Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

184 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLAV
falling apart, especially if this is supported
with a bishop on b7. Then Black
will be threatening to exchange pawns
and exchange the knight on f3, when
e5 drops. Of course, White should
take measures against this. Usually
this means attempting to exchange the
light-squared bishops and making sure
that ... c5 can be met by d5.
14 ••. b6 15 'it'e2
Further reinforcing the e5-pawn but
also intending to meet 15 ... .ib7 with
16 .ia6!. It would be quite an achievement
if White could exchange the
light-squared bishops under such circumstances,
as this is Black's good
bishop. This will also take some of the
sting out of a possible ... c5 break.
15 ... .:tbS! 16 .id3
If 16 .ia6, Black can safely free his
position with 16 ... c5; e.g., 17 d5 .ixa6
18 'ii'xa6 exd5 19lLlxd5 "e6 20 lLlc7
"c6 21lLlb5 .:ta8! and Black is doing
well.
16 ... .ib7
In Dautov-Fridman, PulaEcht 1997,
Black played the unusual 16 ..... f8!?
The idea is that if Black could have a
move for free then he would be ready
to play ... c5: 17 ... c5 18 d5 .ib7 and
now if Black's queen were on e7
White could play 19 d6 followed by
.ie4, but here 19 d6 is answered by
19 ... .ixf3. The game continued 17 h4
c518d5.ib719h5exd520hxg6,and
now Sadler suggests 20 ... f6!? 21 e6
lLle5 with an unclear position. In fact,
Black has little to fear. His kingside is
relatively safe, and it is not clear how
White takes measures against the intimidating
black centre.
17 .ie4lLlfS 1S g3 ':'bcS 19 a3 .:tc7
20 .:ted1 c5 21 .ixb7 ':'xb7 22lLle4
White has a small advantage, which
he convincingly exploited to win in 40
moves.
Even though White is ready to meet
the ... c5 break with d5, this is not always
enough. Sometimes Black is able
to expand on the queenside and simply
exchange the e-pawn for White's d­
pawn, thus obtaining a three versus two
majority on the queens ide and pressure
against the e5-pawn.
B
Van Wely - Dreev
Wijk aan Zee 1996
13 ... a6!
Black prepares to play ... b5 followed
by ... c5 with no problems at all.
14 a3 b6
This clever move is very typical of
such positions. Black prepares the
... c5 advance slowly, and only when