Pert Richard - Play the Trompowsky (2013).pdf

Playing

the

_Trompowsky

By

Richard Pert

Quality

Chess

Copyright© 20 1 3 Richard Pert

Playing the Trompowsky

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior

permission of the publisher. Paperback ISBN 978- 1 -907982-75-0 Hardcover ISBN 978- 1 -907982-76-7

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Cover design by Barry Adamson Cover photo by capture365.com

Contents

Key to Symbols used & Bibliography 4

Preface 5 Introduction 7 1 2 ... e6 3.e4 11 2 2 ... e6 3.tlld2!? 47 3 2 ... c5 3.tllc3!? 61 4 2 ... c5 3.d5 79 5 2 ... tlle4 3.if4 c5 4.d5 93 6 2 ... tlle4 3.if4 c5 4.f3 107 7 2 ... d5 3.ixf6 141 8 2 ... d5 3.e3 157

9 2 ... tlle4 3.if4 d5 4.e3 171

10 Rare 3rd Moves 193

11 Rare 2nd Moves 201

12 2.ig5 against the Dutch 211

13 l .d4 d5 2.ig5 233

Key to Symbols used

;!; White is slightly better a weak move + Black is slightly better ?? a blunder

± White is better a good move

+ Black is better !! an excellent move

+- White has a decisive advantage !? a move worth considering -+ Black has a decisive advantage ?! a move of doubtful value

equality # mate

00 with compensation -+ with an attack

� with counterplay t with an initiative

00 unclear N new move

Bibliography

Alburc, Dzindzichashvili & Perelshceyn: Chess Openings for Black Explained (2nd Edition), CIRC 2009. Alterman: The Alterman Gambit Guide - Black Gambits 2, Quality Chess 20 1 2.

Avrukh: Grandmaster Repertoire 11 -Beating l. d4 Sidelines, Quality Chess 20 1 2 .

Cox: Dealing with d4 Deviations, Everyman Chess 200 5 . Davies: Th e Trompowsky (2nd Edition) , Everyman Chess 2005. De la Villa: El Ataque Trompowsky, Evajedrez 200 1 .

Dembo: Fighting the Anti-King's Indians, Everyman Chess 2008. Gallagher: The Trompowsky, The Chess Press 1 998.

Hodgson: Secrets of the Trompowsky, Hodgson Enterprises 1 997. Lakdawala: A Ferocious Opening Repertoire, Everyman Chess 20 1 0. Palliser: Starting Out: The Trompowsky Attack, Everyman Chess 2009. Schandorff: Playing l.d4 - The Indian Defences, Quality Chess 20 1 2. Wells: Winning with the Trompowsky, Batsford 2003.

Williams: Play the Classical Dutch, Gambit 2003.

Periodicals

New In Chess Yearbooks ChessBase Magazine

Electronic/Internet resources

ChessPublishing.com

Martin: The Trompowsky: The Easy Wtzy, ChessBase 2006. Williams: Killer Dutch, Ginger GM 20 1 0.

Preface

As this is my first book, I really want to cake chis opportunity to thank the people who have supported and helped me in chess, both on and off the board.

Firscly I would like co start by thanking the Quality Chess team, particularly Andrew Greet who has made it so easy for me to write chis book.

Lee me now tell you a quick story. When I was five years old I went on a family skiing holiday to Sweden. As it turned out there was no snow that year, so my dad took the opportunity to teach my twin brother and me how to play chess. The pair of us were hooked, and my brother, GM Nick Pert, has proved a worthy (sometimes too worthy) opponent for me ever since. My parents contributed significancly to my chess career by giving up much of their free time driving Nick and me to many chess events when we were youngsters. I know my dad would much rather have spent that time sailing! One other person I want to mention from my childhood is FM Kevin O'Connell, who lived on the same road as us. He gave up a lot of his time to coach both Nick and me, and it is unquestionable in my mind chat without his support we would never have reached the standard that we did. Kevin is still very active in FIDE, although recencly he has relocated to France.

My wife definitely deserves praise, as she has had to put up with my chess bug which I can't seem to shift (I'm sure some of you will know what I'm talking about) . She actually didn't know I played chess when we first started dating, but despite this she has been very patient with me over the years when on occasion I have left her to handle the kids whilst I have gone off to play. My kids, Nina (aged five) and Max (aged three) are fantastic and they are my biggest supporters. I'd also like to mention Brian Smith, who has supported me through his Wood Green team for many years now. I've lost count of how many London League, 4NCL and National Club tides we have now picked up, but no doubt Brian will be able to tell you!

Away from the chess board, another person that I want to mention is IM Ali Mortazavi, who despite his arrogant and cavalier appearance had enough heart to take me from working in a burger bar and sit me down at a city trading desk! He still reminds me of that from time to time! It still surprises me even today how many people from the chess circuit are willing to go out of their way to use their time and contacts to try to help me out in my career path away from the chess board. Without naming them all, a few examples from just this year alone are Paul Littlewood, Ian Reynolds and Dilys Tan.

I've made many other friends through chess and it is impossible to mention chem all, ranging from the guys who used to support myself and Nick when we started out playing in Ipswich as kids, through to the Essex contingent nowadays. I do however want to quickly mention a couple of ocher guys, firstly GM Danny Gormally who along with his parents gave me a place to stay when I first came to London looking for work as a 2 1 -year-old lad. Actually the plan was chat

I was going to get a flat share with Danny, but he dropped all his money on a tennis bet and so we ended up staying at his parents' house for a while instead! I also want to mention GM Simon Williams - along with my brother I have probably been to more tournaments with him than anybody else. We've had some good times and near scrapes over the years, including a manic trip to Budapest, several visits to the South of France, a fun holiday/tournament in Norway (with Mark Hebden and Adam Hunt) , and a dodgy week in Sheffield amongst many other trips. Simon is a real enthusiast for the game and it rubs off. One final guy I want to mention away from the chess board is my mate Dan Gray, who has always looked out for me over the last fifteen years, and now looks out for my kids as well. Dan just got engaged to his girlfriend Rhiann in March this year, and I want to wish them all the best in the future.

That's enough of me boring you with my life story - now you'd better go and learn how to play this opening!

Richard Pert

Introduction

If like most players you have a limited amount of time that you can spend studying chess openings, but still want to push for an advantage with White, then the Trompowsky is a great choice. Despite the opening not being as well investigated as a lot of the main lines, it is still a very attacking opening that is tricky for Black to face. I have no doubt that when I made this opening my main choice some fifteen years ago, it significantly improved my performance with White.

In this opening White stamps his mark on the position from the second move with 2.ig5 . I have focused on providing an in-depth White repertoire in the Trompowsky, l .d4 lll f6 2.ig5 , with a couple of choices for White against several of Black's key options. On top of that I have also taken the time to give a repertoire versus the Dutch Defence, l .d4 f5 2.ig5 , which seems to me to be very strong, and had a look at the Pseudo-Tromp, l .d4 d5 2.ig5, which leads to interesting positions. This is my first book and I really haven't held anything back in my quest to make it as good as possible. The book is packed with novelties and new ideas, whilst also taking into account previous work. I am confident that this book will contribute significantly to the future theory of the Trompowsky. It's my belief that this book is suitable for players ranging from club players all the way up co top grandmasters. With firsthand experience of playing this opening against several of the world's top players, and having studied it over such a long period, I believe that puts me in a strong position to know which paths White should choose.

The Trompowsky really took off in England in the 1 990s, during which time GM Julian Hodgson used it as his main weapon and GM Mickey Adams added it to his repertoire. I remember watching Hodgson win British Championship after British Championship using this opening. It got to the point where everyone knew what was coming, but no one knew what to do about it. This popularity continued into the early 2000s with excellent books on the opening from GMs Joe Gallagher and Pete Wells. By chis stage I would say that the majority of leading English players had at least taken the opening out for a test run at some point. The popularity may have dwindled slightly over the last decade, but I very much hope this book will help return it to the forefront again.

I have been fortunate enough to get the chance to play this opening against four of the five leading English GMs in FIDE-rated games in recent years, Mickey Adams, Luke McShane, David Howell and Gawain Jones. Despite English players being the leading experts on the Trompowsky, it is interesting to note that all four of them chose relatively quiet lines against me, even though they must have expected the opening. That certainly gives backing to my belief that White is doing quite well in the main lines. Incidentally, I would just mention that this opening can be particularly effective against players from outside Britain, many of whom have not studied this opening in much depth.

Let me briefly tell you about the layout of the book. It is a White repertoire book, yet despite this I have tried to give the reader a choice of lines against many of Black's main continuations in the

Trompowsky. For example, in the main line which continues l .d4 lllf6 2.ig5 llle4 3.if4 c5, I have actually given the reader three choices - sacrificing two pawns for a massive attack, sacrificing one pawn for some initiative, or sacrificing no pawns but instead looking to obtain a small but solid edge. Often I think it is useful to have a second choice in your back pocket for surprise value. I haven't offered as much choice against l . . .f5 and l . . .d5, focusing more on providing one good repertoire. I'm particularly pleased with my work against the Dutch and it looks to me that after l .d4 f5 2.ig5 Black is struggling to hold the balance. I've also given a repertoire against l .. . d5, and whilst I think that White may not be able to prove an advantage here against accurate play from Black, the positions look interesting and fully playable.

Book

Structure

Personally I read a lot of chess books on the train, as I have commuted on virtually a daily basis over the past ten years. As a result I have a good knowledge of the books I find easy to read, and the ones I struggle to find my way around.

I have tried in this book to lay everything out as logically as possible. I have taken time at the start of each chapter to give an overview of Black's possibilities, showing clearly all his options and highlighting any transpositions, and also showing where a second option is offered for White. One further thing I've done is to make it clear which move I think should be played in each position. I have seen several previous authors take the approach of putting a collection of model games together, but have then found that I ended up not knowing what the right move was in each position.

To help you find your way around the material, let me tell you some more about the chapters.

Chapter 1: 1.d4 �f6 2.igS e6 3.e4

2 . . . e6 is one of Black's most solid choices and has risen in popularity in recent years to the point that it is now Black's second most popular response to the Trompowsky. Black's idea is to prevent his pawns being doubled by taking the time to protect the f6-knight with his queen. That said, the move is slightly passive and gives us the chance to grab the initiative.

Here I have given two choices for White. The main move which I focus on in this chapter is 3.e4, grabbing space in the middle of the board. My idea is to follow 3 . . . h6 4.ixf6 Wxf6 with the modern 5.c3, where I have extensive personal experience. Although Black is quite solid, I believe that White has good chances of an advantage.

The chapter also features new ideas against 3 . . . c5 , where I have a very powerful idea in the main line.

Chapter 2: 1 .d4 �f6 2.igS e6 3.�d2

The second option against 2 . . . e6 that I cover is the flexible 3.tlld2!?. This approach has become popular amongst the world's elite in recent years, particularly in blitz and rapid games.

Chapter 3: 1.d4 �f6 2.igS cS 3.�c3

With 2 . . . c5 Black indicates he is ready to do battle! This uncompromising move was suggested by Dembo in her highly-rated book, Fighting the Anti-King's Indians, which came out in 2008 .

Introduction 9 number of occasions myself. I have found a major improvement in the main line which makes this whole variation playable, where previously it was considered doubtful. Black must walk a tightrope to make it out of the opening, and even if he does then White's chances look reasonable.

Chapter 4: 1.d4 c!llf6 2.igS c5 3.d5

My main recommendation against 2 .. . c5 is to play 3.d5, taking control of the centre of the board. In this chapter I have a couple of seriously good novelties, particularly in the Vaganian Gambit which arises after 3 . . . '\Wb6 4.lllc3. I think these improvements will send shivers up Black's spine!

Note that it is important when reading this chapter to check out the introduction, as transpositions to variations elsewhere in the book are rife.

Chapter 5: 1.d4 c!llf6 2.igS c!lle4 3.if4 c5 4.dS

2 .. . llle4 3.if4 c5 is the main line and is considered by many as the best way to handle the Trompowsky. I give three distinct ways of tackling this opening. In this chapter I look at 4.d5. Then after 4 .. . %%6 White may sacrifice the b2-pawn in return for the initiative with 5 .llld2!?.

It is also possible to defend the pawn with 5 .ic l , and this variation is closely related to one of lines examined in Chapter 6 (with 7.ic l ) .

Chapter 6 : 1.d4 c!llf6 2.igS c!lle4 3.if4 c5 4.f3

White may also meet 2 . . . llle4 3.if4 c5 with 4.f3, and after 4 .. . Wa5t 5.c3 lll f6 6.d5 Wb6 I offer another choice.

Firstly, 7.ic l seems quite solid for White and gives a reasonable chance of sneaking an advantage. Finally I've extensively analysed the fascinating double pawn sacrifice which occurs after 7.e4 Wfxb2 8.llld2 '1Wxc3 9.ic7!?. My analysis on this line is much deeper than has previously been published, and I think it looks really interesting for White.

Chapter

7:

1.d4 c!llf6 2.igS d5 3.ixf6

2 .. . d5 is another solid option for Black. It is his third most popular move against the Trompowsky and it was the choice of both Michael Adams and David Howell against me in 20 1 0. I offer White two full repertoires against this line, covering 3.ixf6 in this chapter.

After 3 . . . gxf6!? I have some exciting unplayed analysis which looks good for White.

Against the rock-solid 3 . . . exf6 I suggest a repertoire that involves playing g2-g3 and building queenside pressure.

Chapter 8: 1.d4 c!llf6 2.igS d5 3.e3

The second option which I cover against 2 .. . d5 is the flexible move 3.e3. This was a regular choice ofTrompowsky expert Hodgson (in fact he played it against me once!) .

Transpositions are possible to a Veresov o r to lines elsewhere i n the book (for example, 3 . . . llle4 4.if4 transposes directly to Chapter 9), so the introduction to the chapter should be read closely if this is to be your main choice.

Chapter

9:

1.d4 c!llf6 2.igS c!lle4 3.if4 d5

This variation combining . . . llle4 with . . . d5 is becoming increasingly popular. This set-up is not as aggressive as those involving . . . c5, and not as solid as those with 2 . . e6 or 2 . . . d5 - it is somewhere in the middle. Unlike the other main variations where I have given White a second choice, here I

have chosen to look deeply at just one line involving 3.e3 followed by a plan of id3 and ixe4, as I feel happy about White's chances of gaining an advantage in these positions and it seems to me to be the best line. Actually it was a game in this variation which was probably my main inspiration for taking up the Trompowsky when I witnessed Mickey Adams wipe out Xie Jun in the 1 996 Hastings Premier.

Chapter 10: Rare 3rd Moves

Black has tried many other moves after 2 ... llie4 3.if4, from the provocative 3 . . . g5 through to the ridiculously new 3 . . . e5. Generally in these lines White's chances look preferable, nevertheless it is worth looking at the sidelines in this chapter - even strong players will sometimes resort to them, for example Luke McShane tried 3 . . . d6 against me in an important last round clash in a tournament in Denmark.

Chapter 1 1 : Rare 2nd Moves

We finish up our round-up of Trompowsky odds and ends by looking at various 2nd move options, the old-fashioned 2 .. . g6 being the most common of these.

Chapter 12: 2.igS against the Dutch

2.ig5 against the Dutch Defence has gone from once being a sideline to now being one of the most dangerous moves for Black to face. I think White's prospects in this line are excellent and I have used this move on a number of occasions myself with great results. I feel confident offering just one repertoire against this variation as it seems to me that Black is really struggling to hold the balance. So much so that a good friend of mine, Simon Williams, who is well known for his Dutch exploits, now regularly plays I . . . e6, looking to transpose into the classical Dutch via a different

move order specifically aimed at avoiding this line.

Chapter 13: 1.d4 dS 2.igS

In our final chapter we look at 2.ig5 against I. .. d5 - known as the Pseudo-Tromp. I don't believe that 2.ig5 is as accurate here as it is against I ... llif6 or I .. .f5, and with correct play I think that Black can reach a balanced position. That said, it can be a good practical choice as it is low in theory and the positions are interesting and imbalanced. This line was particularly popular with top English GMs Mickey Adams, Julian Hodgson and Tony Miles during the 1 990s. I do not offer White as many choices in this line as I do in the Trompowsky, but instead focus on picking out my favourite variations for White.

After studying this variation in detail I have come to the conclusion that 2 .. . h6 and 2 .. .f6! are the two choices for Black which are most difficult to prove an advantage against. I feel quite happy with White's prospects of gaining an advantage against Black's numerous other second moves.

After the main move 2 .. . h6 I suggest a variation which was a firm favourite of Hodgson's. White sacrifices a pawn in the centre of the board but gets a huge amount of play for it, and from a practical viewpoint I really like it for White.

I have come round to the view that the rarely played 2 .. .f6! (only the fifth most popular choice) may actually be Black's best. Because it seems the critical move, I have spent quite a lot of time on it. I look at the three responses 3.ih4, 3.if4 and 3.id2, all of which are playable for White, though being honest I would have to say that in each line the chances look balanced.

Chapter 1

2 ... e6 3.e4

1 .d4 �f6 2.i.g5 e6 3.e4

A) 3 ... c5!? 4.d5

Al) 4 ... d6

A2) 4 ... h6

B) 3 ... h6 4.i.xffi �xf6 5.c3!?

Bl) 5 ... � c6

B2) 5 ... c5

B3) 5 ... d5 6.�d2 c5 7.�gf3

B3 1) 7 ... cxd4 8.ll:)xd4 i.c5 9,ll:)2b3!?

B3 1 1) 9 ... i.xd4

B3 12) 9 ... i.b6

B32) 7 ... ll:)c6 8.i.b5 cxd4 9,ll:)xd4 i.d7 10.0-0!?

B32 1) 1 0 ... i.e7

B322) 1 0 ... �d8

B4) 5 ... d6 6.i.d3

B41) 6 ... e5

B42) 6

... g6

7,ll:)e2 i.g7 8.0-0 e5 9.f4

B42 1) 9 ... exd4

B422) 9 ... �e7

B422 1) lO.ll:)d2

B4222) 1 0.fS!

13

14

16

20

2 1

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

3 1

32

34

36

37

40

41

44

1.d4 tllf6 2.i.g5 e6

This rock-solid positional choice is one of Black's most popular responses. It seems strange for Black to self-pin his f6-knight, but his motivation is to prevent White doubling his pawns, as he will be able to meet a future ixf6 with . . . \Wxf6. It is no surprise to notice that this move has been the first choice of Karpov, who is renowned for never allowing pawn weaknesses if he can help it. That said though, Black does hand us the short-term initiative with this approach, allowing us to gain a lead in development and more space - it is up to us to try to take maximum advantage of that.

3.e4

This direct and logical move is the main line and is my personal preference. I am going to focus on it in this chapter. In choosing this approach we allow Black to take the bishop pair away from us, but in return we get quick and easy development and that should be enough for us to claim a small advantage. 3.lll d2!? is another option for White, which I shall look at in the next chapter. This flexible move looks to take advantage of Black's passive response to the Trompowsky, eyeing up a future e2-e4 without yielding the bishop pair. I

have noticed this line is becoming increasingly popular amongst the world's elite in blitz and rapid games, and perhaps it will become a line for the future.

3 ... h6

This is Black's main move, looking to win the bishop pair. John Cox also gives this as his recommendation in his 2005 book, Dealing

with d4 Deviations. Rather complimentary

to me in his introduction, John says his inspiration for writing the book was "being utterly slaughtered by Richard Pert in a London League match". Well John picked a solid system for Black, but nevertheless we will try to put it under pressure.

The interesting sideline 3 . . . c5!? is growing in popularity, having been recommended by De Dovitiis in his articles in New in Chess Yearbooks

92 and 93. It has also been recommended in

the Alterman Gambit Guide - Black Gambits 1.

However I have a seriously strong idea in the main variation which may force Black to have a rethink here.

4.Lf6

4.ih4? is not possible as Black simply wins a pawn with 4 .. . g5 5 .ig3 lLixe4.

4 ... �xf6

Chapter I -2 . . . e6 3.e4 13

5.c3!?

I plan to base our repertoire on this pawn move. It is not as common as 5 .tll c3 or 5 .tllf3, but it is my favourite. White sets about a simple plan of playing id3, tlle2, 0-0 and f2-f4, grabbing space on the kingside. Black often finds his queen misplaced in these variations as it is a target for White's advancing pawns, and so he has to rake yet more rime out to move the queen back to d8, giving us an even bigger lead in development.

I was amazed to find that I have played this position in excess of 1 50 times (including blitz and rapid games) . In fact my games alone make up one sixth of the total number of games featuring this position in my database. Hopefully this experience should mean that I am well placed to discuss the position, and at points I go into quite a bit of detail (perhaps even more than is needed) about how I feel White should play this position. I have laid it all out very logically so that everything is easy to reference, and there are plenty of new ideas in there which should leave you well equipped to play this position.

1 .d4 tlif6 2 . .igS e6 3.e4

I would like to just briefly mention 3 ... ie7. Although quite often played, it looks way too passive to me. White has a pleasant choice: a) 4.tll d2!? transposes into a favourable version of the 3.tlld2-variation, which is covered on page 48 of the next chapter.

b) The alternative is to take on the challenge with 4.e5!? immediately: 4 .. . tll d5 5 .ixe7 Wfxe7 6.c4 tll b6 7.tllc3 d6 8.tll f3 tll c6 9.exd6 (or 9.id3!?) 9 . . . cxd6 1 0.id3N;!; With 0-0 followed by l:!e l coming soon, this looks to favour White.

A) 3 ... cS!?

This is an ambitious attempt to attack the centre. It has gained in popularity over the last decade as Black looks to soften up White's dark squares before going about netting his dark-squared bishop. However, I have a new idea in the main line which should send Black back to the drawing board.

'a'

��

A

:\tit�·�� z,!a'(

s

.a.

r.�i�JS��M

��

7 %lfi"� ,,7,�

-.�--.

6

" '•��!af·'a

�

��-0 ��

�,,,,,;m.-�

5 � W8m

�

4

3

�� ,,,,,x� c� ,;,,,Y,�

�� �. �. �

'

WM

·

� ��-0 ��-�

2

or@o- �[j[j�[!j

1

f•lt)�

1mJl��

a b c d e f g

h

It's probably just a matter of taste, but personally I really like this move as White keeps control of the important d5-square. 4.e5 is the major alternative, but it looks a bit ugly to me.

We shall now examine

Al) 4

...

d6

and

A2)

4

...

h6,

after a quick look at a couple of other options.

4 .. . \Wb6

This is liable to reach a line of the Vaganian Gambit that is favourable to White.

5.tlJc3 Wxb2 6.id2

a b c d e f g h

6 .. . \Wb6

6 . . . ttJxe4? is possible as Black will regain the piece, but he is left so far behind in development that it is not advisable: 7.tlJxe4 '1We5 8.id3 exd5 9.tlJf3 '1We7 1 0.0-0 dxe4

1 l .ixe4 d6 1 2.l'!e l ie6 1 3.tlJg5 tlJc6 14.id5 ixd5 1 5 .l'!xe7t ixe7 1 6.ic3 ic4 1 7.Wg4 b5 1 8.l'!e l tlJe5 1 9.ixe5 dxe5 20.'1We4 0-0 2 1 .'1Wxh7# Gonzalez de la Nava - Hens bergen, Lisbon 200 1 .

7.f4 d6

Play has transposed into line A 1 2 of Chapter 4 (see page 82) .

4 .. . exd5?! 5.e5!

5.exd5 '1Wb6 6.tlJc3 '1Wxb2 7.tlJge2 is also possible, with good compensation for the pawn.

5 . . . We7

5 . . . h6? doesn't work here: 6.exf6 hxg5

7.We2t+-6.'1We2 h6 7.if4

Here we see one of the Trompowsky's leading experts at the wheel.

7.ixf6 is given by Alejo de Dovitiis in New

in Chess Yearbook 93 as another way to gain

the advantage. His analysis runs: 7 . . . gxf6 8.tlJc3 fxe5 9.tlJxd5 Wd6 1 0.0-0-0t 7 . . . tlJe4 8.f3 tlJg5 9.tlJc3 d4 1 O.tlJd5 Wd8

1 1 .e6

Direct chess from Hodgson.

1 1 .. .d6 1 2.ixg5 hxg5 1 3.exf7t 'i!lxf7 14.0-0-0t White's safer king position gave him an edge in Hodgson - Belkhodja, France 1 999.

Chapter 1 -2 . . . e6 3.e4 1 5

5.tllc3 i.e7!

5 . . . e5 looks a little slow to me as Black has spent two tempos advancing his e-pawn. 6.ib5t id7 7.a4 ie7 8.lllB 0-0 9.h3 ic8

I O.ie3 White had a clear lead in development

and stood better in R. Pert - S. Berry, Liverpool 2008.

6.i.b5t i.d7

6 . . . lll bd7? is not advisable: 7.dxe6 fxe6 8.ixf6 gxf6 (8 . . . ixf6 9.Wfxd6±) 9.Wfh5t± White forces the black king to move, and is ahead in development as well.

7.dxe6 fxe6

a b c d e f g

h

8.e5!

White blasts open the position at the expense of a pawn.

8.a4 has also been played, but I do not find it convincing: 8 . . . 0-0 9.lll f3 ixb5 1 0.axb5°" Miladinovic - Aleksic, Cutro 200 I.

8 ... dxe5

9.Lf6 Lf6

9 . . . gxf6? looks somewhat shaky: 1 0.Wfh5t 'i!lf8 1 1 .0-0-0

a b c d e f g h

1 I. . . Wfe8 1 2.Wfh6t @f7 ( 1 2 .. . 'i!lg8? 1 3.�d3+­

and here come the troops) 1 3.ie2;!; White keeps ongoing pressure.

1 O.ixd7t has been tried before but White's advantage is minimal: 1 0 .. . Wxd7 ( l O .. . tlJ xd7 1 1 .Wh5t g6 1 2.Wg4 We7 1 3.lLif3�) 1 1 .tlJe4 0-0 1 2.Wxd7 tLixd7 1 3 . 0-0-0 �ad8 14.tlJf3 White has a tiny advantage, though a draw looks the most likely result with accurate play.

10 ...

g6

1 1.Wlg4 tlJc6 12.0-0-0

1 2.ixc6? does not work out: 1 2 .. . ixc6 1 3.Wxe6t We?+

l 2.tlJe4

This is playable immediately and is likely to transpose, but it does give Black an additional option.

1 2 .. . 0-0

1 2 .. . Wa5t? is not a good idea: 1 3.b4! Wxb4? 1

3.c3+-1 2 .. . We7 3.c3+-1 3.0-0-0 transposes to the main game.

1 3.0-0-0 tLi d4!? 1 4.ixd7 Wxd7 1 5 .c3 Wd5 1 6.cxd4 cxd4 1 7.@b l ig7

The threat of . . . �f4 offers Black some compensation for the piece, though probably not quite enough.

12

. • .

Wf e7 13.�e4 0-0-0 14.c3 .ig7

So far we have been following what appears to be a consultation game between teams of three, and here I would like to suggest an improvement.

15.tllf3!N

1 5 .h400 was played in Aronian/Gaerths/ Zeitz - Nisipeanu/Figura/Mattick, Berlin 2009, and White went on to lose the game.

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A blitz game of mine highlights the danger if Black fails to cover the b5-square: 6 . . . d6

Chapter 1 -2 ... e6 3.e4 1 7

7.i.b5t ctJd7 8.dxe6 fXe6 9.ctJf3 a6 1 0.e5 Wi'g6 ( 1 0 .. . W/f4 l l .g3 Wi'f7 1 2.i.xd7t i.xd7 1 3.exd6 i.xd6 1 4.Wi'xd6 Wi'xf3 1 5 .l:%fl and White's better pawn structure gives him an edge) l l .i.d3 Wi'xg2 1 2.l:%gl Wi'h3 1 3.i.g6t c;f?ds 1 4.l:%g3 1-0 Antidrome - CofC-SCal, Internet 2009.

By the end of this book you will be used to my Internet Chess Club handle of''.Antidrome", as I have often called upon my vast number of blitz games to fill gaps where ideas have not yet been played in FIDE-rated games.

7.ctJf3 d6

This line has been played against me by two Australian players, GM Ian Rogers and IM Alex Wohl. It is obvious that they believed it to be a reasonable way of handling this position, but after the shock Alex received against me in the opening, I fancy they may turn to different ideas in the future. This line is also the recommendation of De Dovitiis in

New in Chess Yearbook 93, but he did not pay

sufficient attention to my next move.

7 .. . e5 is a commitment Black does not want to make yet. He would rather stay flexible with his pawn on e6 where he can make the choice between opening or closing the e-file at any given moment. White can continue with 8.a4 d6 9.i.e2;!; with ctJd2-c4 on the cards.

8.e5!!

a b c d e f g

h

This new idea is seriously powerful. I remember when this position appeared on the board in my game against Alex Wohl in Hastings 20 1 0, I was very excited by the prospect of playing this move. This position can very quickly become winning for White.

Sadly I cannot claim the move as my novelty; I have discovered that I was only the second to play it. But the first time it was played, White immediately followed up incorrectly and so its strength was not apparent - see the note to White's 1 0th move below.

8 ... dxe5 9.�e2

I believe that White should aim for a standard plan here of playing 0-0-0, g2-g3 (preventing . . . W/f4t) , i.h3 and l:%he l ; I will call this Plan A. Going for an early ctJe4 may look tempting but is often a mistake, as White should stay flexible and try to keep all his options open. It's uncomfortable for Black to know that he could be hit by ctJe4 at any moment.

9 ... tlid7

This looks to be critical, though Black has several other options.

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White's Plan A worked well in this example, quickly leading to a winning position: 1 3 .. . b4 1 4.llJe4 Wi'e7 1 5 .ctJxd6 l:%xd6 1 6.ctJxe5+­ Antidrome - sovaco, Internet 2009.

9 . . . b5 10.0-0-0 .ib7 I O .. . b4 I 1.lll e4

I 1 .lllxb5!

Showing a benefit of not playing lll e4 too early. l l . . . e4 l l . . .'Wf4t?! 12.'ll d2 axb5 1 3.°Wxb5t 'lld7 14.dxe6 0-0-0 15.exd7t �xd7 16.g3 Wf5 1 7.f3± 1 2 .liJd2 axb5

1 2 .. . exd5 13.lll c7t �e7 1 4.lllxa8 .ixa8 1

5.f3+-12 .. . °We5 13.lllxe4 .ie7 14.lllc7t Wxc7 1 5 .d6 'Wc6

16.dxe7+-13.°Wxb5t lll d7 1 4.dxe6 fxe6 I 5.°Wxb7 �b8 16.'Wxd7t �xd7 17.lllxe4t 'Wd4 18.�xd4t cxd4 1 9 . .id3;!;

White's passed pawns on the queenside are more than enough for the exchange.

9 ... e4

This was the move my opponent chose the first time I played this line in a tournament. As you will see I was winning shortly after the opening, and it's absolutely criminal that I failed to win the game - but that's chess!

I O.'Wxe4 .id6 1 l .dxe6 'Wxe6 1 2.0-0-0 'Wxe4 1 3.lllxe4 .if4t 14.@b l lll d7 1 5.g3 .ic7 1 6 . .ih3 llle5 1 7 . .ixc8 �xc8 1 8.lllxe5 .ixe5 1 9.�d5!

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Black is about to lose two pawns. 19 .. . .ib8 20.lllxc5 0-0 2 1 .�e l ?

Although White is still winning after this, 21.lllxb7+- is simple and strong.

21. . . .ia7 22.'lld3 �c7 23.c3 g6 24.�c2 �g7 25 .�de5 h5 26.�e7 �fc8 27.lll f4 �xe7 28.�xe7 .ixf2 29.'llh3 �f6 30.�xb7 .ie3 31.�d3 �e8 32.�b4 �f5 33.lll fL. .ih6 34.llle4 �d8t 35 .�d4 �xd4t 36.�xd4 �g4 37.c4 f5 38.c5 fxe4 39.c6 e3 40.c7 e2 41.c8=°Wt

Chapter 1

-

2 . . . e6 3.e4 19 Somehow, despite being a queen down,

Black manages to wriggle away with a draw. That Mr. Wohl is a slippery character - I really thought I had him in this game! 41. . .c;!/f3 42.°1Wc6t c;!/f2 43.Wf6t <itigl 44.'1We6 c;!/f2 45 .Wf6t c;!/gl

Yz-Yz R. Pert - Wohl, Hastings 2010.

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It is inaccurate to play: 10.lll e4?! '1We7 11.0-0-0 f5 ?!

This is too weakening.

1 l . . . b5!?N followed by . . . ib7 seems fine for Black; the threat to the d5-pawn will divert White from Plan A.

12.d6 Wd8?

12 .. . Wf7 was necessary to defend the light squares.

This was Paci - F. Berend, Nancy 2008. White now missed a chance to gain a decisive advantage:

14.d7t!N ixd7

15.lllxe6+-10 ... J.e7

Against the alternatives the standard treatment yet again does the job:

10 .. . exd5 11.lllxd5 °1Wd6 12.g3 ie7 13.ih3 0-0 14.Elhel;!;

10 .. . b5 1 Lg3! ib7 12.ih3 Eld8 13.llle4 Wg6 14.lllh4 °1Wh7

15.dxe6+-1 15.dxe6+-1 .g3

White sticks with Plan A - I've included a couple of my blitz games as there have been no tournament games in this variation to show how effective this line is.

1 1

..•

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l 1...h5 12.ih3 0-0 13.Elhe l b5 14.c;!/b l c4 15.lll e4 Wg6 16.dxe6 fxe6

12.ih3 ges

12 .. . exd5 13.lllxd5 Wd6 14.Elhel;!;

1 3.ghel J.f8 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.tlie4 Wg6

16.t/Jh4 Wf7

a b c d e f g h

17.i.g4! tlif6 18.tlixf6t Vfxf6 19.i.hS gds

20.gxdS Yfxd8 21.VfxeS

As is typical in these lines, White regains the e5-pawn at his convenience and still holds all the other advantages of the position, including a better structure with fewer pawn islands, and the more active pieces as Black's bishops are hampered by his pawns.

B) 3 ... h6 4.i.xf6 Vf xf6 5.c3!?

As I mentioned in the introduction, my preference is to support the cl-pawn with this move, planning to continue with id3, tLle2, 0-0 and then f2-f4.

Black now has several reasonable alternatives and we shall investigate

Bl) 5 ... tlic6, B2) 5 ... c5

and

B3) 5 ... d5,

before coming to Black's most popular choice of

B4) 5 ... d6.

We first take a quick look at a couple of rarer moves:

5 . . . b6 6.id3 ib7 7.lLie2

7 .. . c5

I've included one of my blitz games to show what can happen if Black opts to play slowly here: 7 . . . d6 8.0-0 Wi'd8 9.tLld2 ie7 10.f4 tlJd7 11.f5 exf5 12.l'!xf5 lLif6 13.tLlg3

Chapter 1 -2 . . . e6 3.e4 2 1 White's kingside pressure gives him good

prospects. 1 3 .. . Wd7 14.ib5 c6 1 5 .ic4 d5 1 6.exd5 ll'lxd5 17.ixd5 cxd5 1 8.ll'lf3 0-0 1 9.ll'le5 We6 20.Wfl id6 2 1 .i'!e l i'!ae8 22.i'!e3 ib8 23.i'!ff3 ixe5 24.i'!xe5 Wd7 25.ll'lf5 i'!e6 26.i'!g3 i'!g6 27.ll'l e7t 1-0 Antidrome - GreenSkull, Internet 20 1 2. 8.0-0 ll'l c6 9.e5 We7 1 0.ll'ld2 d6 l l .f4 dxe5 1 2.fxe5 Wd7 1 3. ll'l f3 i'!d8 1 4.We l cxd4 1 5 .ll'lexd4 ll'lxd4 16.ll'lxd4 ic5 1 7.@h l 0-0 1 8.i'!f4 We7 1 9.Wg3

Yi-Yi R. Pere - Flumborc, Patras 200 1 . Looking back, I chink setding for a draw was premature - the position remains finely balanced bur certainly looks easier for White to play with ongoing kingside pressure. 5 . . . e5 6.ll'lf3

White can also claim a slight plus with: 6.dxe5 Wxe5 7.ll'ld2 ic5 8.ll'l gf3 We7 9.id3;!;

6 .. . exd4

6 . . . d6 7.ll'lbd2 g6 8.ib5t c6 9.ie2 ig7 1 0.dxe5 dxe5 l 1 .ll'l c4 0-0 1 2.Wd6 Wf4 1 3.0-0 Wxe4 14.id3 Wd5 1 5 .Wxd5 cxd5 1 6.ll'lcxe5 tllc6 1 7.i'!fel;!; Duong The Anh -Eperjesi, Budapest 2008.

6 ... ll'lc6 7.ib5 (7.d5 ll'l e7 8.ll'lbd2 ll'lg6 9.g3;!; preventing . . . tll f4) 7 .. . exd4 8.cxd4 a6 9.ia4 ib4t 10.ll'lc3 0-0 1 1 .0-0 ixc3 1 2.bxc3 was pleasant for White in Kaufeld ­ Cekro, Belgium 20 1 2.

7.cxd4 ib4t 8.ll'lc3 0-0 9.e5 Wg6 1 0.id3 Wxg2 1 1 .i'!gl Wh3 1 2.i'!g3 ixc3t 1 3.bxc3 Wh5 1 4.Wb3

White clearly has great play for the sacrificed pawn.

l 4 ... d6? l 5 .ig6

1 -0 Argandona Riveiro - Argaya Urdaniz, Amorebieta 2006.

Bl) 5 ... �c6

6.eS

This must be the right way co cry to cake advantage of Black's previous move.

6 ... fle7

Black has also tried: 6 . . . Wg6 7.ll'ld2

This was White's most recent choice. An alternative of roughly equal value is 7.ll'lf3!? d6 and now:

a) 8.ll'lbd2 transposes to 7.ll'ld2 d6 8.ll'lgf3 as considered below.

b) 8.id3 Wxg2 9.i'!gl Wh3 1 0.ll'lbd2 must offer White some compensation.

c) 8.h3!? looks strange, but there is a reason behind it: 8 . . . id7 9.id3 Wxg2?? 1 0.i'!h2 picks up the queen.

7 .. . d6 8.f4

White may also consider 8.tllgf3 id7 9.tll c4 ie7 10.id3 Wxg2 1 1.:B:g l , followed by taking on g7 with the initiative.

8 . . . id7 9.Wf3 0-0-0

a b c d e f g h

10.id3 f5 l 1.exf6N

This looks tempting to me as now Black's plan of putting his bishop on c6 can be met by blocking with a piece on e4.

1 I .tlle2 tll e7 12.0-0 ic6 was unclear in Gogolis - Drenchev, Neos Marmaras 2012. 11. . .Wxf6 12.0-0-0 tlle7 13.tlle2 ic6 14.ie4

White's lead in development gives him an edge.

a b c d e f g h

7.tl)f3

Julian Hodgson went his own way here and grabbed some space on the kingside: 7.h4!? d6 8.f4 dxe5 9.fxe5 id7 10.tlld2 0-0-0

l 1 .tllgf3 f6 12.b4 ie8 13.b5 tllb8 14.Wa4 Wa3 I 5.Wb3 tlld7 16.tllc4 We7 I 7.a4 fxe5 l 8.tllcxe5 tllxe5 19.tllxe5 g5 (19 .. . Wf600 intending . . . id6 would have been stronger) 20.ic4!;!; White seized the initiative and went on to win in Hodgson - Rowson, Birmingham 200 I .

7 ... d6 8.ib5 .id7 9.exd6 cxd6

9 . . . Wxd6 was played against me in a blitz game, but Black's queen finds itself awkwardly placed in the middle of the board: 10.0-0 ie7 1 I .tll bd2 Wd5 12.ic4N (12.c4 Wf5 13.:B:e l was also slightly better for White in Antidrome - Guineo, Internet 2011) 12 .. . Wh5 13.ie2 Wf5 14.tll c4;!; and the black queen remains a target.

1 0.0-0 a6 1 1 ..ia4 tl)a7

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This looks the right idea, aiming to limit Black's dark-squared bishop.

12.tllbd2 ixa4 13.Wxa4t Wd7 14.Wb3 ie7 15.tll c4 tllc8 16.tlle3 (16.d5N may still be the way to go: 16 .. . e5 17.a4;!;) 16 .. . 0-0 I 7.c4 b5 18.d5 bxc4 19.Wxc4 tll b6 20.Wg4 if6 21.:B:ad l a5 22.dxe600 Rowson - Cherniaev, London 1999.

12 ... eS 13.tl)bd2 .ixa4 14.�xa4t �d7

1 5.�xd7t @xd7 16.tl)c4 @c7 17.a4�

Chapter 1 -2 . . . e6 3.e4 23

B2) 5 ... cS

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This was tried against me at the end of 20 1 2 by Arianne Caoili who at the time was playing for an IM norm. She is the girlfriend of Lev Aronian and so I am not sure if he had any influence in her opening choice in what must have been an important game for her,

6.tlia tlic6 7.J.hS!?

White has a major alternative here in the more commonly played 7,d5 which is the first choice of English GM Mark Hebden, I know Mark quite well and can confirm that he knows his systems very well, so for him to use this move on several occasions means it has to be taken seriously. Here are a couple of examples from him, including the ultimate test as he faced England's number one Mickey Adams.

a) 7 .. . exd5 8.exd5 tll e5 9.tllxe5 Wfxe5t 1 0.ie2 id6 l 1 .tlla3! Making short work of Black's plan to block the position up. 1 1 . ..0-0 1 2.tll c4 Wff6 1 3.0-0 b5 1 4.tllxd6 Wfxd6 1 5 .ixb5 :!::1b8 1 6.Wfd3 a6 1 7.ic4 :!::1xb2 l 8.:!::1ab 1 :!::1xb 1 l 9.E1xb 1 E1e8 20.g3 g6 2 1 .a4 @g7 22.h4 h5 23.a5 Wc7 24.d6 Wi'xa5 25.Wff3 f5 26.Wf d5 :!::1f8 27.Wi'e5t @h6 28.Wff4t 1-0 Hebden - A. Grant, Isle of Man 2002.

b) 7 ... tll e5 8.ie2 tllxf3t 9.ixf3 exd5 1 0.Wfxd5 We6 1 l .Wi'd3 ie7 1 2.0-0 0-0 1 3 .tll d2 b5 14.:!::1fe l :!::1b8 1 5 .e5 c4 1 6.Wfd4 Wb6 1 7.Wi'xb6 :!::1xb6 1 8.a4 a6 19.axb5 axb5 20.E1a7 :!::1e8 2 l .id5 ic5 22.:!::1a8;!; Mark came through with flying colours and notched up an impressive victory in Hebden - Adams, Kilkenny 2006.

7 ... a6 8.Lc6 bxc6

Black nets the bishop pair against White's knights, bur I still had a lead in development and so looked to make that count.

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Black sank into thought here as it became obvious that untangling her position was going to be trickier than she originally expected.

Eventually Black decided to just give me a pawn and accept a worse position.

1 3 .. . cxd4 1 4.E:c7! was my intention with the idea: 1 4 .. . ic6?! ( 1 4 .. . id5 1 5 .Wa4;!;)

14.dxc5 0-0 1 5 J°fol f6

a b c d e f g h

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19.exf6

!xf6

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22.E:exdU

In R. Pert - Caoili, London 20 1 2, White had achieved a comfortable advantage and virtually no losing chances.

B3) 5 ... d5

This is probably Black's most critical move as he looks to stake a claim over the centre rather than let White have it all his own way.

6.�d2

Hodgson's regular choice was to advance in the centre:

6.e5

I prefer to delay this move; we can always close the centre later. But it can be particularly useful to have the option of opening the position, especially since we are likely to castle first while Black's king may be left in the middle.

6 . . . Wd8 7.�f3 c5 8.dxc5

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8 . . . llld7!?

8 . . . ixc5 9.id3 lll c6 1 0.0-0 id7 l 1 .tllbd2 Wc7 1 2.We2 ie7 1 3.E:fe l a6 1 4.E:ac l E:c8 1 5 .lllb3 Wb6 1 6.ib l llla5 1 7.lllxa5 Wxa5 1 8.lll d4 ig5 1 9.E:cd l ia4 20.lllb3 Wb6 2 1 .E:d4 ixb3 22.axb3 ie7 23.ic2;!; with ongoing kingside pressure, Hodgson - Tan, Scarborough 200 1 .

9.b4 ie7

9 . . . g6 1 0.tllbd2 ig7 1 l .ib5 0-0 1 2.ixd7 ixd7 1 3.0-0 Wc7 1 4.E:e l ;l; Milov - Epishin, Amsterdam 2000.

I O.id3 Wc7 1 1 .We2 a5 1 2.0-0 0-0 1 3.lllbd2 b600 Rogers - Epishin, Castrop Rauxel 200 1 .

Chapter 1 - 2 . . . e6 3.e4 25

7 . . . a6 looks a bit slow. White can choose between 8.id3 cxd4 9.cxd4 dxe4 1 0.ixe4!;!; as given by Tzermiadianos, and 8.dxc5 ixc5 9.id3 lDc6 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .We2 ia7 1 2.�fe l id7 1 3.�ad l �ad8 14.ttJfl with an initiative for White, Karttunen - Hellsten, Plovdiv 2003 .

B31) 7 ... cxd4 8.�xd4

8.cxd4 dxe4 9.lDe5!?

a b c d e f g h

This is an interesting idea suggested by Nigel Davies and supported by Tzermiadianos. But to be honest, it's not quite good enough and both Cox and Palliser show support for Black's position.

9 . . . ib4 1 0.ib5t

1 0.Wa4t? is well met by 10 ... tDc6+.

1 0 .. . id7 1 1 .ltJxd7 ixd2t 1 2.Wxd2 lDxd7 1 3.ixd7t

1 3.0-0?! �d8 1 4.f3 Wg5! 1 5 .Wb4 exf3 I 6.�xf3 We7+

1 3 .. . 'it?xd7

This is the line given by Palliser. I had a quick look at this position and think that Black can follow up . . . �hd8 and . . . c;!,ie8 against most White plans and be absolutely fine.

8 . . . tDc6 9.ib5 transposes to variation B32 below.

9.�2b3!?

This is my computer's choice and was also suggested as worthy of further investigation by Andrew Greet.

9.ltJ4f3

A solid alternative. 9 . . . lDc6

Play has transposed into a game in which the young Magnus Carlsen was Black. We shall have a quick look at the opening in which White managed to get an edge.

I O.id3

1 0 .. . 0-0

This was Carlsen's choice.

1 o ... d4 is my computer's suggestion, when White has various options:

a) 1 1 .�c l is solid: 1 1 . . .dxc3 1 2.�xc3 ib4 1 3.�c2 0-0 1 4.0-0 id7 1 5 .°1We2 and the position looks balanced, although White's play may be slightly easier.

b) l 1 .e5 is playable: 1 1 ... tllxe5 1 2 .ib5t id7 1 3 .ixd7t tllxd7 1 4.cxd4 ib6 ( 1 4 .. . ixd4? l 5.tlle4+-) 1 5 .0-0 0-000

c) 1 l .tll c4 is my personal preference, preparing the advance of the e-pawn: 1 1 .. . dxc3 (Black can't stop White's plans with 1 l . . .e5? 1 2.b4 ie7 1 3 .b5 tll d8 1 4.0-0 [or 1 4.tt:lcxe5!?] 1 4 .. . dxc3 1 5 .°1Wb3;!; and Black is struggling to hold the e5-pawn) 1 2.e5 We7 1 3.bxc3 0-0 1 4.0-0 White is well placed for a kingside attack with °1We2-e4 on the cards.

1 1 .0-0 ib6 1 2.We2 Wf4 1 3.�ad l id7 1 4.ic2 �fd8 1 5 .exd5 exd5 1 6.°1Wd3 ie6 1 7.Wh7t <j;ifg

1 8.tllb3

White holds a small advantage with play against the isolated queen's pawn.

1 8 .. . Wf6 1 9.tllbd4 lllxd4 20.tllxd4 �ac8 2 1 .�d3 ixd4 22.�xd4;!;

In Rahman - Carlsen, Dresden (ol) 2008, White went on to make a draw, an excellent result against an opponent who was soon to be the world's top-ranked player.

The other bishop retreat of 9 . . . id6?! does not really make sense. For example: I O.ib5t id7 1 1 .exd5 We5t 1 2.We2 Wxe2t 1 3.ixe2 exd5 1 4.if3;!; with a clear advantage for White who can heap pressure on the d-pawn.

B3 1 1) 9

...

.ixd4

Black may have thought that White's last move was not possible as this reply appears to win a pawn, but White can create counter-threats to win the pawn back.

10.tlixd4

1 0.Wxd4 Wxd4 1 1 .tllxd4 dxe4 1 2.tll b5 llla6 1 3.tlld6t <;tie? 1 4.lllxe4 is playable for White, but it looks very drawish.

10 ... dxe4

1 0 .. . °1We5 1 1 .id3! This clever move prepares to hit the queen with tll f3 which would leave White with better pieces and more space. 1 l . ..dxe4 1 2.°1We2 f5 1 3.f3 e3 14.0-0-0 0-0 1 5 .�he l f4 1 6.g3 lllc6 1 7.tllxc6;!; White is going to win back his pawn and will have greater piece activity and a clear advantage.

Chapter 1 - 2 . . . e6 3.e4 27

1 1.tllb5

This knight lunge looks prom1smg for White, threatening both lll c7t and llld6t.

l I . . .ll:la6 allows White a choice of invasions on the d6-square:

a) 1 2 .llld6t rJJe7 1 3 .tllxe4 We5! ( 1 3 .. . Wf4? 1 4.Wa4 �d8 1 5 .Wa3t rJJe8 1 6.ib5t id7 l 7.lll d6t+-) 1 4.We2 f5 l 5 .lll d2 Wxe2t 16.ixe2 lll c5 1 7.0-0-0 with a balanced endgame.

b) 1 2.Wd6!? We7 13.�d l id7 14.Wd4!;t

12.tlld6t <tie? 13.tllc4 Wld5 14.Wlc2

Also possible is 1 4.Wb3!? Wc5 15.�d l lll c6 16.ie2 b6 l 7.Wc2i with decent compensation for the pawn.

14 ... tllc6

After 1 4 .. .f5 1 5 .�d l Wc5 1 6.b4 Wc7 1 7.ie2 followed 0-0 and f2-f3, White clearly has good compensation.

15 J:�dl Wlf5 16.Wi'a4

White threatens Wa3t and looks to have more than enough compensation for the pawn.

16 ... Wlc5? 17.b4 Wlg5 18.b5 tlle5

19.Wlb4t+-B31 2) 9 ... J.b6

This tricky computer-favoured move looks to use tactics to avoid having to clarify things in the centre.

10.J.h5t!?

Black's clever idea comes into play if White takes the cl-pawn:

1 0.exd5

10 . . . 0-0!

After 1 0 .. . exd5 l l .ib5t lli c6 1 2.We2t;!; White's advantage is clear, with future pressure to come against the d5-pawn. l l .dxe6

White may be able to claim a tiny edge with l l .Wi'f3 Wi'xf3 1 2.lllxf3 exd5, though Black can achieve quite active development.

l l .ie2 allows Black to avoid being saddled with the isolated queen's pawn: 1 1 . . .eS 1 2.lll f3 e4 1 3.lll fd4 Wg5 and Black regains the pawn with an edge.

l I . . .ixe6 1 2.Wi'f3 Wi'xf3

1 2 .. . We5t 1 3.Wi'e2 Wi'f6 1 4.lllxe6 �e8 15.0-0-0 �xe6 1 6.Wi'c2 lll c6 1 7.f3 a5 with unclear play.

1 3 .gxf3 lll c6 1 4.lllxe6 fxe6

Black should be able to win his pawn back as the doubled f-pawns are weak; a draw seems the most likely result here.

1 1 ... tllxd7 12.exd5 We5t

1 2 .. . exd5 1 3.We2t We5 1 4.Wxe5t llixe5 1 5 .0-0-0;!;

Trying to avoid an isolated pawn with 1 2 .. . e5 is dangerous here as Black can 6ncl himself too far behind in development: l 3.llif3 ( 1 3 .We2 0-0 1 4.llic2;!; also looks better for White) 1 3 .. . e4 1 4.tlifd4 We5 1 5 .Wg4! Wxd5 1 6.0-0-0 Black is rather underdeveloped and so really has to get the queens off to avoid further problems. 1 6 .. . Wg5t 1 7.Wxg5 hxg5 1 8.f3!;!; Even with the queens gone, Black's king in the middle causes him some difficulties.

13.&ile2

I like this move which forces Black to accept an isolated queen's pawn.

1 3 .We2 Wxd5 1 4.0-0 0-0 1 5 .!!ad l llif6 1 6.llib5 We4 1 7.Wxe4 llixe4 1 8.!!d7 leads to an unclear endgame.

13 ... exd5 14.0-0 0-0 15.tlled4 tllf6 16.�el

Wf4 17.Wf3t

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I definitely prefer White here. Black is facing a long and uncomfortable task of trying to hold his weak d5-pawn, while White has the d4-square totally covered and can bide his time.

B32) 7 ... tllc6 8.J.h5 cxd4

8 . . . a6 9 . .lxc6t bxc6 1 0.Wa4 .ld7 l 1 .llie5;!; 8 ... J.d7 9.0-0 cxd4 1 0.llixd4 is just a transposition.

9.tllxd4 J.d7 10.0-0!?

have considerable experience of this position, both over the board and in internet games.

B321) 10 ... J.e7

has been the choice

Chapter 1 -2 . .

.

e6 3 . e4 29 of my highest-rated opponents, while

B322)

10

...

YNdS

is the move I faced most recently. There are also a few other options to be considered briefly.

1 0 .. . id6?! ( l O .. . ic5 ?! receives the same treatment) l 1 .exd5 exd5 1 2.l:'!:e l t ie7 ( 1 2 .. . ©f8 1 3.Wb3;!; R. Pert - Eames, London 2008) 1 3.Wb3;!; Antidrome - AndrewMartinIM, Internet 20 1 2.

1 0 .. . a6?!

This move has now been played against me by three grandmasters in blitz games and I hold a 1 00% record, so the signs are good. 1 1 .exd5 axb5

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1 2.lllxb5!

White already has an advantage. 1 2 .. . 0-0-0

1 2 .. . l:'!:c8 1 3 .llle4 We5 1 4.dxc6 l:'!:xc6 1 5 .Wd3 l:l:b6 1 6.a4 ie7 1 7.l:'!:fe l ± Antidrome -Molton, Internet 20 1 1 .

1 3.dxc6 bxc6 1 4.ll:\e4 Wg6

1 4 .. . We5 1 5 .lll ed6t iib8 1 6.ll:\xf7 Wxb5 1 7.lllxd8 iic7 1 8.lll f7 l:'!:g8 1 9.l:'!:el Wf5 20.llle5 ic8 2 1 .Wa4 1 0 Antidrome -shade, Internet 20 1 2.

1 5 .lll bd6t ©c7 1 6.Wd4 l:'!:a8 1 7.l:'!:fd l +­ R. Pert - Rowson, Internet 200 1 . 1 0 .. . ll:\xd4

This may objectively be a reasonable move, but from a practical viewpoint it looks very

dangerous for Black as his king gets stranded in the middle of the board whilst White's king is safe as houses.

1 1 .ixd7t iixd7 1 2.cxd4 Wxd4 1 3.exd5 Wxd5 1 3 .. . exd5? 1 4.Wb3± and with a rook quickly coming to d 1 , Black will do well to make it out of the opening.

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After 1 4 .. . b5 White has a whole host of options, such as l 5 .Wa6, 1 5 .Wf4 or 1 5 .Wa5, all of which give promising play against the black king. However, my preference is for 1 5 .Wg4, eyeing g7 should Black move his f8-bishop. For example:

a) 1 5 .. . Wf5 1 6.We2 id6 1 7.llle4 l:l:hd8 1 8.l:'!:fd l ©e7 1 9.lllxd6 l:l:xd6 20.l:'!:xd6 <itixd6 2 1 .a4 l:'!:b8 22.axb5 Wxb5 23.Wd2t Wd5 24.Wf4t e5 25 .Wg4t with ongoing pressure. b) 1 5 .. . id6 1 6.l:l:fd l ±

c) 1 5 .. . h5 1 6.We2 ©e8 1 7.l:'!:fd l Wb7 1 8. ll:\ e4--+

d) 1 5 .. . ©e8 1 6.l:l:ad l Wc6?! 1 7.lllf3± 1 5 .Wf4 iie8

1 5 .. . f6 1 6 .l:'!:acl Wd6 1 7.Wa4t ©e7 1 8.l:'!:fd l @ f7 1 9.llle4 Wf4 20.Wd7t±

1 6.l:'!:ac l Wd7 1 7.l:'!:fd l l:'!:d8

A clever move from Black as he plans to meet l:'!:c7 with . . . id6, but nevertheless it will not be easy for him to withstand the pressure. For example:

2 1

.Wf4!+-lhe white queen penetrates to c7 or b8.

B321) 1 0 ... i.e7

1 1.'1Wa4!?

I think this is the critical option. 1 l .exd5

This is certainly playable and I have even managed to get an advantage on three occasions in this line. That said, having looked at the position more deeply I now slightly prefer the queen move.

1 1 .. . exd5

1 2.Wi'b3

I have also played 1 2 .lll 2b3 0-0 1 3.�e l and now:

a) 1 3 ... id6 1 4.Wh5 a6 1 5 .ifl lll e5 1 6.h3 �fe8 1 7.�ad l �e7 1 8.lllc2 Wf4 1 9.g3 Wf6 20.ig2;!; Antidrome - Pinkalmykia (GM) , Internet 2009.

b) 1 3 ... a6 1 4.id3 id6 1 5.ic2 �fe8 1 6.Wi'd3 lll e5 1 7.Wi'h7t;!; Antidrome - Adaptation (Caruana) , Internet 20 1 0.

1 2 .. . 0-0

1 2 .. . Wd6 1 3.lll 2f3t

1 3.lll 2f3 �ad8 1 4.Wxd5 ie6 1 5 .Wi'e4 id5 1 6.Wi'f5 Wi'xf5 1 7.lllxf5;!;

R. Pert - Adair, Sheffield 20 1 1 .

1 1 ... eS

1 1 . . .0-0 1 2.lllxc6;!; bxc6 1 3.ixc6 ixc6 1 4.Wxc6 d4 1 5 .lll f3 dxc3 1 6.e5 '1Wg6 1 7.Wi'xc3 leaves White a pawn up.

1 l . . .�c8 1 2.ixc6 ixc6 1 3 .lllxc6 bxc6 1 4.'1Wxa7 0-0 1 5 .a4 and White is a pawn up here too.

12.exd5 exd4

Chapter I -2 . . . e6 3.e4 3 1 1 5 .. . ixc6 1 6.ixc6 Wxc6 1 7.Wxc6 bxc6

1 8.cxd4 1:%fd8 1 9.1:%ad l ±

I6.�xd4 �UdS 17.J.fl ±

The smoke has cleared and White is a pawn up, Antidrome - arrowshot, Internet 20 1 1 .

B322) 10 ... �dS

This move was sprung on me by the talented Chinese IM Gao Rui in a British league game at the start of 20 1 3.

l 1 .Wb3

Permitting the minor piece exchanges looks to be heading pretty quickly to a dead drawn position.

l 1 . . .lLixd4 1 2.cxd4 ixb5 1 3 .Wxb5t Wd7 1 4.Wb3 ie7 1 5 .1:%ac l dxe4 1 6.lLixe4 0-0

1 6 .. . b6 1 7.1:%fd l 0-0 1 8.d5 exd5 1 9.1:%xd5 and a draw looks likely.

l 7.lLic5 ixc5

1 7 .. . Wxd4 1 8.1:%fd l Wf4 1 9.g3 Wg4 20.1:%d7 ixc5 2 l .1:%xc5 b6 22.1:%cc7 and White will regain the pawn.

1 8.dxc5 Wc6 1 9.1:%fd l

Again i t looks pretty even, although White may be a smidgen better.

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Another way to keep the pieces on. The idea is that if Black avoids an isolated d-pawn by taking on e4, then White can try and land a knight on c5.

l l ... dxe4

The immediate 1 1 . . .a6 might be more accurate, attacking the bishop when retreating to a4 is not an option. 1 2.ie2 ie7 ( 1 2 .. . dxe4 1 3 .lLixe4 We? 1 4.Wd3 ie7 1 5 .1:%ad l 1:%d8 1 6.llJd6t ixd6 1 7.Wxd6 Wxd6 1 8.1:%xd6 looks marginally favourable for White) 1 3.exd5 exd5 1 4.lLif3 Although my computer thinks this is equal I prefer White, who has lasting pressure against the isolated d-pawn.

1 2.lLixe4 We?

1 2 .. . Wb6 1 3.We2 a6 1 4.ia4 ie7 ( 1 4 .. . Wc? 1 5.1:%ad l b5 is well met by 1 6.lLibc5 ixc5 1 7. lLixc5±) 1 5 .1:%ad 1 seems slightly more pleasant for White.

1 3.lLibc5 ixc5 1 4.lLixc5 1:%d8 1 5 .We2 0-0 1 6.1:%ad l;l;

l l ... dxe4 12.tlixe4 �c7 13.�d2N

I believe this would have been stronger than what I played, as it makes it more difficult for Black to castle kingside whilst targeting the d6-square.

1 3 .We2 ie7 1 4.1:%ad l 0-0 1 5 .1:%fe l 1:%fd8= led to a draw in R. Pert - Gao Rui, Daventry 20 1 3.

1 3 ... i.e7 14Jffdl 0-0-0

1 4 .. . i:!d8 1 5 .llld6t ixd6 1 6.Wxd6 Wxd6 l 7.l'!xd6 rJJe7 1 8.i:!ad l;!; The queenside majority and slightly better coordination give White some advantage, although it's not a lot.

15.�e3 @bs 16.b4!;!;

Again this looks slightly preferable for White.

B4) 5 ... d6

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So we reach Black's most popular choice in this variation of the Trompowsky. Often Black is looking to set up flexibly, fianchettoing his kingside bishop and supporting the move . . . e5. Our standard plan here is to play id3, lll e2, 0-0, f2-f4 and if Black lets us then e4-e5. Usually Black will rake steps to address this plan by trying to play . . . e5 himself, although he will have to worry about his queen on f6 which will be lined up with our fl -rook. I have tried to go into quite a lot of derail in a few of Black's specific set-ups, so by the end of this chapter you should have a good idea of how to handle White's position.

6.i.d3

The main moves now are

B41) 6 ... e5

and

B42) 6

... g6,

although in practice they both often lead to the same position. We first take a look at Black's various alternatives.

6 . . . g5

It is not uncommon for Black to play this move along with . . . e5 in order to stop White's plan of advancing his f-pawn. This may seem like a sensible approach, but when you look more deeply at the position it becomes obvious that the weakness on f5 is a big problem for Black.

7.lll e2 lllc6 8.0-0 e5

9.ib5!

An important move to remember in this type of position. White turns his attention to the queenside, looking to force an exchange of light-squared bishops and make f5 a gaping hole for one of the white knights.

9 . . . id7 1 0.d5 llle7

1 0 .. . lllb8 is possible, so as to avoid moving his king, but it leaves Black underdeveloped and with no cover of the important f5-square. White replies l 1 .Wb3;!; and will then explore lllg3-f5 ideas.

1 1 .ixd?t rJJxd7 1 2.Wa4t rJJd8 1 3.llla3 Black's king is misplaced and the f5-square is still a problem. White's plan is to play his knights to e3 and g3 and then land one on f5 .

1 3 .. . h5 1 4.lll c4 g4

Black does everything in his power to stop the knights from landing on f5. He aims to hit the g3-knight with . . . h4 and the e3-knight with . . . ih6 before they both settle. Unfortunately for Black he has been so