Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

142 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLAV
This has lately grown from a rather
obscure line into something quite playable
for Black.
w
8 ttJbl
8 ttJa2 i.a6 9 eS h6 10 exf6 hxgS
11 fxg7 i.xg7 12 ttJxb4 g4 13 ttJeS
~aS 14 ~d2 i.xeS IS dxeS ~xeS+
and now, rather than 16 i.e2? c3! -+
Guliev-Chilov, Iraklion 1996, White
has to try 16 ~e2, whereupon Black
has at least a draw with 16 ... ~aS 17
~d2 'ii'eS+, while the more ambitious
player might want to try 17 .. J~hS!?
8 ... i.a6 9 'ii'c1 c3
Mikhalchishin's 9 ... i.e7 10 i.xf6
i.xf6 11 i.xc4 cS does not look convincing
after the simple response 12
dxcS!.
10 bxc3 i.xfi 11 'it>xfi ttJbd7
11...h6 12 i.xf6 'ii'xf6 13 ttJbd2
bxc3 14 'ii'xc3 as (14 ... cS IS eS cxd4
16 ttJxd4 ~d8 17 ttJbS! ±) and now IS
ttcl i.b4 16 'ii'd3 0-0 17 ttJb3 ttd8 18
eS ~e7 19 g3 ~d7 20 ~c4 'ii'dS 21
'it>g2 ttJd7 led to a roughly equal position
in Mikhalchishin-A.Petrosian,
Lvov 1996, but Mikhalchishin suggests
that IS ttJb3 i.b4 16 'ili'c4 might be an
edge for White.
12 g3 c5 13 'iti'g2 ttc8 14 cxb4 cxb4
15 'ii'b2 h6 16 i.xf6 ttJxf6 17 ttJbd2
i.e7 18 tthcl 0-0 19 ttJe5 ~b6
White enjoys a slight space advantage
in the form of two centre pawns
versus one but Black also has a significant
plus in his passed b-pawn and the
possibility of creating pressure against
the d-pawn. However, for the moment
White can easily blockade the passed
b-pawn with ttJb3, which simultaneously
defends d4.
20 f3 ttfd8
20 ... 'iIi'a6 21 ttJb3 ttxc1?! (this exchange
allows White a free game; it is
better to maintain the control of the c­
file and transpose to the main line with
2l...ttfd8) 22 ttxc1 'ili'xa4 23 ttal 'ili'bS
24 ttxa7 i.d6 2S ttaS 'ili'b7 26 ttJc4
i.e7 27 'ii'a2! gave White an advantage
in Comas Fabrego-Korneev, Linares
1997.
21 ttJb3 'ii'a6 22 'it>f2 i.d6 23 'ili'e2
'ili'xe2+ 24 'it>xe2 i.xe5 25 dxe5 ttJd7
Black has an edge, Dizdar-Sveshnikov,
Bled 1998.
B)
7 ... i.b7 (D)
This is generally regarded as the
safest of Black's four main approaches,
and commonly leads to more open positions.
8 axb5
8 eS is a fairly interesting alternative
but probably inferior to the text.