Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

7 a4 145
b) 10 exf6 gxh4 11 ~eS cS! 12
'iWhS? (12 'ii'f3!? is stronger; Shirov
then analyses 12 ... cxd4 130-0-0 "ikc7
14 ~xbS 'ii'xeS IS .txc4! with compensation)
12 ... 'ii'xf6 13 0-0-0 a6 =+
Ubilava-Shirov, Daugavpils 1989.
9 ... hxg510 fxg7 ':g8 (D)
w
11 h4!
It is my opinion that Black experiences
the most difficulties after this
dynamic move, but many strong players
prefer the calmer 11 g3 .tb7
(ll...g4!? 12 ~h4 .tb7 13 .tg2 ':xg7
is seriously worth considering) 12
.tg2 with the possibilities:
a) 12 ... cS!? 13 0-0 (13 dxcS "iiixdl+
14 'ittxdl g4 IS ~el .txg2 16 ~xg2
bxa4 17 ':xa4 ~c6 18 ~e3 .l:txg7 19
~xc4 .txcS 20 ~e4 .td4 was roughly
equal in Kantsler-Oll, Uzhgorod 1987)
13 ... g4 14 ~h4 .txg2 IS ~xg2 cxd4
16 ~xbS ~c6 17 'ii'xg4 a6 18 'ii'e4!?
.!:tc8 19 .l:tfdl!? (19 "ikh7 ~d7!, with the
idea that 20 lHdl is met by 20 ... 'iVf6,
looks good for Black), Yusupov-Van
Wely, Groningen 1994, and now Black
should play 19 ... axbS 20 axbS ~e7 21
.!:txd4 "iiib6. White can then try several
ideas. 22 .!:ta8, 22 .!:txc4 and 22 ~e3
are all candidate moves but it is far
from clear that White's attack prevails,
and at best it looks very unclear.
b) 12 ... ~d7 is safer. After 13 0-0,
Black has these options:
bl) 13. .. a6 and then:
bll) 14 ~eS!? 'iVc7 (14... ~xeS IS
dxeS .txc3 16 bxc3 'iVxdl 17 ':fxdl
±) IS axbS cxbS (Kupreichik suggests
IS ... axbS!? as an interesting alternative;
then after 16 ':xa8+ .txa8, 17
~xbS?! cxbS 18 .txa8 ~xeS 19 dxeS
~e7! 20 'ii'f3 'iVxeS gives Black a
good game, but White might try 17
~e4!? or 17 'ii'hS!?) 16 .txb7 'ii'xb7
17 ~xd7 'ir'xd7 18 'ir'f3 ~e7 19 dS
.txc3 20 dxe6 fxe6 21 'ii'xc3 'ii'd3
with approximately equal chances,
Gabriel-Kupreichik, Bad Worishofen
1997.
b12) 14 axbS axbS IS ':xa8 .txa8
16 ~eS ~xeS 17 dxeS .txc3 (not
17 ....!:txg7? 18 ~e4 'iVxd119 ':xdl ±
Khuzman-Oll, Uzhgorod 1987) 18
bxc3 'ii'xdl 19 .!:txdl .tb7 20 ':d6
.!:txg7 21 .txc6+ .txc6 22 ':xc6 with
much the better endgame for White,
Peshina-Baburin, Budapest 1990.
b2) 13 ...l'hg7?! 14 axbS .txc3 IS
bxc6.txc6 16 bxc3 favoured White in
Dydyshko-Ribic, Berlin 1995, which
explains why Black should exchange
on c3 before capturing the g7-pawn.
b3) 13 ....txc3!? 14 bxc3 ':xg7 IS
"ikbl a6 16 ~d2 'ii'c7 17 axbS cxbS 18
.txb7 'ii'xb7 19 ~xc4 'ii'c6 with an