Botvinnik Semi-Slav, The (Pedersen)

MOVE-ORDERS AND VARIOUS DEVIATIONS 97
Black) 23 ... .tb4+ 24 ~f1 l:tb6! 25
'ili'xb6+ lbxb6 26lbt7+ ~e7 27lbxh8
.tf5 with a winning ending for Black.
b4) 18 ... lbb6!? and now:
b41) 19 ~e2 with a further branch:
b411) 19 ... b4 20 l:tabl ~d7?! (the
alternative 20 ... bxc3! 21l:tlh7 'ili'xh7
22l:txh7 cxb2 23 'ili'f3lbd7 is unclear)
21l:t8h7! 'ili'g8, Kalantarian-Yegiazarian,
Armenian Ch 1994, and now 22
d5! (D).
B
Akopian provides extensive analysis
in In/ormator, which I have pruned
down to the bare essentials. 22 ... bxc3
(22... cxd5 23 lbxd5 lbbxd5 24 .txd5
l:tb8 25 l:th8 'it't7 26 l:txf8 'ili'xf8 27
'it'xe6+ ~d8 28 'it'd6+ and White
wins) 23 d6! and then:
b4111) 23 ... cxb2 24 dxe7 .txe7 25
l:tdl+ ~c7 26l:txe7+ .td7 27.txc6!
~xc6 (27... bl'iif 28 l:txbl ~xc6 29
'iifd4 +-) 28 l:texd7 lbxd7 29 'iifxc4+
lbc5 30 l:td6+ and White mates in five
more moves.
b4112) 23 ... lbbd5 24 'it'g5! cxb2
25 .txdS cxd5 26 dxe7! .tg7 27 'ili'xg6
.ta6 28 l:txg7 c3+ 29 ~f3 'iife8 30
l:th8! and White wins.
b4113) 23 ... .tb7 24 'iWg5! l:te8 25
l:th8 'it't7 26l:tlh7 .tg7 27l:txe8 ~xe8
28 dxe7 +-.
b4114) 23 ... .ta6 24 dxe7! .txe7
25 l:he7+! ~xe7 26 .txc6 'iWg7 (the
only move to prevent 'iWg5-f6) 27
'ir'g5+ ~t7 28 .txa8 lbxa8 (28 ... cxb2
29 .te4 c3+ 30 ~f3 is still dangerous
for Black) 29 bxc3 ±.
b412) 19 ... .td7! 20 l:tabl (20 a4!?
b4 21 as might be a better idea)
20 ... 0-0-0 21 l:tlh7 .tg7 22 l:txd8+
~xd8 23 ~ellbbd5 24lbe2, Rogers­
Solomon, Australian Ch (Gold Coast)
1998, and now 24 .. :iVg8 (24 ... ~e8!?)
25 l:th3 c5 is good for Black according
to Rogers.
b42) 19 .tc2!? lbf5 (19 ... 'it'g7!?)
20 lbe4 ~d7 21 l:th7 .tg7 22 lbd6
lbxd6 was played in Rogozenko-Antunes,
Cairo 1997, and now 23 'iifxg6
'iixg6 24 .txg6lbe8 25 .txe8+ ~xe8
26 l:txg7 ~f8 gives White an advantage
- Rogozenko.
18 ... cxb5 19 .txa8 lbb6 20 .te4
i.d7 (D)
20 ... lbbd5 is another possibility but
it makes sense to attempt to exchange
bishops as White's bishop is clearly
superior to its opposite number.
21l:th8 .tc6 22 f3!
A clever move, passing the ball back
into Black's court. Now if Black wants
to exchange the bishops he cannot
have the d5-square since White recaptures
with the pawn.
22 ... ~d7!