Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

52 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SEA V
exdS1W+?! l:xdS 24 .txd8+? ~xd8 25
tDb7+ introduces a nice combination
but simply does not work: 25 ... Wc7 26
1Wxd7+ ~xd7 27 tDxc5+ ~d6 28
tDxa6 c3 and Black wins) 23 .. /ifa'b6 24
tDxc4+ (24 exd8'ii'+ ':xd8 25 tDxf7
':e8 26 "ii'd6+ ~a5 27 "ii'xd7 ':e1 + 28
~g2 .te4+ 29 f3 .tc6 30 'ii'd8+ Wa4
31 "ii'd2 l:a1 gives Black a clear advantage
according to Kramnik) 24 .. .roitb5
25 tDd6+ ~b6 26 exd8.t+ l:xd8 27
tDc4+ ~b5 28 tDd6+ ~b6 29 tDc4+
~b5 1/2_ 1 /2 Topalov-Kramnik, Dortmund
1996.
20.txh6
20 exd8"ii'+ Wxd8 21 tDe4 looks
dangerous but Black keeps his pieces
together with the clever manoeuvre
21....th3! 22 tDxc5 .te6 (note that tour
of the bishop!), Ermolinsky-Ivanchul.,
Pinsk 1986.
20 ... .td3 (D)
w
21 tDe4!? (D)
Shirov describes this as 'not very
dangerous for Black' but he still failed
to find the right way for Black in his
game with Beliavsky. Yet comparing
with Kramnik's 19 ... .txe7 the difference
is not that great and there tDe4 is
invariably played.
21 exd8'ii'+ should be answered by
21...Wxd8. Alternatively, White can
try 21 'ii'a8+ tDb8 22 exd8"ii'+ l:xd8
23 l:e1 ! but with accurate play Black
keeps the balance in the endgame after
23 ... bxc3 24 .tf4 'ii'b6 (24 .. :iVb7? 25
l:r.e7! +-) 25 bxc3 .tf5!. White will ultimately
reach an ending with only
two pawns for a piece but in reality
Black's doubled c-pawns only count
for one and Black's bishop will find it
difficult coping with the white pawn
phalanx on the kingside. After 26 h4
Black has tried:
a) 26 ... .te6?! 27 Wh2 l:d7!? (or
27 ... 'ii'b2 28 l:e2! 'ii'b6 29 h5 .td5 30
'ii'xb8+ 'i'xb8 31 .txb8 Wxb8 32
l:d2! ± Nesis-Kujala, COIT. 1995-8) 28
h5 ':b7, Yermolinsky-D.Gurevich,
USA Ch 1994, and now 29 h6 would
have promised White very good winning
chances; e.g., 29 ... 'ii'b2 30 Wg1
'ii'xc3 31 ':xe6! fxe6 32 .txb8 "ii'f3 33
.td6+ ~d7 34 'ii'xb7+ 'ii'xb7 35 f7
and White wins - Yermolinsky.
b) Thus it seems better to force the
endgame immediately with 26 .. :ii'b7!
but the problem is of course that with
27 'ii'xb7+ Wxb7 28 ':e7+ l:d7 29
.txb8 Wxb8 30 l:xd7 (30 ':e5!?)
30 ... .txd7 White forces Black into a
very difficult ending, but at home
Shirov had already found that Black
can draw: 31 c;i;>g2 ~c7 32 ~f3 ~d6
33 c;i;>f4 .tc6!! (the key move of Black's