Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

MOVE-ORDERS AND VARIOUS DEVIATIONS 91
excellent attacking chances, and White
must be on the alert to stop Black
breaking through.
A22)
12 h4 (D)
B
The critical continuation. Black has
to enter the following complications,
for if he continues similarly to the
main lines, say 12 ... ..tb7 13 ..tg2 'ili'b6
14 exf6, the move h4 is clearly more
useful than ... :tg8.
12 ... .:.xgS
It is possible to play 12 ... .tb7 13
..tg2, and only then 13 ... .:.xgS but this
seems only to limit Black's options
later on.
13 hxgSliJdS14 g6 fxg6 IS'iIi'g4!
Let us just pause for a moment and
sum up what has happened in the last
few moves. Black has two minor
pieces for a rook, which suggests that
the long-term chances are going to be
in Black's favour. However, he is behind
in development and the white
rook is ready to race down the open
h-file, either taking advantage of the
7th rank or running all the way to h8
and preventing Black from developing
his dark-squared bishop. Furthermore,
the weak g-pawn is an obvious
target, while Black is also struggling
with the worse light-squared bishop.
Indeed, the light squares in general
seem to be White's operating area
with ideas such as ':'h7 and .tg2-e4 or
liJe4-d6 hanging in the air.
Does Black's position have nothing
going for it, then? Things aren't so
bad, but interest has declined in taking
on the patient manoeuvring required
to defend Black's position. That said,
if Black does succeed in bringing his
forces workably together, then his
chances should be quite decent.
White's last move attacks the g6-
pawn immediately, but there may also
be a point in preventing the coming
defensive manoeuvre by IS l:th7!?
Let us first have a brief look at this:
a) IS ... 'iIi'aS 16 'ili'f3 'itd8 17 ..th3
.tb4 18 'itn! ..txc3 19 ..txe6 and now
rather than 19 ... ..txd4? 20 ..txdS cxdS
21 IIdl with a strong attack for White,
as in Knaak-Tischbierek, East German
Ch 1981, Black should continue
19 ... ..txb2 20 .txdS 'ili'c3! with a complicated
position - Sveshnikov.
b) IS ... ..te7 16 'ili'f3 liJf8 17 l:tg7
'ili'd7 18 ..th3 liJxc3 19 bxc3 ..tb7 20
'ili'f7+ 'itd8 21 ~e2 with compensation
as it will be hard for Black to free
himself without losing at least a pawn,
Pelletier-Antunes, Erevan OL 1996.
IS ... 'iIi'e7 (D)