Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

UHLMANN'S 16 '1:.b1 55
b1) 2S ... liJf6 26 'tWfS (26 'fixc4
liJg4 27 lin ±) 26 ... liJdS (26 ... liJe8 27
lId1; 26 ... liJg4 27 'tWxg4 l:txg4 28
e8'ii'+ 'ii'xe8+ 29 liJxe8; 26 .. J:tgh8 27
'1Wxf61bf2+ 2S ~xf2 lIh2+ 29 'it>e3;
26 .. Jlg6 27 lId1 1Ih5 2S 'ii'cS+!? 'fixcs
29liJxc8) 27 '1Wxf7 l:thh8 (27 ... liJxf4+
2S 'ii'xf4 +-) 2S l:td1liJxf4+ (28 ... liJxe7
29 'ii'xe7 lieS 30 liJxeS l:txeS 31
lIdS+) 29 'ii'xf4 +-.
b2) 2S ... c3 26 'ii'fS! (26 bxc3liJf6)
26 ... 'ii'a6+ 27 ~e3 +-.
b3) 2S ... 'ii'dS and then:
b31) 26 eS'ii'+ lIxeS+ 27 liJxeS
'ii'e6+ (27 ... 'ii'hS+ 28 ~e3 +-) 2S olte3.
b32) 26 'ii'fS! 'ii'xfS 27liJxfS +-.
b4) 2S ... :hS 26 '1Wxc4 (26 l:[d1 I?)
26 ... :dS (26 ... liJeS 27 'ii'e4 +-) 27
eS'1W+ :xe8+ 28 liJxeS '1We6+ 29 'it>f3
+-.
bS) 2S ... liJb6 26 'fifS liJcs 27 eS'fi
(27 'ii'xf7!? might be even stronger, but
Kamsky's move is simpler) 27 ... l:txeS+
2SliJxeS 'ii'xeS+ 29 olte3 and although
Kramnik succeeded in defending this
position in Kamsky-Kramnik, Dos
Hermanas 1996, there can be no doubt
about White's advantage.
c) 19 ... 'ii'c6 (Shirov's preference,
which aims to take control of the h1-
as diagonal before White does so) 20
exdS'ii'+ 'ifi>xdS 21liJdS (21 'ii'dS'ii'xdS
22 liJxd5 lIxh2 is less clear; even
though Black's queen is slightly annoying,
it is Black who benefits from
the exchange) 21..Jbh2 22 ~gl lIhS
23 oltf4 ! (D) and now:
c1) 23 ... oltd6 24 oltxd6 'ii'xd6 2S
'tWf3! ltJes 26 'ii'e4 lleS (Black does not
B
seem so badly off around here, but a
few accurate moves from White secure
a small edge) 27 liJe3! liJc6 2S 'ii'f3!
(not, however, 2S 'ii'xc4? lIxe3 29
fxe3 'ii'xg3+, when Black, if nothing
else, has lots of checks) 28 ... ~c7 29
liJxc4 '1Wd4 30 b3 and White is slightly
better, Kramnik-Shirov, Monaco Amber
blindfold 1996.
c2) 23 ... 'fie6?! (Shirov's attempted
improvement on the above, but when
annotating it later he described it as a
clear mistake) 24 'ii'f3 'ii'h3 (one has to
agree with Shirov's thought that this
looks quite promising, for if White
had to play 2S 'ii'g2?!, Black could
continue 2S ... 'ii'xg2+ 26 ~xg2 ~cS
27 l:[d1 liJb6 with excellent counterplay,
or 27 lIc1?! ~b7! 2S lIxc4 ~c6)
2S lldl! b3!? 26 a4! 'ii'h2+ 27 ~n
'1Wh1 + 2S c;t>e2 'ii'xf3+ 29 ~xf3 'ifi>cs 30
g4!, P.Nikolic-Shirov, Linares 1997.
White should win as Black's pieces
are too passive and there are no real
chances of creating counterplay.
Returning to the position after
19 ... olth6 (D):