Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

120 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLAV
really cannot see what White's idea is;
16 ... i.xc3 17 bxc3 b4 18 dxc5 bxc3 19
'ii'd4 'ii'xc5 20 'ii'g4 'ii'f8 was OK for
Black in Gavrikov-Nogueiras, Tbilisi
1983, and even agreed drawn after 21
'ifd4) 16 ... i.xc3 17 bxc3 ltJf4 18 'ifd2
ltJxe2+ 19 'ifxe2 i.d5 20 dxc5l:txc5!
21ltJd2 'ii'xa2 22 'ii'g4!? ~f8 23ltJe4
l:tg8 with a complicated but probably
quite comfortable game for Black,
Nogueiras-Huerta, Santa Clara 1984.
IS ... i.xc3 16 bxc3 'ii'xa3 17 dxcS
(D)
B
17 ... ltJxcS!?
Also interesting is 17 ... 'ii'xc5 18
ltJd4 ltJxe5 19 i.h5 l:tg8! 20 l:tfe 1 (20
ltJxe6? l:txg2+ 21 ~xg2ltJf4+ 22 ~g3
ltJxh5+ -+) 20 ... ltJe7!? (20 ... ltJg6? 21
ltJxe6 fxe6 22 lhe6+ ~f7 23 ':'xg6
':'xg6 24 'ii'xh6 +-) 21 i.g3 'ii'd5 22
f3!, and now rather than 22 ... l:tg5? 23
'ii'xg5 hxg5 24 l:txe5 'it'd7 25 ltJxe6
with a clear advantage for White, Campos
Moreno-Vera, Hospitalet 1988,
Black should play 22 ... ltJ5g6!. Vera
then supplies the line 23 i.g4 h5 24
i.h3 h4, and this does actually look
very promising for Black.
18 ltJd4!? ltJe4 19 'ifelltJexc3 20
i.hS
Up until here we have followed
analysis by Vera. White can claim
some attack as compensation for the
sacrificed pawns, but it is far from
convincing.
20 ... l:tg8 21 i.g3
2lltJxe6? ':xg2+! wins for Black.
21...l:tgS 22 i.f3
Again 22 ltJxe6? does not work,
this time due to 22 ... .:.xh5 23 ltJg7+
~f8 24 ltJxh5 'ii'xc1 25 'it'xc1 ltJe2+
26 ~hlltJxcl, when Black emerges a
pawn up with three passed pawns on
the queenside.
22 ... b4 23 l:tal 'iWb2 24 i.h4 ':'g8
It is not clear how White can improve
his position. The rook on the g­
file combined with the bishop on b7
makes it almost impossible to release
the light-squared bishop from its duty
on f3. Perhaps 25 g3 should be considered
but I cannot believe that White's
compensation is adequate.
B)
10 ltJxf7!
White wins an exchange with this
forcing continuation. Black's hope is
that he will either trap the h8-knight
or launch a successful attack against
White's king.
10 ... 'ifxh4 llltJxh8 i.b4 (D)
Note that Black cannot trap the
knight immediately with 11 ... ltJxc3
12 bxc3 i.g7 since White plays 13