Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

50 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLAV
a) 19 exd8'ii'+ ~xd8 20 ~e2 is
Yermolinsky's favourite, when after
20 ... ~c8 21 'ii'c2 "e6, he has tried:
a1) 22 ~f41?"g4 23 :fe1.th6 24
.txh6 "f3 (Shabalov claims that Black
already has equalized; in his opinion
White has to allow a perpetual check)
25 ~f1 'ii'hl+ 26 ~e2 "f3+ 27 ~d2
(27 ~f1 =) 27 ... "xf2+ 28 :e2 'iVd4+
29 ~c1 .tf31. A fantastic attacking
idea; in fact White must now play extremely
accurate to maintain the balance;
for example:
all) 30 j,g7?? :xh2! 31 :xh2
'fig1+ 32 ~d2 'ii'xh2+ 0-1 Ermolinsky-Shabalov,
USSR 1986.
a12) 30 "d2 is the only move according
to Shabalov, though he nevertheless
likes Black's position after
30 .. .lhh6 31 'iWxd4 cxd4 32 :d2 d3
33 l:i.f2 .tc6; I am not sure I agree with
this. Black needs a reply to 34 b3 and
neither 34 ... ~xf6 35 bxc4 ~e4 36 l:i.f1
:xh2 37 ~xd3 ~c3 38 l:i.b2 ~xa2+
39 ~b1 nor 34 ... c3 35 ~xd3 .te4
(35 ... a5 36 :a1 .te4 37 ~e1 ~c5 is
too optimistic) 36 ~xb4 .txb1 37
~xbl looks adequate. However, I do
not see why the bishop has to be on c6.
33 ... ~e5 seems more to the point,
when, I think, Black can indeed claim
compensation.
a13) 30 'iWa4 lhh6 31l:i.e8+ ~b7
32 'iVb5+ ~c7 33 'iVa5+ ~b7 and
White does not have better than 34
'iVb5+ with a perpetual check.
a2) 22 f3! .td6 23 :bd 1 and now:
a21) 23 ... .te5 24 :f2 (24 'iVa4!?)
24 ... l:.gX 25 ~f4 'ii'c6 26 ~d5 +-
Yermolinsky-Lapshun, Philadelphia
1998.
a22) 23 ....tc6 24 ~f4 'iVe3+ 25
'fif2 'iVxf2+ 26 l:i.xf2 .te5 27 ~d5 (27
~g2 might be preferable) and now
rather than 27 ....td4? (Ermolinsky­
Makarov, USSR 1986), which gives
White a clear advantage after 28l:hd4!
cxd4 29 ~xb4, Black should play
27 ....txd5! 28 l:i.xd5 .td4 with equal
chances - Makarov.
b) 19 ~d5!? (D) and then:
B
b1) 19 ... 'fie6!?20exf81r' l:.dxf8 21
~e7+ ~d8 22 f3 l:.h5 23 'fid2 l:.fh8
(Uhlmann-Schon, Porz 1990) and now
24 l:i.be1 'iVh3 25 l:i.e2 is the easiest.
Black's attack looks well neutralized.
b2) 19 ... 'fib7!? (this is the point of
retreating the bishop all the way to a8)
20 exf8'iV l:.hxf8 21 ~e7+ ~c7 22
.tf4+ ~e5 23 .txe5+ ~b6. Shabalov
initially assessed this as winning for
Black in view of the forced win of
White's queen, but as Santos soon
pointed out, this is actually far from
clear. He suggested that White has