% BOOKTITLE = The English: Move by Move
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "About this Publication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 {. This new series provides an ideal platform to study chess openings.
By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout
the book, the 'Move by Move' format greatly encourages the learning and
practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of
opening knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to
keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn.
This is an excellent way to study any chess opening and at the same time
improve your general chess skills and knowledge. --- The English Opening is a
popular choice, from club level all the way through to world champions. Its
flexibility allows players to choose from a number of different set-ups -
positional or aggressive, classical or hypermodern. It also appeals to those
who prefer learning opening ideas to memorizing reams of theory. In this book,
Steve Giddins invites you to join him in studying the English and its many
variations. He examines instructive games, covers the most important lines and
provides answers to all the key questions.} -- {Steve Giddins is a FIDE Master
and a former editor of 'British Chess Magazine'. He's the author of several
outstanding books and is well known for his clarity and no-nonsense advice.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Series Foreword"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "John Emms"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

{'Move by Move' is a series of opening books which uses a question-and-answer
format. One of our main aims of the series is to replicate - as much as
possible - lessons between chess teachers and students. --- All the way
through, readers will be challenged to answer searching questions and to
complete exercises, to test their skills in chess openings and indeed in other
key aspects of the game. It's our firm belief that practising your skills like
this is an excellent way to study chess openings, and to study chess in
general. --- Many thanks go to all those who have been kind enough to offer
inspiration, advice and assistance in the creation of 'Move by Move'. We're
really excited by this series and hope that readers will share our enthusiasm.
--- John Emms, Everyman Chess.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Introduction"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

{The English Opening,} 1. c4 {, is one of the great chess openings. Named
after the first great English player, Howard Staunton, who was the unofficial
world champion of his day in the 1840s, the English has been used at some time
or other by almost every World Champion. Even Bobby Fischer, who once declared
that 1 e4 was "best by test", resorted to the English several times towards
the end of his career, including twice in his 1972 world championship match
against Boris Spassky. Fischer won both games! Fifteen years later in Seville,
Garry Kasparov relied on the English as his principal weapon as White, in his
world championship match against Anatoly Karpov. Faced with a situation where
he had to win the final, 24th game, to retain his world title, Kasparov again
placed his faith in the English, and duly won. --- Probably the main reason
why the English has proved so popular over the years, with players of such
diverse styles as Botvinnik and Petrosian on the one hand, and Tal and
Kasparov on the other, is its great flexibility. It can be interpreted in many
different ways, ranging from slow, manoeuvring games to slashing kingside
attacks. The great range of possible development plans, for both sides, also
means that the English is much less prone to detailed, move-by-move analysis,
than many forcing openings. This results in less pure "theory", which makes
the opening a useful weapon against weaker players, who cannot simply learn by
rote a forcing sequence, leading to a draw, as they can in some ultra-sharp
openings. The English tends to be an opening where understanding is more
important than theoretical knowledge, and this often makes it a favourite with
more experienced players, who lack the time, energy or inclination to swot up
on sharp theoretical variations, and prefer to lure their opponents into
relatively quiet, strategical positions, where their own greater experience
will turn the battle in their favour.} -- {Many books have been written on the
English Opening, so I should say a word or two about the intentions of this
one. Despite - or perhaps because of - the lack of hard forcing lines, there
is actually a huge wealth of possible variations of the English, since both
sides have great flexibility over how to develop. Some 30 years ago, the
American author John Watson took four volumes to produce a comprehensive
coverage of the English, and much more recently Mihail Marin needed three fat
volumes, totalling almost 1200 pages, even to provide a comprehensive
repertoire for White, based on one specific move-order. So, whatever else it
purports to do, the present volume is not intended to provide a complete
coverage of all English lines. By the same token, nor is it a repertoire book.
The reader will not find a complete, coherent set of recommended lines for
White against each possible black defence. Many such books have been published
before, and I see little sense in trying to rival them. --- Instead, what this
book seeks to do, via a series of deeply-annotated illustrative games, is to
instruct the reader in the main English variations, and the different
structures to which they lead. There is considerable emphasis here on the
middlegame positions which result from the opening. As stated above, the
English is an opening where understanding is more important than concrete
theoretical knowledge, and the would-be English player, particularly at club
and congress level, will win far more points by understanding the positional
and strategic ideas of the opening, than he will by rote-learning of specific
sequences. --- For that reason, I have tried especially hard to select the
most instructive examples of the various lines that I could find. In some
cases, this has involved choosing quite old games, and the reader will find a
few examples even from as far back as the 1960s. Fortunately, the non-critical
nature of many English lines means that such games have not lost their
relevance to the present day, something which could not be said of many
sharper openings, such as the Sicilian or Marshall Gambit. Looking at a 1960s
example of the Poisoned Pawn is about as much use to a present-day Najdorf
player as studying the engine of a 1910 Model T Ford would be to a
contemporary Formula One motor mechanic - it would be of purely historical
interest. In the English, however, classics, such as Smyslov-Liberzon and
Petrosian-Hort in the present volume, will never lose their instructional
value to anybody who aspires to play the white side of the opening.} (1... -- {
Having said that, the book still contains plenty of recent games, and it
presents an overview of the current state of theory in many of the sharper,
more forcing lines. Furthermore, although I have not sought to recommend a
specific repertoire as such, I have added a final chapter on Building a
Repertoire. This discusses the various move-order choices, and suggests
alternative approaches to using the English as White. I hope that this will
enable to reader to draw up a general idea for a repertoire beginning 1 c4,
and to choose between the many different variations. Building a repertoire
with the English is a bit like cooking - whatever a particular chef or his
recipe may say, if you like a certain ingredient, there is no reason not to
add some more of it to your dish. "Season to taste" is the motto - in the
English, one can mix and match a good many different systems and set-ups
according to one's taste, and a player should not be afraid to do so. --- I
myself played the English a great deal during my playing career, and so I have
a lot of experience with many of the lines concerned. It can be used either as
one's main weapon, or as an occasional transpositional tool, against certain
opponents. One can use it to aim for quiet positions or sharp positions, to
occupy the centre with pawns, or to hold back the centre pawns and control the
centre from the flanks. The English is largely a blank canvas on which the
player can create his own artwork, to his own taste. In short, as British
Chancellors of the Exchequer (i.e. Finance Ministers) are wont to say, at the
end of their annual Budget speech, "I commend it to the House!"}) (1... -- {
Acknowledgements: -- John Emms and Byron Jacobs of Everyman were their usual
immaculately efficient and supportive selves. My friends Dave Barnes and Roger
Parry both lent me theoretical volumes which my own library was lacking,
whilst the libraries of the Hastings and Snodland chess clubs plugged other
gaps in my collection. --- This book is dedicated to Dave, with gratitude for
almost 40 years of unswerving friendship. He is now the Medway Towns' leading
practitioner of the English Opening, and long may his successes with it
continue! --- Steve Giddins, Rochester, UK, June 2011.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "1. Lines with ...e5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A20"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 e5 {is the most principled response to the English. White's first move
makes 1...d5 unattractive, but does nothing to prevent the other black centre
pawn advancing two squares, so it is natural for it to seize the opportunity
to do so. However, English advocates can argue that 1...e5 is also a tad
cooperative. As we explain in more detail in the notes to Seirawan-Narciso
Dublan, White's fundamental strategic plan in the English is to attack the
light squares in the centre of the board, and so it can be claimed that 1...e5
weakens those squares a little. Once this move has been played, it will be
considerably harder for Black ever to establish a pawn on d5, and so the
English bishop on g2 is likely to have a strong diagonal, pointing towards the
black queenside. --- Of course, the other point about 1...e5 is that it
produces a Sicilian Defence, with colours reversed and White having a move in
hand. Some people argue that, since the Sicilian is regarded as one of Black's
best defences to 1 e4, and good enough to equalize as Black, then having a
Sicilian as White, with an extra tempo, must give White the advantage. In
reality, this argument is fallacious, for reasons that we explain in more
detail in the notes to Brunello-Brunner. In truth, 1...e5 is a perfectly valid
defence to the English, and should give Black close to equal chances, if
properly handled. Having said that, White players should feel comfortable in
the resulting positions, as they usually represent some of the "purest" forms
of the English that one can get.} 2. -- {The first five games in this section
look at Black playing 1...e5 and 2...Nc6, followed by 3...g6. This kind of
reversed Closed Sicilian produces very typical English structures. In
Seirawan-Narciso Dublan, Smyslov-Liberzon and Petrosian-Hort, we see White
place his pawn on d3, fianchetto his king's bishop, and then employ the
typical English plan of b4-b5, gaining space on the queenside and pressurizing
the light squares. Smyslov-Liberzon and Petrosian-Hort, in particular, are old
classics, and both show how Black's attempts to create counterplay on the
kingside can sometimes rebound on him. --- Miezis-Roemer and Moskalenko-Mestre
Bellido cover the Botvinnik System, which is extremely popular these days. In
this system, White erects the central pawn triangle c4-d3-e4, sacrificing the
d4-square but setting up a position in which he has the flank breaks b4 and f4.
--- Pfleger-Vasiukov, Kasparov-Ivanchuk and Ibragimov-Kuporosov deal with the
classic Four Knights system, in which Black brings his bishop to b4 and
exchanges on c3. These heavyweight structures are some of the richest, and
also most widely-explored English lines, although in recent years they have
lost ground in the popularity stakes, thanks mainly to the increasing use of
the 2 g3 move-order, by which White usually avoids such structures. ---
Taimanov-Hort sees Black adopt the rather rustic plan of putting his bishop on
c5, whilst in Brunello-Brunner we deal with the Reversed Dragon lines, where
Black plays ...d5. --- All of these first ten games see White fianchetto his
king's bishop, but in the last two games of the chapter, we look at
alternative set-ups. Grachev-Lalic deals with Nimzowitsch's 4 e4 line, whilst
Ivanchuk-Karjakin looks at the system with e3. Both are interesting ways to
avoid the most popular and heavily-analysed g3-systems, and in my opinion,
both deserve a closer look.} *

[Event "Barcelona"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Seirawan, Y."]
[Black "Narciso Dublan, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 {. QUESTION: What is the point of the English? After all, 1 c4 is not
really a developing move, like 1 e4 or 1 d4. --- ANSWER: That is true. The
English is, first and foremost, an attempt to play for control of the central
light squares. White's initial move stakes a claim for the d5-square, and the
follow-up moves, such as Nc3 and g3-Bg2, will further enhance his influence
over the light squares in the centre. It is true that rapid development is
postponed for a while, but the lack of pawn contact in the centre usually
means that lines stay closed early on, so the slight lag in development is
usually not serious.} ({The plan Black adopts in our main game was developed
as White in the Closed Sicilian, by Boris Spassky. One of the classic examples
was the following game, which is worth seeing, not only for its historical
significance in the development of the white strategy, but also as an example
of how dangerous the kingside counterplay can be:} 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. g3 Nc6
4. Bg2 g6 5. d3 Bg7 6. f4 Nf6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O Rb8 9. h3 b5 10. a3 a5 11. Be3
b4 12. axb4 axb4 13. Ne2 Bb7 14. b3 Ra8 15. Rc1 Ra2 16. g4 Qa8 17. Qe1 Qa6 18.
Qf2 Na7 19. f5 Nb5 20. fxg6 hxg6 21. Ng5 Na3 22. Qh4 Rc8 23. Rxf6 exf6 24. Qh7+
Kf8 25. Nxf7 $1 Rxc2 26. Bh6 Rxc1+ 27. Nxc1 Kxf7 28. Qxg7+ Ke8 29. g5 f5 30.
Qxg6+ Kd7 31. Qf7+ Kc6 32. exf5+ {
1-0 B.Spassky-E.Geller, Candidates, Sukhumi 1968.}) 1... e5 {By no means the
only move, of course, but the most principled. Black seizes the chance to put
a pawn in the centre, although he does fall in with White's plans a little, by
weakening the central light squares. --- QUESTION: 1...e5 produces a reversed
Sicilian, where White has an extra tempo. Shouldn't this be better for White?
--- ANSWER: Not necessarily. Black defences, when played as White with a move
in hand, often do not prove as effective as one might think. Black does not
have to be as ambitious as the White player would be, in the usual lines,
whilst, paradoxically, the extra tempo can often rebound on White, because he
has to commit himself first. We discuss this issue in greater detail in the
notes to Brunello-Brunner.} 2. Nc3 g6 {QUESTION: This looks a bit unusual.} ({
ANSWER: It is, and is probably not that good - White could now respond with 3
d4!. Black would usually reach the variation in the game by starting with} 2...
Nc6 {.}) 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. Rb1 {QUESTION: This also looks odd. Why
doesn't White develop his kingside? --- ANSWER: It is all part of White's
strategic plan of pressurizing the light squares. He intends to advance b4-b5,
taking control of the square c6, and driving the enemy knight back. White
judges that he can afford to postpone routine development, in favour of
pursuing his strategic plans on the queenside.} ({Having said that, 5 Rb1 is
by no means obligatory. As we will see later, White has other options, such as
} 5. e3) ({and} 5. e4 {.}) 5... d6 6. b4 Nf6 ({
A more aggressive set-up would be} 6... f5 {. As we will see, Black's play in
this game is a little too passive and he postpones his kingside counterplay
too long.}) 7. b5 Ne7 8. d3 O-O 9. Nf3 {Having achieved his queenside space
gain, White starts to catch up in development on the other flank.} ({
Another way of doing so is} 9. e3 {with the idea of Nge2.}) 9... a6 {QUESTION: 
What is this about? Isn't opening lines on the queenside good for White? ---
ANSWER: A very good question! One is usually advised not to move pawns on the
side of the board where one stands worse, and the text breaks that rule.
However, the move is part of a deep strategic idea, introduced by Boris
Spassky, in the equivalent positions arising from the Closed Sicilian. By
exchanging off his a-pawn, Black gets rid of a potential weakness on the
queenside.} ({
He could instead implement his plan at move 11 straightaway, by means of} 9...
h6 10. Nd2 Rb8 11. O-O b6 {
. However, now we see the difference, as White can play} 12. Qa4 {
, when the pawn on a7 is hard to defend.}) 10. a4 axb5 11. axb5 {It should also
be noted that the game position could - and sometimes is - reached if Black
plays an early ...a5, e.g. 5...a5 6 a3 etc, with a pawn swap on b4 rather than
b5.} h6 12. Nd2 {This is a typical move in such positions. White unmasks his
fianchettoed bishop, which exerts pressure down the long diagonal, against the
central light squares and the black queenside. We already see White's standard
English plan in action - his pawn chain b5-c4-d3 controls the central light
squares, and his c3-knight and g2-bishop supplement the pressure on the
squares d5 and e4.} Rb8 13. O-O b6 14. Ra1 Bb7 $6 {QUESTION: What is wrong
with this move? Isn't it logical to exchange White's fianchettoed bishop? ---
ANSWER: Yes and no. Ordinarily, such an exchange would weaken the white king,
but here, it also weakens the central light squares further. These squares are
the main object of White's attack, so exchanging off a key defender of them
plays into White's hands.} ({It would perhaps be better to play} 14... Be6 15.
Ra7 Rc8 {, keeping the bishop.}) 15. Bxb7 Rxb7 16. e3 Nd7 17. Ba3 f5 18. Bb4
Nf6 19. Qf3 {See the note to Black's 14th. The white queen exerts powerful
pressure down the long diagonal. Notice how consistently White pursues the
plan, announced by his very first move - pressure against the central light
squares.} Rb8 20. Ra7 Rc8 {This position illustrates the defensive plan begun
by Black at move 9. He has offloaded his a-pawn, and put his b-pawn on b6. His
only weakness on the queenside is the c7-pawn, and now he places the rook in
position to defend it. The whole plan looks rather passive, but the point is
that the c7-pawn is not that easy for White to attack further - a point so
deep in enemy territory is always easier for the defender to defend, than for
the opponent to attack. Black hopes that he will now have time to create
counterplay on the kingside. --- As mentioned earlier, the plan Black has
adopted here was developed as White in the Closed Sicilian, by Boris Spassky.
See the notes to White's first move. In the present case, Black's problem is
that he is much less well-prepared for a kingside counterattack than was
Spassky in the above game. As a result, Black's position here is much more
passive.} 21. Qg2 {QUESTION: What is the point of this move? --- ANSWER: There
are several ideas. One is to remove the queen from tactical tricks based on ...e5-e4. Another is to free the white f-pawn, which can sometimes advance to f4,
so as to stop Black's kingside pawn advance (especially the thrust ...f5-f4),
and also to intensify the white pressure against the black centre pawns.} h5 {
This looks a little slow.} ({The move} 21... f4 {is more natural, when it
would clearly be suicidal for White to capture twice on f4. Instead, he could
try} 22. Qh3 {(another point of White's last move), with further pressure on
the light squares.}) 22. Rfa1 Bh6 23. Rb7 Qd7 24. Raa7 {White has succeeded in
bringing further pressure to bear on the c7-pawn, but, as we see, it is still
adequately defended.} h4 $2 ({Black should play} 24... Qd8 {, meeting the
tactical threat of Rxb6. White would retain a definite positional advantage,
but it is not obvious how best to increase the pressure. It is not possible to
attack c7 any further, so White should probably continue} 25. Nb3 {with the idea of switching pressure to the centre after d3-d4. Instead, Narciso decides to
jettison material, in order to set his kingside attack going, but this proves
inadequate.}) 25. Rxb6 hxg3 26. hxg3 f4 $2 {This must have been an oversight.}
27. Rxd6 $1 {Whoops! Another pawn goes, and with it, the foundations of
Black's central edifice.} Qg4 28. Rxf6 $1 {Winning even more material.} Rxf6
29. Bxe7 Rf7 30. gxf4 $1 {Not the only way of winning, but a neat method of
disposing of Black's counterplay. White will emerge with a hatful of pawns for
the exchange.} Qxg2+ 31. Kxg2 Rxe7 32. Nd5 Rf7 33. fxe5 Bg5 34. Ne4 {The dominant positions of the two white knights on d5 and e4 are very thematic for the
English, and crown White's central light-square strategy most appropriately.}
Bd8 35. b6 {. --- An instructive example of the standard English plan of
queenside expansion.} 1-0

[Event "USSR Team Championship, Riga"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1968.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Smyslov, V."]
[Black "Liberzon, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1968.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Rb1 d6 6. b4 a6 {QUESTION: What is
the idea here? --- ANSWER: Black holds up the advance b4-b5, and so maintains
his knight on c6. --- QUESTION: But if Black wanted to do that, why not play 5...a5? --- ANSWER: After 5...a5 6 a3, White would achieve his queenside advance
anyway, and the a-file would be opened. The two lines often transpose, but
here, Black has a slightly more subtle idea in mind.} 7. e3 {QUESTION: How
does this differ from Seirawan's Nf3 plan? --- ANSWER: The plan of e3 and Nge2
has several advantages over Nf3: White keeps open the long diagonal of his
bishop, and is also well prepared to advance f2-f4, so as to hold up the black
kingside attack. --- QUESTION: So is e3 and Nge2 just better than Nf3? ---
ANSWER: Not necessarily, although it is probably more popular in this position.
The main downside of 7 e3 is that it weakens the light squares around the
white king, especially f3, which can become a problem later.} f5 {QUESTION: This looks more logical than Narciso's ...Nf6 plan. --- ANSWER: It is, in that it
pursues the kingside counterplay more actively. However, every pawn move
creates a weakness, and, furthermore, here White is well prepared to advance
f2-f4, to stop the black f-pawn in its tracks. There is an argument that, with
White already committed to e3, Black should hold back the f-pawn and play ...Be6-Qd7, so as to be able to exchange the Bg2. With the light squares round
the white king that much weaker after the move 7 e3, this is quite a logical
plan for Black.} 8. Nge2 Nf6 9. d3 O-O 10. O-O Bd7 $6 {QUESTION: Why don't you
like Black's last move? --- ANSWER: Because it does not fit in with the
prophylactic plan on the queenside, begun by 6...a6.} ({Now that White has
completed his development, he is clearly going to continue with a4 and b5.
Black has a subtle idea here, again developed by Spassky, which starts with} 
10... Rb8 {. --- QUESTION: That looks a funny move! --- ANSWER: Maybe, but it
is based on a subtle tactical point. After} 11. a4 {Black intends to continue}
a5 $1 12. b5 $6 (12. bxa5 {is better here}) 12... Nb4 {trying to block up the
queenside and stop White's play on that side of the board. The point of
Black's 10th move becomes clear after the further moves} 13. Ba3 c5 14. bxc6
bxc6 {when the rook on b8 defends the knight on b4!}) 11. a4 $1 Rb8 {
Now Black is too slow, and the text is needed merely to defend the b7-pawn.}
12. b5 axb5 13. axb5 Ne7 14. Ba3 {QUESTION: Seirawan played the same move in
our first game. Does the bishop always go here? --- ANSWER: Not always, but it
is often good. There are threats of c4-c5 or b5-b6, undermining Black's
central pawn structure.} Be6 {An admission that his 10th move was not the best.
If Black were not going to play 10...Rb8, he could at least have put the
bishop on e6 in one move.} 15. Qb3 b6 16. d4 {QUESTION: This is a different
plan from Seirawan's Bb4, Ra1-a7 in the previous game? --- ANSWER: Yes.
Smyslov takes immediate action in the centre, taking advantage of the position
of his knight on e2 (in the previous game, the knight was on d2). Now Black
does not really want to allow dxe5 dxe5, when White would bring a rook to the
open d-file, and the a3-bishop would have a strong diagonal. The next move is
therefore almost forced.} e4 17. d5 $1 {An important follow-up to White's last.
Now his knight will come to d4, eyeing up two tempting entry squares on c6 and
e6. Meanwhile, Black has lost almost all hope of a kingside attack based
around ...f5-f4.} Bf7 18. Nd4 Qd7 19. Bb2 {QUESTION: What is the point of
this? --- ANSWER: The bishop has done its job on the a3-f8 diagonal, and now
that White has pushed his pawn to d5, there is no real hope of a c4-c5 advance.
The bishop now belongs on the long diagonal, whilst the a-file is cleared for
a white rook penetration.} g5 {QUESTION: Is this good? --- ANSWER: Black has
to get some counterplay somehow, but, as we will see, this ends up rebounding,
by weakening his own king's position. This is often the dilemma Black faces in
such positions: if he plays passively, he gives White a free hand; but by
seeking counterplay on the kingside, he runs the risk that the attack will
fizzle out, and then his own kingside weaknesses will return to haunt him. ---
QUESTION: An unfortunate dilemma! --- ANSWER: Indeed, but as Larsen once
observed, "Chess is not an easy game, where you can avoid problems"!} 20. Nce2
{This move covers f4 (preventing the reply 20...f4), as well unmasking the
bishop on the long diagonal. White's ultimate dream would be to bring the
knight to f4 and into e6.} Kh8 21. Ra1 Ng6 22. f4 $1 {QUESTION: I thought
White was attacking on the queenside, so why does he advance on the other
wing? --- ANSWER: Smyslov's play is two-wing strategy of the highest order. On
the one hand, Black was again threatening 22...f4, which White's last move
prevents. Now, if he is to have any chances on the kingside, Black must take
en passant, but then, as we see, his own f5-pawn is a significant weakness -
see the note to Black's 19th move!} exf3 23. Rxf3 Ne7 {
The only way to defend the f5-pawn.} 24. Nc6 Rbe8 25. Ned4 {The pressure
reaches critical levels. The threat is 26 Nxe7, followed by 27 Nxf5, whilst 25.
..Bg6 allows the crushing 26 Ne6. Black therefore has no choice but to fish in
troubled waters, with a desperate piece sacrifice.} Nfxd5 26. cxd5 ({As will be
come clear, Smyslov had seen a brilliant combinative idea, but the ruthless
computer points out that} 26. Rf2 $1 {
is objectively stronger. Black has no good follow-up, and after} Nf6 27. Nxe7
Rxe7 28. Nxf5 {White is completely winning.}) 26... Bxd5 {It looks as though
Black is winning rook and two pawns for two pieces, but Smyslov had seen
further, and now a very rude shock awaits Black.} 27. Nxf5 $1 Rxf5 ({
The point of Smyslov's play is that} 27... Bxb3 {is met by} 28. Bxg7+ Kg8 29.
Ncxe7+ Rxe7 30. Bxf8 Kxf8 31. Ra8+ {.}) 28. Bxg7+ Kg8 ({And now the point is} 
28... Kxg7 29. Qc3+ Kg8 30. Rxf5 Qxf5 31. Rf1 Qe6 32. Rf6 $1 {
and when the queen moves, the bishop on d5 drops off after 33 Nxe7+.}) 29. Rxf5
$1 Bxb3 30. Rxg5 {The upshot of Smyslov's combination is that he has rook and
bishop for the queen, but the exposed black king is under serious fire. Even
so, the computer shows that Black is still holding the position.} Ng6 31. Bh6
Qe6 32. h4 $1 {
Admirable calmness. Smyslov can afford to give up a pawn with check.} Qxe3+ 33.
Kh2 Qc3 {The threat was 34 Rxg6+.} 34. Rf1 Bc4 35. Rf2 (35. Ne7+ {
is flashy, but leads to nothing special after} Kh8 {.}) 35... Qe1 36. Rgf5 Bxb5
$2 {Black cracks under the pressure. --- EXERCISE: Find a strong move for
White. ---} ({After} 36... Be6 $1 {the position is still quite unclear.}) {
ANSWER:} 37. Bd2 $1 {Transferring the bishop to the long diagonal, with tempo.}
(37. Bd5+ Kh8 {and then} 38. Bd2 $1 {was equally good.}) 37... Qb1 {
Forced to defend the bishop on b5.} 38. Bd5+ Kh8 39. Bc3+ Ne5 40. Nxe5 dxe5 41.
Rxe5 {. --- Although the computer somewhat takes the gloss off Smyslov's
brilliant combination, this game is highly instructive in a number of ways. In
particular, it illustrates how Black's attacking gestures on the kingside can
rebound on him, if White is the first to break through. --- The next game sees
a variation on the same theme.} 1-0

[Event "European Team Championship, Oberhausen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1961.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Petrosian, T."]
[Black "Hort, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "109"]
[EventDate "1961.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 f5 {This move can presage a cruder set-up, based on ...Nf6 and ...Bc5 (or ...Bb4), similar to the so-called Grand Prix Attack
against the Sicilian. However, on this occasion, it amounts only to a
transposition into the main lines.} 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. d3 g6 6. Rb1 Bg7 7. b4 d6 8.
b5 Nd4 {QUESTION: In Seirawan-Narciso Dublan, we saw the knight retreat to e7.
Is this better? --- ANSWER: It is not necessarily better, but it is a
perfectly valid approach. Black knows his knight cannot stay on d4 forever,
but it will retreat to e6, supporting kingside play.} 9. Nh3 $5 {QUESTION: The
knight looks odd on h3. What is the idea? --- ANSWER: It is a very interesting
choice by Petrosian. Putting the knight on h3 is an idea that sometimes crops
up in the English. White's main idea is to avoid blocking his f-pawn (as would
be the case after Nf3) and to follow up with f4 and Nf2.} ({
The more common alternative is} 9. e3 Ne6 10. Nge2 {when White has the same
set-up as in Smyslov-Liberzon, but the black knight is on e6 rather than e7.})
9... O-O 10. O-O h6 11. f4 Kh7 12. a4 Rb8 13. Nf2 {This is the typical set-up
for White in the Nh3 plan. The advance of the f-pawn not only stops Black from
playing ...f4 himself, but also exerts pressure against Black's pawn centre.
From f2, the knight usefully patrols the g4-square, thus preventing the
potentially embarrassing ...Ng4-e3. As we will soon see, White's play in this
type of set-up is not necessarily confined to the queenside. --- QUESTION: So
if the knight is so good on f2, why is the Nh3 plan not seen more often? ---
ANSWER: Despite its advantages, Nh3 is quite a rare idea in this line. The
three-time British Champion, Harry Golombek, was especially fond of it in
several English lines, but most GMs view it with a degree of scepticism. The
main problem is that by advancing f4, White creates some potentially serious
weaknesses in the centre, notably on the e-file, and must be careful not to
come under pressure in that area. In the right circumstances, however, the
plan with f4 and Nh3-f2 can prove very effective, as it does here.} Bd7 14. Qd2
Nh5 15. e3 Ne6 16. Bb2 g5 {Black sets about initiating play on the kingside,
in typical fashion, but in this instance, he runs into a gorgeous positional
idea from the great Armenian.} 17. fxe5 dxe5 18. g4 $3 {QUESTION: What?? Has
White gone raving mad? --- ANSWER: No, absolutely not! This really striking
move looks potty at first sight, but is actually a superb positional idea. At
a stroke, White seizes control of the light squares in the centre and on the
kingside. We have emphasized already in this book that the main strategical
theme of the English is pressure on the light squares in the centre, but you
will rarely see the plan implemented in such a fashion as this. Obviously, it
takes great positional and tactical ability to see that White will not suffer
for exposing his own king.} fxg4 19. Nxg4 Nef4 {Black launches into a tactical
response, but this comes up short. However, it is hard to know what to
recommend. A major problem is that he finds it hard to connect his rooks,
because the black queen has no good square off the back rank.} (19... Qe7 {
would run into} 20. Nd5 {, of course.}) 20. Be4+ Kh8 21. exf4 Bxg4 22. fxg5 Nf4
{This pawn sacrifice is the best chance.} ({The ending after} 22... Qxg5 23.
Qxg5 hxg5 24. Rxf8+ Bxf8 25. Nd5 Bd6 26. Rf1 {is much better for White}) ({
whilst} 22... hxg5 23. Rxf8+ Bxf8 24. Nd5 Bg7 25. Qg2 {
is even worse from Black's viewpoint.}) 23. gxh6 Bxh6 {Black has no real
compensation for the pawn, and White just has to avoid a few tactical tricks.}
24. Kh1 Qh4 25. Qe1 Qh5 26. Qg3 c6 27. Bf3 $1 ({
This is better than grabbing another pawn by} 27. bxc6 bxc6 28. Bxc6 {
, after which Black gets some counterplay with} Bh3 {.}) 27... Rg8 28. Ne4 Rbf8
(28... Nxd3 {was slightly better, but even then, after} 29. Nf6 Bxf3+ 30. Qxf3
{, White should win.}) 29. Bxe5+ {Winning another pawn;} ({
although the computer's preference} 29. bxc6 bxc6 30. Bxg4 Rxg4 31. Bxe5+ {
was perhaps an even better way of doing so.}) 29... Qxe5 30. Bxg4 c5 {
With two extra pawns, the remaining task is only a technical one. White has to
be careful, as his king is exposed and there are opposite-coloured bishops,
but this should not stop him winning. Petrosian carries out the task, and the
remaining moves are of little real interest to our theme.} 31. Rbe1 Rg6 32. Rf3
b6 33. h3 Rg7 34. Qh4 Kh7 35. Ref1 Rgf7 36. Be6 {A nice little joke, although,
as the game shows, it does not really amount to anything more.} Rg7 ({
Of course,} 36... Qxe6 $4 {allows} 37. Ng5+ {.}) 37. Bg4 Rgf7 38. R3f2 Rg7 39.
Qg3 Kh8 40. Kh2 Kh7 {With the time control reached, the game was presumably
adjourned around this point, and Petrosian was able to analyse the position at
home, and work out a plan to make further progress.} 41. Nd2 {And this is it.
The knight re-routes itself, in search of more promising pastures.} Qd6 42. Nf3
$5 Kh8 $5 {A slightly odd moment.} ({I assume both players rejected} 42... Qxd3
{because of} 43. Ng5+ {when} Rxg5 44. Rxf4 (44. Qxd3+ Nxd3 45. Rxf8 Bxf8 46.
Rxf8 Nb2 {looks relatively unclear}) 44... Qxg3+ 45. Kxg3 Rxf4 46. Rxf4 Rg7 47.
Rf6 {is still promising for White, but he has one pawn less than the game.})
43. Nh4 Rgf7 44. Kh1 {This just gets the king out of potential discovered
checks on the h2-b8 diagonal.} Rf6 45. Rf3 Qd4 46. Ng2 {After a longish spell
of piece regrouping, during which little of substance has happened, White
reveals his cards. The strong enemy knight is to be exchanged off.} Qd6 47.
Nxf4 Bxf4 {The opposite bishops are not such a drawing factor here, with heavy
pieces in play.} 48. Qh4+ Rh6 49. Bh5 Rf5 50. Rxf4 Rhxh5 51. Qg4 Rhg5 52. Qf3
Rxf4 53. Qxf4 Qxf4 54. Rxf4 Rg3 55. Rh4+ {. The rooks come off next move, with
an easily winning king and pawn ending. --- A classic English game by
Petrosian, whose lovely positional idea of 18 g4!! remains long in the memory.}
1-0

[Event "Seefeld"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Miezis, N."]
[Black "Roemer, U."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A26"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 d6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 Nc6 6. e4 {QUESTION: Uh? What is
that all about? White blocks his light-squared bishop and weakens d4! ---
ANSWER: Indeed he does, but he obtains other advantages. This is known as the
Botvinnik set-up, although Nimzowitsch pre-dated him with similar ideas.
Although White does block the long diagonal of his light-squared bishop, he
also increases his pressure on the central light squares. As we know, this is
a cornerstone of White's strategy in the English. He intends to follow up with
Nge2 and 0-0. In the middlegame, he will have chances of pawn breaks on both
flanks, with b4 on the queenside and f4 on the king's wing. The Botvinnik has
become extremely popular over the past 20 years, mainly after it was
enthusiastically advocated by English GM Tony Kosten in his ground-breaking
English repertoire book.} Nge7 ({
Black can also adopt a more aggressive set-up with} 6... f5 {
and ...Nf6, which we will examine later.}) ({
Note, however, that blocking the f-pawn with} 6... Nf6 $6 {is questionable, as
it leaves Black vulnerable to a quick run of the white f-pawn. For example,} 7.
Nge2 O-O 8. O-O {and now Black has several tries:} -- (8... Nd4 $6 {is generally not a great move against the Botvinnik System, since it allows White to plug
the hole on d4 with an enemy pawn. One classic example, without which no
coverage of the Botvinnik is complete, is T.Petrosian-M.Bertok, Zagreb 1965:}
9. Nxd4 exd4 10. Ne2 c5 {(creating a "dead point" in the centre, although
Watson suggests that Black will struggle to dispense with this move forever)}
11. b4 $1 {(striking at once, with a plan to create a central pawn majority)}
Nd7 {(coming rather quietly)} (11... cxb4 12. a3 bxa3 13. Bxa3 {gives White
excellent positional compensation, with the open lines on the queenside and
the weak, doubled enemy d-pawns, but was probably still the better chance}) 12.
bxc5 dxc5 13. f4 {and White had achieved his desired central pawn majority.
Petrosian went on to win a long masterpiece of positional manoeuvring.}) (8...
Nh5 {frees the black f-pawn, but after} 9. Nd5 f5 10. exf5 Bxf5 (10... gxf5 11.
Nec3 Nf6 12. Bg5 {is slightly better for White}) 11. h3 $1 {
White will take the kingside light squares with a subsequent g4.}) (8... Nd7 {
is another attempt to unblock the f-pawn. One instructive game continued} 9.
Nd5 {(Black is well placed to meet f4 with ...f5, so White defers this advance
to a more propitious moment)} Nc5 10. b4 Ne6 11. Bb2 f5 12. exf5 gxf5 13. f4 $1
{(the thematic way to meet Black's ...f5 advance)} Ncd4 $6 14. fxe5 $1 dxe5 15.
Nxd4 Nxd4 16. Bxd4 $1 {(surrendering the dark-squared bishop is usually
dangerous in such positions, but here White sees that his remaining pieces
will all be so well placed, that Black will find it impossible to exploit his
opponent's dark-square weaknesses)} exd4 17. b5 Bd7 18. Re1 Kh8 19. Qh5 {
. White's pieces dominate the board:} c6 20. bxc6 bxc6 21. Nf4 Qf6 22. Re7 Be8
23. Qe2 Bf7 24. Re1 Rfe8 25. Rxe8+ Bxe8 26. Qxe8+ Rxe8 27. Rxe8+ Bf8 28. Ne6 {
1-0, A.Kosten-G.Lilley, British Ch., Scarborough 1999.})) ({Another example of
Black playing his knight to f6 in front of the f-pawn, but delaying castling,
occurred in the game F.Erwich-H.Vetter, German League 2010. This is worth
seeing, because it illustrates a tactical trap that often occurs in such
positions:} 6... Nf6 $6 7. Nge2 Be6 ({instead of} 7... O-O) 8. O-O Qd7 9. Nd5
Nd4 $4 10. Nxd4 exd4 {. --- EXERCISE: Find a good move for White. --- ANSWER:
Now there followed the killer blow} 11. Bh6 $1 {. Black has no way to avoid
loss of material, and after making the best of a bad job with} O-O 12. Nxf6+
Bxf6 13. Bxf8 Rxf8 {, he had no compensation for the exchange, and soon lost. 
All in all, the message is clear - Black does well to avoid obstructing his
f-pawn with ...Nf6.}) 7. Nge2 O-O 8. O-O f5 9. Nd5 Be6 10. Be3 Qd7 11. Qd2 Rf7
{Both sides have followed a typical set-up for their pieces, and this position
is very much one of the main lines of the Botvinnik System. Black's last move
commences a plan of doubling rooks on the f-file, an idea which gained much
popularity after it was used successfully by Botvinnik in a classic game
against Benko at Monte Carlo 1968.} 12. Rac1 ({
The aforementioned Benko-Botvinnik game continued} 12. Rae1 Raf8 13. f4 $2 {
(a typical plan in the Botvinnik System, but here, Black is well placed to
meet it)} fxe4 14. dxe4 Nc8 $1 15. c5 Bh3 16. b4 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 exf4 18. gxf4
Re8 $1 {and Black went on to win, thanks largely to the weakness of the
e4-pawn. --- QUESTION: That looked pretty convincing. What should White do
about this defensive plan? --- ANSWER: Miezis demonstrates the modern approach
in this game, adopting a set-up which counters the Black formation with
doubled rooks on the f-file quite effectively. As a first step, the white rook
protects the c4-pawn, preparing the advance b4.}) 12... Raf8 13. f3 $1 {
This is the key idea. White sets up a solid barrier on the f-file, neutralizing
the enemy rooks. He will follow up with b4 and play on the queenside and in
the centre. --- QUESTION: It looks a bit odd to shut in the "English bishop"
on g2 like this! --- ANSWER: Yes, but this will not last forever. At some
point, White will be able to advance f4, unmasking the bishop. For the time
being, though, he wants to neutralize the enemy rook battery on the f-file, as
well as securely defending his e4-pawn in the event of an exchange of
light-squared bishops after ...Bh3.} Kh8 14. b4 Ng8 15. exf5 $1 {White takes
advantage of the retreat of the knight from e7, to initiate action in the
centre. With the knight on e7, this would have been well met by ...Nxf5, but
now this is impossible, and Black has to make a choice of how to recapture on
f5.} Bxf5 {QUESTION: Is this forced?} ({ANSWER: No. In I.Csom-B.Gulko, Biel
Interzonal 1976 (the stem game with this f3-plan), Black preferred} 15... gxf5
{whereupon White immediately nailed the f5-pawn to the spot with} 16. f4 $1 {
. After the further moves} Nf6 17. Nxf6 Bxf6 18. d4 exd4 19. Nxd4 Nxd4 20. Bxd4
b6 21. Rfe1 {White was better, thanks to the superior pawn structure and
slightly safer king. He went on to win in 42 moves.}) 16. d4 $1 {
After the bishop recapture on f5, this pawn break is more logical than f4.} Bh3
$6 17. b5 exd4 18. Nxd4 Ne5 19. Bxh3 Qxh3 20. Nf4 $1 {This neatly underlines
that exchanging light-squared bishops actually favours White, since Black has
a lot of weaknesses on the light squares in his camp. We observed the same
phenomenon in Seirawan-Narciso Dublan.} Qd7 21. Nde6 Re8 22. Nxg7 Kxg7 23. Bd4
{QUESTION: Things seems to have gone wrong for Black. --- ANSWER: Yes, he has
been completely outplayed, and it is obvious that White has secured a clear
positional advantage. Black has weaknesses on the central light squares, and
his king is very exposed.} Kf8 24. Kg2 Qf5 25. Rc3 ({The energetic} 25. c5 $1 {
is even stronger here, as} g5 {runs into the crushing piece sacrifice} 26. cxd6
gxf4 27. dxc7 Ng6 28. g4 Qc8 29. Qb4+ {etc.}) 25... b6 (25... Nf6 {was better.}
) 26. Nd5 Nf6 27. Ne3 $6 {After his successful early play, White seems to lose
the thread, now that the game becomes concrete.} ({
He would still be much better after} 27. Nxf6 Rxf6 28. f4 g5 29. Re3 {.}) 27...
Qe6 28. h3 Kg8 29. Qc2 Qc8 30. Qd1 Qb7 31. Ra3 d5 $2 ({White's dithering has
squandered most of his opening advantage, and with a normal move, such as} 
31... Rfe7 {, Black would be fine. Instead, he collapses:}) 32. cxd5 Nxd5 33.
Bxe5 Rxe5 34. Ng4 Rh5 {Forced, to stop Nh6+, but now all Black's pieces are
scattered around, in out-of-play positions.} 35. Re1 Qc8 36. Rd3 Qf5 $2 {
A further error;} ({but the position is hopeless anyway, e.g.} 36... Rd7 37.
Qb3 Qd8 38. Ne5 Rd6 39. g4 {etc.}) 37. Re5 {. --- Despite White's lapses
between moves 25-30, the game is a good illustration of his plan in this
variation with f3.} 1-0

[Event "Sabadell"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Moskalenko, V."]
[Black "Mestre Bellido, H."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A26"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. e4 d6 6. Nge2 {
QUESTION: Is move-order any particular issue here?} ({ANSWER: I think it is
slightly more accurate to play the text first, rather than} 6. d3 {
. After the latter, Black can play} h5 7. h3 Nd4 $1 {without allowing White to
exchange on d4. Now it is hard to avoid simplification, easing Black's task.
After} 8. Nge2 Nxe2 9. Nxe2 Be6 10. Be3 Qd7 11. Rc1 c5 12. Nc3 {a draw was
ed in this rather dull position, in the game A.Miles-M.Sadler, Hastings 1998/
99.}) 6... f5 {QUESTION: Is the ...h5 plan still possible here?} ({
ANSWER: It is, and indeed, Sadler has played} 6... h5 {in this position too.}
7. -- ({. After} 7. h3 $6 Be6 8. d3 h4 9. g4 Nf6 10. Nd5 Nd7 11. Be3 Nd4 12.
Qd2 c6 13. Ndc3 Qe7 14. f4 f5 {, Black had good play and went on to win in M.O'Cinneide-M.Sadler, Reykjavik 1999.}) ({. Instead of 7 h3?!, White should play
} 7. h4 {. --- QUESTION: What difference does the insertion of the h-pawn
moves make? --- ANSWER: The main point is the weakening of the g5- and
g4-squares. This in turn means that both sides must now think twice about
advancing the f-pawn two squares, because it will involve conceding total
control of g4/g5. --- QUESTION: So whom does this favour? --- ANSWER: It is
hard to say. Practical results go pretty much with rating in this line. One of
the highest-class games from this position is an old one, from some 36 years
ago, but is still worth a look, for White's excellent strategy:} Nh6 {
(a logical plan with ...h5 and h4 thrown in - the knight heads for f7, from
where it defends g5)} (7... Nd4 $6 {
is much less logical here, for the usual reason - after} 8. Nxd4 exd4 9. Ne2 {
White has plugged the hole on d4 and must be somewhat better}) 8. d3 Be6 9. Nd5
O-O 10. f3 (10. O-O {is also perfectly possible}) 10... Kh7 11. Be3 f5 12. Qd2
Qd7 13. Rc1 Ne7 {
. Now White cleverly redirected his knight to the g5-outpost with} 14. Ng1 $1
c6 15. Nxe7 Qxe7 16. Nh3 {. White has perhaps a small advantage, and
eventually won a long and heavyweight manoeuvring battle in L.Portisch-B.Gulko,
Biel 1976.})) 7. d3 Nf6 {QUESTION: This set-up, with ...f5 and ...Nf6, looks
more ambitious than ...Nge7. --- ANSWER: Yes, but it is also riskier. The pin
Bg5 can create problems, in conjunction with Nd5, whilst Black must always
watch out for a timely white pawn exchange on f5.} 8. O-O O-O 9. Nd5 {
The main move;} ({but} 9. exf5 {is a good alternative.}) 9... Ne7 {This became
popular for a time, after being used successfully by Timman, but superior ways
of handling the white position have since been found.} 10. Nxf6+ $1 (10. Bg5 {
is now well met by} Nfxd5 11. cxd5 h6 {.}) 10... Bxf6 ({A recent example,
featuring a top-class player on the white side, was D.Navara-S.Martinovic,
Sibenik 2011, where Black preferred the less common} 10... Rxf6 {. After} 11.
Bg5 Rf7 12. exf5 Rxf5 13. Qd2 Qf8 14. Rae1 c6 15. d4 {White had a nice edge.
It is hard for Black to avoid a central pawn weakness on either e5 or d6, and
he still has problems completing his development. The game continued} h6 16.
Be3 Be6 17. d5 cxd5 18. cxd5 Bf7 19. Rc1 e4 20. Bxe4 Bxd5 21. Bxf5 Qxf5 22. Nf4
Bf3 23. Qxd6 g5 24. Rc5 {1-0.}) 11. Bh6 {
QUESTION: Has White anything else here?} ({ANSWER:} 11. d4 {is Kosten's
recommendation, striking immediately in the centre to take advantage of
Black's passive knight on e7.}) 11... Re8 (11... Rf7 {
may be more accurate here.}) 12. Qd2 c6 13. Nc3 Be6 14. Bg5 Bg7 $6 {
After the text, White gets on top.} ({Instead, he has very little after} 14...
Bxg5 15. Qxg5 Rf8 {.}) 15. b4 $1 {QUESTION: So why is White better here? ---
ANSWER: His bishop is very strong on g5, effectively preventing Black from
breaking in the centre with ...d5. Black cannot dislodge the bishop, and so
has no counterplay, whilst his knight on e7 is poorly placed. White has a free
hand to develop his initiative with the traditional English plan of striking
at the queenside light squares.} Rf8 ({
Black should have seized the chance to capture} 15... fxe4 {
while White cannot take with the pawn.}) 16. exf5 $1 {Now Black will not get
another chance. White unmasks the English bishop, down the long white diagonal.
} Bxf5 17. b5 Rc8 18. bxc6 bxc6 19. Rab1 Qd7 20. Rb3 {White's play is very
simple. Having opened the b-file, he prepares to double rooks on it.} Rc7 21.
Rfb1 Nc8 22. a4 $1 {
Anticipating Black's idea of plugging up the b-file with ...Nb6.} Bh3 23. Bxh3
Qxh3 24. Rb7 Rcf7 (24... Rff7 25. Rb8 Rf8 26. Be3 {leaves Black very tied up.})
25. Rxf7 Rxf7 26. Rb8 Bf8 27. a5 {Black's hopes of counterplay on the kingside
light squares are unrealistic, and White just quietly strengthens his grip.}
Ne7 28. Bxe7 $1 {The bishop has done sterling work on g5, and now surrenders
its life for the black knight. In the resulting position, White's remaining
knight will exert strong pressure on the black centre and kingside.} Rxe7 29.
Ne4 Qe6 30. Qh6 Rg7 31. Qg5 $1 {Decisively transferring the queen to d8. Black
cannot hold his various weaknesses together.} Rf7 32. Qd8 {
Now both Ng5 and the capture on d6 are threatened.} Qf5 33. Qxd6 Kg7 34. Qxc6
Qf3 35. h4 Qd1+ 36. Kh2 Qxd3 37. Rb7 h6 38. Qf6+ {. --- An interesting game.
It is not clear that White has much advantage in this line, but he can usually
retain a small edge, and this can easily grow if Black commits even a small
inaccuracy.} 1-0

[Event "Manila"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1974.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pfleger, H."]
[Black "Vasiukov, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A29"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "1974.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 {With this game, we start our coverage of the
Four Knights Variation, one of the most common lines of the English.} 4. g3 {
This is the main line, but other moves are also possible, as we will see in
Grachev-Lalic and Ivanchuk-Karjakin.} Bb4 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Bxc3 {As noted in
the chapter's introduction, this variation with the exchange on c3 nowadays
arises relatively rarely, because most white players use the early g3
move-order, where the knight jumps to d5 the moment the black bishop comes to
b4. However, these positions after ...Bxc3 remain extremely rich and full of
interest.} 7. bxc3 {QUESTION: Is the other recapture possible? --- ANSWER: Yes,
it is. The choice between the two recaptures is a difficult one, but there is
one rule of thumb which can be offered. This is as follows: if the black pawn
has already advanced to e4, then recapturing with the d-pawn is more likely to
be promising for White. This is because he has use of the square d4, and can
manoeuvre his pieces more effectively. We will examine such positions in
Ibragimov-Kuporosov. With the black pawn not yet committed to e4, as here,
White more usually recaptures towards the centre.} d6 ({
QUESTION: From what you have just said, isn't} 7... e4 {logical here? ---
ANSWER: Absolutely, and it is the main line. We will examine this in the next
game.}) 8. d3 h6 $6 ({Once again, Black should prefer} 8... e4 {.}) 9. e4 {
QUESTION: Yet another Botvinnik formation! --- ANSWER: Sort of. Now White has
established the pawn structure he is looking for. With his pawn on c3, this
type of Botvinnik formation makes particular sense, since the doubled c3-pawn
protects d4. White intends to move his knight from f3 and push the f-pawn,
gaining space on the kingside.} a6 10. a4 b6 (10... Rb8 {was suggested by
Ljubojevic, with the idea of creating counterplay by ...b5. Black needs to
find some way to stir up some play; the game illustrates what happens if he
does not.}) 11. Nh4 Bg4 12. Qe1 Na5 13. Ra3 {QUESTION: That looks funny!} ({
ANSWER: It is a bit clumsy, but White wishes to protect the b3-square whilst
at the same time maintaining the guard on his a-pawn, which would not be the
case after} 13. Rb1 {. Although the rook is temporarily out of play, it will
return via the second rank, once White gets going on the kingside.}) 13... Nd7
14. h3 Be6 15. f4 f6 16. Qd1 Kh7 17. Bf3 $6 {This is rather optimistic.} ({
He should just play} 17. f5 {.}) 17... Qe8 $2 ({
Black should have accepted the challenge with} 17... Bxh3 {
. It may be Pfleger intended} 18. Bg4 {
, but it is not particularly convincing, e.g.} Bxf1 19. Bf5+ Kg8 20. Be6+ Rf7 {
etc.}) 18. f5 {Now events return to their normal course.} Bf7 19. Kg2 Rh8 20.
Ng6 $1 Bxg6 21. fxg6+ Kg8 {Of course, either capture on g6 drops the queen
after 22 Bh5. White has succeeded in taking control of all the light squares,
whilst the black rook is comically imprisoned on h8. White now just has to
arrange a breakthrough with d4 and c5.} 22. Bg4 Kf8 23. h4 Ke7 {This is necessary in order to allow the h8-rook back into play, but now the king is a sitting
duck in the centre of the board.} 24. Bf5 Rd8 25. Ra2 Nf8 26. h5 Nd7 27. Ba3
Qg8 28. Qe2 Nc5 29. Rb1 Ncb7 30. Kh3 Qe8 31. d4 {All the white pieces have
taken aim, and now the firing squad pulls its collective trigger.} Qg8 32. c5
$1 {The rest is a horror show.} dxc5 33. dxc5 Nxc5 34. Bxc5+ bxc5 35. Qxa6 Ra8
{The silicon wonder that is Fritz 12 informs me that the position is now mate
in 19!} 36. Rd2 $1 Qe8 (36... Rxa6 37. Rd7+ {and mate next move.}) 37. Qe6+ Kf8
38. Qd5 c4 39. Qc5+ Qe7 40. Qxe7+ Kxe7 41. Rd7+ Ke8 42. Rxc7 {. --- A perfect
illustration of what White is hoping for when he recaptures with the b-pawn.}
1-0

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A29"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 Nf6 {This move-order is quite a common way to reach the ...e5 set-ups.
Of course, it does allow 2 Nf3, preventing 2...e5, but then we reach a
position more often arrived via the Reti move-order 1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4. These
English/Reti lines are very amorphous and such transpositions frequently arise.
} 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O e4 {QUESTION: In the last
game, Black exchanged on c3 here. Is the text better? --- ANSWER: The
move-orders involving ...Bxc3, ...e4 and various preliminary moves (...d6, ...Re8, etc) are all pretty amorphous and hard to get a real grip on. However, it
does seem to me that it makes more sense for Black to take on c3 first. As we
have discussed, whether White takes with the b- or d-pawn is influenced partly
by the position of the black e-pawn, so it seems logical to exchange on c3
before committing the e-pawn. Then Black can decide whether to advance ...e4
or not, depending on which way White recaptures.} 7. Ng5 {
QUESTION: Is this the only move?} ({ANSWER: No,} 7. Ne1 {
is a major alternative, and will be examined in the next game.}) 7... Bxc3 8.
bxc3 {QUESTION: Err, hang on! I thought you said White usually prefers to take
with the d-pawn if Black has already played ...e4? --- ANSWER: Yes, I did. But
that is only when White's knight is ready to transfer to the e3-square. If he
had retreated his knight to e1 last move, then 8 dxc3 would make sense,
intending Nc2-e3. But here the knight on g5 is a long way from e3, so that
plan is not really available. Instead, White intends a much more dynamic
approach.} Re8 9. f3 (9. d3 {is also possible, but is rather tamer. After} exd3
10. exd3 d6 {White does not really have anything much.}) 9... exf3 $6 (9... e3
$1 {is possibly the best move here. --- QUESTION: Doesn't this lose a pawn?
--- ANSWER: Yes, but this pawn sacrifice, originally introduced by Karpov, is
almost certainly Black's best option here. Black recognizes that he cannot
stop White obtaining a central pawn majority, so he tries to ensure that its
value is diminished as far as possible, even at the cost of a pawn sacrifice.}
10. d3 $1 {was Kasparov's choice in the stem game, and almost certainly best.}
({. Interestingly, though, he did later try the alternative} 10. dxe3 {
. Now we see the point of Black's play - although he has sacrificed a pawn, he
has damaged White's structure, especially the doubled c-pawns. After} Qe7 (10...
b6 {,}) (10... h6) ({and} 10... d6 {are all playable alternatives}) 11. Nh3 Qc5
12. Nf4 Qxc4 13. e4 d6 14. Qd3 Ne5 15. Qxc4 Nxc4 {the game was equal and was
eventually drawn, G.Kasparov-Sadvakasov, Astana 2001.}) ({
. So, a main line runs} 10. d3 d5 11. Qb3 (11. cxd5 Nxd5 {
has been shown to yield nothing for White}) 11... Na5 12. Qa3 c6 13. cxd5 cxd5
14. f4 {. --- QUESTION: Looks like a total mess! --- ANSWER: That is not an
unfair description. The position is very difficult and unclear. However, if we
bear in mind White's strategic objectives, we can see the logic of his play.
He has kept his pawn structure intact and still has his bishop pair. The pawn
on e3 is a bone in his throat, but if he ever succeeds in disgorging it, he
will have a huge central pawn phalanx. Meanwhile, he has open lines for his
pieces. Black needs to keep the e-pawn, and harass White, in an attempt to
prevent him regrouping successfully and laying siege to e3. Some lines:} -- (
14... Nc6 15. Nf3 (15. Rb1 Qc7 16. Bb2 Bg4 17. c4 dxc4 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Ne4
Kg7 {was unclear in the stem game, G.Kasparov-A.Karpov, Seville 1987, but
eventually 0-1}) 15... b6 16. Qa4 Bb7 (16... Bd7 17. Nd4 Rc8 18. Nxc6 Rxc6 19.
Qd4 Qc8 {with equal chances, K.Yang-H.Stefansson, New Delhi 2011}) 17. Nd4 Na5
18. Rf3 Rc8 19. Qb4 Nc6 20. Nxc6 Rxc6 21. Qd4 {and White was a little better
and went on to win, M.Turov-R.Mankeyev, Tashkent 2011.}) (14... Bg4 15. Nf3 Nc6
16. h3 Bd7 17. Rb1 Qc7 {was equal in V.Papin-I.Khmelniker, Zurich 2010,
although White eventually won a long game.}))) 10. Nxf3 {QUESTION: So what is
going on? --- ANSWER: White is playing very dynamically. He has eliminated the
black e-pawn and opened the f-file. With his strong pawn centre and two
bishops, he hopes to develop a fierce initiative. --- QUESTION: So you are
saying this is just good for White? --- ANSWER: Not so fast! Strategically,
White has plenty of trumps, but he is temporarily behind in development, and
Black can try to exploit this. A verdict of "dynamically balanced" is more
appropriate.} d5 {Black must play energetically.} ({A classic example of
passive Black play being severely punished was V.Smyslov-P.Peev, Cienfuegos
1973, which continued} 10... Qe7 11. e3 d6 12. d3 Bg4 13. h3 Bd7 14. e4 h6 15.
Rb1 Rab8 16. Nh4 Ne5 17. Be3 b6 18. Nf5 Bxf5 19. Rxf5 Nfd7 20. Qf1 Nf8 21. d4
Ned7 {. White has achieved everything he could want, with his bishop pair and
crushing central pawn mass. The game ended} 22. Qd3 Nh7 23. Rbf1 Rf8 24. g4
Rbe8 25. Bd2 Ng5 26. h4 Nh7 27. Qg3 Qe6 28. e5 Qxc4 29. exd6 c6 30. g5 hxg5 31.
hxg5 Re2 32. R1f2 Rxf2 33. Rxf2 Re8 34. Qf3 Nhf8 35. Qxc6 Qd3 36. Qf3 Qg6 37.
Bh3 Qb1+ 38. Bf1 Qxa2 39. c4 {1-0.}) 11. d4 $1 {
Kasparov's improvement, introduced in the present game.} ({
Previously, White had preferred} 11. cxd5 {
. Smyslov himself suffered on the black side, after} Nxd5 $2 ({however, against
Sigurjonsson, at Reykjavik 1974, Smyslov himself unveiled the important
improvement} 11... Qxd5 $1 {and won nicely after} 12. Nd4 Qh5 $1 13. Nxc6 bxc6
14. e3 Bg4 {and Black has strong play; this had been pretty much the last word
on the variation, until Kasparov unveiled 11 d4 some thirteen years later}) 12.
e4 $1 Nb6 (12... Rxe4 $2 13. Ng5 Re7 14. Qh5 {wins}) 13. d4 {and he was blown
away by the white centre and bishop pair (W.Uhlmann-V.Smyslov, Hastings 1972/3)
.}) 11... Ne4 12. Qc2 dxc4 $6 ({Later,} 12... Bf5 {
was tried as an improvement. After} 13. Nh4 Bg6 14. Nxg6 hxg6 15. Rb1 Na5 16.
cxd5 Qxd5 17. Bf4 Nc4 18. Qd3 f5 (18... Rac8 $5) 19. Bxc7 Rac8 20. Bf4 Re6 21.
Rb4 b6 22. a4 a6 {, Black's great blockading knights compensated for the pawn,
and he managed to hold the draw in B.Larsen-H.Olafsson, Hastings 1990.}) 13.
Rb1 $1 f5 (13... Qe7 14. Nd2 Ng5 15. e4 Bh3 16. Bxh3 Nxh3+ 17. Kg2 Ng5 {
was J.Hodgson-I.Naumkin, Amantea 1995, and now} 18. Rxb7 {looks good for White.
}) 14. g4 $1 {Dynamism is the hallmark of what White needs in this variation,
and there is no better player than Kasparov to supply that. Black is not to be
allowed to establish a secure blockade on e4.} Qe7 (14... g6 {
is the computer's choice, but it failed to impress in practice, after} 15. Bf4
Be6 16. Rxb7 Bd5 17. gxf5 $1 Nxd4 18. cxd4 Bxb7 19. fxg6 hxg6 20. Ne5 g5 ({or} 
20... Qxd4+ 21. e3 Qd5 22. Rd1 {and the e4-knight is lost}) 21. Be3 Qd5 22. Rf5
Rad8 23. Rxg5+ Kh7 24. Nxc4 Qe6 25. Ne5 {1-0 I.Smirin-B.Avrukh, Groningen 1996.
}) ({Kasparov himself gave} 14... fxg4 {as the only move, but after} 15. Ne5
Nd6 16. Nxc6 bxc6 17. e4 $1 {White has achieved his strategic objective: he
has the pawn centre and all his pieces are effective.} ({However,} 17. Bxc6 $6
Bd7 18. Bxa8 Qxa8 {gives Black compensation.})) 15. gxf5 Nd6 {
EXERCISE: Find a good move for White. ---} (15... Bxf5 {is strongly met by} 16.
Ng5 $1 {, e.g.} Nxg5 17. Rxf5 Ne4 18. Rxb7 {and Black's position is crumbling.}
) {ANSWER:} 16. Ng5 $1 Qxe2 17. Bd5+ Kh8 18. Qxe2 {
Even without queens, White has a crushing attack.} Rxe2 19. Bf4 Nd8 (19... Bxf5
20. Bxd6 Bxb1 21. Nf7+ Kg8 22. Nd8+ Kh8 23. Rf8# {is one attractive variation.}
) 20. Bxd6 cxd6 21. Rbe1 $1 {Simple chess. Black's only active piece is
removed, and he cannot get his queen's rook into the game.} Rxe1 22. Rxe1 Bd7
23. Re7 Bc6 {EXERCISE: Find the quickest way for White to win. ---} {ANSWER:}
24. f6 $1 (24. f6 Bxd5 25. Re8+ Bg8 26. f7 Nxf7 27. Nxf7# {is another nice
finish. --- Absolutely classic Kasparov, the sort of dynamic crush that only
he could play. However, in view of the improvements for Black, especially at
move 9, the variation with 7 Ng5 remains theoretically unclear.}) 1-0

[Event "Kstovo"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1997.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ibragimov, I."]
[Black "Kuporosov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A29"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "117"]
[EventDate "1997.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O e4 7. Ne1 Bxc3 8.
dxc3 {QUESTION: At last, someone has played what you said they should play!
--- ANSWER: "Everything comes to he who waits"! But this is the sort of
structure where taking with the d-pawn makes most sense. --- QUESTION: So why
is that? --- ANSWER: As we have said before, the position of the black e-pawn
on e4 changes a few things. Firstly, White has control of the square d4.
Secondly, he can use d5 as a knight outpost, since, with the d-file opened,
chasing the knight away by means of ...c7-c6 would risk leaving a weakness on
d6. Thirdly, the black e-pawn can be attacked. And, finally, the advance f2-f4
will potentially place Black in a quandary. If he ignores it, White can follow
up with h3 and g4, gaining a serious amount of kingside space. On the other
hand, if Black takes on f3, en passant, then the game is opened up for White's
bishop pair, especially the English bishop on g2. --- QUESTION: You paint a
very rosy picture! If it is so good for White, why doesn't he always play this
way? --- ANSWER: I am not saying it is clearly good for White, but he
certainly has a position where he has promising chances and Black is usually
fighting to maintain the balance. Quite often, White reaches an ending with
the bishop pair, where Black faces an unpleasant fight for a draw. As to why
White doesn't play this way more often, the main reason is that he usually
doesn't get the chance! As we have said, if Black times the moves ...Bxc3 and ...e5-e4 carefully, he can usually prevent White reaching the set-up seen in
this game.} h6 {This is an important move. Allowing the exchange Bg5xf6 would
weaken the e4-pawn further and allow White to station his knight on e3 without
blocking in the bishop.} 9. Nc2 Re8 10. Ne3 {This is the typical post for the
knight in this line. From e3, it blockades Black's e-pawn and prepares a
potential jump to d5.} d6 11. Qc2 Qe7 {QUESTION: Does Black have other ways to
play? --- ANSWER: He certainly has some flexibility in exactly where to place
his pieces, but in most cases it will not greatly change the fundamentals of
the position.} ({For example,} 11... Bd7 12. Bd2 a5 13. Rae1 a4 14. f4 exf3 15.
exf3 Ne7 {shows a typical scenario. White has eliminated the e4-pawn, opened
the position, and has an edge because of his bishop pair, J.Timman-J.Mestel,
Las Palmas 1982.}) (11... b6 {is another way develop. From b7, the bishop
controls d5 and will neutralize its opposite number, after a subsequent f4 and
...exf3. However, the essentials of the position remain unchanged. For example,
} 12. Rd1 Bb7 13. Nd5 {(with Black well placed to meet the f4-advance, this is
probably a better way to handle the position in this particular set-up)} Rb8
14. b3 ({the pawn-grab} 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6 15. Bxe4 {is met by} Qe6 16. f3 Na5 {
with compensation}) 14... Kh8 15. Bf4 ({now Black's idea is} 15. Nxf6 Qxf6 16.
Bxe4 Nb4) 15... Ne5 16. Bxe4 Nxe4 17. Qxe4 Ng6 18. Qf3 Qd7 19. Rd2 Re6 20. Qg4
Rbe8 {, K.Georgiev-J.Hjartarson, Manila 1990. Now White should have preferred}
21. Re1 {, with a solid extra pawn,} ({instead of the blunder} 21. Rad1 $4 {
, which walked into} Nxf4 22. Nxf4 Rxe2 $1 {.})) 12. f4 $1 {
The typical thrust in such positions.} exf3 {QUESTION: Does he have to do this?
} ({ANSWER: As noted above, if Black does not exchange, then after, for example,} 
12... a5 {White continues} 13. h3 {and prepares a general kingside
space-gaining advance with g4. Indeed, annotating the present game in
'ChessBase Magazine', the strong Hungarian GM Zoltan Ribli described 12...exf3
as "practically forced".}) 13. exf3 {QUESTION: Even so, this does not look all
that impressive for White. He has doubled pawns and his bishops don't look all
that wonderful. --- ANSWER: Maybe not, but "He who has the bishops has the
future". The doubled pawn is not really weak, and controls a lot of central
squares. If nothing else presents itself, then in such positions, White can
usually just exchange the heavy pieces on the e-file and play for a minor
piece ending, where he has the bishop pair. --- QUESTION: The bishops don't
look all that fearsome right now. --- ANSWER: No, but White's position has
potential. For example, one possible scenario is to play Nd5, and after ...Nxd5, recapture cxd5. Then after a subsequent c3-c4, the dark-squared bishop
has a great long black diagonal a1-h8.} Qe5 14. Bd2 a5 15. Rae1 Qc5 16. Kh1 Be6
17. b3 Re7 $6 ({The more active} 17... d5 {may have been better, although
Black probably did not want to relieve White of his doubled pawn. After} 18.
cxd5 Nxd5 19. Nxd5 Bxd5 {Black is holding the balance.}) 18. f4 Rae8 19. Qd1
Bd7 20. Nd5 Nxd5 21. cxd5 Rxe1 22. Rxe1 Ne7 ({After} 22... Rxe1+ $2 23. Qxe1 {
White penetrates on the e-file.}) 23. c4 {See note to move 13! Now White's
dark-squared bishop suddenly looks like a different piece.} a4 24. Bc3 axb3 25.
axb3 Nf5 26. Rxe8+ Bxe8 27. Qg1 $1 {A nice move, preventing any counterplay
and forcing off the queens. In the ending, White will have a small, but clear
advantage. Black probably ought to hold, but he will suffer, and, what is
important from a practical viewpoint, White is "playing for two results" - he
has little or no chance of losing, barring a crass blunder.} Bd7 (27... Qxg1+
28. Kxg1 Kf8 {was the alternative, but Black presumably liked the idea of
having access to the d6-square.}) 28. Qxc5 dxc5 29. Kg1 f6 30. Kf2 {The rest of
the game is not strictly relevant to our theme. White has achieved a better
ending, and went on to win.} Kf7 31. b4 cxb4 32. Bxb4 b6 33. Ke2 Nd6 34. Kd3
Bc8 35. Kd4 Nf5+ 36. Kd3 Nd6 37. Kc3 Ke8 38. Bf3 Bh3 39. Be2 Bg2 40. Bd3 Kd7
41. Kd4 Bh3 ({Ribli suggests that Black should hold after} 41... c5+ 42. dxc6+
Bxc6 {.}) 42. Be2 Nf5+ 43. Kd3 Nd6 44. g4 Bg2 45. Ke3 g5 $6 46. Bd3 Ke8 47. Be1
Kf7 48. h4 gxh4 49. Bxh4 Nb7 50. Bg3 Nc5 51. Bc2 Bf1 52. Kd4 Nb7 53. f5 Nd6 54.
Bd3 Bh3 55. c5 bxc5+ 56. Kxc5 Bxg4 $2 {Losing.} ({Black should still draw after
} 56... Ke7 {.}) 57. Bxd6 cxd6+ 58. Kxd6 Bf3 ({Or} 58... h5 59. Kc7 {.}) 59.
Bc4 {. --- A typical game for this variation. White has only a small advantage,
but it seems to me that Black is condemned to a relatively cheerless defence,
where half a point is often going to be the limit of his ambitions.} 1-0

[Event "Tallinn"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Taimanov, M."]
[Black "Hort, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A25"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "1975.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 ({The real significance of this game is that the position on
the board nowadays arises quite often via the "Kosten-Marin" move-order} 2. g3
Nf6 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. Nc3 {.}) 2... Nc6 3. g3 ({Note that if White has started out
} 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 {, then after} Bc5 {, his best move is} 5. Bg2 {, transposing to the position under discussion in the notes to White's 5th move below.} ({
Instead,} 5. Nxe5 Bxf2+ 6. Kxf2 Nxe5 7. e4 c5 $1 {
is not considered to give White any advantage.})) 3... Nf6 {
QUESTION: This is a slightly odd move-order, isn't it?} ({
ANSWER: Yes, it is. Black usually plays} 3... g6 {.}) 4. Bg2 Bc5 {QUESTION: This looks a natural set-up for Black. --- ANSWER: In a sense, yes, but in this
particular move-order, White can adopt the plan of e3 and Nge2, aiming to
blunt the bishop's diagonal and potentially drive it back with a subsequent d4.
} ({The other main alternative here is} 4... Bb4 {. Now White could transpose
into the Four Knights lines we saw in the last three games, with} 5. Nf3 {,} ({
but in this move-order, he has the promising alternative} 5. Nd5 {. --- QUESTION: What is the difference? --- ANSWER: The point is that White avoids the
structures where Black exchanges on c3, and instead threatens to take the
bishop pair or gain space by driving back the bishop. Black has a number of
options now:} -- (5... O-O 6. a3 (6. Nf3 {is an alternative, transposing into
positions that could be reached by the Four Knights move-order}) 6... Bc5 7. b4
Bd4 8. Rb1 d6 9. e3 ({or} 9. Nf3 Bb6 10. Nxb6 axb6 11. d3 {
with a small plus - Marin}) 9... Bb6 10. Nxf6+ Qxf6 11. Ne2 Bg4 12. O-O Bf3 13.
Bxf3 Qxf3 14. Nc3 Qf5 15. d3 Qd7 16. Qf3 {
with approximate equality, T.Hillarp Persson-T.Straeter, Stockholm 2010.}) (
5... Nxd5 $6 {
is probably not the most accurate, as Black loses time with his knight:} 6.
cxd5 Ne7 7. Nf3 ({best according to Marin;} 7. e3 O-O 8. Ne2 c6 9. a3 Bd6 10.
Nc3 Qa5 11. Ne4 Qc7 12. dxc6 dxc6 13. O-O a5 {
was equal in A.Grischuk-I.Nepomniachtchi, Moscow 2010}) 7... e4 $6 ({or} 7...
Bd6 8. e4 c6 9. d4 cxd5 10. dxe5 Bb4+ 11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Nxd2 {
with an edge to White - Marin}) 8. Nd4 f5 $6 9. O-O ({Fritz's} 9. Qa4 $1 {
is even stronger, e.g.} c5 10. Ne6 $1) 9... Bc5 10. Nb3 d6 11. d3 exd3 12. Nxc5
dxc5 13. Qxd3 Ng6 14. Qc3 O-O 15. Qxc5 {
and White was winning in J.Cox-P.Williams, Uxbridge 2009.}) (5... Bc5 6. e3 {
and now:} -- (6... Nxd5 7. cxd5 Ne7 8. b4 Bd6 $1 (8... Bxb4 9. Qg4) 9. Bb2 c6
10. dxc6 dxc6 {with equality, V.Papin-Z.Andriasian, Shenzhen 2011.}) (6... d6
7. Ne2 Nxd5 ({or} 7... a6 8. O-O O-O 9. b3 Ba7 10. Bb2 Re8 {, and although a
draw was agreed in D.Reinderman-F.Caruana, Wijk aan Zee 2009, White has the
usual small edge in such positions, thanks to the passive bishop on a7}) 8.
cxd5 Ne7 9. d4 Bb6 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. O-O O-O 12. Nc3 {
with an edge, M.Narciso Dublan-G.Gomez, Badalona 2010.}) (6... O-O 7. Ne2 {
with a further split:} -- (7... Re8 8. O-O a6 (8... Bf8 9. f4 {
was the slightly odd continuation of N.Miezis-I.Johannesson, Reykjavik 2009;} (
9. d3 {looks more normal})) 9. d3 Ba7 10. b3 d6 11. Bb2 {and we have the
familiar scenario: White will prepare d4, and the out-of-play bishop on a7
gives him some advantage, Ostenstad-Moen, Oslo 2011.}) (7... d6 8. O-O Re8 9.
d4 Bb6 10. Nxb6 axb6 11. d5 Ne7 12. e4 {with a position which Marin assesses
as a clear advantage to White. This was borne out by the course of the game A.Timofeev-Z.Andriasian, Belgorod 2010, if not by the final result (which was a
draw):} Ng6 13. Nc3 Bg4 14. Qc2 Qd7 15. a4 Bh3 16. f3 h6 17. b4 Bxg2 18. Kxg2
Nh7 19. Be3 Rf8 20. c5 bxc5 21. bxc5 f5 22. exf5 Rxf5 {and now} 23. Rab1 {
looks virtually winning for White.}))) (5... a5 6. e3 O-O 7. Ne2 Re8 8. O-O Bf8
9. b3 d6 10. Bb2 Bf5 11. d3 {, A.Kosten-V.Schweitzer, Cap d'Agde 2010, once
again with the typical edge for White.}))) 5. e3 $5 {QUESTION: 5 e3 looks very
natural. Why do you give it a "!?" label? --- ANSWER: The problem is that
Black has a tactical trick in response, with the gambit 5...d5 (see next note).
} ({Because of this, Kosten argued that White should prefer the move-order} 5.
a3 {. Then} d6 6. e3 {would transpose into the game, whilst after other fifth
moves by Black, White will continue in similar fashion, with e3, Ne2, etc.
This strikes me as perfectly valid. Since the expansion a3-b4 is part of
White's plan anyway, 5 a3 should not really be considered a loss of tempo.}) ({
Having said that, Mihail Marin is of the opinion that 5 a3 is something of a
tempo loss, and argues that "Logically, White cannot hope for an opening
advantage". He therefore recommends that White either plays 5 e3, as in the
main game, or else continues} 5. Nf3 {. --- QUESTION: But I thought you said
White wants to play e3 and Nge2? --- ANSWER: Ideally, he does, but in view of
these issues surrounding whether he needs to spend a tempo preparing e3 with 5
a3, Marin prefers to amend the plan somewhat. White still intends to play e3
at a later stage, but first, he completes his development with 0-0 and d3. ---
QUESTION: Looking at the position after 5 Nf3, haven't we transposed into a
Four Knights variation? --- ANSWER: Indeed, which is another reason why the 5
Nf3 plan is important. See too the note to White's 3rd move above. After 5 Nf3,
play might go} O-O 6. O-O d6 7. d3 h6 8. a3 a5 9. e3 {. White will follow up
with b3, Bb2 and then d4, with typical play against the excluded bishop on c5.
Strategically, White's play is similar, whether his knight goes to e2 or f3.})
5... d6 ({As mentioned in the previous note, the problem with Taimanov's
move-order here is the strong gambit} 5... d5 $1 {with the point} 6. cxd5 Nb4 {
going after the weak d3-square.} 7. -- ({
. White cannot now keep the extra pawn with} 7. e4 $4 {because of} Nd3+ {
and f2 drops, so Black will succeed in regaining his pawn on d5.}) ({
. White should therefore continue with} 7. d4 exd4 8. exd4 Be7 ({after} 8...
Bxd4 $4 {the trapper is himself trapped after} 9. Qa4+ $1 {winning a piece;} (
9. Qxd4 $4 Nc2+ {was the trap})) {
. Now Marin claims White has hopes of a slight advantage after both} 9. Nge2 ({
and} 9. d6 Qxd6 10. Nge2 c6 11. Bf4 Qd8 12. O-O O-O 13. Be5) 9... O-O 10. O-O
Nbxd5 11. Qb3 {, although it is not clear how much he really has.})) 6. a3 Be6
7. b4 Bb6 8. d3 {QUESTION: Black seems to have stopped the plan of d4, so he
must be doing well, right? --- ANSWER: Not necessarily. It is true that the
advance d4 has been stopped for the time being, but White has acquired other
trumps. He has blunted the g1-a7 diagonal, and gained space on the queenside.
Even if White never plays d4, there is already a danger that the bishop will
find itself out of play on b6. White can also play to exchange it off with
Na4xb6, unless Black spends a tempo playing ...a6.} Qd7 9. h3 $1 {White prevents the exchange of light-squared bishops on h3. With the formation involving
pawns on g3 and e3, this is especially important, since the light squares
around the white king would be especially weak after the exchange of the
English bishop. --- QUESTION: But surely now White is not going to be able to
castle, because his h3-pawn would hang? --- ANSWER: That is true, but White
will deal with that issue by expanding on the kingside with g4 later on.} O-O
10. Nge2 Nd8 {QUESTION: What is the point of this move? --- ANSWER: Black
wants to play ...c6. This will close the long diagonal of the English bishop,
allow the black bishop to drop back to c7, and prepare the central advance ...d6-d5.} 11. Na4 $1 {Excellent timing. White eliminates the enemy bishop,
before it can secure a retreat to c7.} c6 12. Nxb6 axb6 13. Bb2 {White's strategy has worked out well. He has more space and the bishop pair. His last move
stops Black expanding in the centre with ...d5, and also prepares himself to
strike at the black centre with f4, hence Black's next move.} Ne8 14. f4 f6 15.
g4 $1 {White has taken the initiative over completely, and has a free hand to
expand on the kingside as well. Now he is also able to castle short. The
opening has been a complete success for White.} Kh8 16. O-O Qe7 17. Qe1 Bf7 18.
Ng3 Bg6 19. Rd1 Nc7 20. Qf2 b5 {Black is very passive, and rather than sit and
wait any further whilst White steadily strengthens his position, Black tries
to start some counterplay. However, White is well prepared to meet this. ---
EXERCISE: Find a strong reply for White. ---} {ANSWER:} 21. c5 $1 exf4 ({Now} 
21... dxc5 22. fxe5 {gives White crushing pressure down the long black
diagonal, thanks to the pin on the f-file.}) 22. exf4 h6 23. Be4 {With Black's
last move having weakened the light squares around his king, Taimanov
immediately seeks the exchange of light-squared bishops.} Bxe4 24. cxd6 $1 Qxd6
25. dxe4 Qe6 {
EXERCISE: How can White take full advantage of his crushing position? ---} {
ANSWER:} 26. e5 $1 {This further blow in the centre soon wraps things up.} fxe5
27. Bxe5 Nd5 28. Qb2 Qf7 29. Nh5 {
All the white pieces converge on the g7-square.} Rg8 30. f5 b6 31. Rfe1 Nb7 32.
Qc1 {The final blow, a double attack against c6 and h6.} Kh7 33. Qxc6 {
. --- A model game by Taimanov, who beautifully exploited his bishop pair and
extra space.} 1-0

[Event "Mitropa Cup, Merlimont"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brunello, S."]
[Black "Brunner, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A29"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "95"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 ({The variation in the game can also be reached via
the Four Knights move-order, after} 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 {etc. We will discuss
the nuances of the various move-order choices in the final chapter.}) 3... d5
4. cxd5 Nxd5 {QUESTION: This looks like an Accelerated Dragon Sicilian, with
colours reversed and an extra tempo for White! --- ANSWER: On this occasion,
looks are not deceptive! That is just what it is. --- QUESTION: Well, surely
that should be better for White, shouldn't it? --- ANSWER: Not necessarily. It
is a common phenomenon in chess, that black openings played as White, with an
extra tempo, fail to offer the kind of advantage that one might at first sight
expect. I discussed this issue more deeply in my book 'How to Build your Chess
Opening Repertoire', but briefly, the main problem is that having an extra
move also means having to commit oneself earlier. Black defences often rely
for their effectiveness on the fact that White must first make a commitment,
and Black can then react appropriately. Once you give the black position an
extra tempo, the boot is on the other foot - in using that extra tempo, he
commits himself, and the black player (playing what is usually the white
position!) can then select a line of play where the extra tempo is less
effective.} 5. Bg2 Nb6 {QUESTION: Is this forced?} ({
ANSWER: Not quite forced, but the defence of the knight by} 5... Be6 {
is regarded as inferior, because White can strike in the centre with d4, e.g.}
6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 {and now} 8. d4 $1 {
is considered to give White an edge. For example,} exd4 9. Nxd4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4
Bf6 11. Qa4+ c6 12. Nxd5 Bxd5 13. Rd1 b5 14. Qa6 {
with advantage to White, M.Chandler-P.Milbers, Buenos Aires Olympiad 1978.}) 6.
Nf3 ({In the 3 g3 move-order, White does have the additional option here of} 6.
Nh3 {. --- QUESTION: Why would White do that? --- ANSWER: We saw in
Petrosian-Hort that the knight has its points on this square. The long
diagonal of the English bishop is kept open, and White intends to strike the
enemy centre with the advance f2-f4. This has never been a very popular plan,
but it was a favourite of Harry Golombek, who won many games with it. ---
QUESTION: So what is the drawback? --- ANSWER: The problem is that the advance
f2-f4 potentially creates weaknesses down the e-file. The two white centre
pawns on d3 and e2 can come under pressure later in the game. We see a similar
situation (albeit from a different variation) in Kosten-Coenen - the f4-plan
is quite a dynamic option for White and can produce a dangerous initiative on
the kingside, but if that does not yield anything concrete, White can
subsequently regret the weaknesses created. --- An example of the move 6 Nh3
is the following:} Nc6 7. d3 Bf5 (7... Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. f4 Bxh3 $6 10. Bxh3
Bc5+ 11. Kh1 Nd5 12. Nxd5 Qxd5+ 13. Bg2 Qe6 $2 14. f5 Qd7 15. Qa4 {
was good for White in H.Golombek-Scholtens, Leeuwarden 1947}) 8. f4 Qd7 9. Nf2
exf4 10. Bxf4 Be7 11. O-O O-O {with a typical position. As Watson puts it,
"White remains full of holes, wherever he puts his [central] pawns, yet his
pieces are active". In W.Uhlmann-A.Dückstein, Munich 1958, White went on to
win in powerful style. In general, this line may appeal to more dynamic
English players, but it should be noted that it is only open to White if he
has not committed his king's knight to f3 early on.}) 6... Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. a3
({The old main line here was} 8. d3 {
, but the move-order in the game has now almost entirely superseded that move.}
) 8... O-O ({QUESTION: What about} 8... a5 {here, preventing White from
expanding on the queenside? --- ANSWER: This is playable, of course, but it
does not enjoy a great reputation. Black weakens the b5-square, and White can
revert to the standard black plan in the Dragon, with greater effectiveness.
Let's follow a classic English game, M.Botvinnik-L.Portisch, Monte Carlo 1968:}
9. d3 O-O 10. Be3 Be6 ({a more recent high-level encounter was A.Morozevich-A.Motylev, Moscow 2005, which went} 10... Re8 11. Rc1 h6 $5 12. Bxb6 cxb6 13. Nd2
Bf8 14. Nc4 {
with a small advantage to White; it became a larger advantage after} a4 $2 15.
Nd2 $1 {when Black cannot satisfactorily defend the a4-pawn}) 11. Na4 Nxa4 12.
Qxa4 Bd5 13. Rfc1 Re8 14. Rc2 $1 {(White intends to double rooks, with
standard pressure down the open c-file, but the real depth of the move lies in
Botvinnik's having seen the tactical refutation of Black's response)} Bf8 15.
Rac1 Nb8 $2 {
(believing that the c-pawn is immune, but a rude awakening awaits Black)} 16.
Rxc7 $1 Bc6 {. --- EXERCISE: Find a strong continuation for White. --- ANSWER:}
17. R1xc6 $1 bxc6 (17... Nxc6 18. Rxb7 {is just better for White; 17...bxc6
leaves the rook on c7 trapped, but now comes the real point}) 18. Rxf7 $1 {
(a left hook worthy of the late Smokin' Joe Frazier!)} h6 (18... Kxf7 19. Qc4+
Kg6 20. Qg4+ {is immediately decisive, in view of the smothered mate after} Kf7
21. Ng5+ Kg8 22. Qc4+) 19. Rb7 {(White has two pawns for the exchange, plus a
seriously weakened black king and, as so often in successful English positions,
total dominance of the light squares)} Qc8 20. Qc4+ Kh8 21. Nh4 $1 {(continuing
to give Black no respite; as I heard an English Premier League soccer manager
recently say of his team, "Today we were relentless at times (sic)"!)} Qxb7 22.
Ng6+ Kh7 23. Be4 {(the "English bishop" has its say, in decisive fashion)} Bd6
24. Nxe5+ g6 25. Bxg6+ Kg7 26. Bxh6+ $1 {1-0. --- The final position is an
excellent illustration of Yasser Seirawan's maxim for attacking play,
"inviting everyone to the party". All four of White's outfield pieces (i.e.
every one except his king) are taking part in the attack. A brilliant
exploitation of several typical themes for such structures, particularly the
pressure on the c-file and dominance of the light squares.}) 9. b4 Be6 10. Rb1
{This move, anticipating Black's knight coming to d4, attacking the b3-square,
is the main point of delaying d3. White also hopes that the rook will be
useful on the b-file, perhaps after a later Ne4-c5, when an exchange on c5
will leave the rook attacking b7.} f6 {Another point of White's early
queenside expansion is to force this move, to defend the e5-pawn. Black is
thus prevented from adopting the more aggressive set-up with ...f5, as White
would usually do in the equivalent Dragon lines, with colours reversed. This
is one example where the extra tempo White enjoys here makes it presence felt,
but, on the other hand, Black is usually happier to adopt a solid, equalizing
approach than White would be with colours reversed.} 11. d3 a5 {
QUESTION: Black presumably has other options here?} ({ANSWER: Yes. This is in
fact a major crossroads, and Black must decide whether to interpolate this
move or to jump into the centre immediately with} 11... Nd4 {. Marin recommends
the latter as the better option for Black, and he is probably correct. The
recent game Li Chao-S.Ganguly, Wijk aan Zee 2011, saw Black hold the balance
after} 12. Nd2 Nd5 13. Bb2 Nxc3 14. Bxc3 c6 15. Bxd4 Qxd4 16. Nb3 Qc3 ({
Marin gives} 16... Qd7 17. Nc5 Bxc5 18. bxc5 {when White has somewhat the
better chances, thanks to his pressure on the b-file}) 17. Qc1 Qxc1 18. Rfxc1
Rad8 ({this may well be an improvement over} 18... Bxb3 19. Rxb3 Rab8 20. b5
Rfd8 21. bxc6 bxc6 22. Rcb1 {with an edge for White, as in J.Smejkal-R.Hübner,
German League 1991, as quoted by Marin}) 19. Na5 (19. Nc5 Bc8 {
is solid for Black}) 19... Rb8 {and although White's position looks promising,
it is not obvious how he can increase the pressure. The game was drawn in 44
moves.}) ({The stem game with the a3-b4 move-order was A.Karpov-J.Hjartarson,
Seattle Candidates 1989. This is also worth seeing for some while, as it was a
positional masterpiece by Karpov:} 11... Qd7 $2 12. Ne4 $1 Nd5 13. Qc2 b6 $6
14. Bb2 Rac8 15. Rbc1 $1 Nd4 16. Bxd4 exd4 17. Qc6 Qxc6 18. Rxc6 Bd7 19. Nxd4
$1 Bxc6 20. Nxc6 Rce8 21. Rc1 f5 22. Nd2 Nf6 23. Nxa7 {, and with two pawns
for the exchange, plus the traditional light-square domination, Karpov's
impeccable technique did the rest.}) 12. b5 Nd4 13. Nd2 Bd5 {
QUESTION: What is wrong with 13...Nd5, as in the previous note?} ({ANSWER: Here
we see one of the differences with the inclusion of the moves ...a5 and b5. If
Black proceeds as in the last note, with} 13... Nd5 $4 {
, he walks into the sneaky trap} 14. Bxd5 $1 Bxd5 15. e3 {when he is actually
losing a piece - wherever his knight moves, 16 e4 will pick up material. This
trap has caught many quite strong players.}) ({QUESTION: Okay, but in that
case, maybe Black should just defend b7 with his queen, so as to preserve the
bishop pair? --- ANSWER: Against the passive defence of the b-pawn by} 13...
Qc8 {, White continues} 14. e3 Nf5 15. Bb2 Rd8 16. Qc2 {with a small edge. He
can follow up with Rfc1 or Rfd1, as appropriate. Black's most natural
continuation is} a4 {, fixing the a3-pawn and setting up a possible ...Ra5,
aiming to harass the white b-pawn. Marin then suggests the line} 17. Rfd1 Ra5
18. Nc4 $1 Nxc4 19. dxc4 Bxc4 20. Rxd8+ Bxd8 21. Nxa4 {
when Black has coordination problems.} Bxb5 $2 22. Nb6 Qb8 23. Qb3+ Kh8 24. Qb4
{, winning material because of the mate threat on f8, is a key tactical
justification of White's play.}) 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 {White has the bishop pair, but
in practice, he will often trade at least one of the bishops off, so as to
damage the black pawn structure.} 15. Bb2 a4 (15... Nxb5 $4 {loses to} 16. Qb3
c6 17. e4 {.}) 16. Ba1 {The latest wrinkle, which Marin attributes to his
fellow Romanian GM, Foisor. White defends his b5-pawn and threatens 17 e3.} Qd7
{QUESTION: Isn't the a3-pawn hanging?} ({ANSWER:} 16... Bxa3 $2 17. e3 Ne6 18.
Qc2 {"when Black's loose minor pieces allow White to regain the pawn with a
huge advantage" (Marin). This assessment was borne out in a recent game:} c6 $2
(18... Nb6 19. Bxb7 Rb8 20. Bc6 {
with a clear advantage to White, was relatively best}) 19. bxc6 bxc6 20. Qxc6
Nec7 21. Rb7 Rf7 22. d4 exd4 23. Bxd4 Bf8 24. Rc1 a3 25. Bxd5 Nxd5 26. Qe6 Ne7
27. Ne4 Qa5 28. Nd6 Qd5 29. Qxd5 {1-0, O.Cvitan-S.Milliet, Rijeka 2009.}) 17.
Bxd4 exd4 18. Qc2 Kh8 (18... Rf7 19. Qc4 c6 20. bxc6 bxc6 {
was M.Marin-D.Moldovan, Predeal 2007, and now Marin gives} 21. Qxd4 Bxa3 22.
Ra1 Qe7 23. Qc4 $1 {when Black's position is falling apart.}) 19. Qc4 {
White makes maximum use of his unopposed English bishop, systematically
increasing the pressure on the central light squares.} Nc3 20. Bxb7 Nxb1 21.
Rxb1 $1 Bxa3 (21... Ra7 22. Bc6 Qd6 23. Ra1 {(Marin) leaves White with a pawn
for the exchange, and with the black rook trapped on a7.}) 22. Bxa8 Rxa8 23.
Ra1 Qe7 24. Qc2 $6 {Believe it or not, thus far is all analysis by Marin, but
White's last is an inaccuracy which squanders a lot of White's advantage.} ({
Instead,} 24. Qc6 $1 Rg8 25. Nf3 {leaves White clearly better, e.g.} Bc5 26.
Rxa4 Qxe2 27. Ra8 Qe7 28. Qd5 Rf8 29. Rxf8+ Qxf8 30. Nxd4 {etc.}) 24... h6 25.
Nc4 Bc5 26. Rxa4 Rxa4 27. Qxa4 Qxe2 28. Qa8+ Kh7 29. Qd5 Qe7 30. h4 {White is s
till somewhat better, thanks to his light-square control, and he gradually
increases his grip, with Black unable to find anything constructive to do.} Kh8
31. h5 Kh7 32. Kg2 Kh8 33. Kf3 Qf8 34. g4 Ba7 35. Qb7 Qc5 36. Qc8+ Kh7 37. Qf5+
{With the queens off, White's vastly more active king becomes a decisive factor.
} Qxf5+ 38. gxf5 Kg8 39. Ke4 Kf7 40. Kd5 Ke7 41. Kc6 Kd8 42. Nd2 Bb6 43. Nb3
Kc8 44. f3 Kd8 45. Nc1 {
The knight heads for e6, via the scenic route. Black is quite helpless.} Kc8
46. Ne2 Ba7 47. Nf4 Bb6 48. Ne6 {. --- All in all, this classic English
variation offers White reasonable practical prospects of a small advantage,
but Black should in theory be able to equalize. This is also one of the most
deeply explored English lines, which may not make it attractive to all white
players.} 1-0

[Event "Croatian Championship, Sibenik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grachev, B."]
[Black "Lalic, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A28"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e4 {QUESTION: Aha, another Botvinnik
Variation? --- ANSWER: Well, more like the Dr McCoy Variation - "It's the
Botvinnik, Jim, but not as we know it"! The move was actually invented by
Nimzowitsch, and is named after him. The big difference here is that White's
knight is committed to f3. In the Botvinnik proper, the knight almost always
goes to e2. --- QUESTION: So is this version better or worse? --- ANSWER: In
general, it has always been assumed to be worse, because White's f-pawn is
obstructed, and the advance f2-f4 is an integral part of White's plans in the
Botvinnik. Largely for that reason, the Nimzowitsch Variation has always been
assumed to be fairly harmless and has never been all that popular at GM level.
However, in recent years, it has attracted a few more grandmaster supporters,
notably the Chinese star, Bu Xiangzhi, and the English GM, Tony Kosten, who
advocated it enthusiastically in 'Dangerous Weapons: Flank Openings'. ---
QUESTION: Why is that? --- ANSWER: Well, 4 e4 does have several plusses. In
the first place, Black is deprived of the chance to break in the centre with ...d5. Secondly, the move fulfils the basic strategic aim of the English, namely
controlling the light squares in the centre. If Black does not stop him, White
will follow with d4, securing control of the centre. If this is prevented,
White plays d3, g3, Bg2 and 0-0, and will then look to move his knight from f3
and push the f-pawn. He can develop quite a strong initiative, if Black is not
careful.} Bc5 {QUESTION: What other moves are possible here? --- ANSWER: The
text is one of the two main lines.} (4... Bb4 {
is the other, pressurizing the e4-pawn and so forcing the reply} 5. d3 d6 6. g3
{and now:} -- (6... Bg4 7. h3 ({instead} 7. Bg2 Qd7 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Bxf3 Nd4 10.
Bg2 c6 11. O-O O-O 12. Kh2 Ne8 13. f4 exf4 14. Bxf4 {, A.Summerscale-W.Buchanan, Edinburgh 2009, was another typical example for such positions;
White is somewhat better and went on to win}) 7... Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Nd4 9. Qd1 c6
10. Bg2 a6 (10... h5 {is an interesting computer suggestion, trying to exploit
the weakened white kingside}) 11. O-O b5 12. Be3 Bc5 {was Bu Xiangzhi-E.Miroshnichenko, Antwerp 2008. Chances are approximately equal.}) ({. After} 
6... Bg4 {,} 7. Be2 {was Nimzowitsch's paradoxical choice, and is also
advocated by Kosten. White avoids the slight weakening of the kingside
involved in 7 h3. In most cases, an exchange on f3 will result in typical
positions for this variation - see the note to 7...Bg4 below.}) (6... O-O 7.
Bg2 {. Now there is a major crossroads.} -- ({. Old analysis by Taimanov gave} 
7... Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Ne8 9. O-O f5 {as "equal", and this has been accepted as
virtually the main line. However, I have never understood this. Black first
surrenders the bishop pair, in the process covering White's weakness on d4 and
opening the b-file for him, and then follows up by opening the long white
diagonal of the English bishop! It is hard to believe that this can really
equalize, and after} 10. Bg5 Nf6 11. exf5 Bxf5 12. Nh4 Be6 13. Rb1 {
followed by Qd2 and a later f4, White should be better.}) (7... a6 8. O-O Bc5 {
is a logical response, and has been played by Mickey Adams. After} 9. h3 Be6 (
9... h6 10. Be3 Nd4 11. Bxd4 Bxd4 12. Nxd4 exd4 13. Ne2 c5 14. b4 Rb8 15. bxc5
dxc5 {saw White establish a mobile kingside pawn majority in S.Knott-P.Thipsay,
British Championship 1999 - compare the classic game Petrosian-Bertok, quoted
in the note to Black's 6th move in Miezis-Roemer, for a similar scenario!}) {
, Kosten recommends} 10. a3 Nd4 11. Nxd4 Bxd4 12. Ne2 Ba7 13. b3 {
followed by d4, or Kh2 and f4. The weakness of d4 is not really felt.}) (7...
Bg4 {is a logical reply. Black is prepared to surrender the bishop pair, in
order to eliminate the enemy knight that controls d4. White could pre-empt
this plan by playing a very early h3 (for example, at move 6), but usually he
just ignores the threat and gets on with developing and challenging the other
bishop with a2-a3:} 8. h3 ({anticipating ...Nd4 is the most natural, although
Kosten recommends instead simply} 8. O-O Nd4 9. a3 Bc5 10. b4 Nxf3+ 11. Bxf3
Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Bd4 13. Bd2 {- White will continue with Rae1, Ne2 and look to
prepare f4, with the initiative}) 8... Bxf3 9. Bxf3 Nd4 10. Bg2 {and once again, White will follow up with 0-0 and a3. --- QUESTION: But isn't Black doing
well here, with his grip on d4? --- ANSWER: The thing about the Nimzowitsch
Variation is that White has to live with the d4 weakness. Yes, it is a nice
square for Black, but it is important to remember that it is only one square -
there are 63 others on the board, and White intends to cause Black trouble on
some of those! Another point is that Black actually has several pieces that
would like to occupy d4 - in this position, for example, all three of his
minor pieces would like to be there. But only one can ever occupy the square
at any one time, so the other two often find themselves struggling for a good
post. Mark Dvoretsky has written instructively about this positional idea of
"the superfluous piece", and in view of its relevance in the Botvinnik and
Nimzowitsch systems of the English, it would be worth the reader checking out
his work.}) (7... Nd4 {
plans ...Bg4, so White should exploit the tactics to unpin at once:} 8. Nxd4
exd4 9. a3 Ba5 10. b4 dxc3 11. bxa5 c6 {and now:} 12. -- (12. a6 bxa6 13. Qc2
d5 14. e5 Re8 15. d4 Ne4 16. cxd5 cxd5 17. f3 Nd6 18. O-O Nf5 19. Qxc3 {
was Bu Xiangzhi-D.Xiu, Hefei 2010. Having regained the pawn, White was clearly
better (two bishops and better pawn structure).}) (12. Qa4 {
was the choice of another Chinese player:} d5 13. cxd5 cxd5 14. Be3 dxe4 15.
dxe4 Bd7 16. Qb4 Bc6 17. O-O Re8 $6 ({
too acquiescent; the computer's disruptive} 17... c2 {is better}) 18. Rfd1 Qe7
19. Bc5 {and White's powerful bishop pair gave her a clear advantage in Zhao
Xue-Y.Hamrakulova, Guangzhou 2010.}) (12. O-O Qxa5 13. Rb1 {
has been played by Gulko - White counts on rounding up the c3-pawn later.}))))
({Most other black fourth moves allow 5 d4, with occupation of the centre. The
one line which is of some interest here is} 4... d6 5. d4 Bg4 6. d5 Nd4 {.} 7.
-- ({. Now the old game O.Panno-V.Savon, Petropolis Interzonal 1973, proceeded
ambitiously with} 7. Be3 Nxf3+ 8. gxf3 Bd7 9. f4 $6 Ng4 10. Bd2 exf4 11. Bxf4
g5 $1 {and Black achieved good play, with control of e5}) ({, whilst} 7. Qd3 $5
Bxf3 8. gxf3 g6 9. Nb5 {
was an eccentric recent try of Bu Xiangzhi, which may be worth a second look.})
({. A calmer approach is} 7. Be2 Nxe2 (7... Bxf3 8. Bxf3 c5 $6 9. dxc6 bxc6 10.
Be3 c5 11. O-O Be7 12. g3 O-O 13. Bg2 Qd7 14. Kh1 Bd8 15. f4 {
was somewhat better for White in P.Nikolic-F.Slingerland, Hilversum 2011}) 8.
Qxe2 Be7 9. h3 Bd7 10. O-O O-O 11. c5 {
, as given by Kosten, with a small edge for White.})) 5. Nxe5 $1 {
This is the only way to pose Black any problems.} Nxe5 (5... Bxf2+ $2 {
is a common move at lower levels, but is simply bad. After} 6. Kxf2 Nxe5 7. d4
{Black's minor pieces are driven back in disarray.}) 6. d4 Bb4 {
Again, clearly best.} (6... Bd6 $2 7. c5 $1 Bxc5 8. dxe5 Ng8 9. Qg4 {
was an old game A.Nimzowitsch-R.Reti, Berlin 1928.}) 7. dxe5 Nxe4 8. Qf3 $5 {
A comparatively new idea, but one which looks quite promising.} (8. Qd4 Nxc3 9.
bxc3 Be7 {has always been the main line, and remains a critical choice. ---
QUESTION: How should we assess this position? --- ANSWER: It is a case of
dynamics versus statics. White has the inferior pawn structure, but he has
more space and the initiative, and can harass Black's natural development.
Practice suggests that chances are about equal.} ({. After} 9... Be7 {
the main line continues} 10. Qg4 Kf8 11. Qe4 d6 12. Be3 dxe5 13. Rd1 Qe8 14.
Qxe5 Bd6 {and now Kosten recommends} 15. Qxe8+ Kxe8 16. Bd4 {
as better for White. However, Fritz's} f6 17. c5 Be5 18. Bxe5 fxe5 19. Rd5 Be6
20. Rxe5 Kf7 {leads to something similar to the lines after 9...Ba5 below -
White has an extra pawn in the ending, but here he has even less chance of
being able to exploit it. Black's superior development and the weak white
queenside pawns mean that the position is close to equality.}) ({
. Back at move 9, it should be noted that} 9... Ba5 {is much less common, but
has been played by two super-class GMs, which suggests it is worth a closer
look. After} 10. Ba3 d6 11. exd6 O-O $1 {(the point)} 12. O-O-O cxd6 13. Qxd6
Qxd6 14. Bxd6 Re8 {White has an extra pawn in the ending, but it is doubled,
and Black's pieces are all active. Play continues with} 15. Kb2 Bd7 16. Bd3 Bc6
17. f3 Re6 18. c5 Rae8 19. Rd2 h5 (19... g6 20. Bc4 Re3 21. Rc1 Rd8 {
was the old game V.Korchnoi-R.Hübner, Solingen 1973, which White eventually won
}) 20. h4 g6 {. Now} 21. Bf4 {
led to a draw in M.Sadler-A.Beliavsky, Enghien les Bains 1999,} ({
whereas Kosten suggests} 21. Bc4 Re3 22. Rc1 {, similar to Korchnoi's
treatment. All in all, 9...Ba5 leads to an endgame where Black is limited to
defending for a draw. His chances of making it are quite good, but the
prospect itself is not a terribly attractive one.}))) 8... d5 $5 {
An interesting novelty. Other moves have failed to solve Black's problems here:
} (8... Nxc3 9. bxc3 Be7 $6 (9... Bc5 10. Qg3 g6 11. Bh6 Bf8 12. Bxf8 Kxf8 13.
Bd3 {was nice for White in K.Spraggett-J.Van Vliet, Haarlem 2008,}) ({and} 9...
Ba5 10. Ba3 d6 11. exd6 O-O 12. Rd1 {
favoured White in M.Rohde-M.Dlugy, New York 1990}) {
apes the main line after 8 Qd4, but here, after} 10. Qg3 $1 {we have the
important difference that the white queen is on g3, not g4. This means that
she will not lose a tempo after Black's subsequent ...d6, and in such a
dynamic position, this ought to make some difference. The game D.Andreikin-N.Vitiugov, Olginka (rapid) 2011, continued} g6 (10... Kf8 11. Bf4 {
looks nice for White}) {and now the natural} 11. Bh6 {
looks promising for White.}) (8... Ng5 {
was the choice of a super-GM, but then there followed} 9. Qg3 Ne6 10. Bd3 d6
11. O-O Bxc3 12. bxc3 dxe5 {
, D.Andreikin-P.Svidler, Moscow (blitz) 2010. Now instead of Andreikin's} 13.
Ba3 $6 {,} (13. Re1 {looks nice for White, with the point that} f6 $6 {
is met by} 14. Bxh7 $1 {.})) 9. Be2 (9. exd6 $6 O-O $1 {is dangerous for White.
}) 9... O-O 10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 Qe7 12. Bf4 f6 13. cxd5 $5 (13. Qd3 {
is perhaps a better try for an edge, e.g.} Bf5 (13... fxe5 $6 14. Qxd5+ Kh8 15.
Qxe5 {with advantage}) 14. Qxd5+ Kh8 15. exf6 Qxf6 16. Bf3 Nxc3 17. Qe5 {
and the bishops should give White a small advantage.}) 13... fxe5 14. Qxe4 Rxf4
15. Qe3 Qd6 16. c4 {The position is equal.} b6 17. Rac1 Bb7 18. Bf3 Rd4 19.
Rfe1 c6 $4 {A blunder.} (19... Re8 {would have held the balance.}) 20. Qxe5
Qxe5 21. Rxe5 cxd5 22. Re7 Rb8 23. cxd5 Kf8 (23... Bxd5 {loses to} 24. Rd7 {.})
24. Rcc7 Bxd5 25. Red7 Re8 26. h3 {. --- The Nimzowitsch System is never
likely to be a hugely popular line at GM level, but it seems to me that it is
worth a closer look. It is much less well explored than the 4 g3 lines, and
offers a more dynamic approach, especially if Black fails to respond
accurately.} 1-0

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Black "Karjakin, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A28"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "127"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e3 {QUESTION: What is this? --- ANSWER: It
is another completely different approach from that introduced by 4 g3. Rather
than fianchettoing the king's bishop, White prepares to play in the centre. In
many lines, he will advance d4, whilst if Black plays an early ...d5, we will
usually reach some kind of Scheveningen/Taimanov Sicilian structure, with
colours reversed. The line was popular during the 1970s, but lost ground after
the Timman-Karpov game (see below). In recent years, the growth of the "Kosten
approach" based on 2 g3 (see Chapter 6) has seen interest in the 4 e3 system
wane, but it is still seen occasionally, and in my opinion, is a refreshing
change.} Bb4 {The text has always been by far the most popular response, but
it is not the only move. --- QUESTION: What else does Black have? --- ANSWER:
There are two main alternatives.} (4... Be7 {looks modest, but was actually
responsible in large measure for the evaporation of the initial theoretical
enthusiasm for 4 e3.} 5. -- ({. White's original plan then was} 5. d4 exd4 6.
Nxd4 O-O 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. Be2 {with a structural superiority. However, this
plan was dealt a very heavy blow by the famous game J.Timman-A.Karpov,
Montreal 1979:} d5 9. O-O Bd6 10. b3 Qe7 11. Bb2 dxc4 $1 {. A novelty at the
time, and the start of a brilliant idea. Black sacrifices his structure, to
exploit his dynamic potential:} 12. bxc4 (12. Bxc4 Ng4 $1) 12... Rb8 $1 {
(the queen is forced to defend the bishop, thereby weakening control of g4)}
13. Qc1 (13. Rb1 $2 Rxb2 14. Rxb2 Qe5) 13... Ng4 $1 14. g3 Re8 15. Nd1 $2 {
(allowing a winning combination, but White is in trouble anyway)} Nxh2 $1 16.
c5 (16. Kxh2 Qh4+ 17. Kg1 Bxg3 {is winning}) 16... Nxf1 17. cxd6 Nxg3 $1 18.
fxg3 Qxd6 {. Black has rook and three pawns for the two minor pieces, and the
white king is denuded. Karpov went on to win handily:} 19. Kf2 Qh6 20. Bd4 Qh2+
21. Ke1 Qxg3+ 22. Kd2 Qg2 23. Nb2 Ba6 24. Nd3 Bxd3 25. Kxd3 Rbd8 26. Bf1 Qe4+
27. Kc3 c5 28. Bxc5 Qc6 29. Kb3 Rb8+ 30. Ka3 Re5 31. Bb4 Qb6 {0-1.}) ({
. However, as Bagirov pointed out in his 1989 Russian book on the English,
White should not be frightened into abandoning 4 e3 altogether; rather, he
should react to 4...Be7 by adopting a slower, Taimanov/Scheveningen-style
set-up, with colours reversed. Although the extra tempo does not promise any
real advantage (largely for the reasons outlined at the beginning of Brunello-Brunner), such an approach leads to a tense position, with plenty of pieces on
the board, and potentially rich play, where the stronger player can hope to
outplay his opponent. Some recent examples after} 5. Qc2 O-O 6. a3 {:} -- (6...
a5 7. Bd3 {(a typical development in many lines of the Kan/Taimanov Sicilian,
and frequently seen in the 4 e3 English too)} h6 8. b3 d5 {
(turning the position into an open Sicilian-type structure)} 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10.
Nxd5 Qxd5 11. Be4 Qd6 ({or the similar} 11... Qe6 12. Bb2 Bd6 13. Qc4 Qe7 14.
O-O Be6 15. Qc3 {
and White has some advantage, D.Fridman-A.Paveliev, Pardubice 2005}) 12. Bb2
Bf6 13. O-O Be6 14. Rfd1 Bd5 15. Rac1 Bxe4 16. Qxe4 Rfe8 17. d3 Rad8 {
, as played in N.Chadaev-S.Ram, Mumbai 2011, was a typical reversed Sicilian.
White is always likely to be rather better in such structures, as he has the
standard queenside pressure usually enjoyed by Black in the Sicilian, without
the normal enemy counterplay on the kingside. In particular, endgames are
usually in White's favour. This was seen in the game, which we present in full,
albeit without commentary:} 18. Ne1 Qd5 19. Qc4 Be7 20. Nf3 Bf8 21. Kf1 Qxc4
22. Rxc4 Rd5 23. Ke2 f5 24. h3 Red8 25. g4 e4 26. Ne1 fxg4 27. hxg4 Rb5 28. Rc3
Be7 29. f3 h5 30. fxe4 hxg4 31. a4 Rh5 32. Ng2 Rh2 33. Rg1 Rf8 34. Rcc1 g3 35.
Rcf1 Rxf1 36. Kxf1 {1-0.}) ({. Black adopted a slower approach, holding back
his d-pawn, in the following game:} 6... Re8 7. Be2 Bf8 8. O-O d6 9. d3 Ne7 10.
b4 Ng6 11. Bb2 c6 12. Rfc1 a6 13. Ne4 {, with something close to equality, V.Epishin-A.Karpatchev, Marseille 2004, although an English player should be
satisfied with such a position, with his extra queenside space.}))) ({
QUESTION: What about} 4... d5 $5 {going into an Open Sicilian structure? ---
ANSWER: This has always been assumed to be inferior, because of the reply} 5.
cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bb5 {, when White has a Four Knights Sicilian, with an extra move.
In such a fundamentally aggressive system, an extra tempo ought to be valuable,
but even so, after} Nxc3 7. bxc3 Bd6 $1 (7... Bd7 8. e4 Bd6 9. d4 {
gives White some advantage}) {it is not clear how much White has. For example,}
8. e4 (8. d4 e4 9. Nd2 Qg5 $1 {is awkward}) 8... O-O 9. d4 ({or} 9. O-O f5 $1 {
- Watson}) 9... exd4 10. cxd4 Re8 {(Watson) with counterplay against the white
centre. Of course, White can also play a reversed Scheveningen in this line
too, with 6 d3 (instead of 6 Bb5), but it seems a bit of a shame to have to do
so. Anyone wishing to play 4 e3 should have a closer look at 4...d5.}) 5. Qc2
Bxc3 {This has long been regarded as Black's best defence to the whole 4 e3
system, but it has always seemed to me that, if that is really the case, then
4 e3 deserves to be seen more often.} (5... O-O {
was originally the main line. After} 6. Nd5 Re8 {
White has two principal options.} 7. -- ({. The first is} 7. Qf5 $5 {. --- QUESTION: That looks a ridiculous move! --- ANSWER: This extraordinary idea was
found in the 1970s, by the English GM duo of Ray Keene and Michael Stean. It
is certainly a surprise, but once one looks at the position concretely, its
merits become clear. In fact, it is the sort of move which computers now find
with regularity, but back in the 1970s, it took great imagination for a human
to find such ideas.} d6 ({this allows the f-pawns to be doubled, but otherwise
it is hard for Black to avoid the loss of his e5-pawn, since} 7... Nxd5 8. cxd5
d6 $4 {drops a piece after} 9. Qe4) 8. Nxf6+ {
. Now Black must make a choice, with} gxf6 {the more dynamic option.} ({. After
} 8... gxf6 {practice has suggested that, with energetic play, White is better,
but looking at the critical line with the computer, it is far from clear that
this is the case:} 9. Qh5 d5 10. a3 ({John Watson recommended} 10. Bd3 e4 11.
cxd5 exd3 12. dxc6 {"and Black's pawns are a liability", but Black's two
bishops, better development and open lines should surely compensate for this,
at least?}) 10... Bf8 11. d4 Be6 (11... exd4 12. Bd3 $1 {is strong}) 12. Bd3 e4
13. Bc2 Ne7 14. Nd2 f5 15. cxd5 Qxd5 16. f3 Qc6 (16... Bg7 17. fxe4 fxe4 {
with equality}) 17. Nxe4 $1 Qxc2 $4 ({losing by force; instead, Fritz's} 17...
Nd5 18. Nc5 Bxc5 19. dxc5 Qxc5 {looks better for Black}) 18. Nf6+ Kg7 19. e4
Qxc1+ 20. Rxc1 Kxf6 21. Qxh7 Ng6 22. e5+ Kg5 23. h4+ Kf4 24. Kf2 {1-0, D.Goodman-J.Nunn, England 1978. This old game has been highly influential in the
assessment of this variation as better for White, but I fear it is due for a
re-evaluation.}) (8... Qxf6 {
leads to an ending, where White perhaps has slightly the better chances:} 9.
Qxf6 gxf6 10. a3 Bc5 11. b4 Bb6 12. Bb2 a5 13. b5 Ne7 ({Watson recommended} 
13... Nd8 {, as in R.Keene-L.Ljubojevic, Moscow 1977}) 14. d4 a4 15. O-O-O {
, J.Oms Pallisse-S.Vega Gutierrez, Zaragoza 2009. White has a slight edge, but
no more. The doubled pawns are not really exposed to attack, but White does
enjoy greater space.})) ({. QUESTION: So if you have doubts about 7 Qf5, what
should White do in this line? --- ANSWER: The other White option at move seven
is} 7. Bd3 {, and in view of the doubts over 7 Qf5, this older move may be
White's best chance of a small edge. For example:} -- (7... h6 {
can be similar to 7...g6, e.g.} 8. O-O ({
more aggressive tries are also possible, such as} 8. a3 Bf8 9. h4 $5 {
as in a couple of Tony Miles' games from the 1970s}) 8... Bf8 9. a3 d6 10.
Nxf6+ Qxf6 11. Be4 Ne7 12. d4 Qe6 13. Bd3 Ng6 14. d5 Qf6 15. Nd2 {
with a small plus, V.Epishin-M.Malloni, Porto San Giorgio 2009.}) (7... g6 8.
a3 Bf8 9. Nxf6+ Qxf6 10. Be4 d6 (10... a5 11. b3 d6 12. Bb2 Bg7 13. O-O Bd7 14.
d4 exd4 15. Bxc6 Bxc6 16. Bxd4 Qe7 17. Bxg7 Bxf3 18. Bh6 Qh4 {
½-½ was Y.Drozdovskij-A.Goloshchapov, Cappelle le Grande 2006}) 11. b4 Qd8
12. Bb2 Bg7 13. O-O {. Watson assesses the position as "roughly equal", which
is probably fair enough, although once again, the English player should be
happy with the general contours of queenside expansion and pressure on the
central light squares.}))) 6. Qxc3 {QUESTION: I don't really understand. What
compensation has Black got for the bishop pair? --- ANSWER: Well, Black hopes
to take advantage of the white queen's exposed position, by advancing ...d5 at
some point. Even so, as I suggested earlier, I have never been entirely
convinced about Black's play in this line, and suspect White should be
somewhat better.} Qe7 7. a3 d5 (7... a5 8. b4 ({the calm} 8. b3 {
should also suffice for a small plus, thanks to White's bishop-pair, e.g.} d5
9. d4 $1 ({not} 9. cxd5 $6 Nxd5 10. Qc2 e4 $1) 9... exd4 10. Nxd4 Nxd4 11. Qxd4
{etc.}) 8... axb4 9. axb4 Rxa1 10. Qxa1 e4 11. b5 exf3 12. bxc6 fxg2 13. cxd7+
Qxd7 (13... Nxd7 14. Bxg2 {is much the same}) 14. Bxg2 {was M.Bosboom-S.Tiviakov, Rotterdam 2000. White has a small advantage, thanks to his excellent
bishops.}) 8. d4 exd4 9. Nxd4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 c5 11. Qh4 Be6 ({
A more recent high-level example was} 11... dxc4 12. Bxc4 Be6 13. Bb5+ Nd7 14.
Qxe7+ Kxe7 15. Bd2 Rac8 16. Rc1 Rhd8 17. Ba5 b6 18. Bc3 f6 19. O-O Bb3 {
½-½, N.Vitiugov-E.Tomashevsky, Olginka 2011. It is clear that, with best
play, Black should hold in this line, but on the basis that "he who has the
bishops has the future", White can always play such a position. The main game
is a perfect illustration of this.}) 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Qxe7+ Nxe7 14. Bb5+ Bd7
15. Be2 f6 16. e4 Kf7 17. Be3 Rhc8 18. f3 {QUESTION: How should we assess this
position? --- ANSWER: It is a very typical multi-piece endgame, where White
has the bishop pair. --- QUESTION: But doesn't Black's queenside pawn majority
compensate? --- ANSWER: Not really. In fact, if anything, the asymmetrical
nature of the pawn position favours the bishops, since with play on both sides,
the longer-range bishops tend to come into their own. Objectively, White has
only a small advantage, but in practice, his is a pleasant position to play.
At a high level, White has relatively few losing chances, and it is just a
question of whether Black can play well enough to hold half a point - not a
very nice prospect for the black player. The rest of the game is not strictly
within the province of a book on the English Opening, so I append only very
brief comments. I have analysed this endgame in more detail in my book '101
Endgame Tips', so the interested reader can find more coverage there.} Be6 19.
Rc1 b6 20. Ba6 Rd8 21. b4 {
Having driven the enemy rook off the c-file, Ivanchuk opens the file.} cxb4 22.
axb4 Bc8 23. Be2 Be6 24. Kf2 Rac8 25. Ra1 Nc6 26. Ba6 Rb8 27. Bb5 Nxb4 28.
Rxa7+ {In some ways, White would have preferred to keep his b-pawn, as pawns
on both sides enhance the bishops' value. However, it was not really possible,
and even with pawns only on one flank, White retains the advantage.} Kg8 29.
Re7 Bf7 30. Ra1 Ra8 31. Rd7 Rdc8 32. Rxa8 Rxa8 33. Bxb6 h6 34. Kg3 Rc8 35. Rd6
Be8 36. Be2 Rc6 37. Rxc6 Nxc6 38. Kf4 Ne5 39. Bc7 Bd7 40. Ke3 (40. Bxe5 $2 {
does not win another pawn, because of the zwischenzug} g5+ $1 {.}) 40... Kf8
41. Kd4 Nf7 42. Ba5 Ne5 43. Bb4+ Ke8 44. Kc5 {Note how the white king
gradually penetrates on the dark squares, which black's bishop cannot cover.}
Ng6 45. Bd2 Ne5 46. Kd6 Ba4 47. f4 Nf7+ 48. Kc7 Bd7 49. Bb4 Ba4 50. Bc4 Nh8 51.
g3 Nf7 52. h4 Nh8 53. Bd6 Ng6 54. Be2 Nh8 55. Bc4 Ng6 56. e5 {Having strengthened his position to the utmost, White finally creates a passed pawn.} fxe5 57.
fxe5 Ne7 58. e6 g6 59. Bc5 Nf5 60. Bd3 Ne7 61. Kd6 h5 62. Ke5 Nf5 63. Kf6 Bc6
64. e7 {. --- Of course, not many players can boast such immaculate technique
as Ivanchuk, but even so, I think this game illustrates the fact that the main
line with 5...Bxc3 is not a hugely attractive prospect for Black. In general,
4 e3 seems to me quite an attractive way for White to avoid the heavily
analysed main lines with 4 g3, providing he is happy to play some form of
reversed Scheveningen/Taimanov/Paulsen Sicilian position.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2. Lines with ...c5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A30"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 c5 {. With an early ...c5, Black adopts an initially symmetrical set-up.
However, it is well known that such symmetry cannot be maintained forever, and
at some point Black will be forced to break it. He has various ways to do so.
--- In Grischuk-Bocharov, he maintains the symmetry for as long as possible,
until White's central advance d4 forces an end to it. The result is a kind of
Maroczy Bind structure, where White has a small advantage. Jobava-Pogorelov
sees Black adopt an asymmetrical formation, with the moves ...e6 and ...Nge7.
This line was a favourite of Bobby Fischer, who defeated both Smyslov and
Petrosian with it, and until recently it was regarded as one of Black's best
lines. However, the latest wrinkles seem to give White a promising position,
and the line is currently under a slight theoretical cloud. ---
Andersson-Seirawan is another Botvinnik formation, but this time it is Black
who adopts that set-up, placing pawns on c5 and e5. In our featured game, Ulf
Andersson wins a subtle and instructive effort as White. Finally, in
Kosten-Coenen, we see Black adopt the Rubinstein System, with an early ...d5.
This produces another Maroczy-type structure, but this time it is Black who
establishes the bind, and White who fights against it.} 2. -- {The fact that
we should see the same formations occurring with both colours is a testament
to the flexibility of the English Opening. One of the great difficulties of
the opening is that it can lead to numerous different formations, and the
abundance of transpositions makes it very difficult to pin the opening down to
traditional "theoretical variations". However, these qualities are also what
make the English such a great opening, and mean that it is the ideal weapon
for a player who wishes to engage his opponent in a battle where understanding
of positions matters more than rote learning of variations.} *

[Event "Russian Team Championship, Dagomys"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Grischuk, A."]
[Black "Bocharov, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A39"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 ({
White can avoid Black's option at move 7 by playing d2-d4 earlier, e.g.} 5. d4
{, as Kramnik has done - if} d6 $6 {then} 6. dxc5 {.}) 5... Bg7 6. O-O O-O 7.
d4 cxd4 ({It should be pointed out that in this position, Black can transpose
into the Yugoslav Variation of the King's Indian, with} 7... d6 {. This is outside the scope of the present book, but suffice it to say that White then has
the choice between the quiet} 8. dxc5 ({and the more ambitious} 8. d5 Na5 9.
Nd2 {, when he will try to exploit the offside position of the a5-knight.})) 8.
Nxd4 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 d6 {QUESTION: So what is going on here? --- ANSWER:
Basically, we have a form of Maroczy Bind structure. White will usually play
e4, setting up the familiar structure, when he enjoys a space advantage. Black
will look for counterplay with the thrust ...b5, and occasionally, ...f5. One
point to note here is that a pair of knights has been exchanged. This slightly
eases the cramp that Black usually suffers in such positions. QUESTION: What
are the main ideas for White? --- ANSWER: He has several. He normally plays b3,
puts his bishop on either b2, d2 or e3, and centralizes his rooks on c1 and d1.
Then various strategic ideas come into play: -- 1. Using the d5 outpost. When
the knight comes here, it exerts unpleasant pressure on Black's game. If it is
taken, then White can either take with the e-pawn, trying to pressurize the
backward e7-pawn, or with the c-pawn, hoping to exploit the open c-file to
penetrate Black's position. -- 2. The exchange of dark-squared bishops may
produce weaknesses on the black kingside. -- 3. The pawn breaks c5 and e5, if
they can be achieved in favourable circumstances, can break up the black
structure. -- 4. The advance f4, followed by f5, with the idea of a kingside
attack. --- Black's ideas mainly revolve around trying to break with ...b5.
The manoeuvre ...Qa5-h5 sometimes occurs, although if Black's does not
generate kingside counterplay this way, the queen can find herself out of play.
The other pawn break is ...f5, which can also be effective if correctly timed,
but this break also creates serious weaknesses down the e-file and on the
light squares in the centre, so Black must be careful about playing this.} 10.
Qd3 {QUESTION: What is the point of this move? --- ANSWER: White removes his
queen from the long diagonal, whilst at the same time keeping his c4-pawn
protected. The latter is a frequent target for Black counterplay in these
positions, since from g2 the white bishop does not defend this pawn. Black
will frequently play ...Be6, which attacks c4, and also (if the white queen is
still on d4) sets up the unpleasant threat of ...Nd5; hence the queen retreat.}
a6 {This is a major branching of the ways, with Black having a number of
playable alternatives; we will look at the two most common:} (10... Nd7 {
. --- QUESTION: Idea? --- ANSWER: The knight transfers to c5, incidentally
gaining another tempo on the white queen. The knight stands quite well on that
square, and the black bishop on g7 is unmasked:} 11. b3 Nc5 ({
Black adopted a much less successful plan in the following game:} 11... Rb8 $5
12. Be3 Ne5 $6 13. Qd2 b6 14. Bd4 Bg4 15. f4 Nd7 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. e4 {
, K.Spraggett-M.Simmons, Guernsey 2008; with f5 a threat, Black was already in
some trouble}) 12. Qe3 {(Marin's recommendation)} ({
a typical example for the variation was} 12. Qd2 Bd7 13. Bb2 Bc6 14. e4 a5 15.
Rac1 Qd7 16. Rfd1 f5 17. exf5 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Rxf5 {
which gave Black decent play in A.Kosten-C.Rabineau, Avoine 2008}) 12... Bd7
13. Bd2 Bc6 14. Rac1 Bxg2 15. Kxg2 a5 16. Rfd1 b6 17. Qf3 Ra7 18. h4 Qa8 19.
Nd5 {with a small plus for White, P.Arnaudov-I.Stojanovski, Struga 2011.}) (
10... Bf5 11. e4 Be6 {. --- QUESTION: This is a bit bizarre, isn't it? Why
lose a tempo to provoke e4, a move which White wants to play anyway? ---
ANSWER: He does want to play it in the medium term, yes, but in the early
stages, he often holds it back. By keeping the long diagonal open, White makes
it harder to Black to develop his queenside, because of the pressure against
b7. Black therefore takes radical measures and forces an immediate e4, so he
can develop freely. --- In response, 12 b3 is nowadays the general preference.}
12. -- ({. After} 12. b3 {here are two examples, the second one a classic:} --
(12... Qa5 13. Bd2 Qh5 14. f3 {(this is a typical way to meet the black
queen's transfer to h5; White eliminates the ideas of ...Bh3 and ...Ng4, with
mating threats, and continues to play on the queenside and in the centre,
hoping the enemy queen will prove badly placed on h5)} a6 15. Rac1 Rfc8 16. Nd5
Nxd5 17. exd5 {(again, the most thematic way to recapture: White intends to
pressurize the e7-pawn)} Bh3 18. Rfe1 Bf6 19. Bc3 Bxc3 20. Rxc3 Bxg2 21. Kxg2
Rc7 22. Qd4 Qh6 23. Rce3 {
and White had a clear advantage in A.Shimanov-A.Giri, Kirishi 2008.}) (12... a6
13. Bb2 Nd7 14. Qd2 $1 {(defending the b2-bishop)} Nc5 ({or} 14... Qa5 15. Rfd1
Rfc8 16. Nd5 $1) 15. f4 $1 Rc8 $6 (15... f5 {
would stop what follows, but after Marin's} 16. Rae1 {
, White is still clearly better, thanks to the weaknesses down the e-file}) 16.
f5 Bd7 17. f6 $1 exf6 (17... Bxf6 18. Rxf6 $1 exf6 19. Nd5 {wins}) 18. Nd5 f5
19. exf5 Bxf5 20. Bxg7 Kxg7 21. Qd4+ f6 22. g4 $1 {
and White was winning in V.Smyslov-J.Timman, Moscow 1981. The game ended} Be6
23. Nxf6 $1 Rxf6 24. g5 Bf5 25. Rad1 b5 26. cxb5 axb5 27. gxf6+ Qxf6 28. Qxf6+
Kxf6 29. Rxd6+ Ne6 30. Rb6 Rc5 31. Re1 {1-0.})) ({
There is also the slightly older move} 12. Bd2 {, which aims to prevent ...Qa5.
I will cite one fairly old game, which is a nice illustration of some of
White's ideas in this variation:} Nd7 13. b3 Nc5 14. Qe2 a6 15. Rac1 Bd7 16.
Rfd1 Rc8 17. Be3 Qe8 $6 {
(a funny move, but Black was struggling to find a good square for his queen)} (
17... b6 {is better}) 18. Nd5 Bc6 {and now the break} 19. e5 $1 {
left Black saddled with a wrecked pawn structure after} Ne6 20. exd6 exd6 21.
Qd2 {, with an obvious advantage for White, V.Hort-W.Unzicker, Lugano Olympiad
1968. As mentioned earlier, the breaks e5 and c5 are thematic ideas for White
in such Maroczy positions.})) 11. Bd2 (11. Be3 {is another option here,
originally introduced by Romanishin, who even defeated a young Garry Kasparov
with it. Indeed, Marin recommends it as best. White has ideas of placing the
bishop on d4, neutralizing the black g7-bishop, whilst the bishop can
sometimes also land on a7 or b6, disrupting Black's queenside play, e.g.} Rb8
$2 12. Ba7 Ra8 13. Bd4 {etc.}) 11... Rb8 12. Rac1 Bd7 ({Marin recommends} 12...
Bf5 $1 13. e4 Bd7 {when the threat of ...b5 is hard to stop.}) 13. Bf4 Nh5 ({
White's idea was to meet} 13... b5 $2 {with} 14. c5 {, e.g.} e5 15. Bg5 dxc5
16. Ne4 {with very strong pressure.}) 14. Bg5 Bc6 15. e4 Nf6 16. Rfd1 Qa5 17.
Bd2 Rfc8 18. Nd5 Qd8 {By a slightly roundabout route, we have reached a
typical position for the variation. White is slightly better, although Black
is solid enough and has no real weaknesses.} 19. Bg5 $1 {
Trying to force Black to exchange on d5.} Bxd5 20. exd5 {Now White has a
potential weakness on e7 to attack, and also a queenside pawn majority. He has
ideas of b4 and c5, so Black takes action at once.} b5 21. b4 bxc4 22. Rxc4 {
Although Black has prevented the establishment of a b4-c5 pawn wedge, he still
has queenside problems. The c6-square is weak, and White has 2 vs 1 on the a-
and b-files.} a5 $6 {
This just makes things even worse. Did Black miss the simple reply?} 23. b5 $1
Nd7 ({Of course,} 23... Rxb5 $4 {drops a rook after} 24. Rxc8 {.}) 24. Rdc1 Nc5
25. Qb1 a4 {Black does his best to prevent White securing his queenside grip,
but the blockade will eventually be broken down.} 26. Bh3 Rc7 27. Be3 a3 28.
R1c2 Bb2 29. Rb4 Rcb7 30. Bf1 e6 31. dxe6 Nxe6 32. Bc1 $2 {A serious lapse.} ({
After} 32. Qd1 {White retains the advantage.}) 32... Nd4 33. Rcxb2 {
The best try to keep a plus.} axb2 34. Qxb2 Ne6 $6 ({Fritz prefers} 34... Nf3+
35. Kh1 Ne5 36. a4 Rc8 {but White looks to be better here, too.}) 35. a4 d5 36.
Bh3 Ng5 37. Bg2 Re7 38. h4 Re1+ 39. Kh2 Ne4 $2 {A blunder.} (39... Ne6 {
prolongs resistance, although White should still win.}) 40. Bxe4 dxe4 41. Bh6 {
. --- In this variation, White's space advantage gives him a small edge, but
Black has reasonable chances of holding the balance, with very accurate play.}
1-0

[Event "European Championship, Budva"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jobava, B."]
[Black "Pogorelov, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A37"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. Nf3 e6 {With this move, Black
breaks the symmetry. --- QUESTION: But isn't the combination of ...g6 and ...e6 rather weakening? --- ANSWER: Potentially, it is, but in practice, Black
has until recently done very well. This was a favourite set-up of Bobby
Fischer, who defeated both Smyslov and Petrosian as Black with it. The
influence of these games was so great that the line became very popular for
Black. However, with the aid of a small refinement, White has recently been
achieving excellent results, and it currently seems that the variation is
under something of a cloud.} ({In view of Black's problems in the main line,
he should perhaps refrain from the pure Fischer treatment, and instead follow
a solid set-up, chosen by Grischuk:} 5... d6 6. O-O e6 7. d3 Nge7 8. Bg5 h6 9.
Bd2 b6 10. a3 Bb7 11. Rb1 Qd7 12. Qa4 Rb8 13. b4 Ba8 14. Rfd1 O-O {
with a solid position, G.Kamsky-A.Grischuk, Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad, 2010.})
6. O-O ({Marin points out that delaying castling is an even more accurate way
to implement White's plan:} 6. d3 $1 Nge7 7. Bg5 $1 {. The reason is that if
Black does not chase the bishop away at once and instead plays} O-O $6 {then}
8. Qd2 {followed by h4 starts a dangerous kingside attack. Here, the rook on
h1 is excellently placed.}) 6... Nge7 7. d3 O-O 8. Bg5 $1 {This is the key
move in the new approach. --- QUESTION: So what is so great about this? It
looks as though it just gives Black a free tempo to play ...h6, and prevent
the bishops being exchanged after Qd2 and Bh6. --- ANSWER: It is a very subtle
idea; far from losing a tempo, White is actually gaining one. The best way to
understand the idea is to look at the aforementioned Petrosian-Fischer game.} (
{In that game, Petrosian played the immediate} 8. Bd2 {and play continued} d5
9. a3 b6 10. Rb1 Bb7 11. b4 {. However, after} cxb4 12. axb4 dxc4 13. dxc4 Rc8
{it transpired that White had real problems with his pawn on c4, and the pawn
actually dropped off after a few more moves:} 14. c5 bxc5 15. bxc5 Na5 16. Na4
Bc6 17. Qc2 Nb7 18. Rfc1 Qd7 19. Ne1 Nd5 20. Nb2 Bb5 21. Ned3 Bd4 22. Qb3 Nxc5
23. Nxc5 Rxc5 24. Rxc5 Bxc5 {and Fischer went on to win, T.Petrosian-R.Fischer,
USSR-Rest of the World, Belgrade 1970. --- QUESTION: Looks convincing enough.
Isn't the whole plan with b4 just wrong? --- ANSWER: No, it seems not! For 40
years, people have assumed that, but what players have recently realized is
that if White could just find one extra tempo, he would be able to consolidate
and prevent Black freely harassing the c-pawn. 8 Bg5! is the start of that
process. --- QUESTION: I still don't see how! --- ANSWER: You will, you will...
}) 8... h6 {QUESTION: So is this forced? I suppose Black does not want to
allow Qd2 and Bh6.} ({ANSWER: Actually, Black is less worried about that plan
than about other things. He can dispense with ...h6, and just continue} 8... d5
{but now White's best move is the subtle} 9. Rb1 $1 {. --- QUESTION: The idea
being? --- ANSWER: White sets up a subtle tactical idea. If Black continues to
ignore the g5-bishop and plays} b6 {
(his natural development plan in this line), then he walks into the blow} 10.
cxd5 exd5 11. Nxd5 $1 {
. --- QUESTION: Cripes! --- ANSWER: Yeah, and it gets worse...} Qxd5 12. Bxe7
Re8 13. Nd4 $1 {and Black is being clobbered down the long diagonal - the
English bishop again! After} Qxd4 14. Bxc6 Bh3 15. Bg5 Bxf1 16. Qxf1 {
White regains the exchange, with an extra pawn. --- QUESTION: Impressive
stuff! --- ANSWER: Indeed. This is all analysis by Marin.}) 9. Bd2 {QUESTION: Okay, you have got your way. Black has played ...h6. What difference does it
make? --- ANSWER: Watch and learn...} b6 10. a3 Bb7 (10... d5 11. Rb1 {
is likely to come to much the same thing as the game, although, admittedly, it
did not do so in B.Jobava-E.Inarkiev, Budva 2009, which continued} a5 12. e3 ({
Marin recommends the subtle sequence} 12. Qc1 Kh7 13. Qc2 $1 {
- the black king is worse on h7 than g8 -} Rb8 14. Rfd1 Bb7 15. Na4 Ba8 16. b4
{with the initiative}) 12... Ra7 13. Qb3 Ba6 14. Rfd1 Rd7 15. Na4 Nc8 {
and White did not have anything.}) 11. Qc1 $1 {QUESTION: Is this what all the
fuss is about? --- ANSWER: Yes, indeed! --- QUESTION: I am not hugely
impressed. --- ANSWER: The move looks modest, but getting the queen off the
d-file with tempo is important, as we will see. When Black later exchanges ...dxc4, as in the Petrosian-Fischer game, the white rook will come to the
freshly opened d-file, hitting the black queen.} Kh7 12. b4 cxb4 {
Following in Fischer's footsteps, unsuspecting.} ({
In a later game, Timofeev tried to improve with} 12... Rb8 13. Rb1 Ba8 {
holding back his d-pawn, B.Jobava-A.Timofeev, Rijeka 2010, but now Fritz's} 14.
bxc5 bxc5 15. Rxb8 Qxb8 16. Ne4 d6 17. Bc3 {looks good for an edge.}) 13. axb4
d5 14. Rb1 dxc4 15. dxc4 Qc8 {The first departure from the Fischer treatment.}
({QUESTION: So what happens if Black plays} 15... Rc8 {à la Fischer? ---
ANSWER: Then we see the effect of the d1-square being free. White continues
with the simple} 16. Rd1 {. The threats include Bxh6. Black has real problems
finding a safe square for his queen, and moves such as Bf4, Ne4, and Nb5 are
in the air:} -- ({. The game B.Tadic-N.Ninov, Belgrade 2003, went} 16... Qe8
17. c5 {(threat b5 and c6)} Nd8 (17... Ne5 18. Nxe5 Bxg2 19. Bf4 $1 Bb7 20. Nd7
Rg8 21. Be5 {with an obvious advantage - Fritz}) 18. Qa3 Ra8 19. b5 bxc5 20.
Na4 Rb8 {and now Marin's} 21. Bf4 {yields crushing pressure.}) ({. Marin gives
} 16... Qc7 17. Nb5 Qb8 {and now the clever} 18. Nd6 $1 Rc7 (18... Qxd6 19. Bf4
{is a queen trap}) 19. Nxb7 Rxb7 20. b5 Nd8 21. Bb4 {with a clear advantage.}))
16. Ne4 Qc7 ({After the alternative} 16... Nf5 {,} 17. Bc3 {is very strong.
The combination of weaknesses on the d-file and f6 leaves Black struggling, e.g.} e5 18. c5 ({Marin's} 18. e3 {
is also nice for White, simply controlling d4 and keeping the black knights out
}) 18... Ncd4 19. Nxd4 exd4 20. Bd2 {and White is better. Note how in all
these lines, there is no question of Black establishing pressure against the
white c-pawn - on the contrary, White's queenside pawn majority is a tower of
strength. --- QUESTION: Hmmm. I am beginning to see the point. The extra tempo,
from having the d-file clear, makes a great difference. --- ANSWER: Yes, this
is the key to the whole position. Whoever described chess as "the tragedy of
one tempo" could have had this very line in mind!}) 17. c5 {
Once again, 18 b5 and 19 c6 is the threat.} Nd8 18. Bf4 e5 {
EXERCISE: Find a strong continuation for White. ---} {ANSWER:} 19. Nxe5 $1 {
"Loose pieces drop off!", as John Nunn always says. Black has a profusion of
inadequately guarded units and squares in this position.} g5 (19... Bxe5 {
loses to} 20. Nf6+ $1 Kg7 ({or} 20... Kh8 21. Bxe5 Qxe5 22. Qxh6#) 21. Bxh6+
Kxf6 22. Qg5+ Ke6 23. Bxf8 {. White has rook and two pawns for two minor
pieces, and the black king is a disaster.}) 20. Ng6 gxf4 21. Nxf8+ Bxf8 22. c6
{The c-pawn, which was White's Achilles' Heel in the game Petrosian-Fischer,
is a veritable hero in this game. The pin on the c-file means that it remains
immune from capture. The rest is a rout.} Bc8 23. Nf6+ Kg6 24. Ne8 Qe5 25. Rd1
Bf5 26. c7 Ne6 27. Bxa8 Bxb1 28. Qxb1+ f5 29. Qa1 Qxa1 30. Rxa1 {
The smoke clears, leaving White with an extra exchange and pawn.} a5 31. bxa5
bxa5 32. Rxa5 {. --- A highly impressive and convincing-looking game. Barring
a major improvement for Black, the popularity of Fischer's treatment of the ...e6, ...Nge7 set-up seems set to wane. If so, Black players should explore the ...d6/...Qd7 approach, seen in Kamsky-Grischuk.} 1-0

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1983.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andersson, U."]
[Black "Seirawan, Y."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A37"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1983.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nc3 e5 {QUESTION: Looks familiar!
The Botvinnik System again? --- ANSWER: Yes, Black has also tried this
formation here. However, note that, by comparison with the lines in
Miezis-Roemer and Moskalenko-Mestre Bellido, here White (i.e. Black in the
above games) has played c4, not e4. This makes a big difference. --- QUESTION:
Why? --- ANSWER: There are several reasons. The most obvious is that the long
diagonal of the English bishop remains open. In these positions, the knight
manoeuvre Ne1-c2-e3 is a standard idea, pointing another piece at the weakened
d5-square. White also looks to advance on the queenside, with the usual
English plan of a3, Rb1 and b4. --- QUESTION: So are you saying that Black's
formation is too optimistic here? --- ANSWER: I would not go that far. It is
actually quite a well-respected system, and scores pretty decently for Black
at lower levels, but I do think it is asking quite a lot of Black's position.
With accurate play, White should be able to keep an edge.} 6. O-O (6. a3 a5 7.
O-O Nge7 8. Ne1 d6 9. Nc2 Be6 10. Ne3 O-O 11. d3 f5 12. Ned5 Kh8 13. Rb1 {
leads to standard positions.}) 6... d6 7. a3 Nge7 8. Rb1 ({
Marin recommends the gambit} 8. b4 {here. --- QUESTION: What is the point?} --
({. ANSWER: If Black takes the pawn by} 8... cxb4 9. axb4 Nxb4 {
then White gets good compensation after} 10. Ba3 Nec6 (10... Nbc6 $2 11. Ne4)
11. Qa4 {.}) ({. However, as well as simply ignoring the gambit by} 8... O-O {
, when play will usually transpose to regular lines with} 9. Rb1 {,}) ({
. Black can also play the sharp} 8... e4 {
. The recent game V.Kramnik-I.Nepomniachtchi, Moscow 2011, continued} 9. Ne1 ({
Marin prefers} 9. Ng5) 9... f5 10. Bb2 O-O 11. d3 Be6 12. dxe4 fxe4 13. Bxe4
Bxc4 {with an unclear position that was eventually won by Black.})) 8... a5 9.
d3 O-O 10. Bg5 $5 (10. Ne1 {
would be another standard way to execute the typical plan.}) 10... f6 ({
QUESTION: Isn't} 10... h6 {more natural? --- ANSWER: Maybe, but it is a clear
positional error! White would welcome the exchange Bxe7. Although he
surrenders the bishop pair, he also gets rid of one of the enemy knights that
protect the square d5. One example was C.McNab-J.Rudd, Coulsdon 2007, which
continued} 11. Bxe7 Nxe7 12. b4 axb4 13. axb4 b6 14. Nd2 Ra6 15. Qb3 f5 16. Ra1
Rxa1 17. Rxa1 f4 18. bxc5 bxc5 19. Ra7 Nf5 20. Qb8 {
with a clear advantage to White.}) 11. Be3 $5 {An unusual move and an
interesting idea. --- QUESTION: It looks odd. I thought you said White wants
to put his knight on e3, via e1 and c2? --- ANSWER: Usually he does, and for
that reason, the bishop generally goes to d2. But Andersson has a specific
idea in mind - he wants to make it hard for Black to play ...d5. To this end,
he attacks the c5-pawn.} ({After} 11. Bd2 {Black could play} Be6 {and meet} 12.
Ne1 {with} d5 {, when he has no problems.}) 11... Be6 ({
QUESTION: Can't Black just chase the bishop away with} 11... Nf5 {
? --- ANSWER: He can, but after simply} 12. Bd2 {, the knight is misplaced on
f5 - it does not cover d5, and it blocks the black f-pawn.}) 12. Ne1 Qd7 13.
Nc2 {White is ready to advance b4.} a4 $5 {QUESTION: Why do you mark this move
as "interesting"? I thought it was standard to play such a move? Indeed,
doesn't White usually play b3 to stop this crippling of his queenside pawns?
--- ANSWER: In many positions, such as in the King's Indian Defence, White
does do that, yes. But here, things are not so clear. With Black's pawn on c5,
the opening of the b-file will leave his b-pawn backward and exposed to attack.
} ({There is an argument in favour of simply} 13... Rae8 14. b4 axb4 15. axb4
b6 {in the hope of avoiding a weakness on the b-file, although White would
still be a little better after, say,} 16. Nd5 {.}) 14. b3 axb3 15. Rxb3 Rfb8 {
QUESTION: I expected the other rook. --- ANSWER: Seirawan wants to keep his
a-rook to attack the white pawn on a3. --- QUESTION: But isn't that securely
defended by the c2-knight? --- ANSWER: Defended, yes, but not necessarily
securely so. The knight can potentially be exchanged off by a subsequent ...Nd4.} 16. Qb1 Ra6 17. Rb6 Qc7 18. Rb2 b6 19. Bd2 {QUESTION: What is this for?
--- ANSWER: Well, the bishop has done its job on e3 - it has prevented the
advance ...d5. Now this is no longer threatened, so the bishop makes way for
the knight to come to e3, pointing at d5.} Qd8 20. a4 f5 21. Ne3 Nb4 22. Rxb4
$1 {QUESTION: What's this - an exchange sacrifice? --- ANSWER: Correct. White
makes a positional sacrifice of rook for knight. He gets one pawn immediately,
and he also eliminates the knight, that was plugging up the b-file. Such
positional exchange sacrifices have always been a feature of Andersson's play.}
cxb4 23. Qxb4 Qd7 24. Rb1 {QUESTION: Where is White's compensation? --- ANSWER:
He has one pawn, as I say, and his minor pieces have some good squares - b5,
d5, etc. The black pawns on b6 and d6 are weak, and the English bishop has a
lovely diagonal. --- QUESTION: So is White better? --- ANSWER: Maybe not much
better objectively, but he has full value for a small material investment, and
his position is rather easier to play in practice.} Rd8 25. Qb3 {Putting another guard on d5. He does not want to let Black get in the advance ...d6-d5.} Kh8
26. Nc2 $1 {QUESTION: Eh? I thought White was trying to prevent the advance ...d6-d5? --- ANSWER: He is.} h6 ({If now} 26... d5 {
then after the mass exchanges on d5:} 27. cxd5 Nxd5 28. Bxd5 Bxd5 29. Nxd5 Qxd5
30. Qxd5 Rxd5 {, White has} 31. Nb4 {, winning. --- QUESTION: Sneaky! ---
ANSWER: As always, good strategic play is underlain with tactics.}) 27. Nb4 {
Re-establishing the knight in striking distance of d5, whilst at the same time
driving the black rook off the defence of the b6-pawn.} Ra5 28. h4 $6 {
QUESTION: What is that for? --- ANSWER: It is a rather typical Andersson move,
actually. Black cannot undertake anything, so he just improves his position.
His king gets a bolthole on h2 (you never know...) and there is also the
possibility that a later h5 will undermine the kingside light squares.} ({
However, having said that, the move does weaken the white king somewhat, and
objectively, there seems no reason not to play} 28. Nbd5 {
and pick off the b6-pawn.}) 28... f4 29. Kh2 Kh7 30. Nbd5 $6 {Having played
beautifully up to now, Andersson loses the thread a bit round here.} ({
Fritz indicates that the other knight jump was much stronger:} 30. Ncd5 Nxd5
31. cxd5 Bg4 32. Nc6 {etc.}) 30... Nxd5 31. cxd5 Bf5 32. Qxb6 Rc5 $2 (32...
Raa8 {was a much tougher defence, with the point that} 33. a5 Rdb8 34. Qc6 Qa7
{is okay for Black.}) 33. a5 {Now normal service is resumed.} Rdc8 34. Rb3
fxg3+ 35. fxg3 e4 {Desperation.} 36. Nxe4 Rc2 37. Qe3 Qa4 {
Black throws his pieces forward, but Andersson has it all under control.} 38.
Rb7 {With the threat 39 Qxh6+.} R8c7 39. Rxc7 Rxc7 40. Nxd6 Rc2 41. Nxf5 {
. --- The Botvinnik set-up is a quite respectable formation for Black in this
line, but it does make some demands on his position, and I feel White should
be a touch better. Andersson's play in this game was a model of how White
should handle the position.} 1-0

[Event "San Sebastian"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kosten, A."]
[Black "Coenen, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A34"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 d5 {The so-called Rubinstein System, named after the
great Akiba, who played it in the 1920s. Later it was taken up successfully by
Botvinnik.} 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. Nc3 Nc7 {
This knight retreat is the main line. Black prepares the advance ...e5.} ({
Note that the immediate} 6... e5 $2 {loses a pawn after} 7. Nxe5 $1 {.}) (6...
g6 {is another approach. --- QUESTION: The position after 6...g6 looks
familiar! --- ANSWER: So it should - what we actually have is the same
variation as in Grischuk-Bocharov above, but with colours reversed and an
extra tempo for White - another example of the enormous flexibility of the
English! The ideas discussed in Grischuk-Bocharov are also relevant here, of
course. Play generally continues} 7. O-O Bg7 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. d3 O-O 10. Be3 {.}
-- (10... Qd6 {is analogous to White's play in Grischuk-Bocharov, but here,
White's extra tempo allows him to develop good play with} 11. Rc1 Nd4 (11... b6
$6 12. d4) 12. Nxd4 cxd4 13. Bd2 {followed by Qa4, with a queenside initiative.
}) ({. The main line after 10 Be3 is} 10... Bd7 11. Nd4 Qd6 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13.
Bxc6 Qxc6 14. Rc1 Qe6 15. Rxc5 Qxa2 16. Rb5 {. --- QUESTION: What is happening
here? It looks rather simplified. --- ANSWER: That is true, but White
maintains a definite pull. The classic game A.Karpov-Z.Ribli, Amsterdam 1980,
saw the then World Champion achieve a winning position in effortless fashion:}
b6 17. Qa1 ({in view of Black's improvement on the next move, Marin argues that
} 17. Qb3 {is more accurate, with a small edge for White}) 17... Qxa1 $2 (17...
Qe6 {is better}) 18. Rxa1 Rfb8 19. Ra6 Kf8 20. Rb4 Be5 21. Rba4 b5 22. Ra2 Rb7
23. b3 Bb8 24. Bc5 {and Black was tied hand and foot.}) ({
. QUESTION: Can't Black just take on b2? --- ANSWER:} 10... Bxb2 {
has not been played much at a high level, but it is not so stupid. After} 11.
Rb1 Bg7 12. Qa4 {, White has good compensation, but that is all.})) 7. O-O e5 {
QUESTION: We have a reversed Maroczy Bind, right? --- ANSWER: Indeed, and most
of the plans for White are taken from Black's play in the equivalent position
in the Maroczy proper. In particular, the pawn breaks b4 and f4 are both
highly thematic. The former is the harder to achieve, and consequently, one
more often sees White break with f4. However, the extra tempo does give White
one or two more dynamic options that are not available to Black in the normal
lines.} 8. Ne1 {
This is one of three main plans, each of which we will examine here.} ({
One thing White must avoid is the kind of planless, aimless woodshifting, seen
in the games of Rubinstein's and Botvinnik's opponents. One characteristic
example is the following:} 8. b3 Be7 9. Bb2 O-O 10. Rc1 {
(this is not such a bad plan in itself, but White follows up poorly)} f6 11.
Ne1 Bf5 12. Na4 Na6 13. Ba3 Qa5 14. Nc2 Rfd8 15. Ne3 Be6 16. d3 Rac8 17. Nc4
Qc7 18. Nd2 b6 19. Bb2 Qd7 20. Re1 Nd4 21. Nc3 Nb4 {, V.Kirillov-M.Botvinnik,
USSR Ch., Moscow 1931. Black has a clear initiative and went on to win.}) (8.
d3 Be7 9. Nd2 Bd7 10. Nc4 {was the old main line.} -- ({. White was considered
to have some advantage, since after the apparently forced} 10... f6 {
, he can continue} 11. f4 {with good play.}) ({. QUESTION: This all looks very
natural. However, I sense that a "but" is on the way... --- ANSWER: I am
afraid so! Enthusiasm for the white position here diminished sharply in the
1970s, by the discovery that Black has good compensation after the pawn
sacrifice} 10... O-O $1 11. Bxc6 Bxc6 12. Nxe5 Be8 {. Although it looks
unimpressive at the moment, the bishop on e8 can jump out later, either to c6
or h5, and White's position is hard to activate, because his central pawns
cannot really become mobile and his rooks have no scope. When players of the
calibre of Petrosian started coming a cropper on the white side of this
position, people began to look for other ways to play as White. A typical
1970s example was K.Commons-F.Gheorghiu, Lone Pine 1975:} 13. Qb3 b6 14. Be3
Kh8 15. Rfd1 f6 16. Nf3 Bf7 17. Qa4 Nd5 18. Nxd5 Bxd5 19. a3 a6 20. Nd2 Qc8 21.
f3 Qe6 22. Kf2 f5 23. Re1 Bf6 24. Qc2 f4 $1 25. Bxf4 g5 26. e4 (26. Be3 Qxe3+
27. Kxe3 Bd4# {is the very nice point}) 26... gxf4 27. exd5 Qh3 {
and Black won quickly.})) (8. a3 {is the most aggressive approach, endorsed by
Marin, and recently adopted successfully by both Kramnik and Svidler. ---
QUESTION: What is the point? It doesn't look as though White will be able to
prepare b4. --- ANSWER: This is one reversed Sicilian line where the extra
tempo comes in useful. White is able to use it to exploit some tactical
opportunities that would not be available to Black in the normal line. ---
Here Black might play 8...Rb8. --- QUESTION: What an odd move! --- ANSWER:
There is a tactical point. Let's look at other moves and then return to 8...Rb8.} -- (8... Be7 9. b4 $1 {
is the first point. --- QUESTION: Doesn't that lose a pawn?} -- ({
. ANSWER: Contrary to appearances, no. After} 9... cxb4 10. axb4 Bxb4 $6 {
White has the typical trick} 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Qa4+ Nc6 13. Bxc6+ bxc6 14. Qxb4
{. Although material is level, White has a nice positional advantage. Black
cannot castle unless he exchanges queens, and in the ending White will stand
better, because he has one pawn island against three. --- QUESTION: Don't the
opposite-coloured bishops make it drawish? --- ANSWER: Not really, because
there are plenty of other pieces on the board. Opposite bishops only really
become a serious drawing factor when they are almost the only pieces remaining.
}) ({. Instead of taking on b4, Black should prefer} 9... O-O {
, as in V.Kramnik-A.Timofeev, Russian Ch., Moscow 2011, which we will follow:}
10. bxc5 $5 {was a rather a surprising choice from Kramnik. Marin dismisses
this as fairly harmless,} ({and recommends instead} 10. b5 Nd4 11. Nxe5 Ndxb5
12. Nxb5 Nxb5 13. Rb1 Nd6 14. d3 {with some initiative - White has pressure
against b7 and Black's development is not simple. --- QUESTION: So why didn't
Kramnik play this? --- ANSWER: Good question! If you ever get a chance to ask
him, please let me know what he says!}) {, and now:} 10... -- ({
. Timofeev replied} 10... Bxc5 $6 {, and the game continued} 11. Bb2 Re8 12.
Rc1 Bf8 13. Ne4 Rb8 14. d3 Nb5 15. Nfg5 Nc7 16. Qb3 Be6 17. Nxe6 Nxe6 18. e3 {
. With his bishop pair and open lines, White has a clear advantage.} (18. --))
(10... Ne6 {looks better. --- QUESTION: Why? --- ANSWER: Having already moved
his bishop to e7, Black usually prefers to recapture on c5 with the knight, if
he can. --- QUESTION: So why didn't Timofeev play that? --- ANSWER: I assume
he was afraid of} 11. e3 {but then} Qd3 {looks okay for Black.}))) (8... f6 {
. --- QUESTION: I think I see the point of this! Black defends the e5-pawn
again, so now the tactics don't work after} 9. b4 {. --- ANSWER: Absolutely
right. White therefore has to look for something else to do. --- 9 e3 is
virtually the only logical plan. Black's last move has weakened the central
light squares and the diagonal a2-g8, so White prepares to open the centre, to
exploit these.} ({. (Switching to lines such as} 9. Ne1) ({, or} 9. d3 {
followed by Nd2 would leave White a tempo down, since the move a3 serves
little purpose.)}) ({. After} 9. e3 {, Black has a choice:} -- (9... Ne6 {
stops d4, but allows} 10. Nh4 g6 11. f4 {with the initiative.}) (9... Be7 10.
d4 cxd4 11. exd4 exd4 {, when play could continue:} ({QUESTION: Isn't} 11...
Nxd4 {possible here? --- ANSWER: Yes, although it has the drawback of opening
up the English bishop on g2. After} 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 ({or} 12... exd4 13. Ne2 Ne6
14. Nf4 Nxf4 15. Bxf4 O-O 16. Re1 {
with good compensation - Black is undeveloped and has weaknesses on the e-file}
) 13. Qc2 {White gains time with Be3 and Rd1, with compensation for the pawn.})
12. Ne2 Ne6 13. b4 d3 14. Nf4 Nxf4 15. Bxf4 Be6 (15... O-O 16. b5 Ne5 17. Qb3+
Kh8 18. Rad1 Bg4 19. Bxe5 fxe5 20. Rxd3 {
was better for White in E.Lobron-J.Smejkal, German League 1995}) 16. Re1 Bf7
17. Re3 {(good)} ({but the computer's} 17. b5 {is even better}) 17... O-O 18.
Rxd3 {, as in P.Arnaudov-J.Timman, Dieren 2011. White has recovered the pawn,
with strong pressure.}) (9... Qd3 {is not mentioned by Marin, but it is a
logical reply - Black tries to hold up the d4 advance.} 10. Ne1 Qg6 11. d3 Be6
12. Qa4 Bd7 13. Nb5 Nxb5 14. Qxb5 Rb8 15. Qc4 Bd6 16. b4 cxb4 17. axb4 {
was P.Svidler-I.Nepomniachtchi, Russian Ch., Moscow 2011, and now Svidler gives
} Nxb4 {as "simple and good":} 18. Bd2 (18. Rxa7 $4 Rc8) 18... Nc6 {and Black should be fine. This is pretty much the latest word on 8 a3 at the time of
writing.}))) ({. Returning to} 8... Rb8 {:} 9. -- ({. If} 9. b4 $2 {
, we see the point of Black's last move - after} cxb4 10. axb4 Bxb4 11. Nxe5
Nxe5 12. Qa4+ Nc6 13. Bxc6+ bxc6 {, the bishop on b4 is defended by the rook!})
({. Marin recommends the immediate} 9. Rb1) ({, while} 9. d3 Be7 10. Rb1 O-O
11. b4 cxb4 12. axb4 b5 13. Ne4 Nd5 {was equal in A.Giri-T.Nyback, Porto
Carras 2011. --- All in all, 8 a3 is an interesting and sharp line. As noted
above, the game Svidler-Nepomniachtchi is the latest word on this line.} (13...
--)))) ({Now we return to the main line in the game, and to the position after
} 8. Ne1 {: --- QUESTION: So what is the idea of 8 Ne1? --- ANSWER: Firstly,
White unmasks the English bishop and makes at least a pretence to threaten
Bxc6. Secondly, the knight will come to d3, attacking e5. Thirdly, White frees
the way for the f-pawn to advance. Moves such as Ne4, b3, Bb2, etc. will give
him a potentially menacing initiative, if Black is not careful.}) 8... Bd7 (
8... Be7 $6 {ignores White's threat, and he does best to carry it out:} 9.
Bxc6+ $1 bxc6 {. --- QUESTION: Can it really be good to give up the
fianchettoed bishop? --- ANSWER: Such exchanges have been known for many years
in similar positions. The doubled c-pawns are very weak and easy to attack,
whereas the light squares around White's king are much harder to get at than
may appear.} 10. Qa4 Bd7 11. Nd3 f6 12. b3 O-O 13. Ba3 Ne6 14. Rac1 Kh8 15.
Rfe1 Rb8 16. Ne4 {and it was already drop-off time for the unfortunate on c5,
J.Gonzales-M.Kiran, Manila 2010.}) (8... Bg4 {is another option. --- QUESTION:
Doesn't that also ignore the threat against c6? --- ANSWER: Yes, but it places
the bishop aggressively, and also sets up a tactic. Play continues} 9. Bxc6+
bxc6 10. Qa4 (10. Nd3 $2 Qxd3 {is the tactic}) 10... Qd7 11. Nd3 f6 {
. Now Kosten advocates the aggressive} 12. f4 (12. f3 Bf5 13. Ne4 Qd4+ 14. Qxd4
cxd4 15. b3 {gave White nothing in M.Aguettaz-C.Derieux, French League 2009})
12... Qd4+ 13. Rf2 $1 Qxa4 14. Nxa4 c4 15. Ndc5 {and claims that "Black's
ragged pawn structure outweighs his bishop pair". This verdict awaits a
serious practical test.}) ({QUESTION: In view of what we have seen,} 8... Bf5 {
looks logical, stopping the knight coming to d3. --- ANSWER: Yes, and this
move has actually scored extremely well for Black in practice. I feel White
should have an edge, but proving it is rather difficult:} 9. f4 exf4 10. d3 {
(exploiting the pin on the f5-bishop)} Bd6 (10... Qd7 11. Bxf4 Ne6 12. Bd2 Ned4
13. e3 Bg4 14. Qa4 Ne2+ 15. Nxe2 Bxe2 16. Rf2 Bg4 17. Bc3 {
was better for White in J.Mestel-A.Harley, British League 1996}) 11. Bxf4 Bxf4
12. Bxc6+ bxc6 13. Rxf4 Bg6 14. Qa4 Qd6 {. Thus far this was S.Agdestein-I.Farago, Wijk aan Zee 1988. Kosten now recommends} 15. Ne4 {
, with which Fritz concurs, although White's advantage after} Bxe4 ({
there is also} 15... Qd5 {, when} 16. Ng2 O-O 17. Nh4 {"promises an edge, as
Black's c-pawns are always going to be a liability" (Kosten); however, after}
Bxe4 18. Rxe4 {, I am not too convinced, as the white centre pawns look just
as vulnerable as Black's doubled c-pawns}) 16. Rxe4+ Ne6 {
is not so great. All in all, 8...Bf5 looks a tough nut to crack.}) 9. Nd3 (9.
Nc2 {has also been played. --- QUESTION: Looks rather illogical! --- ANSWER:
It does a bit, but White plans Ne3, followed by b3, Bb2 and a later f4. For
example:} Be7 (9... Ne6 10. a3 a5 11. Ne3 Rb8 12. Ned5 b5 13. d3 b4 14. Ne4
Ncd4 15. axb4 cxb4 16. e3 Nf5 17. Nd2 Rb5 18. Nc4 {
was good for White in M.Devereaux-C.Morris, British League 2010}) 10. Ne3 O-O
11. b3 Rc8 12. Bb2 f6 13. Rc1 b6 14. f4 exf4 15. Rxf4 Nd4 16. Ncd5 Bd6 17. Rf2
Nxd5 18. Nxd5 Be5 {and Black was fine in V.Durarbeyli-Y.Berthelot, Bastia 2011.
}) 9... f6 {The best way to defend the e5-pawn.} (9... Bd6 {is inferior, e.g.}
10. Ne4 Qe7 11. b3 ({the extravagant} 11. b4 $5 cxb4 12. a3 O-O 13. axb4 Bxb4
14. Nxb4 Nxb4 15. d3 {was successful in R.Appel-A.Berelowitsch, German League
2007, but I don't see that White has much compensation for the pawn at this
point}) 11... O-O (11... Rc8 12. Bb2 f6 13. f4 exf4 14. Nxd6+ Qxd6 15. Nxf4 O-O
16. e3 Rce8 17. a3 b6 18. Qc2 Ne5 19. b4 Bc6 $2 20. bxc5 bxc5 21. d4 Nd7 22.
dxc5 Nxc5 23. Rfd1 {1-0, S.Giddins-J.Woolley, County Match, England 2006}) 12.
Bb2 Rfe8 13. Rc1 Na6 14. f4 exf4 15. Nxd6 Qxd6 16. Nxf4 Rad8 17. e3 {was already nice for White in M.Secker-F.Sideif-Zade, Berlin 1992, and got even better
after} Bf5 $2 18. Bxg7 $1 Kxg7 19. Nh5+ {.}) 10. f4 exf4 {
This exchange is forced;} ({as} 10... Be7 $2 11. fxe5 fxe5 {
is obviously terrible for Black.}) 11. Nxf4 Be7 12. b3 O-O 13. Bb2 {QUESTION: How do you assess this position? --- ANSWER: White is better. --- QUESTION: But
why? After all, you have previously assessed positions as better for White
because he had fewer pawn islands than Black; here, it is Black who has two
pawns islands against three. --- ANSWER: It is a question of dynamics vs.
statics. Statically, Black is better, because he has the superior pawn
structure. If he could remove the queens from the board, and maybe a couple of
pairs of minor pieces as well, he would have good prospects of being able to
exert pressure down the d- and e-files, against the white central pawns. But
once we take dynamic factors into account, the picture is much less rosy for
Black. White's pieces are all very actively placed, and Black has weaknesses
on the central light squares, such as d5 and e6. White will follow up with e3,
bring the queen to a very aggressive position on h5, and centralize his rooks.
On a good day, he can stick a rook on d1 and start pushing the d-pawn down the
board. All of this gives him prospects of a very dangerous initiative.} Kh8 ({
Another example of White's potential was the old game R.Vaganian-L.Lengyel,
Moscow 1975, which continued} 13... b6 14. e3 Bd6 15. Ncd5 Rc8 16. d4 (16. Qh5 {
is also promising}) {and now Black blundered with} 16... Ne7 $4 {
and was busted after} 17. dxc5 Bxc5 (17... Bxf4 18. Nxf4 bxc5 19. Qc2 Ne6 20.
Qc4 Qb6 21. Rad1 {wins material}) 18. b4 {.}) 14. e3 Be8 {Stopping the queen
coming to h5, but also removing a defender from the h3-c8 diagonal.} 15. Qe2
Qd7 16. Rad1 Bf7 17. Bh3 Qd8 (17... f5 {is a better try, although Black was
probably not keen to open the long diagonal for White's other bishop.}) 18. Ne4
b6 19. Bf5 Nd5 20. Ne6 Bxe6 21. Bxe6 {
Now White has total control of the light squares.} Ndb4 22. d4 cxd4 23. exd4
Nd5 24. Qh5 Ne3 25. d5 $1 {The d-pawn marches on, and sweeps all resistance
before it. The whole game is an excellent illustration of White's dynamic
potential in this variation.} g6 26. Qe2 Nxd1 27. Rxd1 Ne5 28. d6 Qe8 29. dxe7
Qxe7 30. Nxf6 $1 {The final blow.} Qxe6 31. Qxe5 {. --- The Rubinstein is a
very respectable system for Black, but White has a number of options against
it, and can look forward to a position with good chances of fighting for an
edge. His play usually needs to be somewhat more dynamic than in many other
English lines, so as to exploit the potential of his position.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3. The Mikenas System"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A18"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

{The Mikenas System is one of the nearest things to a traditional,
variation-based English line. It arises after the moves} 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3.
e4 {. QUESTION: What is this, another type of Botvinnik System? --- ANSWER:
Not really. With this line, White abandons the traditional, hypermodern
approach to the centre, characterized by the flank observation of the central
light squares, with such traditional English moves as g3, Bg2, d3, etc. In the
Mikenas, White adopts a much more classical, "in-your-face" approach,
occupying the centre with pawns, and threatening to drive back the enemy
pieces with moves such as e5. It is an altogether more dynamic approach to the
English Opening. --- Black has only two reputable options at move three. In
Kharlov-Ospennikov, he plays 3...c5, but, as we shall see, against this White
has a dangerous positional pawn sacrifice at his disposal. In the resulting
positions, even with queens exchanged, White can frequently establish a
ferocious bind on the dark squares, and Black's play can be extremely
difficult. --- In Aronian-Kramnik, Kramnik prefers 3...d5, which is certainly
the safest and most solid defence. However, even here, there are many sharp
lines and plenty of ways for Black to go wrong. The main line leads to a
position where White has only a small edge, but the fact that so fine a
defender as Kramnik was unable to hold the black position shows that the
latter's difficulties should not be underestimated. --- All in all, the
Mikenas has always struck me as a pretty attractive system for White. Its only
real drawback is that it can only be reached by one, specific move-order, and
relatively few black players allow it, but if given the chance as White, I
would always grab it.} *

[Event "Tatarstan Championship, Kazan"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kharlov, A."]
[Black "Ospennikov, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A19"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 c5 {One of two main replies. --- QUESTION: What is
the point of 3...c5? --- ANSWER: Black simply prevents the advance d2-d4, at
the cost of allowing his knight to be driven back to g8.} ({
The other main reply,} 3... d5 {will be examined in the next game.}) ({
Relatively the best of the remaining bunch is} 3... d6 {
, but it is obvious that this passive move leaves Black worse after} 4. d4 {.})
({Other moves are inferior, e.g.} 3... Bb4 $2 4. e5 Ng8 5. Qg4 {
with an obvious advantage.}) 4. e5 Ng8 5. Nf3 {
This is the introduction to a strong positional pawn sacrifice.} ({
The older alternative is} 5. d4 {
, but it has long been known that this promises very little:} cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nc6
7. Qe4 d6 (7... f6 $5 {, mentioned as an interesting try by Bagirov, remains
seriously under-tested, but looks fine for Black, e.g.} 8. f4 ({or} 8. Nf3 fxe5
9. Nxe5 Nf6) 8... Nh6 $1) 8. Nf3 dxe5 9. Nxe5 {and now:} -- (9... Nf6 $5 10.
Nxc6 Qb6 {was tried in the World Championship game, V.Korchnoi-A.Karpov,
Baguio City 1978. White had almost nothing after} 11. Qf3 bxc6 {, but the split
black queenside pawns maybe give him grounds to claim a slight edge, and
Korchnoi did eventually win a long endgame.} (11... Qxc6 $6 12. Qxc6+ bxc6 {
seems less logical, and White was somewhat better after} 13. Be2 Bb7 14. Be3 c5
15. Nb5 O-O-O 16. Nxa7+ Kb8 17. Nb5 Bxg2 18. Rg1 Bc6 19. Bf4+ Kb7 20. Rg3 {
in S.Movsesian-N.Grandelius, Rogaska Slatina 2011.})) (9... Bd7 {
is generally regarded as best, preparing the tempo gain ...Nf6. After} 10. Nxd7
Qxd7 {White has the bishop pair, but Black has no problems developing, and
theory considers White to have very little here.})) 5... Nc6 (5... d6 6. exd6
Bxd6 7. d4 {is a little better for White.}) 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nxe5 8. Ndb5 {
QUESTION: What is going on? Black seems to have won a pawn. --- ANSWER: He has
indeed, but things are not so simple for him. White has some extra development,
and Black's weaknesses on the dark squares are less easy to protect than first
appears.} a6 ({QUESTION: But I don't understand. Why can't Black cover
everything with the simple} 8... d6 {? --- ANSWER: Ah, this is the point of
White's play. He now has the easy-to-overlook trick} 9. c5 $1 {. --- QUESTION:
Cripes, I didn't see that! --- ANSWER: You are not the only one. Now Black
cannot avoid losing back the pawn. The old game J.Timman-M.Najdorf, Haifa 1976,
continued} a6 ({forced:} 9... dxc5 10. Bf4 {is as good as resignable for Black,
}) ({and} 9... d5 10. Bf4 a6 11. Bxe5 axb5 12. Nxb5 {is not much better}) 10.
Nxd6+ Bxd6 11. cxd6 Nf6 12. Bf4 Ng6 13. Bg3 Bd7 14. h4 h5 15. Bd3 {
and White was clearly better.}) (8... f6 9. Be3 {
transposes to the main line after} a6 10. Nd6+ {.}) 9. Nd6+ Bxd6 10. Qxd6 f6
11. Be3 {Black continues to suffer on the dark squares. The next few moves are
largely forced.} Ne7 12. Bb6 Nf5 13. Qc5 ({A lot of games were played with} 13.
Bxd8 Nxd6 14. Bc7 Ke7 15. c5 Ne8 {
, but eventually, it became clear that Black is okay here.}) ({
The text was introduced by Kasparov, but in fact,} 13. Qb4 $1 {
is a more accurate way of implementing the same idea. Then} Nc6 (13... Qe7 {
transposes to the game,}) ({whilst} 13... d6 {does not gain a tempo}) 14. Qc5 {
is now stronger, the point being that} d6 15. Bxd8 dxc5 16. Bb6 {
regains the pawn at once, with advantage.}) 13... Qe7 (13... d6 $1 14. Qa5 Qd7
{is the best defence here, with an unclear position. The game E.L'Ami-P.Wells,
Staunton Memorial, London 2008, continued} 15. f4 Nc6 16. Qa3 Nce7 17. O-O-O
Qc6 18. Qb3 O-O 19. g4 Nh6 20. Rg1 d5 {with a thoroughly unclear position, and
was drawn in 27 moves. 13 Qb4 avoids this line.}) 14. Qxe7+ Kxe7 {QUESTION: White is still a pawn down, and now the queens are off! Does he really have
compensation here? --- ANSWER: Practice confirms that he does. His pressure on
the dark squares, and the difficulties Black has developing his queenside,
mean that White has a strong initiative, and his position is certainly the
easier to play over the board. White has scored very well from this position.}
15. f4 Ng4 ({
One of the first tests of this line at strong GM level saw Black prefer} 15...
Ng6 {, but he still suffered after} 16. g3 d6 17. Bh3 Bd7 18. O-O-O Bc6 19.
Rhe1 {. White's play is wonderfully simple! Now all of his pieces are ideally
developed and pressing on the various black weaknesses.} Kf7 20. Nd5 $1 exd5
21. Bxf5 Nf8 22. c5 $1 {(even better than regaining the pawn; White continues
to hammer away at the dark squares)} dxc5 23. Bxc5 h5 24. Re7+ Kg8 25. Rde1 {
and White won convincingly:} Rh6 26. Rc7 Ng6 27. h4 a5 28. Bc8 a4 29. Kd2 Rh8
30. Bf5 Rh6 31. a3 Rd8 32. Kc3 Kh8 33. Bb6 Ra8 34. Bc8 Kg8 35. Bd4 Rh8 36. Be6+
Kh7 37. Bxf6 Rhe8 38. Rxg7+ Kh6 39. Rc7 {
1-0, E.Bacrot-I.Dorfman, Marseille 2001.}) 16. Bd3 Nfe3 $2 {This soon turns
out to a case of death by misadventure, but Black is in quite a bad way anyway.
} ({A recent game in the British 4NCL League went} 16... g6 17. O-O-O d6 18. h3
Ngh6 19. g4 Ng7 20. Rhe1 {(the position of the two black knights says all we
need to know about the extent of White's compensation)} Bd7 {
and now the thematic} 21. c5 $1 {levered open the dark squares, with decisive
effect, I.Thompson-J.Smith, British League 2010.}) 17. Rg1 d5 {
EXERCISE: Find a strong move for White. ---} {ANSWER:} 18. h3 {
Oops! Black is simply losing a piece.} dxc4 19. Be4 f5 20. hxg4 Nxg4 21. Bf3 {
Nominally, Black has three pawns for the piece, but with his queenside still
undeveloped and White's bishop pair rampant, the end is not far away.} Nf6 22.
O-O-O Nd7 23. Bd4 Rg8 24. Na4 $1 {It is all dark squares!} g5 25. fxg5 Rxg5 26.
Nb6 Rb8 27. Rh1 h5 28. Nxc4 b6 29. Ne5 {. --- The reply 3...c5 has always been
considered adequate for Black, but I think it is hard to recommend it from a
practical viewpoint. White's position is a great deal easier to play in this
line, and even from a strictly objective, theoretical point of view, he has at
least sufficient compensation for his pawn.} 1-0

[Event "Botvinnik Memorial (rapid), Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aronian, L."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A18"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d5 {QUESTION: So this is the other main defence to
the Mikenas? --- ANSWER: Yes, and it is probably also the best defence. Black
strikes back in the centre at once.} 4. e5 $1 ({
Flicking in the exchange on d5 first, with} 4. cxd5 exd5 5. e5 {is less effective, mainly because Black can now develop his queen's bishop more easily.}) 4...
d4 {QUESTION: Is this forced? Can't Black move his knight? --- ANSWER: He can
indeed, and has two playable moves, although probably neither is as good as
the text:} (4... Nfd7 5. cxd5 exd5 (5... Nxe5 6. d4 Ng6 7. dxe6 Bxe6 8. d5 {
gives White a slight plus, with his extra space}) 6. d4 c5 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Bb5 $1
a6 9. Bg5 $1 ({even stronger than} 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. O-O {, which was Smyslov's
choice in the stem game with 8 Bb5; even this was soon winning for White after}
Be7 11. dxc5 Nxc5 12. Nd4 Qb6 $2 13. Be3 O-O 14. Rc1 Rd8 15. b4 Ne4 16. Na4 Qb7
17. Nxc6 Re8 {1-0, V.Smyslov-Farago, Hastings 1976/77}) 9... Qa5 (9... f6 10.
exf6 gxf6 $2 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Bf4 {
was a total disaster for Black in A.Shvedchikov-M.Van Herck, Thessaloniki 2011}
) 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. O-O c4 12. e6 $1 fxe6 13. Re1 {
was much better for White, in P.San Segundo-N.Mitkov, Spanish League 1997.}) (
4... Ne4 {. --- QUESTION: Doesn't this lose a pawn? --- ANSWER: Yes, Black is
offering a pawn sacrifice, although White does well to decline it and play
instead against the instability of the knight on e4:} 5. Nf3 $1 (5. Nxe4 dxe4
6. Qg4 Nc6 $1 7. Qxe4 Qd4 $1 {gives Black excellent play for the pawn}) {
and now:} 5... -- (5... Nc6 {allows White to occupy the centre with pawns,
largely unchallenged. A very convincing recent example was} 6. d4 Be7 7. Be3
O-O 8. Bd3 Nxc3 9. bxc3 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Na5 11. Bd3 c5 12. h4 h6 13. Bc2 cxd4 14.
Qd3 f5 15. exf6 Bxf6 16. Nxd4 Qc7 17. Qh7+ Kf7 18. O-O e5 19. Bg6+ Ke7 20. Bxh6
Kd8 21. Nb5 Qe7 22. Rad1+ {1-0, B.Damljanovic-M.Berkovich, Arinsal 2011.}) (
5... Be7 {and now White has two promising choices:} 6. -- (6. Qc2 {
forces a decision with the e4-knight:} Nxc3 7. dxc3 $1 {. --- This is White's
idea. He accelerates his development and plans something like Bf4, 0-0-0 and a
kingside attack:} b6 (7... c5 8. Bf4 dxc4 9. Bxc4 h6 10. O-O O-O 11. Qe4 {
was clearly better for White in P.Nielsen-A.Montalvo, Yerevan Olympiad 1996 -
the e5-pawn exerts a serious cramping effect on Black's whole game, and he
already has no good defence to the simple plan ofBd3}) 8. Bf4 Bb7 9. O-O-O Qc8
10. h4 h6 11. Rh3 Nd7 12. Nd4 c6 13. Rg3 g5 14. hxg5 hxg5 15. Bxg5 Nxe5 16.
cxd5 cxd5 17. Bb5+ Kf8 18. Re1 Bxg5+ 19. Rxg5 Nc6 20. Bxc6 Bxc6 21. Qe2 Rh7 22.
Qe5 Qd7 23. Qf6 Re8 24. Re3 Rh1+ 25. Kd2 {
, 1-0 J.Hjartarson-L.Galego, Novi Sad Olympiad 1990.}) (6. h4 $5 {was recommended by Kosten in 'Dangerous Weapons: Flank Openings'. It has only had one test
between strong GMs, but performed very well on that occasion:} Nxc3 ({
after the game Topalov suggested} 6... Nc6 7. d4 f6 8. Bd3) 7. dxc3 dxc4 8.
Qa4+ Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Qg4 Bxf3 11. gxf3 Bf8 $2 (11... g6 12. h5 Qd5 $1 {
and Rozentalis claimed Black was okay}) 12. f4 Nd7 13. Be3 c6 14. O-O-O {
with a large advantage to White, V.Topalov-E.Rozentalis, European Team Ch.,
Batumi 1999.}))) 5. exf6 dxc3 6. bxc3 (6. fxg7 cxd2+ {offers little.}) 6...
Qxf6 7. Nf3 ({The immediate} 7. d4 {
is also possible, and usually transposes, though not always.} -- ({
. The best reply to 7 d4 is} 7... e5 {
. Now White should transpose into the main game with} 8. Nf3 {,} ({
as accepting the gambit with} 8. Qe2 $6 Be7 9. dxe5 Qg6 {
is not very good for him.})) ({. The alternative is} 7... c5 8. Nf3 {
and now Black has two choices:} -- (8... h6 {. --- QUESTION: What is the point
of this? --- ANSWER: Black wishes to prevent the slightly awkward Bg5, which
drives his queen to a less comfortable square. However, the move loses a tempo,
and also leaves the black king potentially vulnerable along the b1-h7 diagonal,
after a subsequent ...0-0. Some examples after} 9. Bd3 {:} -- (9... cxd4 10.
cxd4 Bb4+ {simplifies a little, but White retains some advantage, thanks to
his superior central control:} 11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2 O-O ({
another thematic White win was the following:} 12... Nc6 13. Qe3 O-O 14. O-O
Bd7 15. Rfe1 Rfd8 16. Be4 Be8 17. Rad1 Rd6 18. d5 exd5 19. cxd5 Ne7 20. Ne5 Bb5
21. Qc5 Rb6 22. d6 Ng6 23. Bxg6 fxg6 24. d7 Rd8 25. a4 Ba6 26. Nxg6 Kh7 27. Ne5
Re6 28. Qd5 Re7 29. h3 b6 30. Qe4+ Kg8 31. Ng4 {
1-0, E.Tomashevsky-A.Iljin, Cheboksary 2006}) 13. O-O Nc6 14. Rfe1 b6 15. Be4
Bb7 16. d5 exd5 17. cxd5 Na5 18. Rad1 {, E.Agrest-J.Henriksson, Internet
(blitz) 2003. White's d-pawn has become quite a dangerous passed pawn, and he
also has a potential knight outpost on c6. The structure is strongly
reminiscent of the Semi-Tarrasch. White enjoys a comfortable plus, and went on
to win.}) (9... Bd6 10. O-O O-O 11. Qe2 $1 {(setting up the unpleasant threat
of Qe4, when the reply ...g6? will drop the h6-pawn)} Qe7 12. Ne5 Bxe5 13. dxe5
Nd7 14. Re1 {, S.Berry-A.Lutz, Bad Wörishofen 2011. To put it in Rowson-speak,
"the strength of Edward V gives White excellent prospects on the kingside"!}))
({. QUESTION: It looks as though 8...h6 does not solve Black's problems, so
maybe he should dispense with it? --- ANSWER: That is indeed what has happened
in the majority of games, but things are not so easy for Black here either:} 
8... cxd4 9. Bg5 $1 {(taking advantage of the omission of ...h6, to drive the
queen to a poor square)} Qf5 (9... Qg6 10. Bd3 {is even worse}) 10. cxd4 Bb4+
11. Bd2 Nc6 12. Bxb4 Nxb4 13. Rb1 $1 {. --- QUESTION: Doesn't this allow a
check on c2? Surely 13 Rc1 was more natural? --- ANSWER: There is nothing much
wrong with 13 Rc1, but the text is stronger. White realizes that his rook is
better placed on the open b-file, whilst the apparent threat of a check on c2
is not really anything to worry about.} -- (13... Nc2+ 14. Kd2 {
leaves Black struggling for a follow-up, e.g.} Nxd4 (14... Na3 15. Rb4 {
and the knight is in trouble}) 15. Nxd4 Qxf2+ {is not enough, especially after}
16. Kc3 $1 {.}) ({. Likewise,} 13... Nc6 14. Bd3 {is also better for White.}) (
{. After} 13... Qa5 14. Qd2 Nc6 15. Bd3 {Black will manage to simplify, but
the resulting endgame is solid masochism for him:} Rb8 (15... Qxd2+ 16. Kxd2 b6
17. Rhc1 Ba6 18. Be4 Bb7 19. c5 {, A.Miles-G.Sosonko, Tilburg 1977, was the
stem game, with a clear advantage to White, who went on to win}) 16. Be4 Bd7
17. Ne5 Qxd2+ 18. Kxd2 Na5 19. Rb4 f6 20. Nxd7 Kxd7 21. Rhb1 b6 22. c5 {
with a very similar position to Sosonko-Miles. In the recent game D.Reinderman-A.Naiditsch, Wijk aan Zee 2010, the highly-rated German GM eventually held the
draw, but this line can hardly be appealing to Black.})))) 7... e5 ({
QUESTION: Is} 7... c5 {just a transposition to the previous note? --- ANSWER:
Usually, yes, but White does have the additional option} 8. Bd3 $5 {. --- QUESTION: That looks a funny move! --- ANSWER: White's intention is to delay the
advance d4 for a move or two, and first place his bishop on e4. This may avoid
the simplifying plan with ...Bb4+, as well as setting up early pressure on the
black queenside. I first saw this idea whilst sitting at the next board to the
great Viktor Korchnoi, at the Antwerp Lost Boys Open in 1995!} Nc6 ({
a more recent example was} 8... Bd6 9. Be4 Nd7 10. Rb1 Rb8 11. d4 h6 12. O-O
O-O 13. Be3 Qe7 14. Re1 b6 15. Bc2 Rd8 16. Nd2 Bb7 17. Qh5 {
with a small plus for White, A.Romero Holmes-E.Colon Garcia, Tossa de Mar 2010}
) 9. Be4 Bd6 10. d4 h6 (10... cxd4 $4 11. Bg5 $1 {
has won me quite a few online blitz games!}) 11. O-O O-O 12. Rb1 {
, with a slight edge, V.Korchnoi-M.Ravia, Antwerp 1995.}) ({
As after 7 d4, the reply} 7... b6 {
is another major choice for Black, and also contains a noteworthy opening trap:
} 8. d4 Bb7 9. Bd3 {.} -- ({. EXERCISE: Now Black must watch out for the nasty
trap. Find a strong continuation for White against} 9... Nd7 $4 {. --- ANSWER:}
10. Bg5 Bxf3 11. Qd2 $1 {
. The point. Black can get some wood for Her Majesty with} Bxg2 12. Bxf6 Bxh1
13. Bh4 {, but he does not have enough.}) (9... Bd6 {also allows} 10. Bg5 Bxf3
11. Qd2 {but here things are less bad, as Black has the counter-trick} Bf4 $1 {
. This saves his queen, but is still not to be recommended. After} 12. Bxf4
Bxg2 13. Rg1 Bb7 {, in addition to} 14. Be5 {,} ({Kosten's} 14. Rg3 {
is also strong, taking the f3-square from the black queen and so preparing Be5.
}) {After 14 Be5 play continues} 14... Qf3 15. Bxg7 Rg8 16. Bxh7 Rxg7 17. Rxg7
Qh1+ 18. Ke2 Qf3+ (18... Qxa1 $2 19. Qf4 Qb2+ 20. Kd1 {
1-0, D.Khismatullin-A.Sochagin, Serpukhov 2002}) 19. Kf1 Nd7 20. Qe3 Qh1+ 21.
Rg1 Qxh2 22. Be4 {. White has a large advantage, although in the stem game A.
Miles-G.Sosonko, Amsterdam 1977, he only drew.}) ({. QUESTION: Isn't} 9... Bxf3
{an obvious try? --- ANSWER: Yes, but after} 10. gxf3 Nd7 11. Qe2 {the open lines and bishop pair give White a nice initiative, to compensate for his
shattered pawn structure. A modern example was} Rd8 12. Qe4 Qg6 13. Ke2 Bd6 14.
h4 O-O 15. h5 Qxe4+ 16. fxe4 e5 17. Be3 exd4 18. cxd4 c5 19. d5 f5 20. exf5 Ne5
21. h6 g6 $2 22. fxg6 hxg6 23. h7+ Kh8 24. Rag1 Rd7 25. Bxg6 Nxc4 26. Bf5 Nxe3
27. Bxd7 Nxd5 28. Rg8+ {1-0, Z.Ribli-I.Hera, Austrian League 2010.}) (9... h6 {
is probably best. A recent encounter, featuring a top GM as White, continued}
10. O-O Nd7 11. Nd2 Bd6 12. Qg4 Qg5 13. Qh3 Bf4 14. Be4 Bxe4 15. Nxe4 Qg6 16.
Bxf4 Qxe4 17. Qg3 {with advantage, A.Giri-N.Grandelius, Malmo 2011.})) 8. d4
exd4 9. Bg5 $1 {Again, White seizes the chance to prod the black queen with
tempo, but here, the availability of a check on e6 means that the move is
associated with a pawn sacrifice.} Qe6+ 10. Be2 Be7 ({
Originally, Black used to choose} 10... f6 11. Nxd4 Qf7 {but this fell
completely out of favour after the imaginative English GM, Simon Williams,
found the extraordinary idea} 12. Bh6 $3 {. --- QUESTION: Crikey! I bet he
drinks Carling Black Label! --- ANSWER: It is a certainly a highly imaginative
idea:} -- ({. Whilst it is clear that the bishop cannot be taken, it is less
obvious that White has any threat, and in Ni Hua-A.Aleksandrov, Kolkata 2004,
Black assumed he doesn't, playing} 12... c5 $2 {
. This was doubly bad, because after Ni Hua's} 13. Nb5 {
, Black was losing anyway,} ({but} 13. Bxg7 $1 {is even more convincing, e.g.}
Qxg7 (13... Bxg7 14. Bh5) 14. Bh5+ Ke7 15. Nb5 {with a crushing attack.})) (
12... g6 13. Qd2 (13. Bxf8 {
was played by Williams, but the text may be even stronger, as Kosten suggests})
13... Na6 14. O-O Bxh6 15. Qxh6 Bd7 {and now, instead of} 16. Bf3 {, as played
in A.Shariyazdanov-A.Riazantsev, Biel 2004, which still led to a white win,} ({
Kosten recommends as stronger} 16. Rfb1 $1 O-O-O 17. Qc1 $1 {which does indeed
look more convincing. White has a very strong attack, for no material
investment.}))) ({QUESTION: Back to the position after 10 Be2, what about
other Black tenth moves? --- ANSWER:} 10... dxc3 $2 11. Qd8# {
is clearly not to be recommended!}) ({QUESTION: Yes, but what about the move} 
10... d3 {, returning the extra pawn, to leave White's pawns crippled? ---
ANSWER: Aha, I was hoping you would ask that! This move runs into the
surprising reply} 11. O-O $1 {. Now both captures on e2 are impossible, and
White will play Bxd3 next move, leaving Black with problems down the e-file.})
11. cxd4 Bxg5 12. Nxg5 Qf6 13. Qd2 O-O 14. O-O {QUESTION: So what is going on
here? --- ANSWER: This is effectively the tabiya for this variation nowadays.
White has a little more space and is ahead in development. However, Black's
position is rock-solid, and he has one fewer pawn island than White, so he may
potentially have some long-term endgame chances. One interesting feature is
that the pawn structure is basically the same as that which arises in the main
line of the Petroff, or Russian Defence, after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4
Nf3 Nxe4 5 d4 d5 6 Bd3 Nc6 7 0-0 Be7 8 c4 Nb4 9 Be2 0-0 10 Nc3 Bf5 11 a3 Nxc3
12 bxc3 Nc6 13 cxd5 Qxd5. Just as in that opening, in the Mikenas position,
White has a small advantage, but Black's game is pretty solid. It is rather
ironic that Kramnik, a noted Petroff expert, should be playing Black here, but
despite his familiarity with such structures, he proves unable to hold the
position.} Nc6 (14... Bf5 15. Rad1 Nc6 16. d5 Rad8 17. g4 $5 h6 18. f4 {
was the adventurous course of the game Bu Xiangzhi-B.Gundavaa, Qinhuangdao
2011. After} Bc8 19. Ne4 Qe7 20. Qe3 Nb4 $6 (20... f5 {
would have been equal/unclear}) 21. f5 Rde8 $6 22. Bf3 {
White had a threatening position, and went on to win rapidly:} b6 $6 23. Qd2
Na6 24. f6 $1 Qb4 25. fxg7 Kxg7 26. Qd4+ f6 27. Bg2 Qe7 28. d6 cxd6 29. Nxd6
Rd8 30. Rfe1 Qc7 31. Qf4 Rh8 32. Rd5 {1-0.}) 15. d5 Nd4 16. Ne4 Nxe2+ 17. Qxe2
Qg6 18. Rfe1 Bf5 $6 (18... b6 {
, with the idea of ...Ba6, looks a better defence.}) 19. Ng3 Bd3 ({And here} 
19... Bd7 {was more prudent.}) 20. Qe5 Bxc4 21. Nf5 Kh8 22. Ne3 Bd3 23. Qxc7 {
The result of the exchange of c-pawns is that White's d-pawn has become a
powerful passed pawn, which ensures him a clear advantage.} Be4 24. Qf4 Rfe8
25. f3 Bd3 26. Rad1 h5 27. Rd2 {
White's simple plan is to put some beef behind his passed pawn and advance it.}
Bb5 28. Red1 Rad8 29. d6 Bc6 30. d7 {In view of Black's tactical opportunity
at move 31, this may not have been the most accurate;} ({perhaps} 30. Nc4 {
should be preferred. However, this was a rapid game, so we should not criticize 
the players too severely.}) 30... Re6 31. Nc4 Qf6 $2 (31... Rxd7 {was actually
playable here, and is probably the best chance. Play would then continue} 32.
Ne5 (32. Rxd7 Bxd7 33. Rxd7 $4 Qb1+ 34. Kf2 Qe1# {is the point of Black's play}
) 32... Rxe5 33. Qxe5 Rxd2 34. Rxd2 Bxf3 {when Black has two pawns for the
exchange. White will have a hard time converting his advantage.}) 32. Qxf6 gxf6
33. Na5 {Now the broken kingside pawns add a further defensive burden on
Black's shoulders.} Kg7 34. Rd4 f5 35. Kf2 b6 36. Nxc6 Rxc6 37. Kg3 Rc2 38. Kf4
$5 {An interesting approach.} (38. R1d2 {
looks more natural, but Aronian stakes everything on his active king.}) 38...
Kg6 ({Coming a little quietly, but after} 38... Rxg2 39. Ke5 Rxa2 40. Kd6 Rxh2
41. Ke7 {the white king purloins a whole rook in broad daylight.}) 39. Ke5 Re2+
40. Kd6 Kf6 41. Rd5 Rxg2 42. Kc7 Rgg8 43. f4 Rgf8 44. Rg1 Ke7 45. Rd6 ({
A neat final position!} 45. Rd6 Rh8 46. Re1+ {wins a rook. --- I have no doubt
that 3...d5 and 7...e5 is Black's best defence against the Mikenas and ensures
him something quite close to equality. However, as this game shows, White
still preserves some initiative. Overall, I think the Mikenas is quite an
attractive option for White, if he can get it.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "4. Anti-QGD / Slav / Hedgehog"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 {. In this chapter, we look at lines where Black tries to force some
sort of Slav or Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD) structure. In both cases, White
could of course transpose into those very lines, but we are assuming that he
prefers to keep independent, English contours to the game. --- Timman-Ernst
shows our recommended anti-Slav set-up. White leaves his d-pawn untouched and
just develops his kingside in traditional English style, with Nf3, g3 and Bg2.
Black then has a variety of ways to play, including grabbing the gambit pawn
on c4. In all cases, White gets very good play, with several of the most
natural "Slav" moves, such as an early ...Bf5 or ...Bg4, liable to run into
some nasty tricks. --- McDonald-Nicholson and Miles-Geller show a set-up for
White against the traditional QGD approach, where Black plays ...e6 and ...d5.
White again holds back his d-pawn, and plays a double fianchetto system. This
retains a great deal of tension in the position, by avoiding mass early
exchanges, and this makes the line very suitable for playing for a win as
White. Contrary to popular belief, the best way to win "to order" is often to
eschew a violent tactical battle, where the position is liable to fizzle out
after a brief flare-up, and instead to play a more restrained game,
maintaining the tension for as long as possible, so as to prolong the
defender's agony. The classic illustration of this was Game 24 of the
Kasparov-Karpov world championship match at Seville, 1987, in which Kasparov
did precisely this, using the very double fianchetto system we recommend in
this chapter.} -- {Black has two main ways to deal with this system. In
McDonald-Nicholson, he exchanges pawns on c4, producing an asymmetrical
structure, where White has a central pawn majority and Black a majority on the
kingside. White can then choose between a restrained approach, with d3 and a
kingside pawn advance, or a more classical central strategy, pushing d4 and d5.
Both methods are examined in McDonald-Nicholson, the first in the main game
itself, and the second in the notes. --- Miles-Geller shows Black's other
approach, which is to push ...d5-d4. This results in yet another structural
change, and yet another reversed opening structure, this time a Modern Benoni
with colours reversed. --- Finally, in Carlsen-Gashimov, we examine the black
system known as the Hedgehog. This is quite a popular way for Black to play
against the English. We will consider two systems for White, both of which
offer interesting play and the prospect of a small, but stable plus.} *

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Timman, J."]
[Black "Ernst, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A11"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 {Black angles for a Slav Defence. The latter has been very
popular over recent years, so English players can expect to meet this line
quite regularly. --- QUESTION: So does White have a way to avoid a simple
transposition? --- ANSWER: He has a couple of ways, in fact.} 3. g3 {The text is the main attempt to dodge regular Slav lines and preserve a recognisably
"English" structure;} ({but there is also another option, beginning} 3. e3 {
. The idea after} Nf6 4. Nc3 {is to continue b3, Bb2, Qc2, holding back the
d-pawn. White can always transpose into some form of Slav or Semi-Slav with a
later d4, but he also has the option of 0-0-0, followed by g4. This extremely
direct attacking approach is analysed in some detail by Tony Kosten in
'Dangerous Weapons: Flank Openings', and in recent times, this move-order has
been adopted by such top players as Aronian, Ivanchuk and Grischuk. We will
not go into it in great detail here, but will offer one characteristic recent
example:} e6 5. Qc2 Nbd7 6. b3 Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Be2 b6 9. Rg1 Bb7 10. g4 c5
11. h4 Rc8 12. O-O-O Ne4 $6 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Ng5 Be5 15. Bxe5 Nxe5 16. Nxe4
Bxe4 17. Qxe4 {(Black does not really have anything for the pawn)} Qf6 18. f4
Nc6 19. Kb1 Rfd8 20. h5 Rd6 21. g5 Qe7 22. Bd3 g6 23. hxg6 fxg6 24. a3 Rcd8 25.
Bc2 a6 26. Rh1 b5 27. Rh2 bxc4 28. Rdh1 cxb3 29. Qxg6+ $1 Kf8 30. Rxh7 bxc2+
31. Kc1 {1-0, A.Stefanova-M.Sebag, Ulaanbaatar 2010.}) 3... Nf6 4. Bg2 dxc4 {
A major parting of the ways. Black has a few alternatives here.} (4... Bf5 {
. --- QUESTION: That is the typical Slav move, isn't it? --- ANSWER: Yes, but
here, as in many Slav lines, the early bishop excursion can be exploited by an
attack on the b7-pawn:} 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Qb3 {. Now Black has various ways to
defend b7, but none are totally satisfactory. The main choice is 6...Qb6. ---
QUESTION: So is this relatively best? --- ANSWER: I think so, but the
resulting position is rather prospectless for Black.} -- (6... Qd7 {
exposes the queen to Ne5:} 7. Ne5 $5 Qc7 8. Nc3 e6 9. d3 {
with Bf4 and Nb5 to follow.}) (6... Qc7 {similarly exposes the queen after} 7.
Nc3 e6 8. d3 {, followed by some combination of Bf4, Nb5 and Rc1.}) (6... Bc8 {
is solid, but obviously passive. White is a little better after} 7. Nc3 e6 8.
d3 Nc6 9. Bf4 {.}) ({. That only leaves} 6... Qc8 {. --- QUESTION: Looks
pretty awkward! --- ANSWER: It is, but as we have seen, other queen moves have
their problems too. 6...Qc8 was Smyslov's choice in a classic early game in
the variation:} 7. Nc3 e6 8. d3 Nc6 9. Bf4 Be7 10. O-O O-O 11. Rac1 {. White is
clearly somewhat better. The black queen is still a little exposed along the
open c-file and also prevents the rooks coordinating. G.Barcza-V.Smyslov,
Moscow 1956, continued} Qd7 12. e4 $1 dxe4 13. dxe4 Nxe4 14. Nxe4 Bxe4 15. Ne5
Nxe5 16. Bxe4 Nc6 17. Rfd1 Qc8 18. Qa4 {and White regained the pawn, with much
the better ending, which the Hungarian technical specialist duly conducted to
victory - a notable result, given the calibre of the opposition:} Rd8 19. Rxd8+
Qxd8 20. Bxc6 bxc6 21. Qxc6 h6 22. Be5 Bg5 23. Rc4 Qd1+ 24. Kg2 Rd8 25. Qf3
Qxf3+ 26. Kxf3 Bf6 27. Bxf6 gxf6 28. Ke3 Rd5 29. b4 Kg7 30. a4 e5 31. b5 Rd1
32. Rc7 a6 33. bxa6 Rd4 34. a7 Rxa4 35. Kd3 f5 36. Kc3 Kf6 37. Kb3 Ra1 38. Kb4
Kg5 39. Kb5 Kh5 40. Kb6 {1-0.}) ({. Back to} 6... Qb6 {:} 7. Qxb6 axb6 8. Nc3
e6 9. d3 {. --- QUESTION: Isn't this just very drawish? --- ANSWER: Not really.
White has a small, but pleasant edge. His d3-e2 pawn structure shuts the black
bishop on f5 off from the queenside, whilst White can point his pieces at that
sector of the board, with such moves as Bf4 (or Be3), Nd4, Rfc1, a3-b4, etc.
It is one of those positions where objectively, Black is holding with accurate
play, but where he is suffering a bit, and has few winning prospects, in the
absence of a blunder from White. --- QUESTION: So it's another of your
favourite "playing for two results" variations? --- ANSWER: Absolutely! White
has few losing chances and can torture his opponent. It does not strike me as
very attractive from Black's viewpoint. Some examples:} Nc6 10. O-O (10. Nb5
Ra5 $5 11. Nbd4 Bg6 12. Bd2 Ra4 13. Nb5 Bb4 14. b3 Bxd2+ 15. Kxd2 Ra5 16. a4
Kd7 17. Rhc1 Rc8 18. Rc2 Ne8 19. Rac1 f6 20. Nfd4 {
was also better for White, K.Ninov-K.Hulak, Sarajevo 1988}) 10... Bb4 (10... h6
11. Nb5 Kd7 12. Bd2 Be7 13. Bc3 Rhc8 14. a3 Bh7 15. Rac1 Ke8 16. Rc2 Na7 17.
Nxa7 Rxa7 18. Rfc1 {
was similar in G.Meier-M.Yilmaz, Rijeka 2010; Black was eventually ground down}
) 11. Nb5 Kd7 12. a3 Rhc8 13. Bf4 Be7 14. Rfc1 h6 15. b4 g5 16. Ne5+ Nxe5 17.
Bxe5 {. White retains his edge and went on to win in S.Collins-S.Mannion,
Dublin 2011.})) (4... Bg4 5. Ne5 $1 {(it is important to play this at once)} (
5. cxd5 {allows Black to flick in} Bxf3 6. Bxf3 cxd5 {with a solid position,
where it is not easy for White to exploit the bishop pair}) {
, and now 5...Bh5?! is dubious (see below)} 5... -- ({, while} 5... Bf5 $6 {
usually comes to the same thing after} 6. cxd5 cxd5 7. Nc3 e6 8. Qa4+ {.}) ({
. However,} 5... Be6 {is a better choice. --- QUESTION: It looks a pretty
funny move, gumming up Black's development. --- ANSWER: To some extent, it is,
but it is still relatively best, because it avoids the forcing lines which
follow after other bishop moves. White retains a small edge after} 6. cxd5 Bxd5
7. Nf3 c5 8. Nc3 Bc6 9. O-O e6 10. d3 {followed by e4 and d4.}) ({
. Returning to} 5... Bh5 $6 {:} 6. cxd5 cxd5 $2 7. Nc3 e6 8. Qa4+ Nbd7 9. g4
Bg6 10. h4 {. --- QUESTION: Wow! That's a bit extravagant, isn't it? ---
ANSWER: It's the sort of thing that is only good when it's good, if you'll
pardon the expression! Clearly, it is a weakening of White's position, but the
point is that the bishop on g6 is in serious trouble, and Black has no way to
avoid loss of material, or the infliction of serious positional weaknesses.
Black has two tactical tries, both of which fail:} -- ({. The first is} 10...
Bc2 {, attempting to deflect the queen, but this runs into the desperado reply}
11. Nxf7 $1 {and Black will emerge a pawn down, e.g.} Kxf7 ({if} 11... Bxa4 {
then} 12. Nxd8 Rxd8 13. Nxa4) 12. Qxc2 Nxg4 13. Nxd5 $1 exd5 {
(after other moves, Black is a pawn down with a bad king)} 14. Bxd5+ Ke8 15.
Qe4+ {and White regains the piece with a winning advantage, V.Loginov-E.Shaposhnikov, St Petersburg 2000.}) ({. The other try,} 10... b5 {
, was refuted as long ago as 1936:} 11. Nxb5 $1 Nxe5 12. Nc7+ Ke7 13. Nxa8 Qxa8
14. h5 {
and the bishop still drops, A.Konstantinopolsky-V.Goglidze, Leningrad 1936.}) (
{. After} 10... Bd6 {, there follows simply} 11. d4 (11. Nxd7 Qxd7 12. Qxd7+
Kxd7 13. h5 {is also strong, as given by Marin}) {
and Black cannot now avoid the horribly weakening} 11... h6 12. Nxg6 fxg6 13.
Qc2 {with a clear advantage to White.}))) (4... g6 {is a quieter option. Black
gives up the attempt to develop his queen's bishop at once, and settles for a
solid, Schlechter-Slav structure. --- QUESTION: If White now plays d4, don't
we reach well-known lines of the g3 Grünfeld? --- ANSWER: That is correct.
White has no more than a minimal advantage in such lines. --- QUESTION: So
does the English offer anything more? --- ANSWER: Objectively not, but holding
back the white d-pawn presents slightly different problems. White retains a
small edge in a solid position.} 5. -- ({. Now} 5. Qa4 $5 {is a creative idea.
--- QUESTION: It looks pretty odd! What is the point? --- ANSWER: White pins
the c6-pawn, thereby creating the positional "threat" of capturing on d5, when
Black would have to cede his opponent the central pawn majority, by taking
with a piece. --- QUESTION: Is that such a big deal? --- ANSWER: No, but it is
not quite what Black wants - when he plays ...c6, it is usually so as to
recapture ...cxd5. --- QUESTION: Okay, then. In that case, I'll just reply}
Nbd7 {and then take with the pawn! --- ANSWER: Ah, but now after} 6. cxd5 cxd5
{your queen's knight is slightly misplaced - it would rather be on c6. After}
7. d4 {White will argue that he has gained a little something. --- QUESTION:
Hmm... looks like you are clutching at straws to me! --- ANSWER: Perhaps, but
as Tony Miles once said in a similar case, "What has White got? Basically
nothing, but it's still a bit more than Black has got!" After the further
moves} Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. Na3 $5 Nb6 10. Qa5 ({or} 10. Qb4 $5 {- Davies}) 10...
Bf5 11. Bf4 Nc4 12. Nxc4 dxc4 {, R.Vaganian-L.Christiansen, Linares 1985,
White would have been a bit better after} 13. Qb4 {.}) ({. QUESTION: I am
still not totally convinced! --- ANSWER: Well, in that case, the other option
for White is} 5. b3 {, which is the main line. The b2-square is the natural
place for the queen's bishop, if White is not going to play d4, so he should
play this at once. After} Bg7 6. Bb2 O-O 7. O-O {
Black has a number of sensible moves:} -- (7... Bf5 8. d3 a5 9. a3 Na6 10. Nbd2
b5 11. cxb5 cxb5 12. Rc1 Rc8 13. Rxc8 Qxc8 14. Qa1 Qb7 15. Rc1 Rc8 {
was level and soon drawn, V.Akopian-G.Sargissian, Yerevan 2008.}) (7... a5 8.
d3 a4 9. Nbd2 axb3 10. axb3 Rxa1 11. Qxa1 Na6 12. Qa3 $1 {
and White was a little better in L.Psakhis-P.Svidler, Haifa (rapid) 2000.} (12.
--)) (7... Bg4 8. d3 Nbd7 9. Nbd2 Re8 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Nxf3 {and the bishop
pair gives White a very slight edge, I.Stohl-I.Glek, German League 1995. ---
All in all, it seems clear that 4...g6 is the most solid option for Black in
this line.}))) ({Now, back to the position after} 4... dxc4 {. --- QUESTION:
Hold on! Haven't we lost a pawn here? --- ANSWER: We have gambited one, yes!
--- QUESTION: So what do we have by way of compensation? After all, developing
with g3, Bg2, etc. is not typical gambit play - it is hardly an open position,
is it? --- ANSWER: That is true. White's gambit is for long-term positional
pressure. He has lured the black d-pawn away from the centre, thereby securing
a central pawn majority. If he can eliminate the c4-pawn, White will have the
possibility of playing d4 and e4, occupying the centre. In addition, by
attacking the c4-pawn, he hopes to induce some weaknesses from Black on the
queenside (e.g. the move ...b7-b5), when he will have targets to attack, both
on the b- and c-files, and also down the h1-a8 diagonal. Similar sacrifices
are common in the Catalan; here, the difference is that White's pawn is on d2,
rather than d4. --- QUESTION: And what happens if Black hangs on to the
c4-pawn? Won't that plug up the c-file as well? --- ANSWER: In that case,
White will usually force the exchange by playing b2-b3. That will make the
pawn sacrifice permanent, but remove the c4-pawn and open the c-file. He will
then aim to use the open queenside files to exert pressure, slightly
reminiscent of the Benko Gambit.}) 5. O-O ({
White can also delay this move and play} 5. Qc2 {immediately. --- QUESTION:
What difference does it make? --- ANSWER: In many lines, it will just amount
to a transposition, but it does cut out certain black options, notably the ...Nbd7-b6 defence adopted in the game. In view of the potential black
improvement at move 7, White may do better to prefer the immediate 5 Qc2, as
advocated by both Kosten and Nigel Davies (the latter in his excellent book,
'The Dynamic Reti', which overlaps with various lines of the English).} -- (
5... Qd5 6. Nc3 Qf5 7. e4 Qh5 8. Ne2 $1 {
continues to harass the black queen, whilst also attacking c4 again.}) ({
. Alternatively,} 5... b5 6. b3 (6. a4 Bb7 7. b3 {
is also possible, transposing to the note on 5...b5 in the main game}) 6...
cxb3 7. axb3 {was an old game R.Dzindzichashvili-V.Bagirov, USSR Championship,
Baku 1972, where White had typical compensation after} Bb7 8. Ba3 a6 9. O-O g6
10. d4 Bg7 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. e4 {. --- In all these lines, White's general
ideas are similar to those illustrated after 5 0-0, but the move-order
refinement 5 Qc2 can be a useful way of avoiding certain black options.})) 5...
Nbd7 {The text is probably Black's best, and initiates a plan of defending the
c4-pawn with pieces. --- QUESTION: What other options does Black have? ---
ANSWER: He has a couple:} (5... Be6 {is another version of the same idea, of
holding c4 with pieces. Play then continues} 6. Ng5 Bd5 7. e4 h6 {
(forced, of course)} 8. exd5 hxg5 9. dxc6 Nxc6 {. --- QUESTION: This looks a
pretty messy position, and doesn't seem all that impressive for White. What is
going on? --- ANSWER: Outwardly, it does not look great for White, who is
still a pawn down, and has a weakness on the d-file and unimpressive
development. But after} 10. Na3 {it is hard for Black to keep the c4-pawn, and
after it drops, White can start to develop active play with his bishop pair.
The g5-pawn is also weak. For example,} e6 (10... Qd3 11. Qa4 O-O-O $1 {
is complex, and now Marin analyses} 12. Re1 $1 {as better for White}) 11. Nxc4
Be7 {, N.McDonald-M.Turner, British League 2010, and instead of McDonald's} 12.
d3 {,} ({the computer prefers the older move} 12. d4 $5 {, e.g.} Nd5 13. Ne3 {
and White's bishop pair should give him an edge.})) ({
The other main black option is} 5... b5 {. --- QUESTION: This guarantees
keeping the pawn, doesn't it? --- ANSWER: Yes, but now White carries out the
typical Catalan-style play that we described above:} 6. a4 Bb7 7. b3 $1 cxb3 8.
Qxb3 a6 9. Ba3 {. --- QUESTION: So, White's compensation is as described? ---
ANSWER: Yes. He has the pawn centre (d4 and e4 can follow), pressure on the
open queenside files (the c6-pawn is backward, and likely to stay that way
after White's d2-d4 advance), and Black's development is hampered. Marin now
quotes the game S.Vukanovic-P.Acs, Paks 1996, which continued} Nbd7 10. Rc1 e5
({or} 10... Qb6 11. Ng5 $1 e6 12. Bxf8 {
and after any recapture, White has good dark-square compensation}) 11. Ng5 Nd5
12. Bxf8 Kxf8 13. axb5 axb5 14. Rxa8 Bxa8 {and now Marin's suggestion is} 15.
Bxd5 $1 cxd5 16. Qf3 {with dangerous compensation.}) 6. Qc2 Nb6 7. Na3 ({
White has a major alternative here, in} 7. a4 a5 {and only now} 8. Na3 {
. --- QUESTION: What is the difference? --- ANSWER: Flicking in the rooks'
pawn moves has both good and bad sides. From the positive side, the position
of the black knight on b6 is much less stable, since it is no longer defended
by a pawn on a7. This means that, if the b-file is later opened (e.g. after b3
by White), there may be pressure down the b-file from a white rook on b1. ---
QUESTION: That makes sense. So why not play 7 a4? --- ANSWER: Well, in chess,
as in life, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Including the moves 7 a4
a5 weakens the b4-square, so Black may be able to put a minor piece there and
thus plug the b-file anyway. A high-level example where these moves were
included was L.McShane-F.Caruana, Plovdiv 2010:} Nfd5 9. Nxc4 Nb4 10. Qc3 Nxc4
11. Qxc4 Be6 12. Qc3 Nd5 13. Qe5 ({McShane was apparently sufficiently
impressed by the solidity of Black's position in this line subsequently to use
it himself, notching a quick draw after} 13. Qd4 Nb4 14. Qc3 Nd5 15. Qd4 Nb4 {
½-½, T.Hillarp Persson-L.McShane, Reykjavik 2011}) 13... Nb4 14. Ra3 Qd6
15. Qc3 Nd5 16. Qd4 Nb4 17. Qb6 Bc8 18. d4 Ra6 19. Qc5 Qxc5 20. dxc5 e5 21.
Nxe5 Bxc5 {, with perhaps a small advantage to White, although eventually
drawn. --- QUESTION: So come on, stop sitting on the fence! Should White
include 7 a4 a5 or not? --- ANSWER: I am genuinely not 100% sure, but it may
be significant that McShane later switched to 7 Na3 against Adams (see below).}
) 7... Qd5 ({An important alternative here is} 7... Be6 {. --- QUESTION:
Another clumsy-looking move! --- ANSWER: You should be getting used to them by
now! Black is trying to make it hard for White to regain his pawn without some
concession. The critical line now is} 8. Ng5 Bg4 9. f3 Bh5 10. Nxc4 {. --- QUESTION: I thought you said Black was trying to stop White regaining his pawn? He
doesn't seem to have succeeded for long! --- ANSWER: I didn't say "stop White
regaining the pawn", I said "trying to make it hard for him to do so without
some concession". The concession here is the somewhat ugly move f3, of which
Black now takes tactical advantage:} e5 $1 {.} ({Marin only considered} 10...
Qd4+ 11. Ne3 {,}) {but 10...e5! looks like an important improvement for Black,
and has scored 100% for him in the three GM encounters I have located:} 11. --
(11. Kh1 {didn't bring White anything in the following games:} Nfd5 ({or} 11...
Nxc4 12. Qxc4 Be7 13. Ne4 Nd5 14. Nc3 Nb6 15. Qe4 Qd4 16. d3 Bg6 17. Qe3 Bc5
18. Qd2 O-O {with good play for Black, J.De Jager-R.Van Kampen, Haarlem 2011})
12. d3 Be7 13. Ne4 Qc7 14. a3 O-O 15. b4 Kh8 16. Bd2 Nd7 17. Na5 f5 18. Nc5 $6
Nxc5 19. bxc5 f4 {and Black was better, H.Tikkanen-A.Giri, Porto Carras 2011.})
(11. d3 Nxc4 12. Qxc4 Be7 13. Ne4 Nd5 14. Nf2 $6 (14. Nc3) 14... f6 15. Kh1 Qb6
16. a3 Rd8 17. Qh4 Bg6 18. Nd1 f5 19. Bg5 Bxg5 20. Qxg5 O-O {and Black was
again better and went on to win in L.McShane-M.Adams, German League 2011. ---
It would be interesting to know what Timman planned against this, or why Ernst
refrained from it. White needs an improvement here, and if one is not
forthcoming, he may have to prefer the 5 Qc2 move-order.})) 8. b3 {QUESTION: The queen looks vulnerable on d5. Is there nothing in any of the discoveries?} ({
ANSWER: Nothing directly, but it is true that} 8. Ne1 {is another way to play
for compensation. Indeed, this is Marin's recommendation here. He then
suggests} Qe6 {as the "most conservative", when} 9. d3 cxd3 10. Nxd3 {
gives compensation. However, it seems to me more logical to play as Timman
does in the game, trading the b-pawn, rather than the d-pawn, for Black's pawn
on c4. Furthermore, the black queen remains exposed on d5 and sooner or later
a knight discovery will become a real threat.}) 8... cxb3 9. axb3 {QUESTION: So
, White has given up any hopes of regaining his pawn, and has made the
sacrifice a real one? --- ANSWER: Yes, but he hopes to create pressure on the
queenside, along the open lines.} Be6 10. b4 Qb3 11. Qxb3 Bxb3 {QUESTION: White
is a pawn down, and now the queens are off. Not your everyday gambit, is it?
--- ANSWER: It is a much more positional gambit. White is not so bothered by
the queen exchange, as Black loses further time, which White now utilizes to
continue his queenside initiative. The comparison I made earlier, with the
Benko Gambit, is relevant again here - in the Benko, Black often welcomes the
exchange of queens, as his pressure persists into the endgame.} 12. b5 c5 ({
After} 12... Ba4 13. Ne5 Nfd7 {Timman (annotating the game in 'New in Chess
Magazine, 2012/2') points out the line} 14. bxc6 Nxe5 15. cxb7 Rb8 16. d4 {
with advantage to White, since if the knight moves, 17 Bf4 follows.} Ng6 17.
Nc4 Nxc4 18. Rxa4 {is also strong for White. Black may be a piece up, but the
f8-bishop and h8-rook are asleep, and meanwhile, the black queenside is
falling apart and the b7-pawn is a monster.}) 13. d3 Nfd7 $6 ({
Timman recommended} 13... g6 {to develop the kingside. Then} 14. Nd2 Bd5 15. e4
Be6 16. Nac4 {maintains the pressure.}) 14. Nd2 Bd5 15. e4 Be6 16. f4 f6 (16...
g6 {was again Timman's recommendation for Black, but now he points out that
White has} 17. Bb2 Rg8 18. Nac4 {when he is "firmly in control".}) 17. e5 Bd5
18. e6 $1 Bxe6 19. Bxb7 Rb8 20. Bc6 {
The English bishop exerts fearsome pressure on Black's position.} g6 21. Nac4
Nc8 22. Ne4 Kf7 {Walking into an incisive combinative finish, but Black's
position is extremely difficult. --- EXERCISE: Find a strong move for White.
---} {ANSWER:} 23. Ne5+ $1 Nxe5 (23... fxe5 24. Ng5+ {
is immediately disastrous.}) 24. fxe5 Bf5 25. Nxc5 {
White has finally regained his pawn, and still maintains crushing pressure.}
Bg7 26. d4 Rd8 {EXERCISE: How can White break through? ---} (26... Bh3 {
was the last hope.}) {ANSWER:} 27. Rxf5 $1 gxf5 28. e6+ Kg6 29. Nd7 Nd6 30.
Nxb8 Rxb8 31. Rxa7 Nxb5 32. Rxe7 Bh6 (32... Nxd4 33. Be8+ {wins.}) 33. Be8+ ({
After} 33. Be8+ Rxe8 34. Rxe8 Bxc1 {, simply} 35. Rg8+ Kh5 36. e7 {wins. --- A
splendidly impressive display by Timman, which excellently illustrates White's
compensation in such positions.}) 1-0

[Event "GLC Masters, London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "McDonald, N."]
[Black "Nicholson, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A14"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 ({Of course, this type of set-up can arise via numerous move-orders,
which makes it impossible to cover all the possible variations. In fact, for
the sake of clarity, I have changed the move-order of the main game itself.
The position after move 12 was actually reached via the sequence} 1. Nf3 c5 2.
g3 b6 3. Bg2 Bb7 4. O-O Nf6 5. b3 e6 6. Bb2 Be7 7. c4 O-O 8. d3 d5 9. e3 Nc6
10. Qe2 dxc4 11. bxc4 Qc7 12. Nc3 a6 {.}) 1... e6 {This move is an important
transpositional line. If Black wants to play a QGD set-up, with ...e6 and ...d5, then this is the most accurate move-order.} ({
As we know from Chapter 3, if Black adopts the move-order} 1... Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 {
, White has the option of the sharp Mikenas Attack} 3. e4 {.}) 2. Nf3 ({
QUESTION: So what happens if White tries to get the Mikenas with} 2. Nc3 {
? --- ANSWER: Black can then play} d5 {
, after which White really has nothing better than} 3. d4 {
transposing into a QGD.}) 2... d5 {QUESTION: So White has been tricked in the
move-order? --- ANSWER: Not exactly tricked, but certainly done out of the
Mikenas Attack. If he wishes to avoid a normal QGD, he has to adopt another
set-up.} 3. g3 ({QUESTION: Hang on! If White is planning a double fianchetto
anyway, why doesn't he just play} 3. b3 {, and cut out the 3...dxc4 lines
altogether? --- ANSWER: He can do this, and, indeed, it is quite often seen.
However, there are some move-order issues again. --- QUESTION: I knew it! ---
ANSWER: Nigel Davies has argued that White should think twice about allowing
the kind of Reversed Benoni structures, seen in the next game, if Black has
not committed his king's knight to f6. In support of this view, he cites one
of his own games, C.McNab-N.Davies, Blackpool 2003:} c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. g3 Be7 $1
{(menacing ...Bf6)} 6. Bb2 d4 $1 7. exd4 cxd4 8. Bg2 Nh6 $1 9. O-O O-O 10. Re1
f6 11. d3 Nf7 12. Na3 e5 {and Black has an ideal anti-Benoni set-up. The
manoeuvre Nh3-f2 as White is known to be effective in similar Benoni positions,
but can only be achieved against inaccurate black play. Here, Black has been
able to get in ...e5 and reinforce his central pawn chain d4-e5 in ideal
fashion, and is probably already better.}) 3... Nf6 {
QUESTION: Can't Black take on c4 here?} ({
ANSWER: Yes, that is a major alternative, of course. After} 3... dxc4 {
White has a couple of options.} 4. -- ({
. The immediate regaining of the pawn by} 4. Qa4+ {is dismissed as toothless
by most authors, on the grounds that Black can reach a comfortable Neo-Catalan
position, by exploiting the white queen's position to play a quick ...a6-b5.
However, I have never been entirely convinced that such positions are as
harmless for Black as popularly believed, as White can hope to exploit the
weakness of the enemy queenside pawns later in the ending. Ulf Andersson fed
his family for years on the proceeds of such positions, and more recently
there was an interesting example from the very highest level:} Nd7 5. Bg2 a6 6.
Qxc4 b5 7. Qb3 Bb7 8. O-O Ngf6 9. Nc3 Be7 10. d3 O-O 11. a4 {
(the key idea, disrupting the black queenside)} b4 12. Nb1 Nc5 13. Qc2 e5 14.
Be3 e4 15. Bxc5 Bxc5 16. dxe4 Nxe4 17. Nfd2 {, P.Svidler-V.Kramnik, Moscow
2011. Now Kramnik went in for the virtual desperation sacrifice} Bxf2+ ({
rather than} 17... Nxd2 18. Nxd2 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 {
, which Svidler assessed as absolutely positionally busted for Black}) 18. Rxf2
Nxf2 19. Bxb7 Ng4 20. Nf3 Rb8 21. Bxa6 {
and was objectively losing. Food for thought!}) ({. If White is not happy with
4 Qa4+, then his main alternative is Marin's recommendation} 4. Na3 {. --- QUESTION: Eh? Can't Black just take that? --- ANSWER: Yes, he virtually has to,
else White will take on c4, with a small, but comfortable edge:} Bxa3 5. bxa3 {
. --- QUESTION: White is still a pawn down, and has doubled pawns - doesn't
look very impressive! --- ANSWER: Appearances can be deceptive. White has two
bishops, potential control of the dark squares, and the open b-file. If he can
regain the pawn, his central pawn majority will also be a factor. --- QUESTION:
But can't Black defend the pawn with ...b5? --- ANSWER: Yes, but then two
things happen. Firstly, we have the usual Catalan-style pressure down the long
diagonal h1-a8. And secondly, we can play a4, undermining the queenside pawns
- twice! --- QUESTION: Twice? --- ANSWER: Yes, twice! That's where the doubled
a-pawns come in handy. White can advance a4, take on b5, and then potentially
push the second a-pawn to a4 as well, undermining the black queenside completely. Marin gives extensive treatment of this whole variation, which we cannot do
here, for space reasons. But a typical example is something like this:} Nf6 6.
Bg2 O-O 7. Bb2 Nbd7 8. Rc1 b5 9. a4 a6 10. d3 $1 cxd3 11. Nd4 {
with extremely active pieces, as compensation for the small material deficit.})
) 4. b3 {QUESTION: Ah, so is this your big idea? --- ANSWER: A bit less
sarcasm, if you please, sir! This is the key move of White's intended anti-QGD
plan, yes. He defends the c4-pawn, and plans a slow build-up with a double
fianchetto and short castling. What happens after that will depend on how
Black reacts.} Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O c5 7. Bb2 Nc6 8. e3 {This is pretty much
a tabiya for this variation. Black now has to make a major choice, which will
determine the further structure. Broadly, he has three options: -- 1. Push in
the centre with ...d4, producing a reversed Modern Benoni pawn structure. -- 2.
Exchange on c4. -- 3. Maintain the tension, with something like ...b6, ...Bb7,
etc. --- We will examine the first plan in the next game, whilst the second
plan is seen in the present main game. The third plan is examined in the note
to White's 10th move.} b6 9. Nc3 Bb7 ({
If Black wishes to exchange on c4, then he should probably do so at once with} 
9... dxc4 10. bxc4 (10. Ne5 $2 Nxe5 11. Bxa8 Ba6 {favours Black}) {and then}
10... Bb7 {. --- QUESTION: But if Black wishes to follow plan (3) above, then
the text is natural, isn't it? --- ANSWER: Yes, but there are potentially
problems with the third plan. --- QUESTION: Such as? --- ANSWER: Well, the
main issue is that sooner or later, White is likely to be able to clarify the
central pawn structure favourably, by exchanging on d5. We will see this is
the next note.}) 10. Qe2 ({
Actually, this is probably a good time to exploit Black's move-order with} 10.
cxd5 $1 {. Now Black faces a choice: either he takes with the pawn, accepting
a potentially weak pawn on d5, or he recaptures with pieces.} -- ({. One of the
classic demonstrations of the drawbacks of the first plan was the game M.Botvinnik-T.Petrosian, USSR Spartakiad 1964. We will examine the course of
this game for a while, because it is so instructive for the whole variation:} 
10... exd5 11. d4 {. Immediately fixing the weakness on d5. Now there will be
a constant threat of dxc5, saddling Black with either an IQP or hanging pawns
on c5 and d5. --- QUESTION: But can't Black just exchange on d4, with a
symmetrical pawn centre? --- ANSWER: He can indeed, and that is what happens
in a few moves. But, as we shall see, this does not solve all Black's problems:
} Re8 12. Rc1 Rc8 13. Bh3 Rb8 14. Re1 cxd4 15. exd4 {. ---} ({QUESTION: Oh! I
should have thought White wanted to take with a piece on d4, to keep the black
IQP exposed. --- ANSWER: He would like to, but after} 15. Nxd4 Nxd4 16. Qxd4
Bc5 {Black will liquidate his weakness with ...d4.}) {QUESTION: Surely White
has nothing after 15 exd4, has he? After all, the pawn structure is
symmetrical, with both sides having an IQP. --- ANSWER: Despite this, White is
better placed to take control of the centre here. Botvinnik was a master of
such "mutual IQP" positions, and won a number of highly instructive games in
such structures. For a very good treatment of his prowess, see the Kotov
chapter on fixed pawn centres, in the old classic book 'The Art of the
Middlegame' by Kotov and Keres. In this case, we see White exploiting the
e5-square and gradually taking the initiative:} 15... Bb4 16. Rxe8+ Qxe8 17. a3
Bf8 18. Qd3 g6 19. Re1 Qd8 20. Ne5 Bg7 21. f3 $1 {(covering e4)} Na5 22. Qd1 a6
23. Na2 Nc6 24. Bc3 Qc7 25. Qd2 a5 26. Bb2 Qd6 27. Nc1 Bc8 28. Bf1 Be6 29. Ncd3
Ne7 30. b4 axb4 31. axb4 Ne8 32. b5 {. Botvinnik had a firm grip, and went on
to win, despite Petrosian's stern resistance.}) ({. The other recapture is} 
10... Nxd5 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 {. --- QUESTION: This way Black avoids a pawn
weakness, doesn't he? --- ANSWER: Yes, but he is not out of the woods yet. His
queen is rather exposed on d5, and White can use this to develop the
initiative:} 12. d4 $1 Qd8 ({getting the queen out of the way at once, but not
solving Black's problems; other moves include} 12... Na5 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14. Qe2
{with Rfd1 to follow,}) ({or} 12... Rad8 13. Ne5 Qd6 14. dxc5 Qxc5 {
and now Marin shows that the apparently dangerous} 15. Nd7 $1 {
is good for White, e.g.} Qg5 16. Rc1 Nb8 17. Nxf8 Rxd1 18. Rfxd1 Bxg2 19. Rc8
Bxf8 20. Ba3 {and wins}) 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14. Ne5 $1 Nxe5 ({or} 14... Qc7 15. Nxc6
Bxc6 16. Qg4 $1 f5 (16... g6 $2 17. Qh4 f5 18. Qc4 Bxg2 19. Qxe6+ {
is even worse}) 17. Qc4 {
with an edge for White, in view of the black central weaknesses}) 15. Bxb7 Rb8
16. Be4 {
and the two bishops give White a nice plus, L.Portisch-W.Unzicker, Bath 1973.})
) 10... dxc4 11. bxc4 {QUESTION: So what is happening here? --- ANSWER: The
exchange on c4 has clarified the pawn structure. White has a central majority,
and Black a majority on the queenside. --- QUESTION: So is White going to push
d4? --- ANSWER: Well, you might think so, but traditionally, he has tended not
to do that. --- QUESTION: Why? --- ANSWER: Mainly because it was always
thought that the pawn on c4 would be too weak, especially with the white
bishop on g2. For that reason, White has usually tended to play d3, keeping
things solid in the centre, and then advance on the kingside. We see this plan
in the main game. However, having said that, in recent years, White players
have begun to take the d4 plan more seriously, and it is now rather more
common in practice. Marin is one who recommends that approach.} Qc7 {Actually, 
the text is probably not wholly accurate, in view of the possible knight raid
to b5.} ({
If Black wants to put his queen on c7, he does better to prepare this with} 
11... a6 {. Then White can adopt the same plan as in the main game, but, as
mentioned above, nowadays plans with d4 are fashionable. For example,} 12. d4
cxd4 13. exd4 Rc8 {(immediately taking aim at c4)} ({
grabbing the d4-pawn is tactically impossible, because of} 13... Nxd4 $1 14.
Nxd4 Bxg2 15. Rfd1 $1 {followed by Nxe6}) {
, and here Marin recommends the interesting regrouping idea} 14. Nd1 $5 Na5 15.
Ne3 Qc7 16. Rac1 Qb8 {. Now the thematic} 17. d5 $1 exd5 18. Nf5 $1 {
gives dangerous, dynamic play.}) (11... Rc8 {is another approach. Once again,
there is nothing particularly wrong with the traditional slow approach
starting with} 12. d3 {,} ({but the modern d4 approach is again more dynamic:} 
12. Rac1 {(useful prophylaxis, defending c4 in readiness)} Qc7 13. d4 Rfd8 14.
Rfd1 {. Now after the typical manoeuvre} cxd4 15. exd4 a6 {we reach a critical
type of position for White's whole approach. --- QUESTION: It looks as though
White's c-pawn is not long for this world. How does he deal with the threat of
...Na5? --- ANSWER: He cannot stop it directly, but this type of position is
all about dynamics. White must be bold and exploit his positional trumps,
notably the central majority:} 16. d5 $1 {(this screams out to be played)} Na5
(16... exd5 $2 {loses at once to} 17. Nxd5 $1) 17. dxe6 {
. Black is already in serious trouble here:} -- (17... Bxf3 $6 {
was played in the old game R.Etruk-T.Oim, Viljandi 1972:} 18. exf7+ ({
Fritz likes} 18. Bxf3 {even more}) 18... Kxf7 19. Qxf3 Nxc4 20. Nd5 Qc5 21.
Bxf6 Bxf6 22. Qh5+ {and White had a winning attack.}) ({. Instead, after} 17...
Qxc4 18. exf7+ Qxf7 (18... Kf8 19. Rxd8+ Rxd8 20. Ng5 $1 Qxe2 21. Nxe2 {
is crushing}) 19. Ng5 Qh5 20. Qe6+ Kf8 21. Bxb7 Nxb7 22. Nd5 $1 {
White wins material.}) ({. Marin gives} 17... Rxd1+ {
as "relatively best", but after} 18. Nxd1 {, White can just continue with Ne3
and remain a good pawn up. In this, and similar lines, we see how dangerous
the attacking plan with d4 can be in such positions. At the time of writing,
this approach has become very much the trendy one in this line, and has
largely supplanted the older, slower plan with d3.}))) 12. d3 {QUESTION: So
what is White's idea here? It looks rather a modest way to play. --- ANSWER:
White intends a slower build-up. He stabilizes the centre and will continue by
moving his knight from f3, and pushing f4 and, probably, later g4. Although it
looks slow, practice has shown that this can also be quite dangerous and
requires careful defence from Black.} a6 13. Ne1 Na7 {QUESTION: Black's last
move looks a bit odd! --- ANSWER: It is quite a common idea in these positions.
He unmasks the bishop and supports the advance ...b5, getting his queenside
play going.} 14. a4 {Prophylaxis against Black's plan. It does not ultimately
stop ...b5, but it ensures that when that advance comes, White will be able to
offload his isolated a-pawn, and not be left with it as a weakness.} Bxg2 15.
Nxg2 Rab8 16. f4 b5 17. axb5 axb5 18. f5 $1 {
Both sides pursue their strategy logically.} bxc4 (18... b4 {
followed by ...e5 looks a better line.}) 19. dxc4 Rb6 $6 ({And now} 19... exf5
{seems preferable.}) 20. Ra2 Qb8 21. Nf4 $1 {Now Black starts to have problems.
There is pressure on e6, and now, if Black takes on f5, the white knights are
ready to jump into d5.} Rd8 22. Ba1 Qb7 23. g4 $6 (23. fxe6 fxe6 24. Na4 $1 {
is very strong here, since} Rc6 {loses material after} 25. Bxf6 Bxf6 26. Nxe6
$1 Rxe6 27. Nxc5 {.}) 23... Bf8 $2 (23... exf5 {was the last chance.}) 24. g5
Ne8 25. fxe6 fxe6 26. Qf2 {White simply has too much pressure on the kingside.}
Nc7 27. Nh5 Na6 {He must cover f7 against the white queen's incursion.} 28. Rd2
$1 Rbd6 29. Rxd6 Bxd6 30. Ne4 {Now two more white pieces (the knight and the
bishop on a1) join the attack, which is immediately crushing.} Bf8 31. Nhf6+ $1
gxf6 32. Qxf6 {. --- These g3-e3-b3 set-ups against the QGD/Queen's Indian are
a popular way to preserve independent English contours, rather than
transposing into a QGD. As this game and accompanying notes show, White has
two distinct approaches after the exchange on c4: he can play in restrained
central fashion, with d3 and a kingside advance, or he can use his central
majority in a more ambitious and dynamic way, by pushing d4. Both plans offer
good prospects, although the latter is more popular at the time of writing.}
1-0

[Event "Lone Pine"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1980.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Miles, A."]
[Black "Geller, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A14"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1980.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 Be7 ({It is interesting that this whole
idea of putting the rook on b5 (see the notes to Black's 12th, below), and
sacrificing the exchange, was first played by Botvinnik, as far back as 1963.
I doubt that Miles was familiar with the Botvinnik predecessor game, because
it was played against a relatively weak opponent in a team event, and did not
appear in Botvinnik's best games collection. I found it a few years ago,
whilst browsing through old Soviet magazines, in the Max Euwe Centrum library
in Amsterdam. In view of how thematic White's play was, it is worth presenting
the game in full here:} 4... c5 5. O-O d4 6. e3 Nc6 7. exd4 cxd4 8. d3 Be7 9.
Na3 O-O 10. Nc2 a5 11. Re1 Re8 12. b3 Bf8 13. Ne5 Nxe5 14. Rxe5 Nd7 15. Rb5 Nc5
16. Ba3 Qc7 17. Nxd4 Rb8 18. Rxc5 $1 {
(sacrificing the exchange at once, without waiting for ...Bd7)} Bxc5 19. Nb5
Qb6 20. Bxc5 Qxc5 21. d4 Qe7 22. c5 {. Now we see the results of White's
investment. For the exchange, he has one pawn, plus a strong pawn chain and an
outpost on d6 for the knight. Botvinnik went on to win after} Rd8 23. Qe1 b6
24. Qe5 Ba6 25. Nd6 Qc7 26. f4 Rd7 27. Re1 g6 28. h4 h5 29. g4 hxg4 30. h5 bxc5
31. dxc5 Rb5 $2 (31... Bd3) 32. Nxb5 Qxe5 33. fxe5 Bxb5 34. hxg6 fxg6 35. c6
Rd2 {1-0, M.Botvinnik-A.Buslaev, Moscow 1963.}) 5. b3 O-O 6. Bb2 c5 7. O-O Nc6
8. e3 d4 {QUESTION: So this is Black's other main plan, is it? --- ANSWER: Yes.
With this advance, he changes the structure fundamentally, producing a kind of
reversed Benoni.} 9. exd4 cxd4 {QUESTION: So how does it compare with a normal
Benoni? --- ANSWER: There are a few differences. On the plus side, White has
an extra tempo, of course, by virtue of being White. In addition, he will gain
another tempo if the black pawn advances to e5, having taken two moves to get
there, instead of one. --- QUESTION: And the minus side? --- ANSWER: White has
already committed his queen's bishop to b2. In the normal Modern Benoni, the
bishop rarely ends up on b7 - more often, it develops to g4, for example. ---
QUESTION: So is b2 a bad square for the bishop? --- ANSWER: It depends. If
Black can achieve ...e5 in favourable circumstances, and solidify his central
pawn chain, then the bishop can find itself biting on granite. On the other
hand, it currently exerts pressure against the d4-pawn, and if White can hold
up Black's ...e5 advance, then the bishop can be a source of worry for Black.}
10. Re1 $1 {As we stated in the previous note, White wants to hold up the
advance ...e5 as long as possible.} Re8 {
QUESTION: What other moves does Black have? --- ANSWER: There are several.} (
10... Ne8 {has been one of Black's most popular choices here. --- QUESTION:
What is the idea of this move? --- ANSWER: Black prepares to play ...f6 and
then ...e5. As we have said, getting his pawn cemented on e5 is Black's main
aim in this line. The knight can then come to c7, possibly on its way to the
square c5, a typical post for a knight in such Modern Benoni structures. ---
White replies with} 11. Ne5 $1 {. Slower plans have also been tried, but this
seems best. Black cannot be prevented from playing ...f6 and ...e5, but White
exchanges a pair of knights, slightly relieving his cramp, and opens the paths
of both his light-squared bishop and his f-pawn. The latter can be used to
attack the black centre. Play continues} Nxe5 12. Rxe5 f6 13. Re1 {and now:} --
(13... e5 {is the most common move, when White's most aggressive response is}
14. f4 ({Marin also recommends a quieter treatment, starting with} 14. Ba3 Bxa3
15. Nxa3 {with ideas such as Rc1 and c5-Nc4, etc.}) 14... exf4 15. Qf3 $1 {
with the idea} fxg3 16. Qd5+ Kh8 17. hxg3 {. --- QUESTION: White has
sacrificed a pawn here. What has he got? --- ANSWER: His pieces are
aggressively placed, d4 is hanging and Black is behind in development. White
has done well from this position. Kosten analyses this whole line in some
detail in 'Dangerous Weapons: Flank Openings'. A.Fishbein-D.Schneider, US
Championship, San Diego 2004, continued} Qxd5 18. Bxd5 Bc5 19. Ba3 $1 Bxa3 20.
Nxa3 {with good compensation.}) (13... Nc7 14. d3 e5 15. Nd2 {. --- QUESTION:
How is this position? --- ANSWER: White is somewhat better, as his pieces are
more active. The advance f4 is coming, to break up the black centre. White's
pieces can become very threatening, if Black is not careful. A recent example
was the following:} Rb8 16. f4 exf4 17. gxf4 f5 $5 18. Kh1 Bf6 19. Ba3 Re8 20.
Rxe8+ Qxe8 21. Nf3 Qd8 22. Ne5 Be6 23. Qe2 Be7 24. Bb2 Bc5 25. Rg1 Qh4 26. Bf3
b5 $2 (26... Bd6 {is better, but after} 27. Qg2 {Black is in big trouble anyway
}) 27. Nc6 Re8 28. Qe5 {1-0, C.McNab-D.Hulmes, British League 2010.})) 11. a3
$5 {QUESTION: 11 a3 looks like a standard Benoni plan. Why are you hesitant
about it? --- ANSWER: There are some move-order issues here. It is true that
a3 is a frequent idea for such positions, but so too is the manoeuvre Na3-c2.
In this position, with the possibility of holding up Black's ...e5 advance,
the idea of attacking d4 with another white minor piece is especially
attractive, so it is arguable that White should try to avoid committing
himself to a3 quite so early.} ({Marin argues that} 11. d3 {is slightly more
precise, and I agree. --- QUESTION: So can you show me a variation where it
makes a difference? --- ANSWER: Indeed I can! After} Bc5 {
, which Marin regards as Black's best move, White continues} 12. Ne5 Nxe5 13.
Rxe5 Qc7 14. f4 {and in certain lines, the knight will come to a3, harassing
the black queen. --- QUESTION: That doesn't look hugely convincing. --- ANSWER:
Well, maybe not, but we are talking in terms of nuances here. I am not saying
that 11 a3 is a bad move, merely that 11 d3 is a touch more flexible. It is
really just common sense - it is 100% clear that White will want to play d3 at
some point soon, whereas there is a chance (no more than that) that he will
not want his pawn on a3. Therefore, it makes sense to play 11 d3 first, and
delay a decision about the a-pawn for as long as possible.}) 11... a5 12. d3
Bc5 {QUESTION: Geller seems to have read your last note! He plays the ...Bc5
line, where you say White doesn't want his pawn on a3. --- ANSWER: Indeed. I
think Geller's choice is quite precise.} (12... Bf8 {is another try. ---
QUESTION: He is still trying to get in ...e5? --- ANSWER: Exactly. We already
know what White should do about it.} 13. Ne5 $1 Nxe5 14. Rxe5 Nd7 15. Rb5 $1 {
. --- QUESTION: I am not sure I would have thought of that! The rook looks
rather strange on b5. --- ANSWER: It is an excellent move, and the reason why
White does provoke ...a5 in this line. On b5, the rook exerts unpleasant
pressure on Black's entire queenside. --- QUESTION: But isn't the rook in
danger of being trapped? --- ANSWER: That can, and often does happen, yes.
However, as we will see, White is often ready to sacrifice the exchange in
such positions:} e5 16. Nd2 Rb8 17. b4 b6 18. bxa5 bxa5 19. a4 (19. Rb1 $5)
19... Ba6 20. Nb3 $5 Bxb5 21. axb5 Bb4 22. Ba3 Bxa3 23. Rxa3 Qe7 24. Rxa5 Qb4
25. Ra7 {. Thus far this is A.Miles-A.Muir, Ostend 1990. Now} Nc5 $2 {followed}
(25... Nf6 {is better}) {, when} 26. Na5 $1 {would have been very strong.}) 13.
Nbd2 e5 {Black has played the early stages well and achieved his desired
central advance.} 14. Ng5 $1 Bg4 15. Bf3 $1 {QUESTION: Why is this good?
Surely White doesn't want to exchange off his strong bishop? --- ANSWER: The
bishop is a strong piece, but the point is that getting rid of Black's
light-squared bishop is more important. After it goes, White will dominate the
light squares, since Black's central pawns are all fixed on dark squares. It
is a case of the old rule that, when evaluating an exchange, look at what
stays on the board, not what comes off!} Bxf3 16. Qxf3 h6 17. Nge4 Nxe4 18.
Nxe4 Bf8 19. Bc1 {As discussed in the introductory remarks, this bishop is
unlikely to be well placed on b2, if Black succeeds in reinforcing his d4-e5
central structure, as he has done here. Miles therefore redirects the bishop
to greener pastures.} ({However,} 19. c5 {might have been better.}) 19... Re6
20. h4 $6 ({Davies recommended the immediate} 20. g4 {.}) 20... Be7 21. h5 Qf8
22. Qf5 Rb8 23. g4 $6 {Miles presses on with his kingside play, but
objectively, Black's counterplay on the other wing is faster.} ({
White should probably have preferred the computer's} 23. a4 {. --- QUESTION:
Doesn't that cripple White's queenside? --- ANSWER: Yes, but in this position,
it is more important to clamp down as far as possible on the enemy counterplay,
so as to have a free hand on the other flank.}) 23... b5 24. Kh2 bxc4 25. bxc4
Rb3 26. Rg1 Bxa3 $2 {
A serious mistake, after which the advantage swings to White.} ({
Geller should have preferred} 26... Rxd3 $1 {with the point that after} 27. g5
(27. Nf6+ $2 Bxf6 28. Qxd3 e4 29. Qd1 Ne5 {is horrible for White}) {
there follows} 27... hxg5 28. Bxg5 (28. Nxg5 Bxg5 29. Qxd3 e4 30. Qh3 Bxc1 31.
Raxc1 Ne5 {again gives Black more than enough compensation for the exchange})
28... Kh8 {and Black is better.}) 27. Rxa3 Rxa3 28. Bxa3 Qxa3 29. g5 Qf8 {
EXERCISE: After 29...Qf8, White also has a winning combination. Can you find
it? ---} ({After} 29... Ne7 30. Qg4 {Black has no way to defend g7, since the
knight on e7 prevents the queen returning.}) {ANSWER:} 30. Nf6+ $1 gxf6 31.
gxh6+ Kh8 32. Rg7 Qxg7 33. hxg7+ Kxg7 {Materially, Black is not so badly off,
but his king is not safe from further attack.} 34. Qg4+ Kh7 35. h6 $1 Kxh6 36.
Qg8 {Now the white queen penetrates decisively.} Re7 37. Qc8 Re6 38. Qh8+ ({
Black is mated after} 38. Qh8+ Kg6 39. Qg8+ Kf5 40. Kg3 e4 41. Qg4+ Ke5 42.
Qf4# {. --- These reversed Benoni positions are an important element of the
g3-e3-b3 anti-QGD set-up. As this game shows, both sides need to play quite
precisely in the opening, in order to avoid falling into a bind, but if White
is careful with his move-order, he can ensure decent play.}) 1-0

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Gashimov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A30"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "133"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 {With this set-up,
Black adopts the Hedgehog formation. White has a wide variety of ways to meet
this, but we will consider two of them here.} 7. d4 {
Allowing a standard Hedgehog.} ({
The alternative treatment I would recommend begins with the move} 7. b3 {
. --- QUESTION: With what idea? --- ANSWER: White intends to continue Bb2, e3
and only then d4. In addition, after ...cxd4, he will recapture with the
knight. --- QUESTION: This looks a little similar to the double fianchetto and
e3 lines, which you recommend against the QGD/Queen's Indian. --- ANSWER: Yes,
it is, and for that reason it may appeal to White players as part of a
repertoire based on that system. Here are a few examples:} O-O 8. Bb2 d6 9. e3
Nbd7 10. d4 {. Only now does White advance in the centre. Now there can follow:
} -- (10... a6 $2 11. d5 $1 exd5 (11... e5 12. Nh4 {is better for White}) 12.
Nh4 g6 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. Bxd5 Bxd5 15. Qxd5 {and White went on to win a
positional masterpiece in U.Andersson-W.Browne, Wijk aan Zee 1983.}) ({
. If Black does not intend to capture on d4, then he should play} 10... Ne4 $1
{with good chances of something approaching equality. For example,} 11. Ne2 Qc7
(11... a6 12. Qc2 Ra7 13. Nf4 Nef6 14. Rfd1 {
was a little better for White in E.Pigusov-A.Poluljahov, Tomsk 2001}) 12. Qc2
Rae8 13. Rad1 g5 $2 ({a bit barmy;} 13... Ndf6 {
looks more normal, with approximate equality}) 14. d5 exd5 15. cxd5 Bf6 16.
Nfd4 {and White was virtually winning in B.Kurajica-D.Gutierrez Olivares,
Tenerife 2010.}) ({. The normal Hedgehog reaction is} 10... cxd4 {
, but then White replies} 11. Nxd4 $1 Bxg2 12. Kxg2 Qc7 13. f4 $1 {. This is the key idea. White will play Qf3, and hold back his e-pawn for some time. The
endgame after} Qb7+ 14. Qf3 Qxf3+ 15. Kxf3 {offers White a slight plus. The
c6-square is vulnerable, and White has a plan to gain space on the kingside. A
typical example was the following game:} Rac8 16. g4 a6 17. g5 Ne8 18. Rad1 Nc5
19. b4 $1 {(not usually possible, because of the weakness of c4, but here
there is a tactical justification)} Nb7 20. Rc1 $5 {(a nice idea)} ({
but the simple} 20. b5 $1 axb5 21. cxb5 {would be very strong}) 20... Rxc4 21.
Nc6 {(the idea, but it is less convincing than the last note)} Bd8 $2 {
(capitulation)} ({Black should have tried} 21... Rxc6 22. Nd5 Bd8 23. Rxc6 exd5
24. Rfc1 {when, although he is very tied up, he has better chances of holding
than in the game}) 22. Na4 b5 23. Nxd8 Nxd8 24. Nb6 d5 (24... Rc7 25. Rxc7 Nxc7
26. Rc1 {is much better for White}) 25. Rxc4 bxc4 26. Nd7 f5 27. Nxf8 Kxf8 28.
a4 Nb7 29. Ke2 Ned6 30. Kd2 Kf7 31. Be5 Nc8 32. Kc3 Nb6 33. Ra1 Nc8 34. h4 Nb6
35. h5 Kg8 36. a5 Nc8 37. b5 {1-0, M.Pavlovic-V.Rothuis, Dieren 2008. --- All
in all, the e3 system is an interesting alternative to the usual Hedgehog
lines, and fits in well with the anti-QGD set-up covered in this book.})) 7...
cxd4 8. Qxd4 d6 {QUESTION: I have never understood the Hedgehog. Why isn't
Black just cramped and therefore worse? After all, in the Open Sicilian, after
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4, Black almost always plays 4...Nf6,
precisely to stop White establishing this type of Maroczy Bind formation with
pawns on c4 and e4, so why does Black allow it here? --- ANSWER: That is a
good question! It has taken the chess world many years to appreciate the
viability of Black's set-up. In the first place, having less space is not in
itself a bad thing. A position is not cramped just because it has less space -
rather, it is only cramped if it has too little space to accommodate its
pieces comfortably. In the Hedgehog, Black's piece formation fits quite neatly
into the three ranks, and the pieces are not usually tripping over themselves
or getting in each other's way. The big difference with the Open Sicilian you
mentioned is that White's pieces are less aggressively placed here. In
particular, the white bishop on g2 does not bear down on Black's king, in the
way it would if it were on d3. These are the keys to the viability of the
black position.} 9. Bg5 {This is one of White's best approaches. It is less
ambitious than some other set-ups, but White aims just to damp down Black's
dynamic potential and secure a position where he has a small edge in a quiet
manoeuvring battle. Such an approach should suit the English player.} a6 10.
Bxf6 {QUESTION: Eh? This looks really odd. I thought that, when one had more
space, one should avoid exchanges, which help ease the defender's cramp? Here,
White not only exchanges bishop for knight, he even does so without waiting
for the bishop to be prodded with ...h6! --- ANSWER: Well, as I said in the
previous note, Black's position in the Hedgehog is not really "cramped" in the
general sense of the term. He already has enough space to manoeuvre his pieces,
so this exchange makes relatively little difference in that sense. The really
unusual thing about the Hedgehog is that the exchange of a minor piece or two
frequently has the effect of reducing the dynamic potential of Black's
position. All those brilliancies one sees, where Black smashes his way out
with breaks such as ...b5 and ...d5, almost always occur on a board full of
pieces - an exchange or two draws much of that dynamic potential and creates a
quieter position.} Bxf6 11. Qf4 O-O ({
QUESTION: Can't Black take on c3 here? The white pawns look very weak after} 
11... Bxc3 12. bxc3 {. --- ANSWER: Maybe, but so too is the black pawn on d6,
which will be extremely hard to defend after a white rook comes to the d-file.}
) 12. Rfd1 ({One example of the Anderson plan (see the notes to White's 19th,
below) is a recent one, and sees the basic Andersson plan implemented, but in
a slightly unusual, and especially striking way. The game G.Meier-V.Iordachescu, French League 2011, saw a beautiful variant on the idea:} 12. Rad1
Be7 13. Ne4 Bxe4 14. Qxe4 Ra7 15. Nd4 Rc7 16. b3 Rc5 17. a4 Qc7 18. Rd2 Kh8 19.
Qb1 Nd7 20. Rfd1 Nf6 21. e3 Qc8 22. Rc2 Rc7 23. Rdd2 h6 24. h3 Rd8 25. Kh2 Bf8
26. Qh1 $3 {. A wonderful idea. White reverses the usual order of the steps in
the plan: instead of playing b4-b5, to support Nc6, he instead finds a way to
play Nc6 first, and then support the knight with a subsequent b4-b5. As Mark
Dvoretsky once wrote, "Classical examples should be utilized, not copied"! The
game continued} Re8 27. Nc6 h5 28. b4 h4 29. g4 b5 {
(a desperate attempt to stop White from anchoring his knight with b5)} 30. cxb5
d5 31. Qa1 $1 {
(the white queen manoeuvres to the corners would have delighted Reti!)} axb5
32. axb5 Qb7 33. Qa6 Ra8 34. Qxb7 Rxb7 {and now the simple} 35. Bf1 {
would have retained a clear advantage.}) 12... Be7 13. Ne4 {This is another
major plank of White's plan in the opening. This move forces the exchange of
another pair of minor pieces, sucking a little more of the dynamism from
Black's position.} Bxe4 14. Qxe4 Ra7 {QUESTION: So, what is the result of the
opening? --- ANSWER: White has a small edge. The exchanges have produced a
fairly quiet position, where manoeuvring is the order of the day. We will not
see White trying to storm the black position with pawn advances such as f4 and
g4, such as occur in some Hedgehog lines. Here, White has a specific long-term
idea in mind. He intends the dreaded "Andersson plan"! --- QUESTION: And what
is that when it's at home? --- ANSWER: Basically, it is all about the square
c6 - White will aim to establish his knight there.} 15. Nd4 {
Told you! The knight immediately takes up observation of the key square.} Rc7 {
QUESTION: Huh! So much for your great idea. Now how are you going to achieve
Nc6? --- ANSWER: Despair not! White has a "cunning plan", worthy of Baldrick
himself. All will become clear...} 16. Rd2 ({Since the full Andersson plan
(see the notes to White's 19th, below) does not materialize in the present
game, it is worth showing a couple of examples of its full realization. We saw
one above and here the man himself gives a masterclass. The game U.Andersson-Y.Seirawan, Phillips & Drew, London 1982, followed the present game for the
first 15 moves, and then continued} 16. b3 Rc5 17. a4 Qc7 18. Qb1 Rc8 19. Ra2
Bf8 20. e3 Qe7 21. Rc2 g6 22. Qa2 $1 {(all according to the recipe books!)} Qg5
23. h4 Qf6 24. b4 R5c7 25. b5 a5 26. Nc6 {. White had achieved his objective
and had a clear advantage, which he went on to convert.}) 16... Rc5 (16... Rxc4
$2 {allows} 17. Nxe6 $1 {.}) 17. Rad1 Qc7 18. b3 Kh8 19. Qb1 $1 {The key move.
--- QUESTION: It is all a bit too subtle for me! You'll have to explain. ---
ANSWER: Okay, now is the time to reveal White's idea. He intends to get his
knight to c6, as we have said. To do that, he needs to get his pawn to b5, to
cover the c6-square; then, after a later exchange on c6, White will have a
monster passed pawn when he recaptures b5xc6. --- QUESTION: Yes, but how is
White going to get his pawn to b5, without losing his c4-pawn? --- ANSWER:
Well, here is the idea: White intends a4, followed by putting his queen on a2!
--- QUESTION: You are kidding me? --- ANSWER: Not at all! From a2, the queen
defends c4. He will then defend the pawn again, maybe with a rook, or by e3
and Bf1, and eventually, when c4 is secured, he will play b4, then b5, and
finally Nc6. --- QUESTION: That is what I call a long-term plan! --- ANSWER:
It was developed by Ulf Andersson in the 1980s. He won several games in this
way against the Hedgehog.} Nd7 20. e3 Qc8 21. Rc2 Rc7 22. a4 Rd8 23. Qa2 {
QUESTION: So he really did it! --- ANSWER: Told you so, didn't I? White
carries out the Andersson plan consistently.} Ne5 {
Attacking c4 again, and so preventing b4-b5.} 24. h3 $6 ({
Carlsen pointed out that} 24. a5 {
was strong here, thanks to the tactical point that after} bxa5 25. Qxa5 d5 26.
Rdc1 Rc5 {White has} 27. cxd5 $1 {.}) 24... Bf6 25. Rcd2 {QUESTION: What is
this about? It does not look consistent to remove the rook from the guard of
c4. --- ANSWER: It isn't, but Black has temporarily held up the b4 advance,
and White is still probing. Black's last move removed the bishop from the
defence of d6, so White reminds him that this pawn remains a weakness.} Rc5 26.
f4 Ng6 27. Rd3 h6 28. Qd2 {Putting more pressure on d6. Black now decides he
has had enough of being pushed about, so he breaks in the centre.} e5 29. Nc2
b5 {This is the idea. Black looks to trade his d-pawn for White's c-pawn.} 30.
axb5 axb5 31. Na3 bxc4 32. Nxc4 d5 33. Bxd5 ({QUESTION: Doesn't} 33. Nb6 {
just win material here? --- ANSWER: That is what Carlsen had assumed at the
time, but now he spotted the nasty trick} Qe6 34. Nxd5 e4 $1 {
and White's rook has no square.}) 33... Qxh3 34. Qg2 Qxg2+ 35. Kxg2 exf4 36.
exf4 {QUESTION: The position has changed radically. Now what is the
assessment? --- ANSWER: Amongst top-flight players of today, one rarely gets
to carry out a single strategic plan, such as the Andersson plan, unhindered.
In this case, Gashimov has broken his bonds and simplified the position, but
he has not completely escaped his troubles. White has an outside passed pawn
in the ending, and his pieces are powerfully coordinated and centralized. The
black knight on g6 is especially poorly placed, and cannot return to play via
e7 without dropping the f-pawn.} Rc7 37. Ne3 Rcd7 38. Ng4 Bb2 $2 ({Carlsen identified this as a serious inaccuracy, and recommended instead the rather
surprising} 38... Bc3 $1 {.}) 39. Nf2 f6 40. Be4 Nf8 41. b4 Rxd3 42. Nxd3 Bc3
43. Rc1 Bd4 44. Nc5 {Carlsen continues to manoeuvre very adroitly. Despite the
opposite-coloured bishops, Black is really suffering. Exchanging on c5 would
not help, because the resulting rook + bishop vs. rook + knight ending would
be much better for White. The outside passed b-pawn is a real threat.} Be3 45.
Rc3 Rd2+ 46. Kf3 Bd4 47. Rc4 g6 48. Nd3 Bg1 49. Rc8 $6 ({Carlsen gives} 49. Rc1
$1 {as more accurate, forcing the bishop to d4, where the black knight wants
to go. After} Bd4 50. f5 gxf5 51. Bxf5 Ne6 $2 {fails to} 52. Ke4 Re2+ 53. Kd5 {
and Black loses a piece.}) 49... Kg7 50. Rc7+ Kg8 51. f5 $1 {Further cramping
the black knight, which finds it impossible to achieve any activity.} g5 $2 {
The losing mistake.} ({Carlsen pointed out the fantastic resource} 51... h5 $3
{which probably draws. --- QUESTION: That looks potty! Can't White just take
on g6? --- ANSWER: The point is that the white king is in a near mating net,
and the black knight becomes active after} 52. fxg6 Ne6 {. Then} 53. Rd7 Nd4+
54. Kf4 {looks safe for White, but in fact there is} Ne2+ 55. Kf5 Nxg3+ 56. Kf4
Nxe4 57. Kxe4 h4 {and Black draws.}) 52. g4 Bh2 53. Rb7 Rc2 54. Nc5 Rc3+ 55.
Ke2 h5 {Already desperation, as Bd5 and Ne6 is coming.} 56. gxh5 g4 57. Ne6 Rc8
58. b5 Rb8 59. Rxb8 Bxb8 60. Bd5 Ba7 ({If} 60... Nxe6 61. fxe6 Kf8 62. h6 {
and Black cannot stop all three passed pawns.}) 61. Kf1 Be3 62. Kg2 Kf7 63.
Nxf8+ Kxf8 64. Kg3 Ke7 65. Kxg4 Kd6 66. Kf3 Bd2 67. b6 {. --- The Hedgehog is
a highly respectable and quite popular way for Black to defend against the
English. However, as we saw in this game, White has at least two ways to
obtain a relatively quiet position, in which he can play for a small edge. The
celebrated "Andersson plan" is one method, whilst the system with e3 and a
subsequent Nxd4 dovetails quite nicely with the anti-QGD approach recommended
in this chapter. Either method should suit the English Opening player.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "5. Anti-Grünfeld / KID / Dutch"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 {. This chapter deals with three of Black's most popular mainline 1 d4
defences, which he can attempt to apply against the English. The Grünfeld
Defence is one of the most frequently seen defences at the top level, and is
thus correspondingly popular at lower levels too, but it does not work
especially well against the English. This is because, like many hypermodern
defences, the Grünfeld is essentially a counterattacking system, which allows
White to set up a big pawn centre, so that it can be attacked from the flanks.
In the English, however, White can hold back his centre pawns, which has the
effect of denying Black the obvious target that he has in the main lines, and
this tends to prove quite effective in practice. Marin-Ris presents the white
set-up I recommend. I think it is quite significant that two of the greatest
Grünfeld practitioners of all time, Fischer and Kasparov, both preferred to
avoid the Grünfeld response 1...Nf6 and 2...d5 against the English. ---
Kosten-Bujisho then deals with the King's Indian set-up by Black. This is
another hugely popular opening at almost all levels, and one of the reasons
for its popularity is that Black can develop along King's Indian lines,
largely within his own ranks, and thus can adopt the KID set-up against almost
any White opening. This universality makes it a very useful practical weapon.
If White prefers not to transpose into a King's Indian proper, then he has two
main English-style approaches. One is a Nf3, g3 and d3 set-up, similar to
White's play in Seirawan-Narciso Dublan. However, this is relatively toothless
against the King's Indian, and does not promise White any hope of a
theoretical advantage. The other system, which I concentrate on as the main
line, is the Botvinnik System, but, for the reasons explained in the notes, I
do not think this objectively promises White any advantage either. However,
the Botvinnik is an excellent practical weapon, since White is able to force
his own, familiar type of middlegame, and it scores very well for White at
anything below top GM level, so I think it is definitely the best choice,
unless White is prepared to enter a mainline King's Indian. --- Finally,
Kasparov-Short looks at English set-ups against the Dutch. Here too, I suggest
a Botvinnik formation against the Dutch Leningrad, whilst the traditional
Nf3-g3-d3 set-up works well against ...e6 Dutch lines. The Stonewall, in
particular, strikes me as rather pleasant to play against as White, if one is
not committed to putting one's d-pawn on d4.} *

[Event "European Championship, Plovdiv"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Marin, M."]
[Black "Ris, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A16"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 {Black heads for a Grünfeld-style set-up.} ({Note that the
Grünfeld player has to use this move-order, if he is to have any hope of
reaching his beloved opening, because if he starts with} 2... g6 {
, he runs the risk that White will force a King's Indian transposition with} 3.
e4 {.}) 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. g3 {QUESTION: So what is your "cunning plan" here? I
assume you are not actually going to allow a transposition into any kind of
normal Grünfeld? --- ANSWER: Exactly right. White plans to hold back his
d-pawn, which will generally go to d3. This will rule out the standard black
Grünfeld counterplay against the white centre (in particular, against the pawn
on d4). --- QUESTION: That is all very well, but is it entirely logical? After
all, White still has the central pawn majority characteristic of the Grünfeld.
If he does not use it, isn't he just throwing away his main strategic asset,
just in order to get Black out of his favourite lines? --- ANSWER: Not really.
White is not renouncing the advance of his central pawns forever. Rather, in
typical hypermodern style, he is declining to set up his pawns in the centre
early on, where they can become a target. He will bide his time and only come
into the centre later, after he has taken steps to prevent the black
counterplay developing in the usual way.} g6 5. Bg2 Nb6 (5... Nxc3 {is the alternative, and probably the most natural reaction for a Grünfeld player:} 6. bxc3
Bg7 {. --- QUESTION: So how is this different from a normal Grünfeld? ---
ANSWER: The key point is that White has not yet played d4. Just as we will see
in the lines after 5...Nb6, White can hold back his d-pawn and pick his moment
to occupy the centre.} 7. Rb1 {is the most common move, setting a trap,} ({
although Marin argues} 7. Nf3 {is a touch more accurate.}) {
. After 7 Rb1 Black usually replies 7...Nd7, but there are alternatives:} 7...
-- (7... O-O $2 {sets a trap, but also falls into one:} 8. Rxb7 $1 {
wins a pawn,} ({but not} 8. Bxb7 $4 Bxb7 9. Rxb7 Qd5 {.})) (7... c6 {is a slightly passive reaction to the threat against b7. The old game L.Lengyel-H.Golombek, Kecskemet 1968, saw White implement a standard plan:} 8. Nf3 O-O 9.
O-O Qc7 10. c4 $1 {(see the note on this idea below)} e5 11. d3 Re8 12. Nd2 Nd7
13. Ba3 Nf6 14. Qc2 {with a small advantage.}) ({. Marin recommends} 7... Nc6
$1 {when the rook on b1 is less effectively placed.}) (7... Nd7 8. Nf3 (8. Bxb7
$2 Bxb7 9. Rxb7 Nb6 {traps the rook}) 8... O-O 9. O-O {
. This is pretty much a tabiya. Black has various options here:} -- (9... c5
10. c4 {. --- QUESTION: White abandons the idea of a pseudo-Grünfeld structure
with d4? --- ANSWER: Yes. I think this set-up with c4 and d3 is often the most
unpleasant for Black to meet in these positions. White settles for a different
type of position from the usual Grünfeld, one where Black perhaps finds it
less easy to get his bearings. --- QUESTION: So what is White's idea? ---
ANSWER: He intends typical English play, emphasizing the central light squares.
He places his pawns on c4 and d3, he has the b-file, and he has ideas of
bringing his knight to e4 (via d2 or g5), and eventually, possibly, d5. If
Black plays ...b6, then the plan a4-a5 may be a factor. --- Play continues} Qc7
11. d3 Rb8 12. Bf4 e5 13. Bd2 {. --- QUESTION: Why waste a tempo to provoke ...e5 from Black? Doesn't he intend that move anyway? --- ANSWER: With his c-pawn
on c5, the move ...e5 weakens d5 severely. Now the white knight dreams of
reaching d5. After} b6 14. Ng5 {(the knight sets off towards d5)} Bb7 {
, Bagirov gives} 15. Bxb7 Qxb7 16. Ne4 {with an edge for White. The plan a4-a5
is coming, and the knight is heading for d5.} (16. --)) (9... e5 10. d4 {
. --- QUESTION: I thought you didn't intend to play d4? --- ANSWER: The point
of White's play is its flexibility. He can switch to a Grünfeld-type structure
when it suits him. In this instance, for example, Black is already committed
to ...e5, rather than ...c5, so a Grünfeld structure suits White more.} c6 11.
e4 Qa5 12. Qc2 exd4 13. cxd4 Nb6 14. Bd2 Qa4 15. Qxa4 Nxa4 16. Rfc1 {
gave White a nice ending in M.Botvinnik-V.Smyslov, Moscow 1958.}) (9... Rb8 {
is a bit slow. Now the c4-d3 plan is again perfectly good, but it is also
tempting to exploit Black's tempo loss with another switch to a Grünfeld
structure:} 10. d4 Nb6 11. e4 Be6 12. Qc2 {, Y.Averbakh-F.Gheorghiu, Budapest
1970. Once again, Black lacks the customary Grünfeld pressure on the white
centre.}) (9... Nb6 {. --- QUESTION: This looks subtle! --- ANSWER: It is.
Black prevents c4, and anticipates d4, when his knight is already pointing at
the weakened c4 outpost. --- QUESTION: So what should White do? --- ANSWER: He
has a strong reply, which is not obvious at first sight, but is a standard
manoeuvre in these anti-Grünfeld structures:} 10. Ng5 $1 {
. --- QUESTION: Heading for c5 again? --- ANSWER: Exactly! --- Play continues}
Qd7 {(planning ...Qf5, taking control of c5)} 11. Qb3 Qg4 12. Nf3 {. --- QUESTION: The knight has been driven back to f3. Isn't that a defeat for White? ---
ANSWER: Only partially. Black has spent two moves with his queen to achieve
this small success, and she will have to lose at least one more tempo to
return to a decent square. Meanwhile, Black's queenside remains undeveloped.}
Be6 13. Qc2 Qc4 14. Ng5 Bg4 15. Bxb7 Rab8 16. Bf3 Bxf3 17. exf3 {
and White was a pawn up in Z.Ribli-L.Gutman, German League 1987.}))) 6. d3 $1 {
QUESTION: What is the exclamation mark for? Just pleased with yourself for the
plan of d3, rather than d4? --- ANSWER: I am not that egotistical! No, 6 d3 is
the most precise execution of White's plan. He intends a rapid Be3-Qd2,
threatening to exchange off the Grünfeld bishop by Bh6. Once that bishop has
gone, Black will find it much more difficult to create his usual counterplay
against the white centre. In addition, as we will see, in fair weather with a
following wind, White can even leave his king in the centre and start a
kingside attack with h4-h5.} ({The older approach was the simple development} 
6. Nf3 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. d3 Nc6 9. Be3 {. Although this exact position is not
one we will reach via our suggested move-order, it is worth looking at one
game from this position, because it illustrates nicely some of the positional
themes of the variation:} e5 {(Black takes the centre in standard fashion)} 10.
Qd2 Nd4 {(using this outpost is one of Black's key strategic ideas; if White
exchanges on d4, Black hopes to be able to create pressure down the e-file,
against the backward pawn on e2)} 11. Bh6 Re8 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. b4 $1 {
. A move worth noting, as it is a standard idea in such structures. White
holds back the enemy c-pawn and sets in motion a minority attack on the
queenside. This can be especially effective in these structures, because the
attack is supported by the white bishop on g2, which bears down on the enemy
queenside.} c6 14. Nxd4 exd4 15. Ne4 {. --- QUESTION: Hasn't White played into
Black's hands? I thought you said Black wanted the exchange on d4, so he could
pressurize e2? --- ANSWER: I said he hoped to do this, yes, but as we will see,
in this example, his hopes are destined not to be realized. White's queenside
pressure, combined with the vulnerability of the pawn on d4, prevents Black
working up serious counterplay.} Nd5 16. Qb2 $1 {
(immediately targeting the d4-pawn)} Qb6 17. a3 Kg8 18. Rac1 Bg4 19. Rfe1 {
(the pawn on e2 is easily defended)} Rad8 20. Rc4 f5 {(this weakening move is
forced, since otherwise, the black knight cannot move from d5, without
allowing a check on f6)} 21. Nc5 Nc3 {. --- QUESTION: It looks to me as though
Black has solved all his problems, and some! The pawn on d4 is secured, and e2
is under attack. --- ANSWER: Yes, but White has seen a nice combination, which
wins material by force. --- EXERCISE: Find the refutation of Black's last move.
--- ANSWER:} 22. Rxc3 $1 dxc3 23. Qb3+ Kh8 24. Qxc3+ Kg8 25. Qb3+ Kh8 26. h3 $1
{(this is the key to White's idea; the bishop is dropping off)} Bh5 27. g4 fxg4
28. Qc3+ Kg8 29. hxg4 Bxg4 30. Qc4+ {(this little "staircase" manoeuvre by the
queen, stepping up the line b2-b3-c3-c4, is of a sort often seen in endgame
studies, but less common over the board)} Kh8 31. Qxg4 {. --- White has won
two pieces for the rook, and is winning comfortably. The game ended after a
few more moves:} a5 32. Bf3 axb4 33. axb4 Qb5 34. Kg2 b6 35. Ne6 Rc8 36. Qd4+ {
1-0, O.Romanishin-A.Whiteley, Hastings 1976/77. This game made a great
impression on me, probably because I witnessed it being played, and it was the
first time I had ever visited an international tournament and seen grandmasters
"in the flesh"! Nonetheless, it is an instructive example of some of the
positional themes of the variation.}) 6... Bg7 7. Be3 Nc6 ({
The main alternative is} 7... O-O {, but this is open to the objection that it
commits the king very early. White now has a clear plan of play on the
kingside. Let's follow the recent game J.De Jager-L.D'Costa, Haarlem 2011:} 8.
Qd2 N8d7 ({QUESTION: Isn't} 8... Re8 {logical, to preserve the fianchettoed
bishop? --- ANSWER: Yes, and it is another common black alternative here.
White gets on with his play in straightforward fashion:} 9. Bh6 Bh8 10. h4 {
and now:} -- (10... N8d7 {was seen in an old game between two strong GMs. Z.Ribli-A.Adorjan, Budapest 1973, continued} 11. h5 Nf6 12. Nf3 Ng4 13. hxg6 hxg6
14. Rh4 Nxh6 15. Qxh6 Bg7 16. Qd2 {with an obvious advantage. White will
castle queenside and bring the other rook to the h-file. White's play is very
straightforward and easy to understand in this line.}) (10... c5 11. Be3 c4 {
(it is logical to try to stir up some central play, in the face of White's
wing attack, but after White's next, he sets about establishing a pawn centre,
which Black can no longer attack with ...c5)} 12. d4 Nc6 13. d5 Ne5 14. h5 Bf5
15. hxg6 Bxg6 (15... hxg6 16. Bd4 {is very strong, especially since} Nd3+ $2 {
loses to} 17. Qxd3) 16. Nh3 Ng4 17. Nf4 Qd6 18. Nxg6 hxg6 $2 (18... Qxg6 {
was the only chance, although White retains a clear advantage after} 19. Bd4)
19. Bd4 e5 20. Ne4 {and Black was busted in K.Lerner-J.Isaev, Moscow 2002.}))
9. Bh6 Nf6 10. Bxg7 Kxg7 11. Nf3 {(with Black's knight on f6, there is no
longer anything in the hopes of a rapid kingside attack with h4, so White
reverts to his normal play)} c6 12. O-O {(this is similar to
Romanishin-Whiteley, except that Black's queen's knight is not pointing
towards the d4-square; it soon turns into a horror show for Black)} Qd6 ({
Marin quotes a nice example of the minority attack from his own practice:} 
12... Be6 13. b4 Qd7 14. Rfc1 Bh3 15. Bh1 Rac8 16. Ng5 $1 {(as we have already
seen, this knight manoeuvre, coming to e4 and c5, is a standard idea in such
structures)} h6 17. Nge4 Rc7 18. Qb2 Nxe4 19. Nxe4+ f6 20. a4 Rd8 21. a5 Nc8
22. Nc5 Qf5 23. Be4 Qh5 24. Bf3 Qf5 25. b5 {with a great advantage, M.Marin-G.O'Connell, Batumi 1999; Black now dropped material with} cxb5 $2 26. Ne6+ {
but he was in dire straits anyway}) 13. Rab1 e5 14. b4 {
(once again, the minority attack is White's obvious plan)} Re8 15. Qb2 a6 16.
Rfd1 Bf5 17. h3 Qe7 18. e4 $1 Bd7 19. d4 exd4 20. Nxd4 Rad8 21. f4 {. --- Suddenly, White has a very good King's Indian structure, where his pawn centre is
rolling and Black lacks his dark-squared bishop. After} Kg8 22. Qf2 Nh5 23. g4
Ng7 24. e5 f6 25. e6 Bc8 26. f5 {Black did not last much longer.}) ({
QUESTION: Returning to the seventh move, what about} 7... h6 {to prevent the
bishop exchange? --- ANSWER: This has its points, of course, but the problem
is that now Black will be unable to castle for a long time to come. An
instructive example of White's strategy here was A.Miles-J.Tisdall, Lone Pine
1976:} 8. Qc1 N8d7 9. Nf3 Nf6 10. O-O c6 11. Rb1 a5 12. b3 Be6 13. Na4 $1 ({
QUESTION: Oh! That is a surprise. I expected} 13. a3 {preparing b4. --- ANSWER:
13 Na4 is an excellent idea, worth noting. Miles exploits the fact that the
enemy pawn is on a5, to direct his knight to the traditional outpost on c5.})
13... -- ({. Black cannot very well take on a4, because after} 13... Nxa4 14.
bxa4 {his backward b-pawn would be too weak.}) (13... Nbd7 14. Bd2 Nb6 15. Nc5
Bc8 16. a3 h5 {(preparing to get castled at last, but it is clear that White
has made significant gains on the queenside)} 17. Bc3 O-O 18. Qb2 Nbd5 19. Be5
Bh6 20. b4 {(now the minority attack rolls on)} axb4 21. axb4 b6 22. Ne4 -- ({
. QUESTION: That is a bit surprising. Why does White invite the exchange on
e4? --- ANSWER: There is a tactical justification. After} 22... Nxe4 $2 23. dxe4
{the black knight has no good retreat, e.g.} Nf6 (23... Nc7 24. Rfd1 Bd7 25.
Qd4 {is even worse}) 24. Rfd1 {and Black is losing a pawn.}) ({
. The game concluded} 22... Ra4 23. Qc2 Rxb4 24. Qxc6 Bd7 ({Fritz gives} 24...
Nxe4 25. dxe4 Rxe4 {as the best try, but after} 26. Rfd1 {
Black is still clearly worse}) 25. Nxf6+ Nxf6 26. Qb7 {(the b6-pawn is doomed)}
Rxb1 27. Rxb1 b5 28. Nd4 Ng4 29. Bc7 Qc8 30. Qb6 e5 31. Nxb5 Bxb5 32. Rxb5 Qf5
33. Be4 {1-0.}))) 8. Rc1 {Marin describes this as "a useful half-waiting move,
keeping the positional threat of Bxc6 in reserve". --- QUESTION: Bxc6 is a
threat? --- ANSWER: It certainly is. We saw a similar example in Kosten-Coenen.
Giving up the fianchettoed bishop looks risky, but the black queenside pawns
often prove a greater handicap than any white weakness around the king.} ({
In fact, the immediate} 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. Qc1 {
was played in a classic Petrosian game, which we cannot avoid quoting here:} h6
10. Nf3 Bh3 11. Rg1 $1 {. This meets the threat of ...Bg2 in the simplest way
possible! --- QUESTION: But now White will be unable to castle? --- ANSWER:
Petrosian is not bothered about that. He understands that his king is safe in
the centre, protected behind the central pawn wall d3-e2-f2. This type of
situation often occurs in Mike Basman's games, with his beloved Grob opening.
We are generally used to seeing the central pawns moved early on, and the king
castled to safety on the wings, but if the centre pawns do not move, and the
wing pawns advance instead, then it makes sense to leave the king in the
centre, where it is safer.} Bg4 12. Nd2 Nd5 13. Nxd5 $3 {. --- QUESTION: What
is this? I thought White's whole strategy in giving up his fianchettoed bishop
was to exploit the black doubled pawns on the c-file, yet now Petrosian
undoubles them! --- ANSWER: This is what makes this game such a masterpiece.
Petrosian understands that the black queenside remains weak, even after he
dissolves his doubled pawns.} cxd5 14. Nb3 Qd6 15. f3 Bd7 16. d4 {. --- QUESTION: I am baffled by White's play! What is he doing? --- ANSWER: Now we see what
Petrosian had in mind. He has a target down the c-file and an outpost on c5.
His king will come to f2, allowing the king's rook to swing over to the
queenside. His play has been brilliantly original, but when you look at this
position, it all starts to make sense.} Rb8 17. Kf2 h5 18. Bf4 e5 19. dxe5 Bxe5
{. --- QUESTION: Isn't Black getting counterplay, now he has opened the
centre? --- ANSWER: Once again, Petrosian has seen further. He knows his king
is safe, even now. Moreover, he will now exploit the uncastled black king to
nick a pawn!} 20. Qe3 f6 21. Qxa7 O-O 22. Rac1 {. --- QUESTION: But surely...?? This cannot possibly be right, can it? f4 is hanging, for a start.} -- ({
. ANSWER: Petrosian's play is just incredibly concrete. He refuses to be
frightened of shadows. After} 22... Bxf4 23. gxf4 {
the g-file is opened, and Black's king is in more danger than White's, e.g.}
Qxf4 24. Rxg6+ Kf7 25. Rg3 h4 26. Rg4 Qxh2+ 27. Rg2 {
and now Rxc7 will shatter Black's position.}) (22... Rfe8 23. Bxe5 Qxe5 24.
Rge1 {. As calm as you like. White defends e2, ...Qe3 is just one check, and
meanwhile, the c7-pawn is dropping off. Petrosian picked off the remains
without a problem:} Ra8 25. Qxc7 Qe3+ 26. Kg2 Ra7 27. Qd6 h4 28. gxh4 Be6 29.
Rc3 Qh6 30. a3 Rd7 ({or} 30... Qxh4 31. Qg3 Bh3+ 32. Kg1) 31. Qg3 d4 32. Rd3
Bxb3 33. Rxb3 Qd2 34. Kf1 Kh7 35. Rb8 Re5 36. Qg4 f5 37. Qg5 Re3 38. Qf6 {
1-0, T.Petrosian-W.Schmidt, Skopje Olympiad 1972. --- A fantastic game by
Petrosian, although perhaps the modern-day use of computers, which has made us
all more concrete in our approach, has slightly diminished the impression it
makes. For a game played 40 years ago, it is just amazing.})) 8... Nd4 9. Qd2
c6 (9... Nf5 {
is the alternative, aiming to prevent the bishops being exchanged by Bh6. After
} 10. Bc5 O-O 11. Nf3 c6 12. O-O {, White is slightly better.}) 10. Bh6 O-O 11.
Bxg7 Kxg7 12. e3 Nf5 13. Nf3 f6 14. d4 {QUESTION: Ah, so the d-pawn came to d4,
after all! --- ANSWER: Yes. Here we see White's long-term strategy coming into
effect again. He occupies the centre, but only at a moment when Black's
counterblows ...c5 and ...e5 have both been prevented, and his Grünfeld bishop
exchanged off.} h5 {
This attempt to create counterplay on the kingside is easily dealt with.} 15.
h4 Nh6 16. O-O Bg4 17. Qc2 Nf7 18. Ne2 {The knight threatens to come to f4,
eyeing up the weakened e6-square, and also on its way to d3, from where it
points at the squares c5 and e5. Black decides to act in the centre.} e5 19.
dxe5 Bxf3 20. Bxf3 Nxe5 21. Be4 {QUESTION: How do you assess this? --- ANSWER:
White has a clear positional advantage. The black kingside is weak and the
e6-square vulnerable. The minority attack with b4-b5 is also by no means off
the agenda. It is a very pleasant position to play for White.} f5 22. Nf4 Qf6
23. Bg2 Rad8 24. Rcd1 Kh6 {QUESTION: That's a funny-looking move! --- ANSWER:
Black is trying to get his king to a square where it is not vulnerable to
tactics, such as Ne6, or checks on the long diagonal.} 25. Rd4 Rxd4 $2 {
Black is reluctant to allow his opponent to conquer the d-file by Rfd1, but
after the text, the weaknesses down the e-file lead to rapid loss of material.}
26. exd4 Ng4 27. Re1 $1 Qf7 28. Qd2 $1 {The black king gets no peace!} Re8 (
28... Kh7 29. Ne6 {wins.}) 29. Ne6+ (29. Nxh5+ {was equally good.}) 29... f4 {
There is no other way to avoid even greater material loss.} 30. Nxf4 Rxe1+ 31.
Qxe1 Nd5 32. Bxd5 cxd5 33. Qe6 {The rest is simple.} Qxe6 34. Nxe6 Nf6 35. f3
Kh7 36. Kf2 Kg8 37. Ke3 b6 38. Kf4 Kf7 39. Nd8+ Ke8 40. Nc6 {. --- An impressive example of White's chances in this variation. In general, this system with 4
g3 strikes me as quite attractive for White. Black struggles to develop his
customary Grünfeld counterplay, as White is more restrained in the centre. As
I said in the chapter introduction, I do not think it is a coincidence that
such Grünfeld devotees as Fischer and Kasparov avoided this line as Black.} 1-0

[Event "French Championship, Nimes"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kosten, A."]
[Black "Bujisho, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A36"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. e4 {QUESTION: Yet another
Botvinnik System! --- ANSWER: Yes - it gets everywhere... However, in this
version, Black has not yet committed his pawn to e5. --- QUESTION: What if
White does not want to play a Botvinnik System? Does he have anything else?} ({
ANSWER: The main alternative is} 5. Nf3 d6 6. O-O e5 7. d3 {. This produces a
structure very similar to Seirawan-Narciso Dublan, and the ideas are much the
same. After} Nc6 (7... c6 {is another option for Black}) 8. Rb1 {
we have a tabiya, where Black has many options. However, the line} a5 9. a3 Nd4
{is a particularly hard nut to crack. After} 10. b4 axb4 11. axb4 c6 {
Black prepares ...d5, and practice shows that White has very little here.})
5... d6 6. Nge2 c5 {This is the difference. Black takes the opportunity to
play ...c5, rather than ...e5. --- QUESTION: Isn't this Andersson-Seirawan,
with colours reversed? --- ANSWER: Well spotted! It is indeed. And, as we
noted in the comments to that game, the Botvinnik System is less effective
against this formation than against the ...e5 set-up. This is because here,
Black keeps open the long diagonal of his bishop at g7. In addition, the
advance f4 by White is generally less dangerous without a black pawn on e5 -
White is not threatening to open the f-file, for example. --- QUESTION: So,
are you saying you do not recommend the Botvinnik System here? --- ANSWER: I
would not go that far, but, as noted in the chapter introduction, I do think
that objectively, White cannot really count on any advantage in this line.
Even so, from a practical viewpoint, it has some benefits. White forces "his"
position, and from the club player's perspective, the Botvinnik has quite a
strong appeal, because of its "shut your eyes" qualities - White can play many
of the same moves almost independently of what his opponent is up to, which is
something many average players like.} (6... e5 $6 {is not to be recommended.
It's likely to transpose back into positions considered in Miezis-Roemer (see
the note to Black's 6th move in that game). We noted there that the
combination of ...e5 and ...Nf6, blocking the black f-pawn, is not especially
good. The only attempt to justify 6...e5 here is to refrain from ...Nc6, and
instead put the pawn on c6. For example,} 7. O-O c6 8. d3 {. --- QUESTION: So
how is this different from the other ...Nf6 lines? --- ANSWER: The pawn on c6
changes things somewhat. Black has control of the d5-square, preventing the
white knight from jumping there. He can also hope some day to prepare the
break ...d5. --- QUESTION: So, do you recommend this for Black? --- ANSWER:
Not really. Despite the advantage of having d5 under control, Black still
struggles to meet the f4-break, and White can also gain queenside space with
b4. Play might continue} Nbd7 ({the queenside space gain} 8... a6 {
is well met by} 9. b4 b5 10. a4 $1 {with the initiative}) ({whilst} 8... Nh5 9.
Be3 f5 10. Qd2 Be6 11. exf5 gxf5 12. f4 {gives White a typical set-up, where
he will eventually strike with d4, after due preparation}) 9. h3 a5 10. Be3 Nc5
11. Qd2 Bd7 12. f4 {and White is doing well.}) 7. O-O Nc6 8. d3 ({
White can also delay this move, in favour of immediate queenside expansion:} 8.
a3 Ne8 {. As we will see below, this is a typical plan for Black in this
variation. --- QUESTION: What is the idea? --- ANSWER: We have already seen
this in Andersson-Seirawan. The knight unmasks the fianchettoed bishop, and
prepares to transfer to c7 and thence e6, pointing at the weakened d4-square.
After} 9. Rb1 {Black has a choice of options:} -- (9... Rb8 {
lets White establish his queenside space advantage:} 10. b4 b6 11. d3 Bd7 12.
Be3 Nd4 ({With 12...Nd4 Black prevents the advance d4, although with the white
pawn on b4, it is arguable that the advance d3-d4 is no real threat, because
of the resulting weakness of the c4-pawn, so} 12... Nc7 {
is also perfectly possible.}) {. After 12...Nd4 we have a typical Botvinnik
System position, in which White stands a little better, thanks to his space
advantage. It is worth seeing in full an old, but nonetheless instructive game,
played between two of the strongest players of the day, which illustrates the
strengths of the white position. M.Taimanov-M.Najdorf, Moscow 1956, continued:}
13. h3 ({preparing f4, which if played immediately, with} 13. f4 $6 {
, could be met by} Bg4 {; as we have noted earlier, the Botvinnik player
usually prefers to avoid this exchange of his knights, as they are useful
pieces in this pawn structure}) 13... Nc7 14. Kh2 (14. Qd2 $2 Bxh3 $1 {
is a typical tactical trap in the Botvinnik}) 14... Bc6 $6 (14... Nce6 15. Qd2
cxb4 16. axb4 b5 {
with balanced chances, was suggested by the Russian GM, Chekhov}) 15. Qd2 Re8
16. b5 Bb7 17. a4 {. --- QUESTION: Why has White sealed off the queenside? I
thought he was attacking there? --- ANSWER: White is planning what the
American basketball commentators call a "full-court press". He has certainly
not abandoned his pretensions on the queenside, as he can follow up with a5,
opening the a-file. At the same time, he also has ambitions on the kingside,
with Bh6, f4-f5, etc. Such play across the whole board is a common feature of
the Botvinnik System, if Black plays too passively, as he has done here.} e6
18. Bh6 Bh8 19. Nxd4 $1 {(such transformations of the pawn structure are
always on the cards in this line, and are something for which both players
must keep a look out)} cxd4 ({Black would usually prefer to recapture with a
piece in such positions, so as to avoid filling in the hole on d4, but here} 
19... Bxd4 {is met by} 20. Ne2 Bh8 21. d4 cxd4 22. Nxd4 {
when Black has a weakness on d6, as well as c6}) 20. Na2 $1 {(a slightly
unusual, but effective square for the knight; now we see that Black has a
weakness at c6, and the knight may later penetrate there)} a5 {
(Black decides he cannot live with the enemy knight on b4, hovering over c6)}
21. f4 ({QUESTION: Wouldn't} 21. bxa6 {leave a weakness on b6? --- ANSWER: Yes,
but it would also allow the enemy knight an excellent post on c5, after} Nxa6 {
. Taimanov prefers to keep the knight bottled up.}) 21... f5 {(once again,
Black feels he cannot let the white f-pawn advance to f5, but now he weakens
crucial central squares, such as e6)} 22. Rbe1 Qd7 23. Nc1 Bg7 24. Bxg7 Qxg7
25. Nb3 fxe4 {. --- QUESTION: Why this exchange?} ({ANSWER: Black is worried
about White advancing e5, and wants to play ...e5 himself, without allowing an
exchange on f5. For example, after a neutral move, such as} 25... Rbd8 {
, his position is pretty nasty after} 26. e5 $1 Bxg2 27. Qxg2 dxe5 28. Rxe5 {
(Chekhov). The e6-pawn is weak, the queenside light squares are vulnerable,
and the advance c5 is coming.}) 26. dxe4 e5 27. fxe5 Qxe5 {(losing a pawn)} ({
but} 27... dxe5 28. c5 {
undermines Black's queenside - the a5-pawn is pretty much doomed}) 28. Nxd4 Ne6
29. Nf5 $1 Rf8 (29... gxf5 {loses to} 30. exf5 Qd4 31. Qxd4 Nxd4 32. Rxe8+ Rxe8
33. Bxb7) 30. Nh6+ Kg7 31. Ng4 {. --- Black is a pawn down, and still suffers
from serious weaknesses on d6, b6 and round his king. Taimanov wrapped up as
follows:} Qd4 32. Qh6+ Kh8 33. Rd1 Qg7 34. Rxf8+ Rxf8 35. Qxg7+ Kxg7 36. Rxd6
Nc5 37. e5 Bc8 38. Rxb6 Nxa4 39. Rc6 {1-0. A fine display by Taimanov, and a
good example of how difficult Black's position can become after a few
inaccuracies.}) (9... Nc7 10. b4 Ne6 11. d3 {is another typical position for
this variation, and was reached at least three times by Chinese GM, Ye
Rongguang. Objectively, White has no more than a small advantage, but Ye
scored 3/3 from this position. It is worth looking at some of his games, which
illustrate the possibilities:} Rb8 (11... Ned4 12. Be3 Rb8 13. h3 Bd7 14. Kh2
b6 15. f4 {
was Ye Rongguang-J.Nunn, Lucerne 1989; White eventually won a long game}) 12.
Be3 b6 13. f4 Ned4 14. b5 Nxe2+ 15. Nxe2 Nd4 16. Nxd4 cxd4 17. Bd2 e5 (17... f5
18. Bb4 Rf7 19. Qe2 e6 20. Rbe1 Bf6 21. a4 Qc7 22. Bxd6 Qxd6 23. e5 Bxe5 24.
Qxe5 Qxe5 25. Rxe5 {left White with the better endgame, which he went on to
win in Ye Rongguang-D.Coleman, Amsterdam 1996}) 18. Bb4 f6 19. a4 Qe7 20. Qb3
Kh8 21. Qa3 Rd8 22. a5 Kg8 23. Rb2 Bf8 24. Rbf2 {. White has strong pressure
on both sides of the board. Ye Rongguang-S.Van Blitterswijk, Antwerp 1996,
concluded} Bg7 25. fxe5 fxe5 $2 (25... Qxe5 {was the only chance}) 26. Rf7 Qxf7
27. Rxf7 Kxf7 28. Bxd6 Rb7 29. c5 Kg8 30. cxb6 axb6 31. a6 Rf7 32. a7 Bb7 33.
Bh3 Kh8 34. Be6 Rf3 35. Bd5 {1-0.}) (9... a5 $5 {fights for space on the
queenside, and is probably a better reply. --- QUESTION: But doesn't it weaken
b5? --- ANSWER: Yes, but White cannot really exploit this. If his knight comes
to b5, it can always be exchanged off by ...Nc7.} 10. d3 Nc7 11. Be3 Nd4 12. b4
axb4 13. axb4 b6 {was equal in L.Evans-R.Fischer, US Championship 1966.})) 8...
Ne8 (8... a6 {is another plan, immediately aiming at queenside space gain.
White probably does best to nip this in the bud:} 9. a4 ({instead,} 9. Rb1 Rb8
10. a3 b5 11. cxb5 axb5 12. b4 cxb4 13. axb4 {
was equal, V.Salov-A.Beliavsky, Vilnius 1987}) ({whilst} 9. h3 Rb8 10. a4 Ne8
11. Be3 Nd4 12. Rb1 Bd7 13. b4 Nxe2+ 14. Nxe2 cxb4 15. Rxb4 b5 16. Qb3 Nc7 17.
Rb1 bxc4 18. Qxc4 Rxb4 19. Rxb4 a5 20. Rb7 Ne6 21. d4 {
left White in control in H.Tikkanen-J.Eriksson, Vasteras 2011}) 9... Bd7 10. h3
Ne8 11. Be3 Nd4 12. Rb1 Nc7 13. b4 Bc6 14. bxc5 dxc5 15. a5 Nce6 16. Nd5 Re8
17. Nxd4 cxd4 18. Bd2 Nc5 19. Nb6 Rb8 20. Qe2 {
was slightly better for White in A.Rotstein-K.Van der Weide, Seefeld 2005.}) 9.
Be3 Nd4 {QUESTION: Is this forced? --- ANSWER: No, but Black usually prefers
not to allow White to advance d4.} ({After} 9... Nc7 10. d4 cxd4 11. Nxd4 {
White is slightly better, in a typical Maroczy/King's Indian structure.}) 10.
Rb1 {A logical reaction to Black's last. Now the knight has moved away from
controlling b4, White prepares that advance, saving on the need to play the
preparatory a3.} Bd7 11. b4 b6 12. a4 Nc7 13. h3 Nxe2+ {QUESTION: Why does
Black exchange off the knight he has gone to some lengths to establish on d4?
--- ANSWER: That is a perfectly good question. I see no particular reason for
him to do so.} (13... Nce6 {looks fine for Black.}) 14. Nxe2 a5 15. b5 Qc8 (
15... Ne6 16. f4 Nd4 {is equal.}) 16. Kh2 Rb8 17. f4 e5 $5 {QUESTION: I am
surprised at Black's last. I thought you said he usually prefers not to have ...e5 played, when the pawn comes to f4? --- ANSWER: I did. It is not always the
case, and ...e5 is probably okay here, but I still see no need for it.} ({
Black is curiously reluctant to put his knight on d4, but he seems to be fine
after} 17... Ne6 {.}) 18. Qd2 f5 $2 {Black has been fiddling about rather
unconvincingly over the past few moves, but this is the first move which can
be regarded as a serious mistake. Now White seizes on the various weaknesses
Black has created, particularly on the e-file, and soon takes control of the
game.} 19. exf5 Rxf5 {The other recaptures are not really any better.} 20. Nc3
{The knight immediately takes aim at d5 and e4.} Be6 21. Ne4 {
The pawn on d6 is another weakness for Black to worry about.} Qd7 22. fxe5 Bxe5
(22... dxe5 {is probably the lesser evil, although White is still better after}
23. g4 Rff8 24. Qc3 {.}) 23. d4 cxd4 24. Bxd4 Bxd4 (24... Bxc4 {
loses material after} 25. Bxe5 {.}) 25. Qxd4 {QUESTION: Things look to have
gone seriously wrong for Black over the last few moves! --- ANSWER: They
certainly have. His kingside dark squares are very weak, as is the d6-pawn,
and all White's pieces are excellently posted. Black struggles on, but he is
ultimately unable to hold his position together.} Ne8 26. Rxf5 Bxf5 27. Rd1 h6
28. g4 Bxe4 29. Qxe4 Qg7 30. Rf1 Nc7 31. Qf4 Rd8 32. Rd1 Qf8 33. Qd4 {
White just has too many targets. Now b6 is dropping off.} Kh7 34. Rf1 Qe7 35.
Qxb6 Ne6 36. Qe3 ({Here} 36. Qxa5 Nc5 {
might give Black a smidgeon of counterplay. Kosten does not even allow that.})
36... Re8 37. Bc6 Nc5 38. Qf4 Rb8 39. Qf7+ Qxf7 40. Rxf7+ Kh8 41. Rf6 Nxa4 42.
Rxd6 Nb2 43. Bd5 a4 44. Rxg6 {. --- Black's game collapsed with surprising
rapidity after 18...f5, another illustration of how deceptive the Botvinnik
System can be.} 1-0

[Event "Paris Immopar (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kasparov, G."]
[Black "Short, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "117"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 f5 {With this move, Black announces that he intends to force a
transposition into some kind of Dutch Defence. --- QUESTION: So do we have to
acquiesce? --- ANSWER: The late and great Tigran Petrosian once said that "if
your opponent wants to play the Dutch, do not, whatever you do, try to stop
him!" On that basis, perhaps White should transpose, but most of us do not
play the White side of the Dutch quite as well as Tigran Vartanovich, and,
besides, there are both subjective and objective reasons for not transposing.
--- QUESTION: Such as? --- ANSWER: Subjectively, it is obviously nice to avoid
the opponent's pet line. Objectively, one of the main strategic ideas of the
Dutch is to fight for the square e4. With White's pawn already committed to d4,
that idea makes some sense, but if White can still put his pawn on d3, playing
...f5 is arguably rather riskier. So, in this book, we will look at ways White
can try to preserve a more "English" structure.} 2. Nf3 {As we will see, this
move-order is not the best for the approach recommended here, since White
gives up the option of a Botvinnik System, with the knight going to e2.} ({
I therefore recommend the move-order} 2. g3 {. --- QUESTION: Why does this
matter? --- ANSWER: The point is that Black has three main set-ups in the
Dutch: The Ilyin-Zhenevsky, or Classical Dutch, with ...e6 and ...d6; the
Stonewall with ...e6 and ...d5; and the Leningrad with ...d6 and ...g6. My
recommended set-up here is that White fianchetto his king's bishop in all
three cases, and that he play Nf3 against the first two lines, and a Botvinnik
System against the Leningrad. In order to preserve his options, therefore,
White must first develop his king's bishop, and wait until Black shows his
hand. --- QUESTION: You really are a devious character! --- ANSWER: I will
take that as a compliment! --- After} Nf6 3. Bg2 {
Black must reveal his cards. Will he play ...e6 or ...g6?} -- (3... e6 4. Nf3 {
transposes back to the main game.}) ({
. If Black wants to play a Leningrad, he will usually play} 3... g6 {
here. Now we switch to a Botvinnik Formation, with} 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. d3 O-O 6. e4
d6 7. Nge2 {. --- QUESTION: How is this different from other Botvinnik lines
we have looked at? --- ANSWER: Assuming Black plays ...e5, it is different
only in that he has not yet committed his queen's knight to c6. If he does so
here, we reach lines examined in Moskalenko-Mestre Bellido. --- The
alternative is to play ...c6. For example:} c6 8. O-O e5 {. --- QUESTION: We
have seen something like this in the notes to the previous game, haven't we?
--- ANSWER: Not quite. There, we looked at lines where Black plays ...c6, but
with his knight blocking his f-pawn. Here, he has played ...f5 as well. ---
QUESTION: What difference does that make? --- ANSWER: I would say that this is
a slightly better formation, since, as we have emphasized throughout this book,
Black does not usually want to block his f-pawn in these Botvinnik structures.
Even so, I think White has an edge here:} 9. exf5 $1 ({
this exchange is important, as Black was threatening} 9. -- f4 $1 {
, with the idea} 10. gxf4 Nh5 $1 {, a thematic and dangerous pawn sacrifice,
which would give him excellent kingside chances}) 9... gxf5 {
. --- QUESTION: Can't Black take with the bishop?} ({
ANSWER: Yes, but then he loses control of e4. After} 9... Bxf5 {
, White continues} 10. h3 $1 {
and then d4, with g4 and Ng3 in mind at a later stage as well.}) 10. d4 {
. Once again, White has a small, but pleasant edge. Kosten quotes one of his
own games, which was typical:} Na6 11. b3 Nc7 12. Ba3 e4 13. Nf4 Re8 14. d5 c5
15. Bb2 Bd7 16. a4 {with a clear positional advantage (f3 is coming, breaking
up Black's structure), A.Kosten-Marcellin, Cannes 1998.}) (3... d6 {is Black's
only attempt to preserve options - the Stonewall is now ruled out, but he can
still play the Classical or the Leningrad. White should therefore delay the
development of his king's knight for one more move with} 4. Nc3 {
after which Black struggles to avoid revealing his hand..})) 2... Nf6 3. g3 e6
4. Bg2 Be7 {
As we will see, Black still intends a Stonewall, but with his bishop on e7.} ({
The more modern Stonewall treatment usually involves putting the bishop on d6,
in which case Black is likely to prefer} 4... d5 {here, and then} 5. O-O c6 6.
Nc3 Bd6 {. Here White could play à la Kasparov, with the exchange on d5,
followed by e3, etc. However, with the black bishop on d6, he also has another,
even more effective plan, viz.} 7. d3 O-O 8. e4 $1 {. This immediately cracks
Black's wall, and practice suggests his position is rather difficult here, e.g.
} fxe4 9. dxe4 dxe4 10. Ng5 {
and White will regain the pawn with an obvious advantage.}) 5. O-O O-O 6. Nc3
d5 {The text finally shows Black's hand - it is to be a Stonewall.} ({
QUESTION: So what about} 6... d6 {, with a Classical Dutch? --- ANSWER: Well,
of course, White again has the option of transposing by} 7. d4 {, but I see no
need for that. --- QUESTION: But if we don't play d4, isn't Black going to get
in ...e5 himself, a move he always aims for in the Dutch?} ({ANSWER: Yes, but
in the English, he can play that at move one! Here, he has taken two moves to
achieve it, whilst we just get on with our standard English queenside play:} 7.
b4 e5 8. d3 c6 9. Bb2 Qe8 10. e3 Na6 {was the game M.Illescas Cordoba-J.Pomes
Marcet, Linares 1998, and now Marin gives} 11. b5 Nc5 12. d4 {
with a nice Dutch for White, who has made extensive progress on the queenside.}
)) 7. cxd5 ({QUESTION: What is wrong with the plan of} 7. d3 c6 8. e4 {
here, as we saw in a previous note? --- ANSWER: Nothing really, although it is
slightly less effective with Black's bishop on e7, as White is not threatening
to win a piece with the fork e5. Even so, after} d4 9. Ne2 fxe4 ({or} 9... c5
10. exf5 exf5 11. b4 $1) 10. dxe4 Nxe4 11. Nexd4 {
White has some advantage, as given by Marin.}) 7... exd5 8. e3 {QUESTION: What
is White doing here? --- ANSWER: Basically, he intends to retain his d-pawn on
d2/d3 for the long term. This will deprive Black of the use of the square e4.
White will bring his knight to d4, fianchetto the queen's bishop and
eventually prepare a queenside minority attack. --- QUESTION: Are you saying
White is better? --- ANSWER: I would claim he is somewhat better, yes. It is
not a hugely ambitious approach, but it produces a quiet, manoeuvring game,
where White has a safe edge. It is a particularly effective approach for a
rapid game, which this game was - at such time-limits, a simple, clear plan is
worth its weight in gold.} Kh8 9. b3 Nc6 10. Bb2 Be6 11. Ne2 Bg8 12. d3 {
Here, we see the key points of White's set-up. Without access to the e4-square,
it is hard for Black to create any serious kingside counterplay, and he would
much prefer to be able to play the move ...f5-f7 (admittedly, not with his
bishop on g8, but you know what I mean!).} Qd7 13. a3 Bd6 14. Qc2 Rae8 15. b4 {
White starts his minority attack.} Ng4 16. Ned4 Nce5 17. Rac1 c6 18. Bc3 {
QUESTION: What is this move for? --- ANSWER: White has ideas of Qb2, strengthening the pressure along the a1-h8 diagonal, as well as putting some beef behind
the b-pawn.} Nxf3+ 19. Nxf3 Re7 20. Qb2 Qe8 21. Bd4 $1 {A nice, instructive
move. --- QUESTION: Why? What is the point? --- ANSWER: White intends Bc5,
exchanging dark-squared bishops. This is almost always a favourable exchange
for White in Stonewall positions, because Black's dark squares are weakened by
the d5-f5 pawn structure, and the dark-squared bishop is a key defender of
them.} a6 22. Bc5 Rf6 23. Bxd6 Rxd6 24. Qd4 Bf7 25. a4 Bh5 26. Rb1 Nh6 27. b5 {
The classic minority attack break.} axb5 28. axb5 Bxf3 29. Bxf3 Nf7 30. Bh5 $1
{Another excellent exchanging operation. Black would be happy to keep his
knight, which defends his dark squares, whilst White's light-squared bishop
cannot attack them. Kasparov instead forces the exchange of the minor pieces,
knowing that the heavy piece ending will leave him with the better chances.
Black will have a weakness on c6 and a weakened king position.} Rh6 31. Bxf7
Rxf7 32. bxc6 bxc6 33. Rb6 Rf8 34. Qc5 {This kind of heavy piece ending is a
typical outcome of the minority attack. With only the c6-weakness, Black would
have good chances to hold, but here, his problems are exacerbated by the fact
that his kingside has been seriously weakened by the move ...f5. I recall
Grandmaster Murray Chandler once telling me, à propos the Stonewall, that "It
is all very well, but when you play it against the likes of Salov, or some
other world-class GM, then somewhere around move 35, you find yourself really
wishing you could put that wretched pawn back on f7!"} g5 {QUESTION: This
weakens his kingside even more, doesn't it? --- ANSWER: Yes, but it is a
typical "Prisoner's Dilemma" in such positions: if he plays passively, White
can strengthen his position at his leisure, whilst if he seeks active
counterplay, he creates even more weaknesses. Creating counterplay is usually
the better practical option. Short starts to make a very good fist of fighting
back from here onwards.} 35. Rc1 f4 (35... Rff6 {
defends the pawn for the time being, but a line such as} 36. Qb4 Kg7 37. Qb2 {
leaves him tied hand and foot.}) 36. exf4 gxf4 37. Rxc6 Rxc6 38. Qxc6 Qxc6 39.
Rxc6 {White has reached a rook ending with an extra pawn, but converting is
not that easy. The remaining moves were played at great speed, this being a
half-hour game, so it makes little sense to scrutinize them in detail,
especially as they are irrelevant to our theme.} Ra8 40. Rf6 $5 (40. gxf4 {
wins another pawn, but there is a risk of a drawn rook + f + h-pawn ending
arising.}) 40... fxg3 41. hxg3 Ra3 42. Rf3 Kg7 43. Kg2 d4 44. Kh3 h5 45. Kh4
Kg6 46. g4 hxg4 47. Kxg4 Ra2 48. Kf4 Re2 {
Cutting off the white king is the only hope.} 49. Rg3+ Kf6 50. Rg2 Ke6 51. Kf3
Re1 52. Rg4 Kd5 53. Rg5+ Kd6 54. Ra5 Ke6 55. Ra2 Kd5 56. Kf4 Kd6 57. Kf5 Kc5
58. f4 Kb4 $2 (58... Rd1 $1 {would give serious counterplay, and should draw.})
59. Rc2 {. --- Whilst there may be no objective reason to avoid a
transposition into standard Dutch lines, the English offers some attractive
independent set-ups against Black's various Dutch formations. The Stonewall,
in particular, strikes me as rather dubious, if White has not committed his
pawn to d4.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "6. Building a Repertoire"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

{As explained in the Introduction, this book does not aim to provide a
recommended repertoire, but sets out instead to introduce the principal
variations of the English and the various structures to which those variations
lead. However, an opening book with no discussion of how precisely one might
open a game seems a little lacking, so this final chapter discusses the issues
involved in putting together a repertoire, based on} 1. c4 {.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A transpositional weapon"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 {. In the first instance, the English can be used not as an independent
opening system in its own right, but merely as a transpositional device. A
player whose basic repertoire starts with 1 d4 can utilize the English as a
way of avoiding certain black defences, whilst retaining the option of
transposing back into regular 1 d4 territory against other defences.} -- ({
One simple example is when playing an opponent who relies on the Queen's
Gambit Accepted (QGA) as Black: 1 d4 d5 2 c4 dxc4. If one is keen to avoid
this, perhaps because one's opponent is a particular expert, or because one's
favoured line against it has recently sustained a theoretical "hit" and is
temporarily in need of repair, one can open 1 c4. This precludes the QGA
altogether, and poses the opponent a slight problem. He has to be careful not
to be "move-ordered". For example, if he answers} 1... Nf6 {, then after} 2. d4
{(!), we have dodged his QGA and forced him into a position usually reached
via 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4, which is our normal repertoire, but not his.}) ({Likewise,} 
1... e6 2. d4 {also reaches a position that is probably not part of his
regular repertoire. Many QGA experts answer the English with 1...e5, precisely
because it is one reply that avoids any risk of being move-ordered into a 1 d4
system that is not part of their usual repertoire.}) ({Another group of
players, against whom the English can be used as a transpositional tool, are
Grünfeld players. The Grünfeld Defence, 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5, is one of
the most theoretically developed of all 1 d4 openings, having been very
popular at top GM level in recent years, in the hands of such players as
Kasparov, Anand, Svidler and others. However, by choosing 1 c4, one can avoid
the Grünfeld altogether. As we saw in Marin-Ris, if Black insists on trying to
reach the Grünfeld, by} 1... Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 {, then the lines after} 3. cxd5
Nxd5 4. g3 {are quite pleasant for White, as Black does not have the usual
white pawn centre as a ready target.}) ({
Likewise, if Black is careless enough to answer 1 c4 with} 1... Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 {
, naively hoping for 3 d4 d5, reaching his beloved Grünfeld, then of course,
we can cross him up with} 3. e4 $1 {, after which Black finds himself forced
into a King's Indian instead. --- Naturally, there is nothing objectively
wrong with the King's Indian per se, but it leads to very different structures
from the Grünfeld. The latter usually gives rise to open positions, where
Black has long-range pieces attacking the white centre (e.g. the g7-bishop, a
rook on d8, etc) along the diagonals and central files. The King's Indian, by
contrast, much more often results in a blocked centre, and many Grünfeld
players do not feel comfortable in such structures (the English IM, David
Goodman, once told me that "Grünfeld players are obsessed - they have to open
the position, even when it's obviously not good!"). --- This idea of using the
English to avoid the Grünfeld, whilst allowing the King's Indian, can also be
incorporated into a more general English repertoire. As the reader will have
seen from my comments in the Chapter 5 introduction, I am not all that
convinced that pure English set-ups objectively offer much against the King's
Indian. The Botvinnik System, explored in Kosten-Bujisho, is less effective
against ...c5 than ...e5, whilst the Nf3/d3 lines are also fairly toothless
against a King's Indian set-up. Consequently, even if the white player is
using 1 c4 as his main weapon, rather than merely as an occasional
transpositional tool, there is some sense in answering 1 c4 Nf6 2 Nc3 g6 with
3 e4, forsaking independent English paths and heading back into the King's
Indian proper.}) ({Going back to the idea of using 1 c4 merely as a way of
avoiding certain 1 d4 main lines, it should be noted that the Benoni (1 d4 Nf6
2 c4 c5), including the Benko Gambit (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5), can be dodged
by playing 1 c4, e.g.} 1... Nf6 2. Nc3 {, and now:} -- (2... c5 {can be met by}
3. g3 ({or} 3. Nf3 {first, forcing an English line, as seen in Chapter 2.})) ({
. Similarly, the Nimzo-Indian (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4) can be avoided by} 
2... e6 3. e4 {, the Mikenas Attack, as covered in Chapter 3.})) (1... -- {
In summary, the 1 d4 player can use the English as a transpositional tool, to
avoid a number of the main defences to 1 c4. This can be a useful way of
dodging a particular opponent's favourite defence, in a one-off game, and can
also be used as a more permanent opening repertoire trick, for example, by
always opening 1 c4, but then being prepared to transpose back into various 1
d4 main lines, whilst avoiding certain others.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "1 c4 as a repertoire choice"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

{The second move dilemma: -- Assuming that White intends to use} 1. c4 {
as a permanent repertoire choice, his biggest decision comes as early as move
2. Basically, the question is whether he should answer 1...e5/1...Nf6 with 2
Nc3 or 2 g3.} -- {"Ich bin ein Kostenite" -- Ever since the publication of
Tony Kosten's groundbreaking repertoire book The Dynamic English, in 1999, the
dominant move-order amongst English Opening practitioners has been 1 c4,
followed by} 2. g3 {. Kosten's book, although containing fewer than 150 pages,
provided White players with a complete repertoire, based on these first two
moves, and proved immensely influential. This same initial move-order has been
recommended by Mihail Marin, in his more recent and much more detailed series
of repertoire books for the white player. --- The advantage of the 2 g3
move-order, as explained by Kosten himself, is to avoid certain of the most
theoretical English lines. In particular, the Four Knights English lines,
beginning 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Nf3 Nc6 4 g3, and now both 4...Bb4 and 4...d5
have a large body of theory behind them, as we have seen in Chapter 1. In
addition, Black has various sidelines, such as 2...Bb4, which Kosten's
move-order avoids. The main point of the Kosten move-order can be summed up as
follows: if White is going to play g3 at some point anyway, then he may as
well play it on move 2. By doing so, he avoids certain heavily theoretical
lines, as well as a few less significant sidelines. --- However, one rarely
gets anything for nothing in this life, and the chessboard is no exception.
The Kosten move-order also has several drawbacks, and now is the time to
consider these.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "No dodging the 'Nogard'"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. -- ({
The first point to note is that, whilst the Kosten order avoids the line} 1. c4
e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 {,} ({it does not prevent the "Nogard"
(that's the Dragon reversed...) lines, starting with} 4... d5 {.})) ({
In the Kosten move-order, this arises after} 1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4.
cxd5 Nxd5 {. After the further moves} 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. O-O Nb6 $1 (6... Be7 {
allows} 7. d4 {, which probably favours White, although this is not 100% clear}
) {, we reach an important position.} 7. -- ({. Now} 7. Nc3 {would transpose
back into the main lines, considered in Brunello-Brunner. Objectively, this is
probably the strongest move and is the course recommended by Marin. As
demonstrated in Brunello-Brunner, White can probably hope for a small
advantage in such positions, although with this variation, White is dealing
with a large body of theory.}) ({. Instead of this, Kosten suggests taking
advantage of the delayed development of White's queen's knight, to adopt a
slightly different set-up:} 7. d3 Be7 8. Nbd2 {. White will continue with a3
and - assuming Black responds ...a5, preventing the queenside expansion - b3
and Bb2. This produces a slightly different position from the main line. White
has immediate pressure against the black e5-pawn, and will virtually force the
move ...f6, thus preventing more aggressive black formations involving ...f5.
White will also be able to play e3 and d4, recapturing with a piece on d4,
something which would not be available with his knight on c3. Kosten claims a
slight advantage for White in these lines. --- This is certainly an
interesting set-up for White, which avoids some of the more heavily analysed
lines after 7 Nc3, and which poses Black slightly different problems. However,
since Kosten's book came out, quite a lot of games have been played in this
line, and it seems clear that Black has no real problems. One example,
featuring one of the world's greatest experts on both sides of this line, was
the game J.Van Mechelen-M.Gurevich, Belgian Championship 2001, which continued}
Be6 9. a3 a5 10. b3 O-O 11. Bb2 f6 12. Qc2 Qd7 13. e3 Bf5 14. Ne4 Rfd8 15. d4
exd4 16. Nxd4 Nxd4 17. Bxd4 Nd5 18. Qb2 Bh3 19. Bxh3 Qxh3 20. Rac1 Qe6 21. Nd2
Bd6 {. Black was comfortably equal, and eventually won.} (21... --))) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "An improved Keres"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "16"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

{An important variation, which the Kosten move-order allows, is the line} 1. c4
e5 2. g3 ({The analogous line} 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 c6 {is named after Paul Keres.}
) 2... Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 {. The Kosten move-order is an improved version of the
Keres for White, since without his knight committed to c3, he is not
threatened with a rapid ...d5-d4. Even so, it is not clear exactly how much
White has in this line. The main variation runs} 4. d4 exd4 5. Qxd4 {
and now the move} Na6 {was advocated by Richard Palliser in 'Dangerous Weapons:
Flank Openings'. Marin still claims an advantage for White, but after} 6. Nf3
Bc5 7. Qe5+ Qe7 8. Qxe7+ Bxe7 {, any White edge is pretty small.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Option losses"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 {
. The other problem with 2 g3 is that White thereby gives up a lot of options.}
-- ({Not only does he sacrifice the non-g3 lines of the Four Knights (e.g.} 
1... e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 {, and now such lines as} 4. e3 ({and} 4. e4)) ({
, he also deprives himself of such variations as the Mikenas System} 1... Nf6
2. Nc3 e6 ({and the King's Indian transposition} 2... g6 3. e4 {
, discussed earlier in this chapter}) 3. e4 {(see Chapter 3). Of course, if
White is happy to play g3 in every system, that does not matter, but there are
certainly arguments that he does well to dispense with this move against some
black responses, and the Kosten move-order does not allow him to do so.}) ({
We have already discussed the King's Indian issue above, and, as I noted there,
I do not think White objectively has much in the pure English vs. King's
Indian set-up. This is therefore one obvious line where we might prefer not to
be committed to an early g3. Another is the QGD-type lines, starting} 1... e6 {
. White players who are happy to play a QGD, perhaps with the Exchange
Variation, can answer this with} 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 {
, transposing, and with the added advantage of having dodged the QGA.}) ({
However, if they answer} 1... Nf6 {with} 2. g3 {
, then they are unable to reach the same QGD position after the reply} e6 {
, followed by ...d5. Instead, they have to fall back on the double fianchetto
or neo-Catalan lines, covered in McDonald-Nicholson and Miles-Geller.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The classical 2 Nc3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 {. In the light of the considerations discussed in the previous section,
let us now turn our attention to move-orders in which White does not commit
himself to a very early g3. After 1 c4 e5/Nf6, the classical response has
always been 2 Nc3.} -- ({Of course, with this move White does not pass up the
opportunity to play a subsequent g3; rather, he keeps his options open. Thus,
against} 1... e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 ({on} 2... Nc6 3. g3 {, he can still revert to the
lines considered in the first five games of Chapter 1 with}) {
, he has additional options. In particular, he can play} 3. Nf3 Nc6 {
, and now one of the fourth move alternatives to 4 g3,} 4. -- ({, such as} 4.
e3 {(Ivanchuk-Karjakin)}) ({, and} 4. e4 {(Grachev-Lalic).}) ({
. There are several reasons why he may wish to do this. Firstly, the} 4. g3 {
lines are extremely heavily analysed, both after} Bb4 ({and} 4... d5 {
, and so White may prefer to head for less explored territory. Secondly, the
Reversed Dragon lines with 4...d5 are an especially tough nut to crack, and it
makes sense for White to cultivate other pastures, in the search for an
opening advantage. As explained in the notes to Grachev-Lalic, the old
Nimzowitsch System with 4 e4 seems to offer more chances for an edge than has
hitherto been generally thought, whilst 4 e3 is another rich system, which
offers much relatively unmapped territory.}))) ({A second reason for
preferring the move-order 2 Nc3 is that it allows White some more "muscular"
variations, where he can pose Black immediate problems, rather than just
developing slowly, within his own half of the board. Thus, for example, the
move-order} 1... Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 {can be met with the aggressive Mikenas Attack,}
3. e4 {. As the reader will have seen from Chapter 3, I think the Mikenas is
quite an attractive system for White, especially at anything below top GM
level, because White's early central occupation makes immediate demands of
Black. If he does not respond quite accurately, he can easily be blown out of
the centre, as several of the variations quoted in Chapter 3 demonstrate.}) ({
As we have already discussed several times, the 2 Nc3 move-order also allows
White to play a more aggressive, mainline set-up against the King's Indian,
with an early e4, whilst also avoiding the Grünfeld. In addition, he can
revert to a QGD against} 1... e6 2. Nc3 d5 {, again a more aggressive approach
than the slow, double fianchetto/neo-Catalan systems covered in
McDonald-Nicholson and Miles-Geller, although of course, the QGD main lines
are much better analysed and black opponents can be expected to know what they
are doing in such variations.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "A free lunch or a cheap one?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A21"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 {. So, what are the drawbacks of 2 Nc3? To my mind, there are not a huge
number, if White is willing to play the Four Knights against 1...e5. The only
real issue is that Black has one or two tricky sidelines, most notably} e5 2.
Nc3 Bb4 {. --- With this move-order, Black hopes to be able to capture on c3
without committing either of his knights;} 3. -- ({e.g. after} 3. g3 Bxc3 {
. Now, whichever way White recaptures, Black can follow up with ...d6, ...f5
and ...Nf6, reaching a much more aggressive structure than in the Four Knights
lines with 4 g3 Bb4. In fact, Black is playing a reversed version of the Grand
Prix Attack or Vinken line against the Sicilian: 1 e4 c5 2 f4 Nc6 3 Nf3 g6 4
Bb5, etc. Such lines are known to be effective for White, and have proved so
as Black also, despite the minus tempo. I still recall being harshly treated
as White in the English line by a very youthful Matthew Sadler, an experience
which put me off the white position forever. Admittedly, cynics might point,
truthfully, if a tad unkindly, to the talent gap between myself and Sadler,
and suggest that the white game might not have looked so bad had the colours
been reversed, but notwithstanding such considerations, I do not recommend 3
g3 for White in this line.}) ({So what should White do after 1 c4 e5 2 Nc3
Bb4? If he is prepared to play the 4 e3 line of the Four Knights, then} 3. Qc2
{looks a decent reply, which may even transpose into that very line. Indeed, a
few months after my drubbing at Sadler's hands, I got a measure of vicarious
revenge, when I watched him lose to GM Suba, who played 3 Qc2. However, this
is not such a suitable line if White intends to adopt a g3-style development,
because Qc2 is likely to prove a waste of time in such lines.}) ({
In that case, White should probably prefer} 3. Nd5 {, when he should be able
to secure a small edge against any of the black bishop retreats.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Meister Miezis solution"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "9"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

{One grandmaster, specializing in the English, whose name has cropped up a
number of times in this book, is the Latvian, Normunds Miezis. It is
interesting to study his repertoire in a little more detail, as he uses
several rather unusual systems. --- The first thing to note is that he uses
the 2 Nc3 move-order, including the Mikenas System. However, against most
other lines, he still plays 3 g3, frequently resorting to the Botvinnik System.
This includes the latter against the King's Indian, despite the fact that
Black can play ...c5, rather than ...e5. As I have noted several times already,
I do not think White objectively has any advantage in these lines, but the
generic Botvinnik structure is one in which many players specialize, and can
obtain good practical results, whatever the objective merits of the position.
Miezis is a good example of this, scoring very well as White in such positions.
--- The two most interesting aspects of Miezis' repertoire are as follows. ---
After} 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 {, Miezis plays the move} 3. g3 {.} ({This is a sort
of halfway house between the Kosten 2 g3 and the Four Knights line} 3. Nf3 Nc6
4. g3 {.}) {There are a couple of points which give 3 g3 independence. The
first comes after} 3... Bb4 4. Bg2 O-O {.} 5. -- ({
Now, trying to transpose back into Four Knights lines with} 5. Nf3 {would not be so good, because Black has not committed his queen's knight to c6, and can
employ a set-up without that move. A recent high-level example was H.Nakamura-V.Ivanchuk, Reggio Emilia 2012, which continued} Bxc3 6. bxc3 d6 7.
O-O Re8 8. Ne1 $6 c6 9. d3 h6 10. Rb1 d5 11. Qb3 b6 12. cxd5 cxd5 13. Nc2 Nc6 {
, with an excellent game for Black. In general, I do not recommend this for
White; there seems little point in giving Black the extra option of dispensing
with ...Nc6.}) ({Instead, Miezis' solution is the move} 5. e4 {. With this,
White clamps down on the d5-square, and prepares to prevent the doubling of
his c-pawns by Nge2. Black usually takes the chance to double the pawns, by}
Bxc3 6. dxc3 {and now} d6 {. --- This is a position in which Miezis has
enormous experience; in fact, Megabase 2012 has 49 of his games which reached
this position. His overall score is a healthy 60% as White, but despite this,
I am not entirely convinced White has any advantage. His plan is to put the
queen on e2 and try to bring the knight ultimately to e3. This can be achieved
via f3-d2-f1, or, Miezis' more recent plan, playing the pawn to f3, followed
by Nh3-f2 and eventually via d1-e3. However, both of these plans are rather
slow, and practice suggests that Black is doing well with a rapid ...a6 and ...b5, seeking to open the f1-a6 diagonal, and embarrass the white queen. The
recent game N.Miezis-M.Adams, European Team Championship 2011, continued} 7.
Qe2 Nbd7 8. Nh3 a6 9. f3 b5 10. Be3 bxc4 11. Qxc4 a5 12. Qd3 Ba6 13. Qc2 Qb8 {
, with a good position for Black, who eventually won a long game. Looking more
closely at Miezis' statistics in this line, it is striking that he has scored
extremely well against lower-rated players, but has lost almost every time he
has faced an opponent rated higher than himself. This suggests it is a line
where the better player will win - that may make it attractive or otherwise,
to potential white players, depending on their opposition.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pure and simple Keres"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

{The other issue with the move-order} 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 {
, is that Black can play the Keres system} c6 {.} 4. -- ({
In contrast to the Kosten lines, here White cannot really play} 4. d4 {
, since after} exd4 5. Qxd4 d5 {
, his knight on c3 will be hit by a rapid ...d5-d4.}) ({
In addition, the pawn-grab} 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Qb3 {
has long been known to offer Black splendid compensation after} Nc6 $1 7. Nxd5
Nd4 8. Nxf6+ gxf6 $1 {.}) ({Instead, White has to play} 4. Nf3 e4 5. Nd4 d5 6.
cxd5 {, when} Qb6 $1 7. Nb3 cxd5 {is regarded as the critical line. Once again,
this line is not regarded especially highly by theory (for White, that is),
but Miezis has often been willing to play the white side.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fair exchange - no robbery?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C01"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

{Another Miezis' speciality is his way of meeting} 1. c4 e6 {. Rather than
transposing into a QGD, or adopting a system based on g3, he plays the line} 2.
e4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. d4 {. This in fact transposes into a position which
could arise from the Exchange Variation of the French Defence, after 1 e4 e6 2
d4 d5 3 exd5 exd5 4 c4. This in itself should be enough to confirm that White
has no objective grounds for hoping for an advantage, but once again, Miezis
is relying less on objective factors, and more on his own greater experience
with the position. After the almost inevitable exchange on c4, we will reach
an IQP structure, but one where Black has a pawn on the c-file, rather than
the e-file. This changes the position somewhat. In particular, the square f7
can be more vulnerable than usual, with a white bishop on c4 and a knight
potentially coming to e5 (Qb3 is another way of strengthening the pressure
against f7). Similar structures can also arise from the QGA variation 1 d4 d5
2 c4 dxc4 3 e3 e5 4 Bxc4 exd4 5 exd4, where practice shows that Black is
objectively okay with accurate play, but needs to be careful. --- Once again,
Miezis has played this line numerous times - no fewer than 174 games on
Megabase 2012, and with a highly impressive score of 69% as White. Once again,
though, he has usually come unstuck against top-class opposition, which again
suggests this is a line which works effectively again weaker opponents, but
less so when the white player is outclassed by his opponent. Here is a nice
example of how effective it can be, even against GM-strength opposition (see
Miezis-Akesson).} *

[Event "Gent"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Miezis, N."]
[Black "Akesson, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C01"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 e6 2. e4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 (5... Be7 {
was the choice of both Nigel Short and Alexey Shirov, in games against Miezis.}
) 6. Bd3 O-O 7. Nge2 {
Necessary with the black bishop on b4, else a rook check on e8 is disruptive.}
dxc4 8. Bxc4 Nbd7 9. O-O Nb6 10. Bb3 c6 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bh4 Be7 13. Re1 Nbd5 14.
Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Bxe7 Nxe7 16. Nf4 Bf5 17. Qh5 Bh7 18. Rad1 Nf5 19. d5 $1 {
The classic IQP breakthrough.} Qc7 20. Qg4 Rae8 21. Nh5 Bg6 22. Rxe8 Rxe8 23.
Nf6+ $1 gxf6 24. d6 Qxd6 25. g3 $3 {
The beautiful point - Black cannot defend the bishop on g6 and save his queen.}
Qc7 26. Qxg6+ Ng7 27. Rd3 Kf8 28. Qxh6 {. --- It is impossible to believe that
the Miezis treatment offers White any advantage objectively, but it could be a
useful weapon for any English player who wishes to reach more dynamic
positions than those offered by the QGD proper, or the pure English, double
fianchetto structures.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Reti move-order"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A06"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

{Everyone agrees that the English is characterized by the move 1 c4, but it is
also possible to reach many English lines, by starting out with the move} 1.
Nf3 {. The main advantage of this is that White avoids the whole complex of
lines, starting 1 c4 e5. On the other hand, Black can reply} d5 {, which the
English prevents. I would suggest that the main merit of 1 Nf3 is as an
occasional transpositional trick. When playing an opponent who plays 1...e5
against the English, it is potentially possible to try to move-order him out
of his favourite lines, by starting with the move 1 Nf3, which is something
the English player might like to keep in mind.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Summary and conclusions"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A10"]
[Annotator "Steve Giddins"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.02"]

1. c4 {. Objectively, there is not really anything much to choose between the
Kosten move-order with 2 g3, and the classical 2 Nc3, and the decision is
largely a matter of taste. Despite the title of Kosten's book, I actually
think the 2 Nc3 move-order is rather more dynamic than 2 g3, chiefly because
of the availability of more aggressive options, with an early e4, and (often)
dispensing with the fianchetto of the light-squared bishop. I personally also
find the option of transposing into some main line 1 d4 openings, such as the
King's Indian, quite an attractive feature of this line, whilst the option of
non-g3 lines in the 1...e5 Four Knights position is an added incentive to
prefer 2 Nc3. --- On the other hand, the Kosten 2 g3 move-order provides a
more self-contained repertoire, with fewer options for Black to disrupt
White's standard English development. Structures such as the Botvinnik System,
whatever their objective merits, can be highly effective in practice, in the
hands of an experienced English player, who is familiar with the ins and outs
of such heavyweight positions. --- At the end of the day, you pays your money
and you takes your choice. As I hope I have demonstrated in this book, the
English Opening is an extremely flexible weapon, which suits many different
players and styles, and I hope that I have helped you improve your
understanding of it. I wish you every success with the English Opening, in
your chess career.} *

