Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

214 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLAV
b) 9 ... g6 (D) is the most popular
set-up in the main lines so why not
here? The only difference in the structure
is that here White has a c-pawn,
whereas in the main lines he has an e­
pawn. White has several options:
bI) 10 i.d3 i.g7 11 0-0 0-0 12
:tfe1 c5 13 d5 ttJb6 14 d6 (a doubleedged
decision as it is far from clear
whether this pawn will be strong or
weak; however, White is virtually
obliged to try it since Black obviously
solves all his problems if he is allowed
to exchange on d5, when the lightsquared
bishop wakes up) 14 ... 'iWd8!
(this is much stronger than 14 ... e5 15
'iWxe5 ir'xe5 16 tDxe5 l:r.d8 17 l:r.ad1
l:r.xd6 18 tDb5, which gave White the
initiative in Yermolinsky-Serper, Chicago
1996) 15 'iWf4 i.d7! 16 :tad1
i.c6 17 i.e4? (17 tDe5 'iWxd6 18 tDxg6
ir'xf4 19 tDxf4 is hardly a problem for
Black but is definitely an improvement
over the game continuation) 17 ... tDxc4
18 i.xc6 tDxb2 19 i.xb7 l:r.b8! and
Black regains his material investment
with interest, Atalik-Bacrot, Wijk aan
Zee 1997.
b2) 10 h4!? is more than just a
hacker's move; since Black will most
likely be thinking of castling kingside
it makes some sense to provoke a
weakness on that side. Now:
b21) 10 ... h5 11 i.d3 i.h6 12 0-0
0-013 :tad1 :td814 c5 l:r.b8 (14 ... 'iWf4?!
15 'iWe2 i.g7 16 tDe4 tDf6 17 tDd6
tDg4 18 g3 'iWf6 19 tDg5 tDh6 20 i.c4
± Kruppa-Mukhametov, Berlin 1997)
15 'iWe2 b6 16 tDe4 'iWe7 17 b4 i.f4 18
g3 i.c7 19 i.c4 a5 20 a3 ;!; Matveeva­
Prudnikova, Russian wom Ch (Elista)
1997.
b22) 10 ... i.g7 11 h5 g5 12 i.d3 c5
13 d5.!De5 (13. .. ~d8!?) 14 tDxe5 'iWxe5
150-0-0 'iWxe4 16 tDxe4 exd5 17 cxd5
i.d4 18 tDd6+ (18 :thel ~f8 19 f3
i.d7 is fine for Black) 18 ... ~e7 19
tDb5 i.e5 20 :the 1 ~f6 21 tDc3 i.g4
22 i.e2 i.f5 23 i.d3 i.g4 24 i.e2 i.f5
25 i.d3 i.g4 1/2-1/2 Matveeva-Galliamova,
Russian wom Ch (Elista) 1997.
b3) 10 c5 i.g7 11 'iWe3 0-0 12 tDe4
is one of White's best set-ups but the
move-order is inaccurate because of
12 ... 'iWd8! (the threat of ... 'iWa5+ almost
forces White's next move; otherwise
Black easily undermines the
centre) 13 0-0-0 (13 l:r.dl 'iWa5+ 14
tDc3 e5 favours Black - Lutz) 13 ... b6
14 i.c4 tDf6 15 :td2 tDxe4 16 'iWxe4
bxc5 17 dxc5 'iWa5 18 'iWe3 i.a6 19
i.xa6 'iWxa6 + Bacrot-Nogueiras, Havana
1998.
b4) 10 'iWe3 i.g7 11 tDe4 (this is a
more accurate move-order since now