Hunt-P.Svidler Gibraltar

1 e4 g6 2 d4 Bg7 3 Nc3 d6 4 Be3

Question: Aren’t you in the wrong chapter?

Remember, we don’t know where White’s f-pawn ends up. It may stay where it lies on f2, push up one to f3, or in this case move up two to reach the Austrian Attack.

4 ... a6 5 f4

5 ... b5

Question: Didn’t you say it was more accurate

to play ... Nd7 before playing ... b5?

Answer: I did, but that was in another chapter and a different set of circumstances. In the case of the

Austrian, pushing ... b5 immediately is considered the most accurate move. Nobody said the Modern Defence was easy to master!

Question: Why more accurate?

Answer: First, Modern Godfather Tiger Hillarp Persson gives this move order an exclam. White’s e-

pawn is the root of his anxiety in the Austrian since he no longer has access to f3. By playing an early ... b5 we prepare to hit e4 with ... Bb7. Also, a future ... b4 may undermine the c3-knight’s support for the e- pawn.

6 Bd3

Later in the chapter we look at odd 6 Be2, intending Bf3 and e5. 6 ... Bb7 7 Nf3 Nd7

We can actually kick White’s knight unprovoked in this position, but my tendency is to usually wait for White to initiate the motion with a4 first.

After 7 ... b4!? 8 Ne2 Nf6 9 Ng3 I like Modern Founding Father GM David Norwood’s 9 ... h5!? from D.Bailey-D.Norwood, Toronto 1989. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t like Black’s position if he handles the Austrian in pure Pirc style with something like 9 ... 0-0 10 Qd2 a5 11 f5! Ng4 12 Bg5 c5. This was Xu Yuhua-Li Chao, Hefei (rapid) 2010, where GM Jones likes White’s position after 13 Qf4 when a lot of white pieces cluster around Black’s king.

Familiarize yourself with this position. It may well be our biggest threat from White in the entire book.

8 ... Nh6!

“Perhaps 8 ... Nh6 is the critical move in the line at this time,” write Jones and Rendle on the ChessPublishing website. In my opinion 8 ... Nh6 is Black’s best move in the position, which so far has scored well for him.

Question: Isn’t 8 ... c5 Black’s main line?

Answer: It is, but the move contains the seed of a deadly, fundamental flaw: it opens the position

when Black lags in development and I don’t believe Black equalizes after correct play from White, who scores above average after 9 Be4! Bxe4 (9 ... Qc8 10 Bxb7 Qxb7 11 dxc5 dxe5 12 Qd5! also looks like a grind for Black, A.Grischuk-E.Bacrot, Dubai (rapid) 2002) 10 Nxe4 cxd4 11 Bxd4 dxe5 12 fxe5. I don’t like Black’s position since e6! is in the air, M.Adams-M.Bezold, British League 2001.

We also won’t be covering 8 ... e6 9 a4 b4 10 Ne4. 9 Qe2

White’s most dangerous move. We look at 9 Be4 a couple of games later in Ye Jiangchuan-Bacrot. 9 ... c5!?

A risky but dynamic option. Black hopes to break up White’s centre at the risk of opening the centre too early. Next game we look at 9 ... Nb6.

10 ... dxe5!

A theoretical novelty and a clear improvement for Black over the previously played:

a) 10 ... Nxc5 11 Bxc5! dxc5 12 0-0-0 Qb6 13 Be4! (principle: when your opponent owns the bishop pair, swap one of them off if possible) 13 ... Bxe4 14 Qxe4 0-0 15 Nd5 Qa7 16 Ne3! (now Black’s knight looks out of place on h6) 16 ... Rfd8 17 g4 left White with both a bind and attacking chances in I.Saric- M.Muse, Sibenik 2008.

b) 10 ... 0-0!? offering a pawn for development was tried in A.Suetin-A.Sznapik, Sochi 1974. Now White can simply ignore the offer and play 11 Be4! with a nagging edge.

11 fxe5

Jones and Rendle suggest 11 Nxe5! as White’s critical try for an advantage. Let’s examine deeper with a training game I played against Houdini: 11 ... Nxe5 12 fxe5 0-0 13 0-0! Qc7 14 Rae1!. White holds the edge. I had a lot of trouble regaining the lost pawn, but felt like Black had just enough counterplay anyway.

11 ... Qc7

Jones and Rendle say 11 ... 0-0?! is a mistake, giving 12 e6! with some advantage to White. 12 e6!?

12 ... fxe6 13 0-0-0 Nf5

Question: Why didn’t Black take on c5?

Answer: He could have but perhaps Svidler was nervous about this tricky line: 13 ... Nxc5 14 Bxc5

Qxc5 15 Ne4 Bxe4! (perhaps Svidler only considered 15 ... Qb6?! 16 Nd6+!! exd6 17 Qxe6+ Kd8 18 Rhe1 which looks rough for Black) 16 Qxe4 Rd8. However, Black looks okay here due to his dark-square power.

14 Ne4

Absolute anarchy erupts after 14 Ng5!? Bxc3 15 Nxe6 Bxb2+ 16 Kb1 Qe5 17 Bxf5 Nf6! (not 17 ... gxf5?? 18 Qh5 mate!) 18 Bh3 Nd5 and it’s anybody’s game.

14 ... 0-0 15 Kb1

Black holds his own after 15 Bf2 Bd5. 15 ... Bd5

I already prefer Black’s position. 16 a3?

This innocent looking move signifies a monumental shift of scale and dimension by allowing Black a connection point on b4, after which his attacking prospects spike like a cardiogram. “16 Bf2 was necessary here, although White is basically having to find only moves in order to survive,” write Jones and Rendle.

Question: I disagree. What is wrong with White’s game? Just look

at those sickly, doubled e-pawns Black must defend.

Answer: This is like the surgeon telling the widow: “The surgery was successful, but the patient died

on the table.” Black’s attacking chances outweigh the minor inconvenience of the doubled e-pawns. Note that White’s kingside attack hasn’t even begun yet, like a dreamer’s forest fire which consumes nothing at all.

16 ... Rab8

Black’s attack is clearly faster. 17 Bf2

Question: Shouldn’t White stop Black’s plan by tossing in 17 c3?

Answer: Your suggestion fails to slow down the attack after 17 ... a5. Now do you really want to play

18 b4?

17 ... b4 18 a4 b3

Black proceeds to soften up the pawn front in front of White’s king. It’s funny how one’s self- confidence expands exponentially when you point your loaded Glock19 at the opponent’s head.

19 c4

White tries to push the issue away with a barge pole. 19 c3 Qa5 20 g4 Nh6 doesn’t help White.

19 ... Bxe4! 20 Qxe4 Nxc5 21 Bxc5 Qxc5 22 Qxe6+ 22 Ng5 is met with 22 ... Nd4.

22 ... Kh8 23 Rhe1?!

He refuses to answer any of the urgent messages left on his phone machine. He should try 23 Bxf5. 23 ... Rb6

24 Qd5 Qb4 25 Bxf5

White is also totally busted after 25 Re5 Rd6! 26 Qa5 Qxc4!. 25 ... Qxa4!

White forces are the skinny guards with the sticks, while Black’s unstoppable attackers remind us of Bruce Lee cracking heads in a blur of motion, with those nasty nunchucks.

Black’s queen gazes menacingly in the direction of a2 with folded arms. 26 Nd4

26 ... Rxf5!

Svidler offers his b6-rook. For the record, 26 ... Qa2+ and 26 ... Rd6 also wins. 27 Qd8+

Of course, 27 Nxf5?? walks into mate in two moves: 27 ... Qa2+ 28 Kc1 Qxb2 mate. 27 ... Rf8 28 Qxe7

The ‘free’ rook on b6 is not so free after 28 Qxb6 Qa2+ 29 Kc1 Bh6+! 30 Rd2 Qa1 mate.

Exercise (calculation): Every sniper’s dream: a clear line

This is a tough workout, but let’s give it a shot. Go as far as you can.

Answer: 28 ... Qa2+ 29 Kc1

The king, coaxed out into the open, looks as perplexed as the newborn accustomed to the comforts of the womb life, who must now fend for himself in the outside world.

29 ... Qa1+ 30 Kd2 Qxb2+ 31 Ke3 Qf2+

The queen circumnavigates the board the way a plane, unable to land, circles a busy airport. 32 Ke4 Rf4+ 33 Kd5

Sci-fi novels constantly remind us of the fact that in space no one can hear you scream. Without intervention, White’s king is destined to die alone.

33 ... Rxd4+ 34 Rxd4 Qxd4 mate (0-1)

The glass slipper fits the queen’s foot perfectly. An impressive 13-ply if you made it to the finish line without moving the pieces.

Summary

I predict 8 ... Nh6! may replace 8 ... c5 over time as Black’s main line versus the Austrian Attack. Game 17