Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

32 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLAV
very promising position. 221ba7 j.h6
(22 ... cxb2 23 j.f4 +-) 23 j.xh6 .l:r.xh6
and now:
a) 24 bxc3 .l:r.xf6 25 'it'a8+ 'it'b8 26
.l:r.dl .l:r.e8! and Black survives.
b) Noris 24 bxc5 .l:r.xf6 convincing.
c) 24 'it'a8+ tDb8 25 .l:r.aS 'it'xb4 26
bxc3 'it'b6 :t.
d) 24 'it'd6!? is tempting but a
closer look reveals that things are not
that clear. 24 ... 'it'b6 25 :a8+ ~b7 26
'fixb6+ tDxb6 27 :xd8 cxb2 28 bxc5
c3! 29 cxb6 c2 30 .l:r.dd 1 cxd 1 'it'
(30 ... :xf6 31 :cl! ':'c6 32 h4 ~xb6
33 h5 ~c7 34 h6 bxcl 'it' 351bc1 ~d7
36 h7 .l:r.c8 37 lhc2 .l:r.h8 38 .l:r.e2 gives
White some chances) 31 l:.xdl l1xf6
32 l:.bl l:.xb6 33 h4 ~c6 and I think
Black has enough counterplay to draw
the endgame.
e) 24 l:.fal! tDb8 (24 .. Jbf6 25
:a8+ tDb8 26 .l:r.xb8+ 'fixb8 27
'it'xc5+ and now 27 .. .cJ;b7 28 'ii'e7+
~c8 29 'it'xf6 +- or 27 ... ~d7 28 .l:r.a7+
'fixa7 29 'it'xa7+ ~e8 30 bxc3, winning)
25 'it'xf7 'it'c6 (25 ... 'ii'b6 26
bxc5 'it'c6 27 bxc3 {or 27 'ii'xc4!?} is
also clearly better for White; e.g.,
27 .. .lhh2 28 l:.c7+ 'it'xc7 29 'it'xc7+
xb5 26 'it'xf7 and
then:
a) 26 ... a5!? 27 j.f4 tDb6 28 j.c7
.l:r.d7 29 'it'e8 j.g7 30 'it'e5! j.xf6
(30 ... j.h6 is probably a simpler solution)
31 'it'xf6 :xc7 32 'it'xh8 a4 33
'iWe8+ .l:r.d7 34 'fie 1 a3 35 'ii'b 1 + ~c6
and I think Black has enough counterplay
to draw.
b) 26 ... j.d6 27 'it'd5 tDb6 28 'iWf5
as 29 j.cl?! (Sakaev gives 29 g4!? or
29 'it>g2 a4 30 j.c 1 :he8 31 g4 as possible
improvements) 29 ... l:.he8 30 ~g2
.l:r.el 31 j.a3 j.e5? (31...tDd7! gives
Black an improved version of the game
after 32 f7 but it is still not quite clear
exactly how Black defends against the
rolling pawns) 32 f7 j.d6 33 g4 j.f8