Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

70 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLA V
a) IS .. Jlg6 160-0-0 lLlxf6 and now
the simplest line is 17 lLlxbS i.xdS 18
.%:.gl! ± (Yusupov).
b) IS ... .%:.hS 16 i.e2 .%:.h 7 17 0-0-0
lLlxf6 18 lLlxbS i.xdS 19 'ii'f4 ± Kasparov-Younglove,
London sim 1984.
D21}
IS .. .lbf6 16 i.g2
This is White's most solid option,
preparing kings ide castling and defending
the dS-pawn. 160-0-0 is more
ambitious. Then:
a) 16 ... b4 17 lLle4 exdS 18 lLlxf6+
'ii'xf6(18 ... lLlxf619i.xc4!?) 19i.xc4
lLlb6 20 :the 1 + ~f8 gave Black some
compensation in Langeweg-Kuijpers,
Hilversum 1984, even though I am far
from convinced that it is really enough.
The game continued 21 i.f1 as 22
'ii'e3 :tc8 23 'ii'eS 'ii'xeS 24 .%:.xeS d4 2S
i.h3 .%:.c7 26 :'del i.dS with counterplay.
b) 16 ... lLlb6 17 i.g2 i.xdS 18 f4
~f8 19 lLlxbS 'ii'e7 20 lLlc3 .%:.b8 21
:'hel 'ii'b7 22 i.e4 'ii'a6 23 i.c2 was
much better for White in Djubek-J.Urban,
COIT. 1989.
16 ... lLleS
Logically aiming for f3 or d3 but
16 ... lLlb6!?, increasing the pressure
against dS, is also interesting; e.g., 17
0-0 (17 0-0-0 is note 'b' to the previous
move) 17 ... i.xdS 18 lLlxdS (18
lLlxbS i.xg2 19 'ii'xd8+ lhd8 20
'it>xg2 .%:.d2 21 :tabl ~f8 22 lLlc3! =)
18 ... exdS 19 :tfel+ ~f8 20 .%:.eS 'ii'd6
21 '%:'ael b4 + Tasc R30-Thesing,
Munster 1993.
17 0-0 lLlf3+ 18 i.xf3 '%:'xf3 (D)
19lLlxbS
Or:
a) 19'it'e2 i.xdS (19 ... :'xc3 20 bxc3
'it'xdS 21 f3 is not sufficient for Black)
20 .%:.fdl (the right rook; if 20 :'adl,
20 ... :td3! is even better: 21 :'xd3 cxd3
22 'ii'xd3 i.c4 23 'ii'xd8+ :'xd8 +)
20 ... .%:.d3! 21 .%:.xd3 (after 21 lLlxbS,
21.. .i.f3 22 .%:.xd3 i.xe2 23 .%:.xd8+
.%:.xd8 24lLlxa7 :'d2 gives Black counterplay
according to Ribli but Black
can even interpolate 21... 'ii'b8!, and if
White now moves the knight then
... i.f3) 21...cxd3 22 'ii'xd3 i.c6 with
equality, Karpov-Ribli, Thessaloniki
OL 1988. Note that after 23 'ii'h7?!
Black has the excellent 23 ... 'ii'f6!.
b) 19 'ii'h6 i.xdS 20 :'adl was
suggested by Ribli as a better attempt
for White, continuing 20 ... 'ii'f6 21
'ii'xf6 :'xf6 22 lLlxdS exdS 23 :'xdS
.%:.c8 but even though I think Black has
fair chances of holding this ending,
20 ... .%:.d3!? still looks interesting.
19 ... i.xdS 20 '%:'fel .%:.b8! 21lLlc7+