Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

28 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SU V
d) 23 ... d4 is based on a tactical
oversight: 24 i..xb7+ lhb7 25 ltJxb7
'iWb6 (25 ... ~xb7 26 i..xd4 a5 27 l:tfe1
+-) 26 i..xd4!! (this is probably what
Shirov had missed; the combination of
two rooks and a knight is in the following
playa deadly attacking force
against the queen, while the rook is
held up by a single pawn) 26 ... 'iWxd4
27 ':'fd1 'iWxb2 (27 ... 'iWxd1+ 28 ':'xd1
rJ;>xb7 29 l:td4 lhg7 30 ':'xc4 a5 31
':'f4! ~b6 32 h4 ~b5 33 b3 is a winning
rook ending for White, as Black
cannot activate his rook and it is impossible
to create a passed pawn since
... a4 is met by lH5+; 27 ... 'iWxg7 28
l:txa7 ~b8 29 ':'da1 lIe8 30 ltJd6 lie 1 +
31 lIxe1 ~xa7 32 ltJxc4 also gives
White a large endgame advantage) 28
ltJd6+ ~b8 29 lIdbl 'iWxg7 (attempts
to hold on to the b-pawn also fail:
29 ... 'ii'c3 is met by 30 ':'xa7! lIxg7 31
l:tb7+ ~a8 32 l:.7xb4 and 29 ... 'iWd2 by
30 ltJxc4 'iWc3 31 l:.a4! b3 32 ltJa5,
eventually picking up the pawn) 30
l:.xb4+ ~c7 31 l:.a6 l:.b8 32 l:.xa7+
~xd6 33 l:.xb8 'iWg4 34 l:td8+ ~c6 35
l:.a1 1-0 Ivanchuk-Shirov, Wijk aan
Zee 1996.
Returning to the position after
23 ... l:txg7 (D):
24i..d4!
It is best that White prevents Black
from creating counterplay with ... d4.
A few examples to show why:
a) 24 i..h3 f5! (24 ... i..c6 25 lIxa7
would be very good for White) 25
i..xf5 d4!? 26 i..xd4 l:.gf7 (Burgess
mentions 26 ... 'ii'c6 27ltJxb7 rJ;>xb7 28
w
l:.xa7+ ~b8 29 l:.xd7 l:.xd7 30 i..e5+
'iitb7 31 ':'e 1 i), "retaining definite
counterchances" according to Ivanchuk,
and this looks quite right; e.g.,
27 i..g4 i..f3 (27 ... 'iWc6 is similar to
26 ... 'iWc6; for example, 28ltJxb7 ~xb7
29 ':'xa7+ ~b8 30 ':'xd7 ':'xd7 31
i..e5+ 'iitb7 32 i..xd7 'iWxd7 33 f4 and
White is better) 28 ltJxd7 i..xg4 29
ltJe5 'iWd5 and something seems to
have gone wrong for White.
b) 24l:lxa7 and now:
bl) 24 ... d4!? 25ltJxd7 (25 i..xb7+
lhb7 26 ltJxb7 'iWb6! is good for
Black) 25 ... i..xg2 26 i..xd4 i..xfl 27
ltJb6+ ~b8 28ltJd7+ ~c8 29ltJb6+ is
a forced draw.
b2) 24 .. J:tc7 is interesting and can
lead to a fascinating position; e.g., 25
ltJxb7 lIxb7 26 l:.a8+ l:.b8 27 i..h3+
~d8 28 l:.fal l:.xa8 29 l:.xa8+ ~e7 30
l:.a7+ 'iitf6 31 i..d4+ ~g6 32 i..d7!?
'iWb8 33 l:.a6+ ~h7 34 i..f5+ l:.g6
(34 ... ~g8 35 l:tc6) 35 h4 ~h6 36
i..e3+ ~g7 37 i..d4+ ~h6 38 i..e3+
with a perpetual check unless Black
risks 38 .. .'~h5. I am sorry to break off