Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

34 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLAV
w
B
dl) 24 l:tfal?! 'iWxa5 25 ':xa5 cxb2
26 ':xa6+ ~xa6 27 'iWxc4+ ~b7 28
'iWd5+ =.
d2) 24 bxc3 'iWxa5 25 l:tbl + 'iWb5
26 lhb5+ axb5 (26 .. .'it;xb5 27 ~c7)
27 'iWxf7 is probably good for White
but not entirely clear.
d3) 24 l:ha6+! 'iitxa6 25 l:tal +
'iitb5 (25 ... ~b6 26 ~c7+ rl;xc7 27
l:ta7+ +-) and now:
d3l) 26 'iWb7+ is tempting but not
the right move-order; White only has a
draw after 26 ... ttJb6 27 ~c7 ':d6 28
~xb6 (28 .l:ta6?? cxb2! -+; 28 ~xd6??
cxb2! -+; 28 bxc3?? 'iWb2 29 l:ta6
l:tdl+ 30 ~g2 ':xh2+ -+) 28 ... l:txb6
29 'iWd7+ l:tc6 30 'iWb7+.
d32) 26 ~c7! ttJb6 27 'iWxd8 'iWxb2
(27 ... ~c6? 28 ~xb6 cxb2 29 'iWc8+
~d5 30 'iWd7+ and White wins) 28
'iWe8+ 'iitb4 29 .l:ta6 ttJd7 30 'iWa8! (30
'iWxd7 allows Black a perpetual check:
30 ... 'iWbl+ 31 ~g2 'iWe4+) 30 .. .'~b3
31 l:tal (D).
Note the nice geometry in all this;
'iWe8-a8 and now the rook backwards,
threatening ii'a4#. In some lines even
bringing the queen back to e4 becomes
an option. Now Black has two
possibilities:
d321) 31. .. ii'xal + 32 'iWxal c2 33
~a5 with a further branch:
d3211) 33 ... ~d6 34 ~c3! followed
by 'iWb2+ and 'iWxc2+.
d32l2) 33 ... ~h6 34 f4 ~xf4 35
ii'c3+! (35 gxf4? l:th3 36 ~d2 ':'d3 37
~c1 l:tdl+ 38 ~g2 ':xcl 39 'iWxcl
ttJxf6 and Black should make at least a
draw; e.g., 40 h4 ttJd5 41 h5 ttJb4 42
h6 ttJd3 43 ii'n cl'iW 44 'iWxcl ttJxcl
45 h7 c3 46 h8ii' and now 46 ... ttJd3 47
ii'b8+ ttJb4 48 'iWa7 c4 or 46 ... c2!?)
35 ... 'iita4 36 gxf4 l:tc8 (36 ... .l:th3 37
ii'xc2+ rl;xa5 38 'iWd2+ picks up the
knight) 37 'iWxc2+ ~xa5 38 'iWd2+ c3
39 ii'xc3+ ~b5 40 'iWb3+ ~a5 41
'iWxf7 +-.
d3213) 33 ... ttJe5 34 ii'c3+ ~a4 35
'iWxc2+ 'iitxa5 36 'iWc3+ ~a4 37 ii'xe5
'iitb4 (for 37 ... ~b3 38 ii'd5 'iitb4 39
ii'xf7, see 37 ... ~b4) 38 'iWb8+ ~a3 39
'iWa7+ ~b4 40 'iWxf7 c3 41 'iWa2 ~h6
42 f7 and I suppose White should be
able to win, although Black has some