Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)
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THE ANTI-MoSCOW VARIATION: 6 i&.h4!? 167<br />
or ... 'ilic7 and ... 0-0-0) 18lLlxb6 'ii'xb6+<br />
19 'ithl J..e7 20 lLle4 J..b7 21 f5 with a<br />
strong attack for White, Savchenko<br />
Izkuznykb, Russian Club Cup (Maikop)<br />
1998.<br />
Returning to the position after 12<br />
lLlc5! (D):<br />
B<br />
12 ... J..g7?!<br />
<strong>The</strong> type of position that arises after<br />
this move is clearly in White's favour,<br />
so Black needs to look for an improvement<br />
around here.<br />
a) 12 ... lLlbd7!? 13lLlxd7 J..xd7 14<br />
J..xc4 leads to the same kind of position,<br />
which is better for White.<br />
b) Curiously Sakaev does not examine<br />
12 ... J..xc5!? 13 dxc5 lLlbd7,<br />
which looks more critical. Baburin<br />
says 14 'ii'd6 is unclear, and Black<br />
may actually be able to defend with<br />
14 ... J..b7 15 :tdllDxe5 16 'ilixe5 'ii'e7.<br />
Of course, White has plenty of compensation,<br />
but there is no clear way to<br />
break through. I would prefer 14 J..d6,<br />
intending to centralize the queen on d4.<br />
Both 14 ... 'ilia5 15 'ii'd4 and 14 ... lLle4<br />
15 'ii'd4 lLldf6 16 h4 g4 17 lLle5 look<br />
good for White.<br />
13 J..xc4 0-0<br />
13 ... lLlbd7 14lLlxd7 J..xd7 15 'ii'd3<br />
'fie7 16 J..b3 is clearly better for White<br />
according to Sakaev.<br />
14 ~c2lLlbd7 15 h4 gxh4<br />
This opens lines against his own<br />
king. However, 15 ... g4!? 16lDg5! :te8<br />
17 0-0-0 also gives White a fantastic<br />
attack.<br />
16 lLlxd7 J..xd7 17 :txh4 ±<br />
Sakaev-Kobaliya, Russian Ch (St<br />
Petersburg) 1998.<br />
B)<br />
9 ... J..b4!?<br />
This has for some time been slightly<br />
underestimated (or just neglected) but<br />
has lately been the preference of some<br />
very strong players. In fact Black wins<br />
a pawn unless White plays 10 e5,<br />
which is simply undesirable since it<br />
buries his own bishop while conceding<br />
important central squares.<br />
10 'iic2 (D)<br />
10 0-0 offers the pawn sacrifice under<br />
slightly different circumstances.<br />
1O ... J..xc3 11 bxc3 lLlxe4 and now:<br />
a) 12 'fic2lLlxg3 13 fxg3lDd7 and<br />
now, rather than 14 'ilie4?! 'ilic7 15<br />
lLld2 J..b7 16 J..h5 0-0-017 :txf7 c5!,<br />
when Black had strong counterplay in<br />
Utemov-Mukbametov, Moscow 1990,<br />
White should play 14 lLle5 lLlxe5 15<br />
dxe5, intending J..h5.<br />
b) 12lDe5!? and then:<br />
bl) 12 ... lLlxc3 13 'ilic2 and now<br />
13 ... lLlxe2+ 14 'fixe2 with ideas such
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