Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

THE MAIN LINE: 7 e3 liJd7 8 i..d3 dxc4 197
B
11...0-0 12 e5 'ike7 gives White a
space advantage, but has a strategically
interesting aspect. While most
middlegames are slightly superior for
White, Black will be quite happy if he
reaches an endgame, for then the e­
pawn will show to be more of a weakness.
White's main strategy therefore
fIrst involves dissuading the ... c5 advance:
a) 13 'ike2!? and now:
a1) After 13 ... c5?!, Kamsky suggests
14 l:tad1 cxd4 15 .l:.xd4 with an
edge for White, while he does not like
14 d5! in view of 14 ... ttJxe5 IS ttJxeS
exdS, when 16 ttJxg6 'iVxe2 17 .ixe2
fxg6 18 ttJxdS .ixb2 19 .l:.ab1 .if6!
gives Black a clear advantage, but why
not 16 ttJf3 instead? I can hardly believe
that Black's compensation is suffIcient
after 16 ... 'iVxe2 17 i.xe2.
Hence 14 dS! looks much easier.
a2) 13 ... .l:.d8 14 .l:.fe1 transposes to
'b2' below.
a3) 13 ... b6 14 l:tfe1 and now:
a31) 14 ... a61Si.d3(lSttJe4c5=)
lS ... i.b7 16 i.e4 l:ta7 (16 ... l:tab8!?)
171bc1 bS 18 'ilVe3!? (trying to take
advantage of the relatively strange position
of Black's rook on a7) 18 ... cS
19 dS! ttJxeS 20 ttJxeS i.xe5 21 dxe6!,
Kamsky-Kramnik, Lucerne Wcht 1993,
and now according to Kramnik Black
could equalize with 21...~g7!. In fact
Black certainly looks no worse after
22 i.xb7 i.d4 23 'iVg3 'ikxb7.
a32) 14 ... a5!? IS ttJe4?! (Kamsky's
plan with IS i.d3 is worth considering)
IS ... cS! 16 dxcS bxcS 17 ltJed2
(17 ttJd6? ttJxe5!) 17 ... l:td8 18 l:tad1
i.b7 = Hulak-B.Lalic, Yugoslav Ch
1989.
b) 13 .l:.e1 with the following possibilities:
bl) Kramnik's plan with 13 ... b6 is
here best met by 14 ttJe4, with the
point 14 ... l:td8 IS ttJd6 cS 16 dS ttJxeS
17 ttJxc8 ttJxf3+ 18 'iVxf3 l:taxc8 19
dxe6±.
b2) 13 ... .l:.d8 14 'ilVe2 and then:
b21) 14 ... ttJb6 IS i.b3 cS 16 dxcS
'ilVxcs 17 ttJe4 'ilVb4 18 ttJd6 with an
edge for White, Korchnoi-Anic, Enghien
1997.
b22) 14 ... bS IS i.d3 i.b7 16 i.e4
.l:.ab8 17 .l:.ac1 ;t Van Wely-Magerramov,
Tilburg 1992.
b3) 13 ... bS!? 14 i.b3 (14 i.d3 is
better; White needs his bishop on e4
in the event of Black playing ... cS)
14 ... i.b7 IS l:tc1 l:tfd8 16 'ilVe2 'ilVb4!?
(I do not see anything wrong with the
immediate 16 ... cS!; e.g., 17 ttJxbS
i.xf3 18 'ir'xf3 cxd4 19 ttJxd4 ltJxeS)
17 ttJe4 c5 18 ttJd6 l:tab8 19 ltJxb7
.l:.xb7 20 d5! (it is not an easy position,