Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

IDEAS WITH ... "iia5 81
17 ~xf1 cS 18 ~gl cxd4 19 1:txa7
ttJeS 20 1:txa8+ 'it' xa8 21 ttJd2 is better
for White despite the momentary clumsiness
of the king and rook.
b) 14 ... ttJb6 IS bxc4 (I am not sure
whether Black, after IS 'it'c2, has anything
better than transposing to the
main line with IS ... 0-0-0) IS ... ttJxc4
16 'it'b3 'ii'dS 17 f3 .tbS 181:tc1 ttJa3
19 'ii'xdS cxdS 20 ttJd2 .td6 21 'ifilf2
with an edge for White, Mecking-Matsuura,
Sao Paulo Z 1995.
15 'iVc2 ttJb6 16 .te3 e5!? (D)
Black cannot delay his counters trike
for too long since White will be much
better as soon as he consolidates.
Hence this push is clearly Black's best
chance. Levin mentions 16 ... c3 17
.txa6+ 'ii'xa6 18 'iWe2! ±, while the attempt
to safeguard the king with
16 ... ~b7171:tc1 ~a818 .te2.tb7 appears
too slow: 19 0-0 'ii'fS 20 h4 .th6
(20 ... c3!?) 21 ttJcS 'it'h3 22 .txh6
1:txh6 23 'ii'e4 1:tg8 24 hS ttJdS!? 2S
ttJxb7 ~xb7 26 1:txc4 1:txf6 (Komarov-Kamsky,
USSR 1987) 27 'iWg2!?
'iWxg2+ 28 ~xg2 ttJf4+ 29 ~f3 ±.
W
17 dxe5
171:tdl! exd4 18 ':xd4looks stronger.
Then after 18 ... 1:txd4 19 .txd4
Black's counterplay appears too slow,
and nor does the attempt to avoid exchanges
by 18 ... 1:te8 19 .te2lead anywhere.
17 ...'iVxe5 181:tcl1:te8 19 f3 ttJd5
20.td2
If the bishop moves anywhere else,
for example 20 .txa7 or 20 .tf2, then
comes 20 ... ttJc3 with strong pressure.
20 ...'iWxf6
20 ... 1:txh2?! 21 1:txh2 'iWxg3+ 22
1:tf2 .tcS 23 ~dl1:txe4 24 'ii'xe4 'ii'xf2
2S .txc4 .txc4 26 1:txc4 and White
went on to win in Khenkin-Feher,
Cappelle la Grande 1992 .
21 .te2 'iWd4 22 .txc4
White has to be a little careful here;
22 bxc4? 1:txh2 23 ':'xh2 'iWgl + 24
.tfl 'iWxh2 would give Black a tremendous
attack.
22 ....txc4 23 'iWxc4 'iWxc4 24 bxc4
ttJf6
The position is equal - Khenkin.
B)
12 ....ta6 (D)
13 'iWf3
The other main option for White is
the attempt to hold up Black's b-pawn
with 13 a3, which renders the bishop
on a6 misplaced but also leaves a hole
on b3. After 13 ... 0-0-0 we have:
a) 14 .te3 ttJeS!? (aiming for rapid
counterplay; note that 14 ... ttJcS? is
bad in view of IS 'iWf3!, and while
Savchenko's 14 ... ttJxf6!? is as yet