% BOOKTITLE = Starting Out; The Scandinavian
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "About this publication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 {. In recent years the Scandinavian has been catapulted into the
limelight, and it has now firmly established itself as an opening to be
reckoned with. Why has it become popular? Because it's easy to play - in the
majority of lines Black relies upon the same system of development. Also
there's still relatively little theory when compared to mainline defences to 1
e4. One further attraction is that it can lead to both tactical and positional
play - there is something to suit all styles of player. Opening expert Jovanka
Houska has successfully played both sides of the Scandinavian, and in this
book she reveals everything you need to know, whether you are playing it as
Black or facing it with White.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Preface"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 {. The Scandinavian (or the Centre Counter as it is also known) is a
long established opening. Indeed, the first recorded game was played in the
15th century. In the 19th century its popularity was based on its aggressive
and tactical opportunities; Black players were lunging like wild men with an
early ...e5 at White's central d4-pawn. Nowadays its popularity lies in the
simplicity of the "big idea" fundamental to the opening, and the fact that
from the first move Black players are on their own turf. A further point to
add to this is that whereas players on the White side are incredibly booked up
on the Sicilian, 1...e5, the French, etc, against the Scandinavian many simply
rely on some scarce knowledge in the hope that simple and natural moves will
give them the advantage.} 2. -- {On a personal note, I began using the
Scandinavian through my teens and the opening took me very easily to Woman
Grandmaster level. I must confess before signing on the dotted line that I was
a little nervous as to whether I should embark on this project. I was hesitant
as to whether I could convey the sophistications and subtleties both sides
employ against each other. However, while musing over the problem, I had a
sudden brainwave as to how to categorize the information and so the year-long
project (or obsession!) began. --- I must also confess to be a little bit
inspired to disprove the negative opinion that shrouds the opening at the
highest level, but I must stress there is a big difference between the elite
(with their supporting seconds) and the lone individual playing club chess on
a weeknight! I remember when I played 1...d5, there was always a pause
followed by an "hmmm" when my opponent contemplated what to play!} (2. -- {
My task was helped enormously by the published work of Grandmasters Sergei
Tiviakov, John Emms, Eric Prié, Karsten Müller and Matthias Wahls, whose
analysis I have tried to build upon. I must also hold my hands up and admit
that at times the material is slightly biased towards the black pieces,
primarily because I figured that those buying a book on the Scandinavian would
normally be adherents. However, I have not shirked away from tough lines and I
have always tried to be honest as to which variations I prefer and which are
the strongest ideas for both sides. --- There is no denying that there are
some tough lines for Black to master; the advent of computers has brought a
much closer scrutiny on openings. However, I believe with a deep understanding
of the ideas and plans behind the opening one can defeat those relying on such
technological beasts, and this is what this introductory Starting Out book
aims to do. I will always highlight which lines one needs to memorize and when
the viability of a position depends on a certain move or whether there is a
certain plan that one must follow.}) (2. -- {Jovanka Houska, July 2009.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "1. Introduction to 2...Qxd5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "4"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{Let's look at the first moves:} 1. e4 d5 {A bold move: Black hits out at the
e4-pawn without even bothering to support this challenge with another pawn.} 2.
exd5 {. The Scandinavian seems to be a puzzling opening, to say the least,
mainly because it flaunts one of the very basic tenets of opening play: "don't
move the same piece twice!" Every beginner has this maxim drilled into them,
yet this is exactly what you do in the Scandinavian: whether with the knight
in the 2...Nf6 line, or with the queen after 2...Qxd5.} -- {So what is the
purpose of the opening? What is the thing that Black is willing to trade his
time for? --- As 2...Qxd5 and 2...Nf6 are rather distinct, it is impossible to
write a general introduction on the themes covering both these systems.} ({
So this chapter deals with} 2... Qxd5 {
ideas, and the first part of the book covers all the 2...Qxd5 lines.}) ({
Chapter Eleven onwards deals with} 2... Nf6 {. --- NOTE: Because Black must
clearly recapture the d5-pawn with a piece, we are looking to understand the
position in terms of piece placement. In this way Black retains the flexible
e6/c6 pawn structure also seen in Caro-Kann and Slav positions.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Her Majesty Enters the Game"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 {. So what is the whole point of the 2...Qxd5
Scandinavian? Why does Black commit one of the cardinal sins of not only
moving any piece more than once, but the queen? Well, as with most things in
the opening, the answer lies in the middle of the board. Black's opening two
moves have achieved two things. First of all Black has freed the problematic
light-squared bishop, and more importantly he has provoked White into
attacking the queen so that White cannot establish the two-pawn centre of d4/c4.} 3. -- ({Can White try to set up a two-pawn centre immediately? Well, to
put it rather bluntly the answer is a resounding "No!".} 3. d4 {
is convincingly met by} e5 $1 {and White's advantage has already dissipated.})
({The tricky} 3. Nf3 {is the most convincing try to establish the d4/c4 pawn
centre and this is looked at in more detail in Chapter Ten.}) ({
Let's move on to most natural move,} 3. Nc3 {, seizing the opportunity to
develop a piece while at the same time attacking the queen. This leads us to a
further crossroads. Black's main two moves here are} Qa5 ({and} 3... Qd6) ({
; there are also the minor options} 3... Qd8) ({, and} 3... Qe5+ {). In all lines the onus is on White to refute Black's play. If White doesn't play actively,
Black will be able to equalize in a very straightforward manner. If White
starts "drifting", then Black has a very specific plan of development. We'll
move on to 3...Qd6 in Chapter Seven. For the first part of the book we
concentrate on the traditional main line, 3...Qa5.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3...Qa5 - The Big Idea"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4rk1/pp1nbppp/2p1pn2/q4b2/3P4/8/PPP2PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]

1. -- {The basic plan for Black is not based on tactical considerations, and
he is not looking to strike out early with pawns breaks such as...c5 or ...e5.
Instead Black is looking for a specific mode of development that is in essence
simply a favourable version of the Caro-Kann. This systematic form of
development is particularly effective against White's one pawn (d4) centre.
--- As we can see from the diagram, the light-squared bishop is safely
developed on f5, Black has nice control of the d5-square and if Black wishes
to open the position he can make use of his flexible pawn structure and the
semi-open d-file with a timely ...c6-c5 break. If Black wishes to keep the
position closed then he can also play ...b7-b5 to reinforce the all-important
d5-square and maintain good control of the light squares. --- However, the
theory in the 3...Qa5 Scandinavian has exploded in the last few years, with
numerous attempts by White to refute Black's set-up. As a consequence, very
important discoveries have been made for the White side. However, just like
the Red Queen's race in Alice Through the Looking Glass, Scandinavian players
have adapted too (the Red Queen is constantly running but she never gets
anywhere as the surroundings run with her!). Thanks to the efforts of
Grandmasters Eric Prié, Matthias Wahls, Ian Rogers, Susanto Megaranto and
others, the Scandinavian is still alive and kicking, although I must admit
some lines have perhaps been consigned to the historical archives...} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "General Plans for White"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4k3/pp3ppp/2p1p3/8/3P4/8/PPP2PPP/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]

{Pawn Breaks:} 1. -- {Here is a little jokey rule: you cannot win the game
without pushing your pawns! --- If we look at most lines of the 2...Qxd5
Scandinavian, we see one unusual thing: apart from 1... d5, ...e7-e6 and ...
c7-c6, Black concentrates on moving his pieces. Not advancing the pawns so far
forward has two effects:} ({1) As top Scottish Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson
once mentioned to me, White has in fact a very limited number of pawn breaks
(just three: d4-d5, f4-f5 and b4-b5), and this at times can be an unpleasant
fact to handle. Looking at the structure in the current diagram, it is obvious
that the tactical pawn break} 1. d5 {is the most effective one, and the one
which explodes open the board particularly if the black king is still lurking
in the centre. --- NOTE: Because the d5-square is usually heavily protected,
this pawn break must be tactically-based.}) (1. -- {2. If White does not
succeed with pawn breaks, the focus of play will be on the wings. White has
the time and the extra space to launch a pawn storm on the flanks. Playing
with pieces rather than the pawns leaves Black particularly vulnerable to rapid
kingside expansions, and because his pieces having no shield to hide behind
they may become vulnerable. Compare the main line of the Caro-Kann, 1 e4 c6 2
d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Bf5 5 Ng3 Bg6, and now White plays 6 h4 seizing space
on the kingside.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Big Strike"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[SourceDate "2011.06.08"]

{Hitting the core of the c6/e6 pawn structure with d4-d5! --- By sacrificing
time in order to establish White's one-pawn centre, Black is playing a very
risky game. This means that he must take extra care when completing the
opening stage because he is behind in development. I have come to the
conclusion that Black should not allow the position to open with d4-d5 at any
cost. In my opinion, this is perhaps the most important issue in the
Scandinavian - should Black be a little careless then this little pawn break
can wreak untold havoc on the black position. --- I cannot stress enough the
danger of this pawn break. Why should Black be so vigilant to the danger?
Because of the following: -- TIP: When you are ahead in development, you
should open up the position! -- Black has used a lot of time playing for
long-term objectives, and consequently he is lagging in development. Please be
extremely vigilant! --- However, there are some important conditions required
for a successful d4-d5: -- For the greatest effect, Black's king should be in
the centre and there should be the possibility of a discovered attack on the
black queen on a5. -- The light-squared bishop on c4 must be protected,
otherwise Black can simply play ...Qc5! removing his queen from danger and
hitting the bishop with tempo. --- Such is the potency of the d4-d5 pawn break
that some of the ideas behind modern move orders are based on procuring d4-d5
even at the cost of delaying the development of the minor pieces. For example,
this is the idea behind playing} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5.
Bd2 {or 5 Bc4: White intends to delay the development of the knight on g1 and
follow up with Qe2 and d4-d5!} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The f4-f5 pawn break"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{This is another dangerous idea White has at his disposal. This time the pawn
break is aimed at the "Scandinavian bishop" (a popular term used for Black's
light-squared bishop) and the e6-pawn. This plan can be enforced immediately
in the opening or as part of a middlegame strategy.} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3.
Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 {and now:} 5. -- (5. Bc4 c6 6. Nge2 Bf5 7. Ng3 Bg6 8. O-O e6
9. f4 {provides an example of how White uses the f4-f5 motif in the opening.})
({However, the f4-f5 pawn break is particularly dangerous when associated with
a kingside pawn attack, primarily because with the move f2-f4 White reinforces
control of the e5-square and threatens all manner of nasties on the kingside:
f4-f5, h2-h4 etc. Take this following example, from the notes to Blit-Leon
Hoyos:} 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Ne5 e6 8. g4 Bg6 9. Bd2 Qb6 10. Qe2 Nbd7 {
. Black has wasted time retreating his queen and has allowed White to jump
with the knight to e5. White launches a pawn storm with} 11. f4 {
and Black is really struggling.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The b2-b4-b5 pawn break"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{This queenside flank attack is usually seen as part of a middlegame strategy
to provoke a weakness in the black camp or to open files. However, it is also
sometimes seen as an opening strategy. Take the famous game N.Short-I.Rogers,
Tilburg (rapid) 1992:} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Be2 Bg4
6. h3 Bh5 7. b4 {White is using the weakness of the b7-pawn in order to expand
on the queenside and to chase the queen away. After} Qb6 8. O-O c6 9. Rb1 e6 {
, White employed the pawn break} 10. b5 $1 {
to obtain a very dangerous initiative.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The kingside flank attack"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[SourceDate "2011.06.11"]

{Hunting the Scandinavian bishop. --- Along with the tactical pawn break d4-d5,
this is the most dangerous idea White has against the 3...Qa5 Scandinavian.
Using the light-squared bishop as a target and often catching Black unaware,
White intends to expand rapidly and dangerously on the kingside. Take this
remarkable example, which John Emms gives in his book:} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5
3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O c6 8. Re1 Be7 9. Ne5 O-O {
. As White has castled early on the kingside (a line known not to be so
challenging), Black has rather hastily followed suit with his own monarch.
Normally the kingside pawn attack is at its most dangerous when White has
castled queenside, but Black has been caught unaware, and} 10. g4 $1 Bg6 11. h4
$1 {leaves the Scandinavian bishop in some trouble.} -- {Black should be
especially vigilant to the possibility of a kingside pawn storm when: -- White
has played a knight to e5; -- Black is considering whether to castle kingside
and White has not castled; -- Black is considering developing the Scandinavian
bishop to g4 instead of the more usual f5-square; -- and Black has wasted
further time retreating his queen. --- NOTE: If Black unnecessarily retreats
his queen to c7 or b6, jumping to e5 with the knight followed by a kingside
pawn storm is the principled reaction. The general rule for Black is that he
should only retreat his queen when White absolutely forces him to do so! ---
TIP: As we will later learn, Black should nearly always challenge a white
knight on e5 with ...Nbd7.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Black's Light-Square Strategy"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[SourceDate "2011.06.11"]

{This is the main strategy of the 3...Qa5 Scandinavian. Black wishes to take
control of the light squares with the Scandinavian bishop, the knights and
even the pawns. This theme is particularly prevalent in lines such as the old
main line:} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7.
Bd2 e6 8. Qe2 {(see Chapter Three). The whole idea is for Black to get a
complete bind on the light squares using as a primary base his stronghold of
d5. The critical squares for this theme are d5 and e4. Control of these
squares in conjunction with overall light-square strategy helps Black in the
battle against White's bishop pair. --- Take the following example:} Bb4 9.
O-O-O Nbd7 10. a3 Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Qc7 12. Ne5 b5 $5 13. Bb3 Be4 $1 14. Nxd7 Qxd7
15. Bb4 Bd5 $1 {
and Black has equalized. For a more in depth look, see Schuster-Lau.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Move Orders and Transpositions"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[SourceDate "2011.06.11"]

{Move orders have now become a very important subject in the} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5
Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 {Scandinavian. Modern refinements in move orders are designed
to trick Black into playing an inferior line, or in some cases to gain time to
explode open the position with one of the pawn breaks. --- To summarize the
move orders very briefly, they are: -- White plays a very quick Nf3 and
commits the bishop to c4; -- White plays a very quick Nf3 and does not develop
the bishop to c4; -- White chooses to play without Nf3 but does commit the
bishop to c4; -- and White eyes the queen with a quick Bd2. --- In order to
guide the reader through this maze of move orders I have broken down the
chapters into the following:} 4. d4 ({Chapter Six: Lines with} 4. Bc4 {
and d2-d3}) ({or where White delays moving his d-pawn; e.g.} 4. g3) ({and} 4.
b4 {.}) 4... Nf6 5. Nf3 ({Chapter Five: Modern move orders, delaying or
omitting Nf3. White plays an early} 5. Bc4) ({and/or} 5. Bd2 {
, aiming for a quick d4-d5.}) 5... c6 6. Bc4 ({
Chapter Four: White attacks immediately with} 6. Ne5) ({with or without} 6. Bc4
Bf5 7. Ne5 {.}) 6... Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 {and now:} 8. -- ({
Chapter Three: The old main line with} 8. Qe2 {
, either castling kingside or queenside, and lines with Ne4.}) ({
Chapter Two: Shirov's main line:} 8. Nd5 {. This is the most critical line and
the most popular. The reason I deal with this first is because it has become
the acid test of the 3...Qa5 Scandinavian.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2. Main Line: Shirov's 8 Nd5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 {This is by far the best move. Its
advantage over 4...c6 is that in some lines Black is required to put his
knight on c6 - and this is obviously not possible when a pawn is there! This
may seem a little bit vague at the moment but this is a deceptively
significant matter, particularly when White has not yet committed the king's
knight to f3. As mentioned in Chapter One, I firmly believe that the key to
Black's strategy is preventing White from achieving the d4-d5 pawn break under
favourable circumstances.} 5. Nf3 {At first sight 5 Nf3 looks like an
insignificant move, simply a natural precursor to what lies ahead. This is not
the case. However natural 5 Nf3 looks, this move not only defines how Black
should proceed with his opening play but it also determines how White will
continue. By spending a tempo on committing his knight to f3 so early - a
tempo that we will later see plays a great role - White keeps certain options
open. Uniquely to 5 Nf3, White can play an aggressive knight hop into e5
followed by storming Black with a kingside pawn push.} c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 {
The f5-squares is the ideal place for this bishop.} ({
Here we must pause and ask why not} 6... Bg4 {? It's true some players,
including Australian Grandmaster Ian Rogers, have specialized in this move.
However, after the natural} 7. h3 Bh5 8. Bd2 {followed by 9 g4 and Ne5, White
has been given extra time to expand on the kingside.}) 7. Bd2 e6 ({
WARNING: Black should avoid} 7... Nbd7 8. Qe2 e6 {, as} 9. d5 $1 {lands him in
trouble (see Chapter Three, where this position is discussed via the move
order 7.. .e6 8 Qe2 Nbd7).}) 8. Nd5 {Since the world-class Grandmaster Alexei
Shirov employed a novelty with devastating effect against Valery Salov, this
move has become increasingly popular against the 3...Qa5 Scandinavian. In fact
it has even been touted as the refutation of the Scandinavian; Grandmaster
Sergei Tiviakov even went as far as to say that "simple moves sufficed" for
White to secure an advantage.} Qd8 9. Nxf6+ {The dilemma facing Black is that
he must choose between accepting either a structural concession by recapturing
the knight with the pawn on f6, or expending further time by recapturing with
the queen. We will examine each in turn.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Black Plays 9...Qxf6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "27"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Nd5 Qd8 9. Nxf6+ Qxf6 $6 {Black does not wish to damage his pawn structure and
places a strong trust in the closed nature of the position. He is hoping the
solidity of his structure will justify his great loss of time. It is clear
that White must open up the position to make full use of his lead in
development and to do this he must strike with the obvious (and only) pawn
break, d4-d5. However, there are some conditions for this pawn break - if
White breaks too early, Black will have no problems as there are some tactical
nuances that work in his favour. In my opinion the d4-d5 pawn break is
absolutely crucial to the assessment of the whole 9...Qxf6 variation.
Unfortunately for Black, his lack of both development and coordination of his
pieces does not put him in a position to prevent this strike. The question
that must be answered is: can Black limit the consequences of this pawn
thrust?} 10. Qe2 $1 {
Shirov's novelty gets to the heart of the matter by preparing d4-d5.} (10. Bc3
{is ineffective. Black can simply play} Bd6 {, as} 11. d5 {
doesn't promise anything because of} Qe7 {.}) (10. Ne5 {is also not dangerous.}
Bd6 {is a reasonable answer,} ({although John Emms prefers} 10... Nd7 $5 {
, because after} 11. Nxd7 Kxd7 $1 {the king is perfectly safe in the centre.}))
10... Bg4 {This move is designed to cut out possibilities of Ne5 and Bg5. 
Usually 10...Bg4 and 10...Nd7 reach the same mainline position. The main
difference is that against 10...Bg4 White has the chance to push with d4-d5 a
move earlier, which gives Black additional options, as shown in
Hoogendoorn-Frost. Let's consider alternatives:} (10... Nd7 {
is covered in Jones-Wang Puchen.}) (10... Bxc2 $2 {
is simply asking for trouble, and gets it after} 11. Rc1 $1 Bf5 12. d5 $1 Bd6 (
12... cxd5 $4 {would be a terrible mistake because of} 13. Bb5+) 13. Bg5 Qg6
14. dxe6 Bxe6 ({or} 14... Bb4+ 15. Kf1 fxe6 16. h4 h6 17. h5 Qf7 18. Ne5 Qc7
19. Ng6) 15. Bd3 {and White has a raging initiative for the pawn.}) (10... Bd6
{(aiming to castle as soon as possible)} 11. O-O-O Bg4 (11... Qe7 {is met by}
12. Ne5) ({, while} 11... O-O 12. Bg5 {
leaves the queen in some discomfort, and here} Qg6 13. h4 h6 14. h5 Qh7 15. Be3
b5 16. Bd3 {followed by g2-g4 was much better for White in M.Apicella-J.Chabanon, Marseille 2001}) 12. d5 $1 {
(once White has castled queenside the time is right to strike)} Bxf3 (12...
cxd5 {is met by} 13. Bxd5 Nc6 14. Bc3 Qe7 15. Bxc6+ bxc6 16. Bxg7) ({while} 
12... e5 $2 13. Qd3 c5 14. Rde1 Bxf3 15. gxf3 Nd7 16. Rhg1 {left Black in real
trouble in M.Solleveld-R.Norinkeviciute, Cork 2005 - the queen is misplaced
and the king won't be able to find a safe haven}) 13. gxf3 cxd5 14. Bxd5 Nc6
15. Bc3 {leaves Black with many problems. Even} Bf4+ ({
in K.Movsziszian-E.Prié, France 2005, Black blundered with} 15... Qf4+ $2 {
and White won after} 16. Kb1 O-O 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. Rd4 Qe5 19. Qd3) 16. Kb1 e5
17. Bxc6+ bxc6 18. Bb4 {gives White a decisive advantage.}) 11. O-O-O $1 (11.
d5 $6 {is less accurate because it gives Black an option to play ...Qxb2 - see
Hoogendoorn-Frost.}) 11... Nd7 12. d5 Bxf3 13. gxf3 cxd5 14. Bxd5 {We have reached the tabiya position for 9...Qxf6. From here Black has tried two strategies:
to either play it solidly by castling queenside, or castling kingside and
hoping that White's ruined pawn structure will allow Black to survive the
attack. These two possibilities are covered in Zuriel-Flores and Apicella-Prié.
} *

[Event "Maastricht"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jones, G."]
[Black "Wang Puchen"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Bc4 c6 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Nd5 Qd8 9. Nxf6+ Qxf6 10. Qe2 Nd7 {
The idea behind this move is to limit the impact of or even to prevent d4-d5.}
({NOTE: 10...Nd7 can transpose to 10...Bg4, as} 10... Bg4 11. d5 Bxf3 12. gxf3
cxd5 13. Bxd5 Nd7 14. O-O-O) ({and} 10... Nd7 11. O-O-O Bg4 12. d5 Bxf3 13.
gxf3 cxd5 14. Bxd5 {
both reach the mainline tabiya (see Zuriel-Flores and Apicella-Prié).}) 11.
O-O-O $1 ({The principled} 11. d5 $6 {
is far too hasty here, and in fact it gives White absolutely nothing after}
cxd5 12. Bxd5 Be7 (12... Qxb2 {is also playable}) 13. Bc3 {, and now} (13. Bxb7
$2 {is bad because of} Qxb2) 13... Bb4 $3 {This is the whole point of the 10...Nd7 variation - Black equalizes at once. Play continues} 14. Bxb4 Qxb2 {
and now:} 15. -- ({. The optimistic sacrifice} 15. Qd2 {doesn't work:} Qxa1+
16. Ke2 Qxh1 {(this isn't forced, but taking the second rook - however nerve
wracking - is perfectly safe)} 17. Bxb7 a5 $1 {(the key defence)} 18. Ba3 Qb1 {
(hitting the bishop and threatening 19...Qxc2; it's true that Black will have
to give back some of the extra material, but when he has an extra rook and
exchange he can afford it!)} 19. Qd6 Qxc2+ 20. Ke3 Qc3+ 21. Kf4 e5+ {
and after a series of forced moves Black is completely winning: for example,}
22. Kxf5 Qc2+ 23. Kg5 Qg6+ 24. Qxg6 hxg6 {and now White cannot play} 25. Bxa8 {
because of} Rh5+ 26. Kg4 f5+ 27. Kg3 f4+ 28. Kg4 Nf6# {mate.}) (15. O-O Qxb4
16. Rab1 Qc5 $1 {(forcing the bishop to capture on b7 is the best idea;
cutting down your opponent's options is always a good thing!)} 17. Bxb7 Rd8 18.
Be4 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 O-O $1 20. Rb7 Qa5 {was D.Prasad-M.Kazhgaleyev, Shenyang
1999. Because of White's weak a- and c-pawns, I prefer Black here.} (20... --))
) 11... Nb6 $2 {
This was the original idea behind 10...Nd7, but it has been virtually refuted.}
(11... Bg4 $1 {transposes to the main line, and is Black's best choice here.})
({A careless move like} 11... Bd6 $2 {fails to} 12. Bg5 $1 Qg6 13. d5 $1 {
. For example,} cxd5 14. Rxd5 $1 Be7 15. Bxe7 $1 exd5 16. Bxd5 Be6 17. Bd6 {
(Ye Jiangchuan-A.Hauchard, Belfort 1999) and Black has a several development
problems to solve. He may well be some material ahead but his rooks are doomed
to inactivity.}) (11... h6 $5 {look rather passive, but the point is that if}
12. d5 (12. Bc3 $1 {is stronger, forcing Black to retreat with} Qe7 {.}) 12...
Ba3 $1 {Black gains a tempo, followed by another one after} 13. c3 cxd5 {.})
12. Bg5 $1 {
This is a very powerful zwischenzug which completely destroys Black.} (12. Bb3
Bg4 $1 {was the original idea behind 10...Nd7, and here} 13. d5 Bxf3 14. gxf3
cxd5 15. Bxd5 O-O-O 16. Be4 Bc5 {is equal according to Wahls.}) 12... Qg6 13.
d5 $1 {Scandinavian expert Eric Prié considers this move to be incredibly
dangerous, and he is right to be concerned.} (13. h4 {
, threatening to trap the queen with h4-h5, is also good.}) 13... Nxc4 {
Black is already in some trouble. For example:} ({
Attacking the bishop comes to nothing after} 13... h6 14. dxe6 fxe6 15. Bh4
Nxc4 16. Qxc4 {when Black is forced to play with his king stuck in the centre.}
) (13... Bc5 14. dxe6 $1 fxe6 (14... Bxe6 15. Qe5 {
followed by 16 Bd3 is very unpleasant for Black}) 15. h4 {
with the deadly threat of Ne5, and now:} -- ({. Note that} 15... Bxc2 $4 {
loses to} 16. Bxe6 {.}) (15... Bg4 {doesn't help much either:} 16. Qe5 Nd5 17.
Bxd5 cxd5 18. Rxd5 Be7 19. Rd6 $1 Bxd6 $2 20. Qxd6 Qf7 21. Rd1 {
and Black cannot stop mate on d8 without incurring a massive loss of material.}
(21. --))) 14. Qxc4 exd5 15. Rhe1+ Be6 ({After} 15... Be4 {White wins with} 16.
Rxd5 cxd5 17. Qxd5 f5 18. Qxb7 Rd8 19. Qb5+ Rd7 20. Qb8+ Kf7 21. Ne5+ {.}) 16.
Rxd5 Be7 (16... h6 {loses to} 17. Nh4 {: for example,} Qh5 18. Rxe6+ fxe6 19.
Rd8+ Kf7 20. Qf4+ Kg8 21. Qxf8+ Kh7 22. Qxh8# {.}) 17. Bxe7 cxd5 ({After} 17...
Bxd5 18. Qb4 Be6 19. Bh4 {
Black cannot defend against the mate threat without losing material.}) 18. Qb4
Rc8 19. c3 {This leads to a quick win,} ({but objectively} 19. Nd4 $1 {
is the best move. F.Maeser-P.Kuehn, Switzerland 2002, continued} Rc7 20. Bd6
Rd7 21. f4 $1 {(ruthless play!)} Kd8 22. Qa5+ Kc8 23. Qc5+ Kd8 24. Qa5+ Kc8 25.
Qc5+ {(torturing Black with a repetition)} Kd8 {and here} 26. Nb5 {
followed by 27 Qxa7 would be devastating.}) 19... Qg4 20. Qd6 $1 Qa4 $4 {
Black had to keep guard of e6 with his only active piece.} (20... h5 {
intending ...Rh6 loses on the spot to} 21. Bh4) ({but} 20... h6 $1 {
is a tougher defence, even though Black's position is still bad.}) 21. Rxe6
fxe6 22. Ne5 Qb5 ({Or} 22... Qf4+ 23. Kd1 {.}) 23. Bh4 {. Mate is unavoidable.}
1-0

[Event "Correspondence"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hoogendoorn, A."]
[Black "Frost, L."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Nd5 Qd8 9. Nxf6+ Qxf6 10. Qe2 Bg4 11. d5 {Although this move is the most
popular, I think it is inaccurate as it allows Black an additional option.} (
11. O-O-O Nd7 12. d5 Bxf3 13. gxf3 cxd5 14. Bxd5 {
is covered in Zuriel-Flores and Apicella-Prié.}) 11... Bxf3 $1 {
The best choice.} ({Another possibility is} 11... cxd5 $6 12. Bxd5 Nc6 {
, but Scandinavian experts are none too complimentary about this move, and it
seems for very good reason. After} 13. Bxc6+ $1 bxc6 14. Qe4 Bxf3 15. gxf3 Rc8
16. O-O-O Ba3 {(to stand any chance Black must take away the c3-square and the
long diagonal from White:} ({after} 16... Bc5 17. Bc3 $1 {
Black is very vulnerable along the g-file}) 17. c3 Bc5 ({after} 17... Be7 $2
18. Rhg1 g6 19. Be3 {Black cannot castle because of 20 Bg5!}) 18. Rhg1 $1 {
the position is very bad for Black:} -- ({
. Just to show how things can go quickly wrong, take a look at} 18... Bxf2 $4
19. Bg5 $1 Qg6 20. Qxc6+ $1 {and 1-0, D.Marciano-E.Prié, Narbonne 1997.}) ({
. Neither does} 18... O-O $2 {save the day:} 19. Bg5 $1 Qg6 20. Qh4 {
(threatening Bf6)} Kh8 21. b4 $1 -- (21... Bb6 22. Be7 Qf5 {
and White has the stunning} 23. Rxg7 $3 Kxg7 24. Rg1+) ({while} 21... f6 22.
Bh6 Qxh6+ 23. Qxh6 gxh6 24. bxc5 Rfd8 {
leaves White with a very pleasant endgame - Black's king is just too cut off.})
({Perhaps Black's best bet is to sacrifice the bishop in order to open lines
against the White's king. However, this also looks to be insufficient:} 21...
Qf5 22. bxc5 Rb8 {(F.Tairi,-L.Eklund, Swedish League 2001)} 23. Be7 Rb1+ 24.
Kd2 Rb2+ 25. Ke3 {and White runs away with his king.})) (18... e5 {, providing
an escape square for the queen, is probably Black's best chance for success.
He hopes to distract White from the kingside by waving the e5-pawn in his face.
The problem is that after} 19. Rg5 O-O 20. Rxe5 Bxf2 21. Bg5 Qg6 22. Rd7 {
, with White's rook on the seventh rank the best Black can hope for is a draw.}
)) 12. gxf3 cxd5 13. Bxd5 Qxb2 $5 {Only a computer would suggest such a move,
and probably only a computer would get away with it! From now on a series of
accurate moves keeps Black in the game.} (13... Nd7 {is met by} 14. O-O-O {
transposing to Zuriel-Flores and Apicella-Prié} ({but not} 14. Bxb7 {
which fails to} Qxb2)) (13... Nc6 {transposes to the previous note after} 14.
Bxc6+ bxc6 15. Qe4 {.}) 14. O-O Nc6 15. Rab1 Qxc2 (15... Qd4 $5 {
is also possible}) 16. Rxb7 Bd6 $1 {The best move according to Shirov.} ({
His analysis runs like this:} 16... Nd4 $6 17. Qe3 Qc5 {
and now White has the amazing} 18. Qxd4 $3 {
leading to a forced win. For example,} Qxd5 ({or} 18... Qxd4 19. Bc6+ Kd8 20.
Ba5+ Kc8 21. Rc7+ Kb8 22. Rb1+ Bb4 23. Rb7+ Kc8 24. R7xb4) 19. Qxd5 exd5 20.
Re1+ {.}) 17. Be4 ({Against} 17. Rc1 {Black has the defensive resource} Nd4 18.
Qb5+ {(forced)} (18. Qe3 Qg6+ 19. Kf1 ({while} 19. Kh1 $4 {loses immediately to
} Qh5 {threatening mate and the bishop on d5}) 19... O-O 20. Qxd4 exd5 {
is better for Black}) 18... Nxb5 19. Rxc2 exd5 20. Rxb5 {which leads to a
drawish position, although once Black sorts out his development he will stand
slightly better because of White's weakened pawn structure.}) 17... Nd4 $1 18.
Qe3 Qc4 19. Rfb1 (19. Kg2 $1 {is probably the best option. After} O-O $2 (19...
Rd8 {supporting the minor pieces on the d-file is probably stronger}) 20. Rc1
Qa4 21. Qd3 {Black must deal with the attack on h7 and the threat of Rc1-c4.})
19... Ne2+ 20. Kh1 O-O {Now that Black's king has reached safety, the
situation is no longer so critical.} 21. Qd3 $2 ({White cannot play} 21. Bd3 {
because of} Qh4) ({but even trying to trick Black with} 21. Bb4 {
is calmly met by} Bf4 {and Black is fine.}) 21... Qxd3 22. Bxd3 {Black is a
n up. It looks as though White has enough compensation in the form of the
bishop pair. However, this compensation is simply not enough, as Black's
pieces are too well placed.} Nf4 23. Be4 Rfd8 24. Be3 Be5 25. Bxa7 f5 $1 26.
Bc2 Bd4 27. Bxd4 Rxd4 {Black has survived the opening with great
resourcefulness and has emerged with a better endgame. White's doubled pawns
should start to tell.} 28. Bb3 Rd2 29. Kg1 h6 30. h4 Kh7 31. Rb6 e5 32. a4 Nh3+
33. Kg2 Nxf2 34. Kf1 Nd3 35. Rd1 Rxd1+ 36. Bxd1 Nf4 37. Bc2 g6 38. Rb7+ Kg8 39.
Bb3+ Kh8 {Black still has the advantage but his king is cornered which makes
life somewhat easier for White.} 40. Rb6 Ra7 41. Rb5 e4 42. fxe4 fxe4 43. Rb4
Re7 44. Bc2 Nh5 1/2-1/2

[Event "Vicente Lopez"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zuriel, M."]
[Black "Flores, D."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Nd5 Qd8 9. Nxf6+ Qxf6 10. Qe2 Bg4 11. d5 Bxf3 12. gxf3 cxd5 13. Bxd5 Nd7 14.
O-O-O Ba3 {This move has all but been disregarded today. Black's plan is to
provoke a queenside weakness and castle kingside. However, White's fast
development down the g- and h-files has more or less put paid to this idea.} (
14... O-O-O {is covered in the next game.}) 15. c3 O-O 16. Be4 $1 {This move is
Shirov's brainchild - the two bishops line up towards the kingside.} Bc5 (16...
Be7 $2 {has been extensively analysed to a forced loss. Here's just a summary
of the main lines:} 17. h4 $1 {(White threatens the deadly Bg5 and is
determined to open lines whatever the cost)} h6 18. Bg5 $1 hxg5 19. Bh7+ $3 {
(a beautiful idea)} Kh8 20. hxg5 {and now:} -- (20... Qxg5+ 21. Kb1 Nf6 ({or} 
21... Rfd8 22. f4 Qxf4 23. Rd4 Qg5 24. f4 {
and the queen is transferred to the h-file with deadly effect}) 22. Bc2+ Kg8
23. Rdg1 Qf4 24. Qf1 $3 {(a wonderful move: White simply transfers the queen
to h3 or g2 and Black is just powerless to prevent this)} g6 25. Qg2 $1 Rfd8
26. Bxg6 Bc5 27. Bxf7+ $1 Kxf7 28. Qg7+ Ke8 29. Rh8+ {and White wins.}) ({
. Keeping the g-file closed doesn't help Black either:} 20... Qf4+ 21. Kb1 Rfd8
({even returning the piece with} 21... Bxg5 22. Rxd7 {
doesn't defuse the initiative, as White's pieces are simply too active}) 22.
Rd4 Qe5 ({or} 22... Qxg5 23. f4 Qf6 24. Bg6+ Kg8 {
and now the standard mating pattern} 25. Rh8+ Kxh8 26. Qh5+ Kg8 27. Qh7+ Kf8
28. Qh8# {mate}) 23. Bf5+ Kg8 24. Rdh4 {
(a wonderful sacrifice: Black even gets to take the bishop with check!)} Qxf5+
25. Ka1 {and Black cannot escape the mate on h8, since} f6 {is met by} 26. g6 {
.})) 17. Rhg1 {Threatening to win material with 18 Bg5.} h6 18. Qb5 Rad8 19.
Be3 {This wins a pawn,} ({but} 19. Rg2 {followed by Rdg1 is also strong.})
19... a6 20. Qxb7 Bxe3+ 21. fxe3 Nc5 22. Qb4 Qe5 23. f4 a5 24. Qc4 (24. Rxd8
Rxd8 25. Qb6 {looks even stronger.}) 24... Qxe4 {White agreed a draw here,
probably to pick up some rating points against a much higher-rated opponent.}
({However, after} 24... Qxe4 25. Qxc5 {White would be a solid pawn up.})
1/2-1/2

[Event "France"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Apicella, M."]
[Black "Prie, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Bc4 c6 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Nd5 Qd8 9. Nxf6+ Qxf6 10. Qe2 Nd7 11. O-O-O Bg4 12. d5 Bxf3 13. gxf3 cxd5 14.
Bxd5 O-O-O {The main line and Black's most solid choice. However, there is a
big problem with this position. To put it bluntly, Black's chances are rather
prospectless even if his position is actually more solid than it first appears.
White must play very accurately in order to maximize his advantage, but the
truth is Black is just trying to hold on for a draw.} 15. Be4 {The key feature
of this position is that the black queen is misplaced on f6. She would in fact
be better off guarding some of the light squares surrounding her king and
preparing the c5-square as a base for the black pieces. This thought manifests
itself in one of the best plans for Black - getting the queen to c7! However,
if White is able to prevent this transfer he could very easily be winning. In
my opinion White's most dangerous plan is to simply advance the a-pawn up the
board, seeking to damage the shelter of Black's monarch. In the long run,
Black does stand structurally better, so should he escape the storm by
exchanging a set of minor pieces - preferably a pair of bishops - then he will
stand okay. Another drawback to this line is that White has a forced draw
should he choose, although with a lead in development, an open position and
the bishop pair, he should really be playing for more!} (15. Bxb7+ {
forces a draw:} Kxb7 16. Qe4+ Ka6 (16... Kc7 17. Bf4+ Kb6 18. Be3+ Nc5 19. Rxd8
Qxd8 20. Rd1 Qf6 21. Rd7 {wins for White}) 17. Qa4+ Kb7 18. Qe4+ Ka6 19. Qa4+
Kb7 {and ½-½, Ye Jiangchuan-V.Malakhov, Moscow 2004.}) 15... Qe5 {
immediately transferring the queen to c7 is probably the best try for Black,
and he has struggled with other moves:} (15... Be7 $2 {
led to a swift victory for White in J.Gallagher-P.Kupper, Swiss League 1999:}
16. Be3 Kb8 17. Qb5 Nb6 18. Kb1 Rxd1+ 19. Rxd1 Rc8 20. Bd4 Qh6 21. Be5+ {
and Black resigned - 22 Rd7 will be pretty convincing.}) (15... Bd6 {is designed to stop White's f-pawn from advancing. White has more than one promising way
to continue, but} 16. Kb1 $1 {is my favourite move - White nudges his king to
safety and then begins to probe on the queenside. For example,} Nb6 17. a4 $1 (
17. Be3 {was also possible, but by leaving the bishop on d2 White retains the
option of Bc3}) 17... Kb8 (17... Nxa4 $2 {loses a piece to} 18. Qc4+ Nc5 19.
Be3) 18. a5 Nd5 19. a6 b6 20. Qb5 Qe7 21. Bxd5 exd5 22. Bc3 f6 23. Rxd5 {
and White is a pawn up with the better position.}) 16. Kb1 $1 {Just as in the
previous note, White takes time out to secure the safety of his king.} Qc7 17.
Bc3 f6 18. a4 $5 {The a-pawn sets out, regardless of the position of Black's
queen, to do untold damage to Black's queenside.} ({Another promising idea is} 
18. f4 {planning f5 to rid White of one the doubled f-pawns.}) 18... Kb8 (18...
Nc5 {leaves Black vulnerable on the c-file:} 19. Rxd8+ Qxd8 20. Rd1 Qc7 21. Rd4
{(heading for c4)} Bd6 22. Rc4 Kb8 23. b4 Qb6 24. Bd4 e5 {
(Black is hanging on to the knight, but not for long...)} 25. Be3 a5 26. c3
axb4 27. cxb4 Rc8 28. Ka2 {and finally White wins a piece.}) 19. a5 {Continuing
the march onwards. Black cannot allow a5-a6 opening up the light squares.} a6
20. f4 $3 {A deep move, worthy of two exclamation marks according to Eric Prié.
The essence of the idea is that White gets ready to exchange off the problem
pawn and maintains light-square control on the h1-a8 diagonal.} Bd6 ({If} 20...
Qxf4 21. Bg2 Qf5 ({advancing with} 21... e5 {
causes Black a whole new set of problems after} 22. Bh3) 22. Rd3 {
Black has big problems escaping the pin without making a major concession.})
21. Bg2 {This move may appear mysterious to begin with, but Black must now be
vigilant at all times due to the weakness of b7.} e5 (21... Bxf4 $2 {
is met convincingly by} 22. Rd4 Be5 23. Rc4 Qd6 24. Bb4) 22. Qf3 Nc5 23. fxe5 (
{Perhaps} 23. Bb4 {was stronger, setting the trap} exf4 $4 24. Rd5 {
and Black cannot escape the loss of material.}) 23... Bxe5 24. Bb4 Ne6 25. Qe4
Ng5 {A mistake according to Eric Prié: the knight must stay on e6 as it is the
only way for Black to contest the d-file.} ({After} 25... g6 $1 {
Black has no weaknesses.}) 26. Qe3 Bxh2 27. Qb3 $1 {A dual-purpose move, not
only eyeing b7 but also preventing the knight rejoining the action with ...Ne6.
} Be5 28. Bc5 $1 {Threatening Bb6. With the d-file secured for White, Black's
position quickly falls apart.} Ne6 {Too late!} 29. Bb6 Rxd1+ 30. Rxd1 Qe7 31.
Bh3 $1 f5 {The only move to prolong death, but it's all futile.} ({Against} 
31... Nc5 {White simply plays} 32. Qb4 Bd6 33. Qd4 {
and Black must drop a piece, as} Ne4 {fails to} 34. Bf5 {.}) (31... Nc7 {
allows White to penetrate the seventh rank:} 32. Rd7 Qe8 33. Qc4 Nb5 {and here}
34. Rxb7+ $3 {is a devastating blow. After} Kxb7 35. Bg2+ Kb8 36. Qe4 {
the threat of checkmate is decisive, and} Nc3+ 37. bxc3 Qb5+ 38. Ka2 {
leaves Black out of checks and unable to avoid his fate.}) 32. Re1 $1 ({
Keeping up the pressure and not falling for} 32. Bxf5 $2 {
, which would allow Black to escape trouble with the Houdini-like} Nd4 33. Bxd4
Bxd4 34. Rxd4 Qe1+ 35. Ka2 Qxa5+ {and 36...Qxf5.}) 32... Qd6 33. Bg2 Re8 $2 {
Allowing White to land the final blow, but Black's position was losing in any
case.} 34. Ba7+ {. And 35 Qxb7+ is coming.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Black Plays 9...gxf6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 (1... c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ gxf6 {
is the Bronstein-Larsen Variation.}) 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 (
{One should also be aware that this discussion of positional themes is highly
relevant to lines such as} 5. Bd2 c6 $6 6. Ne4 ({or} 6. Bc4 Nd5 {.})) 5... c6
6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8. Nd5 Qd8 9. Nxf6+ gxf6 {We have reached a position
similar to the Bronstein-Larsen Variation of the Caro-Kann (see 1...c6 above).
Because the pawn structure is the exact replica of the Bronstein Larsen, one
should compare and contrast the two positions to see whether the extra moves
give Black an advantageous or disadvantageous version. The commonly held
opinion seems to be that Black has an inferior version, but the first
important thing to note is that White has already determined the placement of
his pieces. This therefore rules out some of the options available to him in
the Caro-Kann.} 10. -- ({Ideas for White: --- There are two recurring themes
for White in this pawn structure: --- 1) Hunting the bishop: This is very much
based on a light-square strategy, so control of the f5-square is an important
theme. White intends to destroy the black structure with an f4-f5 pawn break
or to provoke ...f6-f5 from Black, whereupon Black in effect traps his own
light-squared bishop on g6. Should Black entrap his bishop, White then
proceeds to work on the queenside. The perfect example of this strategy is
seen in Grischuk-Bauer (see the note to Black's 11th move in Mullon-Prié). ---
The fundamental issue is: can White make the light-squared bishop bad? If he
manages to force ...f6-f5 and is able to re-route the knight from h4 to f4 via
g2, then Black will stand very badly. Another idea for White is to try to
force Black's dark-squared bishop to go to g7 (Qf3-h3 is the most dangerous
plan), so that the bishops interfere with each other: to free the dark-squared
bishop with ...f5, Black must imprison his light-squared bishop. Furthermore,
the bishop on g7 also interferes with Black's counterplay along the g-file.
--- As I mentioned earlier, this pawn structure can arise when the white
knight is still on g1. When this occurs White gains the added option of
hunting the bishop via Ne2-g3 followed by f4-f5 or h4-h5. --- 2) Piece
sacrifices on e6: Black should take particular care with regards to e6, which
is a vulnerable point. To exploit this weakness, White may place the queen on
h3 to target e6 and to place pressure on the h-file. --- Another option for
White is to castle kingside and "work" the queenside by playing b2-b4,
although this occurs rarely and Black often gets good counterplay along the
g-file.} 10. --) ({Ideas for Black: --- Black must play dynamically but not
recklessly to nullify White's initiative, at times utilizing every possible
square that is granted to him. A perfect example of this is seen with} 10. c3
Nd7 $1 11. Nh4 Nb6 $5 12. Bb3 Bd3 $1 {(see Mullon-Prié). --- Playing for a
kingside attack is a natural consequence of the opening of the g-file, but
Black should only proceed with this once he has solidified his position. Black
must always ensure that he has control of the e4-square, because in most lines
this forms the basis of his counterplay and is a source of long-term strength.
--- In the Botvinnik-Larsen Variation Black often plays ...e7-e5. However,
given that Black has already spent a move on ...e7-e6, a further advance with ...e6-e5 is more or less ruled out, at least in the opening stages, and a break
in the centre with ... c6-c5 is more likely.}) *

[Event "Creon"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mullon, J."]
[Black "Prie, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bc4 c6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Nd5 Qd8 9. Nxf6+ gxf6 10. c3 {Supporting the d-pawn and getting ready to play
the dangerous plan of Nh4 followed by f2-f4. It is very important for Black to
respond accurately. He must be ready to deal with White's two plans: aiming to
trap Black's light-squared bishop by provoking ...f6-f5, or a kingside pawn
advance.} (10. O-O {should be met by} Nd7 $1 {, intending to castle queenside
and then to get on with some action down the g-file. After} 11. Re1 Qc7 {
, the advance} 12. d5 {is not dangerous, because} cxd5 13. Bxd5 O-O-O {
sees Black's queen ideally situated on the queenside, protecting the king. E.Sutovsky-V.Ivanchuk, Sochi 2006, continued} 14. Be4 Bg6 (14... Bg4 {is actually
more consistent - Black plans to attack down the g-file and at an appropriate
moment jump with the knight to e5}) 15. Qe2 Bd6 {
and a few moves later it was White who had to force a draw.}) ({Lines such as} 
10. Be3 Nd7 11. Bd3 Bg6 {don't really offer White much, and here} 12. h4 {
is simply too ambitious:} Qb6 $1 {
(developing with tempo, as d4-d5 is not a threat)} 13. h5 Bxd3 14. Qxd3 Qxb2
15. O-O Qb5 16. Qxb5 {(otherwise Black wins a second pawn)} cxb5 17. Rfb1 b4
18. Bd2 {M.Socko-J.Houska, Beijing 2008, and now Black should play} a5 $1 ({
instead of the game's} 18... Rg8) 19. a3 Nb6 20. axb4 a4 {
followed by the clamping ...Nc4.}) 10... Nd7 $1 {There are some pressing
issues for Black to deal with before he can complete his development. He must
get ready to utilize every square offered to him by White, and in this case I
am referring to d3.} (10... Qc7 $6 {
can be met by a key idea introduced by the Hungarian GM Zoltan Almasi:} 11. Nh4
Bg6 12. Qf3 $1 Nd7 13. Qh3 $1 {. This is the whole point! By threatening to
capture on g6, White forces Black to play} Bg7 {
developing the dark-squared bishop on an inferior square. White is better here:
} 14. Qg3 $5 ({or} 14. O-O O-O-O $2 15. b4 $1 {and White's queenside
initiative looks overwhelming, Z.Almasi-S.Kindermann, Austrian League 1995.})
14... Qxg3 15. hxg3 O-O-O 16. O-O-O Nb6 17. Be2 Bf8 18. Nxg6 fxg6 19. Rh4 Rd7
20. Rdh1 {, V.Chekhov-E.Atalik, Moscow 1999.}) 11. Nh4 (11. Qe2 {is not testing
enough. Even though White can gain the bishop pair, Black's pawn structure is
extremely solid. For example,} Qc7 12. Nh4 Bg6 13. O-O-O O-O-O 14. g4 Nb6 15.
Bb3 Nd5 {with good control of the f4-square, T.Gara-L.Drabke, Budapest 2002.})
11... Nb6 $1 {This move is absolutely vital for Black.} ({Retreating with} 
11... Bg6 {is simply far too passive, as the world-class grandmaster Grischuk
demonstrated. His game against Christian Bauer is a perfect example of how one
should play with the white pieces:} 12. Qf3 Nb6 13. Bb3 Be7 14. g3 $1 {
(preparing the retreat of the knight in the event of ...f5)} Qd7 15. O-O {
. Playing ...f6-f5 is tempting here, but the positional cost of locking in the
light-squared bishop may simply be too great.} -- ({. However,} 15... O-O-O 16.
a4 {leaves Black in a quandary: the problem is that the g6-bishop hinders
plans for an attack along the g-file, so the question is how should Black
continue? The only viable option I can see is to make use of the important
e4-square with} f5 {
. It's ugly, but Black must generate counterplay from somewhere. After} 17. Ng2
Nd5 18. Nf4 {Black must try to activate his bishop with} h5 {
threatening ...h4. However, after} 19. h4 $1 {
Black is struggling to make sense of the bishop on g6.}) ({
. So in A.Grischuk-C.Bauer, Port Barcares 2005, Black did choose} 15... f5 {
, but after} 16. Ng2 Nd5 17. Nf4 O-O-O 18. Rfe1 Nxf4 $6 (18... Bd6 {
is stronger, but Black still stands much worse}) 19. Bxf4 Bd6 20. Bxd6 Qxd6 21.
Re5 {Black was positionally lost.})) 12. Bb3 Bd3 $1 {This is the problem with
10 c3 when compared to 10 Bb3 - Black can use the d3-square!} 13. Qf3 ({After} 
13. Bf4 Ba6 $1 {White has big problems trying to castle, and this led to a
swift defeat for him in H.Atienza-B.Herbst, Tallinn 1997:} 14. Bc2 $2 Nd5 15.
Bg3 Qb6 16. Bb3 Nb4 $1 17. Bc2 Rd8 18. Nf3 Bh6 19. a3 Nd5 20. Bb3 e5 {
and Black soon won.}) (13. Bh6 Bxh6 14. Qxd3 Qc7 15. O-O O-O-O 16. g3 {
led to a complicated position in S.Gonzalez de la Torre-E.Prié, Elgoibar 2006.}
) 13... Bc4 14. Bxc4 ({The alternative is to avoid the exchange:} 14. Bc2 Bd5 (
14... Be7 $5 {relies on the fact that ...f5 comes with tempo, and if} 15. b3
Bd5 16. Qg3 f5 17. Nf3 Bxf3 18. Qxf3 Bg5 $1 {Black will exchange of a pair of
bishops, when his light-square pawn wedge will ensure that he has at least
equalized}) 15. Qg3 (15. Qh5 {is an interesting try - White is hoping that the
queen on h5 somehow disturbs Black's plans a little bit}) 15... Qd7 $1 {
(Prie's important improvement)} 16. b3 O-O-O $1 {and now:} 17. -- ({
White doesn't win a piece with} 17. c4 $2 {because} Be4 $1 {
, as indicated by Prié, saves the day and gives Black an advantage after} 18.
Bxe4 Qxd4 19. O-O Qxd2) (17. O-O f5 18. c4 {is met by} Be4 {
, when again we see the use of the important e4-square!}) (17. a4 {
(getting on with the queenside attack)} Bd6 18. Qh3 e5 19. Qxd7+ Nxd7 20. O-O
exd4 21. cxd4 {and both sides have pawn weaknesses. As long as Black keeps the
minor pieces on the board he should be fine - the main concern is finding a
suitable square for the knight.} (21. --))) (14. O-O-O {
doesn't promise White much, and after} Be7 15. Rhe1 Qd5 $1 16. Qxd5 cxd5 17.
Bf4 a5 {he was only very slightly better in I.Cheparinov-C.Bauer, Kemer 2007.})
14... Nxc4 15. Bc1 {Unfortunately for White this move is forced. However, the
situation is still not clear, as is usually the case when both sides have
intentions of opposite-side castling!} Qd5 $1 16. Qe2 Rg8 17. O-O O-O-O {
Black has a pleasant initiative down the g-file.} 18. g3 Nd6 19. Re1 h5 20. Ng2
Qf5 21. a4 Qh7 $5 {This move facilitates the pawn push ...h4. Black must begin
to break down the wall protecting White's king.} 22. b4 (22. Kh1 Nf5 23. h4 $4
{would be a great blunder because of} Rxg3 $1 {.}) (22. h4 {is probably the
safest move, although this may leave White open to piece sacrifices on g3.})
22... h4 23. b5 $1 {Eric Prie considers this position to be very double-edged.
Both sides must play very actively and inflict as many weaknesses as possible.}
hxg3 24. fxg3 c5 25. a5 Rh8 26. Nh4 Qh5 $1 27. Qf2 (27. Qxh5 Rxh5 {
leaves White's queenside a little vulnerable.}) 27... cxd4 28. cxd4 Nxb5 29. a6
b6 30. Qc2+ (30. Qg2 {is ineffective due to} Qd5 {.}) 30... Kb8 $2 ({
Ironically enough} 30... Kd7 {is probably safer, and after} 31. Bf4 Nxd4 32.
Qc7+ Ke8 33. Qxa7 Bc5 {it is White who is on the defensive.}) 31. Bf4+ Bd6 32.
Re5 $3 {A great interference sacrifice.} Bxe5 33. dxe5 $2 {
The decisive mistake.} ({After} 33. Qc6 $1 Nd6 34. dxe5 fxe5 35. Be3 {
(threatening 36 Bxb6)} Qh7 {
(trying to defend horizontally along the second rank)} (35... f5 36. Bxb6 Rc8
37. Qxd6+ Ka8 38. Bc7 Qe8 39. Nxf5 $3 {wins}) 36. Bxb6 f6 37. Bxd8 Rxd8 38. Rc1
{Black is being caned.}) 33... Nd4 $1 {
Now it is all over. Black can easily defend the position and White is lost.}
34. Qe4 Rd5 35. exf6+ Ka8 36. Re1 Qh7 37. Qg2 Qd3 38. Kh1 Qxa6 39. Rc1 Rc8 0-1

[Event "Aix-les-Bains"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Libiszewski, F."]
[Black "Prie, E."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bc4 c6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Nd5 Qd8 9. Nxf6+ gxf6 10. Bb3 $5 {This move is recommended by former FIDE
World Champion Alexander Khalifman in his Opening for White according to Anand
series. Unlike 10 c3, it doesn't give Black access to the d3-square. Now ideas
such as ...Nb6 are not so effective, and White still has the same plan of
Qf3-h3 available to him. On the downside, the bishop on b3 gets in the way of
a queenside pawn march, and this makes the plan of castling queenside far more
attractive to Black.} Nd7 11. Qe2 Qc7 ({The optimistic} 11... a5 {is rather double-edged, as Black weakens the place where his king will seek shelter.
However, Eric Prié's idea is based on timing - White is effectively forced to
play} 12. a4 ({as} 12. a3 {loses a pawn to} a4 13. Ba2 Bxc2 {.}) {
The game V.Bologan-A.Hauchard, Belfort 1999, continued} 12... Be7 13. O-O-O Nb6
$6 {and then:} 14. -- (14. c4 Nd7 15. Bf4 Qb6 16. Bc2 Bxc2 17. Qxc2 Nf8 18. Kb1
{with a very murky position. It is not clear whether Black will have a safe
place for his king, which makes things a bit tricky for him.}) (14. Nh4 $5 {
is more interesting, especially as after} Bg6 15. f4 f5 16. g3 $1 {
White has successfully locked out the light-squared bishop. Here} Bxh4 17. gxh4
Qxh4 18. d5 $1 {is incredibly dangerous - the presence of opposite-coloured
bishops only strengthens White's attack.} (18. --))) 12. O-O-O O-O-O 13. Nh4 $1
{White hunts down the Scandinavian bishop.} Bg6 {White has to make a decision,
and can do one of two things: 1) Exchange the Scandinavian bishop and
utilize the advantage of the bishop pair. This, however, does iron out Black's
pawn structure. 2) Re-route the knight to f4 and follow up with h2-h4,
which forces Black to play ...h7-h5, so that Black's h-pawn becomes incredibly
weak.} 14. g3 ({After} 14. Nxg6 hxg6 15. g3 Bh6 $1 {Black has the better
long-term chances. The position is not open and furthermore his pawn structure
is perfect for blockading White's light-squared bishop.}) 14... Kb8 $5 {
A waiting move, but one with considerable purpose. Black remains on guard for
an exchange on g6, so that if this does occur he can still exchange off the
dark-squared bishops (with ...Bh6). In addition, ...Kb8 also contributes to
the plan of breaking with ...c6-c5 at the right time.} ({
If Black breaks immediately with} 14... c5 {
, now is the time for White to exchange on g6:} 15. Nxg6 hxg6 16. d5 {
. This is the point - Black is not well placed to deal with this strike and
now White gains a small advantage after} c4 17. Qxc4 Qxc4 18. Bxc4 Nb6 19. Be2
Nxd5 20. h4 {.}) (14... Bd6 $5 {
is a small concession, as the bishop is slightly misplaced here. Now:} 15. -- (
15. Rhe1 Kb8 16. Kb1 Ka8 17. a3 {(both sides are waiting patiently,
reorganizing their forces in preparation for the coming battle)} Rhg8 18. Ka1
Rc8 19. Qf3 Rgd8 20. Ka2 Be7 21. c3 c5 {
(Black loses patience and makes the first active break)} 22. Bf4 Qa5 23. Nxg6
hxg6 24. dxc5 Nxc5 {. The pawn break has been successful, and thanks to the
activity of his pieces Black doesn't stand worse, Zhang Zhong-S.Megaranto,
Jakarta 2007.}) ({. Another enterprising approach is to play on the wing with} 
15. Nxg6 hxg6 16. h4 {, planning to open the h-file. For example,} Kb8 (16...
f5 17. Bg5 {prevents the desirable ...Nf6}) 17. Kb1 a6 {
(again Black waits before committing himself to a plan)} 18. c3 f5 19. Bg5 $1 {
(again preventing ...Nf6-e4)} Rde8 20. h5 gxh5 21. Rxh5 Reg8 22. Rdh1 Rxh5 23.
Rxh5 Ka8 24. a3 Nf8 {. The closed nature of the position and Black's
light-square pawn blockade minimizes White's advantage of the bishop pair, M.Palac-S.Megaranto, Dresden Olympiad 2008.})) 15. Ng2 $1 {White opts for the
most dangerous plan: to re-route the knight to f4 and force Black to play ...
h7-h5.} Bd6 $6 (15... Nb6 $5 {is the move I prefer. White has to defend the
d4-pawn which gives Black time to react to the plan of Nf4 followed by h2-h4.
Now:} 16. -- (16. Bf4 $6 {plays into Black's hands by swapping the
dark-squared bishops, and Black was doing well after} Bd6 17. h4 Bxf4+ 18. Nxf4
Nd5 {in K.Arakhamia Grant-E.Repkova, Triesen 2007.}) (16. Ba5 {
, planning c2-c4, is the best response:} c5 17. d5 Bh6+ 18. Kb1 exd5 19. Bxb6
$1 (19. Bxd5 {is resoundingly met by} Rxd5 20. Rxd5 Qc6 {
and Black has the advantage - the h1-a8 diagonal is ominously overpopulated!})
19... Qxb6 20. Bxd5 Rhe8 {
and Black's active pieces compensate for his weakened pawn structure.})) 16. h4
h5 17. Nf4 Bf5 18. Nxh5 {White has used up a lot of time to win a pawn, and
now his knight is awkwardly placed on h5.} c5 19. g4 Rxh5 $1 {
Black plays energetically in order to preserve the initiative.} 20. gxf5 $1 {
White correctly ignores the offered exchange and settles for having a passed
h-pawn accompanied by the two bishops. Let's take a step back and see what
compensation Black would get in return for the exchange: 1) There would be
uncomfortable pressure down the c-file, and in particular against the c2-pawn.
2) The white bishop on b3 would be cut off from play, and the passed pawns on
the h-file would become very weak.} ({
Let's take a look at what could happen if White accepted Black's challenge:} 
20. gxh5 cxd4 21. Qc4 Qb6 22. Kb1 Rc8 {and now} 23. Qe2 {would be a blunder as}
Nc5 $1 {picks up some material - b3 and c2 are under threat!}) 20... Rxf5 {
A critical position has been reached. White has a menacing h-pawn which Black
should take great measures to prevent from advancing up the board.} 21. Be3
cxd4 22. Bxd4 Rh8 ({Eric Prié's old suggestion of} 22... Nc5 {is dubious:} 23.
h5 Nxb3+ 24. axb3 Rh8 25. h6 Bf4+ 26. Be3 {and the h-pawn is just too strong.})
(22... Bc5 {liquidates the position in White's favour:} 23. Bxc5 Nxc5 24. Rxd8+
Qxd8 25. h5 Nxb3+ 26. axb3 Qd5 27. Qd1 {
and White is winning, R.Ponomariov-I.Papaioannou, Plovdiv 2003.}) ({
Other moves such as} 22... Be5 {should be met by} 23. h5 {.}) 23. h5 $1 Bh2 24.
h6 Rxh6 25. Kb1 $2 {This is too slow.} ({White has the deadly knock-out blow} 
25. Bxe6 $3 {, as shown by Pontus Carlsson. White seizes the opportunity now
that Black's pieces are somewhat clumsily placed and attacks the back rank:}
fxe6 26. Qxe6 Rfh5 (26... Bf4+ $1 {
is best for damage limitation, but the prognosis is still not good after} 27.
Be3 Rxh1 28. Rxh1 Bxe3+ 29. fxe3 {
when Black cannot escape the threat of a back rank mate without losing material
}) 27. Qg8+ Qc8 28. Bxa7+ {(this is the winning tactical shot)} Kxa7 29. Qxc8
Bf4+ 30. Kb1 Nb6 31. Rxh5 $1 Nxc8 32. Rxh6 Bxh6 {and, as Carlsson indicates,
this position is advantageous for White: the two minor pieces are no match for
the rook and extra pawns when the position is so open.}) 25... Nc5 $1 {
Now Black is fine.} 26. Be3 Rh8 27. f4 Rfh5 28. Qg2 a6 $1 {Black has neutralize
d the initiative, won the h2-pawn and is holding tight. It doesn't matter that
the bishop is trapped on h2 for the time being, as it is safe there.} 29. Bxc5
Qxc5 30. Rd7 Qb6 31. a4 $1 {
White quite correctly generates counterplay on the light squares.} Bxf4 32.
Rxh5 Rxh5 33. Qg8+ Ka7 34. Qxf7 Rh1+ 35. Ka2 Be5 {
Tying the bishop to the defence of b2.} 36. Qxe6 Qc5 37. Qe7 Qxe7 38. Rxe7 ({
The position is completely drawn after a move such as (} 38. Rxe7 {)} Rd1 {
preventing 39 Bd5.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Cap d'Agde (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zhang Zhong"]
[Black "Nisipeanu, LD."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Nd5 Qd8 9. Nxf6+ gxf6 10. Qe2 Bxc2 $1 {Black must accept this challenge,
otherwise White has not made any positional concessions to obtain his ideal
piece placement and Black will simply stand worse. However, the consequences
of grabbing the pawn are not entirely clear.} 11. Rc1 ({After} 11. O-O Be7 12.
Bh6 Bg6 13. Rad1 Nd7 {Black's position is rather solid, so in order to achieve
anything White must play radically with} 14. d5 $5 {. However, after} cxd5 15.
Bxd5 Qb6 (15... exd5 {looks very risky}) 16. Be4 Nc5 {
Black should have no problems, L.Nisipeanu-A.Stefanova, Krynica 1998.}) 11...
Bg6 12. O-O Be7 (12... Nd7 {allows} 13. d5 {
, which is favourable for White. For example,} cxd5 14. Bxd5 Nc5 15. Bc4 a6 16.
Rfd1 Bd3 17. Qe3 Bxc4 18. Rxc4 {with very good compensation for the pawn, Xu
Yuhua-Huang Qian, Beijing (blitz) 2008. Black now blundered with} Rc8 {
and White should have played} 19. Rdc1 {
, when Black cannot extricate herself from the pin.}) 13. Rfe1 O-O 14. Nh4 Re8
(14... Qxd4 $2 {would be a big mistake:} 15. Nxg6 hxg6 16. Bh6 Re8 $6 {
and now White has the obvious sacrifice} 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. Qxe6+ Kh7 19. Qf7+ {
, winning.}) (14... Nd7 {
is also possible if Black wants to flirt with danger. After} 15. Nxg6 hxg6 16.
Bh6 Re8 17. Bxe6 {
, amazingly it seems as though Black is surviving the onslaught following} fxe6
(17... Bb4 $4 18. Bxf7+ $1 {wins}) 18. Qxe6+ Kh7 19. Qf7+ Kxh6 20. Re3 Bd6 {
(covering g3)} 21. Rh3+ Kg5 22. Rh7 {(threatening h2-h4, so Black must defend
the g6-pawn; a series of "only moves" keeps Black alive!)} Nf8 23. h4+ Kg4 24.
Rh6 Bf4 {and I don't see the checkmate.}) 15. Nxg6 hxg6 16. Bxe6 $5 {Black is slowly consolidating his position, so White takes extreme measures to keep the
momentum going.} fxe6 (16... Bf8 {
provides a comfortable bail-out for players happy with a draw:} 17. Qd3 fxe6 (
17... Rxe6 $2 {will lose too many pawns as the eighth rank is not covered}) 18.
Qxg6+ Bg7 19. Bh6 Re7 20. Rxe6 {(this move secures the draw)} Nd7 21. Rce1 Nf8
22. Rxe7 $1 Nxg6 23. Rxg7+ Kh8 24. Rxg6 Kh7 25. Rg4 Qa5 26. Re7+ Kxh6 27. Re3
Kh5 28. Rg7 Kh6 29. Rg4 {with a repetition of moves.}) 17. Qxe6+ Kg7 18. Rc3 (
18. Qe3 $2 {doesn't work:} g5 19. Bb4 c5 $1 20. Bxc5 {and here the developing}
Nc6 {cements Black's advantage.}) 18... Qd7 $1 {
The best defence, and playing for some advantage.} ({After} 18... Qd5 19. Qh3
Qh5 20. Qe6 Qf5 21. Qxf5 gxf5 22. Rg3+ Kf7 23. Rh3 {
it is difficult for Black to meet the check on h7 without repeating moves. If}
Bd6 24. Rh7+ Kg8 25. Rxe8+ Kxh7 26. Rd8 {
and White can force a draw by continuously attacking the bishop.}) 19. Qe2 ({
The tempting} 19. Bh6+ {does not work:} Kxh6 20. Qf7 Rf8 {
(the key defensive move)} 21. Qxe7 ({the point is that} 21. Rh3+ Qxh3 {wins})
21... Qxe7 22. Rh3+ Kg7 23. Rxe7+ Rf7 24. Rh7+ Kxh7 25. Rxf7+ Kh6 {
and Black is better.}) 19... Na6 20. Re3 Kf7 {Black holds the position tight.}
21. Qc4+ Qd5 22. Qd3 $2 {Too ambitious.} ({White was forced to play} 22. Qe2 $1
{, even though Black could choose to repeat moves, at the very least, with} Qd7
{.}) 22... Bb4 $6 (22... Nc7 {would have won, as Black can block the check on
the a2-g8 diagonal with the knight.}) 23. Rh3 $6 {The final mistake.} (23. Rxe8
Rxe8 24. Rxe8 Kxe8 25. Qxg6+ {would have given White a little hope.}) 23...
Rxe1+ 24. Bxe1 Bf8 {With the extra material, Black is easily winning.} 25. Rg3
f5 26. h4 Re8 27. Bc3 Bd6 28. Rf3 Qe4 29. Qd1 Nc7 30. h5 Nd5 31. hxg6+ Kxg6 32.
Rh3 Qe2 33. Qc1 Bf4 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{In this chapter we have looked at the aggressive and trendy line} 1. e4 d5 2.
exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8. Nd5 {
, forcing the queen back to d8. After} Qd8 9. Nxf6+ {
there are two recaptures for Black.} ({Unfortunately} 9. Nxf6+ Qxf6 {has proved
one queen move too many, and Shirov's 10 Qe2 is a convincing reply for White.
As we have seen in Jones-Wang Puchen, Wahls's ...Nbd7-Nb6 manoeuvre has been
refuted by 12 Bg5! followed by the magnificent 13 d5!. --- Black's best chance
for equality lies with 10...Bg4 (or 10...Nbd7 followed by ...Bg4 to transpose)
and after 11 0-0-0! Nbd7 12 d5! Bxf3 13 gxf3 cxd5 14 Bxd5 Black should castle
queenside and re-route the queen to c7. However, White has the very convincing
continuation of Kb1 followed by a2-a4, prodding for weaknesses. Black's
position is defensive, but playable if a draw is his main objective.}) ({
This leaves us with} 9. Nxf6+ gxf6 {, which leads to somewhat more fluid
positions where it is important that Black adopts a strategy based around
controlling the light squares. It is very easy for Black to play in the
opening stage; but once the natural moves have been completed he must castle
queenside and aim for ...c6-c5, although only after securing the placing of
the king first! It is also beneficial for Black to exchange off the
dark-squared bishops, especially if White has exchanged the knight on f3 for
the bishop on g6. --- On the other hand, White's sport is to hunt Black's
light-squared bishop. Ideas for White include: provoking Black into playing ...f6-f5; forcing Black to develop the dark-squared bishop to g7, so that the two
bishops interfere with each other's movement; and re-routing the knight to f4
via h4-g2, followed by h2-h4. --- Black must be very vigilant to these ideas
and should be prepared to use every single square conceded by White. For
example, as we saw against 10 c3, Black should play 10...Nbd7 intending to
meet 11 Nh4 with 11...Nb6! and then 12 Bb3 with 12...Bd3! (see Mullon-Prié).
In Libiszewski-Prié White employs the dangerous manoeuvre Nh4-g2-f4, and the
best remedy for Black is to ensure that when the knight arrives on f4, he
should be ready to challenge it with ...Nd5!. Finally, 10 Qe2 (as in Zhang
Zhong-Nisipeanu) is a dangerous pawn sacrifice. Black must accept this, and
then hide his king on the kingside without hesitation.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3. Qe2 and Ne4 Lines"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Qe2 {This line was historically seen as the most effective way for White to
get an advantage. 8 Qe2 protects the light-squared bishop and lays down the
groundwork for an effective d4-d5 break to open up the position for an attack.}
Bb4 $1 {Correct! This is the only move that prevents White's dangerous threat
of d5-d5 while at the same time doing something constructive. Any other move
either wastes time or does not deal with the fundamental problem.} ({
I can tell the reader from past experience that} 8... Nbd7 $2 {
is a horrible mistake:} 9. d5 $1 {(of course, what else?)} cxd5 10. Nxd5 Qc5
11. b4 $1 (11. Bb4 {is also promising}) 11... Qc8 12. Nxf6+ gxf6 (12... Nxf6 {
loses on the spot after} 13. Bb5+) 13. Nd4 Bg6 14. h4 h5 15. f4 $1 Be7 16. Rh3
Qc7 17. O-O-O {leaves Black with problems over what to do with his king, B.Spassky-B.Larsen, Montreal 1979.}) ({WARNING: There are very few circumstances
in the Scandinavian when it pays to be greedy, and this isn't one of them!
After} 8... Bxc2 $4 9. d5 $1 cxd5 10. Bb5+ Nc6 11. Nxd5 Qd8 12. Nxf6+ gxf6 13.
Rc1 Bg6 14. Rxc6 {White wins.}) ({Wahls thinks that} 8... Qc7 $6 {is bad, but
perhaps this assessment is too harsh. Black's position is still very tough to
crack, but I must stress that Black should be very careful because he has
wasted too much time with his queen. White, of course, should react with
principled Ne5 and get those kingside pawns rolling.}) ({Despite appearances,} 
8... Qb6 {is actually inferior to 8...Qc7, as Black fails to fight for control
of the e5-square. After} 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. Ne5 Qxd4 $6 {grabbing the pawn is
consistent with Black's previous play but it does grant White a very strong
initiative} ({Instead} 10... Nxe5 11. dxe5 Nd5 12. g4 {gives White a very
pleasant position - he will soon follow up with f2-f4 hunting the Scandinavian
bishop}) 11. Nxd7 Nxd7 (11... Qxd7 $2 {
would be a catastrophic mistake, allowing} 12. Bf4 $1 Qc8 13. Nb5 {
and White is winning}) 12. Be3 Qh4 13. Rd4 Qf6 $2 14. g4 Bg6 15. h4 h6 16. h5
Bh7 17. Rhd1 {White has an overwhelming position for the sacrificed pawn.}) 9.
-- {After 8...Bb4, White has two main choices:} (9. O-O-O) ({and} 9. Ne5 {
, and we will deal with each of these in turn.}) (9. a3 {is also possible, and
this is covered in Van Wely-Wahls. White normally castles long, but in
Cuartas-Mohota and Pogonina-Houska we look at lines where he castles kingside.}
) *

[Event "Training Game (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Van Wely, L."]
[Black "Wahls, M."]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Qe2 Bb4 9. a3 {
Attacking the bishop immediately gives Black an alternative plan.} Bg4 $5 {
With the idea of switching the queen to the kingside and ruining White's
kingside pawns. The only question here is does Black have enough time? Here's
a summary of alternatives:} (9... Nbd7 $5 10. O-O-O {
transposes to Schuster-Lau,} ({whereas if White chooses} 10. O-O {
reaches Cuartas-Mohota.})) ({The thematic} 9... Nd5 $6 {doesn't work here:} 10.
Bxd5 $1 cxd5 11. Qb5+ Qxb5 12. Nxb5 Bxd2+ 13. Kxd2 {
and now Black cannot prevent White from ruining his structure with} Na6 14.
Nd6+ Ke7 15. Nxf5+ exf5 {.}) ({WARNING:} 9... Bxc2 $4 {loses a piece to} 10.
Rc1 {when both bishops are attacked.}) ({
In addition, retreating the bishop, say with} 9... Be7 {
, is simply not possible as White immediately hits out with} 10. d5 {.}) (9...
Bxc3 {is also possible, and here} 10. Bxc3 Qc7 11. Ne5 Nbd7 12. O-O-O {
transposes to Schuster-Lau.}) (9... O-O $5 {perhaps commits the king too early,
particularly as White can use the Scandinavian bishop as a target. However,
there is an upside to Black's play in that White has an imperfect queenside
pawn structure (remember, three pawns in a row is the perfect defensive
formation), so Black can break more easily with ...b7-b5-b4. Now:} 10. -- (10.
O-O Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Qc7 {transposes to Cuartas-Mohota.}) (10. O-O-O Bxc3 11. Bxc3
Qc7 {is similar to lines covered in the 9 0-0-0 section with one difference -
Black has castled kingside:} 12. Ne5 ({White can also play} 12. Qe5 $5) ({, or
} 12. Bb4 Rc8 13. Qe5) 12... b5 $5 (12... Nbd7 {may be the most accurate}) 13.
Bd3 $6 ({it is important to use the bishop on f5 as a target to gain time with
g2-g4, so White should prefer} 13. Bb3 $1) 13... a5 $1 14. Bxf5 exf5 15. Qf3 b4
$5 16. axb4 axb4 17. Bxb4 Ra1+ 18. Kd2 Ne4+ {
with good counterplay according to Wahls.}) (10. Ne5 {
with the idea of g2-g4 is the principled continuation:} Nd5 $5 11. Bxd5 cxd5
12. g4 Bg6 {and now White should play} (12... Bxc2 {again loses a piece to} 13.
Rc1) 13. h4 $1 ({, because the situation becomes enormously complicated after} 
13. O-O-O {as Black suddenly has some tactical tricks against the white king.})
)) 10. O-O-O (10. h3 Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Qh5 {
is the whole point of 9...Bg4; White's pawn structure will be weakened.}) 10...
Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Qh5 12. Rd3 ({After} 12. h3 $2 Bxf3 13. gxf3 Nbd7 {Black's position is solid enough. While it is true that White has the open g-file, his
kingside pawns are crippled and of course Black has a strong outpost on d5.}) (
{Gambiting a pawn with} 12. d5 $5 {doesn't seem to give White much:} cxd5 13.
Bxf6 Bxf3 14. gxf3 Qh6+ $1 {(recapturing the bishop in a favourable way)} 15.
Kb1 Qxf6 16. Bxd5 Nc6 17. Bxc6+ bxc6 18. Qe4 O-O 19. Qxc6 {is unclear, but I
think the open b- and c-files provide sufficient counterplay for the material
deficit. --- NOTE: The most important elements when only heavy pieces and
pawns remain on the board are king safety and piece activity.}) 12... Nbd7 ({
Attacking the rook with} 12... Bf5 $6 {doesn't help Black, as after} 13. Re3 {
the rook is rather dangerous, bolstering the e-file. After} Nbd7 14. h3 Nb6 15.
Re1 {the bishop becomes a target on f5, and} Nxc4 16. Qxc4 Nd5 17. g4 Nxe3 18.
Rxe3 Bxg4 19. hxg4 Qxg4 20. Qc5 {
leaves Black without a safe place for his king.}) 13. h3 Nb6 14. Ba2 Nbd5 $2 {
A blunder.} ({Much better was} 14... Bf5 {forcing the rook backwards. After}
15. Rdd1 {Black reverts to the typical plan of} Be4 $1 {
intending ...Bd5, when he stands fine.}) 15. Bd2 b5 16. Re1 Bxf3 17. Rxf3 {
With the bishop pair and play on all areas of the board, White has the better
chances.} O-O 18. g4 Qh4 19. Qe5 {Threatening to trap the queen with 20 Bg5.}
Nd7 20. Qd6 N7b6 21. Qxc6 a6 {Now Wahls played} 22. Qb7 {
with a clear advantage (the rest of the game is unavailable);} ({
but in fact he missed the tremendous blow} 22. Bxd5 $1 Nxd5 23. Rxf7 $3 {
picking up a huge amount of material.}) *

[Event "Barbera del Valles"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Cuartas, J."]
[Black "Mohota, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "125"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Qe2 Bb4 9. O-O {This line is known not to be dangerous for Black. In fact,
Black has managed to achieve the main Scandinavian objective of developing his
pieces while preventing White from establishing a two-pawn centre. However,
that is not to say that Black can simply sit back and relax - far from it.
There are still positional dangers lurking which are typical in this e6/c6
pawn structure. Black must be wary of the weakness of the d6-square and the
fact that White may still establish a knight on e5 and expand dangerously on
the kingside. --- Typical ideas for Black include play along the half-open
d-file and pawn expansion on the queenside: light-square strategy with ...b5
or breaking White's centre with ...c5 (usually as a reaction to White's
expansion on the kingside). One thing Black must always do, especially when
playing against White's two bishops with his knight and bishop, is to ensure
that the knight always has a stronghold square - in this case d5.} Nbd7 {
TIP: Black ld not exchange on c3 without being forced to do so. If Black
exchanges too early, then White may gain the option of playing Bb4(-a3)
preventing kingside castling.} (9... O-O {is also popular.} 10. a3 Bxc3 $1 11.
Bxc3 Qc7 12. Nh4 {is critical, testing the power of the two knights versus the
might of the two bishops. If White can deprive the knights of useful bases
then he will simply be better.} ({NOTE: If} 12. Bd3 $2 {
White loses his potential advantage by exchanging bishops. After} Bxd3 13. Qxd3
Nbd7 {he is left with his inferior bishop and Black, who will secure the
d5-square with ...b7-b5, experiences no problems all.}) 12... Nbd7 $1 {
is the best reply - Black must get as many squares as possible. Here} 13. d5 {
is not really a problem because of} Bg4 ({or} 13... cxd5 {.})) 10. a3 $1 {
The most accurate move order. White's plan is simply to maximize all the
advantages the bishop pair can give him.} (10. Ne5 {
allows Black to simplify to an equal ending with} Nxe5 11. dxe5 Nd5 12. Bxd5 ({
if} 12. Nxd5 $2 Bxd2 {White doesn't have an adequate square for the knight, and
} 13. b4 Bxb4 14. Nxb4 Qxb4 15. g4 Bg6 16. f4 b5 17. Bb3 Be4 {
was good for Black in J.Solberg-C.Hanley, Oslo 2005}) 12... cxd5 13. a3 Bxc3
14. Bxc3 {and now} Qa6 $1 ({rather than} 14... Qc7 $2 15. Bb4 $1 {which is uncomfortable for Black as he cannot challenge White on the dark squares}) 15. Qxa6
bxa6 {was very drawish in E.Solozhenkin-V.Bagirov, Jyvaskyla 1994.}) 10... Bxc3
11. Bxc3 Qc7 12. Ne5 (12. Bb3 {is a multi-purpose move. Firstly White adopts
some prophylaxis against ...Nb6 followed by ...Nd5 and ...b5; secondly, White
clears the way for c2-c4. In addition, after Ne5 and g2-g4, the move ...Nxe5
no longer hits the bishop on c4. When both players castle kingside, despite
appearances Black must still play carefully - allowing White the very
dangerous Ne5 followed by g2-g4 is not usually a good idea. J.Nunn-J.Hodgson,
Dutch League 1994, continued} O-O 13. Rad1 a5 {(seizing space on the queenside
to secure squares for his minor pieces; I cannot stress enough that when one
is playing with two knights they should be given the freedom or the potential
to move, and this usually means securing outposts or space)} 14. Ne5 b5 ({
as John Emms stresses,} 14... Nd5 15. g4 $1 Bg6 16. f4 $1 {
is something that Black really needs to avoid}) 15. Bd2 $6 ({White's position
isn't strong enough to play in such a quiet manner; critical is} 15. g4 $1 Nxe5
$1 16. gxf5 Nc4 $1 {- Wahls -} 17. fxe6 Nd5 {when White's weaknesses on the
kingside promise Black reasonable compensation for the pawn}) 15... a4 $1 16.
Ba2 Bxc2 17. Rc1 Be4 18. Bg5 Bd5 $1 19. Bxf6 Nxf6 20. Bxd5 Nxd5 21. Rxc6 Qb7
22. Rfc1 b4 $1 23. h3 h6 24. axb4 Qxb4 {and Black had a small advantage due to
his stronger pawn structure and well-placed knight on d5.}) 12... O-O ({Or} 
12... Nd5 $5 {and now:} 13. -- ({. The hyper-aggressive} 13. g4 {
leads to an incredibly sharp position after} Nxe5 14. dxe5 Bg6 15. f4 $1 Qb6+
16. Kh1 {. Here Black has the counterattacking} h5 $1 17. f5 Bh7 {
intending ...0-0-0.}) (13. Bd2 $5 {
, re-routing the bishops in order to push for c2-c4, allows} Bxc2 14. Rfc1 Nxe5
15. Bxd5 cxd5 16. dxe5 {. It looks as though White will win the bishop, but
Black can reach a roughly level position with} O-O 17. Bc3 ({after} 17. Bf4
Rac8 18. b4 d4 {Black saves his bishop and gets a huge pawn on d3!}) 17... Rac8
$1 18. Qxc2 d4 {.})) 13. Nxd7 ({White plays very simply, avoiding the risks of
} 13. f4 {. After} a5 14. Rad1 Rfd8 15. h3 b5 16. Bd3 Nd5 $1 {
it is difficult for White to shift the f5-bishop without taking further risks.}
) 13... Qxd7 14. Rfd1 $1 {The best move, as White now has another convenient
retreat square for the bishop.} (14. Rad1 Rfe8 (14... Nd5 {is also possible, as
} 15. Be1 {looks a little clumsy}) 15. Bd3 $2 {
relinquishes any claim for the advantage:} Bg6 16. Bxg6 hxg6 17. b3 a5 18. Bb2
b5 19. c4 Qb7 20. Rb1 Reb8 21. Bc1 bxc4 22. Qxc4 {and Black has secured the
d5-square for his knight, G.Mazziotti-D.Flores, Villa Ballester 2004.}) 14...
Qc7 15. f3 $5 Nd5 16. Be1 Qf4 17. c3 h5 $2 {This move looks a tad ambitious.} (
{I think it's easier to play for ...c6-c5 and take control of the d-file:} 
17... Rfd8 18. Bg3 Qg5 19. a4 a5 20. Qd2 Qg6 21. Rac1 h6 {followed by ...
Rd8-d7 and aiming for a timely ...c6-c5. Black's pieces are quite active, and
both sides must play patiently and look to improve their position.}) 18. Bd2
Qc7 19. Qf2 b5 20. Bf1 Rad8 21. Re1 Nb6 22. Qh4 Bg6 23. Bf4 {White's grip on
the board increases and Black's kingside weakness is starting to tell - White
has won the opening battle.} Qc8 24. Qg3 Na4 25. Qf2 Nb6 26. h3 Rd5 27. b3 {
As John Watson writes, "White is bluffing a bit with c4, but Black has to
devote his forces to stopping it."} Rfd8 28. Be3 R5d7 29. Bg5 f6 (29... Re8 {
allows} 30. c4 {.}) 30. Bc1 Bf7 31. f4 $1 {
Preventing any form of counterplay with ...e6-e5.} Qc7 32. Qf3 Rd5 {
playing for c6-c5} 33. Bd3 $6 ({but} 33. Be3 {would prevent ...c5.}) 33... c5
$1 34. Be4 (34. Bxb5 cxd4 35. c4 R5d6 {allows Black some activity.}) 34... R5d6
35. Be3 c4 $1 {Securing some extra space.} 36. b4 Nd5 37. Bd2 a5 38. f5 exf5
39. Bxf5 (39. Qxf5 {is perhaps stronger - at the very least it forces Black to
accept an additional weakness.}) 39... axb4 $2 {Bad strategy - Black simply
opens up another file for White to attack down. TIP: When defending, don't
allow yourself two (or more!) weaknesses. This makes it much more difficult to
defend!} ({As John Watson points out,} 39... Ra6 {is better.}) 40. axb4 Qb7 41.
Qg3 Kf8 42. Bf4 Nxf4 43. Qxf4 Ra6 44. Rxa6 Qxa6 45. Qc7 {It looks as though
White's position is overwhelming, but with so few pieces on the board Black's
position is still a tough nut to crack.} Qd6 46. Qc5 g6 47. Be4 Kg7 48. Bf3 Qf4
49. Qa7 h4 50. Qa1 Re8 51. Rxe8 Bxe8 52. Qe1 Kf8 53. Bd5 Bd7 54. Kh1 Be8 55.
Be6 Qg3 56. Qd2 Ke7 {It is incredibly difficult for White to make progress.
The problem is that if the queen moves to a more menacing position, Black can
force a draw.} 57. d5 $5 {White loses patience and pushes forward.} Qd3 $6 (
57... Bd7 {exchanging bishops is the most logical move - then the d5-pawn will
simply become a liability. Indeed,} 58. Qe2 Qe5 {
would have caused some problems!}) 58. Qf2 $1 f5 $4 59. Qxh4+ Kd6 60. Qf4+ Ke7
61. Qe5 Qd1+ 62. Kh2 Qd2 63. Bxf5+ 1-0

[Event "World Mind Sports, Beijing (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pogonina, N."]
[Black "Houska, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "107"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. d4 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. O-O e6 8.
Bf4 $5 {A very simple and natural developing move, and one I must confess I
have rarely encountered before. 8 Bf4 reinforces control of the e5-square, and
White's plan is quite straightforward. White intends to occupy the centre and
use the extra space to build up pressure, and only then expand on the kingside.
A slow build-up plan if you like.} Nbd7 9. a3 {A dual-purpose move: White
prevents ...Bb4 but also lays the foundation for gradual queenside expansion
should Black play quietly.} Nd5 $5 {
The most accurate try, which cuts out a lot of the options for White.} (9...
Be7 10. Re1 O-O 11. Qd2 $1 {prevents ...Nd5, although even here} Rfe8 {
is fine for Black.}) 10. Nxd5 cxd5 11. Bd3 $1 {
The only move: other retreats leave the bishop out of play.} Bxd3 12. Qxd3 {
The pawn structure says it all: White will begin to work on the kingside
whereas Black maintains a long-term initiative on the queenside. Should Black
manage to exchange queens his position will become very pleasant, as the
queenside minority attack is hard to repulse. Black, however, is not in a good
position to blindly ignore White's kingside threats and must concentrate on
defusing White's initiative.} Be7 (12... Qb6 $5 {
is very interesting, tying White to the defence of his queenside. After} 13. b3
Bd6 14. Bxd6 Qxd6 {Black is fine.}) 13. Ne5 $6 (13. Rfe1 {
keeps more tension in the position and looks more worrying for Black. After}
O-O 14. Ng5 Bxg5 15. Bxg5 Qc7 16. Re3 {(swinging the rook over to the kingside)
} f6 17. Bh4 Rac8 18. c3 Rfe8 19. Rae1 Qb6 {both sides have weaknesses and the
lack of minor pieces on the board indicates that the position is level.}) 13...
Nxe5 14. Bxe5 O-O 15. Rae1 (15. Rfe1 {is still met by} Qb6 $1 {.}) 15... Qd8 $2
{With limited time on the clock, I reacted a bit too cautiously.} (15... Qb6 $1
{is the most active defensive resource and the best choice. Here} 16. Qg3 {
leads to nothing after} f6 17. Bf4 Rac8 $1 18. Qh3 ({or} 18. c3 Qxb2 19. Rxe6
Rxc3) 18... f5 {, when White must hurry back to defend his queenside pawns.})
16. c3 Rc8 17. Re3 Bf6 18. Rfe1 Bxe5 19. Rxe5 Rc4 20. f4 g6 {Black is defending
now, and my plan was to hold tight as much as I possibly could.} 21. Qg3 Kh8
22. h4 h5 23. Rg5 Rg8 {Not letting White in anywhere.} 24. Qf3 Rc6 25. Re3 Rb6
26. Qe2 Qf6 27. Rf3 Qd8 $2 {A bad mistake. By now both my opponent and I were
surviving only on the bonus time we were getting after each move, and after
playing carefully on every turn I finally missed the f4-f5 shot.} (27... Rc8 $1
{was better, as} 28. f5 {no longer works: after} exf5 29. Rfxf5 gxf5 30. Qxh5+
{Black has} Qh6 {.}) 28. f5 exf5 29. Rfxf5 Re6 (29... Re8 $1 {
was the only move to hold on.}) 30. Qf3 $2 (30. Rxh5+ $1 {would have won after}
Kg7 31. Rh7+ $1 {.}) 30... f6 31. Rxd5 Qe7 32. Rg3 Re1+ 33. Kh2 Re4 34. Rh3 Re8
{The rest of these moves were played very quickly.} 35. Qg3 Rg4 36. Qf2 Qc7+
37. Kg1 Qc6 38. Rc5 $4 Qe6 $4 ({Missing the opportunity to play} 38... Re1+ 39.
Kh2 Qd6+ {winning.}) 39. Rf3 Qe1+ 40. Qxe1 Rxe1+ 41. Kf2 Rb1 42. Rc8+ Kg7 43.
Rc7+ Kh6 44. Rxb7 f5 45. g3 Rc1 46. Rf4 Rxf4+ 47. gxf4 Rh1 48. d5 Rxh4 49. Kg3
Rg4+ 50. Kf3 Rg1 51. d6 Rd1 52. d7 h4 53. c4 Kh5 $4 {The final mistake.} (53...
h3 {was the only chance to hang on, and Black is still fighting after} 54. Kg3
Rd3+ 55. Kh2 g5 56. fxg5+ Kxg5 57. c5 Kg4 {.}) 54. d8=Q {
. Oh dear - it's checkmate with Rh7.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 9 0-0-0"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Qe2 Bb4 9. O-O-O {White simply castles queenside and aims to gradually kick
back the black pieces.} Nbd7 10. a3 {NOTE: This position can also be reached
by playing 9 a3 Nbd7 10 0-0-0. Here are some other possibilities for White:} (
10. Nh4 $6 {allows the trick} Bg4 $1 11. f3 Bxc3 {
. White is forced to weaken his queenside with} 12. bxc3 {Following} ({as after
} 12. Bxc3 $2 Qg5+ {the trick has revealed itself.}) 12... Bh5 13. g4 Bg6 {,}
14. Bb3 $1 {is the best: White protects the king while preparing a central
strike with c3-c4 followed by the familiar d4-d5 . Then} ({after} 14. Nxg6
hxg6 15. Kb1 Nd5 16. Ka1 b5 {Black is the one with the slight advantage, M.Apicella-E.Relange, Nantes 1993 - he has a strong knight on d5 and his king
is perfectly safe}) 14... Nb6 $1 (14... b5 {is tempting but after} 15. Kb2 Qc7
16. Ng2 a5 17. a3 $1 Nd5 18. h4 h6 19. f4 {
White had a very dangerous initiative in J.Dworakowska-H.Hunt, Elista 1998})
15. Kb2 $1 {(covering the queenside entry squares)} O-O-O {
(it is too dangerous for Black to castle kingside)} 16. Rhe1 c5 {reaches a double-edged position: both sides must try to take advantage of the exposed kings.}
) (10. Kb1 {gets the king into safety and also prepares Nh4!? without the
problem of the previous note. However, this move is a little slow. J.Hjartarson-C.Hansen, Reykjavik 1995, continued} Nb6 $1 11. Bb3 Bxc3 12. Bxc3
Qb5 $1 {. In the quest to dominate the light squares Black is willing to
double his pawns, which ironically improves his control of the centre and
opens up the c-file for his rooks. After} 13. Qxb5 cxb5 14. Ne5 ({
the prophylactic} 14. Ba5 $1 {was the best move}) 14... a5 $1 15. a3 Be4 $1 {
Black had no problems at all.}) ({Funnily enough, it is now a little premature
for White to occupy the centre with} 10. Ne5 {. After} Nxe5 $1 ({
WARNING: Black should exercise some caution when the white knight is on e5:} 
10... Nb6 $2 {(instead of 10...Nxe5!)} 11. Bb3 Nbd5 12. Nxd5 Bxd2+ 13. Rxd2
cxd5 14. g4 {is very bad for Black.}) 11. dxe5 Nd5 12. Nxd5 Bxd2+ 13. Rxd2 cxd5
14. Bb5+ Ke7 {, although it might appear that the king is suspiciously placed
on e7, it is perfectly safe and Black has no problems. In fact, with a
powerful Scandinavian bishop and the open c-file, I quite like Black's
position.}) 10... Bxc3 (10... Nb6 {
is a messy affair which is very difficult to assess:} 11. axb4 $5 {
(the most principled)} Qa1+ 12. Nb1 Na4 13. Bc3 Ne4 {
(threatening to capture on c3)} 14. Rd3 $1 {and now:} -- (14... a5 15. d5 $5 ({
after} 15. bxa5 Rxa5 16. Bb3 Nexc3 17. bxc3 O-O {the position is rather
bizarre: Black is a piece down and has no material compensation, but White can
barely move and is continuously tied down to the defence of the c-pawn}) 15...
Nexc3 16. bxc3 axb4 17. dxe6 {.} -- ({Here the inaccurate} 17... O-O {
gave White the better chances after} 18. exf7+ Kh8 19. Qe5 $1 {
in M.Zlatic-S.Saric, Novi Sad 2005.}) ({
Instead Black must keep the position closed with} 17... f6 $1 {, when} 18. cxb4
Bxd3 19. cxd3 Qxb1+ 20. Kxb1 Nc3+ {reaches an unclear position. White has
compensation for the exchange in the form of the e-pawn, and the knight gets
trapped on e2.})) (14... Nexc3 15. bxc3 Bxd3 16. Qxd3 a5 17. Bb3 {is another possibility. White has two minor pieces for the rook, but the position is very
tense as both sides' pieces are somewhat awkwardly placed. Even so, I think
the advantage lies with White, as it is very difficult for Black to make any
inroads into White's position.})) 11. Bxc3 Qc7 {. We have now reached a tabiya
for the 9 0-0-0 variation. Taking a step back, let's look at the position
afresh. What are the plans for Black and why has he so willingly conceded the
bishop pair? The answer lies in the semi-closed nature of the position and the
misplaced dark-squared bishop sitting on c3. Black's long term plan is to swap
off pieces and to reach a position where he has a strong knight on d5
completely dominating the dark-squared bishop. In fact, this is Black's
strategy even with the light-squared bishops on the board. See Schuster-Lau
for further details.} *

[Event "Willingen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Schuster, M."]
[Black "Lau, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Qe2 Bb4 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. a3 Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Qc7 12. Ne5 {
This is a typical idea for White.} ({NOTE:} 12. Kb1 O-O-O 13. Bd2 Ne4 14. Be1
Nd6 {is an important manoeuvre for Black to remember, and} 15. Bb3 h6 16. Ka2
c5 17. dxc5 Nxc5 {
left him with a comfortable position in I.Martic-M.Savic, Zlatibor 2007.})
12... b5 $5 {This plan equalizes - Black seizes space on the queenside and
secures the d5-square.} (12... Nxe5 $5 {makes White's life a little easier, as
his plan becomes very simple: control the d6-square and push those kingside
pawns! Play continues} 13. dxe5 Nd5 14. Bd2 O-O-O 15. g4 $1 Bg6 16. f4 h5 $1
17. h3 Qb6 $1 {Black must keep all his pieces as active as possible} (17... Ne7
$2 {guarding f5 is too passive, and} 18. Rhf1 Kb8 19. f5 exf5 20. e6 {
- the point: White threatens 21 Bf4 winning the queen -} Ka8 21. Bf4 Rxd1+ 22.
Qxd1 {was better for White in M.Zufic-D.Sebastianelli, Porto San Giorgio 2002})
18. Rhf1 hxg4 19. hxg4 Qc5 20. Bb3 {and now Black should play} Rh3 $1 {
threatening ...Rxb3, before White can play f4-f5. After} 21. Rf3 Rdh8 {
Black's activity is holding his position together.}) (12... Ne4 $6 {
is dubious as White simply retreats with} 13. Be1 $1 {Transferring the
dark-squared bishop to a better diagonal with Be1 followed by f2-f3 and Bg3 is
often in White's plans, and here Black is just helping White to achieve his
goal.}) 13. Bb3 ({
The game Wang Pin-N.Zhukova, Shenyang 2000, is very instructive:} 13. Ba2 Be4
$1 {(perfect strategy!)} 14. Rhe1 Bd5 {. This idea is critical: Black removes
the potential danger on the a2-g8 diagonal (sacrifices on f7 or e6) and
organizes favourable conditions for counterattack. The position, however,
remains incredibly complex for both sides:} 15. Bxd5 Nxd5 16. Bd2 O-O 17. Qg4 {
(Black must play very carefully and wait for the right time to counterattack)}
Kh8 18. Qh3 Rac8 19. Nxd7 Qxd7 20. Re4 f5 $1 {
(an important move, defending h7 horizontally)} 21. Rh4 g6 22. Qg3 Kg8 {
(again Black defends calmly against the threat of 23 Qxg6)} 23. Rh3 Qc7 {
(the knight is powerful on d5 so it would be beneficial for Black to exchange
queens)} 24. Qh4 Rf7 $1 {(the queen is a bad defender so Black should give
this task to an "inferior" piece!)} 25. Kb1 a5 26. Re1 Re8 27. c3 c5 {
(Black has laid the foundations for the counterattack - it is the perfect time
to strike)} 28. a4 c4 29. axb5 Qb8 30. Rg3 $2 {
(under pressure, White doesn't handle the change of circumstances well)} Qxb5
31. Qh6 a4 {. Black has defended perfectly and now ...a4-a3 will be deadly.})
13... Be4 $1 {Excellent strategy - Black re-routes the bishop in order to
secure the d5-square for the knight.} 14. Nxd7 (14. Rhe1 O-O ({
However, Black can avoid this with} 14... Bd5 {, as recommended by Dautov.})
15. Nxd7 Qxd7 16. d5 $5 {is an interesting sacrifice, and} Bxd5 17. Bxf6 gxf6
18. Bxd5 cxd5 19. Qf3 {
left Black's king exposed in P.Kruglyakov-N.Zhukova, Odessa 2007.}) 14... Qxd7
15. Bb4 {At first sight this move looks crippling - White has prevented Black
from castling to safety. However, Black can prove that his position is almost
unbreakable.} Bd5 $1 16. Bxd5 ({After} 16. c4 bxc4 17. Bxc4 Bxc4 18. Qxc4 a5
19. Bc5 Qd5 $1 20. Qc2 Rb8 21. f3 Nd7 {
, Black will follow up with ...Nxc5 and castle into safety.}) 16... Qxd5 17.
Qe5 O-O-O $1 {
This is the point: Black's king is well placed in the ensuing endgame.} ({After
} 17... Qxe5 18. dxe5 Nd5 19. Bc5 {White has the better endgame - he enjoys
more space and control of the d6-square, which is a significant factor but not
always critical as we see in the main game.}) 18. Be7 ({White was afraid of
Black penetrating the queenside with ...Qa2, but it is doubtful whether this
move is too scary.} 18. Qg3 Rhg8 19. Rhe1 Qf5 {
would have kept more pressure on Black.}) 18... Qxe5 $1 19. dxe5 Rxd1+ {
Exchanging a set of rooks makes Black's task easier. Thanks to his control of
d5, Black stands perfectly fine.} 20. Rxd1 Ng4 21. Bd6 Rd8 22. a4 ({If} 22. h3
{Black can get away with capturing on f2:} Nxf2 23. Rf1 Ne4 24. Rxf7 Nxd6 25.
exd6 Rd7 {and White should force a repetition of moves.}) 22... a6 {It is very
instructive to see how Lau plays round White's apparent strength - the
d6-square - and outplays his opponent completely.} 23. axb5 axb5 24. c4 $2 {
Not the best - White only creates another weakness.} Rd7 {Black safeguards the
f7-pawn to give the knight on g4 extra purpose. Now White must give up a pawn.}
25. cxb5 cxb5 26. Rd2 Nxh2 {Black's knight is completely safe on h2.} 27. Rc2+
Kb7 28. Rc5 Kb6 29. Rc3 h5 {
Now the knight has been completely secured, and Black is simply a pawn up.} 30.
Bc5+ Kb7 31. Rh3 Ng4 32. Rxh5 Rc7 33. b4 Nxf2 34. Kb1 Ne4 35. Bd6 Rc4 36. Bf8
g6 37. Rh7 Rc7 38. Rh4 Nd2+ 39. Kb2 Nc4+ 40. Kb3 Rd7 41. Bc5 Nxe5 42. Rh1 Rd3+
0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 9 Ne5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Qe2 Bb4 $1 9. Ne5 {Here are some points to remember: -- 1) Black should
normally delay castling until White has done so, and then head the same way!
-- 2) White's knight on e5 should generally be challenged by ...Nbd7. -- 3)
Black should only exchange these knights on e5 when he can follow up
effectively with ...Nd5, otherwise White's kingside pawn march can be very
strong. -- 4) Black should hardly ever exchange the white knight on e5 if he
doesn't have control of the d6-square, for example if he has exchanged his
dark-squared bishop for the knight.} Nbd7 $1 {Generally this is the best
reaction to Ne5. Black seeks to exchange minor pieces and alleviate space
problems. However, as explained above, one should be aware of the specific
conditions for this. --- WARNING: Whatever Black does, he must not allow White
to achieve an overwhelming space advantage.} ({For example,} 9... O-O $2 {
would be a grave mistake because of} 10. O-O-O (10. g4 $5 {
also looks very dangerous}) 10... Nd5 11. g4 Bg6 12. h4 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Nxc3 14.
Bxc3 Qxc3 15. Kb1 b5 16. Bb3 {and now h4-h5 is impossible to meet. After} a5
17. h5 a4 18. hxg6 axb3 19. gxh7+ Kh8 20. cxb3 {White is winning.}) 10. Nxd7 (
10. O-O-O {transposes to 9 0-0-0 Nbd7 10 Ne5.}) 10... -- {
After 10 Nxd7, Black has two possible recaptures:} (10... Kxd7 {
is covered in Koskivirta-Martin}) ({and} 10... Nxd7 {
is the subject of Seger-Artunian.}) *

[Event "Correspondence"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Koskivirta, O."]
[Black "Martin, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Qe2 Bb4 9. Ne5 Nbd7 $1 10. Nxd7 Kxd7 {This is an idea from David Taylor: in
effect Black is castling by hand. This is not just a flashy move to mock White
- it contains a strategic point in that Black doesn't remove the knight from
its good post on f6.} (10... Nxd7 {is considered in the next game.}) 11. O-O-O
(11. a3 Nd5 {prevents any tactical d4-d5 advances and simplifies the position
in order to minimize White's advantage. Indeed,} 12. Bxd5 cxd5 13. O-O Bxc3 14.
Bxc3 Qc7 15. Rac1 Rac8 16. f3 Qc4 17. Qe3 {is only marginally better for White,
due to the slightly exposed black king, J.Shaw-N.Mohota, British Championship
2003.}) 11... Rad8 {
This is a mistake as it allows White to force the pace of the game.} (11... Nd5
$1 {looks to be the safest. After} 12. Bxd5 cxd5 13. g4 Bg6 14. f4 Rac8 15.
Rhf1 Bxc3 16. Bxc3 Qa6 17. Qxa6 bxa6 18. Rd2 Be4 {the presence of
opposite-coloured bishops makes it rather drawish, J.Sodoma-A.Pakhomov,
Pardubice 2007.}) 12. a3 Bxc3 (12... Be7 13. d5 {is very unpleasant.}) 13. Bxc3
Qc7 {As Wahls, Müller and Langrock have pointed out, playing with the king in
the centre is not without its dangers.} 14. d5 $1 {
Opening the position with a bang.} ({A slower plan is} 14. f3 $5 Kc8 15. Be1 $1
{intending Bg3, an idea we've seen previously.} (15. Kb1 {
is less accurate because of} h5 $1 16. Be1 h4 $1 {
preventing Bg3, as played in B.Trabert-L.Nisipeanu, Naujac 2000.})) 14... Nxd5
$2 {A big mistake.} (14... cxd5 {is better, although the resulting position is
still very difficult for Black. For example,} 15. Be5 Qb6 (15... Qa5 $2 16.
Bb5+ Kc8 $2 {leaves the king only superficially safe and White can expose its
vulnerability by playing} {and White can exposes its vulnerability by} 17. Rd4
{threatening both Ra4 and Rc4+, P.Marxen-H.Kues, German League 1999}) 16. Bxf6
gxf6 17. Bxd5 Kc8 18. Bf3 {with a very pleasant position for White: the bishop
on f3 is much better than its counterpart, and the black king can never feel
safe with it pointing at b7.}) (14... exd5 {
is also stronger than the move in the game, but} 15. Be5 Qa5 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17.
Qf3 Be6 18. Qxf6 Kc8 19. Bd3 d4 20. f4 h5 {
was still good for White in L.Maurino-G.Soppe, Buenos Aires 1998.}) 15. Be5 $1
{Black's position suddenly becomes very difficult: his king is left in the
centre and White can advance on the kingside.} Qb6 16. g4 $1 Bg6 17. Bxg7 Rhg8
18. Bf6 Rde8 19. h4 Kc8 20. Bd4 c5 21. Be5 {
It is noticeable how White terrorizes Black with the power of his bishops.} f6
22. Bg3 Bf7 23. g5 {Suddenly the dark squares become even more vulnerable and
Black's position quickly disintegrates.} Rg6 24. gxf6 Reg8 25. Qe5 a6 26. Bd3 {
With a vulnerable black king and a passed pawn on f6, the result is not in
doubt.} Rh6 27. Bf5 $1 {Opening up the position.} exf5 28. Rxd5 Bxd5 29. Qxd5
Rxg3 30. Qxf5+ Kc7 31. Qf4+ Qd6 32. Qxh6 Rf3 33. Qxh7+ Kb6 34. Qe7 Qf4+ 35. Kb1
Rxf2 36. Rh3 c4 37. Re3 Qd4 38. Re4 1-0

[Event "Pardubice"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Seger, R."]
[Black "Artunian, D."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "96"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8.
Qe2 Bb4 9. Ne5 Nbd7 10. Nxd7 Nxd7 $1 {
In my opinion, the safest and the best move.} 11. a3 ({With} 11. O-O-O {
White intends to seize as much space on the kingside as possible with g2-g4.
However, Black can play} Nb6 $1 12. Bb3 {followed by the natural} Nd5 $1 {
when he shouldn't have any problems.}) 11... Nf6 {Black aims to prevent any
future d4-d5 by blunting the hidden potential of the future bishop on c3.} (
11... Bxc3 {allows White to blow open the position with} 12. Bxc3 Qc7 13. d5 $1
{, solving the problem of the bad bishop on c3. One of the fundamental ideas
for Black is to nullify the bishop pair, and he should be very wary of
allowing White to play d4-d5 like this. Now:} -- (13... O-O $6 {is met by} 14.
d6 $1 {intending} Qxd6 (14... Qd8 $1 {is forced but Black's position looks bad}
) 15. Rd1 Qc7 16. Rxd7 Qxd7 17. Qe5 {
and Black cannot defend the mate on g7 without losing material.}) ({. After} 
13... cxd5 14. Bxd5 O-O 15. Bf3 {the bishop pair in an open position appears
to offer White the easier game. Black has no squares for his knight but he
does have one vital asset - pressure against the c2-pawn - which gives him
some leverage. For example:} -- ({. After} 15... Rac8 {
I was worried about the radical} 16. h4 $5 {threatening g2-g4. Then} e5 17. g4
e4 18. Bg2 e3 $1 19. O-O-O Be6 {leads to a double-edged position, although
White has the better chances because of the bishop pair.} (19... --)) (15... e5
16. O-O Rfe8 17. Bd5 $2 {just wastes time, and after} Nf6 18. Bb3 Ne4 {
White had lost his advantage in K.Beckmann-R.Lau, Dresden 1998.}))) ({WARNING:
} 11... Nb6 $2 {is a decisive mistake, and} 12. O-O $1 Nxc4 13. axb4 Qxb4 14.
Ra4 {was winning for White in M.Chandler-I.Rogers, Bath 1983.}) 12. O-O (12.
O-O-O {is the most promising move, as after} Bxc3 (12... Bxa3 $2 {
doesn't look to be quite sufficient}) 13. Bxc3 Qc7 {
White is still able to play the tactical break} 14. d5 {. White obtained a
very dangerous initiative for the pawn in V.Kalisky-E.Repkova, Slovakian
League 2003, after} cxd5 15. Bb5+ Kf8 16. f3 a6 17. g4 Bg6 18. Bd3 Qf4+ 19. Kb1
Nd7 20. h4 Kg8 21. h5 Bxd3 22. Rxd3 h6 23. Rd4 Qd6 24. f4 {.}) 12... Bxc3 13.
Bxc3 Qc7 14. Rfd1 $6 {A slight inaccuracy.} O-O-O $5 {An interesting choice by
Black. He can get away with castling on the opposite wing because of two
factors: -- 1) The natural b2-b4-b5 does not work immediately because the
bishops on c4 and c3 are rather awkwardly placed. -- 2) White must also take
time out to defend against the threats of ...Ng4 and ...Bg4. In a game of
opposite-side castling, time and weaknesses take on great importance.} 15. Be1
({After} 15. b4 $6 h5 {, before White can push the b-pawn any further he must
spend some time placing one of the bishops on a better square.}) 15... h5 $1 {
Of course Black should prevent f2-f3 and Bg3. The rest of the game is very
instructive.} 16. Bd3 Ng4 17. g3 Nh6 (17... h4 {is another possibility.}) 18.
c3 g5 19. Be4 Bxe4 20. Qxe4 Qa5 21. Bd2 Rdg8 22. c4 Qf5 $1 {Now that Black has
provoked the slightly weakening c3-c4, leaving the d4-pawn vulnerable, Black
exchanges into a completely equal endgame.} 23. Qxf5 Nxf5 24. Bc3 Rh6 25. Rac1
({Or} 25. d5 exd5 26. cxd5 c5 {and Black will blockade the passed pawn.} 27. b4
{is unconvincing, as} c4 28. b5 Kd7 29. Rac1 Nd6 30. Bb4 Rc8 {
is fine for Black.}) 25... Rd8 26. h3 g4 27. h4 Rg6 28. Kf1 b6 29. a4 Kb7 30.
b3 Rd7 {Black has secured the f5-square for the knight and has ensured that
the d4-pawn is a permanent liability.} 31. Rd2 Rg8 32. Re1 Rgd8 33. Re5 Rd6 34.
Ke1 Kc8 35. Re4 R8d7 36. Kd1 Kd8 37. Kc2 Ke8 38. Re5 f6 39. Re4 Kf7 {Improving 
the king before undertaking any active measures. The time has come to break
and now Black is virtually winning.} 40. Rde2 c5 $1 41. dxc5 bxc5 42. Kb2 e5
43. Rc2 Rb7 44. Ka3 Rd3 45. Ka2 Nd4 46. Bxd4 cxd4 47. Rb2 a5 48. Ree2 Rc3 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ne4 Lines - Line A"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "25"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 ({WARNING:} 5... Nc6 $2 {
is simply a bad mistake, and} 6. Bd2 $1 ({rather than} 6. Bb5 Ne4) {
is the refutation of Black's idea:} 6... Bg4 ({or} 6... a6 7. Bc4 Qh5 8. Ne5 $1
) 7. Nb5 Qb6 8. c4 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Qxd4 11. Qxb7 Qe4+ 12. Qxe4 Nxe4
13. Be3 {with a very good two-bishop ending for White.}) 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6
8. Ne4 {White has two options here: he can exchange knights and enter
positions similar to those seen with 8 Nd5, or he can try to utilize ideas
seen more often in the Classical Caro-Kann by transferring the knight to g3
and getting ready to establish a two-pawn centre with c2-c4. However, I must
admit that 8 Ne4 has always seemed illogical to me. Why allow the black queen
to reach a more favourable square than d8?} Qc7 {This is probably the most
accurate move. The positions are incredibly similar to those seen in the 8 Nd5
main line but with one exception: Black is a tempo up!} (8... Qd8 $6 9. Ng3 {
provides a perfect example of how White wishes to utilize his lead in development with piece play. The aim is simply to drive back and exchange Black's
light-squared bishop while at the same time redeploying the irksome knight on
c3, which prevents White from establishing a two-pawn centre. After} Bg6 (9...
Bg4 10. c3 Nbd7 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 {
leaves White with the bishop pair and a space advantage}) 10. h4 {the whole idea is revealed: White wishes to transpose to favourable version of the
Caro-Kann, having obtained the "free" moves Bd2 and Bc4. Now:} -- ({. Black doesn't have the time to treat the position as if it were a Caro-Kann, because
after} 10... h6 $6 11. Ne5 Bh7 12. Qe2 Nd5 (12... Qxd4 $4 {
would be a terrible mistake in view of} 13. Nxf7 $1) ({and} 12... Bd6 $4 {
fails for the same reason}) 13. O-O-O Nd7 14. f4 {White has a very pleasant
position: his knight is comfortably supported on e5, and Black cannot
eliminate it without opening the f-file.}) (10... h5 {isn't usually played in
these positions, as the h-pawn simply becomes a liability. Furthermore, Black
cedes control of the g5-square.}) ({
. This means that Black must deal with the problem radically by playing} 10...
Nh5 $1 {, but even this is good for White. For example,} 11. Qe2 Nd7 12. O-O-O
Bd6 13. Ne5 Nxg3 14. fxg3 Bxe5 15. dxe5 h5 16. Bb4 $5 {and White has complete
control of the dark-squares, P.Svidler-L.Oll, Ter Apel 1996.})) (8... Qb6 {
was initially my choice, but my enthusiasm for this move has dampened just a
little bit:} 9. Nxf6+ $1 (9. Ng3 {is less dangerous here, and after} Bg4 10.
Bb3 Nbd7 11. O-O Bd6 {Black has a comfortable position: he will castle
kingside, place a rook on the d-file and break up White's centre with ...c6-c5}
) 9... gxf6 10. O-O $1 {offering the b-pawn is the best option} (10. Bb3 {
hampers a queenside pawn storm, although White may intend to play more
positionally after} Nd7 11. Qe2 O-O-O 12. O-O-O Bd6 {
- otherwise White will establish control of the h2-b8 diagonal -} 13. Nh4 Bg6
14. Nxg6 hxg6) 10... Nd7 ({after} 10... Qxb2 11. Rb1 Qxc2 12. Qxc2 Bxc2 13.
Rxb7 {White's control of the seventh rank gives him compensation for the pawn})
11. b4 $1 Bd6 12. a4 $1 ({
starting this pawn advance is in my opinion the best option; after} 12. Re1 $6
Rg8 13. Kh1 O-O-O 14. Bf1 e5 15. c4 Bxb4 {
Black had the advantage in J.Dworakowska-J.Houska, German League 2000}) 12...
Rg8 13. a5 Qc7 14. Re1 Bg4 15. g3 a6 $1 {(to halt the queenside pawns)} 16. Be2
{(breaking the pin and preparing c2-c4)} f5 $1 {
(Black must also begin to batter the protection surrounding White's king)} 17.
c4 $1 Nf6 18. b5 axb5 19. cxb5 Ne4 {
threatens a double sacrifice on g3, but this position is extremely complicated.
}) 9. Nxf6+ (9. Ng3 $6 {
is no longer so effective now that Black has some control of the e5-square:}
Bg6 10. Qe2 ({or} 10. h4 Nh5 $1 11. Ne5 Nxg3 12. fxg3 Nd7 13. Bf4 Nxe5 14. Bxe5
Bd6 {and Black has already equalized}) 10... Nbd7 11. O-O-O Bd6 {and White has
a poor version of the Classical Caro-Kann, with no kingside expansion, L.Psakhis-J.Pomes, Andorra 1996.}) 9... gxf6 10. Qe2 $5 {Just as in the 8 Nd5
main line, White intends to exploit Black's slight structural weaknesses by
either exchanging the light-squared bishop for the knight or by advancing his
pawns on the kingside.} Nd7 (10... Bxc2 $5 {isn't exactly the same as Zhang
Zhong-Nisipeanu, as Black's queen on c7 grants White the option of} 11. Rc1 Bg6
12. d5 {which is rather menacing.}) 11. O-O-O O-O-O 12. Nh4 Bg6 13. -- ({
Here the prophylactic} 13. Bb3 {(guarding against ...Nb6) is very similar to
Libiszewski-Prie but with an extra tempo for Black, which should certainly
prove to be useful.}) (13. g3 {can even be met by} Bd6 $5 {. Of course it
would be ideal if the dark-squared bishops were exchanged, so preferably Black
should wait for Nxg6 hxg6 and then aim for ...Bh6. However, Black's position
is still very solid even with this minor concession. For example,} 14. Nxg6
hxg6 15. h4 f5 16. h5 gxh5 17. Rxh5 Nf6 18. Rhh1 Ne4 19. Be3 Qa5 20. Bb3 {
and Black's knight is far superior to the badly placed bishop on b3, D.Sarenac-M.Savic, Belgrade 2007.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ne4 Lines - Line B"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "23"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bd2 Bf5 7. Ne4 {
NOTE: There is a subtle point behind this move order. By keeping the bishop at
home on f1, White can exchange on f6 and then develop this bishop to its
optimum diagonal. Note also that White avoids the wild complications that
arise after 5 Bd2 Bg4 and 5 Bc4 Bg4 (see Chapter Five).} Qb6 $5 {
This is probably the best move.} (7... Qc7 8. Nxf6+ gxf6 9. g3 $1 {was John Emms's dangerous recommendation in 'Attacking with 1 e4'. The idea is simple: the
fianchettoed bishop not only protects White's king, it also doesn't impede
White's pawn storm on the queenside. The only drawback to this plan is that
Black can achieve the central pawn break ...e7-e5 more easily, but after some
analysis I'm not too sure how much of a problem this is for White anyhow.} Nd7
$1 (9... e6 $6 {is too slow, and} 10. Bg2 Nd7 11. O-O O-O-O 12. Re1 Bd6 13. c4
$1 e5 {left White with the initiative in I.Glek-H.Nakamura, Minneapolis 2005.
Here IM Andrew Martin indicates that White could have gained the upper hand
with} 14. c5 Be7 15. Qa4 $1 {. Black is forced to play} Kb8 {but after} 16. Ba5
b6 17. cxb6 axb6 18. Bc3 {
he is really struggling with his queenside weaknesses.}) 10. Bg2 O-O-O 11. O-O
e5 $1 {This is the idea - Black gets to play ...e5 in one go! However, the
next question is how Black should continue, whereas it is clear that White
will simply begin to push his queenside pawns.} 12. c3 Nb6 $5 {
Intending ...Nc4 to exchange off White's dark-squared bishop.} ({I looked at} 
12... h5 $5 {but White can simply play the direct} 13. a4 $1 {, which not only
begins to break down Black's defences but also intends to lock the black
knight on d7 out of the game! After} Kb8 14. a5 $1 a6 {White should simply play
} 15. Nh4 Be6 16. Qc2 {when it's not clear how Black should continue.}) (12...
Be4 {is also dubious. The big problem is that} 13. Re1 Bd5 14. Qc2 h5 15. a4 {
threatens a4-a5, again locking the knight out of the game and leaving Black's
pieces very uncoordinated.}) 13. Qe2 $1 (13. a4 {allows} Nc4 {when Black will
either exchange off the dark-squared bishop or force the white pieces back.})
13... Bg7 14. a4 {
A critical moment: Black must try and somehow coordinate his pieces.} -- ({
. In H.Hunt-E.Repkova, Calvia 2004, Black played} 14... Rhe8 $2 {overlooking}
15. a5 $1 {(now White has a very strong position)} Nd7 16. Be3 Bg4 17. Qc2 a6
18. Qxh7 $1 {(White boldly takes all the material)} Rh8 19. Qxg7 Be6 20. dxe5
Rdg8 21. exf6 Rxg7 22. fxg7 $1 Rg8 {
. The g-pawn is just too much for Black to handle. Harriet eventually won with}
23. Bh6 ({, but she missed a chance to speed up the end of the game with} 23.
Bf4 $1 Qd8 24. Ng5 {(the check on d6 will be deadly)} Rxg7 25. Ne4 $1 Qf8 26.
Nd6+ {and White wins further material.})) (14... Be6 $1 {is Black's best move.
It makes sense to aggressively pursue control of the c4-square as this
blockades White's attack, even if it does look scary to allow the pawn to
advance to a6. Let's take a look a bit further at what might happen:} 15. a5
Nc4 16. a6 b6 17. Bc1 $1 {
although this move looks a bit strange, it is probably White's best bet} ({
after} 17. Be3 Kb8 18. Ra4 Nxe3 19. Qxe3 Rhe8 {
it is not easy for White to coordinate an attack on the light squares}) 17...
Rhe8 18. Ra4 $1 Nd6 {and now} 19. c4 $5 {is interesting:} -- (19... exd4 20.
Nxd4 {is just very good for White, as there is no effective discovered attack
on the queen;}) (19... e4 {is stronger, and after} 20. Nh4 f5 21. c5 bxc5 22.
dxc5 Nb5 {Black is saved by his good piece coordination.}))) 8. Nxf6+ gxf6 9.
b4 $5 {White pre-empts Black's plan of castling queenside, but this does allow
Black to react in the centre. Alternatively:} (9. Bc4 {
transposes to 7 Bc4 e6 8 Ne4 Qb6 9 Nxf6+ gxf6.}) (9. Bc3 Nd7 10. g3 O-O-O $1 {
(for the time being Black should simply continue with his development and
refrain from making committal moves)} 11. Bg2 e6 12. Nh4 ({
if White prevents ...Bb4 with} 12. Qd2 {, Black can continue calmly with} Qa6 {
preventing White from castling kingside}) 12... Bg6 13. O-O Bb4 14. Qd2 Bxc3
15. Qxc3 f5 {(Black voluntarily shuts in his light-squared bishop in order to
establish a grip on the important e4-square)} 16. d5 exd5 17. Bxd5 Qc5 18. Bc4
b5 19. Bd3 Qxc3 20. bxc3 Nc5 21. Bxf5+ Kc7 {and Black's pawn deficit doesn't
count for much as he will win the c3-pawn, N.De Firmian-C.Matamoros Franco,
Las Palmas 1999.}) 9... e5 $5 {
This is the principled answer to White's rather adventurous play.} (9... e6 $5
{is more restrained but equally viable. For example,} 10. a3 Nd7 11. c4 {
(this looks very tempting but in his haste to rush pawns forward White creates
a weakness on d4)} Bg7 $1 12. Be3 Qc7 13. Nh4 Bg6 14. Be2 f5 15. Qc1 O-O 16.
O-O e5 $1 17. Bh6 (17. dxe5 {is not possible because} Bxe5 18. h3 f4 $1 {
is good for Black}) 17... exd4 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Qb2 Qe5 {
and Black had no problems in O.Korneev-J.Pomes Marcet, Navalmoral 2000.}) 10.
Bc4 $1 {The best continuation: White isn't swayed by the lure of material and
instead chooses to complete his development.} ({If} 10. dxe5 {
Black should not recapture the pawn but play} Nd7 11. exf6 O-O-O {
developing his forces rapidly. After} 12. Be2 Nxf6 13. O-O Rg8 $1 {
Black threatens the unpleasant 14...Bh3 and 14...Ne4.}) 10... Nd7 ({After} 
10... Bxb4 $2 11. O-O Bxd2 12. Qxd2 Nd7 13. dxe5 fxe5 14. Nxe5 $1 Nxe5 15. Rae1
f6 16. Qd6 {Black was in terrible trouble, as 17 Rxe5 was coming, in V.Jansa-M.Konopka, Plzen 2003.}) ({
Black should not even think about leaving his king vulnerable to attack after} 
10... exd4 {, even if it does win a pawn!}) 11. O-O O-O-O $1 {Again the most
principled continuation; Black doesn't waste any time and starts preparing his
counterattack.} (11... Bg6 $2 {is too cautious and} 12. dxe5 $1 fxe5 13. Qe2 {
is incredibly strong:} Bg7 14. Rad1 O-O $1 {the best defensive move} (14...
O-O-O {
is just suicidal as none of Black's pieces will be able to attack White's king:
} 15. Nh4 $1 Bxc2 16. Rc1 Ba4 (16... Bg6 17. Nxg6) 17. Nf5 Bf8 18. Bxf7 {
with an advantageous position}) 15. Bg5 $1 Nf6 16. Rd6 $1 {, forcing the
knight to retreat to the back rank. White has the advantage due to his better
placed pieces and queenside initiative.}) 12. -- {After 11...0-0-0, play can
become very complicated. Here are just a few possible continuations:} (12. a4
exd4 13. a5 Qc7 14. a6 b6 {
and Black will follow up with 15...Bg4 or 15...Ne5. It's useful for Black that}
15. Nxd4 {is met by the strong} Ne5 $1 {when too many white pieces are hanging.
}) ({After} 12. Bxf7 exd4 13. Nh4 Ne5 14. Nxf5 Nxf7 15. Qh5 Ne5 {
it is not so clear how White will continue the attack.}) (12. c3 $1 exd4 $1 13.
Nxd4 Ne5 14. Be2 (14. Bxf7 {fails to} Rxd4) 14... Be4 $1 {(inducing a weakness,
such as g2-g3 or f2-f3, or a piece exchange - being passive is not the name of
the game!)} 15. f3 $5 (15. Be3 c5 16. bxc5 Bxc5 17. f3 Bg6 $1 {
keeps an eye on the important b1-square}) ({while} 15. a4 {fails to} Bxb4 {
intending to meet} 16. f3 Bg6 17. f4 $2 {with the stunning} Rxd4 $1 18. cxd4
Qxd4+ 19. Kh1 Bxd2 20. fxe5 fxe5 {and Black has many pawns for the exchange})
15... Bd5 16. a4 {. Here Black should remove his queen from attack with} Qc7
17. a5 Bd6 {, when an exciting game has developed: Black will continue his
attack on the weakened dark squares around White's king, whereas White will
still prod the queenside for weaknesses but must be mindful of his own king's
safety.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6 8. --
({In the old main line with} 8. Qe2 {we've see a series of interlinking ideas
for White: gaining the bishop pair with a2-a3, and occupying the centre with
Ne5 or playing to exchange the Scandinavian bishop with Nh4. --- After 9 0-0-0
followed by 10 a3, Black is forced to give up the bishop pair and he then
plays on the light squares. In Schuster-Lau Black secures these by ...b7-b5
followed by a most instructive ...Be4-Bd5 manoeuvre, gaining absolute control
of the d5-square. --- Instead of castling queenside immediately, White may
decide to occupy the centre with 9 Ne5. Because 9 Ne5 is always a prelude to a
kingside pawn storm, Black must challenge this knight immediately with 9...
Nbd7!. After 10 Nxd7 there are two possible recaptures: 10...Kxd7 or 10...Nxd7.
If one opts for the former, be advised to look at Koskivirta-Martin, where
Black carelessly allowed White the tactical shot d4-d5. 10...Nxd7 is more
solid, and in Seger-Artunian Black creatively demonstrates the problems White
has playing with two bishops in a semi-closed position. Black should not let
White's dark-squared bishop reach the h2-b8 diagonal, so make a note to take
proactive measures with ...h7-h5-h4!. --- If White castles kingside as in
Cuartas-Mohota, a quieter position arises, although again Black should be
alert to the possibility of a kingside pawn storm if White has propelled the
knight to e5. Once more the d5-square is a source of strength, and Black
should seek counterplay along the d-file. White, on the other hand, aims to
obtain as much space as possible on both wings and plays on the typical
weakness of d6 (created by the c6/e6 pawn formation). Pogonina-Houska is a
crude version of the old main line with 0-0, and here White plays on two
factors: the inherent strength of the e5-square and White's space advantage.
Black must deal with these issues actively otherwise he is left with a solid,
if a little passive position.}) ({Summarizing the early Ne4 lines,} 8. Ne4 Qc7
{isn't particularly threatening for Black, who often just ends up a tempo
ahead of the 8 Nd5 main lines. However, 6 Bd2 Bf5 7 Ne4 intending a kingside
fianchetto is more dangerous. Both 7...Qc7 and 7...Qb6 are playable, but Black
must play energetically in these complicated positions.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "4. Ne5 Lines"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 {. Early Ne5 lines are
notoriously aggressive. White intends to punish Black's loss of time in the
opening immediately, and placing the knight into the centre of the board is
usually the prelude to a kingside pawn storm with g2-g4, f2-f4 etc. By hunting
the bishop, White is hoping to extract by sheer aggression some form of
structural and positional advantage. Black in turn hopes that by playing in
such a radical manner White will overextend and be left with a position full
of gaping holes. --- White can play with an early Ne5 in two ways: he can
choose to develop the light-squared bishop to c4; or he can leave the bishop
at home, and later develop it to either d3 or, better still, on the long h1-a8
diagonal. --- NOTE: Due to its totally aggressive nature, both sides are
advised to study this variation carefully.} 6. -- {Ideas to remember include
g2-g4, f2-f4-f5, piece sacrifices on e6 (especially when the bishop is
developed to c4) and the d4-d5 pawn push. In this chapter Black's play is very
much reactive to White's attack and concrete analysis takes precedence. There
are fewer general rules, but some principles still apply. For example, when a
knight arrives on e5 it should still be challenged as soon as possible, and
when White has played Qe2 and Bd2 Black should intercept the potential
discovered attack on the queen with ...Bb4!. --- TIP: Black should never allow
his position to become constricted, and in the case of a kingside pawn launch
he should be always ready to meet the lunge f4-f5.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 7 Ne5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Ne5 e6 8. g4
({The quieter} 8. O-O {is covered in Friedman-Nakamura.}) 8... Bg6 $1 {
It is important for Black to retreat his bishop in order to provoke White into
further compromising his pawn structure, as this will then become a basis for
Black's counterattack.} (8... Be4 {
is considered to be dubious by theory because of} 9. O-O (9. f3 $6 {
weakens the king and Black should be fine after} Bd5 10. Bd3 Nbd7 11. Nxd7 Nxd7
12. O-O Be7 13. Bd2 Qb6) {
. However, the situation is not so clear cut. For example,} 9... Bd5 10. Bd3
Nbd7 $1 11. f4 h5 12. g5 Nxe5 13. fxe5 Ng4 14. h3 Qb6 $1 {
and White's king is all over the place.}) 9. h4 {Going directly for the bishop.
This was once considered the most dangerous variation in the 3...Qa5
Scandinavian, and it is discussed in Moriuchi-Prié.} ({
White's main alternative is} 9. Bd2 {, which is covered in Blit-Leon Hoyos.}) *

[Event "San Sebastian"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Moriuchi, T."]
[Black "Prie, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{This is a very convincing game from Black's point of view.} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5
Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Bc4 c6 7. Ne5 e6 8. g4 Bg6 9. h4 Nbd7
$1 (9... Bd6 $5 {
is Andrew Martin's recommendation on his Scheming Scandinavian DVD. Now:} 10.
-- (10. f4 Ne4 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. Qf3 Nxc3 13. Bd2 Nd7 {is actually better for
Black. White's kingside pawns look impressive but in actual fact they are
quite weak. The reason is simple - they cannot advance.}) (10. Bf4 Bxe5 11.
Bxe5 ({if} 11. dxe5 Ne4 12. Rh3 h5 $1 {
and Black has successfully undermined the kingside}) 11... Nbd7 {and Black is
at least equal: once the attacked bishop on e5 retreats he will play ...h7-h5
followed by ...Nf6-e4.}) (10. h5 {is critical, but} Be4 11. O-O Bd5 (11... Bxe5
12. dxe5 Qxe5 13. Re1 Nbd7 {is very complicated}) 12. Bd3 Nbd7 {is fine for
Black: he has developed his pieces and White has severely weakened his king.}))
10. Nxd7 Nxd7 11. h5 {
White must strike quickly, otherwise he is in danger of having overstretched.}
(11. Qe2 $2 {is a mistake, allowing Black to strike back with} h5 {.}) 11...
Be4 12. Rh3 ({Against} 12. O-O {Wahls recommends} Bd5 $1 {. For example,} 13.
Nxd5 cxd5 14. Bd3 Bd6 (14... g5 {is also interesting: Black intends to secure
the dark squares, and if White captures the g5-pawn he opens a line of attack})
15. Be3 g6 {(Black's pressing issue is to arrange a breakthrough, so as to be
able to exploit the white king's position)} 16. h6 {
(this is the problem - White shuts out Black attempts)} O-O-O {
(Black plans to play ...f7-f5-f4)} 17. Rc1 Kb8 18. c4 dxc4 19. Bxc4 Nb6 {
and Black is doing fine.}) 12... Bg2 $5 (12... Bd5 {
is a very good alternative , with the idea being that if} 13. Bd3 {then} c5 $1
{is quite strong.}) 13. Re3 ({This looks more promising than} 13. Rg3 Bd5 14.
Bxd5 cxd5 15. Bd2 {(A.Fedorov-A.Hauchard, Belfort 1999), when} Qb6 $1 {
is better than the game's 15...Qd8. Because of his uncastled king, White
really must seriously consider the defence of the b-pawn.}) 13... Qc7 $1 {
A great idea, discovered by Prié.} (13... Nb6 {
was played in the legendary game V.Anand-J.Lautier, Biel 1997:} 14. Bd3 Nd5 15.
f3 Bb4 16. Kf2 {(White traps the bishop but Black gets some pawns for his
troubles, or so he thinks...)} Bxc3 17. bxc3 Qxc3 18. Rb1 Qxd4 19. Rxb7 Rd8 {
and here Anand unleashed the stunning} 20. h6 $3 {
which kills off Black completely. The magnificent point is that after} gxh6 21.
Bg6 $3 {, Black cannot play} Qxd1 {because} 22. Rxe6+ Kf8 23. Bxh6+ Kg8 24.
Bxf7# {is checkmate.}) 14. f4 $6 {This move is superficially aggressive but
actually quite dubious. Not only does White shut out his bishop on c1, he also
makes no attempt to inconvenience the bishop on g2, which can escape easily to
d5. I would even go as far as to say that as a result of this move White has
overstretched and now it is only Black who can reap the rewards from the
position.} (14. Rg3 $1 Bd5 15. Bxd5 cxd5 16. Qe2 Be7 17. Bd2 Qb6 ({
simplifying with} 17... Rc8 18. O-O-O Qc4 {
looks like the best solution for Black}) 18. O-O-O Qxd4 {
is highly risky, as Black can fall into a trap:} 19. h6 $1 {
(in the style of Anand!)} g6 20. Be3 Qb4 21. a3 Qa5 22. Nxd5 $1 {
(this is the idea: White gets the necessary tempo to attack)} exd5 23. Bd4 {
and White regains the piece with a winning position.}) ({Of course not} 14. f3
$2 Qh2 {, and White is the one with the red face.}) 14... Nb6 15. Bb3 O-O-O 16.
Kf2 Bd5 17. Nxd5 Nxd5 18. Rf3 ({Protecting the f4-pawn with} 18. Re4 {
leaves the dark squares vulnerable, and after} Nf6 19. Re1 g5 $1 {
White's king will be exposed even further.}) 18... Nf6 19. Kg3 (19. Rd3 {
was stronger, although after} g6 20. h6 Nd5 {White is forced to play} 21. Bxd5
{and his kingside is simply too vulnerable. Following} exd5 22. g5 Bd6 23. Qf3
f5 {Black has an outpost on e4 and is positionally winning.}) 19... g6 {
The decisive breakthrough - the opening of the h-file is fatal for White.} 20.
hxg6 hxg6 21. g5 Ne4+ 22. Kg2 Nxg5 $1 23. Rd3 Ne4 24. Qf3 Nd6 25. Be3 Nf5 26.
Bf2 Bd6 27. d5 exd5 28. Bxd5 Nh4+ 29. Bxh4 Rxh4 {
. White resigned because the f4-pawn will fall.} 0-1

[Event "Buenos Aires"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Blit, J."]
[Black "Leon Hoyos , M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Ne5 e6 8. g4
Bg6 9. Bd2 {This move is designed to bluff Black into retreating his queen.
The general plan for White is first to develop and then to continue with
kingside expansion. By doing this he is hoping to catch Black unaware.} ({NOTE:
} 9. Qe2 Bb4 10. Bd2 Nbd7 {
is an alternative move order to get to the position we reach in the game.})
9... Nbd7 $1 (9... Qb6 $2 {
would be a mistake, as White is not obliged to defend the pawn:} 10. Qe2 $1
Nbd7 ({it is best to reject the pawn offer:} 10... Qxd4 {
runs into problems after} 11. O-O-O {when the open d-file is a great source of
danger to Black, and White is winning after} Qb6 12. f4) ({, while if} 10...
Qxb2 11. Rb1 Qxc2 12. Rxb7 {Black's position is in tatters}) 11. f4 $1 O-O-O
12. O-O-O {and White's better placed pieces and extra space give him a
pleasant advantage. For example,} Nxe5 13. dxe5 Nd5 14. Rhf1 $1 {
(the threat of f4-f5 is very uncomfortable for Black)} h6 15. f5 Bh7 16. Rf3 $1
{(this rook manoeuvre is incredibly strong)} Be7 17. Nxd5 exd5 18. Rb3 Qc5 19.
Ba6 {is winning for White.}) (9... Bb4 {, blocking the diagonal, is also
possible but not something I would recommend, since ...Bb4 is something Black
should really only play when the white queen is on e2. Now} 10. a3 $1 Bxc3 11.
Bxc3 Qb6 12. Qe2 {is good for White. For example,} Ne4 $2 (12... Be4 13. Rg1
Bd5 14. Bd3 Nbd7 15. g5 {gives White a tremendous position - Black is playing
without space or any piece coordination}) 13. Nxf7 $5 Kxf7 14. f3 Nxc3 15.
Qxe6+ Kf8 16. Qc8+ Be8 ({or} 16... Ke7 17. Qxh8 Qxd4 18. bxc3 Qxc3+ 19. Kf2 {
and the white king will hide away on h3}) 17. Qf5+ Ke7 18. Qe5+ Kd8 (18... Kf8
19. Qd6# {mate}) 19. Qxg7 Qxb2 20. O-O {. The rook on h8 is lost and to add to
Black's woes his king is too exposed in the centre.}) 10. Qe2 Bb4 {TIP: Black should wait for Qe2 before playing ...Bb4 otherwise White can simply play a2-a3.
} 11. O-O-O (11. h4 $6 {
mixes plans, and analysis by Ricardi shows this move to be premature:} Nxe5 12.
dxe5 Nd5 $1 {(this move equalizes)} 13. Bxd5 ({
if White tries to trap the bishop with} 13. h5 $2 {then} Nxc3 14. bxc3 Bxc3 15.
hxg6 Bxd2+ {is the point - White cannot recapture,} 16. Qxd2 {as} Qxe5+ {
would pick up the rook}) 13... exd5 14. h5 ({or similarly} 14. O-O-O O-O-O 15.
h5 $2 Bxc2 $1 16. Kxc2 d4 {and White must return the piece}) 14... Bxc2 15. Rc1
d4 $1 16. Rxc2 O-O-O $1 {(threatening 17...d3)} 17. Qe4 Rhe8 {(Black can
r the piece, but instead chooses to create some more threats first)} 18. O-O
Rxe5 19. Qxh7 dxc3 20. bxc3 Bf8 {and Black's king looks the safer.}) (11. f4
O-O-O 12. O-O-O {should be met by} Nb6 {
reinforcing the d5-square. Here White has a choice:} 13. -- (13. a3 {
allows Black to complicate with} Bxa3 {and then:} 14. -- (14. bxa3 Qxa3+ 15.
Kb1 Rxd4 16. f5 {(White must block off the b1-h7 diagonal)} Nxg4 $1 {(distracting the e5-knight; White must tread incredibly carefully not to lose on the
spot)} 17. Bc1 Qxc3 18. Rxd4 Qxd4 19. Bb2 Qf2 $1 20. Qxg4 ({or} 20. fxg6 Qxe2
21. Bxe2 Nxe5 22. Bxe5 f6) 20... Bxf5 21. Qe2 {
and Black has a tremendous number of pawns in exchange for the piece.}) (14.
Na2 $1 {(the best defence)} Qa4 $1 15. Bb3 Qxd4 16. c3 {
and here Black has the stunning} Na4 $1 {. The position is completely wild,
with Black paying no attention to material matters. Of course the queen cannot
be taken, but White can play} 17. Nxg6 Qb6 18. Kc2 hxg6 19. bxa3 Nc5 20. Rb1
Qa5 {when Black's activity and White's exposed king offer Black compensation
for the piece.})) (13. f5 $6 {
was proven to be dubious in the game I.Smirin-P.Ricardi, Yerevan Olympiad 1996:
} exf5 14. a3 Rhe8 $1 {(a marvellous sacrifice, and Black's attack is crushing)
} 15. axb4 Qa1+ 16. Nb1 Na4 17. Bc3 Ne4 $1 {(threatening ...Nexc3)} 18. Rd3 f4
$1 {(a superb move - White can barely move a piece)} 19. Qf3 Nexc3 20. bxc3
Qb2+ 21. Kd2 Nb6 $1 22. Ba6 (22. Bb3 {fails to} Rxe5) 22... bxa6 23. Qxc6+ Kb8
24. Nc4 Nxc4+ 25. Qxc4 Re3 {and White resigned.})) 11... Nxe5 $1 {
Black does not have any problems after this move.} 12. dxe5 Nd5 13. Bxd5 (13.
Nxd5 {is answered by} Bxd2+ 14. Rxd2 -- ({, and} 14... exd5 15. Bb3 Qb4 {
, preventing f2-f4. Here} 16. e6 {achieves little, as Black simply plays} O-O {
with a very comfortable position now that the bishop on b3 is shut out.}) ({
. Funnily enough,} 14... cxd5 {
leaves the black king more vulnerable than its counterpart. After} 15. Bb5+ Ke7
16. Kb1 Rac8 17. f4 Rc5 18. Bd3 {Wahls reckons that White's king is the safer
one. The whole point is that following} Bxd3 19. Qxd3 Qb4 20. Rf1 {
, the f4-f5 advance will be rather unpleasant for Black.} (20. --))) ({
TIP: After} 13. Ne4 $5 Bxd2+ 14. Rxd2 {it is important to play} Bxe4 $1 {
to remove any potential problems the knight may cause. Remember, the d6 point
is particularly vulnerable.} {Black should meet} 15. Qxe4 {with} h5 {. Now that
the rook is undefended on h1, undermining the g4-pawn looks very logical, and
after} 16. Bb3 hxg4 17. c4 Ne7 18. Qxg4 Qxe5 {
Black has a material and a structural advantage.}) 13... cxd5 14. Qb5+ {
White exchanges off into an inferior endgame. This time it is Black who has
the bishop pair and a superior pawn structure!} (14. f4 {
entails considerable risk and Black can simply carry on with} O-O $1 {
before aiming at the weak c2 point.} 15. -- ({. If} 15. Kb1 {Black can reply}
d4 16. Ne4 Bxd2 17. Nxd2 Rac8 {
and the pressure down the c-file looks likely to generate an advantage.}) (15.
Nxd5 {doesn't achieve much either:} Bxd2+ 16. Qxd2 Qxa2 17. Ne7+ Kh8 18. Qb4
Qa1+ 19. Kd2 Rfd8+ {and with the white king in the open, Black is doing well.}
(19... --))) 14... Qxb5 15. Nxb5 Rc8 $1 {
From now on, the advantage is firmly in Black's hands.} 16. c3 (16. Nd4 {
fails to} Bc5 17. Bc3 h5 {, undermining White's position.}) 16... Bc5 $6 (16...
a6 17. Nd4 h5 {would have given Black great chances to outplay White.}) 17. Be3
Bxe3+ 18. fxe3 Ke7 19. g5 $6 {White unnecessarily weakens his pawn structure.}
h6 20. h4 hxg5 21. hxg5 {The g5-, e3- and e5-pawns are exceedingly weak, and
it is only a matter of time before they drop off.} Be4 {
Seizing control of the h-file.} 22. Rhf1 Bg6 23. Rf2 (23. Rh1 {
should have been played.}) 23... Rh5 24. Rg1 Rch8 25. Kd2 a6 26. Nd4 Rh1 {
The black rooks enter White's territory. Black is practically winning now.} 27.
Rxh1 Rxh1 28. Rg2 Rb1 29. Rg3 Rxb2+ 30. Kc1 Rb1+ 31. Kd2 Rb2+ 32. Kc1 Rxa2 {
Black is two pawns up and the result is not in doubt.} 33. Rh3 Rg2 34. Rh8 Rxg5
35. Rb8 Rxe5 36. Rxb7+ Kf6 37. Kd2 Rg5 38. Rb6 Rg2+ 39. Ke1 Ra2 0-1

[Event "Parsippany"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Friedman, J."]
[Black "Nakamura, H."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Bc4 Bf5 6. Nf3 Nf6 7. Ne5 e6 8.
O-O {Instead of lunging like a caveman with 8 g4, White takes the positional
route. However, this game shows that there are some inherent dangers in
playing an early unsupported Ne5.} Nbd7 {Following the basic rule that the
e5-knight should be challenged as quickly as possible.} 9. Re1 {
Surprisingly this natural move is very bad. Some alternatives:} (9. f4 $2 {
is too committal, and Black should eye that e4-square with glee:} Rd8 10. Qe2
Be7 11. Bb3 (11. g4 $4 {loses to} Nxe5 12. fxe5 Nxg4 13. h3 Rxd4) 11... h5 $1 {
(securing the strong bishop on f5)} 12. Kh1 a6 13. Bd2 Qc7 14. Rae1 Nb6 15. Be3
Nbd5 16. Bg1 Nxc3 17. bxc3 O-O 18. c4 c5 {and Black had a perfect position in
I.Morovic Fernandez-Cu.Hansen, Wijk aan Zee 1994.}) (9. Nxd7 Nxd7 10. Bf4 Bb4
11. Ne2 O-O 12. c3 Be7 13. Ng3 Bg6 14. Re1 b5 15. Bb3 Nf6 {and Black has
emerged from the opening with the desired favourable Caro-Kann type of
position, V.Jansa-L.Van Wely, Gausdal 1992. As per usual, Black will aim to
occupy the d5-square and utilize the semi-open d-file.}) (9. Qe2 Nxe5 10. dxe5
Nd7 11. f4 {(although tempting, this move is somewhat positionally suspect as
it shuts out White's dark-squared bishop)} O-O-O {(a good decision: the black
king will be safe on the queenside as White's minor pieces interfere with the
desired pawn push)} 12. Ne4 (12. a3 g5 $1 {
undermines White's position completely, and here} 13. b4 {fails to} Bxb4) 12...
Bxe4 $1 {(a masterful exchange: Black realizes that the knight will be much
stronger than the light-squared bishop)} 13. Qxe4 Nb6 14. Bb3 Bc5+ 15. Kh1 Qa6
16. Be3 Bxe3 17. Qxe3 g6 18. Rad1 {and Black has a slight advantage due to the
awkwardly placed bishop on b3, A.Olcayoz-T.Gelashvili, Ankara 2002.}) (9. Bf4
Nxe5 10. Bxe5 ({after} 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. Qe2 Be7 12. Rfd1 {
I would be a little tempted to play the enterprising} g5 13. Bg3 h5 {
followed by castling queenside}) 10... Nd7 11. Bg3 Bb4 12. Ne2 O-O 13. c3 Be7
14. Re1 Rad8 {and White is only very slightly better, N.Somborski-M.Savic,
Kragujevac 2000. Once Black has taken all the necessary precautions he will
aim for ...c6-c5, playing ...b7-b6 if necessary. White needs to find a way to
turn his attention to the kingside or try to discourage Black's plans.}) 9...
Nxe5 $1 10. Rxe5 {The awkward placing of the rook causes White some problems,
which Nakamura exploits ruthlessly.} ({The problem for White is that} 10. dxe5
$2 Ng4 $1 {attacks e5 and f2:} 11. Qe2 {(White must protect the bishop and the
e5-pawn, as 11...Nxf2 followed by 12...Qc5+ was threatened)} Bc5 12. Nd1 Bxc2
$5 {winning a pawn, although admittedly play does become rather complicated
from here} (12... Rd8 $1 {intending} 13. h3 Rxd1 $1 {is stronger}) 13. Bd2 $1
Qd8 14. h3 $1 (14. Qxg4 $2 Qxd2) ({or} 14. Bf4 Bxd1 15. Raxd1 Bxf2+ 16. Qxf2
Nxf2 17. Rxd8+ Rxd8 18. Kxf2 Rd4 {, winning one of the bishops}) 14... Bxd1 15.
Rexd1 Nxf2 16. Be3 Nxd1 17. Bxc5 Nxb2 18. Qxb2 Qa5 19. Qd4 Rd8 {and White's
two powerful bishops give him considerable compensation for the slight
material deficit.}) 10... Qc7 {With the threat of 11...Bd6.} 11. h3 O-O-O $1 {
An excellent attacking move: Black places pressure on the centre and forces
White to make another concession.} 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bh4 Bd6 14. Re3 Bf4 15. Bg3
g5 16. Ne2 Rhg8 17. Ra3 Kb8 18. Nxf4 gxf4 19. Bh4 Rg6 20. Bf1 e5 {
Attacking in the centre; Nakamura is relentless.} 21. c3 e4 22. Bxf6 Rxf6 23.
c4 Rg6 24. Qh5 Bc8 25. d5 c5 26. Re1 Re8 27. Kh1 Qd8 28. Rc3 Qf6 29. a3 Re5 30.
Qe2 Ka8 31. b4 Reg5 32. Qd2 $2 {Now Black has a tactical shot.} e3 33. fxe3 f3
$1 {Black crashes through.} 34. g4 f2 35. Re2 Qf3+ 36. Bg2 (36. Kh2 {
also ends in disaster:} Rxg4 37. hxg4 Qxg4 {and mate is unstoppable.}) 36...
f1=Q+ 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 6 Ne5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Ne5 {With 6 Ne5 White
tries to get a favourable version of the Ne5 lines. By keeping the bishop on
f1 for the moment, White maintains the important option of developing it on
the desirable h1-a8 diagonal. Another possibility is to exchange off the
Scandinavian bishop with Bd3, and play with the extra space. It is for these
reasons why after 5 Nf3 it is advantageous for Black to play 5...c6 rather
than 5...Bf5. With the bishop not committed, Black can meet 6 Ne5 by playing:}
Be6 $5 {In light of White's ambitions, 6...Be6 is the most principled
continuation for Black. Although at a glance the bishop looks a little clumsy,
situated in front of the e7-pawn, it cannot be harassed on e6 as the knight
has already jumped to e5! Black also reasons that he has the option of
developing the dark-squared bishop through a ...g6 fianchetto, and a chance to
challenge the knight on e5.} (6... Bf5 {
is, of course, possible and this move is examined in Jansa-Polak.}) ({NOTE:} 
6... Nbd7 7. Nc4 Qc7 {transposes to the line 3...Qd6 4 d4 Nf6 5 Nf3 c6 6 Ne5
Nbd7 7 Nc4 Qc7 (see Chapter Nine).}) 7. -- {The next decision for White is to
choose whether to play the position with the light-squared bishops on the
board or not:} (7. Nc4 {is covered in Petrov-Ibrahimov}) ({while} 7. Bc4 {
is the subject of Jansa-Polak.}) (7. Bd3 {was Kasparov's choice against
Anand when surprised by the Scandinavian in their 1995 world championship
match, but it doesn't promise much:} Nbd7 (7... g6 {is also good}) 8. Nxd7 (8.
f4 $6 {was famously played by Kasparov, but Anand showed that this aggressive
pawn move is simply too ambitious:} g6 9. O-O Bg7 10. Kh1 Bf5 $1 {is a common
strategic idea found normally in the Caro-Kann - Black is prepared to double
his pawns in order to secure the e4-square and make White's dark-squared
bishop bad}) 8... Bxd7 9. O-O Bg4 10. Ne2 e6 {(with a pair of minor pieces off
the board, Black's space worries have been alleviated)} 11. c3 Bd6 12. Qc2 Qc7
13. h3 Bh5 14. Re1 Bg6 {
with equality, M.Kaminski-M.Van der Werf, Groningen 1992.}) *

[Event "European Team Championship, Leon"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2001.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrov, M."]
[Black "Ibrahimov, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Ne5 Be6 7. Nc4 Qc7 (
7... Bxc4 8. Bxc4 e6 {is a more solid way to play, but White is slightly
better due to the bishop pair. The main consideration for Black is to ensure
that White cannot play c2-c4 followed by d4-d5 too easily.}) 8. Bg5 (8. Qf3 {
intending Bf4 is also pretty dangerous:} -- (8... Bg4 {
gives White the better ending after} 9. Qf4 Qxf4 10. Bxf4 {. It is difficult
for Black to develop the dark-squared bishop without conceding something, and
after} Bf5 11. O-O-O Ne4 12. Nxe4 Bxe4 {
White could have won in P.Roberts-I.Marks, Edinburgh 2007, had he chosen} 13.
Re1 {.}) (8... Nbd7 9. Bf4 Qd8 10. O-O-O Nb6 11. Ne3 Nbd5 $1 {
is best. Black must aim to exchange pieces to alleviate his space difficulties.
} (11... --))) 8... Nbd7 9. Qf3 (9. Qd2 {
with the idea of discouraging ...g7-g6 can be met by} Bxc4 10. Bxc4 e6 11. Bf4
$2 {(this seems a little bit pointless)} Bd6 12. Ne2 O-O 13. Bxd6 Qxd6 {
with a level position, K.Petschar-M.Konopka, Austrian League 2000. Black has
the rather straightforward plan of playing down the d-file, possibly followed
by a ...c6-c5 pawn break or securing the d5-square (...Nd5, ...b7-b5 and ...a7-a5-a4 would be perfect, although White would have to be pretty careless to
allow that!).}) 9... g6 10. Ne3 Bg7 11. h4 $2 O-O $1 {A cool move, proving
that White is simply not ready to attack on the kingside yet.} 12. O-O-O ({
Trying to pawn-storm the king with} 12. g4 {is simply met by} h5 {.}) 12... b5
13. g4 b4 14. Ne4 Qa5 15. Bxf6 Nxf6 16. Nxf6+ Bxf6 {
Suddenly it is White's king who has problems.} 17. Qxc6 Qxa2 18. Qa6 b3 {
A lovely little move. Now problems start to afflict White.} 19. c3 Rfc8 20.
Qxa2 bxa2 21. Kd2 {
White sets out to win the dastardly pawn on a2, but it's not so easy...} Rab8
22. b4 Rxc3 $3 {An incredible move, utilizing the theme of overloading.} 23.
Kxc3 Bxd4+ $3 {This is the whole point - White simply cannot prevent Black
from queening the pawn and regaining material.} 24. Kxd4 $6 (24. Kd2 {
was more stubborn, although Black's advantage must be sufficient to win.})
24... Rd8+ 25. Ke4 Rxd1 26. Nxd1 a1=Q 27. Ne3 Qb1+ 28. Kf3 Qxb4 29. Bd3 a5 30.
h5 Qc3 31. Be4 Qf6+ 32. Ke2 Qe5 0-1

[Event "Monte Carlo (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Topalov, V."]
[Black "Van Wely, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "157"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Ne5 Be6 7. Bc4 {
Strangely enough, White's best chance to achieve something from the opening
may be to trade off the light-squared bishops.} Bxc4 8. Nxc4 Qa6 {This is actually the easiest way for Black to equalize, although I must admit the position
is a little bit dry. --- Alternatively:} ({Beating a retreat with} 8... Qc7 {
smacks too much of passivity, and White can follow up with the natural} 9. Qf3
$1 {intending Bf4.}) (8... Qd8 $6 {is also too passive for my liking: Black
has wasted too much time, so the active pawn breaks ...e5 or ...c5 are very
difficult to achieve. For example,} 9. O-O e6 10. Bg5 $1 Be7 11. Re1 Nbd7 12.
Qf3 {and Black's position is still solid but it is a thankless task simply
holding on for a draw.}) (8... Qf5 $5 {(after a trade of bishops, it makes
sense for the queen to patrol the light squares)} 9. O-O e6 {and now:} 10. -- (
10. Ne2 Nbd7 11. Ng3 Qd5 12. Ne3 Qd6 13. Re1 ({if} 13. c4 {
Black should avoid the natural} Be7 $2 {, as} 14. Nef5 {would be a shocker!})
13... O-O-O 14. c4 h5 {with a double-edged position.}) (10. Re1 Nbd7 11. Ne3
Qh5 $1 {
, D.Campora-M.Tempone, Sao Paulo 1989 - remember d4-d5 shouldn't be allowed!})
(10. Ne5 h5 {
- because of his active queen Black can take some liberties in the opening -}
11. h3 Nbd7 12. Re1 Rd8 13. Nf3 Be7 14. Ne2 Ne4 15. Nf4 {and now instead of} g5
{,} (15... Ng5 {
would have presented Black with no problems in I.Glek-D.Spinelli, Asti 1997})))
9. Qe2 e6 $1 ({
In N.Grigore-M.Ionescu, Bucharest 2004, Black played the horrific blunder} 9...
Nbd7 $4 {allowing} 10. Nd6+ {.}) 10. Bf4 (10. O-O {
doesn't pose any problems, and} Be7 11. Re1 Nbd7 12. Bf4 O-O 13. Rad1 Nd5 14.
Bd6 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Rfe8 16. Bxe7 Rxe7 {
was completely fine for Black in M.Vachier Lagrave-C.Gozzoli, Paris 2002.})
10... Nd5 11. Bd6 $1 {The only testing move.} (11. Be5 Bb4 12. O-O O-O 13. Qg4
g6 14. Nd6 Nd7 {neutralizes White's attack, and after} 15. Qg3 Rad8 16. Nde4
Bxc3 17. bxc3 Nxe5 18. Qxe5 Qa4 19. Rab1 b5 {Black is completely safe.}) 11...
Nxc3 12. bxc3 Nd7 13. Bxf8 Kxf8 14. Qd3 $1 (14. O-O $4 {
would be a huge blunder because of} Nb6 $1 {.}) 14... Ke7 15. a4 Nb6 16. Ne5
Qxd3 17. cxd3 {Black should be fine in this endgame, although White does have
a niggling edge which can cause some headaches.} Nd7 18. Nf3 Rhc8 19. Kd2 c5
20. Rhb1 Rc7 21. a5 Rac8 22. Ra3 cxd4 23. Nxd4 Nc5 24. Nb3 Nd7 (24... Rd7 $1 {
would have been the correct way to play, and after} 25. Nxc5 Rxc5 26. Rab3 Rxa5
27. Rxb7 Rxb7 28. Rxb7+ Kf6 29. c4 Ra2+ 30. Ke3 e5 {Black is fine.}) 25. c4 e5
26. Re1 Kd6 27. f4 f6 28. Kc3 Nc5 29. fxe5+ fxe5 30. Nxc5 Rxc5 31. Re3 Rf8 32.
Ra2 Rf6 33. Rg3 g6 34. Rh3 Rf7 35. Kb4 Rcc7 36. Re2 Rf1 37. Rhe3 Rb1+ 38. Kc3
Rc5 39. Ra2 Rc1+ 40. Kd2 Rf1 41. Re2 Rh1 42. h3 Rf1 43. Ke3 Rf7 44. g3 Ke6 45.
Reb2 Kd6 $4 {Black doesn't spot the danger.} (45... e4 $1 {
is a great move, as taking the pawn is not possible:} 46. Kxe4 Re5+ 47. Kd4
Rd7+ 48. Kc3 Re3 {and Black regains the pawn with interest.}) 46. a6 b6 47.
Rxb6+ $3 {Now White gets good practical winning chances - he has a better pawn
structure, a better rook and a better king.} axb6 48. a7 Rc8 49. a8=Q Rxa8 50.
Rxa8 Rf1 51. Rd8+ Kc6 52. Rh8 Rg1 53. Kf2 Rd1 54. Ke2 Rg1 55. g4 {No draw!} Kc5
56. Rxh7 e4 57. Rc7+ Kd6 58. Rg7 Kc5 59. dxe4 Rg3 60. Rc7+ Kd4 61. Rc6 g5 62.
Rxb6 Rxh3 63. Rb5 Kxc4 64. Rxg5 Kd4 65. e5 Re3+ 66. Kf2 Rxe5 67. Rg6 $1 {
The king is cut off horizontally, so Black is helpless.} Kd5 68. Kg3 Re8 69.
Kf4 Rf8+ 70. Kg5 Ke5 71. Kh5 Kf4 72. g5 Kf5 73. Rh6 Rf7 74. Rh8 Kf4 75. g6 Rf5+
76. Kh6 Kg4 77. g7 Rh5+ 78. Kg6 Rg5+ 79. Kf6 1-0

[Event "Czech Championship, Brno"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jansa, V."]
[Black "Polak, T."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Ne5 Bf5 7. g4 {
This is the most critical move. By playing a very early g2-g4, White wishes to
advance the pawns on the kingside while placing the light-squared bishop on
its optimal diagonal: h1-a8. Here's a summary of the alternatives:} (7. Nc4
Qd8 8. Ne3 Bg6 9. h4 h6 10. h5 Bh7 11. d5 cxd5 12. Nexd5 Nc6 13. Bb5 (13. Nxf6+
exf6 {doesn't give Black any problems - White is behind in development and
Black's pieces are very well placed}) 13... Nxd5 14. Qxd5 Qxd5 15. Nxd5 O-O-O
16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. Ne3 e5 {and suddenly it is Black who has the advantage: he
has the bishop pair and control of the centre, E.Sutovsky-I.Rogers, British
League 2005.}) ({Despite appearances,} 7. Bd2 {is not really threatening much.
The only thing Black should bear in mind is that until White has forced ...e6
with Bc4, Black should leave that retreat square for the bishop.} -- ({
. For example, if} 7... e6 $2 {there follows} 8. g4 $1 Bg6 9. h4 $1 {and White 
has achieved everything he could want from playing Nf3-e5: the bishop will be
developed to g2, the knight is superbly placed and he will shortly win the
bishop pair.} (9. --)) ({. In view of this, Black's best response is} 7... Nbd7
$1 {.})) ({With} 7. Bf4 $5 {White hopes to transfer the queen to the kingside
and, after an exchange on e5, to establish a vice like grip on d6. Now:} -- (
7... e6 $6 {neglects our rule and is punished accordingly:} 8. g4 $1 Bg6 $1 ({
or} 8... Be4 $6 9. Nc4 {and after the exchange of pieces White is clearly
better: his light-squared bishop can be developed on g2 and he is castling
queenside}) 9. h4 $1 Bb4 (9... Nd5 10. Bd2 Nxc3 11. Bxc3 Bb4 12. Rh3 $1 {
again gives White an edge, A.Sidenko-T.Stahl, correspondence 1998}) 10. Bd2
Nbd7 11. Nxd7 Kxd7 (11... Nxd7 $2 12. h5 $1) 12. h5 Be4 13. f3 Bd5 14. Qe2 {
and Black must deal with the threat of g4-g5. White will simply play a2-a3
followed by 0-0-0, kicking back the bishop. Please note that ...Bxa3 tricks in
these positions fail to Nxd5!.}) (7... Nbd7 $5 8. Nc4 Qd8 {and now:} 9. -- (9.
Qe2 {threatening 10 Nd6 mate can be met by} Be6 ({or the line Wahls gives:} 
9... e6 10. Nd6+ Bxd6 11. Bxd6 Qa5 $1) 10. Ne3 g6 11. O-O-O Nb6 12. Be5 Bg7 13.
g4 O-O 14. Rg1 Nbd5 {with counterplay, D.Morawietz-M.Ehrke, Bad Wiessee 2006 -
Black will simply play for ...b7-b5, and White's attack looks slightly more
cumbersome.}) ({. The tempting strike} 9. d5 $5 {is not dangerous:} cxd5 10.
Nxd5 e5 11. Nde3 Bxc2 $1 12. Nxc2 exf4 13. Qe2+ Be7 $1 {
(the only way to defend)} 14. Nd6+ Kf8 15. O-O-O {(D.Morawietz-N.Coenen,
German League 2007) and now instead of 15...Qc7 Black could have opened an
escape route for his king (and deprived the knight of the f5-square) with} g6 {
, and here} 16. Nxb7 {fails to} Qc7 {.}))) (7. Bc4 {transposes to 7 Ne5.}) ({
As we have seen previously, often a dangerous plan for White is to exchange
the light-squared bishops:} 7. Bd3 Bxd3 8. Qxd3 Nbd7 9. Nc4 (9. Nxd7 Nxd7 10.
O-O e6 {leads to only a very slight pull for White}) 9... Qh5 $5 ({
keeping an eye on the light squares with} 9... Qa6 {is also possible}) 10. Bf4
O-O-O 11. O-O Nc5 12. Qe3 Ne6 13. Bg3 Ng4 14. Qe1 {and here} Rxd4 {is risky but
the correct thing for Black to do, resulting in a very sharp position in U.Atakisi-B.Yildiz, Antalya 2004.}) 7... Be6 $1 (7... Bg6 $6 8. h4 $1 {transposes
to a position that can also be reached via the move order 5...Bg4 6 h3 Bh5 7
g4 Bg6 8 Ne5 c6?! (8...e6 is better) 9 h4. After} Nbd7 9. Nc4 $1 Qc7 10. h5 Be4
11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Qf3 Nd6 13. Bf4 {
White has a favourable position - it is difficult for Black to develop!}) 8.
Bg2 (8. Nc4 Qc7 9. Ne3 Nbd7 {is also possible, but the} 10. f4 {of S.Bogner-R.Almond, Kusadasi 2006, is much too aggressive, and sure enough the tables
shortly turned on White after} Nb6 11. f5 Bd5 12. Ncxd5 Nfxd5 13. Ng2 O-O-O 14.
Bd3 e5 $1 {. Now it is Black's turn! With the white kingside in tatters the
advantage is firmly in his hands.}) ({
NOTE: Trying to exchange the Scandinavian bishop with} 8. Bc4 {
does not work well due to} Nxg4 $1 {. After} 9. Bxe6 Nxe5 10. Bc8 Qc7 11. Bxb7
Qxb7 12. dxe5 e6 {White's suspect pawn structure gives Black an edge.}) 8...
Nbd7 9. Nxd7 Bxd7 $1 {Maintaining the pressure on the g4-pawn. White will at
some point or other be forced to make the weakening advance g4-g5.} 10. g5 ({If
} 10. h3 {Black can simply play} O-O-O {threatening ...e7-e5.}) 10... Nd5 11.
Bd2 Nxc3 12. bxc3 Qa6 {White has overstretched on the kingside, and the only
problem for Black is that he is a little underdeveloped.} 13. Rb1 Bf5 14. Qf3
Be6 15. Qg3 O-O-O 16. Be4 Bc4 17. Bd3 Bxd3 18. cxd3 Qxa2 19. O-O $1 {
White is worse, so he tries to force a draw...} Qxd2 {
...which Black accepts. The rest of the moves are forced.} (19... e6 {
is probably correct:} 20. Bf4 (20. Ra1 Qxd2 21. Rxa7 Bd6 {and Black wins}) ({
, or} 20. Qf4 Bd6 21. Qxf7 Rd7) 20... Qd5 21. Bc7 Bd6 $1 {and Black is better.}
) 20. Rxb7 Kxb7 21. Rb1+ Kc8 22. Rb8+ Kd7 23. Rxd8+ Kxd8 24. Qb8+ Kd7 25. Qb7+
Kd8 26. Qb8+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "4. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 {. The lines with Ne5 are
perhaps the most overtly aggressive in the Scandinavian, so please memorize
this chapter! White's plan is incredibly crude - occupy e5 and then advance
with those kingside pawns while harassing the poor bishop on f5. --- White can
play Ne5 with the light-squared bishop either on c4 or on f1. The difference
between these two options is that with the bishop on f1, Black is not obliged
to develop his bishop to f5 but can instead play 6...Be6!? with a relatively
comfortable game.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "5. Modern Move Orders"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{This chapter deals with perhaps one of the most important issues of the 3...Qa5 Scandinavian: modern move orders and transpositions. The subtle points
behind these various move orders are incredibly tricky to understand, and it's
easy to become confused. --- The two most important move orders are closely
connected to Shirov's main line, where White aims to achieve the breakthrough
d4-d5. The lines in question are} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 {
and now:} 5. -- ({either} 5. Bc4) ({or} 5. Bd2 {.}) (5. -- {The modern way to
manipulate a tempo: --- Initially the main idea behind 5 Bc4 or 5 Bd2 was to
develop the king's knight not to f3 but to g3 via e2, in order to hunt the
Scandinavian bishop and to break down Black's pawn structure with the pawn
thrust f2-f4-f5. However, recently it has become apparent that White also has
at his disposal a more traditional idea. --- White still intends to utilize
the standard piece set-up seen in Chapter Two, but by delaying the development
of the g1-knight, White saves a tempo - a tempo he hopes to use in order to
secure the critical d4-d5 pawn break. A fringe benefit of delaying the
knight's development is that it makes hunting the Scandinavian bishop with
g2-g4 followed by f2-f4 even easier. --- Let's now look at 5 Bc4 and 5 Bd2 in
turn, including the differences between the two moves.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 5 Bc4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "30"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{Should Black continue as "normal", blissfully unaware of the devious point
behind 5 Bc4 (or 5 Bd2), he may be caught out and tricked into an unpleasant
position. Take a look at the following example:} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3
Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bc4 c6 $6 6. Bd2 $1 (6. Nge2 {is usually played without
committing the bishop to d2, as this gives White the chance to strike with
f4-f5 while the black king is still in the centre. For example,} Bf5 7. Ng3 {
and now:} -- (7... Bg6 8. O-O e6 9. f4 Be7 $1 10. f5 (10. Qe2 {
caused Black to panic in the game D.Brandenburg-J.Hawkins, Liverpool 2006,} Kd7
({but} 10... Qd8 {transposes})) 10... exf5 11. Qe2 Qd8 12. Nxf5 Bxf5 13. Rxf5
O-O 14. Be3 Nbd7 15. Raf1 Nb6 16. Bd3 Nbd5 $1 {
and Black's position remains very solid.}) (7... e6 {is also possible. Black
reasons that White has gone to such lengths to exchange knight for bishop, so
it is better to allow the exchange and enjoy the additional time White has
given him. Here} 8. Nxf5 Qxf5 9. Bd3 Qa5 10. O-O Bd6 11. Qe2 Qc7 12. h3 Nbd7
13. Bg5 {followed by queenside castling led to a double-edged position in B.Hund-L.Keitlinghaus, German League 2007.})) 6... Bf5 ({What about} 6... Bg4 {
inducing f2-f3? This move has the advantage of provoking a weakness on the
kingside. However, the disadvantage is that it actively encourages White to
start marching his g- and h-pawns. In addition, because the knight can no
longer make use of the e5-square, White should re-route it to the equally
annoying f4-square:} 7. f3 Bf5 (7... Bd7 {is quite passive:} 8. Qe2 e6 9. Ne4
Qd8 10. O-O-O b5 11. Bd3 Na6 {was A.Fedorov-S.Mamedyarov, Batumi 2002, and here
} 12. c3 Be7 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14. f4 Nc7 15. g4 {gives White a dangerous
initiative - Black's king won't be safe wherever it tries to hide}) 8. Nge2 e6
9. g4 $1 Bg6 10. Nf4 {and now:} -- ({. The queen is not on e2, so} 10... Bb4 $2
{is a mistake. Black cannot play the opening so carelessly: he cannot give
White extra tempi with f2-f3, g2-g4 and then on top of this - the bishop pair!
After} 11. h4 Bxc3 12. Bxc3 Qc7 13. Qd2 b5 (13... Bxc2 14. Rc1 Ba4 15. b3 b5
16. Be2 {wins the bishop, J.Degraeve-P.Verhaeghe, Ghent 2005}) 14. Ba5 Qd6 15.
Bb3 {the threat of h4-h5 was extremely unpleasant in J.Rowson-J.Richardson,
British League 2000.}) ({. After} 10... Qb6 {White should sacrifice a pawn with
} 11. Qe2 $5 Bxc2 (11... Qxd4 {is bad because of} 12. Bxe6) 12. d5 $1 {
(as usual we see, where possible, this thematic pawn push!)} Qxb2 13. O-O cxd5
14. Ncxd5 Nxd5 15. Nxd5 {
. Black simply has too many problems with his development, so he must play} Nc6
{offering some material in order to alleviate his worries. Even so, after} 16.
Nc7+ Kd7 17. Nxa8 Bc5+ 18. Kh1 Rxa8 19. Rac1 {White has the advantage.}) ({
. After} 10... Qc7 $1 11. h4 Bd6 12. h5 $5 Bxf4 13. hxg6 fxg6 14. Qe2 Nbd7 $1 {
, taking the pawn is not so convincing:} 15. Qxe6+ Kd8 16. Qe2 Re8 17. Ne4
Bxd2+ 18. Kxd2 Qf4+ 19. Qe3 Rxe4 20. fxe4 Nxe4+ 21. Kd3 Nf2+ {
and Black regains the sacrificed material.})) 7. Qe2 $1 (7. Nd5 Qd8 8. Nxf6+
gxf6 {differs from Chapter Two in that White gains the extra option of
developing the knight to e2. Indeed, it is probably a better plan for White to
establish the knight on f4, where it exerts uncomfortable pressure on e6, and
White still menaces a kingside pawn advance. For example,} 9. Ne2 $5 e6 10. Bb3
Bd6 11. Bf4 Bxf4 12. Nxf4 Nd7 (12... Qa5+ $5 13. c3 Rg8 {
, getting ready to meet Qh5 with ...Rg5}) 13. Qh5 {
with a slight advantage for White, J.Degraeve-C.Daly, Cappelle la Grande 2005.}
) ({NOTE: White is not yet ready for} 7. d5 {, and Black has no problems after}
Qc5 {.}) 7... e6 $2 {Black has been playing in a routine manner...} 8. d5 $1 {
...but this is the critical point to White's play.} cxd5 9. Nxd5 Qd8 10. Nxf6+
Qxf6 $1 {This is the only move, but the position is so open and Black so
under-developed - he can get into deep trouble pretty quickly.} ({After} 10...
gxf6 $6 11. O-O-O Qc7 12. g4 $1 {another point behind keeping the knight on g1
is revealed: g2-g4 is supported by the queen. Following} Bg6 13. f4 $1 {
White threatens f4-f5, and he has the nice idea of hemming in the light-squared
bishop with f4-f5 followed by g4-g5, opening up the kingside should Black's
king head there.}) 11. O-O-O ({Of course not} 11. Bc3 Bb4 $1) ({but} 11. Nf3 {
is also considered to be good.}) 11... Nc6 $1 (11... Ba3 $2 {is a mistake:} 12.
c3 Be7 ({after} 12... Bd6 13. g4 $1 Bg6 14. h4 h5 15. Bg5 Bf4+ 16. Rd2 $1 Bxg5
17. hxg5 Qxg5 {White has the stunning} 18. Bxe6 {
after which Black's position is hopeless}) ({while} 12... Bc5 13. g4 Bg6 14.
Nf3 h6 15. Bb5+ Nc6 16. Ne5 {
was also overwhelming in A.Feuerstack-J.Kjaergaard Jensen, Kiel 2004}) 13. g4
$1 Bg6 14. h4 h6 15. f4 Nc6 16. h5 Bh7 17. Nf3 O-O-O ({or} 17... Bd6 18. g5 Qf5
19. g6 {, J.Koch-J.Kappler, French League 1995}) 18. g5 hxg5 19. fxg5 Qf5 20.
g6 {and the g-pawn is immune from capture so White is winning.}) 12. Nf3 Bc5
13. Bc3 $1 Qh6+ 14. Kb1 O-O 15. g4 $1 {The most important thing here is to
open up lines against the enemy king and to seize the initiative.} Bg6 {
White has a great position. The worst problem for Black is that his pieces
stand a little clumsily. In particular, his queen is out of the game.} ({
Besides, technically speaking this is not a sacrifice, as} 15... Bxg4 16. Rhg1
Bxf3 17. Bxg7 {wins after} Bxe2 18. Bxh6+ Kh8 19. Bg7+ Kg8 20. Bf6+ Bg4 21.
Rxg4# {.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "5 Bc4 c6 6 Bd2 Qc7"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "20"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{Now let's see what happens if Black employs the same c6/e6 pawn structure but
uses a tempo to retreat the queen:} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6
5. Bc4 c6 6. Bd2 Qc7 {NOTE: This queen retreat flouts one of the guiding rules
of the Scandinavian: don't waste further time. --- By retreating the queen,
Black grants White some additional and favourable options. However, I should
mention that, because the position is still closed, the e6/c6 pawn structure
is still very difficult to break down, especially if d4-d5 is not possible.} ({
Another option is} 6... Qb6 {, which is perhaps preferable to 6...Qc7. The
idea is not to capture the b2-pawn immediately, but instead to rely on the
nuisance factor of White having to guard d4 and b2:} 7. Nf3 $1 {
(White should ignore the attack on b2)} Bf5 $1 ({Black must avoid} 7... Bg4 $2
8. Bxf7+) ({while} 7... Qxb2 {
is a logical consequence of Black's previous play but is extremely risky: after
} 8. Rb1 Qa3 9. Ne5 e6 10. Rb3 Qd6 11. Bf4 Qd8 {in return for the pawn White
has pushed Black all the way back to the eighth rank and has some
uncomfortable pressure along the b-file}) 8. Qe2 e6 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. Nh4 {
(to gain the bishop pair)} Bg6 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. d5 cxd5 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. Bxd5
{, K.Landa-A.Kogan, Paris 2005. White enjoys a pleasant advantage with the
bishop pair, but at least here the black queen is on the right side of the
board!}) 7. Nf3 Bf5 $5 (7... Bg4 8. h3 Bxf3 ({or} 8... Bh5 9. g4 $1 Bg6 10. Qe2
e6 11. O-O-O) 9. Qxf3 {is not the best - Black hands White the bishop pair
without extracting a concession. Furthermore, he has no bases for his knights,
and should he get pushed back he will be positionally lost. S.Conquest-J.Hodgson, German League 1995, continued} e6 10. O-O-O Nbd7 11. g4 $1 Nb6 12. Bf1
{, re-routing the bishop to the better diagonal h1-a8. White stands very well
here - he has more space on the kingside and his pieces are well placed.}) 8.
Ne5 $1 {Nf3-e5 is generally White's reaction when Black has lost too much time.
} e6 9. g4 {NOTE: As the position is still semi-closed, White must continue to
play actively otherwise Black will have time to consolidate.} Bg6 $5 (9... Be4
10. Nxe4 Nxe4 11. Bf4 {
was extremely comfortable for White in V.Korchnoi-A.Reshko, Leningrad 1957.})
10. Qe2 {White is better here. The problem for Black is that he controls very
few squares, and worse still there is not much scope for improvement. Black
must simply react to White's play.} -- ({If Black plays normally with} 10...
Nbd7 11. O-O-O Bd6 {, after} 12. Rhe1 {it becomes apparent that he can no
longer hold the tension. He must exchange the powerful knight or grab some
space with ...b7-b5, since} O-O-O 13. h4 {demonstrates the danger.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The correct response: 5...Bg4!"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 {. Usually in the 3...Qa5
Scandinavian, playing ...Bg4 is very double-edged, particularly when White has
not yet determined how his pieces will be developed. With 5...Bg4 Black allows
White to advance his kingside pawns with tempo. However, Black can argue that
these pawn advances are not actually developing moves.} 5. -- ({Black will
n try to expose the vulnerability of the white king at any cost, including
weakening his own pawn structure. Take the following line, for example:} 5. Bd2
Bg4 6. f3 Bf5 7. g4 Bg6 8. h4 h6 9. Bc4 Qb6 10. Nge2 e6 {
. The correct reply there to White's} 11. Nf4 {is not} Bh7 {
, retreating the bishop,} ({but} 11... Nc6 $1 {, targeting d4 and preparing to
open lines against the enemy king (see the note with 8 h4 in Koepke-Kislinsky).
--- NOTE: Because Black has not played an early ...c7-c6 to provide an escape
route for the queen, he must be very careful not to let his queen get trapped
by a nasty Nd5 jump.})) ({Therefore, as soon as White sets up the piece
configuration Bc4 and Bd2, threatening Nd5, Black should retreat the queen to
b6 where it is safe from harm and furthermore puts pressure on the d4-pawn.
For example, after} 5. Bc4 Bg4 $1 6. f3 Bf5 7. Bd2 {
(or similarly 5 Bd2 Bg4 6 f3 Bf5 7 Bc4), Black plays} Qb6 $1 {
(see Mullon-Prié).}) *

[Event "FIDE World Championship, New Delhi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Morozevich, A."]
[Black "Tkachiev, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bc4 Bg4 $1 ({NOTE: 5 Nf3 Nc6? is
bad due to 6 Bd2! (see Chapter Three). However, with the white bishop
committed to c4, here} 5... Nc6 {is possible. Even so, Black should be aware
of the inherent risks involved in cutting off the air supply to the queen.} 6.
-- (6. Nge2 Bg4 {transposes to the game}) ({, but White has the extra option of
} 6. d5 {. For example,} Ne5 (6... Nb4 {is awkward-looking but possible:} 7. a3
c6 $1 {- to find an escape route for the knight -} 8. dxc6 Nxc6 9. Bd2 Qc5 10.
Bd3 Bf5 11. Be3 {
and White was better in M.Parligras-I.Schneider, Thessaloniki 2007}) 7. Bb3 Bd7
8. Qe2 Ng6 9. Nf3 O-O-O 10. O-O {and Black still has to fix the problem of
developing his dark-squared bishop, Y.Balashov-I.Ruchkin, Vladimir 2008.})) 6.
Nge2 (6. Nf3 Nc6 $1 {reaches one of the very few situations where the
combination of ...Bg4, ...Qa5 and ...Nc6 works especially well:} 7. h3 Bxf3 8.
Qxf3 O-O-O {
(the basic plan is to place as much pressure on the d4-pawn as possible)} 9. d5
Ne5 10. Qf5+ Ned7 11. Bd2 $2 {
(White is careless and allows Black to seize the advantage with...)} e6 $1 12.
Qg5 Nb6 13. Bb3 h6 14. Qg3 Nbxd5 {
(M.Baba-J.Tomczak, Cappelle La Grande 2008) and here} 15. Nxd5 {is met by}
Qxd2+ 16. Kxd2 Ne4+ {winning.}) (6. f3 Bf5 7. g4 {is the most principled
reaction to 5...Bg4 - White grabs as much space as possible on the kingside:}
Bg6 8. f4 {(relentlessly pursuing the bishop!)} e6 (8... Be4 {
is also possible, although the bishop is slightly vulnerable on e4}) 9. f5 (9.
Bd2 {allows Black to escape with the queen via} Qb4 10. Qe2 Nc6 $1 {followed by
...0-0-0 and Black is doing very well - there are no problems with discovered
attacks as Black always has 11...Qxb2}) ({while} 9. Qe2 {is met by} Nc6 $1)
9... exf5 10. Qe2+ {needn't be feared because of} Be7 $1 {
(instead of having to move the king as in the similar 5 Bd2 line)} 11. Bd2 Qb6
12. g5 Bh5 $1 {This is the key move here, and Black is fine after} 13. Nf3 Ne4
{as} 14. Nxe4 {is met by} Nc6 {threatening 15...fxe4 and 15...Nxd4.}) 6... Nc6
{Black employs a high-risk strategy which relies on the "awkwardly placed"
knight on e2. He aims to castle rapidly on the queenside and place immense
pressure on the d4-pawn. I must stress again that this move is only possible
because White has committed his light-squared bishop to c4.} (6... e6 $5 {
is a more cautious approach, and one that I actually think is more valid. For
example,} 7. Bd2 ({after} 7. O-O Nbd7 8. f3 Bf5 9. Ng3 Bg6 10. Nce4 Be7 11. c3
c6 {Black has completed his development with no problems, and after ...c6-c5
he will stand well, L.Vajda-I.Papaioannou, Plovdiv 2008}) 7... Qb6 $1 8. Bb3
Nc6 9. f3 Bf5 10. g4 {(this isn't dangerous here)} Bg6 11. g5 Nh5 12. Be3 ({or
} 12. d5 Na5 $1 13. dxe6 fxe6 {and Black is sitting pretty}) 12... O-O-O 13.
Qd2 Bb4 14. a3 (14. d5 {is harmless as Black can simply play} Qa5) 14... Qa6
15. Kf2 Bc5 {and Black's pieces are the better coordinated, S.Ahmed-S.Abu
Sufian, Dhaka 2008. --- TIP: When Black has not touched the c-pawn, retreating the
queen to b6 is entirely valid. Don't get it trapped though!}) 7. f3 $1 {
The time to drive back the bishop is now!} (7. Be3 O-O-O {and only now} 8. f3 {
gives Black the opportunity to play} e5 $1 {
. M.Petursson-H.Danielsen, Reykjavik 2008, continued} 9. d5 (9. fxg4 exd4 {
is better for Black}) 9... Be6 10. Bd2 Qc5 (10... Nxd5 11. Nxd5 Qc5 {
is even stronger}) 11. dxe6 Qxc4 12. exf7 Bc5 {and White was in some trouble.})
7... Bh5 {This move is given as dubious by Eric Prié in his excellent articles
for New in Chess Yearbook, but I am not sure I agree with his assessment.} ({
He considers} 7... Bf5 8. Bd2 {and now:} -- ({. Escaping with} 8... Qb4 {allows
} 9. Bb3 $1 O-O-O (9... Nxd4 {fails to} 10. Nd5) 10. d5 $1 Ne5 (10... Na5 $2
11. Na4 Qh4+ 12. g3 Qh5 13. Nf4 {wins}) 11. Ng3 Bd7 12. Qe2 Ng6 13. O-O-O {
and White was comfortably better in Ye Jiangchuan-Z.Varga, Budapest 1992 -
Black's queen sits awkwardly on b4 and the d5-pawn acts as a massive clamp on
Black's position.}) (8... O-O-O 9. a3 $1 {cuts out the escape square for the
queen, which White is now threatening to win. In order to deal with this
threat, Black must give up the exchange with} Nxd4 10. Nxd4 Rxd4 11. Nb5 Qb6
12. Nxd4 Qxd4 {. However, after} 13. Bxf7 $1 Qxb2 14. Rb1 $1 Qxc2 (14... Qxa3
$2 {is met by} 15. Ra1 {winning the a-pawn, since} Qc5 {drops material to} 16.
Ra5) 15. Qxc2 Bxc2 16. Be6+ Kb8 17. Rc1 {
Black is not developed enough to warrant compensation for the material.})) 8.
Bd2 {NOTE: Once the knight is committed to c6, White should change tack and
play against the awkwardly placed black queen.} O-O-O 9. a3 $1 {Preventing the
"mouse-hole" trick, a term coined by Eric Prié, by denying the queen access to
the b4-square.} ({Here's the "mouse-hole" trick in operation:} 9. Nd5 Qa4 {
(the only square for the queen)} 10. Bb3 Qa6 {(again the only square)} 11. Nxf6
gxf6 12. d5 Na5 13. Nf4 Bg6 14. Qe2 Qxe2+ 15. Kxe2 Nxb3 16. axb3 a6 {
and Black has equalized, H.Hamdouchi-V.Tkachiev, French League 1999.}) 9...
Nxd4 10. Nb5 $6 (10. Nxd4 $1 {is stronger:} Rxd4 (10... Qc5 11. Ne6 fxe6 12.
Bxe6+ Kb8 13. Qe2 {gives White the advantage}) 11. Nb5 Qa6 12. Qe2 Rxc4 ({or} 
12... Rd8 13. O-O-O {and Black's lagging development combined with his queen's
horrendous placement gives White a distinct advantage}) 13. Qxc4 c6 14. a4 {
and White is better.}) 10... Qb6 11. Nbxd4 e5 $5 {A purely positional piece
sacrifice: Black is banking on the awkward position of White's minor pieces
and the fact that White cannot develop easily.} 12. g4 ({If} 12. Nf5 {
Black has the nice reply} e4 $1 {forcing open the e-file. For example,} 13.
Neg3 Bc5 {(threatening ...e3)} 14. b4 Bg1 ({
if playing a piece a down makes you nervous, there's also} 14... Bf2+ $5 15.
Kf1 e3 {regaining the piece}) 15. Qe2 exf3 16. Ne7+ Kb8 17. gxf3 Rxd2 $1 18.
Qxd2 (18. Kxd2 {loses to} Qd4+) 18... Bxf3 19. Rd1 $1 {(returning some of his
extra material in order to relieve the pressure, as Black was threatening the
deadly ...Ng4)} Bxd1 20. Kxd1 {was M.Palac-V.Tkachiev, Pula 1999. Although
White eventually won this game, Black has dangerous compensation for the piece:
two pawns and the fact that White's king has no hope of finding a safe home.})
(12. Nb3 {is very risky:} e4 $1 13. Nf4 ({or} 13. fxe4 Nxe4 {
and the threat of 14...Qf2 mate leaves White paralyzed}) 13... e3 {
and Black regains his piece.}) 12... Bg6 $1 13. g5 Nh5 $6 ({
Black could have gained the upper hand by regaining some material with} 13...
Rxd4 $1 14. Nxd4 Qxd4 15. Qe2 ({if White snatches material with} 15. gxf6 {
, Black plays} Qh4+ {winning the bishop}) 15... Qxb2 16. O-O Nd7 $1 {He has two
pawns for the exchange, and White's kingside is shaky whereas Black can
consolidate with ...Bc5+ followed by ...Bb6.}) 14. Nb3 Qc6 15. Bd3 Bxd3 (15...
Qxf3 $6 {allows White to simplify with} 16. Ng3 {.}) 16. cxd3 Rxd3 {The position has become extremely complicated: Black is attacking wildly with three
pieces; White has a swarm of pieces surrounding his king but on the flipside
they are all incredibly vulnerable.} 17. Rc1 Qxf3 18. Rf1 Qe4 19. Qc2 c6 20.
Na5 Be7 21. Qc4 {White is trying to force the exchange of the queens.} Rd4 22.
Qb3 Rd7 23. Qh3 Rhd8 24. Nc4 {White is slowly consolidating but Black still
retains compensation for the piece because of the exposed king.} Nf4 25. Bxf4
exf4 26. Rxf4 Qh1+ 27. Rf1 Qd5 28. Rf5 Qe6 {Black refuses to repeat moves.} 29.
Qf1 h6 30. Re5 {. In this complicated position the players agreed a draw,
which is not so surprising as it takes a lot of nerve and energy to play these
tough tactical positions.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Kharkiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Koepke, C."]
[Black "Kislinsky, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bd2 $5 {With 5 Bd2, trickery is
again at work. By delaying the development of the g1-knight, White's intention
is still Bc4 and Qe2, and to use the spare tempo to push for d4-d5. However,
Black is facing a dilemma over which plan to adopt, as White has not yet
committed the bishop to c4.} Bg4 ({Alternatively:} 5... c6 6. Bc4 {
takes us to back to 5 Bc4 lines.}) (5... Bf5 $6 {is met by} 6. Qf3 {
and Black is forced to hurry back home with the bishop.}) ({WARNING:} 5... Nc6
$2 {does not work at all here. White has not committed the bishop to c4, so
naturally he will play} 6. Bb5 $1 {when he is already winning as the threat of
d4-d5 or Nd5 is just too unpleasant. For example,} Qb4 (6... a6 7. Nd5 $1) 7.
d5 a6 8. Ba4 b5 9. Nxb5 $1 Qe4+ ({or} 9... Qxa4 10. Nxc7+ Kd8 11. Nxa8) 10. Qe2
Qxg2 11. Nxc7+ Kd8 12. dxc6 {
. This illustrates an important difference between 5 Bd2 and 5 Bc4.}) 6. f3 (6.
Nge2 {, blocking in the light-squared bishop, is not a good idea:} Qb6 $1 ({
rather than} 6... Nc6 7. f3 Bd7 8. a3 $1 {preventing "mouse-hole" tricks: after
} Qb6 {at the very least White has a repetition with} 9. Na4) 7. h3 Bd7 8. a4
a5 {and White cannot develop his kingside army harmoniously without giving up
the d4-pawn. J.Hector-L.Milov, Nuremberg 2007, continued} 9. Nf4 Qxd4 10. Qf3
Qe5+ 11. Be3 Bc6 12. Bb5 e6 13. Nd3 Qf5 {and Black didn't have any problems.})
(6. Be2 $6 {
is the coward's choice, and it simply gives Black a very easy game after} Bxe2
{(exchanges help Black!) and now:} 7. -- (7. Ngxe2 $6 Nc6 $1 {
(with no good hop for the knight on c3, Black is not troubled in any way)} 8.
Ne4 Qd5 9. Nxf6+ gxf6 {was J.Gonzalez Moreno-M.Cornette, La Laguna 2008.
Black's queen dominates the whole board and he has the rather straightforward
plan of castling and attacking the centre with ...e7-e5.}) (7. Ncxe2 $1 {
is the best try for an advantage, because at least White can aim for a pawn
storm on the queenside.} Qb6 8. Nf3 Nbd7 9. O-O e6 10. c4 $1 Be7 11. b4 $5 O-O
12. a4 c6 13. Qc2 Qc7 {was A.Karpov-B.Larsen, Montreal 1979. At first sight
the queenside pawn phalanx looks mightily impressive. However, there is a
distinct danger that because they are unsupported the pawns may simply become
weak. Black should aim for the break ...e6-e5 in order to release his pieces,
and also for ...a7-a5.} (13... --))) 6... Bf5 7. g4 $1 {
The only move that "punishes" the ...Bc8-g4 sortie.} Bg6 {The main move, and
one that leads to a rather complicated game which is probably in White's
favour.} (7... Bd7 $1 {
is probably safer, even though it does look clumsier. For example:} 8. -- (8.
Bc4 Qb6 $1 {and now the natural} 9. Nge2 {fails to} Qc6 $1 {hitting both the
bishop and the f3-pawn, J.Sanchez-E.Prié, Villeneuve Tolosane 2006. --- TIP:
Remember, as soon as White plays Bc4 and Bd2 Black should retreat the queen to
b6.}) (8. g5 $1 {seizes space but more importantly tries to prove that the
knight on h5 will be bad:} Nh5 $1 ({the natural} 8... Nd5 {is met by} 9. Ne4
Qb6 10. c4 {and the knight is trapped in the centre}) 9. Nge2 ({the immediate} 
9. f4 {doesn't really achieve much after} g6 10. Bg2 Qb6 11. Nd5 Qe6+ 12. Qe2
Na6 {and Black doesn't have any problems}) 9... e6 10. Ne4 {
(White uses the awkward placement of the black pieces to his advantage)} Qb6
11. c4 $1 c5 ({moves such as} 11... Qxb2 {
are best left to non-humans with a big processor!}) 12. Bc3 (12. d5 {
looks very tempting but Black can just ignore it and play} Na6) 12... cxd4 13.
Nxd4 Bb4 14. Qd2 Bxc3 15. Qxc3 O-O 16. O-O-O Qc7 $1 {. Removing the queen from
harm's way is vital otherwise White might establish a post on the d6-square.
This would be a problem for Black, who must concentrate his efforts on
securing play down the d-file.})) 8. f4 $1 {The best move and the scariest one
for Black to face. White is prepared to sacrifice the f-pawn in order to open
lines and keep the black king in the centre. --- Here's a summary of the
alternatives:} (8. h4 h6 9. Bc4 Qb6 $1 {(again the only answer to Bc4 and Bd2)}
10. Nge2 e6 (10... Nbd7 {, following Eric Prié's rule of developing the knight
to d7 as quickly as possible, is also possible and leads to very sharp play -
after} 11. Nf4 O-O-O {Black's plan is to play ...e7-e5!}) 11. Nf4 Nc6 $1 {
(the best move - Black ignores structural disadvantages and instead concentrates
on completing his development)} 12. d5 $2 (12. Nxg6 fxg6 13. Be3 Qxb2 {
is the point}) 12... Nd4 $1 13. Nxg6 fxg6 14. Be3 Nxc2+ {
left Black with no problems in F.Nijboer-L.Milov, Haarlem 2006.}) (8. g5 Nd5 $1
9. Bb5+ c6 10. Nxd5 {is met by the amazing} Qd8 {and Black regains his piece.})
(8. Nge2 {is well met by} Nc6 {.}) (8. Ne4 $2 Qb6 9. Nxf6+ Qxf6 {and White already has problems with his weakened kingside, J.Gil Martinez-F.Mancebo Ibanez,
Mislata 1997.}) 8... e6 9. f5 $1 (9. Bg2 {is answered by} Qa6 $1 {protecting the
b7-pawn and covering the e2-square. Z.Lanka-E.Bacrot, Linz 1997, continued} 10.
g5 Nfd7 11. d5 Bd6 (11... Nc5 $1 {is also more than good enough}) 12. Qe2 Qxe2+
13. Ngxe2 exd5 14. Nxd5 Nc6 {. After the exchange of queens the position is
balanced, although White has to play carefully because his pawns on the
kingside are a little vulnerable.}) 9... exf5 10. Qe2+ $1 {
White continues in an aggressive manner.} (10. g5 {lets Black off the hook:}
Ng8 11. h4 h5 12. Bg2 Qa6 13. Qf3 Nc6 14. Qe3+ Nge7 15. Bf1 Nb4 $1 {
and Black is managing fine, R.Skytte-H.Danielsen, Helsinge 2003.}) 10... Kd8 {
This is frightening for Black - he must not only play very precisely but his
king is stranded in the centre. It is so dangerous, in fact, that I consider
this variation to be the near refutation of 7...Bg6.} ({
I experimented in my analysis with the crazy move} 10... Kd7 {
with the idea that after} 11. g5 {Black can play} Nc6 {. Without this little
trick Black's position would be very bad. However, the resulting positions are
just so bizarre that realistically only a computer would be able to play them
well!}) (10... Be7 {is the move Black would love to get away with, but} 11. g5
$1 {secures White the advantage. For example:} -- (11... Nfd7 12. Bg2 Qa6 (
12... c6 13. h4 {is very unpleasant for Black - White has perfect development
whereas Black's king is stranded in the centre}) 13. h4 $1 {a calm move} (13.
Qxa6 Nxa6 14. Bxb7 Nb4 {was Black's trick}) 13... f4 14. O-O-O Qxe2 15. Ngxe2
Nc6 16. Bxf4 {and now the c7-pawn will drop.}) (11... Nd5 12. Qb5+ Qxb5 13.
Bxb5+ c6 14. Nxd5 {wins the exchange.}) (11... Nh5 12. Bg2 Nc6 13. Nd5 Qa4 14.
Nxc7+ Kf8 15. Nxa8 Nxd4 {and at first it looks as though Black may be
generating some counterplay, but White flicks in} 16. b3 $1 Qe8 17. Nc7 {
which is winning.})) 11. g5 Nfd7 12. O-O-O ({
E.Levushkina-L.Bensdorp, Plovdiv 2008, continued} 12. Bg2 Nc6 13. Nf3 Bb4 $6 {
this just doesn't achieve anything,} ({and} 13... Bd6 {is the most solid}) 14.
O-O Re8 15. Qf2 {. White will kick back the bishop with a2-a3, and it is very
difficult to suggest a good plan for Black.}) 12... f4 $1 {To stand any chance
Black must return the pawn in order to free his light-squared bishop.} 13. Bg2
(13. Bh3 $1 {is the most dangerous move according to Eric Prié and it is easy
to see why - White targets the weakened light squares around the black king.
After} Nc6 $1 (13... Bd6 $6 {already runs into} 14. Qg4 $1 {
and Black cannot develop his b8-knight}) 14. Bxf4 $1 {White has recovered the
pawn and his light-squared bishop is well placed on h3. The standard} Bb4 {
is met by} (14... Nb4 15. Re1 {is devastating}) 15. d5 $1 Ne7 16. d6 $1 {
. This is very convincing for White, and after} cxd6 17. Bxd6 Qxg5+ 18. Kb1 {
his position is overwhelming.}) 13... Nc6 14. Bxf4 Nb4 $1 15. Nb5 ({
As Eric Prié points out, chasing away the knight with} 15. a3 {
allows it deep into the heart of the position. After} Nxc2 $1 16. Nb5 Rc8 $1
17. Bxb7 {Black can escape with} Nb4 $1 {intending} 18. Qc4 $4 ({or} 18. axb4
Bxb4 19. Be4 Re8 20. Be5 Bxe4 21. Qxe4 Qxb5 {with the same result}) 18... Na2+
$1 19. Qxa2 Qxb5 20. Bxc8 Qa4 $1 {and Black is winning (} 21. Kd2 Bb4+ {).})
15... Bd6 16. Nxd6 $6 ({White should have continued with} 16. Bxd6 $1 cxd6 17.
Nxd6 {threatening Nxb7+. After} Qxa2 18. Nxb7+ Kc7 19. Qf3 {
(intending 20 Qf4+; Black must cover c6 to give his king a hiding place)} Qa4
20. Qf4+ Kb6 21. Qd6+ Nc6 22. b3 Qa1+ 23. Kd2 Qxd4+ 24. Qxd4+ Nxd4 25. Kc3 {
the fireworks have ended and the game has petered out. Black has recovered the
material and after a few accurate moves the position is roughly level:} Nb5+
26. Kb2 Ne5 {.}) 16... cxd6 17. Re1 $2 {
When one mistake occurs, another one is sure to follow. And here it is!} (17.
Bxd6 {would have kept the game alive:} Re8 18. Bxb4 (18. Qd2 $2 {loses to} Rc8
19. Bc5 Nxc5 20. dxc5+ Nd3+ $3 {- the killer move -} 21. cxd3 Rxc5+ {
and in order to escape checkmate White must give up his queen}) 18... Qxb4 19.
Qd2 Rc8 $1 {and Black stands well. The pressure on c2 is actually very
difficult for to meet, and} 20. Qxb4 {is answered by} Rxc2+ 21. Kb1 Rc4+ 22.
Ka1 Rxb4 {.}) 17... Kc7 18. Qc4+ ({If} 18. Qe7 {Black calmly defends with} Qb6
{.}) 18... Kb6 $1 {A fantastic move! Suddenly it is the white queen who is
embarrassed! White is completely unable to prevent Black from playing ...Rc8
followed by ...Rxc2.} 19. Bd2 Rac8 20. Qxb4+ Qxb4 21. Bxb4 Rxc2+ 22. Kd1 Rxg2 {
Black's position is overwhelming.} 23. Nh3 ({Or} 23. Bc3 Rxg5 {
and Black wins too many pawns.}) 23... Rxb2 24. Bc3 Rxa2 25. Nf4 Rc8 26. Nd5+
Kb5 0-1

[Event "Saint-Affrique"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mullon, J."]
[Black "Prie, E."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "101"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bd2 $5 Bg4 6. f3 $1 Bf5 7. Bc4 {
In conjunction with g2-g4, this is an alternative way of playing the position.}
({Note that} 7. g4 Bg6 8. Bc4 Qb6 {would reach the same position.}) 7... Qb6 {
Again we see ...Qb6 as a reaction to Bd2 and Bc4.} 8. g4 ({Playing without
advancing the kingside pawns doesn't give White an advantage. For example,} 8.
Nge2 e6 9. O-O c6 10. Kh1 Be7 11. Bb3 O-O 12. Be3 Nbd7 13. Ng3 Bg6 14. Nce4 Qc7
15. c3 c5 {
and Black has already equalized, L.Vajda-I.Papaioannou, Plovdiv 2008.}) 8...
Bg6 9. g5 $6 {This move must be carefully considered by Black on every turn,
but here I think it is misguided. Let's look at alternatives:} (9. h4 {
is a critical move. After} h6 {White can play:} 10. -- (10. Nge2 e6 11. Nf4 Nc6
{transposes to the line with 8 h4 in the notes to the previous game.}) (10. Qe2
Nc6 11. Na4 {
(White is forced to sacrifice a pawn in order to secure some activity)} Qxd4
12. O-O-O O-O-O 13. Nh3 Qe5 {and now:} 14. -- (14. Be3 e6 15. Rxd8+ Nxd8 {
was A.Kogan-E.Prié, Spain 2007. Black is a pawn up and although White has some
compensation it's not clear how much.}) ({
. Eric Prié provides some interesting analysis with} 14. Qf2 Qd4 {and now after
} 15. Qf1 {Black has the stunning} Nxg4 $3 {. As Eric points out, after} 16.
fxg4 Qe4 {
White does not have an adequate way of defending against the mate on c2, as}
17. Bb3 Nd4 18. Qc4 ({running away with} 18. Kb1 {doesn't help much after} Nxb3
) 18... b5 $1 19. Qb4 e5 20. Nc5 Qc6 {wins the knight on c5.}))) (9. Nge2 {
isn't challenging enough:} Nbd7 $1 {
(preparing ...e7-e5 should a knight land on f4)} 10. Bb3 (10. g5 Nh5 11. Nd5 {
is bad because of} Qc6 $1) 10... e5 $1 11. Be3 (11. g5 {allows} exd4 12. Na4
Qa6 13. gxf6 b5 {and Black regains the piece}) 11... O-O-O 12. g5 Nh5 13. Bf2
exd4 14. Qxd4 Bc5 15. Qh4 {
and Black stands a lot better, J.Boudre-E.Prié, Tallinn 2007.}) (9. Be3 e6 10.
Qd2 Nbd7 11. d5 Bc5 12. Bxc5 Qxc5 13. dxe6 {
(N.Kirkegaard-P.Holmen, Copenhagen 2006) and here} fxe6 $1 {
looks promising, as after} 14. Bxe6 O-O-O 15. O-O-O Rhe8 16. Bb3 Ne5 {
Black's lead in development gives him more than ample compensation for the pawn.
}) (9. Qe2 {is met by the convincing} Nc6 $1 {.}) 9... Qxd4 10. Qe2 Qh4+ 11.
Kf1 Nfd7 (11... Nh5 $2 {was a big mistake in I.Nataf-E.Prié, France 2007 - the
knight is needed to help cover the black king in the centre. After} 12. Nd5 Kd8
13. f4 $1 {(cutting off the black queen)} Ng3+ 14. hxg3 Qxh1 15. Qe5 Nd7 16.
Qxc7+ Ke8 17. Qxb7 {the position was terrible for Black.}) ({
Sacrificing a piece with} 11... Nc6 $5 {is an idea from Nataf. After} 12. gxf6
O-O-O 13. fxe7 Bxe7 {Black has some initiative for the sacrificed piece.}) 12.
Nd5 Kd8 {This position is very complicated. Both sides have misplaced their
kings, although Black's is the slightly more vulnerable. Of course Black is a
pawn up, but he must consolidate quickly otherwise White's compensation can
start to build up.} 13. Nf4 {With the intention of trapping the queen.} (13. f4
{does not have the same effect now that the knight is on d7, and Black can
simply play} h6 {.}) 13... e6 14. Ngh3 Bf5 $1 {
The only move, as White was planning to trap the queen with Be1.} 15. Kg2 Bd6
16. Be1 Bxh3+ 17. Nxh3 Qh5 18. Bg3 h6 19. Rad1 hxg5 20. Nf2 Ke7 $4 {
Black makes a huge mistake;} ({He had to play} 20... Bf4) ({or} 20... Nc6 {
. After the latter it would be a bad idea for White to regain the sacrificed
pawn with} 21. Bxd6 cxd6 22. Rxd6 {, as Black has} Kc7 $1 {and White is too
uncoordinated to be able to launch a successful strike on Black's king.}) 21.
Bd5 $2 ({Missing} 21. Bxd6+ $1 cxd6 22. Qd2 {
and White has the advantage. Note that} d5 {fails to} 23. Qb4+ {.}) 21... Nc6
22. Bxc6 bxc6 23. Qd3 Ne5 $1 24. Bxe5 Bxe5 25. Qd7+ Kf8 26. Qxc6 Re8 27. Qc5+
Bd6 28. Qxa7 g4 $1 29. fxg4 (29. Nxg4 {loses immediately to} Bc5 30. Qxc7 Qh3#
{.}) 29... Qe5 30. Qd4 Rxh2+ 31. Rxh2 Qxh2+ 32. Kf3 e5 $1 33. Qe4 Re6 $2 ({
As Eric Prie points out,} 33... Bc5 $1 {was much better, and after} 34. Nd3 Rd8
$1 35. c3 Rd6 $1 {White's weaknesses are beginning to tell.}) 34. g5 Qh5+ ({
Again} 34... Bc5 $1 {is better.}) 35. Qg4 e4+ 36. Ke2 Qg6 37. Rd5 (37. Rh1 e3
38. Rh8+ Ke7 39. Nd3 {gives equal chances.}) 37... e3 38. Nd3 Qh7 39. Ne1 Qh2+
40. Qg2 Qh4 41. b3 Bg3 $2 {The final inaccuracy, and now the position is level.
} 42. Nf3 Qe4 43. Rd3 Bd6 44. Qh3 Kg8 45. a4 {White has set up a defence and
can begin to force Black's pieces away from his king.} Bf8 46. Qh4 Qc6 47. c4
Qb7 48. Qe1 Qe4 49. Qh4 Qb7 50. Qe1 Qe4 51. Qh4 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "5. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 {. Beware of trickery in the
Scandinavian! While the e6/c6 formation is effective against many systems,
don't fall into the trap of thinking it is a panacea for everything. When
White has delayed developing his king knight, Black must be aware that it is
usually for a very good reason. Sometimes it is because White wishes to play
for f4-f5 or, rather more dangerously, to secure the blasted d4-d5 pawn break.}
5. -- ({The variations demonstrated with} 5. Bc4 c6 {are an indicator of what
White has in store if Black goes down the traditional route. --- Leading
Scandinavian practitioners have developed an alternative mode of development
which is based on extracting minor weaknesses from White. Play is very
double-edged and readers should be aware of all the nuances involved in
delaying pushing the c-pawn. The queen does not have an escape route, and when
White indirectly confronts her with Bd2 she must hurry back to b6, out of
harm's way. Readers must also be aware that should White choose to commit the
bishop to c4 on move 5, then Black has the additional option of playing 5...Nc6!? or 6...Nc6, which led to wild play in Morozevich-Tkachiev.}) (5. Bd2 {
is another dangerous move order with the same ambition of securing d4-d5. This
move has the added bonus of not allowing Black the option of 5...Nc6, as White
can simply play 6 Bb5!. Both sides should study Koepke-Kislinsky and Mullon-Prié
carefully.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "6. Fourth Move Alternatives"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. -- {. White Plays d2-d3: --- This is a
vicious little weapon which Eric Prié has named the "Short System" after the
English grandmaster Nigel Short. Incidentally, I remember when the idea came
into existence. It was during the 1999 European Team Championship in Batumi,
when England's top female board IM Harriet Hunt was about to face Natalia
Zhukova from the Ukraine, and together Nigel and Harriet refined his idea of
d2-d3. It was later used extensively by English juniors, who unleashed it on
their unsuspecting opponents.} (4. -- {Why is this little pawn move so
dangerous? Well, d2-d3 contains two subtle ideas: -- 1) The d3-pawn blunts the
power of the Scandinavian bishop and limits Black's counterplay on the d-file.
This feature gives White's kingside pawn push added venom, as the bishop can
no longer use the e4- and c2-squares. Black players should be aware that moves
like d2-d3 and h2-h3 are not passive, cautious moves but may be a prelude for
a vicious kingside attack. -- 2) The d4-square is now available for a white
knight to use, which could make Black vulnerable to piece sacrifices on e6.
--- White still retains the option of playing Bd2 followed by Nd5 or Ne4,
trying to secure a favourable exchange of pieces; and the e5-square can still
be used as a base for White's attack. The main difference between d2-d3 and
the d4 main lines is that White's pawn structure is extremely solid.}) (4. -- {
After having played this variation several times with White, I've realized
that there are a few rules that Black must obey: -- 1) Black mustn't retreat
the queen unless absolutely necessary. -- 2) Shutting in the light-squared
bishop with ...e6 is simply too passive. With the bishop stuck on c8, White
can always play d3-d4 and reason that the loss of tempo is more than justified.
-- 3) Black must either aim to swap off queens while not allowing White to
expand too much on the kingside, or induce a weakness on the kingside by
playing ...Bg4. --- Let's look at the opening moves:}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays d2-d3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Bc4 ({Another option for White is to delay
moving the d-pawn until he feels it is the right moment to do so, and} 4. Nf3 {
with this idea is covered in Buckley-Barton.}) 4... Nf6 (4... c6 {
is probably the most flexible approach against the Short System. For example,}
5. d3 $5 Bf5 $5 6. Bd2 e6 7. Qe2 {
(when the black knight has not been committed to f6, then Nf3 is better)} Nd7
$1 8. h3 $6 ({this is too slow;} 8. O-O-O $5 {
, avoiding an exchange of queens, is stronger}) 8... Qe5 $1 {and Black has
equalized already, J.Houska-R.Almond, London (rapid) 2007. Unfortunately for
Black, White is not obliged to play d2-d3. Instead he should revert back to
d2-d4 and the set-ups discussed in Chapter Five, where ...c7-c6 does not sit
well.}) 5. d3 {Now Black must make a decision:} -- (5... c6 {
is covered in Short-Liu Dede}) ({while} 5... Bg4 {, which Eric Prié considers
to be the best, will be considered in Mamedyarov-Prie.}) (5... a6 {
did not impress in N.Short-A.Cherniaev, Staunton Memorial, London 2008. After}
6. Bd2 c5 7. Nd5 Qd8 8. Nxf6+ gxf6 9. Qh5 e6 10. a4 {
Black's ruined pawn structure promised White a clear advantage.}) *

[Event "Calvia Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Short, N."]
[Black "Liu Dede"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "105"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. d3 c6 $6 {It seems a bit harsh
to assess this move as dubious, but that's exactly what I think it is. ---
NOTE: As we have seen previously, it is wrong to assume that Black's basic
set-up of ...Nf6, ...Bf5, ...e6 and ...c6 is a "one size fits all" system.
Black cannot afford to be so rigid, especially when White has specifically
played to combat this set-up.} 6. Bd2 $1 Qc7 {
Bishop moves lead to problems for Black:} (6... Bg4 7. f3 Bf5 8. Qe2 $1 ({
rather than} 8. Nd5 $6 Qd8 9. Nxf6+ exf6 $1 {when Black will castle kingside
and use his wall of pawns as a barrier against White's attack}) 8... Qc7 (8...
Nbd7 $4 {is a blunder because of} 9. Nb5 $1) 9. g4 {
and Black is forced to beat a retreat - see the note on 7...Bg4, below.}) (6...
Bf5 $6 {is also not ideal:} 7. Nd5 $1 Qd8 8. Nxf6+ gxf6 9. Ne2 $1 Nd7 10. Ng3
Bg6 11. f4 $1 {(forcing Black to lock out his own bishop)} f5 12. Bc3 Rg8 13.
h4 h6 14. Qf3 e6 15. O-O-O {(E.Mortensen-C.Hansen, Graested 1990), and the
bishop on g6 is not what Black usually hopes for when playing the 2...Qxd5
Scandinavian.}) 7. Qe2 ({
The move Ng1-f3 is not particularly effective in d3 systems, and here} 7. Nf3 {
is resoundingly met by} Bg4 $1 {.}) 7... Bf5 ({A beautiful trick in this line is} 
7... Bg4 $6 8. f3 Bf5 $2 9. g4 Bg6 ({
consistent, but walking into a devastating pawn storm;} 9... Bd7) ({or even} 
9... Bc8 $5 {is infinitely stronger}) 10. f4 $1 h5 11. f5 Bh7 12. g5 Ng4 13.
Bxf7+ Kxf7 14. g6+ Ke8 ({or} 14... Bxg6 15. Qe6+ Ke8 16. Qxg6+ Kd8 17. Nf3 {
- Müller - when Black's future looks bleak}) 15. gxh7 Qe5 16. Nf3 Qxe2+ 17.
Kxe2 {and White has a dominating position, N.Short-A.Reprintsev, Internet
(blitz) 2000.}) ({Fianchettoing with} 7... g6 {doesn't quite work, as Black
struggles to find a role for the light-squared bishop. For example,} 8. Nf3 Bg7
9. O-O O-O 10. Rfe1 e6 11. d4 Nbd7 12. a4 Nd5 13. Rad1 b6 14. Qe4 Bb7 15. Qh4 {
and transferring the queen to the kingside was deadly in J.Houska-B.Yildiz,
Gothenburg 2005.}) 8. h3 e6 ({I don't believe in} 8... h5 {one bit. Now that
Black has weakened himself with ...h7-h5, it makes sense for White to switch
plans with} 9. Nf3 Nbd7 10. O-O $1 {, castling kingside and enjoying the fact
that Black cannot follow suit. For example,} -- (10... Nb6 11. Bb3 e6 12. a4 $1
a5 {and Black will struggle to find a safe haven for his king, P.Potapov-F.Kayser, Dresden 2007.}) ({. Alternatively, after} 10... e6 11. Rfe1 $1 O-O-O {
White simply starts his attack:} 12. a4 Bb4 13. a5 a6 (13... Bxa5 {
is not possible due to} 14. Rxa5 Qxa5 15. Nb5 Qb6 16. Nd6+ {
and Nxf7 winning back the exchange}) 14. Ne4 Bxd2 15. Nexd2 {. White has the
advantage here; in particular the b6-square is very sensitive. All he needs to
do is to reorganize his pieces so that a queenside pawn-storm is effective. If
Black tries to counterattack with If Black tries to counterattack with} Rdg8
$6 {he is immediately stopped by} 16. Ng5 $1 {.})) (8... Nbd7 9. g4 $1 Bg6 10.
f4 $1 {leaves the Scandinavian bishop in trouble, and after} h6 11. O-O-O Nb6
12. Bb3 Nfd5 13. f5 Bh7 {
as played in J.Houska-M.Vasilieva, Chisinau 2005, it is completely shut out.})
({Finally,} 8... h6 {is too slow:} 9. Nf3 Nbd7 10. O-O Nb6 (10... e6 $1 {
is better}) 11. Bb3 e6 12. Nd4 $1 {(another dangerous idea for White)} Bh7 13.
Bxe6 fxe6 14. Nxe6 Qe7 15. Nc7+ {
and with a rook and two pawns for two minor pieces, White is much better.}) 9.
g4 Bg6 10. f4 Be7 11. Nf3 Nbd7 12. O-O-O {A key point is that Black cannot
castle because White simply plays f4-f5 and the bishop on e7 is en prise.} Nb6
$6 {This move is too slow.} ({Black should probably start a counterattack, as
the position is already incredibly dangerous:} 12... b5 13. Bb3 a5 $1 ({
attacking with pieces is simply too slow: after} 13... Nc5 14. Rde1 a5 15. f5 {
White gets there first, and following} exf5 16. Ne5 {the point is that} a4 {
loses to} 17. Bf4 $1) 14. f5 {
(the onslaught begins but Black has a tactical trick up his sleeve...)} exf5
15. Rde1 O-O $1 {(this is the point)} 16. gxf5 ({the e7-bishop is poisoned:} 
16. Qxe7 Rae8 17. Qa3 b4 18. Qa4 Rxe1+ 19. Rxe1 Nc5 20. Nb5 Nxd3+ {
wins material}) 16... Bh5 $1 {The position is very double edged after 16...Bh5:
both sides have attacking ideas, and both have weaknesses. Black must handle
White's attacking potential along the g-file, whereas White must deal with the
black pawn phalanx that is steadily advancing towards his king.} ({
White is better after} 16... Bxf5 17. Nd4 Bg6 18. Qxe7 Rfe8 19. Qa3 b4 20. Qa4
bxc3 21. Bxc3 {.})) 13. Rde1 $1 Kf8 14. Bb3 Bd6 15. Ne5 Bxe5 16. Qxe5 $1 {
Nigel considered this to be a good move. He saw that Black's pawns on the
kingside could never advance and to him this meant that in the resulting
positions he was in effect a pawn up - simple chess!} Qxe5 17. fxe5 Nfd7 {
The rest is a powerful display of endgame technique.} 18. Ne4 Kg8 19. d4 h5 20.
g5 {The kingside is secured.} Bxe4 21. Rxe4 Nd5 22. Rf1 g6 23. Bxd5 $1 {
Eliminating the knight before it has a chance to re-route itself to f5.} cxd5
24. Ref4 Rh7 {Black is completely passive now.} 25. Bb4 Nb8 26. Bd6 Nc6 27.
R1f3 Rd8 28. b3 Rd7 29. Kd2 Ne7 30. Bxe7 $1 {
Again a knight is prevented from blocking the f-file.} Rxe7 31. Rc3 Kg7 32. Rc8
Rh8 33. Rxh8 Kxh8 34. Rf3 Kg8 35. Rc3 Kf8 36. a4 Ke8 37. Rc8+ Kd7 38. Ra8 a6
39. Kc3 Kc6 40. Kb4 {The plan is simply to play c2-c4.} Rc7 41. c4 dxc4 42.
bxc4 Kd7 43. Rb8 Kc6 44. a5 {
Preventing any movement of the b-pawn. It's all over now.} Kd7 45. d5 exd5 46.
cxd5 Rc1 47. Rxb7+ Ke8 48. Ra7 Kf8 49. Rxa6 Rh1 50. Rf6 Rxh3 51. e6 Rg3 52.
Rxf7+ Ke8 53. a6 1-0

[Event "French League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mamedyarov, S."]
[Black "Prie, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "113"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. d3 Bg4 $1 {As we saw from the
previous game, Black cannot develop in the usual way, so instead he adopts a
different strategy. His intention, as usual with ...Bg4 attacking the queen,
is to provoke the weakening f2-f3. After this move it becomes difficult for
White to establish control of the e5-square, so this means that White tends to
play only for a kingside pawn advance, something which carries much more risk.
Black's strategy is to prove that White will have over-extended himself, and
he intends to control the d4-square as a way of highlighting this. Another
reason to provoke f2-f3 is that White is no longer able to castle kingside
without making some sort of concession, and this allows Black to generate
counterplay on the queenside using White's light-squared bishop as a target.
--- Of course developing the bishop to g4 carries some risk, and there are
some factors that Black must be wary of. For example, Black should be
reluctant to cut off an escape route for the bishop with an early ...e7-e6.
Leaving the bishop somewhat "exposed" outside the pawn chain gives White the
opportunity to gain time by continuously making threats against it.} 6. f3 $1 {
Of course White must rise up to the challenge.} (6. Nge2 {is possible, but it
takes away an important developing square for the queen. This means that f2-f3
followed by g2-g4 will be less effective, as it is more difficult for White to
coordinate his minor pieces in a manner that enables easy queenside castling.
After} c6 $1 (6... Nbd7 {
cuts out retreat squares for the bishop - not something we wish to do!}) 7. f3
Bf5 8. g4 Bc8 {(the bishop has done its job and now retires home to safety)} 9.
Ng3 e6 10. Qe2 Be7 11. Bd2 Qc7 12. g5 Nd5 13. Nh5 O-O 14. O-O-O b5 15. Bb3 b4
16. Ne4 {(menacing Nf6+, which Black takes measures against)} Kh8 {(S.Satyapragyan-A.Filippov, Hyderabad 2005) the position is very complicated but Black's
chances are not worse - ...a7-a5 is going to give him enough counter-chances
on the queenside.}) 6... Bd7 $1 {
Out of the three possible retreats, this is perhaps the best.} (6... Bh5 7. Bd2
c6 8. Qe2 Nbd7 $2 (8... Qc7 {
must be played, but in any case Black has wasted too much time}) 9. Nb5 $1 Qb6
10. Nd6+ {gave White a very nice position in P.Velicka-A.Mirzoev, Cairo 2001.})
({White also stood better after} 6... Bf5 7. Bd2 $1 {
(putting the question to the queen)} Qb6 8. Qe2 e6 9. g4 $1 {
(White starts to seize all the available space)} Bg6 10. O-O-O Nbd7 11. h4 h5
12. Nh3 hxg4 13. fxg4 Rxh4 {(the extra pawn is worthless as White soon wins it
back, along with gaining the bishop pair)} 14. Nf4 Rxh1 15. Rxh1 O-O-O 16. g5
Nd5 17. Nxg6 fxg6 18. Nxd5 exd5 19. Bxd5 {
, in A.Jerez Perez-O.Perez Mitjans, Sitges 2007.}) 7. Bd2 (7. Qe2 $6 {
gives Black the time to play} Nc6 {, and} 8. Bd2 Nd4 $1 9. Qd1 Qb6 10. Nge2 Nf5
11. Ne4 e6 12. a4 a5 {
left Black with the superior position in C.Philippe-E.Prié, Ajaccio 2007.}) ({
Black can meet} 7. Nge2 {with} Qb6 {, beginning to exploit the dark-square
weaknesses brought on by White's sixth move.} 8. d4 Nc6 9. Be3 e6 10. O-O O-O-O
11. Kh1 Nb4 $1 12. a3 Nbd5 13. Bf2 h5 {was ambitious play by Black in J.Treguer-E.Prié, Gap 2008. He stands better here: his knights are sitting
pretty, and with ...h5-h4 arriving soon it is White who has to worry more
about king safety.}) 7... Qb6 8. Qe2 (8. f4 {
is an interesting try by Nigel Short. Now:} -- (8... Be6 $1 {liquidating some
pieces may be the best option. Moving a piece more than once is normally not
to be recommended. However, the situation here is rather unique. White has
developed his pieces in a compact way, and furthermore he has not staked out
an active pawn centre. It is these factors which allow Black the time to play
in this way.} 9. Bxe6 Qxe6+ 10. Nge2 Nc6 {is level.}) (8... e6 {
is by contrast rather passive. N.Short-E.Prié, Tallinn 2004, went} 9. Nf3 Bd6
10. Qe2 O-O ({taking the b-pawn is far too risky: for example,} 10... Qxb2 11.
Rb1 $1 Qa3 12. Rxb7 Bxf4 13. Bxf4 Qxc3+ 14. Qd2 {
and White will pick up the c7-pawn}) 11. Ne5 Be8 12. g4 c5 $2 ({
bolstering the d5-square with} 12... c6 $1 {
is considered by Eric Prié to be the best}) 13. g5 Nd5 14. Bxd5 exd5 15. Nxd5
Qd8 {and here} 16. Ng4 Nd7 17. Bc3 {would have been catastrophic for Black.}))
8... Nc6 9. O-O-O (9. Na4 {achieves little, as after} Qd4 {
the queen is perfectly at home in the middle of the board. For example,} 10. f4
({or} 10. O-O-O O-O-O 11. f4 Qd6) 10... Nb4 11. Bxb4 Bxa4 12. Bc3 Qxf4 13. Nf3
e6 14. O-O Bc5+ 15. Kh1 O-O 16. Ne5 Qe3 {
and White does not have sufficient compensation for the pawn.}) 9... Nd4 10.
Qe5 e6 11. Ne4 ({Against} 11. Be3 {Black can play the calm} Bc5 {
threatening 12...Nb3+.}) 11... Nxe4 12. dxe4 (12. fxe4 Qd6 13. Qh5 b5 14. Bb3
a5 {is promising for Black.}) 12... Qc5 ({
Eric is critical of this move, and instead prefers} 12... f6 {. After} 13. Qh5+
g6 14. Qh4 e5 15. c3 {Black can play} Bg7 $1 16. -- ({, as} 16. cxd4 $2 {
is bad due to} Qc6 17. b3 b5 18. d5 Qc5 {regaining the piece.}) ({. Instead} 
16. Kb1 Ne6 {followed by ...0-0-0 leads to a balanced position.} (16... --)))
13. Qxc5 Bxc5 14. Bf4 O-O-O 15. c3 Nc6 {This position appears to be level, but
there is one serious problem. Black's light-squared bishop is blocked in on d7
and this causes no end of grief.} 16. b4 Be7 17. Ne2 Bf6 18. a4 a6 19. Bb3 h5
20. Kc2 h4 21. h3 Be8 22. Ra1 Rh5 23. Be3 e5 $6 {
I don't really like this move as it exposes a weakness on f7.} 24. Rad1 Rxd1
25. Rxd1 Bg5 26. Bf2 Ne7 27. c4 {White continues to expand on the queenside.}
Ng6 28. b5 Nf4 29. Nxf4 Bxf4 $1 {TIP: When it comes to weaknesses, one should
adopt a "tit for tat" policy - if I have a weakness, I will give you a
weakness. This means the opponent can devote less time to attacking your
weakness, as he has to protect his own!} 30. Kc3 Bg5 $2 {But this is bad.} (
30... Rh6 $1 {is the best - further weaknesses should not be allowed!}) 31.
bxa6 bxa6 32. Kb4 Be7+ 33. c5 Rh6 34. Ka5 Rg6 35. Bc4 Rxg2 36. Bxa6+ Kb8 37.
Rb1+ Ka8 38. Be3 c6 39. Bc8 Ra2 40. Rb4 Ra3 41. Bc1 (41. Ka6 {
is another way to play the position, and after} Rxe3 42. Bb7+ Kb8 43. Bxc6+ Kc7
44. Bxe8 Rxf3 45. Rb7+ Kd8 46. c6 {White is much better.}) 41... Rc3 42. Bb2
Rxc5+ 43. Ka6 Bd8 44. Bb7+ Kb8 45. Bxc6+ Kc8 46. Bb7+ (46. Bxe8 $4 {
would be a tremendous mistake, allowing} Ra5# {.}) 46... Kb8 47. Bc6+ Kc8 48.
Bb5 Bc6 (48... f6 $1 {
was stronger, after which it is not so easy for White to make progress.}) 49.
Rb3 Bb7+ 50. Ka7 Bc7 51. Bd7+ Kxd7 52. Kxb7 Rc4 53. Rd3+ Ke6 $2 {
A decisive mistake.} (53... Bd6 $1 {holds:} 54. Bc3 (54. Ba3 {fails to} Rd4 $1)
({, while Black escapes with a draw after} 54. Bxe5 Rc7+ 55. Ka6 Rc6+ 56. Kb7
Rc7+) 54... Rc7+ 55. Kb6 Rc6+ 56. Kb5 Rc5+ 57. Kb4 Rc8+ 58. Kb3 Rb8+ 59. Kc2
Kc6 {and Black has managed to chase away the king and consolidate his position.
}) 54. Rc3 $1 Rb4+ 55. Kxc7 Rxb2 56. Rc6+ Ke7 57. a5 {
. The a-pawn cannot be stopped.} 1-0

[Event "British Championship, Millfield"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Buckley, M."]
[Black "Barton, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "108"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Be2 {There is a dangerous plan
hidden behind this move. White wishes to expand on the queenside with a timely
b2-b4, which is normally carried out once Black develops the light-squared
bishop.} (5. Bc4 {can be met by} c6 {
(the knight has committed itself to f3, so it is safe to move the c-pawn). Now:
} 6. -- (6. d4 {transposes to main lines.}) (6. O-O $6 {isn't challenging:} Bg4
$1 {(since White has castled prematurely, it is more than fine to develop the
bishop here)} 7. h3 Bh5 8. Re1 $6 {(as Wahls points out, White cannot easily
solve the problem of the pin without retreating the bishop, although Bc4-e2 is
hardly a try for an advantage)} Nbd7 9. d4 e6 10. Bd2 Qc7 11. a4 $5 ({
the most logical move;} 11. Bg5 $6 {
gave White absolutely nothing in L.Fritsche-J.Hickl, Germany League 1994, after
} Bb4 $1 {and} 12. g4 Bg6 13. Ne5 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Bxc3 $1 15. bxc3 Ne4 16. Bf4
Nxc3 {picked up a pawn}) 11... Bd6 12. a5 O-O 13. Be2 {
(White must break the pin eventually)} b5 14. Ng5 Bg6 {and Black has no
problems: once he has either secured the d5-square or achieved ...c6-c5 he
will stand very well.}) ({. The combination of Nf3 and d2-d3 is not as potent
as Bd2 and d3. However, there is still the annoying idea of the knight hop
Nf3-d4, so the best course of action for Black after} 6. d3 {is} Bg4 $1 (6...
Bf5 7. Bf4 e6 8. O-O Nbd7 9. Qe2 Be7 10. Nd4 {
gave White a slight edge in A.Smith-H.Hunt, British League 1998}) {
. For example,} 7. Bd2 Qh5 $1 8. Qe2 Nbd7 9. Bf4 e6 10. O-O-O O-O-O 11. h3 Bxf3
12. gxf3 Qf5 {and Black did not stand worse in R.Bana-A.Stefanova, Varna 1994.
It is true that White has the bishop pair, but Black possesses the strong
d5-square and White has weakened his pawn structure - something that will
begin to tell in an endgame.})) (5. h3 {is an interesting idea - White takes
time out to prevent Black from developing the bishop to its optimum square of
g4. A.Filipenko-A.Khalifman, Moscow 1992, continued} c6 6. Bc4 (6. Bd3 {
deprives Black's bishop of the f5-square, but this method of development does
not look harmonious, and after} Na6 7. O-O Nb4 8. Bc4 Bf5 9. d3 e6 10. Qe2 Be7
$1 11. Bd2 Qc7 12. Nd4 Bg6 {Black's position is very solid -} 13. Bxe6 {
does not work after} fxe6 14. Nxe6 Qd7 15. Bf4 Nxc2 $1) 6... Bf5 7. d3 e6 8.
Bd2 Qc7 9. Qe2 Bc5 {(covering d4 so that there are no tricks with Nd4)} 10. g4
$1 Bg6 11. Nh4 (11. Ne5 {allows Black to liquidate with} Nbd7) 11... Nbd7 12.
f4 O-O-O 13. O-O-O Nb6 14. Bb3 Nbd5 {and Black was fine: he has good minor
pieces and the white bishop is not ideally placed on b3.}) 5... c6 $1 ({
WARNING:} 5... Bg4 $6 {is famously dubious because of} 6. h3 Bh5 7. b4 $1 Qb6
8. O-O c6 9. Rb1 e6 10. b5 $1 {, as played in N.Short-I.Rogers, Tilburg 1992.
The point is that White gets in b4-b5 with gain of time.}) (5... Bf5 $6 {
is no better:} 6. b4 Qb6 7. Rb1 e6 8. O-O Nbd7 9. d3 c6 10. Bf4 Nd5 $2 11. Nxd5
cxd5 12. Nh4 {, as played in D.Batsanin-S.Grigoriants, St Lorenzo 1995, is
very nice for White - he gains the bishop pair and Black has no active squares
for his pieces.}) 6. O-O Bg4 $5 ({As White has not played actively in the
centre, a kingside fianchetto is another reasonable option for Black. For
example,} 6... g6 7. d4 Bg7 8. Bf4 O-O 9. a3 {
(attempting to expand on the queenside) and now} Nd5 $1 {is stronger than} (
9... Nbd7 {
, which was a little passive in A.Hunt-J.Houska, British League 2000.})) 7. b4
Qc7 {This is the point! By playing ...c6 before ...Bg4, Black gains additional
escape squares for the queen so b4-b5 does not come with tempo.} 8. h3 Bh5 9.
b5 e6 10. Rb1 Be7 11. d4 O-O 12. Ne5 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Nbd7 $5 ({
I like this simple move, which is much more natural than} 13... a6 14. b6 Qd8
15. Rd1 Nbd7 16. Na4 Nd5 17. Nxd7 Qxd7 18. c4 Nf6 19. Bf4 {
when White is better, A.Hunt-I.Rogers, Gold Coast 2000.}) 14. Re1 $2 {
A mistake.} (14. bxc6 bxc6 15. Bf4 Bd6 $1 16. Nxd7 $1 (16. Rfe1 Nd5 $1 {
and Black has equalized}) 16... Qxd7 17. Be5 $1 {
would give White a slight advantage due to the wonderful bishop on e5.}) 14...
Nxe5 $1 15. dxe5 Nd5 16. Nd1 Rfd8 17. a3 cxb5 18. Rxb5 Rac8 19. Qf3 b6 20. Rb2
{White's weak pawn islands make life very difficult.} Nc3 21. Nxc3 Qxc3 22.
Qxc3 Rxc3 23. Ra2 Rd5 24. Kf1 Rcc5 25. f4 Bh4 26. Be3 Bxe1 27. Bxc5 Bd2 28. c4
Rd7 29. Bd6 Bxf4 {Black has won one pawn and the rest is relatively easy.} 30.
Rf2 Bg5 31. Rc2 Be3 32. Ke2 Bd4 33. Kf3 f5 34. a4 a5 35. Rc1 Kf7 36. Rb1 g5 37.
Rb5 h5 38. Rb1 h4 39. g3 hxg3 40. Kxg3 Kg6 41. Rb5 Rh7 42. Kg2 f4 43. c5 Bxc5
44. Bxc5 bxc5 45. Rxc5 Ra7 46. Kf3 Kf5 47. Rb5 Rh7 48. Kg2 g4 49. hxg4+ Kxg4
50. Rb8 f3+ 51. Kg1 Kf4 52. Rc8 Rb7 53. Kf2 Rb2+ 54. Kf1 Ra2 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 4 g3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. g3 {is a very solid move, with White
wishing to develop logically but slowly. The special attraction of 4 g3 is
that by placing the bishop on the long diagonal White doesn't need to fear it
being out of play like it sometimes is on c4. --- White is playing with
long-term positional aims, and does not try to refute the Scandinavian right
from the beginning. This in itself gives Black the unique option of being able
to fianchetto his dark-squared bishop too. --- Both sides are playing with
positional motives throughout the game. Black's strengths lie in the half-open
d-file and the strong d5-square. White, on the other hand, intends to utilize
the power of his light-squared bishop and the strong e5-square.} *

[Event "Kharkov"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aveskulov, V."]
[Black "Kislinsky, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "114"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. g3 Nf6 5. Bg2 g6 $1 (5... c6 {
is the main alternative, and after} 6. Nf3 Bg4 $1 7. h3 Bh5 8. O-O e6 9. a3
Nbd7 10. Rb1 Be7 11. b4 Qc7 12. d3 Rd8 {
Black didn't have any problems in A.Vydeslaver-B.Alterman, Israeli League 2008.
}) 6. Nf3 ({
Another way for White to play is to keep the long diagonal unblocked with} 6.
Nge2 {. For example,} Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. d3 c5 $5 {
the most ambitious move, securing a grip on the centre;} (8... c6 9. h3 {
is reasonable for Black but it is difficult for him to establish an active plan
}) ({while} 8... Nc6 {makes it a little bit awkward for the black queen to
find a space in the long run}) 9. Bf4 (9. Bd2 {
doesn't really carry a serious threat after} Qc7) 9... Nc6 10. a3 Qd8 11. Re1
e5 12. Bg5 h6 13. Be3 Nd4 14. h3 (14. b4 {leads to nothing after} Ng4 15. bxc5
Nxe3 16. fxe3 Ne6 {when Black will regain the pawn and have the bishop pair})
14... Bd7 15. Kh2 Qc8 16. Ne4 {
and Black stands very well, M.Pasalic-J.Bartholomew, Internet 2008.}) (6. d3 {
encouraging ...c7-c6 is probably the most accurate move order, although} c6 7.
h3 Bg7 8. Bd2 Qd8 9. Qc1 O-O 10. Bh6 (10. Nf3 Be6 $1 {
reinforces control of the d5-square}) 10... Na6 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. Nf3 Be6 13.
O-O Qd6 14. b3 Nc7 {was level in L.Keitlinghaus-K.Müller, German League 1999.})
6... Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. d4 {This is the critical choice. White aims to swap off
the dark-squared bishops and to prevent Black from achieving one of his pawn
breaks, ...e7-e5 or ...c7-c5. As with many fianchetto set-ups, White wants to
prove that his light-squared bishop is better than its counterpart on c8.
Black, in turn, intends to place insurmountable pressure on the d4-pawn,
provoking its advance or exchanging it to release some of the tension in the
position.} ({Other possibilities include:} 8. d3 Qh5 $1 {, as suggested by
Karsten Müller, is a good move - it is not easy to chase the black queen away
from the kingside. For example,} 9. Nd2 Bg4 10. f3 Bh3 {
and Black is more than fine, S.Tiviakov-P.Ricardi, Buenos Aires 1996.}) ({
Against the precautionary} 8. h3 $5 {Black can gain space with} c5 $1 9. d3 Nc6
10. Be3 Bd7 {(D.Pereyra-G.Soppe, Pena City 1996) when the only task left for
him is to re-route his queen back into the game.}) 8... Nc6 $5 9. Ne2 {
The latest way to fend off Black's pressure on d4. If left to consolidate,
White will simply play c2-c3 (shutting out the bishop on g7) and try to
prevent Black's light-squared bishop from developing to an effective square.} (
{As variations demonstrate,} 9. d5 {has little effect:} Nb4 10. Nd4 (10. Ne5
Rd8 $1) 10... Bg4 11. Qd2 (11. Qe1 $6 Rad8 $1 {sees Black regain the pawn with
a small advantage, M.Kaminski-C.Horvath, Krynica 1998}) 11... Rad8 12. a3 Nbxd5
13. Nxd5 {and now Karsten Müller's suggestion of} Rxd5 $5 {
looks interesting, because after} 14. Bxd5 Qxd5 15. Nb3 Qc4 {White's light-squared weaknesses provide Black with useful compensation for the small material
deficit.}) 9... Bg4 $1 10. h3 Bxf3 $1 {This is Black's worst piece so it makes
sense to trade it off for a defender of the d4-pawn.} 11. Bxf3 Rad8 12. c4 $2 (
12. c3 $5 {is met by} Qf5 13. Bg2 (13. Kg2 $2 e5 {
threatens 14...e4 trapping the bishop}) 13... e5 14. Qb3 exd4 15. Nxd4 Nxd4 16.
cxd4 Nd5 17. Qxb7 Bxd4 {
and Black's active pieces compensate for the bishop pair.}) (12. Be3 e5 13. c3
e4 14. Bg2 Ne5 {is also fine for Black.}) 12... e5 $1 13. d5 e4 $1 14. Bg2 Ne5
15. Bd2 Qa6 16. b3 b5 $2 (16... c6 $1 {
would be very unpleasant for White, especially after} 17. dxc6 Qxc6 {
threatening ...Nf3+.}) 17. Bf4 $6 Nf3+ $1 {
Now White's position quickly crumbles.} 18. Bxf3 exf3 19. Nd4 bxc4 20. Nc6 $2 (
20. bxc4 {is probably White's best chance, but Black's position is superb
anyhow. For example,} Qxc4 21. Nc6 Nxd5 22. Rc1 Qe4 23. Nxd8 Nxf4 24. gxf4 Qxf4
{(threatening both 25 ...Qg5+ and 25...Be5)} 25. Nxf7 Bd4 $1 {
threatening ...Qg3+ followed by ...Qg2 mate.}) 20... Nxd5 $3 {
A brilliant move, which destroys White.} 21. Nxd8 Nxf4 22. gxf4 Bxa1 23. Qxa1
Rxd8 24. bxc4 Qxc4 25. Qc1 Rd4 26. Kh2 Rxf4 27. Kg3 Qxc1 28. Rxc1 Ra4 29. Rxc7
Rxa2 30. Kxf3 Ra3+ 31. Kg2 a5 32. Ra7 a4 33. Kh2 Kg7 34. Ra6 g5 35. Kg2 f6 36.
Ra7+ Kg6 37. Ra5 f5 38. Ra6+ Kh5 39. Rf6 f4 40. Ra6 Ra1 41. Kh2 a3 42. Kg2 a2
43. Ra7 Kg6 44. Ra5 Kf6 45. Ra6+ Ke5 46. Ra5+ Ke4 47. Ra4+ Kd3 48. Kf3 Kd2 49.
Ra8 h5 50. Ra7 Ke1 51. Kg2 Ke2 52. Re7+ Kd3 53. Rd7+ Kc4 54. Rc7+ Kd5 55. Ra7
g4 56. h4 f3+ 57. Kh2 g3+ $1 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Mieses Gambit: 4 b4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. b4 {. This romantic gambit is named after
Grandmaster Jacques Mieses, who was a dangerous attacking player. White
sacrifices a pawn in order to open up the b-file and gain time by continuously
attacking Black's queen. --- If played correctly, White can gain some
compensation in the form of pressure against b7, which can prove to be a
little awkward for Black. However, I don't think White's compensation is worth
the sacrificed pawn.} *

[Event "Kiev"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ivanets, S."]
[Black "Minakov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "151"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. b4 (4. a3 {is a way of playing on the
wings without sacrificing material. Naturally this shouldn't pose a problem
for Black, and} c6 5. b4 Qc7 6. Bb2 Nf6 7. d4 Bf5 8. Bd3 Bxd3 9. Qxd3 e6 10.
Nf3 Nbd7 11. O-O {was only slightly better for White in E.Najer-A.Shvedchikov,
Moscow 1995. Black's position is solid and he should aim for some counterplay
along the a-file with ...a7-a5, which might be a bit awkward for White. He
also has in reserve the possibility of ...b7-b5 to help control the c4- and
d5-squares.}) 4... Qxb4 5. Rb1 Qd6 6. d4 Nf6 7. Nf3 a6 {
This move is recognized as the antidote to the Mieses Gambit.} 8. g3 $1 {
The most promising continuation for White.} ({
According to John Emms, Black should meet} 8. Bd3 {with} g6 $1 {
to blunt the bishop. After} 9. O-O Bg7 10. Ne5 O-O 11. Bf4 Qxd4 {
it's difficult for White to prove his compensation.}) ({Against} 8. Bc4 {
Black should really hurry to safety as quickly as possible, and after} e6 $1 9.
O-O Be7 10. Re1 O-O {(Emms) Black is simply a solid pawn up.}) 8... b6 (8...
Be6 {looks a bit strange. After} 9. Bg2 (9. Rxb7 {would lose to} Qc6) {
Black must play} 9... Qc6 {and here} 10. Qd2 (10. Bd2 Bc4 $1 {
cleverly keeps the white king trapped in the middle}) 10... Bc4 11. Nh4 {
is unclear.}) 9. Bg2 Bb7 10. O-O e6 11. Ne5 Bxg2 12. Kxg2 Be7 13. Qf3 Ra7 {
Because of the misplaced rook on a7, White gets enough compensation to grant
him equality, but that is all.} 14. Rd1 O-O 15. Bg5 Qd8 16. h4 Nfd7 17. Qg4 Nf6
$2 ({Playing for the draw, but Black could have been more ambitious with} 17...
f5 18. Qf4 Bxg5 19. hxg5 Nxe5 20. dxe5 Qe7 21. Rd3 Nc6 22. Rh1 Raa8 {
when he is slowly getting his pieces back in order.}) 18. Bxf6 Bxf6 19. Ne4
Bxe5 $2 {Giving White further compensation: the open d-file and tactical
tricks based on Nf6.} 20. dxe5 Qe7 21. Rb3 Kh8 22. Rbd3 Nc6 23. Rd7 Nxe5 $2 {
The losing move.} ({Black had to play} 23... Qb4 {.}) 24. Rxe7 Nxg4 25. Rxf7 $1
Kg8 26. Re7 Nh6 27. Rdd7 Nf5 28. Rxe6 Raa8 29. Rxc7 {Now White is a pawn up
with the better pieces, so he should win. Here are the remaining moves.} Rae8
30. Rxe8 Rxe8 31. f3 Ne3+ 32. Kf2 Nd5 33. Rc6 a5 34. a3 Rb8 35. c4 Ne7 36. Rc7
Nf5 37. h5 Nd4 38. Nd6 Rd8 39. Ne4 Nc2 40. a4 Rd1 41. c5 bxc5 42. Rxc5 Nb4 43.
Rxa5 Ra1 44. Nd6 h6 45. Nf5 Ra2+ 46. Kg1 Nd3 47. Ra7 Ne5 48. f4 Nf3+ 49. Kf1
Rd2 50. Nh4 Nxh4 51. gxh4 Rd4 52. Kf2 Rxf4+ 53. Kg3 Rb4 54. a5 Rb3+ 55. Kg4
Rb4+ 56. Kg3 Rb3+ 57. Kf4 Rb4+ 58. Ke5 Rxh4 59. a6 Rxh5+ 60. Kd6 Ra5 61. Kc6 h5
62. Kb6 Ra2 63. Rc7 Rb2+ 64. Kc6 Kh7 65. a7 Ra2 66. Kb7 Rxa7+ 67. Kxa7 Kh6 68.
Kb6 h4 69. Kc5 g5 70. Kd4 Kh5 71. Ke3 Kg4 72. Kf2 Kh3 73. Rc1 Kg4 74. Kg2 Kh5
75. Rc5 Kg4 76. Rc4+ 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "6. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. -- ({
The most critical try for White in this chapter is the "Short System",} 4. Bc4
Nf6 5. d3 {. Short-Liu Dede highlights the danger of routine play by Black and
also perfectly illustrates the essence of White's strategy. In Mamedyarov-Prié
Black demonstrates the best defence, provoking a little weakness with 5...Bg4!.
Black should remember that the d4-square becomes a source of counterplay, so ...Nc6 is the way to develop the queen's knight (but also don't forget to answer
Bd2 with ...Qb6!).}) ({
The notes to Buckley-Barton demonstrate that d2-d3 in conjunction with} 4. Nf3
{is not dangerous. Against Nf3 with Be2, Black should develop the Scandinavian
bishop to g4 rather than f5, preferably after White has castled kingside. He
should precede this by playing ...c7-c6, giving the queen an escape route
should White play for b2-b4.}) ({The Fianchetto system,} 4. g3 {
, allows Black the time to mimic White's style with ...g7-g6.}) ({
Finally, the Mieses Gambit,} 4. b4 {, is simply a case of "coffee house" chess.
White does gain the b-file and some pressure for the pawn, but maintaining the
initiative actually requires rather precise play from White.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "7. 3...Qd6: Introduction"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 {. As opening theory developed in the
Scandinavian, players turned their attention to lesser-known lines such as 3...Qd6 and 3...Qd8, which were traditionally considered dubious. Whereas 3...Qd8
has never been truly accepted, the popularity of 3...Qd6 has exploded so much
that it is almost considered superior to 3...Qa5. In fact, world-class
grandmaster Sergei Tiviakov has introduced it into his repertoire and has
published several articles celebrating its merits. --- First, let's look at
the attraction of the ...Qd6 move by itself. We see that the queen is not
badly placed on d6 - it is nicely centralized, doesn't interfere with the
development of Black's forces and places pressure on the d4-square. It also
limits the tactical impact of the dreaded d4-d5 pawn push which is so
problematic in the 3...Qa5 section. However, the chief attraction of 3...Qd6
lies in its simplicity. Black has an array of plans that in a typical
Scandinavian manner focus chiefly on piece placement. Moreover, the position
is not necessarily easy for White to play: as the natural pawn advance d4-d5
may not be particularly effective, an inexperienced player may suddenly find
himself in worse position!} 4. d4 Nf6 5. -- ({Set-ups for White: In this
chapter and the following one I will be discussing set-ups with} 5. Nf3 {
. Chapter Nine covers fifth-move alternatives for White, which include the
idea of developing the knight to e2, preparing Bf4.}) (5. -- {Let's now consider Black's possible piece formations. Set-ups A and B will be discussed during
the course of the analysed games and variations in this chapter and the
following one, whereas set-up C is covered in Chapter Nine.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Set-up A: ...a6 and ...b5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r4rk1/1bp1bppp/p2qpn2/1p6/8/8/8/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]

{Set-up A: the ambitious ...a6 and ...b5:} 1. -- {. This shows Black's most
ambitious set-up, and it tends to be his first choice unless White has taken
specific measures to deter it. As we can see, Black's pieces are incredibly
well placed. Notice the light-squared bishop bearing down on the long diagonal,
and the b5-pawn controlling c4 and thus restraining the white pawn centre.
Black's pawn breaks are based on ...c7-c5 or, more rarely, ....e7-e5. Should
White play passively or aimlessly, then this really is the set-up Black should
be playing for. --- Because Set-up A is such an effective mode of development,
White has developed anti-b5 measures that basically prevent Black from
employing it. These anti-b5 measures are usually based around exploiting the
weakness of the h1-a8 diagonal before Black has consolidated with ...Bb7, or
provoking Black to over-extend his queenside pawns. --- It is because of the
harmony of Black's set-up that White simply cannot play in a passive manner.
For example, the d3 systems that are so dangerous against 3...Qa5 just don't
work well here. Black's light-squared bishop, so often subjected to the
dreaded "bishop hunt" in the 3...Qa5 lines, is safely ensconced on b7, and
it's Black's strongest minor piece. Indeed, the greatest problem for Black
lies in the possibility of its exchange and the potential exposure of the
queenside. --- The pressure on the d-file is such that if White develops
"normally", he may in fact stand slightly worse. Control of the central
squares again plays a role: White's strong square is e5 whereas Black has firm
control of d5.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Set-up B: ...a6 and ...Bg4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r3k2r/ppp1bppp/2nqpn2/8/6b1/8/8/4K3 w kq - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "1"]

{Set-up B: putting pressure on d4 with ...a6 and ...Bg4:} 1. -- {This set-up
is designed to put as much pressure on the d4 point as possible, making
special use of the semi-open d-file. In order to maximize this pressure and to
sharpen up the position Black may in fact castle queenside, although this is
not necessarily always the case. This set-up is usually played when White has
in some way prevented our ideal set-up A. --- As a general point on both 3...Qd6 and 3...Qa5, developing the bishop to g4 is especially effective when
White is committed to castling kingside, as then it is a major nuisance for
him to chase away the bishop. Should the bishop arrive on g4 either (a) when
it doesn't threaten anything, or (b) when it is obvious White is intending to
castle queenside, I would be a little more sceptical of moving it to that
square. There are very few pawn breaks for either side, so the main question
then becomes: who has more space? As we've already seen, the bishop on g4 can
simply act as a target and a way for White to expand on the kingside with
moves such as h2-h3, f2-f3 and g2-g4, and this can become very unpleasant for
Black.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Set-up C: Caro-Kann/Slav"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[SourceDate "2011.06.12"]

{Set-up C: the Caro-Kann/Slav pawn structure:} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6
4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 {. I first knew this as the Pytel Variation (named after
the French IM Krzysztof Pytel) and more recently it has also become Sergei
Tiviakov's pet system. --- 5...c6 is somewhat truer to the Scandinavian
concept of developing the light-squared bishop either to f5 or g4, while
maintaining the solid Slav/Caro-Kann pawn structure. If Black is allowed to
develop his pieces without hindrance then he will reach a pleasant position
with no obvious weakness. As usual in the Scandinavian, White must react very
aggressively in order to attempt to secure an advantage.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Crossover themes for White"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2kr1b1r/1ppqppp1/p1n2nb1/7p/3P1BP1/2N2N1P/PPP1QPB1/R4RK1 w - - 0 13"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{One of the leading experts on the 3...Qd6 Scandinavian, Sergei Tiviakov, came
up with a little rule that effectively summarizes Black's objective: "Black
first must develop the light-squared and then the dark-squared [bishop] ... if
Black can do this he is rarely worse". --- It is White's mission to use this
knowledge to his advantage, and to prevent Black from reaching his objectives.
Here are some dangerous ideas that White has at his disposal: --- A) Pushing
back the black queen. --- This is the first step to pushing Black's whole army
back. One of the key ways to achieve this - regardless of the set-up - is
either to use the e5-square as a base or to swap off the light-squared bishops.
Take this following example: --- Earlier White took the first step by pushing
the queen back to d7 with Bf4. Black has just played the reckless 12...h5, and
this allows the crushing reply} 13. Ne5 $1 {(see the notes to
Caruana-Strikovic for further details). This is a typical problem Black may 
face in this line.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Striking with d4-d5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{B) Striking with d4-d5: --- This is not so much of a problem in the 3...Qd6
lines, but Black must not be blasé about it! Take an example from one of my
games, P.Varley-J.Houska, British League 1999:} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3
Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bc4 Bg4 $6 ({As we shall see in Chapter Eight,} 6...
b5 {is a better choice.}) 7. O-O e6 8. h3 Bh5 9. Qe2 Nc6 $4 10. g4 $1 Bg6 11.
d5 {and Black is struggling.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Exchanging bishops"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rn2kb1r/1bp2ppp/p2qpn2/1p6/3P4/2N2NP1/PPP2PBP/R1BQ1RK1 w kq - 0 9"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{C) Exchanging the light-squared bishops: --- The funny thing is that in
nearly all lines of the Scandinavian the light-squared bishop never gets left
in peace - it is either constantly attacked by white pawns or exchanged to
highlight a weakness in Black's position. This latter action is especially
true with regards to Set-up A. Take the following position, which arises in
Kurnosov-Tzermiadianos. White plays} 9. Ne5 $1 {, exchanging off Black's
powerful bishop and exposing a whole load of light-square problems on the
queenside.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Main Line: 5 Nf3 a6 6 g3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 {is the most natural
development for the g1-knight, and also probably White's most flexible move.
After} a6 {White has a variety of options available to him, of which these are
the most testing for Black: -- 1) The fianchetto system (this chapter); -- 2)
Occupying the centre immediately with 6 Ne5 (Chapter Eight); -- 3) Playing
against the weakness of f7 with 6 Bc4 (also Chapter Eight).} 6. g3 {This is by
far the most critical and popular line for White. It is considered to be the
best choice and has been recommended by Alexander Khalifman. --- As the
popularity of 3...Qd6 grew, White players looked at various ways of exploiting
the placement of Black's queen, and how to develop his pieces in an easy and
simplistic manner. By playing 6 g3 White aims to turn the strength of Black's
Set-up A into a weakness. He intends to swap off the light-squared bishops and
force Black to over-extend his pawns on the queenside; in particular the
b5-pawn.} -- {There are two main ways for Black to meet 6 g3:} ({Set-up A:} 
6... b5) ({Set-up B:} 6... Bg4 {. Of these two options, Set-up B is considered
to be the best. --- Unfortunately, 6...b5 is no longer effective against 6
g3. However, it does require some accurate play and a good memory from White,
which means that it could still be used as a good surprise weapon! (See
Kurnosov-Tzermiadianos.)}) ({There's a third possibility in the mirror system} 
6... g6 {, although this is a minor line.}) *

[Event "Warsaw"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kurnosov, I."]
[Black "Tzermiadianos, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. g3 b5 $6 {
Alternatively:} (6... Nc6 7. Bf4 $5 Qb4 8. a3 Qb6 9. d5 {
appears very promising for White. However, after} Ng4 $1 10. Qd2 e5 $1 {
the situation is actually not that clear.}) (6... Bf5 7. Bg2 c6 8. O-O e6 9.
Bf4 Qd8 10. Qe2 Be7 11. Rad1 O-O 12. Ne5 {
with a comfortable edge for White, V.Laznicka-P.Jirovsky, Czech League 2004.})
(6... g6 {is solid, but it leaves White with a pleasant position as there are
no active pawn breaks for Black. For example,} 7. Bg2 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bf4 Qd8
10. Qd2 Re8 11. Rfe1 c6 12. a4 a5 13. Rad1 Bg4 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Bxf3 e6 {
, K.Arakhamia-S.Tiviakov, British League 2005.}) 7. Bg2 Bb7 8. O-O e6 (8...
Nbd7 9. Bf4 Qb6 10. a4 b4 11. a5 Qa7 12. Ne2 Nd5 13. c4 $1 Nxf4 14. Nxf4 e6 $2
15. d5 {is absolutely crushing.}) 9. Ne5 $1 {This is the move which Greek IM
Andreas Tzermiadianos believes refutes Black's whole ...b5 idea.} (9. Bf4 {
is more commonly played, but this gives Black a vital tempo to consolidate.
After} Qb6 10. a4 {Black has the strong reply} Bd6 $1 {. As Andrew Martin
points out, as a general rule for Black, these bishops should be exchanged.
The game E.Sutovsky-D.Sermek, Terme Zrece 2003, continued} 11. Be3 $1 (11. a5 {
is premature, as Black is able to block the centre, and} Qa7 12. Be3 Nd5 {
was okay for him in P.Konguvel-D.Milanovic, Moscow 2006}) 11... b4 12. a5 Qa7
13. d5 Bc5 14. dxe6 Bxe3 15. exf7+ Kxf7 16. Ne5+ Ke7 17. Bxb7 Qxb7 18. Qd3 bxc3
19. Qxe3 {with good compensation.}) 9... Qb6 (9... Bxg2 10. Kxg2 {is unsatisfactory for Black, as the light-square weaknesses start to tell. For example:} --
(10... Nbd7 $6 11. Qf3 Rc8 12. Bf4 $1 Qb6 13. Nxd7 Nxd7 14. d5 {
is much better for White.}) (10... b4 $6 11. Qf3 c6 12. Bf4 $1 bxc3 ({or} 12...
Nd5 13. Ne4 Qc7 14. Kg1 Nxf4 15. Qxf4 {and Black cannot develop a single piece}
) 13. Nxf7 Qxd4 14. bxc3 {and White will win the rook and the game - the
weakness on the b-file is too much for Black to handle.}) (10... Ra7 {
(given as the best try by John Emms)} 11. Qf3 Be7 12. Be3 $1 {targeting the
black rook. Black's position is very cramped: he cannot develop his knight on
b8 as it must guard the c6-square, and the rook on a7 looks faintly ridiculous.
}) (10... Be7 {doesn't help much. After} 11. Qf3 c6 12. Bf4 Nd5 13. Ne4 Qc7 {
White has the stunning} 14. Bh6 $3 {which clears the path for the queen, and}
gxh6 15. Qxf7+ Kd8 16. Qxe6 Rf8 17. Nf7+ {is winning.}) (10... c5 {
is interesting but doesn't work:} 11. Qf3 Ra7 12. Bf4 $1 Qb6 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14.
Nd3 {and White is much better, for example after} Nc6 15. Nxc5 Nd4 16. N5a4
bxa4 17. Be3 O-O 18. Rfd1 e5 19. Nxa4 Qb4 20. Bxd4 exd4 21. b3 {
(Tzermiadianos).})) ({black lost pretty quickly after} 9... c6 10. a4 b4 11.
Ne4 Qc7 $4 (11... Nxe4 {is forced}) 12. Ng5 {
1-0 A.Ostrovskiy-O.Miljutin, Odessa 2008}) 10. d5 $1 {
White is threatening to win immediately with 11 Be3! followed by dxe6.} Bc5 {
The only move.} (10... exd5 {is impossible: White is winning after} 11. Nxd5
Nxd5 12. Bxd5) ({, and White also wins after} 10... Be7 11. Be3 Qd6 12. Nxf7 {.
}) 11. dxe6 fxe6 12. Nc4 $1 {
A great idea, allowing White to liquidate into a superior endgame.} bxc4 ({
After} 12... Qa7 13. Bxb7 Qxb7 14. Na5 Qb6 15. Qf3 c6 16. Nb3 O-O 17. Ne4 Nxe4
18. Qxe4 Bxf2+ 19. Kg2 e5 $1 20. Qxe5 Nd7 21. Qe6+ Rf7 22. Bf4 {
White has a clear edge.}) 13. Na4 Qa7 14. Bxb7 Bxf2+ 15. Rxf2 Qxb7 16. Nc5 Qd5
$2 (16... Qb6 {was stronger, although after} 17. Nxe6 Qxe6 18. Re2 Ne4 19. Qd4
O-O 20. Rxe4 Qb6 21. Qxb6 cxb6 22. Rxc4 {White is a pawn up}) 17. Qxd5 exd5 18.
Bh6 $1 gxh6 (18... O-O 19. Bxg7 {wins.}) 19. Rxf6 Nd7 20. Re6+ Kd8 21. Nxa6 {
White has a superior endgame and converts it smoothly.} Nb6 22. Nb4 Kd7 23.
Rxh6 Rae8 24. a4 Re6 25. Rh5 c6 26. a5 Na8 27. b3 cxb3 28. cxb3 Nc7 29. Nd3 Kd6
30. b4 Na6 31. b5 Nc7 32. Nf4 Rf6 33. bxc6 Ra8 34. Rxh7 Ne6 35. Nxe6 Rxe6 36.
Rc1 Re2 37. a6 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Black Plays 6...Bg4!"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "18"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. g3 Bg4 $1 {This set-up
is universally considered to be Black's best option against the dangerous 6 g3.
Both sides have more than one way to treat the position. Black can play a
quick ...Nc6 and castle queenside, placing an incredible amount of pressure on
the d4-pawn. The game then becomes incredibly wild so readers are advised to
carefully study this variation. An alternative for Black is the more solid ...c6, an idea from Sergei Tiviakov. However illogical this move looks in
combination with ...a6, Black's position is still relatively solid.} 7. Bg2 {
White has several choices to make. Firstly, he must decide where to castle:
whether he can ignore the pressure on the d4-pawn and head kingside; or play a
little more solidly, aiming to retain the central tension by castling queenside.
--- If White castles kingside, which is the usual choice, there are further
questions to consider: should White play d4-d5, and when should he chase the
bishop away with h2-h3? Remarkably, the timing of h2-h3 and the possibility of
d4-d5 are closely interlinked, as we shall see from the games and analysis
below.} ({White will sooner or later have to play h2-h3, in order to deal with
Black's pressure on the centre - the only question is when? The main advantage
White obtains from playing} 7. h3 {is that later on, in the heat of the
complications, White can play g3-g4 to keep the knight on f3 controlling the
centre. However, there are also some reasons for keeping the bishop on g4, and
these are explained below. See Caruana-Strikovic and Drabke-Pirrot for
coverage of 7 h3.}) 7... Nc6 ({The more solid option of} 7... c6 {
is covered in Al Modiahki-Tiviakov.}) 8. O-O O-O-O {Let's take stock of this
amazingly complicated position. How does Black intend to play? The answer lies
in the centre. Most of his pieces are directly or indirectly fixed upon the d4
point. Left to his own devices, Black will continue with ...e7-e5.} 9. d5 $1 {
This is the key idea behind White's previous play.} -- ({
Black must now play either} 9... Ne5 {(Mickiewicz-Malaniuk)}) ({or} 9... Nb4 {
(Fressinet-Wong Meng Kong)}) ({since} 9... Nxd5 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Qxd5 Rxd5 12.
Ng5 $1 {is good for White. --- NOTE: This rather deep idea demonstrates a
fundamental difference between 7 h3 and 7 Bg2. This d4-d5 advance is not
possible once White has played 7 h3, as the bishop would then be on h5 and the
f7-pawn would be defended!}) *

[Event "Krakow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mickiewicz, P."]
[Black "Malaniuk, V."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. g3 Bg4 7. Bg2 Nc6 8.
O-O O-O-O 9. d5 $1 (9. Be3 {can be met by the principled} e5 $1 ({
shameless pawn-hunting is never to be recommended, and} 9... Qb4 $2 10. a3 {
is playing with fire}) 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 $1 (11. Qxd6 Bxd6 {
poses absolutely no problems for Black}) 11... Bxd1 12. Nxf7 {and now} Bxc2 $1
13. Nxd6+ Bxd6 {is equal.}) (9. Bf4 Qb4 $1 {
(the standard way to meet this attack)} 10. d5 (10. a3 {should be met by} Qc4
$1) ({while} 10. Ne2 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 Nxd4 12. Nxd4 Rxd4 13. Qe2 Rxf4 $1 14. gxf4
Qxf4 {favoured Black in P.Doggers-L.Gofshtein, Ghent 2001}) 10... e5 $1 11. Bd2
Nd4 12. Ne2 Bxf3 $1 13. Bxb4 Nxe2+ 14. Kh1 Nxg3+ 15. hxg3 Bxd1 16. Bxf8 Rhxf8
17. Raxd1 {left Black with a healthy extra pawn in A.Longson-C.Hanley, British
Championship 2003.}) 9... Ne5 $1 {Exchanging pieces. I think that this move is
not only the safest but also the best.} ({At first I preferred} 9... Nb4 {
, but that move leads to a very sharp position where Black must proceed with
extreme caution (see L.Fressinet-Wong Meng Kong).}) 10. Bf4 (10. Nxe5 Bxd1 11.
Nxf7 Bxc2 12. Nxd6+ exd6 {is slightly better for White.}) 10... Nxf3+ 11. Bxf3
Bxf3 12. Qxf3 e5 $1 13. Bg5 $6 {This is a dubious move.} ({
White should be opening as many lines as possible, so} 13. dxe6 $1 {
is by far the best continuation. After} Qxe6 {there's a choice:} 14. -- (14.
Bg5 Bd6 15. Rfe1 Be5 16. Ne4 Rhe8 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. Nc5 Qd5 {
and a draw was agreed in G.Eleftheriou-A.Nikomanis, Athens 2007.}) (14. Rfe1
Qf5 15. Re5 Qh3 16. Bg5 Ng4 $1 (16... Bd6 {
allowed the black queen to get stranded on h3 after} 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. Rf5 {
and White stood better in D.Larino Nieto-J.Hernando Rodrigo, Mondariz-Balneario
2007}) 17. Qf5+ Kb8 18. Bxd8 Qxh2+ 19. Kf1 Bd6 {
and White must return his material.}) (14. b4 $5 {is the most direct. White
has no regard for material and continues to open up as many lines as possible.
Black's defence is based on neutralizing and swapping off any white pieces
that could be perceived as menacing:} Qg4 15. Qg2 (15. Qe3 {can be met by} Bxb4
$1 {because} 16. Rab1 Bxc3 17. Qa7 Qf3 {defends}) 15... Bd6 16. Bxd6 Rxd6 17.
b5 axb5 18. Nxb5 Rd2 {followed by ...Qe4 and Black is fine.})) 13... h6 $1 14.
Be3 ({If} 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. Bxd8 Nd2 16. Qg4+ Qd7 17. Qxd7+ Kxd7 18. Rfd1 Nf3+
19. Kg2 e4 {and the white bishop is trapped!}) 14... Qd7 15. Rfd1 Qg4 16. Qg2
Bb4 17. Rd3 Bxc3 18. bxc3 {Black has managed to cripple White's initiative on
the queenside. He will now simply consolidate his king position and play to
win the weak d5-pawn.} Qc4 19. Rad1 Rd6 20. Qh3+ Kb8 21. Qf5 Re8 22. a4 a5 23.
Rb1 b6 24. Rdd1 Kb7 25. Rb5 Qxa4 26. Qd3 Qe4 27. c4 Qxd3 28. cxd3 Ka6 29. Rdb1
Nd7 30. g4 c5 31. Kg2 e4 $1 {After this move Black is completely winning.} 32.
Bf4 Rf6 33. Bc7 exd3 34. d6 d2 35. Bxb6 Re1 36. Bc7 Rxb1 37. Rxb1 Rf4 0-1

[Event "Calvia Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fressinet, L."]
[Black "Wong Meng Kong"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "40"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. g3 Bg4 7. Bg2 Nc6 8.
O-O O-O-O 9. d5 $1 Nb4 10. h3 Bh5 ({I am not a big fan of} 10... Bxf3 $2 11.
Qxf3 Nbxd5 ({not} 11... Nxc2 $2 12. Qf5+) 12. Rd1 e6 13. Nxd5 exd5 14. c4 $1 c6
15. cxd5 Nxd5 (15... cxd5 $2 16. Bf4 {and Black is lost}) 16. Qxf7 Qd7 {
when according to Karsten Müller, White keeps a plus due to his bishop pair. I
think that practically the position is very tough for Black: the knight is not
so stable on d5, as White will be very quick to open lines.}) 11. Bf4 {
This can lead to a repetition of moves, but White usually plays this in order
to gain the free developing move Be3.} Qc5 (11... Qd7 $2 {runs into} 12. Qd4 $1
Bxf3 13. Qa7 $1 Qf5 14. Bxf3 {
when Black has no good defence to the nasty threat of d5-d6.}) 12. Be3 Qd6 ({
Avoiding the possibility of a repetition with} 12... Qa5 $2 {
leads to an inferior position:} 13. g4 $1 Bg6 ({after} 13... Nbxd5 14. Nxd5
Rxd5 ({while in this line} 14... Nxd5 15. Bd2 Qc5 16. gxh5 Nf4 17. Re1 {
leaves Black with insufficient compensation}) 15. Bd2 {
Black is forced to give up the exchange, V.Kotronias-M.Godena, Batumi 2002})
14. Nd4 $1 {(with the threat of 15 Nb3)} Nbxd5 15. Nb3 $1 Qb4 ({
White wins after either} 15... Nxc3 16. Bxb7+) ({or} 15... Nxe3 16. Bxb7+ $1)
16. Nxd5 Nxd5 17. Bxd5 e6 18. a3 Qb5 (18... Qe7 19. Bxb7+ Kxb7 20. Qf3+ Kb8 21.
Na5 {wins}) 19. c4 Qe8 20. Bxb7+ $1 Kxb7 21. Na5+ Kc8 22. Qf3 {
and White's attack is decisive, A.Skripchenko-Z.Mamedjarova, Crete 2007.}) 13.
Qe2 $1 {Simply giving up the d-pawn, as recommended by Alexander Khalifman.} ({
After} 13. g4 Bg6 14. Qd4 Nxc2 $1 15. Qa7 -- ({
, now Black should remove the powerful dark-squared bishop with} 15... Nxe3 {
. Once this bishop is exchanged, White's attack disappears, and following} 16.
fxe3 Qb6 {Black's position is at least equal.}) ({. WARNING: Black should avoid
} 15... Nxa1 $4 16. Bc5 Qf4 17. Ne5 $3 {
(White throws all his pieces into the attack!)} Qxe5 ({or} 17... Nd7 18. Nc6
bxc6 19. dxc6) 18. f4 {
when Black's queen is trapped in the middle of the board.})) (13. Qd4 {
is answered by the convincing} Bxf3 $1 (13... Nxc2 {
leads to a mass of complications}) 14. Bxf3 (14. Bf4 e5 $1) 14... Nxc2 15. Qa7
Nxe3 $1 {and White's attack is stopped.}) (13. Bf4 {is a repetition.}) 13... e5
$5 ({I don't think it is wise for Black to take the pawn, as this will simply
give White the open d-file down which to attack. For example,} 13... Nfxd5 $2
14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Rfd1 Qe6 16. g4 Bg6 $4 ({this natural move loses; after} 
16... Nxe3 17. Rxd8+ Kxd8 18. Ng5 Qe5 19. Bxb7 {
the knight is untouchable, as White threatens Rd1+ followed by Bc6 mate}) 17.
Ng5 Qe5 18. c4 Nxe3 19. Bxb7+ Kxb7 20. Rxd8 Qxg5 21. Qf3+ c6 22. Rad1 {
and White wins, M.Huerga Leache-J.Ortega Ruiz, Malaga 2008.}) (13... Bg6 $5 {
attacking c2 is Andrew Martin's recommendation, but the c-pawn cannot really
be taken, rendering the whole venture a little pointless:} 14. Bf4 $1 Qc5 15.
Ne5 $1 Nbxd5 ({the c-pawn is taboo:} 15... Nxc2 16. Nxg6 Nd4 17. Qe3 {
and the knight drops due to the nasty pin}) 16. Nxd5 Nxd5 17. Rad1 $1 {
. This is a key move. White is not bothered with material concerns and instead
begins to show his strength along the d-file. --- Now:} -- ({. After} 17... e6
{White has the strong} 18. Bg5 $1 {and Black must give up material. The natural
} -- (18... Be7 {fails to} 19. Nxg6 hxg6 20. Rxd5 {
picking up the loose bishop on e7}) ({while after} 18... Rd6 19. Bxd5 {
Black either falls prey to a mating attack down the d-file, or the back rank
is left pitifully weak following} exd5 20. Nxg6 Re6 21. Qf3 {
when White wins the d-pawn and soon the game.})) (17... c6 {
fails to the beautiful strike} 18. Nxc6 Qxc6 ({or} 18... bxc6 19. Qxa6+ Kd7 20.
b4 $1 {kicks away an important defender of the knight on d5, and Black must
give up more material because} Qxb4 21. Bxd5 {just wins}) 19. Qe5 e6 20. c4 Bd6
21. cxd5 Bxe5 22. dxc6 Bxf4 23. cxb7+ Kb8 24. gxf4 {and White is better.}) (
17... Nxf4 18. Rxd8+ $1 Kxd8 19. Qd2+ {and now:} Qd6 (19... Nd5 {
leads to an equally unpleasant position after} 20. Bxd5 e6 $1 ({if} 20... Qd6
21. Rd1 {and the pressure down the d-file becomes insurmountable}) 21. Bxe6+
Bd6 22. Nxf7+ Bxf7 23. Bxf7 {. The presence of opposite-coloured bishops may
give Black drawing chances, but with his king so exposed I am a pessimistic
about this.}) 20. Qxf4 f6 (20... Kc8 21. Qf3 c6 22. Nxf7 Bxf7 23. Qxf7 {
is also very nice for White, as Black's king will not be safe for a very long
time}) 21. Nxg6 hxg6 22. Qg4 {and Black is struggling with his exposed king
and the threats along the d-file. After} f5 23. Qf3 $1 Qb6 24. Rd1+ $1 Ke8 25.
Qxb7 Qxb7 26. Bxb7 a5 27. Bc6+ Kf7 28. Kg2 {Black's vulnerable queenside pawns
will certainly drop off, leaving White with a won endgame.})) 14. dxe6 Qxe6 15.
g4 Bg6 16. Nd4 Qe8 {This is the only move, as it guards the c6-square.} ({
WARNING:} 16... Qe7 $4 {is a catastrophic blunder - Black must be very careful
about his queenside light squares! After} 17. a3 Nbd5 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 {,} 19. Nc6
$3 {is a devastating blow, and} bxc6 20. Qxa6+ Kd7 21. c4 Be4 {
was winning for White in R.Zelcic-D.Sermek, Sibenik 2005.}) 17. Rad1 $1 {
A novelty, and the most accurate move. White's idea is very subtle: there are
possibilities of sacrificing on c6, as the d5-square is now a bit more
vulnerable.} ({Fressinet chose the less accurate} 17. Rfe1 {
, and the game continued} h5 $5 {(Black must try to muddy the waters)} 18. Qf3
c6 19. a3 hxg4 20. hxg4 Nbd5 21. Nxd5 Rxd5 {(White's problem is that there is
no sacrifice on c6, so Black's rooks get active!)} 22. g5 Be4 {(once the light-squared bishops have been exchanged, the majority of Black's problems
disappear)} 23. Bh3+ $2 {
. Here Rybka suggests moving the king into the eye of the storm: after} Kd8 24.
Qg3 Bd6 25. f4 {Black has the amazing} Rxg5 $3 26. Qxg5 Rxh3 27. Nf5 Rh1+ 28.
Kf2 Rh2+ 29. Kg1 Qh8 30. Bb6+ Bc7 31. Rad1+ Bd5 {with an advantage.}) 17... h5
{Again Black desperately needs to bring his pieces into action, as White was
threatening to win with a2-a3.} (17... Nbd5 {loses to} 18. Qf3 c6 19. Bg5 h6
20. Bxf6 Nxf6 21. Rfe1 Qd7 22. Ne6 {.}) 18. Qf3 c6 19. g5 Nfd5 20. Rfe1 $1 {
Black is in some trouble here:} -- (20... Nxe3 {is very bad:} 21. Rxe3 Qd7 22.
a3 Nd5 23. Nxc6 $3 {(here comes that strike again!)} bxc6 24. Nxd5 cxd5 25.
Rc3+ Kb8 26. Qe3 d4 27. Qf3 {and White wins.}) ({The calm} 20... Qd7 {fails to}
21. Nxd5 Nxd5 (21... Qxd5 {loses immediately to} 22. Ne6 Qxe6 23. Rxd8+ Kxd8
24. Bb6+) 22. Nxc6 $1 bxc6 23. c4 Bb4 24. Rf1 {and Black's position is wrecked.
}) *

[Event "Lorca"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Caruana, F."]
[Black "Strikovic, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. g3 Bg4 7. h3 {
White alleviates the pressure on the d4-pawn but forgoes the possibility of
the d4-d5 advance seen in the previous two games.} Bh5 ({Here} 7... Bxf3 8.
Qxf3 -- ({, and} 8... Nc6 $6 9. Be3 {
followed by 0-0-0 (or perhaps just Bg2 and 0-0) is good for White.}) (8... c6 {
makes more sense, keeping some control of the d5-square. Even so, playing both
...a6 and ...c6 does look rather clumsy, and} 9. Be3 e6 10. O-O-O Be7 11. g4 Qc7
12. g5 Nd5 13. Ne4 b5 14. h4 Nd7 15. Kb1 {
was also good for White in E.Sveshnikov-P.Ponkratov, Chelyabinsk 2007.} (15. --
))) 8. Bg2 Nc6 9. O-O O-O-O 10. Bf4 $5 Qb4 $5 {
This is the most aggressive continuation.} ({After} 10... Qd7 $5 11. g4 Bg6 {
White must deal with Black's pressure on the d-pawn. However, simply sacrificing
the pawn to keep the initiative with} 12. Qe2 {isn't a daft idea. White gains
compensation for the pawn because it is difficult for Black to develop his
dark-squared bishop quickly:} -- (12... Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 14. Be3 $1 Qb4 (
14... Qd7 15. Rad1 Qe6 16. Bxb7+ {wins}) 15. a3 $1 Qa5 16. f4 {
(depriving the queen of the e5-square)} e6 17. b4 {and Black is lost.}) ({
. It is too early to counter-attack with} 12... h5 {, because} 13. Ne5 Nxd4 14.
Qe3 Qe6 15. Rfd1 c5 16. Na4 {wins.}) (12... e6 $5 {
is the only move as far as I can see:} 13. Ne5 Nxd4 14. Qe3 Qe7 (14... Qe8 15.
Rad1 Bc5 16. Nxg6 hxg6 17. g5 Nd5 18. Nxd5 exd5 19. Rxd4 {wins}) 15. Rad1 Qc5
16. Na4 Qb4 17. b3 {and Black is in a quandary as to how to meet c2-c3 without
suffering big losses.})) 11. g4 $1 {
It is important for White to ease some of the pressure on the d4-pawn.} (11. d5
$2 {is unwise, as after} e6 {Black wins material.}) 11... Bg6 12. a3 $1 {
In order to cope with the pressure down the d-file, White is forced to take
drastic measures. The ensuing position is extremely complicated. White gets
tremendous compensation in the shape of the open b-file, two sweeping bishops
pointing at Black's vulnerable king, plus the knight hop into e5. --- TIP:
This variation is incredibly risky for Black, so he needs to be very well
prepared.} ({After} 12. Qe2 $5 {,} -- (12... Qxb2 $4 {
is a mistake now that White's queen can go to an active square, and after} 13.
Qe3 $1 e6 14. Rab1 Qa3 15. Rb3 Qa5 16. Ne5 $1 {White is virtually winning.}) ({
. However,} 12... e6 $1 {maintains the threat on the d- and b-pawns, and} 13.
Rab1 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 Qxd4 15. Be5 Qb6 {
doesn't look like sufficient compensation for White.} (15... --))) ({After} 12.
Ne5 Nxd4 13. a3 Qc5 14. Na4 {, Black can play} Qa5 $1 {
reaching an unclear position.} (14... Qxc2 $2 15. Nb6+ {won for White in I.Nepomniachtchi-V.Gashimov, Internet (blitz) 2006, but Black can play})) 12...
Qxb2 (12... Qc4 $6 13. g5 $1 (13. Ne5 $5 {is an interesting alternative}) 13...
Nd5 $1 (13... Ne8 {is too passive and indeed after} 14. Be3 {
it is difficult to see what Black can play}) 14. Nxd5 Rxd5 15. -- (15. c3 $5 {
was played in P.Svidler-S.Tiviakov, Wijk aan Zee 2007}) ({, but after} 15. Ne5
{I'm not convinced Black gets enough compensation for the exchange. I think
White is clearly better after I think White is clearly better after} Rxe5 16.
Bxe5 Nxe5 17. dxe5 e6 18. Qf3 $1 c6 19. Rfd1 $1 {. Black's pieces have no real
coordination so I don't see how he can claim any form of compensation. For
example,} Be7 ({trying to get activity with} 19... h6 20. gxh6 Rxh6 21. Rd2 Bc5
22. Rad1 {looks pleasant for White}) 20. Qe3 Bxc2 21. Rd4 Qb5 22. Rc1 {
and White has the better position.})) 13. Qe1 $1 e6 $1 {The correct choice -
Black must complete his development as quickly as possible.} ({
I think the pawn-grabbing} 13... Bxc2 {is going too far: for example,} 14. Qe3
Qb3 15. Rfc1 e6 16. Nd2 Qb2 17. Bxc6 bxc6 {with advantage to White.}) 14. Rb1 (
14. Ne5 {should be met by} Nd5 $1 {
blocking the danger on the long diagonal . After} (14... Nxe5 {fails to} 15.
Rb1 $1) 15. Nxd5 exd5 16. Nxc6 bxc6 17. Qa5 (17. Rb1 {
is tempting but not so good, as after} Qxc2 18. Qa5 Bd6 19. Qxa6+ Kd7 {
the king escapes and} 20. Rbc1 Ra8 $1 {wins}) 17... Qb6 {
(quickly reinforcing the queenside pawns)} 18. Qc3 c5 $1 19. dxc5 Qxc5 {
I think Black is defending okay, and here} 20. Qb2 Qb5 21. Qc3 Qc4 {is equal.})
14... Qxc2 15. Ne5 {Black has to make a choice between blocking the powerful
bishop on g2 and developing.} Bd6 $5 ({
In his notes to the game, Caruana concluded that} 15... Nd5 $1 {was the best
move - it is imperative to block the long diagonal because White's
light-squared bishop is the most dangerous piece:} 16. Rc1 Nxf4 (16... Qb2 $2 {
fails to} 17. Nxd5 exd5 18. Nxc6 {and Black's position is in tatters}) 17. Rxc2
Nxg2 18. Kxg2 Nxe5 {"when the position has undergone a remarkable
transformation: Black has sacrificed his queen for two bishops and two pawns,
but at the same time has rebuffed White's attack and left White with many
weaknesses, whilst receiving good control over both the light and dark squares.
In fact I feel Black is only very slightly worse at the maximum." - John
Watson}) 16. Rxb7 $3 {A wonderful strike! It should be mentioned that the
young Italian GM had to calculate extensively in order to make this work.} Kxb7
$1 (16... Bxe5 $2 17. Bxc6 Bxf4 18. Ra7 Nd7 19. Nd5 $1 Bd6 $1 20. Nb4 $1 Qc4
21. Qe2 $1 {(Watson) wins after} Qxe2 22. Bb7+ Kb8 23. Nc6# {.}) 17. Nxc6 Kc8
18. Be5 $1 Bxe5 $2 ({Stronger was} 18... Rde8 {
, making space for the king and intending} 19. Na7+ Kd7 20. g5 Nd5 {.}) 19.
dxe5 Nd5 20. Nxd5 exd5 21. Ne7+ {
Not blindly taking the material. After this move White gets a huge advantage.}
Kd7 22. Nxd5 Bd3 $6 23. Nb4 Qc4 24. Qd2 Ke8 25. Rc1 Qb3 26. Rxc7 h6 27. Bc6+
Kf8 28. Bd5 $4 (28. Be4 {would have won on the spot.}) 28... Bc4 $1 29. Rxf7+
Ke8 30. Nc6 $1 Bxd5 31. Re7+ Kf8 32. Qf4+ Kg8 33. Rxg7+ Kxg7 34. Qf6+ Kh7 35.
Qf5+ Kg7 36. Qf6+ Kh7 37. Qf5+ Kg7 38. Qf6+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Drabke, L."]
[Black "Pirrot, D."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. g3 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. Bg2
Nc6 9. Be3 $6 {This is not the most challenging move, as it allows Black to
complete his ideal formation without too many problems.} (9. Bf4 Qb4 $1 {
K.Landa-C.Bauer, Nancy 2008, continued} 10. a3 (10. O-O O-O-O {
transposes to the previous game}) 10... Qxb2 11. Na4 Qb5 12. c4 {
(White must sacrifice another pawn to maintain any sort of the initiative)}
Qxc4 13. Rc1 Qe6+ 14. Be3 Nd5 15. O-O (15. Nc5 Qc8 16. O-O e6 17. Qb3 Bxc5 18.
Rxc5 O-O {reminds me of Catalan positions where White enjoys substantial
pressure on the b- and c-files, but Black's position is very solid and the
extra material should begin to count)}) 15... Nxe3 16. fxe3 Qxe3+ {
(White has sacrificed three pawns in order to keep his attack going)} 17. Kh1
e6 18. g4 (18. d5 {loses to} O-O-O) 18... Bxg4 $1 19. hxg4 Qh6+ 20. Kg1 Bxa3
21. Rc3 Bb4 (21... Bd6 {may be an improvement}) 22. g5 Qh5 {
when White's exposed king gave Black enough compensation for the piece.}) 9...
O-O-O 10. Qe2 (10. O-O e5 {equalizes immediately. For example,} 11. dxe5 Nxe5
12. Nxe5 Bxd1 13. Nxf7 Bxc2 {
(Black has to return the queen, otherwise he is much worse)} 14. Nxd6+ Bxd6 {
, E.Van den Doel-S.Tiviakov, Leeuwarden 2005.}) 10... e6 (10... e5 {
is a mistake, and} 11. dxe5 Nxe5 12. g4 Bg6 13. Rd1 Qc6 14. Rxd8+ Kxd8 15. O-O
Nxf3+ 16. Bxf3 Qe6 17. Bxb7 {
was winning for White in E.Korbut-T.Ivanova, St Petersburg 2004.}) 11. O-O-O $6
{In order to fight for the advantage, White needs to castle kingside and then
open lines on the queenside. By castling queenside, White cannot open lines
against the black king so easily and so he limits himself to the plan of
seizing as much space as possible on the kingside.} (11. O-O {
is more natural, although} Be7 12. a3 Nd5 $1 13. Ne4 Qd7 14. b4 f5 $1 15. Nc5
Bxc5 16. bxc5 f4 $1 17. gxf4 Rhf8 {demonstrated an effective way for Black to
achieve counterplay in R.Zelcic-D.Sermek, Sibenik 2005.}) 11... Nd5 $1 12. Nxd5
(12. Ne4 {is met by} Qb4 13. a3 Qa4 {.}) 12... Qxd5 13. b3 $2 (13. c4 Qe4 {
gives Black complete control of the light squares - a typical theme in the
Scandinavian -and} 14. Qc2 Qxc2+ 15. Kxc2 Bg6+ 16. Kb3 {is completely equal.})
({Unfortunately for White,} 13. Kb1 Nb4 $1 {is very strong.}) 13... Qa5 14. Kb1
Nb4 15. a4 Nd5 16. Bd2 Bb4 17. c4 $2 Bxd2 18. cxd5 Bc3 19. dxe6 Rhe8 20. Qe5 (
20. Qc4 {fails to} Rxe6 21. Rc1 Rc6 {.}) 20... Rd5 21. Qxg7 Qb4 22. Ka2 (22.
Nd2 Qa3 {checkmates.}) 22... Ra5 {
Black was threatening 23...Rxa4+ followed by mate on b2.} ({After} 22... Ra5
23. Rd2 {doesn't help, as Black simply plays} Bg6 {renewing the deadly threat.}
) 0-1

[Event "Amsterdam"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Al Modiahki, M."]
[Black "Tiviakov, S."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. g3 Bg4 7. Bg2 c6 $5 {
Black steers the game into calmer waters. Although it does look rather like a
luxury to play both ...a6 and ...c6, Sergei Tiviakov's idea is to commit to ...c6 only once White has clarified his system of development. This leaves White
unable to play the principled answer to ...c6 - Ne5. The flipside is that
Black's position, while solid, is rather passive and it is difficult to win if
White doesn't make any unforced errors.} 8. Bf4 {According to Sergei Tiviakov,
this move is stronger than 8 0-0. In fact, he is of the opinion that castling
kingside ruins White's chances for the advantage altogether!} ({
However, I am not so sure. Let's take a look at} 8. O-O e6 {and now:} 9. -- (9.
a4 $5 {aiming to fix the black pawn structure to its weakest configuration is
very interesting:} a5 $6 {The most principled continuation, but Black cannot
play the opening just with the pawns!} (9... Be7 {was stronger}) 10. h3 Bxf3
11. Qxf3 Be7 ({Black must play} 11... Qxd4 {
and ask White to prove he has compensation, which is far from easy to do}) 12.
Bf4 {with a big advantage, A.Shabalov-R.Gonzalez, Philadelphia 2004. White
will simply exchange a pair of knights, centralize the rooks and play d4-d5
when he is ready.}) (9. Na4 {
is a creative way of securing the d4/c4 pawn formation:} Qd8 (9... Nbd7 10. Bf4
{is a little bit awkward}) 10. c4 Nbd7 11. h3 Bxf3 (11... Bh5 12. Qb3 {
is unpleasant}) 12. Qxf3 Bd6 13. b4 O-O {was V.Bologan-I.Saric, Neum 2008. The
b-pawn is untouchable and White has a fantastic position: he has space on the
queenside, the bishop pair and all the active chances.})) (8. h3 Bxf3 9. Bxf3 (
9. Qxf3 Qxd4) 9... e6 10. Bf4 $6 {is tempting, but I don't think this move
achieves that much. Sergei Tiviakov assesses} Qd8 {as equal, and after} 11. Qd3
Bd6 $1 {the time White gained with 10 Bf4 is regained by Black!}) 8... Qd8 9.
h3 {Black would love to retreat the bishop, but I don't think he can afford
this luxury. Once this pair of minor pieces has been exchanged, Black must
concentrate on keeping the position semi-closed and reinforcing his control of
d5, which is the perfect blockading square for him.} Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Qxd4 $1 {
TIP: When offered the d4-pawn in a situation like this, it is usually best for
Black to take. Otherwise White may get a very pleasant position by centralizing
in the centre.} ({Even so,} 10... e6 {isn't a bad move here. Sergei Tiviakov
accurately summarizes the plans for both sides after} 11. O-O-O Be7 {. White has a development and space advantage, and moreover the pair of bishops, but it
is not easy to gain something special from that. Meanwhile Black's plan is
easy: he is going to finish development with ...Nbd7 and ...Nd5, and then
start advancing the pawns on the queenside to gain counterplay. White has to
advance the kingside pawns to create an attack on the black king. Here's an
example:} 12. g4 Nbd7 13. Kb1 Nd5 14. Nxd5 ({after} 14. Bc1 $5 b5 {followed by
the advance of the other queenside pawns, Black creates enough counterplay -
the position remains very complex with chances for both sides}) 14... cxd5 15.
c4 Nb6 16. c5 Nc4 $1 17. Bf1 Na5 18. Qg3 {(White is threatening to clamp down
on the position with g4-g5, which Black takes strong measures to prevent)} Bh4
$1 19. Qe3 h6 20. Be5 Bf6 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. f4 {and the game soon fizzled out
to a draw in P.Svidler-S.Tiviakov, Turin Olympiad 2006.}) 11. O-O (11. Rd1 {
is the obvious candidate but after} Qb6 {it really isn't obvious how White
will continue the attack. Black will play ...Nbd7 followed by ...e6 and his
position is extremely solid. The problem for White is that the light-squared
bishop is hitting a wall of granite.}) 11... e6 12. Rad1 (12. Rfd1 Qb6 13. Qd3
$5 {is the most challenging try:} Be7 $1 (13... Nbd7 {is convincingly met by}
14. Ne4) 14. a4 a5 ({after} 14... O-O $6 15. a5 Qd8 16. Ne4 {
it is incredibly difficult for Black to develop his queenside}) {
and White should probably bail out for a draw with} 15. Be3 Qc7 16. Bf4 Qb6 17.
Be3 {, since Black's position is extremely solid.}) (12. Bc7 {
is an interesting move suggested by Sergei Tiviakov, and} Nbd7 13. Rfd1 Qa7 14.
Rd2 Rc8 15. Bf4 Be7 16. Rad1 Nd5 17. Ne4 O-O 18. c4 Nxf4 19. Rxd7 {
gives White compensation for the pawn.}) 12... Qb6 13. Na4 $6 {Sergei Tiviakov
considers this to be dubious, but the alternatives are hardly challenging for
Black either.} ({For example,} 13. Be3 Qa5 14. Ne4 Nbd7 15. Bd4 Be7 16. Bc3 Qc7
17. Nxf6+ Nxf6 {and again Black is holding firm.}) 13... Qb5 14. b3 Nbd7 15. c4
Qa5 16. g4 h6 $1 17. Qg3 Rc8 18. Qe3 Ra8 {
Preventing the queen from penetrating the seventh rank with Qa7.} 19. Qg3 Be7
20. Bc7 Qb4 21. Rd4 O-O {
It is very difficult to prove something concrete for White here.} 22. Rfd1 Nc5
23. Nb6 Rae8 24. f4 $2 {White is so preoccupied with preventing Black from
playing ...e6-e5, he doesn't notice the danger. However, it is not clear how
White can continue with his initiative.} (24. Qe5 {is the only move.}) (24. Qf4
$2 e5 $1 25. Qxe5 Bd8 {is the crafty idea behind Black's play, and here} 26.
Qg3 Bxc7 27. Qxc7 Ne6 {wins.}) 24... Nce4 $5 {
This is a tactic based on the ...Bc5 pin.} ({However, the stunning} 24... e5 $3
{is even stronger. Black wins further material after} 25. fxe5 Ne6 {, and} 26.
exf6 Nxd4 27. Kh1 Ne2 28. Qf3 Bxf6 29. Nd7 Re6 30. Nxf8 Qxf8 31. Qf2 Nc3 {
is winning.}) 25. Bxe4 Bc5 26. a3 $2 {A big mistake in a difficult position.} (
{After} 26. Qe3 Bxb6 27. Bxb6 Qxb6 {
Black is a pawn up but the battle continues.}) 26... Qxa3 27. Bc2 Rd8 $1 28.
Bxd8 Rxd8 29. Kg2 Rxd4 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "7. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 {. This chapter covers
the most critical variation of the whole 3...Qd6 Scandinavian. By playing} 6.
g3 {, White follows the principled idea of first pushing the queen back and
then establishing control of the e5-square.} -- ({Crucially, White places his
light-squared bishop on a fantastic diagonal and, as Kurnosov-Tzermiadianos
shows, Black cannot challenge White on this diagonal with the dubious} 6... b5
$6 {.}) ({Black must adopt Set-up B (} 6... Bg4 {, knight to c6 and ...0-0-0),
after which White needs to decide whether or not to aim for the pawn push
d4-d5. This matter hinges on White's choice on the seventh move: whether to
chase away the bishop with 7 h3 or not. --- Mickiewicz-Malaniuk demonstrates
the correct reaction from Black (9...Ne5!) should White refrain from playing 7
h3, whereas Fressinet-Wong Meng Kong demonstrates the dangers associated with
9...Nb4. In my opinion White's best move is 7 h3, and Caruana-Strikovic with
its wild complications is an important one to study. Alternatives for White,
including the queenside castling of Drabke-Pirrot, do not work well. --- If
Black wishes to play in a much more solid way, he can set up a fortress with ...c6. After h2-h3 and an exchange on f3, White can sacrifice the d4-pawn but
this was shown to be unclear in Al Modiahki-Tiviakov. If White doesn't wish to
gambit the pawn and instead plays 10 Bxf3, then Black must do everything in
his power to keep the position blocked.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "8. Sixth Move Alternatives"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Ne5 {. This straightforward move was the subject of a comprehensive 'New in Chess' survey by Andreas
Tzermiadianos. As we have already seen in previous chapters, Nf3-e5 can be a
very powerful weapon in the right situation, but here the knight jump looks
rather premature. --- There are two main ideas behind 6 Ne5:} -- {1) Black cannot achieve the desired Set-up A, as ...b7-b5 falls foul of Qf3. Moreover,
Black's light-squared bishop may be difficult to develop effectively unless
Black takes radical action.} ({2) White wishes to develop his pieces with
tempo, so Ne5 is usually followed by Bf4 with nasty threats of Ng6 or Nxf7 to
push the black queen backwards. For example,} 6... e6 7. Bf4 {
already looks a bit uncomfortable for Black.}) (6... Nc6 $1 {is best. Although
this involves a further loss of time with the queen, it is useful to exchange
pieces. Now} 7. Bc4 {is covered in Mortensen-Bronstein,} ({and} 7. Nxc6 {
in Eames-Houska.})) *

[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mortensen, E."]
[Black "Bronstein, D."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "38"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Ne5 Nc6 $1 7. Bf4 {
White sacrifices a pawn.} Nxd4 ({
Black can refuse the pawn, but he must not be idle to White's threats:} 7...
Bf5 8. Bc4 Nxe5 (8... e6 $1 9. Qf3 Qxd4 10. Nxc6 Qxc4 11. Ne5 Qb4 12. O-O-O Bd6
{is fine for Black}) 9. dxe5 Qc6 10. Qe2 Qxg2 11. O-O-O Ne4 {
was K.Arakhamia-I.Mashinskaya, Varna 2002, and here} 12. Bd5 $1 {
would have been very strong.}) ({Kotronias's strong move} 7... Ng4 $5 {
also gives Black an easy game, as after} 8. Be2 Ngxe5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 {
White still has to prove compensation for the pawn.}) 8. Bc4 ({NOTE: A practical problem for Black is that White can force a repetition of moves here with} 8.
Ng6 Qe6+ 9. Ne5 {.}) (8. Nxf7 $2 {doesn't work:} Qxf4 9. Nxh8 Bf5 10. Bd3 Qe5+
$1 11. Ne2 Rd8 $1 {and Black's threat of 12...Nxc2+ is impossible to meet.}) ({
I think the best try for White is} 8. Bd3 $5 {
. Out of Black's possible answers, I would choose} Bf5 $5 {. For example,} 9.
O-O Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nc6 11. Qe2 Nxe5 12. Bxe5 Qc6 {
and Black can concentrate on developing the rest of his army.}) 8... Be6 $1 (
8... Ne6 $6 {is not as good:} 9. Qf3 g6 10. Bxe6 $1 Qxe6 11. O-O-O $1 Bg7 12.
Rhe1 {is very unpleasant for Black, and here} Qf5 {loses to} 13. g4 Nxg4 14.
Nd5 {.}) 9. Bxe6 $1 ({White must avoid} 9. Ng6 $2 Qc5 10. Bxe6 hxg6 11. Bb3
O-O-O 12. Qc1 e6) ({while after} 9. Qd3 Nxc2+ $1 10. Qxc2 Bxc4 11. Rd1 Qe6 12.
Ne4 Nxe4 13. Qxe4 Bb5 $1 14. Qxb7 Rc8 $1 {
Black has no problems as the white king is stranded in the centre.}) 9... Nxe6
10. Qf3 Nxf4 11. Qxf4 e6 12. O-O (12. Rd1 {fails to} Qb4 13. Qf3 {
when Black can simply grab material:} Qxb2 14. O-O Bb4 $1 {
(every move Black makes attacks something so he escapes the danger)} 15. Qxb7
O-O $1 {.}) 12... Be7 13. Ne4 Qd5 14. Rfe1 Rd8 15. c4 Qd4 16. Nf3 Qd7 ({
Black is much better here, so instead of repeating the position he should
continue the game with} 16... Qb6 {. For example,} 17. c5 {
(how else can White mix up the position?)} Bxc5 18. Nxf6+ gxf6 19. Qxf6 Bxf2+
20. Kh1 Rf8 21. Rf1 Bd4 22. Nxd4 Qxd4 {
with some compensation for White, but it's not worth two pawns.}) 17. Ne5 Qd4
18. Nf3 Qd7 19. Ne5 Qd4 1/2-1/2

[Event "London (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Eames, R."]
[Black "Houska, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "50"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Ne5 Nc6 $1 7. Nxc6 {
This doesn't present Black with too many problems.} Qxc6 8. d5 $6 {
This pawn thrust is a tad premature.} ({
I don't believe White gets much in return for the pawn after} 8. Be2 $5 Qxg2 9.
Bf3 Qh3 {. For example,} 10. Bf4 c6 (10... Qe6+ 11. Be5 {
gave White some compensation in J.Plaskett-J.Houska, Islington 1998}) 11. Rg1
$2 g6 12. Na4 Bh6 13. Be5 Be6 14. Rg3 Qh4 15. c4 O-O {
and Black was winning in M.Brzeski-V.Malaniuk, Mielno 2006.}) (8. Bf4 {and now:
} -- (8... Bg4 9. f3 Be6 10. Qd2 (10. Bd3 $6 {lacks purpose, and} g6 11. Qe2
Bg7 12. O-O-O O-O 13. Kb1 Nd5 {
is a familiar manoeuvre that equalizes, M.Zelic-C.Horvath, Split 2000}) 10...
O-O-O 11. Be5 {was played in R.Ponomariov-A.Hauchard, Belfort 1998. The Be5
plan is effective against ...g7-g6, but here Hauchard neutralized it with} Bc4
12. Bd3 e6 {and Black was fine.}) ({. The immediate} 8... Be6 $5 {
is also possible}) ({, and even} 8... Bf5 {allowing} 9. d5 {can be played. It
is questionable whether d4-d5 is effective when Black hasn't committed his
light-squared bishop to the long diagonal, and} Qb6 10. Qd2 e6 $5 {highlights a problem with such an early advance - Black can simply challenge the pawn and
White is forced to liquidate the central tension.})) 8... Qd6 $1 (8... Qb6 {
is also possible, but not as good.}) 9. Be2 {Alternatively:} (9. Be3 b5 {
(this is effective if White is not ready to meet ...Bc8-b7 with Bf3)} 10. Qd4
e5 11. dxe6 Bxe6 12. O-O-O Qxd4 13. Bxd4 Be7 {
gave Black absolutely no problems in G.Borgo-D.Bronstein, Ubeda 1996.}) (9. Qf3
$6 {doesn't really achieve very much:} Bg4 10. Qf4 e5 11. Qa4+ (11. dxe6 Qxe6+
{liquidates to a very comfortable position for Black}) 11... Bd7 12. Qb3 b5 13.
Bd3 c5 $1 14. Ne4 ({unfortunately for White the ideal move} 14. dxc6 {loses to}
Be6 {when White must give up material to avoid losing the queen}) 14... Nxe4
15. Bxe4 f5 16. Bf3 c4 17. Qc3 Be7 {and Black had an absolutely fantastic
position in C.Kilpatrick-N.Povah, British League 2008.}) (9. Bc4 {
is designed to prevent ...e7-e6, but it allows} b5 $1 {. The bishop on b7 will
be unchallenged and Black will aim for ...c7-c5. For example,} 10. Bb3 Bb7 11.
Bg5 c5 12. dxc6 Qxc6 13. f3 e6 {and Black will continue with ...Bc5 and ...Rd8,
obtaining lovely coordination for his pieces. Black doesn't bother to defend
against Bxf6, as the doubling of the pawns would only give him another avenue
down which to attack.}) 9... e6 $1 {This is why I prefer 8...Qd6. Black can
simplify into a very comfortable endgame.} ({I learned from experience that} 
9... b5 $6 {is dubious. It is consistent with the overall theme of the ...Qd6/...a6 Scandinavian, but in this particular position Black's light-squared
bishop is simply useless on the long diagonal:} 10. Bf3 {
(White's whole strategy is based on this idea)} Bb7 11. O-O Rd8 (11... b4 $6
12. Ne4 Nxe4 13. Bxe4 g6 {was A.Longson-J.Houska, British League 1999, and here
} 14. c4 {would give White a clear advantage}) 12. Bg5 g6 13. Qe2 b4 14. Nb5 {
and White has the initiative, Z.Pavicic-R.Zelcic, Pula 2001.}) ({
If you are not in the mood to play an endgame, then} 9... Bf5 {
is a very reasonable alternative:} 10. Be3 (10. O-O O-O-O 11. Qd4 e5 $1 12. Qa7
Qb6 13. Qxb6 cxb6 14. Bg5 Bb4 $1 {
left the d5-pawn weak in E.Virnik-A.Dacalor, Patras 1999}) 10... h5 11. Qd4 e5
12. Qa4+ Bd7 13. Qb3 Qb4 {led to a tense queenless middlegame in A.Grobelsek-T.Gruskovnjak, Portoroz 2005. Black will try to establish an advantage on the
kingside while White aims to do likewise on the queenside.}) 10. dxe6 (10. Bf3
$1 {
is better than the game continuation and leaves the position completely equal.}
) 10... Qxd1+ 11. Bxd1 Bxe6 12. O-O O-O-O 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Ne4 f5 {
The doubled pawns are not a disadvantage for Black, who has the bishop pair in
an open position.} 16. Ng3 Rd2 17. Rc1 Bc5 18. Be2 f4 (18... Bd4 $1 19. b3 Bb2
20. Rb1 Rxc2 21. Bd3 Rd2 22. Bxf5 {is also better for Black, as his rooks are
still more active than their counterparts.}) 19. Ne4 Rxe2 20. Nxc5 Bf5 {
Now a pawn will drop.} 21. Rfe1 Rxc2 22. Rxc2 Bxc2 23. h4 h5 24. Re7 Bg6 25.
Kh2 a5 {. Apologies to the reader, but I don't have the full record of this
game as it was played in a rapidplay tournament. Suffice to say that Black has
a very good position here, and I later won without any problems by activating
the rook on h8.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 6 Bc4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bc4 {Targeting the
f7-pawn. If Black doesn't react well, this move can be very dangerous.} b5 $1 {
This is consistent with the ...Qd6/...a6 mode of development and the best
reply to White's aggressive sixth move.} ({Other moves do not fare so well for
Black. For example, J.Houska-M.Young, Gibraltar 2004, went} 6... Bg4 7. h3 Bh5
(7... Bxf3 8. Qxf3 {of course gives White a pleasant advantage}) 8. Be3 $5 {
(I had prepared this move)} Nc6 9. Qe2 e6 10. O-O-O {(I was aiming for quick
development, a possible sacrifice on e6 and the traditional pawn break d4-d5)}
b5 $2 (10... Ne7 {, covering d5, would have been more appropriate}) 11. Bb3 Na5
12. d5 Nxb3+ 13. axb3 e5 14. g4 Bg6 {with a clear advantage for White.}) 7. Bb3
({With} 7. Bd3 {White tries to prove that he has provoked a weakness. Then} Bb7
8. Qe2 e6 9. Bg5 $1 {
is perhaps the trickiest, but Black should be able to equalize with} Nbd7 10.
O-O Be7 11. a4 b4 12. Ne4 Nxe4 13. Bxe4 Bxe4 14. Qxe4 O-O 15. Bf4 Qb6 {
- I don't think Black has too many problems here.}) 7... -- {
7 Bb3 keeps the pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal.} ({Black's main move is} 7...
Bb7 $1 {, which is covered in Boehnisch-Jirovsky.}) (7... c5 $5 {
is an interesting alternative:} 8. dxc5 (8. a4 $5 {is more critical}) 8...
Qxd1+ 9. Nxd1 e6 10. a4 ({White cannot hold on to the pawn for long after} 10.
Be3 Nfd7 $1 {, and} 11. c3 Nxc5 12. Bc2 Bb7 13. b4 Ne4 {
was equal in V.Baklan-W.Arencibia, Yerevan 2001}) 10... b4 11. a5 Ne4 {
was fine for Black in H.Stevic-G.Borgo, Leipzig 2002.}) ({WARNING:} 7... Nbd7
$2 {is careless, and it allows White to demonstrates the power behind his idea.
--- For example,} 8. O-O Bb7 $2 (8... e6 {is needed, but} 9. Ng5 $1 {
lining up sacrifices on e6 and preparing Qf3 is still very strong}) 9. Ng5 $1 {
(Black's position is already beyond hope)} e6 10. Re1 Be7 ({or} 10... Nd5 $2
11. Qh5 $1 g6 12. Qf3 N7f6 13. Nxd5 {winning}) 11. Nxe6 $1 fxe6 12. Rxe6 Qb4
13. a3 Qa5 14. Bd2 b4 {
(the only move, as 15 Nd5 trapping the queen was threatened)} 15. axb4 Qf5 16.
Qe2 Ng8 17. Ra5 $1 Qf8 18. Nd5 {
with a crushing position for White, R.Ponomariov-L.Fressinet, Batumi 1999.}) *

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Boehnisch, M."]
[Black "Jirovsky, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bc4 b5 $1 7. Bb3 Bb7 {
Black must strive to control the key e4- and d5-squares and, very importantly,
get ready to block the a2-g8 diagonal if needed.} 8. O-O (8. Ne5 {only looks promising. Black simply plays around the knight and targets the d4-pawn. After}
e6 9. Bf4 c5 {White cannot play} 10. -- (10. Ng6 $2 Qxd4 11. Qxd4 cxd4 12. Nxh8
dxc3 {, as the knight on h8 is trapped.}) (10. d5 {is better, but after} Nbd7
$1 {White must solve the problem of his knight. Then} 11. Qe2 (11. Ng6 $2 {
is a blunder because of} e5 $1) ({, while} 11. Nxf7 {
fails after the long sequence} Qxf4 12. Nxh8 Qe5+ 13. Kf1 c4 14. dxe6 Qxe6 15.
Qe1 Ne5) 11... Nxe5 12. Bxe5 Qb6 13. dxe6 c4 {
leads to a wild position in which White sacrifices a piece for several pawns.})
) 8... e6 9. Re1 c5 $5 {This is recommended by Andrew Martin on
ChessPublishing.com. However, Black must be incredibly careful here. The
fundamental problem is that he is two moves away from fully completing his
development. Should White manage to play d4-d5 while keeping the black king in
the centre, then he will have a virtually won position.} (9... Be7 {runs into}
10. Ng5 $1 {getting ready to sacrifice on e6. For example,} c5 (10... Nd5 11.
Qh5 {is unpleasant}) ({while} 10... O-O $2 {allows} 11. Nxe6 $1) 11. Bxe6 fxe6
12. Nxe6 $1 Kf7 13. Nxc5 {when White has three pawns for the piece and a
dangerous initiative which makes his position easier to play.}) 10. a4 $1 {
In my opinion this move is absolutely critical.} c4 (10... b4 {
lets White strike with} 11. d5 bxc3 12. dxe6 Qxd1 13. exf7+ Kd8 14. Rxd1+ {
(Perez, Mena Crespo) with a chaotic position. My instinct tells me it is
perfectly good for White - the f7-pawn is a persistent thorn in Black's side
and it will be difficult for Black to coordinate his pieces adequately.}) 11.
Ba2 Qc6 ({Black should consider} 11... Qb6 $5 12. Be3 (12. Bf4 Bb4 $1) ({or} 
12. d5 Bc5 13. Be3 O-O 14. Bxc5 Qxc5 15. dxe6 fxe6 16. Rxe6 Nbd7 17. Qe2 Rae8
18. axb5 axb5 {
and because of the trapped bishop Black has some compensation for the pawn})
12... Qc6 13. Qd2 {. Here} Bb4 $1 {
is vital, since White was threatening to play d4-d5 followed by Nf3-d4.}) (
11... b4 {is just too weakening, and} 12. Nb1 Bd5 13. Nbd2 Qc7 14. Ne5 Nc6 15.
Ndxc4 {wins a pawn.}) 12. Bg5 (12. Re5 {
aims to win a pawn in an optically unusual way. After} Bd6 13. axb5 axb5 14.
Rxb5 {the rook is in danger of getting trapped, but} O-O (14... Nd5 15. Rb1 {
indirectly protects the rook and threatens 16 Bxc4}) 15. Bd2 Nbd7 16. Bxc4 Ba6
17. Bd3 Bxb5 18. Nxb5 {, with two pawns for the exchange, is better for White.}
) 12... Nbd7 13. Qe2 Bb4 $1 {Again this move is important. Black threatens to
lock out the white bishop on a2 with ...Bxc3.} 14. Bd2 Nb6 15. axb5 axb5 16.
Qe5 Bxc3 17. Bxc3 O-O 18. Bb4 Rfe8 {
Black is better now, as White has no compensation for the locked-out bishop.}
19. c3 $2 {Voluntarily making the bishop on b4 bad is not a good strategy!} (
19. Bd2 {would be met by} Nbd7 {followed by doubling the rooks on the a-file.})
19... Nfd5 20. Ba3 Nxc3 $1 21. Bb1 Nxb1 22. Raxb1 Nd7 23. Qg3 Qb6 24. Ne5 Nxe5
25. Bc5 Nf3+ 26. gxf3 Qc6 27. Re3 Rad8 {Black is a good pawn up. Furthermore,
the presence of opposite-coloured bishops makes life harder for White as he
cannot defend on the light squares.} 28. Rbe1 Rd5 29. Re4 Rf5 30. R1e3 Qa6 31.
Rg4 Qa1+ 32. Kg2 g6 33. Qc7 Bd5 34. Qd7 Ra8 35. Qxb5 Qd1 36. Rg3 h5 37. Kh3
Qf1+ 38. Kh4 Qxf2 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Other Sixth Moves for White"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 {. As well as 6 g3, 6 Ne5
and 6 Bc4, White has some further alternatives which we shall look at in this
section:} 6. -- ({During the 1998 Elista Chess Olympiad the late GM Tony Miles
told me that, after having seen some of my opening positions, he had decided
to look at this "dodgy" 3...Qd6 variation but had dismissed it after} 6. Bg5 {
. Black, he declared, had too many weaknesses. In 1998, 3...Qd6 was still in
its infancy, but Tony was right about one thing: 6 Bg5 can be very dangerous.
So what are White's objectives? Well, firstly he intends to make it difficult
for Black to develop the dark-squared bishop on f8, by doubling the f-pawns
and then castling queenside. White also still has the aim of playing Nf3-e5
and securing extra space (see Grabarczyk-Dziuba).}) (6. Be3 {was the traditional main line, and probably the move which most players will think up over the
board if they don't know the theory. White wishes to push back Black's queen
by playing Qd2 and Bf4, obtaining a firm grip on the e5-square and targeting
the slightly vulnerable c7 point (see Sanchez-Hernando Rodrigo).}) (6. Bd3 {
is an anti-b5/Bb7 move. It also fits in with the idea of controlling the
all-important e4-square. The downside is that White leaves d4 a little bit
untended (see Hansen-Wong Meng Kong).}) (6. h3 {shows that White is worried
about Black developing the bishop to g4. However, this precautionary move
doesn't cause any trouble. 6...Bf5 and ...e6 is more than satisfactory for
Black, but} Nc6 {intending ...0-0-0 is an exciting option. For example,} 7. Be2
Bf5 8. a3 O-O-O (8... e6 {is also perfectly reasonable}) 9. Be3 {
and Black is perfectly poised for the central break} e5 $1 {.}) ({
The bishop is rather passive after} 6. Be2 {.} -- ({. Against this,} 6... Bf5 {
is simple and good enough. For example,} 7. O-O e6 8. Be3 Nc6 9. Nh4 Bg6 10.
Bf3 O-O-O 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. g3 Nxd4 {
and Black has won a pawn, S.Battesti-C.Bauer, Ajaccio 2007.} (12... --)) (6...
b5 {is not so good, as White can challenge the light-squared bishop with} 7.
Ne5 {followed by 8 Bf3.})) *

[Event "Lubniewice"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2002.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grabarczyk, B."]
[Black "Dziuba, M."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2002.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 {A very important move - as well as the e4-square, Black should maintain close control of e5.
} (6... Bg4 {is also reasonable, and after} 7. Be2 Nbd7 8. Qd2 e6 9. O-O Be7
10. Rfe1 O-O 11. Ne5 Bxe2 12. Rxe2 Rad8 {
Black was equal in A.Pornariyasombat-A.Escobar Forero, Dresden Olympiad 2008.})
({NOTE: I think that} 6... b5 {is unwise, and} 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. Qe2 $1 {
is the ideal piece placement for White, keeping a firm grip on e4 and e5.} Nbd7
9. a4 $1 b4 10. Ne4 Nxe4 11. Bxe4 Bxe4 12. Qxe4 c6 13. O-O e6 14. c4 {
highlighted a major problem for Black in A.Dgebuadze-O.Eismont, German League:
his queenside pawn structure is incredibly weak.}) 7. Qd2 ({
Normal developing moves such as} 7. Bd3 {should be met by} c5 $1 {
. For example,} 8. d5 Nb6 $1 9. Qe2 {
(White sacrifices a pawn in order to open lines, but Black's position is sound)
} Nfxd5 (9... Nbxd5 $2 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 {should be met by} 11. O-O-O $1 {as} Qxa2
{fails to} 12. Bxf6 gxf6 13. Bb5+ $1 {winning}) 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 {(Black aims to
prevent White from accelerating his development by castling queenside)} 11. Be4
({after} 11. c4 Qe6 12. Be3 Nd7 13. Ng5 Qb6 14. O-O g6 {
Black should be fine, although White does have some pressure for the pawn})
11... Qc4 12. Qe3 Nd5 13. Bxd5 Qxd5 14. O-O f6 15. Rad1 Qc6 16. Bf4 {was S.Rublevsky-L.Gofshtein, Mainz (rapid) 2001. Black's position should be fine as long
as he removes some minor pieces from the board, which is why he played} Bg4 $1
{.}) 7... b5 {
No anti-b5 measures have been taken, so it's Set-up A in operation!} 8. O-O-O
$1 {The most logical continuation, and the most dangerous too.} (8. Qf4 e6 9.
Be2 Bb7 10. O-O h6 11. Qxd6 Bxd6 12. Be3 {
doesn't pose Black any problems (C.Parligras-R.Hasangatin, Stare Mesto 2006)})
({and neither does} 8. Bf4 Qb6 9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O e6 11. Ne5 Rd8 12. Qe3 c5 13.
dxc5 Bxc5 14. Qg3 Nxe5 15. Bxe5 Bd6 16. Rad1 Bxe5 17. Rxd8+ {
(S.Wagman-N.Sulava, Imperia 2002) when} Ke7 $1 {
would have given Black a perfectly good position.}) ({Finally,} 8. Bd3 Bb7 9.
Qe2 {is inconsistent. White changes plans but this simply helps Black, and} e6
10. O-O-O Be7 11. Rhe1 Nd5 12. Ne4 Bxg5+ 13. Nfxg5 Qe7 14. Qd2 h6 15. Nf3 Nb4 {
was fine for him in E.Van den Doel-B.Kurajica, Bugojno 1999.}) 8... Bb7 9. Bd3
e6 10. Rhe1 Be7 11. Ne5 b4 $5 {I am a little sceptical of this move, as it
allows White to control the c5-square, and ...c5 may be one of the ways for
Black to open lines against White's king.} ({The immediate} 11... c5 {allows}
12. Nxd7 Qxd7 13. dxc5 {when it's not so easy for Black to recover the pawn.})
({However, I like} 11... Rd8 $1 {. For example,} 12. -- (12. Bf4 Qb6 13. f3 O-O
14. g4 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Nd5) ({or} 12. Qe3 c5 13. dxc5 Qxe5 $1 14. Qxe5 Nxe5 15.
Rxe5 h6 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Ree1 Bxg2 18. Be4 Bxc3 {
- in either case Black is fine.})) 12. Na4 Bd5 $2 {TIP: In lines where White
plays Ne5 aiming for Bf4 it is very important for Black to remember to leave
the d5-square vacant so that a knight can go there!} (12... O-O {is much stronger, although even here I think White retains the better chances as it is not
so easy for Black to orchestrate a pawn break or find a satisfactory way to
coordinate his pieces for some kind of counter-attack:} 13. g4 a5 14. h4 Rad8
15. h5 Bc6 16. Nxc6 Qxc6 17. b3 Nb6 {with a very complicated position.}) 13.
Qe2 Bc6 ({Unfortunately for Black,} 13... O-O {
looks rather dangerous. White can play} 14. Bf4 $1 {
threatening Ng6 and g2-g4-g5. For example,} Rfe8 15. g4 $1 Bxa2 $2 16. g5 Nd5 {
and now White has the stunning and decisive} 17. Bxh7+ $3 Kxh7 18. Qh5+ Kg8 19.
Qxf7+ {.}) 14. Bxf6 Nxf6 15. Nc5 Bd5 16. g4 g6 17. h4 Qb6 18. g5 Nh5 19. Ned7
$2 {White is too eager.} ({The more restrained} 19. Be4 {
would have swung the game in White's favour. After} Bxe4 20. Qxe4 Rd8 21. Qf3 {
Black has problems defending the f7-pawn, since} O-O 22. Ncd7 {
picks up the exchange.}) 19... Qd6 20. Qe3 Qf4 $1 {
Now the queens will be exchanged and the immediate pressure is off.} 21. Kb1 a5
22. Qe5 Qxe5 23. Nxe5 Nf4 24. Bb5+ Kf8 25. Bc6 Bxc6 26. Nxc6 h6 $1 27. Ne4 Ra6
{White is being pushed back so he seizes the opportunity to force a repetition
of moves.} 28. Nb8 Ra8 29. Nc6 Ra6 30. Nb8 Ra8 31. Nc6 1/2-1/2

[Event "Madrid"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sanchez, J."]
[Black "Hernando Rodrigo, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Be3 b5 (6... Nc6 7. Qd2
Bg4 {is another popular continuation. --- Now:} 8. -- (8. Be2 e6 9. h3 Bh5 10.
O-O-O O-O-O {is logical play from both sides but now comes the tricky part -
how to continue? This is particularly awkward for White as he doesn't yet have
full control of the e5-square and the d4-d5 pawn break is no longer possible:}
11. -- ({. To some extent} 11. g4 {is the natural plan, but} Bg6 12. Bf4 Qd7
13. Ne5 Nxe5 14. dxe5 {doesn't really promise much.}) ({. In S.Grigoriants-L.Galego, Warsaw 2005, White tried to resolve matters through the tactical} 11.
Ne5 {but} Bg6 (11... Bxe2 12. Nxe2 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Qxd2+ 14. Rxd2 Nd5 {
is also more than okay for Black}) 12. h4 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Qxd2+ 14. Rxd2 Rxd2 15.
Bxd2 Ne4 {was completely level.})) (8. Ng5 {
deals with Black's threat of ...Bxf3, and now:} -- (8... e5 $6 9. d5 Nb4 10. f3
Bf5 11. Nge4 {was better for White in A.Karpov-A.Lutikov, Moscow 1979 - this
was the game that ignited the interest in 6 Be3!}) (8... e6 {is more solid, and
} 9. f3 Bf5 10. Nge4 Qd7 11. Nxf6+ gxf6 12. Ne4 Be7 13. O-O-O {was at least
equal for Black in G.Matjushin-V.Ivannikov, St Petersburg 2000 - as we have
seen previously the doubled f-pawns are not a significant problem.} (13. --)) (
{. After} 8... Bf5 {the battle for control of the e4-square commences:} 9. Bc4
e6 10. f3 Be7 11. Nge4 Qb4 12. Bb3 O-O-O 13. a3 Qa5 14. O-O-O {
with a slightly better position for White.}))) (6... Bg4 $2 {is a mistake as
White has not yet developed his light-squared bishop. This allows him to
continue} 7. h3 Bh5 8. g4 Bg6 9. Ne5 e6 10. Bg2 {. This is a key point -
White's ability to develop the bishop here makes the position unpleasant for
Black. This bishop gets to rule the roost on the long diagonal, and} c6 11. h4
{, as played in S.Zhigalko-T.Novosel, Sibenik 2007, sees White utilizing his
advanced kingside pawns.}) 7. Bd3 $1 {The best move - White should be aiming
to occupy the e4-square, preferably with a knight. --- Why is this so
important? Well, Black's strength is his bishop sitting powerfully on b7, and
White wishes to turn Black's strength against him. By blocking the diagonal,
he blunts this bishop and controls the c5-square. Crucially, Back cannot
easily exchange the minor pieces, as this would expose some of the holes on
the queenside.} Bb7 8. Qe2 $1 (8. Qd2 {aims to chase the black queen from d6,
but I don't think this is as dangerous: White will lose a tempo with Bf4, and
b6 isn't necessarily a bad square for the queen. For example,} e6 9. O-O-O Nbd7
10. Rhe1 Be7 11. Bf4 Qb6 {. White's plan is based on occupying the e5-square
and beginning a kingside pawn attack, but Black has a ready-made attack
against the white king. J.Gombac-D.Sermek, Nova Gorica 2007, continued} 12. Ne5
Rd8 13. Qe2 {and now simplest for Black is} O-O $1 {intending} 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15.
Bxe4 Bxe4 16. Qxe4 Nf6 {. White must deal with the threat to the d4-pawn and
Black's plan is to double on the d-file and strike with ...c7-c5.}) ({
There is something to be said for playing it simple with} 8. O-O e6 9. Nd2 {
aiming to control the e4-square. After} Nbd7 10. Nde4 Qc6 11. f3 {White is slightly better: he has control of e4 and enough space to begin gradually building
up his position.}) 8... e6 (8... Nbd7 9. O-O-O Nb6 10. Bg5 b4 11. Ne4 Nxe4 12.
Bxe4 Bxe4 13. Qxe4 Qd5 14. Qxd5 Nxd5 {was a quick draw in D.Baramidze-D.Sermek,
Portoroz 2005 - Black equalized easily here.}) 9. O-O-O Be7 (9... b4 $6 {
is tempting, but it's premature to release some of the potential on the
queenside.} 10. Nb1 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Nb6 12. Nb3 Qd5 13. Kb1 Qh5 14. Rhg1 Na4 15.
g4 Qd5 16. Ne5 {left White with a clear advantage in A.Morozevich-B.Kurajica,
Bled Olympiad 2002, unsurprisingly so given that Black has played too many
moves with one piece. Black must be wary of playing the position too
aggressively without having completed his development. White hasn't made any
positional concessions and enjoys the natural advantage of the first move, so
Black must aim to suppress White's initiative and only then commence a
counter-attack.}) 10. Ng5 $5 {White reasons that the f3-knight will be better
placed to help the kingside attack on e4. On that square it pushes Black back
a little bit, discourages the ...c5 pawn-break and at the same time supports
the kingside pawn storm.} (10. Ne5 $5 {followed by Rh1-g1 and g2-g4-g5 is
another standard attacking idea. The downside to this move is that the
counter-strike ...c7-c5 will be much more effective than usual. For example,}
O-O 11. Rhg1 (11. Bf4 Qb6 12. h4 Nbd7 13. h5 c5 14. dxc5 Nxc5 15. h6 g6 {
with a very double-edged position}) ({or} 11. f4 Nbd7 12. Rhg1 b4 13. Na4 Qd5
14. Kb1 Qa5 15. b3 Nxe5 16. dxe5 Nd5 {
when White must play with caution as Black is threatening ...Bc6}) 11... b4 {
(now that Black has developed he can consider beginning a counter-attack)} 12.
Na4 Nbd7 13. Bf4 Nd5 14. Bg3 Nxe5 15. Bxe5 Qc6 {with equal chances.}) 10...
Nbd7 ({After} 10... O-O 11. Nge4 Nxe4 12. Nxe4 Qc6 13. h4 Nd7 14. h5 f5 15. Ng5
h6 16. Nf3 Qd6 {depriving White's bishop of the f4-square} ({Black should avoid
} 16... Bd6 {because of} 17. d5 $3 Qxd5 18. c4 {and the e-pawn will fall}) 17.
Kb1 Bd5 {I like Black's position: his pieces are beginning to form some
cohesion and although the e6/f5 pawn formation looks ugly it is actually
difficult for White to make immediate use of the e5-square.}) ({WARNING: You
should never open lines against your king without a very good reason - so
don't even consider} 10... Bxg2 {!}) 11. h4 Nb6 12. Rhe1 h6 13. Nge4 Nxe4 14.
Nxe4 Qd5 15. Kb1 Nc4 $2 {This move doesn't seem to achieve anything, as the
black knight really belongs on d5.} ({After} 15... O-O 16. Nc3 Qd7 17. Qg4 f5
18. Qg3 Bd6 19. Bf4 Bxf4 20. Qxf4 b4 21. Ne2 Nd5 {the knight has finally
arrived at its dream destination and all is in order for Black.}) 16. Bc1 Nd6
$2 (16... O-O {is stronger, although} 17. Nc3 Qd6 18. d5 {is unpleasant for
Black. The queen is cut off from the kingside and White's pieces are perfectly
poised in the centre.}) 17. Qg4 Kf8 18. f3 b4 19. Nc5 Bf6 20. Be4 Nxe4 21. fxe4
Qc6 22. Rf1 {Black's position is dire, and he collapses immediately.} Kg8 $2
23. Rxf6 1-0

[Event "Calvia Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hansen, SB."]
[Black "Wong Meng Kong"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "141"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bd3 Bg4 $1 {It is very
tricky for White to extricate himself from the pin. The standard freeing
manoeuvre h2-h3 and g2-g4 has lost its effectiveness because when the black
bishop is chased back to g6 it can simply exchange itself for its counterpart
on d3.} (6... b5 $6 {would be a mistake in view of} 7. a4 b4 8. Ne4 {.}) 7. O-O
({The immediate} 7. Ne4 {
was played in M.Kobalija-V.Gashimov, Internet (blitz) 2005. After} Nxe4 8. Bxe4
Nc6 9. c3 f5 10. Bc2 {the time was right for} e5 {, and following} 11. dxe5
Qxd1+ 12. Bxd1 O-O-O 13. Bg5 Re8 14. O-O Bxf3 15. Bxf3 Nxe5 16. Be2 {
the strong knight on e5 neutralized White's advantage of the two bishops.})
7... Nc6 (7... e6 {is dubious, as} 8. Ne4 $1 Nxe4 9. Bxe4 Nc6 10. Re1 O-O-O 11.
c3 {is better for White.}) 8. Ne4 Nxe4 9. Bxe4 O-O-O (9... e6 10. c3 Be7 {
leaves Black in difficulties. His position is very solid, but the problem is
that it is difficult for him to orchestrate a pawn break. As the saying goes,
"you cannot win a game without pushing your pawns".} (10... f5 {is better}) 11.
Qc2 ({or} 11. Qb3 $5 {sets a trap: the natural response} Rb8 $4 {loses to} 12.
Bxc6+ Qxc6 13. Ne5) 11... h6 12. Re1 {intending Ne5 is unpleasant for Black}) (
9... g6 10. c3 Bg7 11. Qb3 Rb8 12. Bg5 O-O 13. Rfe1 {
is also very comfortable for White, M.Kobalija-R.Hasangatin, Abu Dhabi 2004.})
10. c3 (10. Bxc6 Qxc6 11. Ne5 Bxd1 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Rxd1 e6 {is only a touch
better for White because Black can eliminate his doubled c-pawns very easily
with ...c6-c5.}) 10... f5 $1 11. Bc2 Qd5 $2 {
This leads to a forced sequence of moves that gives White the advantage.} (
11... g6 $1 {had to be played. Then} 12. h3 (12. b4 {
is met by the central strike} e5) 12... Bh5 13. Qd3 e5 14. Ng5 Rd7 15. Bb3 exd4
16. Be6 (16. Nf7 $2 {loses to} Rxf7 17. Bxf7 Ne5) 16... Bg7 17. Bxd7+ Qxd7 {
reaches a very complicated position, but Black doesn't stand worse: his pieces
are active and the white knight on g5 is very awkwardly placed.}) 12. Bb3 Bxf3
13. Bxd5 Bxd1 14. Be6+ Kb8 15. Rxd1 g6 16. Re1 {White's advantage is almost
overwhelming: he has a dominating pair of bishops, control of the open files
and extra space.} Bg7 17. b4 {Sune plays the endgame instructively, grabbing
space for his army all over the board.} Bf6 18. a4 Na7 19. Ra3 Nc8 20. Kf1 Nd6
21. f3 Ne8 22. Ra2 Ng7 23. Bc4 g5 24. Rae2 {The secret to playing these
positions is to use all parts of the board, pushing and prodding for
weaknesses.} f4 $2 {
Another concession - now the light-squared bishop can roam free.} 25. Kf2 Nf5
26. Bd3 Nd6 27. Bc2 b5 28. Bb3 c6 29. Re6 Kc7 30. g3 $1 {
Opening up the position further.} fxg3+ 31. hxg3 h5 32. Kg2 Rh7 33. Bc2 Rg7 34.
Rh1 Rh8 35. g4 Kd7 36. Re2 h4 37. Rhe1 Ra8 38. a5 Rh8 39. Kh3 $1 {
Now all that is left is to secure f3-f4.} Kd8 40. Re6 Kd7 41. f4 Ne8 42. Bf5
Kc7 43. Be4 Nd6 44. fxg5 Rxg5 {Black sacrifices an exchange to gain some
activity, but the position is beyond salvation.} (44... Bxg5 45. Bxg5 Rxg5 46.
Rxe7+ {is hopeless too.}) 45. Bxg5 Bxg5 46. Bg2 Kd7 47. R6e5 Nf7 48. Rc5 Bd2
49. Rf1 Ng5+ 50. Kh2 Rh6 51. Rcf5 Rg6 52. d5 e6 53. dxe6+ Nxe6 54. Rf7+ (54.
Rd1 {
would have won a piece, but I am guessing that both sides were in time trouble.
}) 54... Ke8 55. R7f5 Nd8 56. Rf6 Rxf6 57. Rxf6 Bxc3 58. Bxc6+ Ke7 59. Rg6 Bxb4
60. Bd5 Bxa5 61. Rxa6 Bd2 62. Kh3 Bg5 63. Rg6 Bf6 64. g5 Bc3 65. Kxh4 Nf7 66.
Bxf7 Kxf7 67. Rb6 b4 68. Kh5 Bd2 69. Rb7+ Kf8 70. Kg6 Bc3 71. Kh7 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "8. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 {
. In this chapter we have looked at alternatives to 6 g3 after 5 Nf3 a6.} 6. --
({We have seen that} 6. Ne5 {has been successfully neutralized by 6...Nc6!,
and Black experienced few problems in Mortensen-Bronstein and Eames-Houska.}) (
{Of all the continuations in this chapter,} 6. Bc4 {(see Boehnisch-Jirovsky)
is the most dangerous primarily because White rapidly targets the vulnerable
f7/e6 points. 6...b5 is the critical reaction, and Black must control the
d5-square in order to arrange a quick ...c7-c5. The downside to 6...b5 is that
White can and should undermine the queenside with a2-a4.}) (6. Bg5 {(see Grabarczyk-Dziuba) is another important continuation. Black must first protect the
critical e5-square and then utilize Set-up A (...b7-b5). If play becomes sharp
Black must remember to keep the d5-square available for the knight, to meet
Bf4 with ...Nd5.}) ({Other lines for White are not threatening, as long as
Black abides by the following rule: if White reinforces the e4-square (for
example with} 6. Bd3 {preparing Ne4! to take control of the a8-h1 diagonal)
then Black should adopt Set-up B; but if no steps are taken to control this
diagonal, Set-up A is the optimal one for Black.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "9. Fifth Move Alternatives"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 ({Recently Black has been
experimenting with delaying the development of the king's knight, by playing} 
4... c6 5. Nf3 Bg4 {, in order to resolve this issue of Ne5. This line is
covered in Sadvakasov-Tiviakov.}) 5. Nf3 c6 {As I mentioned in Chapter Seven,
in the introduction to 3...Qd6, White must react in an aggressive manner
against 5...c6 otherwise Black could easily reach a comfortable position with ...Bf5 or ...Bg4 followed by typical Scandinavian development. The first thing
to notice is that by playing ...c7-c6 Black has taken the c6-square away from
the b8-knight. This means that White can and should play:} 6. Ne5 $1 {
NOTE: The fundamental difference between 5...c6 and 5...a6 is that after 5...
a6 6 Ne5 Black can neutralize the knight jump with 6...Nc6. Here he doesn't
have that option. Here are two alternatives to 6 Ne5:} (6. g3 $5 {is a quieter
variation, but White still aims to push back the black queen. Play continues}
Bg4 7. Bg2 e6 {and now:} 8. -- ({After} 8. O-O Be7 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 O-O 11.
Bf4 Qd8 {Black is happy to play with less space, relying on his technical
skills to outplay the opponent in the middlegame and endgame stages. B.Socko-S.Tiviakov, German League 2008, continued} 12. Qd3 Nbd7 13. Ne2 Re8 14. Rfd1 Bf8
15. Bg2 Qc8 16. c4 e5 {
and Black's piece activity compensated for White's bishop pair.}) (8. Bf4 Qd8
9. Qd2 {is a more accurate move order, as White can now put his space
advantage on the kingside to good use:} Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Bd6 $1 {
(exchanging bishops is critical to Black's plan)} 11. O-O-O Bxf4 12. Qxf4 Na6
13. Ne4 $1 {(now it's just a case of bishop vs. knight)} Nxe4 14. Bxe4 Nb4 15.
Kb1 Nd5 16. Qd2 Nf6 17. Bf3 Qc7 18. Rhe1 O-O-O 19. h4 {led to a pleasant space
advantage for White in W.Spoelman-S.Tiviakov, Liverpool 2008.})) (6. Bd3 {
is a move which shouldn't worry Black, but he should be aware of the following
trick:} Bg4 7. h3 $5 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Qxd4 {
(the natural follow up, but a risky one)} 9. Be3 Qb4 10. a3 Qxb2 $2 (10... Qa5
{with an unclear position was called for}) 11. Kd2 $1 {
and White wins, G.Salem-H.Aryanejad, Abu Dhabi 2003.}) 6... Nbd7 $1 {NOTE: Black again follows our little rule: when a knight lands on e5, challenge it as
soon as you can!} ({White managed to achieve a very easy advantage after} 6...
Be6 7. Bf4 Qd8 8. Be2 Nbd7 9. O-O g6 10. Nxd7 Qxd7 11. Be5 Bg7 12. Ne4 Bd5 13.
Nc5 Qc8 14. c4 Be6 15. Qb3 b6 16. Nxe6 Qxe6 17. Bf3 {
in I.Nataf-K.Pytel, Aubervilliers 2001.}) (6... Bf5 {
is a very risky move, as the bishop may become a target:} 7. Bc4 (7. Bf4 {
is a promising alternative}) 7... e6 8. Bf4 Qd8 $6 (8... Nbd7 {
is a better option, as} 9. Ng6 $2 {fails to} Qb4) 9. g4 $1 Bg6 10. h4 Nbd7 11.
Qe2 Bb4 12. O-O-O Bxc3 13. bxc3 Be4 14. g5 $1 Bxh1 15. Nxf7 $1 {
and White soon won in R.Schuermans-K.Pytel, Le Touquet 2006.}) 7. -- {
Returning to 6...Nbd7, there are two main options for White and both aim to
exploit the vulnerable position of the black queen:} (7. Bf4 {
is covered in Szabo-Kernazhitsky}) ({and} 7. Nc4 {in Hossain-Tiviakov.}) ({
Finally, there's the relatively new idea of} 7. f4 {
, which is the subject of Kudrin-Stopa.}) *

[Event "Zalakarosi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Szabo, K."]
[Black "Kernazhitsky, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Ne5 $1 Nbd7 $1 7. Bf4
Nd5 $5 ({Black cannot solve his opening problems by exchanging on e5:} 7...
Nxe5 8. Bxe5 (8. dxe5 {is also good}) 8... Qd8 9. Bc4 Bg4 10. f3 Bf5 11. g4 $1
{(this is the whole point - Black will really struggle with his lack of space
on the kingside)} Bg6 12. Qe2 e6 13. O-O-O {
with a clear plus for White, B.Grabarczyk-H.Alber, Offenbach 2005.}) 8. Nxd5 ({
After} 8. Bg3 Nxe5 9. Bxe5 Nxc3 10. bxc3 {Black should play} Qg6 $1 {
reaching a good position,} ({rather than} 10... Qa3 11. Qd2 {when White should
be prepared to sacrifice the a-pawn in order to further his attack.})) 8...
Qxd5 (8... Nxe5 {was tried by Sergei Tiviakov, but without success:} 9. Ne3 $1
Nd3+ 10. Qxd3 Qxf4 11. d5 $1 {(Black has the advantage of the bishop pair, so
White should strike before Black can consolidate)} Qb4+ (11... cxd5 $2 12. Qxd5
e6 13. Bb5+ {was absolutely foul for Black in V.Gashimov-S.Tiviakov, Reggio
Emilia 2008, but this check looks playable}) 12. c3 Qxb2 13. Rd1 Qb5 (13... Bd7
$2 {is bad because after} 14. Nc4 Qxa2 15. Ne5 $1 {
it's very difficult for Black to meet the attack on the bishop satisfactorily})
({while} 13... Qb6 {looks risky, and here} 14. Be2 g6 15. dxc6 bxc6 16. Nd5 $1
{is very strong}) 14. Qxb5 cxb5 15. Bxb5+ Bd7 16. Bxd7+ Kxd7 17. Rb1 b6 {
and Black's chances are not worse in the endgame.}) 9. Be2 $5 {
White must sacrifice material in order to maintain his initiative.} (9. Nf3 Nb6
$1 {makes it difficult for White to play c2-c4 and looks perfectly fine for
Black. For example,} 10. Be2 Bf5 11. c3 (11. O-O $2 Qe4 {wins a pawn}) 11... e6
12. O-O Be7 13. Re1 O-O 14. Ne5 Rac8 15. a4 Qd8 16. a5 Nd5 17. Bg3 Bg5 {
, X.Vila Gazquez-S.Tiviakov, Benidorm 2008. Black has been making excellent
use of the space available to him. The resulting position is very much a game
of cat and mouse, with both sides patiently improving their pieces and trying
to control the d-file.}) ({The easiest way to equalize against} 9. Qd3 {is} g5
{. Here} 10. Bg3 Nxe5 11. dxe5 {
was agreed drawn in E.Inarkiev-A.Dreev, Ermioni 2006.}) 9... Nxe5 10. Bxe5 (10.
dxe5 {doesn't seem to give White too much for the pawn:} Qxg2 11. Bf3 Qh3 12.
Qe2 g6 13. O-O-O Bh6 14. Bxh6 Qxh6+ 15. Kb1 Bh3 16. Bg4 e6 17. Bxh3 Qxh3 18.
Rd3 Qg2 19. Re1 {(M.Llaneza Vega-M.Calzetta, Pamplona 2007), and here Black
should play Black should play} O-O {
when White doesn't have enough compensation.}) 10... Qxg2 $1 {
Of course Black must rise to the bait.} 11. Bf3 Qg6 {The only real move for
Black, who can exploit a tactical possibility after 12 d5.} (11... Qh3 {
is weaker, and after} 12. d5 cxd5 13. Qxd5 f6 (13... Qe6 {fails to} 14. Qxe6 $1
{and Black must return the pawn since} fxe6 {loses to} 15. Bh5+) 14. Bxf6 $3 {
, blowing open the position, is devastating. White is winning here:} exf6 (
14... Qe6+ 15. Qxe6 Bxe6 16. Bxb7 Rb8 17. Bc6+) ({or} 14... gxf6 15. Bh5+) 15.
O-O-O Be7 16. Rhe1 Bd7 17. Rd3 Bc6 18. Rxe7+ Kxe7 19. Re3+ Kf8 20. Qc5+ Kf7 21.
Bd5+ {.}) 12. Qe2 $1 (12. d5 {strives to open up the position, but this allows
Black to liquidate some pieces. The ensuing position is still very complex but
I don't think it is worse for Black. V.Anand-S.Tiviakov, Wijk aan Zee 2006,
continued} Bg4 $1 {(this is Sergei Tiviakov's point! - it is very important to
exchange off a pair of bishops and relieve some of the pressure)} 13. dxc6 bxc6
14. Qe2 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 Rd8 16. Rd1 Qe6 {Black is not in a hurry to return the
material in order to simplify the position} ({after} 16... Rxd1+ $5 17. Kxd1
Qe6 18. Re1 Qd5+ 19. Qxd5 cxd5 20. Bd4 a6 21. Re3 e6 22. Rb3 Bd6 23. Rb6 Kd7 {
the chances should be about equal}) 17. O-O Rxd1 18. Rxd1 h5 $1 19. Qd3 Qc8 {
. The black king is quite safe in the middle, and the rook comes into play via
h6 - the point of 18...h5.}) 12... h5 {
Trying to exchange those light-squared bishops.} ({If} 12... Bf5 13. O-O-O $1
Rd8 14. Kb1 {White continues to have an incredible amount of play for the pawn:
the open g- and e-files provide avenues down which to attack; Black's
development is lagging; and to make matters worse, Black's queenside pawns are
vulnerable to a double attack.}) (12... Qe6 {doesn't work on account of} 13. d5
cxd5 14. O-O-O f6 {, and now} 15. Bxd5 $1 ({but not} 15. Rxd5 $2 {
which allowed Black to wriggle out in S.Ivanets-I.Smirnov, Ilyichevsk 2007})
15... Qxe5 16. Qc4 e6 17. Rhe1 {when Black must give back his material.}) 13.
h3 (13. O-O-O $6 {, as played in F.Caruana-D.Milanovic, Budva 2009, simply
allows Black to achieve his objective with} Bg4 $1 {.}) 13... f6 $1 {
Things are very dangerous for Black, so he must proceed with great care.} (
13... Qh6 {prevents White from castling, but} 14. d5 $1 {
tears Black's position apart. After} Bd7 15. Rg1 $1 Rc8 16. Rd1 cxd5 17. Bxd5
f6 18. Bh2 {White's active pieces provide him with strong compensation.}) ({
An attempt to solidify with} 13... e6 {doesn't work either, as White plays} 14.
d5 $1 cxd5 15. Bxd5 {and Black will be struggling for a long time.}) 14. Bh2 $1
(14. Bc7 {was played recently in a rapidplay match between Sophie Milliet and
Alexandra Kosteniuk (Corsica 2009). Black played} Qf7 {guarding d5, and now:}
15. -- ({. Milliet blundered with} 15. O-O-O $2 {and the game ended} Qxa2 $1
16. d5 (16. Bxh5+ Kd7 17. Bg3 Qa1+ 18. Kd2 Qa5+ {wins}) 16... g6 $1 17. dxc6 $4
{allowing} Bh6+ 18. Rd2 Qa1# {.}) (15. d5 $1 {is stronger:} -- (15... e5 {
(this leads to a draw)} 16. dxc6 Qxc7 17. cxb7 Bxb7 18. Qb5+ Ke7 $1 {
(keeping on the dark squares to avoid any annoying bishop checks)} 19. Bxb7 Rb8
20. Qb4+ Ke6 21. Qb3+ {with a perpetual check.}) (15... cxd5 {
is also possible. Then} 16. O-O-O {is best, when Black's centre looks solid,} (
{the natural} 16. Qb5+ {would be a mistake, as after} Bd7 17. Qxb7 Qe6+ 18. Kf1
Bc6 {Black emerges with a superior position}) 16... e6 {, but} 17. Ba5 Be7 18.
Rhe1 {still leaves him with problems over his development.}))) 14... Qf7 $2 {
Too passive.} ({Black had to play} 14... Bxh3 $1 {. It's not a case of simple
greed; Black really must swap off those light-squared bishops after} 15. d5 Bg4
$1 {.}) 15. d5 $1 {This is the basic idea of the whole variation: get
developed and then play d4-d5! After this move Black is struggling.} Bd7 16.
O-O-O g6 17. Kb1 Bh6 18. Rhg1 Kf8 19. dxc6 Bxc6 20. Bxc6 bxc6 21. Rd7 {
Completely tying Black down.} Re8 22. Rxa7 Qd5 23. Rd1 Qg2 24. Rxe7 $1 Rxe7 25.
Bd6 Rhh7 26. Re1 (26. Qe6 {would have won more easily.}) 26... Rhf7 27. Bxe7+
Kg7 28. Bc5 Qxh3 29. a4 {
Black is helpless against the march of the queenside pawns.} Qf5 30. b4 Bf4 31.
a5 Be5 32. a6 h4 33. Qe4 Qc8 34. Rg1 g5 35. f4 Bxf4 36. Qxf4 Qxa6 37. Qxh4 Rb7
38. Qd4 Kf7 39. Rh1 Qa8 40. Qe4 Kg8 41. Qg6+ 1-0

[Event "Turin Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hossain, E."]
[Black "Tiviakov, S."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nc4 {
This is somewhat safer in the sense that White is not gambiting a pawn.} Qc7 8.
Qf3 $1 {Again White aims to push back Black's queen.} (8. g3 {
allows Black an easy game after} Nb6 9. Ne5 Be6 10. Bg2 g6 11. Bf4 Qd8 12. Ne2
Bg7 13. O-O O-O 14. a4 a5 {; Black has a cramped but solid position.}) 8... Nb6
$1 {
Black must attempt to relieve some of his space worries by exchanging pieces.}
9. Bf4 Qd8 (9... Qd7 {is Sergei Tiviakov's latest try:} 10. Nxb6 axb6 11. Be5
$6 (11. O-O-O $1 {is stronger}) 11... Qf5 12. Qxf5 Bxf5 13. O-O-O Nd7 14. Bc7
e6 15. Bd3 Bxd3 16. Rxd3 b5 {and Black has a great position, K.Lahno-S.Tiviakov, Benidorm 2008: all of Black's pieces have excellent potential and
his doubled b-pawns, far from being weak, are extremely effective! If White
isn't careful, he will find himself saddled with a weak pawn on a2.}) 10. Be5
Bg4 {The only move - Black must play very carefully just in order not to
emerge from the opening with a significantly worse position.} ({At first sight
} 10... Nbd5 {looks logical, but after this move Black cannot really challenge
White's control of the e5-square. With the pawn structure fixed, this creates
huge problems. For example,} 11. Nxd5 cxd5 12. Ne3 $1 e6 13. Bd3 Bd7 14. O-O
Be7 15. Rae1 O-O $2 {(Black gets into even more trouble after this move)} 16.
Ng4 Nxg4 17. Qxg4 g6 18. Re3 {and through a series of natural moves White has
built up a very dangerous initiative, J.Emms-A.Ledger, Southend 2006.}) 11. Qg3
h5 {NOTE: 11...h5 is an ambitious move, and one with significant long-term
consequences. From now on Black is committed to active play in order to ensure
that the h5-pawn doesn't become a weakness.} (11... Be6 12. Nxb6 axb6 13. Bd3
g6 {is also possible. Black will try to exchange pieces and make the a2-pawn a
target. White will naturally aim to prevent this and try to deprive Black of
any productive counterplay.}) 12. h3 (12. f3 {was played in A.Grischuk-S.Tiviakov, Sochi 2006, but this is not the best way to kick back the bishop
because the white queen becomes a bit cut off on g3. That game continued} Be6
13. Ne3 Nbd5 14. Ncxd5 Nxd5 15. Nxd5 Qxd5 16. Bd3 f6 17. Bb8 $6 ({
according to Tiviakov,} 17. Bc7 {is the best}) 17... h4 $1 18. Qc7 Kf7 $1 19.
Qxb7 c5 $1 20. Qxd5 Bxd5 21. c4 {
(otherwise Black will simply capture on d4 winning back the pawn) and here} Bb7
22. Bc7 cxd4 23. Ke2 e5 {would have led to a double-edged endgame in which
Black's chances are by no means worse.}) 12... h4 13. Qf4 Be6 14. Ne3 Nbd5 15.
Nexd5 Nxd5 16. Qd2 (16. Nxd5 Qxd5 {leaves the queen and dark-squared bishop
awkwardly placed, and Black can play à la Grischuk-Tiviakov with a well timed ...f6:} 17. Bd3 f6 (17... Qxg2 {is impossible because of} 18. Be4) 18. Bc7 g5
19. Qe3 Bh6 $1 20. Qe2 g4 $5 21. c4 ({intending} 21. hxg4 Qxg2 $1) 21... Qd7
22. hxg4 Bxg4 23. Bg6+ Kf8 24. f3 Qxc7 25. fxg4 Qg3+ {
and Black has the preferable position.}) 16... Nxc3 {
Another new idea from Sergei Tiviakov.} ({Previously} 16... Bf5 17. Bd3 Bxd3
18. Qxd3 e6 19. O-O Ne7 {was better for White in N.Kosintseva-I.Nikolaidis,
Moscow 2005: the h-pawn is more of a liability than an asset.}) 17. Qxc3 Bd5
18. Qd2 ({After} 18. O-O-O e6 19. Kb1 b5 {
Black has a superbly placed bishop on d5 and his position is extremely solid.})
18... e6 19. c4 Be4 20. f3 Bf5 21. a3 Rh5 {A rather creative move with some
aesthetic appeal. Black wishes to solve his development problems by either
exchanging pieces via the g5-square or by kicking back the bishop and using
the rook's power along the fourth rank.} ({Chasing away the bishop with} 21...
f6 22. Bf4 g5 23. Be3 Qc7 {followed by queenside castling and exchanging the
dark-squared bishops is also perfectly acceptable.}) 22. Rd1 Bd6 23. Qe3 f6 24.
Bxd6 Qxd6 25. f4 Kf8 (25... O-O-O $5 {was a more logical choice, and after} 26.
Be2 Rh6 27. O-O Kb8 {
the game becomes rather double-edged. Let's look a little bit further:} 28. b4
Rg6 29. Rf3 ({some defence is needed;} 29. b5 cxb5 30. cxb5 Rg3 31. Rf3 g5 {
would turn the tables on White}) 29... Qc7 {and the position is level.}) 26.
Be2 Rh6 27. O-O a5 28. Bd3 {Aiming to exchange the light-squared bishops in
order to exploit the e6 weakness.} Bxd3 29. Qxd3 Rd8 30. Kh1 Rh5 $5 31. Qg6 Rf5
32. Qg4 b5 $1 {Undermining the c4/d4 pawn front.} 33. c5 Qd7 34. Qxh4 Rd5 {
The h5-pawn has fallen, but it has not been lost in vain and Black has
incredible pressure on d4. White must devote all his strength to defending
this pawn, and in effect some kind of deadlock is reached.} 35. Qe1 a4 36. Qe4
Kg8 37. Rd3 Kf7 38. Re1 Rh8 39. Ree3 Rh4 40. Rf3 Rf5 41. Rde3 {Despite the
material deficit the position is completely gridlocked, so the players agreed
a draw.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Richardson"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kudrin, S."]
[Black "Stopa, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. f4 $5 {
This is a relatively new idea developed by Shirov. White's intention is
clearly to seize as much space as possible. However, there is a positional
downside to this move: there may be some long-term repercussions over the
weakness of e4, and White has in effect shut in his own bishop. Of course the
game has only just begun so these factors shouldn't bother White for a while
at least.} Nb6 ({
WARNING: Black should not abandon his control of e4 without being forced to.} 
7... Nd5 $2 {is premature as it helps White in the battle for space. After} 8.
Ne4 Qc7 9. c4 {the knight simply gets pushed back, and} Nxe5 10. fxe5 Nb6 {
left White with a nice advantage in J.Krivec-K.Novak, Ljubljana 2008.}) 8. g4 (
{The slower} 8. Be2 {shouldn't lead to any problems after} g6 9. g4 Bg7 10. g5
Nfd5 11. Ne4 Qd8 12. a3 O-O 13. c4 Nc7 14. Be3 f6 {
, E.Szalanczy-E.Vegh, Budapest 2007.}) 8... Nbd5 {Alternatively:} (8... Be6 9.
Bg2 g6 $1 10. O-O Bg7 11. f5 gxf5 12. gxf5 Bc4 13. Nxc4 Nxc4 {and White's
attack has run out of steam - all that is left are weaknesses. A.Shirov-S.Tiviakov, Benidorm (rapid) 2008, continued} 14. Qd3 Ng4 15. Rf4 (15. Bf4 {
loses to} Qxd4+) 15... Nxb2 $3 16. Qg3 Bxd4+ 17. Kh1 {and here} Bxc3 $1 18.
Qxc3 Rg8 19. Qxb2 Qd1+ 20. Bf1 (20. Rf1 {loses to} Qxf1+ $1 21. Bxf1 Nf2# {mate
}) 20... Ne3 {leaves White facing the deadly threat of ...Qd5+.}) (8... g6 9.
g5 Nfd5 10. Ne4 Qd8 11. c4 Nc7 12. Qe2 Bg7 13. c5 {
and Black is forced to give up his knight for two pawns:} Ne6 (13... Nbd5 {
loses to} 14. Nd6+ exd6 15. Nxc6+) 14. cxb6 Nxd4 15. Qf2 Bxe5 16. fxe5 Qd5 $1
17. Bg2 Qc4 18. b3 Qd3 19. Qd2 Nc2+ 20. Kf2 Qxd2+ 21. Bxd2 Nxa1 22. Rxa1 axb6
23. Be3 {and White was better in A.Shirov-L.Nisipeanu, Foros 2007.}) 9. g5 Nxc3
10. bxc3 Qd5 11. Rg1 Nd7 12. Ng4 ({After} 12. Bc4 Qe4+ 13. Qe2 Qxe2+ 14. Kxe2
Nxe5 15. fxe5 Bf5 16. Rb1 b6 {Black does not have any problems. His plan
should be to consolidate on the kingside with ...e7-e6 followed by opening up
the h-file with ...g7-g6 and ...h7-h6.}) 12... g6 13. c4 Qa5+ 14. Bd2 Qc7 15.
c3 Bg7 16. Qe2 Nb6 17. c5 ({After} 17. Ne5 Be6 18. c5 Nd7 {Black's position is
very compact. Rather like a coiled spring, there remains a lot of tension in
the position. For instance, if} 19. h4 Nxe5 20. fxe5 b6 $1 {
and the tables are turning on White.}) 17... Bxg4 18. Qxg4 Nd5 19. Bg2 e6 {
Note that White cannot knock back the knight on d5 without weakening his pawn
on d4.} 20. h4 h5 21. Qf3 O-O 22. Qe4 Ne7 23. Kd1 Rfd8 24. Kc2 Nf5 25. Be1 Rd7
26. Bf2 Ne7 27. Rgb1 b6 28. Rb3 bxc5 29. dxc5 Rad8 30. Be1 Qa5 31. Qb4 Qa6 32.
Qe4 Rd5 33. Qe3 Nf5 34. Qf2 Rxc5 $1 35. Kb2 ({It's all over, since} 35. Qxc5 {
loses on the spot to} Qe2+ {and Black checkmates.}) 35... Qa5 36. Rc1 Rc4 37.
Bf1 Ra4 38. Kb1 Qd5 39. Kb2 Nd4 40. Rd1 Rxa2+ 0-1

[Event "Calicut"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sadvakasov, D."]
[Black "Tiviakov, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 c6 5. Nf3 Bg4 $5 {It has recently
become fashionable to delay the development of the g8-knight in order to meet
5 Nf3 with 5...Bg4, thus preventing Ne5.} (5... Nf6 {
transposes to 4...Nf6 5 Nf3 c6.}) 6. Be3 (6. h3 $5 {
offering the d4-pawn is the most principled continuation:} Bxf3 (6... Bh5 7. g4
$5 Bg6 8. Ne5 {would be interesting, for example} Nd7 9. Nc4 $5 Qc7 10. Qf3) 7.
Qxf3 Qxd4 $5 ({after} 7... e6 {
White can simply enjoy the bishop pair and expand on the kingside - after} 8.
Bf4 Qd8 9. O-O-O Nf6 10. g4 {White had a pleasant advantage in A.Rasmussen-S.B.Hansen, Aalborg 2007, although the d5-square will still give Black some
counterplay}) 8. Be3 Qd8 9. Rd1 Qc7 10. Bc4 Nf6 11. g4 h6 (11... e6 {
is a very logical way for Black to defend}) 12. O-O Nbd7 13. Bf4 e5 14. Bg3 Be7
15. h4 Rf8 16. Rfe1 O-O-O 17. a3 {
with a double-edged position, S.Maze-P.Benkovic, Biel 2008.}) 6... Nf6 7. h3
Bh5 8. g4 Bg6 9. Ne5 Nbd7 (9... Nd5 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Rg1 Nd7 12. Nxg6 hxg6 13.
Qd2 e6 14. c4 Qd6 15. O-O-O Qb4 16. Qc2 Qa5 17. Kb1 {led to a nice advantage
for White in N.Sedlak-M.Kristovic, Croatia 2005: now White has established the
c4/d4 pawn front, it is very difficult for Black to find a base for his knight,
particularly after f2-f4.}) 10. Qe2 ({The alternative is} 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Qf3
{, and} e6 12. O-O-O Qc7 13. Kb1 Bb4 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. Qxe4 Nf6 16. Qf3 Nd5 17.
Bc1 b5 18. h4 O-O-O 19. h5 gxh5 20. gxh5 {
was slightly better for White in L.Fressinet-C.Bauer, Pau 2008.}) 10... Nd5 11.
Bg2 Nxe3 (11... Nxc3 12. bxc3 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Qxe5 {
might be better, although White clearly has compensation after} 14. O-O {
intending f2-f4.}) 12. Qxe3 e6 13. O-O-O Nxe5 14. dxe5 Qc7 15. f4 Bb4 16. a3
Bxc3 17. Qxc3 h5 18. Rhf1 hxg4 19. hxg4 Rd8 {
Black's position has quickly fallen apart.} 20. Rde1 Qe7 21. Kb1 Rh2 22. f5
exf5 23. gxf5 Bxf5 24. Rxf5 Rxg2 25. e6 fxe6 26. Qh3 Rdd2 $2 27. Qh8+ Kd7 28.
Qb8 Rge2 29. Rxe2 Rxe2 30. Qxb7+ Kd6 31. Qb8+ Qc7 32. Qb4+ c5 33. Qf4+ e5 34.
Qg3 Qa5 35. Qxg7 Kd5 36. Qd7+ Ke4 37. Qd3# 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fifth Move Alternatives"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 {. We finish off our coverage of 3..
.Qd6 by looking at various fifth-move alternatives for White:} 5. Bc4 {
is usually played in conjunction with Nge2 and Bf4, attacking the queen (see
Rodriguez Vila-Galego).} (5. Bd3 {is a tricky move. It prevents ...Bf5 and
tries to provoke Black into playing ...Bg4. The downside of 5 Bd3 is that it
leaves the d4-pawn just that little bit more vulnerable (see Nay Oo Kyaw Tun-Goh Koong Jong).}) ({With} 5. Be3 {White simply wishes to accelerate his
development by castling long, with the intention of breaking quickly with
d4-d5 or attacking the queen with Be3-f4 (see Wedberg-Fries Nielsen).}) (5.
Be2 {is, in the words of Andrew Martin, "just a 'normal' developing move" (see
Rosandic-Zelcic).}) *

[Event "Sao Paulo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rodriguez Vila, A."]
[Black "Galego, L."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "125"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bc4 a6 6. Nge2 ({With} 6. Bb3 $6
{White wishes to develop the knight to e2 without allowing Black to win a pawn
with ...Qc6. However, White's time-consuming manoeuvre allows Black to
equalize with} Nc6 7. Nge2 e5 $1 {.}) (6. Nf3 {
transposes to 5 Nf3 a6 6 Bc4 (see Chapter Eight).}) 6... Qc6 $5 {TIP: 6...Qc6
carries some risk, so players choosing this move should make sure they are
well prepared.} ({The easiest approach is to reject the pawn offer with} 6...
b5 $1 7. Bb3 Bb7 8. Bf4 {and now Black should play the lesser-known} Qd7 $1 {
. This move was shown to me by IM Gary Lane, and I played it in a world junior
championship. I remember being very happy because Black's moves are incredibly
straightforward, and after a few moves my opponent was very nearly losing:} 9.
O-O ({blocking the bishop with} 9. d5 {is not dangerous, as after} c5 {
White is forced to exchange pawns anyhow, and} 10. dxc6 Qxc6 11. f3 Nbd7 12.
Qd2 e5 13. Be3 Nc5 {
forced White to give up the bishop pair in A.Ardeleanu-V.Malaniuk, Arad 2006})
9... e6 $1 {(the idea is to play ...c5 and to develop an initiative based on
the two bishops pointing dangerously towards the white king)} 10. Re1 $2 (10.
a4 b4 11. Nb1 {was A.Rodriguez Vila-J.Ryan, Sants 2006, and here Black is
doing very well after} c5 $1 12. Nd2 Nc6 13. dxc5) 10... c5 11. dxc5 Qc6 12. f3
Bxc5+ 13. Nd4 ({this is forced, since} 13. Kh1 {is met by} Qxf3 {
and the queen is immune from capture}) 13... Qb6 14. Nce2 Nc6 15. c3 O-O 16.
Kh1 {(I.Werner-J.Houska, Calicut 1998) and now the simple} {and now the simple}
Rfd8 {, with the idea of inflicting White with an isolated pawn, would have
given Black a positional advantage.}) 7. Qd3 (7. Bb3 $1 {is a very dangerous
alternative, and I think that it is White's best choice. For example,} Qxg2 8.
Rg1 Qh3 9. Bf4 Qd7 {(to defend the c7-pawn)} 10. Qd3 Nc6 11. a3 {
(depriving the black knight of b4, so now d4-d5 is a strong positional threat)}
Na5 12. Ba2 b5 13. O-O-O Bb7 14. d5 $1 {(seizing as much space as possible)} g6
15. Ng3 Bg7 16. Nce4 {(threatening the unpleasant 17 Nc5)} Nc4 17. Nxf6+ Bxf6
18. Bxc4 bxc4 19. Qxc4 O-O 20. Ne4 {
and White has a promising position, D.Gormally-J.Plaskett, London 2005.}) 7...
Qxg2 8. Rg1 Qh3 ({Greed is usually a sin during the opening phase, and in this
particular case it comes with a tremendous amount of risk:} 8... Qxh2 9. Bf4
Qh3 10. Qd2 Qd7 ({Black holds on to his extra material for dear life, but} 
10... Bf5 {returning a pawn may be a wiser choice}) 11. O-O-O e6 12. Be5 Nc6
13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Ne4 {and White has a very strong initiative for the two
pawns. It is difficult for Black to defend f6 without allowing d4-d5 or Qd2-h6.
For instance, if Black plays} Be7 15. Qh6 f5 {, then} 16. d5 {is crushing.}) 9.
Qxh3 $1 (9. Be3 {is a more combative option, but it looks as though Black
should be holding on as the dark-squared bishop is not particularly well
placed on e3. After} Bf5 10. Qd2 {the most accurate move may be} Nc6 $1 {
. Black must be ready to meet d4-d5 with ...Ne5 hitting the bishop on c4 and
threatening the crushing ...Nf3+. The game I.Madl-G.Feher, Hungarian League
1997, continued} 11. O-O-O e6 {(Black's plan is simply to castle queenside and
ensure that the queen sitting precariously on h3 doesn't get trapped!)} 12. Nf4
Qh4 {and here} 13. d5 O-O-O 14. Qe2 {would threaten the tactical shot Bxa6.})
9... Bxh3 10. Nf4 Bf5 11. Nfd5 Kd8 $1 ({After} 11... Nxd5 12. Nxd5 Kd7 13. Bf4
Nc6 14. O-O-O ({if} 14. Bxc7 Rc8 {and the c2-pawn hangs}) 14... Rc8 15. Ne3 Bg6
16. Be2 {the fundamental problem for Black is that he is unable to develop his
kingside pieces because} e6 {loses to} 17. d5 exd5 18. Bg4+ {.}) 12. Nxf6 $6 (
12. Bf4 $1 {is perhaps a better option, and here} Ne8 13. Ne3 Bg6 14. O-O-O Nd6
15. Be2 Nd7 16. h4 h5 17. Bg5 {leaves Black very cramped.}) 12... exf6 13. Bf4
g5 14. Bg3 Nd7 (14... Bxc2 {looks rather risky to me.}) 15. O-O-O Bg6 16. h4 h6
17. f4 Nb6 18. Be2 Be7 19. Bf3 Rb8 20. Rde1 {Black's extra pawn is doubled,
but his position is very solid: his pieces have good squares and he has the
superior pawn structure. Once the black rooks get into the game Black will
stand much better, even if White wins the f7-pawn.} Re8 21. h5 Bf5 22. Nd5 Nxd5
23. Bxd5 Bd6 24. Bxf7 Rxe1+ 25. Rxe1 Kd7 {Black has the advantage here.} 26.
Rf1 Bh3 27. Rf2 Rf8 28. Bg6 f5 29. Kd2 Bg4 30. Bh2 Bxf4+ 31. Bxf4 gxf4 32. Rxf4
Ke6 33. Ke3 Kf6 34. c4 Kg5 35. d5 b6 36. b4 Bxh5 37. Bxh5 Kxh5 38. c5 $1 {
White must establish some form of counterplay otherwise Black would simply be
winning.} Kg5 39. Rd4 Re8+ 40. Kf3 bxc5 41. bxc5 Rd8 42. d6 cxd6 43. c6 h5 (
43... d5 $1 {ensures that the a6-pawn isn't a target, and} 44. Ra4 ({or} 44. c7
Rc8) 44... Ra8 45. Ke3 h5 46. Kd4 h4 47. Kxd5 h3 48. Rb4 h2 49. Rb1 Rh8 50. c7
Kg4 {wins for Black.}) 44. Ra4 Ra8 45. Rd4 Rc8 46. Rxd6 {Now it's a draw.} h4
47. a4 a5 48. Re6 h3 49. Kg3 Rh8 50. Kh2 Kf4 51. c7 Rc8 52. Rc6 Kf3 53. Rc3+
Kg4 54. Rg3+ Kf4 55. Rc3 Ke5 56. Kxh3 Kd6 57. Kg3 Rxc7 58. Rxc7 Kxc7 59. Kf4
Kd6 60. Kxf5 Kc5 61. Ke4 Kb4 62. Kd3 Kxa4 63. Kc2 1/2-1/2

[Event "Bangkok"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nay Oo Kyaw Tun"]
[Black "Goh Koong Jong, J."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bd3 Nc6 $5 {This is perhaps the
easiest way to equalize, although the position may end up a little dry.} (5...
Bg4 {is also possible. As we know, playing an early ...Bg4 in the Scandinavian
is usually doubled-edged, and even more so when White has not yet played
Ng1-f3 because ...Bg4 allows White to expand with tempo by playing f2-f3 and
g2-g4. Scandinavian players must always remember that White's most aggressive
and dangerous plan is to castle queenside and steal as much kingside space as
possible. --- Let's see what happens after} 6. f3 Bh5 7. Nge2 a6 8. Bf4 {
and now:} -- (8... Qd7 {is convincingly answered by} 9. d5 $1 {
making it tricky for Black to develop:} -- ({. After} 9... Bg6 10. Qd2 {
White's extra space gave him the advantage in G.Kasparov-I.Rogers, Batumi
(rapid) 2001.}) (9... Nxd5 {is bad because of} 10. Bf5 $1 e6 (10... Qxf5 11.
Nxd5) 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. Qxd5 exd5 13. O-O-O $1 {
and Black must return the pawn, as} c6 14. Rhe1 {is crushing -} Be7 {
loses a piece to} 15. Ng3 {.})) ({. Against} 8... Qb6 {
, harassing the queen with} 9. Na4 {seems very good, and} Qc6 10. c4 e6 11.
O-O Be7 12. Nec3 O-O 13. d5 exd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. cxd5 {
looks the most sensible way for White to play.})) 6. Nge2 e5 $1 7. Nb5 (7. dxe5
{leads to an ending in which Black has absolutely no problems:} Nxe5 8. Bb5+ c6
9. Qxd6 Bxd6 10. Ba4 b5 11. Bb3 a5 12. a4 b4 13. Nd1 Ba6 {and Black later
squeezed out a win in I.Manolov-V.Panbukchian, Sunny Beach 2004.}) ({
Sacrificing a pawn with} 7. O-O {is probably White's best bet. After} Nxd4 8.
Nxd4 Qxd4 9. Re1 ({if} 9. Nb5 Qd8 10. Qe2 Bd6 11. Bf4 Nd7 12. Rae1 O-O {
Black should be fine}) 9... Bd6 10. Bg5 Be6 11. Qf3 O-O-O 12. Bxf6 gxf6 13.
Qxf6 {, as played in A.Sokolov-I.Nikolaidis, Athens 2005, White has regained
the pawn but Black is fine - he has the bishop pair and an open g-file that
could cause White problems.}) 7... Qe7 8. O-O (8. dxe5 Nxe5 9. Bf4 c6 10. Nbd4
Bg4 11. f3 Bd7 12. Qd2 O-O-O 13. O-O-O Nd5 {was very comfortable for Black in
S.Macak-E.Kovacik, Slovakian League 2003. White must exchange one of his
bishops for the strong knight on e5, and this will give Black a slight
advantage.}) 8... a6 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Nbd4 g6 $1 {
Black must not waste any further time; he should develop his pieces at once.}
11. Bg5 ({White isn't quick enough to take advantage of Black's clumsy piece
configuration on the e-file:} 11. Re1 Bg7 12. Bf4 (12. f4 Nxd3 {
followed by ...0-0 only weakens White's position}) 12... O-O 13. Ng3 Nfd7 {
reaches an equal position. However, White should be aware that} 14. Bxe5 {
would simply be a mistake, as after} Nxe5 15. f4 {Black can play} Qc5 $1 {.})
11... Bg7 12. Nc3 O-O 13. Re1 Qd6 $1 14. Nf3 Nfg4 15. Bf4 $2 ({After} 15. Nxe5
Bxe5 16. Ne4 $1 (16. h3 $2 Bxc3 $1) 16... Bxh2+ $2 ({but} 16... Qb6 {
is stronger.}) 17. Kh1 {Black must lose some material.}) 15... Nxf2 $1 {
This neat tactic nets Black a pawn.} 16. Kxf2 Nxd3+ 17. Qxd3 Qxf4 18. Nd5 Qa4 {
With a material disadvantage and up against the bishop pair, White has no hope.
} 19. c3 Be6 20. Red1 Rfd8 21. c4 Bf5 22. Qb3 Qxb3 23. axb3 Bc2 24. Re1 Bxb3
25. Rac1 Bf8 26. Nf6+ Kg7 27. Ne4 Ba4 28. Nc3 Bc6 29. Ne5 Rd2+ 30. Re2 Bc5+ 31.
Kf1 Rxe2 32. Nxe2 Bxg2+ 33. Kxg2 Re8 34. Nd7 Rxe2+ 35. Kf3 Re3+ 36. Kf4 Bd4 37.
Rd1 c5 38. b4 Rc3 39. bxc5 Bxc5 $1 40. Nxc5 Rxc4+ 41. Ne4 f5 42. Rd7+ Kh6 0-1

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wedberg, T."]
[Black "Fries Nielsen, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Be3 a6 6. Qd2 (6. g3 {looks a little bizarre now that White has already committed to playing Be3. It looks like
the time is right for} Bg4 $1 {, and after} 7. Qd2 Nc6 8. Bg2 O-O-O 9. h3 Bh5
10. g4 Bg6 11. f4 e6 12. O-O-O Nb4 {
Black has firm control of the blockading square d5.}) 6... b5 (6... Nc6 7.
O-O-O Bf5 8. Nf3 e6 9. Nh4 Bg6 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Bf4 Qd7 12. d5 {gives White
an advantage due to the bishop pair, M.Gongora Reyes-O.Almeida Quintana, Santa
Clara 2005.}) 7. f3 $1 {NOTE: When Black adopts the ...b5 set-up, the key
square for White to control and occupy is e4 so this move is absolutely
instrumental.} Bb7 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. Nge2 e6 10. Ne4 {The most dangerous idea -
White uses the awkward placement of Black's queen to establish a pawn centre.}
({The somewhat slow} 10. O-O {is met by} c5 11. Rad1 {and now:} -- (11... Be7
$2 {blunders a pawn to} 12. dxc5 Qc7 (12... Nxc5 {fails after} 13. Bxb5+) 13.
b4 {, S.Haslinger-C.Hanley, Halifax (rapid) 2003.}) (11... Qc7 $1 12. Bf4 Qb6 {
gives Black complete equality;} ({but} 12... Bd6 $2 {fails to} 13. Bxb5)))
10... Nxe4 11. fxe4 c5 12. c3 Be7 13. O-O (13. e5 {is not possible because of}
Qc6 14. Nf4 Rd8 {with the threat of ...Nxe5 and ...c5-c4.}) 13... O-O (13... f6
{may be the best move, taking preventative action against White's threat of
e4-e5 - a move which in effect cuts the board in two for Black. Although this
position on balance is probably slightly better for White, it is not easy for
him to arrange an attack towards Black's Achilles' heel - the h7-square. Bc2/
Qd3 plans can be met easily by ...c5-c4, and rook lifts leave White's army
somewhat disjointed.}) 14. Rad1 ({After} 14. e5 Qc7 15. Nf4 Rad8 16. Qe2 g6 17.
a4 {White's position is preferable. It is not easy for Black to coordinate his
knight and dark-squared bishop, and furthermore Black's kingside is
particularly vulnerable to an attack on the dark squares.}) 14... cxd4 15. cxd4
e5 16. Bc2 Rad8 17. Ng3 g6 18. Kh1 exd4 19. Bxd4 Ne5 20. Qh6 $1 {Suddenly both
the black queen and the black king become vulnerable, and White's attack
gathers momentum.} f6 21. Bb3+ Kh8 22. Rf4 Qc7 23. Rh4 Bd6 $2 {
A costly mistake.} ({Better is} 23... Bb4 {, when} 24. Bxe5 Rxd1+ 25. Bxd1 fxe5
26. Qxg6 {gives White a material advantage but Black has the bishop pair and
active pieces.}) 24. Bb6 $1 Qe7 25. Bxd8 Rxd8 26. Rf4 Bc5 27. Rff1 Nd3 28. Rd2
Bb4 29. Re2 {Black has generated some counterplay for the material deficit,
but it is insufficient.} Qe5 30. Bd5 $1 Bc8 31. a3 Bf8 32. Qd2 Nc5 33. Qa5 Be7
34. Rc2 Rf8 35. Rfc1 Qd4 36. Qc7 1-0

[Event "Bosnjaci"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rosandic, D."]
[Black "Zelcic, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Be2 a6 ({With 5 Be2 White has no
ambition of immediately chasing the queen away from d6 through the most
logical means (Nge2/Bf4 or g3/Bf4). Furthermore, by delaying Nf3 White
postpones the start of the fight for the e5-square, which is one of
fundamental issues in the 5 Nf3 c6 variation. In view of this, even} 5... c6 {
is entirely viable here. For example,} 6. Bg5 Bf5 7. Qd2 Nbd7 $1 {
(now Black has firm control of the e5-square)} 8. Nf3 e6 ({against} 8... Nb6 {
I think White should play the principled} 9. Ne5 e6 10. g4 $1) 9. O-O Qc7 10.
Nh4 Bg6 11. Rfe1 Bd6 12. g3 {
was only slightly better for White in F.Nijboer-S.Tiviakov, Hilversum 2006.})
6. Bf3 (6. Nf3 Bf5 {was covered under the move order 5 Nf3 a6 6 Be2 Bf5.}) 6...
Nc6 7. Nge2 Bf5 $1 (7... e5 $6 {is dubious: after} 8. Bxc6+ Qxc6 9. dxe5 Ng4
10. O-O {White holds on to the pawn, as} Nxe5 {fails to} 11. Re1 $1 {.}) (7...
e6 {is undesirable, as it leaves Black with a problematic light-squared bishop.
}) ({The best alternative is} 7... Bg4 $5 {
, although this does lead to forcing play:} 8. Bxg4 Nxg4 9. d5 Nce5 10. Bf4 Qb6
11. O-O g5 $1 {
(Black is forced to take active measures in order to untangle the knights)} 12.
Bg3 Bg7 {½-½ D.Baramidze-A.Karpatchev, Kiel 2001.}) 8. Bf4 $1 {
The only move,} ({as after} 8. O-O {Black can seize the initiative:} O-O-O 9.
Bf4 $6 ({or} 9. Be3 e5 $1) 9... e5 $1 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Ng3 (11. Qxd6 Nxf3+ $1)
11... Qb4 12. Qc1 Nxf3+ 13. gxf3 {
and Black has a structural advantage, V.Kupreichik-F.Grafl, German League 2004.
}) 8... Qd7 $1 {Black must maintain pressure on the d4-pawn in order to tie
down White's pieces to its defence.} 9. Qd2 O-O-O 10. Rd1 $6 {White reacts
aggressively, making it clear that the game will develop as an attacking race.
However, the white pieces are not well enough placed to merit this aggression.}
e6 11. a3 h6 $1 {Suddenly the game becomes a race to see who can advance on
the wings first. White must take time out to deal with Black's threat of ...g7-g5-g4 hitting the bishop on f3.} 12. h3 g5 13. Bg3 Bd6 14. Bxd6 Qxd6 15.
Bxc6 Qxc6 16. O-O Ne4 $6 {This is tempting but dubious.} ({I like} 16... Rhg8 {
instead. After} 17. Ng3 ({and} 17. b4 g4 18. h4 Ne4 {
also looks very good for Black}) 17... Bh7 18. b4 h5 {
Black has a very strong attack.}) 17. Nxe4 Bxe4 18. f3 Bf5 19. c3 h5 20. Qxg5
Bxh3 $1 21. Qc5 Qxc5 22. dxc5 {This endgame is equal.} Bf5 23. Nd4 Bg6 24. f4
Rd5 $1 25. b4 h4 26. Kh2 h3 {Black sacrifices a pawn in return for pressure.}
27. gxh3 {In principle weakening the pawn structure is not to be advised, but
in this case White is fine as the weaknesses are easily defended - and a pawn
is a pawn!} Bh5 28. Rde1 Bg4 $1 29. Kg3 $1 Bxh3 30. Rh1 Rdh5 $2 ({
A big mistake;} 30... Rg8+ {is better.}) 31. Re5 $1 Rg8+ 32. Rg5 {This is the
clever point: White forces off a set of rooks which is to his advantage, as
his pieces are more active.} Rhxg5+ 33. fxg5 Bf5 34. Kf4 {
Now the pawn on g5 is invaluable, and White is doing very well here.} Bg6 35.
Ke5 Rd8 36. Kf6 Be4 37. Re1 Bd5 $4 {
Black makes a big mistake, presumably in time trouble.} 38. g6 $4 ({
White could have won with} 38. Kxf7 e5+ 39. Ne6 Kd7 40. Rxe5 {
, attacking the bishop.}) 38... fxg6 39. Kxg6 Rg8+ 40. Kf6 Rg3 {
Now the black rook gets active.} 41. Ke7 $2 ({White should play} 41. Nxe6 {
, although} Bxe6 42. Rxe6 Rxc3 43. a4 Rc4 {is still advantageous for Black.})
41... Rxc3 42. Rg1 e5 43. Rf1 Kb8 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "9. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. -- ({After} 5. Nf3 {, the move}
c6 {is somehow truer to the "Scandinavian" concept of establishing a
favourable Caro-Kann with the e6/c6 pawn formation. As we have seen, the key
feature here is that White can play 6 Ne5 without being hassled by 6...Nc6.
After 6 Ne5 Nbd7 play can become very sharp, especially if White chooses 7 Bf4
and the pawn sacrifice 9 Be2!? (Szabo-Kernazhitsky), although White does have
a safer option in 7 Nc4 (Hossain-Tiviakov). Recently White has been
experimenting with 7 f4, but this doesn't look too convincing. As Kudrin-Stopa
shows, Black must react with 7...Nb6 followed by 8...Nbd5 to exchange the
important c3-knight. It has also become fashionable for Black to delay the
development of his king's knight in order to meet 5 Nf3 with 5...Bg4, but
Sadvakasov-Tiviakov shows that Black has still got a long way to go in this
line.}) ({Despite its early popularity,} 5. Bc4 {does not promise much of an
advantage to White. In Rodriguez Vila-Galego White sacrifices a pawn early in
the opening to gain some play along the g-file. Black can certainly accept
this offer, but in my opinion declining the sacrifice with 6...b5!? is more
than good enough.}) (5. -- {Nay Oo Kyaw Tun-Goh Koong Jong demonstrates how
Black can play in a forcing manner should White handle the opening slowly.
Wedberg-Fries Nielsen sees a much more critical try for White, with Nge2,
f2-f3 and an attempt to gain full control of the e4-square. Finally, in
Rosandic-Zelcic White plays the strange Be2-f3 manoeuvre, but with no real
control over e5 and no threat of d4-d5, Black is able to deal with this in a
straightforward manner.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "10. Third Move Alternatives"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 {This is nicknamed the Banker variation,
although I must admit I am not too sure why. I would guess it's because it's a
move, to put it politely, "that doesn't thrill the soul". By retreating the
queen right back to its original square, Black wishes to secure all the
advantages of extracting 3 Nc3 from White but without exposing his queen to
any form of harassment. The onus shifts to White to prove that this retreat is
not justified.} (3... Qe5+ {is an alternative with another nickname! The
so-called Patzer variation gets its nickname from the saying "Patzer sees a
check, patzer plays a check." Even though this move cannot be refuted, it's
not to be entirely recommended either! For example,} 4. Be2 c6 {
(this is the whole point - Black can still adopt the Scandinavian structure)}
5. Nf3 Qc7 6. d4 Nf6 7. Ne5 {
(this typical reaction is, of course, the most critical against 3...Qe5+)} Bf5
8. Bf4 Qa5 $6 {(with this natural move, Black wastes more time)} 9. O-O e6 (
9... Be6 10. Qd2 g6 11. Rfe1 Qd8 12. d5 $1 Nxd5 13. Nxd5 Bxd5 14. Rad1 Qc8 15.
Qc3 Be6 16. Nxf7 {crushed Black in M.Yarmysty-I.Shkuro, Rodatychi 2006}) 10. g4
{(White can exploit Black's loss of tempo to lash out)} Bg6 11. h4 Nd5 ({or} 
11... Be4 12. Re1 Be7 13. Nxf7 $3 Kxf7 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15. Bc4 {
and Black must return the piece, as} Nf6 {loses to} 16. Qe2) 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13.
c4 Be7 14. Qb3 {and White has an extremely strong initiative.}) 4. d4 ({
White can also play} 4. Nf3 c6 5. Bc4 Bf5 6. d3 {blunting the bishop, but this
is not too dangerous as the black queen - so often a target after 3...Qa5 - is
safely ensconced on d8. A.Cosovic-I.Plivcevic, Neum 2005, continued} e6 7. Bf4
Nf6 8. Qd2 Bd6 9. O-O-O {and since there is no tension in the centre, Black
can act on the queenside with} b5 10. Bb3 a5 {reaching a double-edged position:
White must react to the threat of ...a5-a4 and at the same time create some
counterplay.}) 4... Nf6 (4... g6 {asks too much from the Black position, as
the former World Champion Robert Fischer effectively demonstrated:} 5. Bf4 $1 {
(the idea of this move - followed by 6 Qd2 - is to prevent Black's knight
manoeuvre to f5 via h6)} Bg7 {(by covering e5 Black gets ready to play 6...Nh6)
} 6. Qd2 $1 Nf6 ({after} 6... Qxd4 7. Qxd4 Bxd4 8. Nb5 Bb6 9. Nxc7+ Bxc7 10.
Bxc7 {White has the long-term advantage of the bishop pair and a queenside
pawn majority}) (6... Bxd4 $2 {is even worse for Black after} 7. O-O-O Nc6 8.
Bb5 Bd7 9. Nd5 $1 e5 10. Nf3 {- following} exf4 {White can play the cool} 11.
Qxf4 {threatening both the c7-pawn and the bishop}) 7. O-O-O c6 8. Bh6 O-O $2 (
8... Bxh6 {had to be played}) 9. h4 Qa5 10. h5 $1 {
and Black is practically lost. If} Nxh5 11. Be2 Nf6 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. Qh6+ Kg8
14. g4 $1 {there's the deadly threat of g4-g5.}) 5. Nf3 c6 ({As usual,} 5...
Bg4 6. h3 Bxf3 (6... Bh5 {
allows White to expand on the kingside when he so chooses}) 7. Qxf3 {
gives White a small advantage, although Back's position remains very solid.})
6. Bc4 Bf5 (6... b5 $5 {is a speciality of IM Zdravko Vuckovic. The idea is to
use b7 as an outlet for the light-squared bishop. Given time, Black will play .
..e7-e6, ...Bb7 and ...a7-a6 followed by the freeing ...c6-c5. For example,} 7.
Bb3 (7. Bd3 {may be more in keeping with what the position demands}) 7... e6 8.
Bg5 $1 Be7 {and now:} 9. -- (9. a4 b4 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Ne2 Na6 12. Qd2 h5 13.
O-O-O Nc7 14. Ne1 Nd5 15. Nd3 Qa5 16. f4 f5 17. Ne5 {was A.Shirov-E.Dizdarevic,
Calvia Olympiad 2004. White holds the trump card - the strong knight on e5 -
but the position is still pretty unclear as it is not obvious White should
make progress.}) (9. Ne5 {looks the most logical:} a5 10. a3 O-O 11. O-O Bb7 {
(D.Svetushkin-E.Dizdarevic, Calvia Olympiad 2004)} 12. Qd3 $1 Nbd7 13. f4 h6
14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Ne4 {with an initiative.})) 7. Ne5 $1 {As mentioned
throughout the book, this is White's principled reaction should Black "waste"
more time in the opening. The intention is clear: White wishes not only to
embed a mighty piece in the centre but also to hunt the bishop with g2-g4 and
h2-h4. Players on the White side, take note; players on the Black side, be
warned! This position is covered in Prokopchuk-Lopez-Martinez and
Oral-Paunovic.} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Prokopchuk, E."]
[Black "Lopez Martinez, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Ne5 e6 8. g4
{This position resembles the 7 Ne5 line in Chapter Four, except the queen is
back on its original square. Because the queen is no longer pinning the
c3-knight, White is able to swap off the Scandinavian bishop for this knight.}
Bg6 {In Chapter Four we saw that it was beneficial for Black to provoke h2-h4
as it weakens White's kingside and makes it easier for Black to undermine the
position. The same is true here.} ({After} 8... Be4 {White simply plays} 9.
Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Qf3 Nd6 11. Bb3 {with the advantage.}) 9. h4 Bb4 (9... Nbd7 {
is covered in the next game.}) 10. f3 {
Depriving the bishop of the e4-square is the most ambitious try;} ({although} 
10. h5 {is also playable. For example,} Be4 ({
according to Ponomariov, the tempting} 10... Bxc2 $2 {is a mistake:} 11. Qxc2
Qxd4 12. f4 Ne4 13. Bd2 Qf2+ 14. Kd1 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Ng3 16. Re1 O-O 17. Be3 {
and White is winning}) 11. O-O Bxc3 12. bxc3 b5 $5 13. Bb3 Bd5 14. Ba3 Ne4 {
(Black must play actively, not only to compensate for the weakened dark
squares around his king but in order to exploit the weaknesses surrounding
White's king)} 15. Bxd5 {(T.Ernst-V.Okhotnik, French League 2004) and here}
cxd5 {is more logical than Black's choice of 15...Qxd5. Capturing with the
c-pawn makes the c3-pawn even more prone to attack, and if} 16. Re1 Nd7 17. f3
{Black can safely play} Nxc3 18. Qd2 Qa5 19. Bb2 Nxe5 20. Rxe5 Rc8 {
and the knight is in no danger.}) 10... Nd5 {This is the critical move.} (10...
Bxc2 11. Qxc2 Qxd4 {leads to a very murky position where it is not clear
whether Black has enough compensation for the piece:} 12. -- (12. Qe2 Bxc3+ (
12... b5 $2 {allows} 13. Nxf7 $1) 13. bxc3 Qxc3+ 14. Kf2 Qxa1 {is very unclear.
Black has managed to regain more than his sacrificed material, but his pieces
lack harmony and development. The game T.Huesmann-D.Martinez Pelaez, Donostia
2008, continued} 15. Kg2 Qd4 16. Rd1 Qc5 $2 17. Nxf7 $1 O-O 18. Qxe6 Nbd7 $4 (
18... Na6 {still saves the day}) 19. Ne5+ Kh8 20. Nxd7 Nxd7 21. Rxd7 Rae8 {
and here White won with the stunning} 22. Bb2 $3 {.}) (12. f4 Nbd7 ({or} 12...
Nxg4 13. Nxg4 Qxc4 14. Bd2 {and once White has castled he will stand better})
13. Nxd7 Nxg4 $1 ({
the initiative is in Black's hands and he must keep it at any cost;} 13... Kxd7
{allows White to simplify with} 14. Qd2) 14. Bf1 $1 {
(White must keep this bishop)} Qxd7 15. Be2 h5 16. Bd2 O-O-O 17. Bxg4 hxg4 18.
O-O-O {was C.Lupulescu-V.Barnaure, Romania 2002. Even though Black has three
pawns for the piece, he stands worse, although if he keeps his pieces active
he has chances to hold the game.})) (10... O-O 11. h5 $1 {and only then} Bxc2 {
doesn't work. After} 12. Qxc2 Qxd4 13. f4 $1 Nxg4 14. Nxg4 Qxc4 15. Bd2 {
White's king can reach safety.}) 11. Bxd5 $5 {
White plays forcefully to keep h4-h5 as a threat.} ({
However, I am not sure what Black has against the simple} 11. Bd2 $5 {
for example:} -- (11... Qb6 {is met by} 12. Qe2 {intending} Qxd4 $2 13. Bxd5
cxd5 14. Qb5+) ({, or} 11... Nb6 12. Qe2 Qxd4 13. O-O-O {
and Black's bishop on g6 is in real trouble, as} Nxc4 {loses on the spot to}
14. Bg5 {.}) ({. Finally there's} 11... Bxc3 12. bxc3 f6 {
, but White is comfortably better here.} (12... --))) 11... cxd5 ({After} 11...
Qxd5 12. h5 $1 {Black must sacrifice a piece to remain in the game:} -- (12...
f6 13. hxg6 fxe5 14. Bd2 Qxd4 15. Qe2 h6 16. O-O-O {
gives White a lethal attack along the d-file}) ({, but after} 12... Bxc2 13.
Qxc2 f6 14. Nd3 Qxf3 {Black's compensation isn't convincing.})) (11... exd5 12.
h5 {is clearly bad for Black.}) 12. h5 ({The more restrained} 12. Qe2 {
should be met by} Qa5 13. Bd2 Nc6 14. Nxc6 bxc6 15. O-O-O h5 {
with a very unclear game.}) 12... f6 13. hxg6 (13. Nxg6 $1 {
is a good try for the advantage. After} hxg6 14. Qd3 Bxc3+ 15. bxc3 f5 {
the problem is that not only are the dark squares incredibly weak but there is
also no safe haven for the black king. Following} 16. Rb1 Qd7 17. Bf4 gxh5 18.
gxh5 Nc6 19. Kf2 Kf7 ({in this line} 19... O-O-O {is more dangerous than it
appears, as White gains a vicious attack down the b-file: for example,} 20. a4
Rh7 21. Rb5 b6 22. a5 $1) 20. Rbg1 Rh7 21. Rg5 Rg8 {White will pile up on the
g-file and force Black into complete passivity, C.Carmaciu-G.Ardelean,
Bucharest 2002.}) 13... fxe5 14. gxh7 (14. dxe5 {
looks harmless, and Black is okay after} d4 15. a3 Ba5 16. b4 dxc3 17. Rxh7
Qxd1+ 18. Kxd1 O-O 19. bxa5 Nc6 20. f4 Ne7 {.}) 14... Qe7 (14... Qc7 $1 15. Bd2
Nc6 $1 16. dxe5 O-O-O {
(it is vital for Black to gets his king to safety as quickly as possible)} 17.
Nb5 Qxe5+ 18. Qe2 Bxd2+ 19. Kxd2 Qf4+ 20. Kd1 e5 {
is probably a tad better Black, as White's pieces are very awkwardly placed.})
15. dxe5 Nc6 16. Kf2 $2 {This gives Black counterplay along the f-file.} ({
After} 16. Bd2 Nxe5 17. Qe2 Nc4 18. O-O-O {
the advantage of the h-pawn may begin to tell.}) 16... O-O-O 17. Ne2 Rdf8 18.
Kg2 Qf7 19. f4 g5 $1 20. Nd4 Rxh7 21. Nxc6 bxc6 22. Rxh7 Qxh7 23. Qd3 Qh4 24.
Qg3 (24. Qa6+ $4 Kb8 {leaves White with no defence.}) 24... Qh6 25. fxg5 Qg6
26. Qd3 Qf7 27. Qe2 Qh7 {
Planning a deadly pile-up on the h-file. White wisely secures a repetition.}
28. Qd3 Qf7 29. Qe2 Qh7 30. Qd3 Qf7 1/2-1/2

[Event "Ourense"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Oral, T."]
[Black "Paunovic, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Ne5 c6 7. Bc4 e6 8. g4
Bg6 9. h4 Nbd7 {Challenging the knight on e5 is the more "solid" choice,
although this is only relative to 9...Bb4 - the positions are still wild.
White still hunts the g6-bishop, but the main difference is that Black forces
White to resolve the issue of the e5-knight before embarking on active
operations.} 10. Qe2 {White has a few alternatives here:} (10. f3 {
(preventing ...Be4 and so threatening 11 h5)} Qc7 11. Bf4 $2 Bd6 12. Qd2 O-O
13. h5 $2 {
was C.Philippe-G.Mateuta, St Lorrain 2003, and here Black could have played}
Nxe5 $1 14. dxe5 Bxe5 15. Bxe5 Qxe5+ 16. Kf1 Rad8 17. Qg2 (17. Qf2 h6 18. hxg6
Nxg4 {leaves White's king rather exposed}) 17... Qf4 18. Bb3 Be4 {when he has
avoided losing the bishop and has emerged with the superior position.}) (10.
Nxg6 $2 {simply solves Black's biggest problem - where to hide the g6-bishop!})
(10. Nxd7 {is recommended by Alexander Khalifman and is a solid try for the
advantage. White banks on the bishop pair and the kingside space advantage to
give him a safe and enduring advantage. P.Svidler-M.Adams, Frankfurt 1999,
continued} Qxd7 11. h5 Be4 12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. c3 O-O-O 14. Qe2 Nf6 15. Bd2 {
with an edge for White.}) ({After} 10. h5 {
, the point of 9...Nbd7 is revealed and the resulting endgame following} Nxe5
11. dxe5 Qxd1+ 12. Kxd1 Be4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Be3 O-O-O+ 15. Ke2 Bc5 {is equal.
}) 10... Bb4 11. Bd2 (11. Rh3 {performs some useful horizontal functions. E.Inarkiev-A.Kogan, Moscow 2002, continued} Nb6 12. h5 Be4 13. Bf4 $1 Nxc4 (13...
Qxd4 14. Rd1 Qc5 15. a3 Bxc3+ 16. Rxc3 {gives White compensation}) 14. Nxc4
Bxc2 $6 ({this pawn grab is very risky, and} 14... b5 {is perhaps wiser}) 15.
Be5 $1 Ba4 16. h6 Rg8 17. hxg7 Rxg7 {
and White has very good compensation for the pawn.}) ({After} 11. f3 Nxe5 12.
dxe5 Nd5 13. Bxd5 ({or} 13. Bd2 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Be7 {
simultaneously attacking h4 and c2}) 13... Qxd5 $1 14. h5 {
Black must sacrifice the bishop, but he gets ample compensation:} Bxc2 15. Qxc2
Qxf3 16. Rg1 {(Z.Borosova-I.Plivcevic, Herceg Novi 2005) and here} O-O-O $1 {
would have left White's king stranded in the centre.}) 11... Nxe5 ({After} 
11... Bxc3 12. Bxc3 Be4 13. Rh3 Bd5 14. Bd3 Nxe5 15. Qxe5 Qb8 16. Bb4 Qxe5+ 17.
dxe5 Nxg4 18. Bd6 $1 {(C.Lupulescu-G.Ardelean, Bucharest 2003) White has some
compensation for the pawn: the bishop on d6 is a powerful piece which cripples
Black.}) 12. dxe5 Ne4 $4 {Black gets into trouble after this move.} ({Perhaps} 
12... Nd7 $5 {is better:} 13. h5 (13. O-O-O h5) 13... Bxc2 14. Rc1 Bxc3 15.
Bxc3 Ba4 16. b3 Bb5 17. Bxb5 cxb5 18. Rd1 Qc7 19. Rh3 {was R.Soltanici-G.Ardelean, Bucharest 2003, and here I don't see why Black cannot play} {
I don't see why Black cannot play} O-O-O $1 {with the idea of getting the king
to safety and then re-routing the knight to d5.}) 13. Rd1 $1 Qd4 (13... Nxc3
14. Bxc3 Bxc3+ 15. bxc3 Qa5 16. h5 Qxc3+ 17. Kf1 Bxc2 18. Rc1 {wins.}) 14. h5
O-O-O {Black cannot escape the fact that he must lose a piece.} (14... Nxf2 15.
Qxf2 Qxe5+ 16. Qe3 Qxe3+ 17. Bxe3 Bxc2 18. Rd2 Bxc3 19. bxc3 Be4 {
is another way of giving it up.}) 15. hxg6 Nxc3 16. bxc3 Bxc3 17. Rxh7 Bxd2+
18. Rxd2 Qa1+ {Black gets a couple of spite checks, but that's about all he
can show for the piece.} 19. Qd1 Qxe5+ 20. Kf1 Qf4 21. Rxd8+ Rxd8 22. Bd3 fxg6
23. Rxg7 Qh6 24. Rf7 Qh3+ 25. Ke1 {White's king calmly runs away.} Qh1+ 26. Ke2
Qg2 27. Ke3 $1 Qd5 28. Qf3 Qxa2 29. Rf8 a5 30. Rxd8+ Kxd8 31. Qf6+ Kc7 32. Qxg6
a4 33. Qg7+ Kb6 34. Qd4+ Kc7 35. Qf4+ Kb6 36. Qd4+ Kc7 37. g5 a3 38. g6 Qb1 39.
g7 Qe1+ 40. Be2 Qc1+ 41. Qd2 Qxd2+ 42. Kxd2 a2 43. g8=Q a1=Q 44. Qg3+ Kd7 45.
Qd3+ Kc7 46. Qg3+ Kd7 47. Qd3+ Kc7 48. Qc3 Qg1 49. Qf6 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 3 Nf3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nf3 {Of all the moves I've faced when playing the
Scandinavian, I've always been a bit wary of this one - why? Because White is
aiming for something that the whole 2...Qxd5 Scandinavian is designed to
prevent: a d4/c4 pawn centre. There are two main choices for Black here: he
can grant White the d4/c4 centre or he can play a bit more riskily and meet
the challenge head on.} (3. d4 {is well known to be insufficient:} Nc6 4. Nf3
e5 5. Nc3 ({White gains nothing from} 5. dxe5 Qxd1+ 6. Kxd1 Bg4) 5... Bb4 6.
Bd2 Bxc3 7. Bxc3 e4 8. Ne5 Nxe5 9. dxe5 Ne7 10. Qxd5 Nxd5 11. Ba5 Be6 12. O-O-O
O-O-O {and Black is fine, D.Svetushkin-A.Zajarnyi, Kishnev 2001.}) 3... Bg4 4.
Be2 Nc6 {Both parties have marked out their plans. By developing the knight to
c6 in front of his pawns, Black has committed himself to playing actively with
...0-0-0 and only has the ...e7-e5 pawn break after d2-d4.} ({NOTE: 4...Nc6 is
exciting but can be a difficult line to play. For those with a nervous
disposition there is the more solid (if a little bit more passive)} 4... Nf6 5.
d4 {transposing to the Portuguese Variation (see Chapter Fourteen).}) 5. d4 $1
({Playing passively with} 5. O-O O-O-O 6. d3 {plays into Black's hands. After}
e5 {Black intends ...Nf6 followed by ...e5-e4 removing some of the tension in
the position.}) (5. h3 Bxf3 $1 6. Bxf3 Qe6+ 7. Qe2 (7. Kf1 {was suggested by
Jonathan Rowson but I don't see the problem for Black - it's better for White
to try to nurture his bishop-pair advantage through to the endgame}) 7... Qxe2+
8. Bxe2 O-O-O 9. O-O e5 $1 {
(taking as much space as possible to combat the bishop pair)} 10. d3 Nf6 11.
Nd2 Nd5 12. a3 Be7 13. Nc4 {
was I.Efimov-E.Relange, Nice 1994. Here Black must play for space with} Bf6 {
and then ...g7-g6, ...Bg7 followed by ...f7-f5.}) 5... O-O-O {
Now there are two main moves for White:} 6. -- (6. c4 {
is covered in D'Amore-Prié.}) ({and} 6. Be3 {in Areshchenko-Almond.}) ({
After} 6. Nc3 Qh5 7. O-O Nf6 8. h3 Nxd4 $1 9. Nxd4 Bxe2 10. Ncxe2 e5 11. Be3
Qg6 12. Qe1 exd4 13. Nxd4 Bd6 {Black's chances are not worse.}) *

[Event "European Union Championship, Arvier"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "D'Amore, C."]
[Black "Prie, E."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "116"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Be2 Nc6 5. d4 O-O-O 6. c4 Qf5 7. Be3 Bxf3
$5 {This is very interesting but incredibly sharp, and Black must tread
carefully to maintain the balance.} (7... e5 $5 {is also possible. Black must
continue actively with this pawn break either now or on next move, otherwise
he may find himself in big trouble fighting with no space:} 8. d5 Nf6 9. O-O e4
10. Nd4 (10. Nh4 {leaves the knight misplaced, and after} Qh5 {followed by an
exchange of light-squared bishops the d3-square will be very strong for Black})
10... Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Bd6 12. Nc3 Rhe8 13. c5 $2 Bxh2+ 14. Kxh2 Qh5+ 15. Kg1 Bxe2
16. Nxe2 Ng4 {
with a dangerous attack for Black, M.Bueno Abalo-A.Stefanova, Mondariz 1999.})
(7... Nf6 {has been the main line:} 8. Nbd2 {(indirectly defending the d4-pawn)
} e5 $5 (8... e6 {is too passive, and} 9. a3 Bh5 10. h3 Bg6 11. Rc1 h5 12. b4 {
gave White a fantastic initiative in J.Borisek-V.Nevednichy, Nova Gorica 2007})
9. d5 $1 (9. dxe5 Nxe5 {is fine for Black,}) ({while} 9. Nxe5 $2 {
just loses after} Bxe2 10. Qxe2 Nxd4) 9... Nb4 10. Rc1 $1 Nxa2 (10... e4 $5 {
is a very interesting move; after} 11. Nd4 Qg6 12. O-O Nd3 $1 13. Rc3 Bh3 14.
g3 {Black should probably not take the exchange but instead concentrate on
developing his initiative}) 11. Ra1 Nb4 12. O-O a6 13. Ra4 $1 Nd3 14. Bxd3 Qxd3
15. Qa1 Re8 16. b4 {
and b4-b5 soon came with devastating effect in G.Sax-J.Waitzkin, Pula 1997.})
8. Bxf3 Nxd4 9. Bxd4 (9. Bg4 Nc2+ {is the whole point, and here} 10. Qxc2 Qxg4
11. O-O e6 $1 {is the best. --- Now:} 12. -- ({. Grabbing the pawn with} 12.
Bxa7 $6 {is I guess the acid test. Although the black king becomes more
exposed, the white bishop does get locked in and following and following} b6
13. Qa4 Kb7 14. Nc3 Nf6 15. Rad1 Bc5 $1 {it looks doomed.} (15... --)) (12. Qa4
{is probably wiser. After} a6 13. Nd2 Nf6 14. b4 {Black has the sly move} Rd3 {
intending to meet} 15. b5 {with} Ra3 $1 {.})) 9... Qe6+ 10. Be2 Qe4 11. O-O
Qxd4 12. Qa4 e6 $1 13. Nc3 (13. Rd1 Qxb2 14. Nd2 (14. Nc3 $1 {is an improvement
}) 14... Nf6 (14... Qa3 $1 {is much stronger}) 15. Rab1 Qa3 16. Qb5 Qa6 17.
Qxa6 bxa6 18. c5 {
and after ...Rd4 Black is fine, M.Lyell-D.Calvert, Hastings 2008/09.}) 13...
Bd6 $1 ({
White was a bit better in D.Brandenburg-S.Tiviakov, Hilversum 2008, after} 
13... Qb6 14. Rad1 Rxd1 15. Rxd1 Nf6 16. b4 $1 Bxb4 {(it is too dangerous to
let the pawns march, so Black decides to take the offered material in exchange
for his queen)} 17. Rb1 a5 18. a3 Bxc3 19. Rxb6 cxb6 {
, although here White was content to force a draw with} 20. c5 bxc5 21. Ba6
bxa6 22. Qc6+ Kb8 23. Qb6+ {.}) 14. Nb5 Qe5 15. Nxd6+ ({After} 15. Nxa7+ $4 Kb8
{White loses the bishop on e2.}) 15... cxd6 16. Bf3 Kb8 {Black is a pawn up,
but White has a strong bishop which gives him good compensation. Like in many
games with opposite-side castling, dynamic play is the most important feature.}
17. Rfe1 ({White cannot open files easily with} 17. b4 Ne7 18. b5 {
, as Black can ward off the initiative with} Rc8 19. Rab1 Qc5 20. Rfc1 Qb6 {
(blockading the b5-pawn)} 21. Qb4 Nf5 {(heading for d4)} 22. a4 Qc5 {.}) 17...
Qc5 18. b4 Qc7 (18... Qxc4 $2 {is playing with fire, and} 19. Bxb7 $1 Kxb7 20.
Rac1 Qd5 21. Rc7+ $1 {wins.}) 19. Rac1 Ne7 20. Re3 Qd7 21. Qd1 Rc8 22. c5 Rhd8
23. Rd3 Qc7 24. Qa4 dxc5 25. Rxd8 Rxd8 26. bxc5 Nc6 27. Rb1 Rd4 28. Qc2 {
Black has defended accurately, and all that remains is to grind out the
advantage.} Rh4 29. Bxc6 Qxc6 30. g3 Rh5 31. Qd3 Kc8 32. Qa3 a6 33. Rc1 Rf5 34.
Qc3 f6 35. Qe3 h5 36. h4 Kb8 37. Qd4 Rd5 38. Qe3 Ka7 39. Qa3 g5 40. Qb4 Re5 41.
hxg5 fxg5 42. Qd4 Rd5 43. Qe3 h4 44. g4 Ka8 45. Qc3 e5 46. Qe3 Rd4 47. f3 Rf4
48. Rc3 e4 49. Rc4 Rxf3 50. Qxg5 Qd7 51. Rc1 Qd4+ 52. Kh1 Qd3 53. Qg8+ Ka7 54.
Qb3 Rh3+ 55. Kg2 Rg3+ 56. Kh1 Qd2 57. Qc2 Rh3+ 58. Kg1 Qe3+ 0-1

[Event "Port Erin"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Areshchenko, A."]
[Black "Almond, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Be2 Nc6 5. d4 $1 O-O-O 6. Be3 $5 {
White secures the d4-pawn before challenging the bishop with h2-h3 or the
queen with c2-c4. This is an incredibly sharp line.} e5 $5 (6... Nf6 {
transposes into the Portuguese Variation (see A.Kolev-D.Laylo).}) 7. c4 Qa5+ 8.
Bd2 Bb4 9. d5 Bxf3 (9... e4 {doesn't quite work out after} 10. Ng5 $1 Bxe2 11.
Qxe2 Nd4 12. Qd1 $1 (12. Qxe4 Bxd2+ 13. Nxd2 Nb3 14. Rd1 Nxd2 15. Rxd2 Nf6 {
gives Black great compensation}) 12... Bxd2+ 13. Nxd2 Nh6 14. O-O {
and Black cannot defend the e4-pawn adequately.}) 10. Bxf3 Bxd2+ (10... Nd4 11.
Nc3 -- (11... Qc5 $6 12. Be2 Nf6 13. O-O c6 {was recommended Wahls, but after}
14. Bg5 $1 {Movsesian claims that White is significantly better, and following}
Qa5 15. Bg4+ Kb8 16. Rc1 {Black has a strong knight on d4 but nothing much
else to write home about. S.Movsesian-I.Papaioannou, Bled Olympiad 2002,
continued} h5 17. Bh3 Ne6 18. Qe2 $1 Nxg5 19. Qxe5+ Qc7 20. Qxg5 Bxc3 21. bxc3
cxd5 22. Qxg7 $1 Ng4 23. g3 dxc4 {(Black was forced to take on c4 with the
pawn to keep f7 protected, but now the white bishop moves to the long diagonal
with decisive effect)} 24. Rb1 Ne5 25. Bg2 {and White had a very strong attack.
}) (11... Qa6 $5 {(instead of 11...Qc5) may be Black's option. For example,}
12. Be2 Nf6 13. O-O (13. Bd3 e4 $1) 13... Bxc3 14. Bxc3 Nxe2+ ({after} 14...
Rxd5 $5 15. cxd5 Nxe2+ 16. Kh1 Rd8 17. Re1 Nxc3 18. bxc3 Rxd5 {
Black has two pawns for the exchange so he shouldn't stand worse}) 15. Qxe2
Rxd5 {was fine for Black in F.Cheverry-D.Berges, French League 2001.})) 11.
Nxd2 Nd4 12. O-O Qb4 13. Re1 f6 (13... Nf6 $1 {is the positional approach:} 14.
Qc1 {defending c4 and b2} ({White can't really play} 14. Rxe5 {as} Nxf3+ {
is a little awkward}) 14... Rhe8 15. Bd1 (15. a3 Qd6 16. b4 $6 {
is tempting but wrong:} Nxf3+ 17. Nxf3 e4 18. Nd4 Ng4 {
and Black has seized the initiative}) 15... Kb8 16. a3 Qd6 17. b4 h5 18. Nb3
Nxb3 19. Bxb3 e4 20. c5 Qe5 {and Black will soon follow up with ...Ng4.}) 14.
Qc1 Nh6 15. Bd1 g5 16. Qc3 $1 Qxc3 $2 {This is probably the losing mistake.
Despite initial appearances the endgame is bad for Black: the doubled c-pawns
can advance quickly and effectively, and furthermore the open b-file gives
White tremendous pressure against the b7-pawn.} (16... Qd6 {had to be played,
although the position favours White as Black's attack is pretty cumbersome.})
17. bxc3 Ndf5 18. Ne4 Rhf8 19. Bb3 Ng8 20. c5 Nge7 21. Red1 Ng7 22. Bc4 h6 23.
c6 $1 {This was White's plan when offering to take the position into the
endgame. Now Black is completely lost!} b6 24. Ba6+ Kb8 25. c4 f5 26. Nc3 Ne8
27. a4 {The pawns are marching down the board and Black is simply powerless to
do anything about them.} Nd6 28. a5 e4 29. c5 Ndc8 30. axb6 cxb6 31. Nb5 Rxd5
32. c7+ Ka8 33. Rxd5 Nxd5 34. c6 Nxc7 35. Nxc7+ Kb8 36. Nb5 f4 37. c7+ Ka8 38.
Bxc8 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "10. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. -- ({In this chapter, after} 3. Nc3 {, we've looked
at two variations with nicknames: the Patzer (3...Qe5+) and the Banker (3...
Qd8). White deals with both of these variations in a highly principled way -
occupying the centre with Ne5 followed by a pawn storm on the kingside!
Naturally, the main games in this chapter deal with the more reputable Banker
variation. Theory begins on move nine, where Black has a choice between 9...
Bb4 (Prokopchuk-Lopez-Martinez) and 9...Nbd7 (Oral-Paunovic). However, as the
resulting positions show, the situation is none too pleasant for Black.}) ({
A universal system not to be underestimated is} 3. Nf3 {. The aim is to refute
the basic 2...Qxd5 premise by managing to establish the d4/c4 pawn centre.
Black can react in two ways: the principled ...Bg4 followed by ...Nc6
contesting White's intentions; or ...Nf6, transposing to the Portuguese
Variation and allowing the two-pawn centre (see Chapter Fourteen). Of these
two approaches, the first is preferable. However, the positions become
incredibly wild, and D'Amore-Prié and Areshchenko-Almond show that Black must
proceed in a radical and dynamic manner.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "11. Introduction to 2...Nf6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 {. It is surprising how one move can change the whole
nature of the Scandinavian, and this is certainly true of 2...Nf6. By refusing
to capture the d5-pawn with the queen, Black takes the game into something
Nimzowitsch would call "hypermodern" territory. Rather like in the Grünfeld
and the Alekhine Defences, Black freely allows White to establish a pawn
centre. His aim is to first restrain and then pressure the centre, followed by
a timely pawn break (...e7-e5 or ...c7-c5). --- TIP: When White has chased
away the knight with c2-c4, the pawn break tends to be ...e7-e5. If the knight
is left on d5 then ...c7-c5 becomes the main consideration (as long as White
has not actively prevented it!).} 3. -- {The 2...Nf6 Scandinavian is not so
popular at the highest levels, but it has featured in the opening repertoires
of grandmasters David Bronstein, Bent Larsen, Gata Kamsky and Roman
Dzindzichashvili to name just a few. --- The attraction of 2...Nf6 lies in its
simplicity. The core idea for Black is to place a tremendous amount of
pressure on the d4-pawn. Black hopes that this pressure forces White to either
overextend in the centre, allowing Black to open the position, or to make some
form of positional concession in order to maintain the tension. If White takes
some preventative measures, this often gives Black enough time to achieve his
ideal pawn breaks.} ({
Can White win a Pawn? --- I must point out that White cannot just play} 3. c4 {
and sit back, content in the knowledge that he has won a pawn. Black has two
options available to him: he can play the sharp Icelandic Gambit with} e6 {;} ({
or he can play the more reliable} 3... c6 {. While things are undoubtedly
messy in the Icelandic Gambit, objectively Black probably doesn't have
sufficient compensation for the pawn - although he may have a lot of fun!
Meanwhile, 3...c6 is such a dangerous gambit that White would do best to
reject it and instead transpose to the Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik Attack with}
4. d4 {, although even here Black's chances are acknowledged to be fine.})) (3.
-- {. After much consideration I have decided not to focus on the
Panov-Botvinnik for two reasons. Firstly, space does not permit me to
summarize concisely a complicated system that deserves a book on its own.
Secondly, and more importantly, I don't believe that 3 c4 necessarily gives
White an advantage, and I am of the opinion that either 3 Nf3 or 3 d4 is the
best move. 3 c4 is covered in Chapter Fifteen, along with 3 Bb5+.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Set-up A: fianchetto system"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2q1rk1/ppp1ppbp/1nn3p1/8/2PP2b1/8/PP3PPP/6K1 w - - 0 0"]
[PlyCount "1"]

{Black's Options. --- If White chooses to develop with d2-d4 and Nf3, Black
can choose between two set-ups:} 1. -- {Set-up A: the fianchetto system ---
The diagram shows Set-up A in its purest form (please note that White's c-pawn
may be on c2, in which case the black knight would be on d5). Whenever I look
at this set-up I am always struck by how alike it is to the Grünfeld. However,
there is one fundamental difference: Black is playing for the ...e7-e5 pawn
break rather than ...c7-c5 (as mentioned earlier, ...c7-c5 is traditionally
seen in lines where White refrains from playing c2-c4). --- The ...e7-e5 pawn
break is in fact Black's fundamental aim. All the black pieces are geared for
this purpose and if White for some reason is able to prevent it, Black will be
positionally lost. However, if Black plays accurately then White should not be
able to deal with the pressure on the d4/c4 pawn centre and prevent ...e7-e5.
--- NOTE: White should aim to swap off Black's dark-squared bishop. This
bishop adds vital pressure to the centre, and it is certainly Black's
strongest minor piece. --- This brings me on to an important point: the
attraction of the fianchetto system is the long-term advantage of the bishop
on g7. In endgames this piece has tremendous long-range power. If you combine
this with the possibility of a minority attack on the queenside, it's easy to
see that Black's position has tremendous potential.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Set-up B: ...Bg4 and ...e6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2q1rk1/ppp1bppp/1nn1p3/8/2PP2b1/8/PP3PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]

1. -- {The current diagram shows the set-up that Black is aiming for (again
please bear in mind that the black knight may be on d5 and the white pawn on
c2). --- Set-up B is somewhat more solid than Set-up A, primarily because
Black restrains the centre not just with pieces but with the e6-pawn as well.
Black is banking on easy development and long-term pressure on d4, and if
allowed he will play ...Be7-f6, ...Qd8-e7 and a rook to d8. Black's position
is very solid and not easy to refute. However, there is one weakness in
Black's position which White may choose to play on, and this is that the
knight on b6 is out of play. --- There is a third set-up for Black, in which
he doesn't even bother to recapture the pawn and instead concentrates on
developing his pieces at maximum speed, and this leads us to the following
topic:} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A Potential Problem with 3 d4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[SourceDate "2011.06.12"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. -- ({A possible problem with} 3. d4 {
is that it allows Black to play the Portuguese Variation,} Bg4 {, which was
popularized by Portuguese GM Luis Galego and IM Rui Damaso. This fiery little
move is a true gambit in every sense of the word. Black is not bothered with
material; all he is interested in is active piece play and pressure along the
open e-file.}) ({
However, a major practical problem for Black is that White can play} 3. Nf3 {
followed by 4 d4, rather than the other way round. This is a well-known
move-order trick White can use to bypass the Portuguese Variation; not
necessarily because it is dangerous, but because choosing 3 Nf3 avoids the
hassle of having to memorize an antidote to 3 d4 Bg4. The Portuguese Variation
and the 3 Nf3 antidote are covered in Chapter Fourteen.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nf3 before Nc3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{Should Black decide after 3 d4 that the Portuguese Variation is not for him,
and he goes into the main lines with 3...Nxd5, there is one point that both
sides should be very much aware of:} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. c4 Nb6
(4... Nb4 {is a move for blitz or if you are looking for a quick victory
against a beginner; Black threatens 5...Qxd4 but after} 5. a3 {
the black knight must hop back.}) 5. -- {and now:} ({
It is incredibly important that White plays} 5. Nf3 $1) ({as} 5. Nc3 {allows}
e5 $1 {.This is known to be fine for Black: for example,} 6. dxe5 Qxd1+ 7. Nxd1
Nc6 8. f4 Be6 9. b3 O-O-O 10. Ne3 Bc5 11. a3 Rhe8 12. Nf3 f6 13. Be2 fxe5 14.
fxe5 Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Bd4 {and Black had the superior position in the famous game
K.Treybal-E.Bogoljubow, Bad Pistyan 1922.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "12. Fianchetto Variation"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 {. The fianchetto is currently the
most popular set-up in the 2...Nf6 Scandinavian. As mentioned in the previous
chapter, Black's plan is fairly straightforward. Everything is focused on
restraining the white centre and then breaking with ...e7-e5 or ...c7-c5 at
the right moment.} 5. -- {White has several different methods of dealing with
Black's set-up, and they can be split into two categories. White can advance
with an early c2-c4, or he can play more solidly by leaving the pawn on c2 and
maintaining the option of c2-c3. We will look at each of these in turn.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 5 c4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "14"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 5. c4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 {. This is by
far the most popular and principled continuation. Not only does White kick
back the well-placed knight but he also stakes a big claim for the centre.
However White decides to continue the game, his play is normally based on one
or many of the following factors: -- a) depriving Black of space (c4-c5
systems) -- b) depriving Black of the ...e7-e5 pawn break and adequate
counterplay (c4-c5 and the old main line); -- and c) depriving Black's
light-squared bishop of a good square. This is usually achieved either by
denying it the g4-square or by tying it down to the defence of the b7-pawn.
--- The Aggressive} 7. c5 -- {This is the most aggressive answer to the
Fianchetto Variation. It's the scariest line for Black to face, and a
near-refutation of 4...g6. Since it has been recommended by Alexander
Khalifman in his Opening for White according to Anand series, 7 c5 has
increased in popularity.} (7... -- {At first sight this pawn advance seems
very strange - White not only concedes the d5-square but chases the knight
back to the centre! However, White's logic is based on some deep ideas: -- 1)
White compromises his pawn structure but in return gains considerable piece
activity. In addition, Black's queenside is suffering from a case of
overpopulation. -- 2) White intends to tie up Black's forces to the defence of
the knight on d5. If we look at the position a little further, we see that
Black cannot develop the bishop to e6 without worrying about a knight jump to
g5; nor can he develop the b8-knight to d7 without first resolving the issue
of the knight on d5. -- 3) White wishes to use his active pieces to target
three "soft" points in Black's position: the e7-pawn, which will come under
heavy pressure down the half-open e-file; the f7-pawn; and the b7-pawn.
White's aim is to place insurmountable pressure along the a2-g8 diagonal and
down the e-file.}) (7... -- {There are three main defensive tries: -- 1) Black
can support the strong knight on d5 with ...c7-c6, and aim to break White's
bind with ...b7-b6 or ...b7-b5. -- 2) Black can liquidate into an endgame very
quickly by playing ...Be6. This is very much a drawing attempt, with Black
accepting a slightly worse position. -- 3) Black can exchange knights with a
quick ...Nxc3, followed by breaking the pawn chain with ...b7-b6.}) *

[Event "World Mind Sports, Beijing (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Greet, A."]
[Black "Stefansson, H."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "146"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 5. c4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 ({
WARNING: Combining systems with} 6... Bg4 {
is not to be recommended, on account of} 7. c5 $1 Nd5 8. Qb3 {
when Black already has problems. P.Svidler-F.Berend, Vilnius 1995, continued}
Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxf3 10. gxf3 b6 11. Bc4 e6 {, and here} 12. d5 $1 {looks strong.}
) 7. c5 Nd5 (7... N6d7 {is just far too passive - Black will not be developing
his pieces in a hurry after this.}) 8. Bc4 c6 (8... Nxc3 {
is covered in the next game.}) 9. O-O $1 {
An important move - White gets ready to create pressure down the e-file.} (9.
Qb3 {is not the best move, as Black can gambit a pawn with} O-O $1 {
. It is simply too risky for White to accept, as after} 10. Nxd5 cxd5 11. Bxd5
Nc6 {he is in an awkward position: Black threatens both 12...Na5 and 12...Nxd4,
and following} 12. Bd2 Bg4 $5 {White must either return the pawn or give up
the bishop pair, when the extra d4-pawn doesn't count for anything.}) 9... O-O
(9... Be6 $5 {is interesting, but probably only enough to offer chances for a
draw. Black has the following idea in mind:} 10. Ng5 Nxc3 11. Nxe6 Nxd1 $1 12.
Nxd8 Nxb2 $1 13. Bxb2 Kxd8 14. Bxf7 Na6 $5 15. Rab1 Rf8 16. Bc4 Nc7 17. Rfe1
Bf6 18. Re3 b5 {(I.Saric-J.Tomczak, Szeged 2008) and after} 19. Bb3 a5 20. Rh3
Rh8 {Black's position is a tough nut to crack.}) 10. Re1 {White's plan is
simply to place as much pressure on e7 and d5 as possible, in the process
extracting further concessions from Black.} ({I don't like} 10. Qb3 {as much, primarily because it allows Black to relieve the pressure on the queenside with}
Nxc3 11. bxc3 b5 {, and after} 12. cxb6 axb6 13. Re1 Ba6 {
Black gets some activity.}) 10... Nxc3 {Alternatively:} (10... b6 11. Bg5 $1 {
induces further weaknesses:} f6 (11... Re8 {fails to} 12. Qb3 Be6 13. Nxd5 cxd5
14. Bb5 $1 {forcing Black back, and after} Rf8 15. cxb6 axb6 16. Qb4 Ra7 17. a4
{White's position is overwhelming}) ({, while} 11... Be6 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. Bxe7
Qxe7 14. Bxd5 {is a neat trick, and} Na6 15. Bxa8 Rxa8 16. d5 Rd8 17. Qe2 {
is much better for White - Emms}) ({finally, White also has a clear plus after
} 11... Bf6 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. Bxf6 exf6 14. Bb5) 12. Bd2 bxc5 13. Qb3 e6 14.
dxc5 {and Black's pieces are stuck on the back rank whereas White's are simply
dominating, A.Hauchard-P.Aveline, Cappelle la Grande 2003.}) (10... Bg4 11. Bg5
$1 f6 ({if} 11... Re8 12. Qb3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 {and White is winning - it is
irrelevant that he has weakened his own kingside, as Black hasn't developed
many of his pieces}) 12. Bd2 Bc8 13. Qb3 e6 14. Nxd5 exd5 15. Bd3 b6 16. Bf4 {
(Khalifman). Black's lack of development and his bad bishop on g7 make this
position very bad for him.}) (10... Be6 11. Qb3 $1 b6 {
was J.Houska-A.Muzychuk, Gothenburg 2005, and here I should have played} 12.
Ng5 $1 {. The reply I was afraid of was} b5 (12... Bxd4 $2 {loses to} 13. Rxe6
$1 fxe6 14. Nxe6 Bxf2+ 15. Kh1) {but I had missed the stunning} 13. Bxb5 $3 {
. White must sacrifice an exchange but his position is wonderful after} Nc7 (
13... cxb5 14. Nxe6 fxe6 15. Rxe6 {and White regains the piece since} Nxc3 {
loses to} 16. Rd6+ $1) ({, or} 13... Nxc3 14. Nxe6 fxe6 15. bxc3 cxb5 16. Rxe6
Kh8 17. Bg5 Bf6 18. Bxf6+ Rxf6 19. Rxf6 exf6 20. Qxb5 {
when Black's extra piece is no match for the passed pawns}) 14. Nxe6 Nxe6 15.
Rxe6 fxe6 16. Be2 Bxd4 17. Be3 Bxe3 18. Qxe6+ Kh8 19. Qe5+ Rf6 20. Qxe3 {
. Note that Black cannot play} Nd7 {, as} 21. Rd1 Qe8 22. Qd4 {wins.}) (10...
h6 {prevents Bg5, but after} 11. Ne5 $1 e6 12. Ne4 {
the d6-square is an inviting outpost.}) 11. bxc3 b5 12. Bb3 Bg4 13. Bg5 {
Accurate play by Andrew Greet, zooming in on the weak e7 point.} Bf6 14. Bxf6 {
Andrew chooses the "no-risk" approach,} ({but} 14. Bh6 Re8 ({or} 14... Bg7 15.
Bxg7 Kxg7 16. a4 Nd7 17. axb5 cxb5 18. h3) 15. h3 Bc8 16. a4 {
is also dismal for Black.}) 14... exf6 15. h3 Bf5 16. a4 a5 {White has a
devastating position, although from here he begins to lose the thread a little.
} 17. Qe2 bxa4 18. Rxa4 Qc7 19. Qe7 Nd7 20. g4 Bd3 21. Re3 Bb5 22. Ra1 a4 23.
Ba2 Kg7 24. Qd6 $2 (24. Be6 {is crushing: for example,} Ra7 (24... Rad8 25. c4
{wins}) 25. c4 Ba6 26. Qxd7 Qxd7 27. Bxd7 Rxd7 28. Rxa4 {is an easy win.})
24... Qxd6 25. cxd6 Nb6 26. Nd2 Nd5 27. Rf3 Be2 28. Rg3 Nf4 29. Kh2 Rab8 30.
Bc4 Rb2 31. Bxe2 Nxe2 32. Rd3 Nf4 33. Rf3 Nxh3 34. Kxh3 Rxd2 35. Rxa4 Rd8 36.
Kg3 Rxd6 37. Re3 {Due to White's inaccurate play, his advantage has petered
out and it should be a draw, although when there are four rooks on the board
the position is always dangerous.} Rd7 38. Rc4 Rc7 39. Rc5 Kf8 40. Re1 Ra2 41.
f3 Ra6 42. Rh1 Kg7 43. Rb1 Rd7 44. Re1 Rd5 45. Rxd5 cxd5 46. Rb1 Rc6 47. Rb5
Rxc3 48. Rxd5 Ra3 49. Rd8 Rd3 50. Kf4 g5+ 51. Ke4 Ra3 52. d5 Ra4+ 53. Ke3 f5
54. gxf5 Kf6 55. d6 Ra6 56. Ke4 h5 57. d7 Ra4+ 58. Kd5 Ke7 59. Rf8 Kxd7 60.
Rxf7+ Ke8 61. Rh7 Ra5+ 62. Ke6 Ra6+ 63. Ke5 h4 64. f6 Ra3 65. Ke6 Ra6+ $4 ({
A big blunder:} 65... Re3+ 66. Kf5 Rxf3+ 67. Kxg5 {is an easy draw.}) 66. Kf5
Ra3 67. Kg6 Rxf3 68. Rh8+ Kd7 69. f7 h3 70. f8=Q Rxf8 71. Rxf8 g4 72. Rh8 Ke6
73. Kg5 Kd5 {
Although this was a rapidplay game, the opening is very instructive.} 1-0

[Event "Andorra"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1999.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nataf, I."]
[Black "Galego, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "1999.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 5. c4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. c5 $5 Nd5 8.
Bc4 Nxc3 9. bxc3 {Black can try to break White's pawn formation in two ways:
by challenging the c5-pawn with ...b7-b6, or by playing ...Nc6 and then ...
e7-e5.} O-O 10. O-O (10. h4 $5 {, as John Emms points out, looks very scary,
but Black should be able to hold the position. A critical line runs} Bg4 $1 ({
Black doesn't want to allow White an easy attack along the h-file, but} 10...
h5 {conceding the g5-square is not advisable}) 11. h5 Bxh5 12. Rxh5 gxh5 {
. White's attack may only lead to a draw, even though} 13. Ng5 {
looks menacing. After} h6 14. Nxf7 Rxf7 15. Bxf7+ Kxf7 16. Qxh5+ Kg8 17. Bxh6
Bxh6 18. Qxh6 Nd7 {White can take a perpetual check or play on with} 19. O-O-O
Nf6 20. Qg6+ Kf8 21. Rh1 {, but Black can defend here with} Qd5 {
reaching a complicated position.}) 10... b6 {
This doesn't solve all of Black's problems, but I think it is the best move.} (
10... Nc6 {is the main alternative, and the main line here is} 11. Re1 $1 Bg4
12. Bg5 $1 {It is difficult for Black to simply defend the e7-pawn with the
rook, as this in turn makes f7 vulnerable. Therefore Black is obliged to make
some positional concessions (remember, pawns cannot move backwards!). Now:} --
(12... Qd7 13. h3 $1 (13. d5 {is bad due to} Na5 $1 14. Rxe7 Qf5) 13... Bxf3
14. Qxf3 e5 ({or} 14... e6 15. Rab1 Rab8 16. h4 h6 17. Bf6 {
and White has a clear plus - Khalifman}) 15. Rad1 $1 {
and White has the advantage of the bishop pair and firm control of the centre.}
) (12... h6 13. Bh4 g5 {
takes direct action to break the uncomfortable pressure on e7:} 14. Bg3 e5 (
14... e6 {is passive, and} 15. Qe2 Na5 16. Bd3 b6 17. Rad1 Qe7 18. cxb6 axb6
19. h3 Bh5 20. Be5 {
is better for White, D.Arngrimsson-T.Thorhallsson, Reykjavik 2007}) ({
White also has the advantage after} 14... b6 15. h3 Bh5 16. Be2 bxc5 17. Qa4
Nb8 18. Rad1 {, as indicated by Emms and De Firmian - after Be5 it will be
difficult for Black to develop his knight}) 15. d5 $1 {
(this natural advance destroys the coordination between Black's pieces)} Na5
16. Bf1 $1 c6 {was played in D.Lima-E.Scarella, Buenos Aires 2005. 16...c6
allows White to establish a powerful-looking passed pawn. Black's logic behind
such an unusual move is to freeze the g3-bishop out of the game by forming a
dark-square pawn blockade with g5/f6/e5. It is for this reason that White
cannot leave the knight on f3 unguarded. Black wishes to regroup his pieces to
undermine White's powerful d6- and c5-pawns. Although ambitious, this plan is
incredibly risky. The game continued} 17. d6 f6 $1 18. h3 Bd7 (18... Bh5 $5 {
also deserves attention; for instance} 19. Be2 b6 20. Qd3 Bf7 21. Qf5 Re8) 19.
h4 {(trying to weaken Black's kingside)} b6 $1 {. As GM Michael Roiz points
out, it's important to liberate the knight as soon as possible. Overall White
has the better chances because of the weak light squares around the black king.
However, White's dark-squared bishop remains restricted and the position is
very complicated.})) 11. Re1 $1 {White concentrates on developing his
initiative along the e-file rather than worrying about pawn structure.} Bb7 ({
Black must tread carefully.} 11... Nd7 12. Bg5 Nf6 13. Ne5 bxc5 14. Qf3 Be6 15.
Nc6 Qd6 {was Zhang Zhong-G.West, Sydney 1999, and here} 16. Bf4 Qd7 17. d5 Bg4
18. Nxe7+ Qxe7 19. Rxe7 Bxf3 20. gxf3 {
would give White an unquestionable edge, as indicated by John Emms.}) 12. Bg5
$1 Bf6 {The only move.} 13. Bxf6 (13. Bh6 $5 Re8 14. Qe2 {
threatening Bxf7+ is also very interesting. For example,} e6 15. Ne5 {
(threatening Nxf7)} Bd5 16. Bb5 c6 17. Bd3 Nd7 18. c4 bxc5 19. Rab1 ({after} 
19. cxd5 exd5 {Black is only slightly worse}) 19... cxd4 20. Nxd7 Qxd7 21. cxd5
exd5 22. Qc2 {is the best way for White to obtain a piece for three pawns.})
13... exf6 14. d5 $5 {True to his typical attacking style, Igor Nataf is
prepared to sacrifice a pawn in order to prevent Black from developing his
pieces.} bxc5 15. Rb1 Bc8 16. d6 $1 Nc6 $2 {Black "loses" two pieces for a
rook and two pawns, but don't be fooled by the material equality. White's two
pieces will be superior, and furthermore one of the extra pawns is doubled and
virtually useless.} (16... Bf5 $1 {saves Black, and} 17. Rb7 Qxd6 18. Qxd6 cxd6
19. Ree7 Nc6 20. Rxf7 Rxf7 21. Rxf7 d5 $1 22. Bxd5 Rd8 23. Rd7+ Kf8 24. Rxd8+
Nxd8 {reaches a completely equal ending.}) 17. Qd5 $1 Qxd6 ({
Black loses material after} 17... Qd7 18. Bb5 Bb7 19. Ba4 $1 {.}) 18. Qxd6 cxd6
19. Bd5 Bd7 20. Rb7 Rad8 21. Rxd7 Rxd7 22. Bxc6 Rc7 23. Bd5 Rb8 24. h4 $5 Rb2
25. Rd1 $3 {A key move, overprotecting the bishop while at the same time
planning to target the d6-pawn.} Rc2 (25... Re7 $1 {is the best try, and} 26.
Nd2 $1 f5 $1 27. a4 Rc2 {should be okay for Black.}) 26. Nd2 $1 f5 27. Bb3 $1
Rxc3 28. Nb1 Rxb3 29. axb3 Rb7 $2 ({After} 29... c4 30. Rc1 $5 d5 31. Kf1 Kf8
32. Na3 a5 33. bxc4 dxc4 34. Nxc4 a4 35. Ke2 {White is winning.}) 30. Nd2 $1 d5
31. Nf3 $1 d4 $2 {Now White can safely blockade the black pawns and the extra
piece soon begins to tell.} 32. Rc1 Rb5 33. Nd2 $1 Kf8 34. Ra1 $1 a5 35. Kf1
Ke7 36. Ke2 Ke6 37. Kd3 Kd5 38. Kc2 $1 h5 39. Nc4 Rb8 40. Rxa5 Re8 41. Kd3 Rb8
42. Nd2 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Old Main Line"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 5. c4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 {. Maintaining
the centre with the d4/c4 pawn front is one of the most logical plans for
White. This pawn front contains a lot of potential energy. Not only does it
control all those important central squares, but it also acts as a clamp on
the black pieces. --- Having obtained this pawn structure rather easily White
now takes steps to protect it, by aiming to squash any Black counterplay or by
advancing one of the pawns when it can be adequately supported.} 7. -- {
As far as Black is concerned, playing with the pieces in front of the pawns
carries great risk, so he must play as actively and purposefully as possible.
He must stay focused on his plans of restraining, pressurizing and breaking
the centre. Most importantly, he must not drift and start playing random
moves! Everything should be geared towards a pawn break (usually...e7-e5, but
sometimes ...c7-c5), or pressurizing the d4-pawn with ...Bg4. White has two
main options to counter these ideas: h2-h3 preventing ...Bg4, or logical play
with Be2 and Be3. --- TIP: Exchanging minor pieces is usually a good idea for
Black (not the dark-squared bishop, though!).} *

[Event "Kapuskasing"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2003.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jonkman, H."]
[Black "Krnan, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2003.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 5. c4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. h3 {
White prevents Black from playing the key move ...Bg4, but this allows Black
to crash through in the centre with ...e7-e5.} O-O 8. Be3 Nc6 9. Qd2 $1 {
The best move - White must already confront Black's idea of ...e7-e5.} (9. Be2
{is unwise. After} e5 $1 10. d5 Ne7 {, the only good move is} 11. g4 $1 ({as} 
11. O-O {allows Black to play} h6 {followed by ...Nf5 or ...f7-f5.})) 9... e5 {
The most principled continuation.} 10. d5 Na5 $5 {This allows Black to play ...f7-f5 without any problems. However, the knight on a5 is seriously misplaced
and it may be problematic to get it back into play.} (10... Ne7 $5 {
is positionally the best move, but it does allow White to play} 11. g4 $1 {
. It is clear from the pawn structures that the position will become very
sharp. The kings are headed for opposite-side castling so it becomes important
for both sides to disturb each other's intentions:} -- ({. The pawn sacrifice} 
11... e4 {leads to a very complicated game, although I think that White has
the upper hand:} 12. Nxe4 f5 13. Nc5 ({
opening lines against your own king is never a good idea, and} 13. gxf5 {
is simply too risky for White: for example,} Nxf5 14. O-O-O Qe8 15. Neg5 Nxe3
16. fxe3 h6 {and Black wins}) 13... fxg4 14. Ng5 $1 g3 $3 {
(a magnificent try, although it's not clear whether it works)} 15. fxg3 Rxf1+ {
(this is the point - Black removes the defender of the c4-pawn)} 16. Rxf1 Nxc4
17. Qe2 Nxe3 18. Qxe3 Nf5 $1 {and the position is very unclear.}) (11... f5 12.
O-O-O e4 ({the tempting} 12... fxg4 {does not work so well after} 13. Ng5 {
with the threat of c4-c5}) 13. Ng5 h6 14. Ne6 Bxe6 15. dxe6 Qxd2+ 16. Bxd2 {
with a preferable endgame for White: not only does he have the bishop pair and
- for the moment - control of the d-file, but Black's b6-knight is misplaced.})
) 11. b3 e4 ({Against} 11... f5 $5 {:} 12. -- ({, John Emms considers} 12. Bh6
{to be the most logical, as it removes a defender from Black's already
weakened kingside, and after} e4 13. Bxg7 Kxg7 14. Nd4 c5 15. Nc2 Nd7 {
the position is very double-edged.}) ({. However,} 12. Bg5 $5 {
might be better. For example,} Qd7 $1 ({after} 12... Bf6 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. c5 {
Black has big problems with his knight stranded on a5}) 13. Rd1 $1 {
overprotecting the d-pawn without exposing the king too much} (13. c5 $5 e4 14.
Nh4 Nxd5 15. Nxd5 Bxa1 16. Qxa5 c6 {is less clear}) ({
while I fear that the dark squares around White's king may become exposed after
} 13. O-O-O) 13... Re8 {(Black gets ready with some potential ...e5-e4-e3
strikes; White should concentrate on completing his development in the
knowledge that the knight on a5 is a sitting duck)} 14. Be2 e4 15. Nd4 c6 16.
O-O $1 {and White is slowly building up his advantage. Here} cxd5 17. cxd5 Nxd5
18. Bb5 {wins.}) ({. NOTE: White should bear in mind that the over-excitable} 
12. c5 {does not win material, due to} f4 $1 {.})) 12. Nd4 f5 (12... c6 $1 {
is the best move.} 13. -- (13. dxc6 {
resolves the tension far too easily and doesn't give Black any problems:} Nxc6
14. Rd1 (14. Nxc6 Qxd2+ 15. Kxd2 bxc6 {is level}) 14... Qe7 ({Black should not
be in a hurry to exchange pieces, as in the resulting endgame White has the
queenside pawn majority and Black's pieces are somewhat misplaced - after} 
14... Nxd4 15. Bxd4 Bxd4 16. Qxd4 Qxd4 17. Rxd4 {
it is not easy to defend the e4-pawn in a satisfactory manner}) 15. g3 Be6 {
and Black has a good position: he has nice play along the d-file and his
pieces are actively placed.}) (13. Rd1 {is the most uncompromising answer to
12...c6, although Black doesn't seem to have too many problems after} cxd5 14.
Ncb5 Nc6 15. Be2 dxc4 16. bxc4 Ne5 {.})) ({On the other hand,} 12... c5 {
has not worked out too well for Black. It may kick back the white knight on d4,
but Black is not challenging White's pawn structure so consequently White has
the easier game. For example,} 13. Nc2 Nd7 14. Nxe4 {(White sacrifices the
exchange for a pawn and an initiative on the dark squares)} Bxa1 15. Nxa1 b6
16. Nc2 Nb7 17. Be2 Re8 18. Nc3 Nd6 19. g4 {
with long-lasting compensation, K.Aseev-P.Svidler, St Petersburg 1996.}) 13. g3
$1 {
This is by far the best move, and I couldn't find a decent response for Black.}
(13. Nce2 {has led to some wild games where Black gets the initiative after} c5
$1 14. Qxa5 f4 $1 15. Qxc5 fxe3 16. fxe3 Qg5 {.}) (13. Bg5 Qe8 14. O-O-O c5 $1
15. Nde2 Naxc4 16. bxc4 Nxc4 17. Qc2 Ne5 $1 18. d6 $1 c4 ({after} 18... Nd3+ $2
19. Rxd3 exd3 20. Qxd3 {White retains the better chances due to the strength
of the d-pawn and Black's lack of mobile pieces, A.Grischuk-V.Malakhov,
Lausanne 2000}) 19. Nf4 Nd3+ 20. Bxd3 exd3 21. Qa4 $1 {
was D.Gumula-J.Tomczak, Koszalin 2005, and here} Qxa4 $1 22. Nxa4 Be5 23. Nb2
Bd7 $5 24. Nd5 b5 {would reach an unclear position.}) 13... c5 14. Nde2 Nd7 $6
{This gives White time to consolidate his position.} ({As the game turned out
very badly for Black, perhaps he needs to consider radical means to disrupt
White's position. For example, after} 14... Nbxc4 15. bxc4 Nxc4 16. Qc2 Qa5 17.
Bg2 Nxe3 18. fxe3 b5 19. Rc1 b4 20. Qa4 Qb6 21. Nd1 Ba6 {
Black has some play for the piece.}) 15. Bg2 Ne5 16. O-O b6 17. Rad1 Nb7 (17...
a6 18. Nf4 Qd6 {looks the most solid. But as Nimzowitsch once remarked, the
queen is a poor blockader because when attacked she must move!}) 18. d6 $1 {
This is the critical move - White does not let Black establish the perfect
blockade. The rest of the game features exemplary play by Harmen Jonkman.} Be6
19. Nb5 Qd7 20. Bg5 Nd3 21. Nf4 Nxf4 22. Qxf4 Nd8 23. f3 Nc6 24. fxe4 Nd4 25.
Nxd4 Bxd4+ 26. Rxd4 cxd4 27. e5 Rac8 28. Qxd4 Rc5 29. Bd5 Re8 30. b4 Rcc8 31.
c5 bxc5 32. bxc5 Kf7 33. g4 Kg8 34. gxf5 gxf5 35. Bf6 Bxd5 36. Qxd5+ Re6 37.
Kh2 1-0

[Event "Balaguer"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Baches Garcia, G."]
[Black "Mirzoev, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 5. c4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be2 {
White does not bother taking the time out to prevent ...Bg4.} O-O 8. O-O Nc6 ({
Black can also play the immediate} 8... Bg4 {and now:} 9. -- (9. c5 Nd5 10. h3
Bxf3 11. Bxf3 e6 12. Re1 $1 ({trying to exploit the weak d5- and b7- pawns
backfired spectacularly on White in P.Nielsen-E.Maljutin, Forli 1992:} 12. Nxd5
exd5 13. Qb3 Nc6 $1 14. Qxb7 Nxd4 15. Qxd5 Qxd5 16. Bxd5 Rab8 17. Rb1 $2 {
- White must return the material -} Ne2+ 18. Kh1 Nc3 {and Black soon won})
12... Nc6 13. Nxd5 exd5 14. Be3 Qd7 15. Qd2 {and White has only a very slight
advantage, P.Nunn-J.Houska, British League 1996. White's bishop is tied down
to the defence of the d4-pawn, and here Black should play} a5 {
to prevent White from achieving positional dominance on the queenside.}) (9. h3
Bxf3 $1 10. Bxf3 Nc6 11. c5 Nc4 12. Be2 ({if} 12. Bxc6 bxc6 13. Ne2 e5 14. Qa4
{, Black has the nice idea} exd4 $1 15. Qxc4 d3 {
and ...d3-d2 winning back the piece}) 12... N4a5 13. d5 Nd4 14. Bd3 b6 15. c6
e6 {and White's position was over-extended in J.Gdanski-J.Tomczak, Warsaw 2006.
--- NOTE: When Black plays ...Bg4 in conjunction with a kingside fianchetto,
he must exchange the bishop in order to continue exerting pressure on the d4/
c4 pawn front.})) 9. Be3 (9. d5 {is covered in the next game.}) 9... Bg4 $1 10.
d5 (10. c5 {doesn't make too much sense, and} Nd5 11. Qb3 Nxe3 12. fxe3 Bh6 $1
{increases the pressure on White's centre.}) ({
Trying to maintain the tension with} 10. b3 {works in Black's favour after}
Bxf3 11. Bxf3 Nxd4 12. Bxb7 Rb8 {. For example,} 13. Be4 c5 ({
the most popular move, but John Emms's suggestion of} 13... f5 $1 {
looks promising}) 14. Rc1 e6 15. f4 Qe7 16. Qe1 Rbd8 {
gave Black easy equality in D.Moskovic-J.Rogers, British League 2008.}) 10...
Bxf3 11. Bxf3 (11. gxf3 $5 {is more dangerous than it appears. It was first
played against me by a young Luke McShane, and I remember being crushed in
that game. 11...Na5! is a very important move, as White must not be given a
tempo to transfer his bishop to the kingside so easily via f3-f4 and Be2-f3.}
-- ({. For example,} 11... Ne5 $2 12. c5 Nc8 $2 (12... Nbc4 13. Bc1 {was the move I was afraid of - it goes to show that Black's knight is not necessarily
better placed on e5}) 13. f4 Nd7 14. Bf3 {
was good for White in G.Lee-J.Houska, British Championship 1997.}) ({. After} 
11... Na5 $1 {, K.Janetschek-B.Larsen, Copenhagen 1977, continued} 12. c5 Nbc4
13. Bf4 (13. Qc2 Nxe3 14. fxe3 e6 {is also good for Black, because against} 15.
b4 {there's the strong reply} Qg5+ 16. Kh1 Qxe3 {hitting the knight}) 13... e6
$1 {(Black should seek to break up the restrictive white centre pawns)} 14.
dxe6 fxe6 15. Qxd8 Raxd8 16. Bxc7 Rd2 {with a very pleasant ending for Black.})
) 11... Ne5 $1 12. c5 Nxf3+ {This move, although viable, is somewhat
beneficial for White as the exchange of minor pieces frees his queen's
movement.} (12... Nbc4 {is safer, and after} 13. Bc1 c6 $1 14. Be2 cxd5 15.
Nxd5 e6 16. Ne3 Nxe3 17. Bxe3 Qc7 {
a draw was agreed in J.Nunn-J.Palkovi, German League 1995.}) 13. Qxf3 Nc4 14.
Bc1 $6 (14. Bg5 {looks more active, and White is better following} Re8 (14...
Nxb2 15. Rfe1 Re8 16. Rab1 Nc4 17. Rxb7 {is very nice for White}) 15. Rfe1 h6
16. Bh4 Qd7 (16... b6 $2 17. Rxe7 $1 Rxe7 18. d6) 17. Re2 Rad8 18. Rae1 {.})
14... c6 $1 {Once the white pawn wedge has been removed, it is only Black who
can stand better as the bishop on g7 is a magnificent piece.} 15. dxc6 Ne5 16.
Qe4 Nxc6 17. Be3 Qa5 18. Rfc1 Rfd8 19. a3 Qa6 20. Rab1 Qd3 21. Qa4 Qf5 22. Ne2
a6 23. b4 h5 {Now the white queen is cut off on the queenside, so it is a good
idea for Black to commence action on the kingside.} 24. h3 Qe4 $1 25. Rd1 Qc4
26. Kf1 $2 {This is incomprehensible.} Ne5 27. Qa5 Nd3 28. Rd2 e5 29. Rc1 Qe6
30. Rcd1 e4 31. Nf4 Qc4 32. Kg1 Bc3 33. Rc2 Qb3 34. Rcc1 Rd7 35. Rb1 Qc4 36.
Ne2 Be5 $1 37. b5 $2 Bc7 $1 {Forcing White to overstretch the queenside pawns.}
38. b6 Be5 {
The threat is 39...Rc8 picking up the c5-pawn. White panics in time trouble.}
39. Rbc1 $4 Nxc1 40. Rxd7 Nxe2+ 41. Kh1 Nd4 42. Kg1 Qd3 0-1

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Van Mil, J."]
[Black "Oswald, H."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "107"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 5. c4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be2 O-O 8.
O-O Nc6 9. d5 {Instead of defending with 9 Be3, White lashes out in the centre.
I have always had a soft spot for this variation, in particular because I
always seemed to struggle against it as Black.} Ne5 ({Judit Polgar gives} 9...
Na5 10. c5 $1 Bxc3 11. cxb6 Bg7 12. Bf4 Bxb2 ({or} 12... axb6 13. b4 Bxa1 14.
Qxa1 Nb3 15. Qb2 $1 {and the knight has nowhere to run}) 13. bxc7 {
as good for White, an assessment which is hard to dispute.}) 10. Nxe5 $5 (10.
c5 {also leads to a mass of complications. By provoking the advance of the
white pawn centre Black makes his pawn breaks of ...e6, ...c6 and ...b6 even
easier to achieve, and once the position opens, Black's development problems
will be solved:} Nbd7 ({after} 10... Nbc4 $2 11. Nd4 $1 {
Black's knight on c4 is in a mess}) ({while} 10... Nxf3+ {
usually transposes to 10...Nbd7}) 11. Be3 Nxf3+ 12. Bxf3 Ne5 13. Be2 (13. Be4 {
allows} f5 $1) 13... c6 ({or} 13... b6 14. c6 f6 15. f4 Nf7 {
and Black is very cramped, B.Lepelletier-L.Pecot, Gonfreville 1999}) 14. f4 Nd7
15. Bf3 {and now:} -- (15... Qa5 $2 16. dxc6 Nxc5 17. Nd5 $1 {
led to a quick win for White in M.Brodsky-E.Maljutin, Moscow 1991.}) (15...
cxd5 16. Qxd5 {opens the game in White's favour. In A.Koglin-J.Houska, Dresden
1998, I tried to grab some activity with} e5 $2 ({the patient} 16... Qc7 {
was wiser, but White's position is still much more preferable}) {but after} 17.
Rad1 Qc7 18. Qd6 Qxd6 19. cxd6 exf4 20. Bxf4 Rd8 21. Nd5 Ne5 22. Ne7+ Kh8 23.
Nxc8 {White was practically winning.}) (15... Qc7 {
is the only realistic try for Black. Now:} 16. -- ({. Volzhin suggests} 16. d6
$5 {. Then} exd6 17. cxd6 Qd8 18. Qb3 $6 ({the prophylactic} 18. Qd2 {
would give White the slightly better position, although it is far from easy
for him to make considerable progress}) 18... Nb6 {
(now Black can develop his pieces with tempo)} 19. Rad1 Be6 20. Qb4 Nc4 $1 21.
Bf2 $1 b6 $1 22. Bxc6 Rc8 23. Bb7 Nxb2 $3 24. Bxc8 Nxd1 25. Nxd1 Qxc8 {
and Black has emerged from his experiences unscathed.}) (16. Rc1 Nf6 17. Qe2 (
17. dxc6 bxc6 18. Nb5 Qd7 19. Qxd7 Bxd7 20. Nd4 Rfc8 21. h3 e6 22. Kf2 Nd5 {
was A.Evdokimov-E.Alekseev, St Petersburg 1998 - as John Emms indicates,
Black's inferior pawn structure is compensated by the strong positioning of
the knight on the d5outpost}) 17... Bd7 $1 {was S.Solovjov-E.Alekseev, St
Petersburg 1999. Black has successfully coordinated his forces and now plans
to exchange twice on d5 and play ...Bc6. White probably has no more than
equality here.}))) 10... Bxe5 11. Bh6 (11. Be3 Bg7 ({
striking in the centre with} 11... c6 $5 {looks the best - Black cannot hope
for much if he doesn't try to challenge White's spatial advantage}) 12. Qd2 c6
13. Rfd1 Qc7 14. Rac1 Rd8 15. Bg5 Be5 16. h3 Bf5 {was better for White in K.Jurkiewicz-J.Houska, European Girls Championship 1998.}) (11. Bg5 $5 c6 $1 12.
dxc6 bxc6 (12... Qc7 $2 13. c5) 13. Qxd8 Rxd8 14. Rfd1 Be6 {
is equal, P.Dukaczewski-W.Sapis, Krakow 1999.}) 11... Re8 $1 {
this is the best move:} (11... Bg7 $2 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. Qd4+ f6 14. c5 e5 15.
Qd2 Nd7 16. b4 {
gave White a clear plus in J.Polgar-H.Stefansson, Egilsstadir 1988.}) 12. f4 $5
{White throws everything into an attack.} (12. Qd2 {offers little: for example,
} e6 (12... c6 {is also playable}) 13. Rad1 exd5 14. cxd5 Bd7 15. Rfe1 Nc8 $1
16. Bg5 Bf6 {with equality, Dmitriev-A.Volzhin, Russia 1990.}) 12... Bh8 ({
After} 12... Bf6 $1 {White must sacrifice even more material to keep the
attack going. L.Fressinet-M.Somalo Fernandez, Creon 1997, continued} 13. Ne4
Bxb2 14. Rb1 Bh8 15. f5 Bxf5 16. Rxf5 gxf5 17. Bh5 Bf6 (17... e6 $1 {is better:
} 18. Rb3 Be5 19. Bg5 f6 {and Black defends}) 18. Ng5 Bxg5 $2 19. Bxf7+ $1 Kh8
20. Bxg5 Rf8 21. Qd4+ {and Black resigned.}) ({TIP: Remember that swapping off
the dark-squared bishops would be a positional mistake, so Black must avoid} 
12... Bg7 {.}) 13. f5 $1 {This very dangerous pawn sacrifice was brought to
prominence by the Dutch IM Van Mil.} Bxf5 14. Qd2 $1 Qd6 $1 {
This is the best way to deal with the threat of Rxf5.} ({After} 14... Bg7 $2
15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. c5 Nc8 17. Rad1 {White has an overwhelming position}) (14...
e6 $2 {loses a piece to} 15. g4 $1) ({and finally} 14... Bc8 15. Qf4 f5 16.
Rad1 Qd6 17. Nb5 $1 {
was good for White in J.Van Mil-T.Thorhallsson, Reykjavik 1993.}) 15. Rxf5 $3
gxf5 16. Nb5 $1 Qf6 ({After} 16... Qg6 $6 17. Nxc7 Bxb2 18. Rd1 Bd4+ 19. Qxd4
Qxh6 20. Nxe8 Rxe8 21. Bf3 Nd7 22. c5 {Black has big problems even though he
is a pawn up. His pieces lack coordination, whereas White enjoys a massive
space advantage and has a potentially very dangerous passed c-pawn.}) (16...
Qc5+ 17. Kh1 Bf6 18. Qf4 {was J.Van Mil-Shrentzel, Groningen 1992. White will
win back the sacrificed exchange and pawn, but as compensation Black will have
a passed pawn which should pose White some problems:} e6 19. Nxc7 Qd4 20. Nxe8
Rxe8 21. dxe6 fxe6 22. Qxd4 ({if White chooses to keep the queens on with} 22.
Qg3+ Kh8 23. Rb1 Nxc4 24. Rd1 Qe4 25. Bf3 Qe5 {Black is holding the position})
22... Bxd4 {looks as though it should be roughly equal.}) 17. Nxc7 Qd4+ 18.
Qxd4 Bxd4+ 19. Kf1 Bxb2 20. Rd1 Rec8 ({Or} 20... Be5 21. Nxe8 Rxe8 22. c5 {
(C.Cobb-M.Simons, British League 1998) and according to John Emms Black still
has some problems to solve.}) 21. Nxa8 Nxa8 22. Rb1 Bg7 23. Bg5 {
White preserves the bishop-pair advantage.} (23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. Rxb7 Rc7 {
is not so easy for him.}) 23... f6 24. Be3 Nb6 ({After} 24... b6 25. Bd3 Kf7
26. Ke2 {Black's minor pieces are completely restricted. White will win the
f5-pawn, so Black won't even have an extra pawn for his woes.}) 25. Bxb6 axb6
26. Rxb6 {Now that White has regained the pawn, he has a clear advantage. The
problem for Black is that his bishop is locked in.} Rc7 27. Kf2 Bh6 28. Kf3 Bc1
29. Bd3 Ba3 30. Bxf5 Rxc4 31. Rxb7 Bd6 32. g3 {White is a pawn up. All that is
needed is to advance the a-pawn and destroy the black blockade.} Ra4 33. Rb2
Kg7 34. Bc2 Ra8 35. a4 h5 36. Ra2 Ra5 37. Bb3 Kh6 38. h4 Bb4 39. Rc2 Ra7 40.
Rc8 Kg7 41. g4 hxg4+ 42. Kxg4 {
Now an extra passed pawn has been created and Black is doomed.} Rb7 43. Bc4 Be1
44. Bb5 Ra7 45. h5 Bb4 46. Kf5 Kh6 47. Rg8 Bd6 48. Kg4 Bb4 49. Rg6+ Kh7 50. Kf5
Ra8 51. Ke6 Bc5 52. Bd3 f5 53. Bxf5 Ra6+ 54. Kf7 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Playing without c2-c4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 {. White takes a slower approach,
preferring to complete his development before choosing whether to play c2-c4
or the super-solid c2-c3. This is not a naïve system, and in fact it contains
some danger for Black if he is not awake.} 5. -- ({After} 5. Be2 Bg7 6. O-O O-O
{White's plan is to play a controlled c4, when the time is right and when
Black is not equipped to deal with the resulting problems. Think of "catching
someone on the wrong foot!" However, initially the emphasis is on developing
pieces and denying Black any of the usual central pressure that normally
results from playing an early c2-c4. --- If White plays very quietly and does
not bolster the centre with c2-c3, then contrary to the usual ...Nb8-c6
followed by ...e5, Black should instead play dynamically with ...c7-c5. This
is seen in Mokry-Zurek, where Black reacts to the slow} 7. Re1 {with} c5 {.}) (
{White can also develop the bishop more actively to the c4-square, and} 5. Bc4
{is covered in Chierici-Gregorova.}) *

[Event "Olomouc"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1998.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mokry, K."]
[Black "Zurek, M."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "118"]
[EventDate "1998.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 {
Alternatively:} ({Black can equalize against the slower} 7. h3 {with} Nc6 ({or
} 7... c5 {as in the game, since h2-h3 isn't really a useful move here}) 8. Re1
Nb6 $1 9. c3 e5 {.}) ({With} 7. Na3 {White wishes to control the centre with
pieces. In particular White intends Nc4 clamping down on the e5-square.
However, this idea is not so dangerous for Black, as he can retaliate with a
timely ...c7-c5. For example,} Nd7 8. Nc4 c5 9. c3 a6 10. a4 b6 11. Re1 Bb7 {
and Black has completed development without any problems, A.Shaabani-V.Gaprindashvili, Teheran 2006.}) (7. c3 {is a critical try, bolstering the
centre and hoping to deter Black from playing ...c7-c5. --- Now:} -- ({
. Black can also play the bold} 7... c5 $5 {, and after} 8. dxc5 Na6 9. Bxa6
bxa6 10. Na3 Bb7 11. Nd4 Qc7 12. c6 Bxc6 13. Nxc6 Qxc6 14. Nc2 e5 {his piece activity more than compensates for the pawn weakness, S.Erenburg-T.Thorhallsson,
Reykjavik 2006.}) (7... Nd7 8. Re1 c5 9. Na3 {, when I think Black should play}
cxd4 ({instead of the unnecessary} 9... a6 $6 {
which led to an unpleasant position for Black after} 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 cxd4
12. Nxd4 N7f6 13. Bf3 {in E.Sutovsky-H.Olafsson, Reykjavik 2006}) 10. Nxd4 N7b6
{followed by ...e7-e5 gaining space.})) 7... c5 {
Black meets White's rather quiet play with this dynamic strike.} (7... Nc6 8.
c3 a6 9. a4 Bg4 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 e6 12. a5 Rb8 13. Qb3 Nce7 14. Nd2 Nf5 15.
Ne4 $1 {left White with a very easy position to play in M.Al Modiahki-U.Adianto, Doha 2006. This is a model game for White, who can play very simple
moves whereas Black is struggling to find a plan.}) (7... c6 {
looks like a reasonable move if Black wants to play quietly:} 8. c4 Nf6 9. Nc3
Bg4 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 e6 12. Bg5 Qb6 13. Qd2 Nbd7 14. Rad1 {
with a minimal advantage for White, N.Short-M.Adams, Brussels (rapid) 1992.})
8. dxc5 ({White should decline the pawn offer with} 8. c4 Nb6 {and now} 9. d5
$1 (9. dxc5 $6 Qxd1 10. Rxd1 Na4 $1 {is fine for Black}) 9... Bg4 10. Qb3 e6
11. Bg5 Qc8 12. Nc3 {, when White's space advantage gives him a very pleasant
position, E.Safarli-M.Muzychuk, Pardubice 2007.}) 8... Nb4 $5 ({After} 8... Na6
9. Bxa6 bxa6 {lack has sacrificed a pawn and ruined his queenside structure in
return for the bishop pair and control of the light squares. However, it is
very unclear whether Black has adequate compensation. For example,} 10. a3 $5 {
(preventing ...Nb4 in order to be able to play c2-c4 in peace)} Be6 11. Nd4 $1
Nc7 12. c3 Bd5 {(G.Al Sulaiti-T.Thorhallsson, Turin Olympiad 2006) and here}
13. Bf4 {contains a neat little trick: if Black plays a move like} Re8 {, then}
14. Nf5 $1 {is very good for White.}) 9. Na3 (9. a3 N4a6 {
wins back the c5-pawn.}) 9... N4a6 (9... N8c6 $2 {is a mistake, and after} 10.
c3 Na6 11. Be3 {Black cannot win back the pawn.}) 10. c3 Nxc5 11. Be3 Nbd7 (
11... Qxd1 {is premature, as Black is not ready to challenge the d-file.} 12.
Raxd1 Na4 13. Rd2 Nc6 14. Nb5 a6 15. Nbd4 Nxd4 16. Bxd4 Bxd4 17. Nxd4 e5 18.
Nf3 {was agreed drawn in R.Reinaldo Castineira-J.Ivanov, Mondariz 2000, but
White has the advantage in this final position.}) 12. Qd2 a6 13. Rad1 Qc7 14.
Bh6 Ne4 15. Qe3 Ndf6 (15... Bxh6 16. Qxh6 Ndf6 {forces White to retreat the
queen, as Black is threatening ...Nxf2 followed by ...Ng4 forking the king and
queen. The position is completely equal after} 17. Qh4 Be6 18. Bd3 Nc5 19. Ng5
Rfd8 {.}) 16. Bf4 $2 {A mistake.} ({
White should eliminate Black's strongest piece, so} 16. Bxg7 $1 {is the best.})
16... Qc5 17. Qxc5 Nxc5 18. Nc4 {White still has the better chances here: he
has blunted the g7-bishop, and c4 is an excellent location for the knight.} Na4
19. Bc1 {This looks passive;} ({but the active} 19. Nfe5 {
is not as convincing either:} Be6 $1 20. Bf3 Rac8 $1 21. Bxb7 Rb8 22. Bxa6 Nd5
23. Bg3 (23. Bc1 Nc7 {wins the bishop}) 23... Nxb2 24. Rd2 Ra8 $1 25. Bb5 Nxc4
26. Bxc4 Nxc3 27. Bxe6 fxe6 {and Black should be able to hold.}) 19... b5 20.
Na5 Bf5 {The position is now level. Black's pieces are well placed but White
has some good squares available to him, which makes for a complicated struggle.
} 21. Nd4 Be4 22. Bf1 e6 23. a3 Rfc8 24. f3 Bd5 25. Nc2 Nb6 $2 {This is incorrect: the knight was okay on the rim, as it tied down the white bishop.} (25...
Bf8 $1 {, taking control of the dark squares, would have been stronger.}) 26.
Nb4 Bc4 27. Rd6 Nfd5 28. Nxd5 Nxd5 29. Bxc4 bxc4 30. Rc6 Nxc3 $1 {
A neat tactic to preserve the material balance.} 31. Rxc4 Nb5 32. Nc6 {
A very risky move. Self-pinning like this requires a great deal of calculation,
something which brings about White's downfall.} Kf8 33. b3 Nd6 34. Rc2 Rc7 $2 {
This works out well in the game, but it is a mistake.} 35. Bf4 $1 e5 $1 {
Black sacrifices a pawn in order to hunt bigger fish, but he misses a trick.}
36. Bxe5 Bxe5 37. Rxe5 Rac8 38. Rec5 Nb5 $2 (38... Nb7 {was better.}) 39. R5c4
$2 (39. Ne5 {would have been better for White.}) 39... Nxa3 40. Na7 Rxc4 41.
bxc4 Rxc4 42. Rb2 Rc1+ 43. Kf2 Rc2+ 44. Rxc2 Nxc2 {NOTE: Knight and pawn
endgames are to some extent very similar to king and pawn endgames - passed
pawns and piece activity count for a lot!} 45. Nc6 f5 46. Ke2 f4 47. g3 Kf7 48.
Kd3 Ne1+ 49. Ke4 fxg3 50. hxg3 Ke6 51. f4 Kd6 52. Ne5 Kc5 53. g4 Nc2 54. f5
gxf5+ 55. gxf5 Kd6 56. Nc4+ Ke7 57. Ke5 Nb4 58. f6+ Kf7 59. Nd6+ Kf8 {
White probably lost on time here.} 0-1

[Event "World Girls Championship, Istanbul"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chierici, M."]
[Black "Gregorova, Z."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "112"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 g6 5. Bc4 Bg7 6. O-O ({WARNING:} 6. h3
O-O 7. O-O -- (7... Nc6 $2 {shows us the danger Black may face if he chooses
to play without any pawn breaks. After} 8. c3 Bf5 9. Re1 a6 10. Nbd2 Re8 11.
Ne4 h6 12. Ng3 Bc8 {Black is slowly being pushed back, Myint Han-M.Al Modiahki,
Genting Highlands 1998.}) ({. Instead, Black should play} 7... Nb6 $1 8. Bb3
Nc6 {. Only now that the white bishop is offside should the knight be
developed to c6, and after} 9. d5 (9. c3 {allows} e5 10. d5 Na5) 9... Na5 {
Black will manage to exchange a pair of minor pieces.})) 6... O-O (6... Nb6 7.
Bb3 c5 $2 {does not work:} 8. dxc5 Qxd1 9. Rxd1 N6d7 10. Ng5 $1 O-O 11. Bc4 $1
{, as played in Y.Kruppa-Z.Sturua, Podolsk 1989, prevents Black from playing}
Na6 {, in view of} ({while against} 11... Nxc5 {White has the resounding} 12.
Nxf7 $1) 12. c6 $1 {.}) 7. c3 ({With} 7. Bb3 {White wants to achieve c2-c4 in
a controlled manner, but the downside is that White's idea of pushing for
c4-c5 never quite works as he can never quite manage to take full control of
the d5-square:} Nc6 8. c4 Nb6 9. c5 (9. d5 {fails to} Na5) 9... Nd5 10. Nc3 Be6
$1 11. Re1 Qd7 {and White cannot in the immediate future dislodge the knight
from d5. Although there remains a lot of tension in the position, Black has no
positional weaknesses and White is continually tied down to the defence of the
d4-pawn.}) ({If} 7. Re1 {, then} Nb6 8. Bb3 c5 {is now possible.}) 7... c6 $1 {
As White has played incredibly solidly, Black should not react wildly. True,
White has not adopted the most aggressive of approaches, yet cautious play
does not equate to passive play and White has great potential to expand. If
Black does not play with some purpose, White will time his advance to catch
Black out, just when he is least expecting it.} ({As I have already mentioned
many times, playing with the minor pieces in front of the pawns is risky, and
when White has played ultra-solidly I don't think there is much point in
banking everything on ...e7-e5. Chess is more sophisticated than that! After} 
7... Nc6 8. Re1 Nb6 9. Bb3 Bg4 {
(Black must play this move in order to secure ...e7-e5)} 10. h3 $1 Bxf3 11.
Qxf3 e5 {(Black has achieved his break, but at what cost?)} 12. dxe5 Nxe5 13.
Qxb7 a5 14. Na3 a4 15. Bc2 Rb8 16. Qa6 Ra8 17. Qe2 {
White was simply a pawn up in A.Morozevich-L.Comas Fabrego, Pamplona 1994.}) 8.
Re1 Nd7 ({After} 8... h6 9. Nbd2 Be6 10. Bb3 a5 11. Ne5 Bf5 12. Nf1 b5 13. Ng3
Bc8 {White had a very promising initiative in G.Hitzgerova-J.Jackova, Ostrava
1997. --- TIP: When fianchettoing the bishop, think very carefully before
playing ...h7-h6, as it may become a serious weakness in the long run.}) 9. Qe2
({After} 9. Bb3 N7b6 10. c4 Nf6 11. h3 Bf5 12. Nc3 Qc7 13. Be3 a5 14. Ne5 $1 {
(ambitiously aiming for Bf4 to disturb the black queen)} Be6 {
(tying White to the c4-pawn)} 15. Bf4 Qd8 16. Re2 Nfd7 17. c5 {
White has achieved an advantage in space.}) 9... e6 {The best move. Although
Black has shut in the light-squared bishop for the time being, he wishes to
release it through ...b7-b5 and ...c6-c5. If Black achieves this, he will
stand better.} 10. Bg5 Qc7 11. Qe4 b5 12. Bb3 $2 (12. Bd3 h6 13. Bh4 e5 {
is a risky try for the advantage, but it is possible to play it safe with} (
13... Bb7 14. Bg3 Qb6 {followed by ...c6-c5.})) 12... h6 $1 {This move is
forced, as White was planning to transfer the queen to h4 and swap off the
dark-squared bishops.} 13. Bh4 Bb7 14. Bg3 Qb6 15. Bc2 c5 $1 {
Black has secured the release of the bishop and now stands fine.} 16. Qe2 a6 $2
(16... cxd4 17. Nxd4 b4 {would have put White's position under pressure.}) 17.
Ne5 Rad8 18. dxc5 Nxc5 19. Nd2 Nf6 20. h3 Ba8 $2 {
It looks as though Black is a little bit lost as to how to gain the upper hand.
} (20... Bd5 $1 {prevents} 21. Rad1 {because of} Bxa2 22. b3 Nd5 23. Qf3 Nd7 {
piling the pressure on the c3-pawn.}) 21. Rad1 Bd5 22. c4 bxc4 23. Ndxc4 Qb7
24. f3 Nfd7 25. b3 Nxe5 26. Nxe5 Qb5 27. Nd3 Rc8 28. Kh1 Nb7 29. Nf4 Qxe2 30.
Rxe2 Bc6 31. Bb1 Rfd8 32. Rc1 Bb5 33. Rxc8 Rxc8 34. Bd3 $4 {
In a slightly worse position, White blunders a piece.} e5 35. Nxg6 Rc1+ 36. Re1
Rxe1+ 37. Bxe1 Bxd3 38. Ne7+ Kf8 39. Nc6 Bb5 40. Nb4 a5 41. Nd5 Bc6 42. Ne3 Ke7
43. a4 Ke6 44. Kh2 Bf8 45. Nc2 f5 46. Kg3 Bd5 47. b4 axb4 48. Nxb4 Bb3 49. a5
Nxa5 50. Nd3 Nc4 51. Bf2 Bc2 52. Nc1 Be7 53. Ne2 Ba4 54. Nc3 Bc6 55. Ne2 Bb4
56. Bg1 Kf6 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "12. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{In this chapter we have covered the most common set-up for Black after} 1. e4
d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 {: the fianchetto system with} g6 {, in which
Black intends to utilize the long-term advantage of the dark-squared bishop
and place tremendous pressure on the d4-pawn. As Greet-Stefansson and
Nataf-Galego demonstrate, White's most critical response is to play 7 c5,
grabbing as much space as possible and turning Black's source of strength -
the d5-square - against him. --- Before 7 c5 rose to prominence, playing in a
classical manner was very popular. White either prevents the bishop foray to
g4 with 7 h3 (as in Jonkman-Krnan) or develops his pieces before lunging with
d4-d5 (as in Baches Garcia-Mirzoev and Van Mil-Oswald). Baches Garcia-Mirzoev
is complicated but Black should be fine as long as he is prepared to surrender
the bishop pair and occupy the centre with his knights. Van Mil-Oswald shows a
more dangerous version with White pushing in the centre before committing the
dark-squared bishop, allowing him to play Bh6 in one go. This line is very
pleasant for White. --- Delaying c2-c4 in favour of a quiet Be2, 0-0 and Re1
allows Black to strike first with ...c7-c5, and Mokry-Zurek is a highly
instructive encounter. Developing the bishop to c4 and aiming to play a
controlled c2-c4 does not trouble Black too much either (see
Chierici-Gregorova).} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "13. The 4...Bg4 Variation"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 Bg4 {. Black develops the light-squared
bishop with the aim of targeting the d4-pawn. Black's intention is not to
fianchetto the dark-squared bishop. Instead his plan is to restrain and then
pressurize the white pawn centre with both pieces and pawns. It is for this
reason that 4...Bg4 is regarded as a more solid continuation for Black, but
the disadvantage to this approach is that once the natural developing moves
have been completed it is not so easy for Black to continue. Furthermore, if
Black plays carelessly or without purpose he can very quickly find himself in
an uncomfortable position. This in effect means that every move by Black
should be aimed at breaking down the d4-pawn and taking control of the d-file.
--- In response, White has a variety of options: he can play aggressively with
c2-c4 followed by c4-c5, or h2-h3 followed by g2-g4; he can play positionally
by "locking" one of the black knights out of play; or he can delay c2-c4,
preferring to play it only when Black is unable to generate counterplay.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays c4-c5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. Nf3 ({NOTE:} 4. c4 Nb6 5. Nf3 Bg4 {
is another common move order to reach the same position.}) 4... Bg4 (4... Bf5 {
is another possibility. I remember when I faced this a few years ago I reacted
with a2-a3 intending to kick back the knight with c2-c4. However, more to the
point is} 5. Nh4 {: for example,} Bc8 6. g3 g6 7. Bg2 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. Re1 Na6
10. c3 Be6 {
(E.Sutovsky-S.Krivoshey, Internet 2004) and now instead of the ambitious} 11.
Rxe6 {,} (11. c4 {is a very convincing move.})) 5. c4 Nb6 (5... Nf6 {
is a little bit illogical, and after} 6. Be2 e6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. Be3 c6 9. O-O
Nbd7 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 O-O 12. Bf4 Qb6 13. a3 Rfd8 14. b4 {White has a
pleasant space advantage, G.Arias Duval-H.Cordoba, correspondence 2003.}) 6. c5
$5 {Rather like the dangerous 7 c5 against the fianchetto system, White aims
for a long-term spatial advantage, and heavy pressure along the a2-g8 diagonal
and against the b7-pawn.} (6. Be2 {is likely to transpose to 5 Be2.}) 6... N6d7
$1 {The two alternatives are inferior:} (6... Nd5 7. Qb3 $1 Nc6 ({or} 7... Bxf3
8. Qxb7 Be4 9. Nd2 {and White wins back the piece}) 8. Qxb7 Ndb4 9. Bb5 $1 Bd7
10. d5 $1 Nc2+ (10... Rb8 {fails to} 11. dxc6) 11. Kd1 N6b4 ({after} 11... Rb8
{White again has the marvellous} 12. dxc6 Bxc6+ 13. Kxc2 {winning}) 12. Bxd7+
Kxd7 13. Bf4 Rb8 14. c6+ Ke8 15. Qxc7 Qxd5+ ({or} 15... Qxc7 16. Bxc7 Rc8 17.
Ba5 {and White is much better}) 16. Nbd2 Rd8 17. Rc1 {
and White has the advantage in this complicated position.}) (6... Bxf3 7. Qxf3
Nd5 8. Qb3 $1 {(making sure that it is not easy for Black to establish a
light-square blockade)} b6 9. Bg5 Qd7 10. Nc3 e6 ({or} 10... Nxc3 11. bxc3 e6
12. Be2 {and White has control of the light squares, M.Mathias-J.Majewski,
correspondence 1995}) 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. Qxd5 exd5 13. c6 $1 {with a tremendous
spatial advantage for White, not to mention the bishop pair, A.Suetin-L.Shamkovich, Kiev 1964.}) 7. -- {
Returning to 6...N6d7, the next two games examine White's options.} *

[Event "Sao Paulo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Felgaer, R."]
[Black "Lima, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. c4 Nb6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. c5 $5 N6d7 $1 7. Be2 $1
{This is the most logical try. White wishes to transpose to a line that is
unfavourable for Black.} (7. Bc4 {
is discussed in the next game, and alternatives include the following:}) (7.
Qb3 {is dangerous for the unprepared, but it doesn't lead to anything for
White after} Nc6 $1 {and now:} 8. -- (8. d5 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Nd4 10. Qe4 e5 $1 {
and Black gains a huge lead in development after the forced} 11. dxe6 Nxe6 {.})
(8. Nbd2 e5 $1 9. Bc4 Nxd4 $1 {(an important trick to remember)} 10. Nxd4 ({or
} 10. Bxf7+ Ke7 11. Nxd4 Nxc5 {and Black is better}) 10... Nxc5 11. Qb5+ Bd7
12. Bxf7+ Kxf7 13. Qc4+ Ke8 {and Black is a pawn up.}) (8. Be3 Bxf3 9. gxf3 e5
$5 10. Bc4 ({after} 10. Qxb7 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 exd4 12. Bb5 Rb8 13. Bxd7+ Kxd7 {
Black need not fear for the safety of his king just yet: firstly, White is
only attacking with his queen; and secondly, White does not have a safe haven
for his king either}) 10... Be7 $1 ({
a great move, completely ignoring White's threat; White is better after} 10...
Qf6 {because of} 11. Bxf7+) 11. Bxf7+ Kf8 12. Bh5 (12. dxe5 $1 {looks best})
12... g6 13. Bg4 {(C.Conrady Janssen-H.Wietor, Luxembourg 1992) and here Black
should simply capture the pawn with} Nxd4 {when he is fine.})) (7. Nc3 {
can be met aggressively with} e5 $1 {: for example,} 8. dxe5 Bxc5 9. Bf4 Nc6
10. Be2 O-O {
and Black has equalized, L.Butkiewicz-J.Tomczak, Polanica Zdroj 2007.}) (7. h3
$6 {allows Black to come alive after} Bxf3 $1 8. Qxf3 Nc6 $1 9. Be3 e5 $1 {
. This advance is justified because of White's misplaced queen and the crucial
fact that Black will win the c5-pawn.After} 10. dxe5 Bxc5 11. Bxc5 ({or} 11. e6
Bb4+ 12. Nc3 fxe6) 11... Nxc5 12. Bb5 O-O {
Black was doing well in D.Schuh-J.Gehres, Böblingen 2004.}) 7... e6 ({After} 
7... c6 8. O-O Nf6 9. Qb3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Qd7 11. Bg5 {
Black was already in big trouble in G.Kaidanov-S.Grubbs, Dallas 1999.}) 8. Qb3
b6 9. Be3 c6 10. O-O Be7 11. cxb6 axb6 12. Nbd2 {It is important for the
knight to be here, as it allows White to extricate himself from the pin.} O-O
13. Rfc1 Nf6 14. Bd3 $1 {White has escaped the pin and now intends to jump
into the centre with 15 Ne5. Black has some problems here because he still
cannot develop the b8-knight.} Bxf3 $2 {
By giving White the bishop pair, this move really cements White's advantage.} (
{After} 14... Nd5 15. Ne5 Bh5 16. Nxc6 Nxc6 17. Rxc6 Nb4 18. Rcc1 Nxd3 19. Qxd3
{Black has some compensation for the pawn due to the weakness of the isolated
queen's pawn and the presence of the bishop pair.}) 15. Nxf3 Nd5 16. Be4 Ra5
17. Bd2 Rb5 18. Qc2 Nf6 19. a4 Rh5 20. Bxc6 Qd6 21. Bb5 {
White has picked up a pawn and with it the game.} Nd5 22. Bf1 g5 $4 {
Desperation, but Black was already losing.} 23. g3 f6 24. Qe4 Nd7 25. Re1 Kf7
26. Rac1 f5 27. Ne5+ Kg8 28. Qe2 {This game has been a disaster for Black, and
now to make matters worse he loses even more material.} g4 (28... Rh6 29. Rc6 {
wins a piece.}) 29. Nc4 1-0

[Event "Russian Championship, Elista"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rublevsky, S."]
[Black "Dreev, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. c4 Nb6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. c5 $5 N6d7 $1 7. Bc4 {
This is considered to be White's main move. There are a couple of general
guidelines that are useful to know: -- 1) Black should not castle too early.
If he is hasty with his king, White may unleash a potent initiative with g2-g4
using the Scandinavian bishop as a target. -- 2) It is generally inadvisable
for Black to play ...Bxf3 unless he is able to play ...Nc6 with tempo and ...Qf6 encouraging an exchange of queens. One additional note: White is threatening
to play the obvious 8 Bxf7!+ followed by Ng5+ winning the bishop.} e6 8. Nc3 (
8. Be3 Be7 9. O-O {is different to the game, with White choosing to play
quietly and castle kingside. After} O-O 10. Nc3 Nc6 11. Bb5 {the natural strike
} e5 $1 {
is very powerful. Ye Ling Feng-J.Tomczak, Vung Tau City 2008, continued} 12. d5
$2 ({tempting, but this is a mistake; after} 12. Bxc6 bxc6 13. h3 exd4 14. Bxd4
Be6 {
Black has the bishop pair as compensation for his weak queenside pawn structure
}) 12... Nd4 $1 {, which gave Black a slight advantage that increased after}
13. Bxd4 exd4 14. d6 dxc3 $1 15. dxe7 Qxe7 {.}) ({After} 8. h3 {it is possible
for Black to exchange on f3, because he can develop the queen to f6 with tempo:
} Bxf3 $1 ({having studied the alternative, I think this is the best response
for Black: after} 8... Bh5 9. Be3 Be7 10. Nbd2 $1 {
- defending his brother on f3 -} a6 11. Qb3 {the absence of the light-squared
bishop as a defender can be felt on the queenside}) 9. Qxf3 Nc6 10. Be3 Qf6 11.
Nc3 ({if White keeps the queens on the board with} 11. Qd1 {
Black can then increase the pressure on d4 with} O-O-O) 11... O-O-O 12. Qe4 Qg6
{(Black is insistent on swapping the queens off)} 13. O-O-O Qxe4 14. Nxe4 {
and the position is equal, D.Szoen-Z.Pakleza, Karpacz 2008.}) 8... Be7 9. h3
Bh5 ({Black no longer has the option of ...Qf6, but the exchange on f3 is
still playable:} 9... Bxf3 $5 10. Qxf3 Nc6 11. Be3 O-O 12. O-O e5 $1 13. Rad1
$1 exd4 14. Bxd4 Nxd4 15. Rxd4 Bxc5 16. Rdd1 Bd6 {
and Black was probably okay in D.Popovic-Mamuzic, Serbia 2003.}) 10. Be3 ({
WARNING:} 10. Bf4 O-O $2 {
neglects a vital rule in this position - don't castle too early! After} 11. g4
Bg6 12. Qe2 Nf6 13. O-O-O Nd5 14. Bxd5 exd5 15. h4 Re8 16. h5 Be4 17. Nxe4 dxe4
18. Qxe4 Nc6 {White was simply a pawn up in V.Yemelin-E.Maahs, Hamburg 2000.})
10... Nc6 (10... b6 {is possible but I am a little bit sceptical, as Black
must be able to confront the immediate} 11. d5 $1 {
and I am not sure he is able to do this. After} Nxc5 12. Bb5+ Kf8 13. O-O exd5
14. Nxd5 Bd6 15. Nf4 Bg6 16. Nxg6+ hxg6 17. Ng5 {Black is losing because he
cannot protect the f7 point or the h1-a8 diagonal adequately.}) 11. Qe2 $1 {
Getting ready to castle queenside, as recommended by John Emms, is the most
dangerous move Black can face.} (11. a3 $6 {aims to expand on the queenside;}
-- ({, but now White has made his intentions clear Black can commit to} 11...
O-O $5 {. Here} 12. g4 {
no longer works, as Black gets too much pressure against the d4-pawn, and} Bg6
13. Qe2 e5 14. O-O-O exd4 15. Nxd4 Nxd4 16. Bxd4 Re8 {is fine for him.}) ({
. Black has also played the radical} 11... e5 {and here the main line runs} 12.
d5 $1 Bxf3 (12... Nd4 $2 {is tempting but leaves Black worse after} 13. g4
Nxf3+ 14. Qxf3 Bg6 15. d6 cxd6 16. cxd6 Bxd6 17. Qxb7 {, since} O-O 18. Rd1 {
picks up some material}) 13. Qxf3 Nd4 14. Bxd4 exd4 15. d6 $1 Ne5 $1 16. Qxb7
Nxc4 17. Nd5 Bxd6 18. cxd6 O-O 19. dxc7 Re8+ 20. Kf1 Qd7 21. Rd1 Qe6 22. Kg1
Rac8 23. Kh2 {
with an advantage for White, J.Percze-J.Bibens, correspondence 2003.})) 11...
O-O (11... e5 $6 {is refuted by} 12. g4 $1 Bg6 13. O-O-O exd4 14. Nxd4 O-O 15.
Ne6 $1 {and White wins a pawn, M.Santo Roman-R.Goldenberg, French League 1992.}
) 12. O-O-O $1 {This is an incredibly dangerous position for Black. With
opposite-side castling, both sides need to get on with things and attack.
However, it is not so easy for Black to: (a) gain squares for his knights, or
(b) open lines for the heavy pieces.} Bg6 $5 {
Removing this hook from White's attack works out well in the game.} ({Note that
} 12... b6 {fails to} 13. d5 {.}) 13. h4 $6 {
This allows Black to set up an effective blockade.} ({The direct} 13. g4 $1 {
is best, and following} Na5 $1 14. h4 $1 Nxc4 15. Qxc4 {
White has a fierce attack.}) 13... Bh5 14. Rhg1 Bg4 $1 {This equalizes. The
main purpose of all these bishop moves has been to prevent White from
establishing an attack.} 15. d5 exd5 16. Nxd5 ({Against} 16. Bxd5 {
Black should play} Qc8 {
removing the queen from the d-file and defending the bishop on g4. After} 17.
Qc4 Nf6 {both sides must play in the centre. Because White is better developed
for the moment, Black must seek to make some favourable exchanges along the
d-file.}) 16... Bxc5 {A bold move, and a good one too.} 17. Bxc5 Nxc5 18. Qe3 (
18. Nb6 {doesn't work because of} Nd4 19. Qe3 cxb6 20. Rxd4 Qc8 21. Kb1 Qf5+ {
and Black is simply a pawn up.}) 18... Nd7 {The only move;} ({as} 18... Ne6 {
fails to} 19. Nb6 {.}) 19. Qf4 Bxf3 {
Played to neutralize White's initiative in the centre.} 20. gxf3 Nce5 $1 21.
Rg5 Re8 22. Rdg1 Ng6 (22... g6 {allows White to go on the offensive with} 23.
h5 {intending} h6 $4 (23... Kh8 {gives an unclear position}) 24. Rxg6+ Nxg6 25.
Rxg6+ fxg6 26. Ne7+ Kh8 27. Qxh6# {.}) 23. Qg3 ({After} 23. Rxg6 hxg6 24. Nxc7
Ne5 25. Nxa8 Qc8 26. Kb1 Qxc4 27. Qxc4 Nxc4 {
Black is winning due to White's terrible pawn structure.}) 23... Nde5 24. Bb3
c6 25. Nc3 Qf6 26. h5 Nxf3 27. hxg6 Qxg5+ 28. Qxg5 Nxg5 29. Rxg5 hxg6 30. Rxg6
Rad8 {This endgame is practically winning for Black. He has an extra pawn on
both sides of the board which means as soon as he exchanges rooks, the two
minor pieces cannot work well together to prevent the advance of the pawns.}
31. Rg4 Kf8 32. Rf4 Re7 33. a4 g6 34. Kc2 Kg7 35. Bc4 Rd6 36. Rg4 Re5 37. Bd3
Rh5 38. Rb4 b6 39. Be2 Rh2 40. f3 f5 41. Rc4 g5 42. b4 Rh4 {Now it is easy!}
43. Kb3 Kf6 44. Nb1 Rxc4 45. Kxc4 Ke5 46. Bd3 Kf4 47. Nd2 b5+ 48. axb5 cxb5+
49. Kc3 Rd5 50. Nb3 Ke3 51. Bc2 g4 52. fxg4 fxg4 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays Be2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. Nf3 Bg4 {. By playing} 5. Be2 {White can use
his extra space to deny Black any counterplay without having to risk anything.
5 Be2 is a reliable move, and it gives White the flexibility to play the
position with c2-c4 (as in Bogdanovich-Khaetsky) or without this advance (as
in Hunt-Muzychuk).} *

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hunt, H."]
[Black "Muzychuk, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 e6 6. O-O {The question
after 6 0-0 is whether or not Black should allow White to exchange the
light-squared bishops with Ne5. If Black allows this exchange, White will have
made his position a little easier because he will have removed Black's most
active piece.} ({White can also try to eliminate one or two Black options by
playing Ne5 a move earlier:} 6. Ne5 Bxe2 7. Qxe2 Nd7 (7... Nc6 {
is possible, but Black has to accept a structural disadvantage}) 8. O-O Be7 {
and Black has a solid, if a little passive, position.}) 6... Nc6 $5 {
Here's a summary of the alternatives:} (6... Nd7 7. c4 -- (7... N5f6 $1 8. Nc3
Be7 9. h3 Bh5 10. Qb3 {makes it awkward for Black to defend the b7-pawn.
Ideally Black wants to have flicked in ...c7-c6, but sadly this is not
possible.}) ({. NOTE: Once Black has committed a knight to d7, the d5-knight
has no place on b6 - it is out of the game. So} 7... N5b6 $2 {
is a mistake, and after} 8. Nc3 Be7 9. c5 $1 {
Black is forced to play the undesirable} Nc8 ({because} 9... Nd5 10. Nxd5 exd5
11. Qb3 {attacks b7 and d5.}))) (6... Be7 $2 {allows} 7. Ne5 $1 {
and is a strategic mistake. For example,} Bxe2 8. Qxe2 O-O 9. Rd1 Nd7 10. c4
N5f6 (10... N5b6 11. Nc3 c6 $2 {
is a big error, as now Black has the weakness of d6 to worry about after} 12.
Bf4) 11. Bf4 c6 $2 {(again this is a mistake)} 12. Nc3 Re8 13. Rd3 {
(this rook can become a powerful attacker on the kingside)} Nf8 14. Rad1 Qa5
15. a3 Ng6 16. Bg3 Rac8 {
was played in P.Leko-G.Kamsky, Groningen 1995. Here Leko recommends} 17. h4 $1
{when White's attack is very dangerous.}) (6... Bd6 $5 7. Ne5 ({
the principled continuation;} 7. Re1 {is insufficient for an advantage after}
O-O 8. c4 Nf4) ({and the same goes for} 7. c4 Nf4 8. c5 Nxe2+ 9. Qxe2 Be7 10.
Qb5+ Nc6 11. Ne5 a6 12. Qxb7 Nxe5 13. dxe5 O-O {with reasonable compensation
for the pawn, S.Kerr-B.Littleboy, correspondence 2001}) 7... Bxe2 8. Qxe2 O-O (
{now that Black has adequate control of the d6-square,} 8... Bxe5 {
is also possible although Black must be prepared to accept a space deficit}) 9.
c4 Ne7 10. Rd1 Nf5 11. Nc3 Nd7 12. f4 Nxe5 13. dxe5 (13. fxe5 {was much, much
better although Black still gains equality after retreating the bishop to e7})
13... Bc5+ 14. Kh1 Qh4 {and once Black challenges White on the d-file he will
stand better, M.Simeonov-G.Simovski, Struga 2005.}) 7. c3 $5 Be7 $6 {
This is wrong, as Black must establish some control over the e5-square.} (7...
Bd6 $1 8. Ne5 $2 ({simplifying seems to benefit Black; given that Black
doesn't exert any pressure on d4, perhaps White should consider losing a tempo
with} 8. c4 Nf6 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Be3 Qd7 11. h3 {
, keeping a very slight advantage}) 8... Bxe2 9. Qxe2 Bxe5 10. dxe5 Qh4 11. Nd2
Nf4 12. Qe4 Qg4 13. Re1 h5 $1 {
left Black reasonably placed in J.Aagaard-D.Bryson, Rotherham 1997.}) 8. h3 Bh5
9. Re1 O-O 10. Nbd2 Qd7 {Harriet later called this move an inaccuracy,} ({
preferring} 10... a6 {. This little pawn move actually fights for control of
the e5-square by preventing Bb5, which can often be annoying for Black, and
here} 11. Ne4 Bg6 12. Bd3 h6 13. Bd2 Qd7 14. Qc2 Rad8 {
led to equality in the old game P.Benko-K.Rogoff, Pasadena 1978.}) 11. Nc4 Bxf3
$2 ({As Harriet pointed out, her opponent was worried by the possibility of
Ne5. However, this fear is unfounded, as after} 11... Rfd8 12. Nce5 Nxe5 13.
Nxe5 Bxe2 14. Qxe2 Qe8 {
Black doesn't stand too badly following the favourable exchanges.}) 12. Bxf3
Rad8 13. Qb3 b6 (13... b5 {is possible because after} 14. -- (14. Qxb5 $2 Nxd4
15. Qxd7 Nxf3+ {Black stands better}) ({Instead} 14. Ne3 $1 Na5 15. Qc2 Nxe3
16. Bxe3 Nc4 17. Bf4 Nb6 {leaves Black with firm control of the d5-square
which offsets White's advantage of the bishop pair.})) 14. Bd2 Rfe8 15. Rad1 b5
16. Ne3 a6 (16... Na5 {is better.}) 17. Qc2 h6 18. Ng4 $1 {
It's no surprise that White is manoeuvring towards the h6-pawn.} Qd6 $4 (18...
Bg5 {is the only move that doesn't lose.}) 19. Bxh6 $1 f5 {
Anna was banking on this move, but it falls short.} 20. Bxd5 $1 Qxd5 (20...
exd5 21. Qxf5 gxh6 22. Re6 {is devastating.}) 21. Ne3 Qd6 22. d5 $1 gxh6 23.
dxc6 Qc5 24. Qb3 Bd6 25. Nc2 {Zooming in on the e6 point.} Kf7 26. Nd4 Qc4 27.
Qc2 b4 28. Rxe6 $3 {A stunning tactic, but it's not surprising that it exists.}
Rxe6 29. Qxf5+ Ke7 30. Qh7+ Ke8 31. Qg8+ Ke7 32. Nf5+ Kf6 33. Qg7+ Kxf5 34. g4+
Kf4 35. Qf7+ {Checkmate will soon follow - a beautiful finish!} 1-0

[Event "Kiev"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bogdanovich, S."]
[Black "Khaetsky, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 Bg4 5. Be2 e6 ({The more enterprising} 
5... Nc6 {puts pressure on the centre, but by not protecting d5 Black
encourages complications resulting from an early c2-c4 and d4-d5:} 6. c4 ({
entering into a complicated mess is by no means forced, and White can play} 6.
O-O $1 {when} e6 {could transpose to the main game}) 6... Nb6 7. d5 Bxf3 {
and now:} 8. -- (8. Bxf3 {is the move White would ideally like to play, but he
is not well placed to deal with the undermining moves ...e6 or ...c6:} Ne5 9.
Be2 c6 ({or} 9... e6) 10. Qd4 Ng6 11. Nc3 e5 {
and Black is fine, F.Hellers-R.Dzindzichashvili, New York 1987.}) (8. gxf3 $1
Ne5 9. f4 Ned7 10. Nc3 $1 {gets ready to play Be3 and c4-c5, pushing Black's
knights all the way back, and to take charge of the light squares with a
well-timed Bf3. --- Now:} -- (10... e6 $1 {(breaking up White's pawn centre in
this manner has the advantage of freeing the f8-bishop)} 11. dxe6 fxe6 12. Be3
Bc5 $1 13. h4 Qe7 14. Qc2 O-O-O 15. O-O-O Bxe3+ 16. fxe3 e5 17. Qe4 Rhe8 18.
Qxh7 exf4 19. exf4 {
(M.Versili-T.Strand, correspondence 2002) and here Black should play} Na4 $1 {
, when his pieces are very active. White's c4-, f4- and h4-pawns are targets
and overall Black has compensation for the sacrificed pawn.}) (10... c6 {
is very risky because Black still hasn't made any room for his dark-squared
bishop.} 11. dxc6 bxc6 12. Be3 e6 {
was played in V.Anand-G.Kamsky, Sanghi Nagar 1994, and here} 13. Rg1 $1 {
would be my choice. Although it gives Black time to play} Nf6 {
and swap off queens , following} ({Black gets into trouble after} 13... g6 14.
Qd4 Nf6 15. Bf3) 14. Qxd8+ Rxd8 15. Bf3 Nxc4 16. Bxc6+ Nd7 17. Bxa7 {
White definitely has the advantage, with the two bishops and a passed a-pawn.})
)) 6. c4 {I've called this set-up with Be2 and c2-c4 the "Classical Variation"
because the moves are so natural and logical that anyone could think of them
over the board.} Nb6 7. O-O Be7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Be3 Nc6 10. b3 {As a teenager I
was shown this line by FM Graham Lee. At the time I was pretty blasé about it.
However, a few years later, after encountering it in a tournament, I began to
realize that there were some problems that were not so easy for Black to solve.
So this became my favourite set-up as White! --- White's aim is simple: he
just wants to keep the knight on b6 out of play, deprive Black of space and
eventually play d4-d5. Black must find a purpose for his pieces and get to
grips with his lack of space.} (10. d5 exd5 11. cxd5 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 Ne5 13. Be2
Bf6 14. Bd4 Ned7 {(R.Mamedov-V.Alexandrova, Moscow 1997) isn't a problem for
Black. His pawn on c7 is vulnerable but so is the one on d5, and knights make
excellent blockaders!}) 10... Qd7 $6 {Black is playing on only one factor -
the pressure down the d-file. At the minute White holds the trumps in space
and piece activity, and this means he can deal with this pressure relatively
easily. In addition, the black queen is cut off from the kingside, which makes
any White offensive on the kingside very dangerous for Black. --- What Black
must do is to either distract White from his goal or transfer the dark-squared
bishop to the long diagonal without letting it get swapped off. Here are a few
alternatives:} (10... a5 $5 {
obtains counterplay along the a-file and secures the b4-square:} 11. Qd2 a4 $1
({switching plans with} 11... Bf5 $2 {is not a good idea, and after} 12. Rfd1
Bf6 13. Rac1 Qe7 14. d5 {
White was comfortably better in A.Weng-J.Houska, Dresden 1998}) 12. Rfd1 axb3
13. axb3 Bb4 {and Black is fine. The open a-file provides activity for both
players, while the d4-pawn may become a long-term weakness.}) (10... Bf6 $6 {
allows White an easy game:} 11. Ne4 h6 12. Qd2 Qe7 13. Rad1 Rad8 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6
15. Qb2 Rd7 16. Rd2 Rfd8 17. Rfd1 Nc8 {
(J.Houska-M.Lambshire, Bourne End 2000) and now} 18. Ne5 {would have won. ---
TIP: Black must not let White exchange a knight for the dark-squared bishop
without good reason.}) (10... Bf5 $5 {
preparing 11 ...Bf6 is a viable alternative:} 11. Qd2 Bf6 12. Rac1 Qe7 13. Rfd1
Rfd8 14. Qe1 Rd7 15. c5 Nd5 16. Nxd5 exd5 17. b4 Nd8 {
was agreed drawn in D.Mastrovasilis-A.Gurevich, Tallinn 1997.}) 11. Qd2 (11.
Ne5 $1 {enables White to transfer the queen to the kingside, and} Nxe5 12. Bxg4
Nxg4 13. Qxg4 Rad8 14. Rad1 Bb4 15. Ne2 Kh8 16. Rd3 Nc8 17. Qh5 Kg8 18. Rfd1 {
reached a very uncomfortable position for Black in G.Voss-S.Williams, correspondence 2000. He is entirely on the defensive, whereas White has a very easy plan
of playing either in the centre with d4-d5 or transferring the rook on d3 to
the kingside to extract further concessions.}) 11... Rad8 12. Rad1 Nc8 $2 (
12... Bf5 {was a better option.}) 13. d5 $1 exd5 14. Nxd5 Nd6 15. Qc1 b6 $4 {
A big mistake: the opening of the c-file is disastrous for Black and causes
him to lose material.} ({After} 15... Rfe8 16. c5 Nf5 17. h3 Bxf3 18. Bxf3 Nxe3
19. Nf6+ Bxf6 20. Rxd7 Rxd7 21. fxe3 {White has the advantage.}) 16. c5 $1 bxc5
17. Qxc5 Rfe8 $4 {In a bad position, Black makes a further mistake.} 18. Nxe7+
Rxe7 19. Bb5 {Black must lose a piece, and even the opening of White's
kingside does not help.} Bxf3 20. gxf3 Qh3 21. Bxc6 ({After} 21. Bxc6 Re6 {,}
22. Kh1 {calmly defends everything.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays g2-g4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. Nf3 Bg4 {. Advancing with} 5. h3 {and g2-g4 
is an aggressive way for White to play. The light-squared bishop reaches its
optimal diagonal (h1-a8), where it is ideally placed to support the centre and
also the light squares around the white king.} *

[Event "Brno"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Meszaros, M."]
[Black "Ekstroem, R."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 Bg4 5. h3 Bh5 (5... Bxf3 {just gives White the long-term advantage of the bishop pair - not the best thing to do if
the pawn structure has not yet been determined.}) 6. c4 ({Or} 6. g4 Bg6 7. Bg2
e6 8. O-O {and now:} -- (8... Nc6 $1 {controlling e5 is critical.} 9. c4 Nb6
10. Nc3 {is not scary because Black can play} Nxc4 $1 11. d5 exd5 12. Re1+ Be7
13. Nxd5 Nb6 $1 14. Nxe7 {, and here} Qxd1 $1 {
saves the day and reaches an equal endgame.} (14... --)) (8... c6 {
(this is simply too passive)} 9. c4 Nf6 10. Nc3 Be7 11. Ne5 Nfd7 12. Nxg6 hxg6
13. d5 exd5 14. cxd5 O-O 15. Bf4 {
and Black was really struggling in E.Rozentalis-J.Orzechowski, Ustron 2006.}))
6... Nb6 7. Nc3 $1 {The most flexible move.} e6 (7... Nc6 $2 {
was convincingly refuted in E.Van den Doel-D.Meijer, Leiden 2007, after} 8. c5
Bxf3 (8... Nd5 $5 {is the best}) 9. Qxf3 Nd7 ({or} 9... Nxd4 10. Qe4 f5 {
- all other moves lose -} 11. Qd3 Nc4 12. Be3 Nxe3 13. fxe3 Nc6 14. Qxf5 {
when White has regained the pawn and still has a massive attack}) 10. Bc4 e6
11. Be3 Be7 {and White has everything he could possibly want from the opening:
the bishop pair and many dynamic possibilities.}) 8. g4 (8. Be2 Be7 {
takes us back into the realms of the Classical Variation.}) 8... Bg6 9. Ne5 (9.
Qb3 {is also interesting, and after} Qc8 10. Ne5 {
White has the better position.}) 9... c5 $1 (9... N6d7 $2 {makes too many
moves with one piece, and furthermore Black will struggle to find a good
square for the other knight on b8. After} 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Bg2 $1 c6 12. O-O
Be7 13. d5 $1 {we have transposed to the Rozentalis-Orzechowski game, above.})
({After} 9... N8d7 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Qe2 Be7 $1 {, Black's main task is to
re-route the b6-knight or to make it useful, but this is not so easy to do.
Here} 12. Bg2 c6 13. Bf4 $1 {(a wait-and-see move)} O-O 14. h4 Bxh4 15. Ne4 {
looks dangerous for Black.}) 10. Bg2 cxd4 11. Nb5 (11. Bxb7 {
would be a mistake in view of} Qc7 {.}) 11... N8d7 12. Bf4 $2 {A big mistake.}
(12. Nxg6 {was the only move, although after} hxg6 13. Bxb7 Rb8 14. Bc6 Bb4+
15. Bd2 Bxd2+ 16. Qxd2 Nxc4 17. Qxd4 Rxb5 $1 18. Qxc4 (18. Bxb5 {fails to} Qa5+
) 18... Qa5+ 19. Kf1 Rc5 20. Qa4 Qc7 21. Bxd7+ Qxd7 {
Black has the edge because his pieces are the more active.}) 12... Bb4+ 13. Kf1
Nxe5 14. Bxe5 O-O 15. Bxb7 $2 ({Another mistake -} 15. Qxd4 {had to be played.}
) 15... Nxc4 $1 16. Bc7 Qd7 17. Qa4 a5 18. Bxa8 Rxa8 19. Kg1 Be4 {
Black is winning, as his pieces dominate the whole board.} 20. a3 Qd5 21. f3
Bxf3 22. Rh2 Bc5 23. Bg3 Nb6 24. Nc7 Nxa4 25. Nxd5 Bxd5 26. Rc1 d3+ 27. Kf1 Be3
28. Rd1 Bb3 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "13. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxd5 4. d4 Bg4 {. As an alternative to the
Fianchetto Variation, Black may adopt a more solid set-up by developing the
bishop to g4 and then restraining the white pawn centre before placing
pressure on d4. White may attempt to refute the system immediately with the
promising c4-c5 (Felgaer-Lima and Rublevsky-Dreev) or chase away the bishop
with h2-h3 and g2-g4 (Meszaros-Ekstroem). If White wants to plays more slowly,
he may decide to lock the b6-knight out of the game with the classical
formation seen in Bogdanovich-Khaetsky. He may also delay c2-c4 or simply
refrain from playing it altogether, as in Hunt-Muzychuk.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "14. Portuguese Variation"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 ({Unfortunately for Black, White can avoid the
Portuguese Variation by simply playing} 3. Nf3 {
first, intending to reach the 2...Nf6 main lines after} Nxd5 4. d4 {
(see the final section of the chapter).}) 3... Bg4 {. This chapter deals with
the repercussions of White playing 3 d4 and allowing the Portuguese Variation.
Like the Icelandic Gambit, which is covered in the next chapter, Black
sacrifices material in order to open lines against the white king. Black is
relying on his fast development and the considerable time White spends
securing his extra material to achieve very quick counterplay, and the
resulting positions are usually very messy.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Danger White Faces"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "32"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{We begin with a demonstration of why the Portuguese Variation can be such a
perilous opening to face:} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. f3 Bf5 5. c4 $6 {
NOTE: Holding on to the extra pawn in this simple way just allows Black to
accelerate his development even further by uncorking a second pawn sacrifice.}
e6 $1 6. dxe6 Nc6 $1 {This kind of activity can often make White feel more
than a little bit uneasy, especially as Black now threatens 7...Nb4!.} 7. Be3
$1 {There are several alternatives for White, but none of them are fully
satisfactory. For example:} (7. exf7+ $2 Kxf7 {is much too greedy. White
desperately needs the e-pawn as a shield on the e-file. With the pawn missing
and an extra development tempo for Black, White is in deep trouble. For
example,} 8. Be3 Bb4+ $1 9. Nc3 Re8 10. Kf2 Rxe3 11. Kxe3 Bc2 {and White resigned in F.Halwick jr-R.Pe Ang, correspondence 1997, as Black wins after} 12. Qd2
Ng4+ 13. fxg4 Qg5+ 14. Ke2 Re8+ {.}) (7. d5 $2 Nb4 8. Na3 fxe6 {
and Black is fully developed.}) 7... Bb4+ (7... Qe7 $5 {, aiming to win a pawn
with a timely ...Qb4+ hitting c4 and b2, is a very good alternative. Black was
much better after} 8. Nc3 O-O-O 9. Kf2 Qb4 10. Nge2 (10. exf7 {is met by} Nxd4
$1) 10... Qxc4 11. exf7 Qxf7 12. Kg1 Bc5 13. Qa4 Qe7 14. Bf2 Nxd4 15. Nxd4 Rxd4
{in I.Sudakova-A.Muzychuk, Zlatibor 2007. Note here that} 16. Bxd4 $4 {
is not possible due to} Qe3+ {mating.}) 8. Nc3 (8. Nd2 $5 {is analysed in
depth by Selby Anderson in his book 'Center Counter Defense: The Portuguese
Variation'. He recommends} O-O $5 {and now:} 9. -- (9. a3 {is met by the dynamic
} Nxd4 $1 10. axb4 (10. Bxd4 Qxd4 11. axb4 Qxb2 {is good for Black}) 10... Nc2+
11. Kf2 Re8 $1 12. Ra3 Rxe6 {reaching a very complicated position. Black has
compensation for the piece in the shape of White's exposed king and lack of
development, which makes the situation very tricky for White.}) (9. d5 Re8 $3 {
is an excellent try by Black. Now} 10. dxc6 $2 {is bad:} Rxe6 11. Kf2 Rxe3 $1
12. Kxe3 Bc5+ 13. Ke2 Qe7+ 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. fxe4 Qxe4+ 16. Kd2 Qe3# {mate.}))
8... Qe7 9. Bd3 $1 (9. d5 $2 O-O-O $1 {
led to a decisive attack for Black in Wang Zili-R.Damaso, Macau 1996:} 10. Qa4
Nxd5 $1 11. cxd5 Qh4+ 12. Kd1 $2 (12. Ke2 {
is more resilient but still loses after} Nd4+ 13. Bxd4 Qxd4 14. Qb3 Bc5 {
- Andersen}) 12... Rxd5+ 13. Nxd5 Qe1# {mate.}) 9... fxe6 $1 ({After} 9... Bxe6
10. Qd2 O-O-O 11. Nge2 Rhe8 12. Bf2 Bc5 13. O-O-O Nxd4 14. Nxd4 Bxd4 15. Bxd4
Rxd4 {White was very slightly better in T.Ernst-F.Bentivegna, Cutro 2004.}) 10.
Nge2 O-O-O 11. Bb1 $1 (11. O-O {is met by} Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Ne5 $1 {and 13...Nxc4.
}) 11... Nxd4 $1 {A radical way to keep the initiative.} 12. Nxd4 c5 13. a3
cxd4 14. axb4 dxe3 ({
C.Herbrechtsmeier-A.Pereira, correspondence 1996, continued} 14... dxc3 15. Qb3
Bxb1 16. Rxb1 Ne4 17. O-O Nd2 18. Bxd2 cxd2 19. Rfd1 {
and the players agreed a draw in this unclear position.}) 15. Qb3 $1 Bxb1 16.
Nxb1 $1 {John Emms assesses this as good for White, but in this dynamic
position I think both sides have good attacking chances.} -- ({For example,} 
16... Ne4 {(with the unpleasant threat of 17...Qh4+)} 17. O-O (17. fxe4 {
loses to} Qh4+ 18. g3 Qxe4 19. Rf1 e2 20. Rf2 Rd1+) 17... e2 18. Re1 Rd1 19.
Rxd1 $4 Qxb4 $3 {and Black wins.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Main Line"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "17"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. f3 {. With 4 f3, White accepts a weakness in
order to gain time on the bishop and keep his extra pawn.} (4. Nf3 Qxd5 5. Be2
{can also be reached via the move order 1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nf3!? Bg4 4 Be2
Nf6 5 d4. Black has two options here:} -- ({the aggressive} 5... Nc6 {
is covered in Kolev-Laylo}) ({while the more solid} 5... e6 {
is looked at in Korneev-Tiviakov.})) (4. Be2 {is a low-risk option, but the
downside is that White cannot expect to claim a huge advantage from the
opening (see Sowray-Buckley).}) 4... Bf5 5. Bb5+ $1 {4 f3 followed by 5 Bb5+
is the only good way for White to hold on to the pawn. In fact, I would even
go so far as to say that Black is struggling after this move to achieve
compensation. As long as White follows the golden rule of not allowing his
bishop to get locked out of play, then he will be fine.} Nbd7 (5... c6 {
is quite clearly insufficient, and after} 6. dxc6 Nxc6 7. Ne2 Qb6 8. Nbc3 O-O-O
9. Bxc6 Qxc6 10. Bf4 {it is not clear how Black can keep the initiative.}) 6.
c4 e6 {NOTE: As a general rule, as soon as White plays c2-c4 Black will break
with ...e7-e6.} (6... a6 $5 {is another critical try, but} 7. Ba4 b5 8. cxb5
Nxd5 9. bxa6 Rxa6 10. Ne2 e6 11. O-O Be7 12. Nbc3 Nxc3 13. Nxc3 {
was good for White in S.Tiviakov-M.Goodger, Port Erin 2001.}) 7. dxe6 Bxe6 8.
d5 $1 (8. Nc3 {allows} c6 {
, restricting the pawn on d4 and making it a target rather than a strength.}) (
{Conceding the d5-square with} 8. c5 $6 {is not as effective. After} c6 9. Ba4
Nd5 10. Nc3 N7f6 11. Nge2 Qc7 12. O-O O-O-O 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. Bd2 Be7 15. b4
Bf6 16. b5 Ne7 {
things weren't easy for White in J.Dworakowska-M.Muzychuk, Dresden 2007.}) 8...
Bf5 {and now:} 9. -- (9. Be3 {gives Black too much time to develop his pieces.}
Bb4+ 10. Nc3 O-O 11. Nge2 Ne5 $1 12. O-O a6 13. Qd4 {
was V.Balint-G.Acs, Hungarian League 2004,} -- ({when instead of} 13... Nd3) ({
Black can play} 13... Qe7 $1 14. Ng3 Bg6 15. Ba4 Nxc4 $1 {
recovering the pawn with the superior position.})) ({The main line runs} 9. Nc3
Bb4 ({If Black chooses} 9... Bc5 {
instead of 9...Bb4, White should play the awkward} 10. Qe2+ {. Following} Qe7
11. Bg5 O-O-O 12. g4 Bg6 13. Qxe7 Bxe7 {it's wise to play} 14. Bxd7+ $1 {
. White has a gaping hole on d3, so we better get rid of the beast that may
infiltrate it one day!}) 10. Nge2 O-O {
, and this position is discussed in Eames-Lalic.}) *

[Event "British League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Eames, R."]
[Black "Lalic, S."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "130"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. f3 Bf5 5. Bb5+ $1 Nbd7 6. c4 e6 7. dxe6 Bxe6
8. d5 $1 Bf5 9. Nc3 Bb4 10. Nge2 O-O 11. Bxd7 $1 {NOTE: White must make sure
that his bishop on b5 is not "locked out". Often the best thing to do is to
exchange the bishop for the knight on d7.} (11. O-O {can be met by} Ne5 $1 {
, eyeing the d3-square and also aiming for ...c7-c6. For example,} 12. Bg5 $6 (
12. Nd4 $1 {is the strongest move, and after} a6 13. Nxf5 axb5 14. Nxb5 Nxc4
15. b3 {White still stands slightly better}) 12... a6 13. Ba4 h6 14. Bh4 Nxc4
15. Qd4 b5 16. Ne4 Bxe4 17. fxe4 Qd6 $1 {
(Black escapes the unpleasant pin with this crafty move, threatening 18...Bc5)}
18. Rxf6 gxf6 19. Kh1 Qe5 20. Bc2 Bd6 {
and Black was much better in R.Eames-G.Buckley, British League 2005.}) 11...
Nxd7 ({If} 11... Qxd7 12. O-O c6 {, White has the irritating} 13. Bg5 {.}) 12.
O-O Re8 (12... Qh4 {is convincingly answered by} 13. Ng3 Bg6 14. Nce4 {
threatening to win the queen with 15 Bg5, and here} h6 15. Bd2 Bc5+ 16. Kh1 Bd4
{allows the little trick} 17. Nf5 Bxf5 18. Be1 Qe7 19. Qxd4 {
with a clear plus for White, J.Smeets-D.Smerdon, Kochin 2004.}) (12... Ne5 13.
Ng3 $1 Bd7 14. Qd4 $1 Qe7 {(threatening 15...Bc5)} 15. Nge4 c5 16. dxc6 Nxc6
17. Qe3 f5 18. Nd5 Qd8 19. Nc5 Re8 20. Qf2 {(U.Haug-M.Ibar, correspondence
2002) also looks good for White - Black doesn't have enough for the pawn.}) 13.
Ng3 Bg6 14. Nce4 Nc5 $1 {This is Susan Lalic's improvement over her husband
Graeme Buckley's play in a previous game:} (14... a5 15. Kh1 f5 $2 {
(Black lashes out too quickly)} 16. Ng5 Nf8 17. Nh3 Qf6 18. Qb3 Nd7 19. Bg5 Qf7
20. Bf4 Nc5 21. Qc2 a4 {
(otherwise the dark-squared bishop is in danger of being trapped)} 22. Rad1 a3
23. b3 h6 24. Qf2 Qe7 25. d6 {and White had a distinct advantage in R.Berzinsh-G.Buckley, British League 2005.}) 15. a3 Nxe4 16. Nxe4 ({
Here White should play} 16. axb4 $1 {
, which guarantees a very slight advantage after} Nxg3 17. hxg3 Qd6 18. Qd4
Qxb4 ({if} 18... Qxg3 19. Qf4 Qxf4 20. Bxf4 {
it is difficult for Black to defend the c7-pawn in a satisfactory manner}) 19.
Bd2 Qb6 20. c5 Qb5 {.}) 16... Bf8 17. Qd4 b6 18. Kh1 Qh4 19. Qf2 Qxf2 20. Nxf2
Bd6 21. Bd2 Be5 22. Bc3 Bxc3 23. bxc3 Re2 {Black's activity provides more than
sufficient compensation for the pawn deficit, and in any case the doubled
pawns on the c-file are about as useful as only one pawn.} 24. a4 a5 25. Kg1
Rae8 26. Rad1 Rc2 27. Rfe1 Rxe1+ 28. Rxe1 Kf8 29. Ng4 Rxc3 30. Ne5 Bf5 31. g4
f6 32. Nc6 Bd7 33. Re4 Bxc6 $2 (33... Rxf3 {would give Black a clear advantage.
}) 34. dxc6 Rxf3 35. Rd4 Re3 36. Rd7 Re7 37. Rd8+ Kf7 38. Kf2 Kg6 39. Rd7 Kf7
40. Rd5 Ke8 41. Kf3 g5 42. c5 {After this move Black's advantage disappears.}
bxc5 43. Rxc5 Re6 44. Rxa5 Rxc6 45. Ra8+ Kf7 46. a5 Rc2 47. a6 Rxh2 48. Rh8
Rh3+ 49. Kf2 Ra3 50. Rxh7+ Ke6 51. Rxc7 Rxa6 52. Rc5 Ra3 53. Rb5 Rd3 54. Ra5
Rd5 55. Ra4 Ke5 56. Ke3 Rb5 57. Re4+ Kd5 58. Re8 Rb3+ 59. Kf2 Rb6 60. Kf3 Rb3+
61. Kf2 Ra3 62. Re7 Kd6 63. Re8 Ra5 64. Kf3 Re5 65. Ra8 Ke6 1/2-1/2

[Event "Chicago"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kolev, A."]
[Black "Laylo, D."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. Nf3 Qxd5 5. Be2 Nc6 $5 6. Be3 $1 {This move,
overprotecting the d4-pawn, is considered to be White's best choice, but there
are alternatives:} (6. h3 Bxf3 $1 {
(since Black has not restricted White's pawn centre, he should exchange on f3)}
7. Bxf3 Qd7 8. c3 (8. Be3 $6 {is inferior because of} O-O-O 9. c3 {
and now the vital pawn break} e5 $1) 8... O-O-O 9. O-O e5 10. Qb3 e4 11. Be2
Nd5 12. Qc2 f5 13. Nd2 Nf4 14. Nc4 g5 {
and Black has a strong initiative, R.Webb-N.Povah, British League 2004.}) (6.
Nc3 {is considered inaccurate because of} Qh5 $1 {.}) (6. c4 {is critical:} --
(6... Qh5 7. Be3 O-O-O 8. Nbd2 $1 e5 9. d5 Nd4 10. Nxd4 exd4 11. Bxd4 Re8 $1
12. f3 Bf5 13. O-O Bd6 14. g3 Qg6 {(all of Black's moves create a threat)} 15.
Rf2 Bc2 {was double-edged in C.Nanu-Z.Vukovic, Bucharest 1998.}) (6... Qd7 $1 {
is preferable, and} 7. Be3 e6 8. Nbd2 Bf5 {
(planning to release some of the tension with ...Ne4)} 9. Ne5 Nxe5 10. dxe5 Ne4
11. Nb3 Bb4+ 12. Kf1 Qe7 {
was very satisfactory for Black in S.Solomon-I.Rogers, Melbourne 1998.} (12...
--))) 6... O-O-O 7. Nbd2 Qf5 8. c4 e5 $1 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Qa4 a6 11. O-O-O Nd3+
12. Bxd3 Rxd3 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Nxf3 Rxd1+ 15. Rxd1 Bc5 {The position is
completely level. With everything virtually symmetrical, Black has a very easy
game.} 16. Nd4 Qe4 17. b4 $5 {
White plays very aggressively, trying to force a mistake.} Bxd4 18. Rxd4 Qe6
19. b5 Rd8 $1 {Calm defence - Black simply eliminates one of the attackers.
Now the game peters out to a draw, despite White's efforts.} 20. bxa6 bxa6 21.
Rxd8+ Kxd8 22. Qd1+ Kc8 23. Qd4 Qc6 24. Qc5 Qe6 25. Kb2 Nd7 26. Qd4 g6 27. Kb3
h5 28. Kc3 Nb6 29. Qf4 Qe7 30. Kb3 Qd7 31. Bxb6 cxb6 32. Qf3 Kc7 33. Qf4+ Kb7
34. Qf3+ Kc7 35. Qf4+ Kb7 36. Qf3+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "FIDE World Cup, Khanty Mansiysk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Korneev, O."]
[Black "Tiviakov, S."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 ({The Portuguese move order is} 2... Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. Nf3
Qxd5 5. Be2 {.}) 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Be2 Nf6 5. d4 e6 6. O-O ({The aggressive option
for White is to chase away the bishop with the aim of attacking it even
further by g2-g4:} 6. h3 Bh5 7. c4 Qd8 8. Qb3 Qc8 9. Nc3 Be7 ({
White is better after} 9... Nc6 10. Be3 Bd6 11. d5 exd5 12. cxd5 Bxf3 13. Bxf3
Ne5 14. Be2 O-O 15. O-O) 10. g4 Bg6 {, and now} 11. Ne5 $1 {is the most
dangerous line for Black to face. White establishes a very strong base for the
knight and prepares to castle long. Black has a big problem because it isn't
an easy job to shift the piece from its square. For example:} -- (11... Nfd7
12. Nxg6 hxg6 13. Bf3 Nc6 14. Be3 Rb8 15. O-O-O {
and White has a very pleasant position, L.Dominguez-J.Alvarez, Cuba 1999.} (15.
--)) (11... Nbd7 $2 {fails to} 12. g5 Ng8 13. Nxd7 {
when to avoid material loss Black must capture the knight with the king!}) (
11... c5 12. d5 O-O 13. g5 Nfd7 14. Nxg6 hxg6 15. Be3 exd5 16. cxd5 a6 17. h4 {
with a strong initiative for White, L.Bruzon Bautista-T.Willemze, Oropesa del
Mar 1998.})) 6... c6 7. h3 Bh5 8. c4 Qd8 {This structure is reminiscent of a
Slav-type position where White has broken in the centre with e3-e4. However,
there is one crucial difference in that the light-squared bishops have not
been exchanged. As long as Black plays carefully and doesn't allow White to
expand on the queenside then he can hold the position.} 9. Nc3 Be7 {NOTE: It is
very important to develop the bishop on e7, even though ...Bd6 looks more
natural.} ({The point is that} 9... Bd6 10. Bg5 $1 {makes it is very difficult
for Black to break the pin, and this can inconvenience him greatly. --- For
example,} h6 (10... Be7 $1 {is the only move that makes sense, although after}
11. Qd2 O-O 12. Rad1 Nbd7 13. Ne5 Bxe2 14. Qxe2 {
White has a pleasant space advantage}) 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 (11... gxf6 $2 12. d5 {
was much better for White in G.Kaidanov-A.Zatonskih, San Diego 2006}) 12. Qb3
b6 13. Ne4 Qf4 14. Nxd6+ Qxd6 15. c5 $1 {. The c4-c5 advance is a common motif
in this type of position. White concedes the d5-square but gains extra space
and, more importantly, will destroy Black's pawn structure. Finkel's analysis
here is very convincing:} Qc7 16. Qe3 O-O 17. g4 Bg6 18. Ne5 Bh7 19. Bf3 Rc8
20. Rfc1 {, after which the c6-pawn is immeasurably weakened and Black has
tremendous problems developing his pieces.}) 10. Bf4 O-O 11. a3 {Getting ready
to expand on the queenside - a common theme in positions with this pawn
structure.} Nbd7 ({Unfortunately for Black, the natural} 11... a5 {
is a bit too weakening, and after} 12. Qb3 $1 b6 13. Rfe1 Nbd7 14. Ne5 $1 {
Black is very cramped.}) 12. Ne5 ({After} 12. Qd2 $6 {Black can equalize with}
Bxf3 $1 13. Bxf3 e5 14. dxe5 Nxe5) ({while} 12. b4 a5 {
gives Black counterplay along the a-file.}) 12... Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Re8 ({
Without control of the d5-square, Black should not play} 13... Nxe5 $2 14. dxe5
{which would leave him struggling to maintain control of d6.}) 14. Rad1 Qb6 15.
Rfe1 Qa6 $6 {A prophylactic move designed to prevent b2-b4. However, I am not
so sure it is necessary.} (15... Rad8 $1 {looks the most natural. For example,}
16. b4 Qa6 $1 17. Qd3 Nxe5 ({the a-pawn is taboo: if} 17... Qxa3 18. Ra1 Qxb4
19. Reb1 Qd6 20. Qe3 Nh5 21. Bh2 {
and the queen just cannot escape from the discovered attack}) 18. Bxe5 Rd7 19.
Rb1 Red8 20. a4 b6 {and with ...c6-c5 coming Black doesn't have any problems.})
16. g4 $5 {An interesting strike, now that the black queen is offside.} ({
However,} 16. Nxd7 $1 Nxd7 17. d5 $1 {is the best option. After} cxd5 18. cxd5
e5 ({while} 18... Qxe2 19. Rxe2 exd5 20. Nxd5 Bf8 21. Ne7+ Bxe7 22. Rxd7 {
is practically winning}) 19. Qxa6 bxa6 {White has a distinct advantage.}) 16...
Nf8 17. g5 N6d7 18. Nxd7 Nxd7 19. d5 $1 e5 $6 ({As Sergei Tiviakov suggests,} 
19... Bf8 {was perhaps a better option. It's true that} 20. d6 {gives White an
almighty pawn but it is adequately blockaded by the knight, and if it is not
bolstered properly then it may become a liability.}) 20. d6 Bf8 21. Be3 b6 22.
Ne4 Re6 (22... c5 {is met by} 23. b4 {, when} Rac8 ({while} 23... Qxa3 $4 {
gets the queen trapped after} 24. Ra1 Qxb4 25. Reb1) 24. b5 {
leaves Black suffering due to a lack of space.}) 23. c5 $2 {
Now the position becomes unclear.} (23. b4 {
(Tiviakov) would have maintained a clear advantage.}) 23... Qxe2 24. Rxe2 f5 $1
25. gxf6 gxf6 26. b4 f5 27. Nc3 ({After} 27. Nc3 bxc5 28. Bxc5 ({or} 28. bxc5
Rb8 {threatening ...Rb3}) 28... Rg6+ 29. Kh2 {
Black has generated more than enough compensation for White's advanced pawn.})
1/2-1/2

[Event "Coulsdon"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sowray, P."]
[Black "Buckley, G."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. Be2 Bxe2 5. Qxe2 (5. Nxe2 {isn't challenging
at all, as the white knight belongs on f3. Now the d4-pawn is sure to come
under heavy fire:} Qxd5 6. O-O Nc6 $1 {(here we go!)} 7. Nbc3 Qf5 8. Be3 e6 9.
Ng3 Qg6 10. Qe2 O-O-O 11. Rad1 h5 12. Qd3 {
(O.Cooley-N.Povah, British League 2008) and now instead of the dubious} Qg4 {,}
({Black should have chosen} 12... Qxd3 $1 13. Rxd3 h4 14. Nge2 Rh5 {
with no problems.})) 5... Qxd5 6. Nf3 e6 $1 (6... Nc6 {treads a fine line as
Black is making no effort to restrain White's central pawns. After} 7. c4 Qf5 (
7... Qe4 {is safer}) 8. O-O O-O-O 9. d5 $1 Nb4 10. a3 $1 {
(this leads to a series of forced moves)} Nd3 (10... Nc2 11. Ra2 {
simply gets the knight trapped}) 11. Be3 e6 {
(Black must try to break up White's centre)} 12. Nd4 Qg6 13. Rd1 Ne5 14. dxe6
c5 15. Nb5 Rxd1+ 16. Qxd1 {White has a clear advantage. --- TIP: Control
central squares as much as possible. Failing that, restrain enemy pawns!}) 7.
c4 (7. O-O $1 {may be a little premature, as this gives Black the option of
opposite-side castling:} Nc6 8. Rd1 Qh5 $1 {
(the active queen makes life a little bit unpleasant for White)} 9. c4 O-O-O
10. Nc3 Rg8 11. Be3 g5 12. d5 g4 13. dxc6 gxf3 $1 14. Rxd8+ Kxd8 15. Qd3+ {
. In this position} Bd6 {is only possible because after the natural} 16. -- (
16. cxb7 $2 Rxg2+ 17. Kf1 {Black has the stunning} Rg1+ $3 {and mates.}) ({
Instead} 16. g3 bxc6 17. Rd1 Ke7 {leads to a very unclear position in which
Black is not worse, as White's king will be constantly under threat.})) 7...
Bb4+ $5 {Alternatively:} (7... Qe4 $5 {aims for an endgame where the d4-pawn
will prove a weakness and the half-open d-file a strength:} 8. Be3 $1 {
(of course White should prevent Black from getting his wish!)} Bb4+ 9. Nbd2
Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 Ng4 11. O-O Nxe3 12. fxe3 f6 13. Qa5 {(provoking a weakness...)}
b6 14. Qh5+ {(...and another one)} g6 15. Qb5+ Nd7 16. Rfe1 {
and White has the advantage, L.Aroshidze-A.Hamad, Adana 2006.}) (7... Qh5 {
is a little bit risky:} 8. Nc3 $1 Bd6 (8... Be7 9. Bf4 {and only now} Bd6 {
fails to} 10. Bxd6 cxd6 11. Nb5 {when Black must use his king to defend d6}) 9.
c5 Be7 10. Qb5+ {wins.}) (7... Qf5 $5 {
is stronger than 7...Qh5, as the queen and knight coordinate better:} 8. O-O
Nc6 9. d5 Nb4 10. Nd4 Qd3 11. Qxd3 Nxd3 12. dxe6 O-O-O {
and Black is fine, as he will kick back the knight and regain the pawn.}) 8.
Bd2 (8. Nbd2 $1 {is the best move. After} Qh5 ({
a safer option for Black is to force an endgame with} 8... Qe4 {
so that White's edge in the centre cannot harm the safety of the black king})
9. a3 Be7 10. Nf1 Nc6 11. Ng3 Qg6 12. b4 O-O-O 13. Be3 Ng4 14. b5 Na5 15. O-O
h5 16. h3 h4 17. Nh1 Nxe3 18. fxe3 {(J.Aagaard-D.Bryson, Oban 2005) White has
the advantage - the black knight is somewhat stranded on a5, whereas the white
knight on h1 will rejoin the action via f2 and g4.}) 8... Bxd2+ 9. Nbxd2 Qa5 (
9... Qh5 {places the queen out of harm's way and is the safest reply. After}
10. O-O O-O 11. Ne4 Nbd7 12. Rad1 Rad8 13. Rd3 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 Qg6 15. Qe3 Rfe8 {
, a draw was agreed in V.Arjun-S.Bromberger, Budapest 2007.}) 10. O-O $6 (10.
b4 $1 {is the most challenging move:} Qf5 ({
Black should probably refuse the offer: if} 10... Qxb4 11. Rb1 {
White wins back the pawn with extras, and after} Qc3 12. O-O b6 {White has} 13.
Ne4 $1 {
when an exchange of knights followed by d4-d5 will give him a huge initiative})
11. Nb3 O-O 12. O-O c6 13. Nc5 b6 14. Nd3 {with a space advantage for White.})
10... O-O 11. Ne5 ({Again} 11. b4 $1 {looks promising.}) 11... Nbd7 {
NOTE: Black follows an old adage: when a knight arrives on e5, challenge it!}
12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Ne4 Rad8 (13... Qf5 {is dead level: for example,} 14. Rfd1
Nf6 15. Nxf6+ Qxf6 16. Rd3 Rad8 17. Rad1 Rd7 18. Qe5 Rfd8 {
and Black has a very reasonable position.}) 14. Rfd1 Rfe8 15. Qf3 {Objectively
the position is level. However, the problem Black must solve is what to do
with the knight on d7, which is interfering with the scope of the rooks.} h6
16. a3 Qa6 17. Rac1 f5 $5 {Black solves the problem through radical means, but
this is a very risky approach which could easily backfire.} 18. Ng3 Nf6 19. d5
$1 Qb6 20. b4 exd5 21. cxd5 $5 (21. Nxf5 {
doesn't quite work as it's meant to, as after} dxc4 22. Qg3 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Nh5
$1 24. Qh4 Qe6 25. Ne3 Nf6 26. Qxc4 {and the position is level.}) 21... g6 22.
Qf4 Rxd5 23. Rxd5 Nxd5 24. Qxh6 {Black's king is perfectly safe despite the
menacing position of White's queen, and the position is still equal.} Qf6 25.
Qd2 Qe5 26. Nf1 c6 27. a4 a6 28. Rd1 $4 {A careless mistake.} Nc3 {
Now White does not have a good square for his rook.} 29. f4 Ne2+ 30. Kh1 Nxf4
31. Ng3 Nd5 32. b5 {
White tries hard to create something, but the damage has been done.} axb5 33.
axb5 cxb5 $1 34. Kg1 Nf6 35. Rb1 f4 36. Nf1 Ne4 37. Qb4 Rc8 38. h3 (38. Qxb5 {
is impossible because of} Qd4+ {, checkmating.}) 38... Nc3 39. Rb2 Ne2+ 40. Kf2
Nc1 41. Kg1 Ne2+ 42. Kf2 Ng3 {Now Black gets there!} 43. Rb1 Rc4 44. Qxb5 Rc2+
45. Kf3 Qe4+ 46. Kg4 Nf5 47. g3 fxg3+ 48. Kg5 Qh4+ 49. Kxg6 Ne7# 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Avoiding the Portuguese"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nf3 {Normally 3 Nf3 just transposes to main lines
considered elsewhere in this book, but what happens if Black insists on
playing in gambit style?} Bg4 {The difference here is that bishop doesn't hit
anything, which gives White the time to play 4 Bb5+. --- In practice Black
normally captures on d5:} ({Should Black try to confuse matters with} 3... Qxd5
4. -- ({, White can transpose to the 2...Qxd5 main lines with} 4. Nc3 {
, albeit those where White is committed to Nf3.} -- (4... Qa5 {and}) (4... Qd6
{lead to positions discussed in previous chapters.}) (4... Qh5 {is the only
independent try but this is unsatisfactory for Black, who stands worse after}
5. Be2 $1 Bg4 6. O-O Nc6 7. h3 {.})) ({. White also has the option of} 4. d4 {
, transposing back to the Portuguese Variation after} Bg4 {.})) (3... Nxd5 4.
d4 {transposes to the main lines of 2...Nf6.}) 4. Bb5+ $1 (4. Be2 Qxd5 5. d4 {
transposes back to the Portuguese Variation}) ({while} 4. h3 {, simply aiming
for the bishop pair and a slight advantage, is another possibility.}) 4... Nbd7
(4... Bd7 5. Bc4 Bg4 6. h3 Bf5 7. Nc3 Nbd7 8. d3 {
(this is the point - Black doesn't get to kick back the bishop with tempo)} Nb6
9. O-O Nfxd5 10. Nxd5 Nxd5 11. Nd4 Bc8 ({Black is forced to play this move, as
} 11... Bg6 {loses to} 12. Bb5+) 12. Re1 c6 13. Qf3 e6 14. Nf5 {
looks incredibly good for White.}) 5. h3 $1 {It is worth flicking in this move
to drive the bishop back to an inferior square.} Bh5 $1 ({After} 5... a6 $6 6.
Be2 Bxf3 ({or} 6... Bh5 7. c4 Bxf3 8. Bxf3 Ne5 9. Be2 e6 10. d4 Ng6 11. dxe6
fxe6 {
and Black was simply a pawn down in F.Hindermann-H.Kongevold, Dresden 2007}) 7.
Bxf3 Ne5 8. Nc3 Qd7 ({if Black plays} 8... Qd6 {
the queen becomes a target, and following} 9. d4 Nxf3+ 10. Qxf3 O-O-O 11. Bf4
Qd7 12. Be5 {Black's pieces are all tied up}) 9. d3 O-O-O 10. Be3 Nxf3+ 11.
Qxf3 {
the problem for Black is that if he regains the d5-pawn he loses the one on f7.
}) 6. c4 $5 {Of course the most principled choice is to hold on to the pawn.} (
{However,} 6. Nc3 {is also a very reasonable continuation, and} a6 7. Be2 Nb6
8. d4 Nfxd5 9. Nxd5 Qxd5 10. O-O e6 11. b3 {followed by c2-c4 left White with
a space advantage in B.Macieja-A.Gershon, Paget Parish 2001.}) 6... a6 7. Ba4
b5 8. cxb5 $1 (8. g4 Bg6 {gives Black considerable compensation for the pawn,
as it is no longer so safe for White to castle kingside. E.Sutovsky-A.Gershon,
Israeli Championship 2000, continued} 9. cxb5 Nxd5 10. Nc3 {
and here Black would be doing very well after} Nb4 $1 (10... N5b6 $2 11. bxa6
Rxa6 12. Bb5 {was good for White in the game}) 11. O-O axb5 12. Bxb5 c6 13. Bc4
h5 {.}) 8... Nxd5 9. Nc3 $1 ({Taking another pawn with} 9. bxa6 Rxa6 {
is extremely risky. The threat is 10...Bxf3 when White cannot recapture with
the queen as the bishop on a4 is hanging, so White will have to make another
concession - to either accept doubled pawns or expose his king even further.})
({Black also gets a lot of compensation after} 9. d4 e6 10. g4 Bg6 11. Nc3 Bb4
{(A.Pecori-D.Smerdon, Melbourne 2004); he enjoys easy access to important
squares and White has an exposed king.}) 9... N5b6 (9... Nb4 {
is calmly refuted by} 10. O-O axb5 11. Bxb5 c6 12. Be2 {
when Black has no compensation whatsoever.}) 10. Bc2 axb5 {and now:} 11. -- (
11. g4 Bg6 12. Nxb5 {was played in L.Kritz-K.Deng, Las Vegas 2006, and here} c6
$1 {seems to be better than the game's 12...Ra5.} 13. Nc3 e6 14. d4 Nd5 {
Black has good long-term compensation for the pawn: he has a well-placed
knight on d5 and pressure along the a-and b-files (rather in the style of the
Benko Gambit), and White doesn't have a safe place for his king.}) ({
There doesn't seem to be a problem with} 11. Nxb5 $1 {.} -- ({. For example,} 
11... e6 12. Be4 Nd5 13. Bxd5 exd5 14. O-O Be7 15. Qb3 {with advantage.}) (
11... c6 {isn't much better:} 12. Nbd4 Qc7 13. O-O e6 ({or} 13... Ne5 14. Re1 {
and Black must move away or exchange on f3}) 14. b3 c5 15. Nb5 {
. Here Black should play} Qb7 $1 ({because if} 15... Qc6 {White plays} 16. a4 {
and Black cannot take advantage of the pin on f3.}))) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "14. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. -- ({
In this chapter we have looked at the potential perils of playing} 3. d4 {
and allowing the Portuguese Variation,} Bg4 {. Eames-Lalic shows how White can
accept the pawn and achieve an advantage with 4 f3 and 5 Bb5+, but he must
play accurately in order to do so. White should avoid the natural 5 c4?!,
which hands over the initiative to Black. --- White can also choose to let go
of his extra material with either 4 Nf3 (Kolev-Laylo and Korneev-Tiviakov) or
4 Be2 (Sowray-Buckley). However, Black does not seem too troubled by these
quieter moves - the acid test for the Portuguese Variation is to grab the
pawn!}) ({Finally, White can play} 3. Nf3 {, which avoids the Portuguese
Variation altogether. Black should transpose to the main lines here, as 3...Bg4 isn't very convincing.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "15. 3 c4 and 3 Bb5+"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "4"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 {. This chapter deals with variations where White tries
to hang on to the d5-pawn. He can do this by playing 3 c4, or with the
slightly disruptive 3 Bb5+ intending to displace Black's pieces.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 3 c4"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 {This move isn't bad, as long as it's followed up
correctly; in fact White has chances of gaining an advantage. However, I have
a firm belief that the main lines are simply much more promising.} c6 $1 (3...
e6 {is the Icelandic Gambit. This is a true gambit where Black gives up a pawn
in return for fast development, a possible clamp on the d4-square and chances
to exploit an open e-file against the white king. See Dgebuadze-Taylor for
further details.}) 4. dxc6 $6 {WARNING: Accepting this gambit is just too
risky. Black gets so much play for the pawn, so White should steer clear!} (4.
d4 $1 cxd5 {takes us into the realms of the Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik Attack,
a major subject which lies outside the scope of this book. After} 5. Nc3 {
Black has the following options:} -- (5... Nc6 6. Nf3 (6. Bg5 {
avoids the endgame but I believe that after the solid} e6 ({or} 6... dxc4 {
Black has no problems})) 6... Bg4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qb3 Bxf3 9. gxf3 e6 (9... Nb6
{is a tricky line}) 10. Qxb7 Nxd4 11. Bb5+ Nxb5 12. Qc6+ Ke7 13. Qxb5 Qd7 14.
Nxd5+ Qxd5 15. Qxd5 exd5 {reaches one of the most double-edged endgames around.
Black tries to prove that White's kingside pawns are terribly weak and that
the passed d-pawn is an asset. On the other hand, White sets out to prove that
his lead in development and Black's exposed king will give him tremendous
attacking potential!}) (5... g6 6. Qb3 Bg7 7. cxd5 O-O {gives up a pawn in
order to secure freedom of movement. Black will try to put the doubled d5-pawn
under heavy pressure, and should it fall Black will stand positionally better.}
) (5... e6 6. Nf3 Bb4 ({or the more solid} 6... Be7) 7. cxd5 ({or} 7. Bd3 dxc4
8. Bxc4) 7... Nxd5 {reaches an incredibly complex isolated queen's pawn (IQP)
position. Everything hinges on whether White will be able to use the dynamic
potential of his pieces, or whether Black is able to defuse the attack and
enjoy the static advantages of his position.})) 4... Nxc6 {This gambit has a
great reputation, and for good reason. Black enjoys long-term compensation
along the d-file, a great outpost on d4 and very active pieces.} 5. -- (5. Nc3
{is covered in Savchenko-Asrian.}) ({If} 5. Nf3 e5 6. d3 {
Black has the option of simplifying into a favourable endgame with} e4 7. dxe4
Qxd1+ 8. Kxd1 Nxe4 9. Be3 Bf5 {
, as played in M.Chandler-M.Adams, Hastings 1989/90. That game continued} 10.
Nh4 O-O-O+ 11. Kc1 Be6 12. Nc3 ({if} 12. f3 Bc5 13. Bxc5 Nxc5 {
Black has an edge, as the c4-pawn will fall}) 12... Nxc3 13. bxc3 b6 {
and it was Black who was slightly better, due to the weak doubled c-pawns.}) *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Savchenko, B."]
[Black "Asrian, K."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "96"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 c6 $1 4. dxc6 $6 Nxc6 5. Nc3 e5 $1 6. d3 Bf5 {
Black's plan is clear: to establish firm control of the d4-square while at the
same time putting the d3-pawn under tremendous pressure. As White is tied to
the defence of d3, he has very limited space which makes life uncomfortable.
Furthermore, White must always be wary of the ...e5-e4 break.} 7. Nf3 (7. Bg5 {
, aiming to occupy d5, can be met by} Bb4 {. If} 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 h6 10. Bh4
O-O {White's position is far from easy to play; the d3-pawn is especially
vulnerable to ideas such as ...Qd6 and ...Rd8.}) 7... e4 $1 {
The critical idea - after this move White soon finds himself in trouble.} 8.
dxe4 Nxe4 9. Be2 ({After} 9. Qxd8+ Rxd8 10. Nxe4 Bxe4 11. a3 {
(White cannot allow ...Nb4)} Be7 12. Be2 Bf6 $1 {Black has tremendous
compensation for the pawn - White just cannot get developed!}) 9... Bb4 10. Bd2
Nxd2 11. Nxd2 Nd4 12. Rc1 ({
The threat on c2 is extremely unpleasant for White. If} 12. O-O Bc2 $1 {
the queen is forced to an inferior square, and after} 13. Qe1 O-O {
(threatening ...Re8)} 14. Bf3 Bd3 {Black picks up an exchange.}) 12... O-O 13.
Nf1 {
Grovelling around on the first rank cannot be a pleasant experience for White.}
({He can't play} 13. O-O {because of} Nxe2+ 14. Qxe2 Bd3 {.}) 13... Qg5 14. Ne3
Rad8 {The threats begin to mount.} 15. h4 Qf4 $2 ({After} 15... Qh6 {
White would have been in serious trouble, as} 16. O-O Nxe2+ 17. Qxe2 Bd3 {
again wins the exchange.}) 16. O-O Bxc3 17. Rxc3 Nb5 18. cxb5 Rxd1 19. Rxd1 {
Now White's position is very tough for Black to break down.} Be6 20. Ra3 Qb8
21. Ra4 g6 22. Bc4 Bxc4 23. Rxc4 Qe5 24. a4 Qxb2 25. g3 Re8 26. Rcd4 Re7 27.
R1d2 Qb1+ 28. Kg2 h5 29. Rc4 Kg7 30. Rcd4 Rc7 31. Rd1 Rc1 32. Rxc1 Qxc1 33. Rf4
{White has achieved a fortress, and despite his attempts Black cannot make any
progress.} Qc5 34. Kh2 Kg8 35. Rc4 Qd6 36. Rf4 Qe6 37. Kg2 Kg7 38. Rc4 Qd7 39.
Kg1 Qd6 40. Kg2 Qe6 41. Kg1 a6 42. bxa6 Qxa6 43. Rb4 Qc6 44. Rc4 Qd6 45. Kg2
Qa3 46. Kg1 Qb3 47. Kg2 Kf8 48. Kg1 Kg7 1/2-1/2

[Event "Liverpool"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dgebuadze, A."]
[Black "Taylor, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 e6 $5 4. dxe6 Bxe6 {The Icelandic Gambit first
became popular in the 1990s and for a while it was hot stuff! It's
particularly fun to play against an unprepared opponent, as White tends to get
lured into making natural but bad moves.} 5. Nf3 $1 ({
White shouldn't allow Black to develop with tempo, and for this reason} 5. d4
$6 {is dubious because of} Bb4+ {.}) 5... Nc6 {The objective with 5...Nc6 is
to establish complete control of the d4-square, and if Black succeeds in this
aim he will be guaranteed long-term positional compensation.} ({However,} 5...
Qe7 {is probably a better try. Play continues} 6. Qe2 {
(the only way for White to prevent ...Bxc4)} Nc6 7. d4 {and now:} -- (7...
O-O-O {looks like it can be refuted, although I'm sure it will provide a
headache for an unsuspecting opponent! Play continues} 8. d5 Qb4+ 9. Nc3 Bxd5
$1 ({the only chance to confuse matters;} 9... Bf5 {
allows White to grab material with} 10. dxc6 Bc5 11. Be3 Bd3 12. a3 $1 Qb3 13.
Qd1) 10. cxd5 Nxd5 11. a3 {(kicking back the queen is important, as White
needs to be able to develop the dark-squared bishop without having to worry
about the b2-pawn)} Qa5 12. Bd2 $1 {. This is the ideal defensive location for
the bishop, and now Black is just lost: for example,} Bb4 13. Nxd5 Rxd5 14.
O-O-O Rhd8 15. g3 Qc5+ 16. Kb1 Bxa3 17. Bh3+ Kb8 18. Bc3 {.}) (7... Bg4 $1 8.
Be3 $1 ({after} 8. Qxe7+ $6 Bxe7 9. Be3 O-O-O 10. d5 Nb4 11. Na3 Rhe8 {
Black's advantage in development and his strong knight on b4 grants him some
compensation, A.Tate-D.Bryson, Oban 2005}) 8... O-O-O 9. d5 Ne4 $5 ({after} 9...
Ne5 10. Nc3 Nfd7 11. O-O-O Qf6 12. h3 {White stands much better - he is
prepared to return the pawn in order to gain the bishop pair, the centre and a
space advantage}) 10. dxc6 Qb4+ 11. Nbd2 Nxd2 (11... Qxb2 {fails to} 12. Rb1 $1
) 12. O-O-O Nxf1 13. Rxd8+ Kxd8 14. Rxf1 {with an advantage for White.})) (5...
c5 {tries to secure long-term pressure down the d-file, and I think} 6. d4 $1 {
is the only move that challenges Black:} cxd4 7. Nxd4 Bc5 (7... Bb4+ 8. Nc3 Ne4
{should be met by} 9. Nxe6 $1 {giving White an advantage}) 8. Be3 Qb6 ({or} 
8... Ng4 9. Nxe6 Qxd1+ 10. Kxd1 Bxe3 11. Nxg7+ Kf8 12. fxe3 Kxg7 13. Ke2 Re8
14. Nc3 {and although Black wins back one of his pawns, I don't think he has
enough compensation}) 9. Nxe6 $1 Qxe6 ({or} 9... Bxe3 10. Nxg7+ Kf8 11. fxe3)
10. Qe2 Bxe3 11. Qxe3 Qxe3+ 12. fxe3 O-O 13. Na3 Re8 14. Nc2 {and White is
better. Although the e-pawn is very weak and will probably fall, Black has to
devote a lot of energy to win it. In addition White enjoys a small but
long-term advantage in the queenside pawn majority, and - if a pair of knights
are traded - the better minor piece.}) 6. Be2 Bc5 7. O-O Qd7 8. b4 $5 {
I really like this move. White returns the pawn to regain control of the centre.
} Bd4 ({Indeed, Black has some problems to solve after} 8... Bxb4 9. d4 {
. The d4-d5 advance is threatened and there is no way to prevent it. All Black
can do is get his pieces out of harm's way, but after} Bg4 10. d5 Bxf3 11. Bxf3
Ne5 12. Bb2 Nxf3+ 13. Qxf3 O-O-O 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Nc3 {White gains a strong
attack down the b-file rather quickly, R.Weston-D.Bryson, Scottish League 1994.
}) 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Bb2 Rad8 ({Taking the pawn again leads to problems:} 10...
Nxb4 11. Nxd4 Qxd4 12. Qb3 Qd6 13. d4 {
and Black's pieces are completely lacking in coordination.}) 11. Rb1 Qe7 $2 {
Black completely misses the threat!} (11... a6 {
had to be played, although White is still considerably better after} 12. b5
axb5 13. Nxb5 Bxb2 14. Rxb2 {.}) 12. b5 Na5 $2 ({In order to stay alive,} 12...
Bxc3 {had to be played.}) 13. Nxd4 Rxd4 14. Nd5 {Now it is all over.} Rxd5 15.
cxd5 Bxd5 16. Bf3 c6 17. Bxd5 Nxd5 18. Qa4 Qc7 19. Qd4 f6 20. Rfe1 Nb6 21. Rbc1
Qf7 22. Ba3 Re8 23. Rxe8+ Qxe8 24. bxc6 Nxc6 25. Qe3 Qf7 26. h3 h6 27. Bc5 Nd5
28. Qb3 Kh8 29. Bxa7 $1 Nxa7 30. Rc5 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "White Plays 3 Bb5+"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Bb5+ {. I have always believed that 3 Bb5+ is not the
most problematic move for Black to face. By trying to preserve the pawn on d5,
White will have to make some positional concessions, and even then he doesn't
always end up keeping the pawn.} Bd7 {. Here White has a choice:} 4. -- (4. Bc4
{tries to hold on to the pawn, and this move is covered in Girya-Muzychuk.}) (
4. Be2 {is the most modern way to play 3 Bb5+, and this is the subject of
Mahjoob-Laylo.}) *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Girya, O."]
[Black "Muzychuk, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "134"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bc4 Bg4 $1 5. f3 ({NOTE:} 5. Bb5+ Bd7 {
repeats the position, but White can and should play for an advantage.}) 5...
Bc8 $1 {This is the move I favour. The bishop has done its job in provoking
f2-f3 and now it should clear out of the way so that Black can regain the
d5-pawn.} ({I don't like} 5... Bf5 {simply because the bishop on f5 can become
a target for White's kingside pawns. I remember losing a disastrous game with
5...Bf5, which put me off this move. I was simply overrun on the kingside and
I never regained the pawn on d5! --- Play continues} 6. Nc3 {
(of course White should hold on to the pawn for dear life)} Nbd7 7. g4 $1 Nb6
$1 {(the only move)} ({after} 7... Bg6 $2 8. h4 h5 9. g5 Nb6 10. Bb5+ Nfd7 11.
Nh3 a6 12. Be2 {Black is in danger of being overwhelmed}) 8. Bb3 Bc8 9. d4 {
(strangely White's early kingside pawn thrust doesn't necessarily harm his
chances at all; on the contrary, after queenside castling this pawn front will
become a powerful weapon)} g6 10. Qe2 Bg7 11. Bg5 O-O 12. O-O-O Nbxd5 13. Nxd5
Nxd5 14. h4 h6 15. Bd2 a5 16. a3 a4 17. Ba2 {
with a double-edged position, I.Rogers-A.Gipslis, German League 1998.}) 6. Nc3
Nbd7 7. Nge2 (7. d4 Nb6 8. Qd3 Nfxd5 9. Nxd5 Nxd5 10. Bg5 Qd6 11. O-O-O Be6 12.
Kb1 O-O-O 13. Ne2 Nb4 14. Qb3 Bxc4 15. Qxc4 Qd5 16. Qxd5 Nxd5 17. c4 h6 18. Bd2
Nb6 {was M.Borriss-S.Krivoshey, German League 2005. This position is slightly
better for White, but I must stress that the evaluation is in a state of flux
because of the strength and weakness of the d4-pawn. Given time Black will
simply double on the d-file, fianchetto his bishop and exert intolerable
pressure on d4, in which case Black would stand better. However, if the
strength of the d4-pawn - the space it gives White - is utilized, then maybe
it will be White who has the slight advantage.}) 7... Nb6 8. Bb3 a5 $1 {
Before recapturing the pawn, Black seeks to extract as much as possible from
the position.} 9. a3 (9. a4 {might be a better choice.}) 9... a4 10. Ba2 Nbxd5
11. d4 e6 12. O-O Be7 13. Ne4 b5 $1 {Perfect strategy on the light squares!
Black secures a strong knight on d5 before commencing further action.} 14. Nf4
Bb7 15. Qd3 ({Ideally White would like to play} 15. Nd3 {
heading for c5, but unfortunately} Nxe4 16. fxe4 Nf6 {costs White a pawn.}) (
15. c3 O-O {and only then} 16. Nd3 {is probably the best try.}) 15... O-O {
Although the position is objectively equal, it is very difficult for White to
establish an effective plan.} 16. Bd2 Nxf4 $1 {
Anna frees up her game by exchanging knights.} 17. Bxf4 Bd5 $1 18. Bxd5 (18.
Qxb5 {of course doesn't work because of} Bxa2 19. Rxa2 Qxd4+ {
and Black has a massive advantage.}) 18... Nxd5 19. Bg3 Qd7 20. Rad1 Nb6 21.
Qc3 Nd5 {I think that Black enjoys the slightly better long-term chances, due
to a well-placed knight and space on the queenside.} 22. Qe1 $2 Qc6 23. Qe2 Nb6
24. Nc3 $2 Bxa3 $1 25. bxa3 Qxc3 26. Qxb5 Qxa3 27. Bxc7 Nd5 {White has badly
miscalculated and now Black has a much superior position. The a-pawn is simply
too strong.} 28. Bg3 Rfc8 29. Ra1 Qb4 30. Qd3 Qc4 31. Rf2 Qxd3 32. cxd3 Rc3 33.
Rfa2 a3 34. Bd6 Rxd3 35. Rxa3 Raxa3 36. Rxa3 Rd1+ 37. Kf2 h5 {White has managed
to get rid of the a-pawn, but Black is still much better. As we all know, a
knight is superior to a bishop when the pawns are all on one side of the board.
} 38. Bc5 Rd2+ 39. Kf1 h4 40. Ra8+ $2 {
This spite check only helps Black's king reach its destination.} Kh7 41. Rf8
Kg6 42. Rh8 Ne3+ 43. Ke1 Rc2 44. g3 Rxh2 45. gxh4 Nf5 46. h5+ Rxh5 47. Rxh5
Kxh5 {This endgame is just a technicality for Black. The pawns are all on the
same side, White's are isolated and advanced (the more advanced, the more
difficult they are to defend) and finally Black's king is better placed.} 48.
Kf2 Kh4 49. Bb6 Kh3 50. Bc5 Kh2 51. Bf8 g6 52. Bc5 Kh3 53. Bb6 Ne7 54. Bc7 Nd5
55. Bd8 f6 56. Ba5 g5 57. Bd2 Kh2 58. Bc1 Kh3 59. Bd2 Nf4 60. Ba5 f5 61. Bc7
Nd3+ 62. Ke3 Nb4 63. Bd6 Nc6 64. Bc7 Kg2 {
Black's king has penetrated and now the f-pawn will fall.} 65. Bd6 f4+ 66. Ke4
Nxd4 $1 67. Bxf4 gxf4 ({After} 67... gxf4 68. Kxf4 Nxf3 {
White cannot win the remaining pawn.}) 0-1

[Event "Dresden Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mahjoob, M."]
[Black "Laylo, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Be2 {The attraction of 4 Be2 is that White
doesn't need to bother memorizing a whole load of lines against various Black
set-ups. White tries to make use of the space advantage and also the fact that
Black must spend a tempo removing the bishop from d7.} Nxd5 5. d4 Bf5 6. Nf3 e6
7. O-O Be7 $1 {The best move and the most solid - Black doesn't obstruct his
pressure along the d-file.} 8. a3 (8. c4 {allows} Nb4 $5 {
which seems a little artificial but Black can get away with it. After} 9. Na3 (
{if} 9. Nc3 Nc2 10. Rb1 Nb4 {White must give up the exchange or agree a draw})
9... Nd7 10. Be3 O-O 11. Qb3 a5 $1 12. Rfd1 c6 {
White's a3-knight is out of the game and Black can claim comfortable equality.}
) (8. Re1 O-O 9. a3 Nc6 $2 ({I would probably play} 9... Bf6 {and then} 10. c4
Nb6 11. Nc3 Nc6 12. Be3 Qd7 {, getting ready to put pressure on d4}) 10. Bb5 $1
{is a nasty move to face, and in J.Degraeve-J.De Wolf, Belgian League 1996,
Black felt obliged to play} Nb8 {.}) 8... O-O 9. c4 Nb6 10. Nc3 Nc6 11. Be3 Bf6
(11... Bg4 $1 {is stronger. White has spent a move on the not particularly
useful a2-a3, and this allows Black enough time to put pressure on the d4-pawn:
} 12. b3 Bf6 13. Ne4 Bxf3 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6 15. Bxf3 {(it's funny, but the two
knights and the pressure on the d4-pawn give Black adequate compensation for
the bishop pair)} Rfd8 16. Bxc6 bxc6 17. Qg4 {
(this position was agreed drawn in D.Bronstein-A.Gipslis, Tallinn 1975)} a5 18.
Rac1 a4 19. b4 {(the knight now has some purpose on b6 and Black should
concentrate on upping the pressure on d4 with...)} Qf5 20. Qxf5 exf5 21. g3 f6
22. Rfd1 Rd7 {and is difficult to see how White can make any progress.}) 12. b4
Bg4 13. Ne4 Bxf3 $1 {The pressure on d4 and c4 is so great that the time is
right to determine the position.} 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6 15. Bxf3 Nxc4 $6 {
This is dubious, though.} (15... Rfd8 {was best.}) 16. Rc1 Nb6 (16... Nxe3 17.
fxe3 {highlights the problem with developing pieces in front of pawns -
Black's queenside structure will be ruined.}) 17. b5 Na5 18. Qe1 Nac4 19. Bxb7
Rab8 20. Bc6 Qe7 21. Bf4 {White holds the advantage here: he has the better
pieces, more space, and once the d4-pawn has been exchanged he will have the
better structure too.} Rfd8 22. d5 $1 {
Black's position falls apart after this move.} e5 23. Qe2 Qxa3 24. Bg5 $1 f6
25. Rxc4 $1 fxg5 ({After} 25... Nxc4 26. Qxc4 {
the devastating 27 d6+ is threatened.}) 26. Re4 h6 27. Rxe5 Kh8 28. Re7 Qc3 29.
Rd1 Rbc8 30. g3 Rf8 31. d6 {
Once the second rook enters the fray, Black is lost.} cxd6 32. Rxd6 Rf6 33.
Rxf6 Qxf6 34. Rxa7 Rf8 35. Re7 Kh7 36. Re6 Qa1+ 37. Kg2 Kh8 38. Qe3 Nc4 39. Qc5
{. Black resigned as he is losing material.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "15. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. -- (3. c4 {is in my opinion not the best continuation
for White, as it allows Black to enter the reputable Panov-Botvinnik Attack
with 3...c6 4 d4 cxd5. Savchenko-Asrian shows what may happen if White instead
greedily grabs the offered pawn with the 4 dxc6?!. Black also has the option
to play 3...e6!? - the sharp Icelandic Gambit which offers good practical
chances if White is unprepared.}) ({White can play} 3. Bb5+ {either with the
intention of holding on to the d5-pawn with 3...Bd7 4 Bc4 or simply to disrupt
the harmony of Black's pieces with 4 Be2. As Girya-Muzychuk shows, after 4 Bc4
Bg4 5 f3 the best retreat square for the black bishop is c8. 4 Be2, as played
in Mahjoob-Laylo, takes the position back into something resembling the 2...
Nf6 main lines.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "16. Unusual Lines"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

{In this final chapter we take a look at some rarely-played lines, including} 
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nc3 {
and attempts by White on his second move to avoid the Scandinavian altogether.}
*

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2...Nf6 3 Nc3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B02"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nc3 {I have never been impressed with this simple move.
I think that it gives Black an easy game simply because White cannot establish
a d4/c4 pawn front.} Nxd5 {NOTE: This position can also be reached from a line
in the Alekhine Defence: 1 e4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5! 3 exd5 Nxd5.} 4. Bc4 {
I guess this is most challenging move. --- Alternatively:} ({The unambitious} 
4. Nxd5 Qxd5 {succeeds only in alleviating Black's space worries, as the
exchange of knights frees up his position:} 5. -- ({After} 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2
Nc6 $1 {
it's noticeable that White no longer has Nc3 to hassle the black queen, and} 7.
O-O O-O-O 8. c3 e5 $1 9. Qa4 e4 10. Bc4 Qh5 {left White in trouble in the
one-sided game L.Garcia Mengual-D.Campora, Coria del Rio 2006.}) ({If White establishes a pawn centre without challenging the queen then Black should aim to
eliminate it immediately: for example,} 5. d4 Nc6 6. Be3 e5 $1 7. dxe5 Qxe5 {
is fine for Black.}) ({Finally, White can play very dryly with} 5. Qf3 {
when, as Andrew Martin states, playing these positions is a question of
attitude. You should not let yourself be disgusted by White's dull play but
instead be thankful that you have equalized easily and continue in this frame
of mind. G.Calavalle-I.Rausis, Porto San Giorgio 2007,went G.Calavalle-I.Rausis, Porto San Giorgio 2007,went} Qc5 6. Qc3 {
(White persists, but this time he must accept doubled pawns for his efforts)}
Qxc3 7. dxc3 e5 8. Be3 Be6 9. Nf3 f6 10. Nd2 Nd7 11. Nb3 Bd6 12. f3 Ke7 13. Rd1
a5 {with a better position for Black.})) ({Against} 4. d4 {
Black should play aggressively with} Nxc3 $1 5. bxc3 g6 $1 {. Black wishes to
break the wall of granite with ...c7-c5, opening up the long diagonal and the
c- and d-files. For example,} 6. Nf3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. O-O ({or} 8. Ne5 Bxe5 9.
dxe5 Qxd1+ 10. Kxd1 Nc6 11. Bb5 Bd7 12. Bxc6 Bxc6 13. f3 Rd8+ {and Black, with
control of the d-file and a better bishop, had a strong position in M.Kulesza-R.Antoniewski, Opole 2006}) 8... O-O 9. Re1 Qc7 10. Bf1 Rd8 11. Ba3 b6
12. Qe2 Nc6 13. Rad1 Be6 14. Qe3 cxd4 15. cxd4 Bd5 $1 16. c3 e6 17. Bb2 Na5 {
and Black completely dominates the light squares, E.Berg-S.Agdestein, Gausdal
1996.}) 4... Nb6 $1 (4... Nxc3 5. Qf3 e6 6. Qxc3 Qf6) ({and} 4... e6 {
are solid alternatives.}) 5. Bb3 Nc6 {This move is considered to be the most
accurate and the safest. Black starts by controlling the d4-square and
introduces the possibility of hunting down the light-squared bishop.} (5... c5
$6 {is just too ambitious:} 6. Qh5 e6 (6... c4 {loses a pawn to} 7. Bxc4 Nxc4
8. Qb5+ {and I don't think Black has enough compensation after} Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6
10. f3 Nd7 11. Nge2 e5 12. O-O) 7. d3 N8d7 8. Bg5 Nf6 9. Qe2 Be7 10. Nf3 O-O
11. O-O h6 12. Bh4 Nbd5 13. Ne4 b6 14. Ne5 Bb7 15. Kh1 $2 ({
White is planning to attack with f2-f4 but does not take due care;} 15. Rad1 $1
{is better}) 15... Nxe4 16. Bxe7 Nxe7 17. dxe4 Qd4 {
and Black won a pawn in S.Guliyev-O.Vozovic, Istanbul 2006.}) (5... e5 $6 {
has been known for some time to be dubious:} 6. d3 Nc6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5 $2
{and now White has the wonderful} 9. Nxe5 $3 {
- it's like something from the 19th century! After} Bxd1 10. Bxf7+ Ke7 11. Bg5+
Kd6 12. Ne4+ Kxe5 13. f4+ Kd4 14. Rxd1 Nb4 15. c3+ $1 Ke3 16. O-O $1 Nxd3 17.
Ng3 $1 {, as played in E.Rozentalis-Mikenas, Vilnius 1981, mate is unstoppable.
}) 6. Nf3 (6. Qf3 {
is designed to prevent Black from fianchettoing his bishop, but after} e6 7.
Nge2 Be7 8. d3 O-O 9. a3 $5 {(providing an escape square for the bishop)} Kh8
10. O-O e5 11. Nd5 Nxd5 12. Bxd5 Bg4 {
Black had no problems at all in L.Galego-A.Silva, Vila Nova de Gaia 2004.})
6... Bf5 {This is the typical "Scandinavian" move. For those keen on the more
aggressive approach of fianchettoing bishops, you will be relieved to know
that this is possible too!} ({For example,} 6... g6 7. a4 $5 ({
forcing Black to concede the b5-square;} 7. Ng5 {forces Black to shut in the
light-squared bishop, but White doesn't seem to gain anything from this
manoeuvre, and} e6 8. d3 Bg7 9. h4 h6 10. Nf3 e5 11. Be3 Bg4 12. Qd2 Qd7 {
followed by ...0-0-0 gave Black no problems in N.Rogers-A.Shabalov, Cherry
Hill 2007, especially as he has great potential with ...f7-f5}) 7... a5 8. d4
Bg7 9. Be3 O-O 10. h3 e6 11. O-O Ne7 12. Qd2 Nf5 13. Bg5 f6 14. Bf4 {
(A.Melekhina-A.Shabalov, Cherry Hill 2007) when instead of the extremely bold}
g5 $6 {, which led to a White advantage, the more solid} (14... c6 {
would have been sufficient.})) 7. O-O e6 8. d4 Be7 9. h3 O-O 10. a3 Bf6 {
Black has handled the position in a typical way, and all that he needs to do
now is to free up his game with a ...c7-c5 pawn break.} 11. Be3 Na5 12. Ba2 {
We have been following the game J.Horner-D.Smerdon, Port Erin 2007.} -- ({
Here Black could play} 12... Nac4 {intending} 13. Qe2 Nxb2 {, as after} 14.
Rab1 N2a4 15. Nxa4 Nxa4 {Black threatens 16...Nc3.}) ({In the actual game
Black chose an interesting and thematic pawn sacrifice. After} 12... c5 $5 13.
dxc5 Nbc4 $1 14. Qc1 Bxc3 15. bxc3 -- (15... Qc7 $2 16. Bd4 e5 $4 {
(unfortunately this natural move is a huge blunder)} 17. Nxe5 $1 Nxe5 18. Qf4 {
White regained his piece with a big advantage and soon won.}) ({However, Black'
s idea was perfectly sound; it was the execution which caused the problem.
After} 15... Nxe3 $1 16. Qxe3 Qc7 {
Black wins either the c2-pawn or the c5-pawn and stands better.})) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Second Move Alternatives"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. Nc3 ({I remember in 1994, my brother telling me that a certain
player by the name of Eric Prié had been defeating everyone in a Paris
tournament with the Scandinavian. Eric was doing such a fine job that one
opponent resorted to playing} 2. Nc3 {
in an attempt to avoid it! Eric simply played} dxe4 3. Nxe4 Qd5 {
inviting a transposition back to the Scandinavian with} 4. Nc3 $1 {.} ({
White instead chose} 4. Qf3 {
, which doesn't achieve anything. In fact it doesn't even threaten} -- 5. Nf6+
{as Black has} Nxf6 $1 {.})) (2. e5 $6 {is just a bad move. Black has neither
shut in his light-squared bishop with ...e6, nor has he had to waste time
supporting the centre with pawn moves, so he should simply play} c5 $1 3. c3
Nc6 4. d4 Bf5 5. Nf3 e6 {giving him a great version of the Caro-Kann. Black
should place the queen on b6, a knight on f5 and aim to control the c-file.
The pawn break ...f7-f6 should be played if White manages to prevent Black
from breaking through on the c-file.}) (2. d4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 {takes us to the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit. Those of you familiar with my first book Play
the Caro-Kann will know that I don't think too much of this gambit.} exf3 5.
Nxf3 Bf5 6. Bc4 c6 {(the most solid formation) and now:} 7. -- (7. O-O e6 8.
Ne5 Bg6 $1 ({White has one little trick:} 8... Bd6 9. Nxf7 $1 Kxf7 10. Rxf5 {
wins}) 9. g4 $2 {(very rash and very desperate)} Nbd7 $1 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. g5
Qc7 {was great for Black in A.Rodriguez-E.Bricard, Toulouse 1998.}) (7. Ne5 e6
8. g4 $5 Bg6 9. h4 {
has been played in a few correspondence games. Black should play} Nbd7 10. Nxd7
Qxd7 11. h5 Be4 $1 12. Rf1 (12. Nxe4 Nxe4 13. Qd3 f5 $1 {
maintains the strong knight on e4}) 12... Bb4 13. h6 Rg8 14. hxg7 Nd5 15. Bd2
Bxc3 16. Bxc3 Nxc3 17. bxc3 Rxg7 {and Black is winning.})) 2... dxe4 ({Instead,
} 2... d4 {is possible}) ({while} 2... e6 {transposes to the French}) ({and} 
2... c6 {reaches the Caro-Kann.}) 3. Nxe4 Qd5 (3... Nd7 {is a good choice for
those who play 2 exd5 Nf6. The main attraction, when compared to similar
positions from the Caro-Kann, is that Black can play ...c7-c5 in one go. For
example:} 4. -- (4. Bc4 Ndf6 (4... Ngf6 {gives White the chance to play} 5.
Bxf7+ Kxf7 6. Ng5+ Kg8 7. Ne6 Qe8 8. Nxc7 Qg6 9. Nxa8 {
with a complicated position; after} Qxg2 10. Qf3 {
Black is forced to exchange queens as White is threatening}) 5. Ng5 e6 6. N1f3
Bd6 7. O-O $2 {
(this natural move is a mistake as it allows Black to seize the initiative)} h6
8. Nh3 g5 9. g4 h5 10. Nhxg5 hxg4 11. Nxf7 Kxf7 12. Ng5+ Kf8 13. f4 b5 {
and black was better in K.Kokolias-I.Nikolaidis, Athens 2004.}) (4. d4 Ngf6 5.
Nxf6+ (5. Bd3 Nxe4 6. Bxe4 Nf6 7. Bf3 c6 8. Ne2 Bg4 {is equal}) 5... Nxf6 6.
Nf3 Bg4 $1 {(no time has been spent extracting a one-pawn centre from White,
so it is safe to develop the bishop here)} 7. h3 Bh5 8. Be2 ({the aggressive} 
8. g4 {is not to be feared:} Bg6 9. Bg2 e6 10. Ne5 c6 11. O-O Nd7 12. Nc4 h5
13. g5 Nb6 14. Ne5 Bf5 {
and a draw was agreed in T.Petrosian-G.Sargissian, Stepanakert 2004}) 8... e6
9. O-O Be7 10. Ne5 Bxe2 11. Qxe2 O-O 12. c3 c5 {
(this is the advantage - no time has been wasted!)} 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14. Bg5 Be7
15. Rfd1 Nd5 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 {
with an equal position, B.Heberla-A.Beliavsky, Warsaw 2004.})) 4. Ng3 ({
White's best move is} 4. Nc3 $1 {.}) 4... e5 $5 (4... Nc6 {
is also good, and after} 5. Nf3 e5 6. b3 Bg4 7. Bc4 Qd7 8. h3 Be6 9. Qe2 Bd6
10. Bb2 Bxc4 11. Qxc4 Nf6 12. O-O-O O-O {White achieved nothing from the
opening in E.Vancini-L.Caselli, Vanzaghello 1998.}) 5. -- {and now:} ({
In B.Le Bailly-N.Tripoteau, Fouesnant 2002, White plays too simplistically with
} 5. Qf3 $6 Be6 $1 6. Ne4 Nc6 7. Ne2 $2 O-O-O 8. a3 h6 9. d3 {
and his passive play was punished severely after} f5 10. N4c3 Qd7 11. h3 Nf6
12. Ng3 Bc5 (12... Nd4 {also looks very good}) 13. Qd1 h5 14. Be3 Nd4 15. Bg5
h4 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Nge2 Qc6 18. Nxd4 Rxd4 19. Qf3 Qb6 20. b4 (20. O-O-O {
fails to} Rf4) 20... Rf4 21. bxc5 Qb2 22. Qxf4 {and White resigned.}) (5. b3 {
is probably the best course of action, when} Nc6 6. Bb2 Nf6 7. Nf3 Bd6 8. Bc4
Qc5 9. O-O O-O 10. Qe2 Bd7 11. a3 Nd4 {reaches an equal position.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "16. Summary"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Jovanka Houska"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]

1. e4 d5 2. -- ({Horner-Smerdon shows how Black should handle the insipid} 2.
exd5 Nf6 3. Nc3 {. Although Black lost the game, his play out of the opening
before his blunder on move 15 is instructive.}) ({
White cannot trick Black into playing something else with} 2. Nc3 {, as after
...dxe4 3 Nxe4 Qd5!? the best move is 4 Nc3 transposing to the 2...Qxd5
Scandinavian. For 2...Nf6 followers I would recommend 3...Nd7, when Black
obtains a position resembling the Caro-Kann but with the advantage that he can
play ...c7-c5 in one go.}) (2. e5 {achieves nothing for White. Black can play
2...c5! and smile in the knowledge that his unsupported pawn strike has been
successful. The game continues in a manner similar to the Advance Caro-Kann,
except that Black is a tempo up.}) *

