Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

46 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLAV
The Theory of Uhlmann's
16 ~bl
1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3ltJf3ltJf6 4ltJc3 e6 5
.tg5 dxc4 6 e4 b5 7 e5 h6 8 .th4 g5 9
ltJxg5 hxg5 10 i.xg5 ltJbd7 11 exf6
i.b7 12 g3 'ii'b6 13 i.g2 c5 14 d5
0-0-0150-0 b416 l:.bl
Now:
A: 16 ... i.h6 46
B: 16 ... 'ii'a6 47
A)
16 ... i.h6 (D)
w
17 i.xh6
Uhlmann once played 17 'ii'c1, while
17 f4 has also been tried. The textmove
does little to keep the f6-pawn
but is much more direct.
17 ... l:.xh6 18 b3!
If there is some logic behind 16
l:.bl, then this must be the natural follow-up;
the main idea behind 16 l:.bl
is that the opening of the b-file will be
extremely dangerous for Black, so 18
b3! looks logical when Black does not
oblige by taking voluntarily on c3.
Surprisingly, it nevertheless took some
time to discover the move.
A quieter approach is also possible:
Galliamova-Kalugin, Novgorod 1999
continued 18 'ii'd2 l:tg6 (18 ... l:.dh8!?;
18 ... l:.h5!?) 19 'ii'e3 ltJxf6 20 ltJa4
'ii'b5 21 dxe6 i.xg2 22 'iitxg2 'ii'c6+
23 ~gl ltJg4 24 'ii'xc5 l:.xe6 25 a3
with a clear advantage for White.
18 ... cxb3
This was Black's choice in the stem
game between Piket and Illescas. Although
Black has tried various other
moves since then, he has yet to find
any genuine improvement. Alternatives:
a) 18 ... bxc3?! 19 bxc4 'ii'a6 20
l:.xb7 'ii'xb7 21 dxe6 'ii'b2?! (Petursson
suggests 21... 'ii'b6 but White is
clearly better anyway; after 22 'ii'c1 he
gives 22 ... l:.xf6 23 exd7+ 'i3i>xd7 24
'ii'xc3 or 22 ... l:tdh8 23 exd7+ 'iitxd7 24
h4 'ii'xf6 25 'ii'a3) 22 e7! (White is
winning after this strong but not uncommon
move; the main exponent of
the 16 ... i.h6line, Sergei Ivanov, had
twice successfully defended Black's
position against 22 exd7+) 22 ... l:.e8
(22 ... l:.dh8 23 'ii'd5 is no improvement;
the main line runs 23 ... 'ii'b6 24 l:tdl
'ii'c7 25 'ii'xf7 'ii'e5 26 l:.xd7 and
White wins) 23 i.c6 'ii'd2 24 'ii'b3!
'ii'b2 25 i.xd7+ 1-0 Khalifman-Galkin,
Elista 1998. 25 ... 'i3i>xd7 is met by
26 ~a4+.
b) 18 ... ltJxf619 bxc4 'ii'a6 20ltJa4
'ii'aS 21 a3 l:tdh8 22 axb4 cxb4 23
'ii'b3 l:.xh2 24 'ii'xb4 'ii'xb4 25 l:txb4 ±