% BOOKTITLE = The Torre Attack: Move by Move
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "About this Publication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A46"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

{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. ---} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 -- 3. Bg5 {. The Torre Attack is a popular opening, especially at club level. White's development
plan is straightforward and there are clear tactical and strategic goals.
Sometimes White plays quietly; on other occasions he suddenly launches a
direct attack against Black's king, and many quick victories arise because
this unexpected aggression catches Black off guard. In this book, renowned
opening expert Richard Palliser answers all the key questions and reveals
everything you need to know about the opening.} -- {Richard Palliser is an
International Master with numerous tournament successes to his name, and in
2006 he became Joint British Rapidplay Champion. He has already established a
reputation as a skilled and prolific chess writer; previous works for Everyman
Chess include 'Starting Out: Sicilian Najdorf' and 'Beating Unusual Chess
Openings', both of which were warmly received by the critics and chess public
alike.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Series Foreword"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "0"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

{'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 "A46"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "4"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 -- ({The Torre Attack in its traditional guise,} 2... e6 3.
Bg5 {, is an excellent way for the d-pawn player to avoid the complexities of
the Nimzo-Indian. Especially at club level White often reaches an easy-to-play
position where he enjoys decent attacking prospects. In such positions, with
Black generally committed to an early ...d5, knowledge of the key motifs for
each side is much more important than memorizing specific theoretical
sequences. That's not to say that the Torre doesn't have its sharp and quite
critical lines, but there is certainly much less to know than if White
ventures an early c2-c4. --- Sometimes the Torre is tagged with unflattering
terms like 'dull', but one will find plenty of exciting games in this work. I
certainly can't believe that too dull an opening would have been used
throughout his career by the strong Russian Grandmaster Alexey Dreev, nor by
those two leading modern day knights of the opening, the Indian Grandmasters
Pentala Harikrishna and Krishnan Sasikiran, who have built on the earlier
Torre efforts by the likes of Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky. White's
simple set-up might be quite solid, but Black underestimates it and White's
chances to seize a middlegame initiative at his peril.}) ({Notably all five of
those aforementioned players have employed the Torre not just in its
traditional form, but also against} 2... g6 {. I've long felt that the Torre
is underestimated by King's Indian and Grünfeld players and that White has
much better chances for an edge in the main lines after} 3. Bg5 {than theory
has often thought. Just like after 2...e6, Black can equalize, but he needs to
know his stuff and may not find the main lines the guarantee of an easy life
he had perhaps hoped. --- The 'Move by Move' format is ideal for explaining
the intricacies of an opening like the Torre. This book is not crammed full of
theory, but there should still be plenty of detail for even the stronger club
player and above. The aim has been to provide a good balance between coverage
of the relatively more theoretical positions and an explanation of the key
manoeuvres for both sides. Unlike in many opening works, however, the notes do
not begin to gradually peter out once past the opening stage of each
illustrative game. Indeed, I hope that each of our 25 illustrative games will
provide an instructive lesson in middlegame and sometimes even endgame play,
with the Questions and Exercises often highlighting particularly important
points.}) ({QUESTION: I understand that we'll be looking at 3 Bg5 after both 2.
..e6 and 2...g6, but can we not play the opening against everything? ---
ANSWER: Unfortunately, that's a common misconception. As we'll see in our
final chapter, White can most certainly meet} 2... b6) ({and} 2... d6 {with} 3.
Bg5) ({but I do not really recommend it after} 2... d5 {.} 3. -- ({
. White hopes for} 3. Bg5 e6 {, transposing to his favourite line,} ({
but unfortunately} 3... Ne4 $1 {is a bit of a problem.})) ({
. As such, I'm afraid that after 1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 White should play} 3. c4) ({
, or, if he prefers a systems-based approach,} 3. Bf4) ({, or} 3. e3 {.})) ({
The Torre only really works with a knight on f6, so is not ideal either
against the likes of the Modern (1...g6 and 2...Bg7),and} 2... c5 {is another approach which casts significant doubt on the view of the Torre as a 'complete'
opening. --- One really does better just to learn} 3. d5 {, as covered in,
amongst other works, Aaron Summerscale's 'A Killer Chess Opening Repertoire'.}
({Clearly} 3. Bg5 cxd4 {, breaking up White's pawn centre, is not ideal}) ({
, and neither is the preparatory} 3. c3 {going to suit everyone, with} cxd4 4.
cxd4 d5 {, taking play into the Exchange Slav, one problem.})) (2... -- {
QUESTION: It seems like we won't be getting the Torre all that often. Is it
really such a good practical choice? --- ANSWER: Don't forget that the King's
Indian and the Nimzo-Indian are extremely popular at all levels of the game.
In the majority of games with 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 Black does, indeed, plump for 2...g6 or 2...e6. Meanwhile it's a rare day when he's as well-versed in terms of
both theory and understanding of the typical nuances as the Torre practitioner.
--- QUESTION: At club level I presume you mean? --- ANSWER: As we'll see
throughout this work, the Torre Attack has caught out even some quite experienced grandmasters over the years. The majority of our illustrative games feature
two grandmasters and quite often Black will be found struggling in the
middlegame stage, if not even earlier! --- QUESTION: Wow! So not even GMs know
their Torre theory from the black side? --- ANSWER: Exactly. Admittedly plenty
do know what they're doing in the opening stage against the Torre, but they
can still come unstuck in the resulting manoeuvring struggle, which may be why
even Magnus Carlsen has turned to the Torre on occasion. It's important too to
remember that the lines which dominate at grandmaster level are not always
those which the club player gets to see quite often. As such, from the well
over 50,000 (!) Torre games I found, particular attention was paid to not just
the most common approaches at GM level - lines which often find their way into
repertoire books for Black - but also to the most common lines on the database
where both players were rated below 2000.}) (2... -- {That's enough use of the
Move by Move format for now! It's time to see why the Torre Attack still packs
a certain punch in 2012, some 87 years after Carlos Torre Repetto's famous
'Windmill' victory with his opening over Emanuel Lasker. Good luck with your
own adventures with the opening. --- Richard Palliser, York, April 2012.}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "1. The ...g6 Torre with ...d5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "D03"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 O-O 5. c3 d5 {. This solid-looking
approach is not only employed by Grünfeld players, but also by plenty of
King's Indian aficionados. That may seem surprising considering the dynamic
nature of those two defences, but playing ...d7-d5 on move 4 or 5 is just the
sort of 'let's be safe and avoid any early trouble' approach likely to be used
by those taken aback by the Torre. Of course, such set-ups may also appeal to
those with quite a classical bent to their style, as well as to players who
like to go 1 d4 followed by a kingside fianchetto as White. Black will often
employ an early ...c7-c5, but first we must consider a pretty important line
where he aims to break instead with ...e7-e5.} *

[Event "European Team Ch., Porto Carras"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bauer, C."]
[Black "Smirin, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 O-O ({Black can also play} 4... d5 {
without delay when one possible transposition is} 5. e3 O-O 6. c3 {
and we're back in our main game here.}) 5. c3 $1 {QUESTION: What on earth are
we moving this pawn for? Black hasn't even put d4 under any pressure yet!
Surely 5 e4 should have been preferred?} ({ANSWER: The text is a crafty,
prophylactic move which has become White's main choice by far these days.
Sooner or later White will need to shore up the defence of d4, so he
prioritizes that part of his set-up, avoiding the powerful counterstrike} 5. e4
d5 $1 {at the same time. This active thrust grants Black easy counterplay and
is worth avoiding. For example:} 6. -- (6. e5 {is the move that White would
like to play, but asks too much of his position. Following} Ne4 7. Bd3 $2 ({
better is} 7. Be3 {, not that} c5 8. c3 Nc6 9. Bd3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Bf5 {
followed by ...Qb6 can exactly be described as a success for White}) 7... Nxg5
8. Nxg5 c5 9. c3 ({Hodgson's} 9. h4 $5 {
looks rather speculative after Gallagher's counter-suggestion of} c4 $1) 9...
Nc6 10. Ngf3 Bg4 ({the immediate} 10... cxd4 11. cxd4 Qb6 {
would have been pretty effective too}) 11. Qa4 cxd4 12. cxd4 f6 $1 13. exf6
Bxf6 {White's centre collapsed in M.Jones-R.Palliser, York 1998.}) (6. Bxf6
Bxf6 7. c3 dxe4 ({a solid approach, but both} 7... Bg7) ({and} 7... c5 $5 {
look like better tries to exploit White's decision to give up his favourite
piece}) 8. Nxe4 Bg7 9. Bc4 Nd7 10. O-O Nf6 11. Nxf6+ Bxf6 12. Qe1 Qd6 {
gave Black full equality in K.Sasikiran-R.Palliser, British Championship, Hove
1997.}) (6. exd5 Nxd5 7. Nb3 {has received some high-level support, not that
placing the knight on b3 is exactly ideal. Indeed,} h6 (7... a5 8. a4 b6 9. c3
Bb7 {must be fine too, although after} 10. Bc4 Qd6 11. O-O Nd7 12. Nbd2 $1 e5
13. Re1 {the knight was back in play and Black's queen slightly misplaced,
which added up to a pull for White in A.Dreev-A.Shirov, Warsaw (rapid) 2009})
8. Bd2 (8. Bh4 $2 f5 $1 {leaves the bishop in some danger of being trapped})
8... Nd7 9. c4 ({unpalatable the thought, but perhaps it was time to play to
maintain equality with} 9. Be2 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. O-O) 9... N5b6 10. Bf4 c5
$1 11. d5 Na4 {
saw Black seizing the initiative in P.Harikrishna-S.Mamedyarov, Lausanne 2005.}
) (6. Bd3 dxe4 7. Nxe4 Nxe4 8. Bxe4 c5 {is an easy equalizer and after} 9. c3
cxd4 10. Nxd4 Qa5 11. Be3 Rd8 12. O-O e5 13. Nb3 Qc7 14. Qf3 Nd7 {Black's central control gave him decent counterchances in C.Crouch-H.Tikkanen, London 2011.}
)) ({QUESTION: Okay, you've convinced me. We can't play the immediate 5 e4,
but isn't Black able to prevent e2-e4 for good after} 5. c3 {? --- ANSWER:
Well, yes, he can rule out 6 e4, but that doesn't mean that the pawn will
never reach that square and, besides, we want to maintain control, not become
too ambitious. Likewise, we'll see later on that White doesn't hurry to play
e2-e4, rather than the more sensible development of the pawn to e3, in most
lines of the 2...e6 Torre.}) 5... d5 {Shirov decides to prevent e2-e4. This
solid choice is quite a popular one at club level where players are sometimes
overly concerned with ceding the centre when in unfamiliar waters.} ({
Here, however, the move is a slight surprise; one would have expected such a
dynamic a player as Shirov to have preferred} 5... d6 {
in King's Indian style - a move which we will examine in the next chapter.}) 6.
e3 Nbd7 {Black decides to play for ...e5.} ({
He can also play on the queenside with} 6... c5) ({or first} 6... b6 {
, as we'll see later in this chapter.}) 7. Bd3 $5 {
This trendy move is likely to surprise a booked-up opponent.} ({For years it
was thought that if White wanted to play for an advantage, he had to try} 7.
Be2 {(avoiding any potential fork with ...e5-e4)} Re8 8. b4 $5 {, allowing
k to occupy the centre in return for beginning a queenside offensive. The text
looks fairly harmless, but just see what follows...}) 7... Re8 {
Black wants to strike back in the centre with ...e7-e5.} ({
Next game we examine the alternative counterstrike,} 7... c5 {.}) 8. O-O e5 ({
QUESTION: Why did we place the bishop on d3? I just don't get it. Not only
does the bishop bite on granite down the b1-h7 diagonal, but} 8... e5 9. dxe5
Nxe5 10. Nxe5 Rxe5 11. Nf3 Re8 {doesn't seem like all that much fun for us.
--- ANSWER: That position does, indeed, promise White absolutely nothing. The
e3-e4 pawn break isn't happening in a hurry and going c3-c4 instead would only
help that potentially powerful bishop on g7. However, who said that White had
to exchange on e5?}) 9. e4 $1 {White has no desire to let Black dominate the
centre, so fights back with a classic counterstrike, albeit one seen more
often in the likes of the Colle and the Semi-Slav. According to the database
this powerful move was first played in 1963, but has only been seen on some 19
occasions since; a pretty tiny number in this theory-laden age. That said, the
move has recently attracted the attention of a few grandmasters, so don't be
surprised if you see some published games from this position during the
remainder of 2012.} exd4 {This, Black's invariable choice, seems best,
inflicting an IQP on White. --- QUESTION: But surely we don't want to be
saddled with an IQP here? There's no chance of the classic queen and
light-squared bishop battery obtaining much with Black having gone ...g6. ---
ANSWER: That is, indeed, White's main follow-up in many IQP positions, but
don't forget that the side with the IQP wants to play actively and is trying
to seize the initiative. We can very much do so here. The b1-h7 diagonal might
be blocked for now, but Black's defences aren't so secure along that other
light-squared diagonal, a2-g8.} ({Before examining the IQP scenario, we should
first make sure we are happy with our chances against the alternatives: --} 
9... c6 10. Re1 Qb6 {was a solid reaction in the stem game.} 11. -- ({. There} 
11. Bxf6 {would have been okay for Black in L.Joyner-R.Hirsch, Canadian
Championship 1963, had he gone in for the critical line} Nxf6 $1 12. exd5 cxd5
13. Nxe5 Qxb2 {.}) ({. Instead White should maintain the tension with} 11. Rb1)
({, or} 11. Qc2 {, with the slightly more pleasant position, since Black is
yet to develop his queenside. For instance, after the latter,} exd4 12. exd5 $5
dxc3 13. Rxe8+ Nxe8 14. Nc4 {is an energetic attempt to exploit White's
superior development to seize the initiative. Black is temporarily a pawn up,
but after} Qc5 15. Re1 Nef6 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Be3 $1 (17. Qxc3 Ne4 $1 {
isn't so effective}) 17... Qd5 18. Qxc3 {
White regains the pawn with a structural plus.})) (9... c5 $6 {asked too much
of Black's position in R.Fritsch-K.Muench, German League 1975, where after} 10.
dxe5 dxe4 $6 (10... Nxe5 11. Nxe5 dxe4 $1 {
was a better try, restricting White to just a pull after} 12. Nxe4 Rxe5 13. Qb3
$1) {White had a number of powerful continuations, not least} 11. Nxe4 Nxe5 12.
Bb5 $1 {, leaving Black in serious trouble. Indeed, after} Qxd1 ({
White emerges the exchange ahead following} 12... Nxf3+ 13. Qxf3 Rxe4 14. Qxe4
Qb6 15. Qe2 {,}) ({while} 12... Bd7 {
shows why White wanted to clear the central files:} 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14. Bxf6
Qxf6 15. Bxd7 Rad8 16. Nxe5 Rxe5 17. Qa4 {nets a clear piece}) 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6
14. Raxd1 {Black must give up the exchange for insufficient compensation,
whether he exchanges on f3 and takes the bishop on g5 or permits} Re6 15. Bxf6
Nxf3+ 16. gxf3 Rxf6 17. Rd8+ Kg7 18. Bd7 {.}) (9... dxe4 10. Nxe4 -- (10...
exd4 11. cxd4 {transposes to the game.}) ({. Here Black might consider} 10...
h6 $6 {, when} 11. Qb3 $5 {would echo Bauer's play,} ({
but even stronger is the simple} 11. Bxf6 $1 Bxf6 (11... Nxf6 12. Nxe5 {
costs Black a pawn unless he wants to go in for} Nxe4 13. Bxe4 Bxe5 14. dxe5
Qxd1 15. Rfxd1 Rxe5 16. Rd8+ {with a powerful pin along the back rank}) 12.
Nxf6+ Qxf6 13. Re1 {
(Van Delft and Ris) when Black will be hard pushed not to drop his e-pawn.})))
10. cxd4 dxe4 ({The English Grandmaster William Watson once preferred} 10... h6
$5 {and this is quite a sneaky defensive try.} 11. -- ({. After} 11. Bh4 g5 $1
{I'm not convinced by either piece sacrifice and neither does} 12. e5 gxh4 13.
exf6 Nxf6 {trouble Black, since} 14. Nxh4 {is well met by} Ne4 {.}) ({
. Thus White should give up the bishop-pair and after} 11. Bxf6 $1 Nxf6 12. e5
Nd7 13. Rc1 $5 (13. b4 a5 14. a3 {
is a sensible alternative, keeping Black restricted}) 13... c5 14. Bb5 cxd4 15.
Qa4 a6 16. Bxd7 ({and not the too clever by half} 16. Rfe1 $4 {on account of}
Nb6 $1) 16... Bxd7 17. Qxd4 Bc6 18. Nb3 {
he has good chances to gradually increase his grip over the position})) 11.
Nxe4 {White may have an IQP, but his pieces are actively placed and his
position will prove easy to improve with simple moves, such as Re1 and Qb3.
Hence Smirin's decision to break the pin.} h6 ({
QUESTION: Are you sure this is what White should be doing? I see the line} 
11... h6 12. Bh4 Rxe4 13. Bxe4 g5 14. Bxg5 hxg5 15. Nxg5 {when it's not at all
clear what's going on. Black has two minor pieces for the rook and two pawns
and it's surely not definite that White can break through on the kingside? ---
ANSWER: This variation has long been known to be acceptable enough for Black,
but White can do much better with Werner Hug's 2010 discovery:}) 12. Qb3 $1 {
A powerful piece sacrifice to highlight the main weakness in the black camp,
the vulnerable f7-point.} Re6 $6 {
This attempt to block the diagonal with the rook is rather unnatural and ugly.}
(12... hxg5 {.}) ({EXERCISE: Analyse your way to a promising position after} 
12... hxg5 {. --- ANSWER: After} 13. Nexg5 Nf8 (13... Re7 14. Bxg6 Qf8 15. Rfe1
$1 {exchanges off one defender of f7 with a quick kill in the offing}) {
I hope you spotted that White can do even better than capture on f7:} 14. Bxg6
$1 Be6 ({or} 14... Nxg6 15. Qxf7+ Kh8 16. Qxg6 Be6 17. Rfe1 Bd5 18. Ne5 {
with a huge attack; 19 Re3 being next up should Black save his queen}) 15.
Bxf7+ Bxf7 16. Qxf7+ Kh8 17. Rac1 {and with three pawns for the piece and an
ongoing initiative, White has far too much for the piece.}) ({In the stem game,
W.Hug-O.Cvitan, Swiss League 2010, the Swiss Grandmaster had to face} 12... Re7
{which may well be Black's defence, although after} 13. Ne5 ({
White can also keep the tension here and} 13. Rfe1 $5 {was tried in the later
S.B.Hansen-Zhao Jun, Queenstown 2012; perhaps this is even stronger, since}
hxg5 14. Nexg5 Nf8 15. Nxf7 $1 Rxf7 16. Bc4 Be6 17. Rxe6 $1 b5 18. Qxb5 Nxe6
19. Bxe6 Qe8 20. Qb3 Kf8 21. Bxf7 Qxf7 22. Qb7 Qd5 23. Qxc7 {saw the Danish
Grandmaster emerge from a long, fairly forced sequence with four good pawns
for the piece}) {it's still not so easy for the second player:} 13... -- ({
. Hug-Cvitan continued} 13... Nxe5 $6 14. Nxf6+ Kh8 (14... Bxf6 $2 15. Bxf6 {
costs Black the exchange}) 15. dxe5 hxg5 16. Qc3 {by when White had taken
control of the position and with such a vulnerable kingside, Black soon found
himself having to give up the exchange for clearly insufficient compensation.})
({. While one can understand Black's reluctance to become involved in it, the
critical line here would have been} 13... hxg5 $1 14. Nxf7 Nc5 $1 {
(a key intermezzo)} ({and a significant improvement over} 14... Rxf7 $2 15.
Nxg5 Ne5 16. dxe5 Nd5 17. Nxf7 Kxf7 18. Rad1 c6 19. Be4 Qe7 20. f4 {
when White dominates}) {and now:} 15. -- ({. My initial analysis ran} 15. dxc5
Rxf7 16. Nxg5 Qd5 17. Bc4 Qxg5 18. Bxf7+ Kh7 19. Rfe1 {, when the position
remains pretty unclear; White has a rook and two pawns for the minor pieces
and must aim to make active use of his rook down the e-file in a bid not to
lose control of the initiative.}) ({. However, just as this book was nearing
completion, this position occurred in no lesser game than A.Yusupov-A.Shirov,
Gibraltar 2012, where the grandmaster of Dvoretsky fame preferred} 15. Nxf6+ $5
Bxf6 16. dxc5 Rxf7 17. Bxg6 {, which looks like an improvement over 15 dxc5.
Shirov did his best to keep lines closed and to develop his queenside with} Qf8
18. f4 $1 g4 $1 19. f5 Bd7 {and after} 20. Rf4 $2 ({I can't believe that White
shouldn't be better here, especially as he can play à la Hansen with} 20. Bxf7+
$1 Qxf7 21. Qxb7 Re8 22. Qxc7 {; one must never underestimate two such
unopposed bishops, but White does have a rook and four pawns for them here and
with care should be able to retain some advantage, such as with} Bd4+ 23. Kh1
Bb5 24. Qf4 $5 {, returning the piece to reach a favourable endgame after} Bxf1
25. Rxf1 Bxb2 26. Qxg4+ Qg7 27. Qa4) 20... Bc6 21. Kh1 Rd8 22. Rxg4 Bd5 {
Black found himself right back in the game, even going on to win.}))) 13. Bh4
$1 {Thanks to the awkward position of Black's rook, the retreat becomes strong.
} ({Another grandmaster had previously preferred} 13. Bxf6 Nxf6 14. Nc5 {
, but without obtaining much after} Rb6 15. Qc4 Qd5 16. Rfe1 Bf5 $1 17. Qxd5
Nxd5 18. Bxf5 gxf5 19. b3 Rd8 {in V.Malaniuk-O.Wieczorek, Marianske Lazne 2011.
}) 13... g5 14. Bxg5 $1 {The French Grandmaster still wants to attack!} ({
One can certainly appreciate why, although a solid edge was on offer with} 14.
Nxf6+ Nxf6 15. Bg3 {, in view of Black's overextended kingside and White's
central possibilities (even Bc4 and d4-d5 might occur).}) 14... hxg5 15. Nexg5
Nb6 $2 {Preventing Bc4, but Black has missed a tactic. --- EXERCISE: What blow
had escaped Smirin's attention? ---} ({Instead} 15... Re7 $2 {
would have failed to} 16. Nxf7 Rxf7 17. Ng5 Qf8 18. Bc4 Nb6 19. Bxf7+ Kh8 20.
Rae1 {with an overwhelming position}) ({but} 15... Nf8 $1 16. Bc4 c6 {
would have kept the struggle very much alive. After} 17. Nxf7 $1 Qb6 ({or} 
17... Kxf7 18. Ng5+ Ke7 19. Bxe6 Nxe6 20. Rfe1 {when Black might have three
pieces for the rook and three pawns, but White's rampant initiative is surely
going to pick off at least one of them}) 18. N7g5 Qxb3 19. Bxb3 Nd5 20. Nxe6
Bxe6 21. Rfe1 {Black limps into an endgame where it will take White some time
to put his three connected kingside passed pawns to good use, albeit one where
the first player must have pretty decent winning chances.}) {ANSWER:} 16. Bg6
$1 {It turns out that f7 can attacked from a second direction. Had Black still
a pawn on g6 I'm sure Smirin would have seen the idea, but such silent
sacrifices are pretty easy to miss.} fxg6 {
Allowing the rook to be undermined, but there was nothing better.} 17. Nxe6
Bxe6 18. Qxe6+ Kf8 19. Ne5 Qe8 {Staving off the immediate threats, but White
was hardly now going to oblige and take the queens off.} 20. Qb3 Nfd5 21. f4 $1
{Bauer still wants to attack and by preparing to open the f-file doesn't give
Smirin time to coordinate his pieces.} Bxe5 $2 {Avoiding any notion of f4-f5,
but Black's knights won't be able to hold his position together after this.} ({
Necessary was} 21... Qe6 22. Rae1 Kg8 {
, maintaining something of a blockade for the time being.}) 22. fxe5+ Kg7 23.
Rf2 $1 {Simple chess. White prepares to double on the f-file and, importantly,
doesn't obstruct the queen's path across the third rank in the process.} Qe7
24. Raf1 Rh8 25. Qg3 Rh5 {As good as anything.} ({
Black would like to improve his knights, but they lack squares: for instance,} 
25... Nc4 {doesn't really threaten anything and can be met by the forceful} 26.
Rf7+ $1 Qxf7 27. Rxf7+ Kxf7 28. Qf3+ Ke6 29. Qd3 {
when the queen is far too powerful.}) 26. Rf6 {Forcing Black's queen back with
a little tactic and so buying time to treble on the f-file and with a rook in
front of the queen.} Qe8 27. R6f3 Qe7 28. Rf6 Qe8 29. R6f3 Qe7 30. Qf2 {
After repeating to gain time on the clock and/or emphasize just who is in
control of the position, Bauer hits on the winning idea. Such a battery led by
a rook is often very strong. Black is able to flee the fork on f7, but isn't
long for this world in any case.} Qh4 31. g3 Qe4 (31... Qg4 {
would have avoided what follows, but after} 32. Rf7+ Kh6 (32... Kh8 33. Rf8+
Kg7 34. Rg8+ $1 {leads to mate}) {White has a number of strong ideas, including
} 33. h4 $5 {, threatening to check on d2 and meeting} Rxh4 {
with the tempo-gaining} 34. Rf8 {.}) 32. g4 $1 (32. Rf7+ Kh8 33. Re1 Qg4 34. e6
{would have done the job too, but it's nice to finish in style}) ({and after} 
32. g4 Qxg4+ 33. Rg3 {
Black finds himself helpless against the threats down the f-file.}) 1-0

[Event "Barbera del Valles"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Georgiev, K."]
[Black "Phadke, S."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 {I must confess I have fiddled with the move
order here to be consistent with Black's most popular move order.} ({
The actual order of Georgiev-Phadke was} 3... d5 {
(a rare move, but evidently Black didn't mind the doubled pawns)} 4. Nbd2 ({
many, even without any experience of the Trompowsky, would be sorely tempted by
} 4. Bxf6 exf6 5. e3 {followed by c2-c4, with a lasting structural plus, but
the Bulgarian Grandmaster is happy to transpose to standard waters}) 4... Bg7
5. e3 c5 6. c3 Nbd7 7. Bd3 O-O {.}) 4. Nbd2 O-O 5. c3 d5 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Bd3 c5 (
{Black's most popular move at this juncture has been Smirin's} 7... Re8 {
, but expanding on the queenside is also a pretty natural choice.}) 8. O-O {
White continues to develop à tempo, while waiting to see how Black will deploy
his forces.} b6 {Phadke opts for quite a solid set-up and one which is seen in
several different openings. Black can meet the London System in the same vein
and we might well view the position as a reversed Réti. --- EXERCISE: What
plans might White consider in such a position? Have a good think about how we
might best harmonize the pieces, not forgetting too which pawn breaks are on
the cards and how they might be employed.} 9. a4 $1 {ANSWER: Did you consider
this queenside advance? White is slightly ahead in development so wants to
seize the initiative and put Black under some pressure. As such he seizes
space on the queenside, preparing to put Black's fianchettoed bishop under a
bit of pressure.} ({As well as the plan of queenside expansion, I dare say you
saw that White had a normal-looking Torre set-up, so thought about} 9. Ne5 $2 {
, just as White might play in the 2...e6 lines. However, Black's kingside is
much more secure here and there is also a tactical flaw:} Nxe5 $1 {
(before White can cement his knight in place with f2-f4)} 10. dxe5 Ng4 {
and Black wins a pawn, as e3 hangs in the event of} 11. f4 $2 {.}) ({
I hope too that you quickly rejected freeing Black's position with} 9. dxc5 $6
Nxc5) ({but the e3-e4 break is an important weapon in White's armoury. It's
tempting to play it immediately, but unfortunately} 9. e4 cxd4 10. cxd4 dxe4
11. Nxe4 Bb7 {just leaves Black with quite a pleasant set-up against the IQP.
White has none of the activity or attacking chances which such a structural
transformation gave him in Bauer-Smirin.}) ({
It is, of course, possible to develop with} 9. Qe2 {, keeping White's options
open, as has been seen in several games. However, after} Bb7 {
I'm still not convinced by} 10. e4 ({and} 10. Ba6 Qc7 11. Bxb7 Qxb7 {doesn't really trouble Black. The queen does need to be deployed somewhere, but there
might be a better square for it than e2 - namely b1.})) ({QUESTION: If our
queen is bound for b1, why is White advancing the a-pawn, not playing} 9. b4
Bb7 10. Qb1 {? --- ANSWER: This is the other way of beginning to open the
queenside and is also quite logical.} -- ({
. Black doesn't want to close the position with} 10... c4 $6 11. Bc2 {
as then White has a free hand to expand with a2-a4 while the e3-e4 break has
gained greatly in strength (there won't be any resulting IQP).}) ({
. However, Black can keep the tension and cover his queenside soft spots with} 
10... Qc8 $1 {, which seems to be okay for him, since} 11. a4 e5 $1 {is a strong counterstroke. White needs to keep the central situation under control, but
even} 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Bb5 {doesn't look especially promising, with} e4 14.
Ne1 cxd4 15. cxd4 Be7 16. Nc2 Nf6 17. Qb2 Bd6 18. Rfc1 h5 $1 {giving Black
good counterplay in a reversed French-like scenario in J.Speelman-G.Gopal,
Gibraltar 2011. --- QUESTION: I'm confused! So White's queen isn't actually
all that good on b1? --- ANSWER: I only said there 'might be a better square
for it than e2'! As we will see, Georgiev does bring his queen to b1, but had
Black reacted in a different way he might have deployed the queen elsewhere,
such as to e2 or even a4 after a4-a5. Essentially we might view 9 a4 as a
high-class waiting move. White isn't yet sure where to place the queen, so
first makes a useful probing move.} (18... --))) 9... Bb7 {The Indian player
is happy to ignore White on the queenside and continue developing.} ({
When Dreev reached this position, his opponent preferred} 9... a6 {
, preparing to keep the queenside closed in the event of} 10. a5 {.} ({
Thus the Russian Grandmaster decided that now was the time to increase the
pressure with} 10. b4 {,} -- ({, and after} 10... a5 $6 {
(a strange move in conjunction with Black's last)} 11. bxc5 bxc5 12. Bb5 $1 {
(wasting no time exploiting the newly-created hole in Black's camp)} cxd4 13.
cxd4 Ba6 14. Rb1 h6 15. Bh4 Ne8 16. Bxa6 Rxa6 17. Qb3 Ndf6 18. Rfc1 {Black came
under heavy pressure on the queenside in A.Dreev-K.Maslak, Ulan Ude 2009.} (18.
--)) ({. Instead,} 10... Bb7 11. bxc5 bxc5 12. Qc2 $5 {keeps Black's knight
out of e4 and the slightly exposed light-squared bishop on b7 gives White
chances to seize the initiative, such as with} Re8 13. Rfb1 Bc6 14. c4 $1) ({
, while I should also mention that} 10... c4 11. Bc2 Bb7 {was preferred in P.Harikrishna-E.Ghaem Maghami, Beijing (blitz) 2008, where I believe that White
should have focussed on winning the battle of the central pawn breaks with} 12.
Qe2 {, forcing through e3-e4, as} Ne4 $2 {simply drops a pawn to} 13. Nxe4 dxe4
14. Nd2 {.}))) 10. Qb1 {So the queen goes to b1 after all. --- QUESTION: Are
you sure this is good? Doesn't 10...Qc8 11 b4 just transpose to Speelman's
game above?} ({ANSWER: In the event of} 10. Qb1 Qc8 {
I suspect that Dreev would have found a better move than} 11. b4 {.} ({
Black's queen is only well placed on c8 for defensive purposes should the
b-file open; it is less happily placed after} 11. a5 {. Suddenly White can
consider seizing a lot of space with 12 a6 Bc6 13 b4 and it will take the
black queen some time to find a better square, since it's vulnerable to attack
on c6 (by all of b4-b5, Bb5 should the b-file open, and even e3-e4 dxe4; Nxe4
Nxe4; Bxe4 after a preparatory Re1), as well as of course on c7 (by Bf4).}))
10... h6 {Black is unable to find a good plan, so like many before him in
similar positions, embarks on a double-edged plan of kingside expansion.} ({
He was right to avoid} 10... c4 11. Bc2 (11. Be2 $5 Qc7 12. b3 cxb3 13. Qxb3 {
followed by c3-c4 very much comes into consideration too}) 11... Qc7 12. Bf4 ({
wisely avoiding the complications and possible simplification of} 12. e4 e5 $5)
12... Qc6 13. Re1 {when White will follow through with e3-e4}) ({but} 10... a6
{still came into consideration. Here I suspect Georgiev was intending} 11. b4 {
, and if} Qc8 {perhaps} 12. bxc5 (12. a5 c4 13. Bc2 b5 14. e4 {
is a logical alternative}) 12... bxc5 13. Qa2 {followed by Rab1, Rfc1 and
c3-c4, hoping to show that Black's queenside remains vulnerable and his queen
misplaced.}) 11. Bh4 g5 {
Consistent with Black's last, but this is undoubtedly quite risky.} 12. Bg3 Nh5
{EXERCISE: In return for weakening his kingside, Black has successfully hunted
down the Torre bishop. Should White make a useful move, such as 13 a5,
allowing the immediate exchange on g3 or give up a tempo with 13 Be5 to induce
...f6?} 13. Be5 $1 {ANSWER: White is right to force the exchange on his terms.}
({I found a much lower-rated game which also reached this position. There
White allowed Black to exchange the bishop on g3 without delay and after} 13.
Rd1 Nxg3 14. hxg3 e6 15. e4 {(easy to criticize, but otherwise Black might
have continued to advance on the kingside with ...g4)} cxd4 16. Nxd4 Nc5 {
the position was opening up for Black's bishop-pair in T.Aliev-A.Djafarli,
Baku 2004.}) 13... f6 {Phadke is determined to net the bishop-pair.} ({
Instead both} 13... Bxe5 14. Nxe5 ({and not} 14. dxe5 $2 g4) 14... Nxe5 15.
dxe5) ({and} 13... Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 ({
Black can retain the bishop-pair here, but after} 14... Nf6 15. f4 $1 {
he comes under pressure on both sides of the board}) 15. dxe5 {would have led
to the same position. Black's kingside is none too pretty here and 16 Qd1 Ng7
17 f4 is set to increase the pressure. Perhaps Black might fight for the
initiative with} d4 $5 {, but after} 16. cxd4 cxd4 17. Ra3 $1 dxe3 18. fxe3 {
I quite like White's chances, vulnerable in a long-term sense though his
e-pawns are. Having defended the bishop from the side, Qd1 is back on the
agenda and even a plan of Bf5, e3-e4 and Rh3 might have some mileage.}) 14. Bg3
e5 $6 {This possibility might have put some off 13 Be5, but just look at
Black's light squares after it.} ({
I suspect that Phadke should have preferred the restrained} 14... Nxg3 15. hxg3
e6 {with a tough struggle in prospect. Black hopes to free his dark-squared
bishop with ...f5 and while his bishops are a little restricted at the moment,
one day they can hope to come into their own. That said, White likely still
has a small edge here, with} 16. a5 f5 17. Bb5 $5 {
one way to keep up some pressure on the queenside.}) 15. Bf5 $1 {
QUESTION: You mean we don't need to react in the centre?} ({ANSWER: Most
certainly not! Many club players find it hard to maintain the tension in such
a position, while others never like to lose control of the centre, but here
something like} 15. dxe5 fxe5 16. e4 d4 {would have only played into Black's
hands. Suddenly he need no longer exchange on g3, but might prefer ...Nf4
followed by a violent assault on the kingside. The text is much stronger,
parking the bishop on a powerful outpost and encouraging Black to overextend
in the centre.}) 15... Nxg3 {It makes sense not to allow the Torre bishop to
live if Black wants to press ahead in the centre.} 16. hxg3 e4 {
EXERCISE: Where to retreat the knight? ---} {ANSWER:} 17. Nh2 $1 ({
Instead after} 17. Ne1 $6 {the knight would clog up White's position and also
lack any particularly good prospects. Even from c2 it's not entirely clear
where the steed can head. --- Georgiev's choice is much stronger. The knight
can emerge on g4 and if Black prevents that with ...h5, White obtains a
powerful pawn break with g3-g4. Don't forget too that if White can get in a
timely f2-f3, Black might begin to regret weakening his light squares and
kingside so.}) 17... Qc7 {Phadke takes steps to dissuade the f2-f3 break. ---
QUESTION: But doesn't Black's queen no longer cover the kingside so well? ---
ANSWER: Exactly! So...} 18. Qd1 $1 {The former long-time Bulgarian no.1 is
quick to pinpoint Black's problems. I can't help but note that my engines were
quite enthusiastic about Black's position just a couple of moves ago, but by
now even they have begun to appreciate just how weak his kingside is.} Rfe8 $2
{A common way to shore up a kingside is by placing a knight on f8, but here
even that won't really help Black.} ({
Lacking counterplay he needed to dig in for a long defence and as such} 18...
Nb8 $1 {was indicated, both allowing the queen to defend across the second
rank and enabling him to challenge White's light-squared bishop with ...Bc8.})
19. Qh5 Nf8 {The point behind Black's last, but now a pawn just drops off.} 20.
Ng4 {Simple chess from Georgiev, keeping the knight active and then improving
one badly placed but very powerful piece from b1 to h5.} Qf7 21. Nxh6+ Bxh6 22.
Qxh6 Bc8 {Finally Black gets round to challenging the master of the light
squares. --- EXERCISE: Can White now do better than exchange bishops on c8?
--- The text was admittedly not forced, but otherwise White had a simple plan
to increase the pressure: Rae1 and f2-f3, possibly even followed by the
slightly cheeky Kf2 and Rh1!} 23. g4 $1 {ANSWER: Yes, he can! Georgiev might
have had to give up his powerful bishop, but at least keeps Black cramped and
retains control over the g6- and e6-squares this way.} ({Instead} 23. Qh3 Bxf5
24. Qxf5 Kg7 25. f3 {would still have favoured White, but after} exf3 26. Rxf3
Qe6 {Black could put up much more resistance than he is able to in the game.})
23... Qg7 24. Qh5 {Naturally White has no intention of exchanging queens with
Black's kingside riddled with holes. --- QUESTION: I can see that Black's
kingside is weak, but surely going f2-f3, Kf2 and Rh1 isn't going to lead to
mate down the h-file? --- ANSWER: White would need to treble on the h-file to
have any chance of winning down that file, but in the meantime, yes, it's hard
not to imagine Black setting up counterplay against e3. However, I fear you
are neglecting to remember to improve your worst-placed piece! The knight is
bound for g3 via f1, keeping Black on the defensive on the kingside.} Bxf5 25.
gxf5 g4 {A risky move, but one can quite see why Black wanted to avoid 26 g4
followed by Rfe1 and Nf1-g3. Then White well go Kg2, put his rooks on the
h-file and hope to break through with the aid of a timely Nh5.} 26. Rfe1 Nh7
27. Nf1 {Step by step Georgiev continues to improve his pieces and Black is
forced to lose further time in his desperate bid to get the queens off the
board.} Qg5 28. Ng3 {
Now that Black has kindly weakened f4, White is happy to exchange the queens.}
Qxh5 29. Nxh5 Kf7 30. Nf4 {The point. The f4-square proves a wonderful outpost
and now Black is going to be tied down to the defence of d5. Meanwhile just
compare the difference in activity between the two knights!} Rad8 31. a5 $1 {
22 moves after he first began to soften Black's queenside, Georgiev turns his
attention back to that flank, having first pretty much won the game by
exploiting Black's risky kingside pawn advances.} ({
The text over-stretches the defence and was much stronger than allowing} 31.
dxc5 bxc5 32. Red1 Re5 {.}) 31... b5 32. dxc5 {Now this is much better timed.
--- QUESTION: But why? Can't Black still bring his rook to e5, covering d5
whilst attacking f5? --- ANSWER: Yes, but picking up f5 takes time and
meanwhile White can make inroads on the queenside thanks to his previous move.}
Re5 33. a6 $1 {White's idea. Black can no longer cover b5 with ...a6.} Rxf5 34.
Ra5 b4 {This doesn't help;} ({but neither would} 34... Rb8 35. Rd1 {.}) 35. Rb5
{. Pretty much picking up the b-pawn and with it the game;} ({since} 35. Rb5
bxc3 36. Rb7+ Kg8 37. bxc3 Ra8 38. Rd1 {would leave Black completely helpless
against the loss of d5 followed by the advance of the front c-pawn.}) 1-0

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1985.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dreev, A."]
[Black "Khalifman, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D03"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1985.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 d5 ({
Once again I've tinkered with the move order. Dreev-Khalifman actually ran} 
4... c5 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd3 d5 7. c3 {and only then} Qb6 {.}) 5. e3 O-O 6. c3 {
QUESTION: Why are we bolstering our d-pawn already? It's not even under attack!
} ({ANSWER: Against this 4...d5 move order it is perfectly possible to play} 6.
Bd3 {and only then} c5 7. c3 {, but don't forget that Black might begin with
the sneaky 4...0-0. Then we have nothing better than 5 c3 d5 6 e3, transposing
to the game position.}) 6... c5 7. Bd3 ({
QUESTION: Now that we've gone c2-c3, why not} 7. dxc5 {followed by holding on
to the pawn with Nb3 or even b2-b4? --- ANSWER: If we view White's c3/d4/e3
pawn centre as a reversed Semi-Slav set-up, then capturing on c5 must come
into the equation. The problem here is that going b2-b4 will be very risky
with that bishop on g7 breathing fire down the long diagonal, but if White
instead goes Nb3 to defend his ill-gotten spoils, Black can hit both c5 and
the Torre bishop with ...Ne4. --- Smyslov did once try the greedy pawn snatch,
but it gives White equality at most:} Qc7 $5 ({Black can also flick in} 7... a5
8. a4 {before going} Qc7 {, after which} 9. Nb3 Nbd7 {is another very sensible
approach; in V.Kaliberda-A.Kopylov, Nizhny Tagil 2010, White battled to hold
on to the extra pawn with the aggressive} 10. Qd4 $6 e5 11. Qh4 Ne4 12. Be7 {
, but after} Re8 13. Bb5 h6 $1 {it was clear that his strategy had failed and}
14. Bd6 Nxd6 15. cxd6 Qxd6 16. Rd1 g5 17. Qg3 f5 {
saw Black expanding with some menace in the centre}) 8. Nb3 (8. b4 {is perhaps
more critical, but while some black players will be happy to expand with} e5 {,
} ({others will enjoy putting White's queenside under pressure with} 8... a5 $5
9. a3 Nc6 {, possibly followed by ...Ne4, with decent, lasting compensation}))
8... Ne4 $1 9. Be2 $6 ({meek, but at least this avoids Black's point which was
} 9. Qxd5 Nxc3 $1 {; this needn't be fatal for White, but after, say,} 10. Qc4
Be6 11. Qf4 Qxf4 12. Bxf4 Bxb3 13. axb3 Nc6 {
it's clear that the initiative belongs with Black}) 9... Nxg5 10. Nxg5 e6 11.
Qc2 Nd7 12. c4 Qe5 $1 {and Black was already making great use of his
dark-square play in V.Smyslov-W.Watson, New York 1987.}) ({
QUESTION: So capturing on c5 is risky, which is why we go} 7. Bd3 {
and now presumably Black plays} Nbd7 {and we're back in the realm of
Georgiev-Phadke? --- ANSWER: Not so fast! Black doesn't have to block in his
light-squared bishop at this juncture and White needs to be ready for a few
other types of position, as we'll now see.}) 7... Qb6 $5 {This hasn't been
especially popular in the ...g6 Torre lines of late, but seems pretty critical
to me and recently gained Kaufman's support in 'The Kaufman Repertoire for
Black and White'. Black immediately puts White's softest spot, b2, under
pressure, while covering c5.} ({Alternatively: --} 7... b6 8. O-O Ba6 {
will be seen in our next game.} ({Instead} 8... Nbd7 9. a4 $1 {
would take play back into Georgiev-Phadke.})) (7... Nc6 {
may well transpose to our main game here after} 8. O-O Qb6 ({
contesting the e5-square with} 8... Nd7 $5 {may be a better try; White came up
with a creative counter in Y.Seirawan-I.Radulov, Indonesia 1983, where} 9. Qa4
$5 a6 10. Qa3 $1 Qb6 11. Rab1 e5 12. c4 $1 {
opened the position with Black lagging in development}) 9. Rb1 {.} ({
This move order, however, gives White a second option in} 9. Qb1 $5 {
, as once played by the great Keres. His opponent hit back with the logical} e5
10. dxe5 Ng4 {, but with a queen, not rook, on b1, the bishop on d3 is
defended and that allowed the Estonian Grandmaster to seize the initiative
with} 11. e4 $1 Ncxe5 $2 ({
natural, but not good; Black would have been okay after the solid alternative} 
11... dxe4 12. Nxe4 Ngxe5 {, since} 13. Nxe5 Nxe5 14. Be7 $2 {
is nothing to worry about, in view of} Re8 15. Bxc5 Qc6 16. Bc2 f5) 12. Nxe5
Nxe5 13. exd5 Nxd3 14. Qxd3 Bf5 15. Ne4 $1 Qxb2 16. d6 Qb6 17. Rfe1 {and White's powerful d-pawn proved too strong in P.Keres-V.Scherbakov, USSR Championship,
Moscow 1955.})) ({After} 7... Nc6 {
a third option for White, and quite possibly the best, is} 8. dxc5 $1 {
, which is logical now that Black's knight is on c6, obstructing any queen
which appears on c7. Torre guru Harikrishna has played this way and after} a5 9.
a4 Qc7 (9... Nd7 $5 10. Nb3 f6 11. Bh4 {
also works out well for White, who can meet} e5 {with} 12. e4 $1) 10. O-O Nd7
11. Nb3 {White was in front in P.Harikrishna-M.Annaberdiev, Jodhpur 2003,
where he retained the initiative and prevented Black from easily regaining the
pawn with the further} Nde5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Bf4 Rd8 14. Qe2 Be6 15. Bb5 $1 {.
}) (7... cxd4 8. exd4 ({
the standard Torre recapture, hoping to generate pressure down the e-file, but
} 8. cxd4 $5 {might be explored if you're keen to keep the queens on}) 8... Qb6
$5 {is another slightly forgotten idea, which may be just as well for us! ---
QUESTION: You mean that White doesn't have any advantage here? --- ANSWER:
Correct! Throughout this book I've never claimed that the sequence 1 d4, 2 Nf3
and 3 Bg5 gives White an advantage. --- QUESTION: Ah ha, but hasn't White has
been better in most of the lines we've covered so far? --- ANSWER: Yes, but as
I've remarked before, Black is often poorly prepared for the Torre and so
White may well enter the early middlegame with the upper hand. Don't forget
too that even when Black is well prepared and finds an equalizing line, as
here, our superior understanding of the resulting middlegame themes should
still count for something. --- Here I must confess that White has nothing more
than very slightly the more active pieces in an asymmetrical position after} 9.
Rb1 (9. Qb3 {is the alternative and now} Qxb3 10. axb3 Bf5 {and ½-½ was
the exciting course of V.Mikenas-E.Geller, USSR Team Championship 1968, but
here too the check on e6 looks somewhat more critical}) 9... Qe6+ $1 10. Qe2 ({
perhaps not the move White wanted to play, but} 10. Be3 $6 Ng4 {
robs us of the bishop-pair}) ({and} 10. Be2 $5 {is well enough met by} h6 {
and then, say,} 11. Bf4 Nh5 12. Be3 Nc6 13. O-O Qd6 {followed by ...Nf4}) 10...
Nc6 11. Qxe6 Bxe6 {. --- Now I wonder about} 12. O-O $5 ({
White freed a retreat square for his bishop with} 12. h3 {
in P.Trifunovic-E.Geller, Havana 1963, and after} Nd7 13. O-O Bf5 14. Bxf5 gxf5
15. Be3 Rfc8 16. Ne1 b5 17. Nd3 a5 {Black's Minority Attack was well under way,
albeit with the chances still about even}) {, and if} 12... h6 ({if Black spots
, as Geller did, that the pawn structure is that of an Exchange Caro-Kann or
the Queen's Gambit Declined in reverse, he may well throw his queenside pawns
forward, but} 12... Rab8 13. Rfe1 b5 $6 {
would be premature, allowing White to seize the initiative with} 14. Ne5 Rfc8
15. Nxc6 $1 Rxc6 16. Nb3 b4 17. Nc5) 13. Be3 Ng4 ({if} 13... Rab8 {,} 14. Bf4 {
and only then h2-h3 frustrates Black's aims}) 14. Bf4 {
. Black might still expand on the kingside, but} g5 15. Bg3 f5 {
is most certainly a double-edged policy and after} 16. Rfe1 Bd7 17. Be5 $1 (17.
h3 f4 18. Bxf4 Nxf2 $1 19. Kxf2 Rxf4 {isn't so good}) 17... Ngxe5 18. Nxe5 Nxe5
19. dxe5 e6 20. Nb3 {followed by Nd4 I'd prefer to take the white pieces.}) 8.
Rb1 {While the queen could also go to b3, Dreev's choice just seems very
sensible to me. White keeps his queen's options open and makes good use of
having his bishop already on d3 (...Bf5 will no longer disturb the rook). ---
EXERCISE: Can you see what might be wrong with the Keresesque 8 Qb1 here?} ({
ANSWER: If} 8. Qb1 {
, Black can do much better than transpose to Keres-Scherbakov with} Nc6 {,} ({
and again} 8... cxd4 {, and if} 9. exd4 Qe6+ $1 {is quite an annoying check.
White should avoid this position, since the attempt to retain the bishop-pair
with} 10. Be2 h6 11. Bf4 {
still leaves Black with easy play and the initiative after just} Nc6 ({or} 
11... Nh5 12. Be3 Qd6 {.}))) 8... Nc6 9. O-O e5 {Khalifman can't resist the
temptation to expand in the centre and I dare say neither will your opponents.}
({A more prudent course would be to add extra weight to the pawn break with} 
9... Re8 {, as occurred in a rare recent test of this variation, I.Salgado
Lopez-M.Illescas Cordoba, Spanish Team Championship 2010. White doesn't want
to be overrun in the centre, so should look to implement one of his main pawn
breaks. Indeed, play continued} 10. b4 $1 (10. e4 Nxe4 11. Nxe4 dxe4 {
doesn't drop a pawn, as White has} 12. dxc5 {
, but still this isn't exactly going to trouble Black after} Qxc5 13. Bxe4 Be6)
10... cxd4 11. exd4 ({not mentioned by Kaufman, who only notes} 11. cxd4 {
, which keeps the structure symmetrical and if White had time to bring his
knight to c5, he could lay claim to an advantage; however, it's Black's move and
} a5 $1 12. Qa4 Bd7 13. bxa5 Qxa5 14. Qxa5 Nxa5 {and already ½-½ in B.Spassky-S.Gligoric, Moscow 1967, showed the route to equality}) 11... Bf5 $5 {
. --- QUESTION: Again we see Black bringing his bishop here, but I don't get
it. Doesn't this just ruin his structure?} ({ANSWER: Firstly, where else might
the bishop go? The early deployment of the queen prevents a fianchetto; d7
would be quite a passive square; going to e6, while not terrible, might run
into a timely Ng5 or even exchange sacrifice; and} 11... Bg4 12. h3 Bxf3 13.
Qxf3 {just cedes the bishop-pair for little reason. In this final case, d5 is
indirectly attacked, but if Black defends it, White can take control of the
whole board with Rfe1, possibly Bf4, and Nb3-c5.}) ({Secondly, after the game's
} 11... Bf5 12. Bxf5 gxf5 {, while White can point to the weakened black
kingside, in turn Black can point to his grip on the e4-square. Such a
trade-off will be familiar to those readers with experience of the Exchange
Caro-Kann, where Black sometimes neutralizes the bishop on d3 with ...g6 and ...Bf5. Salgado-Illescas continued} 13. Bxf6 $1 {(a strong exchange; White
prevents any notion of ...Ne4 and prepares to attack on the kingside, having
realized that Black's now unopposed bishop can only look ahead in the short
term to a defensive, not offensive, role)} Bxf6 14. Nb3 e6 15. Qd2 Qc7 16. Qh6
Bg7 17. Qh5 {and White had obtained some pressure, although Kramnik's second
managed to draw through some solid defence.})) 10. Nxe5 $1 {
Exchanging knights thus is the best way to battle for the initiative.} ({
I did also consider} 10. Bxf6 $5 Bxf6 11. e4 {for a while, but was unable to
dent theory's view that Black stands well enough after} cxd4 12. exd5 Ne7 {.})
10... Nxe5 11. dxe5 Ng4 12. Nf3 {Logical play from both sides. Black,
naturally, wants to regain his pawn; White wants to seize the initiative with
a timely advance of his f-pawn.} Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. f4 $1 Bf6 {
Black decides to force a further exchange.} ({
In the same tournament, the young Dreev also faced} 14... Bg7 {and after} 15.
f5 h6 $1 ({Black must do something about the threat of f5-f6, entombing his
bishop; the alternative is} 15... f6 $6 {, but after} 16. Bh4 {
White has strong pressure: for example,} g5 17. Bf2 Bd7 $6 18. e4 $1 Bc6 19. b4
{nets a pawn}) 16. Be7 ({presumably Dreev wasn't convinced by} 16. Bh4 c4 17.
Bc2 Bxf5 $1 18. Bxf5 gxf5 {when it seems that Black should be okay, despite
his rugged structure, such as after} 19. Rxf5 Qxe3+ 20. Bf2 Qe4 21. Rxd5 Bf6 {
and ...Rad8;}) ({quite tempting, however, is} 16. Bf4 $5 {
, retaining the tension and provoking} g5 $6 17. Bg3 c4 18. Bc2 Qxe3+ 19. Bf2 {
when White regains his pawn on d5 with some advantage, since} Qe5 $2 20. Bd4
Qc7 21. f6 {isn't what Black wants to be doing}) 16... Re8 17. f6 Be6 18. Qf3
Rxe7 $1 19. fxe7 Re8 20. b3 Rxe7 {Black's prudent exchange sacrifice gave him
reasonable compensation in A.Dreev-J.Dorfman, Moscow 1985. The game was agreed
drawn some three moves later, but nowadays it's hard to imagine that Dreev
wouldn't have continued, with little risk and no element of awe about being up
against an experienced grandmaster.}) ({EXERCISE: After Khalifman's} 14... Bf6
{should White: -- a) Play 15 Qf3, hoping to attack down the f-file in the
event of an exchange on g5; -- b) Keep the bishops on with 15 Bh6; -- c)
Exchange bishops with 15 Bxf6 Qxf6, ahead of pressing ahead down the f-file
with 16 f5?}) 15. Bxf6 $1 {ANSWER: The simple approach is the best.} ({
The problem with a)} 15. Qf3 Bxg5 16. fxg5 {is that Black is only in trouble
if he allows a combination of h2-h4-h5-h6 and Qf6. That's not so hard to avoid,
however, and after} Be6 17. h4 Rae8 18. b3 Qd6 {
White decided that he had nothing better than} 19. Qf4 $1 {
, maintaining a rough balance in J.Plachetka-I.Stohl, Namestovo 1987,} ({
in view of the possibility of} 19. Qf6 Qg3 {, and if} 20. h5 $2 Bh3 21. Rf2 Re6
{.})) ({
It's tempting to keep the bishops on, but did you spot the problem with b)} 15.
Bh6 {? Unfortunately Black doesn't have to deal with the threat to his rook
and can counter with the vigorous} c4 $1 {. After} 16. Bxf8 cxd3 17. Ba3 (17.
Bh6 Qxe3+ 18. Kh1 Bf5 {is similar}) 17... Qxe3+ 18. Kh1 Bf5 19. Rf3 Qe4 {
Black's well-supported pawn on d3 gave him far too much for the exchange in V.Neverov-F.Sideif-Sade, Baku 1986.}) 15... Qxf6 16. f5 $5 ({As} 16. e4 c4 17.
Bc2 dxe4 18. Bxe4 Bf5 {seems okay for Black, White must press ahead with this
bold move if he wants to cause any problems for the defender.}) 16... Qe5 {
QUESTION: What are we doing? A few moves ago we had a solid structure, but now
Black's queen is on a great central square and our e-pawn is backward and weak.
--- ANSWER: That's the downside to White's bold play, but I'd still slightly
prefer to take the white pieces here. Don't forget that Black's bishop is
still quite restricted and White's kingside play is at least as important as
the small weakness on e3.} 17. Qd2 $5 {A crafty little move. It looks like
Dreev is in no hurry and will simply cover the e3-pawn with Rae1 before
building up on the kingside. That is true, but Black underestimates the direct
idea of f5-f6 and e3-e4 at his peril.} ({Dreev's choice is probably best, but
even the alternatives present problems for the defence: --} 17. Qf3 Bd7 18.
Rbe1 {again sees White keeping control of the centre before undertaking action
on the kingside. Such a calm build-up can be awkward to face and in K.Kodinets-P.Blazkova, Pardubice 1999, the tension got to Black, who lashed out
with} Rae8 (18... Rad8 19. Qf2 Bc6 {looks like the right defence,} ({
and not here} 19... Rfe8 20. e4 $1)) 19. Qf2 Kh8 20. Qh4 Bxf5 $6 21. Bxf5 gxf5
{, only to land up in a pretty grim rook endgame after} 22. Qh5 f4 23. Qxe5+
Rxe5 24. exf4 Re4 $2 (24... Re6 {, and if} 25. f5 Rb6 {, had to be tried}) 25.
Rxe4 dxe4 26. Rd1 f5 27. Rd7 {.}) (17. Rf3 {and now:} -- (17... Bd7 18. Qd2 {
echoes Dreev's play and after} Rac8 ({Black preferred} 18... Rae8 {back when this variation was topical in the Soviet Union; now I wonder about the idea of}
19. Qf2 $5 {
, perhaps preparing to treble on the f-file, perhaps bringing the queen to h4,}
({whereas the more direct} 19. f6 {allowed Black to obtain counterplay with}
Qg5 20. Qf2 Re5 $1 21. b4 $5 c4 22. h4 Qh6 23. Bc2 Rfe8 24. Re1 Rh5 {
and by this point matters had become very murky in V.Neverov-I.Glek, Lvov 1985}
)) 19. Rbf1 Rc6 20. Qf2 $1 g5 21. f6 Rb6 22. Bf5 $1 Bb5 23. Bb1 $1 Re8 ({not} 
23... Bxf1 $2 24. Rf5 Qd6 25. Rxg5+ Kh8 26. Qh4 {followed by mate}) 24. Qc2 Qe4
25. Qc1 Qe5 26. Rf5 Qxe3+ 27. Qxe3 Rxe3 28. Rxg5+ Kf8 29. Bxh7 {White's deft,
model play had won him a pawn while retaining the initiative in V.Mamonovas-R.Rain, correspondence 2008.}) ({. Theory considers that Black should prefer} 
17... g5 $5 {, as recommended by Kovalev in some old annotations. After} 18.
Rg3 ({unfortunately for White,} 18. f6 $2 {runs into} Bg4 {,}) ({
but the unpinning} 18. Qf1 $5 {and then} f6 19. e4 {is worth a thought}) 18...
f6 19. Qf3 Bd7 20. h4 h6 {and then, say,} 21. Rh3 Kg7 22. Rd1 Bc6 23. Qh5 Be8
24. Qe2 Rd8 {Black should be solid enough, although White's greater kingside
prospects still give him any pull which is going.})) 17... Bd7 18. f6 $5 {
Revealing a key idea behind putting the queen on d2.} ({
The board now catches fire, but I suspect that objectively} 18. Rf3 $1 {
, transposing into Mamonovas-Rain, above, is a better try for the advantage.
It's worth noting that Mamonovas was rated over 2350 at correspondence, so
perhaps 7...Qb6 isn't the easy equalizer which theory has considered it to be.}
) 18... Kh8 19. e4 d4 $1 ({As} 19... dxe4 $2 20. Qh6 Rg8 21. Rf4 $1 {would only
open the position to White's advantage, Khalifman must battle to keep the
centre closed.}) 20. Bc4 Be6 {EXERCISE: How best to keep up White's
initiative? Choose between: a) 21 Qh6 or 21 cxd4 cxd4 22 Qh6; b) 21 Bxe6; c)
21 Rf3.} 21. Qh6 ({ANSWER: This only seems to be good enough for equality and
neither does the inclusion of} 21. cxd4 cxd4 ({but not} 21... Qxd4+ $6 22. Qxd4
cxd4 23. Rbc1 {with a pleasant pull for White; his king will come across to
take care of the d-pawn, whereas his own f-pawn rather restricts the black
king}) 22. Qh6 Rg8 {seem to make any real difference:} 23. Rf3 $6 {
is still well met by} g5 $1 {.}) ({Instead after b)} 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. cxd4
cxd4 {White has a few tries, but doesn't seem to be able to do more than go in
for mass simplification and a likely draw after} 23. Qf2 Rad8 $1 24. Rbd1 d3
25. Qe3 {.}) ({The trickiest move would have been c)} 21. Rf3 $1 {when} g5 ({
clearly Black has to avoid} 21... Bxc4 $2 22. Qh6 Rg8 23. Rh3) ({and} 21...
Qxe4 22. Rbf1 $1 Rg8 23. Bxe6 Qxe6 24. Rh3 {
is also none too pleasant for him, despite his temporary pawn advantage}) 22.
Bxe6 fxe6 ({and not} 22... Qxe6 $2 23. Qxg5 Rg8 24. Qd5 {, revealing one
important point behind lifting the rook ahead of deploying the white queen})
23. Qf2 Rad8 {is still not at all clear, but White has chances to probe here,
despite the d-pawn, such as with} 24. Rf1 Rf7 25. cxd4 cxd4 ({if} 25... Qxd4
26. Re3 $1) 26. h4 $5 {.}) 21... Rg8 22. Rf3 $2 {
This now asks too much of White's position.} ({After} 22. Bxe6 $1 Qxe6 23. Qg5
dxc3 24. bxc3 b6 25. e5 Rad8 $1 {
Black's defences would have been firm, but neither should White be worse after}
26. Rbe1 $1 {, still with hopes of drumming something up on the kingside.})
22... g5 $1 {Perhaps Dreev had underestimated this bold thrust. Now 23...Rg6
is threatened, so White must do something about his loose bishop.} 23. Bxe6
Qxe6 24. Re1 Rg6 25. Qh5 Rd8 $1 ({Perhaps Black might have got away with} 25...
Qxa2 $5 {, and if} 26. cxd4 Qxb2 $1 (26... cxd4 27. Rh3 h6 28. Qd1 {
isn't so clear}) 27. dxc5 Qd4+ 28. Kh1 Re8 {, but this would have entailed
some risk, whereas Khalifman's much more human choice prepares to push the
d-pawn while retaining control of the position.}) 26. e5 $1 {White's only hope
is that Black will move his queen and allow an e5-e6 shot, but Khalifman isn't
easily deterred.} d3 27. Rfe3 g4 $1 {
Cutting off the queen's retreat down the diagonal;} ({and so avoiding} 27... c4
28. Qf3 Qb6 29. Kh1 {
when it's not so easy for Black to maintain control, in view of} Qxb2 30. e6 $1
fxe6 31. Rxe6 Qxc3 32. Qf1 $1 {
and suddenly the passed f-pawn is a real nuisance.}) 28. b3 $5 {
Hoping to get in c3-c4 and so weaken the defence of the d-pawn.} ({The text is
easy to criticize when one sees what follows, but passive defence with} 28. Rd1
c4 29. Qh4 {would have allowed Black time to begin increasing his control of
the position, commencing with} Rd5 {.}) 28... c4 {
Nyet! Khalifman is having none of it.} 29. Rd1 Qb6 {Only now that the rook on
e3 is rather loose does the black queen stray from her blockading post.} 30.
Kf2 Qa5 {Hardly bad;} ({but there was an easier win available with} 30... Rdg8
$1 {, as Black too can attack on the kingside! Suddenly 31...g3+ is a large
threat and} 31. g3 Rg5 32. Qh6 Rxe5 {no solution for White.}) 31. bxc4 Qxa2+
32. Kg3 Qxc4 $2 {The wrong direction.} ({Instead} 32... Qc2 {
would have continued attacking with tempo and after} 33. Rf1 d2 34. e6 d1=Q 35.
Rxd1 Qxd1 36. e7 Re8 {Black would have been winning with just a little care.
Don't forget that his a-pawn is by now passed.}) 33. Qf5 $1 {White's queen has
been so dormant for so long that perhaps Khalifman simply forgot she might
rejoin the fray.} Qxc3 $2 {As so often, one mistake follows another. ---
QUESTION: I too have found that mistakes often go together in pairs, but how
can I avoid that happening? --- ANSWER: Good question! Unfortunately we often
don't realize that the first move of a sequence is flawed, leading to the
intended but misguided follow-up move. Sometimes, though, as here, the two
mistakes are not part of an overall planned sequence. Khalifman may have been
low on time (something to avoid of course!), otherwise after 33 Qf5 he should
have pulled himself together. At such points it can help just to wander away
from the board for a few minutes, switching off and return determined to
battle anew. Even if one is down to just minutes, it can help to at least stop,
pause, take a deep breath and make sure you have come to terms with the new
situation on the board, thereby not pursuing any phantom advantage, which can
easily lead to a second mistake.} ({Black's only real chance was} 33... d2 34.
Qc2 h5 $1 {, difficult though this would have been to spot. The point is} 35.
Rxd2 h4+ 36. Kf2 ({and not} 36. Kxh4 $2 g3+ $1 {
, cutting the king's retreat off}) 36... Qf4+ 37. Ke2 Rxd2+ 38. Qxd2 Qxh2 {
when Black's extra pawn would still have counted for something.}) 34. Rdxd3
Rxd3 35. Qxd3 {White is still a pawn down, but just compare the difference in
activity between the rooks and kings. By now it is Khalifman who has to play
well to draw.} Qc8 $1 ({
White's rook and centre pawns would have been far too strong in the event of} 
35... Qxd3 $2 36. Rxd3 Rg8 37. Rd7 {.}) 36. Qb3 h5 $1 {
Black spies the opportunity to counterattack.} ({
The text is forcing and strong, although the calm} 36... Qd7 {
would also have done the job, and if} 37. Rd3 ({or} 37. Qa3 h5) 37... Qf5 {
, since Black is okay on the back rank after} 38. Rd8+ Rg8 {.}) 37. Qxf7 Qf5 {
Suddenly 38...h4+ is a rather powerful threat and White has to give perpetual
check.} 38. Qf8+ Kh7 39. Qe7+ Kg8 40. Qd8+ Kh7 41. Qe7+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Norwegian League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lie, K."]
[Black "Djurhuus, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D03"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 O-O {Increasing Black's options.} ({
Lie-Djurhuus actually saw the move order} 4... d5 5. e3 O-O {
when White decided to avoid an early ...Ne4 or ...Bf5 with} 6. Bd3 {
, play transposing to the move order used here after} b6 7. O-O c5 8. c3 {.})
5. c3 d5 6. e3 b6 {Black decides to fianchetto both bishops.} (6... c5 7. Bd3
b6 {would just amount to a transposition, but there are two sidelines worth a
quick mention:}) (6... Ne4 $6 {is an active try to wrest the initiative, but
Black's development does not support such a policy here. Moreover, after} 7.
Nxe4 dxe4 8. Nd2 {the dead-point on e4 is more of a hindrance than a help for
the second player. --- QUESTION: You say 'dead-point' on e4, but doesn't this
pawn cramp White? Also the doubled e-pawns are surely not that much of a
problem, since ...e7-e5 will undouble them. --- ANSWER: Not so fast again!
Dealing with your second point first, ...e7-e5 is not so easy to achieve,
since Black must first move his queen out of the pin (...h6; Bh4 g5 would just
be rather weakening and after Bg3 White's bishop competes for the key square,
e5). Doing so is not so easy, since Black also needs to defend e4. --- White
already enjoys an early initiative here and England's first grandmaster gave a
masterclass in how to build on that:} f5 ({weakening the kingside; neither} 
8... Qd5 $6 9. Bxe7) ({nor} 8... Bf5 9. g4 Be6 10. Nxe4 Nd7 11. Bg2 {
can count as an improvement,}) ({but} 8... h6 $5 {
might be tried when I suspect Miles might have gone} 9. Bf4 $5 {, and if} f5
10. Qb3+ Kh8 11. h4) 9. Bc4+ Kh8 10. h4 $1 {(suddenly, as if from nowhere,
White has a strong attack; not a random hack I should add, but a positionally
well-justified attack which neatly exploits Black's weakening of his kingside)}
Qe8 ({the ugly} 10... h5 {would have left Black's kingside crippled for life,
but perhaps he had to try that,}) ({as the text hardly helps and neither does} 
10... h6 11. h5 $1) 11. h5 e5 12. hxg6 Qxg6 13. Qh5 $1 Qxh5 14. Rxh5 exd4 15.
cxd4 Nd7 16. O-O-O Nf6 17. Rh4 {and having removed the queens to eliminate any
counterplay and further weaken Black's defences, White was in full control in
A.Miles-G.O'Connell, Dublin Zonal 1993.}) ({A better try is the solid} 6... Bf5
{, fighting against our favourite bishop development. White should settle for}
7. Be2 {, hoping to later show that Black's bishop might be misplaced, whether
vulnerable to attack by a timely Nh4 or g2-g4 or just unable to defend on the
queenside should the position open up over there. Indeed, White should look to
expand on that flank, while keeping Black's pawn breaks (...c7-c5 and ...e7-e5,
of course) under control. For example:} -- (7... c6 8. O-O h6 ({
Black obtained a comfortable, early draw after} 8... Nbd7 9. Qb3 ({
but had the World Champion been up for a fight, he surely would have gone} 9.
b4 $1) 9... Qb6 10. h3 Rfe8 11. Bf4 Ne4 {
in T.Petrosian-L.Stein, USSR Team Championship 1966}) 9. Bh4 {
with a further divide:} -- (9... Nbd7 10. h3 {
(ensuring that the bishop will be safe)} ({
White might also have got on with it with} 10. b4 $5) 10... g5 $6 ({with} 10...
Qb6 11. b4 a5 12. Qb3 {only helping White on the queenside, Black was a little
short of a good plan, but this bold expansion does not convince}) 11. Bg3 Ne4
12. Nxe4 dxe4 $6 (12... Bxe4 {
would have offered White a promising choice of plans, including} 13. Nd2 Bg6
14. f4 {, but better this than create a dead-point in the centre}) 13. Nd2 Bg6
14. Qb3 $1 {(beginning to probe on the queenside by making good use of the
fact that ...Rb8 isn't possible; just like Miles, the Ukrainian Grandmaster
doesn't fear the forthcoming exchange of queens, since that will only serve to
increase White's advantage)} Qb6 (14... Nb6 {was arguably a better try,
leaving White with a pleasant choice between taking over the centre after} 15.
f3 ({and} 15. a4 a5 16. Nc4 Nxc4 17. Bxc4 Qd7 18. Rfd1 e6 19. Qb6 {
, keeping Black tied down})) 15. Nc4 Qxb3 16. axb3 b6 $2 ({
a positional howler; Black had to grovel with} 16... a6 17. Na5 Ra7 {
, unpalatable though it would have been}) 17. Ra6 $1 {
and there was no saving Black's a-pawn in V.Malakhatko-H.Barz, Dresden 2005.})
({. QUESTION: I can understand why ...g5 wasn't advisable once h2-h3 was
played, but what was wrong with} 9... g5 10. Bg3 Nh5 {, hunting down the
bishop-pair? --- ANSWER: Never forget about tactics! Here White can net a pawn
with} 11. Bxb8 ({or even} 11. Nxg5 $5 Nxg3 12. fxg3 {
, exploiting the loose bishop on f5}) 11... Rxb8 12. Nxg5 hxg5 13. Bxh5 {.})) (
{. Alternatively,} 7... c5 $6 {
forces through the only available break, but after} 8. dxc5 $1 Nbd7 9. Nd4 {
the downside to the early bishop development can be seen}) ({, while} 7... Nbd7
{was once tried by Judit Polgar and after} 8. b4 $1 Qe8 9. O-O h6 10. Bh4 ({
I wonder whether} 10. Bf4 $5 {wouldn't have been more precise, meeting} Nh5 {
with} 11. Be5 $1 Nxe5 12. dxe5 {followed by Nd4 in a bid to exploit Black's
unusual piece configuration on the kingside}) 10... e5 11. c4 e4 $1 12. Ne1
dxc4 13. Nxc4 Nd5 14. Rc1 Be6 15. Na5 {both sides had their trumps and chances
in B.Macieja-J.Polgar, Budapest (rapid) 2002.})) 7. Bd3 c5 {
It's natural to counter in the centre.} ({
Black might develop his bishop without delay, but after} 7... Ba6 8. Bxa6 Nxa6
{, as well as} 9. O-O {, with a likely transposition to the game,} ({
White can consider} 9. Qa4 $5 {
, forcing Black to either retreat the knight to base or allow} Qc8 10. Qc6 {
when White's bind on the c6-square should promise a little something.})) 8. O-O
Ba6 {The Norwegian Grandmaster decides to exchange bishops. This will slightly
misplace his knight, but he evidently didn't think much of having the bishop
back on b7.} ({That said,} 8... Bb7 {
has been quite popular at this juncture when White has a choice of three plans:
} 9. -- (9. a4 $5 {isn't quite as promising as in Georgiev-Phadke, since Black
needn't transpose there with} Nbd7 {.} ({I suspect} 9... Nc6 {
is a better approach, although White might be happy enough to manoeuvre after}
10. Qe2 {, perhaps looking for a timely e3-e4 break and/or to weaken Black's
queenside a little with a trade of bishops via a6.})) ({
. Centralization is rarely a bad policy and} 9. Qe2 Nbd7 10. Rad1 {, while not
overly popular, did work out fairly well in the old game A.Lein-V.Savon, USSR
Championship, Tbilisi 1967:} Ne4 11. Bf4 $1 a6 ({
QUESTION: Was this really forced? --- ANSWER: Of course not, but after, say,} 
11... Re8 {one plan is} 12. Ba6 {, swapping off the seemingly passive bishop,
since that piece helps control the key e4-square and following} Bxa6 13. Qxa6 {
White has slightly weakened Black's control of the central light squares, d5
as well as e4.}) 12. Ne5 ({annotating this encounter for the 'Informant',
Petrosian condemned the seemingly greedy} 12. Bxe4 $5 dxe4 13. Ng5 {, but this
seems both quite critical and quite reasonable to me; the 9th World Champion
stopped his analysis after} h6 14. Ngxe4 f5 {, but} 15. Ng3 g5 16. Be5 {
isn't such a disaster for White, who meets} Nxe5 17. dxe5 Qd5 ({as well as} 
17... Bxe5) {with} 18. f4 {, emerging with some advantage in either case})
12... Nxe5 13. Bxe5 $1 {(White is right to exchange dark-squared bishops, both
to weaken the black king's defences and to free his f-pawn for action)} Bxe5
14. dxe5 Nxd2 15. Rxd2 Qc7 16. f4 {and with the more mobile pawns and better
bishop, White was undoubtedly slightly for choice.}) (9. Ne5 {was Dreev's
choice and has been relatively popular of late. Of course, occupying the
weakened e5-square and preparing f2-f4 is thematic and cannot be bad, but
after} Nbd7 ({now that White's knight has advanced, Black can also consider} 
9... Ne4 $5 10. Nxe4 dxe4 11. Bc4 Nd7) ({and} 9... Nfd7 10. Nxd7 Qxd7 11. Nf3
Nc6 12. Bf4 Rfe8 {also seemed solid and sufficient for Black to claim rough
equality in S.Halkias-S.Williams, Reykjavik 2011}) 10. f4 ({Dreev actually went
} 10. Nxd7 Nxd7 11. f4 {, avoiding any problems with a timely knight move from
f6 and ...f7-f6, but after} Qe8 12. Bh4 e6 13. a4 a6 {Black's defences were
pretty solid in any case in A.Dreev-K.Arakhamia Grant, Helsinki 1992}) 10...
Qc7 (10... Ne8 $5 {also looks quite critical}) 11. Qf3 e6 {
Black should be solid enough and can meet} 12. Qh3 {with} Ne4 $1 {
, interfering with White's kingside build-up.})) ({Not that it seems Black
needs to worry about the idea of an early Ne5 (at least when he has a bishop
on g7), but he has sometimes prevented it with} 8... Nc6 {
before ...Bb7. White might just go} 9. Qe2 {
à la Lein, although there are some other options,} ({including} 9. Qa4 $5 {
, intending} Bd7 10. Qa3 $1 {,}) ({and} 9. Re1 {,}) ({but not, of course,} 9.
Ne5 $2 Nxe5 10. dxe5 Ng4 {.})) 9. Bxa6 {It makes sense to allow the swap to
take place on a6, not d3, so as to pull Black's queen's knight slightly out of
sync.} Nxa6 10. Qe2 ({With the c-pawn now advanced,} 10. Qa4 Nc7 {
no longer seems so effective}) ({but} 10. Ne5 {
followed by f2-f4 is possible. Lie prefers to centralize.}) 10... Nc7 11. Rad1
Qc8 ({Black doesn't want to expose the queen to potential attack, as would
have been the case on d7 or d6, but she didn't have to move just yet and, for
instance,} 11... cxd4 {
also came into the equation. --- EXERCISE: Which recapture should White choose?
} 12. -- ({. ANSWER: No points for} 12. cxd4 $6 {. If White wanted to play
this way, he shouldn't have committed his queen's rook to d1 and the queen
herself might well have been better placed on a4.}) ({. Instead} 12. exd4 {
would be natural and quite reasonable, opening the e-file. Black is in time
here to plug it with} Ne6 {, leading after} 13. Be3 {to a roughly level
position, albeit one in which White's position is perhaps slightly the easier
to handle. He will advance with Ne5 and perhaps f2-f4, while meeting} Nd7 {
with the line-clearing} 14. Ng5 Nxg5 15. Bxg5 {.}) ({
. Normally White would only consider a pawn recapture, since} 12. Nxd4 $5 {
permits} e5 {, but here that recapture is possible, since there is some
resulting tension down the d-file. Taking back this way is no better than the
standard, e-pawn recapture, but must have surprised Black in V.Kramnik-R.Ponomariov, Moscow (blitz) 2007, where the leading Ukrainian Grandmaster
quickly shed a pawn with} 13. N4f3 h6 14. Bh4 Qd6 $2 (14... Qe7 {, and if} 15.
e4 Qe6 {, was indicated}) 15. Nc4 Qe6 16. Ncxe5 {.})) 12. e4 $1 {Lie decides
to open the position before Black improves his pieces with, say, ...Qf5 and ...Ne6.} dxe4 $6 {Black hurries to resolve the tension, but this will lead to him
giving up a pawn.} ({A safer course would have been} 12... cxd4 13. Nxd4 Ne6 {
when} 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. exd5 $6 ({White should prefer} 15. e5 Bg7 16. N2b3 {
followed by f2-f4, aiming to keep Black's bishop restricted}) 15... Nxd4 16.
cxd4 Qc2 {regains the pawn with interest.}) 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 Ne6 $5 {
Sacrificing a pawn for activity.} ({It was possible to keep the e-pawn with} 
14... Re8 {, but after the simple} 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. Rd2 {White would have had
chances to press, with the more active pieces, pressure down the d-file, and a
target on c5.}) 15. Bxe7 {The higher-rated of the two grandmasters refuses to
be bluffed and snaffles the pawn.} Re8 16. Qh4 $1 ({Not} 16. Bh4 $2 Nxd4 {
, of course, but now the onus is on Black to show that he has full compensation.
}) 16... cxd4 17. cxd4 Qd7 18. Bf6 Qd5 {This was likely the position Djurhuus
was aiming for back at move 14. --- QUESTION: I never feel comfortable in such
positions as White. Yes, we're a pawn up, but Black's pieces are much the more
active, so won't we have to return the pawn and try to swap everything off?
--- ANSWER: Try not to panic! Yes, Black's queen radiates a lot of power from
d5, but she may not be there for ever. On top of the extra pawn, White has two
trumps which mean he should not be hurrying to give back the pawn on d4:
Black's kingside defences remain slightly compromised and one day a rook or
knight will land on e5 with some effect. Conclusion: Black doesn't have full
compensation.} 19. Rfe1 $1 h6 $6 ({
QUESTION: You said White wasn't 'hurrying to give back the pawn', but} 19...
Qxa2 {surely picks one off? --- ANSWER: Yes, but re-read exactly what I said!
White is happy to give up a queenside pawn, since this way he gets to keep his
main trump, the d-pawn, and after} 20. d5 Nc5 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. Qd4+ Kg8 23.
Ne5 {White's advantage is clear. By returning the extra pawn (on a2, not d4!),
he has advanced his passed pawn, further weakened the black king's defences
and driven Black's queen from the centre of the board, while taking control
with his own queen there.}) ({Coming back to the game move, while it might be
useful to cover g5 in some lines, I suspect Black would have done better
without this potentially weakening and slow move. After} 19... Rac8 20. a3 Rc2
21. b4 Rec8 {
White can hope to get the d-pawn motoring after exchanges beginning with} 22.
Bxg7 Kxg7 23. Qe4 {, but this looks like a much more defensible position for
Black than the one Djurhuus soon reaches.}) 20. Bxg7 Kxg7 21. b3 {
Lie decides to make the queenside safe before undertaking any positive action.}
({I must confess I would have been happy to leave the a-pawn hanging and so
got on with it with} 21. Ne5 $5 {.}) 21... Ng5 {This only drives the white
knight to where it wants to go, but by now I dare say that Djurhuus had
realized that his compensation was rapidly drying up.} ({Again,} 21... Rac8 {
came into consideration, but after} 22. Re5 $1 Qd6 23. Rde1 Red8 24. d5 Nc7 25.
Qd4 {the d-pawn would have advanced and with it White's advantage.}) 22. Ne5
Rad8 23. Ng4 $1 {
Lie is quick to pinpoint the weakened dark squares on the kingside.} h5 $4 {
A blunder.} ({I dare say Djurhuus saw} 23... Rh8 24. f4 Ne6 ({or} 24... Nh7 25.
Qxh6+) 25. Qf6+ Kg8 {when White crashes through with} 26. Rxe6 $1 {, but in the
process forgot or badly underestimated that the white knight could retreat
with tempo.}) ({Black's only chance was} 23... Rxe1+ $1 24. Rxe1 Rh8 {
when there's no clear knockout, although White might keep up the pressure with}
25. Qg3 $5 Qxd4 26. h4 Ne4 27. Qf4 {, creating a rather awkward pin.}) 24. Ne3
{And just like that the black knight finds itself in huge trouble on g5.} Re4
$1 ({A last-ditch try, since} 24... Qb5 $2 25. a4 Qa5 26. b4 {
would have left the knight falling and the game up.}) 25. f4 $1 {Unfortunately
for Black, however, this and the following equally powerful advance ensure
that White's advantage is virtually decisive in any case.} Qe6 26. d5 Qe8 27.
Nf5+ Kg8 ({Clearly} 27... gxf5 28. Qxg5+ Kh8 29. Rxe4 fxe4 30. d6 {
would have been hopeless}) ({and} 27... Kf8 28. fxg5 $1 gxf5 29. Rxe4 fxe4 30.
Qf4 {hardly looks like much of an improvement.}) 28. d6 Qe6 $2 {Collapsing,
but Black was in huge trouble in any case, with 29 Ne7+ but one crushing
threat.} 29. Rxe4 Qxe4 30. Qxg5 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2. The ...g6 Torre with ...d6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "10"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 O-O 5. c3 d6 {. This seems much more in
keeping with the King's Indian spirit than the solid lines of our opening
chapter, and yet the position may not become as dynamic as Black would like.
Throughout this chapter keep an eye on how our grandmaster Torre heroes keep
Black's attempts to generate early counterplay under control while gradually
increasing their grip over the position. A lengthy manoeuvring struggle is by
no means uncommon, where White enjoys good central control and his ideas are
generally quite easy to grasp, but he may also be able to launch an eventual
kingside attack, especially as many Black players cannot resist a double-edged
kingside expansion to hunt down the Torre bishop with ...h6; Bh4 g5; Bg3 Nh5.}
*

[Event "Khanty Mansiysk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Cheparinov, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "123"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 d6 {
Black shows that he is happy with a King's Indian/Pirc formation.} ({
As we have seen, he doesn't have to commit his d-pawn just yet and} 4... O-O 5.
c3 $1 ({and not} 5. e4 d5 $1) 5... d6 6. e4 {
would be another route into our main game here.}) 5. e4 ({
White can also begin with} 5. c3 {
, but there's absolutely no reason not to prioritize the central advance.})
5... O-O 6. c3 ({QUESTION: I know this move featured heavily in the ...d5
lines of the last chapter, but do we really need to play it here. Why not
begin with, say,} 6. Be2 {? --- ANSWER: The first point of 6 c3 is that Black
could have forced us into this position by adopting a 4...0-0 move order. As
for your suggestion, after} c5 {White's bishop is just a little passively
placed if he now exchanges on c5 à la Carlsen, while his centre comes under
pressure in the event of} 7. c3 cxd4 8. cxd4 d5 $5 {.}) 6... c5 {Kasparov's
ice and a counterstrike recommended by both Joe Gallagher and Yelena Dembo in
their respective works, 'Beating the Anti-King's Indians' and 'Fighting the
Anti-King's Indians'. Alternatives will be examined in Sasikiran-Kotronias.} 7.
dxc5 $1 ({
QUESTION: And now we concede the centre! Are you sure this is correct? Why not
} 7. Bd3 {
? --- ANSWER: Holding the centre may look natural, but practice has shown that}
cxd4 8. cxd4 h6 $1 9. Bh4 ({even worse is} 9. Be3 Ng4 10. Bf4 $6 e5 {
when the light-squared bishop turns out to be a liability on d3}) 9... Nh5 $1 {
isn't so easy to meet: for example,} 10. O-O g5 11. Bg3 g4 12. Nh4 Nxg3 13.
hxg3 Bxd4 14. Nf5 Bxf5 15. exf5 h5 {and White had some but not quite enough
compensation in J.Timman-V.Topalov, Belgrade 1995, and a couple of subsequent
games.}) ({QUESTION: Okay; Black gets good play on the dark squares if we try
and maintain our d4/e4 pawn centre, but why not} 7. d5 {? This seems pretty
reasonable since the pawn on c3 helps to restrict Black's fianchettoed bishop.
--- ANSWER: I don't think that White is worse this time, but after} h6 8. Bh4
e6 $1 {Black breaks open the centre and enjoys easy equality. We need to do
something more challenging than this, which is where the text comes in. Yes,
White does exchange one of his centre pawns, but after the swap he is the only
side with a pawn on one of the four central squares. Moreover, that pawn on c3
does a good job of controlling the d4-square, while ensuring that Black's
dark-squared bishop bites on granite.}) 7... dxc5 8. Bc4 {White develops his
bishop to an active and fairly safe square. Now Black can no longer develop
his own light-squared bishop to e6 and may struggle to find a great home for
it. He also has to watch out for ideas of a well-timed e4-e5-e6 coming with
tempo.} Nc6 ({Black has also been known to contest the e5-square and increase
his dark-squared control with} 8... Qc7 {
, but play usually just transposes in the event of} 9. O-O ({or} 9. Qe2 Nc6 10.
O-O) 9... Nc6 {.}) ({Another move order is} 8... h6 9. Bh4 Nc6 10. Qe2 Qc7 11.
O-O {and, again, we're back in the game.}) 9. O-O {
The choice of the future world no.1;} ({
but I prefer to follow in Harikrishna's footsteps with} 9. Qe2 {. We'll explore
this move order in more detail in our next game, but do note that play often
just transposes with} Qc7 10. O-O {.}) 9... Qc7 ({Radjabov later improved with
} 9... Na5 {against Carlsen, but beginning with 9 Qe2 negates the effect of
this move, as we'll see.}) 10. Qe2 h6 $6 {Black often furthers his
dark-squared play thus, but the text is actually a mistake, as well as being
by no means forced.} ({The alternatives include: --} 10... b6 {gives Black the
option of a second fianchetto, but in K.Sasikiran-R.Kasimdzhanov, Doha 2006,
some vigorous play from White prevented the bishop ever getting there:} 11.
Rfe1 h6 ({presumably the one-time FIDE Champion disliked} 11... Bb7 12. e5 $1
Ng4 13. Bf4 {and with good reason; Black's knight floats a little in mid-air
and ideas of e5-e6 are in the position, with} e6 $6 {
most certainly not a panacea, in view of} 14. h3 Nh6 15. Ne4 {
when White takes over control of the key dark squares}) 12. Bh4 Nh5 {
(Black decides to activate thus after all)} ({
by now he most certainly had to avoid} 12... Bb7 13. e5 $1 Ng4 $2 ({while} 
13... Nh5 {improves here, White must be for choice after} 14. Qe3 $1) 14. Bg3)
13. e5 $5 {(White is determined to take the fight to his opponent)} ({
a calmer alternative was} 13. Qe3 {, and if} g5 14. Bg3 Nxg3 15. hxg3 {
followed by e4-e5 and/or Nh2 and f2-f4, hoping to gradually show Black's
kingside advances up as weakening}) 13... Nf4 $6 {
(this gets the knight off the rim, but permits White to take control)} ({
critical would have been} 13... Na5 {when I wonder if Sasikiran intended} 14.
e6 $5 f5 15. Bg3 Nxg3 16. hxg3 {, placing something of a fishbone in Black's
throat and hoping to target the d7- and g6-squares after a knight leap to e5})
14. Qe4 Ne6 15. Bg3 Rb8 16. Bd5 Ncd8 17. Rad1 {and White enjoyed a pleasant
grip on the position, with Black a little more passive than he would have
liked.}) (10... Nh5 {echoes Cheparinov's play, but White's bishop is still on
the c1-h6 diagonal, so Black's plan is a little imprecise and} 11. Qe3 {
a good response. After} b6 12. Rfe1 e5 $5 {(a radical choice; Black prevents
e4-e5 for good, but rather weakens the d5-square)} 13. Rad1 Rb8 14. Bd5 Ne7 15.
Nc4 Nxd5 16. exd5 f6 17. Bh6 {White's well-supported d-pawn left him slightly
for choice in M.Miljkovic-S.Brenjo, Bosnian Team Championship 2011.}) (10...
Na5 $5 {is still a reasonable alternative - see the notes to our next game,
Kosic-Neubauer.}) 11. Bh4 $6 {Carlsen returns the favour!} ({I don't know if
he was simply playing on auto-pilot at this point or wasn't convinced by} 11.
Bxf6 $1 {, but this is really what White should play, leaving Black with an
unpleasant choice:} -- (11... Bxf6 12. Qe3 {is the main point; White forks the
pawns on c5 and h6. Black does have an unopposed dark-squared bishop, but
after} Ne5 13. Qxh6 Bg7 14. Qg5 (14. Qh4 {, and if} Bf6 15. Ng5 {
, is probably even more precise}) 14... Nxc4 15. Nxc4 Be6 16. Ne3 Bf6 17. Qh6
Bg7 18. Qh4 Bf6 19. Ng5 {he had to return that piece and, a clear pawn down,
didn't manage to survive in P.Harikrishna-A.Korobov, Beijing (blitz) 2008.}) (
11... exf6 {avoids shedding a pawn and prepares to undouble the f-pawns with ...f6-f5, but White has a strong response in} 12. Nh4 $1 {. This clamps down on
the f5-square, frees White's f-pawn to advance and even contains a threat.
Following} Ne7 $6 ({Black isn't helped by} 12... Kh7 13. f4 {,}) ({while} 12...
g5 $5 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. exf5 {leaves his dark-squared bishop rather unhappy and}
Qf4 15. Ne4 $5 Rae8 {would have left White in front in K.Sasikiran-A.Fedorov,
Kolkata 1999, had he now found} 16. Bd5 Qxf5 17. Qc4) 13. f4 Re8 14. Rae1 Bd7
15. f5 $1 g5 ({or} 15... Nxf5 16. Nxg6 Nd6 17. Bd5 {
, retaining a clear advantage in view of Black's weakened kingside}) 16. Qh5 $1
Rf8 ({if} 16... gxh4 17. e5 $1 {is again very strong:} Rf8 ({even} 17... Qc6
18. Bxf7+ Kh7 19. e6 {leaves Black in desperate straits}) 18. exf6 Bxf6 19.
Rxe7 $1 {echoes the game}) 17. e5 $1 {
Black was butchered in K.Sasikiran-H.Banikas, Calicut 1998, which concluded}
gxh4 18. exf6 Bxf6 19. Rxe7 $1 Bxe7 20. Qg6+ Kh8 21. Qxh6+ {1-0.})) ({
QUESTION: So if the exchange on f6 is promising, why are we considering} 11.
Bh4 {? --- ANSWER: Well, Carlsen's games are almost always instructive, but no
less importantly here, Black can force the game position by going ...h6 at an
earlier point, such as on move 8.}) 11... Nh5 12. Rfe1 {
Carlsen supports a future advance of his e-pawn.} ({
White can and probably should, however, begin with} 12. Qe3 $5 {, which prevents ...Nf4 from coming with tempo. In one practical test Black responded with
aggressive expansion:} Na5 13. Bd3 c4 $5 14. Bc2 e5 15. Rfd1 Be6 16. Nf1 {
by when the position rather resembled a Ruy Lopez in P.Harikrishna-A.Shomoev,
Russian Team Championship 2008. Both sides have their chances here and
probably Black should restrict White's dark-squared bishop with} g5 {,} ({since
} 16... b5 $6 17. Ng3 $1 Nxg3 18. Bxg3 {
saw it live in the game where White seized the advantage with} Rfb8 19. h3 Nb7
20. Rd2 Nc5 21. Rad1 a5 22. Nxe5 $1 Bxe5 23. f4 {.})) 12... Bg4 ({
Black improved with} 12... Na5 $1 {in the later M.Carlsen-E.Inarkiev, Baku
2008, where he had avoided the strong possibility of an exchange on f6 by
going ...h6 back on move 5. Again the game took on manoeuvring, Lopez-like
characteristics after} 13. Bb5 ({with the queen still on e2,} 13. Bd3 $6 Nf4
14. Qe3 Nxd3 15. Qxd3 Be6 {would allow Black to net the bishop-pair while
obtaining a pretty comfortable game,}) ({but} 13. Bd5 $5 e6 14. Bb3 {
followed by Nc4 might be a better try}) 13... a6 14. Ba4 b5 $1 15. Bc2 e5 16.
Nf1 $1 {. I must admit that I would prefer the 12 Qe3 move order, as here
Black has undertaken some useful queenside expansion with tempo. Indeed, he
even has a temporary initiative, but White's position is sound and after} Nf4
17. Qd1 Nc4 18. Qb1 Bg4 19. Bd1 {Carlsen was able to maintain sufficient
control and even eventually won, although I dare say he would have preferred a
slightly less restricted position at this stage.}) 13. Qe3 {Carlsen is back on
track as he ensures that his bishop will have the option of retreating down
the f1-a6 diagonal if attacked by ...Na5. With White now set to challenge for
the bishop-pair with 14 h3, Cheparinov decides to be the side who will gain
that potential long-term advantage.} g5 $5 14. Bg3 Nxg3 15. hxg3 {The exchange
on g3 is quite a common scenario in this line. Black can point to his
unopposed dark-squared bishop and computers tend to overestimate his chances,
but I would always slightly prefer to play White. --- QUESTION: Are you really
sure you like White's position? It's solid enough, but how can we make
progress? --- ANSWER: On the kingside! Black has weakened his structure in
pursuit of the bishop-pair and so it's logical for White to prepare the f2-f4
advance.} b6 {Defending the loose pawn;} ({
but it may be that Black does better with} 15... Na5 {
, putting the question to the white bishop. After} 16. Bd3 (16. e5 Nxc4 17.
Nxc4 Bf5 {seems fine for Black, since White lacks a particularly good way to
strengthen his position and is a little weak on the light squares}) 16... c4
17. Bc2 e5 {again a roughly balanced position arises in which both sides have
their trumps. White might strike back on the queenside with} 18. b4 $5 ({
or even consider} 18. Nf1 {followed by the retrograde Qe2 to facilitate Ne3})
18... cxb3 19. axb3 {.}) 16. Nh2 $1 {
Carlsen finds a way to free his f-pawn with tempo.} Bh5 $5 {
Now the light-squared bishop finds itself entombed;} ({
but White would also have been slightly for choice in the event of} 16... Bc8
17. f4 {, softening up the black kingside.}) 17. g4 $1 Bg6 {EXERCISE: Black's
light-squared bishop may have been blunted, but he can still expand on the
queenside and/or play down the d-file. What plan, however, should White adopt?}
18. g3 $1 ({ANSWER: One should always consider ways which cross the opponent's
intentions, but White can't really counter on the queenside: for example,} 18.
a4 {is well met by} Ne5 19. Ba2 Qd7 {.}) ({Neither am I especially convinced by
} 18. Ndf1 {here, as even if the knight appears on e3 Black can keep it under
control with ...e7-e6, since he hasn't yet played ...e7-e5. Much better is
Carlsen's choice. Black's light-squared bishop is restricted, and once White
brings his pawn to f4, so will its dark-squared partner.}) 18... Rad8 19. f4
Nd4 $1 {Cheparinov loves to attack and rather than risk being slowly squashed
on the kingside, which would certainly happen if White could get in both e4-e5
and f4-f5, finds a way to battle for the initiative.} 20. Rac1 {Carlsen calmly
covers c2 and now Black needs to find a way to keep up his active stance;
otherwise, sooner or later, the knight will meekly have to retreat.} b5 21. Bf1
{The right square. The bishop may be needed on the kingside should play open
up over there, while from f1 it continues to gaze longingly at that potential
weakness on b5.} gxf4 22. gxf4 Ne6 {
This cannot have been what he wanted to do, but what else was there?} ({
I see that my machine touts} 22... h5 $5 {as an improvement, but} 23. f5 Bh7 {
must be in White's favour, so long as he finds a sensible way of dealing with
the threatened ...Be5. Perhaps just} 24. Kh1 $5 {and after, for instance,} hxg4
25. Nxg4 Bxf5 $5 ({getting a little desperate, but after} 25... Nc6 26. Bxb5 {
White nabs a pawn while clearing the way for Rg1}) 26. exf5 Nxf5 27. Qg5 Ng3+
28. Kg1 f6 29. Qe3 {
it's hard to believe that Black should have enough for the piece.}) 23. e5 $1 {
The pawns roll forward and now Black is in some danger of being crushed.
Cheparinov finds the most combative response:} f5 $1 ({
Black's cause is clearly not a happy one in the event of} 23... Bh7 24. f5 Ng5
25. Nhf3 Nxf3+ 26. Nxf3) ({and the alternative tactical attempt,} 23... Bd3 $5
{, would have failed to equalize, with White retaining control and a handy
space advantage after} 24. Bxd3 Qd7 25. Bc2 Qxd2 26. Qxd2 Rxd2 27. Nf3 Rd5 28.
Re4 {.}) 24. exf6 Rxf6 25. f5 {QUESTION: Are you sure this is what Black
should be doing? It seems to me that White has just forked two pieces. ---
ANSWER: He has! However, Carlsen's pawn advances have had one negative effect;
they have weakened his king's defences. Black is going a piece down, but in
return he gets to seize the initiative and Carlsen has to tread carefully.} Ng5
26. fxg6 Re6 $1 {By far the best try, forcing White's queen back and preparing
to activate the dark-squared bishop.} 27. Qf2 Be5 {EXERCISE: Black threatens
to regain the piece after a double exchange on h2. Should White go 28 Nhf3 or
28 Ne4, or offer to return some material with 28 Ndf3 or 28 Rxe5?} 28. Rxe5 $1
({ANSWER: White must return some material! After} 28. Nhf3 $2 Bg3 29. Qg2 Bxe1
30. Nxe1 ({if} 30. Rxe1 Rxd2 $1) 30... Qf4 {Black's initiative is far too
strong. Well done if you saw all this and also correctly realized the problems
at the end, with even} 31. Nef3 $5 {not saving White after} Re3 $1 {.}) ({
Instead,} 28. Ne4 Bxh2+ 29. Kh1 $1 Rf8 30. Qxh2 Qxh2+ 31. Kxh2 Rxe4 32. Rxe4
Nxe4 {would have returned the piece after all, leaving an endgame in which
Black's activity remains and White probably has nothing better than to force
drawish exchanges with} 33. Re1 e6 34. Rxe4 Rxf1 35. a4 {.}) ({In the game
White reaches an endgame with two pieces against a rook. Such a situation also
occurs after} 28. Ndf3 $5 Bg3 29. Qg2 Bxe1 30. Rxe1 Rxe1 31. Nxe1 c4 {
, but here the queens are still on. That doesn't necessarily help Black, but
Carlsen trusts his chances with them off the board.}) 28... Qxe5 29. Ndf3 {
White continues to force the pace and exchanges.} Nxf3+ 30. Nxf3 Qf4 31. Re1 $1
Rxe1 32. Nxe1 Qxf2+ {Cheparinov doesn't fear the pure rook against two minor
pieces endgame, but this was a risky choice.} ({After} 32... Qxg4+ $5 33. Ng2
Qxg6 34. Qxc5 a6 35. a4 {White's king would have been safe enough and his
queen quite active, but activating his minor pieces would not have been an
easy task. Indeed, after} bxa4 36. Qxe7 Rd1 37. Qe2 Rb1 {
one would expect that Black should be able to hold without too much difficulty.
}) 33. Kxf2 Rd2+ 34. Ke3 {Normally rook and pawn are at least as good as two
pieces in an endgame, but here White has a potentially highly-dangerous trump,
namely that passed pawn on g6, which is far from easy for Black to round up.}
Rd1 ({Topalov's no.2 may have missed White's 36th move, otherwise he might
have gone in for} 34... Rxb2 $5 35. Nd3 Rc2 (35... Rxa2 36. Nxc5 {
leaves White's pieces quite actively placed}) 36. Nxc5 Rxc3+ 37. Kd4 Rg3 {
. That front g-pawn does remain here, but Black's rook is still pretty active
and even after} 38. Be2 Kg7 39. Bd3 $1 Rxg4+ 40. Ke5 {it seems that Black
should be able to hold with some care, since his king is safe enough after} Rg2
41. Ne6+ Kg8 42. Nc7 b4 {: for instance,} 43. Bc4+ Kg7 44. Bf7 Re2+ 45. Kf5
Rf2+ 46. Ke6 Kf8 {and the defence is holding.}) 35. Ke2 Ra1 36. Bg2 $1 {
Indirectly defending the a-pawn and now it's clear that Black has lost some
time.} c4 {Easy to criticize when one sees what happens to Black's rook;} ({but
} 36... Kg7 $2 {would not have helped him, since} 37. Be4 Rxa2 38. Nd3 c4 39.
Nf4 Rxb2+ 40. Ke3 {creates decisive threats on the kingside.}) 37. a3 Rb1 38.
Be4 Rxb2+ 39. Nc2 {The knight may look a little passive here, but it keeps
Black's rook restricted and now White menaces the timely arrival of his knight
on f5.} Kg7 40. Ke3 Rb3 41. Kd2 Kf6 $6 {
The time control may have been reached, but this is a definite slip.} ({
Black should have repeated with} 41... Rb2 {when Carlsen might have tried} 42.
Ke3 (42. Kc1 Rb3 43. Nd4 {is the alternative, but after} Rxc3+ 44. Kb2 Rh3 {
Black is probably okay}) 42... Rb3 43. Kd4 {, although after} a6 $1 {
it seems that Black should be able to hold: for example,} 44. Nb4 Rxa3 45. Nd5
Ra1 46. Nxe7 a5 {and the queenside counterplay arrives just in time.}) 42. Nd4
Rxa3 $2 {
Cheparinov is collapsing and it seems that this was the decisive mistake.} ({
Black had to go} 42... Rb2+ 43. Kc1 ({or} 43. Kd1 e6) 43... Rh2 $1 {
when after something like} 44. Nxb5 Rh4 45. Bf5 e6 46. g7 $1 Kxg7 47. Bxe6 Kf6
48. Bd7 h5 49. gxh5 Rxh5 50. Nd4 {only White can win, but even Carlsen would
have done well to triumph from here, although I wouldn't have put it past him.}
) 43. Nxb5 Ra5 44. Nc7 $1 {Now the knight is very active and presumably the
Bulgarian Grandmaster had missed the huge threat of check on e8 when he went
in for this line.} Kg7 ({Black's king must scuttle back as} 44... Rg5 $2 45.
Bf5 h5 {would have lost to, amongst others,} 46. Ne8+ Ke5 47. gxh5 $1 Kxf5 48.
g7 {followed by pushing the h-pawn.}) 45. Ne6+ Kh8 46. Ke3 Ra1 47. Kd4 a5 {
EXERCISE: Find a sequence which enables White to make good use of his passed
g-pawn. --- Black's only trump is his a-pawn, so Cheparinov had little left to
do than stake everything on it.---} {ANSWER:} 48. Bc6 $1 {The bishop is bound
for f7, after which the pawn should finally make it home. This does allow
Black's a-pawn to reach a3, but Carlsen has calculated that he has everything
under control.} ({Instead} 48. Kxc4 a4 49. Kb4 a3 50. Bd5 a2 51. Ka3 Rc1 52.
g7+ Kg8 53. Bxa2 Rxc3+ {
would have offered Black some chances to hold thanks to the reduced material.})
48... a4 49. Be8 Rg1 50. g5 $1 {
A key intermezzo and one White really had to see back at move 48.} a3 51. Bf7
Rxg5 $1 {
The only try, but White still has his c-pawn and that should prove sufficient.}
52. Nxg5 hxg5 53. Bxc4 Kg7 {EXERCISE: The black rook has gone and White is a
bishop up, but those passed pawns aren't so easy to control. White can win,
but only one of 54 Kd3, 54 Ke5 and 54 Bb3 will do the trick - which one?} 54.
Kd3 $2 {ANSWER: Carlsen falters! To be fair both players were likely moving
largely on increment by this point and there must also have been a fair amount
of tension, especially with this being the first of a two-game quarter-final
match in the FIDE World Cup.} ({Instead} 54. Bb3 $2 Kxg6 55. c4 Kf6 56. c5 e5+
57. Ke4 g4 {would have given Black sufficient counterplay}) ({but} 54. Ke5 $1 {
would have won, advancing the king while restricting its counterpart. That
said, it's only possible to claim full points if you saw the critical line} Kxg6
55. Ba2 g4 56. Kf4 Kh5 ({the only try;} 56... Kf6 57. Kxg4 Ke5 58. Kf3 {
would just be pretty easy for White}) 57. c4 Kh4 ({
Black is too slow as well after} 57... e5+ 58. Kg3 e4 59. c5 e3 60. c6 e2 61.
Kf2) 58. c5 g3 59. Kf3 $1 Kh3 60. c6 g2 61. c7 g1=Q 62. c8=Q+ {
, queening with check and picking up the black queen after} Kh4 63. Qh8+ Kg5
64. Qg7+ {.}) 54... Kxg6 55. Kc2 g4 56. Kb3 Kf5 57. Kxa3 {The pesky a-pawn has
finally fallen, but at some cost in terms of time. Cheparinov, however, now
misses his chance.} g3 $2 ({Black would have drawn with} 57... Ke4 {
and then, say,} 58. Kb2 g3 59. Bf1 Kf3 60. c4 Kf2 61. Bh3 e5 {.}) ({
Also good enough would have been} 57... e5 58. Bf1 e4 {
when White must even be careful, as} 59. c4 e3 60. c5 $4 {
even costs him the game after} g3 {.}) 58. Bf1 $2 ({Carlsen must have been
down to just 30 seconds a move, otherwise he would surely have found} 58. Bd5 {
when White's king and bishop make it back in time with} e5 ({or} 58... Kf4 59.
Kb2 Ke3 60. Kc2 {followed by racing the c-pawn up the board}) 59. Bg2 e4 60.
Kb3 e3 61. Kc2 {, winning.}) 58... e5 $2 ({
Never forget that the king is a very important piece in the endgame! Here} 
58... Ke4 {would still have been correct.}) 59. Kb3 $2 ({
Carlsen does move his king, but this was too slow and} 59. Bg2 {
would have won after} e4 {, as in the note above,} ({or with} 59... Kf4 60. c4
Ke3 61. c5 {.})) 59... Kf4 $2 {The final mistake.} ({
Black had only one path to the draw and again that was} 59... Ke4 $1 {
: for example,} 60. c4 Kf3 61. c5 Kf2 62. Bh3 e4 63. c6 e3 64. c7 e2 65. c8=Q
e1=Q {when it's hard to believe White has any winning chances.}) 60. Bg2 Ke3 ({
QUESTION: Are you sure White is winning? This still looks mighty scary and
what about} 60... e4 {too? --- ANSWER: Such endings can't be solved by
counting, not that I'm a fan of counting in even basic king and pawn against
king and pawn scenarios, since it can easily lead to one missing a nuance like
queening with check. Instead one must calculate, which is hard at the end of a
long game, although regularly solving tactics and endgame puzzles can but help.
Here your alternate suggestion fails to} 61. Kc2 Ke3 62. Bh1 $1 {
, placing Black in a fatal zugzwang.}) 61. Kc4 $1 Kf2 ({Again, if} 61... e4 62.
Bh1 {.}) 62. Be4 ({White wins simply after} 62. Be4 g2 ({or} 62... Ke3 63. Kd5)
63. Bxg2 Kxg2 64. Kd5 {.}) 1-0

[Event "European Team Ch., Porto Carras"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kosic, D."]
[Black "Neubauer, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 O-O 5. c3 d6 6. e4 c5 7. dxc5 dxc5 8.
Bc4 Nc6 9. Qe2 $1 {Best. --- White can't prevent an early ...Na5, but Kosic's
choice enables him to retreat his bishop in response to d3, from where it
doesn't get in the way of the other pieces quite as much as on e2.} ({
The problem with the} 9. O-O {of our previous game is that it allows} Na5 $1 {
, as Carlsen was later to face in M.Carlsen-T.Radjabov, Wijk aan Zee 2008:} 10.
Be2 Be6 11. Re1 a6 12. Qc2 h6 ({
Black doesn't have to aim for ...e5 in such structures and} 12... b5 $5 13. Nf1
Qc7 14. Ne3 Rfd8 {was pretty comfortable for him at this stage in K.Sasikiran-E.Hossain, Vung Tau 1999}) 13. Be3 Qc7 14. h3 {and now} Nd7 {
, possibly followed by ...b7-b5, ...c5-c4 and ...Nc5, would have been okay for
Black,} ({whereas} 14... Bd7 15. Nf1 e5 {
allowed Carlsen to obtain a typical edge with} 16. N3h2 $1 Be6 17. Ng4 Nxg4 18.
hxg4 Nc4 19. b3 Nd6 20. Rad1 b5 21. Bc1 c4 22. Ne3 {
, making good use of White's knights and the hole on d5.})) 9... Qc7 ({
QUESTION: What happens if Black puts the question to our bishop at this stage
with} 9... h6 {? Can we again exchange on f6 and go Qe3, hoping to win a pawn?}
10. -- ({. ANSWER: After} 10. Bxf6 $6 Bxf6 ({however,} 10... exf6 $1 {
is more of problem, since here the clamping} 11. Nh4 {runs into} g5 $1 {
, exploiting the line-up of White's major pieces on the e-file with} 12. Nf5
Bxf5 13. exf5 Re8 {when} 14. Ne4 Re5 15. O-O Qe7 16. f3 Rxf5 {
gives White at most a bit of play for his pawn}) 11. Qe3 {Black can try} Na5 {
, but even this seems insufficient after} 12. Qxc5 {.}) ({. QUESTION: So are
you sure about this 9 Qe2 move order? --- ANSWER: Yes! We don't have to meet 9.
..h6 by swapping on f6. Instead} 10. Bh4 {
is likely to transpose to either our main game here or Carlsen-Cheparinov}) ({
, and} 10. Be3 $5 {is also possible, echoing Carlsen's play above. Or rather I
should say Carlsen's approach built on the shoulders of a few games from the
1960's, including one with} b6 11. h3 Na5 12. Bd3 Qc7 {
. This was seen in P.Trifunovic-V.Smyslov, Dortmund 1961, where} 13. Nh2 ({
White does better with the simple} 13. O-O {
, possibly even keeping Nh2-g4 in reserve until after Rad1 and meeting} Nh5 {
with} 14. e5 $1 {, and if} Bxe5 15. Nxe5 Qxe5 16. Bxh6) 13... Rd8 14. Bc2 $6
Nc6 15. O-O Nh5 $1 16. Bb3 Nf4 17. Qf3 g5 {saw Black seizing the upper hand.}))
10. O-O Na5 $5 ({Instead} 10... h6 $6 11. Bxf6 $1 {
now works, as we saw in the notes to Carlsen-Cheparinov}) ({to which} 10... Nh5
11. Rfe1 (11. Qe3 $5) 11... h6 12. Bh4 {would directly transpose. However, the
Austrian IM and noted theoretician prefers to drive back White's other bishop.}
) 11. Bd3 h6 {Black doesn't have to push the bishop back like this, popular
though such a policy is.} ({In a clash between two experienced grandmasters, R.Hübner-O.Cvitan, Swiss League 2010,} 11... Be6 {was preferred, and after} 12.
Nc4 Nc6 (12... Nxc4 13. Bxc4 Bxc4 14. Qxc4 {is slightly more pleasant for
White who menaces e4-e5-e6 and might also go Be3, inducing ...b7-b6, and then
a2-a4-a5}) 13. Ne3 Rad8 ({Dembo prefers} 13... Rfd8 {, pointing out that} 14.
Rfd1 ({again I feel White does better with} 14. Bc4 $1 {, a move which quickly
turned out well for White in its only practical test so far:} Bxc4 15. Qxc4 b6
16. Rad1 e6 $6 17. Rxd8+ $1 Nxd8 18. e5 Nd7 19. Qe4 Nc6 20. Ng4 {and Black came
under pressure on the kingside in F.Bendig-J.Yepez Gutierrez, correspondence
2006}) 14... h6 15. Bh4 Nh5 {is quite annoying}) 14. Bc4 $1 Bxc4 (14... Nxe4
15. Bxe6 fxe6 16. Ng4 Rxf3 17. Qxe4 Rf7 18. Qxe6 {
regains the pawn with a small structural plus}) 15. Qxc4 {
Black gave up a pawn to try and shake off White's pressure with} b5 $5 {
. A spirited try, but following} 16. Qxc5 Nxe4 17. Qxb5 Rb8 18. Qe2 Qb7 {
White wrongly rejected} 19. Bh4 $1 {, preserving his bishop and meeting} Qxb2 {
with the forking} 20. Qc4 {. Presumably the legendary German Grandmaster
wasn't sure about the complications after} Nxc3 21. Qxc6 Rfc8 22. Qa6 Ne2+ 23.
Kh1 Nc1 {, but by continuing to counter aggressively with} 24. Nd5 Bf8 25. Bg3
{White would have maintained the upper hand.}) 12. Bh4 {
QUESTION: Again we see a grandmaster retreat, not exchange on f6?} ({ANSWER: Indeed. One should always consider the exchange, but it does give up an
important piece, so should only be played if it wrecks Black's structure or
wins a pawn, which clearly} 12. Bxf6 $6 Bxf6 13. Qe3 Bg7 {
doesn't here as c5 is defended.}) 12... Nh5 13. Qe3 {Kosic continues to
improve his forces with good, thematic moves, in this case preventing ...Nf4
from forking queen and bishop, while increasing White's dark-square presence.}
g5 $5 ({EXERCISE: What should White play if Black goes ahead with} 13... Nf4 {
in any case? --- The position after 13 Qe3 had actually been reached on a few
earlier occasions, but until this game nobody had gone after the bishop.}) ({
Previous practice included: --} 13... e5 {was met with the vigorous} 14. b4 $5
cxb4 15. cxb4 Nc6 {in F.Christenson-B.Byklum, Oslo 2010, and now} 16. b5 $5 Nd4
17. Rac1 {would have kept up the initiative: for instance,} Qb6 18. Nc4 Nxf3+ (
{or} 18... Qxb5 19. Ncxe5) 19. Qxf3 Qxb5 20. Be7 $1 {
and White wins the exchange.}) (13... c4 $5 14. Bc2 e5 {
is a better way to expand in the centre and after} 15. b4 $5 (15. Rfd1 {
followed by Nf1 is the alternative}) 15... cxb3 16. axb3 Be6 17. b4 Nc4 18.
Nxc4 Bxc4 19. Rfe1 a6 20. Nd2 {
chances were about equal in G.Lock-B.Lalic, Coulsdon 2008.}) ({
ANSWER: The problem with} 13... Nf4 $6 {
is that it allows the overloading tactic} 14. Bxe7 $1 {and after} Nh3+ 15. gxh3
Qxe7 16. h4 Bh3 17. Rfe1 Rad8 18. Kh1 {White's split kingside didn't fully
compensate Black for his pawn in A.Greenfeld-D.Zaltz, Israeli League 2009.})
14. Bg3 Nxg3 15. hxg3 Rd8 16. Rfd1 ({
Logical, but by no means the only option, with one sensible alternative being} 
16. Nc4 $5 Nc6 17. a4 {.}) ({However, if White is going to move a rook, it
must be the one from f1. He might prefer} 16. Rad1 {
, keeping the king's rook supporting f2-f4, but unfortunately} Be6 17. a3 Qb6 {
is quite an annoying response, targeting White's vulnerable queenside.}) 16...
Be6 17. Be2 $1 ({QUESTION: I thought we were trying to avoid putting our
bishop here? Hasn't Kosic just lost a tempo and shouldn't he have preferred} 
17. Nh2 {, preparing to expand on the kingside? --- ANSWER: Try to remember
why it was the king's rook which went to d1, not the queen's. The problem with
your suggestion is} Qb6 {when there's no good way to save the b-pawn, as} 18.
Rdb1 $2 {only makes matters worse after} c4 $1 {, exploiting the vis-à-vis
between the queens to win a piece down the d-file. This is why Kosic retreats
his bishop. It does cost a tempo, but by avoiding having his bishop driven
back to e2 earlier, he has been able to use that square for the queen en route
to placing her actively on e3.}) 17... b6 ({
The point of White's prophylactic last would have become clear after} 17... Qb6
18. b3 {, retaining control of the queenside. As so often in the Torre, White
wants to have control of the position before undertaking anything active
himself.}) 18. Nh2 {Now that everything is secure, it's time to put the
familiar plan into operation.} Nc6 $6 {Bringing the knight back from the rim
cannot be bad in itself, but it does seem that Neubauer was rather struggling
for a plan around here.} ({Perhaps he should have tried} 18... Nb7 $5 19. f4 c4
{followed by ...Qc5, even being prepared to give up c4 for some activity
against e4 and down the d-file.}) 19. Kh1 $1 {
Further prophylaxis and good prophylaxis at that.} ({
One point behind Black's last had been} 19. f4 $2 Nd4 $1 {, and if} 20. Bd3 c4
21. Bb1 gxf4 22. gxf4 Qxf4 $1 {.}) 19... Bc8 {Black's knight no longer
achieved much on c6, but if Neubauer hoped to get in ...e7-e5 after the text,
White's logical next must have come as a blow.} 20. f4 Bb7 $1 21. Rf1 $1 ({
The Montenegran Grandmaster doesn't strike one as a man in a hurry and calmly
continues to improve his pieces, wisely resisting} 21. fxg5 $6 hxg5 22. Qxg5 Ne5
{when White's extra pawn wouldn't have been worth too much and Black would
have succeeded in activating his pieces, with good counterplay.}) 21... e6 ({
Even after this White can show that f7 is a little sensitive, but naturally
Black could hardly allow} 21... e5 $2 22. fxg5 hxg5 23. Bc4 $1 Rd7 24. Qxg5 {.})
22. Bh5 {Move by move the pressure begins to mount.} gxf4 ({At first} 22... Rd7
$6 {looks like a reasonable alternative, but then one spots} 23. fxg5 hxg5 24.
Ng4 $1 {and after} Qd8 25. Nf3 f6 26. e5 $1 {
Black's kingside begins to collapse.}) 23. gxf4 {Undoubling. The f-file may
have closed, but White can also press down the g-file.} Ne7 24. Nc4 Qc6 {
Black finds a way to coordinate his pieces, but White is able to retain
control through simple means, namely by bringing his last piece into play.} 25.
Rae1 f5 $2 {
Spotting an active possibility, Neubauer can't resist the urge to break out.} (
{However, the text is very risky. Black would also have come under some
pressure after} 25... Nf5 26. Qf2 Nd6 27. Nxd6 Qxd6 28. f5 $1 {,}) ({
but he should have kept things solid with} 25... f6 {
, retaining a reasonable defensive set-up in the event of} 26. Rf3 Kh8 {.}) 26.
Qg3 {Threatening to land the knight on e5. This is dangerous.} ({
Also good would have been the immediate} 26. Ne5 $5 {, and if} Qxe4 27. Qh3 {
followed by Bf7+, unless Black prefers to fall for} Qd5 $2 28. Bf3 $1 {.})
26... fxe4 {Easy to criticize;} ({but even after} 26... Qb5 27. Ne5 $1 Bxe4 28.
Bf7+ {Black would have been in trouble, as} Kf8 ({or} 28... Kh8 29. Qh4 Nc6 30.
Ng6+ Kh7 31. Nf3 Bxf3 32. Rxf3 {followed by annexing e6}) 29. Bxe6 Rd6 30. Bc4
Qxb2 31. Qh3 {reveals when White threatens the deadly} -- 32. Rxe4 $1 fxe4 33.
Qh5 {.}) 27. Ne5 Nf5 {EXERCISE: Black's kingside is rather vulnerable on the
light squares, but how should White deal with the threat to his queen? The
options are 28 Qg4, 28 Qg6 and 28 Bf7+.} 28. Qg4 $2 {
ANSWER: This is too slow and allows Black a resource.} (28. Qg6 $2 {
was possible, although after} Qe8 $1 29. Qxe8+ Rxe8 30. Bxe8 Rxe8 {Black would
have enjoyed decent play for the exchange thanks to his passed e-pawn.}) ({
Instead, as so often, the best move was an intermezzo and} 28. Bf7+ $1 Kh8 (
28... Kf8 29. Qg6 {doesn't exactly help the defender}) 29. Qg6 {would have
very strong, fully undermining Black on the light squares. After, for instance,
} Bxe5 ({or} 29... Qd6 {when} 30. Nhg4 {is but one good option}) 30. fxe5 Rg8
31. Qf6+ Kh7 32. Bxe6 Ng3+ 33. Kg1 {Black has nothing better than} Raf8 34.
Bxg8+ Rxg8 35. Qe7+ Rg7 36. Rf7 {, but even this shouldn't be anywhere near
enough to save him, especially as White also now enjoys a passed e-pawn.})
28... Qc7 $4 {Returning the favour.} ({
Black had to rescue his queen whilst covering e6 with} 28... Qc8 $1 {
. The position still looks dangerous for him, but after} 29. Bf7+ Kh8 30. Qg6 {
,} Ne7 {is a very annoying response, meeting} 31. Qh5 {with} Nf5 {
when it's by no means at all easy for White to break in on the kingside.}) 29.
Bf7+ Qxf7 $1 {The best try, even if this slightly smacks of desperation;} ({
but one can quite understand why Black didn't want to allow} 29... Kh8 30. Bxe6
Nd6 31. Ng6+ Kh7 32. f5 {.}) 30. Nxf7 Kxf7 31. Kg1 {Black does have the two
bishops and a useful pawn for the queen, but White ought to be winning with
care. Kosic begins by keeping Black's counterplay under control.} Rd2 {
This lands up losing a tempo.} ({Perhaps Black's last chance was} 31... Rd3 $5
{, and if} 32. Qh5+ Ke7 33. Rf3 $1 c4 $1 {.}) 32. Rf2 Rd3 33. Rfe2 $1 Rg8 34.
Qh5+ Ke7 35. Nf1 {Sooner or late White is going to return some a small bit of
his material advantage on e4 to seize the initiative, but first he improves
his knight while sidestepping any forks on g3.} Bf6 36. Rxe4 $1 Bxe4 37. Rxe4
Ng3 ({The alternative was} 37... Rd5 {, although following} 38. Qe2 Rd6 39. g4
Nh4 40. Kf2 {White ought to win without too much difficulty; Ne3-c4 being the
immediate idea.}) 38. Nxg3 Rdxg3 39. Re2 {. Resignation was not premature as
h6 is hanging and f4-f5 set to weaken Black further on the light squares,
thereby continuing the main theme of the game.} 1-0

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sasikiran, K."]
[Black "Kotronias, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. c3 O-O 5. Nbd2 d6 6. e4 {Having considered
Black's main response, 6...c5, in the last two games, it's now time to turn to
his other approaches.} Nbd7 {Natural development and a move which suggests
that Black will counter with ...e7-e5, rather than ...c7-c5.} ({The text and} 
6... c5 {are by no means Black's only options, however.}) ({
We should also examine: --} 6... Nc6 {
also supports ...e7-e5, but is fairly well met by} 7. Bb5 $1 (7. Be2 h6 8. Bh4
{is a simple alternative and after} e5 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. O-O Qe7 11. b4 $1 g5
12. Bg3 Nh5 13. Nc4 Nf4 {both sides had their trumps with a lengthy
manoeuvring struggle underway in R.Cifuentes Parada-X.Vila Gazquez, Spanish
Championship, Arenal d'en Castell 2011}) 7... h6 ({or the immediate} 7... Bd7 {
when} 8. O-O a6 9. Bd3 $5 h6 10. Bh4 Qe8 11. Nc4 e5 12. dxe5 dxe5 13. a4 ({
another, perhaps even better approach would have been to focus on thed5-square 
with} 13. Ne3 $5) 13... Nh5 14. Re1 Kh8 15. Bf1 {saw White making it hard for
Black to get in ...f7-f5 in V.Malaniuk-P.Weichhold, Zakopane 2011}) 8. Bh4 Bd7
9. O-O Qe8 ({putting the question to the bishop without delay with} 9... a6 {
is the alternative, but after} 10. Bc4 {White may have a small pull; after} e5
({and} 10... Qe8 11. e5 $5 dxe5 12. dxe5 Ng4 13. e6 Bxe6 14. Bxe6 fxe6 15. Qb3
{reveals why he retreated the bishop to c4, not, say, a4}) 11. dxe5 dxe5 12.
Re1 Qe8 13. a4 Nh5 14. Nb3 $1 {
the weakness of c5 gave White a pleasant edge in V.Smyslov-J.Nunn, Tilburg 1982
}) 10. a4 $1 e5 11. Re1 {looked a little better for White in K.Georgiev-J.Degraeve, French League 2001. --- QUESTION: Despite Black getting in ...e7-e5?
And what's this Re1 move all about? --- ANSWER: We can hardly prevent ...e7-e5,
so the key issue is how should White counter it. Sometimes an exchange on e5,
followed by Nc4-e3 is effective, but in other cases retaining the central
tension can be a good policy. Re1 fits in nicely with either plan, shoring up
the e4-pawn, thereby dissuading any notion of ...exd4 if White hasn't
exchanged on e5, while giving the bishop a handy retreat square on f1. ---
QUESTION: But surely the bishop doesn't do anything on f1? --- ANSWER: It's
true it's not the most active of squares, but on f1 the bishop stays out of
the way of White's other pieces and can't be hassled. Later it can re-enter
the game. Remember we want to keep Black's counterplay under control; that as
usual is the priority and Re1 and Bf1 helps greatly with such a policy. ---
QUESTION: Why? --- ANSWER: If White had closed the centre with d4-d5, Black
would be quick to arrange the ...f7-f5 break, but with the centre fluid such a
policy is pretty risky. Continuing with Georgiev-Degraeve gives us a good
example why:} Nh5 ({and not} 11... exd4 $6 12. cxd4 {when White controls the
centre and Black will regret having his queen vis-à-vis the white rook after}
Nh5 13. e5 $1) 12. dxe5 ({
Black's last ensured that retaining the tension for another move with} 12. Qc2
$6 {was no longer so useful, in view of} g5 $1 13. Bg3 g4 14. Nh4 exd4 15. Nf5
Nxg3 16. hxg3 dxc3 17. bxc3 Qe5 {when White doesn't have enough for the pawn})
12... dxe5 13. Qc2 f5 $6 {(too hasty)} 14. exf5 $1 gxf5 15. Nb3 a6 16. Bf1 $1 {
and Black's advanced central pawns were clearly more of a weakness than a
strength with Nc5 but one way to increase the pressure for White.} ({
Note too that} 16. Bc4+ Be6 17. Bxe6+ Qxe6 18. Nc5 Qf7 19. Nxb7 e4 {wouldn't have been anywhere near so effective, with the pawns now mobile and Black able
to gain good counterplay on the kingside.})) (6... Qe8 $5 {
is a clever attempt to avoid the pin seen with 6...Nc6. After} 7. Bd3 ({
Korchnoi's} 7. Bc4 $5 {, and if} e5 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. a4 {, is another approach})
7... e5 ({if} 7... h6 8. Bh4 Nh5 {White might consider} 9. Bc2 $5 {
, echoing Sasikiran's play in our main game}) 8. O-O Nbd7 9. Re1 h6 10. Bh4 a6
11. Qc2 (11. a4 {was also possible, of course}) 11... b6 ({
White was no doubt hoping for} 11... b5 $6 {when} 12. a4 {
carries even more weight}) 12. Rad1 Bb7 13. Nc4 {White was well centralized
and had slightly more room to manoeuvre in I.Papaioannou-I.Simeonidis, Greek
Championship, Aspropyrgos 2003.}) ({Rare and long-condemned is} 6... e5 $6 {
. After} 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Nxe5 $1 ({taking up the challenge; instead} 8. Bc4 Nc6
9. O-O Qe7 10. b4 $5 Be6 11. Re1 h6 12. Bh4 Rfd8 {
left Black solid enough in V.Topalov-A.Evdokimov, Villarrobledo (rapid) 2007})
{Black might try} 8... Re8 $5 (8... Qe8 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. Nef3 {
has been seen in a few games, but Black clearly hasn't enough here}) {
. However,} 9. f4 (9. Nef3 Nxe4 $1 {regains the pawn, as} 10. Bxd8 $2 Nxc3+ {
would be inadvisable for White}) 9... Nbd7 10. Nxd7 {followed by Qf3 should be
good for White. There is a reason why Black usually prepares ...e7-e5!}) (6...
Bg4 {is another misguided approach, since Black won't obtain very much if he
gives up the bishop-pair: for example,} 7. Be2 (7. h3 {
is, of course, also pretty sensible}) 7... h6 8. Be3 Nfd7 $6 9. h3 Bxf3 10.
Nxf3 c5 11. d5 Na6 12. Qd2 Kh7 13. h4 $1 {left White with the bishops and an
attack in A.Yusupov-B.Meissner, German League 2011.}) (6... h6 7. Bh4 Nbd7 8.
Bc4 $5 g5 $6 9. Bg3 Nh5 {is a taster of the type of scenario we'll examine in
our next game. An important difference to there is that Black has castled, but
White hasn't and after} 10. Nf1 $1 (10. Nxg5 Nxg3 11. Nxf7 {is tempting, but}
Rxf7 12. fxg3 Qe8 13. Bxf7+ Qxf7 {
should be okay for Black; Sasikiran prefers to target the f5-square}) 10... c5
11. Ne3 Nxg3 12. hxg3 cxd4 13. Nxd4 $1 Ne5 14. Bb3 e6 15. f4 Ng6 $6 16. f5 exf5
17. Ndxf5 Bxf5 18. Nxf5 Qf6 19. O-O {Sasikiran had completely outplayed a
2600+ opponent to reach a dominating position in K.Sasikiran-W.So, Guangzhou
(rapid) 2010.}) 7. Bd3 $5 ({Sasikiran had earlier tried} 7. Be2) ({and faced} 
7. Bc4 {himself (} e5 8. O-O h6 9. Bh4 Qe8 10. Re1 Nb6 11. Bb3 Bd7 12. Nc4 Nxc4
13. Bxc4 Bc6 $1 {being pretty solid for Black in D.Gormally-K.Sasikiran,
British Championship, Torquay 1998). Both those moves are, of course,
completely playable, but I quite like the text, keeping e4 under control and
giving the bishop another retreat square on top of f1.}) 7... h6 8. Bh4 Nh5 {
Kotronias decides to go active.} ({The alternative was, of course} 8... e5 {
when} 9. O-O {, and if, say,} Qe8 ({or} 9... exd4 {when as well as} 10. cxd4 ({
White can consider} 10. Nxd4 $5 {
, keeping control of the central situation, possibly followed by f2-f4}) 10...
g5 11. Bg3 Nh5 12. Nb3) 10. Re1 {asking Black just how he will free his
position, while White will continue with moves like a2-a4, Nc4 and maybe dxe5.}
) 9. Bc2 {Now we see why Sasikiran placed the bishop on d3. Retreating to c2
is a bit like going to f1 in the lines above; White wants to keep his bishop
safe while dissuading ...f7-f5.} ({Instead} 9. O-O c5 10. Re1 cxd4 11. cxd4 b6
(11... Nf4 $5 {, and if} 12. Bf1 Nf6 {, would have been more testing}) 12. Rc1
Bb7 13. Bb5 $1 {was a little better for White in R.Ponomariov-R.Kasimdzhanov,
Moscow (blitz) 2007.}) 9... c5 $5 {
Black decides to try and open up the long diagonal for his bishop after all.} (
9... Nf4 {might look more consistent, but} 10. O-O c5 11. Nc4 {
should retain an edge, as sooner or later the knight will come unstuck on f4.})
10. O-O ({If Black still had to recapture with his d-pawn, White might go} 10.
dxc5 $6 {, but here} Nxc5 {would give him an active Dragon set-up.}) 10... cxd4
11. cxd4 Nb6 {EXERCISE: What should White do if Black prefers 11...g5? ---
After the text, the knight looks a little misplaced, but Kotronias wants to
free his light-squared bishop and so complete development. In any case it
seems that White is slightly for choice thanks to his central control.} ({
ANSWER: Did you spot that} 11... g5 $2 {walks into} 12. Nxg5 $1 ({
much stronger here than} 12. Bg3 g4 13. Nh4) 12... hxg5 13. Qxh5 gxh4 14. e5 {
with a huge attack. The only move is} Re8 {, but after} 15. Bh7+ Kf8 16. Nf3 e6
17. Ng5 Qe7 18. exd6 Qf6 19. Be4 Kg8 20. Rae1 {I'd be very surprised if Black
could survive with f4-f5 imminent, as well as Re3-f3.}) 12. a4 $5 ({
It was possible just to play} 12. Re1 {, but Sasikiran has seen a creative way
to target the knight on b6 and bring his queen's rook into play.}) 12... a5 $1
{Best. After this and Black's next, White will be as tied down to a4 as Black
is to a5.} ({Instead after} 12... Be6 13. Bb3 Bxb3 14. Qxb3 {
Sasikiran would have enjoyed definite queenside pressure and a pleasant edge.})
13. Ra3 Bd7 14. Re1 Nf4 {
Centralizing the knight is another pretty natural plan.} ({
Again, Black had to avoid} 14... g5 $2 {; this time on account of} 15. Nxg5 $1
hxg5 16. Bxg5 Nf6 17. e5 {with a very strong attack for the piece. Note
especially how well placed the rook on a3 and bishop on c2 are for such an
opening of the kingside. After, for example,} dxe5 18. dxe5 Ng4 19. e6 $1 Bxe6
20. Rxe6 {Black continues to find himself in huge trouble.}) 15. Bg3 {
Refusing to let the knight settle.} ({Instead} 15. e5 $6 {
is premature, as after} dxe5 16. Nxe5 ({or} 16. dxe5 Nbd5) 16... Be6 {
Black enjoys decent play on the light squares.}) 15... Nh5 {
Offering a repetition.} ({The alternative was} 15... e5 $5 {
when White can manoeuvre or go in for} 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. Bxf4 exf4 18. e5 Re8
19. Rd3 {with quite an unbalanced position, albeit one in which the outpost on
d6 gives White any small advantage which might be going.}) 16. e5 $5 {
Sasikiran was rated 2700 at the time of this game and clearly had no desire to
settle for an early repetition. After the text Black will win the bishop-pair
without having to go ...g6-g5, but his kingside is still a little vulnerable
and that bishop on g7 restricted for now.} Nxg3 17. hxg3 dxe5 18. dxe5 e6 ({
Another possibility was} 18... Bg4 19. Rd3 Qc7 {, annoying White slightly with
the pin, but placing the bishop on c6 as Kotronias does is, of course,
extremely natural.}) 19. Ne4 Bc6 20. Rd3 Qe7 21. Nd6 {At first it looks like
White is making progress and this was the only plan to trouble Black, but
while White controls d6, Black has the d5-square and can also play to
undermine the white knight. In short, the position is more double-edged than
it might at first appear and supplies chances for both sides.} Rad8 22. Nd4 Nd5
$6 {The highly-respected Greek Grandmaster has spotted an outpost on b4, but
this was not best.} ({After} 22... Bd5 $1 23. f4 Nc4 {
White has to exchange off his front knight and} 24. Nxc4 Bxc4 25. Rd2 Qb4 {
must surely be fine for Black.}) 23. N4b5 Nb4 ({Even after} 23... Bxb5 24. Nxb5
Nb4 {it seems that White by now has a definite pull: for example,} 25. Rd6 Qg5
26. Bb3 $1 {(directed against ideas of ...f6 while preventing the knight from
retreating to d5)} Nc6 27. Re3 Rxd6 28. Nxd6 Qd8 29. f4 Qb6 30. Qd2 {
and the knight on d6 remains a thorn in Black's side.}) 24. Rd2 Bxb5 25. axb5 (
{The pawn will scarcely prove weak here and White had to avoid allowing Black
to become active with} 25. Nxb5 $2 Rxd2 26. Qxd2 Qc5 {.}) 25... Qg5 $2 ({
QUESTION: I see a tactic for Black. Why didn't Kotronias play} 25... Nxc2 $5
26. Qxc2 Bxe5 {? --- ANSWER: This was certainly an option and when one sees
how restricted Black soon becomes, a better choice than the game. Following}
27. Nxf7 ({White's passed b-pawn is not so easy to push after} 27. Nxb7 Rxd2
28. Qxd2 Bxb2 $1 {, and if} 29. Nxa5 Qf6 30. Re3 Rd8) 27... Kxf7 28. Rxe5 b6
29. Re4 {White has a pleasant advantage thanks to Black's weaknesses on both
sides of the board, but this might well be tenable after accurate defence,
beginning with} Qc5 $1 {.}) 26. Bb3 Rd7 27. Re3 Qd8 {
Black has run out of good things to do.} ({
The text at least prepares to bring the queen round to b6, whereas} 27... Rfd8
$6 28. f4 Qe7 {would have left Black in huge trouble after} 29. b6 $1 {
. That said, his situation in the game is not exactly pleasant.}) 28. Kh2 {
Calmly improving his king position with Black not up to anything.} h5 29. f4
Qb6 30. Rc3 Rfd8 {
EXERCISE: White dominates the board, but how to make progress?} 31. Rc8 $1 {
ANSWER: Exchanging all the rooks is the way to make progress, enabling White
to infiltrate with his queen.} ({The only other real plan was to expand on the
kingside, but this would have risked exposing White's king and after} 31. g4 h4
{White must avoid} 32. Rh3 $6 g5 $1 {.}) 31... Rxc8 {
Falling in with White's plans;} ({
but Kotronias must have had his reservations about allowing} 31... Bf8 32. Rxd8
Rxd8 33. f5 $1 {. Indeed, after} gxf5 $1 34. Qxh5 (34. Nxf7 $2 Rxd2 35. Qxh5 {
is also very tempting, but Black is just fast enough with} Nd3 36. Qg6+ Bg7 37.
Bxe6 Kf8 $1 {to salvage a draw, and if} 38. Nd6 Rxg2+ $1 39. Kxg2 Qf2+ 40. Kh3
Nf4+ $1 41. gxf4 Qf3+) 34... Bxd6 35. Bxe6 $1 fxe6 36. Qg6+ Kf8 37. Qf6+ Kg8
38. Qxe6+ Kg7 39. Qf6+ Kg8 40. exd6 {White has two pawns and an ongoing attack
for the piece. Moreover, his cause seems almost decisive with the black knight
out of play and} Rd7 41. Qg6+ Kf8 42. Re2 Qd8 43. Re5 {
a devastating infiltration.}) 32. Nxc8 Rxd2 33. Qxd2 Qc7 ({
Before allowing all the rooks to come off, Sasikiran had to realize that} 33...
Qxb5 34. Qd8+ Kh7 35. Ne7 {gives White a strong attack, with the good, old
knight and queen combo. Black's only hope is to oppose knights, but even after}
Nc6 {he is in some trouble:} 36. Qg8+ Kh6 37. g4 $1 {(threatening mate)} hxg4
38. Qxf7 Nxe7 39. Qxe7 {(again threatening mate)} Kh7 40. Qxe6 {and the presence of opposite-coloured bishop continues to favour White who retains the
initiative.}) 34. Nd6 Kf8 $2 {
This is too slow, but Black's defence was not an easy one.} (34... b6 {
would have moved the b-pawn to a seemingly safer square, but after} 35. Qc3 $1
Qxc3 ({or} 35... Qe7 36. Qc8+ Kh7 37. Ne4 {, infiltrating with some effect})
36. bxc3 Nd5 {White wins thanks to a standard breakthrough pattern:} 37. c4 Ne7
38. c5 $1 {.}) ({Black's last try was probably} 34... Qd8 $5 {
, offering a pawn for some activity with} 35. Qc3 ({instead} 35. Qe3 $1 {
would have left White in complete control}) 35... Bf8 36. Nxb7 Qb6 {.}) 35. Qc3
$1 {Now if the queens come off Black will lose b7 and with it the game, but
neither will keeping them on save Kotronias.} Qb8 36. b6 {Fixing the weakness
and preparing to invade on c7. Black's next is but a temporary defence.} Nc6
37. Qc5 Kg8 38. Ba4 {. There's nothing to be done about the threats on the
c-file. --- Rarely does one see a grandmaster of Kotronias' ability so
strategically outplayed.} 1-0

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1967.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Spassky, B."]
[Black "Najdorf, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1967.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 d6 {Having studied Black's main
approach, involving early castling, we now turn to an ambitious attempt to
hunt down White's bishop with a quick ...h6 and ...g5.} ({
QUESTION: If that's Black's plan, why doesn't he get straight on with it and go
} 4... h6 5. Bh4 g5 6. Bg3 Nh5 {
? --- ANSWER: This isn't so bad, but does allow White the option of} 7. Be5 $1
{and after} f6 (7... Bxe5 8. Nxe5 d6 9. Nd3 {followed by e2-e4 should be a
little better for White, since Black has weakened his kingside for no reason})
8. Bg3 Nxg3 ({this can be delayed, but sooner or later Black will need to play
...f6-f5 to free his bishop and if} 8... f5 {immediately, there is} 9. Be5 {
again}) 9. hxg3 f5 10. e3 {Black's kingside expansion looks more like a source
of weakness than one of strength. Moreover, White can break with e3-e4,
treating the position as a Dutch, which it basically now is, or c2-c4 in the
event of ...d7-d5.}) 5. e4 h6 6. Bh4 g5 ({
Another common route into our game position is} 6... Nbd7 7. c3 g5 8. Bg3 Nh5 {
.}) 7. Bg3 {We now reach a position which can also come about via the 4...h6 5
Bh4 g5 6 Bg3 move order and then 6...d6! 7 e4.} Nh5 8. c3 $1 {
White should shore up d4.} ({Instead} 8. Bd3 $6 g4 9. Nh4 Bxd4 10. c3 Bf6 11.
Nf5 Nxg3 12. fxg3 e6 {left him a pawn down for clearly insufficient
compensation in V.Hort-R.Fischer, Herceg Novi (blitz) 1970.}) 8... Nd7 {
There is no hurry to get rid of the bishop on g3, so Najdorf continues with
his development.} ({As well as the relatively trendy} 8... e6 {
, which we'll consider in our next game}) ({
Black has also been known to try: --} 8... c6 {might well be met with} 9. Nc4 {
, as per our main game,} ({but} 9. Bc4 {, and if} Nxg3 10. fxg3 $5 {is another
idea, hoping to obtain some pressure down the f-file. The plan worked a treat
in P.Trifunovic-M.Damjanovic, Yugoslav Championship, Zagreb 1961, where} e6 11.
O-O Nd7 12. Bb3 Qc7 13. Qe2 {
left Black a little cramped ahead of White seizing the initiative with} Nb6 $6
14. e5 $1 d5 15. a4 {.})) ({
The Yugoslav Grandmaster had earlier also enjoyed success after} 8... Nxg3 9.
hxg3 c5 {, with} 10. dxc5 $1 dxc5 11. Bc4 Nc6 12. Nxg5 $5 (12. Qe2 {would continue along the normal lines of one of our favourite plans, but Trifunovic can't
resist pursuing the initiative}) 12... hxg5 13. Rxh8+ Bxh8 14. Qh5 Bf6 15. f4
$1 e6 $6 ({fleeing with} 15... gxf4 16. gxf4 Kd7 17. O-O-O Kc7 {
should have been tried}) 16. e5 Bg7 17. Ne4 Qe7 18. Nxg5 {giving White strong
pressure and enough for his piece in P.Trifunovic-D.Marovic, Yugoslav
Championship, Zagreb 1961.}) (8... Nc6 {(the simple approach)} 9. Be2 ({
White might also consider} 9. d5 $5 Nxg3 10. hxg3 Ne5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 12. Nc4 Bg7
13. Ne3) 9... Nxg3 10. hxg3 e5 11. dxe5 $1 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. Nc4 Bg7 14.
Ne3 {
gave White a small but clear edge in V.Salov-N.McDonald, Oviedo (rapid) 1992.})
9. Nc4 $1 {White has also been known to develop his bishop, but using the
knight to challenge the ...e7-e5 break while bringing it around to e3 poses
the most questions in my view. --- QUESTION: What do you mean challenge the ...e7-e5 break?} ({ANSWER: As shown by Salov, above, White can exchange on e5
even when Black lands up with a piece on that square, but ideally White would
like Black to have a pawn on e5 and so here} 9. Nc4 e5 $6 10. dxe5 Nxg3 (10...
dxe5 $2 11. Bxe5 {wins a pawn}) 11. hxg3 dxe5 ({or} 11... Nxe5 12. Nfxe5 dxe5
13. Qxd8+ Kxd8 14. O-O-O+ Ke7 15. Be2 {
with a pleasant edge thanks to the holes in Black's position}) 12. Be2 {
would give White just what he is after. Black will be able to free his knight
from the defence of e5, but whether he will be able to deal with his kingside
light-square weakness in the long run I somewhat doubt.}) 9... Ndf6 {This move 
doesn't look so bad, but is yet to be repeated from what I can see! In more
recent years Black hasn't been in such a hurry to develop his queenside and
has adopted plans based on ...e6.} ({QUESTION: Is} 9... e6 {really such a good
move? It doesn't exactly seem to challenge for the centre. --- ANSWER: One
should see ...e7-e6 as a useful prophylactic move. Black takes control of the
d5- and f5-squares, while freeing e7 for his queen. He doesn't really want to
challenge the centre just yet, rather he wants to complete his development
while preventing White from opening the position to favour his freer
development. --- Here I quite like} 10. Nfd2 $1 {
, forcing the issue on the kingside and after} Nxg3 ({not} 10... Ndf6 $2 11. e5
Nxg3 12. exf6 $1 Nxh1 13. fxg7 Rg8 14. g4 {, when White will emerge with two
pieces and the initiative for the rook and couple of pawns}) 11. hxg3 Qe7 ({
continuing his calm policy; note too that Black mustn't panic and try to react
in the centre, as both} 11... e5 $2 12. d5 O-O 13. Ne3) ({and} 11... d5 $2 12.
exd5 exd5 13. Ne3 {just leave him horribly weak on f5}) {we have:} 12. -- (12.
Bd3 c5 ({perhaps Black should prefer} 12... Nf6 {, as per variation 'b'}) 13.
dxc5 Nxc5 ({Verdikhanov and Djafarov point out that} 13... dxc5 14. a4 b6 15.
Qe2 Bb7 16. O-O O-O 17. e5 $1 {leaves White doing pretty well; he will exploit
his control of e4 and follow with f2-f4}) 14. Nb3 {and now after the} O-O (
14... Nxd3+ $6 15. Qxd3 d5 16. exd5 exd5+ 17. Ne3 {
leaves Black's structure too weak}) {of V.Verdikhanov-D.Lybin, St Petersburg
1993, the two Russian analysts point out that} 15. Nxc5 $1 dxc5 16. Qh5 {
would have been strong, giving the long but instructive line} b5 17. Ne3 c4 18.
Bc2 b4 19. Ng4 Rd8 20. Nxh6+ Kf8 21. O-O bxc3 22. Rad1 $1 Bb7 23. bxc3 Bxc3 24.
f4 Rxd1 25. Bxd1 {when White continues to enjoy good attacking chances.}) ({
. For whatever reason, Verdikhanov later switched to} 12. Ne3 {and} Nf6 ({or} 
12... a6 13. Bd3 c5 14. d5 b5 {, as in K.Sasikiran-A.Istratescu, La Roche sur
Yon 2006, where White might have retained control of the position with Hazai's}
15. a4 b4 16. Qc2) 13. Qb3 $1 {
(preventing Black from completing his development with ...Bd7 and ...0-0-0)} c5
({risky, but better than} 13... c6 14. O-O-O e5 $6 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Ndc4 {
when Black was in serious trouble in V.Salov-I.Smirin, USSR Championship,
Moscow 1988,}) ({while after the} 13... a6 14. O-O-O c6 {
of R.Dausch-M.Mader, Boeblingen 2007, one promising option is} 15. f4 $5 {
, threatening to overwhelm Black in the centre}) 14. e5 (14. dxc5 $5 dxc5 15.
O-O-O {
looks like a good alternative, focussing again on that weakened d6-square})
14... dxe5 15. dxe5 Nd5 16. Nxd5 exd5 17. Qxd5 {was seen in V.Verdikhanov-V.Kupreichik, Berlin 1994. Kupreichik later claimed that} Qxe5+ {
would have equalized, but even here White is slightly for choice after} 18.
Qxe5+ Bxe5 19. O-O-O f6 ({or} 19... Be6 20. Bc4) 20. Ne4 {.})) ({
Before returning to our main game, I should note that} 9... Nxg3 10. hxg3 e6
11. Nfd2 {would transpose to our coverage of 9...e6,} ({
but with Black having exchanged on g3 voluntarily, White can also consider} 11.
Bd3 {and after} Qe7 12. Qe2 b6 13. O-O-O Bb7 14. Ne3 a6 15. Kb1 b5 16. Bc2 Nb6
17. Nd2 $1 c5 18. dxc5 dxc5 19. f4 {he had manoeuvred well and went on to
convert his advantage in G.Kamsky-T.Radjabov, Baku (rapid) 2010. Two leading
contemporary players in opposition there and I almost made Kamsky-Radjabov our
main game, but couldn't resist showing the instructive and energetic play of a
World Champion.})) 10. Qc2 (10. Nfd2 {was possible, but would no longer, of
course, force a trade on g3 and Black might be able to go} d5 $5 11. exd5 Nxg3
12. hxg3 Nxd5 13. Bd3 c6 {, followed by ...Qc7, ...b7-b6 and ...Bb7.}) 10...
Nxg3 ({Now if} 10... d5 11. exd5 Nxg3 12. hxg3 Nxd5 ({or} 12... Qxd5 13. Ne3
Qd6 14. Bc4 {with a pleasant advantage thanks to White's control of e5 and f5})
13. O-O-O c6 14. Bd3 {White has ideas of both Bf5 and Nfe5 followed by f2-f4.})
11. hxg3 e6 12. O-O-O Qe7 {The legendary Polish-Argentinean Grandmaster digs
in for the long haul, but after Spassky's next, Black won't be able to keep
the kingside closed for long.} 13. Ne3 $1 Bd7 14. e5 $1 {QUESTION: White seems
to like this break in this variation, but could he not just preserve his nice
pawn centre on d4 and e4? --- ANSWER: That centre may look nice, but White
needs to undertake some action and make good use of his central space
advantage. Otherwise, sooner or later, Black's long-term advantage of the
bishop-pair will begin to be felt.} Nd5 $1 {Best.} ({Black hardly wants to go} 
14... dxe5 $6 15. dxe5 Nh7 {when} 16. Bd3 Nf8 17. Be4 $1 O-O-O 18. Qb3 {
(Dolmatov) begins to increase the pressure.}) 15. Nxd5 exd5 16. exd6 Qxd6 17.
Re1+ Be6 {Preserving castling options for now.} ({Instead} 17... Kf8 $6 18. Bd3
Re8 19. Bf5 {would have left White in complete control of the position. After
the text it looks like Black has equalized and will castle next move, but
Spassky was always a master at preserving the initiative and finds a way to
keep it alive.}) 18. Qa4+ $1 c6 19. Bd3 Kd8 {White's timely check has
prevented Black going long, but Najdorf decides that his king is safest on the
queenside in any case.} ({
I'm not so convinced, however, and like Dolmatov wonder about} 19... O-O $5 {
when} 20. Qc2 ({Najdorf may have been scared by} 20. Nxg5 $5 hxg5 21. Bh7+ Kh8
22. Qd1 Rfe8 23. Qh5 {, but it's far from clear that White is better here})
20... Rfe8 21. Bf5 {would have restricted White to a small plus.}) 20. c4 $1
Qc7 {Probably best.} ({Both} 20... dxc4 21. Bxc4 Kc7 22. Bxe6 fxe6 23. Kb1) ({
and} 20... Kc7 $6 21. c5 Qd7 22. Ne5 Bxe5 23. Rxe5 {
would have left White in control of proceedings.}) 21. Qc2 Qd7 {Passive.} ({
Black's position wasn't overly pleasant in any case, but at least with} 21...
Qa5 $5 22. Kb1 Re8 {he would have kept his queen active and made it harder for
White to increase his initiative, especially with c4-c5 always met by ...b7-b6.
}) 22. Ne5 Bxe5 $1 ({Parting with his main trump, but the pressure would have
multiplied quickly in the event of} 22... Qc7 23. f4 {.}) 23. Rxe5 Kc7 $2 {
EXERCISE: Should White now open the position with 24 cxd5, seal the queenside
with 24 c5 or trade bishops onf5?} ({
Black's last was a definite slip. Najdorf had to find} 23... f6 24. Re3 dxc4 $1
({not} 24... Kc7 25. Rhe1 Rhe8 26. Bg6 Re7 27. c5 {
when the pin down the e-file will win material, as pointed out by Dolmatov})
25. Bxc4 Bxc4 26. Qxc4 Kc7 {, and if} 27. Rf3 Raf8 {
, retaining definite chances to resist.}) 24. cxd5 $1 {ANSWER: This in
conjunction with White's next blows open the position to favour his much more
active pieces.} ({Instead} 24. c5 Rae8 25. Rhe1 Bg4 {
would have seen Black reducing the pressure through exchanges}) ({while} 24.
Bf5 $2 {
forgets that the centre is fluid and allows Black effective counterplay with}
Bxf5 25. Qxf5 Qxf5 26. Rxf5 dxc4 {.}) 24... Bxd5 25. Be4 $1 Bxe4 26. Qxe4 Rae8
{Bringing the other rook to e8 would have left h6 loose, but now a pawn falls
in any case.} 27. Rxh6 $1 {Overloading the rook on h8.} Rxh6 28. Rxe8 Kb6 29.
Re7 Qd6 30. Rxf7 $1 {Netting a second pawn, having worked out that he can
handle the resulting counterattack.} Qb4 31. Qd3 Rd6 {
Now White simplifies to a winning rook ending.} ({Similar would have been} 
31... Rh1+ 32. Kc2 Rg1 33. Qb3 $1 Qxb3+ 34. Kxb3 Rxg2 35. Rf5 {(Dolmatov).})
32. Qb3 $1 {Returning one pawn to get the queens off, after which White's 3-1
kingside majority will be the decisive feature of the position.} Qxb3 33. axb3
Rxd4 34. Rg7 Rg4 ({
The pawns would also have gradually rolled down the board in the event of} 
34... Rd5 35. f4 gxf4 36. gxf4 {.}) 35. Kc2 a5 36. f4 $1 Rxg3 37. Rxg5 Re3 38.
f5 Re2+ 39. Kb1 Kc7 40. g4 Kd6 41. Rg7 1-0

[Event "Monaco (blindfold)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Radjabov, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 d6 5. e4 h6 6. Bh4 g5 7. Bg3 Nh5 8. c3
e6 {Radjabov decides to advance his e-pawn without delay. As we have seen,
this is a key component in Black's usual plan and the Azeri Grandmaster may
also have been influenced by the related line 2...e6 3 Bg5 h6 4 Bh4 d6 5 Nbd2
g5 6 Bg3 Nh5 7 e4 Bg7 8 c3, although there Black manages to save a tempo with
his g-pawn (more on this in Chapter Six).} 9. Ng1 $5 {We saw this knight being
redeployed to d2 in Spassky-Gelfand, but going back to g1 is a decent
alternative.} ({That said, many readers may prefer} 9. Nc4 {here, with a
likely transposition to the notes to Black's 9th move in our previous game
after} Nd7 {. Admittedly Black doesn't have to transpose, but White has good
chances for an edge in any case:} (9... O-O 10. Nfd2 $1 Nxg3 11. hxg3 f5 12.
exf5 exf5 {was the risky course of K.Kodinets-A.Vaulin, Moscow 1998, and now}
13. Qb3 $5 {(Hazai) would have prepared long castling, with decent prospects
in the centre and on the other wing.}) (9... Nc6 10. Nfd2 {
(continuing with the approved plan)} Nxg3 11. hxg3 ({
for once I don't advocate following Sasikiran;} 11. fxg3 {
has its merits, but Black was okay after seizing further space with} Bd7 12.
Bd3 h5 13. Qe2 g4 $1 14. a4 Qg5 {in K.Sasikiran-D.Stellwagen, Vlissingen 2004})
11... b5 $5 12. Ne3 a6 13. f4 $1 {gave White the initiative in R.Kropff-M.Larrea, Asuncion 2008. --- QUESTION: So which do you prefer, 9 Nc4 or 9 Ng1?
--- ANSWER: Sometimes a repertoire work is allowed to offer the reader a
choice! I quite like Spassky's approach, which I was once able to copy with
some success in a simul game, but the retreat to g1 is also tempting and has
caught Harikrishna's eye too.})) 9... Nxg3 10. hxg3 e5 $6 {
An ugly move for a world-class player, even in a blindfold game.} ({Instead} 
10... Nd7 {was preferred in P.Harikrishna-E.Inarkiev, Russian Team
Championship 2008, where} 11. Bc4 b6 12. Qe2 {
(not getting in the way of the knight, as White plans f2-f4 followed by Ngf3)}
a6 $5 ({flexibility and maintaining control are White's watchwords in this
variation; here he would meet} 12... Bb7 {with} 13. Ba6 Bxa6 14. Qxa6 {, and if
} c5 15. Ne2 {
, keeping control and facilitating the clamping idea of g3-g4 and Ng3}) 13. f4
{(Harikrishna is up for the challenge)} b5 14. Bb3 c5 15. e5 $5 (15. dxc5 Nxc5
16. Ngf3 {would have been a relatively safer approach}) 15... cxd4 16. cxd4
dxe5 17. fxe5 Nb6 18. O-O-O $1 {was very unclear; White owning the e4-square,
but with his own king yet to reach full safety.}) ({
Another sensible, but less active approach for Black is} 10... Nc6 {and after}
11. Bd3 Bd7 12. f4 Qe7 13. Qf3 O-O-O 14. Ne2 {White had an edge and aimed to
keep Black's pieces restricted with his strong centre in M.Fenollar Jorda-M.Leon Hoyos, Barbera del Valles 2011.}) 11. dxe5 {Gelfand doesn't want to allow
any counterplay against d4; rather he wants to be the side with the initiative
in the centre.} Bxe5 ({After} 11... dxe5 {White might go} 12. Bc4 {
followed by Qh5} ({and even} 12. Nc4 Qxd1+ 13. Rxd1 {
followed by Ne3 should be sufficient for a small but clear edge.})) 12. Ngf3
Bg7 13. Bb5+ $5 ({There was nothing terrible wrong with} 13. Bc4 {
, but Gelfand wants to give Black a choice in the hope of inducing a mistake.})
13... c6 $6 ({Presumably Radjabov didn't like} 13... Nc6 14. Qc2 O-O 15. O-O-O
{, when Black's counterplay on the queenside looks a little slow}) ({
but he had to go in for this or the solid} 13... Bd7 14. Bxd7+ Nxd7 {when} 15.
Nd4 {looks a little better for White. The text is a much more dynamic try, but
unfortunately for Radjabov, White is well placed to attack the resulting
weakness on d6.}) 14. Be2 O-O ({Perhaps the lesser evil was} 14... Be6 $5 15.
Nd4 {, but Radjabov may not yet have realized the full extent of the danger.})
15. Nc4 $1 Qe7 ({At least this preserves the material balance, whereas Black
would have found himself a clear pawn down in a queenless middlegame in the
event of} 15... d5 16. exd5 cxd5 17. Ne3 Nc6 18. Qxd5 Be6 19. Qxd8 Raxd8 20. a3
{.}) 16. Qxd6 Qxe4 17. Ne3 {Plugging the e-file and so facilitating castling,
while also bringing the knight in touch with a certain square on f5.} Qe6 18.
O-O-O Qxa2 $2 {Far, far too ambitious.} ({Black had to go} 18... Qxd6 19. Rxd6
Re8 ({avoiding both} 19... Nd7 $2 20. Nf5) ({and} 19... Be6 $6 20. Nd4) 20. Bc4
{when White must be better and will increase the kingside pressure with g3-g4
and Nf5, but at least the second player might complicate the issue with} b5 $5
21. Bb3 a5 {.}) 19. Bc4 $1 ({The immediate} 19. Rxh6 $5 {was also tempting,
but by first safeguarding his king and driving the black queen back, White
actually wins by force!}) 19... Qa1+ ({Black's queenside would also have
remained fatally asleep as the kingside was torched in the event of} 19... Qa5
20. Rxh6 $1 {.}) 20. Kc2 Qa4+ 21. Kb1 b5 {
The consistent move and Black was already a goner in any case.} 22. Rxh6 $1 {
Crashing through in some style.} bxc4 23. Rdh1 Re8 ({
This won't save Black, but he had to avoid} 23... Nd7 {
. --- EXERCISE: Find White's most incisive finish here.}) ({Likewise,} 23...
Be6 24. Rxe6 $1 fxe6 25. Qxe6+ Rf7 26. Nxg5 {would have been hopeless}) ({
as would} 23... f6 24. Rh8+ $1 Bxh8 25. Rxh8+ Kxh8 26. Qxf8+ Kh7 27. Qf7+ Kh8
28. Qxf6+ Kg8 29. Nxg5 {when Black is mated, extra rook or not.}) ({
ANSWER: After} 23... Nd7 {
White gets to carry out his main threat in the position:} 24. Rh8+ $1 Bxh8 25.
Qh6 {and it's mate down the h-file.}) 24. Nxg5 Be6 25. Rxe6 fxe6 26. Qc7 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3. The ...g6 Torre: Others"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 {. By some margin at both club and grandmaster
level, Black usually chooses one of the defences we've already examined in
Chapters One and Two. Here we turn our attention to the unbalancing 3...Ne4
and the equalizing try 3...Bg7 4 Nbd2 c5. The former was popular in the 1950's,
but fell out of favour for no particularly good reason, while I have to admit
that the latter would probably be more popular if it didn't allow early
simplification. White will have to manoeuvre patiently and well against these
underrated lines, but that does not mean he hasn't still chances of emerging
from the opening with a small edge.} *

[Event "Seville"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Paunovic, D."]
[Black "Torres Ventosa, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Ne4 $5 {This active leap was pretty popular back in
the early days of the Torre being used against 2...g6, but is now rarely seen
at grandmaster level. However, the move is still seen on occasion at club
level, largely from two sometimes related types of player: creative folk who
like to go their own way as early as possible and players with no line
prepared against the Torre who want to get White away from the main lines.} 4.
Bh4 {QUESTION: I see that 4 Bf4 was also an option. Can White play this and
then go Nbd2 Nxd2; Qxd2 and Bh6, exchanging off the main defenders of Black's
kingside?} ({ANSWER:} 4. Bf4 {is, indeed, an important alternative. I slightly
prefer to maintain some pressure on the h4-d8 diagonal, but retreating on the
c1-h6 diagonal is hardly bad, even if Black can frustrate your plan with} Bg7
5. Nbd2 d5 {. After, for instance,} 6. e3 (6. Nxe4 dxe4 7. Ne5 {leaves White a
tempo down on a line of the Barry Attack - 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bf4 -
and Black enjoys easy equality after, say,} Nd7) 6... c5 7. c3 Nc6 8. Nxe4 dxe4
9. Ng5 cxd4 10. exd4 Qd5 11. Qb3 e6 12. Qc2 f5 13. f3 O-O 14. fxe4 fxe4 15. g3
e5 {led to multiple exchanges and an early draw in P.Keres-M.Botvinnik,
Budapest 1952.}) 4... Bg7 ({Black has also been known to go} 4... c5 {.} 5. --
({. Here White is well advised to avoid} 5. e3 Qb6 {(there's no good gambit
continuation available here, unlike after the 2...e6 3 Bg5 c5 4 e3 Qb6 of
Chapter Six).}) ({. Thus we must keep it solid with} 5. c3 {, and if} Qb6 6.
Qb3 {.} ({. QUESTION: This doesn't seem very exciting. Why aren't we going} 6.
Qc2 {? --- ANSWER: Throughout this work I've tried to recommend active lines,
but sometimes dull and solid is best. After your suggestion,} d5 7. Nbd2 Bf5 {
and then, say,} 8. Nxe4 Bxe4 9. dxc5 Qxc5 10. Qd2 Nc6 {must be fine for Black.
Don't forget too that Black's 3rd and 4th moves mark him down as a creative
and active type. Will such an opponent really play as well once the queens are
off and a manoeuvring battle in full flow?}) ({. After} 6. Qb3 Qxb3 ({or} 6...
Nc6 $5 {trying to inject some more dynamism, but after} 7. d5 Na5 8. Qxb6 axb6
9. Nbd2 Nxd2 10. Nxd2 b5 11. e3 b4 12. cxb4 cxb4 13. Bb5 Bg7 14. O-O-O $1 h6 $6
15. f4 $1 Kf8 16. Kb1 {White was doing pretty well with his far better
coordination and superior structure in J.Ehlvest-J.Ostos, Cali 2007; note too
the problems Black had dealing with the pressure along the h4-d8 diagonal}) 7.
axb3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 $1 {(avoiding having doubled, isolated b-pawns, while
introducing awkward ideas of Nb5)} g5 $5 9. Bg3 Nc6 10. e3 Nxd4 11. exd4 Nxg3
12. hxg3 d6 13. Nd2 h6 14. Nc4 {Black might have had the bishop-pair, but was
under pressure on both flanks and unpleasantly worse in F.Berkes-B.Szuk,
Hungarian League 2009.}))) 5. e3 d5 {
Black decides that he wants a foothold in the centre after all.} ({Again,} 5...
c5 $5 {was possible with play likely to echo Berkes-Szuk, above, following} 6.
c3 Qb6 7. Qb3 Qxb3 8. axb3 cxd4 9. Nxd4 $1 {.}) ({An independent idea which
might appeal to those with some experience of the Dutch is} 5... f5 $5 {
. White kept it simple with} 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. Bd3 {
in K.Berg-P.Thoren, Gothenburg 1997, and after} d5 8. c4 $1 c6 9. Qb3 {
threatened to win a pawn and had secured a definite edge.}) 6. Nbd2 {
White continues to develop along standard and thematic lines.} Bf5 ({
Ljubojevic once went} 6... O-O $6 {
, but Black underestimates structural damage at his peril. After} 7. Nxe4 $1
dxe4 8. Nd2 c5 (8... f5 9. Bc4+ Kh8 10. O-O {
followed by f2-f3 gives White an early initiative}) 9. c3 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qb6 ({
again,} 10... f5 11. Bc4+ {is a little awkward}) ({and} 10... Bf5 11. g4 $5 Be6
12. Nxe4 Bd5 13. f3 {seems to win a pawn for insufficient compensation}) 11.
Bxe7 Qxb2 $2 (11... Re8 12. Bc5 Qxb2 13. Rc1 {
looks pretty good for White, but Black had to try this}) 12. Rb1 Qxa2 13. Bc4
Qa5 14. Bxf8 Bxf8 15. O-O {White already found himself an exchange to the good
in S.Krivoshey-R.Eyo Castro Rial, Burgas 2008.}) 7. c4 $1 {To trouble Black
it's important to open lines for attack and Paunovic has realized that the
queenside is where he might trouble his opponent.} c6 {Rather solid.} ({
After the Grünfeldesque} 7... c5 $5 8. cxd5 Nxd2 9. Qxd2 Qxd5 10. Rc1 $1 {
White emerges with a small pull (for instance,} cxd4 11. Nxd4 Bxd4 12. Qxd4
Qxd4 13. exd4 Nc6 14. d5 Nb4 15. Rc7 {),}) ({but Black might settle for} 7...
Nxd2 8. Qxd2 c6 {.}) 8. Be2 {
QUESTION: This looks a little passive. Was it really best?} ({
ANSWER: A little harsh! White wants to castle and can't facilitate that with} 
8. Bd3 $6 {on account of} Nxf2 $1 {
. Never forget that loose pieces have a habit of dropping off to tactics.}) ({
That said, the text is a little simplistic and some readers may prefer the
arguably more consistent} 8. Qb3 $5 {. Following} Qd7 (8... Qb6 {
looks more natural, but then} 9. Qa3 $1 {
threatens mate as well as a pawn roller with c4-c5 and b2-b4-b5!}) 9. Rc1 O-O
10. Be2 Bg4 $5 {(unable to easily develop his queen's knight, Black decides to
prevent castling)} 11. Bd3 $1 {(now this is well timed)} Nxd2 12. Nxd2 e5 13.
cxd5 cxd5 14. dxe5 Bxe5 15. O-O {
White was slightly for choice in A.Laschewski-A.Lytchak, Cologne 1992.}) 8...
Qb6 {With White's queen still on d1, Black decides that he too can play on the
queenside. --- EXERCISE: How to meet the attack on b2? Choose between: -- a) 9
b3, trying to keep things solid; -- b) 9 0-0, not bothering to defend the pawn;
-- c) 9 Qb3, offering a standard queen swap.} ({Instead} 8... Nd7 {
seems to offer White a decent opportunity to fix the structure:} 9. cxd5 $1
cxd5 10. O-O O-O 11. Nxe4 Bxe4 12. Qb3 {, with a small but clear edge, as} Qb6
$2 {is impossible on account of} 13. Bxe7 {.}) 9. O-O $5 {ANSWER: White is
perfectly justified to offer a pawn to further his lead in development.} ({
Instead a)} 9. b3 $6 {wouldn't keep things solid, as it weakens an important
square in the white camp, and after} Nc3 10. Qc1 Nxe2 11. Kxe2 {
White is clearly going to struggle for a long time.}) ({
There was, however, nothing wrong with c)} 9. Qb3 {and choosing between this
and the game move really comes down to personal taste. Here} Qxb3 10. axb3 (10.
Nxb3 dxc4 $1 11. Bxc4 Nd6 12. Be2 Nd7 {should be okay for the second player})
10... Na6 11. O-O {looks a little better for White, since} Nb4 {
is nothing to worry about, on account of} 12. Ra4 $1 {, and if} a5 $6 13. Rfa1
{.}) 9... Nd7 ({The critical test was} 9... Qxb2 {, but after} 10. Rb1 Qxa2 11.
Rxb7 {White's initiative for the pawn is not to be underestimated. Already he
threatens to capture e7 with check and after} Nd7 12. cxd5 {
, in the battle of the intermezzos, White comes out on top after} Nc3 ({if} 
12... cxd5 13. Nxe4 $1 {, maintaining the initiative, such as in the event of}
Bxe4 14. Bb5) 13. Bc4 Nxd1 $2 ({better is} 13... Qa5 {, although} 14. Qe1 $5
cxd5 15. e4 $1 {is one way to keep White in front}) 14. Bxa2 Nc3 15. dxc6 Nxa2
16. cxd7+ Bxd7 17. Ra1 Nc3 18. Raxa7 {
, going one up on the pawn count while retaining some initiative.}) 10. cxd5 $1
{Now that Black's queen's knight can no longer come to c6, blocking the c-file,
this is a well-timed exchange. Observe too how Black still can't castle
because we retreated to h4, not f4.} cxd5 ({
Black didn't have to allow the forthcoming exchange on e4, but after} 10...
Nxd2 11. Qxd2 cxd5 {he is yet to equalize in any case, with} 12. a4 $1 a5 13.
Rfc1 {
netting White a handy square on b5 for his bishop and play down the c-file.})
11. Nxe4 $5 (11. Rc1 Nef6 $1 {would have been pretty solid for Black, so the
Serbian Grandmaster decides to keep posing questions by exchanging on e4.})
11... Bxe4 ({Sometimes} 11... dxe4 $6 {works, but here ...e5 isn't imminent
and it would just create a dead-point on e4. Following} 12. Nd2 Nf6 13. Nc4 Qc7
14. Qa4+ $1 Bd7 15. Qa3 {
White has both the initiative and the better structure.}) 12. Nd2 Bf5 ({
Once again} 12... Qxb2 $6 {
would have been rather risky, since Black still can't castle after} 13. Nxe4
dxe4 14. Rb1 Qxa2 15. Rxb7 Bf6 ({or} 15... Nf6 16. Bb5+) 16. Bg3 {.}) ({
QUESTION: After} 12... Bf5 {I appreciate that Black is still unable to castle,
but isn't he okay as we're finally going to have to lose time defending b2?
--- ANSWER: Black is certainly pretty solid, but not yet equal after
Paunovic's next.}) 13. Qb3 $1 {A timely exchange of queens, played to enable
White to threaten to invade on c7 with a rook.} Bf6 ({
There was nothing better, with} 13... Qxb3 14. Nxb3 Bf6 15. Bxf6 Nxf6 16. Rfc1
{seeing White retain a definite pull, but the text does force Black to take on
a long-term weakness.}) 14. Qxb6 axb6 $1 ({Even worse would have been} 14...
Nxb6 15. Bxf6 exf6 16. Rfc1 {. The text at least enables Black to obtain some
counter-activity with the plan Torres Ventosa now implements.}) 15. Bg3 $1 {
Keeping pieces on.} ({It might seem more natural to go} 15. Bxf6 Nxf6 16. Rfc1
{, but don't forget that Black's rook on a8 is now in the game, so he can meet}
O-O 17. Rc7 $6 {with} Rfc8 {, and if} 18. Rac1 $2 Rxc7 19. Rxc7 Rxa2 {.}) 15...
O-O 16. Nb1 $1 ({With there now being a pawn on b6,} 16. Nb3 {would no longer
achieve anything. Realizing that his knight is now his worst-placed piece,
Paunovic immediately improves it, thereby retaining an edge.}) 16... e5 $1 {
Black seizes his moment to break and obtain some counterplay.} ({Instead} 16...
Rfc8 17. Nc3 e6 18. Rfc1 {would have given White a promising long-term
advantage, with Nb5 one possibility in the position, expansion with f2-f3,
g2-g4 and h2-h4 another.}) 17. dxe5 Nxe5 {Suddenly Black's pieces look pretty
active, but Paunovic has realized that he is able to maintain control.} 18. Nc3
Nc6 $5 {Black doesn't want to go passive and get tied down defending the IQP.
Instead Torres Ventosa hopes to force through a liquidating ...d5-d4.} 19. Nxd5
$1 {I dare say that White saw this possibility when he began his knight
manoeuvre back at move 16. The simplification may at first look to favour
Black, but look again and compare the difference in piece activity between the
two sides.} ({Instead} 19. Rfd1 {would not have blockaded the pawn and after}
d4 20. exd4 Nxd4 {it's hard to imagine Black having any problems with his
minor pieces so well coordinated.}) 19... Bxb2 20. Rad1 $5 {
White is in a vigorous mood and wants to pursue the initiative.} ({The text doe
s so, although there was nothing wrong with the more straightforward} 20. Nxb6
{, and if} Ra7 21. Rad1 Rxa2 22. Rd2 Rd8 23. Nd5 {, keeping a pull.}) 20... Bg7
{Black avoids the poisoned pawn.} ({White was no doubt hoping for} 20... Rxa2
$6 21. Rd2 {with a nasty pin when even} Be6 $5 (21... Ra5 22. Rxb2 Rxd5 23.
Rxb6 {is very good for White, with the two bishops and Black's remaining
queenside pawn surely set to drop}) 22. e4 $1 ({the liquidating} 22. Bc4 Ra5
23. Rxb2 Bxd5 24. Bxd5 Rxd5 25. Rxb6 Rd7 {was Black's idea}) 22... Bxd5 23.
exd5 Nd4 24. Be5 {looks better for White, as the pin remains and that d-pawn
might well prove powerful.}) 21. a3 $1 {Another unsterotyped and deep move.} ({
White indirectly defends the pawn through the potential fork on d6, but again
one might make a decent case for the simpler approach,} 21. Bc4 {
, with a definite edge.}) 21... Rfd8 22. Bh4 $1 {
To keep the initiative alive, White must keep generating threats.} Rd7 {
This doesn't work out well, but it seems that Black was already in more
trouble than may be initially apparent.} ({Instead} 22... Rdb8 $5 {
would have tried to keep the rook safe, but after} 23. Be7 Re8 24. Bd6 {
White remains in front, with even the active try} Nd4 $5 {insufficient after}
25. exd4 Rxe2 26. Ne7+ Kh8 27. Nxf5 gxf5 28. d5 {when the d-pawn is running.})
23. Bb5 ({Perhaps} 23. Nf6+ $5 Bxf6 24. Bxf6 Rxd1 25. Rxd1 Rxa3 {would also
e been good for White, despite the half-pawn minus, but Paunovic prefers to
increase the pressure with another strong pinning move.}) 23... Rxa3 $2 {
EXERCISE: Now White has a strong sequence. Can you find it? ---} ({It takes my
machine a while to realize that this capture was incorrect and I dare say that
Torres Ventosa wanted to have a pawn for his suffering. However, with
hindsight it seems that Black had to try} 23... Bc2 $1 24. Nxb6 Rxd1 25. Nxa8
Rd2 {. This escapes from the various pins at the cost of a pawn, but with
White's pieces no longer so well coordinated and Black quite active,
converting the extra pawn would not be an easy technical task.}) {ANSWER:} 24.
Bxc6 $1 bxc6 25. Ne7+ Kh8 26. Nxf5 Rxd1 27. Rxd1 gxf5 28. Rd8+ Bf8 {As we should always examine all checks and captures, I hope that most readers got this
far down the forced sequence. White's vital next move is the sting in the tail
which Torres Ventosa may have missed.} 29. Bf6+ $1 ({Not, of course,} 29. Rxf8+
$4 Kg7 30. Rb8 Ra1#) ({or} 29. h3 $2 Kg7 {, but after the text Black will
remain under heavy pressure along his back rank after all.}) 29... Kg8 30. g4
$1 Ra7 {The only move. He could hardly allow the piece-winning 31 Be7.} 31.
gxf5 b5 $2 {
Things have clearly gone wrong for Black, but this allows an immediate finish.}
({However, in any case White's bind far outweighed Black's passers, as shown
by the fact that Black couldn't pass:} 31... Rb7 32. e4 Ra7 33. e5 Rb7 34. e6 {
and the e-pawn decides.}) ({A better try is} 31... c5 $5 32. e4 c4 {
, although after} 33. e5 c3 34. Rc8 c2 35. Rxc2 Bc5 36. Rd2 Ra8 37. Rd7 {
White retains a large advantage and should win by combining ideas of Rb7 or
Rc7 to halt the b-pawn with bringing his king up to d5 to support the e-pawn.})
32. Bd4 {. There's no way to both save the rook and prevent 33 Bc5.} 1-0

[Event "Ukrainian Championship, Kiev"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Eljanov, P."]
[Black "Volokitin, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A48"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Bg5 Bg7 4. Nbd2 c5 $5 {Having avoided having his pawns
doubled on f6, Black wastes no time trying to open the long diagonal for his
dark-squared bishop. Theory thinks quite highly of this advance, but it lags
far behind 4...0-0, 4...d6 and 4...d5 in the popularity stakes, perhaps
because the main line doesn't promise Black many winning chances.} 5. e3 {
Keeping it solid and continuing in typical Torre fashion.} ({
QUESTION: Woah. I see a fork! What about} 5. Bxf6 Bxf6 6. Ne4 {? --- ANSWER:
Not a bad spot at all! This is, indeed, theory's main line, even though few
grandmasters employ it these days. Black can deal with the double attack with}
Bxd4 7. Nxd4 cxd4 8. Qxd4 O-O {, which is just pretty equal according to the
theoreticians and I'm struggling to disagree. For example,} 9. c4 ({
taking control of d5; Black was also fine after} 9. Qd2 d5 10. O-O-O Qb6 $5 11.
Qxd5 Bf5 12. Ng5 Qxf2 13. Qf3 Qh4 {in C.Sandipan-A.Giri, Leiden 2008}) 9... Nc6
10. Qd2 d6 11. e3 Be6 12. Be2 Qa5 13. Qxa5 Nxa5 14. b3 h6 {wasn't completely
dead, but was pretty equal when D.Krumpacnik-Z.Lanka, Graz 2011, came to an
early halt.}) ({QUESTION: So the text is definitely best? --- ANSWER: That
depends on one's taste to some extent. Some readers may not mind the
simplification and resulting structure after the exchange on f6, others may
not mind beginning with} 5. c3 {
. This often transposes to our main game, but allows Black the chance of} cxd4
6. cxd4 {, reaching a symmetrical structure I've generally tried to avoid in
this work (the notes to Black's 4th move in our last game being a notable
exception). --- After} d5 (6... O-O 7. e3 Nc6 8. a3 $5 h6 9. Bh4 d6 10. Bd3 e5
11. O-O g5 $5 12. Bg3 {led to a sharper and much more unbalanced struggle in J.Speelman-J.Plaskett, Hastings 1998/99}) 7. e3 Nc6 {Black is very solid, indeed.
That said, White can hope to manoeuvre and bring his knight to c5, with} 8. Be2
O-O 9. O-O h6 10. Bh4 Ne4 $5 (10... Bf5 {followed by ...Rc8 was perhaps more
exact, but presumably the dynamic young Ukrainian player didn't fancy a 'dull'
manoeuvring struggle on the queenside}) 11. Rc1 g5 12. Bg3 Nxg3 13. hxg3 Qd6
14. a3 $1 f5 15. b4 a5 16. b5 Nd8 17. a4 Bd7 18. Qb3 Nf7 19. Rc5 e6 20. b6 $1 {
a good example of how to handle such positions. By this point in K.Sasikiran-A.Volokitin, Lausanne 2001, it was clear that White's queenside play was more
potent than Black's kingside expansion. As we'll see, ten years later Volokitin 
was to suffer again in similar vein.}) 5... d5 {
Black continues to occupy the centre, but this is by no means forced.} (5...
O-O 6. c3 ({a simple alternative is} 6. dxc5 $5 {, intending} Qa5 7. c3 Qxc5 8.
Bxf6 Bxf6 9. Ne4 {; Black can avoid structural damage with} Qb6 10. Nxf6+ Qxf6
11. Qd4 Qxd4 12. cxd4 {, but I prefer this to the line with 5 Bxf6, with
White's king centralized for any endgame after Kd2, Bd3 and Rhc1}) 6... d6 {
reaches a position where White can't exchange on c5 effectively, unlike in our
last chapter. There I didn't advocate an early e2-e3, as ...e7-e5 is usually a
good counter. Here Black has at least gone ...c7-c5 instead and after} 7. Bd3
cxd4 8. exd4 {White has quite easy development and will aim to obtain some
pressure down the e-file.} ({Another approach is} 8. cxd4 {
and after, for example,} Nc6 9. O-O Nb4 $5 10. Be2 Bf5 11. Qb3 a5 12. Rac1 Be6
13. Bc4 Bxc4 14. Rxc4 b5 {Black looked a little too keen to play actively in B.
Gelfand-M.Carlsen, Moscow (blitz) 2007, where} 15. Rcc1 Qd7 16. Bxf6 $1 Bxf6
17. a3 Na6 18. Ne4 Bg7 19. Rc2 a4 20. Qd5 Ra7 21. Rfc1 {
saw Gelfand taking control as experience triumphed over youth at this stage.}))
(5... Qb6 {can now be met comfortably enough by} 6. Nc4 {, although} Qc7 7. c3
({I would prefer to keep this in reserve with} 7. Be2 {, although} d6 8. O-O
O-O 9. a4 b6 {may still be okay for the second player}) 7... O-O (7... d5 $5 8.
Nce5 O-O 9. Bd3 Ne8 {is also possible}) 8. Be2 d6 9. O-O Nbd7 10. a4 b6 11. h3
Bb7 12. Rc1 Rac8 {was still very solid for Black and about equal in L.Bruzon-V.Ivanchuk, Havana 2005.}) 6. c3 Qb6 {Yet again we see Black determined to
continue in an active and forcing vein, and unable to resist attacking b2.} 7.
Qb3 $1 {And again White's best policy is to deny Black having any fun.} Nc6 ({
EXERCISE:} 7... c4 {is an advance which club players are often drawn to in
such structures. Should White: -- a) Exchange on b6, doubling Black's pawns;
-- b) Retreat to c2 and undermine with b2-b3; -- c) Prevent castling by
placing the queen on a3?} 8. -- ({. ANSWER: After a)} 8. Qxb6 axb6 9. a3 b5 {
White can prevent Black opening the queenside with, say,} 10. Be2 Nc6 11. O-O {
, but this still looks comfortable for Black after} Bf5 {
, since White lacks an especially good plan of his own.}) ({
. Neither do I like b)} 8. Qc2 $6 Bf5 9. Qc1 {, when the queen is buried and}
O-O 10. b3 cxb3 11. axb3 Nc6 {gives Black counterplay down the c-file.}) ({
. Correct is c)} 8. Qa3 $1 {when White is better placed for a quick b2-b3
break. Two experienced grandmasters clashed in A.Dreev-I.Glek, Benidorm (rapid)
2009, where} Nc6 9. b3 cxb3 10. axb3 O-O 11. Bd3 (11. Be2 $5) 11... Re8 12. O-O
e5 {saw Black getting in his ideal break, but perhaps White was still slightly
better after} 13. dxe5 Ng4 14. Nd4 Ngxe5 15. Be2 {
, thanks to his grip on d4 and the weakness of d5.})) 8. Be2 {
Wisely steering clear of any potential fork and continuing to develop.} ({
Instead} 8. Bxf6 Bxf6 9. Qxd5 {is quite critical, but after} Qxb2 10. Rb1 Qxc3
11. Bc4 O-O 12. Qxc5 e6 $1 {
Black must be okay thanks to his unopposed dark-squared bishop.}) 8... c4 $5 {
Black decides to force the pace after all.} ({Instead the position after} 8...
O-O {is not totally dissimilar to the variation we considered in
Dreev-Khalifman back in Chapter One. Here White has played Be2 and Qb3,
instead of Bd3 and Rb1, and in practice he has scored quite well after} 9. O-O
{:} -- (9... Bf5 $6 {has been tried by a number of grandmasters, but after} 10.
dxc5 $1 Qxc5 11. Nd4 {White seizes the initiative:} Bc8 $5 ({
unfortunately for Black,} 11... Bd7 $2 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Qxb7 {costs him a pawn
}) ({and} 11... Nxd4 12. exd4 Qd6 13. Rfe1 b6 14. a4 $1 a5 15. Bh4 {
gave White a definite pull in J.Ehlvest-A.Shirov, Istanbul Olympiad 2000}) 12.
Rfd1 e5 ({or} 12... a6 13. Rac1 Qa5 14. Bh4 Re8 15. N2f3 e6 16. c4 {, which opened the position to favour White's better developed forces in V.Smyslov-P.Cramling, Malmo 1997}) 13. Qb5 $1 {
(an essential follow-up; otherwise Black would be fine)} Qd6 14. N4b3 a6 {
was seen in J.Speelman-P.Cramling, Yerevan Olympiad 1996, and here Speelman
later indicated that} 15. Qc5 $5 {
would have retained a small pull. Continuing this with} Qxc5 ({or} 15... Qe6
16. c4) 16. Nxc5 h6 17. Bxf6 $5 Bxf6 18. Ndb3 {
we see that Black is yet to equalize: d5 is loose, Na4-b6 also an issue and} b6
$2 {fails to the forking} 19. Rxd5 $1 bxc5 20. Rd6 {.}) (9... Be6 10. Rfd1 (10.
dxc5 $5 Qxc5 11. Nd4 {is also possible, transposing after} Bc8 {
to variation 'a'}) 10... c4 11. Qa3 Qa5 {(forcing the queens off after all,
but now White gets to obtain a grip on the key central dark squares)} 12. Qxa5
Nxa5 13. Ne5 Rfc8 14. Bh4 Rab8 15. Bg3 b6 16. b4 $1 {saw White taking over the
initiative on the queenside in K.Sasikiran-V.Feldman, Dubai 2011.}) (9... c4
10. Qa3 {should be compared with our main game and} Bf5 11. b3 cxb3 12. axb3 {
left White set to increase the pressure with the typical c3-c4 in L.Javakhishvili-V.Daskevics, Pardubice 2008.})) 9. Qa3 $1 {
Again this seems like the most challenging approach.} ({Instead} 9. Qxb6 axb6
10. Bxf6 $5 Bxf6 11. e4 e6 12. O-O b5 13. a3 Be7 14. Rad1 O-O 15. Rfe1 Kg7 16.
g3 Rd8 17. Bf1 g5 $1 {was okay for Black, if slightly more pleasant for White
thanks to his pressure against d5 in K.Djerfi-D.Popovic, Belgrade 2003.}) 9...
h6 10. Bh4 g5 {And so we see yet another strong grandmaster unable to resist
the temptation to hunt down White's dark-squared bishop at the price of
weakening his kingside.} 11. Bg3 Nh5 12. O-O {QUESTION: So we calmly castle
even though Black hasn't done so himself yet? I always feel nervous doing so
and would have gone 12 e4.} ({ANSWER: One always has to beware castling into a
potential pawn-storm, but Black hasn't time for one here. However,} 12. e4 $5 {
obviously came very much into consideration too and, of course, we should
always consider all the available pawn breaks in a position. Probably Eljanov
rejected it because he wanted to instead break with b2-b3, and here} Nxg3 13.
hxg3 e6 {followed by ...Bf8 seems to give Black enough counterchances.}) 12...
Nxg3 13. hxg3 Bf5 ({If White is worried about a direct attack after} 13... h5
$2 {,} 14. -- ({, he might take the pawn and then create some luft with} 14.
Nxg5 h4 15. gxh4 Rxh4 16. f4 {.}) ({. However,} 14. e4 $1 {looks stronger,
responding on principle to flank play by opening the centre; following} g4 (
14... h4 15. exd5 {leaves White's threats much the more potent, since} Na5 16.
Bxc4 Qh6 17. Rfe1 {leaves Black unable to break through on the kingside,}) ({
while} 14... e6 15. Nxg5 Bh6 16. Ngf3 {just nets a clear pawn}) 15. exd5 $5 (
15. Nh4 {would be the sensible approach}) 15... gxf3 16. Nxc4 Qc7 17. gxf3 h4
18. g4 {White has three pawns for the piece and a dangerous initiative})) 14.
b3 $1 {Eljanov wastes no time opening the queenside and I dare say that
Volokitin was already wondering if Black really had enough counterplay.} cxb3
15. axb3 O-O {EXERCISE: Which pawn should White push on the queenside to
advance his play there?} 16. b4 $1 ({ANSWER: Breaking with} 16. c4 {
looks very logical and wouldn't have been a bad choice, although after} e6 17.
c5 Qd8 ({
playing to avoid allowing White to exchange his queen for two rooks after} 
17... Qc7 18. b4 a6 19. b5) 18. b4 a6 {Black's defences are pretty solid and ..
.e6-e5 next up. The text is even stronger, as White threatens to preface c3-c4
with the cramping b4-b5, while also introducing the idea of Nb3-c5, increasing
the pressure.}) 16... a6 {Now Nb3-c5 will come with all the more effect;} ({
but after, say,} 16... e6 17. b5 $5 ({or just} 17. Nb3) 17... Nb8 18. c4 dxc4
19. Bxc4 Nd7 20. Rfc1 {White would have enjoyed a small but clear edge, with
Bd3 followed by Nc4 or Ne4 one simple follow-up plan.}) 17. Nb3 Rfc8 18. Nc5 {
A great post for the knight and with b4-b5 back on the agenda, Volokitin now
decides that he must counter on the queenside, risky though such a policy is.}
a5 19. b5 Nb8 20. Nd2 $1 {A great multipurpose move: the knight may support or
even replace its colleague via b3, while it also adds weight to the two
central pawn breaks.} Qc7 ({Black might have wanted to go} 20... Nd7 {
without preparation, but that would have allowed White to increase his grip with
} 21. g4 Be6 22. Ndb3 Nxc5 23. Nxc5 {
when he could prepare the c3-c4 and/or e3-e4 advances at his leisure.}) 21.
Rac1 {Having seized the initiative, White is quick to open the c-file to
increase the pressure.} Nd7 ({Perhaps the pinning} 21... Qd6 $5 {was a better
try when White might just move the queen, but I wonder if Eljanov was
intending} 22. c4 $5 b6 23. cxd5 {, intending} bxc5 24. e4 Bd7 $2 25. dxc5 {
with a huge avalanche of pawns in return for the piece.}) 22. c4 dxc4 23. g4 $1
{Before responding on the queenside, White makes a useful and very
grandmasterly gain of space on the other flank.} Nxc5 $2 {
Tempting after White's last, but Eljanov was no doubt hoping for this exchange.
} ({Black had to dig in with} 23... Bg6 24. Nxd7 Qxd7 25. Nxc4 Qe6 26. d5 Qf6 {
when White would have retained some advantage after} 27. Bf3 {
, but with nothing near decisive yet after} Bf8 $1 {, which at least finds a
role for Black's up-to-now rather defunct extra dark-squared bishop.}) 24. gxf5
Qd8 {The pin will be but a temporary inconvenience.} 25. Bxc4 {Now 26 Qa2 is
threatened, so Black has to retreat in any case with his tail between his legs.
} Nd7 26. Qa2 $1 Qe8 {Just compare the bishops! Black's bites on granite down
the long diagonal, while White's is set to rule the roost from a fine central
post. We could also compare the queens... Overall, it's clear that White's
advantage is close to decisive, passed a-pawn or not.} 27. Bd5 Rxc1 28. Rxc1
Ra7 {
A desperate attempt to hold b7 and keep his one potential trump, the a-pawn.}
29. Nc4 {Hardly a bad move;} ({
but with a little calculation White could have made} 29. Rc7 $1 {
work. I dare say he was put off by the possibility of} Nb6 30. Bxb7 Qd8 (30...
Qb8 31. Rxe7 Qf8 32. Rc7 {is another winning line}) {, but then there is} 31.
Qc2 a4 32. Qc5 $1 a3 33. Qxb6 {
, netting a piece while being in plenty of time to halt the a-pawn.}) 29... b6
30. Bc6 Qb8 31. Bd5 {Perhaps Eljanov was low on time. In any case it's rarely
a bad idea to repeat the position and so emphasize control.} Qe8 32. Nb2 $1 {
Back on track. The knight will blockade the main danger from a4 while preparing 
to pick off the weakling on b6.} Nf6 {
This doesn't help, but what else to do with Na4 followed by Bc6 such a threat?}
33. Na4 Nxd5 34. Qxd5 Qd7 35. Nxb6 Qxd5 36. Nxd5 Rd7 ({
As shown by the forceful line} 36... Rd7 37. Rc8+ Kh7 38. b6 $1 Rxd5 39. b7 {
, there was nothing left to play for.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "4. The ...e6 Torre with ...d5"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "D03"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "6"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 d5 {. We now turn our attention to the brainchild
of that Mexican chess star of the 1920's, Carlos Torre. One attraction of the
Torre after 2...e6 is that many players, and not just at club level, counter
with ...d7-d5, either immediately after 3 Bg5 or with 3...c5 4 e3 d5. This
solid approach echoes the Queen's Gambit Declined, but White isn't going to
put a pawn on c4 and has good chances to seize an early advantage by using the
e5-square for his knight. Black must then be careful not to fall under a
strong, early attack, but first we should see what happens when he fights for
control of that key point with an early ...Bd6.} *

[Event "Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Morozevich, A."]
[Black "Alekseev, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D03"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 ({The game actually began via a Trompowsky order,} 2. Bg5 e6
3. Nd2 h6 4. Bh4 d5 5. e3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 {, before entering Torre waters with} 7.
Ngf3 Bd6 {.}) 2... e6 3. Bg5 c5 ({
QUESTION: What's this? I thought this chapter was devoted to the position after
} 3... d5 {? --- ANSWER: After 3...d5 Black usually follows up with a quick ...c7-c5 and, indeed,} 4. e3 c5 {
is another very common route into our game position.}) 4. e3 {White shores up
the defence of d4 while freeing a path for his king's bishop to come to d3.} ({
QUESTION: What about taking over the centre with} 4. e4 {? --- ANSWER: Theory
and practice have not smiled kindly on this overly ambitious move. Following}
cxd4 5. e5 h6 6. Bh4 g5 7. exf6 gxh4 8. Qxd4 Nc6 9. Qxh4 Qb6 {
Black's play on the dark squares is more important than White's extra pawn.}) (
{QUESTION: Okay, but what about} 4. c3 {? --- ANSWER: This is a very sensible
move, taking play into the so-called Hebden Torre, named after the English
Grandmaster who likes to begin with the move order 3 c3 c5 4 Bg5. Playing this
way White avoids various lines, most notably the gambit line 4 e3 Qb6 5 Nbd2,
but I quite like White's compensation there, as we'll see. Moreover, after 4
c3 Black often fianchettoes with} b6 ({
there are also various decent independent options, including} 4... cxd4 5. cxd4
Qa5+) {when} 5. Nbd2 Bb7 6. e3 {would lead to a different set-up from the one
I'm advocating in the next chapter.}) 4... d5 {
Black decides to establish a foothold in the centre in classical style.} ({
A popular alternative is to keep the pawn back on d7 and fianchetto the
queen's bishop, which is the subject of our next chapter, while the ambitious} 
4... Qb6 $5 {will be seen in Chapter Six.}) 5. Nbd2 $1 ({
White often begins with} 5. c3 {
, but move order is actually fairly important here.}) {With the text White is
much better placed to deal with 5...Qb6!?, a move which we'll cover by
transposition in the notes to Black's 5th move in Chapter Six's Zierke-Bodnar.}
5... Nc6 ({The alternative development for this piece is with} 5... Nbd7 {
when Black can again follow up after} 6. c3 {with} Bd6 ({
it's worth noting that after} 6... Qc7 7. Bd3 {
Black shouldn't open the centre with} e5 $6 ({both sides should always be
alert to possibilities on the a4-e8 diagonal, as shown too here by} 7... b6 {
when White might just castle, but even stronger is} 8. Ne5 $1 Nxe5 9. dxe5 Qxe5
10. Bf4 Qh5 11. Bb5+ Bd7 12. Bxd7+ Kxd7 13. Qa4+ Kd8 14. Nf3 {, which gave him
a powerful early initiative with e3-e4 on its way in A.Yermolinsky-A.Bandza,
Sverdlovsk 1987}) {, since he lags too much in development after} 8. dxe5 Nxe5
9. Nxe5 Qxe5 {, with one good line now for White the simple} 10. Nf3 Qe6 11.
Bxf6 $1 {, and if} Qxf6 $6 12. Bb5+) 7. Bd3 {and here he has:} -- (7... h6 8.
Bh4 O-O 9. O-O {with a further divide:} -- (9... e5 $6 {transposes after} 10.
dxe5 Nxe5 {to our main game.}) ({. Instead} 9... cxd4 10. exd4 {
gives White a handy grip on the e5-square, unless Black goes in for} e5 {
, but after} 11. dxe5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. Nf3 Bf4 14. Bc2 $1 Bg4 15. Qd3 {
White had a pleasant advantage with play against the IQP and on the kingside
in Hoang Thanh Trang-N.Janjghava, Tbilisi 2011.}) ({
. A better approach for Black here is to renounce any idea of ...e6-e5 and go} 
9... b6 {. --- QUESTION: I have a feeling that White wants to play Ne5
followed by f2-f4 in this structure, but here that is impossible, so what to
do? --- ANSWER: We will, indeed, see plenty of examples of that Ne5 approach
in this chapter, but White has two other plans he should always bear in mind:
(i) advancing on the queenside, either with b2-b4 to challenge c5 or c3-c4,
both of which come into the equation especially when Black castles long and/or
places his queen on c7; and (ii) the e3-e4 break. --- Here Black has placed
his bishop on a more ambitious square than e7, so White should exploit the pin
down the h4-d8 diagonal with} 10. e4 {, which already threatens to win a piece.
In the recent game D.Andreikin-A.Kovchan, Moscow 2012, Black countered
logically enough with} cxd4 (10... dxe4 11. Nxe4 Be7 {had been a more
defensive approach in Y.Meister-E.Pigusov, Togliatti 1985, where} 12. dxc5 Nxc5
13. Nxc5 bxc5 14. Qe2 Bb7 15. Rad1 Qc7 16. Ne5 {left White with the better
structure and more active pieces and so, unsurprisingly, an edge}) 11. cxd4
dxe4 {, which gave White an IQP. However, Black's queenside is a little
vulnerable here and after} 12. Bxe4 $1 Rb8 13. Bc6 Bb7 14. Rc1 {
it's not so easy to free his position. EXERCISE: Can Black go} b5 {
followed by ...Qb6 or has White a strong counter to that?} ({
Instead, as I indicated on the ChessPublishing website,} 14... Bxc6 15. Rxc6
Be7 {comes into consideration, although after} 16. Qa4 Nd5 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18.
Rfc1 {White's queenside pressure outweighs the isolated pawn, especially with
Ne4 and/or Ne5 on the way.}) ({ANSWER:} 14... b5 $6 {
runs into a powerful rejoinder:} 15. d5 $1 exd5 16. Bxd7 Qxd7 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18.
Nd4 {, after which Kovchan remained in trouble. One has to be impressed by
the way White exploited the pin in some style to leave himself with excellent
long-term attacking chances on the kingside.}))) ({
. It should come as no surprise that after} 7... O-O 8. O-O b6 {, again} 9. e4
{is indicated. Indeed, the inclusion of ...h7-h6 and Bh4 will rarely affect
White's play in this chapter. Here} dxe4 10. Nxe4 Be7 11. Ne5 $5 (11. dxc5 Nxc5
12. Nxc5 bxc5 13. Qe2 {à la Meister was, of course, very possible too}) 11...
Bb7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Qh5 $1 {was rather direct but also not so easy to defend
against in M.Pribyl-C.Fromm, Boeblingen 1995.}) (7... Qb6 {
escapes the pin, but doesn't do much for Black's development and after} 8. Rb1
O-O (8... h6 9. Bh4 Qc7 {
is an old suggestion of Andrew Martin's, met well enough by} 10. O-O O-O 11.
Qe2 {followed by e3-e4 or} e5 12. dxe5 Bxe5 13. c4 $1) 9. O-O Qc7 10. b4 $5 (
10. e4 {is a natural alternative}) 10... b6 (10... c4 $6 11. Bc2 {
gives White a free hand in the centre with e3-e4, unless Black goes} e5 {
, but then} 12. dxe5 Bxe5 13. Nxe5 Qxe5 14. Nf3 $1 Qxc3 15. Nd4 {
looks like a rather good pawn sacrifice}) 11. bxc5 bxc5 12. Qe2 Bb7 13. c4 Ne4
14. cxd5 exd5 15. Rfc1 {targeted the position of Black's queen and gave White
pressure right across the board in M.Hebden-I.Thompson, British Championship,
Hove 1997.})) 6. c3 {A useful move to insert, so that the bishop can drop back
from d3 to c2 if Black advances with ...c5-c4.} h6 {Black often flicks this
move in, hoping that it may later be useful to have some luft for his king on
h7, but, as mentioned, it doesn't really change the position very much, unless
Black follows up with an extremely loosening and misguided ...g7-g5.} 7. Bh4
Bd6 ({
If Black wants to place his bishop on d6, it doesn't make sense to flick in} 
7... cxd4 $6 8. exd4 {before going} Bd6 {. Not only is an exchange on c5
rarely an issue in these lines, but here White will be quick to clamp down on
and then use the e5-square. Indeed, after} 9. Bd3 O-O 10. O-O Rb8 (10... e5 11.
dxe5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. Nf3 {
leaves Black lacking activity to offset his IQP, as we saw above}) 11. Qe2 $1 {
(taking control of e5 and making it difficult for Black to carry out a
Minority Attack with ...b7-b5-b4)} a6 12. Ne5 Be7 {(Black decides that he must
break the pin after all, but now White can cement his ideal central set-up in
place)} 13. f4 Nd7 14. Bxe7 Nxe7 15. a4 $1 {Black continued to struggle to
free his position in J.Vigus-A.Armbruster, Glenalmond 1996. Note how White
didn't rush headlong into a kingside attack here, but first prevented Black
from freeing his position and obtaining any counterplay.}) 8. Bd3 O-O ({
Black might already be thinking about his main pawn break, but after} 8... e5
$6 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 Bxe5 11. Nf3 {the pin remains a problem for him, with}
Bc7 (11... Bg4 $6 12. Qa4+ $1 Bd7 13. Bb5 {is even worse}) 12. Bb5+ {
forcing him to move his king, as} Bd7 $6 13. Bxf6 gxf6 {
would leave him with horrible long-term weaknesses.}) 9. O-O e5 $6 {The 2700-rated Alekseev was presumably tricked into a Torre line he didn't know by
Morozevich's clever Trompowsky move order, but if he thought that developing
his minor pieces as actively as possible, as opposed to going ...Be7 and ...Nbd7, ahead of breaking with ...e6-e5 was best, then one can certainly imagine
many weaker players doing the same.} ({
In any case it seems that Black is already worse, as} 9... b6 10. e4 $1 {
again sees the centre opening before he is ready. Two neat lines stemming from
Eric Prié are} cxd4 $2 ({and} 10... g5 11. Bg3 Bxg3 12. fxg3 $1 cxd4 13. Nxd4
Nxd4 14. e5 $1 {
with excellent attacking prospects against the weakened black kingside}) 11.
Bb5 $1 {, when even} Ne5 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. f4 {
doesn't prevent Black from losing a piece.}) 10. dxe5 (10. e4 $5 {is also good,
echoing Bauer's play from our opening game, but the text is even better from
what I can see.}) 10... Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 {EXERCISE: If this worked for Black,
the Torre Attack would be rather defanged, but White has a powerful counter.
Can you see what it is? ---} {ANSWER:} 12. f4 $1 {
Strong preparation for the e3-e4 push.} ({The immediate} 12. e4 {
is possible too, but is not so good on account of} Qd6 $1 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14.
exd5 Qxd5 {when} 15. Ne4 Qc6 {restricts White to just a tiny pull.}) ({
Likewise,} 12. Nf3 {is fairly ineffective, since} Bc7 13. Bc2 Be6 14. Qd3 {
can be met by} Re8 {when Black's king is safe enough after} 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16.
Qh7+ Kf8 {.}) 12... Bd6 {Not the only square for the bishop;} ({but} 12... Bc7
13. e4 c4 14. Be2 {echoes Morozevich's play and is at least as effective.}) 13.
e4 c4 $5 {Alekseev opts for active defence.} ({Instead} 13... dxe4 $2 14. Bxf6
gxf6 ({the problem is that} 14... Qxf6 $2 15. Nxe4 Qe7 16. Nxd6 {
wins a piece due to the deadly discovery} Qxd6 $2 17. Bh7+) 15. Nxe4 f5 16. Ng3
{leaves Black's kingside a complete wreck}) ({but the solid} 13... Be7 {
is possible. In W.Arencibia Rodriguez-E.Ibanez, Barbera del Valles 1997, the
Cuban Grandmaster retained the upper hand following} 14. e5 ({Prié's} 14. exd5
$5 Nxd5 15. Bxe7 Nxe7 16. Nc4 {is an alternative route to an edge}) 14... Ng4
15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. Qf3 c4 17. Bb1 $1 ({wisely sidestepping} 17. h3 $6 Nxe5 $1)
17... Qc5+ 18. Kh1 Qe3 19. Qxe3 Nxe3 20. Re1 Nf5 21. Nf3 Bd7 22. Bc2 Rad8 23.
Rad1 {by when Black was no doubt regretting advancing his pawn to c4.}) 14. Be2
{The correct retreat, keeping an eye on the c4-pawn.} Qb6+ 15. Bf2 Bc5 {
Black has managed to avoid losing material, but remains in trouble due to his
overextended centre.} 16. e5 $6 {
This breaks up Black's pawns, but is not as strong as it looks.} ({
Indeed, I suspect that White should prefer} 16. exd5 $1 Bxf2+ 17. Rxf2 {
when Black can stay level on the pawn count with} Qxb2 18. Nxc4 Qxc3 {
, but after} 19. Rc1 Qb4 20. Bf3 {
White is well coordinated and his passed d-pawn a handy asset.}) 16... Ne4 $6 (
{Another grandmaster stumbled into this position in G.Pap-Z.Gyimesi, Hungarian
League 2009, but did better with} 16... Bxf2+ 17. Rxf2 {
, dragging White's rook to a sub-optimal location before going in for} Ne4 18.
Nxe4 dxe4 19. Qd4 Qxd4 20. cxd4 Rd8 21. Rd1 Be6 {. Unlike in our main game
White can't walk his king to e3 anywhere near so easily and after} 22. f5 Bd5
23. Rf4 Rdc8 {Gyimesi had held things together and was able to develop
counterplay on the queenside.}) 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 19. Qd4 $1 {
Now the exchange of queens works very well.} Qxd4+ 20. cxd4 Be6 {
EXERCISE: Can you spot White's simple and strong plan? ---} {ANSWER:} 21. f5 $1
Bd5 22. Kf2 {Having first increased his space advantage and ruled out any
notion of ...f7-f5, White walks his king towards a fantastic square for it on
e3.} Rfc8 ({QUESTION: Before White's king reaches e3 might Black not have tried
} 22... e3+ {, and if} 23. Kxe3 Bxg2 {
? --- ANSWER: This was possible, but after} 24. Rfc1 b5 25. b3 cxb3 26. axb3 a6
27. b4 {White's dominant pawn centre and well-placed rooks leave him with a
near-decisive advantage.}) 23. Rfc1 Rc6 $1 {
As good a try as any to obtain some counterplay.} ({The alternative was} 23...
b5 24. Ke3 a5 {, but here White would have had a pleasant choice between
breaking up Black's queenside pawns with} 25. b3 $5 ({and} 25. Bd1 {
followed by Bc2, picking off e4.})) 24. a4 $1 {A very grandmasterly move,
preventing ...b7-b5 and preparing to defend b2 from the side.} ({
Many would have played} 24. Ke3 {, but after} Rac8 25. Rc3 ({even here} 25. b3
$5 {would be a better try}) 25... b5 26. a3 a5 {matters would not have been so
clear with Black by now quite well placed on the queenside.}) 24... Rac8 {
Freeing his front rook to counterattack against b2, but Morozevich has it all
under control.} 25. Rc3 Rb6 26. Ra2 $1 {Completing the blockade and now Black
is pretty helpless against the idea of Ke3 followed by Bd1-c2 or even g2-g4
and Bf1-g2.} Kf8 27. Ke3 Ke7 28. Bd1 Ra6 {
Black's only hope to obtain some counterplay is to pin the pawn on a4.} 29. Ra1
$5 {Morozevich comes up with a typically ingenious idea.} ({
The simple alternative was} 29. Bc2 b5 30. Bxe4 b4 31. Rc1 Bxe4 32. Kxe4 Ra5
33. Raa1 {when White should be winning with a little care, beginning by
doubling his rooks on the c-file.}) 29... b5 30. b4 $1 {White too makes good
use of a pin and now Black won't obtain any counterplay on the queenside.} bxa4
31. b5 Ra5 32. Rxa4 Rxa4 ({
Black's cause would have been pretty hopeless too in the event of} 32... Rxb5
33. Rxa7+ Kf8 34. Bc2 {.}) 33. Bxa4 f6 {This doesn't help;} ({but} 33... Rb8
34. Bc2 $1 Rxb5 35. Bxe4 Bxe4 36. Kxe4 Rb4 37. Kd5 {
would have picked up c4 with an easy win, since White's d-pawn is too strong.})
34. Bc2 fxe5 35. dxe5 Rc5 36. Ra3 $1 {White ends his blockade on c3 to
activate his rook and so make immediate use of his powerful pawn centre.} Rxb5
37. Rxa7+ Kf8 38. e6 Bb7 {This loses a piece;} ({
but there was no good defence to the vicious threat of 39 Ba4, with} 38... Rb8
39. e7+ Kf7 40. Ba4 {failing to help,}) ({while} 38... Rb7 39. Rxb7 Bxb7 40.
Bxe4 Ba6 41. Kd4 Ke7 42. Bd5 {
would have been a trivial win in the bishop ending.}) 39. e7+ $1 {Morozevich
s handled the whole endgame in a most instructive manner, never hurrying to
pick up the e4-pawn and so retaining control ahead of taking over the
initiative, and now concludes with a little tactic.} Kxe7 40. Bxe4 1-0

[Event "Burbank"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2004.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bagheri, A."]
[Black "Sevillano, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D03"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2004.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 Be7 {QUESTION: This looks a little passive. Is
Black just giving up control of the centre?} ({ANSWER: Not really, as play
will usually transpose, as here, to a position more normally reached after} 
3... d5 4. e3 Be7 5. Nbd2 {.}) 4. Nbd2 {Natural;} ({but if White wants to
follow our repertoire in the next chapter, he may wish to begin with} 4. e3 {
when} b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 6. O-O c5 {
is a position we'll give plenty of coverage to there.}) ({Instead I'm not
convinced by giving up the bishop-pair when Black hasn't even gone ...h7-h6
and after} 4. Bxf6 Bxf6 5. e4 {
the second player can obtain decent enough counterplay with} c5 {.}) 4... d5 {
Taking play back into normal waters. Against the alternatives White might look
to create an ideal two-abreast pawn centre.} (4... b6 5. e4 Bb7 6. Bd3 {
gives White his ideal centre and an edge, as it's too early for} c5 $6 {
on account of} 7. e5 Nd5 8. Bxe7 Nxe7 9. Nc4 {, homing in on the d6-square.}) (
4... O-O 5. e4 c5 6. dxc5 $5 ({a vigorous alternative to the routine} 6. c3)
6... Qa5 7. e5 $1 Nd5 8. Bxe7 Nxe7 9. Bd3 Qxc5 10. O-O {gave your author a
pleasant grip on the position in R.Palliser-A.Gupta, London 2000.}) (4... c5 $5
{is a problem if White wants to follow our repertoire from Chapter Five,
although he doesn't have to go} 5. e3 {here} ({and} 5. Bxf6 $5 Bxf6 6. Ne4 {
deserves definite attention. Following} cxd4 7. Nxf6+ (7. Nd6+ Ke7 8. Nxc8+
Qxc8 9. Nxd4 Nc6 {
seems okay for Black, with his lead in development offsetting his king position
}) 7... Qxf6 8. Qxd4 Qxd4 9. Nxd4 {White has the idea of Nb5 followed by 0-0-0,
but Black is pretty solid and may be able to gradually equalize after} a6 10.
g3 d6 11. Bg2 Nd7 {.})) 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd3 {White continues his development
along standard lines. There's no need to go c2-c3 until Black expands with ...c7-c5.} Nbd7 {The American IM is happy to develop solidly, QGD-style for now.}
({Instead} 6... c5 7. c3 {would transpose after} Nbd7 {
to our main game, but here Black has also been known to try:} (7... Nc6 8. Ne5
Nd7 $5 {is an option that placing the knight on c6 facilitates. That said,
White still has decent chances to emerge with an edge here, as he did after} 9.
Bxe7 Qxe7 10. f4 f5 11. Qe2 Ndxe5 12. fxe5 a5 13. O-O {on account of his
slightly better bishop in B.Roshchepkin-G.Golovchenko, Serpukhov 2003,} ({
and with the centre fixed, I also wonder about the idea of} 13. h4 $5 {
followed by g2-g4.})) ({. As we've already noted,} 7... cxd4 8. exd4 {
is an exchange that White should usually be happy to see. He might even use
his grip on the e5-square to begin a direct attack, as with} b6 (8... Nc6 9. Qe2
a6 {would deter White from anything too ambitious, but White has a few ways to
maintain control here, including the} 10. O-O b5 11. Nb3 $5 h6 12. Bxf6 Bxf6
13. Nc5 {of A.Stefanova-Y.Dembo, Kusadasi 2006}) 9. Qe2 a5 $6 {(Black wants to
exchange his bad bishop, but this is too slow and just weakens his queenside)}
10. Ne5 h6 11. h4 $1 (11. Bh4 {would be the simple approach, meeting} Ba6 {
by creating a lasting pin with} 12. Bxa6 Nxa6 13. Nc6 Qc7 14. Nxe7+ Qxe7 {
, but the text is even stronger with Black lacking any real counterplay}) 11...
Ba6 ({Black could hardly allow the h-file to open with} 11... hxg5 $2 12. hxg5)
12. Bxa6 Nxa6 13. f4 Nc7 14. g4 {which gave White a dangerous attack in V.Sergeev-Z.Snyta, Ostrava 2009. --- QUESTION: That looked pretty impressive,
but I guess Black doesn't allow such an attack too often? --- ANSWER:
Exchanging on d4 and castling too early are both small errors, which if
combined can allow White to ram his kingside pawns down the board, assuming he
hasn't committed his own king. Such things happen somewhat more often than one
might imagine at club level, even if there White doesn't always take up the
option of a direct attack, and do see too our next illustrative game,
Mohr-Anand.})) 7. c3 $5 {QUESTION: I thought you said 'there was no need to go
c2-c3 until Black goes ...c7-c5'?} ({ANSWER: I did! However, the future
Iranian Grandmaster has an aggressive idea in mind and so avoids the perfectly
reasonable} 7. O-O {and only then} c5 8. c3 {.}) ({
Note that with the c5-square not yet occupied by a pawn,} 7. Ne5 {
would be premature, on account of} Nxe5 8. dxe5 Nd7 {, and if} 9. Bf4 Nc5 {.})
7... c5 8. Ne5 $1 {Again White might have castled, but the text is a more
challenging approach and one which already forces Black to take care on the
kingside.} ({White prepares to support his knight with 9 f4 and after} 8. Ne5 {
can even meet} Ne8 {with} 9. h4 $5 {, since} f6 10. Qh5 {saves the piece.})
8... cxd4 $6 {Not for the first time I'm not convinced by this trade.} ({
Black has more often sort exchanges without inserting this pawn exchange and} 
8... Nxe5 9. dxe5 Nd7 {does, indeed, look like a slightly better try.} 10. -- (
{. QUESTION: Do we now go} 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. f4 {, shoring up e5 ahead of
launching a kingside attack? --- ANSWER: Not so fast! White would obtain a
strong attack if Black now, say, developed his queenside, but} f6 $1 {
is a key counterstrike and after} 12. exf6 Rxf6 13. O-O e5 {Black equalizes.})
({. White does better with} 10. Bf4 $1 {, retaining pieces so as not to help
alleviate Black's slight cramp, and here many moves have been seen, including:}
-- (10... Re8 {is well met by} 11. Qh5 $1 {
, which gives White a strong attacking position after} g6 (11... Nf8 {
doesn't shore up h7 for long, with Ng5 on its way after} 12. Nf3 {and h2-h4})
12. Qg4 Bf8 13. h4 {.}) (10... b6 11. Qh5 g6 12. Qh6 $5 ({avoiding} 12. Qg4 f5
{, although White might permit this, since} 13. Qe2 g5 14. Bg3 f4 $2 {
doesn't trap the bishop on account of} 15. exf4 gxf4 16. Qh5 Rf7 17. Bxf4 $1
Rxf4 18. Qxh7+ Kf8 19. Bg6) 12... Re8 13. Nf3 Bf8 14. Qh3 Bg7 15. Qg3 $1 Bb7
16. h4 {sounded the charge and left White in control in S.Dishman-D.Gormally,
British League 1997.}) (10... Qc7 11. Nf3 ({but not} 11. Qh5 $2 g6 {
when the e5-pawn falls}) 11... Re8 12. h4 $1 Nf8 13. Ng5 Bxg5 14. hxg5 g6 15.
e4 dxe4 16. Bxe4 {was pretty grim for Black in V.Lilov-J.Nikolov, Plovdiv 2009.
}) (10... f5 {has usually been met by} 11. h4 ({however,} 11. g4 $1 {
may be even stronger, with the idea} g5 12. gxf5 gxf4 (12... exf5 {
might be a better defence, but should still favour White after} 13. Rg1 Kh8 14.
Bg3) 13. fxe6 Nxe5 14. Bxh7+ $1 Kxh7 15. Qh5+ Kg7 16. Qxe5+ {; these fireworks
gave White a huge attack in M.Aigner-F.Diaz Franco, Feffernitz 1999, where
Black collapsed with} Rf6 ({however,} 16... Bf6 17. Rg1+ Kh6 18. Qxf4+ Bg5 19.
Qg3 Bxe6 20. h4 {would regain the piece with a winning advantage}) ({and even} 
16... Kh6 $5 17. Rg1 Rg8 18. Qxf4+ Bg5 19. Qg4 {looks good for White}) 17. Rg1+
Kf8 18. Qh5 {and suddenly there was no defence}) {, after which} 11... c4 $6
12. Bc2 b5 13. Nf3 Nc5 14. g4 $1 {gave White a strong attack in the famous
Torre game T.Petrosian-V.Liublinsky, USSR Championship, Moscow 1949.}) (10...
f6 $5 11. Qh5 ({I wonder if White shouldn't simply settle for} 11. exf6 Bxf6
12. Bg3 $5 {, with definite chances for an edge after} e5 13. e4 $1) {
has often been met by} 11... f5 {,} ({since} 11... g6 $5 {
was condemned by Petrosian:} 12. Bxg6 $1 hxg6 13. Qxg6+ Kh8 14. h4 {
(preparing to lift the rook into the attack)} fxe5 (14... Nxe5 $2 15. Bxe5 fxe5
16. Rh3 {was hopeless for Black in J.Cerny-T.Vesely, Czech League 2002}) 15.
Qh5+ Kg8 16. Qg6+ {was agreed drawn in J.Rusev-V.Dragiev, Shumen 1995,} ({but} 
16. Bh6 $5 {was indicated by the 9th World Champion, threatening to lift the
rook after all. However, he had underestimated} Bf6 $1 {
which is actually the only defence; after} 17. Qg6+ Kh8 18. Bxf8 Qxf8 19. Nf3 {
the position isn't at all clear. --- Having appreciated Black's main defensive
ideas, we can return to Sevillano's exchange on d4.}))))) 9. exd4 Nxe5 {
Again Black decides that his best hope is to try and relieve the pressure
through exchanges.} 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. Qh5 $5 {
Thanks to the exchange on d4, this is now possible;} ({
not that there's anything wrong with} 11. Bf4 $1 {and after} f6 12. exf6 $1 ({
avoiding the unclear complications stemming from} 12. Qh5 g6 13. Bxg6 hxg6 14.
Qxg6+) 12... Nxf6 13. O-O Bd6 14. Bxd6 Qxd6 15. Re1 {White had a small but
clear edge, with the position resembling a French Tarrasch, before he netted a
pawn with} e5 $2 16. Nc4 $1 Qc5 17. Nxe5 {
in D.Tyomkin-S.Massanet Massanet, Sant Jordi (rapid) 2008.}) 11... g6 12. Bxe7
Qxe7 ({Instead} 12... gxh5 $5 13. Bxd8 {
looks pretty grim for Black, but he can do better than recapture on d8, with}
Nxe5 $1 {. This actually wins a pawn, although after} 14. Be2 Rxd8 15. f4 $1
Ng4 16. h3 Nf6 17. g4 hxg4 18. hxg4 {
White's play down the h-file supplies dangerous compensation.}) 13. Qe2 Nc5 {
After this White begins to take control.} ({
Black preferred the thematic French break} 13... f6 {in O.Stjazhkina-Y.Malinarski, Varna 2009, but White retains an edge here too with} 14. exf6 $5
Qxf6 15. O-O e5 16. c4 $1 {.}) 14. Nf3 {
QUESTION: Shouldn't White be trying to keep his bishop?} ({ANSWER:} 14. Bc2 {
would have been well met by} b6 {and Bagheri actually welcomes an exchange on
d3. Don't forget that the position is rather similar to a French and, just as
there, Black would prefer not to be left with a bad light-squared bishop
against a dominant white knight on d4.}) 14... Bd7 15. O-O Rab8 16. Bc2 $5 ({
QUESTION: I don't get it. Why now retreat the bishop, rather than go} 16. Nd4 {
? --- ANSWER: After} f5 17. exf6 Qxf6 18. Nf3 {White retains a pleasant edge,
but Bagheri wants even more than that and so tempts Black into a rather
committal queenside advance.}) 16... b5 $6 17. b4 $1 {This is a good move,
keeping Black's bishop rather restricted, although it will allow Black a bit
of counterplay down the c-file.} Na4 18. Qe3 ({After} 18. Bxa4 bxa4 19. Nd4
Rfc8 {Black would have gone ...Rc4 followed by ...Rbc8 or even ...a7-a5, so
White refrains from the exchange.}) 18... Nb6 $6 {As the knight later returns
to this square, I'm not so sure Black should have retreated.} (18... Rb7 {
looks like a better way to defend the a-pawn while preparing to double rooks.})
19. Rad1 Rfc8 20. Bb3 {Wisely covering the c4-square. Besides there was little
else for the bishop to do for the moment.} Rb7 {EXERCISE: Black finally gets
round to doubling rooks on the c-file, but can you find a good plan for White?
---} {ANSWER:} 21. Rd3 $1 {White shores up the defence of c3 from the side,
not the rear. This rook has ideas of swinging over to the kingside once the
knight has occupied its ideal post on d4.} Be8 22. Nd4 Rbc7 23. f4 {Played not
so much to follow up with g2-g4 and f4-f5 (although f4-f5 might work as a
sacrifice in some positions, with ...exf5; Nxf5 then opening up the kingside),
as to enable the other rook to swing into play. Sevillano has been completely
outplayed and can now find nothing better than to return his knight to a4.} Na4
24. Bxa4 {Naturally White is happy to reach a pure good knight against bad
bishop scenario while keeping c3 under control.} bxa4 25. Qg3 a6 26. Rff3 $1 {
Here come the rooks. Black can now activate his bishop to an extent, but even
that won't especially help him.} Bb5 27. Rde3 Rc4 $1 {Good defence.} ({
Instead after} 27... a3 $2 {Black hopes to counterattack against a2, but this
underestimates the danger. --- EXERCISE: What threat might White have carried
out had 27...a3 occurred? --- ANSWER:} 28. f5 $1 exf5 29. Nxf5 {
doesn't even come as a sacrifice and after} Qe6 30. Nh6+ {
White's pressure is far too strong: for instance,} Kg7 31. Rf6 Qe8 32. Nf5+ Kh8
{and now} 33. e6 $1 gxf5 34. Qe5 {would be a brutal way to finish.}) 28. h4 $1
({After} 28. f5 Rxd4 $1 29. cxd4 Qxb4 {Black would have awkward counterplay
against White's pawns and king, so Bagheri prefers to create some luft while
bringing another attacking unit into play.}) 28... Rxd4 {The consistent
follow-up to his previous move and the only real way to obtain any counterplay.
} 29. cxd4 Qxb4 30. Kh2 $1 {Good prophylaxis. White avoids having his rook
pinned while keeping his king safe. --- QUESTION: But hasn't White gone wrong?
Earlier he had total control, but now all Black's pieces pretty active. ---
ANSWER: White must proceed much more precisely than he needed to earlier, but
even when one has control, sometimes the advantage has to be transformed. Here
White has after all picked up the exchange, while I'm sure that Bagheri still
trusted in his attacking chances.} Qxd4 31. h5 Qb4 ({
Black cannot keep the f- and e-files closed, as} 31... Kh8 $2 32. Qg5 {
only would have allowed White to ominously accelerate his attack with tempo.})
32. f5 $1 {Breaking through.} ({QUESTION: Are you so sure? After} 32. f5 exf5
33. Rxf5 d4 34. Ref3 Bc4 {
Black's defences appear to be holding. --- ANSWER: Even here} 35. hxg6 hxg6 36.
Qh4 Qf8 37. Rg3 {wouldn't be so easy for the defence, but Bagheri finds
something even more dangerous.}) 32... exf5 33. e6 $5 {
Blowing open even more lines in his bid to get at the black king.} d4 34. Re5
Kf8 $2 {This doesn't help;} ({but also after} 34... d3 35. exf7+ Kxf7 36.
Rfxf5+ $1 gxf5 37. Rxf5+ {Black would have been in huge trouble. White must
proceed with some precision, but one computer-aided winning line runs} Ke7 38.
Qg7+ Kd8 (38... Kd6 $2 39. Rf6+ Kd5 40. Qf7+ Kd4 41. Rf4+ Kc3 42. Qg7+ {
is clearly hopeless}) 39. Rd5+ Ke8 40. Qg8+ Ke7 41. Qxh7+ Ke6 42. Qf5+ Ke7 43.
Qg5+ $1 Ke6 44. Re5+ Kd7 45. Qg7+ Kc6 46. Re6+ Kd5 47. Qe5+ Kc4 {
and now the highly subtle manoeuvre} 48. Rf6 $1 Rf8 49. Rg6 Bd7 50. Rd6 {
which seems to decide.}) ({
It would have taken an extremely brave man to expose his king with} 34... fxe6
$1 {, especially when low on time, but Black had to find this and then} 35.
hxg6 Qd6 $1 {. White doesn't seem to have anything better here than} 36. gxh7+
Kh8 37. Rfxf5 $1 exf5 38. Re8+ Rxe8 39. Qxd6 {
, but whether he will be able to break Black's blockade after} d3 {
isn't at all clear.}) 35. exf7 Kxf7 {EXERCISE: White now has a win which the
future grandmaster missed! Can you do any better?} 36. Qf4 $2 ({
ANSWER: Correct was} 36. Rfxf5+ $3 gxf5 37. h6 {when} Rg8 ({or} 37... Qf8 38.
Rxf5+ Ke8 39. Rxf8+ Kxf8 40. Qg7+ Ke8 41. Qxh7 {
with an easy win thanks to the h-pawn}) 38. Rxf5+ Ke6 39. Qxg8+ (39. Qe5+ Kd7
40. Rf7+ Kc6 41. Qc7+ Kd5 42. Rf5+ Ke4 43. Re5+ Kd3 44. Qxh7+ {
should also do the trick}) 39... Kxf5 40. Qxh7+ Kf4 41. Qg7 {would have seen
the h-pawn decide proceedings, as White mates if both sides queen:} d3 42. h7
d2 43. h8=Q d1=Q 44. Qe5+ ({or} 44. Qg3+ Ke4 45. Qhe5#) 44... Kg4 45. Qh3# {
. Full marks and a few extra if you visualized all this.}) 36... Bd7 $2 {
Black has spotted the threat on f5, but misses one on the h-file.} ({
With more time I suspect Sevillano would have tried} 36... Rc3 $1 {
, keeping the rook safe, and after} 37. hxg6+ (37. Rxf5+ gxf5 38. Qxf5+ Ke8 39.
Qe5+ Kd8 {doesn't seem to give White anything more than a draw}) 37... hxg6 38.
Rxc3 Qxc3 39. Qh4 Qb4 $1 {Black's defence would have continued to hold for now,
with the game very much still alive.}) 37. hxg6+ hxg6 38. Rh3 $1 {Now it's all
over, however, as White's major pieces prove swift to infiltrate Black's
vulnerable position.} Kf6 ({Alternatively,} 38... Be6 39. Qg5 $1 {
and the arrival of the rook on h7 will decide.}) 39. Rd5 Be8 {Now it's mate,
but otherwise there was nothing to be done about the bishop, not to mention
the ongoing killer attack.} 40. Qe5+ Kg5 41. Rg3+ 1-0

[Event "Belgrade"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mohr, G."]
[Black "Anand, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D03"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bg5 e6 ({
Anand fails to cut across his opponent's move order with} 3... Ne4 $1 {
, as we'll consider in our final chapter.}) 4. e3 c5 {In this game we'll see
Black employing a popular queenside fianchetto, in almost Tartakower QGD style.
} ({If Black wants to fianchetto he can also begin with} 4... Be7 5. Nbd2 {
and then:} -- (5... b6 6. Bd3 ({
it's also tempting here to leap straightaway with} 6. Ne5 $5 {
when Black should seek to equalize with} Nfd7 $1 {,} ({whereas} 6... c5 $6 7.
Bb5+ $1 {has claimed a number of victims; the main point is that} Nfd7 $6 ({
while} 7... Bd7 8. Nxd7 Nbxd7 9. c3 {gives White a pull with the bishop-pair})
8. Bc6 $1 {nets the exchange and the bishop will escape after} Bxg5 9. Bxa8
Nxe5 10. dxe5 Ba6 11. c4)) 6... c5 (6... Ba6 7. Bxa6 Nxa6 8. Ne5 {
preserves a pull, but White might avoid this possibility by beginning 6 c3}) 7.
c3 Bb7 {and now} 8. Ne5 {
is likely to transpose elsewhere, such as to Mohr-Anand after} Nbd7 {.} ({
Again, Black might prefer to exchange pieces with} 8... Nfd7 $5 {
, but even here} 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. f4 O-O 11. O-O {still gives White chances
for an edge, as in R.Palliser-H.Koneru, Witley 2000, where I should have met}
Ba6 {with} 12. Bxa6 Nxa6 13. Qa4 {.})) ({. After} 5... O-O 6. Bd3 c5 7. c3 b6
8. Ne5 {Black must watch out for tricks on the c6-square,} -- ({, with} 8...
Ba6 $6 9. Bxa6 Nxa6 10. Nc6 Qc7 11. Nxe7+ Qxe7 12. O-O {securing White a
pleasant lasting pull thanks to the pin. That said, it seems unlikely that
Black can equalize in any case here:}) (8... Bb7 {
prepares the simplifying manoeuvre} 9. f4 ({
but White does better with Petrosian's suggestion of} 9. Qf3 $1 {
; this takes the e4-square under control and} Nbd7 10. Rd1 cxd4 11. exd4 a6 12.
O-O Re8 13. Rde1 {(not the only good move, but White wants to keep the king's
rook in support of the f-pawn)} Nf8 14. Qh3 {gave White dangerous attacking
chances while Black lacked counterplay in Su.Polgar-R.Dive, Wellington 1988})
9... Ne4 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O f6 12. Nef3 Nd7 {.}) (8... Nfd7 {prepares to
exchange a pair of pieces and without allowing White's knight into c6, but
does leave the kingside undefended. I like} 9. Bf4 $5 ({
White can attack right away with} 9. Qh5 {, but after} f5 {
the defence is pretty solid}) {
, when M.Hebden-J.Roos, French League 2001, continued} 9... f5 ({White meets} 
9... Nxe5 {with} 10. dxe5 {and prepares to attack in any case}) 10. h4 $1 Bf6 (
{naturally not} 10... Bxh4 $2 11. Qh5 g5 12. Ndf3) 11. Ndf3 a5 12. g4 $1 {
when White had made excellent use of his firm grip on e5 to launch a powerful
pawn-storm.}))) 5. Nbd2 Nbd7 ({Another common move order is} 5... Be7 6. c3
Nbd7 {, but here Black has also been known to try:} ({. After} 6... Qb6 7. Rb1
{White can no longer castle long, but it's rare that he does so in any case
and now I'm not so sure what the queen is doing on b6. Black tried to justify
her position with} Bd7 $5 {
in V.Malaniuk-A.Beliavsky, Yugoslav Team Championship 1993, but after} 8. Ne5
cxd4 $1 (8... Bb5 $6 9. c4 $1 {is a timely opening of the position}) 9. cxd4 $5
Bb5 10. Bxb5+ Qxb5 11. Qe2 $1 Qxe2+ 12. Kxe2 {White enjoyed a small but clear
edge due to his queenside play (Rfc1 and Nb3-c5 may follow).}) ({. If Black wants to fianchetto, he usually prefers not to obstruct his queen's bishop with} 
6... Nc6 {, but this is still seen on occasion and after} 7. Bd3 b6 (7... Nd7 {
is another logical enough attempt to simplify, but again White can cut across
Black's plans with} 8. Bf4 $1 {; following} g5 $6 (8... Bf6 9. O-O e5 {
isn't a break we need to fear on account of the} 10. dxe5 Ndxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5
12. Qh5 $1 {
of Y.Piskov-M.Ly, Hoogeveen 2006, where White's pressure quickly grew after}
Qf6 $6 13. Bg5 $1 Qe6 14. f4) 9. Bg3 h5 10. h3 Qb6 11. Qc2 f5 12. h4 $1 g4 13.
Ng5 {
White was taking control in I.Rogers-H.Van Riemsdijk, Auckland (rapid) 2000})
8. Ne5 Nxe5 9. dxe5 Nd7 {play transposes in any case to our next illustrative
game, Harikrishna-Moradiabadi. --- QUESTION: Black seems to have a lot of
alternatives to the main line here and in the 3...d5 variation in general. Am
I really expected to remember everything? --- ANSWER: Of course not! Firstly,
White's basic set-up is simple and sound, so it's hard to go too far wrong in
the opening and, secondly, it's much better to remember some general motifs
than specific moves. I doubt, for instance, that even grandmaster exponents of
the Torre would blitz out 8 Bf4 in response to 6...Nc6 7 Bd3 Nd7. Rather they
would know the idea of Bf4 in general, keeping pieces on, and realize that
it's especially strong here with White yet to go Ne5.})) 6. c3 {
Mohr wisely facilitates the development of his bishop to d3.} Be7 7. Bd3 b6 {
Black's main move, completing his queenside development while trying to avoid
castling into an attack.} ({
We saw in our previous game why White should be fairly happy to see} 7... O-O {
, but here Black has some other ideas.}) ({
QUESTION: I know that we've gone c2-c3 to meet} 7... c4 {with} 8. Bc2 {
, but might Black not play this and then pawn-storm with} b5 {? This looks a
little scary. --- ANSWER: If Black is going to play in such fashion, he is
certainly better off having not castled, but even here White can retain
control and fight for the initiative with} 9. O-O Bb7 (9... a5 {continues the
flank attack, but the best response to such play is usually to counter in the
centre and here} 10. e4 {is pretty effective}) 10. Ne5 $1 Nxe5 11. dxe5 Nd7 12.
Bxe7 Qxe7 13. f4 {giving him a definite edge in J.Spodny-P.Spitz,
correspondence 1994. Note the lovely home for White's knight on d4, while} b4
14. Ba4 $1 {saw Spodny freeing his bishop and setting up a favourable good
knight against bad bishop scenario in the game.}) ({
QUESTION: Maybe Black does better to pawn-storm with} 7... a6 8. O-O b5 {
? --- ANSWER: This is also quite commonly seen at lower levels, but is even
worse in my view. I was certainly amazed to see that two world-class grandmaster
s had played in this manner, with} 9. Ne5 $1 ({even stronger than} 9. e4) 9...
Nxe5 (9... Bb7 10. f4 c4 11. Bc2 Ne4 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Bxe4 $1 dxe4 14. Nxd7
Qxd7 15. b3 $1 {left White with the superior minor piece as he took control of
the queenside in Y.Seirawan-B.Larsen, Linares 1983; highly logical and also
highly effective play from the long-time American no.1}) 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. Bxe7
(11. Bf4 $5 Bb7 12. a4 {might be considered too, making it much more difficult
for Black to go long than in the closely-related position with his pawns back
on a7 and b6}) 11... Qxe7 12. f4 Bb7 13. Nf3 {can be compared with the course
of our next game. Here Black is much further advanced on the queenside, but
I'm not sure how much that helps him, especially as he'll now struggle to go
long, and} f6 14. exf6 Nxf6 15. Ne5 O-O 16. Qe2 {
left White in control in M.Hebden-J.Speelman, Southend 2000.}) ({QUESTION: So
is there anything else that Black might try instead of the fianchetto? ---
ANSWER: Just one other plan, that of} 7... Qc7 $5 {. This prophylactic
approach was endorsed by Petrosian and for a while White struggled a little to
prove anything against it. --- QUESTION: I can see why as Black has managed to
take Ne5 ideas off the agenda, so what to do? --- ANSWER: White should set
about showing that the queen can become vulnerable on c7 with} 8. O-O (8. Bf4
Bd6 {is nothing for White}) ({and} 8. Ne5 $2 {
à la Yermolinsky doesn't work here on account of the intermezzo} Nxe5 9. dxe5
Nd7 10. Bxe7 Nxe5 $1) 8... O-O 9. Rc1 $1 ({an important alternative is} 9. e4 {
, but Black remained pretty solid and was only a fraction worse after} dxe4 10.
Nxe4 b6 11. Bh4 $1 Bb7 12. Bg3 Qc6 13. Re1 cxd4 14. Nxd4 Qd5 {
in I.Sokolov-S.Tiviakov, Wijk aan Zee 1995}) 9... b6 (9... h6 {, and if} 10.
Bf4 Bd6 11. Bxd6 Qxd6 {, is the alternative; White can be consistent and go}
12. c4 {here} ({and} 12. Re1 $5 {is possible too, hoping to cause problems
down the h1-a8 diagonal, as White managed with} Rd8 13. e4 dxe4 14. Nxe4 Nxe4
15. Bxe4 Nf6 16. Qe2 Nxe4 17. Qxe4 cxd4 18. Nxd4 {
which saw him retaining a pull in R.Jacquin-N.Ferreira, correspondence 2007}))
10. c4 Bb7 {and now in M.Hebden-J.Emms, Isle of Man 1997,} 11. b4 $1 {
(Emms) would have seen White furthering his queenside initiative with some
effect.}) ({Black has also been known to flick in} 7... h6 8. Bh4 {before going
} Qc7 $5 {, but in any case} 9. O-O O-O 10. Rc1 ({
now that Black has weakened his kingside, going} 10. e4 dxe4 11. Nxe4 {
à la Sokolov grows in strength and temptation}) 10... b6 11. c4 {gives White
chances for a structural edge, such as by leaving Black with hanging pawns on
c5 and d5 ahead of undermining them with e3-e4. Here Tiviakov quite likes} Ba6
$5 {, but after} 12. b4 $1 dxc4 13. Nxc4 Qb7 14. bxc5 bxc5 15. Rb1 Qc8 {
it's hard to believe that White wasn't a little better in J.Speelman-S.Tiviakov, European Team Championship, Leon 2001,with} 16. Nce5 $5 Rd8 17. Rc1 {
one way to maintain some pressure.}) 8. Ne5 $5 ({White often inserts} 8. O-O
Bb7 {before going} 9. Ne5 {. That's hardly a bad option and play can transpose,
but Mohr's choice arguably packs even more of a punch.}) 8... Bb7 $2 {
Undoing all the good work of his previous move and failing to appreciate the
difference between 8 0-0 Bb7 9 Ne5 and the immediate knight leap.} ({
A much better defence is} 8... Nxe5 9. dxe5 Nd7 {
, as will be examined in the next game.}) 9. f4 {Cementing the knight in place
and now White will be able to make a favourable recapture with the f-pawn in
the event of any trade on e5.} O-O {Not what Anand wanted to do I dare say,
but the damage had already been done. --- EXERCISE: After 9...0-0 Black
threatens to simplify with ...Ne4, so what should White do? ---} ({QUESTION: Rather than castle into a potential attack, why didn't Black exploit the hole on
e4 to simplify with} 9... Ne4 {? --- ANSWER: Never forget about the weakness
of the a4-e8 diagonal in these lines. Here White can exploit that factor with}
10. Bb5 $1 {, which wins a piece!}) ({
I suppose that Black might prefer to grovel with} 9... Nxe5 10. fxe5 Nd7 {
, but after} 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. O-O {White's pressure down the f-file is quite
handy and just compare the activity of the bishops. One practical example saw}
O-O 13. Qh5 g6 14. Qh6 f6 15. exf6 Rxf6 16. Rxf6 Qxf6 17. Rf1 Qg7 18. Qh3 {
, retaining strong pressure, and now after} Qe7 $2 {
in V.Golubenko-I.Vassiljev, Estonian League 2003, White missed} 19. Qg3 $1 {
with the powerful double threat of a sacrifice on g6 and 20 Qc7.}) {ANSWER:}
10. Qf3 $1 {The same idea we saw Susan Polgar making good use of above. White
keeps Black out of e4 and so maintains control;} ({whereas} 10. O-O Ne4 $1 {
would have solved most of Black's difficulties.}) 10... h6 11. h4 $1 {
A strong sacrifice. The Slovenian Grandmaster has seen that White will be able
to do much better than follow a plan involving short castling.} Ne8 ({After} 
11... hxg5 $4 12. hxg5 {White regains his piece with a quick kill in the offing
}) ({but in subsequent games when caught in this position Black tried} 11...
cxd4 12. exd4 Nxe5 13. fxe5 Ne4 {
, which at least has the merits of simplifying. That said,} 14. Bxe7 (14. Nxe4
$5 dxe4 15. Bxe4 Bxe4 16. Qxe4 Bxg5 17. hxg5 Qxg5 18. O-O {
followed by Rf4 and Raf1 also looks pretty good for White}) 14... Nxd2 15. Bxd8
Nxf3+ 16. gxf3 Raxd8 17. f4 f6 18. Ke2 $1 Bc6 19. Ke3 Rd7 20. Rhg1 {saw White retain lasting pressure and he went on to win in G.Tkachenko-P.Alaev, Elista
2006.}) 12. Bxh6 $1 {
A bold but also strong sacrifice for promising long-term attacking chances.} ({
That said, the simpler} 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. O-O-O {would also have left White
looking faster in the race scenario which might have arisen from} Nxe5 14. fxe5
c4 15. Bc2 b5 (15... f6 {is well met by} 16. Rdf1 {, intending} fxe5 $2 17.
Bh7+ $1) 16. g4 {.}) 12... gxh6 13. Qh5 f5 {Anand realizes that he must blunt
the Torre bishop and there was no good way to save h6 in any case.} (13... Kg7
$2 {only helps White somewhat after} 14. Rh3 {.}) 14. g4 $1 {
Ensuring that lines will stay open.} Ng7 ({Burgess thought that} 14... Rf6 {
was a better defence, but in any case Black seems to be struggling, with his}
15. Rg1 Ng7 16. gxf5 exf5 17. Bxf5 {a simple way to keep up the pressure.}) 15.
Qxh6 Rf6 16. Ng6 Rxg6 $1 {The only real try to save the day on the kingside.} (
{Instead} 16... Kf7 17. gxf5 Nxf5 ({or} 17... exf5 18. Rg1 Qg8 19. Nf3 {
with huge pressure}) 18. Qh7+ Ke8 19. Bb5 $1 {would have returned to echo an
important theme we noted earlier and will return to again.}) 17. Qxg6 Nf8 18.
Qh6 fxg4 {A key follow-up; Black needs to establish a knight on f5 to shore up
his defence, although even after this White continues to do pretty well.} 19.
O-O-O $1 {Another well-judged decision from Mohr.} Nf5 (19... Qe8 $5 {
would have forced the queens off, but after} 20. Rdg1 Qh5 21. Qxh5 Nxh5 22.
Rxg4+ Kf7 23. Nf3 {
(Burgess) White retains a clear advantage thanks to his ongoing kingside play.}
) 20. Qh5 Nxe3 21. Rde1 cxd4 {
EXERCISE: Must White now recapture on d4 or has he anything better?} 22. Rxe3
$1 ({
ANSWER: I dare say this was planned back at move 19 and is much stronger than} 
22. cxd4 $2 Qc7+ 23. Kb1 Qxf4 {when Black's counterattack arrives just in time,
leaving White with nothing better than} 24. Rhf1 $1 Nxf1 25. Rxf1 Qxd2 26. Qf7+
Kh8 27. Qh5+ {and perpetual check.}) 22... dxe3 23. Qxg4+ Kf7 {The only try.} (
{He could hardly permit} 23... Kh8 $2 24. Qh5+ Kg7 25. Rg1+ {.}) 24. Qh5+ Kf6
25. Qe5+ ({Instead} 25. Nf3 {would have saved two on the move count}) ({
but there was an even prettier win available in} 25. Rg1 $1 exd2+ 26. Kxd2 {
when there's no defence against mate:} d4 27. Rg8 $1 dxc3+ (27... -- 28. Qh8+
Kf7 29. Bg6+ Nxg6 30. Qg7# {was the threat}) 28. Ke1 {
(the only move, but a pretty good one at that)} Qxd3 29. Qg5+ Kf7 30. Rg7+ {
and it's mate next move.}) 25... Kf7 26. Qh5+ Kf6 27. Nf3 Bd6 28. Qh6+ Ke7 {
It looks like Black's king is slipping away, but White's light-squared bishop
will have the last laugh.} 29. Qg7+ Ke8 30. Bb5+ $1 Nd7 31. Ng5 Qe7 32. Qg8+ ({
Black can't save his queen after} 32. Qg8+ Qf8 33. Qg6+ {. --- Anand might
have been pretty young back in 1988, but he was already rated 2555. Black
underestimates at his peril the importance of getting his move order right as
well as White's attacking chances in this variation!}) 1-0

[Event "Doha"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Harikrishna, P."]
[Black "Moradiabadi, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D03"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c5 4. c3 d5 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Nbd2 Be7 7. Bd3 b6 ({
Once again we should also see what happens if Black goes} 7... h6 8. Bh4 {
and only then} b6 {when White might as well be consistent with} 9. Ne5 {
. QUESTION: Does the inclusion of ...h7-h6 and Bh4 make any difference?} -- ({
. ANSWER: It does in the event of} 9... Bb7 {
, which you'll see I've no longer given a question mark to. The point is that}
10. f4 O-O 11. -- ({, then} 11. Qf3 {no longer covers the e4-square effectively
} {, as shown by} Nxe5 12. fxe5 (12. dxe5 Ne4 13. Bxe7 Nxd2 14. Bxd8 Nxf3+ 15.
gxf3 Raxd8 {is also fine for Black}) 12... Ne4 $1 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 {
when the check on h4 prevents White from capturing twice on e4.}) ({
. White must settle for} 11. O-O {when} Ne4 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Qe2 $1 ({
keeping the tension is the best try; instead} 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14. Nxd7 Qxd7 15.
dxc5 bxc5 {held up for Black in two rapid games between Torre expert Tony
Miles and his successor as English no.1, Michael Adams}) 13... Nxd2 (13... cxd4
$6 14. exd4 Nxd2 15. Qxd2 {would only serve to give White his ideal grip}) 14.
Qxd2 {still gives some chances for a lasting edge, based on White's better
bishop and kingside play: for example,} Nf6 ({or} 14... Nxe5 15. fxe5 f5 16.
exf6 Rxf6 17. Rxf6 Qxf6 18. Rf1 Qe7 19. Qf2 {and White controlled the f-file
with some effect in D.Rosandic-B.Mravunac, Bizovac 2002}) 15. Qe2 Ne4 16. f5 $5
exf5 17. Rxf5 Nd6 18. Rf2 Qe6 19. Qh5 {
which retained some pressure in R.Medancic-R.Svaljek, Zadar 2009.})) ({
. QUESTION: Might Black also consider} 9... Nxe5 10. dxe5 Nd7 {
? --- ANSWER: Most certainly! The position after} 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. f4 Bb7 13.
Qe2 $1 {should be closely compared with our main game. Harikrishna has also
been in action here:} O-O ({otherwise,} 13... Qh4+ $5 14. g3 Qe7 15. e4 c4 16.
Bc2 Nc5 {was a spirited try to weaken the long diagonal in Tu Hoang Thong-C.Sandipan, Ottawa 2007, but it's hard to believe that Black can waste two tempi
thus and} 17. exd5 exd5 18. O-O-O $5 {seems to favour White, since} d4 19. Nxc4
$1 Bxh1 20. Nd6+ Kf8 21. cxd4 Nb7 22. Nf5 Qe6 23. Rxh1 Qxa2 24. Qf3 {
is a powerful exchange sacrifice}) ({instead} 13... O-O-O {was tried in A.Yusupov-K.Spraggett, Hastings 1989/90, with the Russian Grandmaster
subsequently indicating} 14. O-O f6 15. exf6 gxf6 16. e4 {
as the route to an edge}) 14. O-O a6 15. Qh5 (15. e4 $5 c4 16. Bc2 b5 17. exd5
Bxd5 18. Ne4 {would be a sensible alternative}) 15... Qe8 16. Nf3 a5 17. Rf2
Ba6 18. Bc2 $1 {(correctly retaining the bishops)} f6 19. Qxe8 Raxe8 20. exf6
Rxf6 21. g3 e5 22. Rd2 Rd6 23. Rad1 {saw White retain a small pull and he
eventually ground out the full point in P.Harikrishna-W.Spoelman, Wijk aan Zee
2008.})) 8. Ne5 Nxe5 ({The text is much better try than allowing} 8... Bb7 $2
9. f4 {as Anand did.}) 9. dxe5 Nd7 10. Bxe7 ({
QUESTION: Why aren't we retaining the bishops with} 10. Bf4 {to keep Black a
little blocked up? --- ANSWER: The problem is that the bishop on f4 becomes a
target. With} Bb7 11. O-O (11. Nf3 g5 12. Bg3 h5 {
also gives Black decent counterplay}) 11... Qc7 12. Nf3 h6 $1 13. Bg3 g5 14. b4
h5 {Black secured good counterplay in a famous battle between two Torre
experts, B.Spassky-T.Petrosian, World Championship (Game 7), Moscow 1966.})
10... Qxe7 11. f4 Bb7 {
Black continues to develop, but there are two important alternatives.} (11...
O-O $6 {is a move that White should be happy to see and after} 12. Nf3 $1 {
Black must take care. One leading grandmaster tried to keep lines closed with}
f5 $6 (12... f6 {is a better try, albeit still a bit better for White after}
13. exf6 Nxf6 14. O-O Bb7 {when} 15. Qe1 $5 {to bring the queen to g3 or h4 is
one plan with which White has done well enough in a few games}) {
, but this failed in its aim after} 13. Rg1 $1 {. Following} Kh8 14. g4 g6 15.
h4 $1 Bb7 16. h5 {
White enjoyed a terrifying attack in T.Radjabov-A.Naiditsch, Dortmund 2003.}) (
11... f5 {gets rid of the bridgehead without delay (11...f6 12 exf6 comes to
the same thing), and after} 12. exf6 {all three recaptures have been tried:} --
(12... gxf6 {covers e5 and hopes to counter down the g-file, but does also
look a little shaky for Black. That said,} 13. e4 ({here I also wonder about} 
13. O-O Bb7 14. a4 $5 {, asking the black king just where it will find safety})
13... Bb7 14. Qe2 O-O-O {would transpose to our main game.}) (12... Qxf6 13.
O-O Bb7 (13... O-O 14. Nf3 Bb7 15. Ng5 $1 {also favours White}) 14. Qa4 $5 {
is a little awkward for Black and after} Qd8 $6 15. Nf3 {he most certainly
struggled to free his position in A.Moiseenko-D.Shurkaev, Kharkov 2000.}) (
12... Nxf6 {concedes control of e5 and after} 13. O-O Bb7 $6 ({
Black does better with} 13... O-O {, although with} 14. Nf3 Bd7 15. Qe1 $5 Qe8
16. Qe2 a6 17. b3 $1 Bb5 18. c4 {
White still retained a pull in A.Dreev-R.Kholmov, Barnaul 1988}) 14. Bb5+ $1 {
Black is in trouble. The second player might be best advised to castle by hand,
but even so} Kf7 (14... Nd7 15. Qh5+ g6 {can be met most simply by Kovacevic's}
16. Qg5 $1 {, emphasizing White's dark-square control}) 15. Nf3 Rhf8 16. Qe1 {
(again we see this manoeuvre)} Kg8 17. Qh4 {
left Black some way from equality in I.Hakki-A.Roghani, Beirut 2004.})) 12. Qe2
$1 {I really like this flexible move, keeping the king's options open while
giving White the option to attack no matter which side the black king goes.} f6
({Another strong Indian player faced} 12... O-O-O 13. a4 $1 f5 14. exf6 Qxf6
15. O-O e5 {in K.Sundararajan-C.Marzolo, La Fere 2008, where White had a few
promising continuations, including} 16. fxe5 Qxe5 17. Nf3 Qe7 18. a5 Rde8 19.
Rfe1 {with a strong ongoing attack on the queenside.}) 13. exf6 gxf6 {
QUESTION: Is this definitely Black's best recapture here? --- ANSWER: It's not
his only possibility, of course, but it's logical to take control of the
e5-square and is how Black tends to react in the other main line with 8 0-0
(see too the note to White's 15th move, below).} 14. e4 {With Black set to go
long and then expand with ...e6-e5, it's vital that White gets in his central
counter-punch first.} O-O-O {Best.} ({Instead both} 14... dxe4 15. Bxe4) ({and
} 14... e5 15. exd5 Bxd5 16. Be4 $1 {would see the exchange of bishops not
helping the long-term security of Black's king.}) 15. exd5 $5 {
White continues to exploit the fact that he hasn't castled.} ({Instead} 15. O-O
{reaches a position which more often comes about via the move order 8 0-0 Bb7
9 Ne5 Nxe5 10 dxe5 Nd7 11 Bxe7 Qxe7 12 f4 f6 13 exf6 gxf6 14 e4 0-0-0 15 Qe2.
Even here White has chances to be better, with} d4 16. a4 $1 e5 17. f5 Nb8 18.
a5 Nc6 $2 ({I wonder what Spassky had in store for} 18... dxc3 $1 19. bxc3 ({
here Burgess wanted to play} 19. Nb3 $2 {, but unfortunately this fails to}
cxb2 20. Rab1 Rxd3 $1 21. Qxd3 Ba6) 19... Qd6 20. Rf3 b5 {which had seemed
okay for Black in the earlier W.Heyland-P.Tulfer, correspondence 1984}) 19.
axb6 axb6 20. Ba6 {
looking pretty good for him in B.Spassky-A.Sokolov, Bugojno 1986.}) 15... Rhe8
$5 {The Iranian Grandmaster offers a pawn sacrifice in his bid to obtain
counterplay and avoid coming under a direct attack.} ({In the earlier game G.Kasparov-F.De la Fuente Gonzalez, Galicia (simul) 1991, the great man had
shown that} 15... Bxd5 16. Be4 Qd6 17. O-O {
(only now that his king is the safer does White go short)} Qc6 18. b4 $1 {
leaves White ahead in the attacking race, where he quickly took control with}
Rhg8 19. b5 Qb7 20. c4 Bxe4 21. Nxe4 Kb8 22. Rad1 {.}) 16. O-O-O {QUESTION: I
don't entirely understand this move. Why didn't White win a pawn or at least
castle short? --- ANSWER: Remember that it's not what goes off the board that
counts, as much as which pieces stay on! Here White will enjoy a lasting edge
thanks to his superior kingside structure.} ({Instead} 16. dxe6 $2 Qxe6 17.
Qxe6 Rxe6+ {would have given Black plenty of counterplay, as} 18. Kf2 $2 {
drops a piece to} Rd6 {.}) ({However,} 16. O-O $5 {
was quite possible, with play echoing the game after} exd5 17. Qxe7 Rxe7 18.
Rfe1 {, but presumably Harikrishna preferred to have his king completely safe
on the queenside in such a situation.}) 16... exd5 ({
Now that White has gone long,} 16... Bxd5 {came into the equation, but after}
17. Rhe1 {followed by Be4 White would have enjoyed a definite pull.}) 17. Qxe7
Rxe7 18. Rhe1 {Before Harikrishna can go after the black kingside weaknesses,
he must first prevent Moradiabadi from obtaining any counterplay down the open
file.} Rde8 19. Nf3 Nf8 {EXERCISE: Black has covered his weak spot on h7, but
can you find a way for White to increase the pressure on the kingside? ---} ({
Instead} 19... d4 $6 20. Rxe7 Rxe7 21. cxd4 Bxf3 22. gxf3 cxd4 {is positionally
well motivated, but doesn't give Black enough for his pawn, as White retains
the initiative after} 23. Bf5 Kc7 24. Rxd4 Nc5 25. b4 $1 {.}) {ANSWER:} 20.
Rxe7 Rxe7 21. Nh4 $1 {
The Indian Grandmaster has spotted that the f5-square is beckoning his knight.}
({This was stronger than} 21. Re1 Rxe1+ 22. Nxe1 h6 23. Kd2 Kc7 24. Ke3 Ne6) ({
and} 21. Kd2 Ne6 22. Bf5 Kd8 23. Bxe6 Rxe6 24. Re1 Kd7 {
, with a defensible position for Black in both cases.}) 21... Kc7 22. Nf5 Re8 {
Now White might have proceeded gradually with Kd2 followed by opposing rooks,
but Harikrishna was determined to keep making active use of his knight:} 23.
Ng7 $5 Re7 24. Nh5 d4 $2 ({After} 24... Rf7 25. g4 {White's kingside
construction is quite secure and Black would have faced a long defence, so the
Iranian Grandmaster opts for something more active. However, the text only
serves to make matters worse for him.}) 25. cxd4 Bxg2 {
This doesn't help, but the damage had already been done.} ({If} 25... cxd4 {
White retains control with} 26. Rd2 $1 {and after, for instance,} Nd7 27. b4
Bd5 28. Bf5 {the d4-pawn would have been all set to drop.}) 26. dxc5 bxc5 27.
Nxf6 Rf7 {EXERCISE: How can White now retain the extra pawn? --- This must
have been the move Black had pinned his hopes on back at move 24, but he has
missed something. ---} {ANSWER:} 28. Ne8+ $1 Kc6 $6 {
Beginning to collapse or perhaps just underestimating the danger.} ({After} 
28... Kd8 {there's no deadly discovery and} 29. Bg6+ ({or} 29. Bb5+ Ke7 30.
Re1+ Kd8 {when White lacks a killer blow}) 29... Rd7 30. Rxd7+ Kxd7 31. Bh5 Ke7
{would have offered Black definite chances to put up stiff resistance in the
resulting pawn-down ending.}) 29. Bc4 ({Even stronger might have been} 29. Bb5+
$5 Kb6 ({not, of course,} 29... Kxb5 $2 30. Nd6+ Kc6 31. Nxf7) 30. Bc4 Rd7 31.
Rxd7 Nxd7 32. Kd2 {, driving the black king to a worse square ahead of
activating White's own king and extra passed f-pawn.}) 29... Rd7 ({
Black had to tread carefully at this point, with} 29... Re7 $2 {
impossible on account of} 30. Rd6+ Kb7 31. Ba6+ {when it's mate next move.})
30. Nf6 Re7 $6 {Keeping pieces on would often be indicated, but here doesn't
really help with Black's forces rather uncoordinated.} ({
That said, the minor piece ending after} 30... Rxd1+ 31. Kxd1 Ng6 32. f5 Nh4
33. Bd3 Bh3 34. Nxh7 Nxf5 35. Ng5 Bg4+ 36. Kd2 Nh4 37. Ke3 {would have offered
White excellent winning chances with his active king and outside passed rook's
pawn.}) 31. f5 $1 {Suddenly 32 Rd8 is a rather large threat.} Kc7 {
This doesn't help;} ({
but his cause would have been hopeless too in the event of} 31... h6 32. Rd8
Nh7 33. Nxh7 Rxh7 34. f6 {.}) 32. Rg1 ({
There's nothing to be done about the f-pawn after} 32. Rg1 Bc6 33. Rg8 Nd7 34.
Nxd7 Kxd7 35. f6 {
. --- Fine coordination of his spread-out forces by Harikrishna.}) 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "5. The ...e6 Torre with ...b6"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A46"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c5 4. e3 Be7 5. Bd3 b6 6. O-O Bb7 {. In our previous
chapter when Black fianchettoed his queen's bishop it was obstructed by his
pawn on d5, but here that isn't the case and the d-pawn may well land up on d6
instead, keeping White's knights out of e5. This is clearly quite a
prophylactic and sensible method of development and as such has appealed to
many grandmasters. White usually continues anyhow with the typical Torre moves
7 Nbd2 and 8 c3, but I have something a little different in mind. First,
though, we must see why Black couldn't fianchetto back on move 4.} *

[Event "British League (4NCL)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rogers, J."]
[Black "Richardson, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A46"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c5 4. e3 b6 $6 {
What could be more natural than a queenside fianchetto here?} ({Unfortunately
for Black, White has a strong rejoinder and the fianchetto really needs to be
prefaced by} 4... h6) ({or} 4... Be7 {, as we'll see.}) 5. d5 $1 ({
QUESTION: I thought we were going to develop along standard Torre lines with} 
5. Bd3 {followed by Nbd2 and probably c2-c3? --- ANSWER: That's how White
might develop in the lines considered in the rest of this chapter, but when
one can secure an early advantage, one should most certainly take up the
opportunity! --- QUESTION: And people still fall for this little trick? ---
ANSWER: Yes! No lesser player than Karpov has and in an important game in the
1987-1990 World Championship qualifying cycle, so any level of opponent might
well not spot the danger. Even in 2012 people continue to do so.}) 5... h6 {
Black decides he might as well have the bishop-pair for his suffering, but
plenty of victims have preferred one of the alternatives.} (5... exd5 6. Nc3 $1
{is a key follow-up.} -- ({. After} 6... Be7 7. Nxd5 Bb7 8. Bxf6 Bxf6 9. c3 O-O
10. Bc4 {White's firm grip on the d5-square gave him a clear, lasting edge in
A.Yusupov-A.Karpov, 5th matchgame, London 1989.}) ({. Otherwise,} 6... d4 $6 7.
exd4 Bb7 8. Qe2+ $5 Qe7 9. O-O-O {doesn't exactly help Black}) ({, while} 6...
Bb7 7. Nxd5 Bxd5 8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. Qxd5 {regains the pawn with a pleasant
advantage thanks to White's pressure on the d-file. Note that crucially the
b-pawn is taboo:} Qxb2 $2 10. Rd1 {when White wins after} Qc3+ ({or} 10... Qb4+
11. c3 $1 Qxc3+ 12. Rd2 Qc1+ 13. Ke2) 11. Rd2 Qa1+ 12. Ke2 {.})) (5... Bb7 {
is similar, although Black doesn't have to exchange on d5. Indeed,} 6. Nc3 h6
7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. e4 e5 {saw him preferring to suffer in a Closed Benoni
position with a bad bishop in D.Kosic-N.Galopoulos, Kavala 2011, where White
thematically increased his grip with} 9. a4 a6 10. Nd2 $1 d6 11. Be2 Nd7 12.
Nc4 Rb8 13. Ra3 $1 Be7 14. Bg4 Bc8 15. Rb3 {.}) ({
Dreev has been fortunate enough to face} 5... d6 {twice, with} 6. Bb5+ $5 (6.
Nc3 Be7 7. Bb5+ Bd7 {should also be a little better for White, but} 8. Bxd7+
Nbxd7 9. dxe6 fxe6 10. e4 O-O {
was tolerable enough for Black in A.Dreev-H.Mecking, Tilburg (rapid) 1994})
6... Bd7 7. Bxd7+ Nbxd7 8. dxe6 $5 fxe6 9. c4 Be7 10. Nc3 {clamping down on d5
once again to leave him with a long-term plus in A.Dreev-R.Zelcic, Las Vegas
(rapid) 1999.}) 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. Nc3 a6 {Black decides to take the b5-square
under control and hopes to obtain counterplay with ...b6-b5.} ({To my surprise
Karpov stumbled into this line for a second occasion in G.Kamsky-A.Karpov,
Moscow (blitz) 2008, where} 7... Qd8 $2 8. Bc4 ({
even stronger would have been the vigorous} 8. Ne5 $1 {
with nasty threats against f7; probably Black has to return with} Qf6 {
, but after} 9. f4 {Karpov might well still have suffered one of the fastest
defeats of his illustrious career}) 8... Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. e4 d6 11. dxe6 Bxe6
12. Bd5 Bxd5 13. Nxd5 {gave White a lasting pull. Perhaps we have to conclude
that it takes Karpov a while to warm up in his games?}) 8. a4 {
Rogers sensibly keeps control.} ({Somewhat surprisingly Zaichik's} 8. Na4 $5 {
has been heavily touted by theory, but this doesn't seem too awful for Black
after} exd5 9. Qxd5 Ra7 10. O-O-O Bb7 11. Qd2 {and then the} g6 {
of J.Lipka-B.Furman, Tatranske Zruby 2002.}) 8... Be7 ({
Here too Black has been known to try and block things up with} 8... d6 {, but}
9. Nd2 e5 10. Bd3 {
retained an obvious advantage in T.Petrosian-A.Petersons, USSR 1960,} ({and} 
10. Nc4 Qd8 11. f4 $5 exf4 12. exf4 Be7 13. Be2 O-O 14. O-O Nd7 15. Kh1 Rb8 16.
Bf3 {also left White in charge of the position in J.Ballester Sanz-J.Perez
Garcia, Valencia 2009. Note how} b5 {
was still impossible on account of the Modern Benoni-like} 17. axb5 axb5 18.
Na5 {and 19 Nc6.})) 9. Nd2 $1 {QUESTION: I can see that the knight is bound
for c4, but should White really be moving an already developed piece again?
--- ANSWER: Unable to capture on d5 or break with ...b6-b5, Black isn't up to
anything, so White is quite justified in bringing his knight to an excellent
post on c4.} Bb7 10. Nc4 exd5 {
An unfortunate necessity unless he wanted to lose b6.} 11. Nxd5 Bxd5 12. Qxd5
Nc6 13. c3 $1 {Another simple and very strong move, keeping Black's knight out
of b4 and neutralizing his queen's power down the long diagonal.} O-O 14. Be2
b5 $2 {EXERCISE: Like many a player before him, Richardson is fed up with his
cramped position so makes a premature bid for freedom. Your challenge is to
calculate a sequence which leaves White clearly in front. ---} ({
Black would have done better to support the advance with} 14... Rab8 {, when}
15. Na3 {would be consistent with White's fine prophylactic play thus far,} ({
although} 15. Bg4 b5 16. axb5 axb5 17. Nd2 {
followed by pressing down the d-file should also favour the first player.})) {
ANSWER:} 15. Nb6 $1 {The knight must leap into the abyss unaided.} ({
Matters would have been much less clear in the event of} 15. axb5 $2 axb5 16.
Rxa8 Rxa8 17. Nb6 Ra1+ 18. Bd1 Qe6 {.}) 15... Nb4 {
I hope that you considered this tactical reply, avoiding losing the exchange;}
({as Black would have done after} 15... Ra7 16. Nxd7 {.}) 16. cxb4 Qxb6 17.
axb5 {The point of White's play now becomes clear. Black can't recapture on b5
and so must cede a pawn on the queenside.} cxb4 $2 {Making it easy for White.}
({It's always imperative to put up as stiff resistance as possible and here
Black really had to dig in for a long defence with} 17... c4 $1 18. Bxc4 Bxb4+
19. Ke2 a5 {.}) 18. Rxa6 Rxa6 ({Allowing a powerful passed pawn to appear on
a6, but his cause would have been pretty hopeless too in the event of} 18...
Qb8 19. O-O Ra7 20. Rfa1 Rc7 21. Qe4 $1 Bf6 22. Bd3 {.}) 19. bxa6 Bf6 20. Qb3
d5 $1 {Richardson has been denied even a smidgen of counterplay thus far, but
now finds the only chance to muddy the waters.} 21. O-O d4 22. exd4 {
White isn't put off by the pressure against f2;} ({
though one can also make a pretty good case for} 22. e4 {followed by Bd3 and
then Qd5 or perhaps f2-f4 and e4-e5, opening a second front.}) 22... Bxd4 23.
Bc4 Bc5 {Making it easy for White yet again;} ({but even after} 23... Qc5 {
Black's cause would have slowly become hopeless: for example,} 24. Qc2 Re8 25.
b3 Re7 26. Rd1 Rd7 27. Re1 {followed by Qe2, g2-g3 and Kg2 to tidy the
kingside, after which White will combine threats to advance the a-pawn with
ones against the black king.}) 24. Qf3 $1 {
Now White's pieces begin to take over.} Qa7 25. Rd1 Bd4 26. b3 Rd8 27. Rd2 Bf6
$2 {EXERCISE: Even in seemingly quiet, manoeuvring positions there are usually
tactics bubbling under the surface. What has Black missed here? ---} ({
Even after} 27... Qe7 28. Re2 Qa7 29. g3 $1 {
Black surely wouldn't have survived for too long with Qb7 by now on the agenda.
}) {ANSWER:} 28. Rxd8+ Bxd8 29. Qxf7+ $1 ({
White will emerge a queen in front after} 29. Qxf7+ Qxf7 30. Bxf7+ Kxf7 31. a7
{.}) 1-0

[Event "US Championship, Long Beach"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yermolinsky, A."]
[Black "Gurevich, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E12"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c5 4. e3 cxd4 {This may seem like a small
concession, but Black often makes this exchange at some point. By clarifying
the structure immediately he avoids any lines with dxc5 or c2-c3 and cxd4,
while avoiding the variation of our previous game and so facilitating the
fianchetto of his queen's bishop.} 5. exd4 b6 {
This is now much better timed than in our previous game.} 6. Bd3 {QUESTION: Didn't Richardson run into trouble after an early d4-d5, so isn't Black running
the risk of something similar happening here after 6 d5?} ({ANSWER: The
exchange of pawns on d4 makes a difference, since Black can now meet} 6. d5 $6
{with} h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. Nc3 Bb4 $1 {, with easy and promising counterplay.})
6... Bb7 7. O-O {Our priority in this variation should be to develop the
kingside before turning our attention back to the other flank.} ({QUESTION: Isn't it a little committal to castle so early? I thought we were going to
continue developing in normal fashion with} 7. Nbd2 {followed by c2-c3. ---
ANSWER: This is how most Torre games continue from this position, but I have a
little twist in mind. After} Be7 8. c3 {many grandmasters have been happy to
champion the black position, which is extremely solid,} -- ({
, whether he opts to simplify with} 8... Nd5 $5) ({
, or heads for a Hedgehog-type set-up with} 8... d6 9. O-O Nbd7 10. Re1 O-O {
. In both cases a lengthy manoeuvring struggle normally ensues. Some readers
and existing Torre practitioners may be perfectly happy with that and it's far
from a bad approach, but will be what your opponents are expecting.}) ({
. Instead after} 8... d6 {,} 9. Nc4 $5 Nbd7 {would transpose to that most
famous of Torre games, C.Torre Repetto-E.Lasker, Moscow 1925, which I'll give
in full in case any reader isn't familiar with this famous 'Windmill' game:}
10. Qe2 Qc7 11. O-O O-O 12. Rfe1 Rfe8 13. Rad1 Nf8 14. Bc1 Nd5 $1 15. Ng5 $6 {
(a risky leap, since Black's queenside play is about to come with tempo)} b5
16. Na3 b4 17. cxb4 Nxb4 18. Qh5 Bxg5 19. Bxg5 Nxd3 20. Rxd3 Qa5 21. b4 Qf5 22.
Rg3 h6 $2 {(Black chooses the wrong way to pin)} ({
he would have been doing pretty well had he preferred} 22... f6 {, and if} 23.
Nc4 Re7) 23. Nc4 Qd5 24. Ne3 Qb5 $2 {. It looks like the pin may yet prove
fatal, but Torre now broke it in some style:} 25. Bf6 $3 Qxh5 26. Rxg7+ Kh8 27.
Rxf7+ Kg8 28. Rg7+ Kh8 29. Rxb7+ {(White makes good use of his windmill to
clear Black's second rank of pieces before regaining the queen)} Kg8 30. Rg7+
Kh8 31. Rg5+ Kh7 32. Rxh5 Kg6 33. Rh3 Kxf6 34. Rxh6+ Kg5 35. Rh3 Reb8 36. Rg3+
Kf6 37. Rf3+ Kg6 38. a3 a5 39. bxa5 Rxa5 40. Nc4 Rd5 41. Rf4 Nd7 42. Rxe6+ Kg5
43. g3 {1-0.})) 7... Be7 8. c4 $5 {This is why we avoided committing our
queen's knight to d2 and pawn to c3. White makes a logical gain of space, as
the position begins to take on various Nimzo and Queen's Indian-like
connotations. --- QUESTION: But I've never faced the Nimzo or Queen's Indian
as White. That's why I play the Torre! Should I really do this? --- ANSWER: I
really do feel you should give it a try: -- 1. Black has followed a
grandmaster-approved system against the Torre thus far, but plenty of players
who do so are not also exponents of the Queen's Indian; -- 2. Even most
Queen's Indian players aren't too au fait with this line of the 4/5 Bg5
variation; and -- 3. White's set-up is fairly easy to grasp and also packs a
certain punch.} O-O 9. Nc3 {We are now definitely in Queen's Indian territory,
with the game position able to arise from a number of move orders, including
that pure QID order 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nf3 b6 4 Nc3 Bb7 5 Bg5 Be7 6 e3 c5 7
Bd3 0-0 8 0-0 cxd4 9 exd4.} d5 {QUESTION: First Black places his bishop on an
open diagonal, then he puts a pawn in its way. Is this really correct? ---
ANSWER: Alternatives will be considered in our next game, but this has been
Black's most popular move by far. We should actually see ...d7-d5 as helping
Black's fianchettoed bishop, since in the event of a pawn exchange on c4 or d5
followed by a piece recapture, it will continue to enjoy an open diagonal and
with less fear of being blunted by a timely d4-d5 advance.} 10. Qe2 {Given an exclam in Yermolinsky's notes for 'Informant 59', but not every reader will be
happy with the resulting isolated queen's pawn position. --- QUESTION: I must
admit I don't mind IQP positions, but only when I'm facing the pawn. Can I
really follow in Yermolinsky's shoes? --- ANSWER: Having an IQP didn't do
Bauer any harm back in our opening game and throughout this work I've tried to
promote the concept of flexibility. Many players either only like having an
IQP or playing against it, but trying to embrace both sides of the debate can
but help you improve as a player. A good place to start would be if you can
find a second-hand copy of Alexander Baburin's unfortunately out-of-print
'Winning Pawn Structures', which, despite the slightly misleading title, is
all about the IQP structure.} ({
For those who still aren't convinced by Yermolinsky's approach,} 10. Bxf6 Bxf6
11. cxd5 exd5 (11... Bxd5 $6 12. Nxd5 Qxd5 $6 {only helps White, as Black
lacks a way to defend both h7 and against the threat of Be4 after} 13. Qc2 $1)
{isn't such a bad try, leaving Black with a restricted bishop and White with
possibilities on both flanks. In his bid to dent Black's solid position White
has tried several approaches, including:} 12. -- (12. Qd2 Nc6 13. Qf4 {
looks quite strong at first, but Kramnik revealed the neutralizer:} g6 14. Rfe1
Bg7 15. Rac1 Qb8 $1 16. Qh4 ({the critical line was} 16. Nxd5 Qxf4 17. Nxf4 {
when Black needn't hurry and can instead rely on his bishops after, say,} Nb4
$5 {,} ({whereas} 17... Nxd4 $6 18. Nxd4 Bxd4 19. Rc7 Bc8 20. Be4 Rb8 21. Bd5 {
gives White some pressure})) 16... Qd8 17. Qf4 Qb8 18. Qh4 {
½-½ was I.Sokolov-V.Kramnik, Turin Olympiad 2006.}) ({. Like your author,
Ivan Sokolov is a fan of the QGD Tartakower line 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4
Nf3 Be7 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bh4 0-0 7 e3 b6 8 Rc1 Bb7 9 Bxf6 Bxf6 10 cxd5 exd5 11 Bd3
when 11...c5 12 0-0 cxd4 13 exd4 would lead to a position White can almost
have here after} 12. Rc1 $5 {. Black's kingside is a bit more solid in our
case as he hasn't had to go ...h7-h6, but White might still investigate this
and then} Nc6 13. Re1 g6 {(again this seems best)} (13... Re8 $2 {
would blunder a pawn to} 14. Rxe8+ Qxe8 15. Nxd5) ({and} 13... Qd7 14. Qd2 g6
15. Qf4 Bg7 16. Bb5 {would now give White some pressure}) 14. Bb5 {
, with ideas of Qa4, as well as of an exchange on c6 followed by Ne5.}) (12.
Qb3 Nc6 $1 ({
this sharp move is required; a great classical player once preferred} 12... Na6
$6 {, but after} 13. Nb5 $1 Re8 14. Rac1 g6 15. Rc3 {
he struggled to free his position in A.Yusupov-L.Portisch, Linares 1990}) 13.
Rad1 ({unfortunately for White,} 13. Qxd5 Qxd5 14. Nxd5 Bxd4 {
is a clean equalizer,}) ({as is} 13. Nxd5 Nxd4 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6 15. Nxd4 Qxd4)
13... Na5 ({but not} 13... Nxd4 $2 14. Nxd4 Bxd4 15. Bxh7+ $1 {
, regaining the piece with some advantage}) 14. Qc2 g6 15. Rfe1 Re8 16. Rxe8+
Qxe8 17. h3 Rc8 18. Re1 Qd8 19. Qe2 {was roughly balanced, although either
side could very much still hope to outmanoeuvre the other at this stage in A.Yusupov-L.Brunner, Munich 1990.}) (12. Qa4 $5 Nc6 13. Rfe1 a6 (13... Qd6 $5 {
looks like a better try}) 14. Rad1 b5 15. Qb3 Na5 16. Qc2 h6 17. Bf5 Qd6 18.
Ne5 {gave White a pull thanks to his well centralized forces and kingside
prospects in B.Diesen-I.Kanko, Helsinki 1989.})) 10... h6 $6 {As we'll see in
our next game, Black often reaches this position with ...h7-h6 and Bh4 flicked
in. Here going ...h7-h6 seems risky, since White can retreat along the c1-h6
diagonal, menacing a timely sacrifice on h6, as well as the standard battery
with Bc2/b1 and Qd3.} ({Black has also tried: --} 10... Nc6 11. Rad1 $6 ({
as Winants points out, this is inaccurate; White should take his chances in
the standard manoeuvre} 11. cxd5 Nxd5 12. Qe4 g6 {and then} 13. Bh6 {,} ({
but not} 13. Qh4 $2 Nxd4 $1 {when the tactics favour Black})) 11... dxc4 $6 ({
the text is common, but Black has} 11... Nb4 $1 {
, swapping off a key attacker, since} 12. Bb1 dxc4 13. Ne5 Rc8 {didn't give
White enough compensation in M.Haberer-M.Novkovic, German League 1996}) 12.
Bxc4 {might not be the most accurate of move orders, but is still worth
examining to further our understanding of such positions. --- QUESTION: I know
that the side facing the IQP should be looking to simplify and blockade the
square in front of the pawn, so what about 12...Nd5?} -- ({. ANSWER: After} 
12... Nd5 $6 13. Bxd5 $1 {Black must make a sub-optimal recapture with the
e-pawn (he would, of course, ideally like to retain piece control of d5), as}
Bxg5 $6 {allows White to execute his ideal breakthrough with} 14. Be4 Bf6 15.
d5 $1 {. Sometimes this only leads to simplification, but often, as here, it
gives White a lasting initiative, with his pressure far from easy to shake off
after} exd5 16. Nxd5 Re8 17. Rfe1 g6 18. Qb5 {.}) ({
. QUESTION: So Black needs to take control of d5 and doesn't} 12... Nb4 {
rule out any notion of d4-d5 for good? --- ANSWER: It certainly does for the
time being and this is quite a sensible try, although White can still look to
attack after} 13. Ne5 {with, for instance,} Rc8 (13... Nbd5 14. Rd3 $1 {
looks like a powerful rook lift}) 14. a3 ({if Black's king's rook moves to e8,
White should look out for blows on e6 and f7, but here} 14. Nxf7 $2 Rxf7 15.
Bxe6 Ba6 {only helps Black}) 14... Nbd5 15. Nxd5 ({White would again like to go
} 15. Rd3 $2 {, but unfortunately this runs into} Nxc3 16. bxc3 Rxc4 $1 17.
Nxc4 Qd5) 15... Nxd5 16. Bd2 Bd6 17. Bd3 Qh4 18. f4 g6 19. Rf3 {giving him decent attacking chances, although Black remained pretty solid at this stage in L.
Winants-L.Large, French League 2002.}) ({. Talking of Winants, I should
mention that the Belgian Grandmaster had earlier faced} 12... h6 $6 {
, which is just as bad as in our main game, and} 13. Bc1 Re8 14. a3 Bf8 15. Ba2
Rc8 16. Rfe1 Ne7 17. Ne5 $1 {(with a certain threat!)} Ned5 18. Qd3 Qc7 19. Nb5
Qb8 20. Bb1 {saw White building up an ideal attacking platform in L.Winants-A.Kabatianski, Dutch League 1999.})) (10... dxc4 11. Bxc4 {
might well transpose to the previous variation after} Nc6 ({instead} 11... Nd5
$4 {would be a blunder; White winning material after} 12. Bxd5 Bxd5 13. Bxe7
Qxe7 14. Nxd5 {, as has occurred in a couple of games}) 12. Rad1 ({
and here White can also consider} 12. Rfd1 {.})) (10... Nbd7 {
is another natural approach, perhaps best met by} 11. Rad1 Rc8 12. Ne5 $5 {
, whereupon} h6 ({
it was time to play for exchanges and begin to free his position with} 12...
dxc4 13. Bxc4 Nd5) 13. Bh4 $5 Re8 $6 14. Rfe1 Ba8 $4 {saw Black completely
underestimating the danger in N.Szelenyi-G.Takacs, Budapest 2005, where he had
to resign after} 15. Nxf7 Qc7 16. Qxe6 Kf8 17. Nh8 {.}) 11. Be3 {
Keeping it simple;} ({
but Yermolinsky's notes point out the intriguing possibility} 11. cxd5 $5 hxg5
({otherwise,} 11... Nxd5 $2 12. Qe4 {is crushing,}) ({while} 11... exd5 12. Bh4
{gives White a pleasant, lasting pull}) 12. dxe6 {when White has two pawns and
a strong initiative for the piece. It seems that Black must try} Nh5 $1 (12...
fxe6 $2 13. Qxe6+ Kh8 14. Qh3+ Kg8 15. Nxg5 {decides}) {
, although this still looks pretty dangerous for him after} 13. g3 f5 14. Ne5 {
. Definitely food for thought!}) 11... dxc4 12. Bxc4 Nc6 {And so a standard
enough IQP position is reached after all, but with Black's kingside slightly
compromised.} 13. Rad1 ({QUESTION: Might White have prevented Black from
improving his knight from c6 with} 13. a3 {? --- ANSWER: This was certainly a
decent alternative. The little pawn nudge also helps White set up a queen and
bishop battery on the b1-h7 diagonal without fear of attack by ...Nb4.
Yermolinsky indicates that Black would have countered with the solid} Rc8 14.
Rad1 Nd5 {.}) 13... Nb4 14. Ne5 Rc8 15. Bc1 $6 {White's bishop was a little in
the way on e3 (we saw it preferring to retreat to d2 or even c1 when the
queen's rook has already moved in the notes to Black's 10th, above), but he
doesn't quite have the time to improve his position thus.} ({
Better would have been Kaidanov's direct suggestion of} 15. f4 $5 {.}) 15...
Qc7 $6 {Black was very much in the game at this stage, but this
natural-looking move allows White to whip up a strong initiative. --- EXERCISE:
Can you spot a powerful plan for White?} ({
Black would have done better to complete his knight manoeuvre with} 15... Nbd5
$1 {when Yermolinsky notes that} 16. Rd3 $6 {
runs into an idea we've seen before:} Nxc3 17. bxc3 Rxc4 $1 18. Nxc4 Ba6 {
, regaining the exchange and leading to an unbalanced, roughly equal scenario
after} 19. Ne5 Bxd3 20. Qxd3 Qc7 {.}) 16. a3 $1 {ANSWER: First White forces
the knight back, but if this was your intention, I do hope you had something
in mind against both possible retreats!} Nbd5 $6 {
Now White is definitely doing very well.} ({Black had to humbly retreat with} 
16... Nc6 {, good though} 17. Ba2 {would then have been} (17. Nb5 $5 Qb8 18.
Bf4 {is also an idea}) {, as} 17... Rfd8 $2 {is impossible on account of} 18.
Nxf7 $1 Nxd4 19. Rxd4 Rxd4 20. Qxe6 Qd7 21. Nd6+ {.}) 17. Nb5 $1 {The second move in a powerful sequence, attacking not just the queen but also the a-pawn.}
Qb8 18. Rd3 $1 {The star move and the reason White needed to drive the knight
back from d3, as Yermolinsky completes his powerful regrouping.} a6 19. Rg3 $1
{QUESTION: Aren't you becoming a little exclam trigger-happy? --- ANSWER: It
was a tad generous to give each part of White's plan an exclam, but White's
play is both bold and instructive, and now he finds something much better than
the knight retreat to c3.} Rxc4 $6 {
Even experienced grandmasters can panic when they come under a direct attack.}
({Gurevich had to avoid} 19... axb5 $2 20. Bxh6 Ne8 (20... bxc4 $2 21. Bxg7 Kh7
22. Qc2+ {is totally hopeless}) 21. Bxb5 $1 Bh4 22. Rg4 Bf6 23. Bxe8 {
when there's no defence, as} Rfxe8 {is flattened by} 24. Rxg7+ $1 Bxg7 25. Qg4
{.}) ({However, he might have tried} 19... Kh8 {
with definite chances to mount some resistance after} 20. Bxd5 $5 ({or simply} 
20. Nc3 Nxc3 21. bxc3) 20... Bxd5 ({but not} 20... Nxd5 $2 21. Bxh6 gxh6 22.
Qh5 Kh7 23. Rh3) 21. Nc3 {
, dangerous though White's attacking set-up would have been.}) 20. Bxh6 Nf4 $6
{This fails in its aim to sufficiently confuse the struggle.} ({Again,} 20...
axb5 $2 {was impossible, this time on account of} 21. Bxg7 Nf4 22. Bxf6+ Kh7 {
and then the lovely} 23. Qd3+ $1 Nxd3 24. Rh3+ {followed by mate (Yermolinsky).
}) ({Black had to shore up g7 with} 20... Ne8 {when} 21. Qxc4 axb5 {
gives him two pieces for the rook and pawn, but} 22. Qd3 $5 ({or just} 22. Qxb5
Kh8 23. Bd2 {with a clear advantage in Yermolinsky's view}) {
would have retained some attacking chances in any case, with} 22... Kh8 $2 {
failing to} 23. Bxg7+ $1 Nxg7 24. Rh3+ {.}) 21. Rxg7+ {Crashing through.} Kh8
22. Qxc4 axb5 23. Qxb5 {White now has three pawns and a rook for the two
pieces, and Black's king still isn't safe.} N6h5 $6 ({
Having said 'A' back on move 20, Black really had to say 'B' and go in for} 
23... Nxg2 $1 {when} 24. Nxf7+ Rxf7 25. Rxf7 Nh4 26. f3 Nf5 27. Bg7+ $1 Nxg7
28. Rxe7 {would have left White still somewhat in front, but also given Black
some chances to confuse the issue in the run up to the time control.}) 24. Rg4
{Simple and good;} ({although White didn't have to be bluffed and also had} 24.
Nxf7+ $5 Rxf7 25. Rxf7 {, since} Qg8 26. Bg7+ $1 Nxg7 27. Rxf4 Nf5 28. f3 {
keeps lines closed and must surely be a large enough material advantage for
victory.}) 24... Rg8 25. Bxf4 $2 {
Complicating the process in his bid to simplify.} ({Instead the calm} 25. f3 {
would have left Black unable to satisfactorily deal with the threats to his
knight and f7,with} f6 ({or} 25... Rxg4 26. fxg4 {, hitting h5}) 26. Bxf4 Nxf4
27. Rh4+ Kg7 28. Qd7 {surely leaving White set to win in short order.}) 25...
Rxg4 26. Nxg4 Nxf4 27. f3 Qd6 28. Qe5+ $1 {Wisely forcing the queens off,
although with two bishops for the rook and three pawns, Black isn't dead and
buried just yet.} Qxe5 29. dxe5 Bc5+ 30. Kh1 Bd4 $2 ({
A much more resolute defence would have been} 30... Kg7 31. Rd1 Nd5 {.}) 31.
Rd1 $1 Ne2 ({Unfortunately for Gurevich,} 31... Bxb2 32. Rd7 Bc6 33. Rxf7 Nd5
34. Ra7 {
leaves him totally tied down, since his knight must continue to cover f6.}) 32.
Rd2 Ba6 33. a4 {The pawns begin to exert themselves and to untangle his pieces,
Black is forced to allow White's rook to become active.} Bc5 34. Rd8+ $1 Kg7
35. Nf6 Nf4 36. Rg8+ Kh6 37. Ng4+ Kh7 38. Nf6+ {
First White repeats to get closer to the promised land of move 40.} Kh6 39.
Rh8+ ({Yermolinsky must have been furiously blitzing, otherwise he surely
would have found the crushing} 39. g4 $1 Ng6 40. h4 {at this stage.}) 39... Kg7
40. Rb8 Bf1 41. Rg8+ Kh6 42. h4 $1 {EXERCISE: The time control made, White
gets back on track. He now threatens 43 g4 followed by 44 g5 mate, but does 42.
..Bf2 throw a spanner in the works?} Bf2 {
ANSWER: No, it doesn't, in view of the following forcing sequence.} 43. g4 $1
Bxh4 44. Rh8+ Kg5 45. Ne4+ {Winning a piece and the game. Indeed, I'm a little
surprised that Gurevich continued the by now hopeless struggle.} Kg6 46. Rxh4
Be2 47. Kh2 Nd3 48. Kg3 Nxe5 49. f4 Nc4 50. b3 Na5 51. Rh8 f5 52. gxf5+ Kxf5
53. Nd6+ Kf6 54. b4 Nc6 55. b5 Nb4 56. Rh6+ {. Black has finally seen enough
with e6 and/or b6 set to drop. --- Powerful stuff from the author of 'The Road
to Chess Improvement'.} 1-0

[Event "8th matchgame, Miskolc (rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2008.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Leko, P."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E12"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 ({This time I've had to tinker with the move order to make it
fit our Torre repertoire. Carlsen-Leko actually saw White plunge straight into
the Queen's Indian Bg5 line with} 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. Bg5 {
, play transposing after} h6 6. Bh4 Be7 ({the Nimzoesque} 6... Bb4) ({
and the attempt to hunt down the dark-squared bishop with} 6... g5 $5 7. Bg3
Nh5 {are more critical approaches in the view of most theoreticians, although
the solid and sensible text was Andrew Greet's preference in 'Play the Queen's
Indian'}) 7. e3 O-O 8. Bd3 c5 9. O-O {.}) 2... e6 3. Bg5 c5 ({
Black can also fianchetto without delay with} 3... b6 {, when} 4. e4 $5 ({
however, in any case it's simpler to go} 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 {when} h6 6. Bh4 c5 {
takes play back into the realm of Carlsen-Leko}) 4... h6 5. Bxf6 Qxf6 6. Nc3 {
is better-timed than in the related 3...h6 variation of Chapter Six, as Black
is committed to a queenside fianchetto.}) 4. e3 h6 {Black decides to create
some luft for the future and drive White's bishop back. A nudge commonly seen
as well a move earlier (as considered in our next chapter), and over the next
few moves if Black begins with 4...Be7.} ({
As we saw in our last game, another common move order is} 4... cxd4 5. exd4 Be7
6. Bd3 {and now fianchettoing without ...h6 would take play back in
Yermolinsky-Gurevich, while doing it with ...h6 would transpose to our main
game here. Black also has:} -- (6... d5 {is directed against the notion of an
early c2-c4, but White should be happy enough after} 7. Nbd2 {
, since Black has exchanged on d4 prematurely. After} O-O 8. c3 {White might
exploit that fact to whip up a strong attack, as we saw in the notes to
Black's 6th move in Bagheri-Sevillano.}) (6... d6 7. O-O Nbd7 {
goes for a little centre approach and the position after} 8. c4 b6 9. Nc3 Bb7
10. Re1 {should be closely compared with the related non-...h6 version which
we'll see after 10...d6 in the notes to the main game.} ({Here going} 10. d5 $5
{also deserves serious attention, hoping to generate pressure down the e-file
against a weak pawn on e6. Black's bishop becomes misplaced on b7 in the event
of} e5 {,} ({but, of course,} 10... Nxd5 $6 11. cxd5 Bxg5 {must count as the
critical line, although this seems to ask too much of Black's position after}
12. dxe6 (12. Bb5 $5 {
is also possible, targeting d6 or e6 with some effect in the event of} Be7 $6
13. dxe6 fxe6 14. Nd4) 12... fxe6 13. Nd4 {
with some initiative, in view of the powerful intermezzo} Nc5 14. b4 Nxd3 15.
Nxe6 $1 {.}))) (6... Nd5 $5 {is a common enough exchanging idea in the
standard lines with c2-c3 and Nbd2, but has been extremely rare here. However,
it can't be too bad and after} 7. Bxe7 ({Stohl's idea of} 7. Bd2 $5 Qc7 8. O-O
Nb4 9. Bxb4 Bxb4 10. Ng5 $5 {
, aiming to seize an early initiative, also comes into the equation}) 7... Qxe7
8. O-O Nf4 9. Re1 $5 {
(offering to exchange an important piece in a bid to launch a direct attack)} (
{a calm, sensible alternative would have been} 9. Bc4) 9... Nxd3 10. Qxd3 d6
11. Nc3 O-O 12. Re4 $1 Nd7 13. Rae1 h6 ({
prophylaxis, although Black might have waited until after} 13... Nf6 14. Rh4 {
before playing this and so preventing the crushing threat of 15 Nd5}) 14. Rh4
Nf6 15. Nd2 $1 Nd5 ({easy to criticize, but} 15... Bd7 16. Qg3 $1 Kh8 17. Nc4
d5 18. Nd6 {would also have left Black under some pressure}) 16. Rxh6 $1 gxh6
17. Nxd5 Qd8 18. Nf4 {gave White a dangerous attack for the exchange in A.Yusupov-M.Narciso Dublan, Linares 1997. --- QUESTION: That was powerful stuff
from Yusupov! Can we try to give up our light-squared bishop more often for an
attack? --- ANSWER: Rarely does one see a Soviet-educated Grandmaster playing
in such direct fashion, but crucially here Black was behind in development and
his own light-squared bishop wasn't really involved in the fight. Yusupov's
play was very instructive, but I'd still prefer to view this game as an
exception to the rule which states that White's light-squared bishop is a key
piece in such structures.})) 5. Bh4 {Having committed himself to e2-e3, White
would gain little from giving up the bishop-pair on f6.} b6 6. Bd3 ({This time
} 6. d5 $2 {is no good on account of the pin-breaking} g5 {.}) 6... Bb7 7. O-O
{Once again White prioritizes kingside development, with the notable exception
of getting the Torre bishop outside the pawn chain.} Be7 8. c4 $5 ({Again I prefer this approach to the standard and much more common Torre development} 8.
Nbd2 {, after which} Nc6 9. c3 O-O {
leaves White a little short of a good move, with} 10. Re1 cxd4 11. exd4 Nd5 $1
{a well-known equalizer, after which White should trade bishops rather than
allow} 12. Bg3 $6 f5 {when Black seizes the initiative.}) 8... O-O {
Leko continues to develop while keeping his options open.} ({QUESTION: After} 
8... cxd4 {need we recapture with the knight, as} 9. exd4 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nc6 {
seems to leave our centre under a bit of pressure? --- ANSWER: This is quite a
critical sequence if one doesn't want to make the solid recapture with the
knight on d4. White would be in trouble were it not for} 11. Qh3 $1 Nxd4 12. Nc3
O-O {(note how Black needed to flick in ...h7-h6 before taking the pawn;
otherwise, of course, he'd be unable to castle here)} 13. Rad1 {when his bishop
-pair, active pieces and kingside prospects amount to sufficient play for the
pawn. L.Winants-K.Bischoff, Chalkidiki 2002, continued} Rc8 ({Finkel notes that
} 13... d5 14. Bxf6 ({here White should also consider} 14. Qe3 $5 {
, which regains his pawn after} Nc6 15. cxd5 exd5 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nxd5 $1 Re8
18. Be4 {while retaining the initiative}) 14... Bxf6 15. cxd5 exd5 16. Bb1 Re8
17. Qg4 {would also have been quite unclear}) 14. Bb1 $1 Nc6 ({
refusing to fall for the trap} 14... Rxc4 $4 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. Qd3) 15. Bg3 Ne8
16. Rd2 f5 17. Rfd1 Nf6 18. Nb5 {and White's grip on the d6-square saw him
retaining promising play for his pawn.}) 9. Nc3 cxd4 ({
Black usually releases the tension now if he hasn't done so already, but} 9...
d5 {is an important alternative, if rare here, taking play into the Tartakower
Variation! --- QUESTION: The Tartakower? Isn't that a line of the Queen's
Gambit? --- ANSWER: Indeed, it is, being usually reached via the move order 1
d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nf3 Be7 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bh4 0-0 7 e3 b6 and now 8 Bd3 Bb7
9 0-0 c5 would transpose. --- QUESTION: But this isn't what I play after 1 d4
d5, so should I really allow this? --- ANSWER: There's no avoiding this
position if we want to meet Black's queenside fianchetto with c2-c4. I agree
that the majority of readers will not have this position in their existing
repertoire as White, but just how many opponents will too? Now if White wants
to manoeuvre he can go} 10. Qe2 {,} ({but there's a reason why most modern
Tartakower players either exchange pawns on move 8 or meet 8...Bb7 9 Bd3 with
9...Nbd7, as advocated by John Cox in his recent 'Declining the Queen's
Gambit'. The problem for Black with the position we reach here via our Torre
order is} 10. dxc5 $1 {. After} dxc4 ({Black probably does better with} 10...
bxc5 $5 {, although White retains a pull with} 11. Qb3 Qb6 12. cxd5 exd5 13.
Bxf6 $1 Qxb3 14. axb3 Bxf6 15. Na4 {
, as in U.Andersson-H.Tarnowiecki, correspondence 2000}) 11. Bxc4 Qxd1 12.
Rfxd1 Bxc5 13. Ne5 {White's control of the d7-square left Black unpleasantly
worse in A.Beliavsky-A.Karpov, Tilburg 1986. --- QUESTION: That didn't seem
too bad did it? --- ANSWER: Exactly. Going c2-c4 does take play out of pure
Torre waters, but it's not as if we're plunging into any highly theoretical
transpositions.})) 10. exd4 ({Again,} 10. Nxd4 {comes into the equation if
White is happy with a slow manoeuvring game and after, for example,} Nc6 11.
Bc2 Rc8 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Qd3 g6 14. Rad1 Nh5 $1 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. e4 f5 {
Black had managed to secure sufficient counterplay in Z.Azmaiparashvili-D.Navara, Greek Team Championship 2006.}) 10... Nc6 $5 {
Leko is happy to keep his d-pawn's options open.} ({
In this tabiya Black also has: --} 10... d5 {
was Greet's preference and might be met by} 11. Bxf6 ({
by comparison with our previous game,} 11. Qe2 {very much comes into the
equation too, since h4 isn't actually that bad a square for the bishop in any
IQP scenario}) 11... Bxf6 12. cxd5 exd5 {, taking play into a different line
of the Tartakower, as explained in the notes to White's 10th move in
Yermolinsky-Gurevich. Here} 13. Qd2 {
might be tried now that Black has slightly loosened his kingside,} ({
and there's also Zviaginsev's} 13. Rc1 Nc6 14. Bb1 Re8 {(as ever Cox got right
to the point when he noted that this 'has been played in a large number of
games and allows White to obtain exactly the sort of small advantage he wanted,
although Black of course retains a very solid position and can expect to draw
if he plays well')} 15. Qd2 $1 {. White's idea is revealed by} Qd6 (15... Ba6
$6 16. Bd3 Bb7 17. Qf4 {was even worse for Black in V.Zviaginsev-P.Van der
Sterren, Wijk aan Zee 1995, as I showed back in 'Play 1 d4!'}) 16. Nb5 Qd7 17.
Qf4 {.})) (10... Bxf3 11. Qxf3 Nc6 12. Qh3 $5 ({
here, however, White can very much consider too the calmer} 12. Ne2 {
and after the} Rc8 ({if} 12... Nb4 {,} 13. Bb1) 13. Rac1 Nb4 14. Bb1 d5 15. a3
Nc6 {of M.Alonso-M.Suba, Albacete 2005, White should have looked to attack on
the kingside after all with} 16. Qd3 {, and if} g6 17. Nf4 $1 {
, menacing a devastating blow on g6}) 12... Nxd4 13. Rad1 {gives White decent
play for his pawn as we saw back in the notes to Black's 8th move, above.}) ({
It's not too late for Black to curl up into a Hedgehog set-up with} 10... d6
11. Re1 Nbd7 {, as advocated by Alburt, Dzindzichashvili and Perelshteyn in
their 'Chess Openings for Black, Explained'. However, I prefer this version
for White to the Torre one where he has his c-pawn back on c3 and knight on d2.
--- QUESTION: Why? Also aren't we a bit more committed here? --- ANSWER: We
are, but then again even with the pawn solidly back on c3, White can be
vulnerable to a Minority Attack with ...b6-b5-b4. Here it's much harder for
Black to arrange ...b6-b5 and while ...d6-d5 is much more of a consideration,
it's clearly a big decision and must be timed right. Black wouldn't, for
example, normally want to land up with a bishop on b7 and pawn on d5 after
some trades or in a bad version of an IQP position. Chances are roughly
balanced here, but after} 12. Qe2 Re8 13. Rad1 {
White can hope to get something going on the kingside, as he managed with} Rc8
14. Nd2 $5 {(freeing the f-pawn as well as facilitating ideas of Bb1, albeit
at the cost of weakening the defence of d4)} d5 15. Bg3 dxc4 16. Nxc4 $1 Ba6
17. Nd6 Bxd3 18. Rxd3 Bxd6 19. Bxd6 Nf8 20. Be5 Nd5 21. Ne4 {, although
defences remained solid at this stage in Duong Thanh Nha-T.Roussel Roozmon,
Montreal 2003.}) 11. Bc2 ({Unable to force through d4-d5 (} 11. d5 $2 exd5 12.
cxd5 Nxd5 $1 13. Nxd5 Bxh4 {costs White a pawn), it's not so easy to find a
great move, so Carlsen waits while giving himself the idea of a later Qd3.}) ({
White has more often moved his king's rook to e1 or gone} 11. Rc1 {, with Leko
facing the latter in B.Gelfand-P.Leko, Monaco (rapid) 2007, which continued} d5
12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Bg3 {(keeping pieces on in a bid to help any later attack
while refusing to free Black's position)} Bd6 14. Nxd5 $5 Bxg3 15. Ne3 ({
necessary, as} 15. hxg3 Qxd5 16. Bc4 Qa5 {would only help Black, with} 17. d5
$2 {running into} Rad8) 15... Bf4 16. Be4 Na5 ({
Leko is a little too keen to exchange pieces; he would have done better with} 
16... Rc8) 17. Bxb7 Nxb7 18. Ne5 $1 Nd6 19. Qf3 {
and White managed to drum up a small initiative.}) ({
Here too it's worth noting Cox's idea} 11. Bxf6 $5 Bxf6 12. Be4 {, which could
really do with a test. It may seem strange to give up the dark-squared bishop,
but this secures White's centre and prevents any counterstrike with ...d7-d5
for now. White will follow up with Rc1 and Re1 and maybe then turn his
attention back to the kingside, with even Bb1 and Qd3 a possibility.}) 11... d5
{Leko is happy to break in the centre feeling that the inclusion of ...Nc6 and
Bc2 is in his favour. --- QUESTION: But I thought we wanted to set up a queen
and bishop battery and surely Bc2 helps with that? --- ANSWER: White will
often play Bc2 in such structures, but here is yet to play a2-a3, so needs to
make sure that Qd3 doesn't running into a forking ...Nb4.} ({
A logical alternative is Marin's suggestion of} 11... Ba6 {
, as endorsed by Cox in his fine work 'Dealing with d4 Deviations'. After} 12.
Ne5 (12. b3 d5 {only helps Black}) 12... Nb4 ({and here} 12... Nxe5 $6 13. dxe5
Nd5 14. Bxe7 Nxe7 15. b3 {
would be very nice for White, who might well bring his knight to d6}) 13. Bb3
Rc8 14. a3 ({after} 14. Re1 d6 {
the c4-pawn becomes an issue and the long exchanging sequence} 15. a3 dxe5 16.
axb4 Bxc4 17. dxe5 Nd5 18. Bxc4 Rxc4 19. Bxe7 Qxe7 20. Nxd5 exd5 21. Qxd5 Rxb4
{seems to be fine for Black}) 14... Nc6 15. Nxc6 $5 Rxc6 16. Nb5 Bxb5 17. cxb5
{both sides have their chances in the resulting unbalanced middlegame,
although White's bishop-pair may give him a slight nod.}) 12. Bxf6 {
Carlsen embarks on a central strategy.} ({White might prefer to go} 12. cxd5
Nxd5 13. Qd3 g6 {, but then the lack of a2-a3 is felt, as there's no time to
preserve the dark-squared bishop for attacking purposes on account of} 14. Bg3
Ncb4 {.}) 12... Bxf6 13. cxd5 Nb4 $1 {
Leko offers a pawn for activity and decent counterplay.} ({I dare say that
many club players would have automatically recaptured, but after} 13... exd5
14. Qd3 g6 15. Qd2 Bg7 16. Rfe1 {White has a little something to work with; a
timely Bb3 should prevent Black activating his own light-squared bishop and
White might probe on the kingside with h2-h4.}) 14. dxe6 ({White has to take
up the challenge, wrecked though his structure will become, as} 14. Bb3 $6 Nxd5
{would leave Black with the bishop-pair and ideal piece control of d5.}) 14...
Bxf3 15. gxf3 Nxc2 16. Qxc2 Qxd4 ({As the tactics work for Black after} 16...
fxe6 $5 {, perhaps this was the pawn he should first have recaptured. White
would likely play} 17. Qe4 {in any case} ({if} 17. Rad1 Bxd4 18. Qe4 Qg5+ $1) {
, and here after} 17... Bxd4 18. Qxe6+ Kh8 19. Rad1 Qg5+ 20. Qg4 {
chances would have been pretty balanced.}) 17. Rad1 {Now, however, White gets
to harass the black queen with tempo. --- QUESTION: Surely White is still
suffering on account of his weak kingside? --- ANSWER: It is a bit of an
eyesore, but shouldn't lead to too much suffering, unless White is careless
and allows Black to play, say, ...Qh4 and then ...Be5. Don't forget that while
Black's queen remains actively placed, his other pieces are much less active
and he is still a pawn behind.} Qh4 {EXERCISE: How should Carlsen continue?
Choose between: -- a) 18 Qb3, supporting the e-pawn; -- b) 18 Qe4, trying to
force the queens off; -- c) 18 exf7+ Rxf7 19 Qe4, again bringing the queen
across to help the defence.} 18. Qe4 ({
ANSWER: Carlsen makes a very human choice. I hope that nobody selected a)} 18.
Qb3 $2 {, totally underestimating Black's counterplay with} Be5 {,}) ({
but Carlsen's choice wasn't definitely the strongest. Indeed, one might make a
decent case for c)} 18. exf7+ $5 Rxf7 19. Qe4 Qg5+ 20. Kh1 ({but not} 20. Qg4
Bxc3 21. bxc3 Rxf3 {when Black regains his pawn}) {. After, say,} 20... Rc8 21.
Nd5 $5 Bxb2 22. Qe6 Rcf8 23. Rg1 {White fights for the initiative and finds a
way to make a virtue out of his split pawns.}) 18... fxe6 ({Of course,} 18...
Qxe4 {would have been met by the intermezzo} 19. exf7+ {when} Rxf7 20. fxe4
Bxc3 21. bxc3 Rf3 {gives Black decent chances to draw, although the defence
won't be so easy after the vigorous} 22. Rd7 Rxc3 23. f4 $1 {and 24 e5.}) 19.
Qxe6+ Kh8 20. Qg4 {Having stayed a half-pawn in front, White returns to his
main theme, removing the queens.} Rac8 21. Rd7 $6 {This was only a rapidplay
game, but one would still have expected Carlsen, even back in 2008, to have
found some way to torture Black in a slightly better ending.} ({
The text doesn't lead to that, so maybe} 21. Rd3 $5 {was a better try, keeping
his pawns safe and retaining some chances to grind after} Rc4 (21... Qxg4+ $5
22. fxg4 Rc4 23. h3 Rfc8 24. Nd1 $5 Rc2 {gives Black reasonable counterplay,
although I'm still not sure it's quite enough for equality after} 25. Rd7 a5
26. Re1 Bxb2 27. Ne3) 22. Qxh4 Rxh4 23. Re1 {.}) 21... Qxg4+ $1 {Instructive
play from the Hungarian Grandmaster. Black undoubles White's pawns because he
has spotted that the resulting pawn on g4 will prove easy to attack.} 22. fxg4
Bxc3 23. bxc3 Rxc3 24. Rxa7 {
There was nothing better, but now it's just a draw.} Rf4 25. f3 Rcxf3 26. Rxf3
Rxf3 27. Kg2 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "6. ...e6 Torre: Forcing Lines"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A46"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c5 ({and} 3... h6) 4. e3 Qb6 {. Every variation has
its forcing and critical lines and the 2...e6 version of the Torre is no
different. We've already seen back in the 2...g6 lines of Chapter Two that
Black is often tempted to hunt down the Torre bishop and that can be his
motivation here too with 3...h6. A totally different attempt to try and reveal
a downside to White's scheme of development is 3...c5 4 e3 Qb6!?, eyeing the
undefended pawn on b2. If White had to defend it with 5 Qc1 the Torre would be
a somewhat less potent weapon, but 5 Nbd2 is actually quite a promising and
easy-to-play gambit.} *

[Event "Correspondence"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Akopdzhanyan, G."]
[Black "Stavnichuk, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A46"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c5 4. e3 Qb6 $5 {This bold queen move began to be
investigated soon after Torre's crushing win against Lasker had made headlines
around the world. It remained quite a popular and critical choice into the
early 1990's and has received plenty of coverage in earlier Torre works, but
is nowadays rarely seen. --- QUESTION: Why? --- ANSWER: Good question! Some
players nowadays fear that their opponents will be armed with plenty of
computer-assisted ideas in such lines, but I suspect that another reason for
the decline in popularity is simply the whims of fashion. Quite possibly 4...Qb6 will make a comeback at some point, but for now most grandmasters and many
club players seem happier with the manoeuvring lines of our last chapter, as
well as the immediate challenge to the bishop with 3...h6. In those lines
Black certainly has a much smaller chance of being annihilated within twenty
moves, as can occur in the gambit variation.} 5. Nbd2 $1 ({
QUESTION: I can see why you don't like} 5. b3 $6 Ne4) ({but is} 5. Qc1 {
really so bad? --- ANSWER: It's not terrible, but feels a little meek compared
to our active play in most of the rest of the repertoire. Moreover, if you
play 5 Nbd2 confidently there's a decent chance, as shown by practice, that
your opponent will begin to doubt his memory and so back out of taking on b2
after all!}) ({Instead after} 5. Qc1 Ne4 {
Black's position is fairly easy to play, with, for example,} 6. Bf4 Nc6 7. c3
d5 8. Bd3 Be7 9. h3 Bd7 10. O-O f5 {
being about equal in A.Dreev-G.Agzamov, Sevastopol 1986.}) 5... Qxb2 {
Black takes up the challenge.} ({
In our next game we'll see what difference first inserting} 5... cxd4 6. exd4 {
makes}) ({while also taking a look at} 5... d5 {.}) 6. Bxf6 ({QUESTION: I can
see that the text breaks up Black's pawns, but did we have to hurry with the
exchange? What's wrong with, say,} 6. Bd3 {? --- ANSWER: That's actually been
White's most popular choice by some margin! However, the bishop is exposed to
attack by ...c5-c4 here and I'm not totally convinced by White's compensation
after} Qc3 $1 {(obstructing the c-pawn)} ({instead} 6... Nc6 7. O-O Qb6 8. Nc4
({White would have done much better with} 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Ne4 $1) 8... Qd8 9.
e4 b5 $1 10. Nce5 c4 {left White beginning to struggle in a rare recent
high-level test, A.Dreev-A.Onischuk, Poikovsky 2006}) 7. O-O d5 8. Re1 (8. Bxf6
$5 gxf6 9. dxc5 {at least forces open the position, although I have my doubts
that White has anything more than some compensation for the pawn in the event
of} f5 $1) 8... c4 9. Bf1 Nc6 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. e4 Kd8 $1 12. Rb1 {which led to
a crushing White victory in A.Alexeev-Y.Balashov, USSR 1972, but Burgess'} Nb4
$1 {is a strong improvement.}) ({While I may not be convinced by the main line,
as well as the text, offering a second pawn with} 6. Rb1 $5 {seems reasonable
and is another line which deserves somewhat more exploration than it's had so
far.}) 6... gxf6 7. Be2 $5 {White usually places the bishop on d3 here too,
but I prefer the text and not just because it's likely to surprise even a well
booked-up opponent. --- QUESTION: Even though this seems a more modest square
for the bishop? --- ANSWER: Yes! Black can no longer keep the centre closed
with tempo with ...c5-c4 and with the d-file less obstructed, White obtains
ideas (after 0-0) of dxc5 followed by Nc4 and Nd6+.} ({
Note too that White needs to develop before launching any assault;} 7. Ne4 $2
cxd4 8. Nxf6+ Ke7 9. Ne4 f5 10. Ned2 dxe3 11. fxe3 Bg7 {
with a large advantage for Black would not be the way to go.}) 7... cxd4 {
Black avoids any notion of dxc5, but this runs into an energetic response.
Indeed, it may well be the case that the alternatives are more testing.} (7...
Qb6 8. O-O Be7 {(the queen shouldn't move until she is pushed)} (8... Qc7 $6 {
can be met by either} 9. d5 $5 ({or just} 9. Ne4 {
which left White pressing after} f5 10. Nf6+ Ke7 11. Nh5 Bh6 12. Qd2 $1 f6 13.
Qc3 {in M.Fijalkowski-H.Dobosz, Tarnow 1979}) {, with the idea of} 9... exd5
10. Nb1 $1 {and Nc3}) 9. c4 Nc6 ({after} 9... cxd4 10. exd4 {
White menaces c4-c5 and} d6 11. Rb1 Qc7 12. d5 {
followed by Nd4 also gives him something of a bind on the position}) 10. d5 ({
retaining the tension with Gufeld and Stetsko's} 10. Rb1 $5 {
also deserves attention}) 10... Ne5 {was seen in a battle between two future
grandmasters, V.Malaniuk-L.Oll, Novosibirsk 1986. Now} 11. Nxe5 $1 fxe5 12. Rb1
Qc7 13. Ne4 d6 14. f4 exf4 15. exf4 {would have given White promising play for
his pawn. Note how the arrival of the white bishop on h5 will spell danger for
Black.}) (7... Nc6 8. O-O ({offering a second pawn with} 8. Rb1 $5 {
deserves attention here too; one idea is that} Qc3 9. O-O d5 10. Rb3 $1 Qa5 11.
dxc5 {gives White the initiative, as he wins a piece after} Bxc5 $2 12. Rb5 Qa3
13. Nb1 $1) {, with a further divide:} 8... -- (8... d5 9. Rb1 $5 ({
White might also exchange on c5, but} 9. c4 cxd4 10. cxd5 exd5 11. exd4 $6 Bf5
$1 {saw him coming up short in H.Riedl-G.Kwossek, German League 1999}) 9...
Qxa2 (9... Qc3 10. Rb3 Qa5 11. dxc5 $1 {is an idea we've already noted; after}
Qxc5 12. c4 dxc4 13. Nxc4 {White menaces Rb5 as his initiative begins to grow})
10. c4 cxd4 11. exd4 {reaches quite a critical position, where I quite like
White's compensation, even if it's hard to give the position more than an
assessment of unclear. Computers like Black (at least initially!), but it's
not so easy for him to keep the centre closed while keeping his queen safe. In
the only practical test so far} Nb4 $6 {was a little too optimistic, with} 12.
cxd5 Nxd5 13. Bb5+ Kd8 14. Bc4 Qa3 15. Rb3 Qd6 16. Ne4 {giving White a strong
initiative for his pawns in D.Lalic-D.Mijatovic, Sremska Mitrovica 2006.}) (
8... cxd4 9. Nc4 -- ({, and} 9... Qb4 10. Rb1 Qe7 11. exd4 d5 12. Ne3 Bh6 13.
c4 $1 dxc4 14. Bxc4 {
gave White decent, lasting compensation in W.Hug-V.Hort, Zurich 1984.}) ({
. Plaskett's} 9... Qc3 {improves, with the idea of} 10. exd4 ({
thus White might prefer} 10. Rb1 $1 {whereupon W.Hug-S.Solomon, Novi Sad
Olympiad 1990, was prematurely agreed drawn in quite an unclear position after}
Na5 11. Nxa5 Qxa5 12. Qxd4 Be7 13. Rfd1 {; Black is a pawn up, but his king is
not entirely safe and queenside development problematic, with} Qc5 14. Qg4 $5
Qxc2 15. Bb5 Kf8 16. Rbc1 Qb2 17. Qh5 {a sample line where White's
compensation very much persists, with Rc7 followed by Rdc1 not exactly an
insignificant threat}) 10... d5 11. Ne3 Bh6 $1 12. Ng4 Bg7 {.}))) (7... Qc3 8.
O-O d5 {sees Black obstructing the c-pawn while preventing Ne4, but this looks
rather optimistic after} 9. e4 $1 {. Following} Bg7 $6 (9... Nc6 10. exd5 exd5
11. Re1 Be6 12. Bb5 {is quite an active version of a French Tarrasch for White,
but Black probably had to try this}) 10. exd5 exd5 11. Bb5+ Nc6 $6 12. Re1+ Be6
13. Nb3 ({here} 13. Re3 $1 Qa5 14. Bxc6+ bxc6 15. Nb3 Qc7 16. Nxc5 {
would have been even stronger}) 13... O-O 14. Nxc5 {White had regained the
pawn with some advantage in A.Bruehl-M.Schenderowitsch, Hoehr-Grenzhausen 2004.
--- Having examined Black's alternative tries, we can return to seeing what's
wrong with the natural-looking 7...cxd4.}) 8. Rb1 $1 {White begins to hound
the black queen and this is much stronger than recapturing on d4.} Qc3 {
This was played in an important game in this line, V.Golubenko-E.Dragomarezky,
USSR 1988, which found its way into 'Informant 45' along with Golubenko's
notes; key publicity for a line back in the pre-computer era.} ({
Here Golubenko claimed that} 8... Qxa2 $2 9. Nc4 {was winning for White. The
ever-thorough Burgess, however, noted that Black can avoid immediate disaster
with} d3 $1 (9... dxe3 $2 10. Ra1 {wins the queen, of course,}) ({while} 9...
Qa4 {is well met by} 10. Qxd4 $1) 10. cxd3 $1 Qa6 {. That's true, but after}
11. Nd4 {Black's queen remains in danger, with} Nc6 12. Ra1 Bb4+ 13. Kf1 Na5 {
the computer's rather ugly defence and one well met by} 14. Bf3 $1 Rb8 {
(so as to meet 15 Nb3 with 15...b6)} 15. Kg1 $1 {and then 16 Qb1,} ({
but not the immediate} 15. Qb1 $2 {on account of} Nxc4 $1 {.})) ({
Golubenko also examined} 8... Qa3 {, concluding that} 9. Nxd4 Nc6 10. Nb5 $1
Qa5 11. O-O d5 12. c4 a6 13. cxd5 $1 axb5 14. dxc6 bxc6 15. Bf3 {
is pretty good for White, which seems correct with Ne4 on its way.}) 9. O-O $1
{The star move and one which casts doubt on the viability of 7...cxd4.} Qc7 ({
QUESTION: But aren't we three pawns down after} 9... dxe3 {? --- ANSWER:
That's very materialistic! I prefer to count White's 4-0 development lead,
with} 10. Ne4 Qc7 ({
Black will quickly regret opening the f-file in the event of} 10... exf2+ 11.
Rxf2 Qc7 12. Qd4 Nc6 13. Qxf6 Rg8 14. Nfg5 d5 15. Bh5 $1) 11. Qd4 Nc6 12. Nxf6+
Kd8 13. Qxe3 {regaining two of the pawns, while leaving Black horribly tied up
and set to run into trouble down the d-file, as well as on the kingside. ---
QUESTION: By now I can appreciate that White has excellent compensation, but
such gambit play isn't my forte. Must I go back and play 5 Qc1? --- ANSWER:
No! Not only will that not test your opponent, it also won't improve your own
game. Even the most solid of Torre players are happy to attack in the ...d5
lines of Chapter Four and modern chess requires flexibility. In the Torre, as
in many openings, White must sometimes attack, sometimes grind away and
sometimes even gambit. --- QUESTION: But I've always thought of myself as a
positional player and don't like to attack when the centre isn't fixed. What
to do? --- ANSWER: Then you know how to improve your own game! Many club
players like to categorize both themselves and others as 'solid' or 'a hacker',
but if they worked hard on studying the sorts of positions they usually avoid,
improvement should follow. --- QUESTION: I'm still not convinced and won't I
lose some games when I start to gambit my pawns like White is here? --- ANSWER:
Studying the notes here should help you to appreciate White's typical ideas
and lasting compensation, but, yes, you may suffer a painful defeat or two as
you begin to embrace gambit play. However, then the wins will begin to follow.
In chess, as in life, sometimes to go forward, we have to be prepared to first
take a step back.}) ({Here I should also note that} 9... Be7 $2 10. Nc4 {
surrounds and wins the black queen}) ({while the} 9... f5 {
of I.Andreasson-A.Hentunen, Espoo 1990, should have been met by} 10. e4 $1 {
, since} Qc7 11. Nxd4 $5 ({or just} 11. exf5) 11... fxe4 12. Nb5 Qc6 13. Nc4 {
, and if} d5 14. Qd4 {, gives White a powerful initiative.}) ({
Finally, before returning to Stavnichuk's 9...Qc7, note that after} 9... d5 {
Golubenko intended} 10. exd4 {followed by Rb3 and c2-c4,} ({
and White might also open lines with} 10. Nxd4 $5 a6 11. Rb3 Qa5 12. c4 {.}))
10. Ne4 $1 {This further forceful move was the last of Golubenko-Dragomarezky
to be quoted in Informator.} ({In any case it's a significant improvement over
} 10. Nxd4 a6 11. Bh5 Rg8 12. Qf3 Be7 13. Qh3 Nc6 {
, which wasn't too bad for Black in G.Garcia Gonzales-A.Karpov, Leningrad 1977.
}) 10... Be7 {Black decides to return the pawn on d4 to hang on to f6 and so
keep his king relatively safe.} 11. Qxd4 Qd8 ({After} 11... e5 12. Qd3 {
the arrival of a white knight on d5 (with the other maybe coming to f5) will
cause serious difficulties for the defence, which isn't helped by the inclusion 
of} f5 $6 13. Nc3 e4 14. Qd4 {
. The text, however, is a rather grim move to have to make.}) 12. Nd6+ {
White continues his logical and powerful play. There was, indeed, a good
reason why the bishop chose not to obstruct the d-file on d3.} Bxd6 13. Qxd6
Nc6 ({Golubenko only noted the line} 13... Qe7 14. Qg3 {, assessing White's
chances as clearly superior. This was tested in J.Hass-M.Lonoff,
correspondence 1990, where} Nc6 15. Qg7 Rf8 {was tried and now I quite like}
16. Nd4 $5 {
, menacing Nb5 anew and hoping to press down the central files in the event of}
Nxd4 17. exd4 f5 18. d5 $1 {.}) 14. Rfd1 Rg8 ({Black would like to develop his
bishop, but there's no time for that, as shown by the line} 14... b6 15. Nd4
Nxd4 16. Qxd4 Bb7 17. Bb5 Bc6 18. Bxc6 dxc6 19. Qc3 Qc7 20. Qxf6 {
, retaining some advantage.}) 15. Nd4 $1 {White's pieces continue to flow to
good squares. Now there's just the bishop to improve and that piece might well
pop up with some effect on either f3 or h5.} Qe7 16. Nb5 $5 Kf8 ({
White's advantage persists even without the queens, although} 16... Qxd6 17.
Nxd6+ Kf8 {would have given him a tricky choice: to exchange on c8 and invade
on the seventh rank or to increase his bind with} 18. f4 $5 {. I certainly
wouldn't want to swap off such a dormant bishop until I had to and, after the
latter,} b6 19. Bh5 Rg7 20. Nxc8 Rxc8 21. Rxd7 {must retain some advantage.})
17. Qd3 (17. Qf4 {would also have been good. In both cases White is set to
show that even on the kingside Black's king will not find complete safety.})
17... Kg7 18. Nd6 Rb8 $6 {EXERCISE: White has a Trojan horse on d6, but which
plan should he employ to build up the pressure to breaking point?} (18... b6 $5
{was likely a better defence, introducing the idea of a timely ...Ba6, not
that White can be too unhappy after} 19. Bh5 Rf8 20. Qc3 Ba6 21. Bf3 {
, preparing to regain his pawn on c6 while retaining some advantage. Moreover,
a rook lift via d4 might then follow.}) 19. Rb5 $5 ({ANSWER: The best plan is
that of attack and so Akopdzhanyan swings his rook over and into the attack.
An even better version of the same theme would have been} 19. Bh5 $1 {
, forcing the black rook away from defensive duties down the g-file, ahead of
going} Rf8 20. Bf3 {followed by an exchange on c6 and Rb4.}) 19... Kh8 ({
There's no way to prevent White's manoeuvre with} 19... f5 $2 {failing to} 20.
Rxf5 $1 {.}) 20. Rh5 Rg7 21. e4 {Black's defences are holding for the time
being, so Akopdzhanyan decides that it's time to increase his already
significant space advantage.} b6 22. f4 $1 Bb7 23. Qc3 Ba8 24. Bf3 {Good prophylaxis. White neutralizes any pressure against g2 ahead of either ganging up on
d7 or cementing his knight in place with e4-e5.} Rbg8 25. Rd3 {Stavnichuk has
defended well thus far, but continues to find himself a little short of moves
and now makes a slip.} Na5 $6 26. Nc8 $1 {White might as well help himself to
the a-pawn, since Black can do little while he brings the knight back round to
its imposing home on d6.} Qd8 27. Nxa7 Nb7 $2 {
EXERCISE: Black has just blundered. How?} ({Stavnichuk had to dig in with, say,
} 27... Qe7 {, rather grim though the black position would have remained after}
28. Nc8 Qd8 29. Nd6 Nb7 30. Nxb7 Bxb7 31. g3 $1 {and 32 Qd4.}) 28. Nc6 $1 ({
ANSWER: The point is that White forces mate after} 28. Nc6 Qc7 29. Qxf6 Qxc6 {
with the neat} 30. Rxh7+ $1 Kxh7 31. Qh4+ Kg6 32. Bh5+ Kh6 33. Bxf7# {.}) 1-0

[Event "Hamburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zierke, O."]
[Black "Bodnar, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A46"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 c5 {
If Black wants to play the pawn grab line, he usually does so without delay.} (
{Of course,} 3... h6 4. Bh4 c5 5. e3 Qb6 {is also possible, but the inclusion
of ...h7-h6 doesn't make a major difference. It does eliminate a few tricks
based on Ng5, but those generally only occur when Black's position is already
quite suspect, and with the pawn on h6 even if Black ever manages to castle
kingside, his king won't so easily have a shelter to hide behind on the h-file.
} ({. Thus after} 5... Qb6 {White should just continue with} 6. Bxf6 gxf6 7.
Be2 {à la Akopdzhanyan}) ({, or, in the event of} 5... cxd4 6. exd4 Qb6 {,} 7.
Bd3 {, copying Zierke's play here. QUESTION: After} Qxb2 8. Nbd2 g5 $5 9. Bg3
{I can see that we menace Nc4-d6+, but doesn't} g4 {win a pawn?} ({
ANSWER: It does, but after} 9... g4 10. Rb1 $1 Qxa2 11. Ne5 Qa4 12. Bh4 Be7 13.
Ndc4 {White has a huge initiative and g4 is set to drop.}) ({
Note too the downside to the ugly ...g7-g5 in the line} 9... Nc6 10. Rb1 Qc3
11. O-O {, again with some initiative for White, as} Nxd4 $2 {fails to} 12. Be5
{with decisive threats on the long diagonal.}))) 4. e3 Qb6 5. Nbd2 cxd4 {
Black decides to resolve the central tension ahead of capturing on b2.} ({
The game actually went} 5... Qxb2 6. Bd3 cxd4 ({but as we've seen,} 6... Qc3 {
is something of a problem with this move order}) 7. exd4 {.}) ({
It's worth noting that there have been plenty of games with} 5... d5 {
. Black evidently got cold feet, but now the queen may turn out to be misplaced.
} 6. -- ({. A simple approach is} 6. Rb1 {, when} Nc6 7. c3 Bd6 8. Bd3 {
returns play to a position we considered in note 'c' to Black's 5th move in
Morozevich-Alekseev.}) ({. More combative is opening the position with} 6. Bxf6
$1 gxf6 7. c4 $5 cxd4 8. exd4 {. --- QUESTION: Aren't we in some danger of
being saddled with an isolated queen's pawn here? --- ANSWER: Yes, but an
exchange on c4 would accelerate White's lead in development and don't forget
too that Black's kingside pawns aren't exactly in a healthy state. --- Black
has:} -- ({. It's now too late for} 8... Qxb2 $6 {, in view of} 9. cxd5 exd5
10. Rb1 Qa3 (10... Qxa2 $2 11. Qc1 $1 Nc6 12. Bb5 {
carries a rather nasty double threat}) 11. Bb5+ Nc6 12. O-O {with free development, not to mention plenty of structural compensation for White.}) (8... dxc4
$6 {is also pretty risky for Black:} 9. Bxc4 Nc6 (9... Bg7 $6 10. O-O O-O 11.
Re1 Rd8 12. d5 $1 {shattered Black's structure with some effect in J.Piket-T.Karolyi, Brussels 1987; note that} exd5 13. Bxd5 Rxd5 14. Re8+ Bf8 15. Rxc8 {
regains the piece with some advantage}) 10. O-O Be7 ({
White has also done well in practice with} 10... Bd7 11. d5 $1) 11. d5 $1 {
(again this is a powerful advance; after all, an IQP only becomes weak when
the defender controls the key square in front of it)} exd5 12. Bxd5 Be6 13.
Bxe6 fxe6 14. Qe2 e5 15. Nc4 Qc7 16. Rad1 O-O 17. Ne3 {saw White continuing to
dominate on the light squares in B.Chatalbashev-M.Vasilev, Cutro 2002.}) (8...
Nc6 {is a better try, but} 9. Bd3 $5 {
is quite a tricky counter, keeping the central tension} ({
and so avoiding the unclear possibility of} 9. cxd5 exd5 10. Bd3 Bg4 {.}) 9...
-- ({. A key point is that} 9... Nxd4 10. cxd5 Nxf3+ $6 ({
Black wisely preferred} 10... exd5 {
against a Torre authority in E.Tangborn-J.Friedel, Bellevue 2006, although with
} 11. O-O Be6 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13. Nf3 Qg4 14. Bb5+ Kd8 {
White retained decent compensation for his pawn}) 11. Qxf3 Qxb2 $6 12. O-O $1 {
gives White a huge initiative, since the attack quickly becomes decisive in
the event of} Qxd2 $2 13. Bb5+ Bd7 ({or} 13... Ke7 $2 14. Rad1 Qb2 15. d6+ Kd8
16. d7) 14. Bxd7+ Kxd7 15. dxe6+ {(Lukacs).}) ({. QUESTION: That line looked
fraught with danger for Black, but doesn't he do better with} 9... dxc4 {
, winning a tempo if we take back with the bishop and meeting} 10. Nxc4 {with}
Bb4+ {? --- ANSWER: This is, indeed, quite a critical try, but after} 11. Kf1
$1 {White's king continues to look safer than its counterpart, even though it
can no longer castle. --- A.Vaisser-C.Bauer, French Championship, Meribel 1998,
continued} Qd8 12. h4 $5 ({
as indicated in Lukacs' notes, White might have played for an edge with} 12.
Be4) 12... Be7 (12... Nxd4 $5 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 {
would have been critical, although after} 14. Qa4+ Bd7 15. Qxb4 Qxd3+ 16. Kg1
Bc6 {if White first takes steps to protect himself on g3 with} 17. Rh3 $5 Qd5
18. Rg3 {I continue to quite like his compensation}) 13. Ne3 Nb4 14. Bc4 {
and having prevented Black from retaining piece control over the critical
d5-square, White had a definite edge.})))) 6. exd4 ({
QUESTION: What about the idea of} 6. Bxf6 gxf6 7. Nxd4 {
trying to attack with the knights? --- ANSWER: Unfortunately after} Qxb2 8. Nb5
Qe5 {Black's defences hold, as} 9. Nc4 {runs into the annoying} Bb4+ {.}) 6...
Qxb2 {Consistent.} ({Instead} 6... d5 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. c4 {
would take play back into the notes to Black's 5th move, above.}) 7. Bd3 $1 {
Now that the bishop can no longer be hassled by ...c5-c4, this is the right
square.} ({Instead} 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. Be2 $6 Nc6 {would see White coming up
short, as Black has avoided the dangerous continuation employed by
Akopdzhanyan in our previous game.}) 7... d5 {Black decides to obtain a
foothold in the centre, but there are alternatives and quite important ones at
that.} (7... Qc3 8. O-O Qc7 ({
getting the queen out of danger; the queen is trapped after} 8... Be7 $2 9. Nc4
{,}) ({but} 8... d5 {is possible and} 9. Bxf6 gxf6 {
will be seen by transposition in the notes to Black's 9th move in our main game
}) 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. c4 {introduced the cramping idea of d4-d5 and gave White
good compensation in B.Chatalbashev-C.Rossi, European Championship, Ohrid 2001,
which continued} Be7 11. Re1 b6 12. d5 Na6 13. Nd4 Qf4 14. Ne4 Rg8 15. Nf5 $1
Nc5 16. Nxe7 Kxe7 17. d6+ Kf8 18. Nxc5 bxc5 19. Rb1 $1 {
and Black found himself, possibly to his surprise, in trouble on the queenside.
}) (7... Qb6 {is the other square for the queen, but after} 8. Bxf6 (8. O-O $5
Be7 9. Re1 {followed by c2-c4 is a calm but promising alternative}) 8... gxf6
9. O-O {White has a serious lead in development and, for instance,} f5 $6 (9...
Bg7 {improves, but still looks risky for the second player after} 10. Nc4 Qc7
11. d5 $1) 10. Nc4 Qc7 $6 11. Ng5 $1 Rg8 12. Qh5 d6 13. Rae1 {left Black under
heavy pressure in G.Garcia Camejo-J.Barreras Merino, correspondence 1998.}) (
7... Nc6 {has often been met by} 8. Rb1 {,} ({but Yermolinsky's idea} 8. Nc4 $1
Qb4+ 9. Bd2 {is simple and strong, making good use of the fact that White
hasn't exchanged on f6. After} Qe7 (9... Qa4 $2 10. a3 $1 {
continues to leave Black's queen in trouble}) 10. O-O d5 11. Nce5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5
Qd8 {White began to press on the kingside with} 13. Qf3 {
in V.Landero Luna-J.Lanz Calavia, correspondence 2000,} ({
and he might also have opened the position with} 13. c4 $5 {.}))) 8. Bxf6 {
White decides to break up Black's kingside structure while he can.} ({
QUESTION: Might we also proceed with} 8. O-O {
? --- ANSWER: This is, indeed, quite logical too and after the critical} Qc3 9.
Rb1 Be7 10. Rb3 Qc7 {Shamkovich's suggestion of} 11. Qb1 $5 Nc6 12. c4 {
is still in need of a test.}) 8... gxf6 9. O-O {A useful precaution.} ({
White could get away with} 9. c4 $6 dxc4 10. Nxc4 Qc3+ 11. Kf1 {in the notes
to Black's 5th move, but here the black queen is active and I'm struggling to
see enough compensation after} Nc6 12. Rc1 Qb4 {.}) 9... Nc6 {Black hopes that
the pressure against d4 will deter White from breaking with c2-c4.} ({Instead} 
9... Bb4 {is nothing to fear, since any exchange on d2 will leave Black's
kingside even weaker and} 10. c4 ({another possibility is} 10. Rb1 Qa3 11. Rb3
Qa5 12. c4 Bxd2 13. Nxd2 {, transposing}) 10... Bxd2 11. Rb1 Qc3 12. Rb3 Qa5
13. Nxd2 Nc6 14. cxd5 $1 Nxd4 15. Ne4 $1 Nxb3 16. Qxb3 {gave White a powerful,
ongoing attack for the exchange in Z.Varga-E.Anka, Hungarian Championship 1989.
}) ({Once again} 9... Qc3 $5 {looks like quite a critical test, but at least
Black's king will always have problems finding a safe home now that White has
exchanged on f6. Moreover, the queen can't stay on c3 for good and} 10. Rb1 Nd7
11. Rb3 Qc7 12. c4 $1 {(this break should be second nature by now)} Nb6 13. c5
$1 ({much stronger than allowing Black to blockade with} 13. cxd5 Nxd5) 13...
Nd7 14. Qc2 Bg7 15. Re1 Kf8 {gave White a strong grip on the position in D.Kosic-J.Galianina Ryjanova, Korinthos 2002. The Montenegrin Grandmaster now
sent his knight around to the kingside via f1, but I also wonder about} 16. Nb1
$5 {, hoping for} f5 $6 17. Nc3 a6 {(to keep the knight out of d6)} 18. Bxf5 $1
exf5 19. Nxd5 Qa5 20. Qe2 {with a huge attack for the piece.}) 10. c4 Qc3 $6 {
QUESTION: Can Black really get away with moving his queen again? I had thought
he was going to snaffle the d-pawn with 10...Nxd4.} ({
ANSWER: The text is certainly rather ambitious shall we say! So too, though, is
} 10... Nxd4 $2 {, in view of} 11. cxd5 Nxf3+ ({or} 11... exd5 12. Nxd4 Qxd4
13. Nf3 Qb6 14. Re1+ Be7 15. Rb1 Qc5 16. Nd4 $1 {
when White keeps improving his position with tempo}) 12. Qxf3 $1 {
, as we saw back in the notes to Black's 5th move.}) ({The critical move is} 
10... Nb4 $5 {, as had earlier been seen in a couple of correspondence
encounters. Here White might try} 11. Rb1 $5 ({
those aforementioned games both saw} 11. Be2 {
when I can't explain why Black rejected} Qc2 $1 {, and if} 12. Qe1 Rg8) ({, but
} 11. Nb3 {is possible if White doesn't want to offer a second pawn}) 11...
Qxa2 (11... Qa3 12. Bc2 Nxc2 13. Qxc2 {only leaves White down the one pawn and
set to dangerously open the centre, such as with} dxc4 14. Nxc4 Qa6 15. Rfe1
Be7 16. d5 $1) 12. Ra1 ({an attempt to avoid the pinning possibility} 12. Qe2
Nxd3 13. Qxd3 Qa6 $1) 12... Qb2 13. Qe2 Nxd3 14. Qxd3 Qb6 15. cxd5 exd5 {
. Taking stock we find Black two pawns to the good, but some way from coordinating his pieces or finding a safe spot for his queen. After} 16. Rfb1 Qd6 17. Nh4
$1 {I'd be happy to take the white pieces, not that this can really be
assessed as anything other than rather unclear and in need of a test or two.})
11. cxd5 $1 ({This seems even stronger than} 11. Qe2 Nxd4 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13.
cxd5 Qxd5 14. Be4 {when White would have retained reasonable compensation.})
11... Qxd3 {The best try.} ({
Black quickly comes under pressure down the open files in the event of} 11...
exd5 12. Bb5 Bd7 13. Re1+ Kd8 14. Rc1 Qa3 {and now} 15. Nb3 {
looks like the right plan.}) 12. dxc6 bxc6 13. Rb1 {Again we find Black
remaining a pawn to the good, but his structure is shot and bishops rather
tied down to defensive duties for now. Conclusion: White has promising
compensation.} Be7 14. Re1 Bd7 15. Qc1 {The German FM hopes that his queen may
spring into life along the c1-h6 diagonal.} ({
A reasonable enough view, but one might also make a good case for} 15. Re3 $5
Qf5 16. Ne4 Qd5 17. Qc2 {, keeping Black rather tied up.}) 15... Rg8 16. Rb3 $1
{A good move for both offensive and defensive purposes.} Qf5 17. Ne4 {
Finally the knight spies the c5-square, although in the game we'll see that it
finds an even better square to leap to. --- QUESTION: Is White definitely
better here? --- ANSWER: That's impossible to prove without a lot of analysis,
but just try moving the pieces around yourself and you'll quickly discover
that Black's cramped position is not so easy to defend, with Qe3 followed by
Rb7 one idea in the position. Certainly from a practical perspective, White is
in front.} Rg4 {EXERCISE: As noted White might now defend his knight by going
Qe3 in any case, but can you spot anything more fiendish?} 18. Qb1 $5 ({ANSWER:
} 18. Nc5 $6 {would have allowed Black to relieve some of the pressure with}
Bxc5 19. dxc5 Ra4 $1 {
, but the text is a decent alternative to putting the queen on e3.}) 18... Rd8
$4 {White is immediately rewarded as the Ukrainian IM completely misses that
Rb8+ wasn't White's only threat.} ({Necessary was} 18... Kf8 {and after} 19. h3
$1 {(driving back the annoying rook to free the queen for active purposes)} Rg8
20. Kh1 {White would have been set to invade down the b-file, albeit with
everything still to play.}) 19. Nd6+ $1 {A neat trick to garner the black
queen. Presumably Black's sense of danger was lulled by there being so many
pieces in front of his king, but do always look out for tactics whenever your
queen or king is opposed vis-à-vis by an enemy rook.} Bxd6 20. Qxf5 1-0

[Event "Serbian Team Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Pikula, D."]
[Black "Jovanovic, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A46"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bg5 h6 $5 {I must admit that I've used this unbalancing
try against the Torre on occasion myself. Black offers White the centre in
return for the two bishops.} 4. Bh4 {Keeping the bishop and a policy in
keeping with our general approach after ...h7-h6 in the rest of this book.} ({
QUESTION: So you wouldn't be tempted to take up the challenge with} 4. Bxf6
Qxf6 5. e4 {? --- ANSWER: Which approach to choose does partly come down to
taste, but practice over the last twenty or so years has suggested that this
position is actually quite comfortable for Black. The problem for White is
that after} d6 ({the French-like} 5... d5 {is a decent alternative}) 6. Nc3 (6.
Bd3 Nd7 7. Nbd2 g6 {is quite comfortable too for Black}) 6... Nd7 7. Qd2 a6 $1
({ruling out any notion of Nb5 and preparing to expand with ...b7-b5; Black
can also drop the queen back to d8 without delay, but he must avoid the trap} 
7... c6 8. O-O-O e5 $6 9. dxe5 dxe5 $2 10. Nb5 $1 {
which has claimed quite a number of victims}) 8. O-O-O Qd8 {it's far from easy
for him to do anything with his lead in development, as shown by two recent
games:} 9. -- (9. g4 g6 10. h4 Bg7 11. e5 d5 {keeps the centre closed and in J.Bellon Lopez-V.Laznicka, Gibraltar 2012, Black was the only side attacking
after} 12. Ne2 c5 13. c3 b5 14. Nf4 Qb6 15. dxc5 Qxc5 16. Qd4 Rb8 17. Nd3 (17.
Kb1 $5 Qc7 18. Bd3 {should have been tried, as I suggested on the
ChessPublishing website, hoping to generate strong central pressure in the
event of} Nxe5 19. Rhe1) 17... Qc7 18. Kb1 a5 {.}) (9. h4 c5 $5 ({
Black has also done well enough in practice with} 9... b5) 10. Be2 $6 ({
if White advances either centre pawn, Black will close the position, but this
is a little meek and White had to try something like} 10. g4 b5 11. Bh3 $5 {
, hoping to open lines on the kingside}) 10... b5 11. Rhe1 Be7 12. g3 Bb7 {
and White continued to lack a particularly good plan in J.Vickery-R.Palliser,
Leeds 2011. --- QUESTION: So you don't think there's much mileage in this
central approach? --- ANSWER: I've never really been convinced that White can
find enough play on the kingside, but those with an aggressive bent may wish
to disagree and explore. It's worth mentioning too that this line also comes
about via the move order 1 d4 Nf6 2 Bg5 e6 3 e4 h6 4 Bxf6 Qxf6 5 Nf3, but very
few Trompowsky players block their f-pawn thus these days, preferring either 5
c3 or 5 Nc3.})) 4... g5 {A radical advance.} ({Instead many games have seen
Black happy with a transposition to the lines considered in our previous
chapter after} 4... c5) ({
while if he wants to hunt down the Torre bishop the modern preference is for} 
4... d6 {, as we'll see in our next illustrative game, Halkias-Zueger.}) 5. Bg3
Ne4 ({It's still not too late for} 5... d6) ({
but if Black wants to target the bishop without delay, he may do better with} 
5... Nh5 $5 {.} 6. -- ({. Then it seems that White should allow a
transposition after all to Halkias-Zueger with} 6. e4 Bg7 7. c3 d6 8. Nbd2 ({
or go} 8. Nfd2 $5 {as we'll see in the notes to White's 5th move there.})) ({
. The tempting-looking} 6. Be5 $6 {
actually offers Black a decent choice between} f6 ({and} 6... Rg8 $5 {
, which turned out well enough for Black after} 7. d5 d6 8. dxe6 Bxe6 ({but not
} 8... dxe5 $2 9. exf7+ Kxf7 10. Qxd8 Bb4+ 11. Qd2 Bxd2+ 12. Nbxd2 {
with an extra pawn for White}) 9. Bc3 Nc6 {
in C.Neidhardt-A.Kosten, French League 1994}) 7. Qd3 fxe5 8. Qg6+ Ke7 9. Qxh5
exd4 $1 10. Nxg5 Qe8 11. Qh4 Bg7 {, when in Mi.Tseitlin-V.Arbakov, Senden 1996,
White could find nothing better than to repeat moves with} 12. Nh7+ Kf7 13.
Qh5+ Ke7 14. Qh4+)) 6. Nbd2 {This is the problem with going after the bishop
via e4; White is able to challenge the knight and so force Black to exchange
on g3 sooner than he might have liked.} Nxg3 7. hxg3 Bg7 8. c3 {Prudently shoring up the d-pawn in preparation for e2-e4. The position is, of course,
extremely similar to those considered in both Spassky-Najdorf and
Gelfand-Radjabov back in Chapter Two. Black has saved a tempo with his g-pawn
(he didn't have to go 2...g6 and only later ...g6-g5), which certainly helps
him, but White has still scored fairly well from this position. That's why
most modern exponents of this line as Black now prefer a 4...d6 move order,
after which there's less of a hurry to exchange on g3 and so clarify the
kingside.} d6 9. e4 Nc6 {Presumably Jovanovic was looking to break with ...e6-e5, but White doesn't mind that advance and the knight looks a little
strange here. We should thus examine games from two hated rivals to see more
flexible ways of handling the position.} (9... a6 10. Bd3 Nd7 11. Qe2 Qe7 12.
Nc4 $1 {(White was clearly familiar with Spassky's model play, just as the
reader should be)} b6 13. Ne3 {(again we find the knight ideally placed here,
making it difficult for Black to challenge in the centre, while en route to g4
should Black castle prematurely)} Bb7 {
was seen in V.Salov-V.Topalov, Madrid 1996. Salov continued his model play with
} 14. a4 $1 {(continuing to increase White's control, here by ruling out any
expansion with ...b6-b5 and so keeping Black a little tied down to the defence
of a6)} Kf8 $6 {
(the king lacked a good home, but there was no need to commit it so soon)} ({
a better try would have been} 14... h5 {
, as pointed out by Salov, although I still like White after} 15. Nd2 Nf6 16.
O-O-O $1 {when f2-f4 is on the agenda}) 15. Nd2 c5 16. d5 Ne5 17. Bc2 a5 18.
Bb3 $1 Ba6 19. Ndc4 f5 20. Nxe5 $1 Bxe5 21. Bc4 {
by when he was in complete control of the position.}) (9... Qe7 10. Bd3 ({
I would prefer} 10. Nc4 $5 {, since} d5 $6 {isn't anything to worry about,
with White set to exploit the resulting light-squared weaknesses after} 11.
exd5 exd5+ 12. Ne3) 10... Nc6 {
(only now that White's bishop has moved does the knight develop)} 11. Qe2 Bd7
12. a4 $5 g4 13. Nh2 h5 14. Nhf1 O-O-O 15. a5 {was the unbalanced course of W.Hug-V.Kramnik, Zurich (rapid) 2009, and now Black might have sacrificed a pawn
to keep the struggle pretty unclear after} h4 $5 {, intending} 16. Qxg4 f5 {.})
10. Bb5 $1 ({Going} 10. Bd3 Bd7 11. Qe2 {à la Hug was hardly terrible, but I
hope that you spotted the text in advance. --- QUESTION: You mean that we
should have found the pinning move pretty obvious? --- ANSWER: Yes! Not only
is the pin a little awkward for Black to deal with, but in general in the
Torre ...Nc6 can often be well met by Bb5. Think of the line 2...g6 3 Bg5 Bg7
4 Nbd2 0-0 5 c3 d6 6 e4 Nc6, which we considered in the notes to
Sasikiran-Kotronias back in Chapter Two.}) 10... Bd7 11. Qe2 Qe7 {EXERCISE: White has a nice space advantage, but how to begin to make use of it? Choose
between: -- a) 12 Nc4, routing the knight towards its favourite square on e3;
-- b) 12 g4, fixing the kingside; -- c) 12 a4, seizing space and preventing
Black from doing that with ...a7-a6 and ...b7-b5. --- Jovanovic develops
sensibly and doesn't mind his slightly cramped position, as he hopes that one
day his bishops, especially the dark-squared one, will come into their own.} ({
Instead} 11... O-O $6 {would, of course, be pretty risky and after} 12. g4 (12.
O-O-O a6 13. Bd3 {followed by e4-e5 is pretty tempting too}) ({and even} 12.
Nh2 $5 {has its merits}) 12... a6 13. Bd3 b5 14. Nf1 {
White's attack looks much the more potent.}) 12. a4 $1 {ANSWER: Prophylaxis
and good prophylaxis from the Serbian Grandmaster. White prevents any notion
of ...b7-b5 and also dissuades Black from going long.} ({
That said, there was nothing wrong with the clamping b)} 12. g4 {
, since in the event of} a6 13. Bd3 b5 {
White might begin play on the queenside with} 14. a4 $5 {.}) ({However, a)} 12.
Nc4 {would not have been so good. If the knight wants to reach e3 it should go
via f1, as here} a6 13. Bxc6 ({and not, of course,} 13. Ba4 $2 b5) 13... Bxc6 {
gives Black two bishops and leaves White struggling to do more than just keep
the position closed, as} 14. Na5 {runs into} Bb5 $1 {, and if} 15. c4 $6 Ba4 16.
Nxb7 $6 g4 {, undermining the key d4-pawn.}) 12... e5 $2 {One good reason for
retreating to h4 is that Black often transposes to the lines considered in our
last two chapters, another is that many players do not feel comfortable in
these ...h6 and ...g5 positions, theoretically approved though they may be.
Here Jovanovic decides that he needs to break out, but this move is a
positional blunder. --- QUESTION: A 'blunder'? That seems a little harsh. ---
ANSWER: Is it? After White's next the light-squared bishops come off, after
which Black will suffer thanks to that hole on f5 and his hemmed-in bishop.} ({
It's not hard to see why Black wasn't sure about} 12... O-O-O $6 13. a5 $1 {
when} a6 $6 14. Bxa6 $1 bxa6 15. Qxa6+ Kb8 16. Ra3 Na7 17. Rb3+ Nb5 18. Rxb5+
Bxb5 19. Qxb5+ Ka7 20. b4 {would give White two pawns and excellent long-term
attacking chances for the exchange}) ({but Black might have joined in the
semi-waiting game with a couple of useful moves of his own:} 12... a6 13. Bd3
h5 {. White doesn't want to castle into an attack here, so will likely leave
his king in the centre for a while, but even, say,} 14. Nc4 g4 15. Nh4 Bh6 16.
b4 {would only have left him slightly for choice.}) 13. d5 Nd8 $6 {
The knight never leaves this bad square;} ({but even after} 13... Nb8 14. Bxd7+
Nxd7 15. Nc4 {and 16 Ne3 Black would have been suffering.}) 14. Bxd7+ Qxd7 15.
Nc4 f5 $5 {A decent enough try to avoid eternal suffering once a white knight
lands on f5, but even after this Black's light squares prove too weak.} 16.
exf5 Qxf5 17. Nfd2 $1 {White's knights are bound for e4 and e3. Black quite
simply has a horrible King's Indian position.} Qf7 18. Ne3 c6 {Easy to criticize, but one can see why Jovanovic didn't want to suffer after Ne4 followed by
g3-g4.} 19. Ne4 $1 (19. c4 {was hardly bad, but White has spotted that he can
use tactics to increase his control over the position, as Pikula puts the
finishing touches to this meister-gegen-amateur victory over his 2200-rated
opponent. --- QUESTION: So Black wasn't a grandmaster too in this game? ---
ANSWER: I'm sure you've worked out by now that Black wasn't, even if 2200 in
general isn't exactly weak. Throughout this work I've tried where possible to
focus on all-grandmaster clashes, as they are often the most useful games to
study, but sometimes a model crush can be equally instructive.}) 19... Qg6 20.
Nf5 $1 {And so the knight makes it to the ideal square after all.} Bf8 {
A grim move to have to make;} ({but in the event of} 20... cxd5 21. Qb5+ Kf8
22. Nexd6 {
White's knights would have controlled too many key squares and after, say,} Qe6
23. O-O-O {his attack would quickly have been decisive.}) 21. g4 Rh7 ({Again,} 
21... cxd5 22. Qb5+ {wouldn't have been much fun for Black, with} Kf7 23. Qxd5+
Qe6 ({if} 23... Ne6 $2 24. Qxb7+) 24. Nxg5+ $1 {costing him the exchange.}) 22.
O-O-O c5 {A desperate attempt to keep the d-file closed, but now danger
strikes from another direction.} 23. Qb5+ Rd7 $2 {
EXERCISE: Spot White's neat blow to finish! ---} ({Black had to go} 23... Kf7 {
, hopeless though this would have been after the simple} 24. Rh5 Kg8 25. Rdh1 {
when 26 Nxg5 is a decisive threat.}) {ANSWER:} 24. Rxh6 $1 {
. This is even stronger than first capturing on d6.} ({After} 24. Rxh6 Bxh6 25.
Nexd6+ Kf8 26. Qxd7 {White's major pieces infiltrate with decisive effect.})
1-0

[Event "European Championship, Budva"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Halkias, S."]
[Black "Zueger, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A46"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 ({
Once again I've tinkered with the move order. Halkias-Zueger actually began} 
2... d6 3. Bg5 {(there's some coverage of this version of the Torre in our
next and final chapter)} Nbd7 4. Nbd2 h6 5. Bh4 g5 6. Bg3 Nh5 7. e4 Bg7 8. c3 {
and only then} e6 {, transposing to the order considered here.}) 3. Bg5 h6 4.
Bh4 d6 $5 {Black sets out his stall for a dark-square strategy, but doesn't
commit himself to going ...g5 just yet.} 5. Nbd2 ({QUESTION: Instead of
preparing e2-e4, might we not take steps to safeguard our bishop with} 5. h3 {
? --- ANSWER: That's possible and after something like} Be7 6. Nbd2 (6. e3 {
followed by c2-c4 would be more in keeping with our approach in the last chapter
}) 6... c5 (6... Nbd7 $5 {is also a possibility, when} 7. e4 ({or} 7. e3 O-O 8.
c3 {and now in R.Bellin-V.Epishin, Gibraltar 2003,} Rb8 $1 9. Qc2 b5 10. Be2 c5
{gave Black decent counterplay}) 7... e5 $1 {
gives Black a decent version of the Philidor, as White must avoid} 8. c3 $2
exd4 9. cxd4 Nxe4 $1 {which costs him a pawn}) 7. e3 b6 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. c3 cxd4
10. exd4 {the inclusion of h2-h3 doesn't make a huge difference compared to
the standard Torre Hedgehog lines. Again, however, I'd prefer to take the
fight to Black.}) ({In general I'm not a fan of going e2-e3 when Black is
going to chase down our Torre bishop, but here it's actually worth taking a
quick look at} 5. e3 {.} -- ({. This, with the idea of} 5... g5 6. Bg3 Nh5 7.
Nfd2 {, forcing the exchange on g3 may appeal to some readers.}) ({
. Here Black has often preferred} 5... Nbd7 6. Bd3 (6. Nfd2 $5 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8.
O-O {is another idea I've wondered about, but here Black is able to seize the
initiative with} g5 $1 9. Bg3 h5) 6... g5 7. Bg3 Nh5 {, but White can again go}
8. Nfd2 {whereupon} Nxg3 ({Cox prefers} 8... Ndf6 9. c4 Bg7 10. Nc3 a6 {
, as in the game K.Sasikiran-P.Kiriakov, Internet (blitz) 2004, and now} 11.
Qf3 $5 {deserves attention; after} Bd7 12. Nde4 Bc6 13. O-O {
it will not be hard for White to escape from the pin and Black must avoid} Nxg3
$2 14. fxg3 $1 {when he loses down the f-file}) 9. hxg3 Bg7 10. c3 {has been se
en in a few games. Any future e3-e4 will, of course, cost White a tempo, but
it's quite useful that he's resolved the kingside tension. Some examples:} -- (
10... Nf6 11. Na3 $1 {
(the knight sets off on the journey to its favourite square, e3)} Bd7 12. Qb3
Bc6 13. e4 Qd7 14. Nc2 b6 15. Ne3 Ba4 16. Qa3 {
gave White an edge in G.Buckley-A.Summerscale, London 2010.}) (10... Qe7 11.
Qe2 Nf6 ({
as White's play looks a little slow, Black might be justified in expanding with
} 11... d5 $5) 12. Na3 Bd7 13. Nac4 $6 (13. Nc2 {was the right route, although}
O-O-O {followed by ...h6-h5 should be okay for Black}) 13... b5 $1 14. Na5 Rb8
15. b4 c5 {gave Black good counterplay in P.Lomako-S.Zhigalko, Belorussian
Championship, Minsk 2012.}) (10... a6 $5 11. g4 $5 c5 12. Ne4 {
initially looks quite promising for White, but after} Qe7 13. Nbd2 d5 14. Ng3
Nf6 15. Qe2 Bd7 {I had managed to cover the h5-square and the position was
about equal in P.Martynov-R.Palliser, Finnish League 2011.}))) ({
QUESTION: So are you recommending} 5. e3 {as well as 5 Nbd2? --- ANSWER:
Halkias' choice is the main line and in keeping with the approach in our
previous game and the related positions of Chapter Two, but for readers who
like to do some research and/or take their opponents out of their preparation,
5 e3 deserves consideration. --- QUESTION: Even though you were able to
equalize against it? --- ANSWER: My game with Martynov and subsequent analysis
convinced me that there's plenty of fertile territory to be explored after 5
e3, as well as that it's quite easy for Black to stumble into a worse position.
}) ({Before returning to our main game, I'm going to torture the reader with
another move order idea in} 5. c3 $5 {
. Indeed, I suspect that this would actually be my choice as White.} -- ({
. After} 5... Nbd7 6. Nbd2 (6. Nfd2 $6 {seems a little artificial here, with}
e5 $1 {a good counter}) 6... g5 7. Bg3 Nh5 8. e4 Bg7 {
play transposes to our main game}) ({, but Black might be tempted by} 5... g5
6. Bg3 Nh5 {, when} 7. e4 Bg7 (7... Nd7 {can also be met by} 8. Nfd2) 8. Nfd2
$5 Nxg3 9. hxg3 {is a decent way to resolve the tension. A leading exponent of
Black's set-up allowed this option in M.Matlak-M.Marin, Odorheiu Secuiesc
Zonal 1995, where} Nc6 ({Black may do better with the vigorous} 9... c5 $5 {
, after which} 10. dxc5 dxc5 11. Na3 a6 12. Ndc4 b5 13. Qxd8+ Kxd8 14. Nd6 Ke7
15. O-O-O Bd7 {
gave chances to both sides in P.Martynov-S.Sulskis, Finnish League 2009}) 10.
Na3 O-O 11. Bd3 f5 $5 {(a double-edged advance, but also a decent try for some
counterplay and to contest the centre)} 12. exf5 exf5 13. O-O Kh8 14. Re1 a6
15. Nc2 d5 16. f4 $1 {(not so much holding Black up on the kingside, as
preparing to bring a knight to e5)} g4 $1 17. Nb3 Qd6 18. Qd2 Ne7 {saw Black threatening to take control of the game with the powerful manoeuvre ...Ng8-f6-e4.
White failed to grasp the danger in the game, but with} 19. Kf2 $1 Ng8 20. Ne3
$1 Be6 21. Rh1 {he could have cut across Black's plan and so retained control
of the position, as pointed out on the MegaBase.})) 5... g5 ({
Black can also begin with} 5... Nbd7 {when} 6. e4 g5 7. Bg3 Nh5 8. c3 Bg7 {
is another route into the game.}) 6. Bg3 Nh5 7. e4 Bg7 8. c3 Nd7 {Both sides develop along logical lines and ones which should be quite familiar to us by now.
} 9. Bd3 ({QUESTION: What about the Spassky plan with} 9. Nc4 {here? --- ANSWER
: White should always keep this idea in mind, but it seems premature here,
partly because Black has after all saved a tempo with his g-pawn. I.Rajlich-M.Marin, Koszalin 1997, continued} Qe7 10. Nfd2 Nxg3 11. hxg3 c5 $1 {
when White could find nothing better than} 12. dxc5 Nxc5 13. Ne3 Bd7 14. a4 $1
Bc6 15. Bb5 {, which retained the balance.}) 9... Qe7 {Black continues with
the gradual improvement of his pieces, but the text is by no means his only
option.} ({I always quite like} 9... a6 $5 {in such positions. Black hints at ...b7-b5, although he shouldn't play it too quickly and allow a strong
undermining with a2-a4, while facilitating a queenside fianchetto after ...b7-b6 when White can no longer exchange the bishops with Qe2 and Ba6. ---
QUESTION: Why would White exchange bishops like this? --- ANSWER: Black is
going to have an extra bishop after the exchange on g3 and two bishops tend to
operate much better when in tandem; in other words the advantage of bishop and
bishop against bishop and knight is often greater than that of just bishop
against knight. Here the trade would also leave Black a little vulnerable on
the light squares on both flanks.}) ({A good counter to} 9... a6 {is} 10. a4 ({
, and} 10. Qe2 b6 11. d5 $5 {
is also an option, as in R.Gasimov-J.Maherramzade, Baku 2000, when} Nc5 12. Nd4
Nxg3 13. hxg3 O-O {
reaches a hard position to assess, but one certainly in need of some testing.})
({. Even} 10. O-O {is possible, although as Black is yet to determine his king
position, White must meet} Nxg3 {with} 11. fxg3 $1 ({and not} 11. hxg3 $6 {
, whereupon} h5 $1 12. d5 g4 13. Nd4 Ne5 14. Nc4 Bd7 15. dxe6 fxe6 {left him a
little vulnerable on the kingside in A.Ledger-R.Palliser, Rotherham (rapid)
2007.}))) (9... O-O $5 {
is bold, but by no means bad, since the h-file isn't yet open and} 10. Qc2 $5 (
10. Qb3 Kh8 11. O-O-O {was similar in A.Miles-M.Marin, Andorra 1995, where
Marin later indicated that he should have fought back with} f5 $1 {
, exploiting the fact that the bishop hasn't yet been exchanged and} 12. h4 $5
g4 13. Ng5 $2 {would unfortunately see White coming up short after} hxg5 14.
hxg5 Qxg5 $1 15. Rh2 fxe4 16. Bxe4 Bh6) 10... Rb8 (10... Kh8 11. O-O-O {
now looks good for White with} f5 {clearly impossible}) 11. O-O-O b5 12. e5 $1
(12. h4 $6 Nxg3 13. fxg3 g4 14. Nh2 h5 {
wouldn't have helped, so White blows open the position}) 12... g4 ({after} 
12... b4 13. cxb4 Nxg3 14. hxg3 Rxb4 15. a3 Rb8 16. g4 {things begin to look
quite scary for Black, with Bh7+ followed by Rh5 one direct plan}) {
was tried in D.Harika-A.Iljin, Hengelo 2007. --- Here White should have tried}
13. Bh4 $1 {, and if} Qe8 (13... f6 14. g3 $5 gxf3 15. Bh7+ Kh8 16. Bg6 {
is a neat, line-opening idea pointed out by Rybka}) 14. exd6 $5 (14. Ng1 dxe5
15. h3 {is the alternative}) 14... gxf3 ({Black may do better with} 14... cxd6
15. Ne1 f5 {, although he is in some danger of finding himself overextended
here, especially as} 16. h3 {is finally possible}) 15. dxc7 Rb7 16. Ne4 {
threatening Nd6 with some initiative for the piece.}) ({The virtually untried} 
9... e5 {was suggested by Cherniaev and Prokuronov in their 'The New Old
Indian'. White should counter with} 10. dxe5 Nxg3 11. hxg3 {when exchanges on
e5 should give him an edge, just as they do in the notes to Black's 10th move,
below. Thus the Russian theoreticians prefer} g4 $5 12. Nd4 Nxe5 {
, which seems reasonable, although after} 13. Qe2 $5 ({
focussing on the f5-square with} 13. Bc2 Bd7 14. Qe2 Qg5 15. Nc4 O-O-O 16. Ne3
{is another idea}) 13... Qg5 14. O-O-O {I'd slightly prefer to take White, who
offers a second bishop for knight exchange to try and seize the initiative
with f2-f4.}) 10. Qe2 {The Greek Grandmaster keeps his options open.} ({
The alternative is} 10. O-O $5 {, which rather provokes} Nxg3 ({
not forced admittedly, but after} 10... b6 11. Qa4 $1 Bb7 12. Ba6 {
White must have a small edge}) ({and} 10... c5 {can be well met by} 11. Nc4 $1
Nxg3 12. fxg3 {when} cxd4 13. cxd4 g4 $6 {is very risky, in view of} 14. e5 $1
gxf3 15. Nxd6+ Kd8 16. Qxf3 f5 17. Rfd1 Nb6 18. Rac1 {
with a powerful, ongoing initiative for the piece, as pointed out by Prié}) 11.
fxg3 $1 {, but the f-file is quite a useful asset here. P.Skatchkov-I.Ratkovich, Minsk 2001, continued} Nf8 (11... c5 12. Nb3 ({
White should have transposed to the previous variation with} 12. Nc4 $1) 12...
a6 13. a4 b6 14. Nfd2 Bb7 15. Rf2 O-O {
was fine for Black in M.Taylor-J.Rowson, British League 2006}) 12. Kh1 {
(this feels a trifle lazy)} ({
I certainly can't see why White didn't get on with it with} 12. e5 $5 {, and if
} d5 13. c4 $1) 12... h5 $2 13. e5 $1 g4 14. exd6 cxd6 15. Nh4 {by when Black
was under heavy pressure, with Qb3 followed by Rae1 one plan and Qe2-f2 in
conjunction with Ne4 another.}) 10... b6 ({QUESTION: After an exchange on g3,
Black will have one piece more than White fighting for the e5-square, so
shouldn't Zueger have preferred} 10... e5 {
? --- ANSWER: This was possible, but after} 11. dxe5 Nxg3 (11... dxe5 {
is inconsistent with your idea, if not unreasonable here, and after} 12. Nc4
Nf4 13. Bxf4 exf4 14. g3 $5 g4 15. Nh4 {White was only slightly for choice in
E.Piankov-A.Kassis, Issy les Moulineaux 2008}) 12. hxg3 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14.
O-O-O {White has a pull in any case. If ...Be6 White will oppose bishops with
Bc4, while Qe3 followed by f2-f4 will prevent long castling and begin to drive
Black back. Don't forget either that having the bishop-pair even when the long
dark-square diagonal was fairly open didn't exactly help Black in
Gelfand-Radjabov.}) ({
As usual I'd have been tempted as Black to preface any second fianchetto with} 
10... a6 {, although after} 11. a4 (11. Nc4 b5 12. Ne3 Nf4 $1 13. Bxf4 gxf4 14.
Nc2 c5 {reveals Black's main idea and obtains decent counterplay,}) ({while} 
11. Nb3 {was a slightly strange square for the knight in W.Hug-K.Hulak,
Istanbul 2003, where} e5 12. Nfd2 Nxg3 13. hxg3 exd4 $1 14. Nxd4 Ne5 {
was about equal}) 11... b6 {(K.Ramaswamy-J.Hebert, Montreal 2009)} 12. O-O $5
Nxg3 13. fxg3 {I'd slightly prefer to take White; Nc4-e3 may follow.}) 11. Nc4
({Again we can appreciate why Black is better off having not yet exchanged on
g3 in the line} 11. Ba6 Bxa6 12. Qxa6 g4 13. Ng1 f5 $1) ({
but the text, while logical, was by no means forced, with the probing} 11. a4
$5 {worthy of attention too.}) 11... Bb7 {Completing his development.} (11...
b5 $6 {might have worked above, but here would have left Black struggling after
} 12. Na5 $1 {.}) 12. Nfd2 $1 {Continuing to improve his knights in
time-honoured fashion and now White will recapture with his h-pawn, opening
the h-file and supporting any f2-f4 advance.} Nxg3 13. hxg3 O-O $6 {I wonder if
the experienced Swiss IM was guilty of underestimating the potential danger on
the kingside here.} (13... c5 $5 {looks like a better try when White would
prefer not to have to place a knight on b3, but after} 14. dxc5 Nxc5 15. Bc2
O-O-O $1 {Black's king should be safe enough and his position reasonable with ...d6-d5 on its way.}) 14. Ne3 $1 {Halkias wastes no time showing why it was
risky to castle short when White hasn't yet committed his own king to that
flank.} c5 {EXERCISE: How best to deal with the pressure against d4? Choose
from: -- a) 15 Nb3, shoring up the centre; -- b) 15 d5, hoping to weaken Black
on the light squares; -- c) 15 dxc5, leaving the pawn on c3 to blunt Black's
bishop.} (14... Nf6 {would have avoided what follows, but after} 15. O-O-O a6
16. f4 {White's attack looks somewhat the more menacing.}) 15. dxc5 $1 {
ANSWER: As so often in the Torre, this capture is correct, keeping any central
disruption to a minimum.} ({Instead} 15. Nb3 {
would have moved the knight away from the kingside and after, say,} a5 $5 16.
a4 Rfd8 17. Ng4 d5 $1 {Black has good counterplay}) ({while} 15. d5 $6 {
would have been pretty ambitious and doesn't seem to give White quite enough
for his pawn after} exd5 16. Nf5 $5 ({if} 16. exd5 Rae8 {followed by ...f7-f5})
16... Qf6 {.}) 15... Nxc5 16. Ng4 $1 ({Sometimes White can go} 16. Bc2 {
, but here} Ba6 {would have been annoying, so Halkias gets on with the attack.}
) 16... Rfd8 ({
Black must give up h6 and hope to obtain counterplay in the centre, as} 16...
Kh7 $2 17. e5+ {would only have made matters much worse for him.}) 17. Nxh6+
Kf8 18. Ng4 d5 {Black has lost a pawn, but his king is now fairly safe and he
enjoys a central initiative. This shouldn't promise him full compensation, but
Halkias is forced to proceed with care.} 19. e5 $1 {
Naturally White keeps lines closed.} d4 $1 {And Black tries to open them.} 20.
c4 b5 $6 {
Now White's king escapes to safety and Black begins to run low on compensation.
} ({Zueger really had to regain the pawn, even if} 20... Bxg2 21. Rh5 Bb7 ({
and not} 21... b5 $2 22. f3 $1 Nxd3+ 23. Qxd3 bxc4 24. Nxc4 {
, imprisoning the black bishop behind enemy lines}) 22. O-O-O Rac8 23. Kb1 {
would have left White also attacking and for choice in my view with f2-f4-f5 a
powerful-looking advance.}) 21. O-O $1 bxc4 22. Nxc4 Ba6 23. b3 {Keeping control and now the position quickly becomes unpleasant for Black, who lacks
counterplay and is faced with the line-opening idea of f2-f4 after all.} Rac8
24. Rac1 Rc7 25. f4 $5 ({The calm} 25. Rfd1 {
would have retained complete control, but Halkias wants to attack.}) 25... gxf4
26. Rxf4 $5 {White refuses to undouble his pawns and instead wants to press
down the half-open file.} (26. gxf4 Nxd3 27. Qxd3 Qh4 28. Nh2 Bh6 {would have given Black a bit of pressure for his pawn, but surely not objectively enough
after} 29. Qd2 {, hoping for the sudden queenside switch} d3 $2 30. Nf3 Qxf4
31. Qa5 $1 {when a piece drops off.}) 26... Qg5 $2 {
Activating the queen no longer troubles White on the kingside.} ({
Black really had to go in for} 26... Nxd3 27. Qxd3 Bxc4 28. bxc4 Qc5 {when} 29.
Rcf1 Bxe5 30. Nxe5 Qxe5 {would have seen him regaining his pawn, even if White
does have a fairly strong initiative after} 31. Qh7 Qg7 32. Qh4 Ke8 33. Rg4 Qf8
34. Rg6 $1 {.}) 27. Qd2 $1 {
Suddenly there's a rather large threat to take on f7 and no good defence to it.
} Qh5 {This doesn't help;} ({but} 27... Qe7 28. Bg6 {
would have been totally crushing.}) 28. Nf6 ({The immediate} 28. Qa5 {
would have been equally effective.}) 28... Qh6 ({
Black can save his piece on the queenside with} 28... Bxf6 29. exf6 Bxc4 {
, but not also his queen and the game, in view of} 30. Rh4 Qxh4 31. gxh4 Bxd3
32. b4 {.}) 29. Qa5 $1 {A decisive infiltration. Black must defend one rook
with the other, but then Nd6 will cause his defences to collapse like a house
of cards.} Rdc8 30. Nd6 Bxf6 {
The only real try, but Halkias has it all worked out.} (30... Bxd3 31. Nxc8
Rxc8 32. Rxc5 {would have been totally hopeless.}) 31. exf6 Nb7 {
EXERCISE: Has Black found a game-saving resource?} 32. Rxc7 $1 {ANSWER: No!
With this temporary queen sacrifice White generates a killer attack.} Nxa5 33.
Rxf7+ Kg8 34. Rg4+ Kh8 35. Rh4 $1 {
Regaining the queen and sealing victory, despite that hanging bishop on d3.} (
35. Nxc8 {would also have done the business.}) 35... Qxh4 36. gxh4 Rc1+ 37. Kh2
Bxd3 {Black has emerged a piece up, but unfortunately that thorn in his side
on f6 will have the final say.} 38. Rg7 {Threatening a rather nasty mate. I
dare say Zueger would have resigned here had both sides not been frantically
blitzing.} Bg6 39. Rxg6 Rf1 40. Nf7+ Kh7 41. Rg7# 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "7. Torre: Other Versions"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A46"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "3"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 {. Having covered the Torre in its two main forms after 2...g6 and 2...e6, it's now time to check out a few other occasions on which we
might employ it. The first two games of this chapter are devoted to 2...b6,
which is sometimes tried by Queen's Indian players, with the provocative 2...b5 and the Old Indian-like 2...d6 receiving a mention too in the notes.
Finally, we turn our attention in Yusupov-Wirthensohn to 2...d5 3 Bg5, a line
which I'm not a huge fan of, as explained back in the Introduction, but if it
will do for Yusupov as a surprise weapon, we should probably give it some
coverage!} *

[Event "Leukerbad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2011.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bauer, C."]
[Black "Filipovic, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A47"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "95"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 {This creative move is occasionally chosen by Queen's
Indian players in an attempt to avoid the main lines of the Torre. Before we
examine how best to meet it, a couple of other moves deserve attention.} (2...
b5 $5 {is a type of Polish Defence, well met by} 3. Bg5 {, when Black has:} --
(3... Ne4 {might well be countered by} 4. Bh4 {
, along the lines of our next illustrative game,} ({
but a decent case can be made for} 4. Bf4 {too, when} Bb7 5. e3 {shows one problem with the early ...b7-b5; Black must lose a tempo attending to his b-pawn,
which in any case remains vulnerable to an undermining a2-a4 strike. V.Pantev-P.Arnaudov, Plovdiv 2012, continued} a6 6. Be2 ({the immediate} 6. a4 $5
{is also worth a thought, but White prefers to keep it solid and avoid any
doubling of his pawns on f3}) 6... e6 7. Nbd2 Be7 8. Nxe4 Bxe4 9. O-O d6 10.
Nd2 Bb7 11. a4 b4 12. c3 $1 {and the queenside opened to White's advantage.}))
(3... Bb7 4. Bxf6 ({as per our main game, although with the pawn now on b5,
one can also make a decent case for} 4. Nbd2 {; following} c5 5. c3 cxd4 6.
cxd4 e6 7. e4 $1 Qa5 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. O-O Rg8 11. Qe2 a6 12. a4 $1 {
White's energetic if also logical play saw him seizing the initiative in D.Fridman-N.Miezis, Jurmala (rapid) 2012}) 4... gxf6 5. e3 a6 6. a4 $5 {
(wasting no time breaking up the black queenside)} b4 7. Nbd2 e6 8. Bd3 ({
I would also be tempted by} 8. g3 {
, contesting the long diagonal ahead of breaking with c2-c3}) 8... c5 9. O-O d5
{. --- QUESTION: Are you so sure about this? First we give up a bishop on f6
and then we allow Black to seize oodles of space on the queenside. --- ANSWER:
I'm not so sure about 'oodles', as White doesn't have to allow ...c5-c4.
Indeed, after} 10. dxc5 $1 Bxc5 11. c4 ({the Colle-like} 11. e4 {
very much comes into the equation too}) 11... dxc4 (11... bxc3 12. bxc3 Nd7 13.
Nd4 $5 {introduces ideas of Qh5, exploiting Black's broken kingside}) 12. Bxc4
Nd7 13. Rc1 Rg8 14. g3 f5 15. Nb3 Bb6 16. Be2 $1 {White had control and a very
pleasant edge in E.Danielian-I.Sokolov, Cento 2011. Black has weaknesses right
across the board and just where will his king find safety?})) (2... d6 3. Bg5 {
also leads to a divide:} -- (3... Nbd7 4. Nbd2 g6 ({
In 'The New Old Indian', Cherniaev and Prokuronov preferred} 4... h6 5. Bh4 g5
6. Bg3 Nh5 {, when} 7. c3 Bg7 8. e4 e6 {
takes us back to a position considered in the last chapter}) {transposes after}
5. e4 Bg7 6. c3 O-O {to Sasikiran-Kotronias back in Chapter Two.}) (3... Ne4 4.
Bh4 {keeps up some pressure on the h4-d8 diagonal ahead of preparing to
challenge the knight on e4. It's not too easy for Black to equalize here, with
...d7-d6 looking less useful than ...g7-g6 does in the related position from
Chapter Three. Now ...d6-d5 would, of course, cost Black a tempo and} c5 ({or} 
4... Nd7 5. Nbd2 d5 6. e3 Ndf6 7. c4 $1 c6 8. Bd3 g6 9. O-O Bg7 {, which saw
White developing very logically in J.Shamieh-T.Tarraf, Beirut 2011, and now}
10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Nxe4 $1 {would have given him the upper hand:} Nxe4 (11...
dxe4 $2 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Bxe4 {costs Black a pawn}) 12. Qa4+ $1 Bd7 13. Qb4 {
sees White seizing the initiative}) 5. Nbd2 Qa5 {(Black is forced to go to
extravagant lengths to justify his ambitious early play)} 6. c3 Nxd2 7. Qxd2
cxd4 8. cxd4 $1 Qxd2+ 9. Kxd2 h6 10. Rc1 {saw White staring down the c-file
with a definite pull in the queenless middlegame in D.Gochelashvili-F.Shibaev,
Krasnodar 2005. --- We now return to that more restrained if also fairly
creative option, 2...b6.})) 3. Bg5 Bb7 $5 ({QUESTION: Ah ha! I see that after} 
3... e6 {we're back in lines considered in Chapter Five}) ({
but might Black not again boot the Torre bishop with} 3... Ne4 {? --- ANSWER:
This leap is again very plausible, but as so often White is able to retain
control of the position, as we'll see in our next game. First we must consider
what happens if Black boldly allows his f-pawns to be doubled.}) 4. Bxf6 $1 {
White should waste no time punishing Black for his provocative and in my view
slightly misguided approach. --- QUESTION: Must we do this? Surely there's a
good case for 4 Nbd2 and after 4...e6 5 e3 we're back where we want to be.} ({
ANSWER: Remember that while we can often develop along 'system' lines in the
Torre, it's dangerous to always do so and we must treat each black defence on
its merits. Here} 4. Nbd2 {
does, indeed, angle for the transposition you spotted, but} c5 $5 {
is quite a challenging response. The critical line must be} 5. Bxf6 gxf6 6. e3
e6 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. O-O d5 {, but Black's queenside is much more solid than
Sokolov's was in variation 'b' above and after} 9. dxc5 bxc5 $1 10. c4 d4 {
(Emms) Black should have sufficient counterchances. Moreover, White shouldn't
even be after such a transposition, at least not if he wants to follow the
repertoire laid out with a c2-c4 approach in Chapter Five.}) 4... gxf6 ({
If Black wants to castle behind a solid wall of pawns he will prefer} 4... exf6
{.} 5. -- ({
. It's always a plan to contest the long diagonal in such a position, but here
} 5. g3 $2 {is premature, as White discovered in M.Stean-V.Korchnoi, Beersheba
1978, where Black won a pawn after the cheeky} Qe7 {
thanks to the double threat!}) ({. A much better approach is} 5. e3 f5 6. g3 $5
(6. Bd3 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. c4 O-O 9. Nc3 d6 10. Rc1 Nd7 11. b4 {was perhaps also
a little better for White in D.Taboas Rodriguez-J.Gomez Gonzalez, Madrid 2011,
but it's not hard to see that his bishop would be better placed on g2 in such
a scenario, assisting the queenside assault from afar while helping to protect
the king}) 6... g6 7. Bg2 Bg7 8. c4 {'followed by Nc3 and 0-0 with a fairly
harmonious set-up', as I noted in 'Starting Out: d-pawn Attacks'. That work
mainly focussed on the Colle-Zukertort, as well as the Barry Attack, but I
couldn't resist giving a little coverage to 2...b6 3 Bg5 too. Then, as now, I
feel that White has excellent chances for a lasting edge when Black declines
to transpose to the lines of Chapter Five with 3...e6.})) 5. e3 e6 ({Quite often in such structures, Black tries to turn his doubled f-pawns into a virtue by
advancing the front to d5 and here} 5... f5 {has also been seen. This clamps
down on the e4-square, not that White had any intention of hurrying with e3-e4
himself, and may contain ideas of an eventual kingside attack. However, it's
not so hard for White to avoid a timely ...f5-f4 and to deal with any pressure
down the g-file. Don't forget too that Black's king will need to be housed
somewhere. --- In M.Narciso Dublan-J.Gonzalez Rodriguez, Barcelona 2005, the
Spanish Grandmaster retained control with} 6. c4 e6 7. a3 $5 ({
I'm not so certain that White needed to avoid} 7. Nc3 Bb4 {, with} 8. Rc1 {
keeping his structure intact, but a2-a3 will hardly be wasted with a queenside
advance White's long-term plan}) 7... Bg7 ({I dare say} 7... Rg8 {
would have been met by} 8. g3 {and Bg2; Black's king can still go long here,
although that would castle into an easy-to-play pawn-storm}) 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Be2
d6 10. O-O Nd7 11. Qc2 Nf6 {. --- EXERCISE: Black too has developed along
logical lines and hopes to obtain counterplay after ...Ne4 and then perhaps ...Qf6-g6. What should White do about this? --- ANSWER: The Spanish Grandmaster
correctly fought for the e4-square with} 12. Nd2 $1 {before} c5 13. Bf3 $1 Bxf3
14. Nxf3 cxd4 15. Nxd4 Rc8 16. Qa4 {deprived Black of the bishop-pair and left
White slightly for choice with his queenside and central pressure.}) 6. Be2 $5
({The French Grandmaster is happy with a modest approach and doesn't want to
see an improvement over the earlier B.Kovacevic-B.Filipovic, Zadar 2001, where
White went} 6. g3 {. It shouldn't come as a surprise by now that I quite like
this approach here and after} d6 7. Bg2 Nd7 8. c4 f5 9. Nc3 Bg7 10. O-O O-O 11.
Rc1 Qe7 {, as I pointed out in my earlier coverage,} 12. Qd3 Nf6 13. d5 $1 Rae8
14. Nd4 {would have left White calling the shots, having blocked the b7-bishop
out of play and prevented ...e6-e5.}) 6... Bg7 7. O-O d6 8. c4 {
Again we see this queenside expansion.} ({White would achieve little with} 8.
Nbd2 f5 9. c3 {
, as any e3-e4 advance would only serve to undouble Black's pawns.}) 8... Nd7
9. Nc3 f5 10. Ne1 $5 ({QUESTION: Did White avoid} 10. Nd2 {
à la Narciso Dublan because of} f4 {
? --- ANSWER: I suspect you're correct, although} 11. Bf3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 fxe3
13. fxe3 {isn't the end of the world for White here. After} O-O 14. Qe4 $5 Qe7
15. Rf3 {he has definite chances to drum up an attack on the kingside, since}
f5 $2 {remains impossible due to} 16. Rxf5 Rxf5 17. Qxa8+ {. --- Thus it seems
that 10 Nd2 was a decent alternative to the text, but Bauer has a more active
role for his knight in mind.}) 10... Nf6 11. Bf3 $1 {And so White deprives
Black of the bishop-pair, while wisely avoiding any trouble down the long
light-squared diagonal.} Bxf3 ({Black might fight to keep the bishops on with} 
11... Ne4 $6 {, but after} 12. Qc2 d5 13. cxd5 exd5 14. Nd3 {White must be
doing pretty well thanks to his much better structure and that great outpost
on f4.}) 12. Qxf3 O-O 13. Nd3 {The knight re-emerges and we can begin to
appreciate the set-up Bauer devised back at move 10. White's pieces control
the centre, thereby preventing Black from activating his knight and in turn
bringing his dormant bishop to life.} Qd7 14. Rfd1 c6 {Perhaps not best, but
in any case I dare say that Bauer would have continued as he now did in the
game.} 15. Rac1 Rac8 ({It's not impossible that the Croatian IM entertained
ideas of going ...d6-d5, but the immediate} 15... d5 $6 {
only would have helped White. After} 16. Ne5 Qd6 17. cxd5 cxd5 18. Nb5 Qb4 (
18... Qd8 {is safer, but still great for White after} 19. Rc7 Ne4 20. Nc6 {
when the a-pawn drops}) 19. Qe2 {White remains in control of the position and
Black begins to run into some trouble on the queenside.}) 16. b4 $1 {Black's last introduced the idea of ...c6-c5, hoping to assist the bishop on g7, so
Bauer simply prevents that possibility while playing an advance he was
intending in any case.} Qe7 17. h3 $5 {A useful move. The French Grandmaster
has realized that Black isn't up to anything, so creates a square for his king
while ensuring that a later ...Ng4 won't cause any problems, as it might if,
say, the white queen was away nabbing pawns on the queenside.} a6 $2 {
Stymied for an active plan, Black makes another weakening pawn move. Never
forget that pawns can't move backwards! --- EXERCISE: White's pieces are all
well deployed, but should he break through with 18 b5, 18 c5 or 18d5?} ({
Instead after} 17... d5 $5 18. c5 Ne4 19. Qe2 {White would have enjoyed a
pretty pleasant advantage, with control of the position and a2-a4 on its way,
but I suspect that Black had to try this.}) 18. c5 $1 {ANSWER: This is a
powerful breakthrough, leaving Black with weak pawns on c6 and a6.} ({Instead} 
18. b5 $6 axb5 19. cxb5 cxb5 20. Nxb5 {would have pulled White's knight out of
sync and not been too bad for Black after} Ne4 21. Qe2 d5 {.}) ({Neither was} 
18. d5 $6 {
ideal, since Black doesn't have to take twice on d5 and might undermine with}
b5 $5 ({or go} 18... cxd5 19. cxd5 b5 {
when suddenly that bishop on g7 begins to breathe some fire down the diagonal.}
)) 18... bxc5 {Black could hardly allow White to exchange on d6 and then lay
siege to the c6-pawn, so Filipovic does his best to block it up.} 19. bxc5 d5
20. Na4 ({One might also make a decent case for} 20. Qf4 $5 {, fighting to
take the b-file, but Bauer's choice was very tempting. Not only does Black
have c6 to worry about, but also a6 and b6.}) 20... Rb8 21. Ne5 Qc7 22. Nb6 {
Cementing his grip and now Black finds himself bound hand and foot, unable to
relieve the pressure with ...Nd7.} Rfd8 $1 {Covering the d7-square in
preparation for ...Ne4. White might meet that with Nd3 and then build up on
the queenside, but Bauer finds something even better.} 23. Qf4 $1 Nh5 {
This doesn't help;} ({but it's not hard to see why Filipovic wasn't sure about
} 23... Ne4 24. Nd3 ({even} 24. Ned7 $5 {has some mileage:} Qxf4 25. exf4 Rb7
26. f3 $1 Ng3 27. Kf2 Nh5 28. Ne5 Bxe5 29. fxe5 {
and White will be quick to gang up against a6}) 24... Qxf4 25. Nxf4 {
. If Black does nothing a6 will fall sooner or later, but} e5 26. dxe5 Bxe5 27.
Nd3 {doesn't especially help him when White attacks the bishop, menaces Nb4
and meets} Bd6 $5 {with} 28. Nxd5 cxd5 29. cxd6 Rxd6 30. Nf4 {.}) 24. Qh4 Nf6
25. Qf4 {Remember that it's often a good idea to repeat moves and so emphasize
control while gaining time on the clock.} Nh5 26. Qh4 Nf6 {
Now White takes control of e4;} ({but after} 26... Bxe5 27. dxe5 $1 Ng7 28. f4
{he might have built up on either flank at his leisure.}) 27. f3 $1 Ne8 28. Nd3
Rb7 ({QUESTION: Black's position is truly disgusting, but shouldn't he have
tried to free himself with} 28... Rxb6 29. cxb6 Qxb6 {? --- ANSWER: I dare say
Filipovic was always looking at the exchange sacrifice, but unfortunately it
doesn't really free Black's position. White retains a strong clamp on the
c5-square and here the little tactic} 30. Rxc6 $1 {would net a further pawn.})
29. Rc2 $1 Ra7 {Black does his best to shore up his vulnerable a-pawn (...Nc7
may follow), but targeting a6 isn't White's only plan. --- EXERCISE: Find a
better plan!} 30. Rf1 {ANSWER: Doubling or even trebling on the b-file wasn't
bad, but with Black's pieces rather tied down and not exactly generating
counterplay on the queenside, Bauer realizes that it's time to open the
classic second front. White will expand on the kingside, stretching Black's
already taut defence to breaking point.} Rb8 31. g4 $1 {A deep decision. White
first had to appreciate that an exchange on g4 was in his interests, not
Black's, and find a way to prevent Filipovic's next from obtaining awkward
counterplay.} f4 ({After} 31... fxg4 32. hxg4 h6 {
(before White can clamp him with 33 g5)} 33. g5 hxg5 34. Qxg5 {
Black would have done well to survive on the kingside.}) 32. Qg5 {The key follow-up. Note the important role played by the rook on c2, preventing any check
on g3 from causing trouble.} fxe3 33. Qxe3 a5 ({Naturally not} 33... Qg3+ 34.
Rg2 Qxh3 $2 35. Qf4 {, snaring the queen while hitting the loose rook on b8.})
({Note too that} 33... Nd6 $5 34. cxd6 $1 Qxb6 35. Ne5 {
followed by f2-f4 would have left White in complete control.}) 34. a4 {
Bauer wants to fix the a-pawn as a weakness in case he ever needs to turn his
attention back to the queenside, but this was likely his only small slip in an
otherwise crushing game.} ({
White should first have increased his grip and attacking chances with} 34. Ne5
$1 {.}) 34... Rbb7 $2 {Missing his chance.} ({He had to find} 34... Nd6 {
, based on the point that} 35. cxd6 ({thus White would have had to go} 35. Ne5
Nc8 36. Nbd7 {when} Bxe5 37. Nxe5 Ne7 38. f4 {must still be good for him, but
at least Black is fighting and might even manage to generate some
counter-threats down the b-file}) 35... Qxd6 $1 36. Rb2 Rab7 37. Rfb1 Qc7 {
would have regained the piece and with interest.}) 35. Kh1 Qb8 {Filipovic is
still not up to anything and looks rather like a man long resigned to his fate.
} 36. Ne5 $1 {Hitting c6 while preparing to blast through with f3-f4-f5. I'd
be very surprised if Black wasn't already doomed, whether or not he exchanges
on e5.} Bxe5 37. dxe5 Qd8 38. f4 f6 $1 {He could hardly sit still all day and
at last Filipovic finds some counterplay. Unfortunately for him it comes
somewhat too late to make a difference.} 39. f5 $1 {White has no desire to
exchange on f6 and allow Black even a little counterplay, rather he wants to
keep the pressure up.} exf5 40. Rxf5 {Bauer keeps it simple;} ({but} 40. gxf5
fxe5 41. Qxe5 {
would also have left him somewhat in the driver's seat, with f5-f6 next up.}) (
{Moreover, one can also make a good case for} 40. exf6 $5 Nxf6 41. Qe6+ Kh8 42.
Nc8 $1 {, bringing the knight back into the game with some effect.}) 40... Re7
$2 {Collapsing and now White gets to force a fishbone deep into Black's throat.
} ({The last chance was} 40... fxe5 {, even if} 41. Qh6 Ng7 42. Rf6 {
would have left White in complete control.}) 41. e6 $1 Rab7 {Not what he
wanted to do no doubt, but Black was badly short of a move with his knight
having to stay on e8 to defend f6.} 42. g5 ({It was also possible to begin with
} 42. Rcf2 {. In any case Black's cramped pieces won't be able to cope as the
kingside opens.}) 42... Rg7 43. Rcf2 $1 {
Crashing through thanks to the following neat tactic.} Rxg5 44. Rxf6 Rg6 ({If} 
44... Nxf6 45. Qxg5+ {when the knight goes west and with it the game}) ({
but Black might have tried} 44... Rg1+ $5 45. Kxg1 Nxf6 {
, hoping for the swindle} 46. Qg5+ $4 ({however, I'm sure that the grandmaster
would have spotted this and instead found the crushing} 46. Nd7 {, and if} Nxd7
47. Rg2+ Kh8 48. e7) 46... Rg7 {.}) 45. Rf8+ Kg7 46. Qe5+ Kh6 47. Qf4+ Kg7 {
EXERCISE: White has several ways to win here, but which is the most clinical?
---} ({Now it's all over, but} 47... Qg5 48. Qxg5+ Rxg5 49. Rxe8 {
would have snapped off a clear piece.}) {ANSWER:} 48. Rg8+ $1 {
. It's mate next move.} 1-0

[Event "Lugano"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1970.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Larsen, B."]
[Black "Szabo, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A47"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "1970.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. Bg5 Ne4 {Black avoids the doubling of his pawns and
hopes to obtain counterplay based around his central light-square control.} 4.
Bh4 {The bishop can also go to f4, of course, but I've opted for our favourite
retreat, partly to be consistent, but also because it's good a move!} Bb7 5.
Nbd2 {Wasting no time challenging the knight while luring the Hungarian
Grandmaster into an overly ambitious advance.} f5 $6 {This may seem to fit in
well with Black's play thus far, but the position is not a comfortable version
of the Dutch for him, since he is yet to develop his kingside and can't move
the e-pawn.} ({More solid and relatively preferable alternatives are: --} 5...
d5 {risks leaving Black with a dead-point on e4 and after} 6. e3 Nd7 7. Nxe4 $1
dxe4 8. Nd2 g6 9. c3 {(here, rather than 9 c4, as White wants to use the a2-g8
diagonal for his pieces)} Bg7 10. Qc2 f5 11. Qb3 $1 Nf6 12. Bb5+ c6 13. Bc4 Nd5
14. O-O {gave White a pretty pleasant advantage in N.Povah-J.Bellin, British
League 2010, with Rae1 followed by f2-f3 set to favourably open the position.})
(5... c5 6. e3 Qc8 {
frees the e-pawn, but also looks a little artificial and after} 7. c3 e6 8. Bd3
d5 9. O-O Bd6 {White had several promising continuations in K.Abdel Razik-K.Al
Betro, Cairo 2009, including} 10. Bxe4 $5 dxe4 11. Ng5 {when} f5 {
is the only move to save the pawn, but after} 12. Nc4 Be7 13. dxc5 Qxc5 14.
Nxe6 $1 Qxc4 15. Nxg7+ Kf8 16. Nxf5 {
White has three pawns and an extremely strong attack for the piece.}) ({After} 
5... Nxd2 6. Qxd2 g6 ({White's doubled pawns were much more of a cramping
strength than a weakness after} 6... Bxf3 7. exf3 c6 8. Bd3 Qc7 9. f4 $1 {
in O.Romanishin-V.Savon, Sumi 1979}) 7. Bg5 $1 {it may look like White is
losing a lot of time with his bishop, but he still isn't behind in development.
Moreover, the threat to exchange bishops on h6 isn't so easy for Black to meet
and after} h6 8. Bf4 Bg7 9. Be5 $5 O-O 10. Bxg7 Kxg7 11. g3 {I was slightly
for choice in R.Palliser-P.O'Neill, York 2001. --- . QUESTION: Are you sure
you were definitely better? Not only does Black seem to be developing fairly
quickly after 11...d6 , but might he not double our pawns on f3?} -- ({
. ANSWER: After} 11... d6 12. Bg2 Nd7 13. d5 $1 {White gets to blunt Black's
bishop and will follow up with c2-c4 and Nd4, augmenting his grip, since} e6 $2
14. dxe6 $1 fxe6 $2 {would lose material to} 15. Nd4 $1 {. Do always watch out
for such tactics on the long diagonal whenever two bishops oppose each other
thus.}) ({. In the game Black preferred your other idea of} 11... Bxf3 12. exf3
d5 {, which avoids any notion of a restricted bishop. However, the doubled
pawns do not have to be seen as a weakness here, especially when one considers
that White might attack. Indeed, after} 13. h4 $1 e6 $2 (13... h5 {
was essential, if still slightly more pleasant for White, such as after} 14. f4
e6 15. O-O-O {followed by f2-f3 and g3-g4}) 14. h5 g5 15. f4 {the attack was
already pretty serious, as should be familiar to readers of 'Starting Out:
d-pawn Attacks' where the whole game appeared.})) (5... g6 6. Nxe4 Bxe4 7. d5
$5 {(ambitious and strong)} ({not that there's too much wrong with the simple} 
7. Nd2 Bb7 8. e4 Bg7 9. c3) 7... Bxf3 ({or} 7... Bg7 8. Ng5 $1 {
, seizing an early initiative}) 8. Qd4 Bxg2 {was the sharp course of U.Rinkis-I.Abolins, correspondence 1987, where I still feel that} 9. Bxg2 $5 f6
10. O-O-O {would have given White promising compensation for his pawn, with
the two bishops, a potentially powerful pawn centre and attacking chances on
the kingside.}) 6. e3 {For now Larsen continues to develop, but note that this
move doesn't just open an avenue for the light-squared bishop, but also one
for the queen.} g6 {The only real way to develop the kingside.} ({
Black preferred} 6... d6 $2 {in a later game, but this is even worse and after}
7. Nxe4 $1 fxe4 8. Ng5 Qd7 9. d5 c6 10. Bc4 {
his cause was already quite critical in D.Zivkovic-Z.Samardzija, Belgrade 2009.
}) 7. Nxe4 $1 {White has slightly the easier development, so it makes sense to
exchange off Black's best piece while beginning to open the position.} fxe4 $6
{The consistent follow-up to ...f7-f5, but this just makes matters worse.} ({
Szabo had to go} 7... Bxe4 {, even if} 8. Bd3 Bb7 ({or} 8... Bxd3 9. Qxd3 {
followed by e3-e4, unless Black prefers to suffer after} d5 10. c4) 9. c3 Bg7
10. Qb3 {would have left White with a pretty pleasant edge.}) 8. Nd2 Bg7 9. c4
{Gaining space must be a good move.} ({So too would have been} 9. c3 $5 {
, echoing Povah's play above, although here Black might not be doing too badly
after} d5 {.}) 9... Bf6 {A rather strange choice;} ({
presumably Szabo wanted to avoid} 9... c5 10. d5 $1 Bxb2 11. Nxe4 {
when White threatens to check on d6 and} Bxa1 12. Qxa1 O-O 13. Nd6 $1 {
looks good for him, since the pin is not at all easy to shake off.}) ({
However, I'm not too sure what to suggest instead, since} 9... O-O 10. Qc2 Nc6
11. a3 $1 {just leaves the e-pawn a goner,} ({while sidestepping} 11. Nxe4 $2
Nxd4 $1 12. exd4 Rf4 {.})) 10. Bg3 {Simple and strong;} ({
although so too would have been} 10. Qg4 {
, continuing to focus on that falling pawn.}) 10... c5 {
The only try for some counterplay, but Larsen has prepared a strong rejoinder.}
11. d5 $1 Bxb2 {Black might as well snaffle the pawn for his suffering, even
if another blow now awaited him.} 12. Nxe4 $1 ({QUESTION: Are you sure Larsen
wasn't getting carried away here? I would just have settled for} 12. Rb1 {
followed by regaining the pawn on e4, since} Bc3 13. Qc2 Bxd2+ $6 14. Kxd2 {
fails to save it.}) ({ANSWER: White would have a pleasant advantage after 12
Rb1, but Larsen's choice is even stronger. If Black takes the exchange, White
dominates not just the long diagonal, but also the whole board:} 12. Nxe4 Bxa1
13. Qxa1 O-O (13... Rg8 {doesn't help on account of the crushing centralization
} 14. Qe5 $1) 14. h4 $1 {. With Black lacking any counterplay whatsoever,
White is fully justified in launching this strong assault and after} Qe8 ({or} 
14... Rf5 15. Be2 d6 16. h5 {
followed by Bg4, regaining the exchange while retaining some advantage}) 15. h5
Na6 16. a3 $1 {(keeping Black's pieces under firm control)} d6 17. Bd3 {
Black is almost lost with Ng5 such a powerful threat.}) 12... d6 {
Wisely declining the exchange.} 13. Rb1 {Only now.} ({
I dare say that Larsen also considered} 13. Bd3 $5 {, but after} Bxa1 14. Qxa1
O-O 15. h4 {while White retains dangerous compensation, Black can at least
bring his bishop around to offer some defensive support with} Bc8 16. h5 Bf5 {.
}) 13... Bg7 14. Bd3 Nd7 15. h4 $5 {Perhaps not the best move, but with
complete control over the whole board, I suspect that Larsen was enjoying
himself too much not to open the kingside.} ({Instead} 15. Ng5 {
would have been simple and strong}) ({
and White could even have nicked a pawn with} 15. Bxd6 $5 {, since} exd6 16.
Nxd6+ Ke7 17. Nxb7 Qc8 18. Be4 {saves the knight.}) 15... Nf6 16. Ng5 $1 {
Preparing to invade on e6 after all;} (16. h5 $5 {
must also have been pretty tempting, and if} Nxh5 $6 (16... Nxe4 17. Bxe4 Kd7 {
is a better if still quite desperate try}) 17. Rxh5 gxh5 18. Ng5 {
with a huge attack on the light squares.}) 16... Kd7 {
This will hardly save Black, but what else to try?} ({After, for instance,} 
16... Bc8 17. h5 $1 {White's initiative continues unabated, as} Bg4 18. f3 Nxh5
({or} 18... Bxh5 19. Ne6) 19. Bf2 Bd7 {runs into the devastating blow} 20. Nxh7
$1 {.}) 17. a4 $1 {Black's position is truly atrocious and the text reminds
him that even on the queenside his king won't be safe.} Ba6 18. Ne6 Qg8 {
The only move, but what a horrible one to have to make. I must confess I might
well have resigned and made a quick exit from the tournament hall by now!} 19.
a5 $1 {Decisively levering open the position.} b5 20. e4 Nh5 ({
White can even delay capturing on b5, as} 20... bxc4 21. Qa4+ Kc8 22. Qc6# {
is mate.}) 21. cxb5 {. Black has seen enough and doesn't wait to see how White
will finish him off after the forthcoming Qa4.} 1-0

[Event "Hamburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yusupov, A."]
[Black "Wirthensohn, H."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D03"]
[Annotator "Richard Palliser"]
[PlyCount "113"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2012.06.01"]

1. d4 d5 ({The actual course of the game was} 1... Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 {, but I've changed the move order so we can examine a couple of alternatives along the way.}
) 2. Nf3 Nf6 {Black's main move, but two alternatives also present something
of a problem if White is hell-bent on a Torre-against-everything approach.} ({
After} 2... e6 3. Bg5 Be7 $1 (3... Nf6 {
would, of course, give White just what he wanted}) 4. Bxe7 Qxe7 {it's hard to
believe that the early simplification doesn't help Black. Think after all of
the ways he often tried to exchange the dark-squared bishops by moving his
knight from f6 in Chapters Four and Five. Here White can carry on in standard
Torre fashion with} 5. Nbd2 Nf6 6. e3 O-O ({angling with} 6... Nbd7 {to break with ...e6-e5 is a good alternative; Watson and Schiller note that White has
nothing better than} 7. c4 {with rough equality,} ({since} 7. Ne5 $6 Nxe5 8.
dxe5 Nd7 9. Qg4 $6 O-O 10. f4 Qb4 $1 {wins a pawn for Black})) 7. Bd3 c5 8. c3
{. However, Black shouldn't have any problems after} Nc6 {, with} 9. Bb5 ({or} 
9. Ne5 Nxe5 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. f4 f6 $1 12. exf6 Nxf6 {with rough equality}) 9...
Bd7 10. a4 a6 11. Bxc6 Bxc6 12. Ne5 Nd7 $1 13. Ndf3 (13. Nxc6 bxc6 {
can only help Black who will press down the b-file}) 13... Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Be8 {
followed by ...f7-f6 fine for him in A.Groenn-N.Getz, Oslo 2011.}) (2... c6 3.
Bg5 {prepares to double Black's pawns in the event of ...Nf6, but the second
player does much better with} h6 4. Bh4 {, reaching a position which more
often comes about via the so-called Pseudo Trompowsky, 1 d4 d5 2 Bg5 h6 3 Bh4
c6 4 e3.} -- ({. Here Black has a pleasant choice between the adventurous} 4...
Qb6 {, when} 5. Qc1 g5 $5 ({here too} 5... Bf5 6. c4 e6 7. Nc3 Be7 {
would be somewhat more solid}) 6. Bg3 g4 7. Ne5 Qxd4 {
probably doesn't give White quite enough for his pawn}) ({, and the solid} 4...
Bf5 {, after which} 5. e3 Qb6 6. b3 {
(the other way of dealing with the threat to b2)} e6 7. Bd3 Bxd3 8. Qxd3 Nd7 9.
O-O Ne7 10. e4 dxe4 11. Qxe4 Nf5 {removed the Torre bishop and was fine for
Black in P.Brodowski-K.Miton, Polish Team Championship 2011. --- QUESTION: I
get the impression that you're not a huge fan of the Torre after both 2...e6
and 2...c6? --- ANSWER: Correct! It seems to me that White gives Black
equality far too easily in these lines. Much better choices than 3 Bg5 in both
cases are all of 3 e3, 3 Bf4 and 3 c4!})) 3. Bg5 {In his detailed work on the
Torre, Graham Burgess wrote the damning words: 'I won't beat around the bush
here: after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5, the move 3 Bg5 is ineffective.' I have a lot of
sympathy for such a view, so why are we having a quick look at this line?
Partly I must admit as a sop to those players who want to employ the Torre
against as many set-ups as possible, but also because there might be a little
mileage in 3 Bg5 here, at least as a surprise weapon.} Ne4 $1 {Much stronger
than 3...e6 with a transposition to Chapter Four. Black targets the bishop and
already fights for the initiative, partly because, unlike in related
Trompowsky positions, White can't boot the knight with f2-f3.} 4. Bh4 $5 {
Sharper and more challenging than the retreat to f4 from what I can see.} Qd6
$5 {Hernandez has spotted a tricky idea; not only does Black threaten to check
on b4, but he hopes to cause trouble on the kingside after ...Qh6.} ({
A very important alternative is the natural} 4... c5 {
when White really has to go in for} 5. dxc5 $5 {.} ({
QUESTION: Wow! I had thought you were going to say White really has to try} 5.
e3 {, which surely looks like the most normal and consistent move? --- ANSWER:
Consistent perhaps, but White can no longer get by with normal moves! As a
number of strong players have discovered to their embarrassment,} Qb6 $1 {
just leaves White in trouble. Sacrificing the b-pawn is unconvincing but might
be the best try, as} 6. b3 (6. Qc1 $6 {is even worse on account of} cxd4 7. exd4
g5 $1 {when the complications favour Black, such as with} 8. Bxg5 (8. Nxg5 $2
Qh6 9. Qf4 f6 {pins and wins}) 8... Nxg5 9. Nxg5 Qxd4) 6... Nc6 {just looks pretty grim. Try to avoid falling for this if you really must go 3 Bg5 here!})
5... -- ({. After the superior capture on c5, Black should avoid} 5... Nxc5 $2
6. Nc3 {with awkward pressure against d5 (remember the e-pawn is pinned),
which leaves him with:}) (5... Qa5+ 6. Nbd2 Nxd2 (6... Nc6 7. e3 Bg4 {
is a more dynamic try, but Black is still to develop his kingside and} 8. c3
Nxd2 9. Qxd2 Qxc5 10. O-O-O $5 e6 11. e4 $1 {
gives White chances to seize the initiative}) 7. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 8. Nxd2 e6 9. e4 $1
(9. Nb3 Nd7 {would regain the pawn, so White hands it back without delay for a
structural advantage}) 9... Bxc5 10. exd5 exd5 11. O-O-O Be6 12. Nb3 {
left Black with an IQP and White with a pleasant edge in V.Sergeev-T.Michalczak, Guben 2011.}) (5... Nc6 {is a better try, as advocated by Cox. Following} 6.
e3 ({or} 6. Nbd2 Nxc5 7. e3 Bg4 8. c3 Qb6 9. Nb3 e6 10. Be2 Ne4 11. Nfd4 Bxe2
12. Qxe2 {which was all pretty equal in D.Hennig-M.Luch, Portuguese Team
Championship 2010}) 6... g6 7. Nbd2 Nxc5 8. Nb3 Bg7 9. c3 Ne4 10. Bd3 {
the position is unbalanced and not completely dull, as shown by two of
Timman's games:} -- (10... Bg4 11. O-O Qb6 12. h3 ({White might have tried} 12.
Bc2 $5 {; after} e6 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Ne5 15. Qd1 {(Finkel) Black is quite
active, but White can hope to gradually put his bishop-pair to good use}) 12...
Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Ne5 14. Qe2 Nxd3 15. Qxd3 e6 16. Rad1 Nd6 {
was fine for Black in J.Timman-L.Fressinet, German League 2001.}) (10... O-O {
had been preferred in the earlier J.Timman-A.Shirov, Wijk aan Zee 2001. White
should now castle himself, since while Timman's} 11. Bxe4 $6 dxe4 12. Qxd8 Rxd8
13. Nfd4 Ne5 $1 14. Bxe7 Re8 15. Ba3 Nd3+ 16. Ke2 b6 {unbalanced the position,
it also gave Black excellent compensation for his pawn.}))) ({Before returning
to 4...Qd6 and our main game, I should note that sometimes Black settles for
the solid} 4... c6 {, but after} 5. Nbd2 Qb6 6. e3 $5 Nxd2 ({
this must be critical; instead} 6... Bg4 7. Be2 Nxd2 8. Nxd2 Bxe2 9. Qxe2 Nd7
10. O-O e6 11. c4 {gave White a pull in E.Prié-J.Boudre, St-Affrique 2007}) 7.
Nxd2 Qxb2 8. Bd3 {he has been lured into a murky gambit position after all.
White leads somewhat in development, with} Na6 (8... Bg4 $2 {
is too clever by half after just} 9. Rb1) 9. a3 $1 e5 10. O-O e4 11. Bxa6 bxa6
12. f3 {a sample line given by Prié, where I quite like White's chances as the
position opens up.}) 5. Nbd2 {
Developing while dealing with the threatened check.} Qh6 $1 {
This must be critical;} (5... Qb4 {can now be met by either the straightforward
} 6. Rb1 ({or} 6. e3 $5 {
when we again see White offering a pawn for the initiative. Following} Bg4 7.
Be2 Nxd2 8. Nxd2 Bxe2 9. Qxe2 {Black declined in A.Eliseev-E.Ovod, St
Petersburg 2003, but without managing to equalize after} e6 ({instead} 9...
Qxb2 10. Rb1 $5 {
is risky for Black, especially if he opens the c-file for White's king's rook;}
Qxa2 11. O-O Qa6 {
seems sensible enough, but here too White retains full compensation, with} 12.
c4 dxc4 13. Nxc4 Nd7 14. Rfc1 e6 15. Ra1 Qc6 16. Ne5 Qd5 17. Rxc7 {one possible
continuation; I think we might say that by now Black would have had serious
doubts about his pawn-grabbing!}) 10. O-O Be7 11. Bg3 Bd6 12. c4 {.})) ({
Instead} 5... Qb6 $5 {hopes for} 6. e3 $6 ({White does much better with} 6.
Nxe4 $1 dxe4 7. Nd2 {, as discovered by Eric Prié during his pioneering work
on this line for the ChessPublishing website; after} Qxd4 8. c3 Qd5 9. e3 Nc6
10. Bc4 Qf5 11. O-O {
White is slightly for choice, with the c7-pawn a target as well as e4}) 6...
Qh6 {when Black has lost a tempo, but more importantly White has lost the
defence Yusupov now employs.}) 6. Qc1 $1 {
QUESTION: This seems pretty weird and yet you give it an exclam! Why?} ({
ANSWER: Because it's a star move. We might view Black's queen manoeuvre as
being a little weird too and sometimes weird is best met by weird! In short
White must prevent his kingside structure from being broken up by ...g7-g5 and
an exchange on g3:} 6. e3 $2 g5 7. Bg3 Nxg3 8. fxg3 g4 {, picking off the
e3-pawn while wrecking our position, would not be the way to go.}) 6... Nxd2 {
This seems logical, but is by no means forced, as shown by Prié's games and
analysis.} ({White's main point is that} 6... g5 $2 7. Nxe4 dxe4 8. Bxg5 Qh5 9.
Ng1 {now leaves him a pawn ahead for insufficient compensation.}) (6... c5 $6
7. dxc5 Nc6 $6 8. Nxe4 Qxc1+ 9. Rxc1 dxe4 10. Nd2 Bf5 11. e3 {just left White
doing pretty well in E.Prié-A.Karpatchev, Creon 2007. Maybe your opponents
will try equally hard to refute the strange-looking 6 Qc1...}) (6... Qh5 {
gets the queen off the key diagonal, but it's hard to believe that Black can
afford to make three moves with the same piece in a row. That said, the
position is still pretty murky, with} 7. h3 $1 Nc6 (7... f5 $6 8. c4 $1 g5 9.
Nxe4 dxe4 10. g4 $1 fxg4 11. Qxg5 Qxg5 12. Nxg5 {broke up Black's kingside
with some advantage in H.Dietz-S.Kharitonov, Ceske Budejovice 1997}) 8. c3 f6 (
8... g5 9. Nxe4 gxh4 10. Nc5 e5 11. e3 {
isn't clear either, but White seems to have sufficient control of the centre})
9. g4 Qg6 {unsurprisingly assessed as unclear by Prié.}) ({QUESTION: After} 
6... Qh5 {why didn't White prefer} 7. Nxe4 dxe4 8. Qg5 Qxg5 9. Nxg5 {, leaving 
Black with a sickly pawn on e4? --- ANSWER: This looks tempting, but must be
avoided! After} h6 {
the knight has to retreat with its tail between its legs to h3, as} 10. Nxe4 $2
f5 {would lose a piece, since the knight is attacked and the bishop surrounded.
}) (6... Nc6 7. c3 Qh5 {is equally fiendish. Again White must go} 8. h3 $1 ({
and avoid} 8. Nxe4 $2 dxe4 9. Qg5 Qxg5 10. Nxg5 h6 {, when} 11. Nh3 e5 {
favours Black.})) 7. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 8. Kxd2 {Annotating this game for ChessBase,
Yusupov assessed White's chances as already being slightly favourable. That
seems fair enough considering his small lead in development and the rest of
the game is most certainly an instructive example of how to gradually expand
and then convert such an edge.} Bf5 ({Black preferred} 8... c6 9. e3 Bf5 {
in E.Prié-G.Flear, Nimes 2008, and now, as the d-pawn expert later pointed out,
he might well have settled for the Yusupovesque} 10. Bg3 $5 {
, preparing Nh4 to drive the black bishop back.}) 9. e3 e6 10. Be2 {QUESTION: White's play seems very modest. Can he really set any problems from here? ---
ANSWER: Just watch what happens! Yusupov begins by connecting his rooks and
observe especially how he avoids c2-c4, which looks like a logical break, but
would serve to slightly expose White's centralized king.} Bd6 ({In the event of
} 10... Be7 {, Yusupov was intending} 11. Bxe7 Kxe7 12. Nh4 $1 {
, picking up bishop for knight with a lasting pull.}) 11. Bg3 $1 {
Again Nh4 is the idea; a plan which Wirthensohn takes steps to counter.} h6 {
QUESTION: Why did Black allow us to double his pawns, rather than double ours?}
({ANSWER: Quite possibly Wirthensohn liked the central control supplied by his
d-pawns.} 11... Bxg3 12. hxg3 {was possible too, of course, but after} h6 13.
Rh4 {
White has the simple idea of g4-g5, aiming to open and then control the h-file.
}) 12. Bxd6 cxd6 {EXERCISE: With Black set to catch up in development White
needs a plan. Where should he look to generate some play?} 13. a4 $1 {
ANSWER: Any kingside expansion would be fairly double-edged, so White needs to
play on the queenside.} ({Yusupov makes a fine gain of space there, whereas} 
13. Rhc1 {would not have been so impressive. After} Ke7 $1 (13... Nc6 14. c4
dxc4 15. Bxc4 $1 {gives White a little something}) 14. c4 dxc4 15. Rxc4 ({now} 
15. Bxc4 {is neutralized by} Nd7) 15... Nc6 16. Rac1 Be4 {
it's hard to believe that Black should have any problems.}) 13... Ke7 {
Continuing to develop.} ({Black might have halted the a-pawn in its tracks, but
} 13... a5 {creates a weakness and White can immediately begin to probe with}
14. Ra3 $1 {.}) 14. a5 Nd7 {The knight is quite restricted here.} ({
I suspect that} 14... Nc6 $5 {
was a better try, although Yusupov still gives White a plus after} 15. Ra4 {
in his notes; b2-b4 or c2-c4 will soon follow.}) 15. Rhc1 {Reminding Black
that the c2-c4 break isn't off the agenda for ever while facilitating the
following manoeuvre.} Rhc8 16. Ne1 $1 {The knight was doing little on the
kingside, so Yusupov brings it round towards the action.} Rc7 17. Nd3 Bxd3 {
QUESTION: Isn't this a definite concession by Black? --- ANSWER: Yes, but I
don't believe that the move is a mistake. Firstly, Black's bishop wasn't
actually doing all that much on f5 and, secondly, imagine the scenario if
White was able to place the knight on b4, fix Black queenside with a5-a6 and
then break with b2-b3 followed by c2-c4. That might well push Black's defences
to breaking point, since if, say, all the rooks came off on the c-file, the
weakness of the c6-square could cost Black his a-pawn.} 18. Bxd3 Rb8 $6 {
Black lacks counterplay, but I'm not convinced by the plan begun by the text.}
({Better would have been} 18... Rac8 19. Ra3 Nb8 $1 {, fighting against the
c2-c4 break and so making it hard for White to press on the queenside. Of
course, the first player might thus turn his thoughts to kingside expansion,
but in any case Black's defences would have been pretty solid.}) 19. Ra3 b6 {
EXERCISE: How should White best react on the queenside? Choose between: -- a)
20 axb6, opening the a-file to press down; -- b) 20 a6, fixing a7 as a
weakness; -- c) 20 Rca1, keeping the tension for now.} 20. Rca1 $5 ({ANSWER: All three approaches have their merits. Yusupov decides to improve his rook,
which maintains a definite pull, but so would have a)} 20. axb6 Rxb6 21. b3 Nb8
22. Rca1 ({but not} 22. c3 $6 a5 $1 {
, neutralizing White's queenside play, as pointed out by Yusupov}) 22... Nc6
23. f3 {.}) ({The weakest option would have been b)} 20. a6 $6 {, since it's
not at all easy for White to create any pressure on the queenside after} Rbc8 {
. Yusupov will advance his a-pawn, but only once Black has first weakened the
defences of his own b-pawn.}) 20... b5 {It wasn't easy to maintain the tension,
with White set to swap pawns, place the bishop on b5 and invade with the rooks
down the a-file, but now Yusupov is able to fix a definite weakness.} 21. a6 $1
b4 {The main target, the b-pawn, is much safer here, but White can still play
to keep Black tied down to its defence.} 22. Ra5 Rc6 23. f3 ({QUESTION: Why is
White switching to the kingside? Shouldn't he keep making progress on the
queenside after} 23. Rb5 {
? --- ANSWER: That wouldn't have been a bad move, but after} Rxb5 24. Bxb5 Rb6
25. Bd3 {White is going to have to look to the kingside in any case, since
there's no good way to make further progress for now on the left flank. The
only real possibility is to place the rook on a4 and the king on b3, but Black
can defend against that easily enough by bringing his knight to c6.}) 23...
Rcb6 24. h4 $1 Nf6 25. g4 {As Yusupov puts it so well in his notes, 'White's
plan is to provoke another weakness on the kingside, exchange one pair of
rooks and combine threats on different sides of the board.'} Rh8 26. Rb5 Rhb8
$6 {This drags the rook away from the kingside. Black would have done better
to exchange rooks on b5.} 27. Rxb6 Rxb6 28. g5 hxg5 29. hxg5 Nd7 ({
QUESTION: If Black had gone} 29... Ne8 {
would White have had to enter a race situation with} 30. Rh1 Nc7 {? --- ANSWER:
He would, indeed, have happily done so, since he is much the faster! Yusupov
gives the instructive line} 31. Rh7 Kf8 (31... Nxa6 32. Rxg7 Kf8 33. Rh7 {
followed by g5-g6 is very good too for White}) 32. Rh8+ Ke7 33. Kc1 $1 {
(improving the king while waiting for Black to pick up a6, since then the
white rook can swing across to a8)} Nxa6 34. Ra8 Nc7 35. Rxa7 Kd7 36. Kb1 {
, which he assesses as winning. It's certainly not clear what Black can do
about the simple plan of Ka2-b3 and Ra4.}) 30. Rh1 Rb8 31. Rh7 Rg8 {
Black digs in for a long defence.} ({The alternative was} 31... Kf8 32. Rh8+
Ke7 {, but I'd be surprised if this was an improvement, since after} 33. Rxb8
$1 Nxb8 34. c3 bxc3+ 35. Kxc3 {
White's queenside majority should eventually make itself felt.}) 32. c3 $1 {
Again I can do no better than quote Yusupov: 'With a passive black rook White
can bring his king to the action.'} bxc3+ 33. Kxc3 Kd8 34. Kb4 Kc7 35. Ka5 $1 {
When Yusupov said 'bring his king to the action', he really did mean activate
the king as far as possible. Black's defences are definitely beginning to
creak, with a timely switch of the white rook to the queenside but one problem
for him.} Nb6 ({
Some players might have been put off White's last by the possibility of} 35...
Nb8 $2 {, but then} 36. Bb5 Nc6+ 37. Bxc6 Kxc6 38. b4 Kc7 39. b5 {leads to an
easily winning endgame, since Black can't prevent the white king penetrating
with decisive effect.}) 36. Rh2 {
White decides to indulge in a little spot of manoeuvring.} ({
There was nothing wrong, however, with the immediate} 36. b3 {.}) 36... Rc8 ({
White will restrict the knight after this, but unfortunately for Black the
immediate} 36... Nc4+ $2 {would have cost him a pawn after} 37. Bxc4 dxc4 38.
Rc2 d5 39. b3 {.}) 37. b3 $1 Kd7 38. Rh7 Rg8 39. f4 $1 {
White continues to find ways to improve his pieces.} Ke7 {EXERCISE: White's
pieces are well placed, but how to make progress? The options are: -- a) 40
Kb5, preparing to invade with the king via c6; -- b) 40 Bb5, restricting
Black's king and knight; -- c) 40 f5, opening up the kingside.} ({
Note that Black now had to avoid} 39... Nc8 $2 40. f5 $1 {.}) 40. Bb5 ({
ANSWER: Yusupov continues manoeuvring and is happy to further restrict Black's
pieces. There was nothing wrong with a)} 40. Kb5 {, but after} Na8 $1 {
White would have had to avoid} 41. Kc6 $4 {
on account of the rather embarrassing} Rb8 {and it's mate next move!}) ({
At some point, White might have to open the kingside, but there's no need to
hurry with such a policy and b)} 40. f5 exf5 $1 41. Bxf5 g6 42. Bd3 Nd7 {
would have left White struggling for a decisive breakthrough.}) 40... f6 $5 {
A risky decision on move 40.} ({
I would have preferred to keep things solid with} 40... Nc8 {
, asking White how he might best arrange the f4-f5 break.}) 41. Be2 $1 {
The bishop scurries round to prevent Black from obtaining kingside counterplay.
} fxg5 42. fxg5 Nd7 $2 {Now White's king gets to invade.} ({
Yusupov points out that} 42... Kf7 43. Bh5+ Ke7 44. Kb5 {is also winning}) ({
and that Black had to try} 42... Na8 $1 {, again based on the idea of} 43. Kb5
Rb8+ 44. Kc6 $4 Rb6# {.}) 43. Kb5 Nf8 {
The king breaks through to a7 after this;} ({but} 43... Nb8 44. Bg4 Kf7 45. Rh1
Ke7 46. Rc1 $1 Kd7 47. Rf1 Ke7 48. g6 $1 {
would also have been extremely strong.}) 44. Rh2 Nd7 45. Kc6 $1 Rc8+ 46. Kb7
Rb8+ 47. Kxa7 Rxb3 {QUESTION: Are you sure that this was the right plan?
White's king looks cut off and suddenly Black's rook is quite active. ---
ANSWER: Try not to panic! The a-pawn is very strong and Black's knight and
king will not become too active after White's next move, which Yusupov had to
see in advance.} 48. Rh8 $1 {'Following the same strategy: to attack Black's
position from different sides', as Yusupov says. Now threatening mate on e8
with Bh5 is even a possibility!} Nf8 {The most stubborn defence.} ({After} 
48... Rxe3 $2 {White wins with} 49. Bh5 Nf8 50. Rg8 g6 51. Bxg6 Nxg6 52. Rg7+
Kf8 53. Rxg6 {.}) 49. Bd1 $1 Rb4 ({This time after} 49... Rxe3 {
White was ready with} 50. Kb6 $1 Ra3 51. Kb5 {followed by Ba4}) ({and} 49...
Rb2 $2 50. Ba4 {
with the idea of Bc6-b7 (Yusupov) would also have done the business.}) 50. Bc2
({White wants to improve his bishop, but he might also have begun with} 50. g6
{.}) 50... Rc4 51. Bd3 Rb4 52. g6 $1 {Finally Black's over-stretched defences
snap as he can no longer keep White at bay on both flanks.} e5 53. Bf5 $1 {
The simple approach;} ({the slightly more complex} 53. Rg8 Ne6 54. Rb8 Ra4 55.
Kb6 $1 exd4 56. exd4 Nxd4 57. Rb7+ Kf6 58. a7 {would have done the job too.})
53... exd4 54. exd4 Rxd4 {This frees the king, but otherwise White would have
had a pleasant choice between making decisive progress with Rg8 or Bc8-b7.} 55.
Kb6 Ra4 ({After} 55... Rb4+ 56. Ka5 Rb2 57. Rh4 {
the rook returns to seal White's triumph.}) 56. Rg8 Ne6 57. a7 {. --- A positional tour de force from Yusupov and a fine way to conclude our coverage of the
Torre.} 1-0

