Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOTVINNIK SYSTEM 9
opening files on the queenside against
Black's king. For example:
B
Outposts
Now that we have acquainted ourselves
with the most common structures, it is
natural to consider whether Black can
bring a knight to d3 - and indeed the
d3-square almost screams out to be
occupied by a black knight.
The above position arose quite frequently
in the 1980s and the early
1990s but is now hardly seen any
more. Black cannot really avoid White
opening the c-file either by simply
winning thec4-pawn or by sacrificing
a piece. Black's main continuation is
20 ... ltJc6 21 i.xd5 ':'xd5 22 ':'xc4,
which is also a subject of Chapter 2. It
is true that this leaves White's g5-
bishop en prise, but due to Black's
poor coordination and vulnerable king,
White will most likely win it back.
The disadvantage of bringing a
knight to d3 is that it can easily get undermined
(with, for example, b3 at
some point) and also that the black
king might miss the knight's protection.
Nevertheless, it is an option Black
should bear in mind, and White should
look out for it too.