Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

30 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SlAV
w
a131) 24 ~a6? is tempting but
gives Blackjust the breathing space he
needs. 24 ... ~f5! (an excellent defensive
and attacking move) 25liJb6 (25
h4 l:tc2 and 25 .l:.d2 'iWh3+ 26 ~f3
'it'h5+ win for Black) 25 ... l:txh2+! 26
'it>xh2 ~xf2+ 27 ~h3 (27 'it>h1 'it'f3+
28 ~h2 l:tc2+ and White is mated)
27 .. :ii'f5+ 28 g4 'it'f3+ 29 ~h4 ~f2+!
(Black had a last chance to go wrong
with 29 .. :ii'xf6+? 30 g5 ~f4+ 31 'it>h3,
when there is nothing better than a
perpetual check) 30 ~h3 ~e3+ 31
'iti>h4 ~h6+ 32 'ifi>g3 i.d6+ 0-1 Van
Wely-Piket, Wijk aan Zee 1994.
a132) 24 'ii'xf7! liJe5 (24 ... liJxf6
25liJb6 ':'h7 26liJd7+! wins for White
- Van Wely) 25 ~d5 ~xf6 26 ~b5+
'it>c7 27 ':'ac 1 + liJc6 28 l:tc2! l:th6 29
'it'a6 'ifi>b8 30 liJb6! l:tc7 31 liJd7+
l:txd7 32l:txd7 1-0 Galliamova-Buturin,
L vov 1995.
a2) 20 ... 'ii'xb4! 21 liJc3 (the endgame
after 21 'ii'f3 'it'b7 22 'it'xb7+
~xb7 23l:tac1liJb6 24liJxb6 axb6 25
l:hc4 'ifi>c6 is probably even better for
Black, as it is easier for Black to set his
queens ide pawns in motion than it is
for White to advance his phalanx on
the kingside) 2l...dxc3 22 ':'xa7 ~6
23 ~a4 is unclear according to some
older analysis by Dolmatov but this
obviously needs to be further investigated;
e.g., 23 ... cxb2 and now White
must act quickly, else Black consolidates
with ... liJb8:
a21) 24l:ta6? ~b7+ 25 ':'c6+ ~b8
26 i.f4+ liJe5 27 .ltxe5+ (27 l:txe5
i.d6 28l:te7 b1~ -+) 27 ... .ltd6 -+.
a22) 24l:te8? liJb8 -+.
a23) 24l:txd7 l:txd7 25 ~a8+ ~c7
26 i.f4+ .ltd6 -+.
a24) 24 .ltf4 .ltd6 25l:ta6 (25 i.xd6
'iWxd6) 25 ... i.xf4! 26 l:txb6liJxb6 27
'it'a6+ 'iti>c7 28 l:te7+ l:td7 29 ~b5!
i.d6 30 J:hd7+ liJxd7 31 ~xb2liJb6
and again White's chances of defending
are poor.
b) 19 liJxc5!? and then:
b1) 19 ... i.xc5 20 i.xb7+ 'it'xb7?
(20 ... ~xb7 21 bxc5 liJxc5 with compensation;
this might also occur via
note 'a' to White's 20th move) 21 bxc5
liJe5 22 f4 liJd3, Ronneland-S.Pedersen,
Gothenburg 1996, and now White
wins with 23 'ii'a4! liJxb2 24 c6! ~b6
25 'it'xa7 ~xa7 26l:txa7.
b2) 19 ... i.xg2 20 'iti>xg2liJxc5 (or
20 ... i.xc5 21 bxc5 ~b7+ 22 'ifi>gl
transposing to 'b1') 21 bxc5 i.xc5 22
~f3 'ifi>b8 is actually far from clear.
White is a pawn up and even has a
seemingly strong attack but if Black
can repel this (which I think he can)
the centre pawns should not be underestimated.