 0 0 2 ) . 7.

.. .

d5xe4

7 . . . bxc4 8 . eS (8.bxc4) 8 . . . cxb3 9 . 1{irxb3 (9.axb3 ! ?) 9 . . . tLlhS 1 0 .ii,d3 �.

S.

b2-b3

8.

tLlc3xe4

tLlfSxe4

9.

'iYc2xe4

1 0. 11.

92-93 'i'e4-e3

�f8-97 �c8-f5 cS-c5=t=

9 7-9S

A) Judging by the colour of the ink in my notebook, we came to this move some time later, first studying 6 ... tiJbd7, but after 7 .e3 g6 8 .�d3 ! (8 .�e2 �g7 9.0-0 0-0 1 0 . �b2 i2Jb6 l 1 .tLleS �fS 1 2 .�d3 hd3 1 3 .'iVxd3 1{irc8 1 4Jhc 1 '!lVb7 l S J:tc2 bxc4 1 6 .bxc4 i2Jfd 7 = Chebanenko) i t turned out that White is ready to maintain the tension in the cen­ tre, and this, in turn, leads to some prob­ lems for Black in developing his pieces : 8 . . . �g7 9 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 0 .�b2 �b 7 l 1 .lIfd a (Chebanenko) ; B) Also unsatisfactory is 6 ... ..tg4 7 .i2JeS .ie6 8.g3 1{irc8 9 .e4 i2Jbd7 1 0 . exdS cxdS 1 1 .cxbS tLlxeS 1 2 .dxeS i2J e4 1 3 .�b2 �fS

Molander-Maidla, Tuusula 1 9 9 7 . Conclusion

White can play this way, but he should not count on anything in particular. To put it bluntly, White 'walks into' the pro­ grammed advance . . . b S , which not only presents Black with a tempo or two, but in the long run , gives him grounds for playing on the queens ide.

47

Chapter 4 Pressure on Black's Pawns: 5. 'iYb3 1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3/bg1 -f3 tLlg8-f6 4.tLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.�d1 -b3

S.�b3 is a fairly rare move, the idea ofwhich is to pressurise the pawns on dS and b7, and thereby hinder B lackfrom developing his bishop from c8. Now B lack has a choice of three continuations: 1. 5 dxc4, 11. 5 . b5 and III. 5 . . e6 . . . .

.

.

.

•••

By the way, if your opponent gets fright­ ened and puts on b3 not his queen, but the pawn S .b 3 , then there is nothing to worry about, you simply follow Chebanenko's recommendation: 5 . . . �g4! and then . . . lLlbd7 . -

I

5.

...

d5xc41?

Playing by analogy with the Queen 's Gambit Accepted, Black wants to advance . . . b7-bS and . . . c6-cS , opening the long diagonal for his queen's bishop. The drawback of the plan is a slight loss of time, since the c-pawn takes two moves to reach cS . 6.

48

�b3xc4

6.

...

b7-b5

If Black changes his mind and brings the bishop out by another route with 6 �f5, then White secures the advantage by de­ veloping his pieces Catalan-style: 7 . g 3 ! e6 8 .�g2 lLlbd7 9 . 0- 0 cS (of course, he ...

Chapter 4: Pressure o n Blacks Pawns: S.�b3

does not want to enhance the sphere of influence of the bishop on g 2 , but other­ wise Black's position remains cramped) 1 0 .dxc5 �xc5 1 1 .tLlh4:l:: , and Black faces a difficult defence. 7.

'il'c4-d3

8.

e2-e4

e7-e6

Rybka also likes the plan with a fianchetto : 8 . g 3 ! ? c5 9 .�g2 �b7 1 0 .0- 0 (Barsky) . 8.

...

9.

d4xc5

1 7 .'iVc5 .liLf8 1 8 .'iVc2 kf5 1 9 .tLle4 �e7 2 0 .a3 0-0 (Tregubov-Gelashvili, Dubai 2 0 0 2 ) 2 1 . M:l:: . of course, Black dominates the centre, but his king is weak and White does after all have an extra pawn. Therefore White's prospects appear preferable. Back to the main line.

c6-c5

This exchange allows White to count on the better endgame, thanks to his supe­ rior development and the weakness of his opponent's queenside pawn structure. But White also has another, more aggres­ sive plan: 9.e5 cxd4 1 0.ti'lxb5 axb5 1 1 .exf6 ii::c6 9.

A) Now, in the variation 1 2.ViHe4 �d7 13 .�d2 gxf6 1 4.�xb5 f5 1 5 .i¥f4 White has to give up the pawn on g 2 , in order to safeguard his queen: 1 5 .. . 1:tg8 1 6 .h3 l:rxg2 1 7 . .ll cl .ll c 8 1 8 .a4 .ll g 6 1 9 .�d l i.h6 20.'il'd6 �f8 . Both kings are under fire in the centre and Black, to avoid worse trouble, began to repeat moves : 2 l .'Ii'f4 �h6 2 2 .'iVd6 �f8 draw, Kortchnoi-Movsesian, Budapest 2 0 0 3 . B) 12.fxg7 kxg7 1 3 .�e2 e 5 1 4 . 0 - 0 � e 6 1 5 .'il'xb S 'iVd7 1 6 . tLl g S .ll b 8

...

�f8xc5

The loss of castling rights does not bother Black, and it is more important to bring lus pieces into play quickly and create counterplay, by taking aim at the f2 pawn. After the rather tame exchange of queens 9 . . . 'li'xd3 1 0 .�xd3 �xc5 White obtains a significant advantage in the ending, thanks to his extra tempo (his bishop has already come from fl to d 3 ) : I I . e S ttJd5 1 2 .tLlxd5 exd5 1 3 .�f4 �e6 1 4.�e2 ! (in the endmg, the king should, as a rule, strive to take an active part in events, by re­ maining close to the epicentre of the ac­ tion - proVIding, of course, that this activ­ ity does not involve increased risk! In the game Korotylev-Iliushin, Moscow 200 7 , after 1 4.Mcl ttJd7 1 5 .0-0 h6 1 6 .!k2 g5 1 7 .�g3 �e7 1 8 JHc l �b6 1 9 .h3 llhb8 2 0 .'\t>fl �d8 2 1 .tLld2 1:tc8 22 .tLlb3 Black could have equalised the chances , by ex­ changing both paIrs of rooks: 22 . . .Ihc2 49

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 3 .lhcl l:rc8) 1 4 . . .t2Jd7 I S .a4 b4 1 6 .11hc l We7 1 7 .jLgS + f6 1 8 .exf6+ gxf6 1 9 .jLe3 �e3 1 0 .Wxe3 Wd6 1 1 .ttJd4 ttJeS 1 l .f4 ttJxd3 1 3 .a.c6+ Wd7 14. Wxd3 jLfS + l S .'it>dl jLe4 1 6 . Mxf6 jLxg l 1 7 .I!g l tr with a clear advantage for White, which he soon realIsed, Ivanchuk­ Iliushin, Villarrobledo 1 0 0 7 . The following two examples show that the retreat 1 1 .. .t2Jfd7 is no better than 1 l . . .ttJdS : 1 2 .jLe4 a.a7 1 3 .0-0 (also good is 1 3 .jLf4 jLb4 1 4.a.cl .:tc7 I S .jLdl �c3 1 6 .J:!.xc3 J:'txc3 1 7 .jLxc3 ttJcS 1 8 .jLcl ttJa4 1 9 .jLxa4 bxa4 10 .Wel;l;; W Browne-Saeed Saeed, Taxco 1 9 85) 1 3 ... 0-0 1 4.jLf4 jLe7 1 5 .llac l tLlcs 1 6 .�.b l Bd7 1 7 .jLgS f6 1 8 .exf6 gxf6 1 9 .jLe3 ttJd3 10 .Mcl ;l;; (Agrest-Eriksson, Gothenburg 1 0 0 6) 1 0 . . . ttJc6 1 1 .a3 ttJdeS 1l.tLlxeS ttJxeS 13 .jLal llc7 14.f4 ttJc4 1S .ttJa4;l;; . 1 0.

1 7.

g2xf3

1 8.

a 2-a4°o

tUg4xeS

White has definite compensation for the sacrificed pawn , but no more, Khalifman-Stefanova , Drammen 1 0 04. II S.

...

6.

c4-cS

b7-bS

e4-eS

Maybe White is promised more by 1 0 .'ii x d8+ 'it>xd8 I I .jLd3 ttJbd7 1 2 . 0 - 0 jLb 7 1 3 .eS tLldS 1 4.ttJe4 We7 l S .jLgS+ ( I S . a4 !?) I S ... f6 1 6 .exf6 + gxf6 1 7 .jLh6 Wf7 1 8 .llae 1 - in this tense position, White retains a definite initiative, Tregubov-Gelfand, Sochi 1 0 0 5 . 1 0.

...

11.

�d3xd8+

ti.Jf6-g4

The artificial 1 1 .'iYe4?! does not bring anything good: 1 1 . . . ttJxfl 1 1 .'iYxa8 'iYb6 J 3.ttJe4 ttJxh 1 1 4 .ttJxcs 'iYxc S=F. 11.

...

�e8xd8

12.

ii.c1 -gS+

�d8-e8

13.

ii.gS-h4

Too fanciful is 1 3. ttJe4 jL b4+ 1 4 'It>e 1 jLb 7 1 S .lld l jLdS =F. 13.

...

ti.Jb8-d7 ii.c8-b7

14.

ii.h4-g3

1 S.

ii.f1 -e2

lla8-b8

1 6.

0-0

ii.b7xf3

so

The most principled move and the most unpleasant for Black. In the event of the exchan ge on dS , Black manages to achieve sufficient counterplay, with the help of several cunning tactical ideas: 6.cxd5 cxd5 7.a4 bxa4 8.lLixa4 lLic6 If 8 . . . ttJbd7 9 . jLf4 e6 1 0 . ll c l 'li'a5 + I l .tLlc3 jLe7 1 2 .h3 0-0 1 3 .e3 Ih7 1 4 .jLd3 a.b 7 I S .'iYcl llb4 White 's chances are better Kahn-Dolgener, Buda pest 1 9 9 S . 9.il.f4 Approximate equality results from 9 .'i¥c3 jLd7 1 0 .ttJcS e6

Chapter 4: Pressure on Black's Pawn�: 5.'iYb3

1 1 ..Ill. d2 tLle4 1 2 .tLlxe4 dxe4 1 3 .tLle5 1ll' b 6 1 4.tLlxc6 �xc 6 1 5 . e3 . 9...e6 1 0.l:tc1 �b4+ 1 1 .'>t>d1 If White wishes to achieve something in this life, he has to be ready to get his hands dirty. After 1 1 .4Jc3 .i.d6 Black achieves equality without great trouble. 1 1 ..�d6 1 2 . .txd6 �xd6. .

riously exposed. If it were not for the computer, one would hardly recommend going in for this position (Komliakov) . S.

.. ,

as-a5

Black defends against the unpleasant ad­ vance a2 -a 4 and at the same time seizes space on the queenside. 7.

4:lf3-e5

S.

�b3-c2

a5-a4 �dS-a5

9.

j>.c1 -d2

b5-b4

1 0.

4:lc3-d 1

1 0 .tLlb I ! ?;t. 1 0. 11.

a2-a3

1 2.

'liUc2xd 2

ttJfS-e4 4:le4xd2

1 2 .axM 'iYxM 1 3 .'iYxd2;t. 1 2.

The critical position, the assessment of which only practice can show. For now, we would draw the reader's attention to a brief analysis by grandmaster Victor Komliakov: A) 1 3.'iYb6 Risky, but possible. 1 3 . . . Ad7 1 4.tLle5 .t!.b8 (the complications after 1 4 .. . 4:le4 turn out in White's favour: 1 5 .tbxd7 tLlxf2 + 1 6. �e 1 tLlxh 1 1 7 jhc6 �xd7 1 8 . tLlc5 'iYd8 1 9 . :lxe6+ �f8 20 .�xd8 + l:!.xd8 2 1 .l:!.e3;l;) 1 5 .'iYxa6 tbe4 1 6 .tLlc5 tLlxe5 1 7 .'ihd6 tLlxd6 1 8 .dxe5 4:lc4 1 9 .e4 tLlxe5 2 0 . exd5 l::(x b2 2 1 .dxe6 fxe6 2 2 .Ae2 Ac6 + . The activity of Black's pieces should not be underesti­ mated. White must play very accurately, in order not to fall into an unpleasant po­

1 3. 1 4.

ttJ d 1 -c3 ttJe5-d3

b4-b3 f7-fS j>.cS-f5

The immediate 1 4 . . . e5 ! ? deserves attention. 15.

ttJd3-b4

By 'fastening on' to the pawn at c6, White prevents his opponent complenng the de­ velopment of his queenside normally. e7-e5

1 5. 1S.

d4xe5

1 7. 1 S.

e5xfS fSxg7

1 9. 20.

e2-e3 a3xb4

21 .

l::( a 1 -a3±

j>JSxc5 0-0 l::(fS-f7 Ac5xb4 �a5xb4

sition.

B) The line 1 3 .lt:Jc5 <1:Je4 1 4.�e l l::( b 8 l S .'i'a3 tLlxc5 1 6 .dxc5 'iYe7+ is prospectless for White. C) 13.e3 <1:Je4 1 4.<1:Jb6 :b8 l S .<1:Jxc8 l:txc8 1 6 .Axa6 llc7 1 7 . l:!.f1 00. Wlllte has won a pawn, of course, but his kmg is se-

Khenkin-Leszczynski, Copenhagen 2 0 0 7 . 51

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan III 5.

...

e7-e6

of course, Black does not like to shut in hlS bishop on c8 , but he can afford to ac­ commodate his opponent to some extent. By playing S .'/i'b3 , White wanted to force the move S . . . e6. Excellent, job done. But now what? The queen is far from ideally placed on b3 . A) 6 .cxd5 is a solid, but not very am­ bitious move. The black knight on b8 now obtains a convenient square o n c 6 , and i n general. White reveals his cards rather early : 6.,.cxd5 7.�g5 Little is promised by 7 . M4 iie7 8 .e 3 0 - 0 9 . h3 bS 1 0 .iid3 tLlc6 1 1 . 0 - 0 iib7 1 2 . M fc l Mc8 1 3 . tLleS tLlaS 1 4 .iV d l tLlc4, draw, Marj anovic-Simic, Nis tt 1 9 94. 7 ... t2lc6 Also not bad is 7 . . . iie 7 , for example: 8 . e3 h6 9 . iixf6 iixf6 1 0 .iid3 tLlc6 1 1 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 2 .Mac l tLlaS 1 3 .'/Wd l bS 1 4 .tLle2 tLlc4 I s . iib l iib 7 1 6 . tLlf4 'Jj!Je7 (also possible is 1 6 . . . g 6 ! ? , but in this case, Black must constantly worry about possible tactical blows on g6 and e6) 1 7 . b3 tLld6 1 8 . tLl e S l:!.fc8 1 9 .'Jj!Jd2 tLle4 2 0 .'Jj!Jd3 'Jj!Ja3 ! (not 2 0 . . . Mxc l 2 1 . Mxc l Mc8 2 2 . Mxc 8 + with advantag e for White, Piket-Shirov, Aruba 1 9 9 5 ) 2 1 .tLle2 iid8 2 2 .f3 tLlf6 =F . 8.e3 i.e7 9.�d 3 b5 1 0.0-0 �b7 and now : S2

A I ) The advance 1 1 .a4 seems logical: 1 1 . . . tLlaS 1 2 .'/W d l b4 1 3 . tLlb l h 6 1 4.iixf6 iixf6 I S .tLlbd2 0-0 (deserving of attention is I S . . . '/Wd6 1 ? 1 6 .l:!.cl 0-0 1 7 .l:!.cS tLlc6 1 8 . tLlb3 eS 1 9 .dxeS tLlxe5 2 0 . <1'lfd4 Mfc8 2 1 .Mxc8+ Mxc8 , and Black hardly risks losrng this position) 1 6 .tLlb3 tLlxb3 1 7 .'Jj!Jxb 3 'Jj!JaS 1 8 .eLJd2 !? eS (after 1 8 .. . Mfc8 1 9 .Mfc l Mxc l + 2 0 . .J:hc l Mc8 2 1 .Mxc8+ iixc8 2 2 . Wic2 iid7 2 3 .b 3 �b6 24.tLlf3 the position is close to equality) 1 9 .'/Wd l ;t, Bacrot­ Zichichi , Biel 1 99 S ; A2) 1 1 .1:rac1 l:!.c8 1 2 .'/Wd l 0-0 13 .'i!'e2 (of course, on e2 the queen is better placed than on b 3 , but this manoeuvre has cost White two tempi) 1 3 . . tLla5 1 4.tLleS tLle4 l S .iixe7 'Jj!Jxe 7 1 6 .'8b l f6 1 7 .tLlf3 tLlc4 1 8 . b3 tLlcd6= Wojtaszek­ Grabarczyk, Warsaw 2 0 0 S ; A 3 ) 1 1 .l:tfc1 tLlaS ! ? (Black needs to pro­ ceed very accurately, in order to neutral­ ize his opponent's initiative on the queenside. Thus, the careless 1 1 . . . 0-0 leads to problems : 1 2 .a4 b4 1 3 .tLlb l eLJd7 1 4.iixe7 'Jj!Jxe7 I S .tLlbd2 eS 1 6 . .sil.f5 e4 1 7 .tLl e l tLla5 1 8 .'/Wdl tLlb6 1 9 .1:(cS l2lac4 2 0 .aS tLlxb2 2 1 .'iYb3 (even stronger is 2 1 .'iYc2 tLl6c4 2 2 .iixe4 dxe4 23 Jt:lxc4 tLlxc4 24.'/Wxc4±) 2 1 . . . tLl 6c4 22. tLlxc4 tLlxc4 2 3 .'/Wxb4;t Bareev-Smrov. Tilburg 1 9 9 3 ) 1 2 .'i'd l tLlc4 1 3 .1i'e2 h6. This .

Chapter 4: Pressure o n Blacks Pawns: 5.�b3

critical position needs further testing. In in no

my opinion, Black's chances are way worse.

B) 6 .g3

6 ... dxc4 7.'li'xc4 b5 8.'MVd3 Prospectless is 8 .�b3 c5 9 . dxc5 �xc 5, for example: 1 0 .�g2 0-0 (also not bad is 1 0 . . . �b6 ! ? 1 1 . 0-0 il.b7 1 2 .�f4 tbbd7) I l .ttJe5 I:!.a7 1 2 .tLJd3 �d4 1 3 .a4 �b7 1 4.�xb7 I:!.xb 7 1 5 .axb 5 axb5 1 6 . 0 - 0 � b 6 (or 1 6 ... tiJc6 ! ? 1 7 .I:!. d l �b6) 1 7 .�g5 tbbd7 18 . .1xf6 tLJxf6 1 9 .tbM �c5 2 0 .e3 , draw, G. Horvath-Vegh, Hungary tt 1 9 9 3 /94. S.. CS 9.�g2 �b7 1 0.0-0 .

10...lIJbd7 A more active development of the knight is also possible: 1 0 ...t2Jc6!? 1 1 . J::[ d 1 ( 1 1 .�e3 c4 1 2 .�b l tbe7 B .nd l ttJed5 1 4.�g5 h6 1 5 .�xf6 tbxf6 1 6 .tiJe5 il.xg2 1 7 . <;;t>xg 2 �e7) 1 1 . . . �e7

1 2 .tbe5 ttJb4 1 3 .'li'b l �xg 2 1 4.'lt>xg2 cxd4 1 5 .�e3 �c5 1 6 �xd4 �xd4 1 7 .tbf3 tbc6 I S .tbxd4 ttJxd4 1 9 .e3 0-0 2 0 . 'uxd4 '/Wb6= (Komliakov) 1 U! d1 Both sides are playing cunningly, refusing to clarify the situation in the centre. How­ ever you look at it, the exchange on c5 or d4 is an extra tempo to develop one's pieces, and in an open position, every tempo is worth its weight in gold. The move 1 1 .�g5 is more direct, and at the same time more aggressive. But Black has sufficient resources to maintain the balance: 1 1 . . .h6 1 2 .�xf6 tiJxf6 1 3 . 'ufd l c4 1 4.�c2 'i'c7 1 5 .a3 �e7 1 6 .e4 0-0 1 7 .d5 exd5 I S .e5 tbg4 ! ? (in the event of the more passive I S . . . tbd7 White can de­ velop dangerous pressure on the kingside: 1 9 .tbxd5 �xd5 2 0 . 11xd5 MadS 2 1 .�f5 tbb6 2 2 JhdS gxdS B . e6 M6 24.I:!.e l �xb2 2 5 . tbh4 'i'e7 26 .�e4 g6 2 7 . exf7 + 'i'xf7 2 S .�g4 Meister-­ Rogozenko, Ceske Budej ovke 1 9 94) 1 9 .tbxd5 �xd5 2 0 . gxd5 �c5 ! (by tying the enemy forces to the defence of f2 , Black seizes the initiative) 2 1 .Ufl IiadS 2 2 . I:!.xdS :§.xdS+ .

1 1 ... c4 After the exchange on d4, White's chances would be preferable, therefore Black refrains from clarifying the centre and instead advances his pawns on the

53

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

flank. hoping quickly to complete his de­ velopment and obtain counterchances on that sector of the board) 1 2.'lWe2 b4 1 3 .ttJb1 .!:leS 1 4.�gS �e7 The pawn sacri­ fice seen in the following game is inter­ esting, but appears inadequate for equal­ ity: 1 4 . . .'iVaS 1 S .�xf6 <1:Jxf6 1 6 .<1:Je 1 <1:JdS 1 7 .a3 c3 1 8 . bxc3 bxc3 1 9 . .sel �e 7 2 0 . e4 ( 2 0 .�b3 �a8 2 1 .e 4 lU b 6 ) 2 0 . . . tLJb6 2 1 .<1:Jxc3 0 - 0 2 2 .'iYb3 Mc7 2 3 .�e2 .sfc8 H . .sxc7 lhc7 Dyachkov-Soln. Siofok 1 9 9 6 . 1 S.tIJeS �xg2 16.'>t>xg 2 0-0 1 7.a3 e3 Maybe the pawn sacrifice should be tried in a slightly chfferent form: 1 7 . . . b3 ! ? 1 8 .�d2 tLJxeS 1 9 .dxeS <1:JdS 20 .�xe 7 �xe7 2 1 .e4 c3 2 2 .bxc3 tLJb6 23 .�b2 �,Jc4 24 .�xb3 tLJxeS 2 S . <1:Jd2 �cS with good draWing chances) 1 S.bxe3t Sosonko­ B. Kogan , Lone Pine 1 9 8 1 . C) 6.a4 is a useful prophylactic move. Obviously. in playing . . . e7-e6. Black sooner or later will have to advance . . . b 7 -bS . in order somehow to 'resettle' his light-squared bishop. and therefore White takes control of the b S-square in anticipation.

6 ... dxe4 7.'ib'xe4 bS Without this advance it is very hard for Black to count on rea­ so nable play. S.iYd3 8 .�b3 b4 9 .tLJd 1

S4

c S . S...b 4 But this move could have been delayed. 8 . . . �b 7 deserves attention, for example : 9 . �g S �e7 (or 9 . . . tLJbd7 1 O .M e l �e 7 I 1 . e3 0-0 1 2 .�e2 bxa4 1 3 . 0 - 0 a3 1 4.bxa3 �xa3 1 S J:tb 1 Ma7 1 6 .e 4 �e7 1 7 .e S tLJdS 1 8 .tLJe4 oo , Winants-l'Ami, Hoogeveen 2 0 0 7 ) I O . �xf6 �xf6 1 1 . e3 <1:J d 7 1 2 .�e2 0-0 1 3 .0-0 �e7 1 4 Jhc I �b6 1 s . Mfd I Mfd 8 1 6 ."iVc2 Mac8 1 7 . tLJd2 b 4 1 8 . <1:Jc4 � c7 1 9 .tLJe4 c S + Black has achieved the programmed advance. and thanks to his bishop pair, and space advantage on the queenside, he stands somewhat better, Pne-Fressinet, Meribel 1 9 9 8 . 9.tIJe4 ttJxe4 1 0.'iYxe4 � b7

1 1 .g3 The most natural move, although 1 I . �f4 also deserves attention: 1 1 . . . <1:Jd 7 1 2 . e3 ( 1 2 . M e l ! ? Barsky) 1 2 . ..ltJf6 1 3 .'iVeS ( 1 3 .�c2 cS 1 4 dxcS �aS I S .Mc I <1:Je4 1 6 .b3 <1:JxcS 1 7 .�c4 �e7 with chances for both sides) 1 3 . . . cS 1 4.dxcS tLJd7 l S .�d4 tLJxcS 1 6 .�c4 �xd4 1 7 . exd4 tLJd7 1 8 . 0 - 0 <1:Jb6 1 9 .�d3 tLJdS with a good position for Black. 1 1 ...'!WeS 1 2.1!Vd3 c5 1 3.dxeS ttJd7 1 4.�g2 ttJxeS 1 S.'ib'd 1 �dS 1 6.ttJh4 ttJb3 1 7J1b1 �xg2 1 S.ttJxg 2 'liVe6 1 9.'!Wxb3 �xg2 20.1!Vf3 'ib'xf3 21 .exf3 b3': Gus t. Hernande z-L. Marin, Bucharest 2000.

Chapter 4: Pressu re on Black's Pawns: 5.1\Wb3

D) 6.il.f4 is a rather insidious and lit­ de-explored move. Understanding that Black will sooner or later have to play ... b7-b 5 , White wishes to bring his rook to cl as quickly as possible, whilst the bishop stops its opposite number from coming to d6.

D 2 2 ) 8 " .'ii a 5 9 . e 3 iLe7 (9 " . CLJe4 1 0 .iLd3 tLlxc3 1 1 .0-0± is in White's fa­ vour) 1 0 . iLd3 - White's chances are pref­ erable; DB) 8 . "tLic6 9 . e3 iLb7 1 0 . .§i.d3 iLe7 1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2 .h3 llc8 - Black has a very solid position. Back to the main line. 6.

6 ...b5 6 " . dxc4 ! ? 7 . �xc4 b5 8 . 'lWb3 (8.'ilfd3 c 5 ) 8 .. . tLibd7 9 . e3 c5 (Chebanenko) 7.cxd5 cxd5 D l ) Now, less logical is 8.e3 iLe7 9 .te2 0-0 1 0 .0-0 CLJc6 1 1 .l:I.fc l iLb7 1 2 .'ilfdl llc8 (also good is 1 2 . . . tLih5 13 . .tg5 .ixg5 1 4.tbxg5 tLig3) 1 3 .a4 b4 1 4.ttJb l 'i¥b6 (also not bad is 1 4 . . . tbh5 ! ? , in order to exchange one 0 f the strong enemy bishops and weaken the pawn on d4: 1 5 .ttJbd2 tLlxf4 1 6 .exf4 'ii d 6 1 7 .g 3 tLla5 1 8 .CLJb3 CLJxb 3 1 9 .'ii x b3 11c7 with a good game for Black, Komliakov) 1 5 .tLlbd2 CLJh5 1 6 . iLe5 ( 1 6.iLg5 f6 1 7 . .tM g 5 1 8 .CLJ e l tLl g7 1 9 .iLg3 CLJf5 20.tL:d3 tLJa5) 1 6 . . .f6 1 7 .iLg3 �xg 3 , and Black's chances are no worse, Magerra­ mov-Garcia Callejo , Andorra 1 9 9 1 . D2) 8.�c1 and now: D2 1 ) In the game Magerramov-Titov, Uzhgorod 1 9 8 8 , Black fell into a standard trap: 8 . . . iLe7 ? 9 . tLlxb5+-, and the knight cannot be taken because of 9 . . . axb 5 1 O . .ic7 ;

�c1 -g5

We have reached a posItion from the pop­ ular Moscow Variation, but with the in­ clusion of the moves �b3 and a6. In whose favour are these two extra moves? On the one hand, the pawn at c4 is now defended (we certainly won 't get a Botvinnik Variation ! ) , but on the other, the queen is a little far from the centre and is occupied with rather a menial task - defending a pawn . . . .

.

In this position, Black can either start by giving up the centre with . . . dxc4, or play along Carlsbad lines with . . iLe7 . A) 6 ...dxc4 7.'lihc4 b5 A 1 ) As in the variation with 6 . .if4, the retreat 8.'liIb3 seems rather passive and does not create particular problems for Black: 8 ... IDbd7 9.J:!:d 1 9 . e4 h6 1 0 .iLh4 g 5 1 1 . iLg3 b 4 . 9...�a5 Also good is 9 . . . 'ii c 7 , for instance: 1 0 .g3 c5 1 1 .iLxf6 tLlxf6 1 2 .iLg 2 iLb7 1 3 . 0 - 0 55

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

iLe7 1 4 .dxc5 iLxc5 1 5 .tLle 1 iLxg2 1 6 .'it>x g 2 0-0 1 7 . tLld3 iLd4 l S . M e l 'lW b 7 + 1 9 .Wg 1 h5 2 0 .e 3 iLb6 2 1 .'lWd l h4+ , Gen. Timoschenko -Ro gozenko, Berlin 1 9 94. 1 0.�d2 '/Wb6 The retreat to c7 also has its merits : 1 0 . . . 'li'c7 1 1 . g 3 iL b 7 1 2 .iLf4 iLd6 1 3 . iLxd6 'li'xd6 1 4.iLg2 c5 1 5 .dxc5 'li'xc 5 . 1 1 .e4 c5 1 2.e5 1 2 .iLe3 tZJg4 1 3 .dxc5 iLxc5 1 4.iLxc5 'iVxc5 1 5 .Md2 iLb 7 1 6 .h3 tLlge5 + . 1 2 ..lLlg4 1 3 .h3 cxd4.

A l l ) The complications after 14.tLld5?! turn out in Black's favour: 1 4 . . . exd5 1 5 .hxg4 '/i'e6 1 6 .iLe2 (even worse is 1 6 . tLlxd4 'li'xe 5 + 1 7 .iLe3 tLlc5 ( 1 7 . . . tZJf6) l S .tLlf3 tZJxb3 1 9 .tZJxe5 d4 2 0 . iLxd4 tLlxd4 2 1 . .uxd4 iLc5 22 . .u d 1 iLb4+ 2 3 .We2 0-0+) 1 6 . . . tLlc5 1 7 . tZJxd4 'lWxe 5 + Pelletier-Morozevich, BieI 2 0 0 6 ) ; A 1 2) After the intermediate pawn cap­ ture 1 4.ttJxb5 Black has his own zWischenzug: 1 4 . . . tZJxfl 1 5 .tLld6+ iLxd6 1 6 .'Ii'xb6 tLlxb 6 1 7 . Wxfl iLe 7+. A 1 3 ) 1 4.hxg4 dxc3 1 5 .iLxc3 iLc5 (in the ending after 1 5 . . . iLb7 1 6 .'iVc2 tLlc5 1 7 .iLd4 'iVa5 + l S .�d2 'lWxd2+ 1 9 .Wxd2 0-0-0 2 0 .'lte3;t White's chances are somewhat better, on account of his more active pieces) 1 6 .'Ii'c2 b4 1 7 .iLd4 iLb7 l s .hc5 'li'xc5 1 9 .'li'xc5 tLlxc5 20.11M 56

as . This ending is quite harmless for Black, as his pieces are placed every bit as well as those of his opponent. A2) 8.�d3 c5 A2 1 ) Black is Significantly behind in development, therefore any concrete measure may turn out rather unpleasant for him. For example, he must reckon. WIth the break 9.a4. Even so, his defensive resources appear to be sufficient: 9 . . . cxd4 1 0 . tZJxd4 b4 1 1 .tLle4 iLb7 1 2 .iLxf6 gxf6 1 3 J:ld l iLe7 1 4.'li'f3 b 3 .

White can win the queen with 1 5 . tt.k6, but then Black gets excellent counterplay: 1 5 . . . tZJxc6 (otherWise White wins the pawn on f6 without any compensation) 1 6 .MxdS + 11xdS 1 7 .e3 iLb4+ I S .tZJ c3 hc3 + 1 9 .bxc3 b2 2 0 .'li'e4. 'Hertneck stops here and claims advantage for Black but Bareev goes further and reaches a dif­ ferent conclusion: (G. Flear)) 2 O . . 11gS (in the variation 20 . . .fS 2 1 .'iVc2 tZJe5 2 2 .£4 tLlf3+ 2 3 . gxf3 iLxf3 H.'li'xb2 iLxh l 2 S . iLxa6 kI g S 2 6 .iLfl iLe4 2 7 .�b4± it suddenly turns out that the black king is weak, w Illist the passed pawn on a4 is quite dangerous. Here, despite the terror induced by the b2-pawn, White can attempt to employ prophylaxis by 2 1 .f3 . True, even in this .

Chapter 4: Pressure on Blacks Pawns: 5 . �b3

case, the advantage lies with Black: 2 1 .. .lIgS ! 2 2.�b l l:tgdS 2 3 .'iYxb2 l:td 1 + 24.We2 as 2 5 .c4 ttJb4=i=) 1 5 .e3 'ii' aS + 1 6 .'�e2 �f8 1 7 .�f4 �eS 1 8.f3 ( 1 8 .lWh6+ �e8 1 9 .tLld2 tLlc6 20.lD2xb3 Flear 20 .. . l::t c 8 1 ? 2 l .f3 tLlxd4+ 22. tDxd4 fS oo) 1 8 . . . �xf4 1 9 .exf4 �g7= Lautier-Bareev, Linares 1 9 94. AlI) 9..bf6 gxf6

1 0.ndl �b 7 I I . dS b4 1 2 .tLla4 'iYxdS

1 3 :ihdS �xdS 1 4.tLlb6 �xf3 I S . gxf3 lla7+ Browne-B. Kogan, Estes Park 1 9 8 6 . It may very well b e that i t i s time for

White to swallow his pride and concern himself with aiming for equality: 1 0 .e3 .tb7 l 1 .dxcS (it is time to simplify the position. Accepting an IQP cannot be rec­ ommended: 1 1 .�e2 cxd4 1 2 . exd4 �g7 1 3 . 0-0 tbc6 1 4.a4 ttJb4 I S .�d2 bxa4 1 6 8xa4 as 1 7 .�bS + �e7 1 8 .�e2 �d6 1 9 .tLlcS �dS 20 . .&r.a3 tbc6 2 1 .tLla4 fS 2 2 . nd l nab8 2 3 .�c3 �xf3 24. �xf3 ttJxd4 2 S . nxaS tLlxf3 + 2 6 . gxf3 + Ehlvest-Khalifman, Rakvere 1 993) I 1 . . .LcS 1 2 .�c 2 tLld7 1 3 .�d3 nc8 1 4.i.e4 he4 I S .'ihe4 fs 1 6 .'ii' d 3 tLlb6 with roughly equal chances, Akopian-­ Khali[man, Lucerne 1 9 9 3 .

B) 6 ... b5 This is the move Black wants to play, refusing to concede his opponent the initiative on the queenside. 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.11c1 .1i.e7 9.e3 0-0 10 ..l1Ld3 �bd7 1 0 ... �b7 ! ? with the idea tLlc6 . 1 1 .0-0 1 1 .�f4 �b7 1 2 .a4 b4 1 3 .tLla2 nc8 1 4.IDcS lWxcs I S .0-0 as 1 6 .nc1 �aS 1 7 .�bS ncS Pelletier-Dunis, La Roche­ sur-Yon 2006. 11 ...�b7 1 2.a4 1 2.tLleS tZJxeS 1 3 .dxe5 lLJe4. 1 2...b4 1 3.�a2 a5 14.�b5 �b6! 15.�e5 �e4 1 6J1/.xe7 Wixe7 1 7.l:1c2 J:l:fc8, with chances for both sides, Polugaevsky-Rivas Pastor, Linares 1 9 8 5 . But Black can also perfectly well adopt a more complicated approach with 1 7 . . . f6 ! ? 1 8 .tLlc6 'il'd6 (the following illustrative variation is also interesting: 1 8 . . . hc6 1 9 .1:txc6 l2Jd2 20.'iYd 1 lLlxfl 2 1 .�xb6 'iYc7 2 2 .nxe6 'iYxh2+ B .cJtxfl 'fih l + 24.�e2 �xg2 2 S .�e l f5 26.�fl 'iVh l 27 .�b3 llaeS 2 S . .!'::d 6 .!'::d 8 29 . .!'::x dS l':.xdS 3 0 .tLlc1 f4 3 1 .exf4 'ueS+ 3 2 .tLle2oo) 19 .11fc 1 nfc8 2 0.f3 tLld2 2 1 .�e7 + �xe7 22. l::!.xd2 eS (Kornliakov) . C) 6 .. .tbbd7 7 .e3 h6 ! ? 8 . �4 b5 9.c5 �e7 (with the idea 1 0 ... tLlh5) 1 0.�e2 0 - 0 1 1 . 0 - 0 tUe4 1 2 .�xe 7 'iVxe 7 1 3 . �xe4 dxe4 1 4 . tLld2 e5= (Chebanenko) .

..

6.

.

..

i1l.f8-e7

Black has two more alternatives to 6 . . iLe7 : .

57

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Here, the immediate deployment of the rook does not change the character of the struggle significantly ; 7 .Idd l tLlbd7 S .e3 0-0 9 . cxd5 (Black plays in classical style after 9 .�d3 dxc4 1 0 .�xc4 b5 1 1 .�d3 c5 1 2 .�xf6 tLlxf6 1 3 .dxc5 '/i'c7 1 4.tLle4 �b7 1 5 . tLlxf6+ gxf6 1 6 .Id c l IdacS 1 7 .0-0 �xc5) 9 . . . exd5 1 0 . �d3 tLle4 1 1 .�f4 ( 1 1 .�xe7 fixe7 1 2 .�xe4 dxe4 1 3 .tLld2 lLlf6 1 4.0-0 h6 1 5 .h3 �e6 1 6 .�c2 �5 ) 1 1 . . .tLldf6 1 2 . 0-0 �d6 1 3 .�e5 �e7 1 4.h3 jU'5 1 5 .Idfe l �g6 1 6 .�xd6 tLlxd6 1 7 .�xg6 hxg 6 . In this position, Black's knights are posted in the ideal fashion for the Carlsbad structure, which assures him solid equality (Bauer-Pn e, France 1 995) . 7.

e2-e3

Now, 7 .0-0 is fully possible, after which White has a large choice of plans for the subsequent play. ..

2 3 . tt'lxe5 Kortchnoi-Short, Wijk aan Zee 1 997. C) 8.l"rc1 lLlbd7 9.cxd5 (Black has no real problems after 9 .�e2 dxc4 1 0 .ihc4 b5 l 1 .iYd3 c5 1 2 .0-0 �b7 l 3 .Idfdl b4 1 4.tLla4 cxd4 1 5 .'Yixd4 �a5 1 6 .�xf6 tLlxf6 1 7 .�b6 �xb6 I S ,cilxb6 Idab8 1 9 .tLle5 IdfdS, Kortchnoi-Galliamova, MUIDch 2 0 0 0 ) 9 . . . exd5 1 0 .�d3 J:!.e8 (White retains a small initiative ;uter 1 0 . . . lLle4 1 1 .�f4 lLlg5 1 2 .lLlxg5 �xg5 1 3 .�g3 ideS 1 4.0-0 �h4 1 5 .�f4:t, Kir. Georgiev-Bacrot, Elista 1 9 95) 1 1 .0-0 tLlfS 1 2 .tLla4 tLle4 1 3 .�xe 7 '1!Vxe7 1 4.�xe4 dxe4 1 5 .tLle5 �e6 1 6 .'li'b6 f6 1 7 .tLlc4 J:!.abS I S .tLlc5 tLld7= . D) 8.�c21? b5 (after S . . . tLlbd7 9.cxd5 exd5 1 0 . �d3 we have a typical Carlsbad structure, admittedly with the extra move a7-a6 for Black.) 9 .c5 tLlbd7 1 0 . �d3 h6 1 1 .�f4 J:!.eS 1 2 .0-0 �xc5 1 3 .dxc5 e 5 1 4.�g3 e 4 1 5 . �xe4 tLlxe4 (or 1 5 : .. dxe4 1 6 .tLld4 tLlxc5 1 7 .tLlcxb5 cxb5 I S .�xc5 �d5 1 9 .J:!.fc l �) 1 6 . tLlxe4 J:!.xe4 1 7 .tLld4� Schekachev-Wemmers, Ham­ burg 2 0 0 5 . 7. In

8.

A) 8.cxd5 cxd5 9 .�d3 , keeping a small opening initlative. B) 8.�e2 dxc4 9 . �xc4 b5 1 0 .�e 2 tt'lbd7 l 1 .a4 b4 1 2 .hf6 tLlxf6 1 3 . tLlb l c5 , and Black has solved his opening problems satisfactorily. For example, 1 4.dxc5 �xc5 1 5 .tLlbd2 �b7 1 6 .lLlc4 �d5 1 7 .0-0 tLle4 I S .'Yic2 IdcS 1 9 .�d3 f5 2 0 ."i¥e2 as 2 1 ,cilce5 �d6 2 2 . �c4 �xe5 (2 L . Idc5 ! ? 2 3 .�xd5 Idxd5) 5S

...

Qlb8-d7

Carlsbad style. c4xd 5

This is the right time to determine the central pawn position. As we have already seen several times, after S . �d3 dxc4 9.�xc4 b5 1 0 .�e2 cS Black achieves equality without any special problems, in particular thanks to the unfortunate posi­ tion of the white queen on b 3 , for exam­ ple : 1 1 . 0-0 ..tb 7 1 2 . Idfd l 'li'b6 1 3 .a4 c4 1 4 .�c2 0 - 0 1 5 . axb5 axb5 1 6 .b3 Ivancsics-Gen. Timoschenko, Austria Staatsliga B 2 0 0 5 / 0 6 , and here Black can even fight for the advantage with 1 6 . . . b4

Chapter 4: PresslUe on Blacks Pawns: 5. 'iiib3

1 7 .tLla4 'iVa5 1 8 .'iVxc4 �xf3 1 9 .�xf3 2 0 .�xa8 �xa8 2 1 .tDc5 lld8 2 2 .'iVxb4 'iii d5 =F. 8 .'iV c2 ! ? is also interesting. 'il'xg5

B.

9.

...

e6xd5

1 5.

'ii b 3-c2

At this point a draw was agreed in Dorfman-Prie, Meribel 1 9 9 8 . A plausible continuation would have been tLlf6-e4

1 5. 1 6.

ttJa4-c5

�cB-f5

1 7.

ttJf3-d2

l:rfB-eB=

h2-h3

useful prophylactic move. In a re­ cently-played game, after 9.�d3 0-0 I O .1l!'c2 J:[e8 l 1 .h3 tDf8 1 2 .iH4 i.. e 6 1 3 .lLlg5 tlc8 1 4.0-0 �d6 1 5 .�e5 h6 1 6 .lLlf3 �xe5 1 7 .tDxe5 tLl6d7 1 8 .f4 f6 19.tLlf3 tLlb6 2 0 .�ae l l:rc7 2 1 .tDh4 tLlc8 22.g4 lLJd6 2 3 .'iiiD �f7 24.t2lg2 tDe4 25 .he4 dxe4 2 6 .b3 c5 Black had not only equalised, but was even ready to seize the initiative if given the chance, Sasikiran-Malakhov, Sarajevo 2 0 0 6 .

A

9.

0-0

10.

ik.f1 -d3

lLJf6-e4 tLld 7-f6 ik.e7-d6

11.

ik.g5-f4

12. 13.

0-0 ik.f4xd6

14.

ttJc3-a4

tLle4xd6 'fiHdB-e7

Conclusion

5 .'iYb3 does not place insurmountable difficulties before Black. The pressure on b7 and d5 is somewhat premature, which allows Black to switch to normal Carlsbad-style development after 5 . . . e6. Lovers of the Queen's Gambit Accepted can be recommended to look at 5 . . . dxc4, after which the white queen is forced to lose several tempi, allowing Black to de­ velop his pieces conveniently. Even so, the move 5 .'iii b3 does not spoil the general picture for White, and often he manages to outplay his opponent in positions that are full of positional nuances and strate­ gic subtleties.

59

Chapter 5 Catalan-Style: 5.g3 1 .d2-d4 d 7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.lLlg1 -f3 tiJg8-fS 4.tiJb1 -c3 a7-aS 5.g2-g3

5.g3 is a flexible move in the style of the Catalan. UsuaZZy White prefers not to put his bishop on g2, from where it bites on the granite of the pawn on c6, but here Black has spent a tempo on . . . a7-a6. Even so, it is not clear that this move is a waste of time, as Black has quite a wide choice of possible plans: I. 5 . . . dxc4, II. 5 . . . g6, III. 5 . . . �f5, IV, 5 . . . b5. ••• I 5.

...

d5xc4

Black takes up the challenge. if you want a Catalan, a Catalan it is! To regain the pawn on c4, White has to spend several tempi, and Black hopes that this time will enable him to develop his pieces harmo­ niously. White, of course, may instead continue in gambit style, forgetting about the c4 pawn and simply continuing to de­ velop, seizing space in the centre. This plan is aggressive, but double-edged: the healthy extra pawn on the queenside may have its say later on. S.

60

a2-a4

After 6 . .llLg 2 b 5 7 . 0-0 e6 8 .tDe5 �b7 9 .a4 Black must play very accurately.

9

•.

.t2:ld5 is

the most ambiUous move. After

9 �c8 1 0 .e4 tDbd7 1 1 .£4 !i.e7 1 2 . g4 . . .

Chapter 5: Catalan-Style: 5.g3

White develops a fierce initlative, for ex­ ample : 1 2 . . . tLJxe s 1 3 .fxes tLJd7 1 4 .i1f4 0-0 I s .gs b4 1 6.tLJe2 as 1 7 .tLig3 i1a6 1 8 JtJh5 c3 1 9 . .l::r f3 cxb2 20 . .l::r b l cs 2 1 .tLlf6+ '.t>h8 2 2 . l:rh3 h6 23 .l:rxh6+ gxh6 24.�hs +- . It is possible, of course, to give back the extra pawn, in order to simplify the posi­ tion somewhat and one way or another to complete one's development qUietly: 9 . §i.e7 1 0 axbs axbs 1 1 . .l::r x a8 i1xa8 1 2 .lt'lxbs cxbS 1 3 .i1xaS 0-0 1 4.i1g2 'iJ'b6 l s .e4 �fd7 1 6 .tLig4 tLic6 1 7 .i1e3 tLlM 1 8 .14 �d3 1 9 .�e2 , and here after 1 9 . . . hs 2 0 . �h2 es 2 1 .ds i1cs 2 2 .i1xcs 'i'xcs 2 3 .'ihhs tLif6oo. Black has even given up another pawn, obtaining rea­ sonable compensatio n, Kazhgaleev­ Buhmann, France tt 2 0 0 6 . .

.

The exchanges 1 0 . axbS axbs l UhaS i1xaS only make Black's deci­ sion easier. After the sample line 1 2 .e4 tLixc3 1 3 . bxc3 i1e7 1 4. � g4 0-0 I s .i1h6 �f6 1 6 . .l::ra l i1b 7 1 7 .�f3 es I S .dxes �cS 1 9 .�f4 i1e7 2 0 .i1gs i1xg s Tl .lt'lxgs tLJa6= he has decent play. White also gets nothing from 1 0 . tLixds cxdS . 10 ...tZ:lxc3 1 1 .bxc3 tLJd7 Black should be ready at the appropriate moment to ex­ change White's most dangerous piece.

A) The move 1 3 .tLJg4 looks tempting, in order to create pressure on the kingside. However, the analysis below shows that Black can meet all the threats and retain the better prospects : 1 3 0-0 1 4.tLJe3 White won qUickly and effec­ tively after 1 4 . e s tLi b6 I s . fs exfs 1 6 .�e3 (bad is 1 6 .lhfs i1cs 1 7 . .l::r f l tLids I S .i1dl �e6 1 9 .i1e4 'if d7 1 0 .tLif6 + ll.xf6 1 1 . exf6 i1g4 2 2 .'iVc2 tLJxf6 + , Torbin-Yevseev, St Petersburg 2 0 0 2 ) 1 6 . . . g6 1 7 .�xfS gxfs I S . :a.xfs f6 (correct was I S . . . ll.cS 1 9 . .l::r h s .l::r a 7 ! - a typical way to include the rook in the de­ fence of the king - 20 .axbs cxbs 2 1 . l:rxh7 '.t>xh7 2 2 .�hs + '.t>gS 2 3 .ll.e4 fs 24.�g 6 + , and White has to force perpetual check) 1 9 .i1h6 '.t>hS 2 0 .i1xfs ll.xfS 2 1 .axbs axbs 2 2 J :haS i1xaS 2 3 Jhf6± Mlton-Krapivin, Mos cow 2 0 04. ...

1 0.e4

12.f4 �e7

A I ) Black would like to close things up with the move 14 f5 but then he comes under a direct attack. Admittedly, White has to play very energetically and inven­ tively to bring the attack home : I s .g4! (worse is l s .e s ? ! tLib6+ or l s .exfs exfs 1 6 .ds �cS !) I s . . . fxe4 1 6 .g s (nothing results from 1 6 .i1xe4?! tLif6 1 7 .i1g2 ( 1 7 .ll.c2 cs+; 1 7 .'{irc2 tLixe4 I S .'{irxe4 �d7+) 1 7 . . . �ds =F) 1 6 . . . cs .. .

,

61

The Cheoonenko Slav According to Bologan

Another possibility is 6 . . . e6, transposing into the system with S . a4.

1 7 .ilh3 ! (now the weakness of the e6-pawn tells, a reminder of the draw­ back of the impulsive move . . .£7-fS) 1 7 . . . cxd4 (the outcome is not changed by 1 7 . . . �h8 1 8 .ilxe 6 tL'lb6 1 9 .96 1:tf6 ( 1 9 . . . ttJxa4? 2 0 .'ilihS h6 2 1 .tL'l g4+-) 2 0 . fS h6 2 1 .'ilihS 1:txe6 n . fxe6+-) 1 8 .ilxe6+ �h8 1 9 .cxd4 ttJb6 (also after 1 9 . . . ild6 2 0 . axbS axbS 2 1 .1:txa8 ilxa8 n .'ilig4 ttJb6 2 3 . fS White has a ferocious attack) 2 0 . g 6 ! , Nogueiras-Perez, Merida 2006) A 2 ) 1 4 ...cS! Only thus ! I S .dS exdS 1 6 .tL'lxdS ( 1 6 . exdS ilf6 1 7 .'ifc2 14 1 8 .ilb2 tL'lb6+) 1 6 . . . tL'lb6+. Black retains his extra pawn and his king faces no threats. ) B ) 1 3 Jib1 White does well to play flexi­ bly, creating threats all over the board. 13 ... tt:lxeS The most practical decision exchange off the opponent's most active piece. However, one cannot rule out the possibility that Black can get away with a more cold-blooded treatment of the posi­ tion: l 3 . . . tL'l b6 ! ? 1 4.axbS axbS I S .fS exfS 1 6 .'lifhS 0-0 1 7 .'lifxfS 'life8+. 1 4 .fxeS

0-0

1 S.'il'g4

,>!;> h S

1 6 .Ub2

'/WeS

Back to the main line. 6.

62

...

g 7-g6

ilf1 -g2 0-0

ilfS-g7

A) The move S.aS deserves attention, fixing the weak dark squares on the queenside. Black must now play very ac­ curately, in order not to fall under the 'press'. For example: S... O-O 9.0-0 (after 9 . 'ii'a4 ile6 1 0 ."ii' b 4 'ii' c 8 1 1 .'ii'x e7 Me8 1 2 .'i'd6 tLJdS 1 3 .'ilia3 cS 1 4.dxcS ttJxc3 1 5 . bxc3 ilh3 Black had not merely equalised, but was fighting for the initia­ tive, Sorokin-Soppe, Buenos Aires 1 9 98) 9 ...tt:ldS

b4

with mutual chances , Postl-Gartner, Austria tt 1 9 9 5 / 9 6 .

1 7J:t bf2

7. S.

1 0.tt:le4 White plays for a blockade of the queenside. Standard central play also de­ serves attention, but this is bound up with further sacrifices, for example: 1 0 .e4 ttJxc3 l 1 . bxc3 cS n .d S ! ? (in the

Chapter 5: Catalan-Style: 5 .g3

event of the cautious 1 2 .�e3 tLlc6 1 3 .'iVa4 cxd4 1 4.cxd4 �g4 I s .iYxc4 .txf3 1 6 .�xf3 tLlxd4 Black keeps his ex­ tra pawn and White's compensation should not suffice for more than equal­ ity) 1 2 . . . �xc3 1 3 .�h6 ne8 1 4.'iUc2 �xal 1 S .lIxa 1 00. White is not likely to give mate in the foreseeable future, but he is assured of a long-lasting initiative for the sacrificed exchange. 10 ...�f5 1 V iJfd2 i.xe4 Black does not re­ ally need his bishop , although he could also play 1 1 . . .tt:l f6 ! ? 1 2 . e3 tLlxe4 1 3 .tLlxe4. 1 2.lLlxe4 tt'ld7 1 3.14?1 ncB 1 4.tt'lc3 tt'lb4 15J1a4 bS 1 6 .axb6 '&'xb6 with the initia­ tive for Black , Kortchnoi-I. Sokolov, Groningen 1 9 9 6 . B) O n 8 .tLleS ? ! there could follow a Griinfeld-style response: 8 . . . tLlg4! 9 .0xc4 � e 6 with a good game for Black.

S.

...

0-0

9.

e2-e3

as-a5

1 2.

�d1-e2

Here, Flear's suggestion 1 2 .h3 ! i s stron­ ger. White's plan , clearly, is 'iYe2 , nd l and only then e4. 1 2.

...

�cS-g4

Provoking the move £'2-f3 , weakening White's kingside and, most importantly of all, closing the long diagonal of his light-squared bishop. 1 3.

f2-f3

White is duly provoked. Now Black will play . . . c6-cS and obtain good play. 1 3.

�g4-eS

14 1 5.

lIf1 -d1 d4xc5

cS-c5! 'li"dS-c7

1S

.

.

tLlc4-bS

lIaS-dS

17

.

nd1 xdS

l:lfSxdS

1S

.

e3-e4

Also in the line 1 8 . �bS tiJd3 1 9 .'iYxaS tiJd7+ Black has excellent counterplay l:ldS-d3

1 S. 1 9.

�g 2-f1

A typical idea. The move a2-a4 has weak­ ened the b4-square, and Black directs his knight to that square. He does not try to hold the extra pawn, but plays along the lines of the Grunfeld Indian Defence : he creates piece pressure on his opponent's pawn centre. 1 0.

tLJf3-e5

tLJbS-aS

11.

tLJe5xc4

tLJaS-b4 tLJfS-g4!=l=

1 9.

Timman-I. Sokolov, Amsterdam 1 9 9 6 . II 5.

..

g7-gS

S.

�f1 -g2

�fS-g7

7.

0-0

0-0

S. 9.

c4xd5

cSxd5

.

tLJf3-e5

63

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

We have reached a well-known position from the Griinfeld Indian Defence, with Black having made the not-very-useful move . . . al -a6.

�c1 -g5

h 7-h6

11.

�g5-e3

tLlf6 -d7

f2-f4

tLl b8-c6

1 2 . . .b S . 1 3.

�e4-g2

1 8.

'if'd1 -b3

lLlf5-e7

III

Full equality is also not granted by 1 1 . . . ttJbd7 1 2 .ttJd3 (weaker is 1 2 . f4 bS) . 1 2.

1 7.

White retains some initiative, Sasikiran­ Malakhov, Moscow 2 0 0 6 .

e7-e6

9. 1 0.

tLld7-f6

1 6.

5.

...

�c8-f5

Another perfectly logical move. Why not, if one can, develop the bishop outside the pawn chain?

�e3-f2

The more energetic 1 3 .llcl ! ? is also better for White, for example: 1 3 . . . ttJb6 (the at­ tempt to solve Black's problems tactically leads to even greater difficulties: 1 3 . . . ttJdxeS 1 4.dxeS (less is promised by 1 4.fxeS f6 l S .exf6 lhf6 1 6.iYd2 '>ith7 1 7 . l1xf6 'if'xf6 1 8 . .llf l 'if'e7 1 9 �fl ;j;) 1 4 . . . d4 l S .jLxc6 dxe3 1 6 .jLe4± ; White will soon capture the pawn on e 3 , and the g7 bishop remains out of play for a long time) 1 4.jLf2 jLd7 ;!:; . Black's position is cramped, but solid. .

tLlc6-e7

13. 14.

1:ia1 -c1

tLle7-f5

1 5.

e2-e4

d 5xe4

16.

�g2xe4

To 1 6 .ttJxe4 ! ? Black replies 1 6 . . . tLlb6 1 7 .ttJc3 ttJe7 1 8 .'VIb3 as 1 9 .a4 lla6 ! with the idea . . . tLlbdS , holding the position. 64

6.

�f1 -g2

e7-e6

7.

0-0

lZlb8-d7

One should never forget about the need for piece development. If Black instead de­ votes himself to unnecessary prophylaxis, he can fall into a difficult position: 7 . . h6 8 . tLleS jLe 7 9 .M4 0-0 1 0 .'lWb3 b5 1 1 .cxdS cxdS 1 2 .llacl 'lWb6 1 3 . 'ufd1 g5 1 4.jLe3 'i¥ d6 (Shipov-Volkov, Moscow .

Chapter S: Catalan-Style; S .93

1 996) , and here the move I S .h4! would have been very strong: I S . . ..!tJg4 (on I S . . . g:xh4 there could follow 1 6 . iti4 hxg3 1 7 .fxg3 'iVb6 1 8 .�xh6 ne8 1 9 .1Lla4±, and the white queen heads towards the kingside) 1 6.�d2 b4 (on 1 6 . . . lLlxeS 1 7.dxeS 'iYxeS the combination 1 8 /ZlxdS ! exdS 1 9 . �c3 'iYd6 2 0 .�xdS �e6 2 2 . l:i.xd6 �xd6 2 1 .kxa8 �xb3 23.axb3+- decides) 1 7 .lLla4. Black's posi­ tion is gradually collapsing on both flanks. 8.

tLlf3-h4

9. tLlh4xg6 10.

e2-e4

kf5-g6 h 7xg6 d5xc4

White has a small, but definite advantage, after 1 0 . . . �xe4 I l . ttJxe4 dxe4 1 2 .�xe4 ILlf6 1 3 .�g2 ;t . 11.

�d1 -e2

�d7-b6

1 2 . kc1 -e3

IV

...

IV. 1 ) 6 .c4xd5 IV. 2) 6.b2-b3 IV. 3) 6 .c4-c5 IV. 1 6.

b7-b5

As we have seen, after S . . .dxc4 we reach Catalan-style positions , and after S . . . g 6 , GrUnfeld-style. The move . . . b7-bS is the most principled, if Black wishes to con­ tinue playing in the spirit of the Chebanenko system.

c4xd5

c6xd5

The exchange on dS promises White lit­ tle. In reply, Black may simply play his bishop to b 7 , strengthening control over the e4-square, but he can also leave the bishop on c8 for the time being, hoping to play . . . a6-aS , and then bring the bishop to a6 and take the initiative on the queenside. 7.

We have reached a favourable (for White) transposition into the line 4.e3 in the Slav defence, where White does not need to hurry to regain the c4 pawn.

5.

Pushing the b-pawn forces White to make up his mind what to do with his c-pawn. White has three basic options : exchange, protect or advance.

i.f1 -g2

�c8-b7

As we have already seen, 7.. .e6 is more cunning, for instance: 8.0-0 tLlbd7 If 8 . . . �e 7 9 .�f4 0-0 1 0 .a3 (the character of the position is hardly changed by 1 0 .'iV d3 �b7 1 1 .1:I.fc 1 ttJbd7 1 2 .a4 b4 1 3 .tZl b 1 as 1 4.'iWd 1 (Grigore-Bologan, Romania 1 9 8 9 ) 1 4 . . . 'iVb6 1 S .�c7 'iVa7 1 6 .ttJbd2 l:i.fc8 1 7 . lLlb3 ttJb6; or 1 4.�c7 l:i.c8 I S . bd8 llxc 1 + 1 6 .�f1 I:!.xd8) 1 0 . . . �b7 1 1 .'iWd3 lLlbd7 1 2 . Ufc1 lLlhS and Black did not experience any particu1ar problems, Menadue-Hodgson, Frome 2 0 0 1 . 9.�f4 �e7 1 0J�c1 0-0 1 1 .a4 An am­ bitious, but not very good move. Black is the better prepared for action on the queenside. 1 1 ...�b6 1 2 .�d3 b4 1 3 .tLlb1 a5 14.h3 $,a6 1 5 .�e3 l:[ac8 1 6.tLlbd2 h6 1 7.g4

Komarov-Nevednichy, Bu­ charest 1 9 94, and here after 1 8 . . JHc8 1 9 Jhc6 'iWxc6 2 0 . b 3 1/&c2 Black ob­ tained a serious advantage.

l:l.c6 18.�e5,

8.

0-0

9.

tLlf3-e5

e7-e6 tLlb8-d7

6S

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan 1 0.

f2-f4

�f8-d6

1 1 ..txf6 .txf6 1 2 .e4 dxe4 1 3 .tbxe4;t: Vasilchenko-Dovzik, Budapest 1 9 94. After 8 . . . tLle4 9 . .tb2 tLld7 1 0 . tLlh4 Black loses the battle for the key square e4. For example, 1 0 . . . tLlxc3 1 1 . .txc3 .tg4 n :if e l .te7 1 3 . .ta5 'ifb8 1 4.cxd5 cxdS 1 5 .e4 0-0 1 6 .exd5 .txh4 1 7 .dxe6 i;lxe6 1 8 .gxh4±, Relange-Marzolo, France tt 1 9 99/00. Another line which fails t o solve all the problems is 8 . . �M 9 . .td2 .txc3 1 0 . .txc3 tLle4 1 1 .'i'e 1 as 1 2 .tLl e 5 [6 1 3 .tLld3 0-0 1 4. cxb5 cxb5 1 5 . .tb2;t:, Berkvens-Lobzhanidze, Dresden 2 0 0 3 . 9.iiJe5 Not dangerous for Black is 9 .t2Jh4 .tg4 (or even 9 . . .tM 1 0 .tLlxf5 exfS 1 1 . .tb 2 0-0) 1 0 .'iY c2 .te7 I l .a3 0-0 1 2 .h3 ii,h5 1 3 .g4 tLle8 1 4.gxh5 �xh4 1 5 .cxd5 cxd5 1 6 .e4 dxe4 1 7 . .txe4 1:.c8. White has weaknesses on both flanks and in the centre, therefore Black's chances should, at a minimum, not be worse . .

Both sides have chances. IV. 2

6.

b2-b3

.

A logical move. White wishes to retain the tension in the centre, although in or­ der to do so, he has to weaken the dark squares on his queenside.

9 ... iiJxe5 1 0.dxe5 iiJd7 1 1 .cxd5 cxd5 1 2 .e4 dxe4 1 3.iiJxe4 iiJxe5 ( 1 3 . . . Le4 1 4.ii,xe4, Plaskett-Miles, London 1 9 9 3 , favours White) 14 .�g5 �xd 1 1 5 .J:Ux d 1 �xe4 1 6 ...Ihe4 l1c8.

6.

...

e7-e6

of course, one would prefer to develop the bishop first - 6 . . . .tf5 , but in this case, play becomes quite sharp, and Black is behind in development (he has spent tempi on the moves . . . a6 and . . . b 5 ) . Even so, it appears that these variations do not hide anything too terrible for Black, for example: 7.gg2 e6 8.0-0 iiJ b d 7. Other moves do not promise equality, for instance: 8 . . . .te7 9 .tLle5 0-0 1 0 . .tg5 h6 66

For the sacrificed pawn, White has ob­ tained two bishops and a serious lead in development. Objectively, the ending should probably be drawn, but of course, it is more pleasant to play White.

Chapter 5: Catalan-Style: 5.93

1 7 .M4 f6 I S .�b 7 (White keeps a small advantage after I S .�xeS fxeS 1 9 . 1:!.ac l l:!.xc l 2 0 . l:!.xc l t , Barsky) I S . . . UbS 1 9 .�xa6 �a3 . 1 7... lJ:xc1 1 8.Il.xc1 w d 7 1 9.14 f51 with mutual chances.

1 7J!.ac1

7.

c4-c5

If 7 .�g2 ilLM S . �d2 tLlbd7 9 . 0-0 bxc4

1 0 .bxc4 as I l . a3 (if 1 1 . tLla4 dxc4 with the idea . . . �a6) 1 1 . . .�xc3 1 2 .�xc3 tLle4 with the idea . . . �a6 and Black has suffi­ cient counterplay (Chebanenko) . 7.

...

tLlbS-d7

Another important position. White has a slight space advantage , but Black has pos­ sibilities of counterplay on both flanks and in the centre ( . . . e6-eS) . S.

ii.c1 -f4

The most natural move : White strength,

ens control over the square eS . But other plans are also possible : A) S.�h3 White continues his develop­ ment, and at the same time deprives Black's knight of the g4-square, which is used for the standard counterplay with . . . e6-eS d4xeS tLlf6-g4. S ... h6 But Black in his turn finds another good idea; he in­ tends to play gS and � g 7 . 9.0-0 g 5 10�g2 �g7

1 1 . l::t b 1

as

1 2.l2:Je 1

tLl g S

So as to remove the advance e2-e4 from the agenda, if only tempo13.'lWd2 f 5

rarily. 1 4.'iWe3 'iWe7 1 5.tLld3 tLlgf6 1 6 .f3 with very complicated play, where both sides ha ve their trumps. B) S.a3 A rather too passive move , af­ ter which Black obtains good play with­ out great problems, for example : S . . . eS 9 . tLlxeS tLlxeS 1 0 . dxeS tbg4 1 1 .b4 tLlxeS 1 2 .a4 ilLfS 1 3 .�g2 iLe7 1 4 . 0-0 0-0. C) S.�g2 A fairly unpleasant plan for Black: White simply continues develop­ ing, inviting his opponent to commit himself

and now: C 1 ) 1 0 .a3 tLle4 1 1 .'iWc2 f5 The knight is entrenched on e4, after which Black can start an advance on the kingside, in the style of the Stonewall. 1 2 .�b2 1 2. .�d 1 �f6= 1 2 g5 1 3 .tLlxe4 fxe4 14.tLle5 tLlxe5 1 5 .dxe5 �d7 1 6.13 Or 1 6 .�h3 'il'cs , after which the light-squared bishop continues his journey over to the kingside. 1 6 ... exf3 1 7.exf3 �eS 1 S.�d4 as - Black's chances are not worse. C 2 ) Also possible is 1 0.'iWc2 , not fear­ ing 1 0 ... b4 1 1 .tLla4 ltJe4 1 2 .a3 J:!: b S 1 3 .�f41 (if 1 3 . tLle l , then Black gets good play by means of 1 3 . . . eS 1 4 .dxeS tLlxeS l S . �xe4 dxe4 1 6 . 'i¥xe4 iLf6 (with the idea . . . I:!. e S , . . . �g4) 1 7 .�b2 l:!.eS I S . axb4 as 1 9 .bxaS �h3 2 0 . tLl g 2

S ... �e 7 9.0-0 0-0

.•

67

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

�xa5 2 1 . ilfb l �b5 2 2 ,tD f4 �g4 2 3 .�g2 'iVxb3 24 .�fl �f5) 13 ..Jlb5 1 4.tiJe1 (also not bad is 1 4 .axb4 .l:!.xb4 1 5 .ttJb2 f5 1 6 .ttJd3 1:i.b5 1 7 .ttJde5 ttJb8 1 8 .h4 �f6 1 9 .e3;!;) 1 4...bxa3 Black lures the enemy rook to a3 , where it is in the line of fire of the bishop on e 7. Also pos­ sible is 1 4 . . . �f6 ! ? , but then White has a wide choice of possible continuations : 1 5 .e3 ( 1 5 .ttJd3 , 1 5 . f3 ; the most practical. probably, is 1 5 .�xe4 dxe4 1 6 .�xe4 ttJx€5 1 7 .ttJxc5 .l:txc5 1 8 .dxc5 �xa l 1 9 . ttJ d 3 ;!; ) 1 5 . . . e5 1 6 .dxe5 ttJxe5 1 7 .�xe4 dxe4 1 8 .�xe4 ttJ g 6 . Black has good compensation for the sacrificed pawn.

C 2 2 ) A double- edged p osmon is reached after 1 5 .�xe4 dxe4 1 S .'iVxe4 .l:i:xb3 00 , and here it is unfavourable for White to take the pawn because of 1 7 .'lixc6 ? �b7 ( 1 7 . . . e5 1 8 .'lidS .l:!.b4) 1 8 .'iVc7 eS 1 9 . �xe5 lLJxe5 + . C 2 3 ) 1 5 .tiJd3 �fS 1 S .e3 �e71? 1 7.g4 White has to take care of the bishop on f4. However, he could also himself chase the enemy knight at e4, with the move 1 7 .£3 . 1 7.ugS 1 B.�g3 1 8 .�eS ! ? 1 B tLJxg3 1 9.hxg3 e5 Black offers a pawn sacrifice to free his position. 20.dxe5 fS 21 .e4 tLJxe5 .•

22.tiJc3 1:[bB 23.tLixe5 fxe5 24.exd5 �xc5 25.dxcS 'ffi e 7 2S.tiJd5 'iVdS 27.b4 bb4 2B.tiJxb4 :w.xb4 29.�xa3 l:ixg4.

This rather leng thy illustrative variations shows that overall, White retains the ope­ ning initiative. Black can achieve suffi­ cient play, if he organises the break . . . e6-eS in good time, and forces ex­ changes in the centre and on the queenside. Back to the main line after 8 . .i.f4. S.

C2 1 ) In the event of 1 5.lha3 Black realises his plan : 1 5 . . . e5 , after which 1 6 .�xe 5 is unfavourable to White : 1 6 . . . ttJxeS 1 7 . �xe4 dxe4 1 8 . dxe S 'Ii' d4+ . Significantly stronger is 1 6 .�xe4 dxe4 1 7 .�e3 fS 1 8 . ttJ g 2 , for example : 1 8 . . . .l:tf7 1 9 . .l:t d 1 �f8 2 0 .dx e S ttJxe5 2 1 .ttJc3 .l:tb4 2 2 .M4 M6 2 3 .l:!.d6 �e8 2 4 . �d2 .l:tb8 2 S . ttJa4 nfb7 2 6 . �c3 .l:tbS 2 7 . ttJf4 , and White has the initiative . Black has definite counterchances in the centre and on the queenside , but for the moment, he still cannot solve the problem of his light-squared bishop. 68

...

ttJf6-h5

With the idea . . . �c7 , . . . eS. Slower is 8 . . . h6 9 .h4 ttJe4 1 0 .ttJxe4 dxe4 1 1 . 4Je5 ttJxeS 1 2 . .1i.xeS iYd5 1 3 .2,g2 �xc5 1 4.'lic2 (even stronger is 1 4 . .1i.xg7 �b4+ l s .'�fI .llh 7 1 6 .�f6 ±) 1 4 . . . �b4+ I S .'�fI and White was slightly better in Van der Sterren-Nikolic, Rotterdam 1 9 9 7 . 9.

i.f4-e3

i.fS-e7

1 0.

i.f1 -g2

0-0

11.

0-0

'li'dS-c7

1 2.

b3-b4

a6-a5

1 3.

'/1lVd 1 - b3

a5-a4 e6-e5

1 4.

'li'b3-c2

1 5.

d4xe5

ttJd7xe5

16.

ttJf3xe5

'ii' c 7xe5

Chapter 5 : Catalan-Style: 5 .93

Chances are roughly equal in this position. IV. 3

6.

c4-c5

This sensible move, evacuating the king from the centre, promises White a comfortable advantage. In practice, White has also tried 1 9 .c6 d4 2 0 .�f2 , and here Black missed the brilliant counterblow 2 0 . . . �h3 ! ! (after 2 0 . . . �c4? 2 1 . 0-0-0 (2 1 .cxd7±) 2 1 . . . d3 ( 2 1 . . . Cilb6;t) 2 2.cxd7 + - White achieved a decisive ad­ vantage, Bronstein-Bagirov, Minsk 1 98 3 ) 2 1 . �f3 ( 2 1 .�xh3 J:rfe 8 + 2 V;tJf1 'liIYxc6+ also favours Black) 2 1 . .. tLleS ! + . 1 9.0-0

1 9 ...d4 20.�f2± .

A) Now, interesting complications can arise after

6 ... �f5

7.tt:l e 5

tt:l f d 7

White pre­ pares to seize the centre with his pawns, but Black is ready for such a de­ velopment. 1 0... b4 1 1 .tt:la4 If 1 1 . e4 bxc3 1 2 .exfS cxb2 1 3 . �xb2 gxfS , ev­ erything is in order for Black. 1 1 ...e5 12.e4 �e6 1 3 .f4 exd4 1 4.exd5 In the variation 1 4 .'lWxd4 'lWf6 1 5 . �e3 � g 7 1 6 .e5 'ti e 7 1 7 . 'tixb4 J:r b 8 1 8 .'tiaS f6 1 9 . 0 - 0 fxeS 2 0 :iYx a6 e400 White wins a pawn, but Black is not wor se, thanks to his central predominance. 1 4 ... cxd5 S.liJxd7 l/J x d 7 9 . � g 2 g 6 1 0.f3

15 .'lbd4 'lit6 1 6 .�e3 �g7 1 7.'lixb4 IlbS 1 S.WVd 2 0-0

B) The main alternative is 6 ...�f5 7.�g2 and now 7 . . . 'tic8 8 .h3 h6 9. �f4 gS 1 0 .�eS tLlbd7 1 1 . �xf6 tLlxf6 1 2 .14 g4 1 3 .tLle5 � g 7 ( 1 3 . . . 'tic7 ! ? 1 4. e 3 e 6 l S .tLld3 as 1 6 .a3 h 5 1 7 . 0 - 0 �g7+ also looks satisfactory) 1 4. 0 - 0 h5 1 5 . M 0-0 ( l S ... a5 1 6 .bxa 5 i , Goldin-Nikolaidis, St Petersburg 1 99 3 ) 1 6 .a4 '!Ye6 1 7 .'tid2 tLle4 1 8 .�xe4 dxe4 1 9 .'tia2 'liIYxa2 2 0 ..lha2 �xe5 2 1 .dxeS as n J lb2 axb4 2 3 .J:rxM bxa4 24. tLlxa 4 J:ra5 , and Black's chances are no worse. C) It is also possible to fight for the e5 square straightaway with 6 ...tt:lbd7. Ac­ cording to my notes in my oId exercise book, this was the last line we looked at. 7.�g2 g6 S.O-O 8 . e4! ? dxe4 (8 . . . b4 9 .exd5 ! bxc3 1 0 .dxc6 tLlb8 1 1 .tLle5±) 9 . tLlg 5 �g 7 1 0 .tLlgxe4 �b 7 1 1 .0-0 tLlxe4 1 2 . tLlxe4 tLlf6 1 3 .ne 1 O-O;!; / =.

69

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan 8 . �g7 9.�f4 ..

C l ) Or 9 .e4 ttJxe4 1 0 .ttJxe4 dxe4 1 1 .<1:lg5 <1:lf6 1 2 . ttJxe4 ttJd5 (Chebanenko considered this position to be equal) 1 3 . lle l 0 - 0 1 4 .<1:lc3 �e6 1 5 .�g5 , Khenkin-Charbonneau, Andorra 2 0 0 3 ) 15 . . Jh7 ! = ; C 2 ) 9.�g5 0 - 0 1 0 .�d2 M l 1 .ttJa4 ttJe4 1 2 .WxM llbS 1 3 .'li'e l ttJxg5 1 4.ttJxg5 �xd4+ (Chebanenko) . 9 ... 0-0 The continuation 9 . . . ttJh5 has hardly been studied, but at first glance, it seems fully satisfactory for Black: 1 0.�g5 0-0 I l .e4 M 1 2 .<1:lxd5 ( 1 2 . <1:le2 dxe4 1 3 .ttJd2 f6 1 4 .�e3 ts oo) 1 2 . . . cxd5 1 3 .exd5 h6 1 4.�d2 a5�. 1 0 .t2:ieS t2:ixeS 1 1 .�xeS I I .dxe5 ttJh5 . 1 1 ...�e6 1 2.�d2 Chebanenko only considered 1 2 .h3 'iVd7 1 3 . 'it>h2 ctJe4 1 4 .ttJxe4 dxe4 1 5 .�xg 7 'it>xg 7 1 6 .�xe4 �xh3 1 7 .�xc6 'li'xc6 I S .'it>xh3 .t'tfdSoo. 1 2 'li'd7 1 3 .f3 �h3

them take the game far from the realms of equality. For example, 9 .�4 �f5 1 0 .<1:le5 'ifcs 1 1 .lle l lldS 1 2 .f3 �h3 1 3 .�xh3 'li'xh3 1 4.e3 'ii cs 1 5 .g4 <1:lbd7 1 6 .ttJd3 as 1 7 .�g3 ttJfS I S .'li'e2 lleS 1 9 .h3 ttJ 6 d 7 2 0 .'li'h2 draw, Romanishin­ Epishin, Reggio Emilia 1 99 4/ 9 5 . 9.

1 0.

•.

1 4.a4

�xg2

1 S .Wxg2 b4

1 6 .t2:ia2 as= ,

Ruck-Marzolo, Tallinn 1 99 7 .

6.

...

g7-g6

7.

�f1 -g2

�fS-g7

S.

0-0

0-0

9.

<1:lf3-e5

In this fairly quiet posmon, several move-orders are possible, but none of 70

�c8-e6

h2-h3

1 0 .f4 'lics with the idea of . . lldS , . . �h3 (Chebanenko) . .

.

1 O.

Back to the main line.

...

Black plans to prepare the exchange of the bishops by . . . 'li'cs and . . . �h3 . At the same time, he also gets the option of other methods of development, such as . . . ttJbd7 and . . . lldS. Interesting complications arise after 9 . . . <1:lg4 1 0 .f4 ttJf6 l 1 . e3 ( l 1 .a3 'ifc7) 1 1 . . . �f5 1 2 .g4 �e4 1 3 .ttJxe4 ( 1 3 . g5 �xg2 1 4 . gxf6 exf6 1 5 .ttJxc6 <1:lxc6 1 6 .'it>xg2 'iid 7 1 7 .M ttJxM I s .'li'b3 ttJd3 Bellon Lopez-Hodgson, Bern 1 995) 1 3 ... ctJxe4 1 4.a4 M I 5 .a5�.

.

..

'li'dS-cS

Here, the aggressive 1 1 .g4 is interesting: White tries to cramp the black pieces as much as possible, especially the battery 1/i'cS/ �e6. 11 ... hS 1 2 .f3 ( 1 2 . g 5 ctJe4) 12 ... t2:ih7 ( 1 2 . . .hxg4 1 3 .fxg4 <1:lh7 1 4.e4 dxe4 1 5 . �xe4 ctJf6 1 6 .�g2 lla7 1 7 .a3 a5 �/= Chebanenko) 1 3 .gxhS?! This is an

Chapter 5 : Catalan-Style: 5 .g3

unnecessary release of the tension. It was better to maintain it by 1 3 .�e3 ttJd7 1 4.t2Jd3 ! (this transfer of the knight to d3 is typical for the Chebanenko Variation. The knight not only threatens to come to f4, but also stops b4) 1 4 . . . hxg4 1 5 .hxg4 �d8 1 6 .ifd2 :t. 13 ...gxhS 14.�h2 1 4.e4 �xh3 1 5 .exd5 Ud8 1 6 . f4oo. 1 4 ...l2ld7 1S.tLlxd7 '/Wxd 7 1 6 .J::!. g 1

�h8 1 7.e3 .l:lg8

and the attack along the g-file is unpleasant for White, Kortchnoi-Shirov, Groningen 1996. 1 8.f4 12lf6 1 9.'/We1 ii.h6 20JWh4 ktg7

11.

I£tg1 -h 2

tLlf6-e4

1 2.

tLlc3xe4

d5xe4

13.

�g2xe4

IU8-d8

14.

f2-f4

�e6xh3

1 5.

l'l.f1 -f2

Worse is 1 5 J:rh 1 �f5 1 6 . 'iV d3 ( 1 6.�g2 ! ?) 1 6 . . . �xe4 1 7 .�xe4 'iVe6+, Ulibin-Voiska , Iraklion 1 9 9 3 . 15.

...

�h3-e6

It seems he should have driven the knight from the centre: 1 5 " . f6 1 6.t2Jf3 �e6 oo. 1 6 . e2-e3

f7-f5!?

16 .. .f6 1 ? 1 7 .t2Jd3 �d5 1 8 .�g2 �xg 2 1 9 .1:I.xg 2. 1 7.

�e4-f3;!;;

Goldin-Bologan, New York 1 9 9 3 .

White has succeeded in obtaining an ad­ vantage in the centre, thanks to his pawn maj ority, but the position remains very tense. Conclusion

Despite the fact that 5 .g 3 is only the sev­ enth choice in terms of popularity, Chebanenko considered it one of the most dangerous continuations. The fianchetto always leads to a reliable, har­ monious development of White's pieces. Black's best chances arise after S . . . b S . White, i n his turn, should close the posi­ tion with c4-cS , after which he prepares e2-e4. Both practice and analysis show that our fears of 2 0 years ago were exag­ gerated, and Black can fight for equality after both 6 " .�f5 , and 6 " .l2Jbd7 .

71

Chapter 6 Developing: 5.jLf4 1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3/2Jg1 -f3 tLlg8-f6 4.tLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.�c1 -f4

No normal developing move can be bad in this position. White wishes to play e2-e3 and first develops his bishop ou tside the pawn chain, whilst at the same time not yet determining the pawn structure in the centre. Depending on the concrete situation, both the exchange on d5 and the cramping advance c5 are possible (with the bishop on f4, it is harderfor Black to react to the latter with the advance ... e7-e5) . ••• 5.

...

d5xc4

The most natural reaction. Black immedi­ ately rules out c4-c5 , and with the bishop on f4, in many variations he can gain an important tempo by . . . tLlf6-d5 . A) 6.e3 . This modest move is connected with a nice trap, which Black needs to know about: 6 . . . b5 7 .tLle5 e6 8. �e2 1ib7 9.1ih5 g6 (only this move! The trap occurs after 9 . . . tLlxh5 ? 1 0 .iYxh5 g6 Cossin­ Shalamberidze, Saint Lorrain 2 0 0 5 ; 1 1 .tLlxg6 fxg6 1 2 .'m'e5 ±) 1 0 .�f3 tLld5:f. B) 6.e4. Not the most dangerous con­ tinuation for Black to face. Of course, the 72

pawn centre d4 + e4 looks nice, but nei­ ther pawn threatens to advance further, and therefore Black can quietly get on with developing his pieces.

Chapter 6: Developing: 5 . .tf4 6 . . bS 7 .Wic2 (if 7 .a4 .tb 7 8.axbS cxbS 9.dS g6 1 0 .�e2 .tg7 1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2 .'ilVc2 lbbd7 1 3 .l:lfd 1 tLlcS=t= Black succeeds in placing his pieces conveniently, whilst re­ taining his extra pawn) 7 . . . .tb7 8 . .te2 e6 9.1'ld1 tLlbd7 1 0 . 0-0 .te 7 oo . Thanks to his space advantage, White has some compensation for the pawn, but it is not so easy to suggest an active plan for him. .

C)

6.g31?

The Catalan motif is possible in this line too, although the bishop on f4 is not op­ timally placed for such a set-up.

1 4.M5 exf5 1 5 .'S'xf5 .tf6 1 6 .�d7 ! ! , and White wins. 14.�e3 'il'xe5 1 5 .�d4 'il'c7 1 6 ..liL.xhB tiJd7 1 7.b3 1 5 1B ..liL.g2 w17 1 9. .liL.b2 cxb3 20.8Xb3 c5 21 .e4 ! .

On the board we have approximate mate­ rial equality (the exchange for two pawns) , but thanks to the somewhat inse­ cure position of the enemy king, White retains definite pressure. Now we come to the main move. 6.

6 . b5 In the event of 6 . . . tt:ld5 7 . .td2 g 6 ..

8.e4 tiJxc3 9 . .txc3 b 5 1 0 .d5 White has a dangerous initiative. 7.� g2 �b7 B.O-O e6 9./iJe5 �e7 1 0.'iI'c2 Continuing to play in gambit style. It is also possible not to give away the second pawn, and to con­ tinue with the sensible-looking alterna­ tive of playing on the queenside by 1 0 .a4, for example: 1 0 . . . tLld5 1 1 .axbS cxbS 1 2 .tbxd5 exd5 1 3 . b 3 ! f6 1 4.tt:lg4 (White also has an interesting piece sac­ rifice, the consequences of which are not easy to assess: 1 4 .tt:lxc4 bxc4 1 5 . bxc4 'iWd7 1 6 .iVb3 tLlc6 1 7 . .txd5 a 5 ) 14 . . . iVd7 with a double-edged position. 10... f!Vxd4

1 H!.f d 1

'/Wc5

1 Vt'Je4

tiJxe4

The move 1 3 . . . f5 ? is refuted in beautiful style: 13 ..be4 g6

a2-a4

Preventing the advance . . . b7-b5 , after which White would not be able to regain the pawn on c4.

6.

...

tLlf6-d5

Our notes ended here. Black has won a pawn, he gains a tempo thanks to the un­ fortunate position of the bishop on f4, and he starts a battle in the centre. 73

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Instead, the line 6 . . . bS 7 . axbS cxbS 8 .<1:lx bS <1:ldS 9. �d2 is in White's favour. A) Exchanging the bishop for an unde­ veloped knight is hardly a good idea: 7.kxb8 :txb 8 8.e4 (or 8.tueS e6 9 . e4 <1:lb4 1 0 .i1!.xc4 �xd4 !) 8 . . .tuxc3 9.bxc3 bS 1 0 .�e2 (also in Black's favour is 1 0 .tueS Wic7 l 1 .WUf3 e6 1 2 .WUg3 Jii.b 7 1 3 .axb S cxbS 1 4.f3 J:tc8+ M.Braun­ Gelle, Hungary tt 2 0 0 1 / 0 2 ) 1 0 . . . g6 1 1 .h4 hs 1 2 .ttJeS 'fic7 1 3 .f4 iLg7 1 4.g4 hxg4 l S . �xg4 Jii.xg4 1 6 .�xg4 heS '{jIaS 1 7 .fxe S e6+ 1 8 .'i¥g3 (Fardbehbahani-K. Kuznetsov, Dubai 200 1 ) . B) 7.'lIUd2 tLlxf4 Worse is 7 . . . e6, after which White regains the pawn, retaining at the same time the superiority in the centre : 8 . e4 ttJxc3 9. bxc3 bS 1 0 .ilLe2 .¥Lb7 1 1 . 0 - 0 ilLe7 1 2 JHb 1 ttJd7 (the c4 pawn cannot be saved anyway, since on 1 2 . . . Wic8 there would also follow 1 3 .ilLxc4! bxc4 1 4.Wib 2 na7 l s .Wib6) 1 3 .ilLxc4 0-0 14 .ilLd3 cS l S .Wie2 cxd4 1 6 .cxd4 ttJf6 1 7 .ilLgS h6 1 8 . ilLd2 ilLc6 1 9 .MC 1 Wib6 2 0 . dS ! exdS 2 1 . exdS ttJxdS (Kozul-Jukic, Ljubljana 1 9 9 6) , and White could have won the exchange, whilst re­ taining all the advantages of his position: 2 2 .�e4 g6 2 3 .ttJeS fs 24.�f3 �b7 25 .ttJd7±. 8.'lIUxf4

The pragmatic approach : Black offers transposition into an endgame, in which White will probably regain the sacrificed pawn , but can hardly count on any advantage. The attempt to ex­ plOit the white queen's distance from the queenside does not lead to success: 8 . . . 'llV b 6 9 . 0 - 0 - 0 ! (Black's idea is shown by 9 . 'i¥d2 a s 1 0 . e 3 ( 1 0 . e4 g6) 1 0 . . . WUb4 1 1 ..¥L e 2 g6 1 2 . 0 - 0 Jig7 1 3 .ttJeS �e6 1 4.ttJe4 Wixd2 l S .<1:lxd2 bS 1 6 .ilLf3 ilLxeS 1 7 .dxeS lla6=i=) 9 .f6 1 0 .ttJ d 2 ;t and White reg ains the pawn, retaining a serious advantage in devel­ opment and a clear initiative. 9.'lIUxd6 exd6 1 0.e4 (Bauer-Bacro t, Val d 'Isere 2 0 0 2 ) , and here , thanks to a nice tacti­ cal idea . Black could secure excellent counterplay : 1 0...f5 1 1 .tLl d 2 fxe4 1 VLJxc4

8. . .'lIUd6

. .

ke6 1 3 Ji.J b 6 1:la7 1 4 . 8xe4 tLld7 1 5 .lLlc8

after which the white knight is stuck in the very heart of the enemy po­ sition, and will not return home any time soon. e) Too passive is 7 .ilLg3 e6 8 . e4 tLlxc3 9 .bxc3 b S .

d5 ! ,

Black quietly completes his development, retaining his extra pawn. For example. 1 0 . ilLe2 ilLe7 1 1 . 0-0 �b 7 1 2 .'i¥b 1 'irc8 1 3 .ttJd2 0-0 H.eS ttJd7 l s .ilLf3 ttlb6 1 6 .Jii. e4 h6 1 7 . f4 cS 1 8 .dxcS hcs+ 74

Chapter 6: Developing: 5 . �.J4 .

1 9 .� h l �xe4 2 0 . QJxe4 ttJxa4+ (Hergott-O 'Donnell, Ottawa 1 9 9 5 ) . 7.

e2-e3

8.

e3xf4

QJd5xf4

And here, after 1 4 . . .tDd5 1 5 .4Jxd5 �xd5 1 6 .l:rad I , White can quietly build up pressure on the kingside, for instance: 1 6 . . J �d8 1 7 .ttJe5 'i'd6 1 8 .�h 7 + �8 1 9 .�e4 Wg8 2 0 .i:ld3 ;t (Komliakov) . 1 5.

:g:f1 -e1

cS-c5?!

After 1 5 ... ttJf6 1 6 .'i'd2 b 6 1 7 .ttJe5 iLb7 White stands a little better, but Black can certainly survive.

a ...

1 S.

:J:I.a1 -d1

c5xd4

1 7.

QJf3xd4

i1l.e7-f6

1 8.

QJd4-f3

�d8-b6

1 9.

QJf3-e5

QJd7-c5

Popovici -Ionescu-Brandis , Bucharest 1 9 94, and here White could have won by force:

e7-e6

unusual position usually requires un­ usual hanclling. From this point of view, Khalifman's idea deserves attention: 8_i,e6

An

9./Ue5 g6

1 0.hc4

�xc4

1 1 /bxc4

�g7

The complications after 1 3 .'iYxb7 turn out in Black's favour: 1 3 ...'iVxd4 1 4.'iVxa8 (or 1 4.ttJb6 tbd7 ! I S .QJxa8 QJc5) 1 4 . . .'iVxc4 1 5 .'iVa7 Lc3 + 1 6.bxc3 c 5 1 7 .'i'c7 'i'xc3+ 1 8 .'it>e2 'i'c4+ 1 9 .'it>f3 �d3 + 2 0 .'it>g4 h5 + 2 1 .�h4 'ilUe2 2 2 .f3 'i'xg2+. 1 3 ...'ifc7

12.'ifb3 0-0 1 3.l:!.d1

14./Ue5 ibd7 1 5.0-0 tLlf6 1 6.l:!.d3 e6 1 7.g3

20.

�d3-h7+ �g8-h8

with mutual chances, Gareev-Khalifman, Moscow 2 0 0 7 .

21 .

QJc3-d5!

eSxd5

22.

QJe5xf7+

�f8xf7

23.

l:Xe1 -e8+

gf7-f8

24.

l:!.e8xf8

!UdS .

9 . �f1 xc4

�f8-e7

1 0. 0-0

0-0

11.

'iV d1 -c2

QJb8-d7

1 2.

QJc3-e4

QJd7-bS

1 3.

i1l.c4-d3

h 7-h6

Here Black had another chance to com­ plicate: 1 3 . . . ttJd5 ! ? 1 4.g3 ( 1 4/tJeg5 f5 1 5 .g3 h6 1 6 .QJh3 g 5 1 7 .fxg5 hxg 5 1 8 . QJe5 g4 1 9 .ttJf4 ttJxf4 2 0 . gxf4 'i'xd4+=) 1 4 . ttJb4 1 5 .'iVc3 a5= (Komliakov) . . .

14.

QJe4-c3

QJb6-d7

Mate. Conclusion

Black should be careful. since any natural development, combined with central su­ periority, contains seeds of danger for him. If Black is not satisfied with Komliakov's recommendations after 8 . . . e6, I can advise him to play the Khalifman idea 8 . . . �e6 . 75

Chapter 7 The Rare 5.�g5 1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.tLlg 1 -f3 tLlg8-f6 4.tLl b 1 -c3 a7-a6 5. .¥Lc1 -g5

S. .i.gS is qu ite a rare move. It is generally considered (and not without justification) that the early jump of the black knight into the centre gives him good play. ••• 6 . ...

tLlf6-e4

B 1)

8.g3 has been seen,

for example:

First we will look at the minor alterna­ tives for White. A) 6ih4 is hardly dangerous , in view of 6 ...tZlxc3 7.bxc3 dxc4 8.e4 b5 9.�e2 (or 9 .4Je5 g6 (9 . . . .i.e6 ! ?) 1 0 . .¥Le2 .i.g7 l Lt g 3 0-0 1 2 .M c5 1 3 .d5 e 6 + Akesson-Sammalvuo, Reykjavik 1 99 5 ) 9 ...g 6 1 0.0-0 �g7 1 1.'� c1

0-0 1 2 .a4 f6

( 1 2 . . . <1:ld7 1 3 .�a3 = Sandstr6m-Hellsten, Sweden tt 1 9 9 5 / 9 6) 1 3.d5 cxd5 1 4.axb5 i.b7 1 5.tZld4 'lIfd7 1 6.b6 e6�;

B) 6.h4 Original, but also not danger­ ous for Black. Of course, he will not take the bishop, but by attacking it with a pawn at the right moment, he can gain an important tempo. 6 ...lLlxc3 7.bxc3 dxc4 and now: 76

B l l ) 8 ... �e6 9 . .i.g2 4Jd7 1 0 .�b l ( 1 0 . a4 .i.d5 I I .a5 f6 1 2 .�f4 e5 1 3 . dxe5 fxeS 1 4 . .i.e3 .i.c5 1 5 .'iVd2 0-0 1 6 .0-0 'iVe7 1 7 . lIab l (Lutz-Bologan, Germany Bundesliga 1 9 9 3 / 94) 1 7 . . . <1:lf6=i=) 1 0 . .f6 1 1 ..i.f4 b5 1 2 . 0 � 0 4Jb6 1 3 .e4 .i.f7 .

Chapter 7: The Rare S . .igS

14.�e l e6 I S .'/iIc2 �a3 1 6 .J:rad l O�O 17 .i.h3 � (Bocharov-Alavkin, Bor 2 000) ; B 1 2) Also not bad is 8 ... b5 9.�g2 �b7 1 0.0-0 CiJd7 and now: B I 2 l ) 1 1 .a4 h6 1 2..�. f4 e6 1 3 .'iVd2 �e7 1 4.J:Hbl 0-0 I S .e4 11e8 1 6 .e5 c S ! ? � Tukmakov-Velicka, Basel 2 0 0 0 ; B1 22) 1 1 .e4 h 6 1 2 . .if4 e6 1 3 .g4 i.e7 1 4. a4 tll b 6 I S .gS hxgs 1 6 .hxgS �d6 17 .tlleS i.xeS 1 8 .�xeS 'ti'xgS 1 9 .'Mfb 1 �d7+ Dreev�Malakhov, Khanty-Mansiysk 200S ; B I B ) 1 1.'ii' b 1 'iVc8 ! ( 1 1 . . .h6 1 2 . .if4 e6 1 3 .tll e S ( 1 3 .tLld2 g S ! 1 4.hxgS hxgS I S .�e3 nb8 1 6 .tll e 4 �e7� favours Black) 1 3 . . . tLlxeS ( 1 3 . . . gS 1 4.�xc6 .txc6 I S .tLlxc6 � c8 1 6 .�eS tLlxeS 1 7 .tllxeS gxM 1 8 .'ti'e4t) 1 4 . .ixeS 'iYd7 I S . .ie4 ! ? gg ) 1 2 .e4 (both 1 2 . tll e S ? ! �xeS 1 3 .dxe5 h 6 1 4 . .if4 e6�, and 12 .a4 e6 1 3 .axbS cxb S� are bad) 12 . . . e6 1 3 .:e:el h6 1 4.�f4 �e7 I S .'i'c2 0-0 1 6 Jhd l :e:e8= Naer-Kobalia, Russia 2002. B2)

1 8 .�eS cS 1 9 .dS .ie7 2 0 . .ie3 exdS 2 1 .exdS 'iYb 8�) 1 4.:e:g3 f6 I S .a4= (Lobron-Magem Badals, Moscow 1 9 94) . 1 0.tbxc6 � b 6 1 0 . . . 'iYc7 1 1 .dS �b 7 1 2..ie2 .ixc6 1 3 .dxc6 'iYxc6 1 4.'/iIdS �xdS I S .exdS g6� Dao Thien Hai­ Keitlinghaus, Budapest 1 99 6 . H .dS e6 1 2.�hS

g6

1 3 .�f3

�b7

1 4. h S

kxc6

1 S .hxg6 tbeS 1 6.�f6 tbxg6 1 7.dxe6 fxe6 1 8.�xe6+ �e7 1 9.�xe7 Cf1xe7 20.�e2 �cS 21 .11d 1 hS 22.'iVf6 Ilh7 23 .eS h4 24,ll d 4 �xg2

2SJl:hxh4

l:lxh4"i'

Ivanisevic­

Anastasian, Panormo 1 99 8 . Back to the position after S . . . 4'le4. C)

6.e3

S.e4.

Also not bad is 6 . . . 4'lxgS 7 .4'lxgS e6 (7 . . . eS 8 .h4 f6 9.4'lf3 e4 1 0 . 4'ld2) 8.f4 .ie7 9 . 4'lf3 0-0 1 0 .iYc2 cS 1 1 ..id3 h6 1 2 .cxdS exdS 1 3 . 0-0 lLlc6 1 4.a3 cxd4 I S . exd4 .if6 (M . Umansky­ Movsesian, Internet 2 0 0 S ) 1 6 .'tWf2 .ie6 1 7 .�ac l iYaS = 7.'lWa4 7 .cxdS tLlxc3 . cl 8. bxc3 'iVxc H 9 . 4'ld2 'tWaS 1 0 . l:t ( 1 0 .i.d3 'i'xd S ) 1 0 ... 'iYxdS 1 1 .4'lf3 iYaS + . 7... iVxa4 8.tbxa4 tb d 7 9.cxdS tbxgS 1 0.tbxgS cxdS 1 1 .�d3 eS Black has fully equal chances in the endgame. 6 ..JWaS

9 . . . l/iVaS 1 0 .�d2 e6 1 1 .J:[h3 tLld7 1 2 .tLlxd7 �xd7 1 3 .'i'hS 0-0-0 (Black can fight for the advantage with I 3 . . . 'i'c7 , for instance: 1 4.:e:f3 g6 I S .'i'gS h6 1 6 .'i'f6 :e:h7 1 7 . .if4 iYb7 S . bS 9.tbeS tbd7 ..

Now we arrive at the main line. 6.

iLg5-f4

lLle4xc3

77

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan 7.

b2xc3

d5xc4

A) B.tLle5 (provoking . . . £7 -f6) 8 . . . bS 9 .g3 f6 1 0 .t2Jf3 e6 ( 1 0 . . . gS 1 1..� d2 i.fS 1 2 .i.g2 i.e4 1 3 .0-0 e6 1 4.h4 h6 l S .lbe1 i.xg2 1 6 .t2Jxg2�) 1 1 .i.g2 Sl.e7 1 2 .0-0 0-0 1 3 .a4 i.b7 1 4.�b 1 'li'c8 l S .e4 t2Jd7 (Piket-Gelfand, Wijk aan Zee (blitz) 1 9 9 8 ) 1 6 . i.h3 'if£7 1 7 .Se 1 with com­ pensation for the material; B) B.g3 b5 9.�g 2 �b7 1 0.ttie5 After this move, possible sacrifices on c4 are in the

1 8 .i.xb7 l::tx b7 1 9 . 1::t xb 7 'ii'x b 7 2 0 . dxc5 'iVc6 + . 1 2 ... bxc4! The white bishop has no path back home. 1 3.Il:b1 !:[xbB 1 4.J:lxb7 J:!.xb7 1 5 .�xc6+ J:rd7 1 6 .'il4'a4 e6 17.0-0 �d6 1 B.'i?xa6 'it>f7 1 9.�xd7 'iYxd7 20.'lWxc4 .l:tbB=i=

(Thorsteins-Dreev, Kilj ava 1 9 84) .

Now for White's most important option. S.

e2-e4

air.

1 0 _.f6 Or 1 0 . . . 'ii' c 8 1 1 .Sb 1 tLld7 and now: B 1 ) Bad is 1 2 .t2Jxc4? bxc4 1 3 .0-0 e6 1 4.�a4 l:la7 ( 1 4 . . . i.e7 ? l s Jhb 7 'ii'xb 7 1 6 . i.xc6 "li'a7 1 7J:t b 1 ±) l S . i.e3 cS 1 6 .i.f4 i.e7+ with insufficient compen­ sation for the piece, Shirov-Movsesian, Sarajevo 2 0 0 2 ; B 2 ) 1 2 .0-0 e6 1 3 . e4 t2JxeS 1 4. i.xeS f6 l S .i.f4 i.a3 1 6 .�hS + g6 1 7 .'/jIh6 '/jId7 1 8 .i.c 1 i.f8 1 9 .'i!'f4 i.e7 2 0 .'i!'h6=. 1 1 .tLlxc4 ? ! g 5 ! An effective tactical refuta­ tion of White's idea. 1 1 . . . bxc4 1 2 . l:tb l 'iVc8 1 3 .'iVa4 gS 1 4 . i.xb8 J;'!.xb8 l S .dS i.a8 1 6 . 0-0 l::!.b S 1 7 .'/jIxc4 e6 1 8 . i.h3 'ii'b 7 ! -+ , Utnasunov-Rustemov, Elista 2 0 0 1 . 1 2.�xbB Black is also better after 1 2 .i.e3 bxc4 1 3 .tib l 'ii' c 7 1 4.h4 gxh4 I S .ldxh4 tLld7 1 6 .'/jIa4 ldb8 1 7 .'ii'x c4 cS

78

It looks as though WlUte should at least have very good compensation for the pawn, but one important circumstance is in Black's favour: a pair of knights have al­ ready been exchanged. It is the knight most of all that suffers from the cramp in Black's position. S.

.. .

9.

ttJf3-e5

b7-b5

This aggressive knight move was one of the first attempts to 'refute' the Chebanenko system by a direct blow. Later in this position, White players be­ gan trying the rather 'abstract' move 9.�b1 , which does not pose Black serious problems: 9 . . . i.g4 1 0 .t2JeS ( 1 0 .�e2 !? e6 l 1 .h3 i.xf3 1 2 .i.xf3 �) 1 0 . . . i,e6 1 1 .i.e2 f6 1 2 .tLlf3 i.£7 1 3 . a4 e6 1 4.0-0 i.e7 1 5 .axbS (1 S .dS eS 1 6 .i.e3 0-0 1 7 J:tdl 'ii' c 7oo) I S . . . cxbS 1 6.eS i,g6 1 7 :iY c 1 �e4 1 8 .exf6 i.xf6 1 9 .'iYe3 �dS 2 0 .tLlgS i.xgS 2 1 .i.xgS il'd7 Bigg-

Chapter 7: The Rare 5 . �g5 Kurrn ann ,

Winterthur 2 0 0 6 2 2 .'iWf4 tLlc6

23 .l:'tfe 1 ttJd8 24.�hS + g6 2 S .�f3 r;;g . 9.

..

�c8 -e6

The best reply according to current the­ ory, although 9...'l!Ua5 is also not bad: 1 0 .gc1 ( 1 0 .�d2 tLld7 1 1 . tLlxc6 "VJJ c 7 l 2 .t2Jb4 �b7 1 3 .eS e6 1 4.<'bc2 tLl b6 1 5 .'ifg4 hS 1 6 ."VJJ g 3 h4 1 7 ."VJJh 3 "VJJ c 6 1 8 .f3 b4+ Gormally-Volkov, Port Erin 2000) 1 0 . . . e6 1 1 . "VJJh S "VJJc7 1 2 .�g3 'ilVa7 1 3 .'ii' g4 hS 1 4.'ii' g S "VJJ e 7 l S ."VJJ e 3 g6!? ( l S . . . cS ! ? 1 6 .dxcS 'iVxcs 1 7 .'iVf4 'il'e7 1 8 .�h4 'iVc7+) 1 6 .�f4= (Rausis­ Velicka, Cairo 2 0 0 1 ) . Even the old move 9 ... 96 is possible, for instance : A) 10.h4 is not dangerous for Black: 10 .. .f6 1 1 .ttJf3 �g4 1 2 .hS gS 1 3 .�e3 lLld7 14.�e2 eS l S .h6 'ii' a S 1 6 . 0 - 0 �a3 1 7 .dxeS il.xf3 1 8 . �xf3 <'bxeS 1 9 .�hS + r3Je7 20 .�d4 llad8 2 1 .f4 gxf4 2 2 . llxf4 llhf8 23 .'i'fl �d6 draw, Notkin-Che­ khov, Orel 1 99 7 ; B) 10.'li'f3 f6 1 1 .'iV g3 �e6 1 2 .tLlf3 ( l 2.dS cxdS 1 3 .exdS �xdS 1 4.lld l e6+ Zaid-N. Popov, Daugavpils 1 9 7 4) l 2 0 0 .�g7 1 3 .�e2 "VJJ a S 1 4.llc 1 tLld7 ( 1 4" . 0-0 l S .h4 �f7 1 6 .hS gS 1 7 .h6±, Zaid-N. Popov, Cheliabinsk 1 9 7 S ) 1 S .h4 'i'xa2 1 6 .ttJd2 �aS 00. 1 0.

'if dl -f3

After 1 0 .�e2 Black also puts into effect his main plan - driving the knight from e5 : 1 0 .. .f6 1 1 .tLlg4 �f7 1 2 .0-0 ( 1 2 . h4 e6 1 3 .a:h3 cS 1 4 . dS exdS I S .exdS �d6= Zakharevich-Alavkin, Saratov 1 9 9 9 ) 1 2 . . .e 6 1 3 .a4 �e7 1 4 .�g3 tLld7 l S .f4

0-0 1 6 .aS .a:c8 1 7 .tLle3 �d6 1 8 .eS �c7 1 9 . �h4 �xa S + Budnikov-Shemeakin, Alushta 1 9 9 9 . 1 0.

...

f7-f6

11.

tLle5-94

h 7-h5

Also reasonable is 1 L . tLld 7 . 1 2.

tLl94-e3

9 7-95

13.

il.f4xb8

95-94

1 4.

'li'f3 -dl

l:a8xb8

1 5.

il,f1 -e2

il,f8-h6+

Shomoev-Vnuk, Tula 1 9 9 9 . Conclusion

The use of computers in chess analysis has greatly increased the defensive re­ sources in positions, which inevitably re­ sults in the reassessment of many gambit variations. Even so, at the board, when two human players are facing one an­ other, with all their emotions, anxieties , tiredness , etc ., sacrificing material fre­ quently brings a strong psychological ini­ tiative, as well as the initiative on the board itself In concrete terms, I can rec­ ommend the move 9 . "VJJb 1 to white play­ ers , as a way to take play forward.

79

Part I I - I nserting 5.a4 e6

Chapter 8 :

Catalan-Styl e : 6 . g 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · 8 2

Chapter 9 :

The Timid 6 . e 3

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93

Chapter 1 0 : Pinnin g : 6 .� g 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · 9 7

81

Chapter 8 Catalan-Style: 6.g3 1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.lbg1 -f3 ttJg8-f6 4.ttJb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.a2-a4 e7-e6 6.g2-g3

Answering prophylaxis with prophylaxis (5.a4), White prevents the advance . . . bl-bS and forces his opponent to transpose into one of the standard Slav schemes (5 ... e6, 5 . . . 2ifS, 5 . . . g6 etc.). Whom the inclusion of the moves 4 . . . a6 5.a4 favours, only the subsequent play will show. After the natural reply 5 ... e6, White has three main con­ tinuations: 6.e3, 6.i.g5 and 6.g3. The Catalan-style 6.g3 is a good possibility, as in the ensuing positions the inclusion ofa2-a4 and . . . a7 -a6 favours White . •••

bishop to f4 or gS , or play the immediate e3: A I ) 6.�f4 �g7 7.e3 0-0 8.'ifb3 'i'a5 9.�a3! Now there is no satisfactory de­ fence to the threat of b2-b4, therefore the black queen has to return home empty­ handed. White blocks his opponent's queenside and wins the opening battle. 9 ... 'iYd8 1 0.a5 dxc4 1 1Jb c4 lDbd7 1 2 .0-0 b5 1 3.axb6 lDxb6 1 4.�e2 lDbd5 1 5 .ge5

Let's first have a look at the alternatives : A) 5 ...g 6 This inoffensive fianchetto of the bishop to g7 cannot really be a way to full equality. White can bring his own 82

with a clear positional advantage to White; A2) 6.�g5 �g7 7 .e3 lDe4 White is better after 7 . 0-0 8 . iYb 3 e6 9 . a5 ;!; with similar ideas to those after 6.ID4. 8�f4 0-0 . .

Chapter 8 : Catalan-Style: 6.93

9 .i.d3 tLlxc3 1 0 . bxc3 tLld7 1 l . cxdS It is important to create a weakness on dS , else Black can equalise: 1 1 .0-0 dxc4 1 2 .�xc4 tLl b6 1 3 .�b3 tbdS 1 4 . �xdS 'Il:VxdS I S .tbeS f6 1 6 .c4 'iYaS 1 7 .tbf3 eS 1 8 .i.g3 �g4 1 9 .h3 �hS = (Medghoul­ Sarakauskas, Cappelle la Grande 2 0 0 6) . 1 1 ... cxd5 1 2 .0-0 White's position is at the very least preferable ; A3 ) 6.e3 gg7 7Sie2 0-0 8.0-0 a5 is often s{!en in the a4-variation. Black takes con­ trol of the square b4, at the same time preventing White from expanding on the queenside. 9.b3

9 liJe4 The alternative is 9 . . . Ms , strengthening control over the square e4, but for the time being not occupying it with a piec e : 1 0 . �a3 tLla6 I I . cxdS cxdS 1 2 . ,ll e l h6 (the line 1 2 . . . tbb4 1 3 . tLl e S J:t c 8 also looks reasonable. Black fights for the c-file, and thereby supports his entire position) 1 3 .tbeS tb c 7 ? ! (this is clearly the wrong direction, since White cannot create any real threats from the square bS , whilst the knight could have gone from a6 to the much better square 14) 1 4 .g4 �e6 I S .f4 tbce8 1 6 .fs gxfS 1 7 . gxfS �c8 1 8 .�d3 Wells-Zhu Chen , Pulvermiihle 2 0 0 0 . As they say, 'enough said' ...

.

and White keeps a small edge, as he is prepared for any of Black's active attempts. such as . . . c6-cS and . . . e7-eS . B) 5 ....lit.f5 The principal drawback of this move lies in the weakening of the b7 pawn, which allows White to develop his pieces with tempo, whilst Black is forced onto the defensive. 1 0.gb2 tLlxc3 1 Uhc3

6.ii'b3 rla7 In other lines, this move is not usually bad, but here White has the strong reply 7.a5! fixing b7 as a weak­ ness and tying the rook to the unfortu­ nate square a7 . In general , this is one of the main ideas for White in the battle against the Chebanenko system. 7... e6 8:iVb6 'lj'xb6

9.axb6 1:[a8

1 0.c5 tLl b d 7

1 1 .e3 .

White's advantage is indisputable. His plan is simplicity itself: transfer the knight to as , after which it will be ex­ tremely difficult to meet the many threats against the pawns on a6 , b7 and c6. 1 1 ... �e7 1 2.�e2 0-0 1 3 . tLld21 All ac­ cording to plan. 1 3 ... e5 Black's counterplay comes too late. He will be able to speak of real threats only when his knight has come to e6 and his dark­ squared bishop to the long diagonal (the following variation, given by Gelfand , is interestin g : 1 3 . . . aS 1 4 . tLl b 3 �c2 83

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 5 . tiJxa5 tiJxb 6 1 6.11d2 tiJbd7 1 7 . 0-0 .!:!:fb8 1 8 .b4 with advantage t o White) 1 4.tiJb3 .tife8 1 5 .0-0 11f8 1 6 .11d2 11c2 1 7 .tiJa5 exd4 1 8 . exd4± (Gelfand­ Morozevich , Astana 2 0 0 1 ) . Back to the position after 5 .a4 and to the main subj ect of this chapter. 5.

.

. .

e7-e6

This is unquestionably the main line for Black here. Now White cannot play the cramping c4-c5 because of . . . b7 -b6.

6.

92-93

In principle, in Catalan-style positions, the inclusion of the moves a2 -a4 and a7 -a6 should favour White, especially if the opponent has already played . . . c7 -c6. The point is that Black does not really have any other plan than to play . . . c6-c5 , but this will involve the loss of a tempo. However, White's position also contains one clear weakness : his knight has come to c3 too early, and therefore, if Black takes on c4, it is hard to regain the pawn without some inconvenience. It is hard to attack c4 with the queen, and also with the queen's knight. White is therefore likely to have to use the king's knight for this task, although this piece would rather stay in the centre, on e5 . The minor alternatives for Black are: 84

A) 6 ...i. e 7 is a solid, but rather passive move. Black cannot achieve equality, if he does not resolve the development of his c8-bishop, so it makes sense to start thinking about this problem straightaway, rather than putting it off, in the vain hope that it will solve itself. 7.�g2 0-0 If 7 . . . aS 8 . 0-0 tiJa6 9 .tiJe5 tiJd7 1 0 .11f4 f5 l 1 .e4 fxe4 (Se. Ivanov-Shovunov, St Petersburg 1 9 9 7 ) White achieves a serious advantage by means of 1 2 . cxd5 exd5 1 3 .'lWh5+ g6 1 4.tiJxg6 tiJf6 1 5 .�h4 J:.g8 1 6 .liJxe7 "i'xe7 1 7 .f3 ± . 8.0-0 a5 Of course, it is nice to secure the b4-square, but this is not the most important factor in the posi­ tion. Now White has a choice of several natural continuatlOns, and after almost all of them, he retains the better game. In the following example, Black qUickly brings the rook on a8 into play, but one can only feel sorry for his queenside mi­ nor pieces : 8 . . . b 6 ? ! 9 . tiJd2 l:h7 1 0 .e4 dxe4 1 1 .liJdxe4 Sd7 1 2 .�b3 11b 7 1 3 .aS b5 1 4.tt:Jc5 11xc5 1 5 . dxc5 Wile7 1 6 .�e3 .l:!.fd8 1 7 .h3 !;j;; (Shulman-Chekhov, Mos­ cow 1 9 9 5 ) . .

A I ) 9:t1ll'b 3 is a very concrete move. The queen defends the c4-pawn, creates pres­ sure on the queenside and frees a square for the rook. White wishes to bring all of his pieces into play as quickly as possible,

Chapter S: Catalan-Style: 6.93

then open lines and exploit his superior development: 9 . . . 4Ja6 1 0 jH4 4JM l U:!.fd l b 6 1 2 .4JeS �a 6 1 3 .e4 gcS l 4.::lac l (With the exception of the knight on b4, all of Black's other pieces are rather passively placed) 1 4 . . . h 6 I S .exdS cxdS l 6 .cxdS lUfxdS 1 7 .4JxdS exdS l S .�d2± (Buhmann-Von Herman, Bad Konigshofen 2 0 0 7 ) ; A2) 9.�g5 is a fundamentally different plan. White wishes to prepare the advance e2-e4 and for this purpose he is prepared to exchange off his dark-squared bishop: 9 ...
9 . . . ltJa6 1 0 .ltJeS ltJd7 1 1 . ttJd 3 ttJf6 1 2. e 3 1 3 .iLa3 lUxd3 1 4 .ihd3 iLxa3 l S Jlxa3 'iVe7 1 6 .::laa l 'iYM l 7 Jhbl b 6 l S . e4 �a 6 1 9 .11fe l ;t. Black has managed to obtain definite counterplay on the queenside, but has still not achieved full equality

ltJ M

B) 6 �b4 The introductory move to a path leading to interesting complications. ...

After 7.�g2 Black is at a crossroads: B 1 ) 7...dxc4 Black plays very enterpris­ ingly : not only does he take the c4-pawn, but he intends to hang on to it. However, White has a strong reply, based on the tac­ tical peculiarities of the position: B.lLJe5 lLJd5

9.�d2

b5

1 0 .axb5 �xc3 1 1 .�xc3!

Non-standard and strong. After the routine 1 1 .bxc3 cxbS 1 2 .e4 CiJe7 1 3 .h4 lUd7 1 4.ttJg4 �b7 1 5 . 0-0 hS 1 6.ltJe3 lUf6+ SS

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Black has an extra pawn and a fairly solid position (Khuzman-Volkov, Panormo (blitz) 2 0 0 2 ) . 11 ...cxb5 1 2.i1l.a5 �d6 The character of the position is also not al­ tered by 1 2 . . . �e7 1 3 .e4 (only a draw by repetition results from 1 3 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 4.e4 tLJf6 1 5 .'iYd2 Ue8 1 6 .b3 ilLb 7 1 7 .ilLM 'iYd8 1 8 .ilLa5 'iYe7 1 9 .ilLM 'iYd8 2 0 .ilLa5 draw, S. Savchenko-Levitt, Cappelle la Grande 1 9 94) 1 3 . . .tt:JM 1 4. 0 -0 ltJ 8c6 1 5 .ltJxc6 ltJxc6 1 6 .ilLb 6 t . The bishop co­ mes to c 5 , and the black king will have to remain in the centre, after which the breakthrough d4-d5 gains signilkantly in strength. 1 3 .e4 �b4 1 4.�xc41 bxc4 1 5 .e5 �d7 1 6 .bb4±. With material equality, White's positional advantage is indisput­ able. B2) 7...lile4

(Shulman-Bereziuk, Minsk 1 9 9 3 ) , here, after 1 2.�c4 (H) 1 3.�xd4

and exd5

14:#Wxd5 bc3 1 5.bxc3 V1Vxc3 1 6 .0-0! Black

still has to fight for equality B 3 ) If Black plays passively with LtiJbd7, he remains with problems, for exam pIe: 8.0-0 0-0

Also good is 9 . M4 ne8 1 0 .t2Jd2 e5 1 1 . dxe 5 ltJxe5 1 2 .cxd5 cxd5 1 3 .'iVb3 'iYa5 1 4.£.xe5 t!.xe5 1 5 .e4 £.e6 1 6 .exdS (Lindinger-Ewaldt, Hamburg 2 0 0 6) 1 6 . . . �xc3 1 7 .ltJc4 �xd5 1 8 . bxc3 i.xc4 1 9 .�xc4 Mc5 2 0 .�M;;!;; . 9 .. :iYe7 9 . . . a5 ! ? 1 0 . jli4 dxc4 1 1 .ltJa2 �e7 1 2. 'iYxc4 t2Jd5 1 3 .�d2 . 1 0.a5 l:rd8 1 1 .J:!.d1 dxc4 1 2.e4 e5

9.�c2

1 3.dxe5

tiJg4

1 4.i1l.g5 f6

1 5 .exf6 gxf6

Romanishin-Barlocco, Reggio Emilia 1 9 94/9 5 . 1 6 .�f4t

Now for the main line. This direct approach results in a series of exchanges and the simplification of the po­ sition, but not in equality 8:�b3 Also not bad is 8 .'iYc2 tLJd7 9.0-0 f5 1 0 .ltJe1 0-0 1 1 .f3 tLJd6 n .c5 ltJe8 1 3 .ltJd3 'iYf6 1 4.e3 £.a5 1 5 .M £.c7 1 6 .£.b2�, and White has a large space advantage, Le Quang Liem-Ton That Nhu Tung, Cao Lanh Dong Thap 2 0 0 6 . But the pawn sacrifice 8 .0-0 ltJxc3 9.bxc3 £.xc3 1 0 .t!.b 1 £.a5 1 1 .'iYc2 0-0 hardly offers great prospects. 8...�a5 9.i1l.d2 �xd2

86

1 0.�xd2

c5

1 1 .cxd5

cxd4

S.

.. .

d5xc4

The most principled reply.

Chapter 8: Catalan-Style: 6.93

A) Now, 7.�.g5 seems perfectly logical. after which play takes on a gambit char­ acter. Black, despite having many possibil­ ities, does not find it easy to identify a clear path to equality. A I ) 7...�b4 This quiet move is very nat­ uraL B�g2 0-0 The line 8 . . . c5 9 . dxc5 0 - 0 1 O.'�ii xd8 ( 1 0 .0-0) 1 0 . . . .l'lxd8 1 1 .tLle5 h6 1 2 .txf6 (worse is 1 2 .�d2 ? ! �xc5 1 3 . tiJxc4 tLlc6 1 4. 0 - 0 e5 - Komliakov) 1 2 . . . gxf6 1 3 .tLlxc4 �xc5 1 4 .e3;t does not give full equality: Holding onto the pawn deserves attention: 8 . . . b 5 ! ? 9 . 0-0 (9.axb5 cxb5 1 0 . tLld2 �xc3 1 1 .bxc3 l:a7°O) 9 . . . �b 7 . 9.0-0 tLlbd7 1 0.tLld2 h6 .

11 .i.xf6 ILlxf6

1 2.lLlxc4 a5 1 3 .J:tc1

h6 1 0.�xf6 �xf6 In this variation, Black puts his knight on d7 , so as to support, as appropriate, the advances . . . c6-c5 or . . . e6-e5 . 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2.tLle4 il,e7 1 2 . . . b 5 1 3 .a..x b 6 �xb6 1 4.tLlxf6+ tLlxf6 1 5 .tLle5 �xb2 1 6 .tLlxc4± is in White's favour. 1 3 .lLled2 After 1 3 . tLlfd2 e5 1 4. tLlxc4 exd4 1 5 .'S'xd4 tLlc5 1 6 .'iVxd8 .!:!.xd8 1 7 .tLlb6 Ub8 Black is fme. 13 ...c 5 1 4.tLlxc4 tLlf6 Af­ ter 1 4 . . . cxd4 1 5 . tLlxd4 the bishop on g2 begins to fire down the long diagonaL 1 5.tLlb6 J:lbB 1 6 .�c2 cxd4 1 7.l::t fd 1 �b4 1 B.l::txd4 "'I!ii e 7

tLld5

14.e4 ILlf6 1 5 .e5 tLld5 1 6 .tLle4 b6=.

Black has managed to find suitable squares for all his pieces, and controls im­ portant squares in the centre. The chances of the two sides are roughly equaL A2) 7...t2�bd7 is a less reliable continua­ tion. 1 9.J:txb4 White carries out a tempting combination, but stronger, probably, is the simple 1 9 .tLle5 , increasing the pres­ sure and preventing Black developing his q ueenside normally (Barsky) . 1 9 ..."'I!iixb4 20."'I!iic 7 �d7 21 .tLlxd 7 tLlxd 7 22."'I!ii x d7 J:!fdB 2 3 ."'I!ii a4 �xb2 24.wf1 24 ... l::t bcB

A2 l ) B.�g2 �e7 Black can even allow himself the further prophylactic move 8: . h6, for i.nstance : 9 .�xf6 tLlxf6 1 0 .a5 .iM 1 1 .fi'a4 �e7 1 2 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 3 .tLle5 c 5 1 4.QJa2 lld8 1 5 .tLlxM cxM 1 6 . .I:!.ac 1 lhd4 1 7 .e3 .!:!.d5 1 8 . tLlxc4 �d7 1 9 .1/lib3 �bS 20 .ttJb6 .!:!.b8 2 1 ..!:!.fd 1 draw, Yevseev-Shimanov, Peterhof 2 0 0 7 ) . 9.a5 .

2 5 . tLl e 1

(or 2 4.e3 .l:!.bc8)

J:!d4

2 6 ."'I!ii a 2

�xa2

27.l::!: x a2 l::!: d 1 . The knight is paralysed, and cannot be untangled without serious help from Black, so the position is one of dy­ namic equality; A2 2) B.e4!? A very modern approach: the move g2-g3 does not automatically mean that the bishop will then go to g2 . Far from it - if it is favourable, the bishop may very well change its direction. B... h6 The small tactical skirmish after 8 . . . �a5

87

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

9 . �d2 eS 1 0 .�xc4 exd4 1 1 .ttJbS 'i'd8 1 2 .�b3 ttJdS 1 3 .ttJbxd4 ends in a com­ plete triumph for White. 9.�xfS tUxfS 1 0 ..ll xc4 Just as we discussed above; White has no compunction is putting his bishop on c4, where it has better pros­ pects than on g 2 . And the move g2-g3 it­ self is not such a serious weakening, if the bishop on c8 cannot get to h3 , whilst the advance hS-h4 is hardly a realistic possi­ bility. 1 0 ...�b4 1 1 .e5 The pawn sacrifice 1 1 . 0 - 0 �xc3 1 2 .bxc3 ttJxe4 1 3 .ttJe5 0-0 1 4.� d3 ttJf6 I S .aS deserves attention. 1 1 ..JLid5 1 2 .'iI'c2 'il'a5 Black has reasonable counterplay; AB) S.a5

Nothing is promised by 8 .dS 'i.e7. 8 . . . gxf6 9.dS exdS 1 0 .'ifxdS fa­ vours White. 9.d5 exd5 Nor are the prob­ lems fully solved by 9 . . . �e7 1 0 . ttJd2 0-0 1 1 .ttJxc4 Ud8 1 2 .ttJb6. 1 0.tUxd5 'iVdB S.iafS

S ...iVxfS

1 1 .tUe5 tUcs 1 2.tUxc4 �eS 1 3 . .llg 2

i.e7

1 4.tUcbS J:tbS 1 5 .0-0 0-0 1 S .e3 tUb4 1 7.a5

White's plan is obvious: to fix the queenside and gradually, at his own con­ venience, regain the pawn. of course, Black can Simply continue developing with 8 . . . �e 7 , but it is better to take active measures at once, and break the blockade. Admittedly, this can result in all his queenside pawns becoming isolated (a6 , c6, c4) , but, firstly, one of them is extra, and secondly, the pawn on b2 will also need protection. S ... b5 8 . . . �e7 . 9.axbS �xb S .

A 3 ) 7. . .c 5 This typical reaction to a 4 is not so good here, since Black is signifi­ cantly behind in development. 88

White retains a small, but perceptible ad­ vantage; A4) 7...�e7 S.tUe5 Another plan which deserves attention is one we have already met: 8.e4 0-0 (on 8 . . . cS the simple 9.dxc5 is good) 9 .eS ttJdS 1 0 .he7 or the more aggressive 1 0.M. S... h6 9.�f4 9 ..Lf6 .Lf6 brings nothing. 9... tUd5 1 0.e4 Also possible is 1 0 .�g2 , but the complications after 1 0.ttJxc4 ttJxc3 1 1 .bxc3 'iYd5 1 2.lLib6 'itxhl 1 3 .ttJxa8 ttJd7 does not bring White any dividends. 10 ...t2:ixf4 11 .gxf4 White has seized the centre and has thereby assured himself of the initiative; AS) 7 ... hS S.�xfS 'iWxfS

Chapter 8: Catalan-Style: 6.g3

principle , White should be better, but not so simple, since besides the pawn, Black also has the two bishops and the diagonal a3 -f8 . AS l ) 9.i.g2 IiJd7 1 0.0-0 i.b4 White re­ tains slight pressure after 1 0 . . . eS l l .aS (less is promised by l l .dS �b4 1 2 .dxc6 bxc6) l l . . .exd4 1 2 .tb e4 ViII e 7 1 3 .Villxd4 IiJcs 1 4 .lLlxcs ViII x c5 1 5 .'iYc3 ViII M 1 6 .'i¥e5 + ViII e 7 1 7 .l:!.fd l �e6 1 8 .ltJd4 idS 1 9 .'lWf4:t. 1 1 .a5 0-0 Here, after 1 1 . ..eS Black must reckon with 1 2 .Vill a 4. 12:i'a4 �e7 1 3 .i:!:td1 After 1 3 .ltJa2 �d6 14.'i'xc4 Black carries out the thematic advance 1 4 . . . e5 and obtains good counterchances. 13 ....!lbS 1 4.'Mfa2 c5 1 5 .d5

In

it is

exd5 16.�xd5 'lWxe2 1 7.ttJxb4 cxb4 1S.l:,[d2

can look to the future with confidence (Komliakov) . B) Finally, after 7/ZJe5 Black equalises ' Catalan-style' by means of the advance . . . c6-c5 : 7...c5 S.dxc5 Or 8 . �e3 cxd4 9 .�xd4 'iYxd4 1 0 .�xd4 ltJc6 l l .ltJxc6 bxc6 1 2 .�g2 �b 7 . S �c7 Another pos­ sibility, which we also consider good, is 8 . . . 'iYxd l + 9 .ltJxd l �xc5 1 0 .�g2 ( 1 0 . ltJxc4 �d7 and . . . �c6) 1 0 .. .tbd5 1 1 .ltJxc4 �e7 12 .0-0 ltJc6 1 3 .ltJc3 l::!.d 8 1 4.ltJe4 �M 1 5 .�dl �d7 1 6 .b3 �e8 ! = Yevseev-Atalik, Groningen 1 9 9 8 . 9.liJxc4 •..

iLxc5 1 0.iLe3 iLxe3 1 1 .liJxe3 0-0 1 2 .iLg2 J:!.dS (Kiseleva-Ionescu-Brandis, Herculane 1 99 6) .

Baile

It is not possible to trap the impertinent queen:

1 8 . l':!: e l ViIId 3

1 9 Jhd 1 'iYb3 .

1 a 'lIHe7 1 9.iixc4 �f6 20.l:,[d4 b5 21 .'lWxb4 ..

Back to the main line. 7. �f1 -g2 c6-c5

Black must play several moves in order to achieve full

1!l'xb4 22JIxb4

precise

equality: 22 ... i.b7 23.l:td4 !IfdS 24.J:.a d 1

l:[xd4 25.liJxd4 �xg 2 26.wxg2 l:,[dS 27.wf3

(Ponomariov-Bacrot, Biel 2 0 04)

27 l:,[d5 •••

28.We2 J:.e5+ 29 .wf3 .l:td5=;

A52)

9.a5 In the Chebanenko System, must reckon with this blockading idea at almost every move. 9_.liJd7 1 0 .'Mfa4 Black is fine after 1 0 .�g2 e5 ! l l .d5 ib4. 10 .e5 1 1 .d5 b5 It is a little early for Black to be thinking about taking the ini­ tiative ; if 1 1 . . . e4?! 1 2 .ltJd2 ltJc5 1 3 .'iYxc4 cxdS 1 4.lLlxd5 �c6 (or 1 4 . . :iVe5 1 5£4 exf3 1 6 .tLlxf3 "iVd6 1 7 .!!d l ;\; Komliakov) 1 5 .liJxe4 tDxe4 1 6 .'iYxe4+ �e6 1 7 .�g2 0-0-0 1 8 .lLlb6 + �b 8 1 9 .'iYxc6 bxc6 20.0-0:t he faces an unpleasant defence in the endgame (Komliakov) . 1 2 .axb6

one

.•

tb7 1 3.dxc6 iLxc6 1 4.b7 J::i. b S 1 5 .'iVxc4 txb7 16.i.h3 lbb6 1 7.'/lfb3 i.c5 °o. Black . has solved his development problems and

Now we have to make a small excursion iItto the territory of the Catalan. In this position, White has two basic plans : he can take on c5 , or continue his develop­ ment, by castling. We will examine the latter option first. I

S.

0-0

Now Black already faces a choice: The following examples show that after S...cxd4 9.liJxd4 White, as in the Catalan, 89

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

retains a certain amount of pressure. but by accurate defence. Black should be able to neutralise it: A ) 9 ...li' c 7 1 0.a5 ttJbd7 1 1 .ttJc2 �c5 1 2�f4 e5 1 3 .�e3 0-0 1 4.ttJa4 Also not bad is 1 4. Ma4 .Jla7 1 5 /Lid5 tLlxd5 1 6 .'iVxd5 tLlf6 1 7 .'iVxc4 'iVxc4 I s .lhc42; . 14 ....be3 1 5 .ttJxe3

li'xa5

1 6 .'lid6

li'b5

1 1 .l:td1 'lWc7 1 2.a5 0-0 1 3 J:ta4 ttJe5 1 4 .�f4

White is not promised much by 1 6 .tLlxf6 + .Jlxf6 1 7 .11b4 11abS I S . .Jlxe5 'iVxe5 . 1 6 .. 'lWxe5 �e7 1 5 .ttJe4 �d7 1 6 .�xe5

.

1 7Jbc4

l:tac8

1 8.ttJxf6+

�xf6

20.'lWxc4

'iVxa5

21 .'iVxa6

1 9.�xb7 'ii'x a6

Thanks to the pair of ac­ ti ve bishops in an open position, Black has fully adequate compensation for the pawn (Komliakov) . C) 9 ... �c5 The most energetic continua­ tion. 1 0 .�e3 'iVe7 1 1 .ttJc2 Interesting, non-standard play results from I I .a5 ! ? 0-0 1 2 .'iVa4 .Jlxd4 1 3 . .Jlxd4 e5 1 4 . .Jle3 .Jle6 1 5 .llad 1 llcs with mULual chances. 1 1 ...0-0 1 2.a5 ttJc6 1 3 .�xc6 Black coped confidently with his opening problems in the following game : 1 3 .tLla4 .Jlxe 3 1 4. tLlxe3 lldS 1 5 .'li'e 1 (or 1 5 .'iVb 1 tLld4 1 6 .11e l l:lbS 1 7 . tLlb6 .Jld7) 1 5 . . . tLld4 1 6 .tLlb6 MbS Kamsky-Bareev, Linares 1 9 94. 1 3 ... bxc6 14.ttJa4 �xe3 1 5 .ttJxe3 c5 Black hurries to open the long diagonal 2 2.�xa6 l::t b8=.

-

90

llb8

1 7. ttJ exc4

�b7

1 8 .'lWb3

�fd8==

(Komliakov) . a.

...

ttlba-c6

1 7.l:!.fcU

Beliavsky-Illescas Cordoba, Ubeda 1 9 9 7 ; B) 9 ... ttJbd7 1 0.'lWc2!? Kramnik's experi­ mental play could have led to problems after 1 0 .tLlc2 'iVc7 1 1 .'iVd4 .Jlc5 1 2 .'iVh4 .Jle7 1 3 .ttJa3 tLle5 1 4 . .Jlf4 1 99 7 Kramnik-Gelfand, Linares 1 4" .tLlfd7 1 5 .'iVh5 0-0 1 6 .llid l f6 1 7 .a5 llb S�. 1 0. . �c5 After the more cautious 1 0 . . . .Jle7 play turns in White's favour: l 1 .a5 0 - 0 1 2 .Mdl '/!!I c7 1 3 ..Jlf4 e5 1 4 .tLlf5 tLlc5 1 5 .tLlxe 7 + 'iVxe7 1 6 . .Jlg5;t.

lhc4

for his queen. The line 1 5 " .c3 1 6 .tLl xc3 l:ldS 1 7 .'li'c2 .Jlb7 l S .tLla4 'li'b4 1 9 .tLlcS Md2 2 0 . 'li'c42; favours White. 1 6.tLlb6

Now

is dubious because of 9 ...ttJa5!, after which it turns out that it is not so simple to recover the gambit pawn, for example : 1 0.dxc5 Clearly bad is 1 0 .d5 .Jld6 1 1 ..Jlf4 'ftI c7 1 2 .e3 0-0 1 3 .tLlf3 .Jlxf4 1 4. gxf4 MdS+ Lputian­ Stefansson, Istanbul 2 0 0 3 , or 1 1 .f4 0-0 1 2 .e4 exd5 1 3 .exd5 MbS 1 4 .g4 tLld7 1 5 . Me l MeS 1 6 .tLle4 tLlxe5 1 7 .ttlxd6 .Jlxg4+ Dudukin-Kornliakov, Serpukhov 20 04) 1 0...'lWxd 1 1 U I.xd1 bc5 1 2 .�d2 we7 1 3 .J:iac1 l:td8 14.ttJb1 ttJb3, and Black equalises. 9.ttJe5?!

9.

d4xc5

'iVdaxd1

Also possible is 9 _. �xc5 1 0 .'li'xd8+ �xdS 1 1 .tLld2 tLla5 1 2 .tLlde4 4Jxe4 1 3 .tLlxe4 .Jlb4 1 4 . .Jlg5 + �eS with mu­ tual chances (Clery-Fontaine, Pau 2 0 0 0) . 1 O.

ttlc3xd 1

If 1 0.J:1xd1 .Jlxc5 1 1 . .Jlg5 ..id7 1 2 .4Jd2 tLla5 1 3 . tLlde4g? (Beliavsky) , White faces certain difficulties, for example : 1 3 . . . .Jle7 1 4.tLld6+ .Jlxd6 1 5 .MXd6 h6 1 6 . .Jlf4 .Jlc6�.

Chapter 8: Catalan-Style: 6.g3 1 0.

...

�f8xc5

11.

�c1 -e3

�c5-b4

1 8 .iLxc6 bxc6;!;, and Black faces a long and unpleasant defence.

l 1 . . .ttJd7 12 .ttJ d2 tt:la5 1 3 .1:.c I ;!; ; 1 l .. .�e7 1 2 .l::I. c l iLd7 1 3 Jhc4;!; . 12.

lia1 -c1

tLlc6-a5

Or 1 2 . . . e5

1 3 .tt:ld2 iLg4 1 4.f3 iLe6 1 5 .4Jxc4 0-0 1 6 .f4 exf4 1 7 .gxf4 iLd5 1 8 .4Jb6 iLxg2 1 9 .�xg2 liad8 with equal chances, P.H. Nielsen-Schandorff, Odense 1 994. 13.

tbf3-e5

tbf6-d5

14.

tLle5xc4

tLla5-b3

15.

l:lc1 -c2

tLlb3-a1

=

1 0.

Komliakov.

II

a d4xc5

�d8xd 1 +

9.

tLlb8-c6

tLlc3xd1

In this typical Catalan endgame, White enjoys a certain initiative, but, as is shown by the analysis presented below, Black should hold the position. less accurate is 9 . �xc5 1 0 .iLe3 (the ..

harmless 1 0 . tt:le5 has already been seen under 7JiJe5) 1 0 . . . iLb4+ (a line deserv­ ing attention is 1 0 . . . tt:l bd7 !? l 1 .iLxc5 lLlxc5 I V 1Je5 rJ;;e7 1 3 . tt:lxc4 11b8 1 4. 0 - 0 ' M:d8:;: Komliakov) I l .iLd2 iLe7 1 2 .tt:le3 lLlc6 1 3 . ttJxc4 iLd7 1 4. 0 - 0 0-0 (Naer-Vysochin, Internet 2003) 1 5 . l:i.fd l 1:!Jd8 1 6 . tt:lfe5 iLe8 1 7 .tt:lxc6 iLxc6

�c1 -e3

Another major plan is associated with the activation of the knight from d 1 , and the attempt to exploit the weak squares in Black's camp, on the queenside and in the centre: 1 0.tbe3 �xc5 1 1 .tbxc4 �d7 It is also possible to leave the bishop on c8 for the time being, in the hope of finding him a more active square than d7 : 1 1 . . . �e7 1 2 .0-0 tt:ld5 (White is better af­ ter 1 2. . J:td8 1 3 . b3 4Jd5 1 4 .iLb2 f6 1 5 JHc 1 iLd7 1 6 .4Jce5 iLd6 1 7 .4Jxc6+ iLxc6 1 8 .tt:ld4 iLd7 1 9 .iLxd5 exd5 2 0 .iLa3 ;!; Ruck-Dautov, Budapest 2 0 04) 1 3 .4Jfe5 ! ? (Black faces no problems after 1 3 .b3 iLd7 1 4.iLb2 f6 1 5 .l:i.fc l l:rac8) 13 . . . 4Jd4 1 4.iLe3 4Jxe2+ 1 5 .�h l tt:ld4 1 6 .l:i.ad l 4Jxe3 1 7 .fxe3 4Jf5 1 8 .b4 iLa7 1 9 .94 f6 2 0 . gxf5 fxe5 2 l .fxe6 �xe6 2 2 .tt:lxe5 �b 8 ! After driving the enemy knight from its powerful position on e5 , Black obtains a good game. 1 2 .0-0 We7 1 3.b3 Black demonstrated an accurate path to equality after 1 3 .4J fe5 l:'1ac8 1 4.4Jd3 tt:ld4! 1 5 .iLxb7 l:i.c7 1 6 .iLf3 tt:l b3 1 7 .tt:lxc5 J:Ixc5 1 8 . l:i.a3 4Jxc 1 ! 1 9 .1:.xc 1 J:I b8 Gelfand-Movsesian, Batumi 1 9 9 9 . 1 3 ...tbd5 Black also has a solid posi­ tion after 1 3 . . . l:rhd8 1 4 .iLb2 J:Iac8 91

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 5 .!lac 1 .ik.e 8 . (R uck-Movsesian,

1 4.�b2

16

1 5 .�1c1

Sibenik

2 0 0 6)

2 0 0 5 ) , and Black still has t o suffer in ending a pawn down. 15.

1 5 ._liac8.

1 0.

lLlf6-d5

11.

0-0

lLld5xe3

1 2.

lLld1 xe3

�fSxc5

13.

lLle3xc4

WeS-e7

1 4.

l:Ia1 -c1

an

e2-e3

Black is also fIne after either 1 5 .lLlce5 ttJxe5 1 6 .lhc5 ttJc6 1 7.llfc 1 �d7 , or 1 6 .ttJxe5 �d6 1 7 .ttJc4 iLc7 1 8 .a5 1:b8 1 9 .ttJ b6 iLxb 6 2 0 .ax b6 l:ld6. 1 5.

�cS-d7

1 6.

lLlf3-e5

lLlc6xe5

1 7.

lLlc4xe5

iLc5-d6=

Belikov-Zakhartsov, Sochi 2 0 0 6 . Conclusion

1 4.

...

l:ihS-dS

Worse is 1 4 . . . �d7 1 5 . lbfe 5 lLlxe5 J 6 . lLlxe5 �d6 1 7 .tLlxd7 �xd7 1 8 .�xb 7 .t:l.a7 1 9 .�c6 + c:J;; e 7 2 0 .b3 llb 8 2 1 .l:!.b l � (Aronian-Bacrot, Khanty-Mansiysk

92

Playing with the pawns on both flanks by 5 .a4 6 . g 3 , gives Black the chance to carry out the central break . . . c6-c5 , after which frequently an endgame is reached in which Black has use of the weakened square b4. The gambit 7 .iLg5 deserves serious atten­ tion from White. This line is not well worked-out, although we have done our best here to help Black fmd a path to equality.

Chapter 9 The Timid 6.e3 1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.�g1 -f3 �g8-fS 4.�b1 -c3 a7-aS 5.a2-a4 e7-eS 6.e2-e3

6.e3 is not a dangerous line for Black. He can transpose into a Queen 's Gambit, with the square b4 weakened. ••• S.

...

7. £l,ft -d3

cS-c5 �b8-c6

8. 0-0

d4, or he can continue developing his kingside, or even occupy b4 with a knight immediately. A) 8. cxd4 9.exd4 :Ji.e7 1 0.:Ji.e3 Both 1 O. �gS dxc4 1 1 .�xc4 0-0 1 2 .'i!Vd2 tDb4 1 3 .Mad1 �d7 1 4.tDeS �c6 l S .'iVe2 tDfdS 1 6 .�c l Mc8 1 7 .�b3 'iVb6 1 8 .o8e4 .:rfd8 1 9 .�gS �e8 ! = (Matros-Turner, England tt 2 0 0 1 1 0 2 ) , and 1 0 .�f4 0-0 1 1 .�c 1 08b4 1 2.eS b6 1 3 .cxb6 �xb6 1 4.�b 1 �b7 l S .�d2 as 1 6 .:!:lfe 1 :!:lac8 1 7 .o8eS o8c6 1 8 . o8bS (Epishin-Fridman, Internet blitz 2 0 04) 1 8 . . . o8xeS 1 9 .heS tDe400 are harmless for Black. In this last line, both sides have their trumps in a tense position. However, another set-up deserves attention, connected with the development of the ..

Here Black has a large choice of alterna­ tives. He can immediately determine the central pawn structure, by taking on c4 or

93

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

dark-squared bishop on the long diagonal: l O ..a:el 0-0 I l .b3 �b4 1 LI¥.b2 b6 1 3 ..a:e3 CLJe7 1 4.lue5 .i.b7 1 5 .�c2 �c8 (or 1 5 . . . lic8 1 6 ..a:d l i) 1 6 ..a:cl CUf5 1 7 �5 exf5 1 8 .CUa2 .i.d6 1 9 .c5 bxc5 20.dxc5 d4 2 1 ..i.xd4 f4 n ..a:c3 .i.xe5 B ..i.xe5± Notkin-Epishin, St Petersburg 1 996. 1 0.Hdxc4 1 1 .hc4 ttJd5 In the event of 1 1 . . . 0-0 1 2 ."li'e2 b6 1 3 . .a:adl tUb4 White has a highly unpleasant plan, involving an attack in the centre and on the kingside: l 4.CUe5 .i.b7 1 5 .f4 tUbd5 1 6 .f5 tLlxe3 1 7 .iVxe3 exf5 1 8 . .a:xf5 iVd6 1 9 .iVd3 as 2 0 .'iYb l .i.c8 2 1 ..a:ffl .i.e6 n .tUb5i Smagin-Se. Ivanov, Podolsk 1 9 9 0 . 1 2.'l!Ve2 0-0 1 3 1Ud1 Now that the rook has left the f-file, Black can safely allow the enemy knight into e5 : 1 3 ... ttJcb4 14.ttJe5 �d 7 1 5.�b3 1 5 . CUxdS tLlxd5 =; 1 5 . .a:ac 1 �c6 1 6 .tUxc6 bxc6 1 7 .tUe4 a5 = Renet­ Marjanovic, Paris 1 9 8 6 . lf the white pawn stood on a2 or a3 , the position would be in his favour, but thanks to his control of b4, Black has full equality. 1 5 ... i.c6 1 6.t!.ac1 �b6= After 1 6 . . . �e8 1 7 .'lin �c6 1 8 .�d2 "li'b6 1 9 .'iYg3 �h8 2 0 .CUxd5 tUxd5 2 1 .a5 'iYb5 n .'lih3 �e8 2 3 .�c2 f5 24.�b3;l; White retains definite pressure (Dizdar-Malakhov, Warsaw 2 0 0 5 ) ; B ) There is also the somewhat impu­ dent, but perfectly playable knight jump 8... ttJb4

9 . b 3 �e7 (a very old example is Monticelli-Ahues, Prague 1 9 3 1 , which went 9 . . . cxd4 1 0 .exd4 tLlxd3 1 1 .�xd3 � e 7 ) 1 0 . �a3 0 - 0 1 1 . tUa2 tLlxd3 1 2 .iVxd3 b6 1 3 . dxc5 bxc5 1 4.cxd5 �b7 1 5 . .:tfc 1 llc8 1 6 .b4 �xd5 00 (Todorovic­ Popchev, Belgrade 2 0 0 5 ) ; C) 8 ...dxc4 After this move, the game goes into the realms of the QGA, but since Grischuk started the game with the Chebanenko System, I give it here. 9. �xc4 fiLe7 1 0 .'lie2 0 - 0 1 1 . .a:dl 'fIc7 1 2 .h3 lld8 1 3 .�b3 b6 l 4.d5 ttJaS 1 5 .�a2 c4 1 6 .e4 �b 7 1 7 .fiLg5 exdS 1 8 .exd5 lle8 1 9 .'ifYc2 llad 8 'f , and Black took over the initiative (Euler-Grischuk, Mainz 2 0 0 7 ) ; D) 8... �e7 and now:

D 1 ) 9.cxd5 White wants to give his op­ ponent an isolated pawn in the centre. But because of the weakness of b4 (an excel­ lent post for both bishop and knight, and in addition, it is very hard to evict the bishop from c5) this plan is not dangerous for Black. On 9 . dxc5 , both 9 . . . dxc4, and 9 . . . �xc5 are possible. 9 ... exd5 1 0.dxc5

�g4

1 1 .h 3

�h5

1 2 .b3

�xc5

1 3 .�b2 0-0 14.g4 What else can one rec­ ommend to White ? In any other case, Black will soon play . . . d5 -d4 and

94

Chapter 9: The Timid 6.e3 com pletey equalise.

14 ... �gS

1 5 .�xgS

hxg6 16 .g5 ttJe4 1 7.�xd5 ttJxc3 1 8.�xc5

lZle4 1 9.�c4

ttJxg5=

(1. Belov-Dreev,

Moscow B 1 9 8 5 ) ;

D2) 9 b 3 0-0 1 0.�b2 ttJb4 Black begins to think of more than mere equality. In the position with an almost symmetrical pawn structure, arising after 1 0 . . . b6 1 1 .�e2 �b7 1 2 .l::!. ad l "iIc7 , it is very hard for White to pretend to any advan­ tage. For example, 1 3 .cxd5 exd5 1 4.e4 dxe4 1 5 .tt:: xe4 <1:Jb4 1 6 .dxc5 tLlxd3 17 .Cbxf6+ hi'6 1 8 .l::!. x d3 .1i.xf3 1 9 .1::!.xf3 rue8 20.�c2 �xb2 2 1 .�xb 2 'i'xc5=) .

chances results from 1 2 .<1:Je2 ? ! �g4 1 3 .<1:Je l "iIb6 1 4.h3 �e6 1 5 .<1:Jf4 �b3 I 6 . �e2 0-0 is unclear, 1. Sokolov­ Bacrot, Albert 2 0 0 4) l L . <1:Jd5 (also after 1 2 . . . dxc3 1 3 . exf6 gxf6 (even worse is 1 3 . . . �xf6 1 4 . l::!. e l + ± ) 1 4 .�e l + �e6 1 5 .'li'xc 3 � and Black faces a diffi­ cult defence) 1 3 . <1:Jxd5 'li'xd5 1 4. tLl g 5 <1:Jxe5 1 5 . lI e 1 � e 7 1 6 . � e 4 � c 5 1 7 .�f4, and White has a n unpleasant initiative. 1 2 .tUxe4 tUxe4 1 3 .£1.xe4 'il'xd 1 1 4.MXd 1 0-0 1 5 .£1.f4 ne8 1 S.il.xcS bxcS

cxd4

After 1 8 . .l:!.xc6 � e 6 1 9 . .l:!.d 4 as Black should b e able to hold the endgame. 1 8 ... �xdS 1 9JbdS llb8

�4.exd4 Ilc8 15 .'iI'f3 ttJcS 1 S.ttJxcS £1.xcS

20J:ldxcS � b 7 2 1 .l:!.dS iil.xf3 22 .gxf3 J:[xb2

17.fih3 gS+

2 3 .l!xaS gS= Thanks to the activity of his rooks , Black draws without any problem . B) The move 1 0.�e2 does not pose Black any problems.

11J�c1 bS 1 2.£1.b1

£1.b7

1 3.ttJe5

(Krush-Nebolsina , Jinan

200S). Now for Black's main move. S.

...

9. d4xc5

�f8-d6

�d 6xc5

The bishop has reached c5 in two moves, but this is small consolation for White, since he cannot kick the bishop by means ofa3 and b4.

1 7.J:rac1 �b4 1 8.�dS

10 ... 0-0 After 1 0 . . . dxc4 1 1 .�xc4 'fic7 the variation transposes into a well-known position from the Queen's Gambit Ac­ cepted: 1 2 .e4 <1:Jg4 1 3 .g3 0-0 1 4.�4 e5 with mutual chances. 11 . J:td1 'Vii e 7 1 2.h3 �d7

Now White has several plans to choose from:

1 3.�d2

l:i:ac8

(Hochgrafe-Gisbrech t, Bundesliga B 2 0 0 0 / 0 1 ) .

1 4.cxd5

exd 5=

Germany

A) 10.cxd5 exd5 1 1 .e4 dxe4 Less good is 1 I . . .d4

1 2 .e5 (a position with mutual

1 0.

e3-e4

95

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

nothing. On the contrary. given the chance, Black can advance his pawns in the centre. 1 3.

�c8-d7

14.

�c1 -f4

0-0-0

15.

tDf3-g5

�d7-e8

16.

�d1 xd8+ tDc6xd8= Conclusion

1 0.

d 5xe4

11.

tDc3xe4

tDf6xe4

1 2.

�d3xe4

'iVd8xd1

1 3.

1:tf1 xd 1

Formally. White has the endgame advan­ tage of 3v2 on the queenside. but thanks to the hole on b4, this advantage is worth

96

Whereas after a2-a4, the move g2 -g3 has some promise, the move e2-e3 is simply weak. White reaches positions from the Queen's Gambit, with the 'extra' move a4, which is only useful if Black has al­ ready developed his knight from b8 to d 7 . Otherwise, Black only needs to com­ plete his development . .

Chapter 10

Pinning: 6.ilg5 l .d2-d4 d 7-dS 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.ttJg1 -f3 ttJg8-fS 4.liJb 1 -c3 a 7-aS S.a2-a4 e7-eS 6.ic1 -gS

With the insertion ofS.a4 e6, 6.�gS makes more sense than one move earlier, as the f6 knight cannot jump to e4 now. Black has five main possibilities: 1) 6 . . . aS; II) 6 . i.e7; III) 6 . . . h6; N) 6 . . . �4 and V) 6 . . . liJbd7 . .

.

••• I 6. ...

as-aS

rook's pawn! The idea is obvious; Black wants to seize the b4-square, in return for which he is prepared to forget about the principles of rapid development. 7.

A possible, but rather provocative move. Already at the start of the opening, Black loses another tempo with a move of his

e2-e3

The direct 7.e4?! does not yield anything, because of ? . . . dxe4 8. ttJxe4 �b4+ 9. liJc3 c5 1 0 .�e2 h6 (practice has also seen 1 0 . . . 0-0 1 1 . 0-0 cxd4 1 2 .ttJxd4 liJc6 1 3 .ttJdb5 h6 1 4.�h4 �e7 1 5 .�c1 �xc3 1 6 .ttJxc3 ttJd4 1 7 Jh3 ttJf5 1 8 .�xf6 �xf6 1 9 .ttJe4 'l:i'e7 2 0 . .tld l �d7 2 1 .ttJg3 �c6 Greenfeld-Bacrot, Bastia 2 0 04) 1 1 .�h4 ttJc6 1 2 .dxc5 �xd 1 + 1 3 . .tlxd l ttJe4 1 4. 0 - 0 ? ! (an extremely doubtful pawn sacrifice) 14 . . . �xc3 1 5 .�d3 f5 97

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 6 .bxc3 ttJxc3 1 7 .llal ttJb4 1 8 .lla3 ttJxd3 1 9 . 1:f.xc3 tLlxcS =t= , Gershon­ Stefanova, Athens 2 0 0 S . Black also does not have great problems after 7.g 3 , for example: 7 . . . ttJbd7 8 .ltg2 h6 9 . iti4 ltb4 1 0 . 0 - 0 0-0 I I .ttJd2 g S 1 2 .lte3 ttJg4 1 3 .'iVc2 fS 1 4.ttJdl 'iVf6 l S .ttJb3 ttJxe3 1 6 .ttJxe3 f4 1 7 .ttJd l ttJb6 1 8 .cS ttJc4 1 9 .ttJc3 b6 2 0 . cxb6 llb8 2 1 .ttJcS J:ixb6=F, Miton-Prie, France tt 2007. .

il.f8-e7

7.

The move 7 .. /Lia6 looks too slow, and White can gradually build up some pres­ sure : 8.J�,e2 A double-edged endgame re­ sults from 8 . ltd3 tLlb4 9 . e4 dxe4 1 0 .tLlxe4 cS 1 1 . 0-0 lte7 1 2 .ltxf6 gxf6 1 3 .dS exdS 1 4. cxdS 'iVxd5 I S .ltb S + ltd7 1 6 .ltxd7 + 'iVxd7 1 7 .'iVxd 7 + Gagunashvili-Grabarczyk, Wxd 7 °o Cappelle la Grande 2 0 0 7 . 8...�e7 This po­ sition is considered in more detail in the notes to the move 8.lte2 . 9.0-0 0-0 1 0 .'ii' b 3 tLlb4 1 1 .tLla2 The knight on b4 is the pride of Black's position, therefore it is best to exchange it at once. 11 ...tLlxa2 1 2J'!xa2 tLld7 1 3.Jhe7 'ii'x e7 14.l:!.aa1 b6 1 S.cxdS

exdS

1 6 J1fc1

�b7

(Beliavsky-Houska, Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 4 / 0 S ) 1 7.�d 3 , and thanks to the weakness of the pawns on b6 and c6 White retains a stable advantage.

There are several plausible alternatives here : A) 8.�d3 tLla6 The knight heads for b4, whilst Black pre­ fers for the moment not to clarify the po­ sition in the centre. However, the knight can also take a different path: 8 . . .t2jbd7 9 . 0-0 0-0 1 0 .iYe2 dxc4 (without this ex­ change the black pieces are tied up in their own camp) 1 1 .hc4 ttJds 1 2 .il.f4 ttJxf4 1 3 .exf4 ttJb6 1 4.ltb3 ttJdS 1 5 .g3 fs 1 6 . llfe 1 ltf6 1 7 . I:Iad l ltd7 1 8 .�e5 lle8 1 9 .ttJa2 lle7 2 0 . ttJ c l lte8 2 1 .tLlcd3. White's chances are preferable ; he has a space advantage, and his opponent's light-squared bishop has still not yet found itself a life, Gagunashvili­ Morozevich, Moscow 2 0 0 3 ) . A I ) 9.0-0 tLl b4 1 0.e4 tLlxd3 1 1 .�xd3 dxe4 1 2 .li:lxe4 0-0 Stronger is 1 2 . . . tLlxe4 ! 1 3 .iiLxe 7 tLlxfl 1 4. J:(xfl 'iVxe 7 I S . cS 0 - 0 1 6 .ttJeS f6 1 7 .tLlc4 eS 1 8 . J:i e 1 lte6 1 9 . ttJ d 6 b 6 2 0 . d xeS bxc Soo with sharp play - Komliakov. 1 3 .�xf6 gxf6 14.l:tfe1 'il;>h8 1 S .J:rad1 b6

It is not easy to defend Black's position; his king is permanently weak. 1 8 . l:ig8

1 6 :�e3 �b7 1 7.tLlc3 �b4 1 8:�V h6;t.

..

1 9J'le4 l"!.g6 20.'iI'h3 nc8 21 . .l:!.h4 'ii' g8 22.tLle2 I.td8

23.tLlf4 .l:!.g7 24.tLlhS 1:1g6

2 6 . li:l g S +- Shulman­ Zatonskih , Stillwater 2 0 0 S ; A2) 9.l"!.c1 tLlb4 1 0.�e2 1 O .ltb l �d7 ! (this is strongest, although practice has seen other moves - 1 0 . . . b 6 ; 1 0 . h6; 1 0 . . . dxc4) 1 1 .�f4? (better is 1 1 .il.xe7 'i'xe7 1 2 . cxdS exdS 1 3 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 4.e4 ttJb6 I S . J:ie l lte6 1 6 .exdS ttJ 6xdS with a roughly equal game, Komliakov) l 1 . .. dxc4 1 2 .e4 b6 1 3 . 0 -0 ltb 7 1 4.ttjd2 tLld3 l S .ltxd3 cxd3 1 6 .tLlc4 0-0 1 7 . 'i'xd3 lta6 1 8 .ttJe2 bS 1 9 .axbS cxbS

2 S . tLlxf 6 !

.l:!.xf6

..

98

Chapter 1 0: Pinning: 6.JlgS 20.t2J d2 e5 I -exploiting the bad position of the knight on d2 , Black seizes the ini­

tiative, 1. Sokolov-Malakhov, Khanty­ Mansiysk 2 0 0 5 . 1 0... 0-0 1 1 .0-0 b6 1 2 .'!iVb3 ib7 12 . . . h 6 ! ? 1 3 .iLh4 i.a6 1 4JHe l c5 (Komliakov) deserves attention. 1 3.l::!f d1

2 0 0 5 ) 1 0... tLlb4 Full equality is not ob­ tained after 1 0 . . . b6 I l .tbe5 i.b7 l 2 .c5 tbb4 1 3 .cxb6 h6 1 4.i.h4 c5 1 5 .dxc5 i.xc5 1 6 .tbg4 iLe7 1 7 .tbxf6 + ;!; Vaganian-Bacrat, Poikovsky 2 0 0 5 .

I:!cB 14.h3 c5 1 5.tLle5 cxd4 1 6 .nxd4 tLld7

17 be7 'fixe7 1 8.tLlxd7 'fixd7 (Schenk­ ..

Dautov, France tt 2 0 0 5 ) . 1 9.e4± .

B) Also not bad is 8.i.e 2 , after which one of the main practitioners of the move a5 , Antoaneta Stefanova , recently chose the interesting 8...b6 against Beliavsky.

This opening tabiya has already been tested in many games, including on the highest level B 1 ) 1 1 .tLle5 is an active jump, but fairly harmless for Black: 1 1 ...tLld7 1 2.i.xe7 '!iVxe7 1 3.tLld3 dxc4 1 4.'!iVxc4 e5 1 5 .tLlxb4

Or 1 5 . . . axb4 1 6 . tLi e4 (Chuchelov-Khenkin, Germany Bundes­ liga 2 0 0 4/ 0 5 ) 1 6 . . . na5 1 7 .iLd3 tbb6 1 8 .'iVc2 i.f5 , and Black has completed his development satisfactorily, achieving equal play. 1 6 JUd1 exd4 1 7.lhd4 '!iVxb2 'liVxb4

The game went 9 . 0-0 i. b7 1 0 .cxd5 exd5 1 L�d3 tba6 l 2 . ll e l tLib4 1 3 .i.b l 0 - 0 1 4.t2Je5 c 5 1 5 . i.xf6 ? ! (there was no need to surrender the bishop) 1 5 . . .i.xf6 1 6 .f4 g6 1 7 .'%Wf3 '%We7 1 8 . .l:kd l nae 8 1 9 . nfI �g7 2 0 .h3 nd 8 ( 2 0 . . .f6 2 1 . tLixg6 hxg6 2 2..�xg6 nc 8 2 3 .'iVh5 nfd8 24.nf3 wf8 25 .'!:!'g3 i.c6 26 .h4 nc7+) 2 1 .tbg4 (Beliavsky-Stefanova , Gibraltar 2 0 0 8 ) 2 1 . ..f6 + . Also possible i s 8...tLla6 9.0-0 0-0 1 0.'liVb3 The following line leads to excessive sim­ plifications and equality: 1 0 .tbe5 tbb4 l 1 .h3 ( 1 1 .'iVb3 - 1 0 .�b3 ) l l . . .tbd7 1 2 .i.xe7 'iVxe7 1 3 .tbxd7 i.xd7 1 4.'iVd2 ID'd8 1 5 .c5 e5 1 6 . tLia2 tLixa2 1 7 .Ii.xa2 ge8 , (l'Ami-Zhukova, Wijk aan Zee C

1 8Jlb1

'liVa3 1 9.tLle4 'liVe7 20.tLld6

tLlf6

White has suffi­ cient compensation for the sacrificed material, but no more than that, Kramnik-BacTOt, Paris 2 0 0 2 ; B2) 1 UUd1 The first eternal question is on which central files to place the rooks, and the second is with which rook to be­ gin? 1 1 ...b6 1 2 .tLla2 Black reached a slightly worse position in the following game: 1 2 . cxd5 exd5 1 3 .tba2 tbxa2 1 4.'iVxa2 tLi d 7 1 5 .iLf4 i.b7 1 6 .Ii.ae l i.b4 1 7 .'iVb l 'iV e 7 1 8 .'iVf5 Mfe8 1 9 .tLie5 tLixe5 2 0 .i.xe5 i.d6 (the bishop on b4 21.'IWc5 tLld7 22.'liVc3 tLlf6

99

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

looks very beautiful, but does not actually do anything, unlike its opposite number on eS) 2 L�xd6 �xd6 2 2 .'li'c2 llabS 2 3 .Ud3 g6 24.Uc3 �aS 2 S .�b3 'it'fS 2 6 .g3 11e7 2 7 .�fl lla7 2 S .14 hS 2 9 .Ub1 'iYb4, Wang Yue-Malakhov, Ergun 2 0 0 6 . 1 2 ...tZlxa2 1 3 Jha2 tZl d 7 The more active plan 1 3 . . . �a6 ! ? 1 4J:ha 1 .l:rcS l S .ttJeS h6 1 6 .�h4 'fic7 1 7 Jhc1 cS also looks rea­ sonably promising. 14.�xe7 1 4.�f4 �.b 7 l S .cxdS exdS 1 6 . .l:raa 1 �b4 (therefore it is also important for White to exchange the bishop on e7) 1 7 .'iYc2 11eS l S .llac1 'iYe 7 , Shabalov-Kobalia, Port Erin 2 0 0 S . 14 . .:iVxe7

1 5 .cxd5

exd5

1 S .l:rc1

�b7

(Cheparinov-Karjakin, Cuernavaca 2 0 06) 1 7.�d3!;

B3 ) 1 1 'tZla2 A logical move; Black has expended a lot of tempi to secure the b4-square and direct his knight there, so why not exchange this knight off straightaway? At the very least, this will be unpleasant psychologically for the opponent!

afraid to spoil his pawn structure, since in thIs position, it is much more important to secure control over the eS square. Black's biggest problem, which is not going to go away, is to secure some life for his impris­ oned bishop on cS . 14 ...liJxf4 15.exf4 'i'd6 1 S.g3

b5

1 7.axb5

cxb5

1 S.'iVxb5

�a6

1 9.'tWb3 l:tabS 20.'tWd3 �xc4 21 .'i¥xc4 �fc8

Onischuk-S.B. Hansen, Turin 2006; B4) 1 1.I! ac1 B4 1 ) 11 ...bSI? 1 2 .IUd1 There is no danger for Black in 1 2 .ttJa2 ttJxa2 (both 1 2 . . . cS and 1 2 . . . .ib7 are interesting alternatives) 1 3 .'ih a2 ttJe4 1 4.�xe7 'lixe7 1 S .l21eS �b 7 1 6 .cxdS cxds 1 7 .'iYa3 'iYxa3 l S .bxa3 .l:rfcS 1 9 .ttJd7 ttJc3 2 0 .�bS I:'!:c7 2 1 .ttJxb6 lla7 2 2 .h3 �a6 2 3 . 'it'h2 hbS 24.axbS ttJxb S 1. Sokolov-Stefanova, Hoogeveen 2 0 0 S . 1 2...�b7 1 3.cxd5 exd5 1 4.h3 l:icS 1 4 . . . cS 1 5 .�f4 c5 1 S .J::t d2 c4 1 7.'lWd1 .IT!.aS Black had sufflcient counterplay after 1 7 . . . �d6 I S .ttJeS 'lW e7 1 9 .b3 cxb3 2 0 J:!.b2 ttJa2 2 1 .tLJxa2 bxa2 2 2 Jha2 tLJe4 or l S .�xd6 'iYxd6 1 9.tLleS ttJd7 2 0 .ttJxd7 'iYxd7 2 1 .b3 �a6, Komliakov) 1 S.liJe5 liJeS (Van Wely-Kritz, Germany Bundesliga 200S / 0 6) 1 9.�g4 22.'i¥e2;;!;;

l:ic7 20.b3;;!;; ;

11 ... tZlxa2 1 2 .l:l:xa2 dxc4 Black does not achieve full equality after 1 2 . ..ttJ d 7 1 3 .�xe7 'iYxe7 1 4.11aa l b 6 I S .cxds exdS 1 6.Ufc l �b7 Beliavsky-Wang Hao, Am­ sterdam 2 0 0 6 , 1 7 .�d3;!;; . 1 3 .�xc4 liJd5 14.�f4 We have already met this strategic idea, and will meet it again. White is not

1 00

B42) It is also possible first to put the question to the bishop : 1 1 ...hS 1 2 .iLh4 1 2 .�f4 ttJhS . 1 2 ... bS 1 3 .cxd5 cxd5 1 3 . . . exd5 1 4 . ttJa 2 ! i ; 1 3 . . . tLJfxdS 1 4.�g3 ! ? 1 4.liJe5 liJd7 15 ..be7 'fIixe7 1 S .liJd3 �aS 1 7.liJxb4 'lWxb4 1 7 . . . axb4 l S . ttJ b S ± 1 S.'lWxb4 axb4 1 9.1iJb5� Gelfand-Bacrot, Albert 2 0 0 2 ; B43 ) 1 1 ...liJh5 Forcing the exchange of the dark-squared bishop, and slightly re­ ducing the overcrowding in his rather small quarters. But what are we going to do with the bishop on cS? 12.be7 'fIixe7 1 3.liJa2

Chapter 1 0: Pinning: 6 . itgS

C2Jxa2 l 4-.'iha2 ttJf6 l S .'li'a3 Black has an easier task after l S .Jtd3 Jtd7 1 6.QJeS �fc8 1 7 .cS Jte8 1 8 .lIc3 QJd7 1 9 .ttJxd 7 �xd7 20. l::tb 3 l:!'.c7 2 1 .'i¥b1 h6 2 2 .l:!'.b6 eS, 1. Sokolov-Malakhov, Merida tt 2 0 0 S) 15 .'/�ba3

1 6 . bxa3

..

tDd7

1 7.l:tb1

B:e8

Nielsen-Malakhov, Sant LIuis 2 0 0 S 1 S.l:!fc1 ;to

Jta6 1 8 . QJ e S Komliakov. 1 2.

S.

l'ia1 -c1

..

.

�d1 ·e2

1 2.

...

�ca-a6

b2-b3

0-0

It was also perfectly possible to direct the knight via a6 to b4 immediately: 8 tDa6 9.�e2 Superficial play brought White into difficulties in the following blitz game : 9.cxdS exdS 1 0 .Jtd3 ttJb4 1 1 .Jtb 1 Jte6 1 2.0-0 QJd7 1 3 .Jtf4 0-0 1 4.l:!'.e 1 lle8 l S .e4 QJf8 1 6.Jtg3 dxe4 1 7 .ttJxe4 JtdS lS .tt:lcS b6 1 9.QJd3 ttJe6 2 0 .ttJfeS f6 2 1 .tLJf3 �xf3 2 2.'i¥xf3 ttJxd4 2 3.'i¥d 1 'i'd7+ Mamedyarov-Kasimdzhanov, Baku 2005. 9 . 0-0 1 0.0-0 tDb4 1 1 .'iiY b 3 trans­ poses into Variation B4 considered above after 8 .Jte2 . •.

. .

9.

cSoo

Black also has another, quite promising plan to develop counterplay : 1 2 . . . dxc4 1 3 .ttJeS ttJfdS 1 4. Jtxe7 'li'xe7 l S . g3 i.a6 1 6 .e4 ttJf6 1 7 .ttJxc4 llad800, Komliakov. 13.

a

1 9 .'li'f3

White can count on a small advantage af­ ter 1 2.cxdS cxdS 1 3 .ttJb5 Jta6 1 4.QJe5 QJe8 1 5 . Jtf4:t

P.H.

Now for the main move.

J:f.c8

�f1 -d3

tUba-a6

10.

0-0

tUa6-b4

11.

i.d3-b1

b7-b6

The move 1 1 . . . h6 ! ? also deserves atten­ tion: 1 2 .Jtf4 dxc4 1 3 .ttJeS QJfdS 1 4.Jtg3 �d6 1 S .QJxc4 Jtxg 3 1 6.hxg 3 b 6 1 7 .J:re 1

13

...

tUf6-e4!

Black exploits tactics , to force favourable exchanges . Other options are : 1 3 ... tDd7 1 4.Jtf4 fs l s .lIfd 1 Jtf6 1 6 .ttJa2 'i¥e7 1 7 .ttJxb4 'iYxb4 1 8 .i.d3 l:!.fc8 1 9 .cxdS Jtxd 3 2 0 . 'iYxd 3 cxdS 2 1 .�c2 ! :t Gelfand-Malakhov, Sochi t t 2 0 0 5 ; 1 3. c 5 1 4 .ttJb5 ttJe4 l S .Jtf4 l:!'.c8 1 6 .IHd 1 f5 1 7 . ttJe 1 ttJd6 1 8 .dxc5 bxc5 1 9 .ttJd3 ttJxb S 2 0 . axbS Jtb 7 2 1 .Jte5± Kursova-Stefanova, Krasnoturinsk 2 0 0 3 . ..

14.

i.g5-f4

Neither 1 4.i.xe4 i.xgS 1 5 .ttJxg5 'iYxg5 1 6 . f4 'i¥f6 1 7 . Jtb 1 cSoo , nor 1 4.Jtxe7 QJxc3 I S .l::tx c3 'i¥xe 7 are dangerous for Black. 14

...

tbe4xc3

It seems that Black can also permit him­ self a more ambitious approach : 14 g511 ...

101

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 5 . LDxe4 (the piece sacrifice 1 5 ..�e5 f6 1 6 . tLlxe4 dxe4 1 7 .LDxg5 seems to give White no more than a draw by repetition: 1 7 . . . fxg5 1 8 .�xe4 �£6 1 9 .�h5 .l:!.a7 2 0 . f4 �xe5 2 l .fxe5 l':!.xfl + 2 2 . l:hfl .l:!.g7 23 . .l':lf6 �c8 2 4 . �xh 7 + .l':lxh 7 2 5 .'iYxg s + rJ;Jh8 2 6 .'i'f4 rJ;Jg7 2 7 .'iYg s + rJ;Jh8 2 8 . �f4= Komliakov) 15 . . . gxf4 1 6 .exf4 dxe4 1 7 .1jVxe4 f5 1 8 .�xe6+ rJ;Jh8 1 9 .�e5 + �f6 2 0 . �xf5 ki.a7 2 1 .�e4 jLc8 2 2 .LDe5 t . White has four pawns for the piece, and his knight is very well placed, but even so, Black's re­ sources, thanks to his bishop pair, should not be underestimated (Komliakov) . 1 5.

II 6.

...

�f8-e7

The third most popular move, after 6 . . . tLlbd7 (see Line V below) and 6 ... as .

llc1 xc3

7.

e2-e3

0-0

8.

�f1 -d3

d5xc4

9.

�d 3xc4

c6-c5

1 0.

0-0

c5xd4

11.

e3xd4

ttJ b8-c6

1 2.

.l:!.f1 -e1

This position can also arise from the Nimzo-Indian Defence, or, even more commonly, from the Queen's Gambit Ac­ cepted. In general, it is considered better for White, for example: 1 2.

Block the centre or open it? - that is the question. It seems that Black gets satisfac­ tory play in either case. 15

...

f7-f5

1 5 . . . c5 1 6 .LDe5 f5 1 7 . .!:ldl �e8 1 8 . .l':lcc l .l':ld8 1 9 .h3 �d6 2 0 . dxc5 �xc5 2 1 .'iYf3 dxc4 2 2 .LDxc4 llxd1 + 2 3 .�xd l 'i'e7 and White is slightly better, David-Dunis , Port Barcares tt 2 0 0 5 . 1 6.

.l:!.f1 -d1

Ae7-f6

1 7.

�c3-c1

'lj'd8-e7

1 7 . . . c5 ! ? 1 8 .h3 11c8oo Komliakov. 1 8.

ttJf3-e5

.l:!.a8-d8

1 9.

Af4-g3

c6-c5°o

Sanchez-Dun is, France tt 2 0 0 6 / 0 7 . 1 02

...

b7-b6

The plan with the fianchetto seems the most solid. Other tries are less reliable: A) 1 2 ... �d7 1 3.'i¥e2 Exerting pressure on e 6 . 1 3 ... l:!c8 14J:[ad1 tZlb4 1 5ltJe5 �eS The bishop has to go to a passive positio­ n, since on 1 5 . . . �c6 there would follow 1 6 .LDxf7 ! . 1 S .�b3 tZlfd5 1 7.�d 2 .ic6 1 S.'i¥g4 IilfS? Black allows the above-mentioned blow anyway. 1 9 .tiJxf7! l:!xf7 20.'i¥xeS tZlbd5 21 J:te5 il.d7 22.l:i:xd5 �xeS

23.lhdS+

J:ixdS

24 be 6± ..

Lautier-Bologan, France tt 2 0 0 1 (by transposition) ; B) 1 2... hS 1 3 .�h4 'li'bS 1 4.'i¥d2 l:!dS Black has brought into play those pieces

Chapter 1 0 : Pinning: 6.JlgS

which it is relatively easy so to do, but this is only a half-measure, and the prob­ lem of the c8 bishop still has to be re­ solved, since Black cannot count on equality otherwise. 15 .11ad1 'tWa5 1 6 .d5 �c5 17.'ii' e2 exd5 1 B.il.xf6 �xf6 1 9J1:xd5 �fS

20J'!.xdB

�xdB

21 .'iVeB±

1.

III 6.

...

h7-h6

It is useful to establish at once what White intends to do with the bishop : will he exchange it for the f6 knight or retreat, allowing the bishop to be hit by . . . g7 -g5 at some moment?

Sokolov-Anand, Prague 2 0 0 2 . 13.

d4-d5

14.

tLlc3xd5

tLJf6xd5

Mass exchanges and equality result from the other capture : 1 4 .11l.xd5 exd5 1 5 .'I!'xd5 'iYxd5 1 6 . tbxd5 �c5 1 7 .�e3 tib8 1 8 J lac 1 �g4 1 9 . �xc5 bxc5 2oJhc5 �xf3 2 1 .gxf3 tLJd4 2 2 .�g2 J:xb2 (Treppner-Werner, Germany Bundesliga 1 9 8 3 / 84) . 14.

�e7xg5

15. tL:f3xg5

'iVd8xg5

16.

t2Jd5xb6

lla8-b8 .!':!.f8xc8

1 7.

t2Jb6xc8

1 8.

�c4xa6

llcB-d8

19.

'lllY d 1 -c1

�g5xc1

20.

.!':!.a1 xc1

t2Jc6-d4

21 .

1:!.e1 -dH

After 7.�h4 we reach a position which is examined below, with the inclusion of the moves . . . h6 and �h4. A)

7 ...�b4 deserves attention.

A I ) B.'lWb3 a5 9.e3 tiJa6 1 0.Ild1 �e7 The bishop has nothing more to do on b4, so it frees the square for the knight. 1 1 .�e2 tiJb4 1 2.0-0 0-0 1 3 .tiJe5 tiJ d 7 14�g3 tiJxe5 15 ..ixe5 b6 1 6 .e4 ita6 17.l::iJ e 1 J:tcB 1 S..if1

Black has adequate play (Gavrikov-Hubner, Germany Bundesliga 1 9 9 3 / 9 4) . A2) Possibly, quiet development by B.e3 '!Va5 9.'l!!Y c2 is stronger. Interesting, al­ though hardly sufficient for an advantage, is the pawn sacrifice 9 .�xf6 �xc3 + 1 0 .bxc3 'ifxc H 1 1 .tbd2 gxf6 1 2 . .!:!.c 1 'ifa3 1 3 .�e2 'ife7 1 4. 0 - 0 as 1 5 . .!:!.e 1 (the assessment of the position is not changed by 1 5 .�h5 4Ja6 1 6 .'ifg4 <;t>f8 1 7 . cxd5 exd5 1 8 .'iff4 tbMoo) 1 5 . . . 0-0 1 6 .�fl f5 1 7 .'ifh5 'if g5 1 8 .'ifh3 4Ja6 1 9 .tbf3 'if g7 itg5

Black will regain the pawn, of course, but thanks to the advantage of bishop over knight, and the outside passed pawn, White retains the better chances. Even so, the most likely outcome is a draw.

1 03

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

2 0 . cxdS exdSoo White has good com­ pensation for the pawn. but no more (Komliakov) . 9 ... tLlbd7 1 0.tLld2 c5 1 1 .�e2 0-0 1 2.0-0 cxd4 1 3 .exd4 Wic7 14.tfb3 �d6 1 5.�g3! Black still has to solve the prob­ lem of the bishop on c 8 . therefore White's chances are preferable (Komliakov) .

B) 7...dxc4 The most principled move. Here. the capture is stronger than without the insertion 6 . . . h6 7 .�h4. as in that case White has 7 .e4 bs 8 . ab S cbS 9.eS h6 and now the bishop goes to d2: 1 0 .�d2 tLJdS 1 1 .tLJbS �b7 1 2 .tLJa3 with advan­ tage. B 1 ) B.e3 This accurate move can also pose Black definite problems. B ... b5 9.axb5 White must strive for complica­ tions ; in the event of the quiet 9 .�e2 �b7 1 0 .tLJeS tLJbd7 I I .axbS axbS 1 2 .0-0 .fie 7 1 3 .£.£3 tLJxeS 1 4 . dxeS 'iVxd l I s 1Hx d i tLJdS 1 6 .J:'ixa 8+ �xa8 1 7 . .l:!.a l �xh4 1 8 . J:'ixa 8 + �d8 1 9 .'it>f1 'it>d7 2 0 .tLJe4 (Onischuk-Naer. POikovsky 2 0 0 6 ) 20 .. J:te8+ Black solves all his de­ velopment problems. retaining his extra pawn. 9 ... cxb5

1 0.�xf6

gxf6

1 1 .tLlxb5

B l l ) 1 3.tLld2 �b 7 1 4 . .l:!.a7 ? ! C 1 4.nal eS or 14 . . . .l:tg8 . with great compensation for the sacrificed material) 1 4 . . . 'l!Wb6 I S . .l:!.a l eS 1 6 .�e2 exd4 1 7 . 0-0 .l:tg8+ Black creates dangerous threats against the enemy king (Van den Doel-Van der Wiel. Rotterdam 1 9 9 9 ) ; B 1 2 ) 1 3.>t>e2 �b7 1 4Jh l fs ( a serious alternative is 1 4 . . . .l:!. g 8 . for instance: I S . g 3 ? �e4 1 6 .�c l �dS 1 7 .Jig2 tLJd7 +; 1 5 .tLJe 1 fs ( 1 S . . . tLJc600) , or I S .b3 �dS oo . Komliakov) I S .tLJeS .l:tg8 with double-edged play (Van WeIy­ Topalov, Wijk aan ae 2 0 0 6 ) . B 2 ) Great complications . reminiscent of the Anti-Moscow Variation. arise after B.e4.

B2 1 ) In White's favour is

B...g5 9.�g3

b5 1 0.axb5 cxb5 1 1 .tLlxb5 axb5 12 .lha8 �b4+ 1 3 .lt>e2 tLlc6

axb5

1 2.l:txaB iLb4+

Thanks to this tactical trick, White strengthens his centre and stabilises the situation. 14_ tLla5 1 4 . . . tLJxd4+ ? loses be­ cause of I S .'itxd4! 'itxd4 1 6 . .l:!.xc8 + We? 1 7 .tLJc6 + . 1 5 JlbB tLlxe4 1 6.l:1xb5 �d2

1 4.tLle51

1 7.iVc2 tLlxg3+ 1 B.hxg3 �a6 1 9.Wixd2 �xb5 20.Wib4 Wib6 21 :.t>e3±

And now: 1 04

Berkes-Wang Hao,

Taiyuan 2 0 0 6 ; B 2 2 ) B... b51? 9 . axbS cxbS 1 0 .eS g5 I l .tLlxg5 hxg5 1 2 .�xgS tLlbd7 1 3 .'l!Wf3

Chapter 1 0: Pinning: 6.�gS

l'rbS 1 4.exf6 �b7 l S .Vf4 ttJb6 (White has an extra pawn, but it isn't easy to complete the development of his king­ side, whilst Black's light-squared bishop is very strong and his knight has the beautiful square dS) 1 6.h4 �b4 1 7 .hS IbdS l S .'iY g3 'it>d700. In this sharp posi­ tion, Black's chances are in no way worse. B3) B.aS The most unpleasant move for Black to face. Now the pawn on c4 is cut off from its support, and its loss is only a matter of time. In order to obtain counterplay, Black must go over to pre­ paring the break . . . c6-cS .

7.

�g5xf6

'i'dSxf6

S.

e2-e3

ttJbS-d7

9.

'iVd1 -c2

In the line 9 . �d3 g6 1 0 . 0-0 �g7 1 1 .e4 dxe4 1 2 . ttJxe4 '*I!f4 1 3 .g3 'fic7 1 4.'fie2 0-0 l S .l:!.ad1 eS 1 6 .dxeS ttJxeS 1 7 . ttJxeS 'iYxeS=F Black takes over the initiative. 9.

.

..

g7-g6

White retains pressure after 9 . 'i!b'dB 1 0.!kd3 !ke7 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2.J:tad1 , for exam­ ple: 1 2 ... dxc4 1 3 .!kxc4 bS 14.!ka2 'liVb6 1 S .!kb1 g6 (Ushenina-Zhukova , Odessa 2 0 0 6 ) 1 6 .h4 hS Allowing the enemy knight into eS is very dangerous : 1 6 . . . ttJf6 1 7 .ttJeS hS I S .ttJxg 6 ! fxg6 1 9 .'fixg6 + 'it>hS 2 0 . f4 i::l a 7 2 1 .IH3 �b4 2 2 :�'h6+ 'it>gS 2 3 . .l:tg3+ 'it>f7 24.aS ! ! 'iYbS 2 S . ttJe4 ttJxe4 2 6 . �xe4 , and White's attack can be beaten off only at the cost of great material loss. 1 7.tiJe2 !kd6 1 B.e4;1; with the better prospects. . .

8 c5 White is better after S . . . gS 9 . �g3 .ib4 1 0 .'iYa4 ttJdS 1 1 .e3 bS 1 2 .axb6 as 1 3 .'I'c2 �a6 1 4.ttJeS tDxb6 l S .h4± (Rogozellko-R. Vukic, Timisoara 2 0 0 6) 9 bf6 Black easily equalises in the end­ game after 9.dxcS 'i'xd l + 1 0 .l:!.xd 1 �xcS 1 1 .ttJeS tDc6 1 2 .tDxc4 �b4 9 .. 'llixf6 9 . . . gxf6 100ks risky: 1 0 .dS exdS 1 1 .ttJxdS, for example: 1 1 . . .ttJc6 1 2 .e3 l:!.gS 13 .�xc4 l:!.xg2 1 4. ttJf4 .I1g7 l S .'iYxdS+ WxdS 1 6 .0-0-0+ 'it>c7 1 7 .ttJdS + 'it>bS l S .tLlb6 l::ra 7 1 9 .1:!.hg 1 ;J; 1 0.dS 'i!b'dB 1 1 .tiJeS ...

..

1 0.

�f1 -d3

�fS-g7

.

tiJd7 1 2.t21xc4 !ke7 1 3.dxe6 fxe6 14.g3;1;

White retains the advantage, Shulman­ Shabalov, Chicago 2 0 0 6 . Now we reach the main line after 6 . . . h6. lOS

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bolog an

In this position, typical of the Moscow Variation, White keeps the opening initia­ tive, thanks to his better development and space advantage.

Black's role is little more than that of a spectator.

IV 6

...

'iYd8-a5

7.

�f8-b4?!

This plan with . . . 'iYaS is not very good, since it allows the doubling of the f-pawns.

8.

�g5xf6

9.

g 7 xf6

g2-g3

�b8-d7

1 0.

�f1 -g2

f6-f5

11.

0-0

�b4-e7

1 2.

e2-e3

'iYa5-b4

1 3.

'iYb3-a2

Of course, it is not favourable for White to exchange queens, since in the rniddlegame, the black king will not feel fully safe. �e7-f6

13. 1 4.

a4-a5

iYb4-e7

15.

c4xd5

c6xd5

16.

:::t f1 -b1

0-0

1 7.

b2-b4

b7-b5

Essential , else White will exert too much pressure on the queenside. 7.

�d 1 - b3

It is also possible not to determi ne the position of the queen yet, and simply to develop the pieces : 7.e3 'lWa5 7 . . . h6 8 . �h4 �bd7 9 . �d3 b6 1 0 . 0 - 0 �b7 1 Uue5 �xe5 1 2 . dxe5 dxc4 1 3 . exf6 'iYxd3 1 4 .fx g 7 .l:rg8 I S .'iYf3 .lhg 7 (Black also has the interesting, but inad­ equate I S . ·\�N5 1 6 .'Ii'g3 'iY g 6 1 7 . 'i'c 7 .!:hg7 1 8 .g 3 f6 1 9 .'iVxb 6±) 1 6 .<1:Je4 f5 1 7 . 'iYh5 + with a strong attack, Khalifman-Ho dgson, Ischia 1 996

1 8.

a5xb6

�d7xb6

1 9.

tLJf3-e1

itc8-d7

20.

tLJe1-d3

�d7-b5

21 .

tLJd3-c5;t

. .

.

8.�xf6

�xc3+

9.bxc3 'lii x c3+

gxf6 1 1 .cxd5 exd5 1 2 .�e2 f 5 1 3. 0 - 0

ti:J d 7

14.a5

'iVb4

1 0/2J d 2

1 2 . . .�f5 ! ?

1 5 .�d3

ti:Jf6

(Vag ani an-Volkov, Moscow 2 0 0 2) , and here the avoidance of ex­ changes des erves attention : 1 7.ti:Jb3 'iVe7

Gagunashvili-V. Milov, Oak Brook 2 0 0 7 .

1 6:iVc2 ti:Je4

1 8.13 ti:Jd6 1 9.1:iae1 .

White has more than sufficient compen­ sation for the pawn, and in any event, 106

V

6

'"

tLJb8-d7

The most common continuation. Black does not yet commit his king's bishop, waiting to see what plan White will

Chapter 1 0: Pinning: 6 . �g5 choose, before deciding whether the bishop should go to e7 or b4. The suggestion of the Russian grandmas­ ter Dydyshko deserves attention, of trying to cramp Black on the queenside by means of 7.a 5. After this, I believe Black should try to use the slight breathing space to take concrete measures.

1 3.exd4 dxc4 14.tLlxc4 'Wic7 1 5 .J::ta c1 Jil.d7 1 S .'iVb3

.l1I.dS

1 7.tLlxdS

draw

(Lalic-Dunnington, London 1 9 9 7 ) . Interesting i s B.cxd5, trying t o transpose into the game Yakovenko-Laznicka. If Black wishes to avoid this, he must play B ...tLlXd5, after which White has the typi­ cal pawn sacrifice 9.e4 tLlxc3 1 0.bxc3 tLlfS 1 1 .i.d3 �xc3+ 1 2.We2.

V. l 7.

e2-e3

Vyacheslav Andreevich said that Black now obtains a good variation of the Cambridge Springs, where the inclusion of the move a4 is less favourable to White than Black's move . . . a6. Even so, this seemingly intri­ cate continuation requires energetic and resourceful play from Black.

There followed 12 ... �a5 1 3.�c2 iLe7 1 4.l:lhe1 hS Extremely optimistic. Correct was 1 4 . . . �b4 1 5 .�d2 �xd2 1 6 .liJxd2 'i!'h5 + 1 7 .tLJf3 0 - 0 1 8 . 'i!'c5 'iVxc5 1 9 . dxc5 �. 1 5 . .l1I.d2 �h5 1 S.e5 iL'g4 1 7.l:!h1 !+- and the knight cannot be saved, Ehlvest-Paragua, Calvia 2 0 0 4.

7

.

..

�d8-a5

Worse is 7 . . . �b4?! 8 . �d3 'iVa5 9 . 0- 0 h6 (9 ... �xc3 1 0 .bxc3 dxc4 1 1 .�xc4 tLJe4 1 2 .kf4 liJxc3 1 3 .'iVc2 'iVb4 1 4.�d3 ttJd5 1 5 .�g3 �) 1 0 .�h4 dxc4 1 1 .�xc4 0-0 1 2 .�c2 c5 1 3 .tLJa2 cxd4 1 4. tLJxb4 �xb4 1 5 .tLJxd4t Greenfeld-Movsesian, Izmir 2 0 04. 8.

tt:Jf3-d2

We only considered B..l1I.xfS tLlxfS 9.tLld2 9.�c2 b5 ; 9 .�d3 �b4 1 0 .'i!'c2 dxc4 1 1 .�xc4 c5 1 2 .0-0 cxd4= Chebanenko. 9....l1I.b4 1 0.'iVc2 c5 1 1 .Jil.e2 0-0 1 2.0-0 cxd4

8.

...

9.

iVd1 -c2

�f8-b4

Or 9.':cl c5 1 0 .�e2 cxd4 1 1 .exd4 dxc4 1 2 .�xf6 QJxf6 1 3 .QJxc4 'iVd8 1 4. 0 - 0 0-0 1 5 .�f3 ':b8 1 6 .liJe5 'i!'e7 1 7. 'i!'b3 ':d8 and although Black has not solved the problem of the c8 bishop, he is able to hold, thanks to his control over the dark squares, S. Savchenko-Bareev, Azov tt 1 996. 9. 1 0.

c6-c5 tt:Jd2-b3

The quiet developing move 10.il.e2 allows Black to create a favourable pawn structure in the centre and even, given the chance, 107

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

to seize the initiative. For example, 1 0 ... cxd4

1 1 .exd4

1 3 .tbxc4 1JJic 7

d xc4

14.�b3

1 2 .�xfS �dS

1 5 .a5

tbxfS 0-0

1 S.�bS .!adS 1 7.�f3 J:l.bS 1 S.0-0-0 tbd5 The following line also looks reasonable: l S . . . jLf4+ ! ? 1 9 .'it>b 1 jLd7 2 0 .'ilxc7 jLxc 7 + . 1 9.\{!hc7 !J;...xc7 20.J:the1 tbb4 20 .. .tDxc3 P 2 1 .bxc3 �d7 + Komliakov. 21 .tbbS �xbS 22.axbS J:IdS 23.d5 J:l.xbS 24.�g4

WfS

24 .. .fS ! ? 2 S .jLf3 jLd7 + .

25.dxeS �xeS 2S.�xeS fxeS 27J:td7 ncs 2S.l:1e3 tbd5 29J'J:.g3 tbe7f.

Beliavsky-Piket,

Madrid 1 9 9 7 . 1 0.

...

'iVa5-c7

l S .jLf4 eS 1 9 .jLg3 .:rd8 2 0 . 0 - 0 ttJxe4 2 1 .jLxe4 tbf6 2 2 .'iYc2 ttJxe4 2 3 .�xe4 �f6 =. 1 S ... �b7

1 S ... 1JJi b S 1 7.tbe4 �e7 1 S.tbd4

1 9.tbxfS+ �xfS 20.�xfS tbxfS= .

11.

...

1 2.

d4xc5

lZ'ld 7xf6 d5xc4

13.

�f1 xc4

kb4xc5

1 3 . . . 0-0 1 4 .jLe2 jLxcs l S .tDxcS 'iYxcs 1 6 . 0 - 0 �d7 1 7 .�f3 �c6 l S .�xc6 draw, Ftacnik-Postny, Germany Bundesliga 2006/07). 1 4.

lZ'l b3xc5

'iVc7xc5

1 5.

kc4-e2

1/2-1/2

Gyimesi-V Georgiev, Hamburg 2 0 0 0 . Y. 2

7.

11.

�g5xf6

The exchanging operation in the centre also fails to pose any great danger for Black: 1 1 .dxc5 0-0 1 2.�d3 1 2 .11c1 �xc3 + 1 3 .bxc3 dxc4 1 4.�xc4 'ilc6 1 5 . 0 - 0 'iYxa4 1 6 .jLd3 h6 ; 1 2 .jLxf6 tDxf6 1 3 .cxdS CUxdS 1 4.jLd3 h6 1 5 . 0 -0 tDxc3 1 6 .bxc3 jLxc S. 12 ...dxc4 1 3 .�xc4 �xc5 14.�d3 �dS! 1 5J:tc1 bS 1 S.'li'd2 1 6 .'iYe2 ? ! 'ilbS 1 7 . CU d2 i,b 7 I S . tDf3 (better is l S .tDc4 jLc7 1 9 .f4 h6 2 0 .jLM eSao) l S . . . CUg4 1 9 .�b 1 ( 1 9 . �e4 �xe4 2 0 . tDxe4 jLM+ 2 1 .tDed2 tDcS) 1 9 .. Jks 20 . .:rd 1 tDfS 2 1 .h3 ttJeS + and it is obvi­ ous that not only has Black equalised, but he has also taken the initiative Mamedyarov-Dautov, Plovdiv 2 0 0 3 . l OS

'lWd1 -c2

A relatively fresh continuation, the main line being 7 .e 3 'iYaS S .ttJd2 . . After 7 . 'iVc 2 , if Black tries to play in similar fashion, then after 7 . .'&' as the reply S . cxdS is unpleasant. On the mher hand, if Black continues developing with 7 . . . �e7 , followed by S . . O - O , he has a cramped position, and it is not clear that he has anything to be too happy about. 7...�e7 S.e3 0-0 Here, probably a strong move is 9.�d 3 ! 9 .aS h6 1 0 .jLh4 cS 1 1 . cxdS lZ'lxdS 1 2 .jLxe 7 lZ'lxe7 1 3 .dxcS tDxcS 1 4.M ttJd7 l S .�e2 ttJc6 1 6 .1::!.b 1 'iY e 7 1 7 .iYe4 ttJf6 l S .'iVh4 e S 1 9 .1Ll e4 .

.

.

Chapter 1 0: Pinning: 6.�gS

tLlxe4 2 0 .1/!fxe4 g 6 2 I .Ilb2 Ild8 with ap­ proximate equality (Van Wely-Naer, Min­ neapolis 2 0 0 S ) : A) Now, not very convincing is 9 ... aS 1 0 .0-0 b6 l 1 .lDeS ± ; B ) 9 ... dxc4 1 0..lll.xc4 c5 The small sim­ plifying operation 1 0 . . . lDdS does not solve all of Black's problems: 1 1 .fixe7 'J/lixe7 1 2 . 0 - 0 ttJb4 1 3 .1/!fb3 cS 1 4 . dxcS 'iYxcs I S .lDe4 1/!fe7 1 6 .Ilfd 1 lDb6 1 7 . tLl e S ! (after 1 7 . aS a draw was agreed in Lerner-Naer, Jerusalem 2 0 0 S . Play can continu e : 1 7 . . . lDxc4 I 8 .'Mfxc4 ttJc6 1 9 .h3 ;t - a classical Chebanenko waiting move, keeping options open ! ) 1 7 . . . £d7 1 8 . Ild6± - Black's pieces are beginning to hang rather dangerously. 1 1 .0-0 cxd4 12.exd4 ttJbS 13 ..lll. d 3 hS One way or an­ other, Black has to weaken his kingside. The move 1 3 . . . g6 also has its downside : 1 4 .'lWb3 lDbdS l S .tb e s 1/!fd6 1 6 .aS 'iVb4 1 7 .£c4 'lWxb 3 1 8 .£xb 3;!; - the knight on f6 lacks the support of a pawn and Black's minor pieces are 'hanging in the air' . 14.�xfS ..bfS 1S .�e4 ttJdS 1 S J�i'b3;t Black cannot defend the dS outpost, which means he has to suffer for equal­ ity. C) 9... hS 1 0.�h4 cS 1 1 .0-0 bS 1 2.cxdS exdS 13 .ttJeS .lll. b 7 14.f4 ttJeS 1 S.jLxe7 1\Vxe7 (Gustafsson-Ruck, Budapest 2 0 04) 1 S.aS! Underlining the fact that Black's pawn structure is not very elastic and is vulner­ able to some heavy blows. 1 S ...ttJefS 1 6 . . . bS 1 7 .lDxd 7 ± is not good for Black. 17.�fS bS 1 S.ttJxd 7 ttJxd7 1 9 . .lll.x d7 1\Vxd7 20.dxcS !tfeS 21 Jlad 1 ± White's advantage is indisputable; 7.

...

�d8-a5

8.

c4xd5

c6xd 5

A) With the classical structure after 8 . exdS Black's pieces would be mis..

placed - they are too far from the kingside, where Black usually seeks his counterplay : 9.e3 ttJe4 1 0.�f4 Play also favours White after I O . .ik.d3 lDxgS l 1 . lDxgS ke7 1 2 . tLl f3 lDf6 1 3 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 4.lDeS cS I s .f4 . 10 ...�b4 1 1 Jlc1 ttJbS For some reason, Rybka likes this rather fancy move. 1 2.�c7 �fS 1 3.�d3 .ucS 1 4.�xbS 'li'xbS 1 5 .0-0 jLxc3 1 S.bxc3 cS 1 7.ttJh4± White wins a pawn and retains all the advantages of his position; B) S...ttJxdS 9.�d2! An unpleasant re­ source for Black to face; however, even af­ ter the more direct 9.e4 lDb4 1 0 .1/!fd2 cS;!; White retains the opening initiative. 9_.ttJb4 Bad is 9 . . . lDxc3 1 0 .e4±. 1 0.'ii:¥b 3 1\VbS 1 0 . . . cS 1 1 .lDa2 ± 1 1 .ttJe4 as 1 2.e3 .lll. e 7 1 3 ..lll.c4 0-0 14.0-0. White has a small , but stable advantage.

9.


After 9.e3 Black succeeds in obtaining counterplay on the queenside : 9 . . . bS 1 0 . lDd2 (necessary prophylaxis , bad is 1 0 . .ik.d3 b4 1 1 .lDe2 b 3 + 1 2 ."i¥d2 .ik.b4 1 3 .lDc3 lDe4 1 4 . .ihe4 dxe4+) 1 0 . . . b4 1 1 .lDcb 1 (only this way ; White loses af­ ter I I .lD e 2 b3 1 2 .'ihb3 Cbe4) 1 1 . . .fib7 1 2 . lDb3 1/!fd8 I 3 .�d3 �d6 I 4 .f4 1/!fb6 I S .aS 1/!fa7 1 6 . lD l d2 .tf.c8 I 7 .1/!fdl ttJe400 . Both sides have their trumps. 109

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan 9

...

h 7-h6

Full equality is not promised by either 9 . . . �d6 1 0 .e3 h6 1 I .�h4- 0-0 1 2 .�d3 ;!; , or 9 . . . � b4 I O .e3 <1:Je4 I l .ti"dxe4 dxe4 1 2 .�h4 0-0 1 3 .�e2 f5 1 4. 0 - 0 <1:Jf6 1 5 :iYb3;!;. 1 0.

�g5-h4

g 7-g5

11.

�h4-g3

lLlf6-h5

1 2.

e2-e3

lLlh 5xg3

As usual, one must also check the inclu­ sion of the moves 7... hS B .li!.h4 and only then B .. :�a5 8 . . . Jil.e7 9 .e3 0-0 1 0 .�d3! favours White. .

It is essential to exchange the bishop ; on 1 2 . . . �g7 1 3 .�d6± is unpleasant. 1 3.

h 2xg3

lLld 7-f6

the event of 1 3 . . . �g7 1 4 .�d3 0-0 1 5 . 0 - 0 <1:Jf6 1 6 .<1:Jb3 'i&d8 1 7 .a5;!; White can seize valuable space on the queenside. In

1 4.

�f1 -d3

�c8-d7

15.

0-0

J:ta8-c8

16.

lLld2-f3

Black has sufficient counterplay after 1 6 .e4 dxe4 1 7 .<1:Jdxe4 �e7 1 8 :iVe2 (Khenkin-Volkov, Stockholm 2 0 0 4) , for example: 1 8 . . . Jil.c6 1 9 . <1:Jxf6 + �xf6 2 0 .<1:Je4 Jil.xd4 2 1 .tLld6+ c;t>d7 2 2 .<1:Jxc8 �d5 2 3 .Jil.e4 �xe4 24.�xe4 �xe4 2 5 . l:.ad l l:.xc8 2 6 . l:.xd4+ �d5 2 7 . .l:!.fd l l:. c 2 2 8 .l:.4d2 l:.c4) 1 6 . . . Jil. g 7 1 7 .<1:Je5

A) 9.cxd5 tLlxd5 1 0.e4 t2lxc3 1 1 .bxc3 c5 1 2.d5 Play turns out in Black's favour after 1 2 .�e2 cxd4 1 3 .tLlxd4 Jil.d6 1 4.0-0 'iYc7 ! (an accurate move, forcing the ex­ change of bishops; on 1 4 . . . 0 - 0 there is 1 5 .f4 ! 00 ) 1 5 .�g3 �xg3 1 6 .hxg3 O-Of. 1 2 ... exd5 1 3 .exd5 g5! 14 ...ig3 Sharp, but harmless for Black, is 1 4.c;t>d2 gxh4 1 5 . iVe4+ c;t>d8 1 6 .<1:Je5 <1:JxeS 1 7 .'i'xeS l:.g8-+. 14 ....li!.g7, and Black firmly holds the initiative; B) 9.e3! My idea in including the moves 7 . . . h6 8 .�h4 consisted in the fact that now 9 . cxd5 is not so good, but after the simple text it is not clear what Black has achieved. B 1 ) Pointless is 9... ..ib4 1 0...id 3. B2) Opening the centre does not prom­ ise equality, as Black still has problems with the development of his queenside: 9 . .c5 1 0 .�e2 dxc4 I l .Lc4 �e7 1 2 .0-0 0-0 (it is somewhat better to head for a position with White having an isolated pawn; 1 2 . . . cxd4 1 3 .exd4 0-0 1 4JHe l !) 1 3 .l:.ad l cxd4 (or 1 3 . . . <1:Jb6 1 4 .Lf6 �6 1 5 .<1:Je4±) 14.l:.xd4 <1:Jb6 1 5 .�a2±; .

White's prospects are somewhat better, although Black retains a fully defensible position. 110

.

Chapter 1 0 : Pinning : 6.�g5

B3) By 9 dxc4?! Black hopes for the other break . . . e6-e5 , but this plan is not so simple to carry out: 1 0.�xc4 B3 1) On 10 ... b5? White obtains the ad­ vantage with 1 1 .�xe 6 ! (harmless is 1 l.�b3 c5 1 2 .dxc5 tt"lxc5 1 3 .�xf6 gxf6 14.0-0 b4 1 5 . tt"le4 �b7 1 6 .tt"lxc5 'iVxc5 1 7 :i'd3 �3 1 8 .gxf3 .!:lg8+ 1 9 .'lt>h 1 'i'c6 2 0 .'iVe2 .!:ld8 2 1 ..!:lac 1 .!"!.d2 , Komliakov) 1 1 . . . fxe 6 1 2 .'iV g6+ \t>d8 13 .t2Je5 Wc7 1 4 .tt:lxc6 'iVb6 1 5 .axb5 axb5 1 6.Rxa8 'iVxc6 1 7 . .a:.a 1 ± , and Black has trouble finding a safe place for his king; B 32) 1O.. �d6 1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2 . .!::l. fd 1 � White has simple and clear play in the centre, and his advantage is not in doubt (Komliakov) . B4) 9. .1L1e4 1 0.Jtd3 f5 If 1 0 . . . g5 1 1 .�g3 tDxg3 1 2 .hxg3 dxc4 1 3 .�xc4 �g 7 , White takes his king to the queenside: 14.0-0-0�, whereas it is quite unclear what Black will do with his king. 1 1 .0-0 �d6 After 1 1 . . .g5 1 2 .�g3 tt"lxg3 1 3 .fxg3 �g7 1 4. cxd5 cxd5 1 5 . g4 fxg4 1 6 .�g6+ �d8 1 7 .�d2 ± the black king comes un­ der attack. 1 2 .c5 �b8 1 3 .�xe4 fxe4 14.tLld2 0-0 15.f3 exf3 1 6 .1L1xf3±, and Black's queenside is cramped, Van Wely­ Karjakin, Merida tt 2 0 0 5 . ...

.

The most principled reply. 8.

c4xd5

In case of 8 . e 3 'iVa5 9 . tt"ld2 c5 we trans­ pose into the variation 7 .e3 . S.

...

e6xd5

Also perfectly possible is 8 . . . cxd5 9 . e3 h6 (9 . . . 0-0 1 0 .�d3�) 1 0 .�h4 0-0 1 1 .�d3 b6 1 2 .0-0 �b7 1 3 .tt"le5 (the assessment is not affected significantly by 1 3 . .!:lfc 1 �d6 1 4.'iVe2 'iVe7 1 5 . .!:lc2 .!:lfc8 1 6 . .!:lac 1 'iVf8 1 7 .tt"la2 .!:lxc2 1 8 .l'hc2 tt"le4 Gustafsson-Volkov, Internet 2 0 04) 13 . . . 'iV c7 1 4.tt"lxd7 tt"lxd7 15 . .!::l. ac 1 .!::l.fc8 1 6 .iVe2 iVd6 1 7 .h3 �xc3 1 8 .bxc3 iVa3 1 9 .'iYc2 as 2 0 .�b5 tt"lf8 . In this position, White's advantage is more of theoretical than practical significance. e2-e3

a6-a5

1 0.

i.f1 -d3

.¥i.b4-e7

11.

0-0

0-0

1 2.

h2-h3

h 7-h6

9.

White has the standard Carlsbad-style ad­ vantage after 1 2 . . . .!:le8 1 3 . .!:lae 1 tt"lf8 1 4.tt"le5 , Tkachiev-Chuprikov, Sochi 2 0 0 5 . 1 3.

i[g5-f4

14.

tLlf3-e5

tLld7-bS tLl bS-a6

1 5.

tLlc3-a2

.¥i.cS-e6

1 6.

�d1 -b3

tLla6-b4

1 7.

tLla2xb4

i[e7xb4

1 S.

.i:ta1 -c1

tLlf6-d7

Back to the position after 7 .'iVc2 . 7.

...

�fS-b4

Black is close to equality. III

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan Y. 3

7.

c4xd5

8.

e2-e3

e6xd5

Play again goes into Carlsbad-type lines, but unlike the line S. 'fib3 , here White has weakened the square b4.

A) In this position, B...�aS is a fully via­ ble line, since the pawn on a4 means that White cannot control the b4-square. A I ) 9.�d3 tLJe4 1 0.0-0 tLJxgS 1 1 .tLJxgS tLJf6 1 1 . . .�e7 1 2 . f4 t{\f6 1 3 .'fic2 h6 1 4.ttJf3 �e6 I S .ttJeS nd8 1 6 .h3 hS 1 7 .ttJf3 Wf8 1 8 .ttJgS� Gelfand-Kamsky. Elista 2 0 0 7 . 1 2.'lfVc2 White does best to refrain from a pawn break in the centre for the time being; 1 2 . e4? ! h6 1 3 .eS hxg S 1 4 . exf6 gxf6 I S . 11e 1 + �e6 1 6 .'fif3 �c7 1 7 .h3 'fif4+; 1 2 .f4 �g4 1 3 .�b3 'fib4 1 4 .'fic2 h6 J S .ttJf3 Lf3 1 6 . nxf3 �e 7=. 1 2 ... h6 1 3.tLJf3 �d6 14.�fS 1 4.ttJe S ? ! ...IiL xeS 1 S . dxeS ttJg4+ ; 1 4. 11ae 1 0 - 0 1 S .ttJeS cS 1 6 .f4 'fib4. 1 4 ... 0-0 1S.tLJeS �xfS 1 6.'iVxfS 'iVb4 17 ..!::t a b1 l:!aeB= Komliakov; A2) 9.tLJd2 The knight is not badly placed on d2, supporting the e4-square and preparing to jump to b 3 . 9 ....>te7 White is better after 9 . . . �d6 1 0 . ...IiLd3 0-0 l 1 .ttJb3 'fi c7 1 2 .aS lle8 1 3 .�h4 h6 1 4 .�g 3 � . 1 0.�d3 0-0 1 1 .0-0 !:teB 1 2.'iVc2 'iVdB?! A serious inaccuracy, allowing White to fIx the queenside. 112

1 3.aS! tLJfB 1 4.tLJb3 h6 1 s..bf6 �xf6 1 6.tLJcS �e7 1 7.b4 .¥Ld6 1 B.l::tfe1 'iVc7 1 9.g3 tLJe6 20.14 'f1.e7 21 .tLJ3a4 tLJfB 22.tLJb6 .!:.b8 23.r;!;>g2;!; and although this game ended in a draw, thanks to desperate defence by Black, he has not repeated the line since, Yakovenko-Laznicka, Pamplona 2 0 0 6 ; B ) B...a S In this way, Black deprives his opponent of the chance to fIx the queenside by a4-aS , although this is not always so dangerous for him anyway.

9.�d3 �e7 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .lWc2 �e8 1 2J�ae1 tLJfB 1 3 .tLJeS tLJg4 14.�xe7 J:ixe7 1 S.14 f6 1 6.tLJxg4 �xg4 1 7.1S �hS 1 B.'/iUf2 1 8 .�h 1 'fib6 1 9 Jig 1 ...IiLf7 2 0 .g4 Cild7 (White obtained a small advantage after 2 0 . . . cS 2 1 .'fifl cxd4 2 2 . exd4 llae8 2 3 . 11 d l lle3 2 4 .�bS Ii 8 e 7 , Van Wely-Sedlak, Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 4 / 0 S ; 2 S .'figl;!;) 2H �'f2 r;!;>hB 22.95 fxg S 23J:txgS tLJf6 24.'f1.eg1 �hS. 1B ..:iI'b6

Chapter 1 0 : Pinning : 6.�g5

19 .h3 .if7 2 0 .g4 h6 2 1 .h4 tLlh7 2 2 .'it>hl :!:!.ae8 B . n g l '{irc7 Slipak-Garcia Palermo, Villa Gesell 1 9 9 8 .

White has only an insignificant advan­ tage, but thanks to his extra class, he con­ fldently turned it to victory (Atalik-Vegh, Budapest 1 9 9 8 ) .

Now for the main line after 8 .e3 . 8. 9.

... ilLf1 -d3

10.

�d1 -c2

ilLf8-e7

VA

0-0

7.

7.

...

h7-h6

8.

ilLg5xf6

tLJd7xf6

1 0 .aS ! ? 1 0.

.

..

laf8-e8

11.

0-0

tLJd7-f8

1 1 . . . a5 transposes to line B above.

'/i'd1 -b3

9.

a4-a5

c6-c5

1 0.

e2-e3

c5xd4

12.

tLJf3-e5

tLJf6-g4

11.

e3xd4

d5xc4

1 3.

ilLg5xe7

�d8xe7

1 2.

ilLf1 xc4

ilLf8-d6

14. 'tt'le5xg4

�.c8xg4

13.

0-0

0-0

1 5.

.!:!.a1 -e1

ilLg4-h5

14.

I::!.f1 -e1

na8-b8

1 6.

f2-f4!

l:\a8-d8

1 7.

f4-f5

f7-f6

1 8.

.!:!.f1 -f4

c6-c5

1 9.

�c2-d2

fi.h5-f7

20.

ilLd3-c2

Hillarp 2007.

Persson -Khalifman,

Dresden

v. s

7.

a4-a5

1 13

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

There are a few sensi ble options : A) 7...dxc4 A I ) 8.e3 h6 The plan with S . . . b 5 ! ? de­ serves attention. so as to open lines on the queenside and exert pressure on the b2 pawn: 9 . axb6 �xb6 1 0 .k!.a2 h6 1 L �.xf6 CUxf6 1 2. CU e S �b4 1 3 . CUxc4 �c7 14.�d3 c5 1 S .0-0 0-0. 9..bf6 tiJxf6 1 0.�xc4 .lll. b 4 1 1 .'lWa4 'lWe7 1 2.0-0 0-0 1 3.tiJe5 .lll. d6 1 3 . . . c5 ? 1 4 .CUa2± ; 1 3 . . . �d 7 1 4.'iYb3;!; Janssen-lobron, Wijk aan Zee 2 0 0 3 . 14.tiJd3 c5 White retains pressure in the event of 1 4 . . . �d7 1 5 . 'li'b3 Ua bS 1 6. IHd I ;!; ; and also after 1 4 . . . lLlg4 1 5 .h3 'i'fh4 1 6 . J:!:fd l �h2 + 1 7 .Wfl tLlf6 1 S .lLle5 �xe5 1 9 .dxe5 lLld5 2 0 .�d3 'i'fg5 2 1 .'Ii'e4 f5 2 2 . exf6 lLlxf6 2 3 . 'Ii'b4;!;. 1 5 .dxc5 �xc5 16.tiJxc5 'lWxc5 17 . .lll.e2 1 7 .�d3 ! ? �d7 1 S . lLle4;!;. 1 7...�d7 1 8.tiJe4 Dautov-Morozevich. Bled 2 0 0 2 1 8... tiJxe4 1 9.'lWxd7 'i¥b4 20.'lWa4 'i¥xb2 2U�a2 'lWe5 22.f4 'lWd5 23..lll.f3 f5; A2) The gambit idea 8.e4 is fully possi­ ble : 8... h6

9.�h4 The exchange on f6 does not give Black great problems; he can quietly com­ plete his development and then organise the advance . . . c6-c5 : 9 .�xf6 lLlxf6 I 0 .'Ii'a4 �d7 1 1 .'Ii'xc4 (after 1 1 .lLle5 Garry Kasparov not only solved all Black's problems, but also took over the initia1 14

tive: 1 1 . . . c 5 1 2 .lLlxd7 �xd7 1 3 .d5 'i'xa4 1 4Jha4 exd5 1 5 .lLlxd5 lLlxd5 1 6 .exd5 0-0-0 1 7 .�xc4 �d6 1 S . 0 - 0 llheS 1 9 .93 .l;I.e4 2 0 .b3 fi.deS:j: Gelfand-Kasparov. Moscow 2 0 02 ) 1 1 . . . .l;I.cs 1 2..�d3 c5 1 3 . d5 exd5 1 4 .exd5 �d6 1 5 . 0-0 0-000. 9.. ii.b4 1 0.'lWa4 �xc3+ 1 1 .bxc3 g5 1 2.]£g3 tiJxe4

1 3.'iVxc4 If 1 3 .�xc4 lLlxg3 1 4. hxg 3 . a more or less forcing variation gives Black good counterplay: 1 4 . . . b5 1 5 .axb6 tLlxb6 1 6 .'Ii'a2 ( 1 6 .'i'fxc6+ fails to 1 6 . . . .id7 1 7 .'Ii'c5 UcS l S .'Ii'e5 f6-+) 1 6 . . . tLlxc4 1 7 .'Ii'xc4 'li'd5 1 S .'ii d3 as 1 9 .c4 .ia6 2 0 .U c 1 'li'f5 2 1 .'Ii'xf5 exf5 2 2 .<1'lxgS UbS oo . 13 ... tiJxg3 14.hxg3 and now: A2 1 ) 14 ...c5?! A2 1 1 ) 1 5.�e2 cxd4 1 6 .1:ldl Gagllnash­ vili-Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee 2 0 0 4 ( 1 6.cxd4 b 5 1 7 .axb6 lLlxb6 l S .'i'fd3 .ib7) 1 6 ... 'li'xa5 1 7 .'Ji:Vxd4 f6 l S.lLlxg5 'iUe5 ! ; A2 1 2 ) 1 5 .�d3 cxd4 1 6 .�xd4 ( 1 6.cxd4 b5 1 7 . ax b6 lLlx b 6 1 S . 'tW c 6 + .id7 1 9 .'i¥e4 lLld5OO) 1 6 . . . lLlf6 1 7 .'lWxd8+ WxdS I S .lLlxg5 �e7 1 9 .1Llf3 �d7 ; A2 1 3 ) 1 5 .dxc5 'fIf c 7 1 6 .c6 (both 1 6 .lLlxg5 "iYe5 + 1 7 .lLle4 f5 , and 1 6.l{riVd4 e5 1 7 .'i¥c4 lLlxc5 l S .lLlxg5 �f5 1 9 .J:!.dl 1:.cs are unfavourable for White) 1 6 . . . bxc6 1 7 .�e2 lLle5 (the incautious 1 7 . . . c5 allows White to carry out a devas-

Chapter 1 0 : Pinning : 6.�g5

tating cavalry raid : 1 8 .tLl x g S �b 7 1 9 .tDxe6 fxe6 2 0 .'ihe6 + �d8 2 1 . 0 -0-0 Itc8 22 .�g4 �c6 2 3 . .!"!.d6±) 1 8 .iYcS tLlxf3 + 1 9 . �xf3 �d7 1 0 J :tb l ;i; Komliakov. An) Before beginning active opera­ tions in the centre, it is better to drive the white knight further away : 14 ... g4 1 5/Zld2 tLlf6 1 6 .'iVd3 Less is offered by 1 6 .1lVe2 iY d S 1 7 . tLl c 4 t . 1 6 .. . '�c7 17.�c4 �d7 1 8.I:lb1 wf8 1 9.'tWd2 wg7 20.�d3 c5 21 .tLle5 cxd4 22.cxd4 J::i a c8 23.l"I.xh6 J::ix h6 24.'tWg5+ wf8 25.'tWxh6+ 9;; e 7 (Peek-Agrest, Gibraltar 2 0 0 6 ) 26.';t,f1 ±. Back to the position after 7 .as . B) 7... b5 The attempt to bypass the as pawn does not come free of charge: White can now spoil his opponent's pawn structure forever.

After 8.axb6 'tWxb6 , let us consider White's possibilities. B I ) 9."liVc2 cS (9 . . . dxc4 1 0 . e 3 ) 1 0 .cxdS ( 1 0 .e3 i.b7 1 1 .cxdS tLlxdS 1 2 .�c4 tLlb4 1 3 .iYe2 h6 1 4 . dxcS 'i'xcs I s .�f4+) 1 0 . . . tLlxdS 1 1 .<1JxdS exdS 1 l .g3 cxd4 1 3 .�g2 i.b4+ ( 1 3 . . . ji,cS 1 4 . 0 -0 0-0 I s JHc 1 h6 1 6 .�f4;i; ) 1 4.i.d2 .l:!.b8 1 5 . 0 - 0 �xd2 1 6 .'iVxd2 'iVxb2 1 7 .'iVxd4 0-0=;

B2) 9.�c1 cS (9 . . . i.b4 1 0 .cS 'iVc7 1 1 .g 3 eS 1 l .tLlxeS tLlxeS 1 3 .i.f4 tLlfg4 1 4 .f3 'Vie7 I S . fxg4 tLlxg4 1 6 .'Vid2 0-0 1 7 .h3 tLlf6 1 8 .i.g2 .l:!.e8 1 9 . 0-0 �fS 2 0 .i.eS ji,g6 2 1 .ji,xf6 gxf6 2 2 . .!"!.f2oo Komliakov) 1 0 . cxdS tLlxdS 1 1 . tLlxdS exdS 1 2 . g 3 cxd4 1 3 .�g2 �cS 1 4. 0 - 0 0 - 0 15 .i.f4 tLlf6 ; B 3 ) 9.'iYc1 c S ( 9 . . . �b4 ? ! 1 0 .cS 'ii'b 7 1 1 .i.xf6 tLlxf6 1 2 .e 3 ;i;) 1 0 .e 3 cxd4 l 1 .exd4 dxc4 1 2 .ji,xc4 ji,d6 1 3 . 0 - 0 0-0 with equality, Komliakov; B4) 9.J:ta2 ji,b4 1 0 .cS 'iYb 7 1 1 .ji,xf6 tLlxf6 1 2 .e 3 tLle4 1 3 .'iVc2 tLlxc3 1 4 .bxc3 i.xc H I S .tLld2 i.xd2 + 1 6 .�xd2 0-0 1 7 .i.d3 fs 1 8 . .l:!.b l 'iYc7 1 9 .f4 �d7 2 0 . .l:!.ab2;i;. C ) After 7... h6 the following move is well tested:

C l ) 8.�h4 �b4 8 . . . dxc4 9 .e4 gS 1 0 .�g3 i.b4 1 1 .'iVa4 hc3 + 1 2 .bxc3 transposes to 7 . . . dxc4. 9.'tWa4 �e7 1 0.e3 White is also better after 1 0 .cxdS exdS 1 1 .e3 0-0 1 2 .i.d3 cS 1 3 .0-0 .l:!.e8 1 4.l:i.fd l cxd4 1 5 .iYxd4 gS 1 6 .i.g3 tLlcs 1 7 .ji,c2± Zakharevich-Chuprov. Moscow 2 0 0 6 . 1 0...0-0 1 1 .�e2 c5 1 2.cxd5 exd5 1 3.0-0 b5 14.axb6 'tWxb6 15.'tWa2 c4 1 6.tLle5 'iVc7 1 7.tLlxd7 'liUxd7 1 8.�xf6 �xf6 19.tLlxd5!+­ Siebrecht-Sedina, Triesen 2 0 0 S. -

115

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

C2) The newer idea of giving the bishop is equally good: S.1Uf6 and now: C2 1 ) S...tLlxf6 9.eS g6 and now: CI 1 1 ) 1 0.'iVe2 �g7 1 1 . e4 dxe4 1 2 . QJxe4 QJxe4 1 3 .'iI'xe4 'iVdS 1 4.'iI'c2 eS l S . �c4 �S 1 6 .'iI'e2 '!:lVe4 1 7 .'iI'xe4 �xe4 1 8 .QJxeS �xeS 1 9 .dxeS .ll d 8 ! ( 1 9 . . . �xg2 2 0 . .ll g 1 �dS 2 1 .�xdS cxds 2 2 .'� d2 0-0-0 2 3 .�d3 d4 24 . .lla e 1 .lld S 2 S .b4± Babula-Jirka, Prague 2 0 0 7 ; more stubborn is 2 0 . . . �h3 2 1 . .ll g 3 �fS 2 2 . nb3 l:a7 23 . 0 - 0 - 0 �e7 24 . .lld 6:t) 2 0 . f3 �dS (Kramnik-Kasparov, Moscow rapid 2 0 0 1 ) 2 1 .�e 2 ! 0-0 n . .ll a 3 .ll d e8 2 3 .Ue3 f6 24.�d3 llxeS 2S . .ll xeS fxeS 2 6 .<;t>d2 ! ( 2 6 .�xg6 J:!.f4 2 7 .<;t>f2 .ll a 4oo) 2 6 . . . <;t>g7 2 7 .Me 1 :t Kasparov; C2 1 2) 1 0.g3 ��g7 1 1 .�g2 0-0 1 2 .0-0 ttJd7 13 .e4 dxe4 1 4'ttJxe4 eS I S .tLld6 exd4 1 6 .b4! and the knight on d6 is very strong: 1 6 . . . tLlf6 1 7 .tLleS ttJg4 1 8 .tLlxg4 h5 1 9 .�3 fs 2 O. tLlli 6 + Jhh6 2 1 .'!:lVxd4:t ; C n ) S .. :�Vxf6 9.'lllV b 3 �d6 1 0.g3 gS 1 1 .exdS exdS 1 2 . .b:ld1 �e7 1 3 .'?:!Ya3 tLlfS 1 4.�g2 �fS 1S.0-0 tLle600 Tunik-Burma­ kin, St Petersburg 2 0 0 3 . Back to the position after 7 .as . 7.

...

�fS-b4!?

8 . . . �xc3 + 9 .bxc3 b 5 1 0 .axb6 ( 1 0 . cxb5 cxbS 1 1 .'!:lVb400 Korneevets) 1 0 . . . QJxb6 1 1 .'iI'a2 tLlxc4 1 2 .e4 dxe4 1 3 .'iI'xc4 exf3 1 4.'!:lVxc6+ �d7 l s .'iI'xf3 0 - 0 1 6 .�e2:t, 9.

e2-e3

9 .�xf6 ttJxf6 1 0 .cS 0-0 1 1 ,M ttJe4 draw, (Zakharevich-Saraka uskas, St Petersburg 2005). ...

0-0

1 0.

c4xd 5

e6xd5

11.

�f1 -d3

I'i.fS-eS

1 2.

0-0

ttJf6-e4

1 3.

�g5-f4

9.

WhHe retains a small opening advantage, but Black also has his trumps for the fu­ ture : he has occupied the point e4 and opening the path for his queen's bishop to the kingside. Conclusion

S.

116

'iVd1 -a4

�b4-e7

It seems that one should listen to the ladies (Antoaneta Stefanova) and after 6 .�gS immediately stop the white pawn by 6 . . . aS , fixing the important square b4. Practice shows that it is not easy for White to obtain an advantage. Here, the key game for understanding the position is Belia vsky-Stefanova. If Black . delays, then things can become unpleasant for him after 7 .as .

Part I I I

-

The I nsidious 5.ttJe5

Chapter 1 1 : Th e Forcing 5 . . . b 5

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1 18

Cha pter 1 2 : The Ma in Move : 5 . . . e 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 1 Chapter 1 3 : The Exch a nge 5 . . . dxc4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 5 Chapter 1 4 : Chebanenko's Favourite : 5 . . . tbbd7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 9

117

Chapter 11 The Forcing 5 . . . b5 1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.tt'lg1 -f3 tt'lg8-f6 4'tt'l b 1 -c3 a7-a6 5'tt'lf3-e5 b7-b5

S. tt'leS is quite an insidious move, after which Black is forced to reveal his plans. One might say that White adopts his opponent's tactics. He plays a solid move, which does not determine either the pawn structure or the position of his bishops. In this chapter, we will investigate Black's reply S . . . bS, which virtually forces White to sim­ plify on dS. •••

First let's have a second look at Black's 5 th move.

After S . 4JeS , of course, most of all Black wishes to bring the c8 bishop into play, 1 18

but after 5 ...jLf5 there is the unpleasant re­ ply 6.VI!¥b3 , attacking the b7 pawn. For ex­ ample, 6 . . . b5 7 . cxd5 cxd 5 8 . a4 bxa4 9 .'ii'x a4+ .td7 1 0 .ltJxd7 tt'lbxd 7 1 1 . i. gS e6 1 2 . e4 dxe4 1 3 . .tb5 ! .te7 1 4.i.xf6 U6 1 5 . 4Jxe4 .txd4 1 6 . .ltc6 i.xb2 1 7 .l:!.d1 :ra7 1 8 .1kxd7 +, and Black re­ signed (Yermolinsky-Rohwer, Philadel­ phia 1 9 9 2 ) . Before turning, in the next chapter, to what we consider the strongest reaction for Black, we will first look at : 5. ... b7-b5 . . . after which White does best to ex­ change on dS at once :

Chapter 1 1 : The Forcing S . b5 . .

S. c4xd 5! Little is promised by 6.b3 e6 (6 . . . tLle4 ! ?) 7 .e3 tLibd7 (7 . . . �d6) 8 . <1Jxd7 �xd7 9.�e2 . .ib4 1 0 .�d2 bxc4 I l .bxc4 c5 1 2 .0-0 dxc4 l 3 .a3 cxd4 1 4.axb4 dxc3 I S .�xc3 0-0 1 6 .�xc4 �b5 1 7 .�e2 �xe4 1 8 .�xc4 �d5 1 9 . �xd5 <1Jxd5= (Dao Thien Hai-Ye Rongguang, Amster­ dam 1 9 9 6 ) . 6. . c6xd5 Besides the main move 7 .ik.f4 (see further on) , practice has also seen 7.g3 �b7 8. � gl e6 9 . 0 -0 �e7 1 0 .�4 <1Jc6 1 1 ..1:tc l 'i'b6 (stronger is 1 1 . . . <1Jxe5 1 2 .dxe5 tLld7 1 3 .e4 b4 1 4.<1Je2 dxe4 l S .'/Wd4 �b6 1 6 .'iVxb6 <1Jxb6 1 7 .<1Jd4 Uc8 1 8 Jhc 8+ <1Jxc8=) 1 2 . e4 <1Jxe 5 1 3 .dxe5 tLlxe4 1 4.<1Jxe4 dxe4 1 5 .'iVg4� (Lalie-Hodgson, Hastings 1 9 9 5 / 9 6) . ..

�d7 2 0 . <1Jc5� Ulibin-Shovunov, Elista 1996; B ) The black queen was caught in a beautiful trap in the following game: B...�e7 9 .a4 b4 1 0 . <1Ja2 0-0 1 1 .�d3 �b 7 1 1 . .l:!. c l 'iVb6 1 3 .0 - 0 b 3 ? ! (better is l 3 . . . tLlc6 1 4.a5 <1Jxa5 1 5 .tLld7 tLlxd7 1 6 .�c7 'iVa7 1 7 .�xa5 .l:!.ac8 1 8 . <1Jxb4 g 6 ;t Komliakov) 1 4.a5 ! '!Vxa5 1 5 .'!Vxb 3 .l:!.a7

1 6 .<1Jg6 ! +- Kosic-Dragasevic , Herceg Novi 2 0 0 6 ;

C) B ...tt'l b d7 9.�d3 IDxe5 1 0.�xe5 �dS 1 1 .0-0 White gets nothing from 1 1 .�xd6 'li'xd6 1 2 :iYf3 0-0 1 3 .'iYg3 'iYxg 3 1 4.hxg 3 = Hellsten-Hodgson, Bermuda 1 9 9 7 . 1 1 0-0 Possible is 1 1 . . . �b7 , for ex­ ample: 1 2. a4 (the plan 1 2 .f4 0-0 1 3 . .l:!.f3 deserves attention) 1 2 . b4 1 3 .�xd6 'iVxd6 1 4 .<1Ja2 0-0 I S .aS .l:!.fb8 draw, lukacs-Rogozenko, Budapest 1 9 9 5 . 1 2 .f4 i_b7 1 3.l:!.f3 g6 14.J::( h 3 �xe5 1 5.fxe5 llle4 1 6 .he4 dxe4 1 7.'tWe1 J::[cB 1 B.a3 f5 1 9.exf6 'tWxf6 20 ..!:th4 g5?! Better is 2 0 . . . 'iVe7 2 1 ..ll f4 lli5 2 2 .'!Ve2 '!Vc7 2 3 . 11afl .l:!.cf8 H.g3 W g 7 = Komliakov. 2U lfg3 'tWf2+ 22.'&xf2 l:!.xf2 23.lt>xf2 gxh4 24.l:!.c1 t Dautov-Movsesian, Germany Bundesliga 1 99 7 /98. ...

S.e3 Scarcely good is 8 . .l:!.c l ? ! , be­ cause White should be looking to play al-a4: 8 . . . jLe7 9.e3 0-0 1 0 . �d3 �b7 1 1 .0-0 �bd7 1 2 .'iVf3 <1Jxe5 1 3 .�xe5 ne8 14.�h3 g6 1 5 .a4 b4 1 6 .tLle2 �d7 1 7 .b3 tLie4= .

7 ..eS .

A) White obtains a small but stable plus after B... IDfd7 9 . �d3 <1Jxe5 1 0 . �xe5 tLld7 1 1 . � g3 tLlf6 1 2 . 0-0 �e7 1 3 .a4 b4 1 4.lbb l 0-0 1 5 .<1Jd2 as 1 6 . 'iVe2 �d6 1 7 .nfc l ik.xg3 1 8 .hxg3 'iVb6 1 9 .tLlb3

. .

1 19

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Back to the position after 6 . . . cxdS . �c1 -f4

�cS-b 7

S.

e2-e3

tLlbS-d7

9.

�f1 -d3

7.

1 6 .�g3 b4 1 7 .<1Je2 b3 ! = (Solomon-Van den Heever, Windhoek 2 0 0 7 ) . 11.

...

b5-b4

1 2.

tLlc3-a2

0-0

1 3.

tila2-c1

tLld 7xe5

1 4.

d4xe5

Also not bad is 14.�xe5 tDd7 l S .�g3 as 1 6 .tDb3 �b6 1 7 .'iVe2 l::rf cS ls . .tHcl l:rxc 1 + 1 9 . 1:'i.xc 1 ;; (Gleizerov-Meynard, Cappelle la Grande 2 0 0 4) . 1 4. 1 5.

9.

..

.

tLlf6 -d7

... tLlc1 -b3

UaS-cS

16.

'iV d1 -e2

'i'dS-b6

1 7.

a4-a5

'iYb6-a7

1 S.

llf1 -c1

e7-e6

Premature is 9 . . . <1Je4 because of 1 0 .a4 b4 1 1 .<1Je2 (1 1 . <1Jxe4 dxe4 1 L1c4 <1JxeS 1 3 . .txeS .tdS 1 4 .�e2;;) 1 1 . . .g S 1 2 ..t g 3 <1Jxg3 1 3 .hxg3 e6 1 4.f4 h 6 l S .aS lLlxeS 1 6 .fxeS .tc6 1 7 . tDc 1 'iVbS l S . 0 - 0 hS 1 9 .�f3 �b7 20 .�f6 l:rgS 2 1 .tDb3 ± (Gleizerov-Lyrberg, Stockholm 2004/0 5). 1 0.

0-0

�fS -e7

Black still has definite problems after 1 0 . . . McS 1 1 .a4 b4 1 2 .lLlb 1 , for example: 1 2 . . . <1JxeS 1 3 . .txeS as 1 4 . .tbS + .tc6 l S . .txf6 gxf6 1 6 .1!i'd3 .td6 1 7 .l:rc 1 .txbS I S . �xb S + rj;;e 7 1 9 .<1Jd2 l:txc 1 + 2 0. l::rx c I �bS 2 1 .�xb S .a.xbS 2 2 .
a2-a4

As we have already pointed out, White should not remove the rook from the a-file: l l . l:r c l l:rcs 1 2 .�f3 <1Jxe S 1 3 . .txeS �aS 1 4 . .tb l 0-0 l S .�h3 h6

1 20

White has a small edge. His main advan­ tage consists in the bishop on d3 , which both keeps the a6 pawn in its sights, and also points at Black's kingside (Gelfand­ Shirov, Chalkidiki 1 9 9 3 ) . Conclusion

5 . . . bS is not good here. The white knight on f3 has already started moving towards Black's queenside, and it does not make sense to create further weaknesses in that area of the board.

Chapter 12 The Main Move : S

. . .

e6

l .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.ttJ g 1 -f3 lLlg8-f6 4.lLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.lLlf3-e5 e7-e6

After 5 . . . e6, Black's main reaction to the sortie 5/2Je5, White's strongest independent move is the smoothly developing 6 . Ylj4 . He can try 6.g3 b5 7.c5, with good play, but Black should in that case transpose to the 5.J 2Jbd7 6.g3 e6 1ine with 6 ... lbbd7. •••

Before we treat the main move 6 .Ylf4, first the minor alternatives are given. A) Several illustrative games have shown what strategy White should fol­ low in the system g2-g3 : 6.g3 b5 It is better for Black to play 6 . . . lbbd7 , trans­ posing to the line S .. . lbbd7 6 . g 3 e6.

7.c5 Of course, White should shut in the f8 bishop. In the event of 7 . b3 Ylb4 Black is doing flne, for instance: 8 . Ylb2 lbe4 9 . 11c l 'ii'a S 1 0 .�c2 �xa2 1 1 .Ylg2 Ylxc3 + 1 2 .Ylxc3 �xc2 1 3 . .l:!:xc2 lbxc3 1 4 .11xc3 f6 l s . lbd3 �e7 1 6 .0-0 IId8 (Cox-Kritz, Port Erin 2 0 0 7 ) 1 7 .lla1 as 1 8 .cxbS cxbS 1 9 .e4 dxe4 2 0 .11c7+ �d7 2 1 ..Ylxe4 �d6=F. 7...t2lfd7 B.t2ld3 g6 9.a4 iLg7 1 0.e3 e5 Also after 1 0 . . . M l 1 . lbxM White is clearly better. 1 1 .axb5 exd4 12.exd4 iLxd4 1 3.�e2+ �fB 14.iLh6+ WgB 1 5 .iLg2±. B) 6 . .ll g5 is a fairly harmless alterna­ tive, after which Black will be able to obtain sufficient counterplay on the queenside. 121

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

tZle6 1 9.�eS �xeS 20.dxeS 16 21 .exf6 �x16 22.l1fe1 �d 7 23.�11 tZld4+ Peng Zhaoq in-Van der Wiel, Rotterdam 1 999. Now for White's chief move. 6.

6 ...l2:lbd7 Black has other perfectly accept­ able continuations: 6 . . . Jt.e7 7 . e3 b5 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Jt.d3 Jt.b 7 1 0 . 0 - 0 ttJbd7 l 1 .ttJxd7 ttJxd7 1 2 .Jt.xe7 Wtxe 7 1 3 .Wth5 tiJf6 1 4.Wt e5 0 - 0 = ; or 6 . . . h6 7 . Jt.h4 tiJbd7 8 . cxd5 exd5 9 .ttJf3 Jt.e7 1 0 .e3 0 - 0 1 1 .Jt.d3 c5 1 2 . l::l c l c 4 1 3 .Jt.b l b5 1 4 .a3 Jt. b7 1 5 .0-0 ttJe4= S.Kiselev-Donchenko, Moscow 1 9 9 9 . 7:Wic2 'i!VaS 8.tZlxd7 �xd7 9.�x16 gx16 1 0.e3 0-0-0 1 1 .c5 eS 1 2.a3 exd4 13.exd4 $,h6 1 4.�e2 l:idg8 1 S.g3 1S; C) 6.cS is a premature move, after which Black, exploiting the knight on e5 as something to 'latch onto ' , is able to prepare the advance . . . e6-e5 and obtain good counterchances:

iLc1 -f4

Simple piece development is not always sufficient to obtain an advantage. Usu­ ally in the Chebanenko Variation, the bishop is vulnerable on f4, because of a subsequent . . . dxc4 and . . . ttJd5 , which allows Black to regain the tempi lost earlier.

A) Now, 6 ... bS is a risky move, after which White manages not only to seize space on the queenside, but also to stabi­ lise the position: 7.cS tZl1d 7 8.b4 as 9.a3 tZlxeS 1 O beS tZld7 1 1 .�g3 1S 1 2.e3 l/Wf6 ..

6 ... tZlbd7 7.�14 tZlxeS 8.�xeS tZld7 9.�g3 eS 1 0.e3 �e7 1 1 .�e2 0-0 1 2.b4 exd4 1 3 .exd4 £L16 1 4Jk1 !le8 1 S.0-0 tZlf8 1 6 .�d2 as 1 7.a3 Or 1 7 .b5 tiJe6 1 8 .Jt.e5 Jt.xe5 1 9 .dxe5 ttJxcS . 17.. .axb4 1 8.axb4 1 22

1 3 .tZlxbSI? A typical sacrifice: for the knight, White obtains two dangerous

Chapter 1 2 : The Main Move: 5 . . . e6

passed pa\'ins, supported by both bishops

(note how well the bishop on g3 stands in this position) 1 3 ... cxbS 14.�xbS 'tllId8 15.0,0 Yi,e 7 16 .�c6 J'la7 1 7.bS 0-0 1 8.1:tb1 �h4 (Stohl-Movsesian, Olomouc 1 9 9 7 ) 1 9 bh4 'lWxh4 20.b6±; B) 6 lIJbd7 is an accurate move, which also allows Black to count on equality : 7.e3 tiJxe5 8. ..IheS ..

...

8 . . . �e7 9 . �d3 dxc4 1 0 . Shc4 c5 1 1 .dxc5 'iYxd l + 1 2 .Mxdl �xc5 1 3 .�e2 bS 1 4 .�f3 Ma7 (Panarin-Bryzgalin, \bronezh 2 0 0 7 ) 1 5 .We2 0 - 0 1 6 . .l:!.c l liJd7 1 7 . ..tg3 f5 1 8 . l:!.hd l ;l;; . 9.�xd6 �xd6 1 0.cS Wie7 1 1 .14 b6 1 2 .cxb6 Wib4 13.'i'b3 as 1 4.£Ld3 tLld7 1 5.0-0 tLlxb6 draw, Ruck-Bukal, Austria Staatsliga B 1999/00.

�xe3 + 1 9 .Wxe3 .l:!.hd8= (Stangl-Kallai, Balatonbereny 1 9 9 6) . 9.

e2-e3

White has other plans as well, but these do not offer him much either: A) 9.Wid3 tbbd7 1 0 . tbxd7 'li'xd7 I I . e3 c5 1 2 .dxc5 �xc5 1 3 .'iYxd 7 + tbxd7 1 4 . .l:!.dl .l:!.c8 1 5 .�e2 �b4= (Bellon Lopez-Postny, Stockholm 2 0 0 5 / 0 6) ; B) 9.J'lc1 tLlbd7 1 0 .e3 .l:!.c8 1 1 .�d3 c5 1 2 . 0-0 cxd4 1 3 . exd4 �e7 1 4.'iYe2 0-0 1 5 .tLle4 �xe4 1 6 .�xe4 tLlxe4 1 7 .'iVxe4 tLlxe5 =.

8...�d6

S.

'"

d5xc4

It is not usually favourable for Black to concede the centre, but in this concrete situation, he will manage to get in the freeing break . . . b 7 -b5 , followed by ... c7 -c5 . 7.

tbe5xc4

b7-b5

8.

tbc4-e5

�c8-b7

Also seen is 8 . . . c5 9. dxc5 'li'xd l + 1 0 .Mxd l �xc5 I l . tbd3 �e7 1 2 .f3 tLlbd7 1 3 .e4 �b 7 1 4.�e2 Mc8 1 5 .Wf2 tLlb6 1 6 .tbe5 �c5+ 1 7 .�e3 rJ;; e 7 1 8 . M c l

9.

...

cS-c5

This advance should not be delayed, oth­ erwise Black can find himself with prob­ lems : 9 . . . tLlbd7 1 0 .�e2 c5 1 1 . 0 - 0 tLlxe5 1 2 .�.xe5 �d6 1 3 . �f3 Jixf3 (the queen exchange cannot be forced : on 1 3 . . . Le5 1 4.�xb7 �xh 2 + there is 1 5 .Wh l .l:!.a7 1 6 .i.. c 6+ We7 1 7 .g3 'li'd6 1 8 .'Ii'f3 cxd4 1 9 .exd4 .l:!.c8 2 0 .d5 Wf8 2 1 .Wxh2 exd5 2 2 .�xd5 .l:!.xc3 2 3 .'Ii'xc3±) 1 4.'Ii'xf3 �xe5 1 5 . dxe5 tLld7 1 6 . .l:!.fd l .l:!.a7 1 7 .tLle4 0-0 1 8 .tLlxc5 tLlxe 5 1 9 .'Ii'e4 'fic7 20 . .l:!.ac l tLlc4 2 1 .tLld3 'li'b7 2 2 .'iVxb7 Mxb 7 2 3 .b3 tLlb6 24.<1.Jc5 Ma7 2 5 . 1'l:d6± (Gleizerov-Shalamberidze, Te­ heran 2 0 0 6 ) . 1 0.

d4xc5

iYd8xd 1 +

11.

Ua1 xd1

�f8xc5

123

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

We have reached a typical Queen's Gam� bit Accepted-type position. Given that White still has to spend time neutralising the bishop on b 7 , and that the black pieces are well placed, White can hardly claim any advantage. 1 2.

�f1 -e2

13.

0-0

ltlb8-d7

The assessment is not changed by 1 3 . <1:Jxd7 <1:Jxd7 1 4.0-0 t[\b6 I S .a3 l:.c8 1 6 .i1Ld6 <1:Jd7 1 7 ..iB i1Lxf3 1 8 .gxf3 (Zakharov-Volkov, Krasnodar 1 99 7 ) 1 8 .. .fS=. 13.

ltJd7xe5

1 4.

�f4xe5

<Jte8-e7

1 5.

J::t d1 -c1

ltJf6-d7

1 6.

�e5-g3

l:.a8-c8

1 7.

l:.c1 -c2

ltJd7-b6

1 8.

J::tf1 -c1

�c 5-d6 =

1 24

Ruck-Burmakin, Oberwart 2 0 0 3 . Conclusion S.

e6 practically forces White to adopt a set-up with g2-g 3 . In all other cases, Black obtains a valuable tempo to seize the long diagonal, by means of . dxc4, . . b S , . . . i1Lb 7 and c S . . .

. .

.

. . .

Chapter 13 The Exchange 5

. . .

dxc4

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.tLlg1 -f3 tLl g8-fS 4.tLl b 1 -c3 a7-aS 5.tLlf3-e5 d5xc4

Black is the first to end the game of cat-and-mouse, and forces his opponen t to adopt concrete measures. White can react with either recapturing on c4 or fixing the queensidefirst with 6.a4. •••

First of all, the typical move S.a4 is possi­ ble. White saves the c4 pawn for dessert, considering that fixing Black's queenside pawns is more important. A) S ....lteS 7.e4 lLibd7 8.lLixc4 .ltxc4 White is favoured by 8 . . . b 5 ? ! 9 . 4J e 3 b4 l O . d5 bxc3 l 1 .dxe6 fxe6 1 2 .f3 g 6 1 3 .bxc3 � g 7 1 4 .�c4i Zhu Chen­ Zhukova, Groningen 1 9 9 8 . 9 ..ltxc4 b5 1 0.axb5 axb5 Worse is 1 0 . . . cxb 5 ? ! 1 1 .�b3 b4 1 2 . 4Jd5 . 1 1 J:txa8 �xa8 12 ..ltd 3 1 2 .�b3 b4 1 3 .4Ja4 4Jxe4oo . 1 2 ... e5 1 3.0-0 1 3 . dxe5 4Jxe5 1 4 .�e2 .ic5 1 5 .f4 tLlc4 1 6 . e 5 4Jd5 1 7 .4Jxd5 cxd5 1 8 .�f3 0 - 0 1 9 .�e2 J:1d8oo Komliakov.

The critical position, in which Black ap­ pears to be able to count on satisfactory play. A I ) Bad is 1 3 ...iLe7?! because of 14.d5 b4 1 5.dxcS 'iUxcs 1 S .iLb5 �b7 1 6 . . . 'iVd6 1 7 .4Jd5 ! 4Jxd5 ( 1 7 . 0-0 1 8 .ihd7 l2lxd7 . .

1 25

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

I:!.xM 2 0 . �xM 1 9 .�d2 Iib 8 2 1 .ttJxM+-) 1 8 .'ihdS 'ii'x dS 1 9 .exdS. 1 Vt'ldS± Baburin-Giorgadze, Ubeda 1 996; A 2 ) 1 3 ...�b4 14.dxeS 1 4.�g S ? ! exd4 I S . Q]e2 ( l S . eS ttJxeS 1 6 J :t e l iVb8 1 7 .�f4 �d6 1 8 . ttJe4 ttJxe4 1 9 .�xe4 0-0 2 0 .'ii'xd4 cS+) l S . . .�cS 1 6 .�c2 0-0 1 7 . ttJxd4 lle8= Komliakov; 1 4 .'ii' b3 �d6 °o . 14 ... lt:lxeS 1S.�c2 0-0 1 S .iI'd4 ti"ic4 1 7.eS i'Lxc3 1 8.'li¥xc3 ti"idS 1 9JWh3! Komliakov; A3) 1 3 ... exd4 14.eS ti"ixeS 1 S .li:e1 'ifb8 1 S.ti"ie4 �e7 1 7.ti"ixfS+ gxfS 1 8.�e4 'i\ldSco (Komliakov) . The king on e8 is quite ex­ posed and the kingside pawns are broken, but Black does have two extra pawns, and his knight occupies an excellent position in the centre. Both sides have their trumps, therefore. B) White is better after S ... cS 7 .dS e6 8 . e4 exdS 9 . exdS �d6 1 0 . ttJxc4;;\; Meduna-Velicka, Stary Smokovec 1 9 9 6 ; C ) S ...e S 7.e3 Black solved all his prob­ lems successfully in the following game : 7 . g3 cS 8 .�e3 cxd4 (too passive is 8 . . . ttJ bd7 9. ttJxc4 ttJdS 1 0 .�g2 ttJxe3 1 1 . Q]xe3 cxd4 1 2 .iVxd4 iVb 6 1 3 .iVxb 6 ttJxb6 1 4 .aS ttJd7 l S . ttJc4 �M 1 6 . 0 - 0 l:!.b 8 1 7 . I!.fc l 0 - 0 1 8 .ttJa4 ttJf6 1 9 . ttJcb 6 �d7 2 0 . Uc 7 ;;\; Epishin-Volkov, St Peters­ burg 1 9 9 6 ) 9 .iVxd4 iVxd4 1 0 . �xd4 ttJ c 6 l 1 . ttJ xc6 bxc6 1 2 . � g 2 ll b 8 1 3 . 0 - 0 (Black i s fme after 1 3 .�xc6 + �d7 1 4 .�xd 7 + ttJxd7 1 5 . 0 - 0 - 0 f6 1 6 .\tc2 �b4 1 7 . ttJ e4 \t e 7 ) 1 3 . . . ttJdS 1 4 J Hc 1 f6 l S . ttJe4 eS 1 6 .�cS �xcS 1 7 . ttJxcS llxb 2 + ER Nielsen-Johannes­ sen, Copenhagen 2 0 0 3 . 7...cS 8 ..lbc4 �dS The most accurate move-order. Black still has definite problems after 1 26

8 . . . ttJ b d 7 9 . ttJ f3 � e 7 1 0 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 1 .'ii' e 2 b6 1 2 .lld1 �c7 1 3 .dSt; or 8 . . . cxd4 9 . exd4 tDc6 1 0 . ttJf3 i.e7 1 1 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 2 . � g S ttJb4 1 3 .'i!Ub3 ttJbdS 1 4. llfe 1 . 9.0-0 0-0 1 0.�d3 "VJ!ic7 1 1 .ti"if3 1 1 . f4 ttJ c 6 1 2 . ttJ e4 tbxe4 1 3 .�xe4 fS . 11 ... ti"ibd7 1 2.i'Ld2 bS 1 3 .1iJe4 �b7 14.ti"ixdS �xdS= Lukacs-Bezgodov, Budapest 1 9 9 6 . Now for the main line. 6.

tll e5xc4

6.

...

b7-b5

The 'Catalan' plan, with the fianchetto of the king's bishop, presents real danger to Black, therefore he should hurry to get his bishop on the long diagonaL A slight delay by 6 . . . e6 allows White to seize the initiative : 7 . g 3 cS (White gets too great a lead in development after 7 . . . b S , for example: 8 . ttJeS ttJfd7 9. tbd3 cS 1 0.�g2 lla7 1 1 .�e3 cxd4 1 2 .iLxd4 I:!.c7 1 3 . 0-0 � b7 1 4 .ttJe4 tLlc6 I S .£xg7 �xg 7 1 6 .ttJd6+ We7 1 7 .ttJxb 7 lhb7 1 8 .�xc 6 ± Alonso Garcia-Fernandez Romero, Spain tt 2 0 0 7 ) 8 . dxcS 'i'xdl + 9 .ttJxd l �xcS 1 0 .�g2 We7 1 1 .£e3 tLlbd7 1 2 .hcS + ttJxcS 1 3 .ttJb6 1'1b8 1 4.llc 1 ttJfd7 I S .ttJxd7 ttJxd7 1 6 .tLle3 ttJf6 1 7 .llc7 + �d7 (Tunik-Lavretsky, Minsk 2 0 0 5 ) 1 8 .b 3 ;;\; .

Chapter 1 3 : The Exchange Too passive is 6 . . /2lbd7 7 .�f4 bS 8 . lLleS

ILlxeS 9 .dxeS tLldS 1 0 .lLlxdS cxdS 1 1 .a4 e6 1 2 .axbS �b6 1 3 .�a4 l:!.b8 1 4.bxa6 + id7 l S .�d 1 (F. Graf-Kritz, Differdange 2007) l S . . . �xb2 1 6 .it.d2 �xeS 1 7 .e3 icS 1 8 .�d3 0-0 1 9 .0-0:t. 7.

<8c4-e5

S . . . dxc4

�xf6 2 3 . exf6 .l:!.xd 1 + 2 4 . .l:!.xd l .l:!.d8 (B. Savchenko-Deviatkin, 2S . .l:!.c 1 Voronezh 2 0 0 7 ) , and here 2 S . . . �d6= would have allowed Black to look to the future with confidence. 1 0.�e2 c5 and now:

�c8-b7

7 ... e 6, as on move S , allows White to seize the long diagonal after 8 .g3 .

Developing the bishop on f4 does have its plusses : 8.�f4 e6 9.e3 Qjbd7 Black equa­ lised very easily after 9 . . . cS 1 0 .dxcS 'ixd1 + 1 1 .l:!.xd 1 �xcS 1 2 .�e2 lLlbd7 1 3 .<8xd7 lLlxd7 1 4 . 0 - 0 We7 I S ..lii. d3 ILlf6= (Vasilevich-Stefanova, Elista 2 0 0 4) . Probably White should avoid the end­ game and play the position with an iso­ lated queen's pawn. Now, the following line is original, but not too dangerous for Black: 1 0 .'iVf3 'ib6 (White's idea is justified after 1 0 . . . l:k8 1 1 .�d3 �e7 1 2 . 0 - 0 lLlxeS 1 3 .�xeS 0-0 1 4.'iVh3 g6 1 S .l:!.adl lLld7 1 6 .�f4 �aS 1 7 .�h6 Mfd8 1 8 .f4 fs 1 9 .e4 b4 2 0 . exfS exfs 2 1 .lLle4 lLlb6 22.�gS l:!.c7 2 3 .�xe7 l:!.xe 7 24.'iVh4± Kazhgaleev-Samhouri, Macau 2 0 0 7 ) 1 1 .ttJxd7 lLlxd7 1 2 .�d3 lLlf6 1 3 .�eS tDd7 1 4 .�f4 lLlf6 I S .�eS lLld7 1 6. 0 - 0 lL2xeS 1 7 . dxeS �e7 1 8 JHdl l:!. d 8 1 9 .M cS 2 0 . �e4- �xe4 2 1 .ttJxe4 0-0 2 2 . lLlf6+

A) Practice shows that 11 .iH3 is not dangerous for Black: 1 1 . . . �xf3 1 2 .�xf3 cxd4 1 3 .exd4 (the artificial 1 3 . lLle4 leads to difficulties for White : 1 3 . . . �b4+ 1 4.�fl lLlxeS l S .�xeS lLlxe4 1 6 .'iVxe4 0 - 0 + A. Rychagov-Zakhartsov, Vladimir 2 0 0 4) 1 3 . . . i.b4 1 4.i.gS �c8 ( 1 4 . . . �xc 3 + I S .bxc3 �c8 1 6 . lLlxd7 lLlxd7 1 7 . 0-0 lLlb6 1 8 .�g3 f6 1 9 .�f4 0-0 2 0 .�d6 .l:!.e8 2 1 ..l:!.fc l �c6 2 2 .�cS lLlc4+ Riazantsev-Erenburg , Moscow 2 0 0 S ) l S .�xf6 lLlxf6 ( I S . . . i.xc3 + ! ? 1 6 .bxc3 lLlxf6 1 7 . 0 -0 0-0= Komliakov) 1 6 .l:!.cl 0-0 1 7 . 0 - 0 i.xc3 1 8 Jhc3 �d8 1 9 .1Llc6 �d6 2 0 . nfc l ttJdS = Gleizerov­ Komliakov, Abu Dhabi 2 0 0 2 ; B ) 1 1 .0-0 cxd4 1 2 . exd4 lLl b 6 (or 1 2 . . . b4 1 3 .ttJa4 �e7 1 4 . .l:!. c 1 �c8 1 S 'lLlxd7 lLlxd7 1 6 . l:!.xc8 �xc8 1 7 .iYd3 0-0 1 8 . .l:!.c 1 iYa8 1 9 .1:!.c7:t P.H. Nielsen­ S .B. Hansen, Horsens 2 0 0 3 ) 1 3 .a4 tt:lfdS 1 4-. tt:lxdS tt:lxdS 1 S .�g3 b4 1 6 .aS �d6 1 7 .�a4+:t Vasilevich-Stefanova, Elista 2 0 04. 8.

�c1 -g5

e 7-e6

1 27

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

A reliable move. However, Black also has other possibilities : A) 8 . . . h 6 9 . jLM e 6 1 0 .e3 c 5 1 l .dxc5 'ilixd l + n .l:hd 1 jLxc5 1 3 Jlcl jLd6 1 4.ttJd3 ttJbd7= Ruban-Dreev, Novo­ sibirsk 1 9 9 5 ; B ) 8 . . . ttJbd7 9 . t2Jxd7 if'xd7 1 0 .e3 e6 1 1 .jLxf6 gxf6 1 2 . jLe2 c5 1 3 .i.f3 cxd4 1 4.exd4 b400 Zifroni-Burmakin, Graz 1 997.

velop quietly, Black will soon advance . . . c6-c5 and equalise: A) 9 .e 3 ttJbd7 1 0 .jLd3 c5 1 l . 0 -0 cxd4 1 2 .exd4 jLe 7 1 3 J l e 1 0 - 0 = Yurtaev-De La Riva Aguado, Turin 2 0 0 6 ; B ) 9 .nc 1 i.e7 1 0 . e 3 ttJbd7 1 1 .i.e2 ttJxe5 1 2 .dxe5 ttJd7 1 3 .Le7 'iVxe7 1 4.[4 nd8 1 5 .if' c2 c5 1 6 . 0 - 0 c4 ( 1 6 . . . 0 - 0 1 7 .a4! b4 1 8 .t2Je4 �xe4 1 9 .ihe4� Cebalo-Stajcic, Graz 1 9 94) 1 7 .b3 ! ? cxb3 1 8 .axb3 'lic5=. tLlb8-d7

9. 1 0.

tLle5xd7

'iYd8xd7

11.

0-0-0

c6-c5�

Black has free development, and has al­ ready managed to get his queenside pawns goin g, Gross-Velicka, Ceske Budejovice 1 9 9 3 . . Conclusion

9.

'iYd1 -d3

An attempt to give the game a sharp char­ acter, by castling q ueenside. If events de-

128

The capture on c4 has a definite right to ex­ ist, since after regaining the pawn, White's pieces stand in the way of the enemy pawns, which will advance with tempo.

Chapter 14 Chebanenko's Favourite : 5

. . .

l2J bd 7

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.t2Jg1 -f3 t2Jg8-f6 4.t2Jb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.t2Jf3-e5 t2Jb8-d7

The most popular continuation, which Chebanenko also considered the main line, al­ though Black also has other interesting possibilities. White's main moves are 6.g3, 6.iLf4, 6JiJxd7! ?, or 6.cxdS. •••

A)

Far

from harmless is 6.�f4 and

now:

A I ) 6...e6 is not without some sense, since despite the loss of tempo after . . . e6-eS , it allows Black to solve his prob­ lems after the exchange on eS : 7 .e3 tDxeS

8.�xeS �e7 9 .�d3 0-0 1 0 . 0 - 0 bS l 1 .cS ttJd7 1 2 .�g3 eS ! 1 3 . �xeS ? ! tDxeS 1 4. dxeS 'iVc7 l S .'iVc2 g6 1 6 .e4 dxe4 1 7 .�xe4 'iYxeS 1 8 . b4 (Da utov­ Gisbrecht, Saarbriicken 2 0 0 2 ) 1 8 . . . �d7 1 9 .1:i.ad l 1:!:ad8 =F; A2) 6 . . . dxc4 7.tbxc4 7 .e 3 bS 8 . tDxc6 'lllVb 6 9 . tDeS �b7 1 0 .�e2 was seen in the game Dao Thien Hai-Le Quang Liem (Dalat City 2 0 04) , and after the correct interpolation of the exchange 1 0 . . . tDxeS 1 1 .�xeS ( l l . dxeS l:i.d8 1 2 .'lllV c2 tDdS 1 3 . tDxdS �xdS 1 4. 0 - 0 g S ! ? l S .�g3 h S � ) it was possible to calmly take the pawn : 1 1 . . . �xg 2 1 2 .l:i.g l �b7 1 3 . a4 e6 1 4 . �f3 tDdS and Black is fully OK. 1 29

The Chebonenko Slav According to Bologon

Giorgadze, Ankara 1 9 9 5 ) 1 6J:te l S'le7 1 7 . a4 bxa4 I S .'iha4 0-0 1 9 .�b4±. 9.e3 g6 1 0.tLle4 tLlxc4 1 1 .�xc4 �g7 12 bf7+ wxf7 1 3 .tLlg5+ \tJeS 14.'iVb3 tLle5 15.dxe5 'iVd5 16 .'iVxd5 cxd5 1 7.f4 White has an extra pawn , for which Black has no real com pensation. ..

A2 1 ) After the capture on c4, less con­ vincing is 7 ... b5 S.tLle5 �b7 9.e3 e6 1 0.'iVf3 The more aggressive, modern treatment, which has brought White good results ; 1 0 .�e2 c5 1 1 .0 - 0 tOxe5 1 2 .�xe5 cxd4 1 3 .�xd4 �e7 1 4.�f3 'i'bS 1 5 .�xb7 'li'xb 7 1 6 .f4 0-0 and already after 1 7 .'li'f3 it became obvious that White could not have any pretensions to an advantage: 1 7 . . . 'li'xf3 I S . gxf3 l:IacS= Atalik­ Chernin, Bled 1 9 9 9 . 1 0 . . . 'i'b6 1 1 .4:lxd7 tLlxd7 1 2 .�d3 c5 1 3 .�e4 �xe4 1 4 .ttJxe4 'i'aS + I H�e2 ! ScS 1 6 . Shd l 'i'M 1 7 .�fl c4 I S .'i'g3 4:lf6 1 9 . tOxf6 + gxf6 2 0 .dS exdS 2 I..! hdS c3 2 2 .�g4 �c4+ 2 3 .'it>g l 'li'c6 24.bxc3 ± Riazantsev­ Movsesian, Moscow 2 0 0 7 ; A 22 ) 7 ... tLld5 and now: An I ) S.�g3 b5 S . . . g6 9 . e4 ttJxc3 1 0 . bxc3 �g7 I I .�e2 0-0 1 2 . 0 - 0 bS 1 3 .ttJ e 3 cSoo Chebanenko. 9.tLlxd5 cxd5 1 0.tLld2 tLlb6 1 1 .l:l.c1 tLlc4 1 2.b3 tLld6 1 3.'iVc2 e6 1 4.e3 �b7 1 5 .'iVc7 J:l.cS 16 .'iVxdS+ �xdS 17.lhcS+ wxcS= Ward-­ Hodgson, England tt 2 0 0 0 / 0 I ; A 2 2 2 ) S.�d2! tLl5b6 S . . . 4:lxc3 9 . �xc3 e6 1 0 .a3 ttJb6 ! ? l 1 .e 3 ( 1 1 . �aS �dS 1 2 .�xb 6 �xc4 1 3 .�d2 �d6) 1 1 . . . ttJxc4 1 2 .�xc4;t ; S . . . e6 9 . ttJe4 ttJ 7 f6 1 0 . ttJxf6 + 'iYxf6 I I . e4 ttJc7 1 2 .�aS ttJbS 1 3 .ttJb6 :ab S 1 4.�xbS axb S 1 5 . 0 - 0 �f4 (Dzhandzhgava130

B) 6.tLlxd71? It would appear illogical to exchange the piece, which has already travelled halfway round the board, but:

6 ... hd7 7.'iVb3 Now Black has to solve a concrete and far from simple problem: what to do about the pawns on b7 and dS ? B I ) On 7... dxc4 it seems best not to take the b-pawn, but to prefer S .�xc4 b5 9 . 'i'd3 e6 1 0. g 3 cS transposing into the game Atalik-Volkov, Neum 2 0 0 0 , consid­ ered under 7 .tOxd 7 . If White does play S.'lWxb7 there can fol­ low: B 1 1 ) S ... e6 9.e4 9 .�f4 tOd5 1 0 .S'lg3 �M 1 1 .Sc l c5 1 2 .e4 �cS 1 3 .il'xc8+ :axc8 1 4.exdS cxd4� 9.. J�bS 1 0.'i¥xa6 iLb4 1 1.'l1il'xc4 1 1 .f3 c S . 1 1 ...tLlxe4 12 .1d3 tLld6 13.'iVb3 c5 14.dxc5 �xc5 15 .'iVc2t; B 1 2) S...e5!? (Volkov) 9.dxe5 No t dan­ gerous for Black is 9.e3 exd4 1 0 .exd4 �d6 1 1 . �xc4 �e7 + 1 2 . �e2 0 - 0 1 3 . 'il'b3 � M 1 4. 'il'c4 l:!:fe8 1 5 .�e3 tiJd5 .

Chapter 1 4: Chebanenkos Favourite: S t2Jbd7 ...

1 6.0-0 �xc3 1 7 .bxc3 tUxe3 I S .fxe3 '!Ixe3 + 1 9 . .:a.f2 �e6=. 9 ..�cS 1 0.exfG If 1 0 .ttJa4 tUe4! White comes lmder a strong attack, for example: l 1 . tUxcS 'iVaS + 1 2 .'�d1 tUxf2 + 1 3 .'�c2 ilis + 14 .e4 0-0 I S .exfS 'ii'xcs 1 6 .'ii' c 7 tUxh l 1 7 .�d2 !1abS l S . .!:'1el tUf2+. 1 0 ...l:l:a7 11 .fxg7 l:!:g8. Atalik considers that Black has a clear advantage here, but Flear ar­ gues that after 1 2 . �gS f6 1 3 .'iVxa7 �xa7 1 4 .�h4 Mxg 7 I S .e3 White has a per­ fectly playable position. I believe the truth lies somewhere between the two : l S . . . �fS 1 6 . .!:'1dl �b6 1 7 .�e2 �xb2 I S .�xf6 lld7 1 9 . 0-0 �d3 with the better chances for Black. B2) 7...�c8

8.g3 By fianchettoing the bishop, White strengthens the pressure on the dS pawn and prepares a later e2-e4. In the varia­ tion S . �gS e6 9 .cS �e7 1 0 . e3 the lack of a white knight on f3 allows Black to achieve the central break 1 0 . . . eS and achieve comfortable play : 1 1 . 0 - 0 - 0 tUd7 1 2 .�xe 7 iYxe 7 1 3 .tUa4 0-0 1 4.�e2 .!:'1bS I S . '�b 1 exd4 1 6 . .!:'1xd4 tUxcs 1 7 .�a3 b6 I S .l:!.el �f6 =F Mochalov­ Korneevets, Minsk 1 9 9 6 . 8...eG 9.�g2 Sle7 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .flf4 bS 1 2.cS as 1 3.e4 .!taG 14.l:!:fe1 dxe4 1 S .�eS a4 1 G .1!!'d 1 b4 17.lLlxe4! Despite all his inventiveness ,

Black is still far from equality (Epishin­ Kasimdzhanov, Bad Wiessee 1 9 9 7 ) . B 3 ) After 7...eG , the bishop on d 7 feels very sorry for itself Of course, White will not take the b7 pawn immediately, be­ cause then Black can force a draw by a perpetual attack on the queen, but in­ stead, White has a number of tempting continuations.

B3 1 ) If 8.cxd S tUxdS ! 9 . e4 tUxc3 1 0 .bxc3 bS Black soon achieves . . . c6-cS and obtains satisfactory play (c. Rich­ ter-B. Schmidt , Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 2 / 0 3 ) , and after 9. tLlxdS cxdS taking the pawn with 1 0 .�xb 7 only leads to a draw: 1 0 . . . l:!.bS 1 1 .iYxa6 �bS ! 1 2 .iYa7 l:!.aS 1 3 .iYb7 l:!.bS; B3 2) Interesting complications arise af­ ter 8.cS!? e S 9 . dxeS tUg4. It seems that Black's chances here are not worse, for in­ stance: 1 0 .tUa4 tUxeS 1 1 .�c3 'file 7 1 2 . tUb6 l:!.dS 1 3 .�e3 �S 1 4. 0-0-000 Komliakov; B3 3 ) 8.�f4 This simple developing move contains two threats : 'ii'x b7 and c4-cS (since with the bishop on f4 , Black no longer has the reply . . . e6-eS ) . 8... dxc4! White is better after S . . . bS 9 .cS �e7 1 0 .e3 0-0 1 1 .�d3 . 9.'l1hb7 tbdS 1 0.�g3 �b4 With the help of this pin , Black man­ ages to create counterplay - the absence 131

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

of White's queen and bishop from the queenside makes itself felt. 1 1 .e4 Black is not set any problems by 1 1 J:'c 1 - see 7 . . . dxc4 . 11 ...�xc3+ 1 2.bxc3 tDxc3 13 ..bc4 1 3 .f3 tUbS 1 4.itxc4 'iVaS + l S .�fl 0-0 (Ruck-Volzhin, Gyula 2 0 00) 1 6 .itxbS '/Wxb S + 1 7 .'/WxbS axb S = . 1 3 ... Cilxe4 14.0-0 tDxg3 1 5.hxg3 0-0 16.l;Iab1 as Black is unlikely to be able to hold the extra pawn, therefore a draw is the most likely result. B4) 7...b5 This positional pawn sacrifice is probably the best reply to White's plan. S.cxd5 cxd5 9.e3 An unambitious move, after which the position is qUickly equa­ lised. However, in the line 9. tLlxdS tUxdS 1 0 .'iVxdS e6 1 1 .'/Wb3 itc6 1 2 .e3 itd6 Black has a lead in development and seri­ ous pressure on the kingside, in return for the pawn. 9 ...e6 1 0.a3 itd6 1 1 .�e2 l;IbS 1 2.itd2 0-0 draw, Ionov-Belikov, Kazan 1 995.

9 . �xdS cxdS 1 0 . itd2 itfS 1 1 . Mc l Mc8 1 2 .IIxc 8 + itxc8 1 3 .e3 itfS 1 4 . ite2 e6 l S .itc3 Wd7 1 6 .'�d2 ite 7 Pelletier­ Sammalvuo, Halle 1 9 9 5 . S ... tDxc3 9.'liVxdS+ �xdS 1 0.bxc3 e6 1 1 .a4 Or I l .ite3 �c7 1 2 . a4 cS 1 3 .itd3 Sid7 1 4. �e2 ite7 l S . c4 itc6, Hulak-Loncar, Slavonski Brod 1 9 9 5 ) 1 1 ...�c7 1 2.h4 itd7 1 3.a5 h6 1 4J:th3 ite7 1 5 .l:tf3 l::tafS 1 6 .h5 c5 1 7.l;Ig3 l;IfgS 1 S.l;Ib1 itc6 with a reliable position for Black (Dizdar-Schandorff, Moscow 1 9 94) . 6.

92-93

Far from the most popular, but a highly unpleasant move for Black. 6.

...

e7-e6

Or 6 ... dxc4!? 7 . tUxc4 bS 8 . tLld2 �b7 9 .it g 2 �b 6 1 0 .tLlb3 ( 1 0 . a 4 ! ? cS 1 l . dS e6 1 2 . e4 it e 7 oo ) 1 0 . . .cS ! = Chebanenko.

Back to the position after 5 . . . tLlbd7 . C) 6.cxd5 After this exchange, play usu­ ally goes into an endgame with good counterchances for Black.

this move-order, the exchange 7.CiJxd7 itxd7 and now S.'llVb 3 deserves attention. Neither 8 .cS b6 9 . cxb6 'iYxb6 1 0 . itg2 cS 1 1 .dxcS Lcs 1 2 . 0 - 0 itd4 1 3 .itf4 0-0 1 4 .'iVd2 tUg4 I S .e3 itf6 1 6 .h3 tLleS+ Gschnitzer- Kallai, Germany Oberliga 1 9 9 8 / 9 9 , nor 8.'iVd3 are dangerous for Black. A) S ... dxc4 9 . �xc4 bS 1 0 .'iVd3 cS 1 1 .itg2 IIc8 1 2 .dxcS itxc S :::: (Atalik-

In

6 ...tDxe5 7.dxe5 tDxd5 S.e4 There is little danger for Black in 8 . tUxdS �xdS 132

Chapter 14: Chebanenkos Fcwourite: 5 . ..'i)bd7

Volkov, Neum 2 0 0 0 ) 1 3 .0-0 b4 ( 1 3 . . . 0-0 14 ..�,gS .£.c6 I S .Mad l .£.e7) 1 4.tbe4 tLlxe4 ( 1 4 . . . .£.bS I S .'iYxd S + '.t>xdS 1 6 .tUxcS .l:!.xcs 1 7 . .£.d2 Mc2 ( 1 7 . . . lLldS IS . .£.f3 l'!c2 1 9 .1'!fd l ) I S ..£.xb4 .£.xe2 19 . .£.aS +oo) I S .'ilhe4 ( l S . .£.xe4 .£.b S ) l S . . . .£.c6 1 6 .'ii' e S .£.xg2 1 7 . '.t>xg2 0-0 I S .�e3 .£.xe3 1 9 .'iYxe3 'iYdS + 2 0 .f3 ; B) But here, because White has ex­ pended a tempo on the move g2-g 3 , it is easier for' Black to equalise: S ...b5 9 . cxdS (9.c S ? ! eS 1 0 .dxeS tUg4+ Komliakov) 9 . . . cxdS 1 0 . .£.g2 'ii'a S 1 1 . 0-0 b4 1 2 . lLlb l i.e7 1 3 .a4 bxa3 1 4.tUxa3 0-0 with equality. 7.

.£.f1 -g2

tiJd7xe5

8.

d4xe5

tiJf6-d7

9.

c4xd5

I l . e4 d4 1 2 ' tU e 2 0 - 0 1 3 . 'iYd3 as , . . . b 6 , . . . �a6+ Chebanenko. 1 1 ... 0-0 1 2.0-0 b5 1 3 . wh1 �b7 1 4 .tt'l e 2 f6 1 4 . . . 'ii' e 7 I s .lLld4 � b 6 1 6 . b 3 MfcS 1 7 .�b2) I S .tUd4 'iYb 6 ( I S .. . 'iYe 7 1 6 .exf6 Mxf6 l'!f7 ;!; , �b6 1 7 .b3 l S .�b2 Rabinovich-Chekurov, Szombathely 1 9 9 3 . 1 6.exf6 tLlxf6 oo . 1 0...d4 Very risky is 1 0 . . . dxe4? ! , since in the variation 1 1 . 'iYa4 'WIc7 1 2 . 0 -0 .£.e7 1 3 .tbxe4 'iYxeS 1 4 . �f4 'ii' b S j S .'iYxb S axb S 1 6 'tU d 6 + �xd6 1 7 .�xd6 lLlb6 (Lugovoi-Volkov, Elista 2 0 0 1 ) White 's initiative looks quite frightening, for example : l s ..lHc 1 '.t>d7 1 9 . �eS f6 2 0 . M C 7 + �dS 2 1 . l:!.d l + lLldS 2 2 . �f4 g S 2 3 . �xdS gxf4 2 4 . Mxh7 Mxh7 2 S .�xb 7 + +- . 1 1 .'i'xd4 �cS 1 2 .� d 1 tUxeS 1 3 .'i'xd S + �xdS 1 4.�e2 �d7 I S . M d l �e7 1 6 . f4 tUc6 (the assessment is not changed by 1 6 . . . tUc4 1 7 . e S ;!; ) 1 7 .�e3 �xe 3 I S . �xe3 MhdS 1 9 . eS reaching an endgame that is clearly in White's favour, Farago-Tolnai, Austria Staatsliga 1 9 9 3 / 9 4.

Now it may be necessary to enter sharper play: a

_

e6xd5

Or 9 ... cxd5 1 0.e4 An important alterna­ tive is 1 0 . f4, after which it is not so easy for Black to achieve satisfactory play. We would suggest this plan : 1 0 ...�c5 Less convincing is 1 0 . . . .£.b4 because of 1 1.. �e3 b6 1 2 .�d4 �b 7 1 3 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 4.e3 tU b S l S . lLl a4 lLl d 7 1 6 .'i'b3 �aS 1 7 .Mac l MbS I S .'iYa3 neS (Tunik­ Litvinov, Minsk 1 9 9 6 ) 1 9 .'i'd6 ;!; . 1 1 .e3

1 0.

f2-f4

The advance 1 0.e4 leads to an endgame with good counterchances for Black: 1 0 ... d4 1 1 . iVxd4 �c5 1 2. iV d1 tLlxe5 1 3 .iVxdS+ wxdS 1 4.0-0 Or 1 4 .�e2 �g4+ I S . f3 �e6 1 6 .b3 f6 1 7 .lLla4 �d6 133

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 8 .�e3 <1'Jd7 1 9 . 1::r h dl �e7 2 0 .l::r d 3 l::r a d8 2 1 .
...

iJ8-c5

11.

e2-e4

d5-d4

1 2.

liJc3-a4

After the timid 1 2 . <1'Jb l ?! Black has a pleasant choice between 1 2 . . . 0 - 0 ! ? 1 3 .<1'Jd2 ( 1 3 .0-0 b S 1 4.�h l iLb6 I S .a4 iLb7 1 6 .aS iLa7 1 7 .<1'Jd2 cS+ Komliakov) 1 3 . . . aS 1 4 .
...

�c5-a7

13.

b2-b3

0-0

1 4.

0-0

d4-d3+

1 5.

wg 1 -h1

ttJd7-c5

1 6.

<1'Ja4xc5

�a7xc5

1 7.

.l:[a 1 -b1

a6-a5°o

Komliakov.

134

Here too, the unexpected pawn sacrifice 1 8.

e5-e6!?

deserves attention, although it is true that Black is not obliged to accept: 1 8.

...

f7-f5!

1 8 . . . �xe6 1 9 .fS �c8 2 0 . l::r f3 ;t . 1 9.

e4xf5

20. 21 .

g3-g4 f4-f5

d3-d2

22.

�c1 -b2

b7-b6

.l:tf8xf5 l:!.f5-d5

With double-edged play. Conclusion

The second move with the same piece can cost White his opening move initiative. In fact, after S . . . <1'Jbd7 White ahs only two real chances to fight for the advantage: 6 .ill'4 and 6 . g 3 .

Part IV

-

The Sol i d S.e3

Chapter 1 5 : ( 5 . . . b 5 ) Minor R eplies: 6 . cxd5 , 6 . b 3 · . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 6 Chapter 1 6 : ( 5 . . . b 5 ) Seizin g Space: 6 . c 5 Various ' . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 46 Chapter 1 7 : (5 . . . b5 ) Seizing Sp a ce : 6 . c 5 tU bd 7 · . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 9

135

Chapter 15 M i nor Replies : 6 . cxd5, 6 . b3 1 .d2-d4 d 7-dS 2.c2 -c4 c7-c6 3.lLlg 1 -f3 lLlg8-f6 4.lLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 S.e2-e3 b7-bS 6 .c4xdS, 6.b2-b3

The solid developing move 5.e3, with which White invites his opponent to show his hand, has became one of the most popular replies to the Chebanenko system in recent times. Black usually replies 5 . . . b5, to start counterplay on the queenside. Now, with 6.b3, White keeps the tension in the centre and prepares to bring the bishop to b2. The obvious drawback of the move is the weakening of the dark squares on the queenside. The exchange 6. cxd5 does not pose Black great problems, as we will see . •••

6 .cS . In this chapter, we will examine the first two moves. I

S.

...

b7-bS

Black immediately mltlates counterplay on the queenside. White now has three main continuations: 6.cxdS , 6.b3 and 136

After White has played e2-e3 , shutting in the bishop on c I , the exchange 6. c4xd5 does not create significant problems for Black. It turns out that the knight on c 3 is also not ideally placed, since in answer to the typical break al -a4, Black will reply bS-b4, winning a tempo by attacking the knight. c6xd5 6. ... 7.

�f1 -d3

Chapter l S : Minor Replies: 6 . cxdS, 6.b3

7/iJeS e6 8 .�d3 - 7 . �d3 ; 7 . �d2 e6 8.£l.d3 ttJbd7 9.0-0 transposes to lines below after 7 .�d3 . 7. ...

e7-e6

In my view, 7 . . . �b 7 is more accurate, in order to deprive White of the move e2-e4, for example: 8 .'iYb3 e6 9 . a4 b4=, and Black has solved his opening prob­ lems satisfactorily.

1 1 .'lif3 b4 1 2 .ttJd1 ttJe4 1 3 .ttJf2 fs 1 4.'lid 1 ttJd7 l S .tZJxe4 dxe4 1 6 . �c4 'VWe7 1 7 . tLlxd7 'iYxd7 1 8 .�d2 draw, Prusikin-Kritz, Osterburg 2 0 0 6 . 1 1 . .l1l.d2 0-0 12 ..l1l.e1 1 2 .'lif3 ! ? b4 1 3 . ttJa4 ttJe4 1 4.�e 1 �xe S l S .fxeS �c6 . 12 .../tJe4 1 3 .'iWf3 fS= Gleizerov-Bologan, Bled 1 99 0 ; B) More principled is 8.e4!? b4 lnterest­ ing complications arise after 8 . . . dxe4 9.tLlxe4 ttJ bd7 ! (White is favoured by 9 . . . �b 7 1 0 .ttJcS �dS 1 1 .�f4) 1 0 .0-0 �b 7 l 1 .tLlegS h 6 1 2 .ttJxe 6 ! fxe6 1 3 .�g6+ �e7 1 4.�d2 with compensa­ tion. 9.eS bxc3 1 0.exf6 cxb2 1 1 .txg7 .l1l.xg7 1 2 ..l1l.xb2 'i:l!'aS+oo ; C) If 8.tLleS Black completes his devel­

A) 8.0-0 .l1l.b7 Nor did Black experience

particular problems after 8 . . . ttJbd7 9.i.d2 �d6 (or 9 ... �b7 1 0 .a3 ttJe4 l 1 .£l.e 1 �d6 1 2 .ttJa2 0-0 1 3 .�b4 as 1 4 ..ixd6 ttJxd6 l S .'Ii e2 'lib6 draw, Damlj anovic-Sakaev, Zlatibor 2 0 0 7 ) 1 0 .a3 ( 1 0 .a4 b4 1 1 .ttJe2 ttJe4 1 2 .a S 0-0 1 3 .'ilVa4 ttJxd2 1 4. ttJxd2 ttJf6 = Chebanenko) 1 0 . . . � b 7 1 1 .tt1a2 0-0 1 2 ..ib4 'lie7 1 3 . ti.c 1 ti.fc8 1 4.'lib3 tLlb6 1 S .�xd6 'lixd6 1 6 .ti.xc8+ ti.xc8 1 7 .l::t c 1 draw, Movsziszian-Fernandez Romero, Lorca 2 0 0 7 . 9.tLleS Nothing is changed by 9 .'lie2 �e7 1 0 .�d2 0-0 l 1 .tLleS ttJbd7 1 2 .ti.ac 1 ttJe4 1 3 . ttJxd7 'i'xd7 = Anapolsky-Bologan . Jurmala 1 9 9 1 . 9 ....l1l.d6 Practice has also seen 9 . . . ttJbd7 1 0 . f4 � e 7 1 1 .�d2 0 - 0 1 2 .J::i. c 1 M c 8 1 3 .a3 ttJb6 1 4.'lif3 �a8 l S .�e 1 ttJc4 1 6 . .l:!,c2 ttJe4 1 7 . ttJxc4 bxc4 1 8 .�e2 fS =F Yusupov-Grischuk, Mainz 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.t4 tLlbd7 Or 1 0 . . . 0-0

opment easily, since White's 'blitzkrieg' on the kingside is not really dangerous to Black, for example: 8 . . . �e7 9.0-0 0-0 1 0.f4 �b7 l 1 .fS exfS 12 .�S ttJc6 1 3 .ttJg4 (Zhang Ziyang-Wang Yu , Shandong 2 0 0 7 ) 1 3 . . . g6 1 4.ttJxf6+ Lf6 l S .�d3 �g5 =F . Back to the main line. 6.

b2-b3

In practice, various moves have been seen here : 6 ....l1l.fS 7 . �e2 e6 8 . 0 - 0 ! ? (in a game played in a junior competition, I suc137

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

ceeded in outplaying my opponent after 8.tt:lM �b4 9 .�d2 �xc3 1 0.�xc3 lLle4 l 1 .lLlxfS <1:lxc3 1 2 .<1:lxg 7 + 'it>f8 1 3 .'i' c2 <1:lxe2 1 4. <1:lhS lLlxd4 i s .exd4 �h4 1 6 .�e2 ! ? �xd4 1 7 . 0-0 lLld7 1 8 .11ad 1 'il'eS 1 9 .�f3 11g8! 2 0 . 11fe 1 �gS 2 1 .lLlf4 'il'fS + S. Petrosian-Bologan, Saki 1 9 89) 8 . . .lLlbd7 9 .�d2 !Jl.e7 1 0 .<1:lM �g6 1 1 .11c 1 0-0 12 .lLlxg6 hxg6 1 3 .cxdS cxdS 1 4.a4 b4 l S .lLla2 as 1 6 .11c6 <1:le4 (Black could equalise by means of 1 6 . . . 11c8 1 7 .'ii' c 2 llxc6 1 8 .'Ii'xc6 lLle4 1 9 .11d 1 'ii' c 8=) 1 7 i3 lLld6 1 8 .'ii' c 2 'iVb8 1 9 .11c 1 llc8 2 0 .11xc8+ �xc8 2 1 .'i'c7::!;: Karpov­ V Milov, Ajaccio (blitz) 2 0 0 7 ; 6 ...e6 is a bad move, blocking in the bishop for no reason: 7 .�d3 <1:l bd7 8.0-0 !Jl. e 7 9 .�c2 (9.a3 0-0 1 0 .e4 dxc4 1 1 .bxc4 e S ! Chebanenko) 9 . . . 0-0 1 0 .!Jl.b2 h6 l 1 .cS � . Vyacheslav Andreevich's original analysis considered that 6.

..

.

!Jl.c8-g4

was Black's best move. Now, 7.h3 seems a little careless, although for a long time, we considered it to be the main line. White walks into one of the main tactical tricks of the Chebanenko Variation. 7.....\hf3 and now: A) Black is fine after 8.gxf3 ILlbd7 9.f4 e6 1 0.c5 h6 Too passive is 1 0 . . . �e7 1 1 .�d3 g 6 1 2 :iVc2 0-0 1 3 .<1:le2 as 1 4. <1:l g 1 <1:lhS l S .<1:lf3 fs 1 6 .a3 <1:ldf6 1 7 .!Jl.b 2 lLlg7 1 8 . 0-0-0 �e8 1 9 .11dg 1 � l' Ami-Kritz, Netherlands tt 2 0 0 7 I 0 8 . 1 1 .h4 h 5 1 2.ii.d3 ii.e7 1 3 .�f3 g 6 1 4.�h3 lLlg4 1 5.tiJe2 tilh6 1 6 .lLlg1 ii.xc5! 1 7.lLlf3

1 7 .dxcS loses after 1 7 . . . 'i'f6 1 8 . l:!.b 1 'il'c3 + 1 9 .'it>e2 <1:lxcS -+ . 1 7... ii.b4+ 1 8. ..t>e2 ii.c3 19 . .!! b 1 tDf5+ l'Ami1. Sokolov, London 2 0 0 7 ; 138

B) 8.VWxf3

Now Black has a choice between three continuations : B 1 ) 8 ... e6 A quiet move, after which Black is able to complete his development without problems, and the absence of one of his bishops is compensated for by his light-square pawn chain, and the fact that his other bishop lords it over the op­ ponent's weakened queenside dark squares. 9.ii.d2 ii.b4 1 0.�d1 Practice has also seen 1 0 .!Jl.d3 'iVaS 1 1 .11c1 !Jl.xc3 1 2 .!1l.xc3 'iVxa2 1 3 .'iVd 1 dxc4 1 4.bxc4 bxc4 l S .llal 'iVb3 1 6 .'iVxb3 cxb3 1 7 .\tld2 ttJdS 1 8 .llh b 1 <1:lxc3 1 9 . 'it>xc3 \tld7 2 0 . 11xb3 'it>c7 2 1 .11ba3 'it>b6 draw agreed, Malakhatko-Kritz, Ascona Open 2007. 1 0 ... 0-0 1 1 .ii.e2 bxc4 1 2.bxc4 c5 This

timely break allows Black to equalise the chances. 1 3 .dxc5 d4 1 4.exd4 �xd4 1 5.�c2 tDc6 1 6 .0-0 �e5 1 6 . . . !1l.xc5=. 1 7.'li'a4?! �ad8 1 8.ii.e1 tDd4! 1 9.�xb4 tDxe2+ 20.tDxe2 Wlxa1 + Oil-Anand, Biel

1 993; B2) 8...e5! Exploiting White's tactical weakness, Black permits himself a pawn sacrifice. 9.dxe5 ii.b4 1 0.ii.d2 �xc3 1 1 .ii.xc3 tDe4 1 2.ii.b4 bxc4 and now: B 2 1 ) 1 3.bxc4?1 'iVb6 14.a3 a5

Chapter 1 5 : Minor Replies: 6.cxd5, 6.b3

1 9.JtdS fthfS-+ KrivosheyYakovenko, Internet 2 0 0 6 ; B2 3 ) 1 3.Wlig41? c51? 1 3 . . . g 6 ? ! 1 4 . .ixc4 h5 1 5 :iVf4 'iYb6 (Gen. Timoshenko­ Grigorieva, Guichen 1 9 92) 1 6 .a3 as 1 7 . .id6 ±. 14.f3 t2JcS 1 5 .fxe4 1 5 .�xg 7 iVh4+ 1 6 .Wd1 ttJxb4 1 7 .fxe4 0-0-0 I S .�g4+ iVxg4+ 1 9 . hxg4 dxe4+ 2 0 .WcI �hgS 2 1 .�xh7 �xg4 n .�xf7 �g3 2 3 .bxc4 �xe 3 + Komliakov.

'lWbS

B2 1 1 ) 1 5.eS .!"!.a7! 1 5 . . . fxe6 1 6 .iVh5 + c;f;>dS 1 7 . ii.c3 ! lLlxc3 I S .iV g 5 + �cS 1 9 .1hg 7 iVb2 2 0 .iVxh S + Wc7 21 .'i'e5 + Wb7 2 2 .� g 7 + WcS= 1 S.cxd5 cxd5 17.Ik1 t2JcS 1 S.exf7+? ( I S ..id3 ! ? axb4 1 9 . .ixe4 fxe 6 ( 1 9 . . . dxe4? 2 0 . exf7 ++-) 2 0 .�g4 Wf7 2 1 .�f4+ �e7=. 1 8..J:!.xf7 1 9.'iWg4 (Ovseevich­ Komliakov, Nikolaev 1 99 3 ) 1 9 ... t2Jxb4!?

1 5 ...tZJxb4 1 S.Wlixg7 ftfSoo ; B24) 1 3.Jtxc4

Rogozenko: 'The theory of the variation developed a lot after 1 9 93 and many re­ sources for White were found. 1 3 .�xc4 is one such resource.'

20.Wc8+ �e7 21J�Vc7+ Wlixc7 22 ..!"!.xc7+ �e6 23.l:l:xf7 t2Jc2+ 24.�d1 wxf7 25.�xc2 .!:tc8+ 2S.wb1 t2Jxf2 27..1::l: g 1 ftc3+

Komliakov; B2 1 2) 15.cxd5 cxd5 1 6 . .id2 ( 1 6 . �c l ? axb4-+ ; 1 6 . .id6 ! ? �b2 1 7 .11d1 �c3 + l S . 'lt>e2 ttJc6 1 9 .11xd5 = Komliakov) 16 ... 'llIYb2 1 7 .�d1 ttJc6t Dlugy-Bologan, New York 1 99 3 . B22) 1 3.eSI?

B 24 1 ) 1 3...'lWbS 14.a3 a5 1 5.JtdS t2JxdS 1 S .exdS (Prusikin-Neuman, Germany Bundesliga B 2 0 0 5 1 0 6) 1 S ... t2Jd7 1 6 . . . 0-0 1 7 . .ie2 'iVc5 l S .0-0 'iYxd6 1 9 . e4 lLld7 20.exd5 cxd5 2 1 .b4 axb4 n . axb4 :ha l draw, Tkachiev-Bacrot, Calvia 2 0 0 7 . 17.�e2 'IWc5 1 S.0-0 �xdS=;

13 . .fxeS 1 3 . . . �a7 °O . 14.�h5+ gS 1 5.iVe5 wf7 1s . bc4 t2Jd7 1 7.'lWf4+ rJiJg7 1 S.Jtd3 .

.

B242) A good alternative is 13 ...t2Jg5 and now: B242 1 ) 14.Wlie2 dxc4 1 5 J�d1 WlibSI? ( 1 5 .. . lLld7 1 6 .'iVxc4 c5 1 7 . .ic3 lLle6 l S . 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 9 .£4 g6 Markos-Gen. Timoschenko, Banska Stiavnica 2 0 0 6 ( 1 9 .. J:( e S 2 0 . f5 ttJefS 2 1 .e6 fxe 6 2 2 .'iYg4 'iYe7 2 3 .f6 ± ) ; 2 0 .f5 gxf5 139

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

2 1 .IhfS lla7 22 .ShS CfJg7 23 .'iVg4 'iYe7 24.Sfl ±) 1 S .'1I!Vxc4 'ifb5 1 7.J::!.c 1 lDd7 1 S.t4 lDe6 1 9.�dS �xc4 20.llxc4 c5=i=; B2422) 14.�g3 dxc4 1 5.l:ld1 lDd7 1 S.0-0 lDeS 1 7.t4 gS 1 S.bxc4 c5 1 9.�c3 �c7 20.6:.dS 20.f5 ! ? gxfS 2 1. . !:i.xfs with com­ pensation, Komliakov. 20... l:tdS 21 ..!haS 0-0 22.t5 lDg7 23.�g5 brdeS 24.fS lDh5 25.ItdS <;;t> h S 2S.Itfd1 lDbS 27.�hS .l:igS 0-1 ,

Dumitrache-Bologan, Romania 1 9 9 0 . B 3 ) Rogozenko : 'In order to avoid White's options on move 1 3 Black can start with S...bxc4 9.bxc4 and only now 9...e5:

the event of the passive 9 . . . e6 White sta­ bilises the position, qUietly completes his development and obtains the advantage: 1 0 .1td2 CfJbd7 1 1 .'iVd 1 dxc4 1 2 .1txc4 cS 1 3 .dS CfJb6 1 4.dxe6 tLlxc4 l S .'iVa4+ rJ:Je7 1 6.'iVxc4 fxe6 1 7 .'iVxcs+ rJ:Jf7 1 8.'iVc4 1te7 1 9 .tLle4 CfJxe4 2 0 . 'iVxe4± Z. Polgar-Macek, Dresden 2 0 0 6 .

In

tLlbS 1 7 .1tb2 11e8 1 8 . .!:i.fd 1 ttb8 1 9 .i.b3 Vilie7 = Pinter-Komliakov, Manila 1 9 92; B32) The incautious 1 0.dxe5? allows Black to take the initiative and trap the en­ emy king in the centre: 10_�b4 11 ..I1l.d2 �xc31 1 1 . . . 'iVaS ? 1 2 . exf6 �xc3 1 3 . .!:i.d 1 ± ; 1 1 . . .tLle4 ? ! 1 2 .tLlxe4 dxe4 1 3 .'iVd 1 1txd2+ 1 4.Vilixd2 �xd2+ 1 5 .�xd2 tLld7 1 6 .rJ:Jc3 ;!;. 1 2.�xc3 t/Je4 13Jk1 lDxc3 1 4.l:txc3 �a5 15.wd2 'S'xa2+ 1 S.l:!.c2 'ifa5+ 1 7.l:!.c3 ttJd7=+; B3 3 ) After 1 0J�b1 White aims to finish

his development and gradually begin to open diagonals for his two bishops: B33 1 ) 10 ...lDbd7 1 U �.d2! �e7! 12 .I1l.e2 Bad is 1 2 .cxdS ? because of 1 2 . exd4 1 3 .dxc6 CfJeS 1 4.'iVf4 dxc3 l S .i.xc3 tLlxc6+. 1 2...'/iVeS 13.cxd5 cxd5 1 4.e4 White should open the centre; after 1 4. 0-0 e4 l s .Vilig3 h 6 ! with the idea . . �_d6 , Black is fine. 14 ... exd4 15.1i:!xd5 .

.

.

.

J:[cS

1 S.ttJxfS+ lDxfS 1 7.0-0 Jle7 1 7 . . . tLlxe4 ! ? 1 S.e5;!; 1 8 .1td3 'iYxa2 1 9 .'iVe2 ;!; . 1 S... lDd7 1 9.�b7 <1Jc5 20:ii'a7 h5 21 J�bS± Chernin-Gavrikov, Tilburg

1 992; B 3 3 2 ) Black should strive for active counterplay with 1 0..:iVa5 .

After the surprising push 9...e 5 White has to play very accurately. But then, he can use the open b-file to his advantage. B3 1) An interesting manoeuvre of his king's knight enabled Black to equalise quickly in the following game: 1 0.c5 CfJbd7 1 1 .1te2 g6 1 2 .0-0 1tg7 1 3 . .!:i.b 1 0-0 1 4.1td 1 tLle8 ! l S .tLle2 tLlc7 1 6 .1ta4 1 40

1 1 .�d2! A new idea, found by grandmaster Victor Komliakov in the process of working on the present book. White achieves noth-

Chapter I S : Minor Replies: 6.cxdS, 6.b3

ing after 1 1 .'iYfS tLlbd7 (but not 1 2 .'iYcS+ 1 1 . . .�b4 ?? �e7 I 3 .�b7 ++�) I 2 .�d2 �b4 1 3 .'iYc2 0-0 1 4.�d3 exd4 I S .exd4 l::t feS+ 1 6 .tiJe2 .Ld 2 + 1 7 .'iYxd2 'iYxd2 + I S .�xd2 c5 , draw, Gleizerov-Bereziuk, Katowice 1 9 9 2 . 1 1 _ Jlli4 1 2Jbb4 �xb4 13 .�f5! The white queen is ideally placed here: it defends the square b l , threatens a check on cS and attacks the eS pawn, also with check. 13 ...lbbd7 14.tLlxd5 'iWb2 1 5 .tLlc7+ rJiJe7 1 6.4:JxaS �xaS 1 7.g4 hS 1 S.h4 gS 1 9.'iWd3 e4 20.'iWb3 'iWxb3 21 .axb3 ti:lxg4 22 . .ite2 f5 23.0-0 tLlfS± Kornliakov.

Back to the position after 6 . . . �g4.

7.

�f1 -e2

7.

...

e7-e6

After 7 ... �xf3 S .�xf3 e6 9 . 0-0 tLl bd7 1 0 .'iYc2 �e7 ;t White has a stable advantage. 8.

0-0

Even blitz games sometimes reveal inter­ esting opening ideas: S .h3 �b4 9 .�d2 �hS I 0.0-0 �d6 I I .tLleS �xe2 1 2 .tLlxe2 0-0 1 3 . .l:!.c1 ilLxeS ( 1 3 . . . dxc4! ? 1 4.bxc4 tLle4 1 5 .ilLe 1 ilLxe 5 1 6 .dxe5 '/i!Vxd 1 1 7 .lhd l 1:(cS=) 1 4.dxeS tLle4 1 5 .cxdS ! 'iYxd5 I 6 .�b4 l:!,eS 1 7 .�xdS exd5 (Fridman-Bacrot, Ajaccio (blitz) 2 0 0 7 ) I S .f3 a s 1 9 .ilLe I tLl g S 2 0 . tLl d4 1:(a6 2 1 .a4;t. Instead of 7 .h3 , there is also 7.�d2. This is an accurate prophylactic move : by de­ fending the knight on c3 , White no lon­ ger has to fear central blows such as . . e 7 -eS . 7.. eS S.h3 jj,h5 9.g4 .itgS 1 0.tLle5 .

.

1 1 /bxgS hxgS 1 2.'iWc2 tLlbS 13 .c5 tiJ6d7 14.0-0-0 fLe7 1 5 �g2 a5 1 S .tLle2 tLlaS 17.a3 b4 1 S.a4 �h4 1 9.�hfg/=

tiJfd7

Malakhatko-Wirig, Differdange 2 0 0 7 . In this closed position, White's advantage is not great, but Black is practically without counterplay and must await his oppo­ nent's further actions. Nowwe arrive at the main move.

An important alternative after S . O- O is S... tLlbd7, with which Black does not yet determine the position of his king 's bishop, and now: A) Interesting is 9 . .itb2 , after which Black should transpose play into the line with 9 .h3 after 9 ... jl,dS 1 0.h3 1 0 . tiJe5 �xe2 l 1 . tiJxe2 iVc7 1 2 . cxdS cxd5 1 3 .1:(c 1 ii'bS 1 4 .tLlxd7 tLlxd7 1 5 .h3 0-0 1 6 . 1:(c6 1:(cs 1 7. '/i!Vc2 tLlb6 I S . 1:( c 1 'iYb 7 = Karpov-Rublevsky, Mos­ cow (blitz) 2 0 0 7 . 1 0.. Jil.h5, see line B below. The retreat to f5 is less good: 1 O.. �f5 and now: 141

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 1 .tLl h4 �gS 1 2J1c1 0-0 1 3.tLlxgS hxgS 14 ..lid3 e5 1 5.dxe5 �xe5 1 S .cxd5 cxd5 1 7.�e2 1 7 .MC2 nc8 1 8 .tD e 2 iLxb2 1 9 .1:!.xb2 tLl e S = Alexandrov-Bareev, Serpukhov 2 0 0 7 ; 1 7 .f4 ! ? ii.c7 1 8 .e4 ( 1 8 .\th l tLlcs 1 9 .ii.b l ii.b 6) 1 8 . . . ii.b6+ 1 9 .\th2 ii.e3 2 0 .eS ii.xc 1 2 1 .'iWxc l d4 2 2 .tLle2 l:!.c8 2 3 .'iWd2 tLldS 24.tLlxd4 tLlcS 25 .ii.b 1 Moo. 17 .. ..!:tc8 1 8.'Ii¥d2 tLlc5 1 9.Z!fd H : . B ) 9.h3

B 1) As already noted above, Black is not advised to release the pressure on the di­ agonal d l -h5 : 9 ....iU5 1 0.�d3 1 0 .4'ih4 ! ? 1 0 ... �dS 1 0 . . . tLl e 4 1 1 . 'iW c2 tLl df6 ( l l . . . tLlxc3 1 2 .ii.xfS exfS 1 3 .'iWxc3;t) 1 2 . tLl e S � Komliakov; 1 0 . . . .i1lxd3 1 1 .'iWxd3 .i1ld6 1 2 .e4! .i1lM 1 3 . exdS cxdS 1 4 .cS .i1lxc3 I S .'iWxc3 tLle4 1 6 .'iWd3 0-0 1 7 . .i1lf4;t Komliakov; 1 0 ... .i1lg6 1 1 .'iWc2 bxc4 (or 1 1 . . . .i1ld6 1 2 . .i1lxg6 hxg 6 1 3 . e4 1 42

dxe4 1 4 .tLlxe4 tLlxe4 1 S .'iWxe4;t) 1 2 .bxc4 dxc4 1 3 . .i1lxg6 hxg6 14 .e4 .i1lM 1 S .eS tLldS 1 6 .ttJe4�. 1 1 .�xf51 After 1 1 .'iWe2 .i1lxd3 1 2 .'iWxd3 M 1 3 .tLla4 tLle4 1 4 . .i1lb2 ? ! ( l 4 . .i1ld2 !?) 1 4 . . . 0-0 I S .l:!.ac l fs 1 6 .cxdS cxdS 1 7 J''r c 6 gS the position is double-edged, Riazantsev-Bologan, Moscow 2 0 0 2 . 11 ...exf5 1 2 .'Ii¥c2 b4 1 2 . . . g 6 ? 1 3 .cxdS cxdS 1 4.tLlxdS tLlxdS I s .iVc6 iVb8 1 6 .iVxdS 0-0 1 7 .M±. 1 3 .tLla4 gS ( 1 3 . . . tLle4 1 4. cxdS cxdS 1 s .iVc6 0-0 1 6 .iVxdS tLldf6 1 7 .'iWc4� 14.c5 1 4.cxdS cxdS I S .'iWc6 \te7 1 6 . .i1ld2 WUb8 1 7 . tLlcS nc8. 14._�c7 1 5.�d2 as 1 S.a3 bxa3 1 7J!xa3:t tLle4 1 8JUa1 g5?! 1 9.tLlbS!:t; B2) 9 ....lkh5 10 ..lkb2 Not dangerous for Black is 1 0 .tLleS .i1lxe2 I l . tLlxe2 dxc4 1 2 .tDxd7 (or 1 2 . bxc4 ttJxeS 1 3 . dxeS 'iWxd l 1 4 . l:!.xd l tLld7 draw, Guliev­ Komliakov, Moscow 1 9 9 7 ) 1 2 , . .'iWxd7 1 3 .bxc4 cS 1 4 . .i1l b2 cxd4 l S . .i1lxd4 bxc4 1 6 .'iW c 2 .i1l e 7 1 7 . iVxc4 0-0 1 8 .l:!.ab l .ldfc8 1 9 .'iYb3 tLle4 2 0 . l:!.fd l 'iY b S draw, Neverov-Komliakov, Nikolaev 1 9 9 3 .

B2 1 ) 1 0 ... �b8 1 1 .tLle5 �xe2 and now: B 2 1 1 ) 1 2 .tLlxe2 bxc4 1 3 Ji'c2 .tdS 1 4.bxc4 tLlxe5 1 5.dxe5 �xe5 1S ..txe5 �xe5 1 7.cxd5 cxd5 1 8.'Ii¥a4+ The line 1 8 .'ii' c 6 + ! ? deserves attention : 1 8 . . . \t>e7

Chapter I S : Minor Replies: 6.cxdS , 6.b3

1 9 .�b7 + tLld7 2 O .tLld4 �d6 2 1 .tLlc6+ \tJf6 2 2 .lIac 1 00 . 18...We7 1 9.tLld4 'iVd6 20/1Ic6+ Wf8 2Hrac1 g6 22.'ltd4 wg7+ Acs-Wang Yue, Paks 2 0 0 6 ; B2 1 2) 1 2 .'ltxe2 ttJxeS 1 3.dxeS ttJd7 14.cxdS cxdS 1S . .l::l. a d1 il..e7 16 .f4 b4 1 7.ttJa4 0-0 1 8.e4 llVbS 1 9.�d2 ttJb6 20.�d4 ttJxa4 21 .bxa4 �b7 22.fS .l::l.fd8 23.f6 �f8 24.fxg7 �xg7 2S.�cS (Dobrov-Amonatov, St Pe­ tersburg 2 0 04) 2S ...aS 26.'iVgS h6 27.�h4 �d7=. B22) 1 0 ...�d6 B22 1 ) 1 1 .:tc1 'iVb8 1 1 . . . 0 - 0 ! ? 1 2 .r1JeS i',xe2 1 3 .tLlxe2 bxc4 1 4 .bxc4 �b S ! = 12 .cxdS cxdS 1 3 .a3 Black did not play the prophylactic move 1 3 . . . h 6 , which would have sufficed for equality, and in­ stead fell into a very unpleasant position: 13 ... 0-0 1 4.g4 �g6 1 S.tLlh4 ttJe4 1 6.tDxg6 tLlxc3 17.l:'!.xc3 hxg6 1 8.'iVc2 tDf6 1 9 .itd3 eS 20.dxeS ilxeS 21 ..l::l.c 6 £l.xb2 22.'iVxb2 tLld7 23.£l.e2 �d8 24.l:'!.d1 tDf8 2S.£l.f3± Cosma-Bologan, Neptun 1 9 9 0 ; B222) 1 1 .tDeS £l.xe2 12 .tDxe2 and now: B 2 2 2 1 ) 1 2 ...'llfc7 13.cxdS cxdS 14.l:'!.c1 '/i'b8

1S.tLlxd7 White obtained a small advan­ tage after 1 5 .ttJc6 'iVb7 1 6 .'iV d3 0-0 1 7 J'k2 .l:'i:acS l s .lIfc 1 tLlbS 1 9 . r1JxbS l:I:xc2 2 0 . 'iVxc2 lIxbS 2 1 .�c6 r1JeS

2 2 .f3 b 4 23 .e4 a s 2 4 . W[2 dxe4 2 S . 'iVxb 7 e 3 + 2 6 .Wxe3 l:!.xb7 27 .llcs lIbS 2S . l:!.xb S �xbS 2 9 . dS eS 3 0 .Wd3 ! Onischuk-Malakhov, POikovsky 2 0 0 4. 1S ...tDxd7 Probably the more reliable line is l S . . . 'it>xd7 1 6 . f3 �b7 1 7 . tLlf4 �xf4 l S .exf4 lIhcS 1 9 . 'iVd2 11xc 1 2 0 .�xc 1 ;:!; . 1 6.e4 dxe4 !? 1 7.dS 0-0 1 7 . . . exdS l S .�xg7 ( l S .'i'xdS 0-0 1 9 . 1Ifd 1 �h2 + 2 0 . Wh 1 �eS 2 1 .�xeS tLlxeS 2 2 .�xe4 l:!.eS 2 3 . r1Jd4 'iiV b 6 24. l:!. e 1 g6 2 S .f4 r1Jg4= Komliakov) l S . . . !:tgS 1 9 .�a 1 r1Jb6 2 0 . �d4 tLid7 2 1 .tLic3 (2 1 .�a 1 =) 2 1 . . .'iVdS 2 2 . tLlxdS 'iV g S 2 3 . tLl e 3 ± . 1 8.dxe6 ttJcS! 1 9.ttJf4 1 9 .'/Wd4 tLlxe 6 2 0 .'iVxe4 BeS 2 1 .IHe 1 'iVa7 2 2 .'iVf3 = Malakhov-Grischuk, Poikovsky 2 0 0 4 ; 2 2 . tLlc 3 �cS 2 3 . .l:'i:e2 .ll a dS =. 19 . ..fxe6 20:�g4 eS 21 .ttJe6 tLlxe6 22.'iVxe6+ Wh8 23 .l:l.c6 £l.c7 24.l:'!.fc1 ± Sasikiran-Sakaev, Copenhagen 2 0 0 3 ; B 2 2 2 2 ) More common is 1 2 .. Jl:c8 13.l:tc1 0-0 14.ILJf4 ttJe4 1 S.'iVe2.

1S ...�xeS The critical moment. Usually the capture on eS is connected with the following exchanges: 1 6.dxeS bxc4 As Victor Komliakov correctly showed, the attempt to drum up play on the kingside does not bring Black anything : 1 6 . . . 'i!'gS 1 7 .cxdS cxdS l S .tLld3 h S 1 9 .!:tc2;:!; Komliakov. 1 7.bxc4 'il'aS 1 8.£Ld4 gS This 1 43

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

weakening of the kingside is not to my taste. But even after the quiet 1 8 . ..ttJ b6 1 9 .cxdS cxdS 20 . .l"!.xc8 .l"!.xc8 2 1 .'/Wg4;l; Black does not equalise. 1 9.'iiUg4 <;£thS 20.tilh5 �xa2 21 .f3 2 1 . f4 ! ? wi.th compen­ sation. 21 ...c5 22 ..b1 ttJd2 23 ..!';l:f2 'iiU a3 24.':e1 'tifb4°o. Back to the position after 8 . 0 - O.

1 2.

...

b5xc4

Alexander Morozevich found an origi­ nal path to full equality : 1 2 . . dxc4 1 3 . bxc4 tLlfd 7 1 4 .a4 i.xeS I S .dxeS 14 1 6 .'lWd4 cS 1 7 .'lWe4 �a7 1 8 JH d l 'i'c8 1 9 . .l:!.d6 'lWb7 2 0 . "fVf4 tLlc6 2 1 .tt:lg3 tLl e 7 ! = (Karpov-Morozevich, Moscow 2007). .

1 3.

b3xc4

tt'l bS-d 7!

A temporary pawn sacrifice typi cal of such positions. 1 4.

.l"!.a1 -b1

1 4.tLlf4 i.xeS I S .dxeS tLle4 1 6 .'iVd4 'liVb6= Komliakov. The move 1 4 . .l"!.c1 was considered under 8 . . . tLlbd 7 .

We come to the alternatives to 8 .. .t2Jbd7 . First of all , here is another interesting blitz-game: S ... .lke7 9 .i.b2 0-0 1 O .tLl eS i.fS 1 1 ..l"!.c l tLlfd7 1 2 .tLlf3 tLlf6 1 3 .t2J h4 tt'lbd7 1 4.tt:lxfS exfs I S .i.d3 g6 1 6 . cxdS cxdS 1 7 . tt'l e 2 .l"!.c8 1 8 . .l"!.xc8 '/Wxc8 1 9 .'lWd2 'lWb7 20 . .l"!.c 1 ;l; Karpov-Bacrot, Ajaccio 2 0 0 7 . But the main move is: S.

...

�fS -d6

h2-h3

itg4-h5

1 0.

i.c1 -b2

0-0

11.

tt'lf3-e5

�h5xe2

1 2.

tt'lc3xe2

9.

1 2 .'/Wxe2 tLlfd7 ( 1 2 . . . dxc4 1 3 .bxc4 '/Wc7 1 4 .cS i.xeS I S .dxeS tt'ldS 1 6 .tLle4 tLld7 1 7 .f4 b4 1 8 .i.d4;l; Komliakov) 1 3 .tLlf3 fS 1 4.a4 b4 I S .tLla2 as 1 6 .tLlc1 tLlf6 1 7 .t2J d 3 tLlbd7 1 8 . .l"!.ac l tLle4 1 9 .cxdS tLlb8 2 0 .'lWdl , draw (Yevseev-Postny, Cappelle la Grande 2 0 0 4) . 1 44

1 4.

...

iVdS-c7

1 5.

tt'le5xd7

tt'lf6xd7

Capturing on d7 with the queen is in­ teresting : 1 5 ... fhd7 1 6 .'t!\lIa4 lHb8 1 7..lkc3 Also seen is 1 7 . i. a 3 .ixa3 1 8 . 'ih a 3 (AI. Kharitonov-Wang Yue , Is tanbul 2 0 0 S ) 1 8 . . . dxc4 ( 1 8 . . 'iVc8 1 9 . tLl c 3 h6 20 . .l:!.fc l dxc4 2 1 .iVcS tLldS 2 2 .'lWxc4 tLlxc3 2 3 .'liVxc3 .l:!.xb l 2 4 . .l:!.xb l l:rb 8 = Ushenina-Zhu Chen, Krasnoturinsk 2 0 0 7 ) 1 9 . .l:!.xb 8 + l:hb8 20 . .l"!. c l .l"!.b6 2 1 .'iYcS 'iYb7 2 2 .�xc4 g 6 = Komliakov. 1 7 ... ttJe4 1 7 . . . dxc4 1 9 . i. b 4 i.x14 1 8 .'lW xc4 'liV c 8 2 1 .'ii' x b4 .1:I: b 8 2 0 . .l"!.x b 4 .l"!. x b 4 2 2 . 'iV a 3 ;l; . 1 S.c5 .lkc7 1 8 . . . tZlxc3 1 9 . tLlxc3 .l"!.xb l 2 O . .l:!.xb 1 i.c7 2 1 .g3 .l:!.a7 2 2 . � g 2 ;l; . 1 9.1hbS+ � x b 8 2O.�xa6;:j; . .

1 6.

c4-c5

�d6-e7 �fS-bS

1 7.

iVd1 -a4

1 S.

ii.b2-c3

l:I.bSxb1

1 9.

�f1 xb1

l:I.aS-bS

20.

lIb1 -b3

l:I.bSxb3

21 .

a2xb3

�c7-b 7

22.

�c3-a5

e6-e5

Chapter 1 5 : Minor Replies: 6.cxd5 , 6.b3

(Laznicka -Kritz, 2006/07).

Austria

Staatsliga

Conclusion

The relatively simplified position, cou­ pled with the attack on the pawn on d4, allows Black to look forward to a satis­ factory outcome to the game

This line is one of White's most solid against the Chebanenko system. Without committing his pawns , he maintains the tension, whilst keeping a small space ad­ vantage. Of course, I am speaking of 7 .�e2 , and not the rather pleasant (for Black) 7 .h3 . The situation is typical for l .d4 players. Minimal risk, minimal ad­ vantage, but chances of maximum long­ term suffering for Black.

1 45

Chapter 16 Seizing Space: 6.c5 Va rious 1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3/bg1 -f3 tLlgS-fS 4.tLlb1 -c3 a7-aS 5.e2-e3 b7-b5 S.c4-c5

After 5.e3 b5, 6.c5 is the most principled move, by which White seizes space on the queenside. In this chapter, we will consider three replies: 6 . . . iLg4, 6 . . . iLj5 and 6 g6 . . . .

•••

A) Theory considers 6 ... kf5 insufficient for equality; on the basis of the Dreev game given below. However, Black has an interesting piece sacrifice, which needs practical testing. ViJe5 h5 On 7 . . g6 the reply 8 .�b3 is unpleasant. a:&'b3 ti:lg4 9.ti:lxg4 hxg4 1 0.a4 ti:ld7 1 1 .ti:la2! (Dreev-Ni Hua, Moscow 2 0 04) .

1 46

And now: A I ) In the event of 1 1 ...'&'e8 it is White who sacrifices a piece, and obtains the ad­ vantage: 1 2.ti:lb4 a5 13 .ti:lxe6 '!!fxe6 14.axb5 'li'g6 1 5.b6±; A2) 1 1 ...e5 1 2 .ti:lb4 '!!fe 8 1 3 .llYa2 White strengthens the pressure along the a-file, and it seems hat there is no con­ venient defence against the threat to take on b S . However . . . 1 3 ... exd4 1 4.exd4 ti:lxe5!? 1 5.dxe5 ilxe5 Exploiting the fact that the white queen has been driven into a hole on the queenside, Black opens the position and forces the enemy king to remain in the centre. 1 6.ti:ld3 'iYe6+ 1 7.'t> d1 ild6 1 8.axb5 exb5°o. The positions reserves further study (Komliakov) .

Chapter 1 6: Seizing Space: 6.cS Various

B) S ... gS This position has been met many times in practice, and White has a large choice of sensible developing moves.

B l ) 7.b4 Immediately declaring his in­ tentions on the queenside. B 1 1 ) On 7 ... �g4 , the active S.a4 is very unpleasant (nothing comes from 8 .h3 �xf3 9 . gxf3 as 1 O .bxaS � g 7 l 1 .f4 'iUxa S 1 2 .�d2 b 4 1 3 .ttJe2 ttJ e 4 1 4.�g2 ttJxd2 1 5 .'iUxd2 ttJd7 1 6 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 = Kamsky-Bacro t, Elista 2 0 0 7 ) : 8... ttJbd7 9.�b2 �g7 1 0.ttJe2 �xf3 1 1 .gxf3 0-0 1 2.f4 This move deprives Black of counterplay in the centre, whilst White has sufficient resources to strengthen his position on the queenside. 1 2 .. :iic7 1 3.ttJc1 J:tfb8 14.ttJb3 eS 1 5 .�d3 ttJe8 1S.�c3 ttJdfS 1 7.'ifc2 wh8 1 8.axb5 axb5 1 9.We2 Here the king feels safest. 19 ... ttJgS 20.J:t a 2 'ifc8 21 .:ha1 ttJc7 22.�e1 .a:xa2 23 ..a:xa2 1:: a S 24.f3 �fS 25.�g3 ttJe7 2S .e4 IIxa2 27:�ha2 'ifaS 28.'ifa5 'il'xa5 29.bxa5± Black faces a dif­ ficult defence in the endgame (Kozul­ Kulj asevic, Warsaw 2 0 0 5 ) ; B 1 2 ) 7...a5 A counterblow that aims to deny White a 'free' initiative on the queenside. 8.bxa5 'ifxa5 9.�d2 b4 1 0.ttJb1 From here the knight supports the break a2-a 3 . White is promised little by

1 0 .tL'l e 2 , for instance : 1 0 . . . ttJe4 1 1 .ttJcl � g 7 1 2 .M b 1 (Black is better after 1 2 .ttJb3 'iVa4 1 3 .�d3 �a6 1 4 .'iVc2 ttJxd2 1 5 '!·L'lfxd2 eS+ Rajkovic-Nikcevic, Podgarica 2 0 0 7 ) 1 2 . . .ttJa6 1 3 . �d3 ttJc3 1 4 . .2.xc3 bxc3 1 5 . 0 - 0 ttJb4 1 6 .I1b3 ttJxa2 draw, l' Ami-Burmakin. Bethune 2 0 0 6 . 1 0...ttJe4 1 1 .a3 ttJxd2 1 2.ttJfxd2 �g7 An interesting pawn sacrifice in the spirit of the Benko Gambit is also possible: 1 2 . . . b3 ! ? 1 3 .'iVxb3 ttJd7 1 4.'iVc3 'iWxc3 I S . ttJxc3 eS 1 6 .ttJb3 exd4 1 7 .exd4 .2.g7 1 8 . \td2 ttJf8 1 9 . �d3 ttJe6 2 0 .ttJe2 11a4 and for the pawn Black has serious pres­ sure on the queenside : 2 1 .Wc3 �d7 2 2 . f4 \te7 2 3 . llhe l llb8 2 4 . g4 \tf8 2 S .fS gxfS 2 6 . gxfS (Khenkin-Motylev. Sochi 2 0 0 5 ) 2 6 . . . ttJgS 2 7 .Uf1 �f6 + . 1 3.ttJb3 'ifa4 14.f4 �f5 15.�d3 �xd3 1 S .�xd3 ttJd7 1 7.0-0 0-0 1 S.axb4 'ifxb4 1 9.ttJ1 d2 J::!:f b8= Black has sufficient counter play (Miton-Rublevsky, Sochi 2006) . B2) 7.�d2 A useful prophylactic move. As we have just seen, the black queen proves very useful on as , so White de­ fends the e I -aS diagonal in advance.

B2 1 ) 7...a5 Prophylaxis against b 2 -b4 followed by a2-a4. The drawback of the move is that now the queenside pawns 1 47

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

are weakened and White has the idea of sacrificing a piece for two pawns (c6 and b 5 ) . In addition, as we will soon see, the advance b2-b4 remains on the agenda. S.a3. Excessive directness can backfire on White. In the following game, he sacri­ ficed immediately, but did not get any­ where : S . tLle5 �g 7 9 . ttJxb5 cxb S 1 0 . �xb 5 + \t>fS 1 l . 0-0 ttJe4 1 2 . 11c l ttJxd2 1 3 .�xd2 'fi c 7 1 4 . c 6 �xe5 1 5 . dxe5 \t>g7 1 6 .'iVxd5 �e6 1 7 .'iVd3 lldS I S .�e2 ii.xa2 1 9 .f4 J::t a 7 2 0 . J::t c 3 a4 2 1 .�fc l llcs+ Van der Stricht­ Burmakin , Bethune 2 0 0 6 . S ... �g7 9.b4! The most ambitious move. White gets nothing after 9 . ii.e2 ttJe4 1 0 . 0 - 0 tLlxd2 1 l .'i'xd2 0-0 1 2 . M ii.g4 1 3 . tLle5 ii.xe2 1 4.tLlxe2 a4 1 5 .f4 f6 1 6 .tLld3 e 6 = Malakhov-Volkov, Sochi 2 0 0 6 . 9 ... 0-0 1 0.�d 3 neS 1 0 . . . ii.g4 ! ? I I .h3 hf3 1 2 . gxf3 ttJa6 1 3 .bxa5 e5 1 4. 0 - 0 ttJh5 =i= (Komliakov) also deserves attention. 1 1,ttJ e5 On 1 1 . 0 - 0 the pin 1 1 . . . �g4 is unpleasant, and allows Black to get in his planned advance . . . e7 -e5 : 1 2 . bxa5 e 5 1 3 .�e2 hf3 1 4. �xf3 exd4 1 5 .exd4 tLle4 1 6 .ii.xe4 dxe4 1 7 . ii.e3 tLl d 7 I S .'iYc2 tLlf6 =i= . 1 1 ...tLlfd7 1 2.tLlxd7 tLlxd7 1 3.14 e51 Preparing . . . e7 -e5 further does not work: 1 3 .. .f6 1 4.bxa5 e5 1 5 . 0 - 0 ± . 14.fxe5 tLlxe5 1 5.dxe5 �xe5 1 6 .0-0 axb4 1 7.axb4 1::lx a1 1S.1lfxa1 'iVh4 1 9.h3 �xh3 20.�e1 �h6t For the sacrificed piece Black obtains two pawns and the initia­ tive (Komliakov) ; B 2 2 ) Black also has another way of fighting for equality: 7 ... tLle4 S . ii.d3 ttJxd2 9.iVxd2 �g7 1 0 .e4 �g4 l 1 .e5 �xf3 1 2 .gxf3 e6 1 3 .tLle2 as 1 4 .114 h5 1 5 . f4 a4= (Gerzhoy-Atalik, Ottawa 2007) ; 1 4S

B 2 3 ) 7...�g7 S.b4 and now:

B 2 3 1 ) White is better after S ... O-O 9.a4 �b7 1 0.axb5 Methodically seizing the a-file by 1 0 . 11a3 ? ! tLlbd7 1 1 .'i'a l does not work for White, because of 1 1 . . .a5 1 2 .axb 5 (better is 1 2 .'i'b2 e5 1 3 .axb5 axb4 1 4 . 'i'xb4 'i' e 7 oo ) 1 2 . . . axM 1 3 .11xaS iVxaS 1 4 .ttJa4 (Zhao Xue­ Volkov, Internet 2 0 0 5 ) 1 4 . . . cxb5 1 5 .ii.xb 5 iVa5 -+ . 1 0 ... axb5 1 1 .I:txa8 �xaS 1 2 . �d3 tLlbd7 1 3 .tLle5 ttJxe5 1 4.dxe5 ttJd7 1 5 .14 e6 1 6.h4 h5 17.g4;!; Komliakov; B23 2) S... �g4 9.h3 .lkxf3 1 0.gxf3 ttJbd7 1 1 .f4 0-0 White had a small but stable ad­ vantage after 1 1 . . . tLle4 1 2 .tLlxe4 dxe4 1 3 .�g2 f5 1 4.f3 tLlf6 1 5 .'i'b3 'lid7 1 6 .a4 in the game Volkov-Swathi , Gibral­ tar 2 0 0 6 . 1 2.a4 e6 1 3 . .liLg2 tLleS 14.0-0 I1'Jc7 1 5 .l'�a2 'iVe7 1 6 .'iVc2 ldfbS 1 7.I:tfa1 'iVdSU=. Black is prepared for the opening of the a-file and can look to the future with op­ timism. White retains a minimal open­ ing advantage, but it is very difficult to increase it (Lputian-Malakhov, Sochi 2006). B 3 ) 7.�b3 By this move, the queen wishes personally to lead the assault on the queenside.

Chapter 1 6: Seizing Space: 6.c5 Various

B3 1 ) 7... a5 B.tLle5 The line 8 .'ii' c 2 �g7 9.a4 b4 1 0 ,tbb l looks rather too aca­ demic. True, the position is closed, but not so much so that White can permit himself to lose so many tempi: 1 0 . . . 0-0 I l .tLlbd2 ii.fs 1 l .ii.d3 ii.xd3 1 3 .'ii' x d3 tiJbd7 1 4. tll b 3 'ii' c 7 1 5 . 0 - 0 eS (having fmished his development satisfactorily and placed all his pieces well, Black seizes the initiative) 1 6 .tll x eS tll xeS 1 7 .dxeS 'li'xe S f Shipov-Malakhov, Moscow (blitz) 2 0 0 6 . B 3 1 1 ) Now, somewhat premature is S ...a4 on account of 9.�d1 a3 is a bad square for the queen: 9 .'ii' a 3 ii. g 7 1 0 .ii.d2 0 - 0 I I .b 3 lLl e 4 1 2 .lLlxe4 dxe4+ Al Sayed-Sriram , Port Erin 2 0 0 6 . 9 ...�g7

1 0.t4 Also not bad is 1 0 .�e2 0-0 1 1 . 0-0 tLlfd7 l l .tLlf3 eS 1 3 .�d2 �b7 1 4.b3 axb 3 I S .'ii' x b3 lLla6 1 6 . .l:Iab l 'ii' c 7 ( 1 6 . . . 'i¥e 7 ! ? 1 7 .l:!.fc l lUc8) 1 7 J Hc l

l:tfb8 1 8 . a4 bxa4 1 9 .1tJ xa4 e4 2 0 .lLle l �c8 2 1 .lLlb6;t Rustemov-Talish Zade, Baku 2 0 0 7 . 1 0 ...tLle4 1 1 .�d3 t6 1 2.tLlt3 t5 1 3.tLle5 Wic7 14.g4 tLlxc3 15.bxc3 txg4 1 6.e4 dxe4 17.�xe4 0-0 1 B.0-0 �t5 19.�g2 (Aronian-Shirov, Mainz 2 0 0 5 ) 19 .. �xe5 20.txe5 tLla6 21 . �h6 J:!t7 22.c4 'IllYb7 23.e6 l:tt6 24.d5t White's initiative is very dan­ gerous; B3 1 2 ) B ... �g7 9.tLlxb5 A tempting sacri­ fice, but here there is a good defence for Black: 9...cxb5 Worse is 9 . . . a4 1 0 .'i¥b4 cxb S 1 L�xb 5 + 'It>f8 l l . O - O tLJa6 1 3 .'iVa3 tLJc7 1 4.itc6 J:ta6 I S .�xa4. Not onl y does White have a third pawn for the piece, but now it is easier to advance the passed pawn on b 2 : I S . . . tLJe4 1 6 .c6 !la8 1 7 .f3 'iVd6 1 8 .tLJd7+ ii.xd 7 1 9 .cxd7 lLlf6 2 0 .b 3 �h6 2 1 .�xd6 exd6 1 l . e4;t Aronian-Bu Xiangzhi, Moscow 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.bb5+ <;t>f8 1 1 .0-0 tLleB 1 2.tLld3 tLlc7 1 3.a4 �d7 14.�d2 �c6 1 5.J:!tb1 �d7 1 6.�xc6 tLlxc6+

White does not have full compensation for the sacrificed piece (Mledema­ Burmakin, Bethune 2 0 0 6 ) ; The other line seen in practice also looks reasonable : 11 ...�a6 Instead of 1 1 . . . ttJ e 8 . 1 2.a4 tLle4 In the following game, Black got diverted by a bishop manoeuvre and ended up with a 149

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

cramped position: 1 2 . . . J1i.cs 1 3 . f3 �e6 14 .�d2 h5 1 5 .flfc l WgS 1 6 .c6 tLla6± (Rustemov-Sakaev, Sochi 20 0 5 ) . 13.tbd3 .lil.b7 14.f3 <'2,f6 1 5.<'2,e5 'ii e7 16 ..i1l.d2 h5 17.e6 .i1l.eS 1 S.e4 �b6 1 9 ..i1l.e3 .i1l.e6 20.rtae1 <'2,a6 21 .14 <'2,e7 22.f5 (Aronian-V Popov, Moscow 2 0 0 5 )

And here after 2 2 ... gxf5 23.exf5 .i1l.eS 24.l::te5 White has compensation. Any re­ sult is possible. B 3 2 ) 7... .i1l.b7 Of course, the bishop is rather passive here, but now Black does not need to fear the piece sacrifice on b5 .

iLb7 20 . .I:1a7 J:1bS 21 .<'2,b3± Aronian­ Kachiani, Mainz 2 0 0 5 ; B 3 3 ) 7_. .i1l.g7 Ignoring his opponent's threats, Black Simply continues to develop S.a4 .lil.b7 9.<'2,e5 This active leap gives Black more problems than the harmless 9.i1Ld3 , which has been met in practice. 9... 0-0 1 0.�e2 Also deserving of attention is 1 0 .f4!? tLlfd7 I l . W3 . 1 0...<'2,fd7 It is not clear what Black should do after 1 0 . . . tLlbd7 1 l .f4;:!;. 1 1 .f4 <'2,xe5 Also after 1 1 .. .f6 1 2 .tLlxd7 tLlxd7 1 3 .e4t White has the ini­ tiative. 1 2.fxe5 16 13.exf6 The blocking sac­ rifice 1 3 .e6?! is not dangerous for Black: 1 3 . . .'lWcS 1 4.axb5 axb5 1 5 .�xaS has+. 13 ....i1l.xf6 White has the advantage after both 1 3 . . J:txf6 ? 14.e4± ; and 1 3 . . . exf6 ? 14.�e4! (Roiz-Bratanov, Basel 2 0 0 5 ) 1 4 . . .f5 1 5 .tLld6 Wile7 1 6 . 0-0 tLld7 1 7 .�d2 ta6 I S Jtd3 ± Komliakov. 14.<'2,e4 Or 14.0-0 WhS 1 5 .�g4 e5 1 6 .tLle2 'i'e7 1 7 . .idl exd4 I S .exd4 h5 1 9 .�f3 ± Komliakov. 14....i1l.g7 15.<'2,g5 'li'd7 1 5 . . e5 1 6 .e4:t . 1 6.<'2,f3 �g4 1 7.0-0 <'2,d7 1 S.h3 '/lIVg3 19..>td2 <'2,f6 20 .lil.e1 �e7 21 .<'2,g5 �d7 22..i1l.d3;!': In order to achieve adequate play, Black still has to solve the problem of his light­ squared bishop. .

•

B4) 7 . .i1l.d3 Judging by the statistics, White most often prefers this simple de­ veloping move.

S.a4 <'2,bd7 9.axb5 axb5 1 O.J:[xaS �xaS 1 1.'�a2 e5 1 2 .�xaS+ .i1l.xaS 1 3.b4 exd4 1 4.<'2,xd4 .i1l.g7 1 5 . .i1l.b2 0-0 1 6 ..i1l.e2 <'2,e5 1 7. \t>d2 <'2,fg4?! Better is 1 7 . . . � b 7 ! ? l S .Wc2 l:I.aS, and the position is close to equality (Komliakov) . 1 S.f3 <'2,f6 1 9.rta1 1 50

Chapter 1 6: Seizing Space: 6.c5 Various

B4 1 ) 7 ".�g4 8.h3 Black is fine after 8 .'iVb3 tDbd7 9 . 0- 0 �g7 1 0 .tDh4 eS= Komliakov. 8...�xf3 9.gxf3 iDbd7 Neither 9 . . . aS ? 1 0 .tDxbS cxbS 1 1 . �xb 5+ tDbd7 1 2 .c6+- , nor 9 . . . eS 1 O .dxeS tDfd7 1 1 .f4 4JxcS 1 2 .�c2 t can be recommended. White intends h4-hS , creating strong pressure on the b 1 -h7 diagonal, after which the black king will be in danger. 1 0.f4 as. In the blitz game Gelfand-Anand (Mos­ cow 2 0 0 7 ) White obtained a decisive ad­ vantage after 1 0 . . . e6 1 1 .�d2 (also not bad is the immediate 1 1 . b4 �g7 1 2 .a4!) 1 1 . . .�e7 1 2 .M 0-0 1 3 .a4 ttJhS 1 4.'iWe2 as I S .axbS axM I 6 . tDa4 �xcS 1 7 .dxcS 4JxcS 1 8 .�xM tDxa4 1 9 .�xf8 'iYxf8 2 1 .'I!lVb2 J::rx a l + 2 0 . bxc6 tDc3 2 2 .ifxa 1 +- . 1 1 .fS gxfS 1 1 . . . � 6 ! ? de­ serves attention: 1 2 .'I!lVf3 (or 1 L�d2 b4 1 3 .tDe2 tDe4) 1 2 . . . eS 1 3 . fxe6 fxe 6 1 4.'I!lVg3 M I S .tDe2 e S 1 6 .dxeS tDe4 1 7 .Le4 dxe4°o . 1 2.�xfS eS 13 .�e2 eS 14.'i'f3 Wie7 . Worse is 1 4 . . . �h 6 ? ! I S . �d2 exd4 1 6 .exd4 �e7 + 1 7 .�e3 �xe3 1 8 .fxe3 0-0 1 9 . 0-0-0 J::r a e8 2 0 . J::rh g 1 + 'it>h8 2 1 . J::r g 3 ;t Ponomariov-Grischuk, Moscow 2 0 0 6 . 1 S .iDe2 �hS 1 S.�d2 �g8 Bad is 1 6 . . . exd4 1 7 .tDxd4 'I!lVxcs 1 8 .l:.c1 �b6 1 9 .�b3 cS 20 .�xdS ± . 1 7.iDg3 exd4 1 7 . . . e4 1 8 .'I!lVe2 'I!lVe6 1 9 .0-0-0!. 1 8.iDfS 'i'xeS 1 9.iDxhS IllYxe2 20.iDxg8 iDxg8 21 .:gg1 ltJeS 22.'iWg3 iDgS 23J:te1 'i-lYxb2 24JbeS tlJ8e7 with compensatio n, Komliakov; B42) 7...�fS is an interesting, but thus far little-examined move. 8ixf5 gxf5 9.iDe5 a5 1 0.f3 ti:lfd7 1 1 .ti:ld3 �g7 1 2.lllYe2 eS 13.'iI¥f2 ti:lfS 14.�d2 ti:lbd7 1 5.b4 a4

White has more space, but Black has a powerful central pawn construction, and has managed to close the queenside. In the follOWing game, White did not man­ age to pose his adversary serious prob­ lems: 1 S .lLle2 'fie7 1 7.'fih4 0-0-0 1 8.0-0-0 .!:!.dg8 19.�e1 'lWd8 20.�g3 hS 2L�f4 �hS 22 . .!:'l.hg1 iDe8 23.'lWf2 il.xf4 24.iDdxf4 \tb7 2S.g3 'Vlie7 2S.ti:le3 lLle7 27.e4 fxe4 28.fxe4 h4 29.g4 'VligS 30.\t>b1 iDfS 31 .exdS exdS 32.h3 .!:I.e8= Lautier-Bacro t, Khanty­ Mansiysk 2 0 0 5 ; B43) 7...iLg7

In this position, White has tried many moves: B43 1) 8.0-0 0-0 9.b4 �g4 1 0.a4 lLlbd7 1 1 .�e2 Or l 1 .h3 �xf3 1 2 .'I!lVxf3 eS 1 3 .�c2 ttJe8 1 4.axbS axbS l S Jha8 'iYxa8 1 6 .J:ld1 Cj'jc7= Komliakov. 1 1 ...'lWe7 1 2 . .l1/.b2 l:!fe8 13 .l:!a3 .l1/.xf3 Provoking ac­ tion on the queenside does not work in 151

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Black's favour: 1 3 . . . aS 1 4 . axbS axb4 l S .b6 �b7 1 6 ..I:!xaS .!:haS 1 7 .tUb l eS l S .h3� Komliakov. 14 ..hf3 eS 1 S.'iVa1 l S .g3 ! ? 1 S ...exd4 1 S .exd4 '/WbS 1 7.1i'a2 tLlfS 1 S.�e1 tLleS 1 9.�e3 hS= Ernst­ Michielsen, Groningen 2 0 0 5 ; B43 2 ) S.�d2 0-0 9.b4 �g4 1 0.h3 �xf3 1 1 .gxf3 as 1 2.bxaS eS 13.tLle2 tLlfd7 14.a4 exd4 1 S.exd4 '/WfS White has clearly sinned against the principles of develop­ ment, and as a result, he has problems : 1 S.0-0 '/Wxf3 1 7.tLlf4 'ii'x d1 1 S.llaxd 1 bxa4 1 9.tLle2 tLlaS"F Zakhartsov-Das, Moscow 2006; B43 3) S.e4 dxe4 9.tLlxe4 0-0 1 0.tLlxfS+ .bfS 1 1 .�e3 �g4 1 2.�e4 'ii"eS 1 3.h3 �fS 14.'ii"e2 �xe4 1 S:lbe4 IldS 1 S.a4 'liUb7 17.0-0 lIdS 1 S.tLleS tll d 7= Black has fully (Aronian-Svidler, adequate play Heraklion 2 0 0 7 ) ; B434) S.b4

S... aS If S . . . �g4 9 .�b2 tUbd7 White, by means of 1 0 .tUe2 ! , deprives Black of counterplay, and gradually develops his initiative on the queenside : 1 0 . . . 'iVc7 1 1 .a4 0-0 1 2 .l'la2 (in the following game, White played 1 2 .l'la3 but did not obtain any advantage: 1 2 . . . l:!.fbS 1 3 .'iVa 1 Lf3 1 4. gxf3 'iii cS l S .�c3 tUeS 1 6 £4 tUdf6 1 7 .tUg3 e6 l S .\t>e2 tUc7 1 9 .�d2 'iii dS 2 0 .'iiig l �f8 2 1 .'iVg2 bxa4 n .l'lxa4 l'la7 2 3 .l'lha1 l::!. b a8= Vallejo Pons-Shirov, Mo152

naco (blind) 2 0 0 5 . There is no especially obvious difference between the position of the rook at a2 or a 3 , and it looks as though Vallej o Pons did not play energeti­ cally enough subsequently) 1 2 . . . .l:!:a7 1 3 .h3 �3 1 4 . gxf3 .l:Ifa8 l S .f4 e6 1 6.0-0 tUeS 1 7 .�c2 �b7 l S .l'lfa 1 �6 1 9 .'iWb3 �dS 2 0 .'iVa3 tUc7 2 1 .�c3 bxa4 (Black loses patience and releases the tension) 2 2 .'iVxa4 tUbS 2 3 .�d2 �c7 24:;"h 1 ttJf6 2 S .'li'c2 tUhS 2 6 .tUg l 'li'cs 2 7 .'li'd l �bS 2 8 .'iVg4 fS 2 9 .1iYg2 .l:Ig7 3 0 .tUf3! Aronian-Volkov, Sochi 2 0 0 5 . 9.bxaS tLifd7 9 . . . �fS has also been seen, and White did not manage to expose the drawbacks of the move: 1 O .�xfS gxfS 1 1 .�d2 tL"le4 1 2 .0-0 tUxd2 1 3 .tUxd2 'li'xaS 1 4.'li'c2 b4 l S .tU e 2 e6 1 6.tUf4 0-0 1 7 .\t>h1 tZ:ld7 1 8 .tUb3 'li'bS 1 9 .f3 lda3 20 .g4 fxg4 2 1 . tUhS tUf6+ Ibrahimov-Volkov, Abu Dhabi 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.�d2 e5 1 1 . .l1l.e2 Neither l 1 .tUxe S ? ! tUxeS 1 2 .dxeS tUd7 1 3 .tZ:le2 tUxcs 1 4 .�c3 'iVe 7 + . nor 1 1 .�e2 e4 1 2 .tUg1 l'lxaS= bring White any special dividends.

We offer a short analysis of this important position: B4 3 4 1 ) 1 1 ...!!:xaS 1 2.0-0 0-0=; B4342) 11 ...e4 1 2.tLig1 l::!.x aS 1 3.tLige2 1 3 . a4 bxa4 1 4.�xa4 l'la7 ( 1 4 . . . 0-0 l S .tUge2 �a6 1 6 .0 -0 �c4 1 7 .tUxe4 dxe4

Chapter 1 6 : Seizing Space: 6.c5 Various

1 8 ..1ha5 'iixa5 1 9 . .1hc6 'ii c 7 2 0 . ii.xe4 tLJxc5 2 1 .�f3;l;) 1 5 .tLlge2 0-0 1 6 .0-0 ka6 =. 1 3...1::t a 7 14.0-0 0-0 1 5.J:Ib1 �a6 16 .l:tb4 1 6 .B exf3 1 7 .llxf3 f5oo ; 1 6 . llb2 f5 1 7 .iVb l tLlf6 °o . 1 6 .. .f5 1 7.�a1 !? 1 7 .tLJf4 "I!iIe7 1 8 .f3 exB 1 9 ."l!ilxB tLlf6 20 .'iWg3 tLlbd7 =. 1 7._�cB 1 7 . . . tLlf6 1 8 .a4 bxa4 1 9 .1lfb 1 ;l; 1 B.a4 (Kruppa-Ardelean, Galati 2 0 0 6 ) 1 B.JiJf6 1 9.�b1 ttJa6 20.J::1b3 b4 21 'ttJa2 W1c7 22.h3 ttJh5 23.ttJxb4 f4� ; B43 4 3 ) 1 1 ...0-0 1 2.ttJe2 1 2 . 0 - 0 f5 ( 1 2 . . . e4 1 3 . tLl e l with the idea f3 ) 1 3 .tt:l e 2 ;l; . 1 2 ....l:teB! 1 2 . . . e4 ? ! 1 3 .tLlfg l ;l;. 13 ..!iLb4 1 3 . O - O ? exd4 1 4. exd4 tLlxc5 l S .dxcS �xa l 1 6 .'i¥xa l llxe2 1 7 .�h6 f6+ . 13 ...�e7 14.a3 ttJa6°o Prusikin­ Dautov, Warszawa 2 0 0 5 . B43 5 ) B.h3 Prophylaxis against the de­ velopment of the enemy bishop to g 4.

B43 5 1 ) In this version, with White not yet having 'played b2-b4, B...�f5 is un­ pleasantly met by 9.�xf5 Harmless is 9.0-0 �xd3 1 0 .'iWxd3 tLlbd7 I l .e4 dxe4 1 2 .tLJxe4 0-0 1 3 .ll e l ltJd5 1 4.�g5 'iWc7 15 .'i'd2 � 7 f6 1 6 .ltJg3 as 1 7 .lle2 a4 1 8 J iae l 'foVa5 = Harikrishna-Dableo , Doha (rapid) 2 0 0 6 . 9 ... gxf5 1 0.�c2 �cB 11.1tJe5 ttJe4 12.ttJd3 ttJd7 1 3 .ttJe2 �f6 14.�d2 .l:[gB 1 5.g3 e6 1 6.0-0-0 This is the whole point: with the pawn on b 2 . White

can castle long and quietly prepare an at­ tack in the centre and on the kingside. 1 6 ... h5 17J1dg1 W1c7 1 B.ttJef4:t Sasikiran­ Kamsky, Sofia 2 0 0 7 ; B43 5 2 ) B ... O-O 9. 0-0 ttJbd7 Now the white king is on g l , 9 . . . �f5 is perfectly possible, for example: 1 0 .�xf5 gxf5 1 1 .�e5 �fd7 1 2 .�d3 e5 1 3 . a4 exd4 1 4.exd4 �xd4 1 5 .axb S ltJxc5 1 6 . ltJe2 ltJe6 1 7 .ltJxd4 tLlxd4 1 8 .�h6 ll e 8 1 9 .1tJf4 ltJxb 5 2 0 .'ii h 5 'iif6 2 1 .llac 1 with compensation, Radj abov-Bacrot , Cap d' Agde 2 0 0 6 . 1 0Jle1 After 1 0 . a3 lle8 I I . e4 e5 it turns out that Black is better prepared for complications in the centre : 1 2 .dxe5 �xe5 1 3 . ltJxe5 llxe5 1 4.�f4 �e8 1 5 .'iWf3 d4 1 6 .tLle2 ltJd7 1 7 .b4 ltJe5 1 8 .'ii g 3 ltJxd3 1 9 .'ii x d3 �e6 2 0 . � ad l �c4+ Radj abov­ Ivanchuk, Odessa 2 0 0 7 . 10 ...a5 A per­ fectly good alternative is 1 0 .. J::k e 8 , for example : I l . e4 b4 1 2 . �a4 dxe4 1 3 . i.xe4 ltJxe4 1 4. llxe4 as (another move worthy of attention is 1 4 . . . � f6 ! ? 1 5 .11e l ltJd5 1 6 . ltJe5 'ii c 7 1 7 . a3 as 1 8 .'iWf3 i(e6 1 9 .i.d2 'iWb7 2 0 . h4 'iWb 5 2 1 .b 3 llad8 2 2 . axb4 axb4 2 3 .h5 ltJc7 2 4.hxg6 hxg6+ Komliakov) 1 5 .�f4 tLlf6 1 6 .lle l tLld5 1 7 .i.e5 �a6 1 8 .i.xg 7 <;t>xg 7 = Ivanchuk-Bacrot, Odessa 2 0 0 7 . 1 1 .a3 Wic7 1 2.e4 dxe4 1 3.ttJxe4 ttJxe4 14J:txe4 Or 1 4 .i.xe4 1::[d8 1 5 .'iWe2 ltJf6 1 6 .�c2 i.e6 1 7 .i.g5 ne8 1 8 .'iWd2 i.d5 1 9 .1tJe5 l:'l.ad8 20 .i.f4 'ii a7 2 1 .�h6 'iW c7= Lautier-Bu Xiangzhi, Internet 2 0 0 4. 14 ... e5 1 5.ttJxe5 ttJxe5 1 6 .�f4 f6 1 7.dxe5 fxe5 1 B.�g5 a4 1 9 . .I:[e2 �f5 20.�e4 h6 21 .�h4 �xe4 22.l:l.xe4 g5 23 .�g3 .l:[adB 24.Wlc2 ttd5= Kozul­ Jankovic, Dresden 2 0 0 7 ; B 5 ) 7.ttJe5 �g7 153

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

B5 1 ) White obtains nothing after 8.�d3 0-0 9. 0-0 QJfd7 1 0 .f4 QJxe5 1 l .fxe5 f6 1 2 .exf6 exf6 1 3 .'iYb3 f5 1 4.a4 .tb 7 1 5 . axb5 axb5 1 6 J'ha8 .txa8 1 7 . .td2 QJd7 1 8 .�a2 QJf6 1 9 Jh l .tb 7 2 0 .'ti:Va5 'iVc8= Dreev-Dautov; Mainz 2 0 0 5 ; B 5 2 ) &f4 this move is useful to White in any event, therefore it makes sense to play it immediately. 8 ... tLlfd7 Black also failed to equalise after 8 . . . 0-0 9 .il.e2 QJfd7 1 0.QJd3 as 1 l .0-0 QJa6 1 2 .a3 QJc7 1 3 .il.d2 f6 1 4. g4 e5 1 5 .f5 gxf5 1 6 . gxf5 .th6 1 7 . Wh 1 � Chuchelov-Langheinrich, Neth­ erlands tt 2 0 0 5 / 0 6 . 9.tLld3 0-0 1 0.a4 �b7 1 1 .�e2 f6 1 2.0-0 eS 13.fS "iie7 14.whH Kunte-Sareen, Hyderabad 20 0 5 ; B5 3 ) 8.�e2 White intends to transfer this bishop to the long diagonal and pre­ pare the break e3 -e4. 8 ... 0-0 9.0-0 tLlfd7 The move 9 . . . .te6 also looks quite prom­ ising, for instance: 1 0 . f4 WIIc7 1 1 . g4 ( 1 l ..td2 ttJe4 1 2 .QJd3 as 1 3 .il.e l QJd7 1 4 . il.h4 , draw, Elianov-Malakhov, Mos­ cow 2 0 0 6) 1 1 . . .QJe4 1 2 . .tf3 f5 1 3 .il.d2 QJd7 14.il.e 1 ttJxe5 1 5 .fxe5 QJxc3 (even stronger is 1 5 . . . .th6 !+) 1 6 . .txc3 .th6 1 7 . .td2 fxg4 1 8 . il.xg4 1:txfl + 1 9 . '>t>xfl 'iVd7=i= Gelfand-Bareev, Khanty-Mansiysk 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.f4 White has nothing after 1 0.QJxd7 QJxd7 1 1 .f4 f5 = . B 5 3 1 ) Quite often Black exchanges knights at once : 1 54

1 0... tLlxeS 11 .fxe5 f6 1 2.exf6 exf6 The other recapture has also been seen: 1 2 . . . Mxf6 1 3 . .l:!.xf6 .txf6 1 4 .e4 dxe4 1 5 . .te3 il.e6 1 6 .QJxe4 QJd7 1 7 .ttJxf6+ QJxf6 1 8 .�f4 WII d 7 1 9 .Wid2;t Carlsen-Burmakin, Gausdal 2 0 0 5 ; 1 2 . . .il.xf6 1 3 .e4 dxe4 1 4 .il.e3 il.e6 1 5 .QJxe4 ttJd7 1 6 .ttJxf6+ ttJxf6 1 7 .h3 �d7 1 8 .il.d3 QJd5 1 9 .il.h6 ::!.xfl + 2 0 . �xfl .l:i:d8 2 1 .'iVe2 tLJf6 2 2 . 'it>h 1 il.d5 = Pustov -Ne boIs ina, Mos­ cow 2 0 0 6 . 1 3.�f3 A position with mutual chances arises after 1 3 . e4 b4 1 4 .tLia4 dxe4 1 5 . QJb6 .lla7 1 6.'iVb3 + Wh8 1 7 .tLJxc8 �xc8 1 8 .il.f4 f5 1 9 . .l:!.ad l QJd7 20.�d6 .l:!.e8 2 1 .�xb4 <1If6 2 2 .'ilUa3 QJd5 2 3 .�c4 g5°o S. Savchenko-Wirig, Metz 2007. 1 3.-1S 14.b4 a s Also not bad is 1 4 . . . .te6 ! ? 1 5 .a4 QJd7°o. 1 S.bxaS l:[xaS 1 5 . :i'xaS .

1 6 .il.d200. 1 6.a4=; B 5 3 2 ) 1 0...fS Now, interesting complications arise after B 5 3 2 1 ) 11 .b4!? and now:

Chapter 1 6 : Seizing Space: 6. c5 Various

B5 3 2 1 1 ) Play turns in White's favour after 1 1 ... �b7 1 2 . a4 CiJf6 1 3 . �d2 CiJbd7 1 4 . �e l ± ; B 5 3 2 1 2) But the preliminary exchange of knights is worthy of consideration: 1 1 ...ttJxeS 12.fxeS and only now 1 2 ... aS!, whereas White is better after 1 2 . . . �e6 13 .a4 4Jd7 1 4.�d2;!;; ; B5 3 2 1 3) 1 1 ...aSI? 1 2.bxaS 'iYxaS 13.il.d2 tbxeS 14.fxeS b4 1 S .ttJxdS A typical sacri­ fke, which in this particular position is almost forced, since after 1 5 .t2l b 1 White can hardly count on an advantage, for in­ stance: 1 5 . . . �a6 1 6 .a4 (worse is 1 6.a3 �xe 2 1 7 . 'ii' x e2 ttJa6 1 8 . a4 lLlxc5 1 9 . dxc5 �xe5 2 0 .�a2 'ii'x c5=i=) 16 ... �'«.xe2 1 7 .�xe2 CiJd7 1 8 .l::t a 2 CiJxe5 (not forced, but an interesting counterblow) 1 9 .dxe5 �xe5 2 0 . t!.c l °° . 1 S ...exdS 1 S .a3 ILleS 1 7.axb4 �xa1 1 S.�xa1 J:txa1 1 9Jba1 �hS 20.�a2 f4 21 .bS fxe3 22.�e3 ttJdS 23.eSt White's initiative is very unpleasant. It is more than likely that within a move or two, Black will have to return the piece, and then fight for a draw.

2 0 . dxe5 e6 2 1 .t!.a2 4Jd7 2 2 . t!.f3 t!.e8 2 3 . I:I.h3 CiJf8 24.t!.h6 t!.e7 2 5 .�d3 t!.aa7 2 6 .'It>fl �e8 = Kazhgaleev-Panarin, Sochi 2 0 0 6 . 1 2 ... ttJfS 13.�e1 il.eS White is also better after 1 3 . . . lLlbd7 1 4 . .!h4 �h8 1 5 .'It>hl h6 1 6 .h3;!; Moiseenko-Ni Hua, Beer-Sheva 2 0 0 5 . 14.b4 a4 1S.ttJeS �d7 1 S.a3 ttJe4 1 7.11a2 ILlxe3 1 S.�xe3 il.eS 1 9.94 Thanks to his space advantage and the dominant position of the knight on e5 , White's chances are better. However, in view of the fact that all the play is taking place on one flank, Black has good chances to defend. 1 9...eS 20.�d3 1:.a7 21J:[g2 whS 22.il.e1 'iYeS 23.h4 ttJd7 24.hS gxhS 2S.gxfS (Carlsen-Malakhov, exfS 2S.�e2! Khanty-Mansiysk 200 5 ) . Now we arrive at the main move. 6. ... �c8-g4

B5 3 2 2 ) 1 1 .lLld3 as

1 2 .�d2 Black obtained sufficient counterplay after 1 2 .b3 lLlf6 1 3 .�d2 �e6 1 4.b4 a4 1 5 .ttJe5 ttJe4 1 6 .g4 4Jxc3 1 7 .�xc3 'li'Vc8 1 8 .g5 �f7 1 9 .a3 �xe5

A) Harmless is 7SJ.e2 ttJbd7 S.b4 8 . 0-0 e6 9.h3 �5. S...aS!? 8 ... g6 9 . a4 �g7 1 0 .0-0 0-0 1 1 .�b2 �xf3 1 2 .�xf3 e5 1 3 .axb 5;j; (AI Sayed-Hussein, Beirut 2 004) 1 3 . . . axb5 1 4.t!.xa8 'ii'xa 8 . 9.�a3 eS 1 0.�b3 a4 1 1 .�b1 �e7 1 2.h3 �fS 1 3.�d3 �xd3 14.�xd3 0-0= Kornliakov; B) 7.h3 �xf3 and now: B 1 ) S. �xf3 ttJbd7 Also perfectly normal is 8 . . . g6 9 . g4 b4 1 0 .ttJ a4 �g7 1 1 .�g2 e5 1 2 .�d3 lLlfd7 1 3 .e4 dxe4 1 4.�xe4 exd4 1 5 . i.d2 as 1 6 .t!.cl 0-0 1 7 .0-0 'ii' c 7 155

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 8 .g 5 (Kozul-Bukal, Kutina 2 0 0 6) 1 8 . . . f5 1 9 .9xf6 4:Jxf6 2 0 .�f3 tLJh5 2 1 .�xh5 gxh5 n .Irce l Wifl . 9.g4 '/i'aS White ob­ tained a small advantage after 9 . . . e5 1 0 . g S 4:Jg8 1 1 .h4 Wie7 1 2 .tt::l e 2 h6 1 3 .�h3 g6 1 4.�d2 f5 1 5 .gxf6 4:Jgxf6 1 6 .�g2 Irg8 1 7 .0 - 0 - 0 0-0-0 1 8 .£3 �b7 1 9 .�b l 'Wh7 20 .Wal Ire8 2 1 .tLJc l �e7 2 2 . 4:Jb3 �d8 23 . .ia5 Wlfe 7 24.a3 ;t; Sakaev -Bryzgalin, Kazan 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.jLd2 b4 1 1 .gS bxe3 1 2.�xe3 Wie7 13.gxfS tLlxfS 1 4.�d3 gS 1 S.0-0-0 iLg7 1 S.h4 hS 17.Wig2 tLlg4 1 S.l:tde1 eS 1 9.f3 tLlhS 20.e4 0-0 21 .eS ttfeS= Black has good counterplay (Sakaev-Prie, France tt 2 0 0 6) ; B2) S.gxf3 We have already seen this plan; White wants to set up a barricade in the centre (d4-f4) and only after stopping his opponent's counterplay will he turn to his own plans. S...gS 9.f4 tLlhS 1 0.£l.e2 tLlg7 1 HWb3 tLld7 1 2.a4 tLleS 1 3 .tLla2 '!!VeS 14.tLlb4 as It appears that Black should re­ frain from this move for the time being, since now White gets the standard piece sacrifice in a particularly favourable form: 1 S.tLlxeS 'il'xeS 1S.axbS tLlexeS Black im­ mediately gives back the piece, but does not equalise. 1 7.dxcS Wixcs 1 S.£l.d2± Bacrot-Volkov, France tt 2 0 0 5 . 7.

�d1-b3

S.

a2-a4

156

tLJbS-d7

A) White is better after S...gS 9.'iI'a3 llbS 1 0.axbS Also not bad is 1 0. b4 �g7 1 1 .�b2 0-0 1 2 .�e2 Wic7 1 3 .axb5 axb5 1 4.WiaS;l;; the move 1 0.4:Ja2 ! ? deserves attention. 1 0 ... axb5 I I .Wia5 �g 7 1 2 .Wixd8+ �xd8 1 3 .tLJg5 llf8 1 4.h3 �e6 1 5 . Ira7 rJtc8 1 6.4:Jxe6 fxe6 1 7 .f4 4:Je8 1 8 .4:Ja2 l:lb7 1 9 .11a5 �6 20 .h4 h5 2 1 .�d3 ± Zhu Chen-Nebolsina, Jinan 2 0 0 5 ; B ) White i s also better after S...eS 9.'iI'a3 b4 9 . Irb8 ! ? 1 0 .axb 5 axb5 1 1 .b4 �xf3 1 2 .gxf3 g6 1 3 .�e2 �g7 1 4 .0-0 0-000 Komliakov. 1 0.'iI'xb4 MbS 1 1 .Wa3 as 1 2.tLlbS exbS 1 3.axbS £l.xf3 14.gxf3 tLlxcS 1 S.dxcS tLld7 (Zhu Chen-Liang Zhihua, Jinan 2 0 0 5 ) 1 SJWxaS±; C) S...eS 9'tLla2 After 9 .'lWa3 ! ? Black should go over to the passive defence 9 . . .1:'I,c8 (9 . . . .!:!.b8 1 0 .axb5 axb5 1 1 .'(!iaS Wixa5 ( 1 1 . . . �e7 1 2 .Wixd 8 + Wxd8 1 3 . .!:!. a 7 l:!.c8 ( 1 3 . . . b4 1 4.4:Ja4 �5 1 5 .�d2;t;) 1 4.�d2 iLxf3 1 5 .gxf3 fJ.c7 1 6 .4:Jxb5 ! ± Elsness-Hole, Moss 2006) 1 2 .l:lxa5 iLe7 1 3 . .!:!. a 6 .!:!.c8 1 4.tLJag) 1 0 .axb5 axb5 I l .Wia5 ( 1 1 .4:Jxb5 cxb5 1 2 .�xb5 iLe7) 1 1 . . . �e7 1 2 .'ifxd8+ �xd8 1 3 .l:!.a6 4:Jb8 1 4 .l:la7 �c7 1 5 .tLla2 0-0 1 6 .iLd2 l:lfe8 1 7 .iLd3 4:Jfd7 1 8 .iLaS �xaS + 1 9 .1:!.xa5 eS = Brynell-Hole, Oslo Open 2 0 0 5 . 9...Wics 1 0.tLlb4 as Begins concrete play, where both sides must play accurately. 1 1 .tLlxcS 'il'xcS 1 2.axbS tLlxcS The only move ; bad is 1 2 . . . Wic8 1 3 .b6 'i'b7 1 4.�b5 �xf3 1 5 .gxf3 ± . 1 3.dxcS 'iVxc5 1 4.tLleS 14 ...�dS Again forced, but good. After other continuations, White obtains the advantage: 1 4 . . . i,h5 1 5 .i,d2 4:Je4 1 6 .b6! ttJxd2 (Yevseev-Aleshin , Smolensk tt 2005) 1 7 .'/Wa4+ 'it>e7 1 8 .b 7 + - ; ..

Chapter 1 6: Seizing Space: 6.c5 Various

1 4 . . . a4 ?! 1 5 .t2Jd3 ( 1 5 .�d2 ! ? tLld7 !t) 15 . . . 'lWa7 1 6 .b 6 ! ( 1 6 .'lWc2 �d6 ! + ) 1 6 . . . 'lWa5 + 1 7 . �d2 axb3 I S . .ldxa5 llxa5 1 9 .�xa5 �d6 2 0 .f3 �f5 2 1 .tLlM± Komliakov. 15.ltJxg4 lLlxg4 1 6Jll. d 2

16 ...d4! If Black would just quietly de­ velop, White's two bishops would grad­ ually have their say. 1 7.iLf1 -e2 dxe3 1 S.iLxe3 lLlxe3 1 9.fxe3 0-0 20.0-0 a4+ Komliakov. Back to the position after S . a4. B.

...

�g4xf3

The most popular move, which leads to great complications. 9.

g2 xf3

Wilc7 1 2 . axb5 axb 5 1 3 .'lWa7 Wilxa7 1 4.nxa 7 ± Matveeva-Jovanic , Salona 2005 . 1 0.

Wlib3-a3

11.

a4xb5

a6xb5

1 2.

iVa3-a5

ncB-c7

Black does best to avoid the exchange of queens: 1 2 . . . �e7 1 3 . 'iVxd S + �xdS 1 4.Ma6 0-0 1 5 .�h3 nc7 1 6 .�d2 MeS 1 7 . 0 - 0 tLlfS I S . tLl a 2± Svetushkin­ V Braun, Werther 2 0 0 5 . 1 3.

�f1 xb5

White can delay this standard sacrifice for a move : 1 3 .iLd2 iLe7 1 4.iLxb5 cxb5 15.lLlxb5 l:.(c6 The following line looks very dangerous for Black: 1 5 . . . llcs 1 6 .'lWxdS + �xdS (White is better after 1 6 . . . MXdS 1 7 .c6 0-0 l S .cxd7 tLlxd7 1 9 .�c3 ±) 1 7 .�a5 + �eS I S .M, but probably he can defend the position: I S . . . exd4 1 9 .exd4 tLlfS 2 0 .tLJa7 naS 2 1 .tLlc6 tLJh5 2 2 . 0 -0 �f6 2 3 .�c7 Mxa 1 24.Mxa l tLle6 2 5 .�d6 . 1 6.'iVxdS+ iLxdS 1 7.b4 with compensation. c6xb5

1 3.

9.

.

..

e7-e5

With quieter play, White's advantage is obvious : 9 . . . e6 1 0 .'ii' a 3 llcs 1 1 .�d2

llaB-cB

Also interesting is 1 O... .l:tbS. The pawn sac­ rifice 1 0 . . . b4 does not give Black full equality: 1 1 .WilxM llbS 1 2 .Wila3 as 1 3 .tLle2 g6 1 4 .�d2 exd4 1 5 .exd4 �e7 1 6 .�h3 0-0 1 7 . 0-0 tLJh5 I S .Mab l f5 (Iljin-Amonatov, Sochi tt 2005) 1 9 .Wilc3t.

1 4.

tbc3xb5

nc7-b7

1 5.

'iVa5-a6

'iVdB-bB

1 6.

'iVa6-c6

With the threat of 1 7 ..l:ta S ! 'li'xaS I S .tLl c 7 + . 1 6 . tLl a 7 ? is bad because of 1 6 ... �xc 5 ! 1 7 . dxc5 tLlxc5 I S .'lWc6+ tLlfd 7 + Tihonov-Zakhartsov, Kharkov 20 0 5 ; 1 6 . lla5 exd4 1 7 . exd4 hc5 l S . dxc5 0-0 1 9 .�e3 tLle5 20 .c6 l:te 7 . 157

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan 24.

e4xd5

tDe7xd5

25.

'iYa4-e4

tDd7-b6

26.

l:!.g1 - d 1 °o

�f8xc5!

1 6.

Nonetheless! 1 7.

�a1 -a8

Bad is 1 7 .dxc S ? 0-0 1 8 .lLlc3 llc8 1 9 .'iYd6 lLlxcs 20 .'iYxb 8 ncxb8 2 1 . 0 -0 lLlb3 + . 1 7.

�c5-b4+

1 8.

o;!;>e1 -e2

1 9.

.l:1a8xb8+ l::t b 5xb8

20.

d4xe5

.l:: b 7xb5 tDf6-g8

As analysis shows, in this position, with an unusual material balance, chances are about equal, for instance: 21 .

'lic6-a4

2 1 . 'il'xdS lLle700. 21 .

...

tDg8-e7

22.

l:!.h1 -g1

g 7-g6

23.

e3-e4

�b4-c5

2 3 . . . d4 2 4 . e 6 2 6 .�c7+- .

IS8

fxe 6

2 5 .�f4

l:!.b6

Conclusion

Black's general idea, particularly after 6 . . . �g4, of getting rid of his bad bishop is very reasonable. The only drawback is tha.t White can create unpleasant pressure on the queenside after a2-a4. Then there are unpleasant threats of sacrifices on c6 or bS , plus penetration along the a-file, but thanks to possible counter-sacrifices on cS, Black ca.n maintain dynamic equality. The endgame after 9 . 'iYa3 is a different story. Here White can justifiably count on more, and Black must accurately combine defence of the queenside with the preparation of . . .e6-e S .

Chapter 17 Seizing Space: 6.c5 tLJbd7 1 .d2-d4 d 7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.lLlg1 -f3 lLlg8-f6 4.lLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.e2-e3 b7-b5 6.c4-c5 lLlb8-d7

Nowadays, this is considered the most reliable answer to White 's pawn expansion plan. White's main reactions are 7.'lWb3, 7.�d2, 7 . .§i.d3, 7.b4 and 7.a3, but we will also look at minor alternatives. •••

A) In the following game, White played several passive moves in a row, and as a result, could have ended up in an un. pleasant position: 7.h3 g 6 ! ? 8 . .§i.d2 as 9.a3 ( 9 . tDxb5 cxb S 1 0 . .§i.xbS 'lWc7) 9 . . . .§i. g 7 1 0 .b4 tDe4 1 1 .tDxe4 dxe4 1 2 . tD g S tDf6 1 3 . f3 0 - 0 1 4 . .§i.e2 (Cmilyte-Sebag, Calvia 2 004) 14 . . . eS I S .dxe5 exf3 1 6 . .§i.xf3 tDd5 1 7 . .kxdS 'li'xdS + ; B ) 7.�d2 White rather slowly prepares an attack on the queenside. In reply, Black qUickly advances . . . e7 -eS and obtains ad­ equate counterplay. 7...a5 White is better after 7 . . . tDe4 8 . tDxe4 dxe4 9 . tD g S tDf6 1 0 .'ij'b3 e6 1 1 .a4 Mb8

1 2 . ax b 5 axb S 1 3 .Ma7 .§i. e 7 (Khmelniker-Kritz . Biel 2 0 0 6) . and here White could force transposition into a favourable endgame : 1 4 . .taS 'ij'dS I S .'iVxdS exdS 1 6 . .ke2;t. B.a3 Wii c 7 9.b4 e5 1 0.bxa5 e4 1 1 .tLlg1 l':!.xa5 1 2.tLlge2 h5 1 3 .tLlc1 �e7 14.tLlb3 J:!.aB 1 5 .h3 0-0 1 6 .�e2 h4 1 7.a4 bxa4 1 BJba4 �b7 1 9.i:i.a2 tLlh7 20J�'c2 f5°o Black has good counterplay in the centre and on the queenside (Bareev-Yakovenko , Mos­ cow 2 0 0 5 ) ; C) 7.�d3 This is the move most often met in practice. As a result. several reli­ able replies have been worked out for Black. IS9

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

C 1 ) 7... e51 Attractive and - the main thing - also in the spirit of the position. B/ilxe5 If 8 .�c2 e4 9 . ttJd2 g6 Black has good chances , for example: 1 0 .0-0 �g7 1 1 .f3 exf3 1 2 .'�Wxf3 0-0 1 3 .�h 1 as 1 4.a3 �b 7 1 5 .e4 b4 1 6 .tLle2 �a6 1 7 .l::l [2 ViII e 7 1 8 .eS ttJe8 1 9 .tLl f4 ttJc7 2 0 .Vill h3 ttJxeS 2 1 .Ville 3 ttJg4 2 2 .1:Ixe7 CUxfH 23.<;t>g l l::la e8 24.1:Ixc7 �xd4 2 S . ttJf3 ttJh3 + 2 6 .�h 1 ttJf2+ 2 7 .�g l CUh3 + 2 8 . � h 1 ttJf2 + draw, Evdokimov­ Matlakov, St Petersburg 2 0 0 7 . B...tLixe5 9.dxe5 lLlg4 1 0.f4 The only way to fight for an advantage; after 1 0 .�e2 Black has no problems: 1 0 . . . �xeS 1 1 .Vill d4 ttJd7 1 2 .b4 �e7 1 3 .a4 �f6 1 4 .'i'd3 ttJxcS ! l S .bxcS b4 1 6 .�b2 bxc3 1 7 . �xc3 �fS 1'fxf6 1 9 .1'fd4 <;t> e 7 + 1 8 . �xf6 Kornliakov. 1 0.....bc5 1 H j'f3 'ii' b SI?

C 1 1 ) 1 2.We2!? One supporter ofthis irrational-looking move, strangely enough, 1 60

is that most ardent advocate of classicism in chess, Boris Gelfand. White's play is to some extent remindful of the famous Steinitz Gambit. 12 ... lLlhS White has a small advantage after 1 2 . . . tLlxe3 1 3 .�xe3 �xe3 1 4 .ttJxdS ( 1 4.'iVxe3 �g4+ l S .<;t>d2 d4 1 6 .'i'g3 dxc 3 + 1 7 .bxc 3OO) 1 4 . . . cxdS l S .1:Ixe3!. 1 3.h3 1 3 .fS ? 1'fc7 1 4.1:If4 f6 ! l S .e6 1'fxf4 1 6 .exf4 g6+. C 1 1 1 ) 13 ...a 5 1 3 ... �e7 ! ? 14.�d2 .ia6 1 5 .<;t>f2 l S .l::l hc 1 also deserves consider­ ation : l S . . . b4 ( l S . . . �e7 ! ?) 1 6 .ttJa4 �xd3 + 1 7 .c;t>e l ! 1'fbS O J 8 . .l"!.xcS ( 1 8 .tLlxcS �c400) 1 8 . . . �e4 ( 1 8 . . . 'iWa6 1 9 .11cc 1 'iVbS = ) 1 9 .'i'g3 'iWd3 2 0 . l:kc 1 °o . 15 ... �e7 (Gelfand-I. Sokolov, Merida tt 2 0 0 5 ) 1 S .f5!?±; C 1 1 2) 13 ...lLlf5 The last word in this variation belongs to Black, and specifically, Aronian. Black draws the fire of the white pawns on himself, which is fully justified by the resulting increased exposure of the white king. 1 4.g4 lLle7 1 5.�d2 0-0 1S.l:tac1 The apparently fierce 1 6 .g is not so terri­ ble; mate is not yet threatened, which al­ lows Black to create his own threats: 1 6 . . . 'i'c7 1 7 .'i'f4 l::l d 8�; 1 6 .a4 ! ? 1S ...f6 1 7.exfS J::r.xfS 1 B.e4 �d4 1 9.exd5 cxd5 20.'�d1 J::r.f7 21 Jl:e1 �b7 22.'iVe2 tLlg6 23�xgS hxgS 24.'ii'eS l:tdB with an obvi­ ous advantage to Black, Gelfand-Aronian, Wijk aan Zee 2 0 0 8 . C 1 2 ) We should not discount the less committal move 1 2.lLld1 , for example: 1 2 ...lLlhS 1 3 .f5 "Wic7 14.�d2 'iYxe5 Worse is 1 4 . . . 0 - 0 l S J:t:c 1 �b6 (Bacrot-Karjakin, Khanty-Mansiysk 2 0 0 7 ) 1 6 .0-0 l::l e 8 1 7 .�c3 b4 1 8 .�d4 cS 1 9 .b3 l::l x eS 2 0 .ttJb2 ! ± . 1 5 .�c3 'iYdS 1S .�xg7 J:[g8 1 7.fS �b4+ 1 B.lLlc3 'ii' e5 1 9.0-0 lLlg4

Chapter 1 7 : Seizing Space: 6.c5 �bd7

20.'tiVf4 �xf4 2 1 .exf4 �c5 + 2 2 . 'it>h l �d8 2 3 . �xh7 11e8°o. Back to the position after 7 .�d3 .

C2) 7..:'ilc7

bring the bishop t o f4, in order to strengthen control over the square e5, but Black has other ways to create counter-chances. There is no danger for Black in 1 2 .�g5 tLlf6 1 3 .�xf6 �xf6 1 4 .tDe5 �xe5 1 5 .dxe5 0-0 1 6 .�f3 �e6 1 7 ..l:He l Uad8 =. 1 2 ...lbf6 1 3.il.f4 'iYb7 1 4.�eS 0-0 1 S.�xf6 exf6 16.lbe1 Or 1 6 .d5 f5 1 7 .dxc6 �e7 1 8 .�d5 �xb2 1 9 . Mb l �c3 . 1 6 ... �e6 1 7.lbc2 fS 1 8.�g2 IHd8+ D. Gurevich-Burmakin, Graz 1 9 9 5 . D ) On 7.b4 there follows the standard reaction 7...aS White is better after 7 . . . �c7 8 . a4. 8.bxaS

A typical piece of preparation, but the move is associated with the loss of a tempo. As a result, White can invite fa­ vourable complications : 8.0-0 eS 9.e4 9 . dxe5 tLlxe5 1 0 .tLlxe5 �xe5 I l . e4 tDg4 1 2 .g3 �xc5 1 3 .exd5 cxd5 1 4.�e2 �h5 I S .�xg4 �xg4 1 6 .11e 1 + 'it>f8 1 7 .�xd5 'i'xd5 1 8 .tLlxd5 ::ld8= 1. Vukic-Zaja, Zagreb 1 9 9 5 . 9 ... exd4 1 0.exdS dxc3 1 1 .d6 �a7 12J�le 1 + \td8 13.b4 with compensa­ tion; C3) 7... g6

�g7 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.lbxe4 Ibxe4 11 ..be4 W/c7 1 2.g3 White prepares to

8.0-0

D 1 ) 8 ...'iVxaS 9.�d2 b4 1 0.lbb1 Black is fine after 1 0 . tLle 2 tLle4 1 1 . tDc 1 e5 ! . This energetic advance is possibly even stron­ ger than the line seen in practice: 1 1 . . .tLlxd2 1 2 .�xd2 e5 1 3 . tDb3 �a4 1 4.tLlxe5 tLlxe5 1 5 .dxe5 �xb3 ( 1 5 . . . �e7 1 6 .�e2 f6 1 7 . exf6 �xf6 1 8 . tDd4) 1 6 . axb3 IDa 1 + 1 7 .'it>e2 �xc5 ( 1 7 ... �6+ 1 8 .'it>f3 Uxfl 1 9 .i¥a2+-) 1 8 .�c2 11a5 1 9 .f4 ( 1 9 .'�;>d2 0-0 20 .�d3 g6 2 1 .�b2 �d7 2 2 . 11 a l Ma3) 1 9 . . . f6 Wang Yue-Yakovenko, Taiyuan 2 0 0 6 . After 1 1 . . .e5 there follows 1 2. tD b 3 �a 3 1 3 .tLlxe5 tDxe5 1 4 .�c l (also in Black's favour is 1 4 . dxe5 �b2 1 5 .�e2 Mxa2 1 6 . Mxa2 �xa2 1 7 .�xb4 �a6 161

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

I S .ttJ d4 �xe2 1 9 .1Llxe2 'lib2 2 0 .�a5 2 1 . � b6 'lib4++ Komliakov) 1 4 . . . 'lia4 1 5 .dxe5 �xc5 1 6 .'lic2 �b6 1 7 .�d3 �a6 I S .�xa6 .l:rxa 6 + . 10...tLle4 1 1 .a3!? Alexey Dreev has suggested 1 1 .�e2 e5 1 2 . 0 - 0 , but after 1 2 . . .�e7 1 3 .a3 lLlxd2 1 4.lLlfxd2 (or 1 4.lLlbxd2 bxa 3 ) 1 4 . . . exd4 1 5 .lLlb3 'ifc7 1 6 .exd4 bxa3 Black has adequate play. 1 1 ..,l-Llxd2 In the following game, Black equalised after 1 1 . . .E!.bS 1 2 . .l:.a2 <'i\xd2 1 3 .'i!lxd2 ( 1 3 .l2Jfxd2 e5) 1 3 . . . .l:raS ! 1 4.�e2 e5 1 5 .0-0 �e7 1 6 . .l:rb2 bxa3 1 7 .'irha5 1:ha5 I S . Ma2 �a6 ( I S , . .exd4 1 9 .exd4 lLlxc 5 ? 2 0 . dxc5 hc5 2 1 ..l:rc1 �d7 2 2 .lLl bd2 �d6 2 3 .lLld4 �f4 2 4 .lLl 2b3 ! .l:ra4 25 . .l:rcc2 ±) 1 9 . �xa6 .l:rxa6 20 . .l:rxa3= Aronian-I. Sokolov, Gothenburg 2 0 0 5 . 1 V iJfxd2 �bS White is better after 1 2 . . . e5 'lia4 1 3 .lLlb 3 1 4 . axb4 'lixb4+ 1 5 .lLl l d2:t. 13 .�e2 eS 1 4.0-0 §Le7 1 S.tiJb3 'ilc7 1 S.a4 0-0 1 7.aS liJfS Black also has the initiative after 1 7 . . . e4 I s .lLl 1 d2 f5 1 9 .f4 exf3 2 0 .ttJxf3 lLlf6 2 1 .'iYe l lLle4 2 2 .lLle5 �6 B .lLld3 �a6 + . 1S ..!:ia4 �fS 1 9.1iJ1 d2 .!:ifeS 20.aS exd4 21 .exd4 (Kir. Georgiev­ Erenburg, Gibraltar) 2 0 0 5 21 ...iLfS 22..lae1 hS'i=; D2) The alternative is S...eS 9.�d2 e4 1 0.liJg1 Also not bad is 1 0 .lLlg5 llxa5 I I .a4 bxa4 1 2. .�xa4 Mxa4 1 3 .'iVxa4 'iYc7 ( 1 3 . . . �b7 1 4 .'iYa7 'iYaS 1 5 . 'iYxa S + �xaS 1 6 . f3 :t ; 1 3 " . lLlbS ? 1 4 .'lia7 lLlfd70 ( 1 4 " .�d7 1 5 .lLla4 h6 1 6 .�a5 1 - 0 , Atalik-Reiss, Augsburg 2 0 0 5 ) 1 5 . lLlh3 �e7 1 6 .lLla4 0-0 1 7 .�e2 'iYeS I S . 0 - 0 g 5 1 9 . .l:rb l ± Komliakov) 1 4 .f3 ( 1 4.lLla2 �e 7 1 5 .lLlb4 tLlbS 1 6 .h4 0-0 1 7 .�e2 lLlg4; 1 4.�a6 �e7) 1 4" . h6 1 5 .lLlh3 exf3 1 6 .gxf3 :t . 10 ... l::l xaS 1 1 .a4 bxa4 1 2.l:txa4 l:xa4 1 3 .'ilxa4 'ilc7 14.liJa2 �e7 1 S.liJb4

'Ii a3

1 62

1 S ... tbbS On 1 5 ".�b7 there is the un­ pleasant reply 1 6 .�a6 ! �xa6 1 7 .tt:lxa6 'lib7 I S .lLlb4 lLlbS 1 9 .1Lle2 0-0 20 .0-0 .l:rcs 2 1 . .l:ra 1 ±. 1 S.liJe2 0-0 Interes�ing is 1 6 " .h5 ! ? , after which castling kingside carries significant risk for White, al­ though his king is fairly safe in the centre anyway: 1 7 .lLlc3 �d7 I S .�e2 h4 1 9.h3 g5 2 0 .�d l :t . 1 7.liJc3 �b7 The problems are not solved by 1 7 . . . lLleS I S .�e2 i'.e6 ( I S " .f5 ? 1 9 .1Llcxd5 cxd5 2 0 .ttJxds �b7 2 1 .lLlxe 7 + 'iYxe 7 2 2 .'iYb3 ++-) 1 9 . 0-0 f5 2 0 .h3 lLlf6 2 1 . .l:r a l ± Komliakov. 1 S.�e2 liJbd7 1 9.1iJaS!± Dreev-Korotylev; Moscow 2 0 0 4) E) 7.a3 After close scrutiny, this mod­ est-looking move turns out not to be so harmless for Black, although he does have a reliable route to equality.

E 1 ) If Black comes to the mistaken con­ clusion that the time has come for a gen-

Chapter 1 7 : Seizing Space: 6.c5 <8bd7

eral breakout on all fronts, he is in for a disappointment: 7... a5 8.�d3 e5 9.dxe5 ILlg4 1 0.e6 The more cautious 1 O . tLJd 4 also promises White good play : 1 O . . . ttJgxe5 1 1 .�e2 �b7 1 2 . f4 tLJg6 1 3 ..ihb5 Mc8 1 4.�d3 �xc5 1 5 . 0-0 0-0 1 6 .Mb l 'iYf6 1 7 .tLJce2 .!:i.fe8 1 8 .M axM 1 9 .axM �f8 20 .tUg3 'i'd8 2 1 .tLJh5 tLJf6 22.W5 Mb8 2 3 . tUxf6 + 'li'xf6 24.�b2 'iYd8 2 5 .�d4 �c8 2 6 .iYd2 �xf5 27 .�xf5 'lWd6 Milov-Yakovenko, Kerner 2007 2 8 .'Ii'c3 i . 1 0...fxe6 11 .1ud4 tLlxc5 12.�e2 tLle5 1 3 .f4 tLlc4 14.b3 tLld6 15.tLlxc6 'Wb6 16.tLld4 �d7 1 7.0-0 Ji.e7 1 8.f5± Lputian-Yakovenko, Fugen tt 2 0 0 6 ; E2) 7... g 6 i s a solid, but slightly passive plan: 8 . M �g7 9 .�b2 0-0 1 0 .a4 llb8 I l .axb5 axb5 1 2 .h3 'Ii' c7 l 3 .Ma2 tLJe4 1 4.'Ii'a l tLJxc3 1 5 .�xc3 f6 1 6 .14 e5 1 7 .dxe5 tLJxe5 1 8 .h5 Me8 1 9 .�e2i Vallejo Pons-Yakovenko, Lugo Spain tt 2006; E 3 ) White keeps an opening initiative after 7... e5 8.dxe5 tLle4 9.�c2 tLlexc5

llfe 8 = . 9 ...tLlxe5 1 0.�b2 �e7 1 1 .tLlxe5 �xe5 1 2.tLla4 'Ulie4 1 3.tLlb6 llb8 14.tLlxc8 J:txc8

The cavalry raid has not brought White anything special; Black's position remains solid. 15.'Ulid4 0-0 1 6 .�d3 1 6 .f3 �e6 1 7 .�e5 �xe5 1 8 .�xe5 tLJd7. 16 ...�xg2 1 7.0-0-0 'Ulig4oo Lputian-Bareev, Sochi 2006. F ) 7.�e2 is a rare move, not without some poison, for example: 7 . . . a5 8 . 0-0 g6 9 . tLJe5 tLJxe5 1 0 .dxe5 tLJd7 I I .e4 d4 1 2 .'i'xd4 e6 1 3 .�e3 �xc5 1 4.'Ii'd2 �xe3 1 5 .'Ii'xe3 'li'c7 1 6 .11ac 1 'li'xe5 1 7 .f4 'li'c5 1 8 .'Ii'xc5 tLJxc5 1 9 .tLJxb5 cxb5 2 0 . Mxc5 M 2 1..� b 5 + 'it>f8 22 .Mc7 ± (V. Milov­ Yakovenko, Calvia 2 0 0 7 ) . Now we come t o the main move. 7.

'/IVd 1 -b3

1 0.b4 1 0 . �e2 'iVc7 1 1 .M tLJe6 1 2 . 0 - 0 as 1 3 .�d2 . 1 0... tLle6 1 1 .�d3 a5 1 2J'!.b1 Wfc7 1 3.0-0 axb4 1 4.axb4 �b7 1 5.tLle2 tLlxe5 16.tLlxe5 �xe5 1 7.f4 'iic7 1 8.f5 tLld8 1 9.e4 �d6 20.�f4;!;; E4) 7 ... 'Ulic7 8.b4 e5 9.dxe5 Or 9 . a4 .ii. b 7 1 0 .�b2 �e7 1 1 .�e2 0-0 1 2 . 0 - 0 1 63

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan 7.

'"

MaS-bS

Other continuations also deserve consid­ eration, for instance: 7 . . . eS 8 . a4 M 9 .�xM iLe7 (9 . . . Mb8 1 0 . �a3 as 1 1 . �e2 �e7 1 2 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 3 .11b 1 ;t) 1 0 . aS 0-0 1 1 .�e2 and Black does not have enough compensation for the pawn; 7 . . . aS 8 . �d3 (8 .lLlxbS a4 9 .�c2 cxb 5 ; 8 .e4 a 4 9 .�c2 M) 8 . . . g 6 9 . 0-0 M (9 . . . �g7 1 0 .e4 M 1 1 . eS bxc3 1 2 .exf6 ttJxf6 1 3 . bxc3 0-0 1 4 . .ll e l ) 1 0 .lLle2 e S I l .dxeS lLlg4 1 2 . lLled4 lLl gxe S ; For 7 . . . g 6 , see the variation 6 . . . g6 7 .�b 3 . S.

�f1 -e2

White's incautious play in the following game allowed Black to take the initiative; 1 3 . . . �d8 1 4.�d l a5 1 5 .M e4 1 6 .I/Jel axM 1 7 .lLlb 1 exf3 1 8 . gxf3 tLlf8+ (Nakamura-Pert, Gibraltar 2 0 0 5 ) . a6-a5

14.

tLle3-a4

1 5.

�d2-e1

keS-a6

1 6.

ke1 -g3

g7-g6

1 7.

Ma1 -e1

tLlf6-h5

1 S.

kg3xe5

tLld7xe5

1 9.

d4xe5

�a6xd3

20.

�b3xd3

We7xe5

21 .

f3-f4

We5-e4

22.

�d3xe4

d5xe4=

e7-e5

Perhaps a more reliable path to equality is 8 . . . g6 9 . 0- 0 �g 7 1 0 . a3 0-0 1 1 .�c2 Me8 1 2 .�d2 e5 = . 9. 1 0.

0-0

kfS-e7

tLlf3-e1

Also after 1 0 .dxe5 Black has enough re­ sources to maintain the balance: 1 0 . . . tLle4 ( 1 0 . . . lLlxc5 1 1 .�c2 lLlfd7 1 2 .e4 dxe4 1 3 . tLlxe4 tLlxe4 1 4.�xe4 0-0 1 5 . .l:!.d l � c7 1 6 .�g5;!: (Komliakov) or 1 2 .M lLle6 1 3 .a3 0-0 1 4.�b2 lLl b6 1 5 .�d3 g6 1 6 .tLle2 lLlc4 1 7 . lLled4 �c7 1 8 .lLlb3) 1 1 .\'i'c2 lLlxc3 1 2 .�xc3 M 1 3 .�c2 tLlxcS 1 4 .b3 0-0 1 5 .a3 a5 1 6 .axM axM 1 7 .�b 2 'fic7 1 8 . .l:!.fc l �d7 = . 1 0.

...

0-0 �dS-e7

11.

tLle1 -d3

1 2.

f2-f3

MfS-eS

13.

�e1 -d2

b5-b4

1 64

In

the ending, chances are roughly equal. Conclusion

The foregoing material shows that Black's position is rich in resources, the main theme of which is the central advance . . e5 . The direct 7 .�b3 offers White few prospects after 7 . . . Mb 8 , but it seems to me that in the line with 7 .�d3 , White has not yet said his last word. .

Part V

-

The Strategic 5.c5

Chapter 1 8 : The Provocation 5 . . . 1tg 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 6 Chapter 1 9 : The Rare 5 . . . g 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 0 Chapter 2 0 : The So rtie 5 . . . �5

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1 73

Chapter 2 1 : Flexibility : 5 . . ttJ bd 7 6 .h 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 0 .

Chapter 2 2 : Flexibilit y : 5 . ttJ b d 7 6 . .iti'4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 90 . .

1 65

Chapter 18 The Provocation 5

. . .

�g4

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.tLlg1 -f3 tLlg8-f6 4.tLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.c4-c5 .¥lc8-g4

The pure strategic decision to play the immediate S. cS, just like 3.eS in the French, will always have its supporters and opponents. The good thing about it is that White stops Black's potential pawn advances on the queenside . . . bS and . . . cS, and deprives Black's kingside pieces of the possibility to develop satisfactorily. Also, if Black insists on playing ... b6 or . . . bS, there will be new weaknesses in his position: the pawns c6 and a6. The thrust e2-e4 is White's main idea. After this, his pieces will get more space and squares for manoeuvring. Meanwhile, Black has to be satisfied with only one decent square: dS, which usually is not enough. One more idea for White is to prepare the flank attack with pawns: b2-b4, a2-a4, b4-bS, when the situation in the centre is sta­ bilised. Black's good news about S.cS is that now there is no more pressure on dS and ifhe is successful with . . . e7-eS, White's c-pawn can become a weakness. Also, after c4-c5, Black can still get his c8 bishop out to g4 or f5 and, after . . . CiJbd7, proceed with his main idea . . . e7-eS. As for the dark-squared bishop, this is usually placed on g7. Even ifBlack has less possibilities after S. cS, the nut is diffic ult to crack. Black has four possibilities: S . . . 1t.g4, S . . . .iif5, S . . . g6 and S . . . CiJbd7, only the first of which looks suspicious to me. The provocation S . . . 1t.g4 strikes me as rather odd. In my opinion, it just loses a tempo, since White has no objection to his jumping into e5. A second adequate reply is 6. �b3.

1 66

Chapter 1 8 : The Provocation 5 . . . �g4

After the immediate 6.�b3, Black can play: A) 6.. Aa7 and now: A I ) 7..liLg5 Or 7 .lueS �h5 S .�f4 going into the main line. 7....liLxf3 S . gxf3 tLlbd7 9.f4 e6 1 0 . e3 �e7 1 1 .�d3 tLlgS 1 2 .11g 1 f6 1 3 .�h4 f5 1 4. �xe7 'fIxe7 1 5 .'fIc2 tbgf6 1 6 . b4 0-0 1 7 . a4� Hubner-I. Sokolov, Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 3 /04 ; A2) 7.h3 7 . g3 tLl b d 7 S .�g2 hf3 9 . hf3 e5 1 0 .e3 �e7 1 1 .�d2 0-0 1 2 .0-0 'irc7°o Komliakov. 7....liLxf3 S . exf3 eS 9.dxe5 tLlfd7 1 0 .f4 tLlxc5 1 1 .'fId 1 d4 1 2.<1Jb 1 'fId5 1 3 .tLld2 tLlbd7 1 4.'fIf3 tbb6 1 5 .'fIxd5 tLlxd5 1 6 .tLlf3 d3 (Van Wely-Hodgson, Groningen 1 9 94) 1 7 .�d2 as I S .0-0-0 tLle4 1 9 .�e 1 �c5 20 .�xd3 tLlxf2 2 1 .hf2 �f2 2 2 . f5 cJie7 23 ..te4 .!:ldS 24.�xd5 cxd5 25 . .!:ld3 � . B) 6 ...�cS 7 .tLle5 �e6 S .tLla4 tLlfd7 9 ..if4 g6 1 0 . e 3 �g7 1 1 .�e2 0-0 1 2 .h4 f6 1 3 .tLld3 as 1 4. g4 tLla6 1 5 . �g3 �7 1 6.g5 .!:leS 1 7 . 0 -0-0 .!:la7 I S . gxf6 ( 1 8 .�g4?! tLldxc5 !oo Khuzman-I. Sokolov, Istanbul 2 0 0 3 ) I S . . . exf6 1 9 .h5 gS 20 .h6 �fS 2 1 .a3 ± . 6.

ttJf3�e5

A) Here, it may be that 6 ....l1Lf5 is more promising for Black than the common re­ treat to h5 , and now:

A I ) 7.�b3 A 1 1 ) If Black now plays 7.. J:J.a7, the rook remains stuck out of play on a7 for a long time, and White can prepare an as­ sault in the centre: S.f3 g6 It appears that S . . . tLlfd7 is a better defence, and then af­ ter for example 9 . tLlxd7 tLlxd7 1 0 .e4 dxe4 1 1 .�c4 �g6 1 2 . tLlxe4 b 5 (1. Filip-Nanu, Predeal tt 2 0 0 6 ) 1 3 .cxb6 tLlxb6 1 4 .�e2 e6 1 5 .�d2 as 1 6 .1/Wc3 � White's advantage is not so great. 9.e4 The sharper 9 . g4 has also been seen: 9 . . . �e6 1 0 .�f4 £Lg7 I l .e 3 h5 1 2 .g5 tLlfd7 1 3 .tLld3 0-0 1 4.�e2 b 6 1 5 .cxb6 tLlxb 6 Veingold-Epishin, Seville 2 0 0 4 1 6 . 0 - 0 � . 9_.�e6 1 0. .liLe3 1 0 .'iia 4 �g7 1 1 .�e2 0-0 l 2 .�e3 b5 1 3 .'iVc2� Pelletier-I. Sokolov, Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 3 /04. 1 0 .liLg7 1 1 .�c2 0-0 1 2 .liLe2 tLleS Better 1 2 . . . dxe4 1 3 .fXe4 tLlbd7 1 4.tLlxd7 'iix d7 1 5 .0-0-0 tLlg4 1 6 .�g 1 tLlf6 1 7 .cJib 1 ;t. 1 3.0-0 dxe4 14.fxe4 .liLxe5 1 5 .dxe5 tLld7 1 6.Uad 1 �c7 V. Mikhalevski-Hodgson, Amsterdam 1 9 9 5 1 7.�a4±; A l 2) Black should reply 7...�cS S.f3 g6 9.e4 9 . g4 ! ? �e6 1 0 .tLld3 tLlbd7 1 1 .�g2� Komliakov. 9 .. ..l1Le6 1 0.�c2 .liLg7 11 . .liLe3 0-0 12 . .liLe2 tLlbd7 1 3.tLlxd7 tLlxd7 1 4.0-0;1; (Lemer-Dreev, Moscow 1 9 S 5 ) . White has a stable advantage, although it is not so easy to storm Black's barricades.) •..

•

A2) 7.f3 tLlbd7 White is better after both 7 . . . e6 S . g4 �g6 9 .h4± , and 7 . . . g6 S . e4 �e6 9 .�e3 �g7 1 0.�e2 0-0 1 1 .'iid 2 tLleS 1 2 .0-0-0 b6 1 3 .cxb6 'iiVx b6 1 4.tLla4 'irc7 1 5 . tLlc5 tLld6 1 6 .h4± Kengis­ Degtiarev, Hamburg 2 0 0 5 . S.g4 .liLe6 Things are distinctly bad for Black after S . . . �g6 9 .h4 tLlxeS 1 0 .dxe5 'ii c 7 ( 1 0 . . . d4 I l .tLla4 'irc7 1 2.h5 �xh5 1 3 .gxh5 'iixe5 167

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 4.f4+-) l LhS 'iWxeS 1 2 . f4+-) 9.tZ'ld3 lLlbB On the kingside Black should j ust leave well alone: 9 . . . hS 1 0 .gS tLlh7 1 I . 'ii' b 3 ! (White is promised less after I l .tLlf4 �fS 1 2 .ttJxhS eS 1 3 .tLlg3 �e6 1 4.f4 exd4 I S .'iWxd4 tLlxcS 1 6 .�e3 :;!; Komliakov) I l . . .l:t a 7 1 2 .l:tg l ± , or 1 2 .ttJf4 ? ! �S 1 3 .e4 ttJxg S . 1 0.lLla41 Ex­ ploiting the unfortunate position of the bishop on e6, the white knight leaps into the enemy queens ide and ties the oppo­ nent's heavy pieces in knots. 1 0...�cB Af­ ter 1 0 . . . tLlbd7 I I .ttJf4± Black's position is unenviable. 1 1 .lLlb6 l'la7 1 2 .�d2 lLlbd7 13 .�a5 'lific7 14.'lifid2 'iYbB 1 5.g5 lLlh5 1 6.lLlxcB 'iYxcB 1 7.�h3±. B) 6 ...�e6

B I ) There is no rush to play 7.'iYb3, which does not bring White any particu­ lar dividends at this moment: 7...'tda7 B.�f4 lLlh5 9.e3 g6 1 0.�g3 Practice has also seen 1 0 .�d3 ttJxf4 I l .exf4 �h6 1 2 . g 3 f6 1 3 .ttJf3 �g4 1 4 .tLlh4 e S I S .fxeS fxeS 1 6 .dxeS (better 1 6 .'i'b6 'ii' x b6 1 7 .cxb6 l:ta8 1 8 . dxeS tLld7 1 9 .f4 tLlxb 6 2 0 .h3 �e6 2 LttJf3 cS 2 2 .h4°o in this tense endgame, both sides have their trumps) 1 6 . . . ttJd7 1 7 .0-0 �h3 1 8 .'ufd l ttJxc S + Sandstrom-Agrest, Swe­ den tt 2 0 0 3 / 0 4. 1 0 ... lLlxg3 1 1 .hxg3 lLld7 1 68

1 2.1Llxd7 .bd7 1 3 .lLla4 Vlifc7 14.'lifib6 �b8 1 5.�d3 �g7 1 6.f4 �g4 1 7.'lifib3 h5 1 8.l2Jb6 e6 1 9.<;t>d2 f5 Black closes the position once and for all . The bishop on g4 is completely cut off, but on the other hand, White has nowhere to break through. 20.'iYc3 �f6 21 .Wc2 'lific7 draw, Akopian-1. Sokolov, Kerner tt 2 0 0 7 ; B2) 7.�f4 lLlbd7 B.lLld3 Black's position is cramped, therefore, as the classics rec­ ommend, White should avoid unneces­ sary exchanges. Admittedly though, even after 8.e3 tLlxe S 9 . �xeS tLld7 1 0 .� g 3 White can count on some advantage : 1 0 . g6 1 1 . �d3 �g 7 1 2 .�c2 ( 1 2 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 3 . b4 fS 1 4.�c2 �f7 l S .�h4 h6 1 6 .f4 �f6 1 7 . jLxf6 exf6 1 8 .ttJb l fi,e7 1 9 .11el l:tfb8 2 0 .tLld2 tLlf8 2 1 .a4 �e8 2 2 .Wf2 tLle6 2 3 .l:tab l hS 2 4.l:tb2 ttJc7 2S .tZlbl bS 2 6 . ttJ c 3 '!:!'b 7 = Elianov-Kanep, Gothenburg 2 0 0 S ) 1 2 . . .fS 1 3 .b4 i.fJ 1 4 .f4 0-0 I S .�h4 �f6 1 6 .�f2 i.g7 1 7 . a4 tLif6 1 8 .h3 ttJe4 1 9 . �h4;!; Sorokin-Degtiarev, Dresden 2 0 0 7 . 8...g6 9.e3 �g7 10.�e2 0-0 1 1 .0-0 lLle4 12.f3 lLlxc3 1 3 . bxc3 f5 1 4.J:!.b1 ± Halkias­ Degtiarev, Hamburg 2 0 0 S . .

Back t 0 the position after 6 . tLieS . 6.

..

.

7 . 'iVd 1 -b3

i.g4-h5 naB-a 7

.

Chapter 1 8 : The Provocation S . Jii. g 4 . .

S.

e2-e4

The most energetic continuation, al­ though simple development also looks quite promising: 8�f4 ttJbd7 A) After the exchange on eS , Black has good chances of equalising: 9.e3 ttJxe5 10 ..be5 ttJd7 1 1 .�g3 e5! 1 2.�e2 �xe2 13.ttJxe2 fie7 14.0 ..0 0-0 15.Vic3 exd4 More accurate than 1 S . . Jle8 1 6 . .itxeS �xcS 1 7 . .itxg7 .itd6 1 8 . .ith6 .itxh2+ 1 9 . 'it>xh2 'iVh4+ 2 0 . 'it>g 1 'ilfxh6 (Veingold-Morozevich , Tallinn 2 0 0 3 ) 2 1 .g3 tLlf6 2 2 .tLlf4 �gS 2 3 .'�g2 ttJe4 24.'ilfd 3 ;t Komliakov. 1 6 .exd4 b6 1 7.cxb6 'i'xb6 1 8.1:1ac1 .!':(cB 1 9.ttJf4 ttJf6= Komliakov; B) 9.ttJd3 We have just seen a similar plan. 9 ... h6 1 0.h3 g5 1 1 . �h2 �g7 1 2 .0-0-0 0-0 13.g4 �g6 14.e3 ttJe4 15.ttJa4 ttJef6 16.f3 ttJe8 1 7.h4 f6 1 8.hxg5 fxg5 1 9.�e2 e6 20.ttJe5 ttJxe5 21 .�xe5 ttJf6 2 2.il.d3± (Gyimesi-Zaj a, Austria Staatsliga B 2 0 0 2 / 0 3 ) . Black's position has many weaknesses, and he has no counterplay. S.

...

e4xd5

ilJ1 -d3

tLlbS-d7

11.

itc1 -f4

tLld7xe5

12.

itf4xe5

It is clear that the position of the rook on a7 cannot be regarded as a great achieve� ment for Black. White only needs to de­ velop his pieces and seize the only open file. itfS-e7

12.

...

13.

0-0

0-0

14.

.l:lf1 - e 1

ith5-g6

1 5.

itd3xg 6

h7xg6

1 6.

l:!.e1-e2

tLlf6-g4

1 7.

iVb3-b61±

e7-e6

No better is 8 . . .dxe4 9 . .ite2 e6 1 0 . .itxhS tLlxhS 1 1 . 0-0 ct:Jf6 1 2 . .itgS .ite7 1 3 . .!:tad 1 0-0 1 4J:He 1 ct:Jbd7 l S . tbc4 Me8 1 6 .h3 tLldS 1 7 . .itxe7 .l:'!.xe7 1 8 . tbxe4± (Iotov­ Tzekov, Sunny Beach 2 0 0 S ) . 9.

1 0.

e6xd5

Topalov-I. Sokolov, Wijk aan Zee 20 04. Conclusion

It is rather amazing that players - and not only weak ones ! - still play this line as Black.

1 69

Chapter 19 The Rare 5

. . .

gs

1 .d2-d4 d7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.lLlg1 -f3 lLlg8-f6 4.lLlb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.c4 -c5 g 7-g6

The move 5. . .g6 is seen more rarely than 6 . . . CiJbd7 or 6 . . .jJ.,fS , because the whole com­ plex of lines involving . . . CiJh5 leads to White 's advan tage. At best Black may hope to transpose in to the variation with 5. . . CiJbd7 . •••

After 6.h3 .J1g 7 7 . iH4 0-0 8 . e3 Black does best to play 8 . . . ltJbd7 , going into the S . . . <1'Jbd7 system. If 8 . . . bS White gets a clear advantage. Play transposes to the line with 7 .h3 , see the game Lautier-Epishin, on the next page; For 6.g3 �g7 7 . �g2 0-0 8. 0-0 ttJbd7 , see the chapter on S . . . ltJ bd7 . .

6.

�c1 -f4

Now, Black has three choices: A) 6 .. �g4 7 .ltJeS �fS 8 .h3 �g7 9 . e 3 ttJfd7 1 0 .ttJf3 0-0 1 1 .�e2 draw, Izoria­ Epishin, Lake George 2 0 0 S ; B ) 6 ...tiJh5 is played by analogy with the CiJ bd7 variation, but even so, this move is insufficient for equality .

1 70

B 1 ) 7.�d2 offers little: 7 . . . �g7 8. 'iic 1 ltJd7 9 .�h6 0-0 1 0 .�xg7 �xg7 1 1 .e3 eS 1 2 . CiJxeS CiJxeS 1 3 . dxeS d4 1 4.4Je4 (Marszalek-Tomaszewski , Ustron tt 2 0 0 6) 14 .. J:le8 1 S . f4 �fS 1 6 .4Jd6 'iYh4+ 1 7 .g 3 CiJxg3 1 8 .hxg 3 'S'xh 1 :f ;

Chapter 1 9 : The Rare S . . g6 .

B2) Better is 7.it.eS! f6 8.it.g3 and now: B2 1 ) White is better after 8_. .lil.g7 9.e4 IiJxg3?! Slightly better is 9 . . . dxe4, al­ though here too, White's advantage is in­ disputable: 1 0 .ttlxe4 j,;,e6 1 1 .j,;,d3 j,;,f7 12 .0-0 0-0 1 3 .�e2 as 1 4 .tiJc3 tiJa6 lS .tc4 CiJc7 1 6 . .I:!.fe l tiJxg3 1 7 .hxg3 e6 1 8 . tLJe4 tLleS 1 9 . a3 h6 20 .Ihdl �d7 2 1 ..ta2 �hS 2 2 . tiJed2 CiJc7 2 3 . tLlc4 tiJd5 H.liJd6 j,;,gS 2 5 .j,;,b l ± Van der Werf­ Deegens, Netherlands tt 2 0 0 0 / 0 1 . 10.hxg3 dxe4 1 1 .�xe4 it.e6 1 2 .'/tc2 'iYaS+ 12 . . .XLd5 1 3 .j,;,c4. 1 3.�c3 1 3 . ttlfd2 tiJd7 14. �c4 j,;,f5 1 5 .a3 ± Gelfand. 13 ...it.f7 14.0-0-0 b6 1S.�d2 bS (Gelfand-Shirov, Chalkidiki 1 9 9 3 ) 1 6 .�b3 '/Wc7 1 7.it.e2 �d7 1 8..if3± Gelfand; B22) 8...eS!? 9.e4 .

B22 1 ) 9 ... �xg3 10.hxg3 dxe4 1 1 .�xe4 .ifS 1 2,tiJc3 1 2 .j,;,d3 . In the Chebanenko Variation, White often fights for the cen­ tre at the cost of material. This is because, as a rule, he is better developed than his opponen t. 1 2 . . . j,;,xe4 1 3 .j,;,xe4 f5 14.i.xf5 ! transposing into a variation ex­ amined below. 1 2 . . . tiJd7 1 3 .j,;,e2 'ViIc7 14.0-0 0-0-0 :j: Cech-Jirka, Czech Repub­ lic tt 2 0 0 5 / 0 6 ; B222) 9 ...dxe4 1 0JiJxe4 it.fS 1 1 .it.d3 i:.xe4 1 2.it.xe4 �aS+ 1 2 . . /t:Jxg 3 ? ! 1 3 .hxg3 f5 1 4.j,;,xf5 gxf5 1 5 . tiJxe5 ±

'iVf6 1 6.�h5 + 'lbe7 1 7 .0-0-0 with a strong attack for White. 13.<;t>f1 �d7 14.a3 fS 1 S .b4 '/td8 1 6.�c2 �xg3+ 1 7.hxg3 e400 Komliakov. Now for the main move after 6.j,;,f4 . 6.

...

7.

e2-e3

i.fS-g7

The prophylactic move 7.h3 is also quite good, for instance : 7 ... 0-0 8.e3 :te8 (S . . . tLlbd7 transposes into 5 . . . tLlbd 7. In the follOwing game, Black tries to solve his opening problems by a combinational method, but White obtains a strong passed pawn, which decides the game: S . . . b5 9 . cxb6 'ViIxb 6 1 0 .'iVb3 'ila7 1 1 .XLd3 c5 1 2 .tiJxd5 tiJxd5 1 3 .'iVxd5 j,;,e6 14.'il'xc5 �xc5 1 5 .dxc5 t2Jc6 1 6 . 0-0 :rfdS 1 7 .�e4 !tacS l S .:rad 1 .l:!.xd 1 1 9 . .l:!.xd l �b2 20 .:rb 1 �a3 2 1 .tiJd4 XLxa2 22 . .l:!.b6 tiJb4 2 3 .c6 �d5 24.�xd5 tLlxd5 2 5 Jha6 �b2 2 6 .CiJb5 ttlb4 27 .tLla7 +- Lautier-Epishin, Bastia (rapid) 2 0 0 3 . 9.it.e2 �fd7 1 0.0-0 eS 1 1 .�xeS �xeS 1 2.it.xeS it.xeS 13.dxeS .a:xeS 14.e4t Sakaev-Zamanov, Cappelle la Grande 1 9 9 7 . 7.

...

S.

i.f4-e5

tLlf6-h5

Harmless for Black is S .�xbS fixb S 9 .j,;,e2 tLlf6 1 0 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 1 .b4 ttJd7 1 2 .'iVc2 e5 1 3 'dxe5 tiJxe5 1 4. ttjd4 'iVe 7 171

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bolog an

1 S . l:I. ad 1 a s 1 6 .a3 axb4 1 7 . axb4 (Campara-Andres Gonzalez, Spain tt 2 0 0 7 ) 1 7 . . . l:I.e8 = . lbbS-d7

S. 9.

il,e5xg7

lbh5xg7

1 0.

il,f1 -e2

0-0

11.

0-0

'iVdS-c7

1 2.

b2-b4

f7-f5

13.

'iVd1 -d2

e7-e5

1 4.

d4xe5

lbd7xe5

1 5.

lbf3-d4

Since all of Black's pawns are on the same-colour squares as his bishop, and White has a clear plan - to play a4 and bS - White's position deserves preference. (Se. Ivanov-Burmakin, Samara 2 0 0 0 ) .

1 72

Conclusion

this line, Black simply develops his pieces. In contemporary chess, this is an impermissible luxury, especially in the Chebanenko system , where every move has many nuances. In

Chapter 20 The Sortie 5 . . . �f5 1 .d2-d4 d 7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3/bg1 -f3 ttJg8-f6 4.ttJb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.c4-c5 �c8-f5

With 5 . . . �f5, Black tries at least to eliminate one potential problem, the passive bishop on c8. It is a moot point, however, whether it is so useful on f5 either. •••

A popular option here is 6.'tWb3 : White tries to create disharmony in Black's camp, exploiting the bishop's absence from the queens ide. A) Now, the 'natural' move 6 .. 'iVcS seems not so successful : 7.iI. f4 ttJbd7 S.h3 .

S . e6. The flank development of the king's bishop also does not solve all of Black's problems: 8 . . . h6 9 . g 4 �h7 1 0 .�g2 gS 1 1 .�g3 tLJe4 1 2 .tLJxe4 �xe4 1 3 . 0 -0-0 �g7 1 4.h4 tLJf8 l S .e3 tLJe6 1 6 . l:!.dg 1;!; Komliakov. A 1 ) 9.e3 White follows the motto 'Hurry - but do it slowly! ' 9 ...il.e7 1 0.il.e2 0-0 1 1 .0-0 l:i.eS A l l ) 1 2.ttJa4 �d8 1 3 .il,d3 iLc7 1 4 .�xfS exfS l S .'iYc2 g6 1 6 .tLleS tLlxeS 1 7 .�xeS heS 1 8 .tLlb6 �h2+ 1 9 .�xh2 'iYc7 + 20 .g3 l:!.ad8 =i'= Van Wely-Short, Groningen 1 9 9 6 ; A l l ) Also 1 2.il.h2 �d 8 1 3 .l:!.fd 1 h6 1 4 .l:!.ac 1 �c7 l S . il,xc7 'iYxc7 1 6 .tLJa4= Yudasin-Magem Badal s , Pam pIon a 1995; ..

173

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

A 1 3 ) 1 Vbh41? A very unpleasant move for Black. 1 2 . . . e S 1 3 .tLlxfS exf4 1 4.exf4 tLlfS I S .�d3 ±. A2) The obvious j ump into the centre does not promise any advantage: 9.tbeS �e7 1 0.g41 �g6 1 1 .e3 �d8 A simpler route to equality is 1 1 . .. tLlxeS 1 2 .�xeS 0-0 1 3 .�e2 tLl d 7 = . 1 2.�e2 ttlxeS? Stron­ ger is 1 2 . . . �c7 ! 1 3 .h4 tLlxeS (but not 1 3 . . . h 6 ? 1 4.tLlxg6 fxg6 I S .�xc7 "iix c7 1 6."ii c2 tLlfS 1 7 .f4±) 1 4. dxeS tLld7 I S .hS tLlxcs 1 6 .'ifd l �e4 1 7 .f3 hf3 I S .�xf3 tLld7 , although even here, Shirov claims that 1 9.h6 g 6 2 0 .'ifd2 tLlxeS 2 1 .�e2 gives White the better chances. 1 3 .�xeS �c7 (1. Sokolov-Shirov, Yerevan 1 9 9 6 ) 1 4.�xf6 gxf6 I S .f4:t Shirov. B) The main move after 6 ."iib 3 is 6 ... J:!.a7.

"ii x b6 1 9 ."iix b6 tLlxb 6 2 0 . tLld 3 :t. 9 .g5 1 0.�h2 �g7 1 1 .ttleS Neither 1 1 .'!e2 tb e4 ! ? nor I l .tLld2 ! ? 0 - 0 1 2 .�e2 tte8 1 3 . 0 - 0 eS 1 4 . tbf3 tbe4 I S .tDxe4 �xe4= are dangerous for Black . 1 1 .. 0-0 A series of exchanges does not assure Black equality: 1 1 . . . tLle4 1 2 . tDxd7 'liVxd7 1 3 . tLlxe4 ..Iixe4 1 4 . f3 .!g6 I S .�d3 �xd3 1 6 .'liVxd3 :t . ..

.

B l ) 1 2.0-0-0 ttle4 1 3 .ttlxd7 'l:lVxd7 14.ttlxe4 �xe4 1S.f3 �g6 1 6.�d3 The more energetic 1 6 .h 4 ! ? gxh4 1 7 .i.f4 is also possible, for example: 1 7 . Me8 I S . Mxh4 eS 1 9 .�xh6 �xh6 2 0 .Mxh6 exd4 2 1 . Mxd4 'liVe7 2 2 .'iVc3 'i'xe3 + 2 3 ."ifxe3 .l'he3 24.�d2:t Komliakov. 1 6 ._�xd3 1 7.�xd3 as 1 8.h4 g4 1 9.hSlt Ward-Hodgson, St. Helier 1 9 9 7 ; B 2 ) Mutual chances result from 1 2.�e2 ttlxeS 1 3.�xeS ttld7 1 4.�xg7 �xg7 1 S .0-0 1 5 . g4 �g 6 1 6 .f4 e6 1 7 . 0 -0 -0 b6 I S . cxb6 'liVxb6 1 9 .'iVxb 6 tbxb6=. 1S ...eS 1 6 .�d1 exd4 1 7.�xd4+ �f6 ; B 3 ) White can count on a small advan­ tage after 1 2.�d3 �xd3 1 3 .tiJxd3 ttle4 14.f3 ttlxc3 1S.�xc3 l::!. e8 1 6.0-0;t; B4) 1 2.f3 ttlxeS 1 3.�xeS ttld7 1 4.�xg7 wxg7 1 S.e4 Otherwise Black himself breaks through in the centre, with good play: I S .�e2 'Wfc7 1 6 .'�f2 eS . 1S ...dxe4 1 6 .fxe4 �g6 1 7.0-0-0 Black can turn the . .

of course, the rook on a7 is not a very pretty sight, but this is a temporary fac­ tor. 7.�f4 ttlbd7 8.h3 Equality results from S . e 3 tbhS 9 . �e2 tbxf4 1 0 .exf4 e 6 = Schon-Pieper Emden , Germany tt 1 9 9 3 / 9 4 . 8... h61? 9.e3 White has an­ other tempting plan: 9 . g4 �h7 1 0 .�g2 gS 1 1 . � g 3 �g7 1 2 . e 3 tLle4 1 3 .tLlxe4 �xe4 1 4 . 0 - 0 - 0 h S 1 S . l:!.hg 1 �f6 1 6 . tb e 1 �xg2 1 7 .Mxg2 b6 I S . cxb 6 1 74

Chapter 20: The Sortie s JXf5 ...

space-gaining 1 7 .es to his own advantage after 1 7 . . . b6 1 8 .cxb6 4Jxb6 1 9 J':tdl as (or 1 9 . . . f6 2 0 .�e2 fxes 2 1 .dxes 'iYc7+) 20 .i.e2 Ild7+) 17...e5 1 8.'i!'c4 �f6= Kramnik-Shirov, Vienna 1 9 9 6 . Back to the initial position 0 fthis chapter. 6.

�c1 -f4

The main move : White continues to de­ velop and brings the bishop to a strong diagonal, where he controls the breakout point es . 6.

...

tbb8-d7

The position arising after 6 . . . e6 7 .e3 tZlbd7 is considered below, after Black's 7 . . . e6. 7.

e2-e3

In this position, 7 .h3 is harmless because

of 7 . . . b6 (also possible is 7 . . . e6 8 .e3 i.e7 9.�d3 'lic8 1 0 .0-0 0-0 1 1 .14 Ue8 1 2 .a4 .!xd3 1 3 .'lixd3 as 1 4.bS �xcs l I s .dxcS es 1 6 .4Jxes 4Jxes 1 7 . �xes Uxe s = Cebalo-Kritz, Biel 2 0 0 7 ) 8 .14 4Je4 9 .Uc l 1 5 ! 1 0 .a4 g6 1 1 .e3 �g7 1 2 .�e2 0-0 1 3 .0-0 Ue8 1 4 .�h2 es I s .U e l 'iYc8 1 6 .'iVb3 exd4 1 7 .4Jxd4 4Jes= Van Wely­ Chernin, Germany Bundesliga 1 9 9 9 / 0 0 .

A) 7...g 6 i s the trendy continuation, popularised by the efforts of Gata Kamsky. There is significantly more theoretical ma­ terial to be found on 7 . . . 4JhS and 7 . . . e 6 .

A I ) 8.ill. e2 �g7 9 .4Jd2 0-0 1 0 .g4 �e6 1 1 .14 tLle8 1 2 .4Jb3 f5 1 3 .h3 4Jc7 1 4.a4 fxg4 1 s . hxg4 �f7 1 6 .�g5 'li'e8 1 7 .f4 e5 1 8 .fxes ( 1 8 .f5 ! ?t) 1 8 . . .4Jxe5 1 9 .�f4 4Jc4 2 0 . hc7 'iYe7 2 1 .�f4 g5 n .�d6 4Jxd6 2 3 . cxd6 'il'xd6 24.tLlc5 �g6 25 J:rh3 b6 (Akobian-Roiz, Khanty­ Mansiysk 2 0 0 7 ) 2 6 . tLlxa6 h5 2 7 .b5 c5 2 8 . gxh5 �f5 2 9 .�g4 �xd4+Z; A 2 ) 8.h3 ill. g 7 9.�e2 �e4 9 . . . tLle4 1 0 . 0 - 0 0-0 I l . tLla4 ( l l .tLlxe4 �xe4 1 2 .'lid2 �xf3 1 3 . hf3 es 1 4.�g3 .ll e 8 ; 1 1 . 'lib 3 l::( a 7 ) 1 l . . . f6 1 2 .�h2 ( 1 2 . 4Jd2 ! ? es 1 3 .tLlxe4 �xe4 1 4.�g3=) 12 . . . e5 1 3 .'iYb3 1:H7 ! ( 1 3 . . . l1a7 1 4.4Jc3 exd4 I s .4Jxe4 �xe4 1 6 .4Jxd4 .rJ.e8 1 7 .�d6± Illescas Cordoba-Magem Badal s , Madrid 1 9 94) 1 4 .'lixb 7 tLldxc5 1 s . 'li xc6 Uc8 =+=. 1 0.lll h 4 e5 1 1 .dxe5 ( 1 1 .�g3 exd4 1 2 . exd4 0-0 1 3 .f3 �f5 1 4 . 4Jxf5 gxf5 1 5 .'lid2 4Jh5 1 6 .�f2 f4 1 7 . 0 - 0 - 0 Ue8 1 8 .l:rhe 1 tLlf8 1 9 .�d3 'il'f6 2 0 . 4Ja4 4Je6 2 1 .�c2 4Jg3 n .'iVd3 'li'h6 B . 4J c 3 U e 7 = Mamedyarov-­ Kamsky, Moscow 2 0 0 7 . 1 1 ...lll h 5 1 2.lllf3 �xf3 1 3 .�xf3 Illxf4 1 4.exf4 Illxc5 1 5 .0-0 0-0 1 6 J!e1 �h8 1 7.g3 f6 1 8.�g4 (Alexeev-Kamsky, Moscow 2007) 1 8 ...fxe5 1 9.fxe5 h 5 20.ill.f 3 h4!+; B) 7...e6 is a very solid, although slightly passive move. 175

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 0.8e5 8xe5 1 1 ..ixe5 fS 12 ..if4 1 3.bxc3 �gS 1 4.a4

B 1 ) Straightforward play is hardly likely to bring White great dividends , for in­ stance: S.�e2 There is no need to hurry to exchange light-squared bishops. B 1 1 ) S... b5 9.t21d2 tll e 4? 9 . . . �e 7 ; 9 . . . h6 ! ? 1 0.8dxe4 dxe4 1 0 . . . �xe4 1 1 .tLJxe4 dxe4 1 2 .f3 ;t . 1 1 .'iec2 8fS 1 2.�g5, and the e4 pawn is dropping off (Bareev-Martinovsky, New York 1 9 9 8 ) ; B 1 2 ) Bad is S .. .tL'lh5?! 9 . .ig5 �e7 1 0.�xe7 'il\Vxe7 1 1 .0-0 l 1 .tLJ e S tLJhf6 1 2 . g4 �g6 1 3 .h41 1 1 ...8hfS 1 2 .b4 0-0 1 3.a4 .ig4 1 4.b5 �xf3 1 5 ..ixf3 e5 1 S .bxcS bxcS 1 7.a5 J::t a 7 1 SJ::tb1 tll e S 1 9JWa4 e4 20.�e2± (Se. Ivanov-Karttunen, Stock­ holm 2 0 0 2 1 0 3 ) ; B 1 3 ) S... hS 9 . 0-0 �e7 1 0 .b4 0-0 1 1 .h3 IIe8 1 2 .'ifb3 tLJe4 1 3 .tLJxe4 �xe4 1 4.a4 M6 1 S .�d6 �xf3 1 6 .�xf3 eS 1 7 .e4 dxe4 1 8 . �xe4 exd4 1 9 .�g6;t (Beliavsky-Ivanovic, Belgrade 2 0 0 0) ; B 1 4) Interesting, but insufficient for equality is S...4:Je4 because of 9.'il\Vb3 Worse is 9 . tLJxe4 �xe4 1 0 .b4 �e7 1 1 . 0 - 0 gS 1 2 .�g3 hS 1 3 .�eS l::r h 7 1 4.tLJd2 �g6 l S .f4 g4 1 6 .e4 �xe4 1 7 .tLJxe4 dxe4 1 8 .'lW c2 f6 1 9 .'ihe4 tLJf8 2 0 .llad 1 fxe S 2 1 .dxeS Viflc7 2 2 . fs �d8 (Miton-Yakovenko , Spain tt 2 0 0 7 ) 2 3 .�c4 �xd l 2 4J Ixd 1 �gS 2 S .�xe6 tUxe 6 2 6 . fxe6 l:.g7 2 7 J :td7 �xd 7 2 8 . exd 7 + 'lWxd7 2 9 .'lW g 6 + = . 9 ... J:l:a7 1 76

IiJxc3

Once and for all fixing the weak p1Wl1 on b 7 . Black remains cramped and without counterplay. 14-.lte7 1 5.a5 ().() 1 S.h4 h6 17.hS .ih7 1 S.0-0 WhS 1 9J�a4 'il\VcS 20.c4± Sokolov-Van Delfi:, Netherlands tt 2007108; B 1 S ) S...j{,e7 9.0-0 9 .h3 0-0 1 0 .0-0 t'iJe4 1 1 .tLJxe4 �xe4 1 2 . tLJd2 �g6 1 3 .b4 f6 1 4.tLlb3 eS l S .�h2 l:.e8 1 6.'lWd2 �f8 1 7 J He 1 b6 1 8 .cxb6 'lWxb6 1 9 .a3i Black has created some counterplay, but overalL White's chances remain clearly superior Alushta (Drozdovsky-Onoprienko , 2 0 0 3 ) . 9 . 0-0 1 0.b4 1 0 . tbh4 �g4 1 1 .£3 �hS 1 2 .g 4 tLJe8 1 3 .ttJ g 2 �g 6. 1 0... liJe4 1 1 .8xe4 �xe4 1 2.8d2 �gS 13.a4 :!:lea 1 4.4:Jb3 �f6 1 5.�g3 e5 1 S . .ig4 exd4 1 7.exd4 4:JfS (Adianto-Bacrot, Batumi 2 0 0 1 ) 1 S.tll a 5 J::t a 7<%. . .

B2) S.�d3 �g6 9 . 0- 0 �e7 1 0 .'lWc2 0-0 1 1 .b4 'il'c8 1 2 .a4 b6 1 3 .�xg6 hxg6 1 4.cxb6 tLJxb6 1 S .as tLlc4 1 6 .�fb 1 .ll a 7 1 7 . .ll b 3 �b7 1 8 . .ll ab 1 <1Je8 1 9 . e4 CiJc7= Vaganian-Oms Pallise, Barcelona 2 0 0 7 ; B 3 ) S.4:Jd2!? A flexible, multi-faceted move. White strengthens his control over the square e4, and prepares a pawn storm not only on the queenside, but also on the kingside. S ... �e7 9.�e2 and now:

Chapter 2 0 : The Sortie 5 . . . �f5

B . llcfl a4°o . 20_.fS 21.'1�Vb3 tbf6 22�c4 1 l .iLh4 g5 B . fxg5 ttJd500. 22 ... �c7 23.i.h4 ti:JdS= (Piket-Movsesian , Nether­ lands pff 2 0 0 0 ) . B 3 4) 9_. 'i'c8 Black clears the road for his bishop to reach c 7 .

B3 1 ) 9 ... 0-0 1 0 . g4 ! ? ii.g6 1 1 .h4 with the initiative; B32) 9... �gS 1 0 .b4 0-0 1 1 . 0 - 0 Me8 1 l .ii.g3 'iYc8 1 3 . M. c l ii.d8 1 4. f4 b 6 ! � Piket-I. Sokolov, Amsterdam 2 0 0 0 ; B 3 3 ) 9...h S 1 0.b4 0-0 1 O . . . ifc8 1 1 . a4 b6 1 l .a5 b5 1 3 .g4 ii.g6 1 4.h4 ii.d8 1 5 .h5 ii.h7 1 6 .�b3 ii.c7 1 7 . �xc7 �xc7 1 8 . f4 ttJ g 8 1 9 .Mfl ttJe7 2 0 .e4 lLlf6 2 1 . e 5 ttJd7 1 l . ttJd 1 t / = Naer-I. Popov, Krasnoyarsk 2 0 0 7 . 1 1 .0-0 lIe8 12.�g3 1 2 .h3 �c8 1 3 .Me 1 iLd8 1 4.iLfl e5 1 5 .dxe5 tLlxe5 1 6 . e4 tLlxe4 1 7 .tLlcxe4 �xe4 1 8 . tLl xe4 dxe4 1 9 . Mxe4 iLf6 2 0 . lie1 iff5 = Kir. Georgiev-Movsesian, Saraj evo 2 0 0 0 . 1 2 .. .'�!Vc8 1 l . . .iH8 1 3 .tLlb3 e5 1 4. a4 tLle4 1 5 .tLlxe4 iLxe4 1 6. <1;J a5 Ma7 1 7 .�d2 exd4 1 8 . exd4 �g6 1 9 .�f3 tLlf6 2 0 . b 5 t Borovikov­ Vysoehin, Ordzhonikidze 2 0 0 1 . 1 3 .�f3 as!? 1 3 . . . iLd8 1 4.e4 dxe4 1 5 .iLxe4 lLlxe4 1 6 . tLldxe4 iLxe4 1 7 .tLlxe4 iLe7 1 8 .�e5 f5 1 9 . tLld2 as 2 0 . a3 b5 2 1 .cxb6 lLlxb6 1 l .bxa5 fha5 B .�b3 lla6 2 4 . J:!.fc 1 ;J; Piket-Zagrebelny, Is tanbul 2 0 0 0 ; 1 3 . . . iLg6 1 4 .e4 dxe4 1 5 .l2:ldxe4 lLlxe4 1 6 .iLxe4 iLxe4 1 7 .tLlxe4 lLlf6 = . 14.bS i.d3 1 S.i.e2 1 5 . Me 1 cxbS 1 6 .�e2 .1xe2 1 7 .'ihe2 b 6 ! 1 8 .tLlxb5 bxe5 1 9 .tL:lc7 e4 . 1S ...�gS 1 S Jtc1 �d8 1 7.14 liJe4 1 8.ti:Jdxe4 i.xe4 1 9.ti:Jxe4 dxe4 20.a4 20.f5 exf5 2 1 .J:ixf5 ii.g5 1 l .�b3 tLlf6

B34 1 ) 1 0.b4 �gS 1 0 . . . �d8 1 l .f3 �c7 1 l .�xe7 �xe7 1 3 .e4 dxe4 1 4.fXe4 iLg6 (Sakaev-Kir. Georgiev, Vrnjacka Banj a 1 9 98) 1 5 .ttJc4 0-0 1 6 .e5 tLld5 1 7 .tLlxd5 cxd5 1 8 .tLld6t. 1 1 .0-0 The following plan looks quite promising for White: 1 1 . g4 h6 n .iLg3 i.d8 1 3 .a4 b6 1 4.a5 b5 1 5 .�b3 iLc7 1 6 .0-0-0 �b7 1 7 .f4 0-0-0 1 8 . .l:.dfl �b 8 1 9 .�d 1 gde8 2 0 . ghg 1 �c8 2 1 .�e 1 �d8 1 l . iLh4 �c8 2 3 .�b2 �b7 24.�f2 �b 8 2 5 .�g3 ge7 2 6 . h 3 t Lesiege-Slobodjan, Varadero 2 0 0 0 . I t is also possible to attend to the advance b5 immediately: 1 1 . a4 b6 n .M c l as 1 3 .cxb 6 ! i.xb4 1 4.tLla2 (1 4.tLlb5 tLle4) 1 4 . . . �xd2 + 1 5 .�xd2 �b7 1 6 .iYc3 tLlxb6 1 7 .�xc6+ �xc6 1 8 .gxc6 tLlc4 1 9 .iLxc4 dxc4 20 Jhc4 ttJd5 (Inarkiev-I. Popov, Moscow 2 0 0 8) 2 1 .�d2 0-0 1 l .MC5 m4 B.exf4 gib8 24.�e 3 ± . 1 1 ...i.d8 1 1 . . . 0-0 1 l .a4 b 6 1 3 .cxb6 tLlxb6 1 4 .a5 tLlbd7 1 5 .ttJa2 "i'b7 1 6 .Mcl :fc8 1 7 .Me3 ! (with the idea 'iYa4, J::i: fc 1 and llxc6) 1 7 . . . tLle8! 1 8 .�a4 ttJd6 1 9 .Ld6 �xd6 20 .tLlb3 e 5 � Nyback-Dautov, Ger177

The Chebanenko SICN According to Bologan

many Bundesliga 2 0 0 5 / 0 6 . 1 2 ..:g:c1 1 2 .a4 ! ? iLc7 1 3 .iLxc7 'fixc7 1 4.f4 b6. 1 2 ...�c7?! 1 2 .. . 0 - 0 . 1 3.�xc7 Wixc7 14.f4 ILlg8 1 4 . . . tLle4 1 5 .tLJcxe4 iLxe4 1 6 . tLJxe4 dxe4 1 7 . f5 e5 I S .d5 cxd5 1 9 .'fixd5 tLJf6 20 .'iVd6 ! :t ; 1 4 . . . 0-0 1 5 .g4 16 1 6 . f5 exf5 1 7 . gxf5 iLh7 I S .e4 dxe4 1 9 . tLJdxe4 tLJxe4 2 0 . tLlxe4:t. 1 S.e4 1 5 .a4 tLJe 7=. 1S ...lLle7 1 S .fS! exfS 1 7.exdS cxdS 1 7 . . . tLlxd5 I S .tLJxd5 cxd5 1 9 .iLd3 ± . 1 8.bS 0-0 1 9.bS Wid8?! 1 9 . . . 'ficS 2 0 .tLJb3 tLlf6 2 1 . tLJ a 5 tLJc6 2 2 .tLJxc6 'fixc6 2 3 .'fia4 'fie6 °o . 20.lLlb3 1LlfS 21 .lLlaS l:lb8 22.a4 It'le4+ Kramnik-Topalov, Dortmund 1 999; B342) 1 0.g4!? �gS 1 1 .gS ttJg8 1 L .tLJe4 1 2 .tLlcxe4 dxe4 1 3 . tLlc4± . 1 2.h4 1 2 .e4 h6. 12 ... hS?! 1 L . e 5 1 3 . dxe5 tLJxc5 1 4 .tLJa4 tLJxa4 1 5 .'fixa4 h6 1 6 . 0-0-0 h x g 5 1 7 .hxg5 t!.xh l I S . t!.xh l 'fif5 1 9 .l::l h S �fS 20 .iLd 1 :t Komliakov.

1 3.gxhS! 1 3 . t!.g 1 hxg 5 1 4.hxg5 iLdS 1 5 .e4 iLc7 1 6. �d6 'fibS 1 7 .e5 b6 I S .M tLle700 Komliakov. 13 . ..t2lxhS 1 3 . . . gxh6 1 4.h5 iLh7 1 5 .lLlf3 iLdS 1 6 .'fjd2 iLc7 1 7 . 0-0-0 JUs I S .tLJe5 iLxe5 1 9 .iLxe5 lLlxe5 2 0 . dxe5 'fic7 2 1 .'fid4 lLle7 2 2 . t!.hg l 0-0-0 2 3 .M l::l dg S 24.�b2 'fidS 2 5 .'fif4 l::lx g l 2 6 . l::lx g l l::l g S 2 7 .t!.g3 'fifS 2 s . iLf3 f6 2 9.�b3 t!.xg3 3 0 .'fixg3 iLd3 3 1 . tLJa4 f5 3 2 .�c3 iLe4 1 7S

3 3 .iLe2 d4+ 3 4 .exd4 tLJd5 + 3 5 .'it> b3 f4 3 6 .iYg4± Elianov-Kamsky, Kerner tt 2 0 0 7 . 14.hS ILlfS 1 4 . . . iLh7 J 5 .l:!.g l ;t. 1 S.l:'Ig1 �h7 1 S.lLlf3! Wid8 1 6 . . i.f6 1 7 .'fib3 iLdS I S .e4 tLlxd4 1 9 .ttJxd4 tLJx c5 2 0 . 'fj a3 iLe 7 2 1 . 'fjas ± Komliakov; 1 6 . . . iLdS 1 7 . e4 dxe4 I S .tLJxe4 i,a5+ 1 9 . �fl ± ; H.Wib3! 1 7 .e4?! dxe4 I S .ttJxe4 tLlf6 1 9 .tLJeg5 iLgS xd4, xh5 . 17_b6 1 8.cxbS 'lWxbS 1 9.WixbS 1 9 . tLle5 'i'xb3 2 0 . axb 3 tLJxe5 2 1 .iLxe5 as 2 2 . ttJaH. 1 9 ...lLlxbS 20J!cH Gelfand Kir. Georgiev, France tt 2 0 0 0 . .

-

Back to the main line. 7.

'"

tUf6-h5!

Black attempts at all costs to eliminate the f4 bishop. It is striking that, despite two tactical weaknesses on f5 and h5 , the computer does not see a forcing refuta­ tion of this move.

8.

iLf4-e5

If S .iLd3 Black has the elegant manoeu­ vre S . . . tLJxf4 (the direct S . . . i,xd3 9.'fixd3 tLJxf4 1 0 . exf4 b6 l 1 .cxb6 'fixb6 1 2 . 0 - 0 favours White) 9 . exf4 (9. iLxf5 tLlxg2+ 1 0 .�fl e 6 ! ) 9 . . . iLg4! 1 0 .i,e2 iLxf3 l 1 .iLxf3 e6 1 2 .0-0 g6 1 3 .'i'd2 draw, Marin-Komliakov, Calcutta 1 99 7 ; The exchange o f bishops is nothing for

Chapter 20: The Sortie 5 . . . ££5

Black to fear : 8 .tUh4 tUxf4 (8 . . . �g 6 ? ! 9.�gS ;t) 9 . tLlxfS tUg6=; After 8.�gS h6 9 .�h4 gS 1 0 .tUd2 � g 6 1 1 .�e2 tUdf6 1 2 .�g3 tUxg 3 1 3 .hxg3 �g7 Black has good counterplay. a

.. .

f7-f6

Black plays quite concretely, not fearing ghosts, and thereby obtains decent play. A) After S ...t.iJxe5 9.t.iJxe5 l.iJfS 1 0.g4 1 0 .�d3 ! ? �xd3 1 1 . 'il'xd3 tUd7 1 2 . tUxd7 l\I'xd7 1 3 .tUa4 'il'g4 1 4.0-0;t KomJiakov. 10... geS 11 .14 gS 12.�d3 �g7 13.15 �c8 1 4.�f3t White seizes the initiative on the kingside Rogozenko-Kutirov, Skopj e 2 0 0 2 ; B) S...l.iJhfS 9.�g3 9 .'ijVb3 l:!. a 7 1 O .h3 tLlxeS 1 1 .�xeS �d7 1 2 .itd3 �xd3 1 3 .tbxd3 eS 1 4 . 0-0-0 ( 1 4.dxeS tUxcs I S.tLlxcS �xcS 1 6 .l:!.cl 'il'e7 1 7 . 0 - 0 l:!.a8 1 8 .e4 d4 1 9 .tLle2 0-0 2 0 . tUf4 as=) 14 ... exd4 l S .exd4 �e7 1 6 .l:rhe l 0-000 Komliakov. 9...l.iJe4 Better is 9 . . . b 6 ! ? 1 0 .cxb6 'il'xb6 1 1 .'li'b3 e 6 1 2 .'iVxb6 <1Jxb6 1 3 . 11c l tLlfd7 1 4.�e2 h6 1 5 . 0-0 c5 = . 1 0.l.iJxe4 .2.xe4 11 .�e2 eS 1 2.0-0 �xf3 13 ..bf3 iLe7 14.b4 iLh4 15 ..bh4 �xh4 16.a4 0-0 1 7.b5 axb5 1 S.axb5 l:lfcS 1 9.�b3 1WdS 20.iLe2 £ixa1 21 Jha1 1:!.aS 22.J:La4 gS 23.g3 l:!xa4 24.�xa4 cxb5 25.iLxb5 l.iJbS , 26.'W'an Rodshtein-Kritz, Biel 2 0 0 7 . 9.

�e5-g3!?

9 . tLlh4 fxeS

1 0 .tUxfS tUhf6 l 1 .dxeS tLlxeS 1 2 .tLJd4 ! ? with compensation. 9.

...

e7-e5

1 0.

tbf3-h4

11.

tb h4xg6

h7xg6

1 2.

�d1 -c2

l:!.hS-h6

1 3.

�f1 - d3

e5-e4

1 4.

�d3-e2

t2Jh5xg3

1 5.

f2xg3

1\!IdS-c7=

�f5-g6

Black has prospects of even obtaining a slightly more pleasapt position. He has in reserve the plan of doubling on the h-file, and also of advanCing . . . fS -f4. Conclusion

Here too, there is a good deal of practical experience, which allows Black to iden­ tify his opponent's main trumps, and to prepare appropriate counter-measures. White, in my opinion, has not exhausted all his resources in the variation with 6 . 'il'b 3 . The very fact that the black rook ends up on a7 leads one to think that this is the direction in which White should be looking for an advantage.

1 79

Chapter 21 Flexibility: S . . . ttJ bd 7 S . h3 1 .d2-d4 d 7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-c6 3.tLig1 -f3 ttJgS-f6 4.ttJb1 -c3 a7-a6 5.c4-c5 ttJbS-d7 6.h2-h3

S. Jubd7 is the most flexible and at the same time most direct move. Black keeps ill mind all his plans (. . . e7-eS, . . . b7-b6, . . . g7-g6) but doesn 't reveal his choice yet. The only disadvantage is that the bishop on cS is locked in, but this will not be permanent, as often happens after . . . e7-e6. After 5 . .tijbd7, White has many lines which can be divided in two groups: moves that allow . . . 'iV c7 and moves that don 't. Of course, 6.§Jj4 looks the most naturat as it takes this sweet diagonal under control - see the 22nd chapter. But White sometimes tries different plans. 6.h3 is a classic prophylactic move, securing the h2-bS diagonal for the bishop. Gen­ erally, it is necessary to play more energetically in the opening, although I can under­ stand White 's logic. If Black can allow himself the prophylactic . . . a6, why shouldn't White do the same? Mind you, I have to point out that White has already spent a tempo on c4-cS. Firs tly, however, we will examine a few alternatives . .

•••

A) The voluntary imprisonment o f the bishop by 6.e3?! is not so good, as Black can either break with . . . b 6 , or gradually prepare the other break . . . eS . In either case, White's dark-squared bishop does not take part in the game . 1 80

A I ) 6 . . g6 is perfectly logical - Black puts his bishop on the diagonal and pre­ pares . . . e7-eS . 7.�d3 �g7 8J!Vc2 0-0 9.h4 �c7 1 0.�d2 eS 1 1.ttJ xeS ttJxeS 1 2.dxe5 'M:Vxe5 13.0-0-0 J:ib8 1 4.ttJa4 White tries to block the queenside, in order to deprive .

Chapter 2 I : Flexibility: 5 . . .'i)bd7 6.h3

his opponent of counterplay on this side of the board. However, Black has enough resources to maintain the balance. 14 .. :llV e 7 1 S.i!.c3 lie8 1 6.i!.d4 i!.e6 1 7.13 !tJd7 1 8.J::l d e1 bS?! A nervous move ; better is 1 8 . . . h5 ! ? 1 9 .'iVc3 �xd4 2 0 . exd4 l/1Vf6= Komliakov. 1 9.cxb6 cS 20.�xg7 �xg 7 21 .�c3+± Thuroczy-Dovzik, Harkany 1 9 9 7 ; A2) 6 ... b6 7 . M 'WIc7 8 . jLb 2 as 9 . a 3 bxc5 1 0 .bxc5 e 5 1 1 .4:lxe5 tLlxe5 1 2 .dxe5 '!i'xe5 1 3 .tLla4 'ii' e6 1 4.'lWd4 �e 7 1 5 . 4:lb6 ! ? l:!.b8 1 6 . �d3 0-0 1 7 .h 3 t Komliakov ; A3) 6 ... e6 7 . �e2 b6 8 . cxb 6 'ii'x b6 9.0-0 c5 1 0 .b3 cxd4 l 1 . exd4 4:le4 1 2 .tLixe4 dxe4 1 3 .tLlg5 tLlf6 ! ? 1 4.f3 exf3 1 5 . .ihf3 �b7 1 6 .�xb7 'ii' x b7 1 n iYd3 h6 1 8 .tLlf3 �d6 1 9 .tLle 5 'iYd5 2 0 . tLl c4 lld800 Komliakov.

I O .�b2 �f4 I l .a3 �f5 1 2 .'lWc l �xc 1 + 1 3 . .l:!.xc l as 1 4.e3 axM 1 5 .axb4 \t>d7=l= Komliakov. 8...e4 9.tZld2 i!.e7 1 0.13 The more cautious 1 0 .�e 2 does not change the assessment: 1 0 . . . 0 - 0 1 1 . 0 - 0 b6 1 2 .tLlb3 bxc5 1 3 .bxc5 as 14.I:!.b l °o Komliakov. 1 0 ... exf3 1 1.t2:\xf3 0-0 1 2.i!.d3 b6 1 3.0-0 as 14.cxb6 �xb6 1 S.bxaS �xaS 1 6.e4 dxe4 1 7.tZlxe4 i!.a6 1 8.c!2Jxf6+ tZlxf6 1 9.i!.xa6 �xa6= The pawn weaknesses cancel each other out, and the game is equal; B 1 2) The best choice is to put the bishop on the long diagonal with 7.i!.b2 and after 7...eS to exchange on e5 , so that the bishop will not just be a 'big pawn' on b2.

B) The other pawn move 6.b4?! looks more logical, but is not really a priority at this stage.

B l ) 6 ...'il'c7 is a logical move; Black does not allow the enemy bishop to f4 and

prepares the advance . . . e7 -e5 . B l l ) Now the routine 7:1i'c2 allows Black to obtain counterplay without any great problems : 7. . e5 8.e3 Black is fa­ voured by 8 . dxe5 ? ! tLlxe5 9 .tLlxe5 'iVxe5 .

A t the very least, White retains the open­ ing initiative here, for example: 8.dxeS tZlxeS 9.tZlxeS �xeS 10.tZla4 �f4 1 1 .i!.d4!? In the endgame after 1 1 .'ii' d4 'ii' xd4 1 2 .�xd4 White can also count on a defi­ nite advantage, for example: 1 2 . . .�5 1 3 .tLlb6 ldd8 1 4.e3 tLid7 1 5 .tLlxd7 .l:Ixd7 l 6 .a4 f6 1 7 . �e2 �e7 1 8 . g4 �e4 1 9 .f3 �g6 2 0 .h4 0-0 2 1 .h5 �e8 n.f4t Niesch-M. Horvath, Germany Bundesliga B 2 0 0 4/ 0 5 . 1 1 ...�fS 1 2.c!2Jb6 !id8 1 3 .e3 'il'h4 The move 1 3 . . . 'iYg5 prevents White from completing the development of his kingside, although on g5 the queen co181

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

mes under attack from the enemy pawns: 1 4-.M 'iYg6 l S .hS 'iYgS 1 6 .�eS ttJd7 1 7 . ttJxd7 'itJxd7 1 8 .'iYd4-;!; Komliakov. 1 4 . .llI.d3 .l1t.xd3 1 S.'WIxd3 .l1t.e7 1 6.0-0 0-0 1 7.a4 l:!:feB 1 B.bS axbS 1 9 .axbS tLle4 20.iI'c2 .l1t.f6 21 .11a7;l; White's initiative on the queenside develops more quickly than Black's counter play on the opposite wing. B2) 6 ... aS?! A dubious decision - why give the opponent play on the queenside? Even without an invitation, White wants to play b4--b S , but this would require considerable preparation. 7.bS eS B.e3 e4?! Better is 8 . . . tZl e4-! ? 9. bxc6 bxc6 1 0 .�c2 tDxc3 1 1 .�xc3 e4- 1 2 .tZld2 �e7 Kornliakov. 9.tLld2 .llI. e 7 10 . .!lb1 !? 0-0 11 . .llI.e2 cxbS 1 2.tLlxbS tLlbB 1 3 .tLlc3;l; Komliakov; B3) 6 ... tLle4 After White has played b2-b4-, the knight on c3 is somehow 'hanging in the air ' , and Black seeks to exploit this immediately. White faces a choice: if he defends the knight, then Black takes on c3 and brings his other knight to e4-. If instead White himself ex­ changes on e4-, then Black gets another good central outpost, on dS .

7 .tDxe4- dxe4- 8 .tDd2 tDf6 9 . tDc4- tDdS 1 0 .�b3 �e6 1 1 .e3 g6 1 2 .�d2 �g7 1 82

1 3 .�c2 f5 1 4-.�e2 �c7 = Demarre-T. Martin, Issyles Moulineaux 20 04-) B4-) 6 ... g6 and now: B4- 1 ) 7.h3 is somewhat excessive pro­ phylaxis. Even in clo sed positions, there is no point in wasting tern pi. 7. ..'tic7 It is also possible to stick to the previ­ ously-chosen course : 7 . . . �g 7 ! ? 8 . .if4 0 - 0 9 . e3 as 1 0 . a3 ttJe4- 1 1 .'i¥c 1 axb4 1 2 . axb4- l:!.xa 1 1 3 . �xa 1 b6 1 4 .'YWa3 bxc S l S .bxcS ttJdxcS + , seizing the ini­ tiative (Komliakov) . B. .llI. g S hS 9.1h4 tLlhS 1 0.g4 gS 1 1 .gxhS gxh4 1 2�g1 J:lh7 1 3.tLlxh4 .ld:g7 1 4.�xg7 .llI.x g7 1 S.li:JfS 1f8 1 6 .tLlg3 tLlf6 1 7.iI'd2 I think th at after 1 7 . e 3 ! ? �g7 1 8 .'ilYf3 eS 1 9 .tDa4 White can fight for a small advantage. 17 ...e5 1 B.e4 .llI.e6 1 9.dxeS tLlxe4 20.li:Jgxe4 dxe4 21 .iI'd4 .llI. g 7 22.tLlxe4 .llI.xeS 23.lZIdS+ il'xd 6 24.'ihd6 .llI. xd6 2S.cxd6 �d7, and the ending is better for Black (Feldman-Magem Badal s, Las Ve gas 1 999); B4-2) 7.e3

Now the dark-squared bishop only has one road - to b 2 . 7... .llI.g7 B. .llI.d3 0-0 Also reasonable is 8 . . . eS ! ? 9 . �c2 (or 9 .tZlxe5 ttJxeS 1 0 .dxeS tDg4' 1 1 .f4 0-0 1 2 .'iYe2 aS�) 9 . . . 0-0 1 0 .0 -0 e4- 1 1 .tDd2 b6 1 2 .cxb6 tDxb6°o Komliakov. 9ib2 eS 1 0.dxeS tLlg4 1 1 .0-0 tLlgxeS 12 ..llI. e 2 tLlxf3+

Chapter 2 I : Flexibility: 5 . . . �bd7 6.h3

1 4 .�e2+ ElarbiMohammad, Turin 2 0 0 6 ; B43 ) 7.£Lb2 � g 7 8 . g 3 0-0 9 .�g2 e S (Black carries out his plan consistently) 1 O.dxeS ttJg4 1 1 .e6 fxe6 1 2 .0-0 as 1 3 .a3 tDgeS 1 4.ttJxeS ttJxeS I S . ttJa4 tDc4 1 6 .�xg 7 <Jo>xg7 1 7 .e4 "iYf6 with approxi­ mately equal play (Dyachkov-Sotnikov, Ekaterinburg 1 9 9 6) . C) 6.g3 Although this move has been seen even at grandmaster level, I person­ ally could not allow my hand to put the bishop on the same diagonal as the black pawn wall b 7 -c6-dS . However, its favour­ able statistics make one look more kindly on this fianchetto, whilst White avoids closing in his other bishop with e3 , and at the same time avoids committing it too early. Instead, he simply completes his de­ velopment.

C l ) The break 6 ...b6 weakens Black's central pawn chain. White can reorganise his forces and harass the weak pawn on c6: 7.cxb6 'lixb6 8.�g2 e6 9.0-0 �e7 10:�c2 0-0 1 V lla4!? Premature is I I .e4? ! dxe4 1 2 . ttJxe4 ttJxe4 1 3 .'l'Wxe4 ttJf6 1 4.'iVc2 �b7 I S .�e3 tDdS 1 6 .ttJeS lIfd8 1 7 .'iVe4 lIac8 1 8 .lIfc l cS=, and Black, haVing rid himself of the c6 pawn, achieves fully equal play (Rodriguez Gon-

zalez-Franco, Leon 2 0 0 6 ) . 1 1 ... 'liVb5 1 2.�f4 h6 Black's life is not especially eased by 1 2 . . . cS ?! 1 3 JH c l c4 1 4.tDc3 'i'b6 15 .�ab 1 �. 1 3J;Uc1;!; Kornliakov; Cl) 6 ... g6 7.�g2 �g7 8.0-0 0-0

And now: C2 1 ) On 9.b4 the familiar manoeuvre 9_tLle4!? looks convincing, for instance: 1 0.�b2 Play develops in Black's favour af­ ter 1 0 .ttJxe4 dxe4 I I .tDg5 ttJf6 1 2 .�e3 �fS 1 3 .h3 h6 1 4.g4 �xg4 I S .hxg4 hxg5 +. 1 0...tLlxc3 1 1 .�xc3 a5 1 2.a3 tLlf6 1 3 .tLle5 tLle4= Kornliakov; C n ) 9.h3 Another version of the famil­ iar prophylaxiS. 9 . . . �e8 1 0 .�c2 eS 1 1 .dxeS ttJxe5 1 2 .ttJxeS lIxeS 1 3 .�f4 �e8 1 4. �ad1 'il'aS ! ? I S .�d6 ttJe4 1 6 .ttJxe4 dxe4 1 7 .b3 e3°o Kornliakov; C23) On 9.�f4 there follows the stan­ dard 9 . . . 4Jh5 1 0 .�e3 ! ? Wic7 I 1 .Wid2 e5 1 2. ttJ a4 1I b8 with mutual chances; C24) 9.'liVc2 White frees the square d 1 for the rook and himself prepares to at­ tack the centre with e2-e4. 9 ... ne8 1 0.:6!:d 1 tLlh5 There is no clear equality af­ ter 1 0 . . . tDf8 I I .h3 h6 1 2 .ttJe S , for ex­ ample: 1 2 . . . �fS 1 3 .iVb3 �c8 1 4. ttJa4 tD6d7 I S .g4 �e6 1 6 .�f4 gS 1 7 .�g3 �xeS 1 8 .�xeS ttJxeS 1 9 .ttJb6 Wic7 2 0 . ttJxa8 �xa8 2 1 .dxe S ;1; Kurnosov-­ Volkov, Sochi 2 0 0 7 . 1 1 .e4 dxe4 1 2.'iYxe4 1 83

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

ttJdf6 1 3 .'ii' e 2 �g4 1 4.h3 �xf3 I S .'ii'xf3 �f8 1 6 .g4 tLlg7 1 7 .gS tL'ld7 1 8 .dS l:rc8 1 9 .�f4 Also good is 1 9 .tL'la4 'ii' a S 2 0 .dxc6 bxc6 2 1..!:t x d7 'ii'x a4 2 2 .'iVe4� Komliakov. 19 ...e5 20.dxe6 J::ixe6 21.h4 'iiY e 8 22.jLh3 tLJf5 23.jLxf5 gxf5 24.jLg3 tLJxc5 25.'li'xf5 :§.d8 26.�xd8 'iiYxd8 27.l:Id1 \We8 28.'it>g2! Sorokin-I. Popov, Sochi

2007; C2S) 9.tLJa4 The knight seeks new pas­ tures. 9 ... tLJe4 1 0.jLf4 f6 1 1 .'lWb3 e5 1 2.jLe3 exd4!? White is better after 1 2 . . /.i;'h8 1 3 Jhc 1 'ffi e 7 1 4 . .l:i:fd l � Kahn-Kern, Bu­ dapest 1 9 9 4 . 1 3.jLxd4 'lWe7 Another method of counterplay is also good: 1 3 .. .fS 1 4.'iWd 3 'iWe7 I S . .l:i:ac 1 f4 1 6 .e3 fxg3 1 7 .hxg3 .l:i:b8°o Komliakov. 14.l:I:ac1 J::!: b 8 1 5 .jLe3 g5 1 6.jLd4 g4 1 H'Ve3 gxf3 1 8.exf3 f5 1 9.jLxg7 'tlixg7 20.fxe4 fxe4 21 .f3 exf3 22.jLxf3 tLJf6 with chances for both

sides.

1 3 . .l:!.c1 �b 7 . 1 4.tLld2 (White wants to organise an outpost on cS for his knight, but in doing so, he gives his opponent more freedom of action in the centre) 1 4 . . . e S I S .ttJb3 tLle4 1 6 .�e7 l'1fe8 1 7 .�a3 exd4 1 8 .tUxd4 l:rac8 19.�f3 ttJeS (also perfectly possible is 19 c5 2 0 . ttJbS �a6 2 1 .ttJbc3 tLlxc3 2 2 .bxc3 d4= Komliakov) 2 0 .�e2 tL'ld7 2 ] .�f3 ttJeS 2 2 . �e2 tLld7 2 3 .�f3 , draw Vyzhmanavin-Dreev, Lvov 1 98 5 . D ] 1 ) I f 8.jLe2 0-0 9.0-0 lle8 1 0 .h3 eS 1 1 .b4 Black can, of course, close the cen­ tre, accepting a slightly inferior position, but he can also exchange OIl d4 1 1 . . . exd4, and after the more or less forced 1 2 .tLlxd4 ttJf8 1 3 .tL'la4 ttJe6 1 4. ttJxe6 �xe6 1 5 . ttJ b6 he has the tacti­ cal resource l S . . . l"tb8 1 6 . �f4 tL'ld7 != , al­ lowing him to maintain equality; D 1 2 ) 8.jLd3 ...

D) The rare continuation 6.jLg5 also de­ serves attention, after which Black does best to put the question to the bishop im­ mediately, before resolving the develop­ ment of his own pieces.

D l ) 6 ...g6 7.e3 jLg7 It is also possible to start attacking the white pawn chain immediately: 7 . . . b6 8 . cxb6 �xb6 9 . .l:i:b l as 1 0 . �e2 �g 7 1 1 .0-0 0-0 1 2 .ttJa4 'iWa 7 1 84

On the one hand, the bishop is more ac­ tively placed here than on e2, but on the other, it may come under attack after Black plays . . . e7 -eS . 8... 0-0 9.h3 Another line that has been seen is 9. 0-0 .l:i:e8 1 0 .�f4 ttJhS 1 1 .�gS fs 1 2 .tL'ld2 ttJhf6 1 3 .f4 ttJe4 1 4.ttJf3 b6 I S .cxb6 'iWxb6 1 6.tL'la4 'fIJa7 1 7 .�xe4 dxe4 1 8 . ttJeS tLlxeS 1 9 fxeS �e6 2 0 . b 3 , and White had a small advantage (Raspovic-Sirnik, Zadar 2 0 0 4) . 9 . 1:.e8 . .

Chapter 2 I : Flexibility: S . . 42Jbd7 6.h3 .

10.�f4 tLlhs 1 1 .0-0 There is no danger for Black in 1 1 .�h2 es 1 2 .dxeS tLlxeS 1 3 .ttJxes �xes 1 4.0-0 �xh2 + I S .Wxh2 'iie7 1 6 .tLla4=. 1 1 ...ttJxf4 1 2.exf4 ttJfS 13.J:te1 ttJeS It is true that Black has not managed to achieve the break . . . e7-es , but in return, the pawn on d4 is in need of defence. 14.ttJe2 bS 1 5 .15 gxf5 1 S .�c2 bxc5 17..bf5 ttJfS 1 S.dxc5 �xf5 1 9.�xf5

Komliakov; D 1 3 ) S.h3 bS 9.cxbS �xbS 1 0.'lWc2 0-0 1ull. d3 c5 1 2.0-0 cxd4 After 1 2 . . . c4 1 3.�e2 �b7 1 4.Mab l . . . b3� White takes the initiative on the queens ide. e5=

13.exd4 a5 14.ttJa4 'lWa7 1 5.'lWe2 eS 1S.l:!:ac1 ttJbS Exchanges do not solve all

the problems: 1 6 . . . �a6 1 7 .ha6 'iYxa6 18 :�xa 6 Mxa6 1 9 . MC7:t Komliakov. 17.tiJc5 ttJbd7 1 S.ttJa4 ttJbS 1 9.ttJc5 ttJbd7 20.�f4 ttJxc5 21 ..i:ixc5 �aS 22.�xaS 'lWxaS 23.�xaS J.haS 24 ..i:ifc1 ;l;; (LysYJ-Slugin,

Nizhnij Tagil 2 0 0 6) . White's chances in the ending, of course, are better, but he cannot claim a large advantage, since he weakness of the pawn on d4 will always haunt him.

Dl) S ... hS 7.�h4

D2 1 ) 7... gS S.e3 �g7 9.�b3 0-0 1 0.0-0-0 l:i:eS 1 1 .�d3 g5 1 2 .�g3 ttJh5 1 3.�e5 ttJxe5 14.ttJxe5 �xe5!? Bad is 1 4 . . . f6 ? (Tuzhik-Y. Grachev, Novosibirsk 2 0 0 7 ) on account of 1 5 . tLlc4 dxc4 1 6 Jhc4+ e6 1 7 .g4±. 1 5.dxe5 �c7 1 S .�e2 ttJg7 1 7.h4 g4 Undoubtedly, Black does not wish to open lines on the side where his king is castled, but even after 1 7 . . . 'iYxes nothing deadly for Black is apparent, for example: 1 8 .hxgs hxgs 1 9 .94 tLle6 2 0 .'iYc2 4Jf8 2 1 .4Ja4 �e 6 2 2 .4Jb6 Mad8 2 3 . .l::!. d 4oo. 1 S.�a4 h5 1 9.e4 d4 20.'lWxd4 ttJeS 21 .'iVe3 �xe5 22.ttJa4 ttJf4 23 .�f1 �eS 24.g3 tLjg6 25.ttJbS J::r a dSoo Black has sufficient

counter play (Komliakov) ; D2 2) 7_g5 S.�g3 ttJh5 9.e3 From a practical point of view at least, 9 .�es ! ? is more dangerous for Black, because after 9 . . .f6 1 0 .�g3 es l 1 .e3 tLlxg3 1 2 .hxg 3 e4 1 3 .tLld2 fs 1 4.'iYhs+ ( 1 4.�e2 4Jf6°O) 1 4 . . . <Jite7 his king has had to take to its heels, which is always unpleasant. 9 ...ttJxg3 1 0.hxg3 �g7 1 1 .�d3 e5 1 2.�f5 e4

The chances are equal. Back to the position after the main move: 6.

Now 7 . . . gs is the most consequent move, although of course a more restrained ap­ proach is also possible:

h2-h3

A) It is possible to attack the pawn on cs : S ... bS!? 7.b4 The pawn on cs must be 185

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

defended, otherwise White's whole set-up loses its point. 7 .cxb6 is totally harmless because of 7 . . . 'iYxb 6 8 .e3 as 9.Ad3 Aa6 1 0 .0-0 e6 I I .Axa6 'i'xa6 1 2 .'i'c2 Ad6 1 3 .e4 lUxe4 1 4.lUxe4 dxe4 I s .lUgS lUf6 1 6.lUxe4 lUxe4 1 7 .1i'xe4 0 - 0 = Stocek-Keitlinghaus, Budapest 1 9 9 6 . 7...a5

can obtain slightly better chances by means of 1 9.iLe3 .�xe3 20.fxe3 nabS 21 .0-0 >i.>e7 22.l::l a b1 I1hcB 23.l:!.b5 l:lb7 24JUb1 l::l c6 25.'.t>h2 f5 26.exf6+ gxf6:!: ; B) 6 ... g6!? 7.iLf4 iLg7 B.e3 0-0 9.�d3

9 .Ae2 lUe4 1 0 .lUxe4 dxe4 1 1 .t2:ld2 eS 1 2 .dxeS lUxcs 1 3 . lUc4 �e6= Chebanenko. 9 ..,t2JeB 1 0.0-0 ttJc7 . l:1e8, . . . eS Chebanenko. . .

6.

...

'iVd8-c7

The main move: it is logical to occupy the key diagonal. Now Black is ready to ad­ vance.

B.b5 This mini-break is also seen in the

classical Queen's Gambit. But in this version, it is not dangerous for Black and only leads to exchanges. B ...iLb7 9.'lIfa4 Black is better after 9 . cxb6 e6 1 0 .e 3 cS 1 1 .i1l.e2 cxd4 1 2 .4Jxd4 i1l.b4 1 3 .i1l.d2 0-0 1 4 . 0-0 4Jxb6 I S .a3 i1l.d6 1 6 .�b3 i1l.c7 1 7 JHc l �d6� Vasilevich-Foisor, Plovdiv 2 0 0 3 . 9 ...'iYcB 1 0.e4 White must play energetically ; if Black can stabilise his position, he sol ves all his problems. 1 0 ...t2:J xe4 1 Vl:lxe4 dxe4 1 2 .ttJe5 ttJxe5 1 3.dxe5 e6

As well as this developing move , there is also 1 3 . . . bxcS ! ? , for instance : 1 4.Ae3 e6 I S .ihe4 c4 1 6 . Axc4 Ab4+ 1 7 . Wfl 0 - 0 1 8 .b6 cS 1 9 .'i'c2 a4 2 0 .a3 (or 2 0 .£d3 i1l.a 6) 20 . . . �aS with a double­ edged position (Komliakov) . 1 4.bxc6 iLxc6 1 5 .iLb5 iLxb5 1 6 .�xb5+ 'lIfd7 1 7.�xd7+ >i.>xd7 1 B.cxb6 iLc5 (Nguyen

Chi Minh-Schandorff, Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 3 /04) , and here White 1 86

7.

�c1 -g5

A) Black can now avoid the main lines by playing 7...h6!? B.iLh4 ttJh5 Worse is 8 . . . gS ? ! 9 .�g3 'i'aS 1 0 .4Jd2 �g7 I l .e3 'li'd8 1 2 .�e2 b6 1 3 .M as 1 4.a3 .ib 7 1 5 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 6 .t2:l b3t Sundararajan­ Volkov, Internet 2 0 0 5 . 9.g4 The re­ strained 9 .e3 does not cause Black par­ ticular trouble, for example: 9 . . . gS 1 0 .ttJd2 gxh4 (also good is 1 0 . . . t2:ldf6 ! ? I l . g4 gxh4 1 2 .gxhS e S 1 3 .t2:lf3 e4 1 4.lUxM :ctg8 I S .'i'e2 .fie7 1 6 .t2:lg2 b 6 1 8 .lUf4 jtd6= 1 7 . cxb6 'li'xb6 Komliakov) 1 1 .iI'xhS eS 1 2 .'li'xM iLg 7 1 3 .iI' g 3 0-0 draw (Bellon Lopez­ Fernandez Romero, Campillos 2007) . 9 ... g5 1 0.gxh5 gxh4

Chapter 2 1 : Flexibility: 5 . . . �bd7 6.h3

11 ...bS The idea of exchanging rooks on g 7 , at the cost of several tempi, is not jus­ tified : 1 1 . . .lih7 1 2 .e3 lig7 1 3 .'uxg7 i1Lxg 7 1 4.liJxh4 b6 1 5 .'iVg4 i1LfS 1 6.cxb6 'il'xb6 1 7 . 0- 0 - 0 'ubS I S . 'ud2 tUf6 1 9 .�f3 ± Guseva-Stefanova, Sochi 2 0 0 5 . 1 2.cxbS 'lWxbS 1 3 .'lWd2 libS 14.0-0-0 eS 15.�c2 Wic7 1 S.e3 �e7 1 7.1:rg7

this non-standard position, White has a number of dangerous plans, but Black can always fmd some sort of counterplay. A I ) 1 1 .e4 This move only looks aggres­ sive - from e4, the white knight will not have great prospects. 11 ... dxe4 1 2.lbxe4 �g7 1 3 .ttJc3 White effectively acknowl­ edges his error, but even after 1 3 .i1Lc4 ! ? 'i'f4 1 4 .'iI'e2 \t>fS 1 5 .'if e 3 'il'xe 3 + 1 6 .fxe3 It'lf6 1 7 .tUxf6 i1Lxf6 I S . e 4 ligS 1 9 .Wf2 e5 ! � Black has sufficient counterplay (Komliakov) . 1 3 ... ttJfS 14.�c4 'lIif4 1 5.iVe2 �f5 1 S .)1g1 0-0 In fact, Black can already take the initia­ tive: 1 6 . . . tUxh5 ! ? 1 7 J:l d l lidS I S .'if e3 �f6� Komliakov. 1 7.�e3 tbxh5 1 S.ttJe5 �h7 1 9,1ue2 �xe3 20.fxe3 jLxe5 21 .dxe5 J:tadS 22.ttJd4 eS 23.:1:1f1 jLgS 24.0-0-0 Ii.lg3 25.J::tf4 ttJf5= I. Sokolov-Malakhov, Selfoss 2 0 0 3 ; A2) 1 1 .e3 e5 1 2.tt1xh4 exd4 The more ambitious 1 2 . . . ,UgS ! ? deserves consider­ ation, for instance: 1 3 .'iI'f3 e4 1 4 .�e2 b6 1 5 .cxb6 tUxb6 1 6.�d2 i1Ld6 1 7 .tUg2 �e7 t Komliakov. 1 3.exd4 �e7 1 3 . . . iVf4 ? ! is not good because o f 1 4.tUg2 ii'f6 1 5 .�e2+ \t>dS I 6 . 0 -0-0 i1Lg7 1 7 .tUe3 ! ± . 14.liJg2 .6[gS 1 5 .Vi:Vd2 ttJfS 1 S .ttJe3 ttJeSoo with a double-edged position (Komliakov) ; A3) 1 1 .11g1 Definitely the most poison­ ous move. In

This move is reminiscent of the ice-hockey ploy, of knocklng the puck deep into the opposing half of the rink: the rook is not really attacking anything of significance, but it gives Black some­ thing to worry about! 1 7...c5 1 S.dxc5 .�fS 1 9.1ig4 'lWxc5 20.tbd4 tbe5 21 .1:;[g 1 The 'puck' has to return home after all. Even so, White's chances are superior, since the black king will not find a safe home for some time to come. 21 ... ttJcS 22.tbb3 'lI!VbS 23.tba4 'lWc7 24.wb1 i&d7 25.a3 'lWe5 2S .ttJac5;t Zhukova-Stefanova , Elista 2 0 04; B) Instead of 7 . . . e5 or 7 . . . h6, the impa­ tient knight leap into e4 is dubious: 7 ttJe4 S.ttJxe4 White gets nothing from S .i1Lh4 'i' as 9 .e3 ligS 1 0 . 'i' c2 g 5 I l .i1Lg3 tUxg3 1 2 .fxg3 e5 1 3 .dxe5 tUxc5= Komliakov. S ... dxe4 9.ttJd2 f5 Black does not really have full compensa­ tion for the pawn after 9 . . . h6 1 0.i1Lh4 e3 .•

IS7

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 1 . fx e3 4:Jf6 1 2..�f2 . 1 O.e3 g6 1 1 ..iLc4 .iLg7 1 2.'i¥b3 The weakness of the a2-gS diagonal gives Black some problems, for example: 1 2 ... b5 1 3 ..iLgS tLlf6 1 4.'i¥f7+ cbd7 15.ii.xh7!+- Vasilevich-Stefanova, Antalya 2002. Back to the position after 7 . �gS . 7.

...

a.

e2-e3

e7-e5

Doubling the pawns with S .�xf6 gxf6 is not too frightening for Black, for in­ stance : 9.e3 fs 1 0 .4:Jh4 4:Jf6 1 1 .iLe2 4:Je4 1 2 .4:Ja4 �e6 1 3 .4:Jf3 exd4 1 4. exd4 �h6 I S . 0 - 0 0-0 1 6 .l::t e 1 <;t>hS+ Cramling­ Stefanova, Hyderabad 2 0 0 2 . a.

...

l s .tZlfS g 6 1 6 .b4 iLxM 1 7 .0-0 'laS S . .tt x M 'i"xM 1 9 . tLlxd5 tbxd5 2 0 .�xd5 gxf5 2 1 .�xaS 0-0 n..igS �b 7 2 3 .'i"a7 tLle5 24.'i'e3 ± C. Hansen-S.B. Hansen, Malmo 2 0 0 3 . I

9.

...

0-0

Or 9 . . . h6 1 0 .�h4 exd4 I l .exd4 b6 1 2 .cxb6 'i"xb6 1 3 . 0 - 0 0-0 1 4.lLla4 'ie7 Sundararaj an-Neelotpal, I S .l':c 1 i Visakhapatnam 2 0 04 . 1 0.

0-0

.!:!.fa-ea

The problems are not fully solved by 1 0... exd4 1 1 .exd4 .t:leS 1 2.�d3 tbfS 1 3 .'i'd2 tLlh5 1 4J:tfe1 .iLe6

�fa-e7

1 5.�xe7 Better than 1 5 �e 3 , although even here, after 1 5 . . . lt'lg6 1 6 .lt'l e2 �c8 1 7 . � c 2 Jtd8 ( 1 7 . . . Jtxh3 ! ? I S . gxh3 'l:!fxh3 1 9 .tLlg3 ( 1 9 .ihg 6 fxg6 20.tiJeS )lfs 2 l ..l:i'.ad 1 �h 4 2 2 . lIn :tIf5 +t) 1 9 . . . tZJxg3 2 0 . fx.g3 'i"xg 3 + 2 1 .'Ii'g2;t) I S .tLle5;;!; Black never fully equalised, Avrukh-Svetushkin, Calvia 2004) . 1 5 ... l1xe7 1 6 . .t:le5 tLlf6 1 7.J!j,ae1 J:[aeS 1S.b4 tLlg6 1 9.ii.xg6 hxg6 20.a4 �f5 21 .g4;1; Black's position is passive, but solid. .

9.

£f1 -e2

White also has the cunning move 9.�h4 , threatening an unpleasant pin from the square g 3 . Probably Black then has to clarify the situation of the eS pawn: 9 . . . exd4 (Black has a rather prospectless position after 9 . . . e4 1 0 .4:Jd2 ( 1 0 .�g3 ! ?) 1 0 . . . 0 - 0 1 l .�e2 l::t e S 1 2 . 0-0 4:JfS 1 3 .b4 h6 1 4 . a4 tLl6h7 I S .�g3 'lWdS 1 6 . b S ± Kazhgaleev-R. Kozlov, Pavlodar 2 0 0 6 ) 1 0 .exd4 b 6 I l . cxb 6 'lWxb 6 1 2 . l::tb 1 cS . The position is full of life, although in the follOWing example, Black was out­ played: 1 3 .�e2 cxd4 1 4.t2Jxd4 �c5 1 8S

11.

Wid1 -c2

1 1 .tLlxe 5 tLlxe5 1 2 .ru4 liJfd7 1 3 .dxe5 t2Jxe5 1 4.l:k 1 �f5 1 5 .�g4 �g6 1 6 .Wh 1 ( 1 6 . tLl a4 1 ? �f6 1 7 .�b3 �e7=) 1 6 . . . :tadS ( 1 6 . . . �xc5 ! ? 1 7 . �xe5 'i'xeS 1 8 .f4 'lWd6 1 9 .f5 �xf5 2 0 . hf5 g6

Chapter 2 1 : Flexibility: 5 . <8bd7 6.h3 ..

2 1 . i.d3 f5 with compensation, Kornliakov) 1 7 .�xe5 'lixe5 I S .f4 'lixe3 1 9 .f5 �xc5 2 0 .fxg6 hxg 6 2 1 .tLle2 �d6 chances with good attacking (Sundararaj an-Wei Chenpeng, Moscow 2005 ) .

11.

. ..

'i'cs 1 9 .b5 �dS 2 0 .bxc 6 bxc 6 2 1 .tLlb3 �c7 00 Kobylkin-Vysochin , Kharkov 2 0 04 . 1 2.

�g5-h4

13.

e3xd4

ttJf6-h5

14.

�h4xe7

.l:!.e8xe7 ttJd7-f8

e5xd4

15.

.l'1f1 -e1

16.

�e2-f1

ttJh5-f4

1 7.

ttJc3-e2

ttJf4-g6

1 8.

ttJe2-g3

�c8-e6

1 9.

b2-b4

.l:!.a8-e8

20.

a 2-a4

�e6-d7

21 .

'li'c2-d2

l:te7xe1

22.

.l":ta1 xe1

.l:!.e8xe1 =

h7-h6

Releasing the tension in the centre with 11 ... e4?! is not favourable for Black be­ cause of: A) 1 2.�f4 'iVdB 1 3 .tiJe5 It may well be better not to exchange knights : 1 3 .tLld2 ttJfs 1 4.M h6 1 5 . a4 g5 1 6 .�2 ttJg6 1 7 .f3 exf3 1 s . tLlxf3 �e6 1 9 .�d3 tLlfS 2 0 .tLle5± Shumiakina-Molchanova, St Pe­ tersburg 2 0 0 3 . 1 3 ... /tJxe5 14.�xe5 �f5 15.b4 tiJd7 1 6.�h2 �g6 1 7.a4 f5 1 B.b5 �g5 19.bxc6 bxc6 20.a5 'iVf6 2UiVa4 tiJxc5 22.dxc5 'iVxc3 23.'iVxc6 �f7 24.�xa6 d4 25.exd4 (Navara- V. Georgiev, Plovdiv 2 0 0 3 ) . White has the advantage, even af­ ter the strongest reply 25 ... e3 26.fxe3 .be3+ 27.'�t h 1 �xd4 2B.k:ac1 'iVxa5 29.�c4;t; B) Also possible is 1 2./tJd2 tLlfS 1 3 .kf4 'i'dS 1 4. illi 2 i.e6 1 5 .M tLlg6 1 6 .a4 ltJd7 1 7 .tLl b3 (it seems that another plan is preferable : 1 7 .b5 ! ? �g5 I S . bxa6 bxa6 1 9 .gab 1 ;t Komliakov) 1 7 . . .f5 I S .tLla5

As a result of a series of exchanges, Black has weakened to the greatest possible ex­ tent his opponent's threats connected with the advance b4-b5 (Sundararajan­ Volkov, Dubai 2 0 0 5 ) . Conclusion

White's 6th move alternatives after 5 . . . tLlbd7 do not represent any real dan­ ger, since they do not fulfil White's prin­ cipal task, posed by his opponent's 5th move, namely the battle for control of e5 . We have already seen a number of times how important this square is in the 5 .c5 -variation.

I S9

Chapter 22 Flexibility: 5 . . . tLJbd7 6. �f4 1 .d2-d4 d 7-d5 2.c2-c4 c7-cS 3.tL'\g1 -f3 tLlgS-fS 4.tLl b 1 -c3 a 7-aS 5.c4-c5 tLib8-d7 S.�c1 -f4

We have already seen the bishop developed to this square. In this particular variation, White has already clarified the central pawn structure, and so it is easier for Black to work out a plan of counterplay. In most cases, this involves preparing the advance . e7-eS, and with this in mind, Black often drives the bishop from f4, by playing CiJf6-hS. .

.

...

•••

Now, 6 ... lUh5 is the main line, to which we will return further on but Black also has another, more patient plan. 6 ... g6 7.e3 �g7and now:

190

A) S.£.e2 0-0 It is also possible to ex­ change the enemy bishop without delay: 8 . . . tLlhS 9 . 0-0 CiJxf4 1 0 .exf4 0-0 1 1 .l':!.el ne8 1 2 .�d3 CiJf8 1 3 .�a4 f6 (prepara­ tion of the advance . . . e7 -eS is the main leitmotif for Black in this position) 1 4.g3 �g4 l S .CiJh4 �d7 1 6 .�b3 'ub8 1 7 .f5 ! ? gS 1 8 .CiJf3 e6 1 9 .fxe6 �xe6 2 0 .'i'c2 �g4 2 1 . Ihe8 �xe8 2 2 .'ue 1 'i'hS 2 3 .tLld2 'ue8= Black has solved his open­ ing problems and has a perfectly satisfac­ tory game (Nicoara-Zhukova, Batumi 1 9 99) . 9.h4 h5 1 0.lUe5 'il'a5 1 H !Yd2 1Llxe5 1 2.�xe5 lUeS 1 3.bg7 lUxg 7 1 4.0-0-0 b6 In

Chapter 2 2 : FleXibility: 5 . . . �bd7 6.£f4

timely fashion, Black opens a second front on the queenside. 1 S .cxbS J::i: b 8 1S .g4 hxg4 1 7.ndg1 :!'l:xbS 1 8.b3 A compli­ cated position with mutual chances re­ sults from 1 8 .�xg4 i1I.xg4 1 9 Jhg4 .l:!.fb8°o Komliakov. 18.. �fS 1 9.fLia4?? A terrible mistake, ending the game just when it was at its most interesting. 1 9 ...'liha4-+ Dolgopolova-Babei, Chisinau 2 0 0 7 ; B) 8.h3 Without this prophylactic move, White would constantly have to reckon with the move .. /L'l h S . 8... 0-0 The following game shows that Black should not hurry to force matters : 8 . . . tiJe4 9.tLJxe4 dxe4 1 0 .tiJd2 eS I I .dxeS gS 12 .i1I.g 3 tiJxcs 1 3 . 'ii'c2 tiJd3 + 1 4.i1I.xd3 exd3 I S . 'ii' cS i1I.e6 1 6 . tiJe4 'iV dS 1 7 .'ii'xdS i1I.xdS l 8 .tbd6+ rJ;;; e 7 1 9 .e4 ke6 2 0 .�d2 ± Agzamov-Itkis, Yerevan 1981.

A critical position, in which White has a wide choice of sensible developing moves. B 1) 9.�d3 The bishop is frequently misplaced on this square : it is exposed to the threat of the fork . . . eS -e4, and can be attacked by the enemy knight from eS or cS . Bl l ) In the following game, Black follows the tried and tru sted schem e: he

prepares the central advance . . . e7 -eS and after a series of exchanges, he equalises the game: 9...J::i:e 8 1 0.�h2 liJf8 1 1 .0-0 li'lSd7 1 2 .J::! e 1 eS 1 3.liJxeS tLlxeS 14.dxeS �xeS 1 S .l:tc1 �bh2+ 1 S .<;i;>xh2 'li'fS 1 7.'li'f3 'li'xf3 1 8.gxf3 <;1;>g7= Mikhalchishin-Burmakin, Nova Gorica 2005; B 1 2) 9 ... liJe8 1 0.0-0 liJc7 1 1 .e4?! Better is 1 1 .t2Ja4 J:[e8 1 2 .i1I.gS tiJbS 1 3 .'ii' d 2;;!;. 11 ...dxe4?! Black could solve all his prob­ lems with the aid of a small tactic: 1 1 . . .tiJ e 6 ! 1 2 .i1I.e3 tiJdxcS 1 3 . exdS cxdS 1 4.dxcS d4 l S . tiJxd4 i1I.xd4= Komliakov. 1 2.�xe4 fLifS 1 3.�c2 tLlcdS 1 4.�eS hS 1 S .�b3! Tsatsalashvili-Butuc , Urgup 2004. B2) 9.'li'c2 and now : B2 1 ) ReleaSing the blockade on the queens ide does not give Black full equal­ ity: 9 ... bS 1 0.cxbS 'iYxbS 1 1 .�d3 cS 1 2.0-0 cxd4 1 3.exd4 ��b7 14.liJa4 'li'a7 1 S.b4 :!'l:fc8 1 S.'li'b3 tZJe4 1 7.li'lcS tLJexcS 1 8.bxcS �cS 1 9.J::!. a b1 Also good is 1 9 . rue 1 ! ? tiJxcs 2 0 . dxcS i1I.xa l 2 1 . 11xa l 'i¥xcs 2 2 .11cl 'ii' a S 2 3 . tiJ e S ;;!; Komliakov. 19 ... eS 20.liJxeS liJxeS 21 .�xeS �xeS 22.dxeS 'iVxcs 23.J:Hc1 'Wd4 24.�c3 'li'f4 (draw, San Segundo-Malakhov, Sanxenxo tt 2 0 04) 2S.l:tb4!; B 2 2 ) 9 ...l:te8 1 0 .�e2 liJhS 1 1 .�h2 eS 1 2.dxeS liJxeS 1 3 .tLld4 liJfS 1 4.0-0 liJe4 1 S .li'lxe4 dxe4 1S .'li'xe4? Stronger is 1 6 .l:!.fd l ! ? 'ii' e 7 l 7 . l:!. ac l ;;!; . 1 S ...liJg4 1 7.VWd3 tLlxh2 l 7 . . . tiJxe3 ! 1 8 . fxe3 l:!.xe3 1 9 . tiJxc6 iVe8=t= Komliakov. 1 8.<;i;>xh2 'iYh4 1 8 . . . i1I.xd4 ! ? = Ko mliakov. 1 9J:rad 1 ! H. Hansen-Tozer, Copenha­ gen 2 0 0 0 ; B2 3 ) 9...tLle8 The best. 1 0.£e2 191

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 0 ... e51 1 1 .tLlxe5 tLlxe5 1 2 .dxe5 'fJe7 1 3 .0-0 '!Wxc5 14.'!Wd2 '!We7 15 .e4 dxe4 1 6 .tLlxe4 �xe5 1 7.�g5?! 1 7 JHe l ! ? �4 1 8 .'iYxf4 �e 6 + . 1 7... f6 1 8.�e3 tLld6 1 9.tLlxd6 �xd 6+ Khalifman-Bacrot, Mos cow 2005;

B 3 ) 9.11c1 tLle8 Again this modest re­ treat gains in strength compared with the more ambitious 9 . . . tLie4 1 0 . �e2 tLixc3 1 1 .11xc3 f6 1 2 .0-0 eS 1 3 .�h2 e4 1 4.tLid2 f5 1 5 .�d6 ge8 1 6 .b4± Evdokimov-Kon. Lakhno, Samara 2 0 04. 1 0.b4 tLlc7 11 .�e2 Me8 1 2.0-0 tLlb5 13.a4 tLlxc3 14.Mxc3 e5 1 5.dxe5 tLlxe5 1 6.tLld4 'il!Vf6 17.�g3 tLld7 18.�d6 tLlf8 1 9J�b3 tLle6 20.tLlf3 tLlg5 21 .tLlxg5 'il!Vxg5 22.�f4 'iYf6 23.b5 axb5 24.axb5 �f8 25.'ifc1 :a2 26.�d3 �f5 27..ihf5 '!Wxf5 28.'il!Vb1 'il!Vxb1 29.:fxb1 Erdos-Burmakin, Cappelle la Grande 2 0 0 7 ; B4) 9.g4

Of course, there are many ways to play chess, but this move is hard to under­ stand. Black is preparing a central blow, so why voluntarily weaken the flank? 9 ... tLle4 1 0.t2Jxe4 dxe4 1 1 .tLld2 e5 12.dxe5 tLlxc5 Superfluous exchanges just leave Black in an endgame with a frozen queensid e: 1 2 . . . tLixeS 1 3 . �xeS �xe5 1 4 . tLixe4 ( 1 4 .'ii' c 2 ! ?OO Komliakov) 1 4 . . . �xb2 ( 1 4 . . . �e 6 ! ? l S .'I/i'xd8 llaxd8 1 6 .tLic3 fS + Komliakov) I S .'iWxd8 11xd8 1 6 . gb l g e 8 1 7 . f3 �e S 1 8 .�c4;t Kahn-M. Ionescu, Budapest 2 0 0 0 . 1 3.tLlc4 �e6+ Both with queens on and with them off, Black has the better chances (Komliakov) ; BS) 9.b4 is a more sensible move than 9.g2-g4. BS 1) Rather slow is 9 ..Jle8 10.�e2 tLlh5 1 Ull. h2 e5 1 2.lt�xe5 tUxe5 13 .il.xh5 gxh5 Black also has an interesting piece sacri­ fice: 1 3 . . . tLic4 ! ? 1 4.�e2 tLixe3 1 5 .fxe3 ldxe3 Komliakov. 14.dxe5 'lifh4 1 5.'i'c14 'lifg5 16 .�f1 �xe5 1 7..l1l.xe5 �xe5 with equality, Galin-Idrisova, Ufa 2004; B S 2 ) But the standard counterplay with 9 ... tLle4!? seems stronger.

=

For example : 1 0.tUa4 1 0 .'iYc l ttJdxcS 1 1 . bxcS 'iY as also slightly favours Black. 1 0 ... a5 1 1 .b5 e5 1 2.�xe5 tUxe5 13.dxe5 'life7+ Komliakov. 1 92

Chapter 2 2 : Flexibility: S . .
B6) 9.11.e2 and now: B6 1) 9...J::l.e8 is another way to prepare ... e S : 1 0.0-0 tiJf8 1 1 .b4 ( 1 1 .'iYb 3 tLl6d7 1 2 .e4 GLle6 1 3 .ile3 dxe4 1 4.tLlxe4 GLlf6 1 5 .lLlc3 CiJc7 1 6 .�f4 CiJcdS 1 7 .�eS lla7 1 8 .�c4 �e 6 1 9 . tLl g S ;t Myc­ Malikgulyew, Zagan 1 9 9 7 . 11 ... tiJ6d7 12.'l!Vd2 e 5 1 3.tiJxe5 tiJxe5 14.11.xe5 £Lxe5 15.dxe5 a5 1 6.a3 WHe7 1 7.f4 :!:ld8 1 7 .. .f6 1 8 .e4± Komliakov. 1 8Jlad1 l S . .§i.d3 =t= 1 8 . axb4 1 9.axb4;l; Izeta-Burmakin, Cappelle la Grande 1 9 9 S ; B62) The queenside break i s less effec­ tive: 9... b6 1 0 .cxb6 'iYxb6 1 1 .�c2 cS 1 2 .0-0 cxd4 1 3 .exd4 �b 7 1 4.CiJa4 'iYa7 lS .b4 llacS 1 6 .'iYb3 .§i.c 6 1 7 .tLlcS .§i.bS 1 8 .�xbS a.'CbS 1 9 .a4 CiJxcs 2 0 .bxcS bxa4 2 Uha4;t Movsziszian-Foisor, Lorca 200 1 ; B63) White retains a small endgame advantage after 9 ... tiJe4 1 0 .0 - 0 eS l 1 .lLlxeS 4Jxc3 1 2 .bxc3 GLlxeS 13 . .§i.xeS .ixe5 1 4.dxeS tteS l S .�d4 'iYe7 1 6 .£4 f6 1 7 . exf6 'iYxe3 + I S . l::r fI 'iYxd4 1 9 .cxd4;t Bareev-Burmakin, Elista 1 9 9 5 ; B64) 9 ...tiJe8 I t was preciseIy this knight retreat on which Chebanenko set his hopes. Black slowly but surely prepares ... e7 -eS . And even though the resulting positions are slightly more pleasant for White, it is a perfectly playable line. . .

B 64 1 ) 1 0.0-0 tiJc7 1 1 .b4 l:le8 1 2.WHd2 e5 1 3.tiJxe5 tiJxe5 1 4.dxe5 11.xe5 15.11.xe5 J::t xe5 1 6.e4 a5 1 7.a3 axb4 1 7 . . . 'iYf6 !? de­ serves attention, for instance: 1 8 .f4 l:IeS 1 9 .eS 'iYh4 2 0 .CiJa4 axb4 2 1 .'iYxb4 �fS + P. Horvath-Burmakin, Balaguer 2 0 0 S . 1 8.axb4 l:lxa1 1 9.1ha1 'i!Vf6 20.exd5 White can force the exchange of queens, but with accurate defence , this plan is not dangerous for Black: 2 0 .11 d l dxe4 2 1 .�dS+ �xdS 2 2 . 11xdS+ lleS 2 3 .11xeS+ tLlxe8 24. 4Jxe4 ile6 2 s . f4 CiJc7 2 6 .tLlc3 c;t>g7 (in one game, I incau­ tiously exchanged knights , but the bishop endgame turned out to be highly unpleasant: 2 6 . . . CiJdS 2 7 .4JxdS ilxd5 2 s . c;t>fI f6 29 . .§i.g4 fs 3 0 .ile2 c;t>f7 3 1 .g3 c;t>e6 3 2 .c;t>e3 �g2 3 3 .ilc4+ .§i.dS 34.�f1 h6 3 S .h4 hS 3 6 .c;t>d4 �h 1 3 7 .b S ± Shirov-Bologan, Germany Bundesliga 1 9 9 2 / 9 3 ) 2 7 . c;t>fI h6 2 S .c;t>e3 fs 2 9 .h4 c;t>f6 3 0 . g 3 ilb3= Izeta-Magem Badal s, Zaragoza 1 9 94. 20 ..Jl:xd5 White has a small advantage af­ ter 2 0 . . . l::r xe 2 2 1 .'iYxe2 'iYxc3 2 2 . 11 d 1 cxdS 2 3 .'iYe7 'iY b 3 2 4 . .tHl tLle6 2 S .'iYeS+ c;t>g7 2 6 .'iYxcS 'iYxb4 2 7 . c 6 ;t . 2U!li'c1 l:td4 22.b5 '.t>g7= Gelfand-Shirov, Linares 1 9 94; B642) 1 0.b4 tiJc7 1 1 .0-0 :!:le8 1 2. .Iil.g5 a5 1 3.a3 b6

1 93

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 4.cxb6 This exchange eases Black's de­ fence. More unpleasant for him is 1 4 .'iiV c 2 ! ? bs l S . � d 3 ;t Komliakov. 1 4 . ..ltJxb6 1 S.�b3 �a6 1 6.iLxa6 l'ixa6 1 7/bd2 a4 Or 1 7 . . . axb4! ? 1 8 . axb4 fVa8 1 9 . Mxa6 'iYxa6= Komliakov. 1 B.�c2 �d7 1 9.1:ac1 �cB 20.�d3 �aaB 21 .�f4 ttJbS 22.ttJcb1 f6 23.ttJf3 0,c4 24.tbfd 2 ttJb6 2S.ttJf3= Hulak-Ibragimov, Dj akovo 1 9 94; B643) 1 0.�h2 ttJc7 1 1 .0-0 J"l:eB 1 2.ttJa4 Breaking in the centre does not really give White anything , since his opponent is excellently prepared: 1 2 . e4 dxe4 1 3 . 4Jxe4 4Jf6 1 4 .4Jc3 4JfdS l S .�eS �xeS (less accurate is 1 S ... �h6 1 6. �c4 �e6 1 7 .'l'!'b3 4J b S 1 8 .Mfe 1 �d7 1 9 .4Je4 Mad8 2 0 .a4 4Ja7 2 1 . 4JegS �fS 2 2 . �g3 f6 2 3 .4Je4 �h8 24.Mad 1 ;t Sher bakov -Shirov, Moscow 1 993) 1 6 . ttJxeS ttJf4 1 7 .Me 1 �e6 1 8 .iYd2 4Jxe2 + 1 9 . 1:!.xe2 f6 2 0 . tnf3 'l'!'d7 2 1 . 4Ja4 4JdS=. 1 2 ...e S There i s no point in delaying this central blow: 1 2 . . . f6 1 3 .'l'!'b3 �h8 1 4.4Jb6 ( 1 4. l:!.ad 1 does not prevent Black's plan : 1 4 . . . eS 1 S . dxeS fxeS 1 6 .e4 d4 1 7 .M c l ttJe6 1 8 .Mfd 1 Wie7 1 9 .Wic2 Mf8 2 0 .Mfl ttJf4 � Ahlander- Schandorff, Hillerod 1 9 9 S ) 1 4 . . . ttJxb 6 l s .Wixb 6 4Je 6 1 6 .Wib 3 ;t Komliakov. 1 3 .ttJb6 ttJxb6 1 4.cxb6 ttJe6 1S ..beS �xb6 1 6 .iLxg7 1 6 . Wi c2 ! ? Wi d8 1 7 .Mfe 1 �xeS 1 8 . ttJxeS . 1 6 ... ttJxg7 1 7.�d2 ttJfS 1 B.b4 Worthy of consider­ ation is 1 8 .4JeS ! ? f6 1 9 . 4Jd3 4Jd6 2 0 . 4JcS . 1 B ... ttJd6 1 9.�c3 iLfS 20.a4!? 2 0 . 4Jd2 (Elianov-Dovzik, Simferopol 2 0 0 3 ) 2 0 . . . 4JbS 2 1 . �xb S axb S + ) 20...ttJe4 21 .'ifb3 f 6 22.iLd3= In this typical Carlsbad structure, the chances of the two sides are roughly equal.

1 94

White will try to develop a minority at­ tack, whilst Black retains control over the central square e4 and gradually prepares a kingside attack.

Now we come to the main move. S.

...

ttJfS-h5

First the minor alternatives for White: A) 7.iLd2 Sometimes the bishop re­ treats, simply to gain time on the clock after 7 . . . 4Jhf6 8 . �f4. A I ) 7... g6 Black wishes to utilize his opponent's rather slow approach. A l l ) An equal game results from S.h3 �g 7 9.g4 4Jhf6 1 0 .�f4 hS , for e.xample: 1 1 .Mg 1 hxg4 1 2 .hxg4 b 6 1 3 .cxb6 'i'xb6 1 4 .'l'!'b3 'l'!'aS l S .'iYa4 'iYxa4=, chaw (Stohl-Bologan, Chalkidiki 1 992) ; A 1 2) B.e3 �g7 9 .�e2 ttJhf6 1 0 .0-0 0-0 1 1 .�d3 Me8 1 2 .4Ja4 eS 1 3 .dxe5 ttJxeS 1 4 . 4JxeS Mxe S 1 S .i.c3 J::t e8

Chapter 2 2 : Flexibility: S

1 6 .etJb6 kib8 1 7 .�d4 tDd7 . . . Chebanenko; A 1 3 ) 8.e4!? dxe4 9.tLlxe4

QQ

eS=

And now: A 1 3 1 ) 9...tLldfS 1 0.tLlxfS+ Black has good counterplay after 1 0 .tDc3 �g4 1 1 .�e3 tDg7 1 2 .�c4 �e6 1 3 .�e2 tDfs 1 4.�f4 <1:JdS 1 S .�eS f6 1 6.�g3 hS 1 7 .�d3 tDb4 1 8 .ihfS LfS 1 9 . 0 - 0 gS 2 0 .h4 g4 2 1 .etJe l = Sherbakov-Y. Ivanov, Elista 1 9 94. 10.Juxf6 Also possible is 1 0 ... exf6 1 1 .�c4 �e7+ 1 2 .�e3 �h6 (inferior is 1 2 . . . tDg7 1 3 . 0-0 �e6 1 4.Le6 tDxe6 I S .dS cxdS 16.iixdS VJfid7 1 7 ..l:!.ad l VJfixdS 1 8 ..l:!.xd5± C. Hansen-Hellsten, Malmo 1 9 9 6 ) 1 3 .'iVb3 0-0 1 4.0-0 he3 I S .fXe3 �g4 1 6.tDd2 Mad8 1 7 .VJfic3 llfe8 1 8.kife l tDg 7= Belov­ Volkov, Korinthos 2 0 04. 1 1 .�c4 �g7 White is better in the variation l 1 ...�dS 1 2 .'iVb3 ( 1 2 .h3 �g7 1 3 .0-0 O-O;!;) 1 2 . . . �g7 1 3 .0-0 h6 14 . .l:!.fe l 0-0 I S .tDe5 kia7 1 6 .�d3 VJfic7 1 7 .�c2 .l:!.a8 1 8 .VJfig3 �d7 1 9 .�e4 .l:i:ae8 2 0 . a4 �e6 2 1 .'iVh4 hS 22 .kia3 ;!; (S. Savchenko-Sergeev, Alushta 1 9 99) 22 . . . M6 23 .�g3 h4 24.�f3 h3 2S .�xdS ± . 1 2 .0-0 0-0 see lautier­ Malakhov, Poikovsky 20 04; A 1 3 2) 9._�g7 1 0.�c4 0-0 1 1.0-0 White achieved a small advantage after I I .tDegS t2:df6 1 2 .h3 tDdS 1 3 .'1lVb3 h6 1 4.tDe4 t2Jhf6 IS.t2:lg3 bS 1 6.cxb6 �xb6 1 7 .0-0 as

. A .

l b d 7 6.�4

1 8.kifc 1 VJfia7 1 9 .�f1 a4 20 .VJfia3 KnaakGermany Bundesliga Keitlinghaus, 1 9 95/96. 11 ...tLldfS l 1 . . .eS ? looks too dan­ gerous: 1 2 . tDd 6 exd4 1 3 . tDxf7 l:ixf7 1 4.�+ <;txf7 1 S .�b3+ �f8 1 6.tDgS--+.

1 2.tLlxfS+ Of course, the knight on hS is poorly placed, and White does not really want to help it get back into play How­ ever, this variation shows that after the exchange on f6 , White retains all the ad­ vantages of his position. The retreat to c3 is also possible, but in this case, Black's task is easier: 1 2 .tDc3 �g4 1 3 .�e3 tDdS (another possibility is the ' super-solid' 1 3 . . . e6 1 4 .h3 �xf3 1 5 .VJfixf3 t2Jd5 1 6 . kiad l tDhf6 1 7 .�gS VJfic7 1 8 ..l:He l ;!; Sakaev-Zhukova, St Petersburg 1 9 94) 1 4 .�xdS cxdS 1 S .h3 �xf3 1 6 .VJfixf3 e6 1 7 .b4 �h4 1 8 .kiad l f5 1 9 . .l:i:fe l gS 2 0 .g4;!; Sapis-Zhukova, Koszalin 1 9 9 8 . A 1 3 2 1 ) Now, after the straightforward 1 2 tLlxfS White's initiative grows of its own accord: 1 3.'!i'b3 tLldS 1 3 . . . 'iVc7 1 4 .kife l (also not bad is 1 4.tDeS tDdS I S .�xdS cxdS 1 6 .'iVxdS �e6 1 7 .'iVe4 �xeS 1 8 .iYxeS iYxeS 1 9 .dxeS kifd8 2 0 .�gS <M8 2 1 .kife l .l:!.dS 2 2 . kiac l ;!;) 1 4 . . . �fS I S .tDeS e6 1 6 .h3 �e4 1 7 .�f4;j; ; or 1 3 . . . �g4 1 4.tDeS iYxd4 1 S .�xf7 + (this simple recapture is stron­ ger than 1 S .�c3 �xcS 1 6. kife 1 lautier•.

19S

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Malakhov, POikovsky 2 0 04, and here after 1 6 . . . e6 1 7 .iLb4 �a7 1 8 .iLxf8 .l"i:xf8°o a double-edged position could arise) 1 5 . . . �h8 1 6.iLc3 �xc5 1 7 . .l"i: ae l ! t Black's position contains many weak­ nesses , and White's threats are very dan­ gerous. 1 4.J:tfe1 .!J:eB 1 5 .ltJe5 'fJ.a7 1 S.11ad 1 Peng Zhaoqin­ .lll. e S 1 7.'iYg3;!; Sheremetieva, Kishinev 1 9 95 ; A I 3 2 2 ) 1 2 ... .lll.xfS 13.'iVb3 'iVc7 Uncon­ vincing is 1 3 . . . iLg4 1 4. iLh6 tbg7 15 .0. e5 ± ; the d 4 pawn is poisoned: 1 3 . . . Ld4 1 4.Uad l (it is also possible simply to take the bishop : 1 4.tbxd4 �xd4 1 5 .�h6 tbg7 1 6 . .l"i:ad 1 �xc5 1 7 .iLxf7 + ! ±) 1 4 . . . �g4 1 5 .iLg5 ! LB O 1 6 .�xf3 �d7 ( 1 6 . . . 0.g7 1 7 . .l"i:fe l ±) 1 7 .�e4 e5 1 8 . 'iI'xe5 1 8 . . . �xe5 1 9 .Uxd 7 ± . 14JHe1 CiJg7 15.ghS! eS 1 5 . . . iLg4 1 6 .tbe5 iLxe5 1 7 . .l"i:xe 5 ± 1 S .lll. g5 �xg5 1 7.CiJxg5± Mikhalevski­ Sergeev, Kiev 1 9 9 5 . •

Back to the position after 7 . iLd2 .

A3) Because of the hanging position of the knight on h5 , the attempt to initiate complications by means of 7 ... e5?! does not have the desired effect : B.CiJxe5! iZlxe5 9.dxe5 Wile7 White is better after 9 . �xcS 1 0 . e4 g60 1 1 .exd5 cxd5 1 2 .iLe2±. .

.

A3 1 ) Now, the impatient 1 0.e4 allows Black to obtain fully adequate play: 1 0 ... 'i'xe5 1 1 . .lll. e 2 CiJfS 1 2.exd5 CiJxd5 Prac­ tice has also seen 1 2 . . . iLxc5 1 3 .0-0 0-0 (better is 1 3 . . . cxd5 ! ? 1 4 . U e l 0-0 1 5 . iLB 'iVd6 1 6 .iLg5 d4) 1 4 .dxc6 bxc6 1 5 .iLB Ub8 1 6 . .l"i: e l 'ijjr d 4 1 7 .�e3 'li'xdl 1 8 .0.xd l iLxe3 1 9 .Uxe3 ttJdS 2 0 .J::t: e 2 ;!;; Bologan-Morozevich, Tomsk 2 0 0 6 . 1 3.CiJxd5 iVxd5 14.0-0 �xc5 15�f3 'li'd Soo; A3 2) The q ueenside raid 1 0.CiJa4 may bring White material gains, but in com­ p ensation , Black obtains good counterplay: 1 0...'Ii'xe5 1 1 .�c3 '/lieS Or 1 1 . . . iVg5 1 2 .tbb6 lIb8 1 3 .'ii'd4 �e6 1 4 .iYe5 iYxe5 1 5 . iLxe 5 Lcs 1 6 . ..txb8 iLxb6 1 7 .e3 d4 with mutual cha nces 1 2.'lid4 �d7 1 3.e3 f5 14.�d3 �e7 1 5.1fVe5 0-0 1 S.g4 'li'xe5 1 7.�xe5 fxg4 1 B.CiJb6 .if5 1 9.�xf5 J::rxf5 20.CiJxaB 1::[xe5 21 .b4 IDf4 22.0-0 CiJd3 23.a3 �h5.,t Chiburdanidze­ Stefanova, Fiigen tt 2 0 0 6 ; A3 3 ) 1 0.e3 'li'xe5 1 1 .CiJa4 CiJfS 1 l . . . �e7 is losing: 1 2 . 0.b 6 l'1b8 1 3 .iLc3 �fS .

A2) On 7...Wfc7 the resolute 8.e4!? is unpleasant (White is promised less by 8 . g 3 g6 9.iLg2 iLg 7 1 0 . 0 -0 0-0 l 1 .iLg5 .l"i:e8 1 2 .�d2 f6 1 3 .iLh6;!;; Stohl-Vehcka, Prague 1 9 9 2 ) 8 . . . dxe4 9 . 0. g 5 ! 0.hf6 1 0 .iLc4 e6 l 1 .iLxe6 fxe 6 1 2 .tbxe6 'iVb8 1 3 .£H4 'iVa7 1 4.'iVb 3 ± ; 196

Chapter 2 2 : Flexibility: 5 . . <8hd7 6. �f4 .

1 4.tLlxc8 .&!.xc8 1 5 .�d3 'iVg5 1 6 .g4+- . 12.j[c3 '&g5 1 3.h4 'iVgS Or 1 3 . . . 'iVf5 14.�d3 'iVg4 1 5 .'iVxg4 �xg4 1 6 .f3 �e6 1 7 .h5 h6 1 8 .�xf6 gxf6 1 9 .94!. 1 4.h5 'i¥h6 15.tt:lbS ld.bS 1 U\Vd4 iLeS 1 7.'iVe5 lddS 18.j[d4 tbe4 1 9.b4;l; . A4) 7 tbhfS S.l:!.c1 White can also quickly organise the central break e2-e4, but this does not cause Black particular unpleasantness, for instance: 8 .'lWc2 g6 9 .e4 dxe4 1 0 . tDg5 h6 l 1 . tLl gxe4 <1'lxe4 1 2 .tDxe4 �g7 1 3 .�e3 tbf6 1 4 . <1'lxf6 + �xf6 1 5 .�c4 �xd4 1 6 . 0-0-0 �xe3 + 1 7 .fxe3 'iVc7 1 8 . .!"f.hfl e6°o Komliakov. •.

A4 1 ) S .. e5 This direct method does not solve the problems. 9.tbxe5 ttJxe5 1 0.dxe5 ti':'g4 1 1 .tba4 �eS 1 1 . ..<1'lxe5 1 2 .�c3 f6 13 .tLlb6 llb8 1 4 .<1'lxc8 llxc8 1 5 .g3 'iYd7 1 6 .M 'iVf7 1 7 .�h3 tDd7 1 8 .M lld8 1 9 .f4 �e7 2 0 .h5 g 6 2 1 .'iVb3 llg8 2 2 . e4 gxh5 2 3 . exd5 cxd5 H.�f2 M 2 5 .�xd7 + llxd7 2 6 J :txM± Topalov­ Bacrot, Sofia 2 0 0 6 . 1 2.j[c3 'iVg5 1 3 .h4 Worthy of consideration is 1 3 .e3 �e7 14.�d4 f6 1 5 .'iVM. 13 ... 'iVf4 14.�d4 �e7 15.tLlbS lddS 1 S.g3 'iVf5 1 7.�h3 'iVh5 1 8.'GYd2 0-0 1 9.'iVc3;l; Komliakov ; A42) S ... 'iVc7 A poor square for the queen - now White gains an extra tempo

for development. 9.g3 g6 1 0 .�f4 'iWd8 1 1 .�g2 <1'lh5 1 2 .�g5 �g7 1 3 .0-0 0-0 1 4.e4 dxe4 1 5 .tDxe4 <1'ldf6 1 6 .tDc3 h6 1 7 .�d2 �e6 1 8 .I:le l <1'ld5 1 9. 11xe6 fxe6 2 0 .'iVe2 'iYe8 2 1 .'iVxe6 + 'iVf7 2 2 .'iYe2 <1'lxc3 2 3 .Lc3 Rad8 H.lle l �f6 2 5 .M 'ii' x a2 2 6 .'iYe3 �h7 2 7 .g4 <1'lg7 2 8 .�d2 h5 2 9 . gxh5 gxh5 3 0 .�fl �g8 3 1 .�d3 �f7 3 2 . <1'l g 5 + � e 8 3 3 .<1'lh7 'iVf7 3 4 .'iVg3 ± Vitiugov-V Popov, St Peters­ burg 2 0 0 6 ; A43 ) S...g S 9.h3 Prophylaxis: White in­ tends to bring his bishop to f4 and in ad­ vance, he prepares a retreat on h2 for it. 9...'lWc7 Now in order to get his bishop to f4, White must weaken his kingside fur­ ther. If Black naively just continues devel­ oping, he can qUickly find himself in a very unpleasant situation: 9 . . . �g7 1 0 .�f4 0-0 l 1 .e3 <1'le4 1 2 .�e2 tDxc3 1 3 .bxc3 b6 1 4 .cxb 6 'ii'xb6 1 5 . 0-0 c5 1 6 .'ii'a4 h6 1 7 . llb l 'ii' e 6 1 8 .<1'ld2 cxd4 1 9 .cxd4 <1'lf6 2 0 .'iVa5 �d7 2 1 JIb6± A. Graf-Kuraszkiewicz , Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 3 / 04. 1 0.g3

.

The appearance of the bishop on f4 is not a matter of life and death, and Black should not devote all his resources to the battle against this bisho p: A43 1 ) 10 ...tbh5 1 1 .�g 2 �g7 1 2 .0-0 0-0 1 3 . e4 (White i s promised little by 1 97

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

1 3 .ttJa4 eS 1 4.dxe5 ttJxe5 1 5 .ttJxe5 �xe5 1 6 .�h6 ttJg7) 1 3 . . . dxe4 1 4.ttJxe4 ttJdf6 I S .tLlc3 �e6 1 6 .ttJg5 �c4 1 7 .g e 1 e 6 l S .ttJa4 �d5 1 9 .ttJb6 .!:labS 2 0 .�a5 �xg2 2 1 .Wxg2 Wie7 2 2 .ttJc4i . The knight on h5 remains out of play, whilst the white lmight already has its eyes on d6; A43 2) 1 0 ...e5 In principle, this i s play­ able, but the move is too committal. 1 1.1t:lxe5 Maybe even stronger is 1 1 .dxe5 ttJxe5 1 2 . ttJxe5 �xe5 1 3 .�f4 �f5 1 4.'iYd4 �g7 I S .�d6± Xu Jun-Zhou Weiqi, Suzhou 2 0 0 6 . 11 ...It:lxe5 12 ..�f4 tLlfd7

1 3.e4 Black has no problems after 1 3 . dxe5 ttJxe5 1 4 .e4 �xc5 I S .exd5 Vi' e 7. 13 ... g5 Worse is 1 3 . . . dxe4 1 4. ttJxe4 'iYa5 + 1 5 .�d2 �xa2 1 6 . dxe 5 ± . 1 4.�xg5 tLlg6 1 5.exd5 �g7 (Vallejo Pons-Topalov, Monaco rapid 2 0 0 6 ) 1 6.�g2 0-0 1 7.0-0;!;; A43 3 ) 1 0... �g7 1 1 .�g 2 This move is more cunning than 1 1 . �f4 , for exam­ ple: 1 1 . . .�dS 1 2 . � g 2 ttJh5 1 3 .�g5 (Black has suffkient counterplay after 1 3 .�d2 e5 1 4 . dxe5 ttJxe5 I S . ttJxe5 �xe5 1 6 . e4 d4 1 7 . ttJe 2 �e 6 ! ? I S . 0 - 0 d 3 1 9 . 1nc3 0 - 0 2 0 .�e3 � d 7 2 1 .Wh2 MadS 2 2 . f4 �c7 2 3 .Vi'd2 f5 24.e5 Vi'fl 2 5 .b4 g 5 ! � ) 1 3 . . . h6 (also possible i s

1 9S

1 3 . . . 0 - 0 1 4 . g 4 ttJ hf6 1 5 . 0 - 0 h 5 1 6 . gxh5 tLlxh5 1 7 .'ijlb3 .!:l e S l S .e4 dxe4 1 9 . ttJxe4 'VIc7 2 0 Jlfe i tLldf6 2 1 . ttJxf6 + ttJxf6 2 2 . ttJ h4 tLld5 2 3 .�xd5 cxd5 2 4 .�xd5 '/i'c6 2 5 . 'ii'x c6 bxc6=) 1 4 .�d2 0 - 0 IS .e4 dxe4 1 6 . ttJxe4 tLl hf6 1 7 . ttJ c3 1!.e8 I S . 0 -0 e 5 (as the following theoreti­ cally important game shows, less good is I S . . . tLlfS 1 9 . �b3 ttJe6 2 0 .�e3 tjj c 7 2 1 . ttJe5 ttJfd 5 2 2 . ttJxd5 tjj x d5 23 .j>.d 2 �xe 5 24.dxe5 h 5 2 5 . .!:l fe 1 i Topalov­ Kamsky, Sofia 2 0 0 6 ) 1 9 . dxe5 tjj x e5 2 1 . ttJ a 4 �xh3 2 0 . ttJxe5 '=:xe5 2 2 . �xh3 '=:d5 2 3 .'=:c2 ttJe4 24. tjj b 6 ttJxd2 2 5 . ttJxd5 ttJxfl 2 6 . �xfl 'iWxd5 2 7 .'ijlxd5 cxd 5 = WOj taszek- Laznicka, Pamplona 2 0 0 6 . 11 ... 0-0 1 2 .�f4 'MVd8 1 3.0-0 tLlh5 1 4.�d2 f5 1 5 .tLla4 If one gets too wrapped up in one 's own plans, and forgets about the opponent's ideas, then one can easily fall into an unpleasant position: I S .b4 e5 1 6 .dxe5 tLlxe5 1 7 . ttJa4 ttJc4 l S . �c 3 �xc3 1 9 . tjj x c3 f4 2 0 . g 4 ttJ g 7 2 1 .'ijld3 1!.e8 22 . .l::!. c e 1 ttJe6 2 3 . ttJb 1 a 5 + Volke­ Movses ian, Germany Bundesliga 2 0 0 6 / 0 7 . 1 5 ...e5 1 6 .dxe5 tLlxe5

A43 3 1 ) There is no danger for Black in 1 7.�c3 ttJxf3 + I S .�xf3 �xc3 1 9 . .!:lxc3 ttJg7 2 0 .ttJb6 ( 2 0 . e 3 �e6 2 1 .14 'JiIf6

Chapter 22: Flexibility: S . . .
draw, Postny-Movsesian, France tt 2 0 0 7 ) 20 . . . Mb8 2 l .e3 i.e6 22 .M gS 2 3 .i.g2 f4 H. exf4 gxf4 2 S .Me 1 Wic7 2 6 .'i'd4 libe 8 = Arutinian-Laznicka, Dresden 2 00 7 ; A43 3 2 ) In case 0 f 1 7.e3 Black can also solve his problems: 1 7 .. . tOxf3 + 1 8 .i.xf3 liJf6 1 9 .i.c3 '&'e7 2 0 .i.g2 i.e6 2 1 .i.eS liJe4 2 2 .'i'd4 i.xeS 2 3 .'iVxeS Mae8 H.M h6 2 s .M gS 2 6 .hxgS hxg S 2 7 .f3 liJf6°o Li Shilong- V Popov; Moscow 2 0 0 7 . Maybe Black should try for more: 27 .. . CLld2 ! ? 2 8 .MfI CLlc4 2 9 .l/i'd4 f4+ Komliakov ; A43 3 3 ) 1 7.tiJb6 HbB 1B.iLc3 tiJf7 A line worth considering is 1 8 . . . CLlxf3 + 1 9 .i.xf3 i.ic3 2 0 . bxc3 tOg7 2 1 .'iWd4 f4 ! ? 1 9.e3 iLe6 20.b4 Black obtained good counter-chances after 2 0 . CLl d4 'flUe8 2 1 . M CLl g S 2 2 .a4 <2le4 2 3 .i.a 1 Mf7 2 4 J:t e 1 i.f8 2 S .li:lb3 h6 2 6 .i.eS Md8 2 7 .i.d4 <2l hf6 2 8 . <2la S i.g7 2 9 . M e2 g S 3 0 . �e 1 <2lhS oo Jobava-­ Kamsky, Turin 2 0 0 6 . 20...\\VeB 21 .a4 tiJf6 Black is certainly not obliged to avoid the exchange of bishop s , for instance: 2 1 . . . i.xc3 ! ? 2 2 . Mxc3 CLlf6 2 3 .�d4 li:le4 H. MC2 'iYe7 2 S . M d 1 Mbd8 2 6 . l2J e 1 i.d7 2 7 . CLl d 3 Mfe 8 00 Komliakov. 22.\\Ve2 g5 23.\\Vb2 'ife7 24.b5 g4 25.tiJd4 gxh3 2 6 .iLxh3 tiJg5 27.iLg2 iLd7 (Gagunash vili -N akam ura, Turin 2 0 0 6 ) 2B.tiJxd7 'i'xd7 29J:tb1 J:1.bcB 30.bxc6 bxc6 31 . 'li'b7 tiJge4 32.\\Vxd7 tiJxd7 33.iLb4::t . Back to the position after 6 . . ,tDh S . B) 7.iLg5 White agrees t o retreat the bishop only after provoking the oppo­ nent into a slight weakening of the kingside.

7... h6 B.iLd2 B 1 ) Black is close to equality after B... g6 9 . e4 dxe4 1 0.li:lxe4 �g7 1 1 .i.c4 <2lhf6 1 2 .<2lc3 0-0 1 3 .0-0 b 6 1 4.M as l S . a3 i.a6 1 6 .�e2 i.xc4 1 7 .�xc4 �c7 Bocharov-Burmakin, Togliatti 2 0 0 3 ; B 2 ) B..:/ic7 9.e4 dxe4 1 0.tiJxe4 tiJdf6 1 1 .tiJc3 1 1 .li:lxf6 + ! ? <2lxf6 1 2 .i.c4 i.fS 1 3 . 0 - 0 e 6 = . 1 1 ...iLe6 The knight cannot return to the centre: 1 1 . . . <2lf4?! because of 1 2 .i.xf4 �xf4 1 3 .i.c4t , and on 1 3 . . . i.g4 there follows the double attack 1 4 .�b3 ! 0-0-0 l S .CLle2 �c7 1 6 .i.xf7 i.xf3 1 7 .i.e6+ �b8 1 8 .l/i'xf3 ± . 1 2.tiJe5 MdB 1 3.iLe3 g6

14.'!i¥f3 A sharper method of developing the opening initiative is also interesting : 1 4. g4 ! ? �xeS (White retains a small but stable advantage after 1 4 . . . <2l g 7 l S .Mg l hS 1 6 .h3 <2ld7 1 7 .<2lxd7 i.xd7 1 8 .�f3t) l S .dxeS Mxd 1 + 1 6 .Ihd 1

1 99

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

tLlxg4 1 7 . &ld4 tLlxe3 1 8 , fxe3 �g7 1 9 . .llb4 �c8 2 0 e 6 ;;!; . 14 ...ltJg71? 14 . . . tLld5 1 5 .�c4 tLlhf6 1 6 . 0-0 �g7 1 7 .&lac l ? ! (better is 1 7 .�d2 0-0 1 8 . .!:Ife 1 i , retain­ ing a definite initiati ve) 1 7 . . . 0 - 0 Gelfand-Magem Badals, Pamplona 1 9 9 9 . 15 .�c4 Black is fine after both 1 5 .g4?! h5 1 6 .g5 tLlg4+, and 1 5 . 0-0-0 t2Jf5 1 6 .g4 tLlxe3 1 7 .fxe3 �g7 . 15 ....bc4 1 6 .ttJxc4 ttJe6 1 7.0-0 �g7 1 8..!"Ifd 1 0-0 1 9.Uac1 ttJd5 20.ttJxd5 l:!:xd5+ Sasikiran-Kasparov, Bled 2002; B 3 ) 8...ttJhf6 and now: B3 1 ) 9.�f4 g5 Black can continue chas­ ing the enemy bishop: 9 . . . tLlh5 , for ex­ ample : 1 O .�e5 tLlxe5 l l .tLlxe5 tLlf6 1 2 .e4 �e6 1 3 .exd5 �xd5 1 4.tLlxd5 tLlxd5 1 5 .�d3 e6 1 6 .'iVh5 �f6 1 7 ,0-0 g6 1 8 ,'i'd l ,i,g7 1 9 ,'i'b3 'i'e7 2 0 .&lae l 0-0 2 l .f4 'i'c7 2 H�;> h l &lad8 2 3 , �c4 cJ;;>h 7 24,�c2 tLle7 2 5 , .!:I d l draw, Timman-De La Riva Aguado, Pamplona 2 0 0 5 . 1 0.�g3 .

=

1 0 ... �g7 The knight jump can also b e played a t once: 1 0 , . . tLlh5 l l .e3 tLlxg3 1 2 .hxg3 �g 7 , 1 1 .e3 ttJh5 This move can­ not be put off any further, otherwise Black risks falling into a positional press, for instance : 1 l . .. 0 - 0 1 2 ,b4 tLle4 1 3 , tLlxe4 dxe4 1 4 ,tLld2 e5 1 5 .dxe5 tLlxe5 1 6 .tLlxe4 tLld3 + 1 7 ,Shd3 �xa 1

200

1 8 .'ih a l 'iYxd3 1 9 .tLlf6 + �h8 2 0 .h4 g4 2 l .�d6 �e6 2 2 , tLlxg4+ f6 23 ,tiJxf6 .!:If? 2 4.tLlg4+ �h7 2 5 .t2Je5 'iYc2 2 6 .0-0 .l::1: g 7 2 7 . 'i'b l 'llixb l 28 . .l::1: xb l .ixa2 2 9 , .l::t b 2 �d5 3 0 , f3 h5 3 l . e4 ± Rozentalis-Tasdan, Berlin (simul) 1 9 99. 1 2.�e5 The bishop must move away; if 1 2 , �d3 tLlxg3 1 3 .hxg 3 e5 1 4.�c2 Ve7 Black is fine , for example : 1 5 . M as 1 6 ,b5 exd4 1 7 ,tLlxd4 tLlxc5 1 8 . 0 - 0 .id7 1 9 . .t!.c l 0 - 0 2 0 .ilLb l f5 =i= Lo ginov­ Volkov, St Petersburg 1 9 9 8 , True, White retains a definite initiative after 1 2 ,.ie2 tLlxg3 1 3 .hxg 3 b6 1 4 .cxb6 e6 1 5 .'lWcH, 12 ... f6 1 3,ttJd2 The nice trick 1 3 .tiJh4 is not dangerous for Black : 1 3 . . . 0-0 1 4 . tLl g 6 (better is 14 .ilLc7 1lVxc7 1 5 .tLlg6 .t!.f7 1 6 .'iVxh5 e5°o Komliakov) 1 4 . . ,fxe5 1 5 , tLlxf8 'i'xf8 1 6 ,iYxh5 exd4 1 7 ,exd4 ilLxd4 1 8 ,'i' g 6 + 'i!lg7 1 9 .'iYxg7 + �xg 7+ Ogloblin-Iskusnikh, Moscow 2 0 0 6 . 1 3 ... 0-0 14.�g3 tLlxg3 1 5.hxg3 e5 1 6.ttJb3 exd4 1 7.exd4 f5 1 8,�e2 f4 1 9.'iUd3 fxg3 20.'/Wxg3 'i'f6 21 .0-0 'iUf4 22.'i'xf4 nxf4 23J:tad 1 In this endgame, Black's chances are not worse (Avrukh-Volkov, Internet 2 0 0 4) ; B 3 2 ) The alternative plan for White. as we already know, consists of preparing the advance e2-e4: 9.'iUc2 fic7 1 0.e4 dxe4 11 .ttJxe4 ttJxe4 1 2.'iUxe4 ttJf6 1 3.'iic 2 .ie6 1 4,�d3

Chapter 22: Flexibility: S .
14.Jbd7 It is important to take the eS-square under controL After the more direct I 4 . . . ildS l S .tLJeS e6 1 6 . 0 - 0 ile7 1 7 . .l:tae 1 ttJd7 I 8 . .lilS4 tUxeS 1 9 .ilxeS White obtains a stable advantage (Ionov­ Potkin , Sochi tt 2 0 0 4) . 1 5 .0-0 iLd5 16 .IHe1 e6 1 7.tue5 tUxeS 1 S.dxe5 il.e7 1 9.hIac1 0-0 20.'MUa4 f5 21 .exf6 il.xf6 22.'iWg4 �e5o:t Topalov-Kasparov, Linares 2 004.

23.'iWc2 lDe7 24.lDxh5 gxh5 25.ll:he1 IDd5 26.�b1 J:rfbS 27.b3 c5o:t Riazantsev­ A. Kogan, Internet 2 0 04.

Now for the main move after 6 ... tUhS . 7.

e2-e3!

A move which fulfils several functions: White continues his development, and in the event of an exchange on f4, he strengthens his control over the crucial square eS .

Back to the position after 6 . . . tUhS . C) 7.il.e3 Here the bishop is not terribly well-placed. It defends the d4 pawn, and indirecdy (after . . . e7 -eS) its neighbour on cS , but now White no longer has the dangerous plan e2 -e4.

7...g6 S.g4 tUhf6 9.g5 Black did not have particular problems after 9 . h3 ilg 7 I O .ilg2 0-0 1 1 . 0-0 hS 1 2 . g S tUh7 I 3 .h4 f6 1 4 .�d2 e S l S .gxf6 �xf6 I 6 . .l:tad 1 �e7 1 7 .M exd4 I 8 .ilxd4 �xd4 1 9 .�xd4 tLJdf6 = Sakaev­ Malakhov, Sochi tt 2 0 04. 9 ...lDh5 1 0.il.h3 IDb6 1 1 .�g2 tUd7 1 2 .�h3 IDb6 13 .�xcS IDxcS 14.'MUb3 'iWc7 1 5 .�d2 White has to lose a tempo, since otherwise he does not have a sensible plan . 1 5 ... �g7 1 6.e4 dxe4 1 7.tbxe4 0-0 1 S.0-0-0 hIbS 1 9 .tUe5 b6 20.'iWc3 e6 21.lDg3 bxc5 22.'iWxc5 J:!.b5

Besides the main move 7... g6, which we will consider further on, other continua­ tions involve refraining from the imme­ diate advance in favour of fianchettoing the bishop to g 7 , and the further preparation of . . . e 7 -eS : A) 7 ... 4:lxf4 S.exf4 and now: A I ) S ...'iWc71? 9.'iWd2 9 . g 3 g6 1 0.M is considered via 7 . . . g6 9 ... g6 1 0.il.d3 �g7 I O . . . ilh6 1 1 .g3 f6 1 2 .'lWe2 b6 I 3 .cxb6 tUxb6 1 4.fS gxfS I S .tUM 0 - 0 1 6 .tUxfS ilxfS I 7 .ilxfS e5 1 8 . 0 - 0 �h8 1 9 .!:tad i �g 7 � (Sasikiran-Bareev, Moscow 2 0 0 2 ) 1 1 .0-0 e6 1 1 . . . 0 - 0 1 2.fS ! ? 1 2.h4 0-0 1 3 .h5? Better is 1 3 JHe 1 , and if I 3 . . . f6 ? (correct is 1 3 . . . b6oo ) , then 1 4.�e3 l:i.e8 1 S .hS±. 1 3 ... �h6 14.g3 e5 1 5.tUxe5 IDxe5 1 6 .dxe5 '1iVxe5 17.hxg6 hxg6 1 S.fxe5 �xd 2'f Moskalenko­ Rogozenko, Nikolaev 1 9 9 3 ; .

201

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

A2) 8 ... g6 Although a frequent guest in tournament practice, this move does not suffice for equality.

Gyimesi-Tukmakov, Pula 2 0 0 1 . 1 1 ..J;te8 1 2JHe1 'ViIc7 1 3.g3 /tJf8 14.'It>g2 1 4 . .l!l.fl �g4 I S .<1:l e 5 �e6 1 6 .h3 f6 1 7 .tt:lf3 .l!l.f7 1 8 .14 .l:!.ad8 1 9 . .Ylh3 e6 20 . ttJe2 eS 2 1 .fxeS fxeS U . <1:lxeS .YlxeS 23 .dxeS .l:txeS 24.ttJd4 .l:tde 8 = Fressinet-De La Riva Aguado, Pamplona 2 0 0 5 . 14.. .fS 1 S.h3 'i¥d7 I S . . . �e6 1 6 .'iVc2 iVd7 1 7 . .l:rh 1 . 1 6.:a:h1 'i¥c7 1 7..ll a eH. A3) 8... b6 an d now : A3 1 ) 9.b4!? An important position, which Black has many possibilities.

9..l1l.d3 For 9 .h4 see Gelfand-Bacrot, Cap d' Agde 2 0 0 3 . A2 1 ) 9 ...'i¥c7!? 1 0 . g3 .Ylg7 1 1 . 0-0 0-0 1 2 J:t e l b6 1 3 .cxb6 tLlxb 6 1 4.tt:!eS cS I s Jk l c4 1 6 . .Ylfl 'iVd6 1 7 . .Ylg2 .l:rb8 = Pinter-Dautov, Bischwiller 2 0 0 3 ; Al l) 9 ....l1l.h6 1 0 .g3 tb f8 l 1 .h3 tLle6 1 2 .tt:!a4 'iVaS + 1 3 .�fl nb8 1 4.a3 'iVc7 I S .tt:!b6 0-0 1 6 .'iVd2;:!:; Piket-Prie , France tt 2 0 0 1 ; A 2 3 ) 9 ... b6 1 0 .cxb6 'iYxb6 1 1 .'iYd2 .Ylg7 1 2 .tba4 'iVa 7 (Malakhov­ Stefansson, Selfoss 2 0 0 3 ) 1 3 . .l:tc 1 ! ? .Ylxd4 1 4 . .l:txc6 .Yl g 7 1 5 . 0 - 0 .Yl b 7 1 6 . .l:t c 7 M c 8 1 7 . .l:tfc l 'li' b 8 1 8 . .l:txc8 + .Ylxc 8 1 9 .'Ii'b4;:!:; ; A24) 9 ...�g7 1 0.0-0 1 0 .tLleS 1Jfic7 1 1 .14 f6 1 2 .tL'lxd7 �xd7 1 3 .£5 'li'f4 1 4.fxg6 'iYxd4 I S . gxh7 'iVxcs 1 6 .�g6+ �d8 1 7 .'Ii'd2 fS oo Tregubov-V Ivanov, Elista 1 9 94. 1 0... 0-0 1 0 . . . b6 l 1 .cxb6 tbxb6 1 2 .tLla4;:!:; - Dreev. 1 1 .'/:Wd2 White gets nothing from 1 1 .b4 b6 1 2.'iV c 2 as 1 3 .a3 'iVc7 1 4 .g3 e6= Van Wely-Khalifman, New York 1 9 94; but not bad for him is 1 1 . .l:t c l 'iVc7 1 2 .g3 tLlf6 1 3 .'iVc2 .Ylh3 1 4 . .l:tfe 1 e6 I S . .l:te3 .YlfS 1 6 .�g2 .Ylxd3 1 7 .'ihd3 ttJd7

202

1 8 . .l:I:e2

.l:I:ae8

1 9 .b4;:!:;

in

A3 1 1 ) 9 ...aS 1 0.bS 1 0 .a3 g6 1 1 .�d3 �g7 1 2 .tt:!eS tLlxeS 1 3 .fxeS f6 1 4.f4 fxeS I S .fxeS 0-0+ Maric-Zhu Chen, Shanghai 2 0 0 1 . 1 O . .l1l.b 7 1 1 ./tJeS /tJxeS 1 2.fxeS bxc5 1 3.dxcS e6 14.1/i'd4 f6 White is better after 1 4 . . . .l:tc8 1 S .b6±. 1 S.bxc6 iLxc6 1 6J:tb1 fxeS 1 7.'iWxeS .l1l.xcS 1 8 ..l1l.bS .l1l.xbS 1 9./tJxb5 0-0 20. 'i¥xe6+ �h8+ Komliakov; A3 1 2 ) 9 ... bxcS 1 0 .bxcS 'iVaS I I .'l!d2 g6 1 2 . .Yld3 �h6 1 3 . 0-0 'fIc7 1 4.g3 0-0 I s ..l'He l e6 1 6 . .l:!.ab l f6 1 7 .'Ii'c2;l:; Piket­ Fontaine, France tt 2 0 0 1 ; A3 1 3) 9...e6 1 0 . .Yld3 .Yle7 1 1 .14 as 1 2 .a3 .Yla6 1 3 . .Ylxa6 .l:!.xa6 1 4.bS .l:ta8 I S .bxc6 tL'lb8 1 6 .fS 0-0 1 7 .fxe6 ;:!:; Van Wely-Levitt, London 1 9 9 2 ; A3 1 4) 9. .:iVc7 1 0.g3 g 6 1 U l:c1 fig7 12 .�e2 0-0 1 3.0-0 Useless is 1 3 .h4 because ..

Chapter 2 2 : FleXibility: 5 . Cilbd7 6.JM14 .

of 1 3 . . . a5 1 4.a3 axb4 I S .axb4 l:la3 1 6 .0-0 bxc5 1 7 .bxc5 <1Jf6+ Komliakov. 13 ... a5 1 4.cxb6 1 4. b5 bxcS 1 5 .dxcS tLlxc5 1 6 .tLlxdS cxd5 1 7 . 'tJfxdS �e6 I S . 'tJfxc5 'i'xc5 1 9 . 1:lxc5 �xa2 2 0 .<1Je5 (1 . Sokolov-Bacrot, Wijk aan Zee 2 0 0 6) 20...a4 21 .b6 a3 22.i1H3 Ha6 23.lbd7 �d4=. 14...ltJxb6 1 5.b5 �h3 1 6.11e1 llfcS 1 7.ltJa4 �d7 1 S.bxc6 ItJxa4 1 9.�b5 �g4 20.�xa4 l'l.abS� Sakaev-Yakovenko , Moscow 2004. The passed pawn on c6 is strong, of course, but White's kingside is weakened and the d4 pawn is in need of defence; A3 1 5) 9...g6 1 0.�d 3 Black is fine after 1 0 .'tJfc2 .th6 l l . g3 0-0 1 2 . ii.d3 as l 3 .b5 .tb 7 1 4.bxc6 ii.xc6°o Komliakov. 10 ...'li'c7 1 1 .g3 �g7 1 2.l:tc1 a5 1 3.a3

13 ...axb4 1 4.axb4 bxc5 1 5.bxc5 0-0 I S . . . l:la3 1 6 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 7 . tLlb I ll a 7 I S .l:lel l:l e S 1 9 .14 <1JfS oo Van Wely­ Piket, Monaco (rapid) 2 0 0 1 . 16.0-0 J:(eS 17.lle1 ItJfS 1 S.'iYd2 f6 1 9.�f1 �g4 20.�g2 J:!.adS 21 .h4 �xf3 22.�xf3 e5'i= Babiy-Naer, Sochi 2 0 0 4.

A3 2) 9.cxb6 'iYxb6 Another reliable line is 9 . . . e6 1 0 .'tJfd2 ( 1 0 .�d3 �xb 6 1 1 .0-0 'ifxb2 ( 1 1 . . .c5 1 2 .l:le I �e 7 I 3 .f5 0-0 ( 1 3 ... cxd4 1 4.tLlxd4) 1 4.fxe6 fxe6 I S ."ii!Vc2 <1Jf6 1 6 .<1Ja4+- Ernst-Ramirez Alvarez, Wijk aan Zee B 2 0 0 5 ) 1 2 .<1Ja4

.

�a3 1 3 .f5 exfS 1 4.�c2 �d6 I S . .txfS .te7 1 6 .l:lfe l ;;!;) 1 0 . . . ihb 6 1 L� d3 ( 1 1 .l::l c l �d6 1 2 .�d3 c5= Komliakov) I 1 . . .l::l b S 1 2 .l::l b 1 c5 1 3 .dxc5 tLlxcs 1 4. 0 - 0 .td6 1 5 .f5 �e7 1 6 .l::lfe l �d6= Kazhgaleev-Kobalia, Internet 2 0 04. ..

White can sacrifice the b2 pawn - he ob­ tains a sufficient initiative not only to re­ store material equality, but also to obtain a positional advantage : A32 1 ) 1 0.�d3 'i!¥xb2 Or 1 0 ... g6 1 1 .0-0 ( 1 1 .'tJfd2 �g7 1 2 .<1Ja4 'tJfa7 1 3 . jLc2 0-0 1 4.'tJfe3 c5 1 5 .dxc5 ii.b7 1 6 .0-0 d4 1 7 .'iVxe7 Lf3 I S .gill .!''!Je S 1 9 .'iVd6 (Malakhov-Stefansson, Selfoss 2 0 0 3 ) 1 9 . . JhcS ! ?�) 1 1 . . .ii.g7 1 2 .llcl 'iYxb2 1 3 .<1Ja4 �b7 1 4.l:le l �c7 1 5 .'iVc2 �b7 1 6 .f5 .tf6 1 7 .M <MS I S .'ifd2 �g7 1 9 .94 e5 2 0 .fxe6 fxe6 2 1 .g5 .tdS 2 2 . l:lxe6 l:lfS 2 3 .�g2 �f4 (2 3 . . . J:.xf3 24. �f3 WVh2 2 5 .'ii' e 3 'ii'xM 2 6 . l:lg 1 ±) 24.'ifxf4 l:lxf4 2 5 . l::l b I ;;!; Gyimesi-Lalic, Medulin 2 0 0 2 . 1 1 .l:!.c1 g61? 1 2.0-0 �h6 13 .WHa4 More ener­ getic than 1 3 .g 3 �a3 1 4.<1Ja4 �d6 I S .�c2 .tb7 1 6.l:lb l with compensation, for example: A3 2 I I ) The queen sacrifice leads to very interesting play: 1 3 _'iYb6 14.11c2 ItbS 1 5.ltJe5 1 5 .g 3 I ?;;!; Komliakov. 15 ...ltJxe5 1 6.fxe5 0-0 1 7.l:tb1 'iYxbH 1 S.ltJxb1 l:ixbH 1 9.�f1 �f5 20.J:l.c3 �d2; 203

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

A3 2 1 2) Taking the pawn on f4 is very risky: 1 3 ...�xf4 14.l:tc2 'iVbS 1 4 . . . 'lWb 7 I S . 1:[b l t2Jb6 1 6 ..lhb6 'lWxb6 1 7 .t2JxdS ± . 1 5 .'llhc6 �b7 1 6 .iYa4 iYd6 1 7.tt'ie2, and White's attack is irresistible; A 3 2 1 3 ) 13 ...iYb7 14.tt'ie2 After 14 .1:[b l 'fic7 I s .1:[fc l e 6 the sacrifice 1 6 /t:J xdS ? ! does �lO t work: 16 . . . exdS 1 7 Jhc6 'IW dS l S .1:[e l + �fS 1 9 . 1::l. d 6 � g 7 2 0 . fs 1:[eS-+ Babula-Karttunen, Plovdiv 2 0 0 3 . 14... 0-0 1 5.'lWxc6 iYxc6 1 6.l:Ixc6 tt'if6 1 7.l:Ic7 .!leS 1 S. .!:ib1 ;t. A3 22) 10 ..!lc1 In reply to this solid de­ veloping move, Black does best- not to gorge himself on the b2 pawn, but to pre­ pare the advance . . . c6-c S . 1 0 . . . e6 1 1 .£i.d3 cS 1 2 .dxcS t2Jxcs 1 3 . 0 - 0 £i.d6 1 4.fS 0 - 0 I S .£i.b l Ma7 1 6 .b4 tLJe4� Pliasunov­ Iskusnikh, St Petersburg 2 0 0 2 ; A3 2 3 ) 1 0.il'd2 e 6 I t i s time to take some precautions on the kingside. Worse is 1 0 . . . MbS 1 1 . <1:la4 'iVb4 1 2 . 'iVxb4 l:lxb4 1 3 .b3 e6 1 4.MC I £i.b7 I S .<1:lb2 ( I S .g 3 f6 1 6 .£i.h3 �f7 1 7 .0 - 0 £i.d6 I S . Mfe l Me8 1 9 .1're 3;t) I S .. .f6 1 6 .�d2 �f7 1 7 .g 3 as I S .£i.h3 jLd6 1 9 .tLJd3 l'rbS 2 0 . .l:i.he 1 ;t Belov-Kobalia, St Petersburg 2 0 0 1 .

A3 2 3 1 ) 1 1 . .!lc1 The position has be­ come noticeably sharper, therefore gen­ eral considerations become of second2 04

ary importance, and concrete variations take centre stage. Play revolves around the advance c6-cS -will Black succeed in achieving this advance or not? 1 1 .. 11b8 In the event of the immediate 1 1 . . .cS the black king must be prepared for a dangerous j ourne y : 1 2 . t2J a4 �a7 1 4 .'iVd4 t2lxa4 <1:lxcS 1 3 . dxcS 1 S . MXC S + �d7 1 6 .'lWxa4+ (on 1 6 Jh a 8 there is 1 6 . . . 'iVxd4 1 7 . <1:lxd4 £i.b4+ + ; nothing comes from 1 6 .'iVxa 7 + lha7 1 7 . l:l c2 f6 =) 1 6 . . . 'itxcs 1 7 . t2J e S ( 1 7 . 'iV e S + Wc? l S .'iVxf7 + �d6 ( 1 S . . . <;£;>bS 1 9 .i¥xe6 £i.b4+ 2 0 . �d l oo ) 1 9 .t2JeS g6 2 0 .'i'f6 with compensation) 1 7 . . . �c7 1 8 .iha6+ �d8 1 9 .�e2 'iYb7 2 0 .£i.xb7 Uxa4 2 1 . tLJxf7 + �c7 2 2 . £i.xdS exdS 2 3 . <1:lxh s;t Komliakov. 1 Vua4 'lWb4 1 3 .iYxb4 .!lxb4 1 3 . . . £i.xb4+ 1 4.�dl - in the resulting endgame , White has a small advantage, thanks to the bad bishop on c S . 1 4.b3 �b7 1 5 .tt'ib2 Harm­ less is I S .1:[ b 1 £i.c8 (as A. Khuzman showed, White is better after I S . . . t2lb6 1 6 . <1:lc3 c S 1 7 .a3 l'rxd4 ! 1 8 . <1:lxd4 cxd4 1 9 .tLJa4! <1:ld7 2 0 .b4±) 1 6 .l'rc l �b 7=; White retains a small advantage after I S .£i.d3 cS 1 6 .dxcS £i.c6 1 7 . £i.xa6 llxf4 1 8 . 0 - 0 g S 1 9 .1:[fd l £i.g 7 2 0 .t2Jc3 J:l:b4 2 1 . £i.fI �e7 2 2 .t2Je2 traS 2 3 . t2lfd4 t2JbS 2 4 . l'r c 2 ;t Halkias-Banikas, Athens 2 0 0 2 . 1 5 ... J:l:b6 Premature is I S . . . cS on account of 1 6 . tLJd3 MbS 1 7 . t2JdeS .!laS I S .b4 cxb4 1 9 . Mc7 <1:lxeS 2 0 . fxeS b3 2 1 . axb 3 £i.aS 2 2 . �d 1 +-! By securing his king agamst checks from the bishop on f8 , White achieves a winning positi­ on. 1 6 .tt'ia4 1 6 .t2Jd3 £i.a3 1 7 .MC2 We7 1 S .t2Jfe s ;t . 16 .. J:i.b4 1 7.tt'ib2 f6 1 S.wd2 �f7 1 9.g3 a5 20.�h3 �d6 21 .tt'id3 J:l:b5 22.l:the1 .!leS 23.�f1 �a3 with mutual .

Chapter

chances (Belov-Kobalia, St Petersburg 200 1 ; A3 2 3 2 ) After the passive 1 1 .i1Ld3 nb8 12.l:i.b1 Black solves his opening difficul­ ties without great trouble : 1 2 . . . c5 1 3 . dxc5 tLJxc5 1 4 . 0 - 0 (Kazhgaleev­ Kobalia, Internet 2 0 04) 1 4 . . . tUxd3 1 5 .'i'xd3 ii.d6 1 6 .f5 0-0+; A3 2 3 3 ) 1 1..�e2 1:Ib8 1 2 .b3 .ikM I 3 . 0-0 c5 1 4.'li'e3 cxd4 1 5 .tZ:Jxd4 0-0 1 6 .1:Ifd l tLlf6 1 7 .a3 .ikxc3 1 8 .�xc3 .ikd7 1 9 J:[ac I 1:[fc8 2 0 .ife3 as 2 1 .f3 h6 2 2 .g3 �d6 23 . a4� Berkes-Miljkovic , Balatonlelle 200 3 .

22: FleXibility: 5 . .
tLlxf4 1 0.exf4 tLJxc5 the second player ob­ tains sufficient counterplay, for instance: 1 1 .0-0 [5 1 2 J:k l .ike7 1 3 ,tba4 tUxa4 1 4.'li'xa4 0-0 I 5 .1:Ifd l �b6 1 6.'li'c2 c5 1 7 . .ikfl .ike6 1 8 .g3 l:[ac8 1 9 ..ikg2 rud8 2 0 .b3 �a7 2 1 .�b2 b6 2 2 .a4 l:[b8 2 3 .M �d7 24 . .ikfl as 2 5 . .ikb5 , draw agreed, Flumbort-Seres, Hungary tt 2 0 0 1 / 0 2 . 8...g 6 9.b4 �g7 10.e4 0.xg3 11 .hxg3 e6 1 2 ..llI.. d 3 0-0 (Gyimesi-Pinter, Budapest 2 0 0 0 ) 1 3.<j;>f1 !? with a slight advantage for White. Instead of exchanging on f4 , Black's main alternative is:

B ) 7...b 6 This move has n o independent Significance, and in all lines, it transposes back into variations with the capture on f4.

Seemingly the most accurate move-or­ der. Black invites his opponent to play h2-M.

8.cxb6 8 .b4 tUxf4 9 . exf4 going into the main line. 8 ... ifxb6 8 . . . tUxf4 9 . exf4 go­ ing into the main line. 9 . .llI.. d 3 9. 'lW d2 tLlxf4 1 0 . exf4 going into the main line. 9...0.xf4 1 0.exf4 going into the main line; C) 7...h6 8..llI.. d3 g5 A very risky plan . 9.i.e5 4Jxe5 1 0 . tUxe5 4Jf6 I 1 .h4 gxh4 1 2 .1:Ixh4± Kasparov-Stefanek, Katowice 1993; D) 7...f6!? 8.i1Lg3 I t is important to pre­ vent Black's plan. After 8 . .s1t.d3 e5 9.dxe5

Here White can play the interesting but rather committal 8.h4, which we will consider further on. A simple developing move would be ' easier on the eye ' : 8.i1Ld3. A) 8 ...i1Lg7 9.0-0 A I ) Black can refrain from taking on the extra responsibility which the move 9 . . .f6 (see B2) involves, and can simply castle instead: 9_.0-0 A l l ) There is no danger for Black in 1 0.h3 0.xf4 1 1 .exf4

7.

...

97-96

205

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Panormo 2 0 0 1 ) 1 2 . . . b 6 1 3 .b4 bxc5 1 4 .bxcS tUxcs l S . Wg2 tUe6 1 6 . .l:!.c1 'fi1a7 1 7 .tUe2 cS 1 8 .dxcs tUxcs 1 9 .tUed4 .id7 2 0 .tUeS �xeS 2 l .fxeS tUxd3 2 2 .�xd3 ii.b S , draw, Gyimesi-Chernin, Balaton­ lelle 2 0 0 2 .

And now: A l I I ) 1 1 ... b6 1 2.cxb6 iVxb6 1 3 . .'2Ja4 iVa7 1 3 .. .�c7 1 4 .�d2 ii.h6 l S .g3 l:!.b8 1 6 . llfe 1 lle8 1 7 .l:!.ac 1 eS 1 8 .dxeS 4'JxeS 1 9 .tLlxeS .t!.xeS 20 . .t!.xeS �xeS 2 1 .fxeS ii.xd2 (Gyimesi-Avrukh, Andorra 2 0 0 1 ) 2 2 .Mxc6 ± . 14.'iii' c 2 Also seen is 1 4 Jacl 2Lxd4 I S .2Lxg6 2Lxfl + 1 6 Jhfl hxg 6 1 7 . ttJd4 2Lb7 1 8 . fs (Topalov-Kir. Georgiev, Saraj evo 2 0 0 1 ) , and Black equalises by 1 8 . . . e6 1 9 .fxe 6 fxe 6 2 0 .llcc2 llxfl 2 1 .llxfl llf8 2 2 .'iVg 4 .l:!.xfl 23 .'i'xg 6+= Komliakov. 1 4....txd4 15 .'iVxc6 £1.16 l S . . . 4'JcS 1 6 .tuxd4 tUxd3 1 7 .tUe2 �d7 (lines worthy of consider­ ation are both 1 7 . . . l:id8 ! ? 1 8 .�b6 'i'xb 6 1 9 .tUxb6 .l:!.b8 20 .lDxc8 .l:!.dxc8+, and 1 7 . . . l:!. b 8 = Komliakov) 1 8 .'i'xdS = Solozhenkin -Kallai , France tt 2 0 0 1 . 1 6.'llV xd5 .tb7 1 7.iVxd7 J::1.1d8= Banikas­ ZagrebeIny, Bled 2 0 0 2 ; A I l l ) 1 1 ....:!.e8 1 l .'iVc2 ( 1 l .'iVd2) 1 l ... 'iVc7 1 3 .g3 b6 1 4.b4 as l S .a3 tUf8 1 6.'it'g2 'i'd7 1 7 .llh l axb4 ( 1 7 . . . bS ! ? ) 1 8 .lDa4 bxcS 1 9 .1Dxcs 'iYd6 2 0 . axM llb8 ? (Black is fme after 2 0 . . . .l:!.xa 1 2 1 ..l:!.xa 1 tUe6) 2 1 . 'i' c3;!; Nikolic-Safin, Moscow 2 0 0 1 ; A I 1 3 ) 1 1 ..:tWc7 1 2 .g3 (if 1 l .tUe2 the break 1 l . . . b6 gains in strength: 1 3 .cxb 6 'i'xb 6 1 4. tk . l cS l S .b3 �b7 1 6 .�b l .l:!.ac8 1 7 .'Ii' d2 e6+ Krasenkow-Rustemov, 206

A l 2 ) White secures a small plus after 1 0. .i1l.g5 J:te8 White is better after 1 0 . . . 'i'e8 I I .e4 dxe4 1 2 .tUxe4 <'2ldf6 1 3 .'iVb3 llb8 1 4.tLlc3 ii.e6 1 S . ii.c4 .ixc4 1 6 .'l:iYxc4 'i'd7 1 7 . .ll a d 1 tUdS 1 8 .<'2lxd5 cxdS 1 9 .'i'c2 e6 2 0 . 11d3 l:!.fc8 2 1 .l:lcl 'iYe8 22 .b4;t Gyimesi-Luther, Gibraltar 2003.

Most moves d o not pose any particular danger for Black, for example: A l l l ) 1 1 .h3 �f6 1 LIl,xf6 tLlhxf6 1 3 .'iVd2 �c7 ! 1 4 . .l:!.ae l eS I S .dxe5 lDxe5= Sakaev-Burmakin, Linares 200 1 ; A I 2 2 ) 1 1 .J:te1 'i'c7 1 2 . e4 dxe4 1 3 .lhe4 lDdf6 1 4 . .llh 4 ii.e6 I S /ueS lDd7 1 6 .lDg4 llad8°O Khenkin-Engqvist, Stockholm 1 9 9 0 / 9 1 ; A 1 l 3 ) 1 1 .il'c2 tUf8 1 2 . .l:'!.ae l 'i'c7 1 3 .e4 ii.g4 1 4.ii.e2 dxe4 1 5 .'l:iYxe4 .ifS 1 6 .'i'e3 4'Je6=; A 1 24) 11 ..'2Jd2 Jil.16 The bishop on gS interferes with Black's normal play. The attempt to shift play to the queenside does not suffice for equality: 1 1 ... b6

Chapter

1 2 . cxb6 'ilYxb6 1 3 J2Ja4 'ilYa7 1 4. l:! c l �b7 I S /Llb3 eS 1 6 .�e2 ttJhf6 1 7 .dxeS tLle4 I S .�f4 (Iliushin-R. Kozlov, St Pe­ tersburg 2 0 0 3 ) I S . . . gS 1 9 .�g3 ttJxeS 20. tLlacS tLlxg3 2 1 .hxg 3 QcS 2 2 . tLld4�. 1 2.il.xf6 tLlhxf6 13 .f4 b6 14.b4 a5 1 5.a3 il.a6 1 6 .'/!!V e2 il.xd3 1 7.'iWxd3 axb4 1 8.axb4 'iWc7 1 9.tLlf3 'iWb7 20.h3 I;!xa 1 21 .I;!xa1 �a8= Svetushkin-Bacrot, Bled 2 0 0 2 ; A I 2 S ) 1 1 .e4 !?

Without waiting for Black to complete all his preparations, White immediately goes onto the attack. 11 ...dxe4 Black also has a very interesting, although controversial exchange sacrifice: 1 1 . . . h6 1 2 .ilt,h4 g S 1 3 .ilt,g3 tLlxg3 1 4.hxg 3 eS I S .exdS exd4 (White is better after 1 S . . . cxdS 1 6 .tLl xdS e4 1 7 . .l:!.e l ttJxcS I S .dxcS 'ilYxdS 1 9 .�xe4 �xcS 2 0 .�h 7 + � Lautier­ Dorfman, Aix les Bains 2 0 0 3 ) 1 6 .tLle4 .l:!.xe4 1 7 . �xe4 ttJxcS I S .'iVc2 t2lxe4 1 9 .'ilYxe4 cxdS 2 0 .'ilYd3 'ilYb600. The two bishops, in an open position, are a pow­ erful force, naturally, but even so, Black's king is not particularly secure and the white rooks will find useful employment on the central files. 1 2.il.xe4 Practice has also seen 1 2 .tLlxe4 ttJ df6 1 3 . ttJxf6+ exf6 1 4.�e3 �e6 I S .I!.c l iYd7 1 6 .�c4 :c.adS 1 7 .�xe6 iYxe6 I S .iYb3 iYxb3 1 9 .axb3 QhS 20 .nfe l �e6 2 1 .Qd2 ttJg7 2 2 .Wfl

2 2 : Flexi bility: 5 . .

.

-Llbd7 6.�f4

ttJfS Borovikov-Volkov, Panormo 2 0 0 2 . 1 2 ... tLldf6 13.il.c2 il.e6 The 'forgotten' knight on the edge of the board can cause Black a lot of trouble, for example : 1 3 . . . Qg4 1 4.h3 �xf3 I S .iYxf3 'iVxd4 1 6 .g4 'ilYxcs 1 7 .Qe3 'ilYaS l S .�b3 ;!;. 14.l::!. e 1 tLld5 =

1 5 .�d2;t The typical exchan ge sacrifice 1 S Jhe6 is not terribly dangerous in this position : 1 S . . . fxe6 1 6 . �e2 �d7 1 7 . t2leS �xeS I S .'ilYxeS .l:!.fs 1 9 . .l:!.e l IIf7 2 0 .�6 11dS 2 1 . a 3 ttJ g 7 2 2 .g 4 tLlf6 2 3 .'ilYg3 .!:f.dfS 24 . .!:f.d l ttJ d s=t= Nielsen­ Nikolic, Solingen 2 0 0 2 . 15 ...'!Wd7 If Black carelessly wastes a tempo with 1 S . . . � c7 , then the blow on e6 g ains a good deal in strength: 1 6 .l:t xe6 fxe6 1 7 . I!.e l 'iVd7 I S .ttJeS �xeS 1 9 JheS ttJg7 2 0 .h4 r Filippov-Luther, Istanbul 2 0 0 3 . 1 6 .tLle5 White is also better after 1 6 . Qh6 ! ? �hS 1 7 . tLl e S Qxe S ? ! I s Jh eS ;!; . 1 6 ... il.xe5 1 7.dxe5 l:l:ad8 1 8.l:tad1 'iWc7 (Nikolic-Dautov, Moscow 2 0 0 1 ) 1 9.tLle2! Wxe5 1 9 . . . f6 2 0 . exf6 exf6 2 1 .Qh6 � . 20.tLld4 2 0 .ttJg3 'iVg7 2 1 . tLlxhS gxh S oo . 2 0...'�·g 7 21 .tLlxe6 fxe6 22.il.b3 'VjJJ f 7 23.'iV e2;t .

Back to the position after 9 . 0 - 0 . A 2 ) 9 . .f 6 1 0.h3 Black has sufficient counterplay after 1 0 .ilt,g3 tLlxg3 .

207

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

I I .hxg 3 e5 1 2 . e4 exd4 1 3 .tLlxd4 4'lxc5 1 4 .exd5 cxdS 1 5 .lie 1 + �f7 1 6. tLJb 3 tLl x d 3 ( 1 6 . . . t2J e 6 1 7 .tLlxd5 1:t e S loses t o I S . a4 nbS 1 9 .a5 f5 2 0 .�c4 �xb2 2 1 ..l:!.a2 ��f6 l l .l:!.d2+-) 1 7 .�xd3 neS l S . .llx eS 'iVxeS 1 9 .'iVxd5 + 'iVe6 2 0 J:tc 1 'iVxd5 2 1 .ttJxd5 �e6 2 2 .lic7+ �fS 2 3 .tLlf4 �f7 24. a:xb 7 .l:!.eS with compen­ sation . .

though maybe it is precisely these varia­ tions that Black should look into. since a direct refutation of his play is not evi­ dent. . . ; 1 2 . . . e4? 1 3 .iii.xe4 dxe4 1 4.lLlxe4± Gelfand-Movsesian, Polanica Zdroj 2 0 00. 13.tl"lxd4 After 1 3 .4'la4 tLle5 1 4.fxg6 h g6 1 5 .4'lb6 .ilb8 1 6 .tLlxe5 fxe5 1 7 .�xg 6+ �f8 it suddenly turns out that White has no way to attack further, and despite its na­ kedness , the black king feels quite safe. 1 3 ...tl"lxc5 14.fxg6 t2:Jxd3 1 5 .'iiVxd3 hxg6 1 6.�xg6+ ..t>f8 1 7.l:!.fe1 ±.

All) 1 0... e5 1 1 . .£h2 e4

A2 1 ) Of course, Black would like to ex­ change the enemy bishop with 1 0...tl"lxf4?! but in this case, the e-file is opened, and in many cases, the black king begins to feel uncomfortable. For example : 1 1 .exf4 and now: A2 1 1 ) Bad is 1 1 ...'iWc7 because of 1 2 . f5 ! tLlf8 1 3 .ne 1 ! gxf5 1 4 ' tLlh4± Dreev; A2 1 2 ) 1 1 .. b6 1 2 . b4 a5 1 3 . b5 ± ; A2 1 3 ) 1 1 ... 0-0 1 2 .f5 gxf5 1 3 .�xf5 tLle5 (or 1 3 ... e5 1 4 . 4'lh4) 14 .�xh7 + �xh7 1 5 .dxe5 fxe5 1 6 .4'lxe5 a:f5 1 7 .f4±; A2 l 4) 1 1 . e6 1 2 . .l:!. e l Wf7 ; A2 1 5) 1 1 ...e5 1 2.f5! Black is fine after 1 2 .fxe5 fxe5 1 3 . 4'lxe5 �xe5 1 4.dxe5 0-0. 12 ...exd4 It looks very risky to play 1 2 . . . 0-0 1 3 .fxg6 e4 1 4.gxh7 + �xh7 1 5 .Le4+ dxe4 1 6 .tLlxe4 b6 1 7 .�c2 �g8 l S .4'ld6 with compensation; or 12 ... g5 13 . .l:!.e l 0-0 1 4.b4 as 1 5 .b5 e4 1 6 .�xe4 dxe4 1 7 .�b3 + �h8 l S .tLlxe4 a4 1 9 .'iVc4 cxb5 2 0 .�xb5 .l:!.a6oo al,

.

..

208

1 2.g4!? I think this energetic move is even stronger than Stohl's piece sacrifice: 1 2 .iii.xe4 dxe4 1 3 . 4'lxe4 0-0 (bad is 1 3 . . . �f8 1 4 .�b3 ttJg7 1 5 . .l:!.ad l ±) 1 4 .4'ld6 (on 1 4 . g4 there is 1 4 . .f5) 1 4 .. .f5 1 5 .�b 3 + ( 1 5 . g4?! fxg4 1 6 .hxg4 4'lhf6 1 7 .4'lg5 'iVe7 1 8 .e4 4'ld5 1 9 .f4 h6 2 0 . tLlh3 �h4 2 UH3 4'l 7 f6+ Sakaev-­ Volkov. New Delhi 2 0 0 0 ) 1 5 . WhB 1 6 .tLlf7+ llxf7 1 7 .'iVxf7 'iVg8 1 8 .
.

.

Now back to the position after 8 .�d3 .

Chapter 2 2 : Flexibility: S . . . <2:lbd7 6 . .M4

Back to the position in the main line after 7 ...g6. 8.

h2-h4

B) B..J1ixf4 9.exf4 b6 Black tries to de­ flect his opponent's attention from the main theatre of operations, but only achieves partial success. 1 0 .cxb6 �xb 6 1 1 .'ifd2 Jl.g 7 I V1:la4 � a7 1 3 .i.c2 0-0 1 4.'ife3 cS I S .dxcS j>,b 7 1 6 .0-0 d4 1 7 .'ifxe7 j>,xf3 1 8 .gxf3 .9:fe8 1 9 .�d6 .irs 20 .'iVxd4 ttJxcS 2 1 .fs;;!; Malakhov­ Stefansson , Selfoss 2 0 0 3 ; C) There is a very interesting sugges­ tion of Igor Stohl : B.. .f6 The idea is in several lines to pIa y . . . e7 -eS immediately, without developing the bishop to g 7 . The bishop may then g o to e 7 or cS . 9.0-0 It looks too slow to play 9 .h3 e S 1 0 .dxeS ttJxf4 I l .exf4 fxeS 1 2 . fxeS (or 1 2 .lIJ xeS ttJxeS 1 3 .fxeS Jl.xcS 1 4. 0 - 0 i'gS) 12 ... Jl. g 7 1 3 . 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 4 .Me l tlJxcS +. 9 ... e5 9 . . . �g7 1 0 .h 3 ± transposes to the main line. 1 0.dxe5 tLlxc5 11 .!:!e1 There is no danger for Black in 1 1 ..!te2 ttJxf4 1 2 .exf4 �e700. 11 ...�g7 If I I . . .lIJxd3 1 2 .'iI1xd3 Jl.g7 1 3 . exf6 ttJxf6 there is the unpleasant 1 4 .e4 ! , for in­ stance : 1 4 . . . 0-0 I S .i.gS dxe4 1 6 .�xd8 l!i.xd8 1 7 . ttJxe4 Mf8 1 8 .ttJxf6 + �xf6 1 9 . �xf6 lhf6 2 0 .ne8+ nf8 2 1..l:!. e 7 l'1fl n Jhe 1 h6 (or n ... �fS B . nxf7 \tJxfl H.g4 Jl.d7 2 S .tLlgS +±) 2 3 .l:'te8 + nfS H.l:'t l e 7 ± . 1 2.exf6 tLlxf6 1 3 .�e5 4Jxd3 14.'i'xd3 0-0 1 5 .e4 �g4 16 .exd5 i.xf3 17.gxf3 tLlxd5�. •

As said, this move is rather committal. but it is not so easy for Black to demonstrate its downside. 'To take or not to take' is in this case a matter of taste. The following analysis shows that White's dark-squared bishop can be allowed to live. B.. �g71? 9.�h2 A) Bad is 9...tLlhf6 in view of 1 O . ttJeS hS 1 1 .i.e2 ttJg4 1 2. jLxg4 hxg4 1 3 .tLlxd7 �xd7 1 4 .'iYb3 Mxh4 I S . 0 - 0 - 0 and White was clearly better in lzoria-Safin, Dubai 2 0 04; B) White is better after 9 ... b6 1 0 .cxb6 'iVxb 6 1 1 .'W'd2 ( 1 1 .'iVb3 ! ?) 1 1 . . . 0-0 1 2 .Jl.e2 tLlhf6 1 3 .ttJeS cS 1 4. ttJa4 'iVe6 1 6 .tLlxcS ttJxcS ttJxd7 I S .ttJxd7 1 7 .dxcS ± ; C) There is not full equality after 9 ... tLldf6 1 0 .ttJeS ttJd7 I I .tLlxd7 i.xd7 1 2 .�e2 ttJf6 1 3 .hS ttJe4 1 4.tLlxe4 dxe4 I S .�b3 'iVaS + 1 6 .�fl i.c8 1 7 .i.f4 and White had a slight advantage in Palo-Seel, Bad Worishofen 2 0 0 4; D) 9... 0-0 10.�e2 tiJhf6 On 1 0 . . . l:'te8 there is the unpleasant reply I I . g4 tLlhf6 1 2 .l::. g 1 b6 1 3 .cxb 6 'iYxb6 1 4.1/i'c2 i.b7 .

209

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

(Hubner-Papa, Stuttgart 2 0 04) l S .tLld2 ! ? e S 1 6 .gS tLle4 1 7 .tLlcxe4 dxe4 1 8 .tLl c4 'iVb4+ 1 9 .'iVc3 ±. 1 1 .ii:leS ii:le4 1 2 .ii:lxd7 �xd7 13.'/i1Vb3 Or 1 3 .tLlxe4 dxe4 1 4.a3 I:te8 I S .hS i1i.e6 1 6 . 'iVc2 i1i.dS 1 7 .0-0-0 eS 1 8 .hxg6 hxg6 1 9 .1heS �xeS 2 0 .dxeS 'iVgS 2 1 . 'i!lb l 'iVxeS 2 2 . I:tM ld.ad8 B . r!dh l Palo-Burmakin, <;tof8 = Pardubice 2 0 04. 13 ...eS 14.ii:lxe4 dxe4 1 S.dxeS Dubious is 1 5 .�xeS ? ! �xeS 1 6 .dxeS 'iVaS+ 1 7 .'iVc3 'iVxc3 + 1 8 .bxc3 ld.ae8 1 9 .0-0-0 �c8 and Black has a slight advantage. 1 S ... 'liUaS+ 1 6.'liUc3 'liUxc3+ 1 7.bxc3 nae8 1 8.0-0-0 �c8= Polak­ Laznicka, Brno 2 0 0 6 . Now we continue with the main line. 8. .. . lLIh5xf4 9.

e3xf4

And now there are several possibilities: A I ) 1 3 ... 0-0 1 4.�e2 1 4.tLleS tUxeS I S .fxeS f6 1 6 .hxg6 hxg 6 1 7 .£4 ExeS ] 8 .fxeS 'Mib4 1 9 .�e2 �e6°o Kornliakov; 1 4 .ld.c l tLlf6 I S .h6 �h8 1 6 . tLleS t . 14 ...c5 1 S.ii:lxdS �d6 1 5 . . . 'iVe6 1 6 . dxcS lLixc5 1 7 .ttJgS 'iVd6 1 8 .ld.d l ± . 1 6.dxc5 t2Jxc5 1 7Jld1 �b7 1 8.hxg6 hxg6 1 9.�c4 0e6 20.fSi Komliakov; A2) 1 3 ...e6 1 4.nc1 0-0 1 S .ii:la4 White is promised a small advantage by I S .t2JeS tLlxeS 1 6 .fxeS 'iVb4 1 7 .h6 �h8 1 8 .t2Ja4 'iVxdH 1 9 .'it>xd2 f6 2 0 .f4 fxeS 2 I .fxeS ld.f4 2 2 . 'it>c3 . 1 s .. :ifc7 1 6 ..id3t Komliakov; A3) 1 3 ... gxhS 1 4.ld.c l ( 1 4.�eS lLixe5 I S .fxeS f6=i=) 1 4 . . . �cJf6 I S .tLleS !; A4) 13 ii:lf6 14.hxg6 fxg6 14 . hxg6 1 5 .l:lxh 8 + �xh8 1 6 .ld. cl ltJe4 1 7 . tt'lxe4 dxe4 1 8 .tLleS �b7 1 9 . 1:1cS= Farago­ Seres , Budapest 2 0 04. 1 S .ltJeS liJg4 1 6 .ii:la4 �c7 1 6 . . . 'iVb4 1 7 .ttJxc6 WixdH 1 8 .'.t"xd2 ttJxf2 ± . 1 7.l::I. c1 ii:lxe5 1 8.fxe5 0-0 1 9.�d3 �d7 20.l::I. h 4 with the initiative for White (Paragua-Movsesian, Khanty­ Mansiysk 2 0 0 5 ) ; AS) 1 3 ...cS 14.ii:lxdS 'lie6+ 1S.t2Je3 cxd4 The ending is extremely difficult for Black after l S . . . 'iVe4 1 6 .ld.dl 0-0 1 7 fS cxd4 1 8 .tLlxd4 ltJcs 1 9 .hxg6 hxg6 20.f3 �xd4 2 1 .'iVxd4 i1i.xd4 22 .ld.xd4 i,xf5 23.lLixB gxfS H.1:1dS . 1 6.ii:lxd4 'lllVe4 17.J:id1 nb6 .•

Black has several options in this position: A) 9...�g7 1 0.hS 1 0 .'iVd2 0-0 ( 1 0 . . . b6 I I .cxb6 'Mixb6 1 2 .I:tc l 0-0 1 3 .tt:J a4 'iVa 7 1 4.hS as 1 5 .hxg6 fxg6 1 6 . g 3 tLlf6 1 7 .�cS �fS 1 8 .�d3 e6 1 9 .tLleS �ac8 2 0 . 0 - 0 ± Rustemov-Movsesian, Moscow 2 0 04) 1 1 .hS b6 1 2 .cxb6 tLlxb6 1 3 .hxg6 hxg6 1 4.tLleS 'li'd6 I S .'li'e3 �d7 1 6 .fs �xfS 1 7 .g 4 cS 1 8 .dxc S, draw (Stefansson-Krivoborodov, Pardubice 2 0 0 6) . 1 0...b6 1 1 .cxb6 �xb6 1 2.'lllVd 2 .!:tb8 1 3.b3 210

..

Chapter 2 2 : Flexibility: 5 ...
1 7 . . . 'iI'xf4? 1 8 .tbc6 'il'c 7 ( 1 8 . . Jlb6 1 9 .ttJxe 7 ! ) 1 9 . 1Ic 1 +- , Nikolic­ Stefansson, Selfoss 2 0 0 3 . 1 S.hxg6 hxg6 19 ..!bhS+ .lil.xhS 20.'i!'c2 Not so strong is 20.g3 lId6 2 1 ."'iIK c2 'fHxc2 n . tbdxc2 :t. 20...'i'xc2 2V ljdxc2 .lil.c3+ 22.We2 ttJf6 23.:ld3 .lil.a5 24.ttJc4± Gelfand-Bacrot, Cap d'Agde 2 0 0 3 . B ) 9... ttJf6 1 0 .tbe5 �h6 1 1 .g3 tbh5 1 2..�e2 ttJg7 1 3 .h5 g5 1 +.fxg5 �xg 5 1 5 .h6 tLlf5 1 6 .�h5± Farago-Arduman, Nova Gorica 2 0 0 1 ; C) 9 ... b6 1 0.cxb6 'lixb6 1 1 .'i!'d2 .i:i.bS 12.ttJa4 Bad is 1 2 .b3 e6 1 3 .h5 gxh5 14 ..1ld3 iLM 1 5 .Mel c5 1 6 .dxc5 'iVxc 5 + Candela-Argandona, San Sebastian 2 0 0 6 . 12._'lic7 1 3 .l:l:c1 ttJf6 14 ..lil.d3 .lil.h6 1 5.g3 0-0 1 6.tlJe5 .lil.b7 1 7.ttJc5 ttJe4 1Sixe4 dxe4 1 9.tiJed7+- Brodsky-Malakhatko, Rivne 2005; D) White i s clearly better after 9 ....lil.h6 1 0 .g3 tbf6 1 1 .tbe5 tbe4 1 2 .tbxe4 dxe4 1 3 .�c4. 9.

.. .

�d8-c7

The best move. By attacking the f+ pawn, Black does not so much win a tempo (Since he will probably soon play . . . b7-b6, and the queen will have to move again to recapture on b6) as force a weak­ ening of the enemy kingside.

1 0.

Or 1 0.'i!'d2 and now: A) 1 0... .lil.g7 1 1 .h5 ttJf6 1 2.hxg6 hxg6 1 3 JhhS+ .lil.xhS 1 4.ttJe5 .lil.e6 1 5.f3 Also worth noting is 1 5 . 0-0-0 ! ? 0-0-0 1 6 .�d3 tbe4 1 7 . �xe4 dxe4 1 8."'iIKe3 g5 1 9 .'iYxe4 gxf4 2 0 .'iI'xf4 iLf6 2 1 .'it'b l . 1 5 ... ttJd7 1 6.0-0-0 .lil.g7 1 7..lil.d3 g5 1 S.g3 gxf4 1 9.gxf4 0-0-0 20.wb1 f6?!± 2 0 . . . 'iI'a5 ! ? 2 1 .iVc2 �h6 2 2 .tbe2 Mg8:t 21 .ttJg6± Radjabov­ Riazantsev, Warsaw 2 0 0 5 . B ) 1 0... ttJf6 1 1 .tbe5 h 5 1 2 . g 3 �5 1 3 .�g2 �g7 1 4.0-0 0-0 1 5 .me 1 Mae8 1 6 .Me2 tbg+ 1 7 . .l:i.ae 1 f6 1 8 .tbd3 'it'h7 1 9 .f3 tbh6 2 0 .tbfl e5+ (Beliavsky-Saltaev, Germany Bundesliga 2004/ 0 5 ) . Just as in the Sicilian it is the advance . . . d6-d5 , so in the Chebanenko, it is the advance . . e7 -e5 which, as a rule, assures Black good play. .

1 0.

...

�f8-g7

1 0 . . .tLlf6 l 1 .tLle5 �g7 1 L�d3 ± . 11.

�f1 -d3

b7-b6

Less good is 1 1 . . . tbf8 1 2 .'iI'd2 �g4 1 3 .tbe5 iLe6 1 4.h5 gxh5 1 5 .'iYe2 kg4 1 6 .f3 �e6 1 7 . .l:i.xh 5 ± (Gyimesi­ Djingarova, Nova Gorica 2 0 0 4) . 1 2.

c5xb6

�c7xb6

1 3.

0-0

�b6xb2

1 4.

lla1 -c1

'iYb2-b4

1 5.

lLlc3-a4

0-0

16.

Mc1 xc6

lLld7-b8

1 7.

.l:i.c6 -b6

'li'b4-a5

1 8.

'iYd1 -b3

�c8-d7+

g2-g3

21 1

The Chebanenka Slav According to Balagan

This line has been suggested by Victor Komliakov. Black has the advantage of two bishops and a minimal number of weak­ nesses, whilst at the same time, the active white pieces are rather attacking thin air. Conclusion

It is no coincidence that this line is one of the most dense in the whole book. Liter­ ally thousands of games have been played

212

in it, and there is still no clear answer to the question of where White can find an advantage. Even so, things are not so easy for Black either. White has a rich choice of possibilities, and Black must react ac­ curately to each of them. We can say that the main lines of the variation only be­ came clear to us after a good deal of col­ lective work during the preparation of the book.

Practical Examples While preparing myself for tournaments, when studying new openings I've always had the idea that together with opening knowledge should also come lmowledge of typical middle game ideas. Normally we would derive this knowledge from studying games of good players in a certain opening, and this is always good. But to make this work easier for chess players, I have decided to add to the present opening book 34 positions from tournament practice in which you can train your skills by trying to fmd typical ideas for both White and Black in the Chebanenko system. I'd like to thank all the player,? who have created these examples , which make this book more interes ting. As a recommendation for the solving procedure I would advise you not to try and fmd the ultimate answer. Just get your brain to work and come up with ideas. It is very pos­ sible that you will find even better moves or, instead of one idea , you will find two. One way or another, working on these positions will allow you get a deeper understanding of the ideas of the Chebanenko system. Some of the positions have tactical solutions , some are positional. You should look at the examples as normal games where you have to make a move. Sometimes in a game we even have to calculate - this can also be the case here.

1

•

2

o

213

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

3

o

4

•

5

•

6

•

7

o

8

o

214

Pmctical Examples

9

o

10

•

11

•

12

•

13

•

14

o

215

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

15

o

16

•

17

•

18

•

19

o

20

•

216

Practical Examples

21

•

22

•

23

o

24

o

25

•

26

•

217

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

28

o

o

30

•

•

32

o

27

•

29

31

218

Practical Examples

33

•

34

•

219

Sol utions

1

Aseev-Khmelnitsky

4

Sibenik 1 9 8 9

With 1 1 ....eS!:j: Black obtains the better chances, since White cannot re tain the extra pawn : 1 2.tuxeS tUxeS 1 3 .dxeS IieS 14.14?! f6 1 S.exf6 �xf6 1 6 .g3 tUfS 1 7.tUd1 as with a very strong initiative for Black.

Moskalenko-Rogozenko Nikolaev (zt) 1 9 9 3

14 ....eS Exploiting the pin on the f4 pawn, Black carries out his standard central break and obtains adequate play: 1 S.tZlxeS tUxeS 1 6.dxeS '/iUxeS 17.hxg6 hxg6 1 S.1xeS il.xd2'l'

5

OIl-Anand Biel (izt) 1 9 9 3

2

Chernin -Gavrikov Tilburg 1 9 9 2

Here too the lead in development plays a decisive role. It is very hard for Black to find an adequate answer to: 14.e41± exd4 Even worse is 1 4 . . . dxe4 1 5 . ttJxe4. 1 S.exdS 'lWd6 1 6.tUe4 �xdS 1 7.tUxf6+ tUxf6 1 S.0-0 �xf3 1 9.'¥!'xf3 fleS 20.:a:e1 + Wd7 21 ..¥!.aS The black king comes under heavy fhe, whilst the extra pawn is only a temporary factor; soon Black will have to give it back.

1 2 .... eS Using the fact that the white king has not yet been evacuated to the kingside, Black destroys the enemy pawn centre. 1 3.dxeS d4! 14.exd4 Black is better after 1 4 /iJ e 4 c1Jxe4 1 5 . �xb4 dxe3 1 6 .�xd8 exf2+ 1 7 .r;t>fl llxd8 + ; the weakness of the white king appears in the variation 1 4.c1Ja4 �xd2+ 1 5 .'ijVxd2 c1Je4t 1 6 ."'lj'xd4 "'lj'a5 + 1 7 .<;!i>fl ttJdH 1 8 � g l I:!.d8 . 1 4'M.'iVxd4 1S .'iVe2 Ibe6+ .

6

Krasenkow-Epishin Brno 1 9 9 4

3

Sakaev-Rublevsky (analysis) St Petersburg 1 9 9 3

2S.l:!.d6 One o f those cases where taking is bad, and so is not taking. 2S .... .¥!.xd6 The best defence is 2 5 . . . ttJxd6 26.cxd6 �xd6 2 7 . exd6 �xd6 2 8 ."'lj'xc 6 + "'lj'xc6 29 .�xc6 I:!.d6 and if 30 .�xb5 7 (stronger is 3 0 . �e8 'litd8 3 1 .�e5 I:!.dl + 3 2 .<;!i>c2 I:!.fl 33 .�xb5 I:!.xf2+ 34.<;!i>b 1 a3 35 .�c6, and the passed pawn, supported by the two bishops, becomes very dangerous) and now 3 0 . . . I:!.b6 3 1 .�xa4 Ihb4 with excellent play for Black - his rook is very active and his pawns can gradually ad­ vance. 26.exd6 �b6 27.�xe6+ Black loses all his queenside pawns.

220

1 S .... ::I.a7!! With this unexpected move, Black defends against a penetration to the 7 th rank. Worse is the standard 1 8 . . .!'lfe8 1 9 .I:!.c l Mxc6 2 0 .'iVxc6 "'lj'xc6 2 1 .ttJxe6 �c5 2 2 .�d4;!:: Grachev-Cornette, Heraklio 2 0 0 2 . 1 9.1:!.e1 In the line 1 9 i4 c1J b8 2 0 .I:!.c3 b4 2 1 .I:!.d3 I:!.c8 Black seizes the c-file and obtains a slightly better po­ sition (Epishin) . 1 9 .... tuxeS 20.lbxe6? White misses a strong resource for his opponent. Correct was 2 0 Jk8 I1:lg6 2 1 .I:!.c6 with definite compensation for the pawn . 20 ....�xe6 21 .tUxfS WUxc2 22Jbe2 lbe4!+ Unexpected and very strong. Black closes off the open fIle and the knight on f8 has no escape. .

Solutions

7

Gavrikov-Nikolic Horgen 1 9 94

11 .f4;1; Prophylaxis : White defends against the standard break . . . e6-eS and thanks to his space advantage and good bishop, he retains the advantage.

also, thanks to his more harmoni­ ously-placed pieces, to develop pressure on the queenside. 1S .dxcS "fic7 1 S .li:lbS 'uadS 1 7JlxdS llxdS+

12

Kortchnoi-I. Sokolov Groningen 1 9 9 6

8

Lobron-Tischbierek Germany Bundesliga 1 9 9 4 / 9 5

1S.:6!.a2 By creating the strong threat of 1 6 .axbS (now the rook is defended by the knight and both black pawns on a6 and c 6 are pinned) . White breaks u p the oppo­ nent's queenside. Black cannot take advan­ tage of the rook's position on a2 : 1 S .... b4 1 S ..bc4+ �hS 17.li:lb3 'iWfS 1 S.tbe4±

1S .... bS White has tried to block the enemy queenside, but Black finds a tactical resource, thanks to which he seizes the mltlatlve . 1 S .axbS After 1 6 . Mxb4 1 6 .. . �xaS the rook is trapped. 1s ... :11Vx bS 1 7.jJ,e3 lUfS 1 S. �h1 lUbdS't' Sokolov

13

Zviagintsev-Bologan New York 1 9 9 7

9

D. Gurevich-Hodgson Bern 1 9 9 6

14.li:lxgS! hxgS 1 S .£xbS Sometimes it makes sense to exchange a strong bishop for an undeveloped knight - if, of course, one thereby wins a piece ! 1S ....li:lxbS 1 S .'li'bS+Hodgson

10

Kramnik-Shirov Vienna 1 9 9 6

1 7.... e S White has n o t 'managed to strengthen his pawn centre, and Shirov exploits this in energetic style. 1 S.'iVc4 1 8 .dxeS 'iVe7 + ; 1 8 .dS tLlxcs 1 9 .'iVc4 tLld7+. 1 S....'iVfS! 1 9.dxeS 1 9 .dS 'iVf4+ 2 0 J ld2 (2 0 . W b 1 cxd S+) 2 0 . . . 'ii e 3 2 1 .b4 as+. 19....li:lxeS 20.�d4 I:taaS! and

14

Beliavsky-Illescas Ubeda 1 9 9 7

1 S:iYdS The pa\Vll i s not going anywhere, and it is more important to take control of the dark squares in the enemy camp. 1 S ...JibS 1 7.I:!fcH

15

Beliavsky-Volkov Belgrade 1 9 9 8

0-1

Shirov

11

1 9 .... l:tc7 A multi-functional move : Black defends the weak point f7 , and at the same time is ready to double rooks on the c-file at the appropriate moment. 20.I:!ac1 Nothing comes from 2 0 .tLlg4 because of 20 . . . �e7 2 l .fS exfS 22 JhfS �gS with the idea . . . .!:I.e 7 , . . . �c8 . 20 ... Jbc1 21 .I:!xc1 litaS-cS 22.l:tf1 l:tc7 and 0-1 Bologan.

Timman-I.Sokolov Amsterdam 1 9 9 6

14 ....cS This advance allows Black not only to solve all his opening problems, but

9.aS! Seizing space and fixing the oppo­ nent's pawn structure. In the event of 9 . 0-0 Black has 9 . . . aS followed by . . . tLla6 (Beliavsky) and Black is fine. 9 ....li:lbd7 1 0.0-0 �dS 11 .li:ld2 and 1/2-112 Beliavsky

221

Tbe Cbebanenko Slav According to Bologan

12 ....e5 As is well known, any standard

Black does have the equivalent method of covering e S . After a capture on e4, the di­ agonal of the �b7 would be lengthened.

idea

1 3 .�h5 tZ'ldf6 14.'i'h3 tZ'lxe3 1 5.bxc3 ti:le4'f

16

Krasenkow-Movsesian Polanica Zdroj 2 0 0 0

requires accurate calculation. Or 1 3 .dxe5 tLlg4 l 4.h3 ( 1 4.e6 fxe 6 l 5 .�xg6 :!:!'xf3 l 6 .gxf3 tLlge5 1 7 .�c2 tLlxf3 + l S .g2 �f6 -+) 1 4 . . . tLlgxe5 1 5 .tLlxe5 tLlxe5 1 6 .�e2 'li'h4--... Movsesian. 13 .... tZJxe5 14.dxe5 tZJg4'f Now, bad is 15.f4 because of 15 ...d4 , therefore Black regains the pawn and obtains a small advantage. 1 3.tZ'lxe5

21

1 S ....tZJxe5 With the help o f this tactical

blow, Black cuts the Gordian knot and frees his game. 1 9.tZ'ldxe5 'il'xg4 20.�6 llaaSoo

22 17

Jobava-Avrukh Ohrid 2 0 0 1

1 6 .... dxe4 Another example on the theme of a favourable transformation of the centrat pawn structure. 1 7.bxe4 e5 1 S.d5 Better was l S .tLld2 exd4 ( l S . . . l:!.feS 1 9 . tLlde4) 1 9 . exd4 'li'xe2 2 0 . tLlxe2 1HeS 2 1 .�f1 = Avrukh. 1S .... tZJb6 1 9.exb5 exb5'f

Khuzman-I.Sokolov Istanbul 2 0 0 3

Wirig-Abergel Nancy 2 0 0 7

White has carried out the classical pene­ tration on the queenside, in the process forgetting about his king. 27....lLlgf3+ 2S.wh1 White loses by force after 28.gxf3 :ctgH 29 .'it>h1 �xg 1 + 3 0 .Wxg 1 I/i'xh3 3 1 .�xaS + �h7 . 2S .... tZJd2 He could de­ cide matters at once with 28 .. :iVf5 ! ! 2 9 .'Ii'xaS + �h7 3 0 . :!:!.bS :!:!'xg2 . 29:&!xcS+ llxeS+

18

Ilincic-Tosic Jahorina tt 2 0 0 1

23

1 S....�e5 In this way, Black liquidates his

opponent's pressure on the open file and obtains the advantage. 1 9.ki.xeS+ J::.xeS 20.�d4 'ge7.

19

J. Ivanov-Rustemov Dos Hermanas 2 0 0 2

De Villiers-Pick Durban Open 1 9 9 5

1 1 .e6! A blockading pawn sacrifice, the idea of which is to prevent Black finish­ ing his development normally. Black de­ clines the sacrifice but still has problems mobilising his forces on the kingside. 1 1 ....f6 1 1 . . . fxe6 1 2 .'Ii'xd3 g6 1 3 .0-0±.

1 2.15 White gets rid of his doubled pawn

1 2.0-0 g6 1 3.'ilVxd3 �g 7 1 4.h4±

and slightly weakens the pawn protection around the black king. 1 2 .... b6 1 3 .exb6

24

tZJxb6 14.fxg6 hxg6 15J;l.e1 �

20

Ivanchuk-Kasparov Prague (blitz-m / 3 ) 2 0 0 2

The difference between the squares e4 and e5 is that White cannot cover the e4-square by playing f3 , whilst 1 2 . .. .lt:le4

222

Lie-Ramirez Pula Open 2 0 0 7

1 1.tZJ xe6 I n our day, this idea has also be­ come standard: White sacrifices the

knight for two pawns, in order to obtain connected, far-advanced passed pawns. 1 1 ...�xe6 1 2 .axb5 tZJdxe5!? 1 2 . ..'I'c8 1 3 .b6±. 1 3:iVa3±

Solutions

25

Dreev-Volkov Samara

28

1998

Gelfand-Movsesian

Po1anica Zdroj

2000

1 7....a5! Using his advantage in develop­

1 2.f5 An elegant positional sacrifice.

ment and the extremely poor position of the white king, Black develops a fierce initiative within a few moves. 1 8.it,g2 The problems are not fully solved by 1 8 .4Jb6 �c3 + 1 9 .�d2 4Jxd2 2 0 . 'i¥xd2 .!:!.b8 2 1 .bxaS iVxcS =F . A better defence was of­ fered by the move 8 .bS ! ? , not allowing Black to include the rook on a8 in the game. For example, 1 8 . . . 4Jc3 1 9 . 4Jxc3 �xc3 + 20 .�xc3 �xc3 + 2 1 .�d2 �b4+.

White plays to restrict his opponent's minor pieces. 1 2 .... e4 1 3.it,xe4 dxe4

18 ....axb4 1 9.lI:lb6 l:la3-+

Bologan

26

Milos-Morozevich

New Delhi

2000

From the positional point of view, this exchange is favourable to Black, but in­ stead he had available a hidden combina­ tional solution: 3 S ... �xh4! 3 6.gxh4 .!:!.g6+ 3 7 .�g2 (3 7 .�h1 �d7 3 8 . �h2 �d6+ 39.�h1 �f6) 37 . . .�e2 3 8 .�xa4 (38 .�c2 .!:!.xg2+ 39 .�xg2 �d7-+) 3 8 . . .�xa4 39 ..!:!.xa4 �f3 -+ . 36.it,xe2 J:i:xe2+ Bologan 35 ...�e2

27

Krasenkow-Movsesian

Po1anica Zdroj

2000

1 7....it,xh3 An accurately calculated blow,

thanks to which Black obtains a large ad­ vantage. 1 8.gxh3 'iWxh3 1 9.14 1 9 . iV d 1 tLlf3 + (!) 2 0 .�xf3 �eS -+ ; 1 9 .�c3 fs 20.f4 4Jg4 2 1 ..!:!.f2 tiJxf2 2 v;i>xf2 "llUh 2 + 2 3 . <;£;lfl .!:!. f7 =F ; 1 9 .f3 iVg3 + 2 0 .';i>h1 .l:!:ae8 2 1 .�e l �h3 + 2 2 . <;t>g l d4 2 3 .e4 d3 -+ . 19 ....�g3+ 20.'.t>h1 d4! 21 .�e1

1 4.lLlxe4 0-0 1 5.'Ii'b3+ '.t>h8 1 6 .lLld6 it,h6 1 7.J:'l.fe1 ±

29

Dreev-Rausis

Luzern Wch-tt

1 99 3

1 1 .a4! Tactics in the service 0 f strategy! It turns out that the knight on c6 is unsta­ ble. and White manages to disrupt his op­ ponent's queenside. 1 1 .... .i1lb7 1 1 . . . b4 1 2 .as �b 7 1 3 . 4Ja 4 4Je4 1 4.Jtd3 tiJxd2 l S . �xd2 'fIc7 1 6 . 0 - 0 ;!;; ; 1 1 . . .'ihc6 1 2 .4J e4 �b6 l 3 .aS �b8 1 4.'!:!'xc8+ ! 1 4 . . . �xc8 l S .tiJxd 6 + . 1 2.axb5 axb5 13 .lLlxb5 it,xc6 �xb5 16 .�b4±

14.lLlxd6+ We7 15 ..i1lb5

30

Variation from 5 .e3 b5 6.c5 13 ....e5! It appears that White has taken all possible measures to prevent this advance. Even so, as the analysis below shows , it is precisely with this move that Black seizes the initiative, by exploiting the concrete tactical features of the position. 14.fxe5 lLlxe5 15.dxe5 axb4 l S . . . �xeS 1 6 .0-0 axb4 1 7 .axb4 '!:!'xa 1 1 8 .�xa 1 �h4 1 9 .h3 �xh3 20.�e 1 'il'h6 t. 1 6.lLlxb5 1 6 .axb4 k!:xa 1 1 7 .'lWxa l d4 1 8 .exd4 ( 1 8 .�e2 �xeS 1 9 .0-0 'il'M 2 0 . g3 �xg3 2 1 .hxg3 �xg3 +-+) 1 8 . . .�xd4 1 9 .�b 1 .!:!.d8 2 0 . 4Je4 �S 2 1 .�f4 �xd3 2 2 .�xd3 lhd3 =F. 1 6 .....ixe5 1 7.0-0 �a6 1 8.�xb4

'li'h3+ 22.'.t>g1 dxe3+

.ltxa1 1 9.1Lld6 .i1lxd3 20.'iWxd 3 .i1le5 21 .lLlxe8 'iWxe8+

Bologan

Komliakov

223

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

31

Veron-Draoui Syre 2 0 0 6

1 3 . . . '/!'xb2 1 4 . 0-0t. 14.lIxc4t Gagunashvili

1 6 .... J:rxf3! With the aid of this sacrifice, Black clevelolls

a

clangeTC"Y\l.s attack in the

centre and on the kingside. 1 7.�xf3 exd4 1 8.t2:ie2?! 1 8 .exd5 with the idea of 1 8 . . . dxc3 (very unpleasant is 1 8 . . . 4Je5 ) 1 9 .d6. 18 .... t2:ieS� 1 9.t2:ixd4 t2:ixf3+ 20.t2:ixf3 'lWf4 21 .t2:id4 �g7! 22.l:lfd1 �eS 23.f3 'li'e3+ 24.'.1>g2? Better is 24.'it>h l . 24 .... �xd4 2SJ�ab1 �h3+ 0-1 D.Primel.

33

'Pelletier-Morozevich Biel 2 0 0 6

1 1 ....cS! The standard break, after which everything is in order for Black. 12.e5 t2:ig4 1 3 .h3 cxd4 14.t2:idS exdS 1 S.hxg4 'lWe6+

34

Maki Uuro-Dautov Gothenburg Ech-tt 2 0 0 5

32

Gagunashvili-Haslinger Hastings 2006

Here White manages to prevent . . . c6-c5 in a rather unusual way. 1 3 .:aa4 'li'xc4

224

14....lilhS I t i s important to exchange one of the opponent's two bishops. 1 S .i<.xh5 �xhS 1 6 .'ufc1 'li'b7 1 7.bS cxbS 18.axb5 J:rfc8+

Index of Variations 1 .d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.tDf3 tDf6 4.tDc3 a6

S.cxdS cxdS 6 .1H4 t2lc6 . . . . .

.

.

.

30

- 5 . . . dxc4 44 - 5 . . . g6 45 - 5 . . . e6 46 - 5 . . . b5 47

- 7 . 1:.c 1 33 - 7 .ttJe5 37 - 7 .e3 38

S.h3 . . .

.

.

S . 'ifc2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

.

.

.

.

.

; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

- 5 . . . b5 41 ; 6.cxd5 41 , 6 .c5 41 - 5 . . . dxc4 42 - 5 . . . e6 42 ; 6.e3 42 , 6.cxd5 42 , 6.c5 42

S .'iVb3

.

.

.

...... . .... ...... .

.

.

.

48

- 5 . . . dxc4 48 - 5 . . . b5 50; 6.c5 50, 6.cxd5 50 - 5 . . . e6 52 ; 6.cxd5 52 , 6.g3 53 , 6 . a4 6.�f4 55, 6.�g5 55

225

54,

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

S .g3

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

6O

S �gS etJe4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6 .

- 5 . . . dxc4 60 - 5 . . . g6 63 - 5 . . . jLf5 64 - 5 . . . b5 65; 6 . cxd5 65, 6.b3 66, 6.c5 69

- 6 .�h4 76 - 6.h4 76 - 6 .e3 77 - 6.�4 78

S .�f4 dxc4

S .a4 e6 6.g3 .

- 6.e3 72 - 6 .e4 72 - 6.g3 73 - 6 . a4 73

226

.

.

.

.

.

..

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

. 72 .

- 6 . . . iLe7 84 - 6 . . . jLb4 85 - 6 . . . dxc4 86

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

. .. .

.

.

.

84

Index of variations

S.a4 e6 6.e3

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

93

.

- 6 . . . aS 97 - 6 ... .1Le7 1 02 - 6 ... h6 103 - 6 . . . 1Lb4 1 06 - 6 . . . ttJbd7 106

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

118

.

- 6.cxdS cxdS 119; 7 .g3 119, 7 . .1Lf4 120

- 6 . . . cS 7.1Ld3 tLlc6 8 . 0-0 93

S.a4 e6 6.�gS

s .ltJeS bS

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

97

S.CtJeS e6

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.. . .

.

.

.

121

- 6.g3 121 - 6 . .1LgS 121 - 6 .cS 1 22 - 6 .1Lf4 123

227

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

5 .tbe5 dxc4

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

124

5 .e3 b 5 6.cxd5 . . . . . . . . . . .

.

.

.

.

.

136

- 6 . cxd5 7 .�d3 e6 137; 8 . 0-0 137, 8 .e4 137, 8 .�eS 137

- 6.a4 125 - 6 .tbxc4 126

.

.

5 .tbe5 tbbd7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 9

5.e3 b5 6.b3 . .

- 6.i.f4 129; 6 . . . e6 129, 6 dxc4 129 - 6 .�xd7 �xd7 7 .'iYb3 130; 7 . . . dxc4 130, 7 ... JLc8 131, 7 ... e6 131 - 6 . cxdS 132 - 6. g 3 132

- 6 . ..if5 137 - 6 . . . e6 138 - 6 ... 2i.g4 138; 7 .h3 138, 7 .�d2 7 . il.e2 141

. . .

228

.

.

.

.

.

. .. .

.

.

. . . 137 .

.

..

141 ,

Index of Variations

5.e3 b5 6.c5

.

.

...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

. . .

.

.

.

146

- 6 . . . �5 146 - 6 . . . g6 147 - 6 . . . �g4 155

5 .e3 b5 6.c5 tLlbd7 .

5 .c5 �g4

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

166

.

- 6 .'iVb3 1 67; 6 . . . Ua7 1 67, 6 ... 'iic8 167 - 6.tue5 167; 6 ... �f5 167, 6 ... �e6 168, 6 . . . �h5 168

.

.

. .. .

.

.

.

.

. 1 59

- 7 .h3 159 - 7 .�d2 159 - 7 .�d3 1 59; 7 . . . e5 160, 7 .. :�c7 161 , 7 . . . g6 161 - 7 .b4 a5 161 - 7 .a3 162; 7 ... a5 163, 7 ... g6 1 63 , 7 . . . e5 163, 7 . . .'fic7 163 - 7 .�e2 1 63 - 7 ."'ifb3 163

5 .c5 g6 6.�f4 . .

.

.

.

.

.

. . . . . . . 170 .

.

.

- 6 . . . �g4 1 70 - 6 . . . tDh5 1 70 - 6 . . . �g 7 1 71

229

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

S .cS �fS

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

1 75

.

- 6.�b3 1 73; 6 . . . �c8 1 73, 6 .. . J::t a 7 1 74 - 6. �f4 tLlbd7 7.e3 1 75; 7 . . . g6 1 75, 7 . . . e6 1 75, 7 . . . tiJh5 1 78

S .cS tLJbd7 (6.e3 180, 6 .b4 1 81 , 6.g3 183, 6.�g5 184) 6.h3 . . . 1 85 .

- 6 . . . b 6 1 85 - 6 . . . g6 1 86 - 6 'WB c7 186 . . .

230

.

.

.

S .cS tLJbd7 6.�f4

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

. 190 .

- 6 ... g6 7 .e3 i.g7 190; 8.Jt.e2 190, 8.h3 191 - 6 . . . tLlh5 1 94; 7 . i.d2 194, 7 .�g5 194, 7 .i.e3 201 , 7 .e3 201 ; 7 . . . tLlxf4 201 , 7 . . . b 6 205, 7 . . . 16 205, 7 . . . f6 205, 7 . . . g 6 205

I ndex of Players The numbers refer to pages

A

Abergel Abramovic Acs Adianto Agamaliev Agrest Agzamov Ahlander Ahues Akesson Akimov Akobian Akopian

222 38 1 43 1 76 36, 38 5 0 , 1 1 5 , 1 68 191 194 94 76 45 175 38, 57, 1 68 AI Sayed 1 49 , 1 5 5 7 7 , 79 AIavkin 156 Aleshin 1 42 Alexandrov 1 75 Alexeev Alonso Garcia 1 26 Amonatov 1 43 , 1 5 7 Anand 1 3 , 3 3 , 1 3 8 , 1 5 1 , 220 137 Anapolsky 77 Anastasian 34 Andersson 1 72 Andres Gonzalez Antunes 35 1 53 Ardelean 211 Arduman 211 Argandona Aronian 9 2 , 1 49- 1 5 0 , 1 5 2 , 1 60 , 1 62 199 Arutinian 32, 220 Aseev

Atalik 8 9 , 1 1 3 , 1 3 0 , 1 3 2 , 1 48 , 1 6 2 1 88, 200, 206, Avrukh 222 Azmaiparashvili 26 B

203 Babiy 1 1 6 , 204 Babula Baburin 126 Bacrot 45 , 5 2 , 5 8 , 74, 8 9 , 9 2 , 9 5 , 9 7 , 99- 1 00 , 1 3 9 , 1 4 1 , 1 44 , 1 4 7 , 1 5 1 , 1 5 3 , 1 5 6 , 1 6 0 , 1 7 6, 1 9 2, 1 9 7 , 203, 207, 2 1 1 20, 27, 69 Bagirov Banikas 204, 2 0 6 Bareev 3 1 , 45 , 5 2 , 5 7 , 9 0 , 1 0 7 , 1 42 , 1 5 4, 1 5 9 , 1 63 , 176, 193, 201 Barlocco 86 Bauer 43 , 5 8 , 74 Beliavsky 2 0 , 2 6 , 34, 9 0 , 98-1 00, 1 0 8, 1 76, 2 1 1 , 221 92, 1 3 2 Belikov 70, 1 23 , Bellon Lopez 186 Belov,1. 95 Belov,V 1 9 5 , 2 0 4-2 0 5 Bereziuk 86, 141 1 04, 2 0 5 Berkes 66 Berkvens 126 Bezgodov 78 Bigg 46, 7 7 , 1 9 9 Bocharov

Bologan 3 4, 4 1 , 6 5 , 7 1 , 7 6 , 1 0 2 , 1 3 7 - 140, 1 42- 1 4 3 , 1 9 3 - 1 94, 1 9 6 , 221 Borovikov 1 77, 207 Bratanov 150 Braun,A. 42 Braun,M. 74 Braun,V 157 Brodsky 211 Bronstein 69 Browne 50, 57 Brynell 156 Bryzgalin 46, 1 23 , 1 5 6 Bu Xiangzhi 1 49 , 1 5 3 Budnikov 79 Buhmann 6 1 , 85 Bukal 123, 156 31 Bunzmann Burmakin 3 2 , 46, 1 1 6 , 1 24, 1 2 8 , 1 4 7 - 1 49 , 1 5 4, 1 6 1 , 1 72 , 1 9 1 - 1 93 , 1 99, 206, 2 1 0 191 Butuc C

Campara 1 72 Candela 211 1 1 4, 1 5 4- 1 5 5 Carlsen Cebalo 1 28, 1 75 171 Cech Charbonneau 70 Chebanenko 25 Chekhov 7 9 , 84 Chekurov 1 33 Cheparinov 1 00 23 1

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Chernin

3 3 , 1 40 , 1 7 5 , 2 0 6 , 220 1 96 Chiburdanidze Chuchelov 99, 1 5 4 111 Chuprikov Chuprov 115 90 Clery Cmilyte 1 59 Computer 'Francesca' 3 6 Computer 'Gambit T ' 34 Computer 'Nimzo 8' 34 Computer 'Zugzwang' 3 6 38 Conquest Coppini 37 1 43 Cosma 72 Cossin 121 Cox 188 Cramling

37 Dobrovolsky 1 20 Dokuchaev 50 Dolgener 1 22 Donchenko Dorfman 59, 207 Doric 31 Dovzik 6 6 , 1 8 1 , 1 94 1 19 Dragasevic 224 Draoui 1 9-20, 3 5 , 45 , Dreev 7 7 - 7 8 , 9 5 , 1 2 8 , 1 46 , 1 5 4, 1 62 , 1 6 7 , 1 84, 2 2 3 85, 17 6 Drozdovsky 90 Dudukin 1 40 Dumitrache 5 7 , 1 02 , 1 34 Dunis 1 07 Dunnington 54, 1 8 3 Dyachkov 130 Dzhandzhgava

D

Dableo Damljanovic Dao Thien Hai

153 137 77, 1 1 9, 1 29 Das 152 Dautov 3 1 , 3 5 , 9 1 , 99, 1 0 8 , 1 1 4, 1 1 9 , 1 2 9 , 1 5 3 - 1 54 , 1 7 7 , 2 0 2 , 2 0 7 , 224 1 02 David De La Riva Aguado 1 2 8 , 200, 202 De Villiers 222 Deegens 171 Degtiarev 1 67 - 1 68 Delchev 32 Demarre 1 82 Deviatkin 127 Dizdar 94, 1 3 2 Djingarova 211 Dlugy 1 39 Dobrov 1 43 232

E

45, 5 7 , 1 07 1 83 8 5 , 1 54, 1 68 , 1 7 8 , 1 94 1 56 Elsness 206 Engqvist Epishin 7 0 , 9 3 -94, 1 2 6 , 1 3 1 , 1 6 7 , 1 7 0- 1 7 1 , 22 0 1 92 Erdos 1 2 7 , 1 62 Erenburg 50 Eriksson 152, 203 Ernst 94 Euler 1 60 , 1 9 2 Evdokimov 86 Ewaldt

Ehlvest Elarbi Elianov

F

1 3 3 - 1 34 , 2 1 0-2 1 1 Fardbehbahani 74 1 82 Feldman

Farago

Fernandez Romero Filip,L. Filippov Flumbort Foisor Fontaine Franco Fressinet Fridman Ftacnik Fuksik

1 26 , 1 37 , 1 86 1 67 207 205 1 86, 193 9 0 , 202 183 54, 202 93, 141 108 36

G

Gagunashvili

9 8 , 1 0 6, 1 1 4, 1 99 , 224 192 Galin 58 Galliamova 55 Garcia Callejo 1 13 Garcia Palermo 34 Garcia Vicente 75 Gareev 62 Gartner Gavrikov 2 6-2 7 , 34, 38, 1 0 3 , 1 4 0 , 2 2 0-2 2 1 49 Gelashvili Gelfand 3 8 , 45, 5 0 , 7 8 , 84, 9 1 , 1 0 0- 1 0 1 , 1 1 2 , 1 1 4, 1 5 1 , 1 5 4, 1 6 0 , 1 7 1 , 1 7 8, 1 9 3 , 2 0 0 , 2 0 8 , 2 1 1 , 223 74 Gelle 39 Geller Georgiev,Kir. 3 2 , 45, 58, 1 62 , 1 7 7 - 1 7 8 , 206 Georgiev,V. 3 3 , 1 0 8, 1 89 31 Gerber 98 Gershon 1 48 Gerzhoy 1 2 6 , 1 30 Giorgadze Gisbrecht 9 5 , 129 Gleizerov 1 2 0 , 1 2 3 , 1 27, 1 3 7 , 141

Index of Players

69, 7 1 Goldin Gonzalez Garcia 35 Gormally 79 3 3 , 52, 98 Grabarczyk 1 85 Grachev,Y. 197 Graf,A. GraCF. 1 27 Greenfeld 97, 1 07 65 Grigore Grigorieva 139 Grischuk 94, 1 3 7 , 1 4 3 , 151 Gross 128 132 Gschnitzer 1 42 Guliev Gurevich,D. 1 6 1 , 22 1 33, 38 Gurevich,M. Guseva 1 87 1 09, 1 1 1 Gustafsson 1 08, 1 69, Gyimesi 202-203 , 2 05-206, 2 1 1 H

1 6 8 , 204 Halkias 1 88, 1 95 Hansen,c. 191 Hansen,H. Hansen,S.B. 1 0 0 , 1 2 7 , 1 8 8 34, 1 5 3 Harikrishna 224 Haslinger 76, 1 1 9, 1 95 Hellsten 42 Henrichs 75 Hergott Hernandez,Gust. 54 Herraiz Hidalgo 1 34 113 Hillarp Persson Hochgrafe 95 Hodgson 3 8 , 4 5 , 6 5 , 7 0 , 1 0 6 , 1 1 9 , 1 3 0 , 1 6 7 , 1 7 4, 22 1 156 Hole Horvath, Cs. 45 53 Horvath,G.

181 Horvath,M. 193 Horvath,P' 98 Houska 1 03, 1 6 7 , 2 1 0 Hubner 1 3 2 , 1 94 Hulak 155 Hussein I

Ibragimov 1 94 1 52 Ibrahimov 192 Idrisova 222 Hincic Iliushin 49-5 0 , 2 0 7 157 Iljin Illescas Cordoba 9 0 , 1 7 5 , 22 1 177 Inarkiev 192 Ionescu,M. Ionescu-Brandis 7 5 , 8 9 32, 1 3 2 , 20 1 Ionov 34 Iordachescu 1 69 Iotov 32, 200, 204 Iskusnikh 26, 1 9 1 Itkis Ivanchuk 46, 5 0 , 1 5 3 , 2 2 2 58 Ivancsics 42, 77 Ivanisevic 222 Ivanov,]' Ivanov,Se. 84, 94, 1 7 2 , 176 Ivanov, V. 1 95 , 202 1 76 Ivanovic 1 93 Izeta 1 7 0, 209 Izoria J

Jankovic Janssen Jelling Jirh Jobava Johannessen

153 114 33 1 1 6, 1 7 1 1 99, 222 1 26

Jovanic Jukic

157 74

K

150 Kachiani 34 Kadimova 5 0 , 1 84, 1 9 2 Kahn 35 Kaidanov Kallai 1 2 3 , 1 3 2 , 1 3 4, 2 0 6 Kamsky 3 3 , 3 8 , 9 0 , 1 1 2 , 1 4 7 , 1 5 3 , 1 7 5 , 1 7 8, 1 9 8- 1 99 1 68 Kanep 46 Karalkin 1 0 0, I l l , 1 6 0 Karjakin Karpov 1 3 8 , 1 4 1 , 1 44 1 7 6 , 204 Karttunen Kasimdzhanov 1 0 1 , 1 3 1 Kasparov 1 1 4, 1 1 6 , 2 0 0 - 2 0 1 , 2 0 5 , 222 Kazhgaleev 6 1 , 1 2 7 , 1 5 5 , 1 8 8 , 2 0 3 , 205 Keitlinghaus 7 7 , 1 8 6, 1 95 Kengis 1 67 1 84 Kern Khalifman 3 8 , 5 0 , 5 7 , 7 5 , 1 0 6 , 1 1 3 , 1 9 2 , 202 1 44 Kharitonov,Al. Kharitonov,And. 27 Khenkin 5 1 , 7 0 , 99, 1 1 0 , 1 4 7 , 206 159 Khmelniker 220 Khmelnitsky Khuzman 86, 1 6 7 , 222 Kirov 1 34 Kiselev,S. 1 22 Kiselev, V. 45 Kiseleva 89 43 , 1 9 5 Knaak Kobalia 44, 7 7 , 1 00 , 203-205 189 Kobylkin 233

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

201 Kogan ,A. Kogan,B. 54, 5 7 Komarov 6 5 , 1 34 Komliakov 90, 1 27 , 1 3 9- 1 40 , 1 42 , 1 7 8 131 Korneevets Korobov 44 Korotylev 49, 1 6 2 Kortchnoi 4 9, 5 8 , 6 3 , 7 1 , 221 Kosic 1 19 Kozlov 1 88 , 207 Kozul 74, 1 4 7 , 1 5 3 , 1 5 6 Kramnik 3 3 , 99 , 1 1 6 , 1 75 , 1 78, 221 Krapivin 61 Krasenkow 206, 220, 222-223 Kritz 42 , 1 0 0 , 1 2 1 , 1 2 7 , l 3 7- l 3 8 , 1 4 5 , 1 5 9, 1 7 5 , 1 79 210 Krivoborodov 35 Krivonosov l 39 Krivoshey 153 Kruppa 95 Krush 45 Krutti 47 Ksieski 36 Kubecka 1 47 Kulj asevic 1 54 Kunte 197 Kuraszkiewiez 79 Kurmann 1 83 Kurnosov 101 Kursova 1 79 Kutirov 74 Kuznetsov,K. L

54, 9 9 , 1 3 8 , 1 47 l'Ami 1 92 Lakhno,Kon. 1 0 7 , 1 19, 203 Lalic 234

Langheinrieh 1 54 Lasanta Riea 39 Lautier 5 7 , 1 0 2 , 1 5 1 , 1 5 3 , 1 7 1 , 1 95, 207 126 Lavretsky Laznieka 42 , 1 1 2 , 1 45 , 1 98-1 99, 2 1 0 Le Quang Liem 42, 8 6 , 1 29 Lerner 1 09, 1 6 7 177 Lesiege 51 Leszczynski l 3 , 86, 202 Levitt 1 99 Li Shilong Liang Zhihua 1 56 31 Libiszewski 222 Lie 86 Lindinger 133 Litvinov 7 7 , 1 1 4, 2 2 1 Lobron 66 Lobzhanidze 200 Loginov l 32 Loncar 38 Lopatin 9 0 , 1 48 , 1 6 3 Lputian l33 Lugovoi 1 1 9, 1 26 Lukacs 206-207 Luther 76 Lutz 120 Lyrberg 1 85 Lysyj M

1 40 Macek 39, 7 7 , Magem Badals 1 7 3 , 1 75, 1 82, 1 93, 200 25, 55 Magerramov 47 Maidla 224 Maki Uuro Malakhatko l 3 8 , 1 4 1 , 2 1 1 Malakhov 5 9 , 6 4 , 7 7 , 85 , 94, 9 9 - 1 0 1 , 1 43 ,

1 48- 1 49 , 1 5 4- 1 5 5 , 1 8 7 , 1 9 1 , 1 9 5 - 1 9 6 , 2 0 1 -2 0 3 , 209 1 93 Malikgulyew Malinin 46 Mamedyarov 1 0 1 , 1 0 8 , 1 75 Marie 202 54 Marin,L. Marin,M. 34, 1 7 8 Marjanovie 5 2 , 94 Markos l39 170 Marszalek 1 82 Martin,T. Martinovsky 1 76 6 6 , 70 Marzolo 160 Matlakov 93 Matros 47 , 1 5 7 Matveeva Medghoul 83 1 26 Meduna 53 Meister 65 Menadue 1 20 Meynard 1 52 Michielsen 1 49 Miedema 191 Mikhalchishin 1 67 , 196 Mikhalevski 3 9 , 66 Miles 205 Miljkovie 223 Milos 1 0 6 , l 3 8 , 163 Milov Miton 6 1 , 9 8 , 1 4 7 , 1 7 6 l31 Mochalov 183 Mohammad 155 Moiseenko 47 Molander 189 Molchanova 94 Montieelli Morozevieh 3 1 , 5 6 , 84, 9 8 , 1 1 4, 1 44, 1 69 , 1 9 6, 2 2 3-224

Index of Players

20 1 , 2 2 0 Moskalenko 147 Motylev Movsesian 4 3 , 49 , 7 7 - 7 8 , 9 1 -9 2 , 1 0 7 , 1 1 9 , 1 2 3 , 1 3 0 , 1 7 7 , 1 9 8- 1 9 9 , 2 0 8 , 2 1 0 , 222-223 137 , 193 Movsziszian 1 93 Myc N

Naer 7 7 , 8 5 , 9 1 , 1 04, 1 0 9 , 1 7 7 , 203 1 64, 1 9 9 NakaIIlura 1 67 Nanu 37-38 Naumkin 1 89 Navara Nebolsina 9 5 , 1 54, 1 5 6 Nedela 37 1 88 Neelotpal 139 Neuman Nevednichy 65 1 42 Neverov Nguyen Chi Minh 1 86 Ni Hua 1 46 , 1 5 5 190 Nicoara Nielsen,P.H. 4 1 , 9 1 , 1 0 1 , 1 2 6- 1 2 7 Niesch 181 1 47 Nikcevic 69 Nikolaidis Nikolic 3 1 , 68, 2 0 6 -2 0 7 , 211, 221 3 4 , 62 Nogueiras Notkin 79, 94 32 Novitsky Nyback 177 o

75 O'Donnell Ogloblin 200 1 3 , 3 5 , 1 3 8, 220 011 176 Oms Pallise

Onischuk 1 0 0 , 1 04 , 1 43 1 76 Onoprienko 139 Ovseevich p

209-2 1 0 123, iSS 210 1 07, 2 1 0 1 15 1 32, 1 67, 224 Peng Zhaoqin 1 2 2 , 1 9 6 62, 1 34 Perez 1 64 Pert 138 Petrosian,S. 222 Pick Pieper Emden 1 74 Piket 45 , 5 2 , 7 8 , 1 0 8 , 1 7 7 , 202-203 1 40 , 2 02 , 2 0 5 Pinter 66 Plaskett 26 Platonov 204 Pliasunov 1 20 Pochikeev 210 Polak 1 40 Polgar,Z. 57 Polugaevsky 89, 1 5 1 Ponomariov Popchev 94 1 7 7 , 1 84 Popov,I. 25-26, 79 Popov,N. 1 50, 197, 199 Popov,v. Popovici 75 62 Postl Postny 3 1 , 1 0 8 , 1 2 3 , 1 44, 1 99 20 1 Potkin Prh� 54, 5 8 - 5 9 , 9 8 , 1 5 6 , 202 1 3 7 , 1 39, 1 53 Prusikin 1 54 Pustov

Palo Panarin Papa Paragua Peek Pelletier 56-5 7 ,

R

133 Rabinovich 153, 21 1 Radjabov 147 Rajkovic Ramirez Alvarez 203 , 22 2 Raspovic 1 84 7 9 , 223 Rausis 1 62 Reiss Relange 66 Renet 94 Riazantsev 1 2 7 , 1 3 0 , 1 3 4, 1 42 , 2 0 1 , 2 1 1 131 Richter, C. 57 Rivas Pastor Rodriguez Gonzalez 1 8 3 Rodshtein 36, 1 79 Rogozenko 4 1 , 4 3 , 5 3 , 5 6 , 1 0 5 , 1 1 9, 1 7 9 , 20 1 , 220 1 18 Rohwer Roiz 42 , 1 5 0 , 1 7 5 70, 86 Romanishin 200 Rozentalis 1 28 Ruban Rublevsky 1 4 1 , 1 4 7 , 220 Ruck 3 1 , 7 0 , 9 1 - 92, 1 09, 1 2 3 - 1 24, 1 3 2 Rustemov 7 8 , 1 49 - 1 5 0 , 206, 2 1 0 , 222 1 27 Rychagov,A. S

13, 38 Sadler Saeed Saeed 50 Safin 2 0 6 , 209 Sakaev 3 1 , 1 3 7 , 1 43 , 1 5 0, 1 5 6 , 1 7 1 , 1 7 7 , 1 9 5 , 20 1 , 203, 206, 208, 220 211 Saltaev 127 Sarnhouri SaIIlmalvuo 76, 132 191 San Segundo 1 02 Sanchez 235

The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan

Sandstrom 7 6 , 1 6 8 Sirnik 1 84 Thorsteins 19, 78 Sapis 1 95 Slipak 113 Thuroczy 181 Sarakauskas 8 3 , 1 1 6 Slobodjan 177 Tihonov 157 Sareen 1 54 Slug in 1 85 Tirnman 4 2 , 6 3 , 2 0 0 , 2 2 1 Sasikiran5 9 , 64, 1 43 , 1 5 3 , Smagin 94 Timoschenko,Gen. 5 6 , 5 8 , 2 0 0 -2 0 1 Smyslov 39 139 Savchenko,B. 127 Sokolov,L 6 3 , 9 5 , 99- 1 0 1 , Timoshenko,L 47 Savchenko,S. 3 2 , 8 6 , 1 0 7 , 1 3 8 , 1 60 , 1 62 , 1 6 7 - 1 6 9 , Tischbierek 221 1 5 4, 1 9 5 1 7 4, 1 7 6- 1 7 7 , 1 8 7 , 2 0 3 , Titov 55 Schandorff 9 1 , 1 3 2 , 1 8 6 , 2 2 1 -2 2 2 Tkachiev 1 1 1, 139 1 94 Soldatov 47 Todorovic 94 Schekachev 58 Soln 54 Tolnai 133 Schenk 99 Solomon 1 20 1 70 Tomaszewski 131 Schmidt,B. 206 Solozhenkin 86 Ton That Nhu Tung Schon 1 74 Soppe 62 Topalov 1 0 4, 1 6 9 , 1 7 8 , Sebag 1 59 Sorokin 1 9 7 - 1 9 8 , 2 0 1 , 206 6 2 , 1 6 8 , 1 84 Sedina 115 61 Sosonko Torbin 54 Sedlak 1 83 Tosic 42 , 1 1 2 Sotnikov 222 Tozer Seel 191 Speelman 209 46 Tregubov 1 49 Sriram Seifert 49-5 0 , 202 47 Treppner 103 128 2 0 5 , 2 1 0 Stajcic Seres 191 1 2 3 Tsatsalashvili 1 9 5 1 9 6 Stangl Sergeev 20, 27, 77, Tukmakov 205 1 0 0 , 1 0 5 Stefanek Shabalov 202 3 1 , 47 , 5 0 , 38 Stefanova Shabanov 1 1 6, 126, 1 33 9 8 - 1 0 1 , 1 2 7 , 1 8 7 - 1 8 8 , Tunik 72, 123 Shalamberidze 93 Turner 196 47 , 7 9 Shemeakin 1 85 Stefansson 9 0 , 2 0 2 -2 0 3 , Tuzhik 1 94- 1 9 5 Sherbakov 1 69 Tzekov 209-2 1 1 196 Sheremetieva 43 , 1 8 6 35 Stocek Sherzer U 1 2 3 , 1 94, 1 9 6 Stohl 87 Shimanov 71, 119 Ulibin 3 3 45 Sulava Shinkevich 77 Umansky 1 86, 64, 1 49 Sundararajan Shipov 1 0 5 , 1 44 Ushenina 1 88-1 89 5 2 , 7 1 , 7 8 , 1 49 , Shirov 45 , 7 8 1 5 2 , 1 7 1 , 1 7 4- 1 7 5 , Svetushkin 3 1 , 1 5 7 , 1 8 8 , Utnasunov 2 0 7 1 9 3 - 1 94, 2 2 1 V 1 52 Svidler 79 Shomoev 9 9 , 1 06 , 1 7 6 Vaganian 1 48 5 8 , 1 7 3 Swathi Short Vallejo Pons 3 6 , 1 5 2 , 1 6 3 , 47 84, 1 1 9 Sysoenko Shovunov 198 Shulman 84, 8 6 , 9 8 , 1 0 5 1 76 Van Delft T 1 89 Shumiakina 1 04 Van den Doel 1 49 Talish Zade 1 15 Siebrecht 1 20 Van den Heever 200 Tasdan 52 Simic 236

Index of Players

Van der Sterren 68 Van der Stricht 3 1 , 1 48 171 Van der Werf Van der Wiel 1 04 , 1 22 Van Wely 1 00 , 1 04, 1 0 9 , 1 1 1-1 1 2 , 167, 1 73, 1 75, 202-203 66 Vasilchenko Vasilevich 1 2 7 , 1 8 6 , 1 8 8 Vegh 53, 1 1 3 1 67 , 1 69 Veingold Velicka 7 7 , 7 9 , 1 2 6 , 1 2 8 , 1 96 224 Veron Vitiugov 1 97 26 Vladimirov Vnuk 79 71 Voiska Volke 198 Volkov 3 2 , 4 5 , 64, 7 9 , 8 6 , 1 0 6, 1 1 0- 1 1 1 , 1 24, 1 2 6 , 1 3 0 , 1 3 3 , 1 48 , 1 52, 1 56, 1 83, 1 86, 1 89, 1 9 5 , 200, 207-208, 22 1 , 223 132 Volzhin Von Herman 85 1 61 Vukic,I. 1 05 Vukic,R.

Vysochin 3 6 , 45 , 9 1 , 1 7 7 , 189 1 84 Vyzhmanavin W

1 73 128 137

Z

Wang Hao 1 00 , 1 04 137 Wang Yu Wang Yue 1 00 , 1 43 - 1 44, 161 Ward 1 3 0 , 1 74 1 89 Wei Chenpeng 20, 83 Wells 58 Wemm e rs 1 03 Werner 54 Winants Wirig 1 4 1 , 1 5 4, 2 2 2 52, 1 98 Wojtaszek x

Xu ]un

Yudasin Yurtaev Yusupov

1 98 , 2 0 8

y

Yakovenko 4 3 , 1 1 2 , 1 3 9 , 1 59, 1 6 1 , 1 63 , 1 76, 203 1 19 Ye Rongguang Yermolinsky 1 1 8, 208 Yevseev 6 1 , 8 7 , 8 9 , 1 44, 1 56

38 1 7 7 , 206 2 6 , 79 1 6 1 , 1 69 32 46, 7 9 , 1 1 5 -1 1 6 1 24 Zakharov Zakhartsov 92, 1 2 7 , 1 5 2 , 157 1 71 Zamanov Zatonskih 98 Zhang Ziyang 137 1 48 Zhao Xue 25 Zhitkus 1 98 Zhou Weiqi Zhu Chen 8 3 , 1 2 5 , 1 44, 1 5 6 , 202 99, 1 05 , 1 25 , Zhukova 1 87 , 1 90, 1 9 5 52 Zichichi 128 Zifroni 38 Zuger 41, 221 Zviagintsev

Zagorskis Zagrebelny Zaid Zaja Zakharchenko Zakharevich

237

New I n Chess Code System

White stands slightly better Black stands slightly better White stands better Black stands better White has a decisive advantage Black has a decisive advantage balanced position unclear position compensation for the material strong (sufficient) weak (insufficient) better is weaker is good move excellent move bad move blunder interesting move dubious move only move with the idea attack initiative lead in development counter play mate correspondence

238

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