Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

94 THE BOTVINNIK SEMI-SLAV
pawns become an important dynamic
factor. However, Black's problem
seems to be that, though it is quite easy
to place his minor pieces optimally,
they are not exactly doing much. Meanwhile
White has the very simple plan
of pushing forward the f- and g-pawns,
eventually, if successful, causing claustrophobia
of Black's king or minor
pieces. All in all though, the position
should be approximately equal.
16 ..:iif7 17 'ii'xf7+ rJitxf7 (D)
w
18.i.g2
Others:
a) 18 0-0-0 liJxc3 19 bxc3 i.a3+
20 'ifi>c2liJf8 21 i.g2 .i.d7 22 f4l:tb8!
23 g4 b4 24 cxb4 a5! with strong counterplay,
Arbakov-Savchenko, USSR
1989.
b) 18 liJe4 .i.b4+ 19 'ifi>e2 c3! 20
bxc3 liJxc3+ 21liJxc3 i.xc3 22l:tdl
b4 23 .i.g2 i.a6+ 24 'iti>e3 l:tg8 2S
i.xc6liJb6 with at least an equal position
for Black, Lobron-Shirov, Bundesliga
1993/4.
18 ... liJxc3
Black cuts out White's option of
keeping the knights on the board after
all with liJe4. Black should also in general
be happy with piece exchanges,
although White's rooks usually become
more influential the fewer minor
pieces there are on the board. The
problem for Black is that even though
there is plenty of space available, it is
basically limited to the centre and the
queenside. Hence the exchange is logical
but there is also a disadvantage,
namely that the a8-hl diagonal is now
open for White's bishop.
After other moves White can often
beneficially avoid the exchange of
knights:
a) 18 ... b4?! 19 liJe4liJ7b6 200-0-0
i.d7 21 l:th8 i.e7 22 l:th7+ 'iti>e8 23
liJcs ± Knaak-Enders, East German
Ch 1985.
b) 18 ... liJ7b6 19 liJe4!? .i.d7 20
'iti>e2 i.g7? (I do not like Black's setup
at all, and ceding control of the
central squares cS and d6 like this is
definitely a mistake; Black should
probably try the immediate 20 ... liJa4)
21 liJd6+ 'iti>g8 22 l:thS! liJa4 23 J:r.gS
liJxb2 24 .i.xdS! cxdS 2Sl:thl (White's
attack is surprisingly dangerous and it
is not easy to take measures against
the threat of l:th6-g6) 2S ... aS 26l:th6
l:ta7 27 l:thg6 .i.c6 28 :'xe6 c3 29liJfS
+- Yusupov-Chekhov, USSR Ch (Vilnius)
1980.
c) 18 ... i.b4 19 'iti>d2 liJf8 20 f4
.ltd7 21 l:taft l:td8 22 i.xdS cxdS 23
g4 i.aS 24 fS 'iti>g7! 2S :'hS b4 26
l:tgS+ ..t>h6 27 l:thS+ ..t>g7 28 l:tgS+