Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

26 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLAV
23 :e7 :a6 24 b3 looks good for
White) 23 ttJc5 'ii'b6 24 lied 1 (24
l:te7!?) 24 ... ~c7 25 SLxd7 lI8xd7 26
ttJxd7 'ii'xd4 27 lIxd4 ~xd7 (D) actually
gave Black enough compensation
to draw in the game Stean-Rivas, Marbella
Z 1982.
The point is that White cannot maintain
his blockade of the d-pawn after
Black plays ... ~c6-c5. This is one of
those typical totally unclear endings
where material does not seem to matter
much. What counts is that Black's
queenside pawns are so dangerous
that White does not have enough time
to turn his h-pawn to account. Just in
case you do not believe me, here is the
rest of the game: 28 h4 ~c6 29 h5 "'c5
30 l:th4 l:th6 31 g4 d4 32 g5 l:th8 33
lIxa7 SLc6 34 l:ta5+ SLb5 (the pawns
are now becoming threatening enough
to oblige White to liquidate into a
drawn rook ending) 35 l:txd4 'ifi'xd4 36
l:txb5 l:txh5 37 l:txb4 liz-liz.
c) 19 h4 has been used as a surprise
weapon a few times, but should hardly
cause much inconvenience after correct
play from Black. The idea is to defend
the g5-bishop, and Black must
now also reckon with the possibility of
a future SLh3+. Black can now choose
between:
c1) 19 ... ttJe5 20 l:te1 SLd6 (20 ... tiJd3
21 lIe7! SLxe7 22 fxe7 lId6 23 'iWg4+
"'b8 24 'iWd4 l:te8 25 SLfl l:ta6 26 b3!
is clearly better for White according to
Dokhoian; I wholly agree with this -
although Black has a material advantage,
all his pieces are tied to defensive
duties) 21 'ti'd4 ttJc6 22 'iWxd5 'iWxd5
23 SLxd5 ttJd4 24 lIad1! ± Yusupov­
Dokhoian, Bundesliga 199213.
c2) 19 ... ttJc520'iWg4+?! (this move
has widely been condemned, and 20
l:tel!? suggested as an improvement)
20 ... 'ti'd7! 21 'ii'xd7+ "'xd7 22 ttJxc5+
SLxc5 23 l:ta5 "'c6 24 SLe3 SLb6 and
Black was already much better in
Kolev-Van Wely, Moscow OL 1994.
d) 19 'ii'g4!? d4 (19 ... SLd6!?) 20
SLxb7+ "'xb7 21 'ii'e4+ 'iWc6 22 'iWxd4
SLd6 23 l:tfe1 lIde8 24 l:txe8 lIxe8 25
SLe3 SLb8 26 'ii'xd7+ 'ii'xd7 27 ttJc5+
'ifi'c8 28 ttJxd7 "'xd7 29 l:ta4 a5 30
lIxa5 SLe5 with counterplay, which
was even enough to win for Black in
Zarubin-Andrianov, USSR 1982.
19 ... ttJc5
19 ... ttJe5 20 'ii'd4 ttJc6 21 'ti'g4+
l:td7 22 :fdi ± P.Nikolic-Westerinen,
Esbjerg 1982.
20 'ii'g4+
20 ttJxc5 SLxc5 21 'ti' g4+ "'b8 22
'iWf4+ "'a8 23 'fIc7 allows Black an
easy draw with 23 ... l:tc8 24 'ii'xf7 lIhfS